Now in my third year at Northeastern, I am still adjusting to my interactions with the incoming freshman. Their bright, naïve eyes are filled with the unlimited promise of college, and I cannot tell you whether the feelings they elicit are those of renewed energy or absolute revulsion. Maybe both. After two years of smashing my head against the brick wall that the Northeastern bureaucracy can be, it is sometimes hard to smile back and reinforce their enthusiastic aspirations.

I think back to when I was in their position. Northeastern was going to be the place that prepared me to be that sound engineer sitting stoically behind a massive control board, capturing history on tape. And when I showed up, Northeastern was the place that instead handed me a broken record label. We didn’t even have a recording department back then. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was given the perfect opportunity to make my own dream a reality. After a lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated individuals, I am so proud that in January we move one step closer, with an industry-standard recording studio currently under construction in Snell library.

My position has put me in a place that sees a very exciting future for the arts at Northeastern. It’s been hard work. It’s waking up at 6 a.m. on a Monday when you don’t have class until nine. It’s staying in on a Saturday because if you don’t finish the draft of this business plan it’s going to bother you all night long. Weeks will melt away as you strive to do the best work you can. Now, the initial work I’ve put into this organization is being repeated by its future leaders. I am grateful.

It’s an amazing experience to feel the low rumblings of a large group of dedicated students rise into a loud chorus of beautiful harmony. The music scene at Northeastern is springing to life, bursting with raw talent and passion. That’s what I see in those freshmen eyes. There are some brilliant minds walking next to you on your way to class. We are fortunate to see their dreams manifest within the microcosm of Northeastern’s blossoming creative community.

– Joey Lafyatis is president of Green Line Records.