Lewis & Clark College

The Pioneer Log: Lewis & Clark College’s Student-Run Newspaper

Volume 96, No. 6

Lewis & Clark College Student Newspaper

Pioneer Log Staff

2021-04-23

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Text; Newspaper

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Lewis & Clark College: Pioneer Log / Mossy Log

Today’s Weather
Gray skies return after a
week of sunshine. Likely
to be dry during the day
and wet at night. Gentle,
fickle breezes with a high
of 67 degrees. Sunrise at
6:10 a.m. and a waxing
gibbous moon.Health Notice
Due to COVID-19,
this newspaper is
intended for single
use. After a thorough
read, please keep it
for your personal
records or recycle.
Vol. 96 No. 6 FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 www.piolog.com
This Week on The PioPod
In our final episode of the semester, we
review LC’s handling of the pandemic
this past year, how athletes of color are
treated and the limited availability of
on-campus summer housing.
OPINION
Goodbye, LC!
A graduating senior reflects on his time
at Lewis & Clark, considering all of the
challenges that have come in the 2020-21
academic year. PAGE 6
FEATURES
Hate crimes against AAPI
Hate crimes against people of Asian
descent have increased, adding to a long
history of racism against Asian Americans
in the United States. PAGE 7ARTS
“Blissters”
The exhibit “Blissters” showcases art
projects by senior studio art majors and is
open to visitors at the Hoffman Art Gallery
through May 9. PAGE 9
SPORTS
Trans athletes in sports
Legislation has been introduced in
over 30 states aimed at curtailing trans
athletes’ participation in youth and
college sports. PAGE 10
Housing to
be limited
in summer
By AUBREY ROCH É
IN AN APRIL 1 email to residential
students, Campus Living
announced updates to housing
options for the 2021-22 academic
year, including the limited availability
of housing for Summer 2021, the
requirement that sophomores living
off campus must return to on-campus
housing and the implementation of a
new virtual housing portal.
Only students who meet specific
criteria will be considered for on-campus
housing this summer, such as students
taking in-person summer classes,
students with on-campus research
projects or international students who
cannot leave campus.
“A critical portion of the decision
was related to the extremely limited
availability of on-campus services
in the summer,” Assistant Dean of
Student Engagement Rocky Campbell
said via email. “With no health service,
no counseling service, no regular
COVID-19 testing, and no dining service
available, it was decided we needed to
limit housing to those in our community
who need it and ask that students pursue
other opportunities when available.”
Eli Bricknell ’23 was hoping to
acquire on-campus housing for the
summer after applying for a summer
job with on-campus components.
However, as Campus Living did not
announce summer housing options
until April, Bricknell and his partner
had to pursue off-campus housing,
which has been difficult.
“I think it would be nice to have
the option to live on campus, but I’ve
already put in so much to find a place off
campus, and that already fell through,”
Bricknell said. “I think (Campus Living)
needs to be more communicative. Not
“New” continued on page 3LC developing plans for fall semester,
proof of vaccination to be required
Lack of faculty results in reduced fall studio art courses
By ISABEL REKOW
THIS FALL, the art department
will be offering no studio art
courses above the 100 level
besides two upper-level seminars. The
trend of declining course offerings
has art students worried about the
future of their artistic pursuits at
Lewis & Clark.
According to Associate Professor
of Art, Studio Head of Photography
and Department Chair Joel Fisher,
the lack of upper-level fall classes is
due primarily to a faculty shortage, as
well as a focus on prioritizing 100-level
classes. These can fulfill the general
education requirements of all students
and provide a gateway to 200- and
300-level studio art courses to be
offered the following spring.
Three full-time tenured faculty
will not be teaching this fall. Two will
be on sabbatical and one will be on
parental leave. The art department has also been
trying to fill two tenure-track positions
for several years. Ted Vogel, the last full-
time ceramics professor, retired two years
ago. Debra Beers, the last studio head of
drawing, retired three years ago. Beers
was a professor with term and taught five
classes per year, but the Dean’s Office filled
her vacant position with an instructor who
teaches only three classes per year.
The art department has been looking
to fill these two full-time positions ever
since they became vacant. Associate
Professor of Art History Dawn Odell
said art faculty were “desperate” to find
new professors.
Art faculty are not alone in seeking
to fill tenure-track positions. Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences Bruce
Suttmeier emphasized that the college
must choose which vacancies it deems
most pressing, looking across the board at
all departments. The art department last
received a tenure-track position in Fall
2019 with the hiring of Assistant Professor of Art and Studio Head of Digital Media
Brian House.
“The process of tenure-track hiring
goes through a faculty committee who
helps prioritize requests,” Suttmeier said.
“That process is underway now and will
continue in the fall.”
However, cuts to the art department
in a single year can affect it for several
years afterward since students might be
unable to fulfill major requirements.
“I really do believe the
administration supports us and they
know what a wonderful department we
have, but I think they may not be aware
of the repercussions of not filling these
positions in terms of the long-term
effect,” Odell said. “If we can’t bring
students into 100-level classes in their
freshman and sophomore year, then
they can’t matriculate to be majors in
our department.”
Jack Ponting ’24 said he is already
frustrated trying to minor in studio art.
“Students” continued on page 3AMELIA MADARANG/THE PIONEER LOGStudents, professors express concern about future of Lewis & Clark’s liberal arts education amid cutsBy VENUS EDLIN &
ISABEL REKOW
DESPITE THE announcement
from Lewis & Clark that all fall
2021 classes will take place in
person, what the semester will look
like during the continuing coronavirus
pandemic is uncertain. However, the
college recently mandated vaccines for
the upcoming semester.
For Vice President of Student Life and
Dean of Students Robin Holmes-Sullivan,
this unpredictability has become
definitive of the pandemic.
“There’s been many things that have
been difficult about COVID,” Holmes-
Sullivan said. “I think one of the things
that’s been the most difficult is that we
make plans, and then something happens
that ends up altering those plans.”
Dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences Bruce Suttmeier first
announced LC’s plans in an email sent to
students on March 12.
“We are happy to report that we are
planning for fully in-person instruction
in Portland this fall,” Suttmeier said in
the email. “We expect to deliver a Lewis
& Clark undergraduate education as we
did pre-COVID, with all courses taking
place on campus and without the option
of remote access.”
More specifics have yet to be
announced as LC awaits guidance
from Multnomah County and other
authorities, including the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. The
risk level of the county and percentage
of the population that is vaccinated
in August will play a key role in what
options the college has. According to
Holmes-Sullivan, the county is aware
that LC will need advice before Fall 2021
and expects to hear more firm guidelines
starting in July.
On April 21, Holmes-Sullivan
announced that proof of COVID-19
vaccination will be required for all students attending in-person instruction
and programs. All students will need to
submit documentation by Oct. 15 proving
they have received all necessary doses, or
have obtained an approved exemption
for medical or non-medical reasons. The
Health Service plans to have a limited
number of doses available at the beginning
of the year, but students who are not two
weeks post vaccination may be subject to
additional restrictions.
Faculty will be surveyed this summer
to gauge immunization levels, though
the college has not announced plans to
mandate vaccines for faculty and staff.
For international students who may
not have access to U.S.-approved vaccines
in their home countries, the college
is unsure whether they will be able to
reenter the country this fall or receive
vaccinations upon entry.According to Holmes-Sullivan, it is
too early to know what health mitigation
policies LC will need to continue
implementing, though she expects some
responsibility on the part of the college.
“If we had an 80-90% herd
immunity, then it starts to impact what
we need to do for testing, surveillance
and all those types of things that we
spent a lot of our energy on this year,”
Holmes-Sullivan said.
Health Services staff declined to
comment on possible COVID-19 policy
to be implemented during the fall. The
pandemic’s changing course — including
new variants circulating and the
uncertainty over how many people will
be vaccinated — means that it is unclear
what the fall semester will look like in
terms of precautions such as social
distancing. Many students and faculty are
eagerly awaiting in-person classes.
Natalie Parkhurst ’24 is “hesitantly
excited.”
“It feels like having all classes in
person is a little ambitious, which isn’t
necessarily bad,” Parkhurst said. “But
I just feel like with everything that’s
happened, I don’t want to feel like
it’s closer to a real college experience,
and that’s taken away again.”
However, some students have also
found advantages in the hybrid model,
especially disabled students. The
pandemic has expanded accessibility,
and some wish to preserve an option
for hybrid learning. While Suttmeier
said the college will continue to
accommodate students, its priority is
in-person instruction.
“Health” continued on page 2
VENUS EDLIN/THE PIONEER LOG
Vaccination will be mandatory for all undergraduate, graduate and law students this fall in order to ensure safe in-person instruction.
The number of fall studio art courses has steadily decreased over the past four years.Continued from page 1
“Remote or hybrid classes are not
going to be an option next year for
everybody in the same way as they
were an option this year,” Suttmeier
said via email. “A student who feels
that they need an accommodation in
order to participate should contact
Student Support Services to discuss
possible accommodations.”
Holmes-Sullivan said that some
faculty may continue to work remotely
part time in the upcoming semester.
A poll was recently sent out to gauge
faculty interest in an effort to free up
office space. This is part of a larger
effort to continue “innovating” and
“learning” from the pandemic, rather
than simply returning pre-pandemic
structures, according to Holmes-
Sullivan.
LC is also planning to loosen
some other restrictions. Campus
Living is currently planning on 100%
occupancy in dorms, compared to
just 70% during the 2020-21 school
year. They also plan to enforce the
four semester living requirement for
students who opted out of on-campus
housing in order to accommodate this
reduced capacity.
Athletics will probably operate
under fewer restrictions as well,
according to Holmes-Sullivan, who
said that students can look forward
to a full season of football, basketball
and volleyball. However, LC is still
waiting for guidance from the National
Collegiate Athletic Association and
the Northwest Conference.
While fall semester holds tentative
promise of being more relaxed than
the 2020-21 academic year, students
and administrators remarked on the
toll that the past year had taken. In a
March 30 forum with the Associated
Students of Lewis & Clark, Holmes-
Sullivan noted that the incoming
freshman class would be dealing
with feelings of being unprepared for
college after learning remotely during
their senior year of high school.
LC’s rising sophomore class also
feels the loss of a traditional first
year.
“Even with the friends that I’ve
made, I still feel isolated,” Parkhurst
said. “I still feel like there’s not a lot
happening on campus and there’s
not a lot of ways that you can take
advantage of the stereotypical college
things.”
Suttmeier expressed optimism
that the college will remain adaptable
in the face of any unexpected changes
in the fall.“Given all the planning we’ve done
in the past year, I’m
confident that we’re
well prepared for
any hiccups the new
semester brings,”
Suttmeier said.
After weathering
a year marked by a
global pandemic,
national protests
for racial justice,
wildfires, political
instability and an
ice storm, Holmes-Sullivan expects
the LC community will rise to meet whatever challenges arise in the next
year.
“You’ve all
learned, we’ve
all learned, and
we’re not going to
forget that just
because we go to
a full in-person,”
Holmes-Sullivan
said. “I feel very
confident about
our community.
I’m proud of our
community, and I think that we’re
able to do this.”FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
NEWS 2
AMELIA MADARANG/THE PIONEER LOG
By RACHELLE BINDER
ON APRIL 13, Lewis & Clark
students huddled around their
computer screens to listen to
American linguist Noam Chomsky at a
virtual event hosted by LC’s Psychology
Club.
The event was relevant to
psychology due to his work in the
cognitive revolution. However,
Chomsky is also known for criticizing
U.S. foreign policy and neoliberalism,
formulating his mass media
propaganda model and contributing
to many philosophical fields.
Psychology Club President Andrew
Steinberg ’21 organized the event which
consisted of an open-ended discussion
and a live Q&A session. Steinberg’s
ambition to find different opportunities
for the Psychology Club during the
COVID-19 pandemic led him to reach
out to Chomsky.
“I am really trying to search for
little nuggets of opportunity during
these challenging times,” Steinberg
said. “It ended up being an amazing
opportunity because we have some
awesome speakers that we would never
have otherwise. I bet there’s no way
someone like Chomsky would fly down
to Portland to speak in person given
how busy he is and that we don’t have
any common connections.”
Since this was a Psychology
Club-sponsored event, club leaders
and psychology department faculty
agreed that ideal questions would
revolve around Chomsky’s work as
a linguistics professor and cognitive
scientist. However, attendees were
not prohibited from asking questions
about politics, social issues or anything
else relevant to Chomsky’s work.
The event was open to all LC students
and faculty. Many event attendees had
prior knowledge about Chomsky and his
work. Event attendee Ismael Jaramillo
’24, however, recently discovered
Chomsky and was inspired by his
political views.
“I saw the posters and then my
friends told me to come,” Jaramillo said.
“I thought it was weird that the Chom
would speak at our school because he
seemed too cool. I admired his politics
mainly, and his power dynamics in our
society.”
Roughly 100 people attended the
hour-long event and asked Chomsky
questions ranging from the rise of
nationalism and its consequences to
his views on spirituality and how to
make change in the world. Fernando
Dzul Fisher ’24 asked Chomsky about
social media’s proliferation and the
fast-paced distribution of ideas and
information and its impact on working-
class and other popular movements.
“Let’s say you get your news from
Facebook. What are you reading on Facebook?” Chomsky said. “Well, you
are reading an edited version of what
showed up in the national media. What
shows up in the national media is often
a framed, shaped version of what is
actually happening in the world. You are
getting a watered-down version of that
with more editorial.”
In the realm of psychology, Chomsky
is known for his role in the paradigm shift
called the cognitive revolution. Its goal
was to apply the scientific method to the
study of human cognition and eventually
paved the way for cognitive science.
Chomsky’s main influence is linguistic
universalism. This is the concept that
there is a shared underlying grammar
structure for all world languages
hardwired in the human brain, which
Chomsky calls universal grammar.
“The nature of cognitive science
is shifting due to the acceleration of
technology in the last few decades,”
Steinberg said. “He has lots of
contributions to computer science and
artificial intelligence as well. A lot of really
exciting, futuristic prospects are relevant
to a lot of his research on linguistics.”
Besides politics, attendees had
questions about Chomsky’s contributions
to the field of computer science and its
prospects for the future. He influenced
the theory of formal languages and
created the hierarchy of grammars, better
known as the Chomsky hierarchy.
Another attendee asked Chomsky
about how his research into human
language acquisition informs his views
on the future of AI and natural language
processing.
Chomsky responded by addressing
the two versions of AI: cognitive science
and brute force. He made the argument
that AI is used to accomplish some goal
or task, also known as the achievement
of AI. Chomsky said it is “as interesting
as a bulldozer cleaning the street” and
“that it teaches nothing about anything.”
Despite his fame and prestige,
Steinburg views Chomsky as an
accessible figure because he spends
a lot of his time answering his email
and hosting events. This makes him
approachable to smaller institutions like
LC, according to Steinberg, who was able
to contact Chomsky via email.
“He doesn’t exclusively speak with
massive institutions, which I thought
how could I possibly not reach out and
ask him. It felt like a perfect opportunity,”
Steinberg said. “I have been such a big
fan of his work for years and this is one
of the most exciting things that I have
never had the chance to do.”
Chomsky’s prominence is what
excited Steinberg the most.
“The best part for me was seeing how
genuinely stoked people were about the
event,” Steinberg said. “Chomsky is one
of the most cited scholars of all time,
and was even the most cited scholar
alive at one point in history.”Psych Club holds
talk with Chomsky
MACKENZIE HERRING/THE PIONEER LOGAdministrators hope for return
to normal for upcoming fall term
Students study on the courtyard lawn in front of Smith Hall on a sunny afternoon.
