1935

With plenty of space for a change (the 500-word limit alternates between constraint and challenge), I will unleash one more barrage on the recent (current?) controversy, and then follow our Big Green Eyeshade Man into a posture of reluctant (in my case at least) silence.

Assuming that many of you only skim portions of the Alumni Magazine, for lack of time to read all of it all of the time, I am taking the liberty of reprinting something from the Summer issue, which caught my eye during some recent catch-up reading. It is the last paragraph of Daniel Webster's famous Dartmouth College speech, but for present purposes I would title it Reflections on Certain Letters to the Editor:

"Sir, I know not how many others may feel, but for myself, when I see my Alma Mater surrounded, like Caesar in the Senate house, by those who are reiterating stab on stab, I would not, for this right hand, have her turn to me and say at tu quoque mi fili. And thou too, my son."

That, barring some unforeseen and compelling cause to recant, comes to you with my pledge to say no more.

In a more positive vein, I now wish to submit a plan that may be the occasion of a small effort to some, but might also provide source material both for this column and for an interesting reunion souvenir.

Although a decision has been made to forego the expense and effort to produce a 55 th Year Book, it has occurred to me that a half-baked stab at it might be made by my sending out 30 or 40 letters per month to members of The Great Class, for the next eight months, asking for a few basic facts plus an expression of views on one or more subjects of presumable interest. The responses would be source material for future columns, and then be edited into a quasiyearbook to be reproduced inexpensively and distributed at the reunion.

The "Year Book" would only be as complete as you make it, of course, and only as interesting as the content of the replies, but I'm willing to take a shot at it if you are. At this stage it's just an idea. I will make a pilot run prior to the next issue and see what it brings forth. If the results are sufficiently encouraging, I will continue unless at some point there seems to be reason to bail out. There's nothing to lose, and maybe something to be gained. So stick around—you may be getting a letter from your Secretary the Optimist. I'll start at the beginning of the alphabet.

Meanwhile, peace and love to y'all — all yall.

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