Rattray’s promise unfulfilled

In the Spokesman-Review’s Jan. 22 article about Chad Rattray, the focus was upon his life as the hot dog man in downtown Spokane. While he touched many lives in this venue, he also enriched the lives of those of us fortunate to have him in our classes at Eastern Washington University.

Chad’s talents were wide-ranging, and at EWU he proved to be an excellent scholar. His writing reflected a level of analysis and insight unusual in an undergraduate student. As a result, several of us encouraged Chad to continue with school, particularly to pursue his passion for the Anywaa community in the Sudan.

But what made Chad even more exceptional was his humility. Despite his talents as a writer and thinker, he never seemed to realize how outstanding his scholarship was, and the potential he possessed. He certainly was an asset to EWU, and had he been given more time would have undoubtedly continued to leave his mark on the world in many ways. He will be sorely missed.

Dorothy Zeisler-Vralsted

Spokane