VOLUME 75 • ISSUE 23 • JANUARY 26, 2021
A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH IANNARONE P. 8–9
NEWS PSU committed to reopening in the fall P. 3
ARTS & CULTURE Vortex is Portland’s last remaining music paper P. 12
OPINION Post-Trump politics: A wild speculation P. 15
CONTENTS NEWS COVID-19 CHECK
COVER BY SAM GARCIA/PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS INTERNATIONAL P. 3 THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
‘OPEN FOR FALL, OPEN FOR ALL’
P. 3
WRITER FOR THE ATLANTIC DISCUSSES PRAYER AND POLITICIANS AT OREGON HUMANITIES EVENT
P. 4
SHORTLY AFTER BIDEN’S INAUGURATION, PROTESTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN PORTLAND
P. 5
INTERNATIONAL WITH BREXIT COMPLETE, PEOPLE NOW FACE ITS EFFECTS
P. 6
CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS CONTINUES IN HONG KONG WITH MASS ARRESTS
P. 7
DUTCH GOVERNMENT RESIGNS DUE TO WELFARE FRAUD SCANDAL
P. 7
COVER A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH IANNARONE: POST-ELECTION ACTIVISM IN PORTLAND
P. 8–9
STAFF
EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Justin Grinnell MANAGING EDITOR Nick Townsend NEWS EDITORS Hanna Anderson Dylan Jefferies INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Karisa Yuasa SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Béla Kurzenhauser ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Morgan Troper OPINION EDITOR Nick Gatlin
ONLINE EDITOR Lily Hennings
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Olivia Lee
COPY CHIEF Sophie Concannon
PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sam Person
CONTRIBUTORS Sean Bascom Rhian Beam Conor Carroll Mary Joaquin Nova Johnson Michelle Moore Luis Ramos Mackenzie Streissguth Sierra Still Zoe Vandal PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Annie Schutz
DESIGNERS Farah Alkayed Sam Garcia Shannon Steed T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow Kahela Fickle George Olson
P. 10
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ANTI-VAXXERS THREATEN VACCINE EFFICACY
P. 11
AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINES IN OREGON
P. 11
ARTS & CULTURE FILLING THE VOID
P. 12
CHESS IS KING
P. 13
OPINION ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
P. 14
WHERE DO POLITICS GO AFTER TRUMP?
P. 15
VIRTUAL EVENTS CALENDAR
P. 16
A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale 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.
hand sanitizer
SAM GARCIA
COVID-19 UPDATE HANNA ANDERSON
TOTAL AT PORTLAND STATE AS OF JAN. 19: 35 CASES
Two January cases Two students have tested positive for the coronavirus for the month of January so far. One resident and one non-resident student tested positive, and on-campus exposures that were found have undergone testing and quarantine.
TOTAL IN OREGON AS OF JAN. 24: 138,168 CASES, 1,880 DEATHS
Total Vaccinations: 218,025 vaccines in progress, 39,264 fully vaccinated, 257,289 people total Included in the new cases found over the weekend is Oregon’s third case of the new strain of the coronavirus, originally found in the UK. The case was discovered Sunday in Washington County, and is considered to be a more contagious strain of the virus. Oregon began administering the next wave of vaccines to teachers and childcare workers on Jan. 25, following Governor Kate Brown’s decision to vaccinate educators before the elderly. According to AP News, Brown defended the decision during a Friday press conference, saying the decision to vaccinate educators first would allow students to return to in-person learning by the new school year. The first vaccinations for people 80 years and older will start in two weeks.
TOTAL IN THE U.S. AS OF JAN. 25: 25,177,522 CASES, 419,207 DEATHS Total vaccinations as of Jan. 24: 21,848,655 total doses administered.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
‘OPEN FOR FALL, OPEN FOR ALL’
PSU TO LAUNCH MAJOR INITIATIVE AIMED AT BRINGING STUDENTS BACK ON CAMPUS IN FALL 2021 DYLAN JEFFERIES
Portland State administration is putting plans in place to ensure the university is able to have in-person instruction in the fall, according to PSU President Stephen Percy. “We’re confident that the emergence of vaccines and continued caution over the spring will allow PSU to return to our traditional pattern of in-person and online instruction in the fall,” Percy said at a recent Board of Trustees meeting. PSU is experiencing financial difficulties due to lower than anticipated enrollment for the upcoming fall term, In an effort to bring up enrollment, the university will be launching a major initiative called “Open for Fall, Open for All,” which will be formally announced in February. The initiative is intended to ensure the university is able to reopen in the fall, and to raise awareness among prospective students that classes will be held in person. “This is an extremely important message to our incoming prospective students, because they want to know they can come back to college,” Percy said. “They want to know that there’s an in-person experience that they can participate in.” The upcoming spring and summer terms will be held remotely, according to Percy. As part of the initiative, the university has already begun contacting local officials in order to understand what it will take to ensure the university can open safely in the fall. Additionally, the university is working with the Oregon Health Authority and the Multnomah County Public Health Department to turn the university into a vaccine distribution center. “At this current time, we have parking structures, we have facilities, we have volunteers and we have staff,” Percy said. “The extent that we can be a part of the solution to the distribution of the vaccine is huge—the distribution challenge that we’re facing right now is very important to us.”
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CONOR CARROLL
EMMA GREEN. GABRIEL MAYBERRY/BYU
WRITER FOR THE ATLANTIC DISCUSSES PRAYER AND POLITICIANS AT OREGON HUMANITIES EVENT 4
NEWS
The Atlantic staff writer Emma Green spoke for an hour on Jan. 19 with Adam Davis, executive director of the nonprofit organization Oregon Humanities (OH), in a virtual episode of Consider This. Topics ranged from religion in politics, faith in policy and economics and what organized religion means to the political process at large, among other issues Green regularly reports on. Consider This features academics, entertainers, artists and journalists, and has done so since 2009. The events, before the pandemic, typically took place live and onstage: at a cafe, a bar or theater, wherever OH could find space. These interviews, originally entitled Think and Drink, were renamed Consider This in 2020, due to the pandemic and change of venue from physical to digital. OH has a bevy of archived recordings of previous events, which are free to view, on its website. Green said religion and politics are often difficult subjects to discuss, and spoke eloquently and informatively to the several hundred viewers about the subjects. “I always tell people that I either make the best or the worst party guest,” Green said. Davis told viewers about the day he chose to speak with Green—between Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and the United States presidential inauguration—and how the subject matter was related. He asked Green what she thought about the fact that, at least once, a politician on inauguration day will say “God Bless America,” and what significance this had. “[“God Bless America” is] sort of this ubiquitous part of American political life,” Green said. “It’s what you might call a part of America’s ‘civic religion.’ The idea that we, as a country, are from all kinds of faiths and creeds, but we all have this sort of built-in civil religion, where there are these self-evident truths we all are so familiar with but don’t often really materialize outside of day-to-day thought.” Green also discussed the continuing secularization of the U.S. populace, saying leaders in civics tend to remain, at least for ornamental value, religious in some way or another. “Politicians, you have to remember, are in the public eye far more so than you or me, and in fact their livelihood is quite literally dependent on their need to be re-elected,” Green said. “We can talk
about the economics of that if you want, but the point is, what a politician does in public matters to them, and nothing looks better than a politician who believes in a moral and just God.” Davis focused the conversation on civic religion and how it appears to contradict one of the more critical tenets of U.S. democracy—the separation of church and state. “This idea of identity within a political and religious framework is powerful,” Green said. “The identification with one civic religion is used, successfully and unsuccessfully, to knit this massive and diverse nation together. Under one flag, so under one religion, right? It is like a tool, a weapon and a safety blanket all rolled into one.” Eventually, the conversation veered towards President Donald Trump and how he had maintained such a fervent religious base of votership. “Why Christians, especially Evangelical ones, voted for Donald Trump will be a subject of academic study for quite some time,” Green said. “You would have thought that, in 2020, he would have lost a great deal of his total voting base, especially the religious ones. These ‘hold-yournose’ Christians that voted for him in 2016 surely couldn’t stay with him through 2020. After all that has happened?” Green continued, “Think about what [Christians] wanted out of Trump...they wanted judges, especially ones that could protect them from the bigbad socialist heathens, right?” Green said. “Ones that would protect them from abortion and leftist ideology of secular governance. And they got that, at least while he was president.” Despite Trump’s loss, Green said she doesn’t think “he or his ideology is going anywhere anytime soon. Biden won, but there is still so much partisanship in Congress, in politics generally. Religion used to be this sounding board, this shared forum, where polite discussion wasn’t always definitional, but usually helped to define it at least. That is gone now, despite the [President Biden’s] call for unity.” Both Davis and Green remarked on how interesting the next couple of years will most likely be. The conversation between Davis and Green is one of many upcoming events hosted by Oregon Humanities. The next episode of Consider This on Feb. 2 will discuss how ideological divides affect politics in the U.S.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
PROTESTERS MOVE UP AS FEDERAL OFFICERS COVER THEIR RETREAT WITH GAS AND MUNITIONS.
