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The Cooper Point Journal (May 16, 2018)
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16 May 2018
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the cooper point journal
The Evergreen State College Newspaper Since 1971| May 16, 2018
MAY 2 SURPRISE
ANNUAL MAY DAY MARCH
WAITS OUT POLICE PRESENCE
HOUSELESSNESS IN OLYMPIA
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
AGGREGATE ACTIVISTS
LITERATURE & CRITIQUE
EXCERPT FROM HYPOXIA
BY GEORGIE FEHRINGER
5
9
The Cooper Point Journal
STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
J a s m i n e K o z a k - G i l roy
Business Manager
April Davidson
News Editor
Mason Soto
C o mm u n i t y E d i t o r
Georgie Hicks
A r t s & C u lt u r e E d i t o r
Sally Linn
Comics Editor
Morrissey Morrissey
Writers
S eb a s t ia n L o p e z
Br itta nya n a P ier ro
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Students go wild at a music show in 1987, photographed by Steve Davis.
Courtesy of The Evergreen State College Archive.
CONTACT
O f f i ce
T h e E v e r g re e n S t a t e C o l l e g e
CA B 3 3 2
2 7 0 0 E v e r g re e n P k w y N W
O l y m p i a , WA
Email Us
cooperpointjournal@gmail.com
Call Us
(360) 328 1333
Visit Us
O u r We e k l y M e e t i n g
We d n e s d a y s a t 2 p. m .
C o ve r A r t B y
Ty O p i e l a - Yo u n g
WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
© 2018 the Cooper Point Journal
02 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
HOW WE WORK
The Cooper Point Journal is produced by students at The Evergreen State College, with funding from student
fees and advertising from local businesses. The Journal is published for free every other Wednesday during the
school year and distributed throughout the Olympia area.
Our content is also available online at www.cooperpointjournal.com.
Our mission is to provide an outlet for student voices, and to inform and entertain the Evergreen community
and the Olympia-area more broadly, as well as to provide a platform for students to learn about operating a
news publication.
Our office is located on the third floor of the Campus Activities Building (CAB) at The Evergreen State
College in room 332 and we have open student meetings from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday. Come early
if you’d like to chat with the editor!
WORK FOR US
We accept submissions from any student at The Evergreen State College, and also from former students,
faculty, and staff. We also hire some students onto our staff, who write articles for each issue and receive a
learning stipend.
Have an exciting news topic? Know about some weird community happening? Enjoy that new hardcore
band? Come talk to us and write about it.
We will also consider submissions from non-Evergreen people, particularly if they have special knowledge on
the topic. We prioritize current student content first, followed by former students, faculty and staff, and then
general community submissions. Within that, we prioritize content related to Evergreen first, followed by
Olympia, the state of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, etc.
To submit an article, reach us at cooperpointjournal@gmail.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We want to hear from you! If you have an opinion on anything we’ve reported in the paper, or goings-on in
Olympia or at Evergreen, drop us a line with a paragraph or two (100 - 300 words) for us to publish in the
paper. Make sure to include your full name, and your relationship to the college—are you a student, staff,
graduate, community member, etc. We reserve the right to edit anything submitted to us before publishing,
but we’ll do our best to consult with you about any major changes.
News
Crowd caught by security cameras marching through town on May 2, greeted by a bystander with what appears to be a raised fist. VIA OLYMPIA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
MAY DAY(S) 2018
FOLLOWING CALM ON MAY 1, RIOTS GRACE
DOWNTOWN ON MAY 2
By Jasmine Kozak-Gilroy
On May 1 police officers
swarmed Olympia, concentrated in downtown in anticipation of the annual May Day
protests which have historically ended in the vandalism of
Downtown businesses. Despite
their preparations, no march
was held Downtown on May 1,
and protesters instead emerged
without fanfare on the night
of May 2, smashing windows
in the traditional fashion and
scattering fliers that discussed
the rapid gentrification of
downtown Olympia. According to the Olympia Police Department Twitter account, “The
group disappeared as quickly
as they came together.” As
of the writing of this article,
no arrests have been made.
The mood downtown on
May 1 was tense, with packs
of bike cops roaming the
streets, ample empty parking
spots, and the sporadic sound
of helicopters circling above.
Although there was no
march, several gatherings did
occur on the first of the month.
