This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brandeis chapter.
Hometown: Manhattan, New York
Major/Minor: Environmental Studies, HSSP
Her Campus: What clubs and activities are you a part of on campus?
Anna Bessendorf: I’m on the board of Students for Environmental Action, I was a coordinator for ‘Deis Impact, and I danced in Liquid Latex!
HC: How did you get involved with these clubs?
AB: I’ve been a member of SEA since my first week at Brandeis. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up there – I didn’t care about the environment at all before college. Last year, I got so into ‘Deis impact – I went to like three events in one day because they all looked so interesting, and I wanted to be able to help it live on, so I applied to be a coordinator for this year! I saw Liquid Latex last year, and I thought it was such an interesting type of performance art incorporating music, dance, and painting. I have zero dance skills but it looked like so much fun, and hey, everyone has a body, right? So I decided to do it this year!
HC: Describe your experience with these activities. How have they enhanced or added to your Brandeis experience?
AB: SEA is an amazing way to get a taste of the environmental movement. I feel like I leave every meeting thinking about a different element of the environment I’ve never thought about before. Last year, it seemed like these issues were all I could think about, and I knew that this was my calling. So I declared my Environmental Studies major, and now I’m thinking about running for Student Union so I can effectively implement more sustainability initiatives. Liquid Latex was the most liberating thing I’ve ever done. My piece was the Nightmare Before Christmas, and I was painted as a mermaid zombie. Standing for 10 hours while I was being painted was exhausting, but I met a lot of fun people, and now I feel like if I can dance naked in front of hundreds of people, I can do anything!
HC: Spring is finally here! What are you most excited about?
AB: Summer! I have terrible spring allergies. No, just kidding. I’m excited for everyone to finally come out of hibernation and people to be happy all the time because it’s beautiful outside and I’m excited for Springfest! And playing in sprinklers, maybe going for a dip in Massell pond. And being able to be barefoot all the time!
HC: Favorite spring trend?
AB: Does wearing less clothing count? I wear layers upon layers in the winter and it’s nice to be able to finally shed them, like a sheep having its wool shorn!
HC: Favorite band or artist?
AB: Right now I’m obsessively listening to Rodriguez, who’s this very anti-establishment folk singer who was literally bigger than Elvis in South Africa in the ’80s. But most people thought he had been dead for decades and then someone tracked him down and brought him to South Africa and he was a superstar for a few weeks and then returned to Detroit and continued his life as a janitor. It’s a cool story.
HC: Name one thing you cannot live without.
AB: Books! As ecofriendly as I am, I’m a bookworm, and a sucker for the real thing – whether it’s brand new or musty and old, it’s only good when a tree gave its life for an interesting story.