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 faxed to (940) 369-8763, sent via Internet to north_texan@unt.edu or submitted on this page. Letters may be edited for length and publication style.

Remembering

		Johnny Stovall (second from right) and Alvin Chrisman (second from left), flanked by the Brown twins, Delmer and Elmer, had an impressive showing at the Penn Relays in 1937.

I received my fall copy of The North Texan and found it filled with unusually interesting and informative articles. As usual, I looked for the Friends We'll Miss section and was carried back many years when I saw the names Willis Smith ('25), Delmer Brown ('39) and John F. Stovall ('37).

When I was a small boy, Willis Smith was the local agent for the Times Herald and the Star-Telegram. Along with the other vendors, I met him at the station at 3 every day to get the papers off the MK&T. We'd go to the square to sell them and come back at 4:15 to get the Fort Worth papers off the T&P. Papers sold for a nickel with a penny going to the vendor.

I recall awe expressed by everyone when the Brown twins and the Rideout twins set a new world indoor record in the Distance Medley Relay in Madison Square Garden.

I watched Johnny Stovall grow from a grammar school kid to an all conference running back. He was also a track man, and he, the Brown twins and Alvin Chrisman did the unprecedented by finishing first in three races at the Penn Relays.

Francis Stroup ('29)
DeKalb, Ill.

Jazz award

I was pleased to read about the new Leon Breeden Award in the summer issue of The North Texan. I was even more pleased to read that the award went to my old high school, St. Charles West. What a great way to honor a wonderful jazz educator and encourage other music educators out there in the trenches. Keep up the good work!

Lauren Baker ('95 M.M.Ed.)
Franklin, Tenn.

Congratulations

Worldwide connection

Thank you for my regular supply of The North Texan. I feel like I am back on that beautiful campus every time I get my hands on a new copy. UNT is really a place that is welcoming and homey. I know it was for me and I am sure a lot of other international students feel this way also. As I work and spend time overseas most of the year, it has become my only contact with this beautiful past of mine.

However, I would like to see more stories on international students who have shared that wonderful experience and earned the rare right to be called UNT alumni. This way past students like me will get a sense of inclusion after leaving school and may see a need to encourage their kids to also go back and share from that beautiful educational and life-altering experience at UNT.

I would ask that you make an invitation to all past students to register alumni chapters in their different countries. These chapters should update The North Texan on their activities, events or just general things they are doing to promote UNT's image in their native countries.

Christopher Wenegieme ('96)
Aurora, Colo.

Editor's note: Thank you for recommending coverage of international students. We agree with you that stories about our international alumni would help keep them connected with the university. We'll consider your story idea for a future issue of The North Texan. If you want to start an international chapter, you can request a list of names and addresses of the alumni in your area from the North Texas Exes by telephone at (940) 565-2834 or e-mail alumni@unt.edu.

The flying worm

In case you were wondering about the hand sign shown in this photo from the fall issue, 1970s cheerleader Beth Lowney McKinsey ('79), who's pictured, explains: "Coach Hayden Fry had our emblem changed a bit to what we fondly called the flying worm. (He was so awesome! We loved him. He stayed very involved with us, too.) Our colors were lime green and white instead of dark green and white. We were playing schools like Oklahoma State, the University of Tennessee (who we beat when they were ranked in the top 20), the University of Texas, Louisiana Tech, Southern Methodist University and Florida State, and Coach Fry wanted NTSU to be noticed. We flew with the team. We traveled to basketball games, too (like to the University of New Orleans). He wanted it all to be very professional, and it was. When we went to cheer camp, every other university had a hand sign. The emblem we formed was supposed to be a flying eagle (Coach Fry's eagle-worm emblem). Thanks for letting me remember those years again. They were a blast!"