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Performance
Bridging the Gap: New play brings
medical doctors, therapists and educators together.
Books
Survival: An Instinct Not a game
show.
Tradmarks
German Off-Roading: Reluctant
SUVs from BMW and, yes, Porsche.
Morsels
Oakway Blossoms: Mini-reviews of area
dining spots.
Bridging
the Gap
New
play brings medical doctors, therapists and educators together.
BY
ARIA SELIGMANN
Steve Knight was a freshman at Thurston
High School when Kip Kinkel opened fire on his classmates. "I was
late to school that day, thank God," he says.
"I don't know anyone who went there who wasn't affected
by that tragedy," says Knight, now 19 and a UO student and actor who
has just completed his first play, Foul Shot. The play chronicles
the downward spiral taken by a star basketball player when his girlfriend
breaks up with him. His grades drop, causing him to be benched before
a big tournament. He becomes depressed. His friends don't know how
to talk to him about his behavior.
The boy's family is daunted by the stigma surrounding
psychological counseling and brings him to a medical doctor to treat
his symptoms of insomnia and panic attacks. The doctor tells him what
he's going through is normal and gives him anti-anxiety medication.
Because the boy is already depressed, the drugs bring him down more.
He becomes suicidal.
"There is no one single antagonist," says Knight.
"There are a whole lot of things going on in his life, and it's no
one person's fault. But many people in his life are in denial; many
miss signs, or simply brush things off."
The play, which will be performed June 28-30 at Lord
Leebrick, offers insight into the world of adolescent social dynamics
and factors that lead to teen depression and suicide. It also raises
questions about how things can be handled differently when someone
is going through crisis. For example, how could the doctor in this
case have better diagnosed his patient?
The answer, according to founders of the newly formed
Consortium for Depression Resources (CDR), could lie in better communication
between doctors, therapists, teachers and school counselors. CDR is
co-sponsoring the performance along with Sacred Heart Medical Center
with support from Lane County Memorial Fund, Ceasefire Oregon Education
Foundation, and Sacred Heart Medical Center/Health and Learning Connection.
The group was formed a year ago last February, when
local journalist Elizabeth Pownall was working on an article on depression
(EW 2/1/01). Pownall was interviewing local therapist Carol
Green for that article and discovered there was a huge communication
gap between the medical and mental health communities. The two wondered
how it could be bridged. They asked others to join them in forming
a discussion group and CDR, which now has approximately 15 members
from many backgrounds, was formed. The group's focus is to promote
recognition and treatment of depression in Lane County.
The managed healthcare system requires that therapists
and medical doctors communicate with each other. But, according to
Green, that communication is often just a technicality, the signing
of a form that gets put into a client's file. Although most therapists
know a handful of doctors (and vice versa) they refer their clients
to, what's not available is an opportunity for more doctors to get
to know more therapists and the specialties they offer.
"Many counselors say they work with individuals, couples
and families," says Green, but many don't specifically work with teens,
whereas others might, for example.
That communication is especially important now because
more doctors are prescribing more anti-depressants and even though
the doctor will tell the patient to make sure to talk to somebody,
Green says "The doctor may not see
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Deadly
Problem
Ç
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Oregon youth
ages 10-19 (1999 Youth Behavior Survey). Oregon's teen suicide
rate is 29 percent higher than the national average.
Ç 12 to
15 million children and adolescents in the U.S. lack proper
mental health treatment (Surgeon General's report). Because
these kids are suffering, they often drop out — or are
kicked out — of school, thereby eliminating school counseling
resources, as well. — AS
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Symptoms
of Depression
According
to Carol Green, LCSW, common signs of depression include: Low
energy; loss of enjoyment or interest in activities, insomnia;
loss of appetite or overeating; withdrawing socially; feeling
hopeless, worthless or guilty; procrastinating; thinking suicidal
thoughts. — AS
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that patient for another six months and sometimes
the ball gets dropped." Because social stigma still surrounds mental
illness, many people would rather go to their medical doctor for anti-depressants
than to a mental health provider, who could provide counseling and/or
medication.
Such issues are raised in Foul Shot. CDR member
Dr. Steve Marks thought the idea of presenting the topic of teen depression
through an art form would have more of an impact on participants than
a traditional lecture.
"We hit on the idea of a dramatic presentation. …
For such a daunting topic, the human interest of a dramatic "case
history" coupled with an expert panel discussion seemed like a great
way to present the issues and possible remedies," he says.
