A personal photo of me from the Speaker's Balcony of the U.S. Capitol this past summer
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Introduction to Derek the Letters Major
Hey! My name is Derek Bixler and I'm a Letters/Constitutional Studies major from Oklahoma City. I'm starting my third year here at OU, and I plan on going to law school after I graduate. My academic interests (other than law!) are religion, political science, and sociology. The best part about being a Letters major is the flexibility to take all sorts of classes in multiple academic departments and still gain credit towards my major. This really fits me, as I like to explore new ideas and am constantly fascinated by new ways of thinking. I like to read, but I typically only read non-fiction books; I'm excited to expand my tastes by reading creative works of fiction for this course! My hobbies include watching OU sports (especially football, of course), volunteering with Generation Citizen, and playing the guitar. I also enjoy going to concerts and could talk all day about my favorite bands. My favorite movie is Goodwill Hunting, and I still can't decide whether my favorite TV show is Parks and Recreation or The Office. Both are classics in my opinion! This past summer I spent six incredible weeks in Virginia as a Mount Vernon Leadership Fellow and learned a ton about the U.S. government and American history. Through the fellowship, I was able to become friends with some amazing college students from other universities across the country and explore Washington D.C. pretty thoroughly. I'm glad to be back in Norman though and ready for the semester to start. I'm hoping to study abroad this upcoming summer, so if anyone has any suggestions on where to go I'd love to hear them! So far I've considered Italy, China, and South Africa. I'm a huge fan of the Enneagram as a way to better understand people and their motivations, and I'm a type 3 with a type 2 wing. That's probably enough about me though! I'm excited to start this course and to read the other introduction posts.
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Aha, a Letters major: that's great, Derek! When I first came to OU I taught in the Letters dept. and I thought it was so cool how people could create their own major basically, choosing the different courses in different areas. (As you'll see from the way this course works, I am a big fan of people choosing what you're interested in.) And maybe you can use this class to explore those study-abroad possibilities; you can find lots of Italian and Chinese and South African story collections online. In fact, I just made a quick list of the South African story collections for another student in class: South African books at the Freebookapalooza. In fact, you might want to take a look at her fav places post: she has family in South Africa: Oh The Places You'll Go.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just a thought: you could do an Enneagram-inspired project for this class, analyzing characters in stories with the Enneagram approach! No one has ever done that before; I bet that would be really fascinating.
I've enjoyed Letters so far! That's really neat that you taught in the department. I would love to check out those story collections, and I'll check out her post! Thank you for the tips. An enneagram project would be super fun for me, that's a great idea! I would enjoy doing that for sure.
ReplyDeleteHi Derek!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how you were able to go to Virginia this past summer! It sounds like you made great memories over there! Like you, I wish to study abroad at least one semester! I believe being in a new and completely different environment makes you want to learn more! If I have the chance, I would love to study abroad in Europe. I wish you luck in your future goals!
Hi Derek!
ReplyDeleteI am also a type 3 with a type 2 wing on the Enneagram! Crazy!! I think it's awesome that you were able to spend time in Virginia this summer! I've never been, but have always wanted to visit. I also want to study abroad and know of people that have studied abroad in South Africa and it looked AMAZING. They even got to swim with sharks during their stay....
Hi Derek!
ReplyDeleteI think that is so cool that you were able to visit Washington D.C. this summer! I was able to visit D.C. before my freshman year, and it was definitely one of my favorite cities! I have not tried out the Enneagram test yet, but I will take it soon and compare it with yours! I hope you do well in your classes this year!
Neal
Hi Derek!!! I love that you got to visit Washington D.C. this summer. Easily one of my favorite vacation spots to go to with all the museums and other attractions. Your major seems so interesting as there are so many ways that you could go and that is pretty neat to think about. I am pulling for you to get into law school and know you will kill it!!!
ReplyDeleteHey Derek! I really enjoyed getting to know you through your post. My dad was actually a letters major as well when he went to OU, and he ended up going to Tulane for law school. He wasn't a huge fan of it, though; something about graduating with $140,000 in debt... I would definitely look into study abroad opportunities in France if there are any; there's a lot more to the country than just Paris!
ReplyDeleteHi Derek!
ReplyDeleteLetters sounds like a wonderful major - there are so many classes I would love to take at OU even though they have nothing to do with either of my majors, and having that freedom to explore different subjects is something I envy! What are some of your favorite bands? I could talk about music all day too, so I'm interested to hear what you like to jam to! And woohoo for spending your summer in the DMV! I'm from a town about twenty minutes outside of D.C. on the Maryland side, so I may be a little biased, but I think D.C. is truly an amazing city.
Hi Dereck! Parks and Rec and the Office are both classics. I might like Parks and Rec a little bit better though. I studied abroad in Puebla, Mexico this summer. I loved it! No matter where you go, you'll have a great time! Letters sounds like an awesome major. I think it is important to gain new perspectives and ideas in college. I'm looking forward to reading more of your stories!
ReplyDeleteHi Derek,
ReplyDeleteI too love Parks and Rec and The Office! Both are amazing and hard to pick between! I still have hopes for a reunion.You major sounds like to much fun! I like how flexible it is! This class is really flexible too so I think you will enjoy it! I am thinking about studying abroad too as well! I think it would be a really fun learning and growing experience! I hope you have a wonderful semester!
