Muse 012: April Edition by Multnomah University

ISSUE 012 APRIL 2013

MUSE WHY ART? A Call for Response by Beau Stumberg p. 12 The Value of Abstract Art by Ethan Knudson p. 18 The Essence of Beauty by Quincy Robinson p. 14

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

MUSE

INSIDE MU

6 NINE YEARS - LISA HEZMALHALCH 8 FAITH & CULTURE WRITERS CONFERENCE

- CORNELIA BECKER SEIGNEUR

10 3B: DANAE COWAN FOR VICE PRESIDENT

- DANAE COWAN

FEATURES

12 A CALL FOR RESPONSE

- BEAU STUMBERG

14 THE ESSENCE OF BEAUTY

- QUINCY ROBINSON

18 THE VALUE OF ABSTRACT ART

- ETHAN KNUDSON

PERSPECTIVES

21 SPEAK. - MAKENZIE HALBERT 24 GET ACTIVE - AMY SIMMONS 26 THE OPPOSITION OF PATRIARCHY - MAKENZIE HALBERT ARTS & CULTURE

28 A TIME TO EMBRACE PT. 3 - LAURA GRIFFITH 30 BREAKFAST WITH BEAU: FRIED EGG I’M IN LOVE - BEAU STUMBERG

ABOUT US MUSE IS AN ONLINE PUBLICATION PRODUCED BY THE STUDENTS FOR THE STUDENTS AT MULTNOMAH UNIVERSITY. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF MULTNOMAH UNIVERSITY MUSE IS PUBLISHED THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SUBMIT: MULTNOMAHMUSE@GMAIL.COM

EDITOR: MAKENZIE HALBERT KENZIE.HALBERT@GMAIL.COM

DESIGNER: MATTHEW HOWEN MATTMATTMATTHOWEN@GMAIL.COM

32 FAMILY ART - MATTHEW HOWEN

FACUTY ADVISOR:

33 LIT SNIP

CORNELIA BECKER SEIGNEUR

34 BREAK THE BLOCK

CORNELIA@CORNELIASEIGNEUR.COM

35 CAMPUS EVENTS

COVER, STAFF, AND CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS BY MATTHEW HOWEN

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Muse Staff Editor: Makenzie Halbert Designer: Matthew Howen

Contributors: Amy Simmons

Quincy Robinson

Laura Griffith

Ethan Knudson

Lisa Hezmalhalch

Beau Stumberg

Not Pictured: Danae Cowan, Cornelia Becker Seigneur

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The semester is nearing its end and here I address you as editor for the last time. I write my last message to you with mixed feelings. I am graduating from college and entering into an exciting time of unknown possibilities, but I am also leaving behind people, opportunities, responsibilities, and a life that I have come to hold dear. It has been a privilege to serve the students of Multnomah in the capacity I have been able to all year. I have loved this magazine, I have looked forward to writing, to dialoguing with readers, and to reading student submissions; I am truly disappointed to see it come to an end. My experience as editor was almost completely shaped by contributors and readers-by you-and for that I am truly grateful. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity, thank you for reading, for writing, and for responding. It has been incredibly valuable to me both in terms of the student body’s holistic response and encouragement of our efforts and in the responses of individual students who have continued to question, challenge, and think deeply about issues. This was our vision and this was our goal. A part of me wishes I could continue to connect with students in this way at Multnomah, but I also have peace about this being the last issue as I have seen our original vision for Muse take shape and flourish throughout these past six issues. I am excited about the articles in this month’s edition in particular. Read them with care, respond thoughtfully, and continue to do so as this year’s Muse team moves on and a new one is ushered in. Thanks for reading, Makenzie Halbert

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NINE YEARS BY

LIS

A H E

Changes at Multnomah and why I am not crying ...too hard

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

I’ve been at Multnomah now for a little over nine years. For some of you, that sounds like an eternity compared to only being here for one semester. For others, my time here makes me a baby by comparison to your own story. That said, I wanted to share with you a snapshot of my time at Multnomah with the hope that my perspective will give you all a different way of looking at all the changes that have occurred over the past few weeks. My first four and a half years at Multnomah were spent as a student in the undergraduate program. After graduating, I was hired as an admissions counselor and worked there until this past July when I moved back onto campus and began my current job as a Graduate Resident Director in North Aldrich. Over the course of the past nine years I have lived in a dorm that no longer exists, in a mentoring house that is no longer running in the same capacity, and I graduated with a degree that is no longer offered here (shout out to all of you still finishing the Journalism degree!) When I was a student here, guys weren’t allowed to have pierced ears, and girls couldn’t wear skirts shorter than one inch above their knee. There was a strict curfew in the residence halls, and they were only open to members of the opposite gender five times a month . I took David Needham’s final Prophets class. I had a couple classes with Tim Aldrich before he left

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Multnomah, and I can remember watching Joseph C. Aldrich, the original J.C.A., sitting in the building named after him before he finally went home to be with the Lord. I also attended the funeral of his father, Willard Aldrich, less than a year later.

nature, is temporary. And let us remember that, on an eternal level, this world itself is temporary. Those leaving us are still a part of God’s master plan. He knows what’s next for them as well as for us. Let these changes remind us that we all have a higher calling that reaches beyond the borders of Multnomah and Portland, Oregon. We serve a God who has so much more for us than our brief time at a school.

I watched friend groups come and friend groups go. I’ve seen relationships that have led to marriage and I’ve seen relationships that shocked us all by ending. I’ve seen humor régimes set the tone for an entire campus only to watch new faces come in and change everything in a matter of months. I’ve had the experience you all have had two or three weeks into each semester. That moment you pause, look around, and realize there are people who didn’t come back to school after break. I have seen students who had been known and loved by every single person on campus become a thing of the past. I’ve felt the emptiness that comes after a dynamic person graduates, and I’ve seen the void they leave with their absence.

The Lord told me once that I will not be at Multnomah forever. Someday I will leave this school and, just like those who have gone before me, I too will be forgotten. And when that day comes, deep down, past all the tears I know I’ll cry, I’ll be thrilled because as my adventure at Multnomah ends, I know the Lord will have a new adventure for me right around the corner. As for the friends and faces that I’ll be leaving behind, I know that there will always be a time to see each other again–at the great homecoming when the temporary things of this world have passed away and we can finally cling to our Savior and worship Him together forever.

Nine years is a long time, and now, yet again, I am faced with more changes. I’m sitting with you all and watching four beloved professors leave this campus as well as about a dozen staff members. My own job as GRD is ending as well. My job, as well as these men and women that we love, will be wholly unknown to the new group of fresh faces joining us this fall.

