Jamie Freedman: Centering Life

 

             After being kicked out of the silent area of the library, Jamie Freedman and I wandered over to lane. On the way I watched her interact with a friend, a quick chat, exchanging of laughs and a see you later. I lingered in the background paying close attention to her mannerisms. You would have never guessed that a few days before, she was hospitalized with pneumonia. We headed over to Lane and mutually decided on the busy lounge area as the appropriate background for this interview. Seconds into the interview I was fully warned “I like to talk, I like to talk about people too, but not in that way” said Jamie.

             Jamie Freedman, nineteen years of age, was born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland. She is entering her junior year, as a communication studies major, public relations and film minor. Jamie expressed her happiness with her decision to attend Frostburg State University due to the small campus and the opportunity to meet new people. But her future goals most definitely include the Big Apple. “New York, I fell in love with it ever since I visited, it is fu*king magical”. She also briefly mentioned the career opportunities the big city would lend to her major. She previously wanted to be an English and History major.  When asked about the sudden change of heart, Jamie responded “I don’t like to teach.” I asked one more question to round up the career section of our conversation: Where do you see yourself in five years? She responded “hopefully I’ll have a good job in New York probably living in a fu*king apartment.”

             As the mood began to ease, the conversation took its natural course. Jamie has an older sibling named Matt who is 23 years old. She described their relationship as pretty close. She lovingly told me a story to attest to their relationship. When she was just three years old, Matt stuck his macaroni and cheese fork up her nose. In her spare time she plays the guitar. She owns one electric and two acoustic guitars (one named Lucy). She has also been a vegetarian for seven years. This happened when she was twelve years old at an Italian restaurant with her mother. When her mother ordered a veal parmesan Jamie asked her “why would you eat a baby cow?”. Jamie’s other pastime activities include spending time with her sorority sisters of Kappa Gamma Delta and playing field hockey. Jamie was actually offered an athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland as well as Frostburg State University but declined. She said the practice times and unpaid games were a deterrent. She then elaborated about the extremes of the game. “I have broken other people’s collar bones, fingers, ankles, and wrist and have had my knee shattered.”

            With all these important intimate details at hand, one stood out to me the most. I asked Jamie to share with me an interesting fact that most people did not know about her. She responded “I have a tattoo and I am a huge fan of Harry Porter. I lost my father at age fourteen, it was a rough time and I read to get through it”. Since Harry Porter has had such an impact on Jamie’s life, check out author  J.K. Rowling’s website.