Band stans, disappearing doctors get attention, “fabulous” Franklin course, and more.
No One Seemed to Care—Except the Band
“And the Band Played On” [Jan|Feb 2023] brought back one of my fondest memories as a basketball player at Penn. We were playing Yale at their gym on a Saturday night during a time when school was not in session. In my memory it was frigidly cold with what seemed like five feet of snow covering every inch of New Haven. The streets were empty on our bus ride to the game and so was Yale’s musty old gym, which always seemed like a converted church basement to me. The stands were virtually empty and there was zero energy in the building and amongst us players. Warming up was drudgery, as was the thought of the hours long bus ride we’d be taking to get home afterwards.
I can feel in my chest even now, 30 years later, the low thump-thump-thump of a big drum being pounded, first almost imperceptibly, then growing steadily louder and louder until its source boomed its way through the gym doors. I don’t know how many band members were actually there but the sound of their music overwhelmed the space as the band marched into the stands, playing their hearts out all the way and never stopping throughout the game. School was on break, we were in Connecticut on a dreary, snow-laden Saturday night, and no one in the world beyond our coaches and parents seemed to care we were even playing the game. Except the band. I get goosebumps even to this day thinking about it.
I don’t know if we ever really thanked the band for showing up like they did that night and every night we played, but it was always deeply appreciated.
Andy Baratta C’94, Phoenixville, PA
Familiar Face, Fond Memories
We read “And the Band Played On” with great interest, as we had a family connection to the Penn Band. We recognized our father/father-in-law, Leonard Friend W’41, in the photo on page 31. He is the clarinet player (on the right, the one not wearing eyeglasses) in the middle of the group.
Dad spoke often and with fondness and pride about Penn, the Penn Band, and the national powerhouse that the Quaker football team was in those days. The Michigan game noted in the photo was not a happy one for the previously unbeaten Quakers, who lost to the Wolverines and the great Tom Harmon 14–0.
But for at least one band member, any chance to play for Penn was a good day.
Mark Friend C’71, Burke, VA
Carol Friend Feder CW ’73 and Jack Feder C’71 L’74, Potomac, MD
The Band’s First “Scramble”
I had the pleasure and privilege of playing and marching with the Penn Band from 1960 to 1964, and served as its vice president and principal alto sax my senior year. I swelled with pride and delight to see the The Penn Band Is Still “Scrambling” at 125 on the cover of the Gazette. You see, though I’m guessing it’s not documented, I can take credit (or blame) for what I’m quite sure was the very first scramble we “performed.”
At the time, at least two of the Ivy bands, Harvard and Princeton, had already become scramble bands. The Penn Band, which presented itself as the “Marching 101,” on the other hand, although musically excellent despite the lack of music majors, usually got a lot of laughs from the stands for our efforts to march in a straight line. When Harvard was scheduled to bring its band to the game at Franklin Field in 1964, I presented my case to our director, Joseph Colantonio, to let us make some good-natured fun of our Crimson counterparts.
Their routine at halftime was to blow a really loud whistle and scramble quickly to their first, very organized, formation. We, as usual, had lined up on the goal line. When they were finished, our PA announcer introduced us with “And now, the Penn Marching 101, in a tribute to our friends at Haahvaahd, forms an amoeba.” One of our cheerleaders dusted off our then pitifully underutilized touchdown cannon, and literally with a bang, kicked off what must have seemed to be an endless scramble, playing “I Ain’t Got No Body,” and eventually ending up in an amorphous shape at midfield. We got what may have been our very first standing ovation. I can’t get the smile off my face having read the terrific article by Molly Petrilla. Thanks, Molly, thanks Greer, and “Drink a Highball.”
Joel Brotman W’64, Boise, ID
Band Humor
I took photos of the Penn Band at, I believe, Homecoming 1970. If I remember correctly, the half-time theme was about Philadelphia.
As the band was marching into this formation the announcer said that the band wanted to present the Liberty Bell, but in that there weren’t enough members to form it, they were instead forming the crack in the Liberty Bell. I thought that was pretty funny.