Lisa Hezmalhalch, Graduate Resident Director-North Aldrich, Masters in Counseling C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT

http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/nine-years-changes-at-multnomah-and-why-im-not-cryingtoo-hard/#respond

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned about Multnomah, nay, about university life in general, it is that everything is transient. Every semester there is a fresh group of faces to replace the familiar ones that have moved on. Things change here–but that’s the point. God did not call us to Multnomah; he called us to follow Him. Multnomah is just a stopping point on a greater journey. All these recent changes hurt my heart, as I know they hurt yours. That pain is a reminder of the deep love that we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ who will be moving on from here, and it is ok and healthy to mourn that loss. But, in the midst of our grief, let us not allow our sadness to turn into a desperate desire to cling to a time and experience that, by

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FAITH & C U LTU RE W RI T E R S CONFE RE N CE : M A K IN G A NE W WAY I N THE WILD E R NE S S WITH WORDS BY CORNELIA BECKER SEIGNEUR

It is an honor to bring the Faith & Culture Writers Conference to Multnomah University on April 5 and 6, 2013. As an adjunct professor at Multnomah University, where I serve as faculty advisor for Muse student publication, I am thrilled that Multnomah has caught the vision for this conference, as we are housing the conference under Student Services here. I have been a freelance journalist for The Oregonian since 1996, specializing in faith, culture, family, and community stories. Over the years, people have asked me how I got started writing and how I am able to share so many stories of faith. I believe that our culture is hungry for stories that share hope and faith and community. We need to be looking for those stories and be willing to share them. Creativity and the literary arts—indeed, all the arts—are a gift from the Creator. As I began sharing how God has opened the door for me to share stories of hope in the newspaper, I realized there was a wide interest in writing and so I decided to start a Writers Connection at my church a few years ago. As we brought in guest speakers and authors, they really connected with what we were doing in bringing together writers of faith to network and connect. I began dreaming of a larger event where we would gather hundreds of creative people of faith together at a conference to engage, encourage, challenge, inspire, and validate one another in this mutual creative calling on our lives. That led to Portland’s first Faith & Culture Writers Conference at Western Seminary in 2011 where about 200 people gathered to hear authors, bloggers, theologians, activists, literary agents, and

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj journalists share about their writing lives. Flash forward two years later, and here we are for the 2013 Faith & Culture Writers Conference at Multnomah!

the Portland Trail Blazers, and Christal MN Jenkins, speaker and author of three books. All in all, we have 25 presenters! Brent Looyenga, a Multnomah Biblical Seminary student, is photographing our event, and Martin French, an exquisite artist, illustrator, and art professor, who once again designed our classy “words” logo.

I love connecting and validating fellow believers to encourage them to embrace their creative calling. I have always viewed my writing as a ministry, as a calling, as a way to share truth. Quoting Martin Luther, I believe that, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”

One of the things noted on the survey we took after the conference in 2011 was that people wanted more fellowship during the conference and time to talk with fellow attendees and speakers. So we have added Friday night this year, and an after the event social hour on Saturday.

God has brought together others alongside me (Bethany Jackson, Kari Patterson, Ashley Larkin and Ana Brors) to help shape and bring this conference to Multnomah. I am truly grateful for them.

Pre-registration for the conference is $65 and students are only $25. That’s 25 speakers for 25 dollars-a dollar a speaker! Day of registration is $75 (students again only $25).

We are excited about our top-notch lineup of speakers for 2013. Some big names — William Paul Young, author of The Shack, Ken Wytsma, The Justice Conference Founder, Brian Doyle, author of 13 books, Dan Merchant, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers” filmmaker and producer, Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D., Professor of Christian Theology & Theology of Culture at Multnomah Biblical Seminary and Director of The Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins, and Randy Woodley, Distinguished Associate Professor of Faith and Culture at George Fox Evangelical Seminary.

Feel free to shoot me an email with questions at cornelia@corneliaseigneur.com You may also get a hold of our conference administrative assistant Bethany Jackson at newbethany1@gmail.com Cornelia Becker Seigneur Muse faculty advisor

We also have some lesser known names whom I am excited to introduce into the conversation around the intersection of faith and culture and the arts– Keith Turley, author, publisher and marketer from Seattle, Tyler Braun, 20-something Multnomah Biblical Seminary graduate, pastor, blogger, and author, Chris C Haynes, who attended Multnomah for a year and now blogs for

C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT

http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/faith-and-culture-writers-conference-making-a-new-way-in-the-wildnerness-with-words/#respond

“I LOVE CONNECTING AND VALIDATING FELLOW BELIEVERS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO EMBRACE THEIR CREATIVE CALLING. I HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED MY WRITING AS A MINISTRY, AS A CALLING, AS A WAY TO SHARE TRUTH.” jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj

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FO R

I am Danae Cowan, and running for office was a new idea for Quincy Robinson and me, so when we were both approached separately about the idea, we weren’t instantly convinced. We’ve spent time thinking and praying and humbly receiving affirmation from others, and we’ve decided to give it a go. We’re excited to give it our best, to offer you the passions the LORD has given us, and to only humbly ask that you would consider us as Quincy runs for president with me as his vice. We are visionaries with a love for Jesus, for you, and for our broken city of Portland, the place God has purposefully placed us during this season of our lives. We are crazy enough and brave enough to believe that we can make a difference where we live. We believe in our 3B Vision: to BUST the Multnomah bubble, BUILD bridges to the universities around us, and BECOME a greater part of our community. Will you join us in our vision? We live in a city where few people even know Multnomah exists, let alone who we are. If we are the

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj hands and feet of our King, this is troubling. We think that we can change this and empower our university to be Jesus to those around us, to be proof that God is love and hope. We also know how tiring and hard it can be to be students here, and that this place works effectively as a painful but powerful refining fire. We know how difficult it is, and we deeply desire to make a difference at Multnomah for your sake. We can offer few promises, but we do offer you our hearts and a willingness to learn to serve you well, to encourage you, to listen to you, and to see how we can make a difference on your behalf. We are an eclectic team; both of us have very different strengths, backgrounds, and different pieces of passion in our overall vision. We are vibrant and imperfect, but we believe in an impossible God, in the God who wants to use us to be Light and Love where He has put us. Please feel free to stop us and ask us questions. We want to be good listeners and to love you well, no matter the election votes. Thank you for considering us! Danae Cowan, Junior, Educational Ministries Major CLICK HERE T O C O MMENT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/3b-danae-cowan-for-vice-president/#respond

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

C A L L BY

FO R B E A U

R E S P O N S E

ST U M B E R G

SOM ETIM ES I GET A FEELIN G DEEP IN M Y GUT: IT O VERFLOW S IN TO M Y M IN D AN D M A KES ITS WAY IN TO TH E TIPS OF M Y FIN GERS.TH IS FEELIN G IS EM OTIONAL, DEEP, UN PREDICTABLE, AN D USUALLY IM PULSIVE. It is like a call from within to act, to do, and to create. If I do not feed this feeling, the emotion deepens and furthers itself in my gut, causing a sort of turmoil within. When I feed this emotion, I feel healthy and free. “The creative bug has bitten!” I often say, mostly as an attempt to make light of my impulsive and irregular artistic outburst, but this little phrase holds some weight. It is as if I have been bitten by some experience or some image I saw that day that fed my heart. The only way to rid myself of such experience or emotion is to create. My creative impulse has taken many different shapes throughout my life, but most recently it takes shape when I throw paint on a canvas, mixing colors and shapes into some obscure image.

