Color-coded Subject Visualization
Click on a color below to toggle visualization to show just that color. Hover over section to see text, and click to go to that portion of the interview.
Alice Finneran (She/Her), Art History, 2023 Click to filter
Ben Schoonover (He/Him), Human Physiology, 2022 Click to filter
Brit Micho (She/Her), Art History (MA), 2023 Click to filter
Caro (They/Them), Art & Technology, 2022 Click to filter
Charis Rieder (She/Her), Planning, Public Policy & Management, 2023 Click to filter
Grigorii Malakhov (He/Him), Planning, Public Policy & Management and Theatre Arts, 2024 Click to filter
Jackson Mota (He/Him), Planning, Public Policy & Management, 2023 Click to filter
Joie Littleton (She/Her), Cinema Studies and Public Relations, 2023 Click to filter
Josue Velasquez-Silva (He/Him), Planning, Public Policy & Management, 2023 Click to filter
Kundai Kapurura (She/Her), Product Design, 2023 Click to filter
Léo Cramer (He/Him), Product Design, 2024 Click to filter
Miles Lawson (He/Him), Art & Technology, 2022 Click to filter
Thammahatai Lertwachara (They/Them), Art, 2023 Click to filter
Thomas Jessop (He/Him), Computer Science, 2024 Click to filter
Varney Varney (He/Him), Product Design, 2024 Click to filter
Yuan Fang (She/Her), Anthropology (PhD), 2022 Click to filter
Contents
Artist Statement: I felt that it was a positive experience in sharing my story to others as sharing stories is the only way we can connect as humans and as a community. It allows us to learning more about each other. I hope others will be inspired to share their stories as it will enable us to understand each other and form deeper connections throughout our community.
I think it's important for student voices to be heard as it can be re-affirming of community values and enables to students to find their social voice within their community.
Kundai Kapurura: The Americanized way to pronounce
Kundai Kapurura: my last name is "Kapura".
Kundai Kapurura: That's what I'll usually say to
Kundai Kapurura: friends or someone I just met.
Kundai Kapurura: But the traditional way to pronounce it is "Kapurura".
Kundai Kapurura: I'm not exactly sure what it means.
Kundai Kapurura: I should probably know that by now.
Kundai Kapurura: Based on statistics, I do know that it's
Kundai Kapurura: a pretty rare name in the world.
Kundai Kapurura: This name is not only my last name, but I feel
Kundai Kapurura: like it has been a contributing factor to who I am.
Kundai Kapurura: My first name is Kundai, which
Kundai Kapurura: makes my name Kundai Kapurura.
Kundai Kapurura: And that name in itself holds its own unique value.
Kundai Kapurura: I feel like Kundai has always been a
Kundai Kapurura: name that has been difficult for people to
Kundai Kapurura: pronounce or unique or new to them.
Kundai Kapurura: I'm the only Kundai that many
Kundai Kapurura: people know, which makes me me.
Kundai Kapurura: I have had a good amount of good experience with being
Kundai Kapurura: different, but I feel like I have had a fair share
Kundai Kapurura: of experiences that have changed my view of the world.
Kundai Kapurura: This can be negative in some ways, but I
Kundai Kapurura: feel like it has also positively impacted me in
Kundai Kapurura: a way where I find myself not judging people.
Kundai Kapurura: I also find myself going outside
Kundai Kapurura: the box or traditional norms as a
Kundai Kapurura: product design student in the design field.
Kundai Kapurura: As a black woman, it can be a little
Kundai Kapurura: hard because it's a white indominated industry.
Kundai Kapurura: But at the same time, I feel like I've
Kundai Kapurura: used it as leverage to only push myself forward.
Kundai Kapurura: And because I've faced obstacles due to my identity or
Kundai Kapurura: who I am, I feel like it has made me
Kundai Kapurura: and shaped me into the person I am today.
Kundai Kapurura: I feel like I've gone into a number of different- okay no no no- restart-
Kundai Kapurura: Okay- I feel like I have entered myself
Kundai Kapurura: into spaces where sometimes it would have
Kundai Kapurura: been traditionally awkward or unconventional.
