Troy Cwynar is a history major, minoring in creative writing, from Avon, Ohio.
What do you enjoy most about studying history?
I love stories, I love storytelling, I love all that kind of stuff. And history is just this one giant tale with literally billions of smaller stories of varying sizes crossing and intersecting and influencing each other, and I get such a kick out of learning how everything connects. I minor in Creative Writing and adore writing fiction, and studying history has led to so many “truth is stranger than fiction moments” that just makes it so dang fun.
Why did you choose to be a history major?
I had the same history teacher for three straight years in high school, and his classes were without fail my favorite ones. I had always enjoyed history, but this streak in high school really cultivated a passion for the subject. I legitimately enjoyed seeing how everything in history tied together, and so when it came time to pick a major for college, I knew it had to be history.
What are the favorite history courses you have taken at Ohio State and why?
History of Magic & Witchcraft with Professor Sara Butler, I loved that class. The reading for that class was some of the most absurd stuff I've ever read, like all these medieval manuscripts about the medical applications of eye of newt and how demons will scuttle down your chimney if so much as consider being naughty, but they're all written seriously. There's this inherent enjoyment of "oh my god, people believed what back then?!" but then there was the analysis of the historical consequences for all of these insane superstitions and beliefs. It was just super fun material with a super fun professor with super fun classmates. (I accidentally specialized in European history because I loved it so much.)
If you could take the place of a historical figure (either dead or alive) for one day, who would you choose and why?
Tycho Brahe. He was a prolific astronomer who discovered supernovas, had his own private island observatory base gifted to him by the king, and once partied with his friend's pet moose and got it drunk. But like go read this dude's Wikipedia page, it's a rollercoaster. I did a stand-up set about him once because his life story is just inherently wild.
What’s one thing you wish every Buckeye knew about the past?
That it's actually not that far in the past. Just look at how much as changed in the past century, or even past 50 years. Even in the time since we were born! It's easy to see a black-and-white photograph and just pass it off as "the olden days," a time completely disconnected from our own, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Those colorless photos are only two, maybe three generations removed from our own, and you best believe that the events in them still impact our everyday lives.
What do you like best about being a student at Ohio State?
The comedy circle here is filled with some of the coolest people I've ever met. I'm lucky enough to be the Vice President of one of the improv teams, Fishbowl, and it consistently leads to some of the best parts of my week. The people I've been able to get to know through improv, sketch, and stand-up are just so incredibly supportive, and I feel lucky to be able to share a campus with them and perform for other students. I probably would've never done anything like that if I didn't come here.