My name is Jocelyn Conklin! I am from a super small town named Susquehanna, but it is NOT the university. I graduated with a class size of 42. I am a sophomore at Bloomsburg with a major in Secondary English Education. I chose this major because I knew I wanted to be in a field where I was helping people every day. When I was a junior in high school, I originally wanted to pursue a career in nursing... that clearly did not happen.
One website that I love and use frequently is Canva. I use this website all the time to create many different things. An example of this would be for my sorority. We use this website to curate our "rush promos" to post on different platforms in hopes of encouraging other girls to rush. We also use this website to create flyers for fundraisers, shirt sales, and anything else we may need a flyer for. Another example would be creating flyers for the American Legion in my hometown. I help to run their social media accounts and I create flyers about food specials, hours of operation, trivia nights, and other fun things they hold there. Here is a video where Aurelius Tjin demonstrates how to use Canva. I would recommend this website to anyone needing to create a poster or presentation, or they even have a website option!
A book I have read and loved would be 1984 by George Orwell. I got the chance to read this book in my junior year of high school. I loved this book because while you read it, you begin to think about freedom, truth, and how language affects people. I don't want to spoil too much of the book, but I definitely recommend reading it. It'll teach you many things, and you'll realize how important the text is to this day.
When I'm on my computer, I spend a lot of time on Substack! (https://substack.com/home) There are so many writers to discover and beautiful pieces to read! It's also a great way to learn or interact with different communities! It's a platform anyone can write on which is great, although I haven't written anything there (yet). I definitely recommend downloading!
(Here's a link to a channel I love! https://youtu.be/syQ1RsuJQ3U?si=ovvg-6h8ApppXRyE) When I'm hungry and out of ideas on what to make, I often go to Mina Rome's YouTube channel! Her videos are really well edited, and the recipes are simple! Although I'm not vegan like Mina, I like trying different foods, which she has! She also has a series of making foods from different books, shows, and movies. She's covered media like Avatar the Last Airbender, Twilight, and Percy Jackson. Her account is really fun!
The month before I graduated high school last year, I read Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It's a fiction novel set in Tokyo and centers on a cafe that allows customers to travel back in time - but there's a "catch." Travelers can only remain for the time it takes their coffee to grow cold. When I read it, I had been feeling a sense of being "out of time" to be with my friends, and this book comforted me a lot. I even cried at a few points! I'd definitely recommend this book, it's fairly short but heartwarming.
My name is Katherine Offenback! I am from Bucks County, PA and am currently a sophomore at Bloomsburg University! I am a Secondary Education English major with a minor in Special Education. I chose to go into Secondary Education because I have always wanted to teach! Ever since I was young and used to set all my stuffed animals in my room and fake teach to them I knew this was what I wanted to do in my future. I also decided to minor in special education because I have been working at a daycare in my hometown for about 4 years now. I have worked with kids with various disabilities and became really inspired to become more educated on how to best benefit them. I love learning new approachs and activities to do with my kids at the daycare when I'm home!
One website I love is Goodreads. I am a big reader! It is usually harder for me to read at school since I am an english major and constantly read for classes I am usually drained by the end of the day but once I find a good book I struggle to put it down! One of my favorite books I have read is A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I really loved this entire book series. I usually don't read fantasy however this series had me hooked from start to end. I adored all the characters and loved all the plot twists and different turn of events! I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a good book!
On the topic of books, one of the best things I have ever got was my kindle. I got it this year for Christmas and have read 11 books since I got it. I find I read way faster while also having so many different variations of books to read. It is also the perfect size to hold in your hand and I never have to worry about wet pages or my books bending when I take it out of my house! If you dont believe me this video of Liv talking about why she loves her kindle should convince you! Liv's Video
My name is John Caldwell and I am a Freshman at Commonwealth University. I am a Professional English Major and I seek to eventually minor in related courses. After college I intend to Write for some kind of Corporate Company like Vanguard or BlackRock, which I have connections to. A fun fact about me is that I am a District-level swimmer and have swam for Highschool Varsity for all four years, and Swam for even longer before that. But this year, I want to take a break from the Athletic climate before picking it up again next year. My favorite animal are Cats and I have one named Ruby!
