Gustavus Adolphus College

• Rebecca T. Fremo Writing Center Director (x7392)
• Katy Young ELL Specialist (x7395)
• Kelsey Savre Administrative Team Leader (Fall)
• Debi Lasswell Administrative Team Leader (Spring)
• Kaitie O'Bryan Tutoring Team Leader
• Nathan Heggem Outreach Team Leader
• Breanna Draxler
• Lauren Fulner
• Azra Halilovic
• Molly Kolpin
• Chelsea Kramer
• Christina Lewis
• Ryan McGinty
• Alison Oppenheimer
• Kate Saling
• Rebekah Schulz
• Abby Travis
• Elizabeth Winslow

Rebecca Fremo

Education: Ph.D. in English with Rhetoric and Composition emphasis, Ohio State University; M.A. in English with African American Literature emphasis, Virginia Tech; B.A. in English with Secondary Education certification, Virginia Tech.
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Interests: Gardening, writing poetry, biking with the kids
Favorite Writers: Gloria Naylor, Terry Tempest Williams, David Sedaris
Courses I Teach: First Term Seminar, Writing Creative Nonfiction, Academic Writing, Adolescent Literature and Literacy, Art of Interpretation, Senior Seminar
Why I Love to Write: Writing is a kind of self-fashioning. I can use writing to construct any kind of authority for myself that I wish. It's also a great way to figure out what I'm thinking.

Katy Young  

GRADUATION DATE: I graduated from Gustavus in 1983 with  B.A. In English.
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S):  Now I am a graduate student in the English department at MSU working on an M.A in Teaching English as a Second Language.
HOMETOWN: St. Peter and 6 other small Minnesota towns just like it. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Singing and playing music, raising my three boys, fixing my little house, junk-store shopping, garage puppet shows,  reading, sailing, sleeping.
FAVORITE BOOK:  My last best read was Shantaram
FAVORITE CLASS: The interactive, dual-immersion, game-playing, puppet-show-performing, musical class  I'm going to teach someday in my word-adventure-workshop modeled on PeeWee's Playhouse
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL:  I like really big pencils, the fat ones little kids use.  I think they make me smarter.
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Backs of envelopes, the margins on the edges of bills, junk mail and newsletters, the first three pages of adorable notebooks.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: First I finish the whole paper in my head and then I type as fast as I can.  It is never fast enough.

Abby Travis

GRADUATION DATE: May 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English major with a writing emphasis; Management minor
HOMETOWN: Eden Prairie, MN
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: I am currently co-prose editor at the Firethorne Literary Magazine and the vice president of the Gustavus Equestrian Team.
FAVORITE AUTHOR: I have too many favorites to choose from, but I read a lot of Louis Jenkins and Bill Holm over the summer.
FAVORITE BOOK: The Unbearable Lightness of Being or The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, both by Milan Kundera
FAVORITE CLASS: Creative Nonfiction
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: A comfortable place and listening to Sigur Ros, an Icelandic band. To me, writing “takes its origin in emotion recollected in tranquility…In this mood successful composition generally begins” (Wordsworth). 
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Definitely creative, lately my favorite has been a combination of personal essay and memoir.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: No matter the kind of paper (academic or creative) I usually have to mull ideas over and bounce ideas off of other people, including my professors. The brainstorming usually takes between a couple of hours and a couple of days. Once I have an idea of where to start and what I want the paper to cover, I just start writing and revising as I go. If I get stuck (in organization or narrowing the focus) then I do a lot of mapping and outlining.

Alison Oppenheimer

GRADUATION DATE: 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English and secondary education
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, Ohio
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Being a CF in Rundstrom, Study Buddies, Queers & Allies, drinking Vitamin Water
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Jane Austen, Jasper Fforde
FAVORITE BOOK: Pride and Prejudice, The Well of Lost Plots
FAVORITE CLASS: Adolescent Literature with the fabulous Becky Fremo!
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: The text itself! In the words of my amazing high school English teacher, "Take us to the text!"
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Literary analysis - especially when I get to explore a super cool detail that has big implications for the text.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I spread out all the stuff I need, open a word document, and just started typing out everything that comes into my head. Organization comes later - it's more important to just get the ideas out before they flit away again.

Azra Halilovic

GRADUATION DATE: Spring 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English major / Music and Spanish minors.
HOMETOWN: umm… it’s complicated… but I currently live in Minnetonka, MN.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: piano lessons and accompaniment, Lucia Singers, Sigma Tau Delta, OLAS, Study Buddies.
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Ah, this treacherous question.  I’ll just say that, for the most part, I’m an Americanist.
FAVORITE BOOK: Again, cruel question, but here are a few: A Separate Peace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Metamorphosis, The Odyssey.
FAVORITE CLASS: Creative Writing and Intro to Christian Thought.
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Friends to consult and ask if I’m even remotely making sense.
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Analytical papers, but creative writing (especially nonfiction) is growing on me.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER:  I think about the topic throughout my day and save sentences (and words!) I like for later.  While these ideas are totally apt to change, they at least give me plenty of material to expand on and organize.

