{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/9z90863n7x/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Gary Aguayo Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eGary Aguayo describes his experience growing up in East New York. He recalles the schools he attended and limited scope of the curriculum. After graduating high school, Aguayo enrolled in Farmingdale College and later transferred to York College; he describes the differences between the two schools. Aguayo decided to leave New York City to attend graduate school at Florida State University where he earned a Master in International Relations. He moved back to New York and started working in higher education.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHe began working as an academic program manager at Queens College SEEK in 2016 overseeing the tutoring center. He describes the initial moments of the pandemic and going into lockdown and the new challenges with managing tutors and students experiencing issues with COVID, which included deceased family members, contracting the disease, access the technology required to complete assignments and virtual class meetings. Aguayo closes by offering his opinion and hopes for the SEEK Community moving forward in the pandemic.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Interview conducted as part of the Queens College SEEK History Project."]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["1970s, 1990s-2020 (temporal)","Richmond Hill, Queens, NY; East New York, Brooklyn, NY; Manhattan, NY; East Farmingdale, NY; Tallahassee, FL (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2020-08-03 (Created)","2020-08-10 (Created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Gary Aguayo (Interviewee)","Obden Mondesir (Interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Audio"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/45936"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eGary Aguayo describes his experience growing up in East New York. He recalles the schools he attended and limited scope of the curriculum. After graduating high school, Aguayo enrolled in Farmingdale College and later transferred to York College; he describes the differences between the two schools. Aguayo decided to leave New York City to attend graduate school at Florida State University where he earned a Master in International Relations. He moved back to New York and started working in higher education.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eHe began working as an academic program manager at Queens College SEEK in 2016 overseeing the tutoring center. He describes the initial moments of the pandemic and going into lockdown and the new challenges with managing tutors and students experiencing issues with COVID, which included deceased family members, contracting the disease, access the technology required to complete assignments and virtual class meetings. Aguayo closes by offering his opinion and hopes for the SEEK Community moving forward in the pandemic.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA\u0026nbsp;Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/100/913/small/4023CD73-3D63-473C-ADE6-251D6AD0C80B_4_5005_c.jpeg?1604670705","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 2 - Aguayo-Gary-08032020radioedit.mp3"]},"duration":3641.41714,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/100/913/small/4023CD73-3D63-473C-ADE6-251D6AD0C80B_4_5005_c.jpeg?1604670705","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/100/913/original/Aguayo-Gary-08032020radioedit.mp3?1604670630","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":3641.41714,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Part 1 - Full Transcript - August 3, 2020 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Could you tell me about, uh, could you tell me about the neighborhood that you grew up in?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=0.0,7.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, um, I grew up in East New York, Brooklyn. Um, um, my parents actually immigrated from Ecuador and predominantly the neighborhood at that time was African American and Puerto Rican. Um, I went to, um, public school there, junior high school there, and then eventually I went to the Lafayette High School and Bensonhurst for high school.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=7.0,39.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And, uh, could you just, could, could you tell me about the house that you grew up in, in East New York?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=39.0,47.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Sure. Um, it was actually a two family house. Um, my dad, um, eventually purchased of the house and, um, our tenants on the first floor was actually Puerto Rican. Um, one, um, you know, when am I, she went to school with me, the male, Junior. He was in class with me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=47.0,76.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: What was the name of the school?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=76.0,80.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: PS 213, Public Spaces 213 on, on Linden Boulevard and New Jersey.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=80.0,89.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And, um, I guess, how would you describe what was East New York liKe in the 1970s? Um, for those who couldn't be there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=89.0,100.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, it was a bit rough. Um, there were some members of the Young Lords, um, there. Um, and being relatively young, I didn't know too much about what was going on. Um, I, my parents did try to shield me to a certain extent, but they also made me aware, um, by bits and pieces regarding what was happening, um, because there were, there was considerable fights in the neighborhood, the neighborhood, right around the time I would, we arrived, it was Jewish, but it was actually already Jewish, I guess, cohort, Jewish families were moving out. I remember when I was in kindergarten, I just had the two, two Jewish kids in my class. Most of it was predominantly black and Puerto Rican. So, um, and there were, there was a considerable amount of fighting, um, vandalism as well towards the Jewish properties in the neighborhood. Um, but it was, it was rough, it was rough, was a lot of fights and, and it was difficult. Um, it didn't manifest itself, well, I didn't see it when I was in public school, but you could see it in more, so I guess in junior high school, but by that time, there were just a handful of Jewish families already in the neighborhood. Most of them had left.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=100.0,205.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Initially you were talking about your first experiences in elementary school. Could you repeat the name of your elementary school and just describe what it was like going to school there?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=205.0,215.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay, yeah. I attended um, PS 213. It was around the corner from my, um, my house where I lived, I lived actually on Pennsylvania Avenue and Haggerman, so it was around the corner. Um, and, um, the teachers, there were great teachers. Most of them are Irish now in retrospect. Um, and they, they really cared about the students. They did care about the students. Um, it, it was, it was a good school. And just thinking about it was good school. Um, I had good friends in class. Um, there wasn't that antagonism, that was, I guess, outside the public school walls that you would see in school, it was more sheltered. And I remember one thing that I do remember even the graffiti that would go up, um, you could see that day, day they would paint over the graffiti at the public school. I almost failed. That I do remember.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=215.0,289.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, and could you, do you remember any of the names of the elementary school teachers that you, um, went to school with?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=289.0,297.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, Ms. Carolina, um, Ms. Goodman, um, Mr. Gershwin, Mr. Sara, um, Mr. Farmer. My favorite and probably because I had her in third and actually sixth grade was Ms. Goodman.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=297.0,320.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, why?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=320.0,326.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Why?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=326.0,328.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, yeah I mean why was she your favorite? Um, could you provide any examples?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=328.0,333.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: She actually pushed me to do more. Um, I guess I was just a bit lazy and she would push me to do more. Um, just one example would be, um, just giving in the math completing math problems. I would just give answers and she would push me to actually put more on paper, explain the answers, work the problems out. Cause all the times I would just do the problems in my head. I was pretty, I was really good at math that I do remember. Um, even now I'm, um, very good at math on most of my background in statistics now and data analysis. So even then, um, so just pushing me to do more, um, and then also pushing me also to read and write and actually watch English TV. because my parents didn't know the language very well, so there was no way that I could practice, or there was, at home there was very limited English that I could practice with or I could listen to. So she was encouraging me and tell my parents say I needed to watch. She always mentioned eyewitness news and her points were they had the best diction.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=333.0,407.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Oh, okay. What was it? Do you remember what it was like growing up, um, in a bilingual home, um, aside from like, you know, having to watch television to, to learn the language.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=407.0,423.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, it was, um, it was difficult and I questioned it because I was, um, I remember my dad would always tell me, you will learn Spanish at home and you will learn English in school and that's the way we will do it. Um, and there was really no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Um, he was adamant about me learning Spanish was my, I guess my mind was wandering maternal and paternal languages, um, and that I would get from them. Um, and then the English, he said that that would be filled in by the school system by having friends, um, my neighbors as well, talking with them. So all those things. Um, so that's what it came down to the point that my dad inculcating in me, that would be the language that I would learn from him and my mom and English I was learning from elsewhere outside the household.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=423.0,491.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, that is really interesting. And, um, I guess, uh, we, we talked about, uh, elementary school and you've mentioned junior high school. Could you tell me what it was like, uh, what high school did you go to and what was it like?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=491.0,508.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. Um, well the junior high school that I went to was also in East New York, that was junior high school 166, now that Trump and cyclin and Linden Boulevard, um, there, I was there for two years. I was there seventh and eighth grade. Um, I did, I did very well in social studies. Um, I remember getting awards. Um, one of the teachers that stood out there was Mr. Chenski. Um, again, he was also a social studies teacher. He was the one that recommended me for awards and at my school, my junior high school was predominantly African American and Puerto Rican and it was surrounded by projects, so most of the students that were in the high school, lived in the projects which were adjacent to the school. Um, regarding high school, I opted to go to a Lafayette high school and that was actually because, um, my, my mom actually told me that I needed to get out of that neighborhood because the neighborhood school was its own school at that time was, um, Thomas Jefferson High School, which was actually a really poorly performing school. Um, they had a lot of problems with gangs, a lot of issues with, um, students dropping out. Um, and a considerable amount of my friends that went there. Most of them did not get theit high school diploma. Um, so, and people that my parents knew that were older than I, they actually went to that school, but... so, um, I actually, I applied to a Edward R. Murrow, um, Midwood, and Lafayette and I ended up going to Lafayette High School, which was in Ben towers. And that neighborhood was actually diverse because it was Italian and they were surrounded by a Marlboro project, which is where most of the African Americans and Puerto Rican lived at that time, but if you go out of the project, it was mostly Italian, so. Um, there, I, I, I got along with everyone. Um, most of the people that were in my group were African American and I did have some Italian friends that lived near the school. Um, one thing that I saw there was that, um, fighting between blacks and Italians. That was something that I remembered vividly. Besides the insults as well, labeled as African Americans and Puerto Rican by the Italians.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=508.0,692.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. Um, yeah. Uh, yeah. What else was it like going to school there? Um, one question that we asked during the, the conversation was, um, learning about one's own history. So in your experience, do you remember learning about, um, history of like, um, black folk or, uh, or about like, Latinx, um, anything outside of Europe or the Americas?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=692.0,728.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: In school? Not, no, not in school at all. Um, what I did learn was basically from my parents, um, there was actually a neighbor of ours that was part of the Young Lords. Um, so he did speek to us about the revolution about Puerto Ricans being mistreated, but we were aware of what was happening. Um, but our neighborhood was Young Lords were our voice of reason, does that makes sense? And sometimes I wouldn't see it or I didn't, I think it was part of me trying to, I guess, hide these things and not let them simmer, but he was presented so far that the things were, but there was actually a revolution and that they had stopped the revolution. Um, so that's that. I do remember that about my neighbor. Okay.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=728.0,792.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, for people who wouldn't know, like, could you give a description of what the Lords, Young Lords, uh, who the Young Lords were?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=792.0,801.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay, the Young Lords. Um, some, somewhat considered like a fringe group, um, composed mostly of Puerto Ricans who had recently immigrated to the United States. Not immigrated, because they are full US citizens. They had, they had come from, from Puerto Rico to United States and they found here that they, a lot of frustration, um, was trying to fit in. Um, they weren't given a place at the table. So what they did was they would actually start their own, their own, I guess, their own community centers. Um, I said, I am familiar with East Harlem and actually Bushwick, because that's where at that time, even now, so present a lot of Puerto Ricans live in East Harlem which is Spanish Harlem and also Bushwick. Um, a lot of Puerto Ricans still live there. So, um, and then it became, um, a lot of the members of the Young Lords went on to do great things. They became, I guess, Congressman because they actually, they became a certain extent, like a political party within the Democratic party. So, um, and the Puerto Rican leadership grew out of the Young Lords through the 70s and 80s.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=801.0,890.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. Thank you. And then, um, going back to, you know, going to high school in the mid-80s, at uh, Lafayette, um, could you tell me what you remember in your last years of high school and the process of deciding to go to college?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=890.0,910.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, I, okay. Well, a couple of things that stand out, um, the last years of high school, I did very well in high school. Um, I actually, I was able to graduate if I wanted to a year before, um, because all I was making with the English and the gym, I passed all the regions. I passed the three sequences of regions for biology, for chemistry and the physics at that time. I had also passed, um, the regions for math and the algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Um, so the last year for the most part, I just went full force and that's two classes I am, I'm just going in for English and math. Um, and now I, and I think about that I should have, it's probably just have graduated early apart. I, I, I didn't would have questioned like that and I didn't pushed myself either. So I just coasted the last year. Um, a couple of things that stand out regarding choosing to go to college was, um, my, my mom was adamant about me going to college. My dad, not so much. So, um, for him a trade with was good enough. Um, but my mom pushed me to go to college. Um, she actually has accumulated some savings and she, um, gave me faith. And, um, one thing that also sends out regarding going to college was the fact that I didn't, I went, I ended up going, I wanted to study civil engineering. My parents didn't know how the system worked and I didn't know either in my teachers in high school didn't explain to me that there is a difference between civil engineering technology, which is an AAS degree, um, and civil engineering, which is, I guess the bachelor's and then eventually you go on to grad school and then you become a civil engineer. Um, but I wasn't aware of that. So what I, I enrolled in at Farmingdale was in civil engineering technology. Um, and I didn't know the difference between that and civil hearing as a major, which would be the, I guess, an associate's or bachelor's. Um, the reason why I picked that was because I was, I told you before I was fairly good in math and I did even in physics. So those things, um, from there, it was a shoe in for me to go into civil engineering. And also one of my teachers told me I had a, I had a class that was like, it's still a mechanics class and I don't remember her name, but I do remember, she walked with a limp. She has a young, a young lady, a young teacher, as she told me that I should definitely consider engineering. Um, and one of the teachers that stood out to me in high school was professor Brown. She was an English teacher and she really pushed me in English. And a lot of things that, like now my, I, I know I write very well in English, but I always see her and prepare to solve skin, which is also another female teacher that's had. Um, so those are my high school years and my deciding to go on to college. Um, my, um, uh, another anecdote was that my parents didn't believe that there was such things as, as EOP within the same thing as SEEK or HOP at the high school. So they not, they did not allow me to sign off on the papers that would have allowed me to become an EOP member. Um, Farmingdale was a SUNY, so it's the same thing as SEEK. They have the same program there as SEEK, but it's called ELP and my parents didn't believe that there was such thing as free money or grants, um, coming from, I guess, their culture in Ecuador, They always though that the government would eventually get it back from you in some way. So they didn't trust the government or the system. So then my dad, after, after the money that my mom put down for my education, he would work an extra job just to make sure I went to school and he didn't allow me to take out the tap or the Pell or become part of the EOP. I only that I learned, well, I was able to then eventually when I transferred over to college, after I received my associates from Farmingdale, at that time, I was much older. And then when my pops had told me look, you're making all this money, you're not going to pay it back. It's not alone. So why don't you just sign? And by that time I already 21. So I could actually sign myself but my parents at the time didn't allow me, or didn't want me to either even entertain getting PAP or Pell or filling out that FAFSA. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=910.0,1228.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Interesting. So, yeah, it's interesting to hear that they believe that there were strings attached to this, um, this money and, um, in regards to like PAP and Pell, do you think part of it, like the, I don't know, could you describe, kind of the history of that? Like, this is the 1980s, so were these new, um, opportunities for people that like weren't as well known?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1228.0,1257.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Yeah. Um, I didn't, well, we didn't know, um, my parents didn't know how the system worked for the most part, as, as I, they didn't know that that Pell existed or that even that PAP existed, and even when they were, when they were explained that they existed, they would actually rescind the offer. I remember my dad telling me no that stuff, the catch eventually they'll get the money back. Um, they'll, they'll find a way to, to actually corral you pay them back. So let's just pay it now, I'll work and I can do this now and you won't have to worry about this. Um, so that, that was, um, so even EOP, um, it wasn't something in my, in my high school that was explained to us. Um, the counselors never explained what seek was, um, EOP H UOP that was never on the radar. That was that wasn't something that we were told or that was that the guidance counselor, like she explained to any of us. Um, so I'm sure if, if I would have known better, I would've forced my parents to sign off, or I wouldn't signed off on being an EOP student at Farmingdale, but it wasn't explained to us that way. There was a lack of information and eh, and a lot of these problems at that time, this is late 80s, early 90s, they worked to a certain extent, the best kept secret and, and confirmed that. Even now you could say that some students don't even know what SEEK is. Um, in present day, um, guidance counselors don't explain so much what SEEK is and a lot of schools, in a lot of our schools. So, um, compared to other programs, um, that they actually advertising you to healthcare, you see ASAP in the news and you see the nursery on billboards. So at SEEK, there is no marketing or branding, there's no information out there about what Seek or HOP or EOP is. Hmm.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1257.0,1405.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah. Um, and it sounds like that seems to be important, especially with dealing with the communities that you work with as there is that there seems to be a, a, a paranoia that exists with working with, um, you know, the government and, um, um, cause like my parents are also, or from Haiti and like, there were things like that, whereas it's like, don't do that. Like you can't trust the government. Uh, and I was like, well no, it's, it's a very simple program, so yeah, that's, um, an interesting point to make. Um, and so going back to you, you got your degree at Farmingdale and now you are at York college. Uh, what years were you at York college?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1405.0,1458.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, 90, I was there part time. I was actually, I was working by that time. It was 90, 94, 95 and 96. Yeah, 94, 95, 96. So three years I was there part time because the good thing about going to Farmingdale was that all my credits transferred. So they, they allowed the degree to transfer the associate's degree. So he took 60 credits. So all I had to do when I went to York was complete 60 credits. And since I had already taken the math and the English, um, and luckily I wasn't in remedial classes at Farmingdale. So I, I was actually taking classes for credit of the English, English 110, which would be, I guess, English 101, everyone not takes. And since I had taken, since it was civil engineering, I was actually taking all these calculus at Farmingdale so that those credits transferred over. And then some of the electrical sort of transfered over the rest was economics there. I took a political science there. I know if also took an ethics class there. So all those classes transferred over. So when I went to York, all I had to do was complete this degree, 60 credits, which allowed me to, to double major so that when I went to a double majored in political science and economics.