For my diversity first year seminar interview I got the chance to talk with Deucie Lee. He is a freshman here at Penn State for the summer session. 

When I asked about what he likes to do in his free time it seems like a typical daily life for a teenager. Something he likes to do with his friends is going out to eat. While he loves to go out to hang with his friends, he also enjoys staying in and playing Madden and 2K. I was unaware of what Madden and 2k was so he explained to me that they are football and basketball video games. He also played for his high school basketball team.

Although I do not play any video games on the regular we both have the same interests in our down time. Similarly to him I go out and hang with my friends when I have my own time. Going out to eat is the main thing my friends and I will do when I am at home which is a big connection we have. 

Some of his traditions he has with his family is going to church every week. Although I don’t go regularly anymore, church was an every week thing for me as well when I was growing up. We seem to have a lot more in common than I had ever imagined I would with a stranger.

As we continued our conversation he mentioned that he lived around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. When he mentioned this fact I was very intrigued because I also live around that area. Turns out he went to Central Dauphin High School which is about 30 minutes away from my high school. I told him that I went to Cumberland Valley High School and right away he gave me a jokingly disappointed reaction. Our schools went head to head for many sports. Their football team happened to be one of our rivals on the field. I even remember driving to his school to watch one of the games. It’s crazy to think that our paths may have crossed before and we had no clue until now. 

Once we found out that we were in the same area we started to talk about mutual people we might know. He mentioned someone from my high school basketball that he knows and it turns out to be one of my friends from back home. I even saw our mutual friend this weekend when I went home. It just goes to show that we truly live in a small world.

When I asked him about his experiences living as a black male he feels that he is experiencing what any other person would. He sees his life no different than any other person of a different race. 

I also asked him about some stereotypes he had encounter here at Penn State. For the most part he has not faced many people stereotyping him. The one thing he mentioned that he said he could see being a stereotype is him being asked if he plays any sports. 

Deucie has had an amazing time so far at Penn State University. I’m sure that we are bound to cross paths again either here or back at home. Talking with him for only 10 minutes was all I needed to see that he is a really cool guy. I am very grateful that he took the time out of his day to meet and chat with me.