Transcript:

(0:11) Bienvenidos a Chronversaciones. Soy su host Antonio Chaves. En este episodio conversamos con Marcus Bailey, cantante y compositor radicado en Chicago y graduado de Columbia College Chicago. Los dejamos con la entrevista.

(0:23) ¿Puedes contarnos un poco sobre ti y cómo empezaste en la música?

(0:29) Mi nombre es Marcus Bailey y ese es el nombre bajo el que está registrada toda mi música y mi trabajo artístico.

(0:34) Diría que mi interés por la música se remonta a cuando era un niño muy pequeño. Crecí cantando por toda la casa.

(0:40) Tengo TDAH, bueno todavía lo tengo, pero siempre me caractericé por ser muy (0:46) inquieto, muy ruidoso y extrovertido.

(0:46) Con el tiempo, mi mamá decidió que debía canalizar 

(0:52) toda esa energía en algo y me dijo: “¿Por qué no empiezas a cantar?”

(0:52) Yo ya cantaba las canciones 

(0:58) que escuchaba en la radio y todo eso. Sin embargo, realmente no empecé a dedicarme a la música de 

(1:04) forma profesional, ni a tomarla completamente en serio, hasta mi penúltimo o último año de 

(1:10) secundaria.

(1:10) Hasta ese momento, nunca había tomado clases de canto ni recibido una formación musical 

(1:16) formal.

(1:16) Todo lo aprendí por mi cuenta, experimentando con mi guitarra, cantando en 

(1:21) la casa, cantando en la ducha y haciendo ese tipo de cosas.

(1:21) Así fue como empecé en la música, 

(1:26) básicamente por ser un niño muy ruidoso y extrovertido y, en algún momento, decidí convertir 

(1:31) eso en mi carrera.

(1:31) ¿Te mudaste a Chicago en 2019? ¿Cómo influyó esta transición en tu desarrollo como artista?

(1:36) Porque me mudé aquí en 2019 para estudiar. Me gradué de Columbia College Chicago, 

(1:43) así que definitivamente influyó muchísimo en mí.

(1:43) Durante los cuatro años que estuve allí, 

(1:49) tomé clases de producción musical y también aprendí teoría musical y todos esos fundamentos 

(1:54) que hacen posible lo que hacemos como músicos.

(1:54) Todo eso me dio mucha más confianza para crear 

(2:00) música y sentirme seguro al publicarla.

(2:00) Antes de llegar a Chicago y a Columbia,

 (2:05) era una persona bastante tímida cuando se trataba de mostrarle mi música a los demás.

(2:05) Sé que antes 

(2:11) dije que siempre fui muy extrovertido y ruidoso, que todo el mundo podía escucharme cantar,

 (2:17) pero cuando se trataba de las canciones que componía por mi cuenta, me costaba muchísimo

 (2:22) compartirlas con otras personas.

(2:22) Estudiar en Columbia y vivir en Chicago realmente me ayudó 

(2:28) a salir de mi caparazón. Me dio más seguridad sobre el escenario, más confianza en la música 

(2:33) que escribía y en las canciones que interpretaba.

(2:33) Además, me permitió construir una red enorme de

 (2:39) personas increíbles con quienes colaborar.

(2:39) Otros músicos, compositores y creativos que trabajan en 

(2:45) áreas como la producción de video, el diseño de portadas y otros aspectos visuales.

(2:45) Todas esas

 (2:50) personas han sido fundamentales para ayudarme a desarrollar todo lo que hago como artista.

(2:56) ¿Cómo describirías tu sonido a alguien que nunca ha escuchado tu música?

(2:59) Diría que la mejor forma de describir mi música en cuanto al género es como indie pop e indie 

(3:04) folk con un enfoque de cantautor.

(3:04) Algunos de los artistas que más me han influenciado y con quienes (3:10) podría compararse mi sonido son Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan y en cierta medida Chris Stapleton.

