Michigan 9

Listen to Michigan 9, a 20-year-old man from the 8 Mile and Gratiot areas of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Click or tap the triangle-shaped play button to hear the subject.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

AGE: 20

DATE OF BIRTH (DD/MM/YYYY): 1984

PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit

GENDER: male

ETHNICITY: African-American

OCCUPATION: student

EDUCATION: some college

AREA(S) OF RESIDENCE OUTSIDE REPRESENTATIVE REGION FOR LONGER THAN SIX MONTHS: N/A

OTHER INFLUENCES ON SPEECH:

The subject went to high school in inner-city Detroit.

The text used in our recordings of scripted speech can be found by clicking here.

RECORDED BY: Micha Espinosa

DATE OF RECORDING (DD/MM/YYYY): 18/10/2004

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF SCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

ORTHOGRAPHIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH:

I’m from Detroit, Michigan, on the east side, (uh) 8 Mile and Gratiot approximately, born and raised; my parents were br– both born and raised in Detroit also. (Um) I went to Cass Tech high school downtown Detroit by the Fox Theatre. It was about 3000 students there so was kinda overwhelming at first because the building — it’s a old building that was (uh) built back in the late 1800s, so it was a very old building, and it was seven floors eight if you want to count the basement where some gym classes was at. So and we only had five minutes to get from class to class so, like, I remember my freshman year I had a class on the second floor and then a class on the seventh floor so I had to hike up seven flights of stairs and get to class on time, so there wasn’t much time to mingle with your friends before another class or else you’ll get caught and then there’s always security guards walkin’ around tryin’ to catch you if you’re not in class on time or if you in the hallways without a pass, so, but, once I got to be a senior it started to get easier, you know I was on the football team so I was in shape so I could make it to class on time and sometimes we would just kinda wander around the hallways anyway you know we’re seniors we can do that, and if the security guards come we jus — we either run from ‘em or (uh) or we just ask ‘em you know just let us go you know we was jus — you know, chillin’ no doin’ that much not causin’ no problems or nothin’ like that, so. And then (uh) let’s see after graduation I worked at (uh) Cub Scout camp with (uh) children seven to eleven boys learnin’ how to become Boy Scouts. We took ‘em through different programs and stuff about just being in (uh) nature and everything you know their parents were there too so it wasn’t like they were alone. And I was in charge of the shooting sports area which is (uh) archery and BB guns so that was kinda cool because they liked — they really doin’ that so everybody always asked about me and asked when was I gonna open up the range so they can come down and shoot some more, and it was fun though because they, they got a real kick out of it and (uh) I have worked there the past two summers, actually three summers. Now I may go back now but I may get a higher position if I go back I may be program director now who is basically in charge of the whole program puts it together and I will have like a — maybe about 25 staff under me. So that’s kind of exciting if I can get that. But (uh) I go to Western Michigan University, it’s my third year so I’m a junior it’s — it went pretty fast though I still remember becomin’ a freshman overwhelmed again because I was at a big school you know I have to actually walk around to class get there on my own because my mother used to drop me off to high school every day so it was kinda different but it was- it was a lot of fun because (uh) one of my best friends is here too, (uh) I grew up with him so he’s still here so it’s kinda — we kinda went through the trial together you know so it’s better now. I played football my first year — for a year and a half at Western and then I stopped because of certain reasons I just didn’t really like it that much it was fun you know but I didn’t really get along too well with some of the players it’s not like we were fighting or nothin’ like that it’s jus — we just weren’t getting’ along so, and I didn’t get a scholarship which everybody thought that I was going to get so it was fine it wasn’t that big of a deal football wasn’t that, that much of an importance to me so I just concentrated on my academics and it was fun while it lasted thought I’m still a huge fan I love like watchin’ football I love the Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines. It’s kinda funny because I’m a Western Michigan student but I love the Michigan football team so people kinda [laughs] people kinda give me talk about that because a lot of people up here don’t like Michigan football you can here ‘em at the stadium at when they announce the Michigan score if Michigan’s losing then everybody’ll start cheering and under my breath I’ll be upset I’m all mad and stuff because they’re losin’ but if they say Michigan is winning everybody starts booin’ and then I stand up and start clapping so it’s kinda funny. We get a kick outa that me and my friend are both Michigan fans. And (um) so I stopped playin’ and concentrated on my academics but it’ll still fun so. Now I’m just waitin’ to become a senior and hopefully graduate and get a nice payin’ job and start a family.

TRANSCRIBED BY: Rick Lipton

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): 31/07/2008

PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH: N/A

TRANSCRIBED BY: N/A

DATE OF TRANSCRIPTION (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY: N/A

COMMENTARY BY: N/A

DATE OF COMMENTARY (DD/MM/YYYY): N/A

The archive provides:

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