Ruby (Present) Ruby (2015)
Required Information:
One of my favorite Websites is Nasa, the official website for the National Aeronautics and Space Association. One of my favorite things they do is link a photo they take of Space to your Birthday. With the Space-oriented purpose of the Association aside, my favorite part of Nasa is how they began with Oceanic exploration, but stopped and turned to space after an undisclosed discovery they refuse to name. Their presence within Oceanic exploration still exists, however.
A video that I like a lot is "Journey to the End of Time" by Melodysheep on YouTube. A lot of their videos are cinematic masterpieces, each exploring a different feature of the Cosmos, including animated movie-like Video Essays on the end of the Universe and what Aliens could realistically look like.
Two of my favorite books is the original "War of the Worlds" Novel by H.G. Wells or even "All Tomorrows" by C.M. Koseman. Both these books are stories of Sscience fiction and are related to Aliens and Cosmic Horror, and some kind of overarching or undefeatable threat to Humanity. Books like that are cool.
Some of my other favorite things include: Exploring the World (hiking or diving), Weightlifting, Creative-writing, Food like Steak or Fish (of any kind), Video games ranging from Minecraft to Rainbow Six Siege (A shooter game) and Studying the Military-Medieval Era of Europe.
My name is Julia Flickinger, I'm from Downingtown PA and I am a sophomore. I am majoring in creative writing and minoring in professional communications. I was a graphic design major in my fall semester of freshman year, but I realized that writing comes more naturally to me than design did. I still love making art since it is something that I've been doing my whole life, but now I see it as a way to relieve my stress and a way to be creative for myself. I also love to write, and I try to write every day. Whether it is a journal entry ranting about my day or a short story, writing is another way I get to connect to myself. I also love watching YouTube video essays because I enjoy being able to converse about many different topics.
I like a wide variety of movies and TV shows, so it's really hard for me to pick a favorite. I've recently been watching X-Files, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and House. I finished Arcane a little while ago too, which is a great show that I would recommend.
I said in class that a book I really liked was Rebecca, and while I love that book, another old mystery I enjoyed was The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Its an older book that I found by chance at a book sale, and some of the language is hard to get past at first, but once you get used to it I promise that it is a haunting and beautiful novel.
Here is a link to my favorite song by my favorite artist, which is Vancouver by Jeff Buckley. I love his music and I have the album Grace on CD for my car!
Hello! My name is Woodson Cole, I am a second year English major with a concentration in creative writing. In my free time I enjoy writing tidbits and shorter stories, though I'd like to venture into more long-form storytelling at some point in the near future. I enjoy hiking -- though I could hardly be considered more than a novice -- with a few of my favorite trails around here being Ricketts Glen and Montour Preserve. I also find a lot of my time consumed by video games, for better or worse. A few of my favorites being Bloodborne and Baldur's Gate 3. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember, so ideally I would like to make my career choice have something to do with that. Because of this my website will have to be Steam, which is where I play most of my games. My video will have to be one of NPR's "Tiny Desk" concerts simply because I am addicted to them. Shout out to those audio engineers, they do God's work.
A favorite book of mine is actually one that I read about three years back. It's titled Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. A historical fiction that takes place in the mid to late 1800's on the Mexican border. A young boy simply referred to as "the Kid" -- and later "the Man" -- finds himself caught up within a gang of miscreants partaking in the Indian scalp trade. It is quite a grim story with an all but conclusive ending, which lends itself to the depravity McCarthy attempts to convey through his characters. I won't reveal too much else, but for as dark and despairing the book may be, it may be the most beautifully written piece of literature I have read thus far. The manner in which McCarthy paints these grotesque vistas with almost enticing language manages to suck yourself into the very shoes of the Kid.
I am very excited for this class, as I have been wanting to read Dracula by Bram Stoker for quite some time! I have always been enticed by the idea of vampirism, especially in the classical/Victorian setting. So, needless to say I am very happy to be reading this!
Hello everyone! My name is Alex Irby, and I am a Senior here at Bloomsburg. I am a Professional Writing major with a minor in Legal Studies. It is my hope to one day to practice law and become a lawyer. As of right now, I'm planning on either focusing my endeavors on either patent protection or criminal defense. However, I won't fully determine that until law school. In my free time, I like reading and playing video games.
