Daily Vanguard February 26, 2010 by Portland State Vanguard

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 75

Event of the day The Black Bag Speakers Series is hosting a panel discussion to celebrate 40 years of the Black Studies Department at PSU. It is free for students to attend. When: 5:45 p.m. Where: The Billy Webb Elks Lodge, 6 N Tillamook St.

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INSIDE OPINION

Task force examines ways in which PSU and OHSU can partner up Vinh Tran Vanguard staff

Regret can be trendy Tattoos aren’t for everyone PAGE 4

ARTS

Two tons of fun Two Ton Boa comes back from the shadows to play Portland PAGE 5 Going tribal New Enter Shikari makes a call to action PAGE 5

Dance-tastic Miracles Club plays tonight at Rotture PAGE 10

SPORTS

Collaboration is a key component to most academic research—the hours are long and the expertise needed is complex. Administrators, faculty, staff and students at Portland State and Oregon Health and Science University recently established a joint task force of 18 members representing academic, research and administrative constituencies. The committee is charged with the task of identifying and analyzing options for a closer collaboration between the two universities. Though the task force was established in October 2009, the idea of the two campuses working closely has been around since at least 2003, when Rep. Mitch Greenlick put forth a measure suggesting a merger for PSU and OHSU. The idea received little support at the time. However, Greenlick tried again during the 2005, 2007 and 2009 legislative sessions. At the 2009 session, the bill did not pass in the House, but it lead to a discussion between PSU President Wim Wiewel and OHSU President Joe Robertson. “A lot has changed since [2003],” said Roy Koch, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We have two new presidents who both see that since the two

Lindsay Desrochers discusses PSU’s financial future with students Vanguard staff

NEWS Reclaiming the underground University considering a remodel of the SMSU subbasement PAGE 8 Fledgling transgender student group Founder hopes to create a safe place for students PAGE 9

From Marquam Hill to the Park Blocks universities are located in Portland, and have complementary academic programs to each other, there’s a potential for benefits to do things together that we might not be able to do individually.” Koch said that in the past, research programs at PSU were not as strong as they are now and that over the years, PSU’s area of focus has become similar to OHSU’s. Koch points to the newly established MBA in Health Care, a joint program between PSU and OHSU as an example of the colliding missions of the two universities.

Sean Green, PSU’s student representative on the task force who is working towards a master’s in public administration, said collaboration has little to do with saving money, pointing to a 2007 report commissioned by the Oregon University System showing that even if the two schools were to merge, there would be no monetary savings. Green said the group will look at a variety of ways for the two universities to work together, but not necessarily to merge into one institution, as originally proposed by Greenlick.

“Some examples of increased collaboration include offering more degrees and more classes, and more access to research and internship opportunities for students,” Green said. For instance, OHSU graduate students may want the opportunity to have an assistant teaching position at PSU, Green said. Rachel Pilliod, student representative on the task force for OHSU, said a merger is at the far end of the range of options they’re looking at.

OHSU continued on page eight

PSU finances: past, present and future Corie Charnley

Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships Vikings compete for gold medals at conference championships PAGEs 6–7

Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard

OHSU

On Wednesday, Portland State students were invited to attend a financial forum entitled “PSU’s Financial Futures Framework.” The presentation, led by Vice President of Finance and Administration Lindsay Desrochers, provided the financial history of PSU, as well as its future trajectory in regards to state funding and financial aid. This was only the first talk in what administrators hope will be a series of informational sessions. “The goal here is to have you walk out of this room feeling like you really understand better what the overall [ financial] picture is for [PSU], and how we got to where we are today, and how it affects you as students,” Desrochers said to the audience of about 30. Desrochers began the presentation with an analysis of PSU’s past and current financial standing. According to Desrochers, PSU had around 15,000 students in 1989–90, but has now grown to 28,000 students.

“From 1989–90 to 2010, [PSU] has grown, and our dollars have grown. The issue is that our dollars haven’t grown fast enough to keep up with the growth,” she said. Desrochers said that state funding has not been increased to match PSU’s student body growth. “[Tuition and fees] have had to take up the slack because the state, frankly, has not done its duty to this public institution,” Desrochers said. She said that resident PSU students are paying $6,300 per term this year. In 1989, resident students were paying only $2,600 per term. Desrochers explained that the Resource Allocation Model, adopted in 1999 by the Oregon University System, is used to appropriate state funds to different campuses within the system. While the state funded about 90 percent of the RAM in 1999, today the state is funding the model at 50 percent. In addition, Desrochers said PSU receives too little financial aid. Currently, the university’s total grant aid is $54 million, most of which comes from federal support. According to Desrochers, the Oregon’s state grant program is in jeopardy. “We have far too little financial aid available to our students, I don’t think I’ll get much disagreement about that,”

Desrochers said. “We have grown financial aid, but not to the level that we need to grow to match the growth and tuition and the fees that are now upon [PSU students].” Aside from the rising cost of tuition, decreasing state funding and insufficient financial aid, Desrochers also pointed out the below-average salary for faculty, as well as the declining percentage of tenured and tenure-track professors. “The trajectory beyond [the current] international financial crisis is that, very shortly, maybe 10 percent of our support will come from the state in the next 10 years,” she said. The presentation was followed by a Q-and-A session. Students addressed several issues regarding PSU’s current financial situation, including concerns about the university’s white paper and its possibility of financial restructure into a public corporation model. “70 percent of [PSU’s] support is coming from student tuition and it will creep up some more the next year,” Desrochers said. “The question is, how do we zero in on this question about financial aid, how do we assist students who we don’t want to lose to this system.” Desrochers said that PSU needs to reevaluate its relationship to the state and consider if it makes sense for the

university to remain a state agency, given the costs associated with it. “The fact is the university can’t sit here and just keep hoping that the state is going to allocate money that it doesn’t have or the room to be able to allocate it,” she said.

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Desrochers: Educating students on

PSU finance.

Vanguard 2 | Opinion February 26, 2010

OPINION Editorial

Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief

Release the stranglehold on academic diversity

Virginia Vickery News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Shannon Vincent Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Robert Seitzinger Copy Chief Robert Seitzinger Calendar Editor Jae Specht Advertising Manager William Prior Marketing Manager

The Oregon University System is diverse and its individual institutions have worked hard to carve out unique identities to meet the needs of their communities. However, because of OUS policies disallowing the duplication of academic programs among the state’s universities, the schools have their hands tied in adapting to the needs of students and in fostering a well-rounded academic environment. Oregon schools in particular are geared to serve the educational needs of their geographic regions, so to limit access to programs because they are offered at schools hours away is a disservice to local economies and to the marketplace of ideas.

Not allowing identical academic programs to coexist at multiple universities limits the ability of schools to compete with neighboring private institutions and with each other. As educational needs change, schools need to change as well, beginning with offering more academic programs at each university. This freedom will also increase the quality of the academics, because as universities work to attract students, they must also work to obtain the best staff and facilities to outdo their sister institutions. The OUS non-duplication policies date back to the late 1920s. Because of recent budget constraints, the range of programs offered at Oregon

public universities has been diminished. Various factors contributed to the reduced funding for duplicate programs, and stopgap measures were taken by the OUS to keep the various institutions functioning. Thus, dozens of academic programs deemed to be duplicates were cut. During the last two decades, tuition increased by nearly 40 percent for Oregon students. University programs are collaborative in nature; they exist in concert with those around them. For example, to have a widely published Anthropology Department, it would be ideal to have campus writing labs filled with trained writers to tutor their peers. An environmental science program

would likely benefit from students and faculty versed in public policy implementation. With more programs offered, more diversely trained workers are released into the work force. Their business ventures and innovations could make their way back to the university in the form of funding and research. Oregon universities must have the freedom to choose for themselves what degrees they offer to best serve their communities, to be competitive and to allow students to receive a wellrounded education. As Oregon lawmakers reconsider the current funding model for its schools, they should also consider lifting its stranglehold on academic diversity.