(3:10) También tengo otras influencias que se reflejan en distintos aspectos de mi música, pero el material 

(3:22) en el que estoy trabajando actualmente va más o menos por esa línea en términos de estilo y género.

(3:27) ¿Cómo es tu proceso cuando te sientas a escribir nueva música?

(3:30) La verdad es que es diferente cada vez. No diría que tengo un proceso fijo o una (3:35) fórmula que siga siempre.

(3:35) Si has visto a otros compositores hablar sobre cómo escriben sus (3:40) canciones, muchos dicen algo como: “Se me ocurre una idea, empiezo por esa idea, escribo la letra, 

(3:45) luego compongo la música y finalmente la grabo.”

(3:45) Ese es su proceso. El mío cambia constantemente.

(3:53) A veces empiezo por la letra o ni siquiera por una letra completa. Puede ser simplemente una frase 

(3:59) que me viene a la cabeza y a partir de ahí desarrollo el resto de la canción.

(3:59) Pero como también soy músico, no solo compositor de letras y cantante, muchas veces simplemente me siento con 

(4:12) la guitarra o empiezo a experimentar en el piano.

(4:12) De repente surge una idea musical que 

(4:17) realmente me gusta y entonces la voy desarrollando hasta que más adelante le agrego la letra.

(4:17) Otras  veces sucede durante una sesión de composición con otros músicos. En esos casos, las ideas 

(4:30) simplemente fluyen de manera natural.

(4:30) No diría que tengo un proceso específico y creo que esa 

(4:36) es justamente la belleza de componer canciones. Para mí no es algo mecánico como cortar, copiar, pegar y repetir.

(4:43) Precisamente por eso disfruto tanto hacerlo de esa manera.

(4:43) ¿Qué significa este (4:49) nuevo single para ti personalmente?

(4:49) Sí, de hecho hoy lancé una canción. Se llama What Makes a Man 

(4:57) y forma parte de un LP o álbum de 10 canciones que estoy preparando.

(4:57) La idea general del proyecto, 

(5:04) al menos desde el punto de vista de las letras, es hacer una introspección sobre mis experiencias, 

(5:10) mis emociones y distintos momentos importantes de mi vida. En cierto modo sobre el proceso de 

(5:16) convertirme en adulto.

(5:16) Para mí la música funciona casi como una forma de terapia.

(5:16) Muchas de mis letras están inspiradas en experiencias personales y en situaciones que he vivido, pero también espero 

(5:29) que al hablar abiertamente de ellas, en lugar de guardármelas, pueda ayudar a otras personas.

(5:29) Por  ejemplo, “What Makes a Man” la escribí alrededor de la idea de la masculinidad tóxica y de cómo muchas 

(5:43) veces se espera que los hombres se guarden todo lo que sienten y no hablen de sus emociones.

(5:43) Mi esperanza es que al compartir mis propias experiencias a través de estas canciones, no sólo 

(5:54) pueda ayudarme a mí mismo, sino también a quienes estén pasando por situaciones similares.

(5:54) Gran parte de mi inspiración para escribir música viene precisamente de los artistas que mencioné antes.

(6:01)  Sus canciones me ayudaron a superar muchos de esos momentos difíciles de los que ahora hablo en mi propia música.

(7:36) ¿Qué esperas que los oyentes se lleven de esta canción?

(7:43) Bueno, espero que a la gente le guste. De verdad, espero que disfruten la canción.

(7:48) Si hay personas que se identifican con ella, por un lado me alegra que puedan sentirse comprendidas, 

(7:53) pero también me duele saber que hayan pasado por experiencias similares, porque es una canción muy profunda y habla de temas bastante duros y traumáticos.

(7:59) Incluso toco asuntos como el alcoholismo, entre otros.

(8:04) Mi intención es que quienes necesiten ese mensaje puedan encontrar (8:08) algo positivo en él y les sirva para seguir adelante.

