What does it mean to get personal with your food?

To Heather Christensen, student and co-coordinator of Transition Eugene, it means getting dirty.

Transition Eugene is a campaign run by the University of Oregon’s Climate Justice League that encourages students and members of the community to learn more about the food they’re eating and connect with each other in the process. To accomplish this, members of Climate Justice League help build gardens, hand out plants and herbs, and coordinate ways to bring local food to campus.

“I really hope that Transition Eugene helps bridge the gap between the school and the community as well as people and food in general,” said Christensen. “I want everyone to love food more and know where it comes from and be aware of what they’re eating.”

The campaign began in fall 2013, originally established to make a map of where to buy local food on campus. It evolved into visiting peoples’ backyards and helping them build gardens.

“We really enjoy getting dirty and hands-on, straight-action kind of activism,” said Christensen. “We’re a very grassroots organization.”

Members of Climate Justice League have helped two students and two members of the Eugene community build gardens so far, filled with ingredients that the garden owners chose. These vary from kale and tomatoes to squash and peas. This broad spectrum allows for gardens to be active year round.

“This year is hopefully going to be more effective and we’ll cover more ground,” said student and co-coordinator Dana Greenblatt.

Although the owners of the garden currently purchase their own seeds, members of Climate Justice League hope to start a fund in which money raised can be used to buy seeds for people with low income.

On Jan. 22^nd, local brewery Ninkasi is holding an Earth-themed open mic night and part of the proceeds are going towards the Transition Eugene campaign. Climate Justice League will also be in attendance, handing out window garden kits for donations. Each kit will include basil, cilantro and chives.

“We’re trying to teach people the importance of local food and how to grow it themselves,” said student and co-coordinator, Adair Creach. “We’re just trying to make local food easier and more in the forefront of people’s minds.”

Aside from building gardens, Transition Eugene is hoping to get a drop box farmer’s market on campus through Lane Local Foods. A drop box farmer’s market is a set up where people can go online (in this case, lanelocalfoods.com) and order the produce they want. Farmers would then deliver those foods to a specific location where Lane Local Foods can then transport those foods somewhere on campus for students to pick them up.

Christensen said that by knowing where certain foods come from, people’s relationship with their food will be strengthened.

“Food is a basic human need and it has a way of connecting people. You sit down and have a meal with someone–you cook together,” she said. “It’s a very intimate thing.”

Climate Justice League welcomes all students to their meetings on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in Anstett 191.

“Anyone who is interested even at the most basic level can join. I would love for them to do that and see if it’s a passion for them, too,” said Creach. “We get to play in the mud all the time and it gives people food. That’s about as cool as it gets.”

Transition Eugene will continue until the end of spring term.

Seventeen-year-old transgender girl Leelah Alcorn stepped in front of a tractor trailer, committing suicide on Dec. 28, 2014. When her posthumous Tumblr note published hours later, it went viral and gained national media attention. Tumblr has recently deleted the original post.

Suicides like Alcorn’s aren’t surprising to members of the University of Oregon’s LGBTQA* community, but they are sobering.

“When you look at the statistics, over 40 percent of trans people will attempt suicide in their life,” Elle Mallon said, a student and a gender and sexuality diversity advocate on campus.

Mallon said that what makes Alcorn’s suicide different was her call to action at the end of her suicide note.

“I’m glad it got a lot of news attention, but I’m also sad that it had to get this far,” Amber Potratz said, a LGBTQA* intern and Theta Pi Sigma pledge.

The LGBTQA* Alliance and Theta Pi Sigma at UO held a rally on Wednesday, Jan. 7 in the EMU Amphitheater in Alcorn’s honor. In response to Alcorn’s wishes, the rally had a call to action following the open microphone concerning what can be done on campus to improve and support transgender lives.

“We decided to hold a rally to give people who feel really upset about Leelah Alcorn some productive directions to go with their energy,” Mallon said.

The rally began with an introduction by Mallon, and then the microphone was open for anyone who wanted to speak out.

