WEBVTT 00:00:05.762 --> 00:00:10.382 My name is Eamon Quinn, today is March 3rd, 2021, 00:00:10.382 --> 00:00:13.220 and I am interviewing Karina Cuesta. 00:00:13.478 --> 00:00:15.818 Hi my name is Karina Cuesta. 00:00:16.700 --> 00:00:20.440 I'm 20 years old and I am currently a Sophomore, 00:00:21.950 --> 00:00:25.255 and I'm a Finance major, or Pre-Finance major. 00:00:27.506 --> 00:00:32.711 Okay so the first question I have for you today, uh, how has COVID-19 had an impact 00:00:32.711 --> 00:00:35.791 on your time as a student at UCF? 00:00:36.462 --> 00:00:42.938 So COVID… COVID has impacted me probably more so than the average student, 00:00:42.938 --> 00:00:47.138 in a sense that like, of course I have the online classes, all my classes are online, 00:00:47.138 --> 00:00:50.678 but I’m a Business student so they were already online for the most part. 00:00:50.763 --> 00:00:54.473 Um, if anything it just became, “you know those seven classes that's kind of 00:00:54.473 --> 00:00:58.503 annoying to attend? Now they're all online so you don't have to attend them anymore.” 00:00:58.503 --> 00:00:59.340 So that was if… 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:04.766 if anything things got better class-wise, um, but I'm currently the President 00:01:04.766 --> 00:01:09.676 of the RSO Gaming Knights, so that became an issue. 00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:10.778 Um, 00:01:11.649 --> 00:01:12.419 COVID has… 00:01:12.419 --> 00:01:16.309 COVID-19 really like restricted the club and kind of changed it completely 00:01:16.309 --> 00:01:17.469 from what it is. 00:01:17.586 --> 00:01:21.256 Um the—to put it simply the club it's like a… 00:01:21.661 --> 00:01:25.989 it was a combination of Console Knights and LAN Knights and the big thing you used 00:01:25.989 --> 00:01:30.690 to do was a yearly, uh, semi-annual 00:01:30.566 --> 00:01:32.866 LAN, and we didn't do one of those this year. 00:01:33.507 --> 00:01:37.297 We didn't do the board game nights; we didn't do the signature bowling nights. 00:01:37.297 --> 00:01:41.217 A lot of things that our club was known for, and a lot of the things that brought 00:01:41.217 --> 00:01:45.137 me to the club, was just unable to be done and as President I had to navigate this 00:01:45.137 --> 00:01:49.339 year with basically figuring out how can I host events that are both safe for the 00:01:49.339 --> 00:01:51.939 members, also safe for the staff members. 00:01:51.939 --> 00:01:56.192 How can I keep this club alive while there's no online—while there's no 00:01:56.192 --> 00:02:00.222 in-person events, so that was like a whole ball game to figure out. 00:02:01.834 --> 00:02:02.604 Um, 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.194 not to mention the whole like transferring items. 00:02:06.309 --> 00:02:07.639 Anything we had to do you… 00:02:08.337 --> 00:02:12.509 COVID just became the front runner of most discussions with a lot of things 00:02:12.509 --> 00:02:13.719 in regards to the club. 00:02:14.364 --> 00:02:17.344 Um, but yeah, I can go on and on as a student 00:02:18.406 --> 00:02:20.306 regards of how much COVID has 00:02:20.306 --> 00:02:23.566 impacted in terms of like how the Business Fair was online, 00:02:23.566 --> 00:02:29.781 so I, um, my talk to employers were all online which beca—which was great and bad 00:02:29.781 --> 00:02:31.531 in their—its own respected ways. 00:02:31.990 --> 00:02:32.707 Um, 00:02:33.318 --> 00:02:34.480 how, 00:02:34.889 --> 00:02:38.769 what's it called, a lot of services were put online, which in some 00:02:38.769 --> 00:02:43.869 cases were good, like Financial Aid was now, like, more virtualized which I 00:02:43.869 --> 00:02:45.489 actually found more enjoyable. 00:02:45.489 --> 00:02:48.229 I could just schedule instead of call for three hours. 00:02:48.788 --> 00:02:49.508 Um… 00:02:51.040 --> 00:02:51.784 and… 00:02:51.846 --> 00:02:55.556 but on the other hand, some services which used to have a walk-in and 00:02:55.556 --> 00:03:00.196 an online—and an online appointment was moved to mostly online, which became 00:03:00.196 --> 00:03:02.436 like longer line, uh, time periods. 00:03:02.543 --> 00:03:06.543 So, I think there are small inconveniences and conveniences associated with different 00:03:06.543 --> 00:03:11.459 things, and then there's the obvious a lot of, like, big UCF events had been 00:03:11.459 --> 00:03:15.919 cancelled due to COVID, which was a bummer because I'm a very big intro— 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:19.729 extrovert, and that's a big reason why I came to UCF was for the events and was 00:03:19.729 --> 00:03:21.149 for the campus life. 00:03:21.149 --> 00:03:25.729 So, it was upsetting as a student to see that go away, but yeah as… 00:03:26.570 --> 00:03:30.570 as both a student and as a President, COVID kind of affected many facets of 00:03:30.570 --> 00:03:32.817 my, um, my experience here. 00:03:33.088 --> 00:03:34.148 Mm Hmm. 00:03:34.623 --> 00:03:35.332 So, you… 00:03:35.332 --> 00:03:38.913 you touched on this a little bit, but would you say that you found classes 00:03:38.913 --> 00:03:42.903 more difficult with the move primarily online, or is it easier, 00:03:42.903 --> 00:03:44.253 or about the same? 00:03:44.566 --> 00:03:47.556 Um, I would say, and this is very like 00:03:48.767 --> 00:03:51.397 specific because not only am I a Business 00:03:51.397 --> 00:03:53.667 student, but I'm still a Pre-Business student. 