Mailbox Letters From You

“Science and More”

My husband and I so enjoy your Response magazine. As a teacher I am constantly telling my  students things I read. My husband and I are both alumni, as are my son and daughter. … Thanks for keeping us connected to SPU and wonderful things that are happening there.

Lori Lawson Kutrich ’77
Edmonds, Washington

We have had children at four different colleges, three of them Christian, so we get four alumni  magazines. Yours is generally the most focused on showing Christ being glorified or discussing
some issues significant to Christians in our day, and we so appreciate that. You’ve got purpose besides just catering to alumni; please keep it up!

Robert Vermaire
Fruitport, Michigan

Many thanks for the current Response — science and more. I didn’t want to stop reading.

Donald Demaray
Wilmore, Kentucky

One of God’s great gifts to his creatures is the ability to apprehend the world. I appreciated NASA scientist Jennifer Wiseman’s reminder [Winter 2012 Response] to take the time to be quiet and observe the wonders of life.

I would also urge that we consider and give thanks for the classical five senses (and more, say researchers), which allow us to experience living and to take in all the associated data for our contemplation. Each of these receptors present a “galaxy” of advanced construction and detail, and each provides a refined means of comprehending creation and Creator.

Clint Kelly
Everett, Washington

My husband Keith Roynon is in the 1960 picture of the SCIOS Science Club. He found his 1960 Tawahsi yearbook and located this picture, which brought back many memories of good times with these great friends.

Keith is now enjoying his retirement and has established the Roynon Museum of Paleontology, where he lectures students of all ages in earth science. It is a highly rated field trip for schools in San Diego County.

Judy Roynon

Thank you for your excellent publication. Best content I have ever seen in an alumni publication.

William Hoppe MD
San Diego, California

Today I received the issue of Response magazine with the space scene with “The Wonder of Science” on the front cover. What an awesome way to present a magazine. … Please tell me more about Seattle Pacific University. I live on Whidbey Island and have seen some of your beautiful facilities at Camp Casey. ... The magazine is just awesome. Thank you for your inspiration today.

David Blankenship
Greenbank, Washington

Where's the Conflict?

The winter 2012 issue of Response on "The Wonders of Science" first excited me then disappointed as I perused the magazine, not that the various articles weren't good. Totally missing was any sort of examination or conversation about questions related to attitudes and conflicts between traditional evangelical Christian beliefs and science. I speak, of course, about literal Bible interpretations and evolution, but also missing is thoughtful questioning of ethical issues arising from religious/political beliefs and science.

In 2001 George Bush made a decision concerning stem cell research that set back U.S. progress for more than a decade. His decision still blocks progress in that area. In any given article on stem cell research, the very first diseases mentioned as benefiting, possibly even offering cures, are Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries. The first two diseases alone account for a huge percentage of all Medicare costs, not to mention the human suffering. I have Parkinson’s myself, and without doubt at age 70, do not have the luxury of waiting another 15 years for progress to be made. That decision directly related to his and evangelical Christian attitudes. A host of other problems face Americans and the rest of humanity — global warming, energy sources and use, environmental and resource questions, just to mention a few. There is a constant background of anti-science bias in conservative thinking, led in great part by evangelical Christians. All this has vast implications in what is taught to kids in school curriculums especially but not limited to science. It even touches on larger questions in society such as income inequality and access to services such as health care.

I hate to see Seattle Pacific University steer around any engagement in controversy. Jesus certainly did not.

James Jeffery ’64
Grangeville, Idaho

Fans of “Future Falcons”

I read in the last Response that someone wanted you to get rid of the "Future Falcons" section. I'm writing to protest that you please do not take this section out of the Response. … Although I always read this magazine cover to cover (it is done with excellence), this is usually the first section I look at when I receive it. When I first graduated, it was pretty much the only section I would read. I have not stayed in touch with everybody from my class nor from the classes surrounding mine, but I still love to hear about them and see what their children look like. I agree that a picture including the parents would be much better, but a picture of the baby is better than nothing!

Heather Wallace Bock '00
Knoxville, Tennessee

Please don't stop publishing those darling photos! I always look there to see if our son's classmates have had babies, I love to see what young couples are naming their children, and most importantly right now, our son and his wife (both SPU grads) just had our first grandchild! So we are hoping to see little Evan's picture in your wonderful magazine soon.

Bette Lee
Nampa, Idaho

Thank you for the current issue of Response. As an addition to the mail, that day, it will be read far ahead of the bills and such.

