The UP branch of the popular website covers college–themed fashion and lifestyle advice
Julia Kennedy, Sophmore (The Beacon)
By Rose Hoonan, Staff Writer -- hoonan15@up.edu
The launch of the UP Her Campus branch two weeks ago not only brought fashion and lifestyle advice to college women, but a voice to writers on The Bluff.
"Portland is a loud city, but UP is a quiet school," campus correspondent Julia Kennedy, a sophomore, said. "Her Campus gives UP a bigger voice."
Her Campus is an online magazine for college women represented by students at over 100 college campuses across the nation. The student writers cover topics such as style, health, love and dorm life.
Three Harvard University undergraduates founded Her Campus in 2009. Since the initial launch, the website has grown in popularity, being featured in U.S. News & World Report, seventeen.com and The Boston Globe, among others. The website currently receives over 100,000 views daily.
Her Campus writer Adrienne Graddon, a junior, says the online publication is a girl's guide to college life.
"It covers everything from fashion and beauty advice to health and fitness," Graddon said. "Plus, we have features such as ‘campus cutie,' where we spotlight a cute boy, and ‘campus celebrity,' where we highlight someone who is doing something important on campus."
Kennedy decided to start a Her Campus branch when she noticed that the University of Portland was not on the list of colleges.
"I wanted to make a branch for UP because it gives writers more leeway to pick what they want to write about," Kennedy said. "Plus, I want to be an editor, so this was the perfect opportunity to gain some experience."
Kennedy oversees a team of 12 UP students who write articles on a biweekly basis.
One unique thing about Her Campus is that colleges can fill their pages with campus-specific information.
"Because Her Campus is college-specific, it creates a sense of girl community at UP," Graddon said. "We don't have a sorority system, so in a way this makes up for the lack of sisterhood because (Her Campus) allows for girls to get and give advice."
These aspects differentiate Her Campus from the average news publication.
"It covers fun topics rather than pressing news," Her Campus writer and junior Kaleigh Powell said. "It's sort of like a blog, but we cover so many topics, and all of them are UP–specific, which makes it relevant for our readers."
Both Graddon and Powell write for Her Campus because of their love of fashion and desire to share their voice.
"This is truthfully something I love to do," Graddon said. "I want to get my voice out there, and I feel I have a lot to offer in this kind of way. I'm the girl to go to for fashion advice!"
Powell followed other colleges on Her Campus before the UP branch was created. When the opportunity to write for UP's branch came up, she quickly joined the team.
"It was really easy to get involved, and it's great because it gives students a voice," Powell said. "It's also good for resumes."
Everyone who writes for the UP Her Campus branch does so on a volunteer basis.
"We don't get paid to work, but that doesn't matter to me," Graddon said. "I just do it because this is what makes me happy."
