News & Features Editor

Health care costs have increased dramatically over the past few decades.  Some families have to choose between buying food and paying to see a doctor.  Many Oregonians, including Jim Kreider, feel that is not right.

Kreider is a member of Health Care for All Oregon, part of the Oregon Rural Action network.  HCAO is a grassroots effort by Oregonians seeking a universal health care system in the state.

The organization’s mission is to form a system that is high quality and publicly funded.  Eventually the group would like to see the United States adopt a similar nationwide system as well.

One of the main beliefs of HCAO members and supporters is that health care is a human right.

HCAO members believe that every person deserves quality health care simply by virtue of being human.  Kreider said, “If we see someone with a broken leg, we want to see them get help.  If they can’t afford the help, we wonder why no one is helping them.”

Some people have voiced opposition to the health care as a human right campaign.  Kreider said that he believes a lot of that is due to the “American spirit” of working to get what is needed.  Kreider also said that he feels sometimes opinions change based on a rural or urban lifestyle.

Regarding Eastern Oregon, Kreider said, “I think a lot of people out here are independent; pull yourself up by the bootstraps; earn what you get; there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”  Kreider added, “But the other side of that argument is that if these people who are underinsured or uninsured continue to use the emergency room and emergency services, those costs get passed on to us anyway as consumers.”

Key concepts for the system proposed by the HCAO include universality, equity, accountability, transparency, participation and public good.

Universality means as a human right, health care should be affordable and available to everyone, without exception.  Equity allows for easy access to services according to people’s needs, not according to payment, privilege or any other factor.  Accountability is important so procedures exist that allow enforcement of the right to health care.

Public institutions managing the system must be open with regard to information, decision-making and management.  Participation relates to the public being active in decisions that affect their right to health care.  Health care is a primary part of a fair society and is needed for the public good.

Administrative costs add significantly to the overall price of health care.  For example, Medicare spends about 5 percent on administrative expenses while private insurers spend almost 17 percent.

As a publicly managed plan, like Medicare, statewide single-payer insurance would eliminate much of the administrative overhead currently seen in the health care market.

The HCAO educates people on their campaign through house parties, letter writing, a story project and other public events. The public events often feature petition signings or photo petitions for people to show their support for the organization.

HCAO efforts have reached Salem in the form of House Bill 2922, The Affordable Care for All Oregon Plan.  The bill, co-sponsored by Representatives Michael Dembrow (D) District 45 and Jennifer Williamson (D) District 36, offers a publicly funded plan to cover everyone living or working in Oregon.

The House Committee on Health Care will hold a hearing on HB 2922 on Monday, May 13 at 1 p.m.  For more information on the hearing and other events, contact HCAO through its website at hcao.org.

Jesus

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”

Matthew 5:39 “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:40 “And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.”

Matthew 5:42 “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”

Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Matthew 6:5-6    (ATTENTION T-BOWERS)! “Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee.”

Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: Ye cannot serve God and mammon (wealth or riches).”

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Matthew 19:23-24 “Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 23:11” But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Matthew 26:52 “For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

John 8:7 “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”

 Contributing Writer

Heidi Harris.

For Professor Heidi Harris, writing has always been a fascinating subject to teach, preferring it over other fields of study.

“I can barely balance a checkbook,” Harris admitted, shrugging her shoulders, “so math was out.”

Harris, who has taught writing and English courses at Eastern Oregon University for four years, teaches both on-campus and online classes.

“It’s all teaching to me.,” Harris said.

Born in 1975 in Minnesota, a state she calls gorgeous in the summer and treacherous in the winter, Harris remembers being shy in school and reading books much of the time.

“I was like the nerdy little girl with big glasses,” Harris said. She added that having outgoing friends in high school helped her overcome her shyness.

At college, Harris’ interest in teaching and writing increased thanks to her professors; one of whom frequently had her write a ten page essay, then, after reading it, had her re-write the assignment starting with the two best paragraphs of the previous essay.

After graduating from college at 22, teaching was initially hard for Harris. On her first day, Harris felt like an inferior teacher to the point of being an impostor. A colleague told Harris to take a sip of coffee whenever she felt nervous in order to relax.

Harris said, “I drank the whole cup in the first five minutes.” She added, “I pretended to take a sip afterwards for the rest of the day whenever I needed to think. I was just totally afraid I was going to be found out as an impostor at any moment.”

Teaching became easier for Harris over time as she gained experience from several universities before coming to EOU.

