Letter from the Editors

Dear readers,

Over the past few years, BURST has been a space to recognize the fight. Our writers and designers push for change, start conversations and plan revolutions. This work is necessary, but it isn’t easy. As we all cope with global crises alongside assignment deadlines, we’re grateful to join this community’s commitment to social justice.

Now, it’s time to take a breath.

This issue of BURST encourages balance in times of great change. Passion starts the fire; rest keeps it burning. You can’t win a revolution without resilience, and the resilience of our community, generation and staff has astounded us. This is how we grow stronger. This is how we create the world we want to live in.

Our writers have found sparks of passion at Millikin and beyond that even the weight of the world can’t dull. These articles are a dose of motivation for us, young people who are — let’s face it — struggling to find balance. We watch as our peers grow their confidence, promote antiracism, challenge antiquated binaries and beliefs and make healthcare decisions for the good of the all. These local heroes teach us how to have the hard conversations and still take care of ourselves. That spark is inside of us — we just have to fan it.

We show resilience in every protest we attend, every petition we sign. These movements are inspired by moments of looking inward and deciding to show kindness to ourselves and to others. It’s frustrating to see how long change can take. But we’re proud to be part of the generation that has never grown tired of the fight.

There is still so much work to do, and while that can feel like a lot, we have the power to better the world. If we’ve learned anything from our time with BURST and our incredible team, it’s that we have the resilience we need to keep going.

And if the world ever feels overwhelming, we invite you to read this issue of BURST and remember: You are here. You have survived it. You’re still pushing for good. And you have a lot of people behind you who are glad to join you in the fight.

All the best,