At the Weekly, we speak to a lot of people over the course of a year – 51 in this space alone. And we meet different people in Face to Face. There are authors and scientists, high school students and small business owners, the famous and the not so much. It’s a snapshot of a community that plays out over 12 months. Here are a few samples from a year now passing.
CSUMB interim Vice President of Student Affairs John Fraire
Why did you decide to attend Harvard?
I was a high school quarterback. And one of my idols was Jim Plunkett. He was the quarterback at Stanford University. That’s where I wanted to go. I wrote this long letter to Stanford. My brother says, “Hey, man. You just applied to Stanford, why don’t you take this same letter, cross off Stanford, put Harvard in there and apply?”
George Pincham III, owner of the Seaside barbershop Side Affects
How did barbershop culture become such a thing?
Speaking as an African American, it was an area where we felt, once you enter those walls, you can relax and be yourself. It’s not as much about the cut. They just come for the experience and kind of relax and get away from whatever’s going on in their world. It’s an opportunity to ear-hustle about what’s going on. It’s a camaraderie, a brotherhood, a fellowship. That haircut is therapeutic.
Local actor Malinda DeRouen, playing Mary Poppins
Your 12-year-old will be in the show. What about the younger guy?
Yes, I asked my 6-year-old if he wanted to be on stage and he said that he would be embarrassed. I asked him if he thinks I’m embarrassed when I’m on stage and he nodded. So I said: “I am not.” And he said, “Well, I’m embarrassed for you [big laugh].”
Stevenson High School student Emily Amador
Tell us something about your poems.
“I am – Yo Soy” speaks to my reality as a first-generation student with two Mexican parents. “Crooked Fingers” is a piece in particular that was inspired by my distinct features. Many features reflect my parents and grandparents. I used to be really ashamed I did not fit the American beauty standard. However, I learned that these unique features are beautiful and a reflection of strong and graceful ancestors.
Author Ava Homa, a Kurdish exile due to her activism and writing
What have you learned about writing in English?
In the Western countries, like Canada or the U.S., you have freedom of speech. But that doesn’t mean you are heard. There is a hierarchy of voices. I was disheartened when I understood this.
Debra Wilson, purchasing manager for Monterey County and minister for Monterey County Jail
You wrote about your personal experiences in your first book.
It’s like therapy. So when I started writing the book [Drop Your Fists and Raise Your Hands], it was actually going to be called Behind the White Picket Fence. Because what happens is, you have a lot of people who live what they call the American Dream. That means you have the house, the kids, the dog, the cat, the two-car garage. But what you don’t know is what goes on behind those doors. And a lot of times, there’s a lot of trauma.
Comedian Julian Gonzalez
Part of your success comes from social media.
In comedy, you need to earn your stripes. If you are an opener, you get paid like $50. And it’s hard to convince locations to do a comedy show. They say, people come here and they just want to drink coffee, they don’t want to hear some dude talking about vaginas.
Former NASCAR driver Ernie Irvan
How would you sum up your career?
Too short. But again, it was awesome to accomplish what I did – some guy from Salinas winning the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 winner gets invited to a state dinner at the White House. Next thing I know I’m at a table with Teri Garr, the actress. She asked if I had been through a metal detector when I came in. “No.” She tells me to put some silverware in my pocket. So like a dumbass I put some silverware in my pocket. She said, “I was just joking.”