KAMP Interview Series 2023: Therese Peralta

Interviewer: Peyton Riegel

Interviewee: Therese Peralta

Date Interviewed: January 30, 2023

Edited By: Liam Larkin-Smith

Link to Youtube Upload: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L63auHEU5J0

Link to Sound Cloud Audio: https://on.soundcloud.com/uEo99

Thank you for supporting the KAMP Interview Series 2023. To listen to this interview or watch it in full please explore the links above. All interviews take place live on air every Monday from 5-6 pm. Click the streaming link in the top right corner in order to tune in online or tune in on 1570 AM radio every Monday from 5-6 pm.

Peyton: Hello everybody. Welcome to KAMP student radio. My name is Peyton, and you are listening to the KAMP interview series. Welcome to episode two. Today we have another student guest, so that is super exciting. So, guest, if you could please introduce yourself, your pronouns, where you're from and your involvement on campus.

Therese: Okay. Hi. My name is Therese Peralta. She/her/hers are my pronouns. I'm from El Paso, Texas, originally, and what I do on campus, I'm involved in KAMP, obviously. I'm also involved in UFO, which is like a film club. And I'm trying to get more involved on campus this semester because I'm a freshman. So I didn't get too involved last semester because I was kind just adjusting. But, I definitely want to get more involved. And I also just recently joined ASA, which is the accounting students association.

Peyton: Thank you, I appreciate it. Okay, so what do you define as a role model, and who is your role model?

Therese: That's a very good question, because I think a role model is anyone that you can look up to for their accomplishments, but I think also their mistakes, and I think they can help you learn. And it can be anybody. Like, it doesn't have to be just someone who's, like, famous or really, really successful, like a billionaire or something. I think we all have role models in our lives that are closer to us. Like, I have two older sisters, so they're role models for me in a lot of ways, and, like, my dad's a role model for me in a lot of ways. And if I had to pick a celebrity role model, though, it would definitely be Dolly Parton. I love her, and I think she's so inspiring because I just love people who are able to overcome adversity and become successful, and I think she's a perfect example of that. And even through her success, she remained a kind hearted, good person, and I respect that a lot.

Peyton: Yeah, I can relate. I have two younger sisters.

Therese: Oh, wow. You have the bigger burden. Definitely.

Peyton: When you're the first one out of the gate, it's a lot.

Therese: No, I'm so grateful to have older sisters because they can teach you so much, and it really helps so much for all the older sisters. You deserve respect. You deserve pay, compensation.

Peyton: Definitely learn from their mistakes, as they say, not as they do. Yeah. So how do you feel like you're a role model to others?

Therese: Like I was saying, I'm the youngest, so at least in my family, I'm probably not the biggest role model, but I try to be a role model for other people my age and my younger friends. And the way, I guess, try to be a role model is showing them being hard working and being successful at a certain level because obviously I'm just starting out. I'm not, like, some super successful person yet. Hopefully soon. Fingers crossed. But just, like,working hard, I think is the main one. And in high school, for example, I was involved in a lot of clubs, and I helped out a lot of the younger people in those clubs. Kind of get acclimated to what it was like and how to be successful and go to state or, I don't know, offering my advice that I can give. Kind of being that older sister to some of my friends that I have, especially ones who don't have older siblings. I guess that keeps going with siblings and analogy and I don't think role models are only siblings, but I think they definitely play a role.

Peyton: Definitely.

Therese: And I think also being a good leader is very important in being a role model and showing people that they should do things and they should be the one to take charge sometimes, and it's okay, and you got to do what you got to do, you know, to be successful and help people along the way also.

Peyton: Yeah, 100%. So then what made you decide to attend the University of Arizona?

Therese: So there are a few factors that played into me wanting to attend the U of A. The first one being I did get a scholarship here. I have a, like, tuition scholarship, and that's hard to come by these days. A lot of schools are very stingy, and a lot of the schools usually only offer, like, financial aid. And even then, the brackets are incredibly small, so it makes it very difficult to find a university that's going to even offer you anything.

