THE BASICS:Name or Nickname: SierraYear & Age: Sophomore, 19Hometown: Greenwood, INMajor: JournalismExtra Curricular Activities: IU Women’s RugbySister or Independent: Independent, but my teammates and I are basically sistersDream Job: EIC of a fashion magazine, i.e., the next Miranda Priestly
FAVES:Magazine: Nylon & Teen VogueBook or Short Story: “Jane Eyre”Blog: ManRepellerAuthor: Stieg LarssonQuote: “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.”IU Journalism Course: J210 – Visual CommunicationsIU Journalism Professor: Jim KellyStudy Space: My desk, or a local coffee shopTypeface: Avenir Book, or really an sans serifTopic or Beat to Report On/For: Women’s issues; feminism
HCIU: How’d you land a contributing writer position at Elite Daily?SV: Honestly, I just applied for it. I never thought I’d get it in a million years. I would read Elite Daily every morning with my coffee, and I thought to myself, “why not?”. I applied on a whim, and they emailed me back saying I got it. You just have to put yourself out there.
HCIU: What are your responsibilities as a contributing writer?SV: They’re super laid back at Elite Daily. All you have to do is pitch your article idea to the editor of contributing writers. After you get the green light, you’re free to write your article at whatever pace you need. After you write your article, you submit it to the editing queue. They’ll look over your article, and if they decide to publish it, they’ll edit and post it for you. It’s really simple and perfect for college students who may be too busy for strict deadlines.
HCIU: What’s your favorite aspect of Elite Daily?SV: I love the fact that they give millenials a voice. I feel like, as a generation, we get undermined a lot. People think our opinions aren’t as valid because of our age or our technology. But, in my perspective, our generation is a diverse group of people who have very unique outlooks on life. We have a lot more to say and contribute to society than people give us credit for, and Elite Daily gives us the chance to do that.
HCIU: Most of us at HCIU are aspiring journalists, so we know there are times that inspiration is just completely dried up. What’s your inspiration or muse and how do you maintain it?SV: I’m always on the look for different story ideas. I’ve found that if you look for inspiration, it will never come to you. I keep a small notebook with me at all times and when I’m out and about in my day I’ll think of different topics that might make a good story. I’ll write it down and look them over later. This also makes your stories more relatable and realistic because you thought about themin the real time of your own life.
HCIU: Writers typically have a precise environment they write best in. What’s your writing space look like?SV: I’m very cliche about my writing space. I love good coffee shops with some music and a drink. I normally write with headphones in. That way I’m not distracted by what’s around me. But then again, I’ve also written on the back of a napkin at a restaurant when I thought of a good idea. As a writer, you never stop.
HCIU: How would you describe your personal editorial signature? What makes your writing stand apart from others?SV: I think my signature is that I’m not afraid to speak my mind. My writing is very straightforward and sometimes provocative; this would explain why I do most feature work and not news. Even if people disagree with you, you stood up for something and that’s the best feeling in the world.
*Photos from the personal photo collection of Sierra Vandervort