PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 10 • NOVEMBER 13, 2018
CONTENTS COVER BY MARGO SMOLYANSKA NEWS VILLAGE OF HOPE: CONTINUING TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE
P. 3
WINTER GUIDE 2018 HOLIDAY HAVOC
P. 11–26
PSU STUDENTS WIN BOEING COMPETITION
P. 4
INTERNATIONAL OBSTACLES TO STUDYING ABROAD AND RESOURCES
BUILDINGS, DEPARTMENTS GEAR UP FOR NAME CHANGES
P. 5
P. 27
VIGIL FOR DIEGO TEJADA-MANZO
P. 5
WINTER IN THE HOLY LAND
P. 28
PROTESTORS RALLY AGAINST SESSIONS RESIGNATION
P. 6
ASYLUM SEEKERS, NOT MIGRANTS
P. 28
SPORTS VIKINGS BEAT OUT HIGHLANDERS
OPINION ELIMINATE MARIJUANA TESTING IN THE WORKPLACE
P. 7
P. 29
VIKINGS BREAK CENTURY MARK AGAINST WARNER PACIFIC
P. 7
ARTS A MERCURIAL MUSE: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY REVIEW
P. 30
BENGALS SWEEP VIKINGS
P. 8
‘SHADOW OF DEMONS’: FROM AFRICA TO AFRU GALLERY
P. 31
VIKINGS BREAK RECORDS IN NCAA WEST REGIONAL RACE
P. 8
VIKING FALL TO FIGHTING HAWKS
P. 9
EVENTS CALENDAR
P. 32
WHAT’S ON DECK?
P. 9
STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nada Sewidan
ONLINE EDITOR A.M. LaVey SOCIAL MEDIA Nico Vessia
MANAGING EDITOR Missy Hannen
COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn
NEWS EDITORS Chris May Fiona Spring
COPY EDITOR Erin Bass Ryan O’Connell
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Marena Riggan
Contributors Sabrina Achcar-Winkels Alex Kirk Amen Lukas Amsden Sophie Concannon Cory Elia Savanna Ford Cam Howard Shandi Hunt Cody Jones Monica Juarez Amith Kashyap Michael Kidd
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Justin Knipper OPINION EDITOR Katharine Piwonka SPORTS EDITOR Davy Gillespie
Alexei Marin Ryan O’Connell Karina Santacruz McKinzie Smith PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Brian McGloin MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emma Josephson PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robby Day LEAD DESIGNER Savannah Quarum DESIGNERS Colin Davis Lisa Dorn Danielle Emeka Leah Maldonado Keyali Smith Margo Smolyanska
DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Chris May T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info @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 every Tuesday and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
VILLAGE OF HOPE: CONTINUING TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE NOV. 6–10
SOPHIE CONCANNON
NOV. 6: MIDTERM ELECTIONS CONCLUDE IN OREGON
Gov. Kate Brown was re-elected to the governor’s office at the close of 2018 midterm elections in what the Associated Press called the “most expensive race in Oregon gubernatorial history.” Brown’s re-election solidifies Oregon’s Democratic majority, as Democrats also won a supermajority in the state legislature and sent all five Democratic representatives back to Congress for another term. Voters also rejected a number of ballot measures: Measure 103, which would have amended the Oregon Constitution to prohibit new taxes on groceries anywhere in the state; Measure 104, which would have required a legislative supermajority for new revenues; Measure 105, which sought to repeal Oregon’s sanctuary state law; and Measure 106, which would have imposed restrictions on public funding for abortions. All failed by significant margins.
NOV. 8: MASSIVE WILDFIRES SWEEP SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The latest in a series of climate catastrophes, dubbed the Woolsey Fire, has swept through Southern California, forcing hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles and Ventura County residents to evacuate their homes. The fire has destroyed over 70,000 acres of land, Curbed LA reported. The Woolsey Fire is not the only wildfire raging in California—The Washington Post reported the Camp Fire, raging near Sacramento, is responsible for at least 23 deaths and “is now the most destructive individual wildfire in California’s history.”
NOV. 10: OREGON DAYCARES FAIL TO PROVE DRINKING WATER IS LEAD-FREE
State data shows one-third of Oregon daycare centers have failed to prove their drinking water is free of lead, a neurotoxin linked to learning disabilities and nervous system damage considered particularly dangerous for children under six. A new state law requires water tests for child care facilities, which must submit their results by Sept. 30. However, more than a month later, the state lacks information from more than 1,000 centers. Of the centers that did submit test results, about 1.6 percent had drinking water containing lead levels above state standards.
CORY ELIA/PSU VANGUARD CORY ELIA Months after the eviction of the houseless community known as Village of Hope in February 2018, village organizers continue to support those unhoused. At a mini-storage facility located on Northeast Airport Way in Portland, Pastor Steve Kimes and four volunteers sorted the food items they deliver weekly to about two dozen houseless encampments. Kimes and his group spend two hours organizing bread, drinks, pastries, milk, vegetables, fruits, canned and dry food and even meat when they know someone has the ability to cook it. Under the constant roar of airplane engines approaching Portland International Airport, a volunteer who identified themself as Thumper explained, “In this area, the airplanes passing overheard is known as a Parkrose pause, where people will pause their conversations and televisions will lose their signal until the airplane completely passes over.”
Thumper said if it wasn’t for Kimes’ and the Village of Hope organizers’ support, he would have died last year. According to the 2017 Domicile Unknown report, an annual report conducted jointly by Street Roots and Multnomah County officials, 79 houseless individuals died on the streets last year. Six of those deaths were from hypothermia. The majority of the deceased were white males, and about half of the deaths were drug related. Village of Hope has been acting in a support capacity for Portland’s houseless community since their eviction and threats of fines by the city for the clean-up of their former protest village. The fines were later dropped. Dignity Village is one of the group’s regular stops on their food delivery route, along with Right to Dream Too. Kimes said he and his group hope to purchase land to re-open Village of Hope sometime in the future. “Oftentimes, these camps and villages are out of the way of the resources they need. That is why we do this,” he said.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
PSU STUDENTS WIN BOEING COMPETITION SHANDI HUNT A team of five students from Portland State’s School of Business won second place in The Boeing Company’s sixth annual Northwest Case Competition on Oct. 26 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Gloria Suaste Cruz, Blake Lessler, Hieu Nguyen, Phuc Nguyen and Dmytro Shakalov competed in the final competition against students from the University of Washington, Western Washington University and Central Washington University to present their solutions to cases involving sustainability, outsourcing and shortage issues. “I think…the judges [were] impressed by our students,” said PSU Undergraduate Supply and Logistics Management Program Instructor Daniel Wong. “We are very diverse. The judges love the power in diversity [and] other schools are not providing that.” For the initial competition, held on Oct. 18 at PSU, each participating university was allowed eight teams with up to five members. The competition rules required all team members to be undergraduates in the School of Business and at least one member to be in the supply and logistics management program. Representatives from Boeing came to each university to judge the case study presentations, in which each team had 30 minutes to present their solution to the same case. The winning teams from each university were selected to travel to Seattle, where the four final teams presented their case solutions to a panel of Boeing vice presidents and directors. As second-place winners, PSU’s team members were awarded small stipends toward tuition reimbursement. “The point is that we are on the map,” Wong said. “We are noticed by Boeing. The real benefit of participating [is] students who are involved have a chance to really put their learning into practice in a close to real life situation and...get feedback from working professionals.” He also said the competition’s 40 participants had all become prime candidates for internships at Boeing. According to Wong, Boeing labeled PSU as a supply chain-focused school due to the School of Business’ strong supply and logistics management program.
Wong said PSU Business Professor Lee Buddress spearheaded the program in the mid-1990s. “He understood what the industry needs were and changed the curriculum,” Wong said. Boeing comes to PSU every fall to recruit summer interns. According to Wong, out of the 16 interview spots available this year, 13 were offered to students who participated in the case study competition. “The Boeing internship is very desirable because they convert 90 percent of their interns into permanent jobs,” Wong said. PSU’s website claims the School of Business is the most diverse in the state. Though PSU Vanguard was not able
to independently verify this claim, School of Business Marketing Director Erin Merz said only about 30 percent of undergrad business students identify as white. “From my perspective, [the PSU team’s win] proves the point about diversity and diversity in thought,” Wong said. “One of the [students] didn’t even speak [English] that well when he first arrived [at PSU]...They figured out how to work together and how to communicate…lastly, having the confidence when English is not your native tongue and presenting in front of the executive team of Boeing is not easy.” “Credit goes to the students and goes to the environment here [at PSU] to make them feel comfortable,” Wong said. “That’s where the power of thought comes from.”
COURTESY OF DANIEL WONG
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NEWS
BUILDINGS, DEPARTMENTS GEAR UP FOR NAME CHANGES SHANDI HUNT
Several name changes affecting two academic units and two campus buildings were announced Nov. 5 during a Faculty Senate meeting. The Faculty Senate voted to approve the renaming of the Graduate School of Education to the College of Education and the Office of Graduate Studies to the Graduate School. Faculty Senate Presiding Officer Thomas Luckett also announced Neuberger Hall will be renamed after Fariborz Maseeh, a Portland State alumnus whose foundation has donated $5 million toward the $70 million renovation of the building and has donated over $12 million in the past. Neuberger Hall was named in 1972 to honor Army veteran and Oregon Senator Richard Neuberger, who championed a four-year public college in Portland during PSU’s tumultuous early years. PSU plans to preserve the name by renaming the Market Center Building after Neuberger. “There will be a renaming ceremony in about a month,” Luckett said. The Neuberger family is expected to attend the ceremony.
The Education Policy Committee voted to recommend the Graduate School of Education be renamed to the College of Education to reflect changes made to the program, including offering a curriculum in special education to undergraduate students. A majority of public universities in Oregon that offer education programs refer to themselves as Colleges of Education. The Office of Graduate Studies had offered $10,000 to assist with the name change, according to Dean of the Graduate School of Education. Marvin Lynn, and the name changes were the result of collaboration between the two academic units. The proposal outlined how the rebranding of the school will follow the five-year plan to have the school nationally recognized for its work with the surrounding communities, tribal nations and increase the validity and credibility with grant funders. The Office of Graduate Studies name change proposal to Graduate School was unanimously voted for by the EPC. Their proposal stated the Office of Graduate Studies already performs the roles of a graduate school
NEUBERGER HALL WILL BE RENAMED AFTER FARIBORZ MASEEH. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD and remarked other universities with comparable-sized graduate programs, commonly refer to themselves as “Graduate School.” According to Dean of Graduate Studies
Rossitza Wooster, renaming the Office of Graduate studies to “school” or “college” will elevate and illustrate the importance of the program.
VIGIL FOR DIEGO TEJADA-MANZO
ONE YEAR LATER, SLAIN FATHER’S FAMILY WAITS FOR JUSTICE
CHRIS MAY A small group gathered on the evening of Nov. 7 outside the Vue Apartment complex for a vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of the death of Diego Tejada-Manzo, a father who was murdered steps away from Portland State’s campus days after his 21st birthday. “It’s hard,” said Melissa Renner-Metcalf, who attended the vigil and identified herself as Diego’s second mom. “There are little reminders every day. We’re still waiting for justice before we can even start to heal.” Tejada-Manzo was brutally beaten by a group of three men before being fatally shot in the chest, according to testimony by Portland Police Homicide Detective Rico Beniga during a bail hearing earlier this year. Nicholas Hannan, who was 19 at the time of the alleged murder, is charged with TejadaManzo’s death. Hannan’s brother, David Brown, is charged with assault in connection to the murder. The trial for both men is scheduled for January 2019. Hannan said in a recorded police interview he was upset over a prior fistfight with TejadaManzo in Sherwood and had gone into Portland looking for him the night of the murder.
BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
Crystal Romero, a junior at PSU, previously lived in Montgomery Residence Hall and was a witness to Tejada-Manzo’s murder. Romero said she became close with his family after attending a vigil last year.
“Diego’s family remind me of my own family in a lot of ways,” Romero said. “I think that’s part of why we’re still connected. I didn’t even know this person, but seeing what I saw, how can you not want to know more about them?” A year later, Romero said she still feels frustrated with the response from PSU administration following the shooting. Before any suspects were arrested or Tejada-Manzo was identified, PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office sent out an email announcement stating, “There is no ongoing threat or involvement to the campus community and the victim in this incident is not affiliated with [PSU].” Romero said she has a typed statement she is preparing to read during upcoming listening forums conducted by Margolis Healy, a consulting firm undertaking a comprehensive review of PSU’s campus public safety policy following the shooting of Jason Washington by campus police officers. “The statement basically says [PSU] can’t ignore it this time,” Romero continued. “CPSO were the first people on the scene when Diego was shot. You can’t tell me PSU has nothing
to do with this. It happened a stone’s throw from my dorm.” Renner-Metcalf and Romero both said they usually avoid the corner at the one-way road on SW Park Ave. and Montgomery. “Sometimes I’ll come down here after a hard day at work, or on days like this when I really miss him,” Renner-Metcalf said. Jose Perez also attended the vigil and lived in Montgomery Residence Hall a year ago. “I just wonder,” Perez said, “Would it have made a difference if Diego was white, or something else? Would people have paid more attention to it?” Romero said Tejada-Manzo’s mother received a plant for Mother’s Day this year, and when the two of them reached out to the university about planting it near the site of Tejada-Manzo’s death as a memorial, they were denied. “Nature has so many healing symbols and to me, fall is one of those symbols,” Romero explained. “You shed your leaves, it’s cold, the trees are naked and ugly and everything is gray and depressing, but then spring comes and you’ve got flowers.”
