Zack Newman

 

Performing member of MU Improv, reporter and anchor at KOMU NBC 8 and KCOU 88.1 FM, ambassador for “Zaching” Against Cancer and intern at the Investigative Reporters and Editors Association are just a few of sophomore Zack Newman’s many roles. Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Newman has taken Mizzou by a storm in just the short time he’s been here.

 

Her Campus Mizzou: With your involvement in multiple organizations, which one are you the most involved in and why?

 

Zack Newman: MU Improv for sure. They have always been there for me. It sounds so cliché but I love all of those guys and gals dearly and could write a novel on how much they help me. From helping me organize an event from scratch, to always being there for advice, to going on a nature road trip in Yellowstone National Park this summer with a few members, to just checking in on me to make sure I’m hanging in there. Life is hard, but easier when you have family to keep you propped up.

 

HCM: What sparked your passion in committing to the many organizations you are a part of?

 

ZN: I am a Type A person who loves to plan ahead. Improv helps remind me to stay in the moment and roll with the punches. It’s also helped me stay flexible and not get as upset when something doesn’t go according to plan. The journo orgs are because I’m a huge journalism nerd. I love reading the news, finding out about anything and meeting new people. Nothing recharges me more after a long day more than finding out more about what makes someone tick. The cancer organizations are because a good friend of mine, Zach Lederer, passed away after a lifelong battle with brain cancer last March. I want to do everything I can to help find a cure. He was a tremendously positive person, sparking a worldwide phenomenon known as “Zaching.” (Take a second to Google it. Believe me, it’s the best search you’ll make.)

 

HCM: How has being so involved at MU made you grow as a person?

 

ZN: Being at Mizzou gave me confidence in my ability to live in someplace new. As a journalist, I could potentially live in a new place about every two years, so being able to find my niche in a new place is great practice for the future.

 

HCM: Out of all your experiences at MU, which has been your most memorable?

 

ZN: My best experiences have been traveling with MU organizations. I traveled with a troupe within MU Improv called Keenan and the Downtown Boys. We traveled to a couple places, but my favorite was to Ohio State University for an improv festival called Fishbowl, hosted by one of the OSU teams. My other favorite experience happened very recently. I hauled it to the other Columbia with my good friend Steve Goldberg to cover the Mizzou @ South Carolina for KCOU. He did the play-by-play and I did the color commentary and we covered College Gameday’s visit to the Palmetto state. I played football in high school and have always dreamed of doing a live broadcast. I became even closer friends with Steve and it was a surreal experience I’m never going to forget.

 

HCM: Since you’ve mastered the art of getting involved on campus, what advice would you give our readers who aren’t sure where to go or what to do regarding getting involved?

 

ZN: Check out OrgSync online (it has the entire list of every single organization on campus, you are bound to find something). Once you do, send them an email, message them on Facebook or tweet at them on Twitter. Most organizations can be contacted that way. If they can’t, they aren’t an active organization you want to be a part of anyway. (Shameless plug: MU Improv’s twitter handle is @MUImprov and shows are Tuesdays at 9 p.m. in The Shack)