Harris manages to make her online classes interactive without always having to leave her house.  She recently taught Creative Writing workshops over Blackboard without having to get out of her pajamas. Her favorite class to teach is digital rhetoric.

“It’s basically the art of how to argue,” Harris explained. “I get excited about talking about new media and the incredible impact that it’s had on our world. We can make real change in the world using digital technology.”

When asked about advice Harris received from her teachers as a college student, she remembered that one teacher told her “the only thing to have to decide as a teacher is whether you want to be respected or feared.” Harris didn’t have difficulty making her choice.

“A teacher can’t approach students and be like ‘I am the teacher and you are the students and you will do what I say!’” Harris said.  “We’re all humans in this together.”

Contributing Writer

Speel-Ya, the Native American Student Council, is one of the oldest campus clubs at EOU.

Speel-Ya is open to all students, Native and non-Native, and works to build a community where new students feel welcome and at home. The club reaches out to new and returning American Indian and Alaska Native students and provides social and cultural connections.

“People don’t know that you don’t have to be native or there is something you need to do to become a Speel-Ya member. I just smile and say just show up and keep showing up.”  Speel-Ya president J Johansen said.

As a part of this year’s Spring Powwow, Speel-Ya reached out to the International Student Association and the Polynesian Club and invited them to share their cultures. ISA will perform a dance on Friday evening, May 17; the Polynesian Club performs Saturday, May 18.

“We want to showcase our cultural clubs on campus and let visitors know EOU is a great campus and place to go to school, with a lot of diversity for our size. It is important for other EOU clubs to learn about Speel-Ya, and the tribal affiliations represented in the group, after all American Indian and Alaska Native peoples are the first inhabitants of this country” Speel-Ya adviser Jacqueline Grant said.

Speel-Ya’s major event each year is the Powwow. The Powwow is a celebration involving dancers, drummers and singers. Many of the dancers perform traditional dance styles of tribes located in the Columbia Basin Plateau region.

All dancers, drummers and singers are welcome and guests often travel from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and California.

Craft vendors are a big part of this celebration, bringing hand-made items such as jewelry, flutes, drums and supplies to make outfits, necklaces, and beaded items.

“For our area, we have the best assortment of Native style items” Grant said.

Speel-Ya is holding two raffles associated with this event. Proceeds from raffle sales help to cover costs for the powwow as well as to add funds for club activities. The Donation Raffle has an assortment of prizes available, and tickets sell for $1 each or six tickets for $5.

Special prizes include: a one-night stay, dinner and golf for two from Chinook Winds Casino Resort, a one-night stay golf, free admission to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute for a museum visit and a FunBook from Wildhorse Resort & Casino, two rounds of golf from Buffalo Peak, a Pendleton Blanket from Pendleton Woolen Mills. La Grande downtown merchants also donate a variety of gift items and gift cards.

“We truly appreciate all our local businesses for the support they have given,” Jackie Grant said.

Speel-Ya is selling tickets for a special raffle that features a hand-made drum, painted and finished by J. Johansen, Speel-Ya President. Tickets sell for $5 each and only 200 tickets will be sold.

Volunteers for this event are welcome.  Students interested in volunteering can contact Speel-Ya Officers; J. Johansen, Shoshoni Walker, Elysa Hoekman or Katie Harris at 541-962-3141.

The Powwow and Friendship Feast will take place Friday and Saturday, May 17-18, 2013, in Quinn Coliseum. Grand entry is at 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 & 7 p.m., Saturday in Quinn Coliseum. The Friendship Feast is at 5 p.m. on Saturday in the Gilbert Center. This event is free and open to the public.

For more information visit www.eou.edu/powwow

Contributing Writer  

Little boy on a hourse.

Beginning May 10, The ArtsEast’s office gallery is featuring the two remaining artists who received Honored Artists awards at the 2012 Artists of Eastern Oregon Biennial Show. An opening reception is scheduled from 5 – 8 p.m.

Peter Johnson is an associate professor of art at Eastern Oregon University.  He spent this past year on sabbatical.

“I am interested in how the artifacts we leave behind speak to our history and cultural identity,” Johnson said.  “My work is meant to straddle the present, simultaneously looking back to the past and towards the future. It catalogues the act of making, constructing, inventing, and reinventing.”

The photography of CM Sitz reveals the sense of beauty, wonder and mystery surrounding her life on a Harney County cattle ranch. Through her lens she captures the lives and loves of ranch folk, considered by most to be a lifestyle from a nostalgic bygone era.

