Let’s face it, school takes a huge toll on our lives during the academic term, and sometimes we feel like we can only focus on studying (and the bags under our eyes), but Hilary Ribons (COM ’14) is one of those people who goes above and beyond not just in the classroom, but outside too. Ribons works at the Daily Free Press newspaper office as the Blog Editor!
“I chose to write for the newspaper because I am a Journalism major,” said Ribons. “I wanted to work at a paper while I was going to school to reinforce what I was learning. The student-run newspaper seemed like a good option and a way to meet people.”
As the Blog Editor, Ribons finds stories for her staff writers, chooses which of their stories to use, creates a weekly schedule and edits submissions. It may sound like a lot of work, but Ribons enjoys every project she gets to work on! Ribons is also on top of editing for grammar, content and AP style, and she has to find visual elements to go along with the posts.
“It’s fun,” said Ribons. “The blog is not really hard news, so everything I read has a fun twist to it.”
Ribons is from southern California, near Los Angeles, but came to BU as a transfer student from Wheaton College in Norton, MA. But before Ribons became the Blog Editor, she was a staff writer for a semester. Since she has become Blog Editor she spends most of her time at the newspaper. When she has free time, Ribons tries to relax whenever she can and actually experience the city of Boston.
“I like to do everything in Boston,” Ribons said. “I like going to restaurants and cafes, walking around when the weather allows, going to concerts and events. I have explored the city a lot this year. I think because I only have two more guaranteed years in the city before I graduate, it made me more willing to explore.”
Knowing that she will have to think about her life after BU and the Daily Free Press before she knows it, Ribons has been thinking about her future for a while. “I see myself writing for a publication or working on the production side of a news or entertainment program.”