Lewis & Clark College

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

Volume 102, No. 6

Lewis & Clark College Student Newspaper

Pioneer Log Staff

2024-04-19

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Lewis & Clark College: Pioneer Log / Mossy Log

Vol. 102 No. 6 FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024 www.piolog.com
Summer is almost here!
Farewell from your friends over at
The Mossy Log! We are so grateful
for all our readers, contributors and
editors, and cannot wait to see you all
again in the fall. Good luck with finals!OPINION
New mascot suggestion
The campus mascot should be changed
from “Pioneers” to “Tangerines”, as the
orange better represents our student body.
PAGE 4FEATURES
Mossy Log past and present
Editors-in-Chief 28 years apart
discuss their experiences and lessons
from student journalism.
PAGE 6ARTS
FOSA highlights student art
This year’s Festival of Scholars and
Artists showcased poetic, musical,
theatrical and visual talent.
PAGE 9SPORTS
Women’s lacrosse team
Lacrosse players review their first year
as a program, trials and successes of
teambuilding and comradery.
PAGE 11
By EMMA AMBROZIAK
& WILL TRUNZO
THIS YEAR’S International Affairs
Symposium — the 62nd at Lewis
& Clark — highlighted a set
of contentious debates on pressing,
modern issues and featured twelve
notable speakers. The symposium,
entitled “Strings Attached: Tracing the
Global Systems that Bind,” involved a
series of debates with topics ranging
from piracy and intellectual property to
the importation of foreign ideas to the
logistics of humanitarian intervention.
These debates were carefully designed
by co-chairs John Mbanda ’25 and Alie
Cicero ’24, as well as its steering
committee, to bring a variety of
perspectives to campus and to engage
meaningfully with controversial topics.
To achieve this goal, the organizers
invited a variety of speakers from a
multitude of backgrounds to debate at
this year’s symposium.
On April 8, the first debate, entitled
“Bridges or Barricades,” hosted two
speakers to debate border policy, Todd
Miller and Christopher Rudolph. Miller is
currently an investigative journalist and
editor on border and immigration issues
for the North American Congress on Latin
America Report and its column “Border
Wars.” Rudolph is a political scientist
who specializes in international relations,
national security and immigration issues.
Miller described his experience
speaking at the symposium.
“It’s just so well organized and I like
how it’s so student driven. There’s a lot
of commitment put into this and getting
these kinds of debates going that can be
controversial,” he said. “I was very happy
to be a part of it. I’ve done other debates
in other schools that have been much less satisfying … I felt very welcomed
and appreciated as well by the organizing
committee, which goes a long way.”
After being invited to speak at the
2024 International Affairs Symposium,
Miller shared that he was eager to speak
on this topic at LC because he finds there
to be a simplified narrative surrounding
border policy, particularly as the 2024
election approaches.
“The border becomes kind of a
sacrificial lamb for politicians, especially
when the election is at the presidential
level. And along with that, narratives that
tend to be hyperbolic narratives don’t really reflect the reality of what’s happening
on the border. The history of what the
border is has become the history of
border enforcement, what happens when
people cross the border, why people are
crossing the border … what’s happening
and how. It just seems to be put into this
simplified election narrative,” said Miller.
“I wanted to come and speak out about
the narratives that I know are the on-the-
ground reality of the border, as I know it
as a reporter who’s been reporting on this
for two decades.”
The second debate was between Dr.
Juan Sebastián Chamorro, a former Nicaraguan presidential candidate and
current political leader and human rights
defender, and Ambassador John Bolton,
a Republican politician who has served
as Attorney General, U.S. Ambassador
to the United Nations and most recently
National Security Adviser to former
President Trump. Bolton published a
book in 2020 entitled “The Room Where
It Happened,” exposing what he saw
as serious problems within the Trump
administration.
The topic of the debate explored
the balance between humanitarian
intervention and state sovereignty. The IA Symposium website framed this
problem by asking “Does the international
community have a moral imperative
to relieve suffering from compromised
communities, or are the political
implications of compromising state
sovereignty too great?”
The debate itself explored two
very different perspectives on
international accountability in human
rights violations: Chamorro, who has
experienced first-hand the consequences
of a more hands-off policy in the face of
human rights abuses, implored political
leaders to take on a more active role in
human rights intervention. Bolton, on
the other hand, argued that the United
States cannot always be compelled to act
in the face of human rights violations, and
must act in favor of its national interest,
which may or may not align with the
country facing human rights violations. He
argued that more often than not, national
interest lies in the favor of humanitarian
intervention. Bolton rejected the idea
that international organizations or
international pressure should force the
United States to intervene.
The debate began with an opening
statement from each speaker.
Chamorro, a Nicaraguan exile, spoke
first on his experience as a political
dissident and eventually prisoner
in his home country. He questioned
the efficacy of local institutions in
preventing abuses, highlighting his own
sham trial and imprisonment at the
hands of the Ortega regime.
“Where should I go as a victim?”
asked Chamorro. “More importantly,
where should the family of the more than
350 people assassinated by the regime of
Nicaragua go?”
“POLITICIANS” continued on page 3.Series of controversial debates covers border policy, humanitarian intervention, religion, peacebuildingIA Symposium hosts wide range of perspectives
Colleges postpone commitment
deadline in light of FAFSA delaysLawsuit filed against
LC settles out of court
By FIONA EILERS
DUE TO DELAYS in this year’s Free
Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA), Lewis & Clark’s
administration announced their decision
to extend the deadline for enrollment
on Feb. 1. Federal government setbacks
in processing the FAFSA led LC to push
back the traditional commitment date
from May 1 to June 1.
LC was one of the first colleges
in a wider movement to delay the
enrollment deadline for 2024. Vice
President for Admissions and Financial
Aid Eric Staab provided insight into
this choice.
“My staff and I have a lot of years of
experience doing admissions, so it was
clear to us. We thought it would be wise
for us to get ahead of this and make the
announcement on February 1 that we
were going to go ahead and extend the
reply deadline to June 1,” he said.
Due to challenges in rolling out the
new FAFSA after a redesign with fewer
questions and new methodology, the
federal government pushed back the
date when applications would open. “Normally, the FAFSA is available as
of October the first, and we would have
been admitting students and offering
both merit and need based aid as early
as November,” Staab said. “But with the
delay of the launch of the new FAFSA,
which happened on the very last day of
December, it was clear that the federal
government was challenged with getting
this off the ground.”
Continued issues with processing
student information gave the LC
administration an unstable outlook on
when financial aid data would be available.
“The federal government in December
started saying, ‘Well, even if we’re going
to make the form now, finally accessible
to students and families to fill out, we
still haven’t figured out how to deliver
the data to the colleges.’ At that point in
December, they say that it’ll come by late
January. At the very end of January, they
said, ‘Well, now we’re wrong, it’s now
going to look like mid-March.’ So here,
they’ve already stumbled three times,”
said Staab. “I was not very trusting of
the federal government actually getting
around to launching their data to us by
mid-March.”Colleges must process the data they
receive from the federal government
before sending out award letters, which
means that prospective students are
receiving their financial aid packages later
than ever.
“Once (the data) started coming by
mid-March, it would take us, or any other
college for that matter, several weeks
to download the data, process the data,
prove the data, print the data and then
send the award letters to students,” Staab
said. “So knowing that was already going
to be several weeks, we were thinking that
in the best case scenario, the first week of
April would be when we would get need
based aid award letters out. It was clear
to me that it was just too tight of a time
period for families.”
“FINANCIAL” continued on page 3.By ROSALIE ZUCKERMANN
DURING THE first day of classes in
August of 2022, Henry Gillman, a
first year, died in a hammocking
accident on campus when unstable
masonry collapsed on him and two other
students. This past December, Elizabeth
Kopple, Gillman’s mother and the
personal representative of his estate, filed
a lawsuit against Lewis & Clark and the
outdoors companies that designed the
hammocks — Eagle’s Nest Outfitters and
Exxel Outdoors.
The case was filed as a wrongful
death lawsuit, alleging negligence in four
areas: allowing students to use the grape
arbor masonry columns, failing to warn
students of the structures’ instability,
failing to remove the unstable columns
and failing to close access to the grape
arbor area. For the pain and suffering
of both Gillman and his family, and
all other non-economic damages, the
estate of Henry Gillman requested
$20,000,000. For all economic loss,
ranging from burial expenses to lost
future income, they requested an
additional $10,000,000.The case’s second claim for relief was
filed against the two recreation companies
on the basis of product liability. The
plaintiff put forth that the companies
should have known the dangers of using
their products on unsafe structures and
had failed to warn users or instruct them
adequately on safe usage.
Recently, the case against LC was
settled privately without going to trial.
Vice President for Communications
Lori Friedman declined to comment on
the specificities of the lawsuit.
“Out of respect for Henry’s family, and
as a matter of policy regarding pending
litigation, we are not offering comment.
We would like to take this opportunity
to again express our deepest sorrow and
condolences to the Gillman and Kopple
family,” Friedman said via email.
In October of 2023, Kopple wrote an
essay about her experience grieving the
death of her son, which was published
in HuffPost.
“In an instant, every expectation
for our family and our future was
obliterated,” Kopple wrote. “I can still see
his crooked smile and feel the warmth of
his goodbye hugs.”
EMMA FORD/THE MOSSY LOG
Assistant Professor Suparna Chaudhry moderates “Rights Overruled,” the second event of 2024’s International Affairs symposium.
COURTESY OF FAFSA
EMMA FORD/THE MOSSY LOGFRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
NEWS /gid00484
By ELLA DUNN
LAST WEEK, Lewis & Clark
held its Festival of Scholars
and Artists (FOSA). FOSA is a
beloved annual event where students
come together to show off all of their
hard work, ranging from theses to art
portfolios to science projects. Topics
can range from scientific research to
theater history to film analysis. If you are interested in anything,
it is almost guaranteed that there is a
related FOSA lecture. Each time slot
offers various lectures and panels to
choose from, allowing for a diverse and
engaging lineup of student creators.
All of the lectures at FOSA are
researched, planned and presented by
students. Students who present must
first be nominated by a professor and
then may decide whether or not to accept the nomination and present
their works.
Sophia Kingsbury ’24, an IA major,
based her FOSA lecture, “Staging a
Nation: Indian Classical Dance as a Form
of Soft Power,” on research she conducted
while studying abroad in India.
“In IA you talk about hard power,
of getting a country to do something,
and soft power is more about how
to do that with the appeal of a country, through culture and food.
My question was ‘How is dance really
well-positioned?’ I did a lot of different
interviews, went to a lot of events, and
came away thinking that dance is a
great tool in diplomacy, and a lot of
money in India has been spent on it,”
Kingsbury said.
Kingsbury came across the topic at
the American Institute of Indian Studies.
“We were assigned to a collection
where they just received this huge
cabinet of dance ephemera, paper
goods, like tickets, bills, catalogs, all
temporary goods,” Kingsbury said. “I
started going through it and noticed
that the Indian government funded
a lot of dance programs abroad. My
belief is that they’re using the arts to
create this image of India.”
Another presenter, Ila Trevino ’25,
was part of a round table discussion
called “LGBTQ, Disability, & Family
Structures in Asylum.” Trevino is very
passionate about the work she is doing
on this topic.
“It’s not only research to fulfill
a credit, but it’s research that could
actually help someone’s life. If you’re
doing immigration or asylum cases,
having a report like the one that we’re
doing could help adjudicators make
informed decisions,” said Trevino.
The group divided up their work
into specific countries and issues.
Trevino’s focus was on how the
Mexican government treats citizens
with disabilities.
“I did research pertaining to the
hardships of people with disabilities
living in Mexico, whether that’s
healthcare, education, employment,
legal systems,” Trevino said. “The
framework of the Mexican government
and the social climate in Mexico is
dangerous for persons of disability
living there.” Zory Smith-Miodownik ’25 did her
research in her Medicine, Healing and
Culture class and became increasingly
passionate about her final project as
she worked. The final project itself
was a 30 page ethnography on an
individual who either had a chronic
illness or was a caregiver to a person
with a chronic illness. In the class,
there was a focus on “expanding the
definition of a chronic illness.”
Smith-Miodownik wrote her paper
about her mother’s grief when they
lost Smith-Miodownik’s grandfather.
“(The paper) felt very meaningful
and like it existed outside the realms
of just academics. It felt like a way to
be more in relation to my mom and
grandfather,” said Smith-Miodownik.
“It was a project that I spent a lot of
time on and want to share with people.”
She focused on presenting the
main points from her original essay
concerning perceptions of healing.
“(The main points are) these
romanticized and idealized notions
of healing that I think capitalism
perpetuates. I think true healing is a
lot more ragged and grueling work
than is often depicted or strived
towards,” she said. “After (my mom’s)
dad died, she entered an intense state
of disassociation and I know she feels
a lot of internalized guilt about … her
inability to be there in capacity to
other people. Things like that are often
denoted as bad or unhealthy rather
than sometimes necessary, and the only
means of survival.”
FOSA is always a beautiful
culmination of diverse and compelling
student research, and this year was no
different. Look out next year for the
festival, and be sure to make time in
the day to sit in on a presentation,
appreciate students’ hard work and
ask some questions. Nominated students present theses, projects
SEED prepares for Earth Day, other end-of-year events
By LILLIAN SMALL
STUDENTS Engaged in Eco
Defense (SEED) club is the place
where Lewis & Clark students can
participate in activities and initiatives
focused on environmentalism and
beekeeping. From native plant
conservation and restoration, leading
other sustainability initiatives and
running the year-round bee apiary on
South Campus, SEED offers a variety of
activities and educational opportunities
for environmentally-minded students.
Head beekeeper Emma Johnson
’26 and vice president of SEED Fenley
Lopez ’27 highlighted some of their
favorite parts of the club this year.
Lopez was initially drawn to the club
as a potential ENVS major and wanted
to get involved with environmental
action on campus. They were especially
excited to rekindle SEED’s involvement
with Tryon Life Community Farm. The
club has hosted several field trips to
the farm this year, recently including
feeding their baby goats.
“(Tryon Life Community Farm is)
set up within walking distance of 20
minutes, half an hour. They said that
they used to have us living and working
there while going to school here which I
thought was so awesome. COVID kind
of put a big damper on that, so I’m
really excited about connecting with
them and getting to see students more
involved over there,” said Lopez.
For Johnson, beekeeping has been
one of her favorite parts of SEED. As
head beekeeper, she is responsible for
bee management, as well as student
training and events involving the bees.
“It’s been a pretty good spring so
far in terms of weather, so we’ve been
able to do a lot of work with them ... It’s
been really fun to see them come out
of winter dormancy and to share fun
knowledge with people,” said Johnson.
“It’s been super helpful to be able to
train some of our summer beekeepers.”
With Earth Day right around the
corner on Monday, April 22, SEED is
preparing for events that will focus on
environmental justice. “We’re partnering with another
organization called Campus Climate
Network and they had the original idea
for the Earth Day event called Reclaim,
shifting the focus on justice initiatives
rather than traditional ones like recycling
initiatives,” Johnson said. “So in line with
that, we decided for our campus that we
wanted to do more of an educational
event, specifically Portland based.”
Johnson described SEED’s plan
to host a panel of environmental
professionals who will come to campus
and share their expertise with students.
“We have seven community
members coming in representing six
organizations. All the (panelists) work
in the environmental justice realm, and
it will be set up where attendees can ask
questions,” said Johnson. “We also will
have questions for the panelists and they
will all tell their stories. Hopefully this
will create opportunities for students to
get involved with them in volunteering
or for job opportunities.”
Johnson noted that the size of
the campus can inhibit outreach
involvement in greater Portland.
