Barry D. Bayer, AB'64
Homewood, Illinois
For more information about the University's Home Page on the World Wide Web, see "Chicago Journal," page 12.-Ed.
Thomas A. Sebeok, AB'41
Bloomington, Indiana
Kenneth I. Taylor, PhD'74
Millersville, Pennsylvania
I am sure that most readers of the University of Chicago Magazine understand a few of the common units of the modern, efficient International System of Units such as kilograms, meters, and degrees Celsius. Those who don't should be making an effort to comprehend SI units, because they are used by the citizens of all other nations.
Louis F. Sokol, SB'46
Boulder, Colorado
The story of Karner's Blue is indeed a sad one; it speaks of human greed-and a bit of media hoopla disguised under some self-righteousness.
Let me remark finally that I never considered myself a real, seasoned, professional collector. I am not in the commercial trade. In all probability, I winnowed the more stupid butterfly individuals from the gene pool, thus improving the overall future stock of their colony.
Amateurs
Can do more harm
Than city slickers
On a farm.
-Burma Shave-
Paul B. Moore, SM'63, PhD'65
Professor of Geophyisical Sciences
I remember the College taking great pains to teach about the value of freedom. I also remember receiving instruction on tolerance of other viewpoints. It continues to disturb me that those who sacrifice so much for the defense of freedom find themselves reviled by those who most profit from that sacrifice. I count several Chicago-based military members as friends and associates. All of them are furthering their education under the modern-day GI Bill. None of them were made to feel comfortable at the U of C. As a result, all of them chose to attend other local universities.
Perhaps a story should be written about the source of this pervasive disdain for individuals who have chosen to personally participate in the American military. Meanwhile, I will continue to remember Tim Hanesen, Paul Miller, Tom House, and Bill Rull-friends who died in the line of duty. Meanwhile, I will continue to honor those who at this moment are at sea, far from home. Meanwhile, I will continue to question the attitudes of those who profit so much from, yet risk so little for, the liberties they enjoy.
Arie S. Friedman, AB'87
Lieutenant, United States Navy
Chicago
With the demise of Sleep-Out and the more distant passing of the notorious Lascivious Costume Ball, it is all the more impressive that U of C students preserve some large-scale occasion in which they are free and frivolous. We can only hope that the Scavenger Hunt will remain a vital campus activity and may in some small way help to amend the popular image of the University of Chicago as a Gothic repository of humorless drones.
As the article reminds us, Aristotle, Adam Smith, and Rousseau all have their place on the collegiate landscape-but so, too, does filling your shoes with Cheez Whiz for the amusement of your friends.
Edoardo M. Kulp, AB'91
Scavenger Hunt '91 Chief Judge
San Francisco
Peter R. Goldstone, AB'91
Scavenger Hunt '91 Grand Marshall
Somerville, Massachusetts
I was a student in the history department from 1947 to 1953. One of my colleagues in the department was Ellis Johnson, AM'51, PhD'55, who was one of the best guitar players in the country, both jazz and classical. Many of my experiences hearing jazz in that period were with Ellis.
Fifty-fifth Street in those days was a rather seedy area (before President Lawrence Kimpton brought about renewal). The Beehive was a bar at 55th and Blackstone, with a small bandstand behind the bar. It's hard to believe Charlie Parker ever played there. Surely, I would have known about it and would have heard him.
The most famous jazz club was the Blue Note, on Madison. There I heard Louis Armstrong, Red Norvo, and Stan Kenton. Most memorable of all: a quintet that included Charlie Shavers on trumpet, Louis Bellson on drums, and Terry Gibbs on vibes. The other outfit on the program was the Hal Otis Trio. My friend Ellis Johnson was the guitarist. Down Beat magazine ran a review that compared Ellis to the legendary Django Rheinhardt.
Well, those were the days. My recollections are somewhat different from those of Mr. Pryor, but he's absolutely right in saying that it was a great time for jazz in Chicago.
Duke Frederick, AM'50, PhD'66
Evanston, Illinois
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