The following collection of interviews are intended to focus on the lives of English majors who also have another major, with a student from each grade giving their personal insight on how the experience has gone for them so far. This collection of interviews was conducted by Isabel Hidalgo.
Aria Hroma—Class of ‘25
Secondary Education and English
Isabel Hidalgo
So, since you are a first-year, did you come to the University of Portland with English as a declared major?
Aria Hroma
I did not. My primary major is Education, so I added English a little bit later into the semester. I already knew I was going to add English coming in. I want to pursue theater education, and in talking with my program counselor and a bunch of other people to figure out what would be the best way to go about that, they had recommended double majoring with English so I can focus on drama within that. I want to be able to teach acting and musical theater and play analysis, as well as stagecraft and the technical side of it.
Hidalgo
Are you involved with the theater department here on campus?
Hroma
Yes.
Hidalgo
What are you doing?
Hroma
I am the props manager for the Theater Department. So I work on building and collecting various things that are used in the shows. I am also currently the stage manager for the Drama Club for the upcoming performance (Black Comedy, late February). And then I’m going to be in Company, which is being performed by the Theater Department (early April).
Hidalgo
Is there anything else you want to add?
Hroma
I think I’ve kind of lucked out with a lot of the professors that I’ve chosen. They’re all very, very nice and understanding. One thing I’ve kind of learned that I developed from high school is to not be afraid to ask questions and ask for help, especially from professors. Because that was a big, big thing I struggled with in high school—being able to ask for help from teachers if I needed to. But all my professors have been very clear that they would prefer you to openly communicate with them. And I think that that’s really nice because if I’m having a hard time, I’ll just send an email to my professors and they’re completely understanding and try to accommodate the best they can.
Soleia Quinn—Class of ‘24
Psychology and English, Fine Arts Minor
Isabel Hidalgo
Did you come to the University of Portland with English as a declared major?
Soleia Quinn
Yes, I did.
Hidalgo
How did you know that English was the pathway that you wanted to take?
Quinn
I’ve always loved reading, I’ve always been a bookworm. Ever since I was a kid, I would spend my Sundays in the library and that was just my thing. It just felt natural. It felt right, picking English.
Hidalgo
So why the combination of psychology and English in particular?
Quinn
I find people really interesting. All the books I read are about people’s lives and how we live our lives in the world. And so, psychology to me is the study of people’s minds and how our minds work. The reason I do English is so I can write and read about people and learn how to be a better person. And so psychology, it’s kind of in a similar sense, I want to learn about how to help people and how to treat people.
Hidalgo
What has this combination of psychology and English given you that you don’t think you would have otherwise gained?
Quinn
Yeah, I think the combination of both of them has given me a really great perspective on the rational and the emotional side of people. I think psychology gives a really great logical perspective as to why we do what we do. And then English gives this other side of, you know, sometimes people do bad things and when you can read a book about something really terrible and analyze it, it gives you a perspective you didn’t know was there. And normally in life, you would simply brush it off as, “oh, they’re a horrible person.” And then if you read about it, you can understand why they did what they did—not justifying it, but understanding it. Emotionally now I understand why they did this—why they did these bad things. And then with psychology, it’s helped me to understand that this is the response, this is the trauma response. So the intersection of English and psychology is really great to help in just becoming a better person. In general, I think the goal of going to college is to become a better person and know how to treat people as human beings.
Hidalgo
How is balancing the workload going so far?
Quinn
Difficult, for sure. It’s not super easy, but it’s definitely manageable. I’m also on the rowing team, so being a Division 1 athlete, that’s not a typical experience for most students. It would probably be a lot more manageable if I wasn’t on the team. But even with rowing and double majoring, I still have time for myself. On occasion. But it can definitely be difficult for sure.
Hidalgo
Has there been a moment when you considered dropping a major?
Quinn
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. There have definitely been lots of moments where I’ve thought “I can’t do this. This is too much work. This is too much pressure,” and I even begin to doubt my interest in both English and psychology. There have been moments for both of them where I’ve thought, “I should just drop my psych major and just become a full English major, or maybe I should drop my English major and just do psych.” I think about that a lot. But I just love both of them—that stops those thoughts. The actual enjoyment I have for the classes that I take and how interested I am in both of the subjects has stopped me from dropping any major.
Hidalgo
Do you see any connection between positive psychology and English?
Quinn
I definitely see connections. There are a lot of things that we’re learning about: how to listen to people, how to be present and understand where other people are coming from, and how not to have judgment. For example, when someone says something really shocking to you as a therapist, you have to really be understanding of that, rather than criticize them by saying, “Oh my God, that’s so gross. That’s so crazy. You haven’t brushed your teeth in like three months.” Well, yeah, they’re going through some difficult times. That is also something we’ve been learning about in English. We, again, deal with that a lot in people’s writing or in their books. People open up a really vulnerable part of themselves when they share their writing. Or when you read a book that, at times, is really intense and has extremely vulnerable experiences, you have to be able to hold space and not be judgmental. If you’re judgmental then you’re not going to get anywhere. I really don’t think that anyone that does English or psychology can be a very judgmental, closed-off person, because it just forces you to experience emotions with the characters. I think about Toni Morrison and Beloved—that’s a really hard book and you have to be able to hold space and not think, “Oh my god, this is too much,” and close it and never come back to it. The same goes for therapy and psychology—you’re going through these difficult subjects and holding space for it and understanding others at a basic level.
