Beaver's Digest Vol. 4 Issue 1

Create Experience #GOBEAVS

Pg.

22

Vol 4 Issue 1

IN THIS ISSUE

Student Homelessness and Food Insecurity in Corvallis

BE A GOOD ONE

Beaver's Digest is the student lifestyle magazine at Oregon State University that produces a print issue three times a year. The magazine is distributed around OSU’s campus and the Corvallis community. Beaver's Digest also produces weekly online content and live talk show.

FROM THE EDITOR Beaver’s Digest is a place where we develop as young professionals by shedding light on stories that create positive change in the community. The theme of

this issue comes from a quote from Abraham Lincoln, who said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

The cover story for this issue is about homelessness and food insecurity in the Corvallis community. On page 22, we define these terms and what they mean for OSU students. The cover story also provides resources that students can utilize if they are facing these issues. The purpose

of these stories is to inspire the Corvallis community to be good in all that they do.

A special thanks to Danielle Finlay, Nicole Hindes, Kari Whitacre, Virginia Anderson, Jason Dorsette, Sierra Blair, Mengchen

Dai,

Marissa

Passey, Katherine Bourchers, Christopher Nichols, Andrew Valls, Allie Field, Amy Frasieur, Jim Ervin, Kylee Wong, Melissa Morgan, Jerry Zhu, Jenney Lee, and Mike Parker. This issue would not have been possible without their willingness to share their incredible stories. ◊

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Holly Giering

Maddie Bradshaw

Brock Hulse

ASSISTANT EDITOR Adair Passey

Brian Nguyen DESIGN EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Logan Hillerns

Madison Delgado

PHOTOGRAPHY

Roman Battaglia

Zbigniew Sikora

Emma Irvin Levent Arabaci Emma Brown Kate Brown Brittany Bell

Miranda Grace Crowell Brian Nguyen ARTWORK Annie Mitev

CONTENTS VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 CREATE

pg. 2 finding the perfect recipe pg. 6 at home workouts

EXPERIENCE pg. 22 homelessness and food insecurity in corvallis

#GOBEAVS pg. 34 the voice of the beavers

CR EA TE

ZUPPA TOSCANA RECIPE WRITING BY EMMA IRVIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRANDA GRACE CROWELL

It's winter and the dark and rainy

months have officially arrived.

There is nothing more cozy than a hot bowl of soup after a long day of classes and other activities. Luckily, this soup recipe is a great fix for the wintertime blues.

All that is needed for this recipe is some ingredients and a slow cooker. This is a great recipe to make on a Sunday afternoon, especially for leftovers.

Ingredients: -1 lb (or one package) of ground spicy Italian sausage.

-1 potato, preferably a sweet potato but any potato works. Use multiples if the potatoes are small.

-Half of an onion, white or yellow (or red) 32 oz (one whole box) of chicken broth.

-Kale, as much as desired, just buy a bunch and see how it goes.

-1 cup heavy cream -1 tablespoon minced garlic

Beaver's Digest // 2

2

Chop up the potato into bite sized chunks. The reccomended is usually an inch long cube. Then add to slow cooker with meat.

3

Dice the onions and add them to the slow cooker.

4

Pour the entire 32oz of chicken broth on top of the meat, potatoes, and onions. If the ingredients aren’t fully submerged, add water.

5

Add the scoop of minced garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes and salt. To make it more spicy, add lots of peper. For less spciy, add 1 teaspoons of black and red pepper and a half teaspoon of salt.

6

7 8 9 10

CREATE

1

Start by cooking the Italian sausage in a pan until nicely browned and nearly cooked through. In order to avoid being nervous about undercooking the meat in the slow cooker, feel free to cook the sausage all the way through, it won’t hurt anything.

Once cooked, add the meat to the slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker to high, cover, and set the timer for four hours.

When there’s half an hour left chop up the kale and stir into the soup. There’s no hard and fast rule for how much kale to add and it will cook down so don’t be afraid.

Add the heavy cream and stir in.

Let the slow cooker go for the last 30 minutes and then give it a taste. Don't be afraid to add more spices, it's not too late!

The best thing about the soup is it's ability to change. Don’t like spicy sausage? Buy something milder. Don’t love onions? Leave them out or replace them with carrots, or celery, or bacon. Follow your dreams this soup will too. ◊

Winter 2018 // 3

Beaver's Digest // 4

Beaver's Digest // 4

HOW TO IMPROVE THAT INSTA GAME

WRITING BY LEVENT ARABACI IMAGE BY SIERRA BLAIR

"Social media allows for self-expression and can serve as a creative outlet for people, like me, to share their work and share their thoughts and voices on specific topics.” -Sierra Blair Since 2010, Instagram has of-

fered individuals an opportunity to express themselves via captioned photos and live stories.

Over the years the development of new features and higher quality editing tools on the application have progressed. Instagram gives their users a unique outlet for creativity and exploration.

Oregon State student Sierra Blair offers some tips and tricks for Instagram users. Blair is a second year graphic design student with a minor in leadership who can be found on Instagram at @xierra.jpg. Her Instagram feed is filled with beautiful photos that have a cohesive theme.

Blair offers tips for Instagram users.

Today, social media serves a big role in our society. Online presence has expanded beyond just a trivial way to post pictures; now, people can find jobs through social media, create their own jobs, and connect with people from all around the world. Blair expressed the importance of social media, “ It is influential because of the

amount of people that use these platforms to communicate.

Social media has revolutionized the way we see ourselves, the way we see others, and the way we interact with the world. Social media allows for self-expression and can serve as a creative outlet for people, like me, to share their work and share their thoughts and voices on specific topics.”

Blair has been on Instagram since she was in 7th grade and said she started with simple selfies and landscape photography.

“I enjoy taking photos anywhere. I'm always taking photos.

But if I had to say one place I really like taking photos I would say by old brick buildings. They make awesome backdrops and tie in my feed nicely,” Blair said.

Blair sometimes uses her Nikon D6500 but tends to default to her iPhone 6s. As for her editing process, she likes to use the Visual Supply Company (VSCO) app. VSCO offers a wide variety of presets, tuning, lighting, and editing features. The VSCO app also has its own community and feed for consuers to reference while creating their own

instagram photos. One crucial feature in the app is a planner that can help Instagram users arrange their photos before posting them on their Instagram to give their profile the unique pop that they've been searching for.

As for tips and tricks, Blair extended her knowledge on what she believes can make the difference between a good and great photo on Instagram.

“If you want to plan your feed, use VSCO to layout a series of photos beside each other to see how they look. Lastly, don't worry about how nice of camera or phone you have. I've seen some pretty awesome pictures and videos that were taken on older cameras. It's (usually) all about how you edit and frame your photos.”

Blair’s lasting advice for anyone who is interested in redesigning their Instagram is “simplicity.”

Blair uses this strategy for all of her own photos and work. It’s just like the old adage, less is more. Don’t over think the photos, and be expressive and have fun with it. ◊

Winter 2018 // 5

WORK WORK WORK IT WRITING BY EMMA BROWN IMAGE BY SWORKIT

Staying active in college can

be a struggle, especially for fulltime college students. With the many changes that come with starting and completing college, fitness often falls to the wayside.

