WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 87
Event of the night Don’t miss today’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” open forum, hosted by the Queer Resource Center and the Student Veterans Association When: 7 p.m. Where: SMSU, room 327
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INSIDE NEWS FOOD PANTRY FOR ALL ASPSU offers free food for hungry students PAGE 2
ARTS
Forum for senate hopefuls Few differences between candidates; all are expected to win Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff
Riding on the wings of a horse Pegasus Dream sets up camp tonight at Rotture PAGE 4
The sociopath and the demon Dan Wells will frighten you with the reality of a twisted mind and supernatural force PAGE 4
Just over half of those running for Student Senate were present at a public forum yesterday, at which all candidates essentially agreed with one another on nearly every issue. As in past years, fewer candidates are running than there are vacant senate seats. “Basically, if all [of] the positions don’t have enough people running for [them], each candidate only needs one vote to win,” said Elections Board Chair Debra Porta. Last year’s election was the first in several in which more candidates ran than there were positions. During the forum, candidates answered questions regarding potential restructuring of the university’s budget, how to
Safety on Broadway Finding space for bikers and students with disabilities Tamara K. Kennedy
Once more into the rain The Taxidermist DLC expands the world of the Origami Killer PAGE 5
OPINION
effectively time-manage while serving in a leadership role and understanding the processes of the university and student government. The candidates each expressed a desire to ensure that the needs of as many students as possible are recognized and addressed by ASPSU. The event was filmed by PSU-TV and will air next tuesday on MetroEast Community Media stations. Only a handful of student-media representatives and current ASPSU-affiliated students were present at the forum. A contributing factor to the low turnout may have been a last-minute change of venue. The university scheduling office mistakenly overbooked Parkway North in the Smith Memorial Student Union and a musical performance pushed the forum to a room on the second floor, according to Porta. From the “Viking Strong!” slate—composed of only senate candidates—Makoto Matt Blasa,
Vanguard staff
Since the new bike path opened on Southwest Broadway in the summer of 2009, safety issues have emerged for students, bikers and community members because of its interference with TriMet’s LIFT Paratransit stop at Portland State. The LIFT program provides an accessible van, designed to provide
door-to-door transportation for those with mobility issues. Scott Davis, a service supervisor for LIFT, wrote in a letter to the PSU Disability Resource Center, “We used to stop right there on Broadway, just south of Montgomery. With the new bike lane/parking configuration, we got squeezed out.” Though Davis said he walked the area several times to find a location where the LIFT van could get to the
LIFT continued on page three
Society needs history The Oregon Historical Society needs our support PAGE 6 From the Web’s heart, I stab at thee Cyberbullying is a growing problem PAGE 6
Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Too crowded: The LIFT van currently must drop riders off into the bike lane.
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
Candidate forum: (left to right) Makoto Matt Blasa, Alejandro Hoyer, Armenia Sarabia, Sephinesh
A. Guild are all part of “Viking Strong! Slate” Karen Ulbright, Cathy Symes and Matt Fleskes are part of Students First Slate.
Sephinesh A. Guild, Alejandro Hoyer and Armenia Sarabia were present at the forum. Patricia Binder was not in attendance. Senate candidates from the “Students First” slate at the forum include: James Au, Matt Fleskes, Cathy Symes and Karen Ulbright. Lucius Shields was not present. Commenting on why there are so few senate candidates in the running, Porta said, “There are systematic [structural] things that need to be addressed with the senate. That’s why I asked all the candidates ‘what are you going to
do to engage students’ participation in this year’s election?’ because we need student participation to enable us to do what we’ve set out to do from the beginning.” A question asked by the moderator, E-Board member Amina Ali, concerned potential budget restructuring of PSU. Every candidate echoed the same sentiment: Students should be involved in the process to ensure their interests and voices are taken into account. Both slates contain
FORUM continued on page three
PSU and PGE plan partnership Sustainability and urban mobility focuses will lead to academic opportunites Catrice Stanley Vanguard staff
A simple request for long-term support turned into a partnership between Portland State and PGE. According to Kevin Reynolds, professor and chair of the chemistry department, when Portland State President Wim Wiewel asked for assistance from Portland General Electric with the renovation of Science Building 2, he was probably just hoping for a donation. “But PGE came back and wanted to talk about something bigger,” he said. It turned out to be a memorandum of understanding between the university and PGE, which was signed during a ceremony last Tuesday by Wiewel and Jim Piro, president and CEO of PGE. “To meet the challenges of Oregon’s energy future and serve our customers in the most sustainable, cost-effective way possible, strategic alliances with forward-thinking institutions like PSU are more critical than ever,” Piro said in a press release. “Working together with Portland State, we will train tomorrow’s energy leaders and develop smart, sustainable solutions for powering our region,” he said. According to David Santen,
director of communications for sustainability initiatives at PSU, the memorandum is essentially a document acknowledging that the two institutions share a common vision of creating a sustainable regional economy for the Portland metro region. “PSU and PGE, as the largest urban university and the largest urban utility, respectively, bring complementary skills and interests to the partnership in service of that vision,” Santen said. “The [memorandum of understanding] means that we’re going to work together to address those challenges.” Along with the memorandum, the PGE Foundation has awarded $50,000 to PSU in support of the partnership. The money is intended to establish the PGE Foundation Renewable Energy Research Laboratory. According to Reynolds, this lab will be located on the third floor of Science Building 2, which is currently under construction. Next fall, Erik Johansson will take a position as a chemistry faculty member and manager of the lab. “Johansson is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at [the] California Institute of Technology and a member of Nathan Lewis’ research team. Nate Lewis is highly regarded in the field of artificial photosynthesis,” Santen said.
