The End is Here

OK, so there aren't really any photos of nude people in this issue of catalyst. Actually, there isn't much about sex, either, and, as long as we're coming clean, I may as well tell you that we're not giving anything away for free. I realize the cover may be a tad misleading, and ask that you pardon any efforts at deception. It's just that as we were planning the 15th issue of catalyst, the last one of the semester, we decided we needed to do something to finally capture your attention. Every Thursday for the past few months, we've seen our magazine stuffed, crammed, balled and bundled into every nook, crack, cranny and crevasse of this campus. We've seen stacks of the magazine piled high in the garbage cans next to Wildcat newstands. I once watched a person use catalyst to wipe up a rather complicated ketchup mess at McDonald's. Surely you can understand why this is upsetting. Admittedly, catalyst has stumbled through its infancy. We've struggled to establish an indentity as an adjunct to the news coverage provided by the Arizona Daily Wildcat. We've pissed off readers, scared away potential advertisers, confused ourselves and others. What the hell. At least we tried to do something different. Sometimes, we even did it well. We put words in the mouths of Max Cannon's Red Meat characters and got surf rock guitarist Dick Dale riled up about tornado proof housing. We turned Greasy Tony into a film critic and taught you how to install your own phone line in case of another telecommunications strike. We brightened up your Halloween with the Tara Taylor Costume Kit, while our Bar Guide made your choice of where to go for Happy Hour a bit less overwhelming. Not to mention the weekly dose of irrevent and fresh wit found in Tony Carnevale's almost frighteningly funny column, "Neurotica." Begining next semester, catalyst will return to tabloid size and slide back into the protective sheath of the Arizona Daily Wildcat and into the capable hands of editor Annie Holub. We'll still be weekly, we'll still be our own publication, but we won't so much resemble TV Guide. Thanks to those who caught on early - especially those who made large, exaggerated displays of reading catalyst in public. Your letters and emails made the semester infinitely more enjoyable. As always, we welcome your thoughts and suggestions about the future of catalyst, as well as lewd comments and praise, at catalyst@wildcat.arizona.edu.