Melanie Gasmen/THE REVIEW
BY
Editor-in-Chief
AND
Executive Editor
Dear readers,
Here we are again, standing at the precipice of another semester. For many of you, it is your first semester on campus since more than a year ago (or ever). So, welcome back, or simply welcome!
The Review has also returned to its cluttered office, which has stood empty for many months. It feels nice to be back, although it is strange to look at the newspapers from March 2020 that are still lying about.
This issue is The Review’s first printed issue since that fateful March. For many of us, it was hard to imagine a newspaper without the paper component, but we made it work. This year, we plan to bring you two printed editions every semester; between those issues we will have current news available on our website, udreview.com, and through weekly newsletters delivered straight to your inboxes.
We have officially returned to campus and in-person learning, yet the destiny of this semester remains uncertain. As much as we hate to say it, the pandemic is not over.
Although the pandemic is not as mysterious and isolating as it was a year ago, it is not time to forget what we went through, nor will it ever be. In a way, this experience will live with us forever, so instead of burying it, we may as well use the perspective we gained to better ourselves and our communities.
The pandemic has exposed faults in the structures that govern our lives — whether it be the university or the United States government.
We have seen the disastrous effects of an unsound healthcare system, systemic racism and a warming climate. We have seen the pandemic benefit the billionaires, while most of us fell into hardship. We have seen the misinformation, and we have seen its impact.
Yes, it’s been ugly, and it’s hard not to turn away. We want nothing more than a return to 2019.
A return to “normalcy,” however, would be a return to a flawed past. So instead of trying to go back in time, we urge you to look to the future, to question these grand institutions and to fight for change. If we do return to this idea of “normalcy” that is being thrust upon us, we can guarantee that 2020 will not be the last lousy year.
Although it is easier to forget, we ask that you remember COVID-19. Remember the pain and the sorrow. Remember the flaws it exposed and continues to expose. And then do something to address them.
At The Review, we are committed to the truth, even when others attempt to hide it — and we hope that you will use our articles to think more deeply about our situation and the institutions that govern it.
Our final words of advice: stay aware, and stay critical.
Sincerely,
Kelsey and Simon
