My hometown, Herndon, Va., though it has a special place in my heart, was ranked by Business Insider as the #1 Most Obscene City in America of 2009. So, I suppose one major difference would be that I can walk around Amherst and see friendly faces at every turn whereas in Herndon...walking around alone would be a bad idea. Also, I went to the largest public high school in the state. Amherst’s student body is about half the size of my old high school.

You sing with the Bluestockings; how long have you been singing and how has your experience with the group been so far?

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember: in choral groups, musicals, the shower. Singing with the Bluestockings has been such a rewarding part of my first year experience, and it’s great that I’ll get to sing with them for all four years. Becoming a “Newsock” has been full of surprises, beginning with when they let me know that I had made it. They asked my RC to fetch me from my room in James at 1:30 on a Sunday and trick me into believing that I was in trouble. My RC, Kaytee, who’s generally pretty cheerful, knocked on my door with a really serious expression: “I need you to come downstairs right now.” I was wearing ridiculous pajamas. When I asked her if I should get shoes, or if there was anything wrong (I thought the police were about to accuse me of something I didn’t do), she just said, “It’s not my position to tell you.” When I arrived in the lobby, she told me not to move. Suddenly all the Bluestockings rushed in and encircled me, singing their signature song “Blue.” I was still so scared and convinced that I was in trouble that it took me about two whole minutes to believe that I had actually made it. Now, since I’m new to the group, they’re figuring out where my voice best fits, so I sing bass for one song and soprano for another. We have really focused rehearsals when we’re learning music, but we also have a lot of fun together. Sometimes we bond with and perform alongside the Zumbyes, and that’s always a good time. Just last weekend we finished recording tracks for the new album, so be on the lookout for that!

What’s your favorite food at Val?

The tofu because it’s fun to guess what flavor it will be. Most people don’t like it. I’m a vegetarian and I can always count on Val tofu, except when they flavor it with barbeque sauce. Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of a vegetarian option?

As an intended Theater and Dance major, what theater performances have you been in?

I worked backstage on headset for “The Mistakes Madeline Made,” Sarah Skeist’s acting thesis. I plan to concentrate in acting as well, so it was awesome to watch Sarah and the other actors during their final rehearsal week leading up to the amazing performances. I had only two cues for the entire show: making a telephone ring and turning on a fax machine, so in the time between cues I got to watch the actors for hours. It was a great experience! Taking down the set with power tools was also good fun. In December I performed in Performance Project. I played a fish named Netune in Tanya Jackson’s piece “Ponyo’s Tale,” and then portrayed Alice in Harold Aaron’s “WNDRLND SJRN.” I will continue working with Harold and can’t wait to dance in his thesis, which performs in April. The department here is full of incredible opportunities. The faculty members are really supportive and the older students do a great job of welcoming new students who want to participate and perform.

Are you a good dancer?

Well, actions speak louder than words, so I’d say people should try to make it out to the next DASAC and Amherst Dance shows to see for themselves! I certainly love to dance, and I’ve been studying multiple styles for 15 years. Since being here, I’ve already done some krumping with DASAC and several routines — pop jazz, contemporary and theatrical jazz — with Amherst Dance.

What slang term or word annoys you the most?

I have to say that the word “legit” is getting stale. Maybe we can make “bona fide” popular? Probably not.

What has been your biggest surprise since coming to Amherst?

Probably the e-mail sent out by President Marx about the recent record-breaking alumni contributions. I can’t even realistically imagine those sums! Our school is quite lucky.

What did you do over Interterm?

I rehearsed for the musical Sweeney Todd. We worked very hard at the music because it’s quite a challenging score. I’m excited for the performance weekend at the end of the month! In my free time I’ve enjoyed reading some plays, exploring Northampton, seeing a few movies at Amherst Cinema and meeting new people. When only the front rooms in Val are open you end up sitting with people you’ve never talked to before.

What is something that many people don’t know about you?

I was one of the karate black belts mentioned in Katie Fretwell’s pre-frosh weekend speech.

What’s your favorite kind of pie?

Pumpkin pie, no contest.

If you knew your future self was going to read this when she graduated, what would you tell her?

“Even though you’ve left Amherst, don’t stop exploring or taking risks.” A senior here gave me some great advice: “Try absolutely anything. With the right work ethic and genuine curiosity, you really can’t fail. Take a strange class or do an unusual activity simply because you can.”