Marks approached Knight, who had been wanting to write
a play, with the idea of doing something on teen depression. Knight
says Marks helped him with the medical aspects of his script.
Next, Pownall approached Lord Leebrick Theatre Company
Artistic Director Corey Pearlstein, who opened the theater for the
project.
"I like the contrast of seeing Lord Leebrick
participate in an anarchist series three weeks ago and now one on
issues surrounding teen depression and issues within the mental health
and medical communities," says Pearlstein. He adds he also likes "the
idea of art having the sense of connection to our community and the
issues people are living with and dealing with."
What's remarkable is that attendance at this artistic
performance will earn educational credits for doctors, social workers
and possibly, teachers.
The first two performances are closed to the general
public and geared to the professional communities. The Friday, June
28 performance will have a medical and mental health community focus.
A reception before the show will allow the two groups a chance to
mingle and afterward there will be a panel discussion moderated by
Dr. Constance Powell, President of the Oregon Medical Association.
The Saturday, June 29 performance will have an educator
and school counselor focus. There will be a reception before the play
and the panel discussion afterward will be moderated by Sen. Susan
Castillo.
On Sunday, June 30 the play is open to the public.
A talk back with Knight and the cast will follow the performance.
Tix: Friday and Saturday: 7 pm reception; 8 pm show:
$20 min. don. Sunday: 8 pm show: $6-10, ss. Box office: 465-1506.
Back to Top
Survival:
An Instinct
Not
a game show.
BY BOBBIE WILLIS
SOUL SURVIVORS:
Stories of Women and Children in Cambodia
by Carol Wagner. Photographs by Valentina DuBasky.
Creative Arts Book Co., 2002. Paperback, $15.95.
How lucky are we to live in a time where
survival is turned into a spectator sport, a way to pass an evening,
a way to win a million bucks? Only in the aftermath of Sept. 11 has
survival taken back some its true heft, the reality that it is about
staying in this big game of life day-by-day, hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment.
Soul Survivors, Stories of Women and Children in Cambodia,
reminds us of the true nature of survival. Carol Wagner has collected
stories from those who lived under the regime of the Khmer Rouge,
the communist move-ment that overtook Cambodia in 1970 . The country's
destruction reached a frenzied and violent height throughout that
decade. These stories, partnered with photography by Valentina DuBasky,
give true insight into what it means to survive.
Wagner offers perspectives from a broad cross-section
of Cambodian culture. The horrors of the Khmer Rouge are seen through
the eyes of a classical dancer, a fisherwoman, a silk weaver, a computer
programmer, a prostitute, to name a few. Sovanna, an orphanage director
writes:
"Two weeks before the Khmer Rouge regime ended, my
baby daughter became sick with the measles and died. I was heartbroken.
Without the Khmer Rouge, she would be alive today — we would
have had medicine to treat her when she got sick, and I would have
been able to take care of her."
The stories pull at the bigger picture, they make
us get in close to see what happens on the most intimate levels during
times of violent upheaval. The matter-of-factness of each anecdote
strikes me. These women speak of escape and intrigue not as a dramatic
device, but as a matter of course. You feel the fear that drives each
story, but you also sense that in the thick of it, these women did
not see their actions in heroic proportions. Their stories express
the degree of will it takes to survive great danger.
The book's structure is its main problem. Jack Kornfield
of the Spirit Rock Center writes a foreword on peace and perseverance
that's followed by Wagner giving her own background and introduction.
Then, a segment sets up the historical context for the stories. Finally
we get the stories, 14 in total, and the book ends with more history
and information about how to change things for the future.
I would have preferred Kornfield's and Wagner's pieces
at the end. Wagner's segment might have been left out completely,
without taking away from the core strength of the stories. I am generally
a strong proponent of the first-person, but I found Wagner's commentary
a little distracting, as in her introduction:
"My sweat-soaked clothes stuck to the vinyl seat of
the bus as I absent-mindedly watched a woman selling pungent durian
fruit and wondered if our driver would succeed in getting us across
the border into Cambodia."
The individual stories remind us that survival is
an instinct, not a game show, that big-picture threats are never really
that far off, and also that strength and perseverance are never far
out of our reach. These stories make us remember that.
