The North Texan, University of North Texas, Office of University Communications and Marketing, P.O. Box 311070, Denton, Texas 76203-1070.

Letters may also be sent via Internet to north_texan@unt.edu or submitted on this page. Letters may be edited for length and publication style.

Editor's note: The following letter arrived in response to a photo in the summer issue (page 4), which showed Professor James Lott attaching electrodes to North Texas miler Roger Rodriguez for his 1960s biotelemetry research.

Photo finish

I am curriculum leader in health and physical education for the San Antonio Independent School District and have been a health/physical education teacher, an athletic supervisor, and in the curriculum department in the San Antonio ISD for more than 30 years.

In 1967-68, I ran freshman track at North Texas for “Pop” Winton Noah. I was in Dr. Lott’s anatomy class when he was conducting research on my recovery time after I ran a race. I ran track for four years at North Texas. I’m sorry to hear Dr. Lott has passed away.

One interesting note: I have been involved with the support of Polar Heart Rate Monitors for tools of measurement in our school district’s physical education program since 1997. I guess it all started when Dr. Lott introduced me to a similar measurement tool in 1968.

Roger Rodriguez
(’71)
San Antonio

New Orleans Bowl 2001

Mean Green

The spring 2002 issue was your best yet. I was one of the proud and many who sojourned to New Orleans for the New Orleans Bowl. I have passionately followed North Texas sports since my Talon days in the early ’80s, and the bowl game was the reward. The venue was epic and I only wish I could capture the spirit that our fans showed at this game.

My hope is that the North Texas family will take the next step and support North Texas athletics with our attendance, spirit and financial contributions. Many hardcore fans want our athletes to compete in facilities that compare in quality to other campus buildings. A state-of-the-art Fouts Field, for instance, enjoying its current location, could serve the university as a billboard that truly positions the school positively.

Finally, it was nice to read that KNTU once served students with tastes for more than jazz. Actually, it was a great station to listen to while I was at North Texas, offering jazz, rock, new music, R&B, etc. My guess is that disc jockey Guy Johnson’s on-air record (rock marathon) will stand, as long as the station spins the all-jazz format (save for the Saturday morning Spanish segment). Disc jockeys today would fall asleep listening to that much jazz.

Scott Campbell
(’82)
Flower Mound

A tribute

		Tina Slinker

The Denton Record-Chronicle paid tribute to Tina Slinker, UNT’s women’s basketball coach and associate director of athletics, in the April 11, 2001, edition as being one of Denton’s most influential role models and leaders.

I would like to pay tribute to Tina’s beautiful inner character. She continually makes a contribution to her family, the university, women’s athletics, the city of Denton, friends and to humankind in general.

While caring for her gravely ill mother during the 2001-02 basketball season, Tina remained an inspirational leader to 13 young women and three assistant coaches. Leaving her mother’s bedside and arriving at the Feb. 16 game with Western Kentucky, Tina skillfully led her team to another home victory. Tina lost her father Feb. 19, 1999, and her mother Feb. 18, 2002. Once again, life tested Tina’s faith, resolve and character, and she answered the challenge with incredible grace and compassion.

Tina Slinker is a woman of superb character. Socrates said, “I pray thee O God that I may be beautiful within.” Tina’s inner beauty shines brightly.

Carl H. Stocker
('70)
Denton

Ducky days

I enjoyed your “Time Tracks” in the winter 2001 issue about my alma mater, the North Texas demonstration school, affectionately known as “Duck.” I attended from 1940 to 1947, first grade through the eighth.

I believe there was a tuition charge for enrollment, though — my mother gave me a check for $1.75 per semester to deliver to my teacher. Lunch was 5 cents extra, later 10 cents.

I think we had more fun at the school than my friends who attended the three Denton public grade schools — Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and West Ward. We enjoyed frequent field trips and cultural events, attending the performances by prominent figures in music and theater who came to North Texas to perform.

In sixth grade, our teacher permitted us to choose a topic for study, and we chose aviation. We made models, gave reports on foreign aircraft, kept up with and reported on the news of World War II, and capped our study by spending the day at Love Field, then an Army Air Force base, where we toured military facilities, had lunch with some pilots and sat in the cockpit of a P-38 Lightning.

I also recall a few fistfights between the Duck and West Ward students. We usually lost, and I always did.

David Minton
(’54, ’58 M.A.)
Denton