University Experience
Interview Transcript
Interviewer: Nada El Nakoury
Narrator: Yomna El Guindy
Date: 17/10/2014
Place: Interviewer’s home - Dokki
College: The American University in Cairo
Prof.: Kim Fox
Date completed: 18/10/2014
Nada: This is Nada El Nakoury I am a Communication and Media Arts student at the
American University in Cairo (AUC). Today I’m conducting an interview with my friend
Yomna for my multimedia writing class..uhh..about the university and how studying at AUC
benefited students after graduating. Hi Yomna, thank you for coming, ahh.. would you please
tell me more about yourself? Tell me what your full name is, your age, ahh...your job, and
where you live?
Yomna: Hi Nada, thank you for having me. My name is Youmna El Guindy, I’m 27, ah..I
live in Mohandessin. And umm I am an artist.
Nada: Did u study art at AUC?
Yomna: Ah yes.
Nada: Ahh..and when did u graduate?
Yomna: I graduated in 2008.
Nada: So now that we know you are an artist… tell more about what you do?
Yomna: Umm I am simply and artist I.. I can’t stop creating. My.. my definition of art is
creating and bringing my ideas and thoughts to life. It’s part of me, umm I can’t resist the
urge to create and express my feelings on an empty paper. Umm.. It’s kind of my own
personal therapy and umm.. I am so thankful for it. Umm…I am just an artist and there is
nothing else in this world I’d rather be.
Nada: Yeah but do you sell your paintings or is it just a hobby for you?
Yomna: Umm…It is my hobby of course and yes I have sold many of my pieces umm… in
some of the art galleries that I have participated in… ahh… so yeah both
Nada: Mmm.... I also know that you are a wedding planner.. how do you relate this to what u
studied at AUC?
Yomna: Ummm.. at AUC,umm.. the good thing about AUC is that you don’t just do what
you’re supposed to do. I mean for example if you’re an art student you don’t just learn to
draw and paint and that’s it! Umm… You get to learn to use your brain, ah… to use your
eyes, your ears, your senses etc etc. rather than just using one hand. Ummm…You start
seeing things from a different perspective, a much deeper and meaningful one. For instance,
umm…. Nada how... how do you see the color red. How.., how can you define red?
Nada: Ah.. I don’t know… it’s just red.
Yomna: That’s the point. It’s not just a color named “red”.It’s actually umm it’s actually a
bold color that commands attention, it represents heat, fire and rage..umm red can signify
passion and love..umm…It is a color that signifies danger and that’s why for example its used
in the warning signs so we can say that red is the most powerful of colors.
Nada: Umm… what do you think of the fact that many people here in Egypt ahh…don’t think
of art students as career makers? Or in other words, some people don’t consider an artist as an
accepted job in Egypt..umm… how do you see that?
Yomna: Well I believe that being an artist is already a career.. and I don’t expect or accept to
be seen differently..umm I mean and of course it is accepted since many of others’ jobs can
rely on art. For example, umm…marketing, adverting agencies, TV channels..umm… and
fashion brands, and much more..umm… is definitely affected by the creativity of the what so
called artists.
Nada: Ummm…so, do you think that studying at AUC..ah.. benefited you after graduating?
Yomna: Um…As I told you, at AUC you req..you acquire new skills, powerful creative
partnerships, and you explore the..the.. relationship of the arts to other sectors in education as
they believe in art and artists and the art educators,.. and how they can make unique
contributions to education and social change.. so yeah definitely.
Nada: Ok yomna, thank you so much for your time.
Yomna: Pleasure is min, thanks Nada.