First-year Chris Hall is an out-of-state student. Okay, so he is really out of state—even if he’s still in the United States. Although Alaska is well over three thousand miles away from campus, Gustavus is proud to house 11 full-time students from this state.
“Alaska has every terrain you could ever want,” said Chris. “[There are] oceans, beautiful mountains, tundras up north and beautiful rivers.”
Hailing from the small town of Nikiski, Chris has spent his first year at Gustavus making a positive impact on the community. “He’s one of those people that has a ridiculously good influence on you,” said First-year Jordan Walker, who has become one of Chris’s best friends this year. “Everything he does has a purpose. … [He] is probably the most focused and driven, goal-oriented person I’ve ever met in my life.”
One of Chris’s most admirable traits is his ability to swing dance. Swing has been a part of Chris’s life for a number of years. He helps to organize dances and lessons for Swing Club on Wednesday nights from 9-11 p.m.
“Swing Club on Wednesdays is a really nice way to break loose, smile and get away from studies for a couple hours,” said Chris. “It’s a good social group. When I dance, I can’t help but smile. I just love it. And it’s not a bad workout either, although that’s not why I do it.”
Senior Biochemistry and Chemistry Major Steve Howard lauded Chris’s abilities in Swing Club as a first-year student. “He’s definitely a young talent who’s giving his all to swing,” said Howard.
“He comes every week and has a great time. I can definitely see him as a crucial part of leadership in the next few years.”
Sophomore Stephanie Anderson is also involved in Swing Club and can vouch for Chris’s abilities.
“He’s a phenomenal dancer,” said Anderson. “He’ll teach anyone and is a really, really good listener. I know I can trust him.”
Howard also knows Chris well from Gustavus Swimming and Diving. He praised Chris’s efforts and his positive contribution to the team this year. “He’s a great teammate that’s always cheering on different people,” said Howard. “I’m sure absolutely everyone on the team would say that he’s an excellent team member to have.”
Chris also sings bass in the Choir of Christ Chapel, which recently returned from a tour in Texas. Last December, Chris experienced his first performance in Christmas in Christ Chapel, which has quickly become one of his favorite Gustavus traditions.
“I’d never been part of such a large choral production,” said Chris. “[C in CC] brings the whole community together. We had so many people to perform for. It gave us a purpose [to perform] for people who were looking for a good traditional Christmas program.”
While touring in Texas, Chris was the soloist for “The Prayer of Saint Francis” by William Beckstrand. “I don’t think there’s any better way to express feeling than singing in a tight-knit, well-organized choir,” said Chris. “It’s kind of hard to explain the feelings that you get, but most people in choir understand the adrenaline rush you get after a concert. There’s definitely an energy among the music ensembles that’s hard to explain when you’re up there performing.”
Next year, Chris will start his first year as a Peer Assistant, which is something he has been really looking forward to. “I think you learn a lot about people and yourself when you get the chance to help others,” said Chris. “[As a PA], I’m looking to grow and learn more about people and their interactions.”
In his free time, Chris enjoys being outdoors. That is, when he is not doing homework. “Chris is the bee’s knees, but sometimes I think he needs to let loose,” said Walker. “The other day I forced him to stop doing homework and go fly kites. On the way, he brought his homework, so I threw it out the window of the car. We like to go on adventure runs, going off into the forest and jump[ing] around. That’s a lot of fun.”
Painting has also become an important part of Chris’s life. “Ever since I was young, I enjoyed pulling out some paints and painting by myself,” said Chris. “I love to express myself in an artistic way.”
As a result, Chris decided to take a watercolor course over January Interim Experience. “I got credit for doing art,” said Chris. “It was fun taking a lot of hours in the day to paint a picture, knowing there was a grade pushing you to paint well.”
In the Caf, one of Chris’s favorite places to eat is the salad bar, mostly because of his intolerance to gluten. “I can make my random concoctions or other things,” said Chris. “There are all kinds of possibilities there.”
“I see [gluten intolerance] as a blessing in disguise,” said Chris. “I have to turn away all the delicious pizza, cookies and stuff. It keeps me eating healthier.”
“He eats more honey than anyone I’ve ever met,” said Walker. “Just inordinate amounts of honey.”
Overall, Chris has enjoyed his first year at Gustavus and is looking forward to three more years as a Gustie. This summer, he and Walker plan to live in Anchorage to work and explore the Alaskan wilderness. “In Anchorage I really hope to frolic around in the nature, play with the bears and moose and don’t die,” said Walker. “I’m really just excited for an adventure.”
“I consider myself pretty confident in who I am,” said Chris. “I enjoy learning and expanding my horizons. There is so much more to be learning. I am always changing. But I feel like I know the direction of my life. Life is always changing. It [will] be interesting to see where life takes [me].”
“He’s definitely admirable,” said Walker. “He is always looking at the bigger picture. Everything he does has a purpose to it.”
Photo by: Courtney Woodward