Farewell to some good men
Wow!—I've just finished reading for a second and slow time the beautiful eulogy on Father Edmund P. Joyce, CSC- in the summer 2004 issue. What a Notre Dame man! Thank you so much for selecting a quality writer and contemporary of Father Joyce, Richard Conklin, to prepare the eulogy.
I am very fortunate to have been at ND as a student when the two great leaders (Hesburgh and Joyce) were, so to speak, operating. Also Father Joyce and I knew some mutual ND friends from Kansas City, Missouri. We'd chat occasionally. Thank you for helping our memories.
_Tom F. McGee '51
Kansas City, Missouri_
As the parents of four ND graduates we really appreciated the article commemorating the life of Father Joyce. What a special combination "Ned and Ted" made.
They both had sense of humor—so I trust that they'll not mind my next comment. The first sentence of the last paragraph on page 19 says, "Hesburgh and Joyce agreed some time ago that "whoever died first would eulogize the other." Now that would be quite trick wouldn't it? But then, these men are so spiritual that they might have pulled it off. How about "whoever died first would be eulogized BY the other?"
Great two priests, great article, great magazine, great university.
_Bob and Ann Armstrong
Waynesville, NC_
(Editor's note: Indeed the article did say that. Our apologizes about the mistake. It has been corrected in the web version.)
The Saint Mary's/Notre Dame community recently lost Professor Albert LeMay, one of its most vibrant members.
During my time at ND, Professor LeMay was by far the most energetic teacher I had. His love for Spanish and Latin American literature was palpable. He also shared his love for a good glass of red wine. Now that is what I call "in loco parentis."
The University should remember his example as it balances the tensions between research and educating students.
"Vaya con Dios, Profesor LeMay."
_Thomas O'Brien '84_
The economics of it
Teresa Ghilarducci's "Made In The USA" is an outstanding item on a timely social/economic issue. I am now retired from the AFL-CIO and sent it off to several friends in the labor movement. Please tell her that this labor skate really appreciates her fine work.
_Alan Bosch '61_
I just finished reading Teresa Ghilarducci's "Made in the USA." I can't believe that her economic solution to good job creation is to punish consumers and shareholders and to reward ineptly managed companies like Kmart. Wow! It's frightening that she is teaching economics to college students. No wonder our society has a lack of good basis economic knowledge and understanding.
It's also disheartening to read that Notre Dame has cancelled more than 1500 electronic journal subscriptions and discontinued the print version of another 1,000 journals. The excuse: "it's complicated." I'll bet! There must be a better solution and finding that solution is the job of the university/library management. Does the university really have the right management people? Perhaps they are the ones who should be canceled or discontinued.
_William C. Mayer, CPA, '69
Saint Augustine, Florida_
Your article "Made in the USA" in the Summer edition of Notre Dame Magazine was very informative. I have enjoyed reading this publication for more than five years—and probably read over 90 percent of its content.
I thought this article, however, was particularly well written. I hope that more articles by the teaching staff at the University dealing with similarly timely topics will be included in future editions.
_Ryanherbv@aol.com_
Irony of inflation
It was sad to see that ND's library is being forced to cancel various subscriptions because of subscription rates rising greater than inflation. The real irony, however, was on the page 14 where you note that tuition, etc will rise to $36,930 or a 6.9 percent increase. That would seem to be far in excess of the current inflation rate, also. Evidently ND doesn't appreciate getting a taste of it's (and other institutions) medicine. It's nice to know that the library is getting to feel how I feel every time my daughter asks if she can try to get into ND.
I graduated in 1974 and it was my goal to try to send my kids to ND. Sadly, there is no way I can afford to pay $37,000 per year, and it obviously will not get any cheaper when my children are 18.
I love Notre Dame, but there will be no legacies in this family.
_Jack Bennett '74_
Tariq Ramadan controversy
The appointment of Tariq Ramadan to a tenured teaching position- to borrow a phrase from the 9-11 Commission- demonstrates a "failure of imagination." The article mentions Dr. (I trust that he does have a Ph.D., though you do not so indicate in the announcement of appointment) Ramadan's grandfather's involvement in the creation of Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood, once a benevolent group, now has as one of its tenants, a jihad.
They are militantly against the Zionist occupation of Muslim land. How that is not anti-Semitic, I do not know. It certainly is a very fine line.
The Brotherhood has as its agenda the uniting of all Muslim lands. They have had an active part in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iraq to quote Al-Hudaybi, leader of the Ikwan (head of the Muslim Brotherhood) of Egypt.