As advertised, a picnic was hosted in Sylvester Park by Olympia Assembly, Olympia Industrial Workers of the World, and
Olympia Democratic Socialists
of America, with food, festivities, and music. In addition, a
protest was held by masked
participants on Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby’s lawn. During
the protest participants held
up a banner saying, “Fuck Your
Yuppie Bullshit” and handed
out fliers that detailed their
attack on Mayor Selby saying,
“Mayor Cheryl Selby pays lip
service to the houseless community, yet acted as a decision
maker in defunding the InterFaith Works Warming Center
in downtown Olympia. She
has stated that ‘We strongly
believe that Olympia must
do its part in the fight against
climate change,’ but refused
to take a public stance against
the Port of Olympia’s shipping
of fracking proppants. Selby
is a sleazy politician and business owner who claims to care
about members of her community, but the only real stance
she has taken is her pro-business agenda. This is the dark
underbelly of progressivism.”
On the morning of May 2
The Olympian released an article declaring that May Day
had passed “largely uneventfully”. Then, at about 9:30 p.m.
on the night of May 2, after
the boards which had been installed on May 1 to protect the
windows of the Olympia U.S.
Bank had been taken down,
a crowd of about 25 protesters gathered and marched
through town, smashing the
previously covered windows
along with several others
and covering large sections
of Downtown with graffiti.
These actions followed anon-
ymous calls for “decentralized,
anti- capitalist” actions across
the Pacific Northwest. Other
actions publically taken in the
name of May Day in Olympia include the gluing shut
of several Downtown ATMs
and the decommissioning of
a number of parking meters
by filling the slots with foam.
The calls for decentralized
actions follow what has been
perceived as a an increased organization and militarization
on the side of the police against
May Day protests. The Seattle
call for action, released in late
January, explains the logic in
shifting tactics saying, For too
long we have gathered together
in one location, allowing SPD
[Seattle Police Department]
and every other police department in King County by way
of Mutual Aid Agreements
to focus their repression efforts in one location.” The
Olympia call, which followed
in March took a similar tone
saying, “This year we will not
advertise our specific plans
ahead of time or gather only
in one place but instead take
autonomous strategic direct
actions throughout Olympia
and beyond. Let us be unpredictable and uncompromising
– let’s fight on our own terms.”
The calls, which appeared
most visibly on Puget Sound
Anarchists described the potency of such tactics saying,
“This allows you to find the
most meaningful ways to disrupt capitalism at a level that
best suits you, without having to
abide by somebody else’s plans
you may disagree with tactically or otherwise. Trust us; it is as
rewarding as it is exhilarating.”
Last year’s march ended in the
arrest of nine protesters, four of
whom are now facing charges.
Spray painted messages adorned various buildings Downtown, and several windows were shattered, including every 4th Ave facing window on the U.S. Bank building. JASMINE KOZAK-GILROY.
MAY 16, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 03
News
Organizers from The Poor People’s Campaign hold signs in the streets of downtown Olympia. VIA WASHINGTON POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN FACEBOOK.
PROTESTS + OLYMPIA CITY
COUNCIL ADDRESS
HOUSELESSNESS
ACTIVISTS DEMAND ACTION AS CITY PLANS AND
DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES
By Mason Soto
For the Olympia community, houselessness has come to be
one of the cornerstone issues of
the city, intersecting with proposals of construction projects,
infrastructure, and activism. In
the past few months, action by
citizens and city government
has directly confronted conversations around houselessness
and impoverishment while
tension remains between the
desires of advocacy groups and
the intentions of private investment in town.
On May 14, the Poor People’s Campaign held a rally in
town where people spoke out
against the lack of political
action in addressing impoverished communities all around
the United States. “Homelessness is a crisis all over Washington,” Liz Moore said, in
town as an organizer for the
rally from Spokane. “We see it
here as visitors in Olympia, and
we know its a reality all over
the country.” Fifty years ago,
under the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the original Poor
People’s Campaign marched
on Washington D.C. to demand economic justice, and
this year a revival has been organized nationally. This was the
first demonstration kicking off
six weeks of planned actions at
state capitols, and in Olympia
activists marched through the
streets from the State Capitol to
Sylvester Park and then Providence Community Care Center, where folks blocked off the
intersection to come together,
speak, and hear the experiences of houseless and impoverished people. In Washington
D.C. police arrested protesters, among them a president of
the Service Workers Union, a
board member of the Women’s
04 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
March, and a reverend from
Disciples of Christ, New York
Magazine reports. The range of
demands listed on their website show such varying goals as
clean drinking water for all, the
end to privatisation of the military budget, and the expansion
of public housing. Moore said
the goal of the campaign, “is to
force a national examination of
the realities of poverty, systemic racism, the war economy and
ecological devastation through
this 40 days of action.”