Usually this isn’t a deliberate decision, but students get so caught up in school and extracurriculars that it can seem impossible to find even a free hour to get the body moving. “There are a multitude of adjustments when making the jump from high school to college. One of the most significant changes is how to most efficiently spend your time. The balancing act of classes, studying, work, and trying to have a social life often has one wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day” Kylee Wong said, a PAC fitness instructor here at Oregon State University.

Students are told time and time again just how much being active can improve their lives, but they are not often told effective ways in which to do so. These at-home workout apps are designed to help students get a quick workout in without the treck to the gym.

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7 Minute Workout Challenge- $2.99 A high intensity training app that requires the user to have no workout equipment. The workouts are designed to be done in 30 second intervals for a total of about 7 minutes a day. The app includes videos of instructors to guide users through the workouts and to help make sure they are done properly. Users can track their activity within the app to keep a log of what has been accomplished. There are no in app purchases and users get all the features it has offer included when purchasing the app. Available for IOS and Android.

Pocket Yoga- $2.99 For those who like a slower, yet slightly longer workout, Pocket Yoga may be the way to go.

There are 27 different sessions to choose from, varying in duration and difficulty. Visual instruction guides users through the movements and shows how to do each individual pose. It even explains what part of the body each pose is working and how it can help the user. Users can play music from their phones while in the app, which helps customize

“Students get so caught up in school and extracurriculars that it can seem impossible to find even a free hour to get the body moving.”

the environment for the workout.

Fitness Buddy+: Gym Workouts- $2.99 Sometimes students are able to carve out the time to go to the gym but it can be daunting trying to figure out what to do once they get there. This app helps with this issue while also providing at home workouts. Fitness Buddy+ contains over 2000 different exercises. It tells users what equipment they will need to complete the exercises. There are in app purchases and the app even gives users the ability to subscribe to their premium membership.

Sworkit: Workouts & Plans This app is great because it is tailored to people with many different fitness backgrounds. The app provides choices between “leaner”, “fitter”, or “stronger”.

Users are able to choose the level of difficulty within these categories. The workouts involve zero gym equipment and are easy to do from the comfort of home. The app allows users cus-

tomize the lengths of the workouts to fit into even the smallest bit of time students might have between classes, work, or other extracurriculars. As with most free apps, there is the ability to purchase subscriptions within the app to unlock more features, however the free version honestly works great to get you started and motivated. Available for IOS and Android.

Nike+ Run Club This running app produced by Nike is a simple way to track runs. The app provides a GPS route of runs, distance run, pace, heart rate and elevation changes. This app does not provide as much of a variety of workouts as some of the others mentioned, but it is a great way to hold people accountable and keep track of what they do accomplish if running is something they like. The app includes some guided running workouts that can work on specific aspects such as endurance, strength or speed.

OSU offers a variety of

ways to stay active in college.

“PAC classes offer a great opportunity for a mental break and

physical release in between lectures and studying. Dixon opens early and closes late, so you can get your exercise in when it fits your schedule. In addition there are a multitude of clubs around campus that cater to a wide spectrum of interest. From dance, martial arts, to outdoor adventure activities,” Wong explained. Wong also made it clear that at home workouts have their own risks involved as, “Make sure that they are safe.

Listen to your body (stop if you feel painful discomfort) and use a mirror to help check and correct form.

There is no “right answer” when it comes to fitness. It can take some trial and error to find the right workouts that fit into your lifestyle. IFor those who don't like fitness apps, there are other ways to find motivation. “It is more important to me to find a more tangible sources of motivation,” Wong said. “This can be accomplished with a workout buddy, a fun fitness class, or just knowing how important regular exercises is to enjoy your later years as a vintage human.” ◊

Winter 2018 // 7

EXPE RIE NCE Beaver's Digest // 8

EXPERIENCE

THE SECRET BEHIND MANY PAINFUL PERIODS WRITING BY KATE BROWN ARTWORK BY ANNIE MITEV

I

magine having unexplained, indescribable, debilitating pain in association with a woman’s period, and sometimes just at random. Endometriosis is a word people may have never heard, but should know about.

The Endometriosis Foundation of America found that endometriosis affects one in ten women in the United States and is one of the top three leading causes of infertility. They also found that on average, a diagnosis of the disease takes 10 years, largely due to the fact that there is a culture in society today and in the medical world around the idea that periods are supposed to be painful. Oftentimes when going to the doctor for painful periods, the doctors response will be to put the woman on the birth control pill and tell them

to take ibuprofen. This is not always a solution.

So what is endometriosis?

Throughout every month, a woman’s body builds up lining in her uterus that will eventually be shed in what is known as menstruation, or periods. When a woman has endometriosis, that same lining that lines the uterus starts to grow in other places in the body, usually on the reproductive organs, but in some rare cases it will grow on other places in the body, such as the kidneys, the liver, even the brain. The tissue that grows is the same lining that sheds every month, the body will try to shed it but it will have nowhere to go, causing extreme pain.

To officially get diagnosed with endometriosis one has to have

surgery, which is usually done laparoscopically. This is when doctors stick a small lighted camera tube to see and remove whatever is growing, so it’s less invasive than other surgeries.

Most doctors will diagnose patients with a stage that runs from one to four, one being fairly minimal, four being it’s covering the organs and they’re starting to stick together. However, there is no correlation between the stage that somone has and the amount of pain they experience.

During this surgery, the surgeon will often remove whatever endometrial tissue they see.

Endometriosis affects so many women and truly impacts their everyday life. It can change their planned paths, as it affects their ability to go to school, work, see

Winter 2018 // 9

because they see pain as a normal symptom of menstruation.

There is little knowledge about endometriosis as well as little research. There isn’t enough money to spend on research, there is no known cure, they don’t even know why it happens.

In addition, there is a myth in the medical community that teenagers can’t have endometriosis. Really, anyone with a uterus and ovaries who is menstruating can have it. This is why research and education about the disease is key.

At the age of 31, after 18 years of dealing with painful periods every month, Jenney Lee was told by someone for the first time that they think she might have endometriosis. After going to the ER in excruciating pain, she was told to follow up with her gynecologist. When she followed up with a nurse practitioner, they said “you know, I think you might have endometriosis, but here’s the thing: the only way to really diagnose that is to do surgery, and since you’re trying to get pregnant, if you get pregnant, that usually fixes it too.” Getting pregnant is said to “fix” endometriosis because it will keep the hormones at a higher level, and this will prevent the endometriosis from continuing to grow. However, post pregnancy, when the hormones return to normal levels, it may

Beaver's Digest // 10

friends, relationships, fertility, and really everything. Jenney Lee, a grad student at Oregon State University studying medical anthropology, specializing in reproductive health, was diagnosed with endometriosis the spring of her first year in grad school.

Lee came to OSU in 2010 to start her prerequisites for nursing school to become a nurse midwife. In the midst of this, Jenney and her husband were trying to get pregnant, and it was extremely difficult.

