Ourfeatureonthe rc

b est colle g e pre sidentselicited aJlood ofmailManyintheUniversity of Califtr-nia community wereoutragedthatweincluded controv ersial"fxer"MarkYudoJwhois grapplingwithclosing U.C.'s nearlyfi billionbudgetgap.Others hadnomina-tions for presidentsnot on our list.

Inbox

OH, NO, YOU DIDN'T PICK

'MarkYudof will do hisiob and move on to hisnextvictim-er, assignment. This is nota manto watch or admire if you are an educator orstudent or parent. This is a man to fear.'

Steve Nelson, eol ETA, cALIF.

'He is the target of more opposition from facultyand students than any other academic leader inmy more than 30 years on the faculty-and notiust because of ourfurloughs.'

Leila l. Rupp, e,s s o c IAr E DEAN oF s oc IAL s c I E Nc E s,U.C._SANTA BARBARA

'When faced with a no-confidencevotefrom nearlyIO,OOO employees, does a top-lo presidentdismiss it through a spokesperson as a p.n stunt?'

Elizab eth D eloughrey, * s o crAr E P Ro F E s s o R, uc L A

'More appropriate, perhaps' would be to placeYudof among the most embattled universityadministrators.'

Ken Ehr l ich, l . lcruRER, u.c.-RIvERSIDE

OTHER DESERVING NOMINEES

How couldyou omit Lawrence Bacoqpresident of Tirfts University-theguy Harvard was said to want-whofulfilled his promise to stay and raiseTufts to new heights? Love you, Larry!

ludy Olson, nr.E RLY, MAs s.

Where are the leaders like feffreyDocking (Adrian College) andKathyKrendl (Otterbein), who-often withless-than-billion-dollar endowments-provide cutting-edge programs; world-class faculty, accessible through lowstudent-faculty ratios; and a supportivecommunity of learning?

Allen Myers, enAND RAPIDS, MIcH.

Penn's leader, Amy Gutmann, isa world-class educator, seasonedpresident, great scholar, leader inrenewable energy and fixture in theschool's diverse, urban community.

Marshall Mitchell p n r ra n r r p n r a'He should earn a place on academicprobation, not on the dean's list.'Kate Eaneman sAN FRANCISCo

I loved the illustration ofthe Chinese edu-cational system as told through the storyof 7-year-old Liu. Although Liu's parentswork, he is met each afternoon byhisgrandparents, who are active participantsin his after-school activities. Liu was sur-rounded by his extended family at his great-grandmother's goth birthday party beforehe headed to his Saturday classes. I wasstruck by how enriched he must be-notjust by his teachers but also by his family.

Blaney Carter Bostian, uorortu, N.1.

China's rampant development has pro-duced a legacy ofterrible pollution, andChina gives its citizens no voice in whathappens to their neighborhoods. Our sys-tem may be inconvenient, but it allows oursociety to balance individual rights withthe benefits of development. As you noted,that's one thing China can learn from us.

W\II Ashenmache4 MIN N EAPoLI s

GotWorries? Be HappyNancy Gibbs'Essay "The Happiness Para-dox" reminded me of a quote from CalvinCoolidge: "There is no dignity quite so

impressive, and no independence quite soimportant, as living within your means"

[Nov. z3]. Maybe families are discoveringthe peace of mind of living more frugally.

Bakul Bhatt,sAN ANroN Io

You Go, Gordon GeeDavid Von Drehle picked the right guy to topyour ro Best College Presidents list [Nov. z3].As you disclose, Gee took a pay cut to returnto Ohio State University, but not reported is

that he earned more than $zzo,ooo in bonus-es this year-all of which he gave back forstudent scholarships. Gee leads academicsby inspiration. Buckeyes and the nation cannow cheer for an OSU academic team thatimpacts the world with innovation.

KenLee, coLUMBUs, oHIo

What a breath of fresh air is Gordon Gee!As president of an important institution,he is doing what most educators are not: be-ing authentic. I especially liked the photo

of him on his sofa alongside a smiley-facepillow, with fohn Belushi hanging on thewallbehindhim.

Ruth Meaders. AUsrI N, rExAs

The Bus Stops Here-UsuallyRe your story on new bus lines [Nov. z3]:The amazing, low-cost fares offered byMegaBus and others come with a trade-off,terrible customer service. As a thrifty col-lege student, I was thrilled when MegaBusstarted a route from Minneapolis backhome to Milwaukee. The bus was regularlylate. MegaBus lost me as a customer whenit switched my departure time one eveningwithout notifying me, and I waited untilr a.m. for a bus that never showed up.When I tried to rectify the situation, I gotnowhere. It's not worth the hassle.

Elizab eth Raim4t'lll. M I LwAU K E E

Say lt in Mandarin"Postcard: Minneapolis," about kids learn-ing Mandarin, brought back memories ofhigh school, when we built bomb sheltersto survive a Soviet nuclear attack andgasped at communist atrocities in China.With the U.S. over its head in debt, know-ing Mandarin mightbe a goodidea. What a

difference a half-century makes.

IohnSiewert, LA vERNE, cALIF.

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12 t l l t t December 7,2oog