07/10/2021
Hello! We are super excited to introduce our first set of weekly prompts for the Griffin. Drop an email to [email protected] with your articles! If you have any questions or want any guidance on your articles, feel free to drop us a message. These prompts are meant to inspire you, but you can respond to them in any way you see fit or send us an idea unrelated to these pitches! We look forward to hearing from you.
Weekly Commissions
🧡 Free submissions 🧡
We just want to remind you that you can submit any of your ideas to us! We want the Griffin to be a publication where Downing students can share their opinions on the topics which interest them. Submissions do not have to be Downing related, send us your musings on film, news, art, theatre, science, sport, literature, anything and everything.
🚨 News 🚨
Have any events recently caught your eye? Extinction Rebellion recently staged another protest in Cambridge. Do you think Colleges need to be held more accountable for their environmental impact? How do you think Downing could become more sustainable? Also, the government recently proposed to lower the threshold for student loan repayments, how could this impact graduates?
🎨 Exhibitions 🎨
As ever in Cambridge, there are exhibitions littered throughout the city. The Heong Gallery currently has an exhibition on until the 10th titled ‘Of The Earth’. How did you find the exhibition? How does the Heong gallery change the experience of Downing? Alternatively, the Fitz is displaying artefacts from the burial mounds of the Saka people of East Kazakhstan – we would love to hear your thoughts on any exhibitions, Cambridge or the UK!
🎬 Film / TV 🎬
Recently, the new James Bond film has been dominating mainstream news on film. If you’ve seen it, do you think it deserves the hype? What role does the Bond character have in contemporary society? The film recently came under fire for continuing to use villains with facial disfigurements - how can the franchise continue despite its charred history of misogyny and racism? Or have you seen any other films or tv shows you want to talk about? Let us know!
Recurring Commissions
🧑🎨 Creative 🧑🎨
Photography, poems, translations or artworks. These can be related to Downing, wildlife, sights in Cambridge or anything else which might be of general interest. Alternatively, write a piece about any creative projects you took on over the summer!
👼 Freshers Experience 👼
How has your freshers experience been? How are you finding being away from home and settling into a new environment? Tell us about any exciting experiences during or outside of freshers week. Alternatively, are you in your last year at Downing? We’d love to hear some musings from final-year students reflecting on their time at Cambridge and how being at Downing has shaped their experience.
🌈 Post Covid Uni 🌈
This is for anyone who might have struggled or thrived during the coronavirus pandemic. How has your life changed since most restrictions have been lifted? Are there any lockdown hobbies/habits which you can’t seem to shake? Do you have any concerns or anxieties about the way the university is handling the pandemic? Are you happy or unhappy with in-person lectures? How has lockdown affected you long-term?
⚽️ Downing Sports ⚽️
Are there any sporting achievements you want to celebrate? Whether you’ve played a sport for years and are continuing at university or have taken up something new - let us know about your experience with the sporting scene at Cambridge. From rugby to clay pigeon shooting we want to hear from you!
🎟 Downing Societies 🎟
Are there any societies you’ve joined and experiences you want to share? Have you founded a society which you want to advertise? Drop us a message!
Best wishes, Jamie and Jonny!
