features
People Profiles
Brandon Kilgore
- Hometown: Traverse City, MI
- Major: Sociology
- Minor: Anthropology
Supportive Community
The one thing I envisioned Western to be was competitive, which was a scary thought to me. But it turns out, at least with my experience, is that the students generally want to work together on things for the advancement of everyone. Something I wasn’t expecting was the amount of technology and accommodations Western offers, such as the advanced rec. center, classroom technologies, and campus services like the Career Center and ATUS.
Influential Professors
Liz Mogford has been especially influential as she is a professor, mentor, and friend. She has only been teaching at Western since fall of 2007 but has already been an inspiring source in the Sociology Department. Jen Lois is not only one of my favorite professors, but also a favorite of anyone who has taken her deviance or gender classes. Karen Bradley is the current chair of the Sociology Department and like so many other great professors here she is able to combine intelligence with humor and professionalism with compassion.
Committed to Equality
When I learned about all the various clubs and support programs on campus I was really moved by the idea of a campus really taking initiative towards equality among students. I’ve never heard of a campus that promotes diversity to this extent. It was inspiring enough that I suggested to a friend of mine last quarter that we should start a club that promoted egalitarianism on campus. I looked up the clubs to make sure my club wasn’t going to be too similar to something already done and, sure enough, there were several very similar ones in operation.
Outside the Classroom
I enjoy bicycle riding, rock climbing, communal eating, and I participate with several community organizations that promote positive social change such as Food Not Bombs, Food Not Lawns, and Books to Prisoners.
The Trials of Dodgeball
The group of friends I rock climb with all decided to join an intramural dodgeball team on campus in December ’07. A few weeks later we had our first round of games and won them both! We thought we were tough and in shape but we all ended up being sore for days. Who knew dodgeball could involve all that work! So fun!
A Sense of Community
I enjoy both Bellingham’s open-mindedness and its focus on local businesses. Local businesses are so fun and make everyone feel welcome whether you’re at Film is Truth getting a movie or the iDiOM Theatre watching the Cody Rivers Show.
Life after Western
After graduation I plan to either go into the Peace Corps or attend graduate school. I then plan on returning to Western to work on my teaching certificate.