Well, she nailed it, because going into space is pretty scary.
Today you will conduct the interview using the questions you composed yesterday. Take your time; take lots of notes. Be very mindful of language conventions. I will be posting these on the blog with a photo of the person you interviewed. Your name will be listed as the author. Have fun. Please send me your completed interview by Saturday, February 22, so that I may read them and post with the picture. This takes time, so Please make sure you get these to me by Saturday. Once you have completed the interview, it should not take more than an hour to write up.
The interviewing technique you are using is the story
The interviewing technique you are using is the story
telling format, much in the style of the Costello or Hitler.
Reread these, if necessary. You are not writing up the
interview as a q and a. Take your time. Let the conversations
evolve.
When you take notes on the interview, be aware of your surroundings, the interviewees clothes, jewelry, hair, facial expressions- something of interest to frame the story. Remember the questions are woven in. and don't forget quotes. Skim through the Costello or Hitler interview, if you are unsure.
Note: if I have not received your questions, you cannot conduct the interview. However, someone might be interviewing you.
Samples:
Interview with Michael
by Carly Swift-Horth
It was a wannabe winter day in Rochester New York when I first sat down with Mike
Mayer. He was a really friendly guy with a good sense of humor and very sociable. Both a little
anxious about the assignment, we were kind of hesitant to begin. It was all in good fun, we had
to remind ourselves. Getting into it took a little push, but we had a major breakthrough. I
suggested we start off easy with a question that we had all been asked a million times in our
lives, especially as seniors. Pick three words to describe yourself. I’d forgotten how rough it
really is to pick three words, because they have to be good, but you also want to make yourself
seem modest. “Man, I had a really good answer for my senior exit interview, but I can’t think of
what it was,” he said to me. After taking a minute, we laughed it off and decided to come back to
it in a little while. In the end, he chose attentive, pensive, and cooperative, which all seem to
complement each other nicely. The next question was a bit more interesting to kind of see his
priorities. He described what his ‘picture perfect moment’ would look like in his life if he could
have everything his way. He told me that as long as he was emotionally and economically stable,
then that was what was most important to him. Having a family would be nice too, but he is
more concerned about his stability. Very practical reasoning, I’d say. Being able to balance the
two in this day and age can get rough.
Getting a bit more relaxed, I brought up the question of wishes. “If you could wish for
one thing, anything you wanted, what would it be?” I asked. He did not skip a beat and said,
“Time travel!” He came up with many different reasons, and one that stuck out to me was that
he’s done some things, and made some decisions with a different mindset from his current one,
and would ultimately like to change them. To sum up the question he said, “Because, why not?”
His answer was a smooth transition into the next thing that I asked him which was a whole
scenario. “Time machines have been invented-“ I began. “YES,” he interjected. I laughed and
continued, “You have one shot to go into the future or back into the past, and once you go, you
stay. What era would you travel to? Or would you stay? You can bring a friend.” He looked at the
floor for a second, and then back up and said, “Definitely not the 80’s!” We agreed the 80’s was a
bit too overdone. “Maybe 1985 so I could have a smooth transition to the 90’s,” he concluded.
“I could talk to you forever about what a theatre tech major does,” he said when I asked
him about the creative stages in School of the Arts productions. They work with the director and
their vision for the set, come up with conceptual designs by throwing out ideas and then they
draft it. After a final draft, the size is planned, and then they paint. His favorite part of the
production process, however, is the lighting design, and his second favorite is being stage
manager. As he talked about his roles as a theatre tech major, his eyes lit up and it was clear that
this was something he was passionate about. After a couple of minutes of explanation on his
roles, he proceeded with, “I think in the future I want to try set design.” As we neared the end of our conversation, I asked him one last question that I was unsure
of what to expect as an answer. It was asking about obstacles and success. He thought for a while
on this one and as if a wall had fallen down, he said, “Well, until 10th grade, I wasn’t a good
student. I felt out of place so I didn’t try. I overcame it myself because I realized that graduating
was important to move forward, so I guess you could consider that my ‘obstacle’.” Perfect
answer, I thought. As for successes, it took a lot of idea throwing. We were both trying to think of
ideas for the answer, but they just weren’t really clicking. I asked him about his band, Red Inc.
and if there was something there that was successful for him. “It didn’t really bring success to
bring us forward, but-” I cut him off and said that it doesn’t necessarily have to be success to the
public eye, but just to himself. “Well, I guess the first time I performed on stage, we won the
battle and it really solidified my love of music,” he said.
