N.E.W.S. THE UOiSA MAGAZINE
Winter 2015 Issue 2
UOiSA 2014-2015 Members President: Sandra Benny Vice President: Ina Song Office Daphne Ho Caitlin Sherman
Program Executive: Arrada Duangdao Gary Gao Ben Leamon Alex Hardin Gwyn Snider Tara Travisano
Fundraising Executive: Renee Arnett Kelly Chen TJ Li Maria Pervova Ian Stoll
Marketing Executive: Courtney Theim Srushti Kamat Ellie Keeton Hillary Fowler Iris Tian Sam Vitello
Outreach Executive: Joe Zhao Taylor Davis Ellen Hovde Amy Li Alana McKenzie Fatoumata Traore Shuo Xu Rimi Yoneya
Content Editors: Alana McKenzie, Ellen Hovede, Shuo Xu, Joe Zhao Graphic Designer: Shuo Xu Photographers: Iris Tian 2 | UOiSA 2014 - 2015
04-05
Black History Month 06
Valentine’s Day & Interview 07
Winter Dance 08-09
Asian Celebration 10-11
Coffee Hour Interview 12-13
Japan Night & Taiwan Night 14
Language Circle Winter Issue 2 | 3
Black History Month
“I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.� -- Martin Luther King
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The month of February is Black History Month and it is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans. Since 1976, every United States President has designated the month of February as Black History Month. President Gerlad R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too- often neglected accomplishments for black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.�
Some influential black Americans who have shaped the United States are:
President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama is the 44th and current President of the United States and is the first African American to hold office. He assumed office on January 20, 2009 and then was re-elected president in November 2012. Since being president, Obama has promoted domestic policies related to gun control in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting and has been campaigning for full equality for LGBT Americans. President Obama has achieved a lot during his presidency and is regarded as one of the most influential black Americans to date.
Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist who stood up against segregation in the United States. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This spurred on a citywide boycott and helped launch nationwide efforts to end segregation of public facilities.
Martin Luther King
Dr. Martin Luther Jr. is widely considered the most influential leader of the American civil rights movement. He played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation. He created the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He also recieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His mission was to bring a peaceful change therefore, on August 28, 1963 the March on Washington drew more than 200,000 people around the Lincoln Memorial.
Valentine‘s Day I think it’s great because it’s a good opportunity for people to step outside their comfort zones. -- Uri It means a time to share love and special endearments to those we love. Family and friends.
It means 46 years of getting nice valentines from her. -- Mike Mitchell (Sandy’s husband)
-- Sandy Mitchell For me, Valentine’s Day, all about the food. Cake, chocolate… -- Caitlyn
Free cookies, free candy (*pats pocket), and singles awareness. -- Megan
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Valentine’s Day is commercialized love. I think it’s great to celebrate it but the capitalization of it is frustrating. -- Negina Pirzad
iSA Winter Dance ISA had its annual winter dance in the LLC South Performance Hall on February 6th from 7:00- 9:00. The theme was “Let it Snow” and all the decorations were white and sparkly silver and gold. Food and drinks were provided and everyone who attended was wearing either white or blue to the dance and looked fabulous. This year’s UO iSA’s Winter Dance brought together more than 200 domestic and international students. The DJ played American hits and international genres like K-Pop. This was a huge success and everyone who came danced the night away. The dance was sponsored by AEI which is the American English Institute here at the University of Oregon. AEI helps students learn to use English well and all of us to better understand each other’s cultures. This event was a success and we hope that everyone who attended had as much fun as we did!
Asian Celebration
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The Oregon Asian Celebration, since
1985, has been a platform where Asian culture and heritage are celebrated with traditional music and dancing, foods, crafts and merchandise vendors. This year marked the celebration’s 30th Anniversary with the theme “30 Years of Love and Diversity.” The event took place Saturday, Feb. 14, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lane Events Center in Eugene. Acknowledging its overlap with Valentine’s Day, organizers had a special event for couples to take part in as well! The UO has supported and sponsored the event throughout most of its 30-year history, and this year marks the largest cross-campus effort ever to involve more students. The celebration also got a boost from an extensive collaboration with campus leaders, Eugene community members and event organizers. The Celebration was filled with activities such as a traditional Chinese lion dance, which signaled the start to a day full of traditional dances, cooking demonstrations, historical exhibits about Asian pioneers,cultural music, a noodle-eating contest (signifying the overlap with Valentines Day), a photo booth, martial arts performances, zany zoo and a variety of food from across the Asian continent. The fair also featured a 75-vendor marketplace and three stages.
