Alissa Unedited

By Marissa Nedved, ENGL 336.001

“I’m not good at things like this,” Alissa Perske said. She munched on some M&Ms (peanut butter, her second favorite) during the interview. She wore a “DREAM OUT LOUD” t-shirt and an easy-going smile. She is soft-spoken, but laughs often.

She began by explaining that although is now a Frostburg local, she is not native to the area. She was born over 500 miles away in Michigan, in a city called Battle Creek. Her hometown is significantly larger than FSU’s small college area. “Battle Creek is 10 times bigger than here. I loved it. I still do. Small towns are okay, but it’s not the same.” Alissa explained. She added that she finds Frostburg to be beautiful, but she prefers the flatter landscape of Battlecreek.

Alissa is currently perusing an English degree. She has a concentration in Literature, but plans to branch out to other areas with her elective credits. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school at Oxford Brookes in England. When speaking of the British school, she got a far-away look in her eyes, as if she could already picture herself there. When asked why she chose the European country as her destination, she gave a small shrug and answered that she has always had an attraction to the English culture. Her dream is to become an editor for a publishing company.

While nurturing her career in publishing, Alissa hopes to also nurture something of a different nature. “I want five or six kids. That has always been my number, ever since I was young,” Alissa said. Her parents both had many siblings and she enjoys the companionship she has with her numerous cousins as a result. She wants that same environment for her children.

After talk of school and the future was over, Alissa got a bit more personal. She revealed her love of a certain tree-grazing mammal. She boasts a collection of over 300 giraffe-related items, including stuffed versions, photo frames and pillowcases. “My friend even bought me a toilet brush with a giraffe on it. I don’t use it though! But giraffes are everywhere – everywhere,” Alissa said with a chuckle.

Alissa also explained that some jokingly call her OCD. She tends to stress over the little things. When picking out her clothing for the day, all of it has to match, down the socks. No one ever said such attention to detail was a bad thing, however, especially for an aspiring editor.

When asked her favorite quote, she pulled out her phone so that she could find the exact wording. After about ten minutes of searching, she finally recited a quote from the Harry Potter series: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.” Alissa takes such an ideology to heart. She has plenty of dreams, but her grounded personality keeps her in the here and now.

Battle Creek, Michigan’s official website: http://www.battlecreekmi.gov/site3.aspx

Oxford Brookes’ official website: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/

Kitty: One Feisty Cat!

By: Tierra Washington, ENGL 336.001


She walked slowly… her face firm and uninviting. Her grey eyes were mysterious and focused on her target. They resembled that of a cat, who is always cautiously watching his/her surroundings. Cheek-length royal blue hair covered the right side of her face and ear length black tapered hair covered the left side. There was a silver lip ring glistening just inside the right corner of her lower lip, and small silver wiry hoops dangled from her ears. She was dressed relaxed: A Nightmare before Christmas t-shirt covered her torso while fitted blue jeans and sneakers sheltered her lower extremities. Although her initial facial expression wasn't too inviting, after a few minutes she warmed up and turned out to be very intelligent, pleasant and sweet.

The youngest of six siblings, Amanda Yates, lives right outside of DC in Temple Hills, Maryland. Although her birth name is Amanda she has chosen to be addressed by a name that seems to fit her better, Kitty. Kitty loves animals, but currently does not have any pets. A website that Kitty would like is: http://www.animalloversweb.com/. Kitty's favorite holiday is halloween, “I like being creative, having fun, being wild and out of the ordinary” says Kitty. Majoring in Sociology, Kitty dreams of becoming a free lance journalist who works from her laptop at home. Kitty’s has a big heart that lies with women and children. Kitty states, “I want to work with children and women because they need guidance… Children are the future and women take care of the children”.


Kitty’s lifelong goal is to have a career that she’s happy with, a wonderful husband and two kids that she’s going to raise into successful adults. She loves seafood pasta, flan and root beer floats. Red Lobster, drawing, swimming, writing poems and hanging out with friends are a few of the things that interest Kitty. Her fears in life are: Building her life with the wrong person and failing at anything in general. She is very passionate about animals and babies. Kitty would like to travel to Germany, Italy, England and the Poconos. She describes herself as a funky, wild, metal head, energetic and blunt person. Her favorite item is a stuffed panda! “You better not put that down” Kitty threatens.


