Our time at The Boar

Our outgoing editors reflect on their time with The Boar, sharing what the paper means to them.

 

Liam Gould (Comment Editor)

They say that The Boar prepares you for life outside of university. I’d say this statement is at best accurate and at worst quite pretentious. I don’t even think anyone even says that to be honest. But, I haven’t just been Comment Editor over my time. I’ve been an avocado. I’ve been a wizard. I’ve been a club rep. I’ve been a tyrant. But, it’s also taught me a lot about myself. It’s brought the best qualities out of me, and taught me ones that I didn’t know I even had.

I’ve made some of my best friends here, and know that my future will be written right alongside them. But I’ll really miss the people who, when I go and sit in the office, would just be there for a chat over lunch. Or, talking to someone that I don’t know very well whilst doing lay-up. I know I will stay with the people closest to me beyond university, but it’s those little moments that I really will miss.

It’s brought the best qualities out of me, and taught me ones that I didn’t know I even had

My Deps – Rebecca (faux bewilderment), Bill (doesn’t seem like she’s enjoying herself) and George (Guillermo Shakespearo) have been nothing short of fantastic. I have no doubt that I’ve taught them everything they’ll ever need to know to be wonderful journalists.

The Boar is like a puzzle you get to solve every single day. Every time you wake up, it resets and you have to start over. It can be rewarding. It can be frustrating. It can make you laugh. It can make you feel absolutely nothing. It often makes you feel nothing more than fine. It can be a bit annoying actually. I’m not a fan of puzzles, or The Boar really, but as my time gets closer to stepping away, it’s one that I don’t really want to stop solving. It’s been nothing short of an honour being a part of this society, and getting to know everyone in it.

 

Isabella McRae (Lifestyle Editor)

My third year at university has been my busiest and my happiest, and a huge part of that has been The Boar. When I ran to be Lifestyle Editor, I was absolutely terrified. The thought of public speaking was almost enough to put me off running entirely, but it has been the best decision I have made at Warwick.

I am so proud of everything the Lifestyle section has produced this year, and that is mainly down to the writers. Many of you have been so brave in sharing your stories, and we have published some truly brilliant pieces that will continue to help people long after my time as editor is up.

There is something so special about this student paper, which is so much more than just a student paper

I have spent so many hours sitting in our cramped little office, stressing about content for the next paper and laughing to the point of tears on more than one occasion. Something I could never have predicted when I ran for editor was that I would meet some of my closest friends through The Boar. I genuinely can’t imagine my life at university without this lovely, driven and talented group of people.

I cannot wait to see the section move on to bigger and better things next year, but I will miss being Lifestyle Editor so much. It’s hard to put into words how much The Boar means to me. There is something so special about this student paper, which is so much more than just a student paper. If the next group of editors have even half as much fun as we have had, they are in for a pretty incredible year. 

 

Axel Metz (Film Editor)

When I joined The Boar as a member of the exec, I expected to find a bunch of nerdy students parading as wannabe journalists. And so, when that assumption was proven absolutely accurate, I felt comfortable admitting that I, myself, fit into that category perhaps more than most. What type of person enjoys spending their evenings in a stuffy office drawing up designs for a story on how cinema interacts with the socioeconomic problems of the day? Me, it turns out. My tedious responsibilities as an editor (and trust me, there’s a lot) have become as much a staple of my university routine as my failure to catch up on course reading, and it’s a monotonous slog that – if I’m being honest – I really am going to miss.

To consider The Boar a ‘student paper’ does a disservice to the time and effort spent producing a publication of its quality

To consider The Boar a ‘student paper’ does a disservice to the time and effort spent producing a publication of its quality. It’s been a pleasure to play a role in maintaining The Boar’s status as best student publication in the country (which makes us undefeated, by the way), but I genuinely believe many of our sections would be better placed within the pages of the nationals we regularly put to shame.

Big up Mischa for always bringing the sauce to EB and Jed for usurping me as the WordPress wizard – deputies don’t get a headshot in the paper, but if they did, we’d almost certainly be the section with the most drip. Amongst all the listicles, reviews and awards coverage that filled our inboxes, we did our best to add some depth to the section and branch out into uncharted waters, and it’s been a blast to regularly watch ideas develop into quality content. A big thanks must also go to all our writers – you’ve made my job much, much easier than it could’ve been – and I’m sure the section will fall into far more capable hands come next term. “Here’s looking at you, kid”.

 

Anushka Suharu (Travel Editor)

There is no doubt that being a part of The Boar has been one of the best decisions I have made while at university. The Boar is a society filled with amazingly talented, inspiring and passionate people from whom I have learnt so much. After the stressful rollercoaster of being a News Deputy to Travel Editor this year, I have had the chance to learn so many new things and grow so much as a person.