News Editors
Venus Edlin
Isabel RekowArts Editors
Kamryn Ford
Aubrey Roché
Sports Editors
Aidan D’Anna
Henry GoodierOpinion Editors
Adelaide Kaiser
Jacob MuscarellaFeatures Editors
Madeline Cox
Gabe Korer
The Backdoor Editor
Mackenzie Herring
Faculty Advisor
Molly RobinsonCopy Chief
Tyler ShortPublic Relations Manager
Alex BarrVisuals Editor
Amelia Madarang
Rachelle Binder
Greta Burton
Ariel McGee
Alexandra Flory
Jillian Jackson
Nathan OakleyRuby Schaeffer
Marco Dregni
Frankie Spurbeck
Jacques Parker
Aneliese BakerStaff Writers
Maya Winshell
Nicole Nagamatsu
Eli Bricknell
Elizabeth Cook
Keiko Shieber
Nicole Oliver Alexandra Flory
Kayla Plater
Faith Gallegos
Sofia ReevesPhotographers & IllustratorsEditor-in-Chief
Nicholas NerliManaging Editor
Ihsaan Mohamed
Business & Web Manager
Stuart Myers
Director of Broadcasting
Charlotte Powers
Lounging next to a path, students snack on tangerines, bananas and Capri Suns.AMELIA MADARANG/THE PIONEER LOG
“Given all the planning
we’ve done in the past
year, I’m confident that
we’re well prepared for
any hiccups the new
semester brings,”
— Bruce SuttmeierFRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
NEWS 3
Students worried about lack of studio art courses in fall
Two tenure-track positions have remained vacant for years, despite art department’s pleas for aidCOVID-19 cases remained
low during spring semesterNew housing portal
introduced this term
Continued from page 1
telling us (until) a month before
the semester’s over, when things
schoolwork-wise are stacking up ... and
I’m expected to find somewhere to live in
three weeks.”
Campus Living’s email also notified
students who have not fulfilled their
residential requirement of living on
campus for four semesters that they must
fulfill this requirement. In Summer 2020,
Lewis & Clark offered current sophomores
the option to live off-campus for a year
in order to increase the availability of
on-campus housing, and it is now
required that these students return
to complete their four-semester
requirement.
“The expectation of students
completing the 4 semester of on-campus
living is directly
tied to the positive
outcomes of
living on campus
during the first
years and the
consistent revenue
expectations for
the College of
a 2 year live-on requirement to the
overall budget,” Vice President for
Student Life and Dean of Students
Robin Holmes-Sullivan said via email.
“This is why we clearly broadcast this
expectation to incoming students and
why we specifically let students know
about this expectation if they decided
to defer the live-on requirement
during COVID.”
Ava Westlin ’23 has been living off
campus this year. The independence
she has gained by living off-campus,
as well as the negative impact that
living on campus had on her physical
and mental health have made her
reluctant to potentially have to return
to on-campus housing. She has
contacted Campus Living to request
an exemption from the housing requirement, but has yet to receive
conclusive information.
According to Westlin, a solution for
these students could be a buy-out option
that would waive the remainder of the
housing requirement.
“They let us know that it is a money
issue, and the number of students they
need to live on campus will depend
on the number of new students in the
freshman class, (and) they will have
that number by May 5th,” Westlin said
via email.
Westlin does not expect to hear
anything conclusive before May 5. Once
information about incoming freshmen
is available, Westlin is planning to send
a letter to Campus Living detailing why
she and other current sophomores
living off-campus should be exempt
from completing
the housing
requirement.
She has gotten
“overwhelming
support” from
other current
sophomores.
As Campus
Living works to plan for housing for
the 2021-22 academic year, they
have introduced a housing portal that
allows returning students to select
specific rooms and roommates. A
final decision about how incoming
first-years will sign up for housing
has yet to be made, but according to
Campbell, it will hopefully be “easier,
simpler, and quicker.”
“In addition to the online room
selection features and roommate
matching features that returning
students have seen during the housing
sign-up process this semester, our new
platform will allow for improvements
in the move-in/move-out process
next year and our office’s ability to
communicate and work with students
in the future,” Campbell said via email.
Continued from page 1
He is concerned he might forget or lose
the skills he learned in Photography I
since he was unable to take Photography
II soon after.
“How am I supposed to pursue a
medium, like photography, if there’s
no other photography courses open?”
Ponting said. “If it’s just the level 100, how
am I supposed to continue to advance,
continue to learn and really try to make
this a part of my life?”
The art department is especially
reliant on a wide range of faculty to keep a
variety of course options open. Odell and
Associate Professor
of Art and Studio
Head of Sculpture
Jess Perlitz noted
that art skills
require a high
degree of technical
specificity and
teachers in one
medium — such as ceramics — are not
necessarily equipped to teach another
medium — such as photography. This
specificity, shared by other departments
including World Languages, can
contribute to reduced course offerings
when faculty in a certain medium are
on leave.
While this fall is unusual in only
offering 100-level studio art courses,
the fall course offerings for 200- and
300-level studio art have been steadily
decreasing over the past few years. Studio
art classes are cross-listed as both 200-
and 300-level. For example, this means
that students in Digital Media II and III
take the same class together. In Fall 2017,
LC offered five studio art courses at the
200/300 level. In Fall 2018, four such
courses were offered, and in fall 2019,
only two.
The dwindling course offerings do
not reflect a lack of interest on the part
of students. Art classes are notoriously
difficult to get into, with Ceramics I being
especially coveted — the small class of 12 students currently has 46 people on the
waitlist for Fall 2021.
Art suffered a further cut in 2019
when the last director of the Hoffman
Gallery, Linda Tesner, was laid off and not
replaced.
“It’s very hard to get things back once
you lose them,” Perlitz said regarding the
loss of Tesner.
The responsibilities of the curator,
which had previously been a full-time
position, now rest on art department
faculty. Joel Fisher, the current
department chair, taught the senior thesis
class and set up the senior art exhibition,
a task which
previously fell to the
gallery curator.
“No one could
teach a full-time
course load and also
run the Hoffman
Gallery,” Odell said.
Even before
Tesner was laid off, the art department
was discussing hiring an art history
professor who would double as a curator.
They would teach one to two classes per
semester, leaving time for them to run
the gallery. However, this idea has not
advanced beyond the discussion stage.
While the art department has suffered
cuts, the college added a Fine Arts
committee to its Strategic Enrollment
Management (SEM) initiative meant to
attract and retain students.
“The goal is to bring more visibility to
the arts at LC, enhancing opportunities
for students and connecting them more
strongly with the vibrant arts scene in
Portland,” Suttmeier said. “Planning is
well underway, with implementation
getting more fully underway in the fall.”
How the fine arts will achieve greater
visibility while the art department is
unable to provide courses beyond the
100-level remains unclear.
In the meantime, current art students
are feeling the strain of a department
under stress. Studio art major Misha Davydov
’21 sent a letter to Suttmeier and Vice
President of Student Life and Dean of
Students Robin Holmes-Sullivan in
April 2020. In the letter, they outlined
their concerns about the department,
including the lack of a new curator
at Hoffman Gallery and decreasing
course offerings. They also advocated
for more full-time faculty because of the
importance to students of developing
strong relationships with professors
who work in their medium, which is
difficult to do when there is a turnover
of part-time faculty.
“It is super, super important in art
to have a long-standing relationship
with a professor in your medium who
really understands your work and
also understands you technically,”
Davydov said.
Ponting feels like he does not even
have a chance of signing up for art classes
because they fill up so quickly. He believes
the ballooning waitlists of courses such
as Ceramics I is evidence that the college
needs to offer more sections.
As evidenced by the high demand of
studio art courses, students find great
value in the fine arts component of their
liberal arts education.
“The arts retain students on campus,”
Perlitz said. “It makes the campus a
vibrant place.”
Emily Brandridge ’24, a double major
in sociology and studio art, said via email
that she came to LC in order to build a
solid liberal arts foundation to inform
her art practice, but worries that her art
education might not be satisfactory.
“I almost started crying in my art class
today because my art teacher was talking
about how the painting department is
getting less and less classes,” Brandridge
said. “This makes me so worried for
my future as an artist. I don’t want to
have to leave this school to get a better
art education. Art classes aren’t only
necessary to fulfill my major requirements,
but also they are so important for my mental well-being and I know many other
students feel this way as well.”
Fisher noted there is often a stigma
around art and art making, but that it is
an inseparable part of the education that
LC offers.
“‘Arts’ is part of the liberal arts,” Fisher
said. “It’s about thinking about the world
from diverse perspectives.”
Odell agreed, saying that a
sensitivity to visual languages is a great
benefit to students.“The arts are central to a liberal
arts education, and it would be very
difficult, I think, for a college to
claim that it was committed to the
liberal arts without having a robust
art department, and that’s true for
theater and music as well,” Odell said.
“We engage with the contemporary
world in ways that other disciplines
can’t, because we’re thinking about
being makers as well as scholars of
art.” By VENUS EDLIN
ONE OFF-campus student tested
positive for COVID-19 on April
17. Two residential College of
Arts and Sciences (CAS) students have
also tested positive as of April 12.
The two residential students
had close contact with each other,
though no other close contacts were
identified. The off-campus student
had no close contacts. These cases
are the first since March 11, ending
a month without positive cases on
campus. All effluent testing has come
back negative since February.
There have been 15 cases with
campus impact since the beginning
of the semester, 11 of which were
identified through Lewis & Clark testing
clinics. With 5,862 tests conducted
since January, the on-campus positivity
rate for the spring semester is 0.19%,
compared to 0.22% for Fall 2020.
This is lower than the Multnomah
County positivity rate of 3.9%. The
county is currently classified as high
risk for the virus, though 38.2% of
county residents have received at least
one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. There
is no data available for the vaccination
status of students, faculty and staff.
Other on-campus COVID-19
updates include:
Testing clinics: LC held the last
standard weekly testing clinic on April
20. The following week, the college will
hold an optional exit-testing clinic on
April 30 before students depart at the
end of the semester. Testing is highly
recommended for students not yet
fully vaccinated and traveling.
For students who need official
documentation of a negative test
before travel, tests will cost between
$65 and $100 depending on how
quickly the student needs their results.
For students who do not need official
documentation and just want to know their positivity status, tests will cost
$35 and should be available by the end
of the day on May 3.
The Associated Students of
Lewis & Clark’s Student Resource
Committee has allocated funds to
cover up to 50% of the cost of some
of the clinic’s out-of-pocket COVID-19
tests. Undergraduate students who
cannot afford the cost should apply for
funding before May 7.
On-campus vaccination unlikely:
LC was originally planning to hold a
vaccine clinic on April 10 for employees,
but it was canceled after an outside
supplier could not provide doses as
promised. If the college could secure
vaccines from the county before the
end of the semester, they were planning
to hold a clinic for everyone who was
eligible. Due to the end of the semester
approaching, LC had requested the
one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.However, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration and Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
recommended a pause of the Johnson &
Johnson vaccine on April 13. According
to an email sent by Associate Dean of
Students for Health and Wellness John
Hancock, this pause makes it “extremely
unlikely” for an on-campus clinic to take
place unless recommendations change.
The college encourages students who
are eligible to receive vaccination off
campus in the meantime.
This announcement comes after
several reports of unusual blood clotting
post-vaccination for both the Johnson
& Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines,
which both use non-replicating vaccine
vectors to build immunity against
the virus. The current known risk of
developing this symptom is drastically
less than 1%, though more research is
being conducted.
Students from the same pod show their support of the college’s “WeB4Me” policy.NICOLE NAGAMATSU/THE PIONEER LOG
VENUS EDLIN/THE PIONEER LOG
ELI BRICKNELL/THE PIONEER LOG
The Hoffman Gallery lost its curator in 2019 and the position has not been replaced.Misha Davydov ’21 sent a letter to the dean’s office on their concerns about art at LC. “I don’t want to have to
leave this school to get a
better art education.”
—Emily Brandridge ’24“I’m expected to find
somewhere to live in
three weeks.”
—Eli Bricknell ’23FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
LETTERS 4
WHILE ASIANS, Asian
Americans, Pacific Islanders,
and others who identify as
part of the Asian community (AAPI)
faced racism long before COVID-19, the
pandemic has exacerbated anti-Asian
hate. Recently, these unwarranted acts
of violence and harassment have received
more media coverage due to the March 16
Georgia spa shooting. This attack was a
tragic combination of xenophobia, racism
and sexism that ended with the deaths
of eight people. Six of these people were
women of Asian descent. The names of
the victims are Soon Chung Park, Hyun
Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue,
Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels,
Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng.
These attacks are not new, isolated or
rare. They are what the AAPI communities
have been calling attention to throughout
history. These acts of violence are often
targeted towards the more vulnerable
members of our community. In the wake
of COVID-19, we have witnessed videos
of people harassing the elderly and
vandalizing stores, as well as a president
who referred to the coronavirus as “Kung-
flu” and the “Chinese virus.” If we take
a look at our collective history in the
United States, xenophobia and systemic
racism are far from new. The trends of
scapegoating our communities are the
same trends many of our parents and
grandparents observed themselves.
For the first time in over 30 years,
there has been a congressional hearing to
discuss anti-Asian hate. For the first time
in many of our lives, we are talking about
anti-Asian racism in a way that is being
taken seriously by our peers. For the third
time this school year, President Wim
Wiewel and the Executive Council have
issued a bulletin via email condemning
the acts of violence we see on the news.
We, the leaders of the Lewis & Clark
Asian Student Union, condemn the
violence against the AAPI community in
the United States as well as at LC. The LC
bulletin titled “Standing as a community
in the face of violence against Asians and
Asian Americans” failed to acknowledge
the racism and harassment LC students
have faced on our own campus.
Instead of releasing a statement, LC
could take concrete action before attacks
like these happen. LC could also take action
to hold up the broader AAPI community. This could be shown by supporting AAPI-
owned businesses, bringing in speakers
from the AAPI community, listening
when our communities are hurting and
other community-centered actions.
Furthermore, LC could make sure that
discussion about marginalized groups,
microaggressions, internal biases and
fetishization are things every LC student
is educated on regardless of their majors.
While condemning violence towards the
AAPI community is a first step, without
discussing the many repercussions of
systemic racism that are excused daily on
this campus, this anti-violence statement
is futile. Given LC’s boasting of their
multicultural engagement, study abroad
programs and diversity, addressing
tokenism and fetishization that BIPOC
students experience on a daily basis is
essential.
The Georgia spa shooting has made
anti-AAPI attacks more personal for the
LC Asian community. For many of us, we
are reminded of this undeserved threat to
our lives. For others, this is just another
event to add to the growing list of things
that anger us. No matter what reaction
we have, it is added stress that does no
good. Being an Asian student as of now
often involves consistent pressure to
perform spectacularly in the classroom,
while simultaneously mourning our
community.
In our student union meetings,
the topics of fear, safety and belonging
are ever-present. While racism is not
hypervisible in the AAPI community,
microaggressions, fetishization, tokenism
and other types of aggression are daily
occurrences.
We regularly share stories about these
small but influential acts of racism that
we see from staff and students alike. Even
in our most recent meeting, we talked
about how white people often feel more
comfortable in Asian spaces than Asians
do. Nearly all of us do not know how to
react or how to feel when we notice these
things, partly because we thought LC was
better than that. While it is more inclusive
than other institutions, it is not enough.
This is not an article meant to condemn
LC, it is meant to highlight places for
growth and improvement.
The Asian Student Union also calls
on LC students to think critically about
the media we consume, the preconceived ideas we have and the emotional labor we
are — perhaps unintentionally — asking
our AAPI classmates and friends to go
through. We as a student union do not
speak for every Asian individual on this
campus nor do we represent the AAPI
community as a whole. It is not our nor
any single student’s responsibility to
educate you or be a checkbox on your
journey to becoming anti-racist.
The Asian Student Union stands
in solidarity with other communities
experiencing marginalization; we are all
fighting against white supremacy. Here
are some things anyone can do to support
minority communities and fight against
structural racism.
First, constructively criticize all racist
acts or comments, no matter how small.
This could look like saying, “Hey, I do not
think that was a very nice thing to say or
do. Even if your intention is not to hurt
or exclude, it can still make someone
uncomfortable and here is why.” Help
others learn, and if they do not learn, cut
them out of your life.
Second, talk about the effects of all
forms of racism in all-white spaces. This
can be incredibly difficult for BIPOC and
it is not our responsibility to educate but
all-white spaces are often the ones that
need to have these conversations the
most.
Third, if your friend group is all or
predominantly white, or if the spaces you
participate in are all or predominantly
white, actively consider why BIPOC
are not choosing to be in that space or
in that group. What are they seeing or
experiencing that you are not? How are
you contributing to this?
Fourth, examine your own personal
preferences and make sure you are
seeking out a relationship, friendship
or interaction because you like the
individual and not just their race.
Lastly, the Asian Student Union asks
that we remember the names of the
victims of the Georgia spa shooting: Soon
Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha
Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun,
Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan and
Daoyou Feng.
The Asian Student Union is led by an
alliance of LC students who strive to
create an inclusive space for AAPI
students. Asian Student Union condemns racial violence
THE PRISON Abolition Club
(PALC) is happy to announce
a new project to promote
transformative justice (TJ) at
Lewis & Clark. PALC is a club
dedicated to dismantling carceral
logics both on and off campus.
This year, we have promoted
administrative accountability,
collaborated with the Black
Student Union, Inclusion and
Multicultural Engagement, and
Arabic Club to bring speakers and
events, and we are distributing a
zine about police abolition in the
coming weeks.
Over the past year, students
at PALC have worked with
Director of Student Rights and
Responsibilities Jessica Carron,
Associate Dean of Equity and
Inclusion and Title IX Coordinator
Casey Bieberich, Vice President of
Student Life and Dean of Students
Robin Holmes-Sullivan, and
other faculty members to start
creating an official TJ program
on campus. This multifaceted
program seeks to address campus
harm and promote accountability
in a collaborative, community-
oriented and
survivor-centered
way. TJ is a
framework that
operates under
the understanding
that intervention
in a nonviolent and
dialogic manner
can break cycles
of violence and
make communities
more connected,
trusting and
resilient. Our
dream is to see
TJ implemented in all areas of
campus, including student life,
administrative staff and faculty
relations. We hope to provide
a mutual and co-constructive
foundation by reaching out to
students and faculty to inform
ourselves and others about
community concerns, and to
use this engagement to develop
a program from the ground up.
We will use this information to
create workshops on a variety
of topics such as community
accountability, interpersonal
violence, consequences and
setting community guidelines.Some of our concrete goals
include creating a TJ program
for New Student Orientation
and resident advisor training,
establishing relationships with TJ
activists and educators in Portland,
designing a symposium for Fall
2021 and applying for grants to
ensure future funding for the
project. One day, we hope to have
a TJ center and department with
full-time staff. In regards to faculty
relationships, we seek to promote
professorship accountability,
improve trust between students
and professors, and create a space
where a student can safely express
needs to faculty without barriers
to accommodations or acceptance.
In residential life, we envision
more decentralized, autonomous
communities which actively
involve the voices of all residents,
make dorms feel safe and
welcoming, and foster a culture of
consensual engagement. We also
hope to create nodes of access
for staff members to express
administrative harm and seek
student support and advocacy.
TJ is not something that can
be established
overnight — it is
a dynamic and
continual process
that focuses on
long-term stability
over “quick-fixes.”
But, we believe
that we have to
start somewhere,
and we are excited
to help engage in
student-led harm
reduction and
conflict resolution.
As a decentralized
program, we look forward to
direct collaboration with the LC
community rather than leadership
by any one member or group.
Moreover, we seek accountability
from the community in turn to
ensure that our efforts coincide
with the needs of our campus. If
you are interested in participating
in the program or voicing concerns
and suggestions, please contact
prisonabolitionlc@lclark.edu.
The Prison Abolition Club is led by
a coalition of students who created
the transformative justice project in
their dedication to social justice.THE COVID-19 pandemic has
disrupted so many aspects of
our lives over the course of the
past year. International travel has been
basically impossible since April 2020.
For a number of our students, the
window of opportunity to study abroad
will close before they graduate. So,
whether you are one of those students
whose travel plans have been disrupted,
or a student who went abroad and wants
to go back, I would like to offer a few
thoughts on how you might include an
international experience in your post-
graduation plans.
I anticipate countries to open up to
travelers on tourist visas (which do not
need special applications or invitations,
generally) starting this summer, as
vaccines become more widely available
and COVID infection rates start to
decrease. So, one option is just to go to a
place that you would like to explore and
get to know it on your own.
In addition, there are a number
of structured programs that allow
for funded stays of longer duration
abroad. These include the Peace
Corps, the Fulbright Program (which
include both teaching assistantships
and research project scholarships)
and a number of other programs
that provide opportunities to teach
abroad, or opportunities for funding
for graduate school abroad (such as the
Rhodes Scholarship to the University of
Oxford). Descriptions of many of these
programs can be found on the Overseas
& Off-Campus Programs website, under
“Returning from Abroad” and then
“Resources and Opportunities.”
In addition, we are very fortunate
to have our own diplomat in residence.
Ambassador Niels Marquardt ’75 is an
alumnus of Lewis & Clark, and he is an
incredible resource as you consider your
next steps. Niels spent 33 years in the
Foreign Service, serving as America’s
top diplomat in Madagascar, Cameroon,
Comoros and Equatorial Guinea, with
additional service in Germany, France,
Thailand and the Republic of the Congo.
He was also a Peace Corps volunteer in
Rwanda. His final State Department
assignment was as U.S. Consul General
in Sydney, Australia, where he remained
and served another four years in the
private sector as CEO of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Australia. If
you would like to learn more about the
Foreign Service, or to explore the full
range of other careers abroad, Niels is
your person.
You will find that the Career Center
has a great deal of information about
job and internship opportunities. These
include positions in companies or
organizations that are international or
have international branches. They also
have information on graduate schools,
including schools that are located
overseas. In addition, the Academic
Awards and Fellowships office maintains a very helpful database on opportunities
that include a number of international
options. Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr.
Associate Professor of History David
Campion is the faculty advisor for this
office and he is a wealth of information
on the opportunities available and
the best ways to prepare and submit a
competitive application.
Some countries, such as Australia
and New Zealand, offer a “Working
Holiday Visa” that allows you to legally
work and travel in that country for
one year. There is also the popular
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic
Farms program, where you can work
on a farm in a number of countries in
exchange for free room and board.
The main point I would like to
impart here is that there are a diversity
of opportunities to travel or live or work
or volunteer abroad post-graduation.
There are different costs, different
durations, different focuses. But you
have many resources on campus to help
with your decision-making process.
I am happy to offer my guidance.
The Career Center, David Campion
and Niels Marquardt are all excellent
resources. We look forward to helping
you chart your path, as you plot out
your next steps after you graduate from
Lewis & Clark.
Blythe Knott ’91 is the director of
Overseas and Off-Campus Programs at
Lewis & Clark.Prison Abolition Club
unveils justice project
Study abroad opportunities still
feasible as pandemic peters out
LC administration, students must challenge hate against Asians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
We believe that
we have to start
somewhere, and
we are excited to
help engage in
student-led harm
reduction and
conflict resolution.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in letters to the editor are those of the authors and are not held by The Pioneer Log and its editorial board.FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
OPINION 5
By ANELIESE BAKER
THIS YEAR, as a resident
advisor and a researcher for two
COVID-19 related projects on
campus, I have become increasingly
familiar with the dynamics of power
that exist at Lewis & Clark. I have been
struggling with a lot of disconcerting
feelings and difficult decisions about the
ethics involved in both of these projects,
which seem to be unrepresentative of
the college body’s true perspectives
toward administrative actions.
The interplay of power and class is
hidden in many ways by the fact that
some staff and faculty do not have the
financial security to be critical of the
college. People cannot afford to lose
their healthcare, or even a minimum
wage job, especially during a pandemic.
This precarity has created a culture of
silence and secrecy at the college that
underclassmen are unconscious of,
and upperclassmen, if they are
aware, are relatively powerless
to change without
mass mobilization.
Healthcare,
whistleblowing
protection, financial
stability and direct
employment are basic
labor rights deserved
by all, but all four
are ensured only
to a minority of
LC employees. I
believe that we have
not shown up for
vulnerable staff and faculty,
and our support could be
the tipping point in the
fight against systemic labor
exploitation at LC.
A recurring pattern I have
witnessed in my work, is that
one of the most consistent
sources of strife for
staff and non-
tenured faculty
on campus is the
issue of classism.
As I worked on the
Campus Climate
Survey, I learned
that the only way
to get transparent
and critical answers about the administration’s
performance was by ensuring
anonymity. The very fact that we had
to be so concerned about protecting
identity, and that people could lose
their jobs over a survey answer, was
jarring for me as a student.
The LC COVID-19 Archive, an
oral history project compiled by
Historical Materials students, was
even more problematic. I was tasked
with getting staff perspectives on the
college’s COVID-19 response and their
experience at LC. After deliberation
over the intimate and critical nature
of our interview questions, myself and
my peers determined that two staff
groups — Bon Appétit employees and
custodians — could not be interviewed
because they were so vulnerable as
contracted workers that even an
anonymous response could risk the
employment status of the entire group.
I am disheartened that the
perspectives of two of the most
numerous, visible and important groups
of workers on campus — workers who
interact with students daily — will be
missing in an archive that will be used
as historical evidence for decades to
come. Even in my interviews with more
protected staff, I received input that was
carefully worded, stressed gratefulness
for their employment and painted the
administration in a positive light. Even
then, I was asked to edit out all questions
concerning the college and only use
material about personal experiences
unrelated to the administration. Our
intention as researchers was to create
an independent project documenting
the genuine experiences of our
interlocutors, not to give lip service to
the college. I now wonder how many
other interviews depict a rosier picture
than was truly experienced due to fear
or intimidation.
Students need to advocate for
vulnerable staff on campus. The
subcontracting of Bon Appétit
employees and custodial staff
is something that deserves our
attention. These staff members
used to work directly for the college,
but were outsourced to private
companies in the 1990s. Ostensibly,
this move was made to save LC
money and
keep tuition
costs low, but
the result
was that these
employees no
longer received
benefits, like
healthcare and retirement that
accompany direct employment
under the college. One detail
about this arrangement that
should not go unnoticed is the
demographics of these
workers. Many identify
as BIPOC, sole income
contributors, parents
and part-time workers.
In 2009, the Facilities
staff, who in comparison have
more staff members who are
white, full-time employees
with no dependents, successfully
avoided subcontracting in 2009. This success was in part due to student
protests, according to a grounds crew
member that I am acquainted with. This
brings me to my next point.
There has been sporadic and small-
scale activism regarding subcontracting
in recent years (like LC Young
Democratic
Socialists of
America’s work
with the Bon
Appétit workers
union in 2020
and the work
that Associate
Professor of
Sociology Bruce
Podobnik and
his students have engaged in with the
custodial staff), but the fact remains that
there has been no large-scale, concerted
mobilization. Moreover, the activism
that has occurred mainly revolved
around the symptoms of exploitation
(negotiations with the subcontracting
companies for fair treatment)
rather than the cause (abolition of
subcontracting at LC). The latter option
would involve a mass mobilization to
hold our administration accountable
and demand systemic change.
Exploitation and censorship is not
just an issue for subcontracted workers
either. The power and wealth disparity
between non-tenured faculty and
tenured faculty is another example of
an issue that is frequently talked about
but rarely acted on. The uncertainty of
faculty salaries amid budget cuts that
was raised in the March 19 issue of The
Pioneer Log is a more recent example.
This issue is systemic; self-censorship
and undercompensation are endemic
to all positions subordinate to the
administration.
Amid this exploitation — and I
would argue, made possible by it — our
administration, though contractually
obligated to do so, still paid a former
president over $800,000 after his
resignation and has begun a $15 million
renovation of Templeton Campus
Center. Why have we students let such
actions slide? Why do we let the college
care more about buildings than the
people inside of them? I was moved
by the outrage that resulted from the
publishing of the college’s Form 990
data, but will it result in any action? I fear that the student body has let
staff exploitation become an invisible
issue because we take the manual
labor that sustains this campus for
granted. The repercussions of the
pandemic will inevitably fall along
racialized, gendered and class lines.
As students, we
have the privilege
to critique the
college, but
we rarely turn
this privilege
into power that
challenges the
root problems.
Our acquiescence
is complicity. In
saying this, I do not seek to discount
the consistent and admirable activism
of the student body that holds the
administration accountable. However,
I think that we have neglected staff
advocacy in our activism.
The direct employment of
subcontracted workers, strengthening
of whistleblowing protection for staff
and faculty, financial stability for
non-tenured faculty and guaranteed
healthcare for all LC workers are
things that we can advocate for as
students. A critical aspect of this is
showing up with staff, not for them.
This involves direct collaboration with
the staff to advocate for concerns they
have, not what we assume they are
concerned about.
The custodial and Bon Appétit
staff were not always subcontracted,
and this fact, as well as the successful
instance of student protesting for
Facilities, is proof that change is
possible. There are many ways to
get involved. The Prison Abolition
Club is hoping to create staff
advocacy networks through their new
Transformative Justice Program.
The Coalition for English Education
and Social Advocacy and its faculty
partners will continue to advocate for
the custodial staff in the fall. However, I
encourage motivated peers to continue
to use their agency to organize their
own campaigns. Systemic change
requires multifaceted, multimodal
engagement, but one thing is certain,
it will never be achieved without the
intentional and conscious support of
the student body.Large-scale student mobilization is necessary to adequately protect vulnerable employees at LCSystem of exploitation threatens staff security
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors and are not held by The Pioneer Log and its editorial board.
SOA renovation instead of removal would be smart
By AUBREY ROCH É
IN THE 2019 MASTER plan, Lewis
& Clark revealed the intention to
demolish Stewart, Odell and Akin
Halls (SOA), in order to shape the area
around Templeton Campus Center
into “the heart of campus” with new
dorms and a renovated Templeton.
However, recent budget concerns
have suggested that a remodel may
be more feasible. In order to save
money while also preserving the oldest
dorms on campus, LC should focus on
remodeling SOA.
I have now lived in Odell for about
three semesters. The hall is cozy
and endearing
in many ways,
with some of the
biggest double
rooms on campus
and spacious
bathrooms. It
is much quieter
than Copeland,
conveniently
located right next
to Templeton
and the closets have given me and my
roommate an opportunity for privacy
that the majority of college dorms do not
allow.
However, SOA rooms can be pretty
grubby, to say the least. No dorm is
perfect, and I am sure many dorms
have their own unique issues, but
SOA’s heaters that make horrendous
clanking noises, windows that can be
pulled open from the outside and walls that posters do not stick to are not
ideal when it comes to a living space
that I am paying thousands of dollars
for.
At Oregon State University and the
University of Oregon, housing rates
differ based on the dorm you live in.
Older dorms are cheaper, and newer
dorms for upperclassmen are more
expensive. At LC, housing rates for
all double rooms are the same. The
quality of living, however, is far from
equal. SOA can hardly compare to the
clean interior of Holmes or the suite-
style bathrooms unique to Hartzfeld.
Yet I am paying the same amount of
money as residents of those other
halls. I could not
have known this
when choosing
what dorm to
live in, as all I
had to go off
of was a single
picture and a
short description
in the housing
pamphlet. At the
very least, LC
could adjust housing rates so that we
are paying for the dorm experience we
are getting, but a more feasible option
is simply renovating SOA to be at the
same level as the rest of LC’s residence
halls.
Remodeling SOA would allow for
the expansion of spaces such as the
workout and meditation rooms in
Stewart. The Counseling Service and
Phonathon offices could be moved out of the Odell basement and given their
own facilities, possibly as part of the
larger renovations to Templeton. The
maze-like halls of Stewart could be
simplified, and all three halls could be
made compliant with the Americans
with Disabilities Act. Overall, cosmetic
upgrades from new carpet to updated kitchens and bathrooms would make
SOA much more appealing to new
students and returning students alike.
To my knowledge, there is nothing
fundamentally wrong with SOA other
than being old. Thus, they do not need
to be demolished. The large rooms
and closets set SOA apart from other dorms on campus and create a cozy
living space. As the oldest dorms on
campus, there is a heart to them that
would no longer exist if they were
rebuilt. By remodeling, LC can save
money, update decades-old facilities
and create a more positive on-campus
living experience.
