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LETTERS TO THE EDITORHarry Coleman ’46Dean Coleman stands large in my experiences at the College. His values have infused the knowledge and wisdom I carry from my years at Columbia. Many times I recall a moment of Dean Coleman’s “confinement” in Hamilton Hall during the 1968 strike, when he was checking on College Walk from his barred office window. I thought to check on whether Coleman had anything to eat. For my small part in that moment during the mobilization of the campus for economic and political justice, I supplied sustenance at Coleman’s office window and then returned to stand in solidarity at the entrance to Hamilton Hall. On that day, my naïve and conflicted activity seemed to be endorsed as an act of an open mind. Our Columbia education had taught me well to prize the examination of many facets of a question or event and to value the humanity in every opinion and position. Moreover, Dean Coleman’s urbane values gave vitality to the freedom I had to act on my conscience at Columbia. Coleman possessed an urbanity that will be prized by Columbians always. As today’s world calls for more kindness, Coleman’s example is a gift Columbians do well to pass on. Jim Nofziger ’76 Stand, ColumbiansAs members of the Class of 1965, the first College class to be admitted under his direction, we were moved and impressed by the dignity and tenderness at Harry Coleman ’46’s memorial service on May 5. We thank the organizers. We were less moved and impressed by the lack of protocol by the majority of the attendees. It was and still is accepted practice that all stand when the College’s alma mater, Sans Souci, is sung. Only the back third of the assembly did so. We think that Harry would have had a sly smile and be shaking his head. It was wonderful to hear the Kingsmen again, a traditional and well respected a cappella group. Dr. Laurance J. Guido ’65 Low Skier
Skiing down Low Steps
I believe the photo [of the skier on Low Steps] on page 30 of the March/April issue was taken in January 1978 during registration week. The famous “Blizzard of ’78” that crippled New England for many days bypassed New York City, but the storm before it buried campus. The skier, who is wearing cross country skis rather than downhill, looks a lot like Mark Weingartner ’81 GS, who was the type of guy who would pull a stunt like that. The ski outfit is certainly of 1970s vintage. Tim Horrigan ’79 Treasured RightsDaniel Fastenberg ’06’s puerile profile of Congressman Jerrold Nadler ’69 (May/June) doesn’t give me much hope for the liberal arts education today’s students are receiving at Columbia. RNC talking points to the contrary, support for “privacy, due process, civil rights, abortion rights and the rights of sexual minorities” does not put one at the “margins” of the Democratic Party! Fastenberg must not have learned much about the pre-putsch days when privacy, due process and civil rights were Constitutional rights treasured by Republicans as well as Democrats. Timothy Rood ’88 Sha Na NaA letter in the last Columbia mentioning “Bowzer” [Jonathan Bauman ’68] of Sha Na Na brought back one of my most enjoyable College memories. In early 1968, a flyer went around campus inviting us to a concert by the Kingsmen, “The Glory That Was Grease.” The evening of the event, at the Sigma Chi house, we were all scrambling around trying to locate leather jackets and black engineer boots, rolling packs of Camels in the sleeves of our T-shirts, donning sunglasses, slicking back our hair … attempting to look as non-Ivy League as possible. We made our way up Broadway toward Wollman and immediately encountered dozens of others dressed the same way. When the lights darkened and the curtains opened to the Kingsmen, three dressed in skin-tight, gold lamé jumpsuits and the rest in various stages of ’50s street punk attire … the audience erupted in a roar. The rest of the evening was as good as it gets. The Kingsmen performed ’50s dance routines, sang the old greasy songs with much accompaniment from the raucous audience, and [received] an incredible round of applause. Most of us agreed that it was the best event we had ever attended in college Sadly, reality intervened, and we all know what happened that April. But on a brighter note, the Kingsmen made one more campus appearance in their role as greasers. The College’s traditional late spring outdoor festival was canceled due to the unrest, but the Kingsmen were allowed to perform an outdoor concert that turned out to be a smash reprise for the thousands from all over NYC who attended after hearing about the initial performance at Wollman. The next time I saw Bowzer and company, they were called Sha Na Na and were the surprise hit of the Woodstock Festival. They went on to a successful career recording, performing concerts and television. Thanks for the memories, guys. Rich Forzani ’66 True StoryThe story of Professor Raymond Weaver (Class of 1910) about Gone With the Wind and The Divine Comedy (May/June, letter from Desmond J. Nunan Sr. ’50) is not a legend. He told it in class one day, with much satisfaction to the class and himself. Weaver’s histrionic flair made him quite popular. Hiag Akmakjian ’48
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