CoO Officials Hope Students Shorten Their Stay Sid Otton Danny Rich Jim Schmedding Of Note: Athletes Inducted Into University’s Hall of Fame Weber State has inducted Sid Otton, Danny Rich and Jim Schmedding, former football players; Cindy StumphStevens, a former women’s basketball star; and team physician Dr. Russell Hirst into the University Athletic Hall of Fame. Dr. Hirst also received the Reed K. Swenson Distinguished Service Award, which honors administrative or other service to the athletic department, during March ceremonies. Mr. Otton was an offensive and defensive tackle from 1964 to 1965. In 1965, he became the only player in Big Sky Conference history to earn firstteam, All Big Sky honors at both positions in the same year. He also eared Associated Press first-team honors that year. In 1988, he was named to the Big Sky Conference Silver Anniversary football team. Mr. Otton is head football coach at Tumwater High School in Washington state. Mr. Rich played linebacker from 1978 to 1981. He earned first-team, All Big Sky honors as a junior and senior. He holds Cindy Stumph-Stevens the Weber State one-game record for the most tackles — 31 against the University of Nevada. He is the University’s all-time leader in career tackles with 450. In 1988, he was named to the Big Sky Conference Silver Anniversary football team. Mr. Rich played professional football with the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. He works as a Salt Lake office manager for Bonneville Collections Agency. Mr. Schmedding was an offensive tackle in 1966 and offensive guard in 1967. He was named to the All Big Sky first-team both years. He was on the Associated Press All American first-team in 1967 and the Big Sky Conference Silver Anniversary football team in 1988. Mr. Schmedding played professional football with the San Diego Chargers. He is a real estate investment broker in Solana Beach, California. Dr. Russell Hirst Ms. Stumph-Stevens played center for the Lady Wildcats basketball team. She is second in scoring and rebounding in the University’s all-time record book, behind Hall of Fame member Kathy Miller. Ms. Stumph-Stevens earned three Intermountain Athletic Conference first-team honors, was named to the Big Sky Conference All 1980s Decade Team and was a two-time Wade Trophy finalist for the national women’s Player of the Year. Ms. Stumph-Stevens became the first female athlete to receive the University’s Joseph Breeze Outstanding Athlete Award. She lives in Canon City, Colo. Dr. Hurst has served as team physician since 1946. He also has a private practice in Ogden. & University officials are trying to reverse a disturbing trend of students who take nearly a decade to complete a four-year degree. The students who graduated in June 1992 spent an average of 9.9 years obtaining their degrees, according to President Paul H. Thompson. That compares to only 6.3 years needed by 1972 graduates. Dr. Thompson said the University’s enrollment now includes more than 100 students who have amassed more than 250 credit hours and no degree. Only 183 credits are required for a bachelor’s degree. Dr. Thompson said factors that contribute to slow graduation rates include: * Rising costs of tuition. More students have been forced to attend part-time while working full time. Thity-seven percent of the student body consists of part-time students. ¢ Mormon missions. About 17 percent of Weber State students interrupt their studies for up to two years to serve missions for the Mormon church. ¢ Career and family pressures. Some women interrupt their college educations to have children. Many students leave the University altogether for a period of months or years to deal with career or family pressures. ¢ Student failure to satisfy graduation requirements. More than 25 percent of the 3,250 students who applied to graduate last year were denied because they had not accumulated proper credits. Dr. Thompson said the University has intensified student counseling efforts to increase graduation rates. # INTIAL SONGWRITER RECOGNIZED DURING CLINTON INAUGURATION Portia Nelson fa f \ ortia Nelson, programmed to be sung just ( ' 4 Class of ’40, Pere was home ©’ _ watching the inau- before the president was sworn in, or that I’d hear my name spoken in front of the guration of President Clinton on television when her good friend, Metropolitan Opera world, alongside Aaron Copland yet.” After the performance of singer Marilyn Horne, “Make a Rainbow,” the cards stepped to the microphone. and letters started to pour in. Ms. Nelson knew the song “T was stunned by the President Clinton had asked response,” she said. “People to be performed was one of called me from all over the her own compositions. What —— world.” Music stores, recordshe didn’t know was that the ing artists and hundreds of announcer would recognize individuals wanted sheet that fact. music. Ms. Nelson signed a “T literally fell out of my partnership arrangement with chair in shock,” said Ms. Warner-Chappel Music and Nelson. “I knew Marilyn was within three weeks, sheet going to sing my song, but I didn’t know it was music was available in music stores across the country. “For me, the whole thing is a miracle,” said Ms. Nelson. Though this was the first time her music had been performed for a president, Ms. Nelson is no stranger to success or fame. When she left Weber College for Hollywood she began a singing and acting career that includes 10 years as a cabaret singer in New York, performances with the King Sisters, a job at Universal Studios, five show albums and three solo albums. Her first acting audition was for the movie “Sound of Music,” and within an hour she had a role as Sister Berthe. She also has starred as Sister Elizabeth in “The Trouble with Angels” Sarah Dolittle in “Doctor Dolittle,” Mrs. Rowe in “The Others,” and eight years as Mrs, Gurney in the soap opera “All My Children.” “T feel very lucky,” she said. “I’ve been in the right place at the right time.” Throat cancer forced her retirement from singing and acting several years ago. “I decided to go back to songwriting, my first love,” she says. Currently, she’s working on a musical for animation. Her roots in songwriting date back to her first year at Weber College. She helped produce the first campus variety show, which toured a number of Utah universities. The show included a song written by Ms. Nelson called “Three Little Fishes.” An orchestra touring Utah heard the song, changed the title to “Boop, Boop, Dittum, Dattim, Wattim, Bo,” and played it as its own composition. The song became popular. “I was very young and naive then and I let it go,” she said. Ms. Nelson is the author of a book titled “There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk.” Alcoholics Anonymous, drug centers and other self-help clinics have used the book as part of their programs. The book is being republished this spring. “T don’t regret any of my life,” she said. “Except I real- ly didn’t like my name. It never fit.” Ms. Nelson was born Betty Mae Nelson. When she got to California someone dubbed her Portia after the leading character in “Portia Faces Life,” a then-prominent soap opera. The name stuck. “As I got older, I began to realize that anyone under 30 thought I was a car,” she said. ® 26 27