ALUMNA WSU y — | yA | > [4 Lid \e) = Lud > o ar = fo] z © HER DREAMS. FOLLOWING About the cover: WSU alumna Portia Nelson stars as stern-faced Sister Berthe, whose divinely inspired mechanical tinkering stalled Nazi German cars in the film classic The Sound of Music. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox. See story, page 4. VISTA cet. Go ts? 9 ASSOCIATION Announcements Alumni, 3 ALUMNUS Portia FINLAND #1. NECKLACE 8 3/4" x 20 1/4" x 4 1/2" PAINTED PAPER-MACHE ©1993. By MARJORIE SCHICK. FROM THE WSU EXHIBITION METALPLUS. PHOTO BY GARY POLLMILLER. “I AM INTRIGUED BY THE IDEA THAT THE HUMAN BODY IS CAPABLE OF CARRYING LARGE OBJECTS, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND VISUALLY THEREFORE, | OFTEN CONSTRUCT FORMS OF TO CREATE DIRECTIONAL A SENSE OF VISUAL FORCE TO TENSION ANOTHER, OR A SCALE WHICH AMONG THE FROM THE PUTS FORMAL RHYTHMS THE ELEMENTS IN THE WORK OF INTO EACH STRUCTURE THE OBJECT, TO THE CATEGORY OF SUCH AS BODY FROM LINE RHYTHMS IN THE SCULPTURE TO PLANE, RATHER FROM THAN COLOR COLORS...’ —-ARTIST’S JEWELRY... MY GOAL TO VALUE, FROM IS ONI STATEMENT WSU ART GALLERY Centrally located in the Collett Art Building, the WSU Art Gallery provides a welcome reprieve from daily routine with a wide range of stimulating exhibitions. Free to the public, gallery shows have featured the works of nationally acclaimed artists Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Nauman, Cindy Sherman and Edward Ruscha. Through its lecture series Issues in Contemporary Art, the department of visual arts also has brought prominent artists, critics and historians to campus, including New York Museum of Modern Art curator Robert Storr, African-American painter Robert Colescott, New Yorker and New York Times editorial cartoonist Sue Coe, and Native 6 and NEWS Events for FEATURE Nelson, 4 COLLEGE CLOSE-UP The of Arts and College NEWS CLIPS What’s New WSU on Campus, 11 PARTNERSHIPS Reaching into AUTHORS Book Review, the Community, AMONG 14 CHARITABLE Gifts, Humanities, US GIVING Grants and People, BRAVO Alumni Weber State University. For information about exhibitions call (801) 626-7689. 14 Achievements, American artist Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. The Gallery Exhibition Program and the Issues in Contemporary Art lecture series have been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Utah Arts Council and Director of Publications Robert Editor Da Consultant Barba Designer§ 12 Winward 15 8 ASSOCIATION uews ANNOUNCEMENTS A TIME FOR RIBBONS AND AND BOWS EVENTS FOR ALUMNI Finishing touches are in order on the lower level of the Alumni Center thanks to a recent donation from loyal Weber State University friends John and Telitha Lindquist. The Lindquists’ financial support was the catalyst for the construction of the center which began in 1990. > Telitha Lindquist said there isn’t just one reason for investing in WSU, “Of course John (’39) loves it because it’s his alma mater. But more than that, we support WSU because it’s a very important part of our community and a wonderful facility.” All seven of the Lindquists’ children have attended the university. — In honor of the Lindquists’ support, the alumni association officially named the center the John A. and Telitha E. Lindquist Weber State University Alumni Center at a celebration dinner in February. FESTIVITY AND FORTUNE AWAIT ALUMNI Make plans now to rest up before coming home to WSU for eight days jam-packed with festivity, feasts and good fortune during Homecoming Week 1996, Oct. 5-12. 1 Homecoming 1996 will feature diversions of many kinds: a midnight painting-the-W party downtown, a mud volleyball tournament, Wildcat football versus California State at Northridge, a carnival, the annual distinguished alumni award JOHN A. AND TELITHA E. LINDQUIST WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI CENTER banquet, tailgate parties, an all fraternity and sorority reunion, and the annual homecoming dance. ©) Contact alumni relations for more information about Homecoming 1996. CAPTURE THE HEART OF LONDON Spend a week ina luxury flat right on Cadogan Square in the heart of London Sept. 11-19, 1996. Your host Thomas Moore, a great teacher and perhaps Ogden’s best connoisseur of England, will fill your days and evenings with exciting adventures in and around the city, including five best-seat theater performances, a privileged tour of the interior of Buckingham Palace and a private tour of Parliament, including the House of Lords. Country highlights include a day excursion to Queen Victorias Osborne House on the fabled Isle of Wight, and tours of two country palaces: Badminton House and Owlpen Manor, a working estate where you will have an exquisite supper in a 15th century Norman winepress cellar. Our week will end with a sumptuous carvery banquet at St. Katherine Dock. The cost of $2085 includes lodging (double occupancy), airfare, transfers, tours, excursions, and theater performances. ) To receive more information about the England excursion or upcoming alumni association travel programs, contact David Welch in alumni relations. For registration and payment information, call Myrna Burbank in Continuing Education, (800) 848-7770 ext. 7450 or (801) 626-7450. TAKE A WILDCAT TO LUNCH Parents allege that today’s youth have stopped listening to their elders—but this is one time when young people are all ears. WSU students are asking alumni and professionals from the community for sound advice on college paths and career direction. To meet their needs, the alumni association has organized a mentor program called “Take a Wildcat to Lunch,” that pairs alumni and other professionals with students according to their academic studies and interests. 