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The Pioneer Log arts Dont miss...

MARCH 16, 2012

Tender Forever, Lynx and Glitter Fruit to perform in Gender Studies Symposium
BY ZIBBY PILLOTE
Editor-In-Chief

Le Franais Dans Tous Ses tats PROGRAM: Play: Tous lcole! Dance: Zoomer Zoomer! Dance: Vouleez-vous coucher avec moi from Moulin Rouge Play: TV Show! Election prsidentielle dans le futur. Song: Parlez-moi de lui African Dance: Dcal Gwada Wednesday March 21 & Thursday March 22 7:00 p.m. Fir Acres Mainstage Free admission!

FRENCH FUN GALORE!

This years Gender Studies Symposium, whose theme is Objection: Gender, Sex, Law and Social Change ends with a bang tonight with musical celebration Magical Gadgets. The show features three bands, Glitter Fruit, Lynx and Tender Forever. Glitter Fruit is a duet from Portland best known for their progay performances. The band performed last year at Lewis & Clarks Homomentum. Max Volume and Riley La Roux strings and accordion to create twee-esque love songs with a queer twist. Their lyrics mirror their light-hearted performance

Part performanceart mashups, part cabaret-style camp, part original music...a brand new collaboration.
style, singing songs with lyrics like, Who am I that I should be invited for your touch? Im writing the story of how hard we tried. The band describes themselves as part performance-art mashups, part cabaret-style camp, part original music a brand new collaboration. Lynx puts a slightly different spin on their music. Using more instruments, including banjo and

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA SARVET

Portlands French expatriate Tender Forever has worked with Mirah and The Blow.

drum machine, Lynx creates experimental pop music that will get your feet moving, like a more aggressive version of The Blow. Lynx has played at SXSW, Coachella and has collaborated with the likes of Matisyahu, Bassnectar and Beats Antique. Lynxs stop at LC is only one of many on a West Coast tour. Tender Forever is the stage name of Melanie Valera. Valera has been very active in the Portland arts scene since moving here from

France, working with the Time Based Arts Festival among other things. Tender Forever has been Valeras project since 2003, and she has worked closely with artists like Mirah and The Blow upon her move to the Northwest. She describes herself as the biggest, softest sound youve ever heard, and a listen to Valeras music proves this statement true. With simple melodies and structure, Tender Forever is still hard-hitting. Something

about the dark lyrics and simple tones makes the performance hard to forget. All three of these artists challenge social norms through their performances, echoing the symposiums theme of social change. This is an exciting opportunity to experience three notable artists who have made a large impact on the west coasts queer music scene. Tonight, 8 p.m., the Chapel, free

Creativity and Disabilities

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Project Grow in North Portland has 1.5 acres of farmland and a large studio space. Their goal is to take severely handicapped adults and turn them into professional showing artists. Or, turn them into farmers. We have four of their artists in the show. All of these people have a unique story and a unique background, said LeDonne. You will see them sharing their story through their art. LeDonne and Tolles originally sent emails to studios around Portland but were met with no response. Tolles then decided to post inquiries for art on Craigslist. Apparently that is how a lot of artists get shows, said LeDonne. That started an avalanche of people responding to it. The show will not only serve as a way to represent the L.D. community but also allows Tolles to share a community that he has been a part of for a long time. In high school, I was pushed in the art direction because that was the only thing I really excelled at. When I first started at LC, I started taking art history classes and one after another I found that all these artists have some life background that pushes them away from society, said Tolles. It forces them to find another path for themselves and its usually something creative. LeDonne also feels emotionally connected to the project. I fell in love with the SSS board when I got to campus. I love talking to high schools, doing School Speaks, and sharing with them what its like to go to college and have a learning disability, said LeDonne. Its great to let them know that they do have options. Creativity and Disabilities will run Tuesday, March 20 and Wednesday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. The show opening will be on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

APOCALIPS WELCOMES KEN ARKIND

involved in slam poetry since he was 16. My favorite part about slam is the crowd response, said Leja. I also really love seeing all the wonderful poets around, as well as the competitive aspect of it all. The Open Mic also featured Ken Arkind, a National Poetry Slam champion from Denver, Col. Arkind has toured internationally, appearing on CBS, NBC, the documentary SPIT! and Borders.coms Open Door Poetry series with U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Ive always been into writing, said Arkind. Slam poetry is unique, though, because it is an instant art form. Arkind is also the Project Coordinator for the Denver Minor Disturbance Youth Poetry Slam, which works with Denver youth poets ages 13 to 19 in the Denver Metro area. Arkind encourages all aspiring writers to practice as much as possible to hone their skills. If you want to be a poet, force yourself to write, said Arkind. Read all the time. Expose yourself to that which inspires you. Every year, Apocalips chooses a handful of its most talented team members to participate in a national poetry competition known as CUPSI, or the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. This years competition will take place in California at the University of La Verne, April 18-21.

National Poetry Slam Champion Ken Arkind performs at Apocalips first Open Mic of the semester in the Platteau. BY CATERINA ZISCHKE-RINCON
Staff Writer

PHOTO BY LARISSA BOARD

Apocalips, Lewis & Clarks slam poetry club, hosted its first Open Mic of the semester on March 6, allowing novice and experienced poets alike to showcase their talents on the Platteau stage. Unlike a usual slam, Tuesdays

performers were not scored but were encouraged to simply share their words with the greater LC community, eliminating the pressure to receive high marks. The night was a ravishing display of wit and emotion, combining heartfelt rhetoric with powerful performances that mesmerized the audience.

Every poet had something different to offer, with topics ranging from the personification of a barcode, struggling to find its identity as it hovers on the back of a cat calendar, to a classic sentimental ballad of affection directed toward one poets lover. Chris Leja (12), one of the copresidents of Apocalips, has been