VOL. CXVIII, No. 75
DailyBarometer.com
Monday, february 1, 2016 Oregon State University
‘Students engaging tomorrow’ Divest club organizes rally, asks OSU to stop supporting fossil fuel use By Jason Owen News Contributor
Joshua Lucas | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Mary Gromet, Molly Kirkpatrick, Lindsey Stallard, and Emily Modelski, look for bones in clay found Friday at Reser Stadium.
Excavating history OSU students given hands-on experience uncovering fossils By Riley Youngman News Reporter
Elbows deep in a plastic teal tub full of muddy water, Wes Brown, a senior in bioresource research, pulls out a piece of mammoth bone he has been carefully cleaning for the last ten minutes and holds it up to get a closer look. Although Brown is unable to identify what exactly the bone is, he smiles as he inspects his discovery. Like Brown, near one hundred students, professors and community members voyaged to a damp storage garage underneath the Reser Stadium stands Friday afternoon to help process the remaining piles of dirt containing bone. Chris Foertsch, a graduate student in applied cultural anthropology, studies people in the present, but he jumped at the chance to help process the bones. Although there were no human remains or artifacts found, Foertsch said these creatures existed alongside humans at one point. “We’re not working with people here but we’re touching these creatures that used to walk around right here, right where we are,” Foertsch said. “People used to see these creatures, maybe not this guy in particular, but they would see them and hunt them and taste them, tell stories and myths about them, so it is pretty magical to be touching this ancient creature that lived 10,000 years ago.” Mike Full, a retired police officer who lives in McMinnville, assisted with paleontological digs and bone preservation as a hobby, and has gained a positive reputation among local scientists and experts. Full is assisting with the mammoth excavation and was present at the event Friday where he spent most of his time talking with students and community members about the process. “The bones will stay in the water for as long as they can be,” Full said. “This stuff has had several thousands of years to become saturated with water underground, so we can’t force anymore water into it. It will dry in a matter
of days in the wrong environment and turn to dust.” Full then explained that the pieces will be examined, sorted and identified all while scientists work to piece the bones back together. Full has worked in the past restoring skeletons belonging to mammoth, mastodon, bison andmany other prehistoric creatures. “The bones will remain underwater until they are taken out and saturated with a water based polyurethane coating that will stabilize them and harden them enough to be able to work with,” Full said. Although not a paleontologist by trade, Full collected fossils growing up, and after retiring as a police officer he began the Willamette Valley Pleistocene Project, in which he and local volunteers work alongside trained professionals to discover, study and preserve the prehistoric past. Loren Davis, an associate professor at Oregon State University in anthropology, has been leading the efforts on campus excavating and processing the remains. Davis teaches a Pacific Northwest prehistory class and has discussed extinct animals in lectures, and saw this dig as an excellent opportunity for students to obtain some hands on learning. “This was actually the assignment for the week — students were to come out and learn some things about the past by helping to do this,” Davis said. Davis was contacted when the discovery was made Monday afternoon, and he immediately surveyed the site. After determining there were no human remains or artifacts, which are regulated under stricter state and federal laws, Davis was told he would have half a day to extract as much as he could from the stadium before he would be forced to leave so construction could continue. “All of this dirt was excavated on Tuesday. On Monday I just came down and did an initial assessment of what was going on, and we all came to the conclusion that these were very large extinct animal bones,” Davis said. “On Tuesday, we all got to work early in the morning then all day long exposing and taking out as intact stuff as we could, then using machines to take out big pieces of dirt.”
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According to Davis, the excavated dirt was piled on the five yard line, out of the way of the construction crews, where it remained until Friday when it was brought up to the garage for processing. Although Davis used the event as an educational opportunity, he also saw it as a way to get necessary work done. “Honestly, we needed to process the dirt off of the five yard line, and we also needed to get the bone out of the dirt, so we thought what better opportunity would there be for students? We get the help we need, they get great experience,” Davis said. Davis is an archeologist by trade, so he focuses primarily on ancient people, but he
See Fossil, Page 2
Joshua Lucas | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Annie-Rose Eaton searches for bones on Friday at Reser Stadium.
