Name: Becca Allen
Major: Recreation Management Major
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: Provo, Utah
Favorite Vacation (locale): Disneyland in California, Thailand, Hawaii, Scotland
Favorite Vacation (story): I spent six straight days in Disneyland with my family, and by the end we knew the park like the back of our hands. We started being creative in the pictures at all the roller coasters. My favorite picture included my brother covering his head with his shirt, so he looked headless on the Tower of Terror.
Name: Chris Anderson
Major: English
Hometown and State: Renton, Washington
Career Goals: To fight the war on stupidity.
Favorite Book: Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges
One Vacation Necessity: A comfortable hoodie
I never leave home without: A sense of irony
I have never (vacation themed): Been to a Disney theme park.
Dream Travel Location: Kashmir, India
Name: Regan Baker
Major: English
Hometown and State: St. George, Kansas
Career Goals: Save the world, teach literature, or combine the two.
Favorite Book: Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss
One Vacation Necessity: 3+ good novels
Favorite Quote: “Determine to live life with flair and laughter.” – Maya Angelou
I have never (vacation themed): Stopped when driving by the sketchy signs on I-70 (two headed rattlesnake, biggest gopher in the world, and more!). But one of these days, I’m going to bring my camera and make that detour.
Name: Kellie Bowen
Major: English
Hometown and State: Salem, Oregon
Career Goals: Be a full-time editor at a magazine or a book publishing company.
Favorite Part of Editing: Fixing incorrect punctuation (or the lack thereof).
Favorite Vacation (story): That one time my friends and I hung out inside a pyramid at Giza. No big deal.
I never leave home without: Chapstick. Honestly, I have a mental freak out if I ever forget it.
Favorite Quotes: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J. R. R. Tolkien
Name: Sam “subtitle guy” Butler
Major: English Language
Hometown and State: Seattle, Washington
Career Goals: Editor-in-Chief of ESPN Magazine.
Favorite Book: Ender’s Game
Least Favorite Part of Editing: Inserting commas.
Favorite Vacation (locale): Outer Banks, North Carolina
One Vacation Necessity: A swimsuit
Favorite Quote: “Men are that they might have joy” – Ancient Incan Prophet
I have never (vacation themed): Been to Disney World, aka I never had a childhood.
Name: Jessica Dyer
Major: English Language
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: College Station, Texas
Favorite Part of Editing: Fixing things!
Favorite Vacation (locale): South Padre Island
One Vacation Necessity: My camera
Favorite Quote: “Come what may and love it” – Joseph B. Wirthlin
Dream Travel Location: Switzerland. I have to try the “to-die-for chocolate” that my husband raves about!
Name: Claire Ford
Major: English major
Minor: Editing and German
Hometown and State: Enumclaw, Washington
Career Goals: Freelance editor and writer, food photographer and writer, happy mama at home.
Least Favorite Part of Editing: When Chicago proves my gut feeling wrong.
Favorite Vacation (locale): Hallstatt, Austria
One Vacation Necessity: Sunglasses. I always seem to leave them at home and have to buy a new pair.
Dream Travel Location: New York City with the sole purpose of experiencing the food
Name: Matt Garrett
Major: Russian and Linguistics
Hometown and State: Pasco, Washington
Career Goals: To become the world’s undisputed most handsome man alive!
Favorite Vacation (story): On one trip to Estonia, we went to the capital building. Because no one would ever harm the President of Estonia, you can walk onto the capital grounds. The President of Estonia went outside on his balcony and waved and smiled at us.
Favorite Quote: “Watch this!”
I have never (vacation themed): Been east of Kansas.
Dream Travel Location: A lasagna buffet in Italy.
Name: Christina Johnson
Major: Visual Arts
Hometown and State: Salt Lake City, Utah
Least Favorite Part of Editing: Spelling (because I can’t spell).
Favorite Vacation (locale): Kyoto, Japan
Favorite Vacation (story): Once, I ordered curry in Japan. I didn’t speak good Japanese at the time and ordered ‘hate curry’ as opposed to ‘spicy curry.’ I’ve never gotten such confused looks from anyone before or since.
I never leave home without: Diet Coke with Lime
Favorite Quote: “Nothing is so stifling as symmetry. Symmetry is boredom, the quintessence of mourning. Despair yawns. There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering—a hell of boredom.” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
Name: Erin Jones
Major: English Major
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: Kent, Washington
Career Goals: Magazine Editor; Children’s and Young Adult Writer
Least Favorite Part of Editing: Having to tell authors we can’t publish their work
Favorite Vacation (story): When my family and I were riding a rollercoaster at a theme park, my dad’s hat flew off the roller coaster and blew away in the wind. My little brother, concerned by the loss of the hat, screamed, “Dad’s haaaaaat!” in a high-pitched voice for ten straight minutes afterwards.
Name: Hillary Mousley
Major: English language
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: Salt Lake City, Utah
Career Goals: Write and edit for a magazine after I complete a graduate program in mass communications.
Favorite Book: The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
Least Favorite Part of Editing: Source-checking, the bane of my existence. Editing footnotes comes in at a close and painful second.
One Vacation Necessity: My running shoes and iPod.
Favorite Quote: “Be curious, not judgmental.” – Walt Whitman
Dream Travel Location: Switzerland (to practice my rapidly declining German).
Name: Lisa New
Major: English
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: Gig Harbor, Washington
Favorite Book: Random Harvest and Gone with the Wind
Favorite Part of Editing: Changing hyphens to em- and en-dashes. I don’t know why I love it so much.
Favorite Vacation (locale): Kelowna, British Columbia
One Vacation Necessity: Swimsuit. I never go anywhere without a swimsuit, even if it’s the middle of winter; I always seem to find an opportunity to use it.
