Assignment #1 : Team & Individual Biographies
Hi! We're Clemson University students taking LIT 2130, British Literature. This is the "Bro, do you even lit?" team website. Enjoy!
Lindsay Seel
Hello,
My name is Lindsay, and I’m a senior at Clemson University studying Industrial Engineering. I grew up in Winter Park, FL, which is about 20 minutes north of downtown Orlando. Clemson was the only out-of-state school I applied to, but once I took a tour of the campus I was sold. I knew I wanted to be an engineer since high school, so that was the easy part! I have a pretty outgoing personality, and one of the main things I’m known for is overloading my schedule- there are so many things I want to do! Luckily, one of the core components of Industrial Engineering is efficiency, which is very practical when you want to do things well, in a minimal amount of time. I am currently a Resident Assistant on campus for freshmen in engineering & science, because I want to help the freshmen adjust to Clemson by giving them advice and sharing my experiences, both good and bad. In terms of my professional after-graduation career, I am still job searching, but I would like to be in an industry that challenges me continually and gives me opportunities to advance myself.
It’s me.
I am a pretty extroverted person, so I really enjoy just spending time with other people. I like playing tennis and recently learned how to play golf. I also really love watching The Bachelor/Bachelorette, HGTV, and Clemson football! When I’m not working I like to explore – whether that means walking around downtown Greenville or driving down country roads in Pendleton. Either explore, or flop on my bed and watch rom-coms all day long. Will Ferrell is my favorite actor, with Zac Efron coming in a close second. It would be impossible for me to give up bread, it is the best type of food and it comes in so many varieties. I get very excited about things, and tend to dive into new projects or activities head first without always having a fully developed plan, which can be frustrating for some people. Ultimately, I want to be remembered as a friendly person who radiated positivity and encouragement to my peers.
Hello from the other side…
I love reading books, especially when I get hooked on a series and have the next book to look forward to while I’m still enjoying the current one. I really liked reading books by Melody Carlson and Jenny B. Jones, who are both Christian authors that write fictional books for young women. I also enjoy Nicholas Sparks’ cheesy love stories, and mystery books that aren’t too spooky – like Nancy Drew level. Speaking of Nancy Drew, I love how she always gets into a mess, but is so smart and knows exactly what to do to fix the situation, rather than sitting around and whining. I took AP English Literature in high school, and since coming to Clemson I haven’t had to take any other literature classes in my engineering curriculum. I don’t know a lot about British literature besides the classics that were taught in school. I think that using the WIX sites will give us lots of experience in design and collaboration, but I am also eager to learn more about British culture and read some great books!
Cole Harp
About Me:
Though I was born in Georgia I grew up in South Carolina, and have always enjoyed engineering. My desire to pursue engineering as a major as well as my residence in South Carolina made Clemson the natural choice when looking at colleges. Not only was it the sensible choice, but even while touring the campus it felt like the place that I should be. I have a knack for quoting movies and water sports. My favorite thing to do is anything behind a boat from wakeboarding to barefoot skiing. Because of this love for the water becoming a boat driver and ski instructor for the Lake Lure Adventure Company was an easy choice to make. I am best at solving problems that require me to think outside of the box, such as thinking of a new way to explain skiing to someone, or another way to solve a math problem. Professionally I enjoy interacting with other people face to face, and of course driving a boat all day. I get paid to do what I love so work rarely feels like a job. It is especially rewarding, however, to teach someone a new skill such as water skiing or wakeboarding and seeing everything click together for them because of what I have taught them.
Me in My Free Time:
Personally I am passionate about helping people and am pursuing a career in the medical field. Though I am majoring in engineering I hope to go to medical school after college, and am using the engineering degree as a backup plan. Medicine has always interested me, and having the ability to help people, and potentially save their lives has me very excited. When I am not working over the summers I am, ironically, on or being pulled by a boat, but in the winter time I enjoy snowboarding, and dirt biking. I enjoy volunteering for The Soup Kitchen, and Mobile Meals, and feel that those two organizations are a great way to give back to the community. As far as awards go I’ve got the standard little league baseball trophies and what not, but I am most proud of achieving the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts. The one thing that I could not give up is my health. Several months ago I had to get shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and was unable to do anything physical for a few months, and quickly grew annoyed at my inability to do anything that was too physical. When performing tasks that do not require action, such as discussing something or planning it is difficult for me to be fully engaged unless I am passionate about what I am doing, which is a flaw that some might not enjoy working with. I want to be remembered by the people that I have helped be it on the water, or, more vitally, an operating table.
