It’s a busy time at Juilliard. Performances are in full swing and students are gearing up for fall semester finals. The Admissions Office is girding for the longest day of its year—the staff stays until midnight on application deadline day, December 1. It can be hard in this atmosphere to remember the big picture, but President Joseph W. Polisi recently sat down with Chairman Bruce Kovner to do exactly that. As Kovner said, “For me, the commitment to excellence and the sustaining of the ideals of the art form are what make Juilliard extraordinary.” We’re incredibly grateful for his role in helping shape and fulfill Juilliard’s vision. One of many great examples of that legacy was embodied this fall, when drama alum Adam Driver stopped by Juilliard in the midst of his pre-Star Wars press juggernaut to speak with a panel of community members about the artist as citizen. As the discussion revealed, Driver has exemplified the spirit of arts advocacy since the moment he arrived as a freshman.