Student organizations in Corvallis are participating in a rally scheduled to take place today. outside of the Memorial Union. The rally titled “Oil Soaked University: Divest”, suggests that proponents of the rally are OSU should not have a financial stake in the fossil fuel industry. According to Luciana Leite, Ph.D. in the Forestry Ecosystems and Society program, the rally intends to hold OSU accountable to its mission statement about environmental impacts. “The purpose of the rally is that we want OSU’s policies to align with the values that they say they have,” Leite said. Students have cited OSU’s mission statement as a source of conflicting values. According to OSU’s website, the mission statement is, “Oregon State University promotes economic, social, cultural, and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, our nation, and the world”. Leite believes that her work as a student is integral to understanding the implications of climate change on various ecosystems around the world. “I’m not fighting this because I’m personally affected — I’m fighting in solidarity with the rest of humanity, with non-human species, and ecosystems worldwide,” Leite said. OSU Foundation is the governing body of Oregon State University’s nearly 1 billion dollar endowment. According to Leite, OSU’s current financial stake in the fossil fuel industry constitutes six percent of the current endowment. OSU Foundation established an advisory committee to interact with stakeholders in December 2013. This advisory board is tasked with listening to concerns from the community. Michele Charrete, a post-doctoral student at OSU studying molecular biology and tropical diseases is a member of Rising Tide Corvallis and decided to redirect his focus to studying the impacts of climate change on health for people in what is known as the global south. “The university should take meaningful action involving divestment in order to comply with statements the institution has previously made, in an effort to confront the imminent threat of climate change,” Charrete said. According to Charrete, there are multiple ways that climate change can be addressed and the opinion of students suggests that the only wrong action is inaction — the equivalent of continuing on the path we are already on. “The people who stand to suffer the most from climate change are the people that have the least access to resources needed in order to provoke change. People with the greatest access to solicit change have a vested interest in a ‘business as usual’ approach,” Charrete said. Another student who will participate in the rally on Feb. 1 is Saul Boulanger, a senior in political science. Boulanger is a member of Allied Students for Another Politics. According to Boulanger, more students should care about the OSU Divest rally. “I encourage people to come because this topic is immediately relevant to all of us – if we don’t give this issue attention on our own terms now, we will be forced to focus on it later, and will have far less options then,” Boulanger said. Boulanger joined ASAP because of his interests in social justice, social equality, and climate change.
See Divest, Page 3
Get to know your student leader, NEWS, PAGE 3 Arizona State vs. Oregon State, SPORTS, PAGE 4 Lunafest films, A&E, PAGE 7
2 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • Monday, Febuary 1, 2016
Fossil
Continued from page 1
said the connection between ancient creatures and humans are closer than one may think. “There is no archeology in these sediments but we can learn about the environments of the people of the past as well,” Davis said. The event itself had volunteers work through the pile of mud and clay in tubs of water while looking for bones. Students, professors and community members processed the piles of dirt for over three hours and primarily found smaller bone fragments. According to Davis, the bones that have been found will now be taken to a lab where they will be restored and used for further research. “We’re going to end up taking the bones to a lab where we are going to work to stabilize it, so we are going to use preservative chemicals,” Davis said. “We’ll actually cure it to a better state so we can handle it, we can measure if needed, we can put things on display and so on.” At this point in time, Davis knows that bison and possibly elk or camel remains have been found along with mammoth. “We have mammoth, that’s for sure. We have bison, and we know that from some pieces of foot bone that were discovered,” Davis said.
“Then there is another bone that we found that is not like mammoth or bison, it is a smaller one so we think based on its size, it is probably camel or horse or elk.” Davis had hoped to also discover remains of a Castoroides, more commonly known as a the giant beaver, but at this point in time he does not believe he has found anything. “I didn’t hear that anything novel had come out today, but you never know. There are a lot of things happening, we’re not seeing everything as it is happening right now. I wouldn’t be surprised though,” Davis said. “We may actually find some smaller animals too. Not all the animals have to be big ones.” Davis said the bones are at least 10,000 years old, but an exact age will not be known until further testing is conducted. “We are going to get some samples submitted for radiocarbon dating, and then we are going to know with a greater precision what the age is,” Davis said. Because of the small amount of time Davis and his crew were allowed to work, he said that there were bones left in the ground. Most notably, a large bone that went under the existing Valley Football Center could not be reached and still remains. Full explained that under different, more normal circumstances, a dig similar to this one would take weeks, even months,to complete
and the large femur bone that was extracted would normally take three or four days to properly remove, compared to the few hours it took for crews to take the bone out of Reser. In addition, Davis said bones were destroyed or damaged in the process because of the hurried nature of the removal. OSU Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Steve Clark has stated that construction has not been delayed and the Valley Football Expansion project will be completed on time, and there will be football in Reser come fall. Davis and other archeologists believe that there are more bones in the area, including underneath the existing locker rooms and football
field itself. Davis hopes this find is a sign of things to come for OSU. “Only great things are ahead of us for OSU and OSU football. The future is mammoth,” Davis said with a laugh. Students have used this find as an opportunity to step outside of the classroom and experience the process of discovery and excavation first hand. “When you think about it, except for in the zoo, we don’t really have big animals in the U.S.,” said Janette Byrd, a graduate student in applied cultural anthropology. “We have bears and creatures like that, but this finding reminds us that once humans were not the big man on
campus.” Morgan Montanez, a graduate student studying applied cultural anthropology claimed that going to a dig site is often expensive and requires traveling out of country at times, so being able to participate in this process on campus is even more special. “This is one of the few applied anthropology programs, so to get to literally apply what we are learning in our own backyard and not having to go far away is great,” Montanez said. “It’s nice to step away from the theory and the books and get our hands dirty.” baro.news@oregonstate.edi
Joshua Lucas | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Corvallis community members and Oregon State Unversity students get their hands dirty as they search through the clay to disover fossils.