1 To sign up now or learn more about the mentor program, contact Jessaca Olsen or Dick Davis in alumni relation. SPOTLIGHT A LUMINARY The alumni association is inviting all members of the Weber State University community to submit nominations for the 1996 “Distinguished Alumni” and “Distinguished Service” awards. 1 The Distinguished Alumni award is presented to alumni who have brought honor to WSU through extraordinary service to the university, state or nation. The Distinguished Service award recognizes individuals who are not alumni, but have brought regard to WSU through community-oriented service. ) Nomination forms are available in the Alumni Center and must be submitted before Aug. 1, 1996. For more information, contact alumni relations. STAY IN TOUCH [f/f you have questions or information pertaining to association news, contact alumni relations by phone (801) 626-7535 or (800) 848-7770 ext. 7535, fax 801.626.6563, e-mail: alumni @cc. weber.edu or write to: Alumni Relations, Weber State University, 3701 University Circle, Ogden UT 84408-3701. Please include a daytime phone number with correspondence. SPRING 1996 VISTA 3 Growing up during the Great Depression in an isolated Utah farming community, Portia Nelson masked a lonely childhood with dramatic disguise and dancing feet. Now a distinguished lady of a certain age, her presence recalls a celebrated era when gentlemen tipped their hats, ladies wore them, and blue-light cabaret soirées engaged the talk of the town. Portia welcomed an interview from Vista on a recent visit to Salt Lake City where she was honored by the Utah Centennial Committee for outstanding contributions to the arts. She currently resides in a highrise nestled in the heart of Broadway. B Y D A R * Y A. O L S E N CENTURY. 20TH OF COURTESY© BERTHE SISTER TO PAGE LEFT Recognized by generations as Sister Berthe in the film classic The Sound of Music, Portia Nelson's legendary career includes more than 300 commercial, film and television appearances, a collection of original recordings, and a revered book of poetry. Her timeless musical scores are included in the Smithsonian Collection of the American Popular Song, and she was recently inducted into the Women in Film Hall of Fame. She wrote, arranged and produced her latest release Portia Nelson: This Life. * FOX Ni CASEY. O R OBERT S BY L PHOTOS E PAGE N RIGHT ortla IMAGINING STARDOM AT AN EARLY HAMMING AGE. orn Betty Mae Nelson to Jacob Carl and Mary Ann Nelson of Brigham City, Utah, Portia was a change of life baby and sister to four boys. She was first dubbed “Portia” by grade school chums who took the name from a 1940s radio show called Portia Faces Life. “I was very shy when | was young, so they would say ‘Portia isn't facing life,’ and it stuck. Oddly enough, it fit everything | did more than the country sound of Betty Mae.” Portia learned to play piano by ear as a toddler and was composing songs when her peers were still attempting to master the alphabet. The last of her brothers left home to attend Weber College when she was just 6 years old, “With my brothers gone, it was very lonely,” said Portia. “I lived in the world of imagination.” She IT UP FOR THE BOYS AT WEBER songs to performance.” Portia toured the Northwest as the female lead in the Weber Varsity Show, her original composition and firstever musical performed on stage. One of the songs she wrote for the show was called “Three Little Fishes.” “Hal Kemp’s orchestra happened to be in town when we were doing the Varsity Show, and it was about six months later he had a big hit with “Three Little Fishes,” Portia said. The entire episode leaves her gig gling without a hint of resentment. “I just didn’t know about copyright then.” The Varsity Show was the start of something new for Portia—an awareness of her talent. “If it wasn't for the Varsity Show, I wouldn't have known I could do all that,” Portia said. With c characteristic sincerity, Portia added a message for her Weber friends and alumni, “Tell them | COLLEGE. because wherever I went, I never seemed to fit, and yet I fit.” Casting off her safety net of family and friends, Portia hitched her way from Brigham City to California—only to meet Utah's King Sisters while working her first job in a bank. She spent the following year writing music and lyrics for the King Sisters with Alvino Rey’s Orchestra. Portia's big break came late one evening while she was performing unpaid in a local nightclub and Walter Gross, pianist and head of CBS Records, heard her sing. A year later, Portia made her debut at the Blue Angel in New York City on the same bill as Carol Channing, Imogene Coca and the Weavers. Her sweet soprano and classic elegance became the toast of Manhattan's cabaret society. “| really feel like I have guardian angels all graduated from Box Elder High School in 1938 and eagerly packed her bags for Weber College. love them all and they're in the right place. Thank them for what they gave me.” over the place,” Portia said, “because the first WEBER’S THOSE the head of Columbia Recordings. The first movie I auditioned for was The Sound of Music; I got the part. The first time I took my book to SHOOTING STAR VAGABOND BLUES “I had this lonely sense that I couldn't quite o “Pl tell you,” said Portia, sprouting a Cheshire grin, [hey were very permissive of me at Weber. belong anywhere, and I just had to leave it up to | was very erratic. I did everything from writing fate to lead me to where I| was supposed to