Breanna Draxler       

GRADUATION DATE:  2009
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S):  Environmental Studies (with a concentration in English) and French
HOMETOWN:  Amery, WI
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:  Greens, Gustavus Outdoor Enthusiasts, Gustavian Weekly, French club
FAVORITE AUTHOR:  Barbara Kingsolver
FAVORITE BOOK:  A Staggering Work of Heart-breaking Genius
FAVORITE CLASS:  Philosophy of the Environment
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL:  The Everyday Writer
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON:  Creative Non-fiction
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER:  When I sit down to start a paper, I usually just write whatever comes to mind.  This way I get the ideas flowing and the fingers typing.  I rarely end up using my initial jottings (they are usually in the form of fragments or lists of ideas) but they often lead me to the concepts that I integrate into final drafts. 

Chelsea Kramer

GRADUATION DATE: 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): Biology Major, English Minor
HOMETOWN: St. Peter, Minnesota
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Lucia Singers, International Cultures Club, Crossroads
FAVORITE AUTHOR: I think it’s impossible to put one author above all the rest when there is so much phenomenal work that has been written. I love reading the work of any author who can speak of human experience in a way that challenges the mind and restores the soul…. with beauty and of truth
FAVORITE BOOK: There are so many, it’s impossible to pick! Right now some of my favorites include The God of Small Things, Heart of Darkness, The Things They Carried, Pride and Prejudice, The Prophet, Anthem, Ceremony, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and childhood classics such as A Little Princess, Harry Potter, the Little House books, A Series of Unfortunate Events and almost anything by Dr. Seuss. The list goes on! And it is changing all the time.
FAVORITE CLASS: Both Modern Fiction and the J-term class, Jane Austen: Fiction and Film
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Mechanical pencil and a good old-fashioned notebook.
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Analytical research mixed with explorative theory. Anything creative!
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: First I mull it over. Then I write down all the ideas that I have had (or that are coming to my head while I write) on a piece of notebook paper, scrambling to jot down ideas as one thing leads to another, my pencil looping and circling, writing every which way all over the page, using lots of arrows and squiggly lines to connect the thoughts to each other.

 

Christina Lewis

GRADUATION DATE: 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): Physics Major
HOMETOWN: Rochester, MN
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Ultimate Frisbee, Physics TA/Tutor
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Roald Dahl & Dr. Seuss
FAVORITE BOOK: "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenneger
FAVORITE CLASS: Modern Physics
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Purple pen
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Electronics Lab Reports!
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: Overthink and overwrite

Debi Lasswell

GRADUATION DATE: June 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English Major
HOMETOWN: Appleton, WI/Stillwater, MN
FAVORITE AUTHOR: F. Scott Fitzgerald
FAVORITE BOOK: Catch-22 (but it's heartbreaking to only pick one!)
FAVORITE CLASS: Independent Study on James Joyce's Ulysses
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL : The online Oxford English Dictionary is a dear friend of mine.
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Archetypal analysis
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I always consider what interests me about the subject, and then build a thesis and structure off of that. It's always easier to write about something engaging and passionate rather than something uninspired. It seems basic, but it's a great place to start!

Kaitie O'Bryan

GRADUATION DATE: May 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): Mathematics and Studio Art
HOMETOWN: Waukesha, WI
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Study Buddies, Proclaim, IM Volleyball, Walleyball and Softball
FAVORITE BOOK: Catcher in the Rye
FAVORITE CLASS: Painting and Introduction to Computer Science
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL:I am very guilty of using shift+F7 (AKA the thesaurus). All good things must be in moderation though!
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Political Science Papers are my favorite! I love learning things through reading other people's papers.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: Sometimes I make lists of ideas I have and organize them into a way I can make an argument out of them. I pick the strongest ideas that I have the strongest evidence on and string together a thesis. Other times, I just sit down and start typing out my thoughts until an awesome idea emerges.

Kate Saling

GRADUATION DATE: Spring 2009
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English and Japanese Studies
HOMETOWN: Rochester, MN
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Ray Bradbury
FAVORITE BOOK: Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Murakami Haruki
FAVORITE CLASS: Buddhist Philosophy
FAVORITE WRITING TOOLS: 2 Weeks of Procrastination + 1 All-Nighter + 3 Cans of Dr. Pepper
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER: Philosophy
HOW I GET STARTED ON A PAPER: First I reread the text, the prompt, and the research materials. Then I put all my ideas on the back burner until the night before the paper is due. I call it the procrastination and rumination approach.

