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Letters: March 20, 1996
Chapel of LoveCaroline Moseley's chronicle of the many Tiger weddings in the University Chapel (PAW, February 7) did not touch upon the Tiger romances born within those Gothic walls.Back before coeducation, the Wellesley College Choir was visiting Princeton to sing a joint concert with the Glee Club. A Wellesley sophomore, "pinned" at the time to some guy from Amherst, was approached by a sophomore baritone from the Glee Club who introduced himself as the Wellesley singers offloaded their bus. He either did not notice, or did not pay attention to, the fraternity pin she wore on her flowered dress. During a rehearsal break, he escorted her through the Chapel, where the late-afternoon light flowing through the transept window of the three archangels was beautiful beyond telling. By the end of the evening, the magic had taken. After the Glee Club postrehearsal party, they visited the Chapel again. Standing close together before the same transept window, they jokingly agreed to name their firstborn son after Rafael, the most beautiful of the archangels in the window. That was in the spring of 1960. A few years ago our son, Van W. Knox IV, known as "Rafe" by family and friends from the moment of his birth, graduated with the Class of 1989. His mother (Alexandra Brittain Knox, Wellesley '63) and I will celebrate the 32nd anniversary of our wedding on May 2. The magic still holds. Van W. Knox III '63 Chatham, N.J.
Palmer StadiumAs a former runner on the cross-country and track teams, I have mixed feelings regarding the future razing of Palmer Stadium and the construction of a new athletic facility to take its place (Notebook, November 8). Considering Princeton's glorious track-and-field history, I am particularly concerned that only two of the five proposed designs have the running track within the stadium.Today a track-and-field fan must travel to Zurich, Oslo, or some other European city to attend a world-class meet, but in the 1930s he had to go no farther than Palmer Stadium. On July 15, 1933, Princeton hosted a dual meet between combined teams of PrincetonCornell and OxfordCambridge. In the mile run, Jack Lovelock (a Rhodes scholar from New Zealand) outran Bill Bonthron '34, but both athletes broke the world record with times of 4:07.6 and 4:08.7, respectively. The following year, Palmer saw the inaugural Princeton Invitational Games, in which 25,000 spectators cheered Ben Eastman on to a new world record of 1:49.8 in the half mile. That same day, Glenn Cunningham ran the mile in 4:06.7, breaking Lovelock's world record, with Bonthron again placing second in a world-record race. A year later, the second invitational featured "The Mile of the Century," in which Lovelock outran Bonthron and Cunningham. The late Pete Morgan, Princeton's former cross-country and track coach, watched from the stands; he later told me that what he remembered most was not the winning time (a modest 4:11.2) but the goose bumps he got from the deafening roar of 40,000 fans. By 1937 the six fastest outdoor miles in history had been run on Palmer's cinders. The final Princeton Invitational was held in 1940. The great track-and-field meet wasn't revived after World War II, but since that golden age many other great athletes have run in Palmer. In 1949, five years prior to his historic subfour-minute mile, Roger Bannister won the mile in the PrincetonCornell vs. OxfordCambridge meet. Current mile-record holder Noureddine Morceli of Algeria trained there a few years ago, and scores of Princeton athletes have run in the footsteps of Lovelock and Bonthron. A few, like Craig Masback '77, Lynn Jennings '83, and Bill Burke '91, became world-class stars. Unfortunately, interest in U.S. track and field is waning, and many of the great American track meets have come and gone. There are many reasons for this, but one major factor is the scarcity of stadiums capable of hosting a major international competition. Most new stadiums have been built for single sports like football or baseball, and few comply with international specifications. Because our youngsters are not getting the opportunity to see world-class meets, we are falling behind the rest of the world in many events. Placing running tracks outside of stadiums, away from fans, will only hasten this decline. A new Princeton stadium with track-and-field facilities up to international standards could help to reverse it. Bob Bazley '74 Oakhurst, N.J.
Course LoadsThe February 7 letter by C. Webster Wheelock '60 *67 makes a good point, and I would love to hear an explanation, rationalization, or excuse for the reduced course load for undergraduates. Mr. Wheelock asserts that undergraduates today do about 60 percent of the class assignments of a generation ago. This does not, however, lead to his next assertion, that to make up for it teachers would have to assign 40 percent more work. It's worse than that. They would have to assign 67 percent more. All this highlights what I have averred for years: the higher you get in education, the more you pay for fewer hours. Preschool is the bargain of a lifetime. Elementary school is a bit more expensive for fewer days and fewer hours. High school is much more expensive for greatly diminished hours. College is the logical culmination of this absurd principle, and it doesn't even provide good day-care or supervised nap time.Robert M. Clements '65 Headmaster, Hillbrook School Los Gatos, Calif.
National AnthemAt recent basketball games in Jadwin Gymnasium the song "America" has been played just prior to the start of each game. "America" is a wonderful song, but it is not our national anthem. The idea of playing our national anthem before the start of a sports event is a deeply embedded tradition. There are many lovely songs but only one national anthem. Who made the decision to abandon playing "The Star Spangled Banner," and why? I urge Princeton to resume the tradition of playing it at the start of sports events, and I urge my fellow spectators to join together in singing the stirring lyrics.Peter G. Weiland '55 Skillman, N.J.
