— 2 — President’s Message At the time I am writing this column most of us are trying to understand why the tragedy at Virginia Tech happened and how, if at all, it might have been prevented. In our time at PSU I’m sure we’ve all encountered students or employees who are in the midst of a downward spiral of frustration and failure. Why do some, such as Cho Seung-Hui, react violently, while others just internalize their cries? Hopefully the experts in the social sciences can continue to study these all-too-frequent school incidents and provide insights that will help educational institutions, such as PSU, provide a safer place to work and learn. What saddens me is that after every incident’s post-mortem it is clear that the perpetrators have left clear signs and warnings of their plight and possible dangers to themselves and/or others. This begs the question: what reconfigurations in our social systems are necessary to catch these problems before they blossom? Of equal sadness is the loss of the lives of promising youth and the pain that families must suffer over time. One rather ironic detail surrounds the heroism of Professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor, who came to the aid of students by trying to help them flee. He, unfortunately, was killed—just one day after Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day. May his behavior, as a professor and human being, bring continued honor to our profession. On a brighter note, RAPS is made up of retirees who are interested in continuing their learning, socializing, and connections with the University. Many persons serve the organization well; however, there are a few persons who have served above and beyond the call of duty. The contributions of these special individuals are worthy of mention. Richard Brinkmanhas served RAPS in a number of capacities over the past few years, including as president, president-elect, and program chair, by-laws committee chair, and Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards chair—just to name a few. He has been one of RAPS’ most loyal members, and for all your efforts we thank you. Colin Dunkeldhas been an interested and active member of RAPS for several years. He has attended programs and events, provided valuable programming ideas, and chairs RAPS’ bridge group. His jovial manner is refreshing—even when he is my bridge partner and I perform one of my patented bonehead moves. Gordon Solie is a past RAPS board member and is presently very active in the history preservation project in the Music Department and the School of Fine and Performing Arts. Gordon has likely accomplished more over the past year in the area of history preservation than any other faculty member at PSU. I only wish that his accomplishments could motivate other faculty and deans to direct more of their attention to this endeavor. I’m looking forward to seeing you at future RAPS programs and events. Until then, I remain, sincerely, —Bruce Stern RAPS will host Fall Fest 2007, a conference that fosters friendship and collegiality among university retirement associations, September 23-25. The conference will focus on bringing together regional retirement associations to share ideas and best practices in revenue generation and coordinating organizational activities. Fall Fest 2007 will take place at University Place, PSU’s conference center at 310 SW Lincoln St., which is offering a conference rate of $89 per night. The special rate is available for two days pre- and postconference, as well as during the conference itself. The conference includes sessions on revenue generation and activities, local tours, wine tasting, a banquet, and entertainment. Registration deadline is August 23. To learn more, contact RAPS at 503-725-3447 or at raps@pdx.edu. Fall Fest 2007 coming to Portland State next September
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