Deputy Editor Mickey van Tonder

Hi, lovely Redbrick readers! My name is Mickey, and I have the absolute honour of being the newest Deputy Editor for this wonderful paper. I’m very proud to be part of this wonderful committee and paper, and I’m especially lucky to be working directly alongside Hannah, our other Deputy Editor, who has been nothing but welcoming as I’ve settled into the role.

It would be a lie to say that I’m not extremely nervous writing this – I can’t help but picture the long, long line of previous Deputy Editors, all starting nearly 90 years ago. I sit at my desk, a cup of half-cold and half-drank tea staring furiously at me on my left, my little lamp flickering every so often (I’ve been refusing to change the bulb), and me, legs crossed sitting on my rather uncomfortable chair, staring at the luminescent blue screen of my laptop. Part of me wonders what they – my predecessors – would think, looking at me now, curled over my laptop in the nearly pitch-black, manically typing away. But I feel proud and privileged to be part of this work, and to consider myself ‘one of them.’

Growing up, I loved writing but I never found myself indulging in it much, partly because I found it to be embarrassing as a young tween (I’m rolling my eyes writing this – did we all find the stupidest things to be embarrassing at that age?). And, I have to admit, the term ‘writing’ should be used as loosely as possible, as my ‘writing’ consisted mainly of rubbish stories and fanfictions. But, despite the rather rocky start, my love for literature and writing have developed rigorously. In honesty, I never believed journalism of any sort to be on-the-cards for me. Mostly because I felt as though my writing should be limited to only my eyes. But, as I’m working my way through my final year of university, I’m extremely proud to have taken the step outside of my comfort zone to begin my journey into journalism through Redbrick.

But again, as I’m finishing up this letter, I find myself thinking back to the fresh-faced writers of this paper throughout the years. Did they feel this nervous? Did they feel the pressure? Even now, I’m reading the long list of names in the Redbrick Editorial Team section on the first page of Redbrick’s last issue. It’s hard to believe that 90 years from now, I’m sure another deputy editor will be sitting, curled over their device, typing up a similar editorial, thinking about the faceless names on these sheets of paper, wondering who we all were. I suppose that gives me a lot of hope for the future, and the drive to make sure I do my best for every one of our readers, writers, editors, and committee.

Deputy Editor Hannah Gadd

Hi Everyone! I’m Hannah, one of your Deputy Editors this year! So far, my time on the Redbrick committee has been a really rewarding experience and I’ve loved meeting new members and chatting to familiar faces. 

First of all, I would like to thank every writer, editor and EA that contributed to the last print. Whilst we may have faced some challenges along the way, the print was a success and it was great to see it around campus after all the hard work that went into it, we really appreciate it! This print marks my second as Deputy Editor and I’ve enjoyed having a more hands-on experience with the print cycle.

I knew before I started at UoB that I wanted to get involved with Redbrick so I joined during my first week at university and haven’t looked back since! After a year of writing for Redbrick, I decided to apply to be a Music Editor, a role which I have enjoyed every minute of. From interviewing a Eurovision contestant to reviewing a Jonas Brothers concert, the music section has provided me with so many amazing opportunities, ones which I will never forget and always be grateful to Redbrick for. 

This year I have taken on the roles of both Deputy Editor and Music Editor, which to begin with, sounded daunting. However, I have really loved getting involved with Redbrick in every way that I can and my experience with the paper has been my greatest accomplishment. I’d like to thank my fellow Dep Ed, Mickey, who I am so grateful to work alongside as well as the rest of the committee, we make a great team! 

Redbrick hosts such a warm and friendly atmosphere and, whilst faces may have changed and friends may have graduated over the two and a half years I have been here, the welcoming nature of Redbrick has remained constant. I love being part of Redbrick and I am so proud of all the work we do together, we’re pretty cool!

Enjoy Issue 1536!

Hannah x

If you enjoyed this editorial, check out the last one:

Issue 1535: Letter from the Editor-in-Chief