LSA News

No. 81, May 2007

If you have anything you want in the next newsletter, send it to lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu .

Index Winners of the 2nd Annual Limerick and Haiku contest announced! Dreaming at My Desk: Farming by Harriett Smith LSA Spring Sale in Bloom From the Fact File Events of Interest Announcements People in the Library

A Scene from Mitchell, Oregon photo by Jennifer Rowan

Winners of the 2nd Annual Limerick and Haiku Contest Announced!

In honor of National Poetry Month in April, the Library Staff Association sponsored its second annual Limerick and (new this year) Haiku Writing Competition. Associate Professor of Renaissance and Early Modern Studies Ben Saunders agreed to serve as this year's expert, celebrity, impartial faculty judge. The entries were submitted to him anonymously. Prof. Saunders chose his favorites in each category.

"I enjoyed them all," wrote Saunders in a recent e-mail message. "I decided to be really strict when judging the metrics of the limericks, since meter is, to my mind, integral to the form—by this standard, the "library prude from Calcutta" was a clear winner. As for the haiku—lots of successes here, but the "Allergy Quartet" stole the show."

Many thanks to the writers, and to Professor Saunders, for your participation!

...AND THE WINNERS ARE..... (drumroll):

Jen Lindsey's "allergy quartet" (haikus) and Ben Farrell's "Library prude from Calcutta" (limericks). Jen works in Access Services in the Knight Library, and Ben works in the Law Library.

allergy quartet by Jen Lindsey

Portland Japanese Garden by Laura Damiani

sparkling yellow
swirls down like a winter storm
spring is beginning

while others frolic
held captive behind the glass
me and my Kleenex

have you tried Zyrtec
or maybe a nasal rinse
everyone's a doc

i'll wait it out
summer is coming so soon
finally relief

Ben Farrell's winning limerick:

The library prude from Calcutta
Confounded in speech by a stutter
When confronted by porn
By those brats from the dorm
Cried stop all that smu-smu-smu-smuta!

The winners in each category will receive their choice of either a lemon, plain or chocolate pound cake.

Read on for more entries.

(story continued)

Dreaming at My Desk

by Harriett Smith

Farming: Two Snapshots

When I asked Pam about writing a "Hidden Spring" for the March issue, she wasn't sure what to write about. She doesn't like to write too much about the down side of farming, which she had just been experiencing, and besides she was heading into a busy time. While the water pans for chickens and other animals still had ice that needed breaking each morning, she was also gearing up for lambing season. As labor-intensive as farming is, it always amazes me that she has the energy at work that she does.

My husband's brother also farms, in Australia. Angus left the life of the high-powered lawyer to buy land and follow his dream. He has 200 head of cattle, some grape vines, four dogs, some cats, and chickens. Sounds idyllic — at least it did when he first made the move.

For those of you who might not keep up with Australian news, there has been a very bad drought for five or six years now. Some scientists class it as possibly the worst in a thousand years in Australia. Angus bought his land just before the drought began. In his sixties, he and his partner Sally do almost all the hard work of the farm without hired help — including fighting some of the brush fires that broke out near or on his land last summer. Australia is facing a huge water crisis. It's not just drought. Apparently much of the river and groundwater is polluted, so that even if a river runs past you, you might not want to drink out of it. Rain fell recently in Sydney, but not in the watershed area that feeds the nearby dam. The prime minister warned on April 19 that if sufficient rain does not fall in the next few weeks, irrigation to the most fertile "bread bowl" area of Australia, the Murray-Darling river basin, will be stopped. This could have a devastating impact on farmers and consumers alike.

(story continued)

LSA Spring Sale in Bloom

photos by Jen Lindsey

This year's LSA Spring Sale took place in the Browsing Room on April 25. There were handmade arts and crafts, home-baked goodies and preserves, loads of colorful plant starts and a rummage table filled with assorted interesting artifacts. Proceeds from the sale of $88.64 were donated to ShelterCare. ShelterCare is a local non-profit agency that provides help to homeless families and adults with mental illness or brain injury. Thanks to Pam DeLaittre for organizing the sale once again and to all those who helped with their time, talents and purchases.

Michelle Page peruses the merchandise	Gorgeous earrings in clever packaging by Mandi Garcia

for more photos from the sale click here

From the Fact File

by Terry McQuilkin

Many street names have taken on meanings beyond their mere geography. Some are familiar to all of us, while others are rather obscure. (Did you know that Grub Street denotes the world of literary hacks? See O.E.D.)

Let's take a drive down the ten streets described below, and see how many you can identify.