Hi Derek! I hadn't heard of the Letters major before I read your introduction, so hooray for learning new things. I'm glad you enjoy your major. So you're a pre-law student? I'm pre-med, so I can relate some with the preparation involved for the LSAT and MCAT.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch television all that often, but I've loved every bit of Parks and Recreation and The Office.
For a study abroad, I know that the OU College of Law has summer programs ar the University of Oxford and Renmin University of China. Maybe you will find something there?
Hey Derek,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post to read, I dont think I have ever met a letters major before. I also enjoyed your commentary about your time in Virgina over the summer. I too spent some time away from home this past summer so I can relate with you there. It looks like you are enthusiastic about learning new things so I am excited to experience this class with you!
Hello!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool that your major is law. I have heard that studying law is a very hard and time-consuming major, so congratulations ons ticking with it! My best friend just took the LSAT yesterday and is excited to get her scores back! Where are you looking at applying to Law Schools? Also, I love all your other areas of interest; they play a great role in helping out with your law studies I am sure!!
Hey Derek! I think your major is so cool, and I'm glad it interests you so much. It would be great to have such freedom in your major that you can pursue so many different subjects. It's also so cool that you got to do that internship in Virginia! I bet that was an amazing experience. I also love Good Will Hunting (Robin Williams is one of my all-time faves), but I have to say I'm definitely partial to Parks and Recreation over The Office. You just can't beat Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson. I'm excited to read more of your posts this semester.
ReplyDeleteHi Derek,
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you could do that as a Letters major. That sounds great, being able to take classes from a variety of subjects. What do you plan to do with your law degree? I'm also pretty big into personalities. I haven't taken the Enneagram yet but my MBTI is INTP. Do you know yours by any chance? Good luck this semester!
Derek,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you have the luxury of being able to take a great variety of classes and having them count toward your major- lucky! Do you plan on pursuing law school at OU, or somewhere else? I also love to read, but I am more of a fiction-lover. Most non-fictions bore me. You sound like a very successful dude, keep it up! :)
Hello Derek,
ReplyDeleteI think you are a very interesting person. I still am not sure what a letters major is, but it sounds very interesting. I like the option to pick and choose what you want to take though. I also am a fan of that movie! As for studying abroad I would suggest Italy unless you want a bit of a change of culture. Where in China would you consider going? Have you studied any foreign languages?
Hi Derek!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your introduction with us! Like you, I want to study abroad for a semester, I actually plan on going to Barcelona in the spring! Do you speak any foreign languages? My roommate is also a Letters major, so i think that that's very cool and honestly a really tough major! I can't wait to read more of your stories this semester.
Hi Derek! I think it's so cool that you're a Letters major and also pre-law. I'm sure you have gotten to take many interesting classes throughout your time at OU. I've also wanted to study abroad but never got the chance to and I'm already here at my last semester. So my advice is to definitely go study abroad somewhere before time passes by! I've had a lot of friends go to Italy to study abroad and they always have good things to say about it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great rest of the semester!
Hi Derek! Nice to meet you. Congrats on being a letters and pre-law major that is a big accomplishment. I think the amount of freedom within your class options is great. You have had the chance to explore so much. The time you spent in Virginia seems like a very beneficial and fun experience for you. I have had quite a few friends who have traveled abroad to Italy. They all raved about how great it was and how they would recommend it to everyone.
ReplyDeleteHi Derek, nice to meet you! Congrats on your internship — that sounds like a really cool opportunity! That picture is awesome, too; it's pretty difficult to get a picture with the Washington monument and the entire reflecting pool in the background. I have a friend who's a letters major, and the things he studies sound pretty cool. Of the three countries you mentioned, I've only been to Italy, but I absolutely loved it! It's beautiful, and full of rich history. I studied Latin in school, so I got to nerd out about that a little bit. I studied abroad in Ecuador, so I'd recommend South America as well :)
ReplyDeleteHey there Derek! Thank you for sharing a little bit of who you are with the class. You time in Washington DC sounds amazing, and I loved visiting there myself a few years ago. I think your choice of major is great and it sounds like you have a lot of diverse interests. Although I have never studied abroad myself, I have visited Italy before and it was such an amazing place to be. Good luck with everything and enjoy the rest of the semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Derek,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on going to the Vernon Leadership Fellowship and getting to have an informative summer! I also haven't really heard of your major before but I think it's wonderful you're able to have so much freedom in it! I'm curious about what kind of law you're wanting to focus on when you get into law school. I've taken a few women and gender studies courses over different areas of law that were really interesting. Good luck during this end of the semester and I hope everything is going well!
Hi Derek,
ReplyDelete(Can I vote on your favorite TV show for Parks and Rec? I guess it doesn’t really work that way, but I’m casting my vote anyway.)
That’s very exciting with the fellowship, congratulations!
And what’s an Enneagram?
Best,
Alby
Hi Derek,
ReplyDeleteI am also a huge fan of The Office. It is one of my favorite shows and it never fails to make me laugh. Also, I am so jealous of you major. I wish that my major had more flexibility. It must me so amazing to take classes that you are mostly interested in, not ones you have to take because you are required to. Good luck this semester!