Earlier, at an Olympia City
Council meeting on January
25 the city government attempted to address local issues
of houselessness. “We lack an
articulated direction, which
is fueling frustration,” Mayor
Pro-Tempore Nathaniel Jones
said of the situation. An annual census taken on January
25 showed that the population
of houseless people went up by
about three hundred in the last
year to 828, which still leaves
the number just under the peak
of 976 in 2010, following national economic turns. The
public meeting was not held at
the regular downtown facilities like most weekly meetings,
but at a space at South Puget
Sound Community College,
and the small room was overflowing with citizens crowded
outside the door, trying to hear
the speakers and voice their
own opinions.
Throughout the meeting,
the council explained plans to
make a new day center where
people could find space off the
street. This would help meet the
demands that the Providence
Community Care Center now
takes on, and the council emphasized further support for
that facility. They also discussed
plans for creating houseless
campsites that would be sanctioned and legal.
Sentiment among advocacy
groups around the plans is nuanced and bittersweet. When
asked about the plans Moore
said, “When our community
is bleeding, we need band aids,
but we also need surgery,” and
shared how she thinks, “we
have to address it as a systemic
problem with a systemic solution.” Fitz Fitzpatrick, another
organizer, shared more about
what direct changes might be
made, saying, “Ultimately we
need to get at the root of income inequality and we need to
be actually putting money into
building people homes.”
For the community at large,
the need for more housing is
obvious, but among houseless
and low-income folks and the
organizations that advocate for
them, the specific necessity for
affordable living spaces is paramount. Current housing developments have towed the line
between these needs. “Views
on Fifth” is one of the largest
local housing endeavors right
now, the controversial project
through Thomas Architecture Studios that will overtake
the longtime-vacant building known as “Mistake on the
Lake”. The designers say that
once completed the building
will function as a “live-work”
space with retail space on the
first floor, an automated parking garage, and reflective glass
panelling.
Another project called Annie’s Artist Flats is wrapping
up construction this fall, a
four-level building with gallery space, studios, and apartments that will “cater to artists
who are looking for high ceilings”, as the Olympian reports.
Thomas Architecture Studios
is behind this project as well,
with Walker John as the main
investor, making this his fourth
downtown project. Price points
for residencies in both of these
projects have yet to be announced, and so far plans only
say that apartments in either
will be “market rate”; their impact on the inequality of the
housing landscape in Olympia
remains to be seen.
BUGERVILLE, U.S.A.
Merril Pusey with Evergreen Students, 2018. BRITTANYANA PIERRO
Community
FAST FOOD UNION GAINS STEAM
By Sebastian Lopez
The shockwaves brought on
by 2008’s Great Recession are
still being felt today and workers are beginning to take reigns
in actualizing real solutions
to this country’s woes. Along
with this and the coming and
going of May Day, which saw
its fair share of activity (and inactivity), a major victory in the
growing U.S. labor movement
was achieved when Burgerville
workers in the Pacific Northwest, after a two year struggle
against corporate resistance,
were successfully recognized as
the nation’s first fast food union.
On April 30th, the day before millions across the world
stood up and voiced their dissatisfaction with the status quo,
the Burgerville Workers Union
(BVWU) announced that one
Portland Burgerville voted
18-4 to officially become a federally recognized. On Sunday,
a second Portland Burgerville
voted 17-5 to unionize as well.
Though this victory should
be seen as inspiring, according
to a statement published by the
BVWU, it does not mean the
struggle has come to an end: “In
this moment of victory we want
to celebrate, yes, but we also
want to turn our attention to
the 4.5 million other fast food
workers in the United States.”
The BWVU is now pushing
for the rest of the area’s Burgerville locations to become part of
and recognize the union. Now
that Burgerville has to recognize the union, it is the job of
the company to get together
with the union and negotiate a
fair contact. Soon after its creation more than two years ago,
the union pushed for a boycott
of the company until the needs
of the union were satisfied.
The union formation followed
a growing dissatisfaction with
pay as Portland became one
of hundreds of U.S. cities to
become gentrified and follow
the trend of rising living costs.
