FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 32
Event of the day The Portland State women’s soccer team hosts the Big Sky Championship today for the second time in school history. Get out there and show some school spirit by supporting your team! When: 4 p.m. Where: PCC-Rock Creek 17705 NW Springville Road
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INSIDE OPINION
Portland’s regressive rail There is no need for another streetcar line PAGE 4
ARTS
Where did everybody go? Financial constraints force Portland State’s doors to close for a full week
A new direction The Upsidedown comes into their own PAGE 5
Vinh Tran Vanguard staff
A wall of talent German Culture Week commemorates history with German arts and culture PAGE 6 Northwestern exposure The 36th Annual Northwest Film and Video Festival takes a pulse, finds life PAGE 7
NEWS SFC grants a portion of group overages $36,227 granted of $120,274 requested PAGE 8
SPORTS
Vikings hope to shoot Eagles out of Big Sky Eastern Washington comes to the Park Blocks for pivotal game against Portland State PAGE 10
All photos by Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard
Closing its doors: During the closure, faculty and staff will take mandatory, unpaid leave days.
Group also in process of constructing on-campus memorial Erica DeCouteau Vanguard staff
Portland State’s Student Veterans Association will host a Veterans Day celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in the Park Blocks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature free food from Slabtown Ribs and barbecue, music and guest speakers. “We’re hoping that this is the first in a long line of Veterans Day celebrations on campus,” said senior Kevin Hershey, president of the SVA. Michael Burton, vice provost of Extended Studies, will be discussing his experiences serving on the governor’s task force to improve veterans services on campus. Retired Col. Mike Howard of the U.S. Marines, a Portland State alumnus, will also speak. An encore presentation of Telling, a student film that features SVA members talking about their experiences in the military, will also take place. The event is first and foremost about remembering veterans and the sacrifices that they have made
The Park Blocks will be empty. The library, cafeteria and halls will be silent. Lights will go down and so will the thermostat. Except for the sound of an accountant working hard to get holiday paychecks out, Oregon’s largest university will be like a ghost town. This is Portland State in a budget deficit. No faculty, students or even administrative staff—folks who stay behind to work when classes are out—will be on campus from Dec. 19–28. When fall term 2009 is over, the university will close its doors as a cost-cutting measure. For the faculty and staff at Portland State, the early vacation means no work and reduced pay.
As part of a bargaining agreement between Portland State and several employee unions—Service Employees International Union, American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers—everyone must take mandatory, unpaid leave days during the month of December. In a memo sent to all classified and unclassified staff, Portland State showed how it has created a system to determine the number of unpaid leave days staff are required to take according their salary ranking. The minimum number of leave days is three and four for unclassified and classified staff, respectively. Unpaid leave days are a fair and satisfactory way of cutting salary, according to Cathy LaTourette, associate vice president of Human Resources. “We’re not just going to reduce staff salary and make them work the same hours in order to save money,”
CUTS continued on page eight
Student veterans to host Veterans Day celebration for their country, and the SVA also wants to commemorate the efforts of Portland State officials who have worked to improve veteran services on campus. The group is also working toward constructing a memorial on campus to honor the veterans who helped build the university in 1946, when it was known as the Vanport Extension Center. The process of building the memorial is still in the early stages. A location has not been decided upon, though the SVA is considering the South Park Blocks as one possible home for the monument. “Finding a site has proven to be the most difficult task of all,” Hershey said. The SVA has procured donated money, design services and the promise of free labor from people in the community. There will not be a cost to the university or to students, according to Sarah Lynn Doherty, equal rights advocate for ASPSU.
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
Kevin Hershey: The SVA president and other group members will celebrate Veterans Day.
Vanguard 2 | Opinion November 6, 2009
OPINION
Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Danielle Kulczyk News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor
Editorial
Is Portland State an eco-poseur?
you
What do
Robert Britt Sports Editor Shannon Vincent Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Jennifer Wolff Chief Copy Editor Jennifer Wolff Calendar Editor Matthew Kirtley Advertising Manager Judson Randall Adviser Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Marketing Manager Kelsey Chinen Associate News Editor Virginia Vickery Production Assistants Bryan Morgan, Charles Cooper Williams
Writers Kate Alexander, William Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Klara Calhau-Hawsgardh, Maeve Connor, Meaghan Daniels, Erica DeCouteau, Joel Gaddis, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Ed Johnson, Carrie Johnston, Mark Johnston, Tamara K. Kennedy, Anita Kinney, Gogul Krishnan, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Holly K. Millar, Sean Rains, Stephanie Fine Sasse, Wendy Shortman, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Virginia Vickery, Allison Whited Photographers Aaron Leopold, Rodrigo Melgarejo, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Amy Lee, Robert Seitzinger Advertising Sales Matthew Kirtley, Ana SanRoman, Jae Specht, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Shannon Vincent Contact Editor-in-Chief 503-725-5691 editor@dailyvanguard.com Advertising Manager 503-725-5686 ads@dailyvanguard.com The Vanguard is chartered to publish four days a week as an independent student newspaper by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subcription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Copyright © 2009 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26, Portland, Ore., 97201
When talking about sustainability at Portland State, the words “discussion” and “encouragement” get used a lot. We “encourage” and “discuss” being green so much it’s easy to see how we’ve painted a reputation as such an eco-friendly place. But what are we actually doing? Aside from the usual recycling bins and saving electricity, we also have a solid research program aimed at green buildings. This program recently received around $1 million in federal funding to further its work. Not to mention, President Wim Wiewel is a huge green advocate who spearheads ambitious projects—most recently, talks with Nissan and Mitsubishi to bring their new electric cars to Portland. This is fantastic, and it does have impact. However, you can still go to schools like Boise State University or Stanford University and find similar projects and practices. So, in reality, is Portland State doing that much for sustainability, or are we just raising a lot of awareness? What is wrong with pushing the limits? With the amount of support and enthusiasm for sustainability here at Portland State, there really
isn’t any reason we couldn’t be a shining example for sustainability practices across the country, and truly lead by example. Have red tape and the fear of what other people think turned us into timid little eco-mice? At times, activism seems to carry a negative context, but how long are we going to sit and encourage each other before someone finally gets up and makes major change happen? Just because action speaks louder than words doesn’t make it bad. Portland State should be leading this movement because we, of all people, are “aware” of the need for sustainability—enough talk, we know what’s up. Why is President Wiewel the most active eco-dude on campus? There is a lot that we can do within legal boundaries, financial requirements and practical implementation that would not be intrusive to how we go about our lives. We’re smart and we can make radical change in ways that could benefit people. The community here at Portland State has real power—and real passion—and we should do more than talk about it.
Sarah J. Christensen, Editor-in-Chief | Danielle Kulczyk, News Editor Theodora Karatzas, Arts & Culture Editor | Richard D. Oxley, Opinion Editor Robert Britt, Sports Editor | Marni Cohen, Photo Editor Shannon Vincent, Production Manager | Zach Chastaine, Online Editor Jennifer Wolff, Chief Copy Editor
think?
Marijuana? Marijuana has been making a number of headlines recently across our nation. With the Obama administration announcing that the federal government will hold off on prosecuting marijuanarelated offenses in states allowing medical marijuana use, many users of the medicinal plant can take a smoke-filled sigh of relief. Medical marijuana is currently allowed in some form or another in 14 states. In our own city of Portland, The Oregonian reports that two smoking lounges will open up for medical marijuana users. Of course, patrons must be medical marijuana cardholders, and also a member of National Organization for
the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Many issues arise. How can we smoke marijuana in these lounges when we can’t smoke cigarettes at other lounges? Does a lounge promote recreational use rather than medicinal? Don’t people have to drive to these lounges, where they can become impaired? Write a letter to the editor here at the Vanguard and tell us your thoughts on the medical marijuana issue that spans not only our state, but the country as well. What do you think of medical marijuana, or marijuana in general? How do you think the matter should be handled? Let us know!
