Main Street Magazine Spring '23

ALetter from
the Editor
I think we’ve all experienced grime in our lives. Whether it be the time
you stepped up to your ankle in a dirty puddle, the time you got your nose
smashed by that one guy moshing too hard, or even that day where you
spent every second thinking about how you should’ve taken a shower the
day before — It’s an inescapable aspect of life. There are some days where
you dread the grime. You want to sort it all out, get your life together, and
fantasize about moving into a cabin in the middle of nowhere so you can
watch the clouds move by.
But other times, there’s something poetic about grime. You’re drawn to it.
You want to experience the muddied basement floors of someone’s offcampus
apartment and listen to the shriek of a guitar. You want to spend
a whole day rotting in bed, binge-watching three seasons of Degrassi
because it just seems to cure something within you. There’s some nights
where you want to drive around for hours until the coffee wears off, eyes
red, ready to shut down.
As college students, we are very connected to the feeling of grime. It’s
impulsive, dirty, and chaotic. And in a way, it runs through the veins of
youth culture. Think about the ‘60s, a time defined by rock ’n’ roll, anti-war
protest, and activism that was spearheaded by the younger generation.
It was a youth rebellion, fueled by collective anger towards systems that
neglected them. Zines and literature were published in underground print
shops. Meetings were held in someone’s cheap city apartment. People
listened to artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, who collected the
feelings of youth across America and turned them into their anthems.
What am I getting at? Grime runs prevalent in our lives, and it’s been
there for a while. It’s something we’ve all experienced as young people
discovering ourselves in the context of this great big world. That’s what this
issue is all about. The feeling of grime, the state of grime, and everything
in between. Maybe you’ll read this magazine while you’re on the toilet, or
tear it up and use it as toilet paper. Good! Let’s keep that feeling of grime
in our lives.
But more importantly–enjoy. Soak up all the content. It’s a culmination
of all of our efforts, and seeing this magazine come to fruition has been
spectacular, to say the least. All we can hope is that you’ll pick it up and let
us share this incredible experience with you, however grimy it may be.
Cheers,
Ember
Nevins
7