1. Lights on this Manhattan street were dimmed on April 18, to honor actress and singer Kitty Carlisle Hart, who died the previous day. For over 100 years the street has been home to many of the city's most prominent theaters, and has thus been synonymous with America's mainstream theatrical industry.
2. A story that ran in USA Today earlier this year began: "Here's how [the street described in this clue] is covering Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to withdraw thousands of British troops from Iraq." Although there are no longer any news organizations headquartered on this London street, it is the historic home of Britain's leading newspapers, and its name continues to denote the British press.
3. “Last year, clients and potential clients pushed the hold button on their lobbying efforts" as this street in the northern part of Washington, D.C. "reacted to scandal and congressional reform as well as a change in leadership on Capitol Hill,” said the CEO of a leading lobbying firm, as quoted in The Hill, a newspaper headquartered on this same street. Since the street is home to many such firms and advocacy groups, it has become a metonym for America's lobbying industry.
4. During the nineteenth century many physicians set up their practices on this street in the London borough Westminster, often residing in the floors above their consulting offices. Eventually the street came to represent England's medical profession. Since the establishment of Britain's National Health Service nearly 60 years ago, it has come to symbolize the country's private medical industry, and especially the cosmetic surgery profession, as many of London's leading plastic surgeons have offices on this or on nearby streets.
5. This street name is found in cities large and small, including Los Angeles, California; Dallas, Texas; Arapahoe, Nebraska; Heritage, Ohio; Springfield, Oregon, and countless others. Disneyland has such a street, and it serves as the title of a Sinclair Lewis novel. As a metonym, it is used to refer to ordinary America.
6. Since France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located on this street (which shares its name with the a quay of the same name), the ministry itself is often referred to by the name of the quay. Give us the name of this left bank quay and street (which, by the way, is also the brand name of a premium Cuban cigar).

7. Located near the houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace in central London, this street is home to Britain's Prime Minister (who resides at Number 10), as well as the Chancellor of the Exchequer (residing at Number 11). A "statement from Number 10" or "statement from ________ street" would refer to a statement issued by the office of the Prime Minister, while a "statement from Number 11" would be an official release from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's office. Give us the name of this street.
8. This street in Manhattan, named for a square that was named for a president, is home to many leading ad agencies, and its name has come to represent the advertising industry as a whole.
9. Interstate 495 is the expressway that encircles the Washington area. Its familiar name has come to signify a perceived division separating politicos and pundits residing or working in the capital—who are said to be familiar with insider politics but out of touch with the views of ordinary citizens—and the rest of America. Give us the familiar name of this highway.
10. Home to the most important stock trading center in the United States for the past two centuries, this street has historically served as the city's financial center. Although many leading banks are no longer situated there, the street's name continues to represent America's financial industry.

After you have completed this puzzle, submit your answers to Fact File. Answers must be received by May 25. The winner will be determined by the number of correct answers; in the event of a tie, a single winner will be selected by lot. The winner will receive a gift certificate worth $10.00 toward purchases at the U.O. Bookstore, courtesy of the Library Staff Association. All staff and faculty of the University of Oregon Libraries are invited to participate, although the winner of the most recent Fact File contest is ineligible to win this contest's prize.

April Snow in Harney County, Oregon
photo by Jennifer Rowan

Events of Interest

As well as featuring upcoming LSA events, we'd like to get the word out about events staff are involved in that might be of interest to co-workers. If you'd like the world, or at least your co-workers, to know about something cool coming up, please email Harriett Smith or lsaweb.

LSA EVENTS

Tuesday, May 8, 2007: Spring is here and it's time for what's become an annual event: the LSA noontime Spring Tree Walk with Whitey Lueck. This enjoyable and educational excursion is limited to 25 participants; email Mandi Garcia or phone her at 6-0761 to sign up.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007: Please join friends and co-workers from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Knight Library Browsing Room for the annual May Tea. This year's list of people to be honored includes Charlotte Conlin, Tom Matney, and Aimee Yogi. Former faculty and staff who need a ride to the Tea should email Stephanie Midkiff or phone her at 346-1661.

NON-LSA EVENTS

Apparently no one in the Library is doing anything of note this month...but if any of you are doing anything interesting in coming months, such as performing in the Bach Festival, at the Saturday Market, Very Little Theatre, Burning Man, staging a riot downtown, etc., please do send the details....we'll be publishing again in June and August.

Announcements:

Are you a party maven? Do you have a flair for food, decor, or details? The LSA Social Committee is avidly seeking new members to help with the annual May Tea and Holiday Potluck events. This friendly and fun group of people would love to be joined by some new people with good energy and ideas. Email Raina Smith or phone her at 6-1837 for more details or to join.

People in the Library

edited by Jen Lindsey

Welcome:

On the Move:

Goodbye:

Staff announcements and photos by Jen Lindsey unless otherwise indicated

Last updated: 7 May, 2007
lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu