Anthropology Major William Tyner ’13 Creates Arts, Culture Blog

Q&As with outstanding students is an occasional feature of The Wesleyan Connection. This issue we speak with Bill Tyner from the Class of 2013.

Q: Bill, what is your major and what are your favorite classes this year?

A: I have the pleasure of majoring in Cultural Anthropology with a certificate in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory. This semester my favorite classes are Anthropology Theory 1 and Digital Media.

Q: Tell us about your new blog, Freshleyan. Why did you start it, and what is your involvement?

A: Driven by our fascination with writing, fashion and design, my friend Khari Slaughter and I decided to found Freshleyan. Fresh (innovative, creative)+Wesleyan= Freshleyan offers an aesthetic porthole, including culture, food, architecture, arts etc. to the Wesleyan community through photographic and videographic mediums. Freshleyan’s philosophy lies in the universality of fashion and design, and their ability to allow individuals to look and feel their best my means of personal expression. At Freshleyan, I am co-founder, creative director and photographer. I also plan to learn the ins and outs of the web design process. We will launch the site in early November.

Q: When you’re not in class, what activities keep you busy?

A: If I am not photographing, reading, or writing, I am at the gym or on a run. I recently joined a boxing club, which I am quite excited about. If I am lucky enough to have a few weeks away from school, I am photographing, writing and exercising while traveling.

Q: You’ve worked at the Green Street Arts Center as an arts administration fellow and the Office of University Communications as a photography assistant. What do you enjoy most about these jobs?

A: At GSAC, while it can often be a painstaking process, I really enjoy grant writing because I am able to see how my work directly affects the Center and its students. Additionally, as I am interested in Social Entrepreneurship, I believe the knowledge and fundraising skills that I acquire while grant writing will go very far in my journey as an entrepreneur. What I enjoy most about my position at University Communication is the creative freedom it provides. I am able to shoot events and further cultivate my photography and editing skills and meet interesting people all around campus.

Q: What are your post-Wesleyan plans?

A: As time progresses, my post-Wesleyan plans become increasingly nebulous. In fact, I am not even sure if I could call them plans. I suppose that is the point. All your concrete plans and ideas of who you are and what you want to do constantly evolve, leaving you open to the world and its infinite possibilities. In the midst of this uncertainty, I will do my best to stay hungry and a little foolish, and trust that the dots will connect in my future.

Q: What do you like best about being a Wesleyan student? What will you miss most when you graduate?

A: What I love most about being a Wesleyan student is that I am constantly challenged, be it socially or academically. I am not sure how much I will miss it because I am pretty sure that is how the rest of my life will be. I sure hope it is.