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
PROTESTERS RALLY AGAINST SESSIONS RESIGNATION SOPHIE CONCANNON AND MICHAEL KIDD
A group of protesters gathered on the evening of Nov. “Donald Trump just crossed a red line, violating the inde- incidents since 2017 in which Whitaker challenged or at8 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park to protest the forced pendence of the investigation pursuing criminal charges in the tacked the Mueller investigation via social media and in resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions by President Trump-Russia scandal and cover-up,” organizers stated in a cable news appearances. Donald Trump. post on Nov. 8. “Trump putting himself above the law is a threat Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March Sessions is to be replaced by Matthew Whitaker, an out- to our democracy, and we’ve got to get Congress to stop him.” 2017 following public backlash for failing to disclose in a spoken opponent of special Senate hearing that he counsel Robert Mueller’s inveshad participated in two tigation into Russian interfermeetings with Russian ence in the 2016 presidential Ambassador Sergey I. election. Sessions had previKislyak, The New York ously recused himself from Times reported. Sessions the investigation—overseen by claimed the failure to disthe Attorney General’s office— close was a simple overwhich some have speculated sight and the meeting was as the cause of his forced restaken for legitimate purignation, The New York Times poses. Deputy Attorney reported. Whitaker’s appointGeneral Rod Rosenstein ment as an alleged attempt to had been overseeing interfere in the Mueller investiMueller’s investigation in gation has also raised concerns. Sessions’ place. The protest, dubbed the Trump has become in“Nobody is Above The Law creasingly hostile to Rally,” is part of a nationSessions over the past year. wide series of protests against Sources reported Trump Whitaker’s appointment. Tens struggled to find enough of thousands of protesters Senate backing to fire convened at city halls, courtSessions. As the midterm houses and landmarks across election approached, Vox the United States in defense reported, more and more of Mueller and any attempt to Republican members of interfere with the investigathe Senate began to hint tion. These protests are part at being open to replacing of a rapid response plan outSessions after the elections. lined by a network of liberal orWhile Sessions’ resignaganizations known together as tion was the focus of the Nobody is Above the Law. PORTLANDERS GATHER DOWNTOWN TO PROTEST OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. ALEXEI MARIN/PSU VANGUARD rally, many protesters said The network’s partners init was also a good way to exclude Women’s March, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, the Service “We’re here today to stand up for justice and to show our press general frustrations with the Trump administration. Employees’ International Union and the Working Families kids what it’s like to fight back against injustice and things Rallier Jackie Tate said she was protesting “to proParty. Its website lays out a series of so-called red lines that we think are illegal and super harmful for our country and tect democracy.” could threaten Mueller’s investigation and details plans for their future,” protester Rebecca Sanders said. “[There is a] general feeling of being infuriated with massive protests should Trump cross them. These red lines Fellow protester Miranda McCormack said she agreed, what’s happening, and it’s one of those things where I call, include the firing of Mueller, the pardoning of key witnesses adding, “nobody is above the law.” I vote, I email, I donate, but…it doesn’t feel like enough,” and “actions that would prevent the investigation from being The controversy surrounding Whitaker’s appointment rally participant Allison O’Neill said. “Coming to these conducted freely, such as replacing Deputy Attorney General stems largely from an op-ed he wrote for CNN in August [rallies] feels like a bit of a recharge and a way to connect Rod Rosenstein, Mueller’s current supervisor, or repealing 2017, in which he claimed Mueller’s investigation was “go- with people who want to be more involved and…it’s hopethe regulations establishing the office.” ing too far.” The New York Times also reported several fully inspiring.”
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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
SPORTS
VIKINGS BREAK CENTURY MARK
PSU MEN’S BASKETBALL BEAT OUT UC RIVERSIDE
IN WIN AGAINST WARNER PACIFIC
DEANTE STRICKLAND (NO. 11) A GUARD FOR THE VIKINGS DRIVES AROUND A DEFENDER VS UC RIVERSIDE. THE VIKINGS WIN THE GAME 71-64 IN THE VIKING PAVILION. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD THE PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM BEGIN THEIR SEASON VS WARNER PACIFIC KNIGHTS. JORDAN STOTLER (NO. 11) WINS THE OPENING JUMP-BALL AS THE VIKINGS ROUT THE KNIGHTS 102-49 IN THE VIKING PAVILION. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD
CODY JONES Portland State’s men’s basketball team moved past a tough Nov. 6 loss at University of Oregon, putting together a 71-64 win against the UC Riverside Highlanders on Saturday, Nov. 10. The two teams battled for all of the first half, exchanging leads multiple times and remaining within points of each other. The Highlanders were gaining momentum for the last part of the first half, but a last second layup by junior forward Rashaad Goolsby shifted the momentum back over to the Vikings and tied up the game at 36 by halftime. In the second half, the Vikings kept the momentum going, putting on an impressive defensive performance that kept the Highlanders from scoring for the remainder of the game. Their stellar defense—along with a 15-1 run late in the game—sealed the deal for the
Vikings, who ultimately walked away with the win. Barret Peery, head coach of PSU’s men’s basketball team, credited “a lot of deflection [and] a lot of blocked shots” to the momentum that carried the Vikings to their home-opening win. However, Peery was quick to say the Vikings “didn’t shoot the ball well all week,” and noted this was something the Vikings would need to improve, going forward. Senior guard Derek Brown had a strong performance where he filled out the stat sheet, leading the team both in points and rebounds—12 and 6, respectively—as well as three assists and a steal. The Vikings’ next game will be against the Willamette Bearcats, a Division III team out of Salem, Ore., at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 in the Viking Pavilion.
DAVID GILLESPIE During their first-ever regular season game at the new Viking Pavilion sporting facility, the Vikings women’s basketball team came out in full force, dishing out a lopsided, 102-49 loss to the Warner Pacific Knights. The home-opening win on Friday, Nov. 9 game was the first time that Portland State women’s basketball team scored over 100 points in a regular season game since a 1995 victory against Cal State San Bernardino. The game seemed to have been decided from the beginning, with the Vikings ending the first half ahead 50-26 and continuing the momentum throughout the rest of the game. Freshman guard Desirae Hansen had a standout performance during her first regular season game with the Vikings, fin-
ishing with 22 points, four assists, four rebounds, a block and five steals. Hansen also managed to make four of her five three point attempts. Senior center Courtney West also had an exceptional game, utilizing her superior height to menace Warner Pacific and finish the game with 28 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Including the two pre-season matches also held at Viking Pavilion, PSU’s women’s basketball team has been a dominant force, winning all three home matches to date by a differential of 35 points or more. Their next game will be Friday, Nov. 16 at Viking Pavilion against the UC Davis Aggies, an NCAA team within the Big West division.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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SPORTS
BENGALS SWEEP PORTLAND STATE MONICA JUAREZ
The Portland State volleyball team dropped three sets in a row to Idaho State University on Thursday, Nov. 8 in Pocatello, Idaho, ending their night with a 4-11 record in the Big Sky Conference and a 5-22 record overall. This was the second meeting between the Vikings and the Bengals this season. The first one took place on Oct. 13 and also ended with a loss for the Vikings. The squads exchanged sets that night before heading into the fifth and final set—Idaho State finishing with a 3-2 win over PSU. Thursday’s match against the Idaho State Bengals was even less favorable for the Vikings, as the squad never managed to find their footing, and allowed the
Bengals to confidently overpower them in all three sets. Senior middle blocker (MB) Katy Wilson and freshman outside hitter (OH) Peyton McBride led the Vikings in kills with seven and six, respectively. Wilson also led the team in blocks with seven. Another notable performance from the Vikings came from sophomore setter Maddy Reeb, who recorded 16 assists and four blocks. The Vikings volleyball squad will wrap up their 2018 season with a final home match against Sacramento State on Nov. 13 at Viking Pavilion. The Vikings have not managed to clinch a spot in the Big Sky Volleyball championship tournament, their first time to miss the cut since 2015.
PORTLAND STATE VOLLEYBALL BLOCK A POINT FROM THE IDAHO STATE BENGALS. PSU LOST THE MATCH IN 3 SETS. COURTESY OF PORTLAND STATE ATHLETICS
VIKINGS BREAK RECORDS AT NCAA WEST REGIONAL RACE DAVID GILLESPIE
A MEMBER OF THE PORTLAND STATE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM, SARAH MEDVED, COMPETES DURING THE NCAA WEST REGIONAL IN SACRAMENTO, CALIF. COURTESY OF PORTLAND STATE ATHLETICS
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The Vikings broke expectations during the Big Sky Conference championship meet on Oct. 27 at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, Calif. Both the men’s and women’s teams exceeded their preseason rankings, and senior runners Sarah Medved and Kaila Gibson both came away with top 10 individual finishes, the first pair to do so in the history of Portland State’s cross country program. The Vikings returned on Nov. 9 to Haggin Oaks, this time for the NCAA West Regional race, and made it quite clear they weren’t done shattering expectations—or records. On the men’s side, freshman runners Max Norman and Drew Seidel both finished within the Top 100 as individuals, the first time two PSU runners on the men’s team have done so at the NCAA West Regionals since 2003. On the women’s team, Medved and Gibson turned in a historic performance. The stand-
out senior runners finished 39th and 40th, respectively, with finishing times separated by three-tenths of a second. Their finishing times shattered PSU’s previous record for the 6k by 10 seconds, a record not beaten since 2013. They were also the first pair of runners for the women’s cross country team to finish in the top 50 at Regionals—let alone the top 40—since the beginning of PSU’s Cross Country program. All in all, the NCAA West Regionals marked an exemplary end for the dynamic duo of Kaila Gibson and Sarah Medved. Both runners will finish their collegiate careers with top three all-time PSU records in the 4k, 5k and 6k races. This year’s NCAA West Regionals also seemed to harken a promising new era of cross country dominance on the men’s side, as freshman runners Max Norman and Drew Seidel and the rest team will seek to continue improving in the coming years.
SPORTS
VIKINGS FALL TO FIGHTING HAWKS DAVID GILLESPIE Going into the game against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Saturday, Nov. 10, the Vikings knew they were in for a tough matchup. North Dakota functions as an independent team with no conference affiliation, but they had kept several teams to 15 points or less going into their game against Portland State, so the Vikings came prepared for a clash of defenses. While the Vikings did manage to perform admirably on the defensive side, they floundered with their offense, managing to score only one touchdown and a 25-yard field goal for the entirety of the game. “It was a defensive struggle, and we couldn’t get enough points,” head coach Bruce Barnum said. “I feel bad, because our defense played valiantly.”
Leading 10-7 in the fourth quarter, freshman quarterback Davis Alexander threw a pass that was picked off by the Fighting Hawks’ Lenny Nelson, who turned the interception into a 58yard touchdown, giving North Dakota a lead that never ended up being recaptured by PSU. Following a late field goal by North Dakota that widened their lead to 17-10, the Vikings failed to put together a responding touchdown in the final few minutes of the game, walking away with a devastating loss in a game that was a grind from open to close. The Vikings will take to the field for their final regular season game of the year on Friday, Nov. 16 against Eastern Washington University—the current second-place team in the Big Sky Conference— at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Ore.
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS FOOTBALL TEAM IN A FILE PHOTO FROM SEPT. 22, 2018. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
WHAT’S ON DECK?
DAVID GILLESPIE
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. SACRAMENTO STATE
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. UC DAVIS
MEN’S FOOTBALL VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
NOV. 13 @ VIKING PAVILION, PORTLAND, OR
NOV. 16 @ VIKING PAVILION, PORTLAND, OR
NOV. 16 @ HILLSBORO STADIUM, HILLSBORO, OR
NOV. 17 @ VIKING PAVILION, PORTLAND, OR
The Vikings volleyball team has now missed their opportunity to clinch a playoff spot in the Big Sky Championship tournament. However, fans can catch Portland State play a final home match against Sacramento State on Nov. 13 at Viking Pavilion. The game will serve as Senior Night, where the senior volleyball players will be recognized for their contributions to the team.
The women’s basketball team has been on an absolute tear as of late, handing out three 35+ point losses in two pre-season games and one regular season game. UC Davis is an NCAA team from the competitive Big West conference, and the Vikings will look to capitalize on their recent offensive momentum to take home another win 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 at Viking Pavilion.
After suffering two close, heartbreaking losses to both Idaho State and North Dakota, the Vikings’ football team will look to log a win against Eastern Washington, the current second-place team in the Big Sky Conference and rival to the Vikings. Although the recent record shows two straight losses for PSU, the Vikings have maintained a certain level of offensive strength, particularly at the hands of freshman quarterback Davis Alexander. The Vikings will try to turn things around at home 7:05 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16 at Hillsboro Stadium.
