Odysseus, a well-known Greek hero, embarked on a ten-year journey to return to his kingdom, Ithaca. Once a renowned king, he became a desperate man; while he was still strong and capable, he was often rendered powerless by the adversity he faced.
While the Tom Tom is not on a literal journey filled with mystical creatures and the wrath of the gods, we are on a metaphorical one. COVID-19 morphed our program into something that it hasn’t been in a very long time – forgettable. A lot of people have no idea who we are. Our staff is dwindling; students are not interested and aren’t joining. While we were once admired, we are now disregarded. Our videos are laughed at, our magazines tossed aside. Like Odysseus, we once mattered. Now, it feels like we’ve been cast out.
It is hard to feel motivated. I and the rest of the executive team know what the old Tom Tom was and are trying to revive it; newer members don’t know, and maybe don’t understand our passion. Trying to find a happy medium in a pre-COVID and post-COVID staff is extremely difficult, and as a result, our production rates have slowed down to a snail’s pace. We want things to be perfect, but perfection is never possible.
Even though it is difficult to accept, we are doing the best we can with what we have. We have a smaller staff – it is going to take longer to produce things. Simultaneously teaching while also allowing freedom creates a difficult dynamic, but we’re getting there. It may have taken an entire semester, but we have put out two high-quality magazines, and next semester, we are aiming for more. We are working our hardest to prepare a staff that is knowledgeable, passionate and driven, and that is a ton of work in and of itself.
The Tom Tom staff of the past had ideas and executed them in productive ways. Now, in the present, we are constantly looking to them for themes, documents, and guidance that can help us to succeed. Now, we are looking back thousands of years for wisdom; the ancient Greeks had several lessons within their mythology that we can implement today. For our Greek Tragedy Issue, we examine different Greek mythologies and how we can apply their lessons to our lives today; while many myths end in sorrow, their themes can create a more positive society.
Our four features, “Struck by Desire” (Emma Poklop), “The Blame Game” (Beth Kamman, Sofia Tinker and Lila Heilig), “The Fluidity of Beauty” (Megan Harding) and “Flying Up and Burning Out” (Bella Bussone and Aaliyah Lizak) focus on Zeus, Medusa, Aphrodite and Icarus, and how their legacies and stories affect our society today. Staffer Grace Semple analyzes different life lessons derived from Greek mythologies with “Life Lessons from the Gods.” Junior writing editor Chloe Barbarise analyzes manipulation in relationships with “The Trickery Within the Trojan Horse,” and staffer Ashley Lubkeman discusses success with “The Key to Climbing Mount Olympus.”
Our paths in life can be closely related to the tragedies the Greeks faced. Now, it’s our turn to learn from their mistakes and prevent making our own. As always, we hope that you enjoy.
