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Correspondence

Letters to the Editor

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Welcome Home

I was already enjoying “If Rooms Could Talk” (July/August 2016), but when I saw 108 Linden, my jaw dropped—of all the residences that could be featured, CAM included the one where my four girlfriends and I lived our senior year! From hosting themed dinner parties to TV marathons to a Slope Day champagne breakfast, we made a lot of wonderful memories in that house.

Now two of us are doctors, one is a culin­ary scientist and pastry chef, one is a manager of culture change at a large global corporation, and another a former Fulbright scholar currently writing a book. And we all still keep in touch.

Alissa Friedman ’05
Cincinnati, OH

The room with the balcony in Risley was my room in 1980-82. There was no railing then, and my roommate Jim Allan ’81, who has since passed away, would sit out there, put his typewriter on the ledge and write papers. Yes. We used typewriters. I had one of the first Apple II computers in the dorm, along with maybe half a dozen other people.

Lee Drake ’82
Rochester, NY

Thank you for including 635 Risley, my home freshman year, and also my lodging for our 40th Reunion in 2004, where I enjoyed entertaining classmates on the (tiny) balcony.

Susan Labarthe ’64, BS Nurs ’67
Montpelier, VT

Reading the article brought back the dorm experiences my children and I shared. Although we did not live in the same room, we all spent freshman year in Clara Dickson Hall. I lived in room 3587 during 1971–72, when women lived on one side of the building and men on the other. By the time my children were at Cornell, the dorm was truly co-ed, alternating men and women corridor by corridor.

Sandra Belsky Auerbach ’75
Somers, NY

I believe the cover photo is a room in Balch? I can’t believe the furniture is still the same!

Cynthia A Rohrbeck ’80
Washington, DC

Battling Online Harassment

When this story first broke I could barely watch the male (actors) who could not bring themselves to read aloud the base, vulgar, and violent comments that professionals like Sarah Spain ’02 receive daily. I had no idea she is a Cornellian—brava!—and the article (“Fighting Words”, July/August 2016) allowed me to begin exploring this topic with my nine-year-old daughter. Tears welled up in her eyes spontaneously when I read the comment about wishing Sarah’s “dog to get hit by a car, you b****”. . . all and only because Sarah is a woman writing/commenting about sports. My daughter was outraged and incredulous, signaling to me that my life as a career feminist will continue in its hard work and dedication, but also that we will inspire “new recruits,” young women and men alike, for as long as they are required.

Suzanne Ehlers ’95
Washington, DC

Correction

Our story on history professor Mary Beth Norton (“Witching Hour,” July/August 2016) misstated her retirement plans. She did not retire over the summer, but rather is on phased retirement through 2017 or 2018.

 

Greatest Hockey Games

Jim Roberts ’71, former CAM editor & publisher, is writing a book due to be released in fall 2017 for Cornell University Press on the greatest Big Red hockey games. Editor Michael McGandy (mjm475@cornell.edu) is looking for photos and materials associated with the top games, players, and coaches of the 1960s through 2010s.

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