FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 117
Event of the day Education and LGBT Students A presentation by Stephanie McBride as part of PSU Pride Week When: 1 p.m. Where: Smith Memorial Student Union, room 258
WWW.DAILYVANGUARD.COM • FREE
INSIDE OPINION
An unusual morning delivery Files of 200-plus personnel found outside Vanguard ad office
Boys will be boys Fight clubs in middle school PAGE 3
Vinh Tran Vanguard staff
ARTS
Riding the soul strain Reeble Jar feeds the audience with a buffet of funkiness pAgE 5
Fresh leftovers from soul’s old kitchen Ratatat’s new record, LP4, is their best yet pAgE 6 Between a prince and a pauper Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a suprisingly decent action/ adventure film PAGE 7
NEWS PSU writers honored in Kellogg awards Co-founder of Poetry in Motion delivers keynote speech pAgE 8
SPORTS
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
Misplaced files: Over 200 personnel files were found in SMSU on Monday, May 17.
State budget shortfall will impact PSU $577.1 million shortfall could mean 9 percent reduction in funds to OUS Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff
A secure center Campus Rec tightens policy on ASRC entry PAGE 10 Move to a new beat Zumba classes offer fitness and fun PAGE 10
Due to a dismal state budget forecast, Portland State could face a $5 million reduction in its budget allocation from the state General Fund over the next year. Governor Ted Kulongoski announced on Tuesday that Oregon’s most recent revenue forecast for the 2009–11 biennium is down by $560 million from the March forecast, largely due to lower-than-expected personal income tax collections. Yesterday, however, state officials announced that revenue from cigarette taxes was overstated in the forecast by $14.5 million. With that taken into account, the total budget shortfall for the two-year budget period, which will end in mid-2011, amounts to $577.1 million.
PSU President Wim Wiewel said the governor has asked universities to brace for an approximately 9 percent decrease in their General Fund budget allocation between now and June 30, 2011. “For PSU, the financial impact over that time period will be approximately $5 million,” Wiewel said in an e-mail sent to all of PSU on Tuesday. When contacted for comment on the potential impacts of the budget shortfall, PSU’s Financial Controller Dee Wendler said the administration doesn’t know anything more about the potential impact to PSU at this time. Lindsay Desrochers , vice president of Finance and Administration, could not be reached for comment. According to Wiewel’s e-mail, the Department of Administrative Services—a state agency—would issue detailed instructions this week providing more specifics about the budget reduction plans. In an open letter on Tuesday, Kulongoski said that layoffs and reductions in services in
Identity theft is a serious concern for people living in the 21st century. However, despite one’s attempt to protect his or her identities, it is oftentimes easy for others to gain access to private information. At Portland State, the opportunity for identity theft may be just be around the corner, sitting in a box outside the Vanguard advertising office in Smith Memorial Student Union. Such was the case when Ann Roman, the Vanguard’s advertising adviser, showed up to work at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 17. According to Roman, a 10 inch by 10 inch by 5 inch carton was found outside of her office that contained over 200 files of PSU employees, faculty and graduate students. An anonymous person delivered the box with a typed letter expressing frustration at PSU’s lack of regard for personnel information that contains social security numbers, home addresses, time sheets and letters of offers, according to the letter. “Management continues to sweep this stuff under the carpet… as though it’s no big deal and no harm done,” the letter reads. “All these people should be informed of the lack of security and the potential
general fund programs will be unavoidable. He will be directing all agencies where layoffs are likely to explore options—such as additional furlough days or reduced workweeks—to try to minimize such layoffs. He goes on to say that the current freeze on step pay increases for management, executive service and unrepresented employees will remain in effect. “Further, I will ask our labor organizations to follow suit,” he said. “By so doing, we can help to save jobs and preserve services.” Weiwel points out that, in the governor’s letter, he does not specify how these steps will impact OUS institutions. “I am as distressed as I know all of you are by this unfortunate news,” Wiewel said in the e-mail. “The last two years have been very challenging and it is clear that we are not yet out of the woods.” The budget forecasts are conducted tri-yearly in March, June and December. The June forecast for General Fund revenues for 2009–11 is $12,683.9 million, which represents a decrease of $511 million from the March 2010 forecast, according to the revenue forecast report. These figures do not take into account the $14.5 million over-estimation of cigarette tax revenue. Nearly all of the decrease for the
for their identity to have been compromised.” Roman was instructed to deliver the box immediately to the vice provost for Student Affairs Jackie Balzer. As of now, the box has been sealed up and is sitting in the office of Cathy LaTourette, director of Human Resources, waiting to be inventoried. Several questions remain, such as how and why the box—which contains potentially sensitive information about PSU employees— was left out in the open. Roman’s office is located in a traffic-heavy area in the SMSU lobby. This hallway receives not only PSU students, but also outside guests, construction workers and occasional transients. Perhaps even more alarming is that, according to the letter, the box was first found outside an elevator in Science Building One. This was not the first time an incident such as this one has occurred. “[PSU] has boxes like this one all over the campus,” the letter read. “Sitting in nooks and crannies, closets and hallways.” Cathy LaTourette, associate vice president for Human Resources, said she is surprised and finds the incident highly unusual and unacceptable. She said that the first order of business is to go through the files in the box and notify all persons whose information may have been compromised by the incident. “We’re going to have an investigation and track down everyone and send them a letter
PERSONNEL continued on page nine
June forecast is attributed to lowerthan-expected personal income tax collections during the current tax season and a small decrease for the 2011 fiscal year. Kulongoski said that more and more Oregonians are unemployed or underemployed and are thus continuing to turn to the state for assistance, though there will now be less money to meet their needs. The unemployment rate in Oregon as of April was above 10 percent where it has been for the last fifteen months, according to the forecast summery. According to the report, such figures are not unusual in an economic climate like the present one because unemployment tends to be a lagging indicator of economic activity. According to the revenue forecast, the Office of Economic Analysis predicts a total increase of 1.5 percent in employment for the second quarter of 2010 and positive job growth through the rest of the year. However, the forecast also states “the growth is too weak to overcome the yearly average decline.” Despite the shortfall and weak employment figures, the revenue forecast says, “The good news is consensus that the recession in the U.S. and Oregon is over. The cloudy news is the strength of this recovery and the prospects of the job market.”
Vanguard 2 | Opinion May 28, 2010
Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Virginia Vickery News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor
OPINION Dead (tired, busy and overworked) week
Robert Britt Sports Editor Bryan Morgan Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor 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 Stephanie Case, 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, Carrie Johnston, Sara M. Kemple, Tamara K. Kennedy, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Natalie McClintock, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Tanya Shiffer, Wendy Shortman, Robert Seitzinger, Catrice Stanley, Amy Staples, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Andrea Vedder, 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 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
Letters
Editorial
This time of year, everyone seems to go a little stir crazy. The rain breaks, the trees bloom and seniors see an end in sight. It’s understandable that students and teachers alike want summer to come as quickly as possible, but the strain of early finals and too much homework may be breaking the backs of many students during Portland State’s dead week. At nearly every university, the week before finals week is set aside for students to study and work on term papers. Some call it “dead week,” while others call it “hell week.” It seems that lately, the latter term is more appropriate. Every term, the PSU Programming Board hosts a Midnight Breakfast in the middle of the week to give students a chance to take a break from studying. For some, by the Wednesday of dead week, most of their finals may already be over. An increasing number of classes have scheduled finals outside of their predetermined time-slots or are simply canceling them altogether. During dead week, many students are putting finishing touches on projects, papers and weekly assignments. These activities are fine, but should be due before dead week or during finals week in lieu of an exam. PSU recognizes dead week in its Housing Code of Conduct by extending quiet hours during dead and finals week to 22 hours per day.
This policy is an admission of the need for students to have time and peace in which to study for their impending finals. However, when final exams and term papers are scheduled for dead week, students lose the chance to properly prepare themselves. Many students now face studying for exams, finishing papers and completing projects during the week before dead week, which does not have extended quiet hours. Also lost is another chance for instruction and review during an already extremely short 10-week term. For example, a class during spring term which meets once per week for three hours on Monday already has less in-class time than most classes which meet twice per week. With the observance of Memorial Day, the class would only meet nine times. If the final exam was given early—as many are—then there would be only seven classes of actual instruction. If one class period was used for review, then there would be six instructional sessions— leaving only 18 total hours of class learning time. If a project or paper is to take the place of an exam, it should be due during that week, not earlier, out of respect to students and other professors who have exams during the allotted time. To preserve the sanity of students—who are also juggling jobs, families and extracurricular activities— final exams should be given during finals week.
