Portland State Vanguard, Volume 74, Issue 15

VOLUME 74 • ISSUE 15 • JANUARY 14, 2019

‘ WOEFULLY UNDERFUNDED Student and professor

criticize PSU for neglecting

Black studies department

NEWS PORTLAND STATE CRITICIZED FOR UNDERFUNDING BLACK STUDIES • OPINION HOUSING INACTION IS INEXCUSABLE ARTS & CULTURE PORTLAND’S FOLK FESTIVAL • SPORTS LIFE ON THE ROAD

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PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

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CONTENTS COVER BY BRANDON PAHNISH NEWS HILL TO HALL

P. 3

INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

P. 10

SETTLEMENT REACHED BETWEEN WASHINGTON FAMILY AND PORTLAND STATE

P. 4

ARTS & CULTURE YOUNG WRITERS FIND NEW SPACE IN ST. JOHNS

P. 11

PORTLAND RECONSIDERS ITS SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

P. 5

PORTLAND FOLK COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER FOR ANNUAL FESTIVAL

P. 12

INTERNATIONAL U.S. AIRSTRIKE IN IRAN LEADS TO RETALIATION

P. 6

OPINION HOUSING INACTION IS INEXCUSABLE

P. 13

AUSTRALIAN WILDFIRES DESTROY 18 MILLION ACRES OF LAND

P. 7

‘ARTICLE TITLE PENDING’

P. 14

AL-SHABAB ATTACKS KENYAN MILITARY BASE

P. 7

CENTER PSU CRITICIZED FOR UNDERFUNDING BLACK STUDIES DEPARTMENT

P. 8–9

SPORTS LIFE ON THE ROAD

P. 15

EVENTS CALENDAR

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STAFF

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Dylan Jefferies MANAGING EDITOR Anthony Montes NEWS EDITORS Hanna Anderson Justin Grinnell INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Chloe Dysart ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Nick Townsend OPINION EDITOR AJ Earl SPORTS EDITOR Rich Rigney

ONLINE EDITOR Annie Schutz COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn CONTRIBUTORS Juliana Bigelow Madison Cecil Adam Holland Anna Leclerc Emily Price Quinn Stoddard Karisa Yuasa PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Alex Wittwer MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Owen Demetre

PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas

A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood

LEAD DESIGNER Brandon Pahnish

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale

DESIGNERS Sam Person Dana Townsend DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow George Olson John Rojas

STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com

MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard ’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

NEWS

JAN. 6–8 HANNA ANDERSON

JAN. 6: NEW PORTLAND POLICE CHIEF HOLDS FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE SINCE SWEARING IN

After former Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw left her position for a position in Philadelphia, Chief Jami Resch was sworn in on Dec. 31 in a private ceremony. Resch was appointed by Mayor Ted Wheeler the day after Outlaw’s departure, according to OPB, and on Monday held her first press conference since becoming chief. Having worked in the Portland Police Bureau since 1999, the conference gave Resch the opportunity to introduce herself to local media, as well as address some of the challenges PPB is facing. Since being sworn in, the speed at which Resch was promoted was criticized by some, since Outlaw had only been hired after a national search, according to The Oregonian.

JAN 8: PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CAMP CLEAN-UP CONTRACT

Portland’s City Council voted unanimously to approve a new contract to clean up houseless camps in the city. The contract allows Portland to pay up to $4.5 million to Rapid Response Bio Clean, a hazardous waste removal company, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. While Portland has worked with the company since 2016, the new contract expands the company’s responsibilities—cleaning waste from houseless camps, asking campers who have received a prior warning to disperse and under the new contract, training in non-violent conflict resolution and carrying Naloxone to treat drug overdoses. While the contract was pulled from the agenda the previous month over advocate’s concerns over the effects of clean-ups on the homeless population, the company ultimately resumed its work.

GIVE FUCK

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JAN. 8: PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL HOLDS FIRST MEETING SINCE COMMISSIONER’S DEATH, SETS SPECIAL ELECTION SCHEDULE

Portland City Council held its first meeting since Commissioner Nick Fish’s death on Jan. 2. Fish was posthumously appointed council president, a rotating position among the commissioners which he’d been next in line for. The council shared their memories of working with him and held a moment of silence in his honor. The council also voted to set a special election for Fish’s seat on May 19, coinciding with municipal primary elections, according to The Oregonian.

Run-offs, if needed, will take place on Aug. 11. 4 out of 5 seats will be voted on in the upcoming election—Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Chloe Eudaly are running for re-election, while Commissioner Amanda Fritz is retiring from her position.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

MEMBERS OF JASON WASHINGTON'S FAMILY ATTEND THE PORTLAND STATE BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ MEETING TO PROTEST THE DECISION TO KEEP ARMED SECURITY ON OCT. 9, 2019. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

SETTLEMENT REACHED BETWEEN WASHINGTON FAMILY AND PORTLAND STATE QUINN STODDARD

Portland State finalized a $1 million settlement with the family of Jason Washington on Dec. 31, 2019.

“We have come to a resolution that acknowledges our profound loss,” said Michelle Washington in a joint statement with PSU. “However, the pain and emptiness that we are consumed with daily will be part of us for the rest of our lives. Our goal is that these changes will bring about awareness and help prevent this type of tragedy from ever occurring again. We pray that no family will ever endure the pain and suffering of losing someone as irreplaceable as Jason.”

PSU is also working with the Washington family to create a scholarship for PSU students.

“Our focus for the future will be to keep Jason’s memory alive by establishing a memorial scholarship,” Washington stated.

“This will serve as a reminder of Jason’s huge impact on not only his family and friends, but the entire community. Jason is and always will be remembered as a God-loving, caring, family man who was a friend to all.”

Tentatively titled as the Jason Washington Memorial Scholarship, the logistics of the scholarship itself are still undetermined. Associate Vice President for University Communications Christopher Broderick said those details will be made by the Washington family.

“Once they determine how much it will be and the duration, [the Washington family] will work with PSU on details such as criteria to apply, who is eligible, a selection process, what are the qualifications—need based or merit based—for instance.”

On June 29, 2018, father, husband, and Navy veteran Jason Washington was shot and killed by two PSU campus public safety officers as he attempted to stop an altercation outside

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of the Cheerful Tortoise bar. Washington was in possession of a firearm at the time. Police ordered him to drop the weapon and then fired.

According to the autopsy, Washington was shot nine times.

