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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2018)
8A | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS Apply for Soroptimist Live Your Dream Award The annual Soroptimist Live Your Dream award application is open for applicants. This award is available to women who provide the primary source of financial sup- port for their families by providing resources to improve their education, skills and employment prospects. To use the Live your Dream portal, type www. Soroptimist.org in your browser, then click on Live Your Dream, and then “how to apply”, then “Start Application”. Be sure to identify “SI Flor- ence” as the nearest club. The portal will direct lo- cal applications to our club chair, Jo Hine. The deadline for appli- cations is Nov. 15, 2018. For more information, visit www.Soroptimist. org. Visit us on the web T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM S IUSLAW N EWS Follow us on Twitter @S IUSLAW N EWS SAILORS from page 7A While gender identity issues with Salty have certainly been discussed, it’s only a small part of the broader conversation regard- ing representation that the board is dealing with, and the school is trying to foster in conversation with their students. What were Jensen’s views on that? “Oh gosh, that’s a hard one,” she said. “Obviously, none of the gender stuff bothers me. I’m try- ing to think about this. … It’s just what it’s always been. I guess my main thing is, yes it should stay. But if there’s going to be a big talk about it, I would say put some- thing more neutral down. But I really don’t know.” Religious symbol “It starts with gender, but it also has to do with race, ethnic- ity and disability,” O’Mara said. “Those are four protected classes where Salty comes in.” Comments regarding the Salty debate have been centered around the fact that he is male, but what is often overlooked is that he is also white and not visi- bly disabled. “I can’t think of any human mascot that does not discrimi- nate any protected class,” O’Mara said. But recognizing that fact, and discussing it with the students, is what she believes makes this moment in Mapleton history im- portant. “I think this gives us an op- portunity to help our students broaden their perspectives, in- stead of just staying with the sta- tus quo. It’s our jobs as educators to open our students’ minds to different perspectives, different viewpoints. When you go out into the world after high school, it’s all there. And you have to be able to adapt and work with them. That means we have to talk about these things, even if it is a hard conversation. Helping the students work through those conversations is our job, and that’s why we’re excited.” Of course, discovering differ- ent viewpoints is something that adults constantly deal with as well, a concept that was on full display during the board meeting when the logos were revealed. Three of the logos featured a depiction of Salty. One was a warship, submitted by former teacher Will Crook. “It represents strength, tradi- tion and success, relevant to all students,” was the way the logo was described. “If the students at Mapleton are sailors, all sailors belong aboard ship.” However, a member of the au- dience pointed out that the ship could be considered too milita- ristic. Then there was an anchor, sur- rounded by a ring of rope. “The anchor is a symbol of strength and stability. The anchor relates to all students, whether they are scholars, athletes, avid readers, college bound, trade bound, actors or actresses, danc- ers, writers, comedians, etc. The rope keeps us from drifting apart and helps stabilize the anchor.” The anchor is a staple within the Mapleton logo wheelhouse, gracing t-shirts and uniforms — especially as the school has a large anchor sitting outside the building. But during public comments, the notion of using an anchor ran into a problem. “You had a symbol of the an- chor and the rope,” they said. “It’s a symbol of Christianity. It means different things. It could be hon- oring someone who passed. If you have a cross on it, it means someone else. If you go with the anchor, how long before some- one is going to say, ‘I don’t agree with that because that’s not what I believe in.’ To me, the anchor could give a lot of uproar to dif- ferent religions and beliefs.” The board members, and most in the room, seemed surprised by the reference. “I think we all went home and Googled that,” Burruss said the day after. “I was shocked, but also really appreciative of the com- ment. That is the kind of thing we’re trying to bring out into the conversation and understand exactly what the issues are out there. We were clearly missing that one.” Mapleton has multiple logos in the school, including the anchor, a capital M, a schooner boat and, of course, Salty. As of right now, the board is only focusing on Salty in the gym. “But I would think it makes sense for public materials to be consistent,” Burruss said. “We ha- ven’t gotten that far in that con- versation. Those decisions will be informed by the conversation we’re having now.” Does that mean the Mapleton anchor is now an issue? “We’re going to consider it,” Burruss said. “It’s information we didn’t have before, and it would be hard to not consider it. I per- sonally feel, at this point, there’s enough of a separation. The use of an anchor on a boat is clear, but I could be wrong. I didn’t know about that symbology until yesterday. Of course, we’ll con- sider that aspect now that we know about it. Once you know, you have to add it to the conver- sation.” But this conversation can be frustrating to many involved. Politically correct “I’m just a little torn up about this!” one person wrote on Face- book about the issue. “Upset, mad and disappointed about this topic even being considered. Why change Salty? This is a Ma- pleton icon! You cannot change history! Just to make gender neu- tral happy. Just a bunch a crap!” Another said, “Don’t sell out to political correctness.” The vast majority of Ameri- cans have grown weary of polit- ical correctness. A recent study by the international research initiative More in Common fund that 80 percent of the population believes political correctness is a problem in the United States. While some of the Facebook posters blamed younger gener- ations for the Salty debate, the study found that 79 percent of people under the age of 24 were uncomfortable with political cor- rectness. The reasons people are un- comfortable are various. For some, it’s the constant struggle of trying to figure out which form of language they should use. For others, it’s the fear (or for some, exhaustion) of being told they are wrong or discriminatory. Is the discussion surrounding the possibility of changing Salty just kowtowing to an overly-sen- sitive minority? Are people who believe Salty should stay hateful and non-inclusive? “My answer is an unequivocal no,” Burrus said. “I think every one of us are making the deci- sions that we strive to make in today’s environment, and that