(8:08) Y para quienes no se identifiquen 

(8:13) con la historia, me alegra que no hayan tenido que vivir esas experiencias.

(8:13) ¿Puedes contarnos sobre tus próximos proyectos?

(8:23) Por ahora, el álbum simplemente se llama “Álbum”, porque todavía no tengo un título definitivo ni una fecha de lanzamiento para las diez canciones que lo conformarán.

(8:33) En términos generales, hemos procurado que el álbum sea muy coherente, 

(8:38) especialmente en su contenido lírico.

(8:38) Musicalmente sigue la línea de la que hablaba antes, aunque  incluye algunas variaciones. Hay un par de canciones con una influencia más rock, otras que 

(8:51) se acercan más al folk y algunas con un estilo más íntimo de piano y cantautor.

(8:51) Creo que, en conjunto, el álbum tendrá al menos una canción con la que cualquier persona pueda conectar y disfrutar.

(8:57) Esa era justamente mi idea, ofrecer variedad sin perder la identidad del proyecto. No quería que 

(9:03) fuera algo caótico, como pasar de una canción de cantautor a una de heavy metal y luego a una de hip hop.

(9:10) Me encantan todos esos géneros, pero entiendo que hay artistas especializados en cada uno de ellos.

(9:15) Yo quería mantener una dirección clara para mi música. Este proyecto también representa un punto de inflexión en mi carrera.

(9:21) Hasta ahora, todo lo que había hecho era completamente independiente.

(9:26) Dependía únicamente de lo que yo podía producir y asumir por mi cuenta.

(9:34) Ahora este álbum forma parte de un acuerdo de producción con Force Music Group, lo que significa 

(9:39) un paso mucho más profesional hacia lo que quiero construir como artista.

(9:39) La idea es poder llegar a un público más amplio y, con suerte, alcanzar el punto en el que la música sea lo único a lo que tenga que dedicarme.

(9:51) Hoy en día todavía tengo un trabajo de tiempo completo para pagar 

(9:56) el alquiler, las cuentas y todos los gastos de la vida. Hay que hacer lo que toca hacer, pero mi 

(10:03) sueño siempre ha sido vivir de la música, ser ese artista que sale de gira, toca en conciertos y es 

(10:09) reconocido por sus canciones.

(10:09) Es un sueño al que no pienso renunciar en el corto plazo. Este proyecto 

(10:15) representa el camino más serio que he tomado hasta ahora para hacerlo realidad.

(10:15) Espero que todo salga bien y que la gente disfrute de la música que está por venir.

(10:21) ¿Tienes próximos shows? ¿Y dónde (10:26) puede la gente encontrar tu música y seguirte en redes sociales?

(10:26) Por ahora no tengo ningún concierto que pueda anunciar oficialmente.

(10:31) Estamos trabajando en un par de presentaciones para finales del verano 

(10:37) y el comienzo del otoño, pero todavía no puedo decir nada porque aún no están confirmadas al 100%.

(10:42) Lo que sí puedo asegurar es que esta no será la única canción que publicaré este verano. Ya estamos trabajando en el lanzamiento del segundo sencillo.

(10:49) Todavía no puedo revelar ningún detalle, pero llegará muy pronto.

(10:54) En cuanto a dónde pueden encontrar mi música, todo está publicado bajo mi 

(10:59) nombre, Marcus Bailey. Está disponible en Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube y prácticamente en todas las 

(11:05) plataformas de streaming.

(11:05) Mi Instagram es… Buena pregunta. ¿Cuál es mi usuario? Siempre se me 

(11:11) olvida. De hecho, eso también me pasa durante los conciertos cuando alguien me pregunta dónde 

(11:16) puede encontrarme en Instagram y me quedo pensando un momento.

(11:16) Mi usuario es @mbail.oficial.

(11:23) También tengo un sitio web donde pueden encontrar toda mi música, mis redes sociales y las novedades 

(11:28) sobre mis próximos lanzamientos. Es Marcus Bailey Music.

