(story continued)
Patrick R. Maloney, '51
San Jose, Calif.
Glorification of ROTC Program Wrong
Sorry, I think that devoting six pages and six photos to the ROTC program ["Training Mission"] in the summer issue of the magazine is completely out of proportion to its place in Seattle University's mission and goals. Graduates of my generation remember the complicity of Seattle University in the Vietnam War because it allowed and supported the ROTC program on campus. How many of our graduate/officers between 1962 and 1974 died in that debacle? The current American involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan has stunning parallels to the terrible national blunder of Vietnam. Will the SU graduates of this decade be asking the same questions that we do: What were they thinking? How could they possibly justify squandering our country's lives, wealth and moral leadership on an unwinnable war? And why was my Catholic-Jesuit university assisting in this travesty? Forty years later and our nation is mired in the same delusional hubris.
If I learned only one thing from eight years of Jesuit education, it is not to go along to get along. Injustices cannot be ignored because they don't personally affect you. The Seattle University Magazine editor may not be able to change SU policy, but this story, glorifying the ROTC program, should never have seen the light of day.
Dennis Williams, '69
Seattle
Design Aesthetic or Eyesore?
I have been meaning to write this for a long time. Why is it that half of the Seattle University Magazine is graphically good and half is graphically bad? Over the past several years the design and photography have been respectable, but only for approximately half of the magazine. In the summer 2009 issue, pages 14 through 30 are bad. The layout and headline typography are bad, with the introduction of circles and bleeding bars and, in the "Mission" section, drop shadows and reverse type. Pages 1 through 14 are good. I would like to know why the middle pages of every issue have this boring, different look, especially page 16 and the complete "Training Mission" section. It appears that two different designers or editors are directing the production. Please adopt the design format as shown on the first 13 pages displaying good design and typography.
John Vlahovich, '59
Tacoma
Diplomacy Doesn't Erase War Realities
I appreciate the article on Lt. Col. Royer ["Tour of Duty," Summer 2009] in my alumni magazine. But no amount of emphasis on one-to-one diplomacy in Iraq and Afghanistan can change the fact that more than 5,000 American men and women have lost their lives. I treat survivors of traumatic brain injury and PTSD every day. Thousands of civilians have been killed in both countries because of a mission based on the big lie about weapons of mass destruction. The suicide rate for returning soldiers is the highest in American history. I urge Lt. Royer not to return to this deeply immoral conflict.
Wayne Johnson, '66
Brooklyn, NY
No special treatment for Division I athletes
Bravo to Brian Templeton, '66, for his letter to the editor
expressing disappointment at SU's return to NCAA
Division I sports ["Return to Division I not a good play,"
Letters, Spring 2009]. As a student and later faculty member
who was on campus during the previous period of Division I
membership, I could not agree with him more.
A local auto dealer provided the "super-athletes" with cars
and all of their expenses were paid. Some faculty members
thought it was politically expedient to give passing grades to
these athletes, regardless of their work in the classroom. My
dear friend and mentor, the late Professor Walter Aklin of
the music department, had athletes in his History of Opera
course each quarter. One of these students would come into
his class and promptly fall asleep. One day, when that same
student strolled into class 10 minutes late, Walter stopped
him mid-sentence, smiled wryly and said, "You shouldn't
be late. You know you need your sleep!"
Dr. Joseph J. Gallucci, '57
University Place, Wash.
SU education and values enrich life
The more time that passes since I was a student at Seattle
University, the more I am proud to be a member of the SU
community. My father was the first dean of what was the
School of Economics and Finance at Seattle University,
and all seven of my brothers and sisters graduated from
SU. The Jesuit values of peace and justice are instilled in
my soul. Now as I enter a new phase in my career, I'm
more adamant about living from a place of contribution
and making a difference from a social justice point of view.
These strong values of social justice and living congruent
with these values are embedded in my life forever.
I thank my family, my education at Seattle University and
the courageous, compassionate thread of Jesus that was
embedded in my heart.
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