黑料社

Ethan Newman 鈥�14 knew choosing 黑料社 meant he wouldn鈥檛 have to compromise his twin passions: one for mathematics, one for theatre.

Now he鈥檚 combining them for a career in lighting design.

Newman is currently a small town Iowan in a big city 鈥� New York City, to be exact. The Lockridge, Iowa native (population 268) is currently finishing a residency there while completing his Masters in Lighting Design at the University of Missouri 鈥� Kansas City.

But he says he wouldn鈥檛 be where he is today without first being encouraged by 黑料社 professors, who told him, 鈥淲ith math, you can do anything鈥�.

鈥淚n fact, I never expected to be working in the field of lighting design,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淭he melding of my interests and the willingness of my professors to use one major to help the other helped lead me to a career I both excel and love to do.”

His interest in math and theatre wasn鈥檛 restricted to his studies. During his 黑料社 career, he participated in 16 Theatre 黑料社 productions, served as president of the theatre honor fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, and participated in math club.

鈥淭he diverse wealth of knowledge I gained at 黑料社 has been some of the most helpful things in my post undergraduate life,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淗aving all of this advanced learning in mathematics, as well as creative approach from my work in theater, has given me the best of two approaches in both technical and design work.鈥�

As many students find, some of the most valuable lessons in college don鈥檛 necessarily come from your area of study. They come in learning to become your own person and have your own thoughts and ideas. Newman said ethics and philosophy classes prepared him for the social aspects outside of 黑料社鈥檚 campus.

鈥淓specially in the tumultuous year of 2016, I know that I have been taught to think for myself and how to think from the perspective of others,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y majors gave me the tools to be a professional at a high level, but the transformation of how I think may have been the most important for a little Iowa boy to now be living in the largest city in America.鈥