Why have we students let
such actions slide? Why
do we let the college care
more about buildings than
the people inside of them?
To my knowledge, there
is nothing fundamentally
wrong with SOA other
than being old. Thus,
they do not need to be
demolished. LC’s intent to demolish SOA dorms is a wasted opportunity to save money, spacious living areas
SOFIA REEVES/THE PIONEER LOGSOFIA REEVES/THE PIONEER LOGFRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
OPINION 6
By JACOB MUSCARELLA
PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY that your
time at college goes by in the
blink of an eye, and I would have
to agree, at least to some extent. I will
be graduating from Lewis & Clark in a
matter of weeks, and yet it feels like I
was just moving into my dorm room
in Odell Hall freshman year. But at
the same time, when I try to mentally
unpack all that I have experienced and
learned over the past four years, I am
not sure I can fully comprehend how
much and in how many ways I have
changed.
The person who arrived on Palatine
Hill in 2017 and the version of me
leaving in 2021 resemble each other
(with the exception of the inevitable,
gay-panic-induced bleach-blond hair
transformation). However, I know
that I will forever be a different person
because I went through this institution.
Looking back, I am so happy that
LC will be my alma mater. I do not say
that because of the dorm buildings or
Templeton Campus Center or even
the reflecting pool — although I do
adore looking out at Mt. Hood on a
beautiful, clear day. What has been
the most impactful for me, and what
I will absolutely miss the most, is the
people. The individuals who make up
our community are the real heart and
soul of LC, and without them, it would
be nothing but an empty collection
of buildings with very different
architectural styles.
First and foremost, I have met the
greatest friends of my life at LC. They have made me laugh and brought
me comfort. They have pushed me to
never give up on my dreams
and they have given me
the space to figure out
what it means to be my
authentic self. This last
point probably means the
most to me, as I was only
just starting to explore my
identity after living in the
same small town for 18 years.
I can only speak from my
own experience, but seeing
the same groups of people
sitting and laughing together
at the Bon, on the SOA lawn
and outside J.R. Howard Hall over
the years leads me to believe that
others have also formed incredible
friendships.
LC would also be nothing without
its incredible faculty. From day one, I
have had the honor of learning from
some of the greatest educators I have
ever encountered. Almost all of my
professors have oozed compassion,
brightened my days and opened
my eyes to look at the world
through a different lens. I am
so incredibly thankful for each
and every faculty member I
have taken classes with, and
it will be their voices and
advice — often completely
unrelated to course
material — that I will carry
with me as I tackle whatever
problems await me after LC.
I also cannot look past the
immense effort it has taken for faculty to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From having to transition to online
learning in the middle of last spring to
teaching the entire past year in a mixture of fully virtual,
fully in-person and hybrid
classes, professors have had
to completely transform
the way they teach their
courses with little time for
preparation. And because
most of the faculty I have
spoken with say their favorite
part of teaching at LC is the
personal connections they
make with their students, I
cannot imagine how difficult
it has been to only see students
behind masks or over Zoom.
It is a shame for all members
of the LC community that this last
year has been thrown off track
by COVID-19, and as a senior I
particularly feel for this year’s
graduating class. If you are anything
like me, you have had an idea of what
your senior year would look like since
you were a freshman. Maybe you would
be living off campus, having friends
over or going out on the weekends.
Maybe you would be finishing up
your major requirements and
presenting your proudest work
in a classroom packed full of
your peers at the Festival of
Scholars and Artists. Maybe
you would be taking some
easy classes and enjoying
your last semester with
friends and faculty
before all celebrating together at
commencement in May.
Instead, our senior year has
featured disastrous wildfires, a
grueling election season, a presidential impeachment, destructive ice storms
and extended power outages, all in
the midst of a global pandemic that
has kept away from those whom we
most looked forward to sharing this
time with. It is heartbreaking, and
yet after a year of seeing devastating
tragedies on what feels like a daily
basis in the news, I cannot help but
feel a bit numb. I think it is okay,
and perhaps necessary, to mourn the
senior year that could have been while
also celebrating the fact that we made
it through the shitstorm that was the
2020-21 academic year.
To those of you who are first
years, I hope you are celebrating
making it through your first year of
college. What a wild way to begin
this journey, and I cannot wait for
you to see something a little closer to
normalcy in the fall. To sophomores
and juniors, you got a taste of a
normal college experience before
the pandemic arrived, and I hope it
is not too surreal as you prepare to
transition back into the joys of in-
person learning.
To my fellow seniors, I am so happy
that we got to share even a part of our
college experience together. I wish we
were able to celebrate like those who
came before us, but I know that we
will make do with our circumstances
and soldier on, just like we have
throughout our time at LC. I hope
you will not hate me for closing this
out with a pronouncement that is so
cliché, but perhaps has never meant
more than it does at this moment: We
made it.In a year of natural disasters and a global pandemic, graduates have even more to celebrate than usualClass of 2021, we (somehow) made it to the end
Have a bawl: the pleasures, pains of crying in public
We could all use a sob session once in a while, there should be no shame in letting it out around others
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in the Opinion section are those of the authors and are not held by The Pioneer Log and its editorial board.By ISABEL REKOW
I AM A BIG proponent of public
crying. However, I understand that
you, gentle reader, may be hesitant
at the prospect of such an indecent act,
so let me win you over to the idea of
simply weeping in the first place. Then
we will go public.
I like crying partly because of the
pain of it. I appreciate the honesty
of truly facing life and not trying to
sugarcoat or deny the depths. I enjoy
feeling like I am about to break apart,
riding the waves of something terrible
and primordial that I do not fully
understand.
Crying is a way to value and honor
all parts of yourself, including the
uncontrollable wildness in you. At the
very least, it provides a nice break from
the repetitive sameness of existence.
And it is better than feeling nothing at
all.
I have definitely gone through some
long numb periods. Not coincidentally,
those were the same times when I
did not listen to music. I now find it
powerful, liberating and humbling
to be able to feel so deeply, and to
empathize with the melodies of others’
pain.
There are numerous reasons why
it might be difficult for you to cry. In
addition to general numbness, I used to
avoid crying partly due to internalized
misogyny. Women are
so emotional, and that
is a bad thing, right?
The same devaluing
of emotion, rooted in
patriarchy and toxic
masculinity, is also
behind men’s hangups
about crying, which
begin very early in
life. Published in
2017, a Behavioral
Neuroscience study
found fathers more
responsive to their
daughters’ emotions than to their
sons’, a pattern which can pave the way
for difficulties processing emotions
later in life. Too much repression will
corrode you from the inside out.
If you are the sort of person who
tends to rely on risky endeavors or drugs in order to get a rush, try tearing
up instead. You might be surprised
at the thrilling intensity of a sobbing
session that shakes you
to your core.
You might not feel
safe or comfortable
crying at home where
your roommates,
partner or family can
hear you. It can be
inconsolably lonely, if
sometimes necessary,
to cry into your pillow
alone in your room.
Personally, I find it
miserable, stifling and
abject, and it makes me
feel trapped. However, when in public
I am less frightened of myself.
If I am sobbing my heart out while
roaming the moors — I mean the park
blocks near my house — then I feel
connected to the natural world and my
community. It gets me out of my head and puts my own pain in perspective.
Yes, it hurts, but every passerby I see
has a story to tell, and has been or will
be where I am now.
I recently startled a sedate woman
walking her dog in the park as I
stumbled past, wailing vociferously.
She eyed me sideways as I perched
on a nearby bench and sobbed. Public
crying has increased my compassion
for people who are barely holding it
together, whom others label as “crazy”
because they feel unnerved when
confronted with their own privilege.
You might think it is difficult to
cry on the Lewis & Clark campus
where you are more likely to startle
an acquaintance than a stranger, but
you can always hide if you are afraid of
being caught having visible emotions.
Head out to Tryon Creek State Natural
Area and temporarily become an
unquiet spirit haunting the woods,
disturbing passersby. You could even
become a new Portland landmark.It is freeing to cry in public. The
pandemic has made it easier than ever
— no one can see the grimace or tears
behind your mask. For the enthusiastic
public crier, I highly recommend a
good pair of earbuds or headphones.
Not only does the addition of your
own personal soundtrack heighten the
emotional intensity
of the experience,
but it also prevents
you from noticing
how loudly you are
howling.
On that note, I
leave you with a few
recommendations
on what to listen to
while you bawl.
There are two main routes to go for
your soundtrack: loud and angry (such
as rock or rap) or quiet and thoughtful
(such as lo-fi or soft acoustic). While
some people enjoy raging to hardcore
angst punk, I often find it too loud and messy as it tries to compete with,
rather than enhance, my own private
drama. It is as if I told a friend I really
needed to talk, and instead of sitting
back and listening, they hijacked the
conversation and talked all over me
about their own problems.
With that caveat, I still relish
angry music from time to time. “La
Rage” by the Argentine-French rapper
Keny Arkana is great fun to play when
furious. If you are not angry when you
begin listening, Arkana will have riled
you up by the end.
My go-to for general crying is
“Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for
Cutie. As an intensely embodied yet (I
would argue) highly abstract activity,
crying indeed feels like a brief, electric
fusing of body and soul.
For cases of lovesickness, try
“When It Hurts so Bad” and “Just
Like the Water” by the incomparable
Ms. Lauryn Hill. I weep to them partly
because I just really like these songs
— that goes for all the tracks on this
playlist — but they are also versatile
songs that you can both happy-cry and
sad-cry to. This makes them perfect
for love-induced mood swings.
If you or someone you know is
suffering from depression, listen to
“Black Dog” by Arlo Parks. I have yet
to cry to this one, but I look forward
to weeping gently to it someday as
Parks croons “I would do anything to
get you out your room.”
When curating your crying
soundtrack, it is important to include
songs that relate to your specific
circumstances. For instance, I injured
my knee last fall
and have been
unable to run for
almost half a year,
which undoubtedly
contributed to the
inception of this
article. One of my
favorite things in
the whole world was
to run around the
waterfront during or just after dusk
while looking at the city lights glint
above the river and listening to “Here
Comes the Night Time” by Arcade
Fire. I hope to do that again one day,
and if I do, I will cry from happiness.
MAYA WINSHELL/THE PIONEER LOG
I enjoy feeling
like I am about
to break apart,
riding the waves of
something terrible
and primordial
that I do not fully
understand.The pandemic has
made it easier than
ever — no one can see
the grimace or tears
behind your mask.FAITH GALLEGOS/THE PIONEER LOGFRIDAY APRIL 23, 2021
FEATURES 7
Hate crimes against AAPI community increase
By GABE KORER

IN THE YEAR 2020, hate crimes
towards the Asian American and
Pacific Islander (AAPI) community
increased by 149% overall — an
astonishing development that indicates
the rise of anti-Asian bias within the
United States.
The New York Times has connected
more than 110 of these incidents to
race based hate, finding that they have
occurred mainly in densely populated
cities with large Asian populations, and
that nearly half involved a reference
to the coronavirus. Their database
paints an altogether disturbing picture:
Animosity towards Asian communities
is resurging in the United States and has
resulted in the lives of Asian Americans
being threatened all across the country.
Beyond the scope of hate crimes,
which only encompasses a specific set of
crimes, there have been 3,800 anti-Asian
racist incidents in the past year according
to NBC News, with women making up
roughly 68% of the victims. In 2021 alone,
503 of those incidents were reported.
Lewis & Clark’s Asian Student Union
(ASU) recognizes that anti-Asian bias
is not a recent phenomenon within the
United States. As a student organization,
they strive to create a safe space for LC’s
AAPI community and represent them as
a minority group on campus. On April 13,
they met to discuss the ongoing attacks
against people of Asian descent, coming
together as a community to grieve and
reflect on the lives that have been lost.
ASU Leader Jinju Hurley ’22 believes
it is important for people to acknowledge the country’s long history of xenophobia
and racism.
“People have to remember that
anti-Asian racism didn’t just start in
March of 2020,” Hurley said. “It’s been
there for a long time. And it’s often
been ignored because we are seen as
the model minority, which is just a
horrible myth perpetuated by white
supremacy.”
The AAPI community has a long
history of mistreatment within the United
States. Going back to the 1850s, Chinese
immigrants were commonly exploited
for their labor and denied citizenship.
Largely aiding that effort was the
People v. Hall decision of 1854,
which ruled that people of Asian
descent could not testify against a
white person in a court of law. This
not only encouraged acts of violence
toward Asian communities, but also
contributed to the formation of racist
beliefs.
Years of racism culminated in a
situation that is much like the one the
AAPI community faces today: the San
Francisco plague of 1900. As the disease
spread, San Francisco’s Chinatown
was promptly blamed for causing the
outbreak, resulting in the harassment of
Chinese residents and an increasingly
negative perception of them. Since then,
Asian Americans have continued to
face bigotry and xenophobia, especially
during the internment of Japanese
people during World War II.
ASU Leader Alys Chang ’22 says
that this history of racism and trauma
is recognized by Asian communities but
often ignored in the mainstream media, which has allowed anti-Asian sentiments
to gain prominence in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“These crimes have always been here,”
Chang said. “These microaggressions,
racism, it’s always been there. But COVID
kind of allowed people to say, ‘That’s ok.’”
As reported on by Time Magazine,
the recent rise in hate crimes and racist
incidents in the United States has been
paralleled by global trends. Documented
instances of anti-Asian abuse have
surfaced in Australia, Brazil and Italy,
and research conducted in New Zealand
found that 54% of Chinese respondents
experienced discrimination since the
COVID-19 pandemic started. Moreover,
the United Kingdom experienced a 300%
increase in hate crimes towards people of East and Southeast Asian heritage as well.
With the increase of hate crimes
outside of the United States, Chang
believes that the narrative surrounding
anti-Asian bias should take on a global
perspective.
“A lot of Asians that emigrated to
Western countries, they are experiencing
that same thing,” Chang said. “It’s not
just an American thing, it’s not just a U.K.
thing, it’s not just an Australian thing.
It’s how we are perceived in the West, in
Western media.”
In particular, both Chang and
Hurley view political figures like
former President Donald Trump
as important for understanding
the vitriol and harassment AAPI
communities have faced in the
past year.
“I think that hateful people like
Trump definitely helped perpetuate
this,” Hurley said. “And I think that
Trump had a great incentive to do so
because that would maybe take some
eyes off his own incompetency in dealing
with this coronavirus.”
Over the course of the pandemic,
Trump repeatedly tried to shift the blame
to China for the United States’ worsening
public health crisis. Most notably, this
took the form of publicly calling the
coronavirus the “Chinese Virus” and the
“Kung Flu.” A recent study published in
the American Journal of Public Health
concluded that his rhetoric towards
China “likely perpetuated racist attitudes”
online.
Along with figures like Trump
who laid the groundwork for racist
viewpoints, Hurley said the continuation of stereotypes enables people to commit
acts of aggression and harassment against
the AAPI population.
“The stereotype of mystery definitely
plays into it a bit,” Hurley said. “That goes
hand in hand with the coronavirus — it
kind of just popped up out of nowhere and
changed our lives. And so, I think maybe
a lot of people can more easily make that
association (between China and the virus)
than if the coronavirus was first spotted in
France or something like that.”
Ultimately, with stereotypes having a
substantial influence on how people view
AAPI individuals, Chang wants to see
more people educate themselves on how
they perceive Asian communities in order
to more effectively address their own
prejudices towards them.
“All I can really hope is that people
grow a tolerance for themselves and
to grow a tolerance to being wrong,”
Chang said. “Because it’s ok. It’s ok to
be wrong, it’s ok to look back and be
like, ‘Oh, I had this prejudice. I did this,
I did that.’ That’s fine. Moving forward,
don’t do that to the next person.”
Starting next semester, ASU plans
on hosting more discussions with the
broader LC community surrounding
the prejudices and racism people of
Asian descent face, in order to increase
awareness about how it continues to affect
them today.