Literature and I:
My previous experience with literature consists mostly of my high school English classes. The work of fiction to have the most impact on my life was the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand. My literature teacher assigned that book just before I was about to go to college, and the themes of searching for one’s identity, as well as freedom were two things that I was trying to figure out as I was heading into college. I do not know a lot about British Literature, and most of the books that I have read have been by American Authors, but I have read Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and various Shakespeare plays. Technologically I am very excited to learn about website creation, and though I cannot say exactly how I will use this skill I am sure that it will prove to be invaluable. Content wise I have learned in my experience that literature can provide the reader with insight into the culture of a country at the time of a novel’s writing, and I am excited to learn about British culture through its literature.
Jane Elizabeth Segars
Me
Growing up, I was raised a Clemson fan. My granddad attended Clemson, along with all of my aunts and uncles, and even my father. So, when it came time to apply for college, there was not a doubt in my mind that I would anywhere but Clemson. All of my friends know I obsess over Chick-fil-A. That is my go to restaurant. At home, everyone knows me for being the happy go lucky type. Whatever life throws at me , I always find a way to adapt. I have worked for a private practice, I was a nanny for this family, and I wrapped gifts for a local store. At the private practice, I gave shots, drew blood, and check in patients. I want to attend Physician’s Assistant school, so I got my foot in the door this summer. I love working with younger children, which was what I did this summer. Even though the children were sick, I wanted to help them in every possible way I could.
Myself
I am very much a family person, especially since I have two younger brothers. I spend a lot of time with my family since my youngest brother is 10 years younger than me. I like being a figure they can look up to and set a good example for them. I usually am hanging out with my friends when I am not working or doing schoolwork. I like any type of body of water. During the summer, I am either at the lake or on the beach or in a boat. We usually go every weekend in the summer. In high school, I volunteered with my church for this camp called Salkehatchie. We worked on people’s houses for a week. It was the most humbling experience by far I have ever experienced. I have not really had any interest in any nonprofits besides YoungLife in high school. YoungLife is an organization where leaders in the Christian community reach out to high school students to spread the word about Jesus. I knew he was, but it was a surface level relationship. After attending YoungLife for all four years of high school, I knew him on a deeper level. I have not received any medals or awards besides Honor Roll. In today’s society, I would find it incredibly difficult to do anything without a cell phone. I depend on my cell phone to get me from point A to point B, to communicate to my family who are hours away, and to even photograph events in my life. I feel like I am a very approachable person and easy to talk to unless I am super upset. When I leave this earth, I hope someone can say wow she did everything she wanted to do in life without a regret. I want to be the person someone can call if they ever need anything at all.
I
In high school, I took a British Literature course and really enjoyed it. I also took American Literature and did not enjoy it very much. I think my teachers had something to do with my opinions on the courses. My British literature teacher made me want to learn the material and had a positive attitude, whereas my American literature teacher was rather rude and told me I would not achieve much in my career. When I read on my spare time, I read Nicholas Sparks ~hopeless romantic, I know. I find his work very interesting and gives me some type of hope for later in life. I know what novels, poems, and authors are British. I hope I can successfully create a website people can look to for any type of advice and knowledge they may need. Content wise, I want to learn more about the genre British literature. I really enjoyed Sir Gawin and the Green Kniht in high school because I understood it.
Hunter DeChamplain
International Woman of Mystery:
19 years old. Clemson University student. Who is Hunter DeChamplain? Well, Hunter Dechamplain is me. I was born a second child, and as my family says, I "grew up with guts and style". I came to Clemson as a fifth generation legacy of the University. You could say Clemson is in my blood. It was never an option to go anywhere but here. Clemson feels like coming home. I think I'm best known as the girl with the purple hair. It is in fact, not purple right now, because I had to chop it all off, but it will be again soon. I know I have a knack for getting into ridiculous mischief, like getting asked to leave Walmart for playing leapfrog down the isles with my friends while wearing Ninja Turtle masks. However, I'm not all mischief and ridiculousness. I do know how to be professional. I have worked as a nanny, a waitress, and recently I worked as a physical therapists assistant to wounded veterans. The last job was the most incredible experience for me. I passionate about medicine and science, and helping WWII veterans with rehab and mainting their skills was absolutely awe inspiring for me. I'm excited to learn about the human body and what all can go wrong with it.
