COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
A6
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Aligning behaviors with physical, spiritual world
This law against substances is
what we call a “social” law. It isn’t as
fundamental to the Baha’i Faith as
the central tenets, which include the
oneness of God, the oneness of reli-
gion and the oneness of humanity,
but rather is a commentary on the
needs of the world today.
That’s a crucial caveat: the needs
of the world “today.” While alco-
hol has been an important part of
human society for at least 10,000
years, the needs and understandings
of our ancestors are not necessarily
the same as ours.
I felt the effects of alcohol long
before I decided to quit drink-
ing. When I drank, my behavior
SARAH
HAUG
LIGHT OF UNIT Y
I
stopped drinking alcohol 32
years ago this month, long
before “Dry January” made
it a thing. I did it because I was
becoming a Baha’i, even if I hadn’t
yet declared myself to be one. The
Baha’i Faith forbids the consump-
tion of alcohol or non-medically
prescribed drugs.
COMMUNITY BRIEFING
SNHU announces
President’s List
Summer internship
program offers
75-plus positions
MANCHESTER, N.H.
— Eight local students were
named to the fall 2021 Pres-
ident’s List at Southern New
Hampshire University.
Those receiving the honor
include Jenny Peters and
Bailey Sitts, both of Pendle-
ton; Holly Kress, Asuzena
Ochoa and Jocelle Quinn,
all of Hermiston; Jadynne
Thomas, of Milton Freewa-
ter; Christian Haskell, of
Pilot Rock and Johnathan
Breshears, of Umatilla.
Students must earn a
minimum of 12 credits and
achieve a minimum GPA of
3.7 to receive the recognition.
Both in-person and online
students are eligible to be
named to the list at SNHU.
SNHU, a private, nonprofit
institution. For more informa-
tion, visit www.snhu.edu.
B OA R DM A N
—
Employers in Mor row
County are offering more
than 75 internship positions
during the summer 2022
season. All positions are paid
and available in a variety of
sectors.
Information about each
internship and a link to apply
is available via www.colum-
biaworks.org. The applica-
tion period is open through
April 1.
Columbia Works was
established to link regional
employers with high school
and college students who are
looking to gain experience
in their prospective career
field. Kalie Davis, director
of workforce development
at the Port of Morrow, said
the goal of the program is to
assist young professionals
in connecting with indus-
try partners who provide
opportunities for profes-
sional growth and pathways
to employment.
“We have seen so many
wonderful outcomes from
this program,” Davis said.
“Our hope is that they
complete their summer
internship and return to
Morrow County when they
are ready for a full time posi-
tion.”
For more information
about the summer internship
program, email workforce@
portofmorrow.com or call
541-945-2231.
— EO Media Group
Pendleton resident
makes Dean’s List
at Wisconsin school
OSHKOSH, Wis. — Kait-
lyn McMasters of Pendleton
was named to the fall 2021
Dean’s List at the University
of Wisconsin Oshkosh. To
receive the honor, students
must complete at least 12
credits and earn a GPA of
3.75 or higher.
The UW Oshkosh began
as a teacher-training school
in 1871. It has expanded to
offer bachelor’s, master’s and
doctoral degree programs
across three campuses. For
more information, visit www.
uwosh.edu.
changed, and I was more open to
suggestions — from men, from
friends, from total strangers. Often
these behaviors were ones I would
never have considered when I
wasn’t under the influence. During
my junior year abroad in England
(where, ironically, I was only 20, so
not yet a legal drinker in the U.S.),
someone told me that it took 36
hours for alcohol to leave the body.
I couldn’t remember the last time it
had been 36 hours between drinks.
“It is inadmissible that man, who
hath been endowed with reason,
should consume that which stealeth
it away.”
Few would argue that alcohol
has potentially destructive effects
on people’s lives and that it puts up
a barrier between an individual and
their usual self—or even, one could
say, their “true” self. From a Baha’i
perspective, alcohol thus acts as a
veil between an individual and God.
Baha’is are instructed not to
condemn anyone or judge the
behavior of others — ever. (We
don’t believe in hell, either.) But we
are taught that there is a physical
world and a spiritual world. Those
worlds aren’t actually separate or
distinct from one another, but exist
within a single whole. Our job is to
align our behaviors with, and live
within, the laws of both. In so doing,
we become happier and healthier.
