The phenomenon of “the girl crush” has been circulating the globe for as long as anyone can remember. English women back in the 1500s probably wanted to be Queen Elizabeth just as badly as ninety-percent of the female population wants to be Jennifer Lawrence today. And no, it’s not just because both were rich and famous; there are plenty of women like that who aren’t nearly as admired (I’m talking to you, Miley Cyrus). It takes a certain kind of girl do be deemed “crushable”, and here’s a profile of some bonafide girl crushes walking around campus.
Name: Emily Neuberger
Year: 2016
Major: Vocal Performance (with a focus in Musical Theater)
Hometown: Chicago Area, Illinois
Girl Crush Status: You know those people where it’s impossible to be sad around? That have a habit of laughing at everything without it being a front? Who you can’t imagine, ever, ever being in a bad mood? That’s Emily. Not only is she intelligent and talented, but she’s peppy in a way that doesn’t makes you angry, it makes you peppy too. One of the few people who likes Musical Theater but not Glee, the Girl Crush section is graced with Emily’s smiling face.
HC NYU: Who are your personal girl crushes and why?
EN: Oh my God, personal girl crushes…I’m pretty obsessed with Audra McDonald. Meryl Streep, but is it weird that she’s old? Whatever, I don’t care, she’s badass! I love that woman! Oh, Emma Watson, duh– she’s just a classy bitch and she’s perfect. Also, Diane Paulus: she’s one of the few female directors around and she’s really cool.
HC NYU: Any girl crushes you disagree with?
EN: Ugh, I can’t stand that girl from Glee (I just really don’t like Glee), Lea Michelle. She’s so fake, it’s all about her when she performs. That’s a quality that a lot of actors have, the “it’s my moment”.
HC NYU: So then what are some qualities that make someone less-crushable?
EN: They’re– it’s all about them, and they don’t think about other people’s feelings, or realize that other people have their own lives and problems.
HC NYU: What do you intend to do with your musical theater major?
EN: I love to sing, so I’d like to sing professionally and/or perform professionally, which I’ve been doing, only on a larger scale. I’d also like to write plays (not musicals) or direct.
HC NYU: Any favorite musicals?
EN: Yes. West Side Story is a big favorite. I also love A Little Night Music (based on a Mozart piece, written by Stephen Sondheim). And Rent— it’s stereotypical, but whatever. I also saw Fun Home [recently] and it’s the best new thing. I left the show and bought another ticket. I knew the composer, and when I saw she was working on something new I decided to go see it. She’s one of the few female composers out there.
HC NYU: What are some of your favorite qualities about yourself?
EN: I like that I’m creative, and that I’m musical and that I like to run, because as I run I like to daydream. As I run I make stories up in my head, and when I go running I put music on and I can make a stories with a soundtrack. Plus I like to de-stress like that. Oh, and I like my friends– that’s not a quality, but it kind of is. You know how they’re supposed to be reflections of yourself? Sometimes when I get down on myself then I look at them, I just think “If these cool people want to hang out with me, I can’t me that bad.”