It’s the time of year where that chill in the air becomes undeniable. Summer has definitely left us, and as we put the finishing touches on our costumes (or scurry around frantically trying to come up with one) we start to seek comfort in warmer things. This issue has a selection of those, starting with Hazel Anaka’s heart-warming look at her grandson and S.D. Livingston’s exploration of how our high tech lives don’t mix well with high heat. Our feature article is Wanda Waterman’s report from Tunisia, focusing on the exotic foods and spices that she finds there. Il pique indeed. There is also Chazz Bravado displaying his usual warmth in the latest comic, a movie review that asks a burning question or two, and some other bits and pieces that we hope will keep you distracted from the cold outside.
You may be wondering why there are no Halloween-themed articles this week, so close to Halloween. The truth is simply that we didn’t receive any. Our regular writers are a small, some might say elite, group, but even they can only do so much. The Voice needs more: more writers, more content, more readers, more exposure, and most important, more information about what AUSU members like you want to see in their student magazine. So in the coming weeks, I hope to set up two surveys. The first one will be for you, the regular readers, to tell me what you think The Voice is doing right and where we’re going wrong. It won’t be publicized. It’ll just be our little secret. I want to get the impressions of you who already read The Voice.
The second, larger one, will be well publicized. In it I hope to find out from as many AU students as I can the kinds of things they enjoy or don’t, the types of articles they want to see in their student magazine, their ideas on how we can get them reading and participating, and their thoughts on where we should go in the future. Oh, and there will be prizes. Did I mention the prizes? I can’t say what they are just yet (because I don’t know myself), but I’m hopeful they’ll make filling out the surveys worth your while.
Finally, I should introduce myself as the new managing editor. I’m Karl, and I’m very pleased to have you here with us. For those who don’t know, I’ve been a writer with The Voice myself, off and on, for the last decade or so (wow, it really has been that long, hasn’t it?) and my goal is nothing less than to make The Voice the most widely read student-focused magazine across the globe.
I know it’s a goal that will take time, work, and a lot of talent?more talent than I have on my own, that’s certain. But I’ve a great head start in having an extremely solid core of regular writers working with me and AUSU members around the world like you to aid and guide me. I know first-hand how carefully and thoroughly edited Voice articles are and the level of quality that you, the readers, have come to expect from The Voice. I think you’ll find this week’s issue lives up to that expectation. But if you don’t, then please let me know and accept my apologies ahead of time. Things should only get better from here.
After all?I’m just warming up.
