The academic year is coming to an end, which means that it will soon be time for The Stag’s AGM. The committee has put together some information on their roles and why you should apply for them - have a read below, and if you are interested in running for one or more of the roles, please submit your interest using this form. We will see you at 18:00 on Wednesday 24 April for the AGM!
You can join our AGM, here. Get in contact with us on our socials or via email if you have any issues!
President
Hello this is Luka, the Editor in Chief and President of this lovely society! I have been with the Stag for roughly 4 years now, starting as a writer and quickly getting more involved as Treasurer and President. It has been really rewarding working with all these wonderful people to make the absolute best of this student magazine, and I have learned so much: starting out with no experience whatsoever to running the publication.
I definitely recommend getting involved and getting the most out of this society as it opens the door to so many opportunities. Though being the President seems daunting, in truth you are all working together to run the magazine, so need to worry.
All signatories share the responsibilities of:
- Being the responsible point of contact and liaising with the Union;
- Completing the administrative work at the beginning of the year;
- Approving any requests;
- Making the most of the time in charge of the society, while staying in budget.
For president specifically:
- Oversee all the projects and other ongoing projects;
- Approving new projects, delegating workloads (while keeping it manageable), helping out where needed.;
- Networking with other societies for collaborations;
- Keeping up the moral and the spirits up in the team;
- Listening and taking feedback on board to improve the society;
- Providing the space for members to flourish and supporting their growth.
All these responsibilities, skills and proficiencies have come in really well for job interviews so I highly recommend giving it a try! Let’s keep this award-winning publication with sixty years of history going!
Vice President
Hi, this is Rosie, the current Vice President and Deputy Editor. I’ve been involved with The Stag for the whole time I’ve been at Surrey, and am graduating this year having been a writer, Culture Editor and VP. I’m so proud of the work that we have done together and the wonderful writing that I’ve seen published in our print issues and on our website. It’s so important that we find the next committee at our AGM and continue our sixty-year-old legacy as Surrey’s independent student magazine.
Along with the President and Treasurer roles, the VP makes up the signatory team. At the AGM these three roles must be filled for the society to remain active. This might sound daunting, but let me take you through our responsibilities!
As a group our key responsibilities are to:
- Publish articles to the website;
- Monitor the email inbox;
- Motivate the Editors;
- Liaise with the Union
These responsibilities are honestly easier than you might expect! I was always afraid of the grandness of a signatory title, but it’s truly not so much of a time commitment as you expect. With a team of Editors around you doing their part, your role is as a shepherd to the rest of the group. Just be yourself; friendly and welcoming to new members, offer information and advice to people and be available.
While certain section editing roles may be quieter due to the lower engagement for certain topics, the signatory role is an opportunity for someone who wants to be more regularly dedicated to the society. This can be with as high or low time commitment as you choose! It’s a truly rewarding experience to feel you had a part to play in the magazine, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
You don’t need prior editing experience to run for this role, you just need to be open to learning! As an outgoing committee, we’ll be able to give you advice, information and the all-important passwords to the socials! If you have any questions about any role listed, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at ussu.thestag@surrey.ac.uk.
Good luck!
Treasurer
Hi everyone, this is Jodie, The Stag’s current Treasurer! I have been in the Stag Committee for almost two years now and have had a wonderful time contributing towards the running of this society, but sadly I have to say goodbye since I am graduating this year.
As one of the three signatories, the role of the treasurer requires the maintenance of the society budget, reviewing and approving expenditure requests and the identification of further fundraising initiatives to help raise money for the society. As well as this, you will work hand-in-hand with the other signatories to attend Union meetings, such as the society standings, and monitor the email inbox.
Of course, there are also a number of different activities the role encompasses, including the opportunity to man our society stalls at Open Days and Freshers Fairs, a great opportunity for networking with other societies and current/prospective students!
If you want to be our Treasurer but are worried since you have no prior experience in this area, do not worry! I had no prior experience but the role is relatively easy to pick up. Nonetheless, if you have any questions please shoot over an email to jt01096@surrey.ac.uk and I’ll be happy to help! :)
Head of Marketing
Heya, this is Ivy, your current Head of Marketing. I really enjoyed being a part of The Stag team and handling the marketing and promo, and I hope that whoever becomes the next Head of Marketing will have as much fun as I did!
I'd say the role is perfect for someone who is interested in marketing and social media, and who likes creating visuals. Most of the work revolves around creating social media content with Adobe Express to promote our articles and events on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. But don't worry, you don't have to be an expert in those to get the role, we can show you the basics and you can go from there - once you get the hang of it, it's super easy and it doesn't take a lot of time, either! The best part about it is that you have control over everything you produce, you can really make the accounts your own and showcase your creativity!
