Letters
to the
Editor
Editor’s note: Eastern Washington University reserves the right to edit letters for space, content and material of a potentially offensive nature.
Into Africa:
Alumni Provide Hope and Healing
Masterful Writing Makes Sallee Story Memorable I am moved to write to congratulate you on a masterful piece of writing in Eastern magazine’s winter 2010 article, “Out of the Ashes.” I was struck time and again at the evocative phraseology written by a master writer, David Rey. “Seventeen years old is an uncommon age to have your l ife force its most pivotal moment upon you...” for example. Wow. There is an understanding of history, yet the prose is not obviously discussing history. Statements such as a “burst of creativity and purpose” that led to increased environmental investment after World War II was news to me. The comments on fighting blister rust reminded me of the late 1950s when my brother had a forest service job fighting blister rust, although I never before pondered whether he pulled gooseberry and currant bushes. I believed it involved only pine trees. Bob Sallee sounds like a remarkable gentleman, and with his keen recollections and manner of speech, he no doubt unknowingly assisted in the article being so compelling. However, I feel David Rey’s writing talent was unmistakable and brought the reader face-to-face with Mr. Sallee’s life-changing fate, and how the Mann Gulch fire impacted the rest of his life. I shall remember this article. Thank you, David Rey. In future issues of Eastern magazine, I shall look for your byline, or maybe we shall see your name in larger venues? Carol Johns ’83 MSW
Peace Corps Numbers Thanks for featuring my story as a Peace Corps Volunteer (winter 2010). I’m just one of 7,700+ volunteers currently serving in the Peace Corps. There are more than 187,000 volunteers who have served to date. My family and friends loved seeing me in their mail boxes and across campus. Joe Lockridge ’05 BA social work
Program Offering Comfort to Children Continues to Grow Thank you again for the article about the “Survive the Night” program (fall 2009 issue). We’ve received a lot of awesome feedback. My mom even had a call from an old classmate of hers who was an EWU alum. We have now distributed more than 625 bags, primarily in western Washington. Right now the big need is to bring the program to Cheney and Spokane Lori Gagnon ’05 BA children’s studies Editor’s note: Survive the Night is a program founded by Gagnon and ’06 Jason and ’07 Tiffany Alvarado. They give children, who have been unexpectedly removed from their home for their own protection, a night’s worth of comfortpajamas, tooth brush, new underwear and a stuffed toy. For more information, go to www.survivethenight.org.
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