Peyton: And, like, the catch 22 is that the financial aid is a loan. So it's like you get approved for a loan. It's not like you're getting the money, like, quote, unquote, for free.

Therese: Exactly.

Peyton: Such a scam.

Therese: Yeah, exactly. And it's like, I know I need to get this education so I can get a job and do all these things that I want to do in my life, and you're telling me I have to pay so much money for it. I think especially today, there's not really as much of a choice. I think it's pushed so much to go to college and get a degree. That's the only way you're going to be successful when there's plenty of successful people who didn't go to college. So that was the main one for me, was definitely a scholarship because I was between a school here, obviously, and then also a school in Texas, University of Texas at Austin. And they didn't offer me anything. So that definitely

Peyton: For in state?

Therese: Yeah, I mean, it was just like, you get in state tuition, which is already much lower, but that's. And so I was like, oh. And so coming here, it was going to be a lot cheaper. And then as well, my older sister is currently at the University, and she's studying something completely different. But that was another factor that kind of contributed to me being like, okay, well, if I go here, I have some support already, or there's some sort of foundation laid for me there. And then my oldest sister attended the University about five years ago now. She graduated in 2018, so she's an alum. So is it alum or alumni? Because I think one of them is plural.

Peyton: Oh, alum. I think it's, like, interchangeable.

Therese: Okay, well, she's one of the two, but yeah, so that also played into it because, like, she already knew, like, a lot of the really cool things about being at the University and Tucson in general. So that definitely helped because I was coming here already with some knowledge. It wasn't a complete blank slate.

Peyton: Yeah, definitely.

Therese: So that definitely impacted my decision, for sure. And I think those were, like, basically the main factors, honestly.

Peyton: So now that you are going to school here, do you feel like you made the right choice? Whether it be in your degree program, socially, what have you?

Therese: I've struggled with that question because I think since I'm a freshman, there's still, like, that little bit of doubt in the back of my mind of, like, did I make the right choice? Especially because my other options I knew a lot more people going there because here I have my sister, but I don't have anyone else. And then if I went to another school, I would have some of my friends or some people I knew. And it was kind of in my head, like, do I want to go somewhere where I know a lot of people already? Is it better to start fresh? And so when I think about that, coming here, it's been pretty difficult, like, adjusting socially and meeting people, because it really is on you. You are the one that has to put yourself out there. You're the one that has to attend the meetings and join the clubs and try to meet people, which is definitely kind of difficult sometimes, especially adjusting. But I think that the U of A has provided me opportunities that I wouldn't have had elsewhere and also, like, a certain financial burden is already lifted. So I'm very grateful for that aspect. But yeah, I don't know. I think I made the right choice. There's so many good things about being here in Tucson, and I'm a part of Eller, and I know there's a lot of really good resources for business students or people like in the business field. And there's a really good alumni system and people reaching out and that kind of stuff. Which I'm sure right now isn't as helpful because I'm barely starting out. But as I get as I progress in my degree and in my academic career, I think it's going to be very helpful. So I'm sure I'll be more grateful in the future than right now because right now it's just been a bit tough, but good at the same time. I don't know.

Peyton: So do you think these challenges like you're describing socially, will probably benefit you in the future, having gone through this sort of experience?

Therese: I think so. I think it's always good to be learning and kind of show yourself. Like, you know what? Maybe I wasn't as extroverted as I thought. Like, maybe I have to work a little bit harder if I want to meet people and talk to people. So it's definitely a learning experience, and it has been for me. And, like, okay, this is what makes me uncomfortable and this is what makes me comfortable. And sometimes you have to do things that make you feel uncomfortable because they're not always bad. So I don't know. I think that in the social aspect, it's definitely kind of a good thing to learn, to put yourself out there more. But it is, I think, something that takes more time to kind of build up and progress and get better at almost no.

Peyton: Definitely. So how do you think the university in general could improve upon its environment for students?

