A Year To Remember
A Year To Remember
I WAS SO IMPRESSED to see the "50 Ways" the university is making its mark in the community. It is a great list of positive programs. However, I was disappointed to see the UNLV Rebel Recycling program's Drive Up and Drop Off (DUDO) was not on the list. Because no apartments or condominiums in the Valley provide their tenants with the opportunity to recycle, Rebel Recycling started this program in 1998. DUDO is the only convenient, seven-daya- week/24-hours-a-day location that accepts recyclables. It gives disenfranchised multifamily dwellers the ability to recycle.
Tara Pike-Nordstrom
'95 BA Environmental Studies
UNLV Solid Waste and Recycling Manager
BOTH MY WIFE, PATRICIA (SEPICH), '69 BA Education, and I are lifetime alumni association members, and we both enjoyed the well-done magazine. Patti worked as a student aide in the athletics department for then-director Michael "Chub" Drakulich.
When Patti's father passed away, she told Chub that she would have to quit school to work and help support the household. Chub would have none of it. Instead, he put her on a basketball scholarship, which allowed her to complete her education. There were no women's basketball scholarships in those days, of course, and Patti thought there might be a problem with the NCAA by being a woman on a men's basketball scholarship. When she voiced her concerns, Chub put his arm around her shoulders and told her, "If you see anybody who looks like they're investigating, start shooting baskets." Hence, she might have not only been the first athletics department secretary, she was in all likelihood the first woman to attend UNLV on an athletic basketball scholarship!
I just thought I'd add a little history that is probably unwritten to the 50th celebration of UNLV.
Andrew R. Nixon,
'78 Ed. D. Curriculum and Instruction
I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS a few thoughts concerning the "50 Year" magazine. There was no mention of the nursing program, which has been in existence since 1965. I was director of the nursing program from its beginnings. Many of us put in a lot of hard work to develop an academic program that makes the university proud.
I saw no mention of nurses except for the article on Yu Xu. This was his research of Asian nurses in the American health-care system. Nothing was mentioned about the university turning out highquality nurses.
Margaret Simon
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW how much I enjoyed reading about UNLV. It brought back many years of wonderful experiences.
My grandfather, Dr. Herbert Derfelt, was one of the first professors in the College of Education and the founder of the student-teaching program at UNLV. I remember many stories about the university when my grandfather was working there. His office was in the Maude Frazier building when only three buildings existed on campus.
My son, Pate Thomas, a freshman, is the fourth generation to attend the university. My mother Lavetta Derfelt Starlin, myself, and now my son, have all attended UNLV along with my grandfather and my grandmother, Olive Derfelt.
I was a member of CSUN and was vice president pro tem of the senate. My husband also graduated from UNLV and we both received our master's degrees in education and have been in the Clark County School District for over 20 years.
Robin Starlin Thomas '82 BA Education,
'86 M.Ed. Secondary Instruction
I WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE to let you know that several UNLV Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach employees commented on how much they had enjoyed reading the "American Dream" in the spring 2008 issue. The article featured Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval, a political science major.
The center's programs have helped thousands of disadvantaged youth, just like Maria, by providing early intervention programs that help young people better understand their educational opportunities and options. We all are very proud of Maria and wish her good luck and happiness as she pursues her career in law and public policy.
Writer Erin O'Donnell and photographer Aaron Mayes did a wonderful job of informing the campus and the community of where this young lady started and what she has achieved thus far.
Peggy Marlow,
Director for Marketing and Community Relations UNLV Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach
Are you still true?
We stumbled across this photo in the special collections archives at Lied Library. All we know is that it was taken around 1977. Do you know who that is with the "UNLV - Be true to your school" tattoo? E-mail us at magazine@unlv.edu.
Off the Wall
We tapped Evan Graham to produce the illustrations on page 30 after spotting his work hanging in the spring Bachelor of Fine Arts show on campus. The '08 graduate is now working for a local sign and vehicle wrap company. Although we paid him a pittance for the work, he applied himself to the project as if his career hung in the balance. He researched past issues and asked thoughtful questions before putting pencil to paper (and then mouse to screen). "The first task was figuring out the tone and the most important elements that each passage described," he says. "I wanted the symbols to be bold with plenty of contrast, and I had to be sure the meaning of the symbol wasn't obscure in the small size," he says. "The final symbol was chosen after a series of many sketches."
Photo Finish
Whenever we survey readers, high marks go to the photos of the people and places that make UNLV unique. Those images are courtesy of our award-winning photo services department. For the second year in a row, a UNLV photographer took top honors in national competitions sponsored by the University Photographers Association of America.
R. Marsh Starks was named the 2008 Photographer of the Year. His photos of the new Student Recreation and Wellness Center (fall 2007 issue)won Best of Show. He also won awards in the categories of Environment & Landscape; Sports; Science & Research; and Portraits.
Starks beat out more than 350 photographers from 250 other universities, including last year's big winner, co-worker Aaron Mayes.
Mayes, '06 BA Art, racked up enough points in the UPAA's Monthly Image Competition to be this year's overall winner of that contest. He also won prizes in the categories of Personal Vision; Science & Research; Portraits; and News & Features.
Send us your comments
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Write: UNLV Magazine,
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E-mail: magazine@unlv.edu