Experience of a Lifetime

(written May 14, 2010)

Hello my friends,

It’s Friday, and I’m done with the day. These weeks are passing so by fast, and even the weeks feel like days to me.  It’s almost the end of the year, and I’m very excited. Today, the weather was so nice, and it was just like a perfect day as my friend Mauricio would say. These days are so nice like to do many things outside; such as taking a walk, going out to the parks, going out with friends and having so much fun. But, unfortunately we have to measure our times wisely, and put first things first. Sometimes we have to say no to things and doing what’s most important, even if we don’t like it. For example, today I had to say no to my performance with my church band. This is really important for me, but since I have too many midterms next week, I had to say no for this time only. But well, I need to get ready for those midterms so can do well on them.

Today, many things happened to me. One of those things was that I realized that there is too much stress going on around campus. I’ve seen people who look stressed, tired etc.  I imagine that it’s because of midterms, projects, work, having a lot of things to do etc.  Especially, today when I went downstairs of my hall I found a friend of mine and I started to talk to her. I asked her about how things were going, and she said “good”, like all people would say. As I engaged more with the conversation I realized that she was stressed and she had many things to do, and big projects to get done. She even told me about how bad she felt from her last midterms which one of them she failed. In addition, she even had to drop out her math class for some reason. She says that she even cried for what she was going through. She looked sad, but I told her not worry too much and start to do what need to do.  I felt sorry for her, and I even imagine all the stress that she went through because I’ve being there too many times. I even thought that I was the only one who was too stressed, but I wasn’t the only one.

That’s why I say that here around campus there is a lot of stress going on. You know, I think that’s the true reality about studying here at college, “nothing will be easy”, but in some way we have to resist and keep moving forward, and the result will be even better. Therefore, we need patience, hard work and dedication on everything that we do.

We always will be learning new things as we go through life, and now I learning how different is to live away from home, and have to take care of myself by my own. I’m learning to put myself in other people shoes, and understanding them better. Sometimes I ask myself about “why, why do we have to go through hard stuff, in order to accomplish something.” Even though I haven’t live enough but I realized that the answer to this is that the hard stuff makes you wise every day, and we learn from our mistakes, and as a result it makes us stronger as a person. So my message today for everyone is to never give up and keep going. Remember that “your greatest weakness becomes your greatest strength.” In addition, Like Rocky Balboa says, “it doesn’t matter how hard you can hit, what matters is how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.” So, I motivate everyone who is reading this blog to keep working hard and do the best you can on your classes. Good luck!

Roberto

Tags: finals, Halls, Roberto
Posted in Roberto (from Hillsboro, Student Bloggers | Comments Off on Roberto–Spring Time/Reflection Time

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

Tags: Dining, nutrition, Tara Sanders
Posted in Tara Sanders--Nutrition, UHDS Staff Blogs | 6 Comments »

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

Tags: CRF, identity, social justice
Posted in Community Relations Facilitators | 4 Comments »

Hey everyone,

I imagine everyone is having hard days, and that reasonable because midterms and exams are coming up. I can only imagine the stress that students can be going through.  I say that because right now I’m facing stress.  I feel very overwhelmed for I have many things to get done. But nothing is easy in this college life; the harder the obstacle is, the greater the accomplishment will be.

Anyways, leaving all these preoccupations aside, I want to tell you about the great weekend I had, and all of the fun things I did. First on Saturday, I had the privilege to play with my band at the”festivalito” event. Me and a group of CAMP students played at this event, and some of the members of the band were Samuel Aguirre, Agustin, and Kennedy, etc. I played the keyboard; Samuel played the drums, Kennedy the electric guitar and Agustin the Electro acoustic. In addition, the day was very nice, and it couldn’t be a better day to be outside having a good time. We in the band played some Mexican songs, and little bit or rock and jazz music.  We played for about an hour, and after that we got Mexican food which was the best part of this event.  After we were done playing, the next number was an Aztec dance which was a tradition from the Aztecs and there were little kids, and adult dress with very traditional clothes which represented that beautiful culture, and they danced for about an hour or so. It was so amazing.  Attending this event was such a great experience, and it was just a perfect day to relax and learn about my culture.

