Answers with Ava: a Q&A Session

emma parry
Sep 7, 2018 · 13 min read

Ava Leone is a Sophomore Mass Communication major at Georgia College and State University. Bright and outgoing, she stays extremely involved around campus and enjoys interactions with her family, friends, and friends-to-be. Whether she is leading a yoga session for her friends, writing for the Colonnade with Cherry Coke Zero in hand, or found in a rare moment of resting, Ava is always smiling and ready for a friendly, intelligent conversation.

Q: Hello, Ava! Welcome to our interview!

A: Hi! What’s going on?

Q: I’m just going to ask you a bunch of questions and hopefully we’ll get some really interesting material.

A: Oh, that sounds like a great time.

Q: Ok! What’s your favorite Ice-breaker activity… do you even like doing icebreakers?

A: Ummm. Honestly, I’m not really a fan of icebreakers because on the DL I’m kind of an introvert but people don’t expect that of me cause I’m very talkative but I’m very shy and it like takes me a hot minute to get to know people. BUT, there’s this one icebreaker game that isn’t really like an ice breaker, it’s just like to make people more comfortable and a lot of like theatre classes will do it, but it’s called zip-zap-zop. It’s really fun you just like hit your hands and you have to like, make eye contact with people and its really fun. I also like really childish songs. I did choir camp and I was a group leader and like part of that job is to make the kids feel more comfortable and like make them feel welcome and everything, so they’re not stressed out, and so we’ll sing a lot of songs and one of my favorite songs to sing is the Acorn Song. And its really good, I have dance moves to it, its really fun, so yeah.

Q: Do you want to sing a line of it for me?

A: I’m a little acorn round sitting on the cold cold ground. Everybody steps on me, that is why I’m cracked you see (pats legs) Um-a-nah Um-a-nah Um-a-nah Um-a-nah Um-a-nah

Q: I love it! Ok, so if you do get into one of those icebreaker environments, how do you usually describe yourself?

A: Ok, so I’ll frantically be like- especially if it’s like a ‘give yourself a… interesting fact, uh what’s your major and name?’ I’m like… I’ll try to pick something that’s not like, conceited. Because I don’t want people to think — I personally don’t want people to think that I’m- I feel like I’m better than them. So, I try to pick something that’s like, random and stupid that no one really cares about because I don’t want people to be like, ‘yeah ummm one time I actually like climbed mount Everest, and fell off but I survived,’ I don’t want people to be like…mmmm what a binnchhh. But um yeah, usually my first thought process is like ‘I have a tattoo’ but then I’m like, I don’t want people to know that, I want people to like discover that about me.

Q: Ok!

A: I’ve been like, trying to, like, do that more where I don’t tell people things, they just find things out about me because I want them to be like, ‘wow that girl’s interesting’ instead of outright being like ‘I have a tattoo. Like that’s not fun.

Q: It ruins the mystery!

A: Yeah, yeah.

Q: What about your ethnicity, can you tell me about that?

A: A lot of people think that I am like Puerto Rican or like Mexican. Especially in the summer they’re like (scoffs) ‘what are you?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m white.” I’m white, I’m actually Italian. But its fine. I mean like, I’m not offended.

Q: So, when you think of your childhood, what makes you laugh the most?

A: Oh man. I think, like weird situations with my sister. Like, we were talking about this honestly. Me and my sister are very very close, and as children we would get snacks, you know? After school, like Little Debbie’s and things like that, and they’re really good, but she would always — she literally exposed herself just like 2 days ago about this. She was like “Yeah, Ava, I used to hide the last one in the pantry or like my room or something and then throw the box away so that you’d think there was no more and then I would have the last one. And then you would have to watch me eat it.” And all this time I was like, ah! Liz is so nice, what an angel. Lies.

Q: Did you have any particularly awkward middle school moments?

A: Um. Hmm. Wow. I was disgusting in Middle School. First of all, I was completely different. This was when like my anxiousness was a thing. So, like, I can hide it pretty well now, I’m pretty good at managing it, but like, in middle school I was like very particular about things. Middle school and Elementary school, I was like, we have to leave the house at 7:16 every single morning.

Q: 16?

A:7… 7:16.

Q: Really?

A: Every single morning. Because if we didn’t do that, I would get like very anxious about it. If we left later, I was like OH my God, I would lose my shit. If we left before I was like, ‘I’m not ready to see people for the day’ I was like very weird. I don’t know. Also, wait. Awkward middle school moments let’s see. I’m trying to think of things, I think maybe I probably blocked most of them out because I didn’t want to remember them. I’m thinking of the one time I got my period on this bookbag actually. There’s still a stain on it. Its faded because I’ve washed it so many times. Um. The only thing that like really comes to mind is this time when I was trying to open my locker and the girls — we didn’t have like full body lockers, we had like half lockers. And so, I was standing up and the girl above me was opening her locker and she elbowed me in the throat and I cried really hard. It was very bad.

Q: Was it on purpose?

A: NO! She was just opening her locker. It was just really bad timing.

