This week’s Campus Cutie goes to: Maddie Elias!
Name: Maddie Elias
Hometown: Mill Valley, California
Major: Intended music major
Year: Freshman
Involvement on Campus: Member of University Chorus, interviewed for an article in the Daily Californian
Her Campus: Who is your celebrity crush?
Maddie Elias: It’s between Enrique Iglesias and Johnny Depp. Enrique is the one I could crush on, because he’s good-looking and has a beautiful voice and just seems genuinely nice. Johnny Depp is the one who I like because he’s so multitalented and a phenomenal actor.
HC: What are the top three things on your life bucket list?
ME: 1. Live and learn as a musician. I want to do all kinds of performances with all kinds of groups, get really good at guitar and piano (I already sing), master the technical and theoretical aspects, and so on.
2. Travel. I haven’t been farther out of the U.S. than Canada so far, and I intend to change that. I want to go all over Europe; I’ve been considering studying abroad in Spain during my junior year.
3. Love. That’s a broad statement, but it’s something that’s so, so important to me. Love and affection between family, between friends, between couples. I’ve had a lot of that so far, but there are so many levels of love I haven’t even begun to access, and I want to experience it all.
HC: Where can you be found on a Friday night?
ME: It varies. Sometimes I’m staying in, doing homework or just chilling out. Sometimes I’m out around town with friends, occasionally going to SF or Emeryville.
HC: What do you plan on doing before the end of the semester?
ME: I plan on establishing and/or cementing friendships that will last over the summer and be there when I come back to Cal in the fall.
HC: Favorite song?
ME: There’s no way I can pick just one. My favorites change as I find new music, but right now I like “All of Me” by John Legend, “Spanish Guitar” by Toni Braxton, and any song by Sara Bareilles.
HC: What are your plans for the summer?
ME: I’ve applied for a few jobs at summer camps, so I’m hoping to work at one of those. I also want to get my driver’s license and/or learn Spanish, and do upkeep for the stuff I’ve learned in my music classes (practice!).
HC: Favorite class you’ve taken?
ME: University Chorus. I know, it’s a musical ensemble, but it’s an ensemble course that counts for college credit (2 units, to be exact). I’ve met a lot of cool people there, and we all work hard during practices. The director, Marika Kuzma, is fantastic; she’s so passionate about the music and so dedicated to making sure the chorus sounds fantastic.
HC: Where do you usually shop?
ME: A lot of my clothes are from Forever21 or Macy’s. I also love shopping at local shops and thrift stores, which makes Berkeley a good place for me in that aspect.
HC: If you were stranded on an island, what are three things you would bring?
ME: I’d bring my guitar, since I’d have plenty of free time and could practice to ward off boredom and just to get better at it. A supply of Burt’s Bees chapstick, too; I’m completely hooked on that stuff. And, for the sake of leaving the island, a tracking device that I could activate for people to find me with.
HC: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
ME: I have a vague idea of studying music at a conservatory after graduating from Cal. I’m living in the present as much as I can, though; I want to enjoy what’s happening right now. And, once I get wherever I’ll be in ten years, I want to remember and appreciate how I got there and where I was before.