We’re taking a quick break from the usual blog content to share a few holiday break recommendations from Darden staff. These last two weeks of the year are typically a great time to catch up with family and friends — and finally get around to the content you’ve been wanting to watch, listen and read all year. For those who will be working on their Darden applications, our Admissions team included a few bonus application tips as well!
Laura Bordoni, Executive MBA Program Team
Watch: Is there really anything else to talk about besides Ted Lasso?! Kidding, but it is still my most recent favorite and I’ve watched it twice through! For movies, I really enjoyed Coda (Apple TV) and Minari and was blown away by Promising Young Woman (disclaimer: intense content). Moana is also on loop in my household and I have to say, I love it.
Read: My book club made some great choices this year including: “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owen, “Our Time is Now” by Stacey Abrams, “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett, and “Wow, No Thank You” by Samantha Irby.
Favorite Darden Tradition: I love the season of holiday gatherings! Our Executive MBA students plan and host their own holiday party every year – this year one cohort went with an ugly sweater theme and the other cohort went bowling! Darden also hosts faculty and staff celebrations both in Charlottesville and Rosslyn – it’s a lovely time to celebrate a great year together.
Cheryl Jones, Admissions
Watch: Any sports game on TV but especially UVA! Go HOOS! We’re also watching Designated Survivor on Netflix and Yellowstone on Paramount or Peacock.
Listen: I just love listening to Motown and 70’s rock on vinyl and dancing around the kitchen!
Play: We brought home a Mini Whoodle (mix breed – Wheaton Terrier and Poodle) puppy in late May 2021. Lexi is so fun to play with on the farm. She’s a combination of rascal and sweetheart!
Bake: Homemade cookies of all kinds, especially recipes from my grandmother’s cookbook. Some of her favorites are still some of mine!
Application Tip: Proof read and fill out every section! There is nothing worse than missing words and incorrect information about Darden. Reflect on where you have been and where you want to go with your life and career. Show us your personality!
Christian West, Admissions
Watch: Season 2 of The Witcher on Netflix comes out on December 17! If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, this show has more action, more magic, and Henry Cavill.
Listen: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey of course! Catch the Queen of Christmas before she dives back into the ocean and doesn’t return again until this time next year.
Read: On my nightstand is “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. It’s a fictionalized novel about the real life Belle da Costa Greene who developed the personal library of J.P. Morgan.
Application Tip: Don’t miss out on all the holiday fun focusing on your application. This is a great time to take a break and enjoy your friends and family!
Tyla Gallegos, Communication and Marketing
Read: I’m currently reading the “Firebird” series by Claudia Gray, starting with “A Thousand Pieces of You.” It’s great for those that like Sci-fi. I also have a book I’m about to start called “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson which is a murder mystery. I’d also recommend “A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem” by Manda Collins.
Watch: I’m currently watching “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu. It has Steven Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez in it and it’s a murder mystery show. I’m also watching “Supernatural”, which has maybe 15 seasons, and I’m consistently re-watching Disney movies. I’d recommend “The Chef Show” with Jon Favreau and Roy Choi for cooking inspiration.
Make: I like to bake so I’m making gingerbread cookies, and I have fun shaped cookie cutters and stamps that are holiday themed!
Brett Twitty, Admissions
Listening: Every December, my friend and I host a “Best of the Year” countdown show that is a holdover from our time in college radio. As a result, my Decembers are invariably filled with compulsive list-making (and, of course, compulsive list re-making). A few of my favorite albums from the past year include Small Black’s “Cheap Dreams”, Rosali’s “No Medium”, Vincent Neil Emerson’s self-titled release, and Yasmin Williams’ “Urban Driftwood.”
Reading: I didn’t read quite as much in 2021 as I did in 2020 (I actually consider this a positive development). However, the one book I make a point of reading every year is Charles Portis’ “Masters of Atlantis”. You can’t really go wrong with any of Portis’ books, but this is his best (in my opinion). The book chronicles the times and adventures of one Lamar Jimmerson, aspiring Indiana gubernatorial candidate and leader of the US branch of the Gnomon Society. If that sounds kind of crazy to you, you would be right. And, what’s even better? That’s not even the craziest (or funniest) thing in the book.
Watching: I actually watched all eight plus hours of The Beatles Get Back documentary, and I’m here to tell you: You do not need to watch all eight hours of the Get Back documentary. However, you absolutely should watch the full rooftop performance. I watched it with my family over the Thanksgiving holiday, and it immediately became one of my favorite memories from 2021. In other news, I’ve also been going back to some of my all-time favorite movies – Alien, The Fantastic Mr. Fox (still one of the best movie soundtracks ever), Dead Poets Society, JFK and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (to name a few). There is a very direct line from Dead Poets Society to my decision to become an English major. O captain, my captain!
Jay Hodgkins, Communication and Marketing
Cults are so hot right now! Aside from cult curiosity being a part of the cultural zeitgeist right now, it’s actually relevant content for future business leaders. From multi-level marketing businesses to true cults, there are interesting insights to learn about leadership, leadership presence, organizational behavior and human psychology.
Here’s my Curated Cult Pop-Doc List:
Read: “Cultish” by Amanda Montell
Watch: “Wild Wild Country” on Netflix
Watch: “LuLaRich” on Amazon Prime
Watch: “The Vow” on HBO and HBO Max
Katherine Alford, Admissions
Watch: I’ll go ahead and say it, I’m not ashamed, I’m a fan of the Hallmark channel. I have yet to watch any movies for this holiday season, but that is what the holiday break is for!
Listen: “Bad Blood” – I am obsessed. What is going to happen to Elizabeth Holmes? I can’t stop listening. Now I need to read the book.
I can’t miss an opportunity to plug the Darden podcasts. Brett Twitty, our podcast host extraordinaire does a fantastic job drawing out the stories of our students and faculty and bringing his listeners along for the ride.
Activity: Tennis, tennis, tennis. Did I say tennis? Love my new found pandemic hobby and hope to keep it up over the holidays!
Application Tip: Spend time reflecting on the story you are telling. Who are you? Where did you come from? What are the experiences and relationships that have brought you to where you are today? Where are you going? Taking time over the break to think through your narrative will serve you well not only when working on your application, but also during the recruiting process.
Haley Whitlock Gyory, Admissions
Listen: Adele’s new single “Easy On Me” will give you all the feels every time! Also watch her CBS special in the Hollywood Hills for goosebump-inducing music.
Watch: “All American” is A CW TV series about a star football player from humble beginnings and how he overcame obstacles to realize his dreams in sports and life; very inspiring!
Application Tip: Have someone that knows you well read your answers without the prompts and see if they can discern what the questions were from what you wrote. If they can, then you did a good job answering the questions! And have fun with the short answer Qs because we really enjoy reading them and learning more about what makes you YOU!
