Waffles, HGTV & Ice-Cream, Oh My!

Name: Lesly Knope

Age: 19

Hometown: Bridgeport, CT

"Do you commute to UConn Stamford?"

"I do. This is my first year commuting because I’ve lived in the dorms last year. I actually really love it, it’s not that bad. A lot of people think it’s bad, but, I mean, it depends on the commute and where you’re from, but I like it."

"Why did you stop living at the dorms?"

"It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I feel like I wanted to experience both the commuter life and the dorming life, so I just wanted to get a taste of both. Also, I’ll be leaving to Storrs in the Fall Semester of Junior Year."

"What’s your major that you’re going up there?"

"I’m electrical engineering."

"Oh so you definitely have to go there for your major.

Why did you come here first?"

"So I was thinking about other places, but UConn has always been a really big name in my High School and a lot of people have been talking about it. And originally I was thinking about going to Temple, then I was thinking about coming here instead because it’s a lot more diverse and it’s a smaller school. So i figured I’d start out small for now and then I’ll move out to another school later, which is Storrs."

"Are you excited to go to Storrs, or nervous, or both?"

"I’m excited and nervous. I don't know, I’m excited to meet new people but I’ve already made so many friends here and I’ve already done a lot here. I’ve dressed up as a turkey on Thanksgiving, I dressed up as a cow on Halloween and I wear weird hats. I have my umbrella hats, I make waffles here, I do a lot here. So going to Storrs is going to be weird, but it’s exciting."

"If electrical engineering was here, would you stay here or would you still want to get away?"

"Just to experience it, I would like to see what Storrs is like. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I heard their ice-cream is pretty good. It’s like from the source, the cows and everything. So, I mean, it’s pretty good."

"Can you explain to me the waffle thing? Someone told me that you sold waffles and I had no idea what they were talking about."

"So, last year when I was living in the dorms, I’ve heard that a lot of people really liked my waffles. When I first came here, I started to make waffles because it’s a good way to make friends and have people in and out of my room. So I made waffles, and after I started commuting, a lot of people were like ‘oh my gosh, I miss your waffles, and you of course.’ And I was like, oh thank you, but I can’t make them because I don’t live at the dorms anymore. So I was like ‘what’s a way for me to deliver waffles and make people happy?’. And then I realized I can sell them because I’m commuting now. So I’m like UberEats except I’m not UberEats, so now I sell Waffle Boxes, that’s what I call them, they’re $5 a box and you get a Belgium Waffle, Fruit, and a topping of your choice. So recently I made the cinnamon chocolate chip waffles with bananas and syrup. And now I make this Thanksgiving waffle, it’s called ‘Thanksgiving Leftovers’ and it has cranberry sauce, chocolate chips and the Belgium Waffle. And they’ve been selling really well. People tell me I should be a business major."

"I was just thinking that! I was thinking ‘why don’t you just become an entrepreneur?’ I saw in the SGA room that one of your wishes would to open a Waffle House. Why don’t you just be a Business Major?"

"I wanted to try something new. Even in High School, well I didn’t sell waffles in High School but I baked and sold candy, and a lot of people said the same thing. They were like ‘when you go to college, you should be an entrepreneur’ and I was like I like the idea of it, but I also went to High School and I was programming a lot and did a lot of engineering stuff, so I came in and liked electrical so I wanted to try that for now. If it doesn’t work out, then maybe, we’ll see what happens."

"What clubs have/do you belong on campus?"

"When I first came here, I was the President of the Hall Association, it just opened up and I applied just to see if I get it and I got it. I’m in SGA and I’m a Director now, I was in Senate last year. I was in the Computer Science Club for a little while, I’m in the Video Game Club, I’m in The Outlets, I’m in a lot. There’s more, I just can’t remember."

"What made you want to be so involved on campus?"

"I just feel like college is something you want to experience. When I was in High School, I did a lot as well. But I know now you can branch off and do a lot more and meet new people and let myself be known just incase I do open up a Waffle House, just kidding. I just like the idea of meeting new people and helping people because a lot of people coming into college, other than just myself, they’re like really nervous. So just being apart of their experience is kind of interesting to me."

"I know it’s a big campus, but do you plan on being as involved when you go to Storrs?"

"It’s a really big campus. If I am involved, it’s definitely for the ice-cream. But I think if I am involved, I do want to do the HuskyThon. I love HuskyThon, just the idea of 24 hour dancing for kids, it makes me cry. But it’s really cute; I think I’ll do that and look around and see what it has to offer first before I jump in."

"What do you see yourself doing with electrical engineering?"

"Well, I watch a lot of HGTV and I’ve seen a lot of people working on houses. If anything, I would like to work on houses and the interior, like lights and everything. It seems really interesting to me. If I ever do own a Waffle House, I can do my own lighting and the whole nine-yards."

"Do you see yourself living in Connecticut after college?"

"Ok, so I really haven’t left Connecticut for a long, long time. I’ve never been out the country. And I couldn’t even say where the farthest I’ve been is. I don’t really go far at all. I feel like maybe when I start my career after college, I’ll stay here for a little while, but my intention is to move to Seattle. I’ve never been, but I really like the idea of living there; I’ve seen a lot of images and have seen a lot of YouTube videos and I feel like it would be a nice area for me. New York would be another place, but it’s where everyone goes to chase their dreams, so it’s a little intimidating."

**Throughout the whole interview, people have been saying “Hi” to Lesly. The count so far is 7 people in 10 minutes. Final count will be at the end.***

"So this question will be the last question and it’s the free question. You can say anything you want, or give any advice that you want."

"I think if I were to give advice, it would be, well I’m going to say a few, but it’s to give yourself a break once in a while. I feel like a lot of people here are so worried about finishing, but they don’t take their time to experience what UConn or any other place that they’re going to go to have to offer. I guess in our time and in our generation, it’s just a lot of people are so worried about being on top and making it, like they’re really scared because of the way everything is set up now. Also, meet new people, definitely. I enjoy meeting new people. You don’t have to go crazy if you don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable, like make a few friends. It’s always nice just to see how other people go about life and how they get around the school. I’m all about zen, so learn to water your mental spiritual garden. A lot of people just need to relax; it’s stressful, it is, but just calm down. And also, for the three weeks we have left, it’s going to be ok, you’re going to get 110%, I promise. And the last thing I would say is live. That’s it, just live; a lot of people work a lot, like a lot a lot, so the main thing I want people to do is to just slow down, just relax, and we’ll see where life goes from there."

***The final count of people saying Hi to Lesly was 9 in 12 minutes***