Ab SchRaina James (red head); 1st year student, Sociology major, friend and neighbor to Chloe Burns
Chloe Burns (brunette); 2nd year student, English major, friend and neighbor to Raina James
Gateway: What is your favorite opening scene in a movie?
Raina: Megamind. The beginning is cool because it starts at the ending and then takes you back all the way through the story to the very beginning. I love movies that do that.
Gateway: How do you imagine your “UofA story” will end?
Raina: I’m almost certain it will be a lot different than what I was planning – I basically picked sociology because it was so broad and because I have no idea what I want to do with my life [laughs]. I love music and anthropology though, so maybe that’s where I’ll be in four years!
Chloe: I’ve only been here for a year and things have already changed so drastically from what my life was like last year. It sounds cheesy but this year I’m just a different person– I had very bad anxiety issues and missed so much class because I couldn’t get myself out of bed but this year I started to take medication and feel much better about my anxiety. I can study now and keep up for what feels like the first time in my life.
Gateway: What’s the biggest trend you’ve noticed in the 2015-16 UAlberta hipsters so far?
Chloe: A lot of chest hair. Guys with low cut shirts, or guys wearing plaid over something that shows off lots of (tasteful) chest hair. Mmmm!
Gateway: What’s something you will experience at University versus something you should?
Chloe: You will experience something that completely reverses your expectations and throws you out of your comfort zone and you should experience new ways of meeting people. I’ve met people in some weird ways at University… I’ve really been trying to embrace it (and so should you)!
Raina: You will experience things that are negative but at the same time you should experience them because without negatives you can never really grow.
Chloe: Oh and you should drop classes if they’re not going to work for you – this is very important. My first year I didn’t drop any and it was a terrible idea! Drop. Classes.
Gateway: What’s something that took you completely by surprise about University?
Raina: I remember being super afraid of being on my own. Like I was always told in high school that in University everything is on you, so I was really scared about that. Like I imagined my profs would be cold and they would just come in, say their lectures and leave and would never really be around – but as it turned out, that wasn’t true at all! Once I had the chance to talk to a few of them after class, and saw that they would give outlines for papers and stuff I really became less scared. It was the biggest surprise but also the best surprise.
Gateway: What’s your most memorable first experience?
Raina: The first time I read a book that I actually liked. It was recently actually, I was reading The Book Thief and I had this moment where I just thought Wow! Books are incredible! How didn’t I notice this before! I’ve always liked reading books but they had never affected my life in any way but after that one, I started to find others that I could understand and that meant something to me. Now I’m asking my friends to recommend their favorites and borrowing them all the time. Read The Book Thief, it will open your world!
Chloe: The first time I rode the LRT. In grade 9 I had learned how to use one bus and I remember thinking I can get to Capillano Mall! My whole world is changed! It felt great. So, when I used the LRT for the first time, it just felt so independent. It was super overwhelming but it was just like this real I’m really growing up moment.
Gateway: What’s a good LRT story?
Chloe: I remember this one time very clearly where this man was just yelling, literally yelling into his phone and he was wearing a ring on his left hand and I was just sitting there staring trying to figure out which hand a wedding ring goes on [laughs]. The whole ride I was wondering who he was yelling at, was it his wife or…? Also, I 100% snoop when I’m on the LRT [laughs]
Gateway: What’s something you love that everyone else hates?
Raina: Yassssss! My favourite band! The Front Bottoms! They just came out with their new album today – oh my god I hope that people go and listen to them after this! They sound like garage band trash but their words and their lyrics are so incredible. Compared to other music these days The Front Bottoms will just say anything, like “I’m going to the store to get some milk” [laughs]. Everyone I’ve ever showed them to thinks it’s terrible and that they can’t sing – we’re probably the only people in Edmonton who like them [laughs]. It’s crying boy music.
Chloe: My job! I work at Disney. Everyone always gives me a weird look and an ohhhh when I tell them but it’s the best job I ever had! Everyone that works there is great and it’s all about connection and creating authentic moments with people and story-telling and magic, it’s just awesome. There’s always something new happening. But now I have to watch all the Star Wars movies… I’ve never seen them, but the new one I’m really excited about because there are two crazy cool female characters, which is as many as there are in the entire series!
