Washington and Lee University
Majors: Politics and Sociology/Anthropology
Extracurricular Involvement:
Off-Campus Experiences:
Post-Graduation Plans: I'd like to work for W&L admissions for a couple of years, then move out to Boulder, Colorado and work for the innovative marketing agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, whose Creative Director is a W&L alumnus. My ultimate goal is to attend the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which has a strong focus on social entrepreneurship.
Favorite W&L Memory: The premier of Sig Ep's Student Band Night. We brought together all the bands on campus to rock out in our newly refurbished basement, complete with acoustic foam. All night people were coming up to me saying "Hey, this is awesome! You gotta do stuff like this more often!" It's nice to know when your innovations are being appreciated by the student body.
Favorite Class: Politics 396: The Theologico-Political Problem with Professor Velasquez. This class encapsulated everything I think a liberal arts education should be. Every day I encounter something that I can relate back to this class. Studying classical political philosophy has been incredibly powerful for me, because I can utilize my own leadership experience to illuminate the timeless lessons preached by some of the greatest thinkers of all time.
Favorite Lexington Landmark: Foamhenge. A full-scale recreation of the prehistoric English monument, I was once given extra credit in Geology class for approximating the overall mass of the original stones. It is known to induce an unhealthy degree of Spinal Tap jokes.
"That will never work, man, nobody wants to see comedians."
My simple request for a few thousand dollars from the $100,000+ General Activities Board budget to bring comedic entertainment had been denied. But I still had four years left, and I wasn't about to give up. My persistence won $5,000 Sophomore year to fund the inaugural season of GAB Comedy, which couldn't have gone any better. From that tiny budget, I found a few undiscovered gems who stole the show at W&L and are now big-time comedy writers and performers. The GAB doubled my budget for the next year much to the delight of the rapidly swelling loyal fanbase, and now in its third year, GAB Comedy has $20,000 to fund a whole year of quality acts. For this season's final show, I've booked Arj Barker, whom you may know as "Dave" on the hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords.
I've been involved with several other entrepreneurial ventures as well. Freshman year, bored with the traditional fraternity scene, a few of my good friends and I helped re-establish the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at W&L. Our revolutionary "Balanced Man" program helps to act as a bridge between Greek Life and campus involvement, and has become a creative powerhouse within the student body. We regularly host Student Band Night, where we transform our basement into W&L's own CBGBs--except our beverages won't cost you five dollars. We also host a 3-on-3 street hoops tournament, "Ballin' Fly for the Little Guy," in Davidson Park's outdoor court to raise money for our national charity, YouthAIDS. Students, faculty and staff, and even Lexington residents come armed with their ballin' threads (we have a "best dressed" prize) and trash-talkin' heads, and the competition is intense. Last year a few of the Dining Hall employees showed up and schooled everyone!
This year, I'm the Media Director for Aduro, W&L's newly formed student advertising organization. We help various W&L organizations reach their goals through effective targeted marketing communications. Right now we're working with Admissions to create a W&L "Student Voice" site. Keep an eye out for features such as "W&L Cribs," "PostSecret," and other cool ways to get in touch with the student body... coming soon to a computer near you.
Perhaps the most satisfying thing I've accomplished at W&L, with the help of my friend Kate Corr, has been over a year in the making. Next year, the first ever co-ed floor will be available as an option for incoming first-years. It is our hope that this will facilitate close inter-gender relationships and will act as a model for future residence hall planning.
Washington and Lee is in the midst of a historic shift, moving from a well-respected Southern school to a prominent, nationally recognized liberal arts university. Whatever changes come upon us, one thing is for sure: W&L genuinely believes in student leadership. And if I'm any example, the opportunities now are greater than ever before. If the words "That will never work" are fuel to your fire, the future W&L beckons.