If you or someone you know has
been affected by anti-Asian violence or
harassment, you can access stopaapihate.
org or standagainsthatred.org to report
an incident. You can also visit https://
anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/ for
mental health and educational resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPI people all over the world have been the target of racist attacks
By GRETA BURTON

SPRINGTIME IN Portland has
arrived in full force. After a
treacherous few months of
ice storms and the iconic drizzly
weather that many Portlanders are
begrudgingly fond of, the sunshine has
been a welcome change for Lewis &
Clark students.
With the arrival of spring, flowers
are now in full bloom all across
Portland, which is home to many
iconic sights to fawn over the local
flora. Listed below are the top spots to
stop and smell the roses.
First up is Tryon Creek State
Natural Area. In addition to the
wildlife sightings and shady canopy
the park is known for, the springtime
allows for glimpses of trillium — a
white blossom approximately the size
of a palm that boasts three ruffled
petals and a banana-yellow interior. It
is native to North America and some
parts of Asia.
Environmental studies (ENVS)
major Helen Traczyk ’23 recently
hiked through the park, spotting
plenty of trillium from the trails. She
also noticed an abundance of other
bell-shaped blooms along the pathway.
“The trillium turns purple towards
the end of its season,” Traczyk said. “It
is really beautiful.” Located in Washington Park, Hoyt
Arboretum is an excellent spot to see
magnolias and dogwood bloom. In
1922, Multnomah County sold the
land to the City of Portland for $10.
Initially, the city envisioned the land
as being used to build houses and
a golf course. However, Portland
Parks Superintendent Emanuel T.
Mische intervened and the land was
transformed into an arboretum in 1928.
One of the most iconic flowers
in Portland is the rose. The origin of
Portland’s nickname — the City of
Roses — comes from its ideal climate
for growing roses. Take a stroll through
the International Rose Test Garden
from now until June to see rose buds
come to life. This PDX garden holds the
title for the longest-running rose test
garden in the United States, serving as
a testing ground for new rose varieties.
It is located in Washington Park in
Southwest Portland and features views
of both downtown Portland and Mount
Hood.
If you are interested in fragrant
varieties similar to the rose, you will
not be let down by the Rhododendron
Garden in Southeast Portland,
bordering Reed College’s campus
and the Eastmoreland Golf Course.
The intoxicating, sweet smells of the
more fragrant blooms waft from the
paths all the way to the parking lot. It also attracts a significant number of
birdwatchers for its large population
of local bird species and waterfowl. Be
careful not to get too close to the stems
of this variety as their sap can get quite
sticky.
The ultimate spots to appreciate
the cherry blossoms in Portland are
located along Waterfront Park and the
University of Portland. The Waterfront
showcases 100 cherry trees of the
Akebono variety. According to Travel
Portland’s website, these trees were a
gift from the Japanese Grain Importers
Association in 1990 and have been
a springtime staple in the Portland
community ever since.
When discussing the buds in bloom,
we cannot neglect the beauty of our own
campus and all of the hard work that
goes into cultivating and maintaining
the grounds.
LC Groundskeeper Erik Olson
shared all of the best spots to appreciate
the flower blossoms on campus. Olson
specifically recommended visiting the
fragrant daphne, bushes with light
lilac petals and large light green leaves,
located around the Frank Manor House
circle.
Olson also recommends stopping
by the cherry blossom trees located
between Templeton Campus Center and
the Agnes Flanagan Chapel. Camellias,
which look like a cross between a rose
and a peony donning a bubblegum pink
hue, can be spotted and enjoyed all over
campus, according to Olson.
In addition to his work at LC,
Olson enjoys exploring the different
landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
When asked what hikes or locations he
recommends for spring and summer
exploring, Olson suggested traveling
east along the Columbia River Gorge for
spectacular views of wildflowers.
If taking in the flora as you hike is
more your speed, check out Angel’s Rest
Trailhead, Dog Mountain or the Tom
McCall Nature Preserve for wildflower
views that will last all summer.
For bonus floral appreciation,
visit the tulip and dahlia festivals,
located in Woodburn and Swan Island
respectively. The Wooden Shoe Tulip
Festival will run through May 2 after
opening on March 19. The Swan Island
Dahlia Festival’s schedule has yet to
be announced due to the COVID-19
pandemic. By JILLIAN JACKSON

ON APRIL 9, Lewis & Clark’s
annual Festival of Scholars and
Artists (FoSA) celebrated the
intellectual and artistic achievements
of LC students. Hosted entirely over
Zoom for a second consecutive year due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival
showcased the work of over 80 Pioneers
from over 15 departments and programs.
Associate Professor of French and
member of the FoSA Coordinating
Committee Isabelle DeMarte sang
praises of the student participants.
“I love the inspiration and excitement
that pervades the day,” DeMarte
said. “It’s pretty amazing to see how
professional our students are in terms of
sharing their skills, their scholarship and
their research.”
Margarete Maneker ’21, Ashley
O’Leary ’22, Lily Schaffer ’23 and Olivia
Weiss ’23 participated in this year’s
FoSA. After taking Associate Professor of
History and Department Chair Maureen
Healy’s Holocaust in Comparative
Perspectives class, they conducted an
independent study of Nazi Germany’s
Nuremberg Laws.
In lieu of an in-person exhibit, the
group curated a virtual “story map”
with political cartoons, paintings,
advertisements and other visual media.
Starting May 5, the “story map” will
be available on the Watzek Library
homepage.
According to DeMarte, the online
studio art gallery was another highlight
of this remarkable day on Palatine Hill.
DeMarte noted the artists’ emphasis
on care and social justice movements,
as well as their interdisciplinary
approaches.
“That round table may have gathered
magic from every corner of the campus,”
DeMarte said. “It was a wonderful
encapsulation of the year and all the
talent that’s at Lewis & Clark.”
Artists who create in other
formats, including theater, dance and
music, shared their skills with the LC
community as well. Music major Graham
Ring ’21 gave attendees a sneak peek of
his senior composition recital, which
includes computer-generated speaking
voices vocoded over a sample of a dental
robot malfunctioning. He said that the
COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted
his creative process, as he had initially planned to have 12 to 20 musicians
perform together live.
“I had to scrap my entire recital,” Ring
said. “I decided to take a new approach
and that was to embrace the isolation we
live in and create a musical experience
that’s about an individual rather than a
group.”
Dancer Liza Clairagneau ’21 also
found that the COVID-19 pandemic
influenced the choreography for her
haunting and atmospheric piece, “Of
Monstrosities.”
“I wasn’t planning on doing a solo,”
Clairagneau said.
She also noted the unexpected need
to choreograph for a camera rather than
a live audience. Centered around the
individual, her final piece explores “all the
ways in which we’ve internalized harm”
due to colonialism and racial prejudices.
Echoing the community’s enthusiasm
about FoSA, James F. Miller Professor of
Humanities and Professor of Philosophy
Nicholas D. Smith shared an unexpected
benefit of the virtual celebration.
“Everybody complains about Zoom,
and I will be at the front of that line,”
Smith said. “But the one thing is, when
you have a program like this, students
with parents who aren’t going to be able
to drive to Portland can just get online.
Seeing the parents in the audience ... I
love that.”
Smith plans to retire at the end of the
semester and looks back on FoSA with
fond memories.
“This was a very taxing, in many ways,
thing to do, but it really has been great
fun,” Smith said. “I was delighted to be a
part of it.”
Behind the scenes, Ben Bovich ’21
helped professors find common threads
among student presenters and group
them together in panels.
He encourages LC students to get
involved with FoSA’s Coordinating
Committee in years to come.
“It may seem daunting to work with
the staff, but it is really rewarding and fun
to get to know them and be a part of a LC
ritual like FoSA,” Bovich said via email.
For a digital showcase of FoSA’s
performances and presentations, visit
https://festivalofscholars.watzekdi.net/.
Pioneers can also book an appointment
to see the “Blissters” exhibit in person
at the Ronna and Eric Hoffman Gallery
of Contemporary Art. Go to www.lclark.
edu/hoffman_gallery/ to schedule a visit. LC celebrates student
work during COVID-19
NICOLE OLIVER/THE PIONEER LOGKEIKO SHIEBER/THE PIONEER LOG
Stop and smell the roses: Best
locations for viewing flora in PDXBy GRETA BURTON
RAISE YOUR ethically sourced chai
latte (with oat milk, of course) in
celebration folks: Portland has
claimed the title of “Most Hipster City” in
the United States.
The ranking comes from MoveHub,
a service that analyzes the costs and
benefits of various international shipping
companies that help people move abroad.
Their 2020 survey combined five data
points, including “the number of vegan
eateries, coffee shops, tattoo studios,
vintage boutiques and record stores per
100,000 city residents,” according to their
website. Each city then earns a Hipster Index score out of 10. In the latest version
of the survey, MoveHub analyzed 446
cities across 20 different countries.
But what qualifies something as
a “hipster”? According to Merriam-
Webster, a “hipster” is one who is
“unusually aware of and interested in new
and unconventional patterns.” This usage
dates back to 1940, primarily referring
to the realms of jazz and fashion. An
additional use of the label “hipster” refers
to prohibition when people would carry
hip flasks.
In modern times, “hipster” is a blanket
statement used to refer to someone
who follows trends closely, particularly
those that fall outside of the cultural mainstream. MoveHub suggests that this
characterization applies primarily to 20 to
30-year-olds who align themselves with
various subcultures.
Despite the joyful living and free-
spirited existence that hipsterdom
encourages, it can come at a high cost
to more underprivileged residents of
urban areas. Gentrification is rampant in
many, if not all, of the cities identified by
MoveHub’s index.
Independent news organization The
Conversation published an article in 2018
by researcher Melissa Tandiwe Myambo
that explored the argument of whether
hipsters could be classified as modern-
day “colonizers.” Myambo illustrates that
despite the many areas of social change
hipsters advocate for, they are often
caught in the center of a paradox.
“They appear progressive, but they
actually demonstrate some parallels with
the practices and ideologies of the settler-
colonialism of earlier centuries,” Myambo
writes.
Myambo tracked the movement of
hipsters relocating to lower-income,
urban neighborhoods and the real estate
developers that followed as a result of the
influx. According to Myambo, hipsters and
colonizers alike “displace less powerful
occupants.”
Problematically, the narrative of
this displacement is often curtailed
around promises of “urban renewal”
or “regeneration.” However, Myambo
demonstrates how these false
narratives allow for the displacement
of social responsibility as well. Without
accountability, Myambo warns that
gentrification combined with the
“hipster’s nostalgia” for past eras can lead
to deeper traces of xenophobia and racism.
A consumeristic demand for alternative
milk and flannel shirts suddenly is not as
harmless as it once seemed.
Despite contributing to gentrification,
Myambo points out that hipsters also
create communities based on eco-
activism, queer rights, women’s rights
and many other noble causes that strive to
create a more equitable world.
As many of us were drawn to Portland
for its reputation of acceptance and
quirky celebration of individualism, it is
important to remember the long-term
impacts it has on other communities that
deserve the same share of space in the city
we call home. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
FEATURES 8
By ARIEL MCGEE
SPRING 2021 WILL be the last
semester that beloved Senior
Lecturer Emeritus in Social Sciences
Cyrus Partovi ’67 teaches at Lewis & Clark.
Though he formally retired following the
2019-20 academic year, Partovi continued
teaching courses during Fall 2020 and
Spring 2021 through an arrangement
with the dean and international affairs
(IA) department. He started his career at
LC as a student and returned many years
later to teach.
“Those three years at Lewis & Clark
were the best years of my life,” Partovi
said. “I majored in political science,
because at that time the IA department
had only one teacher ... it was just a one-
man show. But of course, all the courses I
took were international affairs oriented.”
Following his education at LC, Partovi
attended graduate school at The Fletcher
School at Tufts University and then
returned to his home country of Iran to
work in politics.
“After Fletcher, I went back to Iran
and worked at the Ministry of the Imperial
Court, which is like the Shah’s private
secretariat, and I reached the position
of director general,” Partovi said. “I
worked there for eight years and then the
revolution came along, and I left Iran six
weeks before the Shah left. I stayed until
the end, clearly knowing that things were
not going well in Iran.”
In the years after the revolution,
Partovi followed and worked with
the former crown prince and last heir
apparent in Imperial Iran, Reza Pahlavi.
“The former crown prince asked me
to come and work for him for a while, for a number of years, in exile,” Partovi
said. “I was in Rabat, Morocco, as well
as in Washington, D.C. and then I was
realizing that the chances of going back to
Iran were not likely. I knew that I had to
look for something else, and so I came to
Oregon, where I had settled my family.”
Upon returning to Oregon, Partovi
began looking for more permanent work
as he rebuilt his life in the United States.
He found himself once again on LC’s
campus when he was offered a short-term
position as a lecturer of IA by Joseph Ha,
former chair of the IA department.
“There was an opening at Lewis &
Clark College, at that time Joe Ha was the
chair of the department, and my former
colleague Richard Peck, who has since
retired, hired me,” Partovi said. “That was
in 1992, and then one thing led to another
and, you know, the students really liked
the way I was teaching and so by the grace
of the student body at Lewis & Clark, I
remained a senior lecturer for 29 years.”
After several years of teaching, Partovi
was let go from the college in 1999.
However, the student body protested
this decision which resulted in Partovi
receiving the title of senior lecturer,
according to a September 1999 article in
The Pioneer Log.
“At a certain juncture you either get
tenured, or not, and it was time for me to
move on as far as the administration was
concerned, but the students really felt that
I should stay around ... so, here I am,”
Partovi said.
Generations of LC students have
gained insight, direction and lessons from
Partovi, and he has become a sort of living
legend on campus.
Professor of International Affairs and Department Chair Bob Mandel shared his
thoughts on Partovi’s extensive teaching
career and the impact it has had on
students.
“Cyrus has been an absolutely
irreplaceable and invaluable asset since
he first joined the Lewis & Clark faculty,”
Mandel said via email. “Through his
incredible passion and expertise, he has
inspired innumerable students to go on
to pursue stellar careers in international
affairs. He has brought to the classroom
a uniquely perceptive combination of
extensive real-world experience and deep
academic insight that enthralls students
in a way nobody else could. We will all
sorely miss his sage presence here.”
Associated Students of Lewis & Clark
President Mikah Bertelmann ’21 credits
Partovi with inspiring him to pursue a
career in the foreign service.
“Cyrus has been one of the most
influential professors I have had at LC,”
Bertelmann said via email. “From the
anecdotes about his time in the Imperial
Court of Iran, to the quotes about
Portland, every moment with Cyrus is a
life lesson that I undoubtedly will keep
with me. Going into a career in the foreign
service, I know I am well prepared after
learning from our favorite diplomat!”
Sandenna McMaster ’21, the co-
chair of the 2021 International Affairs
Symposium, shared how Partovi’s
personal experience has motivated her to
learn in his classes.
“Cyrus Partovi has represented, for
me, the embodiment of what motivates
most students to attend a liberal arts
education,” McMaster said via email.
“Beyond his knowledge that seems infinite
and his impressive past experiences, Cyrus brings his heart to the classroom each
day and true care to every conversation
he takes part in. I have been honored to
be taught by a man of his stature and to
carry with me everything that he taught
me, both in knowledge of international
relations and otherwise.”
During his impactful 29-year-long
term as a lecturer, Partovi earned the
recognition of Teacher of the Year in
1994 and 1998, and received the 2008
Donald G. Balmer Citation for rendering
outstanding voluntary service to the
college.
Partovi is unsure about what comes
next, but he is excited for his retirement in
Oregon, the state that he loves so dearly.
“I am looking forward to a new
chapter, but I have nothing fixed,” Partovi said. “I am looking forward to keeping fit
and staying alive. And using this beautiful
state of ours and taking advantage of
everything it has; skiing and backpacking
and just enjoying Oregon. Oregon is really
the end of the line for me. And, of course,
I am looking forward to Argentine tango.”
Partovi has become an integral part
of the international affairs experience at
LC, and, needless to say, he will be sorely
missed as a lecturer, colleague, mentor,
friend and ally.