“It was just so painful for me to be around all these pregnant women and attend births, and I just couldn’t [handle it],” Lee said, “I didn’t know at that point whether I’d ever be able to have children.”

Lee has experienced painful periods since adolescence. She remembers going to urgent care for the first time when she was 15 because her period was so painful. This was a recurring trend, and continued throughout her adolescence and 20s.

Her suffering was so uncontrollable that there wasn’t enough Advil she could take or a heating pad hot enough to ease her pain.

These are some of the first signs of endometriosis, but many doctors dismiss painful periods

start growing again.

So, Lee kept trying to get pregnant. Eventually, it was Lee’s fertility doctor who would give her surgery and diagnosis of endometriosis around the age of 34. She had been living with endometriosis for about 20 years by that point, and it has progressed quite far. “Basically, my insides were covered in endometriosis,” Lee said. Her disorder was “pretty advanced, which makes sense because it had been progressing my entire life. Most likely since the time I started my periods, which had been over 20 years at that point.” During surgery, whatever endometrial tissue found is removed, but after about six months, if the body not suppressing it with hormones, it will start to grow back, thus making it an ongoing battle. Lee experienced this, but was able to get pregnant through IVF (in vitro fertilization) and now has a happy and healthy one-and-halfyear-old daughter. Lee worries that someday her daughter will experience the same period troubles she did. Research shows that there is a genetic correlation in the patterns of endometriosis. If anyone in the family has had endometriosis, they are much more likely to develop it sometime in their life as well.

Periods are not supposed to be painful. Just because a woman has to menstruate doesn’t mean her life should be halted at that time of the month. There is a stigma associated with periods that talking about them is frowned upon, especially when they are troublesome.

Endometriosis is not the only disease out there that can cause painful periods. If someone has experienced extreme pain during that time of the month,

getting help sooner rather than later is extremely important. “If someone had taken my endometriosis seriously originally, then it would’ve saved me years of heartache and ridiculous expense and all the things we went through trying to get pregnant,” Lee said. Early detection of disease, especially endometriosis, is key in making sure that someone's whole life isn’t negatively affected by painful periods. ◊

“If someone had taken my endometriosis seriously originally, then it would’ve saved me years of heartache and ridiculous expense and all the things we went through trying to get pregnant.”

-Jenney Lee

Winter 2018 // 11

KICK THE CAFFEINE WRITING BY ROMAN BATTAGLIA ARTWORK BY ANNIE MITEV Throughout college, it is common for students to brag about how little sleep they got the night before, or how many cups of coffee they’ve had that day.

This has become a social norm for many students. It is heard everywhere, in classes, on the sidewalks, and between friends.

Students like to brag about their caffeine addictions. Coffee and energy drinks are co-dependent with studying and late-night homework sessions, especially around midterms and finals.

While these forms of energy may help some finish their essays on time and cram for that last final, it can have detrimental effects on long term habits related to sleep and energy levels.

But how can students finish their homework without a venti white chocolate mocha and three shots of espresso?

Virginia Anderson is a Dietetic Intern here at Oregon State University (OSU). “We help students

Beaver's Digest // 12

navigate disordered eating patterns, assist them in finding all the food options available on campus, help people meet their nutrition goals and navigate dietary restrictions such as vegetarianism, veganism, food allergies, etc. We discuss everything from cooking and preparing meals to increasing energy to intuitive eating and everything in between” Anderson said, the nutritionists help many students at Oregon State with problems related to food and energy.

“I would say that many students struggle with fatigue and low energy. This can make it challenging for students to do well in academics as well as other areas of their life” said Amy Frasieur, a registered Dietitian Nutritionist on campus.

Caffeine isn’t all bad. For many students caffeine is what helps get them through the day without taking naps or falling

asleep in class. An article written for the Nursing Standard talks about how caffeine can help with heart health if it is consumed in moderation. It touches on Polyphenol, an antioxidant found in many caffeinated beverages, “Polyphenols are believed to have a positive influence on heart and vascular health because of their antioxidant properties, which inhibit the oxidation of cholesterol.”

Although caffeine drinks give many students the energy they need to get through the day, there are still many negative effects in these drinks.

“Students frequently say that they stay up late to socialize or work on academic obligations and therefore struggle to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can dramatically impact hunger, as your body will be searching for energy from other areas such as food,” Anderson says. Many students look to alternative

energy sources other than food or sleeping as a way to study longer and harder. Caffeine is often seen as this holy grail that students can use when they need a pick me up, often overlooking the underlying problem, “it is hard to say if someone is addicted because any amount of caffeine can cause negative effects. In addition, caffeine can also cause a cyclical cycle of sleep disruption (such as drinking caffeine in the afternoon which may make it difficult for some people to fall asleep at night). The cycle can then be

repeated over and over, leading to chronic low energy and poor sleep.”

What steps can students take to overcome their caffeine addition? Looking at the problems, Anderson gives students a few helpful tips on perking up throughout the day, “I would recommend that students try to eat consistently throughout the day, which may include having snacks available to feel energized. Using movement instead of leaning on coffee in the afternoon is also a nice way to

boost energy, which can include a brief five minute walk around the block or just some light stretching. Taking a short 15-20 minute nap can also be helpful, if possible.” Another way for more energy is simply more sleep. Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night will vastly improve energy levels in the morning.

This way, students can be ready to conquer the day without that tall hazelnut mocha and a can of Redbull. ◊

Winter 2018 // 13

OREGON STATE SUPPORTS GENDER INCLUSIVITY

WRITING BY BRIAN NGYUEN GRAPHIC BY LOGAN HILLERNS

A

cross the nation the hot topic is whether or not gender neutral bathrooms should be incorporated in insitutions around the country. Oregon State University is currently taking signifcant strides to support gender incusivity. There has been recent additions of gender inclusive bathrooms both in the dining halls and around campus in places such as the Memorial Union and Valley Library. From international students to faculty members, the overall response to adding gender inclusive bathrooms to OSU facilities has been very positive.

International student, Mengchen Dai, a freshman studying business appreciates the inclusive restrooms. Being from China, Dai has a unique perspective on the topic. “I don’t use them myself but it's great that they have them all around campus.”

Dai currently resides at the International Living Learning Center which have gender neutral bathrooms in the facility.

Dai respects and appreciates OSU's progression on the bathrooms. Especially when it comes

Beaver's Digest // 14

to inclusivity, “America is more accepting than China when it comes to gender neutral bathrooms and diversity overall, and while China isn’t as progressive as America it’s slowly happening over there.” Dai is hopeful that the gender inclusive bathrooms will soon be emerged everywhere around the globe.

Jason Dorsette, Diversity and Culture Engagement Co-Director and Chief of Staff, has seen nothing but a universal approvement from the community all around. “From my perspective working very close with students, I heard nothing but excitement. I’ve seen students express their gratitude.”

Dorsett is excited by the fact that gender inclusivity is no longer just a conversation, but rather actions are being taken and adjustments are being made.

“Oregon State is not just talking about inclusivity anymore, but we are creating opportunities and infrastructure to actually demonstrate strives in making a more inclusive community.”

