Name: Laisha Medina

Hometown: Iowa City, IA

Year: Junior

Fields(s) of Study: Art and Criminology, Law, and Justice

SCOPE Position: Graphic Design Director

Spotify Playlist

SCOPE Selects: Laisha Medina on Spotify

The Deep Cuts

For my selects, I wanted to make a playlist that encapsulates the transition from spring semester to summer. Through the inclusion of songs I would say sound like spring/summer and that I have paired many summer memories with. However, just like the weather in Iowa this playlist has some unexpected turns, as I switch it up with genres. Whether you are looking for the perfect song to blast with the windows down, use for your school recap/your summer instagram post, or simply a playlist to throw on during your summer adventures these are the songs I would recommend. Ordered from songs that feel like spring to those that feel like the end of summer I curated this playlist to feel like the whole transition.

Three Favorite Albums

I was/I am by Noah Kahan 

Louder than Bombs by The Smiths 

Freedom is Free by Chicano Batman 

Favorite Concert Experience

I would say one of my favorite concrete experiences would be seeing Noah Kahan close Hinterland last year. Not only was the show amazing, but his stage presence was great as well. From interacting with the crowd to cracking “wild” jokes the whole show was amazing to see.

My one regret would be the fact that I had to run to the bathroom last-minute, making me lose my place in the pit. However I was able to see the show from the top of the amphitheater which despite putting me further away from the stage allowed me to see the sense of community that was being created by the concert. The show was exactly what I wanted and a perfect wrap up for my Hinterland experience.

Hobbies / Interests / Fun Facts / Campus Involvement

Outside of SCOPE and the various shows I attend a year I spend the rest of my time interacting with other art realms, specifically the fine arts. From graphic design, to photography, to ceramics I keep myself busy in the studio coming up with and creating new ideas that help show the story of me and the things I stand for! I’m a big fan of supporting all areas of arts from visual, to fine, to performing. In fact I am even a student employee for the performing arts department marketing team at Iowa. Showing support to these creatives is one of the things that motivates me most. This is why I chose to pursue graphic design as it allows me to make and use my art in order to support the very art and creatives I appreciate. 

Along with participating in the arts community in Iowa City, I spend my time creating the “perfect” letterboxd reviews, rotting in front of my computer waiting for my adobe programs to load, hanging out with friends, and complaining to my roommate and boyfriend about how I hate working at Target (I swear I will quit this year…hopefully). 

One fun fact about me is that I originally came into college as a political science and psychology double major. Despite knowing I would never feel like myself in a field that was not creative I was too scared to pursue a degree in art, that is until I took a printmaking gen ed. After making the major switch I was still weary (hence the criminology major) yet SCOPE helped show me that I could actually pursue art not just as a major, but as a career.