Category Archives: Week 1: Introductions

Glad to be here!

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Hello, class! My name is Adria Janelle Lopez, I’m 20 years old, and I just transferred to SDSU from Imperial Valley College. I spent my childhood in Mexicali, Baja California, and my teenage years in Calexico, California, so I am proudly a product of these two sister cities that I was raised in. My heart and the love that lives in it is split between my family, my friends, movies, music, literature, language, learning, and humanity. I think all of these things are related because they transmit empathy and help us become better human beings, and that gives me the greatest satisfaction in life. My taste in books and movies ranges from Jane Austen to Star Wars, among other things, but something I can’t handle is horror because I’m a scaredy cat. These last few years, my most listened to artist on Spotify has alternated between BTS and Arctic Monkeys, both whom I have been lucky enough to see in concert! I also like musicals and will listen to the soundtracks in the car which drives my little sister crazy (I love Funny Girl and Phantom of the Opera, to name a few). I am very excited to get into this crazy dense book and share the experience with you all. I am expecting to be blown away in the best way possible and I’m dying to see what all the fuss is about. Thanks for reading!

^^ me having fun at my birthday party

Introduction to ECL 522

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Hello everyone! My name is Liz Martin (she/her/hers) and it is my first year at San Diego State University and I am majoring in English. I transferred here from Shasta College, which is located in Redding, CA. I lived in Redding for most of my life so I am excited to change it up and explore some new connections and experiences here in San Diego for a little while. I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to expand my knowledge here at SDSU and I cannot wait to take part in this class! 

A few things about me are that I am a cat person, I currently have three cats that I have adopted, a calico, a tuxedo, and a ginger cat. I enjoy going on hikes and going to the gym. I also enjoy reading and watching films. A few of my favorite books include Gone Girl, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, and Pride and Prejudice. A few of my favorite films include Funny Face, Paris, Texas, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I also enjoy going to concerts, two of my favorites have been Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande, I love the pop girls. 

I can’t wait to read Moby Dick and learn more about it through others’ thoughts and opinions, thank you! 

Picture of me 🙂

Hello guys, gals, and other pals!

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Hello everyone! The name is Dianna Sittidet (She/They). I am 22 years old and a transfer student from Mesa College. This is my 3rd semester as an ECL major at SDSU since transferring. I’m excited to tackle my ability of withstanding larger books with Moby Dick considering it is such a classic within the literary world. I genuinely do not know much about it other than it being about some “guy” pursuing and being obsessed with a whale. That description alone didn’t sound too engaging to me, but now that a class is requiring it, why the heck shouldn’t I analyze it further and give it a chance to potentially and seriously wow me? 

I’m not entirely sure as to what I fully want to do after graduation, but all I know is that I want writing to be involved. I’m always finding ways to inspire myself from different pieces of media, whether it be books, games, movies, TV shows, I’ll never fail to stare at something and have it creatively affect the way I write or explore the world. If that didn’t explain it, I am very much into video games and TTRPGs such as D&D and Monster of the Week. I do not stray away from calling myself a nerd with interests! I’m currently playing through Persona 5 Royal and Nier:Automata, but if we really wanted to get into my most solidified interest, I am a HUGE fan of the horror genre. Psychological, supernatural, analog, you name it. I’m always looking for new things to give me a freight, and while the interest can get a little morbid, I think the horror genre can be one of the most interesting things out there with how versatile it is. 

I’m writing this in the midst of discovering a new band called Inkubus Sukkubus, and I’d recommend their song Vampyre Erotica. (If I had to pinpoint another horror interest, I’m big into vampires.) 

I cannot stress enough how stoked I am to hear about everyone’s opinions on the book rather than the book itself, especially those who have not picked it up before. I know I myself will be brutally honest about my review this semester, especially with our seminar set up. 

And in case I don’t see you, good morning, good afternoon, and good evening!

Dianna Sittidet during Christmas of 2023, wearing an ugly christmas sweater featuring Ghostface from the Scream franchise.

Stream of Consciousness Self Introduction by a Library Enthusiast

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Hello Everyone,

My name is Kit Jackson, pronouns She/They. I’m autistic, so I either keep too much eye contact or not enough and I can struggle sometimes with speaking. Your patience and understanding is always appreciated. I’m an English & Comparative Literature major, this is my third semester after transferring in. My future goal is to get my Master’s in Library Sciences, I’m taking ECL as my Bachelor’s because I love reading and writing. I have a wide variety of creative endeavors that I am a part of – I draw, sculpt, paint, act, etc. I’ve got a YouTube show that my wife and I have created, I can link it if anyone is interested. As a fair heads up, it is kind of a weird one. You’ve been warned.

My personal interests vary pretty heavily, which is partially because I have 4 older siblings that got me into media from before I was born. I really like foreign horror movies, video games, and comics. I’ve been getting into Manhwa more recently, as well as Webtoons, though I do read some Image & Dark Horse comics. Video games are something I’ve always been passionate about – some of my favorites being Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Age, .hack//, Final Fantasy VII, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Unpacking. I definitely lean more towards fantasy over science fiction with the stories I consume, but I could never turn down a well written slice of life story.

This class really interests me, because I adore learning about the many different sources of inspiration for stories. I know that Moby Dick is a culturally significant book that has found its way into thousands of other pieces of media. Getting to learn more about those influences is a bit like being in on an inside joke – the more you know, the more you understand. That aside, I love to play Dungeons and Dragons, which is about as close to collaborative storytelling as you can get. This class having a collaborative emphasis sounds really interesting and right up my alley.

All this to say, I’m a massive nerd and I look forward to this class with you.

Take care!

Kit with their wife, Faeth, at the Dropout Improv Live event.