By Ally Hadge, Features Editor
Esti DeAngelis is a current junior at Stern College for Women majoring in English media studies with a journalism concentration. She is a student from Chicago, Illinois with a passion for reading and writing.
What does writing mean to you?
I’ve loved writing since I was super little. I started taking it more seriously in high school, and it’s become a crucial expressive outlet for me. I’m a passionate person, and using writing (whether creative, academic, or journalistic) to communicate a tiny fraction of what’s going on in my head is such an empowering feeling. I thank G-d for giving me the ability to do this because my life really wouldn’t be the same without my writing.
What do you hope to accomplish with writing?
I hope to accomplish whatever it is that the writers I most look up to, people like J. D. Salinger, Sylvia Plath, and J. K. Rowling, have accomplished. I used to want to be an author, but I’ve since shifted my focus to journalism as a more realistic career path. Yet I think in essence all writing has the same goal of changing the reader in some fundamental way. I wouldn’t be the same person I am today without having read certain books.
What’s your favorite class you have taken at YU and why?
I feel like I’m obligated to pick an English class, but in truth my favorite class so far has been Sense of Music. I play the piano and a couple other instruments, and I unironically listen to classical music throughout the day. I took the class with a few friends, and it was just the most fun experience where I really got to express my enthusiasm for classical music and deepen my appreciation for it.
Why did you choose to attend Yeshiva University?
I knew I wanted to attend a Jewish college, but I also have a lot of passions and interests that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to feed at some other places. YU provides the strong Jewish environment I wanted along with the wide range of classes and extracurricular opportunities that have been so important for me.
What did you do this past summer?
My father owns and manages a building in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, and for a long time he’s been wanting to create a podcast that highlights the neighborhood’s history through the lens of its iconic music, which I spent the summer researching. The project isn’t done yet, but it’s definitely been an interesting challenge for me because these aren’t subjects I would have chosen to research on my own.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
That’s a hard question. Careerwise, I hope I have a job writing at a publication where I don’t have to hide or compromise my conservative and religious values.
What is the most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
I’m not an adventurous person at all, so most of the brave or adventurous things I’ve done in my life have been more decisions I’ve made than crazy experiences I’ve had, if that makes sense. For example, after high school I decided to start a podcast. I’m not super consistent with it any more, but it was definitely adventurous to put myself out there like that.
Which article that you’ve written are you most proud of?
This one’s difficult because I only started as a staff writer for the YU Observer this summer, so I only have two pieces published, including one in this edition [titled], “Nosei B’ol is Uncomfortable. But That’s the Point.” I would definitely say though that that’s the one of which I’m most proud. I spent a lot of time making sure everything was said in the proper way because I knew it could come off as disrespectful if it wasn’t approached carefully. But I don’t think I’ve ever cared so deeply about a topic in my life. It’s a piece I’m glad I wrote.
Photo Caption: Esti DeAngelis joined the YU Observer as a staff writer this past summer
Photo Credit: Esti DeAngelis