This campus is definitely not what it was three years ago when I first moved to Chicago. Shops have closed and chains have opened; walls have been painted and buildings have been torn down—and even burned down—and countless faculty and students have left the campus, deciding this school just wasn’t for them.And although Columbia’s adopted motto, “Create Change,” is something many of us joke about or mock, it’s absolutely fitting. Our students are breaking the mold, our teachers are doing the impossible by working in their fields full-time and also teaching part-time at Columbia, the South Loop community where we reside is quickly becoming a burgeoning neighborhood in the city and the college is progressively working to stay in touch with the way media shapes our lives.So to follow the South Loop and Columbia’s lead, The Chronicle is making a few changes itself to better serve you—our readers. The City Beat section has changed to Metro, which will bring you the latest in developing stories from across the Chicagoland area; the Arts & Entertainment section is now Arts & Culture, keeping you in touch with the people who surround you and the art that inhabits our spaces; and the Campus News section, now Campus, will discuss not only news on Columbia’s campus, but also the issues that affect you as a college student.The idea behind The Chronicle, to become the voice of the Columbia community, hasn’t changed—it’s just being amped up a bit. In our Commentary section, the new Back Talk section will allow you as students and faculty to briefly address your concerns or offer praise via e-mail. Letters to the Editor are still highly encouraged, as many issues just can’t be addressed in less than 75 words.And while you’re e-mailing your Back Talk submissions, please notice the overhaul of The Chronicle’s website. It has become clear in the past few years which direction publications and media are taking, and The Chronicle has decided to follow the same path. Throughout the semester, the website will feature videos, podcasts, blogs, slideshows, articles available only online, breaking news updates and comment capability for readers to comment and give feedback directly on each article. The print edition of The Chronicle has always been an outlet for students to voice their opinions, and now our website will expand this opportunity for feedback to both The Chronicle and Columbia.Perhaps the most notable addition to The Chronicle is the presence of the newspaper on the streets of the South Loop. Twenty free-standing outdoor newsstands are scattered throughout the South Loop, in front of Columbia campus buildings and South Loop establishments, to further demonstrate the importance of the culture Columbia radiates in the South Loop community.For new students who haven’t been around long enough to witness all of these changes: Don’t worry, this community will keep growing and changing. You’ll be able to look back at your first year and remember how things once were. And for returning students: Welcome back. It may not look like the community we first arrived in, but the ideals behind it haven’t changed a bit.
