Walking around the club fair during the first week of your freshman year can be an intimidating experience. With the seemingly infinite number of tables wrapped around Eddie’s and enthusiastic club leaders screaming praises for their clubs, it can be difficult to find one that is a perfect fit. Last year, as a freshman, I experienced the frenzy of the club fair for the first time.

Hardly knowing anyone at Fordham, I felt the pressure to find a club that would give me the opportunity to meet new people and form lasting friendships. I was searching for something that meshed with both my social and extracurricular interests, yet also had the potential to benefit me in my future career.

As I perused the clubs along Eddie’s, one in particular caught my eye: Mode. Its bright pink sign and spread of gorgeous magazines captured my attention, so I made my way to the table and signed up for the club.

Before attending the first club meeting, I had no idea what to expect and thought I wouldn’t have much of an opportunity to get really involved with the magazine since I was only a freshman. However, after I went to the first meeting, I realized I was completely wrong.

Just from the first few moments of the meeting, I discovered that the entire mission of Mode is to allow every member to express their creativity in whatever way possible, no matter your skills, age or interests.

Within the first few weeks of the semester, I already had written an article that would later be published in the magazine and had developed close friendships with other members of the club.

As the year went on, more opportunities to get involved presented themselves, and I quickly jumped at the chance to put more of my personal stamp on the magazine. Since I have always loved English and reading, I excitedly joined the editing team and had the ability to evaluate others’ work and help perfect their pieces.

This not only benefited the quality of the final publication of the magazine but also made me a better writer as I made note of small changes that can ultimately transform your writing.

Later in the semester, I was still eager to get more involved, so I decided to join the layout team, even though I had no experience with layout or InDesign. However, Mode made it very clear that no matter your experience, anyone is welcome to join the team by offering workshops in which more experienced members taught the basics of InDesign. These workshops were extremely beneficial to me and piqued my interest in creative design and digital production.

Thanks to Mode, I have learned a number of skills that will benefit me in my professional career. It has even given me potential job and internship opportunities thanks to their LinkedIn group “Mode Magazine Networking Group: Alums and Current Members” in which alumni and current Mode members share internship and job opportunities for fashion and lifestyle.

Showing potential employers the finished product of Mode is such a satisfying experience knowing that every member puts their heart and soul into the magazine’s creation.

Being a part of Mode, though, is more than just writing articles or being involved in the magazine’s creation — it truly is a family in which everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and speaking freely.

The expressive outlet Mode offers sets it apart from other clubs on Fordham’s campus. I appreciated the community of like-minded, unique individuals that make up the club, and I truly feel at home whenever I attend a Mode meeting. Being a part of Mode has been one of my favorite experiences at Fordham, and I have honestly loved every moment of my time with Mode.

If you are interested in joining the Mode family, don’t hesitate to come to a meeting. They are usually on Mondays at 9:30 p.m. in Keating first and are key to taking advantage of all the opportunities Mode gives you. It may seem intimidating coming to a meeting without knowing what you are really getting into, so it is always beneficial to know a little background on the club before diving into their meetings.

To have a better understanding of Mode, you should know that it is a student-run magazine at Fordham University and highlights the unique fashion sense of students across campus. The magazine is published once per semester with a fall/winter edition released in early December and a spring/summer edition in late April. Each edition of the magazine features multiple sections including fashion, beauty, arts and entertainment, love and relationships, and lifestyle.

Student editors manage these sections, but the magazine is ultimately run by the editor-in-chief and the creative director, senior Mackenzie Merriman and junior Jeffrey Pelayo, respectively.  Along with the editors of the five sections, there is also a fundraising team, blog team, layout team, photo team and modeling team that are integral to the final publication of the magazine. As I found out last year, there truly is a place for everyone at Mode, no matter what your interests or talents are.

From the friendships I have made to the professional experience it has taught me, Mode is a club unlike any other. No matter who you are or what you are interested in, Mode has a place for you, so don’t miss out on being a part of the Mode family.