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  • The Time Has Come

    The Time Has Come

    With my first visit to UNCW and Wilmington, I somehow knew this would be the place I would spend the next years of my life. These past four years as a Seahawk have been a rollercoaster ride that seemed endless, but here I am, at the end. I have experienced so much over the last 4 years and those memories will last a lifetime. For current and future Seahawks, I have 10 bits of advice.

    1. Go in undecided- I was undecided until first semester sophomore year. I highly recommend taking the first year to get complete most of your general education classes. I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I needed time to find my place.
    2. You’re going to have a bad roommate- It is almost inevitable. Living with people you are not familiar with is always tricky. However, I met one of my best friends as a random roommate assignment.
    3. You will regret not getting the dorm experience- I lived in the dorms my freshman year and I am so glad that I did. It is a rite of passage in a sense. If you live in Galloway, I am sorry.
    4. It is okay not be involved in Greek life- UNCW doesn’t have a huge Greek life but for some reason I felt like I had to join because all of my friends did. You know yourself better than anyone. If you have any doubt you will not like it, don’t get involved.
    5. The student athletes believe they are the best…at everything- I have many friends who happen to play college sports. They have a very strict schedule and love what they do. However, they can be very picky about who they hang out with. Find your people. You don’t have to be friends with the soccer players because you played soccer in high school.
    6. Join 2-3 clubs/organizations- I have been told numerous times to join as many clubs as possible. From experience, I have learned that less is better. Most clubs meet weekly. Do not overcrowd yourself with extracurriculars. UNCW has an amazing assortment of organizations. Find the best one or two for yourself.
    7. Study abroad- The best choice I ever made was studying abroad. I traveled to Paris, France and Berlin, Germany. If you have some place that you have always wanted to visit, check out the study abroad website. Imagine getting to travel to somewhere beautiful while getting school credit. What more could you want?
    8. Get to know your professors- This is something I deeply regret. I have had the privilege of being taught by some of the most talented professors. I wish I had taken time to visit them during their office hours; having a conversation that might not even relate to class. Remember professors are people too.
    9. Explore your community- We are so lucky to attend school in an environment that has so many unique features. From Wrightsville beach to the battleship; there is so much to discover. I also would highly recommend taking the ferry from Carolina Beach (Fort Fisher) to Southport.
    10. Don’t take these 4 years for granted- One day, while you’re living your best life on Spring Break, you might get an email saying your classes are now all online and that you are not allowed back on campus. Everything suddenly gets taken away from you.

    I know because it just happened to me. There I was, excited to end my time here at UNCW. Getting ready to take my graduation pictures with the Seahawk in front of Hoggard lawn. Spending the last few weekends living my best life with my roommates. Instead I’m in my hometown. Writing this sitting at a foldable desk. In my childhood room.

    College doesn’t last forever. It is just the next stage in your life. It will end. To all future Seahawks, remember you’re adding to our legacy. The time has come for you to take over. Do us proud.

    Madison Lancaster, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

    Madison’s passion is fashion – she enjoys expressing her creativity through clothing and is an avid supporter of the pantsuit. After graduation, Madison plans to be an event coordinator and travel the world.

  • Believe in Your Dreams & Allow them to Change

    Believe in Your Dreams & Allow them to Change

    I began my journey as a UNCW Seahawk in the Spring of 2017; it had been my dream ever since the eighth grade. Way back in middle school, I would spend hours looking at campus photos and taking the virtual tour too many times to count. This came as a bit of a shock to my parents considering we live all the way up in New Jersey. For years they thought my dream to go to UNCW was just a phase I would eventually grow out of. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

    Through my time at UNCW I have learned that your vision for the future doesn’t have to be set in stone. When I first moved to Wilmington for school, I had my heart set on being a Creative Writing major, moving to NYC after graduation and publishing books at Simon & Schuster. My path could not be more different now. I eventually realized that I had grown out of that dream but the idea of changing my path entirely was daunting. It was only when I was introduced to the COM department that my then daunting future became full of possibility.

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    Through this department I have made lifelong friends, met professors I admire and created a whole new vision for my future. I cannot believe my time at UNCW is coming to an end, especially as I am separated from the individuals who made this experience unforgettable. My biggest regret when I think about graduating is that I didn’t take advantage of all the opportunities UNCW has offered me and that I took for granted the time I had with the people who’ve made these past four years so special.

    This degree has been the most challenging and rewarding feat of my life. As we near graduation and the momentous occasion that it is, I can’t help but be grateful for all the opportunities I have been given.

    It’s been a pleasure. Until next time Wilmy!

