Holy Cross Magazine welcomes letters regarding the magazine's content. Letters intended for publication must be signed and may be edited for style, length and clarity. Opinions expressed in the letters section do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or the editorial staff.

“Lost No More”

The “Moose” Hanlon article in your spring ’04 issue was extremely moving. I knew “Moose” mainly from playing with him in the intra-squad games that supplemented the regular baseball schedule, soon to be jettisoned completely because of the war. The intra-squad games were part exercise in normalcy, and part accommodation to a national physical fitness program. I can still see Jack Barry and Hop Riopel, our baseball coaches, leading student calisthenics behind Kimball Hall. A few looked down from the cafeteria windows, whimsically as I recall. But the fate of Moose Hanlon and too many others was about to tell us that the stakes had turned deadly and moved close to home. I often think of the college-mates who never made it back, and my heart aches yet.

John G. Deedy, ex-’44, ’48
Rockport, Mass.

“Eating Disorders”

As a very recent alum (as of May 28), I wish to express my distress over Mr. Glavin's letter in the spring issue of Holy Cross Magazine. Mr. Glavin seems to be under the impression that the magazine simply serves to paint a rosy picture of days gone by for the alumni of the college. I was under a different impression - that the magazine was for the Holy Cross community, young and old, current and former students. I applaud your decision to bring to light a problem that is, sadly, not new to Holy Cross. As disturbing as Lauren’s painting may have been, even more disturbing is the reality that faces us when we choose to deal with eating disorders. It is not the article that is disgraceful, but rather the blind eye Mr. Glavin seems to turn to a serious medical problem.

Erin Bartram ’04
Sharon, Conn.

I should have sent this letter within days of receiving the provocative cover of the fall 2003 issue covering the subject of eating disorders. I suspected that many readers would find the cover image a grotesque and repulsive reminder of addiction (“Readers Write”). Yet, I wanted to commend the editors for the bold move. The article comforted and reassured me to know about programs that did not exist in the early days of coeducation. My female classmates sat back and watched our friends engage in dangerous health behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting and restrictive dieting, but we felt helpless. We whispered and worried among ourselves about how thin and weak, and eventually depressed, a friend would be looking, but we didn't know what to do. There were no support groups, no educational programs, certainly no nutrition classes. We really didn't even have the language to describe what we were witnessing. So it is not surprising that some readers would find the topic disturbing. But disordered eating is very prevalent on college campuses and worthy of exploration, as are many other risky behaviors practiced by young adults, in this new century as well as in the last several decades.

Janine Clifford-Murphy ’79
Registered Dietitian
Dedham, Mass.