PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
VOLUME 74 • ISSUE 12 • NOVEMBER 19, 2019
'THERE IS NO BUDGET CRISIS'
ARTS PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATES NARRATIVE OF ECONOMIC DREAM FOR BLACK AMERICANS NEWS PSU CORRECTS COURSE TO SECURE ACCREDITATION OPINION ELECTRIC CARS ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
CRIME BLOTTER
Nov. 12–17
TERI WALTERS NOV. 12 Theft A Portland State employee discovered a person stealing property in the Karl Miller Center at around 1 p.m.
NOV. 13
NOV. 17
Trespass
Robbery
A non-student was issued a trespass warning for throwing items at SW 6th and Montgomery at around 4 p.m.
A PSU student reported being robbed by two non-students at around 1:03 a.m. at SW 6th and Harrison. The two non-students were arrested.
NOV. 16
Disorderly conduct
A PSU student reported inappropriate touching by another PSU student in KMC. Another PSU student in KMC reported that a male had followed her, but made no contact. Altercation
A non-student reported an altercation with another non-student at the University Pointe Apartments at around 8:01 a.m.
Assault
Campus Public Safety officers and medical responded to a disturbance between two non-students at University Pointe Apartments at around 4:05 a.m. One of the non-students was vacated from the premises. CPSO and medical responded to two PSU students who reported that a man had punched them both in the face outside of Cramer Hall at 6:50 p.m.
CONTENTS COVER BY DANA TOWNSEND NEWS HILL TO HALL
P. 3
INTERNATIONAL SOUTHERN AFRICA DROUGHT AFFECTS 45 MILLION PEOPLE
P. 10
PSU CORRECTS COURSE TO SECURE ACCREDITATION
P. 3
AUTHORITIES FREE 1,500 FROM ABUSIVE SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA
P. 10
REPORTING BIAS, DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT
P. 4
STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY SHOWS 40% OF STUDENTS WOULD NOT RECOMMEND PSU
OPINION ELECTRIC CARS AREN’T REALLY GREEN
P. 11
P. 5
INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
SPORTS SPORTS SPOTLIGHT
P. 12–13
P. 6
AUTONOMOUS STATE STATUS IN KASHMIR OFFICIALLY REVOKED
P. 7
ARTS & CULTURE ‘SOUL’D: THE ECONOMICS OF OUR BLACK BODY’
P. 14
COMICS
P. 15
EVENTS CALENDAR
P. 16
CENTER AAUP FACULTY UNION CONTRADICTS CLAIM OF BUDGET SHORTFALL
STAFF
EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Nada Sewidan MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif NEWS EDITORS Sophie Concannon Dylan Jefferies INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Madison Cecil ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Nick Townsend OPINION EDITOR Anthony Montes SPORTS EDITOR Rich Rigney
ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn CONTRIBUTORS Hanna Anderson Christina Casanova Justin Grinnell Saqif Maqsud Emily Price Teri Walters PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Alex Wittwer MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Owen Demetre
P. 8–9
PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas
A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood
LEAD DESIGNER Dana Townsend
STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale
DESIGNERS Brandon Pahnish Sam Person DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow Tien Pham John Rojas
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 Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
PSU CORRECTS COURSE TO SECURE ACCREDITATION DYLAN JEFFERIES
NOV. 12–15 HANNA ANDERSON
NOV. 12: OREGON COALITION PROPOSE INITIATIVES FOR CITIZEN-LED REDISTRICTING
One year prior to state redistricting, which will take place in November 2020, an Oregon coalition has filed three proposed initiatives to create a panel of nonpartisan citizens to oversee redistricting for legislative seats. Currently, redistricting for the state is handled by the current legislative majority. The major complaint against this system is that it allows the legislative majority to use redistricting to give themselves a political advantage in elections. The proposed measure, based on a similar one passed in California in 2010, would create a 12-person committee, with members equally split between Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated parties, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
NOV. 14: OREGON’S CHIEF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE BANS ICE COURTHOUSE ARRESTS WITHOUT WARRANT
Oregon’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters enacted a new rule banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from making courthouse arrests unless they have a signed judicial warrant. Previously, ICE agents used warrants signed by fellow ICE officers, as opposed to a neutral party. The decision follows a petition sent to the court in December 2018 by immigrant’s rights groups, as well as a recommendation from the Uniform Trial Court Rules Committee in October. In a release following the rule, Walters stated, “We are adopting this rule to maintain the integrity of our courts and provide access to justice—not to advance or oppose any political or policy agenda.”
NOV. 14: OREGON COURT OF APPEALS BLOCKS BAN ON FLAVORED THC VAPES
Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s ban on flavored vaping products was completely placed on hold following a new ruling by the Oregon Court of Appeals. Previously, the court blocked the ban on only flavored nicotine products in October, according to The Oregonian. After a cannabis company, Dyme Industries, filed a motion to stay alongside a lawsuit, it was granted by the court, leaving both flavored vaping product bans from Brown’s executive order on hold until the lawsuits can be resolved, according to Willamette Week. In response, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission filed a motion against the stay on Nov. 15.
NOV. 15: OREGON AND WASHINGTON GOVERNORS MEET TO FORMALLY DISCUSS REPLACING I-5 BRIDGE
Gov. Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee will meet in Vancouver to discuss efforts to replace the Interstate Bridge. While both governors have expressed their interest in replacing the bridge—and both states have already set aside a combined $44 billion toward it—this will be the first joint appearance dedicated to beginning the project. The states previously attempted to replace the bridge in 2013 with a $3 billion project called The Columbia River Crossing. However, according to The Oregonian, Washington lawmakers declined to pay their share of the project, and Oregon walked away the following year.
