Like many, I have a complicated relationship with New Year’s resolutions. Time and time again, I would set lofty goals for myself, only to feel defeated two weeks into the year. Eventually, I stopped setting resolutions altogether. And although mid-January was no longer marked by disappointment, I couldn’t help but feel that I was missing out on the excitement surrounding New Year’s—the prospect of a fresh start and the endless possibilities that accompany it.
My insurmountable fear of failure kept me from writing down a list of goals I want to accomplish in 2022, but I have been reflecting on what the past couple of years have brought me and what I want to do in these coming months. And I’m trying to focus on the small things in life. I want to call my friends and family more often; I want to stop drinking coffee in the evening and have it in the morning instead; and I want to continue helping students share stories that are important to them.
I hope that The Strand helps you ring in the new year with this first issue of 2022. In News, Falak Navez and Max Lees provide important information about how Omicron is impacting UofT students. In Opinions, Cory Benson provides a humorous and comprehensive list of what to bring into the new year and what to leave behind. Aayu Pandey’s feature explores the impact of remote learning on the lives of international students. Associate Science Editor Jasmine Ryu Won Kang highlights the connection between climate change and last year’s extreme weather events. In Arts and Culture, members of The Strand reflect on the best and worst of 2021. And Stranded Editor Victoria McIntyre is, once again, enlisting your help in finding her lost items—this time, they’re her hopes and dreams.
If one of your resolutions included flexing your creative muscles, earning a print and digital byline, and/or working with the coolest people on campus, you’re in luck! The Strand is accepting pitches for our spring magazine, MIRAGE.
Is seeing always believing? The theme of MIRAGE is an invitation to look closer at what we tend to take for granted. Consider phenomena such as distortion, manipulation, or false accounts, and how they arise in the self, in relationships, or in society at large. What is real? How does it become real? And why is it real? On top of that, discuss the shifts in perspective after a mirage is broken. Pitch us your trickiest desert oases, your pillars of light, your lagoons on the highway. Show us, above all, where there is more than meets the eye. Pitches of a few sentences with an estimated word count and a visual request, and/or any other inquiries, can be sent to [email protected] by January 29 at 10am! For more information, please visit our Facebook event page.
