The five students that we interviewed for the December 2007 News from Hope College cover story on the arts were incredibly generous with their time, and we regretted being able to feature in the publication only a small portion of their responses to our questions concerning their experiences at the college. Fortunately, the Web is unfettered by the constraints of space faced by a printed work, and so we here highlight in a question-and-answer format more of what they had to say.

Matt Baker ’08
English major, writing minor
Grand Rapids, Mich.

NfHC: What drew you to (or has continued to appeal to you in) the creative writing program at Hope? MB: The creative writing program at Hope is a nurturing environment for young writers. I have really appreciated the atmosphere the faculty has cultivated--a lot of creative writing programs are cutthroat, where the students rip apart each other’s writing, but the program at Hope is not one that encourages sabotage. At Hope, the students help each other develop their writing instead of attacking it. The writing is still workshopped critically, and the stories and poems are often dismantled in order to determine what is and isn’t working within them, but this is always done in an effort to help the other writers improve, not in an effort to prove that the other writers are less talented. Also, some of my best experiences with the creative writing program at Hope have been outside of the classroom. I’ve interned with the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series, volunteered as an editor for Opus (the literary magazine at Hope), and worked as a teaching assistant for English 254—“Creative Writing: Fiction.” The faculty at Hope are extraordinarily talented; they offer priceless wisdom inside of the classroom. But my experiences outside of the classroom have been just as instrumental in my development as a writer, and I believe it would be difficult to find another undergraduate program that offers such a wide range of creative writing opportunities.

NfHC: How much fodder for your writing has the rest of your experience at Hope been? Have you found that studying other disciplines has informed and enriched your writing and thinking? MB: Instead of taking classes to fulfill certain requirements for a major or a minor, I take whatever classes interest me. So far, this has earned me an English major and a writing minor. I’ll probably end up with another major/minor as well (maybe in philosophy, maybe in religion, maybe in biology), depending on what interests me my last few semesters at Hope. But anyway, as a result of this system, I’ve taken a wide variety of classes at Hope--Philosophies of China and Japan, B&W Photography, Ancient Western Civilizations, Classical Guitar, World Religions, etc. And these other disciplines have had a great impact on my writing. For example, photography is an art that has given me a new perspective of my surroundings. Although photography is a visual art, it is possible to convey sensations such as touch or sound or taste through a photograph--it is possible to capture elements of texture into a visual image, or certain aspects of flavor. Learning to capture these non-visual sensations in a visual art has given me new perspectives on writing--writing operates in the same way as photography, attempting to reproduce those sensations of touch or sound or taste within the words. Other disciplines have enriched my writing, and have also given me a greater understanding of literature. For example, I was able to appreciate Pablo Neruda’s The Book of Questions on a much deeper level after learning about the koans of Zen Buddhism in philosophy and religion classes. This understanding of Pablo’s Questions and the Zen koans and the way that they work also gave me some new insights into writing.

NfHC: Have you sought opportunities for publication, either on campus (like Opus) or in off-campus publications? MB: I’ve published fiction and poetry in Opus. I’m also working on a series of literary interviews--my interview with Robert Boswell was recently published in Hunger Mountain, and my interview with Michael Martone is currently under review with several magazines. I’m also seeking a publisher for the first book in a series of children’s books titled Foundling.

NfHC: What are your career plans? MB: I plan on pursuing an MFA in fiction. After that, I’m interested in writing children’s literature, or perhaps teaching Creative Writing at the university level, or perhaps teaching English abroad.

Lindsey Ferguson ’09
dance performance and choreography major, communication minor
Fredonia, N.Y.

NfHC: What has your experience been in the dance program at Hope—have you found opportunities that you've felt have been a good complement to your class work? LF: I have had a number of amazing opportunities during my stay at Hope. I can’t believe that I’ve had so many experiences and I’m only just starting my third year!
Freshman year I was a part of Hip Hop Club where I was a guest performer in the InSync Dance Theatre’s (IDT) annual concert as well as performing in the Student Dance Concerts. I also auditioned and landed a role on the children’s television show called Come On Over!. That following summer I filmed the episode I was cast in as well as recorded two songs which are on the show's soundtrack.
Sophomore year I was cast in IDT, which is a semi-professional jazz and tap repertory company affiliated with Hope. I also choreographed my first piece for the Spring Student Dance Concert and in turn was asked by the faculty to present my piece at the American Collegiate Dance Festival this March. The summer after sophomore year was just as busy as the school year. I was offered an internship with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre as a choreography assistant as well as being cast in a second episode for Come On Over!.
Junior year so far has been following the trend of never-ending rehearsals, and a very tight schedule. I am excited to be currently a member of dANCEpROjECT, which is a semiprofessional modern company affiliated with Hope.

