Josh Meredith's Blog

Like most college students across America, Peter Swanke likes to participate in the drinking of adult beverages. This is where most the similarities stop though. Swanke is from Chadron, Nebraska. I have absolutely no idea where that is on the Nebraska state map but that is not the important part. The important part is that in Chadron, Peter picked up the habit of drinking at the age of 16. Yes, he was just a young rebel doing what most everyone else in Chadron was doing at his age. Now, Peter is 23 and is working on the six year college plan. He spent his first five years at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where instead of going to his gen eds classes, he went to the bottles of scotch. Now scotch is his favorite drink. Peter’s dad got a job as a professor at Morningside College and so Peter followed him here to Sioux City, Iowa.

The first thing that stuck out to me when starting to interview Peter was how wonderfully, beautiful and awe inspiring his hand writing was. He is obviously a direct descendent of one of the best scribes in the history of ancient Rome. If Will Ferrill’s voice is like a mixture of Fergi and Jesus, than Peter’s handy work with the ink pen must be like a mixture of Pablo Picasso best painting, Beethoven’s best finger work while tickling the ivory, and Jesus. There is a saying that goes, “a picture says a thousand words.” Well, right now Swanke’s cursive handwriting is saying probably about 2000 plus to me. Maybe even 2500. Don’ believe me, check it our yourself in room 111 in the Morningside College Library from 1:45 PM to 3:30 PM every Tuesday and Thursday this fall semester.

Peter is not afraid to speak his mind, or swear while doing it. During our Comm 208 (Fundamentals of Journalism) class, it is frequent for him to let slip 5 words everyday that most mothers would deem quite unacceptable. If you need help on his favorite word, start rhyming with the word “duck”. If you can’t figure it out then, you are too young to be reading a blog anyways. If he had to pay a quarter to the Josh Meredith Foundation every time he let a naughty word slip out his mouth, I would be rich or at least definitely quitting my day job.

Behind the cover up of fancy hand writing, swearing, and drinking Peter Swanke has a passion and love for theater. This love came from a trip to Europe. He was in London when he decided to go to the theater and saw “Les Miserables.” From then on, he has been hooked. He is currently majoring in Theater and has the dream of working for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has already starred in many plays including “A Mid Summers Night Dream” and “Dylan”.

Best of luck Mr. Peter Swanke! I can’t wait to hear about you rocking the theater scene in Chicago and New York City.