One cold winter’s morning, just a couple days before Christmas break I sat down with Duncan for an interview getting to know him and what he wants to be in the future. When we first began, it was awkwardly silent since there’s never been an occasion when we actually had a conversation. Although Duncan and I have never had a conversation before, it wasn’t hard for us to get comfortable. Just to ease into the interview, I first began to ask Duncan, ‘What are the three best words that your friends will describe you as or better yet how would you describe yourself?’ His response was, ‘Brawny, lazy and misunderstood.’ Duncan feels that although his friends think they know him, they truly don’t understand him as a person. As the conversation continued, Duncan began to mention his future plans after high-school and how he planned on utilizing his talent (visual arts major). He plans on extending his major by minoring in college where he’ll design sketches for his dream job. Curious about what his dream job was I went from there and asked, “What exactly is the job you wish to pursue?” He expressed his interest in the scientific field and said, “I’m not sure what kind but I plan on becoming some sort of biologists.” Interested in his choice as a career I then proceeded to ask, “What people in your life have best contributed to who you are today?” I was intrigued to see who exactly he would say inspired him. “I’d probably have to say my dad. He’s relatively successful and has worked really hard for his job as an engineer.” At that moment the conversation took a turn as I learned that Duncan’s family moved last year due to his dad’s career. Conversing with Duncan I could tell he’s a very genuine person. He was very open and honest throughout the whole interview. Before I could even get to my last question my mind was still trying to process all the information he shared. I finally asked, “What are some goals you wish to accomplish within the next few years?” There was a slight pause, almost unsure of what he actually wanted to say or what he thought for that matter. After the slight moment of silence he responded, “I plan on getting some biological degree in college but from there the rest is to be determined.”
Next I moved on to talking about the future and how she anticipated her life unfolding. Shakeiya took time to think about this question. She eventually responded with saying she most likely would be an English Instructor but that she was still figuring it out. “I like to focus on the now.”
Samples:
interviews
Gena's Interview
by Aleigha Wright
Rochester, New York on a not so sunny Wednesday afternoon with chilling winds and slight snow fall is the first time I sat down to talk with Gena. When our conversation first started out, things were a tad bumpy. Once we got more comfortable with each, other the interview began to go smoothly almost like a old friends. Upon first meeting Gena she was a happy soul, all smiles and laughter with a kind and friendly face. Currently she goes to School of The Arts and loves the friends shes come to know. While talking about her life after high school, she expressed her love for architecture saying, “I'd like to be an urban designer. I live in the city and want to be able to design some of the building I see”. I then went on to ask how her education and major at School of the Arts would continue to impact her down the ro
ad. “I'm a creative writing major so hopefully when I get into college, I will be able to write well and efficiently,” she says. “Also I hope my time management skills will be improved." After taking a minute to comprehend what was said, I asked where she saw herself ten years from now. “Probably in Rochester. Most of my family is here,” she says. “In ten years I hope to have a job as an urban designer with a dog and maybe a family living near a park”. Talking with Gena I would say she is a friendly, approachable, and bubbly person. This got me thinking about how her friends would describe her. “I think they would say I'm pretty outgoing, a stressed but chill friend, and decisive” she says. “ I know what I want”. Upon hearing her say she was a “stressed but chill friend,” I asked whats one thing she would change about herself. “Make myself more chill or give myself perfect teeth. I never did get braces, so I wish I could go back and tell twelve year-old me to just get them”. At the end of the interview my mind was stirring with everything she had to say. For my last question I asked what her defining moment was, why, and what she took from it. After a moment or two of silent thinking she responded. “ I would have to say getting into School of The Arts. I feel going anywhere else I would not have had the same friends or experiences” she says. “Hopefully having friends I can call no matter what and take with me the knowledge I was given”.Interview with Michael
