Editor's Note

Some might say posting the first issue of the semester a day late is a bad omen. But I would say a) better late than ever; b) what better way to celebrate the first day of fall?; and c) JGG has given me permission to blame the delay on him. Weather aside, this issue, chock-full of good stories and anchored by a stellar scrut, is itself a good omen for what the rest of the semester has in store. Sk8ing is not just for bois anymore: MGB reports on two groups trying to promote inclusivity in the skating community. EAG covers a panel on health inequity at the Boston Medical Center, reporting on why racial disparities in health exist and how to correct them. OGO travels to North Cambridge’s Danehy Park to check in on its Miyawaki Forest, one of the region's first. The biodiverse forest recently celebrated its first birthday, but amid ongoing drought and mounting climate threats, its future may be uncertain. CY profiles Josh Levin, a recent HGSE grad and professional climber who competed on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior. If you need that extra push to go to the gym, give it a read. MX sits down for 15 Questions with Taeku Lee, one of the first faculty members hired as part of FAS’ ethnic studies cluster hire initiative, to talk about racial politics, fake news, and why he dropped out of medical school. In what may look like a levity but is (unfortunately) 100% true, JKW brings us back to 1887, when a hastily-assembled MIT team usurped Harvard’s long-established one. The sport? Tug-of-War. Any Venn Diagram doubters will surely hold their tongues after reading this issue’s side-splitting iterations. That’s right, iterations plural: we’ve got not one but two giggle-inducing graphics this week. JKW fleshes out a comparison we’ve all surely made while in our feels after a mediocre Quad party — that of the shuttle to the Quad and your absent father, Todd. And the inimitable SSL, in her Levity debut, tackles a tricky trio: Nietzsche, kombucha, and sriracha. HRTW, in his Levity opposite-of-debut, reports on an admirable effort by Porcellian Punches to unionize for fairer punch conditions. Men in suits? They’re just like us. Finally, KT brings us our first endpaper of the semester, probing her relationship with language and family in her always beautiful prose. AHL and SCS ground our issue with their thoroughly-reported scrut: The Hardest Summer You’ll Ever Love’: Inside PBHA’s Summer Urban Program. SUP, a low-cost summer camp that serves more than 800 low-income students in the greater Boston area, is staffed almost entirely by college and high school students. Some of this summer’s counselors reported challenging yet rewarding experiences, but others reported burnout and disillusionment, exacerbated by alleged inadequate training and poor communication from PBHA administration. Though affiliates all agree on the importance of SUP’s mission, some counselors wondered whether doing social good must necessarily come at the cost of their own well-being. It’s a thoughtful, nuanced exploration of what it means to do responsible public service, and how to design a program that serves the community but doesn’t neglect its own staff. Give it a read! As I’m quickly remembering, it takes a lot of work to put a magazine issue together! This one wouldn’t have been possible without our lovely execs, new and old, especially our electrifying EALs, JBA and SSI. A special shoutout to DRZ for spectacular scrproofing. Thanks to JH for holding down the Multi fort, and to JJG for beautiful forest pics. Three cheers to SS and MH for holding down the Design fort and making our articles come to life. Hats off to SWF and MMFW for a successful first Writers’ Block. As always, thanks to JGG for edits and patience, and to SSL for steadiness and consolation during a tough week. And to all our writers (and compers!), thank you for bringing your energy to our little magazine! We can’t wait for the rest of this semester. Sincerely, MVE & SSL