This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Olaf chapter.
Meet Zaq Baker!
Graduating Year: 2015
Major(s): English and Environmental Studies
1. How are you involved on campus? I work as a phoner in admissions and I’m the Program Director at KSTO (St. Olaf’s student-run radio station). I’ve been a Teaching Assistant for First-Year Writing and for Race and Ethnic Studies. I play in a bunch of bands here as well. I’m also a member of the senior giving campaign.
2. Who has been your most influential professor at St. Olaf and why? Mark Allister for sure. He’s been my advisor since day one — as soon as we met, we started geeking out about music, and we still haven’t really stopped. He published a book on indie music this fall, which I did a little work on and also helped market. I’ve taken a bunch of great classes with him, too. He’s also the only professor I know of who has ever had a radio show!
3. What was your favorite class at Olaf? Probably Colin Wells’s class on The Beat Generation. Colin is an awesome professor with tons of knowledge and buckets of enthusiasm, and the subject matter was beyond great.
I also loved AmCon.
4. What is your favorite part about being a TA? The first semester I worked as a TA, the first-year writing class was themed Personal Narratives. I was leading workshops helping students with their essays — and most of those essays told their stories. The essays and workshops were a great way to get to know an awesome group of classmates and to help them become better writers.
5. What are you going to miss most about Olaf? Definitely the people. I love being a part of an engaged student body where everyone knows everyone. I like being able to say hi and to have fun conversations with wonderful people I know basically no matter where I go. I’m really going to miss that.
6. What are your plans for after graduation? Working some sort of generic business job. I’ll almost definitely be in the Twin Cities.
7. What advice do you have for incoming freshmen? Try stuff! Lots of people will tell you to do that, but seriously: do it. Don’t do it to build your resume or to try to fit any kind of image — seek out things that interest you (or that you think might maybe possibly interest you) for their own sake. You’ll find out you have passions you didn’t even know about, and you’ll get to know people you really identify with.
8. Where’s your favorite place to study on campus? There’s one round table on the fourth floor of the library. That place is sacred.
9. If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why? Louis CK would be pretty awesome. We could eat a lot of pizza, and I’m sure he would make me laugh to tears the whole time. This is all probably true of Lena Dunham, too — that would be an awesome and hilarious meal!
10. Role models: Marlin from Finding Nemo (Nemo’s dad). That dude has some dedication. Also, Brendan Johnson.