Portland State University Alumni News kosmopolites
JF§IDR!rspcctivc Portland State University Alumni News The known world was a lot smaller when the Greeks spoke of "kosmopolites" - citizens of the world. But while our horizons have expanded far beyond the Mediterranean, beyond even Earth itself, the concept is no different. It takes a special kind of person to be a citizen of the world - especially the world of the twentieth century, where mass communication binds us together but cultures still misunderstand one another and retreat into their spheres of security. It takes vision and imagination to picture a more perfect world. It takes creativity to find solutions to global problems and courage to pursue ideals in the face of apathy. But the most striking attribute of the world citizen is humility - a fitting response to the diversity of peoples and ideas, to Earth's potential as well as its pathos. Originally, this issue of PSU Perspective was to be a simple review of Portland State's involvement in world affairs. But it has grown into something else. The people we interviewed - alumni, faculty, students - kept expressing similarly impassioned points of view, using words like harmony, order, cooperation, peace. These people are dreamers and doers, not simply moving in international spheres, but possessing a peculiar insight. They share a world view in which boundaries between people and nations are indistinct and in which personal and public lives are a natural continuum. "You make me sound too great," said David Kim when I showed him his story. He would feel further humbled to see his picture next to Gandhi's; but then, so would Gandhi be honored to share a page with Kim and Flores Fiol and Maurer and Yost. They are not heroes. But they are, in the fullest sense of the word, "kosmopolites." -The Editor Spring 1983 kosmopolites Gandhi: The Mahatma, as portrayed in the recent feature film, has recaptured people's imaginations with his enduring principles. Gandhian scholar David Newhall looks at the phenomenon. page two David Kim, '65 MSW: Starting in Seoul, Korea on bottle and diaper detail, Kim now heads an international adoption agency based in Eugene, Oregon page four Oscar Flores Fiol, '77: As Portland's Peruvian Consul, Flores Fiol gives international diplomacy a distinctly human profile. page six International students: Their presence at PSU enriches classroom, home and community, but knowing them as individuals is the key to cultural understanding. pages eight and nine James Maurer: A PSU professor devoted a lot of time and took a few risks to provide Costa Rica with a hearing lab. page fourteen Plus: An alum writes from France; a student researches export potentials; Summer Session attracts foreign profs; Vanport flood commemorated; faculty awards; alumni trips; a road race, and more. Cover illustration by Nancy Olson \
Letters Three small points I enjoyed President Blumel's column in the latest issue of PSU Perspective. Please permit me one small compliment, one small hope and one small suggestion. First, the compliment. I think it is extraordinary that the campus is expanding to Include the old Blue CrosslWater Works building. Aesthetically, at least, this building is extremely appropriate for an Engineering and Computer Center. And. the price can hardly be beaten. Next, the exception. The comment about PSU's indistinguishable boundaries is, as I see It, not nearly as much of a benefit as it is a 2 Gandhi: A message for the 80s by Oavld Newhall When Ben Kingsley and Sir Richard Attenborough stepped on stage last month to accept "Oscars" for the movie "Gandhi," they both deferred to the Mahatma himself, whose inspiration had guided their work, Moviegoers across the nation have been similarly awed by Gandhi's remarkable life story, seeking more insight into the man and his principles through lectures, reading and even trips to India, What is it about Gandhi that strikes a chord in us in 1983? His life and thought seem an anachronism in a world obsessed with technology and the inevitability of nuclear warfare. a world divided by national interests and materialism. But our readiness to listen to Gandhi's simple words means we are looking for answers that his life might hold. In the center of Gandhi's ashram at Sevagram there is this sign: Seven Social Sins Politics without Principle Wealth without Work Commerce without Morality Education without Character Pleasure without ConK~nce Science wfthout Humanity Worship without Sacrlflw This statement of principles is as relevant to our circumstances as it was to his. We turn to Gandhi today, not for easy answers, guaranteed success at no cost, but for hope~inspiring contact with a person who never found himself helpless in pursuit of justice and the alleviation of misery. Gandhi was a man of courage and principle, who lived his life In a way which sets an example for the entire world. He was a real person who accepted enormous challenges and accomplished more than anyone expected. He did this, not perlectly. but suffICiently well to make~us consider his views. Gandhi was a doer, not a detached scholar. His convictions developed slowly and experimentallY out of his involvement in the injustices of colonial rule. He said of himself, "I am not a helpless creature," and he meant that neither are the rest of us. He always found something constructive to do even in the midst of the most distressing circumstances. Gandhi's commitment to non-violence and his effective use of it in leading India to independence is appealing to Americans in light of their own rejection of British colonial rule 150 years before. We still have far to go to achieve justice and security for ourselves and others in the world, but Gandhi's principles can be seen at work in modern resistance to injustice_Martin Luther King, Jr. used non-violence successfully in his struggle for racial equality; the student movements of the Sixties were almost completely non-violent; the nuclear freeze movement in Europe, England, Canada and the United States is being conducted according to Gandhian principles; and in Poland, solidarity leader Lech Walesa has adopted Gandhi as his guide. On a personal level, Gandhi moves us toward a more peaceful lifestyle. We see his simplicity, his courage, his emphasis upon personal encounter, his willingness to suffer, his patience. We all prefer to live with people who will not harm us. Let us, then, says Gandhi, cease to threaten those with whom we live. Thus commences the rising spiral of trust rather than the descending spiral of fear. We cannot eliminate all the violence embedded in the structures of our society, but we can reduce our personal contribution to them. Gandhi has shown us how to be peaceful without being door-mats, and how to seek justice without being unjust. We live in a society where lying has become easy; deception has