It’s hard being a CMU student. It’s even harder being a CMU Architecture student. It’s even harder still being a CMU Architecture student with an internship and a newly founded club to lead. Yet somehow, this campus celebrity finds a way to do it all and only miss a moderate amount of sleep (okay, slightly more than a moderate amount of sleep). This campus celebrity is Cheyenne Bell, first-year Archie, Sustainability Intern, and Co-Founder and Co-President of the CMU Figure Skating Club.
Cheyenne grew up in Los Angeles, California, so naturally moving to Pittsburgh and dealing with the new weather was a big change for her. The cold wasn’t so different, however, because Cheyenne started figure skating when she was six years old. Before coming to CMU, Cheyenne was skating six days a week and performing programs up to four minutes in length. She passed her Senior Freestyle test in 2014 (the highest test in US Figure Skating). Today she is consistently landing her double jumps and performs many of the same spins as Olympic skaters.
Cheyenne knew that she couldn’t keep skating anywhere close to the same intensity when she came to college, but she didn’t want to give up years of hard work. When she found another figure skating first-year while looking for a roommate, she knew that she was one step closer to getting back on the ice. Cheyenne hung up her All Year Figure Skating Club jacket in the hopes of putting on a new one, bearing the name of the CMU Figure Skating Club. She and her roommate started searching for other skaters on campus and began the long process of starting a club.
Third time’s a charm, so after their third presentation in front of the Committee on Student Organizations, the club was given a positive initial leaning, the first step to becoming a recognized organization. Though they didn’t receive recognition until February 17, CMU FSC celebrated National Skating Month in January with an open skating event at the Schenley Park Ice Rink. The event had a great turnout, and Cheyenne performed a program to Michael Bublé’s “Feelin’ Good.” The song choice was very fitting for a performance showcasing Cheyenne’s talent and passion.
When she’s not on the ice, Cheyenne works as an intern for myActions, an organization that promotes green and healthy living initiatives on college campuses. She is also an active member of the Sustainable Earth Club and participated in the People’s Climate March in New York City last September. She spends the rest of her time in the architecture studio preparing drawings and models of sustainable buildings of the future. It may seem like a lot of work, but Cheyenne doesn’t mind; her heart is most definitely in it.