Kyra
Kyra: Earth Games, Burns, and Drag
This past week has certainly been a whirlwind! There’s been so much to see and do, in combination with quickly intensifying course work, that it’s hard to keep track of everything. Last week, we hosted Sexuality Awareness and Sustanability Week on our campus, so the evening were buzzing with different events put on my Fusion and Greenfield, respectively. Unfortunately, because of my classes, I couldn’t attend them all. When there are certain events I know I really want to go to, I try to load my schedule so I get the majority of my work done on all the nights prior. Of course, this means I have to sacrifice certain events and some sleep, but it’s all worth it in the end. For example, last week, I worked later than usual every night so I would feel comfortable not doing any work on Friday–which was when the Earth Games, the Linfield Burn, and our first annual Drag Show too place. Many of my friends were participating in these events so I really wanted to come out and support thier hard work. It’s also just a nice excuse to not do any homework on a Friday night.
Sustainability Week culminated in a fair on Friday–which included the Earth Games and other events. So, I headed over right after I got off work to meet up with my friends. Every year, Greenfield hosts a stuff swap where Linfield students will bring their unwanted or old clothes to exchange or just give away. I usually bring something every year, and don’t pick anything up–but this year I actually forgot to bring anything and ended up taking home a lovely pair a blue heels. It was a nice switch up. All around the stuff swap, Greenfield had set up several booths regarding different sustainable organizations and opportunities in the area for students to learn about or get involved with. Once this kind of wrapped up, we headed over to the IM field where they had set up a obstacle course for those competing in the Earth Games. It was hilarious to see just how competitive everyone got–of course, I enjoyed it more because I wasn’t the one getting muddy and wet. During the duration of the Earth Games, they also had a Local Foods BBQ set up, where we could get veggie burgers and other locally sourced foods for free! It was nice to hang out with my friends on such a beautiful, clear afternoon and enjoy being outside.
Annika, enjoying her burger from the Local Foods BBQ and watching the competitors.
The lovely Amanda, one of the only girls brave enough to compete in the earth games (even though she broke three bikes in the process)
There was a concert scheduled after the event, but my friends and I decided to head to one of their houses off campus to play board games and hang out until the Linfield Burn. I love going to the Burn every year–it’s one of my favorite events to attend. Totem, an art professor, has his class build a large wooden structure during his Jan Term course, every year. This structure is then situtated in the courtyard of the Art Department until the end of April. From there, they move it to the Wellness Field behind the department and host an event to burn it down. People can attach confessions or other little notes to the structure during the event, prior to the moment it’s actually lit of course. This year, we had the best turn out I’ve ever seen. We usually see a lot of people, from all parts of Linfield and the McMinnville community, show up; but this this was the biggest crowd I’ve ever noticed. It’s always exciting to see the structure burn down! People take pictures, dance, and there’s always the occasional boy who tries to jump over the fire once it’s almost burned out. It also usually turns into a potluck as well, the deparment sets out tables and anyone who wants to bring food places it there for everyone to share.
The fire as it burned down, so pretty!
You can see a little of the crowd in this shot, there were so many people there!
I just really loved how the flames spiral around the structure in this image
After the Burn, we headed over to the Drag Show. It was a complete blast! I’ve never been to a drag show before, so this was a huge shock (in the best way possible). Fusion had brought up some professional drag queens from Eugene to host the event and perform, so we got to learn a little bit about drag culture as well. They interspersed professional performances with performances by Linfield students–we even had a group of girls dress in male drag to perform One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful”. One of my favorite performances of the evening was a jazzy number by the host’s partner, Renata Flambe. All I’ve got to say about that is–I could never dream of doing that in heels. It was impressive, she was so classy, strong and the choice of song was excellent. At the end of the performances, we crowned a Queen of the evening, pulled from the Linfield performers. Aidan, the current president of Fusion, won! We’re in a Shakespeare class together, which focuses on gender and performance, so it was so amazing to see him crowned.
The professional Queens who came out for the evening!
Aidan accepting his tiara as Queen!
After a full night like Friday, there’s really nothing better than a Saturday morning breakfast at Wildwood. I’ve probably talked about it before, but I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoy going there. My friend, Robin and I, went together, and then headed to La Casa Verde–which is a larger, community based Sustainability fair in the downtown area of McMinnville. It happens once a year, in conjunction with Earth Week/day, so it’s a lot of fun to visit and see who’s volunteering, what booths are there, or what’s happening. They always have live music and a chicken coop race, not to mention it’s right next to the Saturday Market in the Granary District.
My delicious breakfast at Wildwood, nothing beats their omelettes or scrambles on a Saturday morning.
