The New Normal: A Note from the Editorial Team
- LSOU Publications
- Sep 29, 2020
- 4 min read
September 21st marked the end of the summer. By the time this gets to you, it will at least be eight days since the Fall season started and exactly twenty-one (21) days since school resumed. How is the “new normal” treating you? Are you faring well with online school or has your internet connection failed you at least once already?
For some of us, the transition to online learning has been a lot more seamless. For others, juggling between Zoom, BB Collaborate, and Teams has proven a lot harder than expected. Some of us really miss queuing at Timmies for coffee hoping we will make it on time for class. Some of us are a lot more comfortable studying from home. For most of us, if not all, the pandemic meant a change to our daily modus operandi and whether we wanted it or not, we had to learn to adapt to it.
The LSOU Publications department was born in the early days of the pandemic as a response to the “new normal.” With plans for the upcoming year uncertain—yet rumours swirling around of the possibility of an online year— it was imperative to find a way to keep the club we loved relevant, especially for those incoming students that would not have a chance to experience it that way we previously did. It was crucial to find a way to connect with each other in a world that was quickly isolating itself.
Some of us, even before the pandemic, have found solace in reading and writing. We have been connected with people we have never met before, places we have never been to, and experiences we have never had personally. While we couldn’t leave our houses, fast-forward to a post-pandemic world, or reach our friend’s houses, writing has always had the power to transcend these boundaries and reach every corner of the world if individuals allow it.
At its infancy stages, the team behind LSOU Publications worked to make every project have that impact. As the reality of an online semester solidified more and more with each passing day, the resolve to establish a platform that not only would connect The Law Society of UTSC (LSOU) with the rest of the student body but also the student body with the club, became stronger.
The LSOU has served for a couple of years now as the largest legal club for undergraduates students that are hoping to pursue a career in law, at UTSC. We have offered support with the LSAT, networking opportunities, socials to meet people with similar interests, and many other events and resources. Yet never before had we offer the opportunity for students to raise their voices and share their thoughts with us in such a tangible manner. In a world that is also increasingly seeing the value of youth’s voices, it was necessary to expand our club to serve the needs of our present society. And so, the LSOU Publications department was born.
This past month—our first month—you might have gotten to know our blog. We have covered pieces that directly impact us as students. We also have covered pieces that impact us as humans. And we will continue to cover different pieces that not only aim to connect to connect you with us, but also aspire to show you the many faces law can have. Up-and-coming, we have legal sports pieces, interviews, and cold cases in view of spooky October.
Most recently, we announced our newest project—our very own legal magazine. Different from our blog, we are looking to bring together two publications (one in December and one in April). We are looking to publish the creative side of the law— the side of the law that is accessible and comprehensible to even the youngest reader. The side of the law that speaks to us in many different ways because it stands as a testament that the law is part of us in one way or the other. Have you ever been in a protest? Tell us about it.
The LSOU Publications department is not about our stories. The LSOU Publications is the platform for your stories and thoughts. We want you to be part of our team, even if it is for one short piece. We want to help you feel connected to us and to your university experience, especially as we face the possibility of a second lockdown.
The world is rapidly changing, and so are we. If you don’t feel comfortable just yet with writing a longer piece, leave a message in the following form. We will be constructing a virtual message board for the month of October—think of it as a wall with sticky notes. We want to hear from YOU. Whether it is a message of hope for the student body or a call to action to humanity about a certain issue. The LSOU is about you and we hope to give you as many opportunities as possible to make you feel like you belong.
We hope you have enjoyed our blog thus far. Stay tuned for all that is to come. We wish you health, happiness, and safety.
Until our next piece,
The LSOU Publications Editorial Team
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