Last March, when Clara ‘The Boss’ Roche was elected as Editor of The University Times, I was at home snuggled into my cosy sheets and thought, “I can finally return to Radius”. I had previously served a brief stint as Deputy Literature Editor. Before this, I had never written an article before in my life, swearing off ever getting involved in the politics of student journalism. Still, I was secretly scared I would never be good enough to produce a publishable piece of writing. I immediately fell in love with manifesting my thoughts onto a page, even if it was a Google doc; my thoughts were good enough just as they were. Fast forward, and I am sitting on a Zoom call being interviewed for the position of Radius Editor, the task being a daunting mammoth of work; I was up for it, but on one condition: I do it alongside Barrett.
Barrett Ellis, my American comrade and partial submarine enthusiast, was my superior last year, serving as Literature Editor. We both jumped straight in blind; neither of us had written anything before, but we learnt so much from each other. I texted him with a proposition, I think it went something along the lines of “If I apply for Radius Editor, will you?” and the big American he is probably said, “Sounds awesome, man, let’s do it!”. Don’t be fooled; he still edits my articles, as I sometimes have questionable sentence structures, and I remind him we have meetings on Tuesday at 3 p.m. We have navigated the big bad world of Radius through two semesters. As it is all coming to an end, like both of our times here at Trinity, it felt fitting to look back on the fantastic issues we have managed to get out this year, and to spotlight the incredible efforts of our lovely staff.
Barrett and I are a dynamic duo, but our synergy was missing a key component: our lovely Assistant, Maisie Greener. Let me tell you something about Maisie. Her commitment to the cause is so admirable, attending each meeting all the way from Bologna. She never stopped producing articles for both Radius and Magazine. Whenever I sent her a message the night before asking her to write the Observations because I probably forgot, it was done when I woke up. Stop reading this article right now and skip to one of her articles – they never disappoint. Maisie, you are a shining star, dear, I hope to be lucky enough to meet you in person rather than through a screen. So Barrett, Maisie and I rebuilt Radius from the ashes. I’m
Now the two things I don’t think anyone knows are what Radius is and how many goddamn writers we have! Firstly, it is concerning that you are reading this article and need to understand what Radius is, but let me answer you: Radius is The University Times Dubin-based lifestyle and culture supplement. I am glad now we are all on the same page, page one to be exact. So, next year, when you send a pitch to the Radius email, please make sure it is Dublin-based because I can already hear the weeps of the future Editor having to remind every single one of you. As someone who is weirdly attracted to anything Dublin-centred, such as books, TV shows, movies, you name it, this job was right up my alley. This is the case for the eight sections of the editors we have, which answers your second question. Although the supplement fits perfectly within the pretty pages of the broadsheet, it is jam-packed with so much content from our editors who work day in and out to get articles out. Do you know how hard it is to get nearly 20 people in a room? It is not as easy as you think, I will tell you, but we did it, and I am proud of each and every one of you. For most of them, it was their first time in student journalism. To all of them – I hope each of you continues to pursue your writing in the future and that you have taken something away from your time here, even if it is an old issue which will sit in the bottom drawer of your parents’ kitchen.
Our team has produced an accumulation of excellent articles on fashion, art, theatre, food and drink, literature, music, societies, as well as film and TV. Now, I am not picking favourites, but I am. Let’s recount my top picks from each issue. The first issue was in September – I remember being so overwhelmed that I could only imagine what the higher-ups felt like. I have two honourable mentions from this issue: Sadie Loughman’s article on Dublin’s jazz scene immediately jumps to mind. Our Music Editor touches on the importance of keeping jazz within the streets of Dublin alight while retaining its complex history. It is such a compelling read, and she blew me away with her writing style, a phenomenon which has happened in basically every issue since. Another mention is Clara Potts, our Fashion Editor, whose investigation on how to upstyle your college wardrobe fits so perfectly with the issue’s theme of returning to campus, nicely stressing the importance of keeping a sustainable wardrobe.
We continued into October, and our Art Editor, Elly Christopher, took the crown with her article on the Sarah Purser exhibition at the National Gallery. Such an interesting take on the impact of portraits and the reflections of the artist’s past within her work. By November, time was flying by so quickly with our third issue. Mr. Ellis, I applaud you: his interview with Blindboy was hands-down one of the highlights of Radius this year. Side note: he wrote this on the train to Belfast the weekend of print so that it would be done in time. Our Food and Drink Editor, Ella Parry, wrote a heartwarming article on German Christmas cookies, including a nifty recipe to recreate them at home. In it, she also explores the home comforts you crave while living abroad during the holiday season. I also loved our gift guide a lot, which replaced the usual guide to events in your radius.
January came around, and there was not much gas left in the tank, but we continued. Laura O’Callaghan joined the circus, stepping into the shoes of the Theatre Editor, and smashed it. Her piece exploring adaptation in the theatre was such a good read. She incorporated different stage adaptations in Dublin’s theatre scene, bringing fresh insight to the section. Another notable piece in the societies section was when Eloria Abramson spoke with the curators of the Zora Zine, highlighting DUGES’ new publication. As we drew into the season of love, the literature section did a smashing job in February. Both Sarah Browne and Molly Wetsch dove straight in to review and dissect the new releases in the Dublin literary scene.
These are only a tiny sample of the amazingly curated articles that have been produced by the Radius staff this year. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you. It has been such a pleasure to read your work this past year. You are all capable of things beyond measure – keep being extraordinary.
As we move back to the present, I am writing this article on my laptop from the couch in my family home. With only one week left at Trinity, I’ve submitted my dissertation, and the end is drawing impossibly close. This final week brings mixed emotions: sadness, relief, apprehension and excitement. I want to thank Clara for giving me this job and believing in me. I hope I made you proud in some capacity, I could never have asked for a better leader and friend. To Sáoirse, Alex, Phoebe, Barrett and Maisie, I admire each and every one of you so much: I read your articles and wonder if I’ll ever be able to produce something that good in my life. Most importantly, you are all such kindhearted and ambitious people, thank you for everything. Lastly, to you, dear reader, thank you for coming on the craziest, most rewarding journey I have ever accomplished. I hope you have enjoyed reading Radius this year. To next year’s editor, enjoy every moment because one day, you’re sitting on Zoom being interviewed for the role, then you blink, and it is all over. Savour the moments because they are something you will never forget.
As the ink dries on this paper, a chapter closes. Until the next volume of our literary journey my friend.
Ella
