Meet Darnell Pelzer Jr. ’25

Office of Communications and Public Affairs
October 8, 2024

Darnell Pelzer Jr. '25
Hometown: Born and raised in Queens, New York; now Norfolk, Virginia
Majors/Minors: English major with Africana studies and mass communications minors

Why did you choose to come to W&L?
I had visited W&L during a Virginia Private College Week trip with several other classmates, and the smaller class sizes and liberal arts focus appealed to me. I was also focusing on schools that offered engineering courses at the time, and W&L was among the colleges that offered it nearby. I then applied to the university through QuestBridge and was matched.

Have you discovered a course or topic that you didn't expect to study when you first came to W&L?
A topic I wasn't expecting to study was mass communications and journalism. I had a great interest in media and made a point to stay somewhat updated on the news in my own time, but actively developing my ability to create communications content outside of presentations for projects was a new thing for me. Practicing photojournalism, refining my ability to communicate and pulling back on my tendencies to over- or under-elaborate to compose a coherent story was difficult and yet engaging all the same. I chose it as my secondary minor as I felt it'd be the best way to refine my interest in writing in a way that diversified my ability to share topics and ideas outside of essays and the occasional presentation.

Where is your "home" on campus?
I feel that would be the four organizations on campus I'm more actively engaged with: the Gaming Club, the Student Association for Black Unity (SABU), the Office of Sustainability and University Singers. Each one of these groups has introduced me to others that share some or many of my interests and provided me with people to connect with, something I struggle to do otherwise. I have a specific position in each one of these organizations that I value and, as such, they hold a level of esteem to me. If I want to discuss video games, Africana culture, environmental sustainability and pollution or just enjoy the harmony of music, I know just where to go, and that alone can be a relief.

What was your favorite class and why?
I generally enjoyed my time with both Early African American Print Culture with professor Millan and Literary Comics with professor Gavaler. Both English classes included a diversity in subject matter and fostered open discussion between classmates and the professor, and assignments generally weren't longer than they needed to be while providing insightful secondary material that surpassed my initial understanding of the subject matter. I never felt I had to force myself to participate, and feedback was always open, available and reasonably timely.

What are your hobbies/interests? How has W&L helped you develop and pursue them?
My hobbies are playing video games and reading. W&L has helped me develop my hobby in video games mainly through my involvement with the Gaming Club of which I served as the co-president last year and this year. It has allowed me to more openly show my interest in video games and cultivate unique experiences to share with others through setting up events and having discussions with others. The experience has definitely improved my planning capabilities. For reading, working with the English department and the journalism department, alongside some work with the physics and engineering department, has exposed me to different kinds of writing techniques and the different ways in which information can be provided to others. I've grown an interest in reading for class research projects, and I've enjoyed being able to turn what I've read into a presentable format or even speaking openly about it if I feel I have enough information to provide insight. Whether it's working to explain concepts, summarize stories, inform others or provide a new lens of analysis to a reading, W&L has developed my capability to do such even with stricter requirements.

Have you studied abroad during your time at W&L? Where did you go, and how was your experience?
Yes, I had studied abroad with provost Hill and professor Hill in my freshman year for their Black Writers and the Allure of Paris Spring Term Abroad class. It was my first experience going abroad to study, and it allowed me a lot of freedom to explore Paris through the lens of how an environment could have influenced such authors as Langston Hughes and James Baldwin. These writers were able to use their exploration of France to write works informed by their experiences with discrimination in the United States and their efforts of rediscovery in Paris in a uniquely reconstructive manner. The trip showed me how art can not only cross borders but be transformed by the process. It also didn't hurt to witness the Louvre, walk the streets of Marseille and wander the halls of the Palace of Versailles.

I'd be remiss, however, not to mention the ability to travel abroad with the University Singers to Northern Ireland and, if it counts, Hawaii in my sophomore year to compete and tour respectively. It was an experience that introduced me to the world of professional singing and concert work and was an insightful experience that would delve into the cultural aspects of a location and how to interact with it respectively. I greatly enjoyed the time and singing each piece before an expectant audience with the choir.

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