I Spy: Chris Adrian hits the ground running at new Student Union
Many student workers would be happy to have Christopher Adrian as their manager, since he used to be one – a student worker, that is. Now Adrian is the assistant director of student life at CCU, managing the new Lib Jackson Student Union. With only two months as a full time Coastal Carolina University employee, he is already making an impact on students and staff.
“Chris hit the ground running as soon as he started,” says Whitney Comer, director of student life. “He arrived in the middle of the construction of the student union, and he helped pull everything together. He trained himself as well as the student workers. He took on a lot of work. Chris understands where the students come from, balancing classwork and their jobs. He is helpful to them because he is someone who has been in their shoes."
Adrian’s favorite part of working at the student union is interacting with students and student workers. When asked if there was a big change from student worker to employee, he equivocated. “Yes and no,” he says. “My main concern is to help student workers by trying to guide them personally and professionally.”
Adrian oversees about 40 student workers, including Cameron Driver, a sophomore communication major, who has been working in the union since Jan.12. Driver said that because Adrian is an alumnus, he takes pride in his work and really cares about what he is doing.
“Chris is a fresh face to the student life office and a hard worker. We’re happy to have him on staff here at CCU,” says Driver.
Originally from Chicago, Adrian attended Francis Marion University before transferring to CCU in 2008. He played football and was a student worker for the athletics program at CCU before becoming a full-time employee in December 2014. He met his wife, Sandy Baldridge, at Coastal as well. She is the senior manager of contractual and business services. His favorite part of working at CCU is being back where he received his degree. “Coastal is a big part of my life,” he says.
He also works part time at the Wizard Golf Course, playing golf whenever he can and watching movies. He is on a bowling team at Waccamaw Lanes with his wife, Lt. Matthew Crawford of CCU’s Public Safety and his wife Tracy Crawford.
Movies are something Adrian really enjoys, and he takes great pride in the new movie theater in the student union. He helps decide which movies to show and stays later on Thursdays and Fridays to help student workers run the showings. His goal is to sell out the theater three nights a week.
“Attendance is slowly growing,” he says. “I would love to see 200 people in the theater. It will happen soon.”
An average day for Adrian is continuing the student union operation and improving policies. He is continuously trying to add new events to the student union calendar, such as a Madden video game tournament at the end of April, performances on the outside patio and movies before they come out on DVD.
“Every day we are trying to improve the student union and make it more fun and efficient,” says Adrian.
