Name: Molly Gould
Year: Senior
Hometown: Safety Harbor, Florida
Major: Criminology and Psychology
In the spring 2015 term, Molly Gould was elected as president of Lady Sprithunters, an organization whose sole purpose is to spread spirit and tradition at Florida State University. After serving as secretary in 2014 and dedicating herself to the organization for the past three years, Gould was the perfect candidate to lead one of Florida State’s greatest organizations. In her term as president, the club has grown exponentially, allowing 111 new members to earn their war stripes. She leads with an unparalleled spirit and a heart of Gould to match.
Courtesy: Molly Gould
Her Campus (HC): What made you choose FSU?
Molly Gould (MG): We came on a tour to cross this off my list and as soon as we got in the car to go home I knew this is where I was going. It was four and half hours away and the farthest school I applied to. I chose FSU because it just feels like home. I like that fact that it doesn’t feel like a Florida school. It feels more northern. I like that it’s small so everything doesn’t feel too overwhelming. The criminology program here is also really great. Of all the schools FSU just felt right.
HC: How did you get involved in Lady Spirithunters?
MG: This is going to sound really stalkerish. I was here for summer C my freshmen year and saw the Lady Spirithunter windbreaker jackets. Andria Quinlan and I, who is also in Spirithunters, googled the jackets in the summer and were waiting to apply in the spring. We also saw them at the sporting events and the president’s barbeque to figure out who they were. We wanted to get involved in a non-Greek affiliated organization, so we just stalked them.
HC: Why did you decide to run for president?
MG: I just couldn’t give it up. I was secretary in 2014 and I loved being on exec so much. Spirithunters is my heart. That is where I want to spend all my time. It just felt right to run for president. I just love this organization, so if I could do anything to make it better, that’s what I wanted to do.
HC: What has been the most rewarding part about being president so far?
MG: The little things. When you see girls painting baby’s faces at sporting events or when they get their vests for the first time. I just love seeing them so happy. I also love banquet when we do the tunnel of cheering as they come in. I just love the little moments that make being a Lady Spirithunter so great. You can talk to anybody. Everyone is so welcoming.
HC: How have you changed the organization in your time as president?
MG: This organization had already been great. We have had a really great retention rate of the 111 girls we took in and only one girl dropped out. That’s a really good percentage we kept that we’re really proud of. We have also had the most girls apply this year and let the most girls in. It was a really tough decision, but I think we got a really great batch of girls. We have been trying really hard to get all the new members to get to know each other.
HC: What is your favorite memory of Lady Spirithunters?
MG: There’s so many. Away trip has to be one. It is a great opportunity to get to know 51 girls really well. If you didn’t get to know them before, after spending 11 hours with them on a bus, you are close then. We have been to two really great games. We went to Clemson and North Carolina State, which were both wins. One of my favorite parts is when you walk from the bus to the stadium, because it’s a group of 51 girls all wearing the same shirt chanting the FSU fight song. It’s not just about the games – it’s about the bonding. I also love the interview process. I love getting to know a whole bunch of different girls. It also helps me to get to know the rest of the exec members, because they’ll ask questions and talk about themselves and I find out things I never knew about them. It’s great to get to know all the new people.
HC: Can you tell me a little more about the interview process?
MG: It starts out with mixer on Thursday night, which is just like a cocktail party where you talk to members and get a feel about what Spirithunters is about and what to expect from the interview. The interview is fifteen minutes long with three exec members and two extra point club ladies, which are the cooler version of Spirithunters for the FSU alumni. They help with the interview process. It’s just fifteen minutes of talking. It’s not stressful. It’s so easy. The questions are fun. We’ll ask them to do things like sing or dance. We just try to make them fun and get to know who you are as a person, not just what you wrote on your application.
Courtesy: Molly Gould
Lady Spirithunters 2015 Executive Board during the new member mixer.
HC: Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to join Lady Spirithunters?
MG: Come talk to us. We are at every varsity-sporting event at home and community service events. If you see our vests or our shirts, talk to us. We are all so welcoming. During the interview process just be yourself. We just want genuine people. We are a very diverse group. As a criminology and psychology major, you usually only meet people in your major. With Spirithunters, people are so different. I can meet someone in the accounting major or in the arts, which I never would have had a chance to do. You always have someone to sit with in class.
HC: Can you tell me more about the role of a Lady Spirithunter?
MG: Our big thing is painting, but we also do a lot of community service around Tallahassee. We work with events like the blood drive, Relay for Life, Dance Marathon, Light the Night and The Big Event. We also participate in homecoming every year and do a Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly-athon for the homeless shelter.
HC: Which community service event is your favorite?
MG: My favorite would have to be Relay for Life. It’s a really great cause and a great bonding experience, as well. Dance Marathon is also really fun to do. I’ve done it twice and it’s such a rewarding experience. I definitely recommend everyone should do it at least once. It’s difficult, but when they come out with their miracle children it’s worth it.
HC: What characteristics embody a Florida State Seminole?
MG: We’re proud to be Florida State Seminoles. We’re genuine. I’ll walk down the street and a random student will say bless you to me. It’s such a great community. We’re all so supportive of each other. It doesn’t feel like we’re competing with anyone here. Everyone wants everyone to succeed. We’re all one team. I love it. I love Florida State.
HC: Are you apart of any other organizations on campus?
MG: I’m a freshmen interest group (FIG) leader. It’s my second year doing it and I teach about 18 kids in the Exploring Criminology and Human Behavior FIG. I teach them once a week on how to get involved on campus and different resources FSU has to offer. We’ll go on an intellectual and cultural excursion to get to know the Tallahassee community.
HC: What are you looking forward to this year?
MG: Graduation, but there is a part of me that never wants to leave here. It’s bittersweet.
HC: What are your plans after graduation?
MG: I will hopefully be employed. I’m looking for a state or government job in criminology.
HC: What are three things you can’t live without?
MG: Netflix, the Harry Potter series, and my friends and family. They’re my support system. I can’t do anything without them.
HC: Is there anything else you would like to add?
MG: I’m really honored to be the president of such a great organization. This organization has changed my life. To be a part of it and help change one person’s life is pretty incredible. Spirithunters has allowed me to be open. It’s okay to be myself and be vulnerable around people. It’s okay to have an opinion. It’s allowed me to have this outlet where I can express myself. FSU has become such a huge part of me and I owe that to Lady Spirithunters.
Courtesy: Molly Gould