Letter from the Editor:
Dear Reader,
I’ve always felt a sense of liveliness in the summer months. The days grow longer, steeped in endless sunshine and freedom. But as we face our current reality, it seems as if we’re experiencing quite the opposite effect. There’s nothing more universal than the hardships, stagnation and emptiness we’ve endured throughout some of the bleakest years in human history.
Perhaps you’re like me — constantly coping, doing your best to adapt when the terrain turns rough, feeling as if hope is scarce in supply these days. Global pandemics, immeasurable losses and brutal injustices can all take their toll on us. And yet, the thing with hope is that it is persistent. It has the potential to exist even in the face of adversity.
Month after month, I witnessed my staff and writers embrace unfathomable change. Interviews were conducted at a distance or through computer screens, faces were concealed by masks. We sifted through heartache to deliver catharsis, and found what made us feel limitless.
These pages are filled with vulnerability, healing and introspection. You’ll find narratives that illuminate those who are making a difference in communities and artwork to inspire you in between. We have sought to capture a profound moment in time; capsules of memory illustrating raw truths and strength that transcends our limitations.
As we continue to navigate this uncertainty, my hope for you is to find the silver linings — courage, resilience, joy — enough to make your soul feel alive within this ever-changing world.
Yours truly,
Christa Yaranon
Editor-in-Chief, Summer 2021
STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Christa Yaranon
STORY EDITORS: Michelle McDaniel, Shaina Yaranon, Shannon Steffens, Natalie Vinh
COPY EDITOR: Riley Kankelberg
PHOTO EDITOR: Merrideth McDowell
PHOTOGRAPHER: Jackson Sweeny
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR: Victoria Corkum
ENGAGEMENT EDITOR: Isaiah Valera
DESIGNER: Hannah Bodily
ILLUSTRATOR: Julia Vreeman
ADVISER: Joan Connell
WRITERS: McKenna Andersen, Nolan Baker, Taylor Bayly, Sophia Beach, Connor Benintendi, Sienna Boucher, Carl Bryden, Eva Bryner, Finn Calvert, Alisha Dixon, Emily Feek, Aidan Gaffney, Lucille Giaccio, Zachary Jimenez, Sela Marino, Tony Mueantonthian, Chris O’Neill, Tunny Parrish, Ana Soltero, Seth Stevens, Henry Stewart-Wood, Jordan Stone, Hailee Wickersham, Tyreke Wilbanks