LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

Welcome

As we enter into the final stretch of this academic year, we are each facing our own challenges. Be it burnout, senioritis, financial trouble, or any other matter of setbacks, we’re each here trying to push forward through Portland’s winter blues that yet linger with each rainy day. And yet, we are resilient. Even though we face these hardships, and despite the doom and gloom of social media and the American political landscape, we continue to aim for a brighter future. I feel this hope and uncertainty with each passing day. As graduation nears, and Spring life blooms in our city, I continually ask myself what the future holds. Not just for me, but for all of us. And when the sun comes shining through the shattered eaves of the park block trees, warming the student body that lingers outside just a moment longer before shuttling into our classrooms, I’m reminded of the hard work that we each put to get to where we are now. And it gives me hope.

In this issue of the Pacific Sentinel, we’ve allowed ourselves the freedom of no particular theme. Despite holding no hard guidelines, I’m continually amazed by the interesting and passionate content submitted by our student contributors. From Courtney Jeffs’s review of the popular television adaptation of The Last of Us, to Becky Phillips’s visit to Portland’s Crystal Spring Gardens, and to the very special satirized essay titled How to Write About African Women by Portland State’s Assistant Professor of Black Studies, Dr. Bright Alozie, and his Winter class, you’ll find plenty here while you’re rejuvenating in Spring sun, waiting for your next class to start.