Interview Transcript
Alright so um my name is Thomas i am a uh student here at Hunter College. I'm kind of right now currently like into doing stuff into like movies and different type of media, graphic design. Umm and I am currently working over at Laguarida Community College umm I kind of teach over there, but not really. I kind a teach like a lab but I do help students like different media projects for the labs of their courses. Umm So, some of my childhood dreams growing up were gonna be things like umm like getting into like doing things like film, doing things with music. Umm I was kind been into art. I was liked drawing and so I was always like, also like been into working with computers. So im kinda like trying to combine a lot of the stuff together so thats why I'm kinda getting into like digital film, like uhh doing documentary stuff and like working with music and like doing things with like photoshop and a lot of different like a programs and what not. Umm, some of the high points in my life when I was younger, I think definatly when I graduated high school cause i never really thought that I was gonna be doing that good but i actually did graduate. So Im actually pretty happy about that. Umm but I think that one of the umm another high point was my decision to actually go back to college. Which I went to umm Laguarida Community college. I graduated form there and then I took some time off and then eventually got back into to Hunter.[00:01:16.20]
[00:01:20.16] Now was there any, like a specific like incident or story that motivated you, like anything that happened to you, like a specific thing that kind a shaped you and changed you for who you are today?[00:01:33.20]
Yea there, there is a there is, I have a story about that. Umm, definatly when I was umm a lot younger, was in high school. Umm, a lot of my friends we used to hangout we used to go to like raves and what not. And People would be like taking drugs or what not. Umm we used to be really big with like taking exctasy. Um but i remember when like there was one thing that kind a like shook me. It kinda got me back on track. But this is like after I graduated high school and before I got back into college. Umm me and my friends were hanging out at this a, this rave one night and so we drive out to Long Island. And we all dropped extasy and then I still had like one pill on me left and my other friend had another pill on him. And there were like these three girls we were hanging out with, they were in the back of the car and they all they had all dropped and were in this parking lot in this place of this venue as to where like the rave was. And so what happened was when I got out of the car, I was standing there and I had the door open so I was had like the door kind a like in front of me. Umm but then like where I was standing there, i just saw these people coming out of no where , like running over to us and then I saw cars like coming out. And it turned out to be that there was the the a Suffoks County Police. And so I was kind a like shitting my pants as soon as I saw them. But like they kind a like stopped me and then like I was just standing in front of the car and then the a, the one cop came over to me and the other cop went over to the other side of the car and was like telling my friend to get out of the car. And so they started asking everybody if like, you know if they had like anything on them but like my friends were sitting in the back car had already taken their ectasy. And really only me and my friend that had taken it and still had one other hit on us. So, umm when I was standing there I I was gonna answer the cop but the cop was like you know, "just do me a favor before you say anything". He's like "if you tell me no and I do find something on you". He's like "your getting arrested, all your friends are getting arrested and your cars getting impounded". So this is like my my friends parents car, so I was gonna fuck around. So I was like "alright I still have like one hit on me." So he goes "where is it"? Its in my pocket. So he took it out and he just threw it on the floor and crushed it. And he was telling me that if any one of the other police officers ask me that if I have anything, just tell them no. He goes he goes "Im not gonna arrest you but they definatly will arrest you". He goes "we're actually looking for some people who are actually selling, like large amounts of it. Like, "you guys are obviously here just to you take it and go to this rave" or what not. And so he um let us go. So my one friend who had another hit on him I thought they did the same thing with him. But he actually had like a little, this little thing like in front of shoe. Like, like behind the tongue of his shoe a little pocket where he put it into before the cops came over. So he still actually had his on him. But um that kind of like really fucking freaked me out so um I had just dropped this esctasy. We go into the rave and I dont know if you ever taken it before, but i was really fucked up in the head from that. So just constantly being high on on exctasy. Um also just having to constantly replay what just happened with the police. It was a horrible fucking trip and thats something kind a just got me like not to do it again. Cause I was just kind a thinking about my mom and like what my mother would think and like you know the what a disapointment that would be to her and um it kind a just got me to be like, "you know what Im fucking done with this. [00:04:30.02] [00:04:34.14] Okay um, now referring to your mom, was she one of the biggest influences in your life? Um if not, who was one of the biggest influences in your life?[00:04:45.00] [00:04:47.17] My mom was definatly the biggest influence in my life when I was growing up. My my parents had gotten divorced when I was very young. And my father wasn't really in my life but my mother was always you know I was raised by my mom. So she kind a played like that dual role of my mother and my father so she was like kind a like that nurterer and then you know. [00:05:01.27] [00:05:04.17] She always just kind a kept, tried keeping me on the right path or whatever but umm she had already dealt withl like dealing with my brother and sister growing up. So when it got to me, when I was a teenager um she kind of like more realxed with me cause when I was in school, she knew I was kind of like doing good and she kind of like had a lot of trust in me, always felt I would find my way. But I did need some kind of guidance and what not . But um she was definatly, definatly like a big influence in my life and I think that one of the biggest lessons that she kind of taught me was to not judge people. You know if you're gonna judge anybody, judge people on character not like who they are or where they're from. Umm cause you never know the situations that we're