Magazine internship combines
fun and learning
Every so often, that one special internship - the perfect blend of fun and learning - comes along. For Krisanne Ryther, that internship allowed her to combine two of the things she is most passionate about: journalism and Alpha Phi.
Fraternity fun Krisanne Ryther said her internship at Alpha Phi Fraternity allowed her to improve her magazine writing skills. Photo by David McNace
Journalism and sports studies student Krisanne Ryther (senior, Marion, Iowa) got the opportunity to work for Alpha Phi Quarterly last summer. According to Christine Spiegel, editor-in-chief of the magazine, the Alpha Phi International Fraternity originated in 1872 at Syracuse University as one of the first women’s Greek societies. The purpose of the magazine is to highlight its members and matters of fraternal and collegiate interest.
"I was looking through the Alpha Phi Web site, and I stumbled upon a link about internships," Ryther said. "I had been applying for communications and journalism internships all year, and the Alpha Phi internship happened to be a communications position."
After submitting her application for the position, she was called for a phone interview only a week later. Following a successful interview, she was offered the unpaid position.
Ryther vividly remembers her first day on the job.
"I was pretty nervous on my first day," Ryther said. "It took me 20 minutes to figure out what to wear, and I kept going through what I was going to say to my boss when I arrived."
Ryther’s duties at Alpha Phi Quarterly, located in Evanston, Ill., varied from day to day. At the beginning of her internship, Ryther wrote short articles and pitched ideas to update the design of the magazine.
Near the end of the internship, she composed feature stories for upcoming issues. By the time Ryther’s internship at Alpha Phi Quarterly was over, she had produced a total of four feature stories on distinguished Alpha Phi alumni.
Regardless of what types of tasks Ryther was doing as an intern, she enjoyed her time at Alpha Phi Quarterly.
"I really liked the comfortable work atmosphere that I was a part of," Ryther said. "I was surrounded by Alpha Phi alumni, who served as excellent resources whenever I had any type of question."
Having previously worked as a sports writer for The Daily Iowan, Ryther found it challenging to transform her newspaper style of writing to be suitable for Alpha Phi Quarterly’s magazine style of writing.
"My editor went through my features and gave me notes on how to structure certain sentences, and she even had me take out chunks of my articles because of my tendency to write lengthy features," Ryther said. "It was hard for me to adapt, but in the end, I began to feel comfortable with magazine writing."
The most rewarding part of Ryther’s internship with Alpha Phi Quarterly was interviewing Jodi Brooks, alumna of Alpha Phi and news anchor for CBS4 in Denver.
Brooks organized Mobile, Ala.’s Safe Haven Alliance in 1998, which allows women to drop off babies they are unable to care for at places like hospitals and fire stations to prevent them from being harmed by their mothers. Since Brooks organized the Safe Haven Alliance, every state has created a Safe Haven law.
"As a journalist, she gave me great information, and she made sure that I understood everything she was telling me," Ryther said. "Jodi’s story was an inspiration to me, and I believe my feature on her will inspire others, as well."
Christine Spiegel, who supervised Ryther’s internship with Alpha Phi Quarterly, said Ryther was a perfect fit for the magazine.
"Krisanne was enthusiastic and willing to tackle challenges from the beginning," Spiegel said. "As the internship progressed, she gained a better understanding of magazine style, and she became a better writer."
Because of Ryther’s performance as an intern, Spiegel has great faith in Ryther’s future as a journalist.
"I could definitely see Krisanne pursuing a career in magazine journalism," Spiegel said. "Whatever journalism specialty she chooses, though, I am confident she will be successful."
Ryther plans to graduate in Spring 2010. From there, she hopes to work for Alpha Phi International as an educational leadership consultant. The job would allow her to travel all over the country and Canada to visit Alpha Phi chapters to help with recruitment and leadership initiatives. She said that she is most interested in pursuing the public relations aspect of the job.
Ryther said her experience at Alpha Phi Quarterly will aid her no matter where her journalistic career goes.
"Every day that I came to work, I had the motivation to become a better journalist and to use my work to promote Alpha Phi," Ryther said. "I am really fortunate that I was able to pursue something that I truly cared about."