Name: Devon Harford
Year: 2019
Dorm: Lyons
Majors: English and possibly Political Science
Hometown: Manhattan and Ridgefield, CT
Relationship Status: Quite Single, now that you mention it
You grew up in Manhattan – what’s your favorite thing about the city?
The fact that there’s always somewhere new that you can go. In other towns or other places, it’ll be so small, or especially after living there for many many years, you kind of run out of places to go unless something new comes up. But Manhattan, I lived there 15 years, I never ran out of different things to go see and do.
With no prior connection to Notre Dame, What made you choose ND over other schools?
Well, fun fact, we were in the middle of applying for schools – my parents and I were already strained in that relationship due to the stress of applying. My mother basically forced me to apply, I didn’t know much about the school really. I got in, and it was great, but I still didn’t really know much about it until I went to the first night with the Notre Dame Club of Fairfield where they essentially were like ‘we’ll convince you to come to Notre Dame’. And that’s exactly what they did. On the drive back, I looked at my parents and I was like ‘Can I decide now?’ [laughs]. I think the thing that really convinced me was that so many alums, every generation of student, came back and were trying to convince other people to go.
As business major to an English major, how do you feel about the major shaming that goes on at Notre Dame?
[Laughs] It’s not even…[sighs]. I hear you guys talking sometimes about ‘yeah, some majors will look at us and be like ha you can’t even complain’ but think about the kids who literally are there to read things, and write things. Things that you do for your whole life. Even when you’re in grade school, they’re like ‘okay, now write a paragraph on this’. It feels to a lot of people like anyone can do it, but it’s actually really hard once you get to a point where you have to properly analyze things and write in a way that’s done so well. It’s harder than people think. You’re not just an English major because you’re good at English, you’re an English major because you want to learn how to do English better, because it is a skill. And it’s hard, so don’t tell me it’s not.
Favorite memory of your time here (so far)
Oh man, I don’t even know. There are different things that have happened that have meant different things. I could talk about one of the football games and that would be an incredible memory because it’s such an endorphin high just to be there and experience it. But you also have something like going to the grotto after a really rough time, and having that be the most therapeutic thing. I was there once, having a bit of rough time as we all do. This girl just comes up behind me and was like ‘hey, do you want to talk?’ and I didn’t even know how to respond it was so open and genuine and lovely. The greatest thing about it was that, the next time I went to the grotto, I saw a kid there crying, I felt confident enough to go up to him and be like “Hey, do you want to talk about anything” and he was like “No, I’m fine.”, I was like “Do you want me to sit next to you here” and he said “Yeah that’d be nice”. It’s one of things where it shows that this place is almost entirely about pay it forward, which just creates this incredible atmosphere. And it’s so unique, and it’s so rare, and I love it so much. It’s just community.
What extracurriculars are you passionate about on campus?
Prism, I’m involved in, and I love it because it’s something where I feel like I can make a large amount of difference in the time that I’m here. It’s still pretty new and pretty small, which is something I can have a lot of influence in and make a lot of change through, which is really great. Mustard is just fun because I love writing, and it’s just another one of those really inclusive ‘bring you writing, we’ll give you constructive criticism, and we’ll also tell you how great it is and how great of writer you are because you deserve to hear it’.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Broadway Musical: (should be taken into account it took at least thirty seconds of ums to acquire an answer) LES MIS
Favorite Youtuber: (same as above) PHILIP DEFRANCO
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
North or South: North…WAIT DINING HALLS? SOUTH. IMMEDIATELY.
Title of your autobiography: I’m trying, okay?
Favorite roommate: NOPE
Do you love your roommates: When they don’t ask me impossible questions, yes. The answer is yes.
Thanks Devon! HCNDXO
Images provided by the interviewee
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