A PROTESTER IN A GAS MASK NEAR THE ICE FACILITY.
BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTERS MARCH EAST ON FREMONT STREET.
SHORTLY AFTER BIDEN’S INAUGURATION, PROTESTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN PORTLAND SEAN BASCOM
PROTESTERS HOLD BANNERS AS THE CROWD DECIDES WHERE TO MARCH NEXT.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
The day of President Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration, Jan. 20, has been known in the Portland protest community as J20 since 2016 when former President Donald Trump was sworn in. This year, several left-wing protests occurred throughout the city starting in the early afternoon and lasting into the early morning hours. A group of around 200 left wing anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter protesters, mostly clad in black bloc, met at Revolution Hall in Southeast around 2 p.m. A squad of Portland Police Rapid Response team arrived on bicycles shortly after, confiscating two wooden flagpoles and unsuccessfully attempting to arrest a demonstrator. After officers left, police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly but did not approach the group. Undeterred, the crowd marched through the east Burnside area until deciding on the headquarters of the nearby Democratic Party of Oregon as a destination. Protesters smashed several windows and spray painted a sign and walls before moving on. Police descended on the group minutes later, making a total of eight arrests as protesters fled from the area.
A rally was held at Irving Park and in the surrounding neighborhood from 4–7 p.m. The rally at the park was led by local Black activists and union organizers, and was followed by a march through the neighborhood with chants, songs and a drumline. At around 9 p.m., about 150 protesters gathered at Elizabeth Caruthers Park in Southwest Portland and marched to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility to protest the ongoing policies and practices of the agency. After a few protesters spray-painted slogans on the wall of the ICE gatehouse, Federal Protective Service officers declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, exited the facility via a side entrance and used crowd control munitions including CS gas, HC smoke, less-than-lethal projectiles and concussion grenades. After pushing the crowd a block to the north, Portland Police Rapid Response officers arrived on bicycles and a riot van to work in concert with federal officers. The two law enforcement groups pushed the crowd through the neighborhood for several hours using heavy amounts of gas and munitions, as well as physical force, and making seven arrests. All photos taken by Sean Bascom.
NEWS
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WITH BREXIT COMPLETE, PEOPLE NOW FACE ITS EFFECTS PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS KARISA YUASA The United Kingdom officially left the European Union’s single market and customs union on Dec. 31, making Brexit a full reality. “This is an amazing moment for this country,” said Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, in a New Year’s message. “We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it.” The four-year-long process—which started with a slim majority vote in 2016—finally came to an end as Europe rang in the new year. The economic trade deal made in December was meant to create a smooth transition when the UK left the trade union, however the effects of Brexit are being felt by businesses in many aspects. From the UK’s Institute for Government, specialist Brexit researcher Maddy Thimont Jack spoke to Al Jazeera about the change. “Although there will be no tariffs on goods moving between the UK and EU,” Jack said, “there will be new non-tariffs barriers—new checks and paperwork—which will make it more costly to do trade.” The fishing industry in particular was hit extremely hard by the new trade deal, according to CNN. “What they want us to do now is just impossible to work with live shellfish. Timings, costs involved, paperwork, it’s crazy,” said Allan Miller, the owner of UK company AM Shellfish. “If they don’t change [the process], a lot of these companies are going to go out of business. A lot of these fishing communities have been fishing for generations. What are they going to do?” On Jan. 18, more than a dozen trucks owned by shellfish firms drove past houses of Parliament and parked outside of
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Johnson’s home in protest of “Brexit-related red tape,” according to AP News. “If this debacle does not improve very soon we are looking at many established businesses coming to the end of the line,” said Alasdair Hughson, chairman of the Scottish Creel Fisherman’s Federation. “For years this government has promised our fishing industry a sea of opportunity, but today our boats are tied up in harbor, their propellers filled with red tape manufactured in Whitehall,” Scottish lawmaker Alistair Carmichael said to Parliament on Jan. 14. The fishing industry is not the only industry feeling the effects of Brexit. Due to the new tax system, many industries based in the E.U. that sell to the UK—and vice versa—are being affected. According to The Guardian, the economic trade deal introduces tariffs on items if 40% or more of the value, pre-finish, did not originate in the UK or E.U. It also requires all E.U.based companies to register for a UK value-added tax (VAT) number, since the UK is no longer included in the E.U.-wide tax system. In some cases, import taxes are being passed on to the consumer, with some UK customers receiving bills for over £100 in import duties when ordering from E.U. companies. “The next day the usual UPS courier came back to give me an invoice of £121.67 customs charges,”said Lisa Walpole, who ordered £236 worth of clothes from a Norweigan website, according to The Guardian. “I asked if this was because of Brexit and he told me that they had loads of additional paperwork and charges,”
Some E.U. companies made the decision to stop selling to the UK altogether due to the increase in fees and paperwork. “The British government deciding to impose a unique taxation regime which will require every company in the world in every country in the world outside the UK which exports to the UK to apply and collect British taxes on behalf of the British government,” The Dutch Bike Bits website states. “Therefore from mid December 2020 onward we ship to every country in the world...except the UK.” According to AP News, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary George Eustice said the hiccups were “only teething problems.” “Once people get used to using the paperwork,” Eustice said, “goods will flow normally.” Even though the new trade deal has left many companies stuck in the middle, some UK citizens were also able to experience the benefits of Brexit. Since the UK is not bound by E.U. tax rules, the UK is able to make decisions on what is being taxed. “I’m proud that we are today delivering on our promise to scrap the tampon tax. Sanitary products are essential so it’s right that we do not charge VAT,” Chancellor Rishi Sunak wrote. Brexit allowed the UK to end taxes on sanitary products, as the country is no longer required to charge the mandatory minimum 5% tax on what the E.U. deems “non-essential luxury items.” “I think it’s worth reminding ourselves that we will be able to do things like abolish the tampon tax…only because we’re leaving the E.U.,” said MP Sir Bernard Jenkin to Parliament, according to Al Jazeera.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