The incident spurred a large outcry among different groups on and off campus. “[Associated Students of Portland State University] completely lost trust with the university, and we were all being very vocal that we had lost trust,” said Violet Gibson, student body president at PSU. “It was a brutal time. There was shock. There was a lot of pain. There was anger and a lot of worry.”

PSU Interim President Stephen Percy also weighed in. “Mr. Washington’s death was tragic, and our campus community mourns his loss. His death made us significantly reassess our approach to campus safety.”

This reassessment came in the form of the Margolis Healy Report—released in February of 2019—which evaluated multiple metrics, including campus safety, climate, organizational structure and training.

Percy released a holistic campus safety plan in October 2019 detailing numerous updates to CPSO. “We’ve hired four [student safety ambassadors],” said Chief Joe Schilling, director of Campus Public Safety. “The reason we’ve started with four is so we can get them trained and working. The anticipation is that we’ll hire another round, which we may be able to get from the first group of folks that applied.”

These safety ambassadors are students with diverse racial backgrounds that better understand issues of race regarding public safety. They will report back on safety concerns on campus, including those of faculty, staff and students of color.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

Schilling said he has hired two more police officers and three public safety officers as well. The reasoning for hiring small groups is so campus safety can ensure adequate training, according to Schilling.

In conjunction with the hiring, another stipulation of the safety plan is an improved training regimen. “Training has been scheduled,” Schilling said. “If you look at the holistic plan, the outline of the training there fits with what we’re doing.”

With training underway, Schilling also noted difficulties. “We’ve never trained student safety ambassadors, so I’m coming up with the training,” he said. “Some of it is consistent with what we do with public safety officers though. We just had a presentation from the Veterans Resource Center.”

“We have presentations scheduled with the Women’s Resource Center, dean of student life and the Multicultural Center,” Schilling said.

Schilling also noted the bi-annual presentations he is now required to give the PSU president and the Board of Trustees on the statistics of all CPSO training. “In June, I have a required presentation that outlines the training that has occurred up to that date.”

Schilling said these presentations will occur every six months to update the community on police, public safety and student safety ambassadors training, as well as everything done to improve campus safety, such as the inclusion of more lighting around campus.

Despite the corrective efforts made by PSU, June 29, 2018 is still a recent memory for some students.

“People are still wary,” Gibson said. “I think many have to move forward in their lives, but it’s still in the back of everyone’s mind.

Now that the university has done something, maybe we can move forward in healing our campus.”

NEWS

KEEP PORTLAND GOVERNMENT WEIRD? WHAT MAKES PORTLAND CITY GOVERNMENT UNIQUE AND WHAT SOME PORTLANDERS ARE DOING ABOUT IT

DANA TOWNSEND

HANNA ANDERSON While Portland prepares itself for the 2020 election year to vote in a new round of government officials, the city’s system of government itself may be subject to change this year, thanks to a renewed interest in the city’s unique commission system.

While the commission system flourished in United States cities during the progressive reforms of the early 20th century, it has been replaced in most major cities for more favorable systems of government. Portland is the last city with a population greater than 100,000 to use this format and has not changed it since it was first approved by voters in May of 1913.

However, in February of 2019, the local advocacy group City Club of Portland approved its year-long research project on the commission system, recommending that it be changed.

According to the City Club website, Portland’s current system of government fails in a number of ways, including that it fails to provide equitable representation and results in poor bureaucratic performance.

Currently, Portland’s government consists of one mayor and four commissioners who collectively make up the city council—voted into office by the city as a whole so that no one person represents a specific district of Portland. The five members meet weekly to convene at city council, writing and passing laws to govern the city but also serve administrative duties as the heads of the city’s numerous bureaus.

Most other large cities, on the other hand, use either a city manager or mayor-council system of government. While every city varies slightly, the city manager style generally has a city council that oversees policy and a city manager in charge of daily administrative duties, according to the National League of Cities. In a mayor-council system, the mayor is elected separately and retains administrative powers, while the council continues legislative work.

Professor Richard Clucas, who teaches Oregon Politics at Portland State, had more information on what makes Portland’s government unique.

“The commission system of government is distinct, because the people who serve on the city council not only serve the council, but individually, the members oversee particular parts of the bureaucracy to actually run them,” he said. “They’re in charge of those parts of the democracy…That’s really the distinction, [that] council members are in both branches of government simultaneously; they serve in the legislative branch of writing the laws and overseeing the bureaucracy, yet they are also the bureaucrats themselves.”

Having elected individuals with multiple roles was originally a positive of the commission system when it was first used, according to Clucas, as it can make the council more efficient, especially during times of crisis that require quick action from city officials.

This, however, has also become a negative of the commissioner system. According to Sean Green, vice chair to the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods and a PSU alumni, it’s stretching the commissioners too thin.

“We have our elected officials both trying to develop and refine policies and law while also trying to run a bureaucracy and while also trying to do constituent services.” Green said, “I feel like they’re trying to do so many different things; they’re not able to do all those well.”

Reallocating the responsibilities of elected officials is one of the main recommendations the City Club of Portland would like to implement, as well as changing the commission form of government to a system with a city manager handling administrative duties. If this change were to be implemented, Portland would still have a city council controlling policy—however, instead of the city as a whole voting for each seat, elections would change to be district based.

The appeal of at-large elections is to hold potential politicians accountable to the entire city rather than appealing only to their respective district. However, this also makes it difficult

for candidates to campaign across the whole city without the resources to do so, and consequently makes it more difficult for candidates from underrepresented groups to run for office, according to the City Club’s report.

While commissioners are expected to represent the whole city, constituents with district specific concerns might not know who to approach.

“If you form districts, the benefit one is going to get, is that it’s clear who’s there to provide constituent services to you,” Green said. “Because right now, it’s not clear. If you have an issue related to something in the city, it’s not clear who you should reach out to help resolve that.”

Entering an election year, there are multiple opportunities for the government to be changed. May will be the first election since the City Club’s report, and council candidates such as Candace Avalos, the Greek life and student government advisor at PSU, have included a change to Portland’s government as part of their campaign.

“Portland is the last U.S. city with over 100,000 residents to still have a commission form of government, where commissioners are not only responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functions of our bureaus, but are assigned arbitrarily by the mayor,” she stated in her official campaign platform. “We deserve to elect members of our own unique community that understand the lived experiences of our neighbors and can bring new diverse voices to the table where crucial decisions are being made for our future.”

On the other hand, Green has begun work on creating two non-profit groups, “Society for Positive Change” and “Society for Positive Change for Political Action,” whose first goal will be to get the Portland’s government on the 2020 ballot.