Portland State is in little risk of losing its accreditation status, but there’s still work to be done, according to multiple sources involved with securing PSU’s accreditation. According to Brian Sandlin, accreditation and compliance coordinator, PSU has taken many steps to ensure that PSU remains accredited after being flagged as “out of compliance” with accreditation standards in 2015. According to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the organization that provides accreditation for PSU, accreditation is: “a voluntary process of recognizing educational institutions for performance, integrity and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public.” Losing accreditation as a university would entail losing access to federal funds. “We are accredited,” Sandlin said, addressing the Student and Academic Affairs Committee on Sept. 24. “We’ve been accredited since 1955. We will continue to be accredited. We are not in danger of losing our accreditation at this point. That would be many years down the road, and we have lots of opportunities to correct our course before we are ever in danger of losing our accreditation.” In January of this year, the NWCCU sent a letter to the then Acting President Rahmat Shoureshi, informing him that PSU was “out of compliance with the NWCCU standards for accreditation.” Since then, PSU has implemented multiple programs to ensure the university remains accredited. In 2015, after PSU submitted its Year 7 report, the NWCCU sent the university several recommendations in order to remain in compliance with accreditation standards. A Year 7 report is a required self-evaluation of standards and eligibility requirements by the university that is sent to the NWCCU every seven years in order to get accredited. The main issue putting PSU out of compliance with NWCCU accreditation standards was that less than half of PSU’s undergraduate programs and about one-third of the graduate programs had student learning assessments in place. In order to meet NWCCU standards, 100% of programs at PSU must have clear student learning assessments put in place by the university’s next Year 7 report, which is due in 2022. Since PSU was flagged as out of compliance, improvements have been made, according to Sandlin. “To give you an idea, undergraduates are now at 64.2% having assessment plans and graduate programs are at 54.8%,” Sandlin said. “In our adhoc report, we committed to the NWCCU that we would be at 100% compliance by the time of our next Year 7 report, which is in 2022. It’s an annual process, so it moves slowly, but it is working.”
BRANDON PAHNISH
Sandlin said there are a few factors getting in the way of 100% compliance right away, such as program chairs and directors being unaware of the requirement, not having enough resources to get assessment plans laid out right away, and departments disagreeing on a specific assessment plan. Ultimately, Sandlin considers the work the university has done “a success” and reiterated that PSU has ample time to be in 100% compliance. “That report is due in 2022, but the work goes in well before that. So we are making strides, we are making efforts to be at 100% compliance by the time of our next meeting report,” he said. According to Interim President Stephen Percy, student assessment plans should successfully gauge whether students are able to demonstrate skills they were intended to learn in a program. “You’re looking at the students work of various forms—be it essays, or it could be papers, or it could be team exercises—and you look at them to see if they demonstrate those goals or learning outcomes.” “It’s a process where the teachers look at the products of students,” Percy said. Ultimately, Sandlin sees this process as an opportunity. “Our next step is going to be: once we get these folks to create an assessment plan, we can help them to develop a quality assessment and make sure they develop a tool that's useful to them— not a compliance requirement, but a tool that is useful,” Sandlin said.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
REPORTING BIAS, DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT
SOPHIE CONCANNON
Amid results of a campus climate survey published in October stating 91% of students and 79% of faculty who experienced bias, discrimination or harassment chose not to report the incident, Interim Vice President of Global Diversity and Inclusion Julie Caron offered several pathways for students and faculty to report their concerns. “The first step would be to identify if the concern...was brought to the attention of the Office of Equity and Compliance within Global Diversity and Inclusion,” Caron stated, the OEC being the office to address prohibited discrimination and harassment when the concern regards conduct of a faculty or staff member. “The dean of student life office can assist with matters related to students.” Caron stated OEC can assist with both informal resolutions and formal investigations and to contact Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Yesenia Gutierrez if the concern hadn’t been brought to the OEC. “OEC staff will meet with a student or employee to help determine the best resolution for the impacted person,” Caron stated. “A student or employee will never be compelled to file a complaint.” A total of 37% of students surveyed who experienced bias, discrimination or harassment stated nothing was done or the complaint was not addressed to their satisfaction. Additionally, 12.5% of faculty said nothing was done, and 18.75% of faculty said their complaint was not addressed to their satisfaction. Caron stated if the concern had been reviewed by OEC and students or employees are still not satisfied, she will address those concerns directly. In response to 63.51% of students and 49.67% of faculty surveyed who did not report because they thought it wasn’t impor-
tant enough, Caron stated that there is no incident unimportant enough to report, and there are different methods to report. “If someone does not want any action taken, they may report the matter to the Bias Review Team,” Caron stated. “[The team] does not investigate the matter but collects information and data to determine what incidents are happening around campus and take steps to address them.” Other reasons listed for not reporting with significant response rates included not feeling like anything would happen as a result and fearing retaliation. On faculty’s fear of losing their job or potential retaliation— which 22% of faculty respondents stated as a reason for why they did not report—Caron stated the OEC, department chairpersons and deans work together to eliminate any possibility of retaliation. Caron also stated it is “much less likely” for there to be retaliation if a faculty member has made a report to OEC, as opposed to if they raise it only within their individual department. “We have seen situations where concerns were raised within their departments or to individuals outside of OEC and retaliation has occurred,” Caron stated. “However, when a concern is brought to OEC we will put measures in place, such as changing locations of offices to help prevent retaliations.” Caron also stated that when a complaint is formally investigated, the chairperson and dean within the department are made aware of the investigation so they can monitor the situation. “Additionally, by the complaint being addressed formally, respondents are made fully aware of the ramifications of retaliation,” Caron stated. Caron stated that while there are confidential advocates on campus, there are no resources on PSU’s campus that are strictly confidential.
She stated Interim President Stephen Percy has appointed a presidential fellow to evaluate whether PSU should bring back the position of ombudsperson, an individual charged with investigating and addressing complaints of rights violations. Caron said she hopes the position will return in the following academic year. Caron offered reporting alternatives for staff, faculty members and students and stated that concerns could be addressed informally as well as formally. “Some matters will not rise to the level of a policy violation and would not be formally investigated,” Caron stated. “However, OEC will work to address the conduct through informal resolutions.” Informal resolutions could include OEC contacting the accused person’s supervisor, directly coaching the accused person to stop the conduct or informing the chair of a department that there is a concern without taking disciplinary action. Caron also stated when a person is impacted by a bias or discriminatory incident, it is ultimately their choice to report. A National Institute of Justice report cites lack of trust in the criminal justice system, distrust of authorities and fear of blame among reasons why women do not report sexual violence and harassment incidents. “Each person has [different] perspectives or experiences. Maybe it was an isolated comment that they could handle or something else that was not directly impacting their employment or education,” Caron stated in response to why someone might not report. Caron also stated the person may not want to be identified as the person with the concern, which would lead to an informal resolution.
