Name: Katya Teague
Major: Journalism (minor in political science)
Why did you choose Concordia? I knew I wanted to stay in Montreal and do my studies in English, so that basically left me the choice between Concordia and McGill. Even before I knew what field I wanted to study in, I had more on an inclination towards Concordia. Once I decided I wanted to study journalism though, that sealed the deal.
What is your favourite part of Concordia? Besides the fact that I really enjoy my program, I think a big highlight is being able to study at the Loyola campus. I’m really an outdoors person, and the Loyola campus has a rather relaxed and peaceful feel to it. Being able to do my readings at a picnic table surrounded by grass and trees makes them so much more bearable. Also being able to take the train makes my commute so much faster and more pleasant that going downtown.
Campus involvement? Besides being involved with Her Campus, I am also the head copy editor of one of Concordia’s two student newspapers—The Concordian.
Role at Her Campus: Senior Copy editor
Why did you choose to join Her Campus? Krystal, our president, proposed the idea of starting up a Concordia chapter of Her Campus to a group of us who were just finishing up our first year in journalism together. We had just finished up our second big audiovisual assignment together—I enjoyed working with these ladies so much and thought we made such a good team that I was excited by the idea of us being able to continue collaborating but, this time, on a project that was entirely our own.
Hometown: Candiac (on the south shore of Montreal)
Favourite place on/near campus to hang out? When I’m on the Loyola campus, anywhere outside works for me—so long as the weather is nice. Whenever I’m downtown though, I like stopping into the Hive student café, sitting down with either a tea or a veggie pate sandwich, maybe some chili, and enjoying a bit of downtime before my politics class (which is pretty much the only reason I’m ever at the downtown campus).
Describe yourself in three words: Is there anyone who enjoys answering this question? I’m just going to say that I would like to think I’m more complex than three words could describe but really, I just have no idea what words to pick. One of them would probably be “indecisive.”
What is something about you that most people don’t know? One of my biggest worries is that people are only pretending to like me. I try not to think about it but sometimes I get a little paranoid and start thinking, “what if…”
If you won 1 million dollars, what would you buy first? A plane ticket to somewhere in Eastern Europe
What is your favourite place you have traveled to? That’s a tossup. This summer I spent two weeks in Iceland and it was absolutely spectacular. It’s really a beautiful country. Another place a little closer to home has a special place in my heart though. There’s a small community in Nova Scotia called Scott’s Bay. I spent about half of my summers there as a kid, visiting my aunt and uncle. It’s quaint, it’s quiet and it’s right along the shore of the Bay of Fundy which has the highest tides in the world.
Where is somewhere you want to travel to? Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Croatia… basically anywhere in Eastern Europe. If it wasn’t so dangerous, I would also love to travel through the Middle East.
What are you reading right now? I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. (Turns out it’s not a suicide kind of “ending things,” but rather a breaking up kind of “ending things.” But this whole story has taken on some pretty unnerving horror movie vibes… I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into but I get very immersed in it every time I pick up the book.)
What is one mistake you’ve made in college/university and what did you learn from it? Even though I got a good grade in the end, I probably shouldn’t have taken the course Chemistry in our Lives. First of all, it was an online course and the only thing I learned from that class was that my usual good-student traits go down the drain in online classes. There was just no motivation to keep up with the work. Also, I regret it because, so far, all my other university classes have been interesting and I really feel like I’ve gotten a lot out of them. Chemistry in our Lives was the exception so I feel like I missed out on being able to take a more valuable class.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Definitely done school for good, no master’s for me. Hopefully out in the field doing something I enjoy. I haven’t really figured out where I would like to be yet but I definitely wouldn’t say no to a newsroom or a magazine or book publisher’s office. For now, I’m just going with the flow. I’m hoping an internship this summer will give me a better idea of what I’m suited for.
What is one quote you’ve always held onto? “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
What is your favourite food? I really hate picking favourites. I’m very much of a “depends on the day” kind of person. Also, I love pretty much all food. But anything Mexican, anything spicy, anything with pasta, anything with cooked vegetables—would never say no to those.
What is your favourite animal? I don’t know if I really have a favorite. I like cats though—they’re fluffy and they have attitude.
What is your favourite movie? Again with the favourites! Okay, well some of my top picks are (but I’m probably also forgetting some good ones):
– Saving Private Ryan
– Hunt for Red October
– Apollo 13 (and pretty much anything else with Tom Hanks, to be honest)
– Spy
– The reboot X-Men and Star Trek series
– Kingsmen
What is a fun fact about you? This summer, while traveling in Iceland, I was attacked by a bird. It was literally swooping down and pecking at my head, cawing out in anger as I fled for my life.