Experience of a Lifetime

The Shake on Sodium:

Myth or Fact: “I’m young and I don’t have high blood pressure therefore I don’t need to be concerned about my sodium intake.”

MYTH!  According to the American Heart Association, a high sodium diet can contribute to high blood pressure…at any age.  Particularly vulnerable are those who are “salt sensitive” and have a tendency to retain water after a high sodium meal.  When we retain water we put extra stress on our heart and kidneys and over time, this puts individuals at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Currently, 1 in 3  Americans adults over 20 suffer from hypertension.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. (There is about 2,400 mg in a teaspoon of salt.)

Some studies estimate that up to 75% of American’s sodium intake comes from packaged convenience foods and from dining out.  Looking for ways to keep your sodium intake “in check” while eating in the UHDS dining centers?  Consider these strategies:

1)Check the sodium content of your favorite options on the on line menus: http://oregonstate.edu/uhds/dining/menus/

2)If you typically eat three meals/day try to eat less than 800mg of sodium per meal.

3)Add little or no salt to your plate.

4)Fill half of your plate with whole foods that are naturally low in sodium such as whole fresh fruits and fresh raw or steamed vegetables.

5) Consider your portion size particularly with high sodium foods like pizza or deli lunch meat.  Instead of a whole ham sandwich, consider a half sandwich and pair it with a side salad and fresh fruit.

6) Be aware of additional sources of sodium found in sauces, soy sauce and salad dressings.

7) Snacks like chips, granola bars and crackers can pack a lot of sodium; instead, while you are in the dining center, grab a fresh crisp apple or baby carrots to snack on later.

Be Well,

Tara

Tara Sanders

Registered Dietitian

Oregon State University

University Housing and Dining

Office: 541-737-3915

Cell: 541-602-9736

After concentrating my learning this term on theories of social justice I have found one blatant truth; there is much that I was not and sometimes continue to be unaware of. As I have been learning more and more, I have been recognizing racism and other forms of oppression that exist everywhere around me.  Part of where this starts is in my own head and the times I classify people. Our minds are wonderful computers with the ability to classify different objects in order to survive. For example, it would be difficult and overwhelming to recognize over and over again that a knife is sharp or that a stove top is hot.   Although beneficial and necessary when dealing with objects, this can be severely detrimental when carried over to classify people.  I know that when I look at someone, I can automatically put that individual in a category.  It’s how I go about everyday life.  I don’t mean to hurt anyone, but I have realized what I have been doing is generalizing and stereotyping the people around me.  I automatically assume certain things based on the way they look, dress, or act.

It wasn’t until I started asking questions about myself that I started noticing what I was doing.  I’m not saying that I was oblivious to it, but I am saying that I was ignoring it and taking it for granted.  The ability to classify objects led me to start classifying people.  It is still a challenge I face every day.  I struggle with recognizing people for their social identities, without using what I see on the outside to shape my opinion (or classification) of them without getting to know them. I also realize that I want the same exact thing from other people.

I know I will continue to classify, but it won’t ever stop me from trying harder.  So now I put the ball in your court; can you see people as individuals AND as part of their social identities, at the same time not classifying them because of their social identities? I challenge you that it might be harder than you think.

Kameron Beeks
CRF – Eastside & Co-Ops

As UHDS’s dietitian, probably the most common question I receive is, “What foods are healthy in the dining centers?” If you ask ten different people what healthy eating is, I guarantee you will get ten different responses.  For some, healthy eating is a diet based in vegetarian, sustainably produced foods.  For others, healthy eating is a diet low in fat and calories.  Others believe that Mediterranean foods, largely plant based and rich in healthy oils, represent a healthy diet.

The truth is, all of these diets can be healthy. According to the USDA, a healthy diet is based in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, legumes, beans and vegetable protein sources as well as low-fat, calcium rich options.  To some, achieving a healthy diet may seem overwhelming in the dining centers. However, there are a few simple strategies that you can try in the dining centers to improve the “healthiness” of your meal:

1. Eat more fruit and vegetables!   Make half of your plate fruit and veggie based and eat a variety of colors.
2. Go whole grain!  Substitute processed grains for whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa and barley
3. Eat more plant based proteins like beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

Looking for healthy and delicious fare?  Give these options a try!