Portland State’s men’s basketball team came away with a home opening win against UC Riverside in their first-ever regular season game at Viking Pavilion, and they will attempt to develop a two-game winning streak against the Willamette University Bearcats, a Division III team out of Salem, Ore. The Bearcats have won two straight games in the beginning of their regular season and should serve as a favorable matchup for the Vikings. The game will be held 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 at Viking Pavilion.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
THIS WEEK
around the
WORLD
November 5–11
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5 1 2 3
1
Nov. 5
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Nov. 5 the official launch to building the country’s first nuclear research reactor, alongside projects geared toward renewable energy, water desalination, genetic medicine and aerospace manufacturing. In March 2018, MBS said in an interview with CBS, “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but without a doubt, if Iran developed a nuclear bomb, we will follow suit as soon as possible.” When completed, Saudi Arabia will be the second country after the United Arab Emirates to have nuclear technology in the Gulf. 2
Nov. 6
Philippines
Prominent human rights lawyer Benjamin Ramos was killed after being gunned down by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle. According to the Philippine Star, the incident occurred when Ramos was taking a break from one of his cases on the night of Nov. 6. Ramos, a founding member of the human rights group National Union of People’s Lawyers, which provides legal assistance for victims of human rights abuses, had recently received death
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threats after providing legal assistance to families of nine victims shot dead in October. He was also known for taking pro bono cases. Ramos is now the 24th lawyer killed in the past two years in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte. 3
Nov. 9
Mogadishu, Somalia
Around 30 people were killed and 17 wounded in a series of attacks on the capital of Somalia. At least two car bombs and one other explosion detonated near the busy area around the Sahafi Hotel and the Criminal Investigation Department, with heavy gunfire following. Police Captain Mohamed Ahmed told Reuters 22 civilians and 6 attackers were killed in the onslaught. According to Al Jazeera, militant group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility. 4
Nov. 9
Germany
Nov. 9 marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night in which a wave of murders and destruction against Jews began in 1938. Named for the glass covering the streets after Jewish businesses and synagogues were looted, Kristallnacht is consid-
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ered a turning point in the persecution of Jews in Europe by the Nazis. In remembrance of the tragedy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke at a synagogue in Berlin, saying Germany in particular has “a moral duty to fight rising anti-Semitism,” as reported by Haaretz. “Jewish life is blossoming again in Germany—an unexpected gift to us after the Shoah [Holocaust]. But we are also witnessing a worrying anti-Semitism that threatens Jewish life in our country.” On the same day, right-wing, nationalist organization We are for Germany held a rally in the capital streets to “commemorate the victims of politics and their actions.” The rally was originally banned by Interior Minister Andreas Geisel. However, according to German news outlet Deutsche Welle, that decision was overturned by the Administrative Court in Berlin. 5
Nov. 9–10
Jordan
Over 3,500 tourists were evacuated from the ancient city of Petra and surrounding historical sites as torrential rains and flash flooding hit the area. According to Haaretz, at least 12 people were killed including children and a diver assisting in rescue efforts. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported nine people were admit-
ted to the hospital, while two women and a girl were killed after their car was swept away by the floods. Tourists were taken to a shelter in the nearby city of Ma’an, and rescue efforts continued in search of missing people. 6
Nov. 11
Global
Nov. 11, 2018 marked the 100-year anniversary since the end of WWI when the Allies and Germany officially signed the armistice, ending a war in which 40 million died. Ceremonies were held around the world to mark the occasion. In Britain, two minutes of silence were held at the 11th hour, the time in which the armistice was signed in 1918, and a remembrance service was held at Westminster Abbey. In Paris, the city where the armistice was signed, world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres met at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe. President Donald Trump was also in attendance. Ceremonies were also held in Australia and New Zealand, while in India, “memorials were held for the 74,000 troops who died fighting on the other side of the world,” as reported by the BBC.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the future of consumerism
P. 12
Snowpocalypse Part II
P. 13
Portland’s other independent bookstores
P. 14
Best beer this time of year
P. 15
Global dinner table
P. 16
Celebrating cultures
P. 18
Sustainable gift guide
P. 20
Merry Sol Invictus
P. 21
Fire lookout towers
P. 22
Stay active during the holidays
P. 23
How to avoid the holiday blues
P. 24
Home for the holidays
P. 25
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BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY AND THE FUTURE OF CONSUMERISM
HOLIDAY HAVOC
JULIANNA ROBIDOUX
The holiday season retailers are counting on shoppers to take department stores by storm on Black Friday and scour the internet for deals on Cyber Monday. Shoppers in the United States spent a record $5 billion in 24 hours during Black Friday last year, according to Adobe Digital Insights, a firm that tracks 80 percent of transactions from 100 major retailers. The same year, Cyber Monday became the largest online shopping day in U.S. history, with $6.59 billion in digital transactions. “Together, these two marketing ploys have transformed holiday shopping, making it more of a frantic and—at times—even dangerous event,” said Brandon Reich, Portland State assistant professor in marketing, whose work on social psychology and the effects on the marketplace of prosocial consumer movements has appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research. “The process has become so easy and so fast that if you have Amazon Prime you can pick something—you can swipe with your finger on your phone in one motion, and it’s already on the way, and it will get there in maybe two days or less,” Reich said. Since its origins, Black Friday has become an essential shopping day for many Americans. After counting their intangible blessings on turkey day, shoppers go wild. Instead of stuffing their faces, they flock to Walmart to stuff their shopping carts. According to BlackFriday.com, the term “Black Friday” originated in Philadelphia in the 1960s when accounting was done by hand and losses were inked in red, while profits were noted in black. The first ever Cyber Monday following Black Friday was marked in 2005, urging shoppers to wait for online sales instead of braving swarms of actual shoppers a few days before. Philip Nguyen, a senior in PSU’s School of Business, said online shopping has become increasingly easier. “Waiting for Black Friday deals in-store was the norm. Now, Black Friday shopping doesn’t even always land on Friday, when you get good deals online throughout the season,“ he said. Cassidy Johnston, a 2016 PSU grad with a degree in advertising who is now a brand manager for Portland ad agency R/ West, echoed Nguyen’s take on the ease of online shopping. “People shop online, and early,” Johnston said. “Black Friday doesn’t exist any longer.” Johnston went on to describe how the brands she works with create campaigns a week before Black Friday, extending through the end of the month or longer. “Brands want your dollars now, and they’re not going to wait until a specific date to get them,” Johnston explained. “Consumers are ready for this. No one wants to wait outside in the cold to get into a Best Buy—they are going to hop online on Nov. 1 and purchase everything they need from their favorite online retailer throughout the month.” Holiday spending through November and December 2017 increased 5.5 percent over the previous year to $691.9 billion, according to the National Retail Foundation. Deloittes’ annual forecast expects that number to grow another 5 percent or so this year, with e-commerce estimated to see a 22 percent bump. Reich said Black Friday has, over time, shifted more toward materialism. “Initially it was a little bit more innocent, as just ‘here’s an opportunity to save some money,’ and it sort of grew to the point of being dangerous, where people would get trampled.” Following these less benign manifestations of materialism, Reich said a shift in cultural values began to take place along with a growing rejection of things like Black Friday among individual consumers and organizations like Adbusters. Buy Nothing Day, promoted by the organization, reimagines Black
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KEYALI SMITH
Friday as an international day of protest against consumerism. Reich also cited REI’s #OptOutside campaign as an example of pushback against materialism. “Historically they’ve been open to capitalize on all the deals, but they’re instead turning to this growing rejection of materialism and instead selling it as an idea,” Reich said. Instead of taking the money, the company was choosing to take the moral high ground by discouraging overconsumption in favor of healthy physical activity. Johnston’s perspective on REI’s approach is that it’s just a different type of marketing ploy. “Thinking of the #OptOutside movement from REI: You may not shop there on Black Friday, but instead REI will most likely get your dollars throughout the year because they knew that campaign was going to leave a lasting impression,” Johnston said. When asked if he had a message for PSU students in the days leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness, Reich said consumer savvy is key.
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“Just from the perspective of being a wise consumer, if you feel like you want something, spend a minute thinking about why you want it,” Reich continued. “Just reflect. Where does that come from? Does it come from cultural values? Does it come from a message that was brought to you by a company? Whatever the answer is, it’s okay if you still want to buy whatever you want to buy, but you’ll probably end up with more well-reasoned choices.” Johnston predicts the future of holiday retail will keep evolving with the values favored by the next generation. “There’s a generation coming up that most likely won’t participate in days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday; this generation cares about brands doing the right things, supporting their local artists and giving a gift that means something. Everyone can shop on Amazon; not everyone can get a gift from a shop like Presents of Mind on Hawthorne,” Johnston said. “All around, I believe Gen Z will change the way we shop for the holidays.”
HOLIDAY HAVOC
SNOWPOCALYPSE PART II
IS PORTLAND READY? CODY JONES
FOUR PEOPLE ROLLING SNOW INTO GIANT SNOWBALLS ON THE EASTBOUND BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN LANE OF THE TILLIKUM CROSSING DURING A SNOWSTORM LAST WINTER. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
CROWS FLY OVER PETTYGROVE PARK DURING A SNOWSTORM LAST WINTER, SHOT FROM THE 11TH FLOOR OF AN APARTMENT ON SW 4TH AVE. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
As winter looms, it’s hard to forget the infamous Portland Snowpocalypse of 2016, when on Dec. 16 a snowstorm hit the Portland metro area overnight, producing three inches by morning. People in the Midwest and East Coast would’ve thought we had gotten three feet. Traffic was bumper to bumper, public transportation shut down, people even abandoned their cars on roads and highways and streets remained empty, covered in snow and ice. Basically, the whole town shut down and everyone took a snow day. So the question at hand is, is Portland ready to handle Snowpocalypse Part II? One of the many factors contributing to the citywide shutdown of 2016 was Portland’s lack of a strong snow removal system: We just don’t have that many snow plows. According to an Oregonian article written right after the snowstorm, Portland only has 55 trucks—not many for a city Portland’s size. Combine that with the miles upon miles of streets Portland Bureau of Transportation has to clear, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Another issue is that Portland uses magnesium chloride—an ice melting compound that has to be sprayed days in advance—instead of rock salt. PBOT sprayed magnesium chloride in anticipation of the 2016 storm, but it didn’t do its trick and the snow accumulated. Like most major cities, PBOT mainly treats ramps, interstates and highways, overlooking most sideroads or neighborhood streets.
Aaron Golub, a professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State, said Portland uses magnesium chloride instead of rock salt due to concerns about pollution and damage to roads. According to Willamette Week, Portland has been using some salt on certain roads since early 2017. Golub said he thought the main issue behind Portland’s snow problem is that it’s expensive to address, especially when the city only has a few snow days every year. “It doesn’t make sense to put the infrastructure in place for a few days out of the year,” he said. Golub also said Portland’s unique geography presents problems that can’t easily be fixed. “The danger lies in the West Hills,” he said. “It is treacherous to address the removal of snow and ice. We have one city that is [both] hilly and flat.” Even if Portland had the right measures in place to prevent a citywide shutdown like the one following the Snowpocalypse, Golub said, Portland will always face challenges in clearing snow from areas where a significant number of people live. The effect of this is that teachers, city officials and businesspeople struggle to get from their homes in the hills to their places of work downtown or on the east side. With this being the case, Portland will probably never be truly prepared for Snowpocalypse Part II. There will always be neighborhood roads that won’t be cleared, causing schools and businesses to close for the day. In other words, don’t be surprised if PSU decides to give their students a snow day sometime in the near future.
TIRE TRACKS AND FOOT PRINTS AROUND THE SIGN NEAR OMSI. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
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HOLIDAY HAVOC
PORTLAND’S OTHER INDEPENDENT
BOOKSTORES
POWELL’S IS GREAT, BUT HERE ARE SEVEN ALTERNATIVES RYAN O’CONNELL ANNIE BLOOM’S BOOKS 7834 SW CAPITOL HWY. ANNIEBLOOMS.COM This shop in Multnomah Village, which opened in 1978, is quaint but not in a frivolous way, complete with green awning out front and a lounging cat named Molly. Check out the expertly selected table displays and large selection of children’s books. Also, coffee. CAMERON’S BOOKS AND MAGAZINES 336 SW THIRD AVE. CAMERONSBOOKSANDMAGAZINES.COM Tired of order and structure? Come here to browse away the hours in a dusty maze with a large number of vintage magazines and paperbacks. Find everything from hidden treasures to “Who would want to buy this?” Disregard the grumpy hand lettered signs at your peril. A CHILDREN’S PLACE 1423 NE FREMONT ST. ACHILDRENSPLACEBOOKSTORE.COM This book mecca has been developing local brains since it opened in 1974 and claims
the title of Portland’s oldest independent children’s bookstore. Is that an independent bookstore for children, or a bookstore for independent children? Don’t get distracted; this is about the books. The business also supports Community Transitional School for children of houseless families with an annual book donation. EXCALIBUR COMICS 2444 SE HAWTHORNE BLVD. EXCALIBURCOMICSPDX.COM This 40-year-old shop on Hawthorne claims to be “the oldest and coolest comic book store in Portland,” but is obviously legit, and I’m not just saying that because you can browse the shelves using Google Street View. FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY STORE AT MULTNOMAH COUNTY CENTRAL LIBRARY 801 SW 10TH AVE. FRIENDS-LIBRARY.ORG/STORE A tiny shop just inside the library’s front entrance, which sells a nicely curated selection of donated books, along with new coffee mugs, socks and other souvenirs. Proceeds benefit
GOOD Market is a pop-up shop featuring unique goods from Portland State Art+Design Students. Hosted by Land Gallery 3925 N. Mississippi
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special library programs. If you don’t find a book to buy, borrow one of the library’s two million volumes. MOTHER FOUCAULT’S BOOKSHOP 523 SE MORRISON ST. MOTHERFOUCAULTSBOOKSHOP.COM Ever wonder why a certain giant independent bookstore lacks that wonderful smell of musty old books? It’s because they’re all here: sophisticated, venerable, leatherbound volumes, including many complete sets, for sniffing or reading. Ask about the shop’s artist in residence or browse the rare book room by appointment. OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM 1200 SW PARK AVE. OHS.ORG Purchase hard-to-find books on local history, artwork and prints by local artists, plus back issues of Oregon Historical Quarterly. Also find recently published works of local interest, such as Peter Kopp’s Hoptopia: A World of Agriculture and Beer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
AUTHOR AND PHILOSPHER BENJAMIN WACHS READS FROM ONE OF HIS BOOKS AT MOTHER FOUCAULT’S BOOKS. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
GOOD THINGS ARE COMING! Dec. 1–2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
HOLIDAY HAVOC
BEST BEER AT THIS TIME OF YEAR LUKAS AMSDEN
PROST, A BEER HALL IN PORTLAND. ALEX KIRK AMEN/PSU VANGUARD
Oktoberfest is perhaps the premier autumn festival and, for Munich, the largest volksfest in the world where naturally Germany’s, and specifically Bavaria’s best is celebrated. German beers overwhelmingly represent the best beers to drink in autumn. Fall beers should be full-bodied, yeasty, amber in color and potentially spiced with clove. Prost—meaning “cheers” in German—is an excellent bar on Mississippi Ave. in North Portland where the first beer on this list is served. With its full body and hints of clove, the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is pretty much the epitome of an autumn beer. For the colder days as fall begets winter, the Köstritzer Schwarzbier, or black bier, is full, frothy and perfect in a chill. Germany competes with Belgium and the Czech Republic over the beer supremacy of Europe; no list would be complete without a good Trappist ale. Hailed the “holy grail of beers,” the Westvleteren 12 has been brewed by monks sporting friar tucks since 1838. It’s a strong beer with 10.2 percent alcohol by volume and is consistently ranked the “best beer in the world.” However, a pilgrimage is necessary to try it as it is only sold at the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus in Vleteren, Belgium. While not a Trappist, Huyghe Brewery is arguably Belgium’s most popular brand, although it is better known by its Delirium line with its iconic pink elephant logo and happening bar street in Brussels. The Christmas-themed Delirium Noel will keep you warm in the coming winter as the spicy yeast harmoniously melds with its soft apricot notes. The Czech Republic is a beer haven and held in high regard in Europe. The first Pilsner was brewed in Pilsen and is famously known as Pilsner Urquell. Although many consider Pilsners to be summer beers, this one is too good to pass up. It is the perfect Pilsner with a light body and honey aftertaste—there really isn’t anything more refreshing. Europe isn’t the only place to find good beer, though. Latin America also has many great options. While Colombian Bogota Beer Company produces overall quality, my personal favorite is the Cajica honey ale. With its line of beers bearing the names of the Greek pantheon, Ecuadorian craft brewery Abysmo yields the Ares, a robustly bitter, strong bourbon stout aged in oak. Although I enjoy a good Tsingtao or Green Saigon from time to time, in Asia, Japan stands head and shoulders over the continent; Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin are the country’s three beer giants. In the northernmost region of Japan stands a beautiful brick building, formerly a beet sugar factory and currently home to the Sapporo beer garden. The beer garden is the only place in the world where one can enjoy Sapporo’s five-star beer paired with Ghengis Khan, a Hokkaido delicacy consisting of lamb or mutton grilled in apple and lemon.
