Horizons magazine encourages readers to submit letters. Letters submitted online may be considered for publication here and in the print edition of the magazine.
Take me to letters from:
FAMOUS ALUMNI ... NEW YORK, October 2000 issue
CREATING A JUST COMMUNITY, May 2000 issue
UC's HIDDEN IMPACT, January 2000 issue
THE DIGITAL UNIVERSITY, July 1999 issue
HORIZONS GOES ONLINE, November 1999
FAMOUS
ALUMNI ... NEW YORK,
October 2000 issue
Clap, clap, clap
Congratulations on the most recent issue of Horizons, which focuses on the University
of Cincinnati as a "just community" [May 2000].
I was very pleased to see UC identify itself this way and read more articles in this
issue more quickly than usual.
I recognized many of the names of those profiled in "90 Years of African American Heritage
at UC" as friends of
my parents, who are also UC graduates, and will share this article with the director
of the Center for Black Culture and Research here at West Virginia University, where
I am the director of women's studies.
In fact, I thought the issue was so excellent that I have ordered extra copies to
give to our executive officer for social justice at West Virginia University. I also
will share a copy with the editor of our university magazine and hope that he may
want to use this as a model.
Thanks for providing such an important window into the history of UC.
Barb Howe, A&S
'69, Ed '69
Director, Center for Women's Studies,
West Virginia University
Morgantown, W.V.
Congratulations on a great article on Women's Studies ["Women's Studies Satisfies Intellectual
Hunger," May 2000].
The article was one of the best the magazine has ever done, in my view. (In fact,
the whole issue was nicely put together.)
In the 1970s, of course, no one on the magazine staff would have any idea about doing
a story on Women's Studies. We had to write our own stuff and submit it. So the magazine
has grown, as well.
Dana Vannoy
First director of Women's Studies at UC
Williamsburg, Mich.
I just wanted to thank you for your very excellent article on Women's Studies , so well written and interesting. The article
about the black alumni was
awfully interesting, also.
Barbara Allen, A&S
'50, MS (DAAP) '78
co-president of Friends of Women's Studies
Via Internet
I've just read through the article on Womenís Studies -- bravo! You've caught some really important
things about our program. Thank you.
Lisa Hogeland
UC Associate Professor
English and Comparative Literature
We wish you well and must give you high praise for the materials that you have produced
in the past. I thoroughly enjoy each and every issue. We read them from cover to
cover. We are particularly fond of Debby Rieselman's articles.
Henry Federlin, Eng
'49
Cherry Hill, N.J.
Legends live on
I am sitting here with so many positive emotions after reading your story ["90
Years of African American Heritage at UC,"
May 2000]. It is truly a masterpiece. You really captured so much information in
a very thought-provoking fashion. Thank you for presenting the Living Legends --
a story that has needed to be told for a long time!
Eric Abercrumbie, PhD
(A&S) '87
UC director of Ethnic Programs and Services
"90
Years of African American Heritage at UC"
[May 2000], about the travails of blacks at the University of Cincinnati and how
they overcame, stirred up quite a bit of interest. Thinking you might be interested
in putting some names with the group picture, I wrote former Quadres members. I am
happy to report that I received an excellent response and have all the names
(see
photos).
For the 1947 picture, which was my group, I have been able to add some additional
information. Perhaps the names and the added information will make clear that perseverance
has its rewards.
Ralph J. Bryson, Ed
'47, MEd '50
Quadres president, 1947
Montgomery, Ala.
Congratulations on the outstanding May 2000 edition of "Horizons." As president
of the student body from 1963-64, I had the opportunity of being involved as an undergraduate
in a time of great turmoil on the issues of free speech, the Vietnam War and race
relations.
As undergraduates, others and I successfully integrated for the first time both Metro
(with Brig Owens, our outstanding All-American quarterback and future outstanding
defensive back with the Redskins) and Sigma Sigma (with Tony Yates, our outstanding
captain of the national champion Bearcats in '61 and '62). In addition, we conducted
a forum and developed an ongoing group to discuss the status of race relations on
our campus. One of the outgrowths of that was the integration for the first time
of fraternity and sorority "rush."
