Oral History Program Chris Francom Interviewed by Daniel Clark 29 April 2008 i Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Chris Francom Interviewed by Daniel Clark 29 April 2008 Copyright © 2012 by Weber State University, Stewart Library ii Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. The reviewed and corrected transcripts are indexed, printed, and bound with photographs and illustrative materials as available. Archival copies are placed in University Archives. The Stewart Library also houses the original recording so researchers can gain a sense of the interviewee's voice and intonations. Project Description The Weber State College/University Student Projects have been created by students working with several different professors on the Weber State campus. The topics are varied and based on the student's interest or task for a specific assignment. These oral history assignments were created to help Weber State students learn the value and importance of recording public history and to benefit the expansion of the Weber State oral history collections. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. It reflects personal opinion offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and as such it is partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable. ____________________________________ Rights Management All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to the Stewart Library of Weber State University. No part of the manuscript may be published without the written permission of the University Librarian. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed to the Administration Office, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, 84408. The request should include identification of the specific item and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Francom, Chris, an oral history by Daniel Clark, 29 April 2008, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with Chris Francom. The interview was conducted on April 29, 2008, by Daniel Clark. Francom discusses his life, specifically his schooling at Weber State University. Summary On Tuesday April 29, 2008 I interviewed Weber State student Chris Francom. Before coming to Weber, Chris went through the Davis County education system. After Attending North Ridge high school, he went to Snow College for one semester. Chris enjoyed playing football in high school, which led him to play at Snow as well. The past two falls, Chris has also coached football in the local little league. After one season of football at Snow, Chris went on an LDS mission to Bélain, Brazil. While on his mission he gained a strong work ethic, and the want to serve others. He described the skills he learned on his mission as "skills every god physician should have". Here at Weber Chris is zoology major. He has had the opportunity to partake in research projects under the care of Dr. Task. Dr. Task has been a very positive work environment. Chris attributes her as a great mentor. Together they have attended national conferences. This summer they have been invited to do some research at Washington University in St. Louis. For his research work he receives a stipend. He speaks highly of the undergraduate research program that Weber offers. 1 The work he is doing at Weber is in hopes of going on to medical school. The top medical school he is interested in going to be Duke. They have a 16-month program, which would give him an extra year to do some extensive research, at a graduate level. In his free time he enjoys spending time outdoors. During the summer he enjoys spending time at the lake, and during the winter enjoys skiing. He has worked at Snowbird during the last two winters. DC: Today is Tuesday, April 29, 2008. My name is Daniel Clark, and I'm interviewing Chris Francom. CF: Francom. DC: Francom, excuse me. What was your date of birth Chris? CF: October 25, 1983. DC: What, where were you born? CF: I was born in McKay Dee, In Ogden. DC: In Ogden? CF: Mhmm. DC: How many members are in your family? CF: Let’s see, I have two brothers, a mom and dad, and a half sister. DC: Any memorable experiences growing up, that you care to mention? CF: Like.... 2 DC: With your family, family gatherings? CF: I don't know, we have a pretty close knit family, we all live around here still... DC: What are holidays like for your family? CF: Holidays for my family? Some of the big holidays that we celebrate, we always go up to my grandma's house for Christmas, and that's when the whole extended family comes in, and that's kind of the big time of year, followed by New Years is the other big one, and we do that one down at my house. We just get a lot of people together, and have a lot of fun just play games usually play games, and just enjoy ourselves, enjoy each other’s company. DC: Both of your parents live in Ogden as well? CF: No they don't actually, my parents live in Syracuse, and I live down in Kaysville. DC: I'm assuming, well, that's not my job. What was your schooling before you came to WSU? CF: Before Weber state, so I grew up in Davis county, so I went through their school system, Clinton elementary, Sand ridge Junior High, North Ridge high, and then, right after that I went to one semester down at Snow College, and then came up here to Weber State. DC: What brought you to Weber State? CF: Honestly, it was the pre-med program up here. I had a couple cousins that went through here, and gotten into medical school, and they really liked there experience here, so I just kind of took them up on it; came up here. 3 DC: And you major is.... CF: Zoology. DC: Zoology, excellent. What kind of classes did you enjoy taking as generals? CF: I've enjoyed a lot of my science classes, and that is obviously why I'm still there, as far as generals, I took a class down at Snow that kind of impacted me a lot. It was American national government, the professor was very dynamic a lot of fun to go to his lectures, just a great guy all around, and he really helped us become interested in the subject. DC: What was the name