This week, I am reminded of the importance of remembering.
This Saturday during Homecoming, I gathered with over 30 former editors of The Record to honor the paper’s 100th anniversary. Though we represented the classes of 1956-2013, we all shared one experience: the hard work, stress and fun of editing The Record.During the reunion, former editors reflected on their Record experiences. John Lapp, who edited in 1982, remembered an embarrassing mistake when he accidentally switched the type set of the paper’s title. Instead of reading “The Goshen College Record,” it printed as “The Goshen Record College.” Sue Clemmer Steiner, who edited in 1967-1968, remembered the difficulty of reporting when several GC students were expelled after making a controversial underground paper.
After the gathering, I was struck by the role The Record has played for 100 years as a “memory gatherer.” Without the paper, so many candid moments of Goshen College history would not have been preserved. It was neat to officially recognize this powerful role of The Record and feel hope that it will continue.
On Tuesday, I gathered with faculty, students and community members to dedicate the prayer labyrinth to Jim Miller. Dr. Brenneman offered a prayer that validated the memories of shock, cruelty and grief that remain a year after Miller’s death. However, Brenneman also honored the memories that grief cannot remove: the memories of a wonderful teacher, colleague and parent.
In this issue, we dedicate a spread on the Perspectives page to reflections and memories of Jim Miller. We grieve the depth of Miller’s absence, yet we cherish his life and spirit. On the Features page, we dedicate a spread to The Record’s anniversary. We hope 100 more years of printed memories will follow.
