Marianna Calderon

Sacramento, CA

What has been your favorite class at COA? Why?
It is hard to choose - I've taken an eclectic variety so far. My definite favorites have been Ecology: Natural History, and International Wildlife Policy & Protected Areas. I took Ecology: Natural History my first term here, and it was an absolutely amazing way to be introduced to Acadia and one of the many teaching styles here. Each class, we piled into a van and went off to trek through forests, bogs, and wetlands. I learned a huge amount and being outside so often just made me happy in general. Wildlife Policy, on the other hand, was a discussion based course at the famous round-tabled seminar room. It was fascinating, and Ken Cline did a fantastic job of steering us through the strange playground of international policy. However, I am also very excited for the Ornithology and Photography classes I'm taking this term!

What classes have you taken at COA?
Ecology: Natural History
Intro to Guitar
Human Ecology Core Course
Bio I
International Wildlife Policy & Protected Areas
Intermediate French
Ornithology
Bio II
Photographic Syntax: Visual Seminar

What was your favorite lesson/lecture/discussion/project at COA? Why?
There have been many, but the one that stands out was a Role Play we did in International Wildlife Policy. Everyone in the class had a role as a country, or NGO, and we addressed a proposal to lift the ban on elephant ivory sales through CITES, a treaty about international trade in endangered species and their parts. There were heated debates, after class scheming, sneaky collaborations and attempts to sway key votes, and in the end, two fully drafted proposals that ended up being blended anyways. It was an immensely entertaining and constructive way to illustrate the difficulties in international collaboration.

What is your dream occupation?
So far, I claim to want to be a Conservation Biologist. But the policy class really captured my interest, and I love photography as well. So, we'll see.

Do you work on or off campus? If yes, where?
I have a work study on campus. I work in the Take-A-Break kitchen and I absolutely adore my job. There's great music, great food, and wonderful supervisors and co-workers, and I schedule my hours around all my other obligations. I also recently started driving the Night Bus, which takes students to and from town from 7:30 to 11:30pm. That's a lot of fun as well.

What do you see yourself doing after COA?
Possibly grad school, probably traveling.

What country or state would you like to visit? Where would you love to live?
That's a long list. I love to travel. Currently, my goal is Brazil in the summer, but in general, anywhere outside the US. I don't know yet where I'd like to live. I love my native CA, but being abroad for a while could be great.

What is happiness to you?
Sunshine, giggling, chocolate, the ocean, and coming back to COA in (almost) full spring swing to see fields of people running around barefoot in the grass and mud, photosynthesizing and living it up.

What are your plans, if any, for your internship?
Not yet, but perhaps this summer, if I make it to Brazil. I really don't know what I would do yet, my interests vary.

What are your ideas for your senior project?
I haven't the slightest idea. I figure I have a few years to not worry about it yet.

What is one of your favorite childhood memories?
Running around my huge yard that surrounded my old house on four sides, climbing plum trees, stepping on nettles (ouch) because I was barefoot all summer, and running through sprinklers.

What is your favorite food to eat? What is your favorite thing to cook?
I love fish. A sautéed fillet is wonderful, both to cook and eat. But I ADORE TAB's Death by Chocolate dessert.

What do you like to do when you're not doing school work?
Sit in the sun. I also write a ridiculous amount of letters. I was once told it seems I'm trying to single-handedly keep the art alive. Maybe. But the people who write back have a role too. (:

What are your favorite colors?
It changes from day to day. Right now, the first one that popped in my mind was Greeeen. A bright, springy grassy green.

What are your favorite flowers?
I love morning glories and snapdragons and daffodils.

What are your favorite animals?
I'm partial to birds -- small poofy ones.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Who in the world thought up this question? Probably a closet Human Ecologist.

What is the motto you like to live by?
"No one will ever win the battle of the sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy" ~Henry Kissinger Not really. But you have to admit it's a wonderful quote. Actually, I just try to JDI - Just do it. I like to have an adventure a day.

Why did you choose to come to COA?
I haven't the slightest idea. I can't fathom what made a sunshine loving California city girl come to Maine. Except the wonderful people. The ocean is nice. My house (Seafox) is the best in the world, and every class changes the way I think. We have a castle and a national park and teachers who invite you to coffee. But what made me drag my butt to Bar Harbor, Maine, to a school smaller than my high school class by half, was the amazing people here.

What do you like to study?
Things that hop and crawl and fly and strut around, or just being green. Aka, the natural world. Also, music, art, literature, and people.

Who are your favorite writers? Poets?
I love Neil Gaiman, and a million others. I love poetry in general, but can't think of specifics except I've liked what I've read by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Who are your favorite artists? Musicians?
That's too long a list. Most everything, I'll give any music a chance. I'm partial to Jazz though. Just as a side note.

What do you value most in your friends?
The ability to laugh a lot. At themselves, with others, and at the quirky world we live on.

What do people say is your most marked characteristic?
I'm often called bubbly. Some like to say hyperactive instead.

What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I played music more intensely.

What is your least favorite spice?
Ginger.

Do you have anything cool or unique you would like to share?
I'm making it a goal to visit all the attics/basements in COA at least once. Turrets is a clichéd favorite.