Ian Gillen, Emma Grosskopf, Shamira James and Aeryn McMurtry are our senior staff members. In honor of their last issue they’ve decided to dish some memories, staff they’ll never forget and important lessons they learned here at Roanoke College
Q: What is your favorite memory here at RC?
E: While my memories with my classes in both the French and Communications departments are great, I think that some of the most valuable memories have been of all of the OTHER stuff. Cheering at basketball games, coffee dates, newspaper layout, relaxing on the Marion volleyball court, dirty, horrible frat basements, all of it. You can’t have a college experience if you’re ALWAYS focused on academics. The best memories come from everything else.
S: I’m a huge believer of you can’t have flowers without rain. All of the rain and downpour makes you appreciate every single flower you’ll come across. To appreciate any high moment in your life you honestly have to thank the low moments because it makes it all feel so much more worth it, so every moment and every memory has been a favorite her.
Q: What is your biggest take away from RC?
S: My biggest takeaway from RC is to make moments count. We’re all obsessed with anything but the present because that’s just how we’re ‘programmed’ but if you really stop and look around at any given moment when you’re laughing with your friends, you’ll be caught in this beautiful present moment that you won’t ever want to be taken out of. Whatever you do, take it day by day and please live in the moment.
I: My biggest takeaway from RC would be to always trust in yourself and follow your heart. So many times we fall short because we do not stay true to ourselves. My Professors at RC taught me to always trust in myself and follow my heart.
Q: Advice for incoming freshmen
E: Take advantage of all of the opportunities here. You might think it’s a small school with not much going on, but there is. You have to open your eyes, pull you head out of your bum and look around. The school is your oyster, so get to shuckin’.
A: Don’t be afraid to do things on your own. Your time here will fly by so much faster than you think it will, and the last thing you want is to look back in four years and realize that you missed out on something special because you were too nervous to go without your friends.
Q: What have you learned about yourself while here?
E: It’s okay to be a work in progress. No 20-something-year-old is an expert at anything, none of us know what the hell we are doing (and the ones who seem like it are totally faking it) and each time you are knocked down or set back, it’s okay to be upset. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to need a break.
I: I have learned that I need to remain true to myself in order to to be happy. I have learned that being genuine is the source of order in life, and that’s a luxury we do not often find.
Q: What or who has impacted you the most while you’re here?
S: Dr. Bruce Partin of the drama department. When I had him for my May Term this past summer he showed us the beauty in being vulnerable. On the last day of class he gave me his copy of “Lilies of the Field” starring Sidney Poitier who he had turned me into a huge fan of after seeing his movies and told me that he was giving this to me because he had great faith that I would do great things in life, like Mr. Poitier did in this film. He changed my life more than he’ll ever know.
A: In both of my majors, I’ve been encouraged from every professor that I’ve had to pursue getting my creative work published. Having an entire staff back me up and tell me what I’m doing is not only worth the effort but actually GOOD? That is an unparalleled feeling, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
