Meet Onyx; you can usually see them in the Starbucks line in Centennial Hall every day. They actually rushed our interview just to get an Iced Caramel Frappuccino, so that’s cool. Nah, but I honestly love Onyx – super dope and humble person. Check out our interview below!
Name: Onyx Klein
Year: Senior
Major: Political Science
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Green Bay, WI
PGPs: They/Them
J: Do you have any nicknames?
O: Um … not really, since I changed my name. Imani calls me Onny and if you’re talking to Bev, she’ll call me Chicken Little.
J: Are you involved in anything on campus?
O: Yeah, I am a peer tutor in OMSS and a peer educator in the Pride center. I am the founder of FIERCE, the campus’ first LGBT POC (People of Color) organization. Sometimes I am also an office assistant. I am also a member of Black Student Unity and the College Democrats. I don’t really go to the College Dems’ meetings but we can keep that on the low low.
J: What is your favorite thing about UW-La Crosse?
O: I would say everybody who goes through the Office of Multicultural Student Services, the diversity organizations and the Pride center—I really love hanging out with all of them. Other than that this place is not the spot.
J: What are some of your favorite things to do?
O: I really like reading, because I’m a huge nerd, I like singing, and I don’t know, hanging out with the homies. I don’t know what else; I don’t do anything except work.
J: If you could do anything in the world as a career, what would it be?
O: Man … If I could do anything … I would run my own non-profit teaching comprehensive sex education to LGBT youth.
J: Do you have a favorite food?
O: Omg … It’s between fried chicken, lasagna and pizza–Soul food, Italian and American all in one.
J: You just can’t pick one though?
O: Nah, they’re like my babies…
J: So what if they made a fried chicken and Lasagna pizza, would you eat it?
O: H*** no …
[laughter]
J: What does your ideal day off look like?
O: It looks like lying in bed, not talking to anybody, cuddling with my cat and watching Netflix.
J: If you could choose one word to describe your life so far, what would it be and why?
O: I’m trying to come up with something that isn’t negative. This is so cliché, but it has been quite the roller coaster, ya know? When it’s good, it’s really good and when it’s bad, it’s bad. But, I live for the good times.
J: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
O: That’s a hard one … Uh … that I am such an emotional person. I just care about everybody so much and worry about everyone all the time. I think people see me as just going about my day and being busy. I like to laugh and I’m funny, at least I think so, but at the end of the day I’m always worried about my friends and family.
J: What would you like to change most about UWL?
O: The most …. It seems that people don’t have a lot of knowledge about people who are different from them here and they aren’t forced to interact with people who are different from them. I think it creates a lot of conflict and tension that privileged people don’t have to feel but people without privilege do all the time – and they don’t want to listen to that struggle.
J: What are you most likely doing on a Friday night?
O: [laughs] You know Ima be at the booty club …
J: What is the best advice you have ever received?
O: I’ve got to think about this … “People will always show you who the real them are and you should believe them.” And it’s better to find that out sooner than later.
J: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
O: Um …. Omg … There was one time in high school, and I had this horrible math teacher and he knew nothing about girls, because no girls ever took his class, because they hated him. And one day, I bled so heavily through my pants and asked him if I could go to the bathroom and he wouldn’t let me, and then I had to yell at him that I had my period and bled through my pants – so everyone knew. Then, I had to go get new pants in the office and they were so big that they covered my feet. That was probably the worst day of my life, TBH.
J: Describe yourself using 3 words …
O: Loyal, Loving and Lit!
[Disclaimer: No one was harmed during the argument that you will witness in the next question…]
J: Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! What’s your favorite catch phrase?
O: I don’t even know … What do I say a lot? I know I say something a lot but I don’t even know what it is. I don’t have one.
J: Dang it! That was supposed to be the last hurrah!
O: I know …
J: “I don’t have a catch phrase” – it’s cool.
O: I don’t have a catch phrase but …
J: but …
O: I don’t have a catch phrase..
J: It’s really okay …
O: Yeah, but I can’t end on that note!
J: Should I ask what your favorite ice cream is?
O: Mint chocolate chip
J: Really? Just like Isaiah … Why?
O: Because it’s the best ice cream…
J: I’m trying to find something interesting in this lol
O: I’M SORRY! THERE ISNT ANYTHING FUNNY I CAN SAY OR INTERESTING! IM NOT INTERESTING! IM NOT AN INTERESTING PERSON, YOU CAN WRITE ALL THAT DOWN!! [LAUGHS]
J: What else you got to say?
O: Can I go now?
I received a text from Onyx about ten minutes after the interview with a catch phrase: “If young metro don’t trust you, I’m gon shoot you.”
I loved every minute of this, Onyx! Ya’ll make sure ya say wusgood to them!
P.s. Everyone has a favorite catch phrase.