NfHC: What are some ways that you've been involved in the department (beyond those discussed above)? LF: I feel that I have really tried to take advantage of everything the department offers. I have been a member of two of the three Hope affiliated companies, performed in several student dance concerts, and the annual faculty concerts.

NfHC: Are there one or two aspects of your experience in the program that stand out for you (and, if so, what)? LF: There have been so many learning experiences at Hope thus far; however, my experience with Come On Over! has really stood out above the rest. For the past two summers I have been delighted to guest star on two episodes. I really got a feel for what I would like to pursue in the future. On the show, I was able to work with two different directors; Emmy Award-winning Steve Feldman of Nickelodeon, and Danny Salles of MTV. Being so immersed with dance all my life, this really opened my eyes to what performing was like in front of a camera. I had a taste of singing and acting in high school, but nothing could compare with cameras zooming around my head, hearing “action!” and “cut!,” interacting with the directors, producers, actors, and all the crew members. It was a very exciting time for me.

NfHC: How important was the dance program in your decision to attend Hope? LF: The dance department was crucial in making my decision to attend Hope. It was difficult finding a college whose program focused equally in the four major dance forms (ballet, tap, jazz, and modern) like Hope’s program. A lot of dance programs focus on either ballet or modern, so Hope is really unique in that respect.

NfHC: What are your career plans? LF: I don’t really have one set plan on what I hope to do after I graduate. Going for an MFA has sparked my interest recently; however, I would really like to give Broadway a shot as well as other commercial work. Later on I hope to be dancing with a company as well as teaching at a college or university. I plan on doing an internship in NYC through the New York Arts Program my senior year here, so hopefully I will develop the necessary connections to get started on my future.

Ashlea Guernsey ’08
art history and French major
Greenville, Mich.

NfHC: What has your experience been in the art program at Hope? AG: I have definitely found opportunities that have been good complements to my class work. In art history classes usually at least once a semester you travel to an art museum for the day, which of course offers great opportunities to see art work that you have studied or will study first hand and up close. And of course studio art classes are a combination of experience and application just within classroom work. Off-campus programs, whether it is a semester-long internship in New York or Philadelphia, or if it is an over-seas program, are priceless opportunities to study. This past spring I studied in Rennes, France for the semester (Rennes is the capital of Bretagne and is about two hours west of Paris by train). While there I studied mainly the French language, but I also studied French literature and took two art history classes. It gave me the chance to travel to many different art museums and chateaux where I was able to see many of the artworks and/or buildings that I have studied in my numerous art history classes.

NfHC: What are some ways that you've been involved in the department (beyond those discussed above)? AG: I am the Permanent Collection registrar and have been for two years. Right before I started working as the registrar, I worked as an assistant researching and writing artist biographies for the Permanent Collection and I was also a slide librarian in the slide archives of the art department. I actually started working in the art department as a slide librarian and then moved up from there.

NfHC: Are there one or two aspects of your experience in the program that stand out for you (and, if so, what)? AG: The art program here at Hope is one of the main reasons I chose to come here. It’s an excellence program, so it is hard to pick just one or two things that stand out! One thing of course is the professors. We have awesome professors in the art department, for both studio art and art history classes. I have loved all of the professors that I have had classes with in the art department, in both studio and art history classes. I think they are one of the main reasons that Hope has such a strong art program.

NfHC: What are your career plans? AG: After graduating from Hope I plan to go to graduate school in order to receive my Ph.D. in art history and museum professions/studies. I will either be starting grad school next fall or the following year. I have applied for a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Morocco for the 2008-09 academic year, so if I receive that I am going to put off grad school for a year. I would like to study art history and museum professions at the graduate level because I want to work as a curator in an art museum in the future.

Kelly Sina ’08
musical theatre composite major
Watertown, Wis.

NfHC: Have you found the performance opportunities at Hope (in multiple departments!) to be a good complement to the class work? KS: A lot of my study of the voice has helped me to protect it. Knowing the muscles and correct vocal use has given me a better understanding on how to keep it strong. I only started taking dance in college so I learn something new almost everyday. I can move with a much greater ease because of this new training. From day one in acting we learned about character development. In high school if you’re given a part, you play it. But college pushes you to find more and even in my dance and vocal performance, my new understanding of the character has shone through to make a much better performance.