“With campus being kind of small,
kind of secluded, it can get difficult
to get connected with the larger
environmental justice/social activism
work in Portland. So the goal for this is
to bring in some experts, to hear about
their story, learn about what they’re
doing and then if students do want to
get involved, then they’ll have context
to do that,” said Johnson.
She described another event, which
will be held on Earth Day. This event
is future-oriented, and hopes to gather
student perspectives to guide LC’s
environmental priorities in years to come.
“We’re tabling throughout the day
on Earth Day,” said Johnson. “We will
have prizes and things for filling out a
survey that we have set up talking about
school sustainability practices.”
The survey will be used to develop
sustainability measures that align with
student needs and interests.
“Our school very much prioritizes
sustainability and its management, but
we want to know how much students actually know about that. How
informed they feel, and also if they’re
satisfied with the work that the school
is doing and what potential directions
they would like to see the school
going. It’s sort of to gauge student
awareness, desires for the future,
which I think will be cool information
that we intend to pass along to the
school,” said Johnson.
In addition to its upcoming Earth
Day events, SEED has some exciting
opportunities planned for the end of
the year.
“We have some upcoming beekeeping
opportunities, we also have a stepping
stone mosaic building workshop. And
then the following weekend, April 21,
we’re having our springtime garden
party out on the South Campus bee
garden. We’re going to make pizza with
our wood-fired oven and just really
celebrate the work we’ve done in the
garden area,” said Johnson.
Looking forward, SEED hopes
to expand its current sustainability
resources that are available to students.
Right now, the club maintains the
Genco detergent sheet station located
in Fowler outside of Fields Dining Hall,
and they are planning on creating more
useful stations like this to campus.
“We’re working on bringing
TerraCycle, which are compost bins that
are going to be in Roberts, in the base
that Maggie’s used to be,” said Johnson.
Additionally, the club intends to
introduce a refill station with a variety
of cleaning and hygiene products.
“Also in Roberts, we’re looking at
installing a Wonderfil, which will be
kind of like the Genco machine that
we have currently but you will have a
lot of options for shampoo, maybe dish
detergent. We’re not exactly sure what
products we’ll have yet,” said Lopez.
With such a range of endeavors,
SEED works to combine outdoor
engagement with opportunities to learn
skills for environmental practices and
activism to be used throughout life.
To stay up to date with SEED
meetings and events, follow their
Instagram, @lcseed. COURTESY OF STUDENTS ENGAGED IN ECO DEFENSETHE MOSSY LOG ARCHIVESLectures engage attendees on range of topics from disabilities to Indian dance to medicine, healing
Head beekeeper, vice president talk outreach, speaker panel, compost bins, upcoming opportunities
Students can learn about beekeeping from SEED, as they have colonies on South Campus.Similar to FOSA 2022, this year’s event was held in various classrooms around campus, drawing many curious spectators.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
NEWS 3
Continued from page 1.
He outlined his dissatisfaction with
the International Criminal Court (ICC)
and its inability to enact any real change.
Highlighting that the ICC has only ever
convicted “a handful of individuals” and
its lack of enforcement mechanisms,
Chamorro then spoke about the
importance of intervention in such cases
where international organizations either
will not or cannot help.
“If there is something that the
most brutal criminals in the world,
like Pablo Escobar, Noriega and
Maduro fear, it is the United States
legal system,” said Chamorro.
He urged the United States to take
a more active role in international
justice, highlighting the integrity of the
American judicial system compared to
many other countries.
The crux of Chamorro’s argument
was that while he understands the
need to protect sovereignty, that same
idea is used to shield the worst crimes
from punishment. Thus, he argued, it
is sometimes necessary to encourage
intervention in cases of human rights
abuse even when the interests of the
intervening country may lie elsewhere.
Bolton spoke next, beginning with
a discussion of the origins of modern
conceptions of sovereignty, specifically
as were developed in early America.
“Indeed the very legitimacy of
government was found to rest not
in the sovereign, but in the people,”
Bolton said.
He explained how Americans today
feel little of that sovereign power,
arguing that we are far removed from
our government and its decisions.
With regard to intervention, Bolton
argued that sovereign nations cannot
be compelled to intervene on behalf of
others. He also argued that it is often the
case that the same violations that require
intervention also create the interest for
intervention within states.
“In many senses, (human rights
violations) have put them on the wrong
side of the United States,” said Bolton.
“I would argue that there has to be a
compelling American national interest.”
Bolton brought up the example of the
Taliban in Afghanistan and how the U.S.
national interest in preventing terrorist
attacks coincided with the humanitarian
interest in upholding women’s rights in
the country.
The main idea of Bolton’s argument
was that while United States national
interest and human rights often align,
the US should not be compelled to
intervene absent that national interest.
The debate came to an end with
questions from Assistant Professor of
International Affairs and moderator of
the “Rights Overruled” debate, Suparna
Chaudhry and other audience members.
After the event, co-chair Mbanda
spoke to the decision to bring Bolton and
Chamorro to campus.
“I think it’s incredibly important to
bring people who come from different
perspectives so that students can
understand nuanced ideas,” said Mbanda.
Miller, who spent only a day at
Lewis & Clark, was able to attend the
second event later that day, and shared
an interesting perspective on the issues
raised in the debate that addressed the
question of whether or not humanitarian
intervention is worth compromising
state sovereignty. Though he did not
agree with John Bolton’s sentiments,
he described the debate as “important”
and “educational.”
“It was super interesting to me,
and super educational, to hear a
U.S. official and have him say the
things that he said that were pretty
outrageous at times,” Miller said.
“He mentioned the U.S. support of
dictatorships, and then pretty much
he says that the United States should
do whatever it needs to do within
its interests — political, economic,
military interests. Him just doubling
down, tripling down on that, to me,
is super (interesting). To have him set
out in front of a crowd, who’s critical
of him, set up against a debate partner
who’s critical of him.”
Miller appreciated that the symposium
delved into a variety of controversial issues with a variety of perspectives,
acknowledging Bolton as someone with
significant political experience whose
views inform U.S. actions.
“I was seeing the blunt knife of US
foreign policy that we’ve seen over
many years, over decades even, and he
was very much representing that,” said
Miller. “It wasn’t like he sat in front
of people and was just brainwashing
them … He was putting them out
there to a political audience — student
groups or students — that would let
him know that he didn’t like what he
was saying. I liked the fact that Lewis
& Clark brought him in and put him
into conversation.”
Not all those present shared this
perspective, though. Some students
interrupted the debate at multiple
points to boo at Bolton and yell at him
from the audience.
Prison Abolition Club Chair
Natalie Connelly ’26 expressed her
disappointment with the International
Affairs Symposium organizers for
bringing Bolton to campus.
“I was disappointed to see that John
Bolton was chosen as one of the speakers,
people who missed it honestly didn’t
miss very much in my opinion,” said
Connelly via email. “His speech seemed
pretty consistent with his views when
he was under Trump’s administration. I
only wish that I and the other disrupters
had interrupted him more, it seemed to
have actually annoyed both Bolton and
the majority of the attendees and that
was pretty entertaining and worth it to
some extent for all of us.”
This, though, was indicative to
Mbanda that the symposium had in some
capacity achieved its goal of engaging
with controversial speakers and topics
in order to foster deeper understanding.
“Humanitarian intervention is a
topic that many of us care about deeply.
I personally have a connection to it as
a person from Rwanda, a country that
experienced genocide and never saw the
lights of intervention,” said Mbanda.
“Of course, there was some heckling
that happened, but some might even
say that’s a sign that the conversation
is rolling.”
At the end of the first day of the
symposium, Mbanda shared that he
was pleased with how the second debate
had gone.
“I would say everything went well
tonight,” he said.
Professor and Chair of International
Affairs Bob Mandel served as the faculty
advisor for the symposium. He described
the debate format as a means to promote
tolerance amongst the student body.
“It was a great opportunity for
Lewis & Clark students to hear a view
that’s very different from the standard
Lewis & Clark view,” Mandel said.
“Specifically, to hear it in the context of
a format which requires that different
views were expressed. And I think that’s
the key. It’s not whether we agree with
John Bolton or (Juan Chamorro); it’s
a question of whether we’re willing to
have an opportunity for students to hear
both sides of the issue, and the way this
symposium is formatted, we guarantee
that that happens.”
The fourth debate, entitled
“Divine Diplomacy,” examined the
role of religion in peacebuilding
and conflict resolution and featured
Martine Miller and Jason Klocek.
Miller is currently the Executive
Vice President of the International
Center for Religion & Diplomacy in
Washington, D.C., and has worked
in post-war reconstruction in 90
countries. Klocek is an Assistant
Professor at the University of
Nottingham and Faculty Affiliate
of the University of Notre Dame’s
Center for the Study of Religion and
Society, and has conducted extensive
research on the intersection between
religion, violence and politics.
Miller spoke first, identifying
9/11 as a factor in the international
perception of religion.
“Post 9/11, religion entered the
international stage as a problem,”
she said. “It was very much framed as
religion is a problem that drives conflict,
and also phrased certain religions as
conflict makers and extremist.”She noted the relevance of religion
as a factor in navigating international
conflict, given its prominence across
the globe.
“Part of it is that 85% of the
population recognize themselves as
being religious. And that’s key to who
they are. Identities are fluid, but that is
a key element of how people engage,”
said Miller. “The other element is this:
Across most religions, there’s a common
denominator, and that is peace. So if
I read a list, like different things from
different religious texts, they’re all
referencing elements of peacemaking.”
She highlighted the credibility of
religious actors in many countries
as institutions that have provided
education to their communities when
the central government did not.
“Religious actors hold a very specific
trusted space in the communities,”
said Miller. “Religion has played a very
important role in identifying injustices
within society.”
Miller emphasized the potential for
religion to facilitate conflict resolution
around the world, citing South Africa.
“In South Africa, for instance, various
churches were at the vanguard of the
struggle against apartheid,” said Miller.
“Numerous religious actors have been
engaged in negotiating humanitarian
corridors, ceasefires and peace processes
around the world. We’re just not hearing
about them. We’re hearing about the
negative aspects of their agenda.”
She mentioned South Thailand,
Afghanistan and Libya as examples of
countries where women who practice
religion stand at the forefront of
conflict resolution.
“Afghanistan is an interesting
case,” said Miller. “There have
been documented cases of women
negotiating with the Taliban to ensure
that young people are able to access
different resources. And the reason
they say they’ve been successful
in that was the women, women of
faith were perceived as pious, non
occupational. And they were much
more listened to and respected than
male counterparts.”
Miller was a strong advocate for
the involvement of faith in negotiating
peaceful relations.
“It’s not all documented,” she
said. “But more and more is being
documented, so I think it’s important to
recognize that these are things that we
can tap into as a vital resource.”
Klocek, on the other hand, presented
an inverse argument.“In brief, I’m going to contend that
the evidence base for religious conflict
resolution and peacebuilding simply is
too thin at the moment. We’ve rushed
since 9/11. And we haven’t learned
lessons yet,” he said. “We simply
don’t know about when, why and how
religion can support a system and when
it will not, or when it will make things
worse. So it’s therefore dangerous to
include religion in conflict resolution
and peacebuilding.”
Klocek described the potential risks
of incorporating religious actors into
peacebuilding efforts.
“ Bringing religious actors in does
expand the number of participants in
the process. But in some contexts, it also
creates additional tensions, especially
around moral values,” said Klocek.
“Working with religious actors will bring
them into the forefront of peacebuilding.
It simply makes religious identities more
salient in a post conflict setting.”
He shared an example of how religion
could exacerbate poor relations between
political actors.
“Over-emphasis on the religious
dimensions by policymakers has turned
what was a non-religious conflict into
a religious conflict by ignoring other
issues such as ethnicity, economics,
politics and local dynamics,” he said.
“The way aid and other resources
are distributed can further fuel the
dissent. The Trump administration, for
instance, tried to influence how the USA
distributed funds in Iraq, leading to the
perception that Christian communities
were favored over Sunni and Shia
communities, and this worsened
sectarian conflict in the country.”
He asked the audience to think
cautiously about the lack of evidence
regarding the role of religion in
conflict resolution.
“What I want you to be is a
skeptic,” said Klocek, addressing the
audience. “Don’t accept conventional
wisdoms and assumptions at face
value. Question why people hold
their strongly held beliefs and
consider the alternatives. Don’t take
assumptions as given; interrogate
the logic and demand empirical
evidence. When it comes to the role
of religion, conflict resolution and
peacebuilding, acknowledge the gaps
in our understanding.”
Each of this year’s six debates were
carefully planned, and boasted a wide
array of perspectives, knowledge and
expertise.The symposium ended on
April 10.Politicians, journalists, educators,
activists dispute nuanced global issuesFinancial
aid letters
arrive late
Continued from page 1.
Advocates for pushing back the college
enrollment deadline for 2024 argue that
delays in financial aid packages could be
harmful to low-income families.
According to Staab, the federal
government reported errors in their
data mid-March, which further
complicated the financial aid process.
“Yes, they did start releasing data
on the 15th of March,” he said. “But
it took them two weeks to deliver all
of the data. So, just the other day, we
finally got all of the FAFSAs delivered
to us. Then they started announcing,
not just recently but other dates
earlier, of all of the errors that they
were making in calculating the family’s
financial needs.”
Staab cites his concern for the
impact of delayed aid packages on
incoming students as the motivation for
his decision.
“I’m anticipating at the earliest,
we’ll be able to get out need-based aid
award letters now that we know all that
we know is going to be April 19. That’s
12 days for a family to get their financial
aid package from us and then make a
decision. I didn’t want families to feel
pressured,” he said.
Colleges who do not extend the
application deadline may end up
turning away families who rely on
financial aid.
“By not changing the application
deadline, it’s putting those colleges
or schools under pressure. Case in
point, we’ll have it down the street (at
Willamette), they have not changed
their application deadline,” Staab
said, “and we have been hearing from
families who have had interactions with
them, who are very turned off by the
fact that Willamette has not extended
their reply deadline.”
Staab critiqued the decisions of
some colleges and universities to retain
the traditional May 1 deadline.
“What I’m also fearing is going to
happen is that schools are going to
stick to their May 1 deadline, because
they know that there will be some
more affluent families who are not
asking for need-based aid. And all the
other families who do have financial
needs need to wait until they get their
financial aid packages. They’re the ones
who are going to be disadvantaged and
put under more pressure,” he said.
By delaying the application deadline,
LC administration hopes to relieve
pressure on low-income families.
“It’s unfair, especially for the
families who are from lower income
backgrounds, that they’re going to be
squeezed by the schools that are not, at
the moment, saying that they’re going
to be flexible with a deadline. They’re
just waiting for students to come
forward and say, ‘Oh, please give me
an extension,’ which puts the onus on
the student, as opposed to the college
coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, I see
the problem. I see it’s coming down the
road. Why don’t we make the extension
now?’” Staab said.
Though financial aid processing may
have a lower impact on the yield of large
public universities, private colleges
like LC may be more impacted due to a
higher tuition cost.
“With us, they’re gonna say ‘You’re
starting sticker price is $75,000. I don’t
think we can afford that.’ So we do run
a risk of not yielding that student. The
only way that we can get ahead of that is
getting the best aid award letters out,”
he said.
Staab noted that the government
errors in financial aid processing also
impact returning students.
“We’re talking about not only the
prospective students who are applying
for admission now right now, but
we’re also talking about returning
students,” said Staab. “We’re talking
about law students, we’re talking
about grad students, current and
prospective students. So it’s a big
problem right now.”
LC administration hopes to get
financial aid letters out by mid-April.EMMA FORD/THE MOSSY LOG
Co-chair John Mbanda 25 introduces the second debate of 2024’s IA Symposium. COURTESY OF IA SYMPOSIUM
Co-chair Alie Cicero ’24 poses with Hanadi Dreca ’24, Aadya Drixit ’27 and Anna Ryan ’27.
