Tuition Equity bill passes in the Senate!

Yesterday the tuition equity bill we have been working on passed in the Senate! It will now head to the Governor's office to be signed and we are sure he will because he has stated publicly in a press conference that he will support it. This means that undocumented students will now be able to pay for a higher education at in-state tuition and not at international-rate tuition. It is a historic milestone for Oregon! This bill had been introduced time and time again for the past ten years and it is just amazing to know that after so many years of struggle it is finally going to become a reality.

The work I have done during the process of passing this bill was small compared to the huge effort that was accumulated towards it by different persons. It was a group effort through a coalition of the business sector, higher education, immigrant rights, and of course champion legislators like Representative Dembrow and Senator Courtney. I learned that for a sometimes controversial and emotional issue like this one, one must be very strategic in the way that you plan key steps of the legislative process. This bill had to be passed before another bill we are working on is introduced. Because both are somewhat contentious bills, we had to let tuition equity have its moment and then move on to our next project.

Nonetheless, I am so happy that undocumented students now have a chance to go to college! It felt really good to know that the efforts undocumented students made to "come out of the shadows" was not in vain. It was a great effort to share our personal stories to show legislators how much of an impact a lack of access to higher education has made in our lives. I hope that this momentum that has been gained in our work and community only keeps pushing us to continue striving for more positive change.

Getting advice from experienced lobbyists

I had the privilege to sit in a meeting with another organizer from Causa and several lobbyists regularly working at the Capitol building. I was able to pick up tips on how to get a legislator's attention about your bill right before he/she votes on the floor. It was really interesting to hear them talk about the deadlines to introduce a bill and the loopholes one can go through to work around the deadlines. It was a great experience because I was able to learn about ways to subtlety remind a legislator to keep your bill in mind meanwhile pointing out that an influential legislator supports your issue. At the meeting were some of Causa's allied organizations which made me realize that our priorities as an organization are being advocated by them as well. So when legislation is passed that will benefit Oregonians in their education, health, civil rights and equality, its usually the same group of people behind the scenes working the Capitol. 

I also was able to be in a meeting with a Task-force that was created by the Governor that included immigrant rights organizations, agricultural business executives, food and lodging business executives, attorneys, faith community leaders, and law professors. It was a learning experience because we were talking about the language in a draft bill. I learned that language is very crucial in a bill because it could mean the difference between it gaining support from key legislators or not. Using the words "for the purpose of" could have unwanted consequences once the bill becomes law. Instead, a better way to state it would be "is intended to". In some cases, it is better to be vague about the language to allow discretionary room for the agency/institution/authority overlooking the law to interpret it in a way that is consistent with your views, but at the same time doesn't raise a red flag to a legislator who is influential and will be bringing more supportive votes with his/her vote.

Distributor Folders

This week at Vista I helped Adam with our distributor folders.  This task involved putting together folders that contain information from Vista that will be sent to our distributors across the nation.  The items that were included in these folders were spec sheets, vineyard map, wine list, etc.  Putting together the folders was a learning experience because I again got to learn a side of the wine industry that I had no previous knowledge of.  Adam is extremely helpful and was fun to work with.  I only was needed on Friday afternoon but was able to get my hands on some videos that Adam suggested I watch to help me gain some valuable knowledge of the wine industry that I plan on watching in the near future.
Stay tuned for some wedding excitement this coming Saturday!!