One of my favorite books of all time is the Harry Potter series. As the movies were coming out when I was a kid, it was really easy to be sucked into the books and imagine myself living in the wizarding world. Even today, the books influence my writing and reading choices as I am still obsessed with the fantasy genre! This can be seen even when I'm hanging out with friends, playing Dungeons and Dragons where I, as the Dungeon Master (or creator of the game world), get to develop a massive, intertwining story that my friends get to discover and connect with as the game progresses. While my worlds are a far cry from J. K. Rowling's, her general writing style and appeal to adventure influence how I word locations, characters, magic, and everything in between.
Another thing I love doing is playing video games. One of my favorites is Super Smash Bros. One of my favorites is the second installment of the series, Super Smash Bros. Melee. This game has a long and storied history in it's (nearly) 24 years of life, and the stories that come out of the competitive scene still attract tens to hundreds of thousands of viewers every year at the big tournaments. This video in particular tells the story of an underdog hero that overcame the odds and became one of the best players in the world (despite his character being objectively worse than others). Give it a watch if you're interested!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WMBwFO65J4
My favorite website: https://www.coolmathgames.com
Thank you for reading and I look forward to meeting all of you and learning more from Dr. Francis this semester!
My name is Patrick Alvarez. I grew up and am currently living in Sunbury Pennsylvania. I am entering my junior year at Bloomsburg University where I am majoring in English Secondary Education. I am a member of both the Phi Kappa Phi and NSLS honors societies. Concurrently, I am employed as a direct support professional at ADERS Inc based out of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. My job primarily entails providing support to individuals with intellectual disabilities and whom are on the autism spectrum, whether that be in a social setting, life skills, behavioral improvements, etc. My job is very rewarding as I get to not only watch the growth of my clients but expand upon my people/caretaking skills which I aim to transfer into the forthcoming teaching world.
My hobbies include gaming, listening to music, writing (mostly poetry), collecting knick-knacks, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Listed is a link to a website that has always held a special place in my heart, mostly for its satisfying and mindless games, nostalgic value, and overall aesthetic: Cool Math Games!
Despite my unhealthy obsession with astronomy-based YouTube shorts, raunchy historical facts, and random information to further my semantic knowledge and trivia expertise, my indecisiveness got the best of me, and I wasn't able to narrow it down to one specific video. Instead, I will attach a link to the YouTube channel, StarTalk, owned by/ featuring astrophysicist and slightly meme-ified, Neil Degrasse-Tyson. Tyson delves into all aspects of the universe and explains them in such a simplistic manner that I believe genuinely anyone can understand. It is that very token that proves just how awesome of a teacher he is, and one I hope to adopt into my eventual teaching repertoire.
Where books are concerned, although fairly mainstream and academically ubiquitous, Of Mice and Men by John Steinback never fails to compel me. The novel is set in Great Depression-era California, closely following two ranchers being George Milton and Lennie Small. The complementation of the two main characters is rich and brilliantly constructed. Lennie is an intellectually disabled man, with notable strength but such innocence--especially for animals (especially rabbits). George, the stoic, witty man that is Lennie's unsung guardian, leads the charge where their ambitions are concerned. The two men just trying to make their way through turbulent times, lean on each other for jobs well-done and maintaining relationships with folks they encounter down the road.
I revisited this novel as an adult a few years back after reading it in High School where it was required, and its blend of tragedy, love, and strength of characters all collectively place it at the forefront of my favorite books. I think what gets me the most is how love is conceptualized--how there is no universal/unanimous way. In the case of this text, it falls into a realm that is morbid and gut-wrenching.
Moreover, I took the time fairly recently to further explore the works of William Faulkner and stumbled across a collection of his short stories at the library I assist-volunteer at with one of my clients through my job. A Rose for Emily is regarded as his most famous work, as it should be, and after reading it in an American Literature course a year or so back, I was curious to see what else this famous author had in store.
Hope that covers everything. I love to talk but can't seem to figure out how to do it well. Looking forward to meeting everyone!
Hello, everyone! I'm Alicia Gingrich, a sophomore majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Emergent Media. In the future, I hope to work at a Big Five publishing company in editing or publicity/marketing, or possibly as a literary agent— And one day publish my own book (if I can actually finish one). Currently, the only two jobs I've ever had have both been as a library assistant. I am from a tiny town in PA that nobody has ever heard of where there is nothing to do, and I hope to one day live in New York City or Chicago.
