Photo Credit: Maya Huber, Orientation Photographer
A note from the Editor-in-Chief
Alessia Baptista, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Disclaimer: yes, this photo is of me at Orientation- my other pride and joy. Since that’s over, I promise I’ll get a proper headshot of myself for The Mike, like the professional EIC I aspire to be. Now, onto the article:
Isn’t it so nice to hold a newspaper in your hands? The scent of fresh newsprint and the feeling of getting ink on your hands is a riveting experience. All you need now is a cozy chair by the fire, a massive cup of coffee, and congratulations! You’ve officially become an “old person.”
Seriously though — newspapers seem to carry a very outdated connotation, or at least that’s how it works in my brain. I often think to myself: who’s even going to read this anyway? Everyone nowadays just picks up their phone, swipes up on Instagram, and scrolls through to skim articles on Buzzfeed. These are frequent thoughts that enter my head every time I write an article for a publication — be it The Mike or The Varsity. I question why I devote countless hours into producing a silly little newspaper that no one is going to read except for the people on the Masthead, and I always consume way too much caffeine while doing it.
Quite honestly, it’s thrilling to be back in print again. The majority of my time working with The Mike has consisted of online publication thanks to COVID. I remember being an eager little first-year, passing The Mike office on Welcome Day and just itching to be a part of the newspaper. 3 positions, over 25 articles, and a pandemic later, I’ve made my past self proud and achieved my dream of writing for the newspaper. Of course, leave it to me to be the one to figure out printing a newspaper after two years of stopping in-print production. As the internet would say, “God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.” And while this isn’t the toughest battle I’ve faced, it sure was a mountain I had to climb. I guess if you’re holding this issue, it means I’ve figured it out just fine and all will be well! Take this as a sign that you too are a strong soldier and can face any battles U of T throws at you.
Fears and doubts aside, I am honored to be the Editor-in-Chief of the 75th volume of The Mike. 75 years is, obviously, a long time, and we’ve come a long way with the content we write and how we produce it. I’m excited to bring a modern spin to what is a very “old-fashioned” way to read and receive information to St. Mike’s and the broader U of T community.
The Mike may be old, but it sure does look good for its age. While we’re back to in-print production, The Mike continues to operate online at readthemike.com. I hope that when you read The Mike in any capacity this year, you feel a sense of nostalgia with a contemporary twist: merge the old with the new by flipping through each issue accompanied by an iced coffee with the plant-based milk of your choice (or whatever Gen-Z habit you can think of). Naturally, you should also post a picture of your copy of the paper and tag us on Instagram or Twitter @readthemike so we can see how cool you are. And, if you’re feeling extra rad, you can write for us and have your name in print.
However you choose to interact with The Mike this year, be it writing, taking photos, or reading us for the aesthetic, I hope you indulge in every issue. And, if you ever happen to question who will read your work, know that you have The Mike staff on your side, and that has to count for something. I hope you’re on our side too.
Alessia Baptista, Editor-in-Chief
THE MIKE VOLUME LXXV ISSUE 1
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