become a familiar policy in business and politics. As a corollary. credibility is low and suspicion is high. The price of this widespread practice of deception is terrible: it is the erosion of the fabric of trust that is essential if we are to have a genuine community. Gandhi had a passion for truth. He learned as a lawyer and a journalist that truth means accuracy and honesty. In his campaigns of non-violent resistance, he learned that truth means commitment, putting even your body on the line, and striving for harmony between word and deed. Gandhi's truth is a very rich notion; we are hungry to recover this kind of Integrity. Ironically, Gandhi became a great nationalist leader in a century that has seen national soverignty become dangerous and obsolete. However, Gandhi's nationalism was based upon a world~wide humanitarianism. not a narrow patriotism. His nationalism was a threat only to those who desired to preserve an unjust system of government. Gandhi appeals to us not only because he brings back the lost idealism of the 60s. but because he offers us a vision for the 80s. Our struggle, like Gandhi's. is for "the development of more inclusive identities" with mankind, and with the environment that sustains us all. David Newhall has been a professor of philosophy et PSU since 1955. A G8Itdhian scholar, Newhall recently offered a lecture on "Gandhi, the Movie" which drew a tum-away crowd at PSU. He Is, needless to say, excited about the resurging Interest In Gandhi and the implications 01 his Ideas for today. hindrance. Without the physical trappings that people want to associate with universities, PSU has lacked a physical image in the community, and therefore had to fight harder for credibility and recognition. Quality publicity ~ I\!rspective Next. the hope. PSU has been sitting on a golden opportunity to tap the support and imagination of this sports-starved city. I hope that the OSU/PSU football game will be the start of a new era in PSU football and basketball. Lastty. the suggestion. People who are interested enough in PSU to read this "Comment" column are also likely to respond to specific needs of the university. Why not close each column with a "call to action," which directs readers on how they can further the progress of the university in the area reported? Don L. Dickinson ('68. 72 MBA) Portland. OR Recently enjoyed the latest issue of Perspective. Keep up the good work - This is the sort of quality publicity we have needed for years atPSU. Richard Thoms Geology Tracking 'em down Thanks for tracking us down in Kansas City, and for sending Perspective to us. It's nice to stay in tOUCh, Here in the Midwest, it's apparent that a strong alumni association is important to the Big 8 schools. Perspective is helping PSU do the same thing, David L. Shafer ('72. MBA 78) Julie Bens Shafer ('72) Overland Park, Kansas PSU ~w.1s pobIished quarterfy dUnng ltieyearbyNew38i1dln/ormalion5etvJces1or alumni, I&WHy and stafl and 'rlends or Portland Stale University. Editor CynttU 0 SloweK ContrIbu1ors Clarence Hein '85 Cliff Johnson Elizabettl Coonrod Clliendar Editor Pat Soon ChangtI of Hdr ...: Send tom new and old addresses 10 PSU PenpactIv., P.O Box 75t, Portland Slate UniY8fSity, Portland, Chgon, 97207. Plrwnta: II thi8 iSsue Is addressad kl your son or daught01 who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, pIIIase notify the psu AlUmni OffIce (503-229-4948) 01 !he new mailing _ .... PSUsuppoftsequaledueallonalopportunity wiIhout regard IoUI(, race. handicap. age. nationalorigin,maritalalatus, or religion.
The search for World Order starts close to home by Cynthil D. Stowell It is a gloomy picture of the world that Jack Yost ('71 MA) paints. "We have a chaotic world system in which nations threaten and bully each other, the poor countries are getting poorer, people's rights are being trampled, and the tropical rain forests are disappearing at an -incredible rate. It's out of control, and it's all going downhill." But Yost lives for another view of the world - the view that astronauts had on their way to the moon. "I\'s one fragile little globe, a precious thing. That image is invading our collective conSCiousness.., It is on behatf of this "little globe" that churches, scientists and people like himself are joining to find solutions. "The strands of the world are coming together.. .8 tremendous amount of networking is going on internationally," says Yost with all the optimism and Idealism one person can muster. So too are the pieces of Yost's "drifting" life settling into place as he devotes himself to the quest for world order. "All the strands of my past are coming together," he says. "This is it. This is what I want to do with the rest of my life." Yost, 38, is the founder and director of Global Forum, housed at the Campus Ministry on the PSU Campus. Since Hs birth last fall, Global Forum has collaborated with other groups in bringing speakers from all over the world to campus for lectures and forums on global cooperation . For as long as Yost can remember, he has been an idealist and romantic, fascinated by social change. He originally studiad to be a Catholic prlost, bIlt left his Belgian seminary feeling "very alienatad from the Catholic Church and Institutionalized religion," fed up with "people killing each other in the name of God." Writing has always been another love of Yost's, and retuming to his native Oregon with an unpublished novel under his arm, he enrolled In a maste"s program in English at PSU. When he received his MA in 1971, he taught for a coople of years in the University Scholars' Program under Jim Hart, then took a fellowship at Boston University, bailing out when he realized he was weary of scholarly writing. Back in Portland, Yost "chauffeured for an old lady in West Hills" and wrote another novel, entitled "Why I Am Not My Mother," an exploration of the fantasy world he fell he'd always inhabited. After two more years teaching f1ction~writing in the Scholars Program, Yost became editor of Vanguard. "That was a tremendous experience for me," said Yost, who gathered an entirely new staft around him. "We watched each other bloom under the creative atmosphere." By the end of his editorship. Yost was convinced he wanted to start a peace organIzation, but an interview with former PSU professor Penny Allen, producer/director of the film Property, took him on a three~year detour. Allen needed more capital to start shooting Paydirt, and Yost became $Uch a believer in the film that he was soon out in the business community (as associate producer) looking for Investors. He raised $175,000 and the film was completed, but it 4"ell through the cracks of audience appeal" and Yost failed to make the money he needed to get his dream off the ground. Wrestling with "confusion and despair" and a grOwing problem with alcohol, Yost wondered when the drifting