Judson Randall Adviser

Sarah J. Christensen, Editor-in-Chief | Virginia Vickery, 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 Robert Seitzinger, Copy Chief

Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Associate News Editor Corie Charnley Production Assistants Bryan Morgan, Charles Cooper Williams Post-production Assistant Adiana Lazarraga Writers Stacy Austin, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Meaghan Daniels, Erica DeCouteau, Sarah Engels, Sarah Esterman, Amy Fylan, Courtney Graham, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Joe Hannan, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Nadya Ighani, Carrie Johnston, Sara M. Kemple, Tamara K. Kennedy, Gogul Krishnan, Ebonee Lee, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Tanya Shiffer, Wendy Shortman, Catrice Stanley, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Katherine Vetrano, Allison Whited, Roger Whightman Photographers Aaron Leopold, Michael Pascual, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Noah Emmet, Amanda Gordon Advertising Sales Ana SanRoman, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Shannon Vincent Distributor Cody Bakken

Find us at www.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 © 2010 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26, Portland, Ore., 97201

Flying fat in America Airline policies need to reflect a modern America Natalia Grozina Vanguard staff

Last weekend, film director Kevin Smith was ejected from a Southwest Airlines plane from Oakland to Burbank, Calif., because he was allegedly too large to get his armrest down. According to the Southwest Airlines policy, “The armrest is the definitive gauge for a customer of size…customers who are unable to lower both armrests and/or who compromise any portion of adjacent seating should proactively book the number of seats needed prior to travel.” An overweight population and obesity in America has been an ongoing epidemic that is getting worse. According to the Weightcontrol Information Network, twothirds of the 20-plus population in the U.S. is overweight. Of those, 65 million are women and 68.3 million are men. Wouldn’t you think that airline policies would accommodate this? And it isn’t only related to America either. The New York Times reported in May 2005 that “France is suffering something of an obesity crisis, with rates here rising ‘at an alarming rate,’ particularly among young people… true, absolute rates are still lower here than in the United States and most other European countries: 11.3 percent of the French are obese and nearly 40 percent overweight, compared with more than

50 percent overweight in Britain and the United States.” Air France also has policies regarding larger fliers, one being that such patrons can purchase a second seat for a 25 percent discount. United Airlines also has this policy. As The New York Times further reported, “both airlines have a policy that overweight passengers can claim a refund on the second seat if the plane is not full. These policies were introduced after complaints from neighboring passengers.” This problem does not only relate to the policies that Smith violated regarding the armrest. It also relates to the subject of the problem of how to tell a person that they are too fat to be on the plane. Some people don’t choose to be fat and some are comfortable being as such, while some could be struggling with self-esteem and body issues in secret. There is no polite way to announce this on a plane full of passengers. Many previous passengers that may have been removed from a flight due to the same issue of their weight might have asked whether or not the Southwest Airlines policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Air Carrier Access Act. However, interstate airline travel is specifically excluded from Title II of the ADA by Section 12141(2). Airline travel is instead covered by the Air Carrier Access Act, 49 U.S.C. 1374(c) and the regulations implementing the act issued by the Department of Transportation as 14 CFR Part 382. The ACAA precedes the ADA, and Congress excluded air carriers and other air transportation services from the scope of ADA. As regulated under 14 CFR §382.38, Seating

accommodations (i), “Carriers are not required to furnish more than one seat per ticket or to provide a seat in a class of service other than the one the passenger has purchased.” This is why policies should change. If Congress can put a sentence in specifically regarding airline travels, they can also add one about airline policies for overweight and obese people. Everyone likes their room on an airplane, especially if it is a long flight, but sometimes you don’t get what you want. Yes, overweight people should buy two seats if they don’t fit in one, but the way airlines handle asking a passenger to leave because they are fat should not even be a problem. Right now, the information about passengers purchasing two tickets if they are unable to move the armrest in a safe position before the flight

Kevin Smith

is not on the tickets, referenced on the booking and reservations pages of their Web site, or questioned by the reservation employees. Basically, it is like the tiny print on TV commercials. If Southwest Airlines really wanted to decrease the problem, I would think they would mention it at least on the tickets. According to Southwest Airlines policy: “We estimate that the Customer of size policy affects far less than half a percent of our customers, and ultimately, it is the responsibility of a customer with a unique and unusual need to communicate with us…” Maybe Southwest Airlines has less than half a percent of overweight or obese customers, but more than two-thirds of the U.S. population is affected by their policy.

Photo courtesy of Edmonton/CanadaBoom

Get outta my kitchen! Forget forced composting Will Blackford Vanguard staff

Mayor Sam Adams and the City of Portland are currently working on a plan that could make food composting mandatory. It seems that once again Portland is out to impose liberal values on an individual level. The plan, which will be undergoing a test phase for around 2,000 Portland homes this spring, would have people digging through their garbage to pick out food scraps to be used as compost. The city plans to pay for what they hope will become weekly compost pickups by scaling back regular trash pickup to every other week—this may also be a

Vanguard Opinion | 3 February 26, 2010

Opinion Editor: Richard D. Oxley 503-725-5692 opinion@dailyvanguard.com

subtle way of encouraging compliance. There is no doubt that recycling efforts and reducing the amount of garbage that hits our landfills is a worthy goal. Unfortunately, these new policies come awfully close to crossing the line from encouragement to coercion. What this is doing is forcing individuals to change their habits at home for values that they may not even share. Linda Knight, the city’s solid waste coordinator, compares this new green practice to regular old curbside recycling in a recent Oregonian article, and that people will get used to it. The difference here is the nature of how it is implemented. Placing a redeemable tax on bottles and cans does not force compliance—one can choose to simply give away their nickel and not recycle that

beer can. This new plan comes right into one’s home and forces them to change the way that they live and what they do with their food. This plan forces people to conform to an ideal by taking away other options. This isn’t to say the goals of this plan are bad—of course recycling is a good thing. The problem here is that the means are not a fair way of achieving the ends. People should be recycling because they want to, because they believe in it, or even just to get their nickel back. They should not be forced into recycling, especially when it involves something so personal. Reducing the amount dropped into dumps with respect to food scraps could be solved by giving houses garbage disposals, i.e., by giving people the option to dispose of their waste in a more effective way. This option also

happens to be more convenient for people and would therefore get people who wouldn’t normally do so to recycle of their own free will. If you want to recycle, go right ahead—I know I do. What I don’t do is try to make other people recycle because I think they should, or go into their homes and make them do it. If Adams is so hell-bent on enacting this plan, I say he starts this little project in his own neighborhood—I say let Knight dig through her garbage for food scraps. And they probably would because they want to, because they think it’s the right thing to do, and that’s just fine. Regardless of whether or not it is the right thing to do, imposing that practice on others by using civil authority is certainly not what we should be doing.