00:03:53.894 --> 00:03:57.759 Um, so basically the way it works in Business, you have to take like certain 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:02.049 classes to get into the major, and I'm taking those classes, um, 00:04:02.395 --> 00:04:03.885 and I don't know. 00:04:04.405 --> 00:04:08.885 Either I'm Einstein or the classes aren't terrible—terribly hard. 00:04:08.885 --> 00:04:13.574 I—I like it it's easy, to me, and I don't have to go in, I don't have to walk at 00:04:13.574 --> 00:04:18.494 7 AM to meet five students, do all the work and then leave, 00:04:19.137 --> 00:04:20.717 like two every two weeks. 00:04:20.717 --> 00:04:26.077 So personally, when it comes to classes, it's been nothing but a positive. 00:04:26.077 --> 00:04:29.727 There's only been one class I'm a little bummed out that I wasn't able to do 00:04:29.786 --> 00:04:33.466 in person, because it's part of my minor and it's something i wanted to do in 00:04:33.466 --> 00:04:36.846 person to get connections to the professors, and I think my connections 00:04:36.846 --> 00:04:40.276 with the professors has gained damage because I can't have those, like, 00:04:40.276 --> 00:04:43.936 in-person office hours and stuff like that, and that's a bummer, but overall 00:04:43.936 --> 00:04:46.986 it's become, um, less menial. 00:04:47.666 --> 00:04:51.067 Less, like… like I don't have to go to lectures I don't think I nee— 00:04:51.067 --> 00:04:55.260 I don't have to go to, because even the lectures are very, like, pointless when 00:04:55.260 --> 00:04:58.520 I went, it was just like a massive overview, and I'm like, 00:04:58.520 --> 00:05:01.400 “okay I already read the textbook, I don't need any of this.” 00:05:01.400 --> 00:05:03.270 So, if anything, for Business school I… 00:05:03.270 --> 00:05:07.100 I felt more efficient, but that's also because I'm taking easier classes, and 00:05:07.100 --> 00:05:11.571 I think about—if you caught me like a year later, I would be saying I'm suffering and 00:05:11.571 --> 00:05:17.231 I'm upset because, I would be, like, taking 300-level classes all online, 00:05:17.231 --> 00:05:22.067 and the average business student, from my experience, is kind of tough when it comes 00:05:22.067 --> 00:05:24.987 to, like, asking for advice on how to study for tests. 00:05:25.286 --> 00:05:29.286 Either they overprepared or they all underprepared and be like, 00:05:29.286 --> 00:05:32.766 “Oh this test is super hard,” but in reality, they just didn't study, so… 00:05:33.494 --> 00:05:35.744 but that's—that’s the whole thing in Business. 00:05:37.846 --> 00:05:38.556 All right. 00:05:38.556 --> 00:05:43.087 You talked about being President of a club, and how that didn't have events 00:05:43.087 --> 00:05:47.337 in person, so obviously less ability to interact with people. 00:05:47.337 --> 00:05:51.595 So how have you stayed engaged with, like, friends and classmates since 00:05:51.595 --> 00:05:52.945 the pandemic started? 00:05:53.451 --> 00:05:59.461 So, this is a stark difference between me last year and me this year, um… 00:06:00.275 --> 00:06:05.205 Back when—back before COVID, I literally would hang out with someone every day. 00:06:05.205 --> 00:06:08.385 I usually found myself trying my best to get engaged to the club, 00:06:08.385 --> 00:06:10.175 meeting new people, stuff like that. 00:06:10.175 --> 00:06:11.635 That was my bread and butter. 00:06:11.635 --> 00:06:15.699 I was really into it. I really enjoyed meeting randoms and playing Smash with 00:06:15.699 --> 00:06:19.469 them in their dorm rooms because I saw them through the window playing them. 00:06:19.469 --> 00:06:21.169 That was a cool thing to do. 00:06:21.169 --> 00:06:23.169 Obviously, we couldn't do that anymore. 00:06:23.169 --> 00:06:25.199 So, um, 00:06:25.900 --> 00:06:31.280 the way I connect with my friends, uh, it was like friends and classmates. 00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:33.360 I don't talk to my classmates, um, 00:06:34.881 --> 00:06:37.061 it's all online, don't need to talk to them, 00:06:37.061 --> 00:06:39.301 don't want to them, talk to them before, so… 00:06:40.806 --> 00:06:44.036 catch me next year on that one, but this year, no. 00:06:44.589 --> 00:06:50.069 Um, friends-wise, is, uh, what typically… what ended up happening is, 00:06:50.663 --> 00:06:54.013 I think this happened with a lot of people, is a very touchy subject, 00:06:54.013 --> 00:06:56.653 because you have a lot of issues when it comes to like 00:06:57.889 --> 00:06:59.129 quarantining and each 00:06:59.129 --> 00:07:02.999 person's definition of quarantine not being, like… not being the same standard. 00:07:02.999 --> 00:07:07.435 Some people are, like, “I'm inside all day and I think you're wrong if you go outside 00:07:07.435 --> 00:07:09.335 even for the slightest, like, event.” 00:07:09.752 --> 00:07:13.582 Some people say, “I'm inside all day, but I'll do things here and there if it's 00:07:13.582 --> 00:07:17.333 safe.” And some people are like… some people go out a little bit, some 00:07:17.333 --> 00:07:19.153 people go out to literally the pub. 00:07:19.153 --> 00:07:22.833 So, like, it's a very big scale of people, and even in my friend group there 00:07:22.833 --> 00:07:26.853 was that scale. So, what we typically do, and what I typically do to stay connected 00:07:26.853 --> 00:07:32.153 was, in my main friend group, I still see them like on a weekly basis, 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.660 but what we do to minimize their risk is we all live with each other, or live like… 00:07:37.760 --> 00:07:41.190 yeah basically with each other, and we don't go out. 00:07:41.190 --> 00:07:44.820 We don't go to the club, we don't go like partying or see other people, and 00:07:44.820 --> 00:07:48.320 we typically only see people within that friend group, and basically, 00:07:48.320 --> 