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The North Texan welcomes letters from readers. Send letters, with writer's full name and address, by e-mail to north_texan@unt.edu, fax to (940) 369-8763, submit on the web at the "Contact us" link or mail to The North Texan; University of North Texas; University Relations, Communications and Marketing; 1155 Union Circle #311070; Denton, Texas 76203-5017. Letters may be edited for length and publication style. |
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Greenness
Marilyn Vaughan Hartnan ('67) The summer issue makes me feel inspired to help the planet, proud to be "Green" and a little scared too. I am very focused on learning about environmental issues right now, using what I learn and passing this knowledge on to my children. Lacey Edmondson My husband, Dennis ('63), and I loved the tips for living greener. We particularly liked the one about how we could save 10 gallons of water every time we brush our teeth if we'd just turn off the tap. What sort of water delivery system does your tipster use — a fire hose? Jane Malcolm Editor's note: That water savings tip should have been per day rather than per brushing, though the EPA says you save closer to 8 gallons per day if you're brushing twice a day for two minutes per brushing with the faucet at a flow rate of two gallons per minute. You could save hundreds of gallons a day by shutting the fire hose off when brushing your teeth, but the EPA doesn't recommend using one. If someone asked me yesterday about UNT, I would have nothing but great things to say about it, but after reading The North Texan, I am truly disappointed in my school. The "Being Green" article alerted me to some disturbing things about the education UNT is providing. I'm fine with conservation and I don't want a dirty planet, but this whole climate change thing is too over the top. If students want to do things to help be greener, let them do it on their own or in clubs on campus. Don't force them to do it as part of their classes. What happens if you have a class with a student who doesn't believe in man-made global warming? Does he fail? Does he get ridiculed by the professor? When you exit 35, on the back of the UNT stone marker it says, "Only the educated are free." Not anymore, apparently. Matt Baker ('07) I was inspired when I read the "Being Green" article, which demonstrates the feasibility of achieving a sustainable existence without further damaging our imperiled planet. However, the listing of 11 tips for living green, which ranged from simple to extreme, compelled me to wonder if any were really extreme enough. I would think, given Al Gore's dire predictions of environmental catastrophe, the most extreme measures should be the main focus for consideration in solving our climate change problems. While I am not an eco-friendly expert, I would like to offer my own tip for living green: Drop out, sell your assets, acquire wilderness property and revert to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of our cave-dwelling ancestors. Following my plan, willing neo-primitive women and men will then join with like-minded individuals to form neo-neolithic communes where they may live together in peace, love and harmony in the true realization of the Age of Aquarius! And then, if a sufficient number of people choose to participate in our movement, there will be a significant reduction of humanity's carbon footprint — thus rescuing the cuddly polar bear and waterfront property from melting arctic ice. Perhaps I am too old for such an undertaking, but I feel my suggestion offers a workable strategy by which idealistic young progressives and old hippies can manifest their commitment to saving the earth from impending global warming. If our present global warming crisis can be averted, then all we will have to worry about is the hole in the ozone layer, asteroids falling out of the sky and bird flu. Note: Through the employment of a mechanical typewriter, no electricity was wasted in the fabrication of this submission. David Hubbell ('73)
I strongly resent the article titled "UNT at 20" (summer '08). Forgive me, but I was the third generation of my family to get a degree from that campus. It's funny, I was under the impression that my mother, my grandfather and I all had degrees from the same school (though each diploma has a different school name: NTSU, North Texas State Teachers College and North Texas Normal), but you have written an article telling the world that our time there meant nothing. "It" (meaning UNT) started 20 years ago! I will admit that when the name changed to UNT and I received a letter from the school asking if I wanted a new diploma with the new name, I just laughed. I wondered why anyone would want to change their personal history, but now the truth has come out. It's not my school anymore! Margaret Ann "Maggi" Connell Focke ('73)
