camwyn | From zou

1. How and/or why did you begin the practice of helping people? What kinds of things were you involved in during high school?

When I was in third grade a commercial for CARE, the African relief organization, made me cry. I was so upset by it that when I went to school I told my teacher about it, and we got the class to get some money together for all of us to send off to CARE. That's the first real involvement I have, I guess; most of it is rooted in my Catholic upbringing, though. My parish was very big on the 'whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me' thing, at least as I remember it.

During high school I spent two weeks (one week each of two separate summers) working on poverty relief projects in Preston County, West Virginia with my church group. I also founded an Amnesty International group at my high school, to go along with my private membership in the Urgent Action Network. I still write letters and send emails for Amnesty now. They're cool people.

2. Do you regret dating anyone you've dated? Why?

Only one, but then I've dated so few people that I can count them on the fingers of one hand. My first boyfriend at college was a couple of years older than me and wayyy pushier than I really liked; turned out he was on the rebound and was looking for fooling-around-recovery-foo, whereas I had never even kissed a guy before coming to college. As soon as this became clear I told him that I felt we were looking for two different things, and we split up.

3. What is your favourite variety of pasta? (I like vermicelli.)

Rotini or radiatore, if I get to use pesto sauce. If I'm restricted to tomato based sauces, then I have to go with homemade cheese ravioli. And for cream sauces you can't beat cheese tortellini if your goal is making me happy.

4. Scabs: do you pick 'em or leave 'em alone?

If they're small and easily seen they tend to get picked, even though I know they shouldn't.

5. When you were little, did you ever want something so much that you begged and whined for it?

Oh, yeah. Usually it involved Barbie accessories. I never did get the horse I wanted for her - Dallas is fine but I wanted Midnight. Perhaps this is why Barbie finally cut her hair, stole her friend's horse, and ran away to the Grand Canyon to raise mountain lions.