Frostbite, Water Vikings Capital — ¡Hola hola, mis queridos Vikingos! Acá les va una publicación extra especial, en donde conocemos de manera personal a todas las personas que forman parte de nuestra querida División Lusohispana. Esta división nació del sueño de nuestro querido ex-líder, Escot, y una necesidad de unir a nuestra comunidad creciente de Hispanos y Lusitanos en Water Vikings, y vaya que andamos más fuertes que nunca. Ayer, 30 de septiembre, marcaron 2 meses de nuestra primera Noche de Juegos en CPJ así que, para honrar todo el trabajo que se ha hecho y el esfuerzo que se ha puesto en nuestra división, Mr. West condujo una entrevista para conocer a todo el equipo detrás de la magia.
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Today you’re getting an extra special post, where you’ll meet the people behind our Lusohispanic Division! This division started because of our former leader, Escot, had a dream and we had a need to unite our growing Hispanic and Lusitanian community in Water Vikings and, boy, is it stronger than ever. Yesterday, September 30th, marked 2 months since our very first CPJ Game Night in Spanish and to honor all the work that has been done and the effort that has been put into our division, Mr. West conducted interviews with each member behind the magic.
How was it for the LH division starting out?
Kath: It was a slow start, like when you start running, a slow pace and then it started going better with time.
Kev: It’s like when you’re doing a puzzle, you don’t know where to start but once you get the hang of it. It gets easier.
Emjay: It was a bit daunting at first, because although the Lusohispanic community was growing, we still had that lingering fear that we wouldn’t have a good turnout. Our fears were proven to be wrong and, honestly, we have been growing steadily ever since.
Pingo: It was pretty hype being able to build a team of lusitanian/hispanic peoples for a project here. At the time we were still finding our footing and overall I focused on trying to make things fun in the actual CPJ game while other peeps were working on their part. So many 1am events btw.
Leo: Well, when I first heard about it, I was a bit surprised, but also happy, because, I mean, as a Portuguese, I was really excited for it! The LH division idea came initially from Escot, I think. Despite the excitement, there was some fear, since there was already other divisions, it could’ve been a bad idea… But, with the help of many others, together we could bring this division to life and I hope, it will keep growing up as time goes by!
Popes: The fact we have quite some Lusohispanic members in WV helped out a lot. And some of the most dedicated troops and staff specially! The division always had lots of potential and as such its creation come up as something natural. Of course, it started slow with some events in Spanish, but the Latino Week was a big jump for us, of which I’m really proud!
What initially brought up the idea of a LH division?
Kath: I knew we had a few people talking in Español, we already had a channel in WV, I asked if we could have some events in Español only to Escot and we worked our way up.
Kev: We had a Spanish/Portuguese chat, so the thought of making an event would be cool. We started as a game night just to test it out and see how it goes.
Emjay: I was already aware it was a project Escot had wanted to build, but it was kick-started due to the increase in activity in the Spanish/Portuguese chat and also the fact that, although the vast majority understand and speak English, there are still a few that don’t and we felt it was important to make WV as inclusive as possible.
Pingo: Before LH I was working with Leo and Popes to get a group of portuguese people, but after some hispanic folk started working with staff we decided to join forces into LH.
Leo: As we know, there are lots of people in WV who speak Spanish and Portuguese, for example, Escot, our ex-leader, who was also the one who had decided to create the Spanish/Portuguese chat. I guess it was just natural to understand how active that chat was, which pretty much proved already that there could be a LH division in WV. And, after a while, it did happen!
Popes: I can’t really speak much on this as it wasn’t my idea, but the number of active Spanish and Portuguese staff members contributed to it’s start for sure. It’s also undeniable how much potential there is for recruiting among Spanish and Portuguese-speaking people in CPJ. Investing in reaching out to them is a way to expand WV even further.
What were some difficulties in starting the LH division?
Kath: The difficulties? I think, in my opinion is that we were afraid that it would not work, we already have AUSIA, EU, US, to be honest, I was hoping that people would come. It started slow and then it created a bond between everyone and it is super to see.
Kev: There were no difficulties; it was just being afraid that it would not work, or nobody would show up for it. The thoughts of nobody showing up always scared me, but we never gave up.
Emjay: Rather than difficulties, we met with situations that we hadn’t navigated before. It was slow in the beginning but after gaining traction and interest, things started progressing quickly. Also, thanks to the support of even outsiders from the Lusohispanics, things have been flowing extremely well.
Pingo: By design its pretty dependent on LH members to host, so if a lot of them are on leave/not there things do get tricky but I think things haven’t ever been terribly bad.
Leo: I wasn’t super involved in the creation of this division, but I think it was just the fear of “what if this doesn’t work out”.
Popes: I think the most difficult thing is always getting it to work from the start, specially when having to balance it all with what we had been doing that far. Organizing new events in different languages, getting people to join them (whether they speak that language or not) and making sure we add instead of replacing or subtracting was and is always a challenge. I think both staff and troops made it easier though. Everyone was pretty receptive to it so things ended up working out pretty well.
How might the LH division contribute to WV?
Kath: It will help us to grow. Adding more people, making them feel seen and not put somewhere where they feel that they can’t belong.
Kev: It would make us grow while we welcome our Hispanic community so they don’t feel left out or being scared to talk because nobody speaks Spanish. Some people would use it to learn English or for people who would want to learn Spanish.
Emjay: It’ll make this army a lot more inclusive, as I’ve stated before. It’ll open up opportunities for the Lusohispanic community not just on CPJ but on Discord as well and will help grow the WV community as a whole.
Pingo: Mais recrutas quero alho 🗣️
Leo: The LH division, isn’t JUST for people who speak Spanish or Portuguese, anyone else who’d like to participate in this division’s events or help, will be welcomed with open arms! And, in my opinion, it really helps bring more fun to the army and helps with its growth!
Popes: The LH division is already having a positive contribution to WV. First, it allows us to break language barriers. Second, it allows us to reach more people, to take advantage of the potential there is among those speaking Spanish and Portuguese online.
What does the LH division hold for us in the future?
Kath: Amazing people, future staffs and who knows, maybe a next leader!
Kev: A lovely community where everyone is welcomed, along with great staff and troops.
Emjay: A community that bonds, learns and grows together. As Latinos, we tend to have an innate need for community and I truly believe this will make WV even stronger and more united.
Pingo: Mais autismo.
Leo: I hope, lots of other fun events, more people, maybe we’ll have another themed week in the future, who knows. And what I really wish for is that we can have a great LH division, and those who are active in it, have a good time!
Popes: I think the most important thing for the near future is to keep consistency. We shouldn’t stretch ourselves out too much, but focus on what we do good and make sure people join in. As for the bigger stuff, I’ll leave to you to find out in the future!
Muchas gracias a todos por participar y, como siempre, es un gusto trabajar con ustedes y poder crecer esta división juntos. Esto no sería posible sin ninguno de ustedes, tanto el equipo de esta entrevista como los troops que se han unido y nos han apoyado en toda esta trayectoria. Juntos lograremos cosas grandiosas.
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A big thank you to everyone for participating and, as always, it’s such a pleasure to be able to work with you and grow this division together. None of this would be possible without any of you, whether it’s the team involved in this interview or the troops that have joined and supported us in this journey. Together we will achieve amazing things.
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¡Teman a la Ola!
Interviewer – Mr. West
Viking Warrior
Writer – Emjay
Viking Chief