In a few months, I will officially graduate. One thing I always had in the background these last five years was being part of the Iron Warrior. Much like my sanity over this time period, this newspaper has undergone a lot of changes.
I wrote an editorial last term about how I came to join the Iron Warrior, initially giving me something to do besides school in a 1A term filled with weird hybrid lectures and online exams. Welcomed by the team, I wrote a KW survival guide, interviewed the UW Ringette Team, previewed the 2022 Olympics, and contributed to the Fall 2021 Tin Soldier. During my 2B term, I became Editor-In-Chief (EIC).
Being EIC was first suggested to me by then-EIC Ewan Simms while we were at the 2022 OWeek Club Fair. At the time I didn’t think I’d do it; I was happy to be part of the club, but didn’t want to be in charge. That changed, mostly out of necessity, in Spring 2023, when many of our members graduated. The few of us left refused to let the Iron Warrior die.
In Fall 2023, I watched while on co-op as the team published the first physical issue of the Iron Warrior since 2020. It included a review I wrote of Toopy and Binoo: The Movie, of all things. In the following terms, the team expanded, we brought back the Iron Inquisition and OWeek issue, and now publish three issues each term. I made horoscopes, wrote about the PWHL and 4 Nations Face-Off, and went to the UW Art Gallery and EngSoc vs. MathSoc hockey games for articles.
Last term, I was EIC for the second and final time. We had an OWeek photo contest and brought back the club interview series. And now, after covering the 2026 Olympics, I’ve come to my final article.
I want to thank those that came before me in the Iron Warrior: Nela Jankechova (SYDE ‘23), Ewan Simms (MGTE ‘24), Ella Walsh (BME ‘24), and Athavan Gananathan (BME ‘25) for welcoming me and teaching me how to be EIC. I want to give an extra shoutout to Athavan for spearheading the return to print, and Chloé Guillemette for establishing it consistently. I know it was a lot of work for Athavan that, at the time, I likely would not have wanted to take the risk to do if I was in his position. The risk sure paid off, and it was largely due to his dedication that, when the club was on life support in 2023, it didn’t die. The Iron Warrior would not be as it is today without him and Chloé.
Thank you to my friend and Iron Warrior writer Cathy Quan for listening to my random article ideas over these years (most of which I never wrote).
Thank you to the current Iron Warrior team, especially Jeremy Bijoux, Yasmin Abu-Narr, and Amara Damji who took some tasks off my plate as my Exec last term. With all our writers, copyeditors, artists, and puzzle-makers, I know the Iron Warrior is in good hands. If you’re interested in contributing to these issues, consider stopping by a meeting; the team is always looking to grow.
Finally, thank you to everyone who picks up our issues around campus or reads it on the website. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the progress I’ve been a part of in this club these past five years. I’m excited to see what the team will publish going forward, and I hope you’ll continue reading it.
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