We ended the day by studying in one of the local cafe’s. I love packed weekends. It gives me a nice break from having a strict schedule and makes me feel like my deadlines are a little less drastic. It’s so important to take these breaks during the school year. Personally, I don’t think that someone can work at their peak if they keep driving themselves into the ground without reprieve. But for now, I’ve got to hit the books. Tomorrow, I have a performance from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” where I’ll be playing Cesario/Viola! So, I need to prepare for that, a paper on the play and an additional research paper on Ai WeiWei for my postmodern art class. The final stretch of classes in within sight, but there’s a lot to do between now and summer break. I’m looking forward to really taking advantage of the last semester of my junior year and trying to enjoy it as much as possible.
Kyra: Blonde Ambition, Memoirs and more
This has been quite an eventful week! There were several amazing lectures and exhibits on campus that I was able to attend. I’m really happy that I have the time, or just have managed to balance my time well enough, that I’m able to go to the many events on our campus. I think they really flesh out the experience for me. It’s one thing to go to every class, finish all of the readings, turn in homework etc. But I think supplementing this experience with taking adavantage of the many learning opportunities is what has truly made my time at Linfield wonderful.
I absolutely love the Art and Visual Culture department at Linfield. One could say I’m obligated to do this, since I’m a Visual Culture minor, but I really truly enjoy all of the classes and opportunities they offer. Throughout the year, we bring out various artists to exhibit in our gallery. This gives the chance to see a wide variety of international artists working in various mediums. When we bring these gallery exhibitions to campus, we get to host the artists themselves for about a week! I love going to art museums, so having one directly on campus is a joy. In addition, having the ability to go to events with the artist is wonderful. Currently, we’re hosting a gallery exhibition called “Blonde Ambition” by ceramic artist, Roxanne Jackson. I’ve never thought much about cermaic sculpture, but I absolutely love the level of detail and mythology within her work. The mysterious and mystical feel to her work is alluring–it’s hard to just walk by the gallery on my way to class without stopping in and examining some new detail.
I was able to sit in on one of her artist talks. As I said, we’re able to host the visiting artist during the first week of their exhibition. They present various lectures, gallery receptions, visit classes and work with students. I attended her Artist Talk, where about 15 or 20 other students and I were able to sit in the gallery with her and discuss her body of work, along with the various pieces featured in the show. Hearing her talk about her work was quite interesting and provided a new dimension to appreciating the work . I took pictures of my favorite works within the exhibition to reference the general feel and look to her aesthetic. After this, I think she’ll definitely be an artist I’ll keep track of in the future.
One of my favorite pieces from the exhibition, I love the color and texture!
This piece just seemed so layered in texture, meaning, and material–I loved it.
This peice was one of the largest in the gallery, and one of the most eye catching!
The next day, I was also able to attend a reading in the library of Kim Stafford’s newest book, “100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: A Memoir”. Stafford teaches at Lewis & Clark College in Portland and is the son of Oregon’s poet Laureate, William Stafford. As I’m a fan of William Stafford’s poetry, I was quite curious about this event, just to see how writes. Many of my professors were in attendance, so it was nice to see and chat with them outside of the classroom or office hours. The reading itself was very engaging. Written about his late brother, in episodic tales and memories, it was nice to hold the book in context with Kim Stafford’s personal anecdotes about his process and actual events.
Kim Stafford reading an excerpt from his book.
This week, we’re kicking of the Greenfield Club’s Earth Week and Fusion’s Sexuality Week! As a result, this week is even more packed with fun events about both sustainability and diversity. There’s something different to do almost every night, with large culminating events for both on Friday. I plan to attend as many as possible. On Friday, there’s an event called the Earth Games, where Linfield students will compete in sustainability themed events, a local foods barbeque, our annual Linfield Burn event through the Art department, and our first annual drag show! I have many friends participating in the Earth Games and performing in the Drag show, so I’m really excited to see how this all pans out. Everyone in both clubs have worked so hard and long to pull off these events, so to see these efforts rewarded will be wonderful. They’ve also tried to work in conjunction with eachother, since many of their members intersect, to allow students the ability to attend all of the events. That’s definitely one of the benefits of going to a small school such as Linfield. Collaborating on a friendly basis with clubs from across campus is extremely accessible.
I got this wristband today in support of Fusion’s Sexuality Week!
A list of all of the fun events for Earth Week 2013!
If you’re interested in checking out more of Roxanne Jackon’s exhibit, or her work in general, here’s a link to our gallery website: http://www.linfield.edu/art/gallery-now.html
For more information on Kim Stafford’s book, or the author himself: http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-news/memoirs-of-brotherhood-featured-at-stafford-reading/
Kyra: Mooncakes, Cupcakes and a Rapidly Expanding Universe
Now that the first week back from Spring Break is over, things are finally starting to settle into a normal rhythm. Classes are going smoothly, the reading and writing I have for my courses is picking up, and the campus is buzzing with different lectures to attend. There’s so much going on (and it’s definitely a good thing). Even though the famous Oregon rain has begun again, it’s been a lovely spring so far.