CRACKDOWN ON PROTESTERS CONTINUES IN HONG KONG WITH MASS ARRESTS
MARY JOAQUIN Hong Kong police arrested more than 50 opposition lawmakers in a raid on Jan. 6, according to NPR. The move was “by far the largest such action under [the national security law],” according to AP News, and although only three remain detained, those released through bail could still be convicted. “They haven’t made any charges against us yet,” said Lam Cheuk-ting, former pro-democracy lawmaker and one of the 50 detained. “But I’m quite sure that they will charge some of us sooner or later, whether they have sufficient evidence or not.” Hong Kong Secretary for Security John Lee deemed the arrests “necessary,” according to Hong Kong Free Press. "The operation today targets the active elements who are suspected of... overthrowing or interfering, serious[ly] destroying the Hong Kong government's legal execution of duties," Lee said in Hong Kong’s legislature. One of two sources speaking anonymously told Reuters the arrests were only a part of China’s efforts of preventing a repetition of its big public revolts, such as the series of protests in 2019 and the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. International authorities have condemned the mass arrests in a joint statement by the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. “It is clear that the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views,” the statement read. “We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong without fear of arrest and detention.” The national security law passed on June 30, 2020 sparked a series of arrests during un-
POLICE OFFICERS STAND GUARD. VINCENT YU/AP PHOTO
lawful street protests. It then progressed to authorities arresting those under suspicion of secession through social media. Similar arrests continued over the following months, notably on September 6, the day of Hong Kong’s legislative elections, where nearly 300 were detained according to The Guardian. Other prominent pro-democracy figures such as Jimmy Lai and Joshua Wong were also arrested on August 10 and December 2 of 2020, respectively. According to Al Jazeera, an activist group announced the arrival of five Hong Kong protesters allegedly seeking asylum to the U.S. on January 16, 2021. "The activists, all under the age of 30, took part in the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, faced protest-related arrests and charges, and fled the city by boat last July," said Samuel Chu, founder of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a Washington-based advocacy group. Additionally, several politicians have either been expelled by the government or stepped down from their roles in protest of the law. Humans rights groups have reiterated that the national security law has broad powers continually used against the government’s critics. “Hong Kong authorities’ claims that discussing candidates and advocating for government action is somehow subversive is ludicrous,” said Maya Wang, senior China researcher for Human Rights Watch Asia division. “People have a legitimate right to take part in public affairs,” said Yamini Mishra, Asia-Pacific Regional Director for Amnesty International. “Political opposition should not be silenced just because the authorities don’t like it.”
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
DUTCH GOVERNMENT RESIGNS DUE TO WELFARE FRAUD SCANDAL MICHELLE MOORE Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands resigned along with his entire cabinet on Jan. 15. This came in the wake of an ongoing scandal where thousands of families were falsely accused of defrauding the government, according to BBC. In 2005, the Dutch government passed the Childcare Act, which provided low-income families with money to pay for daycare and babysitting for their children. In 2012, the Dutch government ordered extra screening to prevent people who did not qualify from receiving the childcare benefit. From 2012–19, over 10,000 families were accused of defrauding the Dutch government by receiving the childcare benefit illegally. The exact number of families is unknown but is estimated to be as high as 26,000. These families did qualify for the benefit, but small errors such as missing a signature on a form led to their cases being labeled as fraudulent. These families were forced to pay the entirety of the benefits back, driving many families to bankruptcy. One man, Roger Derikx, was so upset at being ordered to pay back €60,000 that he broke into the Dutch parliament during a debate. “[T]hey came to our door, they took our car, our computer, the television and the washing machine,” Derikx said, as reported by Dutch News. “My wife and I divorced, the tax office contacted my business’s clients and I was thrown away. They took everything away from us. It must never happen again: we want justice, we want our dignity back and we want our money back.” In addition, the tax office admitted people with dual nationality were automatically given more stringent screenings. As a result, a large portion of families being accused of fraud were immigrants and people of color. A lawyer representing some of the falsely accused families stated families were targeted
PRIME MINISTER MARK RUTTE. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
“as a result of ethnic profiling by bureaucrats who picked out their foreign-looking names.” “It is never acceptable for someone to feel they are being discriminated against based on nationality, race, gender, or sexual [orientation],” Rutte said, according to Reuters. “It is absolutely unacceptable in a law-based state.” The government has been accused of deliberately ignoring the situation. As early as 2014, Finance Minister Frans Weekers was forced to resign due to the scandal. Weekers’ successor Eric Wiebes failed to resolve the scandal, but was still promoted to the position of Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Wiebes’ successor Menno Snel was also forced to resign after his mishandling of the scandal came to light. “They have been steamrolled by a government apparatus without being able to escape it,” Snel said, shortly before his resignation. “But I can’t make up for it anymore.” Due to the length of the scandal and Rutte’s position in the cabinet, the entire cabinet chose to accept responsibility and resign. Rutte stated at the press conference announcing his resignation that “[m]istakes were made at every level of the state, with the result that terrible injustice was done to thousands of parents. [...] Things cannot ever be allowed to go so terribly wrong again.” The Dutch government passed a resolution giving 10,000 affected families €30,000 each, according to The New York Times. However, a lawyer representing 600 victims said all of his clients have yet to receive any compensation. “What needs to be done is clear: everything needs to be repaired and cleaned up,” affected families stated in an open letter. “And we have no confidence that this is going to happen with this cabinet. We give up confidence in this government and ask the gentlemen and ladies to go home and not come back.”
