Kimberly Wipfler Photo
Andrew Finkelman awaits ride at Union Station after visiting girlfriend.
The word on Union Avenue Monday morning was: Metro-North keeps love alive.
Andrew Finkelman, 22, offered that word while waiting for his ride outside of Union Station after a weekend visiting his girlfriend in Brooklyn.
“It was a sad, early morning departure from my girlfriend coming back to my lonely school, to my lonely apartment.”
While he waited for an Uber back to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Finkelman spoke to reporters for the daily “Word on the Street” segment of WNHH FM’s“LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.
Finkelman, a native of Portland, Oregon, met his girlfriend a few years ago while they were both students at Wesleyan.
“We met at school, and she graduated in 2019, so the Metro-North has been keeping our love intact.”
Finkelman, now in his second semester of his senior year at Wesleyan, travels into New York to visit his girlfriend whenever he can. On the train back to school Monday morning, Finkelman enjoyed a coffee and ham sandwich on a baguette while doing homework: a personal biography for a creative academic writing class.
The class is an advanced research seminar in the Sociology Department called “I Write What I Like” with Professor Robyn Autry, who lives in New Haven. “She writes amazing pieces. If you’re listening, y’all should check her out.”
Finkelman is finishing up his degree in sociology and Spanish. He said his favorite Spanish word is chapulines, which means grasshopper. He ate some on his most recent trip to Mexico. The verdict: crunchy and protein-packed.
As a second-semester senior, Finkelman offered wise words for new college students: “When I came in, I was putting so much pressure on myself to create a certain life. I was waiting to find my friend group that I would be with all four years, or find which passion I was going to carry with me throughout the experience.
“Now I’m like, ‘Fuck, I haven’t found any of those things.’ So there’s no pressure, I’ll just appreciate the experience. That’s a little bit of morning gratitude for y’all.”
Finkelman looked stylish in an oversized wool sweater, which he said he took from his brother, and warm red coat. “The jacket is from a town called Lambertville, New Jersey. If you’re ever in the mood for thrifting or flea markets, it has some of the best stuff in the Northeast. My grandparents live there and would be happy to host you anytime.”
As to whether his grandparents would be happy with Finkelman inviting radio listeners to their house, he said, “They gave me permission to invite strangers, so I think they’d be cool with it.”
What’s Finkelman’s biggest worry in the world at the moment?
He said he is thinking about how to ensure we leave a habitable environment for future generations. “It’s a heavy weight to carry, and it feels hard to act on and change it. That’s the worst thing, when you know something terrible and it feels inevitable. But that’s not true; there are things we can do.”
As for today, Finkelman’s main concern: “That the trains are going to run on time.”
I love "Word on the Street" it's a little slice of life of ordinary people and places that make New Haven GO! Thanks to NHI journalists for taking this on! They have found some of the most interesting people! Giving us all some fresh air in these pandemic times!