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Redefining Success — COVERing April/May 2018 Print (co-written with Michala White)

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“A person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity.” That is the dictionary’s definition of success. In reality, the idea of success changes over time and means something different to everyone. We know that sometimes it feels as if there are only a handful of options after you graduate. In reality, you can do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy! Whether it’s grad school, accepting a job offer, or taking some time off, there are plenty of ways to lead a fulfilling life and reach your personal version of success.

Not everyone idealizes the American dream anymore. The perfect vision of success used to be a house fit for a married couple and their two children, enclosed in a white picket fence. But now, success can simply mean achieving your definition of true happiness. Sometimes we want to reach certain goals and follow certain paths to please others. But what really matters is making sure you are happy with what you are doing, because you are living your life for you. That is what success is today.

The slogan “Spartans Will” is a phrase that each student has carried close to their hearts after receiving their acceptance letters. We see it plastered around campus, in ads and some of us even analyze the campaign in classes. To many, “Spartans Will” encourages a mentality of tackling difficult problems head-on, overcoming challenges and changing the world. It means standing up for what you believe in, speaking out and making a difference. When you look at what “Spartans Will” means to students, it’s obvious that there is a direct link to success. This slogan empowers and encourages students to define success in their own, unique versions. At any stage of a college education, it’s scary to stop and think, “well what’s next?” It seems as though there are endless options and opportunities.

If you didn’t want to jump right into your career after graduation, an option that you might consider is taking a gap year. But we already know why you might not consider doing that. You could be risking financial instability; your family will question every move you make and you could feel weird about taking different paths than your friends or peers. There isn’t one particular reason why people take a gap year, but it certainly allows them to experience life in new ways outside of school and work. While taking time off, you could travel the world, learn new skills, focus on your mental health, join the peace corps or do something abroad to learn about other cultures. Your gap year might not be a cookie cutter experience like you’d expect it to be. But who knows, it could be everything you didn’t know you needed.

To get the inside scoop on this kind of path after graduation, here are some insights from Meghan Green — an MSU alumna who has recently been traveling the world and has taught in Thailand.

“I think I realized while sitting in one of my final lectures that if I wanted to do something like this it would be now or never,” said Green. “I know the world is huge and there’s so much we can learn from one another and from our own experiences in a different culture.”

Green taught English in Thailand and hasn’t second-guessed her decision yet. She kept a blog during her time teaching as a way to reflect on her experiences.

Green loved the education she gained at MSU, and she can’t wait to eventually start her career. But for now, she wishes to travel throughout more of Southeast Asia before heading home.

“There are so many things I have learned in Thailand that I will be able to come home with. I don’t even know where to begin. Learning to navigate and adapt to a foreign culture, problem-solving foreign concepts like transportation, learning to communicate in another language, learning to be flexible and learning life lessons from people who grew up with a totally different perspective,” said Green.

Experiencing a different culture has taught Green that once she begins the start of her career, she at least wants to dedicate a couple weeks per year for traveling. You could say her definition of success is to become more of a global citizen and to become more culturally aware.

If taking a whole year off after graduation isn’t your speed, but you still want to travel and explore the world, you can definitely find a way to balance your career and your adventures! Nicole Jakubik graduated from MSUin spring 2016 with a degree in media and information technology, and a concentration in television, film and radio. She now works in the Metro Detroit area for an independent television and film studio as an associate producer. Her plans and goals changed a lot over the course of her senior year.

“During my first semester I was super confident that I was going to move to New York City and work at a major television network,” said Green. “Second semester came around and it became very clear that my plan was not going to happen anytime soon. The thirty jobs I applied to quickly turned into over a hundred, and I still had no job offers. I was totally freaking out. It’s so easy to get this idea in your head of what your plan in life should be, and think that somehow that plan is going to fall into place.”

After weighing her options and working hard to figure out a backup plan, one of her mother’s coworkers was able to put her in contact with someone starting a film company and she landed the job she has now.

While Jakubik thinks taking a gap year sounds like an amazing opportunity, she didn’t personally feel that she could take an entire year off to travel. “I knew I needed to start my career as soon as I could. As much as I love traveling, I also love working.” She decided to take control of her days off, and make sure she is able to fulfill her travel goals while also pursuing her career goals.

“It’s easy to get trapped into the career mindset that Americans have that you have to work all of the time, and if you take vacation or personal days, it means you’re lazy,” said Jakubik. “Don’t listen to that. Traveling can absolutely fit into your career. Use weekends. Where can you go from Friday to Sunday? If it’s a short plane ride or trip in the car, I’ll leave after work on Friday and get back as late as possible Sunday. Use long weekends for trips where you want extra time, or use personal days to create a long weekend! If I want to go somewhere international, that’s when I’ll use vacation time.”

Once you hit college, you have been in school for about 16 years non-stop — if you go straight from high school to college. That is a long time without getting a break. It is drilled into our heads that we can only reach success from going to school, but that’s not always the case. You can learn something new from every experience you have, and what better way to learn than to have rich, diverse experiences?

You can learn about different walks of life just by traveling the world, observing and talking to others. It is okay to jump right into your career after graduation, and it is okay to take some time to tend to yourself if need be. Your definition of what success is and how you reach it is truly up to you.

