Discovering Taylorians, Unmasking One Story At A Time | By Charmaine Cheong
March 2020 marked the start for many of us who have since retreated to hiding behind closed doors and masks. For some, hiding behind a mask has both a physical and an emotional significance. It’s hard to feel like our true selves without our normal lives, and we can’t help but lose sight of ourselves and the people we call friends.
Fortunately, things are beginning to brighten up in our lives as the world is slowly whirring to life once again. To welcome the return of normalcy, our 2021 magazine issue will focus on reconnecting and unmasking some things we haven’t been able to keep up with in the last year and a half.
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| Illustration by Liau Kah Man, Tan Hui Xin, Shareini Kathiravan & Lucas. |
Our writing department has sat down (in their homes) and worked to give us a variety of entertaining pieces to look forward to, coupled with the artistic eyes of the visual specialists of the design and photography team. Here are teasers of some of the reads we have in store for you.
Article Teasers: What You Can Expect from Our Magazine
Jeffree Starr is a racist? Is David Dobrik really as problematic as we’re led to believe? How many lives has Shane Dawson ruined? Fans of those questions and the personalities who discuss them like Cody Ko, Keemstar and Philip Defranco should keep an eye out for an article written by Nur Farahin Zulkurnain, who will be spilling some tea on commentary YouTubers. Farahin dives into what makes these commentary channels tick in a world full of scandals, cancel culture and conspiracy theories.
Today, we can get all the information we want in the world through a simple click of our fingers. If it feels like all you see whenever you open your social media apps are crises and injustices, you’re not the only one. While it is normal to want to contribute and help those in need, it’s important that we are careful not to engage in performative activism, an issue that will be tackled in Zaynab Elhawat’s article.
This year’s magazine also focuses on something that affects us all: a phenomenon called languishing. Amidst the stagnancy of lockdowns, a creeping, molasses-like sensation has settled in the cogs of our brains, slowing the whir and making it hard for us to find \ the motivation needed to face each day. Look out for Bhagya Mahantesh’s article about languishing, a feeling that you and I will be able to relate to—especially during our months of lockdown. Once coined ‘the neglected middle child of mental health’, it’s now time to pay attention and understand this state of mind that might have a longer-lasting and larger effect than we realise.
Phew, that all seems quite heavy, doesn't it? Fret not! Our magazine has not forgotten to include fun and uplifting content! As the magazine for Taylorians, we’ve self care tips in store for those swamped in the mid-semester hustle, delicious and easy recipes for those away from home and not to forget, future-award-winning artwork and photographs submitted by our talented members in Etc..
Working on the Magazine: What The Teams Have To Say
Thanks to the hard work of multiple departments of Etc., we can proudly present to you the compilation of articles, art and photography that you will see in this year’s magazine. While the end product is something you wouldn’t want to miss, working on creating a physical magazine without being able to meet face-to-face has created some bumps along the road for the team, and here is what our Department Directors have to say:
Executive Editor - Tiffany Chan
“Editing the content for a magazine was more tiring than I thought it would be. I've edited articles for our website, but for a physical magazine, where people are paying money for this issue - I felt pressured to make sure each piece was worth the reader's time.
That being said, my experience wasn't all stressful. Some writers surprised me because their works were so good. Working on this magazine made me stop and rethink my editing practices. I had to ask questions like "Is this change I'm suggesting really necessary?" and "How do I make this piece better, but not sound like my voice? The story chain "To Get Away with Murder” was... a flop. The initial idea was fun, but it didn't turn out as Naomi and I expected. But I'm grateful that we managed to sit down together and edit the story. And the end product is... let's just say I'm really proud of it, and you should definitely read it.”
Associate Editor - Naomi Khoo
“Some fun has inevitably been stolen with the whole magazine production being moved online, but one thing’s for sure—our writers’ creative juices have been flowing. Grateful for Tiff and google docs not sponsored HAHA for easing the editing process of all the FANTASTIC pieces!”
Photography Director - Liau Kah Man
“Leading the photography production team for our annual magazine fully online is definitely a new experience for us as interactions and hands-on guidance are limited. However, with the great cooperation by our members, I am glad that we found a way through this and completed our task in flying colours!”
Design Director - Adlan Shafi
“It's my second year to be involved in Etc. magazine project and both were conducted remotely, so I don't really know the differences with working physically. By utilising a lot of tools, we were able to maintain communication which otherwise would be the main challenge. I felt that everyone was committed and played their role well. Personally, I think most of us faced the challenge to juggle between our assignments and the magazine tasks. But each of us worked in pairs, so I believe it helped lighten our burden.”
Design Associate - Daryln Sia
“For me, I definitely think that the pandemic imposed certain challenges for our team. For one, I can imagine EXCO/BOD meetings being much livelier if they were held physically. Integrating our members into a club without any meetups was also a problem we encountered. But, nonetheless, it was still a learning experience we all grew from in the end :))”
We Present To You This Year’s Magazine!
Having worked through hybrid classes and multiple lockdowns, we’re glad that we can all, once again, prepare to return to living life outdoors and on the go. In celebration of being back on campus and having face-to-face classes, do purchase this year’s magazine when it’s released to catch up on other Taylorians and anything you might have missed! We would love to have you join us in welcoming our annual magazine—‘Unmasked’, during our magazine launch on 22 October. The invite and registration form will be sent out soon so be sure to follow @etctaylors on Instagram for updates (and generally, for awesome content that’ll make your feed so much more interesting!).
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| Illustration by Liau Kah Man, Tan Hui Xin, Shareini Kathiravan & Lucas. |
PS: Keep an eye out for our Etc. merchandise drop! We’ve got something for everybody and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
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