be, time I opened my mouth to sing, I was hired by a publisher, it was published.” oo 2 New YorkK City’s CABARET STAR. PY b ggg PORTIA obi - . a4 DEBUTS AS STERN-FACED SISTER BERTHE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM A modern renaissance woman of inimitable artistic forté—Portia has attained success as an actress, singer, composer and poet. Her distinguished acting career includes more than and feminist—force has been missing in Washington for too long.” Portia hopes the song will be a lasting anthem for children worldwide 300 commercial, film and television appearances Chapters” from Portia’s book including roles in The Sound of Music, Doctor Dolittle and eight years as Mrs. Gurney on ABC televisions All My Children. THE with its plea for harmony and peace. The poem “Autobiography in Five Short Theres a Hole in My Sidewalk has been used by recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and was reprinted in the Tibetan Book of the Living and Roseanne Arnold’s My Lives. “I don't know where it all comes from,” said Portia, who believes her talent is guided by a force greater than herself. “I feel like I’m just a channel and things come through me, because they come very fast...like the poems in my book, people use them in therapy and As a singer and songwriter, Portia recorded four solo albums and a half dozen records on the Columbia label, and her song “Make a Rainbow ” was sung by opera singer Marilyn Horne at President Clinton’s inauguration ceremony. The New York Times touted the performance as “Perhaps the best thing Mr. Clinton did on his first day. Such feminine— SPRING 1996 VISTA recovery groups, and | wasn’t even sure | understood what was there as I was writing...” Portia received a Lifetime Achievement award from Backstage Magazine, the 1992 Cabaret Classic award from the Mabel Mercer Foundation, and honors for her music and lyrics in 1992, 1993 and 1995 from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). One of nine founders of Women in Film, Portia was recently inducted into the SOUND OF Music 1965 (CENTER FRONT). Women in Film Hall of Fame. She received a Distinguished Service award from WSU in 1989, and was honored by the Utah Centennial Committee for outstanding contributions to the arts in March 796. A STANDING OVATION “Now that I can't be perfect, it’s easier; now | can just sing,” said Portia of the throat cancer that recently claimed her soprano in exchange for longevity and a sonorous bass. In spite of the difficulty she has speaking and singing, Portia bemoans nothing, believing all things happen for a reason. “It’s a reliefin a way, because when you have the other kind of voice, it’s kind of a pure perfect sound and you're worried about it being right all the time, I was always so nervous.” Portia Nelson is awash in down-to-earth values, with humor and warmth reflecting the best qualities of a passing generation. “I don’t know what life is about besides loving the people around you,” said Portia, “Love as much as you can, give as much as you can...I’m just fortunate that what I’ve done falls into some of those categories. c AUTUMN GARDEN, NicuT Frost. WATERCOLOR ARTS ©1994. By ARTHUR R. ADELMANN, WSU PROFESSOR & a OF ART. FROM Art, THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OFoT ee Expression B HAEL B. VAUGHAN and AND KATHLEEN M. LUKKEN. Performance A wealth of achievements and immensely talented students have made the WSU College of Arts & Humanities a top choice for graduating seniors throughout Utah. Its eclectic range of offerings embraces the visual and performing arts, mathematics, English, foreign languages, and communications. The College of Arts & Humanities hosts the only undergraduate literature conference in the United States and has featured instruction by internationally acclaimed writers including: Ray Bradbury, whose works include the Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked this Way Comes and Fahrenheit 451; Maxine Kumin, 1973 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry; and Larry McMurtry, author of Lonesome Dove. @ The college also is home to the nation’s sharpest orators. In 1993, two members of the debate team won the Delta Sigma Rho Tau Kappa Alpha parliamentary debate association tournament, making WSU the first in the country to win national championships in all forms of collegiate debate. m “One sure fire hit after another,” proclaims the Deseret News. Celebrating its fifteenth year, Utah Musical Theatre (UMT) promises the best of musical theater. In 1994, WSU students won national recognition when they were invited as one of six theater groups to perform Pirated Penzance, an adaptation written and directed by UMT artistic director Jim Christian, in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. m Advanced technology also is characteristic of the College of Arts & Humanities. Most recently, mathematics professors Afshin Ghoreishi and Franklin Richards were awarded a Higher Education Technology Initiative grant from the state of Utah to put an intermediate algebra course onto CD-ROM, a move that affords professors and students greater class time for one-on-one discussion and theoretical investigation. PAIGE O’ HARA m [he newest additions to the college, directors of the office of cultural affairs David and Kristen Rowell, have aa the lights of Broadway to northern Utah. During the 1995-96 school year, the Rowells welcomed Paige O'Hara, multitalented singer who captured hearts as the voice of Belle in Disney's animated production of Beauty and the Beast; the Flying Karamazov Brothers in Club