Workers in the BVWU hope
to negotiate a five dollar raise
on wages, as well as affordable healthcare provided by the
company and consistent sched-
uling among other benefits.
The boycott on Burgerville that
has been in effect for two years
will go on until the BVWU
has attained a fair contract.
“Our employees have spoken, we hear them, and we support this decision,” said Beth
Brewer, the company’s VP of
operations, in a video statement, continuing, “With the
same pioneering spirit that
Burgerville is known for, we
are ready to support the nation’s first fast good union.”
Talking with the Willamette
Week, BVWU spokesperson
Emmett Schlenz told the publication that the shift in attitude is a welcome one, saying,
“Up to this point, they’ve been
engaged in some pretty serious
union busting campaigns—
which included firing a number of pro-union workers and
hiring armed guards to patrol
our pro-unionizing efforts.”
This union victory comes
at the heels of a major labor
movement happening across
the country involving teachers, service, and technology
workers. Since February, teachers, starting in West Virginia
and spreading to other red
states like Arizona in what
some call the ‘Red State Revolt’, are leaving their classrooms to rally for better wages
and working conditions that
serve them and their students
alike. In March, West Virginia teachers gained a 5 percent
pay raise and a path toward
improved health insurance.
Last week, more than 50,000
workers, including groundskeepers, cooks, and custodians
at the University of California
left their posts to execute a
strike in order to unionize for
the sake of fair wages and improved health insurance coverage. Strike participant Vanessa
Rancano told NPR that these
strikes, although not totally
a new development, could be
attributed, “to what [workers] see as rising inequality,
a big wage gap and the cost
of living in the Bay Area.”
SPOTLIGHT ON ALUMNI
+ CUSTODIAN
MERRILL PUSEY
By Brittanyana Pierro
As both an Evergreen
Alumni and current janitorial
faculty, Merrill Pusey is versed
on a multitude of Greener experiences. Pusey completed her
BA from Evergreen’s Tacoma
campus in June 2017, and
began her custodial journey
right before her graduation in
April of 2017. “I did a legislative internship that ended
on a Friday, and I got this job
on a Wednesday,” Pusey said.
Though her main pursuit
of her current job was for financial reasons, being a janitor
turned out to be a very convenient job for Pusey at this time
of her life. Pusey was diagnosed
with breast cancer in July of
2017, after graduating and
starting a new job. Throughout
the journey of chemotherapy,
Evergreen’s janitorial department was understanding and
accommodating to Pusey.
As she said, “My department is really supportive. Since
I’ve worked here I’ve had breast
cancer. I got time off and I got
paid for the time off. I’m where
I’m supposed to be at. They are
about us. Or, they care about
me.” The department supervisor for custodial services is
Kat Morgan. Both Pusey and
Morgan are the only two Black
women in their department,
which often brings challenges.
Pusey, who has a background
in activism states that she is
“conscious about the -isms that
perpetuate (our society).” She
believes that her multifaceted
existence has given her a special
insight into who people really
are, versus how they present.
“The experience is, being a custodian, how people
treat you,” Pusey said. “People
don’t realize who I am, and
when they find out they try to
treat me differently.” Many of
Pusey’s experiences working
as a janitor are people treating
her with a lack of recognition
or respect, and questioning
why someone with a degree is
working in her position. Her
answer to these inquisitions is
very simple, “I’m not a monetary person. It’s more about,
‘Are you really enjoying life’?”
Pussey spends her off-theclock time enjoying life with
her significant other, usually doing one of their many
hobbies. Swimming, gardening and “being on the
back of the Harley” are some
of her personal favorites.
As a parting gift to all readers, Pussey went on to express
the institutions deep need for
extra consideration when encountering it’s janitors. “Before you take your nose and
turn it up to somebody, think
about what you’re not doing and what they’re doing
for you,” Pusey said. “Imagine what your shit would look
like if we didn’t do the job.”