Therese: This is a hard question because I feel like I am so ignorant to everything going on on campus, which, again, partially my fault, like I should read The Daily Wildcat or something. But I think that for me, at least from what I've experienced thus far, it would be appreciated if there was more opportunity to kind of meet people and come together, because a lot of it is really on your own. And it's so hard, hard to find clubs because there's so many, and figuring out like, oh, my gosh, do I join this club or this club? What's the difference? Are they the same? And trying to branch out and do that has been kind of difficult. So I wish it was a little bit easier. And I don't know if there's anything the school could do to help that, because I think it's kind of just the adjustment period of being a freshman, honestly. But I do know that there are a lot of people who have had trouble with administration or just general on campus things that happen, and they let slide. And I am aware of some of those things, and I completely understand that. So I would want, obviously, those things to improve, definitely socially as well as just like systematically I guess, having more opportunity for certain students and I don't know. I just think that, Generally that can be improved, but I also feel like that can be improved in most institutions, like most colleges, which is unfortunate that they're not already there yet, but I think that's probably the main ones for me.

Peyton: Yeah, especially with like you were saying how students want these changes. And it's so troubling sometimes because a lot of the times it falls on deaf ears, people outcry for whether it be like, more social events sponsored by the school that are free with tuition or what have you, or just like, updated club websites. Like how you were saying there's so many clubs. I was looking on the University of Arizona's registered club page, and half of the clubs either have outdated emails or aren't here anymore, or some clubs aren't even on the ASUA web page. So I think just like, yeah, lessening the red tape. Definitely.

Therese: Yes. No, and I completely like that is so true. When I was looking at the website where all the clubs are listed, I would look up a club that I knew existed and I couldn't find it, and I was like, wait, so where is it? And then I would have to go and try to find a web page or an Instagram and email and communicate with all these different people, when it's like, what's the point of having the website if we're not going to get any help from it? We're still kind of responsible for finding all these people and all this contact information from 20 different places.

Peyton: No, literally.

Therese: So that's definitely a challenge. And I wish that could be a little bit more organized because I definitely think that it would improve for students, especially, like you were saying, school sponsored events, like things you don't have to pay for. Definitely. I feel like that would be a big improvement because a lot of stuff that they do have on campus, it's like, oh, you have to get a wristband or you have to do this. It costs money. And it's like, well, I'm already paying tuition to be here, and you can't let me walk on the mall and go in a bungee house without paying $5. Sorry, but that's

Peyton: So annoying. So annoying.

Therese: And I know that sounds so silly in comparison to actual issues, but it is just kind of like, well, isn't that the point of being here? We're paying money and we're supposed to be getting something back. And it should be more than just the education aspect. I feel like there should be a lot more.

Peyton: No, definitely. Especially when going to a state school, because you could get a degree in accounting or finances or engineering from a community college or a much, definitely more affordable, quote unquote, college. So when you go to the state school, part of the draw is the social aspect.

Therese: Exactly. If you're hoping that going to a school like the U of A, which kind of has a reputation for being, like a bit social, like, you're going to have more events to attend or like, more things to go to as just, like, a general student at the university without having to be involved in, like, 20 different organizations to, like, get invited to anything or go into anything for free.

Peyton: Yeah. And that's one of the reasons, especially, like, in KAMP, like, finding organizations that kind of have that, like, built in infrastructure for community outreach and, like, social building. Like, all most, if not all of my, like, close friends I made in college are through the radio station because they, you know, have those events where it's free and you just show up and, like, people support each other, so yeah.

Therese: Exactly. And that's also why I'm, like, very grateful to KAMP, because the dues are, like, $20 for the whole year, which is, like, much more affordable. I think it's for the whole year, right?

Peyton: Yeah.

Therese: Okay. Correct me if I'm wrong. Okay. Well, still, even if it was 40 for the whole year, that's still really good. And I appreciate clubs with lower dues, but you still get that social aspect of meeting people with similar interests. And I know KAMP does a lot of events, which I'm hoping to attend more of this semester, but I really appreciate that as well. I think that's really nice.

Peyton: So then yeah. Do you feel like the university in general offers safe spaces for students to express themselves or spaces in general where it's, you know. Just a good time where people can be themselves and not be super critical?

