CHASI G AU 0 A I WY DEAD EADS LOV RTO I TOW ES EJO eE!

MAY/JUNE 1997 $6.00 LETTERS

wife and I decided we no longer PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY needed the kind of money I had earned to enjoy a satisfactory lifestyle. I am now on tenure track at the WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD, I TOOK A community college and still adjunct at shortcut through a professor's yard on my way Rutgers. We earn a decent living-not home. A woman was taking photographs of as good as we once did, but the free the flower garden and she asked me to time, extended vacations, and lack of stress more than make up for the loss in sit on the wall. She took my income. Frankly, if someone offered photo, then asked me to get me three times what I used to earn, to behind the large camera, and do what I used to do, I wouldn't ac­ when she indicated, snap a cept. We were lucky. I found some­ picture of her sitting in the thing I really enjoy and have traded same position. Thus, I took income for lifestyle. the picture that appears on Richard 1. Klein )63 page 34 of the January maga­ Edison) NewJersey zine ("The Soft-Focus School"). My father, the late Louis C. SAGE ADVICE Boochever '12, for many years "THE BUILDING THAT WOULD NOT Cornell's director of public Die" (March/April 1997) brought relations, had befriended Mar­ back fond memories of my sopho­ garet Bourke-White. When more year (1956-57) living in what she found out that I was his was then a women's dorm. I found the description ofthe current contro­ son, she sent copies of my pic­ versy interesting, but wondered why ture to us. the author did not interview the ar­ Robert Boochever '39, JD '41 chitect ofthe renovation. His views Pasadena, California might enlighten readers at least as much as those voiced by proponents and opponents of the renovation. Luckily, I will not be kept in the WORK DETAIL vival, are also embarrassed in unemploy­ dark-the architect is my brother. YOUR ARTICLE ABOUT "DOWNSIZED" ment offices, being interrogated about Ruth ChimacoffMacklin )59 Cornellians ("Out ofWork," January/ intimate details oftheir lives or asked to Riverdale) New York February 1997) helped destigmatize a fill in forms they have no opportunity to painful experience. However, the tone understand. saddened me: "After decades ofprofes­ Might the spread of downsizing to ON THE SHELVES sional perks, you find yourselfwaiting in the Ivy League become an opportunity "SEX IN THE ARCHIVES" (MARCHIAPRIL long, painfully democratic lines [... ] for all the unemployed, whatever their 1997) mentions the Cornell University Managers are seen as a reducible cost of educational background, to stand to­ Gay and Lesbian Alumni Association doing business-just like unskilled labor gether? (CUGALA) and its efforts to build an [and] office chairs." Perhaps uninten­ Diana Skelton Faujour )86 endowment to buy gay and lesbian tionally, this implies that unemployment ew York) New York books for Cornell libraries, but doesn't is even more unfair when it befalls Ivy complete the story. When CUGALA Leaguers. Is it somehow normal to rele­ "OUT OF WORK" REALLY STRUCK first approached the library about setting gate unskilled laborers to the office-chair home. After fifteen years in engineering up a book fund (in response to a sugges­ category? and a stint in marketing, I became a se­ tion from the on-campus lesbian/gay Having studied at Cornell, we can curity analyst/portfolio manager at Pru­ student group, which had done a study never lose our knowledge, nor the pride dential. Then, in 1990 I lost myjob. For documenting the lack ofpertinent hold­ earned in learning. Don't we owe that two years I vainly tried to find a similar ings in the library), we were rebuffed. much more solidarity to those who may position, but being fifty when Wall Persistent efforts produced a meeting in have never had the pride oflearning to Street was dumping 90,000 people was New York City between then Universi­ read, earning a salary, or even seeing not a good time to look. To fill time and ty Librarian Louis Martin and CUGALA their parents employed? Families where earn a few dollars I taught math at our board members, at which an agreement no one has been employed for genera­ local county college and at Rutgers Uni­ was reached. tions, but where all have worked hard versity. I felt I was doing something use­ Under the terms ofthe agreement, . every day to ensure their children's sur- ful for the first time in many years. My donations would be sent to a designated

