Ditz

Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Letter from the Editors

Linni Kral & Ashley Van Sipma on Graduation Day

Graduating college is hard work. If there's any excuse to exonerate us for taking such a long hiatus from DITZ, that'd be it. Since we last spoke in February, your two favorite editors have been busy writing 50-page theses, donning black caps and gowns, and performing the onerous task of completing the first stage of higher education. As if that wasn't tough enough, we spent the summer trying to figure out what the heck we're supposed to do with our lives now, in a country whose economy couldn't be less friendly to 2009 grads.

We find ourselves missing college a lot. We even found ourselves at an on-campus lecture a few weeks ago, but it wasn't due to nostalgia--we were there to see the wise and glorious creature that is Jackson Katz. This feminist man (a phrase we never tire of hearing or saying) was part of the impetus behind our creation of DITZ back in 2007, when we first saw his film Tough Guise in our Gender Politics class. He helped us see that our bodies are a thing of extreme significance, and it's impossible to ignore the cultural implications of what we do with them, from following the advice in Cosmopolitan to telling young boys to beef up.

His film was an important wake-up call then, and his lecture served the same purpose now. We've been searching for meaning since graduation, and his talk showed us that we are still learning--every day. We may not be students in a classroom anymore, but we remain students of the world, if we pay enough attention to it.

And because we're always learning, we've decided to revamp the sections of DITZ a little this issue, as well as bring on interns to be our eyes and ears on college campuses. Brittney Cambridge comes to us from Spelman College by way of a semester abroad at Oxy and has served as our Editorial Intern for the Body Issue, while Emma Ceddia hails from Oxy and served as our Visuals Intern. We also have to give a web-high five to our writers, whose ideas and dedication made this issue possible.

So whether you're a student or not, we hope this issue inspires you to keep learning and maybe also to cherish what your mama gave you a little more than usual. Whether it's your eyes (like Ashley), or your hair (like Linni), spend a little extra time appreciating what you love about your body.

The Body Issue: Love it. Flaunt it.

Your Favorite Ditzes,
Linni & Ashley

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