Hanging with Hilda

Twenty-year-old Hilda Iorga just finished her fourth and last semester at Butte College, serving, among many other extra curricular activities, as editor for the school newspaper The Roadrunner, where she wrote the monthly “My Stupid Column.” Iorga is headed to the University of California, Berkeley, next fall, where she will study history and English. The daughter of Eastern European immigrants, Iorga, who’s lived in Oroville for the past two years after moving (reluctantly) from Sacramento, speaks fluent Romanian.

Why did you choose Butte College?

It was more of a convenience, I guess. Not the driving out there part but … academically I was ready to leave and go to a four-year university but just my parents and things like that [kept me here].

Berkeley has kind of a radical reputation. Do you consider yourself radical?

I wouldn’t say radical. I’m moderate leaning toward liberal.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Working at the Chico News & Review. No, just kidding. Nothing against you or anything. I don’t know. Ten years I’ll be what, 30? Living in a big city, definitely, and either doing some sort of academia-related work or editing a newspaper. I thought this [interview] was going to be more interesting.

Yeah, I thought you were going to be more interesting.

[Hilda’s friend Cara Thomas jumps in.] Today Hilda used a parking meter for the first time in her life.

How much money did you put in?

I think altogether it was about 75 cents. I was pretty impressed, actually; an hour for a quarter.

Let me ask you this: Does Chico, in your mind, have a parking problem?*

At first I thought maybe it did because I’ve heard so many people complain about it. But driving out here and parking for the first time, I notice that the parking spaces are pretty ample. I was getting nervous because I didn’t want to parallel park, then I found that lot and thought, “Awesome.”

*This interview was conducted on May 20.