Tracy Jackson and Octavia Fugerson

00:04 My name is Octavia. I'm 19 years old today is April 9th 2010 and I'm located at Vox teen Communications in Atlanta, and I'm here with my friend Tracy.

00:18 My name is Tracy Jackson 17 years old. Today's date is April 9th 2010. I'm here at Vox teen Communications in Atlanta, and I'm here with my friend on TV.

00:33 Hey Tracy, how you doing? Good. Okay. Well, just tell me how you how school is going to school is, you know, you do like in the last stages. I have a whole bunch of projects that I have to finish since it's like spring break and then can't wait to see graduation. What school do you go to Westlake High School freshman sophomore graduation going to be May 21st. Where is it going to be?

01:10 How many have you had a Hi-Point invited a lot of people did you get my favorite teacher and she used to come to school is he dressed up in costumes and we had like food like quesadillas and stuff like that created. Did you take any AP classes this year only have eighty are going to have to take the exam.

02:08 The quality of our earned and we have like food submit like 24 different things. Like if you have a concentration breaths and quality.

02:19 You must like art is your favorite medium. I like graphic design like your favorite pieces of art you made or wait for my AP portfolio. I have to create like you have a concentration like we have to focus on one thing but mine is global issues and coming along. Okay, but sometimes I kind of

02:47 Don't have any more issues that I have to like. I have like things I did it for Darfur what else?

02:57 You know, like basic stuff going on that hire can't wait. I visited the campus. I told you about it. Yeah, there's a lot of there was an Amish community like going to the campus and I was kind of afraid but like once I got on there it was nice, but I can't wait for a while because you told me about your volume class. I love my life because it's very light interactive. I mean, it's 3 hours long, but you know, it's like we get to do like laugh play with pigs and brains and stuff. That's really cool. Can't wait. We got the test like we got the test to see who act like a rightist or whatever and we created names of some people like Reggie Bush and Tiger Woods and things like that and we kind of see if they was positive and negative. So that's really cool. My teacher sleep late too. So it's like it's kind of challenging.

03:57 Has like some of the questions that the teacher asked me. I feel like only biologist with no like why are you asking me this question and it's it's like super specific. So it's like there's no way I can know this but it's cool any how to hook in it like help you like maybe you could use that you're going to be a psychologist like a child psychologist feel like when you become that how will biology hope he's well I want to be a psychiatrist and I mean, I need to know this place this basic fundamentals that I can actually be able to apply it when I had when I'm in my career and right now we're doing the nervous system, which is the best pie ever and I really love it and I'm just basically kind of recapping some of the things that I learned back when I said AP Psychology was like so fun, even though I got to be in the class. But anyhow, so we kind of basically like we capping that information. I really need that information. It would have to be successful and actually help people the way I want to so that's what I cool.

04:57 When I visited the campus like all of the science buildings, like you're like really need like I think of it visited the maybe geology or something. But anyways, it's really nice and it made me want to learn more about science like biology or chemistry or whatever because like I never took geography and it's like hunting mean I like people to talk about this tastes like what if I mean, I'm just like where is that, you know, and it's it's really weird and just like kind of awkward because I never took geography and if I did I just didn't pay attention to it. But if I okay, I don't know what you're talking about. But what's your favorite science and it really come by two subjects like I don't like math and science put together or mass and writing or math and anything.

05:54 So

05:56 Octavia

05:58 Yeah, tell me about Spelman. Well, it's really great. I'm not going to lie. When I first got there. I wasn't really loving it and I was really kind of like like I didn't want to be anywhere else but I wasn't as happy as I expected to be and I was really like concern as to why I wasn't as happy as I wanted to be and I realized honestly because it cost so much is $36,000 and the campus is kind of like any other campus and it kind of makes me angry because I feel like if I'm paying that much, you know, I don't feel like I actually live in the conditions that I do and I understand that it's a private school. So the funding isn't the same but it still kind of made me upset. It's like, you know what you mean how she don't work. I pay $36,000. I want the hot seat or if you know like that, but I love it. Honestly, it's really a great campus Lee. I just realized that my favorite Arthur teachers at the school, which is life. So purkh Lage. Yes, she I'm not really good with titles.