SAM PERSON
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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
NEWS
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
BRANDON PAHNISH
SURVEY SHOWS
40% OF STUDENTS
WOULD NOT RECOMMEND PSU
SUBMIT
DYLAN JEFFERIES A recent student experience survey found that 40% of respondents would not recommend Portland State to their friends or colleagues. The survey conducted a net promoter score, which asked students if they would recommend PSU to a friend or colleague. According to Hans VanDerSchaaf, Director of Projects for the Office of Student Success, the score is commonly used as a proxy for overall satisfaction with a service. The survey found that roughly 40% of respondents would not recommend PSU to others, compared to 31% in 2018 and 34% in 2016. Andrea Garrity, project manager for the Office of Student Success, explained that the survey was conducted in May of 2019, when there was controversy over a tuition hike, the resignation of the university president and debate over campus public safety and armed officers, which might help explain the negative NPS score. The survey also asked a variety of questions concerning student experience, belonging, quality of service and general feelings about PSU. There was a 25% response rate, or roughly 5,000 students. The results presented by the speakers focused exclusively on undergraduate students. The survey was administered as part of Interim President Stephen Percy’s student success effort and was conducted by PSU’s Survey Research Lab. A similar survey was previously conducted in 2016 and 2018. VanDerSchaaf, Garrity and Randi Harris, director of the Transfer and Returning Student Resource Center, went before the Portland State Academic and Student Affairs committee on Nov. 13 to discuss the results of the survey. Results include: 67% of undergraduate students said they experience challenges paying for expenses; 42% of students said
they experience academic challenges due to health or disability; 48% of students said they experience challenges balancing work and school; and 42% said they experience academic challenges due to family. Of those findings, the survey also asked more specific questions about how being a first generation or under-represented student affected student experience. For example, 74% of first generation students said they experienced difficulty paying for college compared with 61% non-first generation students. Respondents were also encouraged to provide comments about the specific difficulties they were experiencing. According to Garrity, the survey administors received nearly 6,000 responses from students. The themes where students shared the most concerns centered around tuition affordability, communication from the university about how to navigate through the campus’s resources, perception of the university, feeling a sense of community, wanting to feel like the university cares about student success, and campus safety, according to Garrity. For example, some respondents indicated having to pay for textbooks and additional fees for online classes on top of tuition as a specific part of experiencing difficulties paying for college. The speakers also discussed ways of moving forward with the student survey findings in mind. “We’ve been meeting with various groups around campus who are interested in these survey results and what we can do,” Harris said. “Based on the information received from students, specifically the qualitative information, what we think in terms of moving forward is to think about how we might provide a safer campus for students, communicating
to students that their voices are being heard, and then what we’re doing about that.” “When we talk to students, quite a bit they want to see the action, so making sure that we’re communicating about what the actions are following what they’ve given us as feedback is important,” Harris said. Improving service experience was also discussed, such as how to best connect students to campus services and resources, as well as how to improve student degree planning processes. “We’re using this [data] to inform the student success effort,” Harris said. “For me, specifically, in the Transfer and Returning Student Resource Center, the work coming out of here is absolutely informing the program and thinking about ways in which we can improve quickly.” “The survey results aren’t great,” VanDerSchaaf said. Moving forward, the researchers are going to be thinking about the best ways to share the results with students in order to promote a feeling of belonging at PSU. The survey will also continue to be improved and administered annually in order to bolster student experience and success, according to VanDerSchaaf. “Many of our students come here with the imposter syndrome—they feel like they don’t belong and that they’re not going to make it,” said committee member Yves Labissiere. “One of the best practices is to actually show the data to the students of how many of their peers actually share the fear that they may fail. So we ask the students the feelings that they have at the beginning of their freshman year, and then we show them that 40% of their classmates have the same fear.” “It normalizes asking for help,” Labissiere said. “It shows that you’re not alone.”
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
THIS WEEK
around the
WORLD
Nov. 11–17
1 5 2
4 3 6
1
Nov. 11
WARSAW, POLAND
At least 47,000 Poles marched through the country’s capital during the annual Independence March, marking the 101-year anniversary of the establishment of Polish republic in 1918, according to local officials. Spokespeople for the Independence March coordinating group, however, put attendance closer to 150,000 people. Over the past several years, more far-right political groups have taken to using the event as a way to further their message. “The march is not apolitical, it is non-partisan, but we do care about the common good,” Ziemowit Przebitkowski, leader of the All-Polish Youth, told Al Jazeera after making a speech against mass immigration.
Nov. 13 2
BEIJING, CHINA
Beijing doctors diagnosed a married couple from Inner Mongolia with the pneumonic plague. The pneumonic plague, or Black Death as it was called in medieval times, is highly contagious and can become fatal in 24-72 hours of infection if not properly treated.
6
It is also the only strain of the plague that can be transmitted by humans, and the pneumonic form is considered to be more dangerous than the bubonic plague, according to NPR. “The [Chinese] National Health Commission are implementing efforts to contain and treat the identified cases and increasing surveillance,” WHO China coordinator Fabio Scano told Al Jazeera. 3
Nov. 14
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Anti-narcotics authorities discovered approximately 176 kilograms, or 388 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden in treadmills bound for Japan. After Australian officials discovered crystal methamphetamine being smuggled into the country in October 2019, Thai authorities began increasing inspections of international air cargo. After discovering the drugs, authorities traced them back to a warehouse where they conducted a raid and seized 308 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, according to The New York Post. One person was arrested in connection to the illegal drugs, but officials believe there are more involved.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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Nov. 15
NGHE AN, VIETNAM
A college music teacher who was arrested in May 2019 was sentenced to 11 years in prison for “anti-state” Facebook posts. Nguyen Nang Tinh will serve an additional five years on house arrest after serving his time in prison. Tinh has repeatedly claimed he is not guilty of the crimes he was accused of. “At the trial, Tinh said the accusation was not true as this Facebook account didn’t belong to him,” Tinh’s lawyer, Nyugen Van Mieng, told Reuters. “The prosecutors stuck to the idea that the Facebook user named Nguyen Nang Tinh and my client Nguyen Nang Ting are the same person.” 5
Nov. 16
PARIS, FRANCE
On the one-year anniversary of the yellow-vest protests, protesters gathered in the streets of Paris to continue their demonstrations. Protesters threw cobblestones and bottles at authorities, set cars and trash cans on fire, and a few masked-demonstrators vandalized a monument of a French World War II hero, according to France 24. Police re-
sponded to the incidents with tear gas and water cannons in Paris. France 24 reported the Galeries Lafayette store was evacuated after protesters took over the third floor of the building. “Our response will be very firm,” Paris Police Prefect Didier Lallement said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. “All those who are hiding their face, all those who are throwing stones are going to be called in for questioning.” 6
Nov. 17
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
Opposition candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected as Sri Lankan president on Nov. 17, defeating the ruling party candidate, Sajith Premadasa. The final results of the vote revealed Rajapaksa won a total of 52.25% of the vote. “I would like to inform everyone that I will execute everything you trusted in me [to do],” Rajapaska said in a statement when his victory was announced, according to Al Jazeera. “Especially, at the moment, I happily say that I will carry out all that is in my manifesto during my tenure.” The new president was sworn into office on Nov. 18.
