Name: Dana Kringel
Age: 19
Year: Junior
Major: Communication
Hometown: Monroe, Connecticut
SV: Spoon University is relatively new to campus. Tell me more about the history of the organization and UConn’s chapter.
DK: In 2012, a group of undergraduate women at Northwestern created the online publication. They wanted content written by college students, for college students on a topic we all love – food! UConn’s chapter is extremely new; we are one semester old. In our chapter I am the editorial director, so with the team I select content and decide what we publish. We have a marketing team who runs our social media (IG: @spoon_uconn) and an events team that organizes something for our student body once a month. (Dana told me their event for this month will be awesome so make sure you attend!)
SV: Congratulations on your leadership role! Can you elaborate more on what being editorial director has taught you about your leadership style and skills?
DK:  I have definitely learned a lot about myself. As the editorial director, I am accountable for everything that happens with UConn’s chapter. This helps me maintain time management skills to guarantee our content gets published on time, while balancing my academics and other extra cirriculars. Being in a leadership position, you have to think about the whole team. You are no longer just a member, you help create the atmosphere for the organization and I am attentive to make sure everyone feels wanted and comfortable in our meetings. Leading my peers is a new feeling, but it has helped me become more comfortable and confident in my leadership skills.
SV: I hear UConn’s chapter is recruiting this semester. What positions is the organization looking to fill, and how can our readers get involved if they’re interested?
DK: We are looking to fill a variety of positions this semester! All applicants are welcome to apply for multiple positions. The variety was created so students could apply for the parts of Spoon University they felt most comfortable being involved with. There are members who are involved with all aspects of UConn’s chapter and some who just maintain a specific role. We are looking for a photographer for our events, writers, members for our social media (so if you like their IG and want to help) and event planning (you get to help make food!) teams. If you are interested in applying, the application is online. If you have any questions, you can email the recruitment chair at sahara.shrestha@uconn.edu.
SV: Is there anything else you want people considering joining UConn’s chapter to know?
DK: Spoon University’s goal is to be an everyday food resource for anyone. It’s for the foodie and the student who is just looking for some dining hall hacks. We are a tight knit group, but you can deicide your level of commitment and we will work with you to make sure you stay involved. Our organization aims to be approachable, so if you see our event table feel free to come say hi! We are excited and proud to be a part of the Spoon University and UConn communities, and can’t wait to make an impact!
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All photos courtesy of Dana Kringel.Â