Dina Castelleto
Cannon Photographer
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the new Skule SpiritHeads for this year. The interview was a blast and I learned so many cool things about this year’s Mr.Blue and Gold (Kushagra), Lady Godiva (Kate), and the two Ultimate F!rosh (Kyla and Emily).
Dina: So let’s begin. First question, what year and program are you in?
Kyla: I’m Kyla, I was an EngSci but now I’m a T1 and a 2T4.
Emily: Hi, I’m Emily. I’m EngSci 2T4.
KG: I’m 2T3 and I’m in ECE, switched from Mech.
Kate: I am EngSci 2T3, about to be ECE specialization.
Dina: And following that, what is something really cool or interesting about you?
Kyla: I used to play rugby for Ontario.
Emily: That’s pretty cool. I used this in the Ultimate F!rosh competition, but I don’t like pigeons. *laughs* That’s my catchphrase.
KG: So, I participated in a lot of hack-a-thons, and I’ve won about five or six in the last year.
Emily: Whoa!
Kyla: Dang.
Kate: I’ll go with my classic and say that my house is about 10km from the most eastern point in North America.
Kyla: I have something else, there is a story that my parents always tell. When I was four I went to the Philippines and when I was there they had to take me to a witch doctor because they thought I got possessed.
Dina: Obviously everybody here loves participating in Skule™, but what would you say is your favourite thing about Skule™ if you had to pick just one?
Kyla: The cheers, you know sometimes I search up Lady Godiva and to go to sleep I just sing all of the verses I can find online.
Kate: *clicks her heels* Queen of Clubs!
*Everyone laughs*
KG: It’s the community, there’s a really great set of core people that get involved and it inspires me every day.
Emily: For me, it’s also the community, but the sub-set of that is the rivalry between all the disciplines and how we are all just making fun of each other.
Dina: What is something you have been doing during quarantine to stay active and occupied?
Kyla: I’ve learned how to play the ukulele, or well, I’m learning.
Kate: I’m in Newfoundland, we don’t have a lot of Covid right now, so I’ve been going back to my old dance studio for class to stay active and get out of the house! I’m doing mainly ballet, modern, and jazz, but I’ve done other things in the past.
Emily: I’ve been using lots of art mediums and trying new things, and I just recently started crocheting again which is fun.
Kate: That’s nice!
KG: My entire summer I went to NEST. I participated in the NEST program at the entrepreneurship Hatchery, but more recently, I learned more about web development, and as for active, uh, didn’t really happen.
Kyla: I’ve tried to do ten push-ups every day.
Emily: I’m just active from jumping up and down.. oh…
Kate: You said it!
Emily and Kyla: *jump up and down*
Dina: Rapid-fire question, favourite Timbit?
Kate: Chocolate!
Kyla: The powdered jelly!
Kate: What?
Emily: The chocolate is good! Old fashion for me, maybe…
KG: I’ve had a Timbit once, and it was chocolate, so I’ll just go with that.
Dina: And favourite hobby?
KG: I play the piano, so that.
Kyla: I really like trying new restaurants, but before the pandemic.
Emily: I like to play badminton or volleyball, but I’ve gotten really into spikeball though.
Kate: I said dance already, but besides that, I like board games or party games.
Dina: Next question, and you can be as open about this as you want, what were you thinking during the competition to become a SpiritHead?
Kyla: Do I need to throw up?
Emily: Literally!
Kyla: *laughs* The entire competition… “do I need to throw up?”
Emily: What have I done to myself?
Kate: My answer is, oh do they think I’m funny? Do they get it?
KG: So my answer is, *checks to see if anyone is around*, if my parents catch me doing this, if my parents see any of this, I am finished!
*Everyone laughs*
KG: So yeah, and it took me a while to explain the whole dropping my pants thing because that’s going to happen around them eventually, but I can at least not let this video get out, because of obvious reasons. And the thing is, I have a really bad phone and I don’t have a camera, so I recorded everything on my mom’s phone.
Kate: OH MY GOD, you heard it here first folks!
Dina: What is your go-to icebreaker? It can also be a fun fact.