Monday, Febuary 1, 2016 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • 3
Sanchez leads Unified Greek Council
Student leader executive director of UGC Magali Sanchez values student experiences By Riley Youngman News Reporter
Although Magali Sanchez, a senior in ethnic studies, describes herself as a relatively shy and sometimes awkward person, those that know her hail her as a strong, passionate, outspoken individual. Born in California, Sanchez was raised in Woodburn, Oregon, and grew up in a migrant family who worked harvesting fruits and vegetables. The second oldest child, Sanchez has four sisters and two brothers. Sanchez visits her family whenever she has the opportunity. “I have a big family and I’m really close with them, so I like being home,” Sanchez said. According to Sanchez, Woodburn has a large population of migrant workers and one of the larger Latino populations in Oregon. Because of this, Sanchez was deeply immersed in Latino culture while growing up and was not used to the culture at OSU when she first arrived. “It was as a bit of a culture shock at first when I got here. It was hard to adjust. But lots of different organizations on campus helped me with that,” Sanchez said. The first in her family to attend college, Sanchez has made the most of her time at Oregon State University. Sanchez is the current executive director of the Unified Greek Council at Oregon State University, and has the honor of being the first to hold that position.
The UGC is an umbrella organization that governs multicultural Greek organizations on campus. There are six organizations that exist under the UGC at OSU, including Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc., where Sanchez is a member. According to Sanchez, the main differences between the Greek organizations under the UGC compared to what many see as “typical” Greek organizations is that the UGC organizations are un-housed, and are all founded with strong cultural and ethnic focuses. But there are similarities as she said, including Greek letters, a lot of community service, philanthropies, sometimes more hands on service, and social events. “People felt a need for these organizations on campus,” Sanchez said. “Being multicultural creates a different environment, you can connect with people that have gone through similar situations as you.” In addition to her work with the UGC, Sanchez also works as the leadership liaison with the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center on campus. Sanchez found her way to ethnic studies her junior year after taking several classes relating to the field, and says the major is a perfect fit for her. “I really enjoy the classes and the professors and the knowledge they have,” Sanchez said. “They have helped me make sense of my experiences as a student. A lot of what they were teaching really connected and helped explain my experiences on and off campus.” “I am inclusive, I like ensuring people are a part of what we are doing or our conversations,” Sanchez said. “One of the needs of people is to feel needed and a part of something bigger than themselves.”
See Sanchez, Page 6
Luke Francis | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Magali Sanchez, a senior in ethnic studies, is the current executive director of the Unified Greek Council at Oregon State University.
Divest
Continued from page 1 OSU Divest, with a motto of “Students Engaging Tomorrow” is participating in the rally with their focus on progressive themes and making an attempt to ensure a better tomorrow. Boulanger, Charrete, and Leite believe that it takes a group effort in order to make meaningful change. They believe that investments in fossil fuels should change. “Rising Tide’s approach to this issue is a commitment to direct action – communities have to come together,” Charrete said. Boulanger shares Charrete’s opinions about the need for a collective group effort in order to realize the changes they deem necessary. courtesy of divest club | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Luciana Leite de Araujo, a Graduate Fellow, designing a poster for Divest.
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“Change only happens when enough people get together and make it clear that change is what the community wants,” Boulanger said.
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4 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • Monday, Febuary 1, 2016
@
Gill Coliseum Monday, Feb. 1, 8:00 p.m. On TV: ESPN 2 On radio: 88.7 KBVR FM
A top-10 showdown Five facts you should know about the game 1. No. 8 Arizona State (18-3, 9-0 Pac-12) has not being undefeated in Pac-12 play, and rising to lost on the road all season. They are a perfect No. 8 in the nation. 8-0 away from Tempe. 4. The Beavers have won three straight games 2. No. 9 Oregon State (17-3, 8-1) has won seven against ASU, dating back to the 2013 season. straight games after a 20 point loss at the hands 5. ASU’s defense has the ability to be elite on of UCLA. defense this season. Earlier this season, ASU held 3. ASU is off to their best start in school history, Stanford to 31 points in the entire game.