If you have any questions about the role, feel free to drop me an email at ii00131@surrey.ac.uk, or DM me on Instagram @xoivyox :)
Head of Design
Hi, this is Jodie, The Head of Design for the Stag Magazine for the academic year 22/23. This is an exciting role which will involve the conceptualization, design, and execution of Issue 103! This is the printed edition of our magazine which, once printed, will be distributed around campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors to read.
In my opinion, this role is extremely rewarding, since it results in the physical production of a magazine, designed by yourself, for you, and many others, to read. As well as this, no previous design requirements are required - and the platform you use to design is up to you, as long as it meets a few requirements (I personally recommend Canva ;)!)
Overall, this role is extremely fun and is easy to fit around other responsibilities. I designed Issue 101 whilst I was on placement working 9 - 5 and I didn’t feel stretched for time at all. In fact, if you’re into designing like me, it may actually turn into a hobby! The role also looks great on your CV if you look to go into publishing, graphic design, content creation, marketing, or even freelance.
If you have any questions regarding the role, feel free to drop me an email at jt01096@surrey.ac.uk and I’ll be happy to help :)
Culture editor
Hey, this is Nour, I’ve been the Culture Editor at The Stag for the past two academic years now and it’s been such a rewarding role for me. It can be like that for you too. Culture includes anything from music, books, fashion, food, travel, film, TV, and theatre to review articles, cultural discussions and many more! There’s a lot to get involved in with this role and no article is the same as the one before it.
I think this role is quite important as culture is all around us; we practice it every day when we read our favourite books and talk about them with friends, for example. Culture is what builds our social networks and cultural lives. It can be equally gratifying when you supervise an article that talks about an important issue or the latest film in cinemas. So not only do you get to read different perspectives on cultural objects but you also get to give them a voice and contribute to our small cultural sphere.
The role mainly entails editing articles that come your way; so that means not only checking them for grammar and structure but also making sure the writer’s voice comes through well! You will also speak to people about their ideas for articles and seeing if they need help writing them up, as well as basically being an active member of The Stag committee, like any other society!
This role is important for many reasons and it can be very rewarding to handle the Culture section at The Stag. I hope you consider taking it over and if you ever need any help or advice on the role, feel free to email me at nm01124@surrey.ac.uk.
Features editor
Hey there! I’m Nikita, the Features Editor for this past year. Although it may be a section which doesn’t have a direct subject area, this is what makes it so important! Being a broad section dedicated to various topics, whether it be currently trending topics (such as AI), creative and critical pieces specifically for LGBTQ+ History Month for example, or to highlight something specific about student life, being Features Editor is truly rewarding. Having dealt with lighter and more serious topics, being able to ensure the best tone is produced on top of proofreading spelling, punctuation and grammar is one of the main responsibilities. Being able to communicate with the writer to offer suggestions and come to a consensus is one of the main things I’ve enjoyed in this role (and trust me, you don’t need to be an extrovert)!
Any questions please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at nb00978@surrey.ac.uk :)
Sustainability editor
Hi everyone, I’m Matt, the current Sustainability Editor. As we all know, sustainability is hugely important in modern life. As university students, we all have the power to push for change in our university and local community and one great way to do this is to write for the Sustainability section! Over this year I have learned a lot about sustainability and even more about writing. Before I joined The Stag, I had no previous experience in writing, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t know how to write articles. If you are at all interested in the environment or social issues, definitely consider going for this role!
-M
Creative writing editor
Hello! This is Nell, I’m creative writing editor for The Stag. As CWE, your role is to look through any creative writing submissions that come our way and just correct spelling, punctuation, grammarr, layout or to orchestrate any other small changes with the piece. It’s one of the most interesting sections to edit for as you look at so many different things from a wide variety of students, I’ve read so many great pieces this year as CWE. It’s a small section so if you want to branch out or help in other sections, there’s always a possibility! xx
Science & Tech editor
As Science and Tech editor, your role is to encourage people to write articles on this topic and edit any pieces that discuss science or technology. It’s an interesting section because there is room for different types of articles and approaches, and you get to learn about new scientific discoveries or technological innovations. I definitely recommend becoming editor for this session if you’re interested in reading about science and technology, or if you are taking a science degree you can also contribute your own articles to the session.
News & Politics editor
Hi I'm Tomi Ogunlewe, the current editor for this section. Your role is to edit any articles that have to do with politics or the latest news. This is a relatively calm role, since we accept as few or as many articles on politics as you pitch; when there’s a lot in the news, there’s a lot in the section! It will be helpful if you can encourage people to write for this section or write some articles yourself on the issues that you are passionate about. As this is a smaller section, when you take on this role you’ll have opportunities to support the other sections by editing pieces for them, as well as helping with general tasks for the society.