Stan Trachtenberg W’71, Vienna, VA
US Healthcare Has Bigger Problems
The decline of primary care physicians in America—as described in Gregg Coodley’s essay “The Disappearing Family Doctor” [“Expert Opinion,” Jan|Feb 2023]—is but one aspect of much bigger problems. Healthcare in America costs roughly twice what it does in other developed countries, but our results place us at or near the bottom. Our administrative costs about equal all the money paid physicians, both primary care and specialists. Dr. Coodley spends hours over an electronic medical record that is designed for billing before patient care. The growth of administrators in healthcare far outpaces that of physicians and nurses. Hospital systems have an increasing number of multimillion dollar-compensated administrators. Medicare Advantage plans have been great profit centers for insurers, as you might guess from all the (sometimes deceptive) advertising, while studies show they are cheating Medicare out of about $1,000 per patient per year.
Health insurers and hospitals have a lot of money and influence in Washington. Doctors are separated into many small specialty groups with little to no money. Sadly, both nurses and doctors are voting with their feet. At a time when science is bringing exciting new treatments, we are stuck with a system that is frustrating the very people who care most about your health—doctors and nurses.
Dr. Coodley is right. Primary care physicians need to be paid more. But that is a long way from a solution.
James R. Patterson M’64, Vancouver, WA
Specialists and Generalists Have a Lot in Common
As a recent retiree from a career in gastroenterology, and as the son of a family practitioner, I have seen the merits, joys, and frustrations that lead one to choose between a life in primary care versus a specialty.
Many of the factors cited for the reluctance of new doctors to enter primary care are shared by specialists as well. The unhappy task of medical documentation is universal and is ever-increasing in this age of electronic records with the pressures exerted by insurance carriers and oversight entities. The same bureaucratic grind in requesting approval of diagnostic testing, surgery, and medications is experienced by specialists as well. The hope for a more “livable” lifestyle with a more manageable schedule is a quest that anyone involved in direct patient care wrestles with. There are very few areas of practice that are amenable to “shift work.” While many primary providers have tried to shed the burden of managing the business aspects of practice by joining corporate entities, many specialists have tried this as well, with a similar sacrifice of independence.
While I agree that there should be increased financial incentives for the hard work that primary care physicians do, I disagree with other suggested remediations. The idea that medical school and postgraduate residencies be shortened is, well, short-sighted. Although this might allow new physicians to enter the workforce sooner, it would deprive them of the time to mature into capable physicians. Several schools attempted to shorten the time to an MD degree to three years in the 1970s and most abandoned it. Similarly, residency is a time to accrue experience in a multitude of encounters that cannot be hastened. Many elements of Family Practice training include time spent in Obstetrics, Surgery, and Psychiatry. How seasoned can one expect to become in so short a time? Indeed, recent reliance on “mid-levels” such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants has provided lots of extra staff, but both entities rely on the collaboration of a physician, because of the latter’s greater training, experience, and, hence, insight.
Stan Weiselberg C’72, Utica, NY
Time for a Paradigm Shift!
If any of your readers have ever been cared for by an advanced nurse practitioner (that would be an adult NP, pediatric NP, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife) they would tell you that the care was thorough, safe, personalized, and accurate.
I am sure you will be hearing from your Nursing School colleagues at Penn who graduate students from these programs. Advanced practice nurses provide care across the healthcare spectrum, usually in places where physicians don’t want to work. Researched outcomes show fewer malpractice claims, the need to prescribe few medications, increased patient satisfaction, and equal or superior healthcare outcomes.
So, I think it is time that we have a paradigm shift! Prepare physicians to care for complex, specialty needs and have advance practice nurses assume the role of the “family doctor,” for which they are well prepared.
Unfortunately, barriers to practice come from the American Medical Association and state medical associations. The strongest opposition occurs in states with the largest quantity of physicians. These groups don’t want the nurses to encroach on their territory. But it is time that barriers to advanced practice nursing start to come down.
In states where advanced practice nurses have expanded licensure (which came about due to physician shortages), they have been well accepted providers and they are providing excellent care.
Debra Browne GNu’80, Torrance, CA
The High Costs of “Concierge” Doctors
Gregg Coodley’s essay “The Disappearing Doctor” [“Expert Opinion,” Jan|Feb 2023] brought to mind several thoughts on the status of primary care physicians these days. Dr. Coodley described in detail the decline in the number of primary care physicians over the years. This decline has resulted in shorter patient appointments, specialist referrals that might not be necessary, physician assistants in place of doctors, telephonic appointments instead of personal appointments, and sometimes long waits just to get an appointment. To that end, I cannot recall a visit with my primary care physician that lasted more than 10 minutes. I have had the distinct impression that I was interfering with his time and often left the appointment with questions unasked.