Kundai Kapurura: But I feel like I'm most comfortable doing that because I've
Kundai Kapurura: already come from places where I've had to do that constantly
Kundai Kapurura: in my life, even down to the thing that I feel
Kundai Kapurura: like I'll carry forever, which is my name.
Kundai Kapurura: But I'm also proud of it and I've
Kundai Kapurura: grown to love it so much, and I- honestly-
Kundai Kapurura: Going home, I'm going to do more research on
Kundai Kapurura: what Kapurura means and how I can hold the
Kundai Kapurura: value and respect for that name in the way
Kundai Kapurura: that to its fullest potential I feel.
Kundai Kapurura: But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy my answer.
Artist Statement: I felt empowered in being able to speak about this story because it used to be something that I had difficulty in talking about and sharing with others. While listening, I hope others will be inspired to find a space that allows them to feel comfortable and accepted as who they are. I also think it's important for student voices to be heard within an academic institution as students are the foundation of a diverse and creative community.
Thammahatai Lertwachara: My name is Thammahatai Lertwachara.
Thammahatai Lertwachara: My pronouns are They/Them.
Thammahatai Lertwachara: I am a junior student - art major.
Thammahatai Lertwachara: My question is: What role does community play in your identity?
Artist Statement: I felt that telling my story to myself was thought provoking and almost like a casual conversation for me.
When listening and viewing my literal voice, I hope others can reflect upon where pieces of their identity come from and feel joy in their growing and forever changing identity.
It's important for student voices to be heard as academic institutions are for students, therefore their voices should be heard.
Alice Finneran: My name is Alice Finneran.
Alice Finneran: My pronouns are She/Her. I'm a Junior.
Alice Finneran: The question I'm going to answer is: What
Alice Finneran: role does community play in your identity?
Alice Finneran: I come from Oklahoma and my community there impacts
Alice Finneran: how my identity is displayed here in Oregon.
Alice Finneran: But I've also been in Oregon for
Alice Finneran: five years and built my own community.
Alice Finneran: And that community has also impacted my identity
Alice Finneran: and how it is displayed in other communities.
Alice Finneran: And so I feel like in a really positive way,
Alice Finneran: that my identity is collaged by all the communities that
Alice Finneran: I've been a part of, even if they're like, Southern
Alice Finneran: communities or like, Pacific Northwest like communities.
Alice Finneran: So, yeah, I just feel like my identity is a
Alice Finneran: big collage of the communities I've been a part of.
Artist Statement: I struggled to come up with a response as I didn't want to misspeak or misrepresent myself, but it was an overall experience. I'm unsure how other will respond to my story as I'm often time nervous of sharing my voice. Especially as it can be difficult to articulate things correctly or without flaws. However, I think it is often a good practice for student voices to be heard within their community.
Leo Cramer: Family is an immense part of my identity.
Leo Cramer: They impact a great deal of how I make
Leo Cramer: my decisions and what I choose to pursue.
Leo Cramer: Actually, rather, what I choose to pursue it's more
Leo Cramer: so how I pursues things.
Leo Cramer: Often my family impacts my approach and while I'm doing
Leo Cramer: things, they are often in my mind and this influences
Leo Cramer: my practice and my perspective on the world greatly.
Leo Cramer: They've instilled a level of professionalism and intensity in
Leo Cramer: me that is real in most of practices
Leo Cramer: and present throughout my identity and my work.
Artist Statement: It was really nice, fun and interesting to be able to be apart of this experience. I hope that people can understand that being happy should not come with any sacrifices, especially if its affecting your mental health or everyday livelihood. I also think it's important for students to hear other student voices and learn from other people's challenges because it can help them learn what they want in life or any academic institution.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: Hi.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: My name is Josue Velasquez-Silva.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: My pronouns are He/Him/His.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: And I'm currently a junior.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: What advice would you give your past self?