Passion Is The Color Red:
I would have to say I am generaly a passionate person. I don't believe you should commit to anything half-heartedly, which reflects in everything I do. I'm really passionate about music, health, medical science, and travel. I never stop talking about travelling the world. I have a deeply ingrained sense of wonderlust. When I'm not at achool im usually at home watching Netflix. But if i had to choose between Netflix and mountain climbing, id be on top of that mountain before you could say "go". I like to volunteer when I can, which sadly isn't that often. A non-profit I really love would have to be To Write Love On Her Arms. As someone who has battled mental illness and self harm, a non-profit organization that deals with learning how to talk about these issues and how to deal with them is amazing. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any awards or medals I've gotten, besides ones for athletic events. Something impossibe for me to give up would be my best friends, they make life easier to deal with. I think a big reason why people would not want to work with me is because I'm easily distracted. I have ADHD and it is pretty obvious if you spend even 5 minutes with me. I suppose I want to be remembered for my adventures, because those are the best parts of me.
I am A Strong Educated Woman Who Needs Her Books:
Literature is amazing. I love it. You can read a book from 200 years ago and still relate to the characters. It blows my mind. I've always been gifted when it comes to English and Lit. I took AP English in high school and I devour books of all genres like nobody's business. The fictional text that had the biggest impact on my life would have to be the Harry Potter Series. J.K. Rowling gave me a magical childhood. I am going into this course as a blank slate. I can't claim to have any in depth knowledge on British Literature, but I'm hoping to learn more. That's why you go to school, right? I hope to be able to read and understand literature in a more in depth way, or even from a different viewpoint. Being able to see things in depth and in different ways is good no matter what profession you go into.
Ryan Ponder
Pre-Clemson Journey
Clemson came to me when I finally decided what I wanted to do with my career. In high school I decided I wanted to major in Turfgrass management which is a top five nationally ranked program at Clemson. When this time came to decide on colleges my brother was an alumni of Clemson and coming to the football games since I was twelve years old, I had already fallen in love with the campus. I would say I am most known for putting others before myself and just being a goofball. I have a knack for taking pretty much any subject or word and turning it into a rap. I am best at solving those problems that seem like you have tried everything you could ever do, mainly having to do with common sense. In high school I worked for a family fun park called Blackbeards Cove managing there paintball portion of the business and then for three summers I worked for a tree service called Horizon Tree Care, climbing trees and running a small crew. Professionally, I am most passionate about landscape particularly on golf courses. I want to be a golf course superintendent which is in charge of all aspects of maintenance of the course. I love being able to walk out on a golf course and see that perfect green grass cut at all different heights.
Best Part of Life
I am very passionate about the outdoors. I love doing anything and everything outdoors. When I am not at work I can be found in the woods hunting or out on the boat fishing. My favorite way to spend the weekend is to be out with friends having a good time and I love spending Sundays alone relaxing. The only volunteer activities I have done were for Habitat for Humanity build homes. As far as nonprofit organizations, I have never really been involved with one except Habitat for Humanity. I have never won any metals or awards. One thing that would be impossible for me to give up would be my boat. My boat is where some of my best memories have been made. Someone might not want to talk to me because I have a tendency to be stubborn yet still understanding. I want to be remembered as someone who is outgoing and helpful while also being self-driven.
Experience with Literature
I have taken one English class per year in high school and I took a basic English class freshman year of college that mainly focused on writing. I would say the novel that impacted me was The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. Just like this book is known for, stealing from the rich and giving it to the poor, it made me really want to help the poor or the less fortunate than me. I believe the meaning behind this book help make me into such a caring and selfless person. I really do not know that much about British literature because to be honest literature is not one of my strong suits. I hope to get a lot out of this class technologically through the making of my website and hopefully become stronger in the subject of british literature in general. I think learning how to navigate these websites and enhancing my reading and vocabulary comprehension abilities will further able me in the field of Turfgrass.