INTERNATIONAL
AUTONOMOUS STATE STATUS IN KASHMIR OFFICIALLY REVOKED TWO INDIAN POLICE OFFICERS STAND OUTSIDE OF A HOME. MUKHTAR KHAN/AP IMAGES
CHRISTINA CASANOVA Changes to the Indian Constitution went into effect on Oct. 31, revoking autonomous state status of Indian-administered Kashmir. After the constitutional changes were first announced in August, the Indian government sent thousands of military troops to Kashmir in order to implement a curfew and communication blackout. Originally, Article 370 granted Indian-administered Kashmir the right to have its own constitution, laws and flag while still being an Indian state. According to Al Jazeera, with the implementation of the constitutional changes on Oct. 31, the Muslim-dominated region will now be broken up into two territories—known as Kashmir Valley and Jammu—neither of which will retain autonomous state privileges. The two regions of India-administered Kashmir will be directed by lieutenant governors, Girish Chandra Murmu and Radha Krishna Marthur. Neither region of Kashmir will have its own constitution or flag, but they will have its own elected assembly. The assemblies will serve five-year terms, but the New Delhi government will remain mostly sovereign over the region.
Although officials encouraged people to reopen businesses and return to school, some Kashmiris have decided not to leave their homes—in defiance of the government or out of fear—according to The Washington Post. Over 1.5 million Kashimiri students remain at home and have not returned to school, since the majority of private and public schools remain shut down. Several businesses are also closed, while some are open for only a few hours a day. The Kashmir valley is the most militarized regions, and several rebels have fought against Indian rule, according to The Washington Post. Militant groups have demanded civilians boycott work and school until the government restores Articles 307 and 35A. Some militant groups have killed people who spoke out in favor of the government. Five construction workers were taken from their homes in the Kashmiri village of Katrasoo and shot on Oct. 31. Authorities have blamed a militant group who has been speaking out against the constitutional changes since they were announced in August, but no one has taken responsibility for the incident.
“Blood was everywhere,” Abdul Salaam Bhat, the village head of Katrasoo, told The New York Times. “It was as if someone had slaughtered dozens of sheep.” Indian forces have arrested dozens of Kashmiri citizens in Katrasoo and the surrounding area in response to the attack, but none of those arrested have admitted to being involved in the incident. In one instance, on Nov. 4, one person was killed and 25 others were injured from a grenade attack in a busy market area in Kashmir. The Washington Post said the attacker was identified as a street vendor from India’s Uttar Pradesh State. Police suspect the attack happened as a way to rebel against Indian rule. Additionally, by Nov. 4, 10 laborers and truck drivers were killed by gunmen in separate attacks throughout Kashmir. The police suspect and blame the militants for these attacks, according to The Washington Post. Despite reports from Al Jazeera stating troops in Srinagar fired tear gas and rubber bullets in crowds of protesters and several reported deaths throughout the region, Union Home Minister Amit Shah maintains that “not a single bullet
has been fired nor a death reported in Kashmir” since the changes were announced in Aug. 2019. “I would like to assure [people] the removal of [Articles 370 and 35A] has paved the way for Kashmir’s development,” Shah continued, according to New Delhi Television Limited. “And with this, terrorists in Kashmir have started counting their final days. Congress leaders said in Parliament there will be bloodshed. I would like to tell them, nothing has happened…Kashmir is peacefully on its path to development.” A five-judge court heard several cases involving petitions which challenged the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on Nov. 14. A final hearing involving the petitions is set to occur in India’s Supreme Court on Dec. 10, according to India Today. “The militants and separatist elements, with the support of foreign forces inimical to India, were taking advantage of the situation and sowing discord, discontent and even secessionist feelings among the populace of the State,” stated one affidavit, which was submitted to the courts, according to Indian-business news outlet LiveMint.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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COVER
JOHN ROJAS
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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
COVER
‘THERE IS NO BUDGET CRISIS’
AAUP FACULTY UNION CONTRADICTS CLAIM OF BUDGET SHORTFALL
SOPHIE CONCANNON AND JUSTIN GRINNELL The American Association of University Professors, a longstanding union with 1300 faculty members fighting for academic freedom and due process for Portland State faculty, claims PSU is financially stable and has a budget surplus of $27 million. Contrary to the AAUP’s claim, PSU Vice President of Finance and Administration Kevin Reynolds stated that declining enrollment has created a $7.8 million budget shortfall. Reynolds announced on Nov. 13 at a Board of Trustees Finance and Administration committee meeting that each division at PSU will have to make 2% cuts to balance the budget. The AAUP—which includes academic professionals, such as academic advisors—claimed the university is not prioritizing its resources and making unnecessary cuts instead of adjusting budget spending, and that there is no evidence for such a shortfall.
BUDGET SURPLUS
Flyers are pinned to bulletin boards and taped to office windows across the PSU campus, stating there is no PSU budget crisis and there is a $27 million surplus. The flyers have a link to a spreadsheet of PSU’s financial actuals—the total revenue brought in and total expenses paid by the university—for the fiscal year 2018–19 and show an exact $26.8 million surplus. José Padín, professor of sociology and the president of AAUP, confirmed that PSU administration is currently asking divisions for 2% budget cuts. Padín said in regard to how PSU spends its revenue, there is an “absence of clear priorities.” PSU’s budget, actuals and other financial information is publicly available online. The public financial records as well as the AAUP document show that PSU has had a surplus for the past five fiscal years, with the largest being in the 2018–19 year. PSU’s financial data is not explicit. In the 2018–19 actuals, $11 million went toward depreciation, a reduction in the value of an asset over time. PSU’s budget does not break down the specific costs that go toward the $11 million figure. Dr. Howard Bunsis, professor of accounting at Eastern Michigan University, was brought in on Oct. 10 by the AAUP to give an assessment of PSU’s financial condition. Bunsis’ assessment stated depreciation is the “estimate in decline in value of [PSU’s] buildings” and does not cost the university anything. Similarly, according to Padín, “there is no evidence that money is set aside into a fund for depreciation,” and there is no clear purpose for the $11 million.
