the Hill 2004 - Hoover Library - McDaniel College

didn't want to tell us she'd changed
her mind."
Roth remembers: "It was very
painful, very difficulr. I don't think
she was terribly pleased with the
news, but she picked up on the fact
that' was feeling very guilry, and she
assured me that this is whar a liberal
arts college is all about. That eased
the pain,"
Her adviser assured her that
"there was no need to feel ashamed,"
that the College exists to help her
become the best that she can be, and
to help her find her path to a fruitful
and fulfilling career. All of the biology
faculty echoed Paquin's sentiments,
Roth says. Morrison helped
her with the logistics and made sure
she had a new adviser in English.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Melanie Nilsson talked with Roth
about integrating her love of science
with her passion for writing, perhaps
by pursuing science journalism.
"Did we mind losing her Sure
we did," Paquin says. "But we didn't
fight to keep her."
Roth called her friend Lisa Breslin,
who supervises the 'Writing Center
and who taught her freshman English
course. They met for tea at the Pour
House, a new hangout on the east
end of Main Street.
"She was so supportive. She asked
me what my dream schedule would
be like and said the English department
would see what they could do
in terms of fitting me into classes,"
says Roth. Breslin suggested Associate
Professor of English Mary Bendel-
Simso for her adviser. "Dr. Nhry
immediately called me at home and
left me her'home number. She said
it doesn't matter if it's the middle of
the night, if you wake up in a panic
and need to call, go right ahead."
Bendel-Simso could empathize
with what Roth was going through.
As an undergraduate, she had been a
double-major in mathematics and
English with the intention of
becoming
teacher. Her morhe-
her to conecntrute
a high school math
encouraged
on the math
lecturing
BUt her decision to pursue her
passion for literatmc worked out
well in the end for Bendel-Simso,
and she didn't see any reason
why Roth couldn't
have the same
success-especially when she met
the earnest student and took a
look at hcr excellent
Roth needed
10 English
transcript.
Courses, a Spanish iangu,lge course
and a couple of gym credits. She
was able to get "really close" to
her dream schedule for the fall
semester. Two of the English
classes were still open and one she
was able to add into with Bendcl_
Simso's help. She took Lireranlre
of the Renaissance, American
Figures: Mark 'Rvain, and British
Figures: Keats and the Rosettis.
"That was such an amazing
course. j\1y poor roommate was
sick of hearing about Keats and
the Rosertis," she says.
'.Ilteres.tingly, Roth's current roommate Emily Vance '05 did a
major SWItch of her own, from English to biochemistry, in her
sophomore year. "My choosing science was partly due' to practical
purposes,. It seems that in the sciences there is a huge field of career
opportulllties," she says. She also realized that she'd rather- be in
the lab than writing papers.
For Rth,. though, the Constant, endless, round-the-clock reading
and Writlllg IS heaven. "Its everything I'd imagined and more," she
says. ~J had CUlture shock, definitely,
but that was to be expected."
Her courses are "different, but definitely not easier. 1 don't study
any less,': she says "The class structure is Illfe informal or arty.
In the SCIences, It'S much more prediceab!e III the sense that there's
this vast amount of challenging material that gets thrown at you
and you have to crank it out on a test. This is less absolute."
Roth has been equally sllccessful in her new major. She wrapped
the fall semester with two A'plusses and two As and her GPA
up
actually increased slightly, "Thank God."
l3endel-Sirnso, who taught Roth in the American Figures COurse,
was impressed. "She was the star," she says.
In the Class of 2005. 61 percent of students have changed their major
at least one time. Sixty-four students changed their major twice.
seven changed their major three times and one changed four times.
12'McDANIEt
COLLEGE