would stop. Then he remembered Buckminster Fuller'S advice: "Figure out what you want to do, do it, then get somebody to pay for it" All at once, Yost's background in fundraising. writing, media and the church came to the fore, and Global Forum was bom, with Campus Ministry as a kind of midwife. He wanted his organization to be different from others. "Peace organizations and the nuclear freeze movement aren't addressing the issue of security, which is a legitimate concem of a nation. Unless we address this, we can't convince nations to give up their weapons." looking farther ahead to world order is the answer. says Yost, who advocates increased Intemationallaw and cooperation. "law allows us to be freer and more secure," he believes. The sea treaty negotiated for the last eight years by 150 countries, and ultimately rejected by Pres. Reagan. is an example of the intemational law Yost would like to see. War, whicll Yost calls "institutional anarchy," can be outlawed, he feels. "If war were human nature, then Oregon would be at war with Washington." But because it is against the law for states to engage in war, conflicts must be resolved in other ways. Many people and nations fear that world order implies the sacrifice of autonomy and invites totalitarianism. Not so, says Yost. "World order is not some huge thing that's going to descend out of the sky. All problems transcend national borders, and we need global solutions, but irs a matter of finding the appropriate level of government to solve certain problems. The right kind of world order would foster decentralization, provide more security and allow for autonomy." "It's not 'what will we give up' but 'what are we giving up now.' We're totally vulnerable to nuclear war. It you don'1 have this global plan, then what do you have?" Peace goes far beyond mere disarmament, feels Yost. "You can't address arms without looking at the economy and environment. Global economic management is in everybody's interest, If done in a participatory way. Our survival depends on it." In our economy today, "products 818 first and people second," says Yost, who feels that because "economy is a human thing," it should be serving the needs of humans. Saturday Market in downtown Portland is a refreshing altemative: "You buy a pot and say hello to the guy who made it." "The great scourge of the world is not capitalism or communism, but Impersonalism," offers Yost. World order can only happen on a "person to person basis. We link as friends, then as organizations, then nationally and intemationally." Through Global Forum, Yost has sponsored small group discussions for six weeks each term to establish these links. "As human beings we have a need to make a contribution to society and not just be pawns." explains Yost. "But we have to feel a sense of community, feel a connection." Global Forum's five year plan includes creating an intemational house for isolated foreign students and formulating a "University Program," whk:h would prOvide PSU students with an "informal area of emphasis" on intematlonal issues based on existing courses and faculty. Yost will also be going back into the bIlsiness community to address mutual concerns, thus joining two traditionally polarized interest groups. '" get more and more optimistic, the more I get Involved," says Yost. "When you find other people, you start feeling you're not alone and powerless. " For Yost, the most important step has been the personal one. "I feel there Is a purpose to my life and purpose to the planet. To fulfill my own nature is to be part of the overall harmony of the universe." 3
Building bridges across the Pacific Director of Holt International Children's Services devotes life to finding homes for young victims of war and turmoil by Cynth. D. Siowell An Oregon farmer and a Korean youth who met in war·torn Seoul in 1956 had only their compassion in common. But together they collected tiny victims of the Korean conflict and cared for them until permanent homes were found. Harry Holt often left the child care center and 24·hour hospital in the young Korean's hands, going back to Creswell. Oregon to help raise the eight children he and his wife had adopted in Seoul. Hyung Bok (David) Kim ('S5 MSW) devoted himself to the "temporary" service, and 27 years laler he Is in the executive director of Holt International Children's Services, now based in Eugene, Oregon. "I took the job as a way of earning bread and butter," said Kim, who had to care for his mother, brothers, and sisters after his father, a Presbyterian minister, was killed in the war. "But this changed. I saw in Mr. Holt a setf·made millionaire with no blood relations or cultural ties with Koreans, just Christian compassion. It made a great impact." Fresh from the Korean Army, Kim had unknowingly stumbled into his life's work. ~~ work was getting deeply into '[IY heart," he The PSU graduate and international figure remembers vividly the earty days at the Seoul child care center, where the diapers of two hundred babies dried in the sun on a barbed wire fence, and 600 bottles were prepared daily. "I was a father of 3,000 children before I even got married," jokes the man who provided legal guardianship while homes were being found. Double china and fat cheeks The first babies were of mixed race, the unwanted offspring of Korean women and American G.I.'s. They were social outcasts with no future. "Our extended family system is so strong, if you didn't have a family, you had no chance," explained Kim. It wasn't until 1970 that Korean law changed to allow the adoption of children with dtfferent sumames, and there have been obstacles In the U.S. as well. In order for Hany Holt to bring his eight children back to the States, a private bill had to be passed by Congress, And it was only last year that the United States recognized Its responsibility for Amerasian children by permitting immigration and sponsorship, althoogh adoption has been legal for years, While it was unusual In the '50s for Americans to adopt children of a different racial background, families wrote to Holt and asked how they too could take In Korean children. During the first year, 120 youngsters were placed, a figure that rose to almost 600 in subsequent years. Soon, full Korean children orphaned by the war or abandoned due to hardship were also In demand. 