The Grammar Grouch by Robert Seitzinger, copy chief Ellipsis Another week, another round of grammatical failure for you Portland State Clown College Bozos. This week, I’m going to discuss the ellipsis, or “dot-dot-dot” in Bozospeak. Because most of your sub-functional brains are so soaked with MTV, Internet jargon and a desire to text message, I feel my job is done if I reach just one Bozo. The simple fact is that most of you attend PSCC because you’re just not smart enough to thrive in the real world, where most people (as in, adults who aren’t your parents or professors) will pay no attention to your résumé because of your dismal grammar. The few among you who know what the hell you’re doing are aware that an ellipsis is meant to indicate an omission of speech (or in mathematical notation, to truncate a series of figures—sorry Bozos, for overloading your brain and causing that nosebleed). It can also be used to indicate an incomplete thought, but only sparingly.

Photo Illustration by Richard D. Oxley and Bryan Morgan/Portland State Vanguard

Card reform for colleges Credit card trappings on campus Amy Fylan Vanguard staff

We’ve all seen and have been tempted by the friendly tent that gives away free school-pride merchandise in exchange for filling out a simple credit card application. It’s a temptation that is very hard to resist, especially when you are a struggling college student. You figure, “What’s the harm? I’ll only use it for emergencies.” The harm is that “emergency” turns into the need to buy the latest thing everyone has to have, and it snowballs from there. The bill

comes the following month and you realize how much you actually spent and are immediately hit with the realization that there is no way you can pay. On Monday, Feb. 22, the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, signed by President Barack Obama last May, came into full effect. Along with restrictions on raising interest rates on a whim, the act gives two major benefits to today’s young college students. The first is that anyone under 21 must have a cosigner in order to be eligible for a credit card, and the other is that you will no longer see those “friendly” tents soliciting credit cards on college campuses. Though these are great steps in the right direction to putting a stop

to credit card temptation and the early trappings of debt, we could go further. For a number of years, it has not been a requirement that high school students pass a personal finance course in order to graduate and prepare for the real world. Instead, high schools are encouraging students to take college prep courses to ease the transition into higher education. As beneficial as these college prep courses are, they are not preparing students for the harsh reality of life. My parents were required to pass a personal finance class when they were in high school back in 1975, but even then not all school districts required the course. Laurel Morris, a teacher at Sacramento Elementary School, was not required to pass personal finance herself in ’76. “Economics was required with some personal finance incorporated,” Morris said. “There seem to be fewer and fewer, shall we say, practical living skills available at all, much less required in our high schools, i.e., home ec, shop. That is a shame in my opinion. They are all very useful and empowering.” Young people these days don’t think too far into a future filled with mortgages, car payments, and all the other bills that require a good

credit rating. If ruined at a young age, a good credit score is harder to come by. Megan Schoenecker, a middle school teacher in Sisters, has her own thoughts on when financial knowledge should be taught. “I think it’s probably more appropriate for high school,” Schoenecker said. “I can’t believe schools don’t already have them. They should, especially with credit card companies preying on college kids. I was a victim. ‘Easy money!’” Credit card companies will now have a harder time preying on college kids, but if not properly educated on the essential life skill of personal finance, this new act may not help much. “I don’t think the educational bureaucracies would go for a requirement [of a personal finance class] at this time, but they should be made to understand the importance of at least offering such life skill-building courses,” Morris said. The task of teaching such a life skill isn’t easily self-taught and shouldn’t be put solely on parents’ shoulders either. What 18 year old wants to listen to their parents about finances? It needs to be put back in schools.

Otherwise, your readers will assume you rarely finish your thoughts out loud and can’t even do so when you write—actually Bozos, that might be true of you, so go for it! Abuse those ellipses! No one’s ever going to take you seriously anyhow. We’re three weeks into the Grammar Grouch and have begun hosting the column on our Web site. If you think I’m just a cruel, elitist grammarian (Bozospeak: Grammar prick), find the Grouch online and comment on how offensive you find me or let me know if you’re benefiting from my ongoing attempt to spare Bozos the embarrassment they feel every time points are taken away from their papers for poor grammar. Either way, read the Grouch next week for a fresh helping of advice and insults!

Letters to the editor are gladly accepted and should be no longer than 300 words in length. Submissions may be edited for brevity and vulgarity. E-mail letters to opinion@ dailyvanguard.com.

Vanguard 4 |4Opinion | News February January Month Day, 23, 13, 26, 2009 2010

Conspiracy theory of the week While many may believe that former President George W. Bush is barely human, some—including British journalist David Icke—say that not only is he barely human, he is part reptilian-alien. Icke, who wrote a whole book on the reptilian-alien conspiracy, among others believes that a reptilian-alien race came to Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago and have been manipulating the human race ever since. They dwell within deep caverns underneath the earth, and many hybrids such as Bush and other world elites can shift their physical form between reptile and human. The diet of such reptilian overlords consists of gold, human blood and negativity produced from human strife such as wars, racism and other conflicts. They therefore have been the cause of various troubles of the human race throughout time. Various adaptations of this conspiracy theory have found their way into pop culture and even other conspiracy theories. But what if there is something to this conspiracy and humans should fear the secret society of reptilianaliens around them? Well fear not: eHow offers a simple five-step process to befriend a reptilian-alien, including getting a job in an influential place such as the military or the government and then helping them make copies or coffee.

Vanguard staff

Regret can be trendy

If you live here in Portland, are under the age of 40 and don’t have a tattoo, it is likely you are in the minority. The Portland Tribune has recently done the math and reported that our fair city has more tattoo shops per capita than any other city in America, and local customers are proving it. Just look around Portland State—it’s hard to imagine there are more un-tattooed versus tattooed students. That quiet guy in your cluster class could be sporting a full sleeve. So what is the deal? Why are we so tattooed? According to a 2003 study by an online company called Harris Interactive, among an average West Coast community, about 20 percent of residents were tattooed, compared with about 14 percent of populations in the rest of the country. It is probable that the popularity of tattoos has grown since this study, because the tattoo industry has shown growth. Geographically, we are already more likely to be tattooed. Tattoos used to be mostly limited to blue collars and sailors, the roots of Rose City. The recent migration of young, creative and artistic people to Portland has no doubt contributed to our tattooed status, along with our vibrant music scene. What began as rebellious and edgy has slowly become mainstream. It is no longer shocking and let’s face it, no matter how much of a misfit you want to be, tattoos are trendy, especially in Portland. Trends are by definition fashionable and fleeting, yet tattoos are very permanent. So what could possibly be wrong with permanently adorning your body with something trendy? Well, perhaps youthful rebellion will fade and so will the colors on your back piece. Then you are stuck with a permanent and imperfect reminder of your anarchist phase. While artistic tattooing can be an aesthetically pleasing trend that enhances the joy of Portland people-watching, it is also slightly ridiculous. It’s easy to blend in here by just getting some ink, but what if you don’t stay here? Portland’s acceptance of body modification is not necessarily indicative of a national trend. It is a lovely, weird

and utopian thing in Portland not to judge, but how realistic will that be if life takes you elsewhere? The way the economy is going here, once you graduate, moving could be your reality. Rebecca Morrison-Stoney, president of the Advantage Staffing agency, told the Portland Tribune that many companies do not want to hire people with visible tattoos. Maybe you think that you wouldn’t ever want to work somewhere so repressive, but as we age our priorities tend to change. Once you hit 30, you will probably care less about your image and more about your retirement. I know it sounds boring, but such is life. Why the hating on tattoos? It is worrisome that some very young people have quite a lot of them in places that they will never be able to hide. Why stack the odds against yourself at an age when you hardly even know your potential of success yet? College students especially are aiming to find more sophisticated employment after graduation. Unfortunately, the HR department at your dream job might not share your love of dragons. There are many reasons people get tattoos. Many of these reasons are valid and understandable. People think of them as adornment and choose to beautify themselves. A tattoo can also be a symbol of something that a person values or believes in. It can just be something that they like, too. They can be funny and show that people don’t take themselves too seriously. But if you are just going through a phase and end up with an entire arm or leg covered with tattoos, that is a lot of space for regret. Making any kind of life-altering decision in youth comes with some risk. Tattoos are no exception. We grow and change a lot in our 20s. Choose your tattoo images and placement carefully because you will have to live with your choice forever. You know how you buy a weird shirt and are really into it for a couple of months, then you can’t stand the sight of it? Make sure the tattoos you get are more like your favorite hoodie you’ve had for 10 years and still love.