At a time of great turmoil around the nation, particularly just to our south, these
affirmative steps, while certainly not the answer to all of the racial problems confronting
our campus, were steps that did begin the process of open discussion of racial issues
as they related to the university and the undergraduate student body.
My only concern is the "Horizons" article that lists the University of Cincinnati's
African American living legends. It is hard for me to imagine that this list does
not include Oscar Robertson, Tony Yates, George Wilson or Brig Owens.
Again, you are to be commended for the edition and for a well-structured and highly
readable magazine.
I. Lynn Mueller, BusAd
'64, MBA '66
Albany, N.Y.
Editorial reply: The Living Legends honor was bestowed upon a group of alumni who were able to contribute to the campus symposium used to conclude the last century and welcome the new one. Rather than compiling a list that was all-inclusive, The African American Cultural and Research Center put together a group of people who represented all eight decades and who were able to attend the symposium (with the exception of the oldest male and female alumni). "There were a number of individuals who were asked, but could not make it," adds Eric Abercrumbie, PhD (A&S) '87, UC director of Ethnic Programs and Services. "Also, these individuals were not selected as the 'most outstanding' of their decade, but as outstanding representatives of their decade."
Thank you for your epic on African
American life at the University of Cincinnati. We all shared in making a larger and
larger participation in Cincinnati's major institution of higher learning.
From being excluded by the organizational charter of UC, we became a proportionate
part of the student body, faculty, administration and research. Those 80 years were
great, happy and meaningful times for those of us who lived them and which your history
allowed us to relive.
Donald Spencer, A&S
'36, Ed '37, MEd '40
Cincinnati
Editorial reply: Although the 1858 wording in Charles McMicken's will has led people to believe that the university excluded blacks, the charter never did so, and the Board of Directors took the will to the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure that. McMicken's will bequeathed $1 million to the city of Cincinnati to found a university for "white boys and girls," yet the Supreme Court agreed with the board's interpretation that the will did not exclude people of color.
Even though the university opened its doors in 1870 with no exclusions, individual colleges did fail to admit blacks based upon an assumption that co-op employers would not hire them. Other colleges prohibited blacks before they joined the university. Prior to the 1950s, African Americans were pretty much restricted to two colleges, education and arts and sciences.
UC traces the first African American graduate of the entity known as the University of Cincinnati to Henry Malachi Griffin in 1886, and the first African American graduate of any program or college now connected to UC to William H. Parham of the Cincinnati Law School in 1874.
The Department of Archives and Rare Books is currently working on a Powerpoint presentation on the history of African Americans at UC.
I read the article on the African
American legends ["90
Years of African American Heritage at UC,"
May 2000] and thought it was great. The article was particularly interesting to me
because Georgia Beasley is a resident at the Marjorie P. Lee Center, one of the Episcopal
retirement communities where I work. She was on channel 12 recently when the Cincinnati
Symphony honored her. We plan to do a cover story on her for our magazine for the
fall issue. Great lady!
Another thing that caught my eye was a picture of one of your African American Studies
professors. I think his name was Chimsky. I had him when I went to UC for a course
called the Black Child. I remember he told the class that white people who adopt
black children are racist because they are trying to change black kids into white
kids. I hope he is no longer on the faculty promoting this type of reverse racism
to students. This is particularly a pertinent subject to my husband, Mike, in his
job at the Department of Human Services. There is a whole controversy surrounding
cross-racial adoption.
Tami Boehmer
Cincinnati
Via Internet
Jucker scores again
Thanks for your extensive article about Ed Jucker and University of Cincinnati baseball
over the years ["UC's
Baseball Statesmen Return"
and "Koufax
Reunites With Coach Jucker,"
May 2000]. It was much fun reading the history.
Your file on Juck must not be complete since your article doesn't mention his playing
time for the Cats back in the '30s. I've included a shot of the 1939 team of which
Ed was captain, I believe.
Also, your mention of the team bus driver was very enlightening because it must be
an inherited problem of our drivers. We had a real wild man known as Baldy Kyle drive
our 1932 Ford B model bus, which he did with reckless abandon.
