Western Oregon Journal

Dear Editor,

I found the article on age discrimination ["Rumors fly around campus about age discrimination," Journal, Oct. 17, 2005] interesting, and I am deeply sorry that Jeri Wolff feels she has been discriminated against due to her age. As probably the oldest current Western student, however, I have had a very different experience. I do know what age discrimination means, and I have often experienced it in the "outside" world. Before discovering the wonderful psychology department at Western, I attended OSU and was stunned at the blatancy of age discrimination. At Western, however, I have found both traditional students and faculty to be amazingly receptive to my presence, kind and always willing to work with me on group projects or in situations where I might expect to hit some age-related hesitation. Unlike Jeri, I find Western to be a haven of acceptance, and I treasure the friends I have made with "traditional" students-more than half my age and often twice my intelligence!

-Susan Shumway

Article Tools