Meet our 2016-2017 Junior Class
Name: Dani Soibelman
What made you decide to transfer to UT?
Speech was a huge motivator, but UT is also a fantastic research institution. The College of Communication has already afforded me some wonderful opportunities in research, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else now.
Oh, and the food. Austin food is dope.
Is there anything you wanted to do in 2016 that you weren’t able to accomplish? Why or why not?
I always come to the end of each year wishing I had done more. In 2016, I wish I could have published a study I wrote, taken a road trip to anywhere, and voted. The first one didn’t happen because of bad timing, and the latter two didn’t because I’m not 18 yet (so yeah, still bad timing). But as Lin-Manuel Miranda once said, “there’s a million things I haven’t done… just you wait.”
In 15 years, where do you see yourself?
I’m grading term papers with a calico on my lap. My other two cats sit by the window as snow falls gently outside. Reruns of “Scrubs” play in the background as I read essay after essay about Face Negotiation Theory. I’m still learning to be happy; it’s a process that never truly ends. I’m also still writing verbose nonsense about my future.
If you could only watch/compete in one event for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Watch: Communication Analysis. If you’ve ever seen me watch the event, you know I often have to hold myself back from snapping and “MMM”-ing like it’s a Poetry final.
Compete: Prose. Whether it’s Info, Extemp, or even a job interview, stories find themselves at the forefront of the communicative experience. Knowing how to convey narratives is a necessary and fun challenge I hope to never cease accepting.
Sum up Texas Speech in 7 words or less:
My life will never be the same.