Regardless of when the change may happen, Portland will continue to hold the title as the last major city to continue using the commission style of government. No matter the outcome, it will still keep Portland weird.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

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U.S.–ORDERED STRIKE LEADS TO RETALIATION

PROTESTERS AND MOURNERS AT GENERAL QASSEM SOLEIMANI’S FUNERAL BURN FLAGS OF ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES. EBRAHIM NOROOZI/AP IMAGES

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PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

CHLOE DYSART A United States-ordered airstrike responsible for killing Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani has led to further missile attacks against U.S. military bases in Iraq.

The attacks took place early Jan. 7 at two military bases housing American troops and caused no casualties. President Donald Trump responded to the attack in a tweet, saying that “all is well.”

The original strike was ordered on the evening of Jan. 2 by Trump, who has maintained the strike was not meant to cause a war but was necessary to stop conflict, according to The Washington Post.

Soleimani was the leader of the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that focuses on unconventional warfare and military intelligence, where he was often credited with being “the second most powerful man in the country behind Supreme Leader Khamenei,” according to BBC. Trump had previously named the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2019, as the administration announced that they believe Iran is responsible for more than 600 American deaths since 2003, according to The Washington Post.

Backlash from the strike included threats of retaliation from Iranian officials, to which Trump responded that if “Iran strikes any Americans or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites” in a series of tweets.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted that Trump’s threats were a war crime.

Although Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both spoke out that they would not follow through with Trump’s threats, Trump reiterated on his threats by saying there would be a “major retaliation” if Iran were to attack the U.S., according to NPR. Relations between the two countries have remained tense since events such as the 1979 Iranian revolution, when U.S–backed Iranian Shah Shapour Bakhtiar was exiled as a consequence of Iran becoming an Islamic republic.

The Iran hostage crisis in 1979 further escalated tension when a group of Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. 52 American hostages were then held as a response to the exiled Shah receiving cancer treatment in the U.S. Although Iran and the U.S. have had longtime tense relations, the strikes against the U.S. marks the most direct attack since the Iranian hostage crisis, as most previous attacks have taken place through proxy forces.

Anti-U.S. rhetoric has only grown in Iran since the death of Soleimani. A funeral in Tehran attracted approximately 1 million mourners.

The daughter of Soleimani, Zeinab Soleimani, spoke to the crowds and claimed the death of her father would bring “darker days” for the U.S. and Israel.

“Crazy Trump, don’t think that everything is over with my father’s martyrdom,” Zeinab said.

Zeinab also made claims about Iraq, saying that past assassinations of Haj Qasem and Abu Mahdi were a mistake and have “only caused historical unity between two nations and their mutual eternal hatred for the United States,” according to CNN. When inquiry of what led up to the assasination of Soleimani was brought up at a press conference, Trump claimed that Iran was planning on attacking four U.S. embassies. Despite this claim, Democrats who had been “given intelligence briefings on the fatal strike say they have seen no evidence of embassy plots,” according to BBC. Following the attack on the U.S. military base, The White House announced that it will impose new sanctions against Iran, involving the transportation and purchase of main facets of the economy, including construction, mining, manufacturing and textiles.

There is no confirmation for when the sanctions will end.

“These sanctions will continue until the regime stops the funding of global terrorism and commits to never having nuclear weapons,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.

INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRALIAN WILDFIRES DESTROY 18 MILLION ACRES OF LAND

AL-SHABAB ATTACKS KENYAN MILITARY BASE

BLACKENED HUSKS OF TREES AFFECTED BY THE AUSTRALIAN WILDFIRE POKE THROUGH GROUND AND CONTRAST AGAINST THE SMOKE FILLED SKIES OVER KANGAROO VALLEY, AUSTRALIA. RICK RYCROFT/AP IMAGES KARISA YUASA Nearly 18 million acres of land have been ravaged by bushfires as of Jan. 8. Nationwide, 27 people lost their lives to these fires since fire season began in September.

In comparison, the wildfires in the Amazon rainforest burned around 17.5 million acres, and the 2018 fires in California burned around 1 million acres, according to NBC News.

The Australian state of New South Wales was hit the hardest, with over 12 million of the 17 million acres destroyed located in NSW. Within these 12 million acres, over 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, with approximately half a billion animals believed to have been killed.

One-third of the NSW koala population is expected to be impacted by the fires.

The state of Victoria, located south of NSW, has declared a state of disaster, and NSW has declared a state of emergency. This allows both states’ governments to have more power and allocate more resources to contain the flames.

In a tweet on Jan. 3, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that “[they are] putting more Defence Force boots on the ground, more planes in the sky, more ships to sea and more trucks to roll in to support the bushfire fighting effort and recovery as part of [their] coordinated response to these terrible bushfires.”

For the first time in the country’s history, Morrison announced that he plans on using 3,000 Army, Navy and Air Force reservists in efforts to help control the fires. He also announced spending an extra $20 million to lease four new firefighting planes in addition to the $26 million already committed this year.

In addition, he plans to pay volunteer firefighters for their lost income, provide P2 face masks for bushfire smoke and make emergency payments to people who have lost their homes or income due to fires.

The prime minister is facing criticism from citizens who believe he is doing too little too late.

This criticism follows complaints last month when Morrison took a family vacation to Hawaii and returned after the deaths of two volunteer firefighters southwest of Sydney.

Some Australians say they are frustrated as they believe the prime minister is ignoring the underlying cause of the fires: climate change. This season’s fires are more devastating than normal due to an unusually dry spring earlier in 2019 and record high temperatures

this summer. In December, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology stated that spring 2019 was the country’s driest on record. A heatwave in December also broke the record for the highest nationwide average.

Citizens have also shown anger over the government’s decisions to back coal-fueled power even after the United Nations named Australia one of seven countries that need to do more on their climate promises.

In the NewClimate Institute, Germanwatch, and the Climate Action Network’s 2020 Climate Change Performance Index, Australia was rated the lowest of the 61 countries looked at in terms of climate policy.

The CCPI review stated, “Australia receives the lowest rating in this year’s Climate Policy rating as experts observe that the newly elected government has continued to worsen performance at both national and international levels.”

In the same review, Australia was also rated 56th out of 61 countries in the overall CCPI. “The country continues to receive very low ratings in the Energy Use category and ranks at the bottom of low performers in both the GHG Emissions and Renewable Energy categories.

National experts observe a lack of progress in these areas,” stated in the 2020 CCPI review.

