Election season is in full swing, and amongst the dog and pony shows and pointless pundit posturing, we tend to lose sight of everything else. New Orleans is still a mess, atrocities in Darfur continue, and we have active military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems as if every four years, we spend all of our time discussing and arguing about the issues instead of actually doing something about them. Don’t get me wrong: voting is one of the most important things you can do as a citizen and you should know the issues, it’s just sometimes hard to remember that the rest of the world is still spinning.

In News, our very own Padraig O’Malley has been working on constructive solutions for a new, united, peaceful Iraq by putting together a coalition of leaders from all over the country. It’s the freshest approach to the situation in recent memory and news maven Olesia Plokhii is all over it.

In an examination of another community that often falls out of the public discourse, Amy Julian has decided to explore the connection between art and the mentally ill. Talented, crazy talented or just plain crazy. You be the judge.

Meanwhile, to snap back to real life on a more local level, the campus is still mourning the loss of Wolf Jules. For those of you who wish you knew more about this young Beacon snuffed out before his time, Ryan Thomas will help you get to know him a little bit better. Flip to Sports for the full story.

Ben Whelan can be reached at [email protected]