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 Bryan Morgan, Production Manager | Zach Chastaine, Online Editor Kristin Pugmire, Copy Chief
The Stott was better Dear Vanguard editor, The new rec center is great. That is, if you live on campus and don’t care about weight training. For over a year I [used] the Stott Center and miss it. I enjoy weightlifting as a way to keep my body strong. I was originally excited about getting a new rec center, but it has failed to fit my needs. I checked it out soon after it opened winter term and saw: a plethora of machines, just as many benches in the weight room as the Stott Center had, no free weight squat rack at all (they have since gotten one), no Olympic plates
or Olympic platform (still none), and a huge waiting list for a locker. I take the MAX to school, so it’s not always the most convenient to carry my workout bag on top of a backpack filled with textbooks. And even if you do bring your bag, good luck fitting it in those tiny day-use lockers. Your other option is to do like my friend and find a locker in somewhere like Neuberger to put your backpack while you workout. While the Stott Center may not have had the greatest hours, the weight room had better equipment and at least you could get a locker big enough for a backpack. —Missing the Stott Center
Sweating sustainably Ditch the batteries and just run Natalia Grozina Vanguard staff
The large amount of the people that go to the new Academic Student and Recreation Center at Portland State University make the gym environment an ideal setting to get some exercise, while converting their energy into, well, more energy. As the Vanguard reported earlier this month [“Human Hamsters,” May 13], “Students who have been using the elliptical trainers in the new rec center have also been powering the electricity in the building, thanks to a new system called ReRev.” It only takes a 30-minute workout on a machine at the gym to produce up to 50 watts of electricity, which is then tapped into the building’s electrical system, all while not only saving energy, but also making something such as a simple workout more sustainable. Thirty minutes on an elliptical could power a light bulb for two-and-a-half hours, or your cell phone for six. How does this even work? Kinetic energy that is produced during a workout is converted to DC (Direct Current) and sent to the ReRev System, which then converts the DC into AC (Alternating Current), the form of electricity used by homes and businesses. In other words, exercise machines are hooked up to generators that feed power into the building’s own electrical system. This makes renewable energy that sustains the building—and the environment in the long run. Working out at the gym is no longer just a feel-good gesture for your own body, it now produces enough
power to pay for the electricity that allows people to use the machines. This is one of the greatest ideas that PSU has been able to apply, because not only are you getting health benefits but you are also creating clean energy while you are getting energy and relaxation yourself. According to sophomore Kylie Rappe, who works out regularly at the gym, the new ReRev system makes her work out harder, pushing her more. “The new system makes me challenge myself to work harder because now I can measure how much energy I create,” Rappe said. “I have personal goals and every time I go it makes me want to work harder than the time I did before.” Perhaps another benefit that ReRev creates is that it keeps people thinking. While knowing they are generating energy, it is a good way to have people think about, and possibly make, more eco-friendly choices in other parts of their life. Parts of their life that they may have never associated with sustainability—areas such as exercising. Nearly 40 million people belong to more than 26,000 health clubs in the United States today, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. Imagine if every one of these health clubs installed the ReRev system. If you can figure that each one is producing enough energy to sustain an entire house, that would mean that at least 26,000 homes would be “off the grid” in the entire nation. Seven or eight years ago, nothing similar was even thought of—and now all the skepticism has finally been able to create something that is a huge benefit for people and gives everyone an incentive to go to the gym for more than just feeling good.
Boys will be boys
Vanguard Opinion | 3 May 28, 2010
Fight clubs in middle school Amy Fylan
The Grammar Grouch
Vanguard staff
Most of us know what the first, and second, rules of Fight Club are. But for those who don’t, the first and second rules are, “You don’t talk about Fight Club.” Apparently this rule was not known to a group of Cheldelin Middle School boys of Corvallis, Oregon. On Friday, May 14, it was made known to officials of the Corvallis School District that twenty boys—nineteen eighth-graders and one seventh-grader—were participating in an organized fight group held after school in one of the building’s bathroom. The fights had taken place at least three known times and the participants recorded their fights on cell phones and in a notebook they kept hidden in some of the ceiling tiles of the bathroom, where the fights were conducted. Various degrees of discipline have been carried out depending on a participant’s involvement, with boys who only watched receiving a lighter penalty. “It is probably a miracle nobody got seriously hurt,” Principal Lisa Harlan told the Gazette-Times. “It’s hard to make sense of. Their intent wasn’t to hurt one another—in fact, they’re all friends with each other. They described it to me as fun.” The fact that the boys thought of the activity as “fun” would bring the conclusion of “boys will be boys.” The principal also reported that there was no sign of “malicious intent” or any signs of gang affiliation. But a few questions still linger: what was the boys’ inspiration for such an activity; how could an activity like this go unnoticed on school grounds; how did parents not know where their children were; and what other afterschool activities could the boys have been enrolled in instead?
Throwing stones Infamous church to visit Portland Meaghan Daniels Vanguard staff
Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church are coming to the city of Portland to protest Jewish congregations and churches at the end of May. They will also return to Oregon to protest Grant High School on June 3. There are five Jewish congregations on the list of picketing locations for the Westboro Baptist Church, including Congregation Ahavath Achim, Havurah Shalom, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Mittleman Jewish Community Center and Congregation Beth Israel. The Westboro Baptist Church claims on their website, godhatesfags.com, that the reason for the picketing of these locations is that in their view God hates all Jews, promoting the notion that they killed Jesus. The church further argues that God has sent President Obama to destroy followers of the Jewish faith. As stated on the church’s website, “Now, God has sent the Anti-Christ Beast Obama to bring your final
by Robert Seitzinger
Lose vs. loose It’s a great sports season, although it seems to bring out the worst in fans when it comes to grammar. It goes beyond the Portland State Clown College Bozos: Apparently, they’ve discovered the Internet and are spreading their bad grammatical influence across worldwide networks. Miserable punctuation aside, the virtual Bozos just love misspelling even the simplest of words on Twitter, Facebook and various sports blogs. The most egregious example of this I’ve seen is the remonstrance expressed when a Bozo’s team loses a game. Illustration by Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard
Since the movie in question is rated R, one could only hope that the boys did not get this idea from the film, but in this day and age, you never know. Principal Harlan hypothesized that the boys may have gotten the idea from “bad reality TV.” In looking into what Cheldelin Middle School has to offer their students, a parent might be very impressed. They still offer outdoor school to their sixth-graders, a program that is almost extinct. They still offer the program TAG for mathematically gifted students. Cheldelin offers an “Early Bird French Class” for students who want to learn about the language
and culture. As far as sports are concerned, Cheldelin offers afterschool track in the spring for all students wanting to participate; however, due to budget cuts it is the only sport offered. But, a list of community sports and activities, i.e., Boys & Girls Club, City Parks and Recreation, etc., is given to parents in the school’s handbook that is also available online, linked to the school’s web page. The economy is miserable, the divorce rate in this country is high, most families require a two-person income and there are plenty of single parents having to work two jobs. There are plenty of reasons a child can go unattended and by the
time a child reaches middle school, they are at a legal age to be left at home alone. However, it doesn’t excuse the parent for not taking an interest in their child, from not knowing where their child was and what they were doing. The incident at Cheldelin seems to have been caught quickly and taken care of before anyone got seriously injured. Fighting can be a healthy outlet for a boy when in a proper setting such as boxing or martial arts. Unfortunately, the general public is still left with unanswered questions; we can only hope that those involved have learned from their mistakes. We’re all only human after all.
destruction—the likes of which this world has never seen and will make Hitler’s holocaust look like a tea party.” The Westboro Baptist Church tries to “correct” the way the other religious communities, schools and people believe and behave. It is trying to save what their church deems as “sinners” from themselves. But what the church is really doing, is promoting hate. Hate is a regular term in their vocabulary. Even the address to their website is godhatesfags.com. “I don’t understand how they can call themselves Christian when they spew hate, and picket schools and religious communities with their hate. It is very anti-Christian and against everything Jesus lived and died for,” said Pastor Lynne Smouse Lopez of the Ainsworth United Church of Christ in Portland. Pastor Lopez is very familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church. The church has picketed national conferences she has attended representing her church. The Ainsworth United Church of Christ’s mission statement states it is “multi-cultural, multi-racial, open and affirming.” The denomination is very supportive of the LBGTQ community. They welcome everyone who shares their mission and faith. “Being Christian means sharing God’s love and not being hateful and judgmental,” Pastor Lopez said. The Westboro Baptist Church is also picketing Grant High School. Grant has a number of openly gay students and faculty. The church’s reasoning is written on their website, “Today’s youth are violent brute beasts who are good for absolutely nothing.” Then it goes on to further criticize
President Obama and how he put Kevin Jennings in charge at the U.S. Department of Education “[He] doomed America’s schools so he can sodomize them with his GSA and GLSN clubs that promote fag filth.” The Westboro Baptist Church promotes and represents hate. Sure they have free speech, but Church and State are supposed to be separate entities. If the Westboro Baptist Church wants to call themselves a church, they should abide by the law. It is hard to watch this kind of hate be put onto other communities that are clearly more open and
accepting than Fred Phelps and his followers. Is it really that hard to just accept other people? Rather than waste time picketing places that are trying to be productive? The bottom line is that, with all of the hatred, Fred Phelps is not truly Christian and neither are the people in the Westboro Baptist Church. The Bible does not support hate. Just because people may be different does not mean they are wrong and deserve hate. That is something that many other churches, such as the Ainsworth United Church of Christ, understand.
