With the completion of the 2017 final exercises, over 6,000 students have received their diplomas. Among them were members of the team who led WUVA News between 2016-2017. Talking with their old staff, former executive directors took a moment to reflect on their experiences at UVa and to give advice for the future students of the University of Virginia.
Kailey Leinz, Former WUVA President
My favorite memory from UVA is hard– there are so so many. But I would have to say that mine is from the first week of first year. It was a game day, so I got all dressed up in my dress and pearls (I still did that back then) and went to Scott Stadium. About halfway through the game, it started pouring rain and almost the entire stadium left, but my friends and I stayed. We got to the front row of the student section and ended up on the jumbotron a total of six times. We were all soaked to the bone. My makeup was running down my cheeks, and I was freezing, but we were having so much fun, I didn’t even care. I was literally dancing in the rain, if you will.
What was your favorite class at UVa?
My favorite class at UVA was called “Mass Media and American Politics”, which was taught by Paul Freedman. The class perfectly blended my interests– I was a Media Studies major and a Politics minor– but more than that it taught me so much about the way our world works. Especially today, it seems like everything is about politics, about media, and about the intersections between the two. That class facilitated an understanding of all of those things that I don’t think I would have otherwise had the opportunity to learn. It colored the way I look at things, which positioned me to think more critically about our media-political environment. I can’t think of a more perfect class that students could take to better understand the time that we are living in right now. And even beyond that, Professor Freedman was just so engaging and wonderful, and I looked forward to his class every day. I wish I could take it again. 10/10 would recommend.
#1 piece of advice: get involved in EVERYTHING you can. It can be greek life, Honor, multicultural groups, dance clubs, service organizations. Anything. You can get involved as much or as little as you want to be. But I promise, you will never regret being more involved. You will learn new things, you will grow more as a person, and you will meet more people than you ever could from academics alone. Learning isn’t met to happen solely in a classroom environment– extracurriculars are so incredibly important. And they are also SO much fun! So sign up for 40 things at the activities fair, go to all of the intro meetings, and then pick a few things that you like. And then really go for it, get active, and get involved. You will be happy that you did!
Christie Lombardi, Former WUVA Written Director
What is your favorite memory from UVa?
While it’s hard to pick just one, I’d have to say that my favorite UVA memory is when we beat Syracuse in 2014 to win the ACC regular season title. I went to nearly every home basketball game in my four years, but that one stands alone in my mind. It was the loudest I’ve ever heard JPJ and was a great game to end a great season. We probably shouldn’t have stormed the court since Syracuse was no longer undefeated at that point, but it was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget.
My favorite class at UVA was Comm Law. While the course was really interesting and a practical introduction to business law, I mostly valued it because of Sherri Moore. She’s known for being an amazing professor, but she’s also one of the best people I’ve gotten to know at UVA. I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in South Africa with her and am so grateful for the guidance and support she’s offered along the way. Everyone should take Comm Law (even if you’re not in the Comm School) and try to get to know Professor Moore outside of class too.
My number one piece of advice for first years is don’t lose your nickel from convocation. You’ll come across it again as a fourth year when you’re packing your room before graduation and will be so glad you saved it. More generally, I’d say to save relics from your time at UVA and take a lot of pictures. College goes by faster than you could ever imagine, and you’ll be glad that you have things to look back on to remind you of the memories you’d forgotten about.
Monica Casey, Former WUVA Video Director
Most of my best memories from UVa combine our beautiful grounds with the incredible people I’ve met here. My favorite memory of the past four years was when walking out of Alderman late one night my first semester first year to see snow on grounds for the first time. My best friend and I ran home through the falling snow, and all of UVa was quiet and picturesque. Lighting of the Lawn was soon after, which always makes final exams easier!
My favorite class at UVa was Old Icelandic Literature in Translation with Professor John Casteen. I was an English and Media Studies double major, and this was probably the most offbeat and fun class I took all four years. It’s also inspired me to visit Iceland!
Get involved! Try clubs and activities you’ve never done before–you might find your future career path or a new passion. I never thought I would want to be a reporter, but Kailey encouraged me to audition for Cavalier Connections and it was all downhill from there!
Barry Mangold, Former WUVA Recruitment & Alumni Director
What is your favorite memory from UVa?
This is a hard question, but one of them is definitely Club Swim winning Club Nationals at Georgia Tech this past April. Everyone was so hyped that we couldn’t lose. We brought 60-plus students to Atlanta and absolutely blew everyone else out of the water. I happily didn’t study for an exam I had the next day. Never going to forget that weekend.
What was your favorite class at UVa?
My brain says Basic Multimedia Reporting with Wyatt. The class gave everyone such an adrenaline rush and put everyone out of their comfort zone, and we all really bonded over that. However, my heart says Watching the Detectives with William Little. Watching movies and coming to class to have really interesting discussions was great.
What is your #1 piece of advice for incoming first years?
One story can change your entire perspective on WUVA/journalism, etc. Looking back, WUVA was more of a glorified hobby for me before I covered the Eramo v. Rolling Stone trial for Wyatt Andrew’s class and WUVA. That piece not only gave me a greater appreciation for diving into something as complicated as that trial, but it is also arguably the reason why I have a job today. I got endless help from Richard, a WUVA board member and alum, and Wyatt, and it really set me apart when I was sending my resume reel to different News Directors. It was all so new to me, but with the right help, it was honestly an enjoyable experience, not to mention an educational one.
Pete DeLuca, Former WUVA Sports Director
What is your favorite memory from UVa?
Fall break 3rd year when I stayed in C-ville with 2 of my buddies, Trevor and Aidan, as a hurricane was rolling in. We spent the whole long weekend in sweats and flannels and just hung out and watched movies and stuff. And only ventured out for a trip to IHOP one day. It was super low-key, but a lot of fun and very memorable.
What was your favorite class at UVa?
Wyatt Andrews’ News Ethics class. He only taught it in his first semester here, but I think it’s the best class he’s taught. It was so interesting, and I learned so much. It was a strong foundation for the beginning of my journalism career.
What is your #1 piece of advice for incoming first years?
Get involved with something you’d never imagine yourself doing. In high school, I hated writing and could never see myself enjoying it. But one day, early on in 2nd year, I found out that a 1st year hallmate, and now very good friend of mine, Barry Mangold, wrote sports articles for WUVA. I thought it was really cool, so I checked it out and started writing for WUVA too. Little did I know that this would be the start of my journalism career. So take some chances, and challenge yourself to try something new.