A 12-OUNCE GLASS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT AND A PINT OF PSU IPA. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
A 12-OUNCE GLASS OF RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT AT ROGUE BEER HALL. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
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GLOBAL DIN HOLIDAY HAVOC
Christmas Borscht
Jalebi
Latkes
Borscht, or Czerwony Barszcz, is a traditional Polish soup dating back to the 1500s, but variations of the dish exist in other parts of Eastern Europe. The soup is one of a 12dish vegetarian Christmas Eve dinner called the Wigilia meal, a notable Polish tradition according to William Comer, director of the Russian Flagship Program at Portland State.
The sticky, orange twisted dessert is one of the most common foods associated with Diwali, the Hindu holiday known as the festival of lights (due to the clay lamps left outside the home). Traditionally, jalebi is made using a fermented batter. However, there are other variations, and it’s often served with milk.
Ingredients • 4 beets • 3 qts veggie broth • 2 parsnips • 2 bay leaves • 2 onions, chopped • 10–15 mushrooms depending on type – chopped • 2 apples– chopped • 1 leek • 1 bunch parsley • Sauerkraut – chopped • 1 lemon– juiced • 1 cup fermented beet juice • 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar • 2 tsps cumin • 2 tbsps dill • 2 tsps thyme • garlic • salt and pepper • sour cream and/or pierogi to top
Ingredients • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 2 tbsps besan (also known as gram or chickpea flour) • 1/8 tsp turmeric • 1/4 tsp baking powder • 1 1/2 cup water • 1 cup sugar • 1/4 tsp saffron • 1/4 tsp lime/lemon juice • ghee or oil to deep fry
Arguably the most widely associated food with Hanukkah, latkes are made with potatoes and fried in oil, therefore often dubbed the Jewish potato pancake. Latkes as a tradition of Hanukkah are largely associated with the miracle of the oil when, after the Maccabees took back the Temple in the 2nd century, oil meant to only last for one day, lit the menorah for eight instead.
Instructions Peel and slice beets thinly and add to pot of vegetable broth. Simmer for 20–30 minutes. Chop remaining vegetables and add to pot. Add vinegar, lemon juice, beet juice and spices. Cover vegetables with broth and let simmer an additional 30 minutes. Blend the soup before serving if a creamier soup is preferred. Top with sour cream and/or pierogi.
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Instructions Mix both flours, baking powder and turmeric together and add 3/4 to 1 cup of water. Stir briskly for a few minutes. Cover and keep warm for around 15 hours. Stir the batter again, adding a tbsp or two of all-purpose flour to thicken. Pour batter into piping bag and prepare syrup. For the syrup, add 1 cup sugar with the saffron and 1/2 cup of water to a pan on low heat, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar. After the sugar dissolves and the syrup has an even consistency, add the lemon or lime juice. Keep the mixture warm. For deep frying at home, add ghee (preferred) or oil to wok or kadai pan and heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Squeeze the piping bag in circles, moving from the center to the outside. Turn over once one side is done, and remove with tongs once both sides are fried. Place the jalebi into the syrup for a few minutes ensuring both sides are coated. Repeat for each jalebi.
Ingredients • 2 1/2 lbs Yukon potatoes • 1 large white onion • 3/4 cup matzo meal • 2 large eggs • 1 tbsp potato starch • 1 1/4 tsps salt • 1/2 tsp pepper • 1 1/2 cups peanut or grapeseed oil Instructions Cut the potatoes into chunks, shred using a food processor and cover with cold water in a mixing bowl. Grate the onions using a food processor. After straining the potatoes, wrap both the potatoes and onions together in a cheesecloth and squeeze to remove any excess liquid. Put the onions and potatoes back into a mixing bowl and stir together evenly. Beat the eggs, and add the matzo meal, eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper to the mix. Place the oil in a skillet, amounting to 1/8-inch-thick, and heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using about 3 tbsps of the latke mixture, press into compacted disks and carefully place in oil. Fry each side for a few minutes, then place them aside on a wire rack to drain. Pair with applesauce and sour cream.
NNER TABLE
HOLIDAY HAVOC
Pan de Muerto
The “bread of the dead,” as its literal translation, is a critical element of Día de los Muertos. The Mexican sweet bread, while enjoyed by many, is often used as an offering for ofrendas in order to replenish spirits from their journey. The shape of the bread itself has an implied meaning, with the cross formation often representative of the bones of the dead, while the center nub may be interpreted as a teardrop, skull or the heart. Ingredients • 4 cups all-purpose flour • 2 tbsps active-dry yeast • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsps sugar • 1 tsp salt • 1/3 cup butter • 1/3 cup margarine • 5 large eggs • 2 oranges for zest • 1/4 cup water • 1 tsp orange blossom water Instructions Mix 4 eggs, margarine, salt and half the amount of sugar in a mixing bowl with a dough hook, gradually adding the flour and water at the same time, followed by the yeast. Add the butter, orange zest, the remaining sugar and the orange blossom water until mixture is even. Knead the dough on a flat surface for a few minutes, then transfer to a margarinelined bowl. Cover and set aside for a couple hours in a warm place as it rises. After the dough has risen, set a small amount aside and separate the rest into portions, taking each one in the palm of your hand while applying pressure in the center with your finger. Roll into a ball on a flat surface. Using the portion of the dough set aside, roll into small logs to form the bones, placing two on each roll with a ball of dough in the center. Brush each roll with a mixture consisting of a beaten egg and water. Cover and let rise for a couple hours, then brush again with the egg and water before baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 15 minutes while they become a golden brown color. After the bread cools, brush with butter and dust with sugar.
Shuba— Herring Under a Fur Coat
Toshikoshi-soba
Ingredients • 12 oz herring fillets • milk, as needed • 2 lbs russet potatoes • 12 oz pickled beets • 2 Granny Smith apples • 1 cup mayonnaise • 2 carrots • 3 hard-boiled eggs • 1 onion, large • 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped fresh parsley
Ingredients • 2 1/2 cups water • 4-inch piece dried konbu • 1 cup katsuobushi flakes • 3 tbsps dark soy sauce • 1 tbsp mirin • 2 tsps sugar • 2 oz dry soba noodles • 1/3 kamaboko • 1 green onion or 4-inch negi • 1 small yuzu • shichimi togarashi
This dish, which translates literally as herring under a fur coat, is a popular Russian dish for celebrating New Year’s Eve, as is the pickled vegetable salad Vinegret. As the name implies, it consists of herring as the main attraction, pickled and then covered in beets and mayonnaise.
Instructions Cover the herring with milk and let soak for 30 minutes in the fridge. Peel, dice and boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and dice the beets and grate the apples. Peel and grate the carrots, finely chop the onions and chop the boiled eggs. After the herring is done soaking, drain the milk and chop the herring. On the serving platter, arrange the potatoes and top with a layer of beets, then a layer of apples, making sure to reserve half of each for later. Cover with a layer of mayonnaise, then carrots, eggs and onions, again making sure to reserve half of each for later. Use all the herring in the next layer, then cover with a layer each of the remaining onions, eggs and carrots. Add another layer of mayonnaise and cover with layers of remaining apples, beets and onions. Cover with mayonnaise, garnish with parsley and let sit in the fridge before serving.
Celebration of Omisoka, the Japanese New Year, is a time of ridding oneself of impurities in order to enter the new year in good fortune. Soba noodles are an extension of this practice, and as such, toshikoshi-soba has become the meal of choice for Omisoka.
Instructions Soak the konbu in water for about 20 minutes. Bring to a boil and add the katsuobushi flakes. Let the stock stand for a few minutes before straining. Add the soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a boil. Cut the heat and let stand. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add the soba noodles. Let simmer until the noodles are done, then drain and rinse. Cut the kamaboko into slices, dice the negi/green onions and cut off two pieces of yuzu peel. Add the soba noodles to stock and heat again, then serve into bowls. Top with kamaboko, green onions/negi, yuzu and shichimi togarashi.
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HOLIDAY HAVOC
CELEBRATING CULTURES HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD THIS TIME OF YEAR LUKAS AMSDEN
While Christmas and Thanksgiving arguably dominate the fall and winter seasons in the United States, there are many other holidays occurring between November and January, which are found in various parts of the world and celebrated according to different traditions and cultures.
lowmas, though many of the traditions stayed. Día de los Muertos is known for its parades in which people dress in vibrant outfits and engage in life-affirming activities. It is believed during this period the dead can cross over to the realm of the living, and as such, ofrendas, or altars, often have food and drink for the tired spirits.
Oct. 7 Erntedanktag/Erntedankfest
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“Erntedankfest” is a celebration of harvest, similar in some respects to Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., with roots in pre-Christian, Pagan tradition. Commonly celebrated in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Erntedankfest is often held on the first Sunday of October. However, some regions observe it on different days. Parades are held alongside church services, followed by music, dance and food. By the end of the day, two people are coronated harvest king and queen.
Nov. 5–10 Diwali
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Considered to be the most important Hindu holiday, Diwali was celebrated on Nov. 5 this year and continued for five days. The holiday is characterized by clay lamps set outside of homes, representing the inner light that can be found in each person. Depending on the
Oct. 25 Grenada Thanksgiving
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Thanksgiving in Grenada is not a harvest festival. Rather, the holiday commemorates the day stability was restored in Grenada during a joint military operation by Caribbean and U.S. forces after the execution of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop in 1983.
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“Kinro Kansha no Hi,” meaning Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japanese, is the modern name for “Niinamesai,” a ritual-based harvest festival. First recorded in November 678 CE as a festival celebrating the harvest, the holiday evolved to celebrate the achievements of workers. The Japanese emperor headed the ritual by making the first offerings of freshly harvested rice to the gods.
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Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which commemorates a successful campaign led by Judas Maccabeus against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BCE in rededicating the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. According to tradition, only one day’s supply of oil was inside the temple, but the menorah burned for eight days. A candle is lit each night in observance of the holiday, accompanied by traditional songs and special blessings. It is customary to eat fried foods, such as latkes, in association with the miracle of the oil. Dreidel, a type of spinning top, is traditionally played by children who place bets on which letter will show once the dreidel stops spinning. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “dreidel” is Yiddish in origin, meaning “to turn,” and is derived from the German word “drehen” Religiously speaking, Hanukkah is not a high holiday, but it has become culturally significant.
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS las dropping dowry money down a chimney to save the daughters of a poor family from being sold into slavery. It may be the only day of the year you can have a candy cane blessed.
Dec. 12 The Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe This feast takes place on Dec. 12, the day when an apparition believed to be the Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego and performed miracles, such as the gathering of roses during the winter seasons. First held in 1666, the cel-
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Dec. 6 and 19 Feast of Sinterklaas St. Nicholas of Myra, or Sinterklaas as he is known in Europe, is popularly known as the father of Christmas and the patron saint of children and is honored on the feast day of Dec. 6 in western Europe and Dec. 19 in eastern Europe. Children leave their shoes in front of the fireplace in anticipation of finding them filled the very next day with candies, fruits and gifts. The practice stems from fables of St. Nicholas’ goodwill and charity toward children. One such account depicts St. Nicho
Oct. 31–Nov. 2 Día De Los Muertos “Día de los Muertos,” or the Day of the Dead, coincides with Halloween on Oct. 31 and runs until Nov. 2. According to National Geographic, the holiday is believed to have originated around 3,000 years ago with the Aztec, Toltec and Nahua people. At the time, it was celebrated in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar—August on our Gregorian calendar. With Catholic colonial influence, the date changedto align with Hal-
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Nov. 23 Kinro Kansha no Hi
Dec. 2–10 Hanukkah
Oct. 8 Canadian Thanksgiving/ L’action de grâce Canadian Thanksgiving or “L’action de grâce” falls on the second Monday of October in celebration of the harvest. The holiday is thought to have been first celebrated in 1578 by explorer Martin Frobisher after he returned from his third successful expedition to Canada. The holiday was made official in 1859 to thank God for the good harvests. It is celebrated with a feast, although according to Huffington Post, it tends to be a quieter affair than the Thanksgiving south of its border.
region, the festival has many interpretations, such as in northern India, where it commemorates King Rama’s defeat of the demon king Ravana as detailed in the epic Ramayana. Gift exchanges, firework displays and feasts are a popular way to celebrate the holiday.