in. And the reason being is because um when my parents had gotten divorced when I was very young when my family had moved to Brooklyn. We really didnt have anything, very poor. But then like my mother had like rebuilt her life and like you know made a very very nice life for my brother and sister . And um i think one of the reasons is to why she was talking about um not judging people is because you don't know what has gone on in their life to get them to where they were. And so if you think about it so my um. You dont want to sit there and judge people because my famlily was kind of like in that position at one time too. So um there was one thing my mother just kind a like reinforced me like " dont judge people on who they are or where they're from, but just judge people on their character. And that was one of the biggest lessons she taught me. [00:06:26.01] Good now are there any moments in your life that you feel like likfe wasn't working out for you or if life knocked you down and you had to get back up, you couldnt crawl back in a hole and and it kind of shaped you for the that the man you are today?[00:06:46.00] Yea I think that that situation happened with the pollice kind a like the starting point of it that pushed me to like um getting my shit together. Um but when I decided to go back to school, um I was going to school for a while and then I graduated and then I took some time of because I started working full time at my job where I am now. And then um I was actually deciding to go back to Hunter but then I went for like the first semester and then like sort a my mother had past away. Um and that kind a took a toll on me when my mother past away because she was like very most important person in my life um so that kind a like took a big toll on me and I kind a took a while off from school. Um but then after a while like I was like you know I cant just not finish. I have to do this for my Mom because I know my Mom would of definatly wanted me to go through and finsih with schooling. And so I started to go back to school and then like the following year my father had past away so that kind a hit that was kind of like two hits in two years. But uh so that I had to take off from school again cause I had a lot of stuff to deal with like um taking care of my mother's estate and like also with like a helping my sister and my brother with my Dad's house out in Pennslyvania. Um but once we kind a got through all that stuff like I kinda got motivated again to get back into school and thats why you know I'm here again today. [00:07:59.11] Now after all of that grief you experienced and loss and suffering and you obviously had to get back on your feet. Um what are you proudest of? and after everything do you have a vision for yourself in the future? [00:08:17.02] Yea I think that what I'm proudest of is is actually getting back into school and like taking care of stuff that um that I had to take care of for my Mom. Like my Mother was taking care of me for like my my whole life and then um when my Mother passed away um just going into and making sure like I took care of stuff for her like you know with the funeral and with taking care of things with her estate and then you know like also with my Father and my Father's estate. Those are the things I'm really proud of because those were kind a big milestones in my life. Like those are things you never had to deal with before and like it was kinda like a whole learning process. Um but definatly getting back into school. Um just to kind a like do for my Mom so that I know that she wanted me to finish you know with my education and what not. Um but I definatly think that um a vision where I see myself going. I definatly would like to see myself somewhere doing something with like a production company or doing stuff with like film or with even like music. Um I definatly want to go into[00:09:16.06] Obviously going into with film. Maybe even moving out to Los Angeles, maybe moving out to the west coast like Hollwood or what not to see how what life is like out there and then um trying to get in to get into the industry really.[00:09:30.19]
[00:01:20.16] Now was there any, like a specific like incident or story that motivated you, like anything that happened to you, like a specific thing that kind a shaped you and changed you for who you are today?[00:01:33.20]
Yea there, there is a there is, I have a story about that. Umm, definatly when I was umm a lot younger, was in high school. Umm, a lot of my friends we used to hangout we used to go to like raves and what not. And People would be like taking drugs or what not. Umm we used to be really big with like taking exctasy. Um but i remember when like there was one thing that kind a like shook me. It kinda got me back on track. But this is like after I graduated high school and before I got back into college. Umm me and my friends were hanging out at this a, this rave one night and so we drive out to Long Island. And we all dropped extasy and then I still had like one pill on me left and my other friend had another pill on him. And there were like these three girls we were hanging out with, they were in the back of the car and they all they had all dropped and were in this parking lot in this place of this venue as to where like the rave was. And so what happened was when I got out of the car, I was standing there and I had the door open so I was had like the door kind a like in front of me. Umm but then like where I was standing there, i just saw these people coming out of no where , like running over to us and then I saw cars like coming out. And it turned out to be that there was the the a Suffoks County Police. And so I was kind a like shitting my pants as soon as I saw them. But like they kind a like stopped me and then like I was just standing in front of the car and then the a, the one cop came over to me and the other cop went over to the other side of the car and was like telling my friend to get out of the car. And so they started asking everybody if like, you know if they had like anything on them but like my friends were sitting in the back car had already taken their ectasy. And really only me and my friend that had taken it and still had one other hit on us. So, umm when I was standing there I I was gonna answer the cop but the cop was like you know, "just do me a favor before you say anything". He's like "if you tell me no and I do find something on you". He's like "your getting arrested, all your friends are getting arrested and your cars getting impounded". So this is like my my friends parents car, so I was gonna fuck around. So I was like "alright I still have like one hit on me." So he goes "where is it"? Its in my pocket. So he took it out and he just threw it on the floor and crushed it. And he was telling me that if any one of the other police