Name: Chandler Cross
Age: 18
Hometown: Woonsocket, RI
College: Muhlenberg College
Major: Theatre (Acting Concentration) and English
Favorite Food: Spicy Salmon Sushi Roll
Favorite Movie: Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas
Current #1 most played song on my iPod: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
Favorite Quote: “But whether it be dream or truth, to do well is what matters. If it be truth, for truth's sake. If not, then to gain friends for the time when we awaken.” -Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Favorite time of year: Middle of Fall
Plan ahead OR procrastinate: Plan ahead…most of the time. For instance, I procrastinated on this blog. Woops!
Paper OR plastic: Paper
Glass half-full or glass half-empty: Glass half-full
Introvert or extrovert: EXTROVERTTT!!!
Cats or dogs: Dogs!!
Morning person or night person: Night person
What is your most embarrassing moment?
During high school, I worked at a candy and ice cream shop where we would make our own fudge, chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows, smoothies, shakes, and….whipped cream. One day I had to make a new batch of whipped cream. It was my first time disassembling the dispenser and I forgot to hold down the trigger to release the pressure built up by the CO2. So I started to unscrew the top of the dispenser and all of a sudden there’s a huge POP! The CO2 had blown the cap off the dispenser and shot whatever remaining whipped cream all over my apron, my face, my hair, and any objects that were near by. Not only did all of this happen in front of my co-workers and customers, but also I smelled like rotten milk for the rest of the day!
What is the one thing you wish someone had told you about college life that you had to find out on your own?
I wish somebody had told me that nobody actually enforces quiet hours! It will get to be 2 A.M. on a weeknight (quiet hours start at 11 P.M.) and there will be people running up and down the halls screaming. I’m usually the one who has to go out into the hall and play RA for a couple minutes and tell everyone to quiet down. I might get some dirty looks from the immature people that are causing all this noise, but I believe that quiet hours is a time that needs to be respected. People are either trying to sleep or finish up whatever homework they have left. I don’t mind people wanting to have fun with their friends at college, but they can take it outside or to one of the many student lounges that we have in the college’s commons. If I am accepted as an RA for my sophomore year, enforcement of quiet hours will be one of my top priorities.
What is one goal that you have set for yourself and achieved? What is one goal that still remains to be achieved?
I have become extremely involved in college life. I am now a member of the College Choir, Women’s Ensemble Choir, and an all female A Cappella group. Making that A Cappella group was possibly one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. When I first got to Allentown, PA, I didn’t know a single person here. I began auditioning for shows and ensembles like crazy. I auditioned for everything that I possibly could. I waited by my phone, received a lot of “no’s,” cried a lot (trust me, it isn’t easy), but then I was accepted into this amazing community of girls that had been through everything that I had been through. I could connect with these people on every level and they could teach me so much. With their help, I feel like I’ve found my place in Muhlenberg College’s community. The next thing on my list you might ask? I want to become a Writing Assistant for the school’s Writing Center. I’ve already been nominated so hopefully I will get an interview and be on my way to helping students next year improve their writing skills and find their place in the Muhlenberg community!
Sum yourself up in three words.
1. Talented
2. Determined
3. Charismatic
What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
I have a whole laundry list of things that I want to be when I grow up. And why not? Why should I only have one profession my entire life? When I was little, I wanted to be a ballerina/police officer/doctor/veterinarian/whatever else I could think of. And while the jobs themselves have all changed, the ambition to take on multiple professions has not deterred. I want to act, that I know for sure, whether it’s on the big stage on Broadway, the silver screen, or in toothpaste commercials. I also love to sing and play guitar, so maybe I can become a famous singer/songwriter. Even if I can’t, that will always be something that I do regardless of whether it makes me money or not. Continuing the laundry list, I want to be a high school English teacher, news broadcaster, newspaper columnist, freelance writer, coffee shop owner, proud mother, loving wife, dog owner, anything and everything. I want to be someone who does what she loves and loves what she does. I don’t want to compromise my integrity or settle for less than what I deserve. There’s so much that I can do in this world and I want to try it all.
So I might as well get this out of the way now, since it will definitely come up again when Has-Beens rolls around next year (WOO-HOO!). I, Chandler Cross, am an elbow-licker. I can’t remember exactly when I started or what provoked me, but there is one day in particular that stands out in my mind when it comes to my elbow-licking escapades. (For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me explain. The skin on the tip of one’s elbow is completely numb, making one very vulnerable to others, such as myself, when the elbow is exposed. The idea of elbow licking is to lick the target’s elbow without them ever noticing. Following me now?) Anyways, one day all the girls were eating at a café together and one of the police officers that would chauffer us girls around and look out for us came up to me and said, “Hey, I heard you’re the elbow licker. You see that guy over there? That’s David Weincek, the MC for nationals, and a bunch of girls last year tried to get him, but he was always wearing long-sleeved shirts or a jacket. Today he’s wearing short sleeves though. That’s never happened. You’ve got to do something.” At first I laughed and thought Is he serious?! Then I stopped for a second and thought about it. All my friends around me were waiting for a response as to whether I would do it or not. I shook my head, let out a sigh, and rose from my seat. David had his arms stretched across the back of two chairs as he chatted with a couple of my friends. I put my finger up to my lips as I told them not to give away my position. Everyone was watching me. Stealthily, I crouched down, stuck out my tongue, and licked David Weincek’s elbow. Immediately I bolted back to my table as the room erupted with laughter. David didn’t suspect a thing or even know that I had gotten him until someone explained the situation a minute later. This is my single-most favorite moment because it shows just how well my friends embraced my weirdness and how it was something that they loved about me, even though we had only known each other for two weeks. These girls understood my quirks and me better than most people that I’ve known for years. Needless to say during talent practice that night, I was introduced as Chandler “The Elbow Licker” Cross, a nickname I’m sure will stick around for a while.