PGE continued on page three
Vanguard 2 | News April 7, 2010
Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Virginia Vickery News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Bryan Morgan Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor
NEWS FOOD PANTRY FOR ALL
Zach Chastaine Online Editor Kristin Pugmire Copy Chief Kristin Pugmire Calendar Editor Jae Specht Advertising Manager William Prior Marketing Manager Judson Randall Adviser Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Associate News Editor Corie Charnley Production Assistants Justin Flood, Shannon Vincent Post-production Assistant Adiana Lazarraga Contributors Stacy Austin, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Leah Bodenhamer, Meaghan Daniels, 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, Ebonee Lee, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Robert Seitzinger, Tanya Shiffer, Wendy Shortman, Catrice Stanley, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Katherine Vetrano, Allison Whited, Roger Wightman Photographers Drew Martig, Michael Pascual, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Noah Emmet, Amanda Gordon Advertising Sales Sam Gressett, Iris Meyers, Ana SanRoman, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Beth Hansen 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
ASPSU offers free food for hungry students Sara M. Kemple Vanguard staff
ASPSU established a food pantry for students this year, which is currently located in ASPSU’s office in 117 Smith Memorial Student Union. It encourages students to drop by the office if they are in need of food and cannot afford it. “We have over 3,000 pounds of food at the moment to offer students,” said ASPSU President Jonathan Sanford. “The initial 2,000 pounds of food was attained by working with the American Sign Language Association. They had a comedy night last term where they gathered the initial food for the pantry and helped it get underway,” he said. The pantry not only offers free food to those in need, but also entices students to come into the office for various social services. ASPSU hopes to have enough food to regularly feed a student for
Feeding need: ASPSU has a food pantry available to all students needing assistance.
up to a few days, and is working with the Student Senate on campaigns related to healthy food opportunities for students. Through the food pantry, students can get information regarding other available student and social services like counseling and job placement services, on and off campus. Originally, the food pantry was supposed to be located where the Vanguard’s advertising office was on the first floor of SMSU. However, the Smith Space Committee informed ASPSU that the new Spirit Store would take the advertising office place instead. The food pantry’s permanent location has yet to be decided by the committee. “As for having an actual institutionalized space, the ASPSU food pantry will go through the same process of acquiring space that other groups on campus must go through,” said Senator Selina
Poulsen, who is currently managing the operation. “My connection to the food pantry is the same as any other student,” she said. “I know that there is a need on campus, I have even used the resources of the food pantry so I could afford textbooks for class.” Poulsen welcomes anyone who would be interested in getting involved to make PSU a better place for students. Those wanting to help are encouraged to volunteer and to bring food for the pantry. Another ASPSU goal is to launch a book exchange program. “We hope to have a food pantry as well as a clothing and book exchange for the students,” Sanford said. “We just need a space for it.” The book exchange would allow students to get used or discounted books from other students. Sanford also hopes to set up a link between the student accounts
All photos by Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
and the book-buying process to enable students to charge their books without having to wait for financial aid disbursements to go through, enabling students who are in need to have their books at the same time as other students on campus. “I am trying to set up a mutual aid program where students can establish a community,” Sanford said. If Oregon’s current debate over budget cuts takes a turn for the worse, ASPSU is taking steps to prepare for possible repercussions through programs like the food pantry, Sanford said. The food pantry is one step towards bringing more attention to the social service programs that could be impacted by the loss of any funding to the Oregon University system. “We all understand the difficulties of college life, and we are here to help,” Sanford said.
Reaching for STARS at PSU Gaining a comprehensive look at university sustainability Robert Seitzinger Vanguard staff
For the second consecutive year, Portland State is participating in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System, a comprehensive program that collects data from campuses nationwide to determine how universities stack up in terms of sustainability. The program, commonly known as STARS, considers everything from classes at a university to its waste management and recycling programs. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education oversees the collection of data from 130 colleges and universities across the nation to offer a comprehensive look at how sustainable a campus is, according to the program’s Web site. The program includes filling out a form that asks for information
regarding several aspects of campus life, ranging from how campus dining is provided to what sustainable classes are offered. After the data has been collected, schools will be ranked according to their overall sustainability efforts, according to Heather Spalding, sustainability leadership and outreach coordinator. “If we do well [in STARS rankings for 2009–10], it could raise the profile of Portland State,” Spalding said. “We were fortunate to be involved with the pilot last year. It gave us a year’s head start.” PJ Houser, assistant in the Campus Sustainability Office, said that PSU participated in the pilot year to gather data and look at which areas of sustainability the campus is strong in and where it needs improvement. “STARS is a comprehensive sustainability rating system that looks at it all, from curriculum to environmental and social aspects,” Houser said. “It’s really quite extensive…[STARS is] very impressive for a university.” Though there are rankings, Houser said STARS is less of a competition and more of a chance for a school to see where it’s
succeeding in sustainability and to see how similar schools are performing. “Some of the areas are really challenging to track, and you really can’t think of it in terms of A, B, C and D,” Houser said. “I see this as less competitive and more collaborative for schools to look at others and ask how to score higher in areas. STARS is an idea center.” Houser said the costs related to STARS are limited to a registration fee and the pay of PSU personnel involved, and that the benefits far outweigh the costs. She said the opportunity to collect information in one place will show where PSU excels and, more importantly, where it can improve. “Filling out STARS makes it very obvious where we’re lacking data collection, where it’s hard to gather info, and where we should change how we do things,” Houser said. “It’s really helpful to have sustainability info together, because it’s been so spread out before, but with STARS, it’ll all be in one place.” According to Spalding, a comprehensive look at PSU’s sustainability efforts through STARS will help identify how the university should plan in the future,
both on the operations side and the academic side. “It’s a really good project to focus on, even though not a lot of people know about it,” Spalding said. “It’s an important report, a very comprehensive look at all we do.” Houser said the operations part is looking at how money at PSU is spent on the buildings and services students use every day. The academic part considers funds being spent to recruit professors with sustainability backgrounds and adding classes to the PSU curriculum that focus on green issues. Both Spalding and Houser said they hope to continue participating in STARS in the future. “Last year was our first year to look at it all, and we expect this year to be stronger because of that,” Spalding said. “We hope to have more staff, and we have stronger networks [between departments on campus] now, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.” “It definitely opens us up for a lot of scrutiny and hopefully a positive reputation,” Houser said, regarding the possibility of recruiting sustainability-minded students in the future. “STARS can really help raise our profile.”
