My Experience Writing for The Quill
By: Mallory Johnson
I worked for The Quill for a wonderful four years, and since I am graduating, I sadly must leave. I am sad to go, but I am on to bigger and better things as I have recently been accepted into Red River College Polytechnic’s Creative Communications program, and plan to specialize in Journalism. Red River College is located in the Exchange District in Winnipeg, and I am very excited! I’d love to share some stories about my experience working for The Quill.
I first joined The Quill in September of my first year at BU, at clubs day. I remember my mom encouraged me to branch out and join a club. I was shy and nervous, so when I was browsing the clubs and came across a student-run newspaper, I thought, “Hey, I like writing, let’s try this out.” I am so, SO glad that I was brave enough to sign my name that day. The Quill has brought me so many amazing opportunities. I remember the meetings in my first year were terrifying to me, as I was (and still am) socially anxious and nervous. I also didn’t know anyone there, but my ears perked up when I learned that I would get paid for what I wrote. At the time, I just assumed I signed up for a club, not a job! I used my articles for The Quill as a way of expressing myself in writing in non-academic settings, which was a very nice relief. I wrote popular culture articles every week, which to some may sound like extra unnecessary weekly essays, which I understand, but writing these articles was different. They allowed me to be myself in my writing and talk about what I wanted to talk about. I reviewed movies, television shows, books, and more. After a little while, I showed up to weekly pitch meetings more confidently.
One night in semester two, my mom texted me and asked if I would want to work for a newspaper based out of Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, which was home for my family and I at the time. I said yes, and asked my boss at The Quill if I could “double dip” my articles and send one article to both newspapers. They said yes, and I was now getting paid by two newspapers for my work.
At the end of my second semester in my first year, COVID-19 struck, and I was sent home. Before this, The Quill operated with physical issues and online editions, but due to the pandemic we went strictly online. We stayed online only until the start of this semester, which I was very happy about.
In my third year at BU, I got a very cool email from my boss on a regular night at home. I casually checked my email and saw that my boss said that every year one Quill writer gets to write an article about BU in Maclean’s University Guidebook edition. They were asking me if I wanted to write the article this year. I was in shock. I remember just staring at my phone and then standing up to show my mom, saying, “this is cool!” I of course said yes and wrote the short article over Christmas break. I got headshots done by a high school classmate and was paid $150. I searched high and low for copies of the magazine and am still in shock whenever I see my smile on the page of a Canadian national magazine.
Another cool thing that happened at The Quill was my promotion from Junior Reporter to Assistant Editor-in-Chief. I was ecstatic when I was offered the job, but I still made sure I took the time to think it over. The new role came with new responsibilities, and I was ready more than ever to finally return to campus.
I am so sad that I must leave The Quill, which has been a consistent part of my life ever since I took that plunge in September of 2019. I am endlessly grateful for everything that I have learned from my experience at the paper. Joining The Quill is how I learned what I want to do with my life. If you or anyone you know would like to join The Quill, I highly recommend pushing through that social anxiety; you never know how worth it it’ll be.