The Wrangler converses with senior Katie Rodriguez to ask her on her love for art and literature, her future, and Batman.

The Wrangler: What can you tell us about yourself?

Rodriquez: I am a senior. I’m pretty involved with the community–I do a lot of volunteering. I like to challenge myself by taking difficult classes.

The Wrangler: What sort of interests or hobbies do you have?

Rodriguez: I mostly enjoy art and literature. I like to paint and draw, but I detest sculpture and clay. I also look forward to learning about graphic design  in Mr. Respondek’s new class. I also like literature, whether it be reading for fun, or doing in depth studies of specific books. This subsequently feeds my passion for language. Being the nerd that I am, I spend free time studying Quenya, the Tolkien’s archaic elven language, so I can better understand his books and the culture within them.

The Wrangler: What are you most passionate about?

Rodriguez: I would say I’m about equally passionate for both art and English. I enjoy the freedom art holds, and I enjoy the complexities of English. Both areas hold such interesting intricacies, each piece of art has a deeper meaning and every piece of writing holds an underlying message. They both allow for such freedom in expression and so much room for interpretation. Every piece of art and every piece of literature is unique which is probably why I hold preference to them.

The Wrangler: How long have you been doing art?

Rodriguez: I started doing art on my own in eighth grade as just a hobby. Before freshman year, my mom started pushing me to take art in high school so I could develop further in the field. Despite my reluctance, I signed up for Art I and showed Mrs. Light my minuscule portfolio so I could be switched to Art I. So, I started drawing on my own in Junior High, but I didn’t really start until freshman year, when I really started focusing on my art.

The Wrangler: What is your favorite medium of art?

Rodriguez: My favorite medium is water color. It’s quick and easy to use, mistakes can easily be corrected, and it can be applied thickly like acrylic or thin as it’s meant to be used.

The Wrangler: What are some of your favorite novels?

Rodriguez: My favorite novels are Death is a Lonely Business and Fahrenheit 451 (both by Ray Bradbury). I love both books, and really anything written by Bradbury because they are well written and provide a fantastic, original storyline.

The Wrangler: What sorts of intricacies of a novel most intrigue you?

Rodriguez: I absolutely love poetic writing that is dense with literary devices. This is why I laud Bradbury’s stories; he employs obvious literary elements, but also includes numerous subtleties which take multiple read-throughs before the reader finally picks up on them. When an author is able to effectively utilize literary devices like so, he creates a challenge for readers as he opens up a new realm of interpretation and pondering.

The Wrangler: Any other smaller interests or hobbies?

Rodriguez: I don’t have many hobbies or interests outside of English or Art, but I will admit I have a slight obsession with Batman. I like how he’s violent and such a complex character. Although I guess I also kind of like comic books in general because they make art into a story.

The Wrangler: What colleges have you planned to attend?

Rodriguez: I was initially between UT Austin and UNT. Both schools have great Art, English, and Education programs, and with my grades and test scores I have pretty much auto acceptance anywhere. But I visited the UT Austin campus and I really didn’t like it; it just seemed too gross and worn down; not a place I’d be able to attend for four years. So right now I’m just looking at UNT. I already know one of the Art professors there, and they just finished building a new Freshman honors dorm. So, I’m really hoping I’ll like the campus because that’s the only thing about the school I’m not yet sure about.

The Wrangler: What line of work do you ultimately seek in life?

Rodriguez: I aspire to be a teacher. Because I’m so intensely passionate about art and English, I figure I’ll teach one of those subjects, but I’m having trouble deciding which one. I’ll probably just get certified to teach both and just go where life takes me.