LIFT |
from page one
New locations for LIFT van are under consideration, out of the way of bike lanes curb without conflict, he said he didn’t have any luck. “We experimented with using the parking strip but that would mean deploying our lift platform into the path of bikes, bringing on the risk of collisions or parking in the bike lane, forcing bikes to exit the lane and potentially conflicting with traffic,” Davis wrote. He suggested moving the LIFT area to a position by The Vue apartment complex on Montgomery Street, but added that it is about 400 feet away and open to weather elements. “My main concern is that students with disabilities have a safe, comfortable place to wait for the LIFT van,” said Darcy Kramer, DRC accommodations coordinator. Kramer said that while 400 feet may sound like a short distance, travelling in a wheel chair is much different than walking on foot.
FORUM |
“[It’s] not wheelchairs so much… [It’s] the people that can’t walk— people that are using a cane or have heart problems, multiple sclerosis, or have a broken foot—people that don’t have something to sit on and need a safe, dry, space to wait for the LIFT,” said Polly Livingston, director of the Disability Resource Center. According to Livingston, the DRC responded to Davis’ suggestion, but TriMet has not yet changed the LIFT location on Broadway. However, after meeting with the DRC late in winter term, the possibility of the LIFT van pulling in between Neuberger and Smith is under consideration. Kramer said the DRC has heard reports from students who use the LIFT that that bikers have yelled at them for blocking the bike lane. However, bikers’ safety may also be at risk within the bike lane because of potential obstructions by the LIFT van.
News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
PSU blood drive Portland State is sponsoring a blood drive on the third floor ballroom in Smith Memorial Student Union on the following dates: Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Moving LIFT: DRC volunteer Jerry Ryan at potential new site for the LIFT van next to the
Smith Memorial Student Union.
About LIFT According to www.trimet.org, TriMet’s LIFT Paratransit program “is a shared-ride public transportation service for people who are unable to use regular buses or trains due to a disability or disabling health condition.”
tenets to the same effect. The candidates were also asked how they would effectively juggle the responsibilities of being a senator in addition to any other commitments they may hold. “I would be prepared to take extra time to graduate to take care of student needs,” Ulbright said. Symes, a full-time graduate student, said she is accustomed to the responsibilities because next year would be her third year on the senate. Sarabia said the lives of she and the other candidates on the Viking Strong! slate already revolve almost entirely around school. “I enjoy that tremendously,” she said.
Because of time constraints, only two questions were taken from audience members. Current Senate Pro Tempore Daniel Lyons asked the candidates how they would get to know the technical processes of serving in the Senate. Most said they would utilize the summer months to get to know the operations of the university and ASPSU. Current SFC member, Jil Heimensen, asked the candidates if they would be willing to serve on All-University Committees, which are usually understaffed. Everyone answered “Yes.” Viking Strong According to the group’s Facebook page, the Viking Strong! slate is collectively opposed to any
corporate governance of PSU, is in favor of sensible budget cuts and allocations and believes students should have a greater say in tuition. Students First Aside from several senate candidates, the Students First slate includes the presidential and vice presidential candidates, Katie Markey and Selina Poulsen, respectively. Also on the slate is Student Fee Committee Chair candidate Krystine McCants and SFC member candidate Aaron Baker. The Students First slate also believes students should have their interests protected and a voice in the discussion over any potential restructuring of PSU’s finances, according to its Facebook page. The members of the slate also plan to continue to operate and expand the current ASPSU food pantry project that provides food to students in need. They also hope to start a book exchange to help make textbooks more affordable.
LIFT eligibility is not based on: -Age alone -A disability or medical diagnosis by itself -Lack of TriMet bus or MAX service in an area -An inability to drive -Personal finances
—trimet.org
The group also claims to support gender-neutral spaces on campus, protection of prayer areas and greater access for students with disabilities. The slate’s mission statement also says that students should have greater control over and access to their student fee dollars and the services provided by them.
Senate Facts The ASPSU Student Senate consists of 25 voting members and three non-voting members and is the legislative branch of student government. Though most members are elected, the ASPSU president appoints several each year. The senate is responsible for representing the interests of the student body, as well as approving the Student Fee Committee budget and confirming appointments, constitutional revisions, the ASPSU budget and any revisions to the ASPSU bylaws and guidelines, according to ASPSU’s Web site.
from page one
positioned to be the leading U.S. launch-market for electric vehicles. PSU and PGE will lead EV planning and education events, as in the past when they sponsored the EV Road Map conference in 2009. This June, PSU and PGE plan to sponsor a seminar featuring keynote speaker, Robbie Diamond, who is the executive director of the Electrification Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to mass deployment of EVs. Also, with financial and technical support from PGE, PSU is once again offering a two-term course through the Hatfield School of Government titled “Planning the Smart Grid for Sustainable Communities.” This class is offered to graduate students and taught by a trans-disciplinary team of faculty members, including Jeff Hammerlund, Linda Rankin and Conrad Eustis. According to
Thursday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit www. givelife.org and type PORTLANDSTATE in the sponsor code area, or call the American Red Cross directly at 503-528-5603. According to the Red Cross Web site, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, and more than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day. Additional Red Cross facts: -Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 in the U.S. African Americans make up 98 percent of those afflicted. -The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints. -The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O, which can be transfused to patients of all blood types. -A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. -Only 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood. -Blood cannot be manufactured.
Money for electrical vehicle research in classrooms Two main areas of focus in the memorandum are urban mobility and integration of energy and sustainable design. “A couple of applications for these areas include electric vehicles and developing dependable renewable energy sources,” Santen said. He said that one of Johansson’s main areas of research is in energy storage. For researchers, a major challenge for renewable energy is having the energy available when it’s needed, and being able to store it when it’s not needed. “There is lots of solar energy in the daytime, but not so much at night,” Santeen said. “With wind, there [is a lot of energy] when the wind blows, but not so much when it doesn’t. So, you can see where being able to store energy surpluses might be of some use.” According to the press release, the Portland metro region is
Tuesday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
from page one
Most senate candidates are part of one of the two slates
PGE |
Vanguard News | 3 April 7, 2010
-The average adult body carries 10 pints of blood. Roughly one pint is given during a donation.
—redcrossblood.org Tyler Brain/Portland State Vanguard
Electric partnership: University President Wim Wiewel and PGE President Jim Pro teaming up
in partnership.
