A word of thanks
by Kathleen van Schaijik
Justine Schmiesing has been a heroine. Not only has she generously continued to provide her excellent professional layout and design skills to the Concourse—even when other things were making enormous demands on her time and attention, and no one could have blamed her for giving it up—but on more than one occasion her good cheer and enthusiastic support of the Concourse have prevented me from throwing in the towel. I’d think, “If she’s willing to carry on, with everything she has on her plate, who am I to complain that it costs too much?”
The other members of the editorial board: David Schmiesing, Mark Fischer and my husband Jules, though less active in the role this year, due to circumstances beyond their control, have nevertheless been a very important support for my work as editor. Just knowing that three such sensible and intelligent men were available to give me advice and feedback gave me the confidence I needed to make many difficult decisions.
Maria Ellis, who has had a stressful time of it as business manager, also deserves thanks for her vital part in getting the Concourse out to our readers. As our Steubenville pointperson, she’s the one who handles all the correspondence, accounting, subscriptions and distribution, as well as the occasional disgruntled reader. I don’t think she ever once complained.
Several students, alumni, staff and faculty and others have also done more good than they know for the Concourse by well-timed appreciative comments. I mention in particular Michael Gaitley, Ben Brown, Katie DeLine, Susan Fischer, Martha Blandford, Gary Bribiescus, Mike Copeland, Ted and Janene Crisman, Regina Schmiedicke, Fr. Augustine, Susan Treacy, Jim and Sally Fourgerousse, Eva Hammetner, and FUS trustees Bob Thomas and Mickey Pohl.
John Crosby’s moral support and critical commentary were as unstinting and indispensible as ever.
Nothing stokes the editorial engine like feedback. The positive stuff, of course, is preferred, but even negative feedback does the Concourse good. If it doesn’t serve to improve the journal, it at least gets my Irish up and running nicely. Please keep it coming!
Thanks for reading.
Kathleen van Schaijik