By MIA SYREN
THE FIRST week of May is
arguably the most stressful time
of the year for Lewis & Clark
students, especially if you live on
campus. Not only are students spending
most of their time studying for exams,
writing papers or putting projects
together for their finals, but they are
also expected to have their dorm rooms
completely packed and ready to go amid
their academic stress.
Final examinations for this semester
take place between April 29 and May 2.
That means the vacation period starts
exactly on May 3. May 3 is also the last
day to move out for students who live in
the dorms.
Mind you, May 3 is also a Wednesday,
meaning students are expected to be all
moved out in the middle of the week.
They do not even get until the end of the
week to have all of their personal items
removed from the residence halls.
If a student needs to stay on campus
past May 3 or is not moved out by the
deadline time assigned by the school,
they will be charged. Students who
stay late will be charged $25 a night. If
a student is not approved for late stay
prior to the deadline stay longer, they
will be charged $150. This means that
students who do not want to be charged
for not being moved out by the deadline
have to pack up their dorm rooms during
the final examination period. This is on
top of the $8,514 per year students pay
for a double/triple/quad dorm room
on campus for a full academic year or
$9,716 per year for a single.
This forces students into a stressful
situation, where they have to balance
studying for their finals and trying to
move out of their dorm room when they
should instead be solely focusing on
preparing for their upcoming exams.
For the amount of money that
students are paying to live on campus
for a full semester they should be given a
substantial amount of time to move out.Adding on to that, because students
are rushing around trying to move out
on time as well as finish their finals,
they have difficulty finding time to
say goodbye to their friends and other
members of the LC community.
I was always in a fortunate position
that my wonderful mother was able to
make the trip up to the school from
California by car to help me move out
of my dorm room when I was still living
on campus.
Unfortunately, there are many
students who live on campus that do
not have the luxury of being able to
have their families come to help them
move out.
The chaos of moving is one of the
main reasons why I chose to live in an
off-campus apartment my senior year,
rather than go through the anxiety of
scrambling to move out of my dorm
room on time, while also trying to
prepare for all my scheduled finals.
I cannot think of a substantial
reason why the school cannot give the
students until the end of the week to get
moved out of their dorms so they can
prioritize preparing for their finals.
I mean, if they can give graduating
seniors an extra day to get their things
moved out, why can they not have the
same consideration for the rest of the
student body?
Last year, graduating students were
able to move out of their dorm rooms
the day after graduation, which means
that the school is capable of giving
students more time to stay on campus
and get moved out following the move-
out date.
Students should not have to carry
the anxiety of balancing both the stress
of final exams, as well as making sure
they are completely moved out of their
dorm room the day after the last day of
the final exam period.
They should be able to prioritize
their studies during finals and not worry
about scrambling to get completely
moved out by the next day.
By KEVIN MATISHEK
THE MYTHOS of Lewis & Clark,
of the Oregon trail and the
pioneers who walked it, seems
to be an important cultural narrative
to Oregon — a narrative equivalent to
the ’49ers of California or the pilgrims
of New England. It is a narrative so
celebrated that Portland’s public
square, the basketball team and our
school have all been named after it.
But the fact of the matter is that
our name and mascot do not represent
us, and in that misrepresentation, they
prevent the fostering of that school
spirit, which is so important to small
liberal arts colleges.
Lewis & Clark is a poorly chosen
name, not just because of the colonial
ambitions of its bearers, but also
because, as people, they do not represent
our institution.
Lewis and Clark have nothing to do
with the college. They never set foot
in what is now Portland, they never
contributed anything to our institution.
Even if we needed to be named after
European explorers of the Oregon Coast,
James Cook and Juan de Fuca would
make just as much, if not more, sense,
representing our college’s focus on
international exploration.
However, these men, like Lewis
and Clark, will never make any real
sense as the name of our institution
because they in no way represent
it. Even more harmful, Lewis and
Clark’s image already bears so heavily
in the national imagination that
it extinguishes any attempt at the
formation of a college identity.
When one hears “Lewis and Clark,”
nobody’s first thought will be the college
in Portland. We have a strong campus culture, but our name will never conjure
an image of that culture because of the
image already tied to the explorers. If
we are to be a respected institution,
then we need to choose a namesake
that respects our institution. Let LC
students create their own identity
instead of sloppily appropriating
loose themes of exploration from an
irrelevant colonial enterprise.
The Frank family’s gift sale of Fir
Acres to Albany College along with
their equity-minded use of the estate
as a market space for Jewish vendors
in Portland makes Frank College a
potential alternative to Lewis & Clark,
although the name should ultimately be
decided upon by the student body.
I understand that changing the
name of any institution — especially one
with national accolades — is difficult,
especially as people begin to associate
the name with its excellent academics
and mentorship. I believe the best
compromise is to change the name of
our mascot.
I have never heard an LC student
refer to themselves with pride as
a Pioneer. Doing so can often feel
uncomfortable. Our mascot fails as a
mascot because it is not adopted by, but
rather forced upon, the student body. It
is not consensually utilized as a symbol
of the college and thus fails as a mascot.
Even if the institution argues that
a Pioneer is a “positive description” of
someone, there is no real reason why we
should be called the Pioneers, as opposed
to the Innovators, or something such as
that. If we are using the term “pioneer”
to mean someone who innovates, why
use the word that is chiefly associated
with Western expansion?
My suggestion for our new mascot
is the Tangerines (students would be referred to as tangies). The mascot
is inspired by the use of oranges
to represent Albany College in the
“Orange Peal” yearbooks.
This way, the college can honor
its past through the use of one of our
original mascots, while maintaining the
orange color scheme used throughout
the design and architecture of our
college. The sweet and friendly nature
of the orange represents the welcoming
character of our student body.
The orange is a symbol of gift
giving, optimism and bounty, being
featured during Christmas, and as a feminist and pro-LGBTQ+ symbol in
some Passover seders. This fits well
with our college’s values of kindness,
collaboration and perseverance.
In my mind, the most convincing
reason for the orange is that it is
very liberal arts-y. I could very easily
see us identifying ourselves with the
Tangerines in a way that we never will
with the Pioneers. Alternative ideas
include the Lewis & Clark Roses and
the Lewis & Clark Moss.
A change of mascot could
radically change how students viewed
themselves in relation to the college. A representative mascot allows the
student identity to be reciprocally tied
to the college’s branding, as opposed
to being in direct conflict with it.
Students would define the college
from the bottom-up, as opposed to
marketers defining us from the top-
down. First years would enter the
college excited to discover what being
a Tangerine is all about.
Our campus mascot would change
from a historical artifact begrudgingly
tolerated or ignored by students
to a feature of the college eagerly
embraced by our community.FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
OPINION 4
Tangerines would better represent student body as symbol of collaboration, kindness, friendly atmosphereMove out timeline increases academic stress
Mascot must be changed to cultivate community, belonging
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in the Opinion section are NOT those of The Mossy Log and are held by the authors.ROSE BIALK/THE MOSSY LOG
ROSALIE ZUCKERMANN/THE MOSSY LOGStudents should be able to prioritize exams, projects during end of year, not focus on vacating dorms
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
OPINION /gid00487
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in the Opinion section are NOT those of The Mossy Log and are held by the authors.J FRANK/THE MOSSY LOG
THE MOSSY LOG ARCHIVEChallenges with unchanged Student Fee call for dialogue
Finance Committee senator explains ongoing debate around funding solutions, allocations process
By JOSIE STENZEL
THE RECENT d i s c u s s i o n s
surrounding the student
media fee have brought
unprecedented awareness to the
funding we, as students, provide
this institution. I come to you as the
student on this campus with the most
experience allocating the student
body fee to ask you to consider the
effectiveness of your yearly $360
charge. Every spring, organizations
are understandably frustrated with
their allocated budget.
However, without raising the
student body fee, it will be impossible
to meet the amount organizations
are asking for. It is time for us to
have a more involved conversation
of what we want the student body
fee to be. I don’t think an immediate
raise is the best solution, or even
possible at this point, but I do think
this is a conversation that demands
the attention of as many students
as possible, and it needs to be an
informed decision.
To provide some context, I joined
the Finance Committee (FIN) my
freshman year, when it was still the
Student Organizations Committee
(SOC). This was before the FIN/SOC
merger, a decision made in order to
increase the number of students at
Allocations Weekend in the spring of
2021, and overall simplify financial processes. I have attended Allocations
Weekend for four years and organized
the process as Director of Allocations
(DoA) for two. As the DoA, I
moved organizational budgets to
spreadsheets, introduced the spending
tracker, updated and consolidated the
new Finance Committee bylaws and
moved Allocations Weekend to before
spring break in order to give the senate
more time to review the Allocations
Recommendation and keep the process
as far away as finals as possible.
The funding Finance Committee
uses during Allocations Weekend is
based on predicted enrollment numbers
for the next school year, and therefore
fluctuates yearly. The more students
attend Lewis & Clark, the higher the
number of student fees are collected, the
greater the amount we have access to
distribute. However, when enrollment is
lower, so is the amount we can allocate.
The current student fee, something
every student pays, hasn’t been raised
since 2011. When compared to similar
institutions, it is one of the higher fees
in the region. ASB began discussing a
possible raise in the student fee back in
2021, after Allocations of that year. At
the time, many members of the Senate
opposed raising it, myself included,
citing the pandemic and the increasing
costs due to COVID-19, as the main, but
not only, reason to postpone a raise.
Another reason to postpone a
raise was many organizations were not spending all the funding they were
awarded. I argued that the Finance
Committee should establish practices
to encourage more spending before
asking students to pay more in student
fees. But the discussion on the student
fee has never left Senate & Cabinet
meetings, especially as the total
Allocations request grows every year.
This year was remarkably
somber. With the funding we have
access to in the spring, $10,300 less
than last year, even funding every
organization’s minimum would
result in going over budget by over
$260,000. And although the appeals
process exists to make up for the
necessary cuts in the spring, it was
still extraordinarily difficult to find
places to cut funding by the end of the
second day of Allocations.
For four years, I have argued
against a raise in the student fee. I still
believe it would be inappropriate to
implement one in the next few years,
but it is something we should start
considering in the near future. When
the Allocations request increases,
so does the amount the Finance
Committee has to cut. The frustration
of student organizations who are
forced to wait for the appeals process
in the fall to secure the funding they
need to operate is not unnoticed by
members of the committee.
This past March, every new round
of cuts over the course of two days was agonizing. As your peers, we are also
involved in the organizations, sports,
clubs and symposia on campus,
although we cannot advocate for
the budgets of the organizations
we ourselves participate in. We
want to see these projects grow and
flourish, and the limitations of our
budget hinder our ability to support
organizations to the fullest extent.
I, personally and on behalf of the
Finance Committee members, sincerely
appreciate the understanding of student
organization leaders concerning our
relatively limited budget this year. I also believe that it is time to seriously
begin the conversation concerning a
raise in the student fee, and not just in
ASB meetings. The goal of the Finance
Committee is to utilize the student
fee to enrich the experience of every
student here. If organizations want
the funding they request in the spring,
without waiting for appeals in the fall,
the student body needs to consider
whether they are willing to pay for it.
If you have any questions about
the allocations process, or are
interested in joining FIN, please
contact doa@lclark.edu
By TOR PARSONS
THERE ARE A FEW quick ways to
sound smart without much effort.
Blame a social issue on capitalism.
Pepper your essays with “nevertheless,”
“erstwhile” or best of all, “ontologically.”
And when a new technology enters the
conversation, quote Jeff Goldblum’s
character from “Jurassic Park,”
who said, “Your scientists were so
preoccupied with whether or not they
could, they didn’t stop to think if they
should.” I guarantee that everybody in
the room will nod slowly as if you had
said something thoughtful and original.
But most technologies are not
dinosaurs and are not going to eat you.
Take the rise of AI-generated images.
Over the past couple of years, AI images
have gone from being incoherent blobs
of color to nearly indistinguishable from
the real thing. As one could expect from
a development such as this, there has
been a lot of weeping and wailing and
gnashing of teeth. AI art has been savaged
as inauthentic the opposite of real art even
as theft from “real” artists. “Good artists
borrow, great artists steal,” long one of
art’s most beloved adages, has been cast
by the wayside. Supposedly anti-capitalist
artists have adopted the mindset of Disney
lawyers: “Inspiration is theft, because
art is a commodity like gold or oil.” This
is a ridiculous response to a technology
capable of so much positive change.
“AI-generated art” is as much
a misnomer as calling paintings
“paintbrush-generated art.” Regardless of
the medium used to create the art, there is
still a human artist behind it, responsible
for the most important part the idea. For
many talented people, it is not hard to
paint soup cans or to silk-screen many
copies of Marilyn Monroe’s face. But
Andy Warhol had the idea to call that art,
and so he is revered as an artist.
AI art is showing itself capable of
doing things other media never could. In
January, an artist on X (formerly Twitter)
used AI to complete Keith Haring’s
“Unfinished Painting,” a canvas that the
legendary queer artist deliberately left
unfinished in 1989 as a memorial to the
lives lost in the AIDS epidemic, a year
before Haring himself died of AIDS.
Altering such a hallowed work of art ticked
off a firestorm of criticism. I have to admit, that gave me a
frisson of excitement — not the anodyne
image itself, but the reaction to it. Art
has many purposes, not all of which
need to be present in a single work. But
one of them is to shock the gatekeepers
of the art world. One of the most iconic
moments in 20th-century art history
was when Marcel Duchamp entered a
urinal into a sculpture exhibition in 1917,
calling it “Fountain.” Today, we laugh at
the pompous event organizers who were
scandalized by it. Who gave them the
right to define what art is?
Alas, art seems to have lost that
capacity to shock. Until recently it
seemed difficult to imagine what could
provoke a new “Fountain” moment in the
art world. These days, art that attempts to
be shocking and transgressive more often
comes off as pretentious and lazy. When
artists do things like dunking a crucifix
in urine (Andres Serrano’s “Piss Christ,”
1987) or building a toilet out of solid
gold and calling it “America” (Maurizio
Cattelan, 2017), most critics just yawn.
Art should push boundaries, but those
works did not. I am immensely grateful to
AI art for revealing that yes, the art world
still has boundaries to be pushed.
Art should not be a circle of high
status people congratulating each other.
Works of art should be in conversation
with each other. The point of “Unfinished
Painting” is that it is unfinished.
Therefore, the most clever, subversive,
authentically artistic response is to finish it. At long last, humanity is once again
producing art so groundbreaking that
the chattering classes are sneering that
it is not art — and getting people talking
about the purpose and definition of art is
one of the most important purposes and
definitions of art.
AI art has the capacity to breathe so
much new vibrancy into the world. As
corporate consolidation marches on,
popular culture has grown staggeringly
bland. Every blockbuster movie is a
sequel or remake. Radio stations all play
the same 10 to 20 hits. But the media
conglomerates’ days are numbered. If
AI image technology keeps improving,
within just a few years, an intelligent,
creative person with a good plot in mind
will be able to generate a feature-length
movie all by themself. The barriers
to making great pop culture will be
reduced to nearly nothing. In the same
way that everyone today is a scribe in
medieval people’s eyes, everyone in the
future will be a filmmaker and a pop
star in our eyes.
This world is ours for the taking,
as long as we want it. A society that
does not believe in technology’s ability
to change our lives for the better is a
small, sad and fatalistic society. It is
time for our kneejerk technophobia to
end. Otherwise, culture will continue to
stagnate, and people of the future will say
that our generation was so preoccupied
with whether or not we should, that we
did not stop to think if we could.AI has capacity to redefine
art, spark innovative ideas
By JESSIE SHAW
HOMELESSNESS h a s b e e n a
serious issue Portland has
grappled with in recent years,
and it has worsened amidst a national
housing shortage as well as a fentanyl
addiction crisis. The COVID-19
pandemic certainly played a role
in the crisis when unemployment,
substance abuse and mental hh
issues spiked. This resulted in many
people being unable to pay rent, and
getting evicted. So how has Portland
responded to the crisis?