16 hours 15 mins so far

So far this semester, I have documented 16 hours and 15 minutes worth of internship observations. Even though I feel behind in my hours due to tennis practices eating away at my possible hours, I plan to make up the rest of the hours when season ends on April 12th. Every time I go in and observe, I feel more and more like I belong. The staff is very friendly towards me and doesn't treat me like person that just gets in the way. They ask me to sit in on evaluations they think are "cool" and allow me to help out more on the floor rather than in the laundry room, where I was before. The staff also share stories about their life outside of work, which shows that they too can have a life and have fun outside of work.
 As far as this last week's observations, last tuesday I observed 5 shoulder, 4 wrist, 1 hip, 2 neck, 1 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and 2 lower back injuries. This was the most variety of injuries I have seen since starting my internship at MAC PT. Usually I only witness a few wrists and shoulders and find other things to do around the clinic such as refill bottles of supplies, clean grastech tools or clean rooms for the next patient. Also this past week, I was able to help out my supervisor in recording information on evaluations sheets while she took measurements of flexion and extension at the knee and hip joints. This made me feel like her assistant and made me feel like she trusted me with important information. Hopefully this next week will be just as eventful in variety of injuries.

Springing Forward

Hello my fellow interns!

I hope everyone is kicking their midterm's butts and getting ready for Spring Break! I know I am. I'm finally feeling comfortable at Cupcake Couture and trying to find ways to take on more responsibility.

I've recently had the chance to complete my first project and it was really fun. Sam, my boss had me visit the other boutiques in the area and pay attention to not only the clothing, but the atomosphere, the way the merchandise was displayed, and the customer service. I really enjoyed this project because I never have the chance to just go on 3rd Street and browse and not have to rush. Plus, what girl doesn't love to shop as a class project? Oh, and I was interviewed by a Portland newscaster while I was down there! I paid a lot of attention to the merchandising and the customer service because in a small town customer service is vital. Word can travel about your business faster than any of us realize. I had the opportunity to learn more about how people can perceive your business and I can carry that into the future.

Also, today I just found out that a woman wants us to participate in a fashion show for McMinnville newcomers and I'm hoping Sam will take part in that and I may have the chance to help style the outfits and possibly create a description of the outfits.

We continue to get in pops of spring and I'm loving the bright colors! So I urge you all to come in and say hi!

Have a great rest of your week! And stay safe this St. Patty's Day!
-Tayler

Mass moblization of Latino community

This week the organization I am interning at had a bus tour throughout central Oregon, up to Washington, and into Idaho. The bus tour was to raise awareness about the need for a comprehensive immigration reform for 11 million undocumented immigrants. I did not go on the tour because it was a week long tour and I couldn't miss school. The bus tour had series of marches and rallies held in the multiple cities it stopped in. I was very sadden to hear back that on the first night after the kick-off rally in Bend, the church that hosted the bus riders was set on fire. The church facilities and a couple cars were set on fire shortly after midnight that night, something that I personally believe was not coincidental. It pushed me to really reflect on the impact that Causa's work is creating in people's mindset. For one, the bus tour was a success for supporters; but for others, the activism we are doing is apparently not welcome.

Meanwhile the tour was happening, I was assigned to mobilize close to 600 Latinos in Oregon who are affiliated with Causa. I called our affiliates and asked for their help advocating for legislation that would benefit them. I asked them to call four legislators in leadership positions at the state legislature and one Oregon member of Congress. The majority of the people I talked to were very warm and more than willing to make phone calls to the legislators' offices. I did however have experiences where some people sounded reluctant to call and for those I had to persuade them. I had to frame the phone calls in a way that sounded like a very simple task to do, something that wouldn't take much time out of their day. I realized that in the Latino community, we often hesitate to get politically involved because we are not familiar with the political process of a bill and we might think we are not capable of being activists. After explaining to the hesitant people how fast and easy the phone calls are, I was happy to hear them say that they were going to get others to call as well.

I think that sometimes when we think about politics we imagine a long drawn process that has to occur in order for "things to get done". Especially with Latinos, it can be that we see our personal beliefs as powerless and not useful. It is important for people to know however that while one person's voice may not move mountains, a shared concern does make a difference. I have been in meetings where we bring constituents to meetings with legislators outside their district. Even though it is just one or two persons asking for the legislator's support on an issue, I have seen that the mere fact that they are there really moves a legislator's opinion and I have heard legislators refer to conversations they have had with constituents about an issue.

