HerCampus launches at Rider
By Rachel Stengel
Rider’s branch of HerCampus Magazine celebrated its launch Tuesday in the Fireside Lounge.
HerCampus is an online magazine targeted toward college women that separates its content into different college branches across the United States. Juniors Amber and Danielle Brown developed Rider’s portion of the site. The sisters act as co-editors, co-founders and campus correspondents for Rider’s branch of the magazine.
While the magazine originally launched in September 2010, the organization did not receive funding until this semester. The launch party, in the works since November, served as a means to promote Rider’s newest publication.
“We really started [the magazine] because we’re all about women’s empowerment. All the staff are women. All the writers are women. Rider has a 60:40 ratio of women to men. We figured it would be a great way to represent the women on campus,” said co-founder Amber Brown.
Her Campus covers a wide array of topics geared toward the modern college woman. Topics include health, beauty, sex, relationships and careers. Rider’s branch of the magazine incorporates staff writers, bloggers, freelancers and photo bloggers.
The evening began with a toast to celebrate the 10 staff members and the magazine’s public debut. Plentiful pink decorations, dimmed lights and pop music set the mood for the event. Guests were invited to purchase Mary Kay and Avon products from company representatives and participate in raffles for various beauty products.
Prior to the launch party, Her Campus sponsored a makeover contest for one Rider student. Sophomore Porscha Dodson was declared the winner and received a makeover from a Mary Kay representative, an official Her Campus T-shirt, a gift card to the Quakerbridge Mall, a Mary Kay cosmetics gift bag and various Avon products. A Mary Kay representative and a Her Campus staff member escorted her to a separate room for her makeover while the party continued.
“Doing this whole college thing by myself, paying for everything by myself this [makeover] really means a lot to me,” said Dodson.
Another Mary Kay representative, Jean Santin presented a makeup demonstration. She started her own business in 1979 and has been the number one Mary Kay representative for the past 27 years. Mary Kay Inc. possess similar values as the Her Campus staff. The company also focuses on women’s empowerment.
“[My daughter and I] decided to join this company because we wanted to empower other women and that’s what Mary Kay’s all about — empowering other women,” Stantin said. “Just like you saw the line of women in here that were on staff, that’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re having that newspaper to empower other women.”
Stantin said she has made more than $2 million in commission at Mary Kay and has won 19 pink Cadillacs due to her profits for the company.
“Every time you make a change and you go out there and want to help someone else make a change for the positive, you are empowering somebody,” she said. “And that’s what Mary Kay had a dream about almost 50 years ago doing that — changing women’s lives, giving women a chance to be financially independent.”
Her Campus bloggers and advice columnists fielded audience questions. Nothing was off limits. Audience members asked questions about sex, relationships and health. The unanswered questions will be posted to the website.
Her Campus staff members are looking for freelancers to write or photograph for the magazine. Anyone can submit a piece of writing or photo. To get involved email browndan@rider.edu or like the Her Campus Rider University Facebook page.
