2 The RAPS Sheet March 2022 CO-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Masks off, opera on, and our world in turmoil SOME THOUGHTS as we enter March: l Masks off soon! (Yes, it will be a personal choice.) Today I had my hair cut. My hairdresser said someone asked her what she would do when masks were allowed to come off. She hesitated, because she’s been wearing it for two years and is dying to get rid of it. Her answer was wise: “I will ask each customer what she prefers.” l We’ll be in person for our March meeting, and yes, we get to hear opera! I’m so excited! l Our world is in turmoil, sponsored by one individual who has dreams of the way things used to be, before 1989 when, suddenly, the Soviet Union was no longer a union. It is more important than ever that we talk rationally with those who hold opposing views. l “Multnomah Reads” featured an adult graphic novel by Mira Jacobs, Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations. It’s an excellent book and talks about how we can get along, even though we may have differences. l RAPS offers an extraordinary way to get involved in current issues, learn about books, wine, culture, and Portland State. I encourage you to involve your friends and former colleagues. As we grow our organization, we will all continue to thrive. l Thank you for all of your contributions to Portland State, to your schools and departments, and to your many students. Think about the lives you have affected! And thank you again for your donations to the RAPS Scholarship. Reading about Jett Koda, our scholarship recipient, and her work with hospice care was truly an inspiration. —Pat Squire TRIGGERED BY A dramatic increase of the RAPS Scholarship account balance during the last quarter of 2021, the RAPS Board voted February 10 to place $50,000 with the PSU Foundation in a quasi-endowed scholarship—the realization of a long-sought goal for the scholarship program. Barbara Alberty, former chair of the Scholarship Committee, is managing the transfer of the funds to the Foundation. The board also voted to double the amount of the annual RAPS Scholarship award from $4,500 to $9,000. The University’s estimate of the cost of a year of graduate study, currently close to $36,700, prompted the board’s decision. The sudden increase in the scholarship account balance began with a donation last fall of more than $5,000 from an anonymous donor, who also pledged to match fourth-quarter donations by as much as 200 percent. The total increase— fueled by the donor’s original gift, the gifts from RAPS members, and the donor’s matches—came to nearly $39,000, boosting the account balance to more than $86,000. After placing $50,000—the minimum for an endowed scholarship—with the Foundation, RAPS was left with a scholarship account of about $36,000. According to Joan Shireman, chair of the Scholarship Committee, future fundraising for the RAPS Scholarship will be added to the RAPS account, and the funds required for the annual scholarship award will also come from the RAPS account. “We have to replenish this fund each year to continue giving our scholarship,” Shireman explained. “The income generated by the endowed scholarship will be of some help, but it will not be sufficient to fund the entire scholarship.” Shireman noted that these actions place considerable responsibility on the RAPS membership to continue to support the scholarship, through donations and through participation in the Collette trips that board member Larry Sawyer arranges for RAPS members. Board doubles annual RAPS Scholarship award to $9,000 Upcoming RAPS events FRIDAY, APRIL 29 President Steve Percy will speak to RAPS members over Zoom, providing an update on all aspects of the University and responding to questions from the audience. The President’s Annual Luncheon for Retired Staff and Faculty has been canceled. THURSDAY, MAY 19 “Supported Conversation for Aphasia,” a presentation by Susan Ginley, clinical professor in Speech and Hearing Sciences, on a communication method to encourage conversation when working with someone, such as a stroke victim, who has lost the ability to communicate.
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