Introduction

Hello, my name is Alexis Cochran, but I also go by Allie, Alex, and Lexis. I was born in Memphis, Tennessee, but I have lived in Texas for the last six years. I currently live in Keller around neverending construction and potholes the size of craters.

I enjoy spending time with my family, hanging out with my friends, shopping, being organized, kodak moments, dancing, singing, listening to music, playing both the piano and the saxophone (basically, anything that has to do with music), setting goals, making lists, completing tasks, and laughing at almost anything. I typically come off as shy, quiet, and introverted, but once you get to know me, I am the exact opposite. I have a few close friends, but I try to be nice to everyone, despite my tendency to be brutally honest. My friends and family call me a "Walking Grammar Book," because proper grammar is important to me. I am a perfectionist, therefore I hate making mistakes and usually set unrealistically high standards for myself.

Besides school and music, church is another major part of my life. I am involved in everything, from dance team to tech team, to youth group to praise team. Around Spring Break, I spent a month in India on a mission trip, and will hopefully return sometime in the near future.

I plan on majoring in both biology and music, or simply biology with a minor in music or dance. I hope to become a neurosurgeon, cardiothoracic surgeon, or an obstetrician. I guess that's about it!

First Reaction

After reading the prologue and the first chapter, I think I am going to like this book. At first I was sort of turned off by the whole time travel business, but as I continue to read it is growing on me.

While reading the prologue I thought that maybe Kevin was the reason for the narrator's injury and that the narrator was showering him with love, despite the violent outburst, but I am coming to see that the injury probably occured in her alternate reality with Rufus.

It seems like the time travel thing is going to do a really good job with the whole race issue and how it changes throughout time. It allows us to see the changes in the way African Americans were treated then and now. I am fascinated by the author's ability to combine time travel with a race issue...I have certainly never combined the two ideas in my head before.

I haven't really read enough of the book to say a whole lot about it, these are just a couple of really small thoughts I had.

Hi friends!

I am your RA.
I am a counselor at a Boy Scout Camp.
I am a theatre major.
I am a sophomore.
...


I am/have run out of ideas for this "I am" thing.

Last year I had Dr. Stockton for my college writing course. I enjoyed it greatly and when I heard I and my residents got to work with her this coming fall, I became more enthused than I already was about being an RA.

I thought of a few more "I am"s. So prepare yourself.


I am an avid movie collector.
I am (working on being) an avid backpacker.
I am leaving the computer to go participate in a campfire.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Evan Brewer. With a name that has the word "brew" as a prefix, none of my nicknames are really school-appropriate . . . although, an unknown girl gave me a hug at a rock concert for no reason other than my letterjacket said "Brewer" on the back. She thought that was cute I guess. ("Cute is what we aim for" . . . )



I enjoy moments like that: the unexpected, unscripted moments of life. I'm involved in theatre, music, and dance so everything about me cries out for drama. I talk too much, hum showtunes to myself, and stretch my calves when I have nothing better to do . . . all of which are confusing to others in daily life, but valuable characteristics in my line of work. I come from a small, bubble-like community in Fort Worth - namely, Fort Worth Country Day School. It was a really small place so I got into just about everything. I am proud to say that I was the only football-playing ballet dancer at my high school.



I love to play my guitar and listen to music and I try to get out to as many concerts as I can. I already have my ticket for the Austin City Limits festival. I enjoy an eclectic mix of music. Some of my favorite concerts have been Edgefest 16, the Coast-to-Coast Roast Ska Tour (with Reel Big Fish), and John Mayer with Maroon Five. In all honesty, though I plan to major in Biology and hopefully become a vet some day . . . deep in my heart I want to be a rockstar.

Hello...?

My name is Micah, although I have been called "Mikey," "Micaphone," "Mic Mic," and other terribly cheesy nicknames, so feel free to address me in whichever clever or not-so-clever fashion you think is necessary. I live in a silver forest of plastics plants (please do not confuse this with "plastic plants") and breathe polluted air. We call this Baytown.

I enjoy a nice paradox, but not a pair of Docs, since I am not much of a boot person. I love music and listen to many different forms of it, particularly music created by artists with interesting/intelligent/clever things to say.

I am a pretty nice fellow almost all of the time, despite the overwhelming sarcastic, critical voice that speaks in my head.

My crystal ball is rather cloudy at this particular moment in my life, so I plan on freestyling my future. The word "freestyle" may spark a particular image in your mind of a man with silver teeth and a very big chain holding a microphone in his hand, but do not be deceived: I am no "gangsta", nor am I any sort of rapper.

I am afraid my autobiographical sketch will misrepresent me as a person, but perception and perspective are out of my control; I can only control presentation and I feel that the presentation suits me well.

Peace, love, and lots of loud music.

Welcome!

Hello! I'm Elizabeth Stockton, and I'll be the professor for the FYS section, "When You Walk Through the Garden." I've asked you to read Octavia Butler's novel Kindred over the summer, and we will be talking about her novel here before we meet each other in person in August. For now, though, let's start off by introducing ourselves to one another.

So, I'll go first. I am an Assistant Professor of English at Southwestern University. I specialize in antebellum American novels--meaning, novels written before the Civil War, from about 1820-1860. In particular, my research focuses on how legal changes affected novels that were written during that period. Our FYS course will dovetail with some of my specialties, but I'm really interested in the new directions it will take me--and new directions it will hopefully take you, as well.

I am originally from Katy, TX, but when I was 18, I moved away and have lived in Atlanta, Chicago, and most recently Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where I earned my Ph.D. I now live in Georgetown with my husband and two rather large dogs. In my spare time, I listen to indie rock, watch baseball, and desperately try to keep my failing vegetable garden alive. This summer, I taught a summer school course on Film Noir and am now working with two undergraduates on a summer research project.

I am eager to learn more about each of you. Please feel free to write as much or as little about yourself as you'd like here. Be sure to label your post "introduction" so that everyone will be able to find it.

And again, welcome!
Professor Stockton