Dorsett stated that the reason

for these new changes is because of the school’s willingness to represent and include diversity on campus. “It was done to demonstrate our desire to support all students regardless of their identities,” Dorsett said.

While the new gender inclusive bathroom facilities have been encouraged by many on the Oregon state University campus, it can be disheartening to some that changes and modifications is still needed in this modern era. Dorsett elaborates, "To define inclusivity in 2017 it's sad, but also very promising.”Dorsette is hopeful that gender inclusive bathrooms become a normal facility in all universities and institutions on a national and global level.

Although our world has a lot of catching up to do in terms of inclusivity, seeing the encouraging responses from factually members to international students is nothing short of an accomplishment here in our community.

While progress has been slow, it still gives ua alook at how we will all define the words diversity and inclusivity here at OSU. ◊

EXPERIENCE Winter 2018 // 15

ENCASED IN GLASS

A WORLD OF GREEN

WRITING BY ROMAN BATTAGLIA PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRANDA GRACE CROWELL

Waking up in the cold, brisk

morning of December, the rain patters the panels of the window. Looking out, the large swath of greenhouses stretches out across the west side of the Oregon State University’s (OSU) campus. It’s time to head out and do the daily tasks of taking care of all the plants. Oregon State is home to rows and rows of greenhouses, hosting a variety of research related to agriculture and the like. Many student workers get up early in the morning and stay late at night to help care for these plants, and a few even live in the greenhouses themselves.

“It’s mostly for research,” Jim Ervin said, the manager of both the East and the West greenhouses since 2001. “The East greenhouse was built in 1928, around that time frame. At that time, it was called Botany Greenhouse. It was part of the university. I’ve heard stories that it was for cut flowers and potted plants and they took them around to offices on campus and all kinds of things. I don’t know what’s true and what’s not, but by the time I got here the East Greenhouse was about 50/50 research and teaching and it’s now probably 70 research 30 percent teaching.” Ervin

Beaver's Digest // 16

manages the greenhouse operations, oversees maintenance, watering, pesticides, as well as managing the space available for researchers that covers over 118,500 square feet. The greenhouses are home to hundreds of experiments related to agriculture including food, grasses, and flower.

Without the greenhouses, there would be a distinct lack of research space for agriculture on campus. Oregon State is home to many different research programs, like a hops growing program, “There’s actually a brewery in the West Greenhouse. They use it to experiment with the different hops they grow here,” Marissa Passey said.

Passey is a Greenhouse laborer and junior here at OSU studying public health. She is in charge of watering the plants, checking temperatures, and doing general maintenance work around the greenhouses. OSU is also known for their hazelnut growing program. “The hazelnut program has done a tremendous amount of work. We’re renowned for our hazelnut production, especially in Oregon, since Oregon is the number one hazelnut producer in the U.S.,” Ervin said. Hazelnuts, among others like wheat and vegetable breeding programs done at Oregon State,

have helped research way to make better plants to help feeding a growing world population.

Discovering cures for diseases that may affect plants, such as Crown Gall Disease, can help farmers and agricultural scientists grow better, more disease resistant plants.

While laborers are at the greenhouses in the morning and afternoons, somebody else has to be there on call for the weekends and to make sure everything is locked up at night. Both the East and the West Greenhouses have apartments where three students live and perform duties such as locking up the greenhouses at night and spraying pesticides on the plants as needed. “During those times, we are responsible for being oncall after hours in case there are any issues,” Katherine Borchers said. Borchers is a senior studying digital communication arts at Oregon State. There is a large diversity of majors in the greenhouses; students from all majors come to work among the plants. She is one of the residents currently living in the West Greenhouse, “Unlike what most people believe, my apartment is not actually in a greenhouse (and no, it is not humid). My apartment is tucked away in the high corridor in the

Winter 2018 // 17

West Greenhouses. It is a studio loft apartment with white brick walls and a lot of charm.” These hardy residents spend a lot of their weekends and holidays on call to help solve issues that may arise among greenhouse researchers like being able to get in to check on experiments on the weekends. “Living in the greenhouses is strange on its own! Getting food delivered is always a struggle, as well as inviting friends over for the first time. Nobody knows where it is and never believes me when I say I live in the greenhouses.”

But living in the greenhouse does come with its perks. Besides having a job and stable housing, residents also pay a reduced rent in exchange for their labor and get to live in and around beautiful plants.

Not to mention, the location of the apartments is about as close to campus as one can get.

Although, sometimes residents can encounter a rogue researcher lost in the building, “There have been a few times when greenhouse users didn’t realize my apartment was there. I’ve had people try to open my door while looking for something

Beaver's Digest // 18

else, like an office or a bathroom. Only once did I forget to lock my door and someone actually came in. It was almost midnight and this grad student was looking for the bathroom. I think we both scared each other…I definitely have made it a habit to lock my doors,” Borchers said.

The greenhouses offer a great space for researchers at Oregon State to conduct various projects that can both help grow the strawberries and mash into jam as well as the grass growing on the lawns of suburban homes.

Ervin offered some advice to those conducting their own research of houseplants in their homes, “Don’t forget to fertilize your plants. That seems to be something I see here a lot.

People go ‘I have to fertilize this stuff?’ That’s a big thing.

Feed the plants. Like everything else they gotta eat. Especially if they’re sitting in a pot there forever.” While for many, the greenhouses may seem like a strange glass encased world, hidden away from view by the frosted windows, but inside that encased world they are doing remarkable things. ◊

Winter 2018 // 19

UP

HOW TO STAY

Politics are everywhere, there’s no escaping or denying it. Students can’t even log onto social media accounts without feeling bombarded by political statements. It can all be extremely overwhelming, especially for those not entirely interested in politics.

That being said, for those interested in staying or getting informed on politics it can also be overwhelming when thinking where to begin. Students hear about all the different media sources leaning one direction or another, so it can difficult to get basic information that is also objective.

Since politics are dominating the media currently, it’s very beneficial to keep up to date,

ON POLITICS WRITING BY HOLLY GEIRING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRANDA GRACE CROWELL

or at least stay informed. How can a college student do that productively? Dr. Andrew Valls, a professor in the College of Liberal Arts and the Political Science Program Director at OSU, has some helpful tips and tricks to aid in getting the scoop on politics.

First, social media is a very common way to get political information. Facebook even has its own sidebar listing the trending political occurrences, but is Facebook a reliable source for information? Social media and Facebook aren’t the best sources to rely on, “There’s really a lot of evidence that that’s really a bad thing, if that’s how people are getting most of the political information”. Dr. Valls said. He would highly recommend plain old reading to stay informed

about politics. The information being published on social media like Twitter, Facebook, and Buzzfeed have two main issues.

According to Dr. Valls, “One is that they’re unreliable, and the other is that people tend to be exposed to the news they’re predisposed to believe”, meaning that people will tend only to read articles that align with their own individual’s feelings.

All of this being said, it has become difficult to find any completely objective information. What is the best way to combat that opinion-tainted information? The best way to do this to seek out multiple sources for political information.

Different news outlets all have their own perspectives they report with. Reading from multiple sources can give a much

“People tend to be exposed to the news they’re predisposed to believe.”

