The RAPS Sheet The newsletter of the Retirement Association of Portland State JANUARY 2018 Retirement Association of Portland State Portland State University–RAPS Post Office Box 751 Portland OR 97207-0751 Campus Public Safety Building second floor SW Montgomery at Broadway Office Manager Rebecca Butterworth Telephone: 503-725-3447 Email: rapsmail@pdx.edu Office hours: Mon & Wed, 9 to 1 Tues, 9 to 2, Thurs, 9 to 3 Campus mail: RAPS Web: www.pdx.edu/raps Board Members Co-Presidents Doug Swanson Dawn White Secretary Brian Lewis Treasurer Ansel Johnson Members-at-Large Steven Brenner Nancy Eriksson Charlie White RAPS Sheet Editor Eileen Brennan Website Editor Larry Sawyer RAPS Representative to Regional & National Retirement Associations Larry Sawyer Committees Awards Charlie White, Chair History Preservation Nancy Koroloff, Chair Membership Dawn White, Chair Scholarships Priscilla Blumel, Chair Social Nancy Eriksson, Chair Danny Kim analyzes North Korean history on January 18 DANNY KIM, visiting assistant professor of history, speaks to RAPS at its January 18 meeting on “The History and Ideology of North Korea’s Provocations.” Given North Korea’s numerous ballistic missile tests since spring 2017 and the continuing exchange of insults between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, this presentation is very timely, focusing not just on provocations coming from the insular nation of North Korea but also on the cult of personality surrounding “Supreme Leader” Kim Jong-un. Professor Kim’s area of specialization is Korean history. Drawing from two years as a visiting researcher at Seoul National University in South Korea and Waseda University in Japan, his work focuses on Korean intellectuals who traveled to Japan for higher education during Japan’s colonization of Korea (19101945). A new addition to PSU in 2017, Professor Kim’s teaching areas for the 2017-18 academic year include a transnational history of Korea through diaspora, a “long history” of the northern half of the Korean peninsula, and the history and debates over the issue of comfort women. A native Oregonian, Professor Kim earned a BA in history from Oregon State in 2009, an MA in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012, and a PhD in history from the same institution in 2017. The January meeting begins at noon in 333 SMSU with a light lunch followed by Professor Kim’s talk at 12:45 pm.
Co-President’s Message WE START THE NEW YEARwith a new look for the RAPS Sheet. Except that the look is not really new and it’s hardly original. The new design is based on the Portland State graphic identity standards, the latest iteration of which have been around for some years. Graphic identity standards provide a blueprint for consistency in the university’s printed and electronic publications. For example, a routine financial aid brochure should have the same graphic elements (logo, typeface, color) as a fancy invitation to the president’s house for afternoon tea. After all, since both the brochure and the invitation are from the same university, shouldn’t they look like they’re from the same university? If you think identity programs were dreamed up by a highly compensated marketing consultant while stirring a noontime martini, I understand completely. But identity programs are nothing more than outgrowths of identifying marks, which have been in use for centuries. Religions were early adopters. When you see a cross, what do you think of? Christianity. Star of David? Judaism. Crescent moon? Islam. It’s hard to deny the effectiveness of those identifying marks. Jump to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and an identifying mark became a critical element of branding a business into the public consciousness. Many marks have hardly changed since they were first designed: Levi Strauss, Heinz, Shell Oil, and Ford Motors, among many others, have remained virtually untouched for more than 100 years. (And if you’re thinking that consistency is helpful in creating public awareness, you’re right.) By the post-war years, the mark—or logo—became the star of something called corporate identity, which encompassed everything from public relations goals to graphic identity standards—typefaces, page layout, approved colors and so forth. For a company fighting to survive in the marketplace, the hope was that corporate identity would give the company a consistent face that the public would come to recognize and trust. Apple, for example, is particularly good at presenting a consistent face. If you don’t believe me, walk into an Apple store, go to the Apple website, read an Apple print ad. You’ll see what I mean very quickly. While corporate America (and Europe and Asia) caught on to the value of a strong, consistent identity, higher education lagged behind. Way behind. Practically every box on every university’s organizational chart—whether a school, a department, or an administrative office—wanted its own identity, on the odd occasion when the subject came up at all. It was a sort of Wild West with ivy-covered walls and elbow patches. And it left most colleges presenting a confused and fractured identity to the public. Higher education began taming its Wild West a couple of decades back. The reasons varied