Hidalgo
Is there any advice that you would want to give to any double majors—perhaps something that you found helpful or a warning as to what to avoid at all costs?
Quinn
What I learned the hard way last semester was, “don’t get overzealous, don’t push yourself into taking 18 credits.” There’s this kind of desire to get it all done in one go, because like we all, especially as double majors, have to take more than the average course load to graduate on time. Being aware of how you’re doing it and how you’re scheduling your classes is really important because I think it’s super easy to get ahead of yourself. When you’re registering for classes it is very easy to say, “I’m gonna have four classes on Tuesday, but I can do it. I’ll just get through it.” And then you regret registering for those classes. Last semester, I had to drop two classes in the middle of the semester because I literally couldn’t do it. And that’s something that I wish I would have considered beforehand. Registering for this semester, I decided, “We’re not going to do that again.” I even dropped a class in the first week of this semester because I already knew that I needed to properly focus and perform well in these classes. There’s always the opportunity of taking classes in the summer. That’d be my advice: don’t get ahead of yourself. Just take it simple. And build it up as you go.
Hidalgo
Anything you want to add? Last-minute thoughts or advice?
Quinn
My advisors are awesome. My English advisor, Dr. Swidzinski, is awesome. And then my psychology advisor, Dr. Pitzer, he’s really awesome. And I had classes taught by both of them and they’re just really spectacular teachers and great support systems. And then I will say as well, the Athletic Department has been so awesome. We have academic advisors through athletics and having them help out with being a double major and being an athlete has been super important. They helped me with things like, when I need a tutor, figuring out class scheduling conflicts—they’re just super, super helpful. So those are shout-outs to my support team.
Bennett Buchholz—Class of ‘23
Theater and English
Isabel Hidalgo
Did you come to the University of Portland with English as a declared major?
Bennett Buchholz
No, I came in completely undeclared. Yeah, but English was the first major that I added.
I had come in with the thought of being a history and English double major. But after I went through my first history class, it was just way different than I thought it would be. But then in my introductory English class—I wasn’t a major at that point—all the readings that we did were fantastic. I was really into them and I really enjoyed discussing them. And near the end of the fall semester, I had a meeting with the professor. And I said to him, “Well, I don’t know, I kind of want to continue studying English, but I don’t know if I should make the decision quite yet to be an English major or not.” And he said, “Well, do you want to be an English major?” I thought about it and said, “Yeah, I guess.” And he, in a very straightforward manner, stated, “Just do it.” So, I declared it. It was interesting because it wasn’t a hard decision. English was already something that was on my radar, so I just pulled the trigger on it after my first semester here.
Hidalgo
Was it different for declaring theater?
Buchholz
Oh, yeah, yeah, declaring theater was a wrestling match. I had to talk to my parents about it. So there was this kind of impetus where I was unsure—do I want to take the leap and drop English and just go for theater, or do I want to double major? I landed on double majoring just because I think they’re very cohesive. I was in Drama in Early British Literature, which is taught by Dr. Hersh, and that class drove me further. It solidified this feeling of “Oh, yeah, these definitely meld, these work really well together.” I decided that they could coexist and decided to double major instead of dropping one.
Hidalgo
Can you expand a little on how English and theater ended up melding for you?
Buccholz
I originally only wanted to do theater because I wanted to act on stage. And that’s still something I like. I’m still pursuing a performance emphasis, but it kind of opened the door to playwriting. I took a playwriting course here last year, in the fall semester, but I don’t think I would have ever reached that conclusion if I wasn’t also an English major. I think theatricality is only half of it. You do have to have a strong basis of writing to convey yourself a certain way. And on the flip side, the creative side of theater has made processing a novel easier because I think of it as a play—I can structure it like a play in my head, and then while I’m reading, I track the characters. Characters are easy to track because I can kind of slop them as a cast in my head and then kind of follow each of their individual story arcs as if I was either writing a play or watching a play. Some of the more in-depth texts I found to be easier just by synthesizing the two fields of study that I enjoy.
Hidalgo
How is balancing the workload, then?
Buchholz
It’s funny, when I go back home to Seattle, I talk with family or friends about what I’m doing in school. So I’ll say, “I’m a theater major,” and they always say, “You’re so lucky.” That’s not it—there’s a lot of work. I think anybody who double majors understands that there is an intense balance. With English, first off, it’s reading heavy, obviously, because you’re spending most of your time with your nose in a book. But on top of that, I’m probably reading a lot of theater stuff to get the theory down as well. Theater is a really reading-heavy major. I don’t think a lot of people realize that but most of your time is either spent reading theory or plays. And English majors probably know it just as well as theater majors, but reading Shakespeare is not fun. It’s a lot of work. Reading Shakespeare is just like, “Oh God, I don’t know what’s going on.” So the workload is definitely hard to balance. Last semester, I did two shows in a row and then auditioned for another show right afterward, while also trying to wrap up my English classes. I get done with classes at five and I have rehearsal from seven until ten. So I have a two-hour window to get all my reading done and then maybe after ten I can start doing some writing and start getting my essays done. It’s just a really, really, really delicate balance.
