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A
Message from President Corrigan
There
is a strong sense of place in the articles you will read in
this issue of SFSU Magazine. A Russian boy living in Latvia
grows up to thrill the world with his dance mastery. A painter turns
his eye toward the detail of everyday surroundings and city streets,
recreating them with a photo-like precision that unveils new truths,
new perceptions. A writer who brought New Orleans to vivid life chronicling
fictional vampires' romps through the city discovers a new geographic
inspiration. An ambitious student sets his sights on Everest …
an alumna recalls the pain and discovers small pleasures in mementos
from an internment camp … another alumnus takes us to places and
times we can barely imagine, through the magic of scripts and films.
I hope you will read these stories and enjoy them as I have. Most important,
I hope you will appreciate as I do the one place they have in common
-- this remarkable city where these individuals have taught, learned
or contributed.
This year, I have gained new perspective on the city of San Francisco
from my vantage point as board chair of the city's Chamber of Commerce.
This is a pivotal year for business and civic leadership -- marked by
the centennial of the earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed San
Francisco in 1906 and by recognition that the city's unique character
and strength helped it rise from the ashes.
San Francisco has been reborn into such a tremendous beauty that we
often overlook just how brilliant the city is. A little known fact:
America's favorite city is one of America's smartest cities.
More than 45 percent of San Francisco's residents hold a bachelor's
degree or higher. Even more remarkable -- about one in every seven San
Franciscans with a higher education has attended or graduated from San
Francisco State University. That represents an enormous contribution
to the arts, our schools, civic life and business -- to name just a
few sectors where SF State alumni are making a difference.
It is a source of great pride to be reminded that SF State plays an
enormous part in the city's success and to know that the tradition continues.
On May 27 we once again contributed more than 7,000 new graduates into
the educated and skilled work force, each in his or her own way, working
for the city, working for California.
Sincerely yours,
Robert A. Corrigan
President
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