Sandwich; and Crazy for You, winner of the 1992 Tony Award for Best Musical. COLLEGE CLOSE-UP thing of personal value, so I enrolled in the music program and loved every minute!” During football’s off-season, Pupu’a returns to Ogden to cram in as many voice lessons as he can from WSU music BALTIMORE RAVENS’ UNTIL PLAYER Tau Pupu’a. PHoTO/BARC BERNLOTH THE FOOTBALL SINGS professor Evelyn Harris. Although he searched for an instructor near his new home, Pupu’a said he wasn’t able to find a professor with comparable talent to Harris. Last year, Pupu’a entered a competition for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In spite ofa fierce cold, he was well received, and plans to audition again this year. If you thought opera music was a diversion reserved for the rich and wimpy or for the fairer sex, Baltimore Ravens invite you to listen up. A football player by profession, Tau Pupu’as robust operatic tenor can 1996 VISTA UTAH’S HOGLE ZOO BUTTERFLY be heard weekends and evenings rolling gloriously through churches and schools across Maryland. “Opera music has a sissy label. I want to open doors for the younger generation and show them that music is universal,” Pupu’a said. Pupu’a believes that talents are God’s gifts and that they are bestowed with a purpose, no matter how strange the combination of gifts appears—even football and opera. Pupua acquired his love of opera music over time but realized he could sing from his first elementary-school music class. “I enjoyed singing with my school and church choirs but I never liked opera,” he said. “I remember coming home from school and hearing Luciano Pavarotti on my brother's stereo, and | would say to him, ‘You don’t even understand what they’re saying!’ but it started growing on me.” Pupw’a originally enrolled in WSU’s psychology program but found he wasn’t paying attention. “I needed to find some- SPRING SD ee Defensive End Tau Pupu’a ’95 would ity campaigns held by FJCandN, a Salt Lake City advertising agency recently featured in Communication Arts. “Encircled by mountains and hundreds of miles from the nearest major city, Salt Lake City appears to be an isolated world unto itself—seemingly closed off from outside influences and new ideas,” wrote Warren Berger, “But in the end, creativity comes from within, as Salt Lake City’s homegrown advertising talent has demonstrated of late...” Indeed, Oliver was raised in Lehi, Utah, and said the small classes and individualized attention from WSU faculty were of inestimable value. “The visual arts rs HOGLE ZOO POSTER, ART DIRECTED CREATIVITY FROM or rE) mae é WORLD ey BY WSU .S ¢ ALUMNUS RICHARD COMES WITHIN...UTAH Relentless bombardment has long been a hallmark of the advertising industry. From controversial Calvin Klein ads to the red-white-and-blue milk campaign starring Kathy Lee Gifford and Michael Jordan, advertising is consumer society's big business. What does it take to be the creative catalyst behind an unforgettable ad? “Expand your thinking and push yourself,” said Richard Oliver ’94, art director of the Hogle Zoo and Utah Transit Author- OLIVER. department is small, so we got more attention than you would ata larger university. The professors were excellent,” said Oliver. For students interested in gainful employment in advertising, Oliver recommends always striving to do better, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, and working on self-designed projects. COELEGE FUTTING CLOSE-UP A STORY TOGETHER: PIECE BY PIECE Storytelling is a universal art that has taken shape in many forms—cave paintings, gospel music, Pioneer Day parades, Arthurian legend. In Judy Elsley’s English class “Text and Textile: Quilts in Literature,” quilts—not Shakespeare or Austen, comprise the day’s reading material. Elsley explains that quilts in North American culture historically have been a kind of text, and often a medium of communication. As part of the course, students interviewed local quilters, examined their works, and wrote biographical profiles. Later, students unfolded their own stories as they pieced together their first autobiographical quilts. The quilts were displayed during winter quarter in the special collections room of the library. For more information about ongoing exhibits in the special collections room contact Briana Beckstrand, (801) 626-6540. <4 Pinwheels” by Jacalyn H. Westergard — “I can remember the windblown pin- wheel toys of childhood. pins and stiff paper, Pinwheels.’ As The pinwheels I had were either homemade or purchased plastic toys. I look back on this single piece of fabric—the polished white cotton bottom center of the piece, I can see myself whisking The with name of my with straight quilt pattern is bright red flowers located at the the full skirt of my new dress to one side as I slide into my desk, whose top is carved with numerous names and initials, including the name of my father who attended the same school.” Ser —— i fteae | = z , TUNE IN YOUR HEAD He wakes you in the morning, brings you the daily news, comments on your life style, and selects your music. He is WSU graduate Kelly Hammer ’91, the crisp clever voice heard daily from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. on Q-99 FM, one of Salt Lake City’s top-rated alternative music stations. “It's a lot more work than people think,” said Hammer, pausing for a threeminute interview during an on-air shift, “but I love it.” As Q-99 production manager, Hammer spends half of his time behind the scenes creating and recording commercials and promotional liners such as “Tune in Your Head” and “Resurrection Tracks,” that make up the sound of modern radio. Hammer began his broadcasting career as an intern with KWCR, which stands for Weber Campus Radio. From general manager to disc jockeys, KWCR is staffed entirely by students. “There's no way to break in without experience,” Hammer said. “I would recommend Weber's program hands down. They have the best program in the state.” KELLY HAMMER IN THE Q-99 FM BROADCASTING STUDIO. 