Dear LMU — Letters From Our Readers, Fall 2022

GLOBAL INTERSECTION

As a new grandparent to LMU, I was delighted to read in my first issue of LMU Magazine (Winter 2022) the article by Rubén Martínez, “Alvarado and 3rd.” I’m of Mexican-American ancestry and enjoy reading Latino/a material. What a diverse world we live in: My granddaughter, the student, is French-American. She has wonderful opportunities available to her to add to her already global experience. She’s pretty special. I do hope she’ll have the opportunity to study under Professor Martínez for a wider perspective of her Latina Heritage. 

Aurora Madrigal

Hutchins, Texas

CARBON CONTRADICTION

Thank you for devoting your recent issue to the importance of addressing climate change. However, your choice of covering Louis Foster (“Driving Ambition”) was a jarring contradiction. Mr. Foster mentioned that, in pursuit of his racing goals, he has so far flown four 11-hour flights in his freshman year, which means he is responsible for producing 10.4 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. These four flights alone are the equivalent of an average home’s annual energy use. The profile missed an opportunity to ask Mr. Foster whether he has considered the carbon consequences of his lifestyle. Most disappointing, though, is the decision to cover a fossil-fuel-powered sport in the same issue with a cover story titled “Climate Chaos.”

Daniel Azevedo ’11

Sacramento

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Full disclosure, I’m a Canadian with an autographed picture of William Shatner as Captain Kirk prominently displayed in my office. I grew up with Kirk, and he will always be my captain, and the Enterprise will always be my ship. Kirk was a commander who led from the front, never sitting back and asking his crew to do something that he was unwilling to do himself. Kirk was a character straight outta’ Shakespeare, which isn’t surprising since Shatner, besides being the world’s greatest actor (as a Canadian, I’m also obligated under Canadian law to say that), cut his teeth on Shakespeare. Plus. Every. Word. Was. A. Sentence. But in all seriousness, Kirk was a warrior, whose strength, as Bob Dylan wrote, was not to fight. You can have Captain Burnham of the Discovery; me, I’ll take Kirk and the Enterprise.

Amir Hussain

Chair and Professor of Theological Studies

Los Angeles

STAR TREK’S COLOR

The beautifully formatted listicle that was “It’s A Trek” testifies to Mikayla Gingrey’s skill with language, but it was bound to start arguments among Trekkies. Even I know that any ranking of impactful characters in the Trek universe can’t be taken seriously if it doesn’t include Captain James T. Kirk, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, and Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Kirk was the impetuous anti-bureaucrat who made diversity, equity and inclusion possible on the U.S.S. Enterprise, even if that sometimes involved paying amorous attention to aliens. Scotty was the poster boy for STEM study before it found an acronym. McCoy was the grouchy humanist who became Mr. Spock’s indispensable foil. Here’s a thought experiment for students of film and TV: Think about crossover potential. I submit that the previous issue’s list of Star Trek luminaries is deeply flawed because Kirk, Scott and McCoy would be more comfortable in the Mos Eisley Cantina than the handful of people with whom Gingrey papered over their absence. Culture matters more than color.

Sean-Patrick O’Hannigan ’87

Morrisville, North Carolina