Bunsis’s assessment also acknowledged student enrollment— tuition being PSU’s largest source of revenue—is down. However, according to Bunsis, the annual percentage of state appropriations has increased, and PSU is underestimating this revenue. Bunsis corroborated the consecutive surpluses in his assessment. He also stated when ranked with its peers, PSU was below average in percentage of salaries for research and instruction, but was ranked the second highest in percentage of salaries for upper-level administration. Padín said this lack of research funds erodes the quality of the university. Bunsis’ assessment is based on PSU’s own financial data, as well as the financial data of similar universities for comparison and the recording of the full assessment, can be seen at the PSU AAUP Facebook page. Answering the question of what the financial health of PSU is, Bunsis stated “[PSU] has financial freedom and flexibility to change priorities.” Padín and the AAUP are looking for more transparency from PSU regarding the priorities of its expenditures and a cease to the cutbacks. Despite previous consecutive surpluses, the AAUP said they are feeling pressure from PSU administration. The AAUP and PSU are currently in bargaining negotiations for a new union contract. Aaron Roussell, professor of sociology at PSU and AAUP member, said the union’s current contract expires at the end of this month. When asked if AAUP would go on strike if a new contract didn’t go through, Padín said it was common for negotiations to go beyond the current contract and as long as they keep happening, there will be no need to strike.
BUDGET SHORTFALL
PSU’s University Communications declined to comment on AAUP’s flyer itself. However, Associate Vice President of University Communications Chris Broderick said the AAUP’s numbers are “out of date” and do not reflect the summer and fall enrollment declines and subsequent impact on tuition revenue, which they state has resulted in a $7.8 million general budget shortfall for 2019. “We have at this institution an accelerating enrollment decline,” Reynolds said. “This year, for the first time...our net tuition revenue...is down...despite tuition increases and despite significant cost increases at this university.” Reynolds also brought up several so-called budget misses on the Nov. 13 Board meeting that contributed to PSU’s
current budget shortfall, including a 10.4% decline in student enrollment credit hours during summer term. “We have a tuition revenue miss from our budget from summer of one and a half million dollars,” Reynolds said. “That’s a very sizable miss in terms of our budget.” Reynolds reported to the committee that each division—such as the College of Urban and Public Affairs and the School of Business—will entrust the responsibility of cutting a total of 2% to the vice presidents of each division. This 2% cut across divisions will account for $6 million to balance the budget, according to Interim President Stephen Percy’s budget update statement. According to the budget update, PSU is also undertaking a two-year marketing campaign that will cost approximately $1.6 million in order to recruit new students, as well as other onetime fees such as approximately $500,000 for expanding campus public safety resources. Reynolds also acknowledged an increase in operating reserves over the last four years. “We do at least have some expendable net assets to fight our way through the problem perhaps for the next year or two, but once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Reynolds said. Reynolds also said PSU’s relative financial health compared to other Oregon public universities is low, with University of Oregon and Oregon State among those that surpass PSU based on the primary reserve ratio, or expendable net assets divided by total operating expenses. He also said that PSU’s thin cash margins are worth noting when considering PSU’s financial instability. “You could pay off all of the debt that this university has with expendable net assets, [but] you wouldn’t have anything left,” Reynolds said. Reynolds also said that previous attempts to keep the budget balanced for years to come failed, citing the tuition increase from last year as a stop-gap measure that kept the problem from getting worse. “The only way forward is cost controls,” Reynolds said. He also said the biggest cost increases from the previous year were salaries and benefits. “[PSU] cannot have a 2–4% decrease in enrollment and increases in salaries, wages and benefits,” Reynolds said. “It’s not sustainable.” Broderick also said the PSU administration and AAUP are currently in negotiations on a new contract, and both sides are “hopeful to reach an agreement over faculty pay, benefits and other contractual issues” as talks continue.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
SOUTHERN AFRICA DROUGHT AFFECTS 45 MILLION PEOPLE CRACKED EARTH WHERE THERE WAS ONCE A WATER SUPPLY AT MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK, ZIMBABWE. TSVANGIRAYI MUKWAZHI/AP IMAGES
MADISON CECIL A drought throughout southern Africa is affecting about 45 million people, causing food insecurity throughout the region. The drought—an ongoing issue throughout southern Africa since 2012—had record low rainfalls as of 2019. The lack of rain is affecting local agriculture and the amount of food available. No farmers have planted grain in South Africa this year, which is typically planted in mid-November. Since rainfall is over a month late, farmers are also unable to plant grain, which is the basis of both human and animal diets. “We are late, but we are not yet in a crisis—but we are very worried when we look at the forecast of the season,” Jannie De Villiers, CEO of Grain South Africa, told The Daily Maverick. “We are not sure whether the grain sector can take another drought in this country.” The lack of grain availability has in turn affected the ability of farmers and others in the agricultural industry
MADISON CECIL AND EMILY PRICE Nigerian authorities began conducting raids on Islamic schools, known as almajiri schools, throughout the country and have freed over 1,500 boys and young men who suffered abuse. Authorities said these children suffered physical beatings and sexual abuse during their time at the almajiri schools, and some were chained together in front courtyards. Police freed 147 students from one almajiri school in Kaduna and 259 from a school in Ibadan. Some report they were also denied food as punishment, according to Voice of America. “Anytime we complain, they will punish us and curse our parents,” an unnamed student at the Daura almajiri school told Voice of America. “Your parents will bring food to you, they will not give it to you. They send you money, but they will not give it to you. When [your parents come to visit you, they will not allow them [to] see you. They will tell your parents that they are praying for you, and none of that is true. That is what we go through daily here.” Almajiri schools are private Islamic schools teaching their students discipline, peace and humility. Due to a limited number of public, government-funded schools, almajiri enroll approximately 10 million students in Nigeria, according to Reuters. “If today we decided to close all of the almajiri schools…there would be an educational crisis,” a spokesman for Abuja-based NGO Almajiri Child Rights Initiative, Mohammed Sabo Keana told Reuters.