NfHC: You’ve been involved with Hope Summer Repertory Theatre for two summers now, with major on-stage performance this past year. What do you feel you learned from that experience? KS: I have really learned about professionalism. I take my craft seriously and this summer I especially focused on keeping a good head on my shoulder. Of course there is a time for fun, but when I went into work, I went to work. I did my outside work ahead of time and received compliments from directors and choreographers alike. They notice when an actor does her/his homework. You get out what you put in and I won’t accept anything less than my best.

NfHC: You’re studying off-campus this fall through the New York Arts Semester. How are you spending your time in New York this semester? Do you have an internship? KS: I am a production assistant at The New Group Theatre. I am working on a world premiere of Jonathan Marc Sherman’s Things We Want. I am working with a star-studded ensemble! Ethan Hawke is the director, Paul Dano plays the youngest brother and Peter Dinklage plays the middle brother. It’s fun to be with such well-respected actors and learn the workings of a theatre on this level of expertise.

NfHC: How is your experience in New York this semester fitting in or adding to what you've already done or experienced at Hope? KS: I wanted to discover the theatre center of America. You hear amazing and terrifying things about this city and I wanted to check it out for myself. One thing is for sure, it is a completely different world from Holland, Mich. It’s a hard city to survive in for actors. Many people leave this profession when they don’t think they’re good enough. My directors and professors at Hope have instilled in the students who listen to always know we’re good enough. Of course we won’t get every audition, but we can’t stop there. Being on a small campus, I have had many opportunities to explore several aspects of the theatre and with my job as a PA, I am doing things I have well experienced before.

NfHC: What are your career plans? KS: I hope to keep following my dream. If it takes me to NYC, now I know that I could survive here. I do plan to move here eventually but if it doesn’t happen right away I’m okay with that. As long as I can keep performing and doing what I love, what could be better?

Chris Turbessi ’08
piano performance major
Nunica, Mich.

NfHC: What has your experience been in the music program--have you found opportunities that you’ve felt have been a good complement to your class work? CT: As far as opportunities to play piano, towards the end of the semester I have to turn down two or three requests to play somewhere or with someone a week. A great example of the unique things we get to do here in our core music classes is in the end-of-music Senior Seminar, which I’m taking now. As the culmination, of course, we write an in-depth research paper, which we present in a symposium of sorts, where our classmates and some faculty will be present to critique us. It simulates the kind of conferences that a lot of us will end up being a part of in the future. Not to say there isn’t a bubble around a lot of what we’re doing here, but many teachers can give us opportunities like this that prepare us for the real world. There are regular Departmental Recitals where any student taking lessons can appear and perform a piece in front of the entire department, and of course many of us perform at least one full solo recital in our time here--performance majors like myself do two, a junior and a senior recital.

NfHC: What are some ways that you’ve been involved in the department? CT: Along with my friend Lisa Peterson, I’m one of two student representatives in the music department, which means I try to have some sort of communication going between the students and faculty in Nykerk--I go to faculty meetings and try to keep interested students updated on what happens there and also keep reminding the faculty of what the students are concerned about. I’m also a co-treasurer in Chapel Choir, which I’ve been in for three years. I guess I’m most involved in the department as an accompanist--I think I’ve accompanied half a dozen different singers in my four years here in lessons and recitals, which has been a really valuable experience because I’ve decided to attend graduate school for a “collaborative piano” degree. Plus, I’ve become extremely close to all my singers.

NfHC: What are some aspects of your experience in the program that stand out for you? CT: Being able to go to Europe with the Symphonette has to have been the highlight of my college experience so far. I don’t play an orchestral instrument, but Mr. Piippo (the conductor) took me along to play keyboard in certain pieces--an incredibly generous act on his part. I also was in a trio (piano, violin, and cello) with two of my closest friends for two years--we played a full recital at the end of last year, when our cellist graduated. That was special and a very raw music-making experience.

NfHC: How important was the music program in your decision to attend Hope? CT: I came to Hope entirely because I wanted to study with Charles Aschbrenner. Actually, my high-school piano teacher had also been a student of Professor Aschbrenner’s back when he was in college! So I’m both a third- and second-generation student of his, I guess. My four years with Professor Aschbrenner have been invaluable and I’m very lucky to have taken from him--especially now that he’s retiring this year!

NfHC: What are your career plans? CT: I’m going to go to graduate school for collaborative piano, which means I'll study accompanying and chamber music--two things that I’ve had in spades at Hope. I’d love to end up working as a coach accompanist, which means I’d work with student singers from the perspective of a pianist. I didn’t know that career existed until one from Juilliard visited and conducted a workshop with Mrs. Dykstra that I participated in last year. Or I could always just find real-world work accompanying on the street. Either one is more secure than being a solo pianist.