I have loved every second of it and wouldn’t change the experiences and people it has given me for the world – although I might change a few layups

I have had so much fun editing the Travel section and drooling over all of the places that our writers have travelled to, and I couldn’t have done all of the new things in the section without my trusted travel team, Braedie and Ellie! No matter how challenging The Boar has often been during my years at university, I have loved every second of it and wouldn’t change the experiences and people it has given me for the world – although I might change a few layups. Now I guess I might actually have to focus on my degree rather than procrastinate with “Boar stuff” and head to the library? After all, where will I be if not in The Boar office?

 

Jasmine Parker (Arts Editor)

Just after elections last year, one of my closest friends said to me: “I think being part of The Boar is going to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.” A year on, there is not a single doubt in my mind that she was right.

Being Arts Editor has been an absolute joy, not least for being given the opportunity to witness the phenomenal creative work produced by Warwick students. I feel privileged to have been given the chance to experience that, from reviewing student shows to interviewing Warwick graduates who are making strides in their field, and they have made my job of praising their work endlessly easy.

Being Arts Editor has been an absolute joy, not least for being given the opportunity to witness the phenomenal creative work produced by Warwick students

Even more importantly, I’ve found some of my closest friends this year on The Boar exec. While I’m very sad to see them leave, I’m so excited to see what incredible things they achieve out there in the big, wide world. I genuinely don’t know what I’m going to do without them – especially when I need cheering up after spontaneously bursting into tears in the office.

Of course, I’m also immensely excited to be taking my own next steps at The Boar. I’m sure being Co-Editor-in-Chief will be a huge challenge, but I can’t wait to see what the 2020/2021 exec achieves. This year has been so much fun, I can hardly believe that I get the opportunity to do it all again. To all my friends who are graduating, you’ll always be more than welcome to come back and visit our tiny, overheated office!

 

Kate Rice (Climate Editor)

Unlike all of the other editors, I am very much new to the whole Boar scene. I was so immensely petrified of starting out in my role as Climate Editor; not only did I feel overwhelmed by the immense task coming my way, but everyone had already settled into their positions, and in with each other. I really did dive into the deep end back in November, but even though I haven’t quite perfected a clean front crawl just yet, I’ve worked my way up to a manageable doggy paddle. 

I’ve cared deeply about saving our planet for some time now, and having the opportunity to read so many profound pieces on the subject has been amazing

I’ll be the first to say that I know I haven’t perfected all the responsibilities that come alongside being an Editor at The Boar. I never thought I’d take all the setbacks and corrections I did with such enthusiasm, but everything I’ve gotten wrong over the past few months has only ever felt like another opportunity to develop my skills, and improve on myself. All I feel is excitement for how this next year will continue to improve my abilities.

The last few months have been an incredible few for me. I’ve met some genuinely lovely people and gained some invaluable skills that I never thought I’d have. I’ve cared deeply about saving our planet for some time now, and having the opportunity to read so many profound pieces on the subject has been amazing – and to hopefully have helped spread the word on a topic that I hold so dear is a great feeling. It’ll be such a shame to move on from Climate, as well as say goodbye to some friendly faces around The Boar office, but that doesn’t make me any less excited about what this coming year will bring.

 

Barnaby Papadopulos (Features Editor)

All good things must come to an end. Being editor never seems to offer negative experiences; however our unique splendour endures. A bit like the poem that I had originally written for this testimonial/obituary of my time as The Boar’s erstwhile Features editor. It perhaps says a lot that this has currently taken me an hour to write, and according to Microsoft word I am on 54 words – a significant proportion of which has been taken up by me explaining the situation at hand. Editing, it seems, does not teach you how to write. It does, however, teach you how to bullshit to previously unknown levels. Mainly when I receive ‘features’ of about 500 words and then need to add another 1000.

Above all, everyone on the exec for 2019/20 – it has been a pleasure to work with all of you

This is a family show, and many of my most memorable moments as Features editor are definitely not for public consumption. My mum is probably going to read this. Thankfully, I can fill up the rest of this space with some special mentions. I was fortunate enough to take over from Gurpreet and John, who were hugely helpful to me in the first few weeks. My deputies for this year, Sabrina and the Mighty Euan, have both been brilliant, with Sabrina always bringing excellent ideas to the table and Euan shooting his own turkeys for the good of the environment, and therefore all of us. Above all, everyone on the exec for 2019/20 – it has been a pleasure to work with all of you, and, I’d love to stay in touch with most of you. Oh look, we’ve hit the wordcount. Wasn’t hard was it.