In class, I mentioned that one of my favorite books is Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. It follows an overachieving girl struggling with perfectionism who loves a podcast called University City and befriends its creator who is a boy a lot like her, helping him stay anonymous while making art for the show. The book explores themes like figuring out sexuality (ace and lesbian rep), mental health (depression and anxiety), and complicated family dynamics— common themes in all of Alice's books. My top recommendations of hers are Radio Silence (obvi), Loveless (EXCELLENT ace rep with important messages about friendship and accepting yourself), and the Heartstopper graphic novels (gay and bi rep, now an amazing Netflix series). Alice is an auto-buy author for me, along with Holly Jackson (A Good Girls Guide to Murder Series) and Karen McManus (One of Us Is Lying series). I've read all of Alice's books, am currently reading Holly's newest, and plan to read Karen's latest next after which I will have read all of their books as well. Fun fact: The only classics I have read are The Great Gatsby and Of Mice And Men so Dracula will be a big change for me, not only in my general taste but my classics taste.
Outside of reading, I'm a big TV fan and love to lurk in Tumblr fandom spaces. If I had to suggest any TV shows, I would suggest Supernatural (Dean Girlie), Doctor Who (11th and 12th Doctors are my favorite), The Good Place (life-changing), Teen Wolf (Allison and Stiles my beloveds), and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (not for the easily offended). Like our professor, I love collecting Funko Pops of my favorite characters— my most recent additions are King & Amity Blight from The Owl House.
Hi! I'm Riley Ault, currently a freshman, and am struggling to write an introduction.
To start, despite being a Professional Writing major, I have been into creative writing since I was in the 4th grade and still have yet to complete a single novel. Honestly, that's a talent in itself. With my major in English and minor in Legal Studies, I hope to become a paralegal--and if that doesn't turn out, perhaps an editor as I was once compared to my harsh-grader of an English teacher in my senior year of high school. Is that a compliment? Is it derived from the fear of being peer-edited by me? Who is to say!
I also enjoy creating art, whether it be digital or in a physical sketchbook with a pen or pencil. I also like photography but am still very amateur and just guess at what I'm doing (like with most things.) Other interests of mine include fashion history, thrifting, and doing stupid things on a whim like a Sim with full autonomy. On the topic of fashion history, my favorite website would most likely be the Fashion History Timeline. It has a lot of interesting essays, garment profiles, and summaries of decades of (mostly European and Western) fashion. Fashion, in general, is just an important part of my being. That's why you may see me wearing a mini skirt when it's snowing and the wind is trying to blow me away.
As for a video I would recommend, I have no idea what I could even scrounge up that would make me look slightly normal. So instead, take my current favorite song: Dedicated To The One I Love by The Mamas & the Papas.
And, as far as reading goes, I don't read too often anymore as my time is consumed by my other hobbies and me dragging friends out of their caves to do something. People wonder if I can even read. With that said, I'm very excited to be reading Dracula as I love vampires and gothic themes. Various book recommendations of yours were taken into consideration (looking at the vampire lesbians.)
With that said...not much else to say here. The line spacing is horrid. That is all.
My name is Juliana Stapleton, but everyone just calls me Julie. I'm an English Literature and Culture major. Hoping to be an author, specifically a novelist. I have a black cat named Ollie.
and then this is me
↓
I tend to find a lot of connection in reading genres like fantasy, horror, philosophical, etc. Hoping to learn a lot in this class. :)
A website I love would be The Useless Web, it's exactly what it sounds like. Sometimes it's fun, other times it's boring, most of the time it's weird.
A book I love would probably have to be The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. The movie and the book are remarkable pieces of literature/film. I find the main character very well described in her emotions and thoughts about racism and systematic inequality.
Hello everyone! My name is Audrey Hatch and I am a Secondary Education English major. I am a senior credit wise here at the Bloomsburg campus but I will have to complete one more year of schooling, along with this semester, in order to graduate with my intended degree. As of now, I plan to start working towards my masters degree shortly after graduation to keep my motivation high and passion for teaching and literature alive. I would love to major in teaching english as a second language because I love to travel. I have been to almost every state in the country as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, France, England, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and Guatemala. Having expertise in this field will open many opportunities for me to be able to teach and travel, two things I am beyond passionate about.
Me on the coast of Maine over winter break (it was a lot colder than it looks)
Brittney Broskis visual podcasts are my absolute favorite things to watch when I have some down time. She is so funny, witty, entertaining and authentic. I have followed her for many years and will continue to because of how she uses her platform to both entertain and inform her viewers. She covers all areas of conversation from what books she's reading and her thoughts on it, pop culture references, what her house sigil would be if she lived in Medieval times and then immediately go into talking about something serious, like politics or global issues. She has a couple different channels so her content is always different which makes it that much more entertaining.
