By Paula Diaz, Features Editor
While you may know them as current juniors here at Asbury, Alexa Goins, Jane Potocki and Alyssa Driscoll are more than just mere members of the university’s community. With passions in writing, these girls became involved with The Lala, an online lifestyle publication that strives to create “positive, real and relatable content” to women in college, as contributing writers.
What makes The Lala unique from other online publications?
AG: The Lala is unique because there aren’t very many publications that cater to college women. Sure, there are magazines and blogs for middle school & high school girls (Seventeen, Teen Vogue, etc.) and for women in their late 20’s and early 30’s (Vogue, Marie Claire, etc.) but not for us [college women]. The Lala is also unique in that the people writing the articles are college students so we get to create the content that we want to read. The co-founders, Molly Longest and Katherine Crowley, really understood that the content that was being targeted at college women wasn’t of substance and they wanted to change that. There’s more than one type of college woman and the Lala knows that. They’re trying to tell the whole story of the college woman: the positive, the negative, the good, the bad, and the real. They’re trying to change the way [women] are portrayed in the media and that’s ultimately what makes it different.
What are you aspiring to do by writing for The Lala?
AG: I originally joined The Lala as a fun way to get writing samples and bylines, but now it’s so much more than that to me. It’s a creative outlet that I didn’t have before and a community of girls that I love. I’ve really adopted their mission to make women’s media more accurate and positive. I’m learning a lot about myself, [about] writing, and about the power I have to create change as a journalist. I’m having fun while doing it and would be happy doing something like this for the rest of my life. I do know that God put the Lala in my life for a reason so I hope to bring Him glory through this.
JP: I’m aspiring to spread The Lala’s positive message through the articles I write for them. I’m eager to learn as much as I can from writing for The Lala and I hope to encourage people with my articles.
AD: What’s great is that Asbury is a unique campus. We don’t allow drinking here, we go to chapel three times a week, we take New Testament classes, and we’re often described as being in a bubble. The fact of the matter is we don’t have to be in a bubble to live this way. I love being able to share my experiences on this campus with the world [while showing] that Christian girls can be relevant. We all know there is a stigma about Christians and we can break it.
What’s your favorite thing about The Lala?
AG: My favorite thing about the Lala is the people. Joining the Lala was like joining a really loving and fun community. The co-founders and other contributors are simply amazing. They’ve helped me become a better writer and we all truly support each other. I’ve gained so many future professional contacts across the country because of the Lala. I feel very blessed to be a Lala girl.
JP: I love that The Lala rebels against normal college online magazines, and realizes that they are catering to the women of our country’s future; the future teachers, politicians, and maybe even president; people who have the power to make such a big impact. They don’t tell their readers what’s wrong with them and how they can better themselves, but rather what is so great about them. I love that The Lala fights negativity and doesn’t make their readers want what they don’t have, but reminds them of the strength they already possess.
AD: My favorite thing about The Lala is getting to read things by amazing creative women. It’s inspiring to see girls in a similar age and life stage as I’m in and hear their thoughts! I am blown away at how creative and talented some of these girls are and it pushes me to try harder too. I want to write of my experiences to help other learn from my mistakes, of my time in a hospital in a different country, and of the CATS. I love that this website accepts all of that.
How can other girls get involved with The Lala?
AG: The Lala is currently looking to recruit about 50 more girls as contributors and Public Relations/Marketing representatives. If you like The Lala’s mission and want to be a part of it, apply on their website. There’s always room for more Lala girls!