“Now is not the time for mourning. Now is the time for action,” Mallon said.

About 50 students attended the event.

The attendees were a mixed demographic, according to Potratz, from people who are just now realizing that this is a major problem to people who are heavily involved in queer organizations on campus.

She added that she hopes the rally affects peoples’ views on transgender rights and sparks conversation on campus.

“This is a big step forward in getting people to see trans people as people,” LGBTQA* Community liaison Adrion Trujillo said. “We’re coming together in strength and solidarity for trans women.”

Although he is not a transgender woman, he said his queer experience was very similar to Leelah Alcorn’s.

“I know what it’s like to grow up with parents who say they love you, but they don’t accept you for whatever reason. For me, at least, this is just one more example of what we need to change and what we need to fix in order to make this a more inclusive community,” he said.

This will include discussion relating to different projects that the LGBTQA* is hosting in the hopes of improving transgender lives on campus.

“Our campus fails trans people and fails to be a safe space for trans people,” Mallon said, hoping that the rally will influence improvements.

One of these improvements is advocating to have a member of administration specifically to represent transgender students on-campus. Another is The Bathroom Project, an attempt to get administration to create more gender-inclusive bathrooms.

Representatives will also be tabling for different queer organizations by the Duck Store on Thursday to raise more awareness.

“Yes, Leelah is dead, but this is not the end of the discussion,” Potratz said. “The doors have been opened, and now it’s time for people to stand up for trans rights and trans lives.”

Fraternity and Sorority Life reporter Lauren Garetto contributed to this story.

Seventeen-year-old transgender girl Leelah Alcorn stepped in front of a tractor trailer, committing suicide on Dec. 28, 2014. When her posthumous Tumblr note published hours later, it went viral and gained national media attention.

Suicides like Alcorn’s aren’t surprising to members of University of Oregon’s LGBTQ community, but they are sobering.

“When you look at the statistics, over 40 percent of trans people will attempt suicide in their life,” Elle Mallon said, a student and gender and sexuality diversity advocate on campus.

Mallon said that what makes Alcorn’s suicide different was her call to action at the end of her suicide note.

“I’m glad it got a lot of news attention, but I’m also sad that it had to get this far,” Amber Potratz said, a LGBTQA intern and Theta Pi Sigma pledge.

In response to Alcorn’s wish for action, the rally will have a call to action following the open microphone concerning what can be done on campus to improve and support transgender lives.

The LGBTQ Alliance and Theta Pi Sigma at UO are holding a rally on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheatre in Alcorn’s honor.

“We decided to hold a rally to give people who feel really upset with the whole Leelah Alcorn thing some productive directions to go with their energy,” Mallon said.

The rally will begin with an introduction by Mallon, and then the microphone will open for anyone who would like to speak out.

“There’s going to be a mixed demographic,” Potratz said. “From people who are just now realizing that this is a major problem to people who are heavily involved in queer organizations on campus.”

She added that she hopes the rally affects people’s views on transgender rights and sparks conversation on campus.

Over one hundred people are estimated to be attending the event.

“This is a big step forward in getting people to see trans people as people,” LGBTQA Community liaison Adrion Trujillo said. “We’re coming together in strength and solidarity for trans women.”

Although he is not a transgender woman, he said his queer experience was very similar to Leelah Alcorn’s.

“I know what it’s like to grow up with parents who say they love you but they don’t accept you for whatever reason. For me, at least, this is just one more example of what we need to change and what we need to fix in order to make this a more inclusive community,” he said.

This will include discussion relating to different projects that the LGBTQA is hosting in the hopes of improving transgender lives on campus.

“Our campus fails trans people and fails to be a safe space for trans people,” Mallon said, hoping that the rally will influence improvements.

One of these is The Bathroom Project, an attempt to get administration to create more gender-neutral bathrooms.

Representatives will also be tabling for different queer organizations by the Duck Store on Thursday to raise more awareness.

“Yes, Leelah is dead, but this is not the end of the discussion,” Potratz said. “The doors have been opened, and now it’s time for people to stand up for trans rights and trans lives.”

