Issue 1534: Louis Wright Writes

When I was asked to write an editorial letter not only about my role on the Redbrick committee, but about my wider time in Guild Media, I was left reflecting on the last 3 years of my life. Between being Gaming Editor and Lead Developer for Redbrick, and one of the Station Managers for BurnFM, and previously being Head of Production, Guild Media has been, in a word, definitive to my university experience: more so than my Undergraduate degree at times.

As it was the first society I joined at university, BurnFM and the friendships it formed for me are one of the best takeaways. The people I have met through the society are ones that will likely remain with me for life as, even if the connections do not remain post-university, the memories and experiences we have had together will endure. Given a tumultuous first year experience (thanks to COVID-19), joining at the start of my second year finally gave an outlet to the traditional university experience.

applying for committee positions made the society feel like a community when I needed it most

Team shows allowed me to socialise with others outside of my accommodation block, and my own show hosted with my friends (Tom Green and Jimmy Simpson) gave an avenue to meet supportive committee members who encouraged us to get further involved in the society. Attending events like Burn Live and the Burn Awards, applying for committee positions made the society feel like a community when I needed it most.

Therefore the decision to become one of the Station Managers despite going on to do a Masters degree was one that I undertook for one reason, to drive the station to be for others what it has been for me. I could not have asked for a better committee to work alongside in undertaking this goal. With 22 of us total, we are a large group and the work that everyone has put into the society has inspired me to do better for them. Thanks to their work, it has been fantastic to see so many newcomers come to society and have it be the same sense of community for them as it was for me.

Through my time at BurnFM I was introduced to its sister-society Redbrick. Never having written for the paper before, the Gaming Editor and Deputy Editor at the time Sonny Elliot and Jasmine Sandhar pushed me to apply for the role of Gaming Editor. This is a decision that I have not once regretted.

the more we carried on and the more we pushed ourselves, the more we saw the section grow

Me and my fellow editor at the time, Benjamin Oakden, started as what really felt like the underdogs of Redbrick. Our handover wasn’t fantastic (we didn’t have access to our Google Drive) and we were left floundering on how to actually run a section. But the more we carried on and the more we pushed ourselves, the more we saw the section grow, even actually starting to get writers.

This year, until about January of 2024, I ran the Gaming section by myself. While a lot of work, pushing writers to contribute to the section, being more experimental with the print designs, and incorporating more opportunities such as interviews, has left me incredibly proud of how far the section has come compared to how we began. Bringing aboard Kitty Grant as my co-editor, who also runs the social media, was the final push in making the section, as I would see it, the pride of my university career, as without her energy and drive I would not have had the ability to extend the reach of the section as much as we have.

My time in Guild Media has been one of, as with anything, highs and lows. There have been times of difficulty, like when I developed gastric ulcers due to stress. But the highs that I have had – meeting so many fantastic people, being granted so many brilliant opportunities – have made every tribulation worthwhile. I would not change any aspect of my experience and will, until the day I die, cherish the memories I have made with the people here.

There is only one thing I can say to all of those I have met in my time within Guild Media, if they are reading this:

Thank You.