14 minute read
MEN'S RESOURCE CENTER
VOL. 123, ISSUE NO. 7
GET IN TOUCH
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THE DAILY EMERALD
The Daily Emerald is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.
ON THE COVER
Kalli Bechtold, an artist at the University of Oregon, poses on the steps of Johnson Hall with her painting, entitled "Going Away". Eugene, and the University of Oregon, are home to a thriving art scene. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
NEW SPACE AND NEW COMMUNITY
The Men’s Resource Center has been around for over 17 years, but it is now undergoing changes with new management. The rebirth of this organization lends to new visions and goals for the people who work there.
BY AISHA GHORASHIAN • TWITTER @AGHORASHIAN19
Men’s Center Coordinator Arian Mobasser works in the Men’s Resource Center at the EMU on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 30, 2021. “The center started 17 years ago but has ben dormant for at least a year and we are relaunching,” Mobasser said. “The priority of that vision is to invite students help recreate that vision.” The Men’s Resource Center offers a space for students to relax, foster conversation, learn to support oneself and offer support to peers. (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald)
When scrolling through Twitter or Instagram, there may be a lot of posts about women’s sexual empowerment or queer mental health. These topics are very important, but a large group that is missing in this discussion is people who identify as men. There has been a lot of progress made around discussing men’s mental health, but there is still a culture in male-dominated groups that excludes vulnerability and open conversation.
The university has re-established their Men's Resource Center under a new mission and new leadership. Arian Mobasser, who acquired his doctorate in psychology from UO, is the new center coordinator. He took on his position this spring and has a new vision for the Men’s Resource Center.
“I want the new Men’s Resource Center to be a place where people can hang out, but also to be a space where there is an intersection of health, wellbeing and identity,” Mobasser said.
A big mission of this center is to create a space where people can relax, hang out and have a safe space to talk. Mobasser went on to explain that many male-dominated spaces do not even talk about relationships or sex.
“While locker talk is the stereotype, many male groups actually do not engage in deep discussions around healthy sex lives and sexuality,” Mobasser said.
A large goal of his is to make the Men’s Resource Center a safe community for male-identified people to have these conversations. He hopes to put on programs, like focus groups, that prompt conversations around sex, relationships and masculinity.
Along with Mobasser, student coordinator Nathaniel Leof said, “I have had life experience that have to do with men’s health,” which spurred his interest in working in the new space. “I had heard of the men’s center before, but never really was involved in it,” Leof said.
Leof said he got involved in the Men’s Resource Center to find or create a community on campus where he felt comfortable having real conversations. He said he hopes the Men’s Resource Center becomes a place that is welcoming and encourages students to be their best selves.
When it comes to men’s sexual health, Leof said he wants men to feel comfortable talking about topics like consent, STI and STD testing and self-worth around male sex lives. He added that there seems to be a very small campus culture when it comes to men’s sexual health.
Throughout the last few years, there has been a limited amount of events that are tailored to encouraging men's sexual health and well-being. While Get Explicit discusses consent, self-worth and boundaries, most organizations do not focus on men’s sexual health. The conversation does not continue.
Because of this, Leof said he wants to create trust and community within the Men’s Resource Center to learn more about the needs of students. Once that has been established, the programming that the Men’s Resource Center puts on can reflect the actual needs of students, he said.
The Men’s Resource Center is rebranding its image and striving to become a comfortable place for people to take a load off and recollect themselves. While “men” is in the name, it’s a space for everyone to come and enjoy.
“I want to help the Men’s Resource become a place where all students can come and get support and help create a community that is welcoming and encouraging to students,” Leof said.
The Men’s Center can be found on the top floor of the Erb Memorial Union in room 211 and can be accessed by anyone Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A&C IT'S THE TIME GOOD BOOK)OF THE SEASON(TO READ A
BY AMY MARIE MILLER
From classics to horror, here are eight killer book recommendations from UO students and staff.
Fall is finally here! The weather is no longer sweltering, the leaves are turning gold and orange and the rain has at last returned. It’s time to stay in, make a cup of tea and read a good book. Don’t know where to start? No need to worry. Here are eight excellent recommendations for fall reading from the students and staff of UO.
