The single most effective way to capture someone’s interest is to deny them; to forbid them to see. Out of this observation of human nature grew the idea for the lock on the cover of this issue. The lock really works in two ways: the first by providing that sense of the forbidden, thus drawing the reader in; the second by serving to “lock away” the explorations of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth in the words, photographs, and artwork found inside. My hope is that once the potential reader succumbs to his or her curiosity and picks this issue up, he or she will find the contents well worth the risk of unlocking them.
The artists and writers of Saginaw Valley State University have accepted the challenge of unlocking those things which make each of us human. Through the mediums of art, photography, and words, they continue to reveal to us the beauty (and ugliness) of the world around us. They creatively find ways to show us how we interact with one another. They use their talents to explain to us who we are as a society and who they are as individuals.
I would like to dedicate this issue to my students, past,
present, and future. May they never be afraid to unlock the mysteries of
humanity. May they be keenly aware of both the beauty and the ugliness around
them, for without one you cannot appreciate the other. And may they always have
the courage to seek out and unlock their individuality.
Lindsay S. Bryce
Editor-in-Chief