When it comes to the latest news on Grounds, Kaz Komolafe, a UVA fourth year, is already in the know. Kaz is editor-in-chief of the student-operated University paper, The Cavalier Daily. With the paper being in print circulation of 10,000, online and now an iPhone app, it is the leading source of news at UVA. As the final decision-maker for the Cav Daily, Kaz has the stressful, but rewarding job of publishing the stories that inform the entire student-body.
Year: 4th
Major: Politics honors, African Studies minor
Hometown: Edinburgh, Scotland
What activities are you involved in on Grounds? : Madison House – Daycare, The Cavalier Daily, Black Scholars in Training
Which activity do you most enjoy? : I think if I didn’t choose the activity I spend more than 60 hours a week doing I would be doing college wrong — The Cavalier Daily.
What’s your plan after college, do you plan on pursuing journalism? : I interned for a newspaper company the summer after my second year and have pretty much dedicated my college years to student journalism, but no, I do not plan to go into journalism when I graduate. I love media, but I think the uncertain economic model for news leaves journalists vulnerable. I am planning longer term to focus on a career on the business side of media, but first, I will be moving to New York to work for Bain & Company as an associate consultant to build those crucial business skills.
What is your favorite part of being editor-in-chief of The Cavalier Daily? : I describe working on The Cavalier Daily as “expensive fun.” It requires a huge amount of time, but it ultimately pays off for two reasons. I get a real sense of achievement by furthering dialogue in the University community. But most importantly, the camaraderie that develops on a staff that would literally sacrifice their sanity for the newspaper, and often do, is unparalleled. It’s not an extracurricular commitment, it’s just a commitment.
What is most stressful about being editor-in-chief? : In order of stressfulness: 6 a.m. wake-up calls with people screaming at me for trying to besmirch their name, death threats, worrying that we won’t have enough money to print today’s paper, feeling like someone else should have the answer and knowing that the someone else is you and sleeping an average of 3 hours per night. Above all, the most stressful part of being editor-in-chief is making mistakes. Most U.Va. students are innately egotistical and mistakes are egoist’s Achilles’ heel.
Do you have a favorite story that you published in the Cav Daily? : I publish a “favorite” story every couple of weeks — you see a lot after 3 years on the paper. I’m a fan of the longer form things we’ve been publishing recently, most notably Daniel Weltz’s four-part recruiting feature.