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 www.unt.edu/northtexan (follow the "Contact us" link) or mail to The North Texan; University of North Texas; University Relations, Communications and Marketing; P.O. Box 311070; Denton, Texas 76203-1070. Letters may be edited for length and publication style.

Dr. Winslow

It was with great sadness that I read in the winter issue of the passing of Dr. Robert A. Winslow, Professor Emeritus and director of the UNT Band program from 1975 to 1993. Serving as chief music arranger for the UNT Marching Band from 1977 to 1993, I had the professional and personal pleasure of working with Winslow, John Stansberry, Dennis Fisher, Bob Schietroma and other talented staff members in challenging outstanding student-musicians to perform music in the style and tradition that only UNT bands can render.

Under Dr. Winslow's leadership and guidance, the UNT band program flourished and earned the deserved global reputation for being one of the most highly talented, dedicated, successful and creative organizations in the university music scene. Mention your involvement and participation with the North Texas band program to any knowledgeable musician and a new sense of professional respect emerges.

As Dr. Winslow would toast at the annual band banquets: "To those that have come before, to those that are here now, and to those that will follow, the UNT Band marches on."

The opportunity to work with truly gifted and dynamic people does not happen very often in life. Recognize that opportunity if and when it presents itself. I did. Thanks, Boss.

R.A. "Rich" Miller ('84 M.Ed.)
Uniontown, Pa.

More machine

I remember that "Mean, mean green machine coming down the street so ... SCREAM!" and quite a few other silly chants as it rolled down a Homecoming parade line (Time Tracks, fall 2006). Once I watched its red eyes blow a fuse and "smoke" at a game on Fouts Field. What a joy it is to be reminded of those unforgettable days as a science student at North Texas. Thanks for this memory.

Bill Robertson ('75)
Houston

The Mean Green Machine may have looked like it was put together the night before, yes, but North Texas students admired such creativity, even if it was early in technology and did not work as planned. That's the fun of it! It was great, and still is, to see the artistry and efforts of North Texas students who showed such great spirit then and still do today. Go Mean Green!

Jack D. Davis ('73)
San Antonio

Bruce Hall recall

Whoa. Only the head resident and assistant at Bruce Hall had AC — not resident assistants (Feedback, fall '06).
It was a constant war between Bruce and Kerr, so much that a film student, Lewis Abernathy, created a film called Dorm Wars, a spoof during the height of the first Star Wars movie.

At one time there was a great battle between the head resident and RAs where shaving cream pies were flung in all directions.

Members of the B200 wing frequently had "Viking Dinners" where all the food was spread on a table and everyone ate with their hands.

The Laundry was a constant source of pain. The glass was frequently stolen out of the dryer windows and used to make extremely decorative planter hangers in student rooms. Quarters for the laundry were a luxury (along with laundry equipment that worked) so, often, if you took a piece of reinforced tape and inserted the tip of an emory board, it made a fine substitute for a quarter and led to free drying.

There were these new fancy modular practice rooms in the basement that you could rent with a meal card. If you could sound good in those things then you could make it in Carnegie Hall. Practice hours started at noon and ended at 5 p.m. weekdays. You could hear almost anything coming from the windows as you walked toward the admin building! It was a constant source of pain to have to stop at 5 p.m. (Trumpet players had an advantage — they could use a mute.)

Cecil Harold ('83 M.M.)
via e-mail

Other housing

In the summer of 1955 I had my 21st birthday. I was able to move out of Bruce Hall and share a three room apartment with two other music majors for my final semester of college that fall. Need I say they were women? (It was for cheaper expenses since the rent was $58.50 and $15 for food a month, divided three ways).

We rented one of the apartments in the white four-plex on Fry Street, and to my utter amazement it is still standing. Across the street was the famous "The Most Cafe" — a hamburger place. That is actually the only establishment I can name after 50 years. Now the little strip is to be demolished and upgraded, and this has brought forth protests and petitions and outrage that it is tearing out the hearts of students who love these places.

After 50 years I miss the "fishpond," but I don't remember any of the other places across the street. I do, however, remember our apartment on the north side, lower floor, and the fact that we didn't have keys to the doors. I suppose the last one in at night locked it from the inside, and maybe we locked the screen door in the kitchen, but I'm not sure. It wouldn't have made any difference because the windows were wide open in the fall — no AC.

A friend of mine was a journalism major and asked if they could build their journalism department Homecoming float in our backyard. The next morning when we got up, there were three male students asleep in our kitchen. They had worked on the float all night and crashed on the floor. We were surprised but not alarmed, and we were certainly safe. This is the way of life we miss now.

Gloria Curtis Holdridge ('56, '64 M.E.)
Frisco

Worm flying again?

I went online in search of the "flying worm" and it did not take long to find it (Feedback, winter 2003). I was a student at North Texas from 1976 to 1980 and really liked the football uniforms. Now that we have a new coach and are heading in a new direction, I say let's change the current uniform (especially the helmets).

As silly as it may seem to some people, there are a number of athletes who will discount a school if they do not like the uniforms. I would even vote to bring the color scheme back. Yes, I totally understand that there are many more important issues to discuss in this day and age, so please do not ridicule me for this discussion.

Steve Jones
via e-mail