Jaxxon Handy: “It was hard seeing and hearing about everything.”
Jaxxon Handy is a senior computer science major at the University of Minnesota.
“I was born in Uganda and moved to Minnesota when I was two years old. Because of my parents’ jobs, we moved around a lot while I was growing up. It was tough constantly starting over. Just as I felt like I had finally found my friend group, we would pack up and move again. I lived in Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin before eventually settling in Eden Prairie during my sophomore year of high school. That was the first time I truly felt like I could put down roots and build lasting friendships.
“I came to the U because I did not want to move again. I had moved so much in my life, and I just wanted somewhere that felt secure and consistent. I applied to Madison, too, but Minnesota offered me some really strong scholarships, which made the decision easier. It was also an easy adjustment because a lot of people from Eden Prairie came here, which is both a blessing and a curse. In the end, I chose the U because I wanted stability, I did not want to be too far from home, and my sister was already a student here, which made it feel even more like the right place for me.
“I did not have much direct experience with Metro Surge, but I tried to be careful at the start of the semester. I was not constantly afraid, but it made me angry that, as a U.S. citizen, I even had to think about whether it was safe to walk around in public. What bothered me most was how much it affected my classmates and close friends and how heavy the atmosphere on campus felt for a while. Since it has scaled back, I have noticed some of that tension ease, and I have started to feel a little more at ease myself.
“I think Operation Metro Surge definitely reshaped the Twin Cities in good ways and bad ways, but honestly mostly bad. It was hard seeing and hearing about everything that was happening around the city, and it made things feel tense and uncomfortable for a while. At the same time, it was really cool to see classmates who were usually quiet step up and speak out or help promote the protests. Some of them I never would have expected to care that much, and that honestly gave me a little hope about our community.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview by Dylan Petersen
