Working at ARTS NC STATE…Anything but Boring

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Photo: Students Peter Lalush (left) and Areon Mobasher (right) work the ANCS Orientation Table

By Peter Lalush

The last job I had was a food service job which I kind of knew what to expect in. Go in, be bored. I knew that this summer I wanted to do something interesting, something I had more of a vested interest in than chopping vegetables and washing dishes. I chose to look to Arts NC State since I’d lived in the Arts Village (and was planning to do so again) and have been part of University Theatre for my entire time here at State. I’ve loved theatre and music and art in general for as long as I can remember, and getting involved with an organization that deals with all of those things falls under the category of “dream job”.

If there’s one thing working at Arts NC State isn’t, it’s boring. I’ve been doing all kinds of interesting things throughout my time here. My very first day at work, I helped move an entire collection of student-made art from the Gregg Museum’s interim location to Talley Student Center. Throughout the month of July, I worked the Arts table at New Student Orientation, talking to incoming freshmen about why our organization is so great. And in between all that I’ve been working in the office, helping organize arts classes and arts events.

It’s a little surreal, walking through the new Talley and seeing the art I helped organize hanging on the walls. Knowing I’m doing something to help make the campus more colorful and bring the arts to more people is a satisfaction I could never get from another job. Working Orientation in particular made me smile like crazy, seeing these fresh faces coming in and wanting to know more about how to get involved in theatre or where they can paint or make things with their hands and seeing them just light up when I tell them that anyone can get involved regardless of their major – students from all the colleges, from engineering to humanities, would come to us and be interested in not just experiencing art, but taking part in making it happen as well.

Working in the arts office has been quite the experience as well. I love the new space – the design is sharp and futuristic, far from a boring desk job. It’s an office I look forward to coming into every day I work, and not just for the architecture and the view – my coworkers are always wonderful and nice to be around. Amy Sawyers in particular is the one who gives me my assignments, and she’s always cheerful and ready to answer any questions I – or anyone – might have. The student workers, Areon and Varsha, are also easy to work with and talk to. In fact, everyone in the office is friendly and accommodating, and it makes for an environment that I never dread working in.

I can’t wait to see what Arts NC State has coming up this year. As a member of the Arts Village, I’m looking forward to off campus theatre events such as A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and SPAMALOT! as well as gallery events at CAM and the NC Museum of Art are always my favorite – I’m particularly excited to go to First Friday again. As a member of the Arts Village, I’m eagerly anticipating the new faces in the building, and I’m excited to make new friends and help to bring arts events like these to them. My next year in the Arts Village is already promising to be as good as, if not better than, my last one, and I’m on the edge of my seat to see what we have in store in the coming year.

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