2 RAPS SHEET n SEPTEMBER 2022 CO-PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Thoughts about fall, new board members, and a thank you FALL IS DEFINITELY my favorite season. School is beginning and kids and adults are back to learning, the weather is pleasant but not too warm, and the leaves are turning beautiful colors. Here are a few facts about fall that you might not know. n In the U.S. we typically refer to the season as fall. In the U.K. it is typically referred to as autumn. n The origin of the term autumn is derived from the ancient Etruscan root “autu,” which means changing of the seasons. n People born in fall have a higher likelihood of living to 100 than those born in other seasons. n NASA refers to fall as “aurora season” because geomagnetic storms are twice as frequent as in any other season of the year. n In the fall both men’s and women’s testosterone levels are at their peak. n Heart attacks and auto accidents plummet after daylight savings ends. It was good to see so many of you at our summer picnic. Our first program of the new school year will take place on September 15, when we will have a private guided tour of the Vanport Building by Kevin Johnson, who is the on-site property manager. In the fall we also welcome our new board members. Kris Kern joins the board as an at-large member and Janine Allen joins us as co-president. I would like to end my column with a huge thank you to Pat Squire, who served as our co-president for two years. Pat was an absolute joy to work with. We were in constant communication and worked well as a team. Pat was the “lead” co-president, teaching me the current ropes about RAPS and PSU. Not to worry, though. Pat will be remaining active in RAPS, joining Dawn White on developing our programming for this coming year. I hope you all had a nice summer. I look forward to seeing you in person or on Zoom for our programs this year. —Bruce Stern Larry Sawyer (top photo) received the RAPS Special Recognition Award and Laureen Nussbaum the Outstanding Retiree Award on August 18 at the RAPS Summer Picnic. LONGTIME RAPS MEMBERS Laureen Nussbaum and Larry Sawyer were honored with awards at the RAPS Summer Picnic on August 18. Nussbaum, professor emerita of German, received the Outstanding Retiree Award, and Sawyer, for years a fixture in the University’s Information Technology Office, was recognized with RAPS’s Special Recognition Award. Also receiving Outstanding Retiree Awards were Claudine Fisher, professor emerita of French, and Julie Rosenzweig, professor emerita of social work. Neither was able to attend the picnic, and their awards will be presented at a later date. Nussbaum, Fisher, and Rosenzweig’s citations recognized their service to Portland State, education, and their professional accomplishments and service to the community. Sawyer’s citation recognized his many years of service to RAPS and to PSU, as well as to the wider community. RAPS recognizes four members
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