Ambidextrous

Re “To the Core,” by William Bole (Summer 2011): As an Arts and Sciences graduate, I was delighted to read of the Carroll School of Management’s new approach to facilitating students’ taking of additional A&S coursework. Boston College provided me a breadth of perspective and critical thinking through my courses in English literature, Russian, philosophy, history, and more. Having worked in business my entire career, I have come to equally respect the importance of the “art and science of management” that the Carroll School offers its students. Career success is a function of developing both areas of ability.

I congratulate dean Andy Boynton and the review committee for having the courage to adopt the new approach.

Michael D. White ’74
Norwalk, Connecticut

The writer is the CEO of DirecTV.

Finding evil

In “Evil Intent” by Alan Wolfe (Summer 2011), Professor Wolfe raises some important questions: Are Americans, in their search for a better world, becoming less sensitive to the political evils of our day? Is this search for a better world so compelling that some dreamers are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way? Has the American belief that we are blessed by God to advance the cause of liberty led America into becoming a totalitarian state?

Professor Wolfe speaks eloquently of how we must overcome the longstanding hostility between religious thinkers and those of a more secular bent. It is a question of drawing insight from prophets and believers who know something about human imperfection.

What disturbs me is that Professor Wolfe, like many liberal intellectuals, seems unwilling to make an honest critique of global corporate rule, which is proving to be the predominant evil of our time. There is fear in our churches, universities, and newsrooms.

Stephen V. Riley ’56
Tahoe City, California

“Evil Intent” was very thoughtful in its emphasis on the truth of Judaic-Christian morality as opposed to modern, relativistic judgments. But when discussing evil, can one discount the role of religion in the promotion of “fruitfulness” and pronouncements against birth control?

In my view, overpopulation is one root cause of “evil”—it plays out in sins of genocide, war, and mass starvation, to say nothing of the general degradation of our planet. Competition for resources brings out some of the worst in human nature. In the face of exponential growth in our numbers, the failure of organized religions to speak out against unlimited procreation—indeed their failure to demand the opposite—seems to me to be in itself particularly evil.

Anne Blau, MA’88, Ph.D.’92
Summit, New Jersey

Eagles and Sox

The article by Dan Barry, “The Longest Game: Joe Morgan’s Life in Baseball” (Summer 2011), captures the magnificence of the man. Joe ’53, a Boston College and Boston Red Sox hall-of-famer, endeared himself to the hearts of all New England baseball fans—not only for his achievements as a manager, but because he is truly one of them, born with the Red Sox imbedded in his heart.

How ironic in 1974 for Joe to be calling then Red Sox executive Dick O’Connell ’37 for the Pawtucket manager’s job. Joe had no idea Dick was a BC alumnus. These two BC men, along with several others—Sox pitching coach Mike Roarke ’52, Eddie Pellagrini (who played for the Red Sox in the 1940s and then coached at Boston College)—contributed greatly to the success of the Red Sox teams over the last 25 years of Yawkey ownership. Those teams achieved the second highest won-lost record in all of major league baseball, bettered only by the New York Yankees.

There are countless former major league players across the country who will openly attribute their success to the great skills of Joe Morgan as a teacher, mentor, and coach.

John Harrington ’57, MBA’66, H’10
Westwood, Massachusetts

The writer was CEO of the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club from 1986 to 2002.

Horse sense

In the Summer 2011 issue, Sage Stossel writes about an alumnus who is a racehorse trainer, in “Fast Track.” While work in the horseracing industry may seem glamorous, we should all be aware of the dark side of horseracing.

On its website, the Jockey Club, the organization that maintains the national thoroughbred registry, states that each year 25,000 to 30,000 thoroughbred foals are born and registered in the United States for the purposes of racing. But only a small percentage of these horses have the talent for a racing career, and even those that race may only have a career that lasts a few years. With decent care, the average life span of a horse is more than 30 years, so we need to consider what happens to the thousands of horses that are no longer useful to the racing industry.