“People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry
Summary: Despite having everything, Poppy feels stuck. The last time she was really happy was on the last trip she took with her best friend Alex, even though its ending was less than great. Trying to find the same joy she had then, she convinces Alex to go on just one more trip with her.
Genre: Romance
Recommended by: Maria Fast (Freshman, journalism major)
“I just read it last month. It turned me from gloomy fall town into tropical vacation. It was so sweet and cute, the sweet little love story,” Fast said. “It made me want to be in love in December. It’s good reading because it uplifts you out of the gloom and into a little love story.”
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews
Summary: Greg is a high school senior and social loner who makes a point not to get too close to anyone — besides his only friend Earl. His system is foiled when his mother insists that he spend time with Rachel, who he kind of dated in Hebrew school, and who has just been diagnosed with leukemia.
Genre: Humor
Recommended by: Aislyn Morrill (Junior, public management major)
“I recommend it because it’s pretty easy and a pretty fast read,” Morrill said. “If you haven’t been reading in a while or you feel like you don’t know where to start, 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' is a good book to jump back in with.”
“A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin
Summary: This fantasy epic follows three stories in the world of Westeros: a growing war between the most powerful families in the land, a threat to the northern wall protecting the Seven Kingdoms and a woman’s rise to power and independence.
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended by: Darius Ghorbani (Junior, prebusiness major)
“I think it’s a good book for anyone who's into fantasy and for anyone who's seen [Game of Thrones]. I watched it and thought it was a really interesting and fun show,” Ghorbani said. “I know the books have more information and stories that the show might not, so I think it would be more interesting to delve into the books.”
“The Pretty Little Liars” series by Sara Shepard
Summary: After the body of Alison DiLaurentis is found three years after she vanished, her friends Spencer, Hanna, Aria and Emily find their darkest secrets are in danger when a stalker named “A” threatens to expose them in the name of their former clique leader.
Genre: Teen drama, mystery
Recommended by: Hanna LaPointe (Junior, Chinese and linguistics majors)
“A classic — I’m reading the third one right now. It’s an easy read. It’s really something I started because I’m trying to get back into reading,” LaPointe said. “It’s not hard, and it’s easy to follow. You don’t have to think about it. It’s a nice teen classic — something I can read before bed and not have to worry about the meaning of it.”
“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson
Summary: Merricat and Constance Blackwood are two sisters who earned a witchy reputation after the majority of their family died from poison a year earlier. After living a secluded life with their uncle, their isolated world is threatened by the arrival of their cousin.
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Recommended by: Owen Shannon (Senior, history major)
“I liked it because it’s fairly short. I think it was probably 200 or 300 pages. It just created a really good atmosphere,” Shannon said. “It’s about these two girls who live in this old, abandoned house. And you slowly, over the course of the book, realize more and more about the family’s past. It’s really interesting.”
“Power vs. Force” by David R. Hawkins
Summary: Psychiatrist Sir David R. Hawkins analyzes the nature of human thought and consciousness to decipher how to instantly tell if a statement is true or false.
Genre: Self-help, non-fiction
Recommended by: KJ Tinsley (Freshman, prebusiness major)
“I think it’s good for fall reading No. 1 because everyone is trying to get back into the groove of school,” Tinsley said. “And it really talks about how, oftentimes, the right decision or the correct decision is the simplest one.”
“East of Eden” by John Steinbeck
Summary: In 1917 Salinas Valley, Cal Trask competes for his father’s love against his much more favored brother Aron. He then finds out his mother, who he long thought dead, is alive and running a brothel.
Genre: Drama
Recommended by: Nicole Ceeland (Sophomore, Earth science major)
“‘East of Eden’ is by a classic author John Steinbeck,” Ceeland said. “It’s a bit bulky, but it has a lot of life lessons in the form of a beautiful story. It’s kind of a retelling of the Book of Genesis but in a less crowded, Christian way. It’s pretty cool.”
“Gods of Jade and Shadow” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Summary: Casiopea Tun is spending the Jazz Age scrubbing the floors of her rich grandfather’s house. Well, she is until the Mayan god of death decides to send her on a journey.
Genre: Folklore
Recommended by: Katherine Donaldson (UO education librarian)
“It has a lot of Mayan folklore and kind of the Underworld,” Donaldson said. “You know, when things are getting darker outside, it just feels timely.”