BOOK NOTES: Carole
Rubin will talk about her new book, How to Keep Your Lawn off
Grass, at 1 pm June 27 in Tsunami Books. ...Craig Danner,
author of Himalayan Dhaba, reads at 7 pm on June 27 in Grass
Roots Books, 227 SW 2nd St., Corvallis. ...Russian sculptor
Ernst Neizvestny accompanies his biographer, retired professor
emeritus Albert Leong, who reads from Centaur at 3 pm
on June 29 at Tsunami Books. Story online at www.eugeneweekly.com
June 20, 2002. ... California poet, publisher Terry Ehret will
read from her work at 7 pm on July 1, Mother Kali's Books. ...Sandi
Sonnenfeld reads from her memoir, This is How I Speak,
at 7 pm on July 9 at Mother Kali's Books. ...Some 28 Oregon writers
will be on hand to discuss their work at Maude Kern's Art and the
Vineyard Festival, July 5-7. ...Albert Leong reads from Centaur
at 7 pm on July 11 at Barnes and Noble. ...Gerald Faris and
Ralph Faris read from Living in the Dead Zone: Janis Joplin
and Jim Morrison-Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
at 7 pm on July 16 at Barnes and Noble. …Albert Leong
reads from his biography of Ernst Neisvestny at 7 pm on July 18 in
the Browsing Room, Knight Library. ... Goldberry Long reads
from her memoir, Juniper Tree Burning, at 7:30 pm on July 18
in Portland at Annie Bloom's Books (7834 SW Capitol Hwy. ...John
Daniel reads from Winter Creek at a publishing party on
at 5 pm July 20 at Tsunami Books.
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German
Off-Roading
Reluctant
SUVs from BMW and, yes, Porsche.
BY
JIM MOTAVALLI
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IT'S NO
911 CARRERA. MEET THE PORSCHE CAYENNE.
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A long late-night run through sleeping farm
country in a BMW 325xi convinced me there is no finer way to merge
a machine with a fully aware human being. Boasting the same four-wheel-drive
that leads millions of Americans into Ford Explorers and Chevy Suburbans,
the BMW is an all-weather tourer for drivers who don't want to give
up control.
What more could you want? The tenacious, 180-horsepower
325 will seat four people and their luggage in comfort, rocket to
128 miles per hour with alacrity, and still achieve 29 miles per gallon
on the highway. The only caveat is a rather hefty price tag.
So what am I to make of the X5, BMW's decidedly reluctant
entrant into the ever-growing sport-utility segment? It's a sick joke
that BMW, with its sports touring heritage, would even think of marrying
its art to such an inherently ghastly format. SUVs are like elephants:
Even in a tutu, they ain't pretty, and they'll never be subtle. (As
a matter of fact, tales told by Asian farmers of the havoc wrought
by wild elephant herds have much in common with marauding off-roaders
on thrill jaunts.)
I can imagine the grim smiles on the faces of BMW's
German executives as they introduced this marketing concept to America:
"Look," they'd say, "We even managed to throw in some cup holders."
But what else is the poor company to do when this segment is so incredibly
profitable and grows so fast? Analysts were stunned when carmakers
sold a million SUVs in 1990, and they predicted sales would rise to
2.2 million by 2001. In fact, the two million mark was passed in 1997,
and sales in 2001 were close to 3.5 million. From 29 available models
in 1990, there were 57 in 2001. It didn't matter what the marque's
heritage was: Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus, Mercedes, they all had to
have SUVs.
Given this history, the X5 acquits itself well. It
may have begun life on a balance sheet, but it's still the product
of considerable engineering savvy. Think of this $35,000 to $60,000
chariot as an SUV for people who (mostly) hate SUVs. It seems to be
working: The X5, introduced in 1999, is already BMW's second-best
selling vehicle.
There are three available power units, a six and two
V-8s, the more powerful of which is a 4.6-liter engine producing 340
horsepower. That makes for fun-filled trips to the supermarket, reaching
60 mph in just 6.5 seconds. That's comparable to the performance-oriented
Mercedes ML55, one of the BMW's closest competitors.
I don't quite understand the horsepower race. The
car magazines relentlessly feature 200-mph supercars when most drivers
struggle to reach 60 on congested highways. My test X5 had the three-liter
six, and that offered plenty of power, plus the only respectable fuel
economy (15 mpg city/21 mpg highway) of the three models.
Once you get over it being an SUV, the X5 has some
good features. While BMW wagons tend to be stingy on space, the nicely
laid out and tasteful X5 has ample room for five, plus luggage that
loads through a high-tech tailgate. With fulltime four-wheel-drive
aides by both traction control and BMW's Dynamic Stability Control,
it can be driven quite aggressively, with far less body lean than
in most top-heavy SUVs.