Josue Velasquez-Silva: One big advice that I would've given to myself
Josue Velasquez-Silva: if I was younger were to be confident and
Josue Velasquez-Silva: to just believe in what you're passionate about, regardless
Josue Velasquez-Silva: of what challenges that you may face.
Josue Velasquez-Silva: Just know that at the end of the day that
Josue Velasquez-Silva: your happiness should be on your highest priority than trying
Josue Velasquez-Silva: to focus on other difficult stuff that might make you-
Josue Velasquez-Silva: not go- that might affect your life.
Artist Statement: I would say that the experience of telling my story is uplifting and freeing as I hope others feel my authenticity and resonate with what I've said.
It's important for student voices to be heard, especially within an academic institution, as most of the time students are recognized for their academic achievements but everyone has a story that needs to be told.
Miles Lawson: Miles Lawson.
Miles Lawson: Pronouns are He/Him. Year: Senior.
Miles Lawson: The question is: How did you overcome challenges
Miles Lawson: you have faced due to assumptions people have made about you?
Miles Lawson: Over the years, people usually assume just how I dress and
Miles Lawson: carry myself, that I'm an athlete or someone
Miles Lawson: who is dangerous or different in nature or
Miles Lawson: not conforming to- y'know just uncomforming.
Miles Lawson: And I'd say to challenge these assumptions people have
Miles Lawson: made about me, is just to show my work
Miles Lawson: in the art field or showcase different things about
Miles Lawson: myself and speak in a manner that doesn't portray
Miles Lawson: necessarily the original presumption they made about me.
Miles Lawson: And continuing to work and showcase what I've done
Miles Lawson: and continue to keep pushing forward every single day
Miles Lawson: despite what people may think or tell me, is
Miles Lawson: also something that I've done to fight these assumptions.
Miles Lawson: I've had somebody say that I dressed like a
Miles Lawson: drug dealer or carried myself in that matter.
Miles Lawson: But when I put forward my best foot forward,
Miles Lawson: I feel like it really changes that perspective.
Miles Lawson: Or when I continue to work and be shown in
Miles Lawson: different areas, it also changes that perspective as well.
Miles Lawson: And I worked every single day to make my parents
Miles Lawson: proud, make my people proud, make my friend proud.
Miles Lawson: I do it for them.
Miles Lawson: So that's another way I fight these assumptions.
Miles Lawson: People can judge you based on what the outside appearance is,
Miles Lawson: but if you know that you've got something good on the
Miles Lawson: inside, I think that's the best way to
Miles Lawson: keep moving forward.
Artist Statement: I would say my expereince in telling my story was cathartic. I don't usually talk about myself openly and because of that I feel like I don't give myself the space and the time to think about my story. I'm still finding out who I am but the more I reflect on my experiences the more comfortable I become. In the past, I felt pressured into knowing exactly where I want to be, but as I've gotten older I've realized that it's okay to have ups and downs.
I hope others can relate to my experience. I can honestly say this is the first time, in a long time, that I was asked to reflect back on my life, so it took me a while to give voice to my inner self. I hope this hits for all the shy people out there to know you are not alone. Please take it for what it's worth.
University life can get stressful, especially being in a place with so many people. I think it's necessary for student voices to be heard because these years are known be the most impactful for college students. If we don't feel like our voices are heard then it can stunt our ability to grow, learn, and build community with each other.
Joie Littleton: My name is Joie Littleton.
Joie Littleton: I go by She/Her/Hers.
Joie Littleton: I'm a junior.
Joie Littleton: And the question is: What advice
Joie Littleton: would you give your past self?
Joie Littleton: I would say to my past self that it's okay
Joie Littleton: to not know everything. I mean you're always going to be learning
Joie Littleton: in life and it's just a given fact.
Joie Littleton: So it's important to just go with the flow
Joie Littleton: and not overthink things because when you do
Joie Littleton: that, you start to miss the little things in
Joie Littleton: life and everything that actually that matters.
