Northwest Institute for Social Change: The Blog

Portland: Two separate lives

Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon are only 12 minutes apart driving time according to Google Maps but to me they feel more like days.  This might be due to my commute which can sometimes be up to 90 minutes long.  Having this summer documentary program located so close to home has its advantages and its disadvantages.  Being able to go home and relax with my family and dogs has been wonderful but spending so much time in Portland and away from ‘home’ has distanced some of me and my friends.  Balancing life in Vancouver with this program has forced to examine what could be very helpful with my next step into college.

Making new friends is something I haven’t had to do since Elementary School and I have always been quiet and shy around people besides my friends since.  After almost 7 weeks of the program, I can honestly say I’ve changed…well a little. I’m still quiet but I’ve made new friends. Now some of them know how I’m actually goofy and dorky and like to make weird noises late at night too.  Since the documentary film is coming to an end I’ve been spending a lot of time at Portland State. Mostly staying up really late trying to find some B-Roll to cover Jose’s comment about being late to school (google image of a clock…I think so).  Never leaving Portland has been difficult when my friends are completely on summer vacation.  They’re never busy and I’m always busy.

All in all I am excited to move to Portland next year, but I’m also ready to spend the rest of my summer in Vancouver.

Portland: getting around

Who knew that after just three-ish weeks of the NWISC Summer Program that I would know the public transportation of Portland, Oregon so well.  It seems that everyday one of us is at least riding the bus to get somewhere. I ride the bus and MAX everyday and I am really learning how much I appreciate it.  I’ve also learned enough about Street Cars from Sara and Caroline’s radio documentary to write a paper about them.  Being able to zip around Portland whenever we need to go somewhere whether it be to KBOO or Voodoo Too is so simple.  Well pretty much.  Sometimes the bus won’t show up for awhile or it will shut off after midnight but we make it work.

Everyone transports themselves to each class or work session differently, effectively, and environmental conservation-ly.  It’s amazing to see everyone one get from SW to NE or SE to NW or Vancouver to Portland so efficiently.  Whether we use public transportation, ride bikes, or walk we all manage to get to class on time while still saving the planet (I think…).

Thank you Portland for your means of transportation and making everything semi-accessible to reach.  All of us NWISCer’s really appreciate it.

-Madeline

Portland: Dry Heat

Today was the warmest day of the year in Portland so far and most of the students in the Northwest Institute for Social Change Documentary Program seemed to think it was very comfortable. Many of the students this year are from the East Coast or the Midwest and are accustomed to humid hot weather. Portland has dry heat which they all love.  I am Madeline Thompson and I’m an 18 year old, fresh out of high school and I’ve been living across the river from Portland in Vancouver, Washington. Next year I’m attending Portland State University to pursue a career as a film director. 

We chose to have our class time today outside of the classroom and in the beautiful park blocks of Portland which are surrounded by the buildings of Portland State.  Phil sparked the discussion of radio and music and their effects on social change.  We talked about protest songs and how these Bob Dylan, The Clash, and Marvin Gaye songs have shaped how the public views social issues.

After lunch in the park we bid farewell to Phil. Then we began to learn how to use all of the audio equipment for our radio documentaries.  The last part of our day involved an important discussion for all of us about the ethics of journalism and how involved journalists should be with their subjects.  It seemed that there was little conclusion from this topic but we did establish that everyone has their own opinions about ethics!

-Madeline