I hate themes.
Well, for the most part that’s true. Themes are usually constricting and prone to tackiness, but the theme we chose for this year’s Abington Review is different.
The year 2015 marks the seventieth anniversary of the bombings Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two atomic attacks that ended World War Two and changed the world forever. As the now iconic mushroom clouds rose over the Japanese landscape, so too did the specter of nuclear annihilation rise over the whole of the planet. After the bombings it became apparent to the entire world that the days of direct combat between countries may well be over, and that a new age of unprecedented potential destruction was set to begin. It was the dawning of the nuclear era and the dawning of a creeping paranoia in the mind of every citizen of the world. From that day forward, the whole world learned to fear the new and devastating power of nuclear weapons.
We want to remind you that this destructive power is still in the careless hands of mankind. The Civil Defense theme of our magazine serves as a commemoration of the destruction wrought on Japan and, amidst increasingly chilly relations with Moscow, a reminder that the threat of nuclear war still looms. I hope you not only enjoy reading, but also consider the precarious balance that keeps these weapons tucked away in their silos or the holding bays of battleships.
This issue marks my last year as editor of The Abington Review, and my third and final year as a member of the staff. Since I started as a member of the staff in 2012, I have had the opportunity to see some of the best work that Abington’s writers and artists have to offer. It’s been a real trip, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been a part of it, particularly our faculty advisor Jimmy J. Pack Jr. Through a campus-wide email searching for editors, Jimmy found me as a friendless and disenchanted transfer student from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. I’ve been a member of The Abington Review ever since that first meeting. I’m happy to say that over the years our magazine has gotten better and better, and our circle of friends and readers has grown, too.
I would also like to give special thanks to professor H. John Thompson, who is largely responsible for the abundance of excellent artwork featured in this issue.
At the end of the semester, the editorial position will be handed over to an elected member of our staff. I have the utmost confidence in their abilities, and I am certain that The Abington Review will continue to grow and improve for years to come. Though my time at The Abington Review is up, I will continue to be a reader and friend of the magazine. Thanks again, and stay tuned—there’s more where this came from. As for me, as the Dutch say, dag, tot ziens!
Spring 2015 