No, you’re not dreaming. It’s almost finished. Remember that very first time a thousand years ago when you first set foot in the Littauer building and realized why MC-Escher was not better known for architecture? Reflect upon when you got a B for that paper you’d spent weeks on, while your friend who just rewrote passages from Wikipedia the night before got an A. Or, remember when your professor gave you 30 hours of readings for a class that started in less than a day? Or the time that people with massive backpacks blocked the stairs while having conversations about less than nothing? Oh no wait … that was every day. Well, don’t worry, that’s all over (student loan not included).
So this is my final issue as editor-in-chief of The Citizen. I would love to give you some words of wisdom to set you on your way, but you’ll be getting enough of those drilled into you the next few days. You can look forward to speeches full of words such as ‘vision’, ‘destiny’ and ‘reflection’, until after the sixth hour, your relatives turn towards you in awe and whisper “Why are we here? Can we go for drinks instead? Does Charlie’s Kitchen still serve those cheap lobster rolls?”
In my last few words to you, I would however point to our title: Why is this paper called The Citizen? Maybe the first editor was thrifty and wanted to save on ink (it’s a short, catchy title, isn’t it?)? Or the reason is that despite our recent education and rubbing shoulders with the high and mighty of political society, we are still all citizens? If we wish to serve others, then we should remember that the needs of the least advantaged are no less important than the needs of the top.
Finally I would like to personally thank a few wonderful people. First, my amazing team of editors: Wei Ran, Ted Zagraniski, Tommy Tobin, Benjamin Weinryb Grohsgal and Christina Marin without whose help each issue would probably have consisted of two badly worded Post-It notes. Second, to our many staff writers and contributors who provided amazing insights, photographs and other content. Third, thank you to Janell Sims, our very hardworking and creative production and layout editor. Finally, thanks to you, the reader. At this point, I’m supposed to use some cliché about hoping it was as much fun to read the paper as it was for me to make, but to be quite honest reading is very easy and you got off lightly. Goodbye. Please remember to be good Citizens.
– Simon R. Bone, Editor-in-Chief, 2013-2014