Jenni Whalen

Jenni is a senior at Bucknell University where she will soon graduate with a degree in Psychology and minors in Creative Writing and Italian. Although Bucknell is in Lewisburg, PA (hello, corn fields!), her home is actually all the way in Seattle, WA. While at school, she enjoys hanging out with her sorority sisters, tutoring in the Writing Center, running and cooking/ eating delicious food. After spending a semester abroad in Florence, Italy during her junior year, she is itching to continue traveling and loves anything associated with food, cooking, health and writing. She is currently finishing up her time as an Editorial Intern for Her Campus and will be headed to Boston University in the fall to begin working on a Masters degree in Journalism.

More by Jenni Whalen

Why You Might Have Iron Deficiency Anemia (& How to Prevent It) 5/2/2013	Sarah, a Boston College junior, began feeling chronically exhausted during her junior year of high school. “My mom had to force me out of bed in the morning,” she said. “I would spend the entire morning eating sugar and drinking green tea, and by the time I got home around 2:30, I would eat another meal and sleep until dinner time. I had absolutely no energy, and had to force myself to do my homework. I was irritable, most likely due to my lack of sleep and energy deficiency. My doctor heard about my tiredness, saw the pallor in my face, noticed the dark rings under my eyes, and saw my chronically chapped skin, so he sent me to get blood tests done.” Sarah’s doctor discovered that she had Iron Deficiency Anemia, also called IDA, which is a condition where a person has inadequate amounts of iron in their body. Iron is an essential component in hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying pigment in the blood. It is also a part of myoglobin, a component that helps the muscle cells store oxygen. Iron deficient people tire easily because their bodies cannot effectively synthesize fuel and are therefore starved for oxygen. About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women and 3% of men are iron deficient. Because so many young women are affected by IDA, Paula Martin, a registered dietitian who provides medical nutrition therapy at Carnegie Mellon, and Dr. Traci Brooks, the director of Adolescent Medicine Services at the Cambridge Health Alliance, have chimed in to give collegiettes some important information about how to identify and prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia. What Causes Iron Deficiency Anemia?
Recipes for Easy Variations on Collegiette Staple Foods: Ramen Noodles, Mac ‘n Cheese & More 4/8/2013	The easiest and cheapest foods often come in boxes and cans, and, let’s face it - this means most collegiettes are left using their food budget on boxed foods! However, we all know that the easiest foods can also become the most boring, so Her Campus has some easy ways to spice up your favorite staple meals! Mac ‘n Cheese Annie’s, Kraft… you’ve got ‘em all lined up on your shelf, but you’re getting bored with the same old recipe. Take a good look around your kitchen, see what other ingredients you have and try one of these tasty renditions. If you’re a cheese lover…Try adding another type of cheese to the boxed mixture when you add the milk, butter and cheese powder to the noodles. Parmesan, Velveeta and Sharp Cheddar all taste great!
A Beginner's Guide to The Pill 3/9/2013	According to the Guttmacher Institute, an institute which specializes in sexual and reproductive health, 62% of the 62 million women in the United States aged 15–44 are currently using at least one method of contraception. The most common method used by teenagers and women in their 20s is the birth control pill, commonly known as the Pill. Birth control pills can help us with everything from preventing pregnancy to eliminating acne and minimizing menstrual cramps. It’s important to remember, however, that there are also risks associated with these pills. Rozalyn Yannacone, a Registered Nurse Practitioner at Bucknell University who specializes in gynecological services, shares some advice on how to deal with the ups and downs of birth control. Starting Your Birth Control
How to Make 10 On-the-Go Lunches With 20 Basic Ingredients 1/26/2013	Is this the year that you’ve resolved to finally eat healthier and save your money instead of spending it? Packing your own lunches each day for work and school is both cheaper and healthier, and Her Campus is here to help inspire your culinary genius! This week, we’ve compiled a list of ten lunches that can all be made using twenty cheap ingredients. So grab a friend and head to the grocery store – healthy and delicious lunches await you! Bon Appétit! Your Shopping List: Peanut Butter Honey Mayonnaise Mustard Unsweetened Greek Yogurt Olive Oil Granola Crackers Bread Lettuce Tomatoes Cucumbers Grapes Bananas Apples Cheddar Cheese Tuna Sliced Deli Salami Feta Cheese Sliced Deli Chicken 1. Fruity Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip This yummy dip makes for a great snack and a fun lunch! If you like it with unsweetened Greek yogurt, try it with flavors like strawberry or raspberry too. It keeps well in your fridge for about a week, so make a big batch and take part of it to work or school in a little Tupperware container. It tastes great with bananas, apples, crackers and little pieces of bread! Ingredients: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 cup natural runny peanut butter 1 Tablespoon honey Fruit/crackers for dipping