According to the City of Portland’s
website, homelessness increased by
65% from 2015 to 2023 (1,887 to 6,297
individuals). During the same period,
Portland invested $1.7 billion in
affordable housing services, opening
4,608 units. The funds supported
preventative measures, including
housing subsidies for 35,550 Portland
residents, with 13,190 receiving
permanent housing assistance in
2022. However, the average wait
time for affordable housing units is
five years, which has hindered the
efforts to provide enough housing for
individuals in need.
While Portland may have invested
considerable funds in affordable
housing services, the number of units
has not kept pace with the increasing
homeless population. Overall,
Portland’s policies in response to the
crisis have ranged from weak and
ineffective at best to inhumane at worst.
Perhaps the most controversial
policy Portland implemented was
banning homeless encampments in
June 2023. Encampments can be
unpleasant to witness, but it is not
wise to demolish them to make the
neighborhood “prettier” or prevent
crime. Banning encampments is not
only inhumane, but it worsens the
problem, as homeless people are
forced to migrate to other areas of
the city constantly. It is as if being
homeless is becoming illegal, all
while there is still a housing shortage.
I have witnessed the hardships
homeless people have endured on the
streets of the Portland metropolitan
area, from Sellwood to the city
center. While the area Lewis & Clark is situated in does not have as many
homeless people or encampments
as other parts of Portland, you can
still find encampments around the
Fred Meyer store down the hill. I
remember on one cold winter night,
I waited for the Pio Express at the
Fred Meyer bus stop and saw a
homeless man sleeping a few feet
away from me on the sidewalk. Next
to him was a spilled cup of cereal,
but what especially worried me was
he must have been really cold, as he
only had a sleeping bag and a light
flannel sweater for warmth during
the 30-degree night temperatures.
While seeing homeless people on the
streets can be disconcerting, I generally
feel safe and do not worry about them
harming me. Yet the media loves
to dehumanize homeless people by
portraying them as violent individuals
and painting Portland as a dangerous
city that no one should venture into.
Unfortunately, some of my relatives
have listened to this propaganda and
have told me not to travel solo, fearing
that a homeless person would harm
me. While I brush these irrational fears
aside, I am disappointed in people like
my family members who dehumanize
homeless people after falling for anti-
homeless propaganda.
Despite the dire situation, I believe
that there are some things that both the
city government and the public can do
to combat the homeless crisis. For the
city government, I think that it should
invest more in supportive housing
and other non-profit organizations
dedicated to helping the homeless,
rather than take a tough-on-crime
approach like banning encampments.
As citizens, we too can step up
to help the homeless. We must
should not dehumanize them and
should be more empathetic towards
them. Like everyone else, each of
them has different stories to tell
about how they ended up on the
streets, whether it was losing a job
or fleeing from domestic violence.
We can get involved in secular or
religious organizations that feed or
house the homeless, whether through
volunteering or donating. If we follow
these steps, we may be able to combat
the crisis. Empathy is essential
during housing crisisFRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
FEATURES
Editors-in-Chief compare past, current duties
By CAROLINE DREW
AS THE SCHOOL year draws to a
close, The Mossy Log prepares
to do a familiar dance. It is
time for a changing of the guards, if
you will, as the Editor-in-Chief (EIC)
hands off the paper to a new leader
and the editorial staff says goodbye to
some editors and welcomes new ones.
In this season of change and reflection,
outgoing EIC Amelia Doyle ’24 chatted
with Matthew Sherman ’96, who
served as EIC close to three decades
ago. The two discussed their journeys
at The Mossy Log, the responsibilities
of the role and what it taught them.
“It makes me happy to see the
throughline,” Sherman said. “It’s
pretty much the same, the technology
has changed a little bit but other than
that, I’ve just really been impressed with
the editing, the quality of writing … The
vision, what you’re trying to do, amplify
voices and highlight stories, that stuff is
still there.”
When Sherman worked as EIC,
the internet was just beginning to
be a widespread resource and The
Mossy Log was published weekly for
a print-only audience. Technological
changes have deeply impacted the
world of journalism, The Mossy Log
included. Online publishing and
social media are now an integral part
of the paper’s activities.
“The sad thing is, I don’t know if
a lot of those old issues are scanned
and available as archives,” Sherman
said. “But I love being able to go now
and be like ‘Hey, I haven’t read a Log
in a couple of months, let me go and
easily check around and see all the
previous reporting.’”
Though the online edition of
The Mossy Log extends its reach to
alumni and beyond, the print edition
continues to flourish under special
attention from the staff. The tradition
of late layout nights continues to bond
The Mossy Log staff.
“We thought we were really
technically bold because we were
laying out (the paper) on a Mac and
everything,” Sherman said, laughing.
“But we were still there until three in
the morning. I got no sleep and I was
running it to the printer by 8 (a.m.) the
next day.”Though the newspaper is now
submitted for publication digitally,
late nights and tight turnarounds are
still integral parts of The Mossy Log
operations and culture.
“The deadlines haven’t changed,”
Doyle confirmed. “It’s very impactful
to be in a place where students are
teaching other students and passing
on traditions … It’s still a platform
for student voices and a platform for
things that are happening on campus.
Specifically, we highlight a lot of
student work and student experiences
and what it is like to go to Lewis & Clark
in a very real way.”
The Mossy Log’s role in the
community and the tricky time
management it takes to maintain a print
publication have remained consistent.
Though EICs come and go as students
graduate, and each leader brings their
own goals and perspectives to the job,
the role retains its own consistencies;
crossing the finish line between layout
and a print publication remains in the
hands of the EIC.
“You’re gonna be the last one there
with the paper,” Sherman said. “So
you want to make sure you can deliver
something high quality and that you’re
not burning out yourself or your staff.”
Doyle agreed. Directing the staff,
delegating tasks and balancing tight
schedules takes a level of attention to
detail and confidence that can be best
learned on the job.
“Knowing that you are the person
that you can rely on is something I
learned very quickly,” Doyle said. “I
became very confident in this role, a lot
more confident than I was going into it.”
As essential as confidence is,
Sherman also highlighted the
importance of making mistakes and
growing through trial and error.
“The Log teaches you a lot of
secondary things,” Sherman said.
“There’s everything you learn in class,
but I always loved The Log because
you get to make your own mistakes
and you’re learning on the job. The
stuff that really helped me the most
were those things I didn’t expect like
managing personalities, dealing with
stress, having confidence in your story
and your staff.”
Leading any group teaches important
social skills and leading a staff of student journalists entails some
specific considerations.
“When you’re the editor of The
Log, you’re responsible for everybody,”
Sherman continued. “If there’s a
mistake in an article that you approved,
you’ve gotta take some responsibility.
If someone takes issue with something
you’ve published, you’ve gotta be
responsive to criticism but, if you think
we were accurate, you’ve gotta protect
your writers.”
Nurturing writers and creating a
collaborative, supportive spirit have
been at the forefront of Doyle’s goals for
The Mossy Log during her time as EIC.
“I joined the staff as a sophomore
and I had amazing mentors. A goal of
mine has been making sure that we
have a large staff and making sure that
we have positions available and open
for everybody,” Doyle said, “and that
there is opportunity for growth because
I think people get intimidated by like
‘Oh this is a big scary newspaper, I don’t
have any experience.’ There’s a lot of
easy ways to get involved.”
Introducing the Staff Writer
position is one of the ways Doyle
worked towards this goal. Staff writers
are assigned to one section and
required to write three articles for that
section, out of six total articles, over
the semester.
“It’s very lowkey, they only
have to write one article per issue,”
Doyle said. “It’s not a huge time
commitment, but it is still a way for
them to get involved and have a bit
more of a personal relationship with
the editors in (their) section and create
that mentoring opportunity because I,
personally, found that valuable when I
was on the staff … I think that’s one of
the fantastic things about The Mossy
Log, this cycle of impassioned student
journalism and all these passionate
individuals getting together in a room
and teaching each other.”
Sherman, having seen the cycle of
student journalism continue for many
years, shares Doyle’s admiration.
“People didn’t do it for the pay,”
Sherman agreed. “For a lot of people,
it was the community and wanting to
tell the story. There’s just nothing quite
like journalism.”
Embracing the opportunity to help
students tell their stories, share things that matter to them and feel recognized
by the broader community was a
pivotal part of the EIC experience for
both Doyle and Sherman.
“I was always excited when writers
would come to us with a story they
really wanted to tell,” said Sherman.
Doyle concurred, noting the
community support for The Mossy Log.
“So many students are interested
in telling their stories or having
certain things covered,” Doyle agreed.
“People have definitely approached us
about things that they’re interested in
and there’s such a passion surrounding
journalism and I’m really excited that
it’s kept up.”
The Mossy Log serves not only as
a platform for student writers but as
a way to celebrate student work and
achievements of all kinds.
“I can’t tell you how many times
somebody has been so incredibly
happy that they were featured in
The Mossy Log,” Doyle said, “or
when student work was featured in
The Mossy Log. Students do a lot of
incredible research and projects and
student work doesn’t often get the
same coverage in the Portland area, so we try our best to highlight it through
the paper.”
These community-building elements
alongside mentorship, collaborative and
managerial skills have created a lasting
impact on Sherman’s life.
“I never went into journalism,” he
said. “I got my Communications degree
from Lewis & Clark and was heavily
involved in journalism, but even if
you’re not pursuing it as a career, it
makes you a better critical thinker, a
better consumer of the media, which is
really all around us now … It makes me
happy to see that that passion is still
there and the paper is still playing an
important role in student’s lives.”
As Doyle moves on from The Mossy
Log as well, she has faith in its future.
“Journalism itself is really struggling
right now but there is this really strong
student journalism sector,” she said. “I
hope The Mossy Log continues to be a
place where students continue to learn
from each other and a space where
passionate students get together at
night and create a great paper. I think
at the core, that’s what it is, creating a
community and amplifying student
voices on campus.”
Javelina pop-up showcases Native culinary traditions
By LILLIAN SMALL
I HAD THE privilege of attending the
Portland Indigenous Marketplace, a
two-day event hosted at the Native
Arts and Culture Center (NACC) in
the Belmont neighborhood. Once the
Yale Laundry Building, NACC is now
a spacious, brick building that hosts
exhibitions and community events
that uplift local Native artists and
culture-bearers.
When I entered the marketplace I
was greeted by joyous music, courtesy
of the in-house DJ, with families and
people of all ages meandering through
the rooms, food or art in hand. Artists and entrepreneurs sold a variety of
goods, from hand-beaded jewelry,
clothing, incense and oils, to baked
goods, representing the vast array of
Native businesses in the Portland area.
Javelina, a local pop-up restaurant
serving Indigenous comfort food, was
the primary reason I made the trek
(a Pio ride and a 30-minute walk)
to the market. Despite the profound
historical and current ties that
Indigenous people have to Portland,
Javelina is the only restaurant in the
city to celebrate Native cuisine.
The Portland Metro area occupies
the land of the Multnomah, Wasco,
Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin,
Kalapuya and Molalla peoples. Due
to the Oregon government’s specific
history with Indian policy (Federal
Indian Relocation Act, Oregon
Termination Act, Restoration), large
Indigenous populations migrated to
big cities rather than staying on the
government-dictated reservations.
Today, Portland has the nation’s
ninth-largest urban Native American
population, with approximately
40,000 Native residents.
Javelina’s Co-Owner and Head
Chef, Alexa Numkena-Alexander, was
born and raised in Yakima, Washington
on the Yakama reservation, is a
member of the Hopi tribe and holds
ties to the Cree and Skokomish as
well. Numkena-Alexander worked in
prestigious restaurants throughout
Portland before deciding to open a
restaurant of her own.
For those not familiar with the
pop-up concept, it is a restaurant that
does not have a permanent kitchen
or storefront, and will “pop up” at
various venues on a rotating basis.
Since its first service in November
2023, Javelina has attracted a cult-
like following, selling out within hours.
Blogs like “Eater” and “Street Roots,”
have praised the restaurant, and for
good reason. Oregon Public Radio
recently featured Javelina on their
video series “Superabundant.”
Javelina’s menu varies on the
event, as well as seasonality of
ingredients, reflecting the traditional
Native foodways. Proteins are local
and fresh, from Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout to elk sandwiches and
wild rabbit. Prepared with traditional
methods of braising, steaming,
smoking and wide usage of Native
vegetables and aromatics, each dish
connects the eater to food that holds
cultural significance.
Javelina does not shy away from
foods that are newer in the canon of
Indigenous eating, despite the painful
history in which they were created. Fry
bread, for example, is always featured
in some variation on the menu, and
dishes like the powwow burger, Indian
“Ndn” taco or Sonoran hot dog also
echo the impacts of colonization on
the cuisine.
Fry bread may appear as just
an innocuous fried dough, but its
invention and cultural significance
tracks a history of resilience in the
face of colonization. Its origins are
generally attributed to the Navajo
nation, when they were forcibly
removed from their ancestral homes
to reservations. Torn from the land
that provided their communities with
nourishment for centuries, the Navajo
and tribes across the U.S. had to rely on
government rations; flour, salt, sugar
and oil were common. From then on,
fry bread made from these ingredients
became an essential part of the diet
and culture.
In Numkena-Alexander’s interview
with Oregon Public Broadcasting, she
expanded on the personal significance
of fry bread on the menu.
“We lost a lot of our food identity,
so we want to reclaim all these
Indigenous ingredients, but fry bread still has a special place in my heart.
It reminds me of my grandma, and
grandpa who is now passed away,” said
Numkena-Alexander.
Javelina’s fry bread lived up to the
rave — I was delighted by the crisp
exterior and soft bite of the dough, a side
of which was $5. I also tried the rabbit
and wild rice soup ($10), a comforting
broth with a variety of textures from the
wild rice, carrots and root vegetables.
The soup was the right balance of
gentle and savory to highlight the star
of the show: rabbit and wild rice.
The true beauty that I experienced
while eating at Javelina was not
just the food, but the community.
Waiting in line, there was a palpable
excitement, strangers turning to each
other and talking about what they
were ordering, or how they had been
waiting for a chance to finally try the
pop-up. While I waited for my order,
someone asked me if I had eaten their
food before and commented on how
this was their second time coming.
Native or not, people were excited
about engaging with food that is
grounded in community. Javelina is
creating space for Indigenous culture
to be publicly honored as a valuable
and complex cuisine.
If you want to try a side of fry
bread yourself, or any other delicious
offerings at Javelina, be sure to follow
them on Instagram @javelina.pdx.
Javelina will have a pop-up at Street
Disco on April 24 and another on April
29 at Magna Kusina. If you do plan
on going, make sure to get there early
before they sell out!
Doyle ’24, Sherman ’96 discuss Mossy Log’s evolution, journalism archives, new technology, mentors
Doyle ’24 remains confident in the power of a newspaper to amplify student voices.ELLA DUNN/THE MOSSY LOG
LILLIAN SMALL/THE MOSSY LOGRestaurant headed by Hopi chef honors heritage, features established tribal dishes, contemporary eats6
By JAY NELSON
AS ANY L e w i s & C l a r k s t u d e n t
will be happy to tell you,
this campus has two major
problems; the first is the lack of good
dining options. Sure, we have the
Bon, along with the Troom and the
Market, although their options range
from grab-and-go to frozen meals.
There is also the Dovecote which
does not serve much of anything
that could constitute a full meal and
closes early. So, the logical answer
presents itself: get off campus for
food. Unfortunately, that is where the
second problem comes in.
