By Tahlia Moses and Nikie Yang
I remember the first time I joined the Mary Word, I was 13 years old with a dream and a pen. I remember having a sudden wave wash upon me one random Tuesday and that was when I knew I wanted to be an Editor in Chief of a magazine in my future, like Anna Wintour.
So I stepped out of my comfort shoes in my size 3 shoes, with my high ponytail tied up, trying to make this dream come true, starting off with the school newspaper because “First Loreto then the world”. However, my dream did hit a few roadblocks along the way.
I went by myself and sat alone for the first 2 meetings. I never returned, intimidated by the older girls and all the academic articles everyone was talking about. I told people about my dream and they all dismissed it, telling me that journalism was a dying industry and I should find something else. So I did, and for the next 2 years, I explored different career options I could pursue. But I rejoined towards the end of Year 10, being dragged along by Jess and all the dreams that I had reignited and I devoted myself to the Mary Word. I wrote articles on things I was passionate about, such as Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls which fuelled my love for the Mary Word and journalism.
I realised that the Mary Word wasn’t something intimidating and all about writing complex articles, but rather a space where girls can all express themselves which drove me to go for the position of Editor in Chief.
I was lucky enough to get the position, working alongside Tahlia, Avery and Ginny who is the design editor and I am so excited to start this journey! We all have so many exciting ideas for the year ahead, led by Mr Scali.
If I have one piece of advice for any girls hesitant about joining the Mary Word, is to bring a friend and try it out! It's such an invigorating experience and I’m so grateful Jess dragged me along on a dull Wednesday lunch.
- Nikie Yang
I have always loved reading and writing. It started in primary school with books like Geronimo Stilton and Harry Potter, and now, I find myself reading the news, political articles, and current affairs, or using any free time I have to delve into a binge-worthy YA Fantasy book. It's safe to say I’ve always been comfortable in a world full of reading and writing.
It was in year 5 at Loreto that I first heard of ‘The Mary Word’. The idea of a student newspaper was quite new to me. Year 5 Tahlia was still in her Harry Potter phase, and was certain that a ‘student newspaper’ must only include ‘newspaper worthy articles’, i.e., the boring newspapers my dad would read that were full of statistics and politics. The newspaper didn't sound like the type of thing I was interested in.
It was in year 6 at Loreto that I first heard that The Mary Word was in fact, most certainly not a newspaper full of boring statistics. The revelation was quite shocking really, knowing I had been so wrong about a special group of people in our school community. I wanted so desperately to join the school newspaper crew, but none of my friends wanted to journey out of the comfort of our primary school headquarters--I figured one more year of waiting wouldn't hurt anyway. The newspaper sounded like something I could look forward to in high school.
It was in year 7 at Loreto that I walked into my first Mary Word meeting. It was a strange feeling, to finally experience something that felt so ‘exclusive’. I enjoyed the meeting, it was fun and felt like the start of a new journey. I went with a few of my friends, and we all agreed to write articles together. It felt good to know I had people that I could share my creativity with. The newspaper felt like something I could get used to.
It was in year 9 at Loreto, that I realised I hadn’t been to a Mary Word meeting in a while. I had stopped going after my friends didn’t go anymore--too shy to show up on my own with so many older girls. It was this year that I realised there were in fact, many girls in my year that had actually re-joined The Mary Word again, and I took it as my sign to follow along with them. The newspaper was something that I was going to stay committed to this time.
It is today, in year 11 at Loreto that I can now proudly say that I am one of the 2023/2024 editors-in-chief of The Mary Word Student Newspaper. Throughout the years, I found my love (and obsession) for politics, and contributed articles--both opinion pieces and apolitical pieces, to the newspaper. I submitted fun pop culture pieces, planned interview-style videos with my friends, and loved editing and helping my friends (many that I met through The Mary Word!) write their own articles. I am so proud to have been chosen to be a part of such an incredible team, and can’t wait to lead it alongside some of my closest friends.
If I could go back in time, I would have joined in year 5 and stayed consistent and committed. I encourage all of the girls reading this article to do the same, I discovered my passion for writing, journalism and politics through The Mary Word, and I always wonder how different it would be if I had only discovered it earlier. Take every opportunity as they come!
- Tahlia Moses