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to maintain their livestock. Dozens had to sell or kill livestock because they were unable to properly feed them in South Africa, according to The Daily Maverick. “There is a humanitarian crisis at this point; some farmers are down to 30% of the nucleus of their herd,” a spokesman for the Red Meat Producers Organization Gerhard Schutte told The Daily Maverick. “We as farmers take this very seriously...and many farmers are forced to take their animals to slaughter because they don’t have the feed available to keep their animals alive.” The South African government implemented measures on Oct. 28 throughout the most drought-affected regions. These emergency measures will restrict water usage and improve infrastructure used to provide supplies to people throughout the country. “At this stage, it would not be necessary to declare a national disaster, but provincially, in the Western Cape, the
Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape and in the Limpopo area, a disaster declaration should have been done more than a year ago,” Willem Symington, a spokesperson for Agri North Cape, an agricultural organization working to combat the effects of the drought told The Daily Maverick. “The primary responsibility of dealing with a disaster sits with the government.” Emergency food deliveries have been scheduled by international aid organizations to be delivered to countries affected by the drought, including Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. “We are witnessing millions of already poor people facing extreme food insecurity and exhausting their reserves because of compounding climate shocks that hit already vulnerable communities hardest,” Southern Africa Director for Oxfam, an international aid agency, Nellie Nyang’wa told The New York Times. “They need help urgently.”
AUTHORITIES FREE 1,500 FROM ABUSIVE SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA
Mallams, or Islamic scholars, are placed in charge of almajiri schools and maintain the respect of the Muslim community throughout Nigeria—especially in the northern areas—despite the abuse. Mallams claim they can help solve behavioral issues, drug addiction or mental illness in the students enrolled at their schools. Reuters reported Burhani, 15, was released from a school in Daura where he suffered abuse for several months until authorities conducted the raid that freed him. Burhani’s father sent him to the camp to help solve his son’s behavioral issues. Another parent sent his adult son to the same school in Daura to solve his drug addiction. The father paid $163 in registration fees and an additional $13.80 per month to enroll his son in the program. The average monthly income in Nigeria is $163, according to Reuters. The father also said he would return his son to the almajiri school if it had remained open, despite the abuse. According to The Washington Post, children as young as 5 years old were found in chains at a school in Kaduna. Police Chief Ali Janga said the Kaduna school was a “house of torture.” “They were just beating, abusing and punishing us everyday [in] the name of teaching us,” Lawal Ahmad, who was enrolled at the Kaduna almajiri school, told The Washington Post. “They are not teaching us for the sake of God.” The Nigerian schools have faced international and national criticism for the abuse, but the Nigerian government has yet to announce any policy changes, according to The Washington Post.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
CHILDREN HUDDLE IN THE SUN AFTER BEING FREED IN A POLICE RAID IN DAURA, NIGERIA. SADDIQ MUSTAPHA/AP IMAGES
OPINION
ELECTRIC CARS AREN’T REALLY GREEN SAQIF MAQSUD The electric car has a secret—it isn’t actually green. When people say an electric car is green, they are usually comparing it to a regular, internal combustion engine car, and most people are often very quick to conclude that electric cars are environmentally friendly. While that might be true in terms of their absence of exhaust emissions, many people are unaware of the environmental damage that happens as a result of manufacturing. For instance, electric vehicles are charged by electricity that comes from burning fossil fuels or coal on an industrial scale and therefore cannot be labeled as clean or green. Similarly, manufacturing electric cars in general also burns fossil fuels. The Toyota Prius is a well-known car globally. It is the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car. We all know it, automatically through advertising, as an environmentally friendly car. However, very few people know that Toyota acknowledges that Prius production is more carbon dioxide heavy than that of gas-engine cars, according to The New York Times. Nearly all electric cars are powered by a lithium-ion battery, and cars that are completely electric have no exhaust systems. They function on batteries that have a different composition of lithium and other chemicals. Teslas are a popular example of such cars. Many people might be unaware that the heart of a Tesla—its batteries—come from Japan. The electronics giant Panasonic supplies bat-
tery cells for popular Tesla cars like the Model S, Model X and Model 3, sending about 3 million battery cells daily. That requires a lot of lithium, and that isn’t a good thing, as analyst Christina Valimaki of online technology journal Elsevier, said to Wired, “One of the biggest environmental problems caused by our endless hunger for the latest and smartest devices is a growing mineral crisis, particularly those needed to make our batteries.” The demand for lithium is increasing exponentially, and it doubled in price between 2016 and 2018. Lithium is found in the brine of salt flats. To obtain it, the flats are drilled to pump the brine to the surface. This allows lithium carbonate to be extracted via a chemical process, which isn’t exactly eco-friendly, and the damages it does are not always highlighted and are rarely included in any electric cars’ brochure. South America is famous for these salt flats. Popularly known as “Lithium Triangle,” the area entails parts of Argentina, Bolivia and
Chile and holds more than half the world’s supply of the metal. The extraction process is cheap, but it involves a lot of water—approximately 500,000 gallons for each metric ton of lithium. Local farmers of Salar de Atacama in Chile, for example, who grow quinoa and herd llamas, are already forced to travel for water. To add to this already existing water shortage, mining lithium consumes about 65% of the region’s water. While water supplies are exhausted in some countries, the water gets contaminated in other places. In Tibet, for example, during the mining process, toxic hydrochloric acid—a chemical among many others that are used in the extraction process—leaked into the local water supply. In Australia and North America, lithium mining also requires a lot of chemicals like hydrochloric acid, which ends up tampering any local nearby water source. The problem this creates is it compromises any wildlife in the water too. Research in Nevada on chemicals
leaking into a local water source found that fish in a stream as far as 150 miles from the mining place are heavily affected. Lithium extraction processes have unique devastating consequences depending on which country they are being extracted from. Regardless, they all cause air contamination and harm the soil, in some places, leaving the changes irreversible and the lands useless. There is no scope of labeling the extraction of lithium as green. Chilean biologist Cristina Dorador told Bloomberg, “We’re fooling ourselves if we call this sustainable and green mining.” Manufacturers should focus more on transparency of their batteries and not always prioritize profits. Other chemical combinations may not be as energy dense as lithium, cobalt and nickel, but that does not mean they should not be focused on. In addition, with an abundance of electronics existing, research like the Faraday Challenge—a government-funded research at the University of Birmingham that focuses on lithium recycling—should be multiplied. Regardless, in reality, manufacturers that make electric cars care about revenue. It is of little interest to them what impact their production has on the environment as long as cars are sold. Yet another example is Tesla’s recent decision to start production in China. Their brochures and advertisements will never highlight how many farmlands were driven to drought, or how they have switched to battery manufacturers that offer lithium batteries at a cheaper price, but at a great environmental cost.
