AriannaCoghill

1200 West Marshall Richmond, VA, 22320 (910) 527-5294 coghillal@vcu.edu

EDUCATIONExpected graduation Dec 2019

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VAJournalism Print and Online Concentration Candidate

Relevant Course: Masc 347 Audio and Visual Journalism, Masc 363 Intro to Broadcast Writing

WORK EXPERIENCECapital News Service , Richmond, VA

Present Jan 2019

Reporter

Researched and wrote several articles on tight deadlines that were published in local and national publications including the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, NBC 12 and CBS 6.

Used several multimedia programs in order to tell stories, including Datawrapper, StoryMaps and Adobe Spark Slideshow

Quirktastic , Richmond, VAPresent Aug 2018

Contributing Writer

Wrote several long-form opinion pieces relating to nerd culture, the most popular piece reaching over 2,000 views in less than a year

Wrote several hard news pieces on movie, anime and video game releases on tight deadlines

Her Campus at VCU, Richmond, VAPresent Aug 2016

Staff Writer

Wrote multiple lifestyle articles specifically on subjects dealing with race, feminism, pop culture and mental health

Shared at least 3 or more pieces of content every week across platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest

Promoted Her Campus events and social media campaigns across platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest

Curated branded social media posts and articles for brands such as Innisfree, Freeman's and Krazy Glue

Innovation Workshop, Burke, VAJan 2016 Aug 2015

Student Reporter

Served as a Student Reporter for the Emmy award-winning Innovation Workshop "Inside the Nanofab", an educational production on nanotechnology and in-depth look into the National Institute of Technology's NanoFab

4/21/2019 Museum showcases artifacts from black Virginia college - Chicago Tribune

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-bc-va--cns-st-pauls-college-20190417-story.html 1/2

"C

Museum showcases artifacts from black VirginiacollegeBy ARIANNA COGHILLAssociated Press

APRIL 17, 2019, 5:00 PM | LAWRENCEVILLE, VA.

hallenge by choice" was the motto of Saint Paul's College , which closed in 2013 because of financial

problems and declining student enrollment.

Now the citizens of Lawrenceville are living up to that motto — by taking up the challenge of collecting and

preserving artifacts documenting the 125-year history of the historically black college.

Lawrenceville residents and other supporters of Saint Paul's College have opened a museum to showcase the

memorabilia — including an original copy of "Adventure in Faith," an autobiography written by the Rev. James

Solomon Russell, who was born enslaved, became an Episcopal priest and founded the school in 1888.

The year-old museum has been such a success that it is ready to expand to a new location.

"We're trying to create a place that could be a home to the alumni and that they can identify with," said Bobby

Conner, vice chairman of the project.

Conversations about how to keep the college's memory alive began in 2012 — the year before the school shut its

doors.

"We saw the writing was on the wall," said Sylvia Allen, a member of the conservation effort. Thus the James

Solomon Russell-Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives was born.

James Grimstead is the museum's chairman and director. He and Conner discussed the idea with Saint Paul's

for a year before officials decided to discontinue the school.

Because there was much uncertainty about whether the college would remain open, Conner was hesitant to

raise the subject — but he knew that it was important.

"What could've happened is that the university could've closed on June 30 (2013) and the creditors could've

come on July 1," Conner said. "If the creditors would've got involved, this museum would've never have

happened."

The school, which was on the National Register of Historic Places, was founded as Saint Paul Normal and

Industrial School and then became Saint Paul's Polytechnic Institute in 1941. The name was changed in 1957 to

Saint Paul's College to reflect its liberal arts curriculum.$1 FOR 4 MONTHS Hurry, this sale ends 5/1 SAVE NOW ›

4/21/2019 Museum showcases artifacts from black Virginia college - Chicago Tribune

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-bc-va--cns-st-pauls-college-20190417-story.html 2/2

The college's demise followed pressure from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which revoked

Saint Paul's accreditation because of "lack of financial stability" and other reasons.

