They got your vote, Wake Forest! This week’s campus cuties are not only Homecoming King and Queen; they are active, studious, and livin’ up their senior year. It’s time to get to know Wake’s newest royals, Storm Saponaro and Mo Earley.
NAMES: Storm Saponaro and Maureen “Mo” Earley
MAJORS: BEM/ Sociology
HOMETOWNS: Chicago, IL/ Vienna, WV
RELATIONSHIP STATUSES: Single and “ready to mingle”/ Single
HC (Her Campus): Congratulations on becoming homecoming king and queen! Now what are you two up to?
SS (Storm Saponaro): Currently, I am just getting caught up in school, but as a senior I am on the job search.
ME (Mo Earley): [My year] has been a big mix of things; being the president of Outdoor Pursuits, being involved in my sorority, taking care of my coursework, seeing my friends and enjoying senior year and trying to get a job. Not sleeping is the biggest thing (laughing); sleeping always loses.
HC: What else are you involved in at Wake?
SS: I am in Kappa Sigma fraternity and I’m the student government treasurer. In addition to all those things, I am the head manager for the Wake Forest men’s soccer team.
ME: What else am I involved in? So, I am the sisterhood chair of my sorority, Alpha Delta Pi; I am an Ambassadors in Admissions tour guide; I’m a Wake Radio DJ; I sit on this new thing called the Hunger Advisory Board, which is kind of like a collaborative group that encourages involvement on campus with local and international issues; I also live in the Sustainability House… I am a part of campus garden and help plan events.
HC: Now that you are both seniors, looking back what has been your fondest memory?
SS: I think my fondest memory is just going to the football games and being at the tailgate with all my friends. It has been a great experience, even when they win or lose. It’s always fun to hang out with your friends.
ME: Shag on the Mag. It’s the one big event I tell everyone to go to.
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HC: Is there anything you regret doing or not doing?
SS: I don’t have any regrets on things I have done because I have learned from everything I have done. I know it’s a cliché answer. But, I guess if I had one regret it would be [that] I took things very seriously the first couple of years and, looking back, I don’t remember what I got on that paper, but I do remember some things I have missed out on.
ME: Having to sleep ‘cause there’s so much going on and so many people to see that it’s always really frustrating when you get to that point where you’re pushed up against a wall and you need to do your work, study for a test, and go to bed. If I could have gone all four years not having to sleep, I feel like I could have experienced so much more. Even though I am pretty sure I have experienced a lot (laughing).
HC: Absolutely! If you could change two things about Wake what would they be?
SS: One thing I would do is have some sort of interaction between kids of different majors. As a business major I feel like we tend to hang out with other business majors and there are some great ideas going on in different departments; so one thing I would like to change is to have more forums between the departments.
ME: There is so much going on at the university and I wish there was a way to make everyone aware of it – like to have a big pillar, with a gigantic calendar so everyone knows what is going on. Second, I wish [our campus] were more handicap and bike accessible.
HC: What is your favorite spot on campus?
SS: My favorite spot on campus is the patio outside of Benson
ME: The Pit patio, which I call “Pride Rock” (laughing).
HC: (Laughing) Why do you call it that?
ME: It reminds me of Pride Rock in the Lion King because you can watch over campus and everyone walking around.
HC: Any good finds in Winston Salem?
SS: One thing I like to do with my friends, actually, is I just started going downtown this semester; so I have been kind of experimenting with everything. But definitely Nobles Grill. If you haven’t been there it would be my recommendation.
ME: Yes: Breakfast of Course, Aperture Cinema, Moonies, and Single Brothers. I like everything downtown.
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HC: In three words how would you describe yourself?
SS: Easy going, dedicated, and a hard worker. (A friend chips in, “and super cool.”)
ME: Enthusiastic…this is a hard question…optimistic, and dedicated
HC: What do you do in your free time?
SS: I spend a lot of time with my fraternity members obviously, which is good ‘cause we always have fun. But Wake is usually demanding with schoolwork. I like to play a lot of intramural sports too.
HC: What’s your favorite?
SS: Softball.
HC: What about you, Mo?
ME: If I have 15 minutes at any point in the day, you can find me on the pit patio. I told my Wilderness to Wakers that I hold office hours from the hours of 12 to 3 (laughing).
HC: So you both said your statuses were “single,” what do you look for in a guy/ girl?
SS: I would say a great personality, someone easy to talk to.
ME: Confidence and someone who is willing to give me a hard time.
HC: What is your biggest pet peeve?
SS: I would say a know-it-all.
ME: People who blatantly don’t recycle.
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HC: Celebrity Crushes?
SS: Who’s the girl from Friday Night Lights? Minka Kelly.
ME: James Franco and Ryan Gosling.
HC: Describe your perfect date.
SS: Perfect date? You’re really getting into this…
HC: Well I’m supposed to!
ME: It would probably be hiking in the mountains outside of Ashville, and then come back into Ashville for a brewery tour, and then go see a concert in the Orange Field. And no, it hasn’t happened yet, but if you hear of anyone [like that] send them my way!
SS: A nice dinner, with good conversation, and, I don’t know, something off the beaten path. I’m not really outdoorsy but something adventurous and different.
HC: Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
SS: Incredible foosball player. We just got a new table in our house so we have been playing a lot recently.
ME: I’m trying to play the mandolin, but I’m not very good.
HC: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
SS: Obviously finish strong in school and actually get out and do more in Winston, because I feel like I have stayed in the “Wake Bubble” for a little bit so I would like to venture out.
ME: Attend as many Wake Forest things as possible, such as: be at every Mag Room fancy dinner, lighting of the quad, Love Feast, football games. Just try to soak up everything before they make me leave because I’m going to go kicking and screaming!
HC: How about post- graduation?
SS: Law school, move back to Chicago…you can’t pass up on Lollapalooza (laughing).
ME: At this point I’m not really sure. I’m exploring a lot of different options such as getting a big job in NYC, to teaching English in Thailand, to maybe working at Wake.
HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
SS: 10 years is a very long time, but hopefully [I’ll be] happy (laughing). I don’t know, hopefully employed…no wait I’ll be employed. Back in the city, what will I be, 32? Hopefully have a girlfriend or a wife by that point and doing something that I love.
ME: Coming back and rolling the Quad at Homecoming, and being with all my friends, that would be fun.
*Photography by Kelly Guin