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1458.0,1544.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And, um, could you tell me, what was, did you notice any differences between attending Farmingdale State College in what would've been the mid to late 1980s, right? And then, um, then going into York college in the 90s?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1544.0,1567.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, it was very different, uh, um, the, even, um, most of the students that were Civil Engineering, in Civil Engineering were actually white, at Farmingdale, but actually the school was predominantly white as well. So that's one major difference, um, trying to fit in was difficult. I was actually, I was the only Hispanic in civil engineering tech, most of my classmates were Jewish, Italian or Irish. Yeah, I was actually the only one there. Um, uh, when I went to York College, it was much more welcoming, um, predominantly black institution, Hispanics, um, actually, uh, Southeast Asian, uh, they were starting to come in, but as you know, rivals, um, people from Bangladesh, um, in the Caribbean, Guyana, India, but it was predominantly African American Institution and Hispanic at York College. Um, and even even the professors were at Farmingdale... I didn't, no, I didn't, I only had one African American. He was actually a professor for, um, my architecture class, professor Reed. At York there were many more African American and actually even just Hispanic professors there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1567.0,1662.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And, um, you said that you were also working during that time, so, um, do you remember where you were working, um, between Farmingdale and York College?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1662.0,1675.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, I was actually working at a, at a clothing store. Um, I, I wasn't able to get a job in civil engineering tech technology field, um, I did apply. Um, but then I ended up just working at, yeah, it was actually called Sports Lane, but I was the manager there. So I would set the schedules, um, make sure that the stores, because there were a couple of stores I always saw a store to store. It was fast, employees were working. Um, yeah, so that's what I was doing while I was going to York College. So thats the reason I was going to York.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1675.0,1714.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Sports Lane?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1714.0,1722.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Sports Lane, yeah, it's on Liberty Avenue, I think and 1, 116. It's not so far from where I live and I live here.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1722.0,1738.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, okay. And then, um, so you are York College and, um, I guess I'm gonna ask the question, I'm gonna ask you, tell me how you, how you found yourself from York college to, um, Seek and like take as much time as you need to get there.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1738.0,1763.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. Um, okay. Once I, I graduated from York College, uh, I, I found a need to leave New York City. So I went and actually to graduate school at Florida State University. I just wanted to get out of New York. Um...","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1763.0,1778.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And this was 97?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1778.0,1782.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: 97, yeah. 96! 96. And I went to Florida State University 96, 97, and then, um, in international relations for a graduate degree in international relations. Um, and I, I was there for a year I completed all my coursework, but I didn't complete my master's thesis. Um, and then I came back to New York. I just felt cold sick there. It was in Tallahassee. Um, culturally was a lot different from New York. There were no people of color at all. At Florida State there were some, but, um, in Tallahassee itself, there were, there weren't any people of color. Um, I did feel, I, I didn't feel that I, that I fit in and didn't fit in Tallahassee at all and then I came back, um, um, I then from there, I, I worked at Columbia University as the Researcher, um, in the department of equity,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1782.0,1859.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: What did you get your masters in at Florida state?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1859.0,1862.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, international relations.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1862.0,1864.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Oh, okay. And all right, so now you're back?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1864.0,1871.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. And then, okay. Then from there I came back to New York. Um, I didn't, um, I wasn't, I had researching jobs. Um, that's what I'm mostly had. Um, I didn't have a full time job. It was like a researcher, it was part time. And that job I remember I was always studying like, um, in Long Island they had the high, probably the highest, um, number of, of women with cancer, breast cancer. So that was actually provided by the department of, um, Department of Defense. Um, they gave, they gave us a grant to study that, and it was a two year project. And then after that, um, I became now so that I, I ended up working actually at Queens College in the Sociology department, um, in something called the Cuba Project. And it was actually, um, it was a think tank to actually get rid of Castro to a certain extent. Um, so I did work there for four years, yeah about four years, um, because the bill, the Cuba Project eventually became the builder's center and that's an at the graduate center now. Um, I've worked there with, um, Marty Font was actually in the Sociology department and he, I guess, you know, he just retired in front of the full charges department at Queens College a couple of months ago.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1871.0,1967.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Can you spell his last name?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1967.0,1967.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Fas in Frank, O, N as in Nancy, T as in Tom.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1967.0,1971.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay, thank you.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1971.0,1971.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Uh, yeah. And he was actually, his degree was from University of Michigan. He was actually one of the kids from Peter Pan. Um, it would just, um, these Peter Pan Kids were kids that, um, they were given a chance by the American government, by the Catholic church in Cuba. So they were air lifted from Cuba. They were brought to Florida and then from Florida, they were, they were, I guess, put into different families and, and they were given actually a new life here in the United States. And they are called Peter Pan Kids, because the... is actually called Peter Pan.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=1971.0,2018.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah, Pedro Pan,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2018.0,2022.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, Pedro Pan.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2022.0,2029.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah, I have a friend and she wrote a paper on it.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2029.0,2029.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, so he was one of those kids. Um, so I worked with him and then eventually I went on after that, I worked at then from there, I went to work at Boricua College and I was there for 16 years. I was there, I started as a Assistant Professor and then I ended up from there. I did a couple of project, I oversaw the Upper Bound material program there. Um, and I was also the, HEOP director there because there were private institution. So HEOP is the same thing as SEEK and EOP. So I oversaw that, I also oversaw the visa program that they have, actually I founded the visa program at Boricua College. Um, so I would work what, I guess you have to cut some, um, signing off on waivers and making sure that students were in school, reporting any issues with, I guess, attendance issues. Um, and then, event... and then from there, then from there, I went to Queens College after being there, I was actually the director of Opportunity Program, which was Upper Bound. Um, you know, call it HOP, um, and also special projects, which included the visa program, the tutoring center. Um, so, and then from there I went and then from there I ended up applying to Queens College and now I'm working with SEEK students.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2029.0,2135.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: So how long, how long have you been at SEEK?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2135.0,2138.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, two and a half years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2138.0,2141.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: So, um, I mean, you were at, uh, Boricua College from, since 2002.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2141.0,2150.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: I was at Boricua College from 2002 to 2017, 18, which would be 16 years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2150.0,2160.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Alright, and, um, what, when you started working at Queens College, what were your initial reactions? Well, first question. Where were you living when you decided to start working at Queens College?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2160.0,2175.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, where I live now. Um, Richmond Hill, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2175.0,2181.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah, so how does Richmond Hill compare to East New York.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2181.0,2188.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, it's a lot different, um, when we first moved here because it's actually, um, I was actually, I had just started at Farmingdale when we moved here. So, um, Richmond Hill compared to East New York was very different, very different. Um, and even at the time Richmond Hill was more Italian and Irish now it's mostly Southeast Asian and some Guyana. Um, but it's more residential East New York was, it was different, more commercial East New York to a certain extent, um, the neighborhood where I'm at, it's more residential, theres tree lined streets that I didn't have in East New York, at least on the block that I lived on.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2188.0,2248.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And you started working at Queens College. Um, could, do you remember what it was like working there initially? What did you think about the people and the culture that you were experiencing?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2248.0,2266.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. Um, the people at Queens College were very open and welcoming that, alright, that's something that I, I loved about it. Um, the director was very welcoming. She actually gave me a, uh, I guess, a place at the table, um, instead of my ideas. Um, and we would get along very well. So, uh, regarding the culture and the people. Um, it was, it was one, this is a very welcoming, I, I, um, I can't say anything negative about the people that I currently work with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2266.0,2313.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, I guess, could you discuss the nature of your work, um, at SEEK?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2313.0,2320.