INTERNATIONAL
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MY NEIGHBO DON’T WANT TO S THE WORLD BUR THEY WANT TO S THE WORLD JU
SARAH IANNARONE. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
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COVER
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
A conversation with Sarah Iannarone:
POST-ELECTION ACTIVISM IN PORTLAND RHIAN BEAM Sarah Iannarone is a former Portland mayoral candidate and Portland State alum. Iannarone first ran for Portland mayor in 2016 as a progressive candidate. A political outsider, Iannarone had never worked in city government, and she lost decidedly to Ted Wheeler. In 2020, Iannarone ran again, nearly unseating the incumbent Wheeler after his popularity sank due to his handling of nightly protests. She garnered coveted endorsements from fellow progressives such as Vermont senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, as well as Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. However, despite her campaign’s momentum, Iannarone narrowly lost to Wheeler. Since then, Iannarone has started a progressive political action committee. She’s also begun working for The Street Trust, a Portland advocacy group. Portland State Vanguard: First of all, you are a PSU alum—what did you study and how does it apply to what you do now? Iannarone: I focused mostly while I was at [PSU] on Urban Studies and Planning. I graduated with a B.A. back in 2005, and then I entered into a Ph.D program that I didn’t finish. I was focused on planning sustainable cities, so that’s how I got into the work I’m in now. But even more than that, I was an employee at the university for a long time, and the work that I did there was with a program called First Stop Portland. My job was to host city leaders from around the world who came to exchange ideas around making good cities. That’s where I got most of my education, you know, you learn by doing. We also got to work with a lot of nonprofit sectors around the city, introducing them to the visitors. It was a really great gig and I had such an amazing time. VG: What do you hope Ted Wheeler realizes or comes to terms with during this term as Mayor? Iannarone: The one complaint that I always had with him and people like him is that they think they’re the smartest person in the room and that they have all the answers. And that’s not an ego question, or a personality question, but a leadership question at this time. I think the protests are a perfect example. To be an effective leader, as someone with privilege, especially with white privilege, in the middle of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s important to humble yourself in the midst of the movement. It doesn’t mean you have to be a weak leader, or that you have to be dragged along necessarily by any certain faction in a political movement, but you have to immerse yourself in the various parts of your community so you can understand and lead your community. It always just feels like he’s the mayor for a small set of people. So if he could get into the community and just listen without having a preconceived notion of what he wants to do, I feel that’s what the mayor needs to be doing right now. We’re in complete chaos from the events of the summer. We’re in complete chaos at the national level. We’re in complete chaos locally by
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virtue of COVID-19 and also all the injustices. Gun violence epidemic, traffic violence epidemic—how are you possibly going to lead this city unless you can spend the time in and with those communities? By hearing. Be in community and for community if you want to lead a community. VG: If you were on city council right now, what would you change? Iannarone: My agenda around public safety would be much different than the mayor’s. Whenever there’s a problem with public safety— whether it’s gun violence, more protests, or even traffic violence, inter-partner and domestic violence, which is never even on the agenda—you never hear about it. Violence toward people experiencing homelessness, especially in the forms of sweeps and displacement; the violence in gentrification and in racism—how I even talk about things would be so much different. I would not be leaning into law and order, and my response whenever there is a night of conflict would not be to call the police. I want to talk again to the community and say, look, what do you need to be safe? What do you need so that you’re not out here protesting night after night? When [Wheeler] says things like, “There are certain people that just want to see the world burn,” why would you say that? People would rather be home baking bread and brewing kombucha. My neighbors don’t want to see the world burn. They want to see the world just. They want to see the world sustainable for future generations. They want to see people inside homes. So why would you be so dismissive of our activist community like that? Also, I would have given the Police Bureau to Hardesty. VG: What would have been your policy goals for the city in the next year? Iannarone: Trying to find a way to establish peace here would be a very big thing. We have major problems that we are facing that’s going to take us years to work out. So I would be spending the year doing a lot of community summits, bringing branches of people together. Pretty much all the time that I wasn’t in council or working on policy work that was mandated of me, I would be working on bridging communities so that we can have a more unified city. Because we have some important tasks coming up. We have to look at our charter, and figure out what our local government is going to look like. We have to look at [COVID-19], and the economic fallout and think of creative responses to that. I think there are entrepreneurs and small business owners and even investors all over the city who have a lot of creative ideas, and we need to almost think more entrepreneurial about that. And then there’s the basic day to day stuff like housing and transportation to make sure this city is well prepared when and if this city finally gets this pandemic under control—that we are able to open up with efficiency. VG: Let’s move on to the present. You’ve been involved extensively in local activism—how will you be continuing this activism into the new year? Iannarone: I am so grateful to have almost what could be described as my dream job. So the Street Trust once upon a time was founded as the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and they were the premier cycling advocacy group that really laid the
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
foundation for Portland becoming a cycling city. But as we know, so many of the things that have worked in Portland for small groups of people have tended to exclude others. Back in 2016, the BTA did a rebranding process and a reorienting to become the Street Trust— they moved beyond cycling to active transportation and transit access, and began to rethink injustice and inequities inside their organization and out in the world, in order to become a much more intersectional—literally and figuratively— organization working at the crossroads of housing justice, mobility justice and climate justice. They had some leadership turnover, so for me to be able to take my visibility coming off the mayoral campaign, and my passion for that issue, and my background in it, is getting paid to do what I already love to do. That’s phenomenal and I’m so grateful to be in that position. VG: What issues are you most focused on currently? Iannarone: I’m actually looking forward to having to not focus on all the issues. When you’re running for mayor, as much as I love being a generalist and having an opinion on everything, it is pretty exhausting to have to maintain policy expertise across every single realm without a staff. On the campaign, I had an amazing staff, and that’s how I kept up with such wonderful policies, because they connected with those community groups to help come up with that policy. I keep wanting the mayor to steal them, steal them please—especially the disability justice platform that we put out, it’s phenomenal. The gun violence prevention, phenomenal. But I can’t work in all those subjects, so focusing on climate action and the relationship between transportation and urban development is going to be a big one for me. VG: You’re also involved in Our Portland, a political action committee powering progressive solutions. Can you tell me a little about that and what kind of progressive solutions they seek? Iannarone: I will also be keeping on top of the PAC that was put in place in part because I was a publicly-financed candidate during my 2020 campaign, so I can’t really use that account to do fundraising and other things apart from running for mayor. We set up the PAC so I would be able to use the capacity that we built so we can keep growing it for progressive issues—making sure that we’re getting progressives elected, and making public policy. I imagine us working on public banking, accessible broadband, fareless transit, affordable housing—all of those things that are good for Portland. But we’re starting with education—and that’s related to my background at [PSU]—where if you educate people first and give them a shared language, then have the conversation about what we should do next, we have a baseline. We have a value set. We have a common history about what worked and what didn’t. VG: Recently we had an attempted insurrection at the Capitol. What are your thoughts on that and what would you say to those who feel helpless in this moment? Iannarone: You know, I took a lot of hits for saying I was anti-fascist, and that if you stand on any side that isn’t fascism, then you are antifa, because we’ve allowed that commitment to antifascism to be so hijacked. Liberals allowed that to
be hijacked. We saw what [Wheeler] and his super PAC did against me by saying, “She’s antifa, she’s antifa, she’s antifa”—that feeds what’s going on in Washington. It’s unconscionable as a progressive stronghold. If we’re gonna take those hits on Fox News, then our leader should be standing in unity saying, “Portland is an anti-fascist city. We are all going to come together to say that white nationalism has no place here. We are going to fight to maintain an inclusive place that is a sanctuary to all who need it.” That should be un-equivocating. You shouldn’t lean in to those alt-right dog whistles for your own personal or political gain. We need to be principled in this moment. It’s that equivocation that I believe has gotten us here more than any fringe movements on the left or the right. Those of us who have been in the streets for the four years that Trump’s been in office have been talking about this. We have been predicting this since Heather Hayer, since Jeremy Christian. We watched these people come in and sow hate, largely without any consequence. I was so surprised when I saw Biden talk with more clarity about antifa than I’ve ever seen from the Portland mayor. To me, it was actually a glimmer of hope—that he gets it. And as a leader, you can’t be dragged along by public opinion. You have to set the course. That’s what leadership looks like. This moment, I believe, deserves steady leadership towards anti-racism, equity and justice. I hope that we as a community can continue to work on that. VG: Do you have any advice for young people that want to get involved in activism, mutual aid, or the political environment? Iannarone: I’ve thought about this a lot, and there’s two things that I would suggest. One is don’t assume that you need to start something new. There are so many people that have been activists for so long—I worry that getting new people engaged, everyone thinks they need to start a new organization, or a new group, when there are so many groups that have institutional memory and strong connections to community infrastructure that already exist. You, just as a single body, going and being a part of that, could strengthen them in ways that you don’t even know. What does that mean to go forward with urgency, but also with care and patience? That can feel contradictory sometimes, especially for young people. The moment that they get excited, young people are so powerful. You don’t want to say, “cool your jets,” because you don’t want to tamp down the excitement, but you do want to get them in. The other one is to stay optimistic as a tool. These times are hard for everyone, so do what you have to do to stay upbeat. If that’s TikTok, if that’s your blog, if that’s writing news articles, stay upbeat in your persona and in your presence in the world. VG: Finally, it might seem a little soon, but are you planning on running for mayor of Portland in 2024? Iannarone: Oh, I’m trying to get through to the fourth month of 2021. I just got a job for the first time in a while, but I’ve been campaigning full time, so let’s just say check in with the PAC—we’ll be supporting progressive candidates and issues for a very long time. I’ll be around no matter what.
