The last couple months were very chaotic for me and, I’m sure, for many of you. But, hey—we’ve almost made it to the end of the year!
Individually, you may be exhausted. Life is exhausting, and the world takes a lot out of you. There is only so much of your time, your energy and your self that you can give before you need a break.
Last year, three of our community members decided to give a lot of their selves to our community.
These folks created insideWaterloo as a platform for diverse writers in the region to share their stories. This outlet was fundamentally different from mainstream media in that it prioritized the voices of the authors.
The core team worked in their spare time. They had full time jobs and lives to upkeep, but they donated what time and energy they could into helping members of our community become writers and share their opinions.
Writing is not an easy task, and neither is editing. But that team created an elegant and articulate space with amateur writers from the region.
The space that they created is something TCE also aspires to support in the future.
While TCE worked with insideWaterloo, we were inspired by their commitment to bettering our literary scene.
It was as I watched the editors at insideWaterloo working—their editing process, their dedication to preserving the voice of the author, their relationships with the surrounding community—that I learned to be a better reporter and a better support for our own contributors.
I like to talk to contributors, sometimes several times, before they ever create anything for us. I do this because of conversations I had with the insideWaterloo team that helped me realize the importance of being as supportive to contributors as they are to TCE.
Generally speaking, Canadian Press Style requires us to have the first and last names of everyone we quote, but I was confidently able to omit names of speakers in our coverage of the rally against the Islamic regime in Iran on pg. 11. I can do this because I prioritize their safety over technicalities.
Working with insideWaterloo helped me grow that confidence.
I am a better writer, a more efficient editor and a kinder person after interacting with the insideWaterloo team.
Although Teneile, Fits and Phi will continue being important parts of the community, it is difficult to see their work at insideWaterloo stop so soon. Still, we at TCE are grateful for their efforts and dedication. We continue to be inspired by their goals and the work they’ve done.
We are excited to see what the future brings for them.