By Jordan Galan and Victoria Gladstone
Staff Writer and News Editor
Shortly after its season 2 finale, “Euphoria” once again became a hot topic of discussion among those who watched the explosive season from start to finish. That same buzz increased tenfold after the College Union Board (CUB) announced that the actress who played Jules, Hunter Schafer, would be making a guest appearance on Mar. 28 at Kendal Hall.
Many students were eager to see the up-and-coming actress, some waiting in the cold for hours before doors were opened for the event.
“I waited for two hours in the freezing cold,” said Sabrina Goott, a sophomore public health major. “Luckily, I got front row, so I think it was worth it.”
When the doors finally opened, students swiftly made their way into Kendall Hall, taking their seats as they waited for Schafer to arrive. One by one the seats began to fill up until the whole bottom half of Kendal Hall was almost filled to the brim with eager students.
“You could tell she was a little bit nervous, but honestly that just made her more authentic and more human,” Goott said.
Throughout the questionnaire, Schafer only garnered more applause for her jokes, remarks and shameless diva-like snapping that had the crowd chuckling in delight. To some, her personality came as a refresher that not all actors and actresses are what they seem.
“I came in with the mindset that she had one specific type of experience being Jules and being a model, but she kind of twisted that,” said Ria Patel, a freshmen biology major. “It was the complete opposite of what I thought, she had such a different viewpoint about her acting career [and] her modeling career than what I had thought.”
Schafer was humble when describing how she got her start in the modeling industry, which transformed into the acting career she has today.
“I wasn’t seeking it out; it just happened,” said Schafer when asked how it all began. Her modeling career may have come as a “happy accident,” but it served as a valuable platform to launch her acting career. Looking back on her modeling days, she is still able to appreciate the experience and all that she’s learned from it.
“It’s taught me how to have a longer lasting relationship with making art,” Schafer said.
Senior fine arts major Mia Decker-Steckhahn is the executive event planner on CUB’s live board and she discussed the club’s decision to bring Schafer to campus.
“After realizing we talk about ‘Euphoria’ almost every week, it was sort of a no-brainer to try and invite one of the cast members for a spring lecture,” Decker-Steckhahn said.
In addition, CUB wanted to bring Schafer to campus because of her activism.
“We loved Hunter not only for her role as ‘Jules,’ but for her activism within the transgender community,” Decker-Steckhahn added.
As a transgender woman herself, Schafer’s fame has given her a platform to speak about her experiences as well as what she stands for.
“I’m really happy with how the event turned out,” Decker-Steckhahn said. “It was my first solo event on the board, and I’m very grateful for everyone who showed.”
Students who attended the event on Zoom and in person found that their time was well spent listening to Shafer speak about her personal life, as well as her time on “Euphoria.” Many left satisfied with how they spent their Monday night and didn’t mind venturing in and out of the cold.
“Those three hours in the freezing cold were worth the wait,” Patel said. “Everyone who had missed it, I really think that they wished they were there to hear her speak about her life on camera and off camera.”
