by Willie Clark
A’E Editor
At a school renowned for its sciences, the few and the brave English majors sometimes get the short end of the stick. Undergraduate English Council President and sophomore Jenn Hoffman isn’t going to use that as an excuse. She has worked diligently to expand the council, as well as to remind all the Biology and Engineering majors that, yes, you can actually major in English.
Hoffman is also a D’Lion, tutors for UR Potential, is a workshop leader for computer science and is also enrolled in the Leadership Development Program, all while trying to save the world from everyone who reads ‘Twilight.”
If you could liken yourself to one literary figure or a combination of several, who would it be and why?
Well, I was born on the same day as Mark Twain. And I guess I am kind of eccentric like him. And of course he has amazing hair, and I don’t think my hair is that bad.
What is your favorite book of all time?
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde.
As president of UEC, what are your duties and what would you like to see the club do?
We try to create a bond between the student body and the English department. I would really like to see it bring in more outside speakers and local authors to campus as well.
Recent book series such as ‘Twilight” have really reached new audiences. What do you think about that?
I think it creates superficial readers who don’t bother to read the literary predecessors to the book or the mythological foundations behind them. So you basically get a bunch of people who think they know it all, and they haven’t really delved into the mythology. Read ‘Montague Summers” if you really want to know vampire folklore.
Clark is a member of the class of 2012.