“Every created thing in the
whole universe is but a door lead-
ing … to His straight Path.” These
last two years have been hard for
our world as a whole, as well as for
me personally. Given the dramatic
increase in alcohol consumption in
the United States as a result, I can
only be grateful to my 21-year-old
self for putting my feet on this path
I’ve walked for 32 years.
———
Sarah Haug is a member of the
Baha’i Faith and has called Pendle-
ton home since 2002. You can find her
most days walking on the riverwalk
with her husband, Dan.
Melonville features night of stand-up fun
By TAMMY
MALGESINI
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — A pair
of funnymen, one a former
factory worker and the other
an aspiring skateboarder,
and a funny woman, a
former Division 1 collegiate
basketball player, are ready
to yuck it up at Melonville
Comedy Festival.
Get ready for some
laughs with headliner Dale
Jones, featured comedian
Monica Nevi and emcee
Taylor Clark. In its 28th
year, the event is Friday,
Jan. 28, 8 p.m., at the East-
ern Oregon Trade and Event
Center, 1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston.
The doors open at 7 p.m.
with a no-host bar. Open to
adults 21 and older, reserved
seats are $35 each or $300
for a table for 10. Tickets
purchased at the door are
$40.
Dale Jones
A dare from co-work-
ers, Jones’ biography states,
was the impetus for his first
stand-up gig. Referring to
his mom as a “smart-aleck”
and his dad as a “goofy guy,”
the comedian enjoys making
people laugh. Two years
after his first open mic, Jones
dove into comedy full-time.
Honing his skills for
nearly three decades, includ-
ing at Second City,
Jones possesses a
rapid-fire delivery.
The headliner’s
high-energy perfor-
ma nces feat u re
physical comedy,
animated expres-
sions and improvi-
sation.
Jones has earned
his comedy chops
on stages across
the country and
the seas — he’s a
favorite on Carnival
Cruise Lines. His
TV appearances
include Season 6 of
NBC’s “Last Comic
Standing.” And his
November 2021
album, “I’m Not
Well,” rose to No. 3
on iTunes comedy
releases.
decided to partici-
pate in her first open
mic.
Even
with
millions of jokes
available online,
Nevi said the inter-
net isn’t a tr ue
Jones
comedy experience.
The camaraderie of
the crowd, she said,
is like a team spend-
ing 90 minutes
together forgetting
about life’s stressors
and just laughing.
Nevi
“Nothing, and
I mean nothing, is
the same as being
in a room full of
people and laughing
together,” Nevi said.
Just more than a
decade since bounc-
ing into comedy,
Clark
Nevi is hooked.
In late 2020, she
Monica Nevi
released a pair of albums
A native of the Seat- within a month of each other.
tle area, Nevi was a subtle The first, “Mostly Finger
class clown. Describing Guns,” is a standup album
herself as quiet by nature, and the other is “Chill,”
people didn’t always hear described as a comedic
her cutting up.
guided meditation. Both
“Once I noticed that my topped the comedy charts.
friends in my direct vicinity
Taylor Clark
were always laughing at me,
I thought maybe I should
A Seattle-based comic,
talk louder,” she said.
Clark spent time grinding
While attending Seattle the rails in New York City.
University, Nevi wrote jokes According to his biography,
in her spare time. After an ankle injury took a toll
injuries ended her colle- on his career as a sponsored
giate basketball career, she skateboarder. He began
managing apartment rent-
als, which included special
access at a building where he
started producing stand-up
comedy shows.
Contemplating employ-
ment prospects after becom-
ing a dad, Clark packed up
his family and headed back
to Seattle. While returning
to the stage wasn’t his plan,
he was invited to audition
for the Seattle International
Comedy Competition. A
finalist in the 2017 contest
catapulted Clark back into
comedy.
Continuing to ramp up
his career, his debut album,
“Addictive Tickle,” was
released in November 2020.
And he hasn’t left his love
for skateboarding behind —
finding a niche culture with
the launch of “Comedians at
Skateparks,” a tour and web
series.
Organized by Midway
Bar & Grill, Melonville
Comedy Festival serves as
a fundraiser for the local
Special Olympics program.
“I think this is an import-
ant event in raising money
for our local Special Olym-
pics athletes,” Midway
owner Stuart Rice said.
For more information
or to purchase tickets, visit
www.melonvillecomedyfes-
tival.com or stop by Midway,
1750 N. First St., Hermiston.
For questions, call 541-567-
5180.
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