Spunky and school-spirited, this week’s Campus Cutie has an eye for photography! It’s common to catch Janika Berridge with a camera in hand. As an ambassador, she spent her first week back conducting activities for her floor of freshmen. Janika also serves as a Photo Assistant for TCNJ’s paper The Signal and is involved with the Art Student Association.
Name: Janika Berridge
Age: 19
Year: Junior
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Jersey City stand up. Just kidding, sit down.
Hobbies/activities: Taking pictures, hanging with friends, eh I’m not that exciting.
Favorite place on campus: My room! Or maybe Eickhoff because that’s where everyone gathers to dine and chat.
Favorite thing about TCNJ: The people that I’ve met.
Quirky habits: My more upbeat conversations involve me changing my voice, making faces, and inserting random, insignificant lines. At times, I break out into one-lined songs that I make up as I go along. I also mispronounce or misspell words for added effect/emphasis.
Pet peeves: When people forget to clear the time left on the microwave when they’ve taken out their meal early. When people do not get rid of their Facebook game, app, friend, etc. requests and also when they do not get rid of their hundreds of unread emails.
Favorite movie: The Parent Trap?
Favorite band/musician: I’m one of those people who have 1-2-3 songs by many different artists – I’m not into the whole download the entire album thing. BUT one of my favorite artists is definitely Adele.
Describe yourself in three words: Energetic, funny, and creative.
Fun fact about yourself: I was born on an island and lived there for 7 years. I’m a [U.S.] citizen so don’t go calling immigration services.
Your dream date: Let’s make it happen.
Future plans: To have a future. That’s a serious answer because I’m still unsure of where I’m headed after college so I can only hope that where ever I am, I will be successful.
Something you want to do before you graduate: Well, I’ve already taken two pictures with Dr. Eickhoff so that has been scratched off the list.
What were some highlights of your summer? Since I worked 40 hours a week, the moments spent with friends were definitely the highlights of my summer. I mini golfed for the first time in Howell, NJ; explored Hedden Park in Dover, NJ; bridge jumped in Pittstown, NJ; and tubed down the Delaware River for hours between NJ and PA. Oh, and this photograph.
What’s your favorite part of being a TCNJ ambassador? Having done Welcome Week, I enjoy being a source of information for my “floor bebehs” – they look up to their ambassadors. Being able to share my experiences with others and possibly make a difference is very fulfilling. My job is to represent The College of New Jersey and I love feeling important.
What made you want to become an ambassador? My own Travers 5 [represent] ambassadors. They were so lively and passionate about their job. I didn’t get the job my freshman year but sophomore year, I had grown so much as a student that I did not want to see my time at the college go by without getting more involved and doing something worthwhile.
How did you become interested in photography? Do you have a favorite subject to photograph? Ever since I got my first point and shoot camera, I just loved capturing moments and documenting “the times.” People in their natural states [i.e. candids] are my favorite subjects because their expressions are constantly changing.
* See the above photo for a sample of her fantastic work *