By Stephen Klimis and Yenee Saw, Your Online Platforms Directors.

We haven’t written to you guys in a while and a lot of thrilling and inspiring things have happened since (june exams, dog walks, acai bowls, AWARDS, AWARD WINNING, ALSA, #winnerz).

As part of our preparation for an exciting and engaging semester, Yenee and I felt it fitting to provide you with an insider-esque post. Ultimately, we need to convince you to write for us and I mean, let’s be real, we also love talking about ourselves.

A White Walker presses its finger up against your skin. Everything freezes over. This would be your birthing ceremony if you were a member of Cabinet or the Executive.

LawSoc is an Underworld filled with wrathful deities (Co-Presidents), vampires (Vice Presidents), and their minions (The Executive). Kidding. A little. Not really. Regardless, to many law students the ongoings of LawSoc are unseen and unknown. What happens behind the scenes? Do the Executive source their power from a hell mouth that they worship every Monday and Thursday morning? The short answer is yes. But, Tuesday/Friday Law students don’t get this privilege.

While we can’t provide you with details about other positions (something you should definitely look into considering the imminent opening of Executive applications), we can certainly provide you with information about our positions. Yenee and I hope that by sharing a part of ourselves we will encourage you to contribute to the Blog.

Why do you guys spam the UNSW Law Society Discussion Group with calls for contributors all the time?

The UNSW Law Blog was set up because we want to provide all Law students with a platform to express themselves. It’s a great tool for procrastination (if you plan to write) and a great tool to see what your fellow students are going through (if you plan to stalk). The blog is broad and because your post can be frivolous fluff or hard-hitting, substantial stuff, we encourage all students to submit something and get their thoughts out there.

How do you guys decide what goes/doesn’t go on the blog?

We don’t believe in censorship – we’re here to help broadcast student voices, not to stifle them! So as long as the content is relevant to Law School and it passes our editing (cleansing) process, it goes up. One student ranted against the special consideration procedure at UNSW and was worried that we wouldn’t accept it. We’re here to tell you that we apply a broad discretion because we want you to express what’s on your mind. So as long as you don’t bang on about something like what you had for breakfast or what you ate for lunch, don’t hesitate to submit!

What do you like most about being the Online Platform Directors?

It’s really great to be in touch with an entire society. Starting off, we didn’t think the Blog would have such a huge turnout. We realised that no matter how passionate and hardworking we were, our success would depend not only on people contributing but also on readers enjoying what they read. AND CLEARLY YOU GUYS DID BECAUSE WE ROCKED #ALSA2015 (#winnerz). It genuinely feels great to have people come up to us and tell us they enjoy the funny, informative, touching, inspiring and sassy blogposts. I mean, how did Law students survive before the advent of the UNSW Law Blog? It has everything: career tips, hilarious memes for mooting, extracurricular life advice, and advice on how to #PickUp during class.

I want to get more involved in the Law Society Blog. How can I?

SIMPLE. Firstly, you should definitely do so. Secondly, all you have to do is write a piece that somehow relates to Law School/Law Student life and send us an email. We’ll have a look at it, send over some suggestions (if it needs them), publish it, and then tell the entire Discussions Forum how great it is.

Describe your roles/duties as an Online Platforms Director.

As an Online Platforms Director our main duty includes sacrificing non-Law Students. Kidding (not really though). Yenee and I perform a lot of tasks which support our position as a gateway for all of you lovely writers and blog enthusiasts to get your work out there. A lot of these tasks are administrative, including; editing, writing calls for contributors, posting blogs on the website and responding to emails from students and firm representatives. We do a lot of other things but this is all we can really tell you (without having to trick you into believing your uncle has been found after being missing for four and a half years and then fatally wounding you).

#ForTheWatch #EtTuBrute

How does your position intersect with other Law Society portfolios?

Everyone knows that the Administration Portfolio is the royal family of the Westeros-esque world. All other portfolios are just filled with rebels too afraid to admit that we have ultimate power (more in debt than modern Greece). So far, we have mostly been working independent from other portfolios. However, in the upcoming semester we’re definitely looking to intersect with other portfolios (e.g. Education) to put out engaging and informative articles relating to wellbeing and mental health.

What made you interested in becoming an Online Platforms Director?

Stephen

I’ve always had a real passion for all things writing and editing. Ever since I began studying at UNSW, I knew I wanted to be put into some sort of creative or administrative role. It sounds clichéd, but I genuinely enjoy the idea of making people happy in such a profound and inspired way. It has been a real pleasure to be in touch with the entire Society (I get feels watching people get feels), and as such it is something I definitely want to continue playing a part in.

Yenee
Personally, I love submitting my writing to blogs/publications to broadcast my thoughts. My thoughts are in demand and as a result, I have an excess of pennies in my piggy bank. (Geddit? “Penny for your thoughts?” Yeah, this is why I have no friends, haha). In all seriousness though, I’ve been really grateful for blogs and online mediums for showcasing my writing to others and I was overjoyed at the idea of being on the other side: helping others get their writing and thoughts out there is something I am passionate about.

Who is your role model (you can’t say yourself)?

Stephen

I’ve always had a fascination with Agrippina the Younger. Speaking broadly, she had characteristics that I believe are necessary in leaders and more generally in people that seek to create change. She was a woman in a largely male dominated political arena, yet she had the charisma, the intelligence and the cunning to change the very world before her. Perseverance and the aptitude for self preservation in a world which has the sole purpose to exclude and undermine you is truly admirable.

Yenee

My role model would have to be the plastic bag from the movie American Beauty because it reminds me to always retain a childlike curiosity about the world and to see the beauty in the unexpected.

By Stephen Klimis and Yenee Saw

#LongMayTheyReign