Hidalgo
How many hours do you have to rehearse for a show?
Buccholz
We’re doing probably about 15 hours a week—five days a week for three hours. So four or five weeks of that and then tech, which is a little extended. And then the show notes so it does end up being close to 40 or 50 hours of work on a show. You have to take everything into account. So in House of Desires (November 2021), we had stage combat, which was pretty physically demanding. So for 45 minutes, I’d be running around with a sword. And then we end at 10pm and then I tell myself, “Okay, time to go home and write my essay.” It’s a physically demanding major in a way that I don’t think people would know about if they don’t watch a show and go “Oh yeah, that does look quite tiring.”
Hidalgo
Okay, so you’re a junior, which means that you are approximately a year and a half away from graduating. Have you thought about what might lie ahead for you?
Buchholz
I think playwriting is actually one of the things that I played around with the most this last year. That’s a field that I’ve not explored very much and I can take elements of both my majors and kind of create a path for me that I didn’t think was possible up until a year ago. I’d love to teach English—I think that’s one of the things that I’ve always wanted to do in my heart. I’m taking Film and Literature right now with Dr. Larson and it’s really made me think about instead of playwriting, screenwriting might be an option too. I’ve learned a new angle of creativity that I wouldn’t have thought of pursuing. Last semester I took Satire with Dr. Swidzinski and I was like, “Wow, I never realized that a lot of the playwriting I’ve been doing has been satire!”
Hidalgo
Do you have anything else to add, maybe a shout out to a theater or an English professor that you want to mention, or just anything else that you think of?
Buchholz
Sure. Okay, for shout-outs, I want to shout out to Dr. Hersh, and Dr. Cross and Dr. Pulver from the Theater Department. Dr. Cross directed House of Desires and is just an absolute rock star and has been very formative, either through classes or otherwise. And then, go see Company. It’ll be really fun. It’s our musical this semester and it’s on April 1-2 and 7-9. It’ll be really good. I’m in it. A little plug for our department.
Samantha Bertagnolli—Class of ‘22
History and English, Constitutional Studies Minor
Isabel Hidalgo
Did you come to the University of Portland with English as a declared major?
Samantha Bertagnolli
No, I started my time at UP as a Political Science Major with the hope of eventually going to law school. I had planned on making English my secondary major eventually but ended up changing my major to solely English two days into my first semester because I realized that the broad skill set English could provide would do me better in preparation for Law School.
Hidalgo
Why the combination of history and English?
Bertagnolli
Other than the fact that both are very useful for my end goal of going on to pursue my Juris Doctori, English and history constantly interact with each other. History is filled with creative people with fascinating lives whose environment and circumstances inspired them to contribute to the literary canon. There is constant overlap that I find interesting to learn about.
Hidalgo
What has this combo given you that you don’t think you would have gained otherwise?
Bertagnolli
I have gained a better understanding of the cooperation of people and events. While that may sound incredibly simple, I love to investigate the why and how of people’s lives and gain the knowledge that those stories have to offer. History makes for just as good entertainment for me as books do because the two are so synonymous, and I feel like by studying both, I have gained better storytelling abilities, which are useful in all aspects of life.
Hidalgo
How has balancing the workload been so far?
Bertagnolli
Both are heavy on reading and writing. I have had to learn how to manage multiple large research papers per semester while also completing lots of reading at the same time.
Hidalgo
How do you hope your double majors will continue to influence you after you graduate, seeing as you are a senior?
Bertagnolli
I know that by double majoring in these two majors I am incredibly prepared for the academic challenges of law school. I also feel that by specializing in such a generally specialized field of study that I have been spending a lot of time learning how to learn which is a skill that is transferable in all aspects of life.
Hidalgo
What do you hope to do, career-wise, with your double majors?
Bertagnolli
I am currently studying for the LSAT and hope to go to law school within the next year or so to eventually be able to pursue a career in legal counseling or clerking. I want to focus on working within the small sector in a district somewhere in the Inland Northwest or Midwest.
Hidalgo
Is there any advice that you would want to give to double majors, English or otherwise?
Bertagnolli
Be wise with your time and keep track of your credits and how they count toward your chosen majors. Double majoring sounds like a lot of work, which it is, but there are a lot of ways in which you can maximize your course load to achieve your goals faster and not have to worry as much about sacrificing your mental health. Not to mention, if you take some time to plan things out in advance, you will have more time to find some fun classes to take. It’s all about balance.
Hidalgo
Anything you’d like to add?
Bertagnolli
Shout out to Professor John McDonald of the English Department and Dr. Mark Eifler, formerly of the History Department—unfortunately for his students, he retired last year. Both professors are the reason I chose to explore these respective disciplines past the introductory courses they taught. They are gifted storytellers and are genuinely good people who care for their students as well as for their craft. I’ve yet to encounter a professor in either discipline who isn’t exceptional, but these two really stood out for me.