I hope some day you might do a piece on Scotty Kolp who was the legendary trainer
of the athletics department, had been a professional boxer in the featherweight division
and was loved by all the guys he helped condition.
PS: I can't quite understand the quote about "building a better baseball facility."
Bench field looks like heaven compared to what we once had.
Milt Strasser, A&S
'40
Troy, Ohio
What a pleasant surprise to receive the magazines with your sports article
in it. I thoroughly enjoyed reliving the emotional weekend at the University of Cincinnati,
and your article highlighted the main events. Spending two days with Sandy Koufax
was an added thrill.
Ed Jucker, Ed '40
Okatie, S.C.
I think you did a great job in this last "Horizons" issue. Everyone I've
spoken to commented how great it was, not only a great affair, but the write-up was fantastic. I just spoke with Ed Jucker
just a couple minutes ago. He was overly pleased with it. You really did a great
job. I'm proud of you, and thank you so much.
Ike Misali, BusAd '55, MBA '63
Former Bearcat baseball
captain
Cincinnati
Your article was very well written. It was a great weekend
of festivities for Coach Ed Jucker. The athletic department and Ike Misali [former
team captain] did an outstanding job planning and organizing the kickoff for the
Ed Jucker Endowment fund.
Danny Gilbert, BusAd
'58
Minford, Ohio
Ratings won't die
Though I did not see your article on university ratings, I read with great interest
the letters ["Editorial Missed Mark"] written to you and published in your
May 2000 issue.
Based on my experience at the College of Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering,
I would have to rate the University of Cincinnati way down at the bottom of the list.
There were three experiences that brought me to this conclusion.
In a junior-year course in electro chemistry, I got a conditional grade. I got some
off-campus instruction, found the material quite easy and passed the conditional
removal exam with a grade of 95 percent.
After graduating engineering day school, I took night school courses in liberal arts.
There I found what really high-level instruction was. My night school teachers were
excellent.
However, it was only after undertaking some teaching myself that I fully realized
how poor the instruction in the College of Engineering had been.
Ted Isaacs, Eng '36,
Eve '44
Cincinnati
Mistakes still haunt
After all your apologies concerning errors in the last issue, I hate to bring the
following to your attention, but William Shakespeare's name does, indeed, include
an "e" at the end, despite your caption on page 33. (Unless, of course,
the Globe Theatre to which you refer belonged to a different Shakespear.) Cheers.
Terrell Finney
Head, CCM Division of Opera, Musical Theater, Drama and Arts Administration
Editorial reply: Oh, "what's in a name?" -- as the Bard himself
would say. Embarrassment, that's what!
It did win
I read with great interest the article "It's Not About Winning" [January
2000] about the athletes at the University of Cincinnati and their community involvement.
It was great. I have been looking for articles like this and have even spoken to
Bill Walker, the University of Cincinnati chief athletic trainer, to see what could
be done to paint a much better image of UC's athletes in our city. I have always
believed that they were good guys (at least most are) and we need to sing their praises
more often.
I wish this article would run in the local papers, as well. Most Cincinnatians will
not see this article and need to. These guys need some positive press as does the
entire sports program. It is a terrific mission.
Thanks for all you do for UC and "Horizons."
Sharry (Patterson)
Addison, Ed '61
Cincinnati
Credit due more alumni
The "Blame
UC" article in January
2000 was interesting for several reasons. We recognized several names and their contributions
to our lives.
Our mom, Dorothy Miller Fuentes, A&S '26, Ed '27, kept the UC diaries and her
notes about her experiences there. She went on to teach for 30 years in the Cincinnati
Public Schools.
Our dad, Daniel Fuentes, Eng '26, came to the university from Chile, South America.
He was drawn here particularly by the co-op program. Once a part of Champion Paper,
he stayed there for 22 years.
In May 1941, he was part of a team that developed the paper milk carton. One of the
challenges to overcome was how to sterilize it. Unlike glass, you cannot boil paper,
so they simply boiled the wax that coated the inside of the carton.
