Scotlight: Gabby Gajdos ’23

Can you introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Gabby Gajdos. I use she/her pronouns, and I am a senior environmental studies major with a minor in music from Strongsville, Ohio.

What made you choose to major in environmental studies?

I’ve always struggled with figuring out what my passions were. There was always pressure on me to be passionate about music, but I was always very unmotivated to practice. Going forward with that, it’s very hard to find a career in music if you’re not practicing often — I just felt like that wasn’t the right fit for me. So, I figured out my major by just looking beyond that and seeing what else I was interested in. I really liked taking a biology class in high school that was about water conservation and different types of conservation so that kind of guided me to environmental studies. 

Can I ask you about your IS, or are you still figuring it all out?

Yes, you can ask about my IS. I’m still sorting out the details but overall I am looking into songs about certain environmental topics and seeing what the most popular themes are within them.

What else are you involved with on campus?

I am involved in Wooster Activities Crew (WAC) — I’m on the exec board where I serve as the music director. I am also Vice President of the Goliard, part of the orchestra and I work at the UG. 

Tell me a bit about your position in WAC as the music director.

With my position in WAC, I am the one who is behind the scenes, in charge of planning all of the big music concerts we have on campus, including Party on the Green and Springfest. A lot of people don’t realize that a lot of the planning we’re doing is three to six months in advance. So, I spent this past summer meeting with our advisor and figuring out what artists to bring to Wooster for Party on the Green, what other recreational activities would be fun for the event and potential themes. Once we figure that out, WAC comes together as a team to actually execute those logistics and it’s a really great feeling.

Who is your favorite artist you’ve helped bring to campus?

I found Wallice through a list of different up-and-coming artists online. I had never heard of that band beforehand, but I instantly fell in love with them. Then, to bring them to Wooster and see a bunch of my peers fall in love with the band was such a surreal experience. Since I also relate to a lot of their lyrics and they’re just a very fun personality set, I think that that was one of the best choices for Wooster.

What do you do as VP of the Goliard?

For vice president of the Goliard…this is a very new position to me. The Goliard is still trying to figure out what the position entails and just how to be a club in general. A lot of clubs really struggled through COVID and now we have to re-figure out what the club is and what our goals are. So through that, I think I am helping with the event planning, just kind of applying what I know from WAC to the Goliard, and also making sure that all the things I love about the Goliard are still happening.

Do you have a favorite Wooster memory?

One of my favorite college memories is playing at the Breakup Covers in February last year. I loved the crowd and the energy in the room.

What’s something that has been bringing you joy recently?

Spending time in the campus garden. I am in Sustainable Agriculture and I have friends trying to put together the gardening club. It’s a very mindful activity and it’s just fun to be a part of nature.

Anything you want to promote?

Yes, the first Covers is Sept. 30 and you can grab the Goliard literary magazine when we’ll be tabling over the next few weeks. And keep an eye out for WAC events.