Bostonia: The Alumni Magazine of Boston University

“Boston Rocks,” along with the “Retro” piece (Summer 2007) about the Sanctuary at Marsh Chapel, sold me on reading Bostonia again. I am one of the Silber-era dropout alumni, but now a fresh breeze is blowing, given the new president, the new dean of CAS, and new general manager of WBUR, all fine people. I remember James Montgomery playing me some blues records (a suitcase full of them — did he pack any clothes?) in Myles, where all the musicians and painters lived amidst a fog of Jack Daniels, B.O., Galoises, oil paint, and more. I remember sitting in at Sanctuary as a freshman and fanning out in Brookline to discuss racism with the neighborhood when Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot. I remember meeting Father Jim (now Boston writer James Carroll), eating at the Hedge School, and organizing rallies with Howard Zinn. I even taught a course on Women’s Images in the Media one summer at the “Communiversity” (a free give-a-course, take-a-course radical school), noting that Lassie was the only positive show I could find, and even she was a boy dog.

Marcia Deihl (DGE’69, CAS’71)
Cambridge, Massachusetts

I did a double take when I saw the photos and article about the Harriet E. Richards (HER) Cooperative House (“Commonwealth,” Summer 2007). I lived there for three semesters in the mid-1980s and thought it was a really great experience. Without HER I would not have been able to live on campus and would have missed out on college life outside of the classroom. Bravo to BU for continuing to offer this wonderful opportunity!

Noreen Grice (CAS’85)
New Britain, Connecticut

I was pleased to see “The Misses Congeniality” article about the Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House. Bravo to Bostonia!

It is great that it is getting the recognition it deserves. HER (1950-1954 for me) was truly a “home away from home,” where one learned to be organized and to be a good hostess and a great cook! One became concerned with the well-being of fellow students and appreciated how great a university Boston University is.

Irene Kelley (CAS’54, GRS’55, SED’92)
Canton, Massachusetts

Professor Augustus Richard Norton’s book (“Perspectives,” Summer 2007) about Hezbollah, a terrorist group that receives over $100 million a year from the radical Islamic Iranian regime and has attacked the United States and its allies, attempts to excuse its violence. He writes that the term “terrorist” is a “rhetorical bludgeon” used to “dehumanize radical or revolutionary groups.” Indeed, Norton displays numerous contradictions. He acknowledges that Hezbollah’s “ultimate objective  is to destroy Israel,” but when discussing its violence against Israel, that violence is described as “resistance.”

Elliot H. Burak (COM’96)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I’m not sure if it was a bit of revisionist history by the author or perhaps some skillful editing by the magazine staff, but I find it particularly disingenuous that the “Boston Rocks” article (Summer 2007) laments the loss of the Rathskeller and other Kenmore rock clubs while neglecting to mention that BU is primarily responsible for razing the soul of the area in favor of a luxury hotel and other Newbury-esque outposts.

Dave Murdoch (COM’93)
Cambridge, Massachusetts

I enjoyed reading Brett Milano’s article “Boston Rocks.” There was one band he neglected, though.

Arthur L. Shingler (LAW’95)
San Diego, California

Thank you for the in-depth article about the extensive research into autism being conducted at the BU School of Medicine under the direction of Professor Helen Tager-Flusberg and her colleagues (“Reaching In, Reaching Out,” Summer 2007). It presented a realistic but hopeful picture of autism at a time when the number of children being diagnosed on the spectrum is increasing dramatically.

Jan Schwartz (CAS’77)
Wellesley, Massachusetts

I recently read your article about autism, and I applaud the work being done at BU in improving the quality of early assessment. Early identification of autism followed by early intervention can make a world of difference in the quality of life for many children. Unfortunately, behaviorally based approaches such as ABA and Floortime can be prohibitively expensive and frequent long waiting lists for clinics mean many children receive less than adequate therapy following diagnosis.

Lars Liden (GRS’99)
Seattle, Washington

The autism article brought to mind my student years in the School of Education’s Psychoeducational Clinic with Drs. Blatt, Garfunkel, and Murphy. In the clinic, students and professors alike spent innumerable hours attempting to diagnose autism and other childhood disabilities. The most significant and long-lasting message I learned during my clinical experience was reinforced these many years later in your article: “Do not be an exclusivist.” We were instructed repeatedly to apply a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood disabilities. Obviously this approach continues at Boston University.