“It is very anti-Christian and against everything Jesus lived and died for.”
Smiling Westboro Bapstist Church members display signs common to church protests.
Yes, loses. Not “looses,” as those damn Bozos insist on referring to a team’s failure to win. That single extra letter wholly changes the dynamic of the word, you dunces! There’s a pretty friggin’ big difference between losing–as in, not winning–and loosing– as in, to lessen the pressure. Now, it’s appropriate to say that the Orlando Magic lost their grip on the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals, which, I suppose, could be called “loosing.” However, the three games that the Boston Celtics won means the Magic are losing their current playoff series. Get it right, Bozos. Or at least stay the hell off the Internet–jocks get a rep for being dumb, but at least they know how to spell better than the idiots who call themselves fans. I mean, how much of a fan are you, really, if you can’t even spell correctly when discussing your favorite team? Hardly one at all, methinks. I’ve got an idea that might help: The next time one of you Bozos wants to write online about sports, find a dictionary and have someone nearby bash your noggin with it. Maybe, just maybe, the physical abuse will end your spelling and grammatical abuse–at the very least, you’ll tear up a bit, and the Grouch smiles inside to think that somewhere, a Bozo is weeping.
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.
Gambling Oregon’s education
Vanguard 4 |4Opinion | News February January Month MayDay, 23, 13, 28, 2009 2010
On this day in history 1818 The first steam ship sails across the Great Lakes. 1863 The first black regiment leaves Boston to fight in the Civil War. 1892 The Sierra Club is formed in San Francisco by John Muir with the goal of conservation of nature. 1908 Author Ian Fleming is born. 1910 Bluesman T-Bone Walker is born in Linden, Texas. 1923 The U.S. General Attorney claims it is legal for women to wear trousers anywhere they please. 1929 The first film shown all in color On With the Show premieres in New York City. 1937 The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco opens. 1967 Actress from the awesome cult hit Sliders, Kari Wuhrer, is born in Brookfield, Conn. 1968 Singer Kylie Minogue is born in Melbourne, Australia.
U of O president wants $1 billion to invest in higher ed Patrick Guild Vanguard staff
University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere has submitted a “white paper” which proposes a $1 billion bond sale to fund the university for the next 30 years. Did anyone else read that in their best Dr. Evil voice? The proposal outlines a plan in which the current $65 million the university receives from the state each year is frozen. For the next 30 years, the university and State Legislature would use that $65 million to finance taxable general obligation bonds worth between $800 million and $1 billion, according to Lariviere. U of O would then have upwards of a $1 billion endowment supplemented by private fund raising—or, basically, Phil Knight of Nike. Four percent of the yield from the endowment would fund operations of the school while excess returns will be reinvested. According to Lariviere’s white paper analysis, he expects a nine percent return on the investment each year. Of course, that prediction leaves out the risk factor. Lariviere addresses this in one of his models. If he can assume an annual return of nine percent with an associated risk factor of 15 percent, the range of annual payouts plotted over the thirty-year horizon and relative to a $65 million contribution from the state would be between $45 million and $145 million by 2020. What’s troubling is that payouts in the 25th percentile (i.e., a year that yielded a little less than terrible returns) would be equal to the current level of state support the university receives. Why not freeze the current state support and get a guaranteed $65 million? Many of the issues Lariviere tackles are in line with his predecessor David Frohnmayer’s critique of the sad state of funding in Oregon. Both men provide comparative graphs and charts that paint a disappointing portrait of a state that supposedly values education. Oregon ranks No. 43 in the nation for state funding
per college student. Both men understand the need for greater autonomy and accountability for the university. Lariviere’s proposal calls for a pact between the state and university where the state provides predictable funding and the university provides outstanding education. The current system, according to Lariviere, will not be able to meet the state’s needs in the coming decades. According to Lariviere’s white paper, “Governor Ted Kulongoski, the Joint Boards of Education, and state legislators have challenged Oregon with an ambitious goal for educational attainment: by 2025, 40 percent of Oregonians will have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 40 percent will have an associate’s degree or postsecondary credential and 20 percent will have at least a high school diploma.” This 40-40-20 model is a wonderful idea, but impossible if the current conditions are not radically changed. The state’s goal for 2025 would mean a 66.1 percent increase in annual associate and bachelor’s degree production. With state funding decreasing each year and the university’s further reliance on private gifts, we will slowly see what little autonomy the university
currently holds shrink away. Lariviere’s solution seems intelligent and wonderful on paper, but that’s where it should stay. A guaranteed return of nine percent is unrealistically optimistic given the current state of Oregon’s economy and Wall Street. His idea to freeze state support is spot on. In the past, varying support from the state has translated to varying tuition rates and support for students. In an unpredictable economic climate, having one constant would allow the university to make actual changes rather than scenarios. Lariviere stresses the “no man
is an island” belief, which assumes that a well-educated population benefits the entire community. I’m a little more selfish. I’m paying for my education and I will be for the next decade. I’m horribly in debt, but it’s good debt. I didn’t use $60,000 to buy a Porsche or have a great weekend in Vegas. Instead, I invested in myself. U of O shouldn’t gamble the education of its students on the stock market or risky investments. Take the money instead of losing it all on the milliondollar question. Reconfigure an operating budget based on past low-funding years and reinvest the excess from windfall years. Ask Phil Knight for more money. I’m serious. Make him match what he donates to athletics to the rest of the university. He has donated tens of millions to the Autzen Stadium expansion, $100 million of the new $200 million basketball arena, and created the 40,000 square-foot John E. Jaqua Academic Center for Student Athletes. Does anyone remember the other students that view school as a means for education rather than the NFL? Lariviere’s white paper will spur discussion just as Frohnmayer’s report did. The complaints are the same, but they will remain idle until the legislature wakes up and imposes real change. Oregon’s future depends on it.
Photo courtesy of University of Oregon
University of Oregon President Richard Lariviere
1971 Paul McCartney releases his second solo album titled “Ram.” 1972 The White House Plumbers break into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate building in Washington DC.
Rant Rage The
and
By Dick Richards
Screw the Rose Parade! —thisdayinhistory.org
The dreaded time is at hand! Grab all the necessary supplies and be prepared to lock yourself inside. That wickedly wretched gala of insanity and annoyance shall soon descend upon the city of Portland. Muster all the sanity you can, for the Rose Festival is fast approaching. Every year this damn festival turns Portland from a great place to live, into the biggest pain in the ass on the West coast. Is there anyone who actually lives in Portland who goes to the thing? Does
anyone go for the rides, the booths or any of the other overpriced entertainment? Over the years I have lived here, all the Rose Festival has done is cause me to avoid going outside for the day. That said, the festival as a whole doesn’t bother me. I have no problem with a city celebrating its identity and practicing some civic pride. However, let’s face it—the whole damn mess is just a ploy to grab some bucks off the schmucks dumb enough to attend, and who eventually will come away disappointed. Sure they may be able to fix the whole shindig up a bit—make it more uniquely Portland. But one thing they can’t fix is the absolute worst aspect of the ordeal, and the most horrible day of the year in Portland—the parade. It all began in 1907 when the first festival was held. Since then, Portland has put on the event religiously, though I imagine in years past it didn’t seem so much like a cheap carnival. Along with the festival is the Grande Floral Parade, a winding traffic menace through the city beginning at the Rose
Quarter, traveling over a bridge, and ending somewhere on the westside. This year the geniuses organizing the parade have strung it through just about every inconvenient point they could manage. And this is the main reason why the parade is the most ridiculous pain in the ass of the whole year. If you want to have a parade, that is fine, but keep it out of the way. There are plenty of ways to have a parade without cutting a line straight through the city and disturbing the lives of everyone trying to get around town. Starting on Weidler Street and heading across MLK Boulevard, the parade will then cross over the Burnside Bridge before hanging a left onto SW Fourth Avenue, continuing onto Salmon, Broadway and Stark streets, and then 10th Avenue and Taylor Street. What does this all mean? Basically the damn parade will cut off Interstate 5 access on the inner eastside at Weidler Street, stall up travel on three major streets which carry quite a bit of traffic, and interrupt the streetcar and MAX lines. So forget about getting anywhere you need to go or
enjoying the city that day. Everything will be shut down for one measly parade. And for what? Honestly, we get all worked up, create all this hype, but not to celebrate Portland really. All we do is tear up the waterfront, turning it into a little piece of Gresham for a few days. And not the newer nicely cleaned up Gresham— I’m referring to the trashy Walmart-loving, meth-freak part. Why not have Portland attractions, with Portland music, Portland food, Portland art…you get the idea. There are plenty of reasons people love Portland, yet I can’t seem to locate anything about the festival that exemplifies one of them. And if you must have a parade, why the hell not have it somewhere that doesn’t destroy traffic. Seriously, we are supposed to have such an amazing transit system, and yet when trying to celebrate all things great about the city—such as, say, a great transit system—we completely ruin it! If you live anywhere in central Portland, don’t bother going outside on Saturday, June 12. Just do what I do—lock the door, wear the loose pants for the day, and wait it out.
