Due to the easing of restrictions this summer, the student newspaper has been able to flourish and grow this year into the organisation it was designed to become: a powerhouse for student voices. Last year, COVID significantly restricted the growth and activity of the newspaper but still the resilience of our incredible journalists shone through. We produced articles in lockdown, formed a new leadership structure and even started producing podcasts thanks to James Preston (deputy Chief Editor). Such efforts of our editorial team led us to win First News’s national ‘Editorial Team of the Year’ award, which was very well deserved.
It may seem hard to top all the success and excitement of last year, but thanks to our incredible journalists we have started the year with a bang. Students flocked to sign up to write for the newspaper during the college enrichment fair in September, and we welcomed over 70 students to the team during our first face-to-face meeting in the lecture theatre, which made a nice change from zoom meetings and emails! Everyone who attended this first meeting demonstrated an eagerness to write and their passion shone through, resulting in lots of new journalists and exciting ideas for this term’s publication. Many of these journalists will be entering the BBC ‘Young Journalist of the Year’ award next term and have already started working collaboratively to develop their stories. We are also continuing our partnership with editors at Leeds University’s newspaper ‘The Gryphon’, who have continued to provide fantastic support by mentoring individual students and visiting our college to provide invaluable advice about how to carve out a career in the media.
This term’s submissions have truly wowed me; not only the variety of topics but the quality and journalistic integrity that is evident in the thorough research and mature exploration of often sensitive topical issues. It is clear to see that Notre Dame is brimming with young talented writers and it makes me proud that so many young people wish to share their views with their peers and express them so eloquently in their articles. A strong desire to share my views and highlight world issues is what first drove me to write for the student newspaper and, looking at the submissions we have received this term, it is evident that many of my fellow students share that feeling. From articles about greenwashing at Formula 1, misogyny in classical literature and the influence of social media on body confidence to reviews about art installations and an inside story into how to apply for Oxbridge universities, we have a wide range of thought-provoking, professional-standard submissions. Contradictory to ill-informed stereotypes perpetuated in British tabloids, the young people of today are intellectual, motivated and passionate about asking challenging questions and finding answers, therefore it is my pleasure to share their very well-expressed views with you in this term’s edition. Please bear in mind that all opinions in the newspaper are of the individual journalists. If you’d like to have your say on issues that shape our lives and our world, please join us and write for next term’s edition.
E Newsome
Ellie Newsome
Editor-in-Chief
The Student Voice
NDCSFC Student Newspaper
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