AB: I am a rising senior.
AS: I am a rising sophomore.
Q: Where are you from?
AB: Newton, MA
AS: Los Angeles, CA
Q: What is you major/minor?
AB: Major in Psychology and Minor in French
AS: Major in Sociology and Minor in Journalism.
Q: How did you get involved with Her Campus? How long have you been writing for HC?
AB: I had heard about Her Campus through a friend. Actually, funny story, I had known about before I heard about it from my friend. One of the founders, Stephanie Kaplan, went to my high school. I had heard in passing that she started an online magazine for college women and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to start my own branch, but I never heard back. I found out that Brandeis was already a part of Her Campus, so I got in touch with the President of the chapter. Since then, the beginning of my junior year, I have been with Her Campus.
AS: One of my friends from high school liked the Her Campus Brandeis Facebook page because her sister used to write for HC Brandeis. I clicked on the link to the website and got hooked! This will be my second year writing for Her Campus.
Q: What is your favorite part about writing for Her Campus?
AB: My favorite part about writing for Her Campus is seeing the different types of content generated by the writers. It’s truly a publication that is written for women by women. I really enjoy reading the work of other writers and I love coming up with fun HC-sponsored activities around campus.
AS: The part I enjoy most about writing for Her Campus is getting feedback from readers: I love when they come up to me and tell me that they read my articles. It’s great to hear them say that they found them useful, funny or interesting. It’s nice to hear positive comments about your work.
Q: If there is one single piece of advice that you could offer to HCers, what would it be?
AB: Step outside your boundaries this year, you’ll learn a lot about yourself. Try something new: a new food, a class, a club… Basically anything.
AS: Write as often as possible. I always hear people say that they can’t write for Her Campus because they just aren’t creative enough or aren’t good writers. I don’t believe them when they tell me this. With a bit of practice, anyone can become a great writer—and I can attest to that! I have always had a passion for writing and I thought that I wasn’t cut out to write weekly articles. I still took the risk. By constantly having an article to write, I constantly work my writing muscle, thus helping me fine-tune my writing.
Q: What are your favorite magazines? What about blogs (us HC-ers love our fashion blogs)?
AB: Personally, I worship Vogue and The New Yorker. I love Vogue because I am fashion-obsessed. The New Yorker is just a great piece of writing. The articles are a prime example of phenomenal writing. As far as blogs go, I like Eater, College Fashionista, and Racked.
AS: My favorite magazines are all fashion magazines, which include InStyle, Vogue, Teen Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. Additionally, I am also obsessed with fashion blogs. I wrote an article last year about my top 5 favorite fashion blogs. I would also add San Francisco blogger Blair Eadie’s Atlantic-Pacific to the list.
Q: What is one TV show that every HC-er should check out this fall?
AB: I would recommend watching Entourage. It’s in its last season, so it gives you something to catch up on this fall.
AS: If you know me, you know that every other word out of my mouth is a “Zoe-ism.” You may be wondering, what in the world is a “Zoe-ism”? Well, it’s a word that one of my favorite stylists/designers/fashion extraordinaires Rachel Zoe uses. Some of my favorites include “dy-ing”, “bah-nanas,” “ooc (out of control)”, “major”, “shutting it down”, the list goes on and on. So now, to get back to the show that everyone should check out this fall,… obviously check out The Rachel Zoe Project. Watch Zoe endure pregnancy, style tons of starlets for various red carpet events and photo shoots, and design her new clothing line, all while running around in five-inch minimum heels. It’s going to be “ba-nanas” when it premieres September 5th on Bravo at 10pm.
Q: What are you most excited to see this year on HC Brandeis?
AB: Andrea and I are planning on introducing some new columns for this year’s issue. I’m excited to see what our writers come up with!
AS: When it comes to reading articles on Her Campus, the articles that resonate with me are usually creative, personal, funny, informative and honest. I am most excited to see articles like those on the site.
Q: Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve met?
AB: The coolest celebrity I’ve met? I don’t really have a huge selection to pick from, but I guess meeting Alton Brown was pretty cool. I have to admit, his show is pretty odd, but he is a funny guy. I also saw Alexander Skaarsgard In New York when I was there this past summer.
AS: I hate to break it to you Celtics fans (Asya included), but I am a die-hard Lakers fan. Two years ago when I was eating at a restaurant and Phil Jackson (the former Lakers head coach) happened to be dining there as well. I had to seize the opportunity to introduce myself. I went up to his table and politely asked for an autograph. I also told him that I was going to be attending college in Boston and that he could count on me to be one of the few Lakers fans in the stands at TD Garden wearing my purple and gold. He chuckled. Just being able to tell him that was probably one of the coolest things I had ever told a celebrity.
Q: How can HC help with career opportunities?
AB: Her Campus can give you writing experience and it definitely helps you fine-tune your organizational skills.
Q: What is your favorite piece of clothing?
AB: Like Andrea, my favorite clothing item is my black leather jacket. It’s comfortable and it’s versatile. It is a staple in my Spring and Fall wardrobe. I also just got a pair of Jeffrey Campbell Zoe boots, my current obsession. They have such an intense look to them, I love it.
AS: When it comes to my clothing, I’m like Rachel Zoe until she has Skyler: my clothing pieces are like my child. That being said, it is hard to find one favorite piece of clothing. Since this question asks about my top pick, I would probably have to go with my black leather jacket. It’s classic—it literally goes with everything, always jazzes up an outfit in a matter of seconds, and makes me feel confident, which is key when it comes to clothing.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Waltham?
AB: I would have to say that it’s a toss up between Treetop, Erawan of Siam or In a Pickle. They’re basically my go-tos for breakfast and dinner.
AS: It’s a toss up between Baan Thai and Taqueria Mexico. It really just depends on which cuisine I am craving at a given moment.
Q: What did you do this summer?
AB: I spent my summer in New York City interning at DeVries Public Relations and blogging for College Fashionista. I was also involved with a non-profit organization called Artists 4 Israel.
AS: I interned for a fashion PR company called Lauren Stillman Public Relations (LSPR) and also wrote the weekly fashion page for the Beverly Hills Courier.