Venus Ricks

Venus Ricks, Director of Multicultural Affairs, takes a couple minutes to give us some insight about herself

What is your most marked characteristic?My dimple on my left cheek…first thing that people notice…
What do you most value in your friends?Longevity…I have been friends with the same people for 20 yrs and counting!
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Over analyzing things
What is your favorite occupation?Bartender…meet lots of people and have stories for days!
What is your idea of perfect happiness?Me, love, good food/drinks and a beach in the Caribbean
In which country would you like to live?Hmmm…not sure.  My first thought is London which is not a country but where I'd like to live outside of the US.
Who are your favorite writers?Maya Angelou
Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh (writers of Modern Family)
Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan (Chappelle Show)
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?Not so sure...
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?Effie White
What are your favorite names?Jael (pronounced Jay-el) from the bible
Morgan
Gabriel

What is it that you most dislike?passing judgement based on hearsay or limited information/ignorance
Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to be able to sing
How would you like to die? In my sleep
What is your current state of mind?Dizzy—im congested!
What is your motto?
Be the exception not the rule.

AND

Come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me but has failed

Jen Murphy

Jen Murphy, '12, takes time away from her studies as a Business Major in order to fill this out for us.


What is your most marked characteristic?

I’m short

What do you most value in your friends? 

Trust

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 

I’m not very spontaneous

What is your favorite occupation? 

Interior designer

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

Being surrounded by family and friends

In which country would you like to live?

USA

Who are your favorite writers? 

Jodi Picoult

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Harry Potter

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction? 

Lily Owens (Secret Life of Bees)

What are your favorite names?

 Lily, Christopher, Anthony

What is it that you most dislike? 

People who are think they’re better than everyone else

Which talent would you most like to have? 

 Be able to sing

How would you like to die?

I don’t fantasize about my death

What is your current state of mind? 

Content

What is your motto? 
Everything happens for a reason

Teddi Hermes

Double Majoring in English and Sociology, Teddi Hermes takes a break from her studies to give us a little bit of insight.

What is your most marked characteristic?
The ability to make friends with people of all different ages, places and beliefs.

What do you most value in your friends?
Acceptance. So much of the world excepts you to put on masks and be someone that you're not. When I am with those who I consider my true friends I want to know I am accepted for exactly who I am.

What is the trait you most deploreWhat is the trait you  in yourself?
Absent mindedness.

What is your favorite occupation?
Education.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Spending time with those I care about, preferably over a big delicious meal.

In which country would you like to live?
The United States is my home, but if I were to relocate I would most likely return to my roots in Greece.

Who are your favorite writers?
Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolfe, Don DeLillo, Christina Rossetti, Anne Lamott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickenson, Audre Lorde, Bertrand Russel.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Jack from White Noise

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Astred from White Oleander

What are your favorite names?
Constance, Medea, Kathyrn, Sophia for girls and Stavros, Judah, Paul for boys.

What is it that you most dislike?
Ungratefulness, crowded spaces and narrow mindedness.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be one of those people who can easily learn other languages.

How would you like to die?
Peacefully.

What is your current state of mind?
Completely overwhelmed.

What is your motto?
"My life will be better when others lives are better."

Sharon Givler

Sharon Givler, Director of Career Services, takes moment from her duties in order to answer these questions.

What is your most marked characteristic?                  

commitment

What do you most value in your friends?                     

  faithfulness

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?         

   jealousy

What is your favorite occupation?                                 

 symphony conductor

What is your idea of perfect happiness?                      

cultivating the best in others; living out my dreams; being grateful  

In which country would you like to live?                      

U.S.

Who are your favorite writers?                                        

C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, Henri Nouwen

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?                              

Jean Valjean

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?                        

Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March

What are your favorite names?                                       

 Megan, Rene, John, Michael

 What is it that you most dislike?                                     

rudeness – anywhere, anytime

Which talent would you most like to have?                 

to play the piano

 How would you like to die?                                             

peacefully and in the company of those I love

 What is your current state of mind?                              

  content

What is your motto?                                                           

 I shall  pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show - let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again

Emily Gertenbach

Emily, '11, as an English major and president of Wig and Buckle and Greenblotter takes a moment out of her busy day to fill out the Proust Questionnaire

What is your most marked characteristic?

I am an excessively fast talker with a rather elastic face I'm always stretching into all manner of expressions.

What do you most value in your friends?

