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Senior
Interviews
As a
tribute to our seniors, we sent out a questionnaire asking them
various questions about their plans for the future and their time at
Monmouth College. Best of luck to you all!
not pictured: Ashley Clegg, Megan Carlson,
Ryan Guterrez, Kyle O'Keefe, and Shannon Slee
This year we will be
doing something a little different and ordering the responses by
each of the seniors according to their cumulative GPA...joking!
They are listed alphabetically like always.
Amanda
Bloomer
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
Getting one of those Rob Hale smiles for a job well done
(they're like shooting stars, so rare).
2. What will you miss most about
Monmouth College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
I won't miss being hassled by the Business Office at the
beginning of every semester--I will not be leaving a forwarding
address. I will miss the pubs room shenanigans with the Courier
staff--good times.
3. What made you want to become an
English major?
Well, there was a time when I was young, naive and
impressionable...
4. What author or piece of literature
that you studied in any English class do you despise the most? What
is your most favorite?
I'm not a big fan of early American lit. But I get pretty
jazzed about postmodern anything. I also liked most of what I read
in the English novel course with Rob and the modernist poetry course
with Mark.
5. What has been the most challenging
aspect of the English major?
That whole writing thing that we do. And the portfolio. I
think that it's a sadistic practice, having to return to all of the
crap you wrote over the last four (in my case, five) years.
6. What English class taught you the
most?
British Survey II. I took it the second semester of my
freshman year, and it basically laid the foundation for all other
learning in the English deparment for me.
7. What are your plans for after
college?
I leave for Europe in June. I'll spend the whole trip
deciding whether or not I want come back.
8. What final words would you like to
say to any English major(s) on campus?
The best thing you could do for yourself would be to
not follow my example.
Megan
Carlson
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
I liked when Erik and Luke made the cookies that
looked like Rob Hale.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth College? and/or What won't
you miss about Monmouth College?
I'll miss the classes with Watson because he
always made anything interesting and complex.
I won't miss freaking out about papers.
3. What made you want to become an English major?
I wrote a book for young authors when I was in 1st
grade and I made it to state and that made
me first interested in writing and literature. Also, I had a
great teacher for English Literature when I was a senior in High
School and it made me want to major in English.
4. What author or piece of literature that you studied in any
English class do you despise the most? What is your most favorite?
I don't think I despised anything. The Bronte's
are my favorite.
5. What has been the most challenging aspect of the English major?
The papers are always a challenge. Deciding what
to write about was probably the hardest decision.
6. What English class taught you the most?
I loved the Bronte class my junior year, but I
also loved Modern American Fiction with Watson and the
various classes I took with Hale were great as well.
7. What are your plans for after college?
I will be working at the Edwardsville Public
Library in my hometown this summer and then hopefully getting
a job for the fall. Also, I would like to go to grad school.
8. What final words would you like to say to any English major(s) on
campus?
Don't stress about the papers. It takes more time
to worry about them than to actually sit down and write
them. Also, have fun with your major. The English major is a
great opportunity to be creative and
form your own ideas/opinions.
Erik Davis
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
My favorite memories are mostly centered around my
Freshman year on the third floor of Cleland Hall. I lived with
Luke and was neighbors with Kyle O'Keefe. I ended up becoming
good friends with almost everyone that lived in our little
cul-de-sac.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
The thing that I will miss most is having a venue in
which to read and discuss literature with other people. This
setting will be hard to replicate outside of college. I will
least miss the late nights spent in the computer lab writing and
revising my papers for Rob Hale only to have them brutally torn
apart again and again and again.
3. What made you want to become an English
major?
I became an English major largely because it was my
favorite class my senior year of high school. I originally
wanted to become a journalist...something of a Dave Berry and a Bob
Woodward wrapped up in one. After I decided that was
impractical I realized how much I enjoyed literature, and the rest
took care of itself.
4. What author or piece of literature that you
studied in any English class do you despise the most? What is your
most favorite?
I hated Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell more than
any other work I have ever read. It was extremely boring and
the ending was awful. I have most enjoyed Death of a
Salesmen by Arthur Miller, anything by Keats, and My Antonia by
Willa Cather.
5. What has been the most challenging aspect
of the English major?
