Name: Deanna Wilks
Age: 20
Major: Communication & Media Arts, Film/Religious Studies minor
Hometown: Belleville, NJ
HC: Why did you choose to attend Montclair State?
DW: Montclair was the best choice for me for a lot of reasons. I loved how beautiful the campus was and how affordable it was. It’s also close enough for me to commute to school and still be able to work. I originally was going to go into the teaching program and I knew how great Montclair’s program was but along the way I realized it wasn’t the right choice for me. Luckily, Montclair has so many programs to choose from I was able to find something that fit me better.
HC: Now that you’ve found your right path, what do you love about your major?
DW: I love how broad the program is. There are so many different career paths you can take with a Communication & Media Arts degree. I’ve been able to learn so much and become skilled in so many different areas, the sky’s the limit!
HC: You have a lot on your plate with a Communcation major and two minors, do you have a favorite class that you’ve taken that sticks out in your mind?
DW: I really love the classes I’ve taken for my Film minor and I have taken a couple Special Topics in Film classes that I really enjoyed!
HC: Being that you can go in so many different directions with your major, what would be your dream job?
DW: I’m a big fan of Turner Classic Movies so to work in some way for the company would be my dream. If not TCM, I’d love to work for NBC or CBS, especially on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
HC: Care to do a little speed round?
DW: Sure!
Favorite song? Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey.
Words you live by? “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
Favorite movie? Meet Me in St. Louis.
Favorite book? The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts.
Favorite food? Lasagna.
Three countries you would visit? Germany, Italy and England.
Celebrity crush? It’s a three way tie between Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Mick Jagger! Haha!
Favorite season? Summer.
Pet Peeve? When someone asks for my advice on something and doesn’t take my advice and then comes back to me hurt!
Fun Fact? I run a Marilyn Monroe blog that has about 19,000 followers! (Follow her here!)
HC: What does your perfect day look like?
DW: Well first of all, I’d get to sleep in! Haha! Then I’d wake up, get some breakfast at Cracker Barrel with some friends and then end the day at home with a movie and some Talenti ice cream!
HC: Count me in because that does sound like a perfect day! Speaking of movies, you said that you run a blog about Marilyn Monroe that is pretty popular. What is it about Marilyn that you admire so much?
DW: There is a lot to admire! Marilyn had a very rough life but was someone that never gave up on her dreams or her happiness. She was a hard worker and worked tirelessly to strenghten her craft – even going so far as not eating so she could afford acting classes! She was also such a good person who cared deeply about people and donated a lot of time and money to different charities. People think that she was a person lacking in substance and still see her as nothing more than a sex symbol when in reality she was incredibly intelligent, friendly and even an early advocate for civil rights. She was just a genuinely good person as well as a woman ahead of her time and someone I really look up to. She was an angel and it’s clear I’m not the only who feels that way!
HC: Now, I feel I might know at least one of the answers for this next question. It’s a really fun one that I love asking because the responses are always really interesting.
DW: Let’s hear it!
HC: You’re having a dinner party and can only have five people come: who do you want there?
DW: Oh! That’s so hard! Well I’d obviously say Marilyn. The other four would have to be Rita Hayworth, Jimmy Stewart, Lana Del Rey and Alan Watts! And if someone cancelled my two backups are Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, naturally. Haha!
HC: Now how could anyone cancel on that party! To wrap things up, what’s one piece of advice you have for our Montclair collegiette’s, especially our freshman starting college this year?
DW: I actually have two: try your best not to procrastinate as much as possible and make sure you see your advisor. These are two things that will help you in long run!