Unconditional support and loyalty - I try to give this to all my friends as well - I know I'll do things others wouldn't, but I really value a friend who will support my choices, and be there for me regardless of outcome.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I have a tendency to get very easily stressed. BUT, I no longer worry a lot, so I'll take what I can get :)

What is your favorite occupation?
Theatre. A blend between acting and writing would be ideal, I'd love to write for/be on something like the Daily Show or the Colbert Report.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
The ability to travel, good relationships (friends/family/romantic/etc), a warm dog, and a world that never runs out of new music. I wouldn't say no to cute little swedish room setups from Ikea, either.

In which country would you like to live?
Well, I've realized that I am an American, after all, but I'd really like a second home in Scotland.
Who are your favorite writers?
Jane Austen, Harper Lee, Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

What are your favorite names?
Well, if I were to have kids now (eep!), I'd name them Anastasia (Anna for short), Penelope (Penny for short), and Samuel.

What is it that you most dislike?
I am most adverse to intentional ignorance, blatant hatred, the NYC subway system, and overcooked broccoli.

Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I enjoyed running, it looks very freeing. Being able to sew clothes (and like it) would be a cool thing, too.

How would you like to die?
Peacefully in my sleep...but most of all, happily. I hope I'm happy when I die. Not that I want to fall over in the middle of a really awesome day, but I hope I'm content with my lot in life at that time.

What is your current state of mind?
Curious. There is a lot of unknown in my life that will all be coming to a point in May...May's going to be a very defining month in my life in many aspects, and the level of unknown is floating around in the back of my mind a lot.

What is your motto?
"You can run just as fast as you want to, but you're stuck with yourself all the time." (It's actually a song lyric, but it really illustrates how I try live my life: I'm ALWAYS going to be with myself, no matter where I move, so I ought to like the person I am and the things I do.)

Jason Kuntz

As Director of Residential Life, Jason Kuntz takes a few minutes out of his day in order to fill out this questionnaire.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Fairness and ability to strike up a conversation with anyone

What do you most value in your friends?

Their character.  They are great people with excellent values.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

 My procrastinating nature.

What is your favorite occupation?

Food Critic

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being with family and friends during the holidays.

In which country would you like to live?

USA

Who are your favorite writers?

Dan Brown

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

I do not have one.

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?

I do not have one.

What are your favorite names?

 

None come to mind right now.

What is it that you most dislike?

How selfish and impatient we are becoming as a society.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Ability to dance or dunk a basketball

How would you like to die?.

In my sleep
 

What is your current state of mind? 

Looking forward to the weekend since my niece will be baptized.

What is your motto?

Success is how high one bounces after they fall.

Michael Kitchens

A professor of psychology, Dr. Kitchens sits down to answer the questions of this questionnaire.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I tend to get really focused on my interests and devote myself to them. After a time, that interest tends to fade into another, and the cycle repeats itself.

What do you most value in your friends?
Simply that they are my friends and remain my friends. I do a bad job at keeping up with my friends, but somehow continue to have great and very loyal friends.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My impatience

What is your favorite occupation?
I can't imagine liking a job more than the one I have. I have the privilege to work with great colleagues and students. Also, I get to remain a student by continuing to learn.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I am the happiest when I am with family.

In which country would you like to live?
Here in the United States.

Who are your favorite writers?
I could easily list several favorite fiction (e.g., 1984, Confessions of a Crap Artist, Gulliver's Travels, American Pastoral, The Great Gatsby...) and non-fiction (Christianity and Liberalism, The Mind of the Market, Stumbling on Happiness, The Left, The Right, and The State…) books, but I don't know that I have a favorite author. I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction books since college, and these tend to be by a number of different authors.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? 

Sherlock Holmes

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?

Elizabeth from the children’s book Paper-Bag Princes

What are your favorite names?

Mark and Elizabeth

What is it that you most dislike?
I don't like it when people pretend to be an expert at everything.

Which talent would you most like to have?

a photographic memory

How would you like to die?

peacefully

What is your current state of mind?
tired

What is your motto?

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” --I Corinthians 9:24-25

Sarah Kaltreider

Sarah, '11 is an English Education major opens up to us by answering the LVC Proust Questionnaire

What is your most marked characteristic?

laid-back, optimistic, bubbly

What do you most value in your friends?

trust/honesty, kindness, the balance of being similar and different

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 
indecisiveness, not always knowing what I really want.

What is your favorite occupation? 
i should say teacher--but would really love to be a travel writer/travel channel host

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 
relationships with friends and family-memories, the present, and the future.


In which country would you like to live? 
Ultimately a someone on the US coast...but still would love to live in the UK again at some point.

Who are your favorite writers? 
Jane Austen, JK Rowling, Mark Twain

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? 
Peter Pan

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction? 
Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice

What are your favorite names?
It always seems to change--right now I have no idea.