COVER
9
THIS WEEK
around the
WORLD
Jan. 19–22
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January 19
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Anchan Preelert, a one-time civil servant, was sentenced to 43 years in prison for violating Thailand’s infamously strict lèse-majesté law, which criminalizes defaming senior members of the royal family, according to Reuters. The 65 year-old was originally sentenced to 87 years in prison after being convicted of 29 violations of the law, but had her sentence halved for pleading guilty of sharing audio clips that were deemed critical of the royal family. “Today’s court verdict is shocking and sends a spine-chilling signal that not only criticisms of the monarchy won’t be tolerated, but they will also be severely punished,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for the Human Rights Watch, according to AP News.“...Thai authorities are using lèsemajesté prosecution as their last resort measure in response to the youth-led democracy uprising that seeks to curb the king’s powers and keep him within the bound of constitutional rule.” The verdict is the longest sentence ever given for violations of the law—commonly referred to as Section 112. 2
January 21
BAGHDAD, IRAQ
At least 32 people were killed in the Iraqi capital when two suicide bombings—the first massive bombing in years—oc-
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INTERNATIONAL
curred in a crowded market, according to AP News. It was the first twin bombing in three years since 27 people were killed in the same market in Jan. 2018. On the morning of Jan. 22, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Reuters. “The will to live among our people as they face terrorism in the scene of the heinous crime at Bab al-Sharqi was a message of defiance and unparalleled courage.” wrote Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khadhimi in a tweet.
January 21 3
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS
Honduran lawmakers voted to amend the constitution in an effort to make it more difficult to overturn bans on abortions and same-sex marriages, according to Reuters. Of the 123 member legislature, 88 lawmakers voted in favor of requiring a two-thirds supermajority to change constitutional articles that give fetuses the same legal status as a person and that civil marriages can only be between a man and a woman.“Honduras’ draconian legislation already bans abortions, even in cases of rape and incest, when the person’s life and the health are in danger, and when the fetus will not survive outside the womb,” said Ximena Casas, Americas women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “This
decree will make it virtually impossible to carry out the recommendations from multiple international human rights bodies to end this violation of reproductive rights.” Honduras has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world and is the only Latin American country that even bans the use of emergency contraceptives in all cases. 4
January 22
GOMA, DR CONGO
At least 300 of the 500 members of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s lower house of Parliament signed a motion of no confidence toward Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, according to Al Jazeera. The motion gave Ilunkamba 48 hours to resign or face a vote of no confidence. “The majority of the national assembly is in favour of the departure of the prime minister,” said lawmaker Chérubin Okende, one of the motion’s authors. The move would be a major victory for President Felix Tshisekedi, whose political power would have the opportunity to gain political power. If his allies gain parliamentary majority, Tshisekedi would be able to nominate a cabinet of his choosing and nominate a new head of the electoral commission and central bank board, according to Reuters.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
SAM GARCIA
BÉLA KURZENHAUSER While COVID-19 vaccines roll out across the United States, authorities grow wary of the influence that the anti-vaccination movement has on the ongoing pursuit to eradicate the virus. A January 12 Axios-Ipsos poll reported 19% of Americans do not plan on getting vaccinated, with an additional 11% planning to wait a year or more. Support for the anti-vaxx movement has gained increased momentum in recent years, with the World Health Organization (WHO) listing vaccine hesitancy as one of the 10 greatest threats to global health in 2019, alongside pathogens such as HIV and Dengue. The WHO defines vaccine hesitancy as “the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines” and cites complacency, inconvenience and lack of confidence as underlying factors. According to the WHO, vaccines prevent 2–3 million deaths a year and 1.5 million more could be prevented if global coverage of vaccinations improved. “We’re not just fighting an epidemic, we’re fighting an infodemic,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2020. “Fake news spreads faster and more easily than this virus, and is just as dangerous.” This past December, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) released The Anti-Vaxx Playbook, a 54-page document detailing indoctrination and activism tactics used by antivaxxers. The document was crafted following a private online
AN UPDATE ON COVID-19 VACCINES IN OREGON PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
ANTI-VAXXERS THREATEN COVID-19 VACCINE EFFICACY conference held by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a prominent anti-vaxx organization, in October 2020. According to the CCDH, prominent anti-vaxxers on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook have gained more than 10 million followers since 2019. The CCDH estimated the anti-vaxx movement rakes in over a billion dollars a year for social media companies, and advocates for platforms to remove prominent anti-vaxxers and demonetize misinformation. Vaccine misinformation still thrives on social media, with Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram being notorious culprits, according to The Guardian. The CCDH lists the conversion of vaccine-hesitant people to anti-vaxxers as one of the five key strategies used by anti-vaxxers, specifically calling out popular anti-vaxx Facebook groups as a gateway to the movement. A previous CCDH report entitled “Failure to Act” published in September 2020 claims that Facebook removed only 2.5% of misinformative posts reported by the organization and that Facebook and Instagram were the platforms of highest growth for nine of the ten most notable anti-vaxx networkers. Additionally, a January 13 report by Healthline stated recent studies have shown fact-checking on social media greatly reduces misinformation. Some social media sites already implement fact-checking in some form, with YouTube automatically tagging videos relating to the 2020 U.S. election and the flat
earth conspiracy theory with infoboxes discrediting misinformation. However, many social media websites neglect to perform site-wide fact-checking. Anti-vaxxers don’t just thrive on the internet, however. On Dec. 31, Wisconsin police reported that hundreds of dosages of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine had been intentionally sabotaged at the Aurora medical center in Grafton, WI. The culprit was identified as pharmacist Stephen Brandenburg, an “admitted conspiracy theorist” who spoiled the doses because he believed it altered peoples’ DNA, according to MSN. Brandenburg has since received a misdemeanor charge but has not yet been convicted. As the late stages of the pandemic approach, concerns over vaccine misinformation’s influence have grown. In an interview with CNN last June, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed doubt that herd immunity could be achieved if only two-thirds of the population was vaccinated. “We have to make sure to engage the community, as we’re doing now, to get community people to help us; for people to understand that we are doing everything we can to show that [the vaccine] is safe and effective,” Fauci said. “There is a general anti-science, anti-authority, anti-vaccine feeling amongst some people in this country—an alarmingly large percentage of people.”
