VIKS BRING PRIDE TO PARK BLOCKS WITH BIG SKY WIN
SOME COMMON AND UNCOMMON PSU PLACES
Women’s volleyball wins conference tournament, makes NCAA Tournament
By the 2010 fall undergraduate Art and Social Practice class
SPORTS: PAGE 4
ARTS: PAGE 18
INDEX NEWS SPORTS OPINION ARTS
2 5 16 18
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Online course evaluations snubbed by students Format receives positive response, but fails to provide accurate class sample SIERRA PANNABECKER VANGUARD STAFF
T
hough many academic departments at Portland State have been trying to implement a more environmentally friendly and efficient online course evaluation, they have been unsuccessful in garnering student feedback. In the past, the university used paper evaluations that were passed out to students during the last week of class. Now, the university is testing online evaluation software in about 10 departments. According to Vice Provost of Academic Affairs Roy Koch, the response to these evaluations has been positive, with the “[Students] exception of a few de- are not partments. The Department of familiar Communication, for with the instance, has had very low student participa- impact tion since the online of how the system was imple forms are mented. At PSU, the task of used." evaluating courses is DARLENE GEIGER serious business, but many students do not understand the full import of the forms they fill out at the end of every course; these forms spell potential joblessness for some professors. “[Students] are not familiar with the impact of how the forms are used,” said Darlene Geiger, a communication senior instructor and undergraduate adviser. “The importance of this extra
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Kulongoski criticized for dealing with Israel Portland activist groups say Kulongoski is wrong to ignore Israel’s human rights violations ERICK BENGEL VANGUARD STAFF
Several human rights groups, including Portland State’s own SUPER (Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights), have recently criticized Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski for conducting business with Israel despite the nationstate’s