Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2003)
Craft Center helps students create holiday gifts From ornaments to Ukrainian eggs, EMU Craft Center creations work as alternatives to store-bought presents By Moriah Balingit Freelance Reporter As Christmas Muzak rings in the holiday shopping season in malls across America, students are left to ponder that annual predicament: how to get a loved one a gift they'll appreciate while maintaining the vow of poverty that college students take — mostly involuntarily. Options in the past have ranged from "As Seen On TV" appliances to the ornament that came with the hamburger ordered during a rare fi nals week study break. The EMU Craft Center offers stu dents an alternative to these default options: hand-made gifts. The Craft Center is hosting a number of class es that may give students potential gift-giving ideas. From wooden bird houses to paper lanterns, the gifts are limited only by a participant's creativity. In the Polaroid Transfer Card class, students bring in their favorite slides and transfer and manipulate the images using art paper to create personalized greeting cards. The Center also offers a Ukrainian egg painting class where students can make decorative egg ornaments. Laura Gerards, the "Craft Center Queen," who teaches the class, not ed that store-bought Ukrainian eggs can cost anywhere from 30 to several hundred dollars. The class is $24 with a term pass and $29 without a term pass, materials included. Special holiday classes cost be tween $22 and $36, and many of the classes provide extra materials. The Craft Center is also open to artisans armed with term passes to make personalized gifts. Freshman Steven Sessions etched his friend's name and a goldfish in a flower vase he purchased for $.99 to make a personalized fish bowl. Fish bowls typically cost several times as much, he said. In addition to economic benefits, hand-made gifts offer "unique quali ties that massed-produced gifts lack," Craft Center "craffator" Jeb Turn to CRAFT, page 6C Tim Kupsick Freelance Photographer Giving his gifts a personal touch, freshman Ben Cooper works on a vase for a friend at the EMU Craft Center. Mistletoe legends range from kissing to Christmas The myths and stories surrounding mistletoe, or ‘the kissing ball,’ span several hundreds of years By Lisa Catto Freelance Reporter It's unobtrusive, often hidden. Its effects sneak up on unsuspecting partygoers. Hanging above door ways and strung from rafters, mistle toe — that small leafy plant with tiny white berries — is one of the most recognized symbols of modem holiday celebrations. But the use of parasitic mistletoe is not a new phenomenon; it was considered sacred to many ancient cultures. Celtic people believed that mistle toe had healing powers. In the Celtic language, mistletoe means "all heal." It was thought to cure dis eases, make poisons harmless and protect someone from witchcraft and ghosts, according to http://www.christmas.com. Druids claimed to have visions di recting them to locations where mistletoe could be found. If some one had a vision, they would dress in white robes and begin a search for the plant. If it was found, they would climb the tree and separate the mistletoe from the branches with a golden knife. Druids would only cut mistletoe at a particular stage of the moon at the beginning of the year. If an extended length of time elapsed without a vi sion, or if mistletoe fell to the ground, it was thought to be an omen that misfortune would happen, according to http://www.botanical.com. In the 18th century, Sir John Col batch published a pamphlet called "The Treatment of Epilepsy by Mistletoe." This publication de tailed the healing powers of mistle toe for epilepsy. Colbatch recom mended that mistletoe leaves, as much as would cover a sixpence, be consumed in black cherry water every morning. The 18th century English also gave the world the kissing ball — a Turn to MISTLETOE, page 8C OUTFITTERS If Buy 3 Pair, Get the 4th Pair <^g) FREE Of equai or lesser value « The North Face Denali Jacket $139.95 FREE Gift Box With Every Purchase! ^Columbia SAVE 20% On All Columbia Outerwear. SAVE 10% On Scores Of Gift Items and Stocking Stuffers! n rrirro On . ESfil LOWA dL and ■to Montrail SAVE 20% Boots! Buy any North Face Pack at 10% OFF, and get a Nalgene Water Bottle FREE! -- Open Until 8p.m. Every Night After Dec. 121 Limited to stock on hand - No special orders - Actual items may vai Lzsai. - Same High Quality Gear - - Same Superior Service - - Brand New Store - Hours: 10-6 Mon-Sat / 12-5 Sun 566 Olive St., Downtown Eugene, 343-2300 FREE PARKING OUT BACK • Homemade Soups • Fresh Salads • Fresh Pizza • Hamburgers • Fish & Chips • Pastas • Ribs • Microbrewed Beer and full bar -c w w. s t e e! h eadbr e w i ngeo.e om 19*£ F. 5th. * je no ♦ 686-275^
