shared Hoffmann, “Because, yeah, the magazine is a whole lot sexier, but I would say all the time: your responsibility is your student audience, and you’re the only organization that speaks to that audience exclusively.” This goes hand in hand with her fiery insistence in the importance of journalism in general. “There is no democracy without journalism, democracy doesn’t work without a watchdog,” says Hoffman, “Journalism is totally imperfect, and I don’t disagree with that, but it’s still the only functioning organization in our society that is equipped to be a watchdog of the government.” And similarly, a watchdog of the powers-that-be here at ODU. Hoffmann has been part of this watchdog service for many years, starting her career at ODU in 1994 under then President James V. Koch. “I saw the possibilities here.” Hoffmann remembers having witnessed the construction of the Ted Constant Center, the Village, the expansion of distance learning programs, international studies, and the improved focus on diversity here on campus. “It’s been a great place for me, it really has been.” During her time at ODU, Hoffmann has been a staple in the journalism niche, writing two books: “One Their Own: Women Journalists and the American Experience in Vietnam”, and “Theodore White and Journalism as Illusion.” Hoffmann also served as the public editor for the VirginianPilot, writing many articles for many publications nationwide, as well as academic papers on behalf of ODU. More so than that, she has touched the lives of many aspiring journalists who have gone on to pursue careers to her great pleasure. Spiders begin weaving their webs by releasing a piece of silk and waiting for the wind to pick it up. These eventual symbols of their prowess are, in part, reliant on the good fortune of the winds picking up that first strand and blowing it in the right direction. It is the craftsmanship of their design that interlocks all the pieces together to collect their prey, the morning dew, and become phantom-like symbols of personal strength and independence in the sparsely lit forest trails. But no web stays up forever. “I have to say, I’m wondering what is going to be like when I teach that last Wednesday. You know?” Hoffmann ponders, “What is it going to be like when I have my last class?” “I hope I don’t cry.” Her focus drifts into the empty
air of her living room, where a blooming orchid quivered faintly in the fall breeze on her glass coffee table. Her face, most commonly adorned with a welcoming smile, is suddenly blank in a brief moment of contemplation. Though in Hoffmann’s lifetime the playing field for female journalists has shifted dramatically, she is in agreement that it is not yet equal. She leaves with a recommendation for those who have seen her as a role model and aspire to follow in her footsteps. “Keep going and understand that you have a place. And stand your ground.” Hoffmann urges, “And I know that’s hard to do.” She continues, “You have to persevere, and you have to be the best.” But, most importantly, “Read, read, read. Know things. Study.” In a piece of advice reflective of her own life’s achievements, she adds “You make your own stories, really.”