The exhibit runs through June 28.  The ArtsEast office gallery is located in the Community

Red turbine with wire.

School of the Arts Building, Sixth Street and L Avenue, across from the La Grande police station.  Office hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.  For information call 541-962-3624 or email dheath@eou.edu.

We selected an ancient Betty Crocker cook book and looked up the recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Following the recipe exactly—or so we thought—we mixed together all of the ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, salt and chocolate chips.

For those of you out there who are expert cookie bakers, you’ll notice that two ingredients are missing from the list in the previous paragraph. Yes, my sister and I forgot to add the butter and baking soda. When the plastic chicken timer buzzed that our cookies were finished baking, my sister and I were horrified to see what resembled charred cow patties resting on the baking sheet instead of fluffy, ooey-gooey cookies. We had also set the timer incorrectly.

We had no time to prepare another batch of cookies, so my sister and I put on our game faces—and our best dresses—and carefully set the scene for our Mother’s Day surprise in preparation for Mom’s arrival home from work.

When she walked in the front door, my little eight-year old sister and I stood, in white frilly dresses, holding a silver baking sheet of the sorriest looking chocolate chip cookies I have ever seen or made. It was with horror that I happened to look in the kitchen just as she walked through the door. Every surface was covered in flour and other various ingredients. As I stood there and panicked, my mother took one look at us, and our cookies and started to cry.

I didn’t know it then, but as a single mother, my mother met her fair share of trials and tribulations. Her strength and courage was repeatedly tested over the years, but she continued the struggle of raising two girls on her own. She dug deep when she needed to and she conquered her fears of being alone. I can only imagine how overcome she was with love as she stood there and looked at her two little ones doing their very best to give her the best Mother’s Day ever.

I love you, Mom. I am grateful every day that you are my mother and that you had the strength, love and courage to carry on for us.

I’m also very, very glad that you never got mad about the messy kitchen. Happy Mother’s Day to you and all mothers.

Contributing Writer

Polo team practicing.

The recent budget cuts at EOU affect more than academics. The budgets of small programs were cut to the point that many are struggling to find a way to survive next year. One of the programs with an uncertain future is the EOU polo team.

The polo team has bounced back from several hard years of leadership and enrollment issues. This year the team had a significant rise in membership and participation.

The team attended several tournaments at the beginning of the season before losing (out) (to who)in the Regional Prelims tournament in Wilsonville, Ore.

President Christina McCullough said, “The Wilsonville tournament was disappointing because we had really hoped to go further, but it was also exciting because we were finally able to use our own horses and they performed better than we could have imagined.”

The polo club is not exclusive to those who play polo; they welcome anyone who enjoys riding and being around horses.

“We try to mix it up for the horses, because if it’s just polo every day they get burnt out. So we go on trail rides, we’ve barrel raced a few times, we basically do anything to keep the horses in shape and happy,” McCullough said.

Unlike other sports, the home-team in a polo tournament supplies all the equipment for the match, including horses, and provides accommodations for the visiting team.

McCullough described the polo community as friendly and inviting. They have built relationships with polo players from all over the northwest.

McCullough said playing Polo is an experience like no other.

“Plus, the adrenaline rush when you climb on a 1500 pound horse to basically play croquet is unlike anything I’ve ever felt. You’re excited, your horse is excited. The whole thing is indescribable,” McCullough said.

With the uncertainty of next year looming over every practice session, the polo team is scrambling to put together a budget plan so that they can continue playing the sport they love.

Contributing Writer

The summer blockbuster season kicked off in the middle of spring this year with the April 19 release of “Oblivion”, produced and directed by Joseph Kosinksi (“Tron: Legacy”).

Starring Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, and Morgan Freeman, the film mixes dystopian and post-apocalyptic motifs to present a scenario that, while not original by any stretch of the science fiction imagination, nonetheless manages to be an enjoyable viewing experience.

The film follows Jack Harper (Cruise), a human survivor on the battered, abandoned Earth of 2077.  With the assistance of Victoria (Riseborough), his communications officer and lover, Jack works as a “tech,” repairing drones that scour the landscape for aliens known as Scavs, who destroyed Earth’s moon and devastated the planet sixty years earlier.

The arrival of a spaceship carrying humans alters the pair’s plan to join a survivor colony on Titan, and when the drones kill all but one (Kurylenko) of the ship’s occupants, Jack begins to realize that the past he thought he knew may not be the past that actually occurred.