Medical marijuana users can
breathe easy The federal government will no longer go after those compliant with state laws Meaghan Daniels Vanguard staff
Welcome back to the good days, where state laws mean something and people who abide by them don’t get hassled by the federal government. The Justice Department announced that in states allowing medical marijuana, users and suppliers will not fall victim to federal prosecutors, so long as they’re in line with state rules. This new policy does not mean a free-for-all, because prosecutors will continue to target those who are actually breaking the state law, which is why they are there…right? We have come a long way since the Bush administration—thankfully—which was persistent about seeking out those who use or supply medical marijuana, regardless of whether or not they complied with state law. At least that is over and
we are moving in a step towards the right direction. Currently, the government counts 14 states that allow some sort of medical marijuana use. These states are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. In Maryland, however, the law only allows reduced penalties for medical marijuana users. California allows dispensaries for medical marijuana. In 1998, Oregon passed the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, which allows the cultivation, possession and use of medical marijuana for people with prescriptions. This law passed two years after the Californian medical marijuana law. According to The Oregonian, as of Oct. 1, 23,873 Oregonians have medical marijuana cards. These cards allow them to have six mature cannabis plants, 18 seedlings and 24 ounces of marijuana. Approximately 7,000 of the people who hold medical marijuana cards reported suffering from muscular conditions such as multiple
sclerosis, 4,000 reported nausea and 1,000 have cancer. If medical marijuana works for people with serious illnesses, why take that away from them? It has been proven to help those with serious ailments, including cancer. More importantly, why harass a law-abiding citizen? If someone is so sick that they need marijuana for medicinal purposes and are granted that through state law, why hassle them? It is something that helps a large number of people and they are following state laws. Patients will be able to breathe easier without having to choose whether or not to feel worse due to illness or to get in trouble with the feds when they are in compliance with state law. After all, the federal government does have bigger fish to fry and a limited amount of resources to fry them. Going after law-abiding citizens was a big waste of time, money, power and resources. Thankfully, those days are over. The people opposing medical marijuana have the argument that it is still an illegal substance. Exactly: That is why patients get a
Every rose has its
thorns
Rose Quarter redevelopment looks attractive, could be awful Patrick Guild Vanguard staff
Developers are poised to renovate the Rose Quarter and Memorial Coliseum into a 24-hour entertainment extravaganza honoring the area’s jazz-filled historic district, Jumptown—which was razed to build the Coliseum. In the 1940s, the Eastbank and Albina districts were at the center of Portland’s music scene. Portland’s location between Seattle and San Francisco made certain that heavy performers like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong stopped to play in downtown ballrooms. The largest of these clubs, the Dude Ranch, is the only one left standing after Interstate 5, Memorial Coliseum and a failed Legacy Emanuel Hospital expansion obliterated the area in a 1950s-era urban renewal project. City officials
and the Portland Trail Blazers are starting their own renewal project aimed at recreating all the music and nightlife that their predecessors crushed with family-friendly restaurants, shops, and a one-of-akind Nike interactive experience. I can’t imagine anything more grotesque than the neon lights and mindless pop-rock muzak that will inevitably poison and wilt the majestic Rose Garden. The City of Portland has created a development council accepting proposals from all Portlanders and promises to keep all ideas “on an equal footing,” according to Mayor Sam Adams. But the Blazers, who retain special development rights in the area, have the right to veto the committee’s recommendations. The Blazers have partnered with Cordish Development to form a proposition that, according to Larry Miller, Blazers team president, continues to pay homage to something that used to be there. A quick search of other Cordish projects brings up a horrific montage of Hard Rock Cafe’s, neon bowling
pins, and accusations of racism. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys were in charge of rebuilding the Death Star. In an interview with the Portland Mercury, Miller promised that the project will be locally-driven. “This is not being driven by an outside corporation like Cordish. This is being driven by Portland and Portlanders,” Miller said. He imagines a return to the Coliseum’s use as a venue and swears to steer clear of a mall atmosphere full of chain stores. Honestly, the Blazers’ track record gives us every reason to believe him. The Rose Garden is tasteful and understated and we can thank Blazers owner Paul Allen’s vast fortune in ensuring that we won’t have to watch the Trail Blazers in a ridiculous corporate venue (see: Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho, and Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.). The Blazers have a real opportunity to revitalize a district that becomes a ghost town in the off-season. Mayor Adams stresses that development should be authentically Portland.
prescription in order to legally use marijuana. What it comes down to is that it helps people, whether those effects are due to the medical marijuana itself or people simply believing that it is helping them. Either way, it is helping people. So why take that away? Are you really going to tell a dying cancer patient that they cannot use their medical marijuana because it is a drug? No! This is not the war on drugs we should be fighting. What about all of the other, more dangerous illegal drugs out there? What about with the extremely violent Mexican drug cartels that are selling illegal drugs to United States citizens to support other criminal activities? These are the wars the federal government should be dealing with and I believe that if medical marijuana works, and you have a prescription for it, you should be able to use it. Leave medical marijuana to the states and leave the real drug wars to the federal government. All in all, this is a step away from the Bush administration—and a step in the right direction.
“We’re an indie city with a do-ityourself kind of ethos,” Adams said. Not only is this statement extremely nauseating, it’s extremely troubling. The committee fails to understand that you can’t plan urban authenticity. Change will come organically. Portland is a city filled with a lust for the genuine and the opportunity to flaunt new holes in the wall in your snooty neighbors’ faces. The Rose Quarter should be reintroduced to the neighborhood that surrounds it. The nearby businesses and restaurants don’t flaunt Blazers merchandise or offer latenight specials to the exodus of fans after games. But can we really blame them for feeling a little detached from the massive arenas? The Rose Quarter’s giant aboveground parking lots serve as a Great Wall that cuts them off from Northeast neighborhoods. Bringing in giant, themed restaurants may seem like a sound investment in other cities, but really doesn’t fit into Portland’s image. Provide incentives and tax credits for local businesses to move into the Rose Quarter. Make sure local bands are always highlighted and open for larger groups that come through. Let local architects and developers use the remodel as an opportunity to create a prototype for the future of Portland urban planning. Put in a velodrome! And please scrap the whole Jumptown thing. I realize that it rhymes with Stumptown and the Blazers’ corporate heads must think it’s witty to have “jump” associated with a basketball arena, but when a little history is added, it comes off as insensitive. This redevelopment is a good idea that could become great for the city. Deviating away from the Jumptown concept is a leap in the right direction. To provide my own stomach-turning pun: If done correctly, a Rose Quarter by any other name will smell just as sweet.
Vanguard Opinion | 3 November 6, 2009
Opinion Editor: Richard D. Oxley 503-725-5692 opinion@dailyvanguard.com
Portland by any other name Residents of Portland sure do have quite a few names to choose from when it comes to their fair city. With a large number of aspects and communities to highlight, the city has taken on various monikers over the years, some which have stuck even to this day. The names themselves not only make the case for the wide array of personalities Portland consists of, but also give insight to the history of the city.
Stumptown We’ve all heard this one thrown around, since it’s the name of our popular local coffee brand. It was earned after Portland’s growth during the late 1800s left parts of the city scattered with tree stumps. Soccer City Among the many scarves worn at a Portland Timbers game, some bear the motto “Soccer City.” The term is also sung in many of the Timber Army’s chants as Soccer City USA as well. Find info on the Timbers Army at www.soccercityusa. com. Little Beirut A name that was tossed around senior George Bush’s administration after experiencing an active protest in Portland upon a visit to the city. P-Town Not very inventive, but pretty obvious. Bridgetown You may not have noticed this, but we happen to have a lot of bridges in the city. A natural byproduct of building your city on both banks of a river. Rip City A name stemming from fans of the Portland Trail Blazers. It was originally coined in 1971 by announcer Bill Schonely. Razorblade City Originally created in the minds of local Portland hip-hop heroes the Lifesavas, Razorblade City is a fictional city that sets the stage for their 2007 album Gutterfly. It has since been overlapped as a nickname for Portland itself. City of Roses/Rose City You can’t live in Portland without hearing that we are a city of roses. A popular flower to grow in the area, there are a range of stories of how the nickname was started. But it became popular enough for us to have a whole annual festival about it.