Professor Glenda Wardle, an ecologist from the University of Sydney, responded to the 1C average increase in temperature by stating that “it’s not every weather event that is the direct result of climate change. But when you see trends...it becomes undeniably linked to global climate change.”

Morrison has yet to announce that his stance on the nation’s climate policy is linked to the increasing intensity of the wildfires.

“To suggest that at just 1.3% of emissions, that Australia doing something more or less would change the fire outcome this season—I don’t think that stands up to any credible scientific evidence at all,” Morrison said in December, reported by BBC. The temperature in Australia is expected to rise again, as the Australian bushfire season typically runs until May. This past weekend, firefighters utilized the cooler and wetter weather to increase the containment of bushfires across Australia. The weather forecast also shows an increase in wind and the possibility of lightning in the coming days.

EMILY PRICE

AL-SHABAB FORCES MARCH AND TRAIN. FARAH ABDI WARSAMEH/AP IMAGES

A shared Kenyan and United States Military Base in the region of Luma, Kenya was attacked Jan. 5 by the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabab. Three U.S. service members were killed and two wounded from the Department of Defense, reported The Guardian, along with the destruction of an aircraft and multiple service vehicles.

The U.S. military’s Africa Command told BBC in a report that the two wounded are now in stable condition and are to be evacuated from the area. Kenyan forces also reported that five of the attackers were killed in the attack.

The attack was the first Kenyan strike by al-Shabab on U.S. forces, according to NPR. It was an attempt “to breach security at Manda Air Strip” the Kenyan Defence Forces told BBC. The Manda Bay Airfield is used by both U.S. and Kenyan forces for training and counterterrorism support to partners in East Africa. It’s also used to protect Kenyan and U.S. interests. The fires were set by warplanes attacking nearby airfields. Two aircrafts, two U.S. helicopters and multiple vehicles were destroyed.

A statement was released by the Kenyan Defence Forces stating that four “terrorist bodies” were found, and the airstrip had been deemed safe. “Arising from the unsuccessful breach a fire broke out affecting some of the fuel tanks located at the airstrip,” it stated. “The fire has been put under control and standard security procedures are now on-going.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of our teammates who lost their lives today,” said U.S. Army General

Stephen Townsend, the commander of U.S. Africa Command to NPR. “As we honor their sacrifice, let’s also harden our resolve.

Alongside our African and international partners, we will pursue those responsible for this attack and al-Shabaab, who seeks to harm Americans and U.S. interests.”

Al-Shabab—which directly translates to “youth”—emerged in 2006 as a radical youth group that was forced out from Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts. With deep ties to al-Qaida, the group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Kingdom and has approximately 7,000–9,000 members.

Previously in December, 80 people were killed by a bombing from al-Shabaab in Mogadishu Somalia. In Oct. 2017, Somalia’s government named al-Shabab reponsible for the killing of at least 500 people in a truck bombing, one of East Africa’s deadliest bombings, according to The Washington Post. Other attacks include the Jan. 2016 attack of a Kenyan military base killing 180 soldiers, an attack at Garissa University in 2015, a 2013 shooting that left 67 people dead outside the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi and 74 killed at a rugby club watching the 2010 World Cup. According to BBC, Somalia has not had an effective government for over 20 years, allowing al-Shabab to gain support by promising security to the public. The country now stands as a war zone.

Al-Shabab’s current leader goes by the name Ahmad Umar, otherwise known as Abu Ubaidah. The U.S. has issued a $6 million reward for any information leading to his location and capture.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER KARISA YUASA The Black studies department at Portland State has been called “woefully underfunded,” which Ian Sutherland—a PSU student working toward a degree in social work—believes “is due to a larger unwelcoming environment for people of color on campus as well as systemic and racist indifference.”

In a letter addressed to Dean Matthew Carlson, Provost Susan Jeffords and Interim President Stephen Percy on Dec. 27, Sutherland expressed frustration with insufficient resources PSU has allocated to its Black studies department.

Sutherland said he learned this through a fellow classmate and Dr. Ethan Johnson—the Black studies department chair at PSU. “I have not received any response from the administration so far,” Sutherland said in an email concerning his letter.

“I am not a Black student; I am definitely a white man, but [this] is impacting my education in profound and incredibly useful ways and I felt that it would be a mistake if I took that knowledge in [and] I did not respond to attacks or indifference towards the black studies department,” Sutherland said in an interview.

PORTLAND STATE CRITICIZED FOR UNDERFUNDING BLACK STUDIES

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COVER THE BLACK STUDIES DEPARTMENT

The Black studies department celebrated its 50-year anniversary in August 2019. According to the university’s website, PSU became the first college in the Pacific Northwest to offer a program in Black studies. Throughout the last half-century, Black studies at PSU has evolved from an experimental program to a full department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “[The Black studies department has] some non-tenure track faculty and some adjunct faculty, but I would say we’re not really a department,” Johnson said in an interview.

Despite a historic past, Sutherland and Johnson are not satisfied with the Black studies department’s current state.

Their criticisms arise from the belief that the department is not being adequately funded.

“I’ve found out that PSU administration has made it feasible for other departments to sustain literally dozens of tenure-track positions, while denying the addition of two to a department that is rapidly shrinking, both in faculty and student engagement,” Sutherland said in his letter.

“The university uses our department to claim that they are doing something and then says to us, ‘Well, you’re not growing so why should we invest in you?’” Johnson said. “But if you don’t invest in something then it [has no value,] and then why would students participate in it?” “[The university] does brand itself on being the most diverse place; often they put Black people on the front cover of the website,” Johnson continued, “It uses Black people to represent itself but has nothing in place to support Black people, staff, administrators, faculty and students. Nothing.”

The “About PSU” page on the university’s website includes a graphic of the state of Oregon above the statement “Most diverse public university in Oregon.”

The same page contains a link to the university’s five-year strategic plan. Goal four of the plan states: “Portland State University is an access institution with a history of diversity and an emerging focus on addressing racism, equity and inclusion…We must ensure a campus climate that welcomes all students, employees and community partners.”

LETTER TO THE ADMINISTRATION

Johnson and Sutherland believe the PSU administration has created an unwelcoming environment for students of diverse backgrounds.

“The university knows that Black students are not graduating, and they know that Black faculty and staff have been leaving and they know that they leave because they are not welcome,” Johnson said. “They have known this for a long time and when they don’t do anything about it substantively— to me…I would say it’s intentional. Inaction as an action is just as intentional.”

“When you’re so flagrantly aware of these injustices and you still don’t even bother to respond to it, that’s disturbing and that is just so clearly wrong,” Sutherland said.