MAY 16, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 05
Arts & Culture
ART + STATEMENT BY
TY OPIELA-YOUNG
06 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
Arts & Culture
at the artist’s request, the statement appears here in ART DYSTOPIA, but is
translated below for your reading pleasure.
a veggie dog suspended in gelatin
a veggie dog suspended in gelatin
skinny dipping but everyones wearing waterproof phone lanyards
almonds activated by a switch
a ritual in which tofu is sacrificed
car air fresheners indoors
a computer that says woah there
a seagull trying desperately to unlock their iphone X each sces�
sive attempt fracturing the screen more more beautifully. the gull
calls apple support. their warranty doesnt cover it.
wheatgrass.
a water bottle grows from a tree
dank nug smokes dank nug
vetements x heelys fw18
a bench w feet that walks around
taking the aux cord at a party playing NPR off your phone
a shark swimming. jaws theme. shark attacks finding purchase in
the soft flesh of an evian bottle. the bottle ruptures quenching
the sharks thirst with fresh water from the french alps. the whole
ocean can taste the difference.
a robot that tells jokes
a lecture but the speaker is parched so its mostly them drinking
tap water from a voss bottle
a fake plant that wishes it were a real plant
UberEats but for your garden
a laptop preserved perfectly in a glacier
skinny dipping but everyones wearing waterproof phone lanyards
almonds activated by a switch
a ritual in which tofu is sacrificed
car air fresheners indoors
a computer that says woah there
a seagull trying desperately to unlock their iphone X each successive attempt fracturing the screen more & more beautifully. the gull calls apple support. their warranty doesnt cover it.
wheatgrass.
a water bottle grows from a tree
dank nug smokes dank nug
vetements x heelys fw18
a bench w feet that walks around
taking the aux cord at a party playing NPR off your phone
a shark swimming. jaws theme. shark attacks finding purchase in the soft
flesh of an evian bottle. the bottle ruptures, quenching the sharks thirst with
fresh water from the french alps. the whole ocean can taste the difference.
a robot that tells jokes
a lecture but the speaker is parched so its mostly them drinking tap water
from a voss bottle
a fake plant that wishes it were a real plant
UberEats but for your garden
a laptop preserved perfectly in a glacier
imagining yourself as a 3d model of yourself doing normal things like drinking
water sleeping
imagining yourself as a 3d model of yourself doing normal things
like drinking water sleeping
MAY 16, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 07
Arts & Culture
Photo of students preforming Mothman: The Harold of Doom. MORRISSEY MORRISSEY.
&
UP
COMING
THURS. MAY 17
Olympia Film Society
9 p.m.
“Sorry to Bother You”, Boots Riley
FRI. MAY 18
Gallery Boom
7:30 p.m.
Almost Woke! Performance Art
House Show
8 p.m., NOTAFLOF, All Ages.
Dog Tooth and Nail, Rojava Benefit
MOTHMAN: THE MUSICAL
The Evergreen State College
8 p.m., Recital Hall COM 106
Scientific Construction of Race in
America with Zoé Samudzi
SAT. MAY 19
St. Martin’s University
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. FREE., All Ages.
Lacey Spring Fun Fair
SUN. MAY 20
Olympia Film Society
2:30 p.m.
“Zama”
YWCA of Olympia
12 p.m.
Anti-Racist Workshop for POC
GRuB
1 p.m., $7
Wild Spring Edibles Cooking Class
THURS. MAY 24
Darlin Creek Preserve
9 a.m., reserve online
Volunteer prep for trail opening
Puyallup Tribe Community
Center
6 p.m.
Lantern Release and SURJ
Fundraider
SUN. MAY 27
Sylvester Park
2 p.m.
Olympia Assembly Spring
General Assembly
TUE. MAY 29
Ben Moore’s
8 p.m., $5, NOTAFLOF
PiPE Benefit Show and Raffle
Le Voyeur
7 p.m., $5. NOTAFLOF, All Ages
Music from Marriage Material,
Pinned in Place, Real Tree
Review by Morrissey Morrissey
An elusive, 6’4, nonbinary cryptid
has come to Evergreen’s Recital Hall
and has brought with them joy and
laughter via moth-y, 1960’s era song
and dance. Mothman: The Herald Of
Doom! , a musical written and directed by Evergreen Student Nathan
T. Daigneault’s with music by Hannah Sauter and Robin Gibson, had
its debut late week 6. Although it had
never been performed before now, the
production didn’t fail to fill the crowd
with laughter and suspense as though
it were an age old classic.
