Thursday, January 17, 2019

Introduction Post

Hello all, my name is Madison Salem, and I’m very awkward at introductions, but I’ll give it a shot anyway.


 Really Awkward, from Introvert Doodles

First, the basics: I’m a Psychology major with a minor in Biology, and hopefully I’ll graduate in May. After that I’d like to go to graduate school and study the psychology of fiction, and why people do things such as cosplay, fanfiction, etc. (If this sounds familiar, Dr. Barnes at OU studies this niche. I get to work in her lab this semester and I’m very excited about it)

Tumblr post, creator unknown (source)

Some fun facts now: I’m an alumni of the Pride of Oklahoma (that makes me feel really old now). This was my first year not doing marching band, and while I did have four years of fun, I definitely needed to focus on school and couldn’t fit band into my schedule this last semester. I do miss it though, especially getting into games for free and all the free travel! 

Those long sleeves weren't fun at the beginning of the season. Picture taken by me, source.

I carried the Big 12 flag during the band's pregame show my junior year, and got to carry the OU flag at two games, including Houston (picture source).

Things that I do a lot: reading, Netflix, surfing the internet, and knitting. I would say I’m a beginning knitter, but I’ve been able to make some decent scarves. In fact I’ve been known to knit during class, as my previous professors can testify. 

I made this scarf for my dad's birthday. Source: my Ravelry page 

This scarf was made for fun. Source: my Ravelry page

I’m also a Deadpool fan, a Beauty and the Beast fan, and a major Harry Potter fan. That was one of the great things about going to Scotland: it’s where J. K. Rowling lives and where she wrote the books, so I got to see a lot of the places that inspired her, like the graveyards, the streets, and other things.

Me at Platform 9 3/4 in London. (This is a personal picture that I haven't posted online, so there's no linked source.)

For one brief moment I was in the queue to see the play The Cursed Child for a reduced rate. Source: Facebook

Then the dream died. Source: Facebook

I should also say that I am a believer of the philosophy that there is no such thing as owning too many books. Some may disagree (like my wallet), but I just live my life.

My basic book stats. Source: Goodreads

And that's me! If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll answer when I can!

18 comments:

Laura Gibbs said...

Oh, I thought I remembered that we were both fans of IntrovertDoodles, Madison: there will be some of those cartoons coming up in the class announcements! And especially after reading this post, I am definitely voting for the yarn Storybook. You could be knitting as research, ha ha. And maybe you will want to try one of the reading options in class sometime that comes in audiobook format so you could knit while reading. One of my favorite things is getting to color (I love coloring books!) while listening to audiobooks. My husband always makes fun of me that listening to books is not reading, but over the past few years especially I have probably listening to more books than I've "read" them... and I bet I've listened to more books than my husband has read too, ha ha, even though he scoffs at audiobooks. Long live books in EVERY form...! You and I can join Hermione in the library. :-)

Shaun Beck said...

Hey Madison. I hope this comment finds you well. I really enjoyed your introduction my mother does knitting and I can always appreciate the skills of someone who is doing anything creative. I also am a huge Harry Potter fan as well. I remember how I felt when the first book and movie came out. It was ecstatic. I can also relate to having so many books on my to read list and quite frankly I almost never have enough shelf space to hold the many books I have collected and it is so difficult to get rid of books. I look forward to class with you.
Sincerely,
Shaun

Drew Fazzino said...

Hey there Madison! I found your introduction very interactive and very interesting. I know where you come from when saying band takes a lot of time as I did it in highschool. It is pretty cool that you know how to knit and I find it awesome when someone has a special skill that they enjoy doing so much. I look forward to keeping up with your blog this semester! Have a great semester!
Drew

darren said...

Hi Madison!You said that you weren't too great at introductions, but you did a great job! I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Hufflepuff for life! I think it's cool that you are a OU Pride alumni and I hope that you transfer those skills you learned in band to the rest of your life. Enjoy your semester!

Kate DeLeon said...

Hi Madison!
Wow, I would call you at least an intermediate knitter- I did my best to follow a knitting youtube tutorial one time, but the hat came out about a million sizes too small. I think the psychology of fiction sounds super interesting, and I would love to hear more about your work in the lab! I hope you have a great semester!

Gage Robelen said...

Hi there Madison!
Having just came from your Narcissus story, being a Deadpool fan definitely showed itself there. I can see you're definitely a bit of a reader! While I've let my reading slip a bit these last few years, my goal for 2019 is to try and read more again. If you have any fantasy, Sci-Fi, or surreal/absurdist fiction to recommend, I'd love to hear it!
Best of luck, from another nearing the end of their degree!

