Name: Noah Schenirer
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Year: Junior
Major: Public Affairs
Fun Fact: I didn’t know that I could touch my tongue to my nose until I was 19. Then I did it for a week straight, just walked around with my tongue on my nose.
Involvement: SEAC Vice President of Administration, Student Admissions Representative, Student Alumni Ambassadors Director of Membership, member of the Jewish Student Union, and New Student Retreat Leader.
What is your favorite quote and what meaning does it hold for you?
“If people looked up at the stars more often, I bet they’d live their lives a whole lot differently,” from a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. I actually have that specific frame as a tattoo on my arm. I think it’s an incredibly powerful expression on grounding.
Calvin is commenting on the fact that people generally don’t seem to take the time to look up and just see what’s going on outside their own frame of reference. I think it’s really important to try to empathize with others, not only to be supportive but also to gain insight into your own frame of reference.
My family has a cabin in Tahoe and whenever we would go up there as kids, I would spend a few hours with my big brother and my dad on the patio, just looking up. We were able to see the Milky Way and it was so clear, it made me feel so infinitesimal. I liked that feeling. It’s made me really focus on how I can make a difference in my own world.
How do you express yourself creatively and where do you find inspiration for your work?
Writing and poetry—I write a lot. I like to sit down and write and just let my mind wander. Plus, I love to write poetry. I’m actually in a slam poetry class this quarter and it’s been great to be able to get credit for a hobby.
I also draw a decent amount. All of these are times when I get to take a breath, stop worrying about everything that’s going on around me, and let my mind wander.
Inspirationally, I like to sit in a busy spot and just drown people out with music and wander into weird places of my mind. It’s kind of like when it’s three in the morning and you can’t sleep and you finally get to that weird place of YouTube, but in my mind. That’s the best.
Two of many of Noah’s pieces of work.
If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?
I like puppies.
What has been your best experience here at SU thus far?
Probably going on Search Retreat with Campus Ministry. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a supportive and loving community. That weekend was perfect. It was beautiful, and snowing (but not too much), and I had plenty of time to relax and think about how I was doing.
Because of that, I’ve really dived into my spirituality and I know that I’ve come a long way in my journey. It’s been really interesting to reflect back on how I would react and interact to situation with people three years ago coming into college, and how I now hold conversations and view the world. So “best” experience is more like “most moving” experience.
Can you name one thing you have on your personal bucket list?
For my personal bucket list while attending SU, I want to be invited to dinner with the Jesuits at the Arrupe House.
In life, I want to travel to all seven continents, start a non-profit, work for Disney give someone a life-changing motivational speech. There’s a lot on that list.
What kind of impact do you hope to create here at Seattle University?
What a weighted question. The one thing that I want people to remember me by, above all else, is that I made them laugh.