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, well, most of it revolves around making sure students get the resources that they need. Um, typically I specifically tutoring, um, I oversee I'm an Academic Program Manager, so I oversee the tutoring center, which includes the tutoring center, uh, the writing center and also the STEM center. Um, and each one, um, just making sure that students are aware that the resources are there and then there's knocking them to make sure that they use themselves. It's about getting competent students. Um, also we also have progress reports like an early warning system that that's, uh, our productions fill out, I guess during week four through six. And then at that time I get in contact with the students to make sure that, um, students aren't doing well. So for example, if a student's not doing well in urban studies, so just making sure students aware that I have a tutor, that took all these things before and that the tutor schedule is available. Um, so it's about, I guess, parents doing what resources, um, make these students actually then also, um, having student enrichment workshops, um, mine actually come turn on financial literacy and social justice as well. Um, [inaudible] oversee that supposedly that's the collaborative with the center, um, under, uh, ethnic religious and racial understanding. So, um, those are things that, that I oversee, um, I'm also involved in getting grants for the think we can no longer be funding coming from the States as the CDC days. So we actually, um, the director and I have believed that we need to look for outside sources of funding, um, the funding, the way that the program has been funded. I don't think it will contend, um, the way that they fund it. Um, I think that there are other ways that this project can be funded and one way is look to look for grants, Department of Education grants, even foundational grants. So that's what I'm actually, that's, that's part of my job now as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2320.0,2474.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And, um, I guess back to your personal history, uh, in relation to, uh, the pandemic and, um, the process as well. Um, could you, um, could you tell me, what do you remember? In 2020 leading up to the pandemic, what, what were you doing at a time? What was life like? Um, yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2474.0,2503.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. Um, before the whole shut down, I believe it was March 13th. That was a Friday. I think that's the last thing I remember. They said, um, everything was up in the air. I remember the week before that, um, the government didn't have an idea of what was actually happening, um, how people got the virus. So, um, if we were staying open or we were closing, there were a lot of moving parts and no one seems to have an answer to it. So I remember the first two weeks of March, it was as if we were in limbo. Um, we, we saw things were happening, um, but to media for the most part said, no, these are just isolated incidents. Um, things happen in China, but it's over there. And I guess even in my case, I guess it was just a false assurance that this was something that was in a different continent and somehow it would not reach it, but even when it did reach here, it was just couple of isolated incidents. Um, and we would, we will be fine, but someone will come from, I don't know, I'm trying to, I'm going to JFK, but they would catch them. They would catch them coming in. Cause they would do some screenings. And as soon as they caught them, that's it, you know, we were safe. That was, that was my belief, I think. And mistakenly, that was not the case. It wasn't, it was that you were able to wound up all these people that had the virus. Um, so it felt before school causing a lot of things up in there. Now you remember that March 13th, when they told us that we had to grab our things, I mean, um, be ready to work from home. Even at that time, we were told that probably we would work from home one day a week or possibly two days a week. So I didn't, I didn't take too many things with me. I didn't bring a lot of things with the home. Um, and I remember we were going through, um, priority registration, which is registering students already for the fall. And I had left my box on campus because since he told us that we were going to work from home, I mean, we were going to work from, from Delaney hall, which is where my office two days a week. I said, okay, so I'll come in on Monday and I'll come in on Tuesday. And then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I could just work from home. And then I could pick up my box on Monday and Tuesday and then I'll work from home Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. That was what I believed, which was not the case in school at the March 13, the school did that open again. And then for me to get that box, I ended up going in that Wednesday, which I believe was the 18th because I had to priority register students and I had left my box there. So I had to come in, um, full up with, I guess, gloves a mask and actually something like that, like a plastic suit, like blanket. And we did, we didn't know how, I didn't know how to dress so much misinformation in the media that they would tell us, okay, don't worry. All you need to do one minute. This was okay. If you go somewhere and you come back, just put all your things in the trash bag and don't go inside your home with it. Just take off everything at the front, at the, at the door and then just go in just, I guess, in the underwear and t-shirts, that's what I got told by the media. So I did that, but somehow then a couple of days later, it was like, no, it's spreads other ways you have to be careful because you could even get it, um, I guess by your eyes, if someone sneezes or, um, these droplets go into your eyes and you could go through your eyelids, um, then they can go through I guess your esophagus and then it would go, um, I guess to your lungs. And I was like, Oh my God. Then from that point I started wearing sunglasses. So now I'm actually, I'm at the point in which when I go out, I tend to wear sunglasses, even if it's at night. So, um, Oh, what was the other, you know, what's the other part of the question Obden? I, I, one other part before?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2503.0,2776.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: I was asking like, no, I was asking, like, what do you remember leading up to the shutdown? And like, you're doing a really good job of describing some of your experiences. So my follow up question is when you had to go into the building with all that equipment, um, what, what do you remember feeling at the time?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2776.0,2798.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um scared and then eerie silence, I was the only one in Delaney Hall when I went in, I was the only one I remember. I was actually the only one probably on campus. I was able to park right beside the building, which are, reserve parking spots, but I did it because there was no other one, there was no one on campus. So I ended up parking on one of those side spots, which was reserved. I, and I said, okay, I'll take a risk, I'll go in, it won't take me 10 minutes to get my box. And I went in to get my box. I mean, it's just very, very eerie going into buildings. All the offices were closed. Um, the air seemed as if it had not circulated as the law, I guess, because there was no one in the building since that Friday, which was five days before. Um, and I remember going into the building and then just making sure that everything that I touched, I, I had, I had the gloves, so I didn't take off my gloves at all. Um, and just making sure that I went into my office. I didn't touch anything in the office, just unlocked both doors, get my box, get some papers that I had in my drawer regarding priority registration and then get out. So this whole process probably took me probably like five minutes, get in and get out. Like I guess very afraid of touching things and making sure that it didn't get inside of me.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2798.0,2895.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: All right. And so, yeah, that was one experience where you had to go back and get the box and we'll get your box so that you can continue working from home. Um, I guess a little bit before that, um, when I got to interview Alex and she was talking, she had an anecdote about how she heard about the shutdown from her students before she heard about it from CUNY. So when do you remember hearing about the shutdown, um, from CUNY? Like.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2895.0,2930.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, yeah, no, we didn't. Um, Alex, Alex and I, we were in the same meeting and as we left the meeting, the students actually were standing outside, waiting for us and telling us that the school was called that the government had said that the school was closed. And we had just, we had just gotten out of the meeting, cause that was the meeting that the director called, I guess, because of the COVID. But at that moment they had told the students actually told us, look, the governor said that CUNY was not closed. So is it true? Is it true? And we didn't know what to tell them. I didn't know what to tell them. Um, and then, um, we had to go check online and find out, and if that was the case, um, and then it was, yeah, we verified it online. Um, but CUNY didn't tell us, we learned about it from students first. And then we confirmed that the, uh, with the internet, with the governor of New York, the governor's website. Um, but leading up to it, um, we were, it would, well, let me go back and let's speak about one of the issues that I have with the COVID. Um, I oversee the tutoring center. So, um, during the first two weeks, we weren't sure I'd accept before if we were going, we were coming, were staying or, um, we didn't know what's happening, but I did. Um, the center for teaching learning had organized some, I guess some training, just in case we went online and I did, I did attend to the trainings there, um, to try to get the students, I guess, to get the tutoring center up online and everything will be virtual. Um, but that even that took an extended amount of time for us to get the, the learning center, um, up on Google classroom, it took us more than a week, which was, um, wasted opportunity for students and some students, um, they were already lost.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=2930.0,3076.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Oh okay, um, yeah. And those were the first few weeks. And, um, like during the, the lockdown, what do you remember about, um, your neighborhood and your work life settling into, into that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3076.0,3096.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, if my neighborhood during lockdown, I didn't go out. I did not go out. I had, I, luckily I have enough food stuff at home and I had, I had purchased things from the days, um, actually Costco. So I, I had some food stuff. I also had Purrel, the hand sanitizer. I actually had purchased two gallons of that before. Um, so my neighborhood is very, very quiet. It was ghostly, um, noone walking out. I actually, I live across street from Long Island Railroad from the main offset, Long Island Railroad. So even there, you would see that there weren't, there wasn't too much movement of LIRR employees. So that was eerie. Um, regarding my home life since settling in, um, at the first two weeks, it was very difficult, very difficult.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3096.0,3166.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: How so?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3166.0,3166.