Getting to Know Second-Year SLIS Student Eric Tollefson

1) Where are you from? Any interesting facts about your hometown?

I grew up in Rhinelander, WI, a city of around 8,000 people which is located in north central Wisconsin. Besides being the county seat for Oneida County, Rhinelander is famous for the being the home of the Hodag [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag]. The Hodag is a mythical beast said to roam the northern forests and feeds exclusively on white bulldogs. In reality, its origins are from a hoax perpetrated by local prankster Eugene Shepard in 1893. Today, it has become the mascot of the city and high school. Here is a picture of my sister and brother-in-law next to one of the many Hodag statues in Rhinelander.

2) When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

After cycling through the usual childhood list of careers like fireman, astronaut, and cowboy, I eventually decided I wanted to be an archaeologist. This was due to my love of history and unhealthy obsession with Indiana Jones and National Geographic.

3) What did you study as an undergraduate? Why?

As an undergraduate, I had a double major, Anthropology / Philosophy. I chose Anthropology because I still aspired to become an archaeologist. I follow this track right from the beginning of my undergrad years. I did not declare my second major, Philosophy, until my senior year. At that point, I had taken so many philosophy courses that I realized I only needed a few more to qualify for the major, so I figured, “Why not?” I enjoyed the logic courses the most, and I took those just for fun.

4) If you were a cheese, what would you be? Why?

Limburger. It gets a bad rap as being a stinky cheese, but I think that is an exaggeration. Throw it on some toasted rye bread with some spicy brown mustard and a thick slice of onion, and you have yourself a delicious sandwich.

5) Michael Jackson or Prince? Why?

Prince, obviously. You haven’t really lived until you have cleansed yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka.

6) Do you have any pets? Show us a picture!

I have three ferrets. They are named Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella. Tomato loves to eat blueberries, sip on cocktails, chew on furniture, and infiltrate cabinets and drawers. Basil likes to pretend she is cute and innocent, but if you make the mistake of leaving a pair of underwear unattended, she will steal and hide them. Mozzarella is just fat and stupid, but he is always so excited about everything that you can’t help but love him. If they all weren’t so cute, I don’t think I could deal with the amount of destruction and mayhem they cause.

7) What historical figure do you think you would be friends with? Why?

I think I would be friends with Vasili Arkhipov, a Russian submariner. He has been dubbed the “Man Who Saved the World.” He commanded a submarine force being sent to Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When these submarines came under attack by the American fleet blockading Cuba, one of the captains panicked and prepared to fire his submarine’s nuclear torpedo at the Americans, which would have started World War III. Fortunately for all of us, Vasili Arkhipov stepped in and ordered the captain to stand down, and thus, averted the annihilation of the human race. I think that deserves anyone’s friendship. There was an episode of Secrets of the Dead on PBS about Arkhipov that can be watch online [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/the-man-who-saved-the-world-watch-the-full-episode/905/].

8) What are you most nervous about this semester? Why?

I am most nervous about LIS 751 Database Design. This will be the first online class I have taken, and it looks like it will be a lot of work. My technology skills are adequate enough that I feel confident that I will do well in the class, but it will definitely push me out of my comfort zone. In the end, I think I will come away with some extremely useful skills though.

9) What are you most looking forward to this semester? Why?

I am most looking forward to all the activities being planned by student groups. I am looking forward to more SAA-SC craft nights. The last one was very fun, and the hedgehogs were all adorable. I am also a member of the Tribal Libraries, Archives, and Museums (TLAM) student group, and we will also have some great events this semester. The bi-monthly book club meetings are always educational, and we have some great discussions. There are also plans to attend the Hunting Moon Pow Wow and a concert by A Tribe Called Red. They should be great distractions from the stress of school and help keep me sane this semester.

10) What do you love about archives?!

I love learning new things from archival collections. Right now, I am working at the Wisconsin Historical Society to process the Waupaca County Circuit Court records. They began in the 1850s and run up until the present. It has been incredibly interesting to trace the history of the area through these records and watch how the crimes and court activity changed over the years. Currently, I have made it up to the 1920s, and because of Prohibition, the majority of the cases the court is hearing are for illegally possessing, selling, or manufacturing liquor. Also, the vocabulary used in the documents is ridiculous. I never knew one could commit an act “feloniously” or “burglariously,” but those are apparently real words.

Photo from the archive: This is my brother and me on a family camping trip from a number of years ago. We could no longer contain the awesomeness of our matching outfits, so the only reasonable course of action was a flying high-five.