Friday Fun With Friends - Season 1 - Episode 2 - Conversation with Katrina

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were listening to Friday Fun with Friends, a podcast
put together by Only Friends' school students where they interview
faculty or other students or chit chat about their time
at the school. We hope you enjoyed this podcast. Please
subscribe and share. Thanks for listening in.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
So, welcome back to the Only podcast Today Yeah with
Samanakazi Or I'm a junior and I'm from Kampala, Uganda.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
And I'm Katrina Caserto. I'm originally from Minnesota and I
teach ninth grade humanities and life after Only.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So last week virguniors had a trip to Washington, DC,
and today I am blessed to be talking with Katrina
about the whole trip. So, Katrina, how did you get
about preparations and organizing chip Washington d C.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Well, originally, originally, Phineas, the junior humanities teacher, came to
me and said, I want my kids to go to
DC because of what you guys learn about junior humanities,
which is American history. Specifically, he wanted to visit the
National Museum of African American History and Culture and I said, wow,
that's awesome. There's also some really great colleges there. Let's

(01:13):
do a trip together, and so I planned the college
half where we visited Howard University in Georgetown, and he
planned the other half where we got to visit the
museum and the capitol building.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Okay, so you took about Howard and Jridgetown where any
other colleges, universities you looked outside that room?

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Not Initially I knew I wanted us to go visit
Howard because Howard is an HBCU, a historically Black college
and university, and I as a teacher in a school
where we have a majority of black student population, that's
very important. But then I remember I emailed the juniors
and I said, we're planning this trip. I want to

(01:55):
go to Howard University, but we have another day. Is
there a college that you guys want to visit? You?
And Malca emailed me within a day of sending out
that email and said Georgetown. I said okay. So we
reached out to Georgetown, reached out to Howard and made
it all go.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Okay, that is interesting. Honestly, I think I love Georgetown
because the Christian praise is it and all that stuff.
And I was just like, Okay, if Christian is that happy,
I need to see what he's like excited about.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Yeah, we need to see we need to see where
he went exactly. We need to experience it. It was.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
It was just so beautiful, like the buildings, it's it
gave medieval energy and I just like, yeah, it's like
as in a movie, like as then the history making
and wow, I was just so fascinated it was.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
It was awesome. As someone who's graduated from college, it's
always interesting to go see different colleges. So I hope,
I hope you and your your peers if at least
learned a lot about a college and learned whether or
not you'd want to go there, because Georgeown and Howard
both are very different vibes to them. Georgetown is very
like not secluded but not separate, but like next to

(03:08):
the city, while Howard is like in the city.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, what I said about how I liked, Okay, so
you know how what to were in one of the
buildings and I said that business students get out. Yes,
that took me my surprise. I was just like, Oh,
they're into character, like they are already there.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
And they're ready to go. I saw so many people
dressed up at both colleges, and I was wondering. I
was like, is there something going on or do people
just dress like this every day? Wow?

Speaker 2 (03:35):
It like took me by surprise. I thought I was
the only one. I told my ps you know, like, yeah,
I'd love to be like my next life.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
And I feel like, what's you from being law in this?

Speaker 2 (03:46):
I mean we could Orange, but at that point where
I was like, wow, they're like so into character, like
you know, they're there to study.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Both are amazing universities to attend. Is there one that
particularly stood to you?

Speaker 2 (04:00):
I think George, George, It's okay. It was in its
own world. Yeah, it was like so unpredictable that kids
are like self driven. It's like basically what we learn
it only you have to be principle, you have to
be punctual, and you're just doing that, Like wow, fascinating.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
Do you know if your peers also feel feel the
same now?

Speaker 2 (04:22):
I talked to Inger and after after I've done it,
like Howard, You're just like me personally. I am going
to Howard and I like that understand like this is
your community you feel there? Yeah, before you even get
to that point.

Speaker 3 (04:36):
I was asking around. I think after we visited Georgetown
and I think it was almost a fifty to fifty
split on people saying Georgetown or Howard, And I was like, okay,
all right, so it'll be an exciting year next year
when everyone's applying the probably both the schools.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
So yeah, it may be tricky, but I don't know.
I'd love to see myself in George.

Speaker 3 (04:58):
You were, you were fitting greater at Georgetown. You would
make the community so much louder than it already is.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
So you spoke about Phineas and the museum. So what
particular messeum did you go.

Speaker 3 (05:10):
To did we go to? Oh?

Speaker 2 (05:12):
Did we go to?

