readers react

Scrum Veterans

Kudos to the Dartmouth rugby teams, men’s and women’s, featured in the September/ October issue of DAM [“Bash Brothers”].

Sixty-two years ago I was a member of the rugby team referred to as a “motley assortment of Dartmouth football, lacrosse and soccer players [who] decided to call itself a rugby team,” which played in Ber- muda in the spring of 1953. We were a seri- ous and dedicated group of scholar-athletes that included future Dartmouth president David McLaughlin ’54, Tu’55, future trustee Robert Henderson ’53, Tu’54, and Rhodes Scholar Vince Jones ’52. We did not con- sider our trip to Bermuda a “spring break scam.”

St. Louis, Missouri

In a very physical sport with two 40-min- ute halves, no timeouts and no substitutes, how realistic is it to suggest that the pre- 1996 Dartmouth sides were out-of-shape, beer-swilling reprobates?

The only match I recall in eight seasons where the other team was more disciplined and in better shape was against the cadets of West Point after a very early morning departure from Hanover and a five-hour car ride to get to the match. If, as suggested, there were kegs on the sidelines, they were for the spectators. The club and its student members handled fundraising, travel lo- gistics, uniforms, scheduling (typically for three sides of 15 every Saturday), referees, fields, alumni relations and publicity with- out any support from the College (or “adult” supervision). And the post-match parties were typically with the other sides—a tradi- tion of fellowship and good sportsmanship that does not exist in other sports and that I hope has not been lost.

The last decade has been the golden age of Dartmouth rugby, but the early years weren’t bad either.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Counterintelligence

As a retired career officer in U.S. intelli- gence, I read the recent DAM Q&A with Robert Grenier ’76 [“A Tremendous Exer- cise in the Spy Game,” July/August] with interest and appreciation. Most of the com- ments in the following issue [“Your Turn,” September/October], not so much.

People may disagree on policy issues, but there is no call for insulting attacks on a fellow alumnus, particularly in the pages of DAM. Their self-righteous letters show that the writers are patently ignorant of reality, both of U.S. intelligence activities and the nature of our adversaries.

Lexington, Virginia

My take on the Grenier interview was quite different than those of letter writers whose comments appeared in your September/ October issue because I read 88 Days to Kandahar, the book he wrote and men- tioned in his interview. In this book it is clear that the CIA was on the ground in many instances, and either Defense Direc- tor Rumsfeld or FBI officers did not pay at- tention to the facts Grenier was presenting.

There was enormous information about Osama bin Laden long before 9/11. Rather than those parties digging further into the CIA findings, much of what Grenier experienced was ignored.

The FBI and CIA did not share informa- tion as they should have, and many unfor- tunate situations resulted. It is even quite possible that 9/11 might have been avoided had there been more attention paid to the men and women on the ground. I would suggest that the writers of the letters in DAM read the book. We are truly indebted to men such as Grenier who have spent their careers working in dangerous situations and in the process helped to keep us safe.

Yakima, Washington

Study Closet

The article by Naomi Heindel ’07 on finding the right study spot [“My Space,” Septem- ber/October] reminded me of my recent attempt to revisit the honors library in San- born House, which was my favorite space. It was down the main hall, just a little off the beaten path. Entrance was always by key, so I was startled to see that the spindled door was open. Strange. Proceeding upstairs to what had been the library, I saw that it had been turned into a big storage closet

for mops and brooms. No books. When I asked a custodian, “What’s become of this space?” she replied, “I don’t know. It’ll be fixed up for use by student writers.”

Johns Creek, Georgia

Rush to Judgment

I was disappointed to discover that you devoted four prime pages of your recent September/October issue to profiling eight (count ’em!) alumni who are presently working for the National Football League [“In the Zone”]. The tide of medical evi- dence is overwhelming that football, like smoking, is an activity that, in time, ruins the health of a high percentage of those who participate in it. The NFL is a money- making machine that consumes the lives of its players and their families.

Rather than lionizing the NFL, would it not be more appropriate for DAM to pro- mote a responsible conversation among members of our college community as to whether or not the maintenance of an inter- collegiate football program is consistent with our institutional mission and values?

Landaff, New Hampshire

I was appalled your article ignored the three major issues with the NFL: the league’s denial for years of the critical health issues of concussions, its blackmailing of cities into subsidizing stadiums—even when the cities’ budgets were in the toilet—and its avoidance of millions in taxes as a nonprofit that pays its CEO $44 million a year.

I would hope Dartmouth graduates would be outraged by such actions and be doing something about it from the inside.

Salt Lake City, Utah

The Firefighters

The man second from the right in your photo of student members of the Hanover Fire Department [“Fire Works,” Septem- ber/October] is Bill Clark ’35, who came to Dartmouth from Exeter. He was a superb athlete who played football, hockey and baseball. When he returned to Exeter after Dartmouth, he coached all three sports and taught mathematics. He was a fine coach, teacher and mentor and was responsible for pointing a number of us Exonians toward Hanover.

Williston, Vermont

Rebel with a Cause

As an honors history major and adjunct professor at Georgia State University, I re- spectfully take issue with professor Robert Bonner’s contention in your “Campus” sec- tion [“Quote/Unquote,” September/Oc- tober] that “the Confederate flag…doesn’t have a relationship to a country that exists.” Although this may be an accurate state- ment on the face of it, I would submit that the real picture is not so clear-cut.

Yes, the Southern battle flag does re- flect a time gone by and a Confederacy that no longer has any standing as a country and has not for more than 150 years (Lin- coln and his Union adherents would have contended that the Rebel cause never did have any legitimacy), but let’s not forget that the flag that is now so universally con- demned still belongs in our history books if not on government flag poles. My great- great-grandfather, Capt. Elijah Cherry, sur- rendered with General Lee at Appomat- tox in April 1865, and I would like to think his exertions under that flag will never be forgotten.

Atlanta

Class Act

The article by Pete Barber ’66 in the July/ August issue [“Life Support”] stands out as the most meaningful tribute to the Col- lege and its affect on our lives I have ever encountered in DAM. Beyond the rightfully honored accomplishments and career suc- cess most of us have enjoyed, the friend- ships we made and the examples we were given to follow are the most precious as- pects of our legacy. Pete says it all and gets it exactly right in two short pages of print.

Sequim, Washington

WRITE TO US We welcome letters. The editor reserves the right to determine the suitability of letters for publication and to edit them for accuracy and length. We regret that not all letters can be published, nor can they be returned. Letters should run no more than 200 words in length, refer to material published in the magazine and include the writer’s full name, address and telephone number. Write: Letters, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 7 Allen Street, Suite 201, Hanover, NH 03755 Email: DAMletters@dartmouth.edu Online: dartmouthalumnimagazine.com