So, the moment to say “So long suc-…,” I mean, goodbye, is here. This is my last Chief Editor’s Note. It’s been four years, and I am so proud to leave BTSB and you, our readers, in the capable hands of our next editor-in-chief, Jesper Simola and continue as one of BTSB’s editors.
I kept thinking and thinking what I wanted to say in my last Note. I could have done this in a very cool way and just write about some cool current issues and in the end of the article just casually let you know that this is it.
But instead I’m taking the not-so-cool, but oh-so-very-important and personal road of nostalgia.
I can honestly say that being an editor and, later on, an editor-in-chief of a student paper was a dream of mine.
I first got interested in student journalism when I was only applying to university. I did 9 to 5 reading days in a tiny white building right next to Metsätalo, which back then had a really cool reading space. On my breaks, I drank Coke from a vending machine in the lobby, and found the student magazines of political science students. I was mesmerized: These very cool, colorful magazines, were free for grabs (like City-magazine which I loved) and they were full of articles about various topics. Also, they seemed to have this fascinating atmosphere of inside jokes that I really wanted to get into.
When I got accepted to study English philology, I found out that SUB also had a student paper. I headed to a meeting in pub Kaisla, filled with enthusiasm and ideas.
Now I’m supposed to tell you about my glorious journalistic road, full of supporting people and inspiring moments, from being a newbie editor to becoming an editor-in-chief.
And don’t get me wrong – the story is full of those things too.
But in all honesty, at first I was disappointed. There were no real DLs and we sat in the bar for hours, talking about nothing really (one thing I still don’t like when students meet. Come on, we all have a life. Let’s wrap things up in an hour and THEN gossip and make bad jokes. Or you know, get back to our lives). You received little to no critique about your pieces and generally among us newbies there was a general feeling of confusion about what was going on. After the meeting, I just felt irritated.
This could have been the end, but instead I gave BTSB one more chance, digging into its archives, finding some very cool, some serious and some delightfully funny, articles by different writers. I felt a spark while reading those pieces and thought that this, this is what I wanted to do.
To people who are familiar with me, it comes as little surprise that it didn’t take long for me to take charge. First, I was offering way too many ideas and making everybody crazy with them, then I started helping out the chief editor, then I became the co-editor-in-chief and, finally, I was the sole chief editor and decided it was time this baby had a makeover.
BTSB as it is today started to form through some rapid changes, like imposing DLs and meeting schedules and routines, expecting people, who promised to write for next issue, to actually write their articles, giving regular critique to other editors, thinking about how to get the freshmen excited and so forth.
And what often happens with every change happened here too. Some people loved them, some people hated them, and most were nonchalant. I’ve come to understand that some people even planned a mutiny against my reign of terror.
Nevertheless, more and more editors started to show up for the meetings and we actually started to publish almost nine full issues every year.
I know I sound like a dictator when I say that creativeness blossoms in a properly made and formatted frame. But in all seriousness, I do believe that having a clear format for the meetings and submitting your articles, having a proper and professional looking website to show around and a system to get freshmen interested in us, made all of this happen.
And of course all of this wouldn’t have happened without the wonderful people behind BTSB. I cannot thank every editor, old and new, enough who supported my task as your editor-in-chief and making these four years so exciting, challenging and exciting!
Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank you dear reader, for giving us your support by clicking our articles and by that help to sustain student e-journalism.
I ended my first official solo Chief Editor’s Note by saying that promises are nothing, and that’s why I wouldn’t make any promises, but rather just show what I can do as the editor-in-chief of BTSB.
Some time ago one of our freshmen editors told me that the reason he joined BTSB was because he saw and read one of my Notes. Others told me that the reason they’ll manage to cram BTSB into their busy schedules is the fact that the atmosphere inside the board of editors is so supportive and my guidance makes them feel at ease and inspired, even when making time to write feels challenging.
So, I think I have shown what I can do. Now it is time to thank you, drop the mic, and let loose the next editor-in-chief.
But before that, welcome to the Summer Issue of 2015! Spend your summer days by reading about Jesper’s thoughts about a graduation ceremony, why Eve loves Harry, what Milla thinks of passion and skating, Laura’s trip to Istanbul, Inka's thoughts on white saviors, how is it for Sampsa to produce Humanistispeksi, Ari’s experiences from a music festival in Barcelona, which anime movies Elizabeth recommends to you even though you don’t like anime, why Esko got into PhD studies and what happens in chapter 7 of Ile’s ongoing story. After reading this giant issue, it’s autumn already and time for the next issue! See you then!