editor's note

We are often told that things will not last forever: relationships, feelings, a ratty kaleidoscope that lingers at the back of a closet. It’s exceedingly difficult to eagerly anticipate the future when it feels like everything is about to be stolen away with the slightest rattle— quickly going from naive freshmen to almost weary (yet still naive as ever) juniors and seniors; one to one hundred in a blink of an eye.

Then, with this sentiment, why would any of us bother to enjoy the little moments of life? After all, the achievements and less-than-desired-grades, spectacular moments and unoccupied time— it will simply blur together, creating a turbulent sea that desires nothing more than to drown us all. It’ll pass, they say, but what if I don’t want it to? Alas, the kaleidoscope tumbles out of my reach and shifts anyway. 

But rapid change doesn’t have to be unpleasant or unfamiliar. In the fascinating optical instrument that we’ve chosen as our theme this semester, we’ve discovered the significance that it holds. Each shift, each new pattern that emerges is filled with pieces of the past. It’s still so purely and completely us. My take on the “I met my younger self for coffee” trend: She passed the haphazard pieces of myself to me, and I said, yes, please.

Join this issue’s contributors in celebrating the ever-changing nature of a kaleidoscope: the echoes of an uncertain yet exciting future. Shift, writes Mason Im, flicking another image across the mirrors. Explore the multiple sides of yourself with Katerine Cotta, whose character states, “I didn’t realize I was like that.” Choose your future with MxCo, who remarks on the plethora of “possibilities beyond imagination.” In describing the kaleidoscope, Ellie Kwan explains, “it was strong. [I]’d never felt anything like it.” As the final turns of the kaleidoscope creak and it is time to leave it on a shelf for the time being, Annette Lin adds, “I have zero, you hear? Zero regrets.” 

I suppose we can take comfort in knowing that, when it all comes crashing down, we can shift the kaleidoscope once more to rediscover something wonderful.