In an email regarding Sutherland’s Letter, Chris Broderick, associate vice president of university communications, said that he was not familiar with the letter and would forward the question to be addressed by CLAS. Based on his communications with Johnson, Sutherland included in his letter three ways he believes the administration should begin funding the department: Add at least two tenure-track positions in the immediate future, determine why so many person of color students and faculty feel unwelcome and unsafe, and contribute to the Black Bags speaker series that is currently being funded from the already low department budget.

Johnson added to the list by saying, “I think the university is cheating students. I think students deserve to have to take courses focusing on racial inequality, and I think that should be a requirement. This state in particular has a very unique story in relation to racial inequality.”

“I also think that there needs to be an initiative that is directed specifically at Black students,” Johnson continued, “I think there needs to be a program in place that specifically tries to attract, recruit and retain Black students, and I think that Black studies should be, as a department, involved in that.”

MOVING FORWARD

Although not completely sure which direction and in which ways he will take this matter, Sutherland has plans to continue working to make a difference in the Black studies department.

“I want to support students of color in protesting and petitioning,” Sutherland said. “I want to get students involved.

I’m thinking of developing a flyer, but not necessarily being on the front lines as the white man coming in to save Black studies; that would be ridiculous and condescending.”

Sutherland hopes that all students, even those who are not Black studies majors, will be able to relate to this issue and come together to create change.

“I was encouraged when I first started thinking about this to examine the ways Black studies intersected with my own education,” Sutherland said. “I encourage other students to do the same. Think about not only just Black studies but critical race studies and what they can contribute to your education, whether or not that is directly by taking classes or philosophically by getting an education from in an institution that believes and that funds these things.”

“If Portland State truly wishes to support its students, it will not leave Black studies or any other department in an unsustainable financial position,” Johnson said. “If it does, an actual commitment to education and empowerment is lost, and PSU takes an active role in the whitewashing of history.”

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD

Jan. 6–10

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3

5 2

1 6

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Jan. 6

ALATONA, MALI

A roadside bomb killed five Malian soldiers and destroyed four vehicles on their way to Alatona from the town of Diabaly. After a refueling truck leading the convoy hit the bomb, militants opened fire on the soldiers from cars and motorcycles. The bomb and militants are believed to be a part of an armed uprising which began in 2012 in northern Mali. The uprising resulted in thousands of deaths since it began; estimates suggest at least 110 civilians were killed by the uprising’s roadside bombs in the first six months of 2019 alone, according to France24. “Reinforcements are already in place for the operation to neutralize the enemies,” government spokesperson Yaya Sanere said in a tweet after the attack was announced to the public.

Jan. 7 2

SOUTHERN PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rican Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced declared a state of emergency after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck along the island’s southern coast between the small towns of Ponce and Guanica. NPR reported the earthquake struck before dawn and caused the majority of power

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throughout the island to stop working. As of Jan. 7, one person died after the walls of his house collapsed on him during his sleep. An additional eight more were injured. The quake caused major damage to buildings and homes along the island’s southern coast and caused a popular tourist rock formation to collapse, according to BBC. Officials are not currently worried about a tsunami.

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Jan. 8

TEHRAN, IRAN

A Ukrainian plane on its way to its home country from Iran crashed near the Khomeini International Airport, killing all 176 passengers.

The majority of the passengers were Canadian or Iranian, according to BBC. Soon after the plane crash, the Ukrainian government canceled all flights through Iranian airspace, fearing the country had purposefully fired a missile at the plane. While Iranian officials first suggested a technical malfunction, an official statement was issued on Jan. 11, admitting the country had shot down the passenger plane. “My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted after the country’s announcement, according to Al Jazeera. “I offer my sincerest condolences.”

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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Jan. 9

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would be taking a “step back” from their duties as senior royal officials and will split their time between North America and the United Kingdom. According to BBC, the couple strives to become “financially independent” and will no longer receive the Sovereign Grant, a public fund that pays for royal duties. The Guardian reported the family has been open about their struggles with media coverage since October 2018 and plan to pursue a sense of normalcy for their son and maintain a more direct line of communication with the public via social media. Prince Harry will remain sixth in line for the throne despite the couple’s decision.

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Jan. 10

QUETTA, PAKISTAN

A suicide bomb attack inside of a mosque killed at least 15 people—including the mosque’s head cleric and a police officer—and injured 18 more during sunset prayers. Of the 18 people who were injured in the attack, eight were critically injured. Officials believe the death toll could rise. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State

later the same day. The IS said it was targeting a Taliban official who is believed to visit the local mosque frequently. IS and the Taliban have long been fighting for control over territory in neighboring Afghanistan; it is believed this was the Islamic State’s motivation to attack the Taliban official. “We went to offer our prayers, when we went to bow our heads…there was a sudden explosion,” attack survivor Azmatullah told Al Jazeera. “I was near the door, so I ran from there to my home, which is nearby.”

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Jan. 10

CAUCA VALLEY, COLOMBIA

Aniparo Guejia, 41, and Juan Dicue, 18, were murdered by unknown assailants on Jan. 10 in a village known as La Buitrera. The two victims were leaders of local indigenous movement, Quintin Lame’s Grandchildren (NQL) and prominent activists in the community. “[Guejia and Dicue] got on a motorcycle in the company of [a] 2-year-old child…the murderers shot them, took the child and left him at a nearby house,” a complaint filed by the Southwest Colombia Human Rights Network said, according to TeleSUR. Colombian President Ivan Dugue has been criticized by supporters of Guejia and Dicue for not providing answers regarding their death.

ARTS & CULTURE

YOUNG WRITERS FIND NEW SPACE IN ST. JOHNS TWO RIVERS BOOKSTORE HOSTS YOUTH AUTHORS NIGHT ANNA LECLERC Two Rivers Bookstore in St. Johns started a weekly reading program where teens from the neighborhood get a chance to read their work aloud.

The event, called “V is for Vulnerable,” was held on Jan 7.

The bookstore’s owner, Christine Longmuir, uses the store as a space to create engaging and expressive work where teens have an opportunity to speak from their minds and hearts. The event title hints at the courage it takes to share personal work in front of an audience.

The opportunity for young writers to share work outside of an academic setting can be few and far between, so the intention of “V is for Vulnerable” is to create a platform for teens to share their work without any limitations, rules or guidelines.

At the start of the event, there seemed to be only one brave soul willing to share their work in front of all who attended. What the organizers discovered was that engagement and community outreach is difficult when it comes to teenagers. Simply put, they found getting teens to care to be difficult.

