Think Out Loud

Southern Oregon artist explores hair as beauty standard, cultural expression

Southern Oregon artist Crystal Proffitt [https://www.instagram.com/crystal.a.proffitt/] has always had a connection to hair. As a dancer, she grew comfortable styling her own hair for performances, and later worked as a professional hairstylist. But she’s also had strangers approach her to touch or tug her curls unsolicited, an experience she says isn’t uncommon for people of color.    Proffitt channeled those experiences and others into the art installation “Don’t Touch My Hair: An Interactive Crowned Experience.” It features portraits of local models accompanied by audio descriptions of their own experiences with their hair. The installation will be on display [https://www.ijpr.org/music-arts-culture/2026-01-16/dont-touch-my-hair-invites-southern-oregon-audiences-to-explore-identity] at the Rogue Gallery & Art Center in Medford through Feb. 27.   Proffitt joins us to talk more about the installation and the ways hair can convey beauty, culture, memory and identity.

Jefferson High School to end opt-out policy, new district boundaries to follow

Hand-in-hand with Jefferson High School’s planned expansion [https://www.pps.net/about/portland-public-schools-information/jefferson-is-rising] comes a change in boundaries for Portland’s school districts. Portland Public Schools voted earlier this month to end the dual-assignment policy [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/14/jefferson-high-school-enrollment-comprehensive/], which for the last 15 years has allowed families to let their student opt-out of attending Jefferson High School and instead choose to attend one of three other high schools in the area.   This dual-assignment policy has led to steadily declining enrollment rates for the public high school in North Portland. Jefferson High school currently enrolls just under 400 students. Grant High School has an enrollment of over 2,000, McDaniel High School has over 1,600 students, and Roosevelt High School enrolls over 1,400. The new boundary plan aims to even out enrollment between the three schools by 2030, with the $465 million expansion set to open in 2028. Joining us to discuss the changes are Michelle DePass [https://www.pps.net/board/board-of-education/board-members/michelle-depass-vice-chair], vice-chair of the Portland School Board, and Lakeitha Elliot, Jefferson High graduate and former PTA member

Exploring the meaning of “time immemorial

Many Native American tribes use the phrase “time immemorial” to describe how long they’ve been living in North America. But how long is “time immemorial”? What does it really mean?    Indigenous affairs reporter Toastie Oaster dug into [https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-1/what-does-time-immemorial-really-mean/] the history and significance of the phrase for High Country News. It was part of the magazine’s larger issue on “deep time” [https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-1/] in the West. Oaster joins us to share what they learned.

Historian Jill Lepore on the difficulty of amending the U.S. Constitution

The U.S. Constitution likely would not have been ratified in 1788 without Article 5, which allowed for amendment. Many of the original founders championed the idea that the document would need to change as the country changed. As historian Jill Lepore points out in her newest book most of the 27 amendments to the constitution have happened just after times of war or conflict, and after 33 years without an amendment, we may be headed that way again. OPB’s Geoff Norcross speaks to Lepore in front of an audience at the 2025 Portland Book Festival about “We the People: A history of the U.S. Constitution.”

Volcano Listening Project turns explosive data into song

Music and science don’t often overlap, but University of Oregon professor Leif Karlstrom is making it happen with the Volcano Listening Project [https://volcanolisteningproject.org/]. Karlstrom turns datasets from the volcanoes he studies every day into sound, then uses those soundtracks to make music [https://open.spotify.com/album/4YuK9z563XBtcszEZ1iHzl] with a wide array of musicians. The project will be on display at a pair of upcoming shows in Portland [https://albertarosetheatre.com/event/science-on-tap-exploring-earth-songs-with-the-volcano-listening-project/alberta-rose-theatre/portland-oregon/] and Hood River [https://www.columbiaarts.org/event-details/volcano-listening-project-2026-01-29-17-00] on Jan. 28 and 29.    Karlstrom joins us to share music from the Volcano Listening Project and what it takes to turn data into song.