Every family has their problems. People fight, love, hurt and everything in between. In the past two magazines I have discussed the different dynamics that the past five years have contributed to the Tom Tom. The third year of the Tom Tom was a group of journalists who truly enforced the family dynamic that the Tom Tom cherishes. This group introduced what we now call our sports media program: “The Arrow.” They grew together as a family, fought as a family and loved as one.

This year, my staff has had many ups and downs and due to this we’ve had to come together as one unit: a family. We’re constantly having meetings trying to get to know each other because, in the end, this is family. Our family this year is growing from our past experiences. While we aren’t exactly like the staff three years ago, we have a family connection that is finally starting to shine through the shadow of darkened clouds. We hope that at the end of this year we can say that not only did we restart a legacy and find our own places, we want to be able to say that we found our other family.

When coming into this program, you don’t really think about how close you’re going to get to the people around you. Walking into the media lab the first day, you don’t expect to have your life changed in so many ways, but it does. The reason it changes lives is because that third year group made a family dynamic of a journalism program which has then carried out in the years after. While not many stories in this magazine have anything to do with family, this year’s staff became one with the production of our third magazine.

In our third magazine of the year, you will see stories about how beauty is affecting the minds of those both young and old in “No More Second Glances” by Tom Tom staffer Beatriz Warnes, to a story about toxic relationships and how one must recognize the problems in “Seeking the Truth in Toxic Relationships” by junior editor Joyclyn Crawford. In the first feature of this magazine, junior editor Emily Higgins writes about the effects that cold weather has on the body. Tom Tom staffer Jacob Leitza writes about why people start to listen to music after the musician has passed away. Tom Tom staffer Julia Hackeloer wrote about the importance of family traditions throughout the generations.

As always, thank you for reading the Tom Tom. We hope that you see where our family came together in the pages of this magazine.