Get to Know: Carol Rotella

Carol Rotella is a junior Theater Studies student from Framingham, MA. You can find her working at Kasser Theater. If you see her on campus, she’ll be walking with a pep in her step with a yellow book bag bouncing on her back or taking a nap in Life Hall on the benches and doing homework between acting classes. 

HCM: What motivates you?

CR: I was bullied a lot when I was younger. So now I want to be the best version of myself so I can be proud of myself and the work that I create.

HCM: What excites you?

CR: I used to be a gymnast for a really long time. I get really excited when I get to go to a gymnastics gym because I like doing flips.

HCM: Does the future excite or scare you?

CR: Both. I’m excited to be done with school as much as I love it. I’m excited to get a job and start working and really make an impact on the world. The only reason the future scares me is because of the expense of college and university in America and how much it costs to pay back loans.

HCM: What’s your favorite college memory?

CR: Sophomore year I met my best friend, Olivia, at Suffolk University in Boston, and we realized that we were each other’s person and we clicked very well. Her cousin and I drove up to Gloucester, MA and we went to a Rasta concert. It was the best way to start off the semester.

HCM: Advice for freshmen?

CR: Have fun but keep your future in mind. Don’t get crazy. 

HCM: What is your favorite thing about MSU?

CR: I like that it is set up as a very professional environment. I feel like there are a lot of opportunities here and Montclair does a really good job communicating them to the students. For example, the College of the Arts always sends out job offerings via email which is really helpful for students who have part-time jobs and want to get experience in their field but may have trouble finding the time to search on their own. 

HCM: Favorite class?

CR: Philosophy 101. My teacher was Donna Giancola, at Suffolk University, and she was one of the smartest people I ever met. She wrote our textbook. Google her. 

HCM: Where do you see yourself by age 30?

CR: Hopefully with a job. Something that is substantial. Maybe a boyfriend. Maybe a kid, maybe not. 

HCM: What is something you wish you had more time to do?

CR: To write for myself (short stories about things that happened to me, journaling) and reading. 

Favorites:

HCM: Foods?

CR: I really like Asian cuisines because they’re healthy and have a variety of flavors. I am also a firm believer in the doughnut.

HCM: Movies/TV Shows?

CR: Orphan Black, The Office (Parkour episode), Stand By Me

HCM: Plays?

CR: Vieux Carre by Tennessee Williams, Suddenly, Last Summer by Tennessee Williams

HCM: Books?

CR: Dubliners by James Joyce, So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

HCM: Colors?

CR: Darker shades of greens.

HCM: Places?

CR: Ocean Lawn in Magnolia, Massachusetts. It’s basically a large cliff over the ocean. And my other favorite place is my family’s cottage in Orillia, ON, Canada.

HCM: Person?

CR: Matthew Solomon because he’s my best friend and we work together in the city sometimes and he’s really creative and always gives me really good, realistic advice. He is my person.

HCM: Celebrities?

CR: Robin Williams, Aly Wong

HCM: Celebrity Crush?

CR: Dave Franco

HCM: Song?

CR: Anything by Miles Davis and I’m Your Captain by Grand Funk Railroad.

HCM: Musician/Band?

CR: Chance the Rapper. I didn’t listen to rap until I discovered him. The Foo Fighters. 

HCM: Season?

CR: Summer because I like going the beach.