We caught up with internet sensation Humans of Sussex

Humans of Sussex (HOS) are a online group of students who, taking inspiration from Humans of New York, interview people at Sussex University to find out more about their lives and daily routines.

This has ranged from interviewing promoters, to SU president Annie Pickering.

We interviewed the interviewers just to find out why they created this in the first place.

Anthony

Anthony is one member of the HOS group

What made you join HOS?

I was introduced to it through a friend, Rosie To. She asked me if I wanted to share a story, so I gave her a personal story. It felt really good and gratifying saying it all out loud. It also made me look back at my life and see how far I have come from where I started.

I went to the page because before then I had no idea it existed. I read some of the posts and found it really intriguing to see such a variety of people from all over the place sharing their big moments. This made me want to join.

Do you have a favourite post?

I was doing this NUS student survey thing with the President of the Students’ Union. I had no idea who she was so at the spur of the moment I decided to interview her. It was a lot of fun.

Is there any story you would like to share?

I am just full of life. There has never been a day when I really hated or even disliked what I am doing. I have good days and bad days and I know it sounds super cliche, but with a positive outlook you can cope with just anything.

What does Sussex University and its humans mean to you?

I came to Sussex through clearing after not doing that well. I really wanted to go to Manchester but my grades were not good enough. When I came here on open day I loved it, it was really impressive.

What do you hope to achieve through this page?

To me, people are one-dimensional. They think about their own day and all the things they hope to achieve in that. I am very inquisitive to know what the person passing me in the library does or what they had for lunch. We can’t be stuck in our own minds. Something is always going on with people.

Evan

What made you  join HOS?

I was in a group project with Rosie who was running the page before me. She posted my picture. She said she was going on a year abroad and asked me if I wanted to become a part of it but I wasn’t at first sure if this was my thing, but eventually I decided that I really wanted to do it. I was making stuff on my own, like videos, but that kind of felt a bit self-absorbed so I wanted to do something that would help me get in touch with the human element.

Which is your favourite post?

I really liked the first one that I did. I was at East Slope with a good friend. We were just chatting about nothing in particular. It was towards the end of the year and the atmosphere was so tranquil. I just said that I was gonna miss it when it ends, when we move out. We had taken it all a bit for granted. We had a little chat, nothing too deep but I felt at that moment that it was something I could capture. It was the perfect moment to take a picture.

This other time I was at the pier and I went up to this guy. I told him about the page and said that I didn’t know what to ask him. He said he didn’t have anything interesting to tell but then he started telling about himself. He was a motivational speaker and at the moment he was worried his brother would take the wrong path in life. Basically, just 10 minutes into the conversation and he was telling me one of the biggest things going on in his life. He actually turned out to be my neighbour! It was the beginning of a friendship. The important thing about the page is that you try and capture something that everyone can feel.

The HOS crew

What are your future plans?

I thought I had plans before I came to uni. I had a dream of becoming a journalist which is why I think this is a very cool exercise through which I can get confidence and do my work that is very positive and is something more than just that. I would probably wanna go travelling after I am done at Sussex.

What do you hope to achieve through this page?

The idea is create a larger sense of community. But at a personal level, I want to be more in touch with people. Every person you cross paths with can be really inspirational. Strangers are basically friends you haven’t made yet.