Where do the meal points you don’t use go?

When students eating on-campus don’t use meal points, they usually go back to the University of Oregon. But a rising number of students are giving their meal points instead to Food For Lane County, a local food bank. At the end of fall term, the National Residence Hall Honorary hosted its most successful point drive to date, raising enough points to purchase over 5,000 pounds of food.

At the end of each term, students’ rollover meal points are cleared, going back to the university in some monetary form.

“I wanted to come up with a solution for points that were kind of just disappearing,” said the NRHH Recognition Coordinator Jan Raether.

These disappearing points typically go back to the university in some monetary form of equal value. However, students can choose to donate points, which would then be transferred into a money value to purchase food for Food For Lane County.

This is the third year that the NRHH has hosted the point drive, which has been going on for about ten years in total.

“It has made a really, really big difference,” said Deb McGeorge, food resource manager at Food For Lane County. “Students not only give up some points, they have found a way to turn around and give back to the community.”

She added that smaller point drives are especially important when the food bank is running low on certain food staples.

Over 12,000 points were donated during the point drive which, after being converted into a monetary value, were used to purchase over 5,000 pounds of brown rice.

“We’re very happy about what we’ve accomplished,” said the current leader of the point drive, Max Burns. “A huge thank you to all those that donated. This program has a big impact on the community in Lane County.”

About 6,000 bags of rice will go into about 6,000 food boxes, with each serving of rice equaling ½ cup.

“That’s probably enough rice to feed a lot of the folks we serve for the next few months,” said McGeorge.

In order to make the donations possible, about ten NRHH members volunteer to help promote the point drive and staff tables where students scan their ID cards and chose how many of their remaining points they wish to donate.

Raether said the organization has discussed the idea of automatically donating points in the future that do not rollover each week. For example, rather than students losing all points that exceed the 50 point rollover limit, those “lost” points would be donated.

“It’s an ambitious goal,” said Raether. “But one that could have profound impacts on the Eugene community.”

McGeorge added that it’s important to understand that hunger is a year round issue. Anyone can donate food or volunteer at Food For Lane County.

She said the point drive was very substantial and served as a “wonderful message to all the people who gave up their points to help someone who doesn’t have a means to put a meal on the table.”

Residents who would like to participate in other events put on by the NRHH can attend meetings in Earl 151 on Mondays at 6 p.m., which often revolve around service, education, and leadership.

It’s better to leave early than too late, according to Dr. Tim McMahon, and after fifteen years of working at University of Oregon, that’s just what McMahon is doing.

“You never want to overstay,” the UO professor and co-author of “Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference” said.

During his time at UO as Professional Development Specialist, McMahon has given talks to a leadership Freshman Interest Group and various organizations on campus, and has also led presentations regarding how to affect students and improve teaching methods at the Center on Diversity and Community. For the past three years; however, McMahon has been working closely with the Holden Center, hosting “Leadership Lounge” from 4 to 5 every Thursday.

“Leadership is all about connections and relationships and about creating a vision for an organization,” McMahon said.

At “Leadership Lounge,” McMahon holds discussions regarding leadership with a diverse mix of students. Meetings often begin with a TED talk and topics vary from what makes people successful, to what makes people happy, to how people become motivated.

“It’s great fun and people seem to enjoy it. It’s a low-key way to learn about leadership and learn about other people,” said McMahon.

UO exchange student Awab Attieh liked the idea of the leadership meetings and thought it would be a good place to practice his English.

“I liked that he encouraged people to talk,” said Attieh.

He said he also enjoyed learning new things during leadership talks and appreciated McMahon’s ideas.

“Leadership Lounge is fun because it’s a safe place for exchange students to practice their English and they always have interesting things to say because of their background and perspective,” said McMahon, adding that “Leadership Lounge” is open to anyone.

McMahon mentioned that some of the highlights of giving leadership talks were the responses from students. About six years ago a worker for Nike told him that the leadership Freshman Interest Group and McMahon’s involvement in it was a great way for him to start his college career and aided him with his career path.