This is a film with all we expect from science fiction on the big screen: isolated survivors on a hostile planet, themes of memory loss and déjà vu and enough gunfire to satisfy our inner teenagers, while managing to leave enough room for plot and (some) character development.

In many ways, it feels like a sci-fi flick straight out of the 1970s or 1980s.  But this isn’t so much a criticism as a statement of fact, and the film wisely doesn’t pretend to be anything other than the fairly typical narrative it is.

The acting from the leads, particularly Cruise, frequently makes the script seem better than it actually is.  Though predictable, the plot manages to work in a few moments that should surprise even seasoned filmgoers.

But the highlight for most viewers will undoubtedly be the visual effects, under which we can include the conceptual design of the futuristic vehicles.  The vistas are so crisp that it is quite easy to forget that what we are watching is a digitally created world.

And, in the end, isn’t that what going to the movies is all about?

THE VERDICT: 3 and a half stars (out of 5)

Acting: 3 stars

Dialogue: 2 and a half stars

Musical Score: 4 stars

Plot: 3 and a half stars

Visual Effects/Cinematography: 4 and a half stars

THE TAKEAWAY: Viewers expecting a deeply philosophical film a la 2001: A Space Odyssey or the innovative feel of Inception may want to consider staying away.  But anyone looking for a fun, consistently paced, big-budget sci-fi movie should not hesitate to see “Oblivion”.

The band describes its music as “Western Americana,” but that’s not even close. Mix Elvis, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Bob Dylan and Devo or the Sex Pistols with a dash of Stray Cats and you might get close. These guys are beyond genre.

Old Death Whisper played their May 2 show at the newly restored Liberty Theatre. To keep from forming a biased opinion, I seldom read about a band beforehand; I didn’t know what to expect.

I walked into a half-filled, small theatre and my eyes immediately lit up; on the stage were an upright bass and a generous selection of Gretsch guitars and Fender amplifiers. No way could this be bad.

It wasn’t bad; it was great. Chuy Hartman, aka “Spike,” opened the show with a few hard-driving, eclectic banjo tunes that defy description. Spike himself is giant bear of a man with a beard that looks like No. 4 grade steel wool. He is also an excellent musician and singer.

The rest of the band joined him on stage and they look unusual–in a good way– to say the least.

J.R. Hood shared most of the vocal duties with Spike. J.R. looks like he rolled off a flat car about a mile from the railroad exchange here in La Grande.

I’m just kidding—kind of. J.R. was a good guitar player and great vocalist and songwriter. Four of the band’s five members are songwriters—great songwriters at that.

Drew Tomseth pounded the skins with vigor and wears the same hat Dylan wore on his debut album. Between the hat and his unusually contoured moustache he looked like a deserter from a Greek fishing trawler.

Cole Wells played excellent steel guitar and lead electric guitar and wouldn’t look out of place in an MIT laboratory.

Kent Mueller played great upright bass and sang some good vocals as well. He’s the most “normal” looking one of the bunch.

These guys played a high energy two-hour show of mostly originals. Dig these song titles: “Dead Outlaw,” IronCuffs” and “Wish I was your Bottle” (use your imagination).

This was one of the most exciting and original music shows I’ve seen in La Grande. Unfortunately, attendance was poor; only half of the 60 or so seats were occupied.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people whining and moaning there’s nothing to do in La Grande. I saw plenty of posters for the concert, but maybe the same people whining there’s nothing to do are also illiterate—that wouldn’t surprise me.

Really, next time you’re looking for something to do, look at the bulletin boards here or in town. Look at La Grande Life on the web. Or maybe it’s just easier to complain.

News & Features Editor

On April 12 and 13, Oregon State University radio station KBVR-FM hosted the first Northwest College Radio Conference.

Colleges and universities throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho were invited to  the event, which offered workshops and roundtable discussions on a variety of topics.

Representatives from KBVR-FM at OSU, KEOL-FM from EOU, Lewis and Clark College’s KLC Radio from Portland, Linfield College’s KSLC- FM in McMinnville, KTEC-FM from Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls and KWVA-FM from the University of Oregon in Eugene attended the conference.

Finn J.D. John spoke to the gathering Saturday morning at about 9:30.  John is an author, a public historian and a professor in OSU’s New Media Communication department.

John talked about how radio is the only source of news for many people.  His final argument was that newer technologies like podcasts and Twitter feeds are actually a modern form of radio.  John challenged the college radio stations to use these resources to “inform and entertain”.