The most challenging part of the major for me has
been honing my writing skills. I have worked quite hard at it,
but judging by the number of comma errors that are present in just
what I have written for this survey you can see I still have a ways
to go.
6. What English class taught you the most?
I think that I learned the most my Junior Year when
I took both Romantic Literature with Rob and Modern American Drama
with Watson. These classes were two of my favorite of all
time, and I really came into my own as a major during that time.
7. What are your plans for after college?
Next semester I am doing my student teaching.
After that I plan to move out to Washington (the state) and write a
crappy novel with Luke. After that I will be making a
documentary about Pro-Am dancing (also with Luke). Then I
suppose I will have to stop being immature become a productive
member of society and get a job. Unless my novel or
documentary make it big. Then I will not have to work for the
rest of my life.
8. What final words would you like to say to
any English major(s) on campus?
Well first I would like to reiterate Luke's point...
Other than that I would say read everything that is assigned,
because you are robbing yourself of an education when you don't
read. Take your time in college and take a wide array of
classes. This is a liberal arts college and the point is to
expose yourself to many different disciplines.
Lucas
Gorham (graduating with Departmental Honors)
1. What is your fondest memory of Monmouth College?
Once in class when Rob inadvertently proved me right in an ongoing
debate between my roommate and I.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
Rob Hale and Rob Hale. But seriously, I will miss not being
able to avoid work by going to school. I feel like there are so
many good courses I misses and if I had the money I would stay and
take them all before I was done.
3. What made you want to become an English
major?
My love of literature. I came into college loving to read
and discuss anything and everything, so it was a natural fit. I
also find writing to be extremely rewarding. It is the most
efficient way I have to organize and voice my ideas which is very
therapeutic.
4. What author or piece of literature that you
studied in any English class do you despise the most? What is your
most favorite?
Oscar Wilde. Not a fan of his work except for The Importance
of Being Earnest. Also, House of Games by David Mamet was pretty
weak. It might have just paled in comparison to the other works I
read in that class, but I didn't like it, especially compared to
other Mamet work.
The Awakening made me realize I was in the right major when I
read it freshman year. John Keats' poetry was another high point.
But the best was probably when I read Long Day's Journey Into
Night, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Zoo Story, and
Angels in America in the same course. That was amazing!
5. What has been the most challenging aspect
of the English major?
Writing. Even though I did really well for the most part (I
even got a straight-up A from Rob a couple times, it took a while
to realize when my writing was quality. The first two years, it was
kind of a guessing game. By second semester junior year, I was able
to turn in papers and be confident and defend that I had done
quality work.
6. What English class taught you the most?
Even though I didn't realize it at the time, the survey
classes were all great. I think majors tend to think the surveys
are just a stepping stone to the "good" classes, but I wish I would
have appreciated them more. Also, Modern American Drama had perhaps
the best selection of readings of any class I took and taught me my
writing wasn't as perfect as I had thought.
7. What are your plans for after college?
Gosh, there's so many. Cutting a demo. Writing a crappy
sci-fi knock-off novel to capitalize on the Harry Potter mania and
make me some money. Making a documentary on pro-am dancing. Going
to Washington to live on an island and then to Europe.
8. What final words would you like to say to
any English major(s) on campus?
Don't be so lame. [He is right, you guys really need to pick
it up.]
Kim Gratzke
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
I have two. First, getting engaged and second,
joining and being a part of Alpha Xi Delta for four years.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth College? and/or What won't
you miss about Monmouth College?
I will miss the people that I hung out with; I will
definitely not miss the awful campus water!
3. What made you want to become an English major?
I wanted to become an English major because I
absolutely LOVE literature (as long as it's interesting)
4. What author or piece of literature that you studied in any
English class do you despise the most? What is your most favorite?
I just don't like the entire genre of British
Literature; however, I do enjoy Shakespeare.
My favorite literature is Shakespeare and American
Literature.
5. What has been the most challenging aspect of the English major?
The most challenging aspect of the English major is
getting all the reading done while still trying to balance other
classes.
6. What English class taught you the most?
I really cannot say because I have gleaned different
information from each class.
7. What are your plans for after college?
I have multiple job offers in the psychology field
as well as 1 in the English field. I am still trying to narrow down
my options.
