Writing Center Staff
The Writing Center staff consists of the director, Wendy Menefee-Libey (menefee@hmc.edu), and 15 peer consultants (plus our mascot Hot Tub).
2018–2019 Writing Center Consultants
HotTub TheCat
hottub@hmc.edu
Pronouns: They/them/theirs
Feline, Warm Water Studies, Literature Concentration
HotTub has warmed the Writing Center with their presence for several years. Commonly sighted in the Writing Center, atop shelves, and in sweet dreams. A great listener, HotTub enjoys helping students brainstorm ideas for papers.
Abtin Molavi
Athena Li
Ben Hinthorne
bhinthorne@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2021
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Most likely CS/Math
HSA Concentration: Leaning towards psychology or philosophy
Classes w/ writing: HSA10: Making Sense of Humanity with Professor Thompson; Writ 1: Love and Imagination with Professors Fontaine and Esin
Favorite Vegetable: Avocado
Fun fact: I am a member of the CMS baseball team! I love talking baseball, football, basketball, or really any other sport.
Blake Larkin
blarkin@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Computer Science
HSA Concentration: Religious Studies
Classes w/ writing: Reading Race Writing (Balseiro), Animals and East Asian Religions (Hurley), American Mysticism (Hurley), Philosophy of Religion (Davis), CS121 (Kate)
Favorite Vegetable: Brussels Sprouts
Fun fact: I have a pet lizard named Blizzard! He’s pudgy 🦎.
Chris Doering
cdoering@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Joint Biology/Chemistry (Chris is also a Biology Writing Fellow)
HSA Concentration: Philosophy
Classes w/ writing: Biology Lab (Bio 54); Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab (Bio 111) Intro to Ethics; Metaethics; Neurophilosophy; Intro to Traditional Maori Society
Favorite Vegetable: Kalette
Fun fact: I once was stuck in traffic for 20 minutes because the road was filled with hundreds of sheep.
Chris Strong
cstrong@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Engineering
HSA Concentration: Political Science
Classes w/ writing: Knowledge, Self, and Value; Health Care Policy
Favorite Vegetable: Bell pepper
Fun fact: I like to dance swing and bake sourdough bread!
Danielle Michaud
dmichaud@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2020
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Engineering
HSA Concentration: Art History + Emphasis in Environmental Analysis
Classes w/ writing: Intro to Environmental Analysis; Restoring Nature; Science + Technology in the Modern World; Digital Culture; Rembrandt’s World; Roman Art and Archeology
Favorite Vegetable: Snap peas
Fun fact: Though I’m severely allergic, I have 7 cats at home and I love them all dearly.
Djassi Julien
djulien@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2020
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Computer ScieDance
Classes w/ writing: Monsters in Literature; Utopias and Dystopias in Literature
Favorite Vegetable: Sweet Potato
Fun fact: I was cheer captain in high school!
Fiona Plunkett
fplunkett@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2021
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Undecided (but strongly considering Math)
HSA Concentration: Undecided
Classes w/ writing: Writ 1 (Science and Policy); HSA 10 (Creative Disruption)
Favorite vegetable: Broccoli
Fun fact: I’m a certified gymnastics coach!
Flora Gallina-Jones
fgallina-jones@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Computer Science and Math
HSA Concentration: Literature
Classes w/ writing: Place, Power, Difference (Seitz HMC); Terror and the Text (Lagji PZ); Intro to Ethics (Tannenbaum PO); Africans and African Americans in Literature (Dadabhoy HMC); The Double (Plasencia HMC)
Favorite Vegetable: Cauliflower
Fun fact: I’m a radio DJ for the Claremont College’s radio station, KSPC (88.7FM). When I’m on the air, I play hip hop and say words into a microphone.
Kaitlyn Loop
kloop@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Engineering
HSA Concentration:
Classes w/ writing:
Favorite Vegetable:
Fun fact:
Natasha Floerke
nfloerke@g.hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Mathematical and Computational Biology
HSA Concentration: Literature
Classes w/ writing: Writ 1; HSA 10; Psychology of Close Relationships; Third World Women Writers; Zora Neale Hurston; Global/Digital Shakespeare; Creative Writing: Poetry (PO); Biology Lab (Bio 54); Molecular Biology Lab (Bio 111)
Favorite Vegetable: Asparagus
Fun fact: I love hiking, nature, music, and cats!
Nell White
nwhite@g.hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Computer Science
HSA Concentration: Music
Classes w/ writing: Software Development; Principles of Microeconomics; Intro to Philosophy (PZ); History of Existentialism (SC); Music Theory II; James Joyce (CMC)
Favorite Vegetable: Broccoli
Fun fact: My favorite poetic form is the villanelle
Sidd Chandra
schandra@g.hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Major: Engineering
HSA Concentration: Photography
Classes w/ writing:
Favorite Vegetable:
Fun fact:
Sophie Ehlen
sehlen@hmc.edu
Class Year: 2019
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Major: Physics, education track
HSA Concentration: Literature
Classes w/ writing: Dickens, Hardy, and the Victorian Era; Classical Liberalism
Favorite Vegetable: a SAFE thesis
Fun fact: I was once a table for Halloween