Student Blog: Good Morning, BroadwayWorld

Good morning Baltimore BroadwayWorld! Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I am STOKED to be returning as a student blogger for the second year in a row! I couldn’t be more excited. Especially since I am now a freshman at Ball State University and am majoring in Stage Management. As a student at Ball State, there are so many incredible things happening over the next few months that I can’t wait to write about. The main thing that is happening on campus, is we are getting a brand new performing arts center that has been in the works for a while! It’ll officially open in December with 2 performances on December 4th and 5th to celebrate the opening! 

As freshmen, all theatre students are required to complete a practicum. For some students, it's working in the box office or front of house for shows. However, for other students, we get to work on a show doing crew! For me, I got to be on deck crew for the first show of the Ball State season: “The Fantasticks”! As some of you may know, “The Fantasticks” is actually coming to Broadway this fall! So, for me, it has been such a fun show to work on. I actually went into this show completely blind (my favorite thing to do), and to be honest, it’s actually such a fun show. I can’t wait to see how the Broadway company adapts the story! While being on deck crew, I got to see the process of tech for a professional show which was really cool to see. I also got to meet some really great artists and fellow students of mine who I got to know over the course of the show. I also think it’s a perfect show to work on as your first show at college. The story is so beautiful and the costumes and lights are gorgeous! There are also many songs that get stuck in your head and I’m okay with it! 

While being a new student at college, there is so much going on. When you’re in high school, it’s a whole different experience. People have cliques, there’s a lot of drama, you stick to the same schedule every single day, and so on. However, when you go to college you're thrown into a new schedule of classes, events, clubs, and required events. It’s a really fun experience, but it’s definitely different from what I expected. The biggest change for me was being away from my family for so long. As much as I love hanging with my friends constantly, I miss my family. 

Over the past few months, I have quickly become obsessed with ‘Every Brilliant Thing’. I think the concept of the play is so unique and brilliant (no pun intended), and I wanted to wrap my first article of the season with a list of 50 brilliant things! I hope everyone is having a great start to the school year and I can’t wait to read everyone's articles! 

1. Watching memories of your childhood in your college dorm
2. Hanging out with your friends way past when you should be sleeping
3. Playing card games
4. Laughter
5. Watching a national tour
6. Being outside
7. Listening to your favorite cast recording on repeat
8. Meeting new people
9. Spikeball
10. The art of live theatre
11. Going to your first college class
12. The Honeymind album by Ben Platt
13. Doughnuts
14. Chicago
15. Nighttime walks
16. Facetimes with your family
17. Free stuff on campus
18. Only having acting class on Fridays
19. Filming a new podcast episode
20. Battery packs
21. The smell of old books (I know this is in the play, but it’s so true)
22. Poppi drinks
23. Loving yourself
24. La La Land
25. Record players
26. Knowing you have people who support you no matter what
27. That feeling you get when you make a really great choice in acting 1 with a new scene.
28. Workshopping a new show for a senior capstone project
29. Exploring anything and everything
30. Belting in the practice rooms of your dorm late at night
31. Fall weather
32. Smiling at strangers as you walk by knowing they’re living their own experiences
33. Paddington (in general)
34. Murder mysteries
35. Reading your favorite book under a tree with a breeze blowing
36. Facetiming friends
37. Candy corn
38. Meeting Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster on campus
39. Sleeping in on the weekend
40. Only having to memorize a monologue as homework
41. The shared experience we all get while watching a live performance
42. The Outsiders (Book, movie, and musical)
43. High fives
44. Dogs and cats
45. Traveling to a new city to see a show
46. Lasanga
47. Post cards
48. Friendship
49. Movie theatres
50. Spending time with family