Name: Madison Dildine
Year: 2016
Concentration: Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
House: Quincy
Hometown: Columbus, OH
What’s been the most difficult thing about adjusting to living on the East Coast (if it has indeed been difficult)? The most difficult thing about adjusting to life on the East Coast would definitely be how intelligent every person seems to be. Not to say that Ohioans are not intelligent, we just know a little more about farming and a little less about politics. People here are just a whole new level of intelligent and ambitious that was weird getting used to. It has also been super refreshing though. I love being surrounded by people, especially those my age, that are passionate about changing the world.
What activities are you involved in on campus? Despite my scientific academic path, I commit most of my time to the arts (much to my family’s dismay). No, actually my parents are incredibly supportive of my love for art. I am in Harvard Ballet Company and have directed, danced, and choreographed with those wonderful people. Shameless plug for Jungle Book going on right now. I have also been in quite a few plays and musicals and will be performing in Eleganza, despite having never seen it. I am a mentor at the Harvard Education portal and work in a lab studying lungless salamanders. I love salamanders.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? I am going to combine this question and the next. Over spring break, I took advantage of Harvard’s endless generosity and went on a trip to Panama with my OEB class on invertebrates. We spent every day snorkeling and collecting jellyfish, starfish, crustaceans, etc. For someone who loves animals, this is literally the best vacation ever. I also went to Costa Rica with another OEB class last year. These trips have been so special for me, a biologist and animal fanatic, because my version of ‘travel’ pre-college was road tripping to my grandmother’s farm in Pennsylvania.
Bringing things back to campus, I hear you were one of the dates for the Eleganza “Date Auction.” Can you tell me a little bit more about what this entails? So, Eleganza is a huge, over the top, dance fashion show put on by students at Harvard. It is basically one gigantic party. However, it is also a charity organization that donates its proceeds to the Center for Teen Empowerment. The date auction is something that happens a few weeks before the show and works as publicity and a fundraiser. It involves the models dressing up in theme and being bid on by the audience. It’s pretty silly and everyone has a great time. This is the 21st annual performance so the auction’s theme was “Models and Bottles.”
How did you get involved in the auction? I was lucky enough to be nominated by my other lovely models to be in the auction.
How do you feel about knowing you were “auctioned off”? As a feminist and all around supporter of equality, the whole ”auction” thing has caused me some internal struggle. I am not the kind of girl to let anyone think I am an object to be bought and sold. However, it truly is fun and lighthearted. Everyone’s best friends come and bid on them and the environment is filled with love. Then, you get to donate a bunch of money to charity! The charity itself proves that the auction is not supporting any kind of disrespect or objectification. The Center for Teen Empowerment trains teenagers to be representatives that go out and speak to other kids and adults about community issues. They are incredible people.
Anything else you’d like to share about yourself, Eleganza, or life itself? Just want to remind everyone to take life less seriously. Everything is beautiful if you take the time to witness it.