OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
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A small, committed few people can change the world. Kevin Rome
President of Lincoln University in Jefferson City
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Kevin Rome, president of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. speaks at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration kickoff Monday.
OSU celebrates ‘Ordinary People, Extraordinary Change’ n
33rd annual MLK celebration honors MLK legacy, pushes for continuing social change By Abigail Erickson THE DAILY BAROMETER
Every annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration centers around a theme, and this year, the theme of “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Change” resonates with the idea that everyone has the ability to instill change. As Kevin Rome, president of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. said, “A small, committed few people can change the world.” The 33rd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Oregon State University is designed to not only honor MLK’s legacy, but promote the idea that anyone can make a positive impact in society. “I can’t speak on behalf of my department,” said Binh Le, a communications graduate assistant for the office
of equity and inclusion at OSU. “But for me personally, it’s the opportunity to honor MLK’s legacy and his work. Furthermore, it’s an opportunity to remember that MLK’s work is not done and that we as a community can continue working to shape and incorporate his vision.” OSU has a variety of events scheduled between Monday, Jan. 12 and Thursday, Jan. 22 designed to educate attendees about MLK’s work and promote the ideas behind this year’s theme. The celebration kicked off with a presentation by Rome Jan. 12 at 2 p.m., followed by a panel discussion titled “Creating Change.” The panel discussion included Rome as well as Larry Roper, former vice provost of student affairs at OSU; Brandi Douglas, University Housing and Dining Services and Crystal Boson, assistant professor in the Fepartment of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Denson Chatfield, the new director of the Department of See MLK | page 2
VOL. CXVII, NO. 52
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#beBEAVERBOLD watch party strikes social media nerve n
Students, alumni respond with mixed reactions to call for support of Ducks during game By Abigail Erickson and Kat Kothen THE DAILY BAROMETER
Abigail Erickson
TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 2015
The University of Oregon Ducks might have played halfway across the country, but Monday night, the U of O and Oregon State University rivalry endured. Sort of. The department of Student Events and Activities hosted a screening of the College Football National Championship Game Jan. 12 in the Memorial Union Commons. The screening encouraged students to #beBEAVERBOLD, inviting them to wear Duck colors for a prize drawing. The program received a great deal of online backlash. Posters on Facebook groups like “Things Overheard at OSU” and Twitter users with the #beBEAVERBOLD angrily protested the event and were especially adamant against wearing University of Oregon colors. Evidence of controversy was absent at the actual watch party; under the
dim, green-tinted lights in the MU Commons, students sat quietly with their dinners in front of a large screen where the game was being broadcast. Occasionally, a select few students cheered, but for the most part, the game was met with little enthusiasm. A few members of the group were excited to cheer on the Ducks. “I was hoping to go to Texas, but couldn’t find any tickets that were cheap,” said Mo-Kim Almoussaoui, an alumnus in mechanical engineering. Almoussaoui added that he always wears U of O gear on game days. Some attendees thought the rivalry was trivial, and most were in agreement that U of O was representing the state of Oregon and any animosity could be set aside to support the state. Internet users were more vocal in their criticism of the school’s decision to support U of O, but many individual students were more enthusiastic to see the Ducks represent the Pac-12. “I think it’s radical,” said Yves Nshimiye, a junior in computer science. “They should do this more often.” Many posters on social media criticized the #beBEAVERBOLD initiative See #BEBEAVERBOLD | page 3
Nicki Silva
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
People dined in the Memorial Union Commons while watching the College Football National Championship Game.
Renewable energy has bright future n
Renewable energy priority for OSU in research, practice By Kat Kothen
THE DAILY BAROMETER
Kat Kothen
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Rows of solar panels contrast against the natural landscape off of 35th Street; this solar array field is the largest on campus.
The problem with renewable energy is not the lack of technology, but the fact that renewable energy sources don’t always meet the demands of consumers. Distribution of energy is done by system operators; these system operators choose the energy sources and supply consumers with energy. When choosing energy sources, system operators look at what sources are most reliable, have the lowest cost and have the most on-demand power, said Joshua Merritt,
graduate student in public policy and mechanical engineering. Merritt is a coauthor on a recent publication on hybrid energy systems. Hybrid energy systems are the combination of two types of energy systems that complement one another. An example of a type of hybrid energy system is a natural gas plant paired with a wind energy system. The study was a review and analysis of different types of hybrid technologies. Researchers looked at the impact of hybrid systems on renewable energy usage and compared the different types of hybrid systems. The current issue with using renewable energy sources by themselves is
Out of the box Oregon State men’s basketball stats Sports, page 5
that while they are supplying power, the amount of power at a certain time may not meet the energy consumption. At peak hours of the day, like in the morning or the evening, there are a lot of people using home appliances, so the amount of energy that needs to be supplied to the area is greater than a purely wind energy plant, or other source of renewable energy, could normally supply. “One of our biggest conclusions was by pairing two symbiotic systems together, we might actually increase our renewable energy penetration,” Merritt said. “One of the biggest fears See ENERGY | page 2
Column: Reflecting on Moscow, Idaho shooting Forum, page 7