    Kaitlyn Schissler, UNCW COM Class of 2020

     

  • The People are the Best of COM

    The People are the Best of COM

    My UNCW experience has been interesting to say the least. I became a Seahawk during the Spring semester of 2017 as a First Year Spring Admit. This is a program that defers students to the Spring semester. I met all of my Freshman friends through this program – I loved it! The reason I choose UNCW is because I wanted to work at SeaWorld as a killer whale trainer and thought a marine biology degree would get me there. However, after one day of biology class, I remembered I wasn’t good at science and began my search for a new major. This was the best decision I would ever make. Not only because the Blackfish documentary opened my eyes to SeaWorld’s treatment of killer whales, but also, because it led me to the Department of Communication Studies.

    Photo by Trevor Kolman on Unsplash
    Photo by Trevor Kolman on Unsplash

    On the search for a new major, I enrolled in COM 105. On the first exam for COM 105, I made a 70 and went home and cried to my roommates. Throughout that semester, I tried harder than I ever had in a course and ended up with the 3rd highest grade in the class – out of 150 students. I realized it was the only course that I was passionate about. The next semester, I enrolled in COM 200 and joined the Communication Studies Society (CSS).

    Junior year began and I felt like I was finally finding my way through college. I was vice president of CSS and had made some awesome friends within the department. Shortly into the semester, Florence hit. It was a time filled with uncertainty. Luckily, we were able to return back home after a month of no school. I think we were all a little more appreciative that year.

    As senior year kicked off, I found myself as president of CSS. My goal for CSS was to help COM majors grow professionally and personally. During my time as president, I threw a networking event, held Make the Most Of your Major (MMOM), a holiday party, and many other professional development meetings. But most importantly, I got to bond with other COM majors and professors. I think the best part about the COM department is the people.

    Now as my final semester has been flipped upside down, I reminisce on the last few years. This semester, I was supposed to go on a study abroad trip to Italy, have my official last day of class, and say goodbye to my friends. This isn’t how I imagined this semester ending, but I’m trying to stay hopeful. I focus on our first core skill, confidence: Feeling able to do what you set out to do, mentally, emotionally, and physically. This semester, I set out to finish my college career on a high note and, using what I’ve learned in communication studies, I know that I will.

    Allison Phillips, UNCW COM class of Spring 2020

    Allison is a Communication Studies major with minors in Leadership Studies and Political Science. She plans to work in the marketing field after graduation.

  • When the Going Gets Tough: Seahawk Edition

    When the Going Gets Tough: Seahawk Edition

    As a transfer student, I have not spent more than 2 years at UNCW. However, my time here has been wonderful and I am beyond proud to be a Seahawk. I believe it is where I am supposed to be, despite the trials and tribulations. Anyone at UNCW during the last two years knows what I am talking about. If not, here are a few highlights and different ways that I got through them (or am still getting through them).

    The wrong department.

    When I first transferred to UNCW from Cape Fear Community College, I started off in the Cameron Business School. I knew I was interested in marketing but was completely lost in all of my classes. Things like financial accounting, microeconomics, etc. just weren’t for me. I did not feel a sense of community and had a hard time overall. Then, I learned about IMC classes and the Communication Studies Department. I quickly made the switch and, ever since then, I’ve felt entirely at home with my COM friends and professors! My advice to anyone not 100% sure which path to take is to explore ALL options first (especially before wasting an entire semester in the wrong place, like I did). There is a place here for everyone. We just have to find it. I sure am glad I found mine along with the wonderful friends that came with it.

    Hurricanes.

    Ah, the lovely storms that love to threaten (and damage) our beautiful campus. During my time at this school, my fellow students and I, have experienced the infamous Hurricane Florence, Tropical Storm Michael, and Hurricane Dorian. While Michael and Dorian did not cause us too much trouble, Florence did. That was a scary time for the entire UNCW community with school being closed, no one allowed on campus, copious amounts of damage, and a struggling community. I got through it the best way I knew how…by pushing forward. I stayed in contacted with all professors and many of my peers, stayed up to date on information, and did not give up on our school. Soon, everything was (somewhat) back to normal. The best thing anyone can do in that situation is to stay open-minded and trust that everything will be okay.

    A global pandemic.

    Whoa. Who knew this was going to happen? It has raised all sorts of anxiety, hardship, and uncertainty for many students. The Coronavirus is scary and uncharted territory for us, but the UNCW faculty and staff have dealt with it gracefully and promptly. One reason why I love UNCW so much – we have some great people backing us! With all of our classes going online, there are many challenges. If you’re like me, you simply are not an online school kind of person – maybe focusing is hard, there’s a lot going on at home, etc. but giving up is not an option. Thankfully, most professors at UNCW are extremely understanding and willing to help (especially those in the COM department). By writing down due dates and checking them each day along with staying in contact with professors, I have been able to get by. It takes a lot of strength, energy, and self-motivation but we Seahawks are forces to be reckoned with. We can get through anything.