Tattoos aren’t for everyone Robin Tinker

Illustration by Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard

Have tattoos become too trendy?

poll

39% Yes

11% No

50% Only certain tattoos

ARTS & CULTURE Two Ton Boa comes back from the shadows to play Portland Scott Ostlund Vanguard staff

When listening to the Two Ton Boa song “Porcelain Throne,” you’ll instantly understand the motivation behind vocalist and bassist Sherry Fraser’s use of heavy bass, soaring vocal melodies and rhythmic spontaneity. Joined by her husband and pianist Scott Seckington, as well as drummer Nate Carson, Fraser has fine-tuned her craft with multidimensional songwriting, which has adapted since her start over a decade ago. “Really Two Ton Boa is Sherry Fraser. This has been her project since the late ’90s. And she has gone through different musicians… from some pretty great bands,” Carson said. Examples of these past musicians include members from the bands Fits of Depression and The Need. Carson was a fan of the band prior to joining as the group’s drummer. After following their music and catching them live on a Northwest tour, he knew that joining Fraser and Two Ton Boa would be exciting, as well as a learning experience. “I was a fan of the band for a long time and they came on board with my booking agency Nanotear about four years ago. And right at that time they had a lineup shift and asked me to join on drums,” Carson said. Since then he has toured with them both locally and nationally, including an East Coast tour with the Dresden Dolls where they played shows to new audiences and larger venues.

Two tons of fun

Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 February 26, 2010

Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com

Playing tonight at the International Film Festival Nothing Personal Urszula Antoniak, Ireland/Netherlands, 2009

Photo courtesy of Scott Seckington

Photo courtesy of Andrew Stern

Two Ton Boa: The infamous Sherry Fraser returns to Portland with her band and a whole lot of talent.

“It was the biggest shows any of us had ever done,” Carson said. “It was a really fantastic experience. You don’t often have the luck of a major artist like that bringing you out on the road, and then having their audience accept you…for a week we got to be rock stars and sign autographs for 45 minutes after every show.” When it comes to writing, Fraser does it all and eventually applies the talents of Seckington and Carson. “Really Sherry writes everything,” Carson said. “And that includes everybody’s parts. It’s her baby and her brainchild and she’s the only one

of us that has a gold record so we do what she wants us to.” The depth of musicality has been a part of the bands vision from the beginning, which has given them the chance to form it into an art that sounds simple yet is rich in complexity. “I think it is really heavy pop music,” Carson said. “[Fraser] wants me to hit hard and play loud, but at the same time, there are these gorgeous vocal melodies over everything and soaring choruses.” Two Ton Boa has come out with two albums—a self-titled EP, as well as a full-length album titled Parasiticide.

Going tribal New Enter Shikari makes a call to action Robert Seitzinger Vanguard staff

Enter the ninja: Not quite as cool as Die Antwoord, but still pretty OK.

Photo courtesy of Peter Hill

“22nd of June, 209 A.D., a crowd gathers…oh, they fucking love a good beheading!” So begins “All Eyes on the Saint,” the third track off Enter Shikari’s newest album Tribalism. Per usual, this English quartet blends elements of post-hardcore heaviness with soundscapes inspired by trance, over which meaningful-yet-catchyas-hell lyrics are sung—sometimes with hollering intensity and other times with dulcet harmony—bent by an always-cool, slightly slurring English accent. Tribalism includes a few new tracks, several remixes and some live cuts. Think of it as a mid-album release to keep fans happy while awaiting the next full length.

Two Ton Boa Berbati’s Pan 231 SW Ankeny St. Sat, 9 p.m. $9 advance, $10 door 21+

“Antoniak’s Nothing Personal is an intense, engrossing tale centering on a ferociously independent young Dutch woman’s relationship with a kindly widower in rural Ireland. A vagabond by choice, Anne (Lotte Verbeek) walks the country enjoying her solitude in the austerely beautiful landscape of Connemara. Martin (Stephen Rea) is a man in his prime, living a solitary life in a remote house on a beautiful island. She is radical and uncompromising. He is wise and ironic. What connects them is the exile they both see as freedom. He proposes she work for him in exchange for food. She agrees on one condition: that there will be no personal contact between them. Who will be the first one to break the vow?” 6:45 p.m. Cinema 21 616 NW 21st Ave

Shameless Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 2009

“Saint” is one of the coolest tracks on the album, packing emotion and energy into its swings from hard rocking to soft descanting. The title track speaks of the need to vocalize our thoughts (“This time we’ll turn the speakers off / And we won’t stay silent / We’ll make as much noise as we can!”), and “Thumper,” the first single off the album, echoes that sentiment by encouraging action (“We’re sick of the same old story / Tonight the motionless must vacate / So we can accelerate out of a stagnant society”). Enter Shikari knows how to inspire the imagination and their live set is an orgy of sound and fury not to be missed. They’re playing the Roseland Theater on April 28 alongside A Day to Remember and August Burns Red, so be sure to check them out. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, snag a copy of their first and second albums, Take to the Skies and Common Dreads.

Enter Shikari

Tribalism Ambush Reality Records Out now

“Oskar (Jir’ Machácek) is a devoted father, beloved husband, and popular television weatherman. He seems to have it all, but decides that he has fallen out of love with wife Zuzana—mainly because her nose is too big. Oskar cheats on her with the family’s dim Hungarian nanny, his first step on a downward spiral that finds him out of a job and in a series of loveless, problematic affairs. Whatever midlife quest Oskar is on is not yielding any satisfaction. In the meantime, Zuzana has no problem finding a new partner in divorced single father Matej, aided in no small part by Oskar’s parents. Matej likes her nose just fine. Full of fine details and subtle wit, Hrebejk’s ‘unromantic’ ensemble comedy film skirts tragedy for farce as it explores the mysteries of the male psyche and the tensions between change and stability in a society that manifests both at the same time.” 8:45 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium 1218 SW Park Ave. —www.nwfilm.org

Vanguard 6 | Arts 6&|Culture Sports February 20, 26, 2009 2010

SPORTS extra

Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships

Sports Editor: Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com

Which pentathlon? Not to be confused with the ancient pentathlon, the classic pentathlon or the modern pentathlon, the athletes at this weekend’s Big Sky Championship will compete in the indoor pentathlon.