of that professor? CF: President Bensen, he was the president of the college down there. DC: Of Snow? CF: Uh-huh. DC: Who has been one of your favorite teachers so far at Weber? CF: Up here at Weber? Dr. Trask has been one of my favorites. I've had quite a few classes from her, done research in her lab, and had cell biology, physiology, next year I'm taking cancer, her cancer class, and embryology from her. I like her teaching style, she really pushes us, but, that sometimes makes it fun. DC: What is you’re, are you involved in any extracurricular activities? CF: Yeah, up here on campus? DC: Yeah. 4 CF: Yeah, I'm involved with the hope alliance, with the Alpheps Lion Delta, the pre-med honors society, with the rotor act club. The last couple of years I've coached little league football, doing a lot of volunteer stuff, some tutoring, and that type of thing. I try to stay busy. DC: Yeah, absolutely. Of those extracurricular activities, is there a particular situation or project that you've worked on that's impacted your schooling more? CF: There sure is. With the whole research thing, when you're applying to medical school there are certain things that they look at, and one of those big things is research. I found that out early on, that is when I approached Dr. Trask, and asked her if I could help her out in the lab and stuff. At first I was just kind of it because I knew it was a box that I would have to check to apply, but working in there really opened my eyes to other things. Maybe instead of medical school I could do research, or maybe, I could do medical school, and research. You know, just kind of stay with that, and it's been a great experience. I've spent a couple summers working on a couple different projects and the school years also. This summer we're continuing with it. So, it's been a big influence on where I'm headed with my life. DC: What was that first research project that you did, and what were some surprises you faced doing it? CF: What we were doing is looking at a certain protein that in the stretchy tissues of… We're using zebra fish as our organism, but the same protein, or close to the same protein, is found in humans and mammals and that type of thing. We're just trying to characterize this protein as we come on developmentally. I guess the thing that surprised me most 5 wasn't the actual material or the project, but maybe what it took to really do research, and be involved with research. How much time it took, how things don't always go the right way the first time; a lot of trial and error, a lot of thinking about it. It's not as easy as I would have hoped. DC: All that off time, and you're still thinking about it, is also time you’re not thinking about other things. I understand what you mean about that. CF: It was a pretty big eye opener, though. DC: How did your professor influence your work? Was she, how did she influence... CF: She's been great with it, but her goal, and I've even talked with her about this after the fact, has always been to help the student kind of develop. Not so much be pee-ons in her class or whatever, or I mean her lab, but to actually think up what you're going to do next, and you know, learn about which experiments you can design and run. So it's been something really good that she's helped me develop that…combined more so, and she's always been there when I go to her for help, or if I didn't, or don't understand something I can go ask her, then she's more than willing to sit down with me and explain it all. She usually lets me struggle a little bit first, which I think is good. It usually helps me grow. DC: Absolutely, it keeps you thinking forward CF: She's been amazing. DC: What was the second research project you did? 6 CF: Really it has been a continuation of the first. The second year we finished characterizing that same protein, then we were able to go present some findings at a national conference. This spring we presented those same findings here at the spring symposium that Weber state puts on. DC: That's excellent. CF: Then this summer we're continuing, and we're shifting our view to a different protein but the same area, and just trying to learn a little bit about it. DC: What was the national that you presented at? CF: The conference was called Gordon conference on elastin, and elastic fibers. It was out in Maine at the University of New England. It was actually really cool, to meet up with some of the amazing people in the field. One of the proteins that we were explaining in our presentation, I remember looking at this guy and talking to him about this protein and thinking "wow this is the guy that discovered the protein in the first place" and I'm trying to explain how we characterized it in zebra fish. He's the leading expert on it. DC: Wow, that's really exciting CF: It was kind of cool. It was a great opportunity. It was a very prestigious conference to go to. DC: You mentioned a symposium. Can you describe that? CF: Every spring, oh I don't know how long it's been going on, but at least for the past two years, Weber state has put on a spring symposium for the undergraduates that are doing research here. They can go and present their work to other undergraduates, to 7 the faculty, and I think it's open to the public so whoever wants to come. So we just had the opportunity to do a power point presentation and kind of go through the thought processes we had gone through throughout the project, and then just show our findings off a little bit. DC: What were some experiences you had at the symposium? It sounds like it was a good time to present what you found. Were other students excited about their findings as well, and what kind of reactions did you get. CF: It was good. The people that we presented to, at least most the people in the room were also from either the zoology or the microbiology department. They were all, I wouldn't say similar projects, but at least we kind of understood what was going on, so it was, I don't know, it was a real good experience. They had great projects as