ARTS & CULTURE Forever marked by the past Two Vietnamese artists remind us that art is still an important part of global culture Roger Wightman Vanguard staff
Today’s great artists are largely unknown by the general population. Relegated to the backseat of the cultural landscape and virtually unknown to the populous, it’s a challenge for many to name one, two or even three artists that exhibit work in the international arena who are alive today. No longer a society consumed by the creative wit of a painting or the provocative nature of photography, we’ve traded in the shock and awe of art for the cute, simple and polite. Where’s the controversy? Where are the rabble-rousers? The bodies of work that will live on forever as memorabilia of this brief moment
in a changing world seem to have slipped away with the passage of time. Fortunately, there’s a duo that has taken on the task of honest expression through their work. Vietnamese artists Le Hong Thai and Nguyen Van Cuong have created some of the most compelling works of commentary to emerge out of the Rolodex of local art galleries in the recent past. Both artists remain loyal to sharing the current story of their homeland which, since the end of the war, has been in the stronghold of modernity and western influence. Where are they now? seeks to leave the viewer asking more questions rather than leaving with the answers. This is almost a protest against the American way of life by refusing to be yet another question which can so easily be typed into a web browser or pondered on Wikipedia.
Thai and Coung’s exhibit creates questions on the local scale relating to Vietnam as well as in the larger geographical realm of what our influence and impact on the world is. How has our heavy imprint on the globe changed other cultures, economies and political dynamics? Hailing from Hanoi in North Vietnam, the artist’s city of residence was the official stomping grounds for the victorious Vietcong. A city forever scarred by its recent violent past, it has seen a remarkable turnaround from brutality and bloodshed to being recently named one of the top places to visit in 2010 by Frommer’s Guide Books. Approaching the drawing board from two different artistic disciplines, Cuong uses ink and water coloring to create an exaggerated world known mostly to tweekers and Michel Gondry films. Thai on the other hand, creates his commentary on top of thousands of words written in newspapers by over-laying his view as pictures that incorporate the text and clips of other work, which amount to a bit of a collage. There may never be another Van Gogh, Picasso or Monet, but is it possible that the tides are changing? It may seem that our world today is so much more muted than times of the past, but tumultuous events are more than violence. The injustice of insurgency, the uncontrollable
force of globalization and the power of the west is changing the very foundations that have dominated world regions for centuries. Within all of this, is it possible that the future of artistic prominence doesn’t lie within the confines of the cozy neighborhoods we know and love, but instead in the places still emerging, still recovering and still yet to be heard?
Where are they now?: Le Hong Thai and Nguyen Van Cuong Alicia Blue Gallery 1468 NE Alberta St. Thu and Sun, 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Fri and Sat, 1 p.m.–6 p.m. Runs through June 19
All photos courtesy of Alicia Blue Gallery
Leah Bodenhamer Vanguard staff
Like few other Oregon bands, funk, nu-jazz jam band Reeble Jar, has never released a studio album. Having been together for over eight years, all of their releases through the years have been completely live takes. Pop in one of their discs and you might not believe that was the case. Their sound is full, alive and wanting to burst right out of your speakers. It has that funk magic that seems to slide right down your ears and into your soul, manifesting itself with a whiplash of a head bob. The band consists of James Green on saxophone, Joey Hepner on bass, Sean Ponder on guitar, Josh Coffey on keys and Theo Halpert on drums. Ponder met Hepner in Portland and shortly thereafter moved to Eugene, where they met the other Reebles. Ponder is a glass blower and a sound engineer at the Eugene venue Luckey’s, and Green is a wind surfer from England. Coffey, the keyboard player, is a cook while Hepner, is a delivery driver. Halpert is the 14th drummer the band has had. Together, they create the almighty force of Reeble Jar.
Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com
Friday night = party time excellent! Nullsleep, Nordloef, Usk, Wet Mango If you’ve ever wondered who is responsible for making lo-fi bleeps and bloops cool again, or who is responsible for Beck putting out an EP composed entirely with Game Boys back in 2005, Nullsleep is likely the answer. Along with Bit Shifter, he and Nullsleep are essentially the grandpappies of the contemporary chiptunes scene, dating all the way back to 1999, when he and a friend started an all-chiptunes label. Wanna see a guy making music by banging on Game Boys and old Nintendo consoles? Go. You don’t? Go anyway. Backspace, 8 p.m., $10, all ages Why?, The Donkeys, Josiah Wolf Despite his semiunknown status, the law of the land has dictated that whatever Why? does becomes cool a short time later. Back in 2003, Why?’s work was a solo effort by now-front man Yoni Wolf, and was very hip-hop oriented. In 2005, Why? deviated from his hip-hop roots and put out Elephant Eyelash, coincidentally a couple of years before everyone decided they wanted to make spacey indie rock. Wolf describes Why?’s newest record as “the least hip-hop out of anything I’ve ever been involved in.” Is it any good? You’ll either find out now or in two years when everyone tries to rip them off.
Riding the soul train Reeble Jar feeds the audience with a buffet of funkiness
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 May 28, 2010
The typical audience at any given Reeble show will appear as a mass of movement, with people thumping out rhythmic patterns so solidly that it becomes reminiscent of shamanic rituals. “We just have a really good time when we play music and we get the crowd moving,” Green said. With a band that has been together for so long, the question of the quality of musicianship is, obviously, non-existent. Similarly one can expect to leave a Reeble show feeling satisfied, invigorated and a bit out of place in the real world of Portland’s dank midnight streets. Thanks to years of practice, summers of touring America and the very nature of their music, these jam band veterans make it seem easy, breaking and creating grooves effortlessly. Tomorrow the band will be playing with Philly’s Phunkestra and the Dirty Syncopators, an ideal lineup for those who like to get down.
Wonder Ballroom, 9 p.m., $15, all ages Talib Kweli (DJ set), DJ Wels, Gen Erik, Serge Severe, Cool Nutz, Theory Hazit, Starchile While Talib Kweli’s show at the Aladdin Theatre earlier tonight might be something of a fling, everyone knows the after party is going to be the real deal. Mr. Kweli, legend that he is, will be on hand to play the records that you, the hip-hop fan, should be familiar with. Those looking to rub elbows with the man himself will be more likely to do so at Rotture, and for less money. Plus, even at its most expensive this show gives you seven performers for ten dollars, with one of them being one of the most influential rappers of all time. How can you say no to that?
Reeble Jar Mt. Tabor Theater 4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Saturday, 8 p.m. $7 21+ All photos courtesy of Reeble Jar
Rotture, 9 p.m., $5, $10 after 10:30 p.m., 21+
Vanguard 6 | Arts & Culture May 28, 2010
And then there was Saturday: More live shows to check out LCD Soundsystem (DJ set), Dangerous Boys Club, Joey Casio, Copy, E*Rock, DJ BJ LCD Soundsystem is pretty cool I guess. However, if you really like music, you’ll be there front and center for Dangerous Boys Club, which features members of local legends Get Hustle and Silentist. What should really put a shine on your stinger is the fact that DBC is rounded out by exmembers of legendary Gravity Records bands Antioch Arrow and Heroin. Best of all, this synthesis of wonderful band members will cost you a mere $5, when in reality, you should be paying $7 just to stand in the same room as Antioch Arrow’s Aaron Montaigne.
Rotture, 9 p.m., $5 after 10 p.m., $1 with LCD Soundsystem ticket stub, 21+ Black Flag tribute band (feat. members of Akimbo and Black Elk), Merrick Foundation, Fruit of the Legion of Doom, Gay Marriage If Dark Tranquillity (who plays at Hawthorne Theater tonight) is just a bit too corny for your tastes, East End is putting this shindig on with a Black Flag tribute group comprised of members of Portland’s Black Elk and Seattle’s Akimbo. These two bands have been playing good no-frills metal for years all over the world, and now they’re going to cut up and spit out their own rendition on one of punk’s most hallowed acts. This show boasts just as much metal as Hawthorne Theatre’s offering with 90 percent less bullet belts.
East End, 9 p.m., 21+
All photos courtesy of Ratatat
Ratatat: A stately shot of the electronically infused duo looking every bit the part of music nerds.
