After a fantastic year, the time has come for me to resign from my role as General Editor at The Bubble. I’ve agonized for quite some time deciding how to write my final editor’s note, but ultimately it all comes back to what makes the Bubble such a special publication to be a part of- its writers. It’s given me such joy over the past year to have promoted and celebrated the talent and dedication of our team of contributors and editors. Ultimately, this is a platform for students to discuss and engage with the university, its community and the wider world. Its very essence is in its articles. As such, my final editor’s note presents my top five editor’s picks of the year, alongside our regular weekly selection.
My Editor’s Picks for the past year
As a former ‘Sex and Love’ editor, I was thrilled to see current editors Eliza and Fiona launch a blind date series- which never failed to amuse me. In particular, Joe and Celia’s blind date, including drunken escapades at Whisky River, really made me chuckle.
The travel section has really impressed me this year, with editors using their own experiences to help locate their section in highly personal and thoughtful accounts of their travels. In particular, I really enjoyed James’ open and nuanced discussion of slum tourism.
As a self-confessed lover of all personality style quizzes, Autumn Foord’s ‘Durham Colleges according to your personality type’ stood out to me this year as a clever and witty way of engaging with Durham students. I was also amused that my personality type lines up with my own college- Cuth’s.
Lauren Woodhead’s ‘How exercise is helping my recovery‘ is a real standout article for me because of her bravery in discussing her own experiences with eating disorders and the way in which sport can play both a positive and negative role in recovery.
We’ve all seen the ancestry adverts on TV and wondered what secrets our genes could be holding. Charlotte Hartley’s ‘On genes, ancestry, and why we’re all descended from royalty‘ fascinated me in exposing the science behind such companies and how they operate. I’m no scientist, and it’s refreshing to be able to read about it in terms which I can understand and engage with.
This week’s Editor’s Picks
Katherine Russell – Beyond Food and the rise of Poverty
Katherine discusses the vital role of the SCA’s Beyond Food scheme in forming a link between the university and the local food banks.
Ed Gardner – Life on Mars? New Evidence Might Suggest So
New evidence through research into methane levels suggests that life on Mars may indeed be possible.
Nancy McGrady – Review: Aaron
Featuring ‘fantastic feats of acting’, our drama section reviews Wrong Tree Theatre’s ‘Aaron’.
James Murphy – A Poem About a Break-Up
Experimenting with a new rhyme structure, James Murphy’s heartbreaking poem on breakups is well worth a read.
Shauna Lewis – Review: The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee
Drama editor Shauna Lewis reviews Francesca Davies-Cáceres’ production of the Broadway musical, which looks at the ‘perceptions and realities of childhood, the pressures of academia and erections in unfortunate situations.’
In the coming year, I look forward to taking on a more active role as an editor for the Student Life section- as such, my time at The Bubble is nowhere near over. However, as my time as general editor comes to a close, I can only thank the incredible people I’ve had the pleasure of working with for such a rewarding year.
Best wishes,