In his otherwise well-done article, Dr. Coodley failed to mention the trend these days among primary care physicians of going “Concierge.” My wife and I were patients of our primary care physician who went concierge a few years ago, and he explained that he had over 2,200 patients in his practice. Left unsaid, but obvious to anyone, is how difficult it must be for a primary care physician to spend much time with any patient given the workload of 2,200 patients. My wife and I had been patients of our doctor for some 25 years when he converted to concierge status. He explained further that he would only have 600 patients as a concierge doctor and that to be his patient would require an up-front annual fee of $1,800 ($3,600 for the two of us) just to get an appointment with him and continue our relationship—and forcing 1,600 other patients to find a new doctor.
Kudos for Dr. Coodley for bringing this issue to the forefront. The trend of primary care physicians going concierge just makes the primary care physician avenue even more difficult for both the patient and the doctor.
R. Theodore Moock Jr. W’56, Dallas
Messsage and Messenger
Thank you from this Penn Medicine grad who chose the unpopular specialty of family medicine as career for educating Penn graduates about why the US has a shortage of personal care family physicians. However, I regret your use of previously published views of a Penn graduate from Oregon. You appeared to miss the opportunity to dialogue directly with Richard Wender M’79, who chairs the Perelman School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine.
His career as family physician has spanned public health, prevention, and personal care of underserved populations. He brings a wealth of experience to Penn that this article missed. He leads initiatives to bring West Philadelphia renewed efforts for improved care and prevention. All 40 plus years (except seven years in Atlanta) have been in service to Philadelphia, Penn’s backyard. He knows the challenges of recruiting quality family physicians to Philadelphia and the hometowns of Penn’s graduates.
Perhaps a followup article about Dr Wender’s hopes for Penn’s backyard might be considered in a future article. Penn is not graduating any more family physicians than when I graduated, 25 years before there was a department or family medicine residency. Please keep your focus on family medicine.
Mary Elizabeth Roth M’71, Boynton Beach, FL
Dr. Coodley approached us, which is the case with most of our essayists. However, as the response to his piece has shown, there’s still obviously a lot to say on the subject!—Ed.
A Deeper Spiritual Message
“Franklin’s World” [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2023] was just a fabulous article. Congrats to Ezekiel Emanuel for creating his online course. His comments on Benjamin Franklin are a message for all of us: “He’s been an inspiration. He’s made me rethink growth—and the fact that, until you die, you have opportunities to be better every day.” So far beyond all of Ben’s achievements in the physical world, most notably in France and Philadelphia to forge the United States, we have a deeper spiritual message. This course should be required of all freshmen, and I have enrolled in the free Coursera program!
Andrew R. Morris W’80 and Susan W. Morris C’80, Briarcliff Manor, NY
Still Learning about Franklin
I read with interest the story regarding Ezekiel Emanuel’s development of a course on Benjamin Franklin. As a “double” Franklin alumna (Penn Dental, 1984; Franklin & Marshall College, 1980), it was always of interest to me to learn more about Ben. He’s one of my favorite Americans, and I recall a seminar course that I took in the late 1970s at F&M.
After a few weeks of background, each student selected one of Franklin’s areas of interest as a topic. In addition to a paper, we each made a presentation to the group of about 10 or so. We took field trips to Philadelphia from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Franklin had donated funds to help start F&M in the 1780s. I vividly recall Franklin Court, Franklin’s gravesite, and Pennsylvania Hospital.
My presentation was on printing. I had had a wonderful upbringing in a printing shop that my grandfather had started in the 1920s, then my father continued as a hobby. It was a great craft to learn, and I thought myself an apprentice, just like young Ben. That printing shop, also known as Stavrides Press, was donated to the University of Pennsylvania by my father, William C. Stavrides D’53.
For my term paper, I was able to discover the Silence Dogood letters, Poor Richard’s Almanack, and Franklin’s interest in the Pennsylvania Gazette. The origins of the Saturday Evening Post are also traced to Franklin.
As a retired professor myself, I embrace Ezekiel Emanuel’s quest for information in areas that are tangential to his and my own area of study, as well as other “Americana.” Thanks to Dr. Emanuel and Penn for continuing my education with Coursera.