by Carly Swift-Horth
It was a wannabe winter day in Rochester New York when I first sat down with Mike
Mayer. He was a really friendly guy with a good sense of humor and very sociable. Both a little
anxious about the assignment, we were kind of hesitant to begin. It was all in good fun, we had
to remind ourselves. Getting into it took a little push, but we had a major breakthrough. I
suggested we start off easy with a question that we had all been asked a million times in our
lives, especially as seniors. Pick three words to describe yourself. I’d forgotten how rough it
really is to pick three words, because they have to be good, but you also want to make yourself
seem modest. “Man, I had a really good answer for my senior exit interview, but I can’t think of
what it was,” he said to me. After taking a minute, we laughed it off and decided to come back to
it in a little while. In the end, he chose attentive, pensive, and cooperative, which all seem to
complement each other nicely. The next question was a bit more interesting to kind of see his
priorities. He described what his ‘picture perfect moment’ would look like in his life if he could
have everything his way. He told me that as long as he was emotionally and economically stable,
then that was what was most important to him. Having a family would be nice too, but he is
more concerned about his stability. Very practical reasoning, I’d say. Being able to balance the
two in this day and age can get rough.
Getting a bit more relaxed, I brought up the question of wishes. “If you could wish for
one thing, anything you wanted, what would it be?” I asked. He did not skip a beat and said,
“Time travel!” He came up with many different reasons, and one that stuck out to me was that
he’s done some things, and made some decisions with a different mindset from his current one,
and would ultimately like to change them. To sum up the question he said, “Because, why not?”
His answer was a smooth transition into the next thing that I asked him which was a whole
scenario. “Time machines have been invented-“ I began. “YES,” he interjected. I laughed and
continued, “You have one shot to go into the future or back into the past, and once you go, you
stay. What era would you travel to? Or would you stay? You can bring a friend.” He looked at the
floor for a second, and then back up and said, “Definitely not the 80’s!” We agreed the 80’s was a
bit too overdone. “Maybe 1985 so I could have a smooth transition to the 90’s,” he concluded.
“I could talk to you forever about what a theatre tech major does,” he said when I asked
him about the creative stages in School of the Arts productions. They work with the director and
their vision for the set, come up with conceptual designs by throwing out ideas and then they
draft it. After a final draft, the size is planned, and then they paint. His favorite part of the
production process, however, is the lighting design, and his second favorite is being stage
manager. As he talked about his roles as a theatre tech major, his eyes lit up and it was clear that
this was something he was passionate about. After a couple of minutes of explanation on his
roles, he proceeded with, “I think in the future I want to try set design.” As we neared the end of our conversation, I asked him one last question that I was unsure
of what to expect as an answer. It was asking about obstacles and success. He thought for a while
on this one and as if a wall had fallen down, he said, “Well, until 10th grade, I wasn’t a good
student. I felt out of place so I didn’t try. I overcame it myself because I realized that graduating
was important to move forward, so I guess you could consider that my ‘obstacle’.” Perfect
answer, I thought. As for successes, it took a lot of idea throwing. We were both trying to think of
ideas for the answer, but they just weren’t really clicking. I asked him about his band, Red Inc.
and if there was something there that was successful for him. “It didn’t really bring success to
bring us forward, but-” I cut him off and said that it doesn’t necessarily have to be success to the
public eye, but just to himself. “Well, I guess the first time I performed on stage, we won the
battle and it really solidified my love of music,” he said.