Therese: I definitely think so. I think a lot of it is who you're surrounding yourself with. And so if you kind of find your people that you get along with really well and you have a lot of things in common, and you kind of express yourself in similar ways, you kind of create a little group where your group is kind of your safe space, the people that you trust, and just other people with similar interests. I definitely think that there's that on campus just because there's so many people and there is so many different types of people and interests and senses of style, or hobbies and all those things. So I think that people kind of can join together in those little groups and find whatever makes them happy and other people who are happy doing the same thing where they're not going to be judged for those things. But as far as like ,but that's mostly for clubs and organizations that are run mostly, like, by students and have a big student based, like leadership.

Peyton: Yes, leadership.

Therese: Exactly. That's the word I was looking for. Thank you. But I don't know if I can say that for school. The school itself. But again, I have such limited experience, and I haven't utilized any of the resources that would be available to me for me, in the sense of my demographics. I haven't looked into any of the women's I don't know, like clubs

Peyton: Like health clinic.

Therese: Yeah, the clinic or I don't know anything for Hispanic students as well. I haven't looked into it too much, so I can't say how much those communities or clubs or organizations or whatever provide that space for students. But again, that's like something I'm hoping to get a little bit more involved with and kind of see for myself this semester.

Peyton: Yeah, definitely. So then what communities do you identify with?

Therese: Well, I'm Hispanic and I'm a woman, so I feel very strongly with being in a female dominated space or environment and kind of having that female empowerment. And that's, like, a really big one for me, as well as being Hispanic. And I come from El Paso, which is a majority Hispanic city. It's like 85, 86% Hispanic. And so that's like, what I've grown up around. That's what I've always been around. So that's, like, very important to me. And finding other people who are also Hispanic who might have some things that are relatable, like, just on the basis of, yeah, we're like the same ethnicity, even though there's so much variation. Even within being Hispanic or being Latina, there are so many different individual cultures and all that which is like, so different, but it's also so fun and it's such a learning experience to have friends from different cultures within the same, like, I guess identity, almost.

Peyton: Yeah.

Therese: Sorry. Go ahead.

Peyton: No, it's kind of just like support system.

Therese: Yes, exactly. And kind of having that sense of relatability as well, definitely. Oh, like other people who maybe who have parents who are immigrants or things like that or similar just similar experiences. I don't know. And I'm speaking as a person who, when most people talk to me, they don't assume that I'm Hispanic because I, quote, unquote, don't look Hispanic, which is kind of silly because there's so many types of people who are Hispanic. It's not just yeah. So I think it's kind of a little bit more of like a stereotypical, like, oh, in my head, this is what a Hispanic person looks like. This is what a Latina looks like. So that's definitely kind of a challenge sometimes kind of fitting into groups as well, because I am considered, like, white passing. And also my upbringing was kind of unconventional for a Hispanic person, I guess. Not for being Hispanic. But as far as my identity as a Hispanic person, my household growing up was not a Spanish speaking household, which kind of separates me from a lot of people who are Hispanic. So there's kind of that trying to find that niche of other people that are also in a unique situation kind of thing, which can be difficult, but it's definitely important. And that's another thing that, again, I don't know how many times I'm going to say it, but looking forward to this semester, kind of trying to find more people that I can relate to and identify with. And then on top of that, even though I don't consider myself to be a part of, like, the LGBTQ community, I am like, an ally. And, like, I try my best to be an ally to the community and, like, support in any ways that I can, which I feel like are kind of limited right now because I am 19, so I can't contribute as much as I would like, but I still consider myself like an ally to those communities. And I always want that to be part of me and what I do and how I live.

Peyton: Part of the values you promote.

Therese: Exactly. Yeah.

Peyton: So how do you think the intersections of your identities are represented, if they're represented at all? Are they accurately represented on University, in media that you consume, et cetera?