10 NEWS clips WE TURP Oe ONE We: Oona Kips Act Up “If you want to perform, if you want hands-on experience, wonderful experience, then Weber State is the place to be,” said Timothy Goins ’91, 1995 co-director of Kids Act Up, a summer theater program offering one and two-week workshops for young performers. With curriculum designed and implemented by WSU performing arts students and alumni, Kids Act Up offers a comprehensive examination of fundamental theater elements including acting, play writing, movement, voice, lighting, costume design and make-up techniques. Goins said the workshops are designed to give youth a realistic insight into the world of theater. “In introduction to acting, we help the children become comfortable with presenting themselves, the same as if they were to walk into a Broadway audition.” Goins, now a teacher of music, dance and drama at Glendale Middle School, said the opportunity to instruct young performers helped him sharpen his theater and teaching skills. “The best method of learning is through teaching.” Goins said he can’t recruit enough for WSU’s performing arts programs. “I tell my students who want to get serious about performing that Weber is the place to start. | came 3,000 miles from Geor- gia to enroll here. It’s the top musical theater program in Utah.” For information about Kids Act Up call Leslie Warwood, (801) 626-6900. KIDS MAKE SFE ING UP FOR Kips Act-Up. 1996 VISTA Ral Personal Attention a Weber Plus The personal attention Weber State University faculty members give their students is the best among seven of Utah's colleges and universities, according to a recent survey of 5,000 Weber and Davis County residents. Those surveyed indicated that personal attention was one of the most important characteristics a university can possess. “WSU’s low student/professor ratio of 19 to 1 has long been a hallmark of the , university,” said President Paul Thompson. Presented randomly to residents of Weber and Davis County, the survey compared WSU against Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Utah State University, Salt Lake Community College, Davis Applied Technology Center and Ogden/Weber Applied Technology Center. Questions were asked in 18 different areas. WSU ranked second only to BYU in the area of providing a wholesome environment. “We are delighted to know that area residents feel strongly about our learning environment, said Thompson. “It requires continuous effort to provide a climate for learning that is wholesome and inviting for students from all backgrounds.” Other areas in whichWSU ranked at or near the top were: diversity of the student body, affordability of total cost to attend, financial aid, location and off-campus facilities, attractive campus and treatment of prospective students. 11 A SOUTHWEST VIEW OF THE WSU Davis CouNrTY SITE. All This, and Layton Too WSU has launched its long-range plan to serve the higher educational needs of Davis County residents with the purchase of a 79-acre plot of land in Layton, 10 miles south of the main campus. The land was purchased from six private owners for $2.6 million appropriated by the Utah Legislature over the past two years. “In 1994, the Utah Board of Regents assigned WSU the responsibility for higher education in northern Utah,” said director of government and public affairs Carol Berrey, “and the legislature has enthusiastically supported this directive.” For over 20 years, WSU has brought higher education to students in Davis County with distancelearning classes first offered on Hill Air Force Base. In 1995, WSU served over 7000 students in Davis County through the Davis Center in Layton, the Davis Applied Technology Center in Kaysville, and the Davis, Northridge, Clearfield, Viewmont, Bountiful and Woods Cross high schools. WSU partnerships REACARINGG” ONT O° _ - TRE eo ie COMMUNITY y) rh at 4 7 bE —- a THE Davip Ecc_es CONFERENCE » 7a = ae eee = CENTER AND PeERY’S EGYPTIAN THEATER ARE CURRENTLY UNDER RESTORATION AND CONSTRUCTION AND ARE SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN THE LATE FALL OF 1996. David Eccles Conference Center and Peery’s WSU’s Utah Musical Theatre (UMT) will become the Egyptian Theater summer theater in residence at the Egyptian Theater For more than 10 years Weber State University officials have beginning in the summer of 1997. Jim Christian, artistic needed access to a conference center. So when President Paul director of UMT, said the theater will offer a sense of Thompson was approached to form a partnership for such a “occasion” to theater goers. “It’s going to feel like a special venture, WSU was eager to participate. night out,” he said. UMT’s opening show in the historic “We are pleased to be part of this partnership,” said theater will be “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Thompson. “We are confident this will be great for both the Dreamcoat.” Christian estimates that some 17,000 people university and the community.” WSU will be responsible for will see the premiere season scheduled for July 11—Aug. 26, the day-to-day operation of the David Eccles Conference 1997. Center and Peery’s Egyptian Theater including scheduling, staffing and