Welcome to the Ion Design Labs Blog. My name is Amanda Reichert, and I am the author of this blog. I am one of the students in the Design Lab, but I am taking it for different reasons instead of the design experience. I do love learning about design and expanding my own abilities, but I am taking this class for the philosophical aspect behind it all. As a philosophy major, I enjoy hearing lectures on the philosophy of design.

            I am a psychology and philosophy major, with minors in history and criminal justice. I love education and want to get the most out of my time here at Nebraska Wesleyan University. I plan to attend graduate school in a couple of years to earn a doctorate, then move on to teach cognitive psychology. I love education so much, I want to be here forever!

            I am from a small town in what I like to call the “armpit” of Nebraska, near the border of Colorado, about 4 hours away. I graduated with 20 other students that I had known my whole life and moving to Lincoln was a shock to my system. I now only know a portion of my class, and it makes me wonder just how many people I would be friends with if I would meet them.

            A few fun things about me, I love creative writing. I started writing officially when I was in first grade, in a large notebook that my mother would then proofread. Throughout school, I would type on my computer a variety of creative stories, developing a habit of not letting anyone read my work and proofreading it myself. I jumped on the opportunity to write this blog because I could let my creative juices flow without feeling embarrassed about my lack of artistic skill. My favorite movie is “True Grit” from 2012 with Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld. I have seen the original, but I appreciate Jeff Bridges as a drunk man. I love 70’s music, enjoying the funky beats and creative lyrics. It was golden age in music, in my opinion, and I could listen to it all day. My favorite meal is cheesy mashed potatoes with steak, a rare and special meal in my household.

            I am a cat person. I love dogs, but I love cats even more. I have a sixteen-year-old cat named Tigger (I named her when I was five, don’t judge). She is the apple of my eye, and I go home just to see her, and my parents, but mainly her. I am a morning person, and I feel most productive during that time. Night drags on for me, so sleep is the easiest way to fix that. I like to practiced photography every once in a while, to express my creativity outside of words, but I rarely have time to explore the world around me. My favorite place I have traveled is Switzerland, due to the fresh air, beautiful countryside, and friendly locals. I was a proper tourist, taking photos of everything, and I would love to return some day.

            As the blog continues, you will get a look into other students of the class, all brilliant designers and artists by their own rights. I have the pleasure of presenting them to you, and I am excited to work with each of them.