Welcome to my last Concrete Archive feature! I’ve so loved doing these – diving into our amazing archive each issue and exploring the hidden gems it has to offer. For my last exploration, forgive the self-indulgence and join me on a trip down memory lane as we venture back to those bygone days of October 2020, and my first ever contribution to Concrete.

Of course these were the times of Covid, and so that naturally dominated the content. The front page by Deputy Editor Matt Branston explored UEA’s decision to reduce their food delivery cost for students self-isolating on campus from £18 to £12 per day (for three meals), following “intense backlash.” Meanwhile, in his editorial fellow Deputy William Warnes reflected on the new world of online seminars and breakout rooms – the less said about those the better!

It wasn’t all doom and gloom though, and Venue still provided lots of engaging arts coverage! The first article in Arts reviewed the Wonderglow festival that UEA put on for Freshers, comprised of a series of light displays around campus, including the ‘Gaia’ Earth model in the Sainsbury Centre. In hindsight it maybe wasn’t the most exciting Welcome Week event, but I certainly remember it fondly from a time with limited options.

In Books the top story was a debate asking ‘Is poetry inaccessible?’ with Leia Butler arguing against, writing “it’s the mystery and uncertainty that makes me love poetry so much,” and Tristan Pollitt arguing for, suggesting the form is elitist. Both arguments are well-written, but if you love poetry like I do and decide to dig it out, be prepared to be annoyed by the ‘for’ argument!

Moving to TV and I was struck by the inclusion of a Venue favourite: ‘How Streaming Redefined Television’. In various forms articles about the competition between streaming and linear broadcasting have dominated the section throughout my time here – I even wrote one myself in 2021. Maybe I’m too optimistic, but for what it’s worth I do think linear is now on slightly better ground than we thought it would be in 2020, albeit still with some huge challenges.

Turning the page, we come to the reason for this article – 200 words from me on why Doctor Who is the best science-fiction show. My central thesis was clear – “Doctor Who is hopeful… In its world, nobody, not even the Doctor, is perfect, but anyone has the capacity to be nice, a message which will surely never lose its value.” It wasn’t particularly long or groundbreaking, but it was my first step into this wonderful world of Concrete that has been such a big part of my life over the last four years. So, if you’re still at UEA next year and have never written for us, why not give it a go – you never know where it might take you…

Editor: Sam Hewitson

Click here to view Issue 377 in full!