Donor Donald and Doris Gale
Who can forget old “splinter stadium”! Where the Utes played the Aggies every Thanksgiving Day. Where parents sent their kids (quarter in hand) to free up a Saturday afternoon. Who can forget Einar-Neilson Fieldhouse! Cheerleader Ron Bouck scaling the fifteen-foot chainlink fences at the ends of the court as if he were merely climbing a steep hill.
Who can forget when everyone on campus knew everyone on campus! Tuition was forty-five bucks a quarter. Ouch! We drove between classes from the lower campus to the Annex, Campus Cop Gil Farnsworth in hot pursuit.
Who can forget the great coaches and the great players too numerous to mention! And the great teachers Waldemar, Sid, Sterling, Pansy, Myrtle, Walter, Henry, Tom, Sam, Homer, Brewster, and so many more. (If you can’t add last names to the list, you haven’t been around long.)
Who can forget? On the other hand, why remember all that “stuff” when we’re building even more memories today?
The two of us went through all of it . . . as students, faculty, staff, alumni board, Crimson Club, National Advisory Council, volunteers, and fans. We watched children and grandchildren graduate. We joined the crowd at bowl games and tournaments. We cheered in winning years and losing years. And we learned it isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about people. It’s about friends. It’s about sharing a moment here, a moment there, a laugh, a victory, a disappointment, a common interest.
The memories are great. But even better is being part of what’s happening today. Being a participant, not just an observer. There’s something for everyone on campus whether it’s sitting in on a class, being on an advisory board, making a financial contribution, listening to a concert, attending a play, visiting one of the spectacular museums, touring the new library, or simply walking around campus to see that the world is still in good hands.
And few things are as stirring as being in the stadium on a Saturday afternoon when forty-five thousand fans stand, put their hands over the hearts, and sing the national anthem . . . followed soon after by synchronized clapping to “Utah Man” — ending with a unified fist chop and “Go Utes!”
You don’t need memories to be a Utah Man or Utah Woman. To borrow a phrase from the now-distant past: All you need is love.
Don and Doris Gale
Student Athlete Leshia M. Lee-Dixon (Women’s Basketball 1980-85)
Leshia M. Lee-Dixon attended the University of Utah from 1980-1985, where she was a member of the Lady Ute Basketball team under coach Fern Gardner and Elaine Elliott. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business, emphasis in Finance. After getting her bachelor degree, Leshia went on to law school and graduated in 1989 and has been an Assistant United States Attorney with the Department of Justice since December 1995. Leshia’s practice of law has included banking, bankruptcy, criminal defense, juvenile protection, and federal criminal prosecution.
Receiving a scholarship helped her to achieve an undergraduate degree. It taught her the importance of discipline, team work, and hard work to reach her goals. She used these skills to make it through law school and to continue in the practice of law.
When Leshia is in Salt Lake City she enjoys watching the progression of the game since she played. She also enjoys seeing her former teammates, their families, and catching up on what has been happening in their lives. Leshia’s favorite Lady Ute moment was seeing the 2006 Lady Utes reach the Elite 8 of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.