3 The RAPS Sheet October 2020 RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE RAPS BOOK GROUP met on September 15 and, via Zoom, discussed A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell. This is the biography of a woman who became the head of a vast spy ring during World War II, and was important in the French Resistance. We were awed by her ability to organize and carry out seemingly impossible feats of sabotage and disruption in Nazi-occupied France. We were also intrigued by her inability to obtain status in the wartime agencies organizing the fight, including a reluctance to recognize her heroism after the war—a reminder of how rapidly the status of women has changed. Our selection for October is The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf. The book is well reviewed, with many awards, and praised by a group member who has read it. It is a biography of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His work changed the way we view nature and man’s relationship to nature. We are looking forward to learning more about this most interesting man. In November we will read The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, the story of a struggle to preserve Native American rights to land in South Dakota. As described on the Amazon website, “In The Night Watchman Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.” 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 gradually 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. Upcoming RAPS events OCTOBER Thursday, October 15 “Behind the Headlines: Reflections on PSU Magazine Cover Stories,” presented by recent PSU retirees Kathryn and John Kirkland. Kathryn is the former editor of PSU Magazine and PSU Currently; John was a staff writer in the Office of University Communications. Presented via Zoom. (See story on page 1.) NOVEMBER Thursday, November 19 “The (Not So) Final Frontier: Portland State on SW 6th Avenue,” presented by Bryce Henry, PSU’s archivist for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Archives (AECA). Presented via Zoom. DECEMBER Thursday, December 10 Annual Holiday Brunch, held at St. Augustana Lutheran Church in NE Portland. Likely to be changed to a virtual celebration. LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021 The political scene and economic climate dominate the first two presentations of 2021. On Thursday, January 21, political science professor Christopher Shortell will discuss the outcome of the 2020 national presidential election, and on Thursday, February 18, Tom Potiowsky, retired economics professor and former economist for the state of Oregon, will bring RAPSters up to date on the state’s economy. The March meeting traditionally begins with a potluck lunch followed by a presentation by Christine Meadows, director of PSU’s opera program, and PSU opera students singing excerpts from the spring opera. Will there be a spring opera? We don’t know. An opera presentation on Thursday, March 18, is still on the schedule; a potluck seems unlikely at this point due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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