Talk:Lehigh University/Archives/2019

NPOV

" and are readily available via e-mail, in person, or by phone." this was removed, as it is subjective and sounds like a car salesman instead of an encyclopedia. please keep contributions objective

As of Dec. 31, 2017, we have Wikipedia saying that the article reads and contains information more like an advertisement or commercial for the school. I would respectfully agree. This is Wikipedia here, we must remind ourselves...! My contributions to the history section did leave out some negative material, but then having a whole section on the Clery tragedy may well be going too far in the other direction. (i.e. too much, or too prominent, negativity) Additionally, having the spiritual heritage of the school closer to the bottom of the page would probably be advisable, along with a slight abridgment perhaps. I have been thinking of adding to and revising the history section to some degree, such as an addition regarding the great changes during and after WW2, conglomerating some notes (such as material concerning Latin-Americans), and perhaps I can add the Clery tragedy to the history section. Also, do we really need a listing of all the clubs, and frats, & etc.....? (...) Yet the article as a whole, being the other areas where I did not contribute, would entail the reduction and revising of other editors. I will do some work here this winter or the coming spring of 2018. (John G. Lewis (talk) 05:07, 31 December 2017 (UTC)) Yes... make that the summer of 2018. I fudged a bit on my history write up in 2015 regarding the WW2 era, and I will do a better job in the summer. It will not be easy revising -- I might have to re-read the whole book by Dr. Yates. We all love our school, and I suppose that 95% or better that write on a school are either graduates or have some close relationship that might lead one to be nonobjective. But we must keep in mind this is Wiki, and we are to be writing about truth here. If one feels that he/she cannot so contribute, then Wikipedia editorship is not for you. Fortunately, the great majority of Lehigh's history is positive. I'll see you this summer. (John G. Lewis (talk) 04:28, 4 March 2018 (UTC))

I apologize for being delayed... I have been following many of the recent developments at the school, and this has slowed me. Additionally, I have also discovered some new reading material. I hope then to contribute before the year is out, or at least this winter (2018/2019). The history of Lehigh in the mid-20th century really was a most interesting time for the school, and resulted in important changes. Not everything is positive, actually. But this time really revealed who Lehigh, its professors and students, are, and who we want to be. I hope to contribute something more about this important time period. (John G. Lewis (talk) 03:55, 29 August 2018 (UTC))

Why did you gentlemen, gentleladies take down all my work on the History section...? You do not like the essay-like style, and the (admitted) pieces of promotion? But most of it was straight facts, though... I was planning on revisiting the WW2 era of the school more closely and exactly, as this period did have some negative or untoward developments. Yet you could have warned me, with a direct email or a notification in my Wikipedia account? Nevertheless, I suppose I can still redo what I have (formerly) written. I understand Wiki does not like flowery or essay like prose, as a general rule, nor promotion, or what is worse, advertisements disguised as an encyclopedia article. Therefore, why not give me this winter to work on it, and leave all my former writings, and those of others in the history section, up at least where I can access them? (As they presumably are now.) Of course, as a Lehigh grad. I do not want my Alma Mater besmirched or sullied, nevertheless, I also want the school known. The fact I am a grad. does not mean I cannot write objectively; the twain aren't mutually exclusive, of course. Let me work on this area during the present winter (2018 - 2019), therefore, and I will see what I can do, and if it will be something acceptable to all. (John G. Lewis (talk) 09:38, 27 October 2018 (UTC))

Allright... I do have time this winter, and will unveil a new, more straightforward and concise style for the history section. I do agree this Wiki Page has been misused recently, for example, including material on the recent "Path to Prominence" strategy of the administrators. That was improper. Yet my own writing was unnecessarily flowery and promotional. It'll take some effort, but I will start work around Christmas 2018. (John G. Lewis (talk) 21:18, 27 October 2018 (UTC))

I have begun working on a new script for the history section. It may be posted within a month. I am attempting to eliminate any promotional elements, as well as toning down any perceived promotional elements. Additionally, I am revising some parts, such as on Mr. Drown, an early President, which I had not portrayed quite correctly. (viz. I see no definite reference in Yates that he proposed genuine parity between all major classes of study, being, engineering as compared with business and the arts, etc. Actually, he appeared more in line with the founders in that he wanted Engineering regarded as primary. He did however emphasize non-technical study as important, even for engineers.) ... And I am including some new material, such as on the difficult WW2 years, which are mostly unflattering to the university. Further, I hope to whittle the overall length down. (Such as eliminating some segments on Dr. W. D. Lewis.) Nonetheless, this new history section still will have parts lifted largely right out of my old write up - which actually was not that bad, all said, and was reasonably accurate. So ... I will see you in a few weeks, and we can go from there. (John G. Lewis (talk) 21:07, 27 February 2019 (UTC))

André Weil

It appears André Weil is by far the most significant faculty this place ever had, but amusingly he hated the Lehigh because of their high teaching load though.