Jamie Weisner (G) PPG: 16.8 RPG: 5.4 SPG: 1.0
24 Sydney Wiese (G) PPG RPG APG 2015 11.9 7.0 4.6 Returned to the starting lineup on Friday against Arizona.
Katie Hemphen (G) PPG RPG APG 2015 8.6 2.4 2.57 Shoots 43 percent from 3-point range.
44
22 Quinn Dornstauder (C) PPG RPG BPG 2015 9.9 4.8 1.47 Season high 112 yards in last weeks loss to Oregon.
Ruth Hamblin (C) PPG RPG BPG 2015 11.5 8.4 3.0 Leads the Pac-12 with 60 blocks this season.
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Gabriella Hanson (G) PPG RPG SPG 2015 9.6 3.4 1.3 Leads Oregon State with 26 steals on the season.
Jeremy melamed| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Oregon State: Keys to the game • Channel the Gill Energy: OSU has
0
Elisha Davis (G) PPG RPG APG 2015 8.3 3 5.14 Ranks fourth in Pac-12 in assist-toturnover ratio at 2.08 per game.
Arizona State: Keys to the game
early and often to be successful. had very good crowds at Gill Coliseum this season, averaging 4,200 • Balanced scoring: Against Arizona, fans per game. They need to feed no OSU player had more than 14 off of the crowd’s energy. points, because OSU shared the ball on offense and found the open play• Establish a low post game with Ruth Hamblin: When OSU feeds Hamblin er en route to 17 assists. Against one early, the outside shots open up. OSU of the toughest teams in the country needs to get Hamblin into a groove in ASU, balance will be key.
• Keep the game close in the first half: The Sun Devils best scoring quarter of the season is the third quarter, when they have outscored their opponents by 90 points.
take OSU out of their comfort zone defensively.
• Don’t let the crowd get to you: Playing on the road is never an easy task • Pass the ball: OSU holds opponents in the talented Pac-12 conference, to a mere 30 percent shooting from but playing in Corvallis is a different the floor because of their attack- story. OSU leads the conference in ing defense. ASU must pass the ball attendance, and it gives OSU a huge crisply to find the open shots and advantage.
Staff Picks Brenden Slaughter
Jonathan Parrish
Senior Reporter
Sports Reporter
Brian Rathbone Sports Editor
This game could very well determine the Pac-12 regular season champion, and I think that OSU will get this win. The Beavers have been on a roll since losing to UCLA earlier this season, and they will get the victory. OSU wins 55-45.
This is a battle for the top spot in the Pac-12, and OSU’s engaging crowd and stifling defense will give the Beavers the edge. In a back and forth affair, OSU gets the victory over Arizona State, 57-53.
Arizona is on a 15-game winning streak. They are also undefeated in 2016. But, with Syd the Kid back in the lineup, the Beavers should be the first team to beat Arizona State in 58 days. OSU eclipses the Sun Devils 52-48.
Monday, Febuary 1, 2016 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • 5
The making of a leader After speaking up and scoring against Stanford, Deven Hunter has her teammates’ confidence in big games
“I tend to usually lead by example,” Hunter said. “But if the situation requires it, and someone needs to say it, I’ll do it.” “Everyone who knows (Hunter) knows that she can shoot, but in games she has deferred her shot at times instead of seeing herself as that player,”Rueck said. “A game like that can only help her know that when she needs to, she can score. And that is going to be an asset to us going By Brenden Slaughter forward.” Senior Reporter OSU is in the midst of a seven game winning streak, one that Hunter As the buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter in a game against has left her fingerprints all over by stuffing the stat sheet in each of them. Stanford earlier this month, senior forward Deven Hunter glared at the scoreboard and saw that OSU was down by 10 points. She gathered her But one thing is certain for the Beavers. When Hunter leads by both voice and example, OSU’s success is teammates and said that Stanford wasn’t going to win in their house for unmatchable. the fourth straight year. Her teammates listened, and knew she was growing as a leader before their eyes. “(Hunter) has leadership qualities, but I don’t think she always sees herself as that,” said senior guard Jamie Weisner. “But every time she speaks up, it’s always good.” The Beavers then responded with one of the most impressive stretches of basketball in OSU history. Their entire mindset changed: they began to help out on defense, the shots began to fall and the fear of defeat transferred to the Cardinal. She led the charge with her impressive play, scoring a team-high 19 points and 5-of-7 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. “I think that game against Stanford can only help her improve her confidence as a shooter,” head coach Scott Rueck said. Hunter’s newfound shooting stroke, confidence and leadership will be needed to the fullest degree as the Beavers have their toughest conference challenge of the season against the No. 8 Arizona State Sun Devils. “I just hope that I continue the confidence, and that I can ride it into every game,” Hunter said. “I think a game like that not only helps my confidence, but our team’s confidence as a whole.” Hunter has had an up and down scoring stretch since the Stanford game, but got back on track against Arizona last Friday night scoring 12 points, including two 3-pointers, giving her momentum heading into the difficult matchup against the Sun Devils. “(Hunter) is such a good player and can offer so much for our team offensively and defensively,” junior guard Sydney Wiese said. “I think it really showed against Stanford that she can hit shots, get to the rim, and crash the offensive glass. I know she is going to have a big impact (against ASU) whether it’s getting stops defensively, or knocking down shots.” “When she has that killer mindset on offense, she can beat a team,” junior guard Gabriella Hanson said. When Hunter and the Beavers were against the wall vs. the Cardinal, the Beavers needed someone to step up and take control of the game. It was then that she stepped out of her comfort zone.
