This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePauw chapter.
Senior, Erin Mann, is easily spotted around campus with a smile on her face and her phone in her hand. You probably know her from one of the many things she’s involved in, or at the very least, you probably read the social media posts she publishes from many different accounts. She’s been involved in Her Campus DePauw since her very first semester, and as she begins to take on her final year at DPU and her second year as a co-Campus Correspondent, we think it’s going to be a good year.
Her Campus:You definitely wear many hats on campus; tell us a little bit about what all you do.
Campus Celebrity: I’m a Co-Campus Correspondent for HC this year, which I’m really happy and excited about. I’m also the Director of Public Relations for DePauw Student Government, so I manage all public relations issues, act as a liason between the student body and Student Government, and manage all the outreach and social media–all those tweets you read, I’m the person behind those! I’m working as a Housing Assistant through the Campus Living and Community Development Office, so I deal with the administrative side of campus housing, which has been really interesting to do thus far. I’m a Presidential Ambassador in President Casey’s office, I tutor through program on campus, and a few other things here and there. I like being busy and involved, it keeps me surrounded with people, and I’m definitely a people person.
HC: How did you become involved with Her Campus?
CC: My older sister, Caitlin, got involved with the Boston College chapter of Her Campus when she was there for school. By the time she was a junior, she had become the Campus Correspondent for the chapter, and I always read the articles she wrote and even gave her quotes for some of her content. I didn’t actually know that DePauw had an HC chapter, but I saw the booth at the activities fair my freshman year, and instantly signed up. Kelly and Emmy, the CCs at the time were really cool to talk to, especially because HC DPU at the time was only about a year and a half old. The rest is history!
HC: Being a part of Her Campus for four years you’ve obviously written TONS of articles. Do you have a favorite article that you’ve written?
CC: I do. It’s one that I wrote last year called “A Lesson From Tragedy,” about the incredibly sad and unfortunate death of Hannah Wilson, the IU student who was murdered. I think because it was so close to campus, it really struck me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. The piece I wrote about her was hard for me to write, and I think I revised it several times because I was writing about something out of my comfort zone. But when I finally published it, I felt like I honored Hannah, and got my ideas across.
HC: Besides being Campus Correspondent, what is your favorite role that you’ve had on the Her Campus team?
CC: The first role I had on the team was as a feature writer. I constantly had to come up with stories I thought were worth writing, and I liked to write things that were fun to think about. I talked with my sister a lot about content that year, because she was a senior and CC at HC BC, and I was just starting my HC experience.
HC: This is your second year as a Campus Correspondent for our DePauw chapter of HC. As a seasoned veteran, what expectations do you have for this year?
CC: I think it’s going to be a BLAST to be a part of Her Campus DePauw this year. Last year, when we moved up a chapter level, I don’t think I could have been happier, because as a team, we achieved something that our chapter hadn’t accomplished since its beginning. I think now, especially because I have an incredible co-CC, that the organization of Her Campus is going to feel more like a close knit group of friends, it’s going to gain more standing on campus, and it’s going to attract awesome people and produce really great things, both content and event-wise. I think expectations for the team are clear, and everyone is on board with having a fun and productive year, so that’s what I’m hoping for, and definitely what I’m willing to work endlessly toward.
HC: This is your last year at DePauw. What are your thoughts on the last four years that you’ve spend at this wonderful place?
CC: I don’t want to leave. I can’t even really think of the idea of graduating and moving on without very literally tearing up. I think I’m lucky, because DePauw has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The people, the classes, the organizations, the hardships, the homework, and the fun have just spoiled me the past three years, and I think it will continue to this year. I’m really not ready to go, I don’t think I’ll ever be.
HC: I know it’s very early in the semester, but do you have any ideas about life after DePauw?
CC: I don’t have any specific plans…exactly. I want to go into marketing or public relations, but I don’t have a specific field or industry in mind. I eventually want to go to Graduate School and get my MBA, but I know for sure I want to work for a few years first. I’m not trying to speed up the year ahead of me, though.
HC: Any final year goals you want to accomplish?
CC: I desperately want to move up at least one more chapter level, and host a decently sized event.
HC: Finally, do you have any tips or advice for students looking at DePauw as a possible university to attend? Or advice for students trying to make the most of their DePauw experience?
CC: Sometimes, not knowing what you’re about to get yourself into, turns out to be the best. I didn’t know a thing about DePauw before I came here…it wasn’t even my first choice. But that meant I didn’t have any expectations of how my college experience should or could be. Make it your own, do everything you want, don’t be stupid, always be kind, stay up until 3 a.m. with your friends talking, and always respect your boundaries. That’s my advice!