One Memorable Basketball Player
The legend of “Billy the Hill” McGill continues to live strongly in the archives of my mind [“A Book for Life,” Spring 2014]. I was a sophomore and junior at Granite High School during the peak of his career as a Ute. My friend and neighbor never missed a home game and often walked to Einar Nielsen Field House from our home in the Sugar House area to watch home games. I was the sports editor of the Granitian, our high school newspaper, and was able to convince our adviser to write a column on Bill McGill.
Billy was my hero growing up in Salt Lake City. I kept score of every Utah road game via the radio at my home and still have the score book from the BYU game where Billy scored his amazing 60 points. I plan to purchase five of his books, one for me and one each for my four grandchildren.
Dick Lorange BS’69
Vancouver, Washington
Commemorate International Alumni
As a University of Utah alumnus from the international community, it was a pleasure and delight to read articles on “Global U” and “Providing Aid and Respect” [Winter 2013-14]. Reflecting on my experience at the U, it might be motivating and inspirational for newly admitted international students to learn of their erstwhile global alumni achieving success in business, innovation, and leadership in different parts of the world.
One major factor that all of these students have in common is that they are “international” till the day of orientation at the U. After graduating, they embody in them the spirit of academic and intellectual excellence which they learn by being part of the U community. Hence, a wall dedicated to the achievements of the U’s international alumni in the “new state-of-the-art main campus facility” where international programs may be housed as mentioned in the “Global U” article may deserve consideration. It shall serve to be an inspiration for all U students, signifying that Utes are truly global achievers.
Asad H. Sahir PhD’13
Denver, Colorado
A Life-Changing Film Program
I’ve personally witnessed these Humanities in Focus classes, watched the transformation from insecure silence and apartness to personalities set free [“An Encompassing Lens,” Spring 2014]. Watching the evolution of these meaningful people has been one of the great privileges of my life. Several are now my dear friends. Do come and observe even one class of these happy achievers, and come away transformed yourself.
Bonnie Donohue
Seeley Lake, Montana
Appreciating the Rostrum
The last two articles by Roy Webb—Carlson Hall and the Rostrum [“Remembering Carlson Hall,” Winter 2013-14, and “The Campus Rostrum,” Spring 2014]—brought back fond memories of my four years at the U, 1950 to 1954.
As a freshman Sigma Chi pledge in 1950, I was told by Ed Maryon, a great student artist and later head of the U Art Department, to paint the Rostrum white. He gave me a brush and a small can of white paint and said, “If anybody asks what you’re doing, tell them Professor George Dibble said to paint it.” When I finished and the poster paint was dry, we went back to the Rostrum and painted red block U’s on the north, south, and west sides, with “ΣΧ” (our trademark) on the north side. The paint stayed on through Homecoming, when a rainstorm washed most of it off.
Thanks, Roy Webb. I’ve been painting ever since. Go Utes!
Russ Fjeldsted BS’54
Logan, Utah