06:58 I think it's like it's something about a red dress but it's a really good book and I really I really love her books and she's a really get out there and I didn't even know that she went to the campus until I found you stay. I was really excited about 5, and then likes you want the founding award or something like that. So that was really cool to actually say are up there. I was like, oh my God. I know her I see her before so that was cool.

07:23 Go to Camp College rating with the dorms or whatever. He said the different ones but like the one that I like stayed and it was kind of weird. Like what is it look like yeah, it was fine. I think they all look like that. It's not what I'm used to but I guess I'll get to it for a long time and probably going to be at like an extracurricular activities. Maybe do you have a roommate or like it was for to your most of the rooms are for two and they only have like a few better like maybe for one person. I know in my room. I have a divider. Do you have that? I know it's kind of weird. But I mean we have a

08:23 Light and I won't get it done and in all the rooms were in the room that I say, we have a divider so it's really cool. So we have like two closets, but I still hate the don't bring me the I have really high beds. What about the food? Okay to have a different variety of them to have like vegetarian picnic food inside only like breakfast waffles and

09:03 Yeah, that sounds like ours but I still hate the food. I mean, of course I've adjusted to it now. So but when I first got there when I first got that the food was great like the first week, of course because now they want to make sure but then after that just went down he was like, oh my God, I hate this cafeteria food. I know I'm missing once I go back on there, but it's still different. They told me to go to Walmart cuz like after the first month or so you going to get tired of the food every college student best friend by one. I mean, it's kind of difficult kind of in the city a little bit, but I still want one just like exercise reasons. Do you have a gym there?

09:52 It's like near their PE area. Like I have a small J Marion how to say I mean it might be weird but I like my hours are kind of interesting. So I like it, but I do want to play tennis or something. Yeah, we have I coughed in this bowling dancing like my first class. I took was contemporary living and I loved it. It was like, I mean most people don't like it but it was like us by Ayo and running and jogging weightlifting come by and we have like those classes as well. Like we have weightlifting and we have running and jogging so it's really cool. I mean we're supposed to do swimming but you know, I can't swim as well. If you don't learn like I swear they do that they have I think I maybe I might add it like this spring next spring cuz I don't want to do it in the fall.

10:52 It's kind of cold, but I really feel like I should learn how to swim and then I heard it's good exercise to tell me something else. Well, let's see how well, you know, something is right next to Morehouse. And yesterday they had the SGA the base if it was so amazing. It was so crazy and he has some really good ideas like this one dude. He decided that he wanted to implement Zipcars for the campus and basically one opposed to like riding Marta calling the shuttles. We can actually go and rent cars out when we wanted to and then it was so great because wanted to do is ask him did he take in consideration that age? You know, how old you can be to drive you zip card and he was like, you know, you have to be 21. So what about the freshmen and sophomores in the heart and then the crowd just went crazy cat the fact that he hadn't thought about that. He said that he did and that

11:52 Howard they had the Zipcar that has six Live cards because they've been going so well and everything like that and then he came back the other dude came back again. He was like where that's at Howard in Washington DC and they have different laws than us and it was an amazing like weird now, but it was like really excited and like the king chapel and it was just like so noisy you seem like it was a concert you wouldn't even be able to do that. It was a debate and like, you know the new iPad they had those and like some of the people in the audience with lifting them up with words on in there like bowel or like stab or like he's not going to win a thing is like their vote for him and wanted to do that campaign was have it your way and they had to do you know the king walking around the vegetative new walking around it was so crazy and he had the costume or he's really creepy.

