Memories of Beatlemania

Great story about Debbie Gendler and her involvement with the Beatles (“John, Paul, George, Ringo—and Debbie?” Fall 2024).

In 1964, I was a 14-year-old high school freshman in a small town nestled in the Shawangunk mountains. What interest I had in popular music was generally satisfied by listening to folk groups, like the Kingston Trio and the Chad Mitchell Trio, but such music was on its way out.

I recall watching the Beatles on the Sunday night Ed Sullivan Show. At first, it seemed to be mostly listening to the girls in the audience screaming. However, you had to be impressed when Paul sang “Yesterday” by himself with an acoustic guitar. Paul and John (and, at times, George) could sing great harmonies (kind of like the folk groups).

After the Beatles’ arrival, the “British invasion” heated up and other groups came over the pond (e.g., the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Animals). I remember girls in my class trying to convince me that the Dave Clark Five were better than the Beatles. 

I was impressed with the Beatles. However, it took a while for me to change my musical habits. There were great US groups, like the Young Rascals, the Lovin’ Spoonful (basically ex-folkies), and the Byrds (really ex-folkies). 

The first Beatles record that I bought was the single “Help” and the B-side “I’m Down.” The first Beatles album I bought was Revolver. I enjoyed the subsequent albums, particularly Abbey Road, but I still love the track-by-track quality and variety of Revolver.

Again, thanks for a great story.

Tom Woodhouse (Wheelock’74)
Painted Post, N.Y.

Campus Inequalities

I identified with the article about Anthony Jack’s experiences and new book (“A New Book Explores Campus Inequalities,” Fall 2024). But it wasn’t just African American or underclass students at Amherst and Harvard that his article applies to.

I was a white, first-generation BU student from a working-class Maryland family. I learned that going home for Thanksgiving and spring break while living at Myles Standish could be a financial problem. The dorms would be closed and no cafeteria available. I managed to cajole the powers that be to let me stay in my dorm room, but feeding myself with only an illegal hot plate and no refrigeration was a challenge. I was able to keep working at the RadioShack on Comm Ave, though, for some income. With hardly anyone on campus and no classes, I learned it was an ideal time to work on term papers.

I don’t know what the policies at BU are these days, but I hope they are a bit more lenient to students in my situation.

Mike Tamorria (CAS’71)
Carlisle, Pa.

Another AI Threat

I was disappointed that the article on AI in the Fall 2024 issue (“AI @ BU—A to Z”) made no mention of the fact that many AI programs have been “trained” on copyrighted material by creatives who haven’t been compensated. This unethical theft threatens the livelihoods of human creators. 

Thanks for an otherwise brilliant issue.

Lyri Merrill (Sargent’97)
Belleville, Ill.

Troubled by Bostonia Feedback

The reader letters/feedback section of your Fall 2024 issue indicates troubling signs of cowardice for the publication and University. You somehow simultaneously platformed a seemingly fascist threat (“I trust that future articles…”), in a blatant attempt at “complying in advance” of a new administration, while also platforming a pedantic reading of General Saltzman’s comments (perhaps in hopes of appearing “balanced” to your left-
leaning readers, who just saw your attempt at appeasing the ascendant right wing on the very same page). This is not showcasing a “diversity of opinion,” it’s wasting print space for shallow, partisan quips.

Timothy Wolfe (ENG’11)
Dayton, Ohio

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