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Lasting Impressions When I tell people that I am an editor at the University of Miami, I hear a variety of reactions, including, "Oh, that must be interesting work." (It truly is.) Or, "You must enjoy having the summers off." (Far from it; summers are our department's busiest time of the year.) Or still, "You must love working among students." (They've really gotten it right then.) I am impressed, almost daily, by the enormous talent, potential, optimism, and energy of the students at our University. And this is never more true than at the University's Commencement ceremony each May. There, assembled on the University Green, are future architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, journalists, musicians, scientists, and other learned people who will help make our world a better place. At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, I am moved each year by their unbridled joy and strong sense of accomplishment. I am convinced that if you could somehow harness the positive energy emoted by our graduates and their proud families, it would far surpass any natural or man-made force. The stories in this issue of Miami magazine evoke similar feelings, for they center on superlatives--from our feature on creativity, celebrating outstanding professors and their students in the arts, to our story of the remarkable comeback of men's basketball at the University under coach Leonard Hamilton's guidance, to our profile of alumnus and new Board of Trustees chairman Carlos M. de la Cruz. All exemplify the very best of the University of Miami, in academics, athletics, and leadership. Also underscoring this excellence is the far-reaching work of the faculty--from breakthroughs in diabetes research to advances in predicting volcanic eruptions--as detailed in our "University Journal" section. In these pages, too, we celebrate another superlative at the
University-the generosity and commitment of our alumni and friends.
Individually, each name in our Honor Roll signifies an important
and highly personal contribution by our donors to furthering
Elizabeth McKey |
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Letters from our Readers A Widening Circle of Influence I want to share with you the
tremendous enjoyment I have received from the Miami magazine. I also volunteer as the chair of the Baltimore chapter of Miami Circle, which works with the University's Office of Admissions in recruiting students. As such, I wanted to extend my appreciation and thanks to Leslie and Steve Gruskin of Annapolis, Maryland, for hosting a Send Off Party for metropolitan Washington, D.C., freshmen entering the University of Miami in the fall of 1999. On Saturday, July 31, l999, under a 100-degree heat index, a luncheon for approximately 40 was sponsored by the Maryland Miami Circle members (Leslie and Steve Gruskin, Linda Doty, Beth Vaina, Paige Kurtz, and Michael Holub). Nine new freshmen (Kevin Dimetres, Courtney Chapin, Jason Mills, Natalie Auth, Courtney Di Lallo, Sasha Torres, Jessica Scherer, Jessica Cates Bristol, and Brian Levine) and their families attended, including one mother, Carol Chapin, who is a University of Miami alumna and member of the President's Circle. I would like to see a future article in Miami magazine featuring the Miami Circle, its purpose, and activities. I was completely unaware of such an organization until I relocated to the Maryland area. As such, there may be many other alumni across the country who are unaware of this organization and are willing to participate in order to promote the University. Social gatherings for incoming freshmen, such as ours, help provide students and their families with a local University of Miami network and new friends to facilitate students' transition to college. Linda Doty, A.B. '72 Editor's Note: An article about Miami Circle appeared in
the Fall 1995 issue of Miami magazine. We will continue
to report on the activities of this worthwhile organization in
future issues. We appreciate the update and the suggestion. Thanks for the Good Reviews The last issue of Miami magazine was splendid. I found myself reading it over and over and enjoying memories of the good old days at the University of Miami. Thanks for keeping me informed of news and events at the University. Nabil Fouad El-Sayegh Thank you for sending me Miami magazine. I enjoy reading it from cover to cover. Jocelyn Goulin Although I am not an alumnus of your university, I do consider myself a booster and friend of the University of Miami. Frequently I am asked to provide counsel to students who are considering college choices. From time to time I have had the opportunity to examine various university publications. The recent issue of Miami magazine was exceedingly well-written and interesting. I look forward to receiving future copies of your publication. Howard Blackman Looking for All the Details In years past I always enjoyed receiving alumni newsletters, which usually arrived once or twice a year. Each school printed sections about alumni and their current status in career or retirement. As I had acquaintances in different schools, I looked carefully to see whom I knew. Since Miami magazine has replaced these newsletters, there doesn't seem to be any attempt to continue this communication. How about more alumni news from arts and sciences and music? Edward H. Wylie, A.B. '60 Editor's Note: Arts & Sciences magazine and
Score are sent to arts and sciences alumni and music alumni,
respectively, as a means of sharing more detailed alumni news.
Other schools and departments at the University also publish
periodicals for alumni. International Intrigue TThe article on international students ("World Class," Spring 1999) was great. It was wonderfully researched, written, and designed. It was good for me, as a foreign student, to realize that I'm more or less like the other students here. Congratulations to all of you for the outstanding article and magazine. It was an honor to cooperate with your publication. I look forward to receiving the magazine as an alumnus one day. Daniel Paskin |
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Letters: We welcome your letters. All letters must be signed (your name will not be printed if you so request in writing) and may be edited for clarity and space. Address letters to: Elizabeth McKey, |
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As
a University of Miami alumna and past Miami resident for 20 years,
it helps me keep in touch with both the University and surrounding
communities. Professionally, I am both a clinical social worker
and registered nurse, so I especially appreciate the articles
you have featured on medicine and health professionals who are
alumni.