4 Not a/l the chikjren survived their unfortunate starts in life. "Mr. Hoft and I buried a lot of babies," said Kim, Though struck by the vacant eyes and withered bodies of infants deprived of maternal love, Kim discovered that, given proper care, the children were resilient. Now, with the movement away from abandonment in favor of planned placements, "our babies are coming with double chins and fat cheeks." To date, Holt International has found permanent homes for 34,000 children and has helped develop programs In Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, India and Nicaragua, While adoption outside the children's country is still frequent, one-quarter of the Korean children now find homes with Korean families, and Holt's primary goal Is to keep natural families together whenever possible. "An economic reason is no reason to separate mother and child," said Kim. Holt programs around the world are tailored to meet the special needs of the host countries, and have expanded to Include counseling for unmarried mothers, nutrition education, and training for the handicapped. "Our work is the David Kim, '65 MSW development of programs with indigenous people so they can take over," said Kim of Holt's diverse efforts. "We don't want to perpetuate oursetves." Holt Korea is now independent, as are the agencies In Thailand and the Philippines. Recently Kim made a five-week tour of Asia to evaluate established programs and to determine child wetfsre needs in Sri Lanka and Nepal. "We go humbly," says Kim of his agency's exploratory trips. But the director of Holt is adamant that "racial pride should not be bigger than the children'S needs," An American education By 1963, Kim felt the Korean program was stabilized enough so he ooutd leave H and realize his lifelong dream of getting an American education. He had managed to work his way through Seoul National University, earning his BA in 1959. Aware of his own need for formal training In social work. as well as Korea's lack of trained social workers, Kim resigned from Holt and enrolled at Portland State, the only MSW-granting institution In his mentor's home state. They were a challenging couple of years for
Kim, who had to make the transition from "active, productive man shooting troubles with 250 children and 120 workers, to a confined man going through books." By then he had a wife and two small chitdren to support, on top of polishing his English and deciphering social work jargon. The family found housing at the First Presbyterian church at 12th and Alder, where Kim served as the resident security person. Kim appreciated the opportunities of PSU's urban setting: "A person like I am would not have survived at other schools," he remarked. Kim suffered a bIDW soon after his arrival at PSU, with the death of Harry Hott. When he was asked to return to Hott Children's Services in Korea, Kim had to make "the most difficult decision of my life." He decided to keep pursuing his degree. During Kim's field work at the Multnomah County welfare department, the second-year student had his eyes opened. "What I understood to be America was entirely distorted," said the man who had placed babies on the "sunny side" of American culture. "For the first time I saw the other side of America." When Kim received his MSW, Holt Children's Services, then based in Creswell, was at a critical juncture. In order to be licensed, the agency needed a trained social worle:er on staff. tt was also important for the agency to establish working relationships with other social service agencies around the country. Kim was offered the associate directorship and he accepted, giving up his idea of training social workers in Korea, and beginning to realize that Holt was to be his Ufe. With his professkJnal training and his eight years of direct experience, Kim was able to help Holt diversify and gBin a sotid foothotd in the professional world as well as in the Third World, where wars and poverty created a steady supply of needy children. People to peopte diplomacy While the certified social worker considered himself a "catalyst and facilHator," he was stitt escorting babies across the Pacific in his arms. "I violated the social work rule of not getting involved," admitted Kim. "It was very emotional work. On the plane one trip I was praying the whole time because an engine had been shot off. I was pumping oxygen into one child, cooped up in that plane, up in the air. Two children died on that trip." He paused. "It makes you otd fast." Kim suffered a heart attack in 1978, and has had to restrict his activities, including escorts. But he has had the pleasure of taking young adults on 'Motherland Tours' to Korea, where "their cups are filled" by experiencing the cutture and heritage of their native country, "I'm blessed to be here long enough to see the entire cycle," said Kim. Of his work with Holt, Kim says, "It's like a dream come true, but not in the way I envisioned." As the grandson of a miSSionary growing up in China, then as student body president in his school In South Korea, Kim had seen a future in international diplomacy. With the war, his father's death, and his introduction to Harry Holt, Kim became acutely aware of the devastating effect of war on children. "I was very grateful that my Sisters and brothers and I didn't become victims." "Uke in Vietnam, if it was just a war, we wouldn't be tBiking about it. But we have the children, you see?" To Kim, Children are a "country's resource for tomorrow," but they can become a liability if they aren't nurtured with good home life, education, and health care. "Small nations are spending so much money on defense budgets," he lamented. "I can see what not buying one tank can do for children. They should be putting direct resources into the people's welfare," plight of the children of one world. What we do sort of helped. We try to make this world closer." The "people-to-peopte diplomacy" of Holt Intemational is finding its way into the Kim home, as they anticipate the adoption of an eight-year But his 26 years with Holt International have also given him some hope. "I see more the shrinking of the worfd. There's not that much distance. More parents have concerns for the old Korean girl who needs heart surgery. "It's a little late to start another family, but there's no other place for her to go," said Kim, who has intemalized Holt's philosophy. "We never give up," he explains. "The one more chance can mean success." PSU dean delivers paper to Korean social workers, visits Holt programs "Korea is very lucky to have a man of his caliber coming to present a paper," said David Kim about the Dean of PSU's School of Social Work, Bernard Ross. Ross was Kim's special guest at an International seminar on unwed mothers held in Seoul in late March. Rapid industrialization in Korea has broken down the strong extended family structure, with young women traveling to the city to get jobs and becoming isolated and vulnerable, noted Ross. Korean social workers have been observing the symptoms but wanted to know from experts like Ross how the new social problem could be treated and prevented. "They've not yet developed the infrastructure of public and voluntary service to address the problems of industrialization," said Ross, who offered policy and program models to the gathering of 300 social worle:ers. A nationwide emphasis on economic development has left much to be done in the area of social service, he said. While in Korea, Ross visited Holt International Children's Services facilities, and was moved to tears by the training school for the handicapped. Ross also gave guest lectures at two universities and enjoyed the 24-hour bustle of SeouL While several alumni of the School of Social Worle: live in Seoul, most were away on business: but Ross did meet with Cho Song Kyung ('69, '71 MSW), who now heads the ~?d:~:~~~~~1 t:~tt!ts~~~a~u;n~~~e~s~Z't=~~~~YC:~~ to Portland State actually flew in last month to enroll. Kim and Ross are now discussing the possibility of an annual exchange of ideas between Korean and American social workers. 5