12:52 Nicholas how much Burgers cause it was like passing out burger the stuff but it was real cool. So I go to spell my vagina look like right there more house right there as well. And so I heard Clark has the best food and white house has the second-best look at someone who just sucks completely. I mean when you go there for orientation, it's gray and you think like you think everybody there is weird cuz it like, oh we got real ice cream or they just doing the best for y'all because we were just looking at them like yeah, you know, not really listen to them because we did and it's good. So when I now that I'm here I'm like this is ridiculous. But when we have all the cords and stuff like that the food is pretty good because I'm in trouble cuz I'm afraid we're going to have the same thing. Well, I mean, of course we have Fried Chicken Fridays macaroni and cheese and fried chicken and then on Friday we have fish, but I'm

13:52 It's a decent variety. They always have the sounds and they always had the pasta line. They had the veggie line and things like that like you were saying at your school and they always have fries their course. So that's really good. And what was horrible was when I went to UGA for that minute and I compare UGA food with Feldman food. That was just ridiculous. I was like, this is UGA food is just like amazing. It's like they have I don't even know how to explain it just so great. But I mean, it's okay. I mean, I'm not mad nutritious eating. So one thing that I was trying to look fine was like a church and all I saw was a good Presbyterian Church in some other type of Amish church. I don't know what it is, but I was afraid you should be more open-minded religiously. I know I mean, I only stay like 30 minutes away from the house.

14:52 And the less I didn't want to be traveling back all the way over there, even though they still have his cuz you're not go to New Birth and they have like the church. They have a shuttle that comes tears in my school. But what happened was at first I was going to Spelman and up that wasn't satisfy. It was a spiritually satisfying it remind me a little bit more of like Negro spirituals a little bit and no it's not student read the students do a lot of things but we used to have a pastor that she's not a student and it's it's nice. It just seems that they're kind of their very broad about it like religious last name really don't want to offend anyone and that's good for people who don't want to be offended but I need a little bit more so that was a little different. So I end up finding this great Bible study group call Esther Circle and it is read by the students and it's just wonderful and I never I never been in the atmosphere before where they just like every I can relate to everything they were saying everything.

15:52 Like, you know, they were talking about how to cut paper school and it got came in and help them with this or how they was feeling class and they feel every test for honest and they got a B in the class and it's like, you know, it's just like so amazing how God works through college kids and that I expect and being able to relate to it so much. I really love that. But now I go to Clark church and Clark is really nice. Like spell me music is wonderful. It is the music is a beautiful it is and it's just not what I need personally feel like I could go to Clark and I can get a little bit from that. But of course, I love new version Eddie long is always crazy like my advice to you just kind of explore a little bit and just kind of look around and see what all that you would like because you never know cuz I mean, I didn't even know Clark had a service. I know it's kind of weird cuz I even try to go to church anymore house as well and it's good, but you know, it's a little

16:52 You know, it's not as I can't focus as much we're like, yeah. Okay. No. No, I was the awkwardness.

17:09 But yeah, just kind of light explore a little bit of time to see what all you would like cuz you never know which touch could be spiritually satisfying organization. There is something crawling in her face and you get the Explorer like well, they'll help you find searches and nothing says that you're able to like sit in on a different religion is Justin just how to get it filled yet observed even though I don't want to change my relief was like I was I was like, no, I'm not going to be anything else but still at the same time. I want to kind of open, just be able to know what the other religions are doing. So I'm not ignorant to it work even if you don't find a good church if you find a good Bible study group cuz that's what really did as a matter fact. I became so much closer to God being in school. It's redic like Lord. I don't know how much pesos Pelham is too much, you know, like help me out and I'm afraid so much first first semester.

