USD Magazine Fall 2007

LETTERS TO THE EDI TOR

[ b a c k a n d f o r t h ]

Cap-Worthy Gary W. Schons ‘73 (J.D.'76) has it wrong in his letter to the editor (“Going Medieval,” Summer 2007), and I think most of us can see it. Outside of a privileged few, most people don’t know what “USD” stands for. Whenever I said I went to USD, most people thought I was unable to enunci- ate “San Diego State.” I identify with the new logo and couldn't care less how it looks on a baseball cap. I think it would “look sharp” on a T-shirt and I am tempted to own my first one from the university. — James Tighe '85 (B.B.A.) Moving Tribute Thank you for the photograph of the makeshift memorial honoring the shooting victims at Virginia Tech (“USD Reflection,” Summer 2007). As a graduate of both Virginia Tech and USD, it meant a lot to me. The horrible events of April 16 were followed by days of numbness and grief that are just now beginning to wane. During this time of incredible sadness and loss, the voices of comfort from other schools all over the world have been a very real blessing. I was proud to watch my fellow Hokies weather this storm with dignity, grace and a quiet reserved determination not to fall into the quagmire that some in the press attempted to desperately create with their usual agenda of stirring up division, finger-pointing and anger. They drew their strength frommany sources, but one huge factor was the influx of thought, prayers and condolences from the faculty, students, alumni and friends of hundreds of colleges, universities, community colleges, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools all over the world.

When I left that meeting, I fell to pieces in my husband’s arms and begged him to promise me that no matter what the finan- cial or emotional cost, we would not let this be my son’s fate. One lawsuit against our school district and several years later, my son is thriving in an educational environment appropriate for his needs. He is not marginalized and tolerated as a “behavioral” prob- lem, but rather respected and treated like the competent young man that he is. His dream now is to attend USD to study engineering or math; one day he hopes to become a graphic artist for the computer gaming industry. And with an overall GPA of 3.5 in his freshman year of high school, I would say he is well on his way to achieving that dream. I must share the credit for his success with educators like pro- fessors Donnellan and Robledo. While the work they do is trans- formational, there is still much more to be done. I am grateful

Sitting at my desk, tears welled up in my eyes when I turned the last page of the magazine and was so unexpectedly met with that photograph. As an assistant district attorney and a retired career Air Force officer, it takes a lot for a picture to have that effect on me. This time, though, the emotion was not sadness, but immense pride in both Virginia Tech and in the University of San Diego. — S. Kevin Barger ’00 (J.D.) Correction In the article titled “Nighttime is the Right Time” (Summer 2007), the author mistakenly stated that James Brennan ’96 is a board member of the “Tucson Academy.” This is incorrect; Brennan is a board member of the Toussaint Academy of Arts & Sciences, which was established in 1992 and is a part of Father Joe’s Villages. We sincerely regret the error. Write us ... We welcome letters to the editor about articles in the magazine. Letters may be edited for length and content, and must include a daytime phone number. Write: Editor, USD Magazine , 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110. E-mail: letters@sandiego.edu.

Listening to Autism As a parent of a son living with Asperger’s Disorder, a develop- mental disorder along the autism spectrum, I was pleased and proud to read such a com- prehensive article (“Feeling, Dealing, Healing,” Summer 2007) about the work of the universi- ty’s Autism Institute under the leadership of professors Anne Donnellan and Jodi Robledo. I know, first-hand, that some teachers who encounter chil- dren like my son are ill-prepared to help him live a life of dignity and respect. The part of the article that talked about Peyton’s experience in a school’s “shut down” room brought tears to my eyes and threw me back in time about six years ago — yes, these rooms still exist in our 21st cen- tury schools. My husband and I were told that the school district decided that my son should be placed in a school with this type of “behavioral” standard, and that such an environment would be the least restrictive learning environment for my son. In a meeting with the principal, I could view on a monitor a child isolated and locked inside of a padded “shut down” room as the principal described to me the educational “advantages” his program could offer my son.

that these two women are part of our USD community and I am humbled to call them both friends. —Bernadette Maldonado Special Assistant to the Vice President, University Relations

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FALL 2007