Getting to know Elana

1) Introduce yourself. Tell us a bit about who you are.

I was born and raised in Morgantown, WV. I am a sophomore Global Studies major with a concentration in Global Governance and Peace, and I live on campus in Miller Hall, which is supposedly one of the most haunted buildings on campus. What makes this odd is that I myself haven’t seen anything spooky, which makes me the only person in the building that can say this. 

I’m the president of the Rotaract club, the academics chairman for Delta Zeta, and the Ceremonies and Survivorship Coordinator for Relay for Life. I’ve participated in programs sponsored by SU such as Emerging Leaders in Service and Alternative Spring Break. When I have time, I like to bake and cook (although I’m not actually very good at either) and paint (I’m slightly better at this). When I graduate from college, I eventually want to be elected into the U.S. Senate, so I am going to take any humor I can get before I have to submerge myself in the “wonderful” world of bureaucratic nonsense.

2) Why are you taking this class? What do you hope to learn or gain from it? 

I am taking this class for the Honors College Seminar credit, but I was originally going to wait until later to take a seminar class. I decided that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so here I am. 

While I know I am not as funny as I claim to be, I appreciate that other people in general are as funny as they claim to be. I want to learn how comedians in general are effective in making others laugh, and I want to learn specifically how women and LGBTQ+ comedians have been able to overcome the challenges of performing in a heterosexual-male-dominated profession. I think reading the words of comedians will allow me to become funnier myself; while that isn’t the purpose of the class, I think being humorous can grant people more opportunities. Being funny means you might be seen as more approachable and friendly, so that would help significantly during election seasons.

3) What makes you laugh? Who are some of your favorite funny people and why?

My favorite comedians are John Mulaney, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Ali Wong, Iliza Schlezinger, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and countless others. I tend to enjoy more sarcastic and witty comedians. However, there are plenty of funny people in my own life that aren’t necessarily stand-up comedians. My parents and my brother are pretty funny, each in their own way. My dad is more punny, my mom is more witty, and my brother is an odd  combination of the two (much like myself, although his content is way better). My friends back home are hilarious, with a combination of sarcasm and puns that would make even the most morose of people chuckle. 

But honestly, my favorite funny people are the friends I’ve made here at Shepherd. Olivia makes me laugh because of the memes and Vines we quote together; Chris, Lily, and Katey are all able to get me to loosen up during executive board meetings for Rotaract; Alyssa is able to tell the most simple story, but cause my stomach to hurt from howling with laughter; my countless friends that I made at Emerging Leaders in Service this past summer and Alternative Spring Break last spring would goof off like nobody’s business. I have laughed harder here on campus than ever before because I feel a connection with their stories, jokes, and personalities. Anyone who makes me laugh makes me feel this way.

Olivia and I during the Delta Zeta fall photoshoot

From left to right: me, Chris, Alex, and Carol

Homecoming Parade with some of my sisters

Chowing down on some donuts with Veronica before we got back to work

Literally don’t remember why Chris posed like that honestly