Therese: I feel like there's definitely a lot more representation nowadays. It's definitely getting better, but it's still not great. There's still not that much representation. Or if there is representation of, like, Latina or something, it's usually like a stereotypical archetype of caricature of what that means. And so it's not exactly relatable. And I don't expect every character I see on TV to be relatable. I like this character, but we have nothing in common in real life. If they were real, we probably wouldn't get along, but they're still cool. But I feel like in media especially, like, if you are not what the mold or what the stereotype is of being, like, Hispanic or being a woman, you kind of get excluded a little bit. And it's a lot harder to find opportunity because, for example, if you are an actress and you want to apply for, like, a Hispanic role, if you don't look a certain way, you're not going get it, even if you are Hispanic, even if you grew up all this way, like a traditional, quote unquote, traditional Hispanic upbringing or whatever. And so I definitely think that that poses, like, a big challenge in actually representing everyone.

Peyton: Yeah. Then it's like your case specifically, like, how you're grappling with your identity from your upbringing. It's like, well, I'm sure other women and other people experience something very similar, and because it's not reflected as being normal, it's hard.

Therese: Yeah, definitely. And that's the thing, too, where it's like, for me, I get happy if I see a Latina actress. Even if we don't look anything alike and we did not grow up the same way. It makes me happy to still see that representation, because I know that that's really helpful for a lot of people, a lot of other people. But I still think that it's definitely a work in progress when it comes to representation, like in media. And then as far as on campus. Right. There's definitely a lot of Hispanic people on campus. That's one of the draws of Tucson for me is it does have a much higher Hispanic population and that's, like, a lot more familiar. But as far as on campus, I definitely haven't met as many Hispanic people or had the opportunity to really interact. But I do know that they're there. I know that they're here. I just haven't found them yet. So that's just something that I'm kind of working towards and kind of finding people that are more similar to me in that way. Yeah.

Peyton: And it's also interesting how I feel like the bookstore because, like, for Black History Month and for other months of celebration, it'll become decorated in, like, a theme, but the theme is also kind of like stereotypes and I don't know, it's very performative. So I can definitely see how people may find distaste in the quote unquote representation that the University does try to peddle.

Therese: Yeah, I wish that instead of doing something like that with the bookstore, which that's great, that's definitely getting some demographic, a little bit of something, but I wish there was more outreach and more peer resources for Hispanic students, for Hispanic women or black students or gay students, like, whatever they had just like some easier, more accessible kind of

Peyton: Tangible help.

Therese: Yeah, exactly. Kind of more like, let me go talk to this person. They'll kind of direct me to where I can kind of find other people that are similar to me or not similar at all, just to branch out. But that would definitely be a lot more beneficial, I feel like, to other students than just being like, yay, Hispanic Heritage Month. We did it, guys. We did it. And then that's it. I don't know. It definitely is a bit performative, like you were saying.

Peyton: Yeah. So then how do you feel like you personally help your community?

Therese: Me personally, I want to do more to help the community and, like, growing up, like in high school, which I kind of base a lot off of just because

Peyton: your age?

Therese: Yeah, because of my age, which is, like, unfortunate. And I hate doing it because I'm like, oh, this is so embarrassing. Like, girl, you're in college, grow up. Stop talking about high school. But in high school, I was involved in, like, the National Honor Society and the National Spanish Honor Society. ID. So part of being in those clubs is getting hours and doing community service. And I think that for me, a lot of my community service or benefit to the community was more like everyday small things than, oh, well, once a month I go to the food banking and count cans, because that's a lot more rare and requires a lot of planning. So for me, some of the easiest things that I do is kind of like picking up trash or reaching out to students, tutoring, like, that kind of stuff. And that's kind of what I did to try to benefit my community. And I definitely want to do more. And again, it's about finding those resources and those people who I can talk to that are going to point me and be like, hey, here's this opportunity to help other people out. Yeah. And I don't know, I think just in general, being like a kind person to the people you meet every day is like, a small way to help your community, which sounds, like, very cliche and very it is a bit like, well, that's kind of the easy way out. Like, oh, you're just nice to people. Okay, you're doing so much. But I think that that's definitely a simple thing that everyone can do to help the community.