FRESH LEFTOVERS FROM SOUL’S OLD KITCHEN Ratatat’s new record, LP4, is their best yet Andrea Vedder Vanguard staff
After the 2006 release of their sophomore album, Classics, Brooklyn electronic duo Ratatat pulled a Bob Dylan and The Band and ditched the city for a creative blowout in upstate New York. At Old Soul Studios in the Catskill Mountains, the duo of Evan Mast (producer and multiinstrumentalist) and Mike Shroud (guitarist) recorded about 30 tracks. Half of these were released as 2008’s LP3 and the other half, after two
years of tweaking, will be released in two weeks as LP4. Even though Ratatat recorded the two albums simultaneously, the band insists that LP3 and LP4 are to be understood as separate entities. Rightly so—these records are distinct, and LP4 is far from its predecessor’s leftovers. In fact, LP4 is Ratatat’s most ambitious, conceptualized and impressive effort yet. Ratatat has defined a style for themselves, rarely straying from catchy pop beats, heavy synth, blasting guitar riffs and samples from 1980s arcade games. No previous release has so fully developed and expanded upon their expected sound. In LP4, Ratatat introduces a full string section and percussion instruments from around the world. This record is reputed to feature more instruments than ever before. They also bring back the spoken word interludes utilized in their 1999 debut. One sample is actually in German (taken from Werner Herzog’s film Stroszeck) and describes keyboards. The other vocal samples are courtesy of Linda Manz—a New York actress from the late 1970s through the early 1990s. Only one of Manz’s samples is from a film. The rest are excerpts of a phone
interview conducted by Mast while trying to secure rights to the sound bite he was using originally. Some of these interview selections are downright hilarious. LP4 features a distinctly “world” sound, even more so than on LP3. “Bob Ghandi” and “Party With Children” feature some amazing percussion that sounds like you would be dancing around a fire rather than over a dance floor. The sweet ukelele strums in “Mahalo” are charming, as are the crickets that open “Sunblocks.” The clear Eastern European influences in “Bare Feast” are intriguing to the mind and ear without drowning the guitar work you’d expect from Shroud. Stand-out tracks are definitely “Neckbrace,” “Drugs” and “Grape Juice City.” “Neckbrace” is a stomp from the get-go—an excellent dance track. Funky and fresh, this song and its effortless lead into the pensive “We Can’t Be Stopped” could easily be the soundtrack to a good orgasm and will definitely make you hit repeat. “Drugs” begins with a soft string ensemble and then blasts into synthesizers and jagged guitar. At certain moments it calls to mind Daft Punk, but whatever Daft Punk experimented with, Ratatat
developed into something new and different. “Grape Juice City” sounds vaguely Indonesian, with percussion sounds like drumsticks on found objects. The track also features birdsong, beat boxing, an accordion and the sound Mario and Luigi make when they catch a mushroom and double in size. Ratatat describes LP4 as “weird.” Weird is right, but so is excellent.
LP4 Ratatat XL Recordings Out June 8, 2010
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a surprisingly decent action/adventure film Sarah Esterman Vanguard staff
At first glance, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time seems like a film doomed to fail. With Jake Gyllenhaal starring as Dastan, the Prince of Persia, the film held little promise. Fortunately, the unlikely casting choice turned out to be all right. Acting childish, witty and sometimes obnoxious, Gyllenhaal proved to be a decent casting for the young Prince Dastan. He even looked the part with his tanned physique, body pulsing with muscles, shoulder-length hair and just a touch of eye makeup. A film is more than its protagonist though, and there were a few principal problems with Prince of Persia’s plot that cannot be overlooked. First of all, the idea of an orphan who lives in the slums getting adopted by a king is fairly unbelievable. Sure, it’s a fantasy film, but still. Because of his early poor upbringing, we’re supposed to look at Dastan like he knows better than his brothers. When his uncle claims that a holy city nearby is involved in creating weapons for Persia’s enemy, Dastan’s brothers—first-born and in line for the throne, Tus, and Garsiv—suggests they invade and occupy. Dastan, however, doesn’t buy it, but he goes along with the plan anyway, even disobeying his brother’s orders and doing a side attack to help minimize the death on both sides. What follows is major drama involving the ruler of the city they’ve invaded, Princess Tamina, the King of Persia (he is poisoned by a cloak given to Dastan to bestow upon him) and a beautiful dagger unlike anything anyone has seen. In short, the Gods gave Tamina the dagger—which, when filled with the sand enclosed deep within the holy city, can control time instead of destroying all of mankind, so long as she protects it.
Turns out that she’s not the only one that knows of the dagger. When it is found out that Dastan has come upon it, Nizam, the King’s brother (who, let’s be honest, we know is the bad guy from the beginning— he’s bald and all the villains in these period pieces lack hair) frames him for his father’s murder in order to get the dagger for himself. Like all villains, he wants to rule the world, and going back in time and altering history to make him the King of Persia is his method. That’s the gist of the plot. It plays out fairly straightforward and there are very few places that are confusing, but the ending seems far too easy. Everything ends up wrapped in perfect package, with Dastan surfacing as a hero. While this ending is understandable—it is a Disney movie, after all—it just seems too neat and tidy. The Princess even falls for him practically on the spot when he returns the dagger to her, even though she has no recollection of the drama that she and Dastan went through earlier in the film. This is a minor issue in the end though. Even the surplus of action sequences doesn’t hurt the film. While there is action in every scene, it never seems like too much. It was clear that a lot of it was taken directly from the video game, considering the style of the flips and jumps—it was all very Pirates of the Caribbean-esque. The humor was also reminiscent of Pirates. There were silly characters added purely to gain a few laughs and it worked, regardless of how dorky the jokes were. Some of the best scenes in the film are those with Sheik Amar, an ostrich-racer and entrepreneur, a man who serves the plot only to add some comic relief. With the cute jokes, decent cast and understandable storyline, Prince of Persia is surprisingly fun to watch. While it’s certainly not an outstanding work of cinematography, it is entertaining. If you’re looking for an action film without the blood and gore, this is the one to see.
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 7 May 28, 2010
This weekend at the NW Film Center Night and Day Hong Sang-Soo, South Korea 2008 “In self-imposed exile from his native Seoul, Sung-nam, a 40ish, married photorealist painter, wanders the streets of Paris. But a roundelay of chance meetings in the City of Lights entangles him in the emotional lives of two Korean women. Hong’s lucid film wryly observes one man’s confused attempt to savor a footloose yeareven if it is 20 years too late.” Saturday, 7 p.m. All screenings are in Whitsell Auditorium, 1218 SW Park Ave. Free with PSU student ID. —www.nwfilm.org
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Directed by Mike Newell Now Playing
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney
Prince of Persia: A semi-successful adaptation of the popular video game franchise, complete
with glorious fight scenes and comic relief.
Vanguard 88||News News February Month MayDay, 28, 12, 2009 2010
News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
Jupiter’s belt disappears Jupiter—the solar system’s largest planet—is known for its large cloud belts. However, one of its two main cloud belts has disappeared. The South Equatorial Belt (SEB), which is twice as wide as Earth and more than twenty times as long, can be seen halfway across the solar system, according to an article published by NASA’s website on May 20. According to Glenn Orton, a planetary scientist who works in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, NASA is “monitoring the situation closely.” Though NASA does not fully understand the phenomenon, Orton speculates that some “ammonia cirrus” has formed on top of the band. In other words, higher clouds made up of ammonia crystals are blocking the SEB. According to the article, Orton attributes this to a change in global wind patterns that have “brought ammoniarich material into the clear, cold zone above the SEB.” This is not the first time the SEB has disappeared from sight. According to John Rogers, director of the British Astronomical Association’s Jupiter Section, the SEB fades at irregular intervals, “most recently in 1973– 75, 1989–90, 1993, 2007 [and] 2010.”
