In my first year working at Arthur, a common response to the question, “Oh ya, where do you work?” was “Well, that’s too bad.” I could summarize and put it simply that my friends are assholes, and they just didn’t get it, but I won’t give them that satisfaction.
The truth is, even though this student press is mostly funded by the majority of students of Trent, there is that misconception that we are a skewed lot who are only out for our own gains.
This opinion has been passed down from many generations of upset persons who believe the paper is doing a bad job at informing the public, or that they shouldn’t have to pay for something they don’t read.
Due to these and other varying reasons, there have been counter-Arthuror alternative-to-Arthur initiatives on Trent campus since the early 1970s. The original being called “The Sword” and a variety of establishments have happened after this, including the Absynthe and the Nose.
The history of the student population’s distaste toward Arthur was what immediately drove me to hold the position I have now. I personally believe that the creativity in the letters to the editors we have received in these past years go beyond interesting to a point of hilarity. This probably goes to prove why my favourite modern play is “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and why I don’t go overboard when I hear my friends to continue to insult the place I work for and run (notably, they have been nice enough to stop throwing out the papers in mass quantity, and they have agreed to only recycle if they ever feel the need to throw out a few for old time sake).
The ultimate truth I have for you, dear Arthur reader, is that I love this place with all its flaws, because I don’t know a better place at Trent to meet a wide variety of people from all walks of life. It sounds weird, maybe even a bit self loving, but I have never meant it more than I do today.
So for this reason, the staff at Arthur and I have lovingly crafted you this mixed tape. A mixture of old articles and a few renewed ones from this past year’s biggest stories. I signed our name with x’s and o’s on the cover, I sealed it with a kiss, and sprayed it with my rose petal and lavendar perfume. I wrote you little sidebars, words of encouragement, and historical facts. I even took the time to dust off some political cartoons for you and put them in the middle of the paper.
Does this all sound great to you? Well good, because I want you to work here too. Look to the bottom of this page, bring your opinions, and your sense of humour.
I hope you like it, and welcome back.
