Name: Elaine Boles

Hometown: Bothell, WA

Class Year: 2011

Major/Minor: Psychology or sociology, minor in education

Extracurricular Activities: Symphony, private violin lessons, Chamber Orchestra, Community Bike Program, International Students Association, Let’s Dance Society, Greenhouse, Hillel, Relay for Life, intramural soccer, Student Music Association, First Year Planning Committee

Favorite Free Time Activity: Reading.  Nothing like a good fiction novel to sweep you away.

Favorite Lowry Food: “The Elaine.”  Yes, I created it so I figured that I might as well name it after myself.  What you do is go to the ‘Noodles’ section with a bowl and two white paper cups (used primarily for ketchup), and ask them to fill the paper cups with marinara sauce and put chicken strips into your bowl.  Next, mosey on over to the ‘Delicatessen’ and ask them to make you a Panini with Italian or sourdough bread with provolone cheese and the ingredients you just picked up at ‘Noodles.’  It will be a bit messy to eat, and you have to make sure to do this when there aren’t a lot of people around, but it’s so worth it.  Amazingly yummy, so try to make this when you think you can’t stand Lowry anymore.

Advice for Incoming First-Year Students: Pace yourself with the food.  It may seem all new and exciting but trust me, you will notice repeats.  So don’t overload your plate because you want it all, and stop when you’re full.  You’ll feel better at the end of the meal, trust me.  And if you want something a little more meaningful and academic for advice, I’d say GET INVOLVED.  How are you going to experience college if you only hang out with your sports team or watch television after all of your classes?  There’s so much to do here, so why make yourself miserable by not figuring out the sort of place you’re in?

Favorite Wooster Memory:  My favorite Wooster memory was during the first months of school, and everything was still so new to me, and the community bike program hosted a bike ride.  We rode out to the far reaches of civilization, past city limits and to a land of old all-American movies with landscapes that you don’t realize how beautiful they are until you’re in it.  It was right as fall was tinting the world red and orange, so the giant trees were this deep summer green everywhere but the edges and the sun had that ‘end of summer’ color to it.  It was so beautiful.  I think that was the first moment I realized I was nowhere near the northwest with its always-green pine trees and sporadic hills, and I was in a place where my parents didn’t really have a say anymore (well, to a degree).  I was in college, and that day the College of Wooster became my home.  Nothing like a bike ride to remind you where you are in the world.