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I D O N O T TH IN K TH ERE IS CH RISTIA N A RT A N D N ON -CH RISTIA N A RT.I TH IN K TH ERE A RE P EOPLE, SA VED A N D UN SA VED , The image could be totally unrelated to whatever experience aroused the fire within, but it is the expression of my feeling poured onto a canvas, freeing itself in some way from the prison of my being. I do not write this in order to explain or even encourage such behavior for everyone, but many of you who read this, in some way, will relate. Artistic expression is something that I believe is neglected within the Multnomah community and the church as a whole. Somewhere in past generations, Christians have drawn a bold line between sacred and secular, between Christian and non-Christian. I have felt this in my own life when asked questions like “Is that a Christian musician?” or “Why don’t you make Christian art?” This leads me to not only question my own experience with Jesus but also my own internal impulses and desires. Are the impulses that so often knock on the door of my heart desiring attention Christian or un-Christian? I think this is an irrelevant question because I do not think there is Christian art and non-Christian art. I think there are people, saved and unsaved, who create. These people, hopefully, in their honesty, create out of their hearts and being. When art is viewed in this light, it becomes hard to ask whether it is Christian or non-Christian because art is not simply a person striving for some standard or label. Rather, art is a true expression of what is happening within. As people create out of honesty, there will be art that relates to theology and God, but there will also be art that relates to fun, romance, pain, and darkness none of which are sacred or secular.

W H O CREA TE.

If you are an artist and have felt stifled by the Christian community because your art is not “Christian” enough, please hear what I am saying. We are created to create, whatever form that takes is left to the individual, but please do not ignore your God-given and encouraged impulses because of the line that others draw. Express yourself and embrace the beauty and life that can be found in artistic expression. *These will be the sorts of questions discussed at Beautiful Response. This article was written to encourage artists at Multnomah to join in Beautiful Response and share with the student body their individual expressions. Beau Stumberg, Junior, Psychology Major C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/a-call-for-response/#respond

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E C EN

S S E E Y T TH U A E B OF BY

N QUI

IN ROB

SON

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

WHEN MANY OF US THINK OF BEAUTY IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO ATTACH THE THOUGHT TO THE WELL KNOWN APHORISM: “BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.” However, such an idea raises too many questions. For instance, when a mathematician, such as Bertrand Russell, says that mathematics is of the highest of beauties, or Plato and Pythagoras suggest that geometry is the fulfillment of beauty, are they really right in their own eyes and wrong in others? Or what of Picasso’s paintings and Dante’s literature, are these mere conceptions of personal taste unto which anyone has the right to say that one is beautiful and the other ugly? And I myself, as a musician, do I lack the ability to create music of objective beauty? If not myself, can God? Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? Being a student at Multnomah and having experienced this month of “beautiful responses” before, it has come to my attention that most of us have not even thought through our conception of beauty. Why do we lay what we consider beautiful at the foot of God when it may be possible that there exists standards outside the

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj viewer, that what we think is beautiful is really an insult to the one we are offering it too. I have battled with this concept of beauty for a while now and have read all I could on the subject, and I believe I have finally landed on a position. I find this doctrine of subjective beauty to be a rough notion to adopt when considering the implications. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, it is objective, found in the object. But before I can unpack my thesis, let me define what beauty is.

WHAT IS BEAUTY? My peers today seem to miss the mark when it comes to defining beauty. Men, when associating it with a woman, define it as something that would satisfy their sexual desires. Consider yourself, when you say that a woman or man is beautiful, what are you really saying? That he or she has a great body? Nice eyes? A nice figure? What makes him or her more “beautiful” than his or her neighbor or friend? When speaking of human beauty we often mean that some of our sexual requirements are met. However, the odd thing about beauty is that we use it as a metaphor to explain such sites like Multnomah Falls, or a dramatic sunset. Metaphors make connections which are not, as Dr. Roger Scruton who is a philosopher of aesthetics put it, “contained in the fabric of reality but created by our own associative powers. The important question about a metaphor is not what property it stands for, but what experience it suggests.” So why do we call things beautiful? What do we mean? At this point I must preface my systematic definition as the poet and philosopher George Santayana did: “A definition that should really define must be nothing less than the exposition of the origin, place, and elements of beauty as an object of human experience. We must learn from it, as far as possible, why, when, and how beauty appears, what conditions an object must fulfill to be beautiful, what elements of our nature make us sensible of beauty, and what the relation is between the constitution of the object and the excitement of our susceptibility. Nothing less will really define beauty or make us understand what aesthetic appreciation is.”

Unfortunately, I am not allotted the space here to expound as I have done elsewhere, but I do encourage you to come and ask me questions. Now with all that being said, beauty should be defined as follows: an objective reality, a value, an expression of an idea that does its best to subject itself to the symbol of perfection, an ultimate value, like that of goodness and truth, a thing that we pursue for its own sake. Beauty is like truth and goodness; why believe q? Because it is true. Why want d? Because it is good. Why look at b? Because it is beautiful. Scruton expounds on this idea by saying: “Someone who asked ‘why believe what is true?’ or ‘why want what is good?’ has failed to understand the nature of reasoning. He doesn’t see that if we are to justify our beliefs and desires at all, then our reasons must be anchored in the true and the good.” And the same goes for beauty, for if someone asks me ‘why are you so interested in q?’ It’s because it being beautiful is reason enough. Because the definition of beauty is expressed here as objective, there can exist no arguments against such a claim if the item(s) fits the definition. Beauty, therefore, is found in the object. But I must say that just like truth and goodness, beauty also has been affected by the fall, not that beauty has diminished, because neither goodness or truth has become tarnished. Rather, beauty is something we humans have to grow to see, know, and understand because our ability to see this beauty has been tarnished, as it has been in regards to truth and goodness.