-Andrew Valls Beaver's Digest // 20

more well-rounded information regarding current events.

What’s the overall recommendation from the man with the PhD? Television has “built-in limitations, there’s a certain kind of depth you can only get from print sources”. There are some fairly good online sources as well, such as the New York Times website, a personal favorite of Dr. Valls. According to him, it is important to stay up on multiple media sources. Valls encourages students to stop by a couple more sources and attempt to get some well-rounded news. After asking students on campus, one of the most popular answers for getting informed, even if not the most reliable, is social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Buzzfeed. They’re really good at scratching the surface of political news and providing the necessary information to keep

students up to date. These social media outlets also contain a lot of information about different subjects, without being too overwhelming or intensive, which can be the case with some standard news websites.

Another super easy way to get informed is by talking with friends, family, and members of the Corvallis community.

They may have some ideas on current politics or at least know what going on. Valls encourages students to ask questions.

Listen to the answers thoroughly. Parents and friends are a great way to start getting informed, because it’s more than likely they’ve voted in an election before, so they’d be happy to share their knowledge. Same with friends who are interested and enjoy politics.

For students who are curious about educating themselves,

there are clubs on the OSU campus to join. Oregon State has a College Republicans Club, College Democrats at OSU, Model United Nations, philosophy club, and Women in Policy club. That’s just to name a few, there’s plenty more to check out in the Corvallis community and on the Oregon State University campus.

Students are also encouraged to talk to political science professors, history professors, or anyone with knowledge of politics.

For those interested about getting informed, or staying informed, there are so many ways to do it. With a little time and effort, start conversations, join a club, or do some reading.

Having some basic political knowledge can be extremely beneficial and can help students feel more up to date. ◊

Winter 2018 // 21

HOMELESSNESS AND FOOD INSECURITY WRITING BY BROCK HULSE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN NGUYEN

Home and food security is one

of the many problems students face at Oregon State University.

No two situations are ever the same, but the problem is far more widespread than many realize. Trying to balance school, work, and life in general is hard enough as is. For one to add in the additional struggle and stress that comes with not knowing how they will afford to eat for the rest of the month, or purposely not eating when hungry so that they can afford their rent, adds a nearly unbearable weight onto students shoulders.

Unfortunately, this struggle for basic necessities is not always given the attention it deserves, especially so for those enrolled at OSU. Many students do not realize how widespread this need for basic necessities is, and don’t want to burden others, or be viewed as weak for asking for help. On top of all of this, even when there is a plethora of resources that they can access in order to help them achieve these basic necessities, most do not even know about these resources.

For many students, even if they have a scholarship that covers all of their tuition, they still feel the struggle that comes with food insecurity. For Katherine Haro, a first year student studying

Beaver's Digest // 22

psychology, and the winner of an extremely selective NROTC scholarship which covers all of her tuition textbooks, things aren’t exactly perfect. “I’m constantly worrying about how I’m going to pay for rent at the end of the month. What they don't tell you about the scholarship is that it doesn’t kick in until 45 days, and you have to be in good academic standing. Haro mentions, ‘I don’t have enough time to do my homework because I’m working’...I’ve noticed that my grades have gone down a lot because I’m spending really late nights at work, and then I get back just to try and study, and then just wake up early again for ROTC.” The biggest thing that Haro recommends for students who are struggling is to seek help.

“Don’t think that you have to do it all on your own, because you don’t, and there are resources out there. I feel like the school should make it more aware that people are going through this so that people don’t feel left out or excluded from everyone else.

Know your options out there, and really make sure to take care of yourself and put yourself first... I just want to make sure that we make the issue aware, because once there’s awareness, that’s where we reach change.”

Haro is not wrong in thinking

that there are many students at OSU that are in need, yet are not aware of the resources that are available to them. According to Nicole Hindes, the Assistant Director of the Human Service Resource Center, or HSRC, over 40% of OSU students have unmet needs, which is the gap between how many resources a student and their family can commit to school and how much OSU and the federal government can supply. “As a whole, OSU students, particularly those with financial need, don’t have enough resources to do what they need to do...My program, the HSRC, is here to help those students who have that unmet need, because if they have that unmet need that means they’re stressed between ‘do I pay rent or do I buy textbooks? Do I buy groceries or do I pay my tuition?’ And that is a consistent group of people who are under resourced, who are having to make these decisions on a monthly basis, over and over again because they just do not have the funds to be able to be here without that financial pressure.”

“What that looks like in reality is many things. I had a student who was a veteran who met with me in my office who shared that they were eating potatoes and rice because it cost 0.03 cents per calorie, and that’s just

903

13%

students completed a food assistance application in fall of 2017.

of applicants reported going an entire day in the last 12 months without eating.

75%

of section 8 vouchers go unused in Corvallis because qualified individuals struggle to find affordable housing that meets the requirements.

67% reported that financial stress negatively impacts their mental health and wellness.

23% had visited a food pantry in the last month.

Winter 2018 // 23

really heartbreaking, but that’s the reality that so many of our students are in.”

One of the resources provided by the HSRC is a food assistance program that helps eligible students pay for a few meals on campus each week. When students fill out the food assistance application, there are asked a variety of questions pertaining to their experiences and need, and to also validate their need with university data. For example, the HSRC is able to get information about how much unmet need a person has, with a clear majority of those who fill out the application having high unmet need, which is seen in the food assistance application answers.

“The shelters in the community are pretty consistently full. Some cold weather shelters may have

Beaver's Digest // 24

beds open, but they aren’t places that you can keep your stuff.

It is really difficult for me when I am working and supporting a homeless student, because I just don’t have good answers to tell them. Corvallis as a whole just doesn’t have enough affordable housing. How are you going to be a successful student when you don’t know where you’re going to stay on a given night?

How are you going to be a successful student when you don’t have the time to cook affordable meals because you don’t have a kitchen and you don’t have the space to keep kitchen supplies or kitchen food?”

This struggle of affording food and having a place to live isn’t something that is just talked about for Danielle Finlay, but an everyday experience. Finlay, a fourth year student studying health promotion and health

behavior in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has experience with both food and home insecurity. In her childhood she spent some time in homeless shelters with her mother, spending a small amount of time in foster care, before eventually being raised by her grandmother. She was able to get food pretty well with her grandmother, but since going off to college it has become difficult. She has been able to get food stamps, but even with those it is only enough to cover her for half of the month. She depends on financial aid, but is quickly running out, and has sometimes had to depend on the HSRC with the help of their food bank and emergency food, as well as help through the food assistance program. Finlay has also had struggles regarding housing due to complications with roommates, leading her

to ask for help from the HSRC where she lived in the emergency housing on campus, giving her only two weeks to find new place to live, while at the same time trying to keep pace in all of her classes.

This is just the tip of the iceberg however, as Finlay was diagnosed with autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis, or MS, in March of 2016 while attending OSU. On top of that, she had been experiencing symptoms for three years prior to the diagnosis, and has been told that it is so severe that it looks like she has even had it longer than that, most likely starting before she even came to OSU. It wasn’t until going to urgent care with terrible symptoms, and

then being sent to a neurologist who conducted an MRI that she found out she had MS. “I don’t eat like a normal person because of the autoimmune disease... So I can’t eat at that cheap basis of ‘I’m just going to go and grab something in the freezer section and pop it in the microwave for a minute’.”

