1. What is your full name and date of birth?
Taylor Louis (Damien) Kaimanaokekai Mitchell. Damien isn't on my birth certificate, but it's my confirmation name, and I like it. It's in honor of St. Damien of Moloka'i, who is pretty sweet. Kaimanaokekai is my Hawaiian name, and it is translated literally as "Diamond of the sea." It is in reference to the sunlight sparkling off the ocean. I'm a sparkly person, apparently. I was born on May 27th.
2. What was your goofiest moment at CTY?
Goofiest moment at CTY? Every moment at CTY is a goofy moment. There is not a single moment that goes by that is not goofy. But I'm assuming you'd prefer a specific answer. Let's see. I tend to get pretty goofy at the dances. Also, activities that I haven't done more than ten minutes of preparation for get really goofy. Also, I would assume that I look goofy yelling at kids who don't use the crosswalk. As a student, I think that I was at my goofiest when I dressed up as a hula dancer (complete with coconut bra) for drag day and handed out lei (lei is the plural form of lei, fyi) to everyone, or when I wore a cassock (what priests wear) to all the dances. I actually ended up with a role during American Pie!
3. Which session do you prefer?
As a student, I preferred first session. I always went to first sessions, save for one summer, and they seemed to be more fun- fresh and exciting, and the staff had boundless energy. As a staff member, though, I find that I really enjoy second session. I'm certainly much more easily exhausted, but I'm also much more familiar with how things are run, so I don't need as much energy, i suppose. Also, by the time second session rolls around, I know my co-workers really well, and that makes things so much simpler.
4. How does LMU compare to Carlisle?
That's a hard question, my friend. Why don't you ask something simpler, like would I like to give up my legs or my arms? I did two years of Carlisle as a student, and it was wonderful. I would call it a completely authentic, traditional CTY experience, if not the MOST authentic, traditional CTY experience (Please don't get me started on Lancaster. Suffice to say I'm not a huge fan). It's a very large site, and it's been going on for ages, so everything is very established. They are very good at whimsical activities, and the dances are nothing short of fantastic. The Cannon is sweet. The traditions there are done in such a way that they are a constant presence, but it's not at all overbearing (Like a certain other site in PA). The site is only slightly bigger than LMU, but it seems a lot larger due to the way day to day things are handled. At CAR, you spend a lot of time independent of direct staff supervision and you aren't necessarily always together as a hall or class, so there is less of a sense of a whole site community, although you do develop closer one on one friendships with people that you don't live or go to class with, which is nice. On the other end of the spectrum, cliques tend to form. At LMU I got the sense that there was a fantastic sense of community- everyone knew each other at least by sight, and there was a sense of one-ness. Sounds tacky, I know, but it makes for a great session. The campuses are both beautiful. CAR's buildings are classic and dignified or modern and classy, in comparison to some of LMU's tacky 70's monstrosities, but I have to give LMU the slight edge, because it's got beautiful weather and Los Angeles is so much nicer than Nowhere, PA. LMU also has better food. So I suppose, after all this rambling, I will give LMU the win, ever so slightly over Carlisle. Its nicer, more loving, and prettier.
5. Which is your favorite and least favorite canon song?
A few words about the Canon: LMU is seriously lacking in many traditions that would be commonplace at other sites, and usually I don't mind, except for the dances. LMU Canon is a skeleton, and needs to be beefed up a bit. That being said, anytime I mention Canon, it's largely based off of the Carlislian Canon, with slight modifications.
First, I love American Pie, forever and forever. It's magic. I think the most special moment of my CTY career was hearing American Pie at my first dance as an RA. It was an intense, beautiful moment that was the epitome of all things CTY. It's hard to put into words, but it's something I very truly treasure.
But that's kind of a cop-out answer, isn't it? Let's see. There are tons of wonderful songs, many of which aren't played often anymore. Birdhouse in Your Soul, Brimful of Asha, EOTW (I KNOW ALL THE WORDS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!), Blister in the Sun, and Barbie Girl are all marvelous. I think that my favorite, though, would have to be Nightswimming by REM. It's not played at LMU (something I would like to change!), but it's a beautiful, slow song that, with Forever Young always reminds me of Nevermores and CTY relationships.
I'm afraid to tell you my least favorite song, because I dont' want to start a mass. Oh hell, I have nothing to hide. I HATE STAIRWAY. HATE IT. It's so long, and so unnecessary. It just cheapens American Pie. I will fight to the death for the rest of the canon, but that can go. Do you know what that song is? That's my go to the bathroom, run to the office to pick up mail, get a drink of water so I can get my voice back so I can shout during American Pie. That's what that song is to me. Go ahead. Judge me. I just don't love it. I show up for the last minute of it, and everything is fine.
6. Do you enjoy nerdy things like Star Wars, The Princess Bride, Harry Potter, etc.?
Of course I enjoy nerdy things. I go to a Great Books College. I am spending four years reading exclusively the Western Canon- no textbooks, no nothing. It's spectacular. Apart from that, I am your run of the mill nerd, with a focus in Cooking, Crafting, and Catholicism. I'm particularly nerdy about Catholicism. It's a passion of mine.
7. What is the most trouble you've gotten into as an RA?
I always get in trouble. There was that time that I locked my kids in their rooms because they wouldn't be quiet after lights out, and that time that I made them eat only bread and water because they took too long in the omelet line, and that time that I made them run laps while conjugating Latin verbs because they weren't paying attention in class. Honestly, I don't know why they keep re-hiring me.
8. Do RAs have strange discussions in the way CTYers do?
RA's, when not actively supervising you, or intensely preparing to actively supervise you, usually talk about you. We know all of your secrets, and share them openly among us. Ever wonder why, when you run into RAs while you are with your class, we clam up really quickly and start talking about how nice the weather is? Because we were talking about you. That is literally all we do.
9. If you were to conquer LMU, which dorm would be your fortress, which two RAs (one male, one female) would you enlist, and which buildings would you seize first?
I think that Rosecrans would be the easiest to defend, owing to the sole entrance/exit (which also makes the dorm incredibly easy to patrol!). Sullivan would be useful due to the fact that it houses the office, the supply rooms, and the nurse. Also copy machines, which are of vital importance. Huesman, which wasn't used last year, has a Chapel in it, which is a plus in my eyes. I think I'd have to go with Rosecrans, although if the office were moved to Huesman, it would be my pick.
I don't know which RAs I would pick. Why am I limited to two? Dane would be a shoe-in, but Christian is a boxer or something equally frightening. I think Philip or Chucho would be the best though. Chucho would be incredibly entertaining, and Philip probably could create battle machines in his sleep. Of the girls, I think I would pick Kendra. She's the scariest, although Sophia and Newby could give her a run for her money.
Actually, I'd be fine with whoever. Everyone would be awesome. I'm not picky.