Peyton: Yeah. So then how do you feel like the community at large which helps you, whether it's the community you identify with or the community that you choose to surround yourself with?

Therese: I definitely feel like, in general, I get a lot of support. I have really close female friends, and having them is like, my support is just so nice because we already have that one thing in common, and a lot of things are very relatable to all of us, and that's why we all kind of get along really well. So I'm very grateful for that. And I think, in general, in certain communities, like the Hispanic community, want to see fellow Hispanic people succeed, or women, same thing, like, we want to see women succeed, and we want women to do well. And for example, like, Saturday I went to a brunch that was for women in finance, which is put on by Eller, like, the finance part, to get more women involved and be like, hey, look, there's other girls that want to do this. You're not alone. Even though this may be a more male dominated space, you're not alone. And I appreciate that, and I think that's a really great way where the community kind of pulls you in and it's like, look, we got you. You are not alone. And I think that's very beneficial and just important in general to have that feeling of like, okay, these people have got me, sort of yeah, exactly. Yeah, definitely.

Peyton: Camaraderie

Therese: Yeah definitely.

Peyton: So then how do you think external resources or people with money, basically, that control these types of things could help these communities in your community?

Therese: I definitely feel like having resources just like, if there was a better updated website that you could go to and kind of more like, hey, there's these different communities based off not only your interest, but maybe your background or, like, certain experiences even that you've had. That would be, like, really helpful. Because I know that those clubs exist, like, they have to, but it's just really hard to find information when you have to scroll through 600 plus clubs to find the one that's like, oh, this is still here, and here's the email, here's the president.

Peyton: And the search bar never makes any sense.

Therese: No

Peyton: Because when you search it, it'll search Google, it won't search the website.

Therese: Like, literally every time I try to search up a club that I'm looking for, it always doesn't exist. Or it puts me to one that I had one keyword that I was looking for. And I'm like, that's not looking for even then, like, that already relies on you having an idea of what you'd want to be interested in. And, like, I've tried looking into certain clubs where I wouldn't know what they would be called, so I just kind of look up, like like, for example, a club for people that are trying to improve Spanish, like, something like that. And it's very hard because it's such a broad and not specific.

Peyton: Yeah, exactly.

Therese: And this search bar, this search engine and the, I guess code or whatever that they use is like, we need exactly what you're looking for, but we're not going to find it. So I definitely think that having better access would be beneficial because I've tried. I found KAMP through walking down the mall, and you all were there, do you like music? And I was like, I like music. And so I went over, and that's how I found out about more of these things. It was kind of like, oh, somebody saw a flyer and they told me. Or I saw something. Yeah, exactly. And I think that that's very effective, but at the same time, like, word of mouth is very effective if you know more people. So coming onto campus, when you're kind of secluded and on your own, it's very hard to kind of get word of mouth because you don't know you don't really know anybody. And especially other freshmen, like, a lot of the time, freshman year is kind of figuring stuff out, so there's not as much stuff going on as far as getting involved besides Sororities and fraternities. I know that's a big one, but I definitely think if it was just easier to find things that I was looking for, that would be, like, the best thing to happen.

Peyton: Because I feel like everyone's so focused on what your major is and deciding your major as soon as possible. But I feel like they should also have a form where when you sign up to the university, you click all your interests, like finding a roommate. It's like finding clubs. You click all your interests, and then it'll give you registered clubs that you're compatible with.

Therese: Exactly. And that would have been perfect. And it could also give you information, like, okay, these are dues. This is, like, information. Because that's the thing too, with, like,

Peyton: Demographics.

Therese: Yes, exactly. Like, oh, this is a predominantly Hispanic club, or whatever, something like that. That would be very helpful in kind of figuring out where to find people and where to go. And even with the Accounting Students Association, which I just joined, they've only had, like, one meeting. I found that because my dad was like, there's this thing on campus called, like, something, something, something, and I was like, okay, let me look it up. And I couldn't find it when I looked in the club search. So I went online, I went on Google, and then I went on Instagram, and I looked and I looked, and I was like, where is it? And then eventually, I don't even know how I found it, but I found the website or some, like, one link, and I was like, okay, here's the information. Let me take a shot in the dark here and email this person and hope that they can get back to me and that this is real. And so that was, like, a lot of. It sounds so lazy. Like, that was so much effort. Like, oh, my God, clicking that was so tiring. But it was, like, a lot of effort to find something that should have been able, I should have been able to find so easily.

