CONFESSIONS

28

By Neueli Mauafu (he/him)

Dear Diary,

We’ve finally made it! The last edition for CANTA 2021. As clichéd as it may sound, I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey from start to finish. As a young writer/ journalist manoeuvring his way through the world of media and communications, CANTA has been a great steppingstone with my writing journey.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHERE TO NOW

I can recall the very first day when I stepped foot in the small, cramped space set out for CANTA. Before this first meeting, my initial thought of the workplace would be some well-planned office with computers and desks.

Surprisingly enough, I was met with a much more laid-back interior design. The office was no bigger than my bedroom and really gave off a relaxing/chill vibe. That same vibe was even more present within the two main guys heading the team, or should I say the two Liams (Liam Stretch & Liam Donnelly).

There aren’t many words to describe the partnership between the two, but for now, let’s just say it’s “extravagant”. Whether it’s the colour-coded outfits from Donnelly or the calm persona from Stretch, their tag team really made me work on my articles with no pressure at all. The idea of having your written work being read by other people did rattle my thoughts. However, having a cool duo leading the team, everything became a breeze.

OUTSIDE THE NORMS

As I write these words, I truly know that I am highly grateful and blessed for the opportunity given to work with an amazing team. Although an outsider and a stranger to this type of environment, my journey was made easy, knowing that it’s okay to have doubts. With the highs, there also came some lessons to learn:

I still have a tonne of work needed on my writing skills, especially if this is a career I am willing to pursue.

My mental and thinking process for a written piece needs to improve vastly, especially with setting aside my own beliefs and biased perspectives from a discussion.

I hope UCSA reconsiders a bigger space for CANTA in the upcoming years.

As a magazine for the students and by the students, there really should be a major focus on having a state-of-the-art workspace (maybe a free bar tab too).

Thank you, CANTA, for the opportunities this year! I’m looking forward to seeing the growth of the magazine in the next few years.

Yours truly, Neueli M

I grew up with a religious background, and you shouldn’t really dwell on a few off-limits topics. However, the irony was when a few themes were deadest in the headlines for some of our issues of CANTA this year, and I was tasked with covering them – the big ones being topics such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and the pride issue.

Writing about them wasn’t the issue for me, but more of pondering if I am worthy enough to speak on such topics.

I guess that’s the beauty of writing for a student magazine. There really isn’t much of a barrier to what you say, because let’s be honest, UC students are a bunch of free souls who love to party and vibe. Such mentality became a confidence booster for me, article after article writing my thoughts away. After my time here at CANTA, I can honestly say that I can now be brave in honing my craft as a writer with whatever topic is given.