Editor's Note

It's that time again, folks. It's time to let your eyes wander from the ordinary, to shimmy off the trappings of the everyday, to discover a new vantage point.

Twice a year at your student news-paper, something rather obscure happens – reporters get an extended deadline, and editors have a content look on their faces. No, we haven't entered a time warp; we have been working on something unique.

Beyond is our bi-annual magazine that looks different than The Journal, with thicker and squattier looking pages; it also covers a variety of topics that don't always appear in the news-paper. This edition of Beyond explores cultural traditions, common health misconceptions, literal old school projections and so much more.

The Journal/Beyond staff contributed their own ideas to fill these pages. But they did so with you, the reader, in mind. Some of the topics are light-hearted, offering a jovial escape from the mundane. Others are more hard browed, calling attention to subjects that have been long overlooked. Some fall in between these boundaries. Whether you are reading for pure entertainment or to satisfy a thirst for knowledge, I hope you will find the contents of this issue more than satisfactory.

And as I have just interjected such a personal pronoun to this note, I suppose it is time to introduce myself. My name is Emily Martin. I help edit this fine little production. Although some modify my title with “chief,” I certainly do not feel like the head of this operation.

The student newspaper, a microcosm for all workplaces big and small, works as a cog. We are made up of talented designers, curious and enthusiastic writers and ardent business people. We are guided by feedback from our adviser, Debra Landis, and the advice of students, staff and faculty. No single person runs the show.

We could not do what we do without the contribution of every turning wheel, every lever and every pulley – all dehumanizing metaphors aside – we could not do what we do without the people of this university and beyond.

Photograph by TerryLynn Banks

Between the covers

A survivor's take on breast cancer

A closer look at Islam

What not to do on a first date

Coffee ahead!

Springfield artists share their original talents.

Where have all the hippies gone?

...and more! 

Photograph by Jeremy Wilburn