“I'm Jackie Bond. I'm from Southern California, born and raised, and I moved to Virginia for university. I'm [studying] Media Studies and then minoring in government and psychology, but I'm really interested in government and politics. I'd love to do something with journalism and politics.”
I face my laptop, it’s placed on my oak coffee table with Jackie center screen. Our plan to meet in person fell through with the inevitable sickness that accompanies each return to grounds and the start of a new semester. Notably, this is our last semester studying at the University of Virginia. In a casual interaction following our most recent Iris meeting, Jackie and I each acknowledged the seamless similarities between us. We’re both Media Studies majors, we have a passion for journalism and write for the same publications on grounds — Iris and The Cavalier Daily. As I prepare to ask Jackie my burning questions, I think about how I want to flesh out these similarities between us, and to discover the hidden depths of Jackie’s individual story. Where has she come from, where has she been, and where is she going?
East to West
“A lot of times I just wanted a hug, you know, I'd want someone to talk to and be with. My intention was always to go somewhere new, because I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be like my sisters,” Jackie says on her decision to move to Virginia for university.
My family is a mere 2.5 hour drive away from Charlottesville in contrast to Jackie’s mandatory coast to coast trip when she returns home to California.
Independence is something we all search for when making the initial steps out into the world, but it doesn’t always come naturally. Several challenges accompany this split from home, some that are completely unforeseen — like the isolation which strikes while living alone (or with a new roommate) for the first time. These emotions creep up when we least expect them to. As I write this, I watch powdery white snow delicately sweep the streets from my window. The image suddenly brings back familiar feelings of childhood nostalgia, I catch myself wanting to throw snowballs at my siblings and share a mug of hot cocoa with my mom.
“I feel like [my childhood] is slipping away,” Jackie continues. “Being independent is great in many ways, but I also miss home cooked meals and having a big couch to sit on.” When they are stripped, small joys become large, comforting in a different way than before.
The feeling of being cared for by another captures the simplicity of childhood which seems to escape our grasp as we age. Gathering the energy to make myself a meal on par with my mother’s pot roast becomes an impossible task when there’s a million other things on my to-do list, given I’m a student, part-time brunch server, writer, friend and creative.
Look at Jackie: an accomplished news writer for The Cavalier Daily, intern for Iris, and dedicated student. Her responsibilities constantly pull her in a range of directions and it’s hard to settle for a moment and reflect on how our origins inform our present realities. I constantly think about habits I may have picked up from living within my specific family dynamic or even the regular privileges I became accustomed to every day while living with my family. Jackie succinctly articulates the push and pull of emotions that accompany this transition from home to UVA:
“I think I took my parents for granted a lot, I grew up very privileged, being in a nice home and having my own room and all that stuff. [Living in] a dorm with someone who was kind of an abusive person made me realize there are people out there who are not great, [after] I was with really great people growing up. When I'm back home, if I'm ever lonely I just go downstairs, and whenever my parents are home we'll just play board games or watch a movie together. That physical comfort is definitely a big thing.”
Knowing that someone who cares about you is just a skip down the steps provides an incomparable level of comfort. So, in moments of solitude, we may accomplish a level of calm repose with our memory or a recreation of this homely warmth in our own company. Speaking with Jackie, I was reminded how difficult it can be to find people who sufficiently answer the pleas of a restless soul. It can be hard to build connections when the ones we feel closest to are stretched across an entire nation.
“I think I just really wanted a change, and I completely appreciate that change, but it also makes me appreciate my home more. I love Virginia, but I definitely love California now more than ever,” remarks Jackie.
First to Fourth
It’s not uncommon to stray away from friends we meet in the first semesters of college. It’s also not uncommon to have a bad roommate situation at some point in the four years we reside in a tight knit college town. Most students either have some insane story to share about a weird roommate they’ve lived with (I know I do) or they’re still best friends with their first year roommate — there’s genuinely no in between. Jackie lands in the former category. “[At the start of college], I had to go through two emergency room transfers due to not having the best roommates. In both cases, I went from one extreme to the nicest [roommates] in the world. [My current roommate] has been my closest friend here, and she's definitely provided me with a lot of comfort,” says Jackie.
