This week on Chronversations, host Stella Huang meets the new wave of talented students getting their first taste of Columbia campus life. From pop culture surprises to creative ambitions, hear what they’re excited for, what’s surprised them and how they’re ready to make their mark in Chicago.
TRANSCRIPT
0:07: Welcome back to Chronicle Conversations.
0:10: I’m your host, Stella Huang.
0:15: It’s the middle of July.
0:16: We are diving into orientation week as the new semester is just a few weeks away.
0:21: Summer is halfway through, and Columbia’s campus is already buzzing with new energy.
0:25: While most students are squeezing in their last bits of vacation, some are already gearing up for a new life stage.
0:31: Orientation week brought in waves of fresh talent, and I had the mic ready to catch their first impressions.
0:38: I’m Erin McKay. I’m from Joliet, Illinois, just a little south here from Chicago.
0:43: Erin McKay transferred in from Joliet Junior College. For her, orientation has been about fresh starts, new faces and 10 minute walks to class.
0:51: Meeting new people and getting away from home, like the walking distance from classes.
0:56: It’s pretty, like 10 minutes from, I’m going to be rooming in the Arc. It’s like a 10 minute walk to classes, so that’s really nice.
1:02: Jalen Anderson, coming from SAIC, echoed that energy.
1:07: He’s here to study creative writing and more importantly, to find his people.
1:11: Yes, I am a transfer student turning sophomore this year. Getting to see the people I will be having classes with or just talking to people that will be going here.
1:21: One of the main reasons I wanted to go to college in the first place was to find my people or just to make friends and connections.
1:30: Incoming freshman Akaña Stiff is majoring in theater with a music minor.
1:36: She says college already feels like a whole new chapter.
1:39: Finally, like getting able to dive into my passion and having like an outlet, having a support system behind me that’s not just like a family member, like having an actual school that’s like trying their hardest to give you everything you need to be successful.
1:54: From icebreakers to breakout groups, orientation offered a first taste of campus life and brought students together in different ways.
2:01: Jokingly eating, but a serious answer, I did like the breakout groups.
2:05: I like the kind of the icebreakers actually because it’s actually getting to know people and I like the lunch.
2:11: I like lunch because you get to talk to people.
2:13: That’s Audie Lian Simmons, a transfer from Prairie State College.
2:17: Those small moments made a big difference for Audie.
2:20: Moving to Columbia also means moving through Chicago.
2:23: Whether it’s the dorms, the walkability, or fun events.
2:26: Everyone finds something surprising.
2:28: I just realized a little bit before that Colombia actually has the pop culture convention, C3 Expo, and it was pretty cheap, so I went in March and I had a fantastic time.
2:40: I love conventions and I did not know that Columbia did that.
2:44: It’s mainly the quality of life because the school that I just transferred from was SAIC.
2:50: It doesn’t have a lot of quality of life, honestly.
2:53: Or like the dorms and such are okay.
2:56: It’s just kind of bleak. Here, I find that it’s really different.
3:02: The atmosphere feels very lively.
3:04: The dorms, from what I’ve seen, look a lot better, honestly.
3:08: For transfer students, the switch to Columbia is a unique mix of excitement and comparison.
3:13: But Joliet, you know, a smaller community, lots of other people.
3:17: It’s a lot more inclusive here.
3:19: It feels a lot more lively.
3:21: The atmosphere is just a lot more grounded I’ll say.
3:27: It’s basically like an art school and they’re super good with theater and stuff, and that’s what I wanted to do.
3:31: When I asked what they hope to get involved in, the answers reflected Columbia’s creative DNA.
3:37: The Makerspace I’m really looking forward to, and making models for architecture, so I’m really looking forward to that.
3:44: I want to join a band.
3:48: I play keyboard, guitar, and I sing, and I think that would be really fun.
3:52: I saw, I went to Biggest Mouth because I’m a fan of one of the bands that was there, so that was really exciting, and I thought I just wanted to do it.
4:01: Creative writing.
4:02: I also want to get into maybe illustration and voice acting.
4:06: I’m so open to anything that is thrown in front of me.
4:10: I’m ready.
4:11: Whether they’re stepping out of high school or stepping into a new transfer experience, one thing is clear: Columbia’s incoming class is full of potential.
4:20: These young bloods are ready to make their mark.
4:23: Make sure to stay up to date with campus and metro news at columbiachronicle.com.
4:29: And sign up for our newsletter at columbiachronicle.com/newsletter.
4:35: I’m Stella Huang.
4:36: Thanks for listening.
Copy edited by Emma Jolly