The consul's life: personal growth enhances Peru's image by Jim Kem.ghan To many of us, the world of international diplomacy seems rarefied, or at least removed from our ordinary experience. It may seem an arena of power and decorum, where an ill-advised remark or a dropped teacup mtght have devastating personal or even global effects. And one might well imagine that those involved in such a society are trained for their roles virtually from birth. Portland's Peruvian Consul, Oscar A. Flores Fiol (77), provtdes a resoonding refutation of such notions. A solidly-bum, dark. and ruggedly handsome man, Aares FIOI certainly looks the part, but" would be diflicU~ to find a less pretentious man in the Consular Corps. Oscar has devoted his life to seeing things from as many different perspectives as possible - not in a studied or self-conscious way, but out of sheer interest in the world about him. SiUing restlessly in his office surrounded by his own oil paintings and a rack of suits for every occasion, Flores Fiol is brimming with kleas, plans, experiences. But he is a man of few contradictions, seeing no distinction between his inner development and the outer life he has chosen. "In a very real way I have to sell myself in order to sell my country. The better and more accomplished I am as a human being, the more I do for Peru and her people." Oscar Flores Fiol grew up in the Peruvian forests in a home fashioned of packed and hardened earth ("You can't get any more organic than that," he remarks wryly). He is the product of two very strong personalities: his mother owned and operated large tracts of land in Peru, while his father was an accomplished military officer who aJso represented Peru in fencing in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Oscar himself studted engineering at the Peruvian MiI"ary Academy (withdrawing because he thought himself poorty suited to the "pyramidal approach 10 life In Ihe military"), and he has held a long series of jobs in the construction field and the service industry in this coonlry. He has been a timber buyer 6 and a trader on an international scale, and was last a IUl"fJber systems consultant until the drop in world markets and tensions in the South American jungles dictated a change. In short, Flores Fiol's only real requirement of life is that it must be interesting. It was while he was on one of his visits to the U.S. as an officer with the merchant marines, "driving around learning the language," that he made his decision to live in the U.S. Unimpressed with both Houston and Los Angeles, Flores Fiol chanced to be changing a tire on the docks in Portland and was so surprised by the friendly attempts to help him in his minor plight that he decided to take a longer look at this city. This was ultimately to lead to his enrollment at Portland State. Just as his life experience has been broad, Oscar's educational interests have also been eclectic. Over a period of years at PSU he has taken classes In many fields and has been dellghled with a syslem that allows, even encourages, interdisciplinary study. By the time he finally took his bachelor's degree in art, he had almost as many crQdils in business administration and Spanish studies. "It was a difficult thing for me to concentrate in one field," he admits with a small laugh, "but then I've never been able 10 impose arbitrary limits upon myself." A major advantage of being appointed Peruvian Consul is that his country appreciates his breadth and allows him to pursue his own personal projects. Since coming to the Consultate in 1971 as Vice-Consul and even after his appointment in 1980 to his current post as Consul, Flores Fiol has simultaneously been engaged in diplomacy and in the intemational lumber trade. But the present situation both in and out of the huge forests of South America have persuaded him to spend more time in this country. And this is an acceptable proposition, for his personal life in Oregon is becoming more and more demanding and Important. Oscar, his American wife Lynn and their nine year-old daughter Sylvia live on a sixteen-acre farm in Eagle Creek where they raise sheep. This beautiful plot of partially wooded and rolling hills has become the center of their lives. Lynn has become a fine weaver producing wall hangings and other pieces from the wool of their own animals. They also have pottery wheels, a kiln, a room that doubles as a study and painting studio for Oscar. and what has been called one of the finest prtvate collections of pre-Columbian art on the West Coast. It is their dream to make the acreage totally self-sufficient. lynn is the carpenter and has done much of the remodeling of the main house, and Oscar has begun to take classes at Clackamas Community College to learn all he can about raising crops and animals. Oscar's intention is to "work the land as it has been worked in the past - only to do it more efficiently. " While Oscar increases productivity on his farm. he will also be working continually on his intemallandscape. His short-range goal is to finish an MA in Spanish studies and literature al PSU, evenlually applying to the Untversity of Oregon for candidacy to the Ph.D. program in Romance languages. Flores Fiol feels his diverse interests are quite compatible with his role as Peruvian Consul. "The emphasis now, at least among Latin American diplomatic appointees, is upon commitment to many fields - parttcularly business and art," he explains. "Often you will find people in the diplomatic corps of various countries being sent to latin America without the slightest interest in the essence of the area, without any knowledge of who the people are as they represent themselves through their art. "Peru and other South American countries realize the importance of international business relations - it would be difficult to ignore that aspect - bul they also address Ihe other dimension, the artistic efforts, in order to promote the cultural understanding between countries. "It is really this cultural Interaction that serves as the basis of all else in the field of diplomacy and wand harmony." Jim KemIIghan is a freelt1f1C8 writer and a p81t. dm6 student at PorlIand State.
