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Macalester Today May 1988 Macalester College Macalester College DigitalCommons@Macalester College Macalester Today Communications and Public Relations 4-1-1988 Macalester Today May 1988 Macalester College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/macalestertoday Recommended Citation Macalester College, "Macalester Today May 1988" (1988). Macalester Today. Paper 8. http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/macalestertoday/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Communications and Public Relations at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Macalester Today by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MACALESTERT)DAY LETTERS 1 center of this continuum represents a Claire now lives in Baton Rouge, Loui- Uilf-truths about 1960s political climate which is open and plu- siana, where she is an attorney for the make his blood boil ralistic, with relatively wide access to House of Representatives. Her husband, participation in the decision-making pro- Ronald Weber, also of the class of '64, is I had almost forgotten how Don Schwartz cess. As activists of the left and right a professor at Louisiana State University. and his YAFers [Young Americans for move out from this central zone, they Their son, Andrew, is a freshman at Freedom] used to make my blood boil 20 become increasingly closed to outsiders, Macalester. years ago when we were both students at increasingly dogmatic in their views, and Thank you for a good publication that is Mac. Reading the February issue ["We increasingly willing to use force to silence really informative about our college. Thought the World Could Be Made Per- their opponents. Charlotte Bailey Sindt '34 fect"] got the old juices flowing again. As far as I know, this never happened Afton, Minn. How ironic that Susan [Schwartz] com- in the years I was at Macalester. (I chal- plains about the lack of intellectual debate lenge Professor Parson [Kathleen Parson about issues when she was at Mac in the '67, associate professor of biology and Community deserves late '60s. There was a great deal of such chemistry] to document exactly when she debate before the YAF began turning was prevented "from getting her work credit, too every question about foreign or social done" by tear gas, as she is quoted in policy into a test of patriotism. I remem- another article ["The Opening of the I want to express my appreciation for the ber long discussions about the war and American Mind"] in that issue.) The point article on AIDS in the February issue of other issues led by such people as [then- Dr. Mitau made was that at the extremes Macalester Today. It allows the alumni assistant chaplain] Al Currier, Dr. [Theo- of the continuum the fascist right and the community to know that we have been dore] Mitau, Dr. [David] White, and even communist left become virtually indis- trying to deal with this difficult issue in a Prof. [Hubert] Humphrey—discussions tinguishable from one another. This is a straightforward way. where issues were debated on an intel- far cry from saying all activists are fas- However, I was concerned to see that lectual level without impugning the per- cists. To distort his ideas in this way is to "AIDS Awareness Week" was attributed sonal worth of one's opponent. It was dishonor the memory of a fine teacher. to me as the sole organizer. In fact, a size- these debates, and the reading they David Fisher '69 able committee of students, faculty, and inspired me to do, which changed me New York, N.Y. staff invested many hours in planning and from an indifferent supporter of the war organizing that week, and a number of in 1966 to an active opponent of it begin- people were directly involved in presen- ning around 1967. tations and discussion groups. I regret It was amusing to see Don complaining that the article did not point this out. about the naivete of us activists in the Brent B. Coffin '60s in thinking we "could just stop the Chaplain war." That isn't what he used to be wor- ried about in the '60s. Then he was accusing us of costing American lives by A light under a bushel? giving comfort and encouragement to the "enemy." To raise questions about moral MichealJ. Thompson's lively and inter- issues was, to the YAF, immoral. The esting article, "The Well-Travelled statement of Don's which really shocked Rhodes" (February), correctly assigns me was when he included, among those the bulk of the credit for Macalester stu- whom he dismisses as naive, people who dents' successes in recent Rhodes Schol- arship competitions to the college's many worked for civil-rights legislation. No Claire Sindt Weber '64 and Faith Ohman doubt Attorney Schwartz views Dred '64; now they're both lawyers. strengths as an institution. The article's Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson as the epit- weakness is its failure to emphasize the ome of American jurisprudence. Mystery woman identified contribution to this record made by Mac- The most unconscionable statement in alester's greatest asset—its faculty. the article, though, was certainly Susan's It was with delight that I picked up the We mention this here because neither gross misrepresentation of Dr. Mitau's latest issue of Macalester Today and of us was able to contribute to the arti- view of student activism. Dr. Mitau was viewed the picture of Faith Ohman on the cle's preparation (in spite of the impres- my advisor, so I feel I have some knowl- cover. She is a wonderful friend, and the sion which the article left). One of us was edge of his views, which were certainly likeness is great! simply not contacted. The other, very conservative. However, he never When I flipped to the first page, of however, was informed that she would stated categorically that all student activ- course there was the explanation of the not be permitted to draw full attention to ists were fascists. What he taught was cover picture and a small photo from that the role which one particular faculty that radicalism, whether of the left or era of Faith with a friend. Then I was member—Dr. Cindy Orbovich—had right, exists on a continuum, and that the even more delighted! The unidentified played in preparing and motivating her for friend is Claire Sindt Weber '64, our subsequent challenges, including the daughter, for whom Faith was maid of Rhodes competition. honor when Claire was married. continued on page 33 MACALESTER TODAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE 2 At Macalester The community's response to a racist letter; clear skies for the new library; a flurry ofFidbrights. 6 A Calcutta Journal A photographer's search for 'the soul of Calcutta' turns up a surprising saint. text and photographs by Joshua Kohnstamm 79 In May 1986, Joshua Kohnstamm '79 took this photograph in Calcutta, India. The 14 Choosing the Next President subject is a "rickshaw wallah"—a man who makes his living pulling a human- The ship of state is headed for rough waters. How can today's generation powered taxi. For Kohnstamm's first- choose a US president with a steady hand at the helm? An astute political person story of his 1986 stay in Calcutta, see page 6. journalist offers advice to his daughter. by Hodding Carter III MACALESTER TODAY Editor Nancy A. Peterson 16 Our Debatable Presidency Managing Editor Presidential debates have strayed a bit from their roots. But, argues one Rebecca Ganzel foremicsprofessor, the)''re still a valid way to size up candidates. Contributing Editor by W.Scott Nobles Randi Lynn Lyders '83 Art Director Mamie Lilja Baehr 18 Humanitarian Selfishness Class Notes Editor Eunice F. Sandeen Why more than 100 Macalester students make time to serve the hungry and help MACALESTER COLLEGE the homeless. Chair, Board of Trustees David A. Ranheim '64 byJackEl-Hai President Robert M. Gavin, Jr. 22 Alumni News Vice President for Development Catherine Reid Day A new Mumni Association president; plus Alumni Director events from New York to Phoenix. Karen McConkey Associate Alumni Director Mary Winston Smail 23 The Fleet Feet of Success President, Macalester Alumni Association Meet an Albuquerque runner who may be Julie Stroud '81 on track for the 1988 Olympics. Alumni Director Emeritus by Christopher Herlinger '81 A. Phillips Beedon '28 Macalester Today (Volume 76, Number 3) is pub- 24 Enlarging the World of Mystery lished by Macalester College. It is mailed free of charge to alumni and friends of the College four Look for the latest venture of these two alumnae at your favorite mystery- times a year. Circulation is 24,000. stocked bookstore. For change of address, please write: Alumni Office, by Terry Andrews Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105. To submit information for class notes section, please write: Class Notes Editor, Alumni Office, Macales- 25 Class Notes ter College, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105. Do you watch televised sports? Then chances are you're one of millions To submit comments or ideas concerning other sec- who've caught the John 3:16 man—class of 73- tions of Macalester Today, please write: Macalester Today Editor, Public Relations and Publications Department, Macalester College, 1600 Grand Ave- nue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105. MAY AT MACALESTER In all, more than half the faculty and staff members and a quarter of the stu- dents who received the survey responded to it, temporarily flooding the post office with paper. Of the 490 surveys the committee sent to faculty and staff, 268 were returned (54.7 percent); out of 1,800 students, 454 responded (25.2 percent).
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