Pictures by CoCo Lin
A September sun shines brightly against a deep, ultramarine blue sky and humid and hot air leaves people’s skin feeling sticky. At the 68th Street No. 6 Hunter College Station stop on Manhattan’s East Side, a crowd rushes off a jam-packed 6 train. Slowly, like a colony of ants, they climb the station stairs, pass through turnstiles and enter one of the campus buildings.
Students heading to underground entrance to campus. Picture by Coco Lin.
Inside, students can be seen sitting along the campus sky bridges connecting the North and West buildings, loud noises from the construction outside can’t be heard, and crowded elevators in the North Building seem to be moving at leisurely paces. Summer seems to be far from over, yet, it is already the beginning of the fall semester.
Campus seems this semester to have a more accelerated pace than other semesters, especially those during the the pandemic.
But is being in person for classes enough to cause students to anticipate a successful semester? How are students feeling as the semester begins? What are their semester goals? As the end of the first week drew near, students interviewed in a journalism feature writing class by this reporter expressed differing emotions.
Shannon McGee, wearing a fuzzy white sweater, a Snoopy tattoo on her right wrist, and long Barbie pink nails, said she was stressed. McGee, 24, commutes more than an hour one way from Westchester County, New York, where she lives. This senior majoring in media studies, with a concentration in journalism, is enrolled in five classes this semester.
Shannon McGee. Picture by Coco Lin
McGee wants to pursue a career in sports journalism, particularly with a focus on hockey. She is also interested in other media areas such as public relations, marketing and communications for businesses. She enrolled in a feature writing course to improve her writing skills and to publish sports articles for a portfolio that could help her get internships and jobs in the competitive New York City market.
“I would love to work for the New York Rangers, NHL, or even Madison Square Garden,” said McGee. Asked if she would relocate to find more job opportunities, she said, “I don’t really want to leave New York. Everything is here. It’s hard in hockey when the season is over. They (media and news media) cover baseball and other things but I don’t want to do that. No one really knows about the sports side, it’s tough when no one gives support.”
“I [hope] to obtain an internship at NHL or the NY Rangers … I applied for one at Madison Square Garden last May but never heard back,” she said. Asked about short term semester goals, McGee said, “My goal is to become more fluent in Spanish.”
Third-floor student cafeteria. Picture by Coco Lin.
Conor Sullivan, 20, of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, sat in a relaxed position wearing a large blue T-shirt, gray Nike sweatpants, and gray running shoes when he was interviewed. “I feel pretty good,” he said. “I am the most productive in the fall. I try to make classes more challenging and ease off in the spring.”
Conor Sullivan. Picture by Coco Lin
Sullivan said he is at school most days of the week starting from 7 a.m. ending at 8 p.m. He works as a doorman at a luxury apartment in Brooklyn on weekends. “I have to pay out of pocket to cover school,” said Sullivan. His career goals include sports journalism, sport psychology and general counseling, but he is not sure which field he wants to specialize in.
Sullivan, who double majors in clinical psychology and media studies with a concentration in journalism, competes on the Hunter Hawks Men’s Division III Soccer Team, playing center-back. He said he hoped his team wins a championship this year because it hasn’t won one in 15 years.
He got into soccer because his dad loves watching soccer and signed him up for soccer classes. Sullivan mentioned how he experienced hip pain as a sophomore in high school and thought he could “just sleep it off” but soon discovered he had a genetic condition that would require surgeries. “I’m clear (to play soccer). They (doctors) tell me I’m fine and to be careful,” he said. “I need at least one or two more after college.”
Coco Lin can be reached at COCO.LIN19@myhunter.cuny.edu