What is it that you most dislike? 
How fast time seems to go, smoking, and ignorance.

Which talent would you most like to have? 
Time travel

How would you like to die? 
Old...sleeping peacefully.

What is your current state of mind?
Upbeat and very content

What is your motto? 
When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure it's worth watching.

Truman Webb

As a busy psychobiology major, Truman Webb, '11 takes a little time out of his day to answer this questionnaire

What is your most marked characteristic?

my eyes i guess

What do you most value in your friends?
respect

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
acne

What is your favorite occupation?
as of right now Physical Therapist

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
having a smile on my face when i go to bed

In which country would you like to live?
any non city area in the U.S.

Who are your favorite writers?
Sara Gruen, Garth Stein, Tom Robbins, Dan Brown, Roald Dahl

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Nine from the movie Nine. 

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Rachel Sexton from the Dan Brown book Deception Point.

What are your favorite names?
 i do like lily. a lot. and for guysss....i like trey.

What is it that you most dislike?
hangovers, and people that are full of themselves...its a tie

Which talent would you most like to have?
perfect speech... i like to think of that as a talent.

How would you like to die?.
cliche to the max but doing something i love, and or in my sleep.

What is your current state of mind?
soooo nervous for senior bio seminar

What is your motto?
"In life, as in sport, it's all about seizing the moment." its a martin tyler quote from when he was a commentator in the 2010 world cup but i like to think of it as a motto lol....

Abby Tomlinson

Abby Tomlinson, '12, as a Digi Com major, answers the Proust Questionnaire for us.

What is your most marked characteristic?

my freckles. in the summer time, my scars :(

What do you most value in your friends?

the ability to pick back up where you left off no matter how long it's been

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
i stress out waaaay too easily

What is your favorite occupation?
that's a toughy as i haven't occupied any jobs that i love. my dream job would be some kind of project manager of PR and marketing head for a big company.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
being content with myself and my surroundings

In which country would you like to live?
definitely somewhere in europe. i'd like to be extravagant.

Who are your favorite writers?
i thoroughly enjoy audrey neffenegger, sarah gruen..but i'm not picky about who writes the books i read. i just like getting lost in them.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? 
Wall-E 

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Sue Sylvester

What are your favorite names?
my daughter is going to be named lily. i don't give much thought to boy's names. weird.

What is it that you most dislike?
when it rains and the bottom of my pants get soaked. ugh.

Which talent would you most like to have?
playing the piano like an expert

How would you like to die?
in my sleep

What is your current state of mind?
right now i'm just trying to relax, stay organized, and keep myself ahead. is that a state of mind?
What is your motto?
the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return. cheesy..i know. but relevant i think.

Brett Wimmer

Brett, '12, as a history major, agrees to fill out the LVC proust questionnaire for our benefit

What is your most marked characteristic?

I would say my willingness to help friends if they need it

What do you most value in your friends?

Honesty, trustworthy, dependable

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I hold grudges more than i should
What is your favorite occupation?
Emergency worker (Firefighter, EMT, Police, etc)
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being with my friends and family, and finding the important things in life and not letting them slip away
In which country would you like to live?
US or Australia
Who are your favorite writers?
Vince Flynn, Steve Barry, Dan Brown
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Too many to name
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Not any specific one
What are your favorite names?
Cooper, Mack (Mackenzie, either boy or girl)
What is it that you most dislike?
People who think they are the absolute best in either sports or life and they want people to know that. AKA people who are fake.
Which talent would you most like to have? 
 Speed and strength
How would you like to die?
Peacefully. Hopefully in my sleep when I'm really really old.
What is your current state of mind?
Wondering what I'm going to do this evening with my friends
What is your motto?
DO NOT GIVE UP ON A PERSON UNTIL YOU ARE SURE YOU CANNOT HELP THEM ANYMORE!

Rachael Jacob

As an El Ed major, senior Rachael Jacob takes a bit of time in order to answer the LVC Proust Questionnaire for us.

What is your most marked characteristic?
my kindness.

What do you most value in your friends?
truth and honestyWhat is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
  I care and think too much.

What is your favorite occupation?
teaching.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
That moment when i'm happy with myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. When I'm surrounded with friends and loved ones who accept me for who i am and love me for it. Everything just aligns into place; i like where i'm at and i'm happy where i'm going. That's perfect happiness.

In which country would you like to live?
France or Italy

Who are your favorite writers?
Nicholas Sparks, James Patterson, JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Charles Dickens, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare 

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
  Harry Potter!

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
i don't have one?!

What are your favorite names?

Brayden, Taylor, Mason

What is it that you most dislike?
like right now? time moves too fast.

