Full Name: Tevin Deshaun Harris
Year: 2018
Birthday: February 27, 1996
Hi, Tevin! I hope you’re having a good day! Ok, first question: what’s your favorite thing about Kenyon?
There’s so many things I like about Kenyon…honestly, I just appreciate the diversity of personalities on campus. Being where I’m from, it’s really cool to branch out and break out and get an insight into other people. You learn a lot about yourself from other people.
What’s your ideal job?
See, my ideal job would be to be a strength and conditioning coach or a physical therapist, or I’d love to be a public speaker like Les Brown. I don’t know—a lot of people say I motivate them. I like the idea that I get to have the opportunity to touch people’s lives. Growing up, I wish I had that.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
This is a good question because the new Marvel show just came out! If I could have any superpower, I would definitely, definitely…I’d probably want psychic powers. I want to be able to read people’s minds.
Ok, I know for a fact that you’re in the Tolkien’s Middle Ages class. PLEASE tell me about how much you love Lord of the Rings and who your favorite character is.
See, I’ve just actually watched one of the Lord of the Rings movies with Kobena [his roommate], and who’s the elf? He’s fucking badass! That’s my favorite character. [Author’s note: Legolas is one of my favorite characters too!]
Would you rather live forever or be a billionaire?
I would definitely want to be a billionaire. I feel like living forever would become depressing because you’d meet so many people and then they’d leave you. Let me be successful and do a bunch of things! Living forever would be terrible.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Probably the best advice I’ve ever gotten…relatively gotten? The best social advice I’ve ever gotten from a homie was “sometimes, people miss the jet.” What he meant by it was that sometimes people step into your life and they make the wrong decision to mistreat you and then you go your separate ways—you can’t think too much about it. They missed the jet, while you’re on the jet, doing your thing.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever given?
I’ve given a lot of advice but in general, and this is something I’ve told a lot of people…you just can’t let people dull your sparkle. Basically, when you have your mind set on what you want to do, there are people in your life who’ll have their own negative input. If it’s something you want to do, put your all into it, and don’t focus on what people think.
If you could choose to go into the future or the past, which time period and where would you choose to visit?
I wouldn’t go into the past for obvious reasons. Um, but I would love to go into the future and see what became of myself and all my friends. I’m really impatient sometimes. I’d like to see how people fucked up to make sure they know not to fuck up. I’d use my time machine to make sure we’re all good.
Cats or dogs?
I love dogs, but I live with cats, so…I want to say both, but dogs are better.
If you could recommend three books everyone should read sometime in their life, what would those three books be and why?
You’ve got to read Slaughterhouse Five—Kurt Vonnegut completely changed the way I look at death and time.
Siddhartha—the reason I say Siddhartha is that the whole concept of Buddhism, just having an alternative way of looking at life through different values. The way I look at the world, it allowed me to understand that it’ll help you appreciate life in a different way and contribute to yourself in terms of conducting your life so that you’re happier, and you make sure people around you are happier.
The third’s between two books. If you can read both, read Native Son and Things Fall Apart. I read it [Things Fall Apart] at a point where… you know, the way I was raised… men aren’t—but sometimes it’s okay to cry! Express yourself!
Ok! Last question: If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
There are so many things I’d want to change. Not saying that the world is inherently bad, but we’ve got a lot of issues, and if I could change one thing, you know what, I’m gonna be bold—if I could change one thing, I would change everything. The way we construct these views of one another…if we can reconstruct the way we view each other and learn to look at each other with love—respect, love, admiration, and what not. If you’re achieving happiness, I’ll support you in any type of way I can. If we can make the world more supportive of one another, it would be a totally different place.
Image Credit: BMP Productions, Tevin Harris