Dear reader, what is your vision?
This question was answered by around 15 Swifties in the Makerspace on Sept. 8. Their answers were colorful and unique, manifested using decorative parchments, glue sticks, scissors and stamps. All the while, Taylor Swift was echoing throughout the joy-filled room.
“I’m a big Taylor Swift fan… I just think [creating vision boards is] a really cool idea,” said Meghan Niegam, a first-year student. “My favorite song is ‘Invisible String,’ and [my favorite] era is ‘Speak Now Taylors Version,’ but also the original,” said Niegman.
Going into any semester, it is important to set goals and to set yourself up for success. As Swift would say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
“People can kind of set their intentions, decide what era they’re entering or maybe even exiting,” said Katie Scariot, a fifth-year student and the president/founder of the Swifties Club at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Scariot also commented, “I would say that right now I’m in my ‘Speak Now’ era, and I’m gonna stay there for a minute. My favorite song right now is ‘The Lakes’ from Folklore.”
Looking around at all of the gorgeous creations, there was a shared happiness which radiated throughout the Makerspace.
Some used specific colors and patterns to represent their favorite Swift album. One participant used newspaper clippings to mimic the “Reputation album,” while others utilized photographs of friends and family to add a personal flare.
“The Makerspace provides resources to students, it’s a place to build community,” said Rachell Hester, the Makerspace coordinator. “I feel like being able to come in here and destress as a student helps with grades and retention. I love my job… I hope it provides a sense of belonging on campus,” she said.
Swift has polarized society for many years; colossal crowds adore the musician while others scoff at the idea of her.
“I love her, I love everything that she does. I love how whenever she toured for The Eras Tour, she donated to charities and food banks for the city she was in; and she gave back to the economy and surrounding small businesses,” said Maggie Pereja, a first-year student. “My favorite era is ‘Speak Now’ because of all the purple, it’s so cute!”
This fall, try to envision how you want your semester to look! It might just work out. More on Taylor Swift and her global impact to come…
