Our Online Conversation

Here’s a sampling from our Spring 2015 issue. Join the conversation by commenting on this post or any of our other online stories.

On “Law and Order, URI”

A few years ago I mentored women in transition from prison back to the community (in Rhode Island) and learned more than I could ever hope to teach them. I read each of the eight articles with eagerness to find out more about the various accomplishments of each of the URI graduates and the professors who taught them. I was so very impressed that these individuals have chosen the incredibly challenging professional path of working with incarcerated men and women.

—Norma V. Hardy, URI nursing instructor

Your reference to Leo Carroll’s books dealing with troubles at the ACI and resulting federal court receivership brought back memories about my work experiences some forty years ago, when I was part of a team examining a variety of issues at the ACI’s infirmary. I remember being horrified at the state of health care delivery to the prison population. We looked at staffing, procedures, and records, and the deficiencies noted in Professor Carroll’s second book were as he reported. Without this story, I would have missed knowing his full account of those troubling times.

—F. Gerald “Jerry” Nault ’64, Windsor, Maine

On “Seeing Green”

The Town of South Kingstown has had very positive experiences with student led projects, particularly with the Landscape Architecture curriculum under Will Green’s leadership. The students’ concept plans and creative approaches for improving the functionality and aesthetics of the Dale Carlia vicinity in Wakefield (and an earlier project focusing on the Route 108 corridor between Kingston and Peace Dale) continue to inform town and state efforts for land use and infrastructure improvements. I am a proud URI graduate and would have liked to have been included in the article, since my career illustrates how my education ties together with my professional experience as a land use planner working for the university’s host community for the last 17 years. In any event, it was nice to see a positive article about the college and host community working together.

—L. Vincent Murray ’77, MCP ’89, Director of Planning, Town of South Kingstown

As a former URI landscape student, I am glad to see the students of Professor Green out in the landscape applying the full range of the skills a landscape architect needs on an actual site with real and complex problems. Sounds like the program has established itself as a legitimate community resource.

—Terrence Parker ’79, Portsmouth, N.H.

On “The Wildest, Wettest Sport”

Thanks so much for featuring the URI Sailing Team in the latest edition of QuadAngles. I’m making my move to support the team’s rebuilding efforts right now. Go Rams!

—John Lombard ’86, Stratford, Conn.

On AlumniWrite, “Swim That Rock”

I’m from a fishing family, and I remember pulling up eel traps at the docks in Barrington; my brother is a shellfish diver now. It’s a hard living, and how the book describes being a quahogger is right on.

—Susan Pelletier, URI Facilities Services

Two alumni contacted us to say they were offended by the use of profanity in the book excerpt. We regret making anyone uncomfortable.

Correction

We deeply regret that a database error caused us to wrongly report a death in last issue’s In Memoriam section. The listing should have read Anne Bowen ’55 of Cranston, R.I., (not Ann E. Bowen ’61 of North Kingstown, R.I., who would like readers to know that she is still kicking).