Welcome to the last issue of The Voice Magazine for 2014, and Happy Holidays! If You’re reading this, it means you’ve almost completed yet another trip around the sun, travelling over 93 million miles only to end up exactly where we were before. But hopefully in the course of that revolution, things have changed for the better. After all, That’s the point of a revolution in the first place, right? To make things better?

But since this is the last issue of the year, we’ve made it fairly large so you have something to keep you busy until 2015. That is, of course, assuming you aren’t too busy already, in which case this issue is extra big so you can procrastinate that much longer.

The next issue of The Voice Magazine won’t be available until January 2nd, 2015 and that will be our annual “Best of the Voice” issue. There’s still some time for you to send your suggestions as to what articles you think deserve to be included as the best of The Voice. Which articles over the past year made you think? Made you laugh, or sad, or even just gave you a memorable line you remembered the next day? You can write with your suggestions to voice@voicemagazine.org and I’ll be reviewing all of them next week. Then on January 9th, 2015, we’ll resume our regular publishing routine with always all original content from and about Athabasca University students like you.

For this issue, however, the onset of the holidays has inspired a number of our writers, and I hope you enjoy the various Christmas themed articles this issue, from our sing-a-long version of The Writer’s Toolbox by Christina Frey to Barb Lehtiniemi’s look at how being alone at Christmas may not be the same thing as being lonely. Also, Barb Godin has turned the tables this week, writing a Christmas letter to the readers instead of the reverse.

Of course, one of the themes of the holiday season is how It’s supposed to bring people together, from family and friends to complete strangers, the message of the season is one of celebrating your fellow humans. Our Primal Numbers column this week has found a way that that message could become a more distinct reality all across the globe. The implications of the technology she writes about could literally change how our society functions at its most basic level by allowing us to more easily import the customs, morals, and belief systems of other people across the globe.

But That’s not all, we also have our usual selection of book reviews, music reviews, and advice to help you get the most out of your education, or at least out of the few minutes you spend here. We also have a Minds We Meet, interviewing Deanna Roney. If that name seems familiar It’s because her interview tuned her into The Voice Magazine, and now She’s written a couple of articles for us, including giving us her own Tutor Tale this week.

So, hopefully you all have a wonderful holiday, as we continue our spin around the sun, and with any luck, the next trip will be even better than this one!
Enjoy the read!