Good road manners are a matter of course in a BMW
SUV, I suppose. Will we get more of the same in the forthcoming 2003
Porsche Cayenne, which is expected to be even more performance-oriented,
with a 450-horsepower turbocharged model that will charge from 0 to
60 in 5.5 seconds. A Porsche SUV? Egads! What are they thinking in
Stuttgart?
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Oakway
Blossoms
Mini-reviews
of area dining spots.
Oakway Wine & Deli
Oakway Center, Coburg Road 343-3088
A little honesty here? Sure, it's probably un-American
and might bring Ashcroft's stormtroopers to our door, but how about
just a wee truth. Like: The quality of most of the food served in
mall food courts is slightly better than poisonous, and the ambience
slightly more attractive than, say, the county jail. Not so at the
revitalized Oakway Center.
This is not your average shopping mall food court.
Oakway has transformed what used to be a morbidly nasty back parking
lot into an open-air space with 19th century lampposts, fountain,
sculpture, wide paths and grassy plots, ringed by tall heritage oaks
(hence the name, Heritage Courtyard) and surrounded by locally owned
eateries with some style and personality. Johnny Oceans turns out
sandwiches and throwback burgers; Chapala serves up a Mexican menu
a world beyond fast food; and Oakway Wine & Deli brings us a wide
assortment of deli sandwiches, special salads, soups, and an array
of toothsome pastries, plus a selection of wines and beers that few
restaurants can match for breadth and especially for price. And for
the summer months to come, Oakway Wine & Deli offers on Friday
and Saturday nights a BBQ menu that is drawing crowds for dinner alfresco.
OWD owner/manager Paula Westgate has set up large
outdoor grills and put the enthusiastic Lou on the Q, resulting in
tasty Q-sine. The BBQ menu is not particularly unusual — grilled
steaks, halibut, salmon, prawns, chicken, portabello musrooms, baby
back ribs — but the prices are fair ($14.95-$17.95; pricier
options for Surf & Turf/Oink/Cluck), and include good basket of
bread, choices on soup/salad, spuds, with a dab of sauteed veggies.
Quite reasonable, but a major draw for wine lovers
will be the broad selection of vinos, all available at standard store
retail prices. We ordered a Spanish red Rioja, Conde de Valdemar 1995
Riserva, a bargain at $16, delivering complex flavors of a mature
wine, a near-perfect match for grilled beef. For the fish dishes,
our white wine was Marquis de Chasse 1999 Reserve ($9.95), a crisp
white Bordeaux, a zesty, lemony blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc
grapes. These only scratched the surface of options.
It's also true that OWD can improve on service (as
Westgate admits), and we can only hope that a place where wine is
so central to the experience and sales will move quickly to get servers
more training on polishing and handling glasses (keep your grubby
fingers off the bells of the glass and especially off the lips!),
opening bottles, pouring tastes, all that oeno-stuff. When these folks
get straightened out, this could become a food/wine-lovers' destination.
7 am – 9 pm M-TH; 7 am – 9:30 pm F-S
BBQ to order Friday and Saturday only. Closed Sunday. —
LS
The Country Bakery
26615 Peoria Road, Halsey. 369-2968.
The Country Bakery is a very good place to get doughnuts.
As a doughnut critic, I tried a delicious raspberry-filled doughnut
with a light glaze. I also tried the cinnamon rolls, which you can
buy all baked together in a pan. They were yummy and not too extra
sweet, like some are. Finally, I had the best maple bar I have ever
tasted.
The bakery had very friendly workers. The place isn't
just all about doughnuts. It also has all kinds of breads, dinner
rolls, cakes, cookies, cobblers, and pies. The doughnuts are only
50 cents apiece. Their large cakes are only $4. I really wanted to
try the sour cream twists because I've heard people really like them
a lot, but they were all sold out. You have to get there really early
to get them.
The bakery is way out in the country. If you want
a nice country drive to get some of the best bakery food ever, you
just need to follow the scents of warm baked bread and doughnuts to
Peoria Road.
6 am to 6 pm SA, 8 am to 6 pm SU. $.
— Hayden Tedrow, age 9
Morsels is a revolving feature that tries to capture
the atmosphere as well as the cuisine of some of our favorite places
to eat in and around Eugene, along with food news. Suggestions? Call
Ben or Marina at 484-0519 or e-mail cal@eugeneweekly.com
.
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