A 2015 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Gloria is the second production in Rollins College Second Stage series this year. Directed by Michael McNamara ‘23, it focuses on a group of assistants from a prominent New York magazine, all angling for their big break. But when “another day at the office” becomes an event that turns their realities upside down, it begs the question, “who deserves to tell the story?”

“White. A blank page or canvas. His favorite. So many possibilities.”  George, Sunday in the Park with George Like a blank page (or canvas), a new semester brings so many possibilities: new classes, new friends, new challenges, and a whole new season of shows. The life of a student director is nothing if not busy.

Back to school! Could there be a phrase more exciting and scary? Some students can hardly wait to get back into their various classes and resume learning. For other students like myself, going back to school means more stress, less leisure time, and of course homework.

When you were in middle or high school, I am certain that at least one educator had claimed that the most pointless lesson they taught was certainly the most important lesson in the whole universe. It was also emphasized that the lesson will also help you get through college. I vividly remember internally telling myself 'There is no way that a mathematical formula will help me conquer all my college adversities.'

Your worth as an actor is not defined by how many projects you submit for, and it certainly isn’t based on how many projects you get called back for. This is a tough business, and we are all living through a global pandemic. Forgive yourself first and foremost.

We are real life people with dreams and aspirations, not just clay that other creatives get to mold into whatever they please. We are allowed to be fun, creative, spiritual, and whatever else we wish! Showing this is not a crime, and switching to a personality driven mindset has really changed the way I view the business.

After four and a half years studying non-stop, three diplomas, two years of a pandemic and more than one year being a blogger, I finally graduated college. So here’s my last blog as a student blogger.

Joshua Piper is no stranger to the stage, whether it be performing or writing, the Junior at Wagner can give a piece or two of advice. Read in on my chat with him on advice for writers ranging from those waiting to get started and those anxious to get produced!

Auditioning can be one of the most brutal parts of an actor’s career. You can go in so prepared and confident and still not book the show. I’d like to share some of my audition wins and losses from this spring audition season at my university, what I’ve learned, and how I’ve celebrated.

I was never nervous about auditions until I got into high school. I didn’t really have a sense of stakes, I wasn’t in any theaters that cut actors in the audition process, and I was consistently getting leading roles. However, once I entered the world of competition and professionalism as a teenager, my anxiety kicked in incredibly quickly. I figured the only way I could move away from this anxiety was being authentically myself.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of academic integrity? For me it tends to be not cheating on exams or plagiarizing essays. But academic integrity covers so much more than just that. A big component of academic integrity is being responsible and reliable when it comes to getting your work done. 

I’ve always been an extremely moral person academically. I’ve never cheated on a test, plagiarized a paper, or broken a rule of academic integrity. However, now that I’m a major in comedic writing, the line between original works and stealing an idea gets unexpectedly thin.

What is the big deal about a BA and a BFA? Is the a significant difference?

Navigating my college years through online school was not the easiest, but it definitely was manageable.

You go to college to pursue your goals and dreams. My experience is that in college, your value is reflected in your passion, excitement, and eagerness to learn. Academic integrity is the level to which you honestly and passionately apply yourself to your studies. Most likely, you are in college to prepare for your career so that means being proactive, seeking new knowledge, and acting with integrity. College should not be a burden, it should be a privilege. You just have to find the path that makes you excited to come to class every day.

Academic integrity seems even more important in college than it did in grade school. This is definitely a feeling that can be felt by every college student as the punishment for plagiarism is reiterated with every paper I get assigned. 

Academic integrity may not seem like topic that is super important to read about, but is definitely ignored a lot more than it should be. Seeing how practicing integrity in a academic setting now can help you in the future with your job and in general.

The feeling of finally submitting that paper that you’ve worked all semester on, and closing all those tabs is SO rewarding when you can be proud of the work you put your name to. 

Music students have a busy schedule. Between double majors, classes, friendships, and practices, it can be crazy. Here’s my day in the life of a music student, my typical Monday.

Academic integrity is the unspoken moral code of academics. It’s the idea that your teachers, peers, mentors, expect you to do your work from a place of honesty and fairness. To me, academic integrity means taking responsibility for your academic work.

My first week of my second semester of junior year was...long and short at the same time. It did pass by quickly, since half of my in-person classes were cancelled for most of the week, but slowly also, because most of that free time was spent sitting around, waiting for something to come up to entertain me.

With the spring semester on the horizon, college students look forward to starting a new semester, feeling refreshed and well-rested after the winter break. However, for many students, there will come a point in the semester when they feel physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. In pop culture and more importantly, in medicine, this instance is known as “burnout.” For individuals, burnout can manifest in many ways, such as painful headaches, consistent fatigue, increased anxiety, emerging depression, and frequent illnesses. With all that students have to do everyday in their non-stop semester or quarter, it is not surprising that students grow exhausted, causing their mental and physical health to collapse. This past semester, I struggled with burnout as I became increasingly overwhelmed with a crescendo of performances, assignments, papers, and exams. However, having navigated this before, I have assembled some tips and helpful habits below for dealing with burnout even when you have to keep going. Whether you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or emotionally and physically drained, here are a couple of useful tips to help manage burnout.

This upcoming quarter, I will be working on UCSD Muir Musical’s production of Into the Woods as the Production Dramaturg. This is the first musical in a year since working on American Idiot and I’m so excited to be working with Sondheim this time around. In preparation for the first week of rehearsals, I’m crafting my dramaturgy packet as well as crafting a website for the cast and crew to use.

As a young performer, it was always my dream to attend a prestigious, impossible BFA program at an academically focused school. However, as I grew as a person, I quickly realized that a traditional college experience just wasn't for me. The first time I visited Columbia College Chicago was just a confirmation of those feelings, and I couldn't be more grateful that I chose a non-traditional school to continue my education in the performing arts.

Taking some time to reflect on another year of school, theatre, life in general is an important thing to do. Time passes by so quickly, so cherish the big victories and the little moments.