(11:28) ¿Qué consejos les darías a los estudiantes 

(11:34) de Columbia que esperan abrirse camino en la industria creativa?

(11:34) Tengo dos consejos. Uno para la parte creativa y otro para quienes quieren convertir su trabajo artístico en una 

(11:45) carrera desde el punto de vista del negocio.

(11:45) En cuanto a la parte creativa y a construir una carrera, no tengan miedo de darse a conocer. Sé que probablemente no soy la primera persona que 

(11:58) dice esto y que muchos ya lo han escuchado antes, pero realmente es importante.

(11:58) No tengan miedo de 

(12:04) publicar videos, compartir su música o mostrar aquello en lo que ponen su corazón y su alma.

(12:04) Cuando las personas perciben que algo realmente significa mucho para ti y además se sienten 

(12:17) identificadas con ello, es mucho más fácil que conecten con tu trabajo y crean en lo que haces.

(12:17) Tampoco tengan miedo de colaborar con otras personas ni de salir de su zona de confort.

(12:24) Si se encierran en una caja y solo hacen aquello con lo que se sienten cómodos, 

(12:34) difícilmente podrán crecer.

(12:34) En cuanto a construir una carrera y entender el lado empresarial, sé que 

(12:40) todos amamos la parte creativa de lo que hacemos, ya sea música, arte, cine, diseño gráfico, danza 

(12:47) o cualquier otra disciplina.

(12:47) Esa siempre será la parte más divertida y gratificante. Es lo que 

(12:54) nos atrajo a este camino.

(12:54) Y cuando hablo de tener una mentalidad de negocios, no me refiero a 

(12:59) convertirse en un gran empresario, ni a pensar como esos multimillonarios que se aprovechan de 

(13:06) la gente. No hablo de eso.

(13:06) Me refiero a que vale la pena investigar y aprender cómo promocionarse, 

(13:13) cómo posicionar su trabajo creativo, cómo gestionar su propiedad intelectual y cómo 

(13:18) comunicar aquello que los hace únicos.

(13:18) Todo eso les dará mejores oportunidades para poder 

(13:23) vivir de su trabajo creativo y mantenerse económicamente.

(13:23) Porque para quienes nos dedicamos a las industrias creativas, casi nunca existe una sola fuente de ingresos.

(13:29) Manténganse al día con las noticias del campus y la ciudad en ColumbiaChronicle.com

(13:35) Yo soy Antonio Chaves y gracias por escucharnos.

Gallery
8 Photos

Anthony Hernandez

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson waves a rainbow Chicago flag during the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28, 2026.

A transgender pride flag flew high, held by a group of queer Illinois politicians, as a horn and the revving of the “Dykes on Bikes” motorcycle club signaled the beginning of Chicago’s 55th annual Pride Parade. 

The parade stepped off on Sunday morning, June 28 at the intersection of West Sheridan and Broadway in the Northhalsted neighborhood. While many facets of queer life were celebrated,  from African American LGBTQ+ residents to queer scouts in the “Every Scout is Equal” program, there was a notable focus on the transgender community.

PRIDEChicago chose “Free to Be Proud” as the theme for the 2026 parade, celebrating LGBTQ+ joy while pushing back against efforts to restrict transgender rights.

In Iowa, for example, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF 571 into law on May 19, allowing health care providers to decline to participate in certain services that conflict with their religious, moral or ethical beliefs. In Illinois, state leaders have positioned the state as a refuge for transgender residents, and organizers said the theme also reflected a commitment to visibility and inclusion.

“Pride has always been about visibility, dignity, resilience and the right to exist safely and authentically. The theme serves as a reminder that freedom is still not equally experienced, and that true liberation is collective — no one is truly free until everyone is free to be,” said PRIDEChicago Board Chair Steve Long. 

Iowa is only one of 18 states that have signed a total of 54 laws that target the LGBTQ+ community so far in 2026. Many specifically target transgender individuals and their access to healthcare. 

