My name is Bree Mead and I am a sixth year graduating senior from Novato, California. I have been here so long because I am double majoring. I have an Art History degree already completed with a focus in Mesoamerican Art Studies, along with a Spanish minor and I am just finishing up my Fine Arts degree with a focus in Printmaking. I have officially been a Community Relations Facilitator for OSU since early April 2011 and it has really altered my life. I have been reading on social justice and diversity and also attended the first ever Exploring White Identity in a Multicultural World Retreat (EWI), the sister to Racial Aikido for students of color. It is a retreat for white people to learn and understand their own white privilege and oppression. In addition, I recently completed the Building Inclusive Communities (BIC) workshop to better educate myself on oppression & privilege.
These emotional experiences have been the most valuable to me in my growth as a white person in this world we live in. Read the rest of this entry »
The Cabbage Soup Diet. All you can eat Banana Diet. The Three Day Diet. Since the seventies, it seems that our society has been obsessed with these types of “fad diets”. According to Webster’s dictionary, a fad diet is defined as a reducing diet that enjoys temporary popularity. Typically fad diets promise quick and easy weight loss and offer claims that sound too good to be true (which is usually why they skyrocket in popularity….we want a quick fix!) Read the rest of this entry »
Over the last weekend, while visiting my family members, I was able to witness the reinforcement of societal prejudice. Although my they come from a conservative background, what was said during a conversation at dinner was inexcusable. With my brothers sitting at the dinner table, a family member openly made comments degrading people of the Middle East. Read the rest of this entry »
Through the last two years of working on understanding social justice and diversity I have had many battles within myself. I have worked hard to gain a better understanding of my white identity and how I may be perceived in our society. Yet, there is still something that I can’t understand or agree with that many white identified individuals have said. Many people who are White have said that they don’t believe they have a culture or there is no white culture. I’m shocked every time I hear someone say this to me as they believe they have no culture what so ever. Read the rest of this entry »
I find it interesting that given the amazing differences in various world cultures that there is something so very similar in our foods. Take empanadas for instance. Almost every culture has food encased in pastry whether it is an empanada of Central and South America, pastels in Brazil, pasties in Ireland and Wales, boerek in Lebanon, samosas in South Asia, potstickers in China, and dozens of other varieties of meat or bean stuffed pastries. Read the rest of this entry »
In the recent release of the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines , Americans are encouraged to eat more whole grains and eat at least half of your grains from whole grain sources. This encouragement is reinforced in the marketplace where you can find statements and health claims on products containing whole grains such as “contains 16 g whole grains per serving; eat 48 grams or more per day” or “a diet rich in fiber may reduced the risk of heart disease”. What does all of this mean? Why the emphasis on whole grains? First, let’s begin with some definitions and facts. Read the rest of this entry »
Being a person of color in a predominantly white institution can definitely have its challenges. I have been at Oregon State for over a year now and being here has been very interesting. It has been here at OSU that I have been more intentional in learning about my own culture and what it means to identify as a Latina/ Mexican-American than anywhere else. I believe the reason for that is because it has been not only here in Corvallis, but also here in Oregon that my ethnicity matters. I constantly find myself in conversations about who I am and where I am from and it’s not because of my job. These conversations have been occurring since my arrival to Oregon. Read the rest of this entry »
Whenever someone makes a mistake or does something wrong that might affect others, the world expects us to take responsibility for it and own up to it. In a sense, this is very similar to the way privilege works. In our world, there are millions of beneficiaries of societal constructs which define who will be the advantaged and disadvantaged group in society. This is something that is out of the control of most, but is reinforced by institutions and society as a whole. Although it is not intentional, it is imperative that we analyze where we fit in, and recognize the areas that we are the beneficiaries. By recognizing advantage, you are owning it, and can then learn how to use it to make this community more inclusive. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to the inaugural housing assignments blog post! We wanted to provide a forum to answer frequently asked questions we receive about the housing application and assignments process, as well as provide tips to make your transition to college life successful. If you have a specific topic you’d like us to address in a future blog post, please let us know in the comments section below.
On Monday March 28, 2011 at 2:00pm, Housing Selection began for new students. Students who are members of academic groups can select a space in the building that corresponds with their academic group. For more information on when you can select a space on campus, please see our important dates. Be sure your application has been submitted, and any pending roommates have been confirmed before you select your space.
When you are eligible to select a space, you will return to your completed housing application, and a new link will be visible under “groups” called “Housing Selection.” From here, you will be able to view interactive floor plans, and see real time availability in our halls and cooperative houses.
Good luck in your housing selection process! Be sure to read up on our tips for room selection, before selecting a room, and be sure to contact us if you have any questions along the way.
Dead week already!!?? Is it just me, or does anyone feel like it went by too fast? Many things happened, many things didn’t happen, but one thing that is for sure, transitions in the middle of the school year, at least for me, have not been the best. I like order and knowing what to expect, so when change occurs in the middle of the school year it tends to throw me off. As a fifth year senior, however, I have learned how to deal with change in my life and I hope you all do too. As many of you know, or don’t know one of the biggest transitions for me was coming here to Oregon State. I can still remember how lonely I felt even though I was surrounded by thousands of people. Read the rest of this entry »
