Washington College | Ricky Davis '10

Class of 2010

Ricky Davis

Since graduation, Ricky Davis has enrolled in Emerson's MFA program, specializing in poetry.

When Ricky Davis '10 was applying for colleges, he was set on studying English at an out-of-state school. But the Pasadena, MD, native chose to stay closer to home, and like so many other Washington College students, he developed new interests during his time in Chestertown.

Though he's still majoring in English and hopes to become a professor some day, Ricky will also graduate with minors in creative writing and music.

"I had my heart set on English, but during my freshman year, I started to develop music as a hobby. My interest in it grew, and it went from 'This is fun, I'll try it' to a very essential part of my education," Ricky says.

His academic interests haven't changed—he's writing his thesis on the military men in Shakespeare's plays and assembling a creative portfolio of mostly poetry—but he's as likely to be seen with a bass guitar as with a book of Elizabethan literature.

Ricky started by singing in the College's vocal consort, and then he joined the Afro-Cuban ensemble, where he learned the congas and the batá, African drums for Santería. He began playing bass guitar in the Jazz Ensemble, which motivated him to study music theory.

As Ricky's exposure to music has grown while he's been at WC, the facilities have also improved with the construction of the new Gibson Center for the Arts.

"The Afro-Cuban ensemble played in the basement of the gym for the past few years," he says. "There weren't really any rooms devoted to practicing."

The lack of space also impacted the Musicians' Union's popular Open Mic Nights. "It was held in random spaces because there wasn't really a venue or any rehearsal spaces," Ricky laments. "Hopefully it will be a much more common event now that we have the facilities."

The state-of-the-art building expanded not only the space but also the opportunities available to students like Ricky.

"It's so much easier now to rehearse because there's one central place where we can practice with groups and as individuals. There are practice rooms and small ensemble rooms—it blows my mind," he says.

"I was determined to go away to school so I could explore a lot. But I felt most comfortable here, and I could still experiment with my interests, much more than I expected," Ricky says.