Me: “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?
Kitty: “Hmmm… I don’t think I can tell you (laughs).
Me: “Well think of something you can tell me”…
Kitty: (pauses)… “I use to tease an anorexic girl… she used to call me fat, and I’m clearly not fat (giggles)”.


Joe, an associate of Kitty’s was asked to describe Kitty in one word. He chose “original” to describe Kitty. Ashley, a close friend of Kitty’s gave a breakdown of the most important things to know about Kitty: “She’s sweet, caring and needy. She loves cats and the color baby pink…that Barbie sh*t. She’s compassionate, dependable and a good friend”. Her best memory with Kitty is making up songs in the mall and if Ashley had to be stranded with Kitty anywhere it would be IHOP! Kitty also enjoys music, especially the band Bullet for My Valentine. If you see Kitty around, don’t be afraid to speak. =)

Who's That Girl?? by: Deborah Kelly

“I. Hate. This. Dumb. Baby!” says four year old Erin Gingerich as she throws diapers at her newborn baby sister. Talking to her today, you would never imagine her having such a temper. Erin grew up in Southern Maryland in the town of La Plata. She lives there with both of her parents and her younger sister. When she’s not spending time with her family, friends or boyfriend, Erin’s attending classes at Frostburg State University. After getting to know her, you’ll see that there’s more to Erin than meets the eye.

Erin attended La Plata High School where she ran cross country and was an editor for the school newspaper. She’s been involved with church her whole life which is why it should be no surprise that she is on the leadership team of the United Campus Ministries here at FSU. In her spare time, Erin enjoys doing photography and writing. She likes the idea of capturing life’s precious moments in something as small and simple as a picture. Her passion for writing seemed to come naturally being as though she has been writing since she was younger. It’s never been anything serious, just short stories or whatever pops into her head. Because of her passion for writing, Erin was initially going to be a part of the University of Maryland’s journalism program. After actually seeing the size of the school and the number of potential students, she felt a little intimidated and decided to go another route with her education. Although she is now a psychology major, Erin is still very much involved and interested in writing.

Music has always been a big part of Erin’s life. She took an orchestra class, where she played the violin; she also plays the acoustic guitar and would like to play the piano. When asked the question of what is her favorite song, Erin responded, with enthusiasm, by saying “It’s impossible for me to choose just one, I like so much music!” A part of her passion for music comes from her favorite artist and role model, Gavin DeGraw. His music style consists of blue-eyed soul, pop-rock, and rock. Erin says “I admire him because his music is so poetic and his voice is so soulful… I sing so I hope to be into music as much as he is.” Her favorite Gavin DeGraw song is “More Than Anyone”. She enjoys this song because it relates a lot to the way she feels about her own relationship with her boyfriend.

Erin lives her life freely and says “Everything happens for a reason and the way I am now, is how it’s supposed to be.”

http://www.edline.net/pages/La_Plata_High_School

http://www.merrill.umd.edu/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_DeGraw

http://organizations.frostburg.edu/ucm/mission.htm

Watch Out Barbara Walters: Here Comes Deborah

By Erin Gingerich, ENGL 336-001

Probably smiling as she came into the world, Deborah Kelly was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 5th, 1990. The city girl has resided in Baltimore her whole life; there she developed her passions for singing and writing and set the stage for her current residence in mountainous Frostburg, Maryland.

Growing up the baby of ten siblings, Kelly feels that she’s “a combination of all of [her] siblings.” The age difference between the youngest and oldest is about twenty years. In addition to ten siblings, Kelly has twenty-seven nieces and nephews; two are older than her and one is the same age. Laughing, Kelly recalls that the nephew her age refers to her as “Aunt Dede” with a straight face every time he sees her. Her family has been a big part of her life, especially inspirationally. When asked if her personality or looks resembled her parents, she felt as though she was unique and set apart from her parents. She said, “My mother is someone I would like to be.” Because of her Christian beliefs, Kelly is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group on campus. In her hometown, she attends Perfect Prayer and Praise Ministries, which is the apostolic denomination; however, Kelly isn’t fond of attaching herself to a particular denomination. She said, “I know that I believe in God, and that’s that.”