00:07:51.870 it's just a information system of communications of being more open with 00:07:51.870 --> 00:07:55.210 each other. Being like, “Hey. I'm seeing my family this weekend,” or, 00:07:55.210 --> 00:07:58.550 “Hey. I'm doing this or doing that that might be a risk of COVID,” 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:00.790 and we all make our decisions whether or not, 00:08:00.908 --> 00:08:03.578 um that's… we want to still see that 00:08:03.578 --> 00:08:08.086 person despite what they what they did or whatever whatever, and it's basically just 00:08:08.086 --> 00:08:12.456 being more communicated and being more like aware of the risk you're taking, and… 00:08:13.233 --> 00:08:18.981 so like if someone—one of us does contract it, we can at least like isolate it within 00:08:18.981 --> 00:08:20.941 the friend group, um. 00:08:22.604 --> 00:08:26.184 So that's what I do if I want to see anyone outside of that friend group, 00:08:26.184 --> 00:08:31.604 I usually take precautions to do so, and then also not see my actual friend group— 00:08:31.604 --> 00:08:35.314 my… that friend group, until I take another precaution. 00:08:35.314 --> 00:08:39.544 So, if anything, it's just more of a sense of, like, it's like a security wall like 00:08:39.544 --> 00:08:40.934 it's like a—like a gate. 00:08:40.934 --> 00:08:45.563 Every time I want to see someone outside a bubble, I'm like, I have to get sterilized 00:08:45.563 --> 00:08:47.653 and I'm like, “Okay. I'm good guys.” 00:08:48.885 --> 00:08:53.345 That's basically how I've been doing it it's been working, um, 00:08:53.783 --> 00:08:54.873 so hopefully 00:08:55.358 --> 00:08:59.468 I can be special and say I never got COVID by the end of this pandemic. 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:06.919 So, I—I can tell you have a number of things that you do to try to 00:09:08.003 --> 00:09:08.733 stop the 00:09:08.733 --> 00:09:14.103 spread, but what do you think that other students, and you included have… 00:09:14.206 --> 00:09:19.189 what steps and actions do you think you've taken to lessen the impact of getting 00:09:19.189 --> 00:09:21.689 COVID-19 and also lessen the chance of getting it? 00:09:22.089 --> 00:09:25.689 Okay, so, to lessen the impact… this is stuff I think people should do, 00:09:25.689 --> 00:09:28.275 and I do myself. Usually, they're gonna be correlated. 00:09:28.275 --> 00:09:31.945 The way I see things is like, everyone's human so like, I'm gonna say things 00:09:31.945 --> 00:09:33.225 I think people should do. 00:09:33.225 --> 00:09:36.535 Sometimes people make mistakes or they… they give in to temptations. 00:09:36.535 --> 00:09:39.155 I'm no different from that, so like, that's happened. 00:09:39.155 --> 00:09:42.895 Um, especially as like young 20-year-olds, you know, sometimes you're like, 00:09:42.895 --> 00:09:46.513 “Okay, this might not be the safest, but my friend's here for a week and 00:09:46.513 --> 00:09:47.435 I want to see him. 00:09:47.435 --> 00:09:52.195 Stuff like that, but generally speaking, um, to lessen the spread of COVID, 00:09:52.195 --> 00:09:56.545 I think the best thing to do is first, always wear masks when you leave. 00:09:56.545 --> 00:09:58.795 I think that's, like, the basic bare minimum. 00:09:58.890 --> 00:10:03.410 If you don't do it, you don't care, and that's really problematic in my opinion, 00:10:03.806 --> 00:10:05.896 and now with the recent study, 00:10:05.896 --> 00:10:09.896 I think double masking… typically what I think, it's at least worthwhile, is 00:10:10.568 --> 00:10:14.338 wearing a mask—one mask—when you're just like, “I'm probably not gonna see 00:10:14.338 --> 00:10:18.663 anyone, but just in case: one mask it up,” but if you're going to Publix or whatever, 00:10:18.663 --> 00:10:20.443 double mask and that kind of stuff. 00:10:20.443 --> 00:10:22.493 When I go to the the office: double mask. 00:10:22.493 --> 00:10:25.193 All that good stuff. Um, basically, always wear a mask. 00:10:25.193 --> 00:10:29.963 Um, events, like freaking the pub, nuh uh. 00:10:30.395 --> 00:10:31.515 That ain't it. 00:10:31.782 --> 00:10:35.272 Where a lot of people are going around maskless… um, 00:10:35.272 --> 00:10:38.882 I think the best thing is to reduce going to—out to eat. 00:10:39.265 --> 00:10:43.616 I want to say don't go out to eat to restaurants, but typically it can be hard 00:10:43.616 --> 00:10:44.826 at times when, like, 00:10:46.253 --> 00:10:48.983 you know, sometimes it happens where your family member’s 00:10:48.983 --> 00:10:50.913 like, “Let's go out,” and you're like, 00:10:51.855 --> 00:10:53.576 “Either I start drama or I just go 00:10:53.576 --> 00:10:57.305 with it,” so… I get there's times where people feel like they're forced to or 00:10:57.305 --> 00:11:00.665 obligated because they're just still students or still, uh, children. 00:11:00.665 --> 00:11:05.308 In that case I say: if you end up doing something that falls on the line of like 00:11:05.308 --> 00:11:08.888 things that you should be more aware of, um, my biggest thing is always 00:11:08.888 --> 00:11:13.212 self-isolation after the fact until you can take a test to make sure you're good 00:11:13.212 --> 00:11:14.932 after a set period of time. 00:11:15.301 --> 00:11:19.700 Um, and yeah, just basically, like, isolating yourself whenever you think 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:21.910 you got exposed or could have been exposed. 