“It was an honor and privilege
to be a member of the international
affairs department and during my 29
years at the college, able to teach 4,657
students,” Partovi said. “Do not ask me
to name them all but I continue my
friendship with many.”After 29 years of teaching in the international affairs department, the iconic lecturer enters retirementBeloved IA lecturer Cyrus Partovi departs LC
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEWIS & CLARK
Partovi looks forward to recreating outdoors and Argentine tango during retirement.
Portland’s “hipster” status has
harmful impacts for urban areasExplore fairy gardens
hidden around campus
By ALEXANDRA FLORY
THE MORNING sun peeking
through our blinds, birds in
pleasant conversation with one
another and a delightful yet diverse array
of flowers have all returned to Lewis &
Clark. All five senses are stimulated as
students walk around campus, giving
them the blissful experience of spring’s
arrival. The combination of the sun’s
warmth intermingling with a slight chill
from a distant breeze, flowers dancing in
the wind, followed by a waft of their sweet
scent that makes its way to our taste
buds, all tied together with the chirps of
birds either cacophonously laughing or
fighting, is an experience all LC students
are familiar with. In the midst of all
this spring beauty, fairy gardens have
emerged as well, nestling themselves in
the nature LC’s environment has to offer.
After all, what would the golden light,
sparrows and wildflowers be without
fairies to accompany them?
An Instagram account, called
lcfairygardens, explains how they work.
In addition to decorating the campus
and offering the LC community short
and fun search expeditions, the gardens
were made with the intention of creating
gift exchanges between students. In each
of the gardens, a red box containing a
small item that the finder may keep can
be discovered. If one decides to take a gift,
however, it is important to leave another
one behind securely in the fairy’s garden to prevent accidental littering on campus.
The Instagram account provides a list of
fun gift ideas including cool rocks, candy,
herbs, art and other homemade gifts.
To find the homes, an interested
student must first look at the Instagram
page where they can gather clues. The
posts contain a riddle pointing to the
garden’s location, accompanied by a
series of photos taken near the garden.
Anyone who knows the LC campus fairly
well could easily solve the riddle and use
the photos to find the garden.
The gardens themselves can best be
described as adorable. Nestled in fallen
trees and buried beneath moss and grass,
they contain a wide variety of items.
They are decorated with small sticks and
stones, fairy-sized trinkets and, of course,
the red gift box. However, a description
of the homes is not enough to do them
justice. One must venture out to view the
gardens for themselves in order to get the
full experience.
In a request for comment, the
@lcfairygardens account did not respond.
This mysterious occurrence may lead
some to believe that it is fairies who
created the gardens. Keeping that extra
layer of mystery of who is behind the
account helps contribute to the allure of
the gardens. To keep up with the magic,
follow @lcfairygardens on Instagram and
be on high alert for where the fairies may
go next. Spring does not last long, so get
out and find the gardens before the fairies
go back home during the summer.
NICOLE OLIVER/THE PIONEER LOGALEXANDRA FLORY/THE PIONEER LOG
Fairy gardens can be found on LC’s campus, such as this one nestled in a tree stump.FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
ARTS 9
Unique decorations spark
life into dreary LC dorms
These boots were made for walking:
students flaunt fabulous footwear
By AMELIA MADARANG
AT LEWIS & CLARK , it is rare
to find students who do not fit
into the liberal arts aesthetic.
It is even more rare to find students
whose styles have not changed since
they came to LC.
That is not the case for Victor Cho
’24, who is one of the kickers on LC’s
football team. Cho was born in South
Korea but moved to Texas when he
was young, which greatly influenced
his style. Around campus, he is most
well known for his classic Texan
outfits: Jeans and cowboy boots.
“A classic outfit? I mean it
depends on the situation,” Cho said.
“If I’m working on the car or working
on something I just wear dirty jeans
and the boots. If I’m going on a date
or going out I wear clean jeans and
the boots.”
For Cho, wearing jeans and
cowboy boots is a form of dressing up
and in his words, it “shows respect for others.” Although he has been told he
looks country, Cho does not identify
with any particular style or fashion.
He just hopes the way he dresses is a
subtle nod to other Texans.
“For me it means something,”
Cho said. “If I’m wearing the fancy
boots it is kind of showing respect to
someone who’s looking at me. It’s a
good connection.”
His cowboy boots are his favorite
piece of clothing. And almost any
animal can be turned into boots.
Currently, Cho owns a pair of ostrich
boots but he has also for sometime
had his eye on some alligator boots.
The Texan takes a lot of pride in
his shoes, and they play a vital role
in his outfit plans. For Cho, there
are only two types of boots that he
wears: work boots and dance boots.
The dance boots are shiny and only
to be used for dancing and special
occasions.
Since arriving at LC, Cho’s outfits
have evolved to become more country
since he missed his home. He does
not foresee himself changing his
sense of style anytime soon.
“In 10, 20 years I’m still going to
be wearing what I’m wearing right
now,” Cho said.
Another student who has had a
consistent style throughout her time
at LC is biology major Channing
Stirrat ’21. Drawing inspiration from
her mom, Stirrat wears whatever she
wants often incorporating bold color
combinations and stripes into her
looks.
“I’m usually in jeans and T-shirts
and athletic clothing, but I did that
before I got here,” Stirrat said.
If you see Stirrat around the
Symbolic and Quantitative Resource
Center or the Writing Center, she is
most likely wearing one of her many
grey sweatshirts matched with her
red horsehair Dr. Martens. She got
these shoes from her mom during
her sophomore year of college and has worn them so much they have
started balding in patches.
“They have that nice worn-in vibe
but they are still a fun color,”Stirrat
said. “They’re not too bright and
they go with everything. They are the
perfect staple for a Portland winter.”
These boots exemplify the essence
of her fashion philosophy: to be like
her mom, not out there, but still
creative. She is a big proponent of
colors and patterns. Some examples
are navy and black, florals and stripes
and bike socks and tennis shoes.
Although Stirrat’s fashion has
been consistent throughout her time
at LC, there are big changes on the
horizon.
“I am going to work for an
economic development non-profit
after I graduate, which is exciting
and I am definitely going to have
to up my fashion when I do that,
because I will not be able to slide by
in what I usually wear,” Stirrat said.
Stirrat’s tip for students who want
to be more fashionable and confident
is to “wear what makes you feel
good.”
“If you feel good and you like the
way you look in it, wear it even if it’s
not something you’ve seen a lot of
other people wear,” she said.By MARCO DREGNI
THE OPENING OF the senior art
exhibition is usually a bustling
event that draws students to the
Hoffman Art Gallery to socialize, eat
and view the final works of each senior
studio art major. Understandably,
things were different this year.
The senior art exhibition titled
“Blissters” opened on April 2 and
showcases work from 18 studio art
majors graduating in 2021. While
there was no public celebration of the
opening, students can sign up to visit
the exhibit in person. Much of the
work is also available to view online
via the website blissters.art.
There is a wonderful range of work
on display, from paintings, drawings
and prints to sculptures, installations,
videos and sound art. In one corner
of the gallery, Hannah Stubee’s ’21
work invites the viewer to take off
their shoes and practice self-care by
knitting, reading “Harry Potter” or
donning a comfortable pair of gray
sweatpants. In another corner, James
Bullock created a mock living room
that investigates
the racial history
of the United
States. As part of
the installation,
Black hands
emerge from a rug
to hold up a white
coffee table in the
shape of the contiguous 48 states
while a Black liberation flag hangs on
the wall.
While the works on display
span a wide range of mediums and
subjects, there are a few motifs that
appear throughout the exhibition.
Many artists seemed interested
in representations of comfort and
discomfort in the body. Additionally,
COVID-19 was a common thread
connecting several works.
Stubee explained that while
COVID-19 played a role in her work,
the themes she is interested in extend
beyond the current pandemic.
“Though this iteration of the project
is specific to care in the pandemic, I
think the practice of examining care
is increasingly necessary in this fast-
paced, capitalistic world we live in,” Stubee said.
Regarding their own installation,
Misha Davydov ’21 explained that
COVID-19 was not the focus of their
work, but nevertheless, it deeply
affected their practice.
“I think that (the) pandemic
impacted us collectively,” Davydov
said. “This year, there is a lot of
installation work, many people, even
those not trained in sculpture, really
examined space, as well as the place
of the self in that space.”
In a time when many classes
and events are conducted online,
visiting “Blissters” in person is a
unique experience. The exhibit is
open Tuesdays through Sundays from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and students can
reserve 30-minute time slots to visit
on the Hoffman Gallery webpage.
While the exhibit lacks the community
aspect of chatting with artists and
other visitors, exploring it in relative
solitude is still enjoyable.
Amongst the turmoil of the
pandemic, an in-person showing
seemed like a long shot. The
opportunity to have a physical
exhibition was
something that
Davydov was very
grateful for.
“I think that
us senior studio
art majors as well
as the viewers,
should be really
grateful to the art department
professors who pushed through with
this idea and have been working hard
to come up with a safe and feasible
way to manage this exhibition,”
Davydov said.
The exhibition program explains
that “Blissters” aims to “offer solace
from this weird and challenging time.”
Stubee echoed this sentiment,
explaining that the name of the exhibit
references both the pain and the joy of
the past year.
“At first glance, it might appear as
though we, a bunch of art majors, are
incapable of spelling, but the extra ‘s’
in the title, “Blissters”, is a reference
to ‘bliss,’” Stubee said. “Although this
year has been difficult in many ways,
the pandemic has brought us closer to
our art and closer together.”ALEX BARR/ THE PIONEER LOGBy RUBY SCHAEFFER
THE GLOOMY Portland weather and
drab student housing at Lewis & Clark
can be an unfortunate combination.
However, campus residents are finding
creative ways to rise to the challenge and
decorate their dorms with purpose and care.
When Izzy Huggins ’24 arrived at
Manzanita Hall last August, she was not
impressed.
“When I first walked in here and turned
on the lights, I was like ‘No,’” Huggins said.
Taking a step into Huggins’ quad now,
one might wonder if they have stumbled
into a particularly cozy art installation.
Christmas lights, with each light covered by
its own colorful folded paper lantern, snake
their way around the edges of the ceiling.
Drawings, paintings and collages by her
friends cover the walls.
Like many LC students, Huggins has
hung up photos of friends and family. Some
of the photos, though, are of total strangers. In one of the photos from SCRAP Creative
Reuse, an old woman with large glasses and
a pink and green flower print blouse smiles
gently into the camera.
“Someone asked me the other day who
(that) was and I was like ‘It’s my grandma.’
You don’t know,” Huggins said.
In a room like Huggins’, you cannot help
but be in a good mood. She has certainly
succeeded in creating a comfortable space
for herself to live and work in.
“Rooms for sure impact how I go about
my day,” Huggins said.
Tessa Robinson ’24 has also decorated
her single in Copeland Hall with her energy
in mind. A light purple and white tapestry
hangs above her bed and most of her other
decor matches this color scheme. According
to Robinson, these colors and the way that
they brighten her room help her feel more
vibrant and awake. She has even kept some
space on her wall empty so that the light
from her window can reflect off the white
paint. “It helps mentally with making sure
that, ‘Ok, here’s a new day! This is a good
day, I need to do better today, I need to keep
going strong today,’” Robinson said. “I feel
like the white and light purple aesthetic goes
with that mood for me.”
Robinson has also filled her room with
items that represent her personality and
identity. Her bed is raised so that neat stacks
of shoe boxes can fit underneath.
“I feel like shoes are a part of not just
me, but also a culture thing for me, because
(with) me being half Black I (feel) so
connected to fashion and style,” Robinson
said.
Robinson also has a painting made by
her sister propped on a shelf. It depicts a
woman wearing a purple dress and a gold
crown floating against a red background.
Gold sparkles appear to emit from her
hands and white sparkles surround her.
“My sister does this art of Black,
beautiful women in their different body
figures and shapes,” Robinson said. “That
painting means a lot to me because it shows
me Black is beautiful. Being in Portland it’s
not really shown a lot and I just feel like that
is a reminder that everyone is beautiful.”
Perhaps most special to Robinson
are notes from her mother that she has
hung above her desk. These notes remind
Robinson daily that she is loved and has
someone in her corner. Sometimes it is
almost as if her mom is there, telling her to
get to work.
“She used to write me notes in the
morning and these are the notes I’ve saved
over time,” Robinson said.
By bringing color, light, mementos from
home, things to laugh at and reminders of
love, Huggins and Robinson have curated
beautiful and motivating dorm rooms. The
care they have put into their rooms, ensures
that not even the rainiest Portland day can
stop them. James Bullock ’21 explores racist history of the U.S. in his detailed living room piece.MARCO DREGNI/THE PIONEER LOG“Blissters” recognizes
pandemic’s emotions
ALEX BARR/ THE PIONEER LOGDoc Martens remain Stirrats’s go-to shoe.
Cho stays dedicated to his Texas roots.
MARCO DREGNI/THE PIONEER LOG
LC students utilize their art to display the powerful effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.“Blissters” aims to
“offer solace from this
weird and challenging
time.”
KAYLA PLATER/THE PIONEER LOGFRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
SPORTS 10
By AIDAN D’ANNA
ON APRIL 15, state legislators
in Alabama and North Dakota
joined 29 other states in
advancing bills aimed at restricting the
rights of trans students to participate
in athletics. Not even four months into
2021, the year has already seen a record
amount of anti-trans legislation with at
least 117 bills having been introduced
this legislative session by Republican
lawmakers.
So far, bills in only four states
— Idaho, Arkansas, Mississippi and
Tennessee — have become law, and
most of them will take effect this
summer barring any lawsuits or
appeals. Republican lawmakers who
have introduced these bills claim to
be doing so to protect the sanctity of
women’s sports.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said
that he “proudly signed the Mississippi
Fairness Act to ensure young girls are
not forced to compete against biological
males.” Despite a lack of evidence,
lawmakers claim that the bodies of
biological males make them inherently
better at sports.
“Few (state legislators) could name
any cases where the participation of
transgender athletes in youth sports had
become a source of contention within the
teams,” Priya Krishnakumar of CNN said.
Oregon is one of 19 states whose
legislative branch has not had one of
these bills introduced in 2021. Oregon
Statute 659.850 prohibits discrimination
in education on the basis of race, color,
religion, sex, sexual orientation, national
origin, marital status, age or disability. In
2009, House Bill 3373 amended the term
“sexual orientation” in this law to refer
to “an individual′s actual or perceived ... gender identity, regardless of whether the
individual’s gender identity, appearance,
expression or behavior differs from
that traditionally associated with the
individual’s sex at birth.”
At Lewis & Clark, the policy for
trans athletes in sports is written in
accordance with NCAA guidelines and
does allow for the participation of trans
students in varsity athletics under certain
circumstances.
According to the policy, a trans male
student who is undergoing testosterone
treatment may compete on a men’s team
after receiving a medical exception for
a diagnosed gender identity disorder,
but cannot compete on a women’s team.
By contrast, a trans female athlete may
continue to compete on a men’s team,
but may not compete on a women’s team
until they undergo a calendar year of
testosterone suppression treatments.
Republicans promoting the bills
against trans athletes participating in
athletics claim that this double standard
is the case because male bodies have an
inherent athletic advantage. However,
Director of Physical Education and
Athletics Mark Pietrok believes the
discrepancy between which teams trans
male and female athletes are allowed to
compete on is derived from the NCAA’s
views on testosterone.
“It may look like (trans female bodies
have an inherent advantage) on the
surface,” Pietrok said. “But in reality, I
think where (the double standard) comes
from with the NCAA is that testosterone
is a banned substance. And in that whole
process of what an athlete can use when
they’re competing, I think that’s the cause
of some of the underlying issues there.”
Because there is no definitive
evidence that trans female athletes have
an advantage when competing against cisgender women, Title IX Coordinator
and Deputy Director of Equity and
Inclusion Casey Bieberich believes that
speaking in generalities is a slippery slope.
“I think that you can look at generalities
of height and muscle strength and different
things,” Bieberich said. “But you can also
look at that within the narrow biological
definition of sex to say that it is unfair
that someone who’s 5’ 2’’ competes with
someone who’s six foot within the same
sex. We’d have to have height cutoffs and
two different NBAs.”
