Name: Miranda Blanchard
Year: Sophomore
Age: 19
Major: Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology (EEOB)
Hometown: Lawrence
Relationship Status: Single
Instagram Handle: @mirpanda07
Twitter Handle: @mirpanda07
Celebrity Crush: I’m currently in the middle of watching The X-files, so I’m totally in love with David Duchovny, especially as Special Agent Fox Mulder. But I also love quite a few band members, including Gus Unger-Hamilton from Alt-J. Fun fact: They’re both English majors!
How did you choose your major? Originally, I started school as a pre-pharmacy major, but I wasn’t 100 percent passionate about it. I’ve always been interested in wildlife though and a KU Alternative Break to the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Boyd, Texas really solidified that, so I decided to change my major to follow my dreams.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Honestly, I just hope to be happy and pursuing my passions with people that I care about.
What is your current job situation? I work at a pharmaceutical chemistry lab on West Campus as a lab assistant.
What do you do in your free time? I spend a lot of time watching Netflix and things of that sort, but I love going to concerts when I can. Lawrence has some really great venues with great people working at them. Also, I love going to Love Garden downtown. What’s better than cute cats, cool people and good music?
What kind of music do you listen to? I’ll listen to almost anything someone can throw at me, but I guess I would say I listen to indie/alternative (or whatever you want to call it) the most. Right now, I’m really into this Canadian band called Born Ruffians. One of my all-time favorite bands is The Strokes, though.
What is your favorite TV show/Movie? I am super into The X-files right now. I can’t watch enough of it. I also really love The Office because it pulls at my heartstrings. The Office is probably the show I’ve seen the most. I’ve watched the entire series three times just this year and who knows how many times in my lifetime.
What is your favorite book? The last book I read that had an impact on me was The Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr. The styling is very different from most books because he ignores typical grammar conventions like using apostrophes or quotation marks. (If you’re interested in the band Alt-J, read this book. They based their song “Fitzpleasure” off of it). In terms of lifetime favorites, it might have to be The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I’ve read it multiple times and every time I read it, I get something new out of it.
If you could go anywhere, where would you go? I would love to go to Europe. Maybe England because I’ve visited there before and loved it, or maybe Austria because that’s where my dad’s grandparents are from and it’s supposed to have beautiful landscapes. Or maybe I’d skip Europe entirely and go hug a koala at the sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia.
Describe your perfect day. I would love to spend the entire day exploring the outdoors, or even a city, and then return for a great concert. A perfect day for me really just focuses on new experiences and new ideas.
Photos courtesy of Miranda Blanchard