By Millie Glaister, BA Politics and International Relations
In setting out to write this article, and reflect on the Spirit as a society, I went back and looked through as many of the old issues as I could find. While the Spirit has maintained a presence on campus since 1936, the digital collections only hark back to 2010 (though this still seems a world away).
There have been many significant changes over the Spirit’s tenure: the design of the paper, the structure of the society; at times it was published in a magazine format – there was even an insert, The Global Spirit, for a while. Despite all these changes, the core values of the Spirit have remained consistent, and I see them reflected in the work we are doing today.
I have the privilege of serving as the Executive Digital Editor of the Spirit this year; a new role focusing on the online presence of the paper which brings with it so much opportunity for growth. Having spent the past few months thinking extensively about the future of the Spirit, this article has given me an opportunity to look back and draw inspiration from our predecessors in print. I have chosen three quotes from previous Letters from the Editor, which I find to encompass the ethos of our society, and what I hope to build on for our future:
Jon Pillay, December 2012: “The one thing that will never change about the Spirit is the fact that this is your paper, a paper produced by you, but also a paper produced for you.”
Ali Mitib, October 2017: “We aim to hold those in positions of power accountable and produce content which students will find informative, thought provoking and entertaining.”
Malia Shoaib, November 2020: [on the decolonisation of knowledge] “a theme that the Spirit engages with heavily by transferring the power of knowledge dissemination to students whose voices may otherwise be underrepresented. One of our key values is inclusivity; we want to provide a platform for you to express your views and gain valuable experience, with the hopes of closing the BAME gap in the media industry in the future.”
“consider getting in touch with any member of our team; there is a place for everyone at the Spirit”
Having been invigorated by the rich history of student journalism at SOAS, and brimming with ideas for future endeavours, I feel assured of my belief in what we are doing. The most important thing for me is creating an accessible point of information for everyone in our community; especially one that is not tied to the institution or limited in what we can share with our readers. Truly, this retrospection has affirmed that the Spirit is nothing without each and every person in our community, and that together we are able to create a space where people can feel represented and connected to the people around them. My biggest takeaway from this process is that the Spirit grows stronger as it expands, and it can only expand with your help. So, consider getting in touch with any member of our team; there is a place for everyone at the Spirit.
Photo Caption: The front page of the Spirit, December 2012 (credit: SOAS Digital Collections).