Editor's
note: The letters that appeared in the winter 2005-06 print issue
are marked with a double asterisk (**)
Another Bill Toohey story
** As a graduate student, I was a member of a group called the
Gay Students of Notre Dame/Saint Mary's. We were not a recognized
student group and needed a place to meet. As head of Campus Ministry,
Father Bill Toohey, CSC, graciously offered us use of the Bulla
Shed, the small meeting house on the edge of campus. Each week
one of us would go to the Campus Ministry office in the library
and pick up the key. Once when I did this Father Toohey was manning
the front desk. He must have sensed I was nervous. With a warm
smile he gave me the key, then shook my hand and said he hoped
we would have a good meeting. For many of us those meetings were
the best part of our experience at Notre Dame, and we were always
grateful to Father Toohey for his quiet courage in helping us.
Daniel A. Burr '73M.A., '77Ph.D.
Cincinnati
How nice to see a picture of Father Bill Toohey
in your remembrance of him in ND magazine. Yes he was good looking
(movie star quality), but to go along with that he had charisma.
When he flashed his handsome smile , he became a magnet to all
around him and his eyes seemed to penetrate to the very soul of
anyone within range. I remember him greeting people before Mass-
he would walk the aisles prior to putting on his vestment , and
make everyone ( including a nervous new student and her mom) feel
so welcome and so at home.
Mary Thomson '76
Nashville, Tennessee
Aggravating appearance
** The appearance of actor Jim Caviezel, an ersatz Jesus branded
with a yellow shamrock, at the grotto, an ersatz outpost of 19th-century
French devotionalism, sponsored by groups such as the Right to
Life Club, Children of Mary and Knights of the Immaculata -- all
this gives new depth of meaning to the idea of "grotesque." When
it comes to organizing an extra-liturgical pep rally such as this,
have Notre Dame students and administrators no shame?
John H. Zaugg '61
San Francisco
Personally insulted
** I take the remarks of Mark Roche, dean of the College of Arts
and Letters, in "Major Congestion" as a personal insult, and also
an insult to the thousands of Catholic and immigrant parents who
sent their children to Notre Dame for professional training to
get a job after graduation. Roche seems to forget that these professionally
trained graduates made major contributions to the technology that
helped shape the future of this country. Instead of trying to
transform the College of Arts and Letters into a haven for the
"Don't Worry, Be Happy" type of student, he should focus on improving
the liberal arts education of an already great University.
John A. Weglinski '60
Boyne City, Michigan
Education trends
I read with great interest the recent Notre Dame Magazine article
entitled "Enrollment Trends."
Prior to retiring from the Navy in January 2005, I was assigned
to the Naval ROTC Unit at the University of Notre Dame. During
that time I conducted some off-line discussions with key Administrators
in the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Business, and Engineering
after doing some back of the envelope statistical research. My
research showed a telling statistic - a statistically significant
number of Notre Dame Alumni currently occupy positions of significant
responsibility in fortune 100/500 companies (i.e. CEO, COO, CFO,
etc.). When I further broke down my research by college the statistics
were similar. Fortunately, statistics do not lie! Based on my
research, it would stand to reason that any College Dean would
be interested in giving their students a leg up in the business
world by providing some business content in their curriculum.
Around that same time, the College of Arts and Letters in concert
with the College of Business were busy exploring an initiative
called the Business Processes Program (BPP). This initiative would
allow students in the College of Arts and Letters to obtain a
BPP certificate by taking six additional (repeat additional) courses
in the College of Business. This concept would effectively provide
them with the knowledge necessary to apply their Arts and Letters
Degree in the business world. This concept is not new . . . it''s
similar in nature to the Computer Applications Program (CAPP)
my wife completed more than 20 years ago while an undergraduate
in the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame.
This initiative was intended to enhance the economic utility
of a College of Arts and Letters degree, making it more attractive
to students, parents and employers, alike. However, much to the
chagrin of administrators in the College of Arts and Letters,
this initiative was surprisingly vetoed. The primary reason that
was given; it would dilute the College of Arts and Letters curriculum.
How could this possibly be true, if BPP courses were directed
additional requirements and not substitutes for other courses?
In my humble opinion, the University of Notre Dame missed an
outstanding opportunity to keep pace with current trends of education
by; thereby making a College of Arts and Letters degree that much
more attractive while at the same time providing an attractive
alternative to student migration toward a business degree.
