Invasion of Privacy: Busy bee Genesis Flores on Recess Magazine and her fast-paced lifestyle

Genesis Flores is a junior English literature and communications double major at SUNY Geneseo. She is also the editor-in-chief of Recess, the school's only multicultural BIPOC magazine, a McNair scholar, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion student representative for the English department, a Council for Undergraduate Research recognized directed study recipient, and a member of Geneseo’s chapter for the sorority Sigma Kappa. 

You might be wondering, much like myself, how exactly it is she finds the time or motivation to tackle all of these demanding roles on campus, all the while being a committed academic within her major, and somehow still having the energy to be an engaging, fun, and wonderful person to be around. If you are anything like me, the mere act of hearing about all these activities is enough to make you want to take a nap—let alone actually live it. 

I asked Flores how she balances her academics, activities, and social life, as well as how she keeps the motivation to be so busy. She explained how she is from the Bronx, where there is a fast-pace associated with living within the city. She said: “The second I would get handed a project [in school] it would already be late,” this being under the consideration of everything that was already being demanded from her in other classes, as well as in her social and home life. This makes her used to the this city that never sleeps pace, even when she finds herself many miles away from home in the much more remote Geneseo. 

For her, being this involved on-campus also helps her to feel she has more of a place here within the community, which itself felt like a hurdle for her when she decided to attend Geneseo—a predominantly white institution—as a Latina. The maintained pace makes her appreciate her downtime all the more, in which she typically preoccupies herself with movies and shows from the ‘70s to the ‘90s or cooking; these tasks demand a certain attention that forces her to put all the other tasks away that she might have to grapple with and truly be able to focus on an especially tense episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or make sure she doesn’t burn herself on a pan between sent emails (true story). 

Her Latin identity is also a reason why Recess is such an important campus presence to her. Although it was only established as a club around three years ago, the club already has gone through the process of becoming funded by the Student Association and aims to produce around three products a year, with their big issue coming out in the spring—accompanied by an incredibly rewarding and celebratory launch party. Though the club is small, with only five e-board members, it is a group of deeply passionate people who can become closer due to its tight-knit nature.

Though, I would be remiss, to say that Recess is always seeking more general members and though it focuses on BIPOC experiences, it is in no way a group exclusive to BIPOC members, so please come to general meetings, write for them, or try to get involved any way you can. Flores puts it best herself: “a lot of people are good at supporting clubs and projects on campus, but when it comes to committing and really being a part of something—that's where the challenge really is.” While she understands not everyone can be as busy as her in a sustainable way, general club members are what makes clubs able to run with as little stress placed on the executive body as possible and increasing student interest is vital to the continued success of Recess.

When considering what activities to join, Flores is an example of why you should never close yourself off. She never saw herself as someone to participate in Greek life on campus and felt some hesitation surrounding stereotypical notions of what a sorority looks like. Becoming close with members of her organization, Sigma Kappa, is what helped in the most in being able to throw those assumptions aside and see that it is really a group built to support each other, make connections, and aim to do good for the surrounding community. It also forces her to take time for herself and away from academics when there is a group of people you are expected to hang out and have fun with. For Genesis, maintaining balance in extracurriculars is essential, and having a variety of activities and skills that they focus on is the key to sticking with it. 

I had such a lovely time sitting down with Genesis and getting to pick her brain. I’ve also had the pleasure of living with her for two academic years, and it is my pleasure to put on paper how much of a stellar human she is. If the desire to strike up a conversation with her arises, feel free to inquire about anything Gilmore Girls or Sex in the City, and try to make her stay away from academic thinking—the girl could use it.