Her Campus is a nationwide online magazine, for college women, by college women, which aims to be “A Collegiette’s Guide to Life.” In addition to publishing articles from students around the country, the My Campus project allows students from more than 200 campuses nationwide to create and run campus-specific magazines. When she noticed Humboldt didn’t have its own, Berman jumped at the chance to start the digital presses.
With help from her adviser, Zoe Walrond, Berman put together her application to Her Campus. Working on her high school yearbook team and as chief layout editor of The Lumberjack newspaper on campus, Berman developed her knack for design. And as assistant general manager and a DJ for KRFH student-run radio, she honed in on her communication and management skills. But stepping into the role of Editor in Chief for Humboldt’s Her Campus page brought with it a whole new host of responsibilities.
In addition to hiring and managing her all-student staff, Berman edits and posts each article and updates the site daily. She also creates a buzz about new editions by posting articles on Facebook and Twitter where it’s not uncommon for Walrond to be one of the first supportive commenters. It’s a lot of work, she says, but it’s the perfect practice for her dream career of working for a women’s magazine.
An avid reader with an eye for engaging design, Berman’s love for magazines started over a decade ago. From American Girl, to Seventeen and Cosmo, her favorite magazines have always been women’s and girl’s magazines. “I love the way they look,” she says. “A great magazine is fun, clean and has a good balance of text, pictures and graphics.”
When it comes to balance, Berman faces an additional challenge from peers who question the value of a women’s magazine. Although common Her Campus topics can focus on fashion and beauty tips, Berman and her team bring a lot more to the table.
“I want it to be something that students can look at in their free time to find out what’s going on at HSU. We try to keep it pretty gender-neutral,” she says. “If someone says it’s too fluffy, they probably haven’t read a lot of the content.”
Berman appreciates the experience she’s gaining from her work with Her Campus, but she hopes that the magazine can be more than a tool to launch magazine careers. “It’s a platform for people without as much experience in journalism to get involved and published,” she says. “And there’s lots of leeway for learning.”
Currently, she’s also working to turn the magazine in to an official campus club. It will be a place for aspiring writers and photographers to get involved with Her Campus, and events open to all HSU students looking to make Humboldt feel more like their campus, too.