—www.science.nasa.gov
NEWS PSU writers honored in Kellogg awards Co-founder of Poetry in Motion delivers keynote speech Tamara K. Kennedy Vanguard staff
Aside from recognizing Portland State student writers, the Nina Mae Kellogg Student Award winners can receive between $50 and $1,000 to help them fund their education and continue their writing careers. The award ceremonies are annually also known for their distinctive speakers. Wednesday’s keynote speaker was Dr. Elise Paschen, a renowned writer and editor. She is also the co-founder and co-editor of Poetry in Motion, a program that showcases poetry on buses and subways across the U.S. In addition, Paschen was the executive director of the Poetry Society of America from 1988 until 2001, according to the event program. She is a Harvard graduate, and has a Masters in Philosophy and a Doctorate in Philosophy in 20th century literature from Oxford University. Paschen currently teaches at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Carl Dahlstrom, a PSU professor emeritus of English who passed away in 1981, founded the Nina Mae Kellogg Student Awards 46 years ago. He named the awards after his mother and wife, according to the program. Though the first awards featured only a sophomore and a senior award, this year’s ceremony—which was co-sponsored by the Graduate Literary Organization and the PSU President’s Office—included awards in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, reporting, essay and journalism categories. At the ceremony, Professor Debra Gwartney, a published memoirist, presenter and committee member said the awards were “the sweetest event all year—heartfelt.” According to Professor Joel
Bettridge, another committee member, the Kellogg awards provide a wonderful opportunity to celebrate PSU students. During the awards, the finalists were asked to stand while their names were read. In many cases, rather than immediately announcing the winners’ names, presenters read their work aloud. Primus St. John, whose work appears in Poetry in Motion, presented the American Academy of Poets award and asked the winner of the category, Ian Friedman, to read his own work. Friedman said the experience was nerve wracking, interesting and memorable. “I’ve never read my own work in public,” he said. Friedman, a New Yorker who loves the city of Portland, was particularly thankful of John Estes—a poet he spends time reading and a Kellogg judge—took the time to read his own work. Friedman is an undergraduate working towards an English major with a minor in education. He plans to teach and would like to enter PSU’s Graduate School of Education. Chris Cottrell, winner of the Shelley Reece Poetry Award, will use the money to pay some bills. Cottrell is currently an editor for the Portland Review and, after graduating with a Masters in creative writing, plans to teach creative writing to underprivileged children this summer for the Upward Bound Program. Nilesh Tendolkar, a Vanguard reporter and last night’s winner of two Wilma Morrison awards in journalism, credits his sports editor, Robert Britt, for having faith in his writing abilities. “Without his guidance and counsel, I wouldn’t have received this honor,” Tendolkar said. A list of PSU English student achievements was included in the program. Many students have had their work published in magazines and journals, and two are having books published.
2010 46th annual Nina Mae Kellogg Student Award winners The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Award in Poetry -Undergraduate: Cassie Ridgway -Graduate: Monique Wentzel The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Award in Fiction -Undergraduate: Jason Zoesch -Graduate: Brian Rozendal The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Undergraduate Nonfiction Award -Robert Carver
The Tom Bates Award for the Memoir -Candace Opper The Tom Bates Award for Reporting -Lisa Ekman The Tom Bates Award for the Essay -Lisa Ekman
The Phillip Ford Graduate Award -Laura K. Hutton
The Wilma Morrison Awards in Journalism -Best writing in the news category: Catrice Stanley -First prize for feature writing: James Mackenzie -Best opinion writing: Robin Tinker -First prize for sports writing: Nilesh Tendolkar
The Tom Doulis Graduate Fiction Writing Award -Alexandra Behr
The Marilyn Folkestad Scholarship -Undergraduate: Teresa Anne Rowe -Graduate: April Anson
The Shelley Reece Poetry Award -Chris Cottrell
The Nina Mae Kellogg Sophomore Award -Holly Laycock
The Frank Andrew Clarke and Helen Clarke Memorial Award -Alex Fulton
The American Academy of Poets Award -Ian Friedman
The Nina Mae Kellogg Senior Award -Brittany Pedersen
The Giving Back Fellowship -Nonfiction: Candace Opper -Fiction: Monique Wentzel
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
Tom Bissell: Presenting the Tom Doulis Graduate Fiction Writing Award.
PSU works to extend work-study contracts Departments seek to retain experienced work-study employees Stacy Austin Vanguard staff
In order to combat the current economic hardships facing Portland State, the Office of Student Financial Aid is working to extend current work-study employees into the upcoming 2010–11 academic year. On May 17, Scot Turner, the work-study coordinator for the Office of Student Financial Aid, sent out an e-mail to all departments informing them that the office was offering help to retain federal work-study employees for the 2010–11 year. “It is vital, especially in the current economic climate, to retain experienced staff,” Turner said in the e-mail. “To assist with this, the Office of Student Financial Aid is committed to helping campus
employers retain student employees who provide valuable services.” Though all departments are eligible to hire work-study and student employees, it depends on staffing needs and budget, as pay scales vary according to different job descriptions. Human Resources has a suggested wage scale for employers to follow. Work-study positions typically end each year on June 15. To work during the 2010 summer term, work-study employees must have a work-study award for the 2010 –11 academic year, as well as a submitted summer work-study request form. This form is currently available in the financial aid office. The Office of Student Financial Aid is reaching out to departments that have current student employees in work-study positions for 2009–10, but who did not receive a work-study award for the next academic year. According to Turner’s e-mail, departments can submit a “Request
for Work Study Retention” form to the Office of Student Financial Aid so that they may evaluate each student’s eligibility per federal guidelines. If funds are available, “these students will receive priority consideration.” The Office of Student Financial Aid started this process last summer, after requests from campus departments to retain and keep vital student employees. During the school year, workstudy students work a maximum of 20 hours a week so that they can concentrate on their academics, Turner said. In the summer workstudy students are allowed to work 40 hours a week. However, no overtime is allowed. “Work study is in demand [for students],” he said. “Students tend to utilize those jobs when funded.” According to Turner, studies have proven that students perform better academically when they work 10 to 20 hours a week on campus, versus not working at all or working
full-time off campus. Students gain valuable work experience when working on campus, he said. In addition, they become better integrated into campus life and get to know students and faculty better. Turner said that there are a number of student employees that work at the Office of Student Financial Aid, and they are “great to work with.” In addition, there are benefits for students to find jobs on campus, as departments are required to work with students’ school and final exam schedules. “There are a lot of good jobs on campus,” Turner said. In order to find a job on or off campus, Turner recommended that students visit the Career Center, located in the University Services Building, room 402. For more information, visit www.pdx.edu/careers.
PERSONNEL |
Vanguard News | 9 May 28, 2010
from page one
Abandoned personnel files were also found in 2007
News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
explaining the situation,” she said. “We’re going to be interested in understanding how it got to be there.” According to LaTourette, the protocol to handle this type of incident was developed after something similar happened in the past. In 2007, a box containing employee files was found sitting outside the Rearguard’s office in the relatively quiet SMSU sub-basement. At the time, an editor for the Rearguard took the box into the office and failed to report the incident immediately. When it was discovered, the university contacted the Campus Public Safety Office, whose officers then proceeded to lock the office without informing the Rearguard staff. Eventually, the box was turned over. In the previous incident, a majority of the files belonged to employees who no longer worked at PSU, LaTourette said. All of them were notified about the situation and no complaints were filed against the university. “In the end, we learned that it was an unusual situation and it had to do with an old [piece of] furniture that contained the files that was left in the basement of the Extended Studies Building,” Latourette said. “Instead of taking it to HR, someone brought it to the Rearguard office.”
LaTourette said by next week her office will finish with the inventory process and will know for certain what kind of information is in the box that was delivered to the Vanguard’s ad office. HR and individual departments both store records of their employees, in separate locations. “The files are stored in cabinets that are locked up at the end of the night by HR and you will need a key to get in,” she said. According to Roman, the incident reminded her of a similar incident that occurred at Western Oregon University a few years ago. In 2007, a student at WOU discovered a file on the university’s server containing the names, social security numbers and GPAs of between 50 to 100 students that could be accessed by anyone. Brian Loving, a student at WOU, then made a copy of the file and handed it over to the Western Oregon Journal, the university newspaper. The newspaper then published a report about the incident that prompted campus officials to send IT staffers to search the newspaper’s office, without permission, to retrieve the file. Instead of admitting its fault, the university put Loving through a disciplinary hearing and fired the paper’s
Anthropology survey needs volunteers Currently, Portland State’s new Community Archaeology class is researching the university’s 60-year history, including its transition from Vanport College into what is now PSU, as well as student protests of the Vietnam War, student housing and nerve gas storage in Oregon.
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
Personnel files: In 2007, a box containing personnel files was left outside of the Rearguard office.
adviser over the mishandling of data. According to Carol Gabriellie, a facilitator in the PSU president’s office, any employee who wants to know about the proper channel to go through if he or she has a complaint in regards to the
incident can contact the Ombuds office. LaTourette said the HR office is also willing to talk to all PSU employees about the risks that they may face in having their personal information exposed.
The students in the class are conducting a short survey to receive input as to what interests the PSU community. According to the survey’s website, the responses will “serve as a starting point for [the class’] efforts that will use archeology, architecture, and written and oral history to educate” students about PSU’s past and to inform students of PSU’s future. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey. com/s/6XXDM76. For more information, contact Dr. Virginia L. Butler at butlerv@pdx.edu.