On Feb. 8, 1942, Hamilton went on a two-hour time difference than Cincinnati. The
purpose was to spread out peak times of using electricity, but it also forced a choice
between family life and work schedules, so our dad left Champion and took a job with
George Sperti, Eng '23 [mentioned in the "Horizons" article].
At that time, he worked on their burn ointment product. The ingredient that accelerated
the healing of damaged tissue also caused yeast spore problems on the wooden mixing
paddles. At our dad's suggestion, they switched from wood to metal paddles.
Also, during World War II, he sent an idea of using crystals to improve bomb sights
to the Navy. He received a letter of thanks as it was put into practice. Both of
our parents recognized UC for its contribution to their lives. In turn, they were
instrumental in our choice to come to UC, too.
Carmela Fuentes Werner,
A&S '63
Elena Fuentes Stothfang, Ed '68
Cincinnati
CREATING
A JUST COMMUNITY,
May
2000 issue
Hidden Impact issue vital
Hooray for the January
2000 issue of "Horizons."
It's about time that we blew our own horn. Our alumni, the general public and state
and local opinion leaders don't understand how big we are, how important we are and
our enormous contributions. Let's keep explaining it to them. Good work.
Alfred Tuchfarber
Director of the UC Institute for Policy Research
I'm writing to tell you how incredible your current cover story in "Horizons"
is ["Save
a Life or Serve a Dinner,"
January 2000]. First of all, the topic is terrific. Someone would have to be dead
and buried not to know that we have "neighbors" around our campus, many
of whom would just as soon that we weren't there. But to see -- and read of -- what
good (often great) work is being done by our students and faculty in the area was
a brilliant topic. And I especially enjoyed the way you set up the "side-bars"
throughout the piece.
Larry Patterson, A&S
'66
New York City
I just finished checking out the Web site's two special pages on
the Institute for Learning in Retirement. It all should help greatly in recruiting
new students for the wonderful program.
Incidentally, a very large number of UC alumni participate both as students and as
moderators. And ILR will celebrate with a 10th anniversary event on May 13 at the
Kingsgate Conference Center.
"Horizons" continues to be both attractive and informative. Keep up the
good work!
Morris (Morrie) Fogel,
A&S '49
Cincinnati
Editorial missed mark
I read your article "Let's
Look at the Ratings'' with
much interest and some amusement. The "U.S. News" ranking is a problem
for UC, and that situation will not change until the situation at UC changes.
Bashing the ranking system is exactly the opposite thing that UC should be doing,
but is so like the UC that I remember -- a kind of militant attitude against all
who dare criticize the system. Has anyone stopped to think that this habit of telling
critics to go away is exactly why UC finds itself in the situation that it is in
today?
Your article mentioned that the "U.S. News" ranking system is unfair because,
for example, it takes into consideration the rate of alumni donations. Well, what
is wrong with that?
I would say that the rate of alumni donations is an excellent gauge of how the alumni
feel about their university experience after they have moved on in life. What UC
might gather from this low rate of giving is that a whole lot of alumni are not happy
with their UC experience.
Certainly, I can't read all of these people's minds to find out what these grievances
might be; however, I can remember what my time at UC was like. There seemed to always
be conflicts between the professors, administrators and the support staff. The students
were not, and I suspect are not today, the center of the university's concerns. They
just had to slug through everything thrown at them.
The article mentioned that UC is a "Carnegie Commission Research I University,''
and we all know that UC has a great basketball team. To these type of things, I say
so what! All of these titles in the world will not improve UC's ranking or reputation,
nor will it make the paying customers (the students) happier with their UC experience.
Professors and administrators who are interested in their students' education, however,
will.
Certainly, UC has a lot to offer a potential student. But if I could apply a paraphrase
to UC's situation wherein Bill Clinton was speaking on the topic of being a public
figure: "It's a great thing, if you can deal with the pain threshold."
So, do us all a favor and take this "U.S. News" ranking seriously and fix
the problem!
Adam Hutson, DAAP '92
Dortmund, Germany
More on editorial ...
