METAMORPHOSIS

Ask yourself: How do you think of the time before now? Do you look back at life before the COVID-19 pandemic and remember when it was safe to gather together? Perhaps you remember even practically begging for alone time? Do you approach topics of diversity and inclusion differently after the Black Lives Matter protests? Do you consider how a brutally divided election has impacted your political beliefs?

The world has transformed, for better and worse, in 2020. It has brought the idea of change and uncertainty into the forefronts of our minds day in and day out. Indeed, the pandemic has forced us to move our print magazine into this online format for the first time ever, with no certainty on when a print edition will return. Change isn’t the best word to describe what’s happened to us all this year, as change can, at times, be small forgotten details throughout the day. Rather, we are undergoing long-term, life-changing developments: a metamorphosis.

Communities flourish off their most participatory members. Those members have struggled to make it through the pandemic but are finding ways to survive, such as in “Transpose” and “Through the grapevine.” Members who wanted to lead us through this turbulent period campaigned against challenges in “Pandemic politics.”

But a pandemic is not the only catalyst for metamorphosing.

We wanted to cover stories of people who embody and embrace metamorphosis, like in “Self-titled,” the story of a transgender person from a small Kentucky town finding their identity and acceptance from the closest people in their life. We’ve found human selflessness toward animals in “Back to the wild,” which details a woman’s mission to nurse wild animals back to health. Religion can also inspire personal growth, as we detail in “At the altar.”

We’ve looked internally at the ways WKU has handled racism and how it could progress in “More to go.” We’ve also explored how perspectives of life on the Hill change from freshman to senior year in “Start to finish.”

Metamorphosing can mean going against the mold, like leftists who own guns in “A liberal right to bear arms,” or in finding an existence far away from home like in “Life unfolding.” It can mean exploring perspectives outside of normality, such as those who microdose psychedelics in “Little by little.” Or, it can mean learning and exploring the world in your own way, like our subject in “Happy at home.”

We believe as you read through these stories, you’ll find yourself inspired by the ways people bring great change to themselves and others. We also think you should be reassured by the notion that you, too, can handle significant changes, even amidst crisis. Now, with all that in mind, ask yourself: How do you think of the time after now?

Happy reading,

MAX ZAMBRANO
Editor-in-Chief

We’re the forever-present, bright and cheery voice of WKU’s student body. The Talisman name has been around for quite a while. It represents the oldest publication on campus.

For 87 years, the Talisman was WKU’s award-winning yearbook. But in 2016, it became something new.

The modern, restructured and revived Talisman is no longer a yearbook. It’s a semi-annual, student lifestyle magazine and an ever-changing website.

We’re still eclectic. We’re still intelligent. We’re forever connected to our Hill and dedicated to serving our student body.

To reach our editors, give our office a call at 270-745-2653 or send an email to [email protected].