october 17, 2013
volume 50 edition 3
soccer | 3
L A N E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E ’ S I N D E P E N D E N T, S T U D E N T - R U N N E W S P A P E R
EUGENE,OREGON
LADY PALMO SPEAKS AT LANE
ZORA PARKER // PHOTOGRAPHER
Above: Lady Jangchup Palmo prays during her Oct. 10 presentation at the Longhouse. Right: Lady Jangchup Palmo comforts Jordan Plunk, while praying for her and her mother. mohammed alkhadher // NEWS EDITOR Lady Jangchup Palmo visited the Longhouse Oct. 10 to speak about her life and the importance of compassion in an event hosted by Lane’s Peace Center and Diversity Office. Students and community members filled the Longhouse in anticipation for her arrival. Palmo spoke in her native Tibetan tongue about her experiences as a prisoner under the 1959 Chinese communist occupation and how she dealt with the circumstances. Lady Palmo described pre-occupation Tibet as grassy plains surrounded by mountains. “We were thrown into absolute disaster,” Palmo said. “The army came to
my home and killed my parents.” Palmo was shot by Chinese soldiers six times and spoke of her multiple attempts to escape her captors. “I had to escape,” Palmo said. “I had to get to India.” It was her second escape attempt. “The anger and hatred I had was burning inside of me,” Palmo said. “I missed my parents so badly.” The Chinese captured Palmo during her attempt, but a month later, she said, she tried to escape a third time. Palmo described her efforts to cross the Brahmaputra River that runs between Tibet and India. “I made it across slowly,” Palmo said. “I almost drowned.” After her escape is when she began to study and practice Buddha's teachings.
“I had to train my mind,” Palmo said. “The first thing is to raise compassion.” Palmo explained that despite her experiences, she taught herself that the Chinese were her siblings. “I love the Chinese,” Palmo said. Through training her mind, she was able to see the inseparability between friend and foe, Palmo said. “I really feel that natural love for them,” Palmo said. “This is really what I feel.” Lady Palmo has been making trips to the U.S. for the past eight years to encourage listeners that happiness doesn’t come from accumulating wealth, she said. “This is a non-sectarian effort to foster world peace,” Palmo said. Palmo hoped that from what little she
shared, her experiences would inspire her listeners. “Had I gone through what she did,” Lane student Eddie Leach said, “it probably would have turned me into a leftwing armed revolutionary.” Lane student Jeff Wilson said, he felt some of her message was lost in translation. “Coming from a Christian point of view,” Wilson said, “I liked how she talks about non-sectarianism, and I loved what she had to say.” Lane student Alana Aguiro said it was good to hear stories from people who have overcome hard times, especially because Palmo converted her anger into love. “Everyone I meet, I see them as my brothers,” Palmo said.
TRIBE BRINGS HIP HOP TO THE GRANARY mohammed alkhadher // NEWS EDITOR Keyboard, standing bass and saxophone playing over looped kicks, hi-hats and snares in the dimly lit basement of the Granary on Thursday nights at Fifth and Olive St. set the tempo for Marv Ellis to demonstrate his “million-dollar idea.” Ellis is a Eugene native and the organizer of NW Raw’s weekly event at the Granary, a
pizza parlor with gluten-free and organic options, and a nightclub. “When I came back to Eugene there were a few hip hop weeklies, but they were weak,” Ellis said. “We can make something better.” Before moving back to Eugene Ellis lived in Portland. “Eugene is just warmer,” Ellis said. “It’s like an incubator for what we’re doing.”
On the 12th consecutive week of the event, Ellis, accompanied by Matt Calkin, Sage, Dorian Crowe and DJ DV8, packed in the Granary. “Look at this place,” Ellis said as he set off his signature highpitched and drawn out, “Weeee” to which the crowd championed back “Triiibe.” “This is all word of mouth,” Ellis said. “We don’t need Facebook.” see GRANARY | 4
MISSY CORR// EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Marv Ellis and Mark Calkin perform Oct. 3 at the Granary on 5th street in Eugene.