from school to school, but fear of competition or a need to increase enrollment was often at the top of the list. Of course, the most unified of messages, the most striking graphic identity, the most dynamic advertising will not solve an institution’s fundamental problems. But they can increase a university’s chances to be heard, and thrive, in a crowded marketplace. So what does this have to do with RAPS? Our bylaws state that we “support the aims and objectives of the University.” We’re part of Portland State, and our publications should reflect that. Already, the RAPS website and our new membership brochure do. And now, so does the RAPS Sheet. —Doug Swanson Upcoming member events FEBRUARY (Thursday, Feb. 15) “An Extraordinary Pilgrimage: Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela.” PowerPoint presentation by Jim and Joan Peck; 333 SMSU. MARCH (Thursday, March 15) Annual Spring Potluck, followed by “Behind the Scenes of Benjamin Britten's Comic Opera, Albert Herring.” Presentation by Christine Meadows and PSU opera students; 333 SMSU. APRIL (Monday, April 16) – note departure from Thursday pattern – President’s Luncheon, hosted by President Rahmat Shoureshi; SMSU Ballroom. MAY (Thursday, May 17) “The Importance of Norms: Trump vs the Press.” Presentation by Christopher Shortell, professor of political science and department chair, followed by Annual Ice Cream Social; 333 SMSU. 2
RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE BOOK GROUP met on December 19 and discussed Love, Africa: A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival, Jeffrey Gettleman’s rather puzzling book. It is the autobiographical memoir of his years in Africa as correspondent for the New York Times, moving from one crisis to another, often in considerable peril, and mourning the instability of the various African countries. The parallel story is of his wife’s decision to leave a law practice in the United States and join him in Africa. The group thought that a sense of entitlement permeated the book, and we wondered why natives of Africa did not play a larger role in the book. At the same time, we enjoyed the description of his work as a correspondent and his political analysis. We will next meet on January 16 at the home of Nancy Chapman and discuss A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. It is a novel set in Russia in 1922, the story of a former member of the aristocracy sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal to spend the rest of his life under house arrest in a Moscow hotel—where his interactions with other hotel guests provide the story. Nancy Chapman’s home is at 4214 NE Hazelfern Place, Portland; we will meet at our usual 1:30 pm time. Call Nancy at 503-234-0162 or email her at chapmannj@comcast.net to let her know whether you will be at the meeting. In February we will be reading Jodi Picoult‘s Plain Truth, enthusiastically recommended by one of our members. We will meet at the home of Gwen Pierce. The Book Group meets the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm. New members are always welcome. And we welcome suggestions of books that are interesting to read and full of issues for discussion. —Joan Shireman Bridge Group THE RAPS BRIDGE GROUPmeets in the afternoon on the first Tuesday of each month. We begin play at 12:15 pm. We try to finish up by 4 pm. We meet in Smith Center, usually on the second floor, but sometimes on the third floor. Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming months; bridge dates, rooms and times: Tuesday, January 2, 2018; in SMSU 294 Monday, February 5, 2018; in SMSU 294 (Note: not on Tuesday) Tuesday, March 6, 2018; in SMSU 294 I will send out the reminder email notice about one week prior to each date we play. The RAPS Bridge Group members are very friendly and are always looking for new players. If you wish to join us, please contact Steve Brennan, 503-646-6297. My email address is the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. —Steve Brennan Hiking Group THE JANUARY HIKE is a loop involving two bridges: the Sellwood Bridge and the Tilikum Crossing. We will meet on Tuesday, January 23, at 9:30 am in the parking lot of the Sellwood Riverfront Park, located between Oaks Park and the Sellwood Bridge. We will cross the Sellwood Bridge and walk down the west side of the river to the Tilikum Crossing bridge. Next we will walk across the Tilikum Crossing and return to the parking lot at the Sellwood Riverfront Park on the east side of the river. Lunch will be somewhere in Sellwood. The estimated distance is five miles with no elevation gain. If you plan to hike in January, contact Larry Sawyer at 503771-1616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. For more details about this hike or future hiking plans in 2018, please consult the RAPS hikers’ website: https://www.pdx.edu/raps/RAPSHikers —Larry Sawyer Twelve members of the RAPS Hiking Group enjoyed their hiking potluck lunch in December. A planning session for the 2018 hikes followed the luncheon. —-Photograph by Larry Sawyer RAPS Scholarship donations in November and December Terril Joan Doherty John Hammond Byron Lippert Mary Ricks Joan and David Shireman Pat and Fred Squire Roger and Sylvia Moseley in memory of Robert Vogelsang Jean Morrison in memory of Hugh G. Lovell Dirgham Sbait in honor of Charlie White Holiday Brunch contributions. 3