18:09 What's ridiculous? I can't my relationship with God has developed so much. Like I never paid as much I can add up all the prayer I ever prayed and it's still with an amount. So this year were the prayer I believe that you really get closer to God. It's a challenge because you told me about like your first semester. It was kind of hard. I mean I didn't feel but I could have did a lot better and I look back in the black man. That was easy, but it was so much going on, you know having it that that transition is like real like I don't believe if I don't like, you know, you got to drive the shelves like shut up. It's what's transitioning get over it. And I never realize how much I really don't like change and that was a big change for me and I was by myself all my friends were going was ridiculous a good heart like making new friends are like

19:00 And don't like when I went there that was one of the things that I wouldn't have to worry about because I noticed I don't make friends my friends make me and it not only went from my friends like coming. Hi. How you doing? Let me be your friend like okay, it also went from like, okay, so you're a nerd. I'm a nerd. Okay, you're doing negative things. I'm doing negative think so. That's one of the things that I have to work on when I got to college because you know, everybody in college is not a good person, you know, there's bad people everywhere and then I didn't want to get caught up in the wrong crowd and things of that nature, you know, if your party I'm a party and now I don't study like know so I realize I pick I beat up other people energy a lot. So when I'm working on its establishing my own energy now and it's a challenge is something that I really have to work on, but it could be done.

19:47 So you need to be aware of that like yeah, cuz you won't even think that they're like bad people eat as you just noticed that they have bad habits. Yeah. So you need to like really pay attention to that for me to study group. I love all of you very I really dislike we call it's on Woodrow what we call it ClubWPT and everybody that just chilling and stuff but it's a really good place like I love going there to study but they do not know the acting weird without hours now trying to close at 11 like last semester. They was closing at 3. So it's kind of weird and we have we have like 24-hour computer like your homework project.

20:40 People being there like three four five 5 in the morning, so it's weird if that's one thing you're like you're sleeping. It's going to change so much in college. Like I feel like you know, we stayed up late studying like yeah. Yeah, whatever like you really do is I don't know like you really do like we think they were working hard in high school. But like once you iron work work work, but you have to do it yourself a lot now, but your sleeping habits change so much like I know before I went there Calling You by after 10, but I'll be on the phone like 3 in the morning actually conversating about school work like we actually sitting right here trying to figure out how to do this by a problem. Like what is this is ridiculous. Why am I'm doing homework at this time of night? So in the morning, so it's going to be ridiculous like

21:40 Almost nocturnal now. I like sleeping during the day in between classes. Like I've went several days where I didn't sleep at all coffee not drink and I know it's horrible. Yes. I'm a energy drink a coffee drinker. So what about the times that you don't go to Italy have classes. Are you able to study then or do you not study? I might verbally on the most productive person ever I can say, oh, I'm about to do this. I'm about to do that and then I'm going to do that and just something always come up and then I procrastinate so either but yes and you don't even think the procrastination is a real problem. You just like if I want to do it, I do it and I sit there and I was like, dude.

22:28 Do it go do it in one of my biggest problem was actually balancing my work because there were plenty of times where I thought bio was more important than what happened. Then I don't prioritize and it is really important because then I don't know what should I do? Like I have biomath the classes that I'm taking now is ridiculous. I'm taking philosophy psychology biology precalculus history.

22:58 Golf

23:00 Taking like nine different classes because two of my classes have laughed as well. You have to work to work but consider 11 was like so much worse. Like I was like writing papers and I'm like, what is this? Like that's the same thing. I thought too but we actually had to do like researching. I was like, um, excuse if she wants to watch stuff like no, I'm just here to learn how to do it and it doesn't work like that at all, but I love God got this. That's the only class. I mean, that's the only class but I know everybody always come to all the time like you could be still used to go to come and go off at Square Bayou It's a lot you would think it's a lot more important than white people. I'm sick. I'm not going today those things that people will be up and golf cuz it's like it's just a stress-free.

24:00 Activity that I tried out after school, but the golf lessons they were like from 4 to 5, but my school didn't close until like 4, what did you play at? Like, I forgot the name of the place where it's like near Cascade is this is really great. I love it. When you have a great instructor to I gotta be something a lot of times I struggle. He's just like I'm going to make a champion out of y'all so I can we go see about that. He doesn't think he doesn't seem to get frustrated when I'm like messing up a lot. And then cuz I always have like this one little finger who's never arrived wrapped around the golf the right way and then I don't know like when I start playing golf all this and I went left handed and I'll type of thing almost there was this guy like I went there to work practice cuz he always said practice your golfing and there was this guy who hit like help me.