Marketplace West:

• Ring of Fire’s Pho bowls, a Vietnamese Pho soup available with tofu, chicken, shrimp and a variety of fresh vegetables
• Serrano’s Mexican burrito, filled with your choice beans and vegetables all packed in a whole wheat tortilla;
• Tomassitos’ whole wheat pasta and pizza crusts
• Cooper Creek’s tofu jambalaya
• Calabaloo’s Pacific City Salad made with local pears cranberries and fresh spinach
• Clubhouse Deli’s roasted portabella vegetarian panini on a whole grain roll.

Arnold Bistro:

• tofu panini with pesto and sundried tomato
• entrée salad made from an expansive salad bar that includes fruit, vegetables, lean meats, tofu, beans and seeds
• whole grain and legume special of the day

At Bing’s Café

• build a whole wheat sandwich with healthy toppings like balsamic marinated and grilled chicken, fresh spinach and sweet bell peppers.

McNary Central

• Boardwalk Cafés Indian curried chickpeas and char-grilled sole
• Deli’s whole grain sandwiches with your choice meat or hummus and vegetables
• Raintree’s locally made whole wheat bagels
• Casa Della Pasta’s whole wheat pasta with pesto, artichokes and sautéed vegetables.

UHDS encourages guests to make informed food choices based on individual needs.  Nutrition information, ingredients and allergy information are transparent and available on line at the UHDS website (http://oregonstate.edu/uhds/dining/menus/

If you have any questions or suggestions about the nutritional quality of foods available in UHDS operations, don’t hesitate to contact the UHDS dietitian, Tara Sanders at 541.737.3915 or at tara.sanders@oregonstate.edu

Be Well!

Monday, May 10^th

• Lei Day 10am @ Asian & Pacific Cultural Center
• Lube Trifecta-Music in The Quad; 12-2pm @ MU Quad
• LGBTQQIAAPPO2S- BBQ; Queer In the Quad; 12-1:30 pm @ MU Quad
• Coming Out 101; 2-3pm @ MU 208
• Queer Sex 101; 5-6 MU 208
• Pride Center Slumber Party; 8pm-12am @ Pride

Tuesday, May 11^th

• Exploring the Biological Basis of Sexual Orientation; 1-2pm @ MU 206
• LGBTQQIAAP…WTF; 3-4pm@ MU 208
• Families Alike; 5:30-7:30pm @ MU 206
• SOL Ice Cream Social; 7-8pm @ MU 208

Wednesday, May 12^th

• Dialogue on Sexuality Identity Development in Queer Community; 12- 1:30pm @ MU 206
• Queer Astrology 101; 2-3pm @ MU 208
• GI Corvallis; 4-5pm @ MU 206
• Drag ‘n Dine; 5:30-7:30pm @ Arnold Gold Room
• Out in The Halls; 8-9pm @ Bloss Hall
• Spring Clothes Swap; 12-4pm @ MU Brick Mall

Thursday, May 13^th

• Living in the Margins: Bisexuality in America; 11:30-1pm @ MU 206
• First Annual Queer Mind Spa; 2-5pm @ CAPS Mind Spa
• Drag Racing; 2-3pm @ MU Quad
• Olympic Athletes: Competing With Gender; 5-6:30pm @ Asian & Pacific Cultural Center
• Trans Film Show; 7-9pm @ Darkside Cinema
• Dehumanizing Fronteras; 7-9pm @ Club Escape
• Stitch N Bitch; 5pm @ Women’s Center
• Black Athlete Discussion Panel 6pm @ BCC
• Spring Clothes Swap; 12-4pm @ MU Brick Mall

Friday, May 14^th

• Spring Drag Show; 8-10pm @ MU Ballroom

To the residents of the UHDS community.

I have received a number of questions this year about our decision to reduce the hours of operation in the dining centers this year.  I first want to acknowledge that we understand the challenge limiting hours can create for students who have very full schedules with classes, athletics, jobs or other time commitments. It can also simply be inconvenient for those students who prefer to eat whenever they want to eat. Having said that, we felt it was important to share more of the story about some very difficult decisions we had to make this year with regard to our overall budget.