Vikings compete for gold medals at conference championships

Competition begins with a hurdles event before taking to the field for a high jump, shot put and long jump. The event ends with a distance run to test endurance.

Nadya Ighani Vanguard staff

The indoor track season is coming to an end, and 21 student-athletes from the Portland State men’s and women’s track and field teams are closing the season today at the conference championships. The Big Sky Indoor Championships begin today and run through tomorrow in Bozeman, Mont. Portland State sent 14 women and seven men to compete against the best runners, jumpers and throwers in the conference. The Vikings are looking to improve on last year’s Indoor Championships, when three PSU athletes walked away with a total of four medals—three gold and one silver. Senior Nick Trubachik, last year’s champion in the indoor heptathlon, is looking to repeat his gold-medal performance and become the first PSU athlete to secure back-to-back championships in the event. “It goes without saying that Nick Trubachik will be on the hunt to go to nationals, as well as win indoors,” said head coach Ronnye Harrison. Trubachik took last year’s gold with a then-school record of 5,261 points. This year, he comes into the championships with a new school record of 5,307 points. An increase in Trubachik’s points is not the only way the Portland State teams have improved this season. Under the ambitious guidance of Harrison, the men’s and women’s teams have come a long way from past seasons. “Last year, we struggled to have 14 women going into the first meet—this year we had 25,” Harrison said in a statement released earlier this year. “Academically, I think we have improved

Though the differences in name may be subtle, the variance in events is drastic. Listed below are the breakdowns. Ancient pentathlon Long jump Javelin throw Greek-style discus Stadion race Wrestling Classic pentathlon Long jump Javelin throw 200-meter race Discus throw 1,500-meter race Modern pentathlon Shooting Swimming Fencing Horse racing Cross country running Military pentathlon Shooting Obstacle running Obstacle swimming Throwing Cross country running Indoor pentathlon 55-meter hurdles High jump Shot put Long jump 800-meter run The men’s multievent competition at the Indoor Championships—the heptathlon—involves two extra events. For the men’s heptathlon, the events will span two days of competition. Indoor heptathlon Day 1: 55-meter run Long jump Shot put High jump Day 2: 55-meter hurdles Pole vault 1,000-meter run

a bit as well, which makes coaching a lot easier when you don’t have to worry about those kinds of things.” Seven of Harrison’s student-athletes met the conference’s qualification standards in the first meet of the 2010 season, and the championship roster just built up from there. Throughout the season, the Vikings made serious impressions on the record books. Leading the pack is sophomore Tony Crisofulli, who broke the school record for the 800-meter with a time of 1 minute, 50.82 seconds at the UW Husky Classic earlier this month. His time is less than a second shy of the NCAA qualification standard. Harrison feels the championships provide a new environment for unexpected improvement. “Focus and purpose are the operative words of the day,” he said. “To do something you never did, you have to do something better than you’ve ever done.” Sophomore sprinter Gerrone Black has consistently lowered her times this year. Her time of 7.58 seconds in 60m converts to 7.06 seconds in the 55m and ties for the fastest in the Big Sky this year. Junior Karene King holds the fourth-fastest times in the Big Sky in both the 55m and the 200m with 7.1 and 24.87 seconds, respectively. Junior Katie Blue, who already holds the No. 1 spot in PSU’s books in the 5,000m with last year’s time of 18:05.39, comes into this year’s championship meet with the sixth fastest time in conference. Portland State’s runners will be competing at altitude in Bozeman, but Harrison doesn’t think that will affect the performance of his teams. “It’s the championships—if you have the time to make excuses, you shouldn’t be here,” Harrison said. The Big Sky Indoor Championships begin at 9 a.m. today at Montana State’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Events run through tomorrow.

Qualified athletes: Adrienne Davis

Not pictured: Jordan Brown, Nate Lightner, Brittany Long, Alyssa Rife, Amber Rozcicha

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Malissa Anthony

Stephanie Deever

P’lar Dorsett

Quiana Jackson

Jesse Cronin

Junior Oakland, Calif. 4x400m relay

Junior Albany, Ore. 5,000m Qual: 18:39.81, UW Husky Classic

Sophomore Nassau, Bahamas 55m hurdles Qual: 8.56 seconds, Jackson’s Open

Sophomore Chandler, Ariz. 4x400m relay

Senior Scappoose, Ore. 5,000m

All photos courtesy of PSU Athletics

Vanguard Arts & |Culture Sports 7 |7 February 13, 20, 26, 2009 2010

Geronne Black

Katie Blue

Sophomore New York, N.Y. 55m Qual: 7.06 seconds*, UW Husky Classic

Junior Olympia, Wash. 5,000m Qual: 18:27.26, UW Husky Classic

*Ties for fastest in conference

In the 10,000m last year, Blue finished in seventh place

Adrienne Davis

Karene King

Junior Portland, Ore. Shot put Qual: 43 feet, 9 inches*, UW Indoor Preview

Junior Tortola, British Virgin Islands 55m Qual: 7.62 seconds*, UW Invitational 200m Qual: 7.10 seconds*, New Balance Collegiate Invitational

*10th in conference and the only shot putter from PSU

*Fourth place in conference in both

Upcoming Portland State sporting events Friday Indoor track Big Sky Indoor Championships Where: Bozeman, Mont. When: 9 a.m. Women’s basketball at Idaho State Where: Pocatello, Idaho When: 6 p.m. Men’s basketball vs. Idaho State Where: Stott Center When: 7:05 p.m.

Saturday Indoor track Big Sky Indoor Championships Where: Bozeman, Mont. When: 9 a.m. Women’s tennis vs. Idaho Where: Richland, Wash. When: 9 a.m.

Amirah Karim

Joenisha Vinson

Senior Seattle, Wash. Long jump Qual: 18 feet, 9 inches*, Jackson’s Open

Sophomore Phoenix, Ariz. 55m hurdles Qual: 8.17 seconds*, New Balance Collegiate Invitational Pentathlon

*Eighth in the conference

*Third fastest in conference

Mikeya Nicholson

Jeff Borgerson

Sunday

Senior Belleville, Ill. Triple jump, long jump

Freshman Corvallis, Ore. High jump Qual: 6 feet 5.5 inches*, UW Invitational

Men’s tennis vs. Air Force Where: Greeley, Colo. When: 10 a.m.

Earned silver in the triple jump last year

*12th highest in conference

Tony Crisofulli

Nick Trubachik

Sophomore Vail, Colo. 800m Qual: 1:50.82 second*, UW Husky Classic

Senior Estacada, Ore. High jump Qual: 6 feet, 6 inches, UW Invitational Heptathlon Qual: 5,307 points* UW Invitational

*Second in the conference Placed 10th in last year’s Indoor Championships

*Second in the conference Last year’s heptathlon champion, he also won the high jump and placed third in five out of seven events

John Lawrence

Andrew Salg

Junior Reno, Nev. 5,000m Qual: 8:34.72, UW Indoor Preview

Junior Van Nuys, Calif. 5,000m Qual: 8:29.20 time*, UW Husky Classic

*Seventh in the conference

Men’s tennis at N. Colorado Where: Greeley, Colo. When: Noon Women’s tennis vs. Seattle U. Where: Richland, Wash. When: 4 p.m. Women’s basketball at Weber State Where: Ogden, Utah When: 6 p.m.

Men’s basketball vs. Weber State Where: Stott Center When: 1:05 p.m.