On Twitter @b_slaught
joshua lucas | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Beavers bounce back, get big victory Oregon State wrestling rights the ship with dominating win over Northern Colorado on Sunday By Danny Rice Sports Reporter
After getting upset by Arizona State on Friday, the No. 20 Oregon State wrestling team returned home and earned a dominating victory over Northern Colorado (3-5, 0-3 Big 12) 35-6. “I think the difference was we came out ready to wrestle today,” said head coach Jim Zalesky. “In the match against Arizona State, we didn’t do anything. We had no emotion and we didn’t deserve to win the match. But we deserved to win today.” No. 6 sophomore 125-pounder Ronnie Bresser was proud of the way his teammates responded and battled back after coming out sluggish against Arizona State. “We had a lot more emotion and energy today,” Bresser said. “It was nice to see.”
Captain and senior Seth Thomas was pleased to see his team come out today and attack and work to score points. “We attacked a lot more today,” Thomas said. “We were sluggish and tentative against Arizona State. Today, we tried to score points and I think in the end, we wore Northern Colorado out.” The Beavers (6-5, 0-1 Pac-12) got off to a hot start as Bresser earned a technical fall victory and No. 20 redshirt junior 133-pounder Joey Palmer pinned his opponent in a time of 4:02. Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jack Hathaway and redshirt junior 149-pounder Joey Delgado would both win by decision in comeback fashion to put the Beavers up 17-0. Oregon State would lose a hard fought match at 157 pounds, but Thomas would get the Beavers back on track as he picked up a 16-10 victory. After being down 8-2 after the first round, Thomas would make a big comeback in round two to cut the deficit to one. Thomas would again have a big third round and would go on to get the win, 16-10. “If there’s one thing I’ve gotten better at since being at college, it’s being able to recover from being behind,” said Thomas. “I
brad anderson | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Redshirt junior 149-pounder, Joey Delgado, works his opponents wrist in the Beavers’ 35-6 win over Northern Colorado on Sunday. Delgado won his match 7-4.
just had to trust my conditioning and keep my head straight.” The Beavers would get two more victories at 174 pounds and 184 pounds from redshirt sophomore Tyler Chay and redshirt freshman Corey Greigo, respectively, before dropping the 197 pound bout. No. 10 redshirt sophomore Amarveer Dhesi would put an exclamation point on the victory for the Beavers as he pinned his opponent in 1:40. The Beavers now prepare to hit the road, as they get ready for a busy week where they’ll face three Pac-12 opponents in three days. They first face Stanford on Thursday, followed by Cal Poly on Friday and Cal-State Bakersfield on Saturday. On Twitter @DRice1730
6 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • Monday, Febuary 1, 2016
Sanchez
Continued from page 3 After graduation, Sanchez plans on studying abroad and then attending graduate school. Sanchez aspires to work in a job relating to ethnic studies, especially student affairs, as well as working with chicano and chicana students and the indigenous population. In her role as executive director, Sanchez works with the council to ensure the organizations have the resources they need to be successful, as well as fostering an inclusive community among the group. Sanchez joined her sorority spring term of her freshman year almost by accident. After her roommate convinced her to check out Kappa Delta Chi, Sanchez was reluctant at first, but eventually was invited back and went through the extended process to become a member. “I took on some executive positions the following fall term, and began going to UGC meetings,” Sanchez said. “UGC was in a time of transformation and reconstruction
then though.” Since she became involved with the council, UGC has adopted a new constitution and effectively the role of executive director was officially created, and Sanchez was elected to the position. Sanchez praises the family atmosphere of the council. “This keeps the council together. The meetings are never serious, it’s like going and having a meeting with family,” Sanchez said. “You are there with friends and discussing business at the same time.” Although UGC operates under the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life at OSU, Sanchez says they haven’t always felt included. However, this year is different, according to Sanchez. “This is the first year we went on a retreat with Panhellenic, IFC and UGC, and this is the first time we really know the officers from the other councils,” Sanchez said. Sanchez hopes that as relations with IFC and Panhellenic improve there will be more collaboration and communication between councils. “Now with Leslie here I do feel we are a part of the CSFL,