The workshops included “Throwing a Concert”, in which station managers Shannon Boerner from KLC, Rocky Gothard from KEOL and Kurt Hagen from KBVR explained the steps needed to host various events.

“Indecency and Obscenity” with KVBR’s engineer Jack Kemp and KWVA’s station manager Charolette Nisser Legg discussed the subject of what can and cannot be said on broadcast radio.

The “Storytelling for Radio and Beyond” workshop offered discussion on news reporting for radio and television.  Jodie Davaz, news director at KBVR-FM, and Hayden Wilcox, news producer at KBVR-TV led the discussion.

An interesting idea from Davaz and Wilcox’s workshop was the newly formed Orange News Network.  In this network, KBVR-FM, KBVR-TV and the OSU student newspaper, The Daily Barometer, share news sources for better coverage of news stories.

Davaz explained, “KBVR-FM broadcasts a short story in the morning.  We then share the sources with the network.  KBVR-TV could broadcast a longer story in the evening.  The next day, The Barometer would run the full story.”  The network’s trial run is in 2014.

The afternoon roundtables united people with similar duties to talk about issues facing college radio stations.  Popular roundtables offered forums for station managers, program directors and music directors.  Also, a roundtable on disc jockey recruitment and retention drew many participants.

Discussions drifted to station budgets later in the day.  Larger schools receive enough funding to allow more station activities for radio personnel.  Smaller schools rely on underwriting and donation to increase the budget.

The University of Oregon is the tentative host for the next NWCRC in the fall of 2013.

A&E Editor; Editor-in-Chief

In the wake of the recent hiring freeze at Eastern Oregon University, many have questions about the state of current and future programs offered. While many remain unanswered, one didn’t.

The low-residency master of fine arts degree in creative writing is on hold—for now.

“It’s on hold until after this fiscal year ends,” Dr. Jodi Varon said. Varon and fellow English faculty member, Dr. David Axelrod, hoped to begin the new MFA during the 2013 summer semester.

“In July (of this year), Dean Steve Gammon and I will sit down and review the program’s parameters once again, with the hopeful outcome of accepting applications for the first cohort to begin summer 2014,” Varon said.

Students who applied to the MFA for the 2013 summer program were disappointed that the program was put on hold, she said.

“Two had turned down other programs in order to study at EOU this coming summer,” Varon said. She added that all the students who were accepted are welcome to enroll in 2014, and their acceptance into the MFA program was extended until then.

EOU refunded the $50 application fees of every student applicant.

Varon said that the  faculty is still in support of the MFA and has been “so kind and gracious” when she had to inform them of the hold.

Chris Howell, Jon Raymond, Lidia Yuknavitch, Barry Kitterman, Christine Holbert of Lost Horse Press, Susan Denning, and Justin Hocking of the Independent Publishing Resource Center are some of the faculty who hope to teach in the MFA once it is implemented.

“Everyone has tried to cheer us on. Their support has been gratifying,” Varon said. Both, Dr. Varon and Axelrod still have “high hopes for the future of the program.”

Contributing Writer

The Veterans Club is open to all veterans who are students at EOU, and encourages men and women in the military to transition from military life into academics.
“Being a student in this time is difficult enough but for veteran students, this can be even more stressful,” said Richard Quillin, 47, who spent eight years in the United States Army and two and half years as a Veterans Club member.
An E-6 Staff Sergeant during active duty, Quillin is now responsible for reviving the Veterans Club at EOU.
Many veterans and their families face the challenge of overcoming mental health issues such as substance abuse and thoughts of suicide. They often find it difficult to get the help they need to re- enter civilian society.
When a student is having difficulty with a class, someone from the Veterans Club works with the student and professor to build a bridge of cooperation.
Quillin said, “We are not just a club, but view all veteran students as our brothers and sisters, and our main goal is to be there for them all.”
The biggest advantage of belonging to the club is that members can feel that they are important and receive support to achieve their goals in the academic world.
Knowing that other veterans share the same difficulty in life transitions and university studies can give students confidence, which enables them to achieve their goals.

The Veterans Club wants EOU students, faculty and community members to remember; the group is not looking for a handout, but a hand up. They also ask for compassion and understanding.
Quillin said that veterans are the guardians of all citizens in the United States.
“These fine men and women have served you and your country in an honorable manner and many have given much to you and your families.”

Do the same for them.