Dr. Craig Shinn, associate director of PSU’s Executive Leadership Institute, these professors are adjunct faculty with “academic qualifications and deep professional experience in policy, engineering and economics.” “The course draws graduate students from across the disciplines and from the professional community with a goal of understanding the cutting-edge issues related to planning for [the] smart grid in sustainable communities,” Shinn said. According to the press release, PGE has also contributed to a National Science Foundation-funded project at PSU, which continues to
study how solar panels and green roofs can be installed together on buildings to improve energy generation and efficiency. “Rather than just looking for philanthropy, we are looking to work with business and other partners to work jointly on research, education, and demonstration projects that serve our mutual interest, as well as those of Portland and Oregon,” Wiewel said in a press release. “This project is a perfect example of that and we look forward to a very productive relationship.” To see the memorandum of understanding in its entirety, visit www.pdx.edu/sustainability/ partnerships/pge.
Vanguard 4 | Arts & Culture April 7, 2010
ARTS & CULTURE
Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com
Big, fat list of shows: Wednesday’s live music lineup Pink Slip, The Is, Teenage Murder School Ash St. Saloon, 9:30 p.m., $5, 21+ Wishyunu, Support Force Berbati’s Restaurant, 9 p.m., free, 21+ Autopilot is for Lovers, Jen Moon, Hello Electric Doug Fir, 9 p.m., $6, 21+ Hump Palace Presents: Juan Prophet Organization, Mr. Fredrick, Pigeons, Nextdoor Neighbors Goodfoot, 9 p.m., $5, 21+ Ah Holly Famíly, Ghost to Falco, Billygoat, Grey Anne Holocene, 8:30 p.m., $5, 21+ Sean Hayes, Y La Bamba Mississippi Studios, 9 p.m., $15, 21+ Mentes Ajenas, Guitars As Guns, The Daveys Plan B, 9 p.m., $5, 21+ Pegasus Dream, Thuggage, Van Go Lion Rotture, 9 p.m., $5, 21+ The Chicharones, Raise The Bridges, Eddie Valient, Quixotic, Abadawn and the Kill Party Someday Lounge, 8:30 p.m., free, 21+
Pegasus Dream sets up camp tonight at Rotture Scott Ostlund Vanguard staff
What’s the best way to get your music into the hands of the Portland music community? Give it away for free. Portland group Pegasus Dream is playing at Rotture tonight, but you don’t have to wait until the show to hear what this group is about. The band has released a demo that is available on their website for free, giving fans a firsthand look at the variety they offer. With a full album planned for release this July, the group has released this demo project in order to prepare fans for what they can expect. “Our first album will have 11–13 tracks and will be dropping late July in Portland,” keyboard player and vocalist Andy Carlson said. “JT [Lindsey] is a very talented producer so we do all of the recording ourselves. The full-length will include those five demo tracks, only with tons of upgrades that people who might know the demo could find much appreciated.” The band is made up of Carlson on synth, keys and vocals, Lindsey on guitar and lead vocals and Mikey Dane on percussion. Dane, who joined the band, has recently brought more opportunities into the studio for creativity, Carlson said. “Each song seems to stem from a slightly different direction but begins with working out a melody, whether by yourself or jamming with people,” Carlson said. “Since we just added Mikey almost a month ago, it’s been really nice to have the drum set there in our studio. We are so close to finishing our first album and it’s a really exciting time for us.” Pegasus Dream came to Portland about three years ago from Loon Lake, Wash. At that time, the group was made up of Lindsey and Carlson and had come out with a few demos, starting to play shows at the beginning of 2009. After playing
Dan Wells will frighten you with the reality of a twisted mind and supernatural force Wendy Shortman
Photo courtesy of sdobbins
Photo courtesy of Pegasus Dream
Pegasus Dream: These Wash. transplants are creating a stir in Portland with their clever blends of catchy hooks and wafting vocals.
with bands like the Helio Sequence, Starfucker (now PYRAMIDDD) and Hockey, the band decided to move to Portland. At that point they started looking for a drummer, who has completed their sound and added energy to their performances. “Mikey was added to the mix because we love his extremely energetic style,” Carlson said. “We knew Mikey from the Spokane area when he was in other bands and had jammed with him many times before. When he decided to move down to Portland too, it was time the pull the trigger on live drums. I must say I love playing with a live drummer, it’s like night and day with the energy that it brings.”
Tonight, Pegasus Dream will play at Rotture and they are excited for a familiar yet new venue as well as an opportunity to showcase their performance style and inviting energy. “Rotture seems to be the showcase of a lot of our favorite acts, so we’re really excited for this show,” Carlson said. “We love to get people moving and now that we have a live drummer the party can be even louder! We want the music to be dynamic and clean—a perfect performance takes a lot of practice.” Pegasus Dream will be on tour again following the release of their summer album and will also be focused on creating a new Web
site for their increasing number of followers. Tonight, Thuggage and Van Go Lion will join them at Rotture for a high energy and dynamic show.
Pegasus Dream Rotture 315 SE 3rd Ave. Tonight, 7 p.m. $5 All ages
The sociopath and the demon
Vanguard staff
John Wayne Cleaver fits the perfect prototype of a serial killer. He’s obsessed with fire, has tortured animals and wets the bed. These three characteristics, called the MacDonald triad, are commonly found in 95 percent of serial killers. Not only these traits, but other antisocial behavior as well, leads John’s psychiatrist to explain to John
Photo courtesy of Dan Wells
that he has all the characteristics to be diagnosed as a sociopath one day. If only his psychiatrist, his mother, aunt and the other kids at school knew what else went on in John’s head—they would really be worried. In I Am Not a Serial Killer, readers get to know the real John, including the violence-driven, human-stalking monster inside of him. If you find yourself making it past the first chapter, where John thoroughly describes the process of embalming a dead body, you might be able to handle some of the other grotesque and shocking descriptions of carnage throughout the book. Being around dead bodies most of the time (John and his mother run a mortuary and live above it), John is constantly haunted with a fascination of one day killing and looking at his own victim’s newly-deceased body. As we soon find out, John is a smart 15 year old. In fact, he doesn’t want to be a sociopath. He doesn’t want to kill anyone. If anything, he tries to get rid of the feeling of
loneliness that makes it hard for him to interact with other people. John wants to feel emotionally connected with other people. So instead of giving in to his inner monster, he creates his own sets of rules and regulations to follow in order to keep his inner demons in check. Unlike other serial killers we see in books or movies or TV shows, John creates his rules by studying other serial killers in the past. It’s an ongoing self-assigned homework assignment he finds enjoyable. In this story though, it isn’t enough that John has to battle his inner demons—we soon find out that there’s a new killer in town. It’s an actual demon, and John may be the only one who realizes what this killer is capable of. Now, John has to learn to rip down the walls he has put up to keep his inner monster inside, and instead let it loose. But the killer that he has to conquer is far different from any “serial killer” he has read or
heard about—he’s worse and more dangerous. In Dan Wells’ debut novel, the author illustrates a world of the dangerous antisocial behavior of a teenage boy, mixed with the threat of a supernatural killer. Wells invites us into the mind of a disturbed John, who becomes excited as he hears about a possible serial killer in his town. His excitement is spoiled only to find that the killer is a supernatural force that’s killing for a different purpose. The question is: Who will survive in the end, the future serial killer or the demon?
