By Rose Cunningham
2024 is here and so is our first issue of the Mary Word for this year! We are so excited to be back but, who makes up our team? I’ve spoken to our Editors in Chief, Design Editor and Editors, and have put together a small fact file. This is so that anyone who wants to know more about us or has an interest in joining, knows who we are. We also have some tips, and our favourite things about being part of the team for anyone interested in joining us- so read on!
Editors In Chief:
To lead the team in weekly sessions, attend meetings with Mr Scali, organise each issue’s theme and topics, set up the website and finalise each piece prior to publishing. They work alongside the Design Editor and Editors.
Avery Benbow
Joined: 2022 (Year 10)
Favourite contributions: Longform articles, standouts include a piece about the ‘Coming of Age’ genre in the 2023 Graduation Issue and one about ‘Queerbaiting and the Outing of Kit Connor’ in 2022.
Nikie Yang
Joined: Had been in and out for a few years before fully committing at the end of 2022 (Year 10)
Favourite contributions: Nikie loves making videos (especially with the teachers such as one about ‘Teacher’s Graduation Tips’), and for a while had an ‘Ask Mary’ column which she hopes to bring back.
Tahlia Moses
Joined: Shortly after Nikie in 2022 after coming and going (Year 10)
Favourite contributions: With a preference for political articles, one of Tahlia’s favourites includes a long piece about the Australian Energy Crisis, as it was highly relevant when it was published.
Process to become an EIC:
After you join and have been writing for a while (and typically after being an editor), an application form is sent to the entire MW team. This means that you can become an EIC even if you haven’t been in the paper for a long time. You will fill out the application and attend an interview with the outgoing EICs and design editor, often being asked about strengths, weaknesses and the things you would like to implement in the role. After a week or so, you will find out if you get the role. You will also get a chance to help run some of the meetings while Year 12 is on HSC trials, so you aren’t thrown in the deep end.
Design Editor:
To organise the billboards for each issue, design the website and to work closely with EICs.
Virginia Riley
Joined: Roughly 2021/2022 (Year 9/10)
Favourite contributions: Virginia enjoys writing satirical pieces (I’m sure many of us were roasted about which “Favourites” chocolates are our favourite in the 2023 Halloween Issue), but also loves coming up with new marketing plans for the paper, so that we can reach a wider audience.
How to become a Design Editor:
The process is pretty similar to that of becoming an EIC. That said, you will likely want to bring in some of your previous designs/artworks to show the current EIC and Design Editor. Every Design Editor has a different style, and even if you prefer doing design on paper, so long as you have a level of skill with digital platforms, you should be fine.
Editors:
Along with writing articles, Editors work as a team to check through each piece to make sure it is up to scratch before it is submitted to EICs.
Elisa Jeong:
Joined: 2022 (Year 9)
Favourite contributions: Much like Nikie, Elisa enjoys making videos, citing Christmas videos and Music Fest videos as her favourites.
Camila De La Cruz:
Joined: 2020 (Year 8)
Favourite contributions: Camila loves writing about music, her works have discussed the music of artists such as Taylor Swift, Paramore, Lofi Girl and a recent one featuring ‘My Chemical Romance’.
Rose Cunningham:
Joined: 2019 (Year 6)
Favourite contributions: Rose had the chance to interview Annabelle Crabb for The Mary Word last year! She also loved writing about the economic impacts associated with The Matildas in the FIFA-W World Cup, but in general loves writing long articles about political and social topics.
Eleanor Low:
Joined: 2022 (Year 10)
Favourite contributions: Eleanor enjoyed writing a piece about how to consider your courses for Uni, saying that she was pretty analytical (and pretty accurate) in this one.
Niamh Kelleher:
Joined: 2023 (Year 11)
Favourite contributions: Niamh’s top 2 articles in her time at TMW have been one where she wrote about the last 10 years of music festival and got to look through the archives, and a piece about the protests that have shaped the modern feminist movement. She enjoys looking at the past and how it has shaped the present.
Rosemary O’Brien:
Joined: 2022 (Year 9)
Favourite Contributions: Much like many of our team members, Rosemary loves making videos! Getting to interview teachers and students for her pieces is pretty fun she says, and a great way to get to know the school community.
Jess Ingham:
Joined: Start of 2022 (Year 10)
Favourite contributions: One of Jess' favourite contributions was an expose on “How to Drop Out of High School”, for which she included a multitude of links to TAFE courses and the various pathways to uni, perfect for anyone who is wondering about their future.
How to become an Editor:
There are a few ways to become an editor. If you are familiar with the process, you can apply directly through the form sent out each year, attend an interview and go from there. If you aren’t familiar with the process, you can ask one of the EICs to run you through it, including the expectations of an Editor. Additionally, you will always be able to email Mr Scali with any enquiries. In the leadup especially, but it is important year-round, staying on top of your deadlines is crucial, as is showing up to as many meetings as you can!
Notes from the team:
Our favourite things about TMW:
We love getting the chance to write about the things we want to and research things we are interested in. We get to work on how to make videos and edit them. Getting to write with less structure is also a major bonus and sometimes breaks up the heavily structured essays and assignments for other subjects. TMW is incredibly open and you can come along with some of your friends, or to make new ones. We got the chance to speak to Claire Keenan, a journalist at The Guardian which is an amazing opportunity, and you might get to interview an Olympian or your idol! TMW is also an amazing opportunity to learn about and consider a career in journalism, with a few of our team members currently looking at options to study it in the future.
P.S.: We often play Taylor Swift at our meetings!!
Advice for anyone who wants to join the Mary Word team as a writer or editor:
“It’s really cliche, but try it” (a sentiment shared by all members of the team). Our team isn’t that big, and you don’t have to spend all of your time here or be locked in by something like a paid commitment. The Mary Word is a really good place to explore writing and publishing, and it can be adjusted to your own pace and interests, allowing you to explore writing and journalism in a fun way. Join TMW with your friends or on your own, as so many of us wish we had joined earlier.
Where can you find us for more information?
There are a few ways to find out more about The Mary Word.
You can email anyone on the team, including the people on this list.
Find us at the Extra-Curricular Fair later this term.
Come along to a meeting even if you have never been to one before!
We can be found in 2.11 GBC during Wednesday Lunches.
You have evidently already found our website, but it is always up at https://www.themaryword.com.
We really can’t wait for another exciting year of articles, and we hope to see you soon!
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