In addition, spreading the word about the event was a challenge as well. The event relied on word-of-mouth marketing, which mostly consisted of high school teachers informing their students about the reading.

At a quarter past 7 p.m., Longmuir directed the audience to take a seat at the few rows of chairs that had been set up for the event.

The emcee, an employee of the bookstore as well as a student at Roosevelt High, began with an introduction of the lone reader.

After a brief but affectionate introduction, the reader began to slowly walk up to the makeshift stage, blushing, and carefully opened her journal.

The words “your story matters” were written in cursive across the front. She inhaled deeply then began to speak. The student spoke with surprising confidence and grace for a first-time reader. The first piece she shared was a theatrical short story about a crow related to Shakespeare. The second reading was a journal entry, which included a personal perspective on some of life’s many absurdities.

Even though the audience was quite small, every member was drawn into what was shared.

The event concluded with the reader saying, “This might be kind of dumb, but...” and explained her reasoning behind the selection of her work. Longmuir, the bookstore’s owner, said that nothing about this was dumb and started to clap. The reader, blushing again, got up from her chair and took a graceful bow.

The crowd at “V is for Vulnerable” was an intimate one, but the overall gesture of the event made it profound. After the event concluded, one thing was made quite clear: when it comes to sharing your work, the amount of people in the audience is irrelevant. What really matters is sharing something that you care about, despite the outcome. V is for Vulnerable proved having the courage to share your story truly is a gift.

BRANDON PAHNISH

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

PORTLAND FOLK COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER FOR ANNUAL FESTIVAL JULIANA BIGELOW The difference between a folk festival and a farmer’s market may seem distinguishable on the surface, but the third annual Portland Folk Festival raised objections.

The festival—put on by local folk legends Fox and Bones— took the intimate nature of a market and combined it with a talent saturated lineup, creating an event tailored for its location. “I mean this is a great farmer’s market—let’s party,” said musician Nick Delff before launching into his final song.

Delff was one of 19 performers on the lineup of this year’s festival, which took place on Jan. 10 and 11 at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom.

The function was a Portlander’s wonderland. Fedoras dotted the top of the crowd, craft beers were close at hand and

blankets and benches became the seats of choice as the festival drew into the later hours of Friday evening.

The lineup, the majority being local talent, also gave a handful of musicians a chance to return home to the city where their careers started.

Delff, who moved from Portland to Boise, Idaho five years ago, said, “Portland always feels different than everywhere else. People really love music here.”

Justin Ringle of Horse Feathers, who also used to call Portland home, had similar remarks, saying, “It feels like I’m coming to a hometown show, even though I’m not in my hometown anymore.”

Despite both moving away from Portland, Delff and Ringle uttered similar sentiments about the supportive community they found in the city at the start of their careers. “I can’t really imagine trying to start out anywhere else,” Delff said, and Ringles’ words carried similar conviction. He described the impact the city has had on his music saying, “It was such a rich place to start off in—there was a really large community.”

On the first night of the festival, the abounding and supportive community that Delff and Ringle both gratefully reminisced on showed no signs of disintegration.

Audience members stomped and danced through the native Oregonian band Cedar Teeth’s rugged Pacific Northwest-inspired set, and lead singer Dylan Martell bestowed praise on the performers saying, “If you’re glutting for good stuff, this is a good night for that.”

Up-and-coming Glitter Fox, who describe themselves as lesbian glam folk, played a set swirled with powerful, convincing vocals and dynamically percussive arrangements early in Friday’s lineup. After the set, they could be seen dancing, catching up with friends and actively being a part of that same community their musical peers talked about so fondly.

Glitter Fox was not alone in joining in the action. Multiple acts brought friends up to sing, and all the talents could be spotted in the crowd before and after their performances, chatting, dancing and visiting the booths set up around the boundaries of the venue.

Attendants also gave a warm send-off to Haley Johnsen, a returning member of the lineup from the first annual festival, before she embarked on a six-week headline tour of Europe to support her debut album Golden Days.

Following the festival, many of the musicians, like Johnsen, will head off on tour or work on upcoming projects. Ringle is working on a project of old favorites he has rearranged, and Delff excitedly described an idea for a pop opera, inspired by the short songs on side B of The Beatles album Abbey Road.

The lives of the musicians on the festival’s lineup are inherently dynamic. However, Friday night, with its fedoras, audience stomping, soaring banjo melodies and extensive social connections, seemed to demonstrate stability. The Portland Folk Festival had another wildly successful year and demonstrated the Portland folk community will—no doubt—remain strong until next year’s festivities.

MEMBERS OF GLITTER FOX SIT AND POSE FOR A GROUP PHOTO IN THE CROWD AFTER THEIR SET. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

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PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

HOUSING INACTION IS INEXCUSABLE THE PRICE OF DOING NOTHING

A HOUSELESS PERSON’S BAG WITH A SIGN READING “WILL NOT BOTHER YOU” AT THE UNION STATION MAX STOP. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

AJ EARL It’s 9:15 a.m., and I’m on the MAX headed to campus. It’s not too early, but it still feels it regardless. Across from me is a person who I’ve seen from time to time, head tucked up against the window and a small amelodic snore reverberating off the window.

It’s 4:50 p.m., and I’m headed home. Different train, certainly, but here’s this morning’s beautiful dreamer again.

Whether or not this person has housing, whatever their circumstances are, our housing crisis is certainly behind this kind of displacement. Housing is lacking to a staggering degree, and there’s little political will to fix the problem. Every politician has a “plan” rooted in the immovable middle ground of doing nothing with a price tag attached—and it’s killing people.

Somehow, these are our primary drivers when it comes to housing policy. The discussion and passage of a revision to the City of Portland’s zoning law that is intended to spark development is a reminder that every “humane” effort is tempered with draconian anti-houseless strings attached; every aggressive initiative is suddenly a giveaway to developers. Even the most straightforward effort to mandate construction of affordable units is met with evasiveness by developers.

Who benefits, then, is certainly not the houseless.

The days of giving everybody a slice of the cake are over; there should be no more concessions. This is a crisis.

CUI BONO: WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS CRISIS?

You can usually plot the nature of gentrification in Portland by looking at historic landmark designations. As a gauge of a neighborhood’s status as gentrified or not, a quick glance at where these designations are clustered, their listing date and other minute factors such as reasons for listing can be almost completely illuminating. There are no surprises: Homes with the greatest year-to-year increase in price are surrounded by historic landmarks, while east of 82nd there is exactly one listing. The city’s diversity index also closely mirrors these landmarks, with a loss of diversity in areas where the greatest landmark density exists.