Last week, my Bad Girls Literature class actually got the chance to Skype with one of the authors we’re reading! My professor, Dr. Reshi Dutt-Ballerstadt, worked with her on her Ph.D., so we were able to get some private time with Marilyn Chin. She works as a professor and as an author, mostly working in poetry. However, for our class, we’re reading her novel, “Revenge of the Mooncake Vixen”. It’s wonderfully scandalous and one of the most entertaining books I’ve read thus far, for my English degree. We were able to ask her any questions we had about the novel–her choice of style, the basis on traditional Chinese folklore/fairy tales, the correlations within her personal life etc. I’d been looking forward to this Skype meeting for several weeks. It was a really unique opportunity to be able to speak with her, not in a lecture setting or at a book reading, but a very open and honest dialogue about her book and feminist or immigrant literature. I’m seriously considering pursuing graduate studies in English Literature with an emphasis in gender or cultural studies, so this really helped me get a feel for what that could potentially look like.
I also started my training for this upcoming fall 2013 as a Peer Advisor! For those of you who will be freshman in the fall, you’ll be enrolled in a kind of “Linfield/College 101″ course. This is geared toward introducing students to Linfield and helping them get a feel for how life and studies on campus works. As a Peer Advisor, I get to work with a class of students as an assistant to the Faculty Member who teaches the course and as a resource for students. So, I help with everything from registering for that very first fall semester to guiding you around campus policies and getting involved in student activities. I found it really beneficial as a freshman–I still take classes from my Faculty Advisor, Dr. Brian Winkenweder. So, I’m really excited to start work! It’ll be a really great experience and I’m looking forward to getting to know the incoming freshmen, especially for my senior year!
In other news, despite my workload, I’ve been able to keep up a lively social life–which is always nice to balance out the stress. For my friend, Annika’s, birthday, we threw her a Great Gatsby themed party! ‘The Great Gatsby” is one of my favorite books, not to mention I really love Modernism as a genre, so I was really excited. I love decorating and setting up for events like this, so it was a lot of fun to be able to do this. So, of course, I made themed cupcakes–little tuxedos in honor of the section in the book where Gatsby and Daisy run around his mansion throwing all his silk shirts in the air. (They were a hit) Everyone looked amazing and wore costumes–you’d think that after elementary school themed birthday parties go down the drain, the truth is that they get even better and more interesting!
Tonight, I’ll be attending a lecture by Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt, called “The Accelerating Universe”. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to see him speak–did I mention that it’s free and open to the public? The lecture is a part of a series symposium. Linfield is one of five locations that hosts this. So, I’d say we’re pretty lucky to see it. I’m not well versed in the sciences, but I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see him speak. The lecture itself is about the expansion of the universe which I’m sure, even if I’m not familiar with all of the technical verbiage, will prove to be very interesting. I absolutely love how Linfield provides such great opportunities for learning across all disciplines. I’m really looking forward to tonight and the many other amazing lectures they’ve scheduled for the year.
For more info on the lecture, follow the link: http://www.linfield.edu/linfield-news/expanding-universe/
Annika and I were going for the Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker look.
My lovely tuxedo cupcakes, don’t they look delicious?
Kyra: April Sunshine, with Hopefully Few Showers
It’s the first day back from Spring Break and so far, the weather is holding! My fingers are crossed that this gorgeous streak of sunshine will continue (However, since this is this Pacific Northwest, I predict rain by the end of the week). It made for a lovely spring break. It’s nice to return to campus in the same vein of wonderful weather. I know I’ve probably said this before, but Oregon in the Spring is absolutely beautiful. Everything is green and growing–not to mention that we finally get to see the sun! It is hard to focus on studying, reading and writing when it’s warm out though. I’m glad I got most of my cabin fever out over the break.
Spring break is always a welcome release from school. It’s easy to get completely caught up in working and studying, but a week off provides the very necessary breather to keep things sane. I didn’t do much over the break, I returned home to Sandy to see my family and relax. My little sister, who is a freshman in college now, was also on Spring Break, so we got to spend time together like we haven’t been able to in months. Whenever I’m home over break, I like seeing my friends and family, exploring Portland and trying new restaurants. That’s all my mind needs to recharge for school.
As always, I have a list of must-see’s and do’s for Portland. My first Saturday back in Portland, my mother, sister and I spent the day together and went to Pastini Pasteria in downtown Portland’s. Coincidentally, it’s right near the Portland Campus on 23rd street, so if you’re planning on visiting or going to our Nursing school, I reccomend a visit. They serve the most amazing pasta and guilt inducing dessert (although I really didn’t feel guilt at all). Definitely try their Tiramisu. I think it’d be a great place to go if you’re just in the area for lunch, or if you’re celebrating your acceptance to Linfield or our Nursing program! 23rd street is a great strip to explore. It’s the epitome of eclectic Portland–a great mix of shops, restaurants and the occasional food or coffee cart (and of course local and sustainable, would we expect anything else from the city?).
