By Evelyn Barge
Living Assistant
Freshman Christina Alonso has traveled the world, visiting places like Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Switzerland, France, Morocco and Costa Rica. And according to Alonso, it is these travels that have helped to shape a mind hungry for other cultures and her spirit of adventure.
“I am so blessed to have a family that values traveling because it’s given me a love for so many different kinds of people and helped me break stereotypes about people from other countries,” Alonso said.
But despite her overseas experiences, Alonso’s favorite place in the world is still her hometown of Austin, Texas.
Alonso said she loves her hometown so much that she had a hard time deciding whether she wanted to come to Pepperdine.
“I knew I would miss Austin so much,” she explained. “I went back and forth about it until I ultimately decided to come.”
Part of her motivation for coming to Pepperdine was her strong belief that traveling and living in new places is an experience unparalleled by any other.
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come here and maybe even get to study abroad in Florence,” she said.
In addition to her travels, Alonso said her experiences in the entertainment industry have also been eye opening, but in an unusual way.
“I pursued acting for a while, and I had some of the funniest and strangest moments of my life,” she said.
Alonso acted in commercials for Nokia and Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, and said filming them is “definitely not glamorous at all. In one commercial I had a fake nose ring that my ‘dad’ didn’t notice because he was too busy looking at tomatoes.
“In another, I played a girl who died in a drunk driving accident. I had to scream a lot and then read a poem about life. It was a serious commercial, but I felt so silly,” Alonso said.
Alonso decided that acting might not be her true passion.
“I don’t want to pursue acting as much now because I’d really like to be on the production side of things,” she said. “Producing films with a humanitarian message, especially those that really help people see others in a different light, would be like a dream come true.”
Of all the places you’ve been, where was your favorite vacation spot?
Bali was my favorite because I love the people there. They are so friendly and the country is beyond beautiful. The water is the most clear I’ve ever seen. My family got to charter a sailboat to visit all these different islands. We went snorkeling in the reefs and saw Komodo dragons on Komodo Island. It was an unbelievably cool experience.
What’s your favorite kind of junk food?
I love Miss Vicki’s Jalapeno Potato Chips. Actually, right now I love Samoa Girl Scout cookies. Those are my favorite.
What do you want to do most while at Pepperdine?
I’m hoping that while I’m here I’ll be able to find my true passion. I want to discover the thing that I’ll love to do for the rest of my life.
If you could add an extra day to the week, wha t would you call it?
I don’t know what to call my day, but everyone would be required to do absolutely nothing. We could all go to the beach or something!
What’s your favorite magazine?
US Weekly is my favorite because I love that they have so many pictures and celebrity sightings. I’m addicted to that kind of mindless reading.
If you could invite three people from history to dinner, who would they be?
I would invite Salvador Dali because his art is so crazy, and I would love to sit and talk with him about it. I could ask him all sorts of questions about his work. I would also invite Sultana. She is a Saudi princess who wrote these amazing books and helps people in the spite of the restrictions her country puts on her. Her story has really inspired me. I would also invite Will Ferrell, because he’s the funniest man, and he could keep the mood light.
Submitted March 25, 2004