Pietrok emphasized the fact that
making decisions in sports based on
physicality alone is not looking at the
whole picture.
“Too often people make judgments
that physicality gives you an advantage in
one way or another,” Pietrok said. “And
that takes out the whole mental approach
and sports psychology approach ... I think
much more than the physicality of an
individual goes into what allows you to win
or lose, and so I think that single view is
short-sighted.”
Throughout the debate of whether or
not trans athletes should be allowed to
compete in sports, both sides continue to
come back to one factor: Title IX. Title IX is
one portion of the Education Amendments
Act of 1972, and it protects against
discrimination in any educational program
(including athletics) on the basis of sex.
However, because its language is so
vague it has been interpreted differently
by each presidential administration’s
Department of Education.
“For a long time, the Department of Ed
just interpreted Title IX how they wanted,
and then schools were expected to be in
compliance,” Bieberich said. “Now, we’re
in a new era where there’s rulemaking,
which means there are legal mandates
for how we comply with Title IX. And so that really hinges on the interpretation of
what it means to be ‘because of sex’, which
originally was written very much focused
on cis women getting access, without
engaging in these things.”
Former U. S. Secretary of Education
Betsy DeVos’ education department
interpreted “because of sex” literally,
and ruled that Connecticut’s school
systems, which allow trans athletes to
participate, were in violation of Title IX.
On the other hand, President Joe Biden’s
education department — led by Secretary
of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona — has
shifted this definition to include sexual
orientation and gender identity, confirmed
in an executive order signed March 8.
The question then becomes whose
interpretation is the law of the land.
Liberals use the Biden interpretation
when they claim that Title IX protects trans athletes, Republicans such as
Utah Sen. Mike Lee use the DeVos
interpretation when claiming that “for
purposes of determining compliance
with Title IX, sex shall be recognized
based solely on a person’s reproductive
biology and genetics at birth.”
It is a murky area of the law and
one that schools constantly have to be
looking at for changes. At LC, Bieberich
is confident in the current policy and
hopes it will remain in effect.
“I want for our students to come
back to the fact that ultimately, we’re
a school that has policies around this,”
Bieberich said. “And we are going
to continue to be as protective and
inclusive as possible, up to and until we
are legally mandated to do something
otherwise, which I hope does not come
to pass.”
By NATHAN OAKLEY
AS THE 2021 NFL Draft fast
approaches, teams from across the
league are eager to capitalize on
the star-studded lineup of rookie players.
This year’s draft runs from April 29
through May 1. The Jacksonville Jaguars
have the coveted first pick of the draft, one
that has yielded promising players such
as Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray and Baker
Mayfield in recent years. The New York
Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons
and Cincinnati Bengals round out the top
five selections.
Most projections have Trevor Lawrence
as the obvious choice for the Jaguars’ top
pick. The star quarterback (QB) arrived
at Clemson University in 2018 as one of
the most highly-ranked recruits in college
football history before winning a national
championship during his freshman season,
the first QB to do so since 1985. Lawrence
excelled during his time at Clemson, making
three national championship appearances
and only losing two games during his entire
tenure as Clemson’s starting QB.
But great debate exists among football
analysts as to where the draft goes from
there, especially in a year filled with
highly-skilled QBs, dubbed by some as
the “year of the quarterback.”
Many analysts have Brigham Young
University (BYU) QB Zach Wilson,
Ohio State University QB Justin Fields,
University of Alabama QB Mac Jones and
Louisiana State University (LSU) wide
receiver (WR) Ja’Marr Chase rounding out
the top five picks. Prior to entering the draft, Wilson
had a breakout season at BYU, passing
for a seemingly unbelievable 33:3
touchdown-to-interception ratio his
junior season. With a projected second
pick in the draft, many see him as a
strong candidate to replace departed
Jets QB Sam Darnold. Fields and
Jones are known for their versatility
as passers, with arm strength and
accuracy being a must for the struggling
NFL teams that hold the earliest
picks in the draft. Both also boast
considerable body size that makes
them strong physical presences on
the field, drawing comparisons to star
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and New
England Patriots QB Cam Newton.
According to various draft
projections, WR Ja’Marr Chase is the
only non-QB to break the top five, even
though he took the most recent college
football season off to focus on training
for the NFL Draft. During his time at
LSU, Chase was the primary passing
target of Joe Burrow, the star QB who
was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals
with the first overall pick in the 2020
NFL Draft.
Yet the top-five picks may not be
as straightforward as some analysts
project. Many other institutions also
boast star players, such as University
of Oregon (UO) tackle Penei Sewell,
University of Florida tight end Kyle
Pitts, University of Alabama WR
Devonta Smith and North Dakota State
University QB Trey Lance also going in
the top five. Sewell, though he has struggled with
injuries during his time at the UO, is sure
to tempt teams holding a top-five pick,
especially with his size and skill as a pass-
blocker, something teams like the Bengals
desperately need. Pitts broke into the
national spotlight during the University
of Florida Pro Day, a time when players
who have declared for the draft work out
in front of NFL scouts. Many were in awe
of Pitts’ size, strength and power, drawing
comparisons to legendary Patriots
and Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski.
However, Smith, the reigning Heisman
Trophy winner, and Lance are unlikely to
break the top five due to other competitive
draft prospects that are slightly better
value for teams holding a top-five pick.
Possible sleeper picks with an
increasing draft stock include Penn State
University linebacker Micah Parsons,
Florida State University cornerback Asante
Samuel Jr. and University of Minnesota
WR Rashod Bateman, who could surge
into the first rounds despite some contrary
projections. Many note the athleticism and
long-term potential of Parsons, Bateman
and Samuel Jr. as reasons for the possible
surge.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be airing on
NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN
Deportes. The NFL has announced that
the draft will be held fully in-person in
Cleveland, Ohio, with fans invited to
attend the Draft Experience theme park.
The park will feature interactive exhibits,
concessions and a full-service bar, pro
shops and even football-themed carnival
games. Trans lives sidelined in dispute over Title IX
MAYA WINSHELL/THE PIONEER LOG
QBs expected to dominate NFL
Draft, Jaguars land opening pick
MADELINE COX/THE PIONEER LOGBy AMELIA MADARANG
AS THE WEATHER gets nicer,
Lewis & Clark students are
on the lookout for outdoor
activities that are COVID safe. One
popular option is hiking. While the
outdoor community in Portland
can seem extreme, that should not
stop new hikers from exploring the
outdoors. If you are looking to get into
hiking, here are some tips that can
help you get started.
1. Do your research
When you are looking for a trail
to hike, you can check a variety of
websites that will provide you with
some basic information. I would
recommend checking out oregonhikers.
org, alltrails.com or gorgefriends.
org/hike or any local blogs. Websites
will list how difficult the hike is, but
you can also measure the difficulty by
considering how long the hike is and
how much elevation gain there is. Even
if a hike is short a lot of elevation gain
can wreck any hiker.
2. Get the correct passes and
permits
Take note if you need a parking
pass or a permit to go hiking. It is a
good idea to pay for the pass because
you can get an expensive ticket if you
risk parking for free. The “Washington
State Discover Pass” and the “North
West Discover Pass” are the most
common parking passes for hikes
around campus and you can buy them
at most grocery stores.
3. Dress for success
Expensive hiking gear is not
necessary, especially for a day hike.
Do not hike in flip-flops but tennis
shoes will do fine on trails with low
elevation gain. Make sure to take note
of what the terrain looks like when you
are researching the hike. If it is a well-
maintained trail you will need to dress
differently than you would for a hike
where you have to walk through a river.
Also, take note of how exposed the
trail is. If the hike does not have a lot
of shade, make sure to bring multiple
layers, one to protect from the sun, and
one to protect from the rain.4. What to pack
Make sure to bring the 10 essentials
in your backpack. These are some
form of navigation, sun protection,
insulation, illumination devices, first
aid supplies, fire starters, nutrition,
hydration and emergency shelter. It
does make your bag a little heavier but
it is worth it. I would also recommend
bringing snacks that you actually like
to eat, as long as you make sure to
clean up your garbage. Also, packing
lots of water is essential. You can also
keep an extra water bottle in the car
for a refreshing treat when you are
done hiking. Also, always remember
to tell someone where you will be
hiking and when to expect you back.
5. Take your time
As a general guide, the average
hiker can cover 3 miles an hour and
one extra hour for every 2,000 feet
climbing upwards. That being said,
walking faster than your normal pace
can be exhausting and not very fun. It
is not a race, so I recommend taking
your time so you can enjoy the hike
and appreciate the scenery. Do not
feel bad about stopping to take lots of
photos!
Hiking is also a fun thing to do with
a friend, partner, pet or anyone else.
If you are looking to get into hiking, I
wholeheartedly recommend trying to
get out this summer. Remember that
the outdoors are for everyone, leave
no trace and good luck! Tips for aspiring hikers
as Portland heats upThe “biological advantage” debate intensifies as lawmakers attempt to ban trans athletes from amateur sports
THE PIONEER LOG ARCHIVESFRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
SPORTS 11
By ALEX BARR
WHEN WALKING to the
academic side of campus,
many Lewis & Clark
students pass by Pamplin Sports
Center, often paying it little to
no mind. The massive complex
sits at the corner of our campus,
demarcating a boundary both visible
and abstract. Any student who has attended LC in recent years has likely
encountered one of the college’s
infamous problems: the divide
between student athletes and the rest
of the student body.
This community issue proves
especially concerning when factoring
in the amount of LC student athletes
that identify as BIPOC. The separation
that exists between student athletes
and non-athletes often appears to be a form of social exclusivity or an
example of like-minded students
creating friendships. However, a
conversation with Daelon Floyd ’21,
power forward for the basketball
team, and Eryk Schaftlein ’21,
offensive linebacker, emphasized the
considerable negative ramifications
that student athletes experience as a
result of this divide. They often feel
alienated and unsupported, both at
their games and in the classroom.
When Floyd first visited the
college as a recruit, he recalled a large
crowd cheering LC basketball during
a game. That experience played a
vital role in his decision to attend
LC. However, during his four years,
Floyd has yet to see such a crowd
showing support for student athletes.
Unfortunately, the classroom fails to
offer respite for student athletes as
well. This pocket of our community
continues to spend hours outside of
the classroom perfecting their sport,
yet the triumphs they achieve are
often celebrated alone.
“This isn’t a DI school, and it’s far
from it, but as an athlete, we want
to have that feeling that someone
values our sport, values our craft and
what we’re doing,” Floyd said.
Schaftlein relayed similar
sentiments surrounding community
turnout at games, stating that there
are often times in which “we play
a team at home and they have way
more people than we do on their own their stands. And we’re getting out-
cheered at our house.”
This lack of support for student
athletes only furthers the divide in
our community. However, in recent
years, student athletes have strived
to increase school spirit among the
general student body.
Floyd and Schaftlein also both
touched on how their identity
as BIPOC athletes shaped their
experiences in the classroom at a
predominantly white institution.
“It wasn’t encouraging because
my professors and the peers around
me looked at me like, ‘Yeah, I don’t
know if I want to do a project with
Daelon. I think he might just skip
out and go shoot some hoops and
not even pay attention. He’s gonna
be the one that’s like a shackle on
our ankles on this project.’ I’m like,
why are you looking at me like that?”
Floyd said.
“Sometimes it really feels like
I can’t catch up to everybody else,
and it’s taken a while for me to get
comfortable with talking how I talk,
being who I am. And part of that is
just growing up and part of that is
just you know, exploring, who I am as
a Black man,” Schaftlein explained.
The two athletes also emphasized
how they, like other BIPOC students,
have become chameleons in the
classroom. They often found it
necessary to not speak in African-
American Vernacular English, among other changes.
“Because that’s what everybody
else is doing, and if I wanted to fit
in in the classroom, and be respected
... I had to fit that mold,” Floyd said.
More often than not, attempting
to fit the mold that Floyd and
Schaftlein discussed proves to
be not only unsustainable and
dehumanizing, but is based in white
supremacy as well.
“We’re expected to be Obama’s,”
Schaftlein said. “No, I don’t look like
Obama, like, I’m not Obama, I don’t
need to talk like Obama.”
As Floyd and Schaftlein look
towards their upcoming graduation
this May, they described the change
they would like to see going forward
on our campus.
“How can we change that divide
for the next generation that comes to
LC? And how can we, year-by-year,
make that divide a little bit closer to
just being together?” Floyd said. “I
want to figure out how you can help
us, but also, how can we help you?”
Schaftlein similarly believes
that the divide can be overcome if
students can do something as simple
as starting a conversation.
“Sometimes I will take the
initiative and try to talk to people and
I just expect the same for everyone,”
Schaftlein said.
While the two student athletes are
aware that changes will be slow, they
are hopeful it is soon to come. Student athletes discuss long-time rupture in student body Chris Paul airballs on new
HBO COVID documentary
By JILLIAN JACKSON
POINT GUARD for the Phoenix
Suns and eleven-time NBA
All-Star Chris Paul did not see the
pandemic coming.
“The first time I remember hearing
the word ‘COVID,’ I was playing in
New Orleans,” Paul said.“I remember
the shoes I wore that game. On the
outside, I wrote ‘pray for Wuhan.’”
Just two months later, Paul and
his then-teammates on the Oklahoma
City Thunder were stuck in their
locker room. Their anticipated
match against the Utah Jazz had
been postponed. Jazz center Rudy
Gobert had tested positive for the
coronavirus. By the end of the night,
the NBA would suspend the rest of
its season. The NHL, MLB, MLS and
Summer Olympics swiftly followed
suit.
HBO Sports’ new documentary,
“The Day Sports Stood Still,” aims
to capture the coronavirus’ sweeping
impact on professional sports.
With Paul joining as executive
producer, the film features interviews
with Washington Mystics guard
Natasha Cloud, LA Dodgers right
fielder Mookie Betts and countless
professional athletes around the
world.
“The Day Sports Stood Still” is a
jam-packed 90 minutes that cannot
decide which story it wants to tell
about 2020. It oscillates between the
crushing despair of the pandemic and
clever jokes about the NBA bubble.
The first half unfolds with
alarmist graphics: a steadily climbing
coronavirus death toll and a greyscale
map bleeding red out of China. A
few years from now, such harrowing
depictions might be a sobering history
lesson; right now, they rub salt in the
wound.
Marten de Roon, midfielder for the
Italian club Atalanta, recalls how the
pandemic tore through Bergamo, a city
in Northern Italy.
“The normal thing in Bergamo is the
church bells ringing when somebody
dies,” de Roon said. “Because there
were so many people dying, the church
bells were ringing, like, every half an
hour.”
Minnesota Timberwolves center
Karl-Anthony Towns gives a vulnerable interview about his mother, Jacqueline
Cruz, who passed away from the virus.
In a video originally shared on YouTube,
he recalls how Cruz “went sideways”
in excruciating detail: the 103-degree
Fahrenheit fever, the ventilator and
the phone call notifying Towns that his
mother did not make it.
“I just wanted to use my story and
the things I was going through to make
other people understand how serious
it is, maybe save their family, save
themselves,” Towns said. “If I saved one
life, that’s all I ever wanted to do in that
video.”
Towns’ candor about this traumatic
life event merits enormous respect,
especially given that Afro-Latino
men are so rarely given platforms to
express their grief. Yet when hundreds
of Americans continue to succumb to
coronavirus every day, releasing a film
with such graphic depictions of death
constitutes poor judgment on HBO
Sports’ part.
The documentary’s second half
switches gears, addressing the Black
Lives Matter movement and the now-
iconic boycott in response to the
shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha,
Wisconsin.
Paul, who is president of
the National Basketball Players Association, refuses to sit on the
sideline.
“We (NBA players) want to
see Black-owned businesses be
championed,” Paul said. “Police
reform, education, historically Black
colleges and universities, right? Start
talking about food deserts.”
“The Day Sports Stood Still” is
arguably at its best when Paul tries
to navigate the NBA’s bureaucracy,
deciding alongside fellow players how
to use their leverage as a majority-Black
league.
