Full Name: Myles Harris Alderman III (if you must know)
Age: 21
Year: Senior
Major: Biology
Hometown: West Hartford, Connecticut
Relationship Status: Single
Campus Activities: The College Township Fire Department, The Ransom Notes, ΦΚΣ, Greek Council
HCK: Why did you choose to become part of the fire department?
MA: Since I was a child I have always had a passion for medicine. I knew in middle school I wanted to be an EMT at some point, but never got around to getting certified in Connecticut. I heard about the College Township Fire Department (CTFD) my freshman year and knew it was a way I could give back to the community and college while accomplishing my desire to be an EMT.
What was your firefighter training like?
Training was and is still the most intense experience of my life. We train 8 hours every week, and my freshman spring I went to EMT-B school, which met three nights a week for the whole semester. Sophomore fall I went to fire school for 7 days. It is amazing the amount of knowledge the upperclassmen were able to convey, and I think it speaks a lot about our program at CTFD that we can turn a first-year student into a Firefighter and EMT in a year or so. We never stop training, and to this day we train 8 hours a week to ensure our skills are fresh and we can provide the best service to the community.
Is it difficult to balance schoolwork and all that you do as a firefighter?
Sometimes it is. I learned very quickly not to leave homework assignments until the night they are due, because I may have to spend all night at a fire or treating and transporting patients. I like to say I am a Student-Firefighter, to me being a student comes first, and I have never had to miss a class due to firefighting. That being said, it can be difficult to walk into Peirce and hold a normal conversation with friends after helping a patient with cardiac arrest, or to go to class the next day after watching someone lose their home in a fire. I think these shared experiences are one of the reasons the students on the fire department are so close knit.
How does it feel to give back to the Kenyon and Gambier communities in such a prominent way?
It is truly a privilege to be able to give back to the community in any way that I can. There is no feeling that can compare to being able to help someone who is experiencing one of the worst moments of their life; it is incredibly humbling. I consider myself lucky to be able to give back to the community and to work with a group of such dedicated individuals that is the CTFD.
Now onto some lighter questions: Who is your celebrity crush?
Natalie Portman
What’s your favorite place on campus?
Brandi Hall. I love singing with the Ransom Notes and I have a ton of good memories there.
What is your dream job?
I want to be a Trauma Surgeon
Do you have any hidden talents?
I race 30-40 foot spinnaker class sailboats in the summer, and I’m also a PADI certified Deep & Rescue Diver.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I watch more TV than I should. I blame it on Netflix.
This or That… Deli or VI?
VI, there is no question here!
Library or Gund Commons?
The library, it’s where my friends are! I don’t think I have been to Gund Commons since my McBride days…
Chipotle or Buffalo Wild Wings?
Chipotle, I have never been a big wing guy.
Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter?
Lord of the Rings Movies and Harry Potter Books. But, if I had to choose one it would be Harry Potter.