Visiting the campus was a reminder that the next 50 years are in the hands of those students we saw. How impressive they and their dedication are.

The current (recent) unrest is related to many factors in our society and the universities. It has a basis in a lack of confidence in the government, the economy, the protection of rights and environment, and changes in the social structure.

The students have been protesting about the increase in tuition and fees. And they can see yet another burden on their young lives. They are anticipating a debt on graduation that most of us never knew. They are wondering if what they know will get them a meaningful job. They want a say in what is happening to them.

The economy is basic to this because the states don't have the resources to support the education as they once did. The resources have tipped over into the private sector, and they have been good about giving grants and buildings and research contracts to the universities. They don't invest as much in the quality of teaching. The structure of universities has changed. The administration is no longer from the faculty and has a business model that is much different from the 50's. This may be beneficial, but the salaries of administrators and faculty seem to, in aggregate, be tipped to the administration.

So it is up to us, beneficiaries of the greatest education we could have gotten, to give back in some measure to support undergraduate education. Education, not training for a niche. We have been paying forward all our adult lives. Paying taxes, donating time to charities, serving our communities, doing our jobs with honor and integrity, raising responsible children...but there is still more to do. We can boost the fund to get the matching funds that would make the class of '61 important in the education of those who will take our places.