We want to hear from you! Please share thoughts, insights, discrepancies, recollections, photos — and how’s your Tom’s Trivia win-loss percentage coming? Post to our website at magazine.uconn.edu, email the editor at lisa.stiepock@uconn.edu, or send by regular mail to UConn Magazine Letters, 34 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269-3144.
Here’s a sampling of web, social media, mailed, and emailed comments on our last issue, edited for clarity and length.
Snap!
➼ We loved the UConn Magazine with the picture of the Chemistry Building and frozen Swan Lake with skaters. Campus has changed so much since my husband and I graduated. He is from New York and I am from Michigan, but we both have stayed in Connecticut and still enjoy news, sports, science, and the arts at UConn and seeing the photos and recollections in UConn Magazine.
P.S. Tim played basketball for Dee Rowe in 1968–69.
Tim ’68 and Susan L. Smith ’70
Lebanon, Connecticut
Star Power
➼ It was around midnight in the woods on a dark starry night.
“Don’t move! Let me see your hands!” the police officer commanded.
I saw a man in uniform with flashlight and gun out. One of my two companions started to argue. I told them to shut up and obey the officer’s commands. After things got sorted out, he said, “The neighbors called because the dogs were barking.”
We explained that we were out doing observatory sightings for Cynthia Peterson, trying to find a dark, clear spot away from city lights. (The then rooftop observatory atop the physics building suffered from too much light pollution.) When I mentioned Peterson’s name, the cop said, “Yeah, I took astronomy from her last year.”
I taught astronomy laboratories for Cynthia Peterson. I met the woman who would become my wife (43 years so far) in Peterson’s physics laboratory. Peterson and her husband Gerald attended our wedding reception.
Cynthia Peterson was a woman who cast a long, broad shadow, not only in physics and astronomy but also in life.
Frederick Su ’79 Ph.D.
Bellingham, Washington
➼ I was overjoyed reading the article about how the East Road Observatory was brought back to life! I was a graduate student in physics finishing up my Ph.D. in 1979 when the observatory was assembled under the guidance of Cynthia Peterson and Richard Mindek. With the help of several graduate students (including myself) and some undergraduate physics majors, the observatory dome from the manufacturer in Mississippi was assembled and installed on top of the concrete base. We enjoyed using the new telescope to observe planets, galaxies, and nebulae. It is fitting that the restored observatory be named The Cynthia Wyeth Peterson Memorial Observatory!
Robert B. Bossoli, ’74 (CLAS), ’80 Ph.D.
Havre de Grace, Maryland
➼ In March 1970 I was a freshman taking the astronomy course with Cynthia Peterson when she organized a predawn class to observe bright comet Bennett, for which we had to climb to the roof of the physics building to use the 6-inch refractor for comet head detail observing. Already Peterson was talking about her early efforts to get UConn a “real” observatory. Some years later I read about the new facility and how proud she was that her longtime project had finally come to fruition. I’m so happy that everything’s back up and running, and naming the observatory for her is the perfect tribute to Peterson’s determination to get this facility funded and built. I hope to read an announcement of the official renaming soon!
Robert Wendel ’73 (CLAS)
New York, New York
➼ The story of the now-functional telescope at Storrs is enlightening. Will the telescope be available for public viewing?
Edward Putman
Vernon, Connecticut
The hope is to continue work so that there can be public star parties. There also is hope for live feeds from the observatory to the planetarium on campus. Both things await proper funding. — Ed.
➼ This makes my heart happy!!
Jeanne Ahern
Storrs, Connecticut
➼ I am pleased to see that UConn is excited about the new East Road Observatory. As a student in the late ’60s, I took an introductory astronomy course with Dr. Eberhart. I believe he had discovered a comet that was eventually named after him. Great course ... great teacher.
Bob Gustavson ’68 (CLAS), ’70 MA
Lakeway, Texas
Our ongoing readership survey (haven’t taken it yet? please do) tells us that, while some 95% of you can’t get enough stories about UConn sports, especially basketball, a smaller but equally passionate group can’t get enough stories about UConn’s research triumphs. Fortunately, we often find overlap: read about the sea turtle research of alum Jesse Senko, who returned from a study abroad trip with his Arizona State University students (holding the UConn flag in Mexico) just in time to head to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to cheer his Huskies to their second-in-a-row national championship.
Prince Marvin
➼ The Hand, The Myth, The Legend.
Brad Schepers
➼ Marvin the Prince! Well-deserved accolades — you make “The Dan Patrick Show” better each and every day.
Jeff Baker
The Frontman
➼ As a former regular at The Iron Horse, I wondered what happened to it. My first experience there was to see Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean. The place was filled with longtime fans, and I felt that sense of music community Chris Freeman describes (even though the artist we had come to see is from far away). I was disappointed these last several years to not be able to attend a show or two at The Iron Horse, with my usual pre-show dinner at Amanouz Cafe, but it looks as if there will be a musical resurrection of sorts. Looking forward to taking that nice ride up to Northampton again.
Bob Koorse
West Hartford, Connecticut
“It’s Not About the Food”
➼ Joel — love the article but especially love your Zoom “Homemade” cooking classes. I’m a “closet chef” and have been attending every class since you started them during the pandemic. I’m really getting good — thank you!
Abby Goodman
Denver, Colorado
Class Notes
➼ Thank you for including me! I’ve received some nice messages from former classmates. It was a great way to share a success with my fellow Huskies. Thank you again and GO UConn!
Geena Russo ’14 (CLAS)
Bristol, Connecticut
Be next issue’s Geena! We want to hear from you — and see your old and new snapshots. Please email your updates to alumni-news@uconnalumni.com. And turn to class notes to find out what your classmates have been up to. — Ed.
5 Covers
➼ We were thrilled to see one of the five commemorative covers we made to honor last year’s men’s basketball championship on Coach Dan Hurley’s desk in an ESPN College GameDay video released in February.
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