Volume 58, Number 5    September 13, 2010         

Playing to stay young
Generations Jazz Band drummer Jimmy Cobb was the subject of a three-minute interview in the Sept. 8 San Francisco Examiner that focused on the effects on the 81-year old musician of playing jazz. "It has a different effect on everyone," he said. "It’s like going out to play golf for some people. It clears the mind. For me, jazz makes me feel good, it makes me want to live and be strong."

That which matters most
A previous interview with Professor Emeritus of Philosophy Jacob Needleman is recalled in a Sept. 3 Fast Company story about the dearth of New York Times coverage of prominent women in obituaries and news. The absence begs the question, "What is the definition of success?" Needleman's reply: "To be totally engaged with all my functions, all my faculties, all my capacities in life. To me that would be success. I grew up around the Yiddish language, and in Yiddish there are about 1,000 words that mean 'fool.' There's only one word that means an authentic human being: mensch." He added, "To be successful means to have developed character."

For more media coverage of faculty, staff, students, alumni and programs, see SF State in the News.

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Last modified September 13, 2010 by University Communications.