2 CORNELL MAGAZINE LETTERS

MAG A ZINE account, and once a $5,000 balance was PATRICIA HOAGLAND BLOODGOOD '47, reached the annual interest could be Ted Heine '54, jim Rather '61, Mark Cornell published by the spent on library concernIng Smith '74, and I met in cyberspace after Cornell Alumni Federation under the LLH'-'-HVjlJ. V.LJ."" lesbian and gay issues. The bal­ we had been diagnosed with Lou '--'V1.11.\-H1.V.1.<1.:~<1.L1.,Ll'-Committee. It is editorially inde­ ance was achieved few years ago and Gehrig's Disease, formally known as ,"-JVJL11.I::1.1. \.....IJl11.V\,1.;:>1.LV. Cornell Chairman; David the fund became Anyone amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Only '79; Sheryl Hilliard may contribute to the principal of the later did we become aware of the be(1entlon: Nancy fund, which increases the amount ofin­ Cornell connection. This terminal, terest for acquisitions each year, by send­ untreatable disease has already claimed ing donations earmarked "CUGALA the lives of Pat in October 1994 and Book Fund" to the Human Sexuality Mark in November 1994. jim is wheel­ EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Archivist, Brenda 2b60 Kroch chair-bound and his respiration is sup­ DavidJ. Gibson Library. ported by nlechanical ventilation but he

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Arthur S. Leonard' 74 still engages in the practice oflaw.I am Beth Saulnier New New York reasonably mobile but recently quit

ART DIRECTOR teaching because it is physically exhaust- Stefanie Green I anl now into my second clinical OUTSIDE READING MANAGING EDITOR trial seeking a drug that is effective McMillan "WHAT I LEARNED IN SCHOOL TODAY" ALS. I would like to know if (january/February Brad Her­ there are more Cornellians suffering ASSISTANT EDITOR Sharon '95 zog was most interesting and enjoyable. I from this disease. would recommend to Brad that he read Ted Heine'54 PRODUCTION Dolores Teeter (if he has not done so) Great Waverly, Iowa Books David also a heinet@forbin. com DESIGN CONSULTANT journalist, undertook a similar but far Carol Terrizzi more extensive project at Columbia. WE ARE REVIEWING SUBMISSIONS OF Leslie Z. Plump'55 photographs taken by Cornell alumni to ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Glen Net/} York Andrew Wallenstein '86 appear in a large format, full-color book about Cornell, Ithaca, and Tompkins ADVERTISING SALES County. Our publication goal is fall Alanna Downey A NICE TOUCH 1997. Though the book will include pri­ ACCOUNTING MANAGER I ENJ(JYED "THE EZRA COLLECTION" IN marily color photos, we are also interest­ Barbara Kemp the December it was a nice touch ed in black-and-white submissions. SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER To those who were offended Alumni whose photos are selected will Adele Durham Robinette lighten up! It one receive a byline stating their name, de­ it was Cornell-oriented, and there gree, and graduation year; and a compli­ are other people served the magazine mentary copy of the finished book. If who enjoy some humor once in a while. you have photos frolll your years at Not everyone abandons of Cornell which the Cornell community irreverent fun when would enjoy, please contact us for infor­ NATIONAL ADVERTISING OFFICE Sue Ford '75 mation.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR New York Carolyn Campbell, PhD'86 John S. Ro~;enberQ:(Acl:mQ:) Professor Michael Latham NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Savage Hall, Cornell University SPECIAL REQUESTS NEW YORK MANAGER AS A HOLC)CAUST SUItVIV(JR AND PRC)J­ ect director of Healing DUE CREDIT in Holocaust Families at the University NEW ENGLAND MANAGER The that accompanied ((The ",II'''' ""'"'/1,,/1.(617) ofMassachusetts, I seek Cornellians for .... n" ...... ""-,'I< School,)) January'sfeature article vL,,"IIJ'.d'.1.vjl.1.v'~,-, DETROIT MANAGER correspondence about their about Margaret Bourke- White, should have LnrlS IVJieye:rs, L

recent graduates to share the sto- 111/"'/Irl,""1 )) gift ofMargaret Bourke- White ries oftheir and the effect and Life ((Sun Dial," of ofthe Holocaust on their own Melita Taddiken '28; and ((A Misty View ences. Andrew Dickson White Statue" and ((The North Door of Baker o.I Rachael Childrey Gross '26.-Ed.

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