00:11:22.256 --> 00:11:23.036 Um… 00:11:25.008 --> 00:11:28.808 but yeah, generally speaking you can lessen the amount of time people go out 00:11:28.808 --> 00:11:32.151 to eat with other people where you have to take off your mask for long 00:11:32.151 --> 00:11:33.318 periods of time. 00:11:33.318 --> 00:11:34.218 Um, 00:11:34.793 --> 00:11:37.783 you can't meet new people, that's just not how it be. 00:11:38.243 --> 00:11:41.013 Uh, just stuff like that. 00:11:41.013 --> 00:11:45.373 Like washing your hands more, hand sanitizing, um, 00:11:47.135 --> 00:11:48.695 being aware of, like, 00:11:50.095 --> 00:11:55.795 the spread of it and how, like… and, like, who you're contacting and stuff like that. 00:11:55.795 --> 00:11:59.684 Like making sure, like, if for example, if I know I'm going to go home to see 00:11:59.684 --> 00:12:03.970 my parents, I'm probably going to make sure I am 100% safe by either taking a 00:12:03.970 --> 00:12:08.460 test before I go, or, like… or isolating myself for two weeks if I can't, 00:12:08.970 --> 00:12:14.090 because they're at risk, being aware of who's at risk before you talk to them. 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:15.330 Stuff like that. 00:12:19.070 --> 00:12:19.790 Okay. 00:12:20.629 --> 00:12:25.079 So, you talked about this a little bit but, what do you feel about having 00:12:25.079 --> 00:12:30.669 mask mandates, uh, both on the UCF campus, and also just in public in general? 00:12:31.319 --> 00:12:36.549 If I could, I would make it anyone who didn't wear a mask would go to jail, man. 00:12:36.549 --> 00:12:40.039 That… that's bare minimum. 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:43.659 There's, like, so many things that, like… so much debate and so much, like, 00:12:43.659 --> 00:12:47.938 of how serious [inaudible 12:46] stuff, like, here and there, but that's bare 00:12:47.938 --> 00:12:49.314 minimum wear that mask. 00:12:49.314 --> 00:12:52.984 Honestly, there should be a mandate, I don't know if there is one right now, 00:12:52.984 --> 00:12:56.264 I just know it's one mask, to require the two-mask thing, honestly. 00:12:56.264 --> 00:12:58.179 Like, that should be a thing. 00:12:58.179 --> 00:13:01.829 That's how I feel about it, but yeah, I have to wear it at work, 00:13:01.829 --> 00:13:05.559 I don't know why I can't—some kid can’t wear it to go to Starbucks real quick. 00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:06.809 It's that simple. 00:13:09.011 --> 00:13:09.761 Okay, 00:13:11.051 --> 00:13:14.341 so I think you talked about this a little bit as well, but have you, 00:13:14.341 --> 00:13:17.601 at any point during this pandemic, contracted COVID-19? 00:13:18.177 --> 00:13:19.737 God no. I'm living free. 00:13:21.471 --> 00:13:23.461 No no no, I have not. 00:13:25.101 --> 00:13:26.851 And do you know 00:13:27.709 --> 00:13:31.829 anybody who has, like, lost family member or do you personally 00:13:31.829 --> 00:13:34.350 have like a family member you've lost to COVID-19? 00:13:34.350 --> 00:13:39.700 No. No one I’ve known, thankfully has, um, was lost to COVID-19. 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:44.090 Okay. So, 00:13:45.435 --> 00:13:51.127 do you think that people are taking this virus seriously and, uh, 00:13:51.127 --> 00:13:54.215 for the people who aren't, what do you want to say to them? 00:13:54.215 --> 00:13:55.663 What is your message to them? 00:13:55.663 --> 00:14:00.725 The line at the pub is literally wrapping around Subway every weekend. 00:14:00.725 --> 00:14:04.695 I don't think there's a single person who can seriously say people are taking this— 00:14:05.258 --> 00:14:08.578 this, uh, pandemic seriously. 00:14:08.601 --> 00:14:10.791 Some people, yes. 00:14:11.293 --> 00:14:12.604 Some people aren't. 00:14:12.604 --> 00:14:15.773 It's just how it is, um, sadly. 00:14:16.445 --> 00:14:22.115 Um, my advice is literally just don't go clubbing, please. 00:14:22.294 --> 00:14:23.760 It's sticky and gross. 00:14:23.760 --> 00:14:26.895 I know people who wouldn't go normally, like you don't have to. 00:14:26.895 --> 00:14:27.715 It's okay. 00:14:27.968 --> 00:14:30.418 Um, people are going to concerts. 00:14:30.418 --> 00:14:32.138 That's kind of crazy to me. 00:14:32.430 --> 00:14:36.786 Um, you know, like, sometimes I'm like, “Hey. I get it, you know, going out for a 00:14:36.786 --> 00:14:38.196 cute little event. 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:40.549 You gotta live your life. 00:14:40.549 --> 00:14:41.508 Gotta keep moving. 00:14:41.508 --> 00:14:43.749 You gotta keep chugging at some points, right.” 00:14:43.749 --> 00:14:47.309 If you don't think you're gonna contact, or even… even if you do contact, 00:14:47.309 --> 00:14:50.629 you're not going to spread it to like someone at risk, you know what 00:14:50.629 --> 00:14:51.389 buddy, sure. 00:14:51.389 --> 00:14:54.519 I can't fight you, but I think the fact that people are fighting 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:56.719 wearing a single… like a mask. 00:14:57.636 --> 00:14:59.766 Like, they're just not taking it seriously. 00:14:59.766 --> 00:15:04.805 Like, people just don't want to give up the—the single, like, single bit of, like, 00:15:04.805 --> 00:15:09.332 inconvenience just to save a life, so… yeah no I don't think there's… 00:15:09.332 --> 00:15:13.872 there's no doubt in my mind people are not taking this pandemic seriously, and… 00:15:15.072 --> 00:15:17.002 all I can say is, look at the numbers. 00:15:20.331 --> 00:15:21.171 Alright. 00:15:22.169 --> 00:15:28.183 So, you touched a bit about, uh, work, so I just wanted to ask you 00:15:28.183 --> 00:15:33.315 a little more, like, with a job, how has it been impacted? 00:15:33.315 --> 00:15:35.296 Did you have one before the pandemic? 