management. “Without the partnership there would be no center,” said Bob Johnson, executive director of the center. “The end The David Eccles Conference Center will kick off its opening with a three-day gala and celebration planned for early January, 1997. Bookings are now being taken for the 1997 season. To result of our partnership is a unique state-of-the-art schedule an event in the Conference Center or the Egyptian conference center that will not only serve northern Utah but Theater, contact Bob Johnson, (801) 627-2117. the entire western United States.” Upward Bound Constructing Lives Upward Bound graduate Melvin Murdock ’77 is the owner-operator of Thunderbird Construction, a minority business that has constructed over 61 homes on the Fort Hall (Shoshone Indian) Reservation and a million-dollar office building at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in Idaho Falls. Murdock purchased the fledgling company in 1981 after a four-year apprenticeship he heard of through a friend in the Upward Bound program. “I can’t even begin to say enough about what Upward Bound has done for my life,” said Murdock, who joined the program while a junior at Union High School in Roosevelt, Utah. Aimed at preparing disadvantaged high school students for higher education, Upward Bound has been at WSU since 1965. Upward Bound provides students with after-school tutoring from WSU students, ACT MELVIN preparation and a wide array of year-long first-hand learning activities. The students also spend six weeks at Doman, translated into Spanish two booklets for the Ogden WSU each summer “experiencing campus life,” said Area Community Action Agency. The first contains Upward Bound director Dave Trujillo. information about community resources, including This year, 15 Upward Bound students will enter WSU “. MURDOCK immunization, housing and legal counsel. The second as freshmen. “I think it’s a success if these students graduate explains Head Start, primarily reputed for its work with pre- from high school. Many of them wouldn't be able to do school children, but also designed to provide career guidance that if they were not involved in this program. It’s a great and higher education information for parents. thing when you finally see a light go on and see them get Doretha Keeling, Head Start program coordinator, said excited about learning,” Trujillo said. she plans on working more with WSU students in the future, For more information about Upward Bound call Dave “They have excellent skills and technical know-how.” Participating students felt the opportunity to translate Trujillo, (801) 626-6760. gave them a working knowledge of Spanish, “You may learn Partnership Translates to Success basic vocabulary from textbooks, but people speak very Take an agency short on cash, a community laden with differently in real life,” said Jo Dabb 96. Husband and wife disparate needs, and a handful of talented students, and you team David and Cora Neal ’95 said, “It felt terrific to use our have the composition for a WSU partnership success story. skills to benefit the community. It was fun to work on Earning course credit only, five students in the foreign something significant—it meant something.” language program, guided by professor of Spanish Larry SPRING 1996 VISTA 13 AUTHORS AMONG CHARITABLE US SlETS; 23 ey Ne . J > Vv , C SM 4 Ge a HOUSE WITH Sherrie Johnson | A House with Wings Sherrie Johnson 95, UT: Aspen Publishing, 1995. 145pp. $7.95 paperback. Coming of age is the predominant theme of a new book by Weber State University alumna Sherrie Johnson. A House with Wings is an inspirational historical novel for teenaged readers. Set during American westward expansion around 1850, the book tells the story of the Boxall family, Mormon pioneers, from the perspective of 13year-old Millennium Boxall. Millennium and her five brothers have been forced from their Nauvoo, Mo., home in the face of religious persecution. Loneliness, hunger, labor and pain are strong themes in the novel, which uses childbirth as an example of a severe life stress that leads to great spiritual gains. Recurring images such as a lively field of sunflowers and a crystal spring of water reinforce this theme with beauty and emotional repose. References to historical personages like Abraham AWTS. AN OB PEOPLE A Lesson for a Lifetime Do not drop out of school.” What she didn’t While I was looking through my “Books of know was that I had acquired a job on the Life,” I ran into a picture of Betty Noble, a railroad—working nights from 12 A.M. until teacher at Weber College. 8 A.M. The next day I went up to the college I will never forget her. I had an athletic re ; giving scholarship at Weber. During the Great Depression, money to operate the school and gave her back the money. I thanked her, and told her I didn’t need the money—that I had a job. didn't come easy. They couldn't continue I will never forget her in my lifetime. giving me the scholarship. Rumor spread I worked on the railroad from midnight to through the student body that I was dropping 8 A.M., came home, dressed for school, and out of Weber. I didn’t have any money to attended a full day. Then practiced football, register. basketball, track, or baseball, whatever was Ms. Noble phoned me at home. She asked me to meet her at the in season, until around 5:30 p.m. I then went home to bed, then to work at midnight. college at five minutes to 8 P.M. I met her. We I always remembered the talked for about two minutes. She then incident—when dealing with said she “had to go to a/ students, when I was a coach, meeting.” She handed me a teacher, and administrator. | sealed envelope and said, did my best to help them in “Do not open this letter until every way to stay in school you get home.” When I got until I retired at age 83. home, I —J. Stuart “Monk” Halliday ’26 opened the letter. In it was $250 in gold certificates. A letter said, “Don’t drop J. Stuart Halliday attended Weber High out of school. Take this money as a gift. If School from 1918-23 and Weber Junior College you wont take it as a gift, take it as a loan. from 1923-26. Lincoln and mountain-man Jim Bridger, and to events such as the “Miracle of '48” seagull invasion of Utah, add interest and authenticity to this charming yet realistic story of the If you wish to learn more about establishing a scholarship fund or making a gift to a particular department, program or college, please contact university development. All inquiries are treated American pioneer experience. confidentially. University Development, 4018 University Circle, Weber State University, Ogden Review by Sean Spillane UT 84408-4018, e-mail: dspainhower1 @weber.edu, phone (801) 626-6194, fax 801.626.8875. 14 BRAVO ALUMNI ATTENTION ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS Celebrate Spring in Style A colorful bouquet of social and cultural affairs is yours for the choosing at WSU. As a dues- Remembering Donnell B. Stewart “How beautifully the Stewart Bell Tower organizes our human industry around itself, communicating external stability and strength in the midst of rapid-fire mental and emotional changes and uncertainty among the human forms that pass beneath it,” wrote Sue Spillane, WSU student and one of countless individuals inspired by the carillon chimes—part of the legacy left by Donnell B. Stewart. Donnell B. Stewart, Ogden native and lifelong supporter of the community, died March 4, 1996 and is survived by his wife Elizabeth Dee Shaw Stewart. Dynamic members of the Weber State University family, the Stewarts provided fundamental support for the construction of the Stewart Bell Tower, Stewart Library, and the Dee Events Center. The couple contributed to the Camp Lamonda building project, the Lake Bonneville Council of Boy Scouts of America, and were the largest single contributor to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. In his life history, completed in 1993, Donnell wrote, “Our objective in life has always been to do the most good for the greatest number of people. Never in my wildest dreams would | have imagined my life could have become as it is today. . . My life with Elizabeth has been brightened by the times when we, together, could find ways to bring happiness to others, especially, those who required our help.” Throughout his lifetime, Donnell graciously contributed time and money to the university. A member of the Wildcat Club, he served two terms on the alumni board and chaired a fundraising committee to help raise funds for library books. He also served as vice chairman of the Weber State College Foundation. “He was very interested and involved with the university,” said WSU president Paul H. Thompson. “He came to all the events. It’s a great loss to the university.” A loved and respected member of the Ogden community, Donnell was active in civic and church affairs. He participated in the Sons of Utah Pioneers and the Ogden Rotary Club. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served faithfully as a high priest, group leader, and ward clerk. Donnell and Elizabeth served together on an LDS Church mission in West Virginia in 1970. The Weber State University family wishes to extend its thoughts and prayers to the friends and family of Donnell and Elizabeth Stewart. paying member of the alumni association you will receive discount fares and invitations to an array of activities including theater performances, dinners and outdoor events. Membership benefits include: free single-day parking permits, discount fares to performing arts events, a 10 percent discount at the university bookstore, Swenson Gym discount passes, free WSU publications, a 10 percent discount on continuing education courses and membership in the WSU credit union. Membership dues are: AN Lab.) ACRE PY iog YLT RRS RM BTN ii BAR Re Raa ST Ea ieee a RIPE oy Sk RN eb) $20 ay pea! Lene ey SBR 11) LORE SEER TLE te Nile SRD BI $550 BY Several groups on campus have chartered special Micacalavee seem OMe lite iia ite teem ents Backcourt Club for former basketball players, the Gridiron Club for former football players, and the Track and Field Alliance. To join your special interest society, check the appropriate box and add $10 to the corresponding line. All society participants must be active members of the alumni association. Just remember to send Jean Ann (Holbrook) Mathews ’61 AA, Florissant, Mo. Serving as the administrative director of Enterprise Mentors International, a tax-exempt international foundation based in St. Louis. Mathews earned an MPA from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and served 10 years in the Missouri House of Representatives. She received national recognition as State Legislator of the Year and is the first woman elected as president of the Missouri State Board for the Healing Arts. Mathews has twin sons, one daughter and seven grandchildren. Zara Faatz ’87 BA, Gunnison, Ut. Awarded the Corrections Educator of the Year Award for region IX which includes Colorado, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico and Wyoming, for her work as a business and computer teacher at the Central Utah Correctional Facility. The award was granted by the International