Meet the Unpublished Team 25/26!!!
- unpublished
- Sep 22
- 7 min read
As we start the new year, the Unpublished team felt it imperative that we introduce you to, in our most humble opinion, some of the most important people in the school: ourselves. You’ll be hearing quite a lot from us throughout your godolphin life (sorry not sorry), so here’s our formal introduction. And yes, some of the questions have been borrowed from the weekly splash shout out section - we like to feel special!
So without further ado - Meet the Unpublished Team
Editor in Chief: Raphaela Rafter
Deputy Editor: Serena Butterworth
Writers:
Zeynep Tarman
AJ Pearson
Illioni Bougani-Pournara
Alice Perone Pacifico
Apologies in advance, AJ and Alice have very similar initials.. AP and APP..
Starting nice and easy: what inspired you to join Unpublished?
RR: From the very beginning of my time at Godolphin, I fell in love with the way Unpublished made people feel. There was absolutely nothing better than having twelve overly enthusiastic Year 7s huddled around one iPad, all eager to read the new article, laughing and sharing opinions on whatever random topic Unpublished had managed to make us invested in.
SB: For the plot! When I applied I had no expectations but thought it would be fun.
AP: I was inspired mainly by how the articles always seemed to make people laugh during lessons (just to clarify - we do not in any way condone reading our articles during lessons. Unless it’s geography because, on a real one, it might help keep you awake..), and knew I had to be a part of that. I do consider myself quite a funny person, so joining unpublished was like a stamp of approval lol.
ZT: I always loved reading the magazine in the lower years, and combining my love for sarcasm with journalism seemed like a natural fit! I actually submitted an article to unpublished back in 2020, when I was still an overly ambitious year 7, and before the magazine’s rebrand to the comedic trove it’s known for today. There is no way the title is being revealed (not sure if it’s still up on the site), but I think it’s safe to call myself an og, and being a writer for the team is a really fun full circle moment!
(Hope you know Zeynep - I will be searching for this Y7 article)
APP: Who wouldn’t want to join Unpublished?!? Interviewing students and teachers. Using articles to express your deepest darkest regrets on school life. Judging people based on random characteristics. My cup of tea!
If you became a teacher, what school department would you want to teach in?
RR: As someone who’s taking English Lit, Spanish and Drama for A Level, there is no universe in which I wouldn’t pick one of those three! So, from a sheerly selfish enjoyment perspective, I would have to pick Drama because watching Year 8s roll around on the floor and call it ‘art’ would definitely be enough to convince me.
SB: My favourite subject is Politics but not sure I'd enjoy marking all those essays (That’s so real, a moment of appreciation for all those humanities teachers struggling to decipher the handwriting of hundreds of girls.) Those who know me will know I loved food tech back in the day. So maybe that! (If you do, can you bake me some daily cookies xoxo)
AP: Classics or English probably. Just the EPQ office in general if that counts as a department because I’m sure they have some very interesting Classiv x English crossover conversations that I would love to hear.
ZT: I would love to say the art department, but I honestly have no idea how they deal with the stress of nobody meeting sketchbook deadlines - it’s bad enough as a student, but at least I have some level of control over my own procrastination. Instead, I would probably say the Spanish department, for the language week mocktails, or maybe the geography department, for the trips.
IBP: Probs drama and just play hua or splat every day. Plus watching everyone attempt to improvise would actually be hilarious.
APP: I fear this isn’t very unique amongst the Unpublished writers, but definitely English! I do very much pride myself on my loquacity and frequent use of rather pretentious words.
What’s your go-to excuse for being late to a lesson?
RR: Being the uptight people pleaser that I am, I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I’m hardly ever late to lessons.. Although, the most common reason for me being late, especially when I was in the lower school, was because my music lessons overran - so I’d have to go with that.
SB: Unfortunately my excuse is true: “I had to go from the common room to the MG building”. It’s a real trek, and somehow my timetable is 90% in the MG building. Not for the weak.
AP: ‘I was filling up my waterbottle’. I used to lug a comically large Stanley around so it was very believable, and more often than not was the truth tbh..
ZT: Getting water - but this is normally genuine as I don’t think I’ve gone longer than a month without losing a water bottle for my entire history at Godolphin. I can more often than not be found at the lunch hall water fountain between periods, much to the annoyance of the people I drag along with me on the way to lessons.