Unless you have something with
wheels and a motor, you are all but
stuck. The hills, sidewalk-lacking
roads and long distances make
getting down even just to Sellwood an
arduous task. This is compounded by
the fact that the Pio does not go there on weekdays. So, if you want a decent
meal and do not have the means to
get off campus, what should you
do?
Lucky for you, Terwilliger
Boulevard is only thirty minutes
away by foot, and it has quite
an assortment of food to choose
from. Craving pub fare? Try the
Tryon Creek Sports Bar. Sushi?
Go to Tokyroll. Mediterranean?
Moonlight Grill has you covered.
But a thirty-minute walk without
any clue of what is on your
destination’s menu can be daunting,
and that is where The Mossy Log
has you covered.
Starting with the Tryon Creek
Sports Bar, you might want to
reconsider if you are under 21. Not
because their alcohol is the only
thing worth trying — just because
you can not legally enter unless you
are a major (as opposed to a minor, obviously). Those of age can expect
classic American comfort food like
burgers and onion rings, as well as
enjoy partaking in pool or darts.
Next is a personal favorite,
Tokyroll. Located right at the
intersection of Taylor’s Ferry and
Terwilliger, this small establishment
offers quite a few options when it
comes to sushi, almost all of which
are both bigger and cheaper than
expected. While it has vegan-
friendly options, my preferred
order, the Dark Horse roll, one
of their most expensive rolls at
a reasonable $14.50. It contains
quite a bit of meat, including
multiple whole tempura-fried
shrimp garnishing the top
of the rolls. The service is
relatively quick for sushi, the
servers are friendly and the
food is always top-notch.
Next, we have Moonlight Grill. Located slightly farther
along Terwilliger. In addition to
being Halal this restaurant offers
everything you would hope for at a
Mediterranean restaurant, such as
gyros, falafel, shish-kebabs, as well as
some unorthodox options like Philly
cheesesteaks, burgers, strawberry
smoothies. It has charming decor,
sit-down booths, and surprisingly
cheap prices for the quality of food
it offers.
The first time I went here, I
ordered a gyro meat wrap and a
strawberry smoothie. Both items
looked small on the menu —
the smoothie looked as if it
wasn’t filled up all the way,
and the gyro as if it was
missing vital stuffing. For
the cheap price, I assumed
the portion sizes would
correspong with this price.
The smoothie was brought out first in a full-sized glass filled almost
to the brim with perfectly blended ice
and fruit juice. Needless
to say, it was quite the
happy surprise. I finished
almost half before giving
myself brain freeze and
vowing to leave it until my
food arrived. When my wrap
finally came, I was astonished.
The thing, which looked to be
around the size of the glass I was
drinking from when I saw it on the
menu, was about double what had
been advertised when not counting
the gyro meat and yogurt sauce piled
beyond what the pita could hold.
Eating the wrap, which only cost
$12.00, was a messy but thoroughly
delicious experience.
In short, if you want good food, need
a walk or are just plain sick of the Bon,
there is no place to grab a meal like our
very own Terwilliger Boulevard.FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
FEATURES 7
Terwilliger tantilizes students with tasty, thrifty treatsBy OLIVIA FENDRICH
ON APRIL 10 , Lewis & Clark
hosted the American Pacific
Northwest premiere of “La
Montaña,” a documentary about a
group of Indigenous Mexicans sailing
from Chiapas, Mexico to Spain.
Associate Professor of Hispanic
Studies Magalí Rabasa spearheaded
this showing. It was co-sponsored by
the Office of Inclusion and Multicultural
Engagement, the Sociology and
Anthropology department and the
Hispanic Studies department. The film
series also partnered with several student
organizations to promote the screening,
including Gente Latina Unida, the Native
Student Union and Spanish Club.
Rabasa prefaced the showing with
introductory context to the Zapatista
movement that took place in Mexico.
“For those not familiar with the
history of the Zapatista movement,
it’s important to go back to January 1,
1994, when the Zapatistas, a majority-
Indigenous movement based in the
southeastern most state of Chiapas,
declared war on the Mexican
government. Often, it’s a forgotten
but very important detail about the
movement. You’ve heard about the
Zapatistas; we’ve seen so much about
them over many decades, but their
initial public action was a declaration
of war,” Rabasa said.
This declaration, entitled “First
Declaration of Lacandon Jungle,”
which was published in conjunction
with an organized military effort
in which the Zapatistas took over
six municipal centers. This activity
and the issuing of their declaration
coincided with the day the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) went into effect, establishing
a free trade zone between Canada,
the United States and Mexico, lifting
tariffs to allow businesses to buy and
sell goods across borders with little to
no financial obstacles.
The Zapatistas intensely
opposed NAFTA due to its harmful
implications for agrarian and
Indigenous Mexican workers.
The treaty forced local farmers to
compete with the colossal American
agribusiness industry, and as a
result, millions of Mexican workers
lost their jobs. Additionally, NAFTA
ignored the legal status of Indigenous
tribes and failed to recognize their
governments or reservations. This
was especially detrimental to the
native communities of Mexico who
lived and farmed on traditional lands
without clearly-defined borders or
legally-recognized reservations.
Rabasa continued discussing the
group’s history by reading from their
manifesto the “First Declaration of the
Lacandon Jungle.”
“‘We are the product of 500 years
of struggle.’ That’s how they opened
the declaration,” Rabasa said. She continued by reading the end of
the declaration where the group declared
war on the Mexican government.
“We, the men and women, full and
free, are conscious that the war that
we have declared is our last resort,
but also a just one. The dictators are
applying an undeclared genocidal war
against our people for many years.
Therefore we ask for your participation,
your decision to support this plan that
struggles for work, land, housing, food,
health care, education, independence,
freedom, democracy, justice and
peace. We declare that we will not stop
fighting until the basic demands of our
people have been met by forming a
government of our country that is free
and democratic,” Rabasa read.
Rabasa described the ten years of
organizing, training and mobilizing that
happened clandestinely before the group
made its first public appearance in 1994.
She also noted that, coincidentally, the
showing of the documentary fell on the
105th anniversary of the assassination
of Emiliano Zapata, a leading actor in
the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920
who organized an army to fight for land
reform and the return of stolen lands to
the peasants in the south of Mexico.
Zapata is the namesake of the
movement, and the Zapatistas honor
him as their ideological forerunner.
They admire him for his commitment
to judicial reform, the decentralization
of government power, equitable
democracy, the redistribution of wealth
and the promotion of the interests of
rural workers and small agricultural
producers while simultaneously
protecting Mexican sovereignty against
powerful foreign interests.
Then, Rabasa transitioned to discuss
the documentary.
“The documentary is made by
Mexican journalist and director Diego
Enrique Osorno whose work I was
familiar with previously because of his
coverage and a book that he published
about the rebellion in Oaxaca in 2006,”
she said.
She then introduced the premise of
the documentary.
“In this documentary, Osorno
follows the Escuadrón 4-2-1, a
delegation of seven Indigenous
Zapatistas on their transatlantic
maritime voyage in 2021 from Mexico
to Spain. They spent 57 days at sea, as
we’ll see in the documentary, on an old
sailboat, emphasis on an old sailboat
that they named La Montaña, so that’s
the name of the documentary,” said
Rabasa. “They did this emulating the
voyages of the conquistadores who had
come 500 years earlier in the other
direction across the Atlantic. And they
did so in that moment to commemorate,
in a very unique, novel, playful way,
the 500 years since the invasion of
Tenochtitlan — what today we know as
Mexico City — in 1521.”
Rabasa then described her personal
connection to the Zapatista movement. “For me, the Zapatistas have
been (present) since I was 12 years
old in 1994 and learned of it with my
dad — my dad is from Mexico. (The
movement) has been a source of hope,
inspiration and creativity for my
thinking and political action, as I know
it has for many of you,” Rabasa said.
Rabasa concluded her introduction
by encouraging the audience to draw
from the lessons and perseverance of
the Zapatista movement and apply
them to contemporary life. She called
for us to work together to create a
world of many worlds, from Chiapas to
Portland to Gaza and beyond.
She added that we must be the ones
to build a future that addresses the deep
history of colonization in the world.
“As we watch the film, I invite you to
think about what radical listening and
encuentro can be, and how the long and
recent histories of both colonization
and decolonial resistance can help
shape the way that we live, the way
that we learn and the way that we act
in the present to the largest future for
everyone,” said Rabasa.
The film followed Escuadrón 4-2-1 on
their journey to Spain. However, it was
supplemented by historical background
interwoven throughout about the
Zapatista movement, specifically the
political action the group took in the
1990s. This interplay was an effective
storytelling technique that grounded the
modern Zapatistas in the movement’s
history. It captured the essence of their
struggle and the continuity of their
resistance against systemic injustices
over time. This clearly defined the
continued necessity of this movement to
address Indigenous rights in Mexico.
The film’s beginning perfectly
captures our modern world’s
claustrophobia and entrenched
consumerism. So when the camera
cut to the open sea, it communicated
a distinct freedom with life away from
the rest of the world.
The film’s cinematography was
beautiful. You would think that being
on a boat for 57 days, most of which
were on the open ocean, would lead
to repetitive, boring camera shots. Yet
Uruguayan cinematographer Maria
Secco creatively constructs new and
interesting shots that capture the
beauty of the sea, stars and people
aboard the ship.
Early on in the film, the Zapatistas
discuss their critiques of capitalism.
“We are wrong as a humanity,” one
describes. “We have no concept of how
society or the future should be.”
They talk about the bloodshed their
peoples faced during the 20th century.
Even beyond the estimated 300
Zapatistas who were killed in the 1994
uprising, critics of the Mexican regime
and Indigenous women in Chiapas
were subjected to torture and rape at
the hands of the Mexican government.
Indigenous people in Mexico still
face significant mistreatment by the justice system. They are massively
overrepresented in Mexico’s prison
system, attacked by paramilitary
groups and exploited on many levels.
Indigenous women tend to bear the
brunt of this brutality, as they are the
ones left to deal with family poverty,
lack of access to health services and
increased rates of domestic violence,
child abuse and alcoholism.
Despite the film’s discussion of the
horrors of capitalist exploitation and
Indigenous suffering, there were many
moments of hope and joy diffused
throughout.
The women aboard La Montaña
spoke of their pride in being Indigenous.
They channeled the pain of centuries
of colonization and debasement into
a sincere hope that the future will be
better. It is difficult to articulate how
utterly inspiring this was to witness;
it is something I felt in the deepest
corners of myself.
At one point, the captain sang in the
kitchen “A Las Cinco de la Mañana” by
Candeal, dancing around in the yellow
light. At another, the Zapatistas reveled
in a meal of traditional Indigenous
foods like pozol, a cocoa drink made
from a fermented corn dough of the
same name. They taught each other
words in their respective languages,
including Tzeltal and Tojol-ab’al. They
sat under the stars, talking about their
lives. For every hardship endured, there
was a scene of deep, revelatory levity.
“Without a sense of humor,
you’ll never understand Zapatismo,”
remarked one of the voyagers.
The film felt enormously relevant
to our current world. The Zapatistas’
critiques of over-industrialization,
social media and cell phone use, climate
destruction, police and capitalism
touched on many issues at the forefront
of our global political climate.
They left the audience with the
message that not everyone has to be a Zapatista, but everyone can organize to
fight for a just and equitable future.
It is important to acknowledge
the complexities surrounding my
emotional response to this film. I
was deeply moved by the depiction of
Indigenous struggles and their fight
for sovereignty. However, I am also
aware of the danger of romanticizing or
exploiting their pain for my own self-
awareness or sense of righteousness;
my white guilt is not relevant to this
documentary. That being said, I
appreciate this depiction of historical
and contemporary Indigenous
resistance. Often, narratives about
resistance against capitalism
are framed within Eurocentric
perspectives, overlooking the rich
history of Indigenous communities
challenging exploitation.
This film is a moving reminder of
the enduring struggle for Indigenous
sovereignty, self-determination and
equitable treatment. The focus on
armed resistance uses nuance to
capture the ongoing battles against
colonialism and capitalism that
continue to shape our world today.
It is often difficult to tie the
anticapitalist sentiments of many
young people today to the global,
historical and often Indigenous
dissent with the oppressive nature
of modern capitalism. Yet this film
radically exhibits the persistence
of anticapitalist resistance and
the immense value of amplifying
Indigenous voices in the fight against
systemic injustices.
It is unclear when or where the
next screening of this documentary
will be, as its release in the U.S.
is limited to special, one-time
screenings. However, I implore you
to seek out a showing in the coming
months. It is an impactful experience
that will inspire you in ways you
never imagined.
Local restaurants deliver diverse, delectable dining experiences within walkable distance from campusDocumentary dives into history of Zapatistas
Film follows Indigenous Mexicans’ voyage, marking 500 years since invasion by Spanish colonialists
ROSE BIALK/THE MOSSY LOGThe voyagers aboard La Montaña set sail from Isla Mujeres, for 57 day journey.COURTESY OF EDUARDO VERDUGO
By ELLA DUNN
HEATHER G u d e n k a u f ’ s n o v e l
“Every One is Watching” is a
“locked-room thriller.” If you
have not heard of it yet, that might be
because it was published in March of
this year. I wanted to read something
recently released, and this book
piqued my interest the most.
A brief hook: Five “random” people
of varying levels of fame are chosen
to be players in a new game show
called “One Lucky Winner” where
ten million dollars are at stake. The
players slowly realize that there may
be some connection between them. Each character is a “bad” person, as in
they have committed crimes or actions
considered morally wrong.
I found most of the characters were
relatively one-dimensional. I cannot
honestly say that I got attached to
any of them, or that I cared how the
book ended. They all had about one
personality trait that defined them,
and had no real character development
over the course of the novel. They also
did not learn anything throughout
the story — the author relied too
heavily on her plot to drive the story,
and let quality character-building get
lost in the process.
Diving into the plot, the first thing
that caught my attention was the way
Gudenkauf used real contemporary
company names, which is a huge pet
peeve of mine. In my opinion, a book
abandons an attempt to be timeless
by mentioning “Instagram” by name.
I cannot explain why this bothers
me so much, but reading the word
“TikTok” in a thriller novel takes me
out of the experience. I understand
that the plot itself called for some
mention of social media, but
something in me just hated seeing
a direct reference.
Another thing deeply bothered
me were the lighthearted mentions
of sexual assault. One of the main
characters recalled a scene in which
assault was present and went into
distasteful detail. It could have
been more meaningfully written if
Gudenkauf felt it was vital to the
plot, but in my opinion, it was not
meaningful or necessary. Every
situation where sexual assault was
either mentioned or described
made me feel that the author was
unprepared to write about such a
heavy topic, and that the whole thing was just for shock value. Gudenkauf
could be trying to make a statement
on how famous, rich, powerful people
can get away with doing terrible
things, but it would have been
much better received on my end if
the whole topic were handled with
more delicacy.
I thought it was unpalatable that
the whole story surrounds a collection
of “bad” people. I use quotation marks
because the majority of the players
in the reality TV game had kept
secrets or committed minor crimes or moral infractions such as having
affairs, perpetrating tax evasion,
even accidentally getting someone
killed. Throwing in a character who
committed something as serious as
assault feels insensitive.
I have been focusing primarily on the
negatives, so here are some positives. For
one, “Every One is Watching” definitely got
me hooked, albeit about halfway through.
