The Spirit of State
Congratulations on your publication! Although I receive alumni magazines from several well-known universities, SFSU Magazine is the only one I look forward to. It inspires me, and I've finally realized why. The others are largely about knowledge as prestige and power; SFSU Magazine is about knowledge being used to heal and empower people. Keep up your good work. Each issue reaffirms the spirit of State as I knew it in the '60s
Virginia Palmer Braxton
M.A., Education, '70
Chicago

Gilman Louie: The Early Days
Gilman Louie ("The Name is Louie, Gilman Louie: Grad Helps CIA Go High-Tech," Fall 2002) was a student in my "Business Communication" class in 1979.

For his persuasive speech, Gilman chose to convince the students to buy a computer.

He borrowed one from the Radio Shack on Geary Street. They knew him well as he was a daily visitor who showed the staff how to operate all the new gadgets that arrived weekly.

Gilman spent 40 minutes trying to get the super computer to boot up. Wires and cords were over and under desks. With 10 minutes left, I suggested that he start his speech.

He made a good presentation in spite of the computer stubbornly refusing to boot.

As the class was dismissed I heard the manual typewriters in the classroom breathe a sigh of relief in unison. They were convinced that their future was still bright.
Richard Barnhart
Lecturer, College of Business, SFSU

Community Support
I just want to compliment you on SFSU Magazine! Although I am not an alumnus of State, I am very interested in the school. I find the stories about the lives, accomplishments and activities of your alumni to be fascinating. But more importantly, they make an excellent impression about the value of State for our community. I hope you continue to publish your magazine.
Walt Knoepfel
San Francisco

Tolkien Professor Remembered
I was delighted to see one of my former professors, George Tuma ("Getting Down to Middle Earth," Fall 2002), in the last issue of SFSU Magazine. I had a class or two with him in the early '70s. He was quite a stimulating guy. We had to read works by advocates of the French Revolution as well as the first 11 chapters of the Bible!

My experience at State will never be forgotten, since it was there that I was exposed to liberal education in both the formal and philosophical sense of the term.
Michael C. Quintero
B.A., English, '73
Lynchburg, Va.