Mandatory Reading
I just read your excellent article in the magazine about your experience in Kibera [From the Editor, WM Winter 2012] while I was waiting for my daughter’s dance class. It reminded me of why Mother Theresa established communities in the U.S.—she spoke of the spiritual poverty we have here in the midst of our material wealth.
I had read most of the blogs [from The History of Christianity immersion experience in Kenya] last summer, but the way you put it all together with the photographs and reflections made it come alive. The issue is mandatory reading for my other teenagers, and not because their brother is in the pictures, but because of the fine writing and the example these young men are setting.
When I was looking at the bulletin board at Michael’s public high school last week, I noticed that nine of the top ten sophomores are female (my daughter among them). While I was proud of her, I questioned what the high school
is doing “wrong” in not challenging the boys to succeed in school. Since I have two younger boys, I thought to myself, The new principal needs to bring somebody in from Wabash so they can find out how to teach boys!
So thank you for being among those who are teaching my “boy” what it means to be a man. I know
we made the right choice in sending him to Wabash.
—Susie Walsh Carper [mother of Michael Carper ’13], Indianapolis, IN
Emboldened
Your article about Kibera has emboldened me; thank you for writing this story.
I am headed to Liberia in two weeks for a mission trip with my church. I was asked to join the team last minute, and I honestly think I rushed into the decision. I have a couple of businesses and a busy family: What am I thinking, running off to West Africa for 12 days? Your story, poignantly written, has given me courage. I look forward to whatever meager assistance, guidance, help, or hope I can offer the Liberian people I will meet, and I ask God to open my heart
to the richness of the life described in the stories of these people written by those, like you, who’ve been moved
by the experience.
—Brad Lambert ’92, St. John, IN
Fascinated by Petersen Memoir
I was fascinated by the excerpt from Quentin Petersen’s memoir, “A Very Bad Day” [WM Winter 2012].
I attempted to look up his memoir at Indiana University, Wabash, and WorldCat, but could find nothing. I was able to find other excerpts, and thought I would share the link here for any in the Wabash community who would like to read more:
www.seniornet.org/ww2/gallery/memories/quentin/title
Do you know if his memoir was ever published and, if so, where I may locate a copy?
—Phil Coons ’67, Indianapolis, IN
Editor’s Note:?Thanks very much for the link, Phil, and we highly recommend Professor Petersen’s online memoir to our readers. To our knowledge, it has not been published in print. There is, of course, much written about the prisoner of war camps in which he was held, Stalag VII-A and Stalag Luft III, the most famous from the latter being Paul Brickhill’s The Great Escape, which inspired the 1963 movie of the same name.
“An Even Better Man”
I wanted to add a note to the remembrance of Coach Bob Brock by Bob Wedgeworth ’59 [WM Winter 2011].
I was a classmate of Bob’s and had a parallel, though not nearly as distinguished, athletic career under Coach Brock, who coached not only basketball, but also tennis. He trusted me enough to put me on the traveling squad for the Spring Break trip to Memphis my freshman year and to sit me out for a poor sophomore year. He had faith that I could do better and pushed and encouraged me my junior year. As a result, I won the trophy for the “most improved player.” I don’t think that Coach Brock knew a lot about tennis, but he knew a lot about athletics and college athletes and knew how to make me perform better than I ever thought I could. His answer to practically every problem was to “go run a mile”; consequently, I got
into better shape than I had ever been. I agree with “Wedgie”: Bob Brock was “a terrific coach, but an even better man.”
—Max Riedlsperger ’59, Emeritus Professor of History, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA