This is 40 (happy birthday to us!)

“The whole thing is a scam. Birthdays were invented by Hallmark to sell cards.” –Ron Swanson

Hi. I’m Jacey Gibb. You may remember me from such articles as “My descent into a cat-atonic state: a cautionary tail” and “Extreme irony: extreme ironing for beginners.” But I’m here with you today for a reason other than silly trends and bad wordplay—okay, maybe a bit of bad wordplay. As of this Lettitor’s printing, I’m your new Editor-in-chief.

Though I’ve been with the Other Press for three years now, this publication wasn’t my first foray into the world of student journalism. When I was in Grade 10, I enjoyed a brief stint as a Contributor to my high school’s newspaper the Dawg Dish, where I wrote a music review on the latest Blink 182 album: Greatest Hits. That’s right. The first article ever to bear a Jacey Gibb byline was a review of a compilation album of songs from other albums put onto one. I gave it four out of five stars.

It may be the narcissist in me speaking, but I like to think that I’ve come a long way since those days of reviewing repeated mediocrity. I feel like I’ve matured as a writer and I would hope that those of you who’ve followed me would agree. At the Other Press, I’ve gone from Contributor to Opinions Editor to Badass MC to Assistant Editor, but now it’s time to hang up my Ass. pants and slip into some big-boy slacks.

While I undergo this wardrobe transition of responsibility, I’m pleased to announce that we’re starting the 2013/14 year off with a bang—or rather, a bash. As you could probably tell from this issue’s delightful cover, your favourite college newspaper is celebrating the milestone of publishing 40 volumes.  Convert those volumes to years and if this paper were a human, they’d have kids, a career, a mortgage, and even some cellulite to their name. But because newspapers can neither get pregnant nor develop physical signs of aging, we have 40 volumes’ worth of other things. Like sharp writing, witty headlines, hilarious comics, and maybe even a few ulcers as a result of late-night deadlines. And unlike most humans at the age of 40, this bullet-train of a paper shows no signs of slowing down.

The last 12 months, governed by the ineffable Sharon Miki, have been tremendous, to say the least. It’s been three years since I was a freshman, writing awkward concert reviews and learning for the first time what a serial comma was. Now, here we are in 2013. I feel like I’ve just been handed a Fabergé egg, a 24-page, glossy egg that I will do my best to nurture and help grow for the next year. You’ve done real good, Miki. I guess I’ll take it from here.

Thus, my first-ever Lettitor nears its first-ever conclusion. I know where the paper has been and I know where it’s at now. But what I’m most excited about is where it’s going next. We’ve got a whole roster of talented folks ready to dish out the latest in News, Sports, Opinions, and more. Am I nervous? Most certainly. Am I excited? You’re damn right I am.

It may be because our office is located on the basement floor (Room 1020, that is!), but I’m convinced that for The Other Press, there’s nowhere for us to go but up.

So it goes,
Jacey Gibb
Editor-in-chief