By Ben Levin
“Artist Spotlight” is a series that celebrates the student artists at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The arts deserve more credit and celebration, and staff writer Ben Levin is glad to be doing his part.
For this latest edition, Levin interviewed junior Maverick Santore (she/her), who majors in 3D modeling. She works in 3D modeling and creating environments for video games.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: What got you interested in your crafts?
A: I got into it when I played video games when I was five years old. Video games helped me make friends online, since I couldn’t make a lot of friends on the playground or in general. I wanted to help make video games for other people who struggle to make friends in real life to show them that they are not alone.
Q: What video games did you play when you were younger?
A: Halo, Minecraft, Castle Miners Z, Call of Duty, the Lego Games — there are a lot of those — Mario Kart.
Q: What is your favorite thing you’ve made so far in your career and why?
A: So far, my favorite one is the video game I’m making right now. It’s a Parkour, first-person game where you have to run from enemies and try not to get caught.
Q: What is this game going to be called?
A: So far, the game is called “Cypher’s Run” (a work in progress name), but I think it’s gonna’ stick. That’s the name of the character you play.
Q: How has going to Fairleigh Dickinson impacted your knowledge of or appreciation for your craft?
A: It showed me that a lot of people want to do the same thing as me, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone. I want to make games for fun and not for money — well yeah, money is a big aspect, but I’m more focused on making friends in the same field or in similar fields.
Q: What do you do aside from your art?
A: I like to make music edits, build legos, hang out with friends, go on adventures. Overall, just have a good time.
Q: What advice would you give to other artists of your field?
A: Don’t give up. Keep on pushing towards your goal that you want to accomplish. That’s why you came to college in the first place.
The Pillar 