Technical Tasting & Wine Making Tour

This weekend at Vista the three other interns and I got to experience a different side and very informative weekend. On Friday the four of us, including two of our supervisors Ryan and Adam took a field trip down the road to White Rose Winery and Vineyard.  They are located about a 1/4 or a mile away from Vista Hills. There, we tasted the three wines on their tasting flight then moved outside to meet with Jesus, their wine maker at White Rose. Jesus walked us through the vines, explaining his process of wine making. From there we moved inside the cellar where the wine is actually made and then into the barrel room where we were allowed to try different wines that had not been bottled yet. It was very interesting and exciting to learn more about the wine making process and see how some of our particular wines that are sold at Vista are made.

On Sunday the four interns partook in a technical tasting led by our general manager, Dave. Dave invited 32 club members to come in to our tasting room and taste 6 different wines.  While the members were trying the wines, Dave gave a detailed background on Vista and how he became the manger at this vineyard.  He also went into detail about the 6 different wines that were being tasted.  This gave the interns a chance to listen to the expert explain the wines so we are more knowledgeable when selling the wines to customers who are not familiar with our particular wines. Overall, a very good weekend - even though I was deathly sick! I enjoyed myself and am pleased to be learning more about the wine industry.

Turkey Trots and Leadership Events

Hello all!

These past few weeks my internship has been focusing on LeaderCast. It is a Leadership event that I am planning at the spirit mountain casino! Right now I am doing handwritten letters to business and people in the community selling tickets, along with finding sponsors for our event. It is pretty easy work, just can be time consuming with all of my homework. But... If any of you are interested in a Leadership event, you all are invited. :)

Have a great week!

Victoria Thompson

Vista Sunday

Sunday at Vista Hills I worked a lot in the downstairs, cleaning out storage rooms, sweeping, changing lightbulbs, and counting for inventory.  I learned a great deal about the behind the scenes of Vista Hills and the grunt work that needs to get done in order to keep a successful business running.  I worked directly with my supervisor which gave us a chance to discuss the upcoming events at Vista Hills.  Ryan mentioned to me that I should be able to help plan an event with him that is occurring in Portland this April.  I hope that I get to capitalize on this opportunity and network as much as I can.  I am still enjoying my experiences at Vista and like that I am getting to work a variety of tasks each day I go in is different and exciting.  This coming weekend we have a Technical Tasting and a Winery tour of surrounding vineyards - the rundown of these coming experiences to come!!

Meetings with Legislators

This week another intern and I attended meetings for the first time without Causa's Executive Director or the lead Policy Organizer. We had been going to many meetings before with both or one of them but because they have multiple duties within the organization there have been times when they cannot be with us. At first I was very nervous to be on my own in these meetings because I have not yet learned everything about the process of getting a bill to pass in the legislature. Some legislators ask where the bill is going to be "dropped" (introduced in the House or Senate), what is the LC number (legislative concept), what committee is it going to be under, who is going to sponsor it, etc. Not to mention having to answer questions about the particular language of the bill or giving answers as to what would best work for the 160,000 Oregonians that would benefit from this bill we are lobbying for. It is a lot of pressure to say the right things to persuade key legislators to support a bill! I must say though that I am extremely proud of myself for my performance on Friday during a meeting with a Representative that I was warned about prior to the appointment. I was told he was not moveable on this issue and that he would likely not be willing to hear us, but the meeting turned out to be okay. I was able to bring 6 of his constituents that I met when I attended a luncheon for a county political party gathering. The Representative was very attentive to his constituents' concerns and was very transparent about his position on the issue. Being in as many meetings as I have been in so far, being direct is a very respectable trait for a person in public office. Even though he was not initially supportive of the issue, I was glad he took my recommendation of talking to other Representatives in his caucus about the issue. Hopefully, his caucus members are able to persuade him into being more open-minded.