I'll Only Stand on My Soapbox

This week, I packed up my shoebox others deem a car and made the meandering trip back to Bloomington from my hometown of (prepare yourselves) Evansville, Ind., after more than a year away. \nI spent my junior year -- yes, the entire year -- abroad in Canterbury, England, followed by internships in Evansville and New York. Into those 365-plus days I crammed enough travel (and racked up enough credit card debt) to satisfy my wayward yearnings for at least a few decades. By the time I touched down in Indianapolis in May, I'd grown accustomed to living off the grossly-inflated British pound and wondering why Kylie Minogue's ass was so damn popular among Anglophiles. And during the course of my whirlwind summer, I prepared myself to take the helm of inarguably the best college magazine in the country. \nYes, that's right -- for those of you making your first-year foray into life as a Bloomingtonian (which, trust me, you'll become after inhabiting those dreadful dorms for a few weeks), you'll soon realize we are the premier source for entertainment in Bloomington and beyond. We'll be where you turn to find out what movies bombed in true Gigli-esque fashion, which CDs drop next week and what band's headlining your favorite Kirkwood venue; ours will be the pages you thumb while suffering through Thursday lectures. Since a redesign a few years back, led by a truly dynamic and visionary staff, Weekend has truly found it's niche among local publications. And we're damn proud of that. \nIt's my plan to keep it that way. But I can't do it alone, which is why I hired a fantastic staff to assist in making your Weekend the best it can possibly be (without securing a name in the daily blotter -- we'll leave you to your own devices on that one). Meghan Dwyer, fresh from a stint at CNN Inside Politics this summer, will take over the features department, while graduate student Val Tsoutsoris will man the busily-diversifying reviews desk. Photo editor Adam Yale and design chief Jeremy Cook will team up to provide the visuals that are distinctly Weekend, creating a package that's at once eye-pleasing and informative. It's our aim to make the magazine fresh, appealing, and decidedly more editorially diverse without losing the entertainment news and events listings so vital to all segments of the IU student population. \nThat's why we're distributing student interest surveys in residence halls, Greek houses, apartment complexes and some academic buildings. Weekend shouldn't be about the esoteric interests of some left-wing editor-in-chief (hey, I won't get political yet), so we're not going to subject you to (much of) my rambling ruminations. We want to get to the heart of issues that matter to you, and that requires a bit of effort on both ends. (For the chronically lazy, fret not -- we'll offer an online poll as well.)\nSo let us know what matters to you. We want to hear your gripes and groans (and hey, a few accolades never hurt anyone). Email me personally at hljohnso@indiana.edu, or send a mass mailing to the Weekend team at weekend@indiana.edu. Stop by Ernie Pyle Hall and get a glimpse of what goes into making your Weekend fabulous. Apply to write a column, review or feature on subjects that may have flown over our radar. \nIt's your magazine. Make it.