Scanning produce and boxed cereal, Kelly worked at Stop Shop Save, a local market, last summer. She talked about a particular theft that she witnessed involving a man sticking tuna fish cans down his shirt in order to take them out of the store. Kelly had better experiences at Parkview Rec, where she worked as a camp aid for two summers. When speaking about trouble-making children, she said sometimes she just wanted to say, “Dang, if you were my child…” When Kelly was younger she actually attended Parkview as a camper, so she was very familiar with the staff working there.

For her secondary education, Kelly attended Edmondson-Westside High School, which was once represented by the Redskins mascot; the school’s mascot is now the Redstorms. Although she participated in softball, Kelly regrets not being a part of the school’s volleyball team. Being five foot eight inches, Kelly was always told that she should join the Redstorms on the basketball team.

Kelly is currently a junior at Frostburg State University; she is majoring in Mass Communication and minoring in Public Relations. Spiral notebooks of unfinished work have piled up over the years, most of which include her on-going work on a play. She said, “I’m writing a play. I won’t let anyone see.” Kelly stays involved on campus through National Broadcasting Society and sets her ambitions high with her major. Kelly recognizes her talents and uses them to push herself to reach her dream of becoming a writer or spokesperson. She said, “I want to write for a magazine, maybe a newspaper. I want to do it all!”




For more information about Edmondson Westside High School, former school of the Redskins’ mascot check out: http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/domain/3877. Or for information about Baltimore’s Stop Shop Save market, follow this link http://oursssave.com/history.aspx.

Anastasia:Not just a biology major

By Kelli Wilhelm, ENGL 336.001

If anything is known about a fellow classmate, it is generally the big three collegiate classifications: name, major and class status. These questions are answered as Anastasia Akuffo-Afful carefully spells out her name and proceeds to describe herself as a senior biology major at Frostburg State University. Her outfit, complete with the latest gladiator style sandals, skinny jeans and a bright orange top, agrees with her claimed love of fashion, and one can easily imagine her at her favorite hobby: dance.

Via the biology major, Anastasia plans to become a nurse and specialize in pediatrics. She shows no uncertainty concerning her future goals, declaring that “I always wanted to give back, I like helping people, and I love working with kids.”

Beyond the role of biology major, Anastasia is also a member of the Pre-Professional Medical Society and the African Student Association. These two organizations represent two discernable aspects of Anastasia’s character. The former represents a desire to help people, while the latter organization displays a grounded sense of cultural background.


The importance of her background becomes evident as Anastasia speaks of her family. She is a first generation American whose parents are originally from Accra, the capital city of Ghana in West Africa. Anastasia travels regularly from her home in Silver Spring, Maryland to visit her mother, a fashion designer in Accra. Despite the distance between mother and daughter, they speak often, and Anastasia’s mother is her inspiration. Anastasia says of her mother that “She’s been struggling since she was young; this has made her strong and independent. She is supportive and strives for success.” Anastasia follows her mother’s lead with her own life motto: “I just believe in hard work and that it pays to do hard work."

In a final combination of Anastasia’s love of family, helping people, and her cultural background, she expresses her future plans. These plans include a family, a master’s degree in pediatrics, and a return to Ghana for a year in order to use her nursing degree to “give back.”

Anastaisia's varity of interests do not distract her from her goals or her family. She demonstartes that when looking beyond the three common questions that float among college students, one can find that a person is more than just a major.

Information about Frostburg State University’s pre-professional nursing program and African Student Association can be found at http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/pdf/nurs.pdf and http://www.frostburg.edu/cultural-diversity/for-students/student-organizations.