Finlay has been told by multiple doctors at this point as to what sort of foods or diets that she is supposed to have, and is talking to a registered dietitian within the next couple of days at the chronic disease group that is here on campus, as there are others here on campus that have problems with what they can and cannot eat. “We don’t always know what to eat, the

school doesn’t always provide exactly what we need to eat, so it’s trying to figure out the balance without having to tell others because it’s a disease where it’s invisible. We look just like everybody else, and so it gets more judgy kind of from those that don’t experience it, because they don’t understand it.”

It has caused her trouble in her studies as well, as she has to really focus, and if she is really hungry she can’t retain any of the information, and as such has had to depend on the Disability Access Services, or DAS, to get her through. “I’ve also had to go to CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) on campus to speak to somebody because I Winter 2018 // 25

got really depressed not knowing where I would be the next day, the next month. If I’d even make it through school with the challenges of just getting food or just knowing if I’m going to have a home to live in. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have known about all of the resources that are out there.”

While at OSU, Finlay has struggled to find housing on multiple occasions, spending about half a year of her time at OSU either without a home or on the verge of not having a home, with the need to find a new residence coming up again. “Because of my financial aid money going way down, I don’t know where I’ll be next term… I know that Housing Authority in Albany should be coming through, because I’m next in line to get a place, so once my name gets called I can start looking for a place because it will be funded by the Section 8 vouchers, so that will be great while going to college. But if not, then I’ll just turn to Nicole (Nicole Hindes, Assistant Director of the HSRC) because I don’t know what else to do.”

At this point Finlay has only been helped by food stamps and HSRC. “I don’t let my friends know. It’s kinda embarrassing actually, but I know the word needs to get out to help

Beaver's Digest // 26

others in situations like mine.

And, my family is poor, so I don’t want to make them stress and struggle even more. Actually, growing up made me realize I wanted a better life and that’s what forced me to go to college.”

Finlay would like to have a job as well, but with the autoimmune disease she is only able to work half time, which feels like double time. She will however be trying to get a part time job on campus while also going to school part time this upcoming term, as the Federal Government is set to stop all payments of the need-based Perkins loans, one of the aspects of financial aid that she depends on, starting this upcoming year. “I am out of grants and just down to loans... Now I have to look for a place to live, and finding a place to live is really intense. It’s like, kinda more important than food sometimes. Luckily I have a car I can sleep in I guess.”

One organization with a variety of resources for those who are struggling in the Corvallis community is Community Outreach, Inc., or COI. According to Kari Whitacre, the Executive Director of COI, Corvallis does indeed have a large amount of resources that can be used.

“The thing about Corvallis… we are a beautiful conglomera-

tion of nonprofits that are really working to alleviate somebodies strife, and so it’s not just us [COI] doing this work, there are dozens of partners at every level, anywhere from Habitat for Humanity, who is working with low income families to provide homeownership opportunities and home repairs, to Willamette Neighborhood Housing who provides low income rents at different properties. I mean the list, it’s impressive. I’ve never worked in a community that is so dedicated to making sure that people have their basic needs met. It’s really a blessing.”

Whitacre agrees that the largest problem facing those struggling with food and home insecurity in Corvallis is knowing about the resources that are available to people. “We have Stone Soup, we have us, we have two other food banks… I mean there’s access to food everywhere, but you’ve got to know about it in order to get it. Until we’re able to educate each other on where those resources are we’ll continue to struggle with food insecurity in our community. Not from lack of food, from lack of ability to find where the food is.”

On top of this, Whitacre believes that students aren’t always helping themselves in when it comes to food or home insecurity. “I think there’s a mentality

“This is definitely a problem on our campus, and it’s a problem where we unfortunately don’t have the resources to meaningfully help students in a way that I think they deserve to be helped.”

-Nicole Hindes

out there that if you’re sleeping at your buddy's couch or you’re living out of your car that you’re not really homeless, it doesn’t fit that definition.”

For Hindes, the largest struggle for her to deal with are the students who are experiencing homelessness, because the HSRC does not have sufficient resources for them. Hindes mentions, “This is definitely a problem on our campus, and it’s a problem where we unfortunately don’t have the resources to meaningfully help students in a way that I think they deserve to be helped.”

When it comes to students or

community members who find themselves to be on the verge of food insecurity, Whitacre has a simple message. “Reach out... and just tell a professor, ‘I’m about to run out of food.’ Part of our responsibility is to make sure that the students here have their basic needs met. But we have to know that you need them met. That goes for everything.

If somebody’s on the verge of losing their housing because they’re one payment behind on rent, or they have some repairs that need to get done, there are programs in the community for all of that. It’s so much easier to do prevention and intervention instead of crisis level work.”

Food and home insecurity for students and other community members in Corvallis is a problem, but there are resources to help. The largest problem at this point is knowing how to access these resources. The two resource centers mentioned, the HSRC and COI, are resources that help with an extensive variety of things.

If you are someone in need, visit either the HSRC, COI, or one of the many resource centers in the Corvallis area. As for many of these centers, if they don’t have what you need, they will almost certainly know who will, and be able to point you in the right direction. ◊

Winter 2018 // 27

SAYING YES TO NEW ADVENTURES

WRITING BY LEVENT ARABACI PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN NGUYEN

In the modern day United

States, only 36 percent of Americans own a valid passport.

That means that 64 percent of the population doesn’t have access to explore the rest of the world and the cultures it holds.

Most young college students have expressed the desire to explore and see more of the world; however, school, work, and outside activities keep most students busy and they do not have the means financially to travel. There is a solution and it’s been right under the noses of every student here at Oregon State University: International Programs.

Oregon State University Global Opportunities is a program offered to all students which proBeaver's Digest // 28

vides over 200 opportunities in travel, research, education, and internships in 70 different countries as stated by the institution’s website. They offer programs that allow the individual to travel with Oregon State faculty and students or individually to get an even more immersive and independent experience.

What does it mean to study abroad? Allie Field, a junior here at Oregon State, recently got back from her summer term studying in Barcelona, Spain.

Field is aiming for a double degree in human development and family sciences and education with a minor in Spanish.

After some searching, she found an opportunity to fly to Spain with 17 other students and study abroad in a five week long

program. “It wasn’t my first time going to Europe and wasn’t my first time flying by myself,” Field said. Along with living and studying in Barcelona, she was able to travel other places in Spain and other parts of Europe. “I had my culture shock in Rome. I was living the Spanish culture already, and to go from that to Rome, it was cool to become the tourists.” In the course of her five weeks in Barcelona, Field took a political science and a Spanish class as her studies.

Studying abroad isn’t just about taking studies to a new location, but to experience the world and culture while students are there.

“My class sizes were two and five people” Field said, “I was grateful for my Spanish classes.”

To express the importance of her Spanish classes she made a

quick comparison of textbook grammar Spanish and “survival Spanish” that her instructor taught her to make life in Spain a little bit easier.

