You know the freeway connector from the 110 S carpool lane to the 105 W to LAX? It’s what the avenue to heaven should be like: graceful, sweeping, a short trip through a holy atmosphere.
Down in Long Beach, there’s a ramp from the 405 N to Orange St. Lined by shrubs and grasses, it goes up, then down and finally curves on into town. It’s charming, like a mini-roller coaster or a kiddie ride at Disneyland. In Highland Park at 57th St., the ramp to the Pasadena South is so short it may stop your heart before you get downtown. Once you reach 65 mph and relax, you remember why life is a gift.
Los Angeles freeway ramps are like micro-adventures, because you often can’t see the freeway until you near the ramp’s end. That gives them a hint of mystery, a whiff of danger. We hope this first issue of LMU Magazine will take you to places by unexpected, exciting routes. We’ve worked for a year to make it so.
You will discover many ways into the magazine: fascinating sidelights, brief and focused conversations, powerful — sometimes glorious — photography. The oddities and artifacts in the Hannon archives will tease your curiosity. You’ll find some archeological digs into LMU traditions and substantial, thought-provoking stories, suitable for a university with a serious intellectual heritage. And we’ll point you to the magazine’s partner: LMU Magazine Online, where articles from the physical magazine will co-exist with original content, slideshows, videos and amazing demonstrations of innovative projects by alumni. There may be a war between print and pixel out there, but here they’re walking hand in hand.
We want to know what you think about this magazine. Send an e-mail (magazine@lmu.edu), go online (magazine.lmu.edu) or write a letter (the address can be found on Page 5). LMU is a place to be proud of, so participate, please, and tell us if we’re doing you proud.
This article appeared in the summer 2010 (Vol. 1, No. 1) issue of LMU Magazine.