Wendy Stavrides Hupp D’64, Celebration, FL
The Ben/Penn Question
If Benjamin Franklin was indeed “the greatest person born in North America,” as Ezekiel Emanuel claims, then why is the University of Pennsylvania not called Franklin University? Almost all of the other Ivies are correctly named after their founders. For example, Yale University is correctly named after Eli Yale, rather than the University of Connecticut. I’m still waiting to get an explanation.
Walt Gardner C’57, Los Angeles
More “Unruly” Women
I was amused by Drew Gilpin Faust’s recollection of the status of women in the 1970s reported in “No Place for Unruly Women” [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2023]. The unequal treatment started long before then.
First, the only facility to house “girl” students was Sergeant Hall at 34th and Chestnut Streets. That was a small building; therefore, only a few out-of-town “girls” could be admitted. My class—College for Women 1962—was the first in the newly built women’s dorm, Hill Hall. Some of us commuters were fortunate to have the opportunity to live on campus when the building was opened for the second half of our junior year. Boys were admitted only to the large reception rooms on the second floor. We also had a curfew at night and on weekends too.
When I applied to Penn Law, the dean of admissions, Alan Kirk, told me that school history showed that the girls enrolled were either in the top or bottom of the class. I told him that I’d change that and be in the middle. That’s where I was. The males were called “men”; the females “girls.” We started with six women in the class, but two did not finish.
Some professors, and even some classmates, in the beginning, berated us because we were taking the place of a man who would have to support a family, whereas we would get married, have babies, and drop out!
Three of the four of us remaining women became judges; I ended up in the radio business and then in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, which is a whole other story of the treatment of women!
Lita Indzel Cohen CW’62 L’65, Philadelphia
Another Rainey Remembrance
Fro Rainey, who was compared to Indiana Jones in “Remembering Rainey” [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2023] was my archaeology professor for two semesters. The way he made the subject come alive was brilliant and quite inspirational to me in my future endeavors as a dealer in rare objects. He also had a super sense of humor. During one lecture in the Penn Museum, he saw a student eating lunch with his foot on a Chinese door sculpture. He asked the young man if he knew what the inscription meant. Of course, he did not. So Dr. Rainey explained that it said something along the lines of “He who defaces this edifice will be sterile for life,” causing the student to abruptly withdraw his foot. He invited me to join him on a dig in Italy one summer and I asked him why would I want to go to super-hot Italy during the summer. He replied with a straight face, “Girls!”
Bruce Gimelson C’64, Garrison, NY
Style Note
In “Remembering Rainey” [“Gazetteer,” Jan|Feb 2023], you write that a comment was “prompted by remarks made by Richard D. Green University Professor Lynn Meskell.”
Why not say “The comment was prompted by remarks made by Lynn Meskell (Richard Green University Professor)”? Richard Green didn’t make the remarks—I think? It is not totally clear when reading quickly. I think the professor should be clearly credited and not overshadowed by some donor.
Harlan Levinson W’80, West Hollywood, CA
Blazing Trails
As a journalism minor, I was gratified to read Dan Rottenberg’s tribute to Sharon Ribner Schlegel [“Letters,” Jan|Feb 2023]. He seemed delighted that his female friend and classmate persevered in her quest for timely writing for the all-male daily newspaper, the Daily Pennsylvanian … and, frankly, so am I. Like other Penn women in the early 1960s who desired practical writing experience, I was constrained to writing for the weekly women’s newspaper. However, I did endeavor to take advantage of the sole journalism practicum. As editor-in-chief, I wrote front-page articles, based on interviews with eminent professors, and published detailed women’s news, which was ignored elsewhere.
I am also gratified to learn that all segments of the Penn community, namely academic and social organizations and graduation awards, are now available for qualified and interested students … as opposed to being siloed, as we were, before trailblazers “forced” the administration to “open” promised opportunities.
Note: The irony is that I did appear in the DP—but as a model in my father’s men’s store ads for the Varsity Shop!
Jacqueline Zahn Nicholson W’62, Marietta, GA
Kahn Connection
It was such a pleasure to read “Living Lou” and the continued love of the Kahn-designed home for Steven and Koby Korman [“Elsewhere,” Jan|Feb 2023]. As a retired architect who, through his friend my father, knew of Kahn since age nine, met him at 14, and worked for him for six years, I consider this a great article.
I believe the public at large should know about this extraordinary person, not only the architect, but the man as well.
David Karp Ar’59, San Mateo, CA
Why Bring Up Only Israel?
