It’s a brand new year at GW, and with it comes our first issue of the year. Making the first issue at any collegiate newspaper can be a daunting task, but I’m very proud to see how our’s turned out. Here’s a brief rundown of some stories across our pages:

• Emily Cahn looks at how the University’s endowment has fallen over the last year. Even though the fund is down 18 percent, administrators say that by comparison, GW has fared well in the economic downturn.
• Amy Rhodin has the interesting story of a GW professor and three of her students who traveled to Africa to teach art to the local community. Matt Rist writes about a similar group that went to India.
• Our back-to-school section has a rundown of some new fashion trends, places to go on cheap dates, and some advice on how to meet a new mate this fall.

I hope you check out these stories and more on our Web site, but make sure you take a look at the print version of the paper, too. We’ve just completed a great redesign of the print product – one that I think will catch your eye when you see it on newsstands this year.

Like usual, our next issue comes out on Monday. Let us know in the comments or on Twitter what you think we should be covering.