Joie Littleton: I would also say that because I'm a pretty
Joie Littleton: quiet person, I would tell my younger self, who
Joie Littleton: would constantly criticize themselves about being super shy and
Joie Littleton: quiet, that there is power in just listening and
Joie Littleton: observing and there's definitely more of an appreciation for
Joie Littleton: listening before you speak, especially when it's not your
Joie Littleton: place to speak before really thinking and listening to
Joie Littleton: what someone else has to say.
Artist Statement: I find letting my story be out there in the world as freeing and uplifting. I hope other will be inspired to share their voice and stories with others in their communities.
I also think it's important for student voices to be heard within an academic institution because without students we don't have a future as we are the next generation of leaders and will be in positions of power.
Thomas Jessop: My name is Thomas Jessop.
Thomas Jessop: I use He/Him pronouns.
Thomas Jessop: I am a sophomore.
Thomas Jessop: The question I drew was: How do you feel about
Thomas Jessop: your last name and its impact on your identity?
Thomas Jessop: Honestly, I like it a lot because it's
Thomas Jessop: tied to a lot of family history.
Thomas Jessop: I'm named after my grandfather, who is named
Thomas Jessop: after his grandfather, who is named after his
Thomas Jessop: grandfather, and there's other aspects of it.
Thomas Jessop: Like, every generation of my family
Thomas Jessop: has fought in the US
Thomas Jessop: military since the Revolutionary War.
Thomas Jessop: Not necessarily every guy, but at least someone.
Thomas Jessop: So there's a lot of tradition and very
Thomas Jessop: long held values found up in that- that
Thomas Jessop: I feel pride in carrying with me.
Artist Statement: My experience in telling my story was good. In a way talking about yourself that deeply feels like a foreign concept. But in a way something about it was therapeutic. Even if it was just talking into a phone.
When others are listening and viewing my literal voice, I hope they feel a sense of normality and relatability as I feel like I am a pretty normal person and the hardships I face are most likely ones that others deal with too, even if not verbally expressed. I believe that hearing or seeing that can give ease to the mind.
In college you are seeking a higher level of thought and want to have a say in what you make and contribute towards. And in an academic setting sometimes those emotions and thoughts are compressed by your peers. So the ability to have a voice is a powerful notion to most.
Varney Varney: So I'm gonna be answering.
Varney Varney: How did you overcome challenges you have faced due to assumptions people have made about you?
Varney Varney: I don't know.
Varney Varney: I think as an artist and as a designer,
Varney Varney: people may make a lot of assumptions about you.
Varney Varney: I'm just a white guy from Boulder, Colorado.
Varney Varney: I'm very loose in the things that I do, very carefree.
Varney Varney: And I think at times maybe people make assumptions.
Varney Varney: I don't put a lot of thought behind the
Varney Varney: decisions I make as a designer or even the
Varney Varney: decisions that I make in everyday life.
Varney Varney: Maybe it's just like things are handed to me.
Varney Varney: I think in a lot of ways that's not
Varney Varney: true, but I try to look past that.
Artist Statement: It was a good experience telling my story because I think it's important for me and others to not be afraid to take risks. I also think it's important for student voices to be heard so that all ages and perspectives are being represented within their communities.
Charis Rieder: My name is Charis Rieder.
Charis Rieder: My pronouns are She/Her/Hers.
Charis Rieder: I am currently a Junior graduating 2023.
Charis Rieder: What advice would you give your past self?
Charis Rieder: I would tell my past self to not be
Charis Rieder: afraid to take opportunities and to put myself out
Charis Rieder: there. Because that's definitely something I struggled with in
Charis Rieder: the past, was being confident in myself to try
Charis Rieder: new things and just take a change on myself.
Charis Rieder: And so I think I would just really encourage
Charis Rieder: myself that I'm capable to do these things.
Charis Rieder: And looking to the future, when I have put myself
Charis Rieder: out there, it has led to amazing opportunities where I've
Charis Rieder: met the most amazing people and I've really grown.
Charis Rieder: So I would tell myself to just not give up, to
Charis Rieder: keep trying, and no matter what, even if I fail.
Charis Rieder: Failure is what really molds you and shapes you
Charis Rieder: into the person that you're supposed to be.