It was about a reality TV show, and it felt
like watching one. No matter how
terrible reality TV shows get, they
are still usually entertaining.I understood what the book was
trying to do: keep readers on the
edge of their seats by presenting
a thrilling situation that speaks to
questions of justice in a plausible
fashion for today’s technology-driven
world. Not every novel has to be a
complex intellectual exercise, but
this one just was not emotionally
affecting in any way, and will not be
a piece that sticks with me. If the
book still sounds interesting to
you, give it a read and form your
own opinion!FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
ARTS 8
“Cowboy Carter” celebrates country creatives
Beyoncé’s latest genre-bending, collaborative record pays homage to long legacy of black musicians
New novel sets big goals, fails to deliver sensitivityBy LILLIAN SMALL
UNLESS YOU have been living
under a rock these past few
weeks, you are probably aware
that Beyoncé has dropped her eighth
studio album, “Cowboy Carter.” In
anticipation of the album, Beyoncé
released two singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em”
and “16 Carriages” on Feb. 16, about a
month prior to the release of the full
album on March 29.
The album has unsurprisingly
broken streaming records and reached
the top of the all-genres Billboard
200. Notably, the album shattered the
country glass ceiling when Beyoncé
became the first Black woman to top
the country Billboard.
“Renaissance,” Beyoncé’s previous
album, a flamboyant dedication to
house and hip-hop, was the first act
of an ongoing project. References to
act II are incorporated heavily into
“Cowboy Carter.” At first glance of the
track names, you might be wondering
if spellcheck was omitted during the
editing process, but the doubling of
“i”s, like in “Ameriican Requiem,” or
“Blackbiird” is certainly an intentional
nod to the artist’s second installment
of a greater undertaking.
The album is a triumph for Beyoncé
as an artist and entrepreneur, but it is
also clear that these 27 tracks were
created to bring an entire history
and community to the forefront of
popular culture.
Country music strikes a sensitive
chord with many Americans because
it is highly entwined with American
identity, or rather, white American
identity. One of the most pernicious
myths born from American racism
is the erasure of African American
contributions to Southern culture.
Nearly every facet of Southern
tradition — food, fashion, language
and, of course, music — has been
shaped by the unique experiences of
Black Americans of past and present.
“Cowboy Carter” is a love letter
to Black Americans in the South, as
well as a reclamation and exploration
of the genre of country and its history.The beginning song, “Ameriican
Requiem,” is a gospel anthem framed
by a background choir and synth
organ that echo throughout the album.
The last track “Amen” concludes
with the lines “We’ll say a prayer for
what has been / We’ll be the one who
purify our father’s sins / American
Requiem / Them old ideas are buried
here / Amen.”
There is a lot to unpack in just these
few lines, but in essence, Beyoncé is
calling on her American listeners to
unpack the complexity, darkness and
beauty in our country’s history. In genre,
style and subject matter, Beyoncé pays
homage to the foundations of American
music, which has been falsely attributed
solely to white artists.
“Smoke Hour Willie Nelson” is a
spoken word interlude featuring the
voice of quintessential country star
Willie Nelson, weaving in background
static emulating an old-time radio
playing classic songs that take listeners
back in time. Musicians Sister Rosetta
Tharpe, Chuck Berry and Son House
are featured on this track, each
prominent to foundations of rock, R&B
and country.
Son House was an influential Delta
blues guitarist and singer during the
early 20th century. Chuck Berry is
famously known as the “godfather of
rock ’n’ roll” and captured his audience
by dancing across the stage with electric
guitar in tow. But, even before Chuck
Berry, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe,
rock’s “godmother” who brought the
lyrical themes and cadences of gospel
music into the mainstream. Without
her masterful electric guitar playing,
and powerful voice (often harmonizing
with vocalist Gladys Knight), there
would be no Elvis Presley, Beatles or
Rolling Stones.
These three artists demonstrate the
profound changes in Black American
music over just a few mere decades. Son
House represents the era of bluesmen,
or “songsters,” many of whom were
preachers or strongly rooted in the
church, accompanied by their own
fingerpicking bass and melody. Rosetta
Tharpe ushered in the age of electric guitars, shifting away from acoustic
resonators, as well as increasing
the visibility of African American
musical tradition nationally. Instead
of exclusively performing in local
Southern venues, Tharpe and Berry
broke out onto large stages worldwide.
The musical transformations through
the mid-20th century were no doubt a
product of adapting technologies and
U.S. racial attitudes.
Moving forward in the album on
another radio interlude, “The Linda
Martell Show” honors the first Black
woman to perform at the Grand Ole
Opry, with Martell introducing the next
track on the album “Ya Ya.” Martell is
considered to be the first Black female
country star, breaking onto the scene
in 1970 and appeared on popular
radio and television broadcasting and
performing with artists like Waylon
Jennings and Hank Snow. Martell
faced criticism and harassment from
white audiences and struggled to
achieve the same success her white
male counterparts in the country music
industry did.
Another tie to Black history in
the album is “Blackbiird,” a cover of
The Beatles’ hit song. The Beatles
were neither American nor country
musicians, but, as established earlier,
early African-American music was
the base of rock ’n’ roll. The original
song features themes of rising up
in the face of darkness, and Paul
McCartney has recently expressed that
the song was heavily inspired by the
African-American fight during the Civil
Rights Movement. For this cover to be
sung by Black women, several decades
after its original release, is a powerful
statement. In addition to Beyoncé’s
voice, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy,
Reyna Roberts and Brittney Spencer
sing on the song, all up-and-coming
Black women in country music.
“Texas Hold ’Em,” one of the two
preview singles of the album, also
weaves in Black past and present with
a banjo introduction, played by the
multi-instrumentalist and arguably
the most accomplished folk-revivalist
of our generation, Rhiannon Giddens. Giddens has founded several musical
groups such as the Carolina Chocolate
Drops and Our Native Daughters,
and has toured with Yo Yo Ma’s Silk
Road ensemble.
Giddens has been a leading voice
in the reclamation of the banjo as
a Black instrument. The banjo is
often tied to an old-fashioned, white,
country narrative, so many would be
surprised to learn that the banjo is an
African instrument in origin. Enslaved
Africans brought the gourd-based,
percussive, stringed instrument from
their homeland to America and used its
music to preserve the culture that was
stripped from them.
Over time, like many other
contributions by African Americans,
the processes of co-opting and
cultural diffusion buried the true
origins of the banjo. Giddens wrote a
foreword in the recent book “Well of
Souls: Uncovering the Banjo’s Hidden
History” by Kristina R. Gaddy that
delves deeply into the topic.
Most “Cowboy Carter” tracks do
not fit into the country genre in the
most literal sense. They pull heavily
from pop, R&B and gospel, even
incorporating classical Italian opera in
“Daughter.” But the question of genre
is a central theme throughout, asked
explicitly through lyrics and answered
implicitly with the music. In no track
is this more clear than “Spaghettii”
which begins with the spoken voice of
Linda Martell.
“Genres are a funny little concept,
aren’t they? Yes, they are / In theory,
they have a simple definition that’s
easy to understand / But in practice,
well, some may feel confined,”
Martell says.
The rest of the song is traditional
hip-hop, switching halfway through
to a more country feel with vocals
from Shaboozey.
I genuinely enjoyed every song
on this album, and maybe that is
because I am a die-hard Beyoncé
fan, or I just have an appreciation for
genre-bending. You might not love
every song, but the beauty of the
vastness is that there is something everyone can appreciate. Despite
the powerful messages throughout
the album, there is so much joy and
humility in each track. There are tender
and personal moments, like “Protector”
and “II Most Wanted;” there are silly
and celebratory moments like “Ya Ya”
and “Riiverdance;” and there are many
moments that are deeply spiritual,
connecting with those who came
before her.
The reclamation of country is not a
new concept, even for Beyoncé herself.
Lemonade called on her Texas and
Louisiana roots with the song “Daddy
Lessons” establishing her ability to
thrive in the genre. Despite success,
when she performed the song alongside
The Chicks’ at the 2016 Country Music
Awards (CMA’s), Beyoncé was met
with racially-charged backlash.
KNTRY might be the most apt
descriptor of “Cowboy Carter”, or in
the queen’s words herself: “This ain’t
a country album. This is a ‘Beyoncé’
album,” posted on her social media.
Blackness is at front in center, but
Beyoncé pays respect to country
legends of all backgrounds. The 27
tracks may not all sound “country” in
the traditional sense, but it is apparent
that this album was made to subvert
rather than emulate what is to be
expected of the genre.
Reality show inspired morality tale flattens complicated characters in overwraught plot, shock factor
Editor-in-Chief
Amelia DoyleManaging Editor
Rosalie Zuckermann
News Editors
Emma Ambroziak
Ava FrisonOpinion Editors
Corrina Chan
Tanvi ShuklaFeatures Editors
Leila Diaz
Olivia Fendrich Arts Editors
Caroline Drew
Corryn Pettingill
Sports Editors
Lillian Small
Will TrunzoThe Backdoor Editor
Emma FordVisuals Editor
J FrankCopy Chief
Maya Mazor-Hoofien
Head of Broadcasting
Isaac BabusBusiness Manager
Lauren EvansOutreach Coordinator
Summer Dae BinderWeb Manager
Claire BakkeFaculty Advisor
Molly Robinson
Writers Photographers & Illustrators
Ella Dunn*
Robert Manger*
Mia Syren
Jessie Shaw*
Fiona Eilers*Kevin Matisheck*
Kai Mermis-Cava
Josie Stenzel
Tor Parsons
Jay NelsonRose Bialk
Ella Dunn**Members of staff team
COURTESY OF HEATHER GUDENKAUF
COURTESY OF BEYONCE
The album art draws on rodeo aesthetics.
An ominous book jacket hints at theme.By ELLA DUNN
ON FRIDAY , April 12 classes
were canceled for Lewis &
Clark’s annual Festival of
Scholars and Artists (FOSA). The day’s
itinerary was jam-packed with students
eager to present papers, projects and
teach about topics they have done
extensive research on. Topics ranged
from cultural to scientific, theatrical
to mathematical. There was truly
something for everyone.
Being an English major, my
interests mostly lay in arts-related
events — putting the emphasis on the
“A” in FOSA. I managed to attend a
couple of events on breaks from work. I
caught part of the Arts@LC showcase,
and afterward, I checked out the
Senior Art Exhibition, “Squeeze,” at
the Hoffman Gallery.
The Arts@LC showcase, which took
place on the JR Howard steps thanks
to a hired portable stage, included
instrumental and vocal performances,
poetry readings and theatrical scenes
and monologues. I could go on;
essentially, every form of spoken or
sung art you can imagine was there. I
saw “Opening Up,” sung by the cast of
the Waitress theatre thesis, which was a
great preview of the thesis performance
(amazing!). The cast did a phenomenal
job, especially working with a less-than-
ideal sound system.
I saw two original poetry readings,
one of “The Screamers” by Tiani Ertel
and the other “Greater Love Has No One Than This / My Dearest, Friend”
by Shelby Platt. Both poems were
absolutely gorgeous. So many talented
people presented at the Arts@LC showcase, and the event itself had a
great turnout. Especially being situated
in such a central area of the academic
campus, it was able to catch the attention
of passersby.
The art gallery was also such a treat
to explore. I could not make it to the
opening, but I still took a look around on
my own. The energy inside was vibrant,
with many people appreciating the work
that these artists put so much time and
effort into. It was also awesome to see
the artists themselves proudly standing
next to their work and interacting with
the guests.
I particularly enjoyed Max Lobato’s
“The Death of Frankenstein,” an acrylic
painting portraying the final scene of
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I loved
Lobato’s bio, which began with “I
create loud paintings.” And loud this
painting was, in all of the best ways.
The artist, in their own words, “exploits
the dissonance of the primaries,” using
the majority of paint which looked like
it was squeezed directly from the tube:
bright yellows, deep blues and bloody
reds that created a piece that exhibits
Lobato’s excellent understanding of
color theory and anatomical study.
Especially being a fan of the novel,
I found that this painting created
a completely unique take on the
final scene, one that I will from
now on always visually associate with
the story.
If you did not get the chance to see
live performances at the showcase or to
attend the opening of the gallery, all hope
is not lost! For one, it is very easy to find
arts-related events on campus, but if it is
a FOSA-adjacent experience you crave,
the artists’ pieces are still on display in
the Hoffman Gallery until May 5, and it
is more than worth a meander through.FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
ARTS 9
LC Dance Company
creates unique show FOSA features complex art,
poetry, theatre, live music
Upcoming Events - AprilBy ELLA DUNN
TO CLOSE out the Spring semester,
the Lewis & Clark Dance Company
puts on the second major dance
show of the year, Dance Y. While Dance
Extravaganza (Dance X), the Fall semester
dance show, is heavily advertised and
attended, Dance Y often sees a smaller
turnout, due to lesser guidance from the
Theatre Department and subsequent
funding. Dance X is choreographed by
Dance majors and minors for their final
projects and represents the culmination of
dance courses at LC. Dance Y, on the other
hand, is entirely extracurricular and run
by students, and open to choreographers
of any major, at any point in their
college career.
Dance Y participants work diligently
to create a show worth seeing. The lack
of departmental oversight surrounding
the show creates opportunities for less
experienced choreographers to try their
hands at directing a dance, and makes it
a draw for people who may want a more
relaxed schedule and overall experience.
Alaura Diaczun ’24 is excited to
experiment with choreography for the
first time.
“I’ve been involved with the dance
program here, and I’ve also danced
for most of my life: social (dance) and
theatre,” Diaczun said. “Dance Y is
usually a little lower-stakes (than Dance
X), and more casual. There’s more room
to wiggle around with ideas that you
have, and I figured it’s my senior year, so
if there’s a time to do it, it’s now.”
Her experience choreographing so far
has been an inspiring one, despite it being
new territory for her.
“I knew the feelings I wanted
to portray, and I made sure to get
dancers who I knew could emulate
those feelings. I did improv with
them to ‘steal’ ideas and get inspired,”
Diaczun said. “All of my moves are very
natural. There are fun, interesting,
technically cool moves, but also a lot of
moves that just feel good in the body.”
Diaczun is using the song “Oh That’s
Nice” by Pete Rodriguez for her dance,
and she combines several genres of dance
moves to this music.
“I chose this song because I knew
“I wanted to do something that mixed together different Latin ballroom and
Latin social dance moves, because
that’s my specialty and what I love to
do,” Diaczun said. “I discovered this
song because it’s part of a genre called
Boogaloo, which mixes a lot of
different elements: salsa, mambo,
R&B, merengue.”
Another dancer venturing into
the realm of choreography, Lila Ward
’25, has embraced her time creating a
dance on her own.
“I wanted to choreograph because
I’ve been doing Dance X and Dance
Y the whole time I’ve been here,”
Ward said. “Being a part of the LC
dance community has been a great
experience — it’s the nicest dance
community I’ve ever been a part of. I
wanted to expand my skills and try
something new.”
It being her first time, she has
formed her own creative process,
beginning with selecting a song and
gathering thoughts along the way from
her peers.
“I just do what feels good. For
choreographing, I didn’t really
know where to start, so I decided to
just choose a song that I liked and
choreograph to the song specifically,
which gave me a framework to work
around,” Ward said. “I also always
encourage the people I’m working
with to collaborate with me
because it gives new ideas and widens
the pool of creativity.”
Ward chose a song by Lous and
the Yakuza, a French-speaking female
rapper, called “Courant d’air.”
“I thought the musicality of this
song would look really awesome with
dancers moving along to it. Most people
would say (my dance) is contemporary
or modern, but it’s to a rap song, so
there are more rhythmic aspects to it,”
Ward said. “My dancers tell me that a
lot of my movement styles are kind of
animalistic, so we’ve started playing
with that. We’re just having fun.”
Dance Y is a beautiful collection of
a wide variety of different styles and
genres of dance, with many influences
from new choreographers. If you
missed it, or if you enjoyed it and want
more, make sure to keep an eye out for
more dance events next year!
