Year: 2017Â
Hometown: Livingston, New Jersey
Major(s): Business and Economics
Minor(s): None
Her Campus: What activities are you involved in on campus?
Lori Shapiro: I am currently involved in a bunch of different things on campus! I work 3 jobs: I am a teaching assistant for Financial Accounting, a Zumba and abs group fitness instructor, and I work in the SCC box office. Â I am also one of the Business UDRs and a member of the Brandeis Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry. Finally, I am Vice President of Adagio Dance Company and class coordinator for Hooked on Tap (both clubs which I dance for as well).
HC: You’re heavily involved in Adagio. Can you tell me more about your experience with this group, and more about your background as a dancer?
LS: I started dancing my freshman year of high school (which is actually really late for most dancers but I was a competitive gymnast for 12 years beforehand which helped a lot!).  I fell in love with dance right away and knew that I wanted to get involved with it as much as possible at Brandeis.  I am currently Vice President of Adagio but have been on E-board since freshman year as communications coordinator and dance ensemble coordinator.  So far I have choreographed 6 Adagio pieces and danced in more than 30 different numbers! I am also part of Adagio’s dance ensemble which is the smaller, audition-based group within Adagio.  I have met so many amazing people through Adagio and can definitely say that it’s my favorite activity on campus!
HC: What has been your favorite class so far? Or have you had more than one?
LS: My favorite class has definitely been an upper level Econ class Household, Health, and Hunger in Developing Countries with Professor Nidhiya Menon. Anyone who has ever taken a class with Professor Menon knows why!
HC: What is your favorite place to go with friends?
LS: I love to go to Harvard Square on weekends with my friends.  It’s really nice to get off campus once in awhile and enjoy some non-dining hall food. We also all love to shop so you can often find us in the sale section of Urban Outfitters.
HC: What do you like to do in your free time?
LS: I love to bake in my free time!  It’s kind of hard when you don’t have a kitchen but my friends and I have mastered the art of being resourceful. I’m also kind of obsessed with reality competition TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, and Dancing with the Stars (I never miss an episode). Â
HC: What is something you would like to accomplish by the end of this year? Is there any big goal that you are working towards?
LS: Does making enough money so that I don’t go broke when I travel all across Europe while abroad next semester count?? But on a serious note, I would like to finish my fall semester on a high note and spend as much time as possible with all the amazing friends I’ve made who will be graduating next semester.
Fast facts:
If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go: The Galapagos Islands
Favorite book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Favorite movie: The Imitation Game
Something most people don’t know about you: I’m obsessed with extreme sports (I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, and trapezing!) I’ll pretty much do anything that involves flying.
Spirit animal: Monkey