Bagfuls of generic soda and 88-cent Wal-Mart cookies fueled this issue of The Burr. Since most of us avoided going out for coffee in the freezing weather, sugar was the driving element of production. These 64 pages are the result of a nine-week sugar high.

I hoped “my” Burr would include stories that were unexpected, funny and meaty. Thanks to enterprising writers and gifted photographers, there are many good reasons to read The Burr this semester.

The cover story, Jaclyn Youhana’s “Stars and stereotypes,” thoughtfully examines the United States’ relationship with its northern neighbor. Steven Harbaugh looks into the neglect of Oscar Ritchie Hall in “The renovation will not be televised.” Matt Peters finally tells the story of Kent State’s own New Wave legend, Devo. And that’s just the tip of the editorial iceberg.

My name is the one that will be attached to this issue, but I can’t take credit for everything. Many talented people worked on The Burr this semester, and it was the chemistry among us that gave this issue its personality and made working in our closet of an office so fun. I hope reading this issue is as enjoyable for you as making it was for me.

—Grace Dobush