Candy Chang, an artist, designer and advocate for changing the way society shares information in hopes of improving worldwide neighborhoods, visited Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd. Founder of various projects such as “Confessions”, which is, according to Chang’s website, “a public art project that invites people to anonymously share their confessions and see the confessions of the people around them in the heart of the Las Vegas strip,” also initiated the similar project known as “Before I die,” which, originally beginning as a small experiment, soon became popular worldwide. With some chalkboard paint and a few pieces of chalk, Chang has provided a space for a public aspiration discussion board. “Before I die” walls have been set up in various locations around the world such as in Kazakhstan, Mexico, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Argentina and now right in the middle of the CNU college campus.
Many students have been seen milling about the large cube between the David Student Union and the Trible Library where students are encouraged to write their own life wishes.
Junior Quinn Burrell says “I’ve never had chocolate ice cream, so I might put that up there.”
With a small piece of chalk, students have sketched out their life dreams, revealing to campus that before they die, students want to travel the world, believe in something, find life’s purpose, go skydiving, publish a comic book, visit Africa, live in Iceland, be a mommy or start a family. Some students go as far as stating they want to star in a porno, be de-virginized and get super powers.
Freshman Dana Nissel says she wants to start a family, which can be seen more than once on the four-sided chalkboard.
While certain aspirations will be hard to attain, transfer junior Jonathan Rudolph Price says “I wrote get interviewed.” The Captain’s Log, after having interviewed Price, is happy to have helped fulfill a student dream. “Some people wrote here things I guess will fulfill them like swim with a dolphin, and some have thought very deeply about it like adopt a child, travel, overcome depression.”
Freshman Giuliana Mortimer says she wants to live out her dream by being on the stage. Every CNU student has a different life desire and ambition. Some vow to see the world; others are more focused on starting a family.
