It’s crazy how fast summer speeds by. With just about a month left before the streets get swarmed by new students carrying T.I.S. bags and practicing their routes to class, buzz is already prepping for the fall semester with a redesign ready to launch in late August. We’ll be trying some new things in the meantime, however, and need your help to put some of these ideas into motion.

The focus of the buzz redesign is conversation. Champaign and Urbana are transient towns and with the buzz staff being completely comprised of students, we have as much to learn about this place as anyone. So instead of us always telling you what concerts to go to and what restaurants to dine at, we’ll be allotting more space for your words, your ideas and your opinions.

For instance, make sure to check out our new WPGUtube contest, allowing you to submit a homemade video to our website. Whether the video is an enlightening documentary on the local music scene like last week’s winner, Dave Cohen, or just footage of your friends in the dorms doing stupid things, submit it to producer@the217.com and maybe it’ll be chosen as the winner for the week.

In addition to WPGUTube, keep an eye out for buzz’s new “Rants and Raves: Tri-town Talk” feature, which will premier in print and online within the next month. If you’re sick of the terrible band on the other side of your apartment wall playing at two in the morning or estatic about the newest business on main street, e-mail us at ranttraves@readbuzz.com. We love hearing your opinions so much we’ll have them printed 20,000 times and distributed all around town. )

With these new features and other plans, buzz is looking forward to a fresh new look to come along with the upcoming semester. Keep an eye out for further changes to the magazine and let us know what you think by emailing buzz@readbuzz.com!