Artist Statement: I was a bit nervous at first but I'm really glad that I was able to have the chance to share my story. Especially if it will make others aware of different life experiences in different social contexts. I also think its an interesting and innovative way to share diverse experiences among students within an academic institution.
Yuan Fang: My name is Yuan Fang.
Yuan Fang: My pronouns are She/Her.
student
Yuan Fang: I'm a fifth year PhD student
Yuan Fang: in Archeology at the Anthropology department.
Yuan Fang: The question I would like to answer is:
Yuan Fang: How does family impact your identity?
Yuan Fang: My family is from Yongzhou, Hunan Province, China.
Yuan Fang: When I was born, my parents were already in their 40's.
Yuan Fang: And it's very rare that I'm the second child in the
Yuan Fang: family because under the one child policy, it's not common.
Yuan Fang: However, I'm very fortunate because my parents
Yuan Fang: loved me and gave me equal opportunities
Yuan Fang: to have an education as my older brother.
Yuan Fang: So they are caused by all
Yuan Fang: three generations who experienced the Cultural
Yuan Fang: Revolution, very chaotic period in history.
Yuan Fang: And my father was fortunate to
Yuan Fang: be able to attend universities.
Yuan Fang: And they also think I should be given this opportunity.
Yuan Fang: So I came to the US in 2011 and it
Yuan Fang: has been already ten years, and now I'm studying a
Yuan Fang: subject of interest like archaeology, and I'm studying bronze mirrors.
Yuan Fang: And I'm very happy and
Yuan Fang: I really cherish this opportunity.
Yuan Fang: And I also thank my family for supporting me.
Artist Statement: When I was telling my story, I feelt really emotional as it was sometimes hard for me to say it out loud.
I want people to understand that regardless of your background, whether it is your nationality or something that you cannot control, everyone deserves a chance to be viewed as a human being and to be not stereotyped politically, culturally or in any other way.
I think it's important for student voices to heard within an academic institution as student voices show the real citizens of schools, especially people who are underrepresented within the administrative branches.
Grigorii Malakhov: My name is Grigorii Malakhov.
Grigorii Malakhov: I'm using He/Him/His pronouns.
Grigorii Malakhov: I'm a sophomore.
Grigorii Malakhov: I have chose question number three:
Grigorii Malakhov: How do you feel about your last
Grigorii Malakhov: name its impact on your identity?
Grigorii Malakhov: My last name has a very great
Grigorii Malakhov: impact on my identity because I'm Russian.
Grigorii Malakhov: And in the current circumstances, a lot
Grigorii Malakhov: of people assume different things because of
Grigorii Malakhov: the political decisions Russian government has made.
Grigorii Malakhov: And to me, it's very important to educate
Grigorii Malakhov: people that we are not our government.
Grigorii Malakhov: And whatever, I'm doing has nothing to do
Grigorii Malakhov: with what government does, and what government does
Grigorii Malakhov: has nothing to do with what I'm doing.
Grigorii Malakhov: And a lot of people would assume bad
Grigorii Malakhov: things about Russia in the current context, and
Grigorii Malakhov: they would judge me, my actions, depending on
Grigorii Malakhov: what is happening in the global political scene.
Grigorii Malakhov: And sometimes it happens that I want to completely
Grigorii Malakhov: forget that I'm Russian and just erase that last
Grigorii Malakhov: name of mine and be myself like a blank
Grigorii Malakhov: piece of paper without any connection to that country.
Artist Statement: I liked talking to my past self during this experience as it felt like a peptalk. I want others to understand how uplifting it can be to reflect and talk to your past self as it can be a motivation for your present self to keep moving forward. I think it's also important for student voices to be heard as they are rarely represented and heard by the institution.
Jackson Mota: Jackson Mota.
Jackson Mota: He/Him/His. Junior.
Jackson Mota: What advice would you give your past self?
Jackson Mota: I'd say to my past self to start working a lot harder.
Jackson Mota: It only gets harder from here on out.