Asher McMaher, founder and executive director of Trans Up Front, a non-profit and state-wide organization that supports trans youth and their families through advocacy services, described the importance of pride as a moment to celebrate joy amidst the battle for the rights of queer youth. 

“We’re having this amazing pride parade so that people in Kansas or Iowa can see that there are still people fighting for them. I think that celebrating joy is just as important as hitting the streets and demanding our rights, because they can’t take our joy and our resilience from us,” McMaher said. 

The organization’s presence in the parade was a bus full of trans youth waving and welcoming the streets of Northalsted, as on-lookers cheered them on and waved back. 

Kayden McCaoo, a trans man, originally lived in southern Illinois before moving into the city. Now in Chicago, he feels much more supported and comfortable to be himself. 

“It means that I can express myself how I want and let other people know that I’m proud of who I am, and that nobody can judge me for that,” he said. 

Along with celebrating genderqueer voices, Long said a focus of this year’s Chicago Pride Parade was a celebration of history, especially as the current administration erased references of transgender people from the Stonewall monument website in February, 2025. 

A part of this celebration was making Chicago journalist and Windy City Times Co-founder Tracy Baim a Grand Marshal of this year’s parade, recognizing her work in documenting queer Chicago history for the last 42 years by making her the star of her own float. 

“In a time when parts of that history are being erased or at risk of being overlooked, her contributions underscore the importance of preservation and visibility,” Long said. 

Baim, whose friends joked about her “finally wearing some color” to pride as she usually dresses in black, spoke to the importance of featuring all walks of queer life. 

Baim shared anecdotes about her times reporting on the HIV and AIDS crisis, and how differences were made, not just by featuring the doom-and-gloom stories that focus on the current administration, but the everyday queer experience. 

“It can’t always be about tragedy and policy. But then the other stuff that we need to cover is the harder news,” Baim said. “The violence and the pushback of the arc of the moral universe. They’re trying to bend it and break it backwards. So we have to do both parts, but we can’t do one without the other. We have to humanize this issue.”

Baim attended her first Pride Parade in 1984, and said that the main thing that has changed, just like her outfit, is the amount of color. 

“Everything about pride is just so much bigger, which gives us the support we need as we fight the things that are trying to push things backwards. This genie is out of the bottle and it’s millions and millions of people. You can’t push all of that back into the closet. It’s way too strong,” she said. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor J.B. Pritzker both walked in the parade, waving and shaking the hands of residents. Many parade-goers said they felt supported by the current Illinois political leaders. 

Kait Wilbur, a bisexual central Illinois resident who used to live in Indiana, spoke to the importance of Illinois as a sanctuary state for genderqueer people, as she has seen many of her friends take the brunt of discrimination in her home state. 

“I have friends who were getting very very scared — my trans friends especially — of legislation passing and for the community overall. Illinois has always felt like a pretty safe haven for queer people,” Wilbur said.

While many parade-goers voiced their fears about the current U.S. administration — including Tony Norman, a gay man in his 50s who attended with his partner and noted his concerns about federal walk back on healthcare — other on-lookers were just concerned about celebrating the day. 

“I don’t know what the future holds, I just kind of live for today,” said Eva Skye, a nonbinary person in their 60s who wore an all-rainbow outfit while holding two fluffy rainbow wands. 

As a youth cheer squad cartwheeled while wearing pride-themed skirts and a person in a fursuit passed out trans pride flags to smiling on-lookers, anxieties seemed to subside with the excitement of strangers celebrating. 

Nick Colosimo, a volunteer with the Human Rights Campaign for the past 15 years, wore clown-like makeup inspired by horror movies for pride. He said that pride, especially this year, is a space for people to forget their issues for a while. 

“There’s just so much unnecessary hatred in the world and there’s no need for that. And I feel, being here, you can just push that all beside, even for a couple hours. Surrounding yourself with so much love and support really makes you feel like it’s where you need to be and should be,” Colosimo said. 