Pick It or Skip It: Dining Hall Edition 1/5/2013	Eating in your university’s dining hall may be a necessary part of college, but making healthy choices in the cafeteria can prove to be difficult for the health-conscious collegiette. After all, what’s a girl to do when she’s surrounded by hundreds of meal options in a buffet-style setting? In an effort to help you keep off that freshman fifteen (or even that sophomore, junior, or senior fifteen...), we’ve consulted with Kelly Klaczkiewicz, a registered dietitian, and compiled a list of the dining hall’s best and worst options to make choosing your meals a piece of cake (not literally!). Breakfast Pick It: Yogurt, Granola & Fruit Grab a bowl of low-fat or Greek yogurt and add some granola. Try Kellogg’s Low Fat granola or Trader Joe’s granola if your dining hall offers it – many other brands can be high in calories. According to Livestrong’s diet & nutrition tips, the combination of six ounces of low-fat yogurt and a ¼ cup of granola weighs in at only approximately 240 calories. Plus, granola is high in fiber and protein, helps build muscles mass, and keeps the skin healthy, while yogurt contains healthy bacteria that keeps digestion moving smoothly. You can also add fresh fruit to the mix for a sweeter taste and a vitamin boost – one cup of blueberries contributes only 80 calories to your meal and gives you the added bonus of antioxidants, which can lower your risk of cancer and slow down the aging process!
What We Wish We'd Known BEFORE We Picked Our Majors 11/16/2012	Depending on what school you go to, it may be nearing the time when you have to finally pick your major. There’s no doubt that for many collegiettes, choosing a major can be one of the most difficult parts of your college experience.
6 Cool Nonprofit Jobs You Might Not Know About 11/11/2012	Ever wish that your job felt more fulfilling or that you could get paid to improve the world around you? Marilyn Shull, a nonprofit career specialist at Bucknell University’s career development center, recommends that collegiettes pursue nonprofits if they want to end up in an industry that they care about tremendously. “Usually people who are attracted to nonprofit careers want to work for the public good,” she says. “There is a huge personal benefit to working within a nonprofit because the majority of people who work in this sector know why they are going to work every day—they are working with a purpose usually tied to the mission of the organization.” Nonprofit organizations account for over 20 percent of economic activity in the United States, and they function similarly to for-profit companies in that they have most of the same job positions. This means that there are jobs in the non-profit sector for collegiettes™ with almost any interest and skill set, whether it’s writing, party planning or statistical analysis! We’ve compiled a list of some of the many jobs you can have within the nonprofit industry—check it out to see if any of them would be a good fit for you. 1. Grant writer
The 10 Healthiest College Dining Halls in America 11/6/2012	Endless buffets, all-you-can-eat dessert bars and trays of greasy fries and burgers tend to pop into mind when you think of college cafeterias. However, many colleges are moving towards healthier and more delicious options for their students! Which schools take the cake (not literally) for healthy dining? Read on for a look at the organic, all-natural, vegetarian, vegan and downright diet-friendly worlds of the nation’s ten healthiest dining halls. 1. Bowdoin College: Brunswick, ME Students at Bowdoin enjoy the fact that their dining hall has been ranked by Collegeprowler.com as #1 in the nation. However, the dining hall’s food doesn’t just taste good, it’s also healthy! The dining hall staff purchases most of its food from local sources, and much of the produce comes from the college’s own organic garden. Students have access to fresh and healthy entrees like steamed zucchini, southwestern black bean and couscous salad, and a make-your-own sauté station. Daisy Alioto, a Bowdoin collegiette™, especially loves Bowdoin’s healthy flatbread. “They make it with bleu cheese, onions, and apple, which may sound gross but it’s amazing!”she says. She also enjoys Bowdoin’s international food options and healthy soups.
Creative Ways To Keep Your Long-Distance Friendships Alive 10/28/2012	They’re the ones you call crying after a breakup, and the ones you text fifty times a day. They’re your right-hand women, your #1 fans and your lifesavers. Your life wouldn’t be the same without them, because they’re your BFFs. But although you’re joined at the hip when you’re together, college can often leave you hundreds of miles, states and even sometimes oceans away from your best friends. So what’s a girl to do when her best friendships suddenly become long distance relationships? Read on for some creative ways to stay in touch with your BFFs when Skype, texting and phone calls just aren’t cutting it anymore. The Traveling Journal
6 Things You Can Do to Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer (show this to the women you love!) 10/8/2012	There’s no doubt about it — breast cancer is scary, especially because the causes of breast cancer are largely unknown, making it difficult to pinpoint preventative behaviors for it. So what are some behaviors that we know do matter when it comes to preventing breast cancer? What can you be doing now to decrease your likelihood of breast cancer later in life? Dr. Elizabeth Neuger, a breast cancer specialist and general surgeon at the Everett Clinic, and Nicola Pytell, a breast cancer survivor, provide us with a list of 6 things you can do right now to lower your risk. Share this with your mother, sisters, friends, and the other women you care about! Eat Right “Eating healthy to keep your weight in a normal range is one of the best ways for women to decrease their risk of breast cancer,” says Dr. Neuger. Studies have shown that women with a higher body mass index (BMI) are more likely to develop breast cancer. In addition to being produced in your ovaries, estrogen is also produced in fat tissue. According to the National Cancer Institute, “Estrogen-sensitive tissues are therefore exposed to more estrogen stimulation in heavy women, leading to a more rapid growth of estrogen-responsive breast tumors.”

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Jenni Whalen

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