APP: Unfortunately, the piccadilly line seems to always have delays just when I’m trying to get to school?! As I keep trying to stress to my form tutors, my walking in to form time (a very rare occasion in itself as I usually opt to head straight to p1 - guys im so so cooked with the new form room at 8.30 registration system) with a starbucks in my hand is a mere coincidence, not a reason for my being late. (but, let's be real, how am I supposed to get through 8h of school without my iced brown sugar oat shaken espresso?).
Which year group would you say is objectively the most feral?
RR: Year 9. There is literally no doubt in my mind about this. At that point, you feel like you’re not at the complete bottom of the school and have a sense of superiority over the Year 7s and 8s, but you haven’t matured enough (no offence) to mellow out like the older years have. This results in behaviour that the younger years are too scared to carry out and the older years have too little energy to deal with. Sorry, Year 9, I’m only saying this because I, too, was once one of you!
SB: Year 8. I will not be expanding.
AP: Y8’s. They have probably already started thinking they are better than our new y7’s so it's only downhill from here..
ZT: Honestly it changes depending on the time of year - probably year 8 in the autumn term before they are humbled by later lunch times. Year 7 in the spring term, when they learn their way around the school and decide that running is much more convenient than walking. And year 10 in the summer term, when faced with their first ever set of mocks.
IBP: Year 7. Most feral by far with their suitcase backpacks always banging into everyone and everything in the corridors or on the stairs.
APP: Year 8. Definitely. Sorry for the incoming rant, but someone please explain to me why y8s think they’re so old and mature just because they’re no longer the youngest year group? Okay here’s one of my biggest pet peeves; y8’s hogging the library on exam week and wailing about how much work they have. Spoiler alert: wait until y10 - then you’ll really have something to cry about. Can we just also note the increasing levels of confidence amongst y8s?? When I was in y8, I wouldn’t dare even breathe too loudly next to someone older than me, but now, there have been repeated occasions on which y8s have physically shoved me down the stairs in an effort to get to lunch. Like I get it: you miss early lunch, who doesn’t? But please, chill out man!
So overall, sorry (but literally not sorry at all because this is 10000% warranted) Y8, you have officially been voted the most feral year group. Y7 and 9 coming in close second..
And clearly no one’s hating on the y11s and 6th form - #supremeyeargroups (or perhaps we’re just too overworked and stressed to bother anyone).
If you were a teacher for one day, what’s the first rule you’d make?
RR: Ok so I’m pretty sure this is more of a governmental issue than a teacher one but I’d make school days have a later start time. Realistically, nobody is currently getting enough sleep and people would probably go to bed at the same time whether school started at 8:25 or 9:25 so I say finishing school an hour later is worth the extra hour of rest everyone would get.
SB: Those who have read our previous articles will know I have a particular hatred for people walking 5 in a row in the corridors. So basically, I would ban that!
AP: My first rule would probably be that a window always has to be open. There is nothing worse than walking into a p5 lesson half asleep and your classroom is like a humid incubator, so definitely needing a breeze to combat that.
ZT: I’d call a five minute break mid lesson for the NYT sudoku. Completely unbiased.
APP: WHO DECIDED WE CAN’T HAVE A NAP IN PS?!?
What piece of advice would you give to younger years?
RR: It’s never as serious as you think it is. People used to give me this same piece of advice all the time when I was younger and I never listened to them so despite the fact that I’m pretty sure nobody reading this will listen either, it really is the most valuable thing I’ve learnt. If it won’t matter in five years, then it’s definitely not worth the time and energy you’ve spent upset about it now and, even if you think it will, you’re gonna be fine no matter what happens. Seriously.
SB: Don’t be afraid to try new things. Until about y11 I did barely anything, but when I decided to step out of my comfort zone I found many things I love to this day.
AP: My advice for younger years, pretty basic, but appreciate the moment you’re in rn. It all passes quicker than expected so really enjoy it because you really won't get this feeling anywhere else!
ZT: As annoying as it sounds, end of years are genuinely no reason to stress. Please don’t spend ages making notes you won’t need in six months time.
APP: Take it all in. Not to repeat what Dr Ramsey says in pretty much every start of year assembly - but really do take advantage of all the opportunities offered by godolphin; whether that's clubs, leadership activities, lessons etc..
And with that, a fair share of life advice and trauma dumps, we look forward to bombarding your inboxes again throughout the year!

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