KG: Ok I need a volunteer.
Kate: Ok go.
KG: Kate, how heavy are polar bears?
Kate: Like a ton?
KG: Yeah, that’s heavy enough to break the ice, hi I’m Kushagra!
Emily: That’s good!
Kate: It’s a fact, for an icebreaker, but, there are more Elvis Presley songs in Lilo and Stitch than there are in any Elvis movie.
Kyla: Mine is Hamilton related, Angelica Skyler was already married by the time she met Alexander Hamilton.
Kate: Hamilton is just fan fiction. *laughs*
Emily: I recently found out that Alpha wolves are not actually true, like they are not a thing, my life is a lie.
Dina: What are you most excited for about being a SpiritHead?
Kyla: The ability to be weird anywhere, with an excuse.
Kate: Meeting people, it’s nice that everyone has an in with you now, so they don’t need to start an awkward conversation with you, because they will have something to say. It’s like you’re everyone’s friend now, in a way.
KG: Meeting people for me too. The most rewarding part is greeting all the F!rosh because I remember when I was a F!rosh, and my years Mr. Blue and Gold took the time to personally connect with me, and I’m excited to pay that forward in a way.
Emily: Connecting with Skule™ a bit more, and talking with first years and letting them know about the SpiritHeads, and also talking to upper years, because otherwise, I would be too intimidated.
Dina: Okay another rapid-fire couple of questions: favourite city in the world and a food that you couldn’t live without?
Emily: Honolulu and rice.
Kate: Toronto and eggs on toast.
Emily: *laughs* True.
Kyla: Toronto and pizza.
KG: Wow, exact same answer for me.
Kyla: I’m really his kid.
Dina: Any tips for new students entering university?
Kyla: It’s okay to switch your program if you realize it’s not for you.
KG: I feel like there is a lot of stigma around failing a course or repeating a year, and I want to say that it’s totally normal and it’s fine.
Kate: Don’t listen to other people when they talk about grades. You are only listening to three people talk and there are hundreds of other people in your class that are experiencing different things than the three people you are listening to. Just focus on yourself.
Emily: Just get involved, it will make your life so much more enjoyable.
KG: This is what I realized really late, but you have to find the community, the community doesn’t find you. There are lots of people, you have to search for it, and meet people.
Dina: Favourite memory from Skule™ so far?
KG: That’s a hard one!
Kyla: I’m torn between KG’s video, his jumping jacks, and having to hold melting food in my hand because I couldn’t get it on the plate fast enough!
Kate: I don’t know how to pick one, everything has a certain feeling attached to it. I want to say G[odiva] Week last year, because I had felt very much a part of the community and it was the first time I had felt that way in my life. And it was like, oh, as these people are just as excited about this event as I am, which I thought was really cool. It made me feel like I had another home, here in Toronto. I also want to say F!rosh Week this year because I got to be a Head Leedur and that was special because I got to be the first interaction the F!rosh had.
KG: There’s too many. One of them was the cheer off at F!rosh, I’ve never screamed that much in my life before, and at one point the Leedurs were making me lead the cheers. Another was at Chestnut, the talent night, and I signed up for it and I played All of Me, and the entire hall was singing along, that was one of the more magical moments. Oh and also Godiva Week this year and making the video.
Kate: *clicks her heels* Queen of Clubs!
KG: Oh my God, I am so sorry about that! *laughs*
Kate: It’s all good, I’m committed.
Emily: Maybe Havenger Scunt. That was the first event that I really interacted with people, with the community. Also participating in Ultimate F!rosh and watching Godiva’s Crown…I’m so sorry! *laughs*
Kate: *clicks her heels* Queen of Clubs!
Emily: But I couldn’t watch Mr.Blue and Gold, unfortunately.
Dina: And that was the last question, thank you, everyone, so much, I had such a great time!
Kyla: Should we make a Soundcloud?
Emily: Obviously, yes!
Kate: I hope I don’t get fired for anything I just said, can they fire me?
Kyla: Drop your pants!
KG: *drops his pants*
*Everyone laughs*