Peyton: Also, even though you say, oh, that's a lot of effort, it's kind of true. Like, I feel like there's some substantiated weight to that because people get decision fatigue, and everything is already, like, all that instant gratification and streamlined. So if it really is that one extra click, I'm sure you could run statistics and see how many people that deter

Therese: drop off if they don't see it when they search it up. No, exactly. And that's how it was for me, where I was like, I was trying so hard. If someone was kind of just blamed, like, oh, I'm a little interested in this. Let me check it out. And they couldn't find it. They're not going to do all that effort to find it. They're going to give up because at that point, you kind of just are like, okay, whatever. I guess this doesn't exist or I'm never going to find it. And you kind of I don't know, it's kind of defeating also because, like you were saying with the instant gratification, we're so used to getting everything, like, right now. But it's kind of disappointing when you're trying to find something specific and you just can't find it, and you have to go through so many different websites and applications and whatever to try to figure out if you even want to join the club in the first place. That was the thing for me as well, with joining that club, for example, I was also like, okay, well, let me email these people, but what if it's super expensive or what if it's this or what if it's that and I can't do it? What if it's this day, at this time? It was very much like, okay, this is just the first step. And it took that much effort just to get there. So that's definitely something that I wish was improved. So I think it would just be easier in general, like, finding information and resources because they boast so much. Like, we have all these clubs and all these organizations.

Peyton: It's all about like, the marketing, the marketability of all of it. But then like, well, what do you actually giving me? Like, when I get there? Like, what's it really like?

Therese: Exactly. Because I'm like I'm trying to find these different clubs that you say exist and I can't find them. Like, is it me? Like, am I the problem? Like, is it me? Do they not want me to find this? Are they excluding me purposely? But no. So I don't know. That's definitely, like, a bit frustrating, especially when you want to get involved so badly. And it's just so difficult to find things to get involved in in the first place. Even if you're just generally interested. Because even when you go to the sites to look at clubs. There's like, clubs, and then it just says, like, how many members. And a very minor, broad description of the club. There's no other information. And then maybe if they have a website, like, you got to do a lot of kind of digging around on the page to see, okay, where do I go from here?

Peyton: And I think it's especially disjointed because Asua is the organization that is in charge of club management and whatnot. And that's also run by students.

Therese: Okay.

Peyton: Yeah. So I think that is also the trickier part of it, because when you have an organization like that, that's kind of fronting as the university, you know what I mean? And there's like kind of a disconnect because you don't realize, oh, you're giving something that could be like a full time paying job to an adult to students. Okay, I get why it's a little bit poopy.

Therese: Because they have lives! No wonder this hasn't been updated in two years!

Peyton: Yeah.

Therese: That's crazy. I didn't even know that.

Peyton: Right, so it's like when you're leaving kind of like these vital social resources up to students, sometimes they can fall by the wayside if they're not taken as seriously. And that's also one of the things like an institution like KAMP. That's why there's like an election process for EBoard and everything like that. And you have to apply because you don't want the quality of what you're doing to waiver.

Therese: Yeah. Especially when it's like so many people for camp. There's like over 100 people in camp.

Peyton: Definitely.

Therese: Definitely more than that. And for plenty of other clubs, it's very similar. And just in general, there are so many people at the university that are looking for something and they're interested in something. I wish it was a bit more well organized. I don't fault the students for that because I know that they have their lives. And I think that it is kind of on the university to be responsible for that. All these people are here to get an education and to get involved in the school through clubs, and they're not going to be responsible for it. They're not going to care if you can find something or not. Because that plays a very big part in feeling like you've acclimated and you've kind of become a member of the campus. And so you would think that there'd be a bit more emphasis on that. I don't know.

