From the very first BALM meeting, where a group of inspired students began a magazine with no idea on where to begin, to the very last issue I will ever be a part of as a graduating senior, I have nothing but amazing things to say about the journey that The Brooks Arts and Literary Magazine has taken me on. I have served many positions on The BALM, including co-founder, executive editor, website designer, honorary task coordinator, and don’t forget that I was the resident Harry Styles expert (though no one can truly take my spot). To get the cliches out of the way, I have been able to learn about my strengths and weaknesses as a result of participating in The BALM. For example, I know that I am a strong editor, and I take pride in being able to provide helpful advice for our writing members (shout-out Mr. Ejzak for that sophomore year education), which leads me to my weakness. I believe that my writing skills are just flourishing. My writing style is more research-oriented and analytical, and I do wish that I could go back and explore my writing capabilities in a more relaxed style. The BALM certainly offers the space, so that one is on me for not utilizing the space.
Enough with the formalities, though; I’d rather explore some of the specific memories that The BALM has given me that simply cannot be recreated.
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BALM’s virtual launch party celebrations circa online school were events that were not to be missed! Though choosing a movie to watch was the most stressful thing ever, the togetherness and celebration of releasing another beautiful issue is a feeling of triumph that I already miss dearly. |
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The all nighters with the website design team were insane to say the least. These occurred during virtual learning and were a complete doozy every third Thursday of the month. I was originally terrified of using Weebly, but once I was able to become a part of the website design team, I was initiated into the “website dump” session that lasted until way beyond 3 am. Great memories, but awful sleep schedule. |
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Last, but certainly not least, are the countless after-meeting conversations that are bound to take place at any given BALM meeting. Though this phenomenon started during virtual learning, it continued into the in-person school year. Even after Elisa’s dismissal of “Take care of yourself, eat something and drink some water,” there was essentially another meeting taking place of casual conversation happening between members. It just goes to show that no one ever wants to leave the BALM space. |
So as I close and say my final goodbyes to The BALM, I want to say a very hefty thank you to the magazine itself. I have truly enjoyed my part of building this publication and club from the ground up, and it would have never been possible without the hard work and participation of the dedicated founders. There is never truly a final goodbye (despite what I said earlier), but rather a see you later. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the new members who have already taken the torch into their hands.
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See you later, Jada Ceaser :-) |
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Jada Ceaser
