Lifestyle writing: Sweet and undefinable

When I joined the Anchor staff at the beginning of the semester, I had no idea what was in store for me. I didn’t even know what lifestyle writing was, except for those articles in Cosmopolitan that talk about how to apply the perfect dewey foundation or make your thighs look slimmer, which is fine, but it’s totally not my vibe. With the help of my INCREDIBLE staff writer, Molly Douma (’21), I was able to get my grips in a role that I had no idea how to fulfill. A quick word about Molly: every week I throw some super strange idea at her (after the deadline, no less), explain my vision and say “Thanks, Molly!” She nails it. Every. Single. Week. Rarely do I have to make edits to her work, aside from removing some semicolons. She really likes semicolons, and who can blame her? They look really classy. Molly Douma rocks. Anyway, I’ve loved my time as the editor of this page. It’s allowed me to write out-there confessional pieces about any of those topics that relate to the human experience. It has been incredible, and the whole team at the Anchor has been incredibly gracious as I’ve been trying new things and getting a feel for the journalistic process (if you consider lifestyle writing to be journalistic pursuit; the jury is still out on that one).

That being said, I have no idea what my future at the Anchor is going to look like. There’s a chance that you’ll still find me here in the fall, trying to print vaguely informative and mildly entertaining content. However, it is equally as likely that I might be filling some other role, and this page that has been in my care for the past few months may indeed need a new head honcho. I have a few questions for parties interested in joining this motley crew. Do you like piña coladas? No? Good. Coconut is a nasty thing. Tropical fiends have no place here (I’m mostly kidding). But really, if you have a love of writing and a passion for celebrating the things that other people find mundane, then this may indeed be the place for you. Other questions to consider: can you whip up a 600-word article in less than 45 minutes, or otherwise manage your time efficiently? Can you crack a joke once a week? It doesn’t have to be a good joke. Do you truly and deeply understand the nature of this thing that we call lifestyle? No? Me neither. It’s still kind of a mystery to me. Each week brings its own adventure, which is part of why I love it so much. It can be heavy, fluffy or anything in between.

Nothing is off-limits and almost any Pinterest Movin 925 topic is acceptable, so long as you can put the right spin on it. Writing for this page and editing its content is both a joy and a pleasure. It comes with more responsibility than I ever could’ve imagined. Finally, to the next editor of this page, whether you succeed me next semester or at the conclusion of my time at Hope: you are required to have fun. Integrate your own style, laugh at your own stupid captions and above all, appreciate the eclectic nature of this beast of a page.