Introductions

1. What has been your favorite course of study in or out of school? Why?
My favorite course of study in and out of school has always been art history. I've never taken a bad or uninteresting art history class and in my free time I like to read biographies of some of my favorite artists.

2. How many pages was the longest paper you have written? Did it include endnotes and bibliography?
The longest paper I've written was over 10 pages, I can't remember the exact number though. It did include endnotes and a bibliography.

3. Which was your favorite paper? Please tell us about the topic in a couple of sentences.
My favorite paper I’ve written was for an architecture class. I could choose any topic that a wanted so I chose to write about the Wainwright building in St. Louis. Louis Sullivan was the architect for this building. In my paper I discussed the nature of form versus function and I argued that the Wainwright building’s structure is expressed through Sullivan’s design. Although the piers and spandrels that decorate the building do not show the function of the interior clearly, they do express the main purpose of the building which is to be “tall.” (This was innovative because skyscrapers were only just beginning to emerge when the Wainwright was built in 1890.)

4. Is there a particular kind of writing you love to do?
I'm not much of a writer and I don't see myself as a creative writer at all. Therefore I would probably have to say that research papers may be my favorite type of writing. Research requires me to just report the facts instead of making up stories.

5. Which books have you read lately: art, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, poetry, environmental, film? Any comments are welcome.
I haven't read too many books lately. A few months ago I did read biographies on Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin. Those were incredibly interesting. I'm starting to read The Lost Symbol and The Milagro Beanfield War. Hopefully I can get through those before the homework piles up this semester.

6. Which artist or writer really impresses you? Why?
By far, Claude Monet impresses me the most. I am speechless in front of his artwork because of the beauty, colors, and detail of the pieces. He also never gave up on his dream to become an impressionist. Like many artists of his time, he endured being completely broke without a home or food because he only wanted to paint what he liked in the style he liked. Monet always believed in himself and his artwork and his dedication shows in every one of his paintings.

7. What is your main interest besides writing, art, music, (i.e., the humanities)?
I am interested in ecology and conservation particularly in tropical ecosystems.

8. Please describe briefly an article in a newspaper or a magazine that got you thinking lately.
Although not terribly recent, I read an article a few months ago about a new perspective on conservation. The article was in the Nature Conservancy magazine. The article was about how people should experience the wild and everybody should get out and be involved in the nature around them. If everybody does that then conservation becomes inherent because people will care about their natural environment more. I had to disagree with the article because I believe that putting people into an environment that needs to be protected may only harm the environment more than if people were not allowed in. The article got me thinking of another point of view that I can understand, but I ultimately do not agree with it.

9. Which recent cultural event has really impressed you? This can be a museum, a concert, or anything like that, but also a sports game (if you consider this a cultural event, for which there are good reasons).
About a month ago I went to the Metropolitan Museum in NYC for the first time. The experience was absolutely stunning. I’ve never been that close to such famous and well-known works of art. I was wandering around completely speechless for most of the visit. The Met absolutely reiterated my love for art.

10. Is there another, non-cultural event that has affected you deeply.
There have definitely been events that have affected me, though none are very recent.

11. Please share with us a thought or an idea that really widened your intellectual horizon. If possible, give a source for this idea so that those who are interested know where to go.
In my EBIO major I have always thought of things on a small scale. For example, one thing happens that causes one other thing to happen. I took an ecology class last semester and it really opened up my mind to the bigger picture – one thing happens that causes hundreds of other things to happen. I couldn’t believe I was always thinking so small before. Now I try to think of everything with a bigger picture in mind. In art, for example, when I learn about a new piece of art or a different art movement I try to put it into context by remembering what I’ve learned about what is happening elsewhere in the world at the same time. Although this may seem like a vague horizon-widening moment for me, it was one of the bigger “aha” moments recently in my life.