Having contributed to the last two Suttonians, I truly thought I knew what to avoid when it came to organising a school publication: frequent, yet unproductive Friday meetings, having to chase up Year 7s for weeks on end and scrounging about for all kinds of photos at the last minute. Indeed all of these have been prominent features of my tenure - but then what would the magazine be without its school boy shortcomings?
Being in the position to take charge of such a well-regarded and important magazine comes with its benefits. In fact, reading through articles and discussing ideas in meetings (yes, even Mark O’Sullivan’s ones) has given me a unique insight into life at SGS, in particular, to our school’s more vibrant side. As such, this year we have tried to convey the humour and character that colours school life at Sutton Grammar as much as possible whilst remaining true to Suttonian editions of the past. There really is something in here for everyone: from Mr Gunning’s legendary lunchtime clubs to comedic CCF articles and even pensive reflections in the Archive section.
As ever, compiling and producing The Suttonian remains an unenviable task. Were it not for the team of editors that worked tirelessly, tolerating my nagging emails and messages, this publication would not be what it is. I must also thank Mia for her extraordinary efforts in designing such a stylish and creative magazine. Finally, I have to express my deep gratitude to Mr Marshall for his unwavering support of the magazine, a magazine which may not still exist without him.
Now, may I humbly present to you ... Issue 226 of The Suttonian.
Yours faithfully,
Daniel Johnstone
Producing the Suttonian - after being coerced by Daniel - became one of my proudest yet most taxing tasks (I was totally unaware what I had just gotten myself into). When he found out that I did A-Level art, my role of designing a 240 page magazine was assumed. Religiously being told “You have the hardest job” or “Good luck, it’s a lot of work” were the only words of encouragement I received when I took on this role - thanks guys!
And I should have listened. Producing The Suttonian is one of my proudest achievements, combining an entire year’s worth of events, photos and articles. It is something I will be endlessly honoured to be a part of. But never underestimate the unseeming amount of work devoted to this magazine. The unironic sleepless nights, weekly meetings and wars with technology are just the beginning of what the magazine needed. Although we may have strayed from your typical Suttonian, we hope you appreciate the classic keepsakes and the millions of photos we tried to include. The work of all the editors deserve a massive round of applause, their work writing and compiling articles will not go unnoticed, so to them I am forever grateful.
Also Mr Marshall deserves a big thank you for running this project even if most of the time was spent watching football reels in meetings (thank you Mark!). I owe Daniel a massive thank you for somehow organising our team and making my job ever so slightly easier. As you read through this magazineand I hope you do as every article in here was written and rewritten a thousand times - I hope you can reminisce on the year just been but also in 20 years when you find this book on your shelf covered in dust. I hope you look back, appreciate the creativity that fills these pages and spend countless hours looking for yourself in the photos. To the next producer my only advice is start now because you are already running too late. Oh and be bossy. It’s the only way.
No cheers, all tears, Mia
Drzaic