Stop by ad office SMSU 115 for FREE OMSI ‘SPACE’ tickets while supplies last
Vanguard 10 | Sports May 28, 14, 2010
SPORTS
Sports Editor: Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com
Join the PSU Outdoor Program on a backpacking trip through the Olympic National Forest
Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
Move to a new beat
Visit one of the most spectacular jewels of the Pacific Northwest. On this trip you will see oldgrowth rainforest and glaciated peaks. Whether you are new to backpacking or a seasoned outdoors person, following the Hoh River as it winds through the Olympic National Park will no doubt prove to be a rewarding adventure. What: Olympic National Park Backpacking Trip When: June 14–18 Cost: Student: $216, Public: $480 Required pre-trip meeting: Wed, June 10, 6:30 p.m. in ASRC, room 101 For more information call the Outdoor Program at 503-725-5668
—PSU Equipment Center
Zumba classes offer fitness and fun Rosemary Hanson Vanguard staff
A SECURE CENTER Campus Rec tightens policy on ASRC entry Robert Seitzinger Vanguard staff
The Academic and Student Recreation Center presents employees with many challenges, but the Member Services staff is working to assure that identity theft and fraud aren’t among them. A.J. Burmeister, student coordinator of Member Services, said there was an issue with non-members attempting to use IDs from students to sneak into the rec center. All students and faculty are considered ASRC members, and Burmeister said the policy of ID confiscation as a result of attempting to sneak in isn’t meant to be unfair, but rather to protect a student whose ID is being misused. “We’re a gateway, a central point that guards who goes in and out of the rec center and when we catch someone trying to sneak in, I know it doesn’t seem like it when we confiscate the ID but we’re actually helping that student whose ID it is,” Burmeister said. “Our policy is a direct result of the instructions on the back of every student ID card.” The back of Portland State ID cards say a student is responsible for all transactions made with the card until a theft or loss is reported. Burmeister said the Campus Rec confiscation policy reflects university policies that exist to protect students from someone else trying to access funds linked to their student account, or trying to use the ID card to gain access to a facility on campus with secure entry tied to the card (such as a resident hall). Burmeister said there are about 20 total people on the Member Services staff that tend to the front desk and that two people usually work during peak hours from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., with one attendant during slower hours— the rec center is open from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. He said front desk attendants are trained to check the photo carefully and ask security questions based on information
linked to the card if they are doubtful of the person’s identity. Campus Rec Director Alex Accetta estimates that about three dozen IDs have been confiscated since they began tracking it a few months ago. He said at one point near the opening of the rec center, they were confiscating up to three or four each day. “When we first opened, we had some thefts, had some uncomfortable situations going on in the rec center, and we believe it’s our job to control the risk of that,” Accetta said. “You want to believe everybody who comes in, but there are 200 people a day using the rec center and not everybody is going to be who they say they are. Since cracking down, theft dropped dramatically and there’ve been fewer incidents in the building.” Accetta said Member Services has not had to involve the Campus Public Safety Office yet, but that they are aware of the situation. He said desk attendants are trained to be polite but firm when confiscating an ID, but that some people whose IDs are confiscated “tend to express their emotions.” Linh Tran, who works the desk and has had to confiscate IDs, said she is usually able to confiscate the cards without incident. She said most attempted frauds end with the perpetrator simply walking away, but that some of the attempted frauds result in a scene. “Most people just get scared and walk away if they’re busted,
but we’ve had some really frustrated reactions to having their ID taken away,” Tran said. “If someone’s going to get that upset over having their friend’s ID confiscated, they probably shouldn’t have tried to sneak in using someone else’s card in the first place,” Burmeister said. “It’s as simple as knowing that the services are for paid memberships and students that pay a fee.” Stacey Conger, senior, said she uses the facility occasionally and that she appreciates the policy being enforced.
“People leave their personal items, from iPhones to jewelry to class materials, in lockers at the rec center and it’s good to know that a system exists to ensure that someone’s things aren’t being stolen while they work out,” Conger said. “I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to get done exercising only to find that your car keys and phone were missing and that you were suddenly stranded in the rec center.”
All photos by Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
ID please: Staff members at the ASRC are cracking down on fraudulent uses of ID cards.
Zumba’s slogan speaks for itself: “Ditch the workout, join the fun.” The fast-paced dance fitness class is a cardio workout students actually enjoy. Zumba is a Latin infused type of dance that combines working out with a whole lot of hip shaking and arm pumping. It is currently offered as a Group X class at the Academic and Student Recreation Center and has students coming back time after time. Teacher of the Zumba Group X class, Katarina Colaco, said of the style, “It really incorporates many different types of dance: Cumbia, reggaetone, South American and Mexican styles, and even hip-hop techniques.” She said the broad range of music that the dance style uses is one of the things about it that interests a wide variety of people. Colaco has been dancing for many years, and was on dance team in high school along with studio performing as well. She said she got into the style after taking a Group X class herself, and found that she enjoyed the great workout out it offered. “You can burn up to 700–1,000 calories just in one hour of Zumba and you don’t even realize you’re working out,” she noted. A usual Zumba Group X class consists of an interval format where there is high-intensity and lower-level cardio. The combinations also include strength for arms and legs. “Sometimes teachers will incorporate weights, but I try to focus on strength without them,” Colaco said. She couldn’t say enough about the pure fun that the dance style brings. “Really find what makes you feel confident and beautiful,” she instructed her class. And judging by the laughs and smiles of the nearly full class, the style really does evoke a sense of beauty. The class will continue to be offered as a Group X class through the rest of spring term and over summer term starting on June 21. Currently it is offered 6–7:15 p.m. on Monday and 5–6 p.m. on Friday. During summer term Colaco will teach on Monday and Wednesday from 6:15–7 p.m. She said to any interested people that they should keep an eye on the summer term schedule as there may be a second teacher holding classes as well. In the end Colaco challenges anyone to come and try Zumba and not have fun. “It’s impossible not to like,” she said.
etc.
Vanguard Etc. | 11 May 28, 2010
CALENDAR HELP WANTED Today Summer Work Great Pay Full & Part Time Available Start Now or After Finals 38 Locations in OR & WA Customer Sales & Service No Experience Necessary All Majors Welcome Ages 17+, Conditions Apply APPLY ONLINE WorkForStudents.com.
Your Ad Here Call the Vanguard
KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2010 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by UFS, Inc. www.kenken.com
● 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
503.725.5686
operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.
●
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, May 28, 2010
Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.
5-28-10
VANGUARD VANGUARD VANGUARD
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Hearty cuts 7 Response of mock subservience 14 Lid 15 The “thee” in “Get thee to a nunnery” 16 Address location 17 Bad setting 18 1040 subjs. 19 Room in Clue 21 Antibiotic, e.g., briefly 22 Prefix with relation 23 Finds unbearable 25 “Meet Me at the ___” 26 Govt. org. associated with auctions 27 Fencing action 28 Culminationʼs opposite 29 Blanche DuBoisʼs “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” e.g.
ANSWER D E L U X E
A L A R M S
T A B L A S
L O O K A T M E
I B E E N H A D
L A D Y G A G A
E T O R E M M S S T I M
31 Founder of experimental physiology 32 Bad marks gotten in high school? 33 Lizard Fuel beverage maker 34 Top banana 36 Giant in fashion 40 Cardio option 41 Palate stimulus 42 HVAC measure 43 Not settled 44 Defense attorneyʼs claim 45 Syllables sung by Figaro 46 “Non ___ andrai” (Figaro aria) 47 36-Down, notably 48 Tubes in an oven 49 1886 Alcott sequel 51 Favorite card game of Winston Churchill 54 In the main
55 Musical with the song “Everyoneʼs a Little Bit Racist” 56 Spinner with numbers 57 Boston and Charleston
Down 1 “The Great Railway Bazaar” travel writer 2 Owner of Martini & Rossi, Dewarʼs and Grey Goose 3 Gets off the fence 4 It separates two names 5 Attention 6 Gloomʼs opposite 7 Kind of smoothie 8 Pundit pieces 9 Pulitzer winner for “Driving Miss Daisy” 10 Nocturnal cycle occurrence 11 Having gotten the scoop? 12 One standing in TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE the back of an alley D H A I R T S P S E A M M O R H E E 13 Sense of orientation R J O H N N Y O N X 14 Chestnut E P I S O D E E D D 20 Cosmetologistʼs K S O V U L A R concern Y A R D S R A N I 23 Org. with a handshake in its A C R A E A B C T V logo T H E S P O T E S E 24 Itʼs alive A A T O N E S 25 Biblical scout O R A T E O M O O 28 He played an attendant at I N P U T O N X Wallyʼs Filling S T R E A M S Z E E Station in 1960s TV H I T S X R E A D Y M E T E D I R G E 30 Puss 31 “Our Lips Are E S A S A N T E S Sealed” band
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
14
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
16
17
18
19
22
23
26
27
29
20
21
24
25 28
30
31
32 34
33
35
36
40
37
41
43
39
45
47 50
38
42
44
46 49
No. 0423
48 51
54
55
56
57
52
53
Puzzle by Brad Wilber
33 2007 hit comedy with a character who dubbed himself McLovinʼ 34 One who might be seen in the offing? 35 Thumbs-down 36 Famously overconfident competitor 37 Indirect
38 Bronzes, maybe 39 Final track on the Rolling Stonesʼ “12 X 5” 40 Place for extra notes on a piano? 41 Area where the hoax Piltdown man was found
44 Creator of Professor Challenger 47 Obstreperous 48 Calamine component 50 Dawg 52 2006 Bond girl ___ Green 53 Road to enlightenment, for some
For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Todayʼs puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.
