Letter From Our Advisor

   The production of this inaugural edition of Legacy has been a blissful experience for me. It represents the realization of a dream I have long had to honor undergraduate academic researchers who labor term after term to produce written texts that represent hours of critical thinking, data collection, drafting and honing of ideas typically only for the eyes of a few privileged readers before the writings get stored away in dark closets and musty attics. From the enthusiastic reception to calls for submissions, it is evident that RACC students feel the same way. They are proud of the course papers they produce, and I am saddened that logistics prevents the staff from including all of them in this publication.

   Among other joys that have emerged from advising the staff are two that will have lasting memories for me. First, and foremost, is the product itself. It is always exciting to observe an act of creation. With a publication, that creation has many layers and these begin prior to announcing calls for submissions. The process involves students who strive to construct themselves as authors through written texts, the editorial staff who have the difficult task of choosing the writings that comprise the edition, and layout/graphics and art directors whose artistic vision comes to fruition in this volume. The process is no small endeavor. 

   The second joy has been the privilege of working with a group of student editors who, despite the difficult task of getting a new publication off the ground with little collective publishing experience, proved themselves to be professionals in all aspects of the term. This group, gathered primarily through Anna’s expert recruitment strategies, exchanged knowledge and skills about writing and editing, marketing and management; and what they didn’t know, they found a way to knowing; what they couldn’t originally do, they learned to do. They treated each entry with respect, discussed its merits, sighed when they had to choose one essay over another, and worked through difficult decisions collegially. Observing them in their work taught me a lot about collaboration and team work.

   To Anna, Meg, Tom, Bernie, Jodi, and Mary Beth, thank you for leaving your own legacy to the RACC community.

Joanne Gabel
Assistant Professor Humanities

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