LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

[/vôlt/] noun a large room or chamber used for storage, especially an underground one.

As many of us GenZers explore the newfound freedom of adulthood, we’re embracing the only constant we know: change. We have gone to school in a pandemic, grown up with the anxieties of climate change, and been raised with the world’s commentary at our fingertips.

We’ve learned to expect this change. We’ve learned to embrace it. As collections of our past selves, we’re ready to claim each of those identities. Where we once hid our graphic novels as teens, wallowed in the existential dread of an uncertain future, and minimized ourselves around those louder than us, today we possess the grit to voice dissent and the strength to share our vulnerabilities.

Vault celebrates the underground; things once stigmatized receive open appreciation today. Vault celebrates the deeply personal; items meaningful to us and nonsensical to others are still valued beyond these differences — an artistic act of self-expression. Vault celebrates the past in the present; things we treasure can be preserved over time but still change with added meaning once dug up. Vault is our enjoyment of the retro, the vintage, and the avant garde.

This issue also marked an expansion period for TREND. This past year, we were approached by Princess Labrador, a representative of Universal Music Group from °1824. We’ve taken on a larger team to cover new opportunities such as music concerts and press conferences. We started Thrifty Thursdays in collaboration with UCSD Alumni Jazzy Threadz to promote sustainable fashion and celebrate vintagewear. On March 9, 2023, we hosted “Transcendent Treasures,” a fashion show in partnership with The LOFT that received wide praise from our community. We are committed to creating a larger space for creatives on campus to shine. Whether you’re a new reader or seasoned follower, we thank you for supporting our work. It means so much to us that you do. And to our TREND team, we are so grateful and proud to be your editors. Your work, your talent, and your uniqueness is apparent; and we are honored that you choose to share yourselves with us. You inspire us endlessly.

While making this issue, we loved the openness of Vault’s interpretations and many interconnected meanings. Whatever Vault means to you, we hope it brings you as much joy as it did us the past two quarters. Vault is an expression of how we dare to be ourselves. We dare you to be you. And so we ask: what’s in your vault?