What about The Seahawk drew you in to start writing for them?

“It was actually this position that Helen Rogaski made last year or in the last couple years. It was The Shehawk column. I was in a Womens’ Studies intro class and my professor mentioned it to us. It seemed like a really interesting column for unempowered voices to foster different discussions. It was a chance to create material that was specifically focused for them. It sounded like something I would enjoy, so I applied and I got the position. I’ve just been writing ever since.”

As the culture editor, what are your duties and responsibilities? Give us a look into your day-to-day.

“As the culture editor, I’m responsible for probing into the lifestyles of students on-campus, and also bringing in components of city and national politics and trends. I try to write up content ideas because it helps visualize how everything is going to look. There is so much that goes under the Culture section. There are a lot of things I have to keep track of like release dates, new albums, or things that are happening in Wilmington and on-campus. Especially with the pandemic, there are a lot of COVID-19 related projects I’m trying to keep track of and write about. Really, for me, it’s about finding all those things, keeping track of them, and pitching them to writers. I only have two right now. They’re self-sufficient. Any time they send me reviews, I’ll take a look at those. After that, I’ll edit and plan more.”

Since this summer there has been a name change to your section from lifestyles to culture. Why is the name culture a better fit for your section?

“Lifestyles felt like it was a more narrow term versus with the title culture, we’re able to get away with talking about broader topics that weren’t just about UNCW-life or Wilmington-life. Culture gave me the ability to pitch content on a more national and serious level. I’m about to cover topics that are happening from around the world.”

What are different articles/projects that you are working on to bring more national attention to the Culture section?

“I haven’t actually kickstarted it yet, but I’m doing a series about Wilmington. It centers on the city’s racial unrest and violence. I feel like that’s a pretty broad and series thing to write about. I’m trying to promote things that don’t just deal with what white people are interested in. It’s actually super annoying because I was about to do an album review on Taylor Swift and I already found five Taylor Swift album reviews. Do we really need another Taylor Swift album review? Writing things that will appeal to a broader audience and tackling more serious subjects like the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Who is someone that feels like home to you?

“I would say my boyfriend. We have a lot in common and honestly I feel like we’re the same person, but not. We have the same interests, super dry humor, passions, and the need to be dramatic. We’re also very adventurous.”