The question of who owns the city, then, is soundly answered: anyone not experiencing homelessness or the economic precarity caused by increasing rents.

City and county commissioners need to answer for this disparity to justify their need for broad concessions to developers and anyone else who profits from a massive uptick in houselessness and displacement among marginalized groups. Landlords are enjoying increased rents while orga-

History is informative in so many ways on this topic, and the story it tells about housing the poor and displaced in Portland is an enraging one. While developers build on the high end, the real estate market drains neighborhoods on the low end.

Supply grows and shrinks in equal measure with apartment buildings and small duplexes being converted into single family homes, erasing dozens of units of once-affordable housing a day. On the other end of the spectrum, the market is being bombarded by pricy units in buildings with names that sound like failed growth initiatives from the parasitic mid-market private equity firms that own them.

The “yes in my backyard” crowd, keen on building as much as possible without place and purpose restrictions, would have you believe that we can build our way out of this if we just open up the market with token concessions to the unhoused, and the “not in my backyard” crowd, averse to having anything built that might remotely change their neighborhoods, just wants to launch houseless people into the sun.

HISTORIC CRISIS, AGE-OLD RESPONSE

nizing to oppose measures that would help get people off the streets. Why in a period of crisis is the problem always framed, pursued, managed and sold as a huggy-feely appeal to the market? Why is history only acknowledged in very specific neighborhoods? Why do solutions sound like they come straight out of a developer’s ransom note?

Newcomers of means aren’t having any problems finding housing, but the city lacks adequate protections to keep people housed and warmed. As a result, the outward pressure on poor renters, the disabled, elders and other marginalized groups creates vacuums in housing. City and county commissioners would rather preserve this disparity with a mix of hope that developers and landlords will do the right thing and an unshakeable fear of political backlash, all while struggling to blunt the impact of the over policing of the homeless.

Sadly, if you are displaced, you’re already living in that backlash. Collateral damage in a fight between city and county commissioners who want progressive cred by claiming they are doing a vaguely defined something and developers and landlords who see everything strictly in terms of financial gain.

Enough is enough.

There should be no more leeway. Voters must mobilize, and neighbors must pitch in to help keep people housed.

City and county commissioners need to end their cycle of doing nothing to appease nobody while giving presentations and sending out press releases showing what they think the problem is. We know the number of houseless individuals and how many units we need; we see you have a “plan” for whatever it’s worth; we are aware it’s all a cynical political ploy. If the present is as consistent as the past, we already know what your plans and group-edited slideshows say.

Do something already.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

NEED ADVICE? SEND US AN EMAIL!

WE’RE RUNNING SOME SPECIAL SECTIONS THIS TERM TO HELP OUT STUDENTS! Coming soon, “This Issue” is a fun advice column appearing throughout the term. All questions are anonymous and will be picked from emails and questions asked of students around campus; the best will be given advice in a column in print and online.

Our first topic will be “difficult professors,” so send us your request for advice on those hard-tohandle lecturers and professors at opinion@psuvanguard.com

ARTICLE TITLE

PENDING AJ EARL

BRANDON PAHNISH

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PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

A new term dawns here at Portland State in the warm embrace of the newest of decades (sorry pedants) and things are happening so fast.

Portland sadly lost a city commissioner to illness.

President Donald Trump bombed an Iranian general based on questionable intelligence. Hurtling unmoored and unprepared as we are toward potential World War III, I have just one bit of advice: Take a break from the news whenever you can.

There might be too much happening at once, but like I said, things are happening so fast.

Here at “Article Title Pending,” we are happy to join you in this harrowing journey through the ups and downs of a short and unpredictable news cycle. You might want to read the News and International sections for calm assessments of what’s going on, but when you’ve done that hit up Opinion afterward for our regular temperature checks. We will also have informative Q&A and advice columns along with student commentary.

If you want to submit a comment or article idea don’t hesitate to email opinion@psuvanguard.com.

Until next week: Be safe, be healthy, but most of all spread love.

SPORTS

LIFE ON THE

ROAD HOW CONSTANT TRAVEL AFFECTS THE STUDIES OF PSU STUDENT-ATHLETES

DANA TOWNSEND ADAM HOLLAND For college students, time management is an important part of staying on track and accomplishing goals. The academic rigor of college can be daunting, and creating a balanced schedule is imperative. For many students, work, family and other obligations are thrown into the mix, increasing stress levels and making sleep and rest a valued commodity. But for student-athletes at universities across the country, another factor presents itself: constant traveling—no pun intended for basketball fans.

Balancing schoolwork and athletics can be challenging, but there are ways student-athletes can harmoniously combine the two by utilizing a number of resources and strategies.

How does a full-time student-athlete manage their responsibilities? Freshman soccer player Sienna Higinbotham and sophomore cross country runner Josh Snyder shared their thoughts.

Higinbotham praised Portland State for how it handles the schedules of student-athletes. “They’re great about it,” Higinbotham said. “They give you a paper to give to your professors which excuses you for the class period, but at the same time, you work with the professor balancing how this will affect your studies. A lot of the lectures I’ve missed were posted [online] so I can still take notes.”

Snyder echoed Higinbotham’s feelings toward technology and its ability to increase efficiency outside of the classroom.

“It’s all about keeping on top of things,” Snyder said. “Our academic advisor prints out sheets that tell our professors when we’ll be gone. Professors will sometimes play hardball and make sure you know that if you’re not going to be there in person, you’re still expected to turn everything in at the same time.”

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, student-athletes need to be enrolled in a full-time schedule of at least 12 credits in order to maintain eligibility. However, academic schedules can be strategically lightened during the term in which the student-athlete is traveling for their sport.

“Usually we try to keep it light during the season; 12 credits during fall term then up to 16 in the winter and spring,” Higinbotham said. “Our academic advisor works with us to figure out which classes are best to take during the season, because you generally don’t want to take your most difficult classes at that time.”

Because student-athletes are typically on a similar athletics schedule, it is fairly common for athletes within the same major to be taking classes together. This allows student-athletes with overlapping schedules the opportunity to study together and collaborate on projects and assignments.

“I noticed that a lot of athletes, even from separate teams, take classes together if they have the same major,” Higinbotham said. “Over the summer, all the incoming freshmen like myself were taking the same intro class together.”