After the “Festivalito” event I and the band went to return the instruments at home. First we went to Luis’s house, a friend from church, and we gave him back his brother’s drums because he let it borrow to us. Then, I don’t know how come, but we decide to stay there and just jam for a little. That was the best part of the day. We took out my favorite song, “breathe into me” by RED, and that was so amazing because I never imagined that we could take that song out, but we did. We played that song 4 or 5 times and we enjoyed jamming. Crazy but fun!

Next day on Sunday, I had the opportunity to play at church and celebrate Mother’s day.  The youth group organized a special event for the mothers, and that included a play about the how God created the woman, little kids read a poem while I played a lullaby song on the piano, me a two girls sang a special song of the mothers, and I played the keyboard and sing at the same time.

I had a lot of fun, and most importantly enjoy celebrating our moms and letting know how important they are and will be to us, and that we really care about them. That same day I called my mom and my grandma and I told them how much I loved them, and they were just really happy. I think it’s very important to tell our moms how important they are to us because they took care of us when we were little kids, and so they deserve to be loved.

This weekend wasn’t just about having fun but also about having the opportunity to learn something. Each day will be a new day with new things to learn.  Well, one last thing, I just want to motivate all the OSU students–Don’t give up this term which is almost over, it will be fine. Good luck on midterms and finals.

Sincerely,

Roberto

Tags: finals, Roberto
Posted in Roberto (from Hillsboro, Student Bloggers | Comments Off on Roberto–Festivalito and Mother’s day

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!

Tags: Halls, nutrition, Tara Sanders
Posted in Tara Sanders--Nutrition, UHDS Staff Blogs | 1 Comment »

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

Tags: CRF, events, identity, social justice
Posted in Community Relations Facilitators, UHDS Staff Blogs | Comments Off on CRF Diversity Calendar, May 10-14

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

Tags: Dining, Hours, Rich Turnbull
Posted in Rich Turnbull--Dining Services, UHDS Staff Blogs | 44 Comments »

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

Tags: CRF, events, social justice
Posted in Community Relations Facilitators | Comments Off on CRF Events Calendar (5/3-5/6)–4.29.2010

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

Tags: CRF, identity, social justice
Posted in Community Relations Facilitators, UHDS Staff Blogs | Comments Off on Kameron Beeks (CRF for Eastside and Co-ops)–Appearing Adverse

Hello Everyone,

Spring term has being the hardest term in my first year of college.  I think it’s a good thing because that means that I’m working hard and trying new things and improving myself more. I can’t believe spring term is almost over, it feels like yesterday I just started school, and now I’m almost finishing my first year of college. Time is passing by so fast that I haven’t realized.  I’m very excited to finish this year, and start a new one. Also, I’m happy because a friend of mine who is also a student at OSU, he is graduating this year with bachelor’s degree in Civil engineer. He plays the acoustic guitar at church and I play the keyboard. He is a good friend and I’m happy for him, that in few months he will be officially an engineer. I admire him, and I want to graduate too and be an example for my little brothers like him. Me and my friends from my youth band, we will celebrate a party for Mauricio, the guy who is graduating, and celebrate the Mauricio achievements. There will be a lot of things going on, and I’m excited. But now I need to think about my classes and my goals for this spring term. I want to use my time wisely and finish my priorities at school this term. This week is going to be hard for me because I have three midterms, one from chemistry, math and sociology and that means that I need to study a lot for those exams. But I’m sure that I’ll be fine because so far I have got behind in my classes. It is time to work hard, and not procrastinate, and give my best. Like I said I have a lot of studying going on, and I wish everyone a good week. I know everyone is very busy especially because of the midterms, but don’t worry too much, get relax because it all will be fine.

Roberto

(Below is a picture of my church band.  I am on the bottom right.)

Tags: Roberto
Posted in Roberto (from Hillsboro, Student Bloggers | 4 Comments »