Baim said all queer people right now need to be together, not just to celebrate, but to fight for their genderqueer community members. 

“We have to, as a community, really wrap our hands around each other,” Baim said. “For those queer people that really are not great at understanding that gender diversity, they need to take a back seat if they don’t understand it and let folks who do understand it fight for our folks within our community.” 

Additional reporting from Nico Waugh 

Copy edited by Venus Tapang

The approach succeeds more often than not. While the heavy reliance on older footage sometimes makes the film feel more like a greatest-hits compilation than a brand-new installment, the mix of nostalgia and fresh stunts gives longtime fans an entertaining final chapter.

The newest “Jackass” film is mostly archival footage, with less than half of the film being new material. This format is a sad testament to the aging of the original “Jackass” crew. 

For example, after suffering from a brain hemorrhage while filming “Jackass Forever,” ringleader Johnny Knoxville has taken a step back from performing stunts himself.

There is a testament to the original cast’s aging within the members themselves. The film is also noticeably missing original cast members Ryan Dunn and Brandon Cole “Bam” Margera. The film pays tribute to Dunn who passed away in 2011 by featuring archive footage of his stunts such as the “Butt X-Ray,” and by stating “Ryan Dunn forever” in the film’s ending credits.

The film does a great job in honoring Dunn’s legacy by not making it a sob story, but rather a celebration of his life and his contributions to the franchise.

Margera, while featured in archive footage as recent as 2022 from “Jackass Forever,” isn’t included in any of the film’s new stunts due to a falling out with the rest of the crew. 

To make up for these absences, the film introduces a new cast member in its first stunt: a robot named Larry, who gives Steve-O a prostate exam. 

Larry acts as a cast member, quipping in with memorable one liners such as “This might be a bad time to tell you, but my license was revoked last week.”

The “Jackass” crew is not necessarily known for touching on current events, but Larry’s presence in the film almost speaks to the overwhelming presence of AI in today’s world. Larry is present in almost every new stunt, often having more screentime than some of the cast members themselves. 

While no members of the “Jackass” crew  have spoken up about their opinions on AI usage, it’s interesting to note the inclusion of a robot as a new cast member in today’s AI-driven world. The film’s inclusion and acceptance of AI, shows how the franchise tries to change with the times in its own brash way. 

The “Jackass” crew also introduced new members with the 2022 release of “Jackass Forever,” including the first female Jackass, Rachel Wolfson. Wolfson did multiple stunts in “ Forever,” but here, she has no stunts. 

Several other members of the new cast shined in this newest installment, all while Wolfson had nothing to do but stand and watch stunts be performed. B-roll footage throughout the credits revealed that Wolfson had in fact filmed new material, but it had all been cut.

Wolfson’s exclusion is damning but not surprising. Audiences might be uncomfortable watching a woman get hurt — but why make a big deal of your first woman cast member to simply not use her? 

It is a bad look: Wolfson standing, wearing crop tops and shorts, watching and cheering on the men. 

Wolfson proved to hold her own as a “Jackass” crew member in “Jackass Forever,” making her exclusion in this film unable to be ignored.

The film’s highlight was Steve-O’s final ridiculous stunt: swallowing a ping-pong ball and attempting to digest it in one go. Halfway through the stunt, the daredevil reported that he had only pretended to swallow the ball, and he had “stuffed a ping-pong ball up his ass earlier, but lost it.”

During this, Knoxville exclaimed what would be the film’s most iconic line: “Twenty-five years and we haven’t learned a goddamn thing.”

Knoxville’s words proved true. Despite the original cast aging, they still performed new stunts — though they were nowhere near as wild as they used to be. 

Original cast members Steve-O, Preston Lacy, Chris Pontius and Dave England warned audiences that when they reach a certain age, they’ll have to prepare for a colonoscopy, just before drinking liquid laxatives and playing a round of Twister.

