Interview with Reese Wicks

Hello Quibblers! By now you must have heard of Reese Wicks’ retirement! To those who don’t know Wik, she is our Executive Editor, Archivist and Spreadsheet Wizard! Everything you see from the sidebar to the Wiki is managed by her and it always remains up to date! Her spreadsheet is the reason for the smooth running of The Quibbler! (I was in absolute awe the first time I saw it!) Wiksry has graciously agreed to aninterview upon my request!

Clara : Hi Wik! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule!

Wik : Hi Clara! Thanks for having me tonight!

Clara : Let's start from the beginning! How did you find The Quibbler and what made you join it? Wik : I had known of The Quibbler through the /r/ harrypotter community, but it wasn’t until Madam Starflash invited me to reorganise the Quibbler Archives that I joined. I had just revamped the HogwartsWerewolves archives, and Star was impressed enough that she asked me to come onboard and see how I could potentially improve The Quibbler’s.

Clara : How did it feel writing your first article for the Magazine?

Wik : I’m more of a “behind the scenes” person, but I have written a few items. My first “real” article was a poem plus an interview with Jet Odpath. He was compiling poems that had been passed down through his family into a book. We published one of those poems as a preview, and I was lucky enough to get to do the interview with Mr. Odpath. Clara : You are the Editor Executive, how many did you kill to acquire this position? (Prepares to run away) Wik : Actually, there wasn’t much killing. Madam Starflash forbids blood and strongly discourages murder in the Quibbler Castle, and it’s rather hard to avoid her Inner Eye. Hence, murdering others to fulfill my personal ambitions isn’t very convenient for me. I’d hardly know the proper techniques anyways; I’ve never been into the Dark Arts. *laughs* In reality, along with my Archives work, I had been taking on additional responsibilities for a few years. I had also been assisting Madam Starflash in various Quibbler decisions for some time. We eventually decided to make me Executive Editor to make things official. The title “Executive Editor” still feels weird to me though – it feels pompous in a way I hope I’m not. (visibly relaxes) Clara : Phew! What are the major struggles you faced in your position throughout these years? Wik : Good question! There have been a few. One has been remembering everything that needs to happen during issue turnover - between when the current issue’s submission deadline passes and when the next issue’s submission deadline opens. Locking things on the subreddit, adjusting the wiki, adjusting the spreadsheet, you get the drill. Making a list definitely helps. Another is that I am naturally introverted. Hence, talking with others, facilitating productive discussions, and even sending messages for The Quibbler have made me anxious at times. Being part of The Quibbler, and especially being Executive Editor, has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone in some good ways. There’s several times that I could have done better, and I so, so wish I had done better. But it’s my hope that all my experiences, Quibbler or otherwise, will continue to grow me and push me to do better and be better. Clara : That’s Inspiring! How do you manage your work life and personal life? Wik : There’s a saying I’ve heard: “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”. For me, that statement isn’t entirely true. I’ve loved what I’ve done for The Quibbler, and yet I’ve still had periods of burnout. I’ve learned that there must be a balance between my work life and personal life, and that it is okay to take a break from my work life to focus on my mental health and personal wellbeing, whether that meant watching Muggle movies or wandering the streets of Diagon Alley looking for good hair-washing potions. Clara : You have held the position of Archivist for the past 5 years and you have developed a wonderful work atmosphere, made things so well organised and simpler to access and gain information. How scary is it for you to leave behind your beloved work? Wik : Those are very kind of you to say! It is a little scary to let go of the things I’ve worked on. And yet, I’ve learned over the years that letting go isn’t necessarily a negative thing. It’s a good opportunity for others to bring new ideas and perspectives to the work and make it even better. I believe you will do a wonderful job as the new Archivist, and I believe DawnPhoenix will do a wonderful job as the new Spreadsheet Wizard. Clara : Let's say, something explodes, would you be around to help me with it? Wik : Of course! If you or Dawn ever need assistance or advice, I will be available for you. I can give you some of my enchanted paper airplanes after the