RamStories:
An Oral History Project to Record the CSU Experience
Jay Moore (Interviewee)
Watch the interview: Size: 4.66 MB Duration:6 Min 41 Sec
Interviewer: "So, could you introduce yourself and tell us what year you are in college, and where you're from?"
Jay Moore: "I am Jay Moore, I am a Sophomore-a second-year student-and...what was the other question?"
Interviewer: "Where are you from?"
Jay Moore: "I'm from Orange County, California."
Interviewer: "Ok. How did you end up at CSU from California?"
Jay Moore: "It was mostly because of major. I'm a Zoology major, and I also want to try and get into vet school, so I was trying to find something that had the Zoology program and the Vet program, so that I can cross-over those fields and get the best education I could."
Interviewer: "That's cool. I should mention that it's August 18th, 2006, and it is ten of 10 in the evening, and we're in room 24 of the Lory Student Center."
Jay Moore: "You know, you're like the second person I've ever met to say 'ten of ten'."
Interviewer: "Really? Maybe I'm old-fashioned that way."
Jay Moore: "Nah. The other person was my age."
Interviewer: "So, when you came to CSU, what was your main goal? What did you want to get out of your CSU experience in general terms, or specific terms, if you want?"
Jay Moore: "Graduate with a degree and hopefully get into Vet school; that's pretty much it. I wasn't planning on going to college anywhere based off of campus life, town, or anything else like that, I mean, I went out of state. My main goal was education."
Interviewer: "And are you planning to stay in Vet school here after you graduate? Or is that optional?"
Jay Moore: "Wherever I get accepted, pretty much. I've heard that it's very difficult to get into Vet school, so I'll go anywhere where they'll take me."
Interviewer: "This is off the script, but where did your interest in animals start from?"
Jay Moore: "Ever since I can remember I've loved animals, and when I was around seven years old-probably younger-I've always wanted to bet a vet and work with animals. There was a project that asked 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' And I actually wrote that on there and my parents saved that, and for my graduation, my parents made a little memorial type of thing and everyone laughed at me because that's exactly what I still want to be, 12 or 13 some-odd years later."
Interviewer: "That's awesome. Your parents are to be commended for keeping that. That's really cool."
Jay Moore: "They kept all the weird things like that, like some calendar that I made as a 5-year old that has my hand print on it."
Interviewer: "Neat. So, you're a sophomore now, but do you remember back when you were first stepping foot on campus what your impression of CSU was? Especially for being out-of-state, had you visited Fort Collins?"
Jay Moore: "I had visited it once the summer previous to when I came. When I did get here, it was fairly overwhelming, mostly because no one that I knew from my high-school has ever come here, or was here, so I was stepping into a brand-new world and a brand-new culture. I had to pretty much start from scratch; at least when I went to high-school I was still in the same town and could visit the same friends, but now I'm over 1000 away, so I can't just take a short drive home."
Interviewer: "That's true. And speaking of home, being from out of state, what's the thing that you miss most about where you're from, or.?
Jay Moore: "My friends, mostly. That was my big support, I always liked going out and having fun and all those kinds of things, so being away from my friends is kind of hard, but I've made new friends out here, and I anticipate coming and visiting them over the summer and, now that I'm an RA, I've got a ton of new friends because everyone's friendly. It's kind of a downer but I will see them during breaks and stuff."
Interviewer: "You mentioned that you're an RA, what dorm are you an RA in?"
Jay Moore: "Summit."
Interviewer: "And what kind of event pushed you in that direction?"
Jay Moore: "Well, I was in band in high-school. I was pretty much the leader of everyone, so just being in that leadership role has always been apart of my life, and it was like 'Well, what can I do here?' And the RA job sounded kind of fun. I do have good benefits for being an RA, but we get a lot of experience, and it does look good on a resume. And it's a new way to meet a lot of people. All of my parents and friends who have been through college say that the friends you make in college you'll have for the rest of your life, so I'm trying to make as many great friends as I can."
Interviewer: "They have a generic question on here: What are you fears about CSU? But I'm more curious about what your fears of being an RA are. You can be more general."
Jay Moore: "The fears of being an RA: Just there being so much to look after. We have to write people up for whatever they might be doing wrong in the dorms, and stuff like that, which isn't a big deal because usually there's policies and if they break the policy then they're in trouble. Big deal, but just kind of having to watch to make sure that they're not breaking the rules and having to bust them, that's probably going to be the toughest thing. It's only like, the second day of being a real RA because everyone moved in yesterday, so that's what I'm thinking it's gonna be, so."
Interviewer: "That's kind of interesting, just to hear that side of it. Here's the existential question of the evening: What advice do you have for your future self?"
Jay Moore: "Keep having fun! Meet new people, I don't know. Try new things. For the past several years I've tried at least something once."
Interviewer: "That's a good policy. Well, we have really enjoyed taking the time to do this. Thank you."
END