Harry Clune, a Templeton junior, asked Christian Lengkeek questions about his interests and how he chose to come to Templeton. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Why did you decide to come to the Honors College and Eastern University?
The way that I came to Eastern is a bit complex. Covid messed up all my college plans, and SATs, and practically my entire last two years of high school. I would have never known about Templeton if it hadn’t been for my cousin Luke Megonigal, a Templeton alum. He always told me that I should apply. I, like the idiot I am, was like, “I don’t want to go to my dad’s cousin’s school.” Well the long and short of it is, I did apply, and began to realize, Eastern, but especially Templeton is a quite remarkable institution. There are few places left that still read the classics, but Templeton is one of them. Templeton also really tries to help develop a student’s ability to articulate well which is so valuable, and also something I need. I have absolutely zero regrets about coming here.
What do you do for fun and to relax?
I run a podcast, which I find to be a fun thing to do. I listen to talk radio. I like music, although I am a complete idiot when it comes to knowing what music is good. My favorite musician might be Mark Knopfler from dire straits. I like to read as long as I am not distracted, but since I am always distracted, I am an awful reader. I dabble in writing. (For those of you who don’t know the definition of dabble, it means I want to think I am a good writer but I am not). I love old movies. I believe it should be federal law that every citizen of America should be required to watch films like Casablanca, and It’s a Wonderful Life. I hate new movies. I find politics extremely fascinating, but only out of morbid curiosity, so I don't follow it for fun or relaxation. In addition, I like sports of every kind, although I can’t play any of them. I also enjoy talking about practically anything. I guess I just like talking.
What is your major and what do you wish to do after college?
I am majoring in Business Management. What I want to do and what I will do are probably two separate things. What I want to do is get into radio. There are a ton of different jobs I would be interested in holding in that industry. I also love writing, and would really enjoy becoming a writer. And finally yes, I do dream of becoming a movie director, but that is a very impractical goal, I will admit. My hope is to be able to use business skills in some industry that involves communication. Now, what I will do, if I am lucky, is get stuck behind a desk for about 30- 40 years. And if I get really lucky, and haven’t died during that time, I might get to retire, and do all the fun things senior citizens get to do.
What book has been the most influential to you?
This question is so challenging. It’s definitely the Bible hands down. Second to the Bible it is The Adventures of Tintin. After those two I am not really sure. I love authors such as Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins, and Fyodor Dostoevsky. There is something about storytelling that has been ingrained in my mind since childhood. At a young age, Patricia St. John’s Treasures of the Snow heavily influenced my sense of right and wrong. As I grew older, stories like The Hobbit captured my imagination. Storytelling is the form of art I have always been attracted to. There is something about stories that is almost magical. They distill life, and make it understandable. They have the ability to isolate what is beautiful and good, that we just pass over in our own lives. As long as I live these writers' stories in an odd way remain a part of who I am.