00:15:35.296 --> 00:15:39.512 Did you get it during the pandemic or whatnot, and how has it kind of been 00:15:39.512 --> 00:15:42.432 different than what you expected or what it was in the past? 00:15:43.070 --> 00:15:44.294 So, I got two things. 00:15:44.294 --> 00:15:48.756 One I'm currently working, and I've been working there since before the pandemic 00:15:48.756 --> 00:15:53.226 thanks to good old UCF work study really coming in clutch with that one. 00:15:53.651 --> 00:15:55.321 Um, got that one. 00:15:55.861 --> 00:15:58.181 Since the pandemic, things… things have changed. 00:15:58.181 --> 00:16:02.985 It went from being like, “Hey. I see Robbie, I see Margaret sometimes 00:16:02.985 --> 00:16:05.105 cooking some… some coffee. 00:16:05.616 --> 00:16:11.091 Say hi to her—I say hi to like little, uh, Sally as she walks down the hallway.” 00:16:11.091 --> 00:16:13.041 It was great. Now, 00:16:13.981 --> 00:16:18.591 I sit in an office and I cry, like, there's no one in the office. 00:16:18.867 --> 00:16:23.456 It's at 30 percent capacity, so like it's a small building, 30 percent capacity 00:16:23.456 --> 00:16:29.336 means, like, only 11 people are in the building at most times, and even though 00:16:29.336 --> 00:16:33.835 you can have 11 people, majority of time is like five, right. 00:16:34.289 --> 00:16:38.814 So, since the pandemic, thanks to good old COVID-19, I basically… 00:16:38.814 --> 00:16:43.576 My work life is coming in, wearing masks, taking a temperature, rubbing my hands 00:16:43.576 --> 00:16:48.716 with alcohol, going to my office, writing that “I'm here” on the little white board, 00:16:48.716 --> 00:16:52.915 and then sitting in the office by myself with the door closed and not interacting 00:16:52.915 --> 00:16:57.218 with a single person, until sometimes my— my supervisor, because I have to have a 00:16:57.218 --> 00:17:01.776 supervisor every work study does be with you when you're there, pop in and be like, 00:17:01.906 --> 00:17:05.686 “Hola. How you doing?” and I'm like… you have a quick two minute conversation, 00:17:05.686 --> 00:17:08.166 she closes the door, and I don't see another face. 00:17:08.511 --> 00:17:09.241 Ever. 00:17:09.372 --> 00:17:13.372 I… there's people I haven't seen in a year , there’s people I haven't seen in months. 00:17:14.130 --> 00:17:15.470 It's… it's crazy. 00:17:15.792 --> 00:17:22.142 Uh, basically, I… I feel like I'm going anti-contact when it goes— 00:17:22.326 --> 00:17:23.916 when I go to the office. 00:17:23.916 --> 00:17:24.786 Um, 00:17:25.471 --> 00:17:26.231 but 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:31.993 I also have an internship I'm interviewing for, um, I'm like in the 00:17:31.993 --> 00:17:39.173 second process to get in basically, and, like, that was happening during COVID and, 00:17:39.173 --> 00:17:42.813 I mean, the only impact, the only difference, was everything was online, 00:17:42.813 --> 00:17:43.983 like, interview-wise. 00:17:44.216 --> 00:17:47.973 I'm concerned about how they treat COVID, because I also would prefer if it's 00:17:47.973 --> 00:17:52.016 similar to my current situation, where I can say I don't have a lot of interaction 00:17:52.016 --> 00:17:54.916 with other people, but it could be different, but yeah. 00:17:56.040 --> 00:17:58.360 It's been pretty sad because of COVID. 00:17:58.535 --> 00:17:59.955 Good, but sad. 00:18:01.084 --> 00:18:01.874 Yep. 00:18:02.665 --> 00:18:10.933 So, are you doing anything currently that before the COVID-19 pandemic, you'd, like, 00:18:10.933 --> 00:18:16.300 never thought of doing? Like, for myself, I never imagined wearing masks in public, 00:18:16.300 --> 00:18:20.300 like, every day, and I look at it now and I can't imagine not wearing it, and even, 00:18:20.300 --> 00:18:24.300 like, in the future, when I go to the airport, I don't see a future where I go 00:18:24.300 --> 00:18:26.450 to the airport and I don't have a mask on. 00:18:26.450 --> 00:18:29.580 It's just… my perspective of things is very different now. 00:18:29.642 --> 00:18:30.582 Mm hmm. 00:18:30.869 --> 00:18:32.819 Yeah. I find people nasty now. 00:18:33.999 --> 00:18:36.829 I would wear a mask going to the airport being like, ooh. 00:18:36.829 --> 00:18:38.749 I haven't gotten sick in a year. 00:18:38.749 --> 00:18:40.349 That's crazy to me. 00:18:40.349 --> 00:18:43.119 No sniffles for a whole year? 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.539 For me, sickle pants? Love it. 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:47.409 I'm vibing. 00:18:47.409 --> 00:18:53.109 So, I'll say, um, my perspective has a little during COVID. 00:18:53.109 --> 00:18:55.239 Um, I mean, like 00:18:56.705 --> 00:18:58.885 [sigh] I don't… 00:19:00.334 --> 00:19:02.884 sadly a lot of my perspective, 00:19:03.104 --> 00:19:06.504 you would think… it is hygienic related in terms of like, 00:19:06.711 --> 00:19:08.951 I probably will wash my hands more. 00:19:08.951 --> 00:19:12.531 I'll probably be more careful of how often I touch my face, or what surfaces 00:19:12.531 --> 00:19:17.503 I'm touching, or who I'm in contact with, stuff like that. Like, I might be more 00:19:17.503 --> 00:19:22.585 awareful [sic.] of just, like the… my general, like, spread of stuff, and 00:19:22.585 --> 00:19:24.075 the general amount of, like, 00:19:25.591 --> 00:19:28.415 nastiness you get by being close to so many people, 00:19:28.415 --> 00:19:30.491 like at an airport or something like that, 00:19:31.714 --> 00:19:33.084 but for me it's, like… 00:19:34.751 --> 00:19:36.371 a lot of it is, like, 00:19:39.501 --> 00:19:40.821 people-wise. 00:19:40.821 --> 00:19:46.010 Like, my perspective on people and what they're willing to give up for each other 00:19:46.010 --> 00:19:50.451 has severely shifted, since a lot of things going on… 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:56.670 my—my view is much more pessimistic when it comes to the average American. 