Van port 50's Ron Adkins ('59) an investment broker fOf the ~~ = frWS~eott':r~~a~~Theith r:-~Iru~ ~ ~ti'i:t ~:1::' plays the French hom, flute and bagpipe, =~H-:~t=:~~:=rin ~~n:r~~~~~wS~~nd PSU. RichIItd Cote ('59) has been named curriculum admlnistrator In grades 6-12 for the Portland Public Schools. He obtained his ~7~: from the University 0' Washington In John ~. SJMthas l'58) is principal of =~ School K-8 grades) In southeast =er'=~'~~'~~k1 19n, is 8 member of the Gresham Chamber 01 Commerce, and !he East Multnomah ~~~of;~~~~i!dJeHsts among her favorite activities. 60's USE PSU LIBRARY .\Iumm Bl;'nl;'llh (.trd nq·4Q48 ReM CUSIM ('69) has retired from her position as directOf of Environmental SeMoes for Multnomah ColM'Ity. During her sa: years 85 director, It1e largest government 90Iar facility In the Northwest was constructed, thOusands of dollars worth of Improvements were made to the Exposition center, and the county's comprehenSive plan was completed. :~z:-a:n~OI'M~:, ~'~: ~ first pubHshed a book entitled Above AH, Don't Flush, and subtitled ~Acfyentur95 in Veloroos ~~~~mcwou.!~~~~~ "' .... "'......, ~de.1h of her II:':' husband until hal' remaniage sixteen years :::;0:: = ~ and worts as a DonIIId DHlrmnI ('62) has been named exectJtive vice presioeflHinanC8 and opennions of Evans Products Co. He also retains hla responsl:liilles as assistanlto the president 01 the finn. Desimini is one of five local business leaders Identified by top Portland ex8CUliYes during a recent newspaper survey as ~&howing qu.a)ities of beooming a chief executive In a lew years." Friedli feh,.,..bKh« ('68) Is a painter, ~=:::'d~lnln~:~.of Frehrenbacher cumtntly resides in Philadelphia. DonMd L tt.yaehl (69) has begU"I a new posttion as asaoc::Udacouncll cHrectorof!he Caifomia-Nevada Anoual Conference for the lkIited MethodIst Chorch. He Bves in San Francisco. William L Hennrlch ('67) has been named treasurer of Hoffman-laAoche. Inc., a New Jersey.f>ased health care company. PrevkJus!y. he served as dlrectOf of the firm's Iinance diviaion, and prior 10 that held financial analyst positions with General Foods and with IBM. He, his wife and daughters Erin and Katie reside In Pomona. New Yortc:. Davkl Hunt ('64) is a professional interpret8l" in Portland, specializing in English-Spanish lranslations lor governmental units, as wall as for corporate and 1egaI1mns. lOIN PSU flYING CLUB Alurnnl Bt'n('tll" (drd 22'1·4Q48 James A. Kennedy ('63), a teadler at ~~~=w~=,1 ~c:::~~~ac:::"of~:?, is said to be the first time a middle school teacher has won the honor In Oregon. M~ Kllks ('65) Is an assistant researd1er In the Department of Tropical Medicine at the University 01 Hawaii, He specializes in ~~~~~a: and behavioral aspects of homan populations. ~, he was awarded ., International ~ofin~~~~ar ==. to Colombia, Thailand, Mexico and c.rotyn ~ ('64) has been named associate director Of graduate ::trams )n health services administration at ~~~~g::.'ra's Burke ~ ('66) Is an actor woriUng with ... CHcIe R_ """-" ~ New ..... City. He most recentty eweared In YB!ack Angel," • play by _ Cristde<. and last St.mm8f acted n "000 Juan" at !he Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. He has also !\ad parts In 808p operas end 'XlfMl8fdaIs on -. ~!~69~t:=~~such PUbl~ as the New Yorlc Tmes and Vogue. Currently, he Is wonang with the noted cartoonist Jules Felffer on an animated film =~S;:;'''P= ;=e~ar arms scheduled for early this fd. Ann E. Rigati ('~J!~ she is enjoying :~eacher~wt~~Ore~ as a Wally Schw8b,(,62) c:omt*led his craft as a ~~r.:~~I=~ee year called ''The Coffee Gallery." The store r::, ~ ::r::,' ~:'. ~ r;:r1:'1~ his son Steve and daughter·in-law REtfl88, woO< full-lime with him. His daughter Sheila helps out on weekends. Scott Upham ('69) has been appointed 10 serve on the Oregon Govemor's Task Force ~~~Infiuence· ~1or dn.nk driving. Upham ~ed as the =,:=~~~:a'r~since 1973. 70's ~ner Alnml (79) has been elected to :eCMI~~~TNs~ said 10 be the fifsl time thai a woman has been elected 10 Ihls board. =:=!,:)a~e=~n8 College andlektrorrix, Inc. She obtaIoedltyher ESL CertifIcate from PSU In 1979. With her husband Ron ('59) and three sons, she enjoys travel, tennis, music and bac:tcpadmg. John Michael Anwrt (704) and Julnlta Ar,.m (77 MSn live in Mllwaulde, Ore. with their two children. He has his own business ~~::;'~==:nd . Investment company, and she Is • teacher ~= at Clackamas High School In Donald Robert Black (76) has been awarded a Juris Doctor degree from Western Slate ~~~l93~.O~~~~~U~ as an Outstanding YOIIIg Man of Amaf1cI and ===~~;::~~Whoin Denn .. ean:tw.l1 (75) owns the Klondike Tavern In St Helens. Ont. ALUMNI SUMMER RECREATION Enjoyment oftheoutdoors is within the reach of almost everyone...by bicycle, raft, canoe, or shanks' mare. Make the most of ~~~~fili~g~M~ n~~!>:i o:ue~~ specials, Bicycle Touring A wide variety of trips for individuals and families ...rides in and around Portland, the Willamette Valley, pLus surprise des- ~~~yg~~n~~~~~~ cg! b?~:d energy. Mountain Climbing Mount Hood: Ju:n~ 11-12 Mount Adams: August 6-7 Set yourown heights: Mount Hood or Mount Adams! Ray Adams, PSU Alumni mountain climbing instructor, leads two introductory, non-technical climbs... you do not have to be an experi- :~~10c!~,!!~ri,~utt\:~~ft;a~~ag isu~:~!d.e. Sign up early, space Raft Oregon's premier rivers For the adventuresome-choose from five exciting white water runs: Upper Deschutes, Lower Deschutes, Grande Ronde. McKenzie, and Rogue. One - to four-day trips . . Bikes-Beyond the intersection The Northwest is a hiker's paradise, and PSU Alumni have plan· ~:: ~aS:Ae;~~~l~~~~.na:!;: from interesting hikes beyond the cu1-de-sac to green forest counf~es: .-~~~tclifr~~~.th~ iun~~ line ... evenmoonlight hikes. Gear up, go light and enJoy! Canoe or raft the Sandy River Saturday, June 4 Designed for families--aJthough ~~~f!it~~d:~d;n&v~~ur~~ao<;: bow Park to Lewis & Clark Park. ~~~t~ :~de;esr.ig:,jcl~d~~i~~ a potluck style picnic at the park. A pleasant outing from the weekday hustie-busUe. Write or call for detailed Alumni Summer Recreation speclaIs: PSU AiumDi P.O. Box 752 Portlaud, OR 97207 (503) U9-4948 7