I read the editorial ("Let's
Look at the Ratings")
regarding UC's rankings in "U.S. News and World Report." I would like to
correct a factual error. Ohio State and Miami are not ranked as Tier-I schools; they
are ranked Tier II. Many fine schools, such as Indiana and Purdue are ranked as Tier
II, and I do find it interesting that UC could not make the list.
In my opinion, the editorial sounds as if UC has an inferiority complex, and I do
not like that. The fact of the matter is that many people do read the rankings or
else "U.S. News" would not publish them every year. A recent "Wall
Street Journal" article addressed the issue of rankings and how they affect
attitudes towards universities. To downplay rankings does not serve UC well.
UC has many things going for it, but if you look at other rankings, particularly
the elite ones, UC is often excluded. Hopefully much of what is happening on campus
today will erase UC's reputation as a third-tier commuter school.
I suppose the best thing for the university to do is aggressively promote its positive
points and correct those things which cause the school to perform poorly in the rankings.
Maybe then, alumni monetary support will fare favorably with other schools.
Steve Luehrmann, BusAd
'85
Cincinnati
Editor's note:
Steve Luehrmann is right. We made a jump-off-the-page-and-choke-you mistake regarding Ohio State and Miami universities. Our editorial was in response to a previous letter to the editor (UC deserves better). We attempted to explain that Miami and OSU had attained higher rankings than UC by being placed on lists that were less restrictive and less prestigious than the list UC had nabbed. Unfortunately, we incorrectly referred to the other schools as having first-tier rankings. They didn't. They were in the second tier of "regional" rankings, while UC was in the third tier of "national" rankings. In trying to clarify a complex issue, we only muddied things more.
As a point of clarification, the editorial did not state the ranking system was unfair, although some readers certainly believed the implication was there. The original editorial ("Let's Look at the Ratings") is posted in a corrected form (thanks to Steve).
Basketball
stats questioned
I understand, from what I read in the newspapers, that the current coach of the men's
basketball team has the dubious record of not having had a single one of his players
ever graduate! Could this possibly be true? Surely not! Or do we stoop so low as
to "hire" athletes to play for U.C., and then let them go when their eligibility
is up? This is not what I would expect from an institute of higher learning.
Hopefully, you'll tell me I'm wrong and that almost all the ballplayers do graduate
and I can care what the Bearcats do, once again.
Patricia K. Fieno,
CN&H '59
Charlotte, N.C.
Editorial reply:
The subject is a bit more complex than most media are willing to explain. Here is why: The NCAA tracks graduation rates for entering freshmen who finish their degrees within a six-year window. By that standard, Coach Bob Huggins has not had any players graduate.
However, of the 33 players who finished their college careers under Huggins prior to the 1999-2000 season, 15 of them had attained their degree. The reason for the discrepancy is this: First of all, UC recruits many players from junior colleges. Those students, since they didn't enter UC as freshmen, can't be counted. Second, players often graduate, but simply not within the allotted six-year time frame. This is not exactly an uncommon occurrence even for UC's non-athlete population of students. Finally, several players under Huggins have postponed their academic pursuits to play professional basketball either in the United States or abroad.
Master Plan
concerns
As a student at UC, I have to admit that there has always been a parking problem,
in that there is never enough. But that has been an ongoing situation since the early
'70s. At least that is when I first experienced it.
However, I appreciate the fact that UC is trying to change the atmosphere of the
West Campus by making it more of a green space by essentially eliminating campus
driving.
The facts are that UC was hit by an explosion of students after WWII and the Vietnam
War, and they had to expand quickly to meet demands made on them. Obviously they
did not think about atmosphere during times of expansion.
Currently, I believe the enrollment at UC is slowly declining. Or rather is adjusting
to the demands of the community.
I look forward to the future years at UC to see when they complete all of the Master
Plan to see how the campus is changed. The new buildings that have been built on
the West Campus were needed.
The most obvious, to me, was the expansion of French Hall and the relocation of the
Evening College and University College. Prior to French Hall completion, these two
colleges were spread all over the campus. All of the things in the Master plan are
not needed, in my opinion, but that's another story.
Jeff Bryant
College of Evening & Continuing Education
Via the Internet
Another concern ...
