editor's note

A little lesson
Even the most rewarding jobs are chained to the reality that you have to do them. All day, every day. Which is why I enjoy simple pleasures. An example: one of my co-workers comes in and announces that an office downstairs has food to share. I am out of my chair like a shot, grinning silly at the prospect of a day-old muffin to assuage my rather loud hunger pangs. It is, after all, two hours into the workday, and worse, two long hours until lunch.
As I hurry toward the promised snacks, I pass a new student I'd met the previous day. He comments that I sure do look happy. "There's food!" I blurt, but stop for a minute or two to further welcome this student, who, it turns out, has come to North Dakota State University from Africa and is going to work hard to make his dreams come true. Oh. I wonder how it strikes him to hear a well-off American say she's hungry. He seems not to think me greedy, but is happy to see a familiar face. He promises to stay in touch.
And so on a morning when an extra muffin was going to be the highlight, a whole better thing does the job. How fortunate we are to be part of a place that provides such promise to its students.

Everything has changed
Much of the work in putting together this magazine took place, or at least began, during the summer. Looking over the work this fall in preparation for printing, it is a different issue than originally envisioned. After Sept. 11, we wondered how, or even if, this magazine should attempt to address the events. When it's possible to stand back from the sadness, it is interesting to note that the topic emerged without our bidding. New York and Washington, D.C., used to seem far away, but what happened there matters everywhere. The photograph on pp. 2-3 was taken by our graphic designer, Julie Babler, a couple of summers ago. It is our tribute to the victims.

Thank you for reading.