WHY BEAUTY HAS TO BE OBJECTIVE It seems like more and more of my peers are falling for the trap of postmodern thinking and relativism. I wasn’t going to add this section because I thought that beauty and objectivity had to have logically been in association, but I have come to find out that this is not so obvious. It is true that there exists some good things in postmodernism, but this in no way allows us to adopt the position. Does not even evil yield good things to us? Not that evil is good, but without it we would not have many virtues such as the taking care of the sick, forgiveness, compassion, and comfort, many of which

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj are attributes that Jesus demonstrated. Yet we still strive for a life without evil, and in doing so, we erase the latter virtues. Perhaps postmodernism needs to follow suit and soon be erased as we live a life that holds fast to objectivity and systems rooted in truth. I would love to expound-maybe another time-but this is not the aim of this article; however, it needed to be said. Here is some basic logic: if truth is in the mind of the beholder, then truth is relative. Your truth is no more false than mine or truer than mine, even if it contradicts. In other words there exists no objective truth. But why does this change when it comes to beauty? If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then doesn’t this mean that there exists no beauty? Yes it does, logic demands it. Beauty is not as relative as we like to make it out to be, no more than truth is relative. Your opinions of what is beautiful and ugly can be false, and unless you know the objective criteria of beauty, you should not and cannot make judgments. But I must note at this point that all humans have a sense, kind of like our conscience, where we can, even if we can’t use words to express it, know what is beautiful, but such ability is hindered by the fall.

We all seem to have this belief that beauty is objective. For instance, when we see something that evokes a certain emotion like a cute puppy, or takes our breath like a full moon’s light reflecting off the ripples of the water, what do we do? We take pictures of it! There

is no reason for us to do this unless we think that this beauty is found in what we are looking at and not something conjured up by our minds. If beauty is not found in the object, then there is no need to take pictures of it. And what about traveling? Why do we travel to see places like the Seven Wonders of the World if the object has no inherent beauty? Why waste all your money? It seems that we all know that beauty is in the object; we enjoy going to see places rather than seeing postcards. This observation is of the utmost importance because if beauty is not found in the object, where does it lie? You must say then that beauty is just a creation of the mind like David Hume does: “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty. One person may even perceive deformity, where another is sensible of beauty; and every individual ought to acquiesce in his own sentiment, without pretending to regulate those of others.” However, as stated earlier, if this is true, then beauty doesn’t even exist, and so why call anything beautiful at all? Much like when someone says that there exists no morality, even the weakest of consciences shudder because we know there is a standard of goodness. Likewise, a parallel shudder emerges when it is said that there exists no beauty.

JUDGING BEAUTY I must once again emphasize that I am only able to summarize my thoughts in this section because beauty is both a sensory and intellectual experience. We hear music and see art, but beauty does not exclude a novel, sermon, or mathematics. However, my focus of this article is that of art. I would first define art as: an expression of oneself, with intention, meaning and form, to achieve beauty. The magnificent thing is that animals do not care for art. When you see a beaver make a dam, it may look interesting, but it only serves the animal’s immediate and physical needs. You will never find a flower on the side of the dam. Only humans care to create things for beauty’s sake alone, without purpose or function. For instance, what can Mozart’s songs do for you? Why is it important? It really isn’t, except for the

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj fact that it is beautiful, but what makes art beautiful? Art becomes beautiful when the subject intends to create a painting, song, or poem by following some specific form-it could be symmetry, colors, shapes, etc. All of this has to be intended by the creator. In music, an area I am gifted in, it must take a listener somewhere to create in their mind a truth. This will evoke the emotion that we all feel when we see or hear something beautiful. But the paradox is this: we must first create; the delight then follows. We don’t first feel ‘good’, and then it becomes beautiful. Rather, you feel that way because it is beautiful. Augustine echoes this idea himself in his book Veritate Religione. One of the major checks is how it makes the viewer feel; however, we must remember that this alone is not the judge. There are varying degrees of beauty; not all things which are beautiful are equal. Judging pieces of art comes with a lot of time and skill as we are not all equally gifted in judging every category of art. For instance, I am one who lacks the ability to read Dante’s literature and critique whether it is beautiful or ugly. I don’t know its form or how to find it, and the same goes for many of us. Yes, I may feel good about Dante’s works, but this alone validates only a fraction of the steps that need to be filled. What I must also say here is that photography is not art; it is simply taking a picture of what is already created. It is much like a student who loves a book so much that he or she puts it into their writing as their own. Is this right? Of course not it is called plagiarism, then why do we let people get away with it today calling it art? Unless you are the creator, you are not the artist. So in judging art, we must discern the form, intention (expressiveness of the being), and meaning.

CLOSING THOUGHTS I do understand that for many of us what I am suggesting is new and difficult to adopt, and that I have left many important questions unanswered. However, the most important thing is thinking for yourself and coming up with good reasons for having those thoughts. Beauty is real and objective, and there is something about it that makes life enjoyable. Imagine a world without beauty, without colors, shapes, music, language, or art. What kind of world would such a place be without these delights? It would be no better a world without the other two values as well: truth and goodness. So while we are creating something beautiful for our Lord this month, let us consider heavily what beauty really means, and to create for him our best because if what I am saying is true, then not all art is created equal, and we should therefore think twice about giving it. Quincy Robinson, Junior, Biblical Languages Major C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT : http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/the-essence-of-beauty/#respond

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THE

VALUE ABSTRACT

ART

BY ETHAN KN UDSO N

Norman Rockwell “Abstract and Concrete” 1963, www.best-norman-rockwell-art.com

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

The above Norman Rockwell painting masterfully depicts a common perception of abstract art. The man gazes at the painting and, though only his back is shown, one can’t help but see he hasn’t the slightest

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj idea how to approach the splattered nonsense before him. I’ve heard many claim that such a random mess of ink cannot be art, often telling the tale of a few nameless researchers who gave paint to some particularly avant-garde elephants and tricked renowned critics into thinking the animals’ works of “art” were human masterpieces.

THE CONSTRAINTS INHERENT TO SPEECH LIMIT US IN SUCH A WAY THAT OUR DESCRIPTIONS OF SUCH ABSTRACTIONS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS WRAPPED UP IN CONCRETE METAPHORS.