Please review the proposed changes to the RAPS Bylaws and vote by January 31 THE RAPS BOARDvoted at its November 2017 meeting to accept changes proposed by an ad hoc bylaws committee charged with reviewing the entire document. Chief among the modifications proposed are changing the terms of office for all Board members from three years to two, formally recognizing the Scholarship Committee as a standing committee, and clarifying the name and composition of the Executive Committee. Included in this mailing of the RAPS Sheet are two documents. First is the current Bylaws document showing old language with strikethroughs and new language underlined. The second document shows what the Bylaws would look like if all proposed changes are made. (If you access the RAPS Sheet online only, please call Rebecca Butterworth, RAPS Office Manager, at 503-725-3447 and request that these documents be mailed to you.) You can vote to approve or disapprove the changes in the Bylaws. RAPS must receive your response by Wednesday, January 31, 2018. You have three options to vote: (1) You can clip the ballot on this page of the January RAPS Sheet and return it by mail to RAPS/PSU, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. (2) You can pick up a ballot at the January 18 luncheon meeting and vote there. (3) You can go to the RAPS website at https://www.pdx.edu/raps/calendar-events and click on the voting link on the calendar and events page. We urge you to review the proposed changes to the Bylaws and to vote no later than January 31, 2018. —Dawn White, Co-president RAPS By-laws 2018 AMENDMENTS BALLOT ( ) I support the proposed changes to the RAPS Bylaws. ( ) I do not support the proposed changes to the RAPS Bylaws. Please mark and clip this ballot and return it in the mail to RAPS/PSU, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751 no later than January 31, 2018. Susan Johnson entertains guests at the RAPS Holiday Brunch by singing “My Grown Up Christmas List.” Nearly 70 people attended the annual event, which was held on December 14 at the Nordia House in southwest Portland. —Photograph by Larry Sawyer RAPS celebrates the holidays 4
Retirement Association of Portland State 2018 Outstanding Portland State Retiree Award 2018 Special Recognition Award ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Each spring at the President’s Luncheon RAPS gives an Outstanding Retiree Awardto one or more PSU retirees. Nominees need not be RAPS members. The awards are in recognition of outstanding accomplishments post retirement in two or more of the following areas: 1) service to the community, 2) service to the University, 3) professional or career achievements, 4) service to RAPS. Special Recognitionawards may be given to individuals who have aided the University and RAPS. This award has sometimes gone to current PSU employees, but is not limited to such. Any RAPS member may submit nominations. Please take a few minutes to think about your RAPS colleagues and others who are deserving of recognition, and make one or more nominations. Members of the current RAPS Board are ineligible for nomination. For your convenience, a nomination form is included on the reverse side of this page in this issue of the RAPS Sheet. It will also be available online at https://www.pdx.edu/raps/calendar-events. —Charlie White, Chair, Awards Committee Please send nominations by US mail to RAPS, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207 or by email (you don’t have to use the form) to Rebecca Butterworth, RAPS Office Manager, at rapsmail@pdx.edu. Deadline for receipt of nominations is Thursday, March 29, 2018. Questions? Please contact Charlie White, chair of the Awards Committee, at chaswhite@comcast.net or 503-232-3089. 5
2018 AWARD NOMINATION FORM Each spring at the President’s Luncheon RAPS gives an Outstanding Retiree Award to one or more PSU retirees. The awards are in recognition of outstanding accomplishments post retirement in two or more of these four areas: 1) service to the community, 2) service to the University, 3) professional or career achievements, and 4) service to RAPS. A Special Recognition award can go to anyone who has aided both RAPS and the University. Nominee____________________________________________________________________________ Nominee’s position(s) at PSU____________________________________________________________ Please outline in the space below the accomplishments of the person you are nominating. Attach an additional page if needed: Nominator___________________________________________________________________________ Contact information (phone and email)_____________________________________________________ Please send nominations by US mail to RAPS, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207 or by email (you don’t have to use the form) to Rebecca Butterworth, RAPS Office Manager, at rapsmail@pdx.edu. Deadline for receipt of nominations is Thursday, March 29, 2018. Questions? Please contact Charlie White, chair of the Awards Committee, at chaswhite@comcast.net or 503-232-3089. 6
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