Name: Madeline Lenchner
Year: 2017
Hometown: North Salem, NY
Majors/Minors: Biology and HSSP
Her Campus Brandeis: What are you involved in on campus?
Madeline Lenchner: I am involved with a lot of theater on campus, both with the Undergraduate Theater Collective (UTC) and with the theater department. I mostly stage manage, though I have done a little work with lights and sound. I am an Ambassador for Brandies Admissions. I am also an Orientation Leader, for both the fall and midyear orientation programs. Additionally, I work on campus at the Foster Biomedical lab. I also like to attend as many FMLA (Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance) meetings as possible, though my theater schedule tends to overlap with most of the meeting times.
HC: What is your favorite thing about being an Orientation Leader?
ML: I love being a part of new students’ journeys here on campus. It took me a while to figure out not only where I wanted to attend college, but once I got here it took me quite a while to feel at home. I want to help students find their niches here on campus and I want them to always feel welcome and wanted.
HC: You are involved in a lot of theater on campus. Are there any productions that have been your favorites? What productions are you involved in this semester?
ML: My favorite UTC production that I have worked on was the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This production was put up my sophomore year, second semester. It is the only musical I have ever worked on here at Brandeis. It was really funny and the cast was phenomenal! My favorite show I’ve worked on with the department is probably the show I am working on this semester. It’s called Taking Ages and it is a sketch comedy show about major historical occurrences and how we, as a society, may misunderstand some of the major motivations behind events. Just to give you some sneak peeks, it involves a romance between Lewis and Clarke and a Nazi Slumber party!
HC: You were a midyear yourself, and you’ve been a midyear orientation leader for 3 years! In your opinion, what makes being a midyear special? What advice do you have for midyears?
ML: Being a midyear is a completely unique way to experience the first year of college. I think the first semester off gives students the opportunity to figure out what they really want from their college experience, whether it be to have a really active social life, to appreciate what Boston has to offer, or to expand academic exploration. I have seen so many eager students expand the scope of their college experience and I think the midyear program is a driving force behind this desire to grow and learn. My advice to midyears is to let what happens happen. There really is no reason to compare college experiences with other fall-admitted first-years. Everyone has their own story at college and your story is just a little more intriguing and different!
HC: Since it’s your last semester on campus, is there anything still on your Brandeis bucket list?
ML: I still haven’t been to Liquid Latex…I don’t plan on participating, but it seems like a really fun and unconventional event that Brandeis offers. I feel fortunate to have some really enthusiastic friends, so I’ve gotten to experience a lot of Brandeis’ hidden quirks.
Quick Facts
Favorite food: Pho
Favorite Boston attraction: the Freedom Trail- I love historical attractions!!
Favorite TV show: Psych
Favorite spot on campus: Theater Department’s Chair room