officers ask me that if I have anything, just tell them no. He goes he goes "Im not gonna arrest you but they definatly will arrest you". He goes "we're actually looking for some people who are actually selling, like large amounts of it. Like, "you guys are obviously here just to you take it and go to this rave" or what not. And so he um let us go. So my one friend who had another hit on him I thought they did the same thing with him. But he actually had like a little, this little thing like in front of shoe. Like, like behind the tongue of his shoe a little pocket where he put it into before the cops came over. So he still actually had his on him. But um that kind of like really fucking freaked me out so um I had just dropped this esctasy. We go into the rave and I dont know if you ever taken it before, but i was really fucked up in the head from that. So just constantly being high on on exctasy. Um also just having to constantly replay what just happened with the police. It was a horrible fucking trip and thats something kind a just got me like not to do it again. Cause I was just kind a thinking about my mom and like what my mother would think and like you know the what a disapointment that would be to her and um it kind a just got me to be like, "you know what Im fucking done with this. [00:04:30.02] [00:04:34.14] Okay um, now referring to your mom, was she one of the biggest influences in your life? Um if not, who was one of the biggest influences in your life?[00:04:45.00] [00:04:47.17] My mom was definatly the biggest influence in my life when I was growing up. My my parents had gotten divorced when I was very young. And my father wasn't really in my life but my mother was always you know I was raised by my mom. So she kind a played like that dual role of my mother and my father so she was like kind a like that nurterer and then you know. [00:05:01.27] [00:05:04.17] She always just kind a kept, tried keeping me on the right path or whatever but umm she had already dealt withl like dealing with my brother and sister growing up. So when it got to me, when I was a teenager um she kind of like more realxed with me cause when I was in school, she knew I was kind of like doing good and she kind of like had a lot of trust in me, always felt I would find my way. But I did need some kind of guidance and what not . But um she was definatly, definatly like a big influence in my life and I think that one of the biggest lessons that she kind of taught me was to not judge people. You know if you're gonna judge anybody, judge people on character not like who they are or where they're from. Umm cause you never know the situations that we're in. And the reason being is because um when my parents had gotten divorced when I was very young when my family had moved to Brooklyn. We really didnt have anything, very poor. But then like my mother had like rebuilt her life and like you know made a very very nice life for my brother and sister . And um i think one of the reasons is to why she was talking about um not judging people is because you don't know what has gone on in their life to get them to where they were. And so if you think about it so my um. You dont want to sit there and judge people because my famlily was kind of like in that position at one time too. So um there was one thing my mother just kind a like reinforced me like " dont judge people on who they are or where they're from, but just judge people on their character. And that was one of the biggest lessons she taught me. [00:06:26.01] Good now are there any moments in your life that you feel like likfe wasn't working out for you or if life knocked you down and you had to get back up, you couldnt crawl back in a hole and and it kind of shaped you for the that the man you are today?[00:06:46.00] Yea I think that that situation happened with the pollice kind a like the starting point of it that pushed me to like um getting my shit together. Um but when I decided to go back to school, um I was going to school for a while and then I graduated and then I took some time of because I started working full time at my job where I am now. And then um I was actually deciding to go back to Hunter but then I went for like the first semester and then like sort a my mother had past away. Um and that kind a took a toll on me when my mother past away because she was like very most important person in my life um so that kind a like took a big toll on me and I kind a took a while off from school. Um but then after a while like I was like you know I cant just not finish. I have to do this for my Mom because I know my Mom would of definatly wanted me to go through and finsih with schooling. And so I started to go back to school and then like the following year my father had past away so that kind a hit that was kind of like two hits in two years. But uh so that I had to take off from school again cause I had a lot of stuff to deal with like um taking care of my mother's estate and like also with like a helping my sister and my brother with my Dad's house out in Pennslyvania. Um but once we kind a got through all that stuff like I kinda got motivated again to get back into school and thats why you know I'm here again today. [00:07:59.11] Now after all of that grief you experienced and loss and suffering and you obviously had to get back on your feet. Um what are you proudest of? and after everything do you have a vision for yourself in the future? [00:08:17.02] Yea I think that what I'm proudest of is is actually getting back into school and like taking care of stuff that um that I had to take care of for my Mom. Like my Mother was taking care of me for like my my whole life and then um when my Mother passed away um just going into and making sure like I took care of stuff for her like you know with the funeral and with taking care of things with her estate and then you know like also with my Father and my Father's estate. Those are the things I'm really proud of because those were kind a big milestones in my life. Like those are things you never had to deal with before and like it was kinda like a whole learning process. Um but definatly getting back into school. Um just to kind a like do for my Mom so that I know that she wanted me to finish you know with my education and what not. Um but I definatly think that um a vision where I see myself going. I definatly would like to see myself somewhere doing something with like a production company or doing stuff with like film or with even like music. Um I definatly want to go into[00:09:16.06] Obviously going into with film. Maybe even moving out to Los Angeles, maybe moving out to the west coast like Hollwood or what not to see how what life is like out there and then um trying to get in to get into the industry really.[00:09:30.19]
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