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Because I didn't, I didn't because I didn't know what was expected. No one knew what was, what was expected of us. Um, I remember getting signals from the director that we needed to have this, this, and this op I needed to have the tutoring center up. Um, but there was very limited. Um, so, um, and then we would get things she would, I believe she would get things from, um, I guess, central regarding what thing, what had to be up already, but some of these, I guess, dates or, uh, uh, goals, they were, it was impossible. As far as structure to actually abide by the goals. I'll give you an example, we had to get all the tutors up online within three days, that that was impossible. That was impossible. And these were just directors that were coming from offices of special programs at CUNY that everything had to be up at within three days. Some of the, some of our students didn't have internet, some of our tutors didn't have internet. So our tutors didn't have a computer. Some of our tutors didn't have a space at home. So for us to expect this from our tutors and also how students, it was impossible. You could not, you can't have these directives in place without thinking about the students thinking about the two of them, because I was told about students. Um, so, so th that it was just very difficult. And I remember, um, I would get things from professor Blackman Richards, Director telling me, okay, Gary, um, the Office of Special Programs wants everything up in three days. And then I, I pushed back and I was told, this is impossible. And then she would say, no, but this is what they want. I bet you can. We can't, we couldn't do it. We couldn't do it. And we have to be reasonable. I think that, that was it. That was something that was missing from this whole thing that some of these things were irrational. Forcing our students to be up online in three days, forcing our students to work online and go to attend class as well. Um, uh, of course some of our students actually are siblings. So they actually ended up being the teachers at home because, uh, some of our, some of students, I mean, Some of our tutors are they are, they are in essence, the only ones that speak English at home in certain cases. So they actually have to teach the assembly, I guess, school work. And they also had to tutor? That's impossible. So all these things, um, it's just left a very bad taste for the first two to three weeks. And it was very difficult. Very, the times were so difficult. Um, and, and no one knew what was happening. And I think that, that was the reason for that whole reset, because it came to a point in which, um, she didn't know that a lot of our students didn't have internet. A lot of our students that have had computers or laptops. So that that's the reason for having a reset. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3166.0,3397.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah. Cause you describe, you said like, when did it happen? Do you remember what communication you received in regards to that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3397.0,3406.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/76","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, the reset was, I believe the last week of March or first week of April and which they found, they found out that a lot of our students didn't have computers. So it was just a matter of, okay, you want our students to do at work. Our students don't have the equipment nor the technology. Some of our students don't have internet. So how are they supposed to do work when they don't have internet? How are they supposed to do work when you don't have a computer? How are they supposed to do work when, even in the case that they do have internet does sharing the internet with five different individuals. So, So at this point, the reset was just to try to get, I guess, the equipment out that that's what it was. Um, how I learned about it was from the director. Um, sending an email, making us aware that if we had students that didn't have the technology set to send her the name of the individual, but even in that case, then it became problematic as well because students were expected to go on campus to pick up the equipment, which was ridiculous because, um, even in the case of one of my students, my, my students didn't want to actually come on campus. She was afraid. So, um, and then eventually they found me found out that it would work best if they would carry the computers to students instead of having students come in, but that even in that, that took about two to three days to have that idea come out. Your asking students to come in and pick up the, the computers at Queens college, you actually have to, um, put some protocols in place in which they social distancing, um, and then some of the students did not want to go to college to Queens college to pick up the computer then two or three days, but after that, you decide, okay, we'll just get a courier. And then we'll, we'll have the computers shipped to them, which is something else that's irrational, I think it's, it's what was said by, by the provost. They will be building the plane while they were flying it. Um, yeah. So yeah, those were things the first two to three weeks, very difficult, complicated. Um, I don't believe that CUNY, um, thought things through, um, I don't believe that CUNY was aware of our student need and how our concern of our students don't actually have the technology. And he, and I just had before, even when they have the technology, some of them have to share the technology with their siblings. Some of them have to share that internet with their siblings. Some of them don't have the workspace. So, um, so all of the, all of these things, I think that we didn't think about and, and they came up little by little, um, and with that said, one of the things that we at the tutoring center will do this year, that we're learning to have extended hours in the evening late evening, because we found out that during the day, um, students and also tutors, all right, now by their paretns to, I guess, become the teacher. But if siblings, so you really don't have time to tutor or attend tutoring sessions during the day. So we're going to have the tutor tutor in the evening and I get the students being tutored in the evening it also workds best for them because of wifi, connectivity issues.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3406.0,3636.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913/transcript/29287/annotation/77","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. Um, Gary hold up.\n\nTRANSCRIPTION END","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100913#t=3636.0,3641.41714"}]}]},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 2 of 2 - Aguayo-Gary-08102020radioedit.mp3"]},"duration":3202.87347,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/100/912/small/4023CD73-3D63-473C-ADE6-251D6AD0C80B_4_5005_c.jpeg?1604670723","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/content/2/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/100/912/original/Aguayo-Gary-08102020radioedit.mp3?1604670630","type":"Audio","format":"audio/mpeg","duration":3202.87347,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript - August 10, 2020 [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, your experiences leading up to the pandemic. And since, so, before we talk about the first two to three weeks at Queens college and how difficult it was to, um, work remotely, as well as have the students work remotely as well. And, um, you were talking about a lot of the experiences that the student had and also the visa. So like, would you like to continue on about like what it was like working with the students during the pandemic?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=0.0,33.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Sure, yes. Um, well, uh, another part of my job is also overseeing the tutors and I'm not sure of last time, I believe I did kind of touch on it, but, um, it was actually difficult also getting the tutors online because as you, as probably you don't know our, our SEEK tutors are actually students SEEK students as well. So they, they actually are tasked with both and, um, and SEEK students are predominantly low income first generation students. So a lot of our students had the same problems that most of the population had, which was taken to have the resources. Um, they, they didn't have the computer and even in the case, they had the computer, they had to share the computer with their siblings. Um, the internet, as I previously mentioned, was an issue as well. Um, so a lot of my tutors were not able to log on during their work hours and therefore they weren't able to work as many hours as they should have. Um, and that also became a problem for the students that were seeking it to her that want it to be tutored because, um, some of the students actually had the same issues. They had actually teach their siblings online. So therefore they couldn't be online being tutored because they were actually being the teacher at home. Um, so those were issues that we had. Um, and besides that, we also had some of our students had also the virus as well as one of my students also had the virus as well. And she actually got it relatively early by early, I mean, mid March about March 18th through the end of March. Um, so that was, um, that was also another problem that we had to deal with. Um, and she was actually one of my better tutors. She did math and accounting. So, um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=33.0,160.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: What do you remember that experience being like, finding out when she had COVID?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=160.0,166.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, it was, it was actually eye opening because I, up until then, um, I had heard about it, but just the fact that it's struck so close to me, um, and then just reaching out to on a daily basis just to monitor her, um, just to know that we are there for her. Um, and it wasn't only her, it was actually her mom as well as his sister. Um, but, but they all got through it, um, but it was just eyeopening. And then I personally, I didn't really get affected by it until mid April when a relative of my passed, and then our relatives, friend actually passed as well. So, um, then it struck closer to home, but the closest that I had was in mid March about March 17th. I remember that was a Tuesday when I, I was aware of it. Um.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=166.0,234.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Alright. And so, um, with, with the tutor is, you know, you're, you're saying that, um, they were also having issues of being able to complete the hours and, um, and then what happened? What was, what was it like continuing forward with the work?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=234.0,253.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Uh, it was, um, just a matter of rescheduling. Making changes in their schedules because what we found was that the bandwidth wasn't working in some households. So then we would, what we did was we scheduled too in the evening, and that actually worked out not only for the two of them, but also for the student, because as I mentioned before, some of the students actually had the task of being the teacher at home, um, teaching their siblings. So therefore they couldn't dedicate time between, I guess, 12 to 3, cause they were actually helping your siblings actually do some of the schoolwork. So we ended up tutoring in, in the afternoon and evening post 4 o'clock, 4 to midnight, that became a big change for us, our that's how to reschedule. Um, and then with that was also prior to that with also getting these hours to this goal, um, set up the Google classroom, um, and some of the, and this was actually very rushed. So, um, it didn't work very well at the beginning. Uh, but the center for teaching and learning did marvelous job training our tutors. Um, so I had talked to them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=253.0,329.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: What were some of the problems with Google classroom?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=329.0,333.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: I'm just setting up the classroom itself, um, breaking, breaking out the classrooms because there's a function of what you can break out the classroom and put students in like alternative classrooms and you could work on like a one to one basis cause fell on my terms actually would work with groups. Um, so there's about five students in the group and sometimes, um, some of the, sort of this, why they dedicate themselves for two students and give assignments to the other three. So it's just these breakout sessions, um, how to do it, how to monitor that. Um, and sometimes when you would break up, go to a breakout room and all of a sudden you would not be online anymore, so the system will kick you off. And that was actually a problem, not only for students, but the triggers as well. And so that, that was difficult. Um, so that the scheduling was a one issue and just setting up the Google classroom and making sure that students are able to log on, um, that that was an issue as well, boundless issues or problems. Sometimes you would click on, uh, on the hyperlink to go to Google classroom and then you would just be kicked off line. So then it was starting all over again. And it was frustrating. What I heard oftentimes was it was just frustrating for students.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=333.0,411.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Hmm. And, um, while they're learning to work on, what was this experience like for you, um, trying to help the tutor, then the students getting into like your classroom?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=411.0,436.