Ayotzinapa. US-Cuba relations thawing. Ferguson and police brutality. Immigration and Displacement in our Communities. With such headlines dominating the news, students have reflected deeply for this semester’s journal edition on USF’s call to “change the world from here.” What does that mean for us? they asked. How do we connect the local to the global, the personal to the political, and give true meaning to the university’s mandate to be changemakers – as students, as scholars, as teachers, as a university

Our initial discussions on this theme called for critically re-thinking USF’s call to action, connecting events in the Bay Area and USF with broader changes occurring across the Americas. Our contributors for this edition reflect a very diverse group, with interests ranging from politics and art, to economic policy in Latino/a America. Yet the recurring concern has been our need to reflect on our responsibility as subjects and witnesses to history -- beyond the walls of Lone Mountain. This issue offers, at its core, the very personal reflection of each writer – as students and scholars, activists and witnesses -- with their feet solidly rooted in USF’s service mission, but with a critical gaze within and beyond the university’s walls.

Every piece you’ll read inside -- from interviews to political and economic analysis -- emphasizes self-reflection – the “I”  voice as it relates to a contributor’s field of interest -- and a collective “we” voice -- their recognition of belonging and being interconnected. The writing process – developing and refining views and issues -- also allowed for self- transformation as students explored these interconnections between outside and local events and their lives and ideas.

We would like to thank the Web Services and Communications Teams, especially Eileen Lai and Crystal Zapanta who not only trained us, but were with us throughout the process of uploading and designing our articles. We are grateful for the early visit of activist-journalist Anne Christine d’Adesky who offered field advice and a framework for approaching our stories and themes. We hope you enjoy this edition as much as we enjoyed discussing, researching, reading, and bringing it to fruition.