In all truth, I once held the same opinion. To my shame, I even mocked my high school humanities teacher by crumpling a piece of paper, throwing it on the ground in front of her, and obnoxiously exclaiming, “Look! I’ve created ART!” Since then though, I have come to see that my own disdain for this form came from a deep misunderstanding of its purpose and, in turn, how to approach it. I am certainly no expert in this field, but my mind has experienced a drastic change in this area and I hope to provoke others to consider appreciating this often misunderstood medium. Abstract art conveys realities that all human beings experience, but none can wholly express through more “conventional” means of communication. Warmth, cold, satisfaction, defeat, tranquility, chaos: to one extent or another, we will all experience these abstract emotions throughout the course of our lives. However, the constraints inherent to speech limit us in such a way that our descriptions of such abstractions are almost always wrapped up in concrete metaphors. To see what I mean, take a moment and try to describe “redness” without referring to anything red. Stop reading, find a friend, and just talk about “red;” not red things, just “red.” Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you...

You may have said red is warm, passionate, bright, cheery, glowing or any other such word, but such

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj even so, if the artist a description falls has accomplished their short of moving the goal well, both the artist listener to experiand participant will be ence “redness” at overtaken by a similar its core. It simply emotive experience describes “red” with when interacting with other equally abstract the completed work. ideas that are generally associated with things that are red. Every form of Red is warm because communication has many warm things, Jackson Pollock “Autumn Rhythm” http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/57.92 its own strengths and such as fire, sunburns, shortcomings. Although or blood, are red. These words fall somewhat short of abstract art runs the risk of being lost in foggy subjectivexplaining “redness” in and of itself. ity, it also holds the potential to convey abstract experience and emotion with unrivaled force and depth. In Enter abstract art. Unlike most other media, this way, it holds unique value and ought to be apprecithis form allows us to feel and experience such abstract ated for its contribution to human expression. realities without stepping out of the realm of abstraction. Jackson Pollock’s “Autumn Rhythm” does not depict So then dear reader, I would encourage you to any particular event in autumn such as falling leaves take a trip to the Portland Art Museum and spend an or crisp breezes that hint the coming winter chill. Yet afternoon perusing the galleries displaying more abstract the sweeping strokes and speckles of black, brown, and works. Scan a room and find a piece that grabs your white in their varying shades convey the brisk cold and heart; then position yourself in front of it for a moment sense of change that characterize the season. When lookand just stare. Take it all in. If you don’t like it, good! ing at this painting, one does not see anything concretely Push out any thought of what it is you don’t like and autumn, but the feeling of autumn is remarkably pressimply bask in your derision. If another painting brings ent. a sense of calm, good! Let your eyes wander through the painting or sculpture and feel the peace seep out from When approaching abstract art, many will ask every pore of the canvas and allow it to overtake you. questions such as “What does this mean?” or “What is For many, this will be a challenging and uncomfortable this supposed to be?” and understandably so, especially exercise; it certainly was for me as I first began approachconsidering how appropriate and helpful these questions ing abstract art in this way. Yet after a time, I hope you are in most other forms of art and communication. But will see the value of this form and experience the wonto ask these questions of an abstract expression is to atder when seemingly haphazard strokes and scribbles tempt to reroute the work from the abstract into the consing (and sometimes scream) to your very soul. crete. Instead, we should simply let our eyes feast upon the piece and pour through every inch in aesthetic wonder. What it means is mostly beside the point; much Ethan Knudson, Senior, Biblical Languages Major more important is what it conveys. This is admittedly subjective, yet even this subjectivity is part of the artist’s intent. By choosing an abstract form, an artist recognizes that a certain kind of clarity is lost. The viewer may very well see something different than what the artist had in C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT mind as they swept their brush across the canvas. But http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/the-value-of-abstract-art/#respond

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SPEAK.

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BY MAKENZIE HALBERT

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE FEELING I WAS OVERCOME WITH AS I SAT IN A CREATIVE WRITING CLASS TWO YEARS AGO AT MULTNOMAH. We were reading Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis (mentioned in our December Lit Snip if you’re interested) and the professor asked us what we might be turned into if we had a metamorphic experience like Gregor does in the story. My response was immediate (it was also the first time I had spoken all semester in that class). Of course, I would be turned into a skittish, bashful, jumpy, bunny rabbit. That was how I saw myself. I was constantly hiding from the view of others and the easiest way to do that was to credit my natural inclination towards introversion and shyness and use it as an excuse to remain quiet, or even silent, in almost all situations. This inclination on my part-to remain unheard and unseen-was not always a part of me. I grew up in a home where I was listened to and understood, where I was empowered both as a human and as a female. I was told that I had a voice worth being heard, as all people did. Despite this upbringing, somewhere along the line I began to experience how much easier, in the immediate sense of the term, it was to not speak, to not demand to be heard. It was “easier” to not rock the boat, it was “easier” to be seen as pleasant, quiet, shy, or just nice.

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IT SEEMS NATURAL TO FALL INTO THE MINDSET THAT USING OUR VOICE IS UNNECESSARY AS IT WILL MOST LIKELY DO NO GOOD. IT TAKES LESS EFFORT ON OUR PART TO ASSUME THAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL SAY WHAT WE THINK AND THEY WILL PROBABLY SAY IT BETTER.

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe myself to be alone when I say that in our day-to-day lives, it makes things much more simple if we remain apathetic, if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow ourselves to care too much about a certain cause or issue we see, if we remain relatively good-natured and pleasant about our lives. It seems natural to fall into the mindset that using our voice is unnecessary as it will most likely do no good. It takes less effort on our part to assume that someone else will say what we think and they will probably say it better. Maybe someone does say something that was similar, maybe their thoughts, in your opinion, are more articulate, but that opinion is merely subjective. By our very nature, we are created uniquely, and it would stand to reason that our voices and our thoughts are also unique and worth being heard as we have no way of knowing who might be changed or positively affected by what we say aloud. For me, beginning to use my voice was a simple choice, albeit a slow process. It began with the recognition that I had not been utilizing a gift and a privilege that so many desire. It was a recognition of my own apathy, complacency, and in all honesty, selfishness and insecurity. I started small, I started sharing my opinions in conversations with close friends and learning to process life with others, disregarding my fears that I might offend, be misunderstood or judged in some way. Then, I began contributing more in classes. There was always and there still is the fear that something I might say in class, regarding literature or theology or some other concept I am in no way an expert on, could sound less than intelligent or change the way some think about me. However, that fear, though it is driving, is not contributing to any form of growth or betterment for anyone involved. And honestly, I must humbly admit that the notion of others forever altering their view of me because of something I say is a bit self-indulgent and self-centered. Lastly, if I am wrong, if tomorrow I contradict myself, good. That does not show weakness or stupidity and it should not be perceived that way by myself or anyone else. Let it be known that this has not been, in any way, an independent conclusion on my part. I have sat

