This week, we caught up with our lovely team member, Kacey Gaylor, to have a chat about Cornwall, books, and writing for Her Campus.
What course are you on?
English Literature.
Why did you choose to study at the Cornwall campus?
So, I’m a bt of a nerd when it comes to Arthurian legend, and I also like to drag my family to places of historical interest on holiday. About five years ago when we were trying to pick somewhere to go on holiday, I mentioned Cornwall to my parents because I really, really wanted to see Tintagel. Lo and behold, they listened to me, and two years later we came back again. I’ve felt drawn to Cornwall ever since, really. It’s a pretty magical place. I actually applied to the Exeter campus first, and when I found out about the Cornwall campus, it felt a bit like fate and I immediately had my application transferred!
What’s your favourite part about living and studying in Cornwall?
It’s only really been brought to my attention in the past month or so – maybe because I’ve been a bit homesick for a city – but we have quite a small campus with a really tight knit community. It sounds hippie-ish, but I really like the positive vibe you get all over campus. Everyone’s so passionate and loves what they do! Oh, and the beach. Can’t forget that. I can also see the sea from my bedroom window, and will be living next to Penryn harbour from September. Winning at life, basically.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
Spare time, ha. What even is that? As an English student, and just a bibliophile in general, I spend most of my time curled up in a fluffy blanket reading. I’m a member of The Chorus, our campus acapella choir, and have recently been elected as its co-President for next year. I do a lot of creative writing late at night to break free from essays, and yoga everyday because I have terrible posture from sitting at a desk so much. Of course, I write for Her Campus too!
Why did you decide to become a contributor for our Her Campus chapter?
I’ve always considered journalism as a route that I could go down, because researching and writing are two of my big skills! So this is a great opportunity to flex those limbs and find my style, and what makes it so great is that I can do that on my own terms. I get to pick what I write about, what opinions I want to share, and issues I want to flag up to people. It’s a great platform for anyone wanting that experience, even just for fun.
As Thursday was World Book Day, can you tell us a bit about what you’re reading at the moment?
I’m currently reading The Moor’s Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie, because we’re studying post-colonialism this week. It tells the fascinating and complex tale of a family in India over multiple generations of conflict.
And finally, what is your favourite book?
Gah, an English student’s most feared question! Usually I’d say I won’t answer that until I’m on my deathbed, but a provisional answer would be The Once and Future King by T. H. White. Kind of cheating, because it’s five novels in one, the most famous being “The Sword in The Stone” as Disney based their film on that. It has so many levels and layers to it, making Arthurian myth seem strikingly modern and adult but through a childlike manner of storytelling, so it’s my favourite because I get something different every time I pick it up. I’ll stop now, otherwise I could ramble on about it forever!
Be sure to check out Kacey’s wonderful articles for Her Campus Exeter Cornwall here!