Corrections Association. Faatz recently implemented a course titled “The Impact of Crime on Victims,” designed to help perpetrators understand the experiences of their victims. Robert Dayley “90 BA, DeKalb, Ill. Received Lynda Davis ’80 BS, Vancouver, Wash. Accepted a transfer within Electronic Data Systems (EDS) to Vancouver, Wash., where she is responsible for implementing clientserver based health care systems for several states including Idaho and Colorado. For the past six years, Davis worked on the EDS Smith’s Food and Drug Centers account in Salt Lake City as a project leader, data modeler and systems tester. Robert Winward ’85 BA, North Ogden. Appointed as one of five directors on the national board of directors of the University and College Designers Association (UCDA). Winward will represent region 5 west which includes 1] western states as well as Alaska, Hawaii and the western provinces of Canada. UCDA promotes excellence in visual communications for educational institutions and has over 900 members. Winward is director of university publications at WSU. Fulbright Scholarship to study in Bangkok, Thailand for the 1995-96 school year. The award covers travel and tuition expenses and includes a $17,000 stipend. Dayley is enrolled in a doctoral program in political science at Northern Illinois University. He is married to Carrie (Patzer) Dayley of Eugene, Ore. and they have one daughter, Maura Dayley. Kay Keller “91 BS, Brigham City, Ut. Serving as the executive director of Box Elder Family Support Center which provides respite and prevention education services to families with young children. Keller earned an MPA from the University of Utah in 1995 and was selected for inclusion in the organization “International Who’s Who of Professionals.” She has three children, ages 18, 16 and 11. your dues to: Alumni Association, Weber State University, 3701 University Circle, 84408-3701. 626-7535 or (800) 848-7770 ext. Name City ST:1h Social Security # Nolte NE Tile WSU Alumnus(a) Selmer 1996 VISTA 15 | Yes |] No mNaett sla aed Class of Major Degree Member Dues $ Beri aes Membership Fee ($10) Backcourt Club Fee ($10) Track and Field Alliance Fee ($10) stele, [(_] Credit Card Expiration Date SPRING | Class of Major Degree Cardholder’s Name University, 4020 University Circle, Ogden UT 84408-4020, phone (801) 626-7359, fax 801.626.6243, e-mail dolsen] @weber.edu Sera Home Telephone Visa MasterCard # We are delighted to receive news of alumni promotions, honors, awards, weddings and births. Related photos are welcome. Death 7535. Address |} Check notices should be accompanied by a copy of an obituary. Send news to: Darcy A. Olsen, University Publications, Weber State Ogden UT For more information call: (801) Syeda ati Ke BACKWARD glance HISTORICAL NOTES Ee KZ OF INTEREST ., - L220 =~ Nt 7 | Sze + »— ZO 1940 The Acorn reports, “Those Errol Flynn fans with the bows-and-arrows have improved to a point where it’s safe to stroll around the Ogden Hike. Marriott commutes from Slaterville by horse and buggy. 1936 The Acorn reports, “The girls of Weber, hearing so much from their parents campus without a suit of cast-iron underwear. It was about the younger generation, decided to step back to the formerly their habit to comb the Weber grounds pulling } ballroom was an old-fashioned barroom. Its flock of little tables were centered with ‘dead men’ labeled ‘Sloe Gin,’ “Black Gold,’ and ‘Old Oscar Pepper.” 195 7 The Mt. Ogden Hike is moved to the east 7 : ; stray arrows out of . : {> re * a crerete, oaeae ar? CUT trees, frame houses, and occasional students. But it’s all in the spirit of wholesome fun.” 18 89 Weber Stake Acad- emy opens its doors to 98 students under the auspices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the proposed state of Utah. 1922 Gay Nineties. The ' Students and staff hike Ogden peak with President J. Willard Marriott, beginning the tradition of the annual Mt. mountainside next to the new campus. During the celebration, flares are kindled in the shape of a “W” and 25 acres go up in flames. 1 9 6 7 Parking stickers issued for the first time at a cost of $1 per year. REMEMBERING 1941 4; wold by Dan Bailey I will never know why I signed up to discover what Mendel had to say (Heredity #1), but I do know that it was not my best decision since I flunked the course. However, I do remember one amusing incident. I lived on 27th Street and coming home one evening, I found a life-size paper-maché seal in the trash. My ss. baser instincts took over and I brought the seal home, painted it a strange green (the only paint I had in large quantities) and _ applied weird squares, triangles and parallelograms of various hues (paint which | Bisel in small quantities). The next morning, with my seal on a kid’s wagon, I waited outside the classroom door for 10 minutes into the hour, then I burst in, pushed the wagon before the professor and said, “I’m sorry I’m late but here’s my question: Is this the correct answer to the third assignment?” (Whether this had anything to do with my flunking the class I do not know.) Immortalize your own collegiate adventures, misadventures, romances and pleasantries. The Emeritus Alumni Council is compiling alumni memories from 1889 to the present for publication. Tangible memorabilia such as school sweaters, photos, and trophies are also being collected for display in the Alumni Center. Submit your memoirs to alumni relations. Typed and handwritten copy, audio tapes, and computer disks accepted. SA JE mx — Oo = S — 4 =s SHos no —_f SEES ~A2ZBPaes eh > S 7 HPO5 & i vA —_ 5 bee es, CS QO = © 6 >