Interview with Duncan
by Jasmyn Streater
One cold winter’s morning, just a couple days before Christmas break I sat down with Duncan for an interview getting to know him and what he wants to be in the future. When we first began, it was awkwardly silent since there’s never been an occasion when we actually had a conversation. Although Duncan and I have never had a conversation before, it wasn’t hard for us to get comfortable. Just to ease into the interview, I first began to ask Duncan, ‘What are the three best words that your friends will describe you as or better yet how would you describe yourself?’ His response was, ‘Brawny, lazy and misunderstood.’ Duncan feels that although his friends think they know him, they truly don’t understand him as a person. As the conversation continued, Duncan began to mention his future plans after high-school and how he planned on utilizing his talent (visual arts major). He plans on extending his major by minoring in college where he’ll design sketches for his dream job. Curious about what his dream job was I went from there and asked, “What exactly is the job you wish to pursue?” He expressed his interest in the scientific field and said, “I’m not sure what kind but I plan on becoming some sort of biologists.” Interested in his choice as a career I then proceeded to ask, “What people in your life have best contributed to who you are today?” I was intrigued to see who exactly he would say inspired him. “I’d probably have to say my dad. He’s relatively successful and has worked really hard for his job as an engineer.” At that moment the conversation took a turn as I learned that Duncan’s family moved last year due to his dad’s career. Conversing with Duncan I could tell he’s a very genuine person. He was very open and honest throughout the whole interview. Before I could even get to my last question my mind was still trying to process all the information he shared. I finally asked, “What are some goals you wish to accomplish within the next few years?” There was a slight pause, almost unsure of what he actually wanted to say or what he thought for that matter. After the slight moment of silence he responded, “I plan on getting some biological degree in college but from there the rest is to be determined.”
Rachael’s Interview
By Molly Elliott
On a cold, cloudy Wednesday afternoon in Rochester, New York I sat down to talk with Rachael Rapoza. The first thing asked was for her to list three words that she thinks describes her. She answered with competitive, determined, then after a moment of thinking, her final choice was indecisive. I asked how her time at School of the Arts and her focus on violin has prepared her for the future. “It’s showed me the importance of music in everyday life and how it can shape your mood,” she said. I asked about her plans for life after high school graduation. She excitedly said “I actually just got accepted to Geneseo! My plan is to study biology and eventually become a doctor. In the summer I’m working as a life guard.” After congratulating her on her acceptance I wanted to know more about why she wants to become a doctor. “I want to be able to help other people,” she replied. I wanted to know about her obstacles and successes. I asked to hear about something that she has struggled with. She said that AP Calculus had been a struggle for her. I wanted to know about a success too. “A success… When I won RCAC,” she said proudly. I wasn’t sure what RCAC was. I learned that it’s a cross country race. I could tell that cross country is something she really enjoys and is really proud of. I was interested in what else made her happy, so I asked what inspires her to get up every day. “Learning more and being able to eventually help people by becoming a doctor. And my family!” I closed the conversation by asking about how she envisions her life in 15 years. “I hope to be a doctor by that time. Hopefully I’ll be married with 1 kid.”
Interview with Shakeiya
by Claire Rebholtz
When I sat down to interview Shakeiya I was eager to get the interview started. It was a little awkward at first but we quickly grew more comfortable and the conversation started flowing. Shakeiya seemed like a very kind and good hearted person. I couldn’t wait to hear her answers to all of my questions. I decided to start the interview with asking about a difficult experience that impacted her life. She responded by talking about the time when she failed her chemistry exam. It was the first exam she had ever failed. It took her a long time to get over and the whole situation was an eye opener for her.
Next I moved on to talking about the future and how she anticipated her life unfolding. Shakeiya took time to think about this question. She eventually responded with saying she most likely would be an English Instructor but that she was still figuring it out. “I like to focus on the now.”
Continuing with the topic of the future, I asked Shakeiya about something that she is nervous about for the future. She expressed how at first she is a very shy person and is nervous about having to interact with people she does not know.
To learn even more about Shakeiya I asked her about a favorite indulgences of hers. “Chocolate and everything about it” I then proceeded to ask “If you could eat dinner with five other people dead or alive who would you choose and why” Shakeiya put a lot of thought into her answer. She ended up choosing Jesus, her grandmother, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama, and Mozart. “They each have something interesting about them” She felt she would be able to ask them thought-provoking questions.
The interview ended with Shakeiya stating five words to describe herself. “Shy, determined, kind, hardworking, and serious.” I thought about her answer and concurred, they summed her up perfectly.
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