First, let me give kudos to “The Final Hunt,” Julia Klein’s article on “Justice Department veteran” Eli Rosenbaum and his work helping investigate war crimes in Ukraine [“Alumni Profiles,” Nov|Dec 2022].
I am writing in response to the letter from Gary Leiser [“Letters,” Jan|Feb 2023], which referenced the article. I feel that his letter was redundant, since Rosenbaum had already stated that his group is “proving crimes took place in Europe,” and should any perpetrators end up in the United States, they will prosecute them.
As to his question about the impact of the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, why bring up only Israel? Were no war crimes created by other actors? I feel that Mr. Leiser has a deep bias against the Jewish state.
As for what happened in Tantura and Deir Yassin, the full case is still out. We know that a massacre took place in 1948 by pre-state paramilitary groups like the Irgun, Lehi, and Hagana. No mention was made by Leiser of the following massacre and mutilation of 78 doctors and nurses in a convoy to Jerusalem by Palestinian Arabs.
I am not sure how many war crime perpetrators will come to the United States if laws against them exist here. Nor do I feel that it’s the United States’ job to be the world’s policeman or to pass such legislation. Regretfully, religious and national conflicts have always taken the lives of non-combatants.
David Oden Gr’70, Venice, FL
No Embellishment Required
As a freshman crew athlete at Penn during the 1971–72 academic year, I was interested to read, in Dave Zeitlin’s article on Sean Colgan’s collection of reminiscences of legendary coach Ted Nash [“Sports,” Nov|Dec 2022], that “some of the tales have perhaps gotten a tad taller in the retelling, like when Nash leapt out of his car and dove into the Schuylkill River to try to save a drowning man.” I can verify that this one story did not need to be embellished or exaggerated about coach Nash, who seemed to a green aspiring oarsman fresh from the Oregon woods somehow to be larger than life even when he was standing right in front of you.
On the main floor of Penn’s boathouse wall at the time—this would have been the fall of 1971—I saw a newspaper clipping reporting precisely this story of his dive into the Schuylkill (the waters of which, I was assured, would give me typhoid if I took a drink); the clipping included a large photograph of Nash sitting in a boat with a blanket around his shoulders after coming out of the water having just done exactly that.
David Knife C’75, Boise, ID
Magill-mania?
If I may borrow from the Beatles with some slight modifications: “Her name was Magill, and she called herself Liz, but everyone knew her as fantastico.”
Gregory Ulsh C’74, Camp Hill, PA
Blame Human Activity, Not Cats, For Bird Loss
I enjoyed Cynthia McVay’s “Through a Window, Darkly” [“Elsewhere,” Nov|Dec 2022] and her vivid depiction of the sights and sounds of a rural landscape. However, the author’s implication that “domestic cats” and the loss of Midwestern habitat have caused the loss of 3 billion birds in the US is not entirely accurate.
It is true that certain studies claim that domestic cats are responsible for killing extravagant numbers of birds each year; however, these conclusions relied on highly improbable extrapolations from scanty data derived from anecdotal observation of a few outdoor cats. They simply lack the kind of reliable, replicable, empirical data required to draw any sound conclusion that cat predation is causing the loss of significant numbers of birds. The author’s assertion to the contrary is, in fact, highly speculative and misleading.
The author was partially correct to blame the loss of Midwestern habitat for the staggering decline of bird species. But Midwestern habitat loss is only a small part of a much bigger problem. It is human activity on a world-wide scale—global warming, irresponsible agriculture, logging, pesticide use, urban high rise window strikes, and suburban sprawl—that is the cause of this horrific loss of life. Clearly, these destructive activities and habitat loss are not confined to the Midwest; they are ongoing and increasing everywhere around the world.
We should abandon the errant, albeit sensationalist, and unprovable assertion that domestic cats are to blame in any significant way for bird population decline, and focus instead on the real culprit: human behavior. Stop blaming cats, and start changing the way that we humans abuse the natural environment that we and all of our fellow species share.
Laverne R. Smith C’77, Rock Stream, NY
Better Together
Reading both “Obstacle Course” and “House of Resiliency” [Nov|Dec 2022], I can’t help but think that the two of them—in being featured in the same issue—are pointing to an invitation for the University to consider. The Du Bois College House demonstrates the power of a residency experience that has a purpose beyond just providing a roof over one’s head, and the Leadership Academy points to the power of experiential learning in developing leadership capability. Why not cross the two and offer a Leadership House?