—wweek.com, nba.com, wiretapmag.org
Vanguard 4 |4Opinion | News November February January Month Day, 23, 13, 6, 2009
The Portland streetcar Portland’s streetcar is certainly a well-used transit option in the downtown area. But it hasn’t always been this way. Years of effort were put into getting the streetcar up and running. The cars themselves were made in Plzen, Czech Republic, proving that great beer is not the only thing made well there. Here is a little history behind our Portland streetcar. The idea of a streetcar in Portland began in 1990 when a feasibility study was conducted by the city. The City of Portland also created the Streetcar Advisory Committee the same year. In 1992, Portland was able to nab up a $500,000 federal grant to put toward the streetcar project. Local contributions were also able to match that amount. The streetcar line finally began construction in 1999. At that point in time, the line only ran from Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital to PSU. With continuing construction since 1999, in 2006 the streetcar began running passengers to the South Waterfront. Service in the South Waterfront district was expanded in 2007 to Lowell Street. —portlandstreetcar.org
Portland’s regressive rail
Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard
There is no need for another streetcar line Natalia Grozina Vanguard staff
I love Portland. Who doesn’t? I love everything about it: We have been referred to countless times as the most “green” city in the United States, and second in the world. There is always something happening here—festivals, concerts, excellent restaurants, wine bars, the blues at downtown’s Waterfront Park all summer long, Voodoo Doughnut and, of course, beer. What could be better, right? Wrong. I am tired of Portland’s fascination with 19th-century transportation. Personally, I think public transportation is great, and Portland does have a lot of it. However, it’s pretty bad when I get from point A to point B faster by walking than patiently riding the streetcar. And once again, Portland has decided to build a new
one. Can somebody tell me why we are stuck in the 19th century? The Oregonian reported on Oct. 23 that, “This week, after years of delays, the nation’s top transit official signed a contact [sic] that guarantees $75 million in federal money for the planned $150 million eastside extension of the Portland Streetcar. The new route will run from the Pearl District over the Broadway Bridge, past the Rose Quarter to Lloyd Center, and south to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.” Despite my opinion on the whole 19th-century streetcar fascination in Portland, there is another thing I would like to ask: Why are we building a streetcar to Lloyd Center when there are already three MAX lines that go to it? Besides, it’s federal money that is going toward the project so I think a better place for the streetcar to go is Lake Oswego. The Oregonian said that “much of the eastside line, in contrast, will travel parts of the city—the Rose Quarter, the Lloyd District, the
Central Eastside [sic]—where few people live and where commercial development has struggled. This won’t be a streetcar coming to the people but, the city hopes, people and development coming to the streetcar.” If there are few people living there, what people are coming to the streetcar? Weird. More so, the benefit of having a route instead extended to Lake Oswego is a lot bigger than to an underdeveloped area. I am not saying we shouldn’t in the future, but it makes more sense to me to extend a route someplace where there are people and industry. Another article in The Oregonian, published on Oct. 22, reported that “Federal money will pay for half the project. The other half comes from a variety of sources, including property owners along the route, the Oregon Lottery and urban renewal money from the Pearl District and the inner eastside.” This seems doable, but if there are not many property owners living
in the area, as the previous article pointed out, I could only imagine what they are charging the ones who do. Another option to consider is having a bus instead of a streetcar. How many people actually pay for their fares on the streetcar? I know of people like myself who have taken the streetcar countless times without paying. The only time I was ever asked about it was by the extremely obnoxious guy who embarrasses you in front of everyone while taking a survey on how many people pay. He never asked me to pay afterwards. With a bus, people are required to pay or show proof of payment before boarding. This is guaranteed revenue for the system, unlike all the people getting a free ride on the streetcar. What it comes down to is that either way, it is not up to me where to build a streetcar track. I just have my own opinions. But at the end of the day, public transportation is great. You should use it if you don’t already.
Profiting from health care America needs a nonprofit universal health care system Will Blackford Vanguard staff
A recent analysis from FactCheck published by The Associated Press and picked up by newspapers and blogs around the country examines the obscene profits of the health care industry and finds them overstated. The article in question attempts to provide a counter balance to the belief that health insurers are big, greedy corporations by comparing their profits to those of companies like Hershey and Yahoo!. The problem is that the article, presented as an objective look at the other side, ignores an important aspect of the issue itself: morals. This piece, which has been used by Fox News to excuse private health insurers, puts claims from politicians about health insurer’s profits side by side with the profits of other companies. The article
states that health insurers only posted a 2.2 percent profit margin last year. Well, golly, that sure is a tiny little number, especially when compared to Clorox’s 8.7 percent. Conveniently, larger numbers are left out of the article. Numbers like $833 million—Humana’s net income for 2007. Or $1.3 billion—Kaiser Permanente’s 2006 net income. Those numbers seem pretty obscene to me. I would think that if FactCheck was trying to be objective, it wouldn’t have tried to downplay the very profits in question by converting the numbers to a smaller, friendlier format. Omitted entirely is the question of whether or not people should be making money off of health care, or even how that money is made. According to George Rede of The Oregonian, the United States is the only developed country that lets insurance companies profit from basic health coverage. This fact suggests that there is some fundamental trait that American companies and policymakers are missing. Or does everyone else just have it wrong? Yahoo! posting profits from new
technologies is a much different story than Humana posting profits from denying people coverage. Cases like that of Peggy Robertson, a woman who was denied coverage by Golden Rule Insurance unless she was sterilized, come to mind. Robertson’s preexisting condition? Having had a cesarean section during the birth of her son. Or a recent survey done by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showing that 6 percent of cancer patients lost coverage after being diagnosed. It is impossible to discuss the health care issue solely as an expression of numbers, and attempting to do so ignores a gigantic part of the problem. The problem is not how obscene health insurer’s profits may or may not be, but that they make a profit at all. Comparing the health care business to the chocolate candy business is just absurd. Insurance companies’ denying of coverage just further emphasizes the need for a real public option. Those 6 percent of cancer patients who were denied coverage need to have somewhere to go for help. Unfortunately, the plans that are currently being
discussed are falling very, very short. Under the current House bill, the plan would only be offered to about 30 million people—15 million short of the total number of those currently uninsured as counted by the U.S. Census Bureau—and not even until 2013, according to current projections. Our own Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has tried to insert some helpful ideas into the debate. Sen. Wyden’s plan, known as the Healthy American Act, emphasizes the need for guaranteed, affordable coverage for all while keeping costs down and helping those who cannot afford coverage with subsidies. This seemingly rational plan was deemed too radical by lawmakers who proceeded to pursue a more ineffective plan. FactCheck needs to consider what an issue actually entails before fact-checking it and refrain from making comparisons between industries in completely different arenas. Skewing the numbers only serves to downplay the negative impact of private insurance and the need for a real insurance plan rather than some joke of a bill that just has “public option” written on it.
ARTS & CULTURE Doug Fir Lounge 830 E Burnside St. Nov. 7, 9 p.m. $15 advance, $18 doors 21+
The Upsidedown comes into their own Stephanie Fine Sasse Vanguard staff
Since forming in 2002, psychedelic rock band The Upsidedown has embarked upon a musical journey not unfamiliar in the music industry. Their first release, Trust Electricity, was regarded as a successful imitation album, primarily paying audibly pleasing tribute to the ghosts of indie-psych-rock past. Their sophomore album Human Destination took nearly four times as long to produce with a critical response worth the effort. It marked the beginning of a much more original aesthetic for The Upsidedown, who is now in the studio working on their third album, which promises to continue the progression of creative juices. “Although recording can be frustrating sometimes I think what we just did last week was probably the most satisfying feeling,” said bassist and vocalist Tristan Evans. “After coming out of two days spending 12–16 hours there a day and being so tired by the end of it, we all got together to listen. Everyone was so excited.” Despite the success of Human Destination, the members of The Upsidedown prefer a less polished approach to songwriting and
A new direction
The Upsidedown w/ The Raveonettes and Crocodiles
recording. With two albums recorded in varied time periods, they seem to have found an ideal balance for the future. “I think it’s always good to go in and record things real quick,” said Jason Anchondo, the band’s floating percussionist and guitarist. “My previous band took two years to make a record and it was such a waste of time. You keep going in and trying to fix things, you think about it too much and you’re going to make some clean pop record that no one really cares about. It’s better to just let the elements go on their own, make it a little dirtier.” Clean pop band they are not. Their sound breaks pop molds by putting primary focus on the music over lyrics with little to no apparent concern for mass appeal or market conformity. It is not uncommon to catch an extensive guitar solo or pithy vocal line in any given tune. The songs nevertheless maintain an
Photo courtesy of Jung Kim
The Upsidedown: A bit folksy and little whimsical, the band will be joined by The Raveonettes.
What would God’s Pottery do Pseudo-Christian values and comedy come together in an entertaining way Wendy Shortman Vanguard staff
Gideon Lamb and Jeremiah Smallchild are a satirical, biblethumping, folk music duo called God’s Pottery. In their new book, What Would God’s Pottery Do?, the comedians tackle tough issues for today’s teens and spread their “message” through pictures, diagrams, song lyrics and letters from everyday teens. God’s Pottery was kind enough to sit down with the Vanguard and talk about their upcoming visit to Lola’s Room, in character and all.
Daily Vanguard: What inspired you to write the book What Would God’s Pottery Do? GL: It took a lifetime of pitching in and helping people. We thought it was time to get it all in one book format and into people’s hands. We tried making it rhyme at first. It takes a while to get things to rhyme. JS: We gave up on that, but some of it still rhymes. You see, reading is a language of learning.
