Art

Although I unfortunately do not own a pair of Birkenstocks, I am a proud Northern Californian. I was born in San Francisco and raised in the Sierra Nevada mountains, an area famous for its breathtaking forests and canyons, the Gold Rush, and the Donner party. When I wasn't being homeschooled with my younger sister, I spent my youthful summers barefoot in the forests and fields and my winters reading and dreaming of getting away. My parents gave me my love of literature and art--they spent hours before bed every night and long car rides reading out loud. Some of my best memories are of going to coffee shops and drawing cups of hot chocolate on napkins. When we went to the "big city" to visit our grandparents, Dad would take us to art galleries and museums, give us sketch books, and leave us to wander around for hours on end. I was blessed to attend high school at St. Andrew's Academy, a tiny Anglican classical school, which gave me rich and varied experiences like traveling to Italy and around the U.S. with our a cappella choir, heading up our model rocket club, fencing, and suffering through Koine Greek and formal rhetoric. In my spare time not spent with my new loves-- poetry and Southern literature--I love to fiddle, cook ethnic food, and sew. I do not like washing dishes or cleaning.

I confess that Hillsdale was never at the top of my list when applying for colleges. When I graduated from high school, all I wanted was to escape and see the world. The Midwest didn't really fit into that dream. The Hillsdale name kept coming up, however, when I was poking about, and I applied because it looked like the sort of place I'd be reasonably happy at if plans A through C failed--which they did. But like most people in my position, I've come to love the College. I really am so glad I came here.

I love the challenging academics here and the excellent classes you can take in almost any discipline you please. And if the class you'd like to take isn't offered, chances are you know a professor who would be willing to teach it. The school's small size and high standards allow for a real academic community to grow. You rub up against the same people every day, so you're never just another face in the crowd. You can really get to know people here, fellow students who are just as serious in pursuing wisdom and knowledge as you are. Some of my best times have been just studying with friends, playing music out in the grass, and praying the daily offices with my friends.

Once upon a time, before I came to college and saw a bit of the world, I had imagined going to graduate school and being an English professor. Now my tentative plans include: becoming a poet, teaching at the parochial school I graduated from, starting a bookstore/restaurant/coffee shop/jazz club, dropping out of society to travel Europe, and, last but not least, saving Western civilization.

Things can get rather slow socially come mid-spring semester when the temperature drops below zero and even cornfields would be a welcome relief to the dull and dirty snowbanks. Some of my best memories have been from trying to find things to break up this boredom. Sometimes that means just sharing tea and a good book out loud with friends. Other times that means a sport we affectionately refer to as "'staching"--taping paper mustaches of varying colors and sizes on the collection of statues around campus. For a seminar on British humor my second semester, Professor Bart offered to let us do a creative project instead of writing a paper, and, inspired by a short we made on a winter weekend, my friends helped me film a short, python-esque "news" cast on an imaginary Nancy Drew television show.

I remember one time I went to see Dr. Jackson about a paper, and we ended up talking about the cultural significance of zombie movies for an hour. I had seen Dawn of the Dead the night before at Film Society. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable, interesting conversations I've ever had. Our professors aren't just great lecturers, they're also well-rounded, fascinating people who are so much fun to talk to.

I've always been interested in a fairly wide range of subjects, and so I have enjoyed the core curriculum greatly. Sociology was a particularly enjoyable experience. I knew nothing about sociology coming into it, and it ended up being one of the most interesting classes I've taken here. It's definitely helped me to be able to think clearer in general, though especially my English classes, about issues regarding the relationship between the individual and society.

showe@hillsdale.edu