changes over time. What’s im- portant to a group of people in one time can be different to what’s important to them at a dif- ferent time.” If the board does decide to take away Salty, which it has not done, will people view that as a person- al attack on their heritage and morals? “Part of the frustration to me is, I can’t answer that question in a way that makes people not feel personally attacked,” Burruss said. “Even with the suggestion that we were considering differ- ent things, I think people did feel so attacked personally to what was important to them. Some of the pain of this is, there’s no coming out of it with everybody feeling exactly what I want ev- eryone to feel, which is included and supported. Because there are people who feel really strong- ly one way or the other, and we won’t be able to do the thing that people feel strongly about. There are groups that won’t feel repre- sented, which is ironic because that’s exactly what we’re trying to do, is be representative.” And then there’s the nation- al politics of the day. Just hours before the Mapleton School Board meeting, President Don- ald Trump held a political rally in which he stated he could not use the phrase “the girl who got away.” “There’s an expression, but un- der the rules of #MeToo, I am not allowed to use that expression anymore. I can’t do it,” he said, talking about the Republican Party’s past inability to win the state of Pennsylvania. “Pennsyl- vania was always the person that got away. That’s pretty good.” With the polarization of Amer- ica, it’s possible that one political party will condemn (and sup- port) Mapleton’s decision solely based on their decision on the 30th. “That’s why this is so hard to know that this conversation will be politicized, because it’s the ex- act opposite of what we’re trying to do: Value each other beyond affiliations,” Burruss said. “That’s the school’s responsibility to strive for that. But yet, it will be used to drive wedges and to sepa- rate. I don’t know how to fix that. What we’re talking about here is trying to support a student, re- gardless of their political opin- ions. It’s really trying to make a space where everybody can feel we could support them. You can come here and go about your day feeling like it’s a place where you belong. That’s the kind of place we want to create. That’s where I feel this discussion is coming from. I understand it’s a highly politicized issue, but that’s not where the school board is com- ing from.” It’s an issue of community, one that Burruss and the Mapleton School board hold dear. In the community, there are different politics and genders and sexual orientations, disabilities, religions, races and cultures. And that’s something to talk about. “We are the Sailors and we will always will be the Sailors,” board member Marilyn Fox said during the meeting, clarifying a rumor that the board was considering doing away with the term “Sail- ors.” “We’ve always been the Sailors, and it was never an intent to not be the Sailors. Now is the time for the whole community, as Sailors, to come together on this. We’re working together on this and we have the interest of the Sailors in mind. We just need to work to- gether and come up with some- thing that’s awesome.” To view the final logo submis- sions, enter another submission, and to leave a comment for the board, visit mapleton.k12.or.us and click on the “Gym Floor Logo Comments” tab. Men in Business Shorewood Senior Living West Coast Real Estate Services, Inc. I love what I do. My career in Real Estate began in 1989, the last 26 years of which I have been licensed as a Principal Broker. During this time I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide array of Real Estate transactions and dealing with many wonderful clients, contractors and vendors in the Florence area. It is important to me to seek out additional educa- tion opportunities to keep up with current Real Estate trends and provide a higher level of service to my clients. For instance, most recently I earned the NAR’s GREEN designation which helps me stay on top of green Real Estate issues and trends. I have a deep respect for the goals and concerns of my clients and, because of this, have exceeded the expectations of my clients. This has made me both friends and clients “for life”. To ensure efficient & complete service for my clients I have carefully selected a team of assistants who are as enthusiastic about helping you with every aspect of your Real Estate needs, as I am. We are known for providing outstanding service and sticking with our clients till the job is done. Jim Hoberg, Broker/Owner 1870 Hwy 126, Suite A • Florence OR 97439 Phone # 541-997-SOLD (7653) E-Mail: Jim@JimHoberg.com Siuslaw News Jared Anderson has been the Community Reporter at Siuslaw News since July. He is a grad- uate of the University of Utah with a degree in Theater Studies and an emphasis on playwriting and film history. He has worked for the Veterans Administration doing analytical research, edited scholarly articles on film and taught special education for chil- dren with autism and behavioral issues. Jared Anderson 148 Maple St. • Florence • 997-3441 WELCOME TO SHOREWOOD RICK CHARLES Rick says… “I was born to cook”. He actually began cooking professionally at age 16. One of our staff members said watch- ing Rick cook was like “Poetry in motion. He can Multi-multi task.” He has Southern roots and it shows in the signature dish of; Southern Fried Chicken. Fresh only, never frozen. He likes to cook with organic prod- ucts, and always fresh. When asked how he keeps 70 people happy at once he said he was not sure, but leaned on his cooking prowess. Previously from Little Brown Hen, and now such a blessing to have him at Shorewood Senior Living. I asked Rick for a quote and he said, “I feel I was meant to be here and I love having the freedom to use my creativity.” Thank you Rick for joining our team and helping make Shorewood Senior Living a great place to live. 1451 Spruce St. Florence, OR 97439 541-997-8202 Siuslaw News Mark Brennan has been the City Beat reporter at Siuslaw News since October 2016. He is a proud graduate of the University of Oregon, having attained a Bachelor of Science degree from the Allen School of Journalism in 2006. He has also written, filmed and directed six documentary films. He is a cer- tified Master Recycler, brewer, self-proclaimed “foodie” and plays acoustic bass when time allows. Mark Brennan 148 Maple St. • Florence • 997-3441 Siuslaw News Ned Hickson has been with Siuslaw News since 1998, where he was sports editor for 17 years until becoming Editor in 2016. He is an award-winning syndicat- ed humor columnist with News Media Corporation and has been recognized for his photography, editorials and journalism by the Society of Professional Journalists and Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. He is the author of “Humor at the Speed of Life” and “Pearls of Writing Wisdom: from 16 shucking years as a columnist.” Ned Hickson Editor 148 Maple St. • Florence • 997-3441
