Student Spotlight: Evelyn Van Houten

Greetings, readers; now that I have given my introduction, I would like to introduce you to someone else: my friend, fellow thespian, freshman favorite co-nominee, and War of the Worlds co-star, Evelyn Van Houten. This will be the first of (hopefully many) student spotlights on some of McMurry’s spectacular student body.

What is your name? Evelyn Van Houten

What is your major? Theatre BA

What class are you a part of? Freshman 2027

Where are you from? Canyon Lake, TX

What high school did you attend? Do you miss it? Canyon Lake HS. I miss my friends and the environment, but I would say that I don’t miss high school.

What is your favorite food? Cereal!! It’s not just a breakfast food, it’s an anytime food.

What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is Titanic, and my favorite Disney movie is Hercules.

What is a fun fact (or two) about you? I am obsessed with 1980s pop culture and know too much about music and movies from the decade. I have seen my favorite 80’s bands in concert in the past 2 years: Def Leppard and Journey.

What are your hobbies or other interests? Besides 80’s pop culture- I love dance, I have been dancing since I was about 5 years old, but have not continued yet since high school. More well-known than me loving the 80’s and dance, everyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Swiftie. I know and love everything about Taylor Swift, it is probably the topic I could talk about the longest.

What are three one-word adjectives to describe yourself? Compassionate, Responsible, Friendly.

What is one thing that makes you very unique? Even though I have lots of ideas and opinions, I am very open-minded and understanding.

Why should the freshmen vote for you for freshman favorite? I am a very social person who has talked to and gotten to know freshmen from different majors/sports! I am very responsible and dedicated, and involved.

What is your favorite part of McMurry so far? My favorite part of McMurry so far is how close everything on campus is, and how friendly all of the staff/employees are.

Why did you choose McMurry? I chose McMurry because I wanted to be at a smaller school where I would have smaller class sizes, more opportunities, and a strong sense of community.

What are your goals at McMurry? My goals at McMurry are to be very involved in different organizations and on-campus. I want to not only graduate with my degree but with lots of fun memories and learned lessons.

What is your favorite class so far at McMurry? My favorite class so far at McMurry is American National Government with Paul Fabrizio. He makes the class very engaging and I always leave class thinking about what we discussed.

What are your goals after you graduate from McMurry? My goals after I graduate from McMurry are undecided, but I know I plan to have a career in the Theatre industry in some way, or possibly teach theatre to children.

What is your greatest accomplishment? My greatest accomplishment would be making it to UIL State for One-Act-Play two years in a row! That experience made me learn and improve so much as an actor. I was also able to learn amazing advice from people who have been in the Theatre industry for a long time.

Are you in any plays right now? Yes! I am in Rumors and War of the Worlds.

When can we come to watch them? Rumors this Thursday-Sunday and War of the Worlds on Halloween and a few days after that!

Who are your characters? What are they like? My character in Rumors is Cassie Cooper, she is very angry, sensitive, easily-annoyed, and is in a failing marriage. Cassie is such a fun character to play because I basically get to be the rich catty woman nobody really likes, and I get to yell at my husband… a lot.

What is your favorite part of Theatre? My favorite part of Theatre is getting to have fun working on a show, and then seeing and hearing the audience’s reactions and opinions afterward. It makes all of the hard work worth it.

What is the most challenging part of Theatre? The most challenging part of Theatre is that there is never a break, which can be hard when you’re exhausted. You are always learning ways to improve yourself and skills such as time management and communication.

What is your favorite part of the McMurry Theatre Department? My favorite part of the McMurry Theatre department is how easy it is to talk to people, and how much we relate to one another. Even though we aren’t far into the school year, I already feel like McMurry Theatre is my family and a second home.

What is most different about college Theatre when compared to high school? Working on a show is a much faster process, and people are more dedicated in college. In college, you are just expected to know things, while in high school everything was constantly being re-taught.

Were you considering majoring in anything else? If not, what would you pick if you couldn’t be a theatre major? If I couldn’t be a Theatre major, I would be an early childhood education major. I considered it for a while but ended up choosing Theatre because it felt right. I love teaching others, and I love kids, so education would be a good option for me.

We have gotten to know Evelyn pretty well, so that will be all for today, Ala Cumba!