The nonprofit museum opened last April in downtown Lawrenceville, a town of about 1,400 people in

Brunswick County, which borders North Carolina. It quickly filled with artifacts dating to the late 1800s. They

range from a 1922 college guestbook to a 1973 student newspaper and include decades-old class photos, sports

trophies and banners.

According to Grimstead and Conner, if they had not rescued these artifacts, the mementos likely would have

remained in the campus' abandoned buildings, which have weathered over time. Problems like mold would

have seriously damaged many of the items.

Several alumni such as former professional basketball player Antwain Smith have visited the museum — not

only to travel down memory lane but also to reflect on the classes before them.

Teya Whitehead, who graduated from Saint Paul's College in 1998, was devastated when she first heard that the

school was closing. She still finds it to be a difficult pill to swallow.

But with the establishment of the museum, the happy memories of her college days will stay preserved.

"My favorite memory was the overall camaraderie that we had together. Many of my lifelong friends are still in

contact with me today," Whitehead said. "The school was a very family-oriented environment."

With the sheer amount of memorabilia, the museum's current location has become cramped. There are plans to

move the museum to the former Saint Paul's College Student Center, which now serves as the Brunswick

County Conference Center. The grand reopening is scheduled for Aug. 10.

"I never imagined while moving that stuff that we'd be where we are today," Conner said. "I was just getting it

off campus to protect it."

___

This story was produced by the Virginia Commonwealth University Capital News Service.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,

rewritten or redistributed.

Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune

This article is related to: Colleges and Universities, Museums, Saint Paul's College

$1 FOR 4 MONTHS Hurry, this sale ends 5/1 SAVE NOW ›

4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 1/15

When it comes to painting your face in cosplay, there are severalacceptable colors. Pink is a cute color. I’ve always been a fan oforange, honestly. Green is a popular one.

CULTURE (HTTP://NEWS.QUIRKTASTIC .CO/POST/CATEGORY/READ-ALL/ ) GEEK (HTTP://NEWS.QUIRKTASTIC .CO/POST/CATEGORY/GEEK/)

INTELLECTUAL (HTTP://NEWS.QUIRKTASTIC .CO/POST/CATEGORY/INTELLECTUAL/)

4 MIN READ (HTTP://NEWS.QUIRKTASTIC .CO/POST/BLACKFACE- IN-COSPLAY- ITS-NOT-A-GOOD-LOOK-HONEY/)

B L A C K F A C E I N C O S P L A Y : I T ’ S N O T A G O O D L O O K , H O N E Y

A R I A N N A C O G H I L L ( H T T P : / / N E W S . Q U I R K T A S T I C . C O / P O S T / A U T H O R / A R I A N N A - C O G H I L L / ) A U G U S T 2 3 , 2 0 1 8

(http://news.quirktastic.co)

(HTTP: //NEWS.QUIRKTASTIC.CO)

4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 2/15

But if you �nd yourself picking up some foundation in the shade“mocha”, while you’re usually more of a “beige” or an “ivory”, youmight want to rethink that decision.

But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

For those who aren’t in the know, cosplay is the act of dressing up as a character from a book, movie or tv show,

particularly amongst anime and manga fans. These costumes range from simple to elaborate. From entirely new

creative takes on classic characters to costumes so accurate that even the buttons are identical to the source

material. There is no singular way to cosplay.

Cosplay can be a great way for fans to not only showcase their ingenuity and creativity but also to show their

admiration towards a specific fictional character.

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155 likesthouartanuli It's Showtime! Gonna be posting halloween looks and videos for the rest of the month! Stay tuned fora NEW video tonight ( not this look but hopefully something you'll enjoy:) � �� Customized LaceFull Comfort wig unit in w613 by @itsawigdotcom ! #cosplay #blackgirlmagic #blackcosplayersrock #blackcosplay #beetlejuice #halloweenmakeup#halloweenview all 5 comments

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4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 3/15

However,cosplay is not an excuse to act a damn fool.

A long-standing controversy throughout the cosplay community, is whether or not “raceface” is an acceptable

practice.

