Summer may not be the best time to write about impact and influence. If you're heading for a long weekend at the Oregon coast (or at "the lake," for those of you on the eastern side of the state), I won't hold it against you if this issue of the Alki doesn't make it into your beach bag. Or it may be the perfect time to consider your influence on others and their impact on you. A good friend (and long-time high school librarian) once told me that "learners reflect." The phrase has stuck with me. Consider these articles to be opportunities for reflection as you stretch out on the chaise longue.