Kristoffer Balintona (’24)
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kristoffer is a philosophy student with interests in ethics, metaethics, and epistemology. He is now aiming to learn about Exitentialism/Nihilism/Absurdism, anti-foundationalism, and phenomenalism. Kristoffer’s philosophical leanings also have a historical bend, often collaborating with the intellectual trends and context of the region and time period.
Fun Facts:
I played the popular online multiplayer game League of Legends for 7 years.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Elon Musk.
Charles Alaimo (’25)
SENIOR INTERVIEWER COORDINATOR
hi i’m charles! i’m planning on concentrating in economics or urban studies, and i’m from boulder, colorado. i’m absolutely fascinated by all sorts of things, like bread, telephone poles, meditation, housing policy, or pantone colors. i’m incredibly lucky to be part of brown interviews; i love it here!
Fun Facts:
Once I spent an entire day blindfolded!
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Ibn Battuta.
Evan Stein (’24)
SENIOR INTERVVIEWER
Evan is a vegan straight edge musician from Southern California. He plays in a three hardcore bands which take up the majority of his time. He also enjoys reading and writing comics in his very little spare time.
Fun Facts:
I play in three hardcore bands!
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
I have been trying to land that Phoebe Bridgers interview for so long now. If I bother her team any more they may tell me to leave them alone.
Elizabeth Herschfield (’25)
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Elizabeth is studying economics and also has an interest in journalism! Some of her favorite spots around campus are Blue State Coffee and Prospect Terrace. She’s from New Jersey, and she loves going into NYC for delicious, authentic ethnic food. When she’s home, she can be found going on drives with friends blasting 2000s music.
Fun Facts:
I have a dog and a cat!
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
My dream interviewee is John Krasinski.
Dana Toneva (’23)
SENIOR INTERVIEWER
I am originally from Bulgaria, but I started travelling to the US at the age of 11 when I would visit my brother in NYC. I am a Libra (for the astro geeks, I am also a Leo Rising) and I love seafood (my favorite is probably grilled octopus). Mark Twain always cheers me up, and I do my best to live by Charlie Chaplin’s “A day without laughter is a day wasted”. I love travelling – one of my favorite destinations is the Antelope Canyon. A fun experience I can share more about would be getting caught up in a sandstorm during a visit to Monument Valley.
Fun Facts:
I caI was once in a sandstorm.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Lewis Hamilton.
Danielle Springer (’22)
ALUMNI INTERVIEWER
Danielle is a former senior interviewer, now alumni interviewer, at BUI who graduated in 2022 with degrees in sociology and linguistics. She is obsessed with chocolate, podcasts on personal development, puppies, and pressuring her friends to go hiking (but never following through.) In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, as well as practicing yoga and meditation.
Fun Facts:
I have a twin sister!
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
My dream interviewee would be Sam Harris. I’d love to interview him about mindfulness and spirituality.
Nick Kolbas (’24)
Nick is a sophomore from Boston concentrating in Environmental Studies, with a focus on environmental justice and sustainable management. He firmly believes the Ratty deserves a better reputation. Not because of the food, but the vibes. Crowded. Stressful. Eclectic menu. Tight seating. Like an airplane.
Fun Facts:
A female peacock is called a peahen.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Autumn Wong (’25)
SENIOR INTERVIEWER
Autumn Wong is a Contemplative Studies concentrator finding her way in life through storytelling. She is from Jupiter, FL with plans to study in Turkey. When she is not completing pre-dental (possibly) or Air Force ROTC requirements, she is an avid jazz bassoonist and mediocre climber.
Fun Facts:
I collect animal sweaters with my spare change.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Yo-Yo Ma.
Nicole Chen (’24)
Nicole Chen is a Brown University student concentrating in International and Public Affairs and pursuing a Certificate of Data Fluency. She was born and raised in Hong Kong, but has family roots in both California and Taiwan. Nicole loves interviewing experts in various fields from policy and entrepreneurship to beauty and fashion and especially enjoys learning about people’s unique cultures and lived experiences. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, and reading.
Olivia Hanley (’25)
Hi everyone! My name’s Olivia Hanley. I’m from Chicago, I’m a gemini, and I love pasta. I love to read and write and my favorite book is The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. My dream vacation is either South Africa or Thailand but I’d also really like to go to Greece. I’ve been loving my time here at BUI and I can’t wait to go out and interview more fascinating people as well as read what my fellow interviewers have been writing.
Fun Facts:
I’m left handed!
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Rita Dove.
Keith Richie (’25)
Keith is a member of the Presidential Scholars Program at Brown University. He is a concentrator in the Department of Religious Studies, where he is working on a research project that analyzes the changes in American politics over the past decade. Keith has two cats back home, whose names are Wallace and Totoro. His favorite author is Franz Kafka, and he has recently been reading Seth Dickinson’s Masquerade series. Keith loves learning languages and studied French, Spanish, and Latin in high school.
Fun Facts:
Ezra Pound’s politics aren’t so fun, but I consider it a fun fact that, despite being in a town of just a few thousand people, I grew up a five minute walk from Ezra Pound’s childhood home.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
My dream interviewee is Dr. Cornel West! As a scholar of religion with deep insights on politics, Cornel West is a personal role model for me. I am, moreover, deeply intrigued by Dr. West’s analysis of contemporary American politics and would love to discuss this topic with him in an interview.
