The Campus Correspondence is a new work-study program that hires students to work as reporters for the online publication Student Health 101. The publication is focused on health and wellness issues that are of particular interest to college students. The publication is delivered to all UMB emails on the first of each month, and features the work of the correspondents. Health Services incurs the cost of the subscription to Student Health 101.
The job of the reporters is to interview fellow UMB students on the topics that will be featured in each upcoming issue of Student Health 101. The interviews are filmed and submitted to Student Health 101, which edits the video and uploads it to the appropriate issue. Health Education and Wellness Director Linda Jorgensen is in charge of the Campus Correspondence program.
In addition to a biweekly paycheck, students involved in the program benefit from engaging with the community. According to Gary Uter, current correspondent and history and political science major, student-to-student conversations about sensitive topics are insightful and candid.
“We bring up topics that are not generally discussed in everyday conversation, for example how alcoholism effects men specifically and women specifically,” Uter said. “It is easier for a peer to talk to a fellow student about such a subject than a professor or random researcher because students do not feel intimidated by a fellow students. People tend to speak more freely with someone they have something in common with and feel equal to.”
Amber O’Brien is also currently working as a correspondent. She described how the UMB community at large might benefit from the program. “I hope my work will make UMB students more aware of various health topics, such as social media, alcohol consumption, and stress.”
Currently four students are working for the program. They are separated into teams of two. Each team interviews six students on a given subject. According to Uter, overcoming the freshness of the program is the largest obstacle when attempting to conduct the interviews.
“Because we are new, we do not have a lot of background in the community,” Uter said. “People do not know who we are and that makes them wary of talking to us, especially on camera- it is difficult to overcome.”
To help them face these types of challenges, the correspondence undergo a training session that lasts for several hours. They are taught various ways of approaching people, and communicating. The training is not unlike what a resident advisor (RA) goes through when learning how to manage people in a dormitory.
The application process for the Campus Correspondence program starts in September. While paid positions are limited, Jorgensen stated that all interested students are welcome. The program is currently looking for a social media editor.
New as it is, participants in the program are already pleased with their work.
“This job is great,” O’Brien said. “I love working with everyone and especially Linda Jorgensen. The Health Service office is a warm environment that truly allows me to be myself and help students here on campus.”