Excitement As Students Move Into ELA

Move-in day at Emerson College Los Angeles on January 13 brought students, family, and friends to the heart of Hollywood.

“I love it already,” said Chandler Kilgore-Parshall ’16, a Philadelphia native who was visiting LA for the first time. 

Kilgore-Parshall flew to LA with his parents, Marilyn and Bill, and spent a week exploring different parts of the Southern California—including Burbank, Santa Monica, and Sherman Oaks—before settling into his new home at ELA.

From left: Matt Klein '16 helps Chandler Kilgore-Parshall '16 move into ELA with his parents, Bill and Marilyn. 

“He’s excited, so we’re excited for him and supportive,” said Marilyn. “He can’t wait to start his internship at the Jim Henson Company.”

Tony Agreste ’16 and Thomas Harkey ’16 spent eight days traversing the U.S., stopping in cities such as Atlanta and Phoenix. Once they hit Alabama, they decided to get creative.

“We realized we should make a video because we had my camera in the car,” said Harkey. “We decided to do a music video of the whole country, and we thought that the song we chose [‘This Land Is Your Land’ by Peter, Paul & Mary] was very relatable to the trip we were doing.”  

John Harrison ’16 and Zachary Mills ’16, roommates since their freshman year at Emerson College, also took a weeklong drive from Boston to LA. It was a journey that they described as memorable. 

John Harrison '16 and Zachary Mills '16 wait to eat their first meal in the ELA kitchen. 

“The Grand Canyon and New Orleans were amazing,” said Mills, who is interning at Perfect Storm Entertainment this semester. “We almost ran out of gas in upstate Louisiana.”

While Mills has visited LA several times, Harrison was a first-time visitor to Southern California. A native of Massachusetts, Harrison wasn’t sure what to expect visiting the Golden State.

“I’m not big on driving,” said Harrison. “It might be a necessary evil though.”

One thing that Mills was looking forward to: getting a milkshake.

“Hopefully Beeps in Van Nuys is open,” said Mills. “If it is, I’m going to have the best milkshake of my life.”

Shannon Butler '17 with her mother, Tracey, and father, Harvey. 

Shannon Butler ’17, an intern at E! Entertainment Television this semester, had shopping on her mind. The junior brought several suitcases—filled mostly with clothes and shoes—and was looking forward to buying more.

“I can’t wait to explore, find some shopping centers, and spot celebrities,” said Butler, with a laugh.

Shannon’s mother, Tracey, said she was excited for her daughter to start her internship and build connections.

“This is a great opportunity for her and she's got a great internship,” said Tracey. “I hope she’ll learn a lot before graduating in 2017.”