Hello again, everybody!

This is a Highly Important Update, so read it even if you’re busy doing homework. I’m going to try and answer a few questions I’ve been asked before, but which are too current to put in the FAQ section for all eternity.

Is Vivian Pham in charge of Smog? She runs everything else, after all.

Vivian Pham is NOT in charge of Smog. If I had a dollar for every time people have asked me if I’m Vivian, I’d have…enough to buy a lot of food at Wanger’s. Yes, I realised a broke the golden rule of never using names, but this is with her permission, so therefore doesn’t count.

Secondly, and more importantly, SMag/Smog relations. For those of you haven’t read the FAQ page, Smog isn’t a kind of anti-SMag that will disappear in a flash of light if they ever meet; it’s more of a distant, somewhat nerdier, sibling that is allowed to poke satirical and more offensive fun at the school. To prove it comes my next part- the bit where I reveal what’s been going on behind the scenes.

What’s been going on behind the scenes?

I thought you’d never ask. Essentially, some inter-journalism negotiations have been going on, with ‘interesting’ results. You see, SMag likes Smog. We fill the gaps where they can’t go- we can put up articles faster, fix typos after they’ve been published, and write whatever we like about school policy.

So a while back, I came up with the idea of getting SMag and Smog to work a bit more together. Like the G8…but the S2. We had the whole thing planned out- SMag would post a specially selected Smog article in each edition, we would put a little advertisement for SMag on the site…until we tried to take it to A-block. It got as far as the Rectangular Office before it got shot down- or the SMag side of it did, anyway. Luckily for you/us, the wonder of the internet is that I say whatever I like, without anybody knowing quite who I am…think a nerdier Phantom of the Opera. Hence I can safely post this, and keep you informed.

This isn’t the entire Highly Important Update, but it should answer most of your questions for now.

Mission Statement

Who we are

Smog is an online student blog for students of Smith’s Hill High School, designed to provide a regular, anonymous and uncensored medium through which students can express their ideas; essentially, an online and uncensored version of SMag, although run by a different management.



What we stand for

The goals of Smog are as follows:

-Providing anonymity for any writers from Smith’s Hill.

-Providing an uncensored snapshot of the mood of the students in relation to certain issues.

-Providing student minorities with a means to communicate freely with their peers on topics of personal relevance.

-Providing relevant, non-abusive entertainment for students.

-Providing a means for artistic expression for students.

Anything can be published, provided it is either written for students of the school or about the school and is non-abusive; this includes a blanket ban on any students being named or implied without their prior permission, and only if they are fully aware of how they will be referenced. Direct references to teachers are discouraged, especially those in a negative light.



Why we exist

We exist as an unofficial online sister organisation to SMag; founded by a student to ‘fill the gaps’ in SMag. These gaps include partial censorship, slow publishing time and what some perceive as a lack of relevance to some students. As a result of it’s ‘No teacher interference’ policy and online, anonymous format, Smog has no official recognition or support from the staff of Smith’s Hill, nor from SMag as an organisation.



What we hope to achieve

-A larger audience

-More writers from a larger range of student minorities

-Official recognition and support from the staff of Smith’s Hill High School.

-Thanks for Standingby
-Smog McSmoggy