“Raceface” is painting your face to match the ethnicity of the character you’re cosplaying. Cosplayers, such as Kira

Markeljc (http://www.projectcasting.com/news/cosplayer-called-racist-for-going-blackface-in-the-walking-dead-

michonne-costume/) who cosplayed as the definitely NOT caucasian Michonne of The Walking Dead, in the past

have found themselves in hot water doing raceface.

“But, what’s the big deal?” you may ask. “If the character is Black/Asian/Latino/etc, shouldn’t your costume reflect

that?”

Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe that cosplayers shouldn’t stop dressing up as characters just because they

don’t look exactly like them. If you’re chubby and want to cosplay as Ariel, you better work that seashell bra! If you’re

skinny and want to rock a Rose Quartz look (pun intended), then you do your thing. The same thing applies to race.

If you’re white and want to dress as T’Challa, please feel free. Butwhen it comes to the application of blackface, that’s wherethings crossover into problematic territory.

Raceface, blackface in particular, has a long history, not limited to the United States. Gaining popularity in the 19th

century, blackface became a popular form of entertainment, allowing non-black performer’s to dress as caricatures

specifically designed to mock and demonize Black people. Minstrel shows were usually where blackface was

showcased.

4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 4/15

And while Minstrel shows in the United States are pretty much extinct, the act of blackface, unfortunately, lives on.

And, even more unfortunately, it’s an international phenomenon. Yes, ladies and gents, this sh*t is global and still

very, very present. Korean sketch comedy shows, such as “Gag Concert (https://splinternews.com/korean-network-

backtracks-after-racist-blackface-ad-cau-1798383419)”, will sometimes use blackface in a similar fashion to those of

Minstrel shows.

Everywhere from Canada to Thailand has their own traditions and controversies surrounding blackface.

And while raceface in cosplay isn’t “inherently” mocking or used to portray negative stereotypes, it’s still a practice

that is and should be frowned upon because it is ultimately unnecessary.

Raceface in cosplay, however unintentional, is merely a callbackto an outdated and racist practice that should’ve been buriedlong ago.

There are several Black cosplayers that dress up as non-black characters without the aid of paint. It’s the accuracy

and craftsmanship of your costume that will determine recognizable your cosplay is. Not your skin tone.

I’m just saying that there’s a reason you don’t see many Black cosplayers walking around looking like this.

4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 5/15

Cosplayers, who’re also people of color, often are forced into a situation where most of the characters they want to

cosplay as don’t share their skin tone, especially for anime and manga fans.

But their cosplays still turn out amazing because their love for their craft and the character shines through.

4/25/2019 Blackface In Cosplay: It's Not A Good Look, Honey - Quirktastic

news.quirktastic.co/post/blackface-in-cosplay-its-not-a-good-look-honey/ 6/15

So, continue on cosplaying whichever character you please! Butperhaps let’s leave the raceface back in the 1800’s where itbelongs.

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98,393 likeskieraplease Hey Big Head -Velma � #28daysofblackcosplayview all 457 comments

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4/15/2019 Ad agency’s first female CEO: ‘Men are not the enemy … The point is equality’

https://www.whsv.com/content/news/For-Ad-Agencys-1st-Female-CEO-The-Point-is-Equality-507691981.html 1/3

Ad agency’s �rst female CEO: ‘Men are notthe enemy … The point is equality’

Kristen Cavallo | Photo by CNS

By Arianna Coghill, Capital News Service | Posted: Wed 7:54 PM, Mar 27, 2019  | Updated: Wed 8:05 PM, Mar 27, 2019

RICHMOND, Va. (CNS) — “We need boobs in the room.”

“Maybe if you had taken your husband’s last name, you wouldn’t be divorced.”

“Maybe if you slept with the client, we’d win.”

Those are some of the comments that advertising expert Kristen Cavallo has heard throughout her career.

She is the first female CEO of The Martin Agency, the Richmond-based advertising firm that created the Geico geckoand has partnered with iconic brands like Oreo and Discover Card. This is Cavallo’s second stint at Martin: Sheworked there from 1998 to 2011, rising to senior vice president of planning and development.