Kelsey Savre

GRADUATION DATE: December 2008
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English and Management majors
HOMETOWN: Fort Lewis, WA
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, Career Center Host, Sigma Tau Delta
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Jane Austen and John Fowles
FAVORITE BOOK: Persuasion
FAVORITE CLASS: “Jane Austen Fiction and Film” Senior Seminar
FAVORITE WRITING TOOLS: Spell Check
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER: Analytical essays
HOW I GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I lock myself in the library, reread the text for direct evidence, write my (rough draft) thesis, and then create an outline.

Lauren Fulner

GRADUATION DATE: May 2009
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): Communication Studies major, Peace Studies minor
HOMETOWN: Naperville IL
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Gustavus Greens, ASAP co-president, Democracy Matters, CVR intern
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Edward Abbey
FAVORITE BOOK: In My Own Way- Alan Watts
FAVORITE CLASS: Philosophies of the Environment
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: my trusty Compaq laptop
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Any paper that includes elements of both theory and practice.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I make a super basic outline and then type full speed ahead, inspired by music and the dictionary.

Liz Winslow

GRADUATION DATE: December 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): Music Education Major/ French Minor
HOMETOWN: Denver, CO
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Gustavus Chamber Players, Study Buddies, Piano Accompanying, Flute Choir
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Jane Austen
FAVORITE BOOK: Pride and Prejudice
FAVORITE CLASS: Music Theory
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Good old dictionary
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Position paper
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: jot down notes/brainstorm until I have something clear enough to start with

Molly Kolpin 

GRADUATION DATE: Spring 2009
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English Major, Management and History Minors
HOMETOWN: Waseca, Minnesota
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Along with being a tutor in the writing center, I’m also the organizational manager for Firethorne and a volunteer for the study buddies program. 
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Janet Fitch and L.M. Montgomery
FAVORITE BOOK: all of the books from the Anne of Green Gables series
FAVORITE CLASS: Jane Austen Fiction and Film
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: the thesaurus
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: My favorite kind of paper to work on is one that analyzes a book, poem, or historical event. HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I always start a paper by thinking of a topic and possible thesis. Next, I look through my sources and find evidence to support my argument. Finally, I make up an outline and write the paper.

Nathan Heggem

GRADUATION DATE: May 2009
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S):  Biology/Spanish and Neuroscience double minor
HOMETOWN: Aitkin, MN
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: I Am, We Are; Queers & Allies; various theater productions
FAVORITE AUTHOR: Raymond Carver
FAVORITE BOOK: Aztec
FAVORITE CLASS: Anything in the Spanish department
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL:  Concentration... it's invaluable
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Any kind I haven't done before
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I think a lot, throw some words on a page, think some more, erase the words, and then I'm ready to really start.

Rebekah Schulz

GRADUATION DATE: May 2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S): English & Secondary Education Major, Music & Spanish Minor
HOMETOWN: Born in Nebraska, raised in Chicago, currently live in Overland Park, KS.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: I love to sing (in and out of G-Choir), play the guitar, swing dance, and do charcoal sketches of trees in the Arb. I also work part-time as a Spanish Tutor.
FAVORITE AUTHOR: At the moment, probably C. S. Lewis.
FAVORITE BOOK: I can never decide on an all-time favorite book, but some candidates include: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and (although it's actually a play) Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.
FAVORITE CLASS: My favorite English class so far has been Creative Nonfiction with Don Scheese. My favorite non-English class was Individual & Society with John Clementson.
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Good mood music. I usually pop in my Nickel Creek CD. Nothing gets the analysis flowing like some quality bluegrass!
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Anything that involves juxtaposition.
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: Pay attention in class (so I can get some ideas for themes to work with). I let the ideas percolate in my head for a while until I can jot down a thesis and outline, and then the paper just kind of spills out.

Ryan McGinty

GRADUATION DATE:  2010
MAJOR(S)/ MINOR(S):  English major, Philosophy minor
HOMETOWN:  Shoreview, MN
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:  Firethorne Literary Magazine, Gustavian Weekly, Sigma Tau Delta
FAVORITE AUTHOR:  Kurt Vonnegut, Franz Kafka, Alan Moore
FAVORITE BOOK:  Cat’s Cradle
FAVORITE CLASS:  anything English or Philosophy related
FAVORITE WRITING TOOL: Creativity
FAVORITE KIND OF PAPER TO WORK ON: Analytical essay, creative fiction
HOW YOU GET STARTED ON A PAPER: I Free-write for as long as I possibly can.