Please!I am appalled by recent acrimonious debate in the Letters section of paw. As beneficiaries of a superb education, we should be able to argue for our beliefs without resorting to such slurs as "lunatic fringe," "eggheads," and "bleeding hearts." Let us pause to consider how our discourse on these pages and in the wider world reflects on the dignity of our alma mater and on our own personal character, so that we can all take ever greater pride in our Princeton heritage.Gerry Yokota-Murakami, *92 Osaka, Japan
Crowe's CanardKudos to Andrew Steigman *54 for his February 7 letter about Ambassador William Crowe *65's remark about lying diplomats (paw, December 6). In these vulgar yet puritanical times, it is rare to find so elegant a display of satirical wit.Humorless persons might take exception to Mr. Steigman. They might, for instance, point to the many treaties that (in view of subsequent events) make fine fantasy reading. They might name certain diplomats of historical notoriety. They might even point out that the very term "diplomatic" has certain evasive connotations. Nonetheless, there is a sense in which Steigman's joke resembles something like fact. Certainly it would be unprofessional for negotiators to indulge in detectable falsehood. (That's for their bosses.) It's so rude to tell lies; but on the other hand, it can also be rude to tell the truth. In such a dilemma, it's best to take the middle way. Why should you fool others when they can fool themselves? Never forget that hypocrisy is safer than candor. Mr. Steigman illustrated this principle with a cautionary tale starring Sir Henry Wotton, whose jest about ambassadorial honesty cost him his job. For some, the moral is that diplomats must never, ever lie. For others, the moral is that diplomats must not only lie, they must lie about being liars. Nathaniel S. Hellerstein *78 San Francisco, Calif.
I can express only admiration for the integrity and honor that Ambassador Steigman teaches his students of diplomacy in his course at Georgetown. Indeed, the one (American) diplomat I know personally is a model of these virtues. Nevertheless, when asked to name most famous diplomats, I think most would respond with either Ribbentrop, Molotov, Dobrynin, Ciano, or Gromyko-none of whom would be tarred unjustly by Ambassador Crowe's remark.
Saving TigersI welcomed Robert McClung '39's article on the accelerating pace at which the tiger is heading toward extinction (paw, September 13). Unfortunately, the letters in the October 25 issue in response do not meet his standards. Walter Winget '58's suggestion that sport hunting be part of the effort in behalf of tigers makes no sense. Sport hunting was a significant factor in the tiger's decline. As a foreign-service officer stationed in Indonesia during the fifties and sixties, I saw numerous skins from Sumatran tigers draped in living rooms. Today there remains in Sumatra a remnant population of perhaps 400 to 500 tigers.Mr. Winget maintains that revenues from license fees and tourism could be shared with local people to obtain their cooperation in tiger conservation. What he omits is that the profits from tiger bone, meat, organs (including eyeballs and penises), and skins dwarf any potential profits from sport hunting. Regarding Amos S. Eno '72's letter about the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Save the Tiger Fund: Efforts of Exxon, the foundation's principal benefactor, to benefit the tiger are limited by the possibility of offending nations in whose territories it may wish to drill for oil or otherwise do business. Part of the NFWF's tiger fund goes toward strengthening tiger programs in zoos, a policy that can offend no one. Tigers breed well in captivity, and even if the habitat were available, the possibility of restoring them to the wild is questionable. A new organization, the Global Security Network, is taking a different and apparently successful approach to tiger conservation. Its programs are cost efficient, save tigers in their natural habitat, and have offended no one except poachers and traders. GSN is working with the Russian government to train and equip anti-poaching forces and to develop a new system of protected wildlife corridors in Primorsky Krai, a home of the endangered Siberian tiger. As part of this program, GSN is working with the indigenous Udege people, who revere the tiger as "Amba," or Great Sovereign. Tiger poaching is down since Operation Amba began in early 1994. Recently, the Russian government announced a plan to create the International Russian Siberian Tiger Sanctuary, which would be the largest system of protected territories for wildlife in the world. It will cost $1 million, but GSN believes this is a small price to pay to save an international treasure. The money actually reaches the field without being stolen or taxed. If the Siberian tiger can be saved amidst the political and economic chaos of post-Soviet Russia, this project will become a worldwide boon to the conservation of endangered species. Those seeking more information can write to GSN at 1348 T St., NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 30009. Henry L. Heymann '43 Washington, D.C.
250th EventsI am organizing an a cappella concert in commemoration of Princeton's 250th anniversary and the university's commitment to service. All the proceeds will be donated to the Campus Fund Drive and divided between the Student Volunteers Council, Community House, and the Princeton-Blairstown Center. The concert is to be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in Richardson Auditorium, and non-student tickets will be $14.Gretchen Ernster '97 gernster@phoenix.princeton.edu Princeton, N.J.
Princeton's 250th West Coast gala is seeking talented alumni to appear in the Friday Night Cabaret next November 15 at Club 555 in the Universal Hilton, Los Angeles. Any Tiger performers, writers, or directors (whether alumni or students) interested in participating should contact me at 310-453-2939 (mark_busse@paramount.com). |