Her Campus Carthage may have only launched in October, but the writers of the team have already displayed such immense talent and growth in their writing ability. Who’s to thank? Why, HCC’s very own Senior Editor, of course! Jane Eckles is a down-to-earth gal who enjoys cats, Netflix marathons and memes, but when she’s not watching Vine compilations, it’s a safe bet that she’s editing something. So, without further ado, meet our lean, mean, editing machine, Jane!
HC: What do you study at Carthage?
JE: I am majoring in English with a minor in Secondary Education.
HC: What is your favorite part of your role as Senior Editor for Her Campus Carthage?
JE: There are so many awesome parts about my role as Senior Editor that it’s impossible to narrow it down. That being said, one of my favorite things is being able to watch the members of the team grow as writers. When we first started, everybody was already super talented (obviously). But now, they’re phenomenal! Everybody has come such a long way and I can’t wait to see them improve even more throughout the second semester.
HC: Did you have any writing and/or editor experience prior to this position?
JE: I did! When I was in middle school, I would write all the time. I was that weird girl who was always scribbling in her journal. Once I got to high school, I continued to write—this time on a laptop—and I would help others write their papers. I then became the editor-in-chief of our school newspaper.
HC: What’s your all-time editing pet peeve?
JE: Ugh, okay. So when our writers finish their first draft of an article, they share it with our editing team on Google Docs. From there, we can make “suggestions” so the writer can improve their work before it appears on the Her Campus site. The edits are usually nothing major, just some commas here, maybe a different adjective there. All in all, it’s just so the article is easier to read. But sometimes, those “suggestions” that I make are rejected. Which shouldn’t bother me, but dude, they’re not really suggestions. You really do need a comma there. I’m not kidding. I never kid about commas.
HC: Best study spot on campus. Go!
JE: Last year, my favorite study spot on campus was Woh’s Place. I would usually chill down there in the middle of the day, when it wasn’t being used by clubs or Greek organizations. This year, it’s my room. Sometimes a girl just has to study without wearing pants, you know?
HC: What’s the biggest takeaway from your editing journey so far?
JE: Everybody has a different story to tell. Everybody is unique. These girls all have totally different college experiences, and being able to read their stories has given me some serious hope for the future. The world may be kind of upside-down right now, but if everybody else in our generation is half as good as the girls I’m working with, then we might just be alright.
HC: What show are you currently binging on Netflix?
JE: Currently I’m working on Criminal Minds, but that’s only because I reached an awkward moment in The Crown and I had to take a break. The secondhand embarrassment was too real.
HC: What’s the last book that made you feel all the ~feels~?
JE: Before it was a movie, I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. It’s her autobiography and it recounts her, um, unconventional upbringing. The book really taught me that I shouldn’t take anything for granted and I should love my family because, in the end, they’re the reason I am where I am today.
HC: Any author, dead or alive. Who would you have dinner with?
JE: Oh god, just one? I think I’d choose Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She’s such a fantastic writer, and I’d really love to pick her brain about the danger of “single stories” and the incorporation of African literature in education. Too many times have we read stories by old, dead white dudes. But, as Adichie pointed out in one of her TED Talks, we’re so impressionable as children and we need to realize that there’s so much more to life and literature than boring white dudes. So, why isn’t it included in our early education?
HC: If you were forced to choose one Vine to watch on a loop for the rest of your life, what would it be?
JE: Probably the vine about the dog who “got his daymn feet weht” or literally anything by Bo Burnham.
Thank you for taking the time out of your hectic editing schedule to speak with us, Jane!