By: Lauren Male ’27
As the semester comes to a close, I, along with many of my peers, have begun to reflecton our time here and the way our first semester has “set the pace” for the years to come. I’m sitting down with three close friends from starkly different backgrounds and majors in order to get a reading on the way our first semester at Pace has treated us.
Meet Sohani Sawant (‘27), an Acting BFA major from San Francisco, California (right). She describes her life in New York City as feeling fulfilling, unlike back home. She felt like she’d grown up in a bubble, seeing the same people and doing the same activities every day. In New York, Sohani gets to be spontaneous, experiencing new people and things by the day. Also joining us is Leah Eastwood (‘26), a Film and Screen Studies and Psychology double major from Long Island, New York (middle). She enjoys the freedom of the city, as opposed to the car-centered suburbia of the Island. Unlike back home, Leah is never bored, and instead always feels like she has somewhere to go or something to do. Finally, Caroline Lattanzio (‘27), an Arts and Entertainment Major from Fayetteville, Arkansas (left), describes her favorite part about living in the city: availability. Without the need to drive everywhere, she feels people, events, and activities are more easily available and accessible to her.
First, let’s talk about our experiences adjusting to college life in the city. Caroline, reminiscing on the first few weeks of school, remembers how overwhelmed she felt having to juggle acclimating to the bustle of the city with keeping up with classes, social life, and mental health. Something that has helped her and others adjust is the suite-style living available in the freshman dorm; as Sohani states, “sometimes the ‘forced proximity’ trope really works.” Though we were all nervous about living with six, eight, or even nine other roommates, suite-style living in 15 Beekman has given freshmen the opportunity to forge a sort of built-in friend group and support system to help us through the changes. As well, Caroline notes, “having Honors Welcome Week was a nice way to ease into college living and bond with suitemates.”
Along with suite-style living, some of our favorite things about Pace include the supportive Honors community, the emphasis on career preparation and experiential learning, and its location. Leah refers back to the decision process, when she picked Pace, for a large part, based on the good reputation of the Honors program and advisors, along with that of the film program. She feels that the support of the community has made the transition to college life smoother and less daunting. As Sohani notes, being part of the Acting BFA community, the support she’s found within her peers and from the school itself in looking for roles and pursuing her passions has been both comforting and empowering. The emphasis Pace, and especially the Honors program, places on career readiness and experiential learning is something that we found unique to this school. According to Caroline, Pace, being in New York City and prioritizing the need for career-focused education, acts as a hotspot for any and all careers. She especially appreciates the way her Arts and Entertainment Management major has allowed her to explore all the different sides and niches of the management and entertainment industry.
Pace’s location in New York City has also proven to be a significant benefit to its students. The Seaport Pier has, for us and many others, become a haven of comfort and peace away from the stress of school. The beautiful view and the relaxing sound of the waves crashing on the pier makes it a perfect place for a therapy session, to hang with friends, or to have a picnic. 2 Bros pizza on Nassau has had a similar impact on Pace students: when the dining hall has closed and we’re scrounging for cheap, but delicious, food, 2 Bros has never let us down. As Caroline remarks, “2 Bros Pizza makes my life better and cures my depression.”
There are so many things to love about Pace, but there are also certain aspects that we’d like to see improved in the coming years. Specifically, Leah mentions, the inconsistencies with the GrubHub app and what ingredients are available, its incredibly inaccurate time estimates, and the ambiguity surrounding what food items are worth a meal swipe versus those that aren’t. Additionally, Sohani and Caroline both criticize Pace’s use of Classes in its difficulty to navigate and find class resources, especially compared to common high school portals like Google Classroom or Schoology.
Our first semester at Pace has been filled with adventure, new experiences, and excitement, paired with a little studying. In our second semester, Sohani, Leah, and Caroline are excited to visit dog cafes, go ice skating, attend concerts, and take their new classes. I hope the rest of the student body and administrative team has had as good a time as we have, and we can’t wait to see what the next semester brings us!