NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

I swear it wasn’t my doing. As a magazine editor, I’ve always avoided theme issues, the sort whose entire contents have to relate to an overarching idea, say water or censorship, or perhaps more challenging, my fascination with Barcelona. But this issue thrust forth a theme on its own: a flood of hellos and goodbyes and major anniversaries—and even a welcome back—that was impossible to ignore.

Goodbye #1
Capping seven fruitful years at Drew, President Robert Weisbuch put the finishing touches on a strategic plan for the university and a top-to-bottom organizational review, and resigned, laying aside his academic regalia in June for the life of a writer. He’s traded his office in Mead Hall for one at home, working on three (yes, three) books: one on the humanities, one on Emerson’s “Divinity School Address” and one on Top 40 radio.

Welcome Back
Vivian A. Bull, a former Linfield College president with a long history in the Forest—both professional and personal—steps up as president for the interim term.

Hellos
I trust that after flipping through the initial pages of this issue, you’re duly impressed with the new Ehinger Center and are making plans, as we speak, to stop by and see what all the buzz is about. Another significant launch this fall is Full-Impact Learning, the new undergraduate admissions recruitment project that fine-tunes the definition of what Drew has done so well for so long. (The online/print project, by the way, borrowed the magazine’s staff, resulting in the cancellation of our Spring 2012 issue.)

Goodbye #2
The 96-year-old author of Drew’s seminal history, University in the Forest, is sadly no longer with us, but John Cunningham ’38 left an indelible mark on his alma mater, and on New Jersey.

 

Renée Olson

 

P.S. Don’t miss our web exclusive on the 50th anniversary of the storied Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and its 40th on campus. www.drewmagazine.com/shakespeareanniversary.

Write to us at magazine@drew.edu