“That kind of stuff makes you feel wonderful,” said McMahon.

The leadership talks were also something McMahon looked forward to every week, regardless of his decision to pass his hosting position to someone else.

Jessica Thorpe, McMahon’s intern, will be replacing McMahon as host of Leadership Lounge. She sees that the talk allows participants to look at leadership from many different angles. She’s seen many different approaches to many different leadership styles in her time working for McMahon.

She added that people from many departments around campus, beyond the Holden Center and “Leadership Lounge,” will miss McMahon after he leaves.

“He’s met many people and is very passionate,” she said. “He can walk into a room and everybody knows who he is. He genuinely takes an interest in other people.”

Thorpe said that talks will be more student run with the ideas from students that attend regularly holding more prominence in each meeting.

“Tim is definitely a character that will be missed,” she said.

As with any holiday, there are plenty of discounts and deals in the days leading up to Halloween. Eugene’s bar and restaurant scene has taken advantage of this, with deals catering to families and drunken college students alike. Here are just a few of the hot Halloween discounts and deals around Eugene on Halloween and the Friday before.

Taylor’s Bar & Grill

10/30: Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Whiskey will be hosting an angels and devils-themed party. There will also be a costume contest, with prizes including Taylor’s and Jim Beam T-shirts. Photographers will be there to take pics of winning costumes, which will be posted on the Taylor’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

10/31: Captain Morgan will be hosting a Halloween party and costume contest. The first-prize winner will receive $200 worth of Taylor’s gift cards, while the second-place winner will receive $100 in gift cards. 8 other lucky winners will receive $25 gift cards. As with the Devil’s Cut event, photographers will be there to take pictures of winning costumes for Taylor’s social media.

The Bier Stein

10/31: 25 beers not normally on the Bier Stein menu will be available, with all proceeds going to the National Brain Tumor Society. A costume contest will also take place, with a first-prize package including an Elysian Brewery flag, a t-shirt, and a $10 Bier Stein gift certificate. There will be a photo booth as well.

The Wayward Lamb

10/30 at 9:30: Drag troupe Glamazon will be hosting a zombie-themed “Drag-o-Ween Spectacular” until 11:00, when DJ Trainwreck arrives to host the after-party.

10/31: For only $5 (8 after 11 pm), you can attend the Wayward Lamb Killer Prom, featuring a costume contest (grand prize $300) and two party rooms, each featuring a different theme and assortment of DJs.

Baskin-Robbins
10/31: One scoop of ice cream will be available for $1.31.

Chipotle

10/31: Beginning at 5 p.m., Chipotle is offering a $3 burrito for anyone who puts something unnecessary on their costume, representative of their stance against unnecessary additives in meals.

IHOP

10/31: Anyone under 12 will receive a free Halloween-themed pancake.

Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream:

10/31 from 4-9 p.m.: A free coupon for a mini scoop of ice cream will be given to anyone under 12 wearing a costume

Sonic Drive-In

10/31: Corn dogs will be available for only 50 cents.

Starbucks

10/28-10/31: A vampire-themed Frappula Frappuccino, with milk, ice, mocha sauce, and white chocolate sauce, will be available.

Wild Duck Café

10/31: Anyone wearing a costume will receive a $3 coupon, which allows for $3 off any item on the menu.

It’s a story we’re all familiar with: A young girl is cursed into a deep sleep until a prince’s kiss wakes her from her slumber.

On October 24th at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts, dancers from the Eugene Ballet Company performed this well-known and classic fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty, as adapted to ballet by the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Since none of the dancers spoke during the performance, the plot of The Sleeping Beauty was conveyed through their movements. Their dancing signified plot points and themes throughout the ballet, while their miming movements represented communication between characters. For example, characters would frequently wave their arm around the side of their face, representing the word “beauty.” This was often used to describe the main character, Princess Aurora.

