Hey, that's me!

The photo on page 40 of the October 2000 issue of "Horizons" magazine is me. Your guess that the photo is of a chemical engineering student is correct. That photo is from an engineering magazine in which I was featured during my graduate school years.

After I got my ChE degree in '61 and my MS in chemical engineering in '63 at UC, I split my engineering career between Procter & Gamble (18 years in Cincinnati) and Playtex Products (13 years in New Jersey), where I retired in '94 as vice president of product development, then moved back to Cincinnati. My wife, Joan, and I were pleasantly surprised when our good friend, Dr. Richard Willins, Eng '62, showed us the magazine.
Jim Armour, Eng '61, MS (Eng) '63
Cincinnati

Editor's reply: Classmate John Bucher, Eng. '61, Spring City, Pa., also wrote to identify Jim.

New York news

Wow! What an article! What an issue! What company I'm in! ["Alyson Bristol Parades Down Broadway," "Horizons" magazine, October 2000]

Thanks. I'm very proud to be included in "Horizons" famous alumni in New York issue. Deb Rieselman really wrote a great piece, and I have great memories of others in the issue.

Tom Viola ["For the Love of It," same issue, in print version only] and I go back to our UC days together. And I got my Actors' Equity card doing a supporting role in "The Sound of Music," starring David Canary ["King of Daytime Television," same issue] as Capt. Von Trapp at Brunswick Music Theatre, now the Maine State Theatre, in Brunswick, Maine. I feel like I've come full circle.

Furthermore, we have another CCM-er in our midst at Macy's. We recently announced that John Piper, a parade veteran who attended CCM as a tech theatre major from 1974-76, will be heading up the parade studio, where the balloons are developed and floats built, beginning in January. John and I were at CCM together -- another full circle.

Thanks again for including me in "Horizons." I certainly would not be doing what I'm doing without the opportunities I had at UC and will always be most appreciative.
Alyson Bristol, CCM '75
Macy's vice president of annual events
New York City

I wanted to thank you for a beautiful article about my work ["David FeBland: Splashes New York with Sureal Images," October 2000]. The whole magazine looks terrific. John Bach writes really well, and it's always nice to see my work and words described by someone who writes well. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
David FeBland, A&S '71
New York City

Allegiance to UC

As a 1997 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, I hold the degree more dear than that from Ohio University and the degree that I will receive from Florida State University.

I read the article on Black history [May 2000] and have a few comments. I believe that Ted Berry, the first black mayor of Cincinnati, was the city's second African-American councilman. I had the pleasure of sitting with him in 1995 to speak about his life at UC and as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. [See tribute to Berry in this issue.]

I was very pleased with your article and have no gripes whatsoever; however, I do find it odd that Tyrone Yates was not mentioned as the first African American student body president.

I should mention that two organizations will celebrate 80 years of history at UC this year: Alpha Phi Alpha (Alpha Alpha chapter) has had the longest stint on campus of any minority organization with members like Theodore Berry, Brig Owens, Tony Yates, Tyrone Yates and Pastor Fred Piphus. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Zeta chapter) also has a rich tradition. They were off and on campus through their 80 years and returned from a six-year suspension in 1997. Next year, the Ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (Omicron chapter) will celebrate 80 years.

I have spoken with many UC alums about a Black Alumni Reunion. They want it to happen and are willing to work on it; we just need some groundwork laid.

I just want someone to know that there are African Americans out there who loved their experience at UC and want to return in a special way. I love this place they call UC. Go Bearcats.

Thank you and keep on writing.
Jeffery T. Burgin Jr., A&S '97
Tallahassee, Fla.

Green Space up for debate

I'm an '82 graduate who just took an "Internet tour" of the campus and am amazed at how beautiful it looks. I haven't seen the campus since graduating. When I attended, the campus was lovingly referred to as "the cement jungle." It definitely doesn't look like the cement jungle any longer.

I was curious about the two popular dorms of Siddall Hall and Calhoun Hall. Are they still standing and are they still used today? I lived in Siddall Hall for two years and also remember Calhoun Hall, where many friends lived.
Char Cook, BusAd '82
Cleveland, Ohio

Editor's reply: Both residence halls are still being used.

I'm a graduate of CCM and Teachers College in 1959. The info and pictures for the online UC campus tour are wonderful. Someday I would like to visit campus and see all the changes.
Carole Ann Torrence Moore, Ed '59
Colonial Heights, Va.

As a fourth-year undergraduate student in business, I applaud the efforts of the university to increase the visual perceptions of our school. I am somewhat biased, however, because the new Green Space happens to live right next to my college. I also understand much of the history of the university and the adversity they have had to deal with over the years (such as building a national university from a local city school).

I do not, however, understand why they are putting forth so much money toward green space that 1) has those "hills," which don't allow students to use it for much of anything, and 2) has a strange path of walkways. I am sure from the sky it looks quite impressive, but from the ground, we'll still be walking through the grass to get to class. Architects design beautiful creations, but usually not very functional.

A UC official stated in an article that the new green space would make the university more visually appealing to incoming freshmen and increase our enrollment. While I agree with that statement, I must contend that incoming students, along with almost every other student I've ever talked to, would much prefer a fresh coat of paint in their classrooms and some new blackboards over this new green space.

I am not sure who dreamed up the Master Plan, but I do not believe they had the student in their hearts when they did. If UC is ever to become a highly respected school, buildings need to match, the roads on campus (you know, the ones with the trucks driving around every two minutes) need to be taken out, and dorms need to be blown up and rebuilt (all of them).

The dorms should be their No. 1 priority. Where do incoming freshmen spend most of their time on campus? Answer: Their dorm room, not the new green space.
Mike Latkovic
Fourth-year business student

Editor's reply: New residence halls are scheduled for construction along Jefferson Avenue, where tennis courts currently sit, and will be placed on either side of Daniels Hall. In addition, small clusters of 50- to 100-bed housing around the academic areas of campus are being planned to bring students back into the heart of campus life. After construction in the center of campus is complete (TUC renovation, primarily), Campus Drive will be closed and traffic restricted to the perimeter of campus. Watch for details on the Campus Master Plan in the next issue of "Horizons."

I am enrolled at the College of Evening and Continuing Education as a part-time student, and I would like to praise the University of Cincinnati for such a beautiful and well-taken-care-of university -- the buildings and the grounds. I love walking across UC's main campus.
Debbie Lawson, student

Blowing in the wind

I just got my issue of "Horizons News Update" [October 2000] and the offer to "watch Sander Hall implode" online was too much to ignore. Having lived in room 2565 during '72-73, I recall some great memories, including the ability of Sander to "generate" wind at the base around the front doors.

I remember that during fire alarms, you hit the escape running, especially when you lived on the 25th floor. It would still back up around the 12th floor, but at least you were ahead of the crowd, and it would only take about 10 minutes to get out instead of 20 to 25.

We had six suites to a floor with 10 residents each, and we were "coed," which at the time was perhaps a little outside the norm for college dorms. It seems to me that parents of residents may have needed to grant permission.

I spent a lot of time working the front desks at both Dabney and Daniels, mostly on the 12-to-8 shift. Bored freshmen once made a swimming pool in the showers on the fifth floor of Dabney Hall. I am sure the statute of limitations has passed on this, so I thought I could mention it.

We had some great times there, and others should share their memories, too. All in all, I would not have missed any of it for anything.
Charlie Lex, BusAd '75
Roanoke Virginia

Editor's reply: Those fire escapes were one of the drawbacks of high-rise dorms like Sander, which housed 1,300 students, and one of several reasons that it came down in 1991.