25:00 He said I was to still see it seemed like he got mad so you can't go over and help me and he just left cuz it wasn't getting it cuz we swing or just horrible. I like stop thinking you're a slick. Stop sucking your rest. Well, if you're like a member of the thing that you get a discount.

25:34 But I mean, it's cool. Are you playing any sports now? Yes, I told you like a tennis serve coffee considered a sport, right? Cuz it's a lot of money that could be made in golf like from engineering to actually playing the sport. I from design clothes designing things of that nature. So we had a lot of gospel like PJ people don't speak that as well. We had like cuz of course I go to Spelman. So we had one lady golfers come speak to us as well and my my professor actually puts on like a

26:22 A game once a year that's really important and one of her people made it to like over there in Japan or something like that or it's not like I'm doing it more for the physical really like the are being opposed to actually doing it because I want to be a golfer and then I'll actually going to catch you know, the network. They said they can make business was I thought you said that you was interested in business. I remember you telling me that you were thinking about going into this technology or medicine if you're running your own practice and eat some type of business skills. Are you thinking you're like deciding between medicine and Technology school was your or either I want a minor in film.

27:21 That'll be cool. I don't want to do like I'm going to leave art as a hobby Mesa, but I don't like I do not like we're not necessarily. All right, but you know, like I don't know how to explain it. Like I like like I think more of like the social things that I do. I want to kind of leave that at the hobby or maybe a minor and like take the science and kind of expand as much as I want to but I understand that I need that balance.

27:50 But yeah, I mean, I think so. Tell me how you going to make that decision between medicine and technology technology advances in if I want to become optometrist, which is like one of my if I want to become a doctor then that's probably what's your level go into but yeah for the technology to use to examine the eyes enough for you like this.

28:25 But like I said, I wanted to have like film as a hobby movies or TV shows that reproduce and whatever I can.

28:36 I love you edit. I have you found anything. I remember the little one of your projects with the doing the Spanish dance or anything else or before that I had like family videos that I used to know him a lot and then I just recently finished my password anniversary video quiz, like 5 minutes Note 7 minutes to keep it short cuz you know people get impatient, especially if on the anniversary day and they have to stay over for church.

29:14 Octavia

29:19 Did you enjoy your high school?

29:21 Oh, I got this picture reminds me be like a graduation. I cried so hard. I did not want to graduate. I just want to go straight to Spelman and without the graduation and I cry so hard and everybody was like, oh my God. Oh my God, like they was just like so shocked that I was crying. Like I was like, I don't want to graduate and get my honor ceremony and I'm not going to prom so graduation is the only thing I'm ready for it.

29:57 I don't need to be honored for like my grades and stuff. That's the same way. I have feel like I don't want to walk up there and I didn't like what to do my hair when I asked him if he liked made me want to go to prom with anyone either but she might be going somewhere for your book. That's the only reason why.

30:35 About 1/4 Mi Elementary School to school that I go to keep up with friends speaking of friends. Are you going to miss some are there any of your friends going up there with you that I have a while haven't know including me instead. So we'll be going there. So I will become my friends and then I'll still call you and my vodka drinks yet. Keep in touch and we have Facebook, of course, of course, but still I mean, how do you think it's going to be like going up there? Cuz that's so far. I mean not that discourage you because you thought I was going to do that so far. So, what do you like? How do you think it's going to be?