A few lucky horses get a new home with a family or end up at a retirement farm, but most are sent to horse auctions, where the buyers from slaughterhouses await. The horses are trucked (often inhumanely) to slaughterhouses in Canada or Mexico—U.S. horsemeat is sold primarily in Europe and Japan.

It is irresponsible for the racing industry to breed thousand of foals each year without any plan for the proper care of these long-lived animals, and such an industry should not be supported.

Jane Hoffman ’75
New York, New York

The writer is president of the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals.

Sisters

In “Training Grounds” (Summer 2011), Katarina Schuth, OSF, wrote in part: “With 19,000 fewer priests in this country in 2010 than in 1967 (and 118,000 fewer sisters). . . .” Perhaps, she should have expanded more on those last four words. The Catholic Church will survive in this country with fewer priests. However, with the dramatic loss of women religious, Catholic schools and hospitals may not be so fortunate.

Vito Tamboli ’56
St. Louis, Missouri

Reading Vatican II

Re “Legal Aid” by Seth Meehan (Spring, 2011): Practicing Catholics who were paying attention during the time of the Second Vatican Council were fully aware that the teaching of the Catholic Church, which prohibited Catholics from “undertaking methods of regulating procreation which are found blameworthy by the teaching authority of the Church in its unfolding of the divine law,” was not changed.

There were many who were very relieved at this.

Alice Slattery, NC’53, M.Ed.’80, D.Ed.’89
Framingham, Massachusetts

Addie’s place

Every time I fold a linen napkin into a crystal goblet in my dining room in preparation for a dinner party shared with my husband Mike ’83, a former student manager of “The Rat,” I remember with great fondness my mentor Adelaide Lalli (1922–2011)—known to all in Dining Services as Addie. She stood with me when I was screened by the Secret Service to be the waitress for Vice President George Bush, the 1982 Commencement speaker; she stood proudly in the congregation when Mike and I were married in 1984; and she welcomed my children to campus at Addie’s Place when they became Eagles starting in 2003.

When I began my studies at Boston College in the fall of 1979, the search for extra funds for weekend nights at Mary Anne’s and Molly’s led me to the college dining service and a “career” as a “caterette.” And while my classroom experiences gained me admission to a respected law school, my time working as a student manager for Addie taught me life skills that I rely on to this day.

The friendships formed during Laetare Sunday and Senior Week double shifts have remained rock solid for 30 years. What a gift Addie was to all of us, who learned the value of hard work, attention to detail, and customer service under her skilled tutelage. She was loved by many—a treasured link in the unique chain of life that the University creates for us all.

Kathy McHugh Cote ’83
Atlanta, Georgia

Update: Readers of the story by Zak Jason ’11 titled “Curtain Call: The Secretary and the Blogger” (Summer 2011) will remember how the recent Commencement speaker, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, singled out Allison Lantero, a graduating senior, in his remarks. Writing for the webzine Her Campus, Lantero had blogged in part, “Now that our sighs of disappointment have subsided, what we really want to know is: Who is Ray LaHood?” adding, “all we can hope is that the speech is short.” (She also offered her readers a brief biography of LaHood.) From the Commencement stage, the Secretary called out good naturedly, “Where you at, Allison? Stand up, Allison! I read what you said.” He continued, “I promise I’ll be brief.” Lantero, a theater major, responded with equal good humor, smiling and shrugging broadly for the audience as LaHood read her words aloud. Later, Lantero and LaHood met briefly; she sent him a thank you note for making her graduation memorable. Fast-forward to the present. Having been invited by the Transportation Department’s Office of Public Affairs to participate in its application process, Lantero is now working as an intern there, helping with press releases, the department’s Fastlane blog, and special events. She is also enrolled in Georgetown University’s master of professional studies in journalism program. “Living in Washington was a dream of mine since I was in first grade,” Lantero recently told the Boston College Chronicle. “Back then I dreamed of being president, but at the moment I am quite happy with interning and taking journalism courses.”

BCM welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and must be signed to be published. Our fax number is (617) 552–2441; our e-mail address is bcm@bc.edu.