OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
The Daily Barometer
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DAILYBAROMETER
FRIDAY MAY 2, 2014 VOL. CXVI, NO. 128
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‘We tell the world’ n
Holocaust survivor Laureen Nussbaum shares experience, wisdom to spread awareness, halt cycle of violence By Tori Hittner
THE DAILY BAROMETER
Holocaust survivor Laureen Nussbaum has long believed that stories are meant to be shared. “My husband and I had a very strong sense that the people, when they were doomed to the gas chambers, were sort of crying out to the rest of us: ‘Tell the world it won’t happen again,’” Nussbaum said. “So we tell the world.” Thunderous applause shook Austin Auditorium in the LaSells Stewart Center Thursday evening as audience members thanked Nussbaum with a standing ovation. She visited Corvallis as part of OSU’s Holocaust Memorial Week to share her own experiences, as well as her personal connection to Anne Frank and the legacy of her friend’s diary. Nussbaum and her two sisters occasionally visited with the Frank girls during their childhood in Amsterdam. Nussbaum recalled pre-occupation Amsterdam as a diverse and inclusive center of culture. Her early years there were happy ones. Although she was not mentioned specifically in Frank’s diary — she was closer to Anne’s older
sister, Margot — Nussbaum dedicated part of her academic career to examining Frank’s diary as an outstanding piece of literature. Nussbaum taught for several decades at Portland State University as a professor of German language and literature. Nussbaum first read the diary in 1947 and was impressed by Frank’s command of the written word at such a young age. She and her family had not known the Franks went into hiding. “We became awfully good at concocting stories,” Nussbaum said during her presentation. “To have it be possible was good enough for us to want to believe it.” Like Margot Frank, Nussbaum’s eldest sister was eventually called to report for labor duty. While the Franks were forced to go into hiding, an unlikely individual saved Nussbaum and her family. “(Hans Calmeyer) was a German officer but not a Nazi,” Nussbaum said. “He used his office to give his stamp of approval whenever he could. Far too few people know about him, but he was really a hero.” Calmeyer was a German official in charge of adjudicating all Jewish petitions sent to The Hague. Jews who received notices to report to labor camps attempted to earn deferment by See NUSSBAUM | page 4
JUSTIN QUINN
| THE DAILY BAROMETER
Holocaust survivor and childhood friend of Anne Frank, Laureen Nussbaum, left an indelible mark on her audience Thursday evening in the LaSells Stewart Center.
Living learning community initiatives to launch fall term 2014 n
First-Year Experience expanding to incorporate specific educational student interests into residence halls By Sean Bassinger THE DAILY BAROMETER
Oregon State University’s First-Year Experience initiative has big plans in terms of established communities in residence halls. Launching in fall 2014, the living learning community programs will allow students to select a residence hall based on individual
specifications and desired learning goals at OSU. The overall project consists of joint efforts from University Housing and Dining Services and various colleges throughout the university. Susie Brubaker-Cole, associate provost for academic success and engagement at OSU, said the first two initiatives include health and wellness in McNary Hall and art and social justice in Wilson Hall. “They’ll be students who share a common interest,” Brubaker-Cole said. A First-Year Experience task force led community forums, which helped gather input
from students, staff and faculty across campus in an effort to improve the overall FYE program, Brubaker-Cole said. “We’ve had lots of support all over campus from students,” she said. The initiatives receive funds from the participating colleges within the programs. For instance, the health and wellness initiative receives sponsorship from both the College of Science and the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Intercultural Student Services director Allison Davis-White Eyes said the arts and social justice
program housed in Wilson Hall involves collaboration between ISS and the School of Language, Culture and Society. “We want to create a community for students where they can express themselves in the arts,” Davis-White Eyes said. “We have students already signed up.” Mark Hoffman, associate dean in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, said the university plans to have programming in the residence halls related to each specific topic. “We hope to have opportunities to share the See INITIATIVES | page 4
Commission approves proposed $135M City budget May Day fair to celebrate labor, social justice n
Corvallis Budget Commission approves 2014-15 budget 11-1, still awaiting City Council approval By Emma-Kate Schaake THE DAILY BAROMETER
After a brief public hearing, the budget commission deliberated and approved the recommendation for the Corvallis City Council for the proposed fiscal year 2014-15 budget. The motion for the budget was passed in an 11-1 vote. The proposed budget is $135 million, an increase from the $123 million fiscal year 2013-14 budget. The increase is mostly due to new hires and 7.5 capital projects. This proposal is part of the City Council’s five-year plan for a sustainable budget. The first motion the commissioners approved for recommendation for the City Council was the permanent property tax rate of approximately $5.1 per $1,000 of assessed value, $0.82 per $1,000 of assessed value for the local operating levy and $1.16 million for general obligation debt service. Only one amendment to the proposed budget was approved, moving $35,000 from the reserve to the Mary’s River Boardwalk. The City Council will deliberate and vote on the proposed budget at the regularly scheduled meeting June 2 at the Corvallis Fire Station at 6:30 p.m. Public testimony will also be heard at this time.
THE DAILY BAROMETER
The third annual Solidarity Fair celebrating workers and social justice will take place Saturday in Central Park from 12-5 p.m. A coalition of local community groups, unions and social justice organizations are sponsoring the fair as a way to celebrate social, environmental and economic justice. The fair coincides with the celebration of May Day, which was Thursday and is widely recognized as International Labor Day. Lunch will be provided at the start of the event followed by art installations highlighting the plight of labor movements and group forums. District 16 Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, is one of the attendees. The event will feature live music throughout the day from local performers Sonny Gunz, Meatbomb and the Raging Grannies. All activities, including those for children and families, are free and open to the public.
Emma-Kate Schaake
City reporter managing@dailybarometer.com
Softball continues nonconference slate
Sports, page 7
managing@dailybarometer.com
Quarter system better than semesters Forum, page 11
Yeas & Nays
Forum, page 11