Nevaeh Allen’s cyanotypes show the artist’s body in various angles and perspectives.CAROLINE DREW/THE MOSSY LOGAn intricate oil painting is shown in the gallery named “Mending Arachne’s Voice.”CORRYN PETTINGILL / THE MOSSY LOG
GALLERY OFFERINGS
PDX Contemporary Art
Animal Spirit by Yamamoto Masao
1881 NW Vaughn St.
On view until April 27
Hoffman Gallery
2024 Senior Art Exhibition
On view until May 5
Ellen Browning Building
Shriek of Color
2871 SE Division St.
On view until April 30THIS WEEKEND
19 - Culture: Drag Show: Gagged!
7:30 p.m. @Evans Auditorium
19 - Literature: Reception for
Dorothy Berkson Writing Award
3 p.m. @ Smith Hall
19 - Music: Fridays @ 5
8:30 p.m. @ Evans Auditorium
19 - Theatre: Theatre Thesis
Evening A
7:30 p.m. @ Fir Acres Theatre
20 - Theatre: Theatre Thesis
Evening B
7:30 p.m. @ Fir Acres Theatre20 - Music: KPH’s Sunburn
5 p.m. @ Smith Hall
20 - Art: Ceramic Showcase +
Gathering of the Guilds
10 a.m - 6 p.m. @ Oregon Con -
vention Center
21 - Art: Ceramic Showcase +
Gathering of the Guilds
10 a.m - 4 p.m. @ Oregon Con -
vention Center
21 - Music: Portland Radio Project
Open Mic
5 p.m. @ Rogue Eastside Pub
21 - Music: Orchestra and Choir
Performance
2 p.m. @ Flanagan Chapel21 - Theatre: Bone Sorrow:
Fertile Grounds
12:30 p.m. @ Chapel Theatre
AND BEYOND
22 - Music: Electronic Music
Performance
7:30 p.m. @ Evans Hall
22 - Literature: Fiction Senior
Capstone Reading
6 p.m. @ Manor House
Armstrong Lounge
23 - Literature: Poetry Senior Capstone
Reading
6 p.m. @ Manor House
Armstrong Lounge23 - Music: Dependent - G.T. Arpe -
Splinterhead Indie Alt Rock
7 p.m. @ No Fun
Armstrong Lounge
24 - Music: AJR - The Maybe Man
Tour
7:30 p.m. @ Moda Center
25 - Literatue: Verse Landia! Youth
Poetry Slam
7 p.m. @ Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall
25 - Theatre: The Play About My
Father
7:30 p.m. @ Back Door Theatre
CAROLINE DREW/THE MOSSY LOG
Lauren Arriola’s larger-than-life sculpture shows a woman with a beating heart.
Students strike pose after performing their transcendent and rhythmic routine. COURTESY OF MAKENNA SUSMAN
By ROSE BIALK
EVER HEARD of roller derby?
Well, as a resident of Portland
you are in a good place to learn
about it. Our local league, the Rose City
Rollers, is one of the largest leagues
in the country, boasting over 400
members. They have multiple adult and
junior teams, including both home and
travel teams. This is far more than most
leagues have, which means that the
teams are able to play within their own
league, instead of having to travel. This
also means more home games for you to
come and watch!
Not only that, but because they
have multiple teams, there are
multiple entry points depending
on your skating level. Just want to
play for fun? The Wreckers might be
for you. Want to step it up a notch?
Consider trying out for one of their
four home teams, the Break Neck
Betties, Guns N Rollers, Heartless
Heathers and the High Rollers. And you cannot forget about their traveling
team, Wheels of Justice, who were the
winners of the 2015, 2016, 2018 and
2019 national championships. Of
course, you can also just watch the
action from a relatively safe distance
in the bleachers.
Now, what is roller derby? Roller
derby is a contact sport played on
rollerskates. Each game, or bout, is
broken up into multiple two minute
sections called jams. During each jam,
the two teams competing send five
players onto the track, four blockers
and one jammer.
The jammer is identifiable as the
player with a star on their helmet. This
is usually in the form of a helmet cover
which can be removed and passed to a
special type of blocker called the pivot,
who then puts on the jammer’s helmet
cover and assumes the position of
jammer for the rest of the jam. You
can spot the pivot by the helmet cover
they wear, which contains a stripe
running from front-to-back instead of a jammer star.
The blockers of both teams make
up what is called the pack and it is
the jammer’s job to break through the
pack, at which point they can begin to
score points by
passing the opposing
team’s blockers
as many times
as possible within
the two minute
timeframe. The
blocker’s job is to
stop the jammer
from
passing
them or to
assist their
jammer in
passing
the
other
team’s
players.
The
blockers
block the
jammer
by using
their
hips,
back,
upper
arms
and thighs.
Use of feet, hands and head is not
allowed and if these rules are violated
it will result in a penalty. Players can
acquire penalties for breaking any of
the rules of the track. A player with a
penalty must immediately exit the track
and skate to the penalty box where they
must stay for 30 seconds, during which
time their team is down a player on the
track. If a player receives seven penalties
during a bout, they foul out of the game
and are no longer allowed to play for the
remainder of the bout.
These rules in place are for player
safety, which is taken very seriously. As roller derby is a contact sport, all
players are required to wear a helmet and
mouthguard as well as wrist, elbow and
knee pads. Leagues usually have rental
gear, but you are required to bring your
own mouthguard and water bottle.
You might have noticed the
fun names all the teams
have, but did you know
that as a skater you get
to pick your
own “derby
name”? While
roller derby can
be quite
intense,
there
is an
element of
theatrics
involved,
including
over the
top makeup,
customizable
helmets
and derby
names.
Your
derby
name
can be
anything you want, but a good pun is
always appreciated. Names can range
from anything from a real name like
Carl or Ripley, to the more extreme
(of which there are far more), such as
Lexsanguination, Eve Anne Hellical
or Freddie HerFury. These names
will be used by both your team and
the announcers during games, so it
is a good idea to pick something that
you are comfortable being called in
front of a crowd.
If any of this sounds interesting to
you, I encourage you to check out Rose
City as your local roller derby league.
Their upcoming events include a
juniors game on May 4 and 5 and two
adult bouts on May 17 and 18.FRIDA Y APRIL 19, 2024
SPORTS 10
Student Athletic Advisory Committee
details new plans for upcoming year
By FIONA EILERS
IN FEBRUARY, Lewis & Clark’s
Student Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC) voted on new
leadership for the 2024-2025 school
year. The organization, a part of the
Associated Student Body (ASB), acts
as the liaison between student-athletes
and LC administration. Bennett
Gazor ‘25 the current treasurer and
president-elect of SAAC, gave some
insight into the committee’s role within
LC and its vision for the upcoming year.
“It’s a group of student-athletes
that are involved in setting up events,
both engaging with the community at
Lewis & Clark and then also within
athletics as well,” Gazor said.
Each sports team has two
representatives with SAAC that are
chosen by the team’s coaches. They are
responsible for gathering information
from their teammates and presenting
them to fellow committee members,
as well as the seven-person
leadership board.
Alongside representing
student-athletes to LC
administration, SAAC
serves as a connection
point for student
athletes to the
National Collegiate
Athletic Association
(NCAA). The NCAA
requires every
Division III school
to have a SAAC in
order to represent
student-athlete
interests.
Members
vote on NCAA
legislation, which
impacts college
sports nationwide. “This year, we voted on some rules that
were looking to be passed in certain sports.
An example was that D3 was looking to add
STUNT” Gazor said, referencing a sport
adjacent to cheerleading, “and make it a
NCAA D3 sport where you can be recruited.
We voted on that as student-athletes.
There’s also certain legislation that is voted
on purely by student-athletes.”
Besides acting as liaisons and
voting on legislation, the NCAA
outlines community outreach as
one of the main purposes of SAACs.
Next school year, LC’s SAAC plans
on holding even more events for the
student body, seeking to increase
engagement with athletics.
“Our biggest goal, besides all the
student-athlete only stuff which are our
own events that we put on within the
athletic department, is bridging the gap
between us student-athletes and non-
student-athletes: adding more community
events, and incorporating student-athletes
in more events on campus,” Gazor said. Gazor shared an example of a
current initiative that is reflective of
these goals.
“We have a system called buddy team
points, where each team in athletics has
their own buddy team. For example,
men’s tennis is with women’s soccer. If
you go to an event, like an event in the
Career Center, you can get buddy team
points for that. So different things that
promote interaction in non-student-
athlete events,” he said.
Gazor emphasized that SAAC
throws events for the entire student
body, not just student-athletes. He
highlighted the recent food truck in
front of Pamplin as the result of a
SAAC initiative.
“I don’t know if you saw this week, but
we had a food truck outside of Pamplin.
That was one of my first initiatives to
promote the community coming together
in front of the Glade for everybody … I
think it’s extremely important here for
people just to come together,” he said. Alongside more community-focused
events, SAAC hopes to collaborate more
often with the Campus Activities Board
(CAB), another part of ASB.
“Last year, we had a massive trivia
night in Stamm for everybody. That
was successful, but we want to make it
bigger and rent out Pamplin. Another
is we’re gonna try to get a school-wide
dance type of deal, similar to what CAB
is doing, and do more collaborations
with CAB,” he said. “A lot of that stuff
will be determined when we get our
budget. We’re going to aim for at least
a couple full student body events for
each semester.”
Budget increases have enabled more
activities to be planned in the last year.
Gazor reflected on the impact of SAAC
initiatives on the relationship between
athletes and non-athletes on campus.
“I think this is the first year since
COVID that SAAC has had a large
budget, so we’ve been able to have
more of an influence on the community.
At least in my eyes, I’m
starting to see a bit better
integration with a lot of
student-athletes and
non-student-athletes,
and creating this fun,
positive atmosphere at
Lewis & Clark,” he said.
Gazor emphasized
the importance of SAAC
as a way to connect
student-athletes with the
wider campus community.
“I think having some
sort of organization along
with CAB to promote our
own events, or to have events
that promote some sort of
engagement is extremely
important,” he said. “I’m excited
to hopefully make some sort of
positive impact on this campus.”Upcoming
games
Friday, April 19
Track and Field
Northwest Conference Championship
George Fox University - Newberg, OR
11:00 a.m.
Saturday, April 20
Track and Field
Northwest Conference Championship
George Fox University - Newberg, OR
10:30 a.m.
Women’s and Men’s Golf
Northwest Conference Championship
Langdon Farms - Aurora, OR
11:00 a.m.
Baseball
Double Header
vs. Whitworth University
Huston Sports Complex - Portland, OR
12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Softball
Double Header
vs. Linfield University
Huston Sports Complex - Portland, OR
12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Tennis
at Whitman College
Multi-use facility - Newberg, OR
2:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 21
Rowing
Northwest Conference Championship
Vancouver Lake - Vancouver, WA
9:00 a.m.
Women’s and Men’s Golf
Northwest Conference Championship
Langdon Farms - Aurora, OR
11:00 a.m.
Softball
Double Header
vs. Linfield University
Huston Sports Complex - Portland, OR
11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Friday, April 26
Track and Field
at Oregon State High Performance
Whyte Track & Field Center - Corvallis,
OR
Saturday, April 27
Track and Field
at Oregon State High Performance
Whyte Track & Field Center - Corvallis,
OR
Rowing
Western Intercollegiate Rowing
Association Championship
Lake Natoma - Rancho Cordova, CA
Softball
Double Header
at University of Puget Sound
Tacoma - WA
12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Baseball
Double Header
at Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
12:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 28
Rowing
Western Intercollegiate Rowing
Association Championship
Lake Natoma - Rancho Cordova, CA
Softball
Double Header
at University of Puget Sound
Tacoma - WA
11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Baseball
at Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
1:00 p.m.Rose City Rollers welcome all, provides engaging
opportunities for derby viewing, participation
COURTESY OF THE NCAA
ROSE BIALK//THE MOSSY LOG
Portland organization gives entry-level chances to become a part of a contact sport.COURTESY OF ROSE CITY ROLLERS
By KAI MERMIS-CAVA
LACROSSE is a popular sport on the
East Coast, and over the past few
years, it has been slowly making its
way westward. Though still a West Coast
rarity, it is by no means exceptionally
hard to find. Many Californian high
schools have lacrosse teams, for both boys
and girls. Players from these teams often
look for new ones to join once they start
college, regardless of where in the country
they end up.
Women’s lacrosse is a new sport at
Lewis & Clark this year. Currently, there
is no men’s team at LC, but the women’s
team has been thriving. Though the team
has yet to win a game, they have achieved
tremendous victories off the field.
There are many struggles that
come with creating a new sports team,
especially a team made up of mostly first
years. Teams require trust in one another,
regardless of what sport they are playing,
and it is hard to build trust with people
you have only just met, especially without
an existing team culture. Despite this, the
women’s team has done an excellent job
of building relationships and comradery.
“We’ve definitely won some in just
coming off the field and feeling good
about ourselves and happy about how we
played,” said Sage Swegle ’27.
A testament to the future of the
women’s lacrosse team, several of the games they have lost have come down
to only a single point. At this stage, the
lacrosse team has been playing against
well-established rival schools, which is
proof of the potential the LC team has.
“What makes our team so special
is, even though we’ve only been playing
together for five months, we have been
able to build chemistry. We’ve had great
teamwork against teams that have been
playing together for three to four years,”
said Lauren Elliott ’27.
By hearing them talk about each
other or by watching any of their games,
it is clear that the women’s lacrosse team
works well together
“We lost a couple of players due to
concussions or ankle injuries, and a
few weeks ago one of our players was
injured and is out for the rest of the
season,” said Swegle.
Despite this, the team has been able to
continue building trust and relationships
with each other, laying a strong foundation
for the future of lacrosse at LC.
“Another goal that we have is winning
a Northwest Conference Championship.
We have a really strong recruiting class
coming in over the next few years, so
I think it is really possible that we can
achieve that,” said Elliott.
With more players joining LC lacrosse
in the coming years, the team is looking
forward to welcoming the newcomers to
their community. By ELLA DUNN
C REW, ALSO known as rowing,
is a popular sport at Lewis &
Clark, especially within the last
couple of years. Both men and women’s
crew teams tend to be very successful in
regattas, especially with our women’s
team, or the “Dub-Squad,” who
competed at the national level last
year. But what makes rowing such a
draw for students?
Nora Barnard ’25 has been rowing
for two years at LC, which was also the
start of her rowing career as a whole.
“I had athletic experience but no
rowing experience. I walked on in
my freshman year and started fresh,”
Barnard said. “It was a pretty small
team when I walked on, but last year
we had a ton of new novices. The
novice class last year really fell in love
with it and stuck with it through the
hard training.”
Jackson Sheire ’26 was also a walk-
on for the team, but he had been rowing
for years prior.
“The only reason I got into it was
because my mom was like ‘Hey, you
might like this’ and then I did, and
I’ve been doing it ever since,” Sheire
said. “Being on the water is such a nice
experience. It’s very serene and surreal.
Oftentimes, even though there are other
people on the boat, at the same time it’s just you and the boat. A little bit
of your brain shuts off.”
According to both Sheire and
Barnard, walking on to the rowing
team with little to no experience was
made easy and fun by the energy of
the team.
“One really nice thing about
rowing is that most of the time it’s
really good, but sometimes it can
be really shitty. But having a shitty
experience with a bunch of people,
all doing it at the same time, builds a
good amount of camaraderie,” Sheire
said. “Everyone is very welcoming
and it’s a very nice thing to walk into
because people want you to be there.”
While walking on may be a breeze,
you have your work cut out for you
athletically. On days when they
have practice, the team does weight
training in the mornings, including
“erging” (using an ergometer, or rowing
machine, on dry land), before getting on
the water for a couple of hours.