It is important for folks to know that University Housing & Dining Services (UHDS) is a self-funded auxiliary organization whose primary source of revenue is from the sale of room and meal contracts. The department does not receive funds from the university nor from the State of Oregon to support the operation. As an auxiliary, UHDS is mandated to contribute annually into building and equipment reserve accounts in order to fund major renovations needed to keep each of the residence halls, cooperative houses and family housing apartments up to current standards.  In addition, many of our facilities were built in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s and have needed significant renovation and infrastructure upgrades.  Those expenses in addition to rising operating expenses have created pressure to increase room and meal rates.

For further context, the primary operating expenses of UHDS are food, labor and capital improvement expenses.  As you would guess, the longer the dining facilities are open, the more the food and labor costs will increase.  Since most of our dining income is fixed given how the room and board is billed, there is not a positive correlation between the number residents utilizing the dining center and the income that brings to the department. Although we can always look for and find creative solutions to work more efficiently and effectively, it many times comes down to the simple equation of income and expense. As such, to meet the increasing expenses, we have a choice of either increasing the overall rates to the students or reducing some of the major expenses which in turn translates into a reduction in some services.

Because this was ultimately going to effect the residents, we wanted to gain input from the students before the decision was made. In a meeting with student resident leaders of the Residence Hall Association last spring, the student representatives clearly articulated that holding room and meal rates as low as possible was a top priority. In order to help minimize the increase in rates to students, UHDS made the decision to reduce some areas of service instead of passing on the full brunt of the additional expense to residential students.  As part of this decision, a number of positions were eliminated and hours of operation were reduced.  Closing dining operations at 10:00pm instead of 1:00am allowed UHDS to save enough money to replace roofs on two residence halls and replace the furniture in another.

Many residents are probably already aware of what dining options are open after 7pm but students are encouraged to check out the following website for current hours: http://oregonstate.edu/foodatosu/full-hours. What you will find there is that 10 of the 17 UHDS restaurant or convenience store operations are open past 7:00pm.  And while again we acknowledge that these hours might not meet everyone’s dining expectations, we felt it was important to share that the folks at UHDS are working hard to be good stewards of your room and meal dollars.

~Rich Turnbull, Associate Director of Housing & Dining Services

Monday, May 3^rd

• APA Kick Off – 10am-3pm @ Mu Quad

Tuesday, May 4^th

• GLEE – 9pm @ Pride Center

• Getting To America – 5-7pm @ Asian and Pacific Cultural Center

Wednesday, May 5^th

• Salmon Bake – 12:30 -3pm @ Native American Longhouse
• Stitch ‘n’ Bitch – 5pm @  Women’s Center
• Purepecha Session – 5pm @ Centro Cultural César Chávez
• APASU Culture Shock – 7-9pm @ MU Ballroom

Thursday, May 6^th

• Feminist Fair 2010: Speak Out! Feminist Voices for a Just World – 10am-4pm @ MU Quad

Appearing Adverse

It is interesting what we see when we look in the mirror.  What is the first thing that you see?  I see the clothes I wear, my body size, and blemishes, but there is a lot more in my appearance that I take for granted.  I do not analyze my skin color or the fact that I am a male.  I do not consider the features that I cannot control necessarily, but I am aware that other people do. This causes me to ask questions that some other people do not think about.  Do you feel comfortable around other people, both males and females, every moment of every day?  Do you feel comfortable in your classes working in groups with people of other social identities; may it be their sexual orientation, social class, gender identity, race, etc?  Are you a member of an underrepresented group (racial, gender, etc.)?  Now imagine yourself as a person with the opposite social identity of yourself: opposite gender, race, etc.  Try answering the same questions as above and compare them to your previous answers.  Do you take anything for granted?  I know I do.  In the end, remember to respect people from other social identities and truly and wholeheartedly treat them the way you want to be treated.