HOW FAR ARE YOU WILLING TO GO TO BREAK THE LOOP?
(REVIEWED ON PLAYSTATION5)
BY CORVO ROHWER • TWITTER @CORVUSCORAX115
Image courtesy of Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash.
Waking up on the cold shores of Black Reef island, players take control of Colt Vahn, an amnesiac stuck in a time loop. The curators of the time loop, eight “Visionaries” and their eternalists, have transformed the island into a blend of time manipulation research and a never-ending party. The only path to freedom is to take out all eight Visionaries before midnight and break the loop.
The newest game from Arkane Studios, “Deathloop,” manages to craft an intricate single player experience while integrating a unique multiplayer experience unlike anything I’ve played before.
The island is split into four different sections which can be explored at different times of the day — morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Depending on the time, things change as the island slowly descends into discord and debauchery. Colt’s main objective is to craft a plan to corral the Visionaries into the same areas at the same time of day to take them out, and this takes the forefront of the gameplay.
Traversing the calm, colorful housing district of Updaam in the morning is much different than in the evening. As the streets fill with debris and graffiti throughout the day, it leads into the evening and climaxes in a lupine-themed soiree at Dorsey Mansion. Discovering secrets and finding clever ways to use the shifting environment to my advantage is one of the ways “Deathloop” drew me in — as well as the scenic explorations and rewards for revisiting areas at different times of day.
Most objectives and story beats come through the use of environmental storytelling, requiring the collection of notes and audio logs scattered throughout all the locales of the island. These are all tabulated into an investigation board, allowing for easy tracking of both side quests and main objectives. It feels great to follow clues down the rabbit hole in search of upgrades or special gear.
Black Reef’s inhabitants are quite resistant against the breaking of the loop and will attack Colt on sight. Thankfully, both combat and gunplay feel smooth and familiar after playing previous entries in Arkane Studios lineups, such as “Dishonored.” There is a large arsenal of weapons at the player’s disposal, ranging from silent nail guns all the way up to hefty machine guns.
On top of conventional weapons, “Deathloop” also introduces “slabs,” which grant various powers and abilities. These are earned from Visionaries and can be acquired in any order which allows players to choose their playstyle.
If you are into a stealth approach, you might track down Egor Sterling to swipe his Aether slab, which allows for temporary invisibility. Or, if you like taking things right to the enemy, you could always confront Fia Zborowska for her Havoc slab, which buffs weapon damage and grants extra defense.
Colt has a personal slab, Reprise, which allows him to cheat death twice – meaning, if I happened to die, I wouldn’t instantly loop and return back to the beginning. There is also an infusion system that allows for gear to be retained through death, which made for some fun decision-making on what was worth taking with me to the next day as I moved through the game.
“Deathloop” is a game that takes place entirely in single player. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other players present. With the addition of an invasion system, you may run into another person controlling a rival assassin in your game world, attempting to impede your progress. After reaching a certain point in the story, a new mode is unlocked from the main menu which allows players to take control of the Visionary Julianna Blake, who hunts down Colt across Black Reef to ensure he is unable to break the loop.
In my experience, this mode has a bit of a learning curve — but, when it works, it works well. Entering the world of another player and tracking them down is deeply satisfying and makes for some fun cat-and-mouse encounters. However, the progression system leaves a bit to be desired, with loot seemingly unlocking at random as I was gaining levels. This system would benefit from being able to choose what to unlock, as it can be frustrating having to play without the tools I use in the main game.
Julianna also comes with her own unique slab called Masquerade, which allows her to swap appearances with any enemy in the level. On paper, this should allow Julianna to hide and disguise herself in the environment, but in practice, it almost never plays out that way. Colt isn’t easily deceived, and it’s quite obvious when someone has swapped appearances so I found her slab to be mostly a non-factor in her playstyle — which is a bit of a shame.
The mystery of the time loop anomaly is oozing with secrets and discoveries begging to be unearthed — and the interesting cast of characters makes for a story well worth experiencing. With the vast options of how to tackle the day and the unique opportunity to play multiplayer in a single player game, I highly believe “Deathloop” to be one of the best releases this year.