Reading with Dan Wells Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. Tonight, 7 p.m. Free
Once more into the rain
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 April 7, 2010
The Taxidermist DLC expands the world of the Origami Killer
Playing tomorrow at the NW Film Center
Steve Haske Vanguard staff
DLC, or downloadable content, has changed the way games are made. In the days before consoles had online capabilities out of the box, if there were parts of a game that ended up getting cut in order to keep the production schedule, they would never see the light day. This isn’t the case anymore—most major games have post-release game content in the form of new modes, extra goodies, or my personal favorite (and generally the rarest form), new single-player content that helps expand the story of the original. Heavy Rain’s first bit of DLC, The Taxidermist, does just that. If Quantic Dream’s psychologically mature adventure game, which followed four protagonists through the life-anddeath scenarios centered around a series of serial killings already had a
Brutal Beauty Chip Mabry, U.S., 2009
narrative-rich focus of its own, think of The Taxidermist as a new chapter to the game’s story. I was a huge fan of the original game, despite some minor quibbles I had with it, so naturally any new Heavy Rain content that delves into the narrative a little more is a good thing, one would think. However, The Taxidermist is just a little bit of a mixed bag (I say “a little” because it’s only five dollars): It’s more Heavy Rain, but does little more than just give you another episode to play around with. One of the main draws of Heavy Rain was the ability to play a scenario in any number of different ways, whether you were having a conversation with someone, engaging in some detective work or trying to survive one of the game’s
many potentially fatal scenarios. Life or death is a literal thing in Heavy Rain’s world, and once you’re dead, you stay that way (meaning the game goes on without whatever character you were playing, and there’s no restarting from checkpoints). This is also the case in The Taxidermist, which follows reporter Madison Paige to the home of a suspect who could be the nefarious Origami Killer. This is one of the DLC’s strengths, as Madison’s fate can and will change in any number of ways.
This episode is also pretty tense, much like many of the best chapters from the main game. In this regard, the DLC works well, and like the rest of the game will keep you in suspense, to some degree, about what’s going to happen. The Taxidermist actually serves as a prequel to the events of the main game, meaning that players who have already played it (and you won’t get much out of this DLC if you haven’t, unless you want to go through it before tackling the main story) will be able to make some foregone conclusions. That’s ok. What is a little disappointing is that it’s just barely long enough to wet your whistle for more. The whole scenario takes between 20–25 minutes to get through, though the replay comes from trying out different actions to see the kind of events that unfold. However, this particular chapter takes a turn for the horrific, even compared to some of the events of the main game, making it a good addition to Heavy Rain’s story arc, even if it is self-contained. For five bucks, it’s a pretty good deal. At the very least you can be thankful there are more DLC episodes planned to come out soon.
Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist SCEA PS3 $5 Heavy Rain: The Taxidermist is a welcome and cheap addition to the original game, expanding on previous themes.
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“Forget Drew Barrymore’s recent foray into roller derby: Chip Mabry’s Brutal Beauty gives an honest shot of girl-powered adrenaline in his documentary on Portland’s own Rose City Rollers. Stakes are raised when their all-star team goes on the road to face off against Bay Area and Denver opponents. Without the contrived personalities or plotlines of Whip It , Mabry’s tattooed and bruised chicks are entertainment enough, and with the help of Voodoo Doughnuts to explain the derby rules, there’s no way a Portlander won’t feel a rousing sense of pride as they gear up for the Rollers’ upcoming season.” —Ali Rothschild, Willamette Week
Thursday, 7 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium, 1218 SW Park Ave. Free with PSU student ID.
Vanguard 6 | Opinion April 7, 2010
OPINION
Opinion Editor: Richard D. Oxley 503-725-5692
Society needs history
opinion@dailyvanguard.com
Conspiracy theory of the week The Titanic Conspiracy According to the great sea of reliable conspiracy theories known as the Web, it is possible that we all don’t know the true story of the Titanic and its fate. As the White Star Line was building its mega-ship, the RMS Titanic, it had a bit of a troubling issue on its hands. Its other ship, the RMS Olympic, was not performing as well as hoped. It was constantly being docked for repairs, and money was being lost on it by the boatload (get it?). Something had to be done. Owner of the White Star Line, J.P. Morgan, along with chairman J. Bruce Ismay, devised a plot that would partially, if not entirely, gain back the money being wasted by the RMS Olympic. You see, the ship was insured. Sometime shortly before the Titanic’s maiden voyage, while the two ships were docked side by side, they would switch the nameplates and all other identification on the two ships. This would mean that the sub-par RMS Olympic actually took the famous doomed Titanic voyage. Once the “Titanic” sank, the company could bank on the insurance payout to cover their previous losses. And so the Olympic, masquerading as the Titanic, went to sea that fateful day. Apparently, the White Star Line was to have another ship in their fleet near the sinking “Titanic” to rescue the survivors, but that didn’t work out quite as planned. Allegedly there was a mysterious and impromptu course change ordered that took the Titanic off course, and at a higher speed, away from the other White Star Line ships and directly into the path of an iceberg—sealing the ship’s fate. And the rest is history.
