"WHERE THE HELL AM I?" Since, given our page redesign, many of our readers might be thinking exactly that, we felt this would be a fitting theme for the first issue of the 2006 school year. This issue is all about experience. We want you to feel the rush of Meghan Watt as she leaps into a water fountain full of sweaty Italians, celebrating their World Cup victory; squirm with Malorie Medellin in the back of Lane Fenrich's class; and get lost in the winding roads of London with a homesick Cory Smith. We might stop short of having you taste what Lindsey Slater's got going in her sex column ... but probably not. ::getting up on soapbox:: A magazine, be it online or in print, isn't like other forms of media, and we at NUComment would never have it any other way. We want long narrative that makes you want to find out what happens next. We want biting commentary and intelligent debate. We want you to connect with the writers because you can see what they're seeing, think what they're thinking, and feel what they're feeling. A magazine has opinions, passions, eccentricity, curiosity, and, most importantly, a sense of humor. Magazine, at least the way NUComment sees magazine, is the perfect medium for the college audience - with currency and intelligent facts, but something more personal and more daring than a newspaper. It's accessible, quick, and light for your busy schedule, but it stays with you even after you've stopped reading. NUComment is not a newspaper; it's not a book; it's not broadcast. It's an online magazine, and we're eternally proud that it is. THAT'S what a magazine should do. With this issue and every issue, we here at the Comment will do what we can to make all that happen. All you need to do is keep checking back. Sincerely, Matt Cohlmia Editor-in-Chief P.S. Hope you like the new layout.