00:19:56.924 --> 00:20:01.144 Just to see how much kind of, like, disregard people have towards each other, 00:20:01.662 --> 00:20:02.402 um. 00:20:03.442 --> 00:20:04.982 Like, this… 00:20:05.782 --> 00:20:07.932 you don't have to, 00:20:09.353 --> 00:20:10.473 um, what’s it called… 00:20:12.146 --> 00:20:15.946 you don't have to be like immunocompromisable [sic.] to, like, 00:20:16.915 --> 00:20:19.375 feel the effects of it, you know what I'm saying? 00:20:19.375 --> 00:20:23.255 And, like… like I have a lot of people in my family who are literally, like, 00:20:24.055 --> 00:20:27.795 unable to leave my house more so than the average person because, like, 00:20:28.858 --> 00:20:30.362 if they get it, if… that's it. 00:20:30.362 --> 00:20:32.096 That's… that's endgame. 00:20:32.096 --> 00:20:35.946 And those are people who would not even have like… like diabetes, or they don't 00:20:35.946 --> 00:20:38.876 even have, like, anything [inaudible 20:37] there are people, 00:20:38.876 --> 00:20:41.576 like, who just… maybe their immune system are a little… 00:20:41.576 --> 00:20:43.999 like a little weaker than normal, or they're just 00:20:43.999 --> 00:20:46.789 on the older side, or something like that, and it's like… 00:20:46.789 --> 00:20:51.819 and it's just depressing to see people, like, completely disregard 00:20:53.323 --> 00:20:55.153 the situation and prolong it. 00:20:55.415 --> 00:21:02.115 It—it’s frustrating and my la—my [sigh] my view on people has just significantly, 00:21:02.115 --> 00:21:04.385 like, gone negative. 00:21:04.385 --> 00:21:08.999 Like, just seeing the way they defend their lives, or they defend their actions, 00:21:08.999 --> 00:21:13.221 or the way they just prolong things by refusing the simplest of things. 00:21:13.221 --> 00:21:17.257 Like, I will never stop saying, like, just wearing a mask they would fight, and 00:21:17.257 --> 00:21:20.342 that's crazy to me. 00:21:20.910 --> 00:21:25.046 [sigh] I think that's my biggest perspective that's changed. 00:21:25.046 --> 00:21:30.156 It's just how I view those around me and how seriously, like, my opinion on 00:21:30.156 --> 00:21:33.536 the average American has fallen because of this pandemic. 00:21:33.752 --> 00:21:36.902 Like, I'm sure they feel like that all over the globe, but it’s… 00:21:36.902 --> 00:21:41.161 I don't think any… any country has to fight just to have people wear masks, 00:21:41.161 --> 00:21:45.071 just for people to be more wary of where they go, just for people that have, like, 00:21:45.071 --> 00:21:48.121 some businesses, like, maybe like… like slow down stuff. It's… 00:21:48.121 --> 00:21:49.341 it's bothersome. 00:21:49.341 --> 00:21:54.086 So many things, so many things, didn't have to be closed for, like, as long as 00:21:54.086 --> 00:21:59.052 they have if people just wore a mask and, like, didn't, like, stop going out for, 00:21:59.052 --> 00:22:01.942 like, what, like three months, you know? 00:22:02.144 --> 00:22:03.904 Like, there's some things I'm like… 00:22:03.904 --> 00:22:04.964 I feel bad. I'm like, 00:22:04.964 --> 00:22:08.984 “Okay, I guess, like, if you have to go to the gym, go to the gym, because it's been 00:22:08.984 --> 00:22:12.864 like a year and people, like, need to, like… you know, that's, like, a source of 00:22:12.864 --> 00:22:17.334 a lot of, like… for people, but it's like, because of the disregard others had 00:22:17.564 --> 00:22:22.634 when—when it came to COVID-19, those, like, businesses are, like— either, like- 00:22:22.634 --> 00:22:24.934 it's like… it's just… it's the whole mess. 00:22:25.362 --> 00:22:28.998 It's just a whole ripple effect, and it’s just… it’s made me really sad and 00:22:28.998 --> 00:22:31.128 really depressed about the whole situation. 00:22:31.128 --> 00:22:34.478 So, I feel like that's my biggest thing that's changed and will change 00:22:34.478 --> 00:22:35.478 after the fact. 00:22:37.316 --> 00:22:38.436 So I… 00:22:39.942 --> 00:22:45.312 to follow up that, how do you feel about the way that 00:22:46.464 --> 00:22:49.184 the university has gone 00:22:49.184 --> 00:22:53.174 with their policies both, in Fall and then kind of, you know, loosening it a little 00:22:53.174 --> 00:22:56.804 bit in Spring and then, obviously, we just got recently the announcement for 00:22:56.804 --> 00:23:00.524 going back to, like, fully in-person for next Fall, so how do you feel the way 00:23:00.524 --> 00:23:01.664 that that was handled? 00:23:01.664 --> 00:23:03.174 Do you feel it was good? Bad? 00:23:03.424 --> 00:23:05.134 It's hard, because, 00:23:06.353 --> 00:23:11.440 um, when it comes to COVID, it's hard for me to blame 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:14.350 UCF in some regards, with some things. 00:23:14.350 --> 00:23:15.060 So, 00:23:15.615 --> 00:23:17.375 just to get started, um, 00:23:18.382 --> 00:23:22.342 with the start and current, I really liked… 00:23:23.205 --> 00:23:24.275 I don't think I have… 00:23:24.275 --> 00:23:25.486 I'm a big hater on UCF. 00:23:25.486 --> 00:23:29.346 I was actually a big supporter with a lot of things they did. [inaudible 23:29] 00:23:29.653 --> 00:23:33.453 like the whole, like, Armor Up Ambassador was a good initiative they did that, 00:23:33.453 --> 00:23:37.127 like, prevented, uh, what's it called, students from just, like, going on 00:23:37.127 --> 00:23:39.707 campus without, like, going through the COVID Checker. 00:23:39.707 --> 00:23:41.937 The COVID Checker was a good implementation. 