31:25 You're So Far Away by your lonesome no friends at school, but I may miss home but even though I'm in Atlanta right now, I don't miss it right. I'm like rather be out wandering about but when I go to the college, I'm going to miss my house. What about the lack of box? Cuz I really couldn't let that go it took a lot for me to let it go live in some of the teams here, but

32:05 It's time to grow you know, that's exactly what I had to say because I realize like my high school the cheap seats aren't good enough for me anymore, Call it like I need to become more accomplished. I have more achievement because I like that was in high school. So now I college I had to start all back over from you no point one and rebuild another four years of high school all over but harder and then I have another four years. You're more harder at least I got the like an undergrad. At least I get to have fun with the extra curricular activities in a parties and stuff but in grad school. He's going to be able to party. I mean, hopefully I'll be mature enough that I don't want to I guess I guess that's what happened. I don't know speaking of fun. Do they have at the rec room. It's something like a rec room, but they're not, I would never be like

33:05 Hey, let's go that I don't know if we have like a pool table sides. None of the campus really have a rec room. Honestly, like they're there with a pool table, but it's not really like the creation of that people don't really go there. You have a bowling alley. We have a bowling alley food up there. I usually go to the barn because I like the bowling like it's this place Metro Lanes right down the street and they have skating bowling and like this this big play area. That's only for like kids of the 12. Let me go in there sometime and it's like is it it's just like a big obstacle course, you can run around, you know, what the little jumpy things filled with air balloon bounce things. I love those. So sad they don't let me in because I don't look 12, but

34:05 Dating because I don't know what the game anything physical I'm trying to do and then I could go bowling near as well. So and then they have like $2 Tuesdays. Are you going to Walmart so far though, but we we make a way like my roommate my roommate has a car so we will go up there every now and then if I please have a Publix and then the first time we used to go buy groceries from there and we had to walk it was so and we had bought so much food was horrible and I also hurting and we all know you'll see when she get there and we're just like help help and all these losers. Welcome by not helping us out in the back doing this juice at this dude feet and I was like, I'm sorry my arms just hurts so bad. Can you help me but I think his ID says he had took my juice so, you know in case you try to run off or something.

34:58 And then we just went from there. He helped us. It was so crazy. Like it was the last time but then they close the Publix Town song.

35:10 Octavia

35:13 Tracy scholarship that I had you had to go to three different colleges that you can choose from which to fight Boston bar and then rooster and rooster looks like a small college and have everything that I needed and then borrowed it was me in Boston was kind of large and I didn't want to have too many students in one class and like a rooster has like a thing or 1:11 ratio. Anyways, it has like it's not a lot of students in Barbados like in the midst of Know lyrics and the teachers they seem nice but it seem boring and I want it like we were going to be like engaging

36:03 What kind of scholarship is it? It's like a

36:08 The combination of everything kind of leadership academic and

36:14 Text like being a well-rounded Addison and the service.

36:26 Sears has Over Georgia will we have one in Atlanta? They have some in California different areas of the US. I think I like the sound ation Posse Foundation.

36:42 Posse

36:45 I guess like group of people. Yeah.

36:51 And so do you know how many they award each year. I heard you say the roots cannabis attend. Like I said, they were like three different schools that Atlanta is like affiliated with and they were 10.

37:08 Students with Ben Scott. Wishing scholarship to the college

37:15 But thank you.

37:27 35

37:29 How do you think your life is going to be like then I'll take you.

37:33 Wow Bow by 35 by really plan on being well into my career as a psychiatrist as a child psychiatrist actually working on mine now probably Foundation actually want to own my own Foster agency and all the employees before my foster kids. So that's a challenge within itself. And I want to see how that's going to work. I plan on being very happy with the family. It doesn't have to be the traditional family, but I do plan on I'm very family-oriented and I really do plan on having some type of home something in that nature and I don't have to worry about finances. Not that I don't have to worry about it now, but I just feel like the money is going to come and I don't know God has blessed me tremendously, but it's not an issue and I plan on having some type of concrete sense of what exactly happiness is and actually being happy and toast a piece so

38:33 I plan on my sisters and brothers having a behavior write 267 years younger if that is so I want to have my own private business cuz I don't know cuz I said so but I do want to save a lot of money and I wouldn't travel I want to go out of the state and you rolling or somewhere somewhere in Europe me to the movie London. I like your accent.

39:29 Thank you, Octavia.

39:32 Thanks Tracy. Having this conversation with me. It's been nice and fun.