Where are you from?
I’m from North Idaho. I capitalize the word North to emphasize it, as everyone from North Idaho does, because we want you to think of moose wandering mountainous forest instead of Napoleon Dynamite.
What drew you to psychology, philosophy, and writing as your fields of study?
Well, first you’ll need to understand a bit about me. Philosophically speaking I’m an absurdist. So I don't believe life has meaning for all intents and purposes. Instead of looking for one, I think we should try and make peace with how incomprehensible the universe is and live life for the sake of life itself, something I call intrinsic living. But with our pattern seeking brains which look for meaning everywhere, intrinsic living is against every instinct we have. What philosophy, story telling, and psychology all have in common is that they study the process of meaning creation in different forms. This makes them the most important subjects to study as far as I’m concerned.
What has been your experience as a student of both the College of Liberal Arts and the Honors College?
So far, so good. I’ve really appreciated both the honors version of classes and the HC Colloquia. In each of them the classes are smaller and have less homework, which helps me learn and thrive. I’d encourage everyone to join the Honors College, if possible.
Have you started your honors thesis? If yes, what’s the topic and/or focus of your research? If not, are you considering any ideas so far?
I have. With that said, the shape of my thesis has shifted over time and I keep neglecting to fill out the official stuff. Anyways, my thesis is a collection of short stories which I’ve written over the course of my time here at OSU. However, they’re as much a therapeutic exercise as much as they are a writing exercise. In addition to using the writing process to help me introspect and process trauma, I’ll be using them to reflect on how I’ve grown and changed as a person over time.
What have been some of your favorite classes taken?
It’s hard to say since I’ve taken so many wonderful classes here. But there’s maybe four that have stood out to me largely because of the instructors.
One of which would have to be Introduction to Literature: Fiction. It’s a basic intro class but the instructor, Marcos Norris, made it an incredible experience with his passion for what he’s teaching which makes it difficult not to appreciate the stories we analyzed in class as much as he does. Which is funny because when I saw him walk into the room that first day dressed in a suit I thought, “this guy is not laid back, not my style, I’m never gonna get along with him.” But by the end of the term I’d asked him to be my HC mentor and he was kind enough to agree.
Another one that made an impression on me was the HC Colloquia class Storytelling taught by Jeremy Townley. It’s a small, largely discussion based class in which we all tried to understand what storytelling is on a fundamental level and why we humans love to do it, something I had a lot of opinions on. Overall, I’d highly recommend taking Jeremy Townley’s classes, he’s a great instructor and it’s an easy going environment that encourages deep thinking.
I also really loved the class Quests For Meaning: World Religions. I’m a firm agnostic, but admittedly have understood religious thinking much less than atheistic thinking. But the way Dr. Geoff Barstow teaches it helped me empathize with religious people more than I ever had before.
Then of course there’s Developmental Psychopathology which I’m taking this term. The instructor, Scott McFee, is passionate about the subject and is deeply critical of the current state of the psychology field for a variety of reasons. I, someone who has always been critical of the system, can really empathize with his outlook. Still, what he’s taught all of us in that class has really opened my eyes.
What are you hoping to do after you graduate?
I’m hoping to go into graduate school, but still aren't sure if I’m interested in research or clinical work.
How do you feel that your experience in CLA and HC is setting you up for success?
Many of the experiences I’ve had have genuinely helped me get closer to grasping the full spectrum of perspectives on life that are out there. In other words, it’s helped me develop a fuller sense of empathy. Other than that, there’s of course the whole, "hopefully the benefits of a college degree will outweigh the soul-crushing debt I took on to get it," thing.