Nick Martel

The Oregon Trail, it's gone cold. And it will stay cold for the next three years. It just lives on as a memory in those children's heads and on three sheets of paper until the Vietnam War, of all things, brings it back to life.

one number is about to change everything, a draft number. It's the last gasps of the US's involvement in Vietnam, but the country is still sending young men overseas to fight. And one terrible day in 1972, the draft comes for Don Rawitsch. Our guy Don, he's about to get dragged into a war that he's staunchly opposed to, unless he can figure out a way out that doesn't involve fleeing to Canada.

one number is about to change everything, a draft number. It's the last gasps of the US's involvement in Vietnam, but the country is still sending young men overseas to fight. And one terrible day in 1972, the draft comes for Don Rawitsch. Our guy Don, he's about to get dragged into a war that he's staunchly opposed to, unless he can figure out a way out that doesn't involve fleeing to Canada.

one number is about to change everything, a draft number. It's the last gasps of the US's involvement in Vietnam, but the country is still sending young men overseas to fight. And one terrible day in 1972, the draft comes for Don Rawitsch. Our guy Don, he's about to get dragged into a war that he's staunchly opposed to, unless he can figure out a way out that doesn't involve fleeing to Canada.

To Don's relief, there is one option. He can get an exemption as a conscientious objector, but he has to perform two years of alternative service, like the Peace Corps or something else that benefits the country. Now, sadly at the time, the government doesn't count teaching in public school as alternative service.

To Don's relief, there is one option. He can get an exemption as a conscientious objector, but he has to perform two years of alternative service, like the Peace Corps or something else that benefits the country. Now, sadly at the time, the government doesn't count teaching in public school as alternative service.

To Don's relief, there is one option. He can get an exemption as a conscientious objector, but he has to perform two years of alternative service, like the Peace Corps or something else that benefits the country. Now, sadly at the time, the government doesn't count teaching in public school as alternative service.

So Don looks around for a gig that will qualify and get him this exemption from going into combat. Then one of Don's old professors introduces him to someone who's about to change his life forever. He's a high school math teacher turned nonprofit director by the name of Dale LaFrenz. Dale is a bit older than Don, but he's just as passionate about classroom learning.

So Don looks around for a gig that will qualify and get him this exemption from going into combat. Then one of Don's old professors introduces him to someone who's about to change his life forever. He's a high school math teacher turned nonprofit director by the name of Dale LaFrenz. Dale is a bit older than Don, but he's just as passionate about classroom learning.

So Don looks around for a gig that will qualify and get him this exemption from going into combat. Then one of Don's old professors introduces him to someone who's about to change his life forever. He's a high school math teacher turned nonprofit director by the name of Dale LaFrenz. Dale is a bit older than Don, but he's just as passionate about classroom learning.

Since the mid-1960s, Dale's been working to get computers into every classroom in America, and he starts with his home state of Minnesota. Now here comes the interesting twist, because at this time, Dale is the assistant director of a new state-run non-profit called the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, or MECC, M-E-C-C for short. MECC. It's a blonde name for a very exciting idea.

Since the mid-1960s, Dale's been working to get computers into every classroom in America, and he starts with his home state of Minnesota. Now here comes the interesting twist, because at this time, Dale is the assistant director of a new state-run non-profit called the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, or MECC, M-E-C-C for short. MECC. It's a blonde name for a very exciting idea.

Since the mid-1960s, Dale's been working to get computers into every classroom in America, and he starts with his home state of Minnesota. Now here comes the interesting twist, because at this time, Dale is the assistant director of a new state-run non-profit called the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, or MECC, M-E-C-C for short. MECC. It's a blonde name for a very exciting idea.

Mech wants to equip all Minnesota students from elementary age to college with computer labs, with support staff, and with educational software. If Dale saw the janitor's closet where their only computer was back at that other school... Yeah, I can't believe he was next to the mops. He'd be furious. Well, working for Mech, it does count as alternative service.

Mech wants to equip all Minnesota students from elementary age to college with computer labs, with support staff, and with educational software. If Dale saw the janitor's closet where their only computer was back at that other school... Yeah, I can't believe he was next to the mops. He'd be furious. Well, working for Mech, it does count as alternative service.

Mech wants to equip all Minnesota students from elementary age to college with computer labs, with support staff, and with educational software. If Dale saw the janitor's closet where their only computer was back at that other school... Yeah, I can't believe he was next to the mops. He'd be furious. Well, working for Mech, it does count as alternative service.

So Dale hires young Don as Mech's community college liaison, and Don's future has a brand new trail. It's not a sexy role by any means, but that's fine by Don. This is going to keep him out of the war. And honestly, he's 100% on board with Mech's mission. This is a perfect match. Don has seen firsthand what great software can do for students.

So Dale hires young Don as Mech's community college liaison, and Don's future has a brand new trail. It's not a sexy role by any means, but that's fine by Don. This is going to keep him out of the war. And honestly, he's 100% on board with Mech's mission. This is a perfect match. Don has seen firsthand what great software can do for students.

So Dale hires young Don as Mech's community college liaison, and Don's future has a brand new trail. It's not a sexy role by any means, but that's fine by Don. This is going to keep him out of the war. And honestly, he's 100% on board with Mech's mission. This is a perfect match. Don has seen firsthand what great software can do for students.

It's actually kind of the perfect role jack for the co-creator of The Oregon Trail. Funny you should bring that up, because for a while, he doesn't even mention this chapter of his past. Yeah, if we had created the Oregon Trail, it'd be the first six bullets of our resume. But in Don's mind, the Oregon Trail was just a fun little moment of his life in the past.