Soneida DeLine-Caballero (MA ’22)
ALUMNI INTERVIEWER
Soneida Rodriguez is a former senior interviewer, now alumni interviewer, who earned a Masters degree in Medical Science at Brown University’s Gateways program. She conducted research at a Federally Qualified Health Center while contributing to Brown Interviews. Prior to that, she spoke at TEDxBrownU 2022 conference and she graduated from Zoom U’ (University of Michigan) as a first-generation college student in the summer of 2021 with a B.S. in Sociology. Her three years as a research assistant studying cardiovascular disease culminated in an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History on Michigan’s campus. She used this opportunity to highlight how policy and funding decisions can impact disease at the molecular level. During her time at Michigan, Soneida co-led an engineer design team that is working to improve menstrual health for women in the Peruvian Amazon with plant-based hygiene products. As co-president of the Michigan Refugee Assistance Program (MRAP), she helped build a network of advocates and volunteers who empower forcibly displaced people resettled in Southeast Michigan and abroad. At Michigan, she remained at the forefront of campus organizing during the COVID-19 pandemic which increased access to PPE, testing, and administrative support for students and staff.
Fun Facts:
In past lives, I’ve served as a grocery market cashier, horse farmhand, and camp counselor. In the future, I aim to become an M.D.-J.D.-Professor triple threat who trains the next generation of legal and healthcare professionals how to prevent health crises like the one we are living through now.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Maria Ressa–Nobel Peace Prize recipient and journalist.
Amelia Spalter (’21 MA ’22)
ALUMNI COORDINATOR
Amelia Spalter is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Brown Interviews. She now sits on the Board of Advisors and serves as the Alumni Coordinator. Amelia graduated from Brown University with a BA in Religious Studies in 2021 and earned a BA in 2022 through the Fifth-Year Master’s honors program. She was elected the student speaker for Brown’s 2022 master’s commencement ceremony. A brief selection of her previous interviews include media personality Norman Lear, attorney Alan Dershowitz, Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, and former FBI Director James Comey. She was selected to speak about the art of the interview at TEDx|BrownU 2021 (senior interviewer Soneida DeLine-Cabellero MA ’22 spoke the following year!) Before enrolling at Brown University, Spalter’s formal education was stewarded primarily by television. As such, she now plans to pay it forward by pursuing a career in television writing. She is also a former senior staff writer for The Brown Daily Herald, Director Emerita of The Brown Political Review Interviews Board and founder of the Brown University Screenwriting Collective, the Ivy League’s largest pre-professional screenwriting organization. She currently serves as director of communications for a not-for-profit community center, The United Community Martial Arts Institute of Rhode Island, where she is also a Black Belt instructor.
Fun Facts:
I can punch through over six inches of solid wood.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Gabriel Iglesias.
Ben Frigon (‘22.5)
ALUMNI INTERVIEWER
Ben Frigon is a member of the class of 2022.5 from Nashville, Tennessee, studying Public Policy and Entrepreneurship. Ben’s main passion is technology and entrepreneurship; specifically, his focus is on making the world a better place using decentralized technologies. In the Spring 2022 semester, Ben co-designed and co-taught the world’s first ever credit-bearing university course on non-fungible tokens, “GISP0003 NFTs, Blockchain, and Art.” He is also the President of Blockchain@Brown, Brown’s student-run blockchain club. In addition to the tech community at Brown, Ben is also involved at the Watson Institute. Last year he worked as a student liaison to Watson Senior Fellow Keith Harper, former US Ambassador to the United Nations. He also serves on the Watson Institute Diversity and Inclusion Committee, working with students and faculty to ensure freedom and equality for everyone at the Watson Institute. When he’s not working on the blockchain or public policy issues, Ben can be found watching movies, listening to music, or cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers.
Fun Facts:
I was born in New Orleans and my first house was in Gretna. No matter where I am in the world, I never miss a Mardi Gras.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Satoshi Nakamoto
Will Haven (’25)
Hi! My name is Will and I’m from New York City. My life philosophy could probably be boiled down to something like, “if life is going to be absurd, then you might as well try to be even absurder.” Either that or, possibly, try as many different foods as possible during the time you have on earth. It has been a weird path for me– I’ve worked as a dishwasher, a ski instructor, a mead mixologist, and now finally as an interviewer. But I’ve always loved reading and watching interviews and am very honored and happy to be part of this club.
Fun Facts:
There are more ants in the world than there are atoms in the observable universe.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Larry David.
Jimmy Symonds (’24)
Jimmy Symonds, Brown class of ‘24, grew up in New York City. He studies economics and classics. He enjoys cooking, guitar, travel, and trains. He has a black Great Dane named Buzz whom he loves tremendously.
Fun Facts:
I’m an amateur barbecue pit master.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
John Mayer.
Jorden Berry (MA ’22)
ALUMNI INTERVIEWER
Jorden Berry graduated from Brown with a master’s in biotechnology in 2022. Throughout his time at Brown, he served as the elected social chair of the Graduate Student Council. Jorden was a senior interviewer for BUI, also coordinating the remote interviewers program in the face of students’ work or class conflicts and COVID-19 restrictions. He is currently a medical student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and an alumni interviewer for Brown Interviews.
Fun Facts:
Jorden shares his undergraduate alma mater with President Biden.
Who is Your Dream Interviewee?
Henry Kissinger.