The RAPS Sheet The newsletter of the Retirement Association of Portland State NOVEMBER 2018 Retirement Association of Portland State Portland State University–RAPS Post Office Box 751 Portland OR 97207-0751 Campus Public Safety Building Second Floor, Room 212 SW Montgomery at Broadway Office Manager Ilana Tarasyuk Telephone: 503-725-3447 Email: rapsmail@pdx.edu Office hours: Tues. & Thurs., 9 am to 5:30 pm; Fri., 1 to 5 pm. Campus mail: RAPS Web: www.pdx.edu/raps Board Members Co-Presidents David Krug Doug Swanson 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 Steve Brennan, Chair History Preservation Nancy Koroloff, Chair Membership/Program Dawn White, Chair Scholarships Barbara Alberty & Joan Shireman, Co-chairs Social Nancy Eriksson, Chair Grant Farr considers current Afghanistan on November 15 IN 1968—50 YEARS AGO—Grant Farr returned to the United States after two years in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a Peace Corps volunteer. It was a lifechanging experience, shaping his future as a sociology professor widely known for his expertise on the Middle East. Farr shares his expertise with RAPS members when he speaks at the November monthly meeting on “What’s Happening in Afghanistan?” Farr earned a Master of Arts degree in 1970 and a Ph.D. in 1974, both in sociology, from the University of Washington. He joined the sociology faculty at Portland State in 1975 after teaching for two years at Pahlavi University in Shiraz, Iran. In 1983-84 Farr was in Pakistan as a senior Fulbright visiting professor at the University of Peshawar. His research and publications have focused on Middle East and Asian culture, politics, and society, with country emphasis on Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. During his long tenure at Portland State, Professor Farr held a variety of administrative positions. He chaired the Sociology Department from 1983 to 1992 and again from 1998 to 2005. He also served as director of the Middle East Studies Center. He was the university’s first vice provost for international affairs, and served as associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences until his retirement in 2012. In 2012 he was named professor emeritus of sociology and international studies. The November monthly meeting begins at noon on Thursday, November 15, with a light lunch at noon in 333 SMSU. Farr begins speaking at 12:45 pm. — Grant Farr, whose research focuses on Middle East and Asian culture, politics, and society, speaks on Afghanistan on November 15 in 333 Smith Memorial Student Union.
Co-President’s Message Prioritizing time for RAPS activities 2 AS A RETIREE, you probably occasionally get the question: “How do you spend your time, now that you are retired?” One of my facetious comebacks is that “I’m so busy now that I wonder how I ever had the time to work!” I’m sure, much like other generations of retirees, our generation of retirees is very active. In fact, we are so active that we have to prioritize our time. Therefore, I would like to make a case for why you should consider prioritizing some of your time with our groups such as the Book Group, the Hiking Group, the Bridge Group, and group travel excursions. RAPS also arranges for great monthly speakers on a wide range of interesting topics (third Thursday of most months of the academic year, after lunch, which begins at noon). Finally, RAPS is involved in the annual President’s Luncheon, the annual December Holiday Brunch, and the annual summer picnic. So please take a close look at our monthly RAPS Sheet, and if you see an interesting activity make some time to attend. You will find it to be a fun time spent with a very collegial group of fellow retirees. —Dave Krug PSU RAPS organization. First, many RAPS activities raise money for an annual PSU student scholarship award of $3,000. Second, RAPS sponsors several on-going activity Upcoming member events DECEMBER (Thursday, December 6) Annual RAPS Holiday Brunch, held at Nordia House located at 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland. 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. RAPS GOES TO Eastern Canada! SEPTEMBER 3-10, 2019 Montreal Quebec City Ottawa Rockport Toronto Niagara Falls Quebec City and St. Lawrence River A portion of your fare supports the RAPS Scholarship Program! You’ll discover the best of Eastern Canada with RAPS! Our tour is led by Collette, a travel company with more than 100 years’ experience. Book by March 4, 2019, and save $100 per person! $3,199per person if booked by March 4 BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY Includes R/T airfare from PDX, Hotels, Hotel Transfers, Air Taxes, Fees/Surcharges To learn more: Contact Larry Sawyer, RAPS 503-771-1616 / larry_sawyer@comcast.net c
RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE RAPS BOOK GROUP met on October 16 at the home of Phyllis Leonard to discuss Words Without Music by Philip Glass. The book is a memoir by an accomplished musician, focused on recollections of his career. Many of us, to be honest, were a bit in over our heads, not knowing enough about modern music to fully appreciate the ideas being presented. The picture of the struggles of a young artist in New York City were to some extent familiar, the world travels interesting, and the amount of musical education that preceded composition astounding. Many of us advanced our education with this book. On Monday, November 12, we will meet at the home of Eileen and Steve Brennan to discuss Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson. It is a beautiful book, described as a magnificent biography. Note that this meeting is on a different day and week than our regular meeting time, due to the proximity of the regular date to Thanksgiving. Eileen’s address is 5945 SW 152nd Avenue in Beaverton. Telephone her at 503-646-6297 or email her at brennane@pdx.edu to let her know whether you can be there. On December 18 we will meet at the home of Joan Shireman. We will discuss The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church. The book is an exploration of the life of the heroine between the 1940s and the 1970s, whose career aspirations are subverted, and who later finds more freedom in another era. It is said to be a captivating novel and had excellent reviews. The book group meets at 1:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month, with the exception of this coming November, and new members are always welcome. —Joan Shireman Bridge Group THE RAPS BRIDGE GROUPmembers are very friendly and are always looking for new players. We meet 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. In the current academic year we are meeting in 258 Smith Memorial Student Union, on the second floor. Please mark your calendars for the following fall and winter meetings: November 6, December 4, January 8 (note second Tuesday due to the holiday), February 5, and March 5, all in 258 SMSU. I will send out the reminder email notice about one week prior to each date we play. 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 RAPS HIKING GROUP will meet on Tuesday, November 27, to hike 3.5 miles of the Rock Creek Regional Trail from the Kaiser Woods Natural Area to Bethany Lake Park. This portion of the trail runs along Springville Creek and a powerline corridor. The trail passes through meadows and forested and wetlands areas, and has a variety of parks along the way. The part of the trail our hike will cover is almost completely paved, has modest elevation changes, and includes natural areas with wildlife viewing available. The area is populated with woodland songbirds, and hawks, osprey, and waterfowl can be seen at Bethany Lake Park at the western end of the trail. We will meet at 9:30 am at the parking lot of Bethany Village Shopping Center, at 15320 NW Central Drive, Portland. We will need to spot cars at the end of the trail at the Bethany Lake Park parking lot at 5061 NW 185th Ave, Portland, so we can return to Bethany Village for lunch at Bethany’s Table restaurant. For more information regarding the Rock Creek Trail, please see the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation website: http://www.thprd.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-trail If you plan to hike in November, please contact Larry Sawyer at 503-771-1616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. For more details about this hike or future hiking plans in 2019, please consult the RAPS hikers’ website: https://www.pdx.edu/raps/RAPS-Hikers —Larry Sawyer 3 —Photograph by Larry Sawyer Pintail Pond wetland area in the Jackson Bottom Nature Preserve, hiked in September.
Welcome to RAPS Annual Holiday Brunch Thursday, December 6, 10:30 am Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Road, Portland Please mark your calendar for the 2018 RAPS Holiday Brunch. We return to Nordia House for our popular annual event. To enhance our lovely meal, enjoy no-host mimosas, beer, and wine. Festivities begin at 10:30 am with a no-host bar, and brunch will be served at 11:00 am. Our meal is prepared just for us by Broder Söder, Nordia House’s in-house Nordic café. The RAPS “Treat Table” will provide opportunities to purchase delicious holiday goodies and unique gift items. All proceeds go to support the RAPS Scholarship. Come for the brunch, linger for fun! Our holiday brunch is a bargain at $25 per person. You may reserve your spot today by mailing a check made out to the PSU Foundation to RAPS, Portland State University, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751. If you prefer to pay by credit card please contact Ilana Tarasyuk at the RAPS Office, 503-725-3447. Please RSVP to Ilana Tarasyuk no later than Monday, November 26. —Nancy Eriksson, RAPS Social Committee Nan254@hotmail.com Donate a favorite holiday treat to raise money for the RAPS Scholarship! The theme of the fundraising event at the 2018 Holiday Brunch will be “holiday treats.” If you can donate a treat, please contact Ilana Tarasyuk, RAPS office manager, at 503-725-3477. Treats might include baked goods, holiday decorations, art work, gift certificates, or event tickets. You set the price, up to $50. All proceeds go to the RAPS Scholarship. 4 —Photograph by Larry Sawyer
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