Tierra Washington:Social Butterfly

Tierra Washington:Social Butterfly
By Amanda Yates ENGL 336.001



Tierra Washington, born and raised in The District of Columbia is a classy lady who loves to talk. She appeared to the interview confident, professionally dressed, and detailed with bright red lipstick and well manicured hands. She is the second to youngest of four sisters and one brother. When asked to comment on her family, she remarked with laughter that her family is "Real open and not serious at all." She also commented that Christmas is her favorite holiday to celebrate because she loves "Seeing the facial expressions when people open their gifts."
A friend of four years to Tierra commented that Tierra is a very hardworking person. Currently she studies Mass Communication and Public Relations here at Frostburg State University. She aspires to be the "spokesperson for an enormous company!" one day because she views herself as being a great public speaker. She has worked as an administrative aid to the Vice President at The University of Maryland, as well as a blogger for the school. She described the job as a "Great experience!" She also commented the job allowed her to meet President of the United States, Barack Obama.
With her accomplishments she wishes for it all to pay off in a modern sized house with no basement, a garden, and hanging flower pots.
In Tierra’s spare time she likes to enjoy the company of her best friend, watch football and go out on the town. She loves to talk, swim, dance and give advice (though she says her friends do not take the advice). When asked what she felt passionate about she said “I am passionate about my life really cuz I have so many dreams and goals, and my family has a lot of failures and I do not want to be one.” When asked if she can play sports well she commented that she “suck(s) at every sport I ever tried to play in my life”. However, she did comment that she loves to watch football and her favorite team is the Cowboys.The Cowboys fan page can be viewed here http://www.dallascowboys.com/team/schedule.cfm
Speaking of favorites, she loves loaded mashed potatoes and pasta. She also loves to treat herself to cupcakes at “Cake Love”, which items can be viewed here http://www.cakelove.com/ . To relax she will read a book, and sip on pink lemonade. When it comes to entertainment, she loves to watch her favorite television show, “Single ladies”, or her favorite movie, “Step Brothers”.
Her best friend Clarissa says Tierra has been a really good and loyal friend to her. She says Tierra is a happy girl and is pretty like Barbie because she is independent and girly. With all of the positive notes on Tierra there had to be some dirt, so her friend divulged that Tierra’s weaknesses are that she cannot manage money well and that she gets too emotional. Aside from the aforementioned Clarissa states that she is glad to have a friend like Tierra Washington.
When she completes college and starts her career she wishes to live in a modern sized house with no basement or pets, a garden, and hanging flower pots. After she is well established she wishes to raise three children and be of help to people. For enjoyment as an adult she wants to travel, especially to Bora Bora, and maybe even retire there.

Rob Michels: Writer, Music Lover, and Football Enthusiast

By: Caitlyn McGregor, ENGL 336:001

Robert Michels of Silver Spring, MD has been a dedicated sports fan as well as a player. Rob participated in many sports at Middletown High School, including basketball, track and his favorite sport, football. He even played football for two years at Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD), where he is now beginning his junior year. He speaks of his home town fondly, where he grew up with Sutter, a dog he loves, and three siblings. In spite of his love for his hometown, he says he "would like to explore other places" when he gets out of college and into his career. Maybe he will go somewhere near the beach considering he loves summer and has enjoyed being a lifeguard for three summers. In addition, Rob says out of all the animals, he would most enjoy being a dolphin because, he states, "I love the ocean."
Rob explains that though his Communication Studies major has a few repetitive classes, it will help him in his future aspirations to become an ESPN sports writer. To help him with his preparation, he "guess(es) it would be pretty cool to be a sports writer here (at FSU)." Paired with his newspaper experience at his high school, this could make for a pretty convincing resume.
Looking around the room, Rob reflects on the fact that he is the only male in his Journalistic Writing class: "I didn't know journalism was such a girly subject." Rob, however, seems very passionate about the things he loves, like football, writing, and music. He reveals his favorite genre of music to be classic rock including artists such as Jimi Hendrix. As for a favorite band, he says, "it would have to be Led Zeppelin." Going deeper into his appreciation for music, he states that he would liked to have lived "in the '60s or '70s because of the music."
Rob is one of many students pleased with the housing decision he made: "I love living off campus." He says he likes that "you can do whatever you want", and you're on your own without parents. In his spare time, Rob enjoys playing video games such as Madden, and most just hanging out with friends. Though Rob has no plans to join any social organizations on campus, his apparent love of writing will help him in his goal to write for the school newspaper and eventually, ESPN sports. Good luck Rob!