Dan Walsh, LCDR, USN (Retired) '84
(After retiring from the Navy LCDR Walsh was the assistant director
of the Center for Continuing Education at the University of Notre
Dame. He is currently the Director of a Navy Junior ROTC Unit
in Chicago Heights, Illinois.)
My hometown
** Thank you for the articles on hometowns. My return to my hometown
was nostalgic, heart-rending and disappointing. The people were
all gone, but the places still brought back very real memories.
I now realize those memories are not there but have always
been with me and do shape how I feel about things. Up until now
I have thought that the great unanswered question that all people
have is, "What is life all about?" I now realize that the question
is, "Who am I?" Visiting your roots may be painful, but it can
start you on the road to answering that question.
Fred Lupone
Newport, Rhode Island
** Michelle Krupa's essay on hurricane-ravaged New Orleans ("What
Happened Here") was beautifully written and deeply moving. Those
of us who grew up in New Orleans -- and whose lives have also
been affected, in many cases by sheltering relatives and loved
ones -- had to be touched by the post-Katrina images and reflections.
Thank you for her essay.
Gil LeBreton
via email
** Calling Cleveland my home for 24 years after graduation, I
enjoyed Ed Cohen's hometown article on the city. In the early
1950s my father-in-law Dennis J. O'Neill '26 coined the line "Best
location in the nation" to entice business to the Cleveland area
in ads that ran in national magazines. At that time two-thirds
of the U.S. population was within 500 miles of Cleveland, making
overnight shipping by truck a reality. These ads ran in the early
'50s; too bad Ed missed them.
Bob Wallace '51
Tega Cay, South Carolina
** Being an emigrant from Cleveland, I found some of Ed Cohen's
remarks dead on. But other impressions were clearly subjective
reactions to place. I would disagree with his remark that "the
typical Clevelander" would trade the city's rich cultural icons
for "a major sports championship." While I attended John Carroll
University, I lived near University Circle, the cultural heart
of the city, in walking distance of the museum and two blocks
from Severance Hall, home of the world-famous Cleveland Orchestra.
Both places were always packed. The nearby Cleveland Institute
of Art drew students and faculty from all over the nation, and
the Hessler Street Art Fair, in its third decade, attests to the
city's contemporary cultural interest. Like Ed, I hale from the
east side of Cleveland, and I am an inveterate Indians' fan, but,
unlike Ed, I always considered Dennis Kucinich, a west-sider,
a "man of the people," and would have voted for him had I lived
in the city proper.
I also might add another dubious distinction to the city's palmares:
because of its position on Lake Erie, Cleveland ranks second in
the nation as the cloudiest (i.e., gloomiest) place in the United
States.
Jean Anne Yackshaw '92Ph.D.
South Bend, Indiana
Darwin, God and Intelligent Design
** I found John Monczunski's article on Darwin and Intelligent
Design ("Questions That Won't Go Away") very helpful by giving
a clear overview on this issue. It is important to understand
that those who support the evolution case are divided into those
who affirm or deny the existence of a divine creator. I note from
Genesis and the New Testament that God made a very incomplete
world and that this very incompleteness is precisely what fuels
evolution. I think we should all enjoy being part of completing
God's work.
Keep up the good work, especially with the controversial moral/religious
issues. We graduates depend on you to keep us current with the
analysis that you guys are so good at.
Joe Bellon '52
Port Washington, New York
To read many other responses to this article go to www.nd.edu/~ndmag/w0506/darletters.html.
Study abroad opportunties
I found your article on your new offering of Quechua very interesting.
Certainly, it is a wonderful way to expose your students to other
cultures. However, as a parent of a senior, I am sorry you do
not extend the opportunity to study abroad to more of your students.
Programs with 20 to 30 applicants where only one will be selected
seem far too limiting to your undergraduate population. A commitment
to more opportunities for study abroad should lead the list of
ways to round out an otherwise excellent South Bend education.
Marianne Von Feldt
via email
Fisher Hall
Your winter article on Fisher Hall omitted two very famous Irish
celebs: John Fannon, captain of the basketball team in '55-'56
and Don Schaefer, fullback for Terry Brennan's first three teams.
Good article, many memories.
