Dad's Powerball lottery win causes honor student to miss exam

Oct 26, 2005, 9:12 am (44 comments)

Powerball

OSU student loses sleep, misses an exam after family wins huge Powerball prize

Who can think about school when your family's net worth suddenly stretches to nine numbers?

Curtis West, the son of the reported $340 million Powerball jackpot winners, said he was so excited about the news that he missed one of his midterm exams at Oregon State University.

"I ended up not getting any sleep and when I did finally fall asleep I slept through my exam," the freshman wrote in an e-mail to the Mail Tribune newspaper.

"Everyone is really excited and I am as well, but it has just happened too quickly and I'm having kind of a hard time adjusting to the fact that my life is going to be different," he said.

While Curtis West had an e-mail exchange with a reporter, his parents, Steve and Carolyn, continue to maintain their silence.

Steve West, 48, plans to validate his winnings in Salem later this week, said Chuck Baumann, a lottery spokesman who took the rare step of contacting the family on Monday.

"I invoked the $340 million rule for calling winners before they called in," Baumann said.

Baumann said he was also calling to investigate rumors that the winning ticket was bought by a 17-year-old, which would violate Oregon law.

If true, it would trigger an investigation of the retailer, believed to be Ray's Food Place in Jacksonville.

"I don't think it would have jeopardized the prize," Baumann said.

Steve West said the ticket was purchased by an adult, but he didn't name the buyer. Randy Lewis, manager of Ray's, said his store checks the identification of all questionable players.

"We don't sell to minors," Lewis said.

Meanwhile, Curtis West, one of the family's four children, is once again hitting the books. An honor student who graduated from North Medford High School in June, the liberal arts major said he's coming to terms with the jackpot.

"The whole thing just feels very surreal to me because this kind of thing doesn't happen to people you know, much less yourself or your family," he wrote.

AP

Comments

Chewie

Talkative group aren't they! Not a good sign.

winner2b

I Agree!  right i don't think these folks actually know what they've won. I hope for their sake they quickly come to grasp w/ their victory and stop chatting like they won 5 bucks in the  overnight lotto

delS

Chewie-

You and I think so much alike.  They are releasing entirely too much info about themselves and their kids need a HUGE GAG ORDER PLACED ON THEM!  To reveal what schools they are attending, etc.  Emailing the press and being talkie.  Oh well, I give them 6 months and we'll hear stories about they wished it would all go away. 

They are evidently ill-prepared for the moment! 

I stillwish them the best, its early and they can come to themselves.

JAG331

Yes, with a last name like West...maybe the kids could've stayed fairly hidden.  Not now.  Change schools.

KyMystikal's avatarKyMystikal

Chewie-

You and I think so much alike.  They are releasing entirely too much info about themselves and their kids need a HUGE GAG ORDER PLACED ON THEM!  To reveal what schools they are attending, etc.  Emailing the press and being talkie.  Oh well, I give them 6 months and we'll hear stories about they wished it would all go away. 

They are evidently ill-prepared for the moment! 

I stillwish them the best, its early and they can come to themselves.

6 months??? I don't give them half that. They're talking too much and now rumors of a minor purchasing the ticket. Who are they trying to be anonymous from? They've revealed where they live, their names, sons name and school, grade. I'm lost!!!

delS

They will need to hire a security firm to keep people off of them.  It will be like a pit bull seeing and smelling blood.  Its ashame.  What ashame.  But they have time to turn things around before it becomes a nightmare. 

JAG331

I already know of one, most likely former, LotteryPost member who is stepping off the plane in Portland, just having finished his 20 page essay to the Wests.

mt7895's avatarmt7895

THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

  Did you have to go the Paris to get that Yves St. Laurant original dress?  Do you have the terrible problem  to decide whether to go to Barbados for deep sea fishing, going to New England to learn how to make Shaker style furniture?  Did you have to go the Vanuatu (Tahiti), sip champagne while semi-naked women fan palm leaves to cool you off?  Did your wife go to Rodeo Drive to purchase a 40 carat diamond ring?

 No Pity!
Yes, yes.  Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a very terrible sign of "JACKPOT SUDDEN WEALTH SYNDROME".  People with this illness have been known to purchase Ferrari, Bently, BMW, Mercedes etc.

I know you are all sad and shocked at such terrible condition that falls on people with this condition.

But luckily, "JACKPOT SUDDEN WEALTH SYNDROME" can be cured.

Mr. West ... simply send all of your winnings to me.  Then you will be healed. 

Thank you.   THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

 

Jack-in-the-Box

Editgap

I just hope the don't lose the ticket.

I get the feeling that they would be worst than Jack W.

bellyache's avatarbellyache

I already know of one, most likely former, LotteryPost member who is stepping off the plane in Portland, just having finished his 20 page essay to the Wests.

LOL! You wouldn't happen to be talking about Manmeat would you? I haven't seen him on here for awhile.

KYPower418's avatarKYPower418

I hope they don't become the next Jack W. I had enough of him as it is!

Chewie

JW was unique - he will never be repeated. However, there are always more than one clown in every circus.

delS

Chewie-

All I can say is you should have been a comedian.  lolololololo  More than one clown in a circus!  Thats good!

JAG331

I already know of one, most likely former, LotteryPost member who is stepping off the plane in Portland, just having finished his 20 page essay to the Wests.

LOL! You wouldn't happen to be talking about Manmeat would you? I haven't seen him on here for awhile.

That just might be who I'm talkin about!  Tough to post when you're hitchhiking to Oregon.  Wink

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