Letter from Social Media

Welcome to issue 4, our first issue of 2021! I’m glad you found time to page through our magazine in between class, work, studying for midterms, daydreaming about the impending Spring weather, or whatever else is keeping you busy these days.

Keeping busy has been everyone’s goal this past year, it seems. This month marks one year since we entered quarantine and our world was flipped upside-down. Since then, we have adjusted to this “new normal”. We have adapted--making learning, working, and “visiting” family and friends possible in the midst of a pandemic. We have grown, we have reflected on things we’d taken for granted, and we have been strong in the face of everything this past year has thrown at us. And in this time, The Wake has returned to its roots.

The Wake Student Magazine was created in the wake of 9/11 by two University of Minnesota students who wanted to give a voice and a space to their peers in a time of uncertainty and fear. I’d like to think that this magazine has served that purpose again this past year as we have all faced the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ve published countless stories written by our freelancers about topics ranging from caring for window plants and binging Tiger King, to reflecting on activism in quarantine and (not) voting in the 2020 election. When everything around us was changing at breakneck speed, you all took advantage of the unique space that this magazine provides and, as a result, made this year more bearable.

Thank you to everyone who contributed stories, art, and time to The Wake this year. This publication was born in a tumultuous time as a place for students to make sense of the world, and nearly 20 years later, The Wake is still carrying out this mission. Thank you all for the role you’ve played in that.  

With gratitude,

Grace Augustin

Social Media Manager