Set in a Cold War era West Virginia,
the play follows the residents of the isolated midwestern town of Point Pleasant as it is tormented by a mysterious,
dangerous, winged creature. With its
catchy songs and ever-moving plot,
Mothman! introduces us to a perfectly
hateable man literally named Chadwick and his heroic yet romantically
reluctant girlfriend as they venture into
an creepy and potentially haunted defunct World War II explosion testing
ground nicknamed the “TNT Zone” to
investigate after hearing an unidentifiable noise while making out. The two
are promptly captured and they are
made to escape a maze of secrets, scientists, and seduction. Throughout the
course of a little under two hours we
are lead on a journey filled so fully with
plot twists and good jokes that I only
checked my watch like, twice.
Along with it’s jam packed status as
far as silly jokes goes, this musical also
hold a surprising amount water when it
comes to creating a convincing world.
Point Pleasant becomes the scene
08 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
for more than a big ol’ moth mystery,
it also holds commentary about our
watchful government and somehow
develops more complex and abundant
LGBT representation than I’ve seen in
any other media through the course of
my entire life (and trust me, I’ve been
looking).
The music consisted of surprisingly
complex compositions, yet always told
the story exactly right. The mood was
always set just right and paired with
silly lyrics about a wide range of topics which ranged from being a wildly
popular teenage “sex machine” to a
jingle making sure to remind us to
trust the government. The set was a
simple, modest, and yet incredibly effective assembly of a few parts that got
the job done without stealing the show.
To bring it all together, the costumes
stood out in this production with the
cast dressed in subtle period garb, even
featuring one of the main characters
with a tall beehive hairdo. These tasteful yet silly choices were contrasted
starkly by our main moth themself.
The locals managed to look evermore
human when placed against the titular character standing tall and donned
with huge, fabric wings and glowing,
red eyes which seemed nothing less
than home made.
Despite the notable choices, these
components would be nothing special
without the hugely talented cast which
accompanied them. This group of students blew the crowd out of the water
with each of the three performances.
Their comedic timing was spot on every time, often landing a line that could
have fallen flat with just a pointed look
or a breaking of the fourth wall. Their
embodiment of the characters brought
an extra element that may not have
been read into the play otherwise.
The overly-confident yet cowardly
boyfriend, the deadpan cop, and even
the surprisingly whiney moth were all
brought to life with these spot on performances.
Somehow, the element that really brought the production together
was the very thing I feared would nail
it’s moth-y coffin (mothffin) shut.
Throughout each part of the play, I was
constantly reminded of the fact that
this was not a professional play but
rather one of the best amateur productions I have ever witnessed. This wasn’t
shakespeare, this was a project dreamed
up and written by a group of friends
about a goofy mythical creature on
our absurd college campus and these
facts made it all the more enjoyable.
I’m sick of Hamlet, I don’t care about
that crybaby. I would rather die than
see another boring and bland version
of The Importance Of Being Earnest.
It’s things like these, this funny musical
made by and for friends, that reminds
me that I really actually do like theatre.
Although the hallmarks of a homegrown production were there, Mothman: The Herald Of Doom! busted
straight through the sometimes-weird
lighting cues (like a giant and horrible
moth to the flame) straight into my
heart. It’s sort of scratchy audio only
added to the spooky and lovable nature
of it all and although it wasn’t perfect,
it was perfectly Mothman.
Literature & Critique
CHOKING - 365 - 59. ROCKY SUN VIA FLICKR.
Hypoxia
CONTENT WARNING:
SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Excerpt from Hypoxia
BY GEORGIE FEHRINGER
The man on the corner ask the other
man if he has a place to sleep tonight
and then asks what about the girl over
there? I don’t know if he means me but
I think that I do have a place to sleep.
Somewhere I should be right now
instead of walking slowing through the
cold to the same grimy bar I’m known
to frequent. I think my head hurts and
my stomach probably wants to fly out
my mouth something that can’t be controlled by beer and liquor even though
I will most certainly try to settle it that
way. This is sickness I remind myself
not anxiety. I think about being raped
or ran over the thoughts that always
accompany being outside or alone.
I think, what a pity that is but then
remember that I am the one who these
things may happen to not some faceless person on the street who may or
may not have a place to sleep tonight.
Though it may also happen to them
and I think, “that is sickness not this
pounding in my head”, but a societal ill
that won’t be crushed. Even by realizing
that Chuck’s actor is really Chuck and
he raped that actress he says he doesn’t
even remember and I think, “Gossip
Girl will never look the same to me”,
even though it should have looked
shadowy from the beginning. I think
of how the media romanticizes these
people as just troubled and in need
of love instead of what they actually
are, a dark lurking in the back of my
mind that’s rape and being run over.
