Spring quarter’s Love Jones performance was certainly a memorable one. With Locatelli jammed packed with students, it marked the largest turn out of the year for the tri-annual show. Organized and executed by Santa Clara’s Black Student Union, Igwebuike featured talented performances of music, poetry, and dance. The man behind the scenes was senior finance major, Chris Paschal. Hailing from Tracy, CA, Chris’s mark on SCU goes far beyond this show.
Chris has been the Co-Chair of Igwe for both his sophomore and senior year, after a year as Event Planner for the organization. “[Igwe] is very much like a family,” says Chris. “We are a unifying club within Igwe and we try to unify ourselves with the campus as well.” One of the ways Igwe unifies itself on campus is through Love Jones, but the stellar show was much different before Chris hit the scene. When he was a freshman, Love Jones was performed in The Bronco, with a smaller audience and line-up. With Chris on the job, Igwe made large strides to move the show to Locatelli. The change offered some challenges: it was a larger room to fill, a harder stage to mic, and a bigger show to promote. Chris’s work in Igwe made the transition a graceful one, and now Love Jones is one of the most anticipated events on campus each quarter. “[Love Jones] is a great way to get to know other people and to support our community,” says Chris.
Chris has also worked with Igwe on other events, including the annual MLK Night and Culture Shows on campus. He works in the Credit Counseling Office at the Bursar Office and as a supervisor at the Call Center as well. Chris describes his work in the Call Center as “so rewarding,” adding, “I work to raise money for Santa Clara students so we can help support the little things.”
A firm leader on campus, Chris cites his Business 71 class, “The Foundations of Leadership,” as one way he developed his leadership skills. Chris says the class taught him that “you can’t challenge everything, but there are some things in life that need to be challenged.” He added, “You don’t lead with your own vision all the time; you have to share the vision of those around you.”
Chris Paschal has made his mark through successful leadership, kind friendship and an all around positive attitude, but he likes to stress that he isn’t Mr. Perfect. “Hey—I’m still trying to figure things out, too,” he says. Chris started out just like many others on campus; he was a SADIE (Student of African Descent Invitational Experience), he housed in McLaughlin as a freshman and sophomore, and he even goes to the wrong class during syllabus week sometimes! His advice to incoming students is to “make sure you work hard in your classes first. When you’re a junior and senior you’ll really expand and get to learn about yourself even more.”
We are certainly going to miss Chris’s presence on campus next year. Thanks for making Santa Clara University a better place in these past four years!