Jesse Northrup, alumnus (class of ’11), Tallahassee, FL
First of all, let me tell you how wonderful it has been to read about all of your exciting adventures. We’ve all ended up in such different places and I know that there will be many more wonderful stories to come.
As for me, I decided to accept Florida State University’s offer to study religious ethics in Tallahassee. All I can say is that between moving to the other side of the country, adjusting to a new place on my own, and getting my feet wet with all that graduate studies entail, last semester was a whirlwind of new experiences. Overall, coursework was fabulous but daunting. Academics are all I can seem to talk about these days (that’s what you get when all of your friends are in your department). So much of this transition is learning to really put yourself out there and learning to trust your instincts. To remember that you already have a solid foundation in your field, so you can take some academic chances. It’s just a little intimidating when you are taking classes with PhD students!
I was (and still am) a TA for a course called Fantasy Literature and Religion (yes, that means Harry Potter, but also Lewis, Tolkien, and Pullman). Being on the other side of the grading process is definitely an eye opening experience. The good papers are exciting, but the problem is that they only take a few minutes to go through. It’s the poorly written ones that take much of your time. One student attempted to argue that Jesus is Santa, while another claimed that Harry Potter must be a Christian work because Hogwarts has gothic architecture just like all Catholic Orthodox churches of Europe. Good grief!
Other than that, I wrote more than I ever have and somehow managed to test proficient for reading French (which really means using a dictionary to translate). I’ve got one semester under my belt and now that I know I can be successful, I am ready to tackle another. Who can argue with classes like the Ethics of Torture or the Bioethical Study of Gene Patents (yes, I know I am a nerd)? I couldn’t be more thrilled, anyway.
Wishing everyone the best as we move into the New Year! If anyone is ever in the area, do let me know. White sandy beaches are only a short drive away!