V’s Take, formerly Dear V, is The Miami Hurricane’s most controversial and longest-running column. Known for its anonymity and sharp satire, V tackles everything from love and sex to campus gossip.
Over the years, V has taken many forms, with a different secret V shaping the voice of each era.
Not written for the “politically correct or easily offended,” V has spent decades talking about topics that people might be scared or uncomfortable to discuss face-to-face.
Always appearing as the final piece in the newspaper, V’s take on life brings together the news, sports, opinion and arts and entertainment, serving as a closing note for each edition.
“A reader can pick up a paper wondering what the V’s Take article is going to be this time, and hopefully read an article or two as they navigate through the pages to find it,” said Salvatore Puma, a former V writer.
Puma, who graduated from UM in spring of 2025, wrote as V for four semesters. Starting out as a writer for UM’s magazine, Distraction, Puma became known for his creative pieces such as “Bottom Friendly Foods” and “Best places to take a dump on campus.”
Puma drew inspiration for articles from his own experiences as an openly gay male, as well as stories from friends and email submissions from readers.
“I’d tell myself it gave me an opportunity to have the topic be as timely as possible, but really it’s because my best ideas come under desperation,” said Puma. “The sleep deprivation added a nice flavor to the text.”
One of Puma’s columns was even taken down online. The piece, described by Puma as “basically a beginners guide to Gaydar,” satirized perceptions about masculinity.
“It poked fun at the idea of the performative male and how we sometimes perceive a guy who is up to date on trends and takes care of himself as some sort of queer, because what straight man would do that?”
Despite criticism over language and stereotypes, Puma said he understood why some readers took issue with the column. Still, he believed the backlash missed the larger picture.
“In the path for queer rights and equality I think there is bigger fish to fry than a satirical article about thinking a man in jorts and sambas is a little gay,” Puma said.
V dates back further and is embedded not only with history but also with personal connections between V writers, such as the friendship between Alexandra Vasquez Sarrine and Jamie Ostroff.
Sarrine, a journalism major who graduated in 2008, inherited “Dear V” from her sorority sister.
“Naturally, my personal experience is my primary resource when it comes to giving personal advice,” said Sarrine. “People would submit questions via email and I would pick the question I thought would result in the most interesting column. I would think about it, maybe discuss it with a few close friends or my then-boyfriend (now husband), then draft a response.”
In the February 7-10, 2008, edition of The Hurricane, Sarrine wrote a column that caused a storm on campus. Responding to a sexually explicit and graphic question, she knew the topic was sensitive but did not anticipate the reaction.
“Some people were pretty shocked to see something so graphic printed in our newspaper, and it definitely created a buzz on campus,” Sarrine said.
“Shortly after its publishing, the School of Communication hosted a townhall-type panel to discuss this particular Dear V column in relation to the limits of free speech.”
“What a teaching moment [it was] and at least we all (most of us) had a laugh,” said Sarrine.
As Sarrine’s time at Miami came to an end, she passed the role to her close friend, Jamie Ostroff, in 2009. Though Ostroff only wrote as V for a year, she made the most of the experience.
“I remember sitting in my classes and listening to people giggle behind me over something they had no idea I’d written. It was the literal best,” said Ostroff.
Since its beginning, V has always embraced bold topics and openness. It is a persona that connects with readers without bias or judgement.
“First of all, V goes there,” said Ostroff. “As long as V answers those questions with an open mind, no judgment and maybe a little sense of humor, the column will always have a place.”
From answering questions about “biggest turn offs” to addressing unsafe relationships and body image, Ostroff said she proudly represented V with authenticity.
At graduation, she even wrote “I’m Dear V” on her cap and showed it to President Donna Shalala as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma.
The current V, who remains anonymous, draws from both personal and past experiences to shape their version of V’s voice. They emphasize the column’s importance in giving students a platform to express their thoughts.
“My goal this year as V was to be fun, sassy and opinionated,” said the current V. “[V] is saying what everyone else is thinking or what the student body really wants to hear.”
Like past writers, the current V draws information from personal experience, friends’ relationships and readers’ submissions. They said anonymity plays a key role in the column’s success.
“[With] sensitive and controversial topics it’s important to protect the writer’s identity,” said V. “It makes things more fun to read a gossip column when you don’t know who’s writing it.”
Through anonymity, V creates a space where thoughts, questions, and opinions can be expressed without fear of judgement. V is a collective identity shaped by generations of writers and students, each bringing in their own experiences and perspectives.
As Ostroff captures, “V is you! You are V!” — a reminder that V is not just a columnist, but a reflection of the entire UM community.
Want to talk to V? Send them an email at dearv@themiamihurricane.com or fill out the online submission form you can find on The Miami Hurricane website.