Monday Women’s golf Fresno State Lexus Classic Where: Fresno, Calif. When: TBA

Tuesday Women’s golf Fresno State Lexus Classic Where: Fresno, Calif. When: TBA

Vanguard 88||News News February Month Day, 26, 12, 2009 2010

News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com

Vote for Portland State’s next SALPie Portland State’s Student Activities and Leadership Programs will host the annual SALPie Award ceremony on June 2. However, award nominations are being accepted until May 14. The SALPies recognize the work and contribution of student leaders and recognized SALP student organizations and services, according to the SALP Web site. The awards will include recognition for the “Event of the Year,” “Student Group of the Year” and “Student Leader of the Year.” Students can turn in numerous nomination forms at this point in time.

NEWS Reclaiming the underground

University considering a remodel of the SMSU subbasement Courtney Graham Vanguard staff

Recent rumors—confirmed in part by Mark Russell, Smith Memorial Student Union general manager—circulating in student government indicate that the Smith Advisory Board is considering asking for funds to start a remodel of the building’s subbasement, which currently houses Portland State’s student media. Such a remodel would rework the space already occupied by student media, and “would include recarpeting, upgrading the lighting and generally improving the aesthetic quality of the space,” Russell said in an e-mail. “There may also be a redrawing of the floor plan so as to enlarge or shrink certain office spaces,” he added, “or to carve out a common office area where student groups could collaborate and store materials.” Any renovations that would

require reductions in office space to create such a common space would be subject to further approval by the Advisory Board and the Smith Space Allocation Committee, according to Russell. Furthermore, the funds to accomplish such a project depend on the amount received from the Student Building Fee, but a number has not yet been handed down. The SBF is a fee collected from tuition each term at every university in the Oregon University System. This fee is then pooled statewide, and the balance is used by the organization to pay down “taxexempt municipal bonds,” according to a video on the OUS capital construction Web site. These municipal bonds are then used to fund capital projects at Oregon universities, where the various student government associations recommend which projects the money will be used for. In this case, the Smith Advisory Board will make its own recommendations after a timeline for SBF allocations is determined. While the present plans are only to consider changes in the studentoccupied section of the subbasement

space, a glance at the university floor plan shows that though it is not the only open area on that level, it is the only accessible one. A large part of the floor plan shows no public access, and is part of an area that houses University storage, among other things, Russell said. That area, however, encompasses nearly half of the entire space in the sub-basement. According to Facilities and Planning’s “Building Area Inventory,” of the gross area square footage in the SMSU there are roughly 69,000 unused square feet of space. Much of this space is most likely unusable—due to coding restrictions or necessary empty spaces in certain areas—for anything but what it is now being used by the university. However, there may be a benefit to advocating for some storage space reclamation for the use and benefit of student groups who populate SMSU. “The most pressing need that I see from student groups is for storage,” said Aimee Shattuck, director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs, in an e-mail. For its part, the university is making a sweeping effort to

update problematic and outmoded infrastructure, and to create new space as enrollment continues to grow every year. Most recently, such projects have included the new student recreation center and the ongoing renovations of Lincoln Hall, and will include the Oregon Sustainability Center in the future. According to the Campus Physical Planning Committee’s “University District Master Plan Needs Analysis” a report from 2006, one underlying goal of such infrastructure changes is to “encourage interaction and reflect campus community diversity” throughout the physical campus. Currently, PSU is also seeking to expand with a “network of partners in Portland, the Pacific Northwest and increasingly the world,” according to the “Provost’s Welcome” portion of the Portland State Portfolio, which outlines a vision for the university. According to the welcome message, the wish of PSU to be a state university at the forefront of sustainability, research and global partnerships is a large part of what drives major infrastructure projects. If PSU is to remain competitive, they need to make certain outward changes to their capital façade.

Visit www.orgsync. com/forms/show/18480 to submit an award nomination. —salp.pdx.edu

All photos by Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Mark Russell: General manager reigning in big ideas for the SMSU subbasement.

OHSU |

from page one

Integration an idea, but more work needed “There’s a potential to make the [graduate program process] simpler,” Pilliod said. “For example, we can make it easier for doctoral or Ph.D. students to transfer their credits from PSU to OHSU instead of having to go through two academic review boards in both schools.” One of the challenges in creating a joint academic program between the two universities is determining the tuition rate, as the two universities have different funding systems. PSU relies more on state support than OHSU and, on average, OHSU students pay more for tuition than PSU students. Green wondered whether a student taking a joint program will pay OHSU tuition rates or PSU rates. “Tuition is one of the problems,” Koch said. “For the joint MBA in health care program, the tuition was set at a rate that is not as high as an OHSU program but higher than a PSU program, so it’s somewhere in between.” According to the program’s Web site, students in the program pay $525 per credit for a total of $40,000 upon completion.

Koch said PSU also has another joint graduate program with OHSU in systems science, in which a student can complete three years of study at PSU and two years at OHSU and receive a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from PSU and a Master of Science degree in bioinformatics from OHSU. “There may be a potential for more shared or joint programs, but we need to work out the tuition issue,” Koch said. Pilliod said successful collaboration will also be needed to preserve each institution’s identity. “Branding is a big issue, because the two universities have very strong and unique missions,” Pilliod said. “PSU has a strong stakehold in the city, it’s seen as an access point, the student body is much larger and different than OHSU. We want to make sure that what’s coming out of that is a stronger brand than each of its parts individually.” Green said the task force is working to deliver their report on the potential for closer collaboration with OHSU to the president of the two universities in June.

Current PSU and OHSU partnerships Portland Research and Education Network: A high-speed, metropolitan-area network connecting the universities to the national research network, Internet2. Public Safety: PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office and the OHSU security office have a pending mutual-aid pact to provide backup support for each other. South Waterfront Life Sciences Complex: An estimated $200 million project that, upon completion, will house bioscience research and instructional facilities for five universities with PSU and OHSU as leading partners. MBA in health care: Offering in-person and online-learning, the three-year program requires students to establish residencies at OHSU. Master of Public Health: A joint program between PSU, OHSU and Oregon State University, students can take courses in any of the three campuses, ranked second in the nation for community health by U.S. News & World Report in 2003. System Science Graduate Program: Students can receive a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from PSU and a Master of Science degree in bioinformatics from OHSU after five years.

Founder hopes to create a safe place for students Joe Hannan

Fledgling transgender student group

Vanguard News | 9 February 26, 2010

Vanguard staff

“I want to let people know there will be a safe place on campus that they can go to, that they are experiencing the same problems, and we can come together and help each other,” sophomore Amaya Taína said with regard to the transgender community at PSU. Taína, a Student Senator for the Associated Students of Portland State University, is soon to become the official representative for gay, lesbian, bi, transgender and queer students, and she hopes to begin an on-campus transgender student group. The GLBTQ community in Portland is large. According to the U.S. Census, 35,413 GLBTQoriented people live in the metropolitan area. This number is about 8 percent of the total Portland population. “While I am working on forming this group with other students, I will be working as the queer representative from the ASPSU Student Senate on issues that affect the GLBTQ community. This group is not part of my ASPSU work—it is personal,” Taína said. She hopes for the group to be a safe place on campus where “we can bond and be ourselves.” Taína said the idea to start the

group “came from my harassment last term on campus. Those boys were killing the female spirit that is trapped inside my body because they only want the horrid mess of a boy that is on the outside. Their hate speech was and is intolerable.” Taína hopes a sense of community on campus will be one of the group’s objectives. Also, she would like the group to create kinship in a community where peers would encourage and build esteem with one another. “I want to gather my fellow trans folk in a group where we can support each other and unite as a power that will fight to not be marginalized —Amaya Taína anymore. I implore transgender students to join this student group because it will benefit them tremendously. Allies are welcomed to join this group as well,” Taína said. Taína encourages transgender students to come forward to help get the group started. She hopes that having more members will spur more people to come out and create an even larger community. Aside from gathering a larger transgender community, Taína also hopes that she can bring more awareness to PSU and to Portland at large.

