Spring is all about anticipation. Buds promising flowers. Bare limbs yielding to green leaves. All winter, I anticipate warm weather. And for fewer days where snow is possible. Whether it’s the end of athletics competitions or students finishing degree requirements before Commencement, spring always brings much anticipation to our community.
In addition to learning all about our exciting ninth national championship in hockey, read about the three alums —two of whom played in the NHL—who make up the Avalanche on-air broadcast team in Golden Voices, Crimson Hearts. I can’t help but think that being a sports announcer, conveying the actions of a game with fun and feeling, is all about anticipation, too.
At an institution of higher education, reflection is just as important as anticipation. And in this issue, there is plenty to reflect upon. All of us should be concerned about the state of our justice system. Evidence of the need for widespread justice reform is clear following a study of more than 10,000 Americans by the University’s Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System in concert with the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law. If we commit to the hard work of reform, we will be honoring President Joe Biden’s call “to live up to our higher ideals.”
The winter issue included a new department focused on sustainability and created to highlight, among other initiatives, DU’s commitment to combat climate change. In the chancellor’s inaugural address last fall, he doubled down on those commitments by announcing an accelerated pace for our carbon-neutrality efforts, moving our target date from 2050 to 2030. This issue of the magazine features another bold charge for DU: to strongly consider a single-use plastic ban. After reading that the U.S. is the world leader in plastic waste and that the pandemic exacerbated an already outrageous problem, I became anxious to discover what I could do to be part of the solution. We share a few tangible actions that, like voting, can enable one person to truly make a difference.
When you’ve finished reading this issue of the magazine, be sure to visit our digital edition at magazine.du.edu. There you can read about students in DU’s Writing Program fostering excitement and anticipation in young learners as part of their outreach to a neighborhood school. Connecting with the community provides DU students, as well as the elementary school pupils, the chance to engage in research projects and partnership opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
In a short time, it will be summer—my favorite season—and all the promises of spring will be fulfilled. I simply can’t wait to see all the blooms and weather forecasts with no hint of snow. I do know, however, that whatever season we’re in, we can anticipate that DU’s faculty and students will be engaged in meaningful research and initiatives sure to have a profound impact on communities near and far. I’m going to do my part and remember to take my reusable straws and shopping bags with me.
