This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oxy chapter.
Name: Jeremy Childs
Major/Minor: English and Comparative Literary Studies/ Critical Theory and Social Justice
Year: Junior
Hometown: Newbury Park, CA
When looking for colleges, Jeremy Childs always felt he would belong at Occidental. He hadn’t been very involved in high school, so he wanted to be in an environment that would change that and also cultivate his passion for different kinds of art. Looking at his on-campus activities, you might say that he’s accomplished that goal. If you’re involved at all in the creative community at Oxy, you’ve probably run into Jeremy at one point.
Jeremy’s long list of extracurriculars attests to the variety of hats he’s worn aside from being a full-time student. Currently, he is Vice President of Spoken Word Club, a staff writer for The Occidental Weekly, a KOXY DJ for his indie pop radio show “Proof of Youth”, an editor of Feast Arts and Literary Magazine, and a blogger for the Office of Admissions. This year he is also involved in Dance Production, Queer Straight Alliance, Hillel, O-team, and the ECLS Student Committee.
Despite his busy schedule, he hasn’t found too many conflicts between his many commitments. For one, Feast Magazine submissions season takes place during the spring while O-team starts before the beginning of fall semester. However, he’s glad that he didn’t choose to take on these responsibilities all at once.
“I did it gradually,” Jeremy said. “I’m in my junior year right now, and things have piled on over time. Freshman year I wasn’t on any e-boards and I wasn’t too involved, I was testing the waters a bit.”
Much of Jeremy’s Oxy experience has been shaped by his ventures outside of his comfort zone. Before college, he’d never imagined being involved in organizations like Spoken Word Club and Dance Production. “When I first came to Oxy, I had zero experience in spoken word,” he said. “I tried it out because I knew it would be interesting and I knew I liked poetry. It ended up being one of my favorite aspects of Occidental.”
Creatively, he’s particularly inspired by musician Regina Spektor. “She’s an incredible poet and musician who sticks to her values,” Jeremy said about one of his favorite artists. As for day-to-day inspiration, he doesn’t have to look too far. His peers at college have given him any encouragement and support he’s needed throughout the past couple years.
For first-years hoping to get more involved on campus, Jeremy warned against getting too overwhelmed. “Don’t overdo it your first semester because it’s very easy to over-commit. Try something and test the waters. College is an experience unlike anything you’ve ever had before or will have!”