Letter from the Editor: A humble thank you
Dear MIT SA+P Community,
Someone once told me spring in Cambridge really lasts only two weeks and then it’s suddenly summer. In some ways I might agree because even though I was quick to notice the first buds of spring, buried in the on-goings of the semester, I failed to look again until thick swaths of varied green rustled against egg-blue sky.
When one looks up at the leaves and branches, how do they determine which way is right-side up and which is upside-down? Is it not relative: a matter of viewpoint, framing, proximity, time-space, and even memory? Our perspectives affect what we perceive, how we perceive it, what we engage, and what we don’t. Our voices impart those perspectives and invite others to share in thought with us.
One of the silver linings of this past year has been sitting up late, tea in hand, as I read through the out of frame posts of the week. The array of interests and variety of voices, some familiar and some new, captivated my attention and never failed to teach me something new. My careful weekly readings and correspondence with columnists turned into a collection of fragmented understandings that began impacting my thoughts as I moved through the city or as I reflected on my own work and interests, my relationship to self and others.
This past year has been burdensome in so many ways: from the individual level to the global and at all the scales in between. It seems we have been moving from one crisis to the next and I find it particularly difficult to find the right words, especially in remembrance today, May 25th, one year after the murder of George Floyd.
But in the midst of the chaos and strife we try to find our own ways to process, to acknowledge, to challenge and move forward. For me and for many of the contributors, out of frame was an opportunity for some of us to question who we are and what we care about. I have been deeply humbled by the growth and incredible stories shared in the past year. Yet there is still more to do. There are more discussions to have, voices to uplift, and waters to stir.
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I want to express my sincerest thanks to everyone who has made out of frame possible and successful over the past year. Thank you to April Gao and Ginevra D’Agostino for their strong vision, to the columnists for their dedication and without whom out of frame would not exist, and to the Editorial Board for their advice and suggestions throughout the year.
I would also like to thank the MIT Department of Architecture for their continued support as well as the Architecture Communications Team for their help and contributions. And finally, I would like to extend a personal thank you to Amanda Moore for her weekly mentorship, insights, and encouragements which were crucial to out of frame's success.
It is with these thoughts that I will be wrapping up my position as editor of out of frame. It has been a rewarding journey and I look forward to seeing how the platform grows, changes, and flourishes to impart the stories we need to hear.
Yours truly,
Ana McIntosh
out of frame Editor 2020-2021
May 25, 2021