HISP Student Focus, May 2024: Mr. Ethan Talmage
While a bit delayed, HISP is more than happy to announce its last Student Focus of the 2023-2024 academic year—this one for May 2024 and featuring Mr. Ethan Talmage (’24).
A newly minted College of Charleston graduate with dual B.A.s in Philosophy and Spanish, Ethan is representative of the sort of intellectual curiosity and openness to broadening cultural and linguistic, and other horizons that makes Hispanic Studies the enriching sort of place that it is, for students and faculty alike.
As for Mr. Talmage’s activities within Hispanic Studies, while on campus he lent his time and considerable talents both to his position as a Spanish Peer Educator, as well as in his role as Events Coordinator for the department’s active Spanish Club.
Of course, as one might expect of such a well-rounded individual, Ethan’s activities outside of HISP are equally notable—for example, his being a member of CofC’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team, as well as his musical skills on more than one instrument.
In his own words…
“My time spent at the College has been a transformative period in my life, particularly my pursuit of my Spanish major. I cannot imagine my life without having studied Spanish from some of the best professors the College of Charleston has to offer.
Though I did not have the opportunity to study abroad in my time at the College, I am comforted by the quality of my classmates, the spirit of my mentors, and [the knowledge] that studying in this fantastic department has opened [up] an entirely new world. In the last four years I have become enthralled by Spanish literature. From the poets and philosophers of the Golden Age to Borges, I have found a complete world of literature. To be able to enjoy Gabriel García Márquez’s stories or Quevedo’s poetry in their native language is among the most precious things that I can carry with me after graduating.
I took a particular interest in my linguistics and grammar courses during my studies. The experiences that they left me with have only caused the fire of that interest to swell even more. Having the chance to study linguistics has not only given me a greater appreciation for the structures of the Spanish language, but also for English, and all language in general.
As I prepare to graduate in May, I have reflected on my time here and I am saddened by the fact that my education in the HISP department has come to a close. I stand on the shoulders of the giants that are the professors of the HISP department and, as I step out into the world, I know that I owe them an immeasurable debt for all that they have given me over the years.”