What is your major, year, and hometown?
I am a sophomore psychology major from a small town called Grand Rapids, Ohio.
What is your favorite season?
My favorite season is definitely Fall. I love everything from the comfy clothes to the food. Although the best treat of Fall has to be the sound of crunching leaves.
Favorite article of clothing?
I’d have to say my favorite article of clothing is this ridiculously huge scarf my Nana made for me. It’s a fluffy black infinity scarf with gold flecks. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten to wear it recently, due to it being too warm.
Do you have any favorite places to go in Portland?
I really love Powell’s Books. There’s something magical about the smell of books and being able to flip through their pages. I can’t leave that place without a new book in hand.
Are you involved in any on-campus activities?
I am one of the officers of the Native American Appreciation Club as well as a member of the Gay Straight Partnership and Feminist Discussion Group.
You transferred in to UP, how was that process? Did you have any specific reasons for picking UP?
Transferring anywhere is difficult, there’s a lot of uncertainty of whether any of your credits will be taken or if you’ll be able to attain the same levels of financial aid as everyone else. But UP has been really good in helping me with that process and I am really glad this is where I ended up.
Halloween has just passed but for you witchcraft is around all year. How did you get into Wicca?
Indeed, it was really nice to celebrate Samhain (pronounced Sow-en) – the Wiccan New Year. I got to do some Tarot readings and remember those who are no longer with us. As for how I got into Wicca: I was raised in a Wiccan household. Although it wasn’t until about a year ago that I really started consider Wicca as a big part of my identity. I feel very connected to my path for many reasons, but mostly the deeply rooted feminist principles and connection to nature.
Do you feel there are misconceptions of Wiccans?
I feel there are hundreds of misconceptions of Wiccans as well as other Pagans, mostly because of historical political moves as well as a lack of education. One of the biggest ones is that we are all Satanists – which stems mostly from the Medieval times. The irony of the situation is that Wiccans don’t even believe in Satan – he’s part of the Christian tradition, not ours.
One of the best ways I try to combat these misconceptions is by being as educated as I can be. I do a lot of reading on my religion as well as the craft and listen to a lot of podcasts for more modern perspectives. Mostly I’d like to encourage people to do a little research on Wicca – there’s a great deal of power in knowing what other people believe whether it takes you down the same path they are taking or strengthens your belief in your own path.