we have a better understanding of what IFC is and what Panhellenic is and that we can work together and bring a more unified Greek campus,” Sanchez said. “Leslie is awesome.” Leslie Schacht Drey, the director for the CFSL, has similar feelings for Sanchez. “[Sanchez] has a multitude of experiences that lend to her being an outstanding leader for the Unified Greek Council community,” Schacht Drey said. “She is well connected at OSU and makes important contributions campus wide.” Many people that have worked with Sanchez laud her ability to communicate ideas and bring about change. Maiyee Yuan, a fifth year in microbiology, who works at the department of cultural engagement has known Sanchez for a few years, but hadn’t worked with her until this year. “When I met [Sanchez] UGC was going through a tough time of change, and it took a good group of people to build it back up to what it is today. She has done a lot of work and dedication with this,” Yuan said. “She creates community wherever she goes.” “I’m all about talking about issues that people don’t want to bring up, won’t bring up. I know what it is like to be left out of conversations that have a big impact on you,” Sanchez said. “I make sure that things are talked about that need to be, it is not equitable to the people that are forgotten.” One of the restrictions Sanchez says the UGC faces is the number of members compared to even just one organization in IFC or Panhellenic. There are around 40 individuals throughout the six total organizations under UGC. Sanchez this has not stopped them from doing great things . “Numbers are important,
bur process to join is long, and all the organizations are looking for quality over quantity. All of our members, though they are limited, do a lot for the organizations,” Sanchez said. “If our community continues to grow, that means those marginalized communities are growing at OSU as well.” Sanchez’s personal goal is to see the universities recognition in the council increase. “Our council has done a lot, but because we are small we don’t get a lot of recognition,” Sanchez said. “When there is a conversation about Greek life, the conversation usually goes toward housed Greeks. Non-traditional Greeks should get more recognition. Social justice is a topic Sanchez is passionate about and hopes to continue to work around. “(Sanchez) has a rich social justice background and is a strong voice in advocating for her community,” Schacht Drey said. “I appreciate her vision for the community, as well as commitment to improving inter-council relations.” “Social justice has to come with students,” Sanchez said. “It is an issue that the university and society as a whole needs to face and talk about. That’s the first step, talking and acknowledging these are issues that are present, and taking accountability for that.” “(Sanchez) is a very passionate individual with all that she does. As a coworker she is very passionate, very involved, and is not scared to speak out and speak her mind,” said Lorena Ambriz, a junior in sociology and the communications representative at the Cesar Chavez Cultural Center. “She gives people a voice, a lot of the things we feel she says. This work is very hard sometimes,
but she still keeps her head up and remains positive.” Elena Ramirez, a sophomore in ethnic studies and the graphic designer at Cesar Chavez Cultural Center met Sanchez this year. “She represents UGC well and is very excited and passionate and very inclusive,” Ramirez said. “She is very welcoming. I had heard a lot about her before I met her, and she has lived up to my expectations.” baro.news@oregonstate.edu
Calendar MONDAY, Feb. 1
Discussion 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Newman Students Association Location: MU #49: Horizon Room Love or Lust: Why Save Sex for Marriage? With Guest Speaker Jason Evert
FRIDAY, Feb. 5
Classifieds Help Wanted Urgent: Part-time Photoshop Work . Looking for person highly skilled in photoshop to create graphics for textbook publication. Must be available 4-6 hours a week Feb through June. Corvallis. Call Ruth at 541.752.1492.
Meeting 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. SORCE (Student Organization Resources for Community Engagement) Location:MU 212 SORCE will be conducting the Activity Funds hearing, and it is opened to the public. For more information, contact sorce@ oregonstate.edu
FRIDAY, Feb. 5
Broadcast 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. KBVR-FM Location: 88.7 FM We’ll be hosting President Ed Ray for a live interview on 88.7 FM and orangemedianetwork. com
SATURDAY, Feb. 6
Meeting 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Student Incidental Fee Committee Location:MU Council Room Budget Presentations: MU/ OMN, ASOSU, Rec. Sports, DCE, Athletics
Monday Feb. 8
Speaker 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Feb. 8 Corvallis Science Pub Location: Old World Deli, 341 S.W. 2nd St. in Corvallis Gordon Grant: Where’s Water? How Geology and Climate Conspire to Dictate the Future of Water in the West. Free & open to the public
THURSDAY, Feb. 11
Event 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Baha’i Campus Association Location: Centro Cultural César Chávez Women in Action
THURSDAY, Feb. 11
Discussion 12:30 p.m. - 1 p.m. Ettihad Cultural Center Location: Room 105, Memorial Union Religion as a Progressive Educational Experience
FRIDAY, Feb. 12
Meeting 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. SORCE (Student Organization Resources for Community Engagement_ Location: MU 212 SORCE will be conducting the Activity Funds hearing, and it is opened to the public. For more information, contact sorce@ oregonstate.edu
FRIDAY, Feb. 12
Meeting 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Student Incidental Fee Committee Location: MU Horizon Room Student Fee Open Hearing
FRIDAY, Feb. 17:
Event 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. University Events Location: The LaSells Stewart Center Provost’s Lecture with Ruth Reichl
FRIDAY, Feb. 19:
Event 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. Wizard World Inc. Location: Oregon Convention Center Top celebrities are scheduled to appear.
