From social media to campus, “hot girl” culture turns any mundane task into an effortlessly cool endeavor. The trend has reached Suffolk University with the Hot Girl Walking Club: the newest way to get active with ease and stay safe on and off campus.
“The core purpose of Hot Girl Walking Club is to create a safe community within Suffolk University for anyone to walk around Boston without feeling nervous and alone,” said Kian McCabe, secretary of the club. “We want to bring a fun and safe community to campus that everyone can be a part of.”
HGWC aims to provide a safe space for people who do not feel comfortable walking around Boston to meet other students, talk and not feel alone.
“If you’re wanting to go somewhere at night and you’re alone, you can text the group and other people can join you on that walk if they want so you’re not walking alone,” said Kerry Matthews, vice president of the HGWC.
McCabe said while any fitness club can seem like a daunting commitment, HGWC is a more flexible option for students..
“The door is always open to everyone,” said McCabe. “It is a very minimal time commitment and we have fun while focusing on our mental and physical health.”
The name of the club originated from a social media trend raising awareness of physical and mental health.
“The term ‘hot girl walking’ started as a social media term for just going on a walk and focusing on yourself for like an hour,” said Connor Hathaway, president of HGWC.
Some of their potential upcoming events include the breast cancer walk, the Alzheimer’s walk, cheering on people at the Boston Marathon and a walkathon.
“A lot of the stuff that the Hot Girl Walking Club is doing for events in the future is very Boston-related,” said Hathaway.
The club aims to foster a stronger sense of community and does not require much commitment.
“You only have to come to one meeting to be a part of the club, and it is only the first and third Tuesday of the month,” said Hathaway.
The first club meeting occurred Feb. 7, where club members were introduced to the E-board and discussed the messaging platform.
“We are still looking into a messaging platform because we want to make sure it’s safe, it’s secure, it’s accessible to everyone, but also that it’s not going to be spread around and people won’t find out about where people are walking because that can be an issue,” said Hathaway.
The HGWC also intends to put focus on self-defense for all members of the club.
“We were talking about bringing in coaches for self-defense to teach people, and not only just making it for girls because, as a gay man, I’m also nervous walking around Boston,” said Hathaway.