Anhthu Trinh said...

Hi Madison,
Your Introvert Doodle made me laugh so much because that is ME! So relatable! Also, based on your Pride uniform, I am guessing you were on color guard! I have friends who are in band, and it seems so much fun. You guys do such a great job! I am also a big Beauty and the Beast fan, too. Have you seen the live-action one? Anyways, I hope everything works out, and you can head to graduate school and do amazing things!
Good luck in your endeavors.

Meghan said...

Hi Madison!
I so admire you for keeping track of all your reading! I am also an avid reader but am terrible about keeping track of books I've read and what I'd like to read. Maybe I should start? Or maybe it's a lost cause by now. I once was at a talk by Dr. Barnes and I find her area of research so interesting. The psychology of what pulls people into fictional worlds is so fascinating! Best of luck with the rest of the semester!

Madee McGill said...

Hi Madison!
Psychology is such a great major! Finding out how people tick is so interesting! I am member of the OU Pom Squad so I have probably crossed paths with you since you were on the Pride! I will definitely miss all the amazing trips and incredible football games! I LOVE Harry Potter! I feel so invested in Harry Potter and will never turn down a Harry Potter marathon! I hope you have a great rest of the semester!
-Madee

Unknown said...

Hi Madison,

I enjoyed reading your introduction. The introvert doodle made me laugh. I am bad at introductions and writing about myself as well, but you did a great job. Super cool that you are a biology minor. That is my major and I love it. It is awesome that you were part of the Pride. I am sure that was a wonderful experience.

-Andy

L Christina M said...

Hi Madison!
I really enjoyed getting to read your introduction. Your utilization of pictures really helped! It's so cool that you were in Pride. I wasn't in it myself but have heard such great things from friends who were in it. Everyone says it is so much fun and very rewarding. I also think it's so cool that you majored in Psychology. I think if I hadn't majored in my current major I definitely would have gone for Psych! It seems like such a cool major that can spur an even cooler career. Can't wait to read your stories the rest of this semester!

JaclyndlA said...

Hi Madison,

I first want to say that the background for your blog is so cool! I did not even see this one as an option! I really liked that you had so many comics/pictures throughout your introduction. I am very visual, so this all really helped me get a sense of your personality. It's super cool that you got to be in the Pride, and I hope you enjoy your last semester!

Anonymous said...

Hey Madison!
Congrats on wrapping up your time here at OU this coming May! I’m in that same boat, and I know I’m gonna be glad to finish my undergrad. I’m a psych major as well! I think it’s great that you want to blend that passion along with a love of literature, especially fiction.
Best of luck the rest of the way!
- JD

cwbuller said...

Madison, it was really great getting to know you some through your introduction post. I think it is so cool that we are able to interact even though we are in two separate classes (I'm in Indian Epics). I think it is cool that having an online class like this allows us to do that. Again, it was great getting to know you some and the best of luck to you on your future endeavors.

Rebecca Mitchell said...

Hey Madison!

Congrats on getting so close to graduating--its a struggle but something to really be proud of! I also think it is so cool that you spent four years with the band--that takes so much hard work and dedication! I also believe that you cannot have too many books, but my three sagging bookshelves might disagree! Those scarves that you made are so beautiful--I would have seriously thought that you bought them somewhere! Good luck on the rest of this semester!

Carl said...

Hey howdy Madison! A tour-er! I relate with your shipping off this spring- getting pretty bittersweet the closer we get to it. I hope that you truly have enjoyed your time at OU as much as I have. I just hope that we will be able to fully take advantage of everything that this spot has offered us during our tenure. Looking forward to reading your posts, even though we don't have too much time left.

Rose Blush said...

Hi Madison. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about you through this introduction post. Congrats on the upcoming graduation. How exciting! I love reading too. Some of my favorite authors are Rick Riordan and Jane Austen. J.K. Rowling too, obviously. The intovert doodle was funny and relatable and I enjoyed your use of pictures. Good luck with the rest of this semester!

Lance Johnson said...

Madison,

It's always great to meet a fellow Psychology major! It's pretty cool that you work directly with Dr. Barnes; I bet that's been a hoot. As you showed us, you really don't take your reading lightly! I bet you've read more books than most people would in their entire lifetime, haha. You've beaten me already, that's for sure. I'll definitely use you as inspiration for reading more!

Best of luck with finals and finishing the semester off strong!

-Lance J.