BÉLA KURZENHAUSER The lack of a federal reserve of vaccine doses has left many states with an insufficient number of doses for their population. Due to this, many are left confused and wondering when and how they can get a vaccine for COVID-19. Recently, Governor Kate Brown announced that the state has decided to delay vaccines for Oregon’s elderly population until Feb. 8, instead focusing on vaccinating educators and school staff beginning Jan. 25. The first group to receive vaccines will be those in the 80 years and older bracket, followed by 75 and older, 70 and older and finally 65 and older, with each wave rolling out in subsequent weeks. Brown expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s handling of the situation, tweeting, “this is a deception on a national scale.” To assist with the inoculation of vaccines, Portland health insurance providers alongside OHSU launched a vaccination clinic inside the Oregon Convention Center on Jan. 29. Authorities aim to vaccinate 7,500 people a day, depending on the vaccine stock.
As previously reported, the Oregon Health Authority has a three-phase plan to ensure a steady vaccine rollout. Once the vaccination of educators and healthcare workers has been completed, phase two will start, allowing frontline workers, adults with chronic conditions and members of marginalized and low-income communities to be vaccinated, according to KOIN. Any other Oregon citizens not belonging to those demographics will be able to be vaccinated in the following months once phase two has concluded. As of Jan. 24, 300,662 doses of Oregon’s 492,450 have been administered, according to the OHA. Additionally, vaccines will be available to everyone regardless of income bracket or cost. The CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination FAQ states vaccines will be provided at no cost, but insured patients might be charged through their insurance provider. Uninsured patients will receive relief from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
11
SAM PERSON
UNDER NEW EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP, VORTEX MUSIC MAGAZINE RISES TO THE CHALLENGE ZOE VANDAL Portland has a reputation for being a vibrant breeding ground for up-andcoming talented musicians. The city’s unique culture is fueled by a thriving local scene that has produced some of the most notable indie players of the last 30 years, many of whom have gone on to be recognized at a national level. But the current state of public health has shut down nearly every aspect of the music industry. Needless to say, music hasn’t been occurring and a struggling economy doesn’t encourage music production. Independent music publications, like Vortex Music Magazine in Portland, persist—but this isn’t without its challenges. Recently, the co-founder of Vortex, Chris Young, left his role as editor-in-chief of the magazine, offering the position to Blake Hickman—a Portland native, former Portland State student and seasoned music professional. Hickman’s first official experience in the music industry was as a radio host and eventual station manager at KPSU, PSU’s storied college radio station. His time at KPSU not only gave him the confidence to navigate the music business, but taught him “to be open to possibilities” and “not fear doing things that are ambitious or exceed expectations.” During his time at KPSU, he co-founded his indie rock label, Good Cheer Records, and The Thesis, a monthly live hip-hop showacase. He explained that his time at KPSU defined his career going forward. After some financial roadblocks, Hickman folded Good Cheer last year, but he continues to contribute to the Portland music scene as the new leader at Vortex. Since the publication was established in 2014, Vortex has been covering local Portland artists and promoting their work to the public, playing a key role in the circulation of new music and artists in Portland. Unlike local weeklies Willamette Week and Portland Mercury, Vortex is a publication with a music-specific focus, and it is a spiritual successor of sorts to legendary Portland music rags like Two Louies and The Rocket. Typically, the bulk of the magazine’s coverage ties into live shows, shining a spotlight on emerging talent—but the absence of live music is forcing the publication to pivot its editorial approach. Not only that, but Hickman speculates reaching audiences has become tougher thanks to the rise of streaming platforms and their gatekeeping algorithms. “The fact that more people are using streaming sites as their only means of music discovery has really diminished the need for human tastemakers,” Hickman explained. As a reader and occasional contributor, Hickman has long appreciated Vortex’s dedication to the oft-overlooked aspects of the Portland music scene, as well as the representation Young incorporated into the magazine. When asked about the importance of local music publications like Vortex, Hickman responded, “I think for artists there’s still something really tangible about getting print coverage and being able to have something written about your music that you can hold in your hand or frame on your wall.”
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ARTS & CULTURE
As one of many cogs in a functioning music industry, music publications are struggling to find success in an industry that has entered a death spiral. A rise in streaming and the sudden disappearance of live music has created spheres that are almost completely virtual. “I think the story of music journalism recently is [ just how we’re forced] to do more with less,” Hickman said. “It’s really shocking how many publications that covered artists I used to work with don’t exist anymore.” A nonexistent music scene makes it incredibly difficult for new bands with little or no recorded music to garner a fanbase, which in turn makes it difficult for music publications to find them. “Finding a way to reach people about new music outside of those streaming programs can be a real challenge,” Hickman said. “That’s especially the case when social media platforms like Facebook continue to make it difficult for smaller sites to share things with their supporters without paying for ads.” While these problems may seem inescapable, Hickman told me he thinks there’s a positive component to the devaluation of live events in music coverage. “I think ultimately the shift away from live music can be a good thing,” he said. Rather than artists garnering a fanbase from a good stage show, Hickman foresees a shift to “evaluating music on its own merit.” He also has noticed publications investing in different techniques to connect with readers who aren’t on social media, including platforms like Substack or Medium. “I don’t think either of those will prove to be the solution, [but] I think they are a step in the right direction,” he said. Music lovers continue to find new ways to support their favorite artists from the comfort of their own homes. Live streaming services such as Twitch have reported a 524% increase in viewership, specifically in the Music and Performance Art Category, according to a Forbes article. Bandcamp has established its now immensely popular “Bandcamp Fridays,” where 100% of Bandcamp sales go to artists as opposed to the service’s usual revenue split. The company reported raising over $4 million from fans which was allocated directly to artists. Bandsintown has just released a subscription service called “Bandsintown Plus” which gives fans access to exclusive live shows for $10 a month—Phoebe Bridgers and Adrienne Lenker are two high-profile artists who were recently tapped by the service. While there is currently increased interest in supporting local artists amid the turbulent reality of an incorrigible pandemic, Vortex’s main goal has always been to support deserving artists—the magazine offers a place for the aspirational talent of Portland to find an audience. Hickman explained some of his favorite Portland artists at the moment include Anna Tivel, Donte Thomas and MILC, who all had a successful 2020, all things considered. “When it comes to Portland music, I have my favorites,” Hickman said.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
SAM GARCIA
CHESS IS KING HOW THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT INSPIRED A CHESS RENAISSANCE
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
LUIS RAMOS When I saw The Queen’s Gambit for the first time, it was obvious that Netflix had struck gold. What I never expected was how the show would lead to a chess explosion. While Netflix’s focus might merely be to create profitable content, the company is inadvertently sparking trends. The folks at Netflix are becoming the gatekeepers of culture and have somehow made a seemingly boring sport cool. As a bookseller, it’s not the first time I’ve seen Netflix cause massive stirs in esoteric pop culture which leads to merchandise flying off the shelves. In 2019, the company brought The Witcher to mainstream audiences, a property I already loved due to the video game. Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels ran out-of-print for a while thanks to the show adaptation. Now, I’m noticing Bridgerton captivating massive audiences and seeing shortages of Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I. Although Walter Tevis’s novel The Queen’s Gambit has seen a surge in sales as well, everyone’s favorite, hyper-cerebral board game— chess—has benefitted the most. Since the show’s debut, online playing sites like Chess.com and Lichess.org have seen an enormous rise in traffic. Business Insider reported in the wake of The Queen’s Gambit, “More than 100,000 new members registered for Chess.com each day, [which is roughly] five times higher than average.” Yet, the big retailers have seen unexpected sales in chess merchandise too, with standbys like Amazon and eBay experiencing spikes in chessboard sales. It’s no surprise that at Barnes & Noble, we brought out the chess tables filled with chess-related appurtenances to meet consumer demand. To think this is all due to a little show about chess. It’s clear that Netflix put a lot of effort and passion into depicting professional chess with nuance and accuracy—but what is less transparent is how the show has compelled audiences to be empowered by its chess-playing heroes. What astounds me is that the real Beth Harmons of the world are getting some attention. It’s not just chess paraphernalia that’s selling—it’s the personalities of the real chess brainiacs. Streamers and YouTubers with channels dedicated solely to chess have grown substantially in viewer and sub-
