~From English Department Communications Intern Ashley Alfirevic

Recently, two of my classmates were kind enough to agree to spontaneous Humans of Eddy interviews. I run into Dougie quite a bit throughout the department and various English events, but this is the first time we stopped to chat about hidden libraries and haikus.

 

What’s your name and your major and when do you expect to graduate?
My name is Douglas William Hindman the Third (officially) or Dougie for short. I am a double major in English and History and I’m expecting to hopefully graduate in December of 2016.

What are you working on or doing in Eddy today?
I am going to my lovely Medieval Literature class. And I’m trying to catch up on the reading for all of my other classes.

And what’s your favorite thing about that class?
I like the material that we’re studying. As a little boy I was obsessed with knights in shining armor, so it’s kind of second hat.

How do you spend most of your time in Eddy?
I spend most of my time in Eddy in class, although I have checked out the Philosophy library in the basement that no one knows about…

I didn’t even know that was there.
…Or the Flood Library. That’s how I spend most of my time. Oh, and bugging professors. Which I pride myself on chasing, particularly with Trembath and Marvin, and trying to find them.

Do you have a favorite moment in Eddy?
My favorite moment in Eddy would probably be freshman year, the first time I saw the basement in Eddy before the remodel, and kind of the sheer terror of the basement of Eddy. Which has now been transformed.

Do you have a favorite English class or English teacher?
I love all of my English professors. I think Marvin’s probably going to take the cake just because his classes are crazy fun and you never know what to expect.

Describe Eddy hall in one word.
It’s on the tip of my tongue… not sporadic…

…Spontaneous?
Yes, spontaneous!

I’ve thought about asking people to do haikus about Eddy, but I don’t think that would go well. It’s hard enough for us to think of just one word.
I can give it a try if you want. I forget how many…

Larissa: Five, seven, and five syllables.

I can bug you for it in class or something if you want to do it. I’m sure it’d be easier to write.
I’m a poet and you’ve challenged me to write a poem. I’ll have to come up with a haiku.

Do you have – I’m going to give you a lot of options but you only have to pick one – a favorite book, poem, quote, lyric, genre, or author?
I think I’m going to try them all. I think my favorite author is between John Steinbeck and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I think I’m going to have to pick Steinbeck for the author. My favorite book would probably be Cien Anos de Soledad or A Hundred Years of Solitude. Favorite genre is historical fiction. Poem… probably “Leaves of Grass”… all of “Leaves of Grass.”
Quote… not because I necessarily like it… but I think “Alas, poor Yorick” is probably what comes to mind the most, probably because I identify with the grave diggers. Being a custodian is kind of like being a grave digger. I don’t have a lyric but it would probably be a limerick if it was.

If you were to give advice into incoming CSU English majors, what would it be?
Do the reading the first time and start your papers early. And have fun while doing all those things and juggling college.

All advice English majors definitely need. What’s your biggest goal or priority right now?
(Laughs) Probably to graduate, honestly. Just to get through the year and to have fun doing it.