I hear you went to a rave recently. How would you compare that to BHS dances? Was this on campus?

Yes, the rave was a college-hosted event. Since raves are known for being full of drugs, our TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms) group at Manchester College decided to hold a "drugless rave" to break the stigma. The dance was very, very different from BHS dances, like most of the college dances I've attended. As I stated in my Facebook status, however, it was far superior to any high school event I've ever been to. No one seemed to mind at all the fact that the entire time I was there I took pictures, or that I came early and left late. I really enjoyed myself.

You're close to completing your freshman year at Manchester. Describe this year. What have you learned? How do you think you've changed?

I've learned a lot about myself, which I believe is far more valuable information than that which I've attained in my classes. I've found out about some deep personality flaws of mine that I can only overcome now that I've acknowledged that they're there. I can't pinpoint how exactly I've changed, though I know I have. I'm sure that the ways I've changed will become obvious to others as I interact with people in Bluffton over the summer.

Have you decided on a major? If so, what and why? If not, what are your options? Anything in particular you'd like to do after you graduate?

I came to Manchester as an English major, but over Christmas break I decided I would switch to religion (primarily because I hate analyzing literature and religion brings up some intense questions for me). However, during my time here, I learned that photography is my real passion, and as a result I hope to transfer to Eastern Mennonite University next fall to pursue a career in it. Manchester College does not have a particularly strong photography program and although I'll miss my friends here, I have to plan for the future and photography is not only what I want to do for a career, it offers far better job prospects to me than religion does. I honestly have no idea what I would want to do with a degree in religion, but with photography, my options are far more numerous (and, in my opinion, much more enjoyable).

How and when did you develop an interest in photography? What kind of camera are you using now? What is your dream camera?

I'm not sure how or when I developed an interest in taking pictures, actually. It was sort of a gradual thing and I can't pinpoint one particular moment - or even one particular event. I just picked up a camera who-knows-how-many years ago, and now here I am: a future photography major. I am currently using a Nikon D40, which is pretty much the most basic (and cheap!) Nikon DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex - basically, it has interchangeable lenses) on the market. I chose Nikon because my mom, who used to take photos semi-professionally, has an older Nikon film lens that is compatible with newer Nikon cameras. I figured I should use the resources I already have, so I got a Nikon camera. My dream camera at the moment is a Nikon D80, but I doubt I'll be buying a new camera for some time now. I'm happy with the one I have and it works perfectly well for my purposes.

Color or black and white? Favorite subject to photograph?
I prefer color because it can be converted to black and white in post-processing. However, I have been shooting in black and white a lot more lately - it's a good way to start seeing things from a different perspective, and that's an essential skill for any serious photographer. I don't have a favorite subject to photograph, actually. I'll take pictures of anything, no matter how mundane or boring. In the past, I have particularly enjoyed taking pictures of children and animals (especially squirrels), but I enjoy photographing other things as well. Basically, if I can see it, I'll take a picture.

You pretty much grew up in Bluffton, although I think you were born in CA. Is that correct?
I was born in Enid, Oklahoma. My dad got a job at Bluffton College when I was four and I've lived here since then.

Looking back over the years, summarize your growing up years in Bluffton. Include some favorite stories, school, church, teachers, etc.? TY
I really love Bluffton. I haven't always loved it - in fact, there were many times throughout middle and high school when all I wanted was to "pack up and move to California" (to quote a Hawk Nelson song I used to listen to constantly). However, now that I'm gone, I really miss my hometown. Funny how that works, isn't it? You never know what you have until it's gone. I can't possibly summarize my childhood in a few paragraphs - it would probably take an entire book. Let's just say that although I didn't always realize it at the time, it was amazing. The people of Bluffton (and especially of First Mennonite Church) were wonderful to me and I couldn't possibly have asked for more. Thank you all. You have changed me for good.

