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The Reed College of Media and College of Creative Arts will merge to form the new WVU College of Creative Arts and Media as of July 1, 2024. Get details.

Magazine club starts on campus

Last spring, Karen Snyder applied for an internship with National Geographic but was not accepted. Little did she know that while the door closed on one opportunity, it opened on another.

Snyder was wished the best in her future and sent a piece of paper with the Web address Ed2010.com on it. She didn’t think much of it until she discovered that Ed2010 could be a way to improve the career prospects of West Virginia University P.I. Reed School of Journalism (SOJ) students interested in magazines.

Ed2010 is an online volunteer organization that provides networking, resume workshops and job opportunities to young journalists around the world. Its founder, Chandra Czape Turner, saw the need for a networking organization in the magazine industry following a post-graduate internship in New York. After working with other interns still in college, Turner soon became their only connection to magazines in the city and decided to create Ed2010.

“It just sort of grew into this great organization,” Turner said. Ed2010 has more than 30 chapters internationally, including the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.

Karen Snyder saw the same need on WVU’s campus and looked into starting a chapter through the SOJ. She approached Prof. John Temple and asked him to become the faculty advisor for the club. She also worked to get support from SOJ dean Maryanne Reed and WVU’s Student Organizations. This fall, All Things Magazine: Ed on Campus became an official student organization.

SOJ assistant professor John Temple said the organization will allow journalism students to create pipelines to certain publications that did not previously exist.

“That’s how it works,” Temple said. “Once someone has done a good job there, we get a connection.”

Snyder, president of the club, says that plans are already being made to bring speakers to campus, including Ed2010 founder Chandra Czape Turner, who will be here on Sunday, November 4. Courtney Balestier, a recent SOJ graduate, who found her first job at Rachael Ray Magazine, spoke to students and the public earlier this semester.

“We hope to have speakers at least once a semester,” Snyder said. “The most important thing to do is have students meet with and network with professionals.” Currently there are more than 50 people on the club’s e-mail list who have shown interest in participating. Snyder says that she hopes the group will continue to grow after she graduates next year.

According to the club’s secretary Tricia Fulks, All Things Magazine is a good opportunity for students work with an organization that will benefit their careers and possibly open doors to jobs after graduation.

“Right now we just need to get our feet on the ground and get the word out,” Fulks said.