Then I wonder why this is what I do
for fun and how danger is only really
fun when it’s simulated. And maybe
that’s why we romanticize a sick culture to make our fear seems palatable.
When really it’s my stomach trying
to fly out of my mouth and not shiny
Gossip Girl drama. Shit painted gold.
The bar is dark and cold but not
quiet. I go to light a cigarette though
I hate them more with each passing
day. I think about how Bob describes
the 70s by describing the 90s and how
they both have a soft yellow glow to
me even though I only remember the
late end of the later and wasn’t alive
for the former. The nostalgia Bob
describes of the 70s during the 90s
is compounded by the fact that I feel
that maybe, now, both are one and the
same. An unattainable past that only
seems better because we already know
what will happen. Unlike the tragic
and dramatic shifting of now. The now
that only feels stable when I sit in this
bar with its familiarity and when I lay
in your bed and feel the earth softly
shaking under me like it’s controllable
like anything is controllable. I wait for
K and I think, I should have stayed home
and wrote but the futures unpredictable
and the now is uncontrollable, like your
back arching, which is really what I
want right now but you are sick and
so am I and so is the world. So I just
smoke and write and smoke and write
and drink and ponder being run over.
The regulars relive the 80s through
the jukebox AC/DC pounding through
the corner says, “I’m 38 but I don’t feel
38 I feel 24”. I think, “I’m 23 but I don’t
feel 23 I feel 16” and I realize we all
want the last time we felt this lost but
know in our memory we made it out.
I wonder how many of us will make it
out un-raped or ran over. I think about
deleting this because no one wants to
read about rape but no one wants to
experience it either and I know I can
“ I think, what a pity that is but then remember
that I am the one who these things may happen to not some faceless person on the street
who may or may not have a place to sleep tonight. Though it may also happen to them and
I think, “that is sickness not this pounding in my
head”, but a societal ill that won’t be crushed. ”
the speakers and I realize we are all trying to relive that time we found happiness at the bottom of a bottle wrapped
in the arms of someone finding happiness at the bottom of their own, in the
70s and the 90s and in “2k17”, which
I only use when being swift and blazé
like time isn’t terrifying. The woman in
only erase one of these from my writing
and from the world and this is truth.
And truth is community and truth is
society and community is really what
New Narrative is about, says Miranda
with who I agree but I also think it’s
Forms and bodies & sex & content and rape and being ran over.
MAY 16, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 09
Letters and Opinion
COMIX
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Letters and Opinion
RUBY THOMPSON.
WASTED
ADVICE
We get drunk so you don’t have
to. Submit your wildest questions
to wastedadvice.sarahah.com
what do you do when drunk writers are interupting you trying to
get wasted advice? spit on them!
is
tic?
aladdin
no
it
post
is
apocalyporientalist
what is the best chidlrens moveie
that came out in the lst five years?
trollz i could go on about trollz
do you remember that flash social media pree social media game??
this person has been hookign up w this
couple, they have hooked up three times,
they went to go hook up w them again but
I really dont want to have sex with ½ of
you but i am happy to keep playing– then
a couple days later one of them comes up to
them hella drunk at the bar and is like “i
am in love with you” what do they do? run
like hell! move to france or agt least to
seattle. I hear rent in bakersville is cheap.
which is better boss baby or paddington
bear? someone told be bss baby is detourment and i wanna fight about it
which is better boss baby or paddington
bear? someone told be bss baby is detourment and i wanna fight about it
how much porn is too muh porn and how
much mastrabation is too much masturabation? there is only such thing
as too much masterbation if you feel
you are using it to counter a general feeling of numbness instead of
confronting it, it is too much porn if
you cant or wont get off with out it
by April Davidson
ARIES 3/21 - 4/19
LEO 7/23 - 8/22
SAGITTARIUS 11/22- 12/21
TAURUS 4/20 - 5/20
VIRGO 8/23 - 9/22
CAPRICORN 12/22- 1/19
There’s powerful energy swirling around you
which will be helpful; there are goals on the
horizon that you’re striving to achieve. It could
also lead to frustration when these goals aren’t
realized as quickly as you think they should.
You’re eager to make your impact, perhaps a
little bit too eager. That’s not to say you won’t
get there but this is less a time for asserting your
will and more a time for making and observing
connections.
