New mayor Jennifer Roberts doesn’t do a lot of sitting
C5 recently dropped by the Government Center to catch up with newly installed mayor Jennifer Roberts as she embarks on a new vision for the Queen City. Before she cracked open another administrative policy binder, we asked her three questions:
- What are you reading?
- What are you listening to?
- What are you watching?
As with many others before, we’ll take those answers and find the meaning, theme or message.
What are you reading?
Well, I have about six books on my nightstand. There’s one: “Trapped in Four Square Miles,” by Sam Wazan. He is a local author, and it’s about growing up in the Middle East during a war-torn time. I don’t know if it is autobiographical, but it gives a great feeling of how it is to live while bombs are dropping around you. It’s very interesting, but I haven’t finished it, yet.
I like non-fiction but read fiction if it is a page-turner. And, I will tend to pick up whatever my children are reading. I always read The Charlotte Observer and Wall Street Journal daily, as well as The New York Times on Sundays. And, I keep up with Twitter news feeds. I wish I had more time to read for fun. Though, lately, I have been reading our city’s zoning book.
What are you listening to?
I don’t do a lot of sitting. When I go hiking or biking, I don’t listen to music. I like to listen to nature. If I am biking down a greenway, I want to hear the sounds of the greenway, the kids playing and the birds singing. I want to hear the city noises as well as the natural noises.
However, when I am in the car, I’m usually listening to public radio or to Spanish talk shows and news like CNN Espanol. I am always practicing my Spanish.
Thanks to @JenRobertsNC @CLTMayor for continuing to #build #relationships #latinos @CLTgov pic.twitter.com/jSW33bKmOb
— LACCC (@LACCCLT) December 23, 2015
Around the house, I am usually listening to my husband play piano or other music, such as classical, jazz, merengue or bachata to pop, rock, bluegrass or the Beatles. I listen to anything.
What are you watching?
I am not a big TV watcher. Sometimes, when time permits, I will rent an entire TV series and watch it through. I recently watched “House of Cards,” “Battlestar Gallactica,” “West Wing” and “Game of Thrones.” I am a sci-fi fan. I am looking forward to seeing the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” movie. I also love “Star Trek.”
We’re only getting started. #FU2016 #HouseofCards pic.twitter.com/rVybk7aFmT
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) December 16, 2015
I love fast-paced action movies such as “James Bond,” “Mission Impossible” and the “Bourne” movies. I watch “The Simpsons” and “Modern Family.” It is good to have some humor since the world is so serious.
What does all of this mean about you?
I have a very broad perspective. I have lived overseas and I speak other languages. I like to have a variety of cultural inputs that show in the music I like. It is a global perspective that appears in the books that I read. I am a news wonk; there is so much to learn about the world. I am a curious person. I get a lot of information from people. I understand people, where they come from and what they’ve experienced. That is important.
Photo: Mark Hames/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published January 3, 2016 at 10:00 PM with the headline "New mayor Jennifer Roberts doesn’t do a lot of sitting."