Jacqueline rocked the stage at Afropollo in an awesome hot pink wig… we were lucky enough to talk to her after her big win!
What’s your favorite thing at NU?
The School of Communications and NU’s faculty and staff. I know that my teachers and the administrators care about me and value me. Also, I’ve had some great encounters with house cleaning and dining hall workers. I’ve been treated to plays at The Goodman Theatre like Clybourne Park and when the famous Chemistry teacher Eberhardt sang “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” for me at his Halloween show I just felt warm all over.
You won Afropollo—how’d that feel?
Felt unbelievable. Neither I nor Chuck, thought we would win so I felt surprised and happy. I am really glad that I have friends to support me and cheer me on.
What’s been your most memorable moment at NU?
Last month, I danced at Eberhardt’s Halloween show and I requested that he sing “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” again (he had sung it at last year’s show) and he sang it and then called my name and said he did it for me. The song is special to me because it was one of my grandma’s favorite songs. I really like this annual event because it gives students something to look forward to and at my high school the physics teacher named Julie Hall used to always have a Halloween science lab, which was fun and exciting. I don’t know if this counts because it’s out of town but every single Bhangra competition has been memorable to say the least.
What are you involved with on campus?
I am involved with different Bible study groups and NU Bhangra. I like performing arts so I try to go to, act in, or help run as many StuCo (Student Coalition for theatre) shows as possible and attend a cappella shows but my weekends are so hectic. I’m working with Rives Collins on The Bluest Eye right now. It is a play that is based off of the novel by Toni Morrison and it will be in the Louis Theatre 01.27 until 02.05.
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You’re a woman of many names—why is that?
When I was growing up I refused to be called Jacqueline (my full name) and opted for Jackie instead. Little nick names like JEM and jack and jack jack came from that. Senior year of high school, I started thinking about how people have stage names and what I wanted mine to be. I was taking AP Music Theory and really like “appoggiatura” (the name for a certain type of nonchordal tone) but figured it would be too difficult for people to pronounce. I thought about JEM but that is the name of a recording artist and Jack, but I didn’t want to be mistaken for a boy. Jovial means jolly, merry, mirthful, lively, joven in Spanish is young, javan in hindi is young, giovani in Italian so I just shortened a word I’d use to describe my spirit to Jovie. Its really annoying though because anytime I tell someone my name they hear “Jody” or “Jobie.” I was sitting in church one day this past summer and the point of the sermon was that “Christ is better.” My mind somehow jumped to Christ is better live like you know it and to me that spells out Ciblly ki. So if I ever get big, I’d use Ciblly Ki as a stage name. Its kind of like when you first sit down after learning how to write in cursive and create your signature – that’s the only analogy I can give. or like how Beyonce randomly came out with Sasha Fierce
What’s important to you at NU?
The NU Motto is really important to me.
“Whatsoever things are true,
Whatsoever things are honest,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report,
If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Take care of yourself, Take care of each other, take care of our community called Northwestern.”
I really do feel like I have a place here.
Read more on Afropollo!