As I start to type the first few sentences of the Editor’s note, I find myself still coming to terms with the fact that we are now in week five and Halloween parties are already beckoning. My Apple bobbing skills are definitely out of practice for one. How has time passed by so quickly? No longer are we pulling ourselves out of bed and frantically searching for that t-shirt to wear above our pyjama bottoms before our ‘Zooming’ starts.
Our favourite moan about awkward breakout rooms has been replaced with prodding the student next to us and saying, “Is it just me or is it chilly in here?” Going back to in person teaching during a pandemic has forced us to adjust to new social norms. Forgetting to put your phone on silent is no longer the worst seminar faux pas, as instead we find ourselves wanting to exclaim “I don’t have Covid” as we battle the vicious Freshers flu. Life back on campus is different, but with change comes new ideas and experiences to write about.
During our past year of lockdowns, it was easier to find the time to simply just sit down, think and then write about the thoughts which have been nagging us. Enjoying a Wednesday’s Salvos club night wasn’t an option, and most of our social interaction was limited to small gatherings with close friends. The chance to meet and speak to other students with contrasting opinions, different outlooks on life and unfamiliar political perspectives didn’t exist.
I found this hard.
Within the Nouse community, I am fortunate to enjoy the company of inquisitive and perceptive thinkers. As editors, we all have our own unique interests and life experiences; experiences which are instrumental in shaping the articles we send for print or upload online. Our latest Weekly News edition is testament to this and demonstrates the relentless ambition of our writers to unpick the pressing issues which will affect us immediately and, in the years, after we’ve said our goodbyes to York.
With COP26 fast upon us, new writers Max Abudulgani and Yelena Jurkenas analyse the summit’s political expectations, while our new science team have sought to cut through the political rhetoric and examine the hard facts about climate change. As a student paper, what makes Nouse distinctive is that our contributors are never reluctant to share their ‘voice’ on issues with local and national scope.
Recently, I was mingling around Courtyard after Nouse’s elections and a friend at another student publication said “Ed, I don’t understand why Nouse chooses to delve into international politics and issues which require experts?” Once you have read Molly Duffy’s debut article, in which she discusses whether the tragic death of MP Sir David Amess represents a new threat to our democracy, it will be obvious to you why it is so important that we don’t hold back from using our words to articulate our own insights and judgements.
With articles ranging from coverage of York’s rising Covid-19 rates to questioning where the latest James Bond film fits into the UK’s culture wars, this latest edition of Weekly News aims to act as inspiration for empowering your voice. It was only back in April 2020 that my journey with Nouse started, and as society re-opens it is the ideal time to become part of our paper’s new collaborative vision.
Whether it’s an article about your favourite pub, a college football match, or an opinion piece about a thought you had in the shower, we are interested! Our newly expanded senior team is determined to reach out to new faces, and hopefully this edition stands us in good stead in doing so.
Enjoy this week’s collection of articles, maybe over a cup of tea and a digestive (though it isn’t obligatory), and our editors look forward to receiving your article pitch in their inboxes sometime soon.