BRANDON PAHNISH
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BREAKOUT PLAYER
TATIANA STREUN CURRENT RECORD
1-3
BIGGEST WIN
After winning last year’s Big Sky Tournament championship for the first time since 2010, the Vikings opened up the season with a convincing 104-48 win over Multnomah before falling to the two-time defending Mountain West tournament champion Boise State Broncos in the first round of the preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Redshirt junior Tatiana Streun has been a big part of the Vikings’ offense this year, currently leading the team in points, rebounds and shooting percentage after missing all of the 2018-19 season with an injury. Streun contributed 19 points to go along with 13 rebounds in her first game back. With several key players returning and young talent coming off the bench, the Vikings will be looking to make another run at a Big Sky Championship and earn a second consecutive birth in the NCAA Tournament.
MEN’S BASKETBALL BREAKOUT PLAYER
MATT HAUSER
CURRENT RECORD
1-2
BIGGEST WIN
There are several new faces on the roster for PSU men’s basketball team this year, including five Division-I transfers. The Vikings opened the season with an impressive 94-69 win over Puget Sound at the Viking Pavilion on Nov. 5. Graduate transfer Matt Hauser has made an immediate impact for the Vikings, providing consistent scoring and outside shooting. Hauser leads the team in points and three-pointers through three games. PSU will host the rival University of Portland Pilots on Nov. 20 at the Pavilion.
FOOTBALL BREAKOUT PLAYER
CURRENT RECORD
DAVIS ALEXANDER 5-6 BIGGEST WIN
PSU football has come a long way since their 0-11 season two years ago. Junior quarterback Davis Alexander has consistently improved during his three years with the team, already reaching career highs this year in total yards and passing touchdowns. The high point of the Vikings’ season came in a road win over Northern Colorado, culminating a three-game winning streak and leaving PSU with a 5-3 record. Despite their recent three-game slide, the Vikings have a chance to secure their first record of .500 or better since 2015. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD
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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
SPORTS
F L O G LAYER
BREAKOUT P
DEZ
NAN R E H E I R E L A V
BEST FINISHTHE ROSE CITY T 2ND PLACEEA COLLEGIAT
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY BREAKOUT PLAYER
JOSH SNYDER BIGGEST WIN
BIGGEikSinTgsWwIN omen
se c u re d in the ar The V ye e ish of th n fi t 0, es b r thei on Sept. 3 Collegiate t en ev ly Rose City n o cond in the r io en S . finishing se n so a ost this se ay PSU will h led the w ez d n a n er H de n ri co le a se V eir ings in th t u o d n for the Vik co placing se , h is n e fi il h place ting w s participa of all golfer e Vikings’ h T . ar p over highest going threeish was the n fi ce la -p d secon onference x Big Sky C si e ’s th f o t ou PSU women ticipating. l ti n u t en schools par ev ave another in te a ip golf won’t h ic rt en they pa Feb. 22 wh ational in anyon Invit C d the Gran riz. Phoenix, A
BEST FINISH
1ST PLACE AT THE BEAVER CLASSIC
The Vikings men had a strong month, earning their best finish in program history at the Big Sky Championships and following it with their first-ever win at the Beaver Classic on Nov. 9. Sophomore Josh Snyder finished among the top four Vikings runners in every meet he competed in this year, including a finish as the top PSU runner at the Cougar Classic meet in September. The Vikings men finished in 20th place at the 2019 NCAA West Regional on Nov. 15, their first top-20 finish at the West Regional since 2003.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY BREAKOUT PLAYER
BEST FINISH
HUNTER STORM 1ST PLACE AT THE CHARLES BOWLES INVITATIONAL
BIGGEST WIN
The Vikings women had their best meet of the season at the Charles Bowles Invitational where they secured a first-place finish. Hunter Storm was the top runner for the Vikings in the meet, as she has been all season. Storm finished third overall and has been the Vikings’ top-finisher in each of the six meets she competed in this season. PSU women finished in 21st place at this year’s NCAA West Regional on Nov. 15, with two runners, Hunter Storm and Delaney White, in the top 75 for the fourth time in school history for women’s cross country.
COURTESY OF GOVIKS
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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ARTS & CULTURE
‘SOUL’D: THE ECONOMICS OF OUR BLACK BODY’ NICK TOWNSEND
An all-Black cast and a collectively devised performance, “Soul’d: The Economics of Our Black Body” made for an engaging investigation of the Black American experience—a production that challenged the white-centered expectations of the Portland theater scene. The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center hosted the second of eight performances of “Soul’d” on Nov. 15, produced by Damaris Webb and “the project,” a collective of local Black performers and designers. At the beginning of the performance, the audience was asked a simple question by the collective: “Is it possible to tell this story without a white actor?” “Yes,” answers a member of the cast. “Is it possible to tell this story without the white gaze?” asks another cast member. “No,” answers a fourth person. This simple exchange brought into focus the role of the mostly white audience attending this particular night of the production and openly engaged with the rarity of an all-Black cast and collective ensemble. The performance mixed exchanges like this with personal monologues, short skits and readings of poetry by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. The combination of mediums worked to investigate, as the director’s note states: “the narrative of the American economic dream for Black Americans…[from] the macrocosms of slavery to the present day post-Obama backlash.” Despite the recognition of the inevitability of the white gaze in the narrative, the performance piece centered on the variety of the Black experience. A skit about the Green Book—a travel guide for mid-twentieth century Black motorists navigating around Jim Crow laws—opens with an archival audio clip of the Green Book’s author’s statement, outlining the process of selecting safe hotels and gas stations for Black motorists in the South. Three of the performers—all women— dance in a robotic, almost vaudevillian style along to the audio