By Frances Marion Givhan
Junior Editor
Phi Beta Kappa, a prestigious society that “stands for freedom of inquiry and expression… and the pursuit of wisdom,” (The Key Reporter website) awarded Lindsey Liles (C’16) an internship for their national magazine The Key Reporter this semester. The magazine publishes articles on a variety of topics, including the value of teaching liberal arts and the possible extinction of Monarch butterflies. Liles will be writing articles throughout the semester about ideas she pitches to the magazine. “The student pitches ideas, occasionally receives assignments, and the ideas are either accepted or not,” said Liles. Currently, she is writing articles about student-teacher classroom relationships and the benefits of study abroad.
“I think it’s really neat because I can choose what they’ll respond differently from how Sewanee students and professors would I want to write about,” she said. Robert Bachman nominated Liles after having her in his General Chemistry course. “Lindsey had an incredible work ethic,” said Bachman. “I was impressed by her broad intellectual interests, which ranged from biology to literature.” Bachman received a solicitation for the internship position from Phi Beta Kappa and decided to put her name into the nomination. From there, Liles submitted writing samples and accepted their offer of the internship. “I didn’t even interview for it,” she laughed. “The magazine is based in DC, so I’ve never met the people who host the internship.” dynamic between teachers and their students, Liles has reached out to professors from Harvard, Berkley, and various state schools. Chemistry Professor Dr. For her article about the answer questions about classroom relationships,” she said. “I can’t imagine a lector with hundreds of students.” Her interest in teaching arose over the summer when she studied in the Galapagos and realized “teaching is hard.”
“There’s a big difference between active learners and passive listeners,” she said. She wants to explore ways by which a teacher and student can meet half way to form a productive relationship. By the end of the internship, Liles will have written six or more articles for The Key Reporter. She’s still considering other topics to discuss, but she is thinking about writing an article comparing different educational systems, such as the United Kingdom and the United States. To show support for a fellow Sewanee student, keep an eye out for her articles on The Key Reporter’s website.