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
HOLIDAY HAVOC ebration includes erecting altars of the VirginMary and recounting the story while holding mass. Following mass, people celebrate with food, music and parades in the streets. The holiday is popular all across Latin America.
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Dec. 13 St. Lucia Day St. Lucia Day is yet another Christian feast day in honor of one of the first Christian martyrs, killed by the Romans because of her beliefs in the early 4th century. The day is celebrated in Scandinavia on Dec. 13 with a festival of lights dating back to Norse Pagan bonfire rituals. Traditional songs are sung by wreath-wearing children in a procession led by a St. Lucia designee. Ginger biscuits and saffron bread with coffee are traditionally served by the eldest daughter dressed in white to family members and visitors.
Dec. 31 Omisoka
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Dec. 21 Winter solstice
Dec. 25 Pancha Ganapati
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, falling on Dec. 21 in the Northern Hemisphere. The winter solstice marks the return of the sun and is celebrated by cultures across the world, from the demonic Krampus in Austria terrorizing children to the Dongzhi festival in China. Yule, marking the rebirth of the sun goddess, is probably the most well-known winter solstice celebration among western cultures. Historically, Germanic and Nordic
Pancha Ganapati is celebrated as a festival in honor of the incarnation of Ganesha. The holiday is characterized by a gift exchange occurring on Dec. 25, the fifth and last day of Pancha Ganapati, thereby earning it the title of Hindu Christmas. Homes are decorated, sweets are eaten and children place their gifts on an altar of Pancha Ganapati before opening them.
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Kwanzaa is the kinara, which holds seven candles to represent the seven guiding principles named in Swahili: “Umoja” or unity; “kuji chagulia” or self-determination; “ujima” or collective work and responsibility, “ujamaa” or cooperative economics, “nia” or purpose, “kuumba” or creativity, and “imani” or faith. During the weeklong celebration, a different candle is lit each day, signifying one of the seven principles.
Dec. 26 Zartosht No-Diso Zartosht No-Diso is a Zoroastrianism day of remembrance, commemorating the anniversary of the prophet Zoroaster’s death. On the 11th day of the 10th month by the seasonal calendar, the faithful remember the prophet by congregating at fire temples to pray and listen to lectures on his life and work. Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It’s estimated that less than 200,000 adherents still exist, the majority of which reside in India.
Omisoka—Japan’s New Year’s Eve—is observed by cleaning one’s home, known as “osouji,” and bathing that evening in order to enter the new year pure and in good fortune, or “toshi no yu.” Soba noodles are eaten for good luck and longevity, and striking the bells at shrines 108 times—a number significant in Buddhism—is a tradition known as “joya no kane.” Omisoka dates back to the Heian period (794–1185) and is deeply rooted in the Shinto value of purification.
people celebrated with drinking, feasting and sacrifice. According to the Huffington Post, each year thousands of self-proclaimed Druids and Pagans flock to Stonehenge where they engage in song, dance and other forms of merriment.
Yet another Zoroastrian holiday, Sadeh is a winter holiday celebrating the discovery of fire. However, not much else is known of its origins due to its age and lack of mention in the Avesta, the Zoroastrian holy text. Customarily, people celebrating Sadeh gather around a bonfire lit by men and women wearing traditional white garments. The holiday marks 50 days until the Iranian New Year on March 21, which is also where the name Sadeh originates; “sad” is the Farsi term for hundred.
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Jan. 7 Orthodox Christmas While Dec. 25 marks Christmas for a majority in the West, most Orthodox Christians celebrate it about two weeks later, owing to a divergence in calendars dating back to the 1500s, when the pope created the Gregorian system. However, for many Orthodox Christians in eastern Europe and the Middle East as well as other Orthodox Christians throughout the world, Christmas in the Julian calendar falls on Jan. 7.
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COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
PHOTO KEY 1. ERNTEDANKFEST 2. DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS 3. HANUKKAH 4. THE FEAST OF OUR LADY GUADALUPE 5. WINTER SOLSTICE
Dec. 26–Jan. 1 Kwanzaa
people celebrated with drinking, feasting and COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Jan. 30 Sadeh
6. ST. LUCIA DAY
A relatively new holiday, Kwanzaa was created to celebrate Black and Pan-African culture while strengthening the bonds of community rooted in history and family. Created in 1966 during the Black Liberation Movement, the holiday’s namesake comes from the Swahili “matunda ya kwanza,” meaning “first fruits.” One of the images most often associated with
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7. YALDĀ 8. KWANZAA 9. ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS 10. SADEH
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Jan. 13 Bodhi Day/Rohatsu
Dec. 21 Yaldā
Bodhi Day is held on Jan. 13—the day Siddhartha Gautama achieved Buddhahood. Because of the nature of the holiday, it is observed quietly with tea, chanting and meditation. Because the calendar was changed from lunar to the Gregorian system during the Meiji Restoration, Zen monks in Japan celebrate the Buddha’s day of enlightenment on Rohatsu, the eighth day of the 12th month. For a week, the monks observe the Buddha through intensive meditations, with each one longer than the night before.
Coinciding with the winter solstice is Yaldā, an Iranian holiday celebrating the longest night of the year. The holiday dates back to ancient Persia before Islam became a major religion. However, it is also celebrated in various Central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, as well as countries in the Caucasus region. Traditionally, watermelon is served due to a belief that summer foods impede illness, and poetry is read aloud throughout the night. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
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HOLIDAY HAVOC
SHOP TO SUPPORT LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY THINK LOCAL AND HELP THE ENVIRONMENT MCKINZIE SMITH The best way to give this holiday season is by shopping ecofriendly and local. Lucky for us, Portland is a great place to find gifts that fit this bill. Between food, activities and a vast resource of all-natural and renewable products, it’s entirely possible to satisfy all your friends and family while supporting awesome local and sustainable businesses at the same time.
SCRAP PDX on SW Alder St. is an entirely donated craft store, complete with retro beads and buttons, fabric scraps, strings, yarn and retro boxes and bins. SCRAP offers you the chance to make something uniquely you to give to your loved ones, and not to mention, will be easy on your wallet.
LIFESTYLE
Music will never go out of style and 2nd Avenue Records is the place for all your music needs. The selection is fantastic and, if you’re willing to look, chances are 2nd Avenue has that record your friend has been ranting about. Their cassette selection vastly out-catalogs other record stores in the area. Sometimes the best gift of all is choosing to spend time together. What better way to spend time with a loved one than with a classic and mutually-cherished film? Locally-owned Movie Madness in Southeast has a prolific amount of films on its shelves for rent to take to the comfort of any home.
The new year is a great time to switch up your facial regimen. Alberta’s native beauty store Blendily has everything you need for acne, makeup removal and even sun protection (in the city that rarely sees the sun this time of year). Their products are all-natural and made in-store by the lovely women running it. As for fashion, Altar is an underrated gem. Although on the spendier side, Altar carries a wide variety of jewelry, clothing and beauty all handmade in Oregon, and the sale rack has great deals year-round. If you’re looking to thrift this holiday season, located right next door to Altar is House of Vintage, a huge warehouse filled to the brim with second-hand clothing; the selection is seemingly endless. Considering its variety, it’s easy to find a gift here as long as you’re willing to browse the racks. Other thrift gems in the area are Magpie Vintage and Red Fox Vintage.
DIY
Great sustainable gift options always include do-it-yourself gifts. If you want to get crafty, PotteryFun on SE Stark St. is an affordable, artistic, customizable and heartfelt gift option. Making your own pottery isn’t accessible to most people, so PotteryFun takes care of that for you, providing readymade mugs, plates and shapes for you to paint onto before firing up the kiln. A small mug is $14, and your mom will love it. If you are looking to get real creative and put in some time,
LOCAL MEDIA
SWEET TREATS
For those of us who don’t have the time, or talent, to bake tasty sweet treats, local eateries and bakeries are here to rescue you. Missionary Chocolates on NE Glisan St. specializes in vegan, soy-free chocolates and cakes, and they also do gluten-free upon request, perfect for guests who have dietary restrictions. Closer to Portland State campus is Saint Cupcake. If you need something quick and affordable, I can’t recommend this enough. Their small cupcakes are only $1.50 each and they taste fantastic. As a bonus, they always do holiday cupcakes to perfectly suit any party you’ll be attending this year. Go the extra mile this holiday season by shopping sustainably and locally; let the person on the other end of the gift know you care. And remember, no matter what you decide to gift this holiday season, it’s the thought that counts.
KEYALI SMITH
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
HOW TO CUT BACK ON HOLIDAY WASTE DEVON WANDERON waste in the united states rises 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. That’s about one million extra tons of garbage per week— or put in other terms, approximately 240 million Easy-Bake Ovens. I’m not trying to be the Grinch who stole Christmas here, but I think we can agree that’s far too many hypothetical Easy-Bake Ovens. Fortunately for us, trimming back on holiday waste doesn’t have to turn things into a bleak affair of passing out stalks of celery or forgoing an excessive amount of holiday cheer— which seems to be in short supply nowadays. So sit back and pop the festive cookies inside that Easy-Bake Oven and check out a few easy pointers to curb excessive holiday waste.
REUSE
If every family in the U.S. wrapped three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
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vention. This year, opt for newspapers, fabric, decorative towels or tins and jars to wrap holiday gifts. It’s also important to always reuse ribbons and bows. Stanford University conducted a study concluding if every family reused two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. Talk about the cutest thing ever.
REDUCE
Forget Hallmark cards and help cut back on the estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards, letters and envelopes that are sold in the U.S. every year. Use recycled materials or e-cards, heartfelt texts and phone calls. As for food, as tempting as it is to buy all the tasty treats, control yourself. Over 34 million tons of food is wasted each year in the U.S., so it’s important to be realistic with how much food will be eaten at holiday dinner parties. If you do end up with massive amounts of leftovers and know most of them will
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spoil, look into local soup kitchens or food banks that might be able to put it to good use. When in doubt, the freezer is always a good option.
RECYCLE
If you don’t opt for the reusable holiday tree, take advantage of Portland’s city services that will recycle your tree for you, and keep in mind when decorating said holiday tree, LED lights always beat out traditional incandescents. If you are upgrading, make sure to donate or properly recycle old lights. Speaking of lights, remember to turn them off periodically to save on energy consumption. It’s time to get creative in the pursuit of cutting back on holiday waste. Buy less and reuse and repurpose more. Not only will you be helping curb the effects of climate change, but as a bonus, you will save money while keeping said funds away from corporate conglomerates. Talk about a win-win-win.
HOLIDAY HAVOC
MERRY SOL INVICTUS YULE AND OTHER PAGAN WINTER CELEBRATIONS
CAM HOWARD The holiday season is upon us, but there are other important religious dates and festivities aside from Christmas that take place during this time of the year: one being winter solstice.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Winter solstice, alternatively called Yule or Sol Invictus, is a Pagan celebration Emperor Aurelian established in 272 CE after his troops were inspired by a divine power on the battlefield. He declared Dec. 25 as the birthdate of the “Invincible Sun” and made the day a feast-day. Not too long after, the Church decided to declare this same date to be Jesus’ birthday and soon the day was completely Christianized. Many pagan traditions were swallowed up as well.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WINTER SOLSTICE
Winter solstice is a time for reflection. Personal growth and the shedding of the past are important aspects of welcoming in a new sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a time of solitude. The solstice celebrates people and new beginnings. Partaking in group rituals is equally as important as solitary ones. Cleansing the inner self while remaining connected to the outer world and the earth is central to this time of year. Winter solstice may have a set date, but the celebration doesn’t stop there. Pagan tradition dictates celebrations go on for around a week, ending as the new year begins. This gives plenty of time to soak in the spirit of the solstice and ready oneself for a new beginning.
SO HOW CAN ONE PROPERLY OBSERVE THE SEASON?
One way is being mindful of and purposeful with any plants chosen to decorate your dwelling. Decorate your living space with sacred plants: Holly, ivy, evergreens, oak, mistletoe, frankincense, myrrh and wheat all symbolize important aspects of winter solstice such as rebirth and life. Fresh mistletoe is hung and will remain hung throughout the year to bring good luck. Christmas is similar to Yule in the way of decorating trees. Instead of ornaments, traditional Pagan symbols are hung on the tree and a blessing is placed on it, usually when the tree is cut and again when it’s being decorated. Honor the Mother Goddess: Placing art depictions around your home is encouraged and is a respectful way to welcome her into your life during this time of rebirth. Charity is an important aspect of the season. Giving back to the world around you is a key element of winter solstice. Donating food or even hanging a birdfeeder up on your porch or outdoor space are both great options. The spirit of giving is important, especially in Paganism, which is so firmly rooted to the earth and its inhabitants. You could also partake in traditional rituals. Welcome back the sun by lighting candles and chanting during a traditional ritual. Start by arranging your candles into a circle, placing one in the middle to represent the sun. Then, chant. After the first part of the chant, the sun can be lit while chanting the second portion. Continue chanting as you light the rest of the candles, starting with the one closest to the sun. Winter solstice is about new beginnings, so self-reflection should help bring focus on what changes need to be made in order to better oneself and the world. Balance this out with group meals and rituals to share the fun. Be around loved ones and participate in other winter solstice festivities together. The human experience is a big part of Pagan tradition, so share the joy of the season with others.
