Parting shots from outgoing EIC Sophia Lopez 

April 27 2023—

Completing this term as the editor-in-chief in person without worrying about COVID-19 was a huge blessing. It’s been a relief to stop saying we’re “back to normal.” But that’s enough talk about the pandemic — far too much. This year was filled with much more memorable things.

Before this term, I was a news editor for two years and I was basically in my own little bubble of news — the best section, in my unbiased opinion. But in this term as EIC, I had opportunities to interact with other sections more closely and participate in events I’ll never forget. 

In the summer we went to the Calgary Folk Music Festival where we got to take in the nice weather and listen to both local and international performances. We also got to try out and review new restaurants at the time like Central Taps + Food, and relive some old University of Calgary traditions like Kickoff. With not even half my term done, I was able to experience so many things with my amazing staff. 

However, this term was also tough. Aside from this full-time position, I decided to continue taking a full course, thinking I could handle it. While that first half of the term was going fine, the winter semester had to come along to ruin everything, as it usually does. The feelings of being burnt out, tired, unmotivated and disappointed in myself started to take over. I was struggling to figure out what I needed to prioritize in certain moments, and thinking maybe I wasn’t doing enough, or just good enough. These last couple of months in the position were especially hard, basically crawling to the end. But I needed to make sure I ended this term off strong, just as I started it. We were able to publish 16 issues of the Gauntlet this term, which is something I’m incredibly proud of.

None of this however could’ve been done without my hard-working staff. As you would’ve guessed, I wasn’t the only one in school. Everyone else also had to balance their work and courses, and naturally, that can be overwhelming. The collection of skills and determination from all my staff members helped me overcome difficult moments because I knew I could count on them. Whether they continue on with the Gauntlet or move on to other things, I’m sure they’ll leave their mark wherever they land. 

While humbleness is key in life, I think I’m well within my right to be proud and happy with everything I’ve done this term. There’s not a single action, interaction or moment I regret, and if I could do it all over again I would do it the same way. In a world where fake news is growing and cancel culture exists, I hope that my term and the publications released properly reflect the journalist I am and will continue to be — prioritizing an unbiased truth. 

A common concept is that our generation has lost its love for physical copies, and I always thought that was blown out of proportion. Seeing our distributed issues getting picked up, or walking by and seeing our bins empty some days has been one of the most rewarding feelings, and hopefully the Gauntlet continues to help our generation rebuild that love for newspapers. 

Being a voice for the U of C student body has been an honour and a privilege, and I hope this isn’t the last time you see something published to my name. This has been an experience I’ll always cherish.

—Sophia Lopez, Gauntlet editor-in-chief