HCND Graduate Edition: Meet Sara Spitt ’15!

Meet beloved Editor-in-Chief/Campus Correspondent, Sara Spitt! Among the many accomplishments of the former PDub weasel, this campus media queen served as both HCND’s fabulous Campus Correspondent, and as managing editor of The Dome (you can thank her for the awesome yearbooks!) while somehow managing three majors and studying abroad in Italy! As Campus Correspondent, Sara has injected her enthusiasm, creativity, and vision into the chapter while managing an expanding membership. Read on to find out more about this HCND graduate as she reminisces on her time at Notre Dame, her future plans, and (of course!) her experience at HCND. Ladies and Gentleman, Sara Spitt!

Name: Sara Spitt

Year: Senior, Class of 2015

Hometown: Wheaton, IL

Dorm: Former Purple Weasel of PW

Major: Theology, Peace Studies, and Italian (yes… all three)

NDH/SDH: NDH is my home

Campus Activities: Her Campus Notre Dame! The Dome Yearbook, Tour Guide, student intern in the Office of University Relations, formerly involved in hall gov.

What words would you use to describe yourself?

Organized, silly, serious

What would you title your autobiography?

“Will There Be Pizza? The Sara Spitt Story”

Who would play you in a movie about your life?

Hopefully a former Disney star…

Who would you consider a role model and why?

My siblings are my role models! My older sister is amazingly dedicated and driven. She works so hard to accomplish her goals and still manages to have fun in the process. My not-so-little brother never hides who he truly is – a caring, compassionate individual with a vast array of interests and passions. My siblings make me a better person and I love them and look up to them for that.

During your time as an undergrad, you’ve managed to maintain three majors, command two prominent campus media sources (The Dome Yearbook and HCND), and study abroad in Italy. How on earth did you do all this?

That’s an excellent question! Haha… Lots of coffee? Lots of frantically emailing my advisors? I like to say that if you asked me to do it over again, I couldn’t repeat it exactly how I did it the first time. But I can’t imagine doing it any differently. Despite the insane amounts of stress, I have loved every minute of undergrad! I know did a lot and it all stems from not doing anything my freshman year and being miserable. Most semesters, I overloaded my class schedule and probably didn’t put nearly as much work into class as I should have.

Everything kind of piggybacked off of one another – I never would have become an Italian major if I hadn’t planned to study abroad in Bologna, which wasn’t originally my plan. I thought I was going to study in Rome because I was a Theology major and it made the most sense. Then I fell in love with Italian and realized it wouldn’t be a stretch to add it as a major. For Peace Studies, I took a Sociology class that was cross listed with Peace Studies (because I didn’t want to be just a Theology major – I thought people wouldn’t take me seriously BUT THAT WAS SO NOT TRUE) and was so drawn to the conflict and peace parts of the class over the sociology parts that after a week I declared my second major in it.

I signed up for Yearbook as a photographer and over the years, just kind of accumulated responsibility until I was the Managing Editor this year. I’ve always loved writing but I never saw myself as a writer but when HCND first started I read an article and afterwards thought, “I can do this better.” Sorry to whoever’s article that was….but I’m glad I thought it because obviously I love Her Campus Notre Dame!

Best class you’ve taken/professor you’ve had at ND: 

The best class I’ve taken, or at least the one I’ve enjoyed the most was Photo 1. I took it for fun because I love photography but I learned so much! The best professor I’ve had is easily Prof. Jerry Powers – he’s in the Theo and Peace Studies departments. For some reason he saw something in me and kind of took me under his wing when I was a sophomore. He’s been my faculty mentor and I pester him about everything in my life. He’s the best!

Can you pinpoint a decision you’ve made as an undergrad that you feel was one of the best decisions you’ve ever made?

Well before even getting to college, the decision to come to Notre Dame was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Cliché I know… While at Notre Dame, dropping Biology my freshman year. People are so scared of failure that they forget to do what is actually best for them. I’m definitely guilty of it but if I hadn’t dropped that class my first semester, I wouldn’t be doing what I LOVE now!

Favorite Domer – dead, alive, or fictional?

President Josiah Bartlett from The West Wing. Also my brother, Stephen. And probably my grandfather – he didn’t go to Notre Dame but he loved all things Fighting Irish and even retired to South Bend so he could go to football games. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been exposed to ND in the same way and maybe wouldn’t have ended up here.

Looking back on your time at ND, how would you describe your experience as an undergrad?

Crazy! It’s been a rollercoaster but in the best way possible. Everything that happened, happened for a reason and I can’t say I regret a moment.

Time’s running out! What’s one thing on your ND bucket list? 

I still haven’t climbed Stepan!!! Also winning a National Championship game…but I don’t have any control over that one.

What’s the best part about Notre Dame?

Super cliché answer: the people. Lesser said answer: the fact that the campus is so walkable. I have friends who went to giant state schools and they barely have campuses. I loved that I was able to just walk everywhere instead of having to drive or take a bus. Our campus is gorgeous and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is something you wish the university would change?

The way they handle decision making. The university wouldn’t be here if there weren’t students, yet students are rarely included in the decision making process. I think that really needs to be revamped; the administration could have student representatives who work with the Board of Trustees to make moves in a positive direction without the backlash from the student body.

What is your best ND memory?

After sophomore year, my friends and I went on a tulip bulb hunt. My now roommate Brooke heard that after the tulips bloom they’re dug up and thrown out to make room for carnations on graduation weekend. So one night during finals week, we went all around campus looking for tulip bulbs to save and somehow ended up on Duck Island. It was a blast!

What’s one piece of advice you would give your freshman self? It doesn’t have to be this way and it gets better when you start making decisions for yourself instead of for others.

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• graduate
• italy