Pinterest is one of my favorite websites to utilize because of the versatility of the content and the fact you can find anything on there. I've come across a ton of different uses for it whether that be formulating decor for my future home, getting fashion inspo, searching for school related topics, to even a simple find like a new lockscreen for my phone.
I can't in good nature pick just one book that I love. It's like my mother tells me when I ask who she loves more, me or my brother, "I love you both in different ways", when in reality I know the answer is the dogs. But I will say I have a favorite author, Alice Feeney. I watched a book review once and saw how much this reader was pushing her novel, "Sometimes I Lie", and was immediately hooked when she said it was a psychological thriller/ mystery. It roughly follows the narrator who is in a coma and does not know how, when, or why she ended up there. The only ability she is left with is her consciousness, hearing and touch. The story then unfolds in a couple different timelines and the reader is finding out what happened to the protagonist as well as the protagonist unfolds all the details by hearing those around her talk and she is left to put the puzzle pieces together on her own accord. It is such a riveting story with a million plot twists and kept me on the edge of my seat for the day it took me to read because I could just not put it down. This novel is one of the first books I recommended to anyone requesting a new nail biting, enthralling, and unforgettable read.
PS: I can't not share a picture of my dogs after i mention them so here is that...
Riggs is the english cream golden retriever that has been in our family for 8 years. He is my best friend and the sweetest boy around.
Tug, the french bulldog, is the newest member of the family as he just turned 1 at the end of summer. He can be sweet but he is also a little devil dog and is such a nuisance, but nonetheless he is a good boy too.
Hey everyone, I'm Aiden! I'm a freshman here at Bloom majoring in Secondary Education English. I plan on getting my Bachelor's here and furthering my education at a language school in Japan. After that, I'd like to teach English and live there for a few years. I'm currently learning Japanese and I just got back from a trip there with a friend. I'm planning on going back this summer. Fittingly, a website I love for travel is Expedia.
My favorite book series is the Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien, but right now I'm reading The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. I love the world building of the Lord of the Rings series, the dedication to making it truly feel like a look into another world via creating new languages and having maps of the land is what sets it apart from other fantasy books and makes it so amazing to me. My favorite genre is fantasy but I can enjoy anything as long as it's well written and interesting. As for cinema, my favorite movie of all time is All About Lily Chou-Chou, and I'm also a huge Studio Ghibli fan. A "video" I recommend would be this, the entire 1997 Berserk anime. Outside of reading and film, I have several hobbies I love. I'm really into lifting and exercise in general, and I've also been doing kickboxing for three years. Drawing is another favorite hobby of mine!
Picture from when I hiked up Red Rock Canyon in California
Hello! My name is Jace Sassaman, I'm a 20 year-old Junior majoring in Creative Writing, with a minor inLiterature. I'm currently working on a fantasy novel that I hope to one day see published. In my spare time, I alter clothing, make jewelry, and consume a lot of horror media. I just recently finished The Fall of the House of Usheron Netflix, an amalgamation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and it was a fascinating watch. The trailer is here if you're interested, though fair warning, it's a bit gory. I tend to have an "obsession-of-the-month," and I talk about my interests quite often on my Tumblr blogs, of which I have five. You can never have too many Tumblr blogs.
In class, I said my favorite book was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, though I will admit it's been awhile since I've read it. Personally, I find Victor fascinating as a character, and his relationship with his creation extremely compelling. The set-up of the novel itself can also just be really funny at times; the monster is telling Victor, who is telling Robert Walton, who is telling his sister about all of these things that happened. It's like a super messed-up game of telephone.
My name is Nick Gelardi and I am an English Secondary Education major here at Bloomsburg. I am currently a sophomore and plan to graduate in 2027. I am involved in the Honors College, Little Huskies, and Club Soccer here as well. I was born in Warwick, New York but later moved to Milford, Pennsylvania and I still live there now. My favorite hobbies are watching sports and shows on TV, exercising, writing, and playing soccer!
