Dear Readers,

It’s fitting that after the highest of Brown highs this weekend, I am so deeply lost in the proverbial sauce of the week—a hump day that feels humpier than most. There’s always that first week in the semester when the assignments start to pile up, and the sleep starts to pile down (I propose we adopt this as a new turn of phrase), and somehow, smack-dab in the middle of that week, I always find myself writing the editor’s note. But there’s a light at the end of that tunnel, the due dates will come as they always do, and then I have much to look forward to this weekend—dinner at Jahunger, apple picking, a visit from my parents. What a cliché: overworked college student, chugging coffee by day, still making time for fun by night. And another cliché, a verbose rambler pointing out this juxtaposition, an appreciation for the two sides of all coins.

This week in post-, that dichotomy is as strong as ever. In Feature, our writer unpacks the bond she shares with her mother through pain. In Narrative, we have another story of generational pain which explores the gut wrenching feeling of powerlessness following a harrowing diagnosis. Similarly, one Arts & Culture writer reflects on Pachinko, which inspired him to learn more about his ancestors. Here’s where that dichotomy comes in: On a brighter note, our other A&C writer recounts her trip to the All Things Go music festival. In Lifestyle, our writers are talking about two sides of campus life: in one piece, a guide on where to eat with that campus friend crush, and in the other, the deep spite of running into that campus enemy. We’ve got a crossword too about this past weekend’s football clash. And for the first time ever, a piece that interrogates the concept of juxtaposition to christen our brand new post-pourri section!

I’m so excited to debut this new section of post- to the world tonight. I want to end with a special shoutout to our managing editor Rachel Metzger for helping raise this section from just a mere idea. Spoiler alert, another cliché, but I think often about the ways that post- has evolved over the years, and I like to think that this week will go down as a signpost(-) in the ever-growing journey of the magazine. One thing that will never be a cliché: my love for this publication and everyone who breathes life into it. I hope you celebrate them with me by picking up a copy this week!

Of two minds,
Joe Maffa,
Editor-in-Chief