DV: In the book, you talk about how you’ve known each other
impressive balance, aided by the weighty strength and grit of frontman Jason Atoms’ vocals. “It starts out with the instrumental and the lyrics form after that,” Anchondo said. “The songwriting is the same in almost every band. Someone might have an idea where they have lyrics kind of written out, but they change them all around by the time the song is finalized. You start hearing a different story that hadn’t already been established.” There is also an environmental significance to the band’s authenticity. Anchondo, a veteran of the recording process, has developed an appreciation for charm over glamor. “If you’re in a place that just doesn’t feel right, it’s gonna bum you out,” Anchondo said. “For instance, you go into a studio that costs $3,000 a day and they give you a bagel that’s $50 and it just feels really phony. Then you could go into really old studios with pegboard on the wall
?
since you were younger. How did you guys meet? JS: Well, I was outside the Great
Pines Lumber Museum, when I saw this guy standing there. I was looking for a friend—of course, the friend I was looking for was Jesus. After that Gideon and I became friends. In fact, we all three became friends.
DV: When did you start playing music together? GL: In college, we were roommates.
We love the same music and the same athletics. We thought, you know what, let’s work on this. JS: So we wrote our first song, “Jesus.” It turned out great! Then we wrote the song “Jesus Jesus.” After that we wrote “Jesus Jesus Jesus.” We found that saying Jesus so many times wasn’t too easy, so we decided to start tackling the tough issues like abortion, adoption and divorce.
DV: Have you gotten any responses from teens reading your book? JS: We’ve received plenty of e-mails, lots of book reviews—some not-sonice ones. We get electronic mail from teens that tell us we made a difference. Some of them say, “Hey, I’m going to go tell those pregnant teens at my school what a horrible mistake they’ve made.” GL: That’s the kind of response we love to see.
DV: What was it like to be on Last Comic Standing? GL: The show was just a huge fun
sesh. So many new experiences, but not without a downside. There were some hidden dangers. JS: Most people think that Hollywood is all fun and games and Lawrence Welk with bubbles everywhere. Like the craft service table behind the scenes—there was so much sugar and snickers. No one was monitoring it. Sugar highs were running rampant. I had to monitor Gideon. GL: Yeah, he did. JS: And we went to Las Vegas. Let me tell you, that is a dangerous place. All the gambling. They aren’t kidding when they call it the “City of Sin.” There’s a reason they call it the “Big Easy” [sic]. GL: But overall it was a really good experience. There were over 100 viewers! The opportunity to spread our message was wonderful. Although we ended up being the first comic failing. JS: First and second comic failing.
DV: Was it difficult getting to know the other comics? JS: Some of them were fun and really friendly. We got along with most of them. Like Jeff Dye, I’ve forgiven him for being such a horrible person. Sometimes the comics would get defensive and scared because of our positivity. They would put up a wall. GL: Instead they’d say, “I don’t like your haircut and bright shirts.”
DV: How do you guys feel about performing in a bar with people drinking alcohol?
and tile on the floor and it reminds you of being in grammar school music class. There’s just a nice feeling and somehow you can just slam [songs] out that way, as opposed to being in a fake Hollywood studio that’s got paisley on the wall and oriental rugs.” A fast-growing number of bands are drawn to the organic feel of a smaller studio and for The Upsidedown, it’s proven a worthwhile tradeoff. Since signing with the Dandy Warhols’ label, Beat the World Records, The Upsidedown has had songs featured on television shows Sons of Anarchy and Trauma (which has since been cancelled). Additionally, they were brought in to work on the soundtrack for the film Waterwings. These sorts of gigs have fit perfectly with the sparseness of their lyrics, a style that allows the music’s intensity to form an ideal frame for live action. “[The Upsidedown] is a success as long as everyone can continue looking at it with such positive light and nobody gets bummed out or feels like they’re missing out on anything musically,” Evans said. “I think that’s a lot of the reason for the success of the band: that everyone is looking at it as one creature not five people. It’s just about the whole thing. It’s been successful because we can think about things holistically.” The Upsidedown jumps from campy to ambient with seamless ease and dexterity. Their songs are often melancholic and pretty, with enough of a bad attitude to keep them off the heard-it-before shelf. If this pattern continues, the next album should be their most original yet, earning them a fast rising spot on the Portland bands to watch list.
JS: You know, we actually love
performing in bars. We sing the songs that tackle tough issues. It’s a lot like driving into the snow. You just have to head straight for it. It’s like going right into the lion’s den. GL: The lion’s den is the bar. JS: Or into the lion’s lair—you have to slay the alcohol’s dragon. The best way to do it is in the bar at the exact moment. Sometimes we’ll just stop in the middle of a song and yell at them, “No, don’t do it! Not another cordial!”
Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard
God’s Pottery: Like your creepy religious
neighbor down the street, but far more entertaining and musically inclined.
God’s Pottery Lola’s Room 1332 W Burnside St. Nov. 7, 7 p.m. $10, 21+
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 November 6, 2009
Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com
Friday night’s all right for a fight (or some live music) Swim Swam Swum, Point Juncture WA, Deer or the Doe Nasally voices are hard to pull off. Swim Swam Swum, however, has mastered the highpitched, semi-annoying vocals that give them their unique sound. Tonight, they release their new album Circumpolar Westerlies, a well produced collection of the work that has an effortless cool and sounds totally rocking. They will be joined by Point Juncture WA, a band that released one of their best albums ever this year, and Deer or the Doe, another notable Portland outfit. The Artistery, 8 p.m., $6, all ages Windsurf, Miracle Club, Jonas Reinhardt, Linger and Quiet Part of their regular “Nightclubbing” series, Holocene is bringing the joys of San Francisco’s Windsurf. The dynamic duo is mellow but still danceable, with a laid back, lounge quality that harkens back to some early Thievery Corporation without getting sounding too much like elevator music. Another group playing tonight that’s worth getting excited about is Portland’s own Miracle Club. They’re a bit more on the pop side than Windsurf and have a spaced out quality perfect for closing your eyes and spinning around the dance floor. Holocene, 9 p.m., $5, 21+ David Bazan, Say Hi Seattleite David Bazan has built a cult-like following in the indie folk scene and is known for playing some very strangely hush hush shows for such a wellknown guy. The last time the former Pedro the Lion front man stopped by Portland, he played a house show, but this time he’ll be gracing the stage at Mississippi Studios with Say Hi, another group from Washington. Bazan is folkish, with a heavy dose of rock and more piano. Say Hi has some fun, catchy pop hooks and lovely vocal harmonies, complementing Bazan perfectly with their music. Mississippi Studios, 8 p.m., $12, 21+
Vanguard 6 | Arts & Culture November February 20, 6, 2009
Saturday night fever: even more awesome concerts Solid Gold: Nathan Detroit, Very International Love, Freaky Outy
Berbati’s Pan, 9 p.m., free, 21+ The Raveonettes, Crocodiles, The Upsidedown Hailing all the way from Copenhagen, the Danish duo that is the Raveonettes is currently on tour in support of their newest album In and Out of Control. With clear influences from the Velvet Underground, the band brings a grittier, more industrial feeling to what could otherwise be some simple, lo-fi rock and roll. Doug Fir, 9 p.m., $15 advance or $17 door, 21+ Laura Gibson, Musee Mecanique, Rauelsson Isn’t Laura Gibson just the most adorable thing you have ever seen? She’s shy, quiet and always seems to be wearing the cutest flowery dresses. Her music, however, will make you completely forget about all of that. Her voice soars, lilting along with her equally talented backing band. When she played this summer at Pickathon on a stage in the middle of the woods, it was so lovely that I’m pretty sure I saw the birds crying in the trees above. Corniness aside, Gibson’s talent as a performer and songwriter is undeniable and must be experienced to really understand it. Mississippi Studios, 8 p.m., $12, 21+
A wall of talent
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
German Culture Week commemorates history with German arts and culture
Arnold notes that it serves a much broader purpose in exploring culture and taking lessons from history. “It’s a euphoria of having got rid of something you really didn’t want,” Arnold said. “That’s not a cycle that’s limited to the Berlin Wall.” After an opening reception on Nov. 9, featuring some notable Portlanders like Mayor Sam Adams and Steven Fuller, professor of German and international studies, City Hall will open its After the Wall exhibit, a display of photos of the Berlin Wall taken by ordinary Germans before and after its destruction. The exhibit will stay open until the end of the month.
