The second installment in a series keeping up with one student per grade throughout the year
Matt McDougal, Sophomore
Where to begin with Matt McDougal? When we last met the sophomore, his life was all over the place, or rather, the Keene State College campus. McDougal described his last semester’s theatrical ventures as a “phenomenal success.”
And this semester seems as if it will be no different. McDougal said he has spent a great deal of time pondering his next move as his spring semester sophomore year begins. E
ver the busy bee, McDougal cannot enjoy his downtime for long. He explained the second half of his first semester wasn’t as productive as the first, due to the ending of shows.
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Matt McDougal performs in ‘I Am my Own Wife.’
“I made up for that by really setting myself up for this semester. I feel like I’ve done that pretty successfully,” he said. How, you ask? McDougal auditioned for “The Tempest” and is now practicing the role of Gonzalo.
But why would McDougal only be working on one play this semester when he could be practicing two? The sophomore is also working on another Shakespearean production, this time with The Hourglass Readers, a local community theater group.
Again, why stop there? McDougal continues his work with Mentors in Violence Prevention this semester. “MVP really gets a lot more active this semester because there are a ton of events that are going to be coming up. This semester is when we really pick up our work and throw ourselves out there, which I’m really excited to do with my peers,” he said.
In addition, McDougal still represents the Global Education office as a Global Ambassador. He said he hopes to find time to stop by classes and share his experiences and get other students excited about travel abroad opportunities. “If I’m not keeping myself busy, I’m not being productive, and if I’m not being productive I’m not enjoying myself. l like to make sure I’m always keeping myself on my toes and moving forward.”
freshman student was unable to participate
Beth Rosenberg, Junior
Beth Rosenberg sat down for ten minutes in the Flag Room of the Young Student Center for what may have been the first time that day. The junior displayed the same worn out fatigue most of her peers share, though Rosenberg wasn’t tired from partying the weekend before.
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Rosenberg (far right) with her residents after a program.
No, Rosenberg owed her yawn and tired smile to the plate she sets before herself every single day—a plate that is nearly overflowing. The junior shared last September that she is a Residential Assistant in Monadnock.
In addition, Rosenberg continues to take on a second role this semester—a teacher’s assistant for Education 100. This takes up about three hours of her week, she estimated. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to do this again this semester,” she said.
Rosenberg said she continues to focus her programs as an RA on teaching her residents to live a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle. Compared to last semester when we last saw Rosenberg, she said, “What I’m more focused on this semester is my academics and my residence awareness. I’m trying to plan programs for awareness, like on how much water you’re wasting. Water is a huge issue and not a lot of people are aware,” she explained.
“This is our future, if they’re not aware of it then nothing’s going to change.” Though Rosenberg said she is “overwhelmed” with too much on her mind, she said she sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Next semester is like my last real semester of college,” she said, because as an education major, she will spend the spring semester of her senior year teaching in a classroom.
“I’m excited to student teach but I’m also really nervous. It’s exciting, but it’s scary at the same time just because this is all that I’ve known for four years.”
Until then, she continues to look ahead. She said she plans on applying once again to be an RA, though she noted she’d like to work with sophomores. If this junior could just take another ten minutes to sit down and reflect on all that she’s accomplished already, she would have nothing but an eager confidence to bring her through the semester.
Austin Harris, Senior
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “captain” as “the commander of a unit,” “a person of importance or influence in a field.” Synonymous to the term are words such as “boss,” “head,” or “commander.”
The Keene State College Men’s Swimming and Diving team calls their commander Austin Harris.
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Austin Harris leads the KSC Men’s Swimming and Diving team into the final stretch of the season.
A title well earned, Harris spent the first month of his senior season a fish out of water after suffering a broken hand. Leading from land, Harris trained and re-entered the pool and within days was back in nationals-qualifying shape when he qualified against MIT in three relays. Now, Harris has approximately a week left in his final regular season. Just as he stated last September and anticipated the strength of his team, the senior said he has high hopes for Nationals. “Our goals for relays is to make top eight All-American,” he said. “I think that’s pretty possible this year.” Individually, Harris has his sights set on personal goals to close his season, and career, at KSC. The captain predicted he could make top 16 in the 100 and 50 free, which would give him an All-American mention.
Harris, who said he hadn’t planned on swimming in college and named his closure to KSC swim, “bittersweet.”
“I’ve enjoyed the four years, it’s been an experience, but I’m ready for it to be over.” With his swim career just weeks shy of ending, Harris turns his sight once again to his other career—architecture. Harris shared last fall his work with the Technology, Design and Safety center on campus. Since then, his work has paid off as an Advanced Special Topics class was created, meaning the work Harris has put into the center is gaining him school credit. Harris said he and his team are currently gathering in preparation to present their progress at the Academic Excellence Conference in the spring.
As if that weren’t enough, Harris continues his work-in-progress portfolio with his sight set on grad school. His top choice? Virginia Tech. In three months’ time, this soon-to-graduate senior’s dreams may be his reality. “It’s a little scary. All I’ve known really is education my whole life from kindergarten. It’s a little depressing that I’m leaving because all I hear from adults is it’s the best four years of my life.” And then Harris said what we’ve all heard 1,000 times, though this time, his words held four years’ weight, four years’ experience, and the pure naivety of the unforeseen future. “It goes by fast.”
Julie Conlon can be contacted at jconlon@keene-equinox.com