Name: Ilya Grindstaff
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia
Majors: Astrophysics and Russian
“So, are we gonna hug orrrrrr?” were the first words Ilya Grindstaff said to me. Approachable does not begin to describe the local celeb whose simple yet enthusiastic greetings to others, myself included, have a noticeable impact on their moods. What would have normally been a 15 minute interview, resulted in an hour long conversation discussing everything from stars in the sky, to stars like Orlando Bloom. Along with being famous for his fedora dotted head, Ilya can also add Orientation Leader, former twitter superstar, heartthrob, and overall good guy to his long list of commendable attributes.
HC: What inspired you to pursue a degree in Astrophysics?
IG: “I’ve always wanted to be unique, and that’s something I aim for in everything I do. Whether it is my style, my humor, or major! I think too many people are invested in the sciences of our Earth, but the Earth is only .0000…03% (with 60 zero’s) of the universe. That means there is so much more to explore: stars, planets, black holes, dark matter, beautiful clusters of galaxies, and so much more of these astral components that we haven’t discovered yet! I want to focus on astrophysics, because it gives me the opportunity to explore the unexplored. I’m also really dreamy, and get lost sometimes when looking at the night skies, so I guess that makes it a pretty good fit too!
HC: Who inspires you?IG: “Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carl Sagan continue to inspire me. (Tyson, esteemed Harvard grad and Astrophysicist, is a nationally acclaimed author, speaker, scientist, and television host. Sagan was an astrophysicist, cosmologist, and speaker.) They’re unbelievable speakers; their passion is expressed in everything they say. Their excitement for their field really does make you passionate as well. I think of them as science communicators rather than researchers. That’s exactly what I want to do… communicate. I want to use my science knowledge to inspire, educate, and encourage others. If I can make one or two other people passionate about it, I’ve done my job.”
HC: Where do you see yourself in five years?IG: “I’m planning on applying to the Peace Corps. I was born in Russia, and lived there for eight years. That being said, I feel like I’m almost destined to be in a location outside of the United States. Somewhere that interests me, perhaps Eastern Asia. We’ll see about the location… what I do know, is that I want to be helping other people abroad in five years!”
HC: What inspired you to become an Orientation Leader?
IG: Well, it’s a really funny connection, Luis (Guerrero) was my Orientation Leader last year. He’s a really cool guy, and made sure to communicate with me after orientation. He would periodically send me check-up texts and was always more than willing to answer any questions I had. It was really nice to know that I would have someone regardless of what I needed. Then, I was “forced” to see him every day for a year, because of all the RA’s on campus, he ended up being mine! The application for OL opened, and Luis suggested I look into it. I gave it a shot, and here we are!”
HC: What was your main goal during Orientation?
IG: I was so nervous coming to Chapel Hill myself, since I didn’t have any friends coming with me and I didn’t know what to expect in college. After living in Chapel Hill for a year, and falling in love with everything that it has to offer, I wanted to ease new students into the university and tell them about how awesome Carolina truly is. I want them to know they have a friend and resource in me whenever they need it! It’s really cool, because as an OL, you’re the first person students and their families get to meet. It’s their time to ask questions, and I wanted to be on the front line of helping them transition into college. It’s a great way to interact with future Tar Heels, and be a small part of their time here at Carolina. Being an OL gave me the opportunity to meet people I would have otherwise not met.”
HC: Favorite UNC sports memory?
IG: “During high school, I was very anti-sports. That completely changed when I came to college. After I saw my first UNC basketball game, I was hooked. The crowd was totally hype and it got me pumped. I could also hear the Duke game from my shower in HoJo, which is crazy to think about.”
HC: Any celebrity friendship crushes?
IG: *NO hesitation* “Orlando Bloom. I think he’s super sexy, and that’s coming from a straight guy. Plus, he was Legolas in the The Lord of The Rings film trilogy, which are my favorite movies. I also used to have an elf obsession, which doesn’t help with the whole Orlando Bloom friendship crush situation. I would also love to be friends with Stephen Hawking, because he’s such a brilliant and inspirational guy. Plus, he gave UNC a shoutout on Facebook, which is pretty cool if you ask me.”
HC: Pretend you can only pick one movie to watch for the rest of your life… what would it be?
IG: “Oh geez, I would straight up have of say Lord of the Rings. It would also have to be the original trilogy. I guess that’s not a fair answer because there are three of them, but oh well, I’m clever!”
HC: I also understand you’re a history buff. Which historical figure do you find to be the most interesting?
IG: Genghis Khan is my favorite person in history. He was able to build the largest empire through conquest, but there were also so many unintentional consequences because of his decision to unite so many lands. Khan put everything under one rule… his rule. He wasn’t a dictator, rather he believed in an early version of democracy. He assimilated both religion and cultures in conquered territories, and had religious representatives on his advising boards, which I think is really cool. Along with the size of the empire itself, he established cultures, linked religions, and made trade routes that otherwise wouldn’t exist.
HC: Describe your dream girl.
IG: “Well, I’ve experienced a lot of mutual attraction with other people. That being said, they’ve been externally influenced, by that I mean looks or something of the sort. However, I now realize that there is SO much more to a relationship than what’s on the outside. I try to be very conscious about what qualities I find attractive and desireable. I’m looking for someone who grows more interesting over time, rather than being really interesting off the bat and then tapering off. I want someone who keeps surprising me with who they are, and not who they want me to think they are. I also write music and like to sing, so I like people who are interested in the arts. So I am attracted to people who are interested in the arts. I think that says a lot about you, if you can express yourself in a medium that’s not yourself. It’s a dreamy way of living.”
HC: What is one important lesson you’ve learned so far in college?
IG: “I was twitter famous, and I made a clothing company from that. I sold over $30,000 worth of shirts. They weren’t even that good, but I think other people thought they were awesome because other people said they were. I wasn’t famous because I’m cool, but it was because other people think other people think that I’m interesting. That’s something I try to be aware of, and I want other people to be aware of too; you should never make choices based on other people’s’ actions or thoughts. College is a time to be an individual, and discover who you are and who you want to be.”
HC: Any final words of wisdom?
IG: “All I’ve gotta say is apply to be an OL. I genuinely wish everyone could experience what it’s like to be an OL. We really bonded as a group, and grew as individuals. We shared some unbelievable experiences together, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
HCXO,
Maelin