1/1 - eCommons@Cornell - Cornell University

Editor: It was interesting
to read "Could the Nazis
Have Built the A-Bomb?"
(March). Hans Bethe and
I came to Cornell in the
same year, 1935, which is
of little note except to me
because of my recollection
of an incident which CAROL TERRIZ
involved him. I was a typical freshman
in Engineering trying to get
used to the new environment. In an
early physics lab the assignment of
the day had to do with the conversion
of lengths, weights and measures
from one system to another. I
was busily working with my lead
pencil and a large piece of paper with
lots of figures on it when this tall,
slender person who was the laboratory
instructor looked on. After about
a minute, he said rather critically,
"Haven't you got a slide rule?"
Pleased with the answer I could give,
I replied, "Oh yes. But they haven't
instructed us in how to use it yet!" I
don't remember his exact words, but
they went something like this: "Well,
they aren't going to, either, but if you
expect to be here very long you better
learn how to use it immediately!"
I went back to the dorm, dug out
the nice little book that came with
the slide rule, and shortly was a competent
operator. So, it is possible that
Hans Bethe kept me from "busting
right out of this school of Cornell."
Thomas I. S. Boak Jr. '39
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AWFUL STYLE
Editor: I am no author, never took a
writing course at Cornell or elsewhere
and have just a BME degree.
Despite my lack of credentials, I must
protest the awful style in the article
by Laurie Joan Aron, "Will We Ever
Be Ready For the Big One?" (March).
The content was fine.
The article quotes 17 different
sources by name and affiliation and
one with last name only and no affili-
LETTERS
Hans Bethe and the Nazi Bomb
ation. It later quotes some
of these same sources two
or three or more times, in
many cases quite far apart
from the original citation,
and in most cases without
identifying affiliation.
So what is a reader to
do? Memorize names and
affiliations? Look back to
the original citation? Or just press
on?
Doesn't Cornell Magazine have a
style manual? I'll bet the Wall Street
Journal does. In subsequent citations
they always say "The Fed's Smith,"
"GM's Jones," "Congressman Green,"
etc.
You can do better.
Charles A. Leslie '48
St. Clair Shores, Michigan
Apologies to Mr. Leslie and any
other readers who were confused by
the lack of identification in Ms.
Aron's story. The fault is the
editor's, not Ms. Aron's.
WHO 9 s GRAHAM LEGGAT?
Editor: Who is Graham Leggat, author
of "A Coffee House Chronicle"
(March)? Can he ever write! Keep
him coming.
Sally Wallace Murray '50
North River, New York
Graham Leggat is the Johnson
Museum s publicity director and
writes frequently for Cornell Magazine.
He is currently writing a piece
on Cornellians' influence on modern
art.—Ed.
GETTING VETTED
Editor: Thank you for the recent articles
on the Veterinary college and
its Centennial; in particular, the
sidebar about the college's new academic
program was very positive.
However, I would like to clarify my
statement: "Students usually didn't
get near an animal until the second
CORNELL MAGAZINE
half of their junior year, when they
would begin to take classes from the
clinical faculty." In fact, veterinary
students at all points during their
veterinary education work with live
animals on a daily basis, and have for
many years. Students spend many
hours outside of structured class
time with animals in our teaching
hospital. Many students at all points
in their veterinary education also
participate in a wide range of venues
that promote animal health and wellbeing.
They are extremely good at
supplementing their "book learning"
with hands-on experience.
The traditional model for medical
education consists of two years
of pre-clinical courses, followed by
two years of clinical courses. Clinical
rotations have traditionally begun
in the junior year, and that has not
changed with the new curriculum.
The point I was trying to make was
that in contrast, the new curriculum
aims to integrate theory with practice
earlier in students' educations,
and to move seamlessly from practical
application and clinical relevance
to basic science knowledge
and back again.
We are proud of the changes
we've made to improve the veterinary
curriculum. Unfortunately, any
media coverage wants to compare
the new with the old, and it can seem
to implicitly condemn the old. This
was not my intention. The college has
a proud history and a strong legacy.
Cornell alumni rightfully deserve to
be acknowledged for receiving an
education of the highest quality, no
matter what year they graduate.
Katherine M. Edmondson,
PhD '89
Director, Office of Education
Development
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, New York
Editor: I enjoyed Paul Cody's excellent
article on the Centennial of the
Cornell Veterinary college and would