    Amongst many other challenges that you may face while at UNCW, always remember this: you are never alone, and things won’t be tough forever. I am blessed to have shared experiences with my peers, whether they be good or bad, and I am sad to end this chapter of my life in a virtual platform. All in all, I’ll forever love The Dub. Through the good times and bad.

    Tina King, UNCW COM Class of Fall 2020

  • #NoRegrets

    #NoRegrets

    I transferred to UNCW as a junior – leaving me with only two years to get the most out of my time here. My time at UNCW was not your traditional four semesters of schoolwork, hanging out at the beach, and spending time with friends. During the fall 2018 semester, Hurricane Florence happened, as most of you know, taking a month of our time away from UNCW. Then, the next fall semester, Hurricane Dorian came. Thankfully, this only took about a week of our time away. But, it still caused disruption in the semester. Now, we’re all dealing with COVID-19, perhaps the most detrimental situation of them all. The Coronavirus is the monster I never knew I feared. It caused the cancelation of my Italy study abroad trip, took a month and a half of our time at UNCW away from us, and took away graduation. Students across the world are suffering from the effects of this monster. Amidst these terrible and trying times, let’s reflect on the positive memories we’ve had. I, personally, have had a lot.

    My first semester, I wanted to take advantage of every opportunity that came my way and get involved in as much as I could (being that I only had two years at UNCW). I joined the UNCW Equestrian Club (even though I knew nothing about how to ride horses), Communication Studies Society (to get more involved in my major), Greek life, and more. Balancing all of my extracurriculars with my academics while still saving time to spend with friends was hard. But, it can be done. My advice: join all that you can, all that you’re interested in. UNCW offers many opportunities for us, as students, to take advantage of. I never thought that I would have the opportunity to learn how to ride horses but here I am! If UNCW doesn’t offer something that you’re interested in, take it upon yourself to create your own club. There are bound to be others who have the same interests as you. In doing so, you’ll make connections and relationships that will last a lifetime.

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    As we’re all separated from the campus that we love so dearly, our friends, Wilmington (for those of you who don’t live in the area), think about all the memories you made throughout your time at UNCW. Don’t let these current times that we are living in get you down. Keep contact with your friends. Take advantage of the efforts UNCW is making to keep our community strong. Just because we are disconnected, doesn’t mean we can’t continue to make memories.

    Moral of the story, time is short. You never know what could happen. Don’t take anything for granted. *Insert any other upchuck-inducing cliché here* We all hate them and think that they’re lame, but they’re all true. I was able to make these memories and lasting friendships because I put myself out there, did what I was scared of. Now, as I’m cooped up in my home in Upstate New York, I can look back at my time at college without any regrets. It ended much sooner than I thought, but I accomplished all that I could.

    Jenna Pugliese-McNamara, UNCW COM Class of 2020

    Majoring in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Integrated Marketing Communication and a minor in English. Jenna plans to pursue a career in publishing or marketing – or maybe both!

  • Imperfect Vision. C/O 2020

    Imperfect Vision. C/O 2020

    UNCW was my last choice for college. Of the seven universities that I applied to, I was denied from three, waitlisted for two, and accepted into two, UNCW and ECU. The deciding factor between the colleges was the film program offered here at The Dub. My entire life had been filled with film, entertainment, and the performing arts. It had only made sense that all I had ever dreamed of was seeing my name in lights.

    I was one of those kids that came to college claiming that I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and was I wrong. Despite the fact that I still do not have a perfect picture of the way that I want my life to look like, I feel more sure about anything that I’ve ever felt before. I like to tell people that I didn’t choose COM but that COM chose me. I became a Communication Studies major at the perfect moment in my college career. While I was still very unsure about a lot of things, I was excited to go into a major that would help me become a better writer, researcher, and most importantly, a better person.

    In these four years I have experienced racism, discrimination, grief, happiness, excitement, disappointment, exhaustion, and so much more. UNCW has helped me grow, evolve, and blossom into a woman that has proven to be ever better than my wildest dreams. During my time here I have written for the newspaper (#StaffWriterTurnedManagingEditor), raised over $20,000 for the university, been published into a UNCW textbook, participated in a number of research projects and proposals, and met some of the best people along the way.

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    Even though my final semester here has taken a turn that no one could have seen coming, I think that this is a perfect way to move on to the next chapter of my life. As a Christian, I believe that our stories have already been written, and no matter how much we try to avoid, some things are completely out of our control and that’s okay. Life isn’t about the moments that we had pictured in our head, it’s about the moments that we had outside of our daydreams. It’s about spontaneous trips, binge watching Netflix shows, learning dances on Tik Tok, and learning how to roll with the punches however they come. Four years, three hurricanes, and a pandemic later, I can say that I am prepared to take life head on during the good and the bad.

