We all come to an end/And we all end together…

  • “Don’t Be Afraid To Sing,” Stars

I showed up at The Varsity’s door in the fall of 2002, fresh from Ryerson’s j-school and badly missing the campus newspaper experience while taking my first tentative steps at this bewildering yet enthralling new campus. Nervously poked my head in and came across former Review editor Keith Carman, an imposing punk-rock figure with massive blond dreadlocks who listened to my pitch about wanting to write a profile of rising electro star/U of T math grad Manitoba (a.k.a. Dan Snaith, now known as Caribou) and immediately bellowed, “Excellent! Can you get started on that right away?”

That’s just the kind of place this is. As the unofficial school of journalism on campus, The Varsity opens its arms to those with ideas-and more importantly, enthusiasm. That year, I quickly became a staff writer, went on to act as associate Review editor the following year, and then graduated into the Arts & Entertainment (we retired the Review title in the interim) editor’s chair these past two years running. It’s been a gradual yet natural process, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

From dealing with pushy publicists (don’t get me started about the time one particular mega-studio threatened to pull our access after our film critic went on an L.A. junket on their dime and then came back and trashed the movie) to sweating over late copy (kids, don’t do that to your editors!), even at the most stressful of times when I wondered why on earth anyone would put themselves through this, the magic was palpable.

There ain’t nothing like a campus newspaper. From the adrenaline-fuelled late-night production sessions to having the freedom to cover a fascinating patchwork of events and issues, it’s a singular medium. For the past two years, I’ve had the unique vantage point of working at both the largest daily newspaper in Canada as a staff reporter at the Toronto Star, and one of the largest campus newspapers in the country (this fine publication). While juggling the two meant sleep was often at a premium, the experience underscored for me just how special The Varsity is-we’re able to do and cover things in a way that’s impossible at a large commercial paper.

Over the years we’ve tried our best to harness the energy of this city’s enviable cultural scene-being part of a university with plenty going on arts-wise but that’s also surrounded by a plethora of entertainment options, we had to find just the right balance of coverage, and I think even a cursory glance though the section shows we succeeded.

From an exclusive photoshoot with local death-disco squad controller.controller (almost two years before they hit the cover of Eye) to an eyebrow-raising e-mail interview with famed author Douglas Coupland (he thought I was dissing him, but we quickly buried the hatchet), we’ve tried to raise the bar for what it means to be a campus newspaper.

Of course, any section is only as good as its writers, and we’ve been blessed with not only the largest crop of volunteers, but the best and the brightest. They’ve taken my edits, suggestions, and diatribes with patience and good humour (well, most of them, anyway), and I’ve learned just as much from them as they hopefully have from me. To each and every writer who’s contributed to the section during my time here: thank you for your ideas, words, and spirit.

As I finally take my leave of this place that’s been a home away from home these many years, much love to my extended Varsity family, particularly my partner-in-crime, indefatigable associate arts editor Jordan Bimm (the only easy part of this farewell is knowing the section will be in good hands); Photo editor Kara Dillon for her infectious creativity and extraordinary images; and copy editor Malcolm Johnston for the red-penning and paneer-eating.

Roll end credits. Exit stage left. Don’t be afraid to sing, kids.

-TABASSUM SIDDIQUI,

Arts Editor, 2004-2006