Søren Lessard is a philosophy student at The University of Maine, who hails from our New England neighbor, Rhode Island. For Lessard, Maine is “massive and sprawling” when compared to the more densely populated area he is from.
“Nothing is like the small towns here in Maine.” Lessard said.
One difference between Maine and Rhode Island is the attitude of the people here. He attests that Mainers are incredibly friendly and better on the roads. He liked the distance of UMaine from his home- close, but not too close. These benefits of UMaine were part of the reason he decided to enroll, with the beautiful landscapes being all the more enticing. The shift to a more rural setting is a huge difference, but the natural appeal of Maine proves to be an ideal condition for wandering ponderers like Lessard.
“I was always pretty philosophically minded, and my high school did not offer any philosophy classes, so I’m making the most of it here while I can. I think that the track here is very flexible which I enjoy,” Lessard said. “Philosophy is a very broad subject, so it makes sense that people will want to pursue different fields and the school does a good job of not limiting that.”
Additionally, Lessard has his own interesting connection to this major that is quite unique. His parents named him after the famous father of existentialism, Søren Kirkegaard.
“I am not sure if that really influenced me at all. I would consider it more of a coincidence. My father definitely talked about philosophy as a choice for me but he never pushed it too hard,” Lessard explains.
Kirkegaard as a philosopher has a certain dark mystique reputation, honing in on themes of dread and anxieties of the human condition. While Lessard is a deep thinker and stays away from the commotion of fraternities and large gatherings, he is a much more friendly, outgoing person than his namesake.
When not absorbing himself in literature and philosophical yearning, he spends time with friends and hangs around campus. His skill set goes beyond his academics, as he boasts a swell capability of licking his own nose, an expertise Kirkegaard has no evidence of accomplishing.