Íø±¬ÃÅ

Íø±¬ÃÅ Magazine | Spring 2025 Letter from the Editor

When I was a student worker in the admission office at my college, I used an electric typewriter that had one or two form letters stored in its very limited memory. All I had to do was insert the sheet of paper, type the recipient’s name and hit a button, and the typewriter completed the message on its own. (If you understand this reference, you might be old.)

When the recruiters had scholarship offers to make, letters became more personal and as I typed them out and later filed responses, I felt like I was getting to know the incoming students before they even arrived. Naturally, when I transferred to the PR department, I had a little insight on what stories and themes might resonate in our publications.

It was a small school and relationships were everything. Story ideas rolled easily because of the closeness of faculty members and students. Quite a bit like Íø±¬ÃÅ, actually.

The crew pictured here – our “Core Four” of the content team in Íø±¬ÃÅ’s Marketing & Communications department – thrives on those connections and weaving together meaningful stories found in the Zag community. We chuckle when people ask whether we have a hard time thinking up things to write about.

When student photographer Josh Garcia (’26) wanted some extra practice shooting groups, we decided on evoking a bit of self-deprecating humor, as if we sit around soaking up news, perusing the AP Stylebook or humoring Jamie’s ridiculous play with Photoshop to create a spoof magazine cover. But also, camaraderie in telling Íø±¬ÃÅ stories.

Whether pulling together the details of a presidential legacy, as with the primary feature of this magazine, sharing alumni pride in love and parenthood, offering up brief words of honor for those who have passed, highlighting faculty expertise in national outlets or crafting thoughtful messages in times of crisis, we truly consider this work a privilege.

Being a part of the Íø±¬ÃÅ community is special, period. But being part of the Zag network in times of such national divisiveness is, actually, inspirational. While many people are removing themselves from social media or changing how they choose their news, the reality is that the Íø±¬ÃÅ experience has yielded generations of people whose stories are worth telling; there are thoughtful, considerate, reflective people out there doing good for our communities.

Spoiler alert: The life-changing work GU grads are accomplishing is what has mattered most to President McCulloh, who shares his insights of 34 years at this institution. I’ll bet it’s what President-elect Katia Passerini will value most as well, when she takes the reins in July.

Zag stories matter. And not just the rises to fame, the insanely fast successes or the impressive awards we often write about, but also the job pathways riddled with potholes and the lessons learned along life’s swampy messes. When you’re ready to share your story, our team is here to tell it with integrity, diligence, humor when appropriate, and always with bright hope. Because we all need to read more stories like that. Drop me a line with yours and I’ll plug it into that old electric typewriter and give it a spin.

Kate Vanskike (’22 M.A)
Editor

See the spring issue of Íø±¬ÃÅ Magazine here.