scriber counts due to The Queen’s Gambit. Alexandria Botez, an American-Canadian master chess player, has almost reached 240k subscribers in this sudden boom. She, along with her sister Andrea, have always been ardent chess advocates, but now the show has given them a way to reach a broader audience. Now they find themselves creating content focusing the accuracy of the game’s portrayal in the show, on empathizing with the struggles of Beth Harmon. They’ve even played matches with the popular Beth Harmon bot—a chess AI supposedly mimicking the exact skill level of the various stages in Harmon’s life. Then, there are chess channels, like YouTuber Agadmator’s; he has covered the show’s matches in-depth, going as far as recreating and analyzing the final battle between Beth Harmon and the Russian. The popularity of the show has certainly boosted some of these YouTubers’ stardom, but it has also directed eyes to the real champions. People are no longer perceiving chess as a boring sport played exclusively by septuagenarians; now people are being captivated by the real prodigies of our time. We’ve seen Twitch streamers and Esports players do their thing— why not watch the masters and grandmasters play chess? There are undoubtedly stories out there as impressive and riveting as Beth Harmon’s. Take, for example, Hikaru Nakamura, who became a grandmaster when he was 15 years old and is now the five-time U.S. Champion. Or current World Champion Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian Grandmaster child prodigy. Like Harmon, these players have dedicated their lives to the game. The Champions Chess Tour will be broadcast on sports channels alongside tennis and football thanks to the game’s renewed popularity. It’s nice to see the real geniuses getting noticed, and it’s surprising that a show on Netflix is arguably why. My thoughts on this boom are characterized by boyish glee— the glorification of nerds in pop culture is entering a new, particularly weird epoch. I’ve seen many young kids buy Tevis’s novel, and it makes me happy that this story has empowered them. After all, there are much worse things these aspiring kings could get into than a game of chess.
ARTS & CULTURE
13
ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY NICK GATLIN
SAM GARCIA
14
OPINION
In the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency, the federal government undertook an effort to execute more people than any time since the 1930s, per the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). In fact, The New York Times reported on January 18 the Trump administration has killed more people in the last six months than the federal government has killed in the past six decades; it has killed three times as many prisoners, to be precise. According to BBC, there had been no federal executions since 2003 until the Trump administration resumed them in July, and none during a presidential transition in 130 years. This shocking display of cruelty and barbarism mere days before a new administration was set to take office—an administration committed to ending the death penalty at that—is obscene. It underscores the urgent need to abolish the death penalty once and for all, before its irreversible toll can be inflicted on any more human beings. The final execution of the Trump presidency, five days before the new administration took over, was carried out on January 15, killing 48-year-old Dustin Higgs. According to AP News, Higgs said before he was executed, “I’d like to say I am an innocent man...I am not responsible for the deaths. I did not order the murders,” referring to the ordering of the kidnapping and killing of three women in 1996 of which he was convicted. As he was injected with pentobarbital, he waved to the room where his family sat and said, “I love you.” The sister of one of the murdered women said of the execution, “They are now going to go through the pain we experienced...your death will not bring my sister and the other victims back. This is not closure.” Willis Haynes, the man who actually fired the shots that killed the women, did not receive a death sentence. The execution of Dustin Higgs is just one of 13 federal executions since July. According to the BOP, the Trump administration has carried out the most executions in a single decade, let alone a single year, since the ‘30s, after a total reprieve in the 2010s and only three executions in the 2000s. Before then, from 1963–2001, no federal executions took place at all. These figures are worth keeping in mind if only to contextualize the intensity of action the Trump administration took. The administration met little resistance in the courts on this front. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent in United States v. Dustin John Higgs, “Throughout this expedited spree of executions, this Court has consistently rejected inmates’ credible claims for relief...The Court made these weighty decisions in response to emergency applications, with little op-
portunity for proper briefing and consideration, often in just a few short days or even hours.” Noting the unusual speed and lax scrutiny the Court applied to these cases, she noted, “Over the past six months, this Court has repeatedly sidestepped its usual deliberative processes, often at the Government’s request, allowing it to push forward with an unprecedented, breakneck timetable of executions.” It’s also worth considering the method the government uses to execute individuals. Defenders of the death penalty will often claim it is a humane way to kill someone; this is simply not true. A ProPublica report from December 2020 investigated the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions, including their use of the drug pentobarbital, used for lethal injections. Lawyers have argued in suits against BOP that the injection of pentobarbital causes a sensation similar to drowning, where prisoners’ lungs fill with foam and they feel “extreme pain, terror and panic.” Importantly, doctors do not administer this injection; the American Medical Association prohibits any association with the executions by its members, including the “rendering of technical advice.” Dr. Joel Zivot, an anaesthesiologist at Emory University who has testified on the use of pentobarbital, said of the procedure, “Doctors are experts in unkilling...not killing.” He said lethal injections “impersonat[e] a medical act, but it’s not about medicine at all. Killing is not a treatment.” The Death Penalty Information Center, a non-profit organization that collects information and provides analysis on capital punishment, recorded 174 exonerations of executed prisoners in the United States since 1973. 92 of those exonerations were of Black death row inmates. This raises an important, inherent issue with the death penalty: it is irreversible. The threat of executing an innocent person is always there. Do we, as a society, accept that innocent people will die in order to fulfill our desire for vengeance? President Joe Biden and I do not agree on many things, but we do agree on our opposition to the death penalty. I can only hope Biden uses his power as president to immediately commute the sentences of all death row inmates and halt all federal executions. Furthermore, Congress should make it a priority to outlaw the death penalty for all federal crimes, and act as a model for every state to outlaw capital punishment as well. The death penalty is a barbaric practice for a barbaric society. If we want to be better—to be good—we must abolish it.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
WHERE DO POLITICS GO
NICK GATLIN Donald Trump officially became a former president on Jan. 20, 2021. The House of Representatives has already impeached him, and if the Senate votes to convict him, he may be prevented from running for office ever again. What will this post-Trump era look like? Who will step up to fill the Trump-sized hole in conservative politics? Most importantly, what will Twitter look like now that Trump’s account is gone? Using my profound powers of prediction and political analysis, I’d like to take you on a journey of wild speculation about what the next four years will look like without Trump in the Oval Office. “But Nick,” you might ask, “shouldn’t we stop giving Trump our full political attention, and move on to building a better world in his absence?” To which I say, sure, but this is funnier. Here’s a preview of what news in the post-Trump era might look like.
