Are you interested in gaining analytical writing and editing skills while exploring interests in law? Happy Medium might be the student org. for you! Vice President and Managing Editor, Briana Lopez-Patino, shares more about this organization and how you can get invovled!
What is the mission of Happy Medium?
Happy Medium’s mission is to create a space for all Binghamton University students to respectfully and productively discuss the politics of our nation and world.
What skills can students develop as a member of your organization?
Students can develop their analytical writing, critical thinking, editing, and leadership skills. A member of the Writing Team publishes at least once per semester after going through an extensive editing process. A member of the Copy-Editing Team copy-edits at least one article per week and gets feedback from the Managing Editor. Copy-Editors are also de facto Writing Team members should they wish to publish.
There are also many leadership opportunities in Happy Medium! We have two graphic design opportunities: Layout Editors and Graphic Designers. We have four Reporter positions with one student per category: Local Politics, New York Politics, National Politics, and Interviews. Reporters publish three times per semester. We also have two Senior Administrators positions: Political Director (to ensure Happy Medium remains nonpartisan) and Lead Editor of our High School Magazine Development Program. Finally, we have our Executive Editing Team: Editor-in-Chief/President, Managing Editor/Vice-President, and Marketing Editor/Treasurer/Secretary.
How can being a member of this organization help students explore career options?
Our team has diverse interests and skills. Majors include but are not limited to history, graphic design, classical civilizations, political science, philosophy, and business administration. Many of our members are on the pre-law track and we have a few students in various 4+1 programs. Through the diversity of our team, members can network with each other and ask questions about possible career options.
What networking or mentorship opportunities are available to students in this organization?
We collaborate with other political and community-engaged organizations, such as College Democrats and the Center for Civic Engagement. Additionally, we hope to establish a strong Happy Medium alumni network so current students can network with past members.
How has membership of this organization influenced your personal experience at Binghamton University?
I am one of three founding members of Happy Medium, so it’s influenced my personal experience at Binghamton a lot. The Editor-in-Chief, President, and Founder, Trevor Fornara, has been a good friend of mine since my freshman year through the Emerging Leaders Program. I met our Marketing Editor, Treasurer, and Secretary, Arwen Fernandez O’Brien, through the Interdisciplinary Research Club last year.
Personally, to be part of a new and thriving organization with these two is a privilege. I have never met such passionate individuals that dedicate their time to ensure Binghamton University has an outlet to discuss politics in a respectful and productive way. Being on the executive-editing team has allowed me to work on my leadership skills by managing correspondence with a team of 32 members. The organization has also allowed me to work on my grant-writing skills, as we were not funded through our provisional charter. Happy Medium has sparked an interest in pursuing political advocacy through legal work as a possible career, so I am now taking a gap year to do bioethics research and will apply to law school in the fall.
Are there any eligibility requirements to join this organization? If so, please include them below.
Students of all majors and years can join Happy Medium! We have an application process for both our Writing Team and Copy-Editing Team. Our Writing Team application can be found here: https://forms.gle/z6CADJ8ME9Wc4ixC6. Our Copy-Editing Team application can be found here: https://forms.gle/gNMEyPDJzLtRZKuE8. The applications consist of a list of relevant coursework, a resume, and a writing sample of 4-8 pages. We review applications on a rolling basis and the responsibilities of each position are in the application form!
How can interested students get connected with you?
Interested students can reach out to us at happymedium@bingsa.org or on Instagram @binghappymedium!
