MARCH 16, 2012

TOO MUCH EXPOSURE AT SUNBURN

Sunburn 2012 presented a diverse array of problems for both students and staff
BY ZIBBY PILLOTE
Editor-in-Chief

The Pioneer Log Opinion

When I first saw this years Sunburn lineup, I was disappointed. I have always been under the impression that Sunburn is an opportunity for Lewis & Clark to get in touch with bands in Portland and have a ton of fun before exams. Last years lineup was greatthere were bands Id never heard of, a handful I didnt care about and three solid headliners that I was stoked to see. This year, KLC cut the crap and cut to the chase with The Thermals, GZA and Gogol Bordello the most disjointed and mismatched lineup I can imagine. So I got to see a band I loved freshman year of high school, The Thermals, one of the most famous rappers from one of the most famous rap groups, GZA, and the drunkest, loudest, most raucous band around, Gogol Bordello. Um, okay, great, a concert with three headliners. Wheres the festival thats being advertised? Suntan? Yeah okay, appease tradition with a half-assed show in the CoOp. I thought KLC was supposed to take pride in this festival, not outsource band booking to some corporate college event planners. I got over my initial disappointment. Even if the performers at the festival cost at least three tuitions, it was free for me so I might as well just go. Never in my life did I think that I would be patted down before an event at my private liberal arts college. Even after being groped by some (undoubtedly expensive) security people, I still had to deal with the dozens of my peers passing joints and sipping flasks (hey, good for you all, I probably would have had a much better time if I had taken a hint from you), not to mention the non-LC students sexually assaulting girls on the dance floor. But this wasnt the most ridiculous offense. Whats more is the behavior of my fellow students. Am I supposed to be okay with seeing my peers getting crushed by guys twice their height? Am I supposed to be okay with being accosted while trying to leave the pit? Am I supposed to be okay with my friend getting elbowed (intentionally) in the side repeatedly just because she was trying to hold her ground? You have got to be kidding me. Hey, I had fun until I thought my lungs might collapse, until I thought that my peers might trample me to death. I go to many concerts; its not like Im new to this. I know

how to handle myself at a concert. LC does not. Never have I felt more contempt for my peers than at Sunburn 2012. Honestly, it was just embarrassing. Good for you, KLC, CAB and Barry Glassner for scoring three giant acts. (I definitely came to LC because I wanted to have UO-style events, but that is beside the point). Could you have at least given them the respect of a decent venue? News flash: Pamplin sounds like shit. Its a gym. Had I not known all the words to The Thermals songs, I would be lost in an ear splitting hour of reverb. And the only thing I could understand coming out of GZAs mouth was Wu-Tang Clan aint nothin to fuck with. I dont even want to know what the performers thought of the showI was shocked that KLC would have thought Pamplin was appropriate for this event. I guess they had no choice, when you consider the other venues available, but maybe this is some sort of cosmic message from the universe: we are not supposed to host such a disjointed event. If you really, really have to up your brocred by bringing annoying, big-name acts to campus, could you at least have the festival outside? Its called Sunburn, yknow. It is all beer and vomit under the bridge now, so Ill just say: better luck next time, KLC.

ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA SARVET

Rape culture corrupts music and atmosphere of Sunburn 2012 and highlights a global problem
COUNTINUED FROM PAGE ONE I am sick of abusers getting away with this. I am sick and tired of womens bodies being incessantly perceived as petting zoos. Drinking is not an excuse. Tight crowds, moshing and dancing are not excuses. I, like many other women, enjoy these activities and want to have fun without being violated. It is easy to pass these events off as accidents, to make excuses for the perpetrator. As women we are taught to stay quiet, to not make a fuss, to move out of the way. To turn around and question the attacker certainly takes more effort, and is more dangerous, than walking away. Reporting and confronting is not for everyone. It certainly was not an option for the very inebriated women who were grabbed and violated at Sunburn. I do not intend to speak for them, nor do I suggest that they had or have any obligation to come forward. The fundamental point here is that women have a right to safety no matter what they wear, how much alcohol they drink or their location. I want to be safe and know that others feel safe on our campus, at all times. On that note, I really appreciate the stellar response of the security team hired for Sunburn, Whitney DeGroff, and the Portland Police and Campo officers, every one of whom treated me and my friends with complete respect. Safety means that we need to respect others bodies. We need to wait for physical or verbal consent before touching others. Being too drunk to stand up or speak does not mean permission to grope freely. We need to watch out for one another when we see these things happening. And if possible, we need to stand up to the people who dont respect basic physical rights, and tell them to get with it.

room and space in her life that was just hers. I really do not want the same thing to happen again. I want to talk to her about it and see if Im strangling her again, but at the same time, Im afraid that shell just say no and that everythings fine because its the beginning of a relationship, and we are so happy to be together all the time now. I have also tried to just give her more space, period, but it is so difficult because I love being around her. What should I do? Thanks, Anxiously Attached
ILLUSTRATION BY SAMANTHA SARVET

Dear Anxiously Attached, Thanks for your question and Im glad to hear that you and your girlfriend get along so well. It sounds to me like youre worried that this relationship will get too attached and become unsustainable or unhealthy and encroach on your own individual lives. Its good that you have your eye on things that have been problems in the past and are looking out to make sure you dont repeat your mistakes. Talking to her about this issue is a good idea, but it sounds like you might be unsure about how to approach it. Still, its important for you guys to be able to talk honestly about this type of thing. Id start out by saying how much you love spending time with her and how excited you are about how the relationship is going so far. After that, you could simply mention that

99 Problems is answered by an LC student who is not a trained professional. This students advice should be taken with care and your own judgement should be used.

Dear 99 Problems, I have a new girlfriend and I am having trouble wanting to be with her all the time. We are great friends and I love spending time with her and her friends and she loves spending time with me and my friends. Theres definitely no tension there; however, we have dated before and one of the reasons it didnt end up working out was because I was too present. I became too involved and she needed more

over-attachment has been a problem for you in past relationships and make sure she knows that you dont want it to get in the way of what you have now. Tell her that youd want her to let you know if she needs some more space or time to herself and that you wont be offended if she does. If you two really do get along well, this kind of open communication should be doable as long as you make it clear that youre thinking about both of your best interests. Additionally, its important to look at this relationship from your own perspective, not just how she feels about it. If you personally ever feel like youre spending an unhealthy amount of time together, thats as important as if she were to tell you the same thing. As great as it is to have a loving relationship, its also important to be balanced and not to be solely dependent on each other for companionship and entertainment. Dont sacrifice your other friends or activities for this relationship and put all your eggs in this one basket. That said, I wish you all the best with your new girlfriend and hope that this relationship goes where you want it to. -99 Problems
Send one of your very own 99 Problems to piolog@gmail.com. Submit by Monday at noon for next weeks issue. We accept both anonymous and formally signed letters, but keep them under two hundred words.