Jackson Mota: And it's going to make your life a
Jackson Mota: lot easier if you actually try.
Artist Statement: Although it took a second to gather my thoughts, I knew what I wanted to say but the overall experience of telling my story was great as it felt liberating for me.
I want others to understand that queer isn't a bad word, and that it's a word that allows space for growth with your identity, especially for those who feel the need to label themselves as something.
I think it's important for student voices to be heard within an academic institution as it is comforting to know that there are others you can identify with.
Brit Micho: My name is Brit and my pronouns are She/Her.
Brit Micho: I am a first year grad student here at U of O.
Brit Micho: And the questions is: While discovering
Brit Micho: your true identity, what realizations
Brit Micho: have you made about your yourself?
Brit Micho: And I think the entire discovery of trying to figure
Brit Micho: out who I am in my sexuality and gender.
Brit Micho: Through that journey, I have come to the realization
Brit Micho: that bisexual doesn't quite encompass what I am.
Brit Micho: And I've finally decided that queer is more appropriate, not
Brit Micho: only because gender doesn't matter for me and who I
Brit Micho: am attracted to or who I decide to love.
Brit Micho: And I've also found that within that identity, it leaves
Brit Micho: space for growth and it leaves space for me to
Brit Micho: figure out how I identify with my gender, which has
Brit Micho: become a lot more unclear as I get older.
Brit Micho: And gender is just a social construct.
Brit Micho: It doesn't matter, it doesn't make sense.
Brit Micho: And I think learning that I'm queer and owning that fact
Brit Micho: really has helped me to come into myself, and it allows
Brit Micho: me to grow in a better way, in a way that
Brit Micho: allows me to be comfortable with using that word.
Artist Statement: I felt in touch with the energy inside my soul and spoke with that force driving me. Community is an integral part of life and I am thankful for the opportunity to share. I hope to inspire others to connect with those around them and really feel the energy that exists within every single one of us.
I think it's important for student voices to be heard because sometimes academic institutions can become more focused on pulling in tuition money and expanding than maintaining the wellbeing of students. Representation of student voices, identities, and values is important for the reclamation of academic spaces.
Caro: My name is Caro and my pronouns are they/them.
Caro: How do you define community?
Artist Statement: I felt that my experience in telling my story was very laidback as I could freely express my own thoughts and emotions.
When listening and viewing my literal voice, I hope other people with a similar situation can hear my works and apply it their own hopefully to the benefit of their lives.
I think it's important for student voices to be heard, especially within an academic institution, because not only have student voices often been suppressed but it gives an example of real world experiences, its not what the school or some institution wants you to see or hear, its the down low of peoples experiences and their lives.
Ben Schoonover: Osiyo! Hello.
Ben Schoonover: My name is Ben.
Ben Schoonover: I use He/Him pronouns.
Ben Schoonover: I'm a senior at the University of Oregon, and
Ben Schoonover: some realizations I made about myself while discovering my
Ben Schoonover: true identity probably would have to be
Ben Schoonover: the more I've discovered who I am looking into
Ben Schoonover: my past and my heritage, the more I've discovered
Ben Schoonover: really the impact that all that has had.
Ben Schoonover: There's a lot of stuff that I've
Ben Schoonover: ended up doing that I realized later.
Ben Schoonover: My subconscious self was sort of
Ben Schoonover: driving the train, so to speak.
Ben Schoonover: And then the more I've come into my own
Ben Schoonover: into my own being, the more I realized the
Ben Schoonover: impacts that both generational trauma and environment upbringing, the
Ben Schoonover: choices of my parents, their parents have really had.
Ben Schoonover: But it's not all negative.
Ben Schoonover: Realizing these things allows me to deal with them and
Ben Schoonover: move forward, hopefully so I have a better future.
Ben Schoonover: If I have any children, they have a better future.
Ben Schoonover: But also, too, everything in the
Ben Schoonover: past wasn't all necessarily bad either.
Ben Schoonover: I get to realize good things
Ben Schoonover: about myself and my heritage.
Ben Schoonover: Things that have been really helpful.