The Virtue of Dedication

Christopher Fritz ’17 

Physics major Christopher Fritz ’17 is clearly fascinated by science and technology, but he’s equally absorbed in his humanities classes, particularly philosophy. He’s also a resident advisor (RA), a writer for Dickinson Science Magazine, a member of the Blue Mountain Battalion ROTC, and an avid cook and musician. And no matter what the task or line of inquiry, he gives it his all, so he can—to paraphrase a U.S. Army slogan—“be all that he can be.”

Major:

Physics (mechanical engineering).

Clubs and organizations:

Army ROTC, Resident Adviser and Dickinson Science Magazine (writer).

Honors/scholarships/awards:

Five-Year U.S. Army ROTC scholarship, Alpha Lambda Delta (honor society), Eta Sigma Phi (classics honor society) and Dean’s List.

Favorite book:

1984 by George Orwell.

Favorite movie:

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. By far, one of the most unsettling movies I’ve ever seen.

On choosing Dickinson:

I enjoyed touring all the colleges that I visited, but something about Dickinson led me to believe that I could pursue any interest I wanted. That’s been true. This semester I’m taking an independent-study course on mathematical and physical chaos. The high level of personal involvement makes it my favorite class at Dickinson thus far, and I’m enjoying it so much that I'm considering studying this subject in graduate school. I don’t think some people appreciate just how valuable a one-on-one class with a professor can be, and I also think it’s exceedingly rare to have such an opportunity outside of a place like Dickinson. 

Favorite place on campus:

There’s no place like Tome.

Favorite Dining Hall food:

Buffalo chicken wings.

Little-known hobbies and talents:

I’ve enjoyed playing the electric bass and various percussion instruments since I was in third grade. I’ve also dabbled in the piano, and I hope to learn guitar at some point. I love to cook various dishes when I can make time. Because I’m a science major, people are often surprised to learn that I also have a deep love of philosophy and the humanities. I’m deeply invested in all areas of inquiry.

As a kid, I wanted to be …

… first, the president (who doesn’t want to be president at some point?), then a fireman, then a brain surgeon.

Post-Dickinson plans:

Yikes, that’s always a tough question! But there are at least three certainties in my life, post-Dickinson. I know I’ll be serving as an officer in the U.S Army, pursuing a Ph.D. in a yet-undecided branch of physics and continuing a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.

Most important things I’ve learned (so far):

There are two lessons I’ve learned that have had a tremendous impact on how I define myself. The first lesson was told to me by my high-school physics teacher, Dave Holzwarth. He said, “You will teach yourself far more than anything you will ever learn in a classroom.” That advice has driven me to be proactive about learning, and it made me realize that I’m in control of my own education. The second lesson was told to me by Lt. Col. Peter Lugar, professor of military science at Dickinson: “Hard work pays off.” Those four words are my mantra when I’m grinding through tough work, be it academic, physical or otherwise. To me, it is a lesson in the virtue of dedication.

Learn more

• The Liberal Arts at Dickinson
• Military Science
• “Celebrating Leadership”
• More Student Snapshots
• Latest News

Published June 5, 2015