Before I begin on the main topic of this editorial, I want to take some time to thank those who helped me this term, and my thoughts on my own performance. So, firstly thank you to all those who have helped me on the production weekends, particularly at the beginning of the term when I didn’t really know what I was doing. First and foremost I have to thank Lucas Hudson. The former EIC who entrusted me with this position, I don’t think I have met another student with a higher level of commitment to this newspaper. His passion, patience, and the amount that he truly cares about The Iron Warrior is unrivaled. Without him, this term would have been a completely different story.
I also want to thank my dutiful copy editors, with a special acknowledgement reserved for my roommates Michael Laanvere and Andrew McMahon, both of whom helped me greatly by often editing a good chunk of the newspaper. Also worth mentioning is Christy Rouault, and Supreet Kaur, who also helped with the editing work load throughout the semester.
I would be committing a grave error by not mentioning Krishna Iyer, who has been a layout editor with this newspaper since 2009 (I think) and is moving on to a graduate degree after this semester. His humour has always helped keep things in perspective, and besides Lucas, he is the best layout editor we have (just kidding, Krishna, you guys are about equal, not that you read the newspaper anyways). The Iron Warrior will miss him, and so will I, although he has assured me that he will continue to help the newspaper during his graduate studies which will take place at the University of Waterloo.
I must also admit I will greatly miss Wade Wilson and Edward Blake, the authors of TOPZ (with a Z), our long running satirical column that is actually funny (really, it is). I was lucky enough to observe their creative process last production weekend, and I was both surprised and impressed at the amount of thought these two guys put into their articles. The Iron Warrior will not be the same without TOPZ, or the two students who have written for so long. Farewell comrades, and may your humour continue to lighten the lives of others wherever you go.
Also, congratulations to Leah Kristufek, who will be taking over this esteemed position in the fall. Leah has been with The Iron Warrior since 2011 (from my knowledge) and will do a great job. She has shown great commitment this term on production weekends and I believe she has the determination and passion to improve the newspaper.
As for my own evaluation of my performance this term as EIC, I will be brief. The term was a successful one, I believe, although some of my goals went unfulfilled. My main goal was to get more first years involved in the newspaper so that somebody can carry the torch when myself, Lucas, Leah, and the like move on. I think that has been a great success. We now have half a dozen first years actively writing, laying out, and editing the newspaper. Thanks to those of you who have joined our team, specifically the aforementioned Supreet (who is actually in her third term at UWaterloo but is in 1B Software because she switched disciplines), Allen Chen, Derek Kan, and Cameron Soltys. I especially want to thank Cameron, who has taken on a much larger role, actively laying out large chunks of several issues and editing. He has also improved his writing greatly throughout the term. So thank you to those first years who have helped make my recruiting efforts a success.
We also made a lot of money this term. Our budget was well into the black thanks to a strong amount of advertising, although that is as much a result of luck as a result of my own efforts to keep in contact with advertisers. As for more my unfulfilled goals, I would have liked to put some more effort into revitalizing the office, but it is in a much neater and welcoming state than it was before. Also, I would have liked to get some racks into the new engineering buildings, and put some work into a standardized editing guide, but to use the excuse that David Birnbaum so despises, it has been a busy term, and I refuse to beat myself up about missed opportunities. We have a new crop of students who will keep the newspaper running, a strong and happy core group of staff, we are making money and we had fun. I can live with that. I hope that people will remember my efforts as Editor-in-Chief, I had a lot of fun and memories of this term are all the better because of it.
I spent much more of my word count than I had hoped thanking people, which just goes to show the value of the support that I have had as Editor- in-Chief. My final comment as EIC will be on a topic that really strikes a chord with me: Down syndrome. As I write this article, on March 21, thousands of people globally are wearing crazy socks to promote the awareness of Down syndrome. Down syndrome, as most of you know, is a genetic disorder caused by a chromosome disorder. The reason World Down Syndrome day is held on March 21 is twofold. The first reason is because the disorder is caused by a trisomy of a chromosome. In other words, there are three instances of a given chromosome, instead of two, hence the choice of March, the third month of the year. The second reason is that the chromosome affected in those with down syndrome is the 21st chromosome.
The goal of World Down Syndrome day is simple: to promote the rights, inclusion, and well-being of people with Down syndrome. Although I am no expert, I was lucky enough to attend elementary school with a friend who had Down syndrome. My friend was always a source of humour and happiness despite the struggles she faced. Although happiness is often associated with Down syndrome (whether accurately or inaccurately, I am not sure), I think the happy nature of my friend can largely be attributed to her stubborn streak, which was one of her more notorious traits. Every moment I spent with this individual was an interesting one, and her ability to carry on deep conversations and to function independently completely changed my perspective on the disorder. Despite her occasional struggles, her tendency towards kindness, friendship, and a positive attitude remains an inspiration to me today.
The point I want to make is that my friend proved to me that a human’s personality goes way beyond a disorder, even one that most of us tend to associate with a lower quality of life. Down syndrome does not have to be a sentence to a life of dependence. Many individuals with the disorder, including my elementary school friend, are now currently pursuing lives of independence in which they work and contribute to society. My friend was very lucky as she was born into a caring family (her mother was my music teacher, and one of the best educators I ever had the pleasure to be taught by) who have gone to great lengths to ensure that she can live her own life. We need to push for programs to help those that are not as lucky. Unfortunately, such initiatives are rarely the topic of mainstream politics. The least we can do is push politicians to talk about such issues by participating in events such as World Down Syndrome Day or by asking questions.
Above all, however, what we all must do is stand in the way of the ignorance, belittling, and ugliness directed towards not only Down syndrome, but all disorders. I am generally disgusted by people who degrade others, but I am especially sickened by those who poke fun at mental disorders. Unlike racial or sexual discrimination (which is still one of the worst evils), those that are discriminated because of their mental handicaps have a much harder time defending themselves because of the handicap they have to live with. Those that poke fun at the defenseless are the worst people. I still remember being disgusted in elementary school at a few of my classmates, who when appearances mattered around staff or parents, they treated my friend with the utmost respect. However, as soon as the importance of evading punishment was lessened, and the new priority was a cheap laugh, they would not hesitate to make fun of my classmate. We were young at the time, and I hope that they now realize how disgusting their behaviour was. If not, I can only pity their sad existence. All we can do, as good people, is stand in the way of such behaviour. I cannot perceive the difficulty of getting up every day and knowing that you are different than everybody around you, however many people faced with these burdens live happy lives anyways. The least we can do is make it easier for them to do so. So next March 21st, wear your crazy socks and until then, continue to stand up for those that are not as lucky as us.
I have to finish off with a few more notes on The Iron Warrior before I say goodbye forever as EIC. Firstly, I want to thank all of those you who responded to my article on my Grandfather. He was a wonderful man who deserves to be remembered, I hope this article will help with that. I am going to truly miss writing these editorials. I find there are two things that help my constant battle with anxiety: running and writing. These editorials have truly been an outlet for me, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading them as much I have enjoyed writing them. Fortunately, my roommates and I have signed up to run 30 km in Around the Bay in Hamilton a year from now, so hopefully my increase in running will offset my losses in writing. Regardless, life goes on. I hope you, the reader, has enjoyed these five issues of The Iron Warrior, but now I must go. Hold fast, fellow engineer, I will miss you.
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