interview, if you’d like. Clara : Thanks Wik! That sounds absolutely wonderful! What are you planning on doing after this? Wik: I have accepted a research position at the Pacific Northwest Institute of Technomancy! It’s very exciting! The research group I’ll be with explores how Muggle computer science can be applied to programmable spellcasting, or “codecasting”. In the past, I’ve – sorry, I am rambling. I’ll most likely be very busy, but I am always open to an owl or a paper airplane from our lovely magazine! Please no Howlers though. Clara : Oh! Before I forget! I was threatened with potential harm upon taking the Archivist office. Is there anything I should know and be cautious about? Wik: The Archives office entrance does not exist in one place, as you know - it moves around the Quibbler castle, and it’s never stationary for long. I suspect it has a mind of its own. There have been times when I found the entrance on the literal floor of the fifth floor. There have been times when I stepped out of the office and found that the threshold was three inches above the ground, or right behind the Production office printing machines, or floating on a corridor ceiling. I had never heard of a “un-pancake-nose” spell before that, haha! I’ve done some codecasting (and reasoning) with the entrance, so the entrance should generally appear at the end of the third floor corridor between the hours of 7:35am and 8:21pm. Who knows - it might like you better and treat you more kindly! Oh - and whatever you do, do not disturb Madam Starflash’s Lockhart shrine. Having your thousand-and-one consecutive deaths predicted is not a pleasant experience. (My eyes looked like they are about to pop out, thankfully I managed to gather myself with grace) (Whispers to readers: I strongly believe in ‘Curiosity kills the cat, but satisfaction brings it back” Don’t worry I will take all necessary precautions!) Clara : I am forever grateful for the warning. I will be nowhere near that daunting place! I also need to be pretty careful about the office and where it throws me out when I’m leaving! No overnight workings in the office! To remove all those dark vibes which Vinun and Neeshly love so much, it would be great if you could share any one memory with The Quibbler that you would forever cherish. Wik : Gladly. It was an incredible feeling when Star asked me to do the subreddit wiki, and then eventually the staff spreadsheet. Getting to be part of something so wonderful as The Quibbler helped me pull through some hard things I was experiencing at the time. On a less solemn note, breaking into Madam Starflash’s Divination Tower. At the time, I was scared to death that I would be fired, but now Star and I look back at this event and laugh. I think she laughs. I think. Star, if you are reading this, I’m still sorry for breaking in! Although the knowledge I gained was quite useful, so perhaps it was still worth it? Um… next question please! [On an out-of-character note, I got to do some worldbuilding and combine this universe’s magic rules with my field of computer science. Star enthusiastically OK'd this article and kindly provided descriptions of her office to assist with my “adventure”. Combining these with the quirky silliness that comes with being in The Quibbler was incredibly fun!] Clara : This is a very important question! What is your house after Ravencalw that you relate to the most? (Whispers to readers: I am expecting the obvious answer! Slytherin!) Wik : Definitely Hufflepuff. I’ve had a few opportunities to ask the Sorting Hat to reevaluate me, and it actually wanted to place me in Hufflepuff first and Ravenclaw second. But I choose to be Ravenclaw first and Hufflepuff second because I believe that truth and wisdom are most important, but if said truth and wisdom are to be effective and lasting, they must be combined with kindness and empathy. Clara : Is there something that you would like to share with our readers? Wik : As Star says, without our dear readers, there is no Quibbler. Thank you for reading our silly little magazine, and I hope it brings as many smiles to your faces as it does to mine. It’s been an honour and a privilege to be the Archivist, Spreadsheet Wizard, and Executive Editor for you all and for our incredibly talented and wonderful staff! Thank you Wik! You are a wonderful person and I enjoyed these past months that I spent in your company! It was incredibly fun and educational. Thank you for your trust, I hope to continue your work for the Magazine and continue the fantastic standards that you have maintained! The Pacific Northwest Institute of Technomancy is very lucky to have you and I am excited to hear more about your research! Thanks Wik for everything you have done and being here tonight!! This Interview was sponsored by ‘Raid Shadows Wraiths’ and ‘HallowSpace’