Workshop: Advanced Bike Repairs (Bearings) 5 p.m. PSU Bike Hub Bike Hub workshops are open to members as well as those interested in becoming members Sexual Assault Education Theater Performances 11 a.m. SMSU, room 238 Interactive performances will address issues of consent, alcohol and sexual assault on campus, followed by opportunities to practice ways to intervene in uncomfortable situations. E-mail jamo@pdx.edu to reserve a spot Introduction to Interviewing 2 p.m. PSU Career Center Learn the basics of interviewing and learn to develop your interviewing skills in this free workshop
Crimes of the Heart 7:30 p.m. PCPA Winningstad Theater This play, written by Beth Henley and originally performed on Broadway, examines the story of three Mississippi sisters betrayed by their passions. Free for PSU students
Saturday Braindrops Student Symposium 10 a.m. AMSU, room 228 Presented by the Community Development Club Senior Recital, Tyler Bragg, Percussion 6 p.m. Cramer Hall, room 453 Spring 2010 Student Recital Series, free To place an event: Contact vgcalendar@ gmail.com or pick up a calendar request form at the Vanguard advertising office, SMSU, room 115.
SPORTS EXTRA
Vanguard Sports | 12 May 28, 2010
Portland Timbers schedule May 29 7 p.m. vs. Boca Juniors
Trubachik preps for NCAA National with West Regional Photos courtesy of Beaver State Fling
Disc golf professionals come to town Beaver State Fling is local stop on PDGA tour Tanya Shiffer Vanguard staff
Memorial Day weekend, like most three-day weekends, are filled with possibilities. Barbecues, picnics and camping are all traditional avenues for these weekends, but something exciting and new should be given a shot as well. The eighth annual Beaver State Fling, one of professional disc golf ’s most anticipated events, will be held from May 28–30 at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada. The amateur weekend will be held from June 4–6. The Beaver State Fling attracts top-level players from all over the U.S., and has been on the national tour of the Professional Disc Golf Association since 2005. McIver features two 18-hole courses, one on the park’s east side and another on
its west, each offering a challenging experience for any player. There will be extra events during the weekend to entertain the crowds, including a mini-disc golf course, a putting competition and a skills contest. Numerous vendors and sponsors will have booths set up for informational and retail purposes. Senior Tony Skrivanek, who will compete in the Advanced Amateur division with fellow student Aaron Ray, said he has been busy this week welcoming the visiting players. “It’s been fun playing with some of the best players in the world who are in town for the Beaver State Fling,” Skrivanek said. Graduate student Steve “Pop” Tufty will be the only one from Portland State’s Disc Golf Club competing during the professional weekend. Tufty will take part in the grandmasters division, a level designated for players aged 50 and above.
The event starts early Friday morning and finishes with the award distribution on Sunday evening. Most of the participants who aren’t from the local area camp in the park for the event and have to make reservations months in advance for a space. With the long stretch of rain that has been hitting the Portland area, the event looks to luck out with the only clear days on Saturday and Sunday. Rain or shine, the event will be a great time for the long weekend ahead.
Beaver State Fling Milo McIver State Park May 28–30, June 4–6 www.beaverstatefling.com PSU Disc Golf Club information: www.pdx.edu/recreation/discgolf
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
Intramural leagues wrap up their seasons From basketball to flag football, intramurals program has students covered Nilesh Tendolkar Vanguard staff
As the spring term comes to an end, so does another round of Campus Rec’s intramural leagues. This term, the intramurals program organized outdoor soccer and flag football competitions, as well as an indoor basketball league. The football league is an eight-man flag football tournament that began with a round of exhibition games, which were followed by a regular season and postseason games. The postseason championship game is scheduled for Sunday, June 6 and will feature the league’s top-two teams, the Kala Roots and the Wanna Brees. Intramurals coordinator Rusty Vineyard said the eight-person, coed flag football tournament was a new offering in the intramurals program. “We offered full-field, eight-man competition with
contact,” he said. “This allowed players to block downfield and block on the line of scrimmage.” “For a first-time event, we were very happy with the turnout and feedback we have received thus far,” Vineyard said. “We will surely offer the sport again in the future.“ Another intramural league that saw a successful response was this term’s basketball league, which featured 16 co-ed teams. The season began in mid-April and the postseason schedule began Thursday and will continue to the championship game at 8:30 p.m. on June 3 at the ASRC. “Basketball was a surprise this season,” Vineyard said. “We offered it for the first time as a league this spring. We had a league that was set up for 12 teams, but soon became a 16-team league due to the overwhelming response.” According to Vineyard, hosting the games at the new ASRC instead of the old Stott Center held its own advantages. “The ASRC surface is new,” he said. “But the primary thing that sets it apart from the Stott Center is the amount of time we
now have to program our leagues, tournaments, and special events.” The Presidents Cup soccer tournament is a six-person co-ed competition with no goalkeepers, and games are held at the Stott Field. There are no calls for offsides, and penalty kicks are uncontested and taken from midfield. The postseason games began on Wednesday and will culminate with the final match, which is scheduled for June 2. “I think our staff and officials have done an outstanding job this soccer season,” Vineyard said. “Our officials that we utilize are students here at PSU. All of our student officials receive two to three days of training, covering things such as rules, mechanics, positioning and game management.” For the winter term, the intramurals program hosted basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer leagues—all of which were played at the newly opened ASRC. The intramural leagues are scheduled to return in the fall with indoor soccer, basketball and volleyball.
June 6 6 p.m. vs. Carolina RailHawks June 9 5:30 p.m. at Austin Aztex June 12 4:30 p.m. at Miami FC Blues
Nilesh Tendolkar Vanguard staff
Currently competing in the javelin throw at the NCAA West Track and Field Regional in Austin, Texas, Portland State senior Nick Trubachik is also qualified to compete in the decathlon event at the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, June 10–11. Trubachik is among four Vikings from the track and field teams competing at the Regional, along with junior Karene King and sophomores Joenisha Vinson and Tony Crisofulli. King and Vinson are competing in the 200- and 100-meter sprints, respectively, while Crisofulli will run the 800m. This is the second time that Trubachik has made it to the NCAA West Regional. Last year, he finished 22nd in the javelin with a 192-foot, 7-inch throw. A native of Estacada, Trubachik will be among the nation’s top 22 decathletes at next month’s NCAA Nationals, and is one of just two athletes from the state of Oregon competing in the decathlon event. Oregon’s Ashton Eaton, a native of Bend, is ranked No. 1 in the country and will be competing alongside Trubachik. At the Big Sky Track and Field Championships held in Ogden, Utah May 12–15, Trubachik garnered 7,390 points in the decathlon—542 points more than his nearest rival. He finished on top of the leaderboard in five of 10 events, and finished in fifth place or higher in nine of the 10. Trubachik recorded a 6-foot, 8.75-inch leap in the high jump and a 22-foot, 9.25-inch mark in the long jump, both of which are personal bests. His long jump effort was the second highest leap in Portland State history. Trubachik’s performance was just 87 points shy of the meet record, and he was named the Field Athlete of the Meet for his first-place finish. This is the first time that a male Viking has made it to the NCAA Track and Field National since moving up to the Division-I level in 1997.
June 17 7 p.m. vs. NSC Minnesota Stars June 19 5 p.m. at NSC Minnesota Stars June 27 5 p.m. vs. FC Tampa Bay Rowdies July 3 7 p.m. vs. Vancouver Whitecaps July 10 7 p.m. vs. Miami FC Blues July 11 6 p.m. at Club Deportivo Atlas July 17 TBA vs. Manchester City FC July 22 7:30 p.m. at Vancouver Whitecaps July 28 5:10 p.m. at AC St. Louis July 31 4:30 p.m. at FC Tampa Bay Rowdies Aug. 4 4 p.m. at Rochester Rhinos Aug. 11 7 p.m. vs. NSC Minnesota Stars Aug. 14 5:10 p.m. at AC St. Louis Aug. 21 5 p.m. at NSC Minnesota Stars Aug. 26 7 p.m. vs. Austin Aztex Aug. 29 6 p.m. vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore Sept. 2 7 p.m. vs. Puerto Rico Islanders Sept. 11 4 p.m. at Carolina RailHawks Sept. 18 5:05 p.m. at Puerto Rico Islanders Sept. 25 4 p.m. at Crystal Palace Baltimore Oct. 2 4 p.m. at Vancouver Whitecaps
Photo courtesy of PSU Athletics