As an English Secondary Ed. major I thoroughly enjoy reading and writing, and in class I mentioned how Fahrenheit 451 was one of my favorite books ever, I would like to elaborate further on my love for this novel. It is such a complex novel, full of thoughts and the exploration of human universals and emotions. The utopian/dystopian setting of the novel being a world where books are banned in society was so intriguing to me. Montag, the main character, is also a round and emotionally complete character that as a reader you get to watch change from the beginning to the end of the novel.
One website that I love is Wordle, as it is so much fun to take a few minutes every day to play whilst also expanding your vocabulary and critical thinking skills. The rules are very simple and explained on the New York Times website as well. A video of something I would recommend is this J Dilla instrumental called Sunbeams. It is very relaxing to do work while listening or just to chill out a little bit, and there are plenty of other instrumentals that he makes that do the same.
Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Butters, and I am a senior at Bloomsburg University. I study English literature and only have a few credits left to go until graduation. I was born and raised in Bloomsburg Pennsylvania, and have lived in the same house since I was one year old. Some of my favorite things to do are read, play video games, watch TV/films, spend time with my kitty Saoirse, and hang out with friends and family.
A lot of the content I watch and read stems from suggestions from friends, and what I am reading in class. Yesterday I said one of my favorite recent reads was “Carmilla” which is true, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it despite it being assigned reading. I usually gravitate towards traditional romance or young adult fiction like: Normal People, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Heartsopper, etc. I enjoy watching something before reading especially if it has a show or film adaptation It is interesting to see what they changed in the films from the books.
I have watched an on-screen adaptation of a book more times than I can count so I made a more condensed list. But if you are looking for recommendations those are some of my favorites. As for a website I use YouTube or Pinterest. I have also included a link to a clip from the 2019 film adaptation of the classic novel “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott. The clip is of the main character Jo denying the marriage proposal of Laurie or Theodore Laurence which is one of my favorites to watch. I have also seen this movie in theaters upwards of five times so it is safe to say I recommend this movie, and book as well.
Hi Everyone! My name is Christine Johnson and I am junior at the Bloomsburg Campus. I am a Secondary Education Major with a concentration in English with a minor in Dance and Child Life Specialist. I love to read, dance, bake, hike, and hang out with my friends in my free time. In the future, I hope to expand my education in teaching and go back to school to get certified in all different grade-levels and work my way up to Administrative positions in Schools. I have always had a passion for teaching and being in a classroom, especially because a lot of my family members also are teachers as well.
In class, I had mentioned that one of my all time favorite novels is "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. This book is about 8 people who are invited to a secluded island. When they reach this island and are gathered together, they are faced with the accusations and confrontations of a specific murder that they have committed in the past. Shortly after, one by one everyone begins to die and they are stuck with trying to trust one another while also figuring out who is the killer amongst them. As a reader who primarily enjoys romance novels this type of genre was out of my comfort zone. I do not read a lot of mystery novels but this novel I revisit at least every 3 months. I also love the Hunger Games series and revisit that franchise quite often. I have always been a fan of the series and loved the heavy amount of details that the book provided that the movies did not include.
A website I would recommend is a very common one which is Youtube. I love all of the different content and information that Youtube can provide ranging from informational to entertainment purposes. https://www.youtube.com/
One specific video I would recommend to people is Minnesotas Dance Pom Routine. This is just a really cool performance for people to watch.
This is me, I'm Christian Giovacchini. The one in the shiesty not the handsome Dominican in the back. I'm from Southern Maryland so I'm very out of my element being this far up state. I don't have a select music genre I like, I just don't like country music. Super religious music too, I hate that stuff.
My favorite website is this one,https://this-person-does-not-exist.com/en. There's nothing special about it, it doesn't bring me any enjoyment or anything. I just think it's a neat website. And speaking of stuff online, Faith: The Unholy Trinity. I just want people to watch this video. I think the story is super interesting, and it's only amplified by the medium its told in. And the guy talking has a nice voice.
This is a class on literature, so its only right that I end on it. When it comes to books I'm going to have to choose A Wrinkle in Time. I read it years ago for a class, and it got me invested into reading. It definitely seeded the Sci-fi love I carry with me now.
My name is Alissa LoRe and I am sophomore here at Bloomsburg. My major is English Literature with a minor in American Sign Language. I'm from Long Island, NY. I have two rabbits named Coco and Bean and two birds named Pickles and Danny DeVito.
