Recent RAPS Scholarship contributions PSU Women’s Association Scholarship recipients PSUWA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPENTS for the 2018-19 academic year are Juan Gutierrez-Cardenas, majoring in health/fitness and Yahaira Martinez-Ponce, majoring in social work. Juan is the first in his family to finish high school and he was the salutatorian of his class; he fell short by only one point to tie for valedictorian. He dreams of one day owning a gym of his own. Juan envisions the gym as one that is affordable for everyone, where he can help people find a balance in their lives. Yahaira, coming from a lowincome and minority family, is grateful for the opportunities that have opened up for her, in part because of the PSUWA Scholarship. Yahaira said she wants to give people the chance to dream and not lose hope— but to pursue their dreams. She hopes to make this world a better one, one step at a time. —Barbara Alberty, Scholarship Committee Co-Chair RAPS SCHOLARSHIP DONATIONS between September 1 and November 1, 2018, were made by: Priscilla M. Blumel in memory of Rebecca Hein Steven and Sharon Brenner Ralph Bunch in memory of Eleonora Bunch Georgia Ronan Crampton Yvonne Hajda in memory of Jan Hajda Clarence Hein Jean S. Morrison in memory of Hugh G. Lovell Roger and Sylvia Mosely in memory of Robert “Vogie” Vogelsang Inger M. Olsen Pat and Fred Squire in memory of Rebecca Hein Doug and Barbara Swanson 4 JANUARY (Thursday, January 17) David Bangsberg, dean of OHSU/PSU School of Public Health, presents “Why Public Health Matters: Reflections on HIV to Homelessness.” FEBRUARY (Thursday, February 21) Melody Valdini, associate professor of political science, speaks on “The Decline of Democracy in Governments across the World: A Temporary Shift or a New World Order?” MARCH (Thursday, March 21) Annual spring potluck and presentation by Christine Meadows, director of PSU’s Opera Program, and opera students performing excerpts from the 2019 spring opera. Upcoming winter term member events From no student debt to garnishing Social Security A SEA CHANGE HAS OCCURRED in the way students and their families—including parents and grandparents—pay for a college education. Since the 1960s, U.S. college costs have increased exponentially. Predatory lenders have proliferated and 2018 student loan debt is $1.52 trillion, as documented in Zack Friedman’s June 13 article for Forbes (www.forbes.com). The result is that more than 173,000 parents and grandparents have seen their Social Security checks garnished to pay student loan debts (https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/681722.pdf). Now an organization called Strike Debt Portland (www.strikedebtportland.org) wishes to find people whose Social Security checks are garnished to pay student loans. The organization will then raise money and award funds in 2019 to as many people as possible. If you know of such debtors, please contact Roberta Badger-Cain, who is a Strike Debt member. —Leonard Cain and Roberta Badger-Cain
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