Must we deal with unbearable roommates to finally find the ones we groove with? Maybe so, but either way, it can be extremely hard to find people to be friends with, let alone enjoy living with. I have only accomplished a completely ideal living situation for myself in my fourth year of college, a feat I wish could have come sooner. Similarly, Jackie may now enjoy the comforts of living with friends in her final months of school.
Beyond living situations, there are so many other dynamics to consider. New students are bombarded by hundreds of clubs at the activity fair which begs the question: how do we choose between so many alluring opportunities?
“The Women's Center has [helped] me integrate into the university and [shown] me that it's not as scary and exclusive [as I initially thought], because in first year, I applied to 12 clubs, and I didn't get into any of them. It was actually my roommate who got me into the Women's Center because she worked on the Body Positive team” says Jackie.
The best answer that we can give is that any organization where you feel welcomed and cared for is the right place for you. Sometimes while attending a university with so many accomplished students, everything may begin to feel like a competition. It’s important to remember that there are several organizations that put students first — like the Women’s Center which offers several other internships besides Iris, including the Young Women Leaders Program and, formerly, the Body Positive team which Jackie was a part of.
“I did really like working with a team that’s focused on making people feel included. As a bigger person myself, sometimes it's intimidating walking into a room and [feeling like] people will judge me based on how I look. But entering the Women's Center with the Body Positive team, I was confident because I know they want to support me. They want me to feel accepted and comfortable no matter how I look or dress. On a broader scale, they really want other people to feel like they can be themselves no matter what.”
Cav Daily to Iris and Beyond
Now as an intern for Iris, Jackie continues to express a form of radical self acceptance with a supportive group of women who all share values of inclusion. “I really love Iris, and I feel very supported. I’m able to express myself and what's on my mind at the moment. I get to be completely fluid in what I write and how I choose to express myself on paper. I definitely feel like my voice is developing a lot on Iris. I used to write creatively as a kid, so exploring my voice in a [similar] way has been really valuable.”
Jackie continues, “My other position with The Cavalier Daily [is more] structured and rigid, but it’s provided me with a sense of purpose and pride. Getting published makes me feel like I'm doing something.”
In this sense, Jackie highlights the importance of contributing to activities that interact with the larger university community. Writing is not only an act for the self, but a tangible way to disperse our perspectives with the rest of the world. Jackie notes the differences between her roles on the Iris team and News Desk at The Cavalier Daily — which in turn highlights distinct modes of engaging with other students or the University as a whole.
“[Through Cav Daily,] it is nice to objectively find the facts, talk to the people that matter, and craft a story. Inherently there's bias, even though there's not supposed to be. I like to think my Iris stories on subjects [such as] why I'm nervous about post-grad are probably not as significant to [readers] as stories on DEI programming, or why the University runs the way it does. I like writing stories that matter on a broader scale and then stories that really matter to me. I think that's [just] a part of the contrast.”
Even when tied to requirements to remain objective as a writer, Jackie finds ways to construct creative angles for her News pieces.
“I have to be very objective on the News desk, which I think is valuable, but I think the angles come across through the people I choose to interview and how I choose to frame things. It is a writer's choice. I'll have a thought in mind, but it matters how I choose to write about it and how that translates to the news. I think the most creative part is asking all my own questions. I'd like to think I ask creative questions that get people to talk to me.”
Jackie’s experience emphasizes how as a student journalist, sometimes you have to be bold because people aren’t always willing to trust a writer with less expertise than an investigative journalist out in the field. However, student journalists are uniquely observant and exhibit a deep curiosity of the world — when we come face to face with inequity, instead of turning a blind eye, we produce a compelling story to spur recognition of a problem. Engaging in journalism encourages students like Jackie to challenge the institutions they are a part of, understanding the world unfurling before them quicker than anyone may accurately perceive.
“I definitely have hope that there are people out there who care as much or even more than I do, and who realize that things aren't going to change on their own and we need to act,” exclaims Jackie. There are people really willing to act, which I find inspiring. Coming to UVA, I’ve found a lot of like minded people who care so deeply about others and who understand the value of political progress which makes me very hopeful.”
To read Jackie's feature on Ella, see "Ella Powell Writes the Way She Dresses"
