3 The RAPS Sheet May 2021 RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE RAPS BOOK GROUP met on April 20 and discussed The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, a novel based on the work of the “Packhorse Librarians”—the women who on horses and mules delivered library books to remote cabins in Kentucky’s Appalachia. (This was a project of Eleanor Roosevelt’s, designed to provide employment to women and to enhance literacy in this remote region.) The book was well liked by the group. We discussed how the women who delivered these books defied the feminine role prescriptions of their time. The portraits of the mountain families also intrigued us. There is also a murder and a trial in the book, keeping interest high, but it was a very minor part of the book and of our discussion. We kept digressing from the book itself to discussion of the parallels in our own lives and at the current time. We will next meet on May 18 to discuss The Oregon Trail by Rinker Buck, the story of a modern-day journey along the Oregon Trail, from Kansas City to Portland, in a covered wagon drawn by mules. It is said to “weave a tale somewhere between a travelogue and a history lesson.” In June we will leave the plains and mountains and discuss Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women, learning perhaps something of deep-sea diving. 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. Upcoming RAPS events AUGUST Thursday, August 19 In what will be the first in-person meeting since the coronavirus pandemic changed everyone’s lives in spring 2020, the RAPS summer picnic is scheduled to occur on August 19 at Willamette Park in southwest Portland. Confirmation of the event plus additional details will be forthcoming in the summer edition of The RAPS Sheet and via email. 2021-2022 PROGRAMMING Look for a preview of RAPS programming for 2021-2022 in the summer edition of The RAPS Sheet. Percy to update RAPS members this Friday WITH BOTH ACHIEVEMENTS and daunting challenges ahead, President Steve Percy will bring RAPSters up to date on Portland State’s status during a meeting on Friday, April 30. The meeting, which begins at 11:30 p.m., will be conducted using Zoom, the videoconferencing platform RAPS has been using since last fall to conduct its meetings. RAPS members will be provided a link to join the meeting. The pandemic and declining enrollment have added to the budget issues facing the University. Percy has emphasized that budget decisions will be guided by PSU’s core values, which include commitments to racial equality, student learning, community engagement, and a spirit of innovation. Enrollment has been declining since 2010. Current year enrollment is down more than 7 percent and is forecast to decline an additional 5 to 7 percent next year, according to a University Communications article published February 23 on the University’s website. On the plus side, PSU benefited from $17.4 million in CARES Act funding that arrived nearly a year ago and another $30.7 million due this year. Those funds offset some of the increased costs and lost revenue associated with the pandemic.
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