Dear Reader,
In the spring of 2012, Forbes and Fifth was only a suggestion: a name scribbled on a piece of paper, one of many ideas on a list of potentials we might one day call our little publication. Also on the list were Bellefeld, Bigelow Blvd., and the slightly different Fifth and Forbes. Basically, any Oakland street name we could come up with was on that list. We needed a name for our work that could live up to our plans: combining artistic pieces with scientifc research and offering it all up in one place. Forbes and Fifth Avenues run parallel through the University of Pittsburgh’s campus, two streams of consciousness seemingly unconnected. But there is an inside joke on Pitt campus, telling those looking for directions to meet at the intersection of Forbes and Fifth. We’ve adopted that joke as our name, because we are that intersection – the intersection of the arts and the sciences, connecting all paths of study into one meeting ground where collaboration creates new boundaries. And so, Forbes & Fifth was born, and in only two years, it has become so much more than what we ever imagined. Every semester, we’re surprised by the quality and variety of the submissions we receive. The frst issue of Forbes & Fifth was an experimental leap of faith to see how successful a student-run interdisciplinary publication at Pitt could be. Now, we are an example, published bi-annually, of what undergraduate students can do. From Japanese translations to lyrical essays, shoulder girdle research, biological poetry, anthropological analyses of Mongolian folk-rock, and everything in between, we’re constantly seeing exciting, new ideas meeting on our grounds. We trust in our fellow students, and they don’t disappoint. Even more exciting is how we have become an internationally recognized magazine – an enormous leap from our local beginnings. The enthusiasm of our readers, the devotion of our staff, and the spirit of our contributors have made this all possible. It is with great happiness that we present our ffth issue. We are confdent that you will fnd satisfaction in whichever academic practice led you to us, but we also hope that by opening these pages, you’ll fall in love with something foreign and unexpected, as we do every semester.
We are the makers of music, and we are the dreamers of dreams – Roald Dahl
Enjoy.