Monday, Febuary 1, 2016 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • 7
What you missed: Lunafest Short film festival shows movies made by women, focuses on issues faced by various females
power of film. It spotlights the creative work of a diverse collec- been featured, nearly $2.9 million dollars have been raised tion of talented women filmmakers with intelligent, humorous and thousands of attendees have come away celebrating a connection with their communities. and stimulating themes. The Corvallis screening on Jan. 30 was broken into two segThe festival travels to over 150 cities and screens in front of ments of three films, with a thirty minute intermission. The 25,000 people. Each year, various organizations bring Lunafest By Samantha Lopez total six selected films discussed major issues that woman face. to their communities and raise funds for their local non-profits The films made the audience laugh, tugged at their heartstrings Arts & Entertainment Contributor as well as their main beneficiary, Breast Cancer Fund. Since and motivated them to make a difference in their community. Lunafest was established in 2000 by the creators of the Luna its beginning, Lunafest has grown from a single annual event Incredibly diverse in style and content, the films were united whole nutrition bar for women. The traveling film festival aims to a coast-to-coast force with more than 175 North American by a common thread of storytelling. to connect women, their stories and their causes through the screenings each season. To this day, 127 filmmakers have baro.arts@oregonstate.edu
First Film:
Second Film:
Third Film:
Finding June
Balsa Wood
Boxedora
Length: 18 Minutes Director: Anna Schumacher Synopsis: A deaf woman recently diagnosed with breast cancer is faced with the internal and external struggle of coming to terms with life’s fragility.
Fourth Film:
Raising Ryland Length: 14 Minutes Director: Sarah Feeley Synopsis: A heartwarming look into a six year old transgender’s life and his two supportive parents whose love has no strings attached.
Length: 9 Minutes Director: Dominique Lecchi Synopsis: Two mixed-raced teens explore their identities in a lighthearted visit to their extended Filipino family.
Length: 17 Minutes Director: Meg Smaker Synopsis: One woman’s personal journey to fulfill her dream of Olympic glory despite Fidel Castro’s ban on female boxing in Cuba.
Fifth Film:
Sixth Film:
First World Problems Length: 14 Minutes Director: Sarah Feeley Synopsis: A heartwarming look into a six year old transgender’s life and his two supportive parents whose love has no strings attached.
Beach Flags Length: 14 Minutes Director: Sarah Saidan Synopsis: An animated film about a young Iranian lifeguard determined to compete in a competition in Australia.
Virtual reality to be available for gamers Upcoming release of VR headsets allow realistic worlds, virtual interaction By Luke Brenneman Arts & Entertainment Contributor
Virtual reality is an idea that has been around since early science fiction, but this year, consumers will finally be able to get their hands on this cutting edge technology. When people hear the term “virtual reality” they often think of cheesy 90’s movies, Keanu Reeves and CGI. Today, technology has finally progressed to the point where virtual reality devices are no longer constrained to the world of fiction. Virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive will be coming out in early 2016. VR developers are focusing heavily on video games at the moment, but there will be many other applications down the road, like VR movies and VR travel. These virtual reality systems are made up of three parts. The first component is called HMDs or Head Mounted Devices, which look like bigger, bulkier ski-goggles with screens. The HMD devices grant users 360 degrees of visibility to experience computer-generated worlds. The headsets contains two lenses and two screens, one for each eye, which creates a three-dimensional effect that gives the world around you a realistic depth. These devices use a combination of an accelerometer and gyroscope to record head move-
ment. The movements are then translated onto the screens to create a life-like experience. With this technology, a user could bob and weave around incoming punches in a boxing game or spin around 180 degrees to see a monster lurking behind them in a horror game. To allow for interaction with , you need to be able to interact with the world around you. For this, controllers for each hand will allow you to reach out, point, grab or pick up objects with your hands. This allows anything from throwing a Frisbee to a virtual pet T-Rex to catching a missile fired at you in mid-air and sending it back at your opponent. The last part of the system is a mounted sensor that monitors movements and virtually defines the physical boundaries of your real-life environment. With this data, when a user walks from one side of their living room to the other, that would be translated into a video game character walking through the cabin of a spaceship or moving through a jungle in the Amazon. The two virtual reality systems that will be on shelves in early 2016 are the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. The Oculus Rift is $599 and is currently available to consumers for pre-order. The HTC Vive will not release the price until pre-ordering starts in February. Since these devices require a lot of computational power to operate, they will run only on high-end PCs. The developers of the Oculus Rift suggest running the device on PC’s above $900. These two products have similar specifica-