well; it was fun to learn about what other students are doing here at Weber; getting a broader view of the whole research aspect. DC: So you've mentioned pre-med, what kind of programs do you hope to apply to? CF: That's a good question. Two weeks ago I took the MCAT. DC: Which is...? CF: The medical college admissions test, so everybody that wants to go to medical school has to take it before they can get accepted. Depending on that score or as soon as I get that score back, I can know which schools are more in my range of where I can apply. I would definitely like to go somewhere where I fit in well with the students that are there. I think that is something that I need to kind of see when I get out there on interviews. I would also like a place that has a good research department or good research 8 experiences or opportunities I should say. Depending on that score, the sky's the limit on where I'd like to go. There are some really good programs out there. DC: Is there any where in particular that has something more, or covers your research project in depth? Is that something you've taken into account? CF: Yeah, for sure, one of the programs that I really like, if I could go anywhere it would probably be Duke University. It has been a little while since anyone from Weber has actually gotten in there; it's a really competitive program. I really like how they structure their school. Generally in medical school you have four years, two years in the classroom, then two years in the hospital doing your rotations. What Duke has done is they've gone in and just kind of taken the most essential things that you need to know and packed it all into one year, where you go, you know you start in the summer instead of the fall, then you go all the way through the next summer so it's about a year and a half versus two years of classroom work. What that does is it frees up, an extra year within your four years that a lot of students take time off to work in a lab, or continue with the project that they've been working on. DC: My wife is doing something similar right now; she's doing the accelerated nursing program at the U right now, which is sixteen months as well. That's interesting that's cool they offer something like that at Duke as well. CF: Yeah they don't do it at most medical schools, Duke is one of the few that does. That's cool about your wife. 9 DC: Yeah. Going to shift gears here a little bit, what were some experiences you had in high school, and what were things that led you in high school to pursue what you're pursuing now in college. CF: Good question, it high school, I kind of had the notion medicine was something I kind of wanted to pursue. I had a class that was medical anatomy and physiology. The teacher there was just great. She made the subjects exciting; it kind of opened my eyes to the whole thing there. Then I ended up going on an LDS mission, and when I came back I had to kind of figure out what I wanted to do. The things here at Weber were what really solidified it into what I'm doing now. DC: Where did you go on your mission? CF: I went to Brazil. DC: Went to Brazil, what part? CF: It's called Bélain. DC: Where.... CF: It's in the northeast, right where the Amazon or the mouth of the Amazon meets the equator pretty much. DC: Yeah, both my brothers went to Brazil, so, one went to Rio, and the Sao Paulo in the south. It's interesting... CF: That's great, that's great. DC: Were there any experiences you had on your mission that led you to want to pursue a medical degree, or any work ethic you gained from that. 10 CF: Yeah, definitely a work ethic is involved. I mean it's a time kind of where they pull nineteen year olds, and they pull them away from their families. You have to really learn to function on your own; you know working with somebody else. That was definitely a steep growth curve there, but it helped me to become more organized in my life, and to realize I can do a lot more in a day, than what I previously thought. It helped me want to serve people more, maybe not be so focused on me, but be focused on other people. Those are all characteristics that I think a good physician needs. I think that the mission was a great time to develop. DC: Is there anything that you would like to share about your experiences at Weber, or... CF: No, I think you've gotten most of it. Weber's been a, it's been a good school. I wish that honestly the social life here were a little bit more enjoyable. It seems like people come to Weber to go to school, then to go home. People don't like to live here close by, and it's just, that's the one downside to Weber. As far as the education goes, I think it's as good as anywhere. I've talked with my roommate that goes to the U, I tutored him in chemistry, and that type of thing. It seems like Weber puts us, even ahead of the curve, a little bit. The education has been great. I wish it were a little more sociable though. DC: A little more sociable? I've experienced something similar, as well, there isn't, it seems like the student housing gets less each year, the commuters keep coming more, I come from Salt Lake so I'm one of those guys, but CF: I guess I can't complain, I'm in Kaysville now, so that's a little bit of a commute. DC: That's been an interesting thing though, is I've heard that from other students too, that it's more of a commuter school, and less of a, be on campus with your fellow 11 classmates, and that sort of thing. I've taken a few language classes up here at Weber. Knowing Portuguese from your mission, have you had the opportunity or want to take any language classes? CF: Yeah, I've, well I took one, grammar course in Portuguese, then I've wanted to take others. I signed up for another one, and I was in it for a few weeks, but that semester got too crazy. I was trying to coach football, and it was more of a time commitment then I expected, however, the one course I took was a lot of fun, and this next year I'm planning on taking three more. It will be good. My little brother is in the Spanish program