I bet many of us have seen Camila and Mateo together on the campus. They are the sweetest couple and the love they emanate when they are together is undeniable. So in memory of Leonard Cohen who said, “We are so lightly here. It is in love we are made. In love we disappear,” I asked Camila and Mateo to join me to give me more insight into that enveloping love we should all be cocooned in.
Sonam Dechen Gurung: Very happy to have you guys here. Can we start with introductions?
Camila Espinosa: My name is Camila. I was born in Quito, Ecuador, I’m a sophomore and I’m doing a double major in psychology and management.
Mateo Gomez: I’m Mateo, I’m a sophomore too. I’m doing the 3-2 program. I’m studying math and economics here and then I’ll do financial engineering (in Columbia).
SDG: How did you guys learn about Clark?
CE: I did it because my counsellor in high school was in love with Clark. So he pushed me to just apply. It wasn’t my top-choice and over time it kinda grew on me and I liked it, I got a lot of financial aid too. They were really supportive, so I decided to come here. And I love it.
MG: My counselor told me to apply to Clark. I didn’t know anything about Clark, only about the 3-2 program. I did five minutes research and I saw that they didn’t have an extra essay, so I just applied [both laugh]. I didn’t expect to come here.
SDG: How did you two meet? Do you guys remember what was the first thing that stood out when you guys saw each other?
CE: [laughs] We actually met because, I don’t know, Latinos are loud. We were just saying, “Where are the other Latinos?” and I remember we were talking in a big group and I don’t why we talked about our birthdays, but we have the same birthday. That was something in common and we just started talking.
MG: Yes.
SDG: Mateo seems to not remember.
[All laugh]
CE: And then we just became very close.
SDG: So how long have you guys been together?
MG: Over one year.
SDG: Over one year? That’s great. Congratulations on that!
CE: Thanks
SDG: How does it help in college? How’s college life in general? How does being with each other make it…
MG: Easier? Harder? [laughs]
SDG: …the experience?
MG: College is tough for me. I’m doing many things so I don’t have a lot of free time.
SDG: What do you do?
MG: I’m the captain of the salsa team. I’m also doing LASO, the event manager. I work in Admissions and I’m also doing research with the Physics Department. I’m also a TA for Honors Calc. [laughs]
SDG: Wow.
MG: Unfortunately, I quit the tennis team. It’s a lot of things.
SDG: But that’s the thing about college right? I feel like you have to push yourself and do things, right? What about you Camila?
CE: So my first year, I wasn’t really involved in anything. That way he pushed me, “Oh you should do something. Do more things for yourself.” This year, I started being the vice president of LASO. I got into Variant Dance Troupe and I also got into the Salsa team which was very stressful by the way when you have your boyfriend judging you in the audition. But I’m really glad I got in. I really like it and it’s a very good way to get out of academics and stress and work. I also got a job as a research assistant. I think this year is better than last year. I was kind of lost last year. I didn’t know if I wanted to dance or what job I’d like to do, but now it’s good.
SDG: How does being with each other help in college?
MG: I mean it’s important. She has been a support, of course it’s not easy. Most of the time it’s a support, an emotional support.
CE: [giggles] I like to think it’s also a support because I’m a very sensitive person so I get overwhelmed very easily. Mateo is the first person I call and he really helps. He’s always there for me.
SDG: Right now, we’re in this post-election mood so I’d like to ask, what do you guys think of it? A similar thing happened in Colombia (Mateo’s home) with the peace referendum, right? So what do you think of it?
MG: It’s very hard, I remember one month ago, the peace referendum, was very hard for me. I cried. And then this happens here so it is like double. This also affects my country, and the world. The peace referendum only affects Colombia and the countries surrounding. Of course, for me it was very hard, but this one is way harder to see. Not only me because I’m a Latino, but I’m a white Latino and I will not have a difficulty getting around. But then I see all the people in the Clark community, LGBT community, the Black community and the Muslims and I’m so sorry for the elections. An open minded country is going back in time when it should be going forward. Makes me question about what is happening in the whole world, not only here.
CE: I was thinking of the same thing. We have the “white privilege.” We went to a presentation about a week ago, and this guy was talking about all the obstacles that people have. And he said this phrase that just stuck with me, “You are protected by your skin.” It was just so true because even in my own country, people think I am foreign. As a white Latina I don’t feel the same threats or the same vulnerability that others feel, but at the same time in my country right now there is election happening. And it’s very hard because its complicated and there are holes in the democracy and I felt that that’s what happened here. None of the options were what people really wanted. It’s not like one was a better option, it was more like which was the least worse. I think that’s what I felt with what happened. I was talking to Mateo about how before I thought I had the option of staying here or going back to my country but now I don’t know what to do because I don’t know if I will have my one year to work after I graduate to stay with the optional training.
SDG: Let’s divert the subject now, what do you think is the best thing about each other?
CE: You start.
MG: Why me!? You put me in the spotlight now. The best thing about Camila [laughs] is the way she thinks. She is always questioning and I think that is very important. You need to be questioning every single time. It’s not okay to accept what everyone is telling you so you need to question. And that gives her a lot of qualities and sensitivity. It also gives her a lot of love, a lot of expressions so I really like that. That quality also makes her a very good friend and a very good support for the people around her.
CE: I know I question about everything a lot. I over think about things. I try to be this organized person who keeps everything on track but that’s not how my brain works. I go at every single direction and I love that he is very centered and he always knows how he wants his future to go. He plans everything, everything he does in a day just goes to that one thing. He super centered and I am scattered. I don’t know what I want. Somedays I feel like this is not what I want to study or this is not working and he reminds me to keep going, to keep trying, put all your energy into one thing and try to center your goals. I think that’s really important and that also serves a support for me when I get stressed and overwhelmed and super existentialist and thinking about everything. Then he tells me, “Calm down, it’s fine. There’s one thing you have to get done, one thing you have to achieve.” That helps a lot.
SDG: To end this, which other couple would you guys have a double date with?
MG: Teo and Elena.
CE: I was thinking of Nicoletta and Alberto. Nicoletta is one of my best friends. We could go on a triple date!