The film ends with a final homage to the beginning of the franchise. “Jackass: The Movie,” released in 2002, opened with the original cast barreling down a street in a giant shopping cart through explosions. “Best and Last” ends the same way: with the original cast, now older and none the wiser, in that same shopping cart. The film succeeds because it embraces its history, rather than trying to recapture its past. 

Most of the audience at an early screening were too young to be a “Jackass” fan during its heyday, yet they cheered and laughed anyway. Whether it be through their parents or the internet, it is obvious that they’ve found some amount of comfort in the franchise, speaking to its timelessness.

Because of this self-awareness and commentary, “Jackass: Best and Last” proves to be a worthy send-off to the franchise, and a perfect goodbye to the Jackasses who started it all. 

“Jackass: Best and Last” is playing in theaters nationwide, including at AMC Roosevelt Collection 16 in the South Loop.

Copy edited by Venus Tapang

Gutierrez used the showcase to introduce her new persona Pixxie to an audience for the first time. She said the persona is still developing, giving her room to explore different aspects of the character through future performances.

“A lot of people spend so much time really curating what it is, this character that they want to put out into the world,” Gutierrez said. “I’m honored to be at such an early point in what this character will be.”

Gutierrez said her interest in drag began during a Student Programming Board Halloween drag show, where she performed as Divine, an influential drag performer and lead star in the cult film “Pink Flamingos.” After that experience, friends encouraged her to try performing again in Circus Critters.

One of those friends was Rosa Weinand, a sophomore acting for stage and screen major.

Weinand said they watched Gutierrez slowly build the idea for Pixxie, from costume planning to song choices. 

“I could see every time that she was mentally building up to actually doing it,” Weinand said.

Gutierrez described Pixxie as an extension of herself rather than a separate character, shaped by her heritage, queer identity and interest in magical and theatrical image. 

“My inspirations are always kind of my Latin culture as somebody that’s Puerto Rican and Dominican, and also those witchy movies and nature motifs,” Gutierrez said. 

For Gutierrez, the goal was not perfection but expression.

“I don’t think you should be afraid of being imperfect,” she said. “I think that’s kind of the big encompassing thing, being imperfect and loud and having fun anyway.”

That mindset became important as she had to adjust much of her performance after she fractured her ankle just days before her drag performance. 

Gutierrez worked with stage blocks and adapted choreography to match what she could physically do.

Paulina Miramontes, a sophomore graphic design major and Gutierrez’s roommate, said she still remembers being surprised when she saw the performance at Circus Critters.

“She refused to tell me any details,” Miramontes said. “I was shocked to see her in animal print, cheetah face makeup and being introduced as a drag queen.”

Miramontes said some of the most memorable moments were unplanned. During rehearsal, Gutierrez accidentally fell off a stage block, a moment that was later incorporated into the performance.

“That fit so well with her exaggerated and aggressive performance,” Miramontes said.

Miramontes also said Gutierrez had to improvise parts of the act after realizing the performance space was much larger than where she had rehearsed. Because much of the routine had been developed in a small room, Gutierrez reworked her movements to fill the stage and perform closer to the audience.

“It made her performance much more entertaining,” Miramontes said.

Calme Brown, a 2026 graduate from the School of Theatre and Dance, and creator and producer of Circus Critters, said Pixxie stood out immediately during the audition process. 

Brown created the show as an independent senior project to give students a space for experimental cabaret style performances.

Brown was excited to have a drag performer in his show and said that Gutierrez “popped off” during rehearsals. 

He said Pixxie displayed comedy and character work in a way that made the performance engaging.

“Pixxie really leaned into the comedic aspects of the performance,” Brown said. “She really nailed being a diva.”

For Gutierrez, the experience of performing as Pixxie went beyond a single show.

“It’s definitely opened up an avenue to me that I didn’t know was possible,” she said. “I think that’s probably my biggest takeaway from this whole thing, that I can do things that I didn’t think were possible for myself.”