“Sports has changed forever,” Paul
said. “There’s no question about it
because the athlete, whoever it may
be, they understand their power.”
Unfortunately, the incredible work
that Paul and other NBA or WNBA
players are doing is diminished
alongside possibly performative shots
of “Black Lives Matter” floor paint
courtside.
Somewhere on the cutting room
floor of this clumsy documentary,
there is a provocative movie about
Black players, white team owners
and Paul’s efforts to use basketball
to protect his children from police
brutality. But “The Day Sports Stood
Still” is, unfotunately, not that
documentary. By GABE KORER
MAJOR LEAGUE Baseball’s
(MLB) Opening Day
arrived on April 1 to
the joy of baseball aficionados
worldwide. With last year being
somewhat of a disaster in terms of
revenue and fan interest, in many
ways, this new season represents
an opportunity for Commissioner
Rob Manfred to right the ship and
return the league to the financial
success it once was.
The league’s clear priority this
season has been to revitalize fan
interest by promoting ticket sales,
which constitutes a large share
of their annual revenue. In 2020,
they lost billions of dollars as a
result of not having any fans in the
stands. Even more revenue was
lost from not being able to collect
on traditional stadium amenities
(food, merchandise, parking). As
stadium capacity guidelines are
being eased in every state, most
franchises across the league are
planning on gradually increasing
the number of admitted fans as the
season progresses, in order to limit
the spread of the coronavirus as
much as possible.
The Texas Rangers, however,
decided to begin the season at
full capacity — a move that was
widely denounced after images of
maskless, crowded fans surfaced
in the aftermath of their opening
series. At 38,232 people, the event
marked the largest crowd at a
United States sporting event since
the COVID-19 pandemic started.
The rationale for this decision
centered around the franchise’s
prior experience with hosting
major events in the midst of the
pandemic, including the 2020
World Series and the National
Finals Rodeo.
The Rangers were also subject
to a controversy involving Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott, who declined to
throw out the ceremonial first pitch
in their opening game in response
to the MLB’s decision to move the
All-Star Game (ASG) away from
Atlanta, Georgia. Abbott criticized
the league for using the ASG to take a stand against Georgia’s new
election reform bill, referring to the
decision as “influenced by partisan
political politics.” Aside from being
a PR nightmare, Commissioner
Manfred’s job security is seemingly
on thin ice as a result of the
backlash, especially considering
his perceived mishandling of the
Astros cheating scandal following
the 2019 World Series.
Controversy aside, the league’s
abundance of talent has only
improved and continues to bring
in new fans to the sport. Sluggers
Juan Soto, Ronald Acuña Jr. and
Fernando Tatis — all under 25
years old — headline an impressive
array of young hitting talent that
is already putting the rest of the
league on notice. On the rubber,
pitchers such as Shane Bieber
and Lucas Gioloto have similarly
excelled as premier players at their
position, and exemplify how far the
league’s talent has come in the past
few seasons.
According to FiveThirtyEight,
the Los Angeles Dodgers have the
greatest odds of winning the 2021
World Series. Should they make
it that far, a matchup with either
the New York Yankees or Houston
Astros likely awaits. With the Astros
being only two years removed from
their massive cheating scandal,
many are hoping for a face-off
against Los Angeles that would
allow the two teams to build on
the tension that has been steadily
brewing and, in turn, generate
more interest for the league.
No matter what team ultimately
triumphs at the season’s end, it is
safe to say that the MLB has a lot of
work to do in the coming months.
Not only to make up for last year’s
financial woes, but also to ensure as
safe an environment as possible for
fans and players alike. MLB holds historic
2021 season debut
Daelon Floyd ’21 and Eryk Schaftlein ’21 look to bridge the division between athletes, non-athletes
Students Daelon Floyd ’21 and Eryk Schaftlein ’21 sit side-by-side in an LC classroom. ALEX BARR/THE PIONEER LOG
Pamplin Sports Center sits motionless amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
MACKENZIE HERRING/THE PIONEER LOG NICOLE NAGAMATSU/THE PIONEER LOG12
By MACKENZIE HERRING
AS THE VELVET curtain closes on
my rein as The Backdoor editor,
the search for the new journalistic
jester begins. The same search that those
before me have braved, the one destined
to produce an editor that is truly here
for the right reasons. I must select one
who is worthy enough to take on such
an illustrious position. And now that my
senior year is coming to an end, the search
for the new Backdoorette commences.
Unfortunately, this year’s search has
not been fruitful. Upon writing this, I have
received three proposals, all worse than
the last. I decided to record my woes and
publish them in hopes that those who come
courting the position
may learn from the
mistakes of lesser
candidates. The first candidate is Breck Schitz
’08, a Lewis & Clark graduate who was
the Backdoor editor for one semester
and has been working on a tech startup
since his graduation. Whether or not
a 13-year-old fake pregnancy test app
qualifies as a startup is irrelevant
according to Schitz’s momager who
submitted his application.
The current pool of applicants is
not happy that Schitz is being included.
Mentions of him “having had his time”
and “only returning for the Insta fame”
have circulated online.
In a Zoom interview, the former
Backdoor editor made it clear that he
believes the satire section hit its peak
when he was at the helm.
“We used to do some groundbreaking
stuff,” Schitz said. “Like we used to call
people names, imply bestiality, and
get real libel lawsuits every other
week.”
Upon a review of
the archives, Schitz’s
sections were
not available.
An Aubrey R.
Watzek Library
representative
said that it was
due to the foul
nature of the
“journalism.” He
was apparently
the first person
to make a real
argument
for Oregon
to develop
an obscenity
statute.
Kyle Neckbearde
’22, the next
candidate, was able to hijack the interview, even though
it was on Zoom. Halfway through
Schitz’s description of “millennial
humor,” Neckbearde asked to “steal
me for a second.”
Neckbearde, a current LC political
science student, has big hopes for
The Backdoor. He told me that his
“journey” through his favorite social
media site, Reddit, prompted his
application.
“Reddit has just inspired me in
so many ways,” Neckbearde said.
“Mostly it has taught me that women
aren’t funny and that if I want to
change something, I should shame
people into doing it online.”
Neckbearde was rejected for the
position for obvious reasons, one
of them being that he hates women
but steals ideas from the Reductress
to try and relate to females. He also
said something about “fantasy suites”
before I promptly ended the Zoom
call. I can only assume that it is some
kind of upgraded version of Google
Suites that I do not know about.
Finally, our strangest applicant yet,
Welvim Vie ’23, sent his application
entirely in cut-out magazine letters.
Some cryptid doodles were on the
back, but I have not seen “Zodiac” so I
am not sure what it means.
Vie says that he is a SOAN major,
but declined to have a Zoom meeting
with me unless it was, “shrouded
by darkness as all-encompassing as
Lewis & Clark’s debt.” I ended up
calling the whole thing off because I
was not about to deal with whatever
theater kid that came out of.
The Backdoor is still searching
for its next editor. So, if you are
dumb, fun and full of the desire to
overcompensate, please apply! The Backdoorette: search
for next Backdoor editorFRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021
The Backdoor is a work of humor and fiction
By FRANKIE SPURBECK
IN OUR ERA of increasing
partisanship, it can feel
impossible to work, or
even play, across the aisle.
But rest assured! True love
still conquers all. This
week, we interview Lauren
and Trevor, a couple
from opposite ends of the
political spectrum: Lauren is
a self-described “#girlboss,
moderate Democrat who
primaried for Marianne
Williamson” and Trevor, an
independent who identified
himself as “anti-system, anti-
lib and pro-Trump.” The
following interview has been
lightly edited and condensed
for clarity.
Frankie Spurbeck
(Pioneer Log correspondent):
Thank you both so much for
talking to me. How are you
feeling today?
Lauren : Great,
happy to be here! Just
came from hot yoga,
so my energies are (clicks tongue)
aligned!
Trevor : Are you the only reporter
available? They had to send a (slur)?
FS: Wow! Moving past that! I want
to start at the very beginning. How did
you two meet?
T: Oh, well this is actually a very
funny story —
L: Oh, can I tell it?
T: Well, you tell your version of
it, and then I can add whatever you
forgot.
L: Ok, so, I work for the city in
essential oil diffuser production, so I
was at City Hall on Jan. 6, when I heard
some shouting and chanting outside. So
I glanced out my window and saw a mob
out there with, like, stop the steal signs? And
so I turned on
OPB, and I heard about an
attack on the capitol!
And I thought, wow,
this is historic! So
I went and looked
out my window.
And then I saw
Trevvie. He had
one of those big
American flags
with the body of
Rambo and Trump’s face
on it, waving it around —
and I just could not get him out
of my head.
T: But I met her much later.
If you can believe it, we met at
Whole Foods. I work there. My
coworkers are not, well,
they aren’t my
kind of people,
but you take the
job that pays, y’know? I would never
go on welfare. Anyway, I was stocking
one day when this little angel walks up
to me, and says “Hey you, where do
you keep the ginkgo Biloba?” And that
was that.
FS: Wow, beautiful. Can you
maybe tell me about your first date?
L: Oh my god, it was so funny, we
just could not agree on where to eat, so
we got takeout at two separate places.
T: And we ate it in the park,
speaking of overfunded government
agencies —
L: And we got to know each other!
And we realized we have very little in
common.
T: Yup! Even beyond the obvious
Hillary Clinton disagreement.L: Do not talk smack about Hillary,
Trevor. I swear to God.
FS: Now, I know you would rather
not talk politics, but is there anything in
the political sphere that brings you
two together?
T: (After a long pause)
Neither of us have gotten our
vaccine yet.
L: Oh, yeah, how could I
forget!
T: Personally, I might
not believe in COVID at all.
I mean, who can I trust to
tell me these things, now that
Q is gone? And really, I’m not
comfortable with political
elites telling me what to put
into my body ... my body, my
choice. Checkmate, libs!
L: Well, I have different
reasons. My chiropractor is
very anti-vaccine, and I tend
to take her word on health
stuff. So, until she gives me
the all-clear, I can wait. It
was a very rushed process,
you know. Who knows
what’s in those things? I take
a lot of echinacea, so I feel
pretty safe.
FS: (Clearly concerned) Interesting!
Sadly, our time is almost up, but I have
one last question! Do you have any
advice for young couples like yourself,
couples who the world might not want
to see together?
L: Do not tell your friends, or your
family, or your coworkers. They might
not get it. And then you might be
mocked mercilessly, and honestly, I
do not think I could take that kind of
emotional hit.
T: Walk softly and carry a big
semi-automatic.
After the interview, the reporter
fled the scene and is now seeking
compensation for unsafe working
conditions. Phoebe Bridgers sparks
mental health crisis
Two extremists meet in middle,
kindle a radical, ill-informed loveBy RACHELLE BINDER
IN JUNE 2020, Los Angeles-based
singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers
released her sophomore album,
“Punisher.” The album has been
described as an emo-folk record that
can jerk the tears out of any stressed-out
college kid. To cope with the COVID-19
pandemic, the lack of Yerba Mate due to
grocery store shortages and other tragic
world events, Lewis & Clark students
often put in their AirPods to listen
to Bridgers’ new, depressing music.
However, there has been a growing
concern among LC’s Wellness Center
staff about students’ mental health.
“It is alarming that our students
have gravitated to Bridgers and other
self-destructive, depressing artists,” LC
Psychologist Cadence Schmidt said.
“Unfortunately, I think it reflects a
bigger problem at LC, which is a mental
health crisis. If Bridgers keeps releasing
music, I do not see any light at the end
of the tunnel.”
Schmidt is concerned with Bridgers’
songs about mental illness and coping
mechanisms, such as “Graceland Too,”
which tells the story of someone leaving
the psychiatric ward and eventually
resorting to ecstasy as a coping
mechanism.
“The big concern is statements
like ‘chew on our cheeks’ and ‘eating
saltines’,” Schmidt said. “Not only is
Bridgers’ music self-deprecating, but
promoting the use of psychoactive
drugs and the consumption of high-
sodium food is not in our students’ best
interest.”
Some LC students have been fans
of Bridgers since she released her
debut album, “Stranger in the Alps”, in
2017, another sorrowful, heartbreaking
record. “When I first listened to ‘Stranger
in the Alps,’ it was in high school
after I discovered what friend-zoning
was and had to experience it myself,”
Ambrosia Wilkenson ’22 said.
“Listening to ‘Smoke Signals’ was my
outlet and there was no going back
after that.”
We attempted to interview
Bridgers for this article but
accidentally reached out to Phoebe
Waller-Bridge instead. Unfortunately,
we were not able to contact Bridgers
in time for publication. Nonetheless,
LC hopes to create a program called
Better Outreach Community Center,
a twist on Bridgers’ music project
with similarly depressing singer-
songwriter Conor Oberst called
“Better Oblivion Community Center.”
The program is accessible for all
students regardless of their affiliation
to Bridgers but makes sure that
students do not fall down
what Dr. Schmidt calls the
“music for those lacking
social skills pipeline.”
Despite the LC
administration’s
pushback
against
Bridgers,
this
epidemic
does not seem
like it will end in
the near future.
While faculty, staff
and some students
are putting faith into
the Better Outreach
Community Center to
resolve this crisis, it
is too soon to see the
results materialize.
MADELINE COX/ THE PIONEER LOG
An exploration into LC’s
toughest major, RHMS
By ALEX BARR
ALL ACROSS our campus, there
is a plethora of students who
pursue a Bachelor of Arts in the
most prestigious degree on our campus:
rhetoric and media studies (RHMS). As I
and my fellow rhetors love to say, “Let’s
unpack that!”
Oh me, oh my! The world of RHMS
(pronounced phonetically as “rims”)
awaits! Buckle in to discover the
stores of cinematic treasures and the
exhilarating rhetorical
musings of Greek
philosophers. If
you have failed
to meet the
elusive creature
that is the RHMS
major, allow me to
describe the life us
scallywags lead.
Upon rising
each morning, every
RHMS student is
obligated by maritime
law to recite every single
word from the film “Citizen
Kane.” After fulfilling this
requirement, we zoom into
our online classes, covering
riveting topics such
as “Mark Zuckerberg
owns your digital soul,” and “Legitimate
reasons to say ‘film’ instead of ‘movie.’”
After class, the studious rhetor
knows that the best RHMS job is a
finished RHMS job! I like to propel
into my assignments immediately after
concluding class. It can be grueling to
watch the entirety of a lengthy two-hour
film, but alas, someone must uphold the
academic standards of this institution.
At this very moment, there are likely
countless RHMS students watching a
Tarantino film in their dorm, collectively
bearing the weight of our college’s
academic prestige squarely on their
shoulders. Brava, comrades, brava. Assuredly, the STEM major does
help in this fight, but I ask you fellow
Pioneers, when will we stop looking at
the Earth and start looking at ourselves?
I mean science is great and all, but can a
rocket capture the beauty that is “Donnie
Darko?” I think not, dear reader, I think
not.
But I digress. While I love to point
out how much I work on my RHMS
jobs, I like to maintain humility, much
like my favorite director, Orson Welles.
Now, back to my schedule. After
hard work comes hard play! I love
to create films for my TikTok,
which has been nominated
for 11 Oscars. My first viral
Tok, a 37-second shot of a
lemon with a butt plug
stuck into it, earned
74 million views.
And no, I will
not sign any
autographs.
Believe
it or not, I
still have time
for non-film
related
activities,
such as my
medieval cross-stitching
side hustle, and
creating astrological
charts for orphan’s pets. While film is no
less than 95% of my personality, I like
to diversify my interests to maintain my
hipster status. I also enjoy combining
my interests, such as my cross-stitched
rendition of “The Irishmen.” I actually
got tetanus from using actual needles
from medieval Europe. I may have
caught the bubonic plague as well, but
if you want to learn more, you will have
to watch my upcoming documentary
“Plagued by Passion,” next spring.
I hope this helped to illuminate the
face behind the backbone of our campus.
And never forget, dear Pioneers,
Rosebud.
MACKENZIE HERRING/ THE PIONEER LOGMACKENZIE HERRING/ THE PIONEER LOG
ALEX BARR/ THE PIONEER LOG