•Following the inauguration of President Joe
Biden, Trump forms his own media network, the Trump Channel. Its programming consists entirely of Trump unloading his Twitter drafts folder into a teleprompter, forcing his news anchors to read them aloud in a serious news voice.
•Twitter becomes 70% quieter overnight. Many
try to pick up the mantle of the new “Trump” account, but none succeed. Rudy Guiliani attempts to come up with a new “covfefe” and ends up accidentally posting a link to the Bee Movie script.
•Congressional Republicans introduce impeach-
• Democrats unveil a
new coronavirus stimulus package, promising “$2000 sum total relief over the duration of the pandemic.” Congressional leadership quickly clarifies this includes the $600 payments from December as well as the original $1200 check from the CARES Act, stating the new checks will total $200. Democrats claim this was obvious from the start, and if you misinterpreted it you are likely brain-dead, you big dum-dum.
•The COVID-19 pandemic is finally defeated after 90% of the population is vaccinated, slowing the spread of the virus to a halt. There is little time to celebrate, as an unrelated avian flu begins to rip through the world immediately after. •The Sunrise Movement hosts a sit-in at the
White House demanding a Green New Deal. Biden walks out of the Oval Office and says to the youth activists, “Listen, Jack, this climate stuff is so…come on, man, give me a break,” as he strolls briskly down the hall.
ment articles against Biden every week for four years. It eventually becomes somewhat of a tradition, with “Impeachment Wednesday” parties serving pizza and drinks every week.
•The IRS puts out a memo to everyone who • A healthcare march is organized on the
•While giving the 2022 State of the Union address,
•Without Trump’s Twitter account to reply to,
Biden falls asleep while standing at the lectern. No one notices, having tuned out 30 minutes ago.
•Leftists, fully unburdened from the threat of a
Trump reelection, begin aggressively pressuring Biden to move left on key issues. The discourse soon devolves into a war between the neo-Trotskyists and market socialists, and criticisms of the Biden administration are soon forgotten.
received congressional aid, reminding them they will have to pay back the relief with interest on their 2022 tax return.
Jeff Tiedrich loses purpose in life. He decides to read a book, maybe, or picks up a new hobby. When he falls asleep, you can still hear him mumble sometimes, “Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”
•Sarah Cooper runs out of Trump material to lip-sync and decides to lip-sync Biden speeches instead. No one cares.
•Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
enthusiastically volunteers to be designated survivor at every major event, hoping to one day leapfrog the line of succession to the presidency.
National Mall. Protesters hold signs that read, “Medical accessibility for all who qualify for a 2019 tax credit.” A chant breaks out in the crowd: “What do we want? Affordable and taxdeductible healthcare! When do we want it? Whenever it’s the least politically damaging!”
Republican primaries, Mike Pompeo, Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley simultaneously declare themselves to be Q.
• In
a surprise turn of events, Flaming Ball of White-Hot Rage secures the 2024 Republican nomination. It chooses Mike Pence as its running mate.
•Biden decides not to seek reelection, instead
anointing Pete Buttigieg as his successor. “I just love that kid,” he says.
•As the Democratic primary begins, Buttigieg
declares himself the winner in Iowa before the voting starts.
• Democrats lose both
houses of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. Rep. Adam Schiff is defeated by the Q Shaman, and Alex Jones takes Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat.
You can fill in the rest with your imagination. Will things get better in the next four years? Maybe. Will they get horrifically, irreversibly worse? Also possible. Remember, these are just predictions; we always have the power to change things. Maybe we’ll look back on all this in four years and laugh. It’s up to us whether that laughter is accompanied by tears.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
• In a desperate attempt to win the 2024
SHANNON STEED
OPINION
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VIRTUAL
EVENTS CALENDAR THU JAN
28 FRI JAN
29 SAT JAN
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EVENTS
LIVE WIRE VIRTUAL HOUSE PARTY
PORTLAND MERCURY MUSIC SERIES PRESENTS: BLOSSOM
The soothing, familiar voices of Luke Burbank and Elena Passarello return for the latest installment of Live Wire, featuring appearances from guests like New York Times contributing writer Jon Mooallem.
Portland Mercury has had a rough year—the pandemic forced numerous layoffs and caused the paper to turn from a bi-weekly print publication to online-only. Over the past year, it’s mainly been operating with a skeleton local news crew. What it lacks in diminished arts coverage it makes up for with its new Mercury Music Series. This iteration of the ongoing series features a performance from R&B artist Blossom, one of the best vocalists and performers to come out of Portland in recent history.
OMSI AFTER DARK VIRTUAL FIZZFEST
THE KINKS PRESENT: THE MONEYGOROUND: A ONE-MAN SHOW FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
Online event 5 p.m. $15
Online event 7 p.m. $50 (plus $15 shipping fee) 21+
One of the stranger online events since the start of the pandemic, OMSI hosts a virtual booze-tasting soiree with their FizzFest event. Participants receive a combination of 10 different fizzy drinks, including hard seltzers and kombucha. There is also live bingo, trivia and an “ice-sculpting” performance which can’t help but seem hilariously underwhelming over livestream.
Online event via Polaris Hall 8 p.m. $10–100 (sliding scale)
Online event 12 p.m. Free
Despite their exalted catalog of early ‘60s hits, The Kinks’ story is one of rock ’n roll’s microtragedies. Their best work—which frontman Ray Davies composed in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s—remains largely uncelebrated. The group was banned from live performances in the United States in their heyday, effectively eliminating any potential for hits outside Britain, and their masterpiece, 1968’s The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, released the same day as The Beatles’ White Album, a fate you wouldn’t wish on your greatest enemy. It’s possible that Davies’ penchant for Wilde-ish witticisms and Edwardian camp (see: “A Dedicated Follower of Fashion,” virtually anything off Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was even too British for Britain—so it makes sense he’s adapting his heady little pop vignettes for the stage, which is probably where they always belonged anyway.
2021 HUMP! FILM FESTIVAL LIVE WITH DAN SAVAGE Online event 8 p.m. $40 18+
A screening of 2021’s Hump!—The Stranger’s annual horny film festival—in the presence of the publication’s co-founding editor and Savage Love host, Dan Savage.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com