Yes, Notre Dame students should/must know more about Islam, but hiring a man with close blood ties to a group which was responsible for temporarily closing the University in Cairo, concerns me greatly. The zealous students- the ones who would improve THE WORLD- could be caught up in a destructive direction: working counter-productively from all the positive post graduation Holy Cross associate programs. This may be too stereotypical, but I see this leading to a radical student buying into the jihad and from there moving into terrorist activity. Would you stop it? Could you stop it? Are you going to have imaginative teachers working to contrast and counter these ideas?
Now you have a teacher whose contract you cannot easily terminate. Why were you not more imaginative?
_Mary H. and Robert E. Fleck
Parents of '83 Grad
Cleveland, Ohio_
A welcome perspective
I would like to take the time to say how much I enjoyed Kathleen's article "My Welcoming Embrace" in the last issue of ND magazine. I have experienced similar situations throughout the years and share her sentiments. I have handled the situations a little differently than her, and although I agree with her logical analysis on the economic value of children, I think she is in effect casting pearls to swine who cannot or will not see the beauty of God all around them. I can reassure her it gets better as one gets older.
I would appreciate it if you could thank her for me for writing that piece.
_Ed Gates_
Animal problem
This letter is in response to "Buster Gives Me Fits," by Ruta Paskevicius in the summer 2004 issue (the story about Buster—the pound dog with epileptic seizures).
Buster's owner was exasperated and exhausted due of the dog's repeated seizures—but that gave her no excuse to "yank the damn dog out of corners" and yell at him as she saw him succumbing to another seizure.
If there had been witness to this, the owner may well have been charged with animal cruelty. Certainly, if she had done that to a human suffering seizures—she'd be arrested!
I volunteer at a dog shelter, and I can tell you that most of the dogs that end up in places like that, have led terrible lives up to that point. When a person adopts a dog from a pound, it is usually the first and only hope that the animal might finally experience love and kindness.
Buster's owner wrote that she was able to find _brief_ but significant _moments_ where she found herself able to choose between kindness and anger. Well, that's just not enough to earn her the gold star. She writes that she "caught herself clawing the air with rage like a cartoon witch" at the onset of another seizure. I truly fear for the dog's safety after reading that, and might I suggest that this person should never attempt to parent a child.
My reaction to this story, is not a case of never having faced a prolonged situation like this. I certainly have, and I can honestly say that I never had to urge to heap even more fear upon a suffering animal.
I commend the owner for seeking veterinary attention for her pet, although, that is simply what any decent pet owner would do. Maybe this owner will re-read her own story, and see it through new eyes. I pray that this will happen, and that she will dedicate herself to providing that poor dog with a warm and loving home.
The fact that the owner was finally able to surrender to it all, and just ignore her dog (as opposed to what—yanking him?) as he suffered yet another seizure, while they drove along in the car, does not strike me as a happy enough ending to this story.
_Laurel Gruber
Avon Lake, Ohio_
Soul of a University
From "The Soul of a University" by Anthony DePalma: "My stake in Notre Dame is rather large, but . . . all that permits me to see things as they are."
Some things can only be seen through eyes that have wept.
_Lou A. Sojka
Elkhorn, Nebraska_
Like Anthony DePalma, my first encounter with Notre Dame was when my son chose to go there after having gone through school in Ireland. I was in an ideal position to compare it to another North American university as I was working at U of M at the same time.
I was amazed at the difference in the behavior of the students; those I met at Notre Dame were gentle, caring, polite and neatly turned out individuals, even heroic at times. One of many surprising incidents was when 15 of them stayed at my apartment for a football weekend and left it exactly as they had found it, nothing out of place.
I believe it the Catholic identity with its value system that makes Notre Dame and its students what they are. Now that I'm back in Ireland I can identify with the student who was glad to leave here and return to Notre Dame.
_Dr. Catherine Lloyd
Booterstown, Dublin, Ireland_
Laetare suggestions
In review of Graduation 2004, the University again completes its annual show of recognizing an American Catholic who has "illustrated the ideals of the Church" via the Laetare Medal.
It is challenging to take this award as a serious representation of the medal's stated purpose. Consider that for every Sister Prejean, Sen. Moynihan, and Mr./Mrs.Steinfels that there has been no Father Pavone, Justice Scalia, or Prof. McInerny. While the listed winners may be worthy, failure to also recognize those on what may called the other side of philosophic divide damages the creditability of the University's effort.
The University has a leading role in presenting the faith to the greater culture. The Laetare Medal should represent of all the faithful and thus demonstrate in total how American Catholics show that the "truth is mighty".
_Pat Timon, '88
Louisville, Kentucky_