Humans of USU: Senior reflects on Black History Month
The Utah Statesman interviewed Tailor Dunigan, a senior majoring in criminology from Mission Viejo, California.
Utah Statesman: What do you miss most about California?
Tailor Dunigan: The sun, the warmth, the beaches. … Being around big groups of people, locations, not living in the world’s smallest town, but it’s okay.
US: What brought you to Utah State?
TD: To actually have a new change of scenery.
US: How was Mardi Gras this weekend?
TD: It was fun, despite losing my phone, but it’s okay.
US: Maybe someone found your phone and will give it to you after they read this.
TD: I hope so. I don’t know if they would, though.
US: What do you think about this unnaturally warm February weather?
TD: Oh my gosh, I’m in love with it. Honestly, I’m just like, this is perfect. Like I just said, I miss the sun back home and vitamin D and just have to work on my tan, but it’s okay.
US: What’s your favorite hobby?
TD: Now I feel way nerdy. Reading — I actually love reading.
US: What’s your favorite book?
TD: Easy, Harry Potter.
US: What’s your favorite quote from Harry Potter?
TD: Expecto patronum.
US: What was the last dream you remember having?
TD: I had a dream that we were on some secret mission, and I was with (my friends), and we had to break into some museum and steal an egg. Literally, it was just an egg. Like, the type you eat. Eggs. I don’t know why I dreamt that. Then it gets weirder because Scooby-Doo was in it.
US: When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up, and has that changed?
TD: I wanted to be a semi-truck driver. Yeah, and it’s changed a lot because now. I want to get a career in child crime and help out other people or children that are victimized in all the different ways.
US: What’s your favorite color?
TD: Blue. It’s kind of like my happy color. It’s calming.
US: What does Black History Month mean to you?
TD: Especially now because we’ve got this whole movement going on with Black Lives Matter … I feel like now more than ever, we need to be reminded that all together, I mean, not necessarily just black lives, but everybody matters.
We need to be reminded of our culture and just to see where we’ve come from and where we are now. I just feel like it’s a good reminder to have, especially for African Americans and people that … feel like they have to act a certain way because they are African American and it’s what’s expected. …
During this time period and with Black History Month, it kind of gives more of a chance for us all to remember that, you know what, just because we’ve had this certain past and this certain quota or whatever master status we’re supposed to fulfill, doesn’t mean that we need to. We can always go above and beyond. So I think that Black History Month is just a really good reminder overall of all the great people that have come before us and that are still around.