Class Year:
Brian Hough: 2017
Annie Abrams: 2017
Danielle Frankel: 2017
Gwen Fraser: 2017
Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez: 2016
Major/Minor:
Brian Hough: Double Major: Psychology and Politics; Double Minor: Social Justice & Social Policy, and International & Global Studies
Annie Abrams: Double Major: Environmental Studies and Anthropology Minor: Economics
Danielle Frankel: Double Major: International Global Studies and Women and Gender Studies Minor: Theater Arts
Gwen Fraser: Double Major: Psychology and Creative Writing. Double Minor: Film, and Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies
Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez: Double Major: Theater Arts, Sociology: Double Minor: Creativity, The Arts and Social Transformation, and Social Justice Social Policy
Hometown:
Brian Hough: Marblehead, Massachusetts
Annie Abrams: Scarsdale, New York
Danielle Frankel: Cleveland, Ohio
Gwen Fraser: Middle-Of-Nowhere, Maine (Litchfield)
Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez: Manatí, Puerto Rico
Her Campus: What else are you involved with on campus?
Brian Hough: I am Senator at Large for the Brandeis University Student Union and Chair of the Ways & Means Committee, the Membership Director of College Democrats of Massachusetts, and a member of the Brandeis Democrats.
Annie Abrams: I am in Starving Artists, A representative to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund, a tour guide, I am a Trainer for the Prevention of Sexual Assault, I am part of the Waltham group LACE, and I play Intramural Volleyball.
Danielle Frankel: Member of False Advertising (Brandeis’s premiere musical and longform improv group), Admissions Ambassador, writer for Boris’ Kitchen.
Gwen Fraser: I work as an Admissions Host, as a Research Assistant in the Health Psychology Lab, and at the Lemberg Children’s Center here on campus. I also participate in Brandeis Boxing Club, and play co-ed innertube water polo in the spring.
Dennis Hermida-Gonzalez: The Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program, I am in the upcoming Production of Spring Awakening, Boris’ Kitchen the Comedy Sketch Troupe, Voices of Soul the Premiere Soul and R&B Acapella Group, Volunteer for the Waltham Group, Work for Admissions, Am part of the Undergraduate Theater Collective.
HC: What made you decide to apply for the CORE committee?
BH: I had an absolutely incredible experience being an Orientation Leader and a Social Justice Pre-Orientation Leader! I personally had a fantastic orientation experience coming to Brandeis and after seeing the past Coordinator and Core create such an amazing orientation for the incoming students at Brandeis, I was so inspired and motivated to give back to the school that has given me so much to be thankful for.
AA:I had an amazing orientation my first year and absolutely loved being an OL! I wanted to foster the same incredible community I was able to be a part of through orientation. I also wanted to work with a group of passionate people, and lucky me I get to do that ALL summer!!
DF: Golf Carts and Walkie-Talkies
GF: I’ve had two absolutely amazing Orientation experiences (as a first-year, and as an OL) and I cannot wait to help facilitate a positive experience for next year’s incoming students! I think this will be an incredible opportunity to help people make the most of their experience here at Brandeis.
DH: The only way I will ever get to live in the Mods! So I said Why not?
HC: What are you most excited about for orientation? What are you anxious about?
BH: As Coordinator, I am beyond ecstatic to be overseeing all of Orientation. The tables have really turned where a year ago, I was coming to Brandeis, so being able to create a new and unique orientation that gets students as excited as we on Core are about our amazing school is what I am most excited for. I am most anxious for orientation applications to start coming in, and we cannot wait to start interviewing prospective OLs, as well as meet all of the incoming students next year!
AA: I am really excited to see orientation unfold behind the scenes. I can’t wait to see what amazing things this team comes up with. I am also already so excited for the First Years to come! The class of 2019 is going to be incredible and I hope their Orientation will be just as great! Fortunately I am not too anxious about anything. This group is very thoughtful, driven and fun so this will be an amazing 10 months.