LISA DORN
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HOLIDAY HAVOC
FIRE LOOKOUT TOWERS
COURTESY OF TIM NIDEVER
DAVID GILLESPIE If Oregon is known for anything, it’s for featuring some of the most sought-after outdoor areas in the country, if not the world. However, when winter rears its mean, soggy head, the notion of marching out into the wilderness to sleep outside becomes far less alluring. Let’s face it: Cold, wet conditions make the thought of pitching a tent somewhat unappealing. There remains an option to enjoy the breathtaking vistas of Oregon’s countryside—even during the winter—that doesn’t involve braving the cold when it’s time to tuck in for the night. There are over a dozen fire lookout towers across Oregon perched atop hills and ridges, giving them panoramic views of the surrounding forest areas. During the warmer parts of the year, the towers are used to spot some dipshit’s abandoned campfire. The colder months provide the United States Forest Service an opportunity to make a few bucks by renting the towers out to campers. Since U.S. Forest Rangers often spend long periods of time in the towers, many are fully-furnished and, although you
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have to hike into a handful of them, most are accessible via forest service roads. If you aren’t sure what a forest service road is, it essentially means you’ll have to leave that fuel efficient two-door hybrid of yours at home and find a friend with a vehicle that can handle more than the occasional Portland pothole. Campers are also typically required to pack in their own amenities such as bedding, food, water, and basic camping gear. For as little as $50 per night in some cases, a fire lookout tower could serve as your own private bungalow. You could make it a mini-adventure for you and your friends, spend some quality time with your family or take your special someone out there and get weird where nobody’s watching—other than God, that kinky bastard. Reservations for the fire lookout towers in Oregon can be made online at recreation.gov.
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COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
HOLIDAY HAVOC
STAY ACTIVE DURING THE HOLIDAYS
TAKEN AT THE EVERGREEN CURLING CLUB DURING THE MOPAC MIXED DOUBLES COMPETITION ON NOV. 9 IN BEAVERTON, ORE. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD
DAVID GILLESPIE Winters in Portland can be taxing. The temperature plummets, the sun goes on an extended hiatus and a wetness capable of penetrating the thickest of flannels pours itself over the city. It can be tempting to avoid such weather and stay inside, wrapped up in multiple blankets and chugging seasonal lattes, but it’s important to try and stay active. Besides, if we’re being honest, it’s best we find a way to work off those holiday meals, and busting out your three-point chokehold on people while fighting for a discounted coffee maker during Black Friday isn’t going to cut it. With that in mind, we’ve compiled some casual ways you can stay active without breaking the bank or venturing outside the Portlandmetro area.
ICE-SKATING AT THE LLOYD CENTER
Ice-skating goes as far back as 4,000 years, when Finnish folks would strap bones to the bottom of their shoes in order to more easily traverse swaths of icy tundra. Now people all over the world can ice skate for fun rather than necessity. The Lloyd Center ice-skating rink is open year-round, of course, but the holiday season is the opportune time for you to hit an indoor skating rink and let out your inner Tonya Harding without looking like a weirdo. For a mere $14, you can strap on some skates, take to the ice and bask in the glory of a millennia-old
winter sport while you get enveloped by the sugary wafts of Cinnabon and Orange Julius.
CURLING
Curling is an oddball winter sport invented in Scotland in the early 16th century, and while the purpose or motive behind the game is unclear, it can’t be a coincidence it was invented only a few decades after whiskey. For $30, you can take a comprehensive, two-hour curling lesson at Evergreen Curling Club in nearby Beaverton, Ore. If you find that you’ve got a knack for it, you can invest a little bit more and take Curling 101, a five-week lesson series that will leave you prepared to participate in novice leagues. Who knows? Maybe you could find your niche within the one winter Olympics event where a healthy beer gut can find its way to the podium.
PEACOCK LANE
When it comes to staying active, something as simple as getting outside for a brisk walk can do wonders. During a cold, wet Portland winter, though, there had best be some good incentive to do so. What better way to beat the Portland pavement than to enjoy Peacock Lane, a decades-old winter time tradition in Portland where an entire neighborhood literally “decks the halls,” rigging up each and every house with a fan-
tastic array of lights. Peacock Lane is active between Dec. 15 and Dec. 31 and is free of charge. Now, it goes without saying that Christmas is merely one of many holidays Portlanders will be celebrating this winter, but don’t let that get in the way of enjoying a kick-ass light show. If it makes you more comfortable, you could call the Christmas lights “holiday lights” and pretend every nativity scene is merely a depiction of an off-the-grid couple welcoming their newborn child while surrounded by their collection of livestock and a trio of male midwives.
HOLIDAY 5K, 10K AND HALF-MARATHON RACE
Okay, okay, the first few activities don’t require a great deal of physical exertion. Maybe you’re looking for something a little less casual but still festive. Well, if really getting your sweat on is what floats your boat, then the annual Holiday 5k, 10k and half-marathon might be for you. For $18+—dependent upon the race that you enter—you can show up in nothing but your running shorts, sneakers and an ugly sweater and participate in a race that features gingerbread cookie stations, eggnog and a constant battery of carolers. Afterward, you can join a postrace party that involves seasonal beers, holiday-themed DJs and something the race website described simply as “Freddy the Yeti.”
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HOLIDAY HAVOC
HOW TO AVOID THE HOLIDAY BLUES PUT YOURSELF FIRST
KATHARINE PIWONKA The holidays seem to be associated with the highest of highs, the perfect bow on top of the conclusion to another calendar year. However, more often than not, it comes with the lowest of lows. While it has been found that United States newspapers perpetuate false correlations between suicide rates and the holidays, it is all too true that many people experience higher levels of depression and anxiety during this time of year. We could blame the onset of holiday blues on Seasonal Affective Disorder, a well-known condition common in Portland, but this isn’t the whole story. The pressure to always be present and available paired with the expectation to always be happy—drunk on holiday cheer if you will—doesn’t lay the foundation for a relaxing and stress-free holiday vacation, especially if individuals already suffer from anxiety, depression and/or a predisposition to fall into depressive moods. Depression, anxiety and overall stress commonly increase during the holidays for a variety of reasons. Financial stresses, familial pressures, over-commitment to activities and a lack of relaxation will affect mood and overall outlook on life in the moment.
percent higher than 2017—according to the National Retail Federation. This much spending is not only difficult on your wallet, but also on your state of mind. Instead of buying material things this holiday, emphasize investment in activities and experiences with loved ones. Spending time with family rather than capital-
VOLUNTEER MORE
It seems almost inappropriate to emphasize volunteering around the holidays because everyone should be helping those who need it year-round. If you need more convincing, consider that volunteering can have both mental and physical health benefits, like lower blood pressure and decreased depression.
DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU
DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN CONSUMERISM
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It may be tempting to throw routine out the window when friends and family are in town and schedules are made busier by holiday celebrations. However, do your best to avoid pressing pause on healthy, everyday routines like exercise, morning habits and hobbies. What you spend your time doing will directly translate into your mood, which affects how you experience the world around you. Feeling productive and maintaining the comfort of consistency will naturally curb anxiety and depressive mood swings. Family can be stressful. Whether it is impressing picky in-laws, navigating sticky political conversations or hosting large social dinner parties, stress and anxiety are sure to come up, especially for those of us who are introverted. Don’t be afraid to carve out an entire day to yourself amongst all the holiday chaos or leave social gatherings a little early. Also, it is important to know your limits when it comes to discussing alternative political and social views and to avoid situations where you may be uncomfortable or feel attacked.
It is easy to overindulge on holiday cookies, family feasts and morning mimosas during this time in the year. However, don’t be fooled by the short-term burst of sugar-inspired endorphins. Unhealthy foods can cause negative mood shifts.Studies show there is an association between depression and unhealthy food choices. However, complete elimination of holiday treats is probably unrealistic for most people, so aim for moderation. As for alcohol, a drug classified as a depressant, its connection to depression is undeniable. If individuals already suffer from anxiety or depression, alcohol is not where one should turn during times of increased stress. Start New Year’s resolutions early and eat (and drink) healthy now.
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CONTINUE ROUTINES
TAKE BREAKS WHEN NEEDED; BE NICE TO YOURSELF
LIMIT INDULGING ON EXCESSIVE SWEETS AND ALCOHOL
This year, it has been projected more than $717 billion will be spent on holiday-related purchases—4.5
istic buying frenzies will be much more fulfilling.
LISA DORN
If you do fall into the holiday blues, it’s okay. Do your best to lift yourself out of dark places and ask for help if you need it. If you suffer from anxiety, depression and/or other mental health conditions, be mindful of resources and support in your area and trusted people in your life you can turn to during hard times.
HOLIDAY HAVOC
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS COMMUNICATION TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEASON MICHAEL KIDD
Going home for the holidays can be complicated. You love your family. You really do. It’s going to be great to see them, but there will be issues. There will always be issues because families are stressful. Fortunately, successfully navigating nine years of holiday visits to see my family has made me something of an expert. So much of an expert, in fact, I’m going to compare my coping strategies to those from the National Communication Association and let you pick mine based on their clear superiority. Advice From the NCA: Experts suggest de-emphasizing the material aspects of the season. Don’t worry so much about finding that perfect gift; it’s the thought that counts. If you can’t afford gifts, that’s nothing to be ashamed of either. Advice from me: Everything is a competition. Life is a competition. He who dies with the best toys wins and he who gives away the best toys is an even bigger winner. Shower your family in obscene generosity. You’ll be in debt after college anyway, so why not max out a credit card for the sheer purpose of gift-giving? Make your loved ones feel inadequate for not buying you gifts nearly as good as the ones you buy them. That is the true spirit of the holiday. Advice from the NCA: Be sensitive about needs for private space. The house is going to be cluttered. People are going to be stressed. There will be long drives. There are going to be personal conflicts. It’s a very emotional time of year. Be mindful of the people around you. They might need their own space, so be willing to give it to them. Advice from me: Space is important—be sure to give them as much space as humanly possible. In fact, avoid making eye contact altogether if you can. Don’t hug anyone unless you absolutely have to. Spend most of your day hiding in whatever hotel, guest bedroom or couch you wind up crashing on for the entire season. Above all else, hide behind your phone. Advice from the NCA: Set differences aside for the holidays. You love these people. Focus on what you have in common. Yes, you’ll have your gripes and your differences, but it’s the holidays. You didn’t come all this way just to fight. Advice from me: Okay but did you vote, Amber? Did you?
Advice from the NCA: Create new family rituals. You might be bringing a friend or partner your family hasn’t met before. They might have their own traditions and expectations, and that can lead to stress. In addition, your family hasn’t been stagnant since you’ve been gone. They might have their own new people. They might have new traditions they want to try. Be open to new things. Advice from me: Create nothing but new rituals. Throw a tantrum if somebody suggests you watch the Rankin/Bass Christmas movies. If someone offers you eggnog, insist they mix it with Kahlua. Also if you’ve never tried the adult ritual of going to bed at a decent hour on New Year’s Eve, do so. It’s very liberating. Advice from the NCA: Acknowledge your own needs and limitations. You’re only human. There’s only so much you can do. You’re going to have your grievances with your family. You may have even dealt with situations that might make you sad, such as the loss of a loved one, since last holiday season. There are going to be problems you can’t ignore, and that’s okay. You don’t need to feel guilty about that. It is okay to not be doing okay. Advice from me: Don’t you know that you are letting everybody down? Limitations are for the weak. You are a complete failure as a family member if you give them anything less than 100 percent effort and enthusiasm at all times. In fact, if you so much as sleep late during the holidays, you lose. It is on you and you alone to ensure everyone has the best holiday ever, for you are the guardian of holiday joy and all shall fall before your might. Now that I have undoubtedly convinced you my advice is superior, one last bit of advice from me: It’s going to be okay. Trips home can be rough, but it’s your family. You love these people. These are the people you actively make plans to visit even though you know it will be stressful. You have probably missed them. Yes, there are going to be elements of returning home that are awful. There may even be full blown-fights, but at the end of the day, this is your family. Enjoy your trip home and happy holidays.
SAVANNAH QUARUM
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ARTS INTERNATIONAL & CULTURE
OBSTACLES TO STUDYING ABROAD SAVANNA FORD With a majority of Portland State’s student population relying on financial aid—72 percent as of fall 2017 according to PSU— studying abroad may not always be feasible. While PSU frequently sponsors education abroad programs through third-parties—including the Council on International Education Exchange, American Institute for Foreign Study, ALBA and more—the cost of studying abroad can be out of students’ reach. A summer session through CIEE lasting from June–August can cost nearly $8,000, whereas one of its 18-week programs can cost over $20,000. These longer excursions carry additional burdens such as paying rent in advance. A trip lasting months, paired with sizable costs—on top of an already costly university system, notably as tuition increases marginalizes those who can’t afford it. When Ramona Kline embarked on a study abroad program to Kazakhstan with the Russian Flagship Program, an undergraduate
initiative developed by the National Security Education Program, her choice of study was not fully funded. The Russian Flagship Program at PSU is one of only four in the country, and students are required to study abroad. In order to pay for the expense of studying abroad, Kline applied for the Boren Award, a governmental scholarship for those studying critical languages and underrepresented areas of the world. The award covered 80 percent of the cost with the remainder satisfied from student loans. For students wanting to study abroad while in college, perhaps PSU’s International FacultyLed Programs is a more financially sound option. International faculty-led programs are courses taught by PSU faculty for their students; no outside college campuses are included in any study. Additionally, students have the opportunity to assist in program development as noninstructional program leaders. The excursions are known for their short time periods, some as short as one week.
