Hello there! I’m Kat Marusiak, and I’ve had the honour of working as an editor at your student newspaper for even longer than I ever imagined when I first started. This was partially due to COVID-19 course cancellations resulting in my having to stay a bit longer before graduation, but it’s something I will always consider to be a silver lining.
As a biology major, I joined the paper more because of my penchant for perfection (partially a side effect of my OCD, but I’ve always tried to put it to good use) than any desire to get into journalism. The part-time job seemed like a good fit and a nice way to make some extra money while taking classes, but I never imagined just how much of an impact it would have on my life. Though science will forever be my passion, working at the paper has been both an enjoyable and incredibly valuable experience for me in so many ways.
I remember the first issue where I saw my writing in print in Fall 2015 — one article about the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V and the other about a TV series I really enjoyed called Hannibal not being renewed for another season (with a headline that made me feel awfully clever: “NBC takes Hannibal off the menu”) — the feeling was absolutely magical. I even got to write my own feature once: “Comic books and their place in literature.” Whatever your interests, there is probably a section of The Cascade that could accommodate your contribution. Even though we may only be a small university paper, the work is something to take pride in.
Being a part of a student newspaper is a labour of love; sometimes you may work many hours of overtime for no extra pay just because your passion and drive demand it of you. Though comfortable in my initial role as Copy Editor, when there came a time where a lack of applicants meant that someone had to step up, I decided to take the dive and take on the mantle of Managing Editor. The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) at the time had also been thrust into the role a bit unexpectedly, but together with the team we pushed forward. I always enjoyed the idea of The Cascade being like a ship, with the EIC as Captain and Managing Editor as First Mate leading a tough and beloved crew. Waters were rocky at times, but our stubbornness persevered. Though not always the most fun at the time, I now look back fondly on the far-too-late nights spent in the office — late both because of last-minute articles needing to be written and edits to be made but mostly due to us all getting far too distracted enjoying each other’s company while also trying to get finished on time. (We were very fortunate that the hard-working folks at our printing press really liked us.) One of the last things we’d always decide on was something witty for the weekly slogan, based on the year The Cascade in its current form was established: “Burning the midnight oil since 1993,” “Losing our minds since 1993,” “Masters of procrastination since 1993.”
Though the work is enjoyable, there’s that well-known, meme-able trope of how the “real treasure is the friends we made along the way,” which I know sounds corny as hell, but part of it definitely rings true. At a university job, just like at university in general, we recognize that we’re going to meet a lot of wonderful people whom we’ll have to part ways with far sooner than we’d like. Although the internet has allowed us the ability to at least stay in touch, when we graduate and move on, and possibly move away, it can be hard to maintain that same level of connection. But even if we drift apart, the memories and the impacts we have on one another get to stay with us, no matter where we go.
I am forever grateful for the time I got to spend at UFV, both as a student and as an editor of the student newspaper. Now as I venture forward into the unknown, although I’ll miss it dearly, I take comfort in knowing that though these tough times of the pandemic have our ship currently in somewhat bumpy waters, there are amazing, passionate people at the helm making sure she’ll stay afloat. One day, hopefully soon, The Cascade will be back in print, distributed on campus once again. I hope any of you reading this who are interested in writing and/or working for the paper will consider taking the opportunity to reach out, take part, and make some more meaningful memories along your academic journey at UFV.
The Cascade: enriching students’ lives since 1993.
