Note From The Editor

Kirsten Peterson ('99)

This has been a challenging year for the Editorial Board of the Journal of Student Affairs. In addition to the work we all have faced with our assistantships, classes, and research papers, our community has faced some tragedies.

I believe educators across the nation were shocked only a few months ago by the brutal beating and death of Mathew Shepard. The gay University of Wyoming student was pistol-whipped and lashed to a fence on the Wyoming prairie. As he lay in the hospital dying, Mathew Shepard became a symbol across the nation for many issues. One that struck the heart of many is the importance of education. In the student affairs field, we strive to provide students with challenging experiences, which help them to grow and mature into sensitive, caring people. We encourage diversity and seek methods to bring it into the lives of our students. We want our students to go beyond a tolerance of differences. We strive to impact them in a way that encourages them to appreciate and value those who are different from them. For many, this last year has confirmed those values of the student affairs field.

This year, the Colorado State University Journal of Student Affairs has striven to provide a diverse range of articles. It is important to us that the Journal be able to continue to provide articles from alumni, faculty, and current students, on a variety of topics. Not only do we need to find ways to incorporate holistitc education into the lives of our students, but we also must seek out ways to educate ourselves and professionals and as a field.

Thank you for all of the hard work you put into the field of student affairs.