I never leave home without: My flashdrive. I live in constant fear of forgetting an assignment.
Dream Travel Location: Anywhere in Italy.
Name: Marinda Quist
Major: English
Hometown and State: Holladay, Utah
One Vacation Necessity: Deodorant. Actually that’s a life necessity, but it carries over into traveling.
Favorite Vacation (story): During my study abroad we went on a weekend trip to some little Austrian towns and it was magical—think The Sound of Music or Heidi. My favorite stop was in a little town called Dorfgastein, where we went hiking, ate handmade goat cheese in an Alm, and attended the town’s traditional Thanksgiving Mass. I felt at home there and was so sad to leave!
Dream Travel Location: New Zealand—it has always seemed so green, luxurious, and magical. I also did a report on it in 6th grade, so now I have to check it out.
Name: Lindsay Stevens
Major: English
Hometown and State: Sacramento, California
Career Goals: Ultimately I want to work in a great magazine like Stowaway.
Least Favorite Part of Editing: I don’t like when authors keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again.
Favorite Quote: “Wherever you go, there you are” – Buckaroo Banzai
I have never (vacation themed): Traveled alone. I always like having a travel buddy to keep me company!
Dream Travel Location: I want to visit the Holy Land—the Dead Sea, the Wailing Wall, the olive groves—everything!
Major: English Language
Hometown and State: Holladay, Utah
Career Goals: Own my own business.
Favorite Part of Editing: Saving the author from embarrassment
Favorite Vacation (locale): North Shore, Hawaii
Favorite Vacation (story): I drove from Utah to Maine in October and I saw all of the leaves changing. It was epic!
I never leave home without: My iPhone. It’s my iPod, GPS, translator, day planner, and phone all in one.
Favorite Quote: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, without kissing, lips would rust.”
Dream Travel Location: I want to kiss the Blarney Stone at the Blarney Castle in Ireland.
Name: Lauren Truman
Major: English
Hometown and State: Golden, Colorado
Favorite Vacation (story): When I went to Scotland with my family we went to a pub one night to hear a famous singer. He sang a lot of traditional Gaelic tunes and everyone started dancing. We were sitting and watching the fun when a nice older couple came us and offered to teach my cousin and me how to do the jig they were dancing. We accepted their offer and it’s one of the best times I’ve had on vacation. They were so friendly, the dance was really fun, and I was touched that two strangers had reached out to teach us a part of their culture.
Favorite Quote: “Hello! I must be going. I’m glad I came but just the same I must be going.” – Groucho Marx
Dream Travel Location: Chile
Name: Kaitlin Wales
Major: English
Hometown and State: Rock Springs, Wyoming
Career Goals: Work for ESPN Magazine or some other sport-affiliated franchise
Favorite Vacation (locale): Wind River Mountain Range, Wyoming
One Vacation Necessity: Extra socks. One can never have too many socks.
Favorite Vacation (story): I was on the subway in New York City, and I had to stand because it was too crowded. I stood next to a homeless gentlemen who kindly offered me his seat, which I took. When we got to my stop, I stood up to leave, thanked the man for letting me sit, and he wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug. I mumbled thank you and hurried off the train. It was very odd and uncomfortable.
Name: Katie West
Major: Studio Art (Sculpture)
Hometown and State: Boise, Idaho
Career Goals: An editor at an art magazine
Favorite Vacation (locale): Oregon Coast
One Vacation Necessity: My own bedding
Favorite Vacation (story): Holding a baby tiger at the West Coast Game Park
I never leave home without: My sketch book
Favorite Quote: “Once you have tasted flight you will forever look skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to be.” – Leonardo da Vinci
I have never (vacation themed): Been out of the country.
Name: Shannon Williams
Major: English Major
Minor: Editing
Hometown and State: Las Vegas, Nevada
Career Goals: Novelist, Magazine editor
Favorite Vacation (locale): On my study abroad, we took a trip to the Lake District. I love epic landscapes and Romantic poetry (I’m pretty sure that I would have married Wordsworth had I lived 200 years ago), so it was a dream come true.
I never leave home without: My iPhone. I considered chopping off my left hand and attaching my phone to it. The thing does everything—takes photos, plays music, gives me access to every This American Life broadcast ever. Ironically, the only thing it doesn’t do well is call people.
I have never (vacation themed): Been to a country that has penguins. I need to fix that.
Name: Jordan Carroll
Major: Print Journalism
Hometown and State: Dallas, Texas/ Omaha, Nebraska
Favorite Magazines: National Geographic/Southern Living
Favorite Part of Editing: Designing. It’s my passion.
Favorite Thing You’ve Learned in College: Don’t be afraid to be creative and innovative.
Favorite Vacation (locale): Can it include an entire region? Because I love the entire Middle East: Israel, Egypt, Jordan.
I never leave home without: My iPhone. Especially when traveling. It’s good for photos, video, audio. Finding food locations. Navigating transportation.
Favorite Quote: “Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.”
I have never (vacation themed): Been to Europe. It’s a crime, I know.
Name: Marv Gardner, Editor in Chief
Title: Teaching Professor, Department of Linguistics and English Language, Brigham Young University
Hometown and State: Grew up in Duncan, Arizona, and Provo, Utah. I currently reside in Pleasant Grove, Utah
Career: Before becoming a professor at BYU in 2005, I worked for 28 years as a full-time editor and writer for the Ensign and Liahona magazines, both of which are distributed worldwide. For more than half of those years, I was managing editor of the Liahona.
Favorite Part of Editing: Working with interesting people who have something worth saying.
Favorite Travel Experience: In the early 1990s, I traveled to a remote, obscure village in Paraguay. When I stopped at a random dwelling, the first person I happened to meet was a man sitting on a wooden chair under a tree, reading a recent issue of the international magazine I had edited.