Editor’s Letter
Goodbye 2020, Hello Class Notes
By STACEY J. HIMMELBERGER P’15,’22 EDITOR
No, you haven’t been dropped from our mailing list, nor can we blame the U.S. Postal Service. It really has been a little over a year since the last edition of Hamilton magazine arrived in your mailbox. Here’s what we’ve been up to during this hiatus, and we’re excited to announce what’s to come.
Last March, just a few weeks after we started work on what was to be the Spring 2020 edition, COVID-19 forced the College to send students home to finish the semester remotely. As faculty pivoted to online instruction — and we all became fluent in Zooming — the Communications Office opted to forgo two issues of the magazine in order to divert funds to the pressing need of ensuring campus would be safe for students to return in the fall. That’s not to say we didn’t work to keep you up-to-date and connected. It’s been truly inspiring to see how many of you read the Hamilton Headlines e-newsletter, interact with the College’s social media channels, or participate in virtual events hosted by the Alumni Office. If ever the word “Hamily” rings true, it’s been during this pandemic.
Just one day after the Class of 2020 celebrated its virtual Commencement, George Floyd took his last breath under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Although College Hill remained mostly empty, Hamiltonians joined the global discussion, many expressing shock and anger.
Knowing that we wanted to address the issue of racial injustice and inequality in the magazine, we reached out to veteran journalist and past magazine contributor Edvige Jean-François ’90. We hoped she might offer some advice on how to approach such a complex topic; instead we were thrilled when she agreed to take over as guest editor. Edvige spent six months recruiting and working with alumni whose stories appear in this special edition. Their personal and political opinions reflect their individual experiences; they do not claim to represent everyone. This issue comes at a time when the entire nation is grappling with race relations, and many are asking, “Where do we go from here?” We’d love to hear your comments and reflections as we consider future discussions.
Finally, when Hamilton magazine resumes its regular format and schedule this summer, you will find a new publication — Glade & Glen — arriving with it. In response to reader feedback, we are happy to announce the return of printed class notes and obituaries. The Alumni Programs Office is working with class correspondents, who are in the process of reaching out to classmates to solicit news as they’ve done in the past. Watch for more details in the coming months. Alumni memorial tributes continue to be published online.
