Correspondence

Letters to the Editor

Story by

Mary Ellen Alu

Spotlight on Umoja House

Thanks for featuring the Umoja House in your Spring 2020 issue.

The cover of the Spring Bulletin 2020

The Lehigh Bulletin uniquely spans the generations of Lehigh alumni and friends. People of my age (83) who have remained faithful over some distance in space and time may be surprised that their alma mater had come so far from the Lehigh of their youth. The youngest generation of Lehigh alumni may be surprised that in 1989 their alma mater was so far behind the times. The Lehigh Bulletin brings them all together to embrace reality.

I remain your faithful reader.

Peter Likins
Lehigh President, 1982-1997

My name is ‘Cliff,’ and I graduated from Lehigh in February 1950. (February graduation marked the end of the three semesters offered per year during WWII.)

I read the article [“The Founding of Umoja House”] and it caused me to write my very first “Letter to the Editor”! After growing up and then working after graduation, I realized that I was holding a few biases that were contrary to some strong beliefs being expressed in our cultural scene. To fully understand, appreciate and value the opposite points of view, I had to learn much. This caused me to do a “360” on most of my
biases. All of which leads me to this:

“GO-GO LEHIGH----GO UMOJA HOUSE----GO FOR 2.....!!”

Cliff Freund ’50

Bill Hoffman and Bill Sprinsteen

From left, Bill Hoffman and Bill Springsteen

A Bit of Football Memorabilia

I recently came across a 1925 New York Football Giants program. The Giants were playing the Philadelphia Yellow Jackets [a professional football team that was part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931], and two of the Philadelphia players, [Bill] Hoffman and [Bill] Springsteen,  were from Lehigh. In any case, an interesting tidbit as we get through the current crisis.

David Luftig ’78

Lehigh in Pop Culture

I enjoyed reading Mary Ellen Alu’s taking us through several mentions of Lehigh in pop culture. However, she missed a less obvious one: Lehigh’s beloved Linderman Library’s exterior was briefly shown in Episode 5 of Season 1 of “Homeland.” I recognized the facade immediately while recently binge watching the series.

Gene Smar ’73

Editor’s note: Thanks, Gene, for alerting us to yet another Lehigh reference in pop culture. We recently learned, too, that actor Haley Joel Osment’s character in “What We Do in the Shadows” was depicted as a Lehigh grad.

Story by

Mary Ellen Alu

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Spring 2023 Lehigh Alumni Bulletin Correspondence

Letters to the editor in the Spring 2023 edition of the Lehigh Alumni Bulletin.