Editor's Note

Humans are inherently flawed. We are full of contradictions. Often, our actions do not match our words and we change our minds continuously. It is a unique and challenging experience to be a human, especially in our increasingly polarizing yet interconnected world. In part, we are to blame. We created the internet, a global network of interconnected computers and devices, which has forever changed our world. The internet allows us to have instant access to information, connect with others thousands of miles away and share ideas that we would not have elsewise. It in itself is the modern human experience, but it is also the very thing that polarizes us. It makes us feel lonely and disconnected, it forces us to be dependent on tools like Google and ChatGPT and it allows criminals access to more victims. I have spent the last three years studying the internet and how to identify and mitigate threats online at Wright State University. One thing I have learned is that the internet is a space in our society that has both chaos and order. It is regulated and uncensored; it is controlled and it is the Wild West. It is helpful and it is harmful. It is a duality. 

In this magazine, you will find themes of duality in nature, in politics, on the internet, in fictional worlds and at our University. It is all around us. It is in the things we create, in the beliefs we have and in our identities. But I believe dualities bring people together. Our individual and unique strengths and weaknesses balance each other. Humans need each other, and we need duality to create groups of leaders that are truly representative of all voices. Dualities bring control and order to a society designed to separate us. However, in this same manner, dualities also bring chaos and conflict to our society. It can divide us racially, economically, politically and socially. It can break the closest alliances and punish us all. We can either celebrate our differences or we can let it tear us apart. 

One thing is for certain, there will always be dualities. A yin and a yang. A push or a pull.  Left and Right. Love and hate. There is also the in-between: not totally love but not totally hate, and in these grey areas is where I believe humans live. In these areas we can live together and we can build communities. We can celebrate each other’s wins and comfort each other in losses. We can be proud of our identities and we can embrace our flaws without fear.  

I have seen both sides at WSU. I have witnessed a community come together to celebrate love, individuality and ingenuity. I have also witnessed a community divided, buckling under pressure from all sides. However, in choosing this theme, it is our goal at The Wright State Guardian not to divide us further, but instead to find commonalities in our emotions, opinions and experiences. 

It is with great pleasure and a heavy heart to be able to say thank you to all of the wonderful writers, editors, photographers and designers who worked on this project. This is my third and final time working on Flight Magazine, and I am so honored to have been a part of its creation. Thank you to my roommates, Julie and Ren, for listening to me talk about work non-stop. Thank you to my parents, my sister Rachel and my best friend Christina for being my biggest fans and supporting me from the other side of the state. In life, I believe no matter how divided we are, we can find common ground. 

Monica Brutto