Oracle Online

Liz Engle/Oracle: So, what year are you at Hamline?

Shannon Eckman: I’m a sophomore.

O: What’s your major?

SE: Undecided.

O: Is there a major you are leaning toward?

SE: Social Justice or Sociology, maybe. I don’t know. I’m interested in those.

O: What do you do outside of school? What are your hobbies?

SE: I like to play soccer. I like to listen to music. I’m looking at starting a band.

O: Cool, do you guys have a name yet?

SE: No, I’m starting it with Andrew Cole.

O: So is it a joke?

SE: Yeah, it’s going to be a joke, but we’re going to take it pretty seriously.

O: What do you play in the band?

SE: Drums. I’ve been playing them about six or seven years.

O:Do you do anything else for fun? Watch TV or something?

SE: I watch Project Runway.

O: Did you see the final episode? What did you think?

SE: I loved it. I was rooting for either Daniel Vosovic or Chloe to win. Other than that, I play piano. I don’t think I’m a particularly interesting person.

O: Do you watch any other reality shows?

SE: I usually hate reality television, to be honest. I’m a cartoon person.

O: What cartoons do you usually watch?

SE: Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Scooby-Doo, Courage the Cowardly Dog. I never really grew out of watching Saturday morning cartoons.

O: Do you have any favorite classes this semester?

SE: I really like Argumentation and Advocacy. I really like the professor. Professor Z. I think her name is Zornista K... I can’t pronounce it. Otherwise... we’re arguing.

O: Do you like arguing then?

SE: No.

O: What do you think is the hardest thing about being at Hamline?

SE: Probably the hardest thing about being at Hamline is being at Hamline. My entire family goes to Gustavus. When I call home or talk to my brother or sister, they’re always like, ‘I wish you’d have gone to Gustavus’, or ‘If you wouldn’t have gone to Hamline our spring breaks would’ve matched up’, stuff like that. I love it here. I won, like, Homecoming Court for the sophomore class this last year. That was really fun, thinking you have friends and realizing that people think you’re cool.

O: Do you have any interesting spring break plans?

SE: [Part of the week] I’ll be in Vale, Colorado snowboarding. I’ve been doing this for about eight years, I think. We used to go every year.

O: Have you gone snowboarding anywhere else?

SE: I’ve been to Salt Lake City and Steamboat in Colorado. My cousins live out [in Colorado]. We usually go hiking, biking, fishing.

O: Have you ever camped out there?

SE: I have never been camping. I love being outside, but I’ve never been camping really. I wouldn’t know the first thing to do, to be honest. We have a cabin in Wisconsin, but I wouldn’t consider that camping.

O: You mention doing a lot with your family, do you have siblings?

SE: Yeah, I’ve got a twin sister that goes to Gustavus. I have an older brother that goes to Gustavus. I have a cousin that goes to Gustavus...

O: So, why did you pick Hamline instead of Gustavus?

SE: I like the location a lot. I like how Hamline represented itself to being a diverse campus with all different cultures and views. I’m also sick of being around my sister all the time. [Hamline] is closer to the city and Mirror of Korea is right across the street. That was a big deciding factor.

O: Do you have a favorite band, singer, musician?

SE: I like Kyle Parr’s band, The Men Who Control the Weather. I don’t know. It’s hard to pick just one, I have a lot of favorites. I like Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson.

O: Do you aspire to be a musician? What is your dream job?

SE: My dream job is to be a mom. I love kids, but if I were to pick a career, I would choose to be a social worker or a personal injury lawyer. That’s what my dad does.

O: Do you have any goals for the future?

SE: I would love to have gone to all 50 states. And go to Europe, I’ve never been to Europe.

O: What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

SE: Go running outside in the rain. I love jumping in puddles. My grandmother used to send us outside in the rain because she didn’t know how to work our showers so she’d send us outside during thunder and lightening storms to go take a bath. It was fun. We’d always come in dirtier than we started.