Everyday I play a few of the New York Times games. I love playing Strands, Connections, and the mini crossword puzzle. https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords. A video I would recommend is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKaI9Rd06VA. This video tells you how to watch the Marvel movies in both release and chronological order. This is great if you have never seen any Marvel movies and want to start watching.
I really enjoy reading mystery and thriller novels. One of my favorite books is Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. This book is about a woman whose daughter goes missing and she's trying to find out the truth about what happened to her. I also really liked the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson. This is about a high school senior who decides to reexamine a closed case for her senior project.
Hello, my name is Kai Jakob Feldhaus. I've been a Bloomsburg local for as long as I can remember and this is my junior year at the university. Predictably, the arts are one of my many passions, alongside history, philosophy, and cooking, (it may not be high-brow but I needed three). I've found that I have a taste for anything disquieting, which you can see in my book choice, Venomous Lumpsucker.
I was originally drawn to the novel by the weird fish on the cover, but as I read further it turned out to be a perfect storm for my tastes. For starters it takes place in a sort of water-world in which molten ice caps and over-use of resources has forced many industries to take to the seas. I've always had a love for the nautical aesthetic, so this was more than enough to keep me, but it's the themes of the book that truly shine.
At the book's core is the dichotomy of nature and industry, but it's not the simplistic depiction of evil corporations and righteous freedom fighters one might expect. The novel is remarkable in how it makes the end of the world seem so banal. The characters need to save the Lumpsucker not because it may be the smartest creature on the face of the earth, but because killing it off would incur a hefty fine.
Truth be told I'm not sure what you mean by a "website I love" or "Video I recommend", so I linked the amazon page of the book. and the song I listened to writing this.
Hi everyone! It is nice to 'meet' you. My name is Kiera Cassidy and I'm a sophomore here at Bloomsburg University. My major is English Literature with a minor in Communication Studies. I plan on using my degree (and getting my teaching certificate) in the future to eventually become an English teacher which has been my aspiration for a few years now. My hometown is Philadelphia, PA, I had always dreamt of leaving the city lifestyle when I was growing up which I think, evolved into my love of travel.
On the first day of classes, I had mentioned my favorite book was Spells for Lost Thingsby Jenna Evans Welch. This book revolves around a family mystery, travel, astrology, and romance - to sum it up in a few words. This author also wrote the Love & series - consisting of Love & Gelato, Love & Luck, and Love & Olives, all detailing diaries of a young girl traveling anywhere from Italy to Greece in hopes of self discovery and overcoming varieties of hardship, and most meaningful of all: finding love hidden in plain sight. Aside from reading, one of my favorite hobbies is dancing. I have been dancing for a couple years now, mostly focusing on contemporary, lyrical and ballet styles. This past winter, I got the opportunity to go see the Nutcracker ballet with my aunt here in Bloomsburg. I would recommend this ballet to everyone, even if you do not like dance, I think you will appreciate the time and effort these dancers put in to create something so beautiful.
Hi everyone! My name is Daylin Leon and I am a senior English literature major. I am actually a student from Mansfield University but, because my family lives much closer to Bloomsburg, I have had the opportunity to commute from home to campus. I am engaged and plan to get married in October of this year which has made planning both stressful and exciting. Of course, I enjoy reading but as I have gotten older, my choice of genre has changed drastically, especially between young adult and adult fiction.
In class, I talked about a gothic romance series I have recently finished known as the Stalking Jack the Ripper series however, I really want to dive into another series that I am obsessed with. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a trilogy about a senior named Pip who tries to solve several murders including two high schoolers. The story follows Pip as she becomes dangerously involved in the mystery, losing herself in the process. The series has really stuck out to me because it was recently made into a TV show on Netflix which I found to be disappointing. Not only is the story told in the UK rather than America, but the relationships between characters such as Raj and Pip are drastically different. I feel that the show is much more enjoyable without reading the books.
Besides my love for reading, I am also an avid crafter. My main hobby is cross-stitching which is where you make small crosses on a piece of fabric to create an image. Lately, I have been working on a couple Pokémon pieces and I recently stitched on a tote bag. While I have been stitching for around 13 years, I'm still learning new techniques and methods like stitching on clothing. Cross-stitching is a great stress reliever but it involves a lot of time and patience.
Hello, my name is Bethannie Murphy and I'm a freshman here at Bloomsburg. I'm an English major on the professional writing track. I love reading, but I went into this major to become a grant writer. In addition to reading, I love dogs and the beach. At home I have a silver lab named Ridley, who is definitely spoiled. I'm from the King of Prussia area (which is about forty minutes outside of Philly).
