 "Photo: Allyson Riggs")
It was the type of dance that YouTube videos are made of. Ivan Castillo was dancing around his apartment to the theme song from the TV show “Friends.” It was obvious by the way he was gyrating that he thought he was alone, or at least not being watched.
But then his roommate Chris Nystrom caught Castillo, an HSU sophomore studying Spanish Education and International studies. “He turned around and a look of horror spread across his face. He didn’t even know I was watching him dance around ridiculously,” said Nystrom, a College of the Redwoods student.
Castillo decided to come to HSU two years ago after he didn’t get into his first pick, UC Davis. “I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t visited HSU before I decided to come here,” said Castillo. Like many students, the experience was a culture shock.
Castillo loves to play tennis, but HSU does not have a court for him to play on. So, he started the HSU Tennis club on Facebook to find other students with the same interests. “I am bummed HSU doesn’t have a tennis team or even a tennis court,” he said.
He wants to start a petition to get tennis courts back on campus since the old tennis courts where taken out to build the new Kinesiology building.
And when it comes to tennis, Castillo’s older sister Carol can remember a funny moment or two. One time, when Castillo played tennis in high school, he served the ball and nailed someone right in the head. “The whole audience started to laugh,” she said. “He had to walk over and apologize to the guy right in the middle of the game.”
Castillo said he is close with his sister because they are only one year apart. Carol, who attends UC San Diego, regards her brother as a best friend. “I mostly miss being around him when he is making jokes,” she said. “He is a good listener and very understanding. He can be really annoying too, but I love him.”
Now at HSU, Castillo enjoys the laid-back atmosphere. He learned to appreciate the things he took for granted in Los Angeles. “I use to take malls for granted,” Castillo said. “I used to hate them, but now I miss them.” Castillo plans to exit Arcata a soon as he gets his degrees. For him there is no place like home, so he will head south, tapping his heels back to LA.
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