From the Basement of Pop Hall

About a year ago, as we were beginning the process of redesigning The Lawrentian, we sent the CASE Magazine Readership Survey via email the list of everyone who receives the publication. It was an anonymous survey enabling us to better understand what interests you – and what does not. Several questions were open-ended, and they, along with good quantitative data, yielded an abundance of very useful, helpful feedback. 

Many of you were rather complimentary, and I appreciate it. A good number of you were also critical of the publication we produce, and I’m just as grateful for that. There were various times when I nodded in assent and thought, “Yes, I think we’ve fallen short there, too.” As I have written in this space before: This is your magazine, and I always want it to reflect Lawrenceville and its people. But you are an extraordinarily diverse group in many ways, people whose primary experiences with this School may be separated by 80 years or more, so that reflection of Lawrenceville takes on many forms and shapes and ideas. I think that’s something to celebrate, because it’s the proof of a vibrant, animated community of Lawrentians that keeps learning from its own people. We all have something to show to each other, and I hope this magazine is a place to illustrate that. 

So, what you’re looking at is the first issue of a refocused Lawrentian, which manifests the information we gleaned from the survey, as well as on campus through smaller discovery groups, in collaboration with a carefully selected creative partner who helped us reexamine our approach. We put everything under the microscope. 

One thing learned through all of this inquiry was that we were already doing a lot of things right, and for that reason, you’ll recognize much of what you see inside these pages. But you’ll also notice our new look, updated typefaces, reconsidered editorial departments, and a greater variety of voices from our campus and beyond. We have also rolled out a complementary digital platform that will give you the option to read, engage with, and share items from The Lawrentian on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone.

Right away, you’ll take a more intimate and personal look inside the School, hear more from students, learn more about what’s happening in the classroom, and have an opportunity to share your opinions on a particular subject through “The Big Question.”

Finally: Class Notes isn’t going anywhere. We know you love the section, and it will remain a staple of the print edition — though not online, for privacy reasons. But you’ll notice we’re now calling it “Lawrentians” to underscore the idea that this magazine is always about you. 

All the best, 

Sean Ramsden
Editor
sramsden@lawrenceville.org