00:23:42.209 --> 00:23:44.449 The requirement of, like um… 00:23:45.257 --> 00:23:49.197 of people to stay home when it came to working on campus. 00:23:49.540 --> 00:23:54.050 Like, literally the protocols required in my office were all great steps forward. 00:23:54.695 --> 00:23:59.635 Um, a lot of things that UCF did I personally was a fan of, um, 00:23:59.635 --> 00:24:03.237 and the things they didn't, a lot of times linked to, like, a higher power 00:24:03.237 --> 00:24:06.717 they couldn't control, you know, being a public university. 00:24:07.423 --> 00:24:09.943 So, it's hard for me to really blame them for that. 00:24:10.355 --> 00:24:14.145 So, in general… and I also like the communication in the sense of, like, 00:24:14.145 --> 00:24:17.788 I remember, like, in this… in the Fall they had a whole plan that shows, 00:24:17.788 --> 00:24:22.122 like, not only, like, their—their current objectives, or their current idea what's 00:24:22.122 --> 00:24:25.762 going to happen, but like, literally, like, three different plans of, like, 00:24:25.762 --> 00:24:27.522 this happens, this is gonna happen. 00:24:27.522 --> 00:24:29.002 This happens, this happened. 00:24:29.002 --> 00:24:30.722 Um, I think the only thing 00:24:32.707 --> 00:24:36.767 I'm currently disappointed in was the concert they held recently. 00:24:36.934 --> 00:24:38.124 I didn't like that. 00:24:38.124 --> 00:24:41.554 Um, there's sometimes they make decisions, like hosting certain events, 00:24:41.554 --> 00:24:45.214 I'm like… I just thought it was unnecessary, but I understand 00:24:45.214 --> 00:24:50.676 there's also, like, a teetering kind of idea of, like, there's students who still 00:24:50.676 --> 00:24:53.026 want those things, and they want to provide it. 00:24:53.446 --> 00:24:57.516 Um, I also don't like how some Freshman classes are being held in person, 00:24:58.285 --> 00:25:00.995 but a lot of Senior classes aren't, 00:25:01.977 --> 00:25:04.252 and that's really frustrating to hear that 00:25:04.252 --> 00:25:07.997 they're prioritizing Freshmen, but again, that's what brings in the money. 00:25:07.997 --> 00:25:11.862 So, a lot of things they're doing, I don't really agree with, but then they also… 00:25:11.862 --> 00:25:14.582 there's always more to play when it comes to it. 00:25:14.791 --> 00:25:18.641 So, it's hard for me to truly blame them, and I think they've done a lot when it— 00:25:18.641 --> 00:25:20.041 where it counts. Um… 00:25:21.421 --> 00:25:24.361 I’m trying to think of anything else they did I didn't l— oh 00:25:24.361 --> 00:25:25.344 and I know they ho… 00:25:25.344 --> 00:25:29.344 I didn't really enjoy the fact that they continued hosting football games, 00:25:29.695 --> 00:25:33.005 but the idea of, like, whether graduation will be in person— 00:25:33.005 --> 00:25:35.715 I don't know if they have made it in- person, but they… 00:25:35.715 --> 00:25:38.835 if they have the football games and they don't make graduation, 00:25:38.835 --> 00:25:42.835 like, allowing people to walk down, I would be very upset for a lot of the 00:25:42.835 --> 00:25:43.845 Seniors this year. 00:25:44.920 --> 00:25:48.640 It would be very upsetting to see where their priorities are at right now. 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:51.530 They… they just sent something—an email— out the other day. 00:25:51.530 --> 00:25:54.810 So, they're having, like, two different types of graduation options. 00:25:54.810 --> 00:25:58.060 There's gonna be, like, a normal, like, commencement type of thing, 00:25:58.060 --> 00:26:00.050 but they're also going to have a, like… 00:26:00.050 --> 00:26:03.280 you and, like, five family members just at the stage, take, like, 00:26:03.280 --> 00:26:05.670 a couple pictures whatever, and then you can go. 00:26:05.670 --> 00:26:08.970 So, they have options. I think they did that last semester as well— 00:26:08.970 --> 00:26:11.030 That's good. —so they do have some options. 00:26:11.030 --> 00:26:14.890 And then I also… you were also talking about like openness, they do also report, 00:26:14.890 --> 00:26:17.270 like… every week they release, like, the numbers. 00:26:17.270 --> 00:26:20.410 Mm hmm. Yeah, I know. The—the COVID page. I really enjoyed that. 00:26:20.410 --> 00:26:21.220 Yeah. 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:24.620 That was very helpful, especially for making decision as the President 00:26:24.620 --> 00:26:26.200 of the game—of Gaming Knights. 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:29.780 Like being like, “Okay, like, let's see what—where COVID’s at right now,” 00:26:29.780 --> 00:26:33.420 and then we can make decisions to base on, like, how bad the spread is that, 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:35.390 uh, week or that… at that time period. 00:26:35.390 --> 00:26:38.090 Um… but yeah, overall, I like a lot of things. 00:26:38.090 --> 00:26:41.160 Some things I was a little sad with, but it is what it is, and… 00:26:43.155 --> 00:26:47.259 That falling—opening fully next semester is one of those things that it is 00:26:47.259 --> 00:26:48.129 what it is. 00:26:48.129 --> 00:26:50.199 I don't like it, but then again, it's like… 00:26:51.295 --> 00:26:53.127 public university can't be closed 00:26:53.127 --> 00:26:56.267 forever, so there's only so much they can do, 00:26:57.057 --> 00:26:57.827 um 00:26:58.653 --> 00:26:59.353 but… 00:27:00.212 --> 00:27:05.003 I don't know, we'll see how that turns out, I guess. It's hard to really have 00:27:05.003 --> 00:27:08.823 opinions on it when I haven't seen the procedures, they'll be putting in place. 