Most of the performance stuck to the ballet’s original choreography, but much of it was created or altered by the Eugene Ballet Company’s Artistic Director, Toni Pimble. The performers were crisp and expressive with their movements, making it easy to follow along with the story. Slides that narrated each act also helped clarify the significance of each dance.

The dances themselves were mesmerizing yet soothing. The choreography was diverse and pleasing to watch. Most of it was gentle and flowed smoothly, giving much of the performance a calming effect. The ballet had a charming cuteness to it as well, living up to its label as a fairy tale. Audience members smiled when fairy ballerina twirled across the stage and laughed when the fairytale characters Puss in Boots and the White Cat gave a humorous performance in the final act.

The entertainment also extended beyond the performers themselves. The costumes brightened up the stage, and the details sewn into each piece could be easily seen from the back rows. Many performers wore simple tutus with subtle sparkles, while some actors that played members of Aurora’s kingdom wore long, elaborate dresses that reflected The Sleeping Beauty‘s 17th/18th-century setting.

Had a live orchestra accompanied the performance, it would have been even more enjoyable with an added layer of entertainment. But the prerecorded music the Eugene Ballet Company used still worked. The performance as a whole was sweet and graceful, and though many members of the audience were young girls dressed as princesses and fairies, The Sleeping Beauty could be enjoyed by people of any age.

Cooking for yourself can be frustrating and time-consuming, but it allows for more variation than cereal and instant noodles every day.

These three recipes are simple and take no more than 20 minutes to prepare and cook. They look nice enough to impress your friends and healthy enough to please your parents.

Note: All recipes are one serving.

Broccoli Pasta (prep + cook time: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of broccoli

1 cup of any pasta

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

1. Fill a small pot about three-quarters full with water. Cover and let water boil on medium heat.

2. Once the water’s boiling, add salt, pasta and broccoli. Cook uncovered for the time specified on the pasta box, stirring a few times.

3. Drain the pasta and broccoli when the pasta done, then pour them back into the pot.

4. Pour the olive oil on top and mix everything together.

5. Remove most of the broccoli and mash it into tiny pieces with a fork.

6. Pour the broccoli and Parmesan cheese into the pot and stir.

7. Let sit for two minutes and enjoy.

Salmon Taco Salad (prep + cook time: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

1 serving of salmon (about 5 oz.)

1 cup of spinach

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 squirt of lemon juice

2 taco shells

Directions:

1. Set oven temperature to 400 degrees.

2. Place the salmon in a Pyrex pan and put it in the oven when the oven is ready. Let it cook for 17-20 minutes, or until it’s a dull pink. Complete steps 3 through 5 while the salmon is cooking.

3. Pour the olive oil in a bowl.

4. Crunch the taco shells into small pieces and pour into the bowl.

5. Rip the spinach into small pieces and pour into the bowl.

6. Pour the lemon juice over the salmon, then crush the salmon into small pieces with a fork.

7. Pour the salmon into the bowl and mix all of the ingredients together.

8. Enjoy.

Healthy Tortilla Wrap (prep + cook time = 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

2 cups of lettuce or salad greens

1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons of diced feta cheese

½ avocado

1 soft tortilla

Directions:

1. Cut avocado into ½ inch pieces.

2. Mix the lettuce, cheese, and avocado in a bowl.

3. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the bowl, then mix in with the other ingredients.

4. Spread the ingredients over a tortilla, then fold the tortilla over until ingredients are wrapped.

5. Enjoy.

As the weather gets colder, it’s the perfect time to make hot soups to share with friends. Here are a few soup recipes.

Light Zucchini Soup (Serves about 4 people)

Ingredients:

1/4 tsp. onion powder

A few drops of lemon juice

1 quart of chicken broth

5 zucchini

1/4 cup of Orzo

2 tablespoons of olive oil

salt to taste

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour the chicken broth in a pot. Add the onion powder, and bring to a boil.

2. While the broth is boiling, wash the zucchini, cut off the ends, then shred the zucchini using a cheese grater over a plate.

