6 minute read
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
MITCHELL MADAYAG - Editor-In-Chief, 3rd year, Japanese and Economics
"Oh my Haruhi. We’ve reached the end."
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read our Gothic Issue, which is the last issue that will be published for Volume 56. As the 36th issue of Konshuu released under my supervision, the Gothic Issue brings a quiet end to my final term as Cal Animage Alpha’s Konshuu Head/Editor-in-Chief. It may not be as lengthy as our usual 12-page editions, but the shortness of it is rather nostalgic of the smaller monthly issues we made back when I first joined the club in Fall 2020. It has been a great honor to lead and manage the Konshuu department for four semesters straight, a treasured experience I will be forever thankful for. While I am a bit sad to relinquish a routine that I had grown so accustomed to, I am quite content with what I’ve done for both the department and the club as a whole. I’d like to take this opportunity to briefly reflect on my time spent as Editor-in-Chief before I end with some parting words.
To be honest, the prospect of becoming Editor-in-Chief did not cross my mind at all during my first semester in CAA. Not only was I still adjusting to the workload of college courses for the first time, but I was having fun being a simple writer for Konshuu. However, I didn’t actually have much writing experience pertaining to Japanese pop culture prior to joining the club, so the magazine opened a great opportunity to help develop these skills. Although I still struggle with diction and run-on sentences, I’m satisfied with how far I’ve come with improving my writing style. My development is especially clear as I look back at my very weak debut in Volume 52, Issue 2 (read if you’re curious, but it’s not pretty). To date, I’ve managed to accumulate 19 articles under my belt, which is not exactly the most impressive number for someone who has been in Konshuu for 2.5 years, but I’m glad I was able to find time to continue writing even after I later went on to become Editor-in-Chief.
Midway through spring of 2021, the position for Konshuu Head unexpectedly opened up. By then, I had grown attached to the club with all the interesting officers and members, as well as the various fun events despite them being online, so I felt strongly in helping CAA further. I also figured out a decent rhythm in college, so that was no longer an issue. Recognizing this time of need, I ultimately decided to run with the primary objective to maintain the flow of our publication for the rest of the semester. It was a decision that I’ll never regret. The election was close, but you should know the result by now. My main goal as Konshuu Head was to encourage fun while sustaining productivity, and being flexible but disciplined with everyone. As I had aimed for, Volume 53 wrapped up nicely with seven whole issues that were even produced during summer break. I could credit the experience, which I acquired through managing my high school’s anime club, as what aided me in leading the Konshuu department through the end of quarantine, but really it was the patience I received from my fellow officers as I took on this great role all of a sudden.Things were looking even better as CAA would be able to finally return to Berkeley soil the following semester.
After one of the greatest First General Meetings in Fall 2021, the club quickly grew, and as a result, Konshuu did as well. Issues became longer and were published more frequently. New page ideas became staple parts of the magazine, and many new individuals got to show off their talent through Konshuu. In addition to writing the occasional article, I had to take it upon myself to help with the layout as things got busier. I even had the chance to display my stellar art skills in a select few issues. Being back in-person, there were just so many more opportunities open that I don’t where to start with my favorite moments. Conducting interviews was a great way to meet many promising people for the club. Helping bring bigger projects to life like the 2022 anthology and a new line of special-themed issues were definitely a highlight. Organizing the club’s first post-COVID retreat was also quite the learning experience. I’d spend almost everyday planning upcoming meetings, sending out reminders, working on my own pages, and I was enjoying it all.
Admittedly, I don’t believe I personally did much to revolutionize Konshuu at all. It’s one of the reasons why the Managing Editor position was created as they could help me more with the “Editor-in-Chief work” while I concentrate on the “Konshuu Head Work.” Because of that, I sort of consider myself to be more like the pillar of the Konshuu department that kept things going smoothly all semester long. But in reality, I couldn’t have done it without the previous systems put in place by the Konshuu Heads that preceded me. Not that this was all necessarily a bad thing, just that the same mindset that had motivated me to run for Editor-in-Chief in the first place blinded me from fulfilling most of the responsibilities I held within my term. It was a weakness of mine that I regret never trying to overcome, yet I’m grateful that I was reelected three more times due to the immense support of my peers. I really can’t thank enough all the wonderful people who I worked on Konshuu with, as getting to meet these like-minded individuals who wished to partake in this passion project was a dream I never imagined would come true back in high school.
I guess it’s expected that personal messages like this close with words of inspiration or sentimentality, but I don’t really think I could draw either of these two emotions from my experiences as Konshuu Head without it sounding super cliche. If anything, I guess writing this was more for my sake as I got to reminisce about these past five fun semesters. Not to mention, we did need to get one last page filled to complete this issue, but that’s arguably less important. Yet, there’s so much more to talk about—so many stories to tell—that one page of text isn’t nearly enough to convey how remarkable this journey was while it lasted. I’d like to spend the rest of my time here in Berkeley focusing on other commitments and hobbies, but I’ll be sticking around in the shadows as a humble layout editor at the very least. I still have to wrap up some unfinished business with training the next Editor-in-Chief and working on the 2023 anthology, so this won’t be the last time you hear from me. Be sure to check out Ellya’s awesome artwork on the back cover on your way out.
