Throughout our conversations this semester at the university, we have spoken with scholars from various disciplines. Now, it’s time to hear from students and gain their perspectives on the pressures of college, life, and the current cultural moment.
In this episode, Dr. Mary McGovern-Treyz sits down with soon-to-be University of North Florida graduates, recurring podcast guest Gabe Melson (B.A. Art History, ’23) and Velanna Dondina-Doolan (B.A. Interdisciplinary: Medieval Studies, ’23), co-host of the Spring 2023 season of How to Ruin Dinner. They have an in-depth discussion about the challenges and achievements they experienced during their time at UNF. The students are best friends and have known each other since meeting at freshman orientation in August 2019. Since then, they have navigated being students during the Covid-19 pandemic, and both recently presented papers based on their undergraduate thesis work at SECAC 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. The story of friendship between these two students is one of adaptability, engaging in a dialogue on exploration of self, ideas, and the world.