Of course, there were times for friends as well. That’s another nice aspect of spring break–it gives you the chance to reconnect with your friends that you might not normally see when you’re at school. In high school, it’s fairly easy to stay in touch with everyone. It’s a little bit harder to keep contact once everyone disperses after gradutation, however. One of my closest friends from high school attends Whitworth in Spokane, and spent this past summer in Manhattan, so we always try to spend at least one evening together when we’re home. This time, and I feel only a slight twinge of guilt, we went to see “The Host”. Yes, it’s rather like a futuristic post-apocalyptic Twilight with aliens, but it really is kind of fun to watch a movie and come away with a description like that. Bad movies are usually the best to see with friends.
Winding down the week, my family went out to breakfast with my older brother at a restaurant called, “Slappy Cakes”. This is another purely Portland experience. It’s kind of a long wait to get in, but if you’re visiting Portland for a couple days, or are driving through back from or to Spring Break, this is a great place to go. As the name references, go here for the pancakes, which you actually can customize and make yourself at the table. You order whatever batter and toppings you want–anywhere from savory with bacon and green onion to sweet like chocolate chips and fruit, to different like honey and lavender. They give you all of the ingredients and you can make the pancakes to your preference–or you can give them your order and have them make it for you. My sister ordered chocolate chips and almonds, but I decided to order off the menu because really–I cook for myself all the time and I felt lazy. It’s a fun experience that I definitely reccommend you try at least once.
Packing up and coming home is always a little bittersweet, but I’m excited to see where the rest of the semester leads! I have some pretty great opportunities lined up for the rest of the year and summer that I’m looking forward to starting, which I’ll tell you all about next time! For now, I’m just happy to be back and see all of the familiar faces I love at Linfield. This is the last semester of my junior year!
Delicious dessert at Pastini!
My siblings and I at Slappy Cakes!
My little sister, Sierra, and I.
Kyra: Bag and Baggage, Spring Break!
This week is about to take off! The few days before Spring Break are always packed with events, midterms, studying and more. By the time break actually rolls around, it’s much needed. I have three fairly intense midterm exams in the next several days, so I’m very much looking forward to taking a breather from studying.
However much I complain about exams and the copious amounts of reading, writing, and stressing these require, I really do love all my classes this year. I’ve always been able to get into all the classes that I wanted, throughout my time at Linfield, but I feel like I’m finally narrowing down my interest pool to what I want to pursue after graduation. Being a Junior is wonderful, my circle of friends are an amazing support system, especially when school and life get overwhelming. This weekend, we were able to get together and take a break from diving into our reading. It was nice to leave the books at home for an evening and have a lovely evening with everyone. Of course, it being St. Patrick’s Day, we all had to wear green.
Earlier this week, I was inducted into the Linfield’s brand new chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, a international English Literature honorary. Several Lit majors, along with our professors, had petitioned to open up a division at Linfield this fall, so it was nice to see that come into fruition. About fifteen other English and Creative Writing students were inducted into the honor society, so we had a small get together where we brainstormed for the upcoming years. Since we’re the inaugral group, we have a lot of freedom in deciding what we’d like to do with the club in the future. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it goes! I’m sure it will be a lot of fun–the department is very close, so we tend to work well together. After only the first meeting, we already have a ton of great ideas. Lastly, we all recieved some very cool pins for the honorary society, which look very spiffy.
I also had the wonderful opportunity to see a play with my Shakespeare class, last Thursday. Currently, we’re reading “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and the Bag & Baggage Theatre in Hillsboro is showing a production of John Dennis’ 1702 rewrite of the play. So, we were able to get tickets to hold the two in comparison. What made this even more interesting was the setting! The entire show was presented as a 1950′s black and white sitcom. Everything was in black and white–the set, the costuming, the makeup etc. I’d never seen “Merry Wives” portrayed as such, or even any live production with this type of set. Overall, the cast pulled the show off wonderfully. Seeing the show with other students from my class was a lot of fun as well–since we’d been having all the same group discussions, we were able to talk with some familiarity about the show, and get into some interesting topics.
Today in class, we had the pleasure of speaking with the director of the production, Scott Palmer. He answered questions we had about all aspects of the show–casting, inspiration, scripts etc. It was interesting to get the multiple perspectives after the lapse between seeing the show and discussing it, especially with the artistic director present.
If you’re interested in seeing the production, follow the link: http://www.bagnbaggage.org/
After this week, spring break can’t come sooner! I’m very much looking forward to seeing my family, friends, and spending a little time at home.
