Asia Update
Thank you for running the very informative article by Denise Owen Harrigan on “The Far East Connection” (Spring 2002) and enlightening me on a subject about which I was totally ignorant.

I would, however, like to make one small suggestion, and that is to annotate your style manual to avoid the use of the obsolete geographic name “Far East.” For at least a half century it has been criticized as being Eurocentric and has been superseded, at least among academics, by “Asia.” For example, the Far Eastern Association, founded in 1939, changed its name about a decade later to the Association for Asian Studies. But regrettably, I continue to attend monthly meetings of the Far East Luncheon Group, whose membership primarily includes State Department types and other government officials so steeped in tradition that they cannot change. I have more hope for Syracuse University Magazine.

Warren Tsuneishi ’43
Bethesda, Maryland

Square Pegged
A picture caption in the Spring 2002 issue refers to Beijing’s Red Square. Red Square is in Moscow. Tiananmen Square is in Beijing.

I must tell you that overall I enjoy the magazine. As an alumni representative for the Office of Admissions, I find the articles and updates interesting and informative. Please, though, a little more careful checking for accuracy.

Tony Hirsch ’69
Rochester, Massachusetts

Questioning Diversity
Regarding the article “Exploring Diversity” and Project CODE (Spring 2002), I’m disappointed that the University’s Center for Career Services would spend time dealing with such a divisive and superficial subject. What does “diversity” have to do with a good education? How about a program that focuses on the fact that, as Americans, domestic university students of whatever color have a lot more in common than they have differences—and all should celebrate that fact. Programs like Project CODE, by their nature, foster the opposite, and ultimately detract from the “real” educational process.

Peter G. Parsons ’70
Irvine, California

Memorable Issue
The Winter 2001-02 issue was touching, uplifting, and quite memorable. The photographs captured the horror of the day’s events and the compassion of the people in New York and Washington, D.C. The personal tales by SU students and alumni captured the true friendship that these people feel for each other.

Karen Boyd Casey ’74
Wilmington, Delaware

Your “Time of Terror” piece (Winter 2001-02) was astonishing in its sensitivity and power. What magnificent journalism. You and your staff are to be highly commended. The photography was gripping and the stories were riveting.

Regardless of the evil designs of the perpetrators, there was good that came of this awful tragedy. Our country has finally begun to respond accordingly to those who defend, protect, and heal the human soul. Thank you so much for this outstanding issue.

Steve Watrous ’71
Springville, Utah

Root Cause
I take great issue with Mehrzad Boroujerdi’s remark about “America’s unqualified support for Israel and its lack of evenhandedness” in the Winter 2001-02 issue. All Israel has ever asked from the United States is not to intrude itself so much that it spares Arab states the need to negotiate directly with Israel. The second thing Israel has asked is that the United States not propose a specific outcome such as withdrawal to the borders of X or Y in exchange for recognition.

The root cause of ill will in the Arab world toward the United States has little or nothing to do with Israel. It is the result of the state-run media in most Arab countries spewing forth a steady diet of anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric with mind-numbing frequency. When the population of a totalitarian regime is for or against anything en masse, it is almost always because the state has been actively involved in shaping public opinion.

Elliot F. Eisenberg G’92, G’96
Kensington, Maryland

Alternative Insight
I expected more of the Maxwell School faculty when commenting about the September 11 terrorist attacks than a parroting of “the official story” (Winter 2001-02). Based on my personal experiences by age 30, I had learned quite a lot about the difference between what we read, see, and hear from the news media and how the world actually is. Why haven’t the faculty who wrote the articles been able to do the same? One has only to subscribe to one or more magazines published by the alternative press to discover explanations of some events that make more sense than what our elected officials offer us. Once you realize that everybody has a point of view, you learn to seek out several sources of information before making up your own mind.

Andi Weiss Bartczak ’69
Catskill, New York

Syracuse University Magazine welcomes letters from readers. Address letters to: Editor, Syracuse University Magazine, 820 Comstock Avenue, Room 308, Syracuse, NY 13244-5040. E-mail letters can be directed to jacox@syr.edu and must include a mailing address. Letters are subject to editing for style and space limitations.