Other Side to Cabot Dean

To the editors:

As someone who has gotten to know Cabot Resident Dean Mya M. Mangawang this past semester through her freshman seminar, I’d like to give some balance to The Crimson’s article on her depature (“Controversial Cabot Resident Dean Departs,” News, May 8).

Mya Mangawang has always been enthusiastic about her role in Cabot House. With Housing Day approaching a few months ago, she polled our class about our preferences, acknowledging that we would be happy anywhere but promoting the Quad and her beloved Cabot House. When I told Mya one of my current roommates and close friends was placed in Cabot, she requested her email address and expressed how excited she was to get to know the new freshman. That night, my roommate received an email from Mya (to which I was copied) welcoming her to the House and encouraging her and her blocking group to get in touch with any questions. She ended the email hoping to meet them at the imminent Cabot House festivities and giving her “sincere welcome” to the community.

To me, none of this indicates an “‘unspoken distaste’ for Cabot students,” as this article mentions, and I find it extremely difficult to believe there is not a single student in Cabot House whom The Crimson could find for a positive comment about this remarkable individual. Needless to say, I was truly surprised to hear of Mya’s resignation and am disappointed by the one-sided nature of this article.

Elizabeth Fryman ’12

Cambridge, Mass.

May 8, 2009