Unfiltered: Spring 2021

In “Unfiltered,” we ask several students from the Class of 2023 five simple questions—over and over, each semester until they graduate. Along with navigating college during a pandemic, these students are forging ahead with the “typical” sophomore year tasks of declaring majors and thinking about living off-campus with friends. Here’s what they have to say this spring: 

 

Hannah Scharrer

Tacoma, Wash.

What class are you most excited about right now?

I’m taking a Latin American literature class and it’s right up my alley. I wish I could stay in that class forever! The professor does a great job at showcasing female authors that are typically overlooked. I’m also really looking forward to my Module 4 classes. 

What’s one recent triumph (large or small!)?

I declared my major! I’m officially an International Studies major!

What have you learned lately?

With the recent very cold weather, I learned how to layer properly. Sometimes that meant wearing two pairs of pants, but it was totally worth it to feel pretty toasty while walking around in -20 degree weather. 

What do you wish you would’ve known six months ago?

I wish I had known that there was a free, outdoor ice rink right by Macalester! It closed for the season just yesterday and I had no idea it even existed. I’m so bummed because I would have loved to go skating. 

What’s one thing you want to do in the next six months?

I just finished applying for summer internships, so that’s one of the things I’m looking forward to in the next six months. Hopefully they can be partially in-person and I can spend the summer in St. Paul. 

 

Carter Rutherford

Alexandria, Va., and Santiago, Chile

What class are you most excited about right now?

I’m most excited about Asian Cities, a geography and Asian Studies class with my advisor Catherine Chang.

What’s one recent triumph (large or small!)?

My Chinese has improved a lot in the last few months! I’ve been doing a language exchange with a friend in Shanghai and I’m taking a Chinese Translation class. I’m extremely proud of my progress. 

What have you learned lately?

I recently read Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari and learned a lot about the history of our species. It puts some of the challenges we are facing right now into perspective.

What do you wish you would’ve known six months ago?

I wish I had known the pandemic would last this long and would have better prepared mentally.

What’s one thing you want to do in the next six months?

I look forward to moving off-campus with a few of my friends and setting up a new home in St. Paul.

 

Ross Relic

Crystal Lake, Ill.

What class are you most excited about right now?

At this point, I don’t even need to answer this question. We all know it’s going to be whatever physics class I’m taking. In Module 4 I’m going to be taking Mechanics and I’m pretty excited for it.

What’s one recent triumph (large or small!)?

I recently learned the opening section of “The Maple Leaf Rag” and I can play it way faster and more accurately than I ever thought I could, although to be fair I have practiced it a TON.

What have you learned lately?

That I have some mental health problems that aren’t going to go away by just pushing myself hard enough. I’ve really had to take a step back this semester and seek help. And that’s ok. I hope that I can work through these issues and understand myself better, so that hopefully I can get to a place where these problems don’t prevent me from pursuing my goals going into graduate school and the rest of my career.

What do you wish you would’ve known six months ago?

That pushing myself as hard as I did last semester would seriously affect me going into this semester. I’m proud of what I was able to achieve last semester, but it did take a toll on me.

What’s one thing you want to do in the next six months?

Six months from now, I want to have moved into a living situation with my college friends and reunite with them once again. And I, like everyone else, really hope that along with that I will be able to go back to taking classes in-person, but even if I can’t, living with my friends would be pretty sweet.

 

Sivali Bhandary

Kathmandu, Nepal

What class are you most excited about right now?

I took Genetics over Module 3 and it was a really cool class. I really enjoyed getting down to the nitty-gritty of how genes replicate and express themselves. Also, learning about the works of the mRNA COVID vaccine by reading and discussing scientific papers was very relevant. For our final projects, we created infographics and Instagram posts for our topic of interest in the field of genetics. I was really impressed by how all the groups designed visually engaging graphics that covered important information on topics like epigenetics, identical twins, genetic engineering, and more.

What’s one recent triumph (large or small!)?

I finally purchased a book that I’ve wanted to read for a while now: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This year, I’ve been trying to read more, and I think I consider getting back into the groove a meaningful triumph.

What have you learned lately?

I’m learning to say “no” to things sometimes so that I don’t burn myself out by spreading myself too thin.

What do you wish you would’ve known six months ago?

That although experiences are different than they normally would have been, they aren’t any less valid. I’ve been trying to accept things as they are while also focusing my energy on being present, and it’s definitely helped me feel more grounded where I am.

What’s one thing you want to do in the next six months?

I wish to go back home to Kathmandu to see my family and friends. It’s been a while!

• Read the first installment Fall 2019
• Read the second installment Spring 2020 
• Read the third installment Fall 2020