‘Tower of Babel’features non-English poetry reading
Various languages read
included Latin, Chinese,
French and Provengal
By Victor Runyan
Oregon Daily Emerald
Chants in Sanskrit, heroic verse
in Old English, risque poetry in
modem French.
The "Tower of Babel” poetry
reading in the Knight Library
Browsing Room on Saturday fea
tured five members of the Universi
ty faculty and staff reading poems
in nine non-English languages.
More than 30 people attended
the event and listened to the facul
ty read prepared translations of the
poems. The event, which was as
sociated with the Campus Arts
Faire, was organized by the Oregon
Humanities Center. All of the read
ers commented on the difficulty
associated with trying to translate
poetry and retaining a sense of its
original rhythm and rhyme, while
staying true to its meaning.
"Every different language, every
different poem is a different kind
of challenge,” English professor
James Earl said. He presented
translations of a Sanskrit poem, the
poem “Beowulf’ and Provengal
poems.
Earl translated “Beowulf’
word-for-word in the original
word order without inserting ma
terial to replace missing passages.
This “experimental” translation
method gives the reader a glimpse
of the writer’s intentions, yet sacri
fices clarity for the modem audi
ence, Earl said.
Gina Psaki, romance languages
professor, said she feels that
events like the reading are needed
because the humanities are not
emphasized on university cam
puses and are struggling to sur
vive. She also said poetry in for
eign languages offer insight into
the cultures that produce them.
“To really look at the heart of a
culture, look at its untranslatable
words, “said Psaki, quoting author
Salman Rushdi.
The OHC believes it is impor
tant to bring the literature of other
cultures to the University, said
Steven Shankman, English profes
sor and OHC director.
He performed pieces in Chi
nese, Latin and modem French.
Even if one does not speak a lan
guage, a poem in a foreign lan
guage can still create mental im
ages for the listener, said Lee
Straney, a junior journalism major
who attended the program.
English professor George Wick
es performed pieces in Provengal
and Cecilia Rosenow, a graduate
teaching fellow of English, per
formed pieces in Spanish by the
first poet to do Haiku in that lan
guage.
KMmarme ntnutaw rJUimiul
English professor James Earl reads poetry in its original language, then in translation during Tower of Babel' in the Knight Library's
browsing room Saturday.
Oregon will commemorate first annual Arthritis Action Day
The day is to encourage
awareness of the disease
and its symptoms
By Felicity Ayles
Oregon Daily Emerald
Arthritis is not just an elderly
person’s disease.
Today, the Oregon chapter of
the Arthritis Foundation will cele
brate the first annual Arthritis Ac
tion Day, part of a nationwide ef
fort to encourage Americans of
any age to be aware of the symp
toms of the disease.
Oregon’s participation in the
day’s events consists of a series of
lectures given by rheumatologists
in the Portland and Seaside areas.
But Ed Ostermayer, planned giv
ing director for the Oregon Chap
ter, said the day was designed to
concentrate on four or five major
points.
Arthritis Action Day was devel
oped under the supervision of the
national Arthritis Foundation of
fice in Atlanta, Ga., Ostermayer
said. The day educates Americans
of the ways they can educate
themselves about the disease.
“Seeing your doctor, learn by
going online, advocacy and edu
eating others are primary but nec
essary forms of education,” he
said.
Ostermayer warned that arthri
tis does not necessarily relate to
old-age and said one-quarter mil
lion children younger than 16 cur
rently suffer from a form of the dis
ease called Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis.
“Sometimes people outgrow
this disease,” he said.
But for some, the disease con
tinues into old age.
Dr. Gerald Fleischli, director
and physician for the University
Health Center, said arthritis can
fall into two major categories: os
teo-degenerative, in old age, and
auto-immune.
Auto-immune arthritis results
when the body generates an inap
propriate immune reaction and
joints cease to function properly,
Fleischli said. He also said he has
seen a few students at the Univer
sity who suffer from Juvenile
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Fleischli said arthritis is a dis
ease that can be contracted both
genetically and developed over
time.
“Sometimes people get the os
teo-degenerative arthritis at a
r
younger age from certain trauma
injury to joints,” he said. This trau
ma could be caused by certain
kinds of fractures.
Students who suffer from arthri
tis may be referred to the Eugene
office of the Arthritis Foundation
if appropriate, to take advantage of
their rehabilitation programs,
Fleischli said.
The foundation offers programs
in warm water therapy and exer
cise as well as basic range of mo
tion classes, Ostermayer said. In
addition, the volunteers at the
foundation help educate through
self-help classes, he said.
j^yO debate
imposwr
tcmov^
• froinbaltoi
WSy'/Sfis;
Join the campus
award-winning
newspaper
for summer term
The Oregon Daily Emerald is now
accepting applications for the following
positions on this summer’s news staff:
DEADLINE: May 19th
• Associate Editors
• Reporters
• Photographers
• Webmaster
• Designer
Applications are due 5:00 p.m., Wednesday,
May 19,1999. Many opportunities for
freelancing will also be available. All positions
are paid.
Applications can be picked at the ODE office
(Suite 300, EMU) or visit our website at
www.dailyemerald.com (click on “Employ
ment”). Relevant work samples should be
submitted with each application.
The Oregon Daily Emerald is an Equal Opportunity Employer
and is committed to a culturally diverse workplace.
Thursday, May 20th
Rally 8c March 8:00 pm
U of 0 Amphitheater
Music begins at 7:00 pm. Come early to see the
Clothesline Project and make your own sign!
Organized by: Sexual Assault Support Services
484-9791 8c the ASUO Women's Center
Co-sponsored by the Eugene Weekly