Editorial: 40 Years of History
For 40 Years, The Link Has Served Its Community, and That’s One Thing That Won’t Ever Change
“With this premiere issue of The Link, the changing face of Concordia is reflected.”
Those were the first words The Link printed at its inception, and, as we are embarking on our fortieth volume, they remain true.
Concordia has never ceased to change, and neither has The Link.
Formed from the merger of two campuses newspapers,The Georgian and Loyola News, The Link has served as an advocacy publication, promoting marginalized voices at the forefront of our reporting since 1980.
Hundreds of talented journalists, photographers, and designers have walked through the doors of our office on the sixth floor of the Hall Building. They have shaped, and been shaped, by The Link before moving on to accomplish great things.
Three years ago, we made the decision to completely change the way we present ourselves to our community. As more and more people began to get their news online, we felt it necessary to adapt to that and in that way, our readership has also shaped us into what we are today: a monthly magazine and daily online publication.
Yet, through all this change, our fundamental values have remained the same. The Link’s mandate is to provide a learning space, and to serve our community by telling its stories. This year’s masthead looks forward to continuing the tradition of The Link, and abiding by our mandate, starting with this first issue of 2019-2020.
We hope our Orientation issue will help you situate yourself within Concordia and Montreal.
For plenty of people, both are new worlds, and even those who don’t feel that way can always learn something new.
Whether it’s finding your place in the LGBTQ+ spaces of the city, learning how to find a helping hand at Concordia when money’s tight, or simply wanting to know how to cheer on the Stingers or
what bathrooms to avoid, we’ve got you covered with this one.
Things can be intimidating here for everyone, from the person taking their first step into the Hall Building or the city, to someone that’s spent their entire life living in Montreal.
We hope this magazine is a tool you can look to for some help and to learn something new.
We can’t promise it will always be easy, straightforward, or simple. But as our first editor-in-chief Doug Leslie wrote in the very first paper we published: “One thing it will never be is dull.”
Forty years later, we promise to continue to follow the principles that have guided us since 1980. This anniversary will be one that shows just what The Link is about and we look forward to sharing it all with you.
