Interview by Wesley Francis, Senior, Photography Major
with Jayson Salim, Senior, Performing Arts Major
What is your name and pronouns?
My name is Jayson S. Andrews (aka. Jayson Salim. Pronouns are He/Him/His.
What is your age and major (if a student)? your role (if not a student)?
I’m 22 years old, my major is performing arts with a concentration in performance and my minor is black studies. I’m an assistant stage manager for the upcoming production “The Wolves”. Last semester I was in “The Killing Fields”, “Romeo and Juliet” and other school productions. In M.U.S.E. I am the event coordinator/host.
Where are you from?
Harlem born Brooklyn raised, moved to Brooklyn in 2003, been living there ever since.
What types of hobbies or activities are you interested in?
Play-writing, film- making, vinyl record collecting, YouTube, Basketball weightlifting and anything that can push me to become a more loving individual for myself and my family.
Has campus made you feel welcomed as a person of color?
The campus doesn’t do well with representing students of color and it’s rooted within the town. When I came here I had to seek and look for the black community. I found that in M.U.S.E. and SMP. I had to go out and find these communities myself. I’m still looking for them.
How does the community here at New Paltz differ from your home?
Honestly and truthfully, it’s very fast paced in NYC. Everything in NYC is about consumerism and capitalism. In New Paltz it’s a LOT slower. You kinda get to live and chill out and not be so tense. Especially as a student of color you have no choice but to be tense cause people don’t look like you over here. The living conditions and living speed are very different between the two areas.
What personal journey brought you to your current role?
Wanting to learn more and get closer to what I was called to do. Also MASSIVE risk taking. Being hungry to sharpen my skills.
What issues or challenges are you confronted with?
The circumstances that are presented to us in this day and age. The pandemic, covid-19 and racism. We live in a surge where money doesn’t matter anymore.
Why do these challenges exist?
I don’t really create these challenges, You get paid off of the problems you solve but you get paid MORE off of the problems you CREATE. They’ve been like that since I’ve got here.
What are your most important sources of success and change?
Reading, studying, living and traveling. Experiencing different things.
What are changes that you would like to see and be part of?
Genuine BLACK stories on a screen and on stage. There’s different types of blackness and I want that to show. Not every black person is ghetto.
Who else needs to be pulled into the conversation?
The people who need to be pulled into this conversation are three people, the people who have the information that don’t want to give it, the people who need the information because their life is on the line and the people who want the information but don’t have the resources.
Interview by Wesley Francis, Senior, Photography Major as part of a collaborative Interview Book Project in ARS 331 Photo Books and Installations