Kameron Beeks

Community Relations Facilitator

Eastside & Co ops

Monday, April 26^th

• The Skee Week Kickoff 1:08 pm @ Black Cultural Center
• Glee Night 9:00pm @ Pride Center
• Money Matters 6:30pm @ MU 208

Tuesday, April 27^th

• What is Danza? 2pm-3: 30 @ Centro Cultural Cesar Chavez
• AKArobics 7:08pm @ Dixon Recreation Center

Wednesday, April 28^th

• Earning, Spending, Pricing 6:08 @ Black Cultural Center
• Volunteer Meeting 2-3:00pm @ Pride Center

Thursday, April 29^th

• Job Seekers Workshop 5:08 Black Cultural Center

Friday, April 30^th

• El Asesinato del General Francisco Villa 2pm @ Centro Cultural Cesar Chavez
• AKAlicious Fish Fry 6:08 Black Cultural Center
• A Celebration! For Grad Student Parents & Their Children 4-6pm @ Women’s Center

Several times I’ve been involved in programs or program series in which the focus topic is identity saliency (something that is prominent or important to me). During these exercise we’re asked to think about our most and least salient identities. Every time, I have a tough time answering the latter.

I struggle with this question because I am reminded of the identity that, in a sense, I ignore most. This struggle within me continues because I’m disappointed that my job consists of educating people about becoming aware of targeted identities and their privileges as members of untargeted group, and then find myself unaware of some of these same issues.

When I go through this brief battle with myself, I ask myself, how do I balance my time between my more salient identities (typically the identities in which I belong to targeted group), and the not so salient identities (typically the identities in which I have privilege). I also hate to remind myself that I’m still a work in progress and recognize that I too need to be reminded of some unearned advantages I have, and to feel guilty or disappointed in myself. Feelings of guilt and disappointment ultimately, don’t move anybody or issues forward.

With that said, I challenge you folks to think about your identity saliency. What’s most salient? What identity do you think about the least? Why do you think that is? Try to think about the identities in which you are privileged and those in which you are targeted. Is it easier to think about the ones that put you at a disadvantage? If so, examine why.

Alba García
Community Relations Facilitator – Southside

As a community relation facilitator (CRF) for University Housing and Dining I actively engage in peer education with social justice and diversity issues through facilitation and events in the residence halls. I also act as a liaison between RA staff and the cultural centers. With my job comes a lot of professional development to further my knowledge on social justice and diversity issues. An opportunity given to me to further my development was attending the Power of One conference put on by both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. This conference was great for furthering my knowledge about the LGBT community and on how to become an even better Ally to the community.

I recently attended a meeting at the University of Idaho and Washington State University known as the Power of One, a leadership conference for LGBT and ally students. This was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about issues ranging from the identities of transgender people to the oppressions of the LGBT community and people of color within the community. What I learned the most from was not the conference itself, but from the reactions of my family members when I told them that I would be attending this conference.

First, my grandfather heard me just mention the word “gay” and he exploded with frustration and anger towards the community. Asking questions like, “They aren’t trying to turn you gay, are they?”  I became confused as to how I could ever explain to this man, whom I deeply respect, and who comes from a generation that has not been the most accepting, that “they” could never turn me gay. The people around me at this conference didn’t make a choice to identify in this way. In fact many shared their struggles as how they tried to conform to what society claims to be the norm, but they knew deep down that it was not possible for them to do so.

Then I had a conversation with my mother who said she was deeply concerned. She couldn’t believe that my job wanted to send me to an LGBT conference when I identify as a heterosexual male. She thought that I was forced to go rather than volunteering. My mother said she was not concerned that my job was trying to change my sexual identity, and that she accepts the gay community, but was concerned my friends would make fun of me for attending this conference. I told my mother if my friends didn’t accept what I believe in and decide to make fun of me for being surrounded by people from the LGBT community, then they were not my friends at all!

Hearing from my grandfather and my mother showed me views that are held by many in our society today. It crushes me to know that many within my own family claim to be accepting but in reality they are far from it. Our society has progressed leaps and bounds from my grandfather’s generation to mine, but we still have a long ways to go. They say the hardest people to confront and try to inform are those who are closest to you, but I feel if I can make even the tiniest baby step with my family, then I can clear even the largest obstacles set by my peers.

-Kevin Rodemack

Community Relations Facilitator – Westside