[middtube envs0350a-fo8 mp3:kanter_agieshe_092708]
9-27-08
Interview with Alena Gische interviewed by Max Kanter
Axin Center, Screening room
5:50pm
36:45 minutes
34:50- Heritage, German and Czech background and story about her parents history and her parents journey to Alfred, New York.
33:00-Life at home, speaking German, now talking German at Middlebury
32:00-Majoring in Environmental Studies and Dance, transferred to Middlebury because she wanted to take classes at Alfred University where her dad teaches, so she needed to apply as a transfer. Applying as a transfer has made her experience much more complicated.
30:00- Her mother studied to be a doctor and her father is an engineer/professor. All her relatives live in Europe. She has dual citizenship. She rarely sees her grandparents and relatives. Dad’s family all live in a small town in Germany.
27:00- She came as a freshmen, but she entered labeled as a transfer student. She couldn’t really relate to the freshmen nor could she relate to the transfers.
26:00-She looked at Bard College and Middlebury College, she wanted a place to be artistic and academic with many opportunities. She loved the campus and atmosphere and the dance department
25:00- Her experience talking with Penny Campbell and learning about the environmental studies program.
22:45-Her decision on Middlebury. The reasons she didn’t choose Bard College. She hikes and snowboards.
21:30-Living in Forest West. Her classes with the environmental studies department.
20:45-Her path towards majoring in Dance too. She made the dance company on campus and performed all throughout last year. She chose not to be apart of the company this year because the company is now separate from the college.
18:45- Process of developing the dance piece last year. Working to understand justice and confinement. She took a trip to minimum-security prison. She did many writing activities. The details of the dance piece. Talked about genocide, treatment of friends and other people.
14:12- How her experience with the dance department has affected her growth at Middlebury.
12:57-Hardest things when she first got to Middlebury, both academically and socially.
11:42- Why Middlebury College is troublesome for Elena. Her criticism of Middlebury.
9:30- People in college are self involved and always thinking about their live, which is fine, but sometimes hard.
8:15- Future at Middlebury, study abroad plans…
7:30-She wants to do theater, cooking, ice skating, and tennis.
6:30- Appreciation of Vermont and the environment
5:40- How life at Alfred University and Middlebury compare for Alena.
4:50- Her life at Alfred, she new people at the university, but she didn’t really get to know the people at the university.
4:00- Trying to balance all of her friendships at Middlebury, Alfred, and high school.
3:25- After College: peace corps, dancing, graduate school for environmental biology.
2:20- Might move back to NY, but not to Alfred.
1:45- She might move to Europe, and finds it funny that she and her sister are moving back to Europe after her parents moved to the US
:30 We wrapped up the interview.
Recollection of the Interview:
My first interview was definitely much needed practice. I am a novice, but I recognize my weaknesses. The interview was preceded by some informal small talk, and while conversing, Alena and I decided to conduct the interviews in a quite space with limited distractions. We sat down in a large room with soft lighting, which set an informal tone. After testing the recording devices, we began. I volunteered to interview Alena first. I began with some autobiographical questions, where were you born? how long have you live in Alfred, New York? As we have seen as a class, this approach can lead to several other talking points. Also, talking about one’s childhood generally sets a relaxed tone for the interview.
Within five minutes, Alena elaborated on her European background. Both her mother and father immigrated to the US after meeting in Germany. Her mother escaped the former Soviet Union (Czechoslovakia), moved to Germany, then met Alena’s father and moved to the US to start a family. Unfortunately most of Alena’s extended family still lives in Europe, and her opportunity to visit has been limited, but she hopes to return soon.
Alena is now a sophomore, but her identity at Middlebury differs from other sophomores. She decided to leave high school before her senior year and take classes at the local university in her town. Her decision to do so, labeled her as a transfer student upon entering Middlebury last fall. She was placed in upperclassmen housing, and participated in a separate orientation. She found it hard to meet other freshmen, considering her living situation. Eventually she made friends and fortunately during Jterm she moved onto a freshmen hall. She said the move significantly helped her social life, and made her feel apart of the freshmen community.
The most interesting anecdote was her history with Middlebury’s dance department. Alena is a dancer, so last fall she auditioned for the dance company. She impressed the department and she was selected to dance. Dancing with the company became very involved. She made visits to women’s prisons, participated in solidarity activities, freely wrote about her thoughts, and felt emotionally exhausted. I asked her if she considers her experience with the dance company important, and she said she is so grateful to have had the opportunity to belong to a group on campus from the very beginning.
The interview flowed naturally until the end. Both Alena and I had trouble wrapping up the interview. We each ended abruptly, without asking some final questions signifying the end. The challenge of ending the interview surprised me. Guiding the interview and making transitions, as an interviewer is difficult, and this interview was good practice to help sharpen my skills.