You claim to not be musically inclined, yet you often are seen listening to an iPod. What kind of music do you prefer? Any kind of music you don't like? How has that evolved over the years?
You must have misunderstood. I am not musically inclined save for my inability to live without my iPod. I don't play any instruments anymore (and when I did play, I never played particularly well) and I can't sing (in fact, my friends like to say I'm tone deaf!). However, music does affect me in a way that nothing else can, and as a result, my iPod is almost my constant companion. As for the music I prefer...well, as I type up my answer to this, I'm listening to "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga, which is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I'm not a huge fan of rap/hip-hop music in general, but I do appreciate something with a beat. However, vocals and lyrics especially are of massive importance to me, which is one reason why I enjoy Broadway musicals like Wicked and Rent as much as I do. But the type of music I want to listen to depends on the circumstances. When I'm walking around town I do listen to artists like Lady Gaga because she gives me a beat to walk to. However, when I'm sitting and doing work, I like more mellow sounds like those of Gold Motel (a fairly new band descended from the recently broken-up band The Hush Sound) and Sara Bareilles (whose CD I received in the mail the other day). But the music I listen to the most no matter what the situation is punk rock/alternative/emo bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. They combine a great beat with decent vocals and pretty good lyrics (though that really depends on the song).

Do you read a lot? Favorite authors, type of literature? What is the most recent book you've read?
I actually don't read as much as I used to. I like to blame my short attention span for this - I seem almost incapable of finishing a book these days. I like to read both fiction and nonfiction, though my favorite type of literature is probably romance (because I am such a hopeless romantic like that). I'm a big fan of Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, though the most recent book I have finished (and one of my favorite romances ever) is Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, which I wrote a review on for the Icon a while back. (Read the review here: http://www.blufftonicon.com/news/2010/03/08/book-review-sense-and-sensibility-and-sea-monsteryou-never-know-what-will-happen-nex ) It was extremely well done.

Do you watch a lot of movies? What's the most recent one you've seen? Name the best movie you've seen and/or one that you could watch over and over. How about the worst?
I actually hardly watch movies at all. I don't like the way I feel when they're done as though I've just woken up. Books do that for me too - which might be why I've stopped reading as much as I once did. The movie I've seen most recently, though, is How To Train Your Dragon, at the Shannon Theatre when I came home for spring break. That was amazing. Hopefully I'll be writing a review for it shortly, but we'll have to see how that goes. My favorite movie ever is probably Cloverfield, which is about a monster attacking New York City but is unique in the fact that it's done entirely by hand-cam. Some people don't like that effect, but that's probably one of my favorite aspects of the film. I can't think of the worst movie I've ever seen since I can't legitimately say I've watched Twilight all the way through (though if I had I'm pretty sure it would be my choice), but the worst movie I've seen recently is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (Read my review of it here: http://www.blufftonicon.com/movie-reviews/movie-review-percy-jackson-and-olympians-lightning-thief ) This probably stems from the fact that I'm a huge fan of the books and in my opinion the writer and director did a pretty poor job portraying them well.

How's the food at Manchester? Do you miss your mom and/or dad's cooking? Anything in particular?
The food is mediocre. We have good days (which usually correspond with the days we have visitors) and bad days (which are usually right before breaks). I miss my parents' cooking a lot, though - the only thing Manchester has over home is that we don't fix gyros at my house. Though Manchester doesn't have my mom's coffee cake or her and dad's mac'n'cheese with little pink sausages, so I don't know...I guess it evens out in the end, but I do miss the food at home a lot.

You have two younger siblings...names and ages? Do you miss them? Do they miss you? Have they spent the night at the dorm with you yet?
Cassidy is 12 and Jack is 17. I do miss them and I would like to hope they miss me! I'm sure they do. My sister stayed the night at Manchester for "Lil' Sibs Weekend" last March, and that was a lot of fun (even though she spilled a huge bowl of soft-serve ice cream on the floor of the dining commons - no worries, though, cleanup was easy and there was plenty more). I hope that Jack can come for the day sometime - he's only ever been here once, when I moved in.

What are your plans for the summer? Is there a cross cultural study trip in your future?
This summer I'm hoping to get a job (what job, I'm unsure at the moment) as well as do some freelance photography. I have a temporary blog for that up here: http://kerrybushphotography.blogspot.com/ and hopefully I'll get an actual website running soon. Check it out - I'm open to taking pictures of everything (though admittedly I won't be available until late May when school lets out). I hope to travel and study abroad someday, but I don't have a clue yet as to the when and where - I'll keep you updated.

Looking beyond college, what goals have you set? Where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
Honestly? I have no idea. The future is wide open and though I have a direction that I want to take in life (towards a career in photography), something could take me on another path entirely and I am completely open to that.