I just had a question about the Master Plan.
Are the planners of the Master Plan going to somehow connect East and West campus
together? I'm not a med student, nor do I even go over to the Medical campus, but
it would be nice to connect the two, since both campuses don't seem connected as
a whole.
And another quick question is: Does the Master Plan have new ways and ideas of getting
rid of the label "Commuter School" at UC? It would be nice if UC could
be at least 50 percent commuters and about 50 percent out-of-towners -- to sorta
compete with the Ohio States of the world and the Ohio Universities around. I know
UC is the second largest public school in Ohio, and it would be nice if UC could
steal those students away that were thinking of going to Ohio State or other in-state
schools.
And one final question: Will the master plan involve putting a large number of trees,
possibly pines on the perimeter of campus? I think it would be neat if UC was secluded
from everything else.
Just curious. Thanks.
Keith Friedman
Via the Internet
Editor's note:
Most people will be surprised, but UC has already surpassed Keith's 50-50 mark. According to Ohio Board of Regents statistics, only 40 percent of UC students are commuters. Sixty percent either live on campus or within the immediate vicinity.
The "commuter school" label dates back to the early history of the University of Cincinnati, when it really was a city school. (We didn't become a state university until 1977.) In the really early years, campus had no dorms at all. Memorial Hall provided the first campus housing in 1924. The newest revision to the Master Plan includes many plans for campus housing, intended to bring even more students back to campus.
As far as connecting the two campuses, the Master Plan does have a wonderful proposal for lowering Martin Luther King Drive through a tunnel at the Vine Street/Jefferson intersection and covering it with a grassy area that would link the new Campus Green Space and Procter Hall. Of course, closing MLK to do the work is a major undertaking that involves the city, not just UC.
The plan hasn't been scrapped, but it's not exactly on the "to do" list either. If it fails to go through, the backup plan is to build a pedestrian bridge over MLK to join the east and west better than at present.
Trees are also in the plan, but mostly in the form of an arboretum in the middle of the new Campus Green Space to create a bucolic feeling for student relaxation. Trees around the perimeter have a lower priority since seclusion doesn't lend itself too well to the concept of being a good neighbor in the community.
Near the end of the year, we plan to publish a new Master Plan edition of Horizons to address all the newest revisions. Visit the Web site again then to see the latest.
Comparatively speaking
I had another question. How big is UC's campus (east and west) compared to other
campuses around the country? I was just curious, since when I go to Ohio State to
visit my brother, their campus seems big, but not reaaallllly big like everyone thinks.
I wish UC was in a cornfield so they could expand outward . . . instead of upward
. . . Ha ha.
Keith Friedman
Via the Internet
Editor's note:
For the size of our enrollment, UC has very little acreage. Combining east and west campuses gives us a total of 194 acres (137 for west and 57 for east). Compare that to OSU's Columbus campus alone, which is 1,705 acres.
If you add all UC land together, Clermont, Raymond Walters, Applied Science, east and west, it still totals only 421.5 acres. If you add all OSU campuses together, including Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, the airport, the Agricultural Center, golf courses and the main campus, it has a whopping 13,480 acres.
The good news is that UC students have much shorter distances to walk to class.
As far as comparing our size to others around the country, no one has ever compiled that information, as far as I know.
UC's
HIDDEN IMPACT,
January
2000 issue:
UC
deserves better
Once again, UC's undergraduate program was ranked in the third tier nationally among
colleges and universities in the recent "U.S. News and World Report." It's
frustrating and embarrassing for the alumni to be exposed to such degradation.
When I attended UC as an undergraduate student, I felt UC had given me the best they
could offer academically, and I was able to function very well in my chosen profession.
It's no doubt UC is recognized nationally and internationally, so why is the undergraduate
program so inadequate and mediocre? I'm speaking mainly of the liberal arts program.
My recommendations to the board of directors are: 1) Canvass the UC alumni for more
financial support. 2) Improve the graduation rate of students. 3) Admit only 65 percent
of the applicants. The academic scholarship students that UC admits represent only
a small segment of the student body. 4) Raise the academic standards of the undergraduate
program. The curriculum should be more rigorous and challenging.