“(The technique) seems simple
but doing it right is a lot harder than
it seems. You can do the movement,
and do it good enough to row, but to
do it well you have to be doing it for a
while,” Sheire said. “It’s just a lot of
little things to look out for, and you
become really good when you can
do all of those little things without
thinking about it. To get good, you have to focus on one thing at a time. It
takes a good amount of thinking.”
There are several positions in a
single boat. There are eight synced
rowers with one person in the “stroke
seat” in front, setting the rhythm.
In addition, there is a coxswain,
who steers the boat as well as calls
instructions over a mic system to the
entire vessel.
To go to nationals again, the
women’s team would have to have
their boats win in the 1v8, an eight-
person boat comprised of the best
rowers and 2v8, (the second best
rowers) competitions.
“Right now, our biggest rival is
Puget Sound. They have some fast
boats. Our coach is doing this thing
called ‘seat racing’ where we do a bunch
of races and he takes times to see who’s
the fastest in order to find the fastest
lineup,” Barnard said. “We’re trying
to finalize the lineup for conference
because we want to go again, but we
have competition.”
If the women’s team continues to
do as well as they did in pre-season,
they may very well make it to nationals
again. A large portion of the team’s
junior rowers are going abroad next
year, which leaves open spots available
for interested novices. Keep an eye out
for this season’s results, and be sure to
attend regattas to support LC rowers!
By OLIVIA LARIOS
ACROSS
1. Rapper with songs “Flawlëss” and
“Monëy so big”
3. Del Rey, coquette singer with a flare
for flower crowns and bikers
6. Laugh out loud, singular (what you
might send in response to a meme from
your mother)
9. People in the LGBTQ+ community
that display characteristics that are
stereotypically associated with women,
i.e Portia de Rossi, Sarah Paulson,
Cynthia Nixon
11. The address of a web page
12. American Guild of Actors and
Composers, for short
13. Vases used to store ashes
14. Petras, hyperpop princess with
songs “Unholy” and “Coconuts”
15. 2016 album by Rihanna
featuring songs “Kiss it Better” and
“Consideration”
17. A sound or series of sounds caused
by the reflection of sound waves from a
surface back to the listener
20. The establishment, run by the goths,
that solved the 2001 Great Granola
Dilemma and invaded the Democratic
Republic of Tamarack.
21. TikTok “power” that was given to
Charli D’Amelio and Alex French
DOWN
1. __ or Nay
2. Edebiri, American actress starring in
“The Bear” and “Bottoms”4. How a gay person might answer the
question “What’s 4+4?”
5. A four-legged farm animal related to
the horse
7. Paul, YouTuber known for his energy
drink and green alien hat
8. Rapper and producer with songs “Y
NOT?” and “4 The Betta”
9. Bon Iver song with lyrics “I am my
mother on the wall, with us all
I move in water, shore to shore”
10. Revolutionary song by Ice Spice
with lyrics “If you ain’t a baddie, can’t
sit with me”
15. Segment of a circle or curve
16. What a duo is made up of
18. What you might do after watching
“Normal People” for the first time
19. Beethoven’s “__ to Joy”FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
SPORTS 11
The women’s crew team went to the NCAA Division III championship in 2023 for the first time since 2006, earning 7th place.
Bid puzzle breaks during class farewell, solve your favorite print word game before summer breakLacrosse sets up
solid foundationsNovices to nationals, crew team
reflects on progress, hard work
Cool down from sunburn, burnout with quirky crossword
COURTESY OF LEWIS & CLARK
EMMA FORD/THE MOSSY LOGROSE BIALK/THE MOSSY LOG
Find solutions on piolog.comDear LC Community,
We are writing to humbly impart our
intentions for the upcoming editorial
term. As Editor-in-Chief-elect (EICE)
and Managing Editor-elect (MEE), we
hope to foster teamwork, accountability
and conformity. As such, we have decided
to follow in the dainty footsteps of our
presidential foremothers and come out as
total fucking fascists. #pussy.
We noticed a need for more team
bonding — to become one unto the state,
we must forswear our divides and break
that ice. In accordance with this we have
decided to standardize a hazing ritual
for all existing and incoming Mossy Log
staff. In the interest of diversity and
accommodations, we are offering our
editors two options to demonstrate their
commitment to our editorial team at the
beginning of the year.
New additions may split-dye their
hair in LC colors or let our Arts editors
give them a shitty stick-and-poke
tramp stamp of the chocolate bunny on
shrooms from last issue’s Backdoor. All
editors must join us in taking one tab
of acid or three grams of shrooms at our
first meeting critiquing the layout and
content of past issues, in order to develop
a thorough and nuanced understanding of
our newspaper’s untainted history.
We are also instating a dress code
during editorial meetings, layout and
distribution, in hopes of presenting a
unified front to the student body. What
would an authoritarian state be without
an identifiable uniform? To prove one’s
devotion to our regime, an outfit totaling
no less than $120 worth of Dollskill
merchandise (Demonias excluded) must
be purchased and worn at all distribution
events and public rallies. Alternative
outfits may be purchased and worn,
unwashed, from the Bins.
We will be instituting new guidelines
for conduct at our biweekly layout nights,
as follows:
Editors may not take cigarette smoke
breaks until after their first print, but will
be permitted to hit bongs out the office
window if they bring enough to share.
Editors must remain in business
casual attire until midnight, at which time
pajamas will be permitted. After 4 a.m., only underwear is required. Any editor
who does not wish to observe the Mossy
Log dress code may comply with the LC
nudity policy so long as they use a page
from the Sports section as a buffer between
office seats and their nether regions.
Each editor is allotted two bathroom
breaks during layout. We have created and
laminated a hall pass and instated a buddy
system. All editors are encouraged to report
on their comrades who abuse bathroom,
stretch, smoke or cartwheel breaks.
Editors who do not comply with the
rules as outlined will be forced to write an
Opinion piece in defense of keeping the
school’s name and mascot.
Additionally, in lieu of an HR scuffle, we
as the EICE and MEE have decided to assess
inter-editor relations on a case-by-case
basis. We kindly and firmly request that
in-office orgies are limited to no more than
four editors at a time. We would also like
to note that security cameras have been
installed to ensure our couch is properly
wiped down after sexual intercourse.
We would like to inform our
contributors of a few new updates:
We are now requiring all Opinion
section contributors to submit proof of
having taken a persuasive writing class.
They will also be expected to change
any and all opinions that the Mossy Log
editorial board do not personally share.
Strength in unity.
Additionally, Opinion articles about
the Bon are no longer permitted, under
pain of death.
We have updated our Mossy Log
style guide to clarify proper formatting
of YikYak quotes. Please adjust your
writing accordingly.
Contributors who do not meet
deadlines for articles without having
requested permission beforehand will be
subject to a recreational public flogging
at the hands of our Supreme Leader.
There has been a lot of confusion
over The Mossy Log’s funding this year.
We want you all to know that we are
vehemently committed to protecting and
advocating for our budget, because we
are so fucking tired of Domino’s pizza
for every layout dinner. We implore
all students to pay the Student Media
Fee, which will hopefully be increased sufficiently so that we can improve the
quality of our student organization. If it is
not raised, we will broaden the scope of
our regime via military coup. Any deposed
leaders will be given a relocation stipend
to ease their transition into political exile
at Lewis-Clark State College (you know,
the one in Idaho).
We also understand that there is a
need for transparency surrounding our
budget, and while we do not HAVE to
answer to you, we will make clear our
intentions for this publication’s fiscal
management. We will be investing our
newly increased budget in an industrial
strength espresso machine for our office, a
functioning printer and a tasteful amount
of coke for the senior leadership team. We are exploring the option of editorial
outreach training to Reed’s student paper,
The Quest (eat shit), as a charity write-off.
We will possibly increase stipends for our
broke-ass editors and contributors, if there
is money left over.
We are so excited for the upcoming
semester, and look forward to
standardizing The Mossy Log’s practices
and assimilating next year’s editors into
our regime. We thank you in advance for
your unyielding support and compliance.
Our rules and regulations will no doubt be
a success. God bless The Mossy Log, long
may she reign.
In solidarity,
Emma Ambroziak (EICE) and Olivia
Fendrich (MEE)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2024
12
ROSALIE ZUCKERMANN/THE MOSSY LOGLetter from the editor(s): Fresh start
for Mossy Log under new leadership Horoscope
offers job
predictions
Farewell forever or for now: Silly sentiments
for Seamen about leaving school for summerHey seniors, McDonald’s is always hiring!
By FIONA EILERS
IN A YEAR f u l l o f e c l i p s e s a n d t h e
age-defining Pluto in Aquarius transit,
our futures feel more unpredictable
than ever. Collectively witnessing the
global instability caused by capitalism
has destroyed our generation’s will to
participate in the workforce, yet we must
work in order to survive! On top of that,
the recent April 1-25 Mercury retrograde
has us feeling like we have been passed
the wheel to the world without a license
or GPS. Since nobody else seems to have
a better idea (Career Center? I hardly
know her), if you want to learn your
career destination, read this summer job
horoscope to set your expectations even
lower than they already are!
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Some may tell you that social media
management is not a real internship.
They are wrong — your boldness will
create a promising albeit fledgling career.
However, problematic posting may cause
trouble at work. Keep it PC.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
For the ever-stubborn Taurus,
returning to your regular summer job as
a waiter is likely. That creepy line cook
will also make a return, and you will learn
from your mistakes this time.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Two summer internships are in your
future when your boss finds out that you
lied about your Excel knowledge on your
resume. Every firing is a new beginning.
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
This summer, a mental health break
is all you desire. But the planets, sweet
Cancer, will not align, as your parents
will likely make you get a job as a barista.
Just remember, crying in the walk-in
works as therapy.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
You may experience the feeling
of selling your soul as you volunteer
for a politician. Try not to ask too
many questions if you want a future
reference, and remember that THEY
are the star, not you.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Balance is key as you take summer
classes alongside your minimum wage job.
You might feel that the grind of capitalism
never ends, and it does not! Remember,
your worth lies in your productivity, Virgo.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
You may struggle to find a job
after moving in with your ethically
non-monogamous long-term roommates.
Watch out for losing track of time to indie
video games, and DoorDash to support
your smoking habits.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Your internship will align with
your interests as a Psychology major
in an unexpected way — shockingly,
your manipulative ass will have set
everything up perfectly. Make sure
your psychoanalysis of your coworkers
is not projection.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Congratulations Sagittarius, your
parents got you an “internship” in Paris
this summer. Your balls-to-the-wall
approach to life may resemble a negative
stereotype of a wealthy American tourist,
but with enough chutzpah, you can bring
back leopard print.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You will skillfully balance a retail
job and an unpaid internship in
finance for the sake of your lackluster
resume. You may realize that starting
a successful business requires not just
hard work along a preset path, but an
original idea.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Aquarius, look out for door-to-door
environmental campaigning jobs.
Your work may disillusion you when
you discover the non-profit industrial
complex. This is normal, and actually a
sign you are on the right track.
Pisces (Feb. 18-Mar. 20)
Sensitive artiste Pisces, unemployment
is in your future. Your creative side will
compel you to “find yourself,” so watch
out for starting projects that you will
never complete.By MAYA MAZOR-HOOFIEN
SWEET, SWEET S e a m e n , i t i s
almost that time. Though it pains
me to say this, the year is almost
out (save your panic for the disco).
This is an extremely stressful time for
many of us, but before you rip out the
rest of your bleach-damaged hair, take
a moment to look around you. Really
inhale the natural deodorant and
swap-closet mildew, and be present in
this moment. Refreshing, right?
As students, we can be so busy
juggling Instagram activism with the
Sparknotes of readings that it can
be hard to appreciate the beautiful
campus where we reside (apologies to
those living in barrack-dorms in the
basements of Forest). With the end of
the semester so imminent, we should
all take a moment to enjoy what The
College Experience has to offer and
reminisce, whether you are heading
back home to camp counsel some Zoom-
addled seven-year olds or booking it to
NYC to test the value of your Theatre
degree in that job market.
So in lieu of a yearbook with which
to HAGS you, here in a format accessible
for your short attention span is a listicle
of just a few of the things to miss about
Lewis & Clark.
The Wildlife
As one of the nation’s most
picturesque campuses, LC boasts
acres of moss-coated land, manicured
to aesthetic perfection along the
admissions tour routes. Personally, I
feel so lucky to live in such a biopunk place, where a symphony of ceaseless
frog-fucking in the ravine lulls me to
sleep at night and a stink bug in my
shower caddy greet me each morning.
Squirrels here have the same level of
bravado that people who wear lingerie
to class enjoy. These fuzzy woodland
gangsters need to realize that they can
pry a Troom croissant out of my cold
dead hands. No matter how much they
stare at me menacingly.
Also, the bunny rabbits that come
out this time of year are so cute. First
time I spotted one I thought it was an
Alice in Wonderland situation until I
remembered the only hole I was falling
into was of the K variety.
Arts & Leisure
LC students are a creative bunch,
with never a dull moment between
galleries, plays, sick live music and
existential nude performance art.
Where in my hometown can I be served
a neon drink with a ladle out of a
5-gallon storage container while some
Music major with a concentration
in conceptual jazz tells me “The
Ramones” started punk?
Speaking of music, with KPH
taking the summer off-air, where am I
supposed to find another radio station
playing nothing but Morrisey, Kanye
and The 1975, providing an important
lesson in a Barthesian separation of art
from the artist?
Campus Style
At LC, we celebrate our diversity,
and our wardrobes are no exception.
Give me one good reason a white girl with type 2A hair should not wear a
durag recreationally. It is fashion as
politics, and it is also fieldwork for her
SOAN thesis.
I love a bold fashion choice, and
nothing says bold like showing off your
fresh nipple piercing in a Holocaust
history class. There is a level of tact
that is left to be desired, unlike the
imagination to which nothing is left.
Here, the world is your runway,
especially while you slow-walk to class in
six-month-old platforms that are three
away from being unwearable due to
repeated encounters with cobblestones.
The pain of having to break in new boots
is nearly unbearable, but restringing
them with yellow laces should make
up for it by automatically making you
better than other people.
The Dorms
Living away from home has its perks,
and dorm living is a great transition
into residential independence, so long
as your room selection slot is in the
first three minutes of sign-up week.
When I dye my hair at home, my
mom makes me do it in the yard so as
not to stain the sink. Here, my housing
contract actually requires that I grind
powder bleach into the bathroom tiles
at least once a semester.
Besides, I have never learned as
much about the compost cycle as I have
in watching the states of deterioration
of the communal fridge. Tracking the
accumulation of rotting Eco-Containers
and curdled Yoplait is like watching
nature reclaim the earth from our
industrialist hands.The Liberal Arts Mindset
One of the most rewarding aspects
of liberal arts is that feeling that
the world is exploding around you,
expanding with each new thing you
learn and experience you have.
This campus provides ample
opportunity to learn through student
activism, because everyone knows
for an institution to be good it must
unconditionally support those who
are rebelling against it. Remember,
consequences are for cops, and no one
can rob you of the adrenaline rush you
get from watching a Philosophy major
trying to incite a riot and not quite
pulling it off.
It is such a privilege to attend a
small liberal arts college with such
a focus on providing a well-rounded
education. It is even more of a privilege
to tell your old high school friends
about the “thirds” thing and how you
got a GenEd credit for a class that starts
with lying on the floor and “breathing
through your most supple organs.”
Goodbye for now
A Pio is a Pio for life. Even once
you graduate from LC, you can always
come back home and use your degree
to work here because it is the only place
that knows what Rhetoric and Media
Studies is.
We here at The Backdoor would
like to thank you for a quiet year of
uncontentious reporting, and hope you
think of us as fondly as you will think
of the situationship you never made
official before leaving for the summer.
KIT and DFTBA, Seamen. ILYSM.