This week we are switching things up a bit and introducing one of our incredible General Committee members, Ally Andreasen!
Name: Ally Andreasen (she/her/hers)
Hometown: Johnston, IA
Year: Senior
Field(s) of Study: Psychology (B.S.) with a minor in Human Physiology
SCOPE Position: General Committee
Greetings party people! My name is Ally Andreasen, but you can call me Allison if you’re my mother and you’re mad at me.
This is tragically my fourth and final year in SCOPE, which pains me to type as being a SCOPE member allows me to moonlight as a Cool Person™, despite the fact that, by day, I am a full-time dweeb. My contributions to the org are numerous, including (but not limited to) ...
- headbanging in inappropriate situations
- distracting others during meetings
- having great hair
- asking for music recommendations because I am incapable of independent thought
Listen to the SCOPE Selects: Ally Andreasen playlist on Spotify - Jam out to Ally's SCOPE Selects playlist!
Three Favorite Albums: *Embarrassing fun fact* If you ask Spotify, my favorite album of all time is the Hamilton Original Cast Recording because it was the only thing I listened to for the entirety of my sophomore year of high school (you’re not allowed to make fun of me, I was 15 and had a deep side part so clearly I was unwell.) Words cannot express how glad I am that I can confidently say that that is not representative of my music taste -- now allow me to tell you what is. Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder is a work of art and an album I was practically raised on. Courtney Barnett’s The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas never has and never will get old. Last but not least, listening to Aretha Live at Fillmore West (my copy of which I purchased for $2 from the bargain bin of Zzz Records) is like someone liquified heaven and poured it straight into my ear canal. *chefs kiss*
Favorite Concert Experience: 12 days ago I saw St. Vincent at the Pitchfork music festival and I transcended in every sense of the word. We were standing so close to the front that the light reflecting off of St. Vincent's rhinestone jacket, which spelled out “Daddy” on her back, was practically blinding. From the energy of her bandmates to the showstopping talent of her trio to the guitar solos (oh my GOD the GUITAR SOLOS) -- every moment was immaculate. I will never be the same.
Hobbies/Interests/Fun Facts/Campus Involvement: As previously stated, I am a full-time dweeb. I spend more than most of my time working in Dr. Dan Tranel’s neuropsychology lab, where I research things like: neurosurgical treatment of epilepsy, psychological well-being in persons with focal brain damage, and poor executive functioning outcomes in pediatric survivors of posterior fossa tumors. I’ve been an undergraduate researcher as long as I’ve been a student, and there’s nothing I want more (aside from the ability to digest lactose) than to do this for the rest of my life. I’m currently applying to Ph.D. programs in my field in the hopes of accomplishing just that. When I am not obsessing over the wrinkly chicken cutlets that float around inside of our skulls, I rock climb, roller skate, read, and try to find a dairy-free ice cream that can fill the void.
The Deep Cuts: If you are listing to my playlist, buckle ur buns up. I would try to explain my music taste in order to prepare you, but I’m not sure that I am comfortable claiming to have “taste." I didn’t feel like relegating things to a single genre or vibe, so I threw together things until I had the musical equivalent of the miscellany which collects at the bottom of your backpack. From Salt-n-Pepa to Radiator Hospital, to The Beatles, to Lemonade Mouth -- to say there is a little bit of everything might be an understatement. It is essential that you listen to everything sequentially, as I have placed these songs in an order which will maximize the whiplash this playlist will induce. Side effects may include generalized distress, nausea, existential dread, and an urge to boogie. Good luck.