When Linfield asked us to guest edit this issue of Linfield Magazine, we looked forward to helping the university usher in a new era, with a new name and new graduate programs to build on its undergraduate successes.
In January, we had no idea just how wild the entrance to this new era would be. A few months later, when Oregon issued stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we had already committed to a dozen magazine stories — none addressing the coronavirus pandemic.
The magazine you hold in your hands owes much to the nimbleness of our writers, photographer and graphic designer. They scrapped planned stories and wrote new ones, executed photo shoots under social-distancing guidelines, and
rearranged the magazine layout multiple times to accommodate our changing needs.
The theme running through this issue is resilience — a trait Wildcats have drawn on from the institution’s founding days, as you’ll discover in our cover package on the transition from college to university.
You’ll see the spirit of resiliency in President Davis’ response to social unrest following George Floyd’s death. You’ll find it in the life choices of Joe Robinson ’09, who left a career in Los Angeles and rescued the artists’ retreat founded by his mentor, the late art professor emeritus Nils Lou. You’ll see it in the efforts of our grounds crews and cleaning staff, featured in a photo essay on how we kept the campus safe. And in the attitude of our students, who took this spring’s campus closure in stride, coming up with creative ways to stay connected to their fellow Wildcats in virtual classrooms, online athletics practices, and Commencement ceremonies that took place far from the storied Oak Grove.
With this issue we introduce a new logo and brand identity for Linfield (see page 12 for details), and welcome Kathy Foss, the university’s new assistant director of communications and marketing, who will edit future issues of Linfield Magazine. We wish her well and trust her steady hand will guide the magazine through any wild rides to come.
— Jillian & Jeffrey Martin, editors
