As we begin the new fall semester, we finally get to return to in-person learning post-pandemic. Some people may even be heading to campus for the first time. This is also the time of year where students begin looking to get involved in new clubs. When I was in first year, Her Campus at UWindsor was the first club I joined, and I don’t regret it for a second! So today, I’m going to convince you to join too!
What is Her Campus?
The Her Campus at UWindsor chapter is one of over 370 Her Campus chapters globally. Initially founded at Harvard, Her Campus is an online magazine written by Collegiate Gen Z students for Collegiate Gen Z students. Her Campus at UWindsor was founded in 2014 and is a hidden gem of a club. When applying to be a part of the club, there are three positions you can apply for: Writer, Editor, or Social Media Member. Writers can write on a weekly or biweekly basis for the magazine. One of the best parts is getting to write about whatever topics you wish, from entertainment, to science, to self-help, and everything in between. Once these articles are submitted, editors are in charge of editing these articles (again, weekly or biweekly) for the website. They help with editing grammar, tone of voice, etc., and they make sure that all articles look and sound great upon being posted to the website! Finally, after being posted, our social media members are in charge of promoting these articles as well as posting general content to all of our platforms, which include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok!
Aside from being an online magazine, Her Campus also hosts monthly bonding events so that its members can get to know each other more, and we have a Discord where members can talk about anything and everything! Still not convinced to join? Here are a few more reasons to be a part of the club!
- It Looks Good on a Resume
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Since Her Campus is a globally recognized collegiate magazine, having a position within the club is something that you can credit on your resume for experience. So, if you want to go into writing, journalism, marketing, editing, or even event-planning (among others careers) you will be able to add this club as work experience on your resume to showcase your skills to employers. Personally, I have received a few job opportunities thanks to being a part of Her Campus, so I can tell you firsthand that it can help you stand out to future employers. Plus, how cool does it sound to get to include “Magazine Writer/Editor/Publicist” on your resume?!
- It Allows you to Have a Creative Outlet
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By writing or doing social media for Her Campus, you can project your own voice within the world. As I previously mentioned, with Her Campus, you can write about whatever topics you wish, which are then posted on the site for the public to see. It’s almost like having a personal blog! This creative outlet also often stands out to students – specifically those in Science, Engineering, or other related fields, as most of their classes are focused on theory and essay writing. So, Her Campus gives students that creative outlet to write about whatever they wish! As well, Her Campus gives you the opportunity to challenge your creativity through theme weeks and monthly challenges in which all content (writing and socials) has to pertain to a certain topic.
- You get to Make Friends!
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One way we like to describe the non-magazine side of Her Campus is being like a sorority but different. People have also thought Her Campus was almost like the “drunk girls’ bathroom of UWindsor.” Upon joining Her Campus, you get to make new friends through our bonding events as well as our Discord chat. Our bonding events typically happen once per month, and some activities we have done include going to an escape room, having paint nights, movie nights, and game nights, and so many other fun activities! These events are an awesome way to make friends and also just a great way to step away from schoolwork for a moment. We also have our Discord, where there are messages popping up almost all the time! Not only do we talk about club-related items on this platform, but we also discuss our favourite movies and shows, showcase our pets, and discuss memes, current events, school, and much more! You basically get a set of 30 new friends upon joining, which helps to make on-campus life more comfortable!
- Learn New Skills
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When joining Her Campus, you learn a variety of skills as you get to learn how magazine articles are published. Some general skills include communication, teamwork, time management, and leadership. You also get to learn skills within each department as well. With writing, you get to learn how to write a variety of pieces including hard news and opinion-based pieces. You also get to learn how to improve your writing with the help of the edits from the editing team. With editing, you get to learn how to critique people’s work as well as learn different types of edits (grammar, tone of voice, conciseness, etc). Finally with social media, you get to learn more about graphic design, marketing, and targeting your content to different platforms! All of these hard and soft skills are beneficial to learn for the future, so it’s great getting to learn them through this club!
- Exciting Opportunities
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From exclusive interviews and collaborative content to internships and awards, Her Campus at UWindsor has received numerous exciting opportunities over the years! For me personally, I had the opportunity to attend a press event for the film To All the Boys: Always and Forever and do a collaborative article with Warner Bros CA to promote The Batman. Another resident writer, Jaime, also had the opportunity to interview a few local bands for an article! As well, our social media team members have frequently networked with local businesses for their Small Business Saturday Promotions! Her Campus HQ also provides members with internship and mentorship opportunities to help build skills; you can even use your work on Her Campus towards an internship credit! We also can submit select articles, social content, and events to HCHQ (Her Campus Headquarters – The parent company of our chapter) to be considered for awards at the end of each school year!
So, if you want to join Her Campus at UWindsor, email hc.uwindsor@hercampus.com to get an application today!