As Pixxie continues to develop, Gutierrez said she hopes to lean further into camp, comedy and theatrical performance while staying true to the imperfect style she embraced from the beginning.

“You don’t have to be perfect,” she said. “As long as you want to do it, I think your passion will show more to people than your refinement.”

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The college declined to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding Hilton’s departure. Hilton was reached by phone on Monday, June 22, but ended the call before responding to questions from the Chronicle. 

Hilton, who joined Columbia in July 2025 shortly after Bolton assumed her position, was a member of the president’s leadership team and frequently accompanied Bolton at meetings, public events and other appearances on behalf of the college.

Hilton was brought on to Bolton’s leadership team along with Emmanuel Lalande, senior vice president of enrollment strategy and student success, Jerry Tarrer, senior vice president and chief operating officer and Laurent Pernot, vice president of strategic partnerships and civic engagement. 

Hilton replaced Pernot, who was chief of staff for eight years under former President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim. Pernot was laid off in March 2026. Bolton made him vice president of strategic partnerships and civic engagement. 

In a statement to the Chronicle, Senior Director of Campus Communications Jourdan Thompson said the institution continues to review administrative structures and streamline operations to support long-term financial sustainability efforts. The statement added that when positions become vacant or eliminated, the college evaluates how responsibilities will be covered, including redistributing duties, restructuring roles or filling positions. 

Faculty Senate President David Gerding declined to comment on Hilton’s departure, saying he was not familiar with the situation. 

“As I am not familiar with the circumstances, I am going to respectfully decline on commenting on their departure,” said Gerding, associate professor in the School of Design. 

Hilton’s departure follows the exit of longtime executive assistant Yvonne Sode, who had worked at Columbia since 2000 under at least four administrations: Bolton, Jerry Tarrer, Kwang-Wu Kim and Warrick L. Carter.

Hilton previously led strategic student affairs and enrollment initiatives at Southern University at New Orleans. His position at Columbia was aimed at long-term planning and student success.

Their departure comes as Columbia continues to reorganize parts of its administrative structure. Earlier this month, the college announced a new academic leadership, condensing 10 school directors to five deans as part of a broader realignment effort.

Under the new structure, the schools of Theatre and Dance and Audio and Music will be grouped under one dean, and the schools of Fashion, Visual Arts and Design will be grouped under one dean. The schools of Film and Television, Communication and Culture and Business and Entrepreneurship will remain standalone units with a single dean each.

The new deans were announced to the college in June and they will begin their appointments on August 16. 

Jimmy Noriega, previously the director of Columbia’s School of Theatre and Dance, will be the dean of the Schools of Audio and Music, Theatre and Dance. Jerry Brindisi, the previous interim director of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship will serve as dean for that school. 

Ames Hawkins will be the dean of the School of Communication and Culture, where they previously served as interim director. Colbey Reid, previously the director of the School of Fashion, will be the dean of the Schools of Design, Fashion and Visual Arts. Wenhwa Ts’ao will be the dean of the School of Film and Television, where she previously served as co-director.  

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Resumen en español

El vicepresidente de estrategia institucional y jefe de personal Adriel Hilton dejó su cargo en la universidad a menos de un año después de unirse a la administración de la presidenta y directora ejecutiva Shantay Bolton.

La universidad se negó a responder preguntas sobre los motivos de la salida de Hilton. El pasado lunes 22 de junio, Hilton fue contactado por teléfono, pero cortó la llamada antes de responder a las preguntas que tenía el Chronicle.

Hilton, quien se incorporó a la universidad en julio de 2025, poco después de que Bolton asumiera la presidencia y dirección ejecutiva, era miembro del equipo directivo de la presidenta y la acompañaba con frecuencia en reuniones, eventos públicos y otras apariciones en representación de la universidad.

Resumen por Guadalupe Loza-Sanchez