I got neck punched. It was bad.

Q: Ahhh. Have you ever collected anything?

A: Um, yes. Above all of these things are the rabbits because, I was like obsessed with rabbits. I still have my rabbit from like, as a child. I think this was partially my godmother’s doing because she was really obsessed, she actually sent me a rabbit video today, she was like look at this bunny I found, and I was like ‘that’s so nice’ but yeah. I had many different kinds they’re all in like space bags right now because I don’t play with them, but I don’t want to give them away and I don’t know what to do so they’re all just in space bags. So, I have hard ones and I have little drawers and like, I have a lot of bunny memorabilia, it’s kind of ridiculous at this point.

Q: That’s really cool! Did you ever read Peter Rabbit when you were little?

A: Yes. I did.

Q: In an imaginary world what superpower would you have?

A: OK. This is always the hardest one. This is such a hard question because at different times you need different things and like you never know, but I think if I ultimately had to choose I would be basic and just be like “I wanna fly” because…

First of all, my name in Italian means bird. Therefore, I have been a bird my whole life, so when I die and go to heaven and am reincarnated I will probably be a bird.

Q: So, what is something that you regret?

A: Oh. So many past relationships. Like, not even just like romantic ones, but just like tr — with my friends — and petty arguments that have ended those friendships and now I’m looking back and I’m just like, why couldn’t we just like get over this? But I think probably they ended because of a bigger problem and that tiny little like spat just like…

Q: It was the straw that broke the camel’s back?

A: Yeah, it was like the straw and I was just like dang. Also, I regret not dual-enrolling a lot, because I could have saved a lot of m — — I was actually just talking to Alyssa about this I wish I had done that because I feel like AP credits are so hard and they don’t give you the experience that you need. Like its just like, you put in so much work and it’s not even like really applicable to your life. I feel like in college like you learn a lot more, especially just like from the way the classes are set up where you participate more. Like, in high school I was always scared because I was not that popular, so I wouldn’t participate that much but here I’m like, oh! Peep peep peep because I’m like comfortable in my surroundings and stuff.

Q: Tell me about your favorite celebrities.

A: First off, I’ve been really obsessed with Ariana Grande. I think it’s just like, because she’s been producing new music and she’s really cute.

I don’t care if her dress was too short for the funeral, like it was fine. I still love her.

Q: Would you say that you prefer famous musicians or famous movie stars?
A: Uh. Musicians and I am so biased because of that. Because I literally grew up in a fine art high school where music was my pathway in that school, so like obviously. But also like, I’m trying to think, Zooey Deschanel I think is my favorite actress because I — she — — in new girl, like there’s some stuff, I think it’s really just her character in new girl, Jess, because I want to be like that, like I wanna be like cute and fun and wear cute clothes and like be a teacher. I don’t really want to be a teacher, I just want to like have that vibe.

Q: Ok, what music do you listen to, besides Ariana Grande?

A: I only listen to like 3 songs by Ariana Grande on repeat, so I’ll probably get tired of that soon.

Q: Which ones?
A: God is a woman uhhh, I don’t even know I’m not really good with names but her top hits basically. And like from her old albums. I really like Frank Ocean, Frank Ocean is one of my favorite peoples ever. Peoples? Mmmm… I really like Billy Joel. I really like Alt-J, I really like Moon Taxi, obviously. Um who else do I really like? I could tell you a million people, but I just can’t like think of people on the spot. I really like Santana.

Q: Oh cool!

A: Santana is my shit. That is like my childhood, I really like Los Lobos.

Q. Spotify or Apple Music?

A: Ok. Personally, I enjoy Spotify and it’s much easier to make playlists and I like it more, but I deleted it because I didn’t have enough storage on my phone. I could probably delete some pictures, but Noah got me 3 months of Apple Music because he’s really nice!

Q: Have you ever experienced anything you think could go viral?
A: I’m really just thinking about events from my weekend, but my mom found this Barbie leg. This Barbie leg on the side of the road. And we were like making up all these stories and stuff about it, but I think like, if you mean like going viral as in like vine, cause that’s what I think of when I think of like something that goes viral. Just like a 10 second video that is huh-larious. Because I think honestly like funny things are so much better than like serious things. Like I would be so much more interested in click bait than in actual news and I know that is really bad and I shouldn’t do that, but if something is like ‘uhhh I fell off this wagon’ then I would be like ‘oh my god yes let me watch that!’

Q: Would you rather quit social media for good or never get to watch Netflix ever again?

A: I think I would quit social media, because that has so many negative effects on us that we don’t even like really register. I honestly have been trying to not use social media as much lately because every single time I get on it — and I know when I get on it — I’m going to be sad after, but I do it anyway because its like a compulsive thing. We overuse it like nobody’s business. Like no one really cares about it. I love Snapchat, I use Snapchat every day, but like, watching peoples’ stories? Like sometimes I don’t even click on them. Sometimes even with my closest friends. Like Molly? I won’t click on her story because I’m like going to be jealous of whatever the hell she’s doing. And it’s ridiculous! I just like get really jealous about stupid stuff that like doesn’t matter.

