Diversity Beyond Campus

I just finished reading the Ithaca College Quarterly 2002/2 issue. The article "Race on Campus" was of special interest to me. I am a graduate of 1963, and even though the diversity of the campus may have been less than desired then, I became lifelong friends with two schoolmates of very different backgrounds from my own.

I am of German heritage, born and raised in Pennsylvania Dutch country near Reading, Pennsylvania. Valerie Collymore Bynum '63, an African American woman from the Bronx, became my roommate and friend. During our second year at Ithaca we became friends with Mieko Kawagoe Endoh '64, who was from Kyushu, the southern island of Japan. I think Mieko was the first Japanese citizen to graduate from Ithaca College. Mieko and I traveled to Europe with Professor Joseph Tague when we were undergraduates, as a part of the Ithaca College study-abroad program. We attended classes at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and at the Mozarteum in Austria. We also had tickets to many music festival performances throughout Europe.

We have remained lifelong friends, visiting each other over the years as our families were growing and always keeping in touch. Valerie went on to graduate school at the School of the Arts in New York and now lives in Chester, New York. She married an Ithaca classmate, Louis Bynum '63, who died in 1997. Mieko lives on the southern island of Japan in Miyazaki City and her daughters, Yuiko and Maiko, live in Tokyo. Mieko was the director of a sister-city program for 12 years and traveled frequently between Miyazaki City and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Three friends at reunion

The three of us are all now widows and have regular reunions. Our diversity always seems to attract others to talk to us and find out more about our background. Our most recent reunion was in October 2001 in Boston. Mieko insisted that we get tickets to the Boston Symphony, with Seiji Ozawa conducting his last season there. As always, we had a wonderful time. We are hoping to travel to Nova Scotia during the upcoming summer or fall.

My education at Ithaca College has served me well, and it is impossible to put any kind of value on the lifelong friendships I made there. My life has been tremendously enriched.

Helen Engle Halligan '63
Rochester, New York

Reunion Rocks!

My 50th reunion in 2002 was one of the best things I've done in a long time. All you do is talk! If you question the idea of attending, think again. Reuniting with all your friends makes you feel great! It's a wonderful thing to do. Go, and be happy!

Bob Bunnell '52
Newark, Delaware

LGBT-Friendly Campus

I was very pleased to see in the most recent issue of the Ithaca College Quarterly (2002/4) that Ithaca College was rated as one of the best colleges in the country for LGBT students to attend. That's wonderful news. I was one of the original members of the gay and lesbian student club that began, if memory serves, around 1982 or 1983. It's great to see the direction the College has taken concerning this issue, and of course many other issues.

Suzanne Johnson '83
Oakdale, New York

Singers Are Musicians

In the most recent issue of the Ithaca College Quarterly (2002/4), on page 14 you titled the music school report "Musicians Perform in Global 9/11 Remembrance." But the caption for the picture on page 15 reads, "Ithaca singers and musicians . . .". It may be news to some, but singers are musicians. There should be no distinction made unless you wish to categorize by vocal and instrumental, and even then you are on shaky ground. We [singers] play instruments that can't be seen, purchased, or upgraded and that are gifts received at birth. They require no less knowledge, technique, practice, or TLC than the outside variety.

A little respect, please, for those who must see the notes and make them happen just by the action of their brains -- with no help from correctly placed fingers!

Barbara R. Wickham '65, M.M. '77
Stamford, New York

Savishinsky on Retirement

Bringing recognition to the College, his students, and the issues of aging: Savishinsky (foreground)

The article on Professor Joel Savishinsky ("A Passion for Silver," Ithaca College Quarterly, 2002/3) was special and wonderful.

Professor Savishinsky's new book, Breaking the Watch: The Meaning of Retirement in America, is one of the most significant works published in the United States on this important stage in people's lives. I suggest to all who read the excellent Ithaca College Quarterly: pick up a paperback copy and start reading now.

Jules D. Burgevin
(retired IC psychology professor)
Trumansburg, New York

Thank You, Coach Butterfield

The death of Jim Butterfield brought me deep sadness. Obviously, I did not know him like his family did, or his friends, or his colleagues. Or even as well as his players. I knew him only because I was a member of the student media and a fan of the football program. It was enough to be affected.

The word "legend" is overused, but for Coach Butterfield, no one was more deserving of the distinction. He was a brilliant football coach -- a hall of famer -- and a true leader of men. He did his work with the utmost in integrity, pride, and class. Regardless of what you think about the importance of athletics at an academic institution, having Jim Butterfield represent Ithaca College for 27 years is something everyone could be proud of. He was the embodiment of all that is right about college athletics.

The highlight in my four years of student media was hosting The Gridiron Report, the long-running weekly coach's show recapping "the week that was" in Ithaca football. Every Sunday evening Jim Butterfield would faithfully scoot up the hill, dealing with the gamut of different student personalities over the years. But he was never disrespectful, never condescending; in fact, he went out of his way to make you feel comfortable.

Unfortunately, that didn't always work. To this day, I have never been more intimidated of an interview guest than I was of Jim Butterfield at first. That steely jaw, the booming New England–accented voice, the eyes that could cut through you. The mere presence. It was intimidating, but more so, you just didn't want to let this man down. I imagine that's the way his players felt, too. I stumbled my way through the first few shows, unable to relax. But I was able to calm down and steadily improve as the year went on, just like the team. We then capped off the year together -- with a nice little national championship trophy sitting by our side.

There are a lot of schools in the United States. Somewhere, there are other authority figures that meant as much to their students and schools as Jim Butterfield meant to Ithaca. But it's hard to imagine. His players used to speak of "Bomber pride." But you didn't have to be a player to be proud of having Jim Butterfield as coach of the school's football team. He helped make me proud to be a Bomber everywhere I go. For that, I will miss him.

Adam Wodon '92
Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Editor's note: See article on Jim Butterfield: Farewell to a Legendary Coach. Also, Randy Garrett '73 wrote a poem in honor of Coach Butterfield, which you can read online: Tribute to Coach Butterfield

The Ithaca College Quarterly welcomes letters from our readers. We try to print all letters submitted, subject to space limitations, as long as they are respectful and not insulting to any individual party. Overflow letters can be found at our online site. Letters may be edited for space, clarity, or style. Please send your letters to the Ithaca College Quarterly, Ithaca College, Office of College Relations, 231 Alumni Hall, Ithaca, NY 14850-7044; via fax to 607-274-1490; or via e-mail to mstephens@ithaca.edu. You may also send a letter or query via our website, www.ithaca.edu/icq. Be sure to include your full name, address, class year (if applicable), daytime telephone number, and e-mail address.