It starts with a pair of fish and five loaves and way too many people to feed. It finishes with 5,000 fed—not to mention the uncounted (but fed) women and children. And a dozen wicker baskets of leftovers.
In another place not long before was another lesson about what nourishes: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill.
And so we bring an edition of Santa Clara Magazine devoted to sustenance, in many senses of the word: celebratory and serious, with made-to-order sushi and social justice, sampling the virtues of local produce as well as cooking oil in Chad.
All this comes in the form of a redesigned magazine that, we hope, better conveys the intellectual and spiritual richness of Santa Clara—and is a veritable feast of images and words and ideas. From the appetizers in the front of the magazine to the main course features and, of course, dessert. (To extend the metaphor: If Class Notes are dessert, it’s okay to eat dessert first.)
In redesigning SCM, we wanted a book of light and wonder, one grounded in an awareness of what it means to be the oldest institution of higher education in California and to draw on 450 years of Jesuit, Catholic tradition. One that embraces its geography at the heart of Silicon Valley and so is open to the world, with a bracing sense of possibility and awe-inspiring responsibility. And one that captures the constant renewal that is so much a part of a living, growing institution. The inauguration of President Engh—and the challenge he issued to the University to become a champion for environmental justice—couldn’t underscore that point better.
For the magazine redesign, we gleaned ideas from reader surveys and consulted with our advisory board. Creative Director Linda Degastaldi-Ortiz and I worked with Jane Hambleton of Cuttriss & Hambleton Design to execute the vision. You’ll find changes great and small: from the new nameplate on the cover and a bigger, bolder contents page (make that pages) to fonts that convey elegance and seriousness of purpose where they should and liveliness and humor too. (For the font-curious: Trajan and Helvetica Neue are the two showcased here most.)
What else? You’ll find an expanded Mission Matters, in sections such as research, books, campus, and sports, for easy navigation. You’ll find Class Notes with special lists for Broncos who’ve published books and gotten married and welcomed kiddos into their midst. But what’s in print is only part of the story: Online, you’ll find extended and more-timely notes and obituaries. The online notes are now updated several times a month, without being edited down for space reasons.
To be sure, there’s something special about a magazine in print. So let us know what you think of the flavor and consistency of the redesigned SCM. And, as my ranch-bred Grandpa Hank would say before any meal: Dig in!
Keep the faith,
Steven Boyd Saum
Managing Editor