Peyton: Who’s to say? So do you feel like one person can make a difference?

Therese: Yes and no. I think that one person can definitely make a difference on a certain scale. And I think it only takes one person to kind of start something and kind of keep something going, but it's going to take a lot of other people to keep it going or to kind of give something more support. Yeah. To allow it to get to a degree where you can make a bigger difference. Obviously, if you have a problem, you don't just go to the Supreme Court. There's some steps there. There's a lot of steps there. So I think that in that regard, like one person, you definitely have to build up support. But I think it just takes like, one idea and one person willing to make a change and gather people and work for that to eventually make that big difference.

Peyton: Yeah. I always remember when I was a kid, people say like, ideas are like a dime a dozen. Everybody has ideas and a lot of people probably have the same ideas, but not everybody acts on them. So that's like the differentiator for sure.

Therese: Definitely. No like taking action. It's one thing to sit and talk about something and then another to actually take action and do something. And so I definitely think that there's truth to that, like analogy or whatever that'd be called, but I was going to say something else, but I completely slipped my mind.

Peyton: No, that's totally okay. So then the final question of the interview. What are your two cents? What do you want to leave with us?

Therese: Gosh. That's, like, so much pressure. I knew this was going to be on here, and I've had so much time to think, but you'd think I'd have something better to say? I guess you don't have it all figured out, and that's okay.

Peyton: It is okay.

Therese: And as long as you keep working and trying to get involved in doing the best you can, that's what matters. And eventually, if it doesn't happen now, it'll happen soon, and the good things will come. I don't know if that makes any sense.

Peyton: No, I think that's very poetic and beautiful. Thank you. A lot of people stumble through life feeling like they're inadequate, feeling like, well, I'm never it'll only start like, my life will only begin when I feel like it's beginning or when I get it right. You know what I mean? But your life is happening right now, and you may never get it right, and that's okay.

Therese: Exactly. And I think there's so much pressure to be perfect, and you have to have it figured out right now. In high school, they're like, you better know what college you want to go to, what you want to major in. You get to college, like, you better be getting a job, have internships lined up. Like, you need to know exactly what you want to do. And of course, there's opportunities to change and all of that, but there is that pressure of like, oh, my gosh, I need to have it all figured out right now, or I'm a failure.

Peyton: Yeah, it's terrifying.

Therese: Yeah, it definitely is. And it's big changes, too, I think, the time of college. It's a very big change. I mean, you go from being a teenager to being

Peyton: A young adult.

Therese: Yeah.

Peyton: And I remember when I was in high school, I don't know if you had this feeling or whatever, but it's like you would see girls that you would go to high school with, and then they would go to college. You're like, wait, they're in college now? They're, like, mysterious. Like, I don't know what they're up to anymore. Like, what's she doing. It's like, you're that girl now.

Therese: Oh, my God. I know. I get to be mysterious.

Peyton: I know. It's crazy. And they definitely didn't have it figured out, because I know I don't

Therese: Oh, yeah. And I think oh, sorry.

Peyton: Go ahead.

Therese: No, sorry, I keep cutting you off. My bad. But I definitely think that, too, is, like, something to keep in mind, because a lot of people keep up an appearance that they know what they're doing, or they have it all figured out, but I don't think anybody has it all figured out. Definitely not. And it's okay to not have it all figured out. And definitely with that, too. Like, seeing people that I knew before and kind of being like, what are they up to now? What do they have going on? How is their life? I don't know. What's their path? I just want to find out. I'm curious,

Peyton: But it definitely is probably not too different from ours.

Therese: Yeah. So that's what's comforting about it.

Peyton: Exactly. We're all in this together.

Therese: Yeah.

Peyton: Thank you so much for coming.

Therese: Thank you for having me.

Peyton: If you like what you heard and want to hear more, tune in next week for our third episode of the KAMP Interview series, hosted by the KAMP News Team. So I hope everybody has a wonderful day and we'll see you next week.

Thank you for supporting KAMP News, if you have any questions comments or concerns feel free to reach out to news@kamp.rizona.edu