tions; both running 2160x1200 screens with 90Hz refresh rates. This means that the screens will have a large amount of very dense pixels to make them look as realistic as possible, as well as a high refresh rate to ensure that movement is fluid. The biggest difference to consider when choosing between the two products is the type of VR experience the user is looking for. Oculus Rift will be focused on stationary experiences—sitting or standing while the user mainly move their hands, arms and head. The HTC Vive will focus more on incorporating body movement into the games. The other major virtual reality developer at the moment is Sony. Sony’s Playstation VR is currently in development and they confirmed a release for 2016. The Playstation VR will be priced lower than the other systems due to the fact that it has to run on the Playstation 4. Although no official price has been released, this VR headset will provide an option for those who do not have $900 plus gaming PCs and are not willing to buy one. There are many possibilities for this technology outside the realm of video games. Virtual travel is another possible function of the VR. Once technology advances to this stage it will enable the user to visit the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Majal from the comfort of their own home. Sporting events, like courtside seats could be done with VR as well. VR also has the potential to benefit the medical sciences. Albert Rizzo, a professor at the University of Southern California has
used virtual reality to treat anxiety disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with his program, Virtual Iraq. Another application is that of social media. Facebook is one of the biggest investors in the Oculus Rift and Mark Zuckerberg has future plans for connecting people in digital worlds. As this technology progresses and the use of virtual reality headsets becomes more popular, prices are projected to drop and eventually make virtual reality available to broader audiences and enable them to utilize it for a wide variety of purposes. baro.arts@oregonstate.edu
creative commons
One of the VR headset prototypes.
8 • THE DAILY BAROMETER • Monday, Febuary 1, 2016
Music to be heard: Mons la Hire Shining light on one of Corvallis’ indie gems By Samantha Lopez Arts & Entertainment Contributor
“Music and performing is a way to express yourself without exposing yourself. You can go on stage and share an idea, but you’re with a group and you’re all sharing it together and you’re all in sync,” said Daniel Watkins, Phd Student at OSU and lead singer of the local band, Mons La Hire. Corvallis is noted for its growing DIY scene, an umbrella term that includes everything from punk, lo-fi and experimental noise to emo. Hidden underneath the surface, however, is a gold mine of indie rockers. Mons La Hire is primarily considered indie/alternative rock but they have a fondness for classic rock and folk. Their band is comprised of Daniel Watkins, doing vocals, Suzanne Watkins on bass, Charlie Carr on guitar, Matt Cornelius on keyboard and Patrick Beesley on drums. The band combines the jangling guitar sounds of artists like The Mountain Goats, My Morning Jacket and Lord Huron with the contentious clash of vocals—similar to Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy. Watkins has been a part of different bands since he was in high school. Mons La Hire merged from his previous band, Mavis, which he started in Idaho. Mavis
brad anderson | THE DAILY BAROMETER
Daniel Watkins singing and playing his guitar at a concert at Interzone cafe. gained a steady following and produced one album and an EP. When Watkins relocated to Oregon in the summer of 2015 with his wife and bandmate, Suzanne, they decided they needed a fresh start. “Mons La Hire is the name of a mountain on the moon, hence the Mons. I like the connection to a geographical object. ‘La Hire’ is also the name of a mathematician, I study math, and then there’s a crater on the same plain named Mavis, and I thought ‘oh, that’s a nice enough coincidence, I’ll do that,” Watkins said. From there, it was a musicians wanted ad on Craigslist
and a coincidental meet at church that brought the five together. Their album, “Fossil Mountain” was released under their predecessor band name, Mavis. This album is now streaming on Bandcamp. It’s a compilation of tunes woven with a dense sound of guitars, emotional debris and a song structure that weaves into something contagious. Each song takes unexpected detours into psychedelia and power pop, complete with orchestral touches and harmonic flourishes. The band finds the middle ground between postmodern Built to Spill styled pop and the loose
spacious jamming of Modest Mouse. “When you’re in a band, you really need to have the ideas that come from all of your different life experiences come together. That’s where your songs come from, that’s your music,” Watkins said. Mons La Hire is emerging in the music scene of Corvallis and have played shows at local venues recently, including Interzone cafe. They have auditioned for the Battle of the Bands competition at OSU and continue to build their steady body of followers. baro.arts@oreognstate.edu