by: Geoff Brown
Welcome to the Review! For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, the Michigan Review is a campus affairs journal of moderate conservative and civil libertarian opinion. The Review has a little bit of everything in it, and should have something to interest just about everything. Our news coverage not only informs readers about campus, local, state and national events, but provides a more thoughtful and well-developed analysis of these events, something a daily paper just can't offer on a regular basis. We offer interviews with campus officials, local, state and federal leaders, and anyone who might have something of interest to say the student body as a whole. Our editorials deal with relevant issues both on the campus and national levels, and are sure to provide food for thought no matter what side of an issue you are on.
On the more leisurely side, the Review offers our Living Culture section, headed up by Arts Editor Tom Jolliffe. Living Culture offers readers reviews of the latest books, movies, and music, as well as interviews with musicians, authors, and films personalities. Living Culture isn't satisfied with providing the same tired reviews of the big-name books, films, and music, instead focusing on lesser-known media that offer a more thoughtful and artistic message.
Sports fans can also find something of interest in the Review. Sports Editor Mel Myers and his sports writers provide in-depth, issue-oriented sports essays, taking a more analytic look at athletics. You won' find mere recaps of games and statistics in Sportscene. You will, however, find well-researched, thoughtful articles dealing with the issues that affect sports fans and athletes alike.
For those of you who like a more personal perspective on campus and national issues, my own column, "Roll Up for the Mystery Tour," offers a light-hearted (at at times, somewhat ridiculous) view of campus and national issues; I like to highlight the absurd-but-true facts about the issues and provide my own, somewhat unique spin on them. While I tend, at times, to have an underlying serious theme, I hope to make the reader see the humorous side of life. Our other columnist, Ben Kepple, offers a slightly more cynical view of national and campus events in his column, "Lost in the Eighties." Whether he's bashing Pat Buchanan, pointing out the inane practices of MSA, or providing his opinion on the MCard, Ben is guaranteed to make you stop and think about the issues which concern us most. You may laugh, or you may get insanely angry, or you may do both; whatever your reaction, you can rest assured that you've read a well-considered essay.
Many of you may be reading the Review and asking yourselves, "I wonder how I can get involved?" Well, that answer is easy: just give us a call at 662-1909, or an email at mrev@umich.edu, or stop by our office on the Third Floor of the Michigan League (our Staff Meetings are Tuesday nights at 7 pm). We're always looking for good writers, copy editors, photographers, and especially editorial cartoonists and business staffers. If you want to join, let us know via phone or email, or in person at one of our staff meetings, or at one of our upcoming Mass Meetings on September 21 and 22 in the League.
I hope you enjoy this issue, and all of the issues to come. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, critical or otherwise, feel free to send us a letter via U.S. Mail: Editor, The Michigan Review, 911 N. University Ave. Suite One, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1265, or send us email at mrev@umich.edu, and be sure to include the words "LETTER TO THE EDITOR" in the subject line. Keep in mind that we do reserve the right to edit your letter for space or clarity. We look forward to hearing from you!
Geoff Brown
Editor-in-Chief