Outgoing Brunswickan EiC passes the torch

Andrew Meade/ The Brunswickan

As the year comes to a close, the outgoing Bruns Editor in Chief, Sarah Ratchford, passes the torch to incoming Editor in Chief Colin McPhail. Don't let the name fool you, though. McPhail has a ton of great ideas up his sleeve, and you, our lovely readers

Colin McPhail and Sarah Ratchford

April 8, 2010 12:04 PM ADT

Out with the old

Well, my tenure as Editor in Chief of this publication has certainly been a time, and I want to thank everyone who helped to make it so.

As with every year, this one has been a series of ups and downs. From caffeine crazed production nights that end at 4:30 a.m. to ((IPN)) working groups, this job has had its irritating moments.

At the same time though, it has been impossibly rewarding. I have had the pleasure of working with an incredible group of individuals, and this paper would be nothing without them. The EiC is merely the person blame comes back to; what keeps the ship sailing is the editorial board.

When I was busy having panic attacks over the little things, where would I have been without Colin’s “DO YOU WANNA BE ON THE PANEL??”, Christian’s reggae selections, or Alison’s hugs and coffee dates?

Where would I have been without Mandre’s cutout wall and Lee’s hilarious political commentary? I would be nowhere, and you, dear readers, would not have had a campus paper to peruse while you hang out at the SUB or wait for your friends down at the Cellar. I owe everything the Bruns has been to the ed board.

This job has taught me so much, and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have held it. I would not be anything like I am now if I hadn’t started working here. The people I’ve met have taught me about everything from indie music (haha) to news writing, and a lot of them have become my best friends.

Running the paper has put me in touch with students’ voices and brought their issues to the forefront of my thoughts, and engaging with the student body at this level is an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

While the student body has given me a lot, I hope we were able to put a relevant, entertaining and informative product out there; we’ve certainly tried. Certain people in the arena of student politics might disagree with this, and I am fine with that. If a few people didn’t hate me, it would mean I haven’t done my job. Taking criticism for hard work is just another skill I’ve learned in this office, and one I am just as grateful for as the friendships I’ve gained.

We implemented an international section that lasted most of the year, as well as more health coverage than before. We had an engaged, responsive opinions section most issues, covered each and every student union meeting, created new sports features, and broken away from the indie music scene more than ever before in our arts section.

For all of this I am incredibly proud, not of myself, but of the editors who accomplished it all. As you are reading this, I am out of the office for good. I wish I could tell you which continent I’ll be on next year, what I’ll be doing. But I can’t, because life doesn’t always work that way. Life is an adventure, and if you try to fight that, you’ll only wind up haggard, frazzled and generally hatin’ on life.

To those of you who are graduating: remember that. Remain calm, and do what you love to ensure happiness.

To those of you who’ve got some time to go: it’s cliché, but get involved. Put your voice out there somehow; it will help you develop into who you want to be. The best lessons definitely are not those you learn in a classroom.

In with the new

Remember your friendly neighbourhood sports editor from the beginning of the year? Well, he grew up and is now a man.

I will be leading an excellent group of very talented editors and writers in the Brunswickan’s hundred and forty-fourth year of existence.

My objective is simple: to publish an entertaining and, more importantly, informative newspaper. It will be a newspaper that is fair and balanced and one that offers diverse content that stems from every facet of student life.

Obviously, I realize that the university community holds many diverse views and I insist on hearing your opinion. There are hundreds of differing voices and each one has the right to be heard. So, please take advantage of our opinion and website comment sections.

I am very thankful to have predecessors such as Sarah Ratchford and Josh O’Kane, who developed a brand new Brunswickan in terms of design and content. The pair eased the company through the transition to tabloid from broadsheet and still managed keep fresh and provocative content.

As Editor in Chief, I plan to follow in their footsteps, but also revolutionize the website in the process. As journalism moves steadily towards an online format, thebruns.ca will keep up with the new trend. The website is going to have a sleek new look and offer much more content. Look for the Brunswickan on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Even though I’ll be surrounded by a strong cast of editors and staff members, the success of the paper, in large part, is due to our wonderful volunteers. I cannot thank everyone that chipped in this year enough. I urge anyone who’s interested in writing, photography, and design to drop by SUB room 35 and join in on the fun. The Bruns has an open door policy and welcomes everyone.
I’m extremely excited for next year and will do my best to deliver a newspaper suits you, UNB. Good luck on exams and have a dandy summer.