to the world re. the events in corvallis

Corvallis has made national news for something other than having what may be the strangest mascot in college football. And Benny is darn weird.

Just a few days ago, a non-degree student from Corvallis tried to conduct an act of terrorism in Portland. He attempted to bomb a Christmas celebration. Thankfully our tight national security did pay off and he was subverted by some intricate work by Federal agents.

A few days later, in the wake of a huge electrical fire on campus, which damaged almost every building's systems, in some cases releasing asbestos and closing down facilities, a mosque in the town burned, and arson was suspected. Whether this be the case or not, undoubtedly it would be a show of "retribution" that I am sure many people feel. I'd say by now we all know someone who has been involved in the long-standing "war on terror" (whatever our perspectives of it are) and at least understand that there is some serious tension going on in the world, and that this tension follows us home in the form of individuals hurt (on either side) by the particular circumstances in the middle east.

So what happens when all of the sudden a peaceful, crime-free, little valley/mountain town full of vegetable-loving lumberjacks and hardcore bikers and snowshoe wearing professors is faced with national dilemma? Corvallis is one of the happiest and most educated towns in the United States. At just over 50,000 people, it's small enough to have a little downtown and town hall, but large enough to have many amenities (in other words, it's a college town!). There are people of many races, economic states, "styles", religions, and sexualities here, and everyone is accepted. In fact, I'd say it's part of the town appeal that there aren't boundaries separating hobos, hippies, engineers, coffee-drinkers, suburban moms, practicers of esoteric faiths, the GLBTQ community, etc. Everyone here not only tolerates but enjoys the differences we have. It is my favorite thing about this town-- that no one is an outcast-- not even me-- not even other people who may have felt more isolated than me. We each have to make it through the rain together.  In general, I would say it's the "most joyful" little town I've ever seen.

Now Corvallis hits national news for being the home of terror. It's kind of a shock, that this is how a little town gets its name. I feel kind of blown away by it-- my parents sending emails of warning about terror, reading all the police reports from the campus emails. I think it's important that we remember OSU's official response to the actions against Portland and against the mosque. While many places might tighten security, OSU elected to host a vigil for our Muslim community, to remember that they are an important part of the town just like everyone else. They are hurting too-- faced with discrimination and misunderstanding-- and the feeling of betrayal by a community member. To me this action on the part of the school and the town honors what we need to remember: not everyone who practices a certain faith is a terrorist, and people of every walk of life have the option to be good or evil. It is good to stop to remember this event, vigil or no vigil, and to remember the sufferings of the community when one of its members makes a bad choice.

I hope that other towns in the country can look to Corvallis in the wake of what has happened and think of it not as a little breedinig home for terror, but instead a community that fought terror with compassion. After all, our name does mean "heart" of the valley-- we might as well show some of it.