Q: But it’s weird, its not like, jealous, it’s like FOMO, isn’t it?

A: Yes. I get very bad FOMO.

Q: Yeah. Ok, do you have guilty pleasures?

A: I eat candy a lot, I don’t know if that’s a guilty pleasure or if that’s just like me being addicted to sugar.

Q: Ok, the next question is what desserts do you like?

A: Ok well, …

Q; That might be an easier answer.

A:

I don’t know whether I have guilty pleasures I just do whatever I want to do. I’m not like ‘he he he’ no one can know I’m doing this. I’m just going to do what I want.

Ok, that makes me think of chocolate. I recently had Klondike Reese’s — like Klondike bars but they were Reese’s flavored and they were like AWH so good. Also, like 3 dollars at Walmart. Just saying. Real cheap, real good. Um, what else. I think my favorite things are those like sour Xtreme things that are like rainbows. I like the strips though because the little chunks are not as good, I don’t know what it is. But the strips are just so much better I think it’s because there’s like more sugar, cause the surface areas bigger so there’s like more sugar. Love.

Q: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

A: Um. Spoiled almond milk, um, eggs that are two weeks old, uh half-thing eaten full of hummus, Noah’s milk. I don’t even drink milk. What else is in there? OH. Cherry Coke Zero. Lots of Cherry coke zero. There’s something else in there I can’t remember. CREAM CHEESE! Yes. That’s it. I haven’t opened it yet, so I hope it’s still good. I also bought that 2 weeks ago SO.

Q: What’s your favorite pair of shoes and why are they your favorite? Can you tell me a story about them?

A: Well. I have a lot of shoes that I really don’t need. I have this one pair of brown sandals that I usually wear all the time. I guess they’re my favorite? I mean like I looked at the bottom of them and the soles are pretty much gone so I guess that means they’re my favorite cause I wear them the most. I just think they’re cute and they go with a lot of things. Um, there was this one time when I went to the Kaolin mines. I was wearing those sandals and ya girl fell. It was bad. Also, I got Kaolin mud everywhere and I’m pretty sure Kendyl was really mad at me.

Q: What’s a random daredevil activity that you have always wanted to do?

A: Oh my gosh ok so like, ahh man! Ah. I love playing what are the odds. You know this. It’s my favorite game ever. I don’t know if I could really think about what I’d want to do unless it’s like on the spot.

Q: So, rollercoasters or skydiving or getting a spontaneous tattoo?

A: I don’t know if I could actually do that, that’s like an actual dare. Those are like actual dares. My dares are like “eat that off the ground” and its always that because I actually want to eat it off the ground and I just like need an excuse.

Q: Pretend that there is a 3-day weekend ahead, what are your plans?

A: Wow.

So, 3-day weekends are a FARCE. Just saying.

You think you have a lot of time and you really don’t. I went to the beach, it was good I guess I’m kind of tan but it might because I’m wearing light colored shoes and this jacket is kinda light, so it makes me look more tan than I actually am, um I didn’t plan that it just happened. I feel like that would be really conceited if I planned that. If I was like ‘I’m going to wear this JUST so that people think I am more tan than I actually am.’ I know this is bad, but I like don’t wear sun screen a lot and I’m probably going to hate myself when I get old but like, its just SO tedious. Ugh. Well this weekend I went to the beach. And I mean I guess that was pretty fun. I was with my fam, we saw this dolphin! It got really close to our boat. I mean like this is the boat, my hand is the boat, and it was RIGHT here. It was like gonna touch the boat. I was like (scoffs!) whaa!

Q: Did you talk to the dolphin?

A: I was like “Eat my sandwich!” I like threw my bread at him, but he was like get the heck away from me. Whyyyy. But yeah, so it was fun. This weekend was like really weird. Our motor died on our boat several times which is really annoying and like I don’t even know why we took the boat that we did because it’s died before. It literally died last year too, and I was like ‘Paul.’ Paul’s my neighbor. And I was like ‘Paul, why? Didn’t we just like go to the beach.’ We just like took a boat ride. And I wanted to go to the sandbar because that’s where the party is there’s a lot of people. It’s really fun, but it was like a huge ass cloud and I was like no, no! But yeah, I guess just hanging out with my pals, I missed my pals this weekend and I wish we had done stuff together. I kind of found myself being like, wish I hadn’t gone on this beach trip. I wish my friends were here.

Q: Do you have any closing remarks?

A: Um, this was fun. I really like talking, I think that’s evident.

Q: Thank you, Ava.

A: You’re welks! Alright. Yay. That was fun.


Photo 1: Ava studies in the Ina Dillard Russell Library on Sept. 6; Photo 2: Ava attends the Eta Sigma Alpha Honors formal last April at the Depot in Milledgeville; Photo 3: Ava pets a horse while adventuring on a Summer day trip in Conyers, Georgia.
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