Jocelyn Martin
“When you get to college, I guess you get a time to explore yourself and to find out where you belong essentially. And exploring the Lit department, taking many classes with many Literature professors, I just knew this was where I want to be. This is what I love.”
Jocelyn is a sophomore majoring in Literature and soon-to-be minoring in Social Justice and Inequality Studies. On campus, she is a part of the Bridges student organization where she hosts high school students from historically underrepresented populations and students who are committed to understanding and gaining a deeper appreciation for diversity. Jocelyn is also about to study abroad with Miami’s Literary London program.
What drew you to the Literature Department?
What are some of your favorite memories, experiences, and/or events from being involved in Miami’s Literature program?
What skills and lessons have you learned here at Miami (specifically in Literature classes) that you think will be valuable to your career goals?
What’s your must-read book(s) recommendation?
Interviewed by: Jessi Wright
Arman Aboutorabi
“I see literature as a way of gaining knowledge and understanding my surroundings.”
Arman Aboutorabi is a sophomore studying Literature and Political Science. He’s involved in Stage Left! Miami University’s Theater Organization and he is a Law and Public Policy Scholar.
What drew you to the Literature Department?
“As a child, I always enjoyed reading and could always be found in my room reading books. But in high school, I had one particular teacher, Mr. DeVitis, who did a really good job at bringing literature to life. Since I took his class, I see literature as a way of gaining knowledge and understanding my surroundings.”
What are some of your favorite memories, experiences, and/or events from being involved in Miami’s Literature program?
“I really enjoyed going to a poetry reading of Dr. Tuma’s. It was a great experience to see someone you know as a teacher in the role of a creator. I guess ‘Those who can’t do, teach’ isn’t totally right!
I also really enjoyed my time in Dr. Dunning’s ENG 337 class about African American Writing in the Reconstruction Era. That was definitely the most engaged I’ve been in any college class. It was a historical period I was really interested in and it was cool to be able to expand my knowledge about it.
And I just enrolled in Literary London for this upcoming summer. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to see Shakespeare plays, especially in the Globe Theatre and in Stratford-Upon-Avon. It’s like I’ll be able to experience Shakespeare in the proper location.”
What skills and lessons have you learned here at Miami (specifically in Literature classes) that you think will be valuable to your career goals?
“My goal is to get into law school and to eventually become a lawyer, so I’ve learned critical reading practices, and I’ve learned how to handle a large volume of reading, which I’m sure will be really useful as a lawyer! While I’m not entirely sure what speciality of law i would like to practice, I’m drawn to the intellectual nature of the profession as something that I can hopefully carry with me from my time studying literature.”
What’s your must-read book(s) recommendation?
“I find, that for the purpose of enjoyable reading, King Lear has some of the most singularly beautiful sentences. I’d also say Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson because I think the novel is important historically as it pertains to that specific moment in a chaotic, transitional time. A little bit of old and a little bit of new, you know?”
Interviewed by: Jessi Wright