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Chris Gollmar ’10

I am a double-degree fifth-year from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, majoring in Hispanic Studies and Composition.

Studying both Spanish and music at an undergraduate level has completely enlivened my interest in and respect for these fields. Even though I've been studying Spanish since middle school, I never really realized how much I enjoy learning a new language until I had the chance to spend a year living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For me, studying outside of the country was an essential part of my Hispanic Studies major. Actually, I think getting out and exploring the world is an essential part of any great college education, no matter your major.

Oberlin has also really opened up the world of contemporary music to me. Composition has been a great way for me to explore new creative ideas. Personally, I'm very interested in experimentalism and indeterminacy. Any time I can get performers to play something of mine that is a little bit outside of their comfort zone, I know I'm doing something right. The Composition department has taught me to explore new places just as much as Hispanic Studies has.

Aside from trying to be a good student, I have — among other distractions — held down a couple different staff positions for the Oberlin Review, taught an ExCo course on typography, sung in the Collegium Musicum choir, and cooked Tuesday lunches and facilitated discussions in Fairchild co-op. With my two majors and all of my other interests, I have absolutely no clue what I want to do after I graduate. May 2010 is getting awfully close!

Entries from this blogger

One last post

June 8, 2010
I graduated from Oberlin just over a week ago, and before they cut off my access to this site, I thought maybe I could list just a few of the many skills I learned at Oberlin.

Three college essays

January 30, 2010
Part 1 in a series of posts dissecting the three college essays I wrote as a high school senior. In this post, my "Why Oberlin?" essay.

The nature of long music

December 7, 2009
I'm not one of those folks who has some sort of otherworldly emotional or psychic connection to music, but there is something about especially long pieces of music that gets to me.

My book addiction

July 21, 2009
I have a habit of picking up library books that look interesting, checking them out, bringing them home, and letting them sit around for months on end.

Study away: My advice

December 11, 2008
I have one week to go in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before I find myself completely overwhelmed readjusting to life in the U.S., I thought I would share a few pointers for anyone who thinks studying abroad is in their future.

Wandering around Tigre

December 4, 2008
A couple days ago, I decided that I would take advantage of all of the free time I have on my hands and set out to Tigre, a city located in the delta of the Paraná River, a half-hour train ride from downtown Buenos Aires. I got lost exploring the island, but it was worth it.

Getting things in order

November 7, 2008
Yesterday, my friend Ezra and I put the finishing touches on our application to teach our ExCo (Experimental College) class on Experimental Typography for a second time. It was easier this time around; all we had to do was update the syllabus, update our budget request, and complete the short application from the ExCo committee. No faculty recommendations, no interviews this time. It really couldn't have been easier. That is, unless we were on the same continent.

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