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: During the first two to three weeks, it was just very frustrating and overwhelming. Um, I would log on at eight, eight, 15, and then my day would not end until nine or 10:00 PM. Um, but then I, I decided that I needed actually, I needed time for myself because I was having actually issues that here at home, um, just from my scheduling, um, I wasn't eating while I would just eat at random times. So then it was just a matter of me scheduling myself, taking care of my thoughts. Um, but just working long hours and being frustrated by the fact that you want to up the students, but there is not much you could do to technology at the very beginning was not there. Uh, as I mentioned, um, some students didn't have the hardware and then when they had the hardware, they didn't have internet. So it was a mix of both. Um, but after the third week, um, it became a lot better, the reset did help. Um, and there were some, there was some students still logging on. They still have issues with internet, um, after the third week, but those were probably just a handful. Um, but the first three weeks getting students online, um, and just reaching out to students as well. Um, it was overwhelming. I would call students and then I found out that when the students actually had the virus and it was her, her sister in law, her brother, her mom and our dad, it was everyone in the household. So it was five individuals in the household and the sister in law was pregnant. Um, so that, that was just a lot to take in,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=436.0,546.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And this was a student that, um, had most of the family members sick, not a tutor.?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=546.0,568.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. This was a student that does it, the reason why was because this was when there were students that would constantly come to tutoring, et cetera. And then why look attendence, the students didn't show up and this was very odd because she, she actually would always come to tutoring always, and, um, she didn't go in and it was because of the fact that she was going through a lot. I did, I reached out to her via email, no reply, but then I called her and she did, um, and we did speak and then I, I, I would monitor her on a daily basis, call, call her to check in, to see how she's doing. Um, luckily the, the baby's okay. Her sister in law gave birth, everyone in family is doing well. Um, but that, that was very, very, um, agonizing, mentally.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=568.0,627.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah. This sounds like, um, uh, the, the term that Norka, um, Dr. Richmond have been talking about where like, um, there was a lot more invisible labor that went into the work that you counselors were, um, going through during this time. Do you feel that was true?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=627.0,648.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, very much so. Um, there are a lot of things that we did, which was above and beyond the call of duty. Um, but, but then something that also came out and when the surveys, because we did conduct a survey regarding, um, I guess, um, things that third mentioned was that in essence, Sikh was the only office that was actually opened. Cause someone speak students will reach out to advising. Um, they wouldn't hear from advising. Um, and even if they're reaching to some of the professors, um, and other departments, they wouldn't get a reply. So in essence, we actually had to fill in that void. And, um, I did it because I, I really knew that students were suffering and, and we needed actually to help the students out. And there was nothing that we could do physically or I couldn't go and visit them. Um, but just checking in, um, in part you're thankful, um, even now, um, he does reach out to me just to say hi, and she was very thankful. Um, these are like those golden moments that I cherish, I cherish them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=648.0,734.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, can you, can you think of that? Could you share any other experiences that you had in regards to checking in with students?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=734.0,742.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, there was also an issue with students at, at the Summit. Um, we have 10 forces, kids, foster youth, and they live on campus at the Summit. Um, and then what happened was that the school was considering evicting them because of the virus. They had a, they had to get everyone out of the Summit. Um, but so many, so many students had nowhere to go. So, um, it was just a matter of calling them and actually, um, from the Dr. Richards did that part, but I did the legwork on the back of the background, just going into numbers, um, reaching out to them. But then it was just speaking to the provost and the associate provost about what can you do for there students? We can't just kick them out. A lot of your students, some. Um, about 80% of these students actually, has they have a dysfunctional, um, household, so why put them back into that situation? Um, so I was just reaching out, turning to speaking to him about, um, what would be the conditions at home if they were, if they had to leave the Summit? Um, so that was another one that, um, it was just speaking to him on a, on a routine basis daily, just to find out how they were doing. Um, and it was a lot of them were afraid to go back home.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=742.0,836.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah. And for those who don't know, could you, um, describe what, what the summit is?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=836.0,842.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. The Summit is the dormitories for Queens College. Um, and it, I believe the, how there's a nexus of 200 students. Um, we have about, we have 10 students, nine or 10 foster students actually live at the Summit and that's done because, um, um, they live, they go to school on campus. The dorms are right in the corner of the campus. Um, so it was actually, it's a lot easier because some of our forces I use about four of them actually live in the Bronx, which is a little bit far off. Um, just when you can come it's public transportation, because we don't have a train line that goes directly to Queens college. So the students would have to take, um, buses and trains, um, and then a bus again, to get on campus. So, um, so the Summit is actually just the dormitories.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=842.0,898.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And, um, so I, at one point they considered becoming a student and, um, what happens after like, they're, they, they take into consideration the conditions of the students are dealing with at home. Um, do they, do they get this, would able to stay on, on campus?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=898.0,920.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Yeah. We were able to, um, speak to fro provost. Um, not all students were able to stay on campus. Um, some, um, some of them stated that they were willing to take the chance and go home, but we were able to make sure that five of our students stayed on campus.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=920.0,941.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Mmm Mmm, Mmm. Mmm you checked in them on a regular basis. You know what it was like to be at the summit? Um like, were they socially distancing within that space?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=941.0,964.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, we have checked in on them they do socially distance. Um, they were actually, at the beginning, it was the word that would come out would be a ghost town at the Summit. But then the, um, the Summit was actually open to other students from other campuses to stay on, stay on site. So, um, there, there were students like came, I came from other campuses. Um, that City Lollege would be one. Uh, so that's almost that's right. You look at the summit and then they, they, my understanding is that they also opened it up for some of the SUNY students because those campuses closed completely like the dormitories are closed at Stony Brook that some of those, some of those students that were there at SUNY Stony Brook, were actually shuttled to Queens College or Summit, the Queens College dormitories.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=964.0,1025.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: So, um, during the pandemic how many students do you think were are the Summit between SUNY and other campuses?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1025.0,1037.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Uh, I'm really not sure. I would probably venture to say at least 80 to 90, but I, I'm really not sure, but I would venture to say probably 80 to 90, at least 80.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1037.0,1057.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. Um, so the summit was working with the students with this arm. There was one experience. Um, or are there other ones, any other friends that you remember working with the students?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1057.0,1072.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Um, some of the professors actually decided to go asynchronous and this was difficult for the students because they weren't, um, the professors were to actually have office hours per se. So even though they said that they had office hours, the students wouldn't be able to, um, speak to the professor. And these were trying time, I guess it was just a matter of, they, they wanted students by, they wanted some reassurance as to what they would, what was expected of them. And some of the professors would just post things online, like a lecture and, but they would never engage the student. Um, so in that case, what we did was, and then there was an issue, um, with two professors that they just went AWOL. They wouldn't, they, they weren't seen for about three weeks, no one saw them. In that case, what we did was we talked to a provost, the provost reached out to the department chair, um, and then they were able to mitigate that situation, um, by making sure that the professor would actually log on. Um, but, but there was, uh, there was some blow back by the, by the professor in which they said, no, all I do now is just post my lectures. Um, and that's it. I don't need to engage with students, but the department chair, um, was adamant about making sure that students were engaged. This was another issue with, um, and then there was also some professors where to actually give extra work. Um, it was addressed, the syllabus grew to the threefold. So that was another issue also. And in that case, again, just reaching out to the provost, the provost would reach out to the department chair and the department chair, would, we talked to professor and informed them of what steps they should take, or just typically what they should do. Um, because sign in doesn't work under those situations was definitely not the best situation, but some professors felt the need to assign it for assignments during the pandemic.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1072.0,1213.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Yeah. That's an interesting juxtaposition of, um, so currency, so you have, um, you know, the, you have one issue where like professors were not really even engaging with the students and then another situation where professors were not really, um, I wouldn't say respecting the pandemic, but like despite the condition, um, of, um, I don't know, learning opportunity, they were like giving more work than one shirt.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1213.0,1251.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Yeah. They would actually add extra assignments to the syllabus. So syllabus actually was growing during the semester and during the pandemic, especially during the first three weeks of the pandemic. It was okay since we're not meeting in class. Um, and we're only meeting virtual, we will give you extra reading assignments or an extra assignment.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1251.0,1280.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And then, um, um, what else was what's happening, um, in working with these experiences as students like, um, leading up towards may one this semester and, um, what do you remember? Um, working like","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1280.0,1302.