Field had a connection already from a friend that she stayed in touch with, who now studies in France. This friend was once an exchange student who came to the United States back when she was younger. So, adjusting to the new life and culture was made a lot easier with friends already living in the area around Europe. The three main destinations Field was able to visit were Barcelona, Prague, and Rome. She was excited to share her idea of the three cultures and how they were so different in their own aspect with the wine catalouges she had seen at restaurants in each of the cities. “In Barcelona, there’s a wine book with the reds, whites and rose’s. In Rome, there was a 25 page book of every wine the restaurant could have. And in Prague, they had a red and white of equal prices. The different cultures will value different things.” Another cultural difference that Field reiterated is the fact that many people she saw in cafes were never alone. “I always thought I had to be so independent and do things on my own,” Field said. Everyone had someone to talk to and were rarely on their computers.”

In her five weeks, Field learned a lot academically and personally through her study abroad program. She made so many new friends and had some great

stories to tell. Even getting lost on a class trip to Girona, Spain she still had the time of her life.

Without a doubt, she would travel back to Spain and do it all again. In the end Field simply stated, “No one has ever had a bad time going abroad, if you’re gonna go abroad, you gotta do it the European way.”

Another student has had a similar experience but on the other end of the spectrum. Jerry Zhu, an international student here at Oregon State has been in the states since he was 14. Studying business administration, Zhu is a fourth year splitting his college career between Oregon State and Linn Benton Community College. Zhu dove right into studying abroad when he was out of middle school. “The Chinese workload is a lot, and there can be heavy penalties if you don’t finish your work,” Zhu said, “I would have homework until one am in middle school and couldn’t rest.” He didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do, but he knew the the education he currently was getting wasn’t necessarily geared towards his learning style. He had one year to apply to and study at a United States high school. After passing the test, he was able to go to a public school in Michigan with a host family. He loved the experience and came back for a second year in Michigan.

He then moved to LA and went to a private school there, where he became best friends with his roommate. After completing 4 years of high school in the United States he applied to Oregon

State University and started his college career. “The situation in America is great. As long as you’re willing to work, you can become successful. In some countries you don’t have those same opportunities.” Although Zhu was nervous at the age of 14 to come to the United States, he was happy he did in the end.

He’s been around the country and has explored his new home.

Zhu has taken a road trip from Oregon to LA and spent an ample amount of time exploring the bigger cities on the East Coast.“The best way to travel is to go somewhere where you want to explore.” Even though Zhu started out nervous, and intimidated by an entirely new culture, he would highly recommend others to study abroad.

“If you stayed in the same place your entire life, you could be missing out on a best friend.

One of my current best friends was my roommate back in Los Angeles when I was going to high school.”

This journey can be started by going to the OSU GO website and filling out the application under the getting started tab.

There will be a multitude of options to choose from and find the perfect fit for everyone.

Studying abroad isn’t just about studying at a different school for a term or two; it’s about being immersed in an entirely new culture with new people. It gives the opportunity of a lifetime to go outside the comfort of everyday norms and explore another part of the Earth. ◊ Winter 2018 // 29

ELEVATING STUDENT VOICES

WRITING & PHOTOGRAPHY

BY BRIAN NGUYEN With the controversial chalks in the past here on campus, freedom of speech has always been a debatable topic. Some students are concerned that their rights can be taken away while others feel that some words can be too hateful. Because of these concerns, Oregon State University created a speech expression document in order to help students express themselves in appropriate ways.

Andrew Valls, Associate Professor in the Political Science Department, sees the policy to be helpful. “The document reflects current law, including Constitutional law, which protects many basic rights, including the right to free speech. To that extent, I think that everyone is positively affected, though others may disagree.”

Valls was one of the panelist that spoke and commented on OSU’s speech expression document back in 2016 during the town hall meeting where it was first implemented.

Concerns have arose on campus where students have voiced that their rights to express their opinion can be taken from them but according to Valls students Beaver's Digest // 30

shouldn’t worry, “Those who are afraid that their freedom of speech will be taken away have little to fear. First Amendment doctrine is pretty well settled.“ According Melissa Morgan, an Interim Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life, the document was created in the first place to reinforce and remind students that their rights are protected on campus. “Whenever there is a demonstration of some kind or activism taken place, we want to make sure to protect everyone’s freedom of expression.”

While hate speech is protected under the constitutional law and emphasized by OSU’s freedom of expression document, speech that indicates violence is not protected as there is an immediate threat, “If a person is targeted we are able to intervene and stop that. For an example, if someone posts a death threat online we can certainly act on that,” Morgan said.

Morgan can understand that not everyone will agree on the same subject, but is thrilled by the conversations being had. “Free-

dom of expression is a hot topic.

What’s exciting about that to me is that students are engaging civically and are thinking about their rights and how they can affect change in the world. Anyway that I can support that and make sure that students are safe while their affecting change is going to make me a very happy Dean.”

While every student has the right to speak and voice their thoughts as long as it does not infringe on others’ rights or incite violence, it does not mean that everyone has to agree with what is being said according to Associate Professor Christopher Nichols from the History Department. “Just because something is protected doesn’t mean we have to like it or embrace it. People get confused that freedom of expression means that all views are equal.

That is not true. At least not in my view as a human being, as a scholar, as a thinker, and as a member of this community.“ Nichols who was a moderator for last year’s panel believes that there are solutions and ways to handle our difference of opinions, “I think it's really important to understand. At the level of

how we think as a community [about] these [free speech issues and conflicts]. We should push back against opinions we don't agree with[, that is key to counter speech,] even if we have to be [aware] of people's saying those things [being] their [protected First Amendment] right as a citizen.” Nichols continues, “To counter hate speech, members of the community need to do things like forming circles, being protected, locking hands, holding hands, and other types of expression that shows solidarity.”

While the 2016 document that was implemented has not been changed, there have been new additional documents that were created since then. The procedures for Demonstration and Activism document and the Time, Place, and Manner document, which can all be found on the OSU’s student life website according to Morgan.

While speech policy on campus can be a controversial topic, the conversations have been progressive. With the struggle between freedom and rules, there seems to be a good balance between them through our amendment and the OSU speech expression document. ◊

CHRISTOPHER NICHOLES, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

MELISSA MORGAN, INTERIM ASSOCIATE VICE PROVOST FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF STUDENT LIFE

Winter 2018 // 31

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@OMNTheDish Beaver's Digest // 32

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THE VOICE OF THE BEAVERS

19 YEARS AND COUNTING WRITING BY HOLLY GIERING PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN NGUYEN

er “could tell all of Beaver Nation Superfan. Parker joined the Or- was leaning on these games, not egon State athletics team in the everyone could be at a television spring of 1999 announcing base- to see all those games, so [he] ball games and he hasn’t looked knew a lot people were listening”. back since.

