Let us introduce ourselves...
Hello, I'm Rachel Samett. I am currently a student at Skidmore College, but I grew up in Northbrook, Illinois near Chicago where I attended Glenbrook North High School. Welcome to my blog for my course Can Literature Save the Environment?!
I am so excited that Skidmore offers this seminar to freshmen because I think it is such an intriguing way to connect two things we can never avoid as a student and human: writing/literature and the environment. Luckily for me, these are two topics in which I have never had trouble finding interest. When I was in elementary school, I dreamed of being a marine biologist. I thought there could be nothing cooler than studying marine animals (I was a bit obsessed with dolphins, and orca whales were and still are one of the few things I can draw with any skill!). I will admit that this desire no longer exists. Around junior high, I had a less than cordial experience with jellyfish, and I'm afraid since then I have been a bit uneasy near the ocean. But that is part of why I love the idea of this class. I can use my love for the environment using a medium I also love- literature- without the uneasiness that there's a group of jellyfish following me around!
I have continued feeding my interest in the environment throughout high school, though. From River Biology to AP Environmental Science, I have definitely discovered that I'm a bit of a tree hugger...As such, I am excited for this project and am in suspense for the answer to the question: Can Literature Save the Environment?
This is from my AP Environmental Science class senior year of high school. The picture was taken with a few of my friends right outside of our school's prairie!
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This picture is of my sixth grade class that I taught english to in Tanzania last summer.
My name is Jerry Lerman and I am a part of the Skidmore College class of 2016. I enjoy a wide variety of activities such as music, outdoor sports and the based life style. Besides that lets give you some more information about me. I have had an usually life style from most people my age I think. One of the main reasons for this is my parents own and direct a boys summer camp in Maine. I have spent every single summer of my life in Maine. Some people at first glance think that it is not good for a person to do the same thing every summer but, I can argue that point for days haha. I have learned the most important lessons, skills and morals at summer camp then any school I have ever been to. Life in Maine is much different then my winter residence of the lovely Wayland Massachusetts. My winter home of Wayland is a bubble of wealthy small town suburbia. There is not much going on besides people in uproar about the taxes and building a new town center. Even though many people here are from big cities and swear by city life, I don't think I am cut out for it. The only big city I have truly enjoyed was Los Angeles because of the culture and lifestyle. Now when I say I love Boston with a passion people might call me a hypocrit, fine. To me though Boston is not a big city. I love the feel Boston has the rich history that no other city in the United States I believe can match. The old colonial archietecture and histortic sites from our countries founding. I love Boston period. One last major thing people should know about me is that I love to travel. I have been all throughout western and central europe, some of Africa, Australia and pretty much the entire United States. I have driven cross country with my brother when I was 17 years old from Boston to Los Angeles. It was an amazing experience that changed my life. I have travelled with my parents a lot because of their work recruitng staff and kids from all over the world for camp. Well that is a quick insight into my life and I hope you enjoyed it. Peace