Editorial – For the Time, it is A-Changin’

On Sunday morning, we change from Daylight Saving Time back to normal time. Spring forward; fall back, as they say. We all get an extra hour of sleep as what was 7am becomes 6am. But aside from that single extra hour (which we pay for come March when we get shorted an hour) does anybody prefer normal time? Supposedly, the reason for it is so that when we get up to go to work in the morning, it’s not dark out.

There are two problems with this line of reasoning, in my view. The first is that whoever came up with this scheme obviously didn’t live in Canada, because that extra hour doesn’t seem to make it any lighter in the morning anyway, but it sure does make it darker when coming home. The other problem is that most of us now live in an urban setting, so whether the sun is up on the way to work is completely irrelevant, as we have street lamps and headlights. After work, however, when you might want to do something outside, that’s when you want it light.

But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe you’re the type of person who prefers it to be dark when you finish work. I’m not sure why that would be unless, perhaps, you’re a vampire, and having the stores open when its dark out suits you, but who knows, crazier things have happened. If you’ve a reason why we need to change to normal time at all, I’d love to hear it. Write me at karl@voicemagazine.org, and let me know. The best or craziest reasons folks can come up with, I’ll print. With bonus points if it’s done in haiku form?just because.

Speaking of haikus, did you know that The Voice Magazine could pay you $25 for your poetry (16 lines minimum)? If you didn’t, it’s not surprising. They’re not mentioned anywhere in our policies, and I only found out myself when completing my first batch of invoices. Obviously, one of the things that I have to change very soon is The Voice Magazine’s writer policies. After all, I can hardly expect to attract you to write for The Voice unless you know what we accept and what you’ll get in return.

Fortunately, those who do write for the Voice already have brought you an excellent issue this week. S.D. Livingston gives us advice on how to change our habits, while Hazel Anaka has identified some changes in her personal preferences, and the Mindful Bard brings us a look at Shakespeare changed up for the modern audience.

I’m especially proud to feature the third part of Wanda Waterman’s exploration of Tunisia. In this installment, Wanda brings a personal look into the political changes afflicting the nation after the Jasmine Spring uprisings. It’s a story that not only gives us some insight into an area the media has mostly forgotten, but also with some ramifications for us here in the western world, and definitely worth your time reading.

One of the biggest changes at the Voice this week is the reason we’re happy to welcome back our previous editor, Christina M. Frey. Her new column, “The Writer’s Toolbox”, will be running weekly and provide help and suggestions on a variety of writing topics. Having had Christina edit my own work, I can confidently say that making her column a weekly stop is likely to change your marks on any essay you have to write?for the better.

Finally, I have to admit, I’ve been looking at whether it might be time to change the name of the Voice Magazine. In this age of social media, having a name that sticks out isn’t just important to help people remember you, but to make sure that they’re contacting who they mean to. Look up The Voice Magazine on Facebook, for example, and you’ll find things ranging from a horse fancier’s magazine, to fashion, to even an international student newspaper that isn’t this one. This is too big a change to make on my own, though. So I’m going to ask you, dear readers, to think about whether you think The Voice Magazine should change its name, and if so, to what?

When you’ve figured it out, you can tell me on our reader’s survey which will be out sometime this month. As Dylan says, “Come writers and critics/Who prophesize with your pen/Keep your eyes wide/The chance won’t come again”

For the Voice may be a-changin’.