Geek of the Week: Nicole Henderson, Mining Engineering

[Oredigger]: So, why did you decide to venture into the world of Mining Engineering?
[Henderson]: I like mines.

What’s your favorite class and why?
Calculus because I can actually do it.

Would you say that you are, in fact, a geek?
No, I’m normal… just kidding! I’d say I’m a geek. I dressed up as a guy for Halloween; when a car breaks down, my reaction is to imitate a giant larva; my definition of a good night involves midnight tennis; [and] I study mine gases in my spare time.

What do you do with that elusive myth known as “free time?”
Mine Rescue! [Also,] tennis every once in a while and Pi Beta Phi.

What’s Mine Rescue?
Every other weekend we travel up to Edgar Mine to practice hypothetical situations with mine disasters. [We] learn to properly use mining apparatuses, gas meters, and other equipment to safely rescue people from mining emergencies. Plus, we get to play with cool stuff!

What would you say are some of your greatest accomplishments to date?
I successfully dressed up as LMFAO for Halloween. Oh, and I ate grasshoppers and walked a bee on a leash.

In the event of a cataclysmic dragon attack on humanity, how would you react?
I would combine “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Avatar” and tame one, use it to my advantage, and learn how to live harmoniously among the dragons.

What’s your favorite thing about being at Mines?
I don’t feel quite as out-of-place because everyone here is nerdy and weird too.

If you could be dropped into any book or series of books, what would it be and why?
The “Ender’s Game” series because I wish I was a super-genius child like them. I wish knowledge came easily to me.

Do you have any plans for your future?
Work at a mine. I’m like a mole; I just love being underground.

Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
There’s one from when I was a kid, “I like pigs. Dogs look up at us, cats look down on us, but pigs treat us as equals.”

Do you have any advice for fellow geeks and Mines students?
Keep going. Don’t hide. There’s more of us out there.

Which would you rather be able to use in an emergency situation: the Force or a sonic screwdriver?
A sonic screwdriver, because I would be unstoppable. Allons-y!