DF: Probably most excited to see what new programs we come up with. We’re all creative in different ways and all have different strengths, and I’m excited to collaborate with everyone involved to make the best orientation brandeis has ever seen. I don’t know if I’m anxious about anything just yet, I’m kinda still in shock about the whole thing, and it hasn’t really hit me that I’m part of Core. But once it does hit me I’m sure I’ll start freaking out just a bit.
GF: Though I am excited for all of Orientation, I am especially excited to live together this summer and remain part of the Brandeis community during those rare months when it’s actually warm. Although, I am slightly anxious about the fact that we are expected to cook for ourselves (my culinary repertoire is limited to grilled cheese and ramen).
DH: The thing that I am most excited for is to start planning awesome events, with some of the most wonderful people on campus. What I most anxious about is wondering if we get air conditioning during the summer.
HC: Favorite class so far this semester?
BH: Wealth & Poverty with Professor Thomas Shapiro. It is taught out of our Graduate School: the Heller School for Social Policy & Management. I personally love how Brandeis undergraduates can take classes like this through the Graduate School, and the class has really opened me up to understanding the causes of world poverty, as well as look to possible solutions to make a more equal and just society.
AA: Anthropology of the Environment with Professor Anjaria and Greening the Ivory Tower with Professor Laura Goldin. Both have given incredible insight about the environment and its innerworkings. Greening the Ivory Tower has taken numerous educational field trips to incredibly profound and fun locations! They are amazing courses.
DF: Business of Show Business with Bob Walsh
GF: My favorite class this semester is Close Reading: Theory and Practice, with Billy Flesch. I took it because it was required for one of my majors, and it ended up opening my eyes to types of literature I hadn’t appreciated before. It’s been like putting on a pair of glasses for the first time, and it’s really exciting to be able to view things in a new way.
DH: The Creative Pedagogy with Queen Professor Jen Cleary!
HC: Who is your celebrity crush?
BH: Major celebrity crush on Scarlett Johansson.
AA: Major friend crush on Jennifer Aniston and my celeb crush is Justin Timberlake
DF: Zac Efron
GF: I have a giant friend-crush on Rowan Atkinson
DH: My celebrity crush is without a doubt my wife of Ten Years Beyonce Hermida-Knowles and my daughter Blue Ivy Hermida-Knowles
HC: What is your biggest pet peeve?
BH: Character limits on Twitter.
AA: Wobbly tables are the worst.
DF: Going shopping for anything except food
GF: Brian’s laugh.
DH: 8 Year Olds on Facebook, They shouldn’t be there Dragon Tales is on.
Favorite:
Spot to eat on campus:
BH: Sherman obviously. But the Stein is pretty awesome too!
AA: hmmm well i don’t eat there often but I’m all about the faculty club when I get the time to go.
DF: a kitchen where I can cook with my friends (S/O to Chefy-Stephie)
GF: I’m all about a good Einstein’s bagel (cinnamon sugar w/ plain)
DH: Admissions especially when theres cookies.
Spot to hang out on campus:
BH: The Shapiro Campus Center – it’s always air-conditioned, so many student events take place in that building, and it is open 24 hours which makes it a great study-spot as well.
AA: I can usually be found in Upper Green but I also love the Ridgewood commons its so nice when its snowing!
DF: When it’s warm outside I like to chill on the Great Lawn, but when it’s cold I like cuddling up in a blanket fort with netflix and cookie butter.
GF: Company is more important to me than location, but generally anyplace close to a food source.
DH: Upper Usdan with some Sushi!
Actor or Actress:
BH: Kevin Spacey / Emma Watson
AA: Emma Stone/ Jonah Hill
DF: Meryl Streep / Jamie Semel
GF: Jack Black / Edward Norton
DH: Emma Stone / Aaron Tveit
Movie:
BH: Fight Club
AA: Ratatouille and anything pixar/animated
DF: any Disney movie or superhero movie
GF: Fight Club
DH: Easy A, Toy Story, Lion King, 10 Things I Hate About You, and A Walk to Remember! 5 Way Tie
Band:
BH: A really close tie between Imagine Dragons & Vance Joy
AA: it’s hard to choose just one but I love Vampire Weekend
DF: The Beatles
GF: Eminem is my spirit animal
DH: Casting Crowns