Students have their pick of over 25 of these programs annually, most of which run during summer but have fall and winter term availability as well. This means no long-term arrangements are needed for life back home and are consequently a much cheaper option. While programs can last up to 10 weeks, most programs last between two and three. These programs are run by a single program leader working with a local partner to organize classroom spaces, transportation, guest lectures and more. Students are able to earn credits for up to three courses for a trip— depending on what is chosen—and may be funded by PSU travel grants along with other short-term scholarships, ranging anywhere from $500 to $1,000. In 2018, the Education Abroad office awarded 43 scholarships to applicants of the short-term programs, as reported by the faculty-led program coordinator Hannah Fischer. For any student receiving financial aid or a Pell grant, the award can go almost
entirely toward one of these study abroad programs. Information on how to apply financial aid packages toward studying abroad can be received at weekly Ed Abroad 101 sessions or on the Education Abroad office event page. One of the most recent summer IFLP experiences was a seven-day intensive program to learn about community and disaster resilience through Japan’s earthquake and tsunami crises, journeying through the northeast region of Japan as they approached the issue. The program was led by Josh Metzler and included 10 students, whose experiences were featured in their presentation on Oct. 16 as part of the Initiative for Community and Disaster Resilience speaker series. While this is suggestive of a feasible method to travel while studying and remaining financially sound, there is still the question of affordability in many programs as students seek an education abroad.
RESOURCES FOR STUDYING ABROAD: PORTLAND STATE EDUCATION ABROAD EVENTS Nov. 13–16: International Education Week • NOV. 13: EXPLORE THE BENEFITS & CHALLENGES OF STUDY ABROAD AS A VETERAN • NOV. 14: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ED ABROAD WORKSHOP • NOV. 14: FINANCIAL AID 101 • NOV. 15: BURST YOUR BUBBLE WITH CIEE • NOV. 16: MARKETING YOUR STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE • NOV. 16: TALES FROM ABROAD: MEET USAC ALUMNI! • NOV. 19: INFO SESSION: COSTA RICA-TURRIALBA (CAPSTONE: PEOPLE, CULTURE AND THE LAND) • NOV. 20: BOREN SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION SESSION
PSU EDUCATION ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS: • • • • •
Elizabeth Ducey Scholarship Farrens Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship Gary and Patricia Leiser Scholarship Institute for Asian Studies Scholarship Lorry I. Lokey Endowed Fund for Israel Scholarship Deadline: Nov. 16 • Peter & Christine Nickerson Scholarship for Asian Studies Deadline: March 15 • PSU Education Abroad Scholarship • Scan/Design Foundation Scholarship Deadline: March 15 • USAC Alliance Scholarship Deadline: March 15 • Waseda Oregon Scholarship
SHORT-TERM, FACULTY-LED PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIPS • Ketcheson Scholars Award • Faculty-Led Program Travel Award Deadline: March 15
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE • • • • • • • •
Confucius Institute/HSK Scholarship Confucius China Studies Program Joint Research Ph.D. Fellowship Ph.D. in China Fellowship Understanding China Fellowship Young Leaders Fellowship Publication Grant International Conference Grant
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
• Fulbright Deadline: Sept. 2019 for 2020–21 fiscal year • Boren Scholarships Deadline: Jan. 15 • Critical Language Scholarship: Deadline: Nov. 27, 2018 • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Summer/fall deadline: March 5
PROGRAM PROVIDER • • • • • • •
•
American University in Cairo Scholarships Hermann F. Eilts International Scholarship Simpson Scholarship in Egyptology CIEE Programs Scholarships Summer/fall Deadline: April 1 CIEE Global Institute Grant Available for Open campus Berlin, London and Paris programs GEO International Scholarships IE3 Global Scholarship Summer internship deadline: Feb. 15 Summer study abroad deadline: March 15 Fall program deadline: May 1 IFSA-Butler Study Abroad Scholarships Summer priority deadline: Feb. 1
Summer final deadline: April 1 Fall priority deadline: March 1 Fall final deadline: April 1 • Semester at Sea Scholarships • SIT Study Abroad Scholarships Summer deadline: April 1 Fall deadline: May 15 • USAC Scholarships Summer/fall deadline: March 15
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS FROM FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS • • • • • • •
BackPacker Co Scholarship Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan Chinese Government Scholarship-Bilateral Program Explore the World Scholarship FACS Study in France Fellowship Foundation for Global Scholars Freeman Asia Summer/fall/academic year applications open January 2019 • Fund for Education Abroad Summer/fall/academic year applications open Nov. 19 • German Academic Exchange Service • Go! Study Abroad Scholarships! • GoEuro European Study Abroad Scholarship • GTOS Study Abroad Scholarships Deadline: Dec. 30 • HIF Scholarship in Hungary • International Research and Exchange Board • National Italian American Foundation Scholarship Program Deadline: May 6 • Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grants Deadline: March 15 • Rainbow Sig • Scholarships for Asian/Pacific Islander Students • Toshizo Watanabe Study Abroad Scholarship Program 2019–20 academic year: Applications open January 2019 • Turkish Coalition of American Study Abroad Scholarships for Minority Students • Woodrow Wilson International Fellowship Foundation
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INTERNATIONAL
WINTER IN THE HOLY LAND STUDENTS TO EMBARK ON TRIP TO ISRAEL AND PALESTINE SABRINA ACHCAR-WINKELS AND MARENA RIGGAN Over 20 Portland State student leaders from diverse backgrounds will leave this winter break to explore Israel and Palestine under the guidance of the Jewish student leadership organization, Hillel. The trip is designed to show the diversity of the region and provide perspectives to the conflict beyond binaries. Students will learn about political issues, cultural traditions and history throughout the ten days of travel, gaining insight into the various cultural groups within Israel and Palestine. PDX Hillel and the Cultural and Historical Association for Israel planned the 10-day trip, which will be led by PDX Hillel’s Israel Fellow Hagit Ojalvo. This will be the program’s second year. During the trip, students will meet speakers covering different topics in Israel and the Palestinian Territories in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Within Israel, they will travel to Tel Aviv, Sderot—the city bordering Gaza—and the Negev—the southern desert region. Within the West Bank, the group will travel to Ramallah and Bethlehem. They will also have a stop in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and spend a day at the Dead Sea. While traveling around Israel and the West Bank, students will have a chance to learn about topics central to a given area.
“Going into specifics, like going into the West Bank and talking specifically about Palestinians and the conflict, [they learn] everything that has to do with [the] Palestinian narrative,” Ojalvo said. “When you go into settlements and you get to talk to the people and Jewish settlers you also get to hear their narrative. So it depends on where you are going. You talk about the issue that is most relevant to that place.” Cole Keister, one of the student leaders for CHAI, recounted his group’s experience with one of the guides. “The entire time we were with her we were asking her constant questions, which was really awesome to see everyone asking everything they were curious about,” he said. “Last year we met an Arab-Israeli journalist who represents the Arab-Israeli community in Israel,” Ojalvo said. “This year we’re hoping to meet the Ethiopian Jewish community [who are] also a big part of Israel.” Additionally, the group will have a chance to meet with Bedouins of the Negev, who are semi-nomadic Arabs, and members of the Druze community, a distinct ethno-religious group mainly residing in the north. PDX Hillel is currently in the final steps of their application process. After the term, students will leave Dec. 14 and return Dec. 24.
STUDENTS POSE IN FRONT OF THE PATH TO PEACE WALL IN NETIV HAASARA. COURTESY OF COLE KEISTER.
ASYLUM SEEKERS, NOT MIGRANTS CARAVAN FROM CENTRAL AMERICA FLEES VIOLENCE KARINA SANTACRUZ One of the largest caravans of asylum seekers—some 4,000 to 7,000 people—are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America in an attempt to find refuge in the United States and Mexico. The majority are Hondurans, but the caravans are also transporting Salvadorans and Guatemalans. While the exact number within the caravans is unknown, BBC estimates the main caravan to have 5,000 people; however, the UN has previously estimated 7,200. By traveling in large groups, asylum seekers say they are helping ensure against drug traffickers, extortionists and rapists. According to The Guardian, the first caravan started its journey on Oct. 12 in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, which was described by The Telegraph as “one of the most violent areas...in the world’s most murderous region.” Since then they have been making the approximately 1,600-mile journey to the U.S. on foot and by hitching rides. The caravan reached Mexico City on Nov. 6, where they stopped at a stadium to regroup and decide the next steps in their journey to the U.S. According to The Guardian, around 1,700 have chosen not to continue the journey and seek asylum in Mexico, while around 500 have asked to return to Honduras. This is not the first time a caravan has headed to the United States; a caravan carried about 350 asylum seekers to the U.S. last year.
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While the caravan is weeks away from reaching the U.S., President Donald Trump ordered 7,000 troops to the U.S.–Mexican border on Oct. 31 in anticipation of the caravans’ arrival. According to Politico, Trump stated Mexican forces “were unable or unwilling” to stop the caravan from entering Mexico, while also describing the caravan as an invasion and calling for lethal force if asylum seekers were seen throwing rocks. Before the Nov. 6 midterm elections, a political ad aired claiming the caravan was filled with “dangerous illegal immigrants.” The ad was pulled by Fox News, NBC and Facebook after receiving backlash, according to Time. While some will seek asylum in Mexico, the majority of the caravan will do so in the U.S. Though the movement has largely been described as a migrant caravan, the vast majority of people are fleeing extreme circumstances in their home countries. Seeking asylum is a form of legal protection; according to an attorney writing for The Times, “A person can apply for asylum if he or she has a reasonable fear of future persecution on account of race, religion, national origin, political opinion or membership in a social group.” This fear must continue in the event one returns to their country of origin.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
A MASS MIGRATION NORTH FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA TOWARD THE UNITED STATES. POLITICAL LEADERS AND AMERICAN NEWS MEDIA HAVE LABELED THE EXODUS A MIGRANT CARAVAN. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS.
OPINION
ELIMINATE MARIJUANA TESTING IN THE WORKPLACE LEGAL USE OUTSIDE WORK IS NOT YOUR EMPLOYER’S BUSINESS MCKINZIE SMITH Drug testing for marijuana in the workplace, especially when other substances such as alcohol are not considered, is oppressive at its best and racist at its worst. For decades, marijuana has been used as a tool to reinforce racist and oppressive narratives in the United States. While marijuana was legalized for recreational use in Oregon in 2016, discrimination against marijuana users is still very much present in the workplace: a result of continued racial prejudices and unmerited discrimination. A study by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry found racial profiling still occurs, concluding workplaces with higher numbers of racial and ethnic minority employees also had increased reports of drug testing, putting those groups at risk of being fired if they are marijuana users. Laws restricting marijuana began in the 1910s following the Mexican Revolution in an attempt to deport and criminalize immigrants in large numbers. Marijuana laws continued to be used against various groups of people throughout the 20th century. Richard Nixon’s war on drugs was directed toward the “antiwar left and Black people,” according to a top Nixon aide.
Legalizing marijuana did help to eliminate discriminatory anti-marijuana enforcement policies in Oregon. However, discrimination has not been eliminated in the workplace. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, about one-half of HR departments in the U.S. test for marijuana before hiring an employee. The study also noted the most cited consequence for first-time marijuana policy violation in the workplace is termination. Even though recreational marijuana is legal in Oregon, employers can still legally drug test their employees and terminate them for positive results or choose not to hire those who do not pass the drug test. This is legal because there are no federal laws regulating drug tests by private employers. These sorts of protections come from the state level and, so far, Oregon does not have any regarding marijuana. In 2017, 3.9 percent of all drug tests administered in Oregon came up positive for marijuana use—the highest rate in the nation. Depending on where you work, a positive drug test can get you fired. Drug testing policies are potentially ableist. Notably, in Oregon, having a medical marijuana card does not protect an employee against being fired or punished for a positive drug
test. This is unfair to medical users with chronic pain and other medical issues who use the drug at home to manage their illness. This is a public health concern. There have been concerns raised on this matter: A 2017 bill was introduced in the Oregon Senate that would prevent employers from firing workers who use marijuana off the clock. It died in a matter of months. There are currently restrictions in place for alcohol testing in the workplace. If an employer did test employees for alcohol consumption, there would likely be cries of outrage. Where is the outrage when employers across Oregon test for another legal recreational drug? If there isn’t a penalty for using alcohol, a drug with no positive health effects and a substantially higher risk of dependency, marijuana use should not still be considered a fireable offense. Using marijuana privately at home doesn’t affect work performance as long as it’s done responsibly. Oregon policymakers should be taking steps toward de-problematizing the drug to reinforce safer work environments for Oregon employees. Personal and legal choices at home should not be grounds for workplace termination.
DANIELLE EMEKA
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ARTS & CULTURE
A MERCURIAL MUSE
MARGO SMOLYANSKA
RAMI MALEK BLENDS ROCKSTAR SWAGGER WITH VULNERABILITY IN ‘BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’ MICHAEL KIDD The emotional new biopic on the late Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek), Bohemian Rhapsody, is a little hard to pin down and isolate into simple categories, much like its mercurial lead. On one hand, the movie is fairly paint-by-numbers for its genre. If you have seen one rock star biopic, you already know the movie’s basic plot. Artist becomes famous. Artist gets overwhelmed by fame and becomes a jerk. Artist loses fame. Artist realizes they’ve been a jerk and regains fame. Roll credits. However, the movie doesn’t feel as formulaic because of the strong performances by the cast. In particular, Rami Malek melts seamlessly into the role of Freddie Mercury, playing the part with a combination of rockstar swagger, facing down studio executives or rocking out to adoring crowds, but also with shocking levels of vulnerability, particularly in the scene where he comes out to his then wife Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). This is a version of Mercury that can shift from stunning a
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crowd of thousands with flamboyant bombast, to sulking because his parents are showing off his baby pictures. The chemistry among the other members of Queen is also a strong point of the film. Throughout Bohemian Rhapsody, the band members explain that Queen is their family, and the film sells it. They bicker, fight and mock one another, but also show stunning amounts of enthusiasm and an ability to follow the others’ off-the-wall ideas. Almost every band member has a scene showing them getting excited about a bandmate’s idea, with a particularly strong sequence showing how “We Will Rock You” was written. When the studio tells them they cannot release “Bohemian Rhapsody”—via a clever Mike Myers cameo—the band stands united without a trace of disagreement between them. The portrayal of Mercury’s homosexuality is where the movie could have used more clarity. When Freddie comes out to Mary, it is tragically realistic and does a good job of por-
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
traying both of the characters’ pain at the dissolving marriage while making it clear neither blames the other. Immediately following this scene, however, Freddie begins to spiral, cutting himself off more and more from the people who care about him. This is problematic because his spiraling is directly connected to a toxic homosexual relationship. To reiterate, this is a movie about an LGBTQ icon showing his life spiraling out of control the moment he embraces his sexuality. Of course, maybe that’s the point. The movie portrays Freddie not as a hero to any community, but as a flawed individual who does not and will not fit neatly into anyone’s ideas of who and what he should be. He struggles with his own identity, but he refuses to let anyone else define it for him. When he finally defines himself as a performer above all else, it is impossible to disagree. The movie ends with 10 solid minutes of Queen performing. I left the theater and eagerly queued up “The Show Must Go On” into my headphones because I didn’t want the performance to end yet.