An American in Paris finds France has many faces While still an undergraduate at PSU. Christopher Cayton ('76) and another "too% home grown Oregon boy" declded to spend a year studying at the American University in Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France. That year of less-than-brilliant study but eYfHlpening cultural experiences oonvinced Cayton he must one day go back to France. He is there now, directing studies in school in Paris. married to a French woman, and father of a newborn. Six years into his rench sojourn, Cayton says he is just beginn~ to the sometimes inscrutable people of his adopted country. In a recent letter to Perspective, Ca n described the many faces of France he has come to know. There is the France of the 5 provincial towns, the France of frenetic the France of the student. Aix-en-Provence, the home of Paul was entrancing for the young student first visit In 1971. "The people in the "0 France take time to live and to enjoy life, to relax and visit with friends, whether it be over dinner, over a coffee in a sidewalk cafe, or an 'aperatif' in the evening." He and his friend, Peter Meyer, also a PSU student, even unraveled the "mystique" of the French woman: "We finally concluded that our relationships with them, as well as with everyone we met, were somehow simply more natural." When Cayton retumed to France, after Alumni Notes eomlnued from p. 7 Judith L ~(79) works as a senior aocountant In the business offICe of Reed College. Portland. She also has..passed her CPAtiXAm. 8 STUDY & TRAVEL WITH ALUMNI Alumm Bene-lih ( <lrd 229·4948 John W. Putnlm en MeA) Is an audit manager In the Seattle office 01 Coopers and lybnmd, certified public accountants. Formerly a faculty member al Seattle Pacific Univefsity, Putnam served as PSU representative during ~a~~~ration of !he new presldenl 01 MIch ... E. Richard ('73), a servic:e reptesentalive since 1978 for cascade Corp., Portland, has been married fOf nine years to his wife, Paula..lo. They have three children. Roy Rogers ('70). mayor of the cIIy of T been named 0f16 of three . 1983 by hono< who .."" French schooling emphasizes the classics and downplays the sports and socialization that Americans value, says Cayton. What results is the individualism and conselVatism that characterize French society, where teamwork is virtually unknown. But among the French people, Cayton has also found a "sense of culture and a deep sense of historical attachment greatly lacking in """MloiIt..r.~the French in general are more awant A and c:ur~~~ about the rest of the world than L.8 .. ~r, Cayton was invited to be director ot~~·~stitut Georges Chetochine, a school ~f€=~~~that-;!~-~'s:~~~~:~i~~~:~~c~~dn~~:~~se. tis ~ground in teaching English while a ~ Ceyl9n has set up a language program --.... ~-. AI_ ... ~ision programs recorded in different .....as well as video role-playing. The unique CIIII'tcUuIn at at all in the classical tradittcn but iac"""rt8~-_",""","'..uriliY'" -accepted by the French business No longer on the fringes of French culture, Cayton - with his home in the suburbs, his small family and his career - is more a participant and less an observer. In fact, it is American culture that he studies now from a distance, and for all his attachment to France, he has come to appreciate his home country even more. "The experience of having lived in a foreign country...has made me realize the advantages which America has to offer." 80's ~ J: Barton ('80) lUlU his 0'M1 company doing residential construction/remodeling and Is married 10 SUe Ann Bartoo, who is an =...- by Skid"""•. Ow;ngo' ~:!:Ya~'~dn=~:OO on March 5. = ~~:1~~eas~edasa Community Mental Health Center in Portland. ~Jr!':l~~In~~~~ore'~~ern where he lives. SWIM & GYM J\lumm H('nl'll" {.lrd 2l9·494H Clint Old_ ('81) threw a key block settlng up ~=~~I~:::!1u~thls ~~~~~~:"f:S:~~t~endhis lwo-ye8f football stlnl al PSU. Oetorw Eyler ('82) has "retired" temporarity 85 8 feal\xe reponer with Denver's Rocky Mountain News, Cotorado's largest fl8WSp8p8f", in ordet to have her third chlkt. Barba,. Ohon ('81~ Is a library media =~~~~ Elementary Schoot in K"ln M. ar.nt (,eo) has been named credit analyst fof First National Bank of Oregon-Canby,.located In Aurora, Ore. He torme41y was operations otncer with It1e U.S. National Bar* of Oregon. BrWI A. K........ (,SO) has been employed at ~&GaIIuoci,eIocalCPAnrm, fOrthe put two years. He IYes In Portland. ~~~~. Chooyto ......... ('80 MST) ~ head ""'_ =~I~~g:,~a!aIeo teaches health, phySIology and prevention of Injuries as part 01 her job. ~rson&Hen~~~J!I~s:,~as one of outstanding 1982 COllege graduates to receive ::~=p~P3~~~1rom ~::s~~~~. nsHopkins ~=:=-~80d~:~ser:e~ following his ,eappo!l}1menl to the post by ~:n~i.a~~~KiIo~~~u~sery In Cotben, Ore. Jane "alaon-collCN1 (,SO) is living with her husband In Swaziland, Africa. where she Is teaching English and is "Sports Madam" at her school. Larry L Mclean ('82) Is a sales representative lOr Diamond Fuel Co. In Portland, handIW1g both residential and corrmercial accounts. ~:~= t':z~~~~=~~:' end also serves as lhe assistant lralner fOr the los Angeles Lak8fS NeA basketball team. Ja". Ohlemann ('82) operales six small businesses under the corporate name ''TOken Entertalrrnent," now that she has finished ralaing her family and has obtained her PSU ~1n~sI=iy~n~'::ated ~~~~~li~marti8I arts academy, e l'Tdni-ttlealer and 8 copy center. CtMstw Orloff ('SO MA) has been appointed to the slale Historic Aecotds AdvIsory Board ~~~~~~is~~advIses deve40pecIln the state. Orloff, development =.r~=-~~-= Arts CommissIon and a member of the Oty of Portland HlslOric Resources Inventory CItiZens AdYisory Committee. continued on p. 12
Trade with the Far East captures student's imagination Yvonne Comell Is not one to let opportunities slip by. "The only way you learn something is to get in there and pitch," she says. Cornell, a senior in PSU's School of Business Administration. is spending as much time in the intemational business community as • .... ~ in classrooms this year. She recentty completed an intemship with the International Trade Administration of This spring, Cornell entered the course on Export Planning for Executives, designed by James Manning, professor of business administration. She Is working with Sidereal Corporation, a manufactUrer of advanced communications equipment. According to Stdereal President James Mater, "Yvonne is helping us gain a beHer understanding of the international marketplace, helping us assess this one piece of the marketing puzzle." Yvonne Cornell spends many hours at the International Trede Administration, pouring through Foreign T.-.de St.tt.tk::IOf studying Chinese on mlerofiche a. part of her research Into forfign marketa. International studies center will build on existing programs The new Strategic Plan for Oregon's State System of Higher Education designates Portland State for further development of programs in International business and marl<eting, and establishment of an area studies center for Asian countries and culture. While the state·level recognition signified in the Plan is new, the University has been moving in these areas. particularly international mar1<eting, for some time. The most recent evidence of this activity is an exciting proposal for establishment of a new institute at PSU, concerned with international trade and Investment. The proposal for the Institute was in the sensitive stages of discussion between the University and the local and Intemational business communities at Perspective press time; so, while it Is hoped that the InstiMe will be a reality by fall, there has been little public discussion. In general, the proposed institute would foster education in the fields of Internabonal business, with a special emphasis on the Pacific Rim countries. Both undergraduate and graduate programs are envisioned. drawing on the three academic areas of business, language and area studies. Community service and applied research also will be major components of the proposed institute. Programs in languages, area studies and inlemaUonai business would not be new to PSU. The School of Business Administration is recognized as being responsive to the International business community by supplying industry WIth trained individuals in International business and developing seminars and special programs for those already In the field. For more than 20 years, PSU has offered a certfficate in International business and, for many years, has had successful internship programs with the International DivIsion of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Oregon Development Council. The PSU chapter of International Association of Students in Business and Economics Is one of the oldest and most active in the U.S. This summer, more than 20 students from foreign universities will be hosted by PSU as part of the program while a number of Portland students travel to traineeships throughout the Pacific Rim, Weslern and Eastern Europe. In addition 10 the formal academk: programs, PSU has been involved with various government agencies and private firms in developing educational opportunities for the professional community. One program, Export Planning for Executives, brings PSU students together with local executives to investigate potential international mar1<ets. More than 225 regional firms have benefited from this program. The University also was instrumental in founding the World Trade Seminar and Export Documentation Seminar. In other areas, PSU has certificate programs in Central European, Latin American and Middle East Studies, and offers courses in more than a dozen languages, Including Chinese, Japanese and Korean. In the designation of PSU as a center for intematJonal trade and area studies, the Strategic Plan Is seen as andorsing lhe work already done and enooureging further development the U.S. Department of Commerce and now is WOf1<ing with an area communications firm on intemationaJ marketing through PSU·s Export Planning for Executives program. While at the Department of Commerce, Cornell says she learned to trace products and commodities through the labyrinth of foreign trade regulations (some 26 pieces of documentation are required 10 export anything out of the country). She worked alongside trade specialists, meeting with exporters and learning the international business from the Inside. The InlernaUonaJ trade internship wasn't enough for Cornell, hoWever. She also volunteered to take advantage of what she terms "a singular opportunity" to help plan Once into her current project, Cornell found herself back at the Department of Commerce to begin her foreign market research. "Ninety percent of intemational marketing c:onsuttation is in the researdl." she says. When she isn't inteming or taking business classes, Yvonne Comell studies Chinese, "8 very complex language." It is a practical move for Cornell, who listens to Chinese tapes during her commute 10 Portland from her Newberg home. "h's part of my responsibility. I think that I would function over there a lot more effectively as an American and an American business person," she says. But she also approaches the "I'm strugglng with all the strokes of this many-thousandsyear-old language in this time of plco seconds: · and produoa an export trading company conference. Some 500 International business representatives were at the conference, the best attended of its kind In Ihe nation. Working on the conference, she said, gave her the chanoe to work directly with top local business leaders. Immediatety aHer her Internship, Cornell 1001< advantage of another learning opportunity. "I vofunteered 10 help one of the trade specialists with a barterlcounter·trade conference. I thought that ~ I would volunteer to help, I would learn." Barter/counter.trade is a very important concept for intemational marketing, particularly with developing countries. It is of interest to Cornell because China is her personaJ focus. GET CAMPUS CALENDAR "Iumnt Bpnphl'> C.ud 2lq-~q~8 language with a sense of wonder. "It's rather ironic. I'm struggling with all the strokes of this many-thousands-year--old language in this time of plco seconds." Her interest In the Far East has been growfng for several years. She lived for a time in Japan and, while at Portland Community College. volunteered (again) to tutor Asian students in ESL classes. "I like the Asian people," she says. "I feel very comfortable with them. And, in international business, Asia has the best job potential." Comell hopes to complete her bachelo~s degree this fall and, while not certain, believes she will go on for an MBA, Including further studies about China. 9
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