Student Blogger: Jaclyn Hansen

If you have read my previous blog posts, you will know that I love making resolutions and goals for myself. Even if I don’t accomplish everything that I put in my list, I love the feeling of acknowledging what I want to work on and how I wish to better myself. It helps to keep me focused on what is in front of me. I always try to make a resolutions/goals list at the beginning of every calendar year, and school year, to help me get excited about the year in front of me. 

We have finally reached what can be considered the most stressful and chaotic part of the school year: Finals. A time where sleep doesn’t exist and caffeine is in high demand. Going into my fifth round of college finals, I have determined that it does not in fact get easier. It gets harder and more stressful. It feels like there is never enough time for anything and it is almost as if there is a large timer counting down to the end. 

Over the summer, I learned that self-care is super important for myself. Now more than ever, I am realizing that I need to continue doing this self-care as it can be easy to get overwhelmed with my busy school schedule, homework, a part-time job, rehearsals, and a packed social calendar. I thought I would share some of the ways that I have been keeping calm and recharging myself after long days of classes and rehearsals this year:

It is hard to believe that Summer has already arrived. It feels as if the school year only just started. Time sure flies by when you’re having fun (or also when you are drowning in schoolwork and feeling burned out as a result of the pandemic… but I won’t drone on about that). Unlike most of my peers who are also studying theatre who may be participating in Summer Stock theatre or other various activities within the industry, I have decided to take a break. I am stepping back from the world of “theatre” and giving myself some much-needed time off.

Like theatre, film and television have the power to transport viewers into an alternate universe and take them on a beautiful journey, either ending in success, heartbreak, victory, or despair. No matter the genre, the world that exists within the screen is something truly spectacular and mesmerizing. While of course I love seeing original work in the theatre community, I am also occasionally a sucker for a good adaptation. I adore seeing some of my favorite pieces of art turned into a full-blown musical or play.

As I reflect on the 2020-2021 school year, I feel incredibly grateful towards the opportunities, obstacles, challenges, and new experiences that I have encountered. Dance classes with masks were, of course, not my favorite thing in the world, but being back in a studio again with my peers was the best gift I could have ever received.

Whether it be a large dance number, a touching duet, or a beautiful ensemble number— the finale has the ability to set the tone of the show. I remember when I was growing up and doing Musical Theatre as a kid, I always loved the final number of a show. I loved performing in them, watching them, and listening to them on the Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack. The magical energy that these musical numbers is contagious and always follows the audience home.

As most seniors in high school have finished up their college auditions, hearing decisions from schools, and putting down deposits, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my “must-have” items that have made college so much easier, especially as a Musical Theatre major.

There is so much that I wish I could have told my younger self. Things that I have learned in the past few years and that I know about now. Things that would have maybe helped to ease any stress or concerns that were on my mind; things to make me slow down and not take anything for granted.

It has officially been an entire year since the world shut down and the pandemic altered the way our society functions. It feels as if all of this madness had only just begun a few months ago. I remember being on my spring break last year receiving the unfortunate email stating that school would be moved online for the remainder of the spring semester. It was as if time had stopped and the only thought on my mind was: “What’s next?”

As I head into my third week of the Second Semester, I am slowly falling back into the groove of school. While it certainly is not easy doing theatre classes socially-distant with masks, I am still exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to continue learning and growing with my peers.

When I initially began my Musical Theatre training in the Fall of 2019 at Long Island University Post, I never imagined that my education would be impacted by such a large global crisis.