clip. The skit ends with a reference to a 2018 incident at the Portland Doubletree hotel, where a Black guest was escorted off the property by police for making a phone call in the lobby. Another skit based off the phrase “Cotton is king,” a motto of slave-based agricultural production in the pre-Civil War South, features the actors dressed in 1860sera costumes sowing cotton fields, but instead of seeds, they plant representations of Black and brown babies. Other actors recount the South’s economic reliance on slavery and the enormous value a slave created for their white owners. The skit finishes by noting that the dollar bill is made of 75% cotton, with one of the actors saying, “Cotton is still king.” “It was great to be able to ensure having our own representation and to be able to create with other Black people” said performer and co-creator Shareen Jacobs. “It’s rare to have control over your own script,” she said about the opportunity to help develop the performance. Director Damaris Webb took contributions from each performer to create a collective-style piece, blending individual experience into an expansive narrative. Several of the actors gave personal monologues recounting their own role in the Black experience. Salim Sanchez shared the story of his single mom uprooting his family out of a dangerous low-income neighborhood, earning her G.E.D., bachelor’s and master’s in speech pathology and becoming an inspiration to her community. La’Tevin Alexander argued that reparations should be paid to the Black community in the form of free DNA ancestry tests to allow members of the African diaspora to reclaim their lineage. Other actors shared their experience growing up in Black households in the Portland area. The performance ended with a screening of “Root Shocked,” a 15-minute short film about the effort by local artist Cleo Davis Jr. to save a historic Portland building, the Mayo House, and how the house is representative of the larger struggle of the Black community in Portland in the face of gentrification. The film summarized the history of three generations of the Davis family, starting with Davis Jr.’s grandmother, whose apartment building was demolished against her will. Her son Cleo Davis Sr., a major figure in the documentary, speaks frankly about the hopelessness and trauma that the incident inflicted on his family. “This house has a similar experience to our community,” Davis Jr. said. “Kinda moved around...root shocked.” The production made a clear point by ending with the screening of the documentary. These issues are not in the past and haven’t been adequately addressed in the present. “Soul’d” runs through Nov. 24. Thursday through Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATES NARRATIVE OF ECONOMIC DREAM FOR BLACK AMERICANS
COURTESY OF SHAWNTE SIMS/VANPORT MOSAIC
COMICS “FACTORY RESET”
“DECOY”
DANA TOWNSEND
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 19, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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Nick Townsend
NOV 19–25 ART
MUSIC
FILM & THEATRE
COMMUNITY
JACKSTRAW LAURELTHIRST PUBLIC HOUSE 6 P.M. FREE Like if your dad and his friends started a bluegrass band.
THE MOTH STORYSLAM HOLOCENE 7 P.M. $15 Potential storytellers put their names in a hat and are called on to share a true story with no notes.
VIKING VOLLEYBALL VS. SACRAMENTO STATE VIKING PAVILION 7 P.M. Support the Lady Viks.
INSOFAR AS I KNEW FOURTEEN30 CONTEMPORARY 10 A.M.–5 P.M. New canvas works by Jae Yeun Choi and Maysha Mohamedi.
JULIA JACKLIN ALADDIN THEATER 8 P.M. $18–22 Sadgirl indie-folk at its finest.
‘WOLVES EAT ELK’ BOILER ROOM STUDIO IN LINCOLN HALL 7:30 P.M. $6–15 A soil scientist is pulled into a fantastical world of Elk Kingdoms and talking wolves.
RETRO VIDEO GAME TRIVIA RETRO GAME BAR 7 P.M. FREE Prizes awarded to the top two teams.
CRISTA AMES EUTECTIC GALLERY 10 A.M.–5:30 P.M. A new exhibition of sculptures by the Washington artist.
UNA NOCHE DE BIENE STAR: BUILDING HOPE IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY REVOLUTION HALL 8 P.M. A celebration of immigrant culture in Portland benefiting public housing.
‘MY SUMMER AS A GOTH’ WHITSELL AUDITORIUM 7 P.M. $8 A local coming-of-age film with a limited release in Portland
JOHN ARCUDI: FROM HELL’S HEART BROADWAY BOOKS 7 P.M. FREE An illustrated celebration of Herman Melville’s birthday.
$5 AFTER 5 P.M. PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 5 P.M. $5 Discounted admission after 5 P.M. Check out the Hank Willis Thomas exhibit.
SOUL STEW GOODFOOT 9 P.M. $7 Get funky with DJ Aquaman.
DEATH AND DELIGHT BODYVOX DANCE CENTER 7:30 P.M. $25–59 A dance theater reinterpretation of two Shakespeare works.
BED LAUGH & BEYOND THE SIREN THEATER 7 P.M. $10 A comedy student showcase.
CHASING JESSIE APPLEGATE FORD GALLERY 9 A.M.–6 P.M. FREE A new series of paintings by Kirista Trask investigating eight generations of women in her family.
FINEHOUSE: A TRIBUTE TO AMY WINEHOUSE ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE 7 P.M. $18 A 10-piece band pays tribute to the late, great Amy Winehouse.
‘BURN THIS’ SHOE BOX THEATER 7:30 P.M. $10–25 An apartment of young artists deal with desire and grief.
ROSE CITY HIGH ROLLERS VS. NIGHTMARE SQUAD OAKS AMUSEMENT PARK 7 P.M. $15 Portland’s own roller derby team faces off against a Los Angeles team in a fundraiser bout.
SUN NOV 24
THOMAS C. BRADLEY: TROPHIES UNLIMITED ONE GRAND GALLERY NOON–6 P.M. FREE A tribute to the graphic byproduct of late capitalism.
DO RIGHT SUNDAY DIG A PONY 9 P.M. FREE Boogie down for charity.
‘Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN’ 5TH AVENUE CINEMA 3 P.M. FREE A magical-realist coming of age story.
THE WINTER CBD FAIR LUMI WELLNESS SHOP 11 A.M.–3 P.M. FREE Get well!
MON NOV 25
SARAH SHIELDS STUMPTOWN COFFEE 1 7 A.M.–7 P.M. FREE Local paintings by Shields displayed in a relaxed coffee shop.
BRIDGETOWN BIG BANDS JACK LONDON REVUE 7:30 P.M. $10 A long running big band evening featuring arrangements by Ellington and Basie.
PDX NATIVE FILM NIGHT: ‘WARRIOR WOMEN’ HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7:30 P.M. FREE The story of Madonna Thunderhawk, indigenous civil rights activist.
IT’S GONNA BE OKAY! EASTBURN 8 P.M. FREE A local comedy showcase committed to diverse local and national acts.
TUE NOV 19
OREGON JEWISH VOICES 20TH ANNIVERSARY OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM 7:30–9:30 P.M. $10 Roundtable readings from local Jewish poets and writers.
WED NOV 20 THU NOV 21 FRI NOV 22 SAT NOV 23