FSU Trailblazer: Trevor Durham

By Alejandro Vasquez on March 21, 2016

In my belief, the best way to understand how you truly view someone is to consider the stories you have of them, and I have plenty of stories about Trevor Durham from the past two years I have known him.

I met him when we both volunteered one night at the Student Life Cinema, and my immediate impression was that he was a precocious little freshman, but a nice fellow and one to keep an eye on.

Not long after, he hosted one of two Rocky Horror Picture Show pre-shows at the SLC. He promised a really crazy and lurid spectacle, and I took that bait instead of seeing the girl I like lift her shirt at the other pre-show. On the plus side, his show was pretty fun, and because of him I got to smack my best friend’s behind.

Over the summer of 2015, I found myself placed in a group with him and a few other friends, with the mutual goal of completing this ludicrous list of 100 books to read. I resisted at first, but soon enough I was reading a 1000-page postmodern novel I had never heard of before and regretting ever joining this group.

Trevor, with his adorable cat Ghost. Don’t tell him, but she’s the reason I agree to visit.

Last fall, I came to realize that we did not always see eye to eye. Our personalities clashed once or twice, and things between us were not the best for a while. I was also studying abroad in London at the time, and the literal distance did not help the personal distance growing between us.

And yet, once I returned to the States and we met up again, bygones seemed to be bygones. Now we hang out more than ever before, watching the new Better Call Saul every Monday night and talking for hours about literature and politics. By now I consider myself a friend of his, and I am mostly positive that he thinks I am alright, too.

However, our relationship is not sole reason I chose him as a Trailblazer (though being his friend made this article and interview way more convenient). For one thing, he is the youngest person to ever write, produce, and direct an Off-Broadway production. That is trailblazing. For another, he is always doing something, whether he’s writing new plays or taking tea with top Tallahassee political figures or managing a rapper, and active people make for interesting profile pieces. Finally, plenty of people have strong opinions about Trev, but I do not believe that many people really know a whole lot about him as a person. I admit that this group includes myself.

The questions I asked him may be basic, and the stories I just told may be trivial to people who are neither him nor me. I hope that this lengthy introduction and the following interview provide some insight into the mind of Trevor Durham. Whatever you may think of the guy, it is certainly an interesting mind.

 

Alejandro Vasquez (AV): What is your hometown?

Trevor Durham (TD): I’m from Boynton Beach, a small part of Florida in Palm Beach County.

AV: What’s your major?

TD: I came here getting an English Literature degree, but things got hectic from there. I started realizing the Florida State has so many phenomenal departments I wanted to learn under, so I experimented around and decided to get a dual degree with three majors- English Literature, History, Russian, and a minor in Political Science (although Political Science and History may chance, we’ll see!).

AV: What year of school are you in?

TD: It’s only my second year at Florida State, my fourth term, and it certainly keeps getting more interesting.

AV: Why did you pick your major?

TD: Which one? Ahaha, I’m just studying what I love. Languages open the mind to new cultures and ideas, other political landscapes. Understanding history is vital to understanding people. Politics and writing are what I do, so studying them in depth, making friends with some of the best professors in the country, learning in and out of class- it’s all so I become a stronger worker with a more valuable set of tools. All my accomplishments I owe to people like Sarah Stewart, Nick Sturm, Dr. Coldiron, Dr. Boehrer, Dr. Walker, and Dr. Fumo. I’m excited to keep meeting more people who have the power to mentor me into stronger work.

AV: What is your favorite thing about FSU?

TD: The faculty, the staff, the people who bring it to life. A lot of my friends don’t really get along with their professors or seek out office hours, but the professors are always what keeps me going. They give me extra texts to work with, things to think about, and I try to give back too. It’s insane to think we work with so many published scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners, and kind people!

AV: What do you like to do in your spare time?

TD: Read, read, write, and read. Ask my friends- I read an unhealthy amount. I average three or four books a week, last year I read over a hundred and seventy books…

AV: How do you find so much time to read an average three or four books a week?

TD: Time is like matter- It cannot be created or destroyed. You don’t find it, you use it. Everybody loses an average of three hours a day for class, two for homework, and let’s guess one for travel and two for food. That’s eight of twenty four hours. Why wouldn’t I lose myself in my passion, dedicate time to reading and writing, studying my hobbies, losing myself? Sleep is temporal, and sometimes, unnecessary. Just make it work. Read before and after class. Read on the bus. Read in the bathroom. Get it done.

