Story by Katherine Hunt
Screenshot of sophomore Nicole Kasperbauer’s blog
A blog serves a variety of purposes: to inform readers, to express oneself and to give writers an opportunity to communicate their opinions on an international level. Blogging has become more popular among Drake students. These three Drake bloggers have encountered certain common elements of blogging including difficulties, passions, inspiration and the uniqueness from one blog to the next.
Authors of blogs come from everywhere, but at Drake, “Magazine Staff Writing” seems to be the origin point for many Drake bloggers. Senior Emily Tozer took it one step further, “I guess the assignment just gave me an actual reason to just start it, (blogging) and then I loved it, and I’ve kept it going since. I even got a congratulatory email from my professor when I became a contributor to Teen Vogue’s fashion blogger program.”
Sophomore Kristin Doherty also blogged for a much more public source — Seventeen Magazine. Since then Kristin has continued on to other blogs, including blogs for Drake Magazine and “Pretty Little Letters.”
Sophomore Nicole Kasperbauer is also blogging on campus.
“It’s personally helping me get ready and share my experience of getting ready to study abroad next semester,” said Kasperbauer. “I enjoy it, because it is all about what my life truly is right now.”
For Doherty, it’s about examination, feedback and opportunities, “I like having the opportunity to write about things that I like, know about, and am good at. My ‘Freshman 15’ blog really allowed me to examine my freshman year as it was happening. I also really enjoyed when readers contacted me to tell me how helpful my blogs were,” Doherty said.
“My blog gave me a place to write about fashion and to write whatever I wanted,” Tozer said.
Like any event in life, blogging does have its difficulties and drawbacks at times. One major difficulty can be time.
“The time commitment can be a struggle, especially as a college student,” Doherty said. “But setting up a schedule helps.”
Topics of blogs vary from person to person, just as their purpose changes. Kasperbauer blogs about the semester leading up to studying abroad by including planning details such as getting a visa, booking flights, choosing classes and receiving financial assistance.
“Even if on a tight budget, you truly can make it work,” Kasperbauer said. “Trust me, I had to convince my parents to let me go off on my own.”
Tozer continues to blog about fashion forward advice and outfit/trend posts while Doherty blogs about sorority themed crafts on her blog “Pretty Little Letters.”