3. When the broth is boiling, carefully pour the zucchini and orzo inside. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir everything and let cook on medium heat for 8 minutes.

4. Serve with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Homemade Chicken Soup (Serves about 6 people)

Ingredients:

1 quart of chicken broth

1 quart of water

4 stocks of celery

3 large carrots

1/2 of a large onion

3/4 cup of orzo

10 to 12 oz. of chicken breast

salt to taste

pepper to taste (optional)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop the onion into very fine pieces.

2. Chop the celery and carrots, separately, into fine pieces.

3. Cut the chicken into 1/4 in. cubes.

4. Pour the chicken broth and water in a large pot. Stir, and bring to a boil.

5. Pour the carrots in the broth and cook on medium heat for ten minutes.

6. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the orzo.

7. Let cook for 20 minutes.

8. Add the orzo and let cook for 8 minutes.

9. Stir everything together and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Cream of Potato Soup (Serves about 4 people)

Ingredients:

6 medium-sized potatoes

1 quart of chicken of broth

1 large carrot

1 medium onion

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Skin the potatoes, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

2. Shred the carrots.

3. Dice the onion into fine pieces. Then in a pot, sauté the onions and carrots on medium heat in the olive oil for a few minutes.

4. Carefully pour the broth into the pot, then add the potatoes. Then add the salt and stir.

5. Bring to a boil then cook until the potatoes are tender. (About 20-25 minutes)

6. Turn the heat off and let cool. Then puree the mixture using a blender or mixer.

7. Put the mixture back in the pot and bring to a boil again for a few minutes.

8. Enjoy.

Season 9 of Doctor Who was meaningful in every sense of the word. The twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and his companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) never failed to transform every little event into something of deep insight and importance. The season finale, “Hell Bent,” was no exception. Every line made the audience think about the recurring themes throughout the whole season: kindness, bravery, life, love, and most of all, loss.

Season 9 has seen immense character and relationship development. The Doctor has become less stern and perhaps as whimsical as The Doctor who came before him, played by Matt Smith. He’s developed his identity into a serious yet silly time traveler who likes to wear sonic sunglasses, play the electric guitar, and save people with cleverness instead of harm. Like Oswald, his thirst for adventure is ongoing.

As the final episode emphasized, this isn’t the only thing that Oswald and The Doctor have in common. They’re clever, stubborn, adventurous, and kind. And they both don’t want to lose each other, to an extent that’s dangerous enough to destroy the universe and time, itself.

This illustrates the growth of their relationship since the time Oswald first met the twelfth Doctor. She didn’t trust his new face, and his fatherly love for her was nonexistent. But as their relationship progressed, the two became dependent on each other. They created strong, almost familial connections. That dependency was heavily explored in the last episode. To what means would someone go to save themselves the torment of losing someone they loved?

The storyline of the episode was told from the perspective of The Doctor telling the story to Oswald as if the two have never met. This dynamic is explained later on, but it serves as an enticing way to unfold the episode, for the story isn’t the only mystery: it’s also the way in which that story is told.

As the episode progressed, it became more emotional. Capaldi and Coleman treated their final moments with each other with respect, fully capturing the love their two characters shared for each other.

The score was also pivotal to the storyline. The music representing Clara Oswald wasn’t just played over the action; it was in the actual story, being played on The Doctor’s guitar. It symbolized the strong relationship between the characters and gave the last few scenes more emotional depth and meaning.

“Hell Bent” was a brilliantly orchestrated episode with only one minor flaw. In the fourth episode of season 8, “Listen,” it was implied that an astronaut that Oswald met at the end of time was some sort of great-great-great-grandson of hers and her previous boyfriend, Danny Pink. However, “Hell Bent” implies that Oswald’s time with The Doctor is over, so thus it’s unlikely that Pink will ever see Oswald or The Doctor again. This episode invalidates the possibility of Pink and Oswald having children.

Regardless, Clara Oswald ended her time with The Doctor properly. What is likely her last episode was filled with emotion, action, insight, and a great sense of closure.