Dream with me

Spent. In every sense of the word.

Let me just say the following then brush it all away, ok?

Hotaru-chan: Thank you, you have no idea how much that Tag meant to me.

So anyway I had something of a shock today. Sarah has been replaced as the Editor of GK! They appointed her Co-Ed from last year, Luke. He's a total pig who only works on the magazine because it'll look good on his CV. He doesn't care about how crap the publication is (it really is, no real content at all, just film reviews and what little news they care to slot in) nor how much he will run it into the ground.

Not only that but he had the gall to *criticise* the fact that Sarah, Hayley and I gave up our friday to promote GK at the Freshers Fair. He went on about not shoving joining down people's throats! Hello!? It's not like we dragged them kicking and screaming to our booth!

And I notice that even though he preached about finding alternative means of recruitment, he's done NOTHING but sit on his big arse and let Sarah do all the work!

So needless to say he can damn well start looking for a new News Editor.

I will enjoy watching GK crash and burn.

Anyway after chatting for a while to Sarah, she and I have decided to start our own rival publication, 'Spent'.

We're meeting after she gets off work tomorrow to discuss it. I'm going in as Deputy Editor / News Editor.

Of course, we'll have no writers for a while, only those friends of ours kind enough to offer their help. Hayley, Lorna, Nadine and Jigna have all offered their support. We want to talk to Mick or Rafferty on Monday for some advice (I'm voting for Rafferty, what he doesn't know about the industry just isn't worth knowing)

I've penned some ideas for the magazine. I want 3-4 pages for news, if possible. One page for Union News, one or two for Stoke News and a full page news feature.

The good thing about freeing ourselves from the Union is that we have complete editorial freedom. I don't have to produce stupid pieces about changing the name of Mash to Cheeky (the friday night event at the LRV) or the Summer Ball. I can write about Date Rape, Drugs, Yob Culture. Hell I could write about the war in Iraq if the fancy took us! Issues Students care about.

I'm also suggesting some vague stuff for other sections too. Broadening the scope of the sports writing. Combining the Film, Theatre and Music sections into just 'Entertainment'. Increasing the number of feature/opinion articles, written by students about student issues, free to criticise the Union and it's policies.

GK is anything but intellectual and we are students damnit. We are supposed to be the countries intellectual elite! GK has a tendency to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

GK was frustrating last year because there was no chance to be expressive. We couldn't be too harsh and had to watch our language to make sure it was not too inflamatory. But that is the beauty of the alternative press!

The first issue will have too be getting costs worked out and finding sponsership. We're thinking about some bars in the city or something. The Union have to help out with basic costs, they cannot stop us printing, that would be illegal.

We're also going to be looking to our lecturers to help promote writing for us amoung the first years. Hopefully they can convince the freshers to boycott GK!

Must also discuss the basics like language style, interlectual level and ideology tomorrow. I am pretty sure none of this has crossed Sarah's mind and most of it will make no difference to the final product but we need to think about *all* aspects of this if we are really serious.

I bandied about the idea of an alternative publication with Liz and Sarah last year, focusing on us Reps and our degree. I like to think this is at least an evolution of all that.

I'm also thinking about marketing. I mean, if you ask the student body what the name of the student magazine is the general response will be "we have a student magazine?"

So posters, flyers and leaflets are the obvious answer. Maybe distribution off campus in the take aways or something? The shops students tend to frequent. Also the foyers of school buildings.

You can only get GK in the Union shops and Union offices so proliferation is going to be key as far as Spent is concerned.

I must admit, I'm kind of excited. We get to experience what it is like to be in on the ground floor of this sort of project.

Plus I gotta say it - it'll look GREAT on the CV's!

Well I still want to do some more vague brainstorming.

Ja Ne!