I know from my own history at Penn that there was a brief period in the 1970s when a dean who’d been involved with the Colorado Outward Bound School secured an Outward Bound dorm, a fourth floor in the Quad of about 20 residents. That experience was part of what shaped my future in eventually directing Outward Bound’s program for executives in Canada.
A Leadership residency experience, available not just to varsity athletes, could be a tremendous catalyst for growth and personal development, combining both experiential challenges and community engagement. Those Gazette articles suggest it’s an opportunity waiting to happen … if only the leadership were to emerge.
Ken Victor C’77, Chelsea, Quebec
Some Opinions
As an “old white man” Penn grad, I at least do feel uplifted reading the letters you print, which truly represent a diversity of opinion and excellent thoughtfulness. A big subject in today’s times [“Letters,” Nov|Dec 2022].
Of course, as a Penn basketball letterman and an Air Force veteran, I am offended by Penn basketball players sitting on the bench during the national anthem. There are other ways to protest whatever they feel the need.
Nonetheless, two years ago, as a byproduct of a novel I wrote on managing conflict, I suggested to Amy Gutmann that, while Penn donates to Philadelphia’s public school system funds for construction projects, how about creating a mandatory course for junior high schoolers on conflict management? Those kids come to school overwhelmed in unending conflicts.
Yes, while reviewing the Penn faculty and sitting in the student section at a Penn football game, one can easily observe Penn is achieving the goals of diversity and inclusion, but the inner-city problems of cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Baltimore are underachieving in all aspects. Amy liked the idea and responded she would share with other professors.
As far as I know, there is little being done. Our founder Ben Franklin would be on this in a flash. He would also be embarrassed that minority scientific studies on climate change are not being exposed to our youth.
The planet is not “in peril” and there is no “climate crisis.” And lastly, there needs to be more discourse on “equality.” We who have experienced long careers outside academic circles believe in equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes. There! I’ve said it all! Thanks!
Roger Colley W’60, Dresher, PA
The Left’s Agenda on Climate
Your article “Extreme Avoidance” [“Gazetteer,” Nov|Dec 2022] shows that the Left is consistent in making assertions to suit their cause. Maybe Fox News needs to be silenced and censor any opposing opinions offered by others.
Let’s be more precise on climate change. Since the dawn of the planet climate is in continual change, with some catastrophic climate changes. The question for debate is what effect human activity has had on influencing change and to what degree.
Making the statement that “wind and solar energy are already the cheapest forms of generating electricity ‘pretty much anywhere in the world’” is baseless. It seems reliability and the environmental damage from building these generating facilities and from mining and processing materials for storage batteries are inconsequential to the Left.
The immediate effect from the Left’s agenda is the impoverishment of the poor and middle class, as evidenced by current basic energy and living costs, with no scientific basis to claim a real climate impact for Planet Earth in the future.
John Viniski CE’72, Flourtown, PA
Excellent Article, Broader Point
I enjoyed the excellent article by Daniel Garrett and Ivan Ivanov [“Expert Opinion,” Nov|Dec 2022], on the financial impact of laws recently enacted in Texas punishing certain financial institutions. Their sin? Supporting policies consistent with climate science and reducing gun violence, but which are contrary to views held by state leaders.
It’s bad enough that the citizens of Texas, which includes me, will pay at least $300 million for no good reason. But worse is the broader trend at the local, state, and national levels toward a more authoritarian, far right government that punishes people, businesses, libraries, and schools who don’t hold the “correct” political positions.
I hope that Penn resists any political interference in its curricula, research programs, or staffing. And that it continues to provide the excellent educational experience I enjoyed, where we were not taught what to think, just challenged to think.
John Fehlauer W’92, San Antonio
No Disrespect Intended
I was surprised and dismayed to see your quote from basketball player Jordan Dingle [“Sports,” Nov|Dec 2022], in which you spelled God with a small g. Most people who use that expression do so because they believe in and revere a supreme being. It is disingenuous of you, who purport to be respectful of religion, culture, ethnicity, etc., to spell it that way. I think Jordan Dingle and many alumni would agree with me.
Gregory Ulsh C’74, Camp Hill, PA
The spelling was inadvertent, and also sinned against the Gazette’s style manual, which calls for an initial capital. We apologize for the error. —Ed.