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Buying things work was a lot easier. It was not as overwhelming. Um, there was still some issues with the system, uh, for example, um, the internet issues were still there for some students. So sometimes, um, students would log on and then they would say that because the internet, there was an internet would have issues or, um, and then there was some things I actually upgraded the internet service and that actually proved to be more problematic because it would time out more often than whenever they had the regular bandwidth. Um, whatever the regular bandwidth was. I think now they'll put 200 megabytes per second. Um, so, so by the end of the semester, by my, uh, by May, um, tutoring was working a little better. I would not say a lot, but a little better because the students, I mean, my tutors were able to log on; they had, each of them had their own Google classroom. Um, some of the students were hard hit, um, by the pandemic. So they would, they were not engaged or take advantage of the tutoring. Um, and then there was some students that actually, um, not a problem, it was a big omen for them to say that they were effective or they had next of kin or family member that they had the virus. So they would not tell us until the very end. I remember at least eight of our students that were affected personally by the virus by, I mean, either they or their parents were affected. Um, even, um, some of the parents were became unemployed. Um, they would not tell us even, even when the counselors and I would ask, they didn't tell us until the very end. Um, and then there, I remember there was also a student, um, that she didn't request, uh, a tablet or laptop, um, because she had done most of her work on the phone, but then when it was time for finals, you couldn't take the final on the phone because of just the space. And also Jessica, she had already lost all her megabytes. Um, so that was actually a huge issue for at least three students. I remember those three students privately, it was one, two came over in the mail and what state they had done their work on their cell phone. And they had done relatively well during the semester. And then by the time finals comes, um, they never requested any of the hardware cause they thought they could just finish it, finish the semester on your cell phone. And it wasn't the case. It wasn't the case. That was, there were other issues, um, for, by May things were, um, a lot smoother, a lot smoother than my sort right. As I said, um, they knew Google classroom a lot better. The center for teaching and learning had trained them. I also had gone over some training modules with them, um, and the students were, I guess, more active and they were more engaging. Um, and then even in my writing capture, um, students were actually reaching out more to a lady consulted by me. Um, probably comes finals were coming along, definitely different finals are coming and they needed another set of eyes to read their papers. But also I think because of technology was finally there, the laptop was there, the tablet was there and also the, I guess the internet was more reliable.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1302.0,1550.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And, um, the experience of having students tell you at the last minute that they didn't have, um, the hardware to finish the final. Does that remind you of, um, your experience growing up where it was almost like, um, you know, you explained that your parents didn't trust the idea of, um, programs helping, um, people go to school. Do you think that they were coming from, they being the students, were coming from a similar situation?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1550.0,1590.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Yeah. I, um, I'm sure I did. The summer one did express the fact that they didn't believe that by getting the tablet, the tablet where her belief was that the tablet would break and that then she would be liable. So then why, why get the tablet, if it's going to break, and then they're going to charge us $700, but she, she came up with this number $700 and she didn't have the money. So for her, she said, I'm plus I have my cell phone. Now they would do all the assignments on my cell phone. But then at the end, um, she, she couldn't finish the assignments on her cell phone is it's difficult for her to complete the writing time it's on our cell phones. So yeah, so I, it was similar to my experience in which, um, my parents didn't trust the system. Um, and here case there was, um, compared to them probably already, um, damaged to begin with. They were going to give us these tablets and then they break and then we're liable. Then I have to pay $700. She mentioned. So.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1590.0,1666.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Were the tablets even worth well, what kind of tablets were they?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1666.0,1671.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, they, some of them were given the Apple tablets and some of them were also given Chromebooks. It was just the luck of the draw. You got what you would get. But some of them had tablets then that was good. The Chromebook, the Chromebooks were a lot cheaper, but the tablets, I believe.Um, I believe there were $500 there. They were cheaper than that, but that was the, the idea of where I buy my students. Um, and then it was just a fact of reassuring her that no, she needed, she needed the tablet. She needed to get it. And that, um, if the tablet breaks, um, Apple has a one year warranty that will cover it. So she wouldn't be liable. Um, so.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1671.0,1717.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Um, all right. And I guess, what was it like for you at the time towards the end of the semester? Like, um, at this point, you know, you have been working for a home for a while. Um, you are dealing with these experiences with the students. Um, what do you remember how your habits were changing as like the lines between work and home, um, have become really blurry? Uh, you mentioned, um, that your schedule had to change a little bit, um, just so that the tutors for work in a later sessions. So I guess what I'm asking is, is like, um, how have your habits changed leading up to May? Um, like what do you recall?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1717.0,1760.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, I recall a couple of things I did have to, um, restructure my, my place in which, um, during the first three weeks I worked on my dining room table, but then, um, I ended up having back problems. Um, so I did, I did set up a because my students had the same issues in which they didn't have space at home to work with or work from. So some of them actually, and they, and I told them same thing, they were working with their kitchen table whenever they could. Um, so what I did was I did have an extra table that I had in the basement, so they were bringing that up. Um, and then I set up an office space. Um, so that was one thing that I definitely, um, the scheduling also, um, target then I, I no longer, I would just log off at a certain time. Um, I would, I would log on at 9:00am and I'll try to keep a it through 6:0pm. That was, that would be the latest I would log on through, um, because I just needed some time off. Um, prior to that was, as I mentioned before, just the days were long and I felt like I needed to help as many students and individuals as possible, but then you could, you need, I find out that I needed to help myself before I could help others. So for that reason, I decided to scale back on the number of hours that I was working, um, designate a space for myself, um, give my, give myself time to eat and wait to, as I mentioned before, during the first three weeks I would just eat sparingly and whenever I would remember, um, so those things now I actually have a set schedule and I'll log on, but then by one, one 30, I'll eat lunch. And then by, by two 33, I get up, um, just to walk around and then I said, I'm back at it until the latest would be 6:00pm. I try not to go over 6:00pm. It's overwhelming. So those things definitely, they change, um, scheduling the change then my, my place at change. Um, and, and also just being mindful of, I add, I mentioned before my needs and also my students' needs, I still check up on them. Um, but also checking up on my parents and my siblings as well. So those things, because at the very beginning, I didn't, I gave, I didn't check up on my parents as much as I should have, but thankfully everyone's okay. So, um, I have two sisters, two older sisters, a younger brother and both our parents, they all live in Florida, so, but just checking up on them because that's actually the hotspot now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1760.0,1951.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And how have you been, um, checking up with, um, what services, um, what internet services or tools have you used?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1951.0,1962.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, we all have iPhone, so we do face time, but my fifth grade, um, my, my parents did not technology technologically savvy, so I was able to get them, um, uh, the Alexa, Alexa, I'm not sure what it's called, the one that has the monitor, so I could call them in. And then when I call them in, I could see both of them and they could both speak to me. It was a small, uh, it's a five inch Alexa. I'm not sure what it's called. It's like a view or something like that. So I was able to get that. And then I, then I, I also have one of those. We're not able to check up on them as well. So definitely technology. I use all of my siblings. Um, they all have iPhones, so it's FaceTime. And then one of my parents it's, um, uh, phones, uh, phone calls as well as, uh, the Alexa. And then when my aunt and uncles, most of it says phone calls. They don't really use any of those. They don't have advanced telephones nor do they want them such my aunt and uncle they're much older. So a phone call is sufficient for them. Makes sense.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=1962.0,2054.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Hmm. Okay. And how, how, um, the way that social interactions have changed, um, affected what you think about like social interactions between work and home, like inter interacting with people through mostly phones and computers. Um, I guess it just like, how has that affected your ideas on social interaction?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2054.0,2083.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, yeah, no, I was thinking about this before, um, this whole idea of social distancing. It's, it's going to be detrimental because all of our interactions are now online and that's, that's not the way, that's not the way that I'm used to see people face to face, um, um, um, face to face, but now everything's virtual. So this is just, um, am, I mentioned that my incoming students, are the same in the fact that they're not going to get the college experience that they wanted, or they, they believed that they were going to get when they were in high school. Everyone, some of the students said that I was really looking forward to college because I would be able to walk on the college campus, um, meet friends and talk to friends, um, meet new people. But now that that's all outthe window. So, um, this is just, I see it as detrimental, this whole thing about social distancing. I know it's needed, but it's just, it's very limiting, limiting, because it's, um, even when, for example, when you have phone calls, you can't really read the body language and even on certain calls, sometimes you can't really monitor the body language as you would, if it was face to face, that's, that's definitely an issue for us. And I think that will be an issue for years to come.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2083.0,2196.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: That's a really good point. Um, and staying on that, um, could you walk me through, um, so this semester has ended and the decision that CUNY had me, um, in regards to the ball. So could you provide your personal and isolation of like the point that we are now at, in deciding of how the fall semester to go?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2196.0,2223.