I took pause when reading the letter titled “Future Falcons?” More important was the fact that it hit a soft part in my chest, my heart. …

The children represent a very small portion of Response, but serve a much larger role if thought about. We go to church and read our Bible to keep Jesus Christ and God in our mind and heart, to remind not of what Jesus Christ is going to do for us, but what he did for us. It would be just like us, sinners, to forget what is written and carry on our ways here on earth, complaining, getting angry, and treating others poorly. I believe the section mentioned serves a much larger purpose, that is, not only to highlight the birth of these children, but to remind us who Jesus focuses on in the Bible. Here are a few verses:

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
Isaiah 11:6

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Matthew 11:25

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Mark 10:15

Do these verses make you wonder who was more important? … I, too, do not agree with all the articles, but ask God for an understanding of each piece that can get me beyond my small thinking. Continue your good work!

Praise God for the glories he has given us.

Mike Resendez
Mission Viejo, California

Art About the Deaf Culture

I am the author of an American Sign Language textbook series and would like to feature [alumna] Alexie Hoffman’s artwork [back cover, Winter 2012 Response] in a new textbook I am currently developing.

While she may not be aware of it, her artwork falls into a genre known as De’VIA, art that focuses on the experience and perspective of the deaf, which also includes a smaller sub-genre of works done by hearing individuals on deaf themes. Her “Hard-of-Hearing” and “H” are examples of a hearing person’s De’VIA artwork.

Jason Zinza ’97
Baltimore, Maryland

At the World's Fair

[In response to “Space-Age Flashback,” Winter 2012 Response] I met my wife, Donna Barker, in my freshman year at SPC and proposed to her at the top of the Space Needle in June of 1962. We were married in December 1962. We celebrate our 50th anniversary this year. It has been a wonderful 50 years, and it all started at the World’s Fair!

Robert McIntosh ’64
Seattle

How We Met

In a recent issue of Response magazine, you were asking for stories of “How we met” at SPC or SPU. Although my husband is deceased, I’m enclosing our story.

The year was 1957 and I was part of the new freshman class at SPC. As I got involved in various campus activities, including TOLO week in the fall, I had noticed this upperclassman on crutches. I encouraged my roommate to ask him out to the TOLO week event, because he looked like he needed help, and I had already asked someone else!

In January 1958, I was busy with Pep Band at Royal Brougham Pavilion for the home basketball games. One night as I was carrying my French horn back across the intersection, someone came up from behind and said, “Hey, that’s too big of a horn for a little gal like you to be carrying. I’ll take it.”

It was the one who had earlier been on crutches, Jerry Robinson. As we reached the corner, his buddies took off and left him carrying my horn. He asked which dorm I lived in, so off we headed to Adelaide Hall. When we arrived, he suggested that I take the horn in and then come back out to go to the snack bar to get something to drink. We chatted and laughed and had a good time for over an hour. When we got back to Adelaide Hall, he said “By the way, what’s your name, so that I can ask you out again?”

The next date we had was on a triple date, which he had arranged so that we had to sit close in the back seat with another couple while the third couple was up front. We went to Ivar’s Acres of Clams. This began our courtship.

Soon after I joined him at the Everett Free Methodist Church one Sunday. His dad who was teaching the adult Sunday school class asked me to read the scripture, from the book of Ruth, where it says “Whither thou goest, I will go … thy people shall be my people.” Little did I know where all that would be for us — to Germany while he was in the service, and around Europe, and later to the Southwest part of the U.S., where eventually I’d spend 41 years working among Native Americans.

Later that spring Jerry asked me to marry him, and I said, “Don’t you think we should know each other better?”

Then a whole year went by, and I wondered if he’d ever ask again — but he did in February of 1959. He didn’t have money yet for a ring, but I said “yes,” and then he said, “Let’s pray,” and we did, asking God’s blessing on our commitment.

We were going to announce the engagement soon. Then on April 19, 1959, I got a phone call from my brother telling me that my dad had died in Centralia. When we went down to the funeral, my mother, who had just gotten out of the hospital from a serious blood infection, announced our engagement at the funeral dinner, saying, “Although I’ve lost my husband, I’ll be gaining a son-in-law.” She felt it was a good time and place to share it with so many close friends and relatives. Professor Joe Davis and several other people from the college were in attendance that day, lending emotional support.

At the close of the quarter in June, Jerry joined the Army and left for basic training at Fort Ord. We married upon his return, on September 11, 1959. My mother had sold a calf at the sale barn for $35 to give toward our wedding. My future mother-in-law made my dress from the material we bough with that money, and many, many people donated time and materials to give us a great wedding and a good start for our married adventure, which lasted 25 years, until his death on January 20, 1985, from a motorcycle accident.

Wilma Notter Robinson ’61
Dolores, Colorado

Don't be shy! We'd like to hear your opinion about Response or any articles in the magazine. To contact us, email response@spu.edu.