Bianca Blankenship Vanguard staff
Twenty years ago at this time, groups of ecstatic Germans were standing atop a wall that would no longer divide Berlin in two. Some even took pickaxes to the concrete blocks. A year later, Germany would be reunited. The fall of the Berlin Wall stands as a highlight in German history, and this week the German American Society of Portland commemorates the event with German Culture Week 2009. The German American Society of Portland has cooked up seven days of culture from the fatherland for the event, from photo exhibits to puppet shows. A number of artists, dancers and musicians have travelled from Germany to share their work. One such group is Grotest Maru, a dance project based in Berlin that presents theater in public spaces. In preparing for a performance at Pioneer Square, they have been working with local high school students and Portland’s Jewish Theatre Collaborative. “We are developing something that has to do with the people here,” said Ursula Maria Berzborn, artistic director and founder of Grotest Maru. “We are creating theater through the process.” The group’s work is site- and participant-specific, forcing the dancers to think creatively. Taking a cue from the graffiti that used to cover the Berlin wall, they improvised a mattress pad donated by the German American Society and let local high school students write what they would have written at the time of the wall. The mattress pad will be incorporated into the performance. Contributing music and sound to the event is Corin Arnold, a DJ from Berlin also known as ed2000. Integrating music created 20 years ago in Berlin, he will be mixing a variety of electronic-based sounds and ambient noise, even throwing in recordings of local high school students voicing their feelings about the fall of the wall. You can also find him spinning contemporary German electronica and dubstep at Holocene on Nov. 10. While the event is to commemorate the reunification of Germany,
German Culture Week 2009
Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard
German Culture Week: A celebration of German culture and customs in conjunction with the
Multiple locations Nov. 7–14 Prices vary, most events free Other chances to check out the festivities include a showing of German films at Hollywood Theatre, a puppet show by German puppet theater, Wilde Hummel, and a concert with Germany’s jazz trio, Luftbrücke. The hope is not only to commemorate a great moment in history, but also to celebrate the progress in unification that has followed and the culture that exists today. “This is much more like a cultural exchange,” Berzborn said. And it is that spirit of cultural exchange that makes unity possible.
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
No, this isn’t some kind of weird Portland spin off of the hit ’80s TV show. Berbati’s Pan will be hosting a free dance party and concert with Nathan Detroit, who has hosted Portland Radio Authority’s popular Disco Biscuits radio show and is a pretty rad performer in his own right, Very International Love and Freaky Outy. Very International Love recently released their first album and their name has been buzzing around on some overseas blogs with their dynamic mix of neo-disco and new-waveish electropop. It’s clear that there are big things in store for these guys.
20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
Northwestern exposure
All Photos courtesy of NW Film Center
The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle: Playing as part of the 36th Annual NW Film Center’s Film and Video Festival.
The 36th Annual Northwest Film and Video Festival takes a pulse, finds life Ed Johnson Vanguard staff
Every year, the Northwest Film Center presents the Northwest Film and Video Festival, designed as both a showcase and reminder of this essential fact: Our rainy region has a pretty damn good filmmaking scene. This year the festival, which runs for about a week starting tonight, will screen 56 films from an entry pool of more than 300. Most of these are short films, but there’s a fair number of feature-length works. As usual for the fest, there are a lot of documentary films, with topics ranging from pornography to the Nigerian oil
industry. Best of all, there’s at least two truly brilliant narrative features showing as part of the festivities. While it was impossible to view every single piece of work, the overall quality of the shorts was almost universally high. And weird. Northwest peeps make some bizarre things. Some standout shorts include: 122 Random Seconds, which encapsulates the uncertain charms of waiting for the MAX downtown; Missed Aches, a humorous animated short about spelling foibles; and People Can’t Wait, a quick piece on Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard’s infamous outdoor toilet project. The worst film in the bunch was Nous Deux Encore, a short film about a French woman in love, talking about her deceased husband. At 14 minutes, it was about 10 minutes too long, dragging its slow still-frame photos and quiet
narration into dreadful tedium. Curiously, the festival’s judge, Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan, awarded this short Best in Show. No accounting for taste, I suppose. The most memorable single image could be found in Don’t Worry, It’s a New Century, when a pudgy, naked man went sprinting down the street with a Super Nintendo in his arms. (Full disclosure: the director of New Century is former Vanguard writer Jeff Guay.) The best part of the festival will be the screening of two feature films: Humpday and The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. Humpday, directed by Seattleite Lynn Shelton, is loosely based around the narrative structure of two straight, male friends trying to make amateur gay porn together. In reality, it’s more about the masculine struggles of our modern creative
class, and the weird mid-life crisis that comes early because of it. It’s funny, true and well acted, and if you haven’t seen Humpday yet (it’s played in Portland before), well, you should be damn sure to see it here in all its shambling, mumbling glory. The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, also by a Seattleite— this time David Russo—is a much harder beast to tame. Imagine the body horror of early David Cronenberg glued to the kinetic energy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with a humor all its own. The story is about a group of janitors who eat cookies that do something weird to their bodies, but it’s also about a quest for spirituality, the creation of art and gender roles. Little Dizzle is hilarious and terrifying and has a lot of blue poop involved. It’s honestly a miracle, but Russo manages to keep this strange and quirky film completely grounded. It’s bizarre, yes, but entirely accessible.
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 7 February 13, November 20, 6, 2009
Billboard Top 10 Week of Oct. 31 through Nov. 8
Pop Song: “Down,” Artist: Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne Song: “Party in the U.S.A.,” Artist: Miley Cyrus Song: “Use Somebody,” Artist: Kings of Leon Song: “Paparazzi,” Artist: Lady Gaga Song: “Watcha Say,” Artist: Jason DeRulo Song: “You Belong With Me,” Artist: Taylor Swift Song: “Sweet Dreams,” Artist: Beyoncé Song: “I Gotta Feeling,” Artist: The Black Eyed Peas Song: “Run This Town,” Artist: Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West Song: “Love Drunk,” Artist: Boys Like Girls
36th Annual Northwest Film and Video Festival For a complete schedule of films, visit www.nwfilm.org. The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle screens Sat, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. Humpday screens Fri, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. Student tickets $7 per show, $40 for a festival pass
Rock Song: “Check My Brain,” Artist: Alice in Chains Songs: “Wheels,” Artist: Foo Fighters Song: “Jars,” Artist: Chevelle Song: “I Will Not Bow,” Artist: Breaking Benjamin Song: “Break,” Artist: Three Days Grace Song: “Uprising,” Artist: Muse Song: “The Fixer,” Artist: Pearl Jam Song: “(If You’re Wondering If I Want To) I Want To,” Artist: Weezer Song: “You’re Going Down,” Artist: Sick Puppies Song: “Overcome,” Artist: Creed
—Billboard
Vanguard 88||News News November Month Day, 6, 2009
NEWS
News Editor: Danielle Kulczyk 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
Did you remember the fifth of November? Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido Fawkes, belonged to a group of Roman Catholic restorationists from England who planned the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their aim was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I and Protestant and Catholic leadership were inside. The conspirators saw this as a necessary reaction to the systematic discrimination against English Catholics. The Gunpowder Plot was led by Robert Catesby, but Fawkes was put in charge of its execution. He was arrested a few hours before the planned explosion, during a search of the cellars underneath Parliament in the early hours of Nov. 5, prompted by the receipt of an anonymous warning letter. Guy Fawkes Night, known as Bonfire Night, is held on Nov. 5 in the United Kingdom and some parts of the Commonwealth in commemoration of the plot. During the festivities an effigy of Fawkes is burned, often accompanied by a fireworks display. The word “guy,” meaning “man” or “person,” is derived from his name. Fawkes was ranked 30th in the 2002 list of the 100 Greatest Britons, sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. He was also included in a list of the 50 greatest people from Yorkshire. The Guy Fawkes River and Guy Fawkes River National Park in northern New South Wales, Australia, were named after Fawkes by explorer John Oxley, who, like Fawkes, was from North Yorkshire. The Galápagos Islands, a collection of two crescent-shaped islands and two small rocks northwest of Santa Cruz Island, are called Isla Guy Fawkes. Many popular contemporary verses were written in condemnation of Fawkes. The most wellknown verse begins, “Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.” —Wikipedia
Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard
CUTS |
Vacant: Portland State will be empty and thermostats will be turned down to help save money.
from page one
Mandatory pay cuts implemented in December
Classified employees
LaTourette said. “In exchange for that, we’re also going to give them some days off.” In April of this year, LaTourette, along with several higher-up administrators including President Wim Wiewel, took a voluntary salary reduction of 4.6 percent. LaTourette said the fiscal initiative was to give the unions more time to negotiate. “Since then, all of the unions have negotiated and come up with their program,” LaTourette said. For both cost-cutting and efficiency reasons, LaTourette said the university wants everyone to take their leave days during the holiday season and shut down Portland State during that period. “We figured out that’s when there are the least number of people, and we have reduced work,” LaTourette said.
