HUMANITIES HOUSE SPOTLIGHT | Kellen Hullinger

Q: What do you think makes Utah/Salt Lake City so unique?

A: I think you get the chance to live in a city that isn’t so overwhelmingly huge but still isn’t a small town by any means. And our access to incredible outdoor spaces is so special.

Q: How long have you been at the University of Utah? 

A: This is my third year at the U, but it is the first time I’ll be living on campus for a whole year.

Q: What is the biggest advantage of living in the Humanities House (perhaps compared to other on-campus housing)?

A: I think our common spaces are a huge benefit of living in the Humanities House. Other dorms also have common spaces, of course, but the ones in the house just feel a bit more private and homier.

Q: Why did you apply to live in the Humanities House? (If you didn’t apply directly, are you glad you ended up here?)

A: I applied to live in the Humanities House because I wanted to live with other people who have same academic interests and goals as me.

Q: What are most people’s first impressions of you? Are they right, or does getting to know you better take a little more time?

A: I think most people would clock me as a “by-the-book” type of guy who follows the rules and doesn’t take too many risks. That’s pretty spot on, but I definitely have a bit of a wild side that shows when I’m around close friends.

Q: If you had all the time and money to pursue another major or area of study in addition to what you are already studying, what would you choose and why?

A: I would probably choose to study astrophysics or human sexuality, or maybe both. I have always loved outer space, and as a kid, I wanted to be one of the greats, along with Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking. I also think human sexuality is so fascinating, and with it being such an important part of most people’s lives, we are severely lacking a lot of research on it. There is such a huge taboo around talking about sex in the US, so I hope to see healthier public discourse around it in the future.

Q: What is the most fun thing you’ve done as part of the Humanities House so far?

A: We went axe throwing together at the beginning of the semester, and it was a blast!

Q: Quick! A witch will turn you into an animal for a year, and you have 30 seconds to decide which animal. What would you pick and why?

A: I would pick a seagull because I love traveling. If I wanted to go visit somewhere, I could just fly there!

Q: Who is your greatest role model, and how have they influenced you to get where you are now in life?

A: I would say my dad. He has always supported me to pursue the things in life that are important to me.

Q: What is your favorite place on campus? What about it makes it special to you?

A: My favorite place on campus is the foothills behind upper campus housing just north of Red Butte Gardens. The view of Salt Lake Valley from there is absolutely stunning, and it always helps me to get perspective on life when I need to reflect.

Q: What Humanities House amenity are you most grateful for or find most useful? (Kitchen, library, dining room, in-house laundry, TV room, etc.)

A: I love the kitchen! I love cooking, so having a full kitchen that I can utilize is so nice. (Although adding a dishwasher would be nice).

Q: If you had the chance to talk to your future self from the day after graduation, what would you hope to hear from them? What are you doing now in your life to make what your future self would say come true?

A: I hope to hear, “I’m proud of my work, and I’m going to Germany to teach English with the Fulbright program.” I am continuing to develop my teaching skills and will be working on my Fulbright application starting next semester.