D.J. Davin '56
Sahuarita, Arizona
A salute to the troops
I would like to say "thank you" for supporting the troops in
the ND magazine (Notre Dame Alumni Association page, inside back
cover). I'm glad to see there are some at Notre Dame who look
past the politics and support those who keep us safe.
Rob Letherman '93
Elkhart, Indiana
Art and memories
I am not sure you are aware that the photos on the front cover
and on page 19 of the Winter 2005-06 edition are of the corner
of Scott and Napier streets, across from Saint Hedwig Church.
The cover painting is looking west, with the church in the far
left corner. The page 19 painting shows the old Saint Hedwig Educational
Outreach Center House, which was on the corner of Scott and Napier,
but was torn down several years ago.
It was a most pleasant surprise.
Rev. Leonard F. Chrobot
Pastor
Catholic Community of Saints Patrick and Hedwig
South Bend, Indiana
Confederacy of Forces
In reaction to Farrell O'Gorman's Autumn 2005 piece "A Confederacy
of Forces". I noted with interest the tone of Mr. O'Gorman's article
as much as I noted the skill he employed in articulating his observations.
The article is not uncommon in tone to many, particular to those
who seem to be associated with a media, of a misplaced guilt in
America's "sin-ridden history." The article masks itself as a
pseudo-patriotic piece while underpinned with negative opinions
stated as common fact. One of many examples is the reference to
"C. Vann Woodward's classic argument that the Southern experience
of defeat, poverty and guilt provides a valuable counterpoint
to the larger American myths of success, opulence and
innocence" [italics mine]. Why is a "counterpoint" to the positive
considered a positive in and of itself? Why is opulence coupled
with success? Why is "defeat, poverty and guilt" showcased as
experience while "success" and "innocence" are myths? Most Americans
of all races and background experience great success (not opulence)
in the ability to choose how they live and appreciate it.
Many Americans are not Pollyannas but still believe in American
Exceptionalism and for the right reasons. We appreciate and acknowledge
the mistakes, injustices and social extremes of the country (past
and present). To restate them, even in exceptionally articulate
way, is nothing more than noting the obvious and is by no means
a revelation. But most Americans appropriately counterbalance
this acknowledgement with the equally obvious realism that the
popular intent and trendline of this country is toward human liberty.
As a result, our country's successes are indeed dramatic.
I don't believe the Civil War was a punishment from a vengeful
God, but rather it was the inevitability that a good and just
people would right a wrong. We chose, as a people, to make right
a long-standing practice which was a sad product of its time.
We did so at a high cost and at the risk of total devastation
to the country. We did so not because of slave revolt, or any
foreign imposition -- but because our natural intellect and sense
of justice decided slavery was wrong and that no price was too
high for our dignity and principles as a people. These principles
were masterfully sown into our founding documents, that all men
are created equal, at a time when the battle was worthy - but
could not have been won.
The chapter of slavery in the American conscience is ultimately
a triumph of righteous people who heard and agreed with the abolitionist
reasoning over their own short term self interests of tranquility
and comfort. Eventually, and for so many, it meant their lives.
Boil it down, and it is man fighting for the rights of fellow
man. As the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" states: As He died to
make men holy, let us die to make men free." That is American
Exceptionalism - it is not dangerous and it is as much a core
tenet of Catholicism as humility.
And the tradition lives on through the generations, each one
making strides toward equal rights for all under the law. Surely
not as fast as any would have liked, but the trend is strong,
consistent and powerful. It is in this tradition, a glorious,
invigorating, American tradition of self-improvement, that the
backdrop of today's race relations and civic pride should be cast.
Unfortunately, it is too often cast on the backdrop of guilt of
the way things were versus the pride of conquering what must have
seemed like insurmountable struggles by previous generations for
the good of all and purely of their own volition. Qualifying our
love of the American ideal by providing disclaimers that "America's
values are not unique," or by alluding to our "tainted legacy,"
or for other "acts or failures to act that you're not even aware
of yet" simply conveys a lack of understanding of the bigger picture.
And a negativism that, when masked as a patriotic article, is
truly dangerous. Whereas many people would have us look to America's
past with a sense of the displaced shame of Mr. O'Gorman, we should
look to those glorious Americans of past generations with a pride
and understanding of their courage and sacrifice to continually
change for the better.
Werner H. Graf '86
Hopewell, New Jersey
(April 2006)