The kind of power you possess is the gentle
kind. Naturally patient, tolerant and compassionate; you are a rock for the people that you
love. There are plenty of people who try to use
their will to assert control but you know that
true mastery is achieved softly and with empathy. The strength that comes from exerting your
heart muscle is needed now more than ever. If
you or someone near you is pushing too hard,
encourage acceptance and forgiveness. \
GEMINI 5/21 - 6/20
Rethink the ways that you make contact with
others. At this time you have the opportunity
to reestablish your group or community affairs
and the change will need to happen quickly.
There’s a certain level of discomfort in knowing
what needs to be done; a certain level of authority that you’d rather not take. Risk is inevitable
right now but if you can act unselfishly and
within context of the whole, you just might be
able to narrowly avoid disaster.
CANCER 6/21 - 7/22
Experiencing more impatience than usual, the
likelihood of expressing some aggression will be
high. You’re eager to get going on your exciting new goals or concepts but there are external
forces that are making you feel helpless or overwhelmed. It will be easy to put the blame on a
partnership for restricting your career or public
persona but the best way through is to assume
full responsibility. That is the only way to regain
the small amount of control the universe allows.
Excessive restlessness has come to you. If your
current situation feels restrictive, but you can’t
just run away, what quick things can you do to
explore and expand? There’s a big energy surrounding you but there’s also that nagging selfcriticism. You don’t have to abandon everything
you’ve done so far, you might just need one new
thought to alter your perspective. It’s a good
time to get outside your own mind to keep from
self-destructing.
Impulsive communicating is going to bring issues of intimate boundaries and self-mastery to
your attention. Your expectations are often very
high, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.
On the other hand, if you have been enjoying
luxury and high sensual pleasure you might
become aware of how your lack of care in your
expression has been negatively impacting others. Don’t feel bad about what you have, just be
careful about being too smug.
LIBRA 9/23 - 10/22
You’ll be arriving, if you haven’t already, at a
moment where you will want to reconsider and
re-define any new or existing relationships. The
easiest way to attract what you really need is be
as straightforward as possible. You’ll need to
spend time contemplating on your own personal desires, to detangle them from what you
think others want. I’m not recommending you
do this alone, but I am strongly suggesting that
you be as candid, direct and detailed as possible.
SCORPIO 10/23 - 11/21
If you have a steady routine that supports your
work and health, it’s to recommit yourself. If you
don’t have one, you’ll probably experience the
urge to make one. At your very best you have
abundant emotional intelligence and compassion, you’re a great counselor and people have
grown to depend on you. In order to continue
providing wise, stable and caring help to others it is necessary that you first provide it for
yourself.
There’s no bad news for you, any restrictions you
have been feeling will be melting away, assurance and vitality are yours. I can’t say you’ll be
happy but there will be joy. Joy is more potent
than happiness because it maintains an awareness of sorrow during a period of bliss and delight. While you are in a period of sparkling
radiance my only request is that you express
yourself, the majority of your pleasure will be in
benefiting those around you. .
Pay attention to what kinds of feelings your
home life has been causing you. Take action if
those feelings are anything other than support
and assurance. If I had to guess, there’s probably
a lot of worry and concern but it really does not
need to be a complicated issue. Speak your truth
and push for a revisement in current systems.
The only way you’ll get the reorganization you
want is to take the risk, your family are people
you should be able to be vulnerable with.
AQUARIUS 1/20 - 2/18
A period that demands a lot of rapid communication is upon you, leaving little time for contemplation. In some ways you’ll be in your element; simply thinking or talking about things
you want to be doing can be enough for you.
But you may become slightly confused about
what your true interests are and are vulnerable
now to feelings of ineffectiveness. As long as
you forgive and honor your true self, you will
succeed.
PISCES 2/19 - 3/20
You are invited to come down from the celestial
plane and experience earthly pleasures. Things
are likely more stable than they felt six months
ago. Take time to appreciate or develop a new
approach towards your material values. It’s hard
to trust that good things can endure, you’re
highly attuned to the inevitability of change.
Recovering and moving on will involve faith in
the ground you walk on. Something to please
the five senses wouldn’t hurt either.
what do you do if you can’t cum during
sex? some people have a hard time getting off with or around other people
because either for physiological reasons or because it feels too intimate
it is nbd as long as you are having a
good time, if someone is being mean to
you about it then you should probably
stop fucking them– you deserve better!
MAY 16, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 11
12 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM
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