I read with nostalgia the fond attachments to UNT through insignia and school memorabilia (Eagle Tale, summer '08). Like others, my attachment is through my class ring, which has never been off my finger. It was 30 years post-graduation that I purchased a UNT T-shirt, and have worn the proud symbol of Mean Green in the Houston area for several years now. Like a giddy new graduate, I sport a UNT sticker on my vehicle for all the world to see as I drive about the state. We cannot promote UNT enough, in my opinion, for all the marvelous programs it offers scholars. Donna Beth Shaw ('65) Although I can no longer wear my NTSC class ring, it still holds a special place in my heart and in my jewelry box. I'm sure many of NTSC's "seniors" honor our school. Nelda Hutto Martin ('55)
Randy Moseley ('75)
Glory to the Green! Georgianne Burlage ('76) My favorite UNT souvenir is my "I survived the Web Institute" T-shirt the School of Library and Information Sciences faculty gave to those of us participating in the very first web institute aimed at school librarians who wanted to complete their master's degrees. The institute was the school's first attempt to offer some of the core courses online. As a result, several of us spent nine days on campus that summer of 2000 for a "crash course" to jump start our learning before completing the courses online. I still wear it as a "badge of honor" because I completed 11 credit hours that summer! Jeri Calcote ('02 M.S.), district librarian, Poolville ISD
William L. Creel ('58)
How wonderful of you to print Robin Fletcher's article about the Moonmaids (summer '08). They were one of the biggest things going for music back in the '40s: great voices, fetching looks, charming talents — even including that of husband Harrold Grogan ('49), who was the greatest baritone around. Thanks for the historical shot in the arm! William Thomson ('48, '49 M.M.)
Regarding the question concerning the number of ranks on the new organ (summer '08): in general terms, a 30-rank pipe organ is equivalent to a 30-piece orchestra. Depending on the design, one "stop" could be several ranks and one rank could be several stops. The number of stops is misleading as to the size of the instrument. A mechanical-tracker action does not radically alter this. Thomas Boettcher ('69) Editor's note: We checked with the maker of the organ, Hellmuth Wolff of Wolff and Associates, regarding ranks. He says "in European tradition, where the tracker organ is much more the norm, one speaks of number of stops rather than ranks." But as some stops do contain several ranks of pipes, he says counting the ranks is a more impressive measure. For the record, the UNT organ (once completed with the 32' Trombone) will have 60 stops and 78 ranks. See UNT News for more about the organ's inaugural concerts in October and a video that includes comments from Wolff. |
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The summer issue of The North Texan arrived last week and the cover was so welcoming that I read the whole magazine. Thanks to all of the staff for a really enjoyable 
I was at UNT (then NTSU) from 1971 to 1975 and got a bobble-head Mean Green Eagle. I've kept it on my desk for more than 30 years. I'm now retired and have it on my home office desk. I think I bought it at Voertman's.
I was a student at North Texas from 1972 to 1976 during the reign of the Flying Worm. I kept several T-shirts with NTSU proudly displayed over the Worm, but my daughter, who graduated from UNT in 2001, confiscated the shirts. However, attached are photos of "Mean Green Beans," which I found among my father George Burlage's ('60, '69 M.A.) North Texas memorabilia. He is a member of the President's Council and an avid North Texas supporter.
I especially like the "Mean Green explosion" label on the back of the can. I remember that our football team was quite explosive in the 1970s, defeating Tennessee and other powerhouses and coming this close to defeating the Texas Longhorns. 
The article on favorite souvenirs brought back memories to me as it did to many other alumni. I have my 1958 North Texas State College graduation ring, a Theta Chi Beer mug and an Eagle head made by my North Texas roommate, a successful commercial artist. I won the Eagle head at a fundraising auction during a Theta Chi alumni reunion at Lake Travis near Austin long years ago. 
My hands grew, for some unknown reason, and I was unable to wear the ring for decades. A couple of years ago my wife had it resized and it is now worn occasionally.