Speaker 3 (05:14):
When we went to the National Museum of African American
History and Culture, located right off the National Mall, we
had a great picture of the Washington Monument and you guys, yeah,
that was really cool, even though it was cloudy, but
I think the picture turned out better because it was
cloudy that day. And this was after we visited Howard.
So it's very interesting to go from an HBCU to

(05:36):
the African American History Museum. I thought, at least I
thought it was connected in a nice way. Yeah, but yeah,
so we went and the museum works. So the bottom
three floors you go through history, and that was amazing
and I had heard about that. And the top five floors,
I don't know how tall the building are. It's like

(05:56):
seven or eight floors are rotating exhibits. But we didn't
get to go visit those. We got to visit the
bottom three. So I'm wondering what stood out to you?

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Okay, so histrue is good. Yeah, but I think I
got like tired because like you like rushing through everything,
you want to read everything, but you can't. But there
was like this whole place that had like water, right,
like what's always like fulling like rain, and I was
so calm and peaceful that it was like my highlights
me and Vicki weinby and like, wow, I want to

(06:29):
stay here. Actually, So what was your highlight for.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
I had a couple ones. I agree. I felt very rushed.
There's so much there exactly, and I wanted to stop
and read everything. But then I felt like I was
holding people up, and I was like, oh, I gotta go.
So that's unfortunately. So it's definitely on the list to
go visit again, very high up on that list. But
I think the two things, and I had heard about
one of these things before visiting, But the two things

(06:55):
that really stuck out to me were at the bottom level,
like when you first go in there was that at
the area where they had where they talked about the
the slave ships trans Atlantic that would cross the Atlantic Ocean,
and they had shackles from one of them. And I
had heard that the museum had artifacts specifically from the ships. Yeah,

(07:17):
and so that was that was kind of stunning to
just stand there and be like, you know, kind of
face reality of it. And then the other moment that
really stuck out with me, did you go to the
Emmett Hill.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Oh my goodness, I read everything, everything, everything.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
I watched the video twice that was that was such
a moving part of the museum. Specifically, I loved how
they focused on him and his mom exactly. That was
really really impactful.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
And the fact that they had like the actual that.

Speaker 3 (07:49):
He was I think it was a replica, Yeah, I
think so okay, But yeah, having that right there was
very was very moving. And having there was a video
there that I mentioned and I was his mom was talking.
It was his mom, his uncle I think, a prosecutor
I think, And that was just an absolutely amazing part. Yeah,

(08:14):
After that, though, we hit our four o'clock deadline and
I had to run. I actually missed the top two.
I didn't get to go through it where the big
plane was. No, yeah, I didn't get to go. I
didn't get to go. So that's why I need to
go back. But perhaps we'll go back to DC in
the fall, just for the museum. I don't no, no
no no no no no, don't don't take this isn't

(08:35):
set Stone, okay, but that was an amazing moment just
being there.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
And how did you feel about the capital.

Speaker 3 (08:45):
I've visited the Capitol before, so this is my second
time in d C, first time with students. The first
time I went was just me and I got to
go to museums and walk around. And so I'd been
to the Capitol before and been outside the Library of
Congress and the Spring Court and stuff. So it was
nice being back and kind of just admiring the buildings.
I guess. But I'm wondering about you. Have you been

(09:07):
to the Capitol before? Now?

Speaker 2 (09:08):
I haven't, but I have envisioned myself there because like
my anti travel is right, so like way back. I
think it may be twenty seventeen she came back with
this whole building set up like of like the White House,
all right, as she gave it to me, and I
just like, but I'm not even going to go to
the States, right, So I built it everything. And when

(09:31):
I see it like in real life, I'm all like,
you know, I built this break by brick I have visited. Yeah,
but it was fascinating.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
I know. You guys went on the road under tour.
How was that? It was all right, it's I think
it's their shortest tour.

Speaker 2 (09:51):
Yeah, because I was waiting for more, right, and then
we're all like, oh, yeah, dismissed. This is right in
But it was really interesting how the Congress in one
side and then on the other side. And I just like,
oh wow, I didn't know that.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yeah, it's interesting to see how like how it works
in these Yeah. Yeah, no, I I enjoy walking along
the capital. It's even though one of the days the
weather was not great, but the second day when we
were actually at the Capitol, that was great, great, great,
It was really it was really like the whole trip
I thought was really enjoyable. And a special shout out

(10:27):
if she's listening to Malca's aunt after like two days
of fast food cooked us a nice home cooked meal.

Speaker 2 (10:37):
I felt like, that's so nice.

Speaker 3 (10:42):
It was so nice we all ate together. That was
an awesome part of the trip too, when we were
in that room. I mean kind of just all sat
around the table and we're just talking.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
So nice. It's always like a bonding kind of.