Which talent would you most like to have? 

the ability to fly

How would you like to die?

the guillotine like in Tale of Two Cities quick and painless lol. or just peacefully in my sleep dreaming of good times.

What is your current state of mind?
calm and mellow

What is your motto?

live, laugh, love.  / what's meant to be will find its way.

Charles M

 Charles M, a senior history major, gives his take on the Proust Questionnaire.


What is your most marked characteristic? 
I'll let others answer this question.
What do you most value in your friends?
Kindness, loyalty, and a sense of humor
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I'm atavistic 
What is your favorite occupation?
Anything within the political arena
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Spending time with family and friends in Hazleton, Pa.
In which country would you like to live?
I'm content with the United States, but I'm spiritually and culturally connected to County Donegal, Ireland.
Who are your favorite writers?
John O'Hara, John Updike, Pete Hamill
Who is your favorite hero of fiction? 
Frank Skeffington from Edwin O'Connor's "The Last Hurrah."
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Mary Tyrone from O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night." 
What are your favorite names?
Catherine, William, Owen
What is it that you most dislike?
Those who fail to empathize 
Which talent would you most like to have?
A photographic memory
How would you like to die?
That is not for me to decide
What is your current state of mind?
Gittery and sentimental
What is your motto?
"Give the mundane its beautiful due." John Updike

Megan McGrady

Megan McGrady '11involved in just about everything on campus, takes a few minutes to answer the Proust Questionnaire.

I wish I could juggle

How would you like to die?
It doesn’t matter as long as it happens without me knowing. I don’t want to anticipate it.

Why not?

What is your current state of mind?
Tired, anticipatory of the future, determined, nervous.

What is your motto?

What is your most marked characteristic?
My hair

What do you most value in your friends?

The ability to not judge my thoughts or actions
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My procrastination habits.

What is your favorite occupation?
Assuming this question means in general and not based on jobs we’ve already had, I’d say any job that helps others, like social work or non-profit work.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To be constantly challenged but have time to enjoy life surrounded by those whom I love and love me back.
In which country would you like to live?
I’m not sure. Somewhere in Europe for awhile, if possible, but ultimately in the United States I think.

Who are your favorite writers?
Wally Lamb, John Steinbeck, Frank McCourt

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Peter Pan
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Scarlett O’Hara

What are your favorite names?

Siena, Noah, Ella

What is it that you most dislike?  

The concepts of time and death

Which talent would you most like to have?

Andrew Texter

Andrew Texter '12, as a English Education major, freely answers the modified LVC Proust Questionnaire.

What is your most marked characteristic?
My inability to take anything for granted.  Years of studying literature has given me an inquisitive mind.  I have to question everything.
What do you most value in your friends?
Honest insight.  My closest friends are able to reveal things about myself I didn’t know.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I’m too emotional.  I overreact emotionally, and it hampers my decision making.
What is your favorite occupation?
Conversing with friends, and taking the most trivial things seriously and taking the most serious things trivially.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in content love and surrounded by family.
In which country would you like to live?
The United States.  I have my family here, and sure, the country isn’t perfect, but I love it.
Who are your favorite writers?
My favorite author for studying is Toni Morrison because she’s incredibly complex and deeply rooted in the history of women and African Americans.
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
My favorite hero is Death from the Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. 
Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
My favorite heroine of fiction is Emma Frost. 
What are your favorite names?
My favorite names for men are Gabriel (for the Angel) and Jude (from the Beatles song).  My favorite names for women are Lisa (for my mother) and Alice (from Alice in Wonderland).
What is it that you most dislike?
Arrogance.  I can’t bear being around an arrogant person.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Meditation.  I’m far too stressed.
How would you like to die?
In bed surrounded by my family.
What is your current state of mind?
Refreshed.  I’m taking more time to myself, and freeing myself from trivial obligations.
What is your motto?
"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious never live at all.”

Val Angeli

 Director of the Shroyer Health Center, Val Angeli takes a moment to answer a couple of questions from the Proust Questionnaire


What is your most marked characteristic?
Loyalty

What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Ability to not say no

What is your favorite occupation?
My own, nursing!

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Lying on a beach
In which country would you like to live?
My own, USA

Who are your favorite writers?
Elizabeth Berg

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Mr. Clark from Tom Clancy novels

Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?
Miss Marple from Agatha Christie books

What are your favorite names?

?

What is it that you most dislike?
Dishonesty

Which talent would you most like to have? 

To play the violin

How would you like to die?

 In my sleep

What is your current state of mind?
Tired but happy

What is your motto?

 Treat others the way you want to be treated