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj under the teaching of professors who have changed my life and changed the way I think completely. If you have taken a class from Dr. Schaak, you have heard him talk about Ralph Waldo Emerson and you have probably heard him quote Emerson when he says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speak what you think today in words as hard as cannon balls, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.â&#x20AC;? We should be worried if the words we speak never contradict each other. We are not meant to be stagnant in our thinking or in our perspectives, and this is not something we should strive to accomplish. We are all in positions where our voices are able to be heard, some more than others, but for the most part, being educated young adults in a country that places value on freedom of speech, we have a voice. It is a disservice to ourselves, to the progress of our communities and our worlds to not use this voice. Additionally, it is an insult to those who are currently fighting, have fought, and will fight everyday to make their voices heard if we sit around and neglect the fact that our voices could be heard but we are just choosing not to use them. We take this gift, because yes, it is not a right, it is a gift as so many brothers and sisters in other parts of the world would tell us, and we take it for granted. Hear what I am saying: to use your voice does not necessitate anger or rage or aggressive outspokenness; it means simply to not negate a valuable asset we have been given as a privileged culture of young people. Whatever form that voice takes on, embrace it. For me, my voice is best articulated and expressed when I write, so I began writing. I had always written, but I began to write publically, to use this medium as a way to express to a greater audience who I am and the voice I believe I have been given. Find your medium and find your voice. However you do it, speak, and speak loudly. Makenzie Halbert, Senior, English Major CLICK HERE T O C O MMENT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/speak/#respond

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We see ourselves falling, we see the church fading away saint by saint, and we sit back and get angry.

AMY

SIMMONS

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

We sit on a sinking ship and complain about all the water. We watch the world around burn, and we sit in our cynicism and say there is nothing to be done about it now. Sure, we are willing to click a button and sign a change.org petition. We regularly repost viral videos about issues halfway around the world we knew nothing about until three and a half minutes ago. Maybe we might even put our ideas on a page and write an anonymous letter, but something in us refuses to say “I believe this.” We refuse to put ourselves in the middle of an issue in a way that reveals our true voice or personality. Calling something unjust is saying something is wrong, and if we believe something is wrong then that means we claim to have at least some loose grasp on what is right. It seems as though that is simply not something we are willing to say. There is risk in that, and we may look foolish if we fail. Though we may never see mountains move, let us believe God is able to do so. We know some sliver of truth; we have a blueprint for justice, for love, and for compassion.

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Activism does not need to be about altering this particular moment in time. Sometimes activism can mean changing our hearts in a moment and pouring that new spirit out into the world around us. Politics aside, it cannot be denied that our culture began to change the day President Obama was voted into office. Some of the cynics have lost satisfaction in their moment of hope five years ago because things have not changed like we were promised. Other skeptics are concerned with what the world is becoming. Few continue to press into a hope of a better tomorrow. What we are blind to see, I would humbly claim, is that something began to change. Our generation is probably right: we cannot change this year in our history so much so that life will be better for those who follow us because we wrote this one letter or took to the streets on a single afternoon. It’s true. It won’t do much at all. But if we continue to write, to move, to speak aloud in the moments when our hearts are stirred and our conscience pulled upon, rather than sitting back and analyzing the wreckage, we can begin to blaze a path towards the change we desire to see. Activism is not a day of shouting with a sign in hand. It is a position of the spirit that proclaims our belief that a better tomorrow can and should exist, and our refusal to rest regardless of whether we get to see that change. Activism is a spirit of perseverance because we may not change the world around us, and we may not get the prize at the end of

the race, but we can be a stepping stone of change for our cultural climate and a vital component to the change that one day may occur. There have been a lot of “mights” and “mays” here, and I mean that. I refuse to send you a message that being active is about accomplishments. I have a hard time believing Jesus’ biggest concern for our lives is what our actions result in. I am not so convinced that those who have experienced success will get a bigger mansion than those who have suffered many failures. I hold no notion that Christ will sit on the judgement seat and ask to see what we have done, but rather, why it is that we have done it. Because we live in a world that people do not really want to change, it is difficult to work only to see that world destroy itself again. I want to change because justice and love exist-of this I have no doubt. If we live in a world yet to come, and we are not praying for the rapture every night before bed, then we should be tirelessly striving to see our communities reflect the justice and love we claim to have faith will come. Tomorrow begins today, even when tomorrow is eternity. Amy Simmons, Senior, Psychology Major C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/get-active/#respond

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T H E

O P P O S I T I O N

O F

PATRIARCHY BY MAKENZIE HALBERT

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

We did it; we broke the ice and we talked about feminism. How are you doing? We threw a lot at you last month, and I apologize (but not really) for continuing the stream of challenging topics. Amy Simmons offered her opinion on the matter of feminism in her article “The F-Word” that can be found in the March edition of Muse. Her article aimed to deconstruct the term that has gained such a specific stigma in our culture. She addressed what feminism looks like for her as a woman and as a Christian, and while that is a necessary component to discuss, I have been fraught with the same question all semester. As I have been thinking about what it means to be a feminist and what feminist scholars are actually trying to say, I can’t help but ask: what does feminism mean for men? Feminism is for everyone as it opposes not men but a system of patriarchy that is oppressive to both males and females. Let’s talk about this. We here on the Muse staff are big fans of TED talks and I recently watched one that spoke directly to the question that has been prodding me for months now. In “A Call to Men,” Tony Porter speaks of the effects that a patriarchal culture has on young men as it

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj produces men that objectify women, assert their dominance, and perpetuate the very culture that stifled their compassion, emotions, and empathy. As Porter recalls moments from his own upbringing and his experience as a parent of a young boy, he presents what can only be viewed as a vicious cycle. Feminist scholars have been clear about this from the beginning: our patriarchal culture is oppressive to women as it lays upon them one way to live and act and be feminine. But as many of these scholars would agree and as Porter presents, that culture also puts the same constricting expectations on men. We allow men to act in one specific way: non-emotional, tough, dominant, and detached, just as we allow women to act in only one specific manner.

FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYONE AS IT OPPOSES NOT MEN BUT A SYSTEM OF PA T R I A R C H Y T H A T I S O P P R E SS I V E TO B OT H MALES AND FEMALES. The opposition of patriarchy, what many feminists claim to be the aim of a feminist politic, is something that should be embraced by both genders as the patriarchal structure is damaging and reductive to all people and our culture as a whole. Of course, this is my take on Porter’s presentation coupled with my own thoughts and study over the past few months. I would encourage you to listen to Porter’s 11 minute talk and his call for men to break out of “the man box” and to reject our culture’s definition of maleness in order to create a better future, a future that is not dictated by patriarchy. Makenzie Halbert, Senior, English Major CLICK HERE T O C O MMENT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/the-opposition-of-patriarchy/#respond

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A TIME TO EMBRACE PT. 3 FICTION BY LAURA GRIFFITH

PARTS 1 AND 2 OF LAURA’S STORY CAN BE FOUND IN THE FEBRUARY AND MARCH EDITIONS OF MUSE PHOTO BY BELGRAVIAS

Rock harmonies and cigarette smoke floated out the open door into the street. A couple young men and a red-haired girl sat on the sidewalk playing their guitars and singing. A well-dressed man passed by the door and wrinkled his nose. Inside the studio, Sophie and the band were perfecting their last song for the album, under George’s supervision. As the last strains of music faded, George cut the recording and heaved a sigh. “That’s it!” he said. “We’ll shoot the pictures for the cover tomorrow, Sophie.” “You’ll be taking those?” she asked. “Yeah. Hey, listen, I’ve got a new song I want to show you. Stick around, alright?” “Sure, just get me out of this room. The heat’s making me develop claustrophobia.” Sophie stood up and entered the main room. At any given time in the day or night, there were usually about ten aspiring musicians hanging around George’s studio—more when George himself was there.

They all hoped to get their big break when the boss heard them play, and while they were waiting, they talked about music and wasted their money on cigarettes and booze. George let them stay because they had potential and did odd jobs for him. Thomas had been around, playing his guitar, keeping the other wannabes under control, and admiring Sophie for years. No one knew how he made enough money to live, but no one asked. They all wanted him to stay forever. The studio wouldn’t be the studio without Thomas. As she took a seat, Sophie let out a sigh and turned her face toward the door. Putting out his cigarette, Thomas came and sat next to her. “Waitin’ for the boss?” he asked. “Mm.” “Role reversal.” “What?”

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jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj “He’s been waitin’ for you long enough.” Thomas smiled at Sophie’s surprised expression. “Don’t you know he heard you sing in Boston five years ago? He’s been waitin’ for you to grow up ever since.” “Boston…” Sophie muttered. “I like to pretend I’ve never been that far north.” “What’s a high class girl like you doing in a joint like this, Sophie?” Thomas asked. She turned her grey eyes on him and he knew. “In a way, you have been waiting for the boss to grow up, too, haven’t you?” he said. “For him to grow up enough to see that there’s nothing magical about age.” “Maybe,” Sophie murmured. And George walked in. A rare cool day in Tennessee allowed Sophie and George to spend hours outdoors taking pictures. “This lighting is amazing, Sophie,” George said. “The clouds are perfect, and you look beautiful. It’s a wonderful day for a photo shoot.” “Wonderful day for a photoshoot,” Sophie echoed sarcastically. “I think six new zits appeared this morning.” “Ah, I remember the days of acne,” George said with a smile. “But those days are long past. Anyone that suffers from acne would never notice anyone like me.” “That’s not true,” Sophie retorted. He turned to look at her. They paused for a moment, each wondering the same thing. “Is it time?” he whispered. “Have I waited long enough?” Sophie approached him and took the camera from his hands. Setting it aside, she asked him, “Would you want to take care of a kid?” “Could you possibly like an old man?” he asked. But Sophie placed her hands on either side of his face and said, “He aged well. I’m not sure I would have wanted him ten years younger.” George pulled his little girl close and did what he had waited five years to do: he kissed her. But kisses are like wine—the longer you wait for them, the sweeter they are.

than had just finished a job interview. She was plump and eager to please; he didn’t like her. “Welcome to work, Sophie,” he said as his favorite piece of candy walked in from the morning air. “The girl outside said she’d just interviewed for a job here,” Sophie said as she walked to her desk. “That’s right.” “I think you should hire her; she’d make a good journalist.” “I’m not inclined to,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “For one thing, we don’t have an empty desk.” Sophie snatched her crisp, new nameplate off her desk and dropped it in the trash. “Now you do.” With that, she strode out of the office, across the street into the waiting arms of her favorite boss. “Sophie,” George whispered into her ear. “‘Runaway Train’ hit iTunes at nine this morning. It’s already at the top of the charts.” “No!” Sophie gasped, looking up into his face. “Really?” He nodded. “Darling, you’re a star,” he said. She pressed her lips to his. “I love you,” she said. “Ah, my little rock star,” he answered. “How lovable you are.” Laura Griffith, Sophomore, English Major

C LIC K HERE T O C O MME NT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/a-time-to-embrace-pt-3/#respond

Inside the Music News Weekly building, Jona-

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Breakfast WITH

BEAU

BY BEAU STUMBERG

Portland has many unique eateries and restaurants. From Ethiopian to Japanese and beyond,

Among the unique, and something that stands out as a Portland favorite as well as being widely admired and copied around the U.S., are the food carts. “Fried Egg I’m in Love” is the first food cart I have reviewed because I have stuck strictly to breakfast restaurants and diners. The cart is definitely an exception and a very tasty one at that. From the “Egg Zeppelin” (two eggs, two sausage patties, cheddar cheese, and aardvark aioli) to the “OK Commuter” (Over hard egg, bacon, and cheddar), all the sandwiches in the truck are characterized by musical references, including the name of the cart itself. If these breakfast concoctions sound simple, think again. Using farm fresh eggs and other fresh ingredients, simple is a poor adjective. Think fresh, crisp, buttery, rich, and flavorsome. These guys take simple, pack it full of flavor,

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pack it full of flavor, smack it between punch you in the mouth. smack it between two pieces of bread, wrap it in paper, and let the flavor punch you in the mouth. If you have ever tried to find breakfast on Hawthorne Boulevard (or in Southeast Portland for that matter) before 9 a.m., you know that the options are slim. This is one of the few early bird places (open at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday) that boasts a delectable and innovative menu. Located on Hawthorne and 32nd, it is a short drive from campus and worth the commute for a reasonably priced and tasty breakfast. Remember, it is a food cart, so if it’s cold outside, bundle up and wear a hat-we wouldn’t want anyone getting a cold. They are not the most timely food cart around, but the food is well worth the short wait. The portions are decent, not great, but for the price I would say it is about right. So as warm weather approaches and you get weary of the cafeteria food, treat yourself to something new for breakfast. Slightly caffeinated and often discontent, Your fellow breakfast hunter, Beau Stumberg, Junior, Psychology Major CLICK HERE T O C O MMENT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/breakfast-with-beau-fried-egg-im-in-love/#respond