“I remember the Transgender Day of Remembrance and how it felt so good to be in a room full of transgender people.”

“A reason why we may not have so many transgendered students out would be because it is frightening when you don’t have people like you to talk with,” Taína said. Since PSU is a commuter school, it’s hard to reach students and let them know that communicating like this is a possibility. However, Taína expects once word gets out, transgender students will want to join the group. She needs five members to officially start a student group on campus. The group remains unofficial until it can find more members and cannot register until the beginning of spring term.

“I still have to find others that are interested,” Taína said. “I remember the Transgender Day of Remembrance and how it felt so good to be in a room full of transgender people. Why not try and bring that colorful array of people to a weekly meeting where we can bond and support each other?” Taína also mentions the Sexual and Gender Equality Task Force as a prime resource for transgender students. SAGE helped pioneer the first-ever PSU health care plan for transgender students and the inclusion of unisex bathrooms on campus. For more information, Taína can be reached at the ASPSU office.

Social Sustainability Colloquium Today, a presentation will be given to inform students about the social, economic and environmental conditions that have contributed to Haiti’s extreme poverty. The event is titled “Social Sustainability Colloquium: How We Cannot Live—Lessons From Haiti. The presentation will also welcome discussion about the social infrastructure, institutions and processes that are needed to promote a sustainable society in Haiti. The event will take place at 1 p.m. in room 660 of the Academic and Student Recreation Center. —pdx.edu/events

Taína: Advocate and supporter of GLBTQ students.

Michael Pascual/Portland State Vanguard

Vanguard 10 | Arts February 26, 2010

Playing Saturday at the International Film Festival The Misfortunates Felix van Groeningen, Belgium, 2009 “Thirteen-year-old Gunther represents the youngest generation of a line of proud, hard-drinking Strobbe men. Told in flashback from Gunther’s perspective as an unsuccessful writer in his early thirties, van Groeningen’s black comedy ruminates over Gunther’s ribald, chaotic adolescence under the ‘guidance’ of three bawdy uncles, an ever-boozing dad, one put-upon grandmother, and unbounded collective dysfunction. Adapted from an acclaimed novel by Dimitri Verhulst and directed with deftness and verve by van Groeningen, The Misfortunates combines equal amounts of heart, soul, and pathos as it ponders whether, in the absence of other virtues, love is enough to raise a child.”

Noon Regal Broadway Cinemas 1000 SW Broadway St. The Inheritors Eugenio Polgovsky, Mexico, 2009 “Polgovsky’s poetic The Inheritors, which he wrote, directed, and edited, immerses us in the daily lives of children who, along with their families, survive only by their unrelenting labor. Polgovsky (Tropic of Cancer, PIFF 29) documents reality in rural Northern Mexico in a way that captures the people’s dignity and humanity as they work long hours, in often hazardous conditions, picking tomatoes, peppers, corn, and beans. The film observes them in other labor routines, such as producing earthen bricks, cutting cane, gathering firewood, ox-plowing fields, and planting by hand, as well as in their artistic endeavors, such as carving wooden figures and weaving baskets to sell. The indelible impression: from the frailest elders to the smallest of toddlers, the cycle of poverty continues.”

2:45 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium 1218 SW Park Ave. —www.nwfilm.org

Arts DANCE-TASTIC

DANCE-TASTIC

DANCE-TASTIC Miracles Club plays tonight at Rotture Bianca Blankenship Vanguard staff

When Supernature night comes along every month at Rotture, the lineup never fails to get the crowd dancing to live, local music. This month’s show is no exception, as the headlining band, Miracles Club, is guaranteed to have your feet dancing before you know what’s happening. Miracles Club is Honey Owens and Rafael Fauria. They joke that Fauria is the drummer, but the music is purely electronic. At shows, they cover a table with equipment like drum machines, microphones and turntables. Singing, looping and throwing in electronic percussion sounds, the two of them create floating dance beats big enough to fill any venue. “I personally would like [our music] to be a sort of ecstatic, psychedelic, afro-house where people feel like they are on ecstasy,” Owens said. “An orchestra of dance.” Their music, with its techno and house influences, certainly has the ecstatic feeling of a rave, but their shows attract a broader crowd than pill poppers. This is a relief for those who love to groove to house music but don’t seek the drug-heavy rave scene. Miracles Club is still fairly new in town. Owens and Fauria started making music together just over a year ago. They had played in the group Valet, but Owens craved something new and Fauria wanted to make dance music. The name surfaced as the two were driving down Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and saw the sign for Miracles Club, a nonprofit that aids people battling alcohol and drug addiction.

“The idea of the club and the aesthetics of the vibe there, it suited exactly what we were talking about at the time,” Owens said. Owens has been involved in a number of local bands and music projects over the years, including Nudge and Jackie-O Motherfucker. Miracles Club is Fauria’s first band after he started learning to use drum machines a year-and-a-half ago. Though they have yet to release an album, Miracles Club hopes to put out some music on iTunes in early March. After a number of label offers that didn’t seem to suit their music, they decided to put it out on their own, through their blog, The Ecstasy Blog, on BlogSpot. Meanwhile, they’ve been playing shows around town to get their music heard. This isn’t the first time Miracles Club has played at a Supernature event. They also played at the January music festival, Superfresh. Friday is their first time as a headliner for the monthly dance party. Also playing will be DJ BJ, E*Rock and Copy. For $5, that’s an awful lot of dancing. Miracles Club will also have some onstage company Friday. Their friend, Paul Dickow, will accompany them on drum pads and a drum machine. Ryan Mitchell Boyle, a performance and visual artist—as well as an old friend of Miracles Club—will also accompany with dancing. It’s the first time they’ve played with Dickow and Boyle. “We are experimenting with having a more visual idea,” Owens said.

Miracles Club Rotture 315 SE Third Ave. Tonight, 9 p.m. $5 21+

W a n Vanguard t ed:

Arts Writer

Apply to

All photos courtesy of Miracles Club

arts@dailyvanguard.com

Photo courtesy of Nilina Mason-Campbell

Musical miracles: This new duo is creating dancey, fun music that’s heavy on

the atmosphere and light on pretension.

