Lauren Merkley

So, first up: Lauren Merkley. Our fearless leader has most graciously answered our super cool questionnaire. So read on and be amazed.

1. Where are you from?

Born and raised in Evanston, IL, just north of Chicago.

2. What is your birthday?

August 16.

3. Have you served a mission? If yes, where and what language?

Yes, I served in the Madagascar Antananarivo mission, French speaking. I also served 5 months (visa-waiting) in the Tucson Arizona mission.

4. What brings you to Ithaca?

Originally school brought me, but a sweet job at Cornell in development brought me back three years after I graduated.

5. What do you like about Ithaca? Why?

I like almost everything about Ithaca: that Crocs are considered more-than-acceptable shoes, that you can buy unpasteurized apple cider straight from the press, the nexus of cosmopolitan and small-town-America, the annual parade featuring a chainsaw chorus, the beauty of the lake – I could go on and on. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to list things I don’t like about Ithaca.

6. What is your favorite place to eat in Ithaca?

This is a hard one. It might be a toss-up between Wegman’s and the Farmer’s Marke, specifically the Cambodian food stall and brick-oven pizza stall. They make a mean monkey-bread.

7. Do you like sweet or salty treats?

Both. Fries in the Frosty, chocolate on pretzels, that kind of thing.

8. What is your favorite band/artist(s)?

Some good stand-by favorites are Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. In the New World, I’m a sucker for the Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens and Avett Brothers.

9. What is your favorite movie?

I try to base most of my life decisions on the cinematic classic “Clueless.”

10. Favorite book?

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, hands down. Close second: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Third: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

11. Favorite day of the week? Why?

Friday. For obvious reasons.

12. What do you do when you have spare time?

Listen relentlessly to podcasts, pretend to train for triathlons and read everything I can get my hands on.

13. Who do you admire?

Probably my very wise father above all. I refer to him as Confucius.

14. What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?

Its not a huge thing, but my non-member roommates in Washington, DC threw me a farewell/bon voyage bbq for me before I left on my mission. They invited all of my LDS, non-LDS and work friends to wish me well on my mission – something they didn’t quite understand but fully supported.

15 What is one thing people in the branch don’t know about you?

I am borderline obsessed with peanuts.