Meet the 2021–22 Creative Arts Student Team (CAST)
Get to know the students behind the scenes of Duke Arts! From writers to social media superstars, each is an important advocate in supporting our work in growing a culture for the arts across campus.
Welcome to the CAST Directory
These Duke students are here to help you find your way in the arts at Duke — from how to get your projects funded, to courses, to student groups and more. Your peers in the arts are here for you!
Below are the Creative Arts Student Team members for 2021–22. These students — representing varying fields and interests — all work collaboratively with the Duke Arts staff to increase access to the arts at Duke. They are also knowledgeable arts ambassadors in their everyday life on campus, and are here as resources for you.
Samantha Streit ‘22
Writer and Content Creator
Samantha Streit is a senior pursuing a major in Theater Studies, a minor in Psychology, and a certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Raised in New York City, she has always been drawn to art and is going to pursue a career in acting. She is currently writing a one-woman show that she will perform in the spring, exploring the transformative powers of theater and Shakespeare. When not hosting meet and greets for Broadway Plus or doing interviews as the CAST Writer, she can be found cooking extravagant meals or looking for intellectual conversations. She is in her fourth and final fall mainstage show at Duke.
Ask this CAST about:
- Theater
- Cooking
- Shakespeare
- Forests
- Best Coffee Shops
- Music
Samantha.Streit@duke.edu
Christian Olsen ‘23
Programming Coordinator
Christian Olsen is a junior pursuing an interdepartmental major in Visual & Media Studies and Psychology with a minor in Statistical Science. Raised in Northern California, he discovered a passion for film and photography in the midst of high school, but was not able to fully explore the arts until arriving on Duke’s campus. Since then, he’s shot short films with Freewater Productions, participated in the (virtual) Duke in L.A. program, written copious articles for The Chronicle, and is the creative director for UNCUT Duke. In his downtime, you can find him anywhere on campus that sells vanilla lattes and blueberry muffins, listening to a comedy podcast and trying to hold in the laughs.
Ask this CAST about:
- Duke in L.A.
- Wes Anderson movies
- Sports media opportunities at Duke
Christian.Olsen@duke.edu
Sofia Silvosa ‘24
Social Media Coordinator
Sofia Silvosa is a sophomore majoring in Psychology with a Markets and Management certificate. She’s originally from Caracas, Venezuela but now lives in sunny Miami, Florida.
At Duke, Sofia works as a research assistant at the WILD developmental psychology where she helps conduct exciting research.
She is interested in film and works as the student event organizer for the Duke Independent Film Festival. She also loves to paint—especially using watercolor— and is a huge art history nerd. She loves finding ways in combining her love for psychology and the arts.
Ask this CAST about:
- Research opportunities
- Filmmaking opportunities at Duke
- Movie recommendations
- Social media strategies
Sofia.Silvosa@duke.edu
Rebekah Alvarenga ‘23
Social Media Coordinator
Rebekah Alvarenga is a junior majoring in Visual & Media Studies and Cultural Anthropology with a Documentary Studies certificate. As a first-generation Latina, Rebekah is interested in visual storytelling and the educational experiences of first-generation students. The mediums of storytelling she focuses on are documentary photography, artists books, and film. At Duke, she is the co-president of Duke KSAC and is a photographer for The Chronicle. Rebekah loves strolling the gardens or exploring downtown Durham at night.
Ask this CAST about:
- Documentary Studies
- Duke in Spain
- Being first-generation, low-income in the arts