For more information of Asian Celebration, please visit the Asian Council‘s website -- http:// asiancelebration.org/gallery/
Winter Issue 2 | 9
Coffee Hour Interview ISA: What’s your name? Erin: Erin Collins.
professors and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot out of the university.
ISA: What year are you in university? Erin: I’m a senior.
ISA: What’s your major? Erin: Anthropology
ISA: What’s your favorite thing about UO? Erin: I think it’s a really good community and there have been a lot of activities I’ve been able to get involved in, and I really like my major and I’ve always had good
ISA: When you’re old, what will the title of your autobiography be? Erin: I don’t know what it would be. I guess I could just title it “Erin Collins: How I Lived My Life” I don’t know something along those lines.
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ISA: If you had to walk around campus with one animal on a leash all day, what animal would it be? Erin: A wolf probably. Yeah, that’d be cool. ISA: If you could take a selfie with any celebrity which would you choose? Erin: I don’t know, do they have to be alive? Maybe Josephine Baker.
ISA: The last question is what food would you like to see at coffee hour? Erin: Maybe a little Italian food would be good. Maybe – that’d be hard probably for a lot of people. Or maybe Moroccan food, that’d be really good.
UO? Martin: Umm, other people I guess. It’s fun to see people around campus I mean, you don’t want it to be empty.
any celebrity what one would it be? Martin: Ahh celebrity… Joe Zhao, right there! A celebrity man, the most famous one.
ISA: When you’re old, what will the title of your autobiography be? Martin: Ohh. Hmm “The Gamer.” Playing games, PC games too much.
ISA: Good call good call! What’s the worst thing that has happened to you today? Martin: Got woken up by somebody after sleeping for 5 hours.
*** ***
ISA: If you had to walk around campus with one animal on a leash all day, what animal would you choose? Martin: A dog or a dragon. ISA: Nice, nice, why a dragon? Martin: I just kind of like dragons in general, it’ll be hard to find one though.
ISA: What’s your name? Martin: Martin Leung
ISA: What year are you in university? Martin: I’m a sophomore. ISA: What’s your favorite thing about
ISA: If you could take a selfie with
ISA: They sound like no good. Martin: Well actually I’m the one that was late so it’s my fault. I should sleep earlier. ISA: And what food would you like to see at coffee hour? Martin: Something that’s filling. And more food.
Winter Issue 1 |11
Japan Night The Japanese Student Organization (JSO) of the University of Oregon hosted Japan Night 2015 on February 1st. Taking place in the EMU Ballroom, JSO welcomed approximately 300 people to enjoy its show that evening. The event was created with the intention of helping spread Japanese culture to both the University of Oregon and Eugene community. Focusing on the theme of mythology and folklore, the organization spent three months putting together skits, decorations, and performances for the night. Skits covered the Japanese stories of The Creation Story, Tanabata, Kaguya-hime, Urashima taro, and Momotaro. Both scripted and acted by JSO’s members, the organization’s main goal was to teach the audience about Japanese mythology and folklore and to make everyone laugh and enjoy themselves. “Japan Night was a fun time. The mythology
fect.” Regardless of being perfect or not, Japan Night 2015 has finally come to close. But despite the number setbacks and complications encountered in the process, all the members worked hard to make the event a success one. It was truly a humbling and satisfying experience for JSO to see all the people attend the Japan night to watch the organization’s efforts come to life. “Although we all have a lot more to learn, JSO is striving to better itself and become more ac-
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jumped off the page and onto the stage.” Valentina Chau, an audience of J-Night stated. JSO was also fortunate enough to order customized bento boxes from Everyday Kine Grindz served as dinner for the night. One of many great performances featured at Japan Night was done by the UO Ninja club, a new dance crew at the university. As the closing act of the night, the performers truly got the crowd’s attention with their cool moves and comical gestures. “Japan Night was a great representation of Japanese culture. We tried to provide quality food and entertainment.” JSO intern, Garrison Tani said, “I was really excited when I first heard about Japan Night. But after helping out so much with the preparation, I grew nervous. I wanted everything to be per-
tive around campus. Japan Night was just the first step towards that reaching that long-term goal.” JSO Co-President, Risa Nambo, stated. The University of Oregon’s Japanese Student Organization sincerely wants to thank everyone for all the support and help in making Japan Night 2015 possible and hope people will continue to attend events held by JSO in the near future.
