PRINTHappy Birthday, Vox
(and adieu)
May 15, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Birthdays are a time for celebration and reflection. It’s especially true for the big decade markers — 30, 40, 50 and beyond seem to be those times when people take stock of where they are and where they thought they would be. My guess is that the average 10-year-old is more concerned about the color of his or her birthday cake than how the upcoming fifth-grade year will shape his or her life.
But for a publication, 10 is downright old, and it’s a perfect time for editors to take a look at the past, consider their original mission, decide if they’ve stayed on course and determine how they can continue to innovate and meet readers’ future needs without losing sight of what made them support us in the first place.
Our current cast of editors has pored over a decade’s worth of issues to find the high points and the low points, catch up with people profiled in pages past and even unearthed sections gone and brought them back for this special issue. We’ve learned that, like any good child, Vox has changed over time but remains true to itself — no matter the team of editors, it still strives to present smart, offbeat and enlightening stories with a focus on what matters in Columbia.
This issue also represents my opportunity to look back at the past semester and what the magazine has accomplished. Like the best city magazines, we’ve strived and (I hope) reached our goal of providing you with stories worth talking about. I’m handing the editor reins over to the marvelous Kim Reishus after this issue. If our birthday has taught us anything, it’s that no matter the leadership, Vox will remain true to it’s mission to be a smart tabloid that profiles the human condition and exposes local culture.
Kim has two semesters of Vox editing experience under her belt and a strong sense of the magazine’s present direction and its future as a multi-platform product. She will no doubt shape a publication that continues to bring you stories that you want and also those you need.
