When people ask what section of Concrete I edit for, I’m always met with questions when I reply ‘Home of the Wonderful’. This is completely fair, it is a more ambiguously named section than most and so for a time I would resort to ‘happy UEA news’. However, I do think that this detracts from the gravity of many of the articles and the importance of news on our campus. I truly believe that the writers that have written for Home of the Wonderful this year have been superb in their ability to shine a light on stories that might overwise be taken for granted and in doing so gave a voice to students and staff.

Looking back at Home of the Wonderful this year, I am very proud of all the ground we have covered! Matthew’s introduction of the ‘Concrete Archive’ has been a brilliant addition to the section, making for both insightful and amusing reads each issue. I believe that this has set the tone for the wide range of student and UEA history that can be found within our pages. This has ranged from my own interludes into folklore in articles such as ‘The Haunting of UEA’ and ‘A Very Norwich Valentine’ to Matthew’s ‘A Brief History of UEA: 60 Years of Doing Different’ and ‘Exploring Norfolk’s Landscape History with Dr Sarah Spooner’. Perhaps one of Home of the Wonderful’s greatest feats this year has been the inclusion of ‘The Concrete Story’, a six-page piece covering the entire history of Concrete, from its origins in 1992 and right up to the present day.

Despite our detours into history, Home of the Wonderful has maintained its focus on stories relevant to student life in 2023/2024. This includes articles on wellbeing, trans experience, campus food and Sylvester to mention a few. Linda Vu, Home of the Wonderful’s Senior Writer, has been an incredible asset to many of these articles, with her ‘Movember at UEA- What’s ‘Give a Ruck’ and ‘An International Student Experience’ being standouts. I also have to give mention to Mia’s interview with Concrete Confessions in ‘Sex and Summative Seasons’ and Eve’s ‘Celebrating UEA’s Black Alumni as articles that have defined the section this year.

Writing for Concrete has quickly become a very special part of my time at university. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a team who are not only exceptionally talented but also exceptionally kind. It can be quite daunting to join a completely new group of people, but I am beyond grateful that I did. Without it I wouldn’t have had the memories of the SPA weekend in Bristol, the chance to go on the radio and the interviews with some really fascinating people. However, sometimes it’s the small things that stick with you and I have to say that some of my favourite memories have been sitting in the media office each month, sunlight pouring in and simply spending hours laying out Home of the Wonderful on InDesign.

It is undeniable that you learn a lot being a Concrete editor, whether that be in terms of editing itself, laying up the articles or working with a completely new group of people. However, what has been perhaps the greatest learning curve is the ability to take confidence in myself. Concrete can have a knack for pushing you out of your comfort zone, but I’ve become incredibly aware of what a good thing that can be.

It is difficult to express how excited I am to take up the position of Co-Editor-In-Chief alongside Jamie next year. It is such a fantastic opportunity and one that I’m incredibly grateful to have received. I’ve loved every minute of the handover so far and I cannot wait for all the planning this summer. The only draw back will be no longer working with Eve and Matthew! Still, I’m convinced that it’ll be a twelve months to remember and I sincerely hope that we’ll be able to do the current team proud.

Image: Concrete/Innes Henry