The first five leave days will be used Dec. 19–29, according to LaTourette. For those who have more than five days, they must take the rest of their days next year. LaTourette said unpaid leave days most likely wouldn’t affect academic professionals who are on a salary basis and have the flexibility of working from home. “Most of them don’t come [after finals] anyway. It’s dead here in terms of faculty,” LaTourette said. In the contract for classified employees, there is also one paid leave day, called Special Day, to be taken only during the holiday. LaTourette said for classified employees with only four leave days, they are to use their Special Day to cover the fifth closure day. According to a memo from Lindsay Desrochers, vice president
$2,450 and below: $2,451 to $3,105: $3,106 to $5,733: $5,734 and over:
$36,227 granted of $120,274 requested
SFC grants a portion of group overages
of Finance and Administration, unclassified staff should expect to see a reduced paycheck on Nov. 30 and classified staff in October. To help alleviate the impact, salary reduction for classified employees will be divided over the year instead of in one month, said LaTourette. “In the negotiation for classified employees, they said that it’s going be difficult for some people if they have their salary reduced in one month,” LaTourette said. Instead, salary will be reduced by equal amounts every month from October to June, according to LaTourette. She also said part-time classified employees would get to keep their health benefits even if they go below the minimum number of work hours in order to qualify for health insurance in December.
Monthly base salary: unpaid leave days 4 days 6 days 7 days 8 days
Unclassified employees Annual base salary: unpaid leave days Under $30,000: 3.0 days $30,000 to $50,000: 4.2 days $50,000 to $70,000: 5.4 days $70,000 to $90,000: 6.6 days $90,000 to $110,000: 7.8 days $110,000 to $130,000: 9.0 days $130,000 to $150,000: 10.2 days $150,000—plus: 11.4 days
Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff
The Student Fee Committee completed its hearings for budget overage requests in late October and recently completed its hearings for rollover requests. A budget overage is the result of a student group spending more than its allocated amount for the fiscal year and an overage is money made by a student group in addition to its allocated funds. Student groups go before the SFC every fall to ask to be forgiven for overages and to be allowed to keep rollovers. Twenty-three student groups had budget overages from the 2008–09 school year totaling $862,850, but the SFC was only asked by the groups to forgive a total of $120,274. The committee chose to forgive only eight groups a portion of their requested overages, totaling $36,227. “Barring unforeseen events— natural disasters—we’ve been enying requests,” said SFC member William Zimmers during the Students for Unity hearing, in which the student group requested that its $317 overage be forgiven. The SFU was denied its overage request by the SFC. United Indian Students in Higher Education reported a rollover from the last fiscal year of $702. The request was granted to keep the money, which was made from the group’s annual salmon bake and from selling concessions at its annual powwow. The additional money will be used by UISHE to provide free food
Johnnie Ozimkowski, SFC chair: The SFC has finished overage and rollover request hearings.
at an educational event promoting Native American cultural awareness in the coming year, according to the group’s coordinator. “We want to give money to groups to build community, not just within their own cohort, but in the community in general,” said SFC Chair Johnnie Ozimkowski. “Free food at an event definitely helps bring in the community.” The group was granted the rollover money pending documentation of the estimated cost of food for the event. Almost all groups granted their rollover request amounts were asked
to provide rough documentation of the intended use of the money. The Queer Resource Center reported a budget rollover of $4,399 from the previous year, which was also granted after the SFC determined how the money will be spent. The money was made by the QRC during events the group held that drew much higher attendance than expected and from a lateregistration payment for a conference held at Portland State the previous year, according to the group’s coordinator.
Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard
“We have to make sure the money will be spent in a way that reflects the spirit of the student fee and the mission of the individual organization,” Ozimkowski said. The QRC’s rollover money will be put toward a diversity conference this winter, its annual Lavender Graduation and to augment its educational events during the November Transgender Awareness Month. The SFC will receive its initial budget requests for next year from student groups and departments on Nov. 13.
GIMME SHELTER AT 5TH AVE CINEMA
Vanguard News | 9 November 6, 2009
Fun facts The Aztecs invented rhinoplasty. Aborigines played primitive reed instruments shaped like trombones. The praying mantis is the only insect that can stand on one leg. The first newspaper was printed on silk. Four-leaf clovers are created by the same mutation that causes conjoined twins. In Vietnam, it is illegal to own more than one home. Homosexuality is more prevalent in the Eskimo culture than in any other culture in the world. Wilbur Wright was born with a full set of teeth. Frankincense enemas were commonly used to treat leprosy in ancient times. Earwax and orange peels contain equal amounts of vitamin C. This weekend, 5th Avenue Cinema is showing Gimme Shelter (1970, 91 minutes). The Mayles Brothers’ film portrays the 1969 Rolling Stones tour, featuring a grand finale at Altamont Speedway. The concert also includes Ike and Tina Turner, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and others, and
security for the event was courtesy of the Hells Angels. The 5th Avenue Cinema is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the making of Gimme Shelter. Show times: Nov. 6 and 7 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. Visit www.5thavenuecinema.org for more information.
The word “Taiwanese” means “suckled by goats.” Marie Curie had a pet tiger named X-ray. “American” cheese was invented by a chemist in the German military.
The Daily Cut Your world in brief
Nation: Army: 12 dead, 31 hurt in attack at Fort Hood FORT HOOD, Texas (AP)— An Army psychiatrist set to be shipped overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, authorities said, a rampage that killed 12 people and left 31 wounded in the worst mass shooting ever at a military base in the United States. The gunman, first said to have been killed, was wounded but alive and in stable condition under military guard, said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. “I would say his death is not imminent,” Cone said. Col. Ben Danner said the suspect was shot four times and was in critical condition. The man was identified as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a 39-year-old from Virginia. President Barack Obama called the shooting at the Soldier Readiness Center, where soldiers who are about to be deployed or who are returning undergo medical screening, “a horrific outburst of violence.” “It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas,” the commander in chief said. “It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.” There was no official word on motive. Hasan had transferred to Fort Hood in July from Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received a poor performance evaluation,
according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said generals at Fort Hood told her that Hasan was about to deploy overseas. Retired Col. Terry Lee, who said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox News he was being sent to Afghanistan. Lee said Hasan had hoped Obama would pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq and got into frequent arguments with others in the military who supported the wars. Faizul Khan, a former imam at a mosque Hasan attended in Silver Spring, Md., said he spoke often with Hasan about how Hasan wanted to find a wife. Hasan was a lifelong Muslim and attended prayers regularly, often in his Army uniform, Khan said. The shooter used two pistols, one of them semiautomatic. Neither were military-issued, Danner said. Video from the scene showed police patrolling the area with handguns and rifles, ducking behind buildings for cover. Sirens could be heard wailing while a woman’s voice on a public-address system urged people to take cover. “I was confused and just shocked,” said Spc. Jerry Richard, 27, who works at the center but was not on duty during the shooting. “Overseas you are ready for it. But here you can’t even defend yourself.” Soldiers at Fort Hood don’t car-
ry weapons unless they are doing training exercises. —April Castro, Devlin Barrett
Local: Oregon judge rejects chemical weapons lawsuit PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—A judge has rejected a lawsuit challenging state approval for the disposal of aging chemical weapons stockpiled in Eastern Oregon. A coalition of environmental and public interest groups had gone to court over plans to incinerate Cold War-era mustard agent at the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot. The groups questioned whether the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality was requiring the military to use the safest method for disposing of the agent, some of which contains mercury. But military officials said the ruling Thursday by Multnomah County Circuit Judge Michael Marcus shows the best available technology is in place to ensure public safety and protect the environment. Under an international treaty, the United States has until 2012 to destroy all its chemical weapon stockpiles.
Astoria hotel deck collapse sends five into water ASTORIA, Ore. (AP)—Astoria police say a deck outside a room of the Red Lion Inn of Astoria has collapsed, dropping five men into a mooring basin of the Columbia River.
Sgt. Brian Aydt said by the time police responded to a call about the 5 p.m. Thursday collapse, all of the men had gotten out of the water. He says one man had a cut finger but declined treatment. Aydt says he doesn’t know what caused the deck to give way. A front desk agent at the Inn said no one was available Thursday night to talk about the incident.
