A self described jack-of-all-trades, Dionne Anderson ’11 has spread her career at Wesleyan University over five years, taking time off to study and bartend in Tokyo and starting her own clothing line at a boutique in New York’s Lower East Side. She invited The Argus into her bamboo-themed single in Eclectic—where she is boarding for her final year at Wes—to talk about maintaining contact with friends in Japan after the earthquake, finishing her academic career in a seven-course-sprint, and waking up in Puerto Rico.

The Argus: My freshmen year you came into my friends’ Butterfield double, poured a bottle of liquor onto the floor, started a fire, and we danced around it before it quickly burnt out. Any comments or reflections on that?

Dionne Anderson: Ha. No harm, no foul. As soon as it was there, it was gone. I was cold and I thought it would be fun, and it was. It did leave a little cool pattern on the ground. I used to do that in my room too, and it was really messy.

A: You’re an East Asian Studies major concentrating on Japan. When did you first become intrigued by Japanese culture?

DA: I had been taking Japanese classes in high school. I realized it wouldn’t be a walk in the park—to really learn Japanese I needed to go and experience it for myself. I was being really bad at home, and so my parents were okay with me going on this program through Sophia University [in Japan]. From the first week I got there, I knew I would take it seriously. I knew I’d go back again, and I’ve been back 5 times. Last time was over the summer, for Wesleyan. I went to school, watched the World Cup, acted a fool, whatever.

A: How did you end up bartending in Tokyo?

DA: I got the job because at the time I had a boyfriend who didn’t do anything and was boring. So I went on craigslist and found a job offer as a bartender. I showed up an hour and a half late, and I figure they’ll be pissed since the Japanese take punctuality so seriously, but I was interviewed by this French guy. He started asking me about my experience, and every answer I gave was another reason for them not to hire me. I was ready to grab my coat and go home, but he was like, “When can you start?” I’m still friends with everybody there. I’ll cover a shift if necessary when I’m in Tokyo. It’s really fun. The bar is all you can drink, and they allow the staff to drink as well. I’m happy my coworker’s Facebook accounts are private because there are some pictures of me that are so wild.

A: Have you been able to speak with your friends in Japan since the earthquake hit?

DA: When I first found out about it, my friend in Japan Facebook chatted me and said, “There’s an earthquake under my desk.” I don’t know what I would have done if I had been there. I probably would have had a heart attack. I was so stressed out for my friends. What do you say? I want to give some reassurance or comfort. I was particularly worried about one friend since she’s a new mom. They were saying to be mindful of children because of the nuclear situation. It was scary because my friends didn’t really know what was happening there. The news sources are annoying. The news here is just about how it all affects us. It’s hard to know what’s happening. I’m going back to Tokyo in July to visit my family and make sure they’re okay. I have to go back to for a second summer to take two intensive courses. It’s six days a week. For five hours. Finally I’m going to take a Japanese politics class and I’m really stoked about that.

A: You took last year off from school to work in New York and ended up designing and selling your own clothing. How did that happen?

DA: Well when I was in New York around my 20th birthday, I decided that I needed to make money. I had always been able to sew things and had made a couple of sketches. My friend ran a boutique on the Lower East Side, and I would go in and talk with her all the time. At first I made two pieces and sold them at ridiculously high prices (to match the store’s prices), but they sold on the first day they were there. It was a really good experience to make something with my hands for a change, as I rarely use my hands to create anything. It ended when I came back to Wesleyan, but it was a good source of money and it didn’t require me to leave my apartment, which was bitchin’ (with a sauna, and a washer and dryer). I had friends over all the time and we partied like you should in the summer in New York.

A: What’s it been like coming back to school after working in the real world?

DA: I think we’ve become a lot more docile. The administration, I don’t even know what they’re doing or how they’re getting away with it. Even when I was here full-time I tried to get out of the bubble. Once I went to Puerto Rico for a weekend. It all happened so fast and when we were leaving the airport I turned to my friend Hope, and asked her “Where are we?” And she said, “Dionne, we’re in Puerto Rico!”

A: How has your final semester been academically?

DA: I’m taking seven courses in one semester, and at this point my body’s gone into auto-drive. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busiest days. I have class from 9 to 5. Half the time I don’t know where I’m going, but I have everything I need in my bag and I just start walking and my legs take me where I need to go. It’s definitely been a learning process as to how to manage my time. But like the Bible says: there’s a time to play and a time to work. I’ve been acting like time to play is 24/7 and now it’s time to work.