Written by Lorin Brice Hall
Ryan Manley is one of the newer Maroons on Roanoke College’s beautiful campus. Ryan is a second semester Freshman hailing from Long Island in New York. Ryan found Roanoke College when he received a letter from Northern Southern University. After doing a little bit of sleuthing the Manley’s all realized that the bigwigs who were running Northern Southern all went to school here at Roanoke. A little extra detective work convinced Ryan and his family that Roanoke was the right choice and he is so happy that he made the choice that he did.
Luckily Ryan didn’t freeze in frigid NY over Winter Break and instead vacationed in sunny Australia. The Manley’s had an excellent time in the Down Under and were not affected by the Wildfires that have stricken the brush. The Manley’s did see Manly beach and the Sydney Zoo which they recommend to anyone else who happens to be in Australia.
Ryan returns from his vacation to an extremely full plate. This young man is a sterling example of how to get involved with extracurricular activities in a meaningful way, and not get overwhelmed by school. Ryan’s story is also interesting as it is defined by inclusiveness and tolerance. Ryan’s first major experience as a Maroon was BOND. He was a mentee this past Fall and so enjoyed the experience that he plans on working as a BOND mentor for next year. Ryan has also gotten involved with the Black Student Alliance and plays Co-Ed Volleyball. You may have also heard Ryan and never known it! You would’ve heard him on his Radio Show A Dash of Everything. Ryan loves being a part of 100.3 WRKE and hopes you check his show out sometime. While you can expect to hear a dash of everything on his show Ryan himself has mostly been listening to rock, specifically he has been vibing with the band 1975. Although Ryan is already plenty busy he hopes to receive a bid and rush Greek Life. He specifically hopes that Pi Lambda Phi will give him a bid.
This upcoming semester is a also a time of academic change for Ryan. He came to Roanoke with an interest in studying Communications but due to a POLI 111 class with Dr. Jon Snow he is extremely interested in the inner workings of international politics. He also wants to continue studying sociology. Last semester’s SOC 101 was great and now he’s following it up with SOC 202. This change of interests is a natural part of the Roanoke experience, and exploring a variety of interests is critical for personal growth. Us at the Brackety-Ack hopes Ryan has a great semester! When asked if he wanted to give anyone at school a shoutout Ryan quickly shouted out his buddy Zach Brown for being a good bro.