 

Fatima Patel (Finance Editor)

As well as making many new friends with the other section editors and the rest of the exec, the one thing my bossy self really enjoyed was recruiting and having my own little Finance team. Recruiting deputy editors was an unexpected pleasure; from having no interest at all, I had eight students being interviewed for the role. I enjoyed asking them questions, learning about their motivations and passion for finance and sadistically throwing in the odd curveball question about capital markets to see how they cope. For me, it was important that I recruited people who were enthusiastic about both writing and finance and had a bit of knowledge on markets so that they could be creative with pitches without me having to hold their hand. I believe that with both Ben and Manu, my Finance Deputy Editors, I achieved this.

Recruiting Deputy Editors was an unexpected pleasure

While a part of me was glad to have some assistance with laying up, running the social media and putting the articles onto the website, I found that teaching them new skills and how to complete different tasks was one of the most enjoyable tasks. I suppose a sort of tender instinct kicked in; these were my protégés and I was to teach them everything about the section, the paper and the exec, and ensure that they were always well-fed with new gossip and given endless opportunities to flourish. A part of me is sad that they are in their last years of education as I will not be able to count on one of them to take over my role, but I know that, whoever is my successor will do a fantastic job.

 

Hamish Inglis (Games Editor)

When I arrived at university I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I was studying Maths and Physics, because I thought it was a good idea at the time, and the prospect of a life in study or worse, the financial sector, scared me to no end. The Boar, as well as other campus societies like Warwick Improv and RAW, have helped me discover my creative passion and I could not be more grateful.

The Boar has helped me to discover my creative passion and I could not be more grateful

The opportunity to be Games Editor this year has been especially amazing. Having an outlet to display my long-term love of gaming has been more than I could have imagined and at the end of my one year, I think the incoming exec might have to drag me out of the office kicking and screaming. Sure it has been tough at times, in hindsight balancing a postgraduate degree, two execs and a bunch of societies might not have been the smartest decision, but I would not change any of it. 

To all the writers and editors I have had the opportunity to work with this year, thank you, and to the new Games Editor I hope you have as much fun as I have.

 

Nishat Uddin (Music Editor)

I began my third and final year at Warwick pretty much alone. My best friend had gone on her year abroad and my messy end to my relationship was (finally) over. The Boar kind of saved me. I met so many people who welcomed me with open arms into a society that both gave me the work I needed to keep me busy and the relief through laughter and good company. 

It’s only now looking back on the year that I realise how much it has shaped me as a person

What better way could I spend my final year at university than an excuse to talk endlessly about music to new people equally as interested in it as me? Both writers of my section and my hilarious and eccentric deputy editors gave me that, alongside a lot of support and friendship. And on top of that, a new group of intelligent, kind and hilarious friends available whenever i needed them. Each lay up and meeting, I spoke to another editor and another deputy, getting to know people on a level otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to. 

It’s only now looking back on the year that I realise how much it has shaped me as a person. As soppy as it sounds, I didn’t realise how much of a blessing being a part of The Boar family would be.

 

Sadia Nowshin (Books Editor)

The past year as Books Editor has been an absolute whirlwind. Jumping into the role from the position of a writer who just had a few articles under her belt, I remember how daunted I was by the responsibility. Given the chance to talk to second year me, I would tell her that while I would unavoidably struggle, more importantly I would learn, grow as a person and have an amazing year working on a paper I adore. 

I can confidently say that being part of this paper has been the absolute highlight of my university experience

People I didn’t know existed this time last year have become incredible friends, skills I had no comprehension of I’ve mastered and I finally found the career I want to pursue. Writers are at the heart of The Boar, and I’ve had the pleasure of editing some insightful, creative articles and meeting some ridiculously talented people. Our tiny, kind of gross (in an endearing way) office has been the scene of many a stress-filled afternoon, but it’s also become a little home for our Boar family and I imagine I’ll have to be frog-marched out forcibly to get me to leave it.

It breaks my heart a little bit to leave, but I know the next exec will do a brilliant job. As those of us graduating meander off in different directions in pursuit of the next adventure, I’m comforted by the fact that these are friends I will make an effort to keep in contact with as we venture into ‘real’ adult life. Looking back on my time here, I can confidently say that being part of this paper has been the absolute highlight of my university experience and I’ll miss it, stuffy office and stubborn InDesign included, a hell of a lot.

 

Kushal Talsania (Chief Sub-Editor)

We stumbled into each other’s lives like two drunken students on their way home from Smack. On the verge of blacking out, we find ourselves at the end. Waking up, unaware of my actions and too afraid to check my texts, I reluctantly look back knowing that this will never continue to be. Like all departures, nobody enjoys it – but it must be done for the leaf to turn in my strong cup of Jo. Together, we endured the long queues of InDesign, discovered cocktails deserving of greater investigation, and cut shapes on the dance floor of ground-breaking journalism. Crawling out of bed, I glance at my phone. I recognise a number that I have never seen before. Whatever the future may hold, I am at peace knowing that I have a collection of friends that will be by my side (or so I hope) for years to come.