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FAMILY ART

BY MATTHEW HOWEN

The family art is a mysterious one but it is by far the most common. What has anyone to do with art? Everything. From our birth we are subsumed into a creative art that is as old as Eve. One person from others, one family from many. A man, Jacob Subchenko, moved from Europe to North Dakota. His son Walter moved to California, and his son Robert, after going to school, moved back to his hometown in Lodi, California. Mignon Henriques moved from Jamaica to Southern California so her husband could serve in WWII. Her youngest daughter, Jamie, became a Christian and met a man from Lodi, California at her church. Their youngest son has written this sentence. I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2010. An American was a foreigner in my family 150 years ago. One hundred fifty years from now, those along my line will only see me as a man moving from one city to another, marrying a woman and having kids that will be their great-grandparents. They will only be able to quantify my creative influence on their lives by the fact that they are a child of a child of a child of a child of mine: but I am nothing new. Art, in the musical, visual, or literary sense, seems to me to be familylike. How can a musician create a tune that is not influenced by the past? Even those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t claim a genre can only move away from what was done. A new literary form is only a repulsion from, or revision of, an old form. Art is created, but not out of nothing. We dance and sing due to a long lineage of humans trying to let loose what is bound in them. It is the beauty of art that is impossible to disconnect from the past. A new movement is a new branch on the same tree. I can create only from the art which has already made me. Try not to make something new, for all is old: old but not dead. Matthew Howen, Senior, English Major

CLICK HERE T O C O MMENT http://multnomahmuse.com/2013/03/30/family-art/#respond

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LIT SNIP

Let’s be honest, none of us have much leisure time in these next few weeks; we can all agree on that. However, some of you may be able to find some time, some of you may also be struggling to find motivation and could use a brain-feeding distraction, and some of you may be looking to start the list of books you plan to tackle this summer. So, for our last Lit Snip, we are providing you with two options in order to cater to your varying availability in the last month of the semester. Here we have two excerpts from a woman who is a well-loved author of your Muse team (obviously), a Portland dweller, and a writer who is masterful in her craft of science fiction and fantasy. What a treat! You’re welcome. Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas” and her novel The Left Hand of Darkness are captivating stories. The few pages of the short story deliver just as much punch (if not more, depending on the reader) as her beautifully crafted novel as she takes the reader to fictional realities fraught with widely applicable themes and challenges. Le Guin is an author who will challenge nearly all of your presuppositions and force you to face aspects about yourself that you may not want to (that’s what she did for us), but trust us when we say it’s worth it. Ideally, you should read both of these, but if you’re short on time, pick up the story. Once you get a taste of Le Guin, we have a good feeling you’ll be back for more. Matthew and Makenzie

I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination. The soundest fact may fail or prevail in the style of its telling: like that singular organic jewel of our seas, which grows brighter as one woman wears it and, worn by another, dulls and goes to dust. Facts are no more solid, coherent, round, and real than pearls are. But both are sensitive.

Joyous! How is one to tell about joy? How describe the citizens of Omelas?

They were not simple folk, you see, though they were happy. But we do not say the words of cheer much any more. All smiles have become archaic. Given a description such as this one tends to make certain assumptions. Given a description such as this one tends to look next for the King, mounted The story is not all mine, nor told by me on a splendid stallion and surrounded by his noble alone. Indeed I am not sure whose story it is; you can knights, or perhaps in a golden litter borne by greatjudge better. But it is all one, and if at moments the muscled slaves. But there was no king. They did not facts seem to alter with an altered voice, use swords, or keep slaves. They were not barbarians, why then you can choose the fact you like best; yet I do not know the rules and laws of their society, but none of them are false, and it is all one I suspect that they were singularly few. As they did story. without monarchy and slavery, so they also got on without the stock exchange, the advertisement, the An excerpt from Ursula K. Le Guin’s secret police, and the bomb. Yet I repeat that these Left Hand of Darkness were not simple folk, not dulcet shepherds, noble savages, bland utopians. There were not less complex than us. An excerpt from Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Those Who Walk Away From Omelas”

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---BREAK THE---

BLOCK ARBOR DAY FESTIVAL

Retro Run 5k April 14, 9 am

Portland International Raceway Fun Run, music, costume contest, pet run, 80s dance party. Be there. $30$45, all ages. This 5k is an untimed, fun-run that plays a different decade of music every Kilometer and encourages its participants to dress up and come out for a good time, all while encouraging a healthy and fit lifestyle. Participants will also enjoy a post- race festival, 80’s music, and a costume contest (there is even a prize for best dressed pet). Register online at www.theretrorun5k.com

April 20, from 8:30am-2:00pm Portland Farmers Market at PSU

The Arbor Day Festival is the main celebration of Arbor Month! Join Portland Parks & Recreation and our partners at the Portland Farmers Market or a funfilled day as we honor those who work tirelessly to enhance our urban forest. http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/436730

PDX Bridge festivaL APRIL 21, 1-5 PM

THE GAME RESTAURANT IN THE ROSE QUATER

PDX Bridge Festival’s Broadway Bridge 100th Birthday Celebration: ”Celebrating 100 Years of Connecting Communities and Cultures” With Live Music from Joe Reed & Friends, The Ukeladies, and Trashcan Joe, Bridge for Blankets – public art, snacks, drinks and free samples, chapman elementary model bridges, bridge tours by “The Bridge Lady”, and a birthday cake for the Broadway bridge! $5 suggested donation at door for individuals, $10 per family http://pdxbridgefestival.org/

“Half the Sky: Turning Oppression

into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” Lecture: Nicholas D. Kristof April 1, 7pm the Kaul Auditorium at Reed College Nicholas D. Kristof, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and columnist for the New York Times since 2001, will discuss his work documenting global maltreatment towards women and efforts to combat such oppression, as detailed in the book he and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, coauthored, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. He argues that women’s empowerment through autonomy and health is important not only from a human rights perspective, but also as key to economic progress. Kristof is a native Oregonian who has lived on four continents, reported on six, and traveled to over 150 countries. http://halfthesky.org/en

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EVENTS ON CAMPUS FAITH & CULTURE WRITERS CONFERENCE

SPRING THAW APRIL 12-14

APRIL 5-6

BEAUTIFUL RESPONSE

DAY OF OUTREACH

APRIL 15-19

APRIL 22ND

NEW WINE, NEW WINESKINS CONFERENCE: IMMIGRATION REFORMATION

SPRING BALL: GATSBY PARTY MAY 3RD

GRADUATION MAY 10TH

APRIL 27TH

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN

MUSE PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOWEN