Portland State Magazine Fall 2010

········· ·············· ······ ·· ····· ·········· ····· ····· ·· Porcland State Magazine wants to hearfrom you. E-mailyour comments to psumag@pdx.edu or send them to Portland State Magazine, Office ofUniversity Communications, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. We reserve the right to editfor space and darity. ····· ······ ······················ ···· ······ ······ ··· ····· ···· ········ Not 'alternative' anymore It's great that PSU is taking such a lead– ing role in developing and promoting sensible, efficient, healthy and sustain– able transportation. But why keep using the term "alternative"? Every time that word is used, it implies that there is a standard sort of transporta– tion that should be considered first. Just drop the word. We don't need to be reminded of the foolish, wasteful, deadly and shortsighted "standard" mode of transportation. Merlin Rainwater, Seattle Campus protests still stir debate There are two sides to the story regard– ing "Memories of Confrontation" pre– sented in the magazine's spring 2010 issue. I've personally witnessed it. The great fascist Lenin prophesied, "Give me a generation of youth, and I'll change the world." That would entail . ' . :..- .. / . ' . ' -~ \ •. ~ , r '--_ - .,.... , ' it,i .~' ' J',, ..... . ' -~· . - .•. ' ' . the complete removal of dia– logue, didactic debate, legisla– tive debate and a paradigmatic view based on censorship. Dear reader, there are two sides to the story. Protect dialogue. Protect debate. Protect free– dom of speech. Tom Del Zotto '84 Sacramento County, California I was getting my MBA at PSU at the time of the riot and viewed it and knew the background. First of all, the city cold the people inhabiting the tent in the South Park Blocks to vacate because it was on city property, and they gave chem weeks co do it. They deliberately refused, and the police were finally called in to remove them. Of the 31 injured, very few of them were PSU students. They were instead trouble– makers there to create a confrontation with authorities enforcing the law. Most of the students going to PSU at the time were working and raising families and felt the rioters and protest– ers were immature adolescents just out co tweak the authorities. Nelson Olf MBA '73 I thought about how so many genera– tions of PSU grads will be reading the cover story in so many parts of the world and wonder what kind of impact it will have. Probably as varied as the feelings about the whole era of Vietnam War protests. I liked how you used the entire cover for the photo of 1970 PSU students, all looking so youthful, vibrant, and committed to changing the world. For many of us who were there, these were indeed the best days of our lives, or at least the most fun and exciting. Doug Weiskopf '71, Burbank, California EDITOR'SNOTE . For more reader memories from the 1970s campus protests over the Vietnam War, go to www.pdx.edu/magazine It was a tough call Thank you for your fond remembrance of my father, Sharkey Nelson , (spring 2010 issue, "Looking Back") and our final basketball game against Eastern Oregon in 1965. I would like to fill in a couple details. After our season's last road trip co Southern Oregon, two of the players were found to have been drinking and had missed curfew. After conferring with the assistant coach, it was decided they would have to miss the last three home games. It then developed that not just these two players had missed curfew, but all of the team had except myself. I had been recently married and was probably the only married student on the team. My father was now in a quandary. He had already imposed the sanctions on the two players and felt it would be unfair if the same penalty wasn't uniformly imposed. I know it was extremely uncomfortable for him to suspend all the players but his son. I can assure you it was also very awkward for his son. Since I was the only varsity player joining the JV team, he turned over coaching duties to his assistant and good friend, Bob Scruggs, and Bob willed us to victory over the conference champs 100-96. My best memory of the game is that most all of the suspended players came to the game and sat with my wife, Sandy. john Nelson '66 FALL 20 10 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 3