8. What final words would you like to say to any English major(s) on
campus?
DON'T FORGET TO READ FOR FUN!
I became an English major because I loved literature
and for me to abandon the literature I love was a horrible idea.
It's important to set aside a short amount of time
per day or per week just to read for fun!!!
.
Elizabeth
Towns-Law
1. What is your fondest memory of Monmouth
College?
There are a lot, I can't narrow it
down right now.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
I will miss a lot, but on the list are my English
professors and friends. I will not miss the "lovely" smell of
Monmouth.
3. What made you want to become an English
major?
I have always loved reading books and learning about
cultures and living styles throughout history.
4. What author or piece of literature that you
studied in any English class do you despise the most? What is your
most favorite?
The author I hate the most would have to be Pynchon
and my favorite would have to be Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
5. What has been the most challenging aspect
of the English major?
Writing papers, all of them, not just the Senior
thesis.
6. What English class taught you the most?
Doctor Watson's Modern American Fiction class taught
me the most and gave me a new appreciation for American authors.
7. What are your plans for after college?
I am enrolled in Dominican University's Library
Science Master's program in the fall.
8. What final words would you like to say to
any English major(s) on campus?
Don't give up, no matter how hard it is; that Senior
thesis will get done-just don't wait until the last minute to do
it.
Kyle
O'Keefe
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
Playing football against Lawrence College senior
year..
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
Miss-My friends; Not Miss-Mark's Vests..
3. What made you want to become an English
major?
I was okay at English and didn't have any better ideas.
4. What author or piece of literature that you
studied in any English class do you despise the most? What is your
most favorite?
Favorites- Crime and Punishment, Dosteyovetsky;
Paradise Lost Milton; Long Days Journey Into Night Eugene O'Neill
6. What English class taught you the most?
Milton or Advanced Comp.
7. What are your plans for after college?
Nothing yet...I don't plan more than a month in
advance.
8. What final words would you like to say to
any English major(s) on campus?
Read everything you can
Sarah Sherry
1. What is your fondest memory of
Monmouth College?
There isn't really one in particular.
When I find out that I have hopefully passed Senior
Seminar, that will probably be my fondest memory.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
I will miss being able to see my friends on a
regular basis. I'm going to miss random Steak and Shake
excursions.
I will not miss the food or the homework.
3. What made you want to become an
English major?
I have always loved reading and learning new
things.
I did well in my English classes in high school,
particularly creative writing, and then decided to major in English
coming into Monmouth College.
4. What author or piece of literature that you
studied in any English class do you despise the most? What is your
most favorite?
I hate Shakespeare. Just kidding. I can't think
of any authors I hate that much.
Some of my favorite authors are Toni Morrison,
Dostoevsky, Gogol, Horace, and Chaucer.
5. What has been the most
challenging aspect of the English major?
Completing Senior Seminar with Mary Bruce.
6. What English class taught you the
most?
I took a linguistics course during my semester abroad. It
was called "Applied Linguistics: World Englishes."
I didn't know there were so many different types of
Englishes, and all of the issues involved in linguistics.
7. What are your plans for after
college?
Immediately after college I will be bartending and
going to music concerts.
Career-wise I would eventually like to go into
journalism or publishing.
Dream jobs would be writing for Rolling Stone or
being a tour guide in Rome.
8. What final words would you like
to say to any English major(s) on campus?
Save everything.
You may not think you will need a
poem that you wrote freshman year, but chances are you probably
will.
It's better to be prepared than end up getting
screwed over in the end.
Shannon
Slee
.
2. What will you miss most about Monmouth
College? and/or What won't you miss about Monmouth College?
I will most miss my English classes and the joy of HAVING to
read...since when it's not part of a course I never seem to find
enough time!
6. What English class taught you the most?
Of all my classes at Monmouth, Rob's 2007 Senior Seminar
class definitely taught me the most.
I read lots of great literature and was challenged
to think, reflect, and react to it.
7. What are your plans for after college?
I will be teaching Spanish II at Quincy High
School beginning in August.
After two years of that, I would like to go to
Spain for a couple of years to get my master's in English.
The following members of my class are
very lame and did not respond to my survey:
Ashley Clegg
Ryan Gutierrez
Katherine Ott
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