Annika Gordon
Articles
Quarantine from the lens of a photojournalist
Like everyone else, life has shifted abruptly and dramatically for these seven photojournalists. Although The Beacon continues to work remotely amidst the coronavirus pandemic, photojournalists face new challenges as they attempt to capture images that represent the stories we continue to write. They are faced with the grief that comes from what they have lost in the transition, the frustration that comes with helplessness, and the anxiety of not knowing what will happen next.
Students self-express through stickers
We have all seen it before. You walk along your merry way and see countless people with their water bottles layered in copious numbers of stickers, making the actual color of the water bottle hardly visible. Behind the sound of the tip-tapping of fingers flying, typing notes and papers on keyboards, is the image of a completely sticker-covered laptop. With all the opportunities for self-expression stickers make available to us, even refrigerators can gain opinions and personalities. The Beacon decided to talk to students about their stickers, setting out to discover the reasons why students love putting them on just about any surface and the meanings behind the ones they chose.
Faces of Lent: Community members share why they celebrate
On Wednesday, University of Portland community members could be spotted around campus with black ashes smudged into the shape of a cross (more or less) on their foreheads. Members received these ashes at an Ash Wednesday Mass, a day to kick off the Lenten season where the application of the ashes represents the Catholic belief that people are made from dust and will return to dust. In commemoration of this day and the season of fasting, praying, and almsgiving before Easter Sunday that is Lent, The Beacon got to talk to these members about why they are celebrating the season this year.
STAFF OPINION: I'm racist, so are you. White people, let's improve.
White people, people of color don’t owe us anything. In fact, we actually owe them. We owe them responses that are not defensive, “I’m not racist” retorts. We owe them understanding and, at the very least, we owe them serious attempts at unlearning racial bias. We owe them our own slightly inconvenient discomfort because, in all of the United States’ history, we have not stopped causing the suffering and erasure of people of color.
'Just eat ice cream:' Professors give advice to seniors
Post-grad life can be difficult to navigate, so before seniors get their diploma on May 5, some professors wanted to share some parting advice:
'It takes two:' Siblings on The Bluff
Moving away from home for the first time can be a difficult transition for many college students. It’s hard to be away from your family and completely start over in a new environment. But some students have a little piece of home right here on The Bluff. The Beacon talked to 13 pairs of siblings at UP, who shared the advantages and disadvantages of going to school with your brother or sister.
Cute pics of UP students and their pets
The hardest part of coming to college for the first time may not be leaving your parents, your house or your friends. For many, the hardest part can be leaving your dog. (Or, for those who aren’t dog people, leaving your cat, or fish or any other furry friend.) Studies show that owning a pet can be good for you, and help reduce anxiety and loneliness. Some UP students don’t wait to graduate, buy a house and get a job before they have their dream pet. Some bring their furry best friend to college with them or adopt pets while they’re still students.
Staff Opinion: I am not done processing the NorCal wildfires
When I was studying abroad in Spain last semester, my hometowns caught on fire. At the time, you probably read a headline or two regarding those fires in Northern California, but you haven’t heard much since. You might have already forgotten about them. But I have not.
VIDEO: What can we expect from Diversity Dialogues?
Diversity Dialogues is in full swing with a conversation on how to improve LGBTQIA experiences in the Mehling Ballroom tomorrow, a screening of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on Wednesday, and Prisca Dorcas speaking in Mago Hunt on Friday, along with many other events that can be found here.
Muslim women answer: 'What does the hijab mean to you?'
Several Muslim women at UP told The Beacon that although there are few people on campus who wear the hijab, they rarely get questions from other students about the custom. So we invited them to answer, in their own words, "What does the hijab mean to you?"
