To honor the seniors leaving our tiny mountain home, the final Campus Cutie of the school year is a senior, a girl who literally everyone knows. She is kind and funny, and always willing to get a little bit ~wacky~. She’s one of my favorite seniors and I will miss her dearly, but I know for a fact that she’s going to do much bigger things in this world. It’s time to let go of her and watch her flourish in the real world from afar. Without further ado, I present to you: Gracie Gibson.
Class Year: 2017
Nicknames: Grackle/Gerstie
Birthday: I’m a New Year’s baby!
Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi
Sorority: Alpha Delta Theta
Majors: Art History and Classical Languages
Relationship status: Unattached, 10/10 would recommend
Role model: Mary Perez, c’17, who is actually my age but wise beyond her years
Spirit animal: (I”m gonna say patronus because spirit animal is a native American term) Ocelot (also known as the dwarf leopard)
Signature Pub order: mozz sticks, because they take me back to my semester in Italy (not really but I pretend)
Go to Clurg line: I want to say vegan line but let’s be real…Just Dip It
Signature dance move: Standing in the corner.
Biggest pet peeve: When people say they just aren’t into politics/social issues because it doesn’t affect them. What a cop out! It’s everybody’s job to care about civil rights and social justice.
What is the best class you’ve ever taken at Sewanee? A tie between Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies, Digital Archaeology, and Contemporary Art (gotta rep all my departments).
What extracurricular activities/groups are you a part of? I’m basically married to the Women’s Center, having lived there for 3 years and being co-director this year. But I also work for Admissions, am a Writing Tutor, and love my sorority. The Wick/calling out the patriarchy pretty much dominates my whole life though.
What is the most embarrassing song on your Spotify? “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” by Zayn and Taylor Swift is embarrassing for obvious reasons and because it’s from the 50 Shades movie, which I will never see for political reasons.
Where is your favorite spot at Sewanee? The Women’s Center roof is probably my favorite because I’ve had so many eye-opening conversations over a glass of wine there. It’s also a great secret sun-bathing spot, and you can see so much of campus when you’re perched up there.
What will you miss most about Sewanee? I think I’ll miss the sense of humor and inside jokes that come from a campus where everyone knows everyone and funny stories abound.
Where can you be found on a typical Friday night? I’m probably at Stirling’s trying to pretend like I work there because all my friends do and I feel left out.
What is your favorite memory from Sewanee so far? Most embarrassing? My favorite Sewanee memory is probably from Sewanee Monologues this year, when my co-director Kathleen and I were walking home after the performance and talking about what a relief it was that the hours of editing, consulting, and rehearsing were over. When we passed the pub we saw a group of performers and writers all sitting together and discussing their experiences, and we both realized that those kinds of talks were exactly what we wanted Monologues to achieve. My most embarrassing memory is also from Monologues. My sophomore year, I volunteered to read an anonymous Monologue and was assigned one about getting herpes. I was mortified to have to stand up and say, “I HAVE HERPES,” but then I realized that I was just surrendering to the stigma that shames people with STIs. I ultimately decided that my embarrassment was part of the reason that people with STIs don’t seek help, and so I stood up there and performed my herpes monologue with pride.
What advice would you give to someone coming to Sewanee? Push yourself out of your comfort zone by hearing experiences that differ from your own! Challenge your preconceptions about social and political issues. Admit that you’re wrong sometimes.
What advice would you give to someone entering their senior year? Know that people, especially first years, will look up to you as a role model but that you also have things to learn from them. I’ve made some great younger friends this year and while they say they’ve learned from me, they’ve also taught me a lot.
How does it feel to be leaving Sewanee? It’s definitely bittersweet, but it’s also the right time. I feel prepared for the next step, and while I’ll certainly miss my friends and professors, I’m ready to be in a city.
What are your plans for after graduation? I’m moving to Austin, Texas in two weeks to start courses for my PhD in Classical Archaeology. Basically, I’ll be studying old Roman stuff for the next six years (summer research trips to Italy included).