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah, well, and at the end of the semester, um, I'm also a grad student at rural college. So I remember speaking to, um, both of my professors and they said, um, Baroque will most likely not come back, um, at least that and, and face to face because of the fact that, um, Eberle college, the elevators, and you need elevators to get to the classrooms. And there are so many students there. So you said chances of us coming back to classes is very limited. I, it's almost like probably 1%, um, one of my professors statistician. So, so, um, that was, um, and then the fact of not knowing, and I was still reaching out to us and find me and try and find out, okay, what are we doing? And this would be at the end of may or early June since I already want to the gun and find out, um, what is school going to be like? And there's really not much left to say because the chancellor hadn't made up his mind, the governor had didn't say anything. He said that he would just monitor the situation, that there would be something out later and later. Um, so that's something that I actually had to constantly check back with me. I'll get more, I'll find out more so, but it was just the constant factor. We were actually in the dark regarding what would happen and then read the Chronicle of higher education. I remember, um, Cal State, actually, they actually announced that they would not go face to face that everything will be virtual. They were actually one of the earlier, um, that systems college systems to actually say that they were going to be completely online. Um, and then there were other colleges, for example, Notre Dame, so that they were just going to start the semester early, um, in order to try to end the semester early. So then by the time flu season started, they wouldn't be affected. Um, but it was just a fact, um, just very limited information. And it just a couple of weeks ago, they, they finally announced that we're going to be 99% online. The labs will be in person, but I think they're scaling back on the labs regarding who will come in on what days. Um, but all the other classes will be online. So as professor Frank wool, they sent out an email last week saying that 99% of the classes that Queens College would be online, completely online.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2223.0,2392.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And what are your thoughts on that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2392.0,2395.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, I, I believe it's sorry. Um, because I also believe that, um, they will probably be, uh, the numbers will most likely spike on solution arrive, which would be October, November, and then, uh, it wouldn't make much sense to start the semester in person and then having have to rush everyone home, uh, send everyone home and Goldberg in November. Cause then we would have the tampon that we had in April at the college, which was okay, send everyone home, cancel classes for a week. Um, um, reset and then, and then, then what, so it would actually, I believe this was the best decision made at the moment of having 99% of the classes online. And it also because at Queens College, the sizes of the rooms are quite small, so you can't really social distance, you wouldn't be able. So, um, to get six feet apart, at least in Delaney Hall, um, which is where the classrooms for some SEEK courses are, you would probably fit in those classrooms depends social listening. At most 15 students, you can't really fit 30, it would be impossible. Um, and also in some of the other rooms, some of the other hall, the whole issue with, I guess, the elevated international also at Kyle's hall, um, that would also be an issue. So I think it's the best decision at the moment. Um, hopefully, um, um, I'm hopeful that there'll be a vaccine for COVID and then hopefully life will have some semblance of what it was before, but I think right now it's the necessary precautions that we need to take, having everything virtual. And also just from the college's standpoint, I think that it also works for their favor as well because of the fact that they're not spending any money on overhead lighting, um, heat, AC, and also the, um, Queens Cottage now jumble size in the classes in which they're trying to put in as many students as possible into some sections. Um, so a classroom that would hold 25 to 30, you actually jumbled typing and putting 50 to 60 students in the classroom. Since it will be all virtual, you could get more students in the classroom, but there's some doubt, there's some cons to that. How are the professor going to teach students that's that remains to be seen?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2395.0,2581.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: And, um, the other incision that is currently in place is that, um, casements out 12, well, um, in New York city, at least we'll be going on a staggered schedule, um, in juxtaposition to like what CUNY decided. What are your thoughts on that?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2581.0,2604.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Um, well, yeah, in that case, because earlier I, I have a cousin and his cousin and his son's in grade school. Um, and we spoke about this and my cousin, his son is only in second grade going to second grade now. And at the beginning of the semester, they were actually given a survey to find out if they were willing to have their child goal completely aligned or have it two days online and three days at home. And my cousin decided that he would have, he would prefer having everything for our tool, but now with this new thing by the governor, um, I'm not sure if it's the best thing, um, in the student's interest. Because it's second grade, how can you social distance kids in second grade? These are seven year olds that they're they're around each other. So, um, so in that case, it, that, that does affect me because that's actually my cousin. Um, but I don't believe it's the best decision. I think giving parents the option to, um, either, and hasn't got go in if they want to two days a week or three days a week, and then the parents that do not want to send their kids to school, then they actually had the option to have all the paths virtual. I think that would be the better option.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2604.0,2697.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. Um, and, um, not to like completely switched to the subject, but I did want to also talk about like, um, we we've been for the most part, been talking about your experience with like, um, the students that you've been working with and their tutors, uh, what was, what has it been like working with, uh, your other colleagues at sea during this time? Um,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2697.0,2726.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: I haven't really been in contact with them as much as they shared. Um, we, we do meet virtually, Oh, we did meet virtually and we would have check ins every day at 12 noon, but we no longer have those in summer. Um, we do send emails asking how, how they are we doing? Um, but we have been teaching during the summer because we, we had that summer bridge program in which six two is sort of coming into, cause they're supposed to catch in space in a three week summer program. So we had that during the month of July. Um, so I have touched base with a handful of my colleagues at work, but not all. So I know, um, when we have, we have nine counselors, out of nine counselors, I probably have touch base with six or seven on a regular basis, but then there's two that I reach out to and that's by email, but nothing not on a regular basis. Um, so, um, with the director I, I do meet and we do talk every week, um, at least twice a week. So we do that via Zoom. Um, my technician, I am in contact with him, um, just because of the computer needs. And also whenever issues arise that students saw, I active speak to Mr. Robinson and then for financial aid, we speak regularly because he's actually, co-teaching my financial literacy class. And that was, I was teaching over summer, but I do miss the face to face interaction with them.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2726.0,2842.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Okay. And, um, how do you see, um, your work being, well work? I mean, we we've, we've alluded to this a little bit, but how do you foresee like both work and just like personal life being affected by the time Dominic? Like, I mean, so usually at the end of an oral history interview, you ask someone like, Hey, how do you envision the next five years being? And let's even make that much shorter. Like how do you see the, the last four months of this year going in regards to a work life? Like the nation in general, I guess.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2842.0,2883.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Okay. Um, I guess the coming four months to the end of the year, I think we will still be socially distant. Um, everything that Frank has mentioned, the president of Queens College has mentioned everything will be online. Um, so I, I think that it will be just a replay of what happened in the past four months. So in essence, nothing will really change. Um, in my case, I, I don't expect myself to go out. Um, and just, I guess on a face to face to meet with people, I will continue to limit that. Um, just go outside of necessity. Um, I definitely need to get tested that I plan on doing, um, I would, I want to do that probably next week. And then I would also want to do that again in at least twice during the next four months, um, Jessica Case, uh, and the long run, a year out. I believe that this entire academic year we will be working from home. That's what I believe. Um, so I believe that nothing, nothing will change through June of 2021, um, unless a vaccine comes through and then somehow we can make sure that we have mass vaccinations and then things will hopefully reach, it will return to some semblance of what it was before. But in the short one in the next four months, I just think that, um, just staying in place, um, I'm fearful of what will happen during flu season, October, November, I spoke about that before, um, in which you will get a spike in poly flu and people will think it's the pandemic or it will probably be the pandemic as well as the flu will probably trigger it. Um, so those are the things that I'm fearful of coming October, November, December, um, just stay in place for during this academic year for the most part, not, not branching out so much, um, living face to face contact with people. Um, and, and it will be much more strenuous because now in the summer months we are able to go out. Um, but in the winter months, people sparingly go out, so that's an issue, cabin fever for most of us. Um, and those are things that I think we have to be mindful of and then just continue to check up on, on colleagues and family and friends. Um, that's what I foresee within the next academic year and in the long run, I'm hopeful that there a vaccine will come out and hopefully by a year from now, things will go back to normal with quotation marks. Probably we'll just have a new normal","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=2883.0,3089.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Obden Mondesir: Is I guess last question I have is, uh, you do mention like it being a little more difficult in the winter season, um, with, you know, cabin fever and having to stay inside more, um, being an issue. Is there anything that you learn, um, during the lockdown between March and April, that you plan to use, any lessons that you learned during the first two months of this pandemic that you plan to use towards the end of the year? As in COVID.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=3089.0,3124.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912/transcript/29288/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Gary Aguayo: Yeah. Making more time for myself and trying to enjoy, I guess, the simple things. Um, and that's something that I did learn from the pandemic. So to try and learn, try to appreciate those little simple things which includes phone calls and just speaking to loved ones. Um, not living so rushed. Um, which I, I lived, uh, being in New York city, everything's rushed. Just giving ourselves time to digest things. I think that's something that I learned from the pandemic and just staying hopeful and positive. Um, I tend uh, I am an optimist, but just whenever in doubt, just continue to stay positive. And I think those are things that I learned from the pandemic that given time for yourself, um, cherish the simple things, reached out to loved ones, um, and just pray I guess. I am a spiritual person so just pray.\n\nTRANSCRIPTION END","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/150/collection_resources/32184/file/100912#t=3124.0,3202.87347"}]}]}]}