2021 riverrun Final PDF

D
ear Reader,
We had a discussion at the beginning of the year
about whether or not the theme should be
“pandemic.” There were a lot of people for and a lot
of people against. Some people felt the pandemic was
not the only important event that happened in the
last year, and others believed it to be a subject too sensitive to focus
on. Eventually, we scratched the idea, but there was this nagging feeling
in everyone that kept pulling us back. So, we introduce to you an
image of hope and rebirth. Focusing on where we can go from here is
the direction we wanted to look and we at riverrun empathize that
this last year has been a challenging one. What we realized is that we
felt obligated to acknowledge the last year. It deserves to be acknowledged
and should not be ignored.
Through the year we learned to be sympathetic, to not jump to
conclusions, and to support one another in our struggles. We learned
how to treat one another and how not to and that the world as we
know it can change in an instant if we do not take care of it. Some of
us learned to bake bread. Some learned to paint. Some learned to balance
working from home while also being a teacher to their children.
Some of us learned humility and a love for the slow pace that the
lockdowns brought. For the first time in a long time, you could wake
up when you wanted, make a cup of coffee, sit looking out the window,
and just observe. The world got quiet, whisper quiet, and at the
same time the world got louder than it had been in decades. We made
it, not without our fair share of scrapes, bruises, frustrations, and
anxieties, but the most defined character is built through adversity.
There is still a lot of work to be done. Let this be the year that we all
rise from the ashes.
So, where do we go from here? After all the good, bad, and ugly,
what else is there to do? We are of the
humble opinion that one must create, but that
is probably because we are a literary journal.
But frankly speaking, why not? So, we urge
you to create; write about your experiences;
draw and paint how you see the world, and
then (insert self-promotion here) send it to
us. Let us share and celebrate with you the
wonderful student minds of UCCS and the
marvelous things they created along the way.
We wish you and your loved ones the best.
Enjoy.
~ riverrun editorial team 2021
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