Ask an Honors Student
A world traveler who's not afraid to try something new, Alexandra sits down a moment to talk about the Honors program.
- Alexandra Burgin
- Hometown: A mixture of San Diego, Naples Italy and Oak Harbor, WA
- Major: Literature
Minor: Women's Studies - Ask Alexandra at:
aceburgin@hotmail.com
- What's best about Honors?
- I love the small class sizes and the focus on real discussion. Classes gather in small groups and are able to engage the material, each other, and the professors. On top of that, we often get to read primary sources that are pertinent to the matter and not just basic textbooks that gloss over a lot of material.
- Your first Western "WOW" moment?
- I had to go visit the head of the Honors program my freshman year about some difficulties I was having. I had him as a professor my first quarter, but this was months later and I wasn't sure he would remember me. Not only did he remember exactly who I was, he was so incredibly helpful and went above and beyond what I think most advisors and professors would to help me out.
- Outside the classroom?
- I'm a bit of a nerd, so I spend a lot of time reading- lots of comic books, fiction, non-fiction, and, my favorite, theory. I am also on a trivia team and work at a detention/rehab facility for adolescent girls. When it's sunny, I've been known to take my reading outside and do lots of water-based activities, like kayaking. I learned how to wind-surf this summer and it was awesome!! When I have the time, I try to accommodate my other huge passion in life as well: cooking!
- What is the best book you've read lately?
- First, I have to say that a new comic called "Proof" just came out and it is amazing. As far as more serious stuff goes, my book club read Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy, and it was really fantastic. While I may not be behind everything Levy says in this book, it is a really accessible and well-written book about women and sexual expression in a world dominated by "Girls Gone Wild" fashion.
- What is your favorite memory of WWU?
- Whenever I think about the Honors program, I think about freshman year and the ice cream social we had at the Honors Advisor's house. Not only was it a lot of fun to hang out with each other and a really great professor, but it showed how intimate the program really is. The advisor is also really considerate and invested in each of his students. Out of a bunch of kids, a couple of us were vegan. Well, he knew this and so had vegan ice cream just for us, as well as special home-made hot fudge! That and the home-made apple cider was a great way to spend a chilly Northwest afternoon