Aman Agah was a 37-year-old non-binary person at the time of interview, which took place remotely in Charlotte and Mount Holly, North Carolina. They were born in New Jersey in 1982. They received a BA in English and Film & Media Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia, an MA in Media Studies from The New School, New York, New York, and a Graduate Certificate in Women's and Gender Studies from UNC Charlotte. They were employed in collegiate administrative positions prior to joining the teaching staff as adjunct faculty in Women's and Gender Studies and International Studies at UNC Charlotte, and they are also a part-time yoga instructor at UNC Charlotte and On Track Yoga in Mount Holly, North Carolina.
Aman Agah, adjunct faculty in Women's and Gender Studies and International Studies at UNC Charlotte, shares their experience at UNC Charlotte on April 30th, 2019 and how they connected with students and felt concern in the aftermath of the campus shooting. Aman Agah had just finished teaching a class in the Fretwell building around 5pm on April 30th and left campus unaware of the tragedy unfolding. They speak about holding an optional meeting for students the week after the shooting to provide comfort and an outlet to express their concerns, and also about providing yoga classes on campus on the first anniversary of the tragedy. As a professor teaching Women's and Gender Studies, Aman Agah was already aware of issues of police violence, systematic racism, President Trump's Muslim Ban and other challenges facing people of color. They express their concern for how students would feel and be treated in the aftermath of the shooting on campus. They speak to the University's handling of tragedy, the lack of guidance surrounding available mental health services, and the overall feeling that the University used the tragedy for public relations gain. Aman Agah ends by discussing how students process grief and trauma, the importance of understanding student mental health, and the impact of memorials and collective memory in the wake of tragedy.