I hope in the near future, the UC undergraduate program will be more selective and
academically challenging as those of Miami University, Ohio State and Xavier. UC
certainly doesn't deserve such a poor rating.
Maurice
Shigesato, Ed '51
Honolulu, Hawaii
Editorial reply: "Let's Look at the Ratings"
THE
DIGITAL UNIVERSITY,
July
1999 issue
Those good ol' days
My recent communication with "Horizons," regarding my election to the Herman
Schneider Legacy Society, brought to mind my arrival at UC from Auburn University
for my junior year, at age 18, and the shock of several professors saying "no
credit" for similar courses there.
I decided to visit the dean's office in Baldwin Hall. At that point in time, applied
arts was a part of the School of Engineering, and Herman Schneider was the dean.
[His major is now part of DAAP.]
I was able to buttonhole him. On learning of my dilemma and knowing Frederick Biggin
was my dean at Auburn, he literally took me by the hand, and off we went to Swift
Hall. As luck would have it, Dean Schneider's favorite professor at Lehigh had been
F. Biggin. Needless to say, there was no resistance, and I left with credits in hand,
so to speak.
Then, between my junior and senior years, two professors allowed me to study at home
in Georgia and take examinations on returning. The results: 5.5 on both. All of this,
in addition to late afternoon and night classes, enabled me to graduate in two years.
I thought the enclosed might be of interest. Plus my gift annuity has been designated
for scholarships in interior design, which was my major. In 1935, I was the sole
male in the class. I transferred to UC because I would have been the only interior
design major at Auburn.
Thomas Persons, DAAP
'35
Atlanta, Ga.
Appalled by grad rates
In the "Wall Street Journal" Weekend Section's lead editorial of March
19 concerning NCAA basketball, it notes that no player on the University of Cincinnati's
basketball team has graduated in the past seven years. If that statement is anywhere
near accurate, I -- along with many other UC alumni, I am sure -- am appalled.
It makes me wonder into what sort of an ethical and moral morass the university's
athletic department has fallen. Where is the department in its recruiting of basketball-playing
"students" that not one of them can manage to graduate? What is it telling
these prospective "students"? And what does this say to the university's
real students, the ones who struggle to earn their degrees, the ones whose parents
(or themselves) may be carrying the full freight of their tuition and other expenses
at UC?
I have always taken pride in being a UC graduate. And even after many, many years,
I continue to boast about UC's winning its first NCAA basketball championship my
senior year. Every senior on the team that year, I believe, graduated. Yet, since
the WSJ editorial appeared last week, three associates have commented to me about
the article and have guffawed at what sort of an academic institution UC must really
be.
Again, if the WSJ statement is true, UC should think seriously about cleaning up
its act athletically, first, perhaps, by finding a coach and an athletic director
who recognize what the university's principal raison d'être really is, a coach
and an athletic director who will recruit players on that basis.
I am not so naïve as to be unaware that income from basketball is a principal
contributor to the support of UC's athletic program, but UC is still fundamentally
-- I hope -- an academic institution, not a quasi-professional sports organization
with educational and research programs attached.
Perhaps not very loyal sounding, but I was delighted that the basketball team representing
UC in this year's NCAA championship tournament got no further than it did. As have
so many other UC graduates, I worked hard for my degree from UC. I don't want its
value -- even if it is just its perceived value -- compromised by the sort of academic
hypocrisy that refers to members of UC's recent basketball teams as "student-athletes."
Richard Sherman, A&S
'61
Wayne, Pa.
Editor's note:
The NCAA tracks graduation rates based on the number of players who entered the program as freshmen and graduated within a six-year time window. It does not count students who transfer from a junior college or graduate after six years.
Of the 30 UC basketball players who have completed their eligibility since Coach Bob Huggins started at UC a decade ago, 13 have graduated.
HORIZONS
GOES ONLINE,
November
1999
Bravo! You've done it again. What a great look. Bright, contemporary,
easy to navigate, great site map ... way to go!
Donna Burns
Director, Community Outreach Programs
UC College of Evening and Continuing Education
