EASTON, Mass.—Whether DJing at Owen’s or performing at a Mindful Living Café, Devin Mauch is quickly recognized by his signature nose ring, hat, and scarf. Heavy drumming can usually be heard coming from his dorm room which is covered with colorful posters from floor to ceiling, depicting numerous peace signs and elephants.
“His room is so welcoming and cozy, and his passion covers the walls,” said senior Erica Carmody, who lives above him in Rehoboth in the Senior Courts. “There’s always music playing. It’s his space.”
This room is only one of the many distinctive features that Mauch, 22, is known for at Stonehill College.
Now a senior, he has been involved with the campus as executive programming director, a member of the Community Standards Review Board, host of Mr. Stonehill, DJ of the Raven’s Nest, and member of Mindful Living.
His immersion into the Stonehill’s campus life through music and entertainment is a recent phenomenon. For his first year and a half at Stonehill, he considered transferring until he became more involved with the community.
“I decided I wasn’t going to run from my problems,” said Mauch. “I thought about my actions and the effects they would have on the school.”
Mauch said Stonehill alums, Janna Rayworth and Hilary Mark, influenced his decision to stay. Being constructive and living to help others are two philosophies they helped reinforce, he said.
The Red Hook, N.Y. native was also looking for that sense of community that he had in his small hometown. Within Mindful Living, two houses made up of students on campus that seek to build community, people are accepting and encouraging, he said.
His current roommate, Corey Roos, 21, was also “extremely influential” on his decision to stay, said Mauch. He cites Roos’ “positive outlook” as the catalyst that influenced how he thought about his actions and their effect on the school.
Roos, who is graduating a semester early, appreciates the time he has with Mauch now. “One would think he’d be a tough roommate because he can be wild, but we get along really well. He is expressive and goes with the flow, and we balance each other out,” said Roos.
When Mauch graduates, he hopes to pursue a career in his most prominent passion: music. This past summer, he toured around the country with Stonehill alum Martin Earley, who kept a blog recording the events of “The Roadmaps Tour.”
Together, Mauch and Earley performed at over 10 cities including Chicago, Seattle, and Austin. While the duo mostly played songs written by Earley, Mauch added harmonization and percussion to Earley’s acoustic guitar as they played at cafes, bars, and houses.
“He gets really into the music, whatever it is, and makes an effort to understand the [meaning] of the song,” said Earley on Mauch’s approach to music.
The two plan to continue performing now that Earley permanently resides in Boston. They will be opening for Annabel Lee on Nov. 11 at “The Hill” at Stonehill, whom they played with in Seattle over the summer.
The performance will also commence with Soul., the musical group Mauch currently performs with at Stonehill. Comprised of Stonehill students Chris Manke, Kalee Burrows, Rex Macapinlac, Chris Borelli, Eric Sarra, and Mauch himself, Soul. performs onstage only knowing the gist of songs, and improvises most of the music and lyrics.
“[Soul.] is the most interesting creative outlet I’ve been a part of,” said Mauch. “People hear it, and it’s a different thing. It’s refreshing.”
Mauch’s passion continues to leave a mark on Stonehill in a way that has touched members of the community. Often first pick to be put on panels to speak to incoming students, he is courteous and personable, and always tries to engage in coversation about anything, said Earley.
“He has become a really lovely friend. The time we all spend together is unique,” said Erica Carmody. “We’re all lucky to know him.”
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