Wind, rain, snow expected with Oregon storm PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)—High winds, heavy rain and even some snow are expected with a storm making its way into Oregon. The Thursday forecast called for waves of rain followed by cooler air and plenty of wind. KGW-TV Meteorologist Nick Allard said sustained winds between 35–45 mph with gusts above 60 mph were expected along the Oregon coast. He said inland areas will be generally breezy but occasionally windy. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday for the headlands and beaches on the north Oregon coast. Allard said 6–10 inches of snow were possible Thursday night in the mountains, with up to 3 inches possible through Sunday.
Toothpaste used throughout ancient China contained a liberal quantity of explosive black powder. —Factropolis
Vanguard 10 | Sports November 6, 2009
Sports Editor: Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com
This weekend in sports history Nov. 6 1966 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Amarillo Ladies’ Golf Open 1974 - Dodger Mike Marshall is first relief pitcher to win Cy Young Award 1976 - Former Twins reliever Bill Campbell is first free agent to sign with a new team, joining the Red Sox for $1 million over four years 1994 - George Foreman, 45, KOs Michael Moorer to win the heavyweight boxing title Nov. 7 1933 - Pennsylvania voters overturn blue law by permitting Sunday sports 1943 - Detroit Lions 0, NY Giants 0; last scoreless tie in NFL 1962 - Glenn Hall set NHL record of 503 consecutive games as goalie
SPORTS Vikings hope to shoot Eagles out of Big Sky Eastern Washington comes to the Park Blocks for pivotal game against Portland State J. Logue Vanguard staff
After last week’s long two-game road trip, the women’s volleyball team prepares for the Eastern Washington Eagles to glide into the Park Blocks tonight for a decisive matchup that is likely to determine how the Big Sky Conference standings look at the end of the season. Tonight’s is the only game on the slate this week, and with the conference title hanging in the balance, it has all the pieces to be an exciting match between two of the best teams in conference this year. With over a week’s rest before their next games, you can expect the firstplace Vikings and third-place Eagles to leave it all on the court. “The first thing I said on Monday
was I think it was dangerous to think that because we beat them up there [in Cheney, Wash.], that this was going to be an easier match,” head coach Michael Seemann said. “Let’s face it, we’re fighting for a conference championship and seeding in the tournament.” The Vikings (16-7 overall, 10-2 in conference) have been firing on all cylinders offensively, and they have a chance to sweep the series with Eastern Washington (15-8 overall, 9-3 in conference) tonight. They have been getting outstanding play from every position and, last week, senior outside hitter Marija Vojnovic became the latest on the Viks’ squad to earn Big Sky Player of the Week honors. With the Eagles and Vikings first and second in team blocking, respectively, the key matchups to watch for will be the play along the net on both sides. Look for junior middle Lana Zielke and senior middle Erica Jepsen, who are both playing outstanding volleyball, to get going early and try to apply
1966 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship
1988 - MLB all stars beat Japan, 16-8 (Game 3 of 7)
Nilesh Tendolkar
1991 - Magic Johnson announces he has HIV and retires from basketball
Vanguard staff
1992 - First NBA game at America West Arena, Suns beat Clippers 111-105 Nov. 8 1920 - Baseball meeting to depose Ban Johnson is set for Nov. 12
1970 - Tom Dempsey of New Orleans Saints kicks NFL record 63-yard field goal 1981 - Patty Sheehan wins LPGA Mazda Japan Golf Classic 1991 - Paul Coffey sets NHL defenseman scoring mark with 311th goal 1997 - Horse Racing Breeders’ Cup Champs: Countess Diana, Elmhurst, Ajina, Spinning World, Favorite Trick, Chief Bearhart, and Skip Away —www.todayinsport.com
Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Stott Center showdown: The first-place Vikings host the third-place Eagles tonight at the Stott.
What: Portland State vs. Eastern Washington When: Tonight, 7 p.m. Where: Stott Center
in brief 10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is Portland State women’s basketball senior point guard Claire Faucher. Faucher is the only player from a Big Sky team to be chosen as a candidate for the prestigious award that recognizes student-athletes for their performance both on and off the court. To be eligible, players must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas—classroom, character, community and competition. According to a statement released by the university, Faucher has served as a Young Life leader, a counselor at the Royal Family Kids Camp and a speaker at youth school events.
“Well prepared,” answered Vuong Nguyen, coordinator of the Portland State Table Tennis Club, when asked how he feels going into the 2009 Pacific Rim Open on Saturday. Nguyen is one of the eight Vikings participating in the tournament. “The club has offered consistent club-time hours throughout the summer and the fall term for practice,” Nguyen said. The Pacific Rim Open is the largest table tennis tournament in the western U.S. and will include 30 different events this year, spanning various skill levels and categories such as open singles, women’s singles, open doubles, mixed doubles and more. The event will be held from Saturday through Sunday at the Tualatin Hills Park and Rec Center
On the court, she led Division I basketball in assists per game two seasons ago and ranked sixth last year. Going into this season, she needs only 83 assists to become Portland State’s all-time leader and 86 to break the Big Sky’s all-time record.
Chosen as a candidate for the 2009–
Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard
Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Table tennis challenge Portland State fields eight players for the 2009 Pacific Rim Table Tennis Tournament
1978 - Boston Red Sox Jim Rice wins AL MVP
1966 - President Johnson signs anti-trust immunity to AFL-NFL merger
pressure to Eastern’s defense. “I think Eastern’s danger comes from their middles,” Seemann said. “When they’re in system and they’re doing that [hitting], they are difficult to defend.” As always, you can expect senior setter Nique Fradella and junior outside hitter Whitney Phillips to contribute offensively and defensively as well. With the last six match wins distributed evenly between the teams, 3-3, tonight can be either team’s game, and neither has a psychological advantage over the other. If the Vikings come away with a win, they will put themselves squarely in the driver’s seat for the conference title and the top seed in the postseason tournament.
Named to the ESPN Academic All-District VIII First Team for his performance on the football field and in the classroom is Portland State junior quarterback Drew Hubel. Hubel, who maintains a 3.84 GPA according to a statement released by the school, has started 19 games and played in 23 in his career at Portland State. He is fifth in the school’s all-time passing, with 6,343 yards, and his 42 touchdowns place him sixth. Hubel has twice been selected as Academic All-Conference, and was chosen as the Big Sky Player of the Week three times. Last year, he
in Beaverton, and this year the prize money has been increased to $10,000. Shubham Chopra, club vice president and team member, shared his enthusiasm about the tournament. “I am elated and super excited going in to this tournament—as this will be my first tournament in the United States,” Chopra said. “I have played many tournaments back in India, but this will be a good experience and I hope to do well.” The current Portland State team has a rich tradition to live up to. Past teams with players like Renjith Retnamma, Brian Yoder, Roger Castles and Sehwan Kim have reached the National Open. Last year, the Viks tied for first place in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association in the finals and came in third place in a tiebreaker. After the Pacific Rim, the team will participate in the 2009 National Collegiate Table Tennis Association Tournament to be held Nov. 21 at the Stott Center at Portland State.
was given the Mike Schrunk Award, the Portland State football team’s scholar athlete of the year honor.
Repeating last year, Portland State
volleyball player Erica Jepsen has again been named to the ESPN Academic All-District VIII First Team. Jepsen, a senior middle blocker, is the third player in Portland State volleyball history to earn First Team honors, and only the second to earn the distinction twice. She is the only player from a Big Sky Conference team to be named to the First, Second or Third Teams. With her average of 1.57 blocks per set, Jepsen ranks fifth in the nation, and her .331 hitting percentage places her 90th. According to a statement released by the university, Jepsen has a 3.97 GPA in speech and hearing sciences, making her the player with the highest grade point average on the District VIII First Team.
etc.
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Edited by Will Shortz 28 Corn syrup brand 29 Say again 30 “Gotta love him!” 34 N.F.L. coach Whisenhunt 35 Mission of an Army officersʼ school? 38 It might go for a buck 39 Having the most substance 40 Bill producers 42 Race 43 Lie idle too long 47 Nice touch from Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend? 50 Cut again 51 Concoct 52 Kenyanʼs neighbor 53 Small range 54 Playful kiss on the Discovery?
