Editor note

Creating a snapshot

May 14, 2020

It is rare for me to step back and spend an evening watching a movie. However, early on in the pandemic my wife, daughter, son-in-law and I decided to relax and watch “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” concerning the friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel. The setting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is only 50 miles from my hometown, so for me, it was a little like taking a trip home.

The unexpected and best part for me occurred early on with Mr. Rogers telling his TV show audience about how magazines are produced and giving me my new favorite quote: “It’s a lot of work to make a magazine.”

The spring edition of this magazine was well underway when Harding, as well as much of the world, implemented stay-at-home procedures. Flexibility and creativity quickly came into play in order to create a relevant magazine from our home offices reflecting on the current situation. So many people answered my call to contribute and in their own words very poignantly give snapshots of their varying COVID-19 experiences.

As my colleague Sheryl Ragland said when reviewing the magazine, “It fills in those emotional blanks — locally and globally.” I hope it does just that and also is a fitting tribute to this unprecedented situation.

Enjoy, and let us know what you think.

Tom Buterbaugh, editor/designer

Categories: Editor note