Thomas M. Shea (SED’67)
Glen Carbon, Illinois

The summer 2007 Web extras of Bostonia are perfect. To hear the timbre of Morris Robinson’s thrilling voice (“Opera Is a Contact Sport”) and view Timothy Orwig’s photos of Boston (“CommonWealth”) surely give a richer experience for the reader. Kudos.

Eunice M. Cohen (PAL’53, GRS’62)
Sarasota, Florida

Those who might doubt the validity of an online university program need to take a course prior to passing judgment. Having been a student both in the traditional classroom and in my online program at BU, I can say with confidence that while they are different in delivery method and style, they are no different in quality. I looked for a long time before choosing BU to pursue my graduate degree, selecting it primarily for its reputation for academic excellence and the fact that it is a  well-established university. Boston University holds all students to high standards. People assume that going to school online means that it is easier,  but that is not the case.

By being required to participate in weekly discussions and online chats or lose valuable points off my grade, I was forced to gain a working knowledge of the subject matter in order to debate with my classmates. While I yearned for the interaction with my classmates and teachers I had at the undergraduate level, this style of learning required me to think harder and apply myself.

Not all relationships suffered because states and sometimes continents separated me from my teachers and classmates. Some of us formed a bond that continued to be strengthened through our time at BU. Though we could not hang out at the GSU or study together at Mugar, we formed study groups and forged friendships nonetheless.

My first trip to Boston was for graduation in May. It was not until I got to campus that I truly felt “home.” I was also jealous of the students who were able to attend school on campus and got to know BU better. Part of being a distance learner includes being separated not only from our classmates, but from the campus and its resources as well. I only hope that my first trip to Boston will not be my last.

Tracey Dolehite (MET’07)           
Dallas, Texas

I, for one, do not share Wes Mott’s nostalgia for the days of student demonstrations on Marsh Plaza (“Retro,” Summer 2007).
 
I remember the storm that followed my letter to the Boston Globe during that time, arguing that students were here to learn, not teach, particularly in a complicated, dangerous world that they had little experience in, and that their demonstrations were a misuse of freedom. The DGE English department made writing a rebuttal to this letter the term paper assignment for our class.
 
I graduated in 1968, and when the Army wouldn’t believe I had an ankle problem (which still causes me difficulty), I was forced to abandon the beginning of a promising career and only managed to avoid carrying a rifle in Vietnam by becoming a Navy pilot. Personally, I felt that the Vietnam War was badly mismanaged, as I do the current conflict in Iraq. But what Mr. Mott and many others from that era have yet to acknowledge is that attempting to manage foreign policy by orchestrating tantrums in the streets has been shown to have unintended consequences. North Vietnamese officers told us later that they would have thrown in the towel early on had the demonstrations Mr. Mott is so proud of not given them hope for an inevitable U.S. withdrawal.

Student demonstrations, trespass, and other such activities are not the actions of peaceful, thoughtful, well-meaning people who want a better world; they are actions by arrogant, often ignorant people who think their vision of the world and how it works is the only correct one. History gives us many examples of how many wars have been started by people with such views. For me, the “storm” on Marsh Plaza was not a time for BU to be proud of.

Benjamin C. Riggs, Jr. (DGE’66, CAS’68)
Newport, Rhode Island

Sidney Dimond (“Faculty Obituaries,” Summer 2007) was an inspiration, mentor, and guiding light to me and so many others. He insisted on maximum effort in every aspect of studies and in all other activities. I know that I benefited in so many ways by having the privilege of knowing Professor Dimond, and I will always remember him.

John Mullen (COM’55)
Feeding Hills, Massachusetts

I appreciate Bostonia and find it highly informative.

I was saddened to read the obituary of Wilbert Pronovost. “Prony,” as he was affectionately known to his students, was responsible for guiding my professional career. For that — and for BU — I shall be ever grateful. Thank you.

Robert J. Ferullo (SMG’58, SED’58,’61)
Woburn, Massachusetts