Lawrence Today magazine, Spring 2007
Reunion class photos were too small
Nice article on the Reunion Weekend experience (Lawrence Today, Fall 2006).
However, the main idea of a Reunion Weekend, at least to me, is to see old
friends and the campus. The key here is to “see old friends.” The
class pictures should have been significantly larger. You might have reduced
the candid photos if space is an issue or, since we receive numerous requests
for funds throughout the year, spent some of that money to increase the size
of this issue. Should I earmark my next donation “for the reunion issue
of Lawrence Today”?
Annette Maffia Dluger ’66
Chicago, Illinois
Why not Scott Reppert?
Thank you for the article “Once Upon A Time, 25 Years Ago...” in
the Fall 2006 issue of Lawrence Today. The article and team picture certainly
brought back many fond memories of my freshman year at Lawrence, of the
team and school spirit generated by the Vikings squad, of my friends and Delta
Tau Delta brothers on the team, and of crisp fall Saturdays spent watching
the undefeated Vikes taking the field at the Banta Bowl. I am curious,
though, as to why one of the key players on that Vikings team, Scott Reppert,
is not included in the “Notable Individuals” column. How many times
was the phrase “Reppert the ball carrier” spoken over the p.a.
system or heard on game-day broadcasts on WLFM?
Lee Mark Salawitch ’85
Baltimore, Maryland
We wrote quite a bit about Scott
Reppert at the time of his election
to the College Football Hall of Fame (Lawrence Today, Fall 2003). The
intention of “Notable
individuals from the 1981 football team” was to highlight a cross-section
of the squad, taking a look at players well-known to fans, like quarterback
Dean Walsh, and those who toiled in relative anonymity, like tackle Pete Carlson.
It also cut across class years, with two seniors, a junior, and a sophomore
represented, and the line of scrimmage, with two offensive and two defensive
players. — Ed.
A niece says thank you
I am writing in response to the letter written by Andrew
Kass ’69 (Lawrence
Today, Summer 2006), in part to thank him for the kind words he had
for my aunt and uncle, Graciela and John Alfieri. My name is Terri Saporta,
and I am the daughter of Graciela’s youngest sister, Raquel Saporta.
Graciela — or Chela as we called her — came to this country in
1950, and was followed by Raquel two years later. They ended up in different
parts of the country but always maintained a close relationship and visited
one another often until my mother’s death in 1979. I remember, as a child,
that John and Graciela would occasionally spend entire summers with us. That
is, when they weren’t taking students to, what seemed to me at the
time, some exotic location.
As the years went by, my visits to John and Graciela became less frequent,
but we always stayed in touch. Once they moved into the Heritage, I tried
to visit them more often, each time going with John to one of his favorite
haunts,
Conkey’s. After John died, it became more difficult for me to visit
Graciela, or I should say, it became more difficult for me to end the visit.
Her health
was gradually failing, and she missed John desperately. However, knowing
that I was leaving her in the very capable and caring hands of the people
at the
Heritage was always a comfort to me. The last time I saw her was in May of
2005, six months before her death.
Mr. Kass pointed out that John and Graciela, “were always dedicated
to Lawrence and the Lawrence community.” That dedication was equaled,
if not surpassed, by Lawrence. Not only did my aunt and uncle have the good
people
of the Heritage looking after them, but they also had the community of Lawrence
University. They knew that and appreciated it, more, I think, than they ever
let on.
As with Mr. Kass, my special connection to Lawrence — and Appleton — has
ended. On behalf of my family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank
the people of Lawrence
University for the devotion and kindness that you showed my aunt and uncle
for so many years. I truly believe that they could not have been happier — or
have lived more enriched, fulfilled lives — had they lived anywhere
else in the country, and this is due in no small measure to the good people
of Lawrence
and Appleton. And a special thank you to the Heritage for having taken such
good care of them for the last eight years.
Terri Saporta
Seattle, Washington