Six. That is how many elimination games in the 2006 College World Surprisingly, Parker was a 1983 Series the Beavers had to win in a graduate of the University of Or- row to make it to the championegon, and after graduating he ship. And, against all odds, they knew he wanted to work as a play- did it. Parker had the privilege to by-play announcer for college call them to listeners all over the sports. Parker spent nine years nation. “The best professional up in Portland doing sports talk thrill I’ve had was getting to call Just a few minutes into the sec- radio, “[In] Portland it’s all about games in those back-to-back ond quarter, Oregon State quar- the Blazers. It’s mainly a Blazer championships”. terback Sean Mannion flicks a town, so the conversation would pass to wide receiver Brandin always gravitate back towards Mike Parker has been doing a Cooks and Cooks takes off with the Blazers and all the things lot more than just calling backthe ball. At that exact moment they needed to do in the offsea- to-back national championships down in Eugene, Stanford kicker son...You couldn’t stay long away for the Beavers. What else has Jordan Williamson lines up on from talking about the Blazers”, he been doing? Oh, just meeting the 27 yard line for the field goal so when the play-by-play posi- former President Barack Obama. to beat the undefeated Ducks in tioned opened up at OSU Parker That’s right, he met Obama, in the jumped on the opportunity to get White House. Former head Men’s overtime. back to his love of college sports Basketball Coach, Craig Robinin May 1999. son’s sister is Michelle Obama, “Brandin Cooks at the 40, at the so on an invitation with the team 35. Cooks at the 30, to the 25!

Parker says he’s “indebted” to he was able to shake President The kick is good! Oregon loses!

Cooks at the 10 to the 5. Touch- baseball and that it’ll always have Obama’s hand, something Parker down Beavers!!! The Beavers a special place in his heart. It’s said to be a “true honor.” He is so take the lead and Oregon loses! what allowed him to pursue his grateful to have a job that would What a great moment in Beaver passion and owes some of the allow him such an impactful expebest personal and professional rience. history!” moments he’s known. Multiple Mike Parker is the 19-year play- trips to the College Baseball Aside from the excitement of by-play announcer for Oregon World Series in Omaha, Nebraska meeting the president, Parker State football, men’s and wom- and calling the back-to-back Na- says the best part of being the en’s basketball, and baseball. This tional Championships for Beaver voice of the Beavers is the Corvalman is the definition of a Beaver Baseball in 2006 and 2007. Park- lis community. Anywhere he goes, It’s the standard November game day in Corvallis: cold, rainy, windy, and students are ready for some Beaver Football. Number 15 ranked Oregon State is gearing up in the locker room to take on their PAC-12 rivals University of California, Berkeley at Reser Stadium. At the same time, the University of Oregon Ducks are down in Eugene fighting to keep their undefeated season alive against the Stanford Cardinal.

Beaver's Digest // 34

Winter 2018 // 35

“When the beavers and the university are so central to everything it’s really fun to be part of the community.”

everyone wants to talk about the Beavers. The game “from the night before, the game that’s coming up, whatever sport, football, basketball, baseball, women’s basketball, the teams that we cover really closely everyday; it’s just such a part of the everyday life of the community.” After living in Portland for nine years, and talking lots of professional basketball, he’s learned Corvallis is the best place to be. His former broadcast partner, Jim Wilson, told him that Corvallis was the best place in America to raise a family, and he was right. Here, the university is so central to everything, and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.

basketball, or baseball game from the past 20 years with less than a few moments hesitation.

Anyone who meets him can hear the passion in his voice as he sits and talks about the love the city of Corvallis has for the university and its athletic teams. As he is always wearing an OSU polo shirt, this man embodies what it means to be a Beaver Superfan.

Aside from the excitement of meeting the President, Parker says the best part of being the voice of the Beavers is the Corvallis community. Anywhere he goes, everyone wants to talk about the Beavers. The game “from the night before, the game that’s coming up, whatever sport, footMike Parker’s passion for Ore- ball, basketball, baseball, womgon State is evident when any- en’s basketball, the teams that one meets him. The man is an we cover really closely everyday encyclopedia of Oregon State ,it’s just such a part of the everyathletic knowledge. He can tell day life of the community”. After anyone the score from just about living in Portland for nine years, any football, men’s or women’s and talking lots of professional

Beaver's Digest // 36

basketball, he’s learned Corvallis is the best place to be. His former broadcast partner, Jim Wilson, told him that Corvallis was the best place in America to raise a family, and he was right. Here, the university is so central to everything, and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Mike Parker’s passion for Oregon State is evident from his involvement with the Oregon State campus. The man is an encyclopedia of Oregon State athletic knowledge. He knows the score from just about any football, men’s or women’s basketball, or baseball game from the past 20 years with less than a few moments hesitation. The passion in his voice shows as he sits and talks about the love the city of Corvallis has for the university and its athletic teams. As he is always wearing an OSU polo shirt, this man embodies what it means to be a Beaver Superfan. ◊

Twitter:

Want to know more?

@MEPOSU

OSU Website: http://www.osubeavers.com/staff.aspx?staff=3

Catch him announcing sporting events this winter this season in Gill Coliseum!

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NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING MEDIA We’re a modern media network made up of students who run a TV station, radio station, newspaper and three magazines, social media and digital strategy, marketing, and advertising.

Students are advised and mentored by industry professionals, experts, and alumni. Here are the different ways you can get involved with OMN.

DAMchic—This quarterly fashion magazine is the authority on all matters of style at Oregon State University. Check out the latest edition at OrangeMediaNetwork.com

AWARDS College Media Association Apple Awards 2017 Best Tweet First Place: The Daily Barometer

Prism—The quarterly literary arts journal features content created and submitted by student artists around the campus, including poems, paintings, sculpture, essays, and photography. Check out the latest edition on racks now, and at OrangeMediaNetwork.com

KBVR-TV—Ch.26 in Corvallis and livestream in HD at OrangeMediaNetwork.com, KBVR-TV is one of the only college TV stations with 24/7 student-made shows and programing. TV shows include live music and event coverage, game shows and talk shows.

The Barometer—The 121-year-old campus newspaper of Oregon State University covers local news and events and brings awareness to important student and community issues. Available on racks monthly in the summer and weekly during the academic year.

Follow daily news at OrangeMediaNetwork.com

Best News Delivery First Place: Orange Media Network Best Newspaper Four Year Universities, Circulation More Than 10,000 First Place: The Baro Best Magazine Spread First Place: Beaver’s Digest Best Radio Promo First Place: KBVR-FM

Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Collegiate Day 2017 Best Headline Writing First Place: The Baro Staff Best Editorial First Place: The Baro Staff Best Sports Story First Place: Josh Worden

Beaver’s Digest—This quarterly magazine launched in 2014 and focuses on student life, food, style, and fun. Check out the latest edition on racks now, and at OrangeMediaNetwork.com

KBVR-FM—88.7 FM and livestream at OrangeMediaNetwork.com, more than 140 student DJs select what music they want to play, or topics they want to talk about, each hour. KBVR-FM can be heard anywhere within a 30-mile radius of the OSU campus.

Best Sports Photo First Place: Zbigniew Sikora Best Photography First Place: Zbigniew Sikora

Society of Professional Journalists Region Ten Mark of Excellence Awards 2017 Best Sports Column Writing First Place: Brian Rathbone (Plus: 2016 National Award Winner!)

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