00:27:08.823 --> 00:27:12.953 Cause I’m sure… they won't just make it free form, like, out in public, you 00:27:12.953 --> 00:27:16.653 know what I’m saying, there's got… there's gonna be some restrictions still. 00:27:18.146 --> 00:27:19.156 Do you feel 00:27:20.142 --> 00:27:24.142 somewhat confident, or confident at all, in how 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:28.890 the distribution of the vaccines will have been by that point in time? 00:27:30.843 --> 00:27:31.853 I don't know. 00:27:32.127 --> 00:27:33.674 That's a really hard question. 00:27:33.674 --> 00:27:37.144 I—I—I think I'm confident in a sense that a lot of vaccines are, um, 00:27:38.589 --> 00:27:42.099 are being produced from, like, the articles and such. 00:27:42.340 --> 00:27:46.680 Like, it looks like… and a lot of them are getting improved to be, uh, distributed, 00:27:46.680 --> 00:27:51.670 and I've been constantly seeing posts of, like, vaccines being open for 65 and over. 00:27:51.670 --> 00:27:52.810 People nearby… 00:27:53.028 --> 00:27:56.948 I currently know someone who's currently taking the vaccine, and he's, like… 00:27:56.948 --> 00:28:01.238 and it's been really smooth for him to— to, uh, receive doses, so… 00:28:01.238 --> 00:28:08.021 Like, I know two people actually, uh… and so, like, that's reassuring, um. 00:28:08.801 --> 00:28:10.821 By then it's hard to say, 00:28:11.716 --> 00:28:15.716 and especially because, at this point, with how much people have said, 00:28:15.716 --> 00:28:21.277 “Don't worry, it'll be gone by Easter” or, “Don't worry, like, it's gonna be gone 00:28:21.277 --> 00:28:25.327 by the summer. Fall’s gonna be in-person,” you know. So, like, there's been so many, 00:28:25.327 --> 00:28:29.167 like, false red herrings of being like, “Don't worry, it's coming, it's coming, 00:28:29.167 --> 00:28:31.887 it’s coming.” I'm just gonna wait to see what happens. 00:28:31.887 --> 00:28:34.077 I'll see the numbers when they come through. 00:28:34.077 --> 00:28:37.557 I… I just have no hopes. I'm fine with wearing a mask until it happens, 00:28:37.557 --> 00:28:38.897 so… it is what it is. 00:28:38.933 --> 00:28:39.863 Mm hmm. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:43.940 Alright. I have one final question for you, 00:28:45.017 --> 00:28:45.987 it's a little bit 00:28:47.052 --> 00:28:47.982 different from some 00:28:47.982 --> 00:28:51.849 of the questions I was just asking you, but what would you say has been the 00:28:51.849 --> 00:28:55.222 biggest challenge to overcome since the start of the pandemic? 00:28:57.021 --> 00:28:59.461 Um, the biggest challenge. 00:29:01.054 --> 00:29:05.034 I think the club in general has been just the biggest challenge. 00:29:05.034 --> 00:29:12.164 I already touched on it briefly, um, before, but it's just the idea that like, 00:29:13.329 --> 00:29:16.732 I'm the President and that's a club I’m completely, you know, I might… 00:29:16.732 --> 00:29:21.049 I have my—my buddies, my other officers, you know, but in a sense I'm like… 00:29:22.707 --> 00:29:27.539 I'm—I have a say in, like, what is done and what isn't done in terms of events, 00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:33.069 and it's like… it's a lot to not only have, like, people say one thing, be like, 00:29:33.069 --> 00:29:36.069 “No we can't have events. We can't do this. We can't do that,” 00:29:36.069 --> 00:29:38.789 and then other people being like, “That's what we want. 00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:40.619 That we want to have in-person events. 00:29:40.619 --> 00:29:44.249 ”So like, in general it's… it's been a challenge to just, um, balance what 00:29:44.249 --> 00:29:48.438 people want versus what we have to do, and just being the bearer of bad news 00:29:48.438 --> 00:29:52.308 or being like—putting my foot down and being like, “No we're not doing this,” or 00:29:52.308 --> 00:29:55.758 even if we want to do something and have initiatives we got to do, like, 00:29:55.758 --> 00:29:59.008 when we did the charity—we have a charity stream we ended up doing. 00:29:59.008 --> 00:30:03.008 It was like, COVID-19 just affected every facet of, like, that club, and everything. 00:30:03.008 --> 00:30:05.768 Every time there's an event coming up, we had to, like… 00:30:05.768 --> 00:30:09.708 COVID-19 was, like, the first question, like how do we do it? Um, and it's been a 00:30:09.708 --> 00:30:11.498 challenge, just not only like… 00:30:12.949 --> 00:30:15.469 communicate with people about it and talk to people 00:30:15.469 --> 00:30:20.129 about it, but also navigate the ways to do things safely, or just be like, 00:30:20.495 --> 00:30:24.465 “Okay, I guess we can't do that, period. We have to throw that idea out completely. 00:30:24.465 --> 00:30:29.775 So, like, that itself I think has been the most strug—uh, challenge because it's 00:30:29.775 --> 00:30:34.085 not just a one-time thing, it's something that I've been like, 00:30:34.085 --> 00:30:36.038 um, struggling with 00:30:36.038 --> 00:30:43.275 since I became an officer back in May, and until I finally… I'm done with the club 00:30:43.275 --> 00:30:49.665 in, uh, up—in the upcoming months, you know, once that happens it's like that's… 00:30:50.218 --> 00:30:55.348 the challenge won't end until then, so, I think that's like the biggest thing for me 00:30:55.513 --> 00:30:57.423 and I… yeah. 00:31:00.445 --> 00:31:03.045 Alright, well, thank you for doing this interview. 00:31:03.045 --> 00:31:06.525 Is there anything else you want to say before I, uh, end it here? 00:31:09.133 --> 00:31:10.453 No. I'm good. 00:31:10.855 --> 00:31:12.635 Okay, well, thank you very much. 00:31:14.144 --> 00:31:15.924 Have a… have a good evening. 00:31:15.924 --> 00:31:17.664 Thank you.