After a sexual harassment scandal at the agency, Cavallo was brought back as chief executive officer, and she hasbeen taking issues head-on like eliminating the gender wage gap and increasing diversity hires.

Cavallo shared her insights on being a female leader in the wake of the #MeToo movement during a presentationMonday at Virginia Commonwealth University. The event was sponsored by the Richard T. Robertson School ofMedia and Culture.

“I am a reluctant CEO,” Cavallo confessed. “I never aspired to be a CEO. I never wanted to be a CEO.”

She said she had initially believed she wasn’t afraid of failing but simply didn’t want to be tied down. “I was scared Iwas going to be locked in. I’ve always valued freedom more than power.”

4/15/2019 Ad agency’s first female CEO: ‘Men are not the enemy … The point is equality’

https://www.whsv.com/content/news/For-Ad-Agencys-1st-Female-CEO-The-Point-is-Equality-507691981.html 2/3

When she got the call for the CEO position at The Martin Agency, the job wasn’t on her radar. At the time, Cavallo waspresident of MullenLowe Group in Boston.

However, the call forced Cavallo to ask herself a tough question about her reluctance to take the job: Did she reallynot want it -- or was she just not confident enough?

According to recent studies, this is a problem that many women contend with. Research about the “confidence gap,”also called imposter syndrome, suggests that women are less self-assured than men in the business world.

“To succeed, confidence matters as much as competence,” Cavallo said.

According to a Hewlett Packard internal report, men are more likely to apply for a job if they meet only 60 percent ofthe requirements while women apply only if they meet 100 percent. This study implies that men are less likely thanwomen to let their doubts stop them from applying.

Currently, among Fortune 500 companies, only 24 CEOs -- about 5 percent -- are women. That has dropped from anall-time high of 32 female CEOs in 2017.

Cavallo said there is no single reason why female leadership is scarce.

“We really need to study and understand what is happening,” Cavallo said. “Is it a pendulum swinging? Are peoplethinking since it’s already happening that they’re not fighting it? Are people actively fighting against it? The answer isall of the above.”

According to Elle magazine, 52 percent of women who make a higher income than their spouse believe “I shouldmake less.” And when introducing the nuance of race, things become even more complicated.

On average, white women make 23 percent less than white men. But African-American women make 39 percent lessthan white men -- and Hispanic women 47 percent less than white men.

Cavallo does not shy away from addressing diversity. During her past 15 months at the Martin Agency, she said shehas worked hard to increase diversity, hiring and promoting people such as Danny Robinson, the firm’s new chiefclient officer. Robinson, who has won numerous advertising awards, is the first African American to join the agency’stop leadership team.

But Cavallo acknowledges the advertising industry still has a long way to go.

The #MeToo movement, which went viral in October 2017, centers around the prevention of sexual harassment andsexual assault. Celebrities such as Rose McGowan and Jennifer Lawrence have stepped forward with their ownaccounts of the harassment they’ve faced in their careers.

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4/15/2019 Ad agency’s first female CEO: ‘Men are not the enemy … The point is equality’

https://www.whsv.com/content/news/For-Ad-Agencys-1st-Female-CEO-The-Point-is-Equality-507691981.html 3/3

When Cavallo was named CEO of The Martin Agency in December 2017, the firm was dealing with an accusation ofsexual harassment by its former chief creative officer, who subsequently left the agency.

At the forum at VCU, Cavallo said she originally believed that she never faced sexual harassment in the workplace,because at the time, she didn’t feel victimized.

“Maybe there was a sense that this stuff was normal or expected,” Cavallo said.

Now in her own work environment, people can utter the safeword “ouch” if they feel someone has taken humor toofar. The goal is that no one should feel uncomfortable, she said.

The Martin Agency has a female CEO but also a female chief creative officer and chief financial officer. But toCavallo, it’s not about putting women in as many powerful positions as possible; it’s about equality.

“Men are not the enemy, because the point is equality -- not reverse domination,” she said. “All that is going to do isreverse the problems.”

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