Kia Ora,
I’m guilty of oversharing. This statement is of course obvious to all two of you who have kept up to date with these editor’s letters for the last 15 months. In March 2020 I found myself booking a flight from Seoul to Auckland two days prior to its departure. I had been living overseas for the better part of a year and I had no plans to come home for at least a little while longer. Like every bright-eyed graduate, I was afforded the illusion of endless choice. I felt as if countless worlds met my gaze and I had the option to hold it or let it go. All of this was of course cut short by the ultimate cock-blocker... Miss Rona.
I knew my issues were comparatively minute when compared to everything else that was going on. And for a while I tried to numb the sadness whenever I felt it creeping back in. But I was back at my parents' home, 22 and unemployed. And while the salty ocean bloom in the air comforted me, I couldn’t help but feel stifled by the circumstances I found myself in. A month later I landed the job of editor at Debate magazine. The transition process was a strange one. Interviews were held through phone calls and I received the news via a text message. Things are seemingly less exciting when there isn’t anyone to hug or to share a pint with. Additionally, it’s a true buzzkill trying to have your Asian parents hype you up about your new job when it’s neither a lawyer nor a doctor.
After 15 months and 16 issues, I feel at a loss even trying to articulate how much this magazine has meant to me. Ummm... for some reason no one prepares you for how fucking hard life is post graduation? Friends are harder to make, you get given so many more responsibilities and you can feel your brain dying after trading up feminism for Love Island. In short, I feel sorry for everyone who has to go through all this... and work a shit job. Debate has been pretty close to landing my dream job (despite the pay x).
And with that, it’s officially my last editor’s letter. The time has come for me to move to a new job, and I'm both excited and a lil scared. In a little over a year I've shared a little too much about my personal life and all its beautifully poor decisions (all of which are coupled with pictures that definitely wouldn’t make the Tinder cut). In what has been a truly difficult year for us all, Debate has felt like both a community and a release from both the turbulence and uncertainty. I would like to thank the Debate team for not only being brilliant writers, but also just being a set of extraordinary people and wonderful friends. The sense of always having someone near is comforting. I’ll miss you all lots (pls invite me to your next BYO).
Debate magazine is your fortnightly, editorially independent student magazine. During my time here I have worked closely with AUTSA and been able to appreciate both the progress the organisation has made and the shortcomings. While I can say that AUTSA has its heart in the right place, I remain sceptical in their effectiveness to represent student voices and concerns. AUTSA’s performance and accountability is of course compromised by the high turnover rate of both the operations team in addition to the lack of retention of the SRC. As students I cannot stress the importance and value of your engagement. Universities, like any other institution, are dampened by countless real issues, most of which are left simmering and unnoticed. It is only through student voices that these issues can be realised and addressed. Lastly, I would like to say a farewell to our editorial assistant Andrew Broadley. Andy is pretty much responsible for 90% of all well received articles in the magazine. My heart only cries a little when one of y’all approaches me and tells me you love the magazine, only to then say your favourite piece was one of Andy’s shitposts. The man is of course going corporate to make the big bucks... he’s writing finance articles? Definitely a sell out. P.S. If you see me crying at the stands during my lunch break, no you didn’t.
Ngā mihi,
Rebecca
Comments