Melodies of MSU How MSU’s students and faculty embrace music as a community — COVERing March 2018 Print

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MSU’s College of Music is a hidden gem on campus. It’s listed in Niche’s top 50 music schools in America and offers many different bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree options. It even offers non-degree programs, including a minor in music and a performance diploma. The College of Music however offers far more than just degrees — it creates a unique community on campus by offering inclusive sessions and workshops called Listening and Healing that are enjoyed by students who are involved with the college. These events are the basis for a supportive environment in which students, faculty and staff participate in, to initiate a unanimous responsibility that embraces students’ similarities while celebrating their differences.

Casey Sherwood and Connor Bulka are freshmen who benefit from the community aspect of the College of Music. Sherwood studies vocal performance with dreams of singing for international opera companies and beginning a nonprofit that brings the benefits of learning and performing music to children, who do not have the opportunities in their daily lives to do so. Bulka is studying music performance, and his instrument is a tuba. He plans on either performing in a professional orchestra or becoming a music professor for small groups of students.

The pair are part of a tight-knit community that is created by the College of Music. “It’s two buildings; you’re with the same people all day. You get really close, really fast,” said Sherwood, thinking of how she was instantly able to make friends when she came to campus in the fall. “The voice department all comes together on Thursday afternoons and has recital hours, so you get to see the entire vocal department perform and see what they’ve been working on. You’re there to support each other and aspire to be better together.”

Bulka has found his community by making personal connections with music majors outside of the college, especially in university-required courses. “Since our schedules are so similar, I’ll be going to my Africa Studies class and see someone from my music class, and I can go over and spark up a conversation,” said Bulka.

Sherwood and Bulka are also huge advocates for non-music majors participating in music on campus. “There are choirs here that you don’t need to be a music major to be in. All you have to do is audition!” Sherwood explains. This is a perfect opportunity for students who have a passion for music performance but decided not to study music in college. “Some professors even do individual lessons,” Bulka adds. The College of Music offers countless performances that are free to students and anyone who enjoys watching and listening to live music. “On Fridays, the College of Music puts on concerts in the lobby of Landon Hall,” Sherwood mentions while listing off countless musical events that are free to Spartan students. “Music enhances life in the right ways.”

The College of Music aims to share its community spirit with the rest of MSU by making it easy for students who are not music majors to get involved in all the fun; music is a universal language, and everyone has some sort of experience with music. While music can provide a personal experience, it’s also a factor in creating a fiercely inclusive community. Concerts, open mic nights and karaoke at Crunchy’s all contribute to the community aspect. There are also plenty of courses that non-music majors can enroll in and get their fix of music education.

Professor Joseph Steinhardt, Ph.D., is a perfect example of how music courses can become inclusive and reach even non-music majors. He teaches in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences under the department of advertising and public relations. He may be a professor now, but back in 2003 he started Don Giovanni Records while in college. The record label started while Steinhardt was in a band at Boston University, and he moved the label to New Brunswick after graduation. Don Giovanni typically focuses on bands local to the New York and New Jersey scene and has a formidable reputation for backing female and LGBT artists. Now that Steinhardt is a professor, he shares his wealth of knowledge in the music industry with his students. In his Independent Music Culture and Society course, students from any major can spend a semester learning about the operations of an independent record label by gaining hands-on experience in the manufacturing, distribution, press and marketing functions of a label. The goal of the course is to prepare students who are interested in working in music-related fields for any sort of job they could possibly apply for. Through this course, Steinhardt came up with the idea to create a minor in indie music production.

“The idea of this class is that you don’t have to be a musician or a music major to work in the music industry,” Steinhardt said. “The culture side fosters community and it fosters political change. It has a significant impact on culture. Music can’t just be a product; it’s more important than that.”

While Steinhardt cannot promise that this minor will show up in MSU’s degree navigator any time soon, he is excited to continue to work with the college of Communication Arts and Sciences to make it happen.

The MSU Community Music School is located on Hagadorn road, right across from campus. It was founded in 1993 with the goal of providing everyone in the community with an access to music education. They are inclusive of everyone, regardless of age, ability or income. The music school offers private lessons, group classes and ensembles, summer camps and music therapy. Jamie DeMott, director of the music school, is an MSU alumna who has always had a passion for music. DeMott graduated from MSU in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in music education and pursued her master’s degree in arts and youth development in 2009. As director, she “oversee[s] all programs, all faculty — basically the operations of the Community Music School as a whole. Every day is different.”

The range of services, sessions and courses that the MSU Community Music School offers to members of the community is expansive. “We offer music education and music therapy from birth through senior adults,” DeMott said. “It truly runs the gamut. We have had students as young as just days old.” One of the most special aspects of the school is the use of music therapy to help children and adults. The courses aim to use “the therapeutic use of music to address anything from closed brain injuries to autism.” The sessions are taught by MSU music students, professional musicians and music educators who each bring unique methods and style to each class. The school also functions as the lab for MSU music students, giving students hands-on experience as music educators.

Music is a force that has the incredible ability to create community and culture. It brings people together every day and serves a critical role in students’ lives at MSU. From music majors and professors to students studying an array of different topics, music is one thing that connects them all.

Maggie Morgan is a junior majoring in Professional Writing with a concentration in Creative Writing. Hobbies include: spending all of her money on concert tickets, trying to convince Green Day to let her be their friend, geeking out about music history, dreaming of writing for Rolling Stone. You can follow her on instagram at @swaggie_.maggie.