Summer is coming to a close as the new academic year arrives. This has been the busiest summer of my life – filled with new clothes, new friends, new experiences and fresh perspectives all resulting in a new A.J. Now, as I prepare to slip back into my normal routine of classes, work, sorority and other club obligations, I can’t remember what that routine was. I wonder what were my priorities, why did I do this, how did I do that, and why did that scare me?

I have now made four of these magazines, and each one felt like the first time, like it brought a fresh start. That is how I have always viewed the start of a new semester but that no longer feels accurate. I feel like I have matured a lot this summer, and I am not yet sure how that will effect my approach to the newspaper.

As always, I strive to provide high-quality designs and intriguing stories for our readers.   However, instead of a magazine focused on beginnings and youth, I want to show growth.

College is a time to try new things and learn everything. Of course, you can never know everything, though, so let’s slow down this semester. So much is changing around us – on campus, in higher education, in America and in the world. If not careful, it could pass you by without your realizing.

You do not need a fresh start. You need to live in the present and grow slow and steady, like  an elegant pear tree. If you start to nurture yourself now, in three to five years you will have a beautiful  gift to present the world. That is what college is meant for

So, try not to stress. Go to more events on campus and in town. Visit your family. Don’t get caught up in one person or one goal. Change is inevitable, but change is good. Embrace it and nothing will be able to stop you.