Advertise with us in our next special section coming to stands in March 2010

Vanguard's Bar Guide E-mail dispad@pdx.edu for more information

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Vanguard Etc. | 11 February 26, 2010

CALENDAR Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Hipster’s jargon 5 Shrewd 10 Yank’s foe 13 Black, to bards 14 Outranking 15 “A ___ bagatelle!” 16 *Did a dog trick 18 Toiling away 19 The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf. 20 Took charge 21 Rebounds, shooting percentage, etc. 22 *One who’s often doing favors 27 Tylenol alternative 29 Martinez with three Cy Youngs 30 ___-Rooter 31 Shrimp-on-thebarbie eater 33 Fancy dresser

36 *Affordable, as an apartment 38 *Tugboat rope 40 “Bed-in” participant Yoko ___ 41 Most dangerous, as winter roads 43 Pullers in pairs 44 “You can’t teach ___ dog …” 45 Sprinkle holy water on 46 *Aldous Huxley novel 51 Hawkeye State native 52 “___ on parle français” 53 Mangy mutt 56 Door-busting equipment 57 *Bar patron’s request for a refill 61 “Dang it!” 62 Al ___ (pasta order)

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE E C O L I

N E C K S

V O I D

I N T O

B A I T

I N C H

S E A W O R T H Y

Z E L A X E K A N D M O U K M R O O M I B L Y S I E W A C N A N D O N R D B A R O C B A K I T S

L A B R E A

D O N K E Y

P R U N I N G P I Z Z A

G A A W L L S T A H D B O A R R U S E P T R T Y X A I N D R K A R A S S

D E A R S A N T A

A S T I

S P E X

R A I L

D E C K

R O O N E

A T L A S

Y O L K S

Down 1 So-and-so 2 Nigerian natives 3 “B,” maybe, in an encyclopedia 4 Photo lab abbr. 5 Officer-to-be 6 “Humble” dwelling 7 White House Web address ending 8 Eden exile 9 “___ out!” (ump’s call) 10 Mark down for a sale, say 11 Verdi aria 12 ___ Wetsy (old doll) 15 San ___ (Bay Area county) 17 Additional 21 Hinge holder 23 Songwriter Novello 24 Rotational speed meas. 25 Homes for 46Down 26 ___-proof (easy to operate) 27 Guthrie who sang about Alice’s Restaurant 28 Nut case 31 Cornice support 32 Of service

13 16

20 22

Today

Seminar: “Where do we go from here?” Noon Urban Center Building, room 204 Free discussion about transportation methods hosted by engineering professor Kelly Clifton

18 21

44 47

33 39

52 58

PSU Planning Club Forum 1 p.m. Urban Center, room 212 Free meeting to discuss the North Portland Greenway

60 63

Puzzle by Peter A. Collins

33 Salaries, e.g., to a business owner 34 Leftmost compartment in a till 35 Parker products 37 German indefinite article 39 Lounge around 42 Part of P.E.I.: Abbr.

44 Salt’s “Halt!” 45 Creamy cheese 46 Things hidden in the answers to this puzzle’s six starred clues 47 Zoo noises 48 “Gimme a break!” 49 Quick with the zingers

50 Autumn shade 54 “Render ___ Caesar …” 55 Horse halter 57 PC pop-ups 58 Teachers’ org. 59 Neighbor of Que. 60 Singer Corinne Bailey ___

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Saturday PSUBAC: Community Bike Ride 11 a.m. Meet in front of Millar Library Join the Bicycle Advocacy Collective for a five-mile ride to local coffee shops Student Animal Liberation Coalition: “Fur F*@%ing Sucks!” 6 p.m. SMSU, room 228 Double screening of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians and a documentary called Skin Trade about the fur apparel industry

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.

SPORTS ARTS EXTRA New and classic films playing locally this weekend Sarah Esterman Vanguard staff

There are a lot of sweet films playing at local theaters this weekend and unless you’re staring at the spring term class schedule with a blank look on your face, attempting to decide what to take, you probably don’t have the time to pick out the best films. But don’t worry about it—we’ve searched through them for you.

Local Film Highlights

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Harmony and Me

Harold and Maude

The Reverse

In a Lonely Place

Don’t you worry, you Portland State hipsters you, I know what you like when it comes to brand spankin’ new movies. And something tells me you’re going to like (if not love) Bob Byington’s Harmony and Me. The award-winning indie flick follows a young man named Harmony who refuses to let go of the woman who broke his heart.

It may be dark and a little bit twisted, but Harold and Maude is a classic. The 1971 surprise cult hit follows the old adage that opposites attract though perhaps, as it has been criticized, takes it a little too far since the romance is between a 19-year-old man (Harold) and a 79-year-old woman. The taboo relationship is one of Hollywood’s least expected, most tender romances of all time. Laurelhurst Theater presents it as part of Cult Favorites February.

If you’re a loser who doesn’t know good cinematography opportunities when they’re at your doorstep (i.e., you haven’t gone to see anything at the 33rd International Film Festival), then get your rear in gear this weekend because this is your absolute last chance. This is a good film to catch, too, considering it’s one of the few chosen for an encore screening. Telling the story of three generations of women living in 1950s Poland, The Reverse is a good way to get some more insight on the Stalin regime.

Everyone (with a decent taste in films, that is) loves themselves a little film noir—and what could be better than Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame in Nicholas Ray’s 1950 classic? Not much, which is why you should go see it on Monday night when it plays in a newly restored print. With some of the most romantic lines in cinema, like Bogart’s, “I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me,” In a Lonely Place is one that ought to be part of your budding film repertoire.

Living Room Theaters 12:20 p.m., 3 p.m., 5:10 p.m., 6:50 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 10:10 p.m. $6 w/PSU ID 21+ after 4:30 p.m.

Laurelhurst Theater Times TBA $3 21+

Whitsell Auditorium 2:30 p.m. $10 All ages To Pay My Way With Stories

In a Lonely Place

Photo courtesy of Film Science

Living golf legend Tiger Woods has been implicated in a string of dalliances against his wife, the gold-digging Elin Nordegren. According to NY Daily News, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has released a video making fun of Woods’ rampant libido. Let me get this straight: A good-looking, multimillionaire sports hero who got engaged in his late 20s deserves flak because he’s a horny little bugger? The yellow journalists filling pages in trashy tabloids seem to think it is news that a powerful, wealthy guy has mistresses! Look, I’m not condoning adultery, because if you take those vows, you damn well better uphold them. My concern is that folks are focused on his sex addiction, bringing all sorts of heat against his polyamorous ways. Sure, heckle the guy for cheating on his wife, but a guy in Woods’ position liking sex isn’t newsworthy at all. Kirk Cameron is a pain

If there is any news here, it’s that Koenig is dead, not that Cameron prayed for him. RIP, Boner.

Cinema 21 6 p.m. $7 w/PSU ID 21+

Harold and Maude

Tiger Woods likes sex

First of all, anything related to Cameron isn’t news. How is Cameron relevant? The only Cameron from that era of TV who still matters is Candace Cameron, and that’s because D.J. Tanner is still a babe on those Full House reruns. Her foxiness is more newsworthy than a bible thumper like Kirk.

—Robert Seitzinger

The Reverse

Harmony and Me

Celebrity news is not news

Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron released a statement expressing concern for fellow Pains alum Andrew Koenig, who Fox News reports was in rehab for meth use but has since been reported to have commited suicide.

Cinema 21 7 p.m. $7 w/PSU ID 21+

It doesn’t get much more local than documentarian Brian Lindstrom’s To Pay My Way With Stories, which gives insight to an awesome Portland nonprofit. Write Around Portland offers 10-week intensive writing courses to the underserved, and ends with a public reading and published anthology. The film follows participants as they move beyond their difficulties— including poverty, cancer and HIV or AIDS—to find their unique voices. Brian Lindstrom will be present for Q-and-A after the screening. Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Vanguard Arts | 12 February 26, 2010

Photo courtesy of Borys Liankosz

Photo courtesy of Mildred Lewis and Colin Higgins Productions