From running a student forum about Yemeni politics to performing in his stand-up comedy group Awkward Silence, Thafir Elzofri ’19 has had an eventful four years at Wesleyan. As a vegan for the month of February, he enjoys cooking, as well as the occasional ’Swings breakfast pail. Before he heads to the Bay Area to work with Teach for America next year, Elzofri sat down with The Argus recently to chat about what he is up to in his last semester.

The Argus: Where are you from?

Thafir Elzofri ’19: I was born in Berkeley, but I was raised in Oakland, but went to middle school and high school in Berkeley again.

A: What is your major?

TE: I’m a government major, comparative politics concentration.

A: What made you initially choose Wesleyan?

TE: Well I jokingly say—but it’s kind of true—[because] it was far away from home. People ask me, “Oh, it’s 3,000 miles away from home, why’d you come here?” Like you just answered your own question. I knew I wanted a small school; I knew I didn’t want to go to UC Berkeley or UC Davis, which is nearby my home. I initially was in QuestBridge as a junior [in high school], so they had a list of schools that narrowed it down. [Wesleyan] seemed like a cool school. I was on the fence if I wanted to go to a liberal arts school or one that focused more on science since I was considering math at the time. So I just kept looking and digging into more on Wesleyan. I had no idea [about Wesleyan]; I never really heard of it. And then [Wesleyan] became number one in October my senior year. I am a first-generation student, so both of my parents didn’t go to college.

A: What is your experience like as a first-generation student?

TE: That’s kind of tough. My freshman year [during orientation] we got into a circle. Initially, it was very uncomfortable because they had you step forward if something applied to you [such as] sexual orientation and income bracket. One of the questions was to step forward if you are a first-generation college student. I stepped forward, and a few people on my floor stepped forward also, so it felt a bit more comfortable to step forward after that. The next question was to step forward if you’re the first person in your family to graduate high school. And I didn’t know at that point. Even though I felt comfortable with being asked that, honestly it didn’t fully hit me. I’ve always thought of myself as a first-generation college student, but I’m also a first-generation high school graduate. I don’t take for granted a lot of things other people may.  To me it’s like a huge deal, to navigate and figure out spaces on campus that are helpful and encouraging for people who are first-generation college students. It was first difficult to find. But once you found people (and professors and faculty) who really understood, it was a lot more helpful and took a lot off my plate. I’ve been working since freshman year with Upward Bound, working with first-generation low income students that want to go to college. That’s where I was [in high school], so being here I understand how privileged I am…. The finish line is almost here. I’m excited.

A: How do you feel about the resources for first-generation/low-income students on campus?

TE: Two of us from my high school that were involved in the community scholarship program came to Wesleyan. Since it was two of us, I was doing okay freshman fall, but he wasn’t doing so well. I would reach out to him to hang out and to talk about what’s going on. He no longer goes here. He left and transferred. But, at the time my [community scholarship advisor] reached out to Wesleyan and said, “Hey, I have two students at Wesleyan who are first-gen/low-income and part of the scholarship. Would you be able to meet with them?” Wesleyan reached back out and said sure, and they took us out to dinner on Main Street and told us about the resources that were available. At the time, I thought, “Wow I’m glad I know this now as a freshman,” but I also thought, “How many other people know about this?” There were a lot of resources that a lot of people didn’t know about. For example, there is an emergency fund. Since the Resource Center has opened, I’ve heard a number of people going there and being much more comfortable to ask for help. I think being a first-gen/low income student you assume everyone else doesn’t ask for help. You don’t want to be the only person that does. So, being aware of the Resource Center and people who just “get it” makes you much more comfortable asking for help, advice, resources, or just someone to listen. I think the resources are much more visible now [than they were when] I was a freshman, but I’m pretty sure there’s still some that are invisible. Now that I’m involved in a number of things, people come to me and are like, “Oh cool, you have all the contacts,”  or, “You know who to talk to.”  And they’re like, “Wait, how do you know this?” and I tell them that’s just from me navigating and figuring it out. I had to learn the hard way. 

A: What clubs/activities are you a part of at Wes?

TE: I’m currently co-leader of the Middle Eastern student union with my friend Hana [ElSafoury ’19]. I also co-lead the Interfaith Council. I’m the founder and leader of my own stand-up comedy group called Awkward Silence. Actually, it’s been growing. Our first year we just had one show all year. This year we’ve had a show in the fall, and we’re going to have two in the spring, a show before and after spring break which is exciting. I also have been a part of the Muslim Student Association and a Coordinator of Advocacy for the Wesleyan Refugee Project.

A: I hear that you you are teaching (and have taught) the Yemeni Politics Student Forum. What made you want to teach this course?

TE: So I realized I’m the only Yemeni on campus. There was a lot going on in the Middle East, especially in Yemen with the war that not a lot of people knew about. So every time I was down, someone would come and say, “Hey what’s going on,” and I would talk about it. But no one would know what I was talking about. It was foreign to them. My typical answer when someone says, “Oh, I know nothing about Yemen,” is, “You and everyone else.” So when my friends were genuinely interested [in] asking me questions about what was going on and checking up on me, I thought, “Oh, this is something that maybe people want to know more about.” So my sophomore year I hosted an event called “Yemen: The Unknown War,” where I invited the former U.S. ambassador from Yemen to speak about what was going on. I was expecting 30 people. Over a hundred people showed up. People came up to me afterwards like, “I had no idea. I’m so frustrated. How can I help?” So then a year and a half later I was like, “I’m just going to teach on this.”

A: What are your plans post-grad?

TE: I got accepted with Teach for America. So I’ll be actually moving back to the Bay Area to teach K through 8. That’s a two-year commitment. So straight after graduation I have to go to training. The school I’ll be placed in is a school that I grew up in, so I fully understand where the kids are coming from because I went through it.

A: Where is your favorite place to eat on campus?

TE: Honestly, my house. I love cooking. I have a spice cabinet, so that helps at Wesleyan. I love just experimenting. I recently went vegan for the month of February and might just extend it because I’ve been liking it a lot. I’ve been trolled online by my friends and siblings for going vegan, but it’s been fun. Besides that, ’Swings for sure. I really like the breakfast pail.

A: What will be your favorite memory at Wes?

TE: The first time I ever did stand-up was at Wesleyan. It was part of the first ever Middle Eastern showcase, Harakat. This is [Harakat’s] fourth year, and I’ve been here for four years, so it was a brand new club when I came. It was a small step but it was [big for me] because I was a shy kid in high school. I was the guy who said a joke, someone heard it, repeated it, and got the laughs. I wrote jokes in a notebook and ended my senior year with almost three notebooks full of just jokes and things I found funny. When I came to Wesleyan I mentioned it to someone on my floor in Clark. I think one person encouraged me to do it. Spring semester came around, and [there was a comedy show] for Harakat. At this point I was comfortable around this group. So we had a 35 minute show at X House. The next year we had 300 people for an hour-and-a-half show. I did my routine and it felt so good and made me realize I really enjoyed doing this. It came to a point where I was no longer the person I was in high school.

 

Brittany Love can be reached at blove01@wesleyan.edu.