By Madeline Sidgwick, Senior News Editor, and Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis, Senior Lifestyle Editor
At risk of sounding like a broken record to those that have read our editors’ letters in the 24-25 issues of The Orbital, for the anniversary issue myself and Eve thought we would come together and do some reflecting. We hope to provide some inspiration for future editors and writers and provide the final push for anyone on the fence about joining The Orbital in any capacity.
How The Magazine Developed Us ?
Eve: Stepping into the role of Deputy EIC in 2024 was extremely daunting. In full transparency, when you end up getting a role that you have wanted for a long time, there is a lot of self doubt when you actually step into it. I knew that I wanted to replicate the legacy of our predecessors in the magazine, for it to be just as amazing and inspiring. However, I also wanted to leave a mark with my partner Maddy. Turning a passion and a craft into a practice can be something that is extremely personal to yourself, wanting it to be as perfect as it can be. Looking back now I understand that the feelings I was processing at the beginning of second year had been ‘imposter syndrome’. As the months passed, I became more confident in my position and I realised that the doubts I had at the beginning were simply in my own head. Perseverance is one of the main qualities that were strengthened whilst in this role; the fact is that you are not going to be the best at something the first time that you do it, but with perseverance you can grow your own passion and turn it into a practice. In taking a more visible role, whilst it can be scary and make you feel like your tummy is doing summersults, I learnt you have to “fake it until you make it”. You have to believe in yourself and believe that you can do whatever it is that you want to achieve, and that lesson is probably one of the hardest to get over.
Maddy: The Orbital allowed me to spend time with like minded people from the very first social I attended. From Packhorse socials to open mic nights, The Orbital allowed me to create a community for myself that wanted to talk about current affairs and rank Sally Rooney novels. I could not agree more with what Eve has written above about ‘fake it until you make it’. I am extremely type A, so I am not ashamed to admit that from the second I started writing for the paper I had my eye on the role of Editor-in-Chief and then when I left the position, on Senior News Editor. Both of these roles have meant the world to me, and at risk of this appearing as a cover letter for a job application, aided both my personal development and journalistic skills. Having determination, self-belief, and an enthusiastic attitude are all things that this magazine both advocates for and exhibits in every piece that is printed. I suppose that the magazine has taught me all of these things, and continues to throw new hurdles and joys at me with every piece I write. I hope that we have persuaded future writers and editors to keep going, because I firmly believe that The Orbital is where it all begins; whether that is a career in writing, journalism, or anything for that matter, I know that I will look back at my time at The Orbital as the core of my personal and journalistic growth.
Eve: Looking through the archive and then at ourselves:
One of the biggest perks of stepping into The Orbital Magazine was being able to look through the old physical copies in the archive (which, if you are reading this, you can access in the media suite with a membership). Now celebrating 40 years of having this magazine be present on campus is actually something that is so inspiring to myself and Maddy. Something that caught my attention were the old photos of the editorial board that had been left. Obviously your immediate thoughts go to ‘I wonder where they are now’, but after that I couldn’t help but notice that they were all male. Now 40 years on, the majority of the editorial board is actually female, there is a more female dominant presence in leadership and this proved how far we have come to achieving a more equal playing field in writing and publishing our work at Royal Holloway, reinforcing that we can make our voices heard. I can only imagine what the next 40 years of progression will bring for this university and the magazine in particular. This change also reminded me of the lineage of the university itself. We opened in 1886 and it was originally for women’s higher education; this was in a time where it was not as easy to access education for all women, and yet, in the present day, our campus is filled with young women ready to forge their own path in higher education and make their own careers.
Maddy: Top Tips for Aspiring Orbital Editors and Writers in the Future:
– Believe in your craft: press the submit button on that article or editorial application because we can ensure you that your words are valid and will add to the weight of the publication,
– Be innovative: look for something that no one else is writing about, something that only us at Royal Holloway have the pleasure to report or offer comment on,
– Ask questions: whether it is to your editor, friends, or someone you are desperate to get a quote from, ask the questions that are on your mind, start debate and discussion and who knows? It may just turn into a fully formed news piece!
Hopes for The Orbital 40 Years From Now
Maddy: “I hope to see The Orbital thriving for another 40 years. I hope that The Orbital 2066 team are maybe reading some of our words, and thinking how old and naive we were in the 2020s. I hope that we are still in print, and that a group of amazing individuals like the ones I have had the pleasure to work with are stressed about a print deadline or a typesetting issue (hopefully on a more advanced platform than adobe!)”
Eve:“I hope that a community of enthusiastic writers that have been present for the three years of my degree are still present for the future decades ahead. I hope that technology has not completely taken over and that this group still distributes a physical copy during the term times. But most of all I hope the passion for words in any genre is continued and displayed to see how important it is to share information, opinions and words of advice.”
Image: SU Election Night 2025 Credit: Royal Holloway Students’ Union