By Mike Astle
Sage Track:
Installment 1 – Diane Riggins
Earth: Beyond the Spare Oom
These be the chronicles of the Signum graduates. Their ongoing struggle, to traverse a strange blue world, to eke out new lives with new manifestations, to brightly know what no mage has known before!
(Dramatic music)
Earth date: [2026-07015]
Michael: Today, in this our first quest to rediscover the ancient wizards and philosophers who long ago passed beyond the walls of Signum University, we find ourselves in the company of the most prestigious Diane Riggins.
Diane: Pleasure to meet you.
Michael: Pray tell, Diane, how long has it been since you flew forth from beneath Thorondor’s wings?
Diane: Oh, it was little more than a year ago. I only graduated from Signum in 2024.
Michael: I see. How then did you first discover Signum?
Diane: It was through Dr Corey Olsen’s Exploring The Lord of the Rings and then the Mythgard Institute.
Michael: And what made you choose to study at Signum?
Diane: I had both personal and professional reasons. I’d always admired Tolkien and wanted to learn more about him. So I took the Graduate Diploma with Tolkien Studies as my concentration. On a more professional level, I already held MAs in English and Creative Writing. In future, I wanted to be able to teach others about Tolkien beyond just tutoring.
Michael: Marvellous! I’ve taken the Tolkien’s Poetry course myself. In fact, it was my first adventure at Signum. Having not studies in some years, I found it challenging, but I learnt so much. You mentioned having studied before. How did your experience at Signum compare with other institutes?
Diane: Signum is a lot more hands-on. In another MA, I had online classes but not video classes with other classmates. Being able to interact in the live discussion groups and ask the instructor questions live is great. I’m able to talk with real people! In my other MA, sure I could send the instructor an email if I had a question and they’d respond, but at Signum there’s so much more flexibility. Everybody at the university I work at now is great but I really loved the atmosphere at Signum. It’s on another level.
Michael: Wonderful! So on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Signum?
Diane: 10. I always say, “Look at Signum” when one of my friends or co-workers talks about wanting to take a course. I tell them about both the Graduate Program and the EverLearn modules.
Michael: What then did you enjoy most about your time at Signum?
Diane: The Tolkien classes I took. They opened me up to learning new things about him I’d never thought about before. Also, the language classes. I’d never taken language classes before, except for a bit of Spanish in school, but that didn’t involve translating old manuscripts. It’s amazing seeing how it all influenced Tolkien.
What’s even better, Signum’s instructors make it fun to learn. I just love the instructors and everybody’s always been so nice. Signum offers so much it makes it hard to decide what classes to take.
Michael: Did you ever have any negative experiences at Signum?
Diane: No. I didn’t have any negative experiences. Even if you’re having issues, everything is handled wonderfully. The only thing that comes close, but I wouldn’t call this negative, was that I was new to languages, and being in a class with some people who were naturals, who were already saying all these words without any trouble, made me realise I needed to up my game. But the instructors were great. They really encouraged me.
Michael: How do you think Signum could be improved?
Diane: Hmm, that’s a tough one. They don’t have a PhD programme yet. If they did, I’d be the first to sign up for it.
Michael: Seeing that option’s not yet available, what are you doing these days? How has Signum changed your life?
Diane: I’m writing creatively. I have my own website where people can find out all about my books. It also includes links to my blog and social media pages. I’m about to publish my seventh book so sign up for my newsletter if you want more info on it.
I still work for another university remotely too, and I’m pursuing further Tolkien studies so I can publish academic papers. I’ve attended a lot of Tolkien-related virtual conferences, which helps give me a better idea of how presentations and things work.
I’m also taking various EverLearn modules relating to creative writing and language. Signum helped me to write so much better.
Michael: Excellent! What advice would you give to new students or those considering study at Signum?
Diane: Have a goal in mind, but also be flexible. If you haven’t already decided what concentration you want to pursue, be open to taking a variety of courses. Try to experience a little bit of everything if you can. You can always audit a class if you’re unsure about what you want to do. Alternatively, think about asking your Advisor what classes you should take. If you’re wanting to take two different concentrations, it may be possible if you can find the right classes to take. Some count towards more than one concentration. The main thing is – have fun and be open.
Michael: That’s the most important thing isn’t it? To have fun learning at Signum. Thank you so much for your time today, Diane. I wish you all the best with your publishing and future endeavours. But for now, I must bid you farewell. I have a bird to catch
Diane: Thank you very much and I wish you all the best too.