Speaker 3 (10:56):
It was a bonding experience. Yeah, I was going to
ask you about that. How do you as a junior
feel like, do you guys think do you think you
guys are closer now?

Speaker 2 (11:05):
Or that is a tricky question. So like, you know
how we had to like sleep in different areas and
all that stuff. Some of us snow. This trip was
kind of like humbling and just be like, you know,
these are not even not my friends, this is my gang.

Speaker 3 (11:24):
Are you sure snoring? No?

Speaker 2 (11:27):
I know. I know myself. I snow and I know
that It's not so like the first night I was
all like, you guys need to tap me. I just
want bag. I don't know I'm snoring. But then the
next days you're like, you know what we're doing it,
It's all right, we're all humans.

Speaker 3 (11:43):
You're all here. We're just here for a couple of.

Speaker 2 (11:46):
Days exactly, it was just really nice, fascinating to know
that the way schools run, Washington, d C. The trip everything,
so it's just like a beautiful experience. I don't know
about my class, but we really had a good time.
We didn't have to really get out onto our phones
text each other and be like hey, no, we just

(12:07):
like experience. Exactly.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
What do you think was the most impactful part of
the trip? Hmmm? I would say how, oh really? Why?

Speaker 2 (12:21):
Because first of all, I needed to expect to see
myself there. I don't see myself there. They give us
to our guids' just like I was not like, oh,
it's actually for real, you know. And I took us around,
they evolved us in like the buildings set up what
what your life would be like. You shouldn't be shy,
but being like real.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
You know.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
And that's like an experience that we need because you're
gonna see all the bookwork, you're gonna hear talks, but
like it's really real for you. So I think that
was like my highlights, like there's a life after all?

Speaker 3 (12:52):
Exactly, yeah, there is. Yeah, I think the most impactful
for me was you guys. I think, yeah, I'm trying
to think of a specific moment, But all I'm thinking
of is like watching you guys on the tour and

(13:14):
then watching you guys like take those silly pictures as
we were walking around, even though in the time I
was like, let's go, but like, looking back at it,
those are like the small moments that I'm remembering over
like even other bigger moments.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yeah, actually no, well, like you need to go get
off the next person? Can you go?

Speaker 3 (13:39):
A nerve wracking? Phineas and I made jokes the entire trip,
really like, oh we still have six students. Good for us,
Like that's just time.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
Remember with Jerry and I, You're like, you know what
you guys should know, just get lost because jokes like
the extra one of us hilarious.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah, not in the moment, but now it would have
been that's so funny. You should just all like separate. Really, yeah,
Phanas and I would have been like, oh god, oh
that would have been That would have been a different
kind of fun. But I'm glad you didn't.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
I look, I thought we should give the boys a make.

Speaker 3 (14:17):
You should have.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
I thought about it, but like, maybe I'm stepping too
much out of my bond, Like we all look good
I like jos makeup.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, to give to give context. We also stopped at
a place called Eastern Market on Friday afternoon before visiting
the Capitol, where there was some stores nearby, some more
mainstream stores like Sophora, and then some local stores like
that ice cream place where you got like one scoop
of ice cream for eight dollars. Yeah, did you get

(14:46):
the ice cream? Much? There was? It was good though,
all right to give context to the Sephora story, but
you should have. I was wondering when I saw all
you guys in there. I was like, I wonder if they.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
About but Inga was not really feeling it. And I
don't know why Jerry had one that those two. Oh,
I know, he came in later and I You're like,
and he kept on sneaking picture of us, and as
You're like, oh.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
No, yeah, you guys are great. Oh. I also seeing
Phoenix's brother, Yeah, meeting his brother. That was really cool.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Like he looks colder than Phineas, but he's.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
Not exactly I understand. I had that same thought.

Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah, I don't like but she even have white hair?
What do you mean?

Speaker 3 (15:27):
You know?

Speaker 2 (15:29):
I think it was really hopesome, you know, seeing family,
so like I steel, like Phinis really really happy.

Speaker 3 (15:35):
Yeah, and again it goes back to like Malca and
her aunt. Yeah, making food and making you feel more
at home in Uganda. And I'm sure the other kids
who are from Uganda as well also had that feeling.
I hear a lot when when Christian makes cooks for us,
or when we have like someone like Maca's aren't cooked
for us, and take a traditional Ugandan food, everyone's like

(15:57):
a home.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Yeah, it's just wonderful. But with that, i'd like thank
you catching up for joining for this podcast.

Speaker 3 (16:05):
Yeah, thank you. This was This was chaotic and fun.
No we shouldn't, but I'm happy to talk about other
fun things that we do here at only all right, thanks,
thank you,