Started in 2017 under a few feet of snow, the now annual FungiFest has attracted all kinds of attendees, with the goal of educating people about — you guessed it — mushrooms! According to the National Library of Medicine, society has a large distrust and fear of mushrooms, called mycophobia, and spread rumors about their deadly toxins. This comes despite only 2% of known mushrooms being toxic. The Central Oregon Mushroom Club aims to set this record straight through their mushroom talks, presentations and museum-like exhibits all featured at FungiFest.

The first thing many notice at the Fungi-Festival — or rather, before the fest — is that there’s nowhere to park. It was hosted at the Sunriver Homeowners’ Aquatic and Recreation Center, which offered 200 parking spots. However, overflow parking was still required at a nearby church. Volunteers said it’s the most people they’ve seen at the event yet. One volunteer, Don Carter, discussed the changes they made this year to accommodate. 

Carter has volunteered at the festival for the last five years with his daughter. Back then, the festival ran out of the Sunriver Observatory, “but obviously it outgrew that location,” he said. This year, Carter was in charge of running an art station for kids to paint, teaching them that mushrooms are friends and not to be feared.

But why has the FungiFest been such a hit with locals? It is truly a mushroom-lover’s paradise, with mushroom coffee, mushroom ice cream and even a mushroom marketplace. However, Carter believes there’s more to it than just excitement. 

“People are curious,” he said. “And I think now more than ever people are trying to play more of a role in where their food is coming from.” 

The quality of the food available in stores is becoming a growing concern for Americans across the country. People have been calling into question the dangers of using pesticides and other chemicals. Just last year, the Charles Boggini Company recalled three different sodas from businesses because several of their additives, including preservatives and dyes, were linked to cancer. 

Redmond High School student Lyric Campbell attended the event with their father and said that chemical processes are important to prevent food from going bad but the manufacturers “don’t have anyone’s best interests at heart.”

Clearly, people have concerns about the use of preservatives in their food, but don’t have an alternative. Campell stated that organic foods are too expensive to be a reliable option, especially for people in low-income situations. 

Popular retailers like Safeway typically demand an extra 40 to 60% for organic produce. Therefore, if someone wanted to save money, get outside, and be more confident in the quality of their food? Then going mushroom foraging seems like a great alternative! Carter believes this fits with “Central Oregon’s unique outdoor culture” and is part of the reason why FungiFest is bringing in so many people year after year.

Ultimately, Sunriver’s FungiFest is a place where outdoors hobbyists and people looking to learn can gather. While there, one would be hard pressed to find a place where a kid wasn’t running around having fun painting or playing with a magnifying glass. The event cultivates a sense of curiosity for all ages. While at first the lectures can seem boring, the level of passion these people have for fungus is enviable. With such big numbers this year, it’s clear FungiFest won’t be going anywhere and could be a Central Oregon tradition for years to come.

The post Central Oregon’s FungiFest Teaches Oregonians to Fetch Their Own Food appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.

Oregon’s annual mock trial competition began in 1987 with the goal of getting students to think about their future sooner. So how does the competition work? Each school in the district—Summit, Bend High, Caldera and Cascades Academy—has a team consisting of two key categories: witnesses and attorneys. Students really become their respective roles, whether that means fake-crying on the witness stand or simply dressing the part. 

Every year, all participating schools receive hypothetical court cases that teams will focus on for that competition’s season. The case generally includes affidavits, evidence and rules for what objections lawyers can use, but not who’s guilty. That’s for the jury to decide, based on performance and each team’s case theory. 

As a witness, students read their assigned affidavit (basically a witness’ monologue) and work with a mock lawyer for what to do while being questioned by either team. For those who prefer the more argumentative lifestyle, acting as a lawyer is another possibility. Students craft their arguments and what they want the jury to hear using evidence to back up claims. In addition, students can plan to try and trip up a witness from the opposing team on cross-examination. Sophomore Lio Ditta gives the witness’ perspective. 

“It’s all about being [abrasive]. People [get disorganized] if you start talking and don’t [stop],” said Ditta.

Cases vary in content every year and alternate between civil and criminal trials, thereby giving participating students full exposure to the law world. 

“Basically in criminal cases, somebody gets arrested and in civil cases, somebody gets sued,” said Lith Canady, another mock trial student.

“This year, the case is about a plane crash,” said sophomore Lin Mills. The story is about a criminal trial in which the prosecution was accused of lying to investigators after causing a plane crash. Seems simple but a few twists can be used to each team’s advantage, especially as, in this case, one person with strong evidence died and is unable to testify. In this way, you can think of the mock trial competition as a puzzle, and finding workarounds can take weeks.

On Feb. 24, after months of preparation, teams will take to the courtroom. Each side gives an opening statement, then the prosecution calls up their first witness and everything from there continues as would a genuine court proceeding. 

Former lawyers often work as coaches for the students, teaching them the proper law practices and assisting them in crafting strong arguments. At his first law firm, Bend High coach Peter Richter says he had to deal with 2-3 lawsuits per day. Now retired with over 40 years of experience, he’s working as a coach and has a few tips to share. 

“A lot of times, people struggle to find the difference between a fact, opinion, characterization or a conclusion,” says Richter. Knowing that it’s important to clarify to the jury when they’re being presented with facts, and when a team is hearing something that has been twisted to fit a perspective is vital to presenting a strong argument. Richter also noted how often he has seen lawyers skip over this crucial part and ultimately lose cases. 

For anyone wanting to tread down the path of law, competing in mock trial gives them a nice head start. The basic and not-so-serious taste of the courtroom gets students comfortable in an environment in which they may one day thrive. Plus, they learn the importance of a neatly pressed suit—truly invaluable.

The post Central Oregon’s Annual High School Mock Trial Competition Returns appeared first on Obsidian News | Oregon Youth Voices.