    Valerie Keys, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

    Valerie has accepted a fellowship with Lead for North Carolina – an organization that strives to strengthen NC local governments by creating future public service leaders. Valerie will be working with the Pembroke NC local government.

  • The University of Never-ending Catastrophes in Wilmington

    The University of Never-ending Catastrophes in Wilmington

    What we’re experiencing now is unexplainable. I am a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and have survived at least two disasters every year since starting in 2016. What is it like to choose a university that continuously experiences disaster after disaster? Beautiful Chaos.

    From the first semester, the class of 2020 should’ve seen what was coming. After experiencing the 2016 election when multiple professors canceled classes for a week in disappointment, came hurricane Mathew, hurricane Maria, hurricane Michael, hurricane Florence, hurricane Dorian, and now the coronavirus. The Spring 2020 class will not walk across the stage commemorating their achievements in May; they will not have their last look at the campus after their final, final. The class of 2020 will look back and remember the time of their final semester at the university they chose and love, closing and sending them off two months early. But I wouldn’t change my university for anything.

    In the words of Kourtney Kardashian “Kim, there are people dying;” trust me, we all know how selfish we sound right now. We get it people are dying and the world is going through a pandemic, but for one second can’t we just mourn the loss of our senior spring semester? I am now 21 years old, living at home, finishing class online with my two boomer parents who would like nothing more than for me to “walk the dog, vacuum the kitchen, and if you’ve got time could you empty the dishwasher?” I’m supposed to be at school. I was supposed to be going to beach bars every Thursday until I graduate and have to be an adult. Where are my friends and why does my dad keep spraying me with Lysol?!

    What I can say about this experience so far is, it is terrible. If I wanted online classes I would’ve enrolled in online classes. Every professor is using a different form of communication. Why? Some are on Slack, some have their own website, some are on Zoom, and some are on Canvas. A bit of advice for the university, if this does happen again, make all professors use one outlet of communication because checking four different outlets is crazy and I’m tired. I want to be in my perfect building of Leutze laughing at something Dr. Olsen wrote in an email or how long Dr.Weber’s emails always are.

    Online courses are death, and I mean that. Who on Earth wants to sit in the same room all day and do homework? Who’s idea was this? I want to walk to Leutze and sit in a class of students and complain about having to be there. Do you want to know why I want that? Because no one was actually mad they were there. Everyone was thrilled to leave their apartments and see their friends that they never saw outside class. The only part of the complaints I can actually say was true, was group projects and if you say you liked them then you were the slacker that made everyone hate them.

    In the last two weeks, I have gone from spring break to quarantine spring break, moved out of my dorm, moved home, and started a semester online. During this very busy time I have had little time to think, but when I did, I thought of my time at UNCW. I know this will sound crazy, especially if you aren’t a senior, but I miss walking to class. I found a university that was so much my home that I dreaded graduation. I hated summer break when I had to leave and I miss it more than words can tell you. If given the chance right now I would start over at freshman year, and I wouldn’t change anything. I would genuinely retake chemistry just to fail so I could replace it with prehistoric life (yeah you can do that) if it meant I could have four more years.

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    You know how everyone says “you’ll be ready when it’s here”? Well, that was never me. I faked every minute of pretending to be sick of studying, I loved it. Even when hurricane after hurricane hit I never regretted my choice of coming to UNCW. Now that it’s over, and I’m at home taking classes online, I realize my time there was the ‘good old days’.

    If you’re a student at UNCW, take one bit of advice from me – DO EVERYTHING. Take too many core curriculum classes, change your major, add a minor, drop both and be undecided, take acting for non-majors with Mike (I promise it’s so worth it). If you’re a student at UNCW and you think your time isn’t going to go by too fast – you’re wrong. A cliche but true. UNCW is the place to make memories (some to remember and some you wish you could forget). This is the time and the place to do it all. Oh, and skip class at least once a year for the beach, you’re never going to regret that choice.

    So what has it been like going to UNCW from 2016-2020 and now dealing with the coronavirus? It’s beautiful chaos and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

     

    Zoe Coleman, UNCW COM Class of Spring 2020

    Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Zoe is a Senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington graduating with a B.A. in Communication Studies focused on Integrated Marketing Communication. She is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority Theta Xi chapter. After graduation, Zoe will pursue a career in sales with the company Red Ventures in Charlotte, North Carolina. When Zoe is not working in the classroom she enjoys reading the latest novels available and exploring Wilmington.