Angelou continued from page 5 mother’s boyfriend. The man was subsequently murdered by An gelou’s uncles. According to The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, the incident caused Angelou to believe her words had the power to kill, and consequently sent the young girl into five years of silence. The anthology conveys that in those years of quiet, the woman absorbed the world around her, finally emerging as one of the most commanding voices in literature. “I write for the black voice and any ear which can hear it,” she has been quoted. However, Angleou’s achieve ments reach far beyond the realm of the written word. In addition to her celebrated works of literature and poetry, she has described herself as a dancer, singer, producer, composer, jour nalist, actor and teacher. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ap pointed her Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leader ship Conference in 1959. Her most recent book, “A Song Flung Up in Heaven,” published in 2002, recounts her experiences during this period and the civil rights movement that followed. During the 60s, she was a promi nent journalist in Egypt and Ghana. She has authored six plays and was nominated for an Emmy award for her role in the television series “Roots” in 1977. Angelou’s 1971 poetry collec tion, “Give Me a Drink of Water ’For I Diiie,” was nominated for a Pulitzer, and her 1972 screenplay “Georgia, Georgia” was the first original script penned by a black author to be produced. Though her stories often depict painful experiences, Angelou car ries an enduring message of tri umph over the odds. These are les sons that attendees are sure to gain insight from. In Norton’s Anthology, Angelou described her work in the following way: “All my work is meant to say, ‘You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated.’ In fact, the encountering may be the very experience which creates the vitality and the power to endure.” Contact the senior Pulse reporter atryanbornheimer@dailyemerald.com. Toxicity continued from page 5 and Evolutionary Biology Joe Thornton attended the screening to answer questions about PVG and the film. Thornton called vinyl the most environmentally hazardous consumer product on earth. Despite its toxicity, PVG is used in countless substances, from baby toys to shower curtains. Helfand said she hopes the film will inspire people to seek out less harmful al ternatives to vinyl, especially vinyl used in building manufacturing. “We made ‘Blue Vinyl’ with the • hope that we could produce a fun, effective, heart and mind opening way for consumers, at every class level, to see that they are connected to people and communities all along the material life cycle of the prod ucts that get manufactured, that we buy, that get disposed of,” Helfand said. “In the case of vinyl and PVG, and via those human connections — which the industry does not want us to make — change will happen. It already is.” Both Helfand and Thornton stressed the importance that not only individual consumers, but also larger corporations, stop using PVG products. “We have very limited choices as consumers,” Thornton said. “That is why this new idea of or ganizing people to put pressure on the government and institu tions to make environmentally friendly purchasing decisions is so important.” Helfand stressed the obligation of campuses like the University to set an example and make “green” purchasing decisions. “I really believe campuses and universities play an important role in changing the way purchases are made,” Helfand said. “How many binders are purchased at a univer sity that are made from PVC? Why not purchase something recycled? A university can stimulate the de mand for sustainable materials.” For more information on the “My House Is Your House” cam paign, visit the Web site www.my houseisyourhouse. org. Contact the Pulse reporter athelenschumacher@dailyemerald.com. Mate continued from page 6 a professor of linguistics and semiotics at the University of Buenos Aires, said that there are many ways to serve the drink. “Terere” is mate served cold, while “mate cocido” is served hot. Badano emphasized that the serv ing water should be hot, but not boiling. “Mate amargo” is served without sugar. Orange, mandarin and tangerine peels can also add flavor to the tea. Visiting Assistant Professor Christian Gundermann, who teaches in the University’s ro mance language department, taught at schools in Buenos Aires and Tucuman in Argentina. He said mate has a strong cultural connection to rural life in the country. “It’s much more common in lower-class environments. You won’t find the jet-set class drink ing it,” he said. “It’s a little bit like a country bumpkin kind of thing.” Badano said that while mate is available in larger cities such as Buenos Aires, it is mainly con sumed by farmers and peasants. “Mate isn’t an urban tradition. You need time to drink mate — it’s a tradition of little cities, not big cities,” she said. “It’s not a common tradition for people who work in the office.” Traditionally, when people gath er to drink mate from a gourd, one person distributes the water, fill ing up the gourd each time it is emptied. This person is called the “cebador,” and Badano said a tal ented cebador can refill a mate gourd 20 to 30 times and still make the flavor last. “Pouring the water is like a lan guage,” she said. “If you are a good cebador, it doesn’t lose the taste.” Gundermann added that con suming mate goes beyond the simple act of drinking. “In Argentina, there’s a strong culture of conversation,” he said. ADVERTISE* CET RESULTS* Oregon Daily Emerald 346-3712 y, Feb. 21 & 28! 8pm - 180 PLC - U0 14th & Kincaid/346-0007 “It’s about sitting down and talk ing together and taking the mate together.” Contact the Pulse reporter at aaronshakra@dailyemerald.com. MUSIC LAW CONFERENCE TO EXPOSE THE ISSUES THAT CHALLENGE YOUR RIGHT TO HEAR NEW MUSIC FEB. 21 / University of Oregon School of Law, room 175/4-6pm FEB. 22 / University of Oregon School of Music, Beall Hall / 10am-4:30pm tart & an evening with Krist Novoselic of Nirvana with: Andrea Maxand / Di Velo / Jade Bassix / Alpha Charlie / Like Breathing FRIDAY / FEB 21 / 8PM / WOW HALL / EUGENE OR Tickets $10 in advance / $12 at door available at WOW Hall (541) 687-2746 and at EMU ticket office (541) 346-4363 http://www.law.uoregon.edu/org/self/ KRIST NOVOSELIC OF NIRVANA MARK HOSLER OF NEGITVLAND BOB KRINSKY LAUREN C. REGAN CAROL BUSBY KEITH AOKI TIM GLEASON JUDGE KARSTEN H. RASMUSSEN „ VINCE CHIAPPETTA KOHEL HAVER JOSEPH METCALFE SEAN HOAR http://www.law.uoregon.edu/org/self/ Student Groups ■ ;:p J ^ Advertise your events in the Oregon Daily Emerald. We have special university rates. Call 346-371 %. Sunday, February 23, 2003 7:30pm MCARTHUR COURT with a special performance by the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON GOSPEL ENSEMBLE O | university OF oregon CULTURAL FORUM presents An Evening with Maya Angelou tc'mgAor best- / . / prewar, / stress TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW at the U of OTicket Office and all FASTIXX locations.Tickets may be purchased by phone through the Ticket Office (541)346-4363 or FASTIXX (800)992-8499