Although it has only been one year since Malcolm Brown arrived on the mountain, he is a familiar face and a signature character around the Sewanee campus. Originally from Middletown, Delaware, Malcolm came to Sewanee and did not hesitate to get involved in all aspects of campus life. He is a cross-country athlete, a Bonner leader, and a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, but Malcolm is more, much more. We look forward to watching our campus celebrity Malcolm Brown continue to make Sewanee surge with pride and joy.
Why did you come to The University of the South? Is Sewanee similar to your boarding school experience in high school?
I heard about Sewanee through the people from my high school, St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, who go here. In many ways Sewanee is similar to St. Andrew’s, the architecture is almost identical, both campuses are beautiful, and both are small schools with a focus on community building. Also, St. Andrew’s is a boarding school, so I was used to dorm life and living and learning together with my close friends. However, they are very different personally because my father works at St. Andrew’s and I grew up on the campus, so Sewanee is my first time being away from home, and Sewanee is my first school that one of my parents has not worked at.
You’re living in the CoHo this year. Can you tell us about any interesting projects or events you have planned for this year?
The CoHo is going to have a mind-blowingly awesome year. We already have events planned for the first few months of school, which include a mixer with the new professors, a hike with Professor Haskell, and outdoor community prayer nights. I won’t give away all of our plans, but these are a few that are coming soon and being planned right now!
You are going on your second year as a Bonner leader. Can you tell us about how this has influenced your experience at Sewanee, as you travel around the area and often off the domain for service work?
I believe that my experience as a Bonner has been my defining experience here at Sewanee. I have met many of my closest friends through Bonner and continue to find new amazing people involved with the program. Traveling off the domain into the surrounding area has given me the gift of a broader perspective of our place on the mountain, and a glimpse into the real world outside of University life. I have developed strong and lasting relationships with my community partners that I work with. Through these relationships and what I am able to see of the lives of our neighbors, I know that Sewanee has work to do. The University has the capacity to be a community leader and have a much greater effect in the area, but we are only just beginning to realize this and do anything about it. There are numerous misconceptions and stereotypes that members of the University have of the local towns and people, and the locals can sometimes have skewed perspectives of the University. This is simply due to a lack of relationships and exposure; we tend to stay inside our University bubble and ignore the many opportunities that we have outside of it. I could go on for hours about this issue, but for now I strongly encourage everyone to consider our place and role on the mountain and to break out of their routine on campus and venture out.
Tell us about your interests outside of academics and Sewanee life.
I like to think I have many interests, but Game of Thrones and the Arizona Cardinals are a couple of them. I would clarify that statement by saying I am really a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire (the books), and I am entertained by the Game of Thrones show but am not truly a huge fan. Another interest of mine is dancing on tables at parties, or cuddling with friends and watching movies. There is no better feeling than getting into a Snuggie and spooning with a pal. I actually have a Snuggie at the CoHo, so if anyone is interested, come on by and try it out, but if you want to spoon I insist on being the “little spoon.”
I heard that you really enjoy soup-what’s your favorite McClurg soup?
Soup is great, I have to say my favorite depends on my mood. Sometimes a solid chicken noodle is all I crave, but other times some tomato soup and grilled cheese hits the spot. Today I had a few bowls of miso soup, which were delicious, and if I’m feeling adventurous I’ll go for some spicy tortilla.