McKenna Luzynski

About Me
Hi everyone! I'm McKenna Luzynski, and I'm a rising junior from Roanoke, VA. I am a double major in health sciences and Spanish with a minor in Latin American studies. With academic interests such as these, you're probably wondering how exactly I found myself wanting to spend 21 days studying math at Disney World. In short, I've had my eye on this May Experience since before I came to Furman. As I was making my final college decisions in the spring of 2014, I saw a link on the Furman website to keep up with the 2014 Math and the Mouse May X. I started following their trip, and I was hooked.

Growing up, I was very passionate about the arts: music, ballet, and baton twirling, in particular. On the other side of the spectrum, I also attended a specialty regional high school for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I figured that a college that combined my love of math, especially statistics, and my love of entertainment in such a fun way was a school I should highly consider. One thing lead to another, and I found myself sitting in Dr. Hutson's first year seminar on the Mathematics of Games and Gambling. Even though my parents were convinced that I would drop out of school and run to Vegas, I learned so much about the application of mathematics in the real world, in fields ranging from meteorology to horse racing.

I knew that I wanted to apply for the 2016 Math and the Mouse May X so that I could continue learning about mathematics application in our everyday lives. Walt Disney World is such an integral part of the American identity, and I knew it would be fascinating to see how the magic of Disney is really based on the math of Disney. I am very interested in the logistics of keeping everything running smoothly at Disney: from crowd control techniques to ensuring the same character doesn't appear too close together. For this reason, I am most looking forward to meeting with the Disney representatives from a variety of areas. These departments truly ensure that every visitor has the most magical experience possible at Disney World.

Favorite Disney Food
I've been to Disney twice, most recently in 2007. Even though it's been awhile, the food has definitely  stuck in my mind. Three meals in particular stand out to me: the Disney Dole Whip, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, and the Crystal Palace. I know that technically the Disney Dole Whip isn't necessarily a meal, but when you're at Disney, ice cream can be a meal--I mean hey, it is dairy. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is the closest you will ever get to walking into the Hogwarts Great Hall. It's a stunning restaurant, and the Norwegian food seemed very authentic (coming from a non-Norwegian person). Lastly, I think that the Crystal Palace is a classic. You can't go to Disney without eating breakfast there. The characters come and visit you at your table, and it really just brought Disney to life for me during my first Disney vacation. Although I have these three oldies, but goodies in the back of my mind, I'm looking forward to enjoying a variety of new restaurants and food vendors that have been brought to Disney since 2007.

Favorite Disney Attractions
I may be biased since my secret wish has always been to be Tinkerbell at Disney, but I believe the central attraction at Disney is the characters. I love getting to walk around the park collecting signatures and taking pictures with the characters. The actors are trained so well to portray their characters, and it's really amazing to see the uniformity in the interpretations of each character. In terms of my favorite ride at Disney, it's a toss-up between the Mad Tea Party spinning teacups ride and Splash Mountain. For whatever reason, I find it absolutely invigorating to spin so fast that when I get off the ride I can barely walk. It was also so cool to see all 18 teacups spinning on seemingly random paths that looked like they would collide, but never did. Finally, Splash Mountain is just the quintessential rollercoaster. It was one of the first "big" rollercoasters I ever rode, so I think it has a special place in my heart because of that. I remember it being so massive with such a huge splashdown, so I'm looking forward to seeing if it's as looming as I remember.