The Oregon Historical Society needs our support Meaghan Daniels Vanguard staff
Oregon and Portland have a rich culture about them: People always refer to the Chinese Gardens and the Art Museum as staples of the Portland area, but there is another part of Oregon that does not seem to get as much attention. That part is the Oregon Historical Society. The Oregon Historical Society has been facing a multitude of budget issues lately that are threatening to lock away Oregon’s past treasures and shut down the society. This is something that cannot be allowed to happen. The Oregon Historical Society offers a lot of interesting and educational opportunities. Many Portland State students use the research library for papers or projects. Unfortunately the research
Cyberbullying is a growing problem Amy Fylan
Vanguard staff
As technology evolves along with the human race, our sociological tendencies remain the same—especially in a junior high or high school setting. There will always be the jocks, the cheerleaders, the honors students, class council, thespians, math club, the band geeks, the bullies, the bullied and everyone else in between. To be a teen these days you really need to have tough skin because not only can you be bullied at school, but the intimidation
library faced severe budget cuts and had to eliminate numerous staff members and cut back on their hours last year. The library is ideal to many PSU students due to its close proximity to campus. It is located just down the park blocks right across from the Art Museum at 1200 SW Park Ave. The exhibits are appealing to the masses. “Oregon My Oregon” is a permanent exhibit that takes visitors through Oregon’s rich history into the present. Aside from “Oregon My Oregon,” exhibits are constantly changing, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. The Oregon Historical Society also brings back local artists who have hit the big time. A few years ago there was an exhibit featuring the works of Michael Curry, the man behind the magnificent costumes in “The Lion King” on Broadway.
Curry is an Oregon native and was thrilled to have his work displayed. He made sure that museum visitors could interact and touch his puppets and costumes. Although some items were behind glass, overall it was an interactive exhibit that indulged Oregonians’ inner child. Part of the Oregon Historical Society’s funding problem resides in not receiving enough visitors. It seems as though many Oregonians are not aware that the society rests in the heart of downtown. While lack of funding is an issue that has many elements to it, lack of awareness is definitely part of the society’s problem. Oregonians, get excited about your history!
If the Oregon Historical Society has to forever close its doors then Oregon will lose vital parts of its history. Sure, stuff could be auctioned off or moved somewhere else, but then it would not be in one place for everyone to enjoy. To let this place close would be a great injustice—not just to Oregon and Oregonians, but also to others who visit this wonderful state and want to learn more about it. Show some pride in this state and support the history that led as all here. Without it, you would not be here. We are proud of our Chinese Gardens and our Art Museum, we are proud of our trees and our tolerance—it is about time that we show that we are proud of our history.
From the Web’s heart, I stab at thee can follow you home, or at least wherever you have an Internet connection. With developments of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, bullies have found a way to continue their taunting after school is done for the day in what is known as cyberbullying. The consequence of such teasing can sometimes lead to suicide. The latest known cyberbullying victim was Pagie Prince of South Hadley, Massachusetts, in January 2010. Her cyberbullying incident ended in suicide. She was fifteen years old. Nine teenagers have been charged in contributing to Prince’s
death, six with felonies and three as juveniles. But questions still hang on the teenager’s death. How could the school have handled the cyberbullying and when should they have gotten involved? How can any school handle the problem? Cyberbullying happens off school grounds and outside of its jurisdiction. Our First Amendment makes things tricky too. And there is the added complication that teens don’t always talk about their problems with adults. The growing concern over this problem in the past few years has led a few states, including Oregon, to create
“Oh yes, I have stories! I’m the cheerleading coach, and the cheerleaders tend to have bull’s-eyes for harassment,” said Sarah Brown, a teacher at North Salem High School. Dealing with such attacks on a person’s self esteem is part of life. But for a teenager, such blows can be devastating. Throw in the impact and large scale of the Internet, and things get worse. There are always going to be certain social statuses in life, and as we grow we learn to handle particular situations. But sometimes a situation, such as bullying, can be too overwhelming for teens and can
“Oh yes, I have stories! I’m the cheerleading coach, and the cheerleaders tend to have bull’s-eyes for harassment.” a law which mandates schools to reference cyberbullying in school policy handbooks and the necessary steps to be taken when they can intercede in the problem. The law took effect in Oregon in the 2007–08 school year. Unfortunately, even with the law in place, the only way an Oregon school can legally act on a cyberbullying problem is if there is a formal complaint made to a school district. Then an investigation can take place. Illustration by Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard
end in devastating circumstances. When schools and parents are notified of the problem in time, terrible consequences can possibly be avoided. So far only eight other states have laws like Oregon that expand bullying laws to include cyberbullying. How far does this new problem have to go before the rest of America adopts laws to control it in the hope of eliminating death as a consequence?