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58 Full-screen picture, maybe: Abbr. 59 Cryptozoology figure 60 Exam with a reading comprehension section, for short 61 Orthodontistʼs deg. 62 Beat decisively, in slang 63 Like this puzzle … not! Down 1 Garden gnomes and such 2 Hold fast 3 Ogler 4 Classic “S.N.L.” character who spoke with rounded Rʼs 5 Home of Arches National Park 6 Back muscle, briefly 7 It comes between dusk and dawn 8 Québecʼs ___ Rouleau crater 9 Rapid, to Rossini 10 Subject of an insurance investigation 11 Aids for spacewalkers 12 Torrents 13 “Letʼs eat!” 18 PC graphics format 22 Life time? 24 Gorge
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CALENDAR Today Joel McCarroll: My Year at AASHTO Noon Urban Center Building, room 204 ASPSU SFC Meeting 12:30 p.m. SMSU, room 258 SUPER: Gaza Fundraising Dinner 6 p.m. SMSU Ballroom $15 suggested donation PSU Choral Ensembles 8 p.m. First Congregational Church 1126 SW Park Ave.
Puzzle by Brendan Emmett Quigley
25 1975 U.S. Open winner Manuel 26 Open galleries 28 Publisher of the fictional New York Inquirer 31 1927 E. E. Cummings play 32 Extremely, in combinations 33 ʼ09, ʼ10, etc. 35 Ever faithfully
36 Parts of some appliance delivery jobs 37 Quaking 38 Lallygagged 41 “MythBusters” subj. 44 Patriotic chant 45 Latin dances 46 Mazelike 48 Grps.
49 Take up again, e.g. 50 Salmon ___ 52 Beloved object of 28-Down 55 “Until Every One Comes Home” grp. 56 “Not nice!” 57 One to one, for one
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Saturday Film: Gimme Shelter 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. 5th Avenue Cinema Free with PSU ID
Call the Vanguard 503.725.5686 Comic artist for the Vanguard
WANTED
Across 1 Former “Meet the Press” moderator Marvin 5 ___ Thule, distant unknown land 11 “___ Boys” (1886 novel) 14 Noodle product? 15 Pin-up figure? 16 Musician who started the Obscure Records label 17 Band without a drummer? 19 1989 one-man Broadway drama 20 Divine creature with six wings 21 Get in a lather 23 Rappersʼ posses 24 “See ya, idiot!”? 27 Goddess with a cow as an emblem
No. 0924
HELP WANTED
Vanguard Etc. | 11 November 6, 2009
Send résumés to: arts@dailyvanguard.com
Sunday Women’s soccer Big Sky Championship 11 a.m. PCC-Rock Creek, 17705 NW Springville Road PSU Wind Symphony and Concert Band 3 p.m. SMSU, Ballroom To place an event: Contact vgcalendar@ gmail.com or pick up a calendar request form at the Vanguard advertising office, Smith Memorial Student Union, room 115.
This Week in Vanguard History
KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2009 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by UFS, Inc. www.kenken.com
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Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.
numberswithintheheavily ● outlinedTheboxes, called cages,
Fillinsingle-box ● cages Freebies: with the number in the top-left corner.
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Send résumés to: vanguardproduction@gmail.com
November 6, 1984
SPORTS EXTRA
Championship weekend
Top-seeded Portland State aim for their first postseason championship Vanguard staff
The Vikings will seek redemption in today’s match for last season’s semifinal loss to Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks were the only team the Viks played twice last season— they tied 0-0 with the Lumberjacks in Portland and then fell to them, 1-0, in the semifinals in Ogden, Utah.
All photos by Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Championship hopes: The Viks take on Northern Arizona today in the Big Sky semifinals.
Scouting the Lumberjacks: The Vikings’ only conference loss this year came against the Lumberjacks. Northern Arizona prevailed at their home field over the Vikings, 1-0. Northern Arizona’s Jenna Samora scored the lone goal of the match in the 85th minute to give Northern Arizona their first conference victory. “NAU is a good, aggressive, direct team. I expect them to come with a similar game plan to the one we saw at NAU already this fall,” Schott said.
Scouting the Vikings: Today’s match will be the Vikings’ third consecutive appearance in the Big Sky postseason, a first in school history. In each previous appearance, they were knocked out in the semifinals, but this year the Viks are deter-
Montana State Bobcats Allison Whited Vanguard staff
Records entering the game:
Celebrating the seniors: In the last home game of the season, 17 seniors on the roster will be honored for their time spent with the team. Among them will be receiver and kick returner Aaron Woods, who set Portland State records this year for both single-season and career kickoff return yards.
mined to get past Northern Arizona. “The morale of the team is very good right now,” Schott said. Adding to the team’s morale this week is the news that both senior goalkeeper Cris Lewis and senior forward Dolly Enneking—the Viks’ alltime leading goal scorer and present Golden Boot Award winner—were respectively named the Big Sky’s Defensive and Offensive Most Valuable Players. The Vikings also had a total of nine selections to the all-conference teams, equaling the school record of nominations set in 2004. If the Vikings make it past the Lumberjacks, on Sunday they will face the winner of the Eastern Washington and Idaho State game for the Big Sky Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
Big Sky Championship Tournament
All matches at PCC-Rock Creek
Semifinals No. 2 Eastern Washington vs. No. 3 Idaho State Today, 1:30 p.m. No. 1 Portland State vs. No. 4 Northern Arizona Today, 4 p.m. Big Sky Championship Match Sunday, 11 a.m.
Scouting the Bobcats:
Scouting the Vikings:
Montana State has a tough defense. Overall in the Big Sky Conference, they have the No. 1 total defense, giving up 359.4 yards per game. The Bobcats also have the strongest run defense in the conference, allowing an incredibly low 77.4 yards per game. The Bobcat offense is slightly unusual and unstable. They run a twoquarterback system, and without any of the conference’s top players on their side of the ball, they fail to have much offensive weaponry. Scoring can also be problematic for them—they have scored up to 41 points in one game and only three in another.
With the guarantee that they will not finish with a better record than last year, the Viks have to play this one as an honor game. Junior quarterback Drew Hubel will start this week, and hopefully has recovered from his poor showing last week and his nagging knee injury. His passing game seemed better at practice, but he still appears to be struggling with the ball. The Bobcats have two of the top five players with interceptions, so it should be an interesting matchup. The Portland State run defense is much improved from last year when they gave up 196.5 yards per game. This year they are allowing 131.7 yards per game, giving them a better chance to win this year’s contest.
Portland State has struggled mightily, going 2-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Montana State has had a solid season, garnering a total record of 5-3 and 3-2 in the conference.
What: Portland State Vikings vs. Montana State Bobcats When: Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Where: PGE Park
Last year’s meeting: Montana State, 49-32. It’s surprising the score was even that close considering the Bobcats rushed for 396 yards. The Vikings were able to stay competitive in the first half with some help from special teams and a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown. However, the Bobcat rushing attack proved to be too much and they flew by the Viks with four rushing touchdowns in the second half.
Soccer Big Sky Championship Semifinal vs. Northern Arizona Where: PCC-Rock Creek When: 4 p.m. Volleyball vs. Eastern Washington Where: Stott Center When: 7 p.m.
Football vs. Montana State Where: PGE Park When: 1:05 p.m.
Up next:
Football plays last home game against a difficult opponent
Friday
Saturday
Records entering the game:
Last year’s meeting:
This weekend in Portland State sports
Hockey Club vs. Oregon Where: Valley Ice Arena, Beaverton When: 7 p.m.
Nilesh Tendolkar
Portland State heads into today’s semifinal match against Northern Arizona as the favorites, after they finished atop the Big Sky standings with 14 points after seven matches. The Vikings were crowned the regular season Big Sky Champions when they finished their league proceedings with a 4-1-2 record. “It was so much fun to watch our team—especially our graduating seniors—celebrate an accomplishment they hadn’t reached before. I am very proud of them,” head coach Laura Schott said. Northern Arizona, on the other hand, held on to a playoff position despite being humbled with a 4-0 loss to last-place Northern Colorado in their final league game. The Lumberjacks finished the Big Sky in fourth place with four wins and three losses.
Vanguard Sports | 12 November 6, 2009
Coverage: Watch live on www.bigskytv.org or on tape delay on CSN channel 37 at 4:30 and 11:30 p.m., listen on 800 AM KPDQ Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard
Last home game: Portland State will honor its seniors in the final home game of the season on Saturday.
Lacrosse Club Exhibition scrimmage Where: PGE Park When: Halftime of PSU football game Hockey Club vs. Oregon Where: Valley Ice Arena, Beaverton When: 7 p.m. Table Tennis Club Li-Ning Pacific Rim Open Where: Tualatin Hills Park and Rec Center When: Saturday through Sunday
Sunday Soccer Big Sky Championship Match Where: PCC-Rock Creek When: 11 a.m.