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Dear Alaska,
Our state is going through many changes, and so is the University of Alaska Anchorage. We are facing concerns such as budget cutbacks, climate change, marijuana legalization, fleeing refugees, gun violence, equality for all people, an unusual race for the U.S. presidency — the list continues. However complicated the world is, all of these issues should not keep us from having an optimistic attitude toward our way of life and our future. Each one of us possesses the power to innovate. We see examples every day that prove that one individual, or people, can create a difference.
We know firsthand that one of the things that is rapidly changing is the way we communicate. New forms of journalism are being created as technology keeps moving forward. Social media and the Internet have become such powerful tools to spread news that it is often hard to determine how to properly tell stories and have them heard through the media jungle. This magazine holds stories that focus on timely issues and local human interest pieces from the world of art and culture in Alaska.
This year we celebrate our 20th edition of True North. Our staff reflects diverse perspectives, with contributors not only from Alaska and the Lower 48, but also from France, Norway, Russia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In honor of this milestone, we dedicate True North 2016 to all of the past students, professors, and contributors who have lent their skills and inspirations to the pages of this publication. We also send special thanks to our readers and supporters through the years, and include you in our continuing journey.
True North is not just reaching out to the college community, but to all Alaskans with open ears. Words can move mountains — even Alaska-sized mountains — and journalism can be a risky adventure, but we are inspired by the progress made in this field by the editors and staff who came before us, and we can’t think of a better place to be than where we are right now.
Cheers,
Robert Foran III
Representing the True North staff, spring 2016