We want our print edition
I doubt that I pull up the Summer 2010 version of Washington State Magazine, though I may. I generally read the magazine over lunch, when I’m taking a break from a day in front of the computer — I don’t want to have lunch with the machine! I may pick it up some other time, but that’s pushing it. I have no doubt of the economic necessity of only putting the issue on line — I’m only glad I went to WSU 40 years ago when I could afford it! — but it doesn’t work well for me.
Ruthann Knudson PhD ’73, Great Falls, MT
Re going to an online format. It’s a bad idea. Fine for bank statements, bad for leisure reading.
Roger Crawford ’86, Pullman
Digital publication? I have a big IMac, but still do not use it for reading publications. The local paper tried digital, but failed. I think this will probably pull the plug on lots of us older Cougs. It’s much like fiscal cuts locally and the first thing is hours in the library, because reading books is going out of style. Good luck with what you have to do, have enjoyed the Mag. while it lasted.
Dennis M. Rees ’56, Kailua Kona, HI
Whatever happened to home economics?
The summer 2009 issue arrived just shortly after we returned home from the Golden Grads reunion. The WSC graduating class of 1959 had seventy plus College of Home Economics graduates and quite a few of us were able to reconnect at the reunion. Many of us also asked the same question as the magazine article, “Whatever happened to home economics?”
The article infers that post World War II college home ec. programs focused on making women become good homemakers and keeping them focused on domestic life instead of professional fields of study. The 1959 grads entered professions, both in and out of their homes.
Now high school home economics programs are disappearing around the country and there are fewer home economics teachers available to teach students the basic skills needed to survive the current recession. The once proud WSU College of Home Economics is no more. It has been broken up and blended into other programs. Although remnants of the old programs still exist, Dorothy Price recognizes that, “The soul of Home Economics is not here” (at WSU).
Thank you Washington State Magazine and author Hannelore Sudermann for asking such a pertinent question and providing some “very home economical ideas” emphasizing the importance of Home Economics.
Jo Klarich ’59, Zillah
Loved at last
Truth be told, I don’t know exactly why I am receiving WSM. My guess is either because you just send to all of your alumni as a gift or because I didn’t know how to say “No” every time a cheerful WSU student called to tell me about wonderful events happening on the campus and then ever so politely asks Dr. Yang for a donation.
Since I didn’t go out of my way to pay and subscribe to the magazine, I can’t say I appreciated it immediately. It always comes in with a pile of junk mail. I never like to sort the mail the instant I get it. But as my desk gets piled up, eventually I sit down and grudgingly go through the pile. Somehow the magazines from WSU always manage to escape the fate of being thrown into the recycle bin, even though I didn’t really pay for it like a few others I actually did. The single reason that I cannot allow myself to throw it out along with the other junk mails is entirely because of the wonderful cover art. The cover always grabs me the instant when I hold it in my hand to decide its fate within a split second. The cover is simply too good to be thrown away. So I always sigh, reluctantly put it aside into the “to be read” pile, and tell myself that I will read it when I have time.
Sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months, for me to eventually pick it up and read a few articles. I have to say I am actually impressed with it every time when I read it — I guess I don’t know what to expect from WSM, but whatever that is, you’ve exceeded my expectation. I want to especially commend your art editor(s) because the layout and the graphics are just superb, in addition to the eye-catching cover art. The last issue (v8n2, Spring 2009) is an excellent example. The graphic design for the three featured articles “What is Art For?”, “The Love Letter” and “You Must Remember This” is just so beautiful—I enjoy them as much as, if not more than, the content of the articles.
I was so impressed by the featured articles and the designs that for the first time, I actually read every page of the issue. I think I finally have come to appreciate Washington State Magazine!
Thank you and keep up the good work!
Liuyang Lily Yang PhD ’95, Portland, OR
Another first for Texas
“A Player to Be Reckoned With,” by Jason Krump (Fall 2009) was one fascinating article. Duke Washington may have been the first African-American to openly play on a Texas field, but he was not the first to play on a Texas gridiron.
Morris Moe Williams from Alabama played, secretly, against Trinity University in San Antonio, in 1947, as a member of the Mexico City College team, the Aztec Warriors.
Mexico City College (MCC) was founded in 1940 by two American educators, Dr. Henry L. Cain and Dr. Paul V. Murray, to serve the large English speaking community in Mexico City.
This story of intrigue and disguises is from “The Mexico City College Story: The History 1940–1962,” note L, page 5, online at www.mexicocitycollege.com: “When they arrived in the Alamo City, Dean Murray was shocked to discover that the State of Texas had laws that prevented Negroes playing on the same field as whites. But he was determined that his one Negro player, Moe Williams was not going to be deprived of playing in the game simply because Williams was not white. After some thought, he came up with a plan…
“First, he had the team suit up at the hotel. Then, they went by chartered bus to the stadium. All the players wore their helmets so as to help disguise Moe and raced into the dressing room and then on to the field. Moe wore his helmet the entire game, removing it only in the dressing room during halftime.
“Aside from all of that, the game was a total disaster for the Aztecs of MCC. Trinity University ran rampant over MCC by a score of 73 to 6.
“Nevertheless, one person found solace in the midst of such a devastating defeat. A writer for the 1948 yearbook noted, ‘The Trinity game was the first time a Negro Williams played among whites on a Texas gridiron.’ The Aztecs may have been crushed on the field, but ‘Anyway we made history.'”
Joseph M. Quinn ’70, Independence, OR
Correction
Our article on potatoes in the Fall 2009 issue contained two errors. The president of Johnson Agriprises is Orman, not Oren, Johnson. Also, the Go Cougs potato shed east of Othello owned by Johnson Agriprises holds 18,000 tons, not 36,000. We regret the errors.