“I have several teammates with the same major as me who are in the same classes I am,” Snyder said. “One girl who is on the team with me, we study together at school and sometimes in the airport. When teammates have the same classes, we definitely tend to form groups.”

Despite the accommodations student-athletes are provided to help balance their academic and athletic schedules, the physical and mental fatigue associated with regular travel is still something they must cope with.

“As someone who is not a ‘morning person,’ it’s hard to get up and make those early flights before dawn,” Higinbotham said. “You’re exhausted. Even when you’re not on the road, you’re still tired from practices and workouts. Our coaches and trainers emphasize getting enough rest. To me, naps are important, even if you can only manage 30 minutes or so at a time.”

“Last year, we essentially had an entire week straight of travel,” Snyder said. “Coming back after all those days without class, it can be difficult to get back in your routine—it definitely takes some adjusting.”

While acknowledging the challenges, both athletes also noted the resources available.

“The coaches have us do six hours of study hall a week,” said Higinbotham. “That helps us get a lot of our homework done.

Even if you don’t necessarily have a lot to do it helps put you in a situation where you can’t procrastinate. It’s nice to have a place where it’s just you and your homework.”

“Don’t miss anything that you don’t have to,” Snyder said in regards to the resources available. “The testing center is a big help though. You can schedule a test with them if you miss one due to travel. There’s a lot of resources on campus.”

With university faculty and coaches working together to help students stay on track, the question is: Who do studentathletes find to be more strict about academics—their professors or their coaches?

“The coaches are always on top of us about our academics,” Snyder said. “You have to be a student first, because if you’re academically ineligible you can’t compete anyway. If we’re not on top of our assignments they make sure we’re in study hall.

Having the coaches keep you accountable is very helpful.”

Higinbotham, however, said, “The professors!”

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 14, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

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Nick Townsend

JAN 14–20 ART

MUSIC

FILM & THEATRE

COMMUNITY

TUE JAN 14 WED JAN 15 THU JAN 16 FRI JAN 17 SAT JAN 18 SUN JAN 19 MON JAN 20

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS MULTNOMAH ARTS CENTER 9 A.M.–9:30 P.M. FREE New monoprints from Portland artist Jonathan Barcan, inspired by the philosophy of Alan Watts and the nature of consciousness.

KUNG PAO CHICKENS LAURELTHIRST PUBLIC HOUSE 9 P.M. FREE Local Django-style jazz legends play their weekly free set.

‘LITTLE WOMEN’ CINEMA 21 6:30 P.M. FREE Look—it’s going to win an Oscar.

It’s just going to. Mark my words.

W.H. CAMERON AND J.S. JAMES ANNIE BLOOM’S BOOKS 7 P.M. FREE Two Oregon mystery authors read selections from their latest books.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100 OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM 11 A.M.–5 P.M. $5 A look at the life and works of famed composer Leonard Bernstein.

BITCHES IN THE BEEHIVE HOLOCENE 8:30 P.M. $8 • 21+ Local folk-rock artists trade sets.

Kiki & the Dowry and June Magnolia will also play.

‘HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH’ PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY 7:30 P.M. $25–65 The acclaimed musical about an East-German genderqueer rockstar finally hits Portland.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY HALL 9:30 A.M. FREE Stay up to date on the latest city news and issues.

EXQUISITE CREATURES OMSI 9:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION A mixed-media art exhibit examining the intersection between biology, art and beauty.

BUCK MEEK DOUG FIR LOUNGE 9 P.M. $12–14 • 21+ The Big Thief guitarist breaks away for a solo tour.

STUPID GHOST SHOE BOX THEATER 7:30 P.M. $10–25 A comedic ghost story to haunt you in the new year.

BROWN BAG LUNCH AND LEARN MULTNOMAH COUNTY CENTRAL LIBRARY NOON FREE PCC teams up with the library to offer free professional development courses. This week: using humor during conflict.

SIRENS CARNATION CONTEMPORARY NOON–5 P.M. FREE Works from Carolyn Hopkins exploring the existential dread of climate change in modern culture.

HUÍNCA MILAGRO THEATER 7:30 P.M. $29–32 A bilingual play about corporate oppression, compassion and indigenous land in Chile.

TODD BARRY ALADDIN THEATER 9 P.M. $20 The stand-up comedian and voice actor most recently released his Netflix special, Spicy Honey.

LAST SHOW EVER KICKSTAND COMEDY SPACE 7:30 P.M. $10 A weekly improv showcase of local talent.

AS I AM PARAGON GALLERY NOON–5 P.M. FREE A new photography series looking at gender nonconformity through self portraits of the artist.

BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS REVOLUTION HALL 8 P.M. $35 • 21+ The Colorado-based rock band celebrates 30 years of performing with the same lineup.

‘SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY’ PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY 7:30 P.M. $21–57 A schoolgirl in Ghana has her sights set on becoming Miss Universe but faces a challenge when a new, lightskinned girl shows up at school.

WINTER GARDEN TOOL AND SEED EXCHANGE TWO RIVERS BOOKSTORE 2 P.M. FREE Prepare for the spring gardening season with a community gardening exchange.

PUNKDEISM DISJECTA CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER NOON–5 P.M. FREE Coco Dolle debuts a collection of her work from the past decade in New York City.

LAYPERSON, DEATH PARADE, SAWTOOTH HOLOCENE 8:30 P.M. $8–10 A night of local indie-rock artists.

‘GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT’ ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 2 P.M. $35+ The Oregon Symphony performs the soundtrack alongside a live screening of the classic film. Who ya gonna call?

DRAG QUEEN BRUNCH NIGHT LIGHT LOUNGE 11 A.M. $25–45 • 21+ Admission includes coffee and brunch, but make sure to bring singles to throw.

SEEING IT THROUGH: A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY’S LEGACY IN PORTLAND MULTNOMAH COUNTY CENTRAL LIBRARY 10 A.M.–8 P.M. FREE Works by local Black artists that examine the legacy of the Portland chapter of the Black Panthers.

MIDGE URE DOUG FIR LOUNGE 9 P.M. $23–25 • 21+ The guitarist continues his Songs, Questions and Answers tours with an intimate lounge performance.

‘DRAGONS LOVE TACOS’ NEWMARK THEATRE 2 P.M. $15–34 Yes it’s a children’s show, but the title alone should be enough to entice any adult.

LISKA JACOBS: THE WORST KIND OF WANT POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS 7:30 P.M. FREE The author reads excerpts from her new noir about a disastrous trip to Italy and a woman at odds with her own desire.