THE BASICS
Name: Andera Novak
Nickname: I don’t really have a nickname, but I do use Andee if I want to avoid spelling my name for people.
Position: Junior Editor
Age: 21
Program: I’m completing my degree at King’s. Over there, I’m enrolled in the King’s Scholar (Western Thought and Civilization) program completing an honour’s specialization in English Language and Literature with a minor in creative writing.
Hometown: I was born in London, but I grew up in a few of the small towns surrounding London, including Delaware and Strathroy, to name a few.
RAPID FIRE FAVES
Favourite Movie: I’m a huge fan of the Studio Ghibli movies, but if we’re talking about the movie I’ve seen the most, it’s 100% Pixar’s Finding Nemo.
Favourite Season: Autumn
Favourite Color: Blue and purple
Favourite Recipe/meal: I love making/ enjoying stews and soups.
Favourite time to shower: Right before bed
Favourite article of clothing: Sweaters/ crewnecks/ jumpers
Favourite guilty pleasure: Buying books and stationery supplies.
GENERAL Qs
How do you like Western University?
As a community, I love Western. The people I’ve met through clubs like Her Campus have always made it worth it to come to campus. However, as a King’s student, I will say that Western has always scared me just a bit because of how big it is! I definitely love that as an affiliate student, I’m able to enjoy all the benefits of both a large and small campus at the same time.
What’s your favourite part of your program?
English as a discipline is so much more interdisciplinary than some people realize. I love getting to read books that I may never have picked up otherwise, and learning about the history, philosophy, and even politics (just to name a few) behind the literature I read. I’ve always loved reading, but there’s something so incredible about learning about the things we read from people who have dedicated their academic careers to knowing about those very topics.
How did you get involved with Her Campus Western?
I knew a girl in first year that wrote for Her Campus, so in second year I made sure to apply to become a writer. Over the last two years, being a writer and a part of this vibrant community of young women has been such a highlight of my undergraduate experience.
What’s your favourite part about being an editor?
Being an editor means that I get to help other writers hone their writing, which I think is so cool! Not only that, but I’ve always thought that editing other people’s writing and getting to be such a large part of their creative journey is such a great way to learn how to be a better writer yourself. The feedback I’ve received from editors in the past have always taught me things that I carry with me to this day, and as I read a writer’s work I’m forced to critically think not only about their writing but my own as well!
What’s one piece of advice you can give to first-year students?
Don’t be upset if first year isn’t perfect. I remember being so distressed that I spent the majority of first-year without friends and struggling to keep up with school work. Most of the people I talk to on a daily basis now are people I met in second year in my program classes, or through extracurriculars once I got involved in activities that I loved. Having a bad first year doesn’t have to define your entire undergraduate experience!
What’s one show/book/movie everyone should be watching/reading?
I don’t know if I can state for a fact the one book everybody should be reading, but one I think a lot more people should read is Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller. It’s an adult science fiction novel that looks at a future after a global climate crisis and deals with issues surrounding mental health, indigenous identity and includes a number of normalized LGBTQ+ figures and relationships. It’s one of those books you read and just have to read again because the number of topics it handles—and the way it handles them—is just phenomenal.
What’s one thing you want to check off your bucket list?
I would love to travel across Canada by train! My grandma once mentioned how much she wanted to do it, and ever since then, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Ideally, I’d love to go in the autumn or winter with my partner and just enjoy the beauty of Canada from coast to coast.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Outside of travelling across Canada by train, I’d love to travel to Germany. My grandparents on my dad’s side are both from Germany, and I just think it’d be such a rewarding experience to visit that country.
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