5 The RAPS Sheet November 2020 RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE RAPS BOOK GROUP met on October 20 and, via Zoom, discussed The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt’s New World by Andrea Wulf. It is a biography of Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. We agreed that it is a wonderful book. It is well written, bringing to life Humboldt’s adventures and his maturing understanding of nature. Humboldt began his travels with a five-year expedition to South America and ended them many years later with a trip through Siberia to the Chinese-Mongolian border. As he traveled and measured and observed, he learned to see nature as a complex and interdependent force, and to realize that man’s activities could change the natural world. New ideas at the time, and still relevant. The book we will discuss in November is The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. As described on the Amazon website, “Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather, who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.” The Book Group meets the third Tuesday of each month, traditionally in the homes of various members. Currently we are using Zoom for our meetings and becoming more comfortable with that format. Any RAPS member is welcome to join the group. —Joan Shireman Bridge and Hiking Groups BRIDGE GROUP AND HIKING GROUP activities have been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. DECEMBER Thursday, December 10 Annual Holiday Brunch, presented via Zoom. JANUARY Thursday, January 21 Political science professor Christopher Shortell discusses the outcome of the 2020 national presidential election. FEBRUARY Thursday, February 18 Tom Potiowsky, retired economics professor and former economist for the state of Oregon, brings RAPSters up to date on the state’s economy. MARCH Thursday, March 18 Christine Meadows, director of PSU’s Opera Program, updates RAPS members on the program’s activities and brings in opera students to perform. The March meeting traditionally begins with a potluck lunch but this may be deferred in 2021. APRIL Friday, April 23 The President’s Annual Luncheon for Retired Staff and Faculty, hosted by PSU president Steve Percy, is scheduled to be held in the PSU Ballroom. This meeting will be converted to a Zoom event if the pandemic prevents an in-person gathering. MAY Thursday, May 20 Maryhelen Kincaid, project leader, gives a presentation on “The Vanport Placemarking Project: Remembering and Honoring Vanport’s Significant Cultural History.” The May meeting traditionally ends with an ice cream social but this may be deferred in 2021. Upcoming RAPS events
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