-- By Japanese Student Organization (JSO)
TAIWAN NIGHT
Thank you for supporting our annual Taiwan Night that was held in the evening of Friday, January 30th at EMU ballroom by Taiwanese Student Association (TWSA). The event was a huge success thanks to the support of our team and our audiences. There are several TWSA major events happening throughout the school year; the Welcoming BBQ in the fall term, Taiwan Night in the winter term, and Spring Fair in the spring term. TWSA is dedicated to bring forth the culture of Taiwan by presenting to you the most original activities and culture. Not to mention, Taiwan is one of the most famous places to enjoy food in Asia. This time, we would like to walk you through the birth and the grand finale of this year’s Taiwan Night. Many places have their own unique wedding style, the wedding ceremonies in Taiwan are often considered a tradition which follows many Chinese customs. This year, we have a couple; a Taiwanese bride and an American groom who volunteered to be featured in our Taiwan Night. After the theme is set, we started to gather ideas for the details of Taiwan night; the kind of food that are usually provided in a wedding, sponsors that are most suitable for providing such materials and how we are going to promote the event. This long process involves finding sponsors, performance groups, etc. that make the event more attractive and exciting. After all these decisions are made, it is time to head into the preparation. While all the decision is based on popularizing Taiwan, we also make sure that decorations not
only promote Taiwan but also fit our wedding theme. The big round table, dress codes, performances, decorations, food, and the event schedule are all done carefully to present the most authentic experience of Taiwanese wedding, giving the audiences a glimpse of Taiwan from all angles. The event turned out to be a huge success, the tickets were all sold-out, the seats were filled, and people from all around joined us in the celebration of Taiwan Night. We were very excited to see so many people enjoying the event and having fun while experiencing the process of a typical wedding in Taiwan. From the participants’ “check-in”, to the food on the table and performances on the stage, we saw smiles among the audiences. All the hard work we invested in the making of the event was worthwhile. Our goal for Taiwan night is to provide a one-of-a-kind experience that our audience will not experience anywhere else. But most importantly we want to increase the exposure of Taiwanese Culture to everyone among our university community to the Eugene community. As part of a diverse, yet cohesive campus culture, it is a pleasure for all of us to present to you the culture of Taiwan, where richness is within the food and the people. Welcome to Taiwan, and see you next quarter at our annual Spring Fair.
-- By Taiwanese Student Association (TWSA)
Winter Issue 2 | 13
The Mills Language Circles
Every Monday afternoon the Mills International Center hosts three sets of language circles. Language circles are hour-long sessions where anybody can go and sit in or participate in one of the languages offered. The circles are lead by native speakers of the language and are meant to be a fun way to learn a language, supplementally or alternatively to a classroom setting. I went to a few of the circles to explore the environment.
I arrived at the Mills International Center
shortly before 4pm and couldn’t really tell that there was anything special going on. There were only a few people sitting around on various couches. What I did notice were some signs that read “German,” “French,” “Spanish,” and “English” off in the corner.
sants and fois gras and play Petanque (a french version of bocce ball or lawn bowls). I chuckled at the video and then moved to the Spanish circle, where they were playing hangman or as it’s called in Spanish: ahorcado. The theme was ‘objects in the room’ so it was easier to guess. Only one guy stumped us and he had misspelled the word mujeres. I didn’t have time for the English circle at this point but it looked like they were having a lively discussion.
A friend of mine was sitting alone next to the German sign so I went over to join her. She frequents the language circles often she said, because she enjoys interacting in the language, though she is not the The next hour they set out the signs for Arabic group leader and she is already fluent. Soon a few and Japanese (usually Portuguese is also in this group others joined us. One was in an upper division Gerbut the leader couldn’t make it that day). I remained man literature class with me, another was in German where I had been for Spanish because it turned into 102 and the other guy spoke no German whatsoever Arabic. I spoke no words in Arabic so I didn’t know but is planning a trip to Austria this summer. Eventuhow I would participate but they were very accomally the group leader arrived as well, a native speaker modating and helped me through phrases. We went from Switzerland, and the around in the circle and language hour began. The said our names and where 4-5 pm: English, German, French, and Spanish we were from. We then guy from my class began 5-6 pm: Arabic, Japanese, and Portuguese reading a loud from a book learned to talk about our 6-7 pm: Chinese and Russian of poetry to 102-level guy hobbies and say why we had brought. My friend liked them. It was pretty began instructing the beginner on how to pronounce fun and the circle participants were diverse and at all German sounds. The group leader and I got into a long different levels. I became so engrossed in the learning discussion about our studies, travels, and discrepancies I had no time to visit the Japanese circle. between German dialects that lasted almost up till the end of the hour. I can now personally recommend these language circles. They are a great way to engage in a languaAt this point I rushed off to the French circle. ge you know well or don’t know at all while getting to I also knew a couple people here but we did little taltalk to some cool people. The learning style is foreking. We were watching a little YouTube video about most implicit, which makes it more fun and accessible. French stereotypes, like how they mainly eat crois I will definitely be going back.
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