DEAR READER,

Now that Labor Day is in our rearview mirror, the love/hate relationship between students and locals is in full swing, and the time honored tradition of bemoaning the youthful influx can be seen and heard from Irish pubs downtown to cafes in Cleveland Circle. The already-bad traffic is certainly worse, and the Green Line sardine cans absolutely reach new levels of shittiness, but what exactly is it that drives people to such scorn, considering that these kids don’t show up in September with empty wallets and all suffer from unbridled spendthriftiness?

We’re a college town, THE college town in fact, and that distinction isn’t going to change anytime soon. There are roughly 250,000 students enrolled in college in the Boston area, and obviously that kind of bump in population has a huge impact on those that call this home year round, but it’s not all bad. In fact, most of it is quite good.

From restaurants to bars, supermarkets to laundromats, and car dealerships to taxi cabs, the economy receives a substantial cash infusion every September that lasts through the end of May. It might take an extra 30 minutes to get crosstown and your favorite neighborhood bar might swell with a sea of punchy white hats, but waitstaff pick up extra shifts and most business owners get to clear their summer debt before Halloween. The pains associated with this annual bump are, for the most part, simply overstated. Like many other colloquial past times that we pride ourselves in, most of the vitriol toward students is merely sport.

For our part, the fall means new readers and new business from those looking to capture these virgin eyes. Consider this issue a friendly welcome mat for both. We promise to avoid the inevitable n00b jokes and instead invite you back in with open arms. At least until Columbus Day—then you’re on your own.

Jeff Lawrence, DigBoston Publisher + Editor

OH, CRUEL WORLD

Dear Proud Non-Voter,

It’s disturbing how many morons like you there are among us.You are among the least informed and loudest political-slash-anarcho poseurs out there, which is saying a ton in a college town. Look—NOBODY wants to vote in this presidential election. NOBODY! Not for either of the two big candidates at least. But the shit I heard you spitting on your Allston porch last week through your wannabe obnoxious beard (that’s right—it wants to be obnoxious, but ain’t quite there yet) failed to account for the innumerable down-ballot races that could stand to benefit from even the participation of a dick-for-brains like you. Maybe my vote won’t change anything—it probably won’t—but that’s still a better chance than any of your cheap rants have of educating anybody on this planet for the better.