Hello! I’m Alex, and its an absolute privilege to be the new Editor-in-Chief of Redbrick Newspaper! This is my editorial, my Editor-in-Chief Editorial, my Editorial-in-Chief, if you will.

I felt it’s important to start with a solid joke, lightens the tone before I start jabbering about myself and why I love this newspaper and the army of people that contribute to it. Also, it reads a lot better than having five or so square brackets just saying, ‘INSERT JOKE HERE’ scattered throughout the piece.

This is an extremely exciting opportunity, and I would be doing a disservice if I didn’t highlight the following: Redbrick Newspaper is nothing without its dedicated members who allow us to operate. They sacrifice their time, pour their love, effort, and willpower (which could be directed towards their academic pursuits) into this bundle of pages that represent the best of what people have to offer. Redbrick Newspaper is a record of people’s passions, experiences and perspectives that spans decades. In fact, we’re arguably an extortionately expensive time capsule that is continually added to with every addition.

I especially wish to thank our print and features editor, Jess Parker. Without her dedication and creativity, you would currently not be holding this newspaper in your hands, without her, you might’ve been holding a sandwich, or perhaps something a little more ‘fun’, like a frisbee.

When the committee and I were appointed to our respective positions, it was imperative to me that this year felt like a fresh start, which is much easier said than done when the fresh start in question revolves around something that is currently 87 years old. Redbrick Newspaper is older than the invention of ball-point-pens, penicillin, polaroid cameras, computers, televisions, helicopters, and Morgan Freeman (yes, he was invented after this newspaper came into being).

Sadly, our fresh start didn’t begin with iconic frame-of-reference actors but with the hypothetically mundane task of organising our office. For those that don’t know, we operate out of the Guild of Students on the University campus. From the basement, we are literally and figuratively part of the foundations of our student’s union. Every non-essential crevasse of our office was jammed with filing cabinets and sharp storage units stacked with our unorganised past. In these boxes were old Redbrick Editions; some sunlight stained and crumbling, alongside photographs, hand-written letters, and invitations to forgotten parties and events. It’s hard not to see yourself reflected in that space, not only because of how dirty our basement windows have become, but in our past, and in the work of the 86 committees that came before our own. We’ve since began the process of donating our surprisingly extensive archive to the Cadbury Research Library.

Despite the grandeur of my prior statements, it’s important to me that we ensure that we remain relevant to those that gave us relevancy: the student body! Ensuring we continue to highlight this community, and use our unique platform to celebrate achievements, projects, and societies. Partly through this, we can ensure that people like you, yes you, pick this up! After our hard work and creative problem solving, our relevancy, opportunities, and financial investment, are only expanding. I feel truly motivated by what we have already achieved, so much so that chocolate coins will indefinitely be our office snack of choice.

I realise I may have presented this student newspaper as an ancient and intimidating organisation; I’m told I have a vague habit of doing this, it serves my CV well. However, we are neither of these scary things. Make no mistake, we are primarily a newspaper, despite also seemingly being a chocolate coin distributer, but we are also just another society that you can dip your toe in and out of. Or in my case, dip your whole head in.

And after all, at the end of the day, when all is said and done, [INSERT JOKE HERE].

Thank you.