Volume 8, Number 1 (2022) Alpenglow: Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Issue Theme: Belonging

When I approached this year’s edition, I wanted to continue the tradition of looking for an overarching theme that encapsulated the pieces selected for publication. But when I looked over the pieces, my fear from last year resurfaced: how can I bring these together in a single word? But as I again looked through the submissions, it became evident to me that the pieces were about exploring what it means to belong or looking for ways that could reconcile a perceived lack of belonging. To me, it only made sense to pick the word “Belonging” as a result—even one of our titles used it! Such a focus on belonging speaks to the current college generation’s struggle with determining community and belonging after coming out of a multi-year pandemic that left many alone, isolated, and unsure of how to create community as a twenty-something. And I firmly believe that the struggle is real!