Megan Hayes | News Editor
Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and Venom / Sam Lopez, Photographer
This year, many of us have seen countless new faces around campus – and among the many new students and faculty at Eastern, one that has seemed to stand out is our very own Campus Spider-Man. The character known as Spider-Man originates from Marvel Comics and was created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, and for many, Spider-Man as well as many other Marvel and DC characters and superheroes may have been a strong influence and role model growing up. Often, characters with lasting impacts still are role models to us—with new movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home still gaining popularity around from the recent release in 2021. Following his appearances on campus, I recently had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with the Campus Spider-Man. In this interview, he told me about his origin, his message to others, and some of his favorite things about Eastern.
How Eastern’s Spider-Man originated on campus was because of “an accident” -- being late to a Halloween event last semester gained him some popularity and friendship with those he met that night in costume, which inspired him to continue adventuring across the area even after Halloween. “I think it brings out a different side to the campus... that first night it felt like everyone was connected,” he states. He also informed us that it has allowed him to connect better with other students on campus and has given him time to get to know his friends better, like some of the other characters who have been seen with him around campus: Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Spider-Gwen, and Venom. When asked to comment on what he enjoys most at Eastern, he says the Fine Arts Instructional Center is his favorite spot to be on campus. “I feel appreciated as an art student while I’m in there. But if I’m talking about Eastern as a whole, I like how everyone knows almost everyone here... someone at least knows one person you know, and I think that’s interesting,” he says, as the diversity and connectedness of the campus makes Eastern unique and is something that many students appreciate.
Outside of academics, Eastern’s Spider-Man enjoys art, and busying himself with always drawing or making something, especially 3D modeling and DIY projects. He also enjoys listening to music, reading, day-trips either with friends or by train, and photography. When asked what message he wishes to spread on campus to the students and faculty at Eastern, he said to “Be greater. Be yourself. Seriously, don’t be afraid to be who you are and put yourself out there, you’ll find that there's people who are just like you, and challenge yourself today to create those connections.” He hopes this can be a message that resonates with especially students at Eastern, regarding finding their path, a community of support, and success in the future both during and after their time at Eastern.
A closing message that our campus Spider-Man had to share was that he will continue being a “menace” around campus and will be doing his weekly patrols on Thursday or Friday nights with friends, often starting around eight at night, to share smiles with students and continue to create connections within the Eastern community. You can also sometimes find Eastern’s Spider-Man at Thursday Knight Pancake Nights in the Student Center Café.