up here, and he's loving it. DC: How does he like it so far? CF: He's really enjoyed it; he also went on a mission. He went to Thailand, so he learned to speak Thai and Cambodian both out there. Now he came back, and just decided he wants to learn Spanish, so... DC: He'll be quad-lingual... CF: I guess... DC: What teachers has he had so far? CF: Have I? In the Language department? The only one that I've had was Lada Vitory. I think she's the only that teaches the upper division Portuguese classes here. She's really fun. DC: And your grammar class; was it focused more on grammar than anything else? 12 CF: Yeah, it was, I mean, they say it's focused more on grammar and it was, but to go along with that you learn a lot of vocabulary, and you really can't teach a Portuguese class without learning some of the culture, so that was integrated into it also. You had to read some, so I really got to see you know people that write in Portuguese, their styles and it was a very informative course. After living there for two years, in Brazil, then coming back I thought I knew the language, but these classes help you understand that you don't know as much as you think you do. You may be able to get along in the streets, but as far as, communicating on a collegiate level, it's not quite the same. DC: Yeah, that's something I've... I work in a restaurant, and the kitchen all speaks Spanish, so I can kind of kind of work my way through kitchen Spanish, but then I come up here, and it's a lot different to speak at a collegiate level, or try to read at a collegiate level. CF: Very true, it's the same thing, you know, I was down there on a religious mission, so we talked religion. I know all the religious words, but outside of that little box it's a little more difficult. DC: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. There was one more question I had. You mentioned football you coach little league football. Is it a program in Ogden? Or... CF: So I help out with a couple different programs, where it kind of started was in high school. I enjoyed playing there; it was a lot of fun. Then I went down to snow to actually play, then I went on a mission right after that first season of playing then came back and just decided I kind of wanted to move on with my life. At the same time it was a skill that I'd learned, and I kind of wanted to share that with other people. Plus it was a lot of fun, so why not. So it started out, my brother's, friend's dad was coaching a team and just 13 needed some help, so I went and helped him out there. It was a lot of fun, the following year, I talked to a director from WestPoint, and there was a team that they just didn't have a coach for, and wanted to know if I wanted to come do it. I got some of my buddies and went down there and had a great time. DC: That's excellent. You said you were continuing the research program, about that fatty cell with the zebra fish this summer. How many hours a week do you generally put towards that? CF: It depends, this summer Dr. Trask and I are going out to Washington University in St. Louis. We've been invited to work in a lab there, it's a little, they have a lot more money actually, and they are able to fund the project a little better. They have equipment that we don't have here, so we'll be out there working, since we're going out there for that reason, and that reason alone. It will be at least a full time job if not more. Last year when we were preparing for that conference, I was in here from eight in the morning till ten at night, for a good solid month. Besides that, about like a full time job. DC: Is there a stipend that you receive for that? CF: Yeah, Weber state is actually great about that. That is what the spring symposium was all about. The people that go and present there, are usually the people that have received funding from Weber state. You can apply for a stipend, anyone can do it, it doesn't have to be in the sciences. There are a lot of psychology majors that do it or art majors, anybody. If you want to do a research project, you get a mentor, then you fill out the application and you submit it. They grant it to a lot of people as long as it's a well 14 thought out thing. So it's been beneficial, without it I wouldn't have been able to do the things that I'm doing. DC: Can you talk about that a little more? How that came to be... CF: You know I was actually thinking about that today, I don't know a lot of the history about how this office of undergraduate research got setup. They do a great job, but I don't know where they get their money from or anything. I don't know much about it. I know how to apply. DC: Well, that's what you need. CF: It's a great thing, and I think it's relatively new. I don't know, I think it's been going on at least three years, but maybe a little longer. It's a good program; it opens lots of opportunities for students. DC: Sounds like you've been really busy with your undergraduate work, and you mentioned the lack of social activities up here at Weber. What do you like to do, when you do have time? CF: School does take up a lot of time, but at the same time, you'd be surprised at how much time there is in a day, and how much you can get accomplished. I definitely have a lot of free time too; I like to have fun just doing whatever. I love to be outdoors, and do things outside. In the summer you can always find me up on the lake with my friends. In the winter up on the slopes, I like to ski a lot, I've worked at down at Snowbird ski resort for a couple years, and it's been a lot of fun down there. We play in the intramural sports here at Weber, doing the, pretty much football; I've done the basketball before too. I like to stay active do things I like, physical activity. 15 DC: That will kind of wrap it up, is there anything else you would like to add? This will be put in the archives for future students to look at. CF: I think we're good, good luck with it. DC: Good luck with your studies at Weber CF: Thank you. DC: Thank you for your time, Chris and good luck. 16