Farewell Brandon University
Maria Garcia Manzano: AEIC 2019-2022
By: Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of The Quill
The last week of classes is upon us, and as the semester ends, so does my time at The Quill. I first began writing for the Quill during my first year of university. Since high school, I have loved to write and wanted to join a student club that would enable me to pursue my writing hobby. While I was a junior reporter during my second year at Brandon University, a spot opened for the assistant editor position. I applied and was happy to learn that I got the position!
Becoming the Assistant Editor was a very exciting time. I knew that, given my course load I could never become Editor as the responsibilities are greater than that of the Assist, but I was happy to lend my support and help to our current Editor, Ronnie. Together we learned how to use the design software that would allow us to put together the printed issues of the Quill, and while it has been a couple of years since the university has seen a printed issue, I do not doubt that for the upcoming school year, we can expect to see printed issues once again.
As the Assistant Editor of The Quill, I had a variety of responsibilities to fulfill. When our issues were printed, I would make sure they were available to students by filling up the kiosks. Some of you might remember seeing me with a stack of papers running around the university from building-to-building Tuesday morning. This was a fun part of the job. I enjoyed having those weekly walks. They were quite the workout! Another responsibility I had as the AEIC was to hold weekly meetings to discuss what articles were up for grabs with writers. Of course, with the onset of COVID-19, our meeting had to end, and both the Editor and I primarily communicated with writers through email.
COVID-19 brought The Quill unprecedented challenges, as it did with all other student clubs. Nevertheless, I would like to think that it did not deter many of our devoted writers from continuing to write and updating BU students about everything. We aimed at keeping students informed about the ongoing restrictions, case counts and social developments that occurred throughout the last couple of years.
As I approached my fourth year at Brandon University, I realized that I would have to find a replacement for my position. This was a bittersweet moment since the last four years I have spent with The Quill have been great. I knew, however, that my position had to be filled by someone who loved to write and loved to be a part of the Quill. My successor checks all of these qualities and more, and once they have officially taken the AEIC position, I hope they take the time to introduce themselves to all of you.
My time at Brandon University has ended, and while I am excited about what my future may hold for me, I will always cherish the memories I formed at BU. Thank you to all of the readers of the Quill who have made my time as your AEIC worth it and entertaining. I have loved writing for all of you!
Best Wishes,