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Spring 2015
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In reading the "Sowing the Future" article in the fall 2014 edition, I was surprised to see no mention of any efforts made by Virginia Tech to shift toward plant-based diets. As your article states, with the ever-increasing number of people, dramatic changes will be needed in the future in order to provide clean water and food. Many global and national organizations, including the U.N., have posted studies about the impact of current practices on the human population, food sustainability, and water availability (i.e., www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/food_security.shtml).
While I do not expect everyone at my alma mater to be aware of the current situation, practices, and impact, I was very surprised to not see any mention of this in your article. I hope in future issues you can address this topic and any efforts our great university is making to tackle this very large and important issue, one that most of the country has yet to discover.
Nathan Reynolds (business information technology '05, M.B.A. '07)
Raleigh, North Carolina
The virtual water chart in the article "Sowing the Future" says it all: 2,400 liters of water for one hamburger, as opposed to 70 liters for an apple or 25 liters for a potato! I've cut out the chart and put it on my refrigerator, and everyone who comes into my kitchen gets a lecture.
Sara Hutchinson
New Castle, Delaware
On behalf of the entire Owens family, we would like to thank members of the 1965 football team—Mike Saunders, Ken Barefoot, Bill Edwards, Gene Fisher, Jim Richards, and Tom Stafford—for their letter in the winter 2014-15 issue regarding the first Virginia Tech touchdown in Lane Stadium, scored by Bobby Owens (civil engineering '66), as reported in the summer 2014 edition. We sincerely appreciate their gracious response in memory of Bobby, our father, father-in-law, husband, brother, and brother-in-law.
Rob Owens, Ric Owens, Susan Owens Call (civil and environmental engineering '95), Michael "Hutch" Call (sports medicine '95), Carole C. Owens Diehr, Bonnie Owens Warren, and Charles Warren (civil engineering '65)
In 2002, a friend of mine, Jay Flaherty, visited his daughter, Maureen, who was attending Tech. They played handball and then, while walking from the gym to the dining hall, he lost his class ring. The Class of 1971 ring was from Park College in Parkville, Missouri, with the initials "J.F." inscribed inside. I have run out of sources in trying to locate this ring for Jay. As a last resort, I decided to try this letter in the hope that someone might remember the ring being found and where it might be today. Anyone with information may contact me through this publication (by emailing vtmag@vt.edu).
E. Adger Smyth (health and physical education '71)
Raleigh, North Carolina
The wedding announcement for Stacy C. Whipple Daley and J. Charles Daley did not include Charles' 2009 finance degree.
In the cover story, several words were inadvertently removed from page 25. The phrase should have indicated that 1.6 billion people currently live in water-scarce regions.