So, the sign here where you are working says “”Information.”” What kind of information could I get from you if I came to this desk?

You could get all sorts of information. Um, anything about campus. There is some pretty weird questions people ask.

What’s an example of one of the weird questions you have gotten from people?

Um, let’s see. God, I have to think about it. Like yesterday someone asked me where the Mall was if they were driving on the freeway. When someone has issues with the bathrooms. Just some random stuff.

Like where are the bathrooms or “”I just clogged the toilet, and I need help””?

A bit of both (laughs).

On the computer here, are you researching information for the campus, watching YouTube or doing homework like a good student?

A little bit of all of them. I am working on my grad application right now because I am about to graduate and also I have to have music on whenever I do anything, because I am so ADD I have to have multiple things going on at the same time.

Since you are filling out a grad application I’ll assume you are graduating this year. What do you want to do when you graduate?

I hope to go to grad school and study agricultural resource economics. Um, if not that, I’ll probably take a semester off and look at some other options, like the Enviromental Protection Agency or some other government agency relevant to my field.

So you want to work for the bureaucracy? Get paid by the government? Is that the plan?

Yeah, I am a hippie.

(Laughs) You are a hippie who likes the government. I have never heard that before actually.

Well, we can always improve it.

How do you think we can improve it?

Well, the reason government fails or whatnot is because people aren’t educated about what’s going on. So the more who are educated, the more who are open-minded to new things.

So that’s where government and hippies meet, in education.

Yeah.

— Emily Bowen