AV: How would you describe yourself?

TD: Unexpected? A lot of people on this campus have gotten an idea of me since I came here- I was the Smith Chef, then I was a fitness guy, then I was the Off-Broadway kid, then I was that director, the journalist, the producer, the mystery- There are so many different ideas of who I am, that when people meet me, they’re pretty shocked. I spend ninety five percent of my time reading in my apartment, and the other five percent playing with my cat. I don’t see where the hype is.

“The Off-Broadway Kid” celebrating with his Off-Broadway cast and crew

AV: Heh, why did people know you as “the Smith Chef”?

TD: What a flashback! When I first got to school, I was stuck in a hall without my own kitchen. I love cooking, and was really wondering what to do without enough fridge space for leftovers. I would ride my bike to Publix and back every day getting fresh food… I wanted to be healthy. Why not share? I posted on the class Facebook page offering anybody who wanted food a full plate… I just asked for a donation of whatever they wanted so I could get more food the next day. It went semi-viral, and ‘Durham’s Diner’ was born. I got food every day, posted what would be cooked, and would leave out a jar for donations. People started putting twenties in there, gave me shot glasses, somebody even made me a custom apron that said Smith Chef in Garnet and Gold! I kinda miss it, but when I went to New York last February, I fell off of the habit… I still cook, as my friends know, but not as much for the public.

AV: Speaking of throwback, tell me something about your high school years, perhaps a story that helped make you the college student you have been.

TD: In high school, a teacher basically dropped Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman. You can’t be unmotivated to write after reading that. His writing changed me so fundamentally, so totally, that I began reading and writing at an insane rate. I ended high school having read way more than I should have, producing my first show, and having written some (admittedly terrible) books. Props to you, Miss Lisa Cohen, wherever in the world you may be.

AV: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

TD: That’s a weighted question! I’d love to be published, but at the same time, maybe not. Milton worked in politics for a while before he honed his craft, so maybe working in state or local government? I’d love to work in other countries, volunteering and helping out in metropolitan areas that can teach me about cultures and lifestyles. I’m heading out to Eastern Europe soon (the first time out of the country!) and I cannot wait. Wherever I end up, I know I’ll be reading, I know I’ll be writing, and I know I’ll be trying to help the good fight.

AV: What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment during your time at FSU (so far)?

TD: Starting to look at the community. We at FSU don’t really see the local problems at all- Google Benjamin Crump. Google Lincoln High School shooting threat. This stuff is CRAZY- and a walk away from our school. Last year I thought going to New York was my biggest accomplishment, but now I feel that it would be staying in town.

AV: If you could go back and change something in your time at FSU, would you? If so, what would you change?

TD: I’d have tried to communicate with every one better. A lot of people, since my first weeks at Florida State, have gotten communications twisted. There are friends I miss from the fall in 2014, people I lost in the spring, all because we didn’t talk about our problems, or that I fell off the face of the earth. Communication is key. I feel that I’d be a lot better off and farther along in my career if I still had some of my friends that I took for granted. I made mistakes, and I regret them. That’s just my burden to bear, I suppose, not much can be done to fix past errors. I’m looking forward.

AV: What are your plans or ideas from here on out, for your undergrad education and beyond?

TD: Who knows? I’m in legal right now, I’m managing a rapper, I’m working for four publications, I’m writing more prose and verse than ever before, I’ll be producing more shows, learning new languages, studying theology… Your guess is probably better than mine at this point. I love everything I do and I don’t stop. I do what is offered, and what I think can make a difference in the long run. Let’s just keep the people we love growing, the people we know happy, and try to get the people that don’t love us to open their hearts to more acceptance.

AV: Is there anything you would like to add that I might not have thought to ask you?

TD: Yeah, learn more languages! I’ve got German, English, and some Spanish and Latin under my belt, currently studying Russian and Arabic. I think everybody should try to learn more, not just about the people nearest to them, but especially those far away. Just do it! Google language lessons! You won’t regret it.

No particular reason for this picture to be the last one, I just find it humorous

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