Meet the New Editor: Leah Biesack


Most of my life, I’ve stood by the unpopular opinion that summer tends to overstay its welcome. It’s a buzzy, flashy season that takes everyone for a ride, but rarely, if ever, provides any sort of sustainability. Or even just stability. It’s steamy, it’s exciting, and it leaves just as soon as we carve out a routine with it. That’s a tough relationship in which to feel secure. Even as a kid, come August, I was antsy to move on into the solidity of the school year. The routine, the organization, the reliability that September promised checked all the boxes of what I was looking for. So I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t swooning a bit to be back to class.
This year I am thrilled to have the privilege of being the new Editor-in-Chief of LBCC’s very own Commuter. I’ve had the pleasure of being a regular contributor, as well as the Arts and Entertainment editor for this esteemed publication for the past year and a half, and I’m beyond excited to explore some new avenues with this school year’s latest iteration. While you’re reading this online, it’s important to know that we’ve shifted our format from a weekly newspaper to a printed monthly magazine. My goal is to center the publication around the people who make up our institution, compiling their voices, their stories, their questions and ideas into a tangible, treasurable, printed package. The intention is to get to the heart of it all, to showcase our student body and all they embody, to feature our faculty and how their individualism outside of academia has been integral inside the classroom. I want to emphasize the creativity running the veins of our school, and spotlight the places and ways we can see the creativity in areas not traditionally considered of the arts. Whether a newspaper or magazine format, whether online or on printed paper, our publication remains very much for the students, and completely by the students. And to all our loyal online readers like you, breathe easy — this website will still be running like butter, so LBCC’s current events and reports will always be just a few clicks away. While there may be some overlap in stories from the magazine to the website, the publications themselves will be quite individualized — what you find in one, you likely won’t find in the other. The magazine is a once a month deal, while the website will offer new stories every week. In other words, these publications will hold hands, but maintain their own personalities. (Talk about couples goals.)
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t pen a very well-deserved applause and encore to last year’s EIC, the great Dakota Gange, who led the way of the weekly with aplomb.
I’m so excited to connect with you all through both our new medium, and our tried and true one. Finding the story and cultivating a way to share said story with others is just about my favorite thing to do, so this opportunity is of the pay dirt variety. To all returning and new students alike, welcome back and forward to LBCC. We’re thrilled you’re here.