ARTS & CULTURE
‘SHADOW OF DEMONS’ FROM AFRICA TO AFRU GALLERY
HAND-PAINTED MOVIE POSTERS FROM GHANA’S GOLDEN AGE OF MOBILE CINEMA RYAN O’CONNELL In a nondescript industrial building in Buckman, demons, flesh-eating beasts and frightening human faces cover the walls, painted in vibrant colors on canvases made from jumbo flour sacks. These hand-painted movie posters from Ghana’s golden age of mobile cinema transliterate many genres, from low-budget action and martial arts films, to Hollywood blockbusters and horror classics like John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness. “Shadow of Demons,” which runs Nov. 2–30 at Afru Gallery, collects more than 60 of these posters from Brian Chankin’s Deadly Prey Gallery in Chicago in an exhibit presented by Chankin and Wyrd War. Portland artist and curator Dennis Dread, along with his partner, Meadow, created Wyrd—pronounced like “weird”— War in 2014, as a “record label and guerilla action group, specializing in the advancement and celebration of strange and wonderful music, film and art,” according to the organization’s Facebook page. Wyrd War focuses on transgressive art, which is what attracted Dread to Ghanaian movie posters. “That’s one of the things that we really resonate with,” Dread said, “with some of the artists from Ghana: their willingness to go there, totally unflinchingly. They’re clearly not bound by the same kinds of parameters of offense or blasphemy or even sometimes rules of grammar, or rules of color or composition. All of that art downstairs to us is transgressive art. It has to do with cultural borders being transgressed as well, and the bleeding through of beauty and ideas that create new art.”
GUERILLA ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN GHANA Art will spring up wherever humans do, even under less than ideal conditions. This was the case in Ghana in the ‘80s, when entrepreneurs brought mobile cinemas to villages lacking reliable electrical power. These pop-up arrangements usually consisted of a television and VCR powered by a portable generator, along with a number of folding chairs, and showed a wide range of international films on VHS tape. In order to attract bigger audiences, owners of mobile cinemas hired sign painters to create eye-catching advertisements for their films, sometimes without the benefit of seeing the movie or even knowing its plot. With a single-minded goal of increasing business, the painters felt free to try any poster designs that might grab the viewer, no matter how disturbing or confusing, or how the design might depart from the movie’s plot. As competition between cinemas grew, it pushed the work of artists like Mark Anthony and Mr. Brew to new levels of weird and wonderful, which is boldly on display in the “Shadow of Demons” exhibit. Dread said he doesn’t know whether Portland has its own transgressive art scene, but perhaps that’s because he’s been too busy building one to ponder such idle questions. His background seems to have prepared him well for the task.
WYRD BEGINNINGS Dread grew up in Ossining, New York in the Hudson River Valley, a region home to Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the United States Military Academy at West Point and Sleepy Hollow. From Ossining, it’s an hour train ride south into New York City, where as a young man Dread did silk-screen printing for the infamous Mutilation Graphics, interned at punk incubator CBGB, and cut his cinematic teeth at the Film Forum. He put himself through college at the State University of New York at Purchase before moving to Portland in 1996.
VISITORS TO THE AFRU GALLERY ADMIRE HAND-PAINTED MOVIE POSTERS FROM GHANA, FRIDAY NOV. 2. THE SHADOWS OF DEMONS ART DISPLAY WAS CURATED BY WYRD WAR AND FEATURED THE ART OF MARK ANTHONY AND OTHER ARTISTS FROM GHANA. ALEX KIRK AMEN/PSU VANGUARD In addition to gallery shows, Wyrd War curates an ongoing Signature Film Series at the Hollywood Theatre, entitled “Wyrd War Presents!,” which screens classic genre films and brings filmmakers and actors to participate in the events. The series started in 2014 with Halloween 3, including an appearance by the movie’s composer and sound designer Alan Howarth. The event sold out, filling the Hollywood’s 384-seat main auditorium, and Howarth, who is known for his long collaboration with director John Carpenter, performed a selection of his music, which Wyrd War recorded and later released on vinyl. Wyrd War has organized 17 events since 2014, screening gems such as Rollerball, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 and Black Caesar, with star Fred “The Hammer” Williamson in attendance. Howarth returned to Portland for last month’s showing of Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness on 35mm film, the success of which points the way ahead for Dread. “Prince of Darkness is the deep cut,” Dread said. “So the fact we sold out that obscure, weird movie is a good sign. It’s exciting to us.”
ON THE AGENDA Up next in Wyrd War’s film series on Nov. 17, is Deadly Prey, the machine guns-and-muscles action fest that went straight to VHS in 1987. Not only did Chankin name his gallery after the
film, but its screening will tie into “Shadow of Demons,” with several oversized posters of the film displayed in the Hollywood’s lobby. In the meantime, Chankin will return to his work brokering commissions between Ghanaian poster painters and their mainly European and American customers. The painters have to export their work if they hope to make a living by it. “These posters aren’t really thought of as art in Ghana,” Chankin said. “There’s a guy in the university in Accra who I talk to a lot. He’s actually the first person to archive these as art in Ghana in a major institution. It’s never happened before.” When it comes to the recognition and promotion of transgressive art in Portland, Dread speaks wisely and from the heart: “We don’t think art has to be a safe space for people. We’re okay pushing people’s limits. People should feel safe in real life, and we’re not advocating any kind of harm to anyone, but when it comes to art we feel art is like dreams. You don’t censor dreams, and some dreams disturb you.” “Shadow of Demons” runs Nov. 2–30. at Afru Gallery, 534 SE Oak St. Opening hours are 2–6 p.m., Friday–Sunday. A closing reception will be held 6 p.m.–midnight, Friday, Nov. 30, with live music by Lebenden Toten. More information is available at afrugallery.com and wyrdwar.com, and also on Instagram: @wyrdwar and @deadlypreygallery.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 13, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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Justin Knipper
NOV 13–19 COMMUNITY
FILM & THEATER
ART
MUSIC
BOOK TALK: GRIT AND INK OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 7 P.M. • FREE Historian and author William F. Willingham will discuss his new book, Grit and Ink: An Oregon Family’s Adventures in Newspapering, 1908–2018 at OHS this Tuesday.
THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER KELLER AUDITORIUM 7:30 P.M. • $25–55 Come for the opening night of this unique reimagining of Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky’s popular holiday musical featuring all-star dancers, a DJ and an onstage electric violinist. Funky!
IRKALLIAN ORACLE TWILIGHT CAFE AND BAR 9 P.M. • $10 • 21+ All the way from Gothenburg, Sweden, Irkallian Oracle storm the Twilight for a night of mystical black metal. Hellvetron and Triumvir Foul will support.
RESUMES FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY SERVICES 402 1 P.M. • FREE Considering grad school? Join the Advising & Career Services office as they host a workshop on how to prepare CVs and resumes properly.
MIRENDA BOOK RELEASE W/ GRIM WILKINS FLOATING WORLD COMICS 5–7 P.M. • FREE Vancouver-based cartoonist Grim Wilkins visits Floating World Comics for a book release party and signing.
TANGUEROS DEL SUR: ROMPER EL PISO ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 7:30 P.M. • $30–70 World renowned tango dancer and choreographer Natalia Hills brings her 16-piece tango troupe to Portland to perform a 90-minute version of Romper el Piso (Break the Floor).
QUEER COMMONS: RAFIKI HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7:30 P.M. • $7–9 Rafiki is a controversial 2018 love story that was initially banned in Kenya for positive depictions of queer romance until winning a landmark supreme court case in September.
THU NOV 15
“LIBERATION STORIES” FROELICK GALLERY 10:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. • FREE Victor Maldonado’s latest exhibition showcases a series of acrylic paintings inspired by the artist’s experience as a Mexican-born American living in the current era of political policies and rhetoric.
YEMENIETTES CLINTON STREET THEATER 7 P.M. • $7–10 SUGGESTED DONATION The Clinton Street Theater and KBOO.FM present a new documentary focused on three teenage girls attempting to launch a business in modern day Yemen. Donations accepted.
“LIMETOWN” POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS 7:30 P.M. • FREE Tonight at Powell’s, expect a few surprises from Zack Akers & Skip Bronkie, who are in town for a special signing and Q-and-A to celebrate their new book Limetown: The Prequel to the #1 Podcast.
CRO-MAGS & EYEHATEGOD HAWTHORNE THEATRE 8 P.M. • $25–28 • 21+ NYC hardcore legends are back once again for a night of so-called street justice at the Hawthorne with Louisiana swamplords Eyehategod.
FRI NOV 16
2018 OLIO NUOVO FESTIVAL RED RIDGE FARMS 10 A.M.–4 P.M. • FREE If you’re up for a day trip this weekend, be sure to visit Red Ridge Farm’s annual olive oil festival. The farm will host a tour of their olive mill and local food producers, plus live Italian music. Ottimo!
“SALUT!”: A COASTER ART SHOW NUCLEUS PORTLAND 7–10 P.M. • FREE Coaster artwork from over 50 artists will be on display at Nucleus’ gallery and bar for their upcoming “Salut!” group exhibition, an ode to the friendly feelings of camaraderie we enjoy before drinking.
SPACE IS THE PLACE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER 7:30 P.M. • $5 Sun Ra’s 1974 neo-blaxploitation, sci-fi musical extravaganza screens this Friday at the Northwest Film Center.
TACOCAT TPOLARIS HALL 8 P.M. • $17—20 Catchy bubblegum hooks abound as Seattle’s Tacocat glitterizes Polaris Hall with their unique brand of pop-punk. Supported by Black Belt Eagle Scout and Plastic Cactus.
SAT NOV 17
JAPANESE POETRY, ART & CULTURE WEEKEND PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 10 A.M.–5 P.M. • $17–20 Enjoy a day of Japanese calligraphy and ikebana demonstrations, musical performances and poetry readings at the Portland Art Museum. Be sure to taste a few Japanese sweets made by local vendors too!
“CELEBRATING PORSCHE 911” WORLD OF SPEED 9 A.M.–5 P.M. • $10 Rev your engines: An actual Porsche 911 will be on display at World of Speed in celebration of its debut 55 years ago.
SIDEWALK SLAM W/ BORN SICK YAMHILL PUB 7 P.M. • $3 • 21+ Punk & metal collide at the Yamhill Pub this Saturday night. Five bands for $3—what a deal!
WYRD WAR: DEADLY PREY HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7 P.M. • $7–9 Wyrd War, Portland’s self-proclaimed “guerilla action group,” presents a screening of Deadly Prey, a 1980s straight-to-VHS action movie based on 1924 short story, “The Most Dangerous Game.” Wyrd indeed.
WILD ARTS FESTIVAL AUDUBON SOCIETY OF PORTLAND 11 A.M.–5 P.M. • $8 Visit the Audubon Society in northwest Portland for the city’s premiere animal-related art and book show. Should be a hooooooo-t. Owl humor.
BARLEY, BARRELS, BOTTLES & BREWS OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOON–5 P.M. • FREE Celebrate 200 years of beer in Oregon with this exhibition focused on beer-making culture and the history of hop growing in the state.
NATASHA KMETO W/ CLAIRE GEORGE RONTOMS 8 P.M. • FREE • 21+ Rejoice in the groove! Edgy electro DJ and vocalist Natasha Kmeto is in town for a free gig at Rontoms this weekend.
NEIL HAMBURGER MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS 6 P.M. • FREE • 21+ Love him or hate him, Neil Hamburger is a must-see act. The infamous and polarizing performance artist arrives in Portland for one special night of “comedy.”
“IN/HABITABLE” BROADWAY GALLERY 7:30 A.M.–5 P.M.• FREE Artist Megan Hanley was the recipient of the 2017 Portland State’s Deinum Prize for Visionaries and Provocateurs. Her stunning bacterial-and-viralinspired work in mixed mediums will be on display until Dec. 31.
“HOBBIES AND PASTIMES” PITTOCK MANSION 10 A.M.–4 P.M. • $8–11 Volunteer decorators will exhibit a variety of holiday hobbies and pastimes at the historical Pittock Mansion.
BREAKING IN W/ BILL FORSYTH THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7:30 P.M. • $7–9 Fun fact: 1989’s Breaking In was filmed on location in Portland and starred the late Burt Reynolds. The 72-year-old Scottish director Bill Forsyth will host tonight’s screening and hold a Q-and-A afterward.
METAL MONDAY HOLOCENE 9 P.M. • $5-8 • 21+ Most people don’t think of Holocene as a haven for metalheads, but things change this Monday as the club serves up a night of the heaviest glam, black and death metal tunes. \,,/>.<\,,/
TUES NOV 13
“NEVER WAS A THING” Elizabeth Leach Gallery 10:30 A.M.–5 P.M. • FREE Isaac Layman’s “photographic constructions” focus on immediate environments and will be on display at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery until Dec. 29.
WED NOV 14 SUN NOV 18 MON NOV 19