Dear readers and viewers,
In the past few months, each day has felt heavier than the last. Our lives were abruptly interrupted. I was evacuated from my college campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just a week after I returned to school from spring break. I went on to self-quarantine for 14 days in my room, in case I had been infected, and finished my semester over zoom. While my situation is not exactly ideal, I'm lucky to have a safe home to return to and to remain in good health. That being said, I find myself really missing face-to-face connection since quarantine began.
I've seen plenty of articles about new ways to celebrate milestones—from zoom birthday parties to graduation ceremonies to everything in between. More and more, myself and my peers have realized that technology is just not the same as maintaining these connections and experiences in person. In a world that has been steadily relying on more technology and social media for over a decade, we were losing our sense of real personal connection.
Our world is facing a number of tragic, yet historic incidents. We are not only living through a global pandemic that has caused an alarming number of deaths, but also a national outcry for civil rights and police reform. There are so many complex perspectives on the current events we are faced with—that are so much more than a social media post or profile.
I decided to create this online magazine to better understand people, and to foster connections—to navigate this time in which we are left to confront our digitized society from six feet apart, or locked down in our homes. The best way for me to understand those around me has always been to seek their stories, to hear their words, and share my own. I hope to offer a platform for different creators, and to delve further into the new normal for magazine journalism with this project.
Best,
Madison E. Goldberg
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