Welcome to another issue of Academic Exchange Extra -- my second 
installment as Editor in Chief.  This month we bring you a new 
genre of writing, which we hope will interest you and inspire 
your own creative process.  Jamie Grasser, Assistant Editor of 
Extra, will supervise the fiction section of each issue, and for 
this month has carefully selected a great short story and several 
masterfully written poems.  Please feel free to contact her with 
your comments or suggestions as she works to expand the fiction 
portion of future issues.  I thank Jamie for her dedication to 
Extra, and know that her contributions will only enhance our 
popularity with readers from all disciplines and educational 
levels.

Ben Varner, faculty advisor and senior editor of Extra, has once 
again put in overtime helping us complete this issue.  I hope you 
will enjoy the variety of subjects presented this month, which 
range from issues of race and education to probationary student 
needs and study abroad experiences.  My own reflection on the Miller 
Forum is included, in addition to a particularly relevant student 
essay.  We look forward to hearing your responses.  

You will also notice that I have added a column for reader response, 
in hopes that you will articulate both your likes and dislikes, for 
potential publication in a future "response" column.  Ben, Jamie and 
I agree that your opinions are central to our progress.  We can only 
continue and move forward if we know what our readers want to see 
and read in an on-line journal.  Let us know what you think!

I hope that your transition into spring has been a smooth and 
peaceful one.  Enjoy the beauty of the season, and as you read this 
issue, consider what you might contribute in the months to come.  
We are still in need of dedicated, hard working, serious, intelligent 
Assistant Editors, and we always welcome new and interesting article 
submissions.  Send me a message, and any publishable documents as 
word attachments.  Thanks for your continued interest in Extra. 
 
We appreciate your support and encouragement.

Athena
3/28/00