A fun fact about me is that I'm really indecisive. I have four favorite colors because I just can't choose one. This made choosing a website to share with you all really difficult because there are so many great ones that I love. Ultimately I've decided to attach the link to Goodreads to this post because it's something all book lovers should have. It's great for keeping track of what you've read and for getting reading recommendations. You can friend people and there's a cool feature that allows you to compare your books to your friends books so you can see what books you have in common. I've had my account since the fifth grade and love it! I highly recommend.
It's almost impossible for me to choose just one book to talk about, so I'm just going with my most recent read When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker. This is a great book with amazing world building, it's fantasy with some romance. The book is about this girl named Raeve, she's an assassin for a rebel group in her kingdom. She becomes captured by a rival assassin but is at the last minute rescued by the King of the Burn. During their time together, Raeve starts to put together her past that she has no memory of. I don't want to spoil, so I'll leave out what she discovers about her past. You should definitely give it a try.
Hello there, classmates! My name is Kenna (but my friends just call me Kenz 💕) I'm really excited for this class with all of you!
A bit about me...
My pronouns are they/them.
I was born in beautiful historical (but pothole-adorned) Bethlehem, PA. I’m on my last semester of Senior Year!! I’m sooo excited to graduate!
I’m an English Major & Creative Writing Minor and this fall, I’ll be starting my Master’s Program in Creative Writing (Poetry and Fiction) at Wilkes University.Two interesting facts about me would be that when I’m not writing, or reading, or being an “honorary Theatre Major” (Just kidding, I’m just super involved in Theatre here at Bloomsburg!) I’m a tattoo artist in my hometown. I absolutely love my studio and I find the custom art that I do so exciting and fun!
Another fun fact would be that I have been published in over 50+ lit mags in 2024 and run my very own magazine (@FlowerMouthPress) It first started out as an exclusively LGBTQIA+ literary arts magazine but I wanted to hear voices from ALL over the world and from different diverse groups so now it’s just a GenZ-wide lit-arts magazine! We publish anything from photography to fine art to poetry to short story— anything that can be printed, really! I also do my own little artsy side project of making “zines” which are kind of like little mini scrapbook-ish DIY magazines!
My short term goal is to graduate this semester and somehow survive the 18 credits I’m taking! (Yikes, I know-) My long term goal is to teach Gothic Queer Literature (I’m looking at you, Carmilla and Picture of Dorian Gray!) and teach at a college. I want to get folks loving writing and reading again :) If I were an animal: I’d be one of two: I’d be a Pink Robin or, as my friends always describe me, — a corgi. However, if mythical beasts were involved as an animal I’d totally be a Dragon!!
A book that I just adore more than any book is the beloved Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde-- It's a book that I've held close to my heart for a very long time. Oscar Wilde often put his personality into his characters, which readers can often see in this novels. It's beautiful in prose and haunting in story, and I recommend it for those summer-into-fall semi-cold windy days. However, I read it every season and collect editions of it. It's also a really bold piece of "homoerotic" lit, and while I wouldn't categorize it as outwardly queer lit, it still has a homoerotic subtext, and it was very controversial for Wilde's time.
(When changing my name, I actually changed my middle name to Wilde for his sake since I've always wanted a literary name.)
Some of my recommendations are: (My recs list varies by season, TBH)
-At this point, anything written by Oscar Wilde-- I love his work and life story so much.
-Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
-Late Night At the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
-Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk
-Where Angels Fear to Tread & Maurice by E.M Forster
-Misery by Stephen King
-Women of Troy by Pat Barker
-Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
-I Have No Mouth but I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
-Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
-Touch of Jen by Beth Morgan
-Bunny by Mona Awad
-All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
-The Secret History by Donna Tartt
-Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
-My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
(I would say Dracula as well but we're already reading it this semester!)
AND MANY MORE!
A video I would recommend would be anything from Good Mythical Morning, I watch them every morning and I fall asleep to them every night!
I recommend this video (They got me into Trader Joes):
Of course, here’s a photo of me down below! So excited to start this awesome semester~ :)
Feel free to follow me on Instagram/Bluesky: @teadragonz
A photo of me at Peddler's Village in New Hope, PA.
.jpeg)
.jpg)