etc. ART WEDNESDAY The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Edited by Will Shortz 55 “___ Fool to Want You” 56 Miss from Mex. 57 See 24- and 48Across 61 Big tractor, informally 62 Follower of “for ever and ever” 63 Kim who sang “Bette Davis Eyes” 64 ___ king 65 Emperor who married his stepsister 66 Woodwind player 67 Dict. offering Down 1 Pile up 2 Excavated item 3 Henryʼs tutee 4 Lith. or Est., once 5 Its flag sports four fleurs-de-lis 6 Modernize 7 Disconnected 8 Cartoon pooch 9 Former “Tonight Show” TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE announcer Hall A L T O F A U N S 10 Most of Mali L O O N O R S O N 11 Fool around B O O N B A D T O 12 This, to Picasso P S T O A B O O B 13 They might bring R A S H E L in a few bucks O M B S H E L L A C 19 Starbuckʼs L E A S T L L A M A quarry O N T H O F M A R C H 21 “Captain Blood” N T A I L S S S N star Flynn G U Y C O M B 25 Atlas fig. S A P E R U S E 26 Old music halls L U C A N A V E S 27 Frauʼs mate T C A M P S U I T 30 Suffix with S L A M P I L S A confer O A N O S L A M B 31 Shaggy Tibetans
Across 1 “___ you serious?” 4 Equilateral quadrilateral 10 Went like the dickens 14 Former Yankee pitcher and coach Stottlemyre 15 Had dinner 16 Hammy “Now I see!” 17 Tatyana of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” 18 Like the Canadian flag … and a hint to the first names of 24- and 48Across 20 Number on a tag 22 Where Orvieto can be found 23 The N.F.L.ʼs Papa Bear 24 1939 role for 57Across, for which she won a 38-Across
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28 Go like the dickens 29 Kim of “NYPD Blue” 32 Fancy neckwear 35 Nothing more than 36 Paternity confirmer 37 Eight the hard way, e.g. 38 See 24- and 48Across 40 Fox News star 41 CBS show set in Las Vegas 42 Breyers alternative 43 Challenges 44 Town that failed to pay the piper 46 Ralph who was the 1974 N.L. batting champ 48 1951 role for 57Across, for which she won a 38-Across 53 “Not me”
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Workshop: “Get Your Consent On!” 4 p.m. Women’s Resource Center Free interactive workshop as part of Sexual Assault Awareness month
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32 Eyebrow shape 33 Slugger Sammy 34 Traverse, as a mountain ridge 35 Hosts, for short 38 Husband of Frigg 39 Lip-___ 40 Digs 42 Make ecstatic 43 Actress Joanne
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Vanguard Vanguard Etc. || 77 Arts April 7,Day, 20102009 Month
45 Meteorological phenomenon 46 Early Cape Canaveral program 47 “Make hay while the sun shines” and others 49 Sacred: Prefix 50 Menaces from the deep
51 Where Orvieto can be found
52 Pitchfork wielder
53 Director Reitman 54 Five-and-___ 58 Sgt. or cpl.
59 Part of many a psych course 60 D.D.E.ʼs predecessor
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Brass Ensemble Noon The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave A free concert featuring students, faculty, community and professional musicians as part of the Performance Attendance Recital Series Presentation: “Health Policy and National Health Care Reform” Noon Smith Memorial Student Union, room 338 Dr. Jeffrey Levi will present on the topic of public health in a reforming health care system as part of the Public Health Week speaker series
Friday Impact Entrepreneurs: Leadership for an evolving world— Accelerating the (r) Evolution of Business 1 p.m. Academic and Student Recreation Center, room 660 Discussion organized by the Impact Entrepreneurs as part of the Social Sustainability Colloquium In Search of Liliuokalani: Notes toward a biography of the last queen of the Independent Kingdom of Hawaii 7 p.m. SMSU, room 236 Free presentation by author Elinor Langer who will discuss her work-in progress: In Search of Liliuokalani
KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2010 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.
● The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given
operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.
● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.
4-7-10
Wanted EDITORS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR
In the mood for some live music? Check out the first spring concert of the PSU Live! Concert Series
WWW.DAILYVANGUARD.COM • FREE
INSIDE OPINION Guest Opinion How to deal with haters PAGE 2
NEWS News Briefs PAGE 4
Sports Editor Production Manager Online Editor Copy Chief Advertising Manager
APPLY TO EDITOR@DAILYVANGUARD.COM STARTING APRIL 12, 2010
Saturday
When: Noon Where: PSU Park Blocks Stage
The Lottery Gap Revenue loss from the smoking ban should have been considered PAGE 3
Photo Editor News Editor Arts and Culture Editor Opinion Editor
Event of the day
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 86
ARTS
Alone at the end of the world Fragile Dreams explores isolation and humanity in a post-apocalyptic world PAGE 6
Good humor and healthy breasts Comedy tour supports breast cancer awareness PAGE 7
SPORTS
Rec Center holds Grand Opening PSU’s newest Gold LEED certified building now fully open for business Vanguard staff
Stacy Austin Vanguard staff
Though the new rec center has been in use since early January, grand opening ceremonies for the Academic and Student Recreation Center took place on April 1 and 2. The event was celebrated with speeches, concerts and games. “It is an exciting time to be here, as the university recreates itself,” said Alex Accetta, director of campus rec.
ASRC CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
Grandeur: After four months of operation, the ASRC held grand opening events.
ASPSU
CAMPAIGNS UNDERWAY Elections are one week from today Vanguard staff
Cougars scratch Vikings Women’s tennis increases losing streak to five PAGE 10
The committee must now review the Senate’s proposed budget changes
Tamara K. Kennedy
Corie Charnley
Athlete of the week Sophomore Geronne Black, the Big Sky’s reigning 55m champion PAGE 9
Ball in SFC’s Court
The Elections Board has released the final official list of 2010 ASPSU candidates. The updated list includes late-registration candidates, whose applications were due on Thursday, April 1.
VANGUARD
STUDENT ELECTION COVERAGE 2010
President and vice-president candidates Katherine Markey-President/Selina Poulsen-VP
Markey, ASPSU’s interim legislative affairs director, and Poulsen, a current Student Senator, are running on the platform “Students First.” Both are committed to student representation within the university administration, according to their candidate statement. Markey and Poulsen have been involved with the university restructuring discussions and have successfully lobbied for an increase in additional funds for the Oregon Opportunity Grant. “These successes work hand-inhand with our campaigns for next year: Ensuring that PSU has a voice at the state level, actively participating in Oregon University System restructuring, institutionalizing the food pantry and taking back student space,” Markey and Poulsen said in their statement. Jil Heimensen-President/Johnnie Ozimkowski-VP (Write-in Candidates)
Heimensen is currently a member of the Student Fee Committee, and was the SFC vice chair until January 2010. Ozimkowski is the current SFC chair.
According to their candidate statements, both intend to apply “the lessons learned on the SFC to the larger issues directly affecting the 28,000 students at PSU. “We would both embrace the possibility of rolling up our sleeves to work together in a sincere effort to improve the lives of our students and the PSU community, and would welcome your ideas on how we could better serve you in that capacity,” Heimensen and Ozimkowski said in their statement.
