Lumos

Looking back at the whirlwind of three months we’ve passed since the election of the new Board, we believe it’s safe to say that in our innocence, neither of us imagined a leap of such monumental proportions that transported us from being mere literary enthusiasts who occasionally (and might we add, quite enthusiastically) peer-reviewed each other’s work, to heading the Rotaract Editorial as Co-Editors. Let us be clear, we are not strangers to the fact that this is a rather ambitious feat in itself. For the first time in Rotaract history, the creative decisions are made by not one, but two editors working in synchronicity. And in the light of this alarming realization, we have now found our collective consciousness clutching onto its last remaining ounces of clarity: fully aware of the expectations, trials and standards slowly heading our way. Yet here we are, finally addressing our dear Rotaractors as we stand at the cusp of an era, earnestly looking at all the countless pathways and possibilities spread before us in all their glory.

As Co-Editors who will be continuing in this establishment, it’ll be terrible insincerity in our part if we were to act as if we are made of the same material. Ladies and gentlemen, you will no doubt see as time progresses, that we bring two very different forms of style and personality to the table, and in that endeavor, somehow manage to complement each other perfectly. For all who have been in our midst for the past year shall attest to the fact that one of us functions within the realms of tranquility and reason, while the other effortlessly conjures the forces of emotion and theatrics (those of you who know, will know). Despite the stark differences in the realities we hail from, we have discovered that a little bit of both worlds, when mixed under the right conditions, shall have the capacity to usher in perfection. And while one of us is glad and pleasantly surprised about the fact, the other, in his happiness, is sobbing uncontrollably.

The Editorial has been taken to some wonderful and diverse places these last few years under the helm of some truly talented Editors. We ourselves are avid believers in the concept of constantly exploring new horizons. Thus, while we are at awe when we think of all the places that Editorial has been to and explored, we are committed in trying our level best to take the Editorial to places it hasn’t been to before. While we are scared out of our wits at the very thought, we cannot deny the potential that lies in areas unexplored and unconquered by the Editorial and no matter how anxious we may be, sometimes one just has to take a leap of faith.

Unlike previous years however, something else that will help us achieve these ambitious goals is the sheer size of the Editorial this time round. We have over a whopping twenty talented writers with us to help bring our ideas and projects to life! They are in every sense of the word the catalysts that will ensure that there will be more creativity, more expression, and a slew of various topics to sink our teeth into this coming year.

But wait! That’s not all! It would be preposterous if we were to end this without shedding some light on our plans for the Editorial during both the short and long term for the upcoming Rotaract year. We have a few announcements to make, updates to shed light on and teases to …er tease?

A few announcements and updates are;

• Moving forward, we hope to publish articles on three days of the week as opposed to the traditional two. The days of publication will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and as per usual, Tuesday will be kept for any at all updates related to the Club.

• We will be discontinuing weekly articles published by the Editor(s). The size of the Editorial has grown to the point where we need to create space for more articles to be published. Thus, we made the difficult decision to cut back on this feature and in its place have an article penned by our fellow writers, in order to make way for more articles written by our team to see the light of day.

Now, while we’re not quite ready to unveil all our plans just yet, we are however excited to give everyone a small tease as to what you can expect from the Editorial in the coming months.

• Creating more variety in the types of articles that we publish (Expect more information about this very soon!)

• Trying to facilitate a way to incorporate creative works and writings more frequently such as poetry, short stories, and art (yes, you read that right) among other things.

• Increasing the number, size and scope of the projects undertaken by the Editorial.

• And maybe, just maybe, our website needs a fresh change of clothes? Just saying. *Wink*

Before we share too much, we shall keep the rest of our plans close to our chest for now and save some of the excitement for the very eventful months to come.

But with all the current plans in our minds, we now cautiously step into the new Rotaract year that lies before us, with all its avenues and channels waiting to be explored with originality and passion. And with the brilliant talent that has rallied behind the Editorial this year, we look forward to a year of new accomplishments and exciting developments, and ultimately, a renaissance of our very own.

Cheers!

 – Janidu Wijebandara and Vibhath Jayasinghe