Time has passed, and so much has changed since I wrote my first introduction. My name still is Elizabeth Iwunwa but this year, I will be working as the chief minion of the Cadre. Alongside five phenomenal managing editors, I will be serving up daily doses of news, opinion pieces, and articles relating primarily to the UPEI student body.
To our new readers, welcome aboard! I will offer an introduction of the Cadre and then of myself. The Cadre is the University of Prince Edward Island’s student-run newspaper, established in 1969. We were once called the Gem, then the Xpress, and operated in print until 2012 when we switched to an online base. We are currently situated in room 218 up in the UPEISU office and have our weekly meetings at 4pm every Tuesday.
This year, we aim to spotlight student involvement in the content that we provide. So we call on writers and opinion-havers alike. What kind of materials do you want to read in your newspaper? Do you want to contribute in some way? Inbox me at cadreeditor@gmail.com. We are looking to begin a few initiatives starting this semester. Feature Friday, Cadre Confidential, and our new streeter “Who’s Your Father?â€, are amongst pieces you should keep your eyes peeled for. Blueberry Letters will become our fancy name for the Letters To The Editor. Feel free to send in whatever you have an opinion on or whatever shall I say, makes you feel “blueâ€. Most of our work this year will be focused on students and so we need you to help us serve you.
With that out of the way, I can finally introduce myself! This is going to be my third year studying Psychology at this institution and my second year with the Cadre. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria and am blessed to come from an incredible cultural background. I am a Catholic girl, and my faith seeps into how I think and act.
If anyone had told me that I would become a part of this organic establishment, I might have believed them. However seeing how my life has changed because of this, has been nothing short of gratitude-inducing. Because of the friends I have and the connections I have made, I have been able to awaken the gifts that have been buried deep inside of me. Relationships matter, this is the truth.
I enjoy silence. It forces me to still myself and see what is going on in my mind. Over the past year, my mind has blossomed. Everyday, I am discovering who I am in truth and in the divine. It has been a tad bit unnerving but quite exciting as well. I have gone from being a person who obsesses over my next steps, to being one who embraces the detours of life. I have begun to take my work in writing more seriously and am committed to filling myself with goodness, only so I can pour into others. And that’s what writing is to me in the end, filling people with goodness. But I realize that no one can pour from an empty vessel. Someday in the near future, I will become a traveling nurse and a published author. For now though, I will keep seeking opportunities for growth and walking through the doors God opens.
I really hope you enjoy and engage with what we produce this year. Drop me an email at cadreeditor@gmail.com, check out and bookmark our website at thecadreupei.com, like us on Facebook at UPEI Cadre, and finally, follow us on Twitter at the_cadre.
Cheers,
Elizabeth