Student Senate candidates James Au Rowen Griffith Patricia Binder Makoto Matt Blasa (Write-in Candidate) Matt Fleskes Sephinesh A. Guild Alejandro Hoyer Adam Rahmlow Armenia Sarabia Lucius Shields Jared M. Stromer Cathy Symes Karen Ulbright Pearce Whitehead (Write-in Candidate)
ASPSU CONTINUED ON PAGE FOUR
The Student Senate gave its budget allocation review for the 2010–11 academic year on Tuesday, March 30 to the Student Fee Committee, which presented its budget to the Senate on March 9. The Senate had to review and respond to the budget within 21 days, as per its bylaws, and now the committee must consider the proposed changes. The Senate Finance Committee suggested increases to several groups’ budgets for the Student Fee Committee to consider. It recommended increasing the Las Mujeres’ budget by $12,529. The newly placed caps affected the Las Mujeres’ budget after the initial budget allocation by the SFC. The group initially requested $3,969 for its coordinator stipend, but the SFC capped the total amount for student group stipends at $3,000 per year. Also, Las Mujeres initially requested $1,000 for a PSU Chicano/Latino scholarship, but it was eliminated by the SFC because it says that student fee funds cannot be used for donations. The Senate Finance Committee additionally recommended an increase in budgets for the PSU Debate Team, KPSU and the Jim Sells Childcare Assistance Program. The SFC has ten days to review the Senate’s recommendations and must make any changes by this Friday. The budget will then return to the Senate for further review prior to the final approval process. SFC Member Jil Heimensen said that the student fee budget presented to the Senate had some excess funds left over to be used as a cushion. “We do not want next year’s Student Fee Committee to be forced into having to allocate every penny,” she said. The initial budget allocation presented to the Senate did not raise the student fee and the SFC hopes that the final budget will help next year’s committee operate with that goal in mind. “The budget does set long term goals…and we are building a long term strategic plan,” SFC Chair Johnnie Ozimkowski said. “Members of the Senate are rational, understanding people,” he said, in regards to working with the Senate Finance Committee. Past and present allocation results are available to view online at www. sa.pdx.edu/budgets, by selecting the year and group or department, in the upper left hand corner.
“The Maids” 8 p.m. New Studio Theater, Market Center Building A production of Jean Genet’s play, described as a “psychological drama” full of “illusion, deception and murder.” Only five dollars for students and seven dollars for non-students!
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.
ART WEDNESDAY ADDING A LITTLE FANTASY
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 8 April 7, 2010
Due sometime in 2010: Exciting music without a release date
A group of visual artists band together to give reality a subtle adjustment
Battles, TBA (Warp) Drake, Thank Me Later (Young Money/ Cash Money/Universal Motown)
Roger Wightman Vanguard staff
The Drums, TBA (Moshi Moshi) Photo courtesy of Bill Adams
Drawing the Slightly Uneasy is a showcase of emerging Portland and New York artists who have found that they are drifting creatively toward a more fantasy-prone sense of inspiration. The sort of depictions on display are about as varied as one would expect to find at a group show. The difference is that the work is held together not only by the theme but also by the type of art work itself: drawings. Curated by popular northwest artist MK Guth, Drawing the Slightly Uneasy gives a well-rounded introduction to the world of fantasy and drawn art. Worksound Gallery owner Moudou Dieng describes the exhibit as “classical drawings that touch on the wall of fantasy.” “The drawings are an expression of the fantasies that people can have,” Dieng said. “The drawings may be showing some type of architecture or an animal but behind the surface there is something abstract.” The point here isn’t to be gross, creepy or weird like the title may suggest. Instead, the idea is to create something that is grounded in reality, something that the viewer knows and understands already, and then is taken to that next step. Worksound Gallery has been around the Portland scene since August of 2007, focusing on artists with talent rather than artists with a big name. Dieng considers his gallery “a laboratory where visual art meets poetry, film and performance art in a noncommercial environment.” The gallery hosts three to four multimedia expositions a month, most of which feature emerging local artists. Eight artists make up the team behind Drawing the Slightly Uneasy, evenly distributed between Portlanders and New Yorkers. The roster includes Bill Adams, Nicolaii Dornstauder, Tania Cross, Patrick Kelly, Michael Lee, Frank Parga,
by Sarah Engels
Matthew Herbert, One Pig (Accidental)
Nicole Eriko Smith and Lynn Yarn. Many of the artists have impressive bodies of work and have exhibited in galleries across the country. Parga’s drawings stand out as particularly intriguing, with his newest work being presented as a collection of pieces that seemingly take place in a landscape so barren it could likely be the bottom of the ocean. It’s a grouping of imagery that reeks of mysticism. It is clearly of this world, but leaves you wondering what the hell is going on. In a 2001 piece, Parga drew a beautiful nude Native American woman floating away with a trail of visible bubble-like flatulence streaming from her perfectly round rump. For the purpose of Drawing the Slightly Uneasy one can only hope for more. All of the artists have brought something completely different to the table and collaborate nicely. Smith’s pagan-esque drawings of canoodling human-animal hybrids are simplistically brilliant. The mysterious hidden messages behind Kelly’s solid black shells are eerie, and the peephole into the eye of a dark-haired creature will continue to stare back even after your eyes have gazed away. Drawing the Slightly Uneasy is an exhibition experience in rare form. While the show isn’t meant to reveal the problems in society or the tragedy of love, the drawings challenge the eye to see the world as a moldable entity full of mystery and, most of all, fantasy.
Interpol, TBA (Capitol) Jaill, TBA (Sub Pop) Kelis, Flesh Tone (Will.i.am Music Group/ Interscope) M.I.A., TBA (N.E.E.T./Interscope) N.E.R.D., Instant Gratification (TBA) of Montreal, False Priest Panda Bear, TOMBOY (Paw Tracks) Ratatat, LP4 (XL) Rusko, O.M.G.! (Mad Decent) Mavis Staples, TBA (Anti-) Wolf Parade, TBA (Sub Pop)
Photo courtesy of Nicole Eriko Smith
Wolfgang Voigt Freiland Klaviermusik (Profan) —pitchfork.com
Drawing the Slightly Uneasy Worksound Gallery 820 SE Alder Wed–Fri 3 p.m.–5 p.m. Runs through April 30 Drawing the Slightly: Drawing by Nicolaii Dornstauder
Photo courtesy of Nicolaii Dornstauder