Rebecca Coutcher, Senior, Communications major:

“Overall it’s been so awesome being here. I love my sisters at Alpha Chi Omega. Being with friends in general is just so energizing for me. My whole life just sort of revolves around communication. I used to be a Music Ed. major, but I realized that radio is my true passion. I love singing in Millikin Women, and I want to bring music to the people. I find that I can share what I love through the radio. It’s something that I find myself doing after I graduate from here. Now I work for WJMU, have my own radio show, and everything. I even got an internship at a radio station in Downtown Decatur. Sure, I do get that question on whether or not the medium of radio is dying fairly often. I’d like to hope that it’s not dying. We still talk; the scenery just changes. I find it’s not dying as much as it is evolving into a new form. Everyone just streams conversations on various topics online. There’s even the Podcast app on the IPhone. With all that in mind, I can’t see how this medium could be dead. It’s more like they just have a facelift that takes some getting used to.”

Vaida Naris, Sophomore Art Therapy major:

“I always have this passion of working with other people. That’s what makes Art Therapy so fascinating to me. It’s just a way to communicate your problems in a way that is unique to the patients. I take a bunch of art classes, but I also take a bunch of psychology classes. I find that all these classes are helping me not only get a better understanding of the human condition, but I also find a better understanding of myself. With all these mediums of art that I study and these studies of the human mind, I learned to loosen up as well as express myself. I also feel like I live in two separate worlds for most of the day. I have most of my classes in Kirkland [Fine Arts Center] and Shilling [Hall]. After leaving here, I want to get my Masters degree. I have already thought of some potential grad schools that I need to visit. I know I have time, but I enjoy starting the searching early. Sometimes I have an idea that can pop into my head, and not too long after that, then I have to think things through. A lot of people I know say that I plan things too early because of that, but I don’t mind. There’s nothing wrong with starting things early.”

Stephanie Simon, Junior BFA Musical Theatre:

“I wanted to be a lawyer until my junior year of high school. When I got cast in Fiddler on the Roof, that was the moment where I just said, “If I don’t live this life of musical theatre, then I can never be happy.” My mom was mad at me for choosing this path for quite a while. She even said to me, ‘You’re too smart. Why would you do this to yourself?’ But she got over it…eventually. This year, I went from having nineteen credits to sixteen credits. I’m living the dream. Before, it was so difficult to focus on the basics. Piano and Music Theory classes were among the hardest for me to learn. But now that I’m focused on what I enjoy learning about, it’s just a breeze.  As for future plans, I’m hoping to work on the Chicago theatre scene for a while. Maybe I’ll get my Masters in directing or education. Either way, I just hope to move out of my parents’ house. My older brother just moved back in there, and needless to say, it’s not really going that well. But if I’m not satisfied about anything, it’s the idea of finding “your type.” I feel like society had forced me into a box. Whenever they say, ‘It’s satisfying once you find your type [of character role],’ I don’t find it liberating as much as I find it confining. If someone says, ‘You can never play that role,’ all I’m going to ask is, ‘Well, why couldn’t I play that role?’ And the fact that you’re always cast as that role gets tiring after a while. Actually, it’s the director’s fault for being tiring. Why? Well, I didn’t cast me. The focus on appearance and image is very limiting. Of course I want to change it, but here’s the thing. We all have the power to change this problem, but it’s easier to stick to a mold. However, if I learned anything from my high school days, anything that can be possible will be possible. I’m not short on hope.”