Creative Chronicles
Did you know 91黑料不打烊 has its own student-led print publication plus a mini-website on the Portal? Both are established traditions at universities but rare at school level. With the 2023 edition of The W about to hit 91黑料不打烊 newsstands, we’re checking in with editors, Beth, Sarah, and Shenuka, to learn about their process and why they love what they do.
1. What message would you like to send to your fellow students and readers about the importance of the School magazine and the role it plays in the School community?
The W plays a vital role in promoting a positive, engaging School community. We welcome a wide range of artworks, writings, and projects that help us appreciate how talented our peers are.
2. How did you all become involved with the School magazine, and what inspired you to join the team?
Beth: I became involved with the School magazine at the start of this year. I love writing and have developed a passion for spreading awareness about global issues. The W was a fantastic outlet for me to express my passion for writing, but the magazine also allowed me to foster a positive community at 91黑料不打烊. It has been such a privilege to connect with other year groups and appreciate the diversity of talent in the 91黑料不打烊 community.
Shenuka: I’m new to 91黑料不打烊 this year. My previous school only really had two active clubs, so coming to a place where there were so many options for a variety of interests was exciting. When I heard about The W, it immediately caught my interest as I have a passion for writing and have always wanted to be on a journalistic team for fun. I was already friends with Sarah, and she encouraged me to come to the meetings to see what it was like, and I really enjoyed it! So, when Jemima and Kalara were organising the leadership transfer, there was no question that I would want to try my hand at it. Since then, it’s been wonderful to have a firsthand contribution to work that extends across the whole student community – it’s an opportunity that’s really helped me feel at home in the school.
Sarah: Last year, one of my friends asked if I could submit a comic for The W’s end-of-year publication, and the process was really fun! I sent it through to the past team and seeing my comic in The W a few weeks later, was so cool. Since then, I’ve been an active member of The W, and as you already know, received a captaincy role earlier this year. I just love the idea of having a student magazine and celebrating everyone's talents, achievements, and differences.
3. What roles do each of you play in the creation and publication of the magazine?
In terms of the weekly Portal updates, we have a shared OneNote account where we add all the content we've received and brainstorm ideas of what we want to collect and have in the upcoming updates. The three of us interchangeably take turns uploading the content and sending out the email letting everyone know we've updated. For our upcoming yearly publication, Sarah and Beth are working hard to gather everyone's ideas and collate the content we want to present, whilst Shenuka is working on all the graphic design and layout.
4. How do you go about selecting the content that will be featured in each issue?
Generally, we tend to have people sending in projects they've been working on recently, and sometimes teachers will encourage their students to send in work they have done in class. Prefects and captains will also send in updates about their areas. Otherwise, we brainstorm content in advance that we would want to include (whether that be by writing it ourselves or suggesting it to other contributors) about upcoming School events, such as putting up polls for which House will win House cheers or getting an article about a fundraiser.
5. Can you share any memorable or standout submissions you've received for this issue?
Beth: I really loved receiving artwork from classmates, especially from those who have won awards for their art. I found those submissions very impressive and memorable.
Shenuka: I find passion project articles from students to be very interesting. For instance, Annabelle (Year 11) wrote an article on feminism for the yearly publication that I found to be really insightful, and Scarlett (Year 10) has written a few reviews on Runway clothing lines, which is something I’m not typically inclined to, so it was new and interesting to learn about.
Sarah: I also love the passion projects that students give us. For example, Amelia (Year 11) wrote reviews for films such as Barbie, and Scarlett, Year 10, wrote articles on various clothing brands. These pieces were so fun and interesting to read, and I’m excited for everyone else to read them when they receive the physical copy!
6. How do you balance your responsibilities for the School magazine with your schoolwork and other extra-curricular activities?
We tend to delegate responsibilities, so we are organised for our schoolwork and extra-curricular activities. For instance, whenever we make our weekly update to the Portal page, whoever is the least busy will tend to volunteer, or we’ll each upload a little bit.
7. How do you collaborate and communicate as a team, especially during the busy period leading up to the deadline?
We meet regularly and keep in contact with each other. Working as a team has helped us collaborate and produce our issue leading up to the deadline.
8. What do you enjoy most about working on the School magazine, and what have you learned from the experience?
We have immensely enjoyed being able to connect with other year groups and appreciate the diversity of the School community.
9. What advice would you give to other students who are interested in joining the School magazine team or starting their own publication?
Organisation is definitely key in leading a school magazine team and publication. For starting a school publication, our best advice would be to work in collaboration with staff who can help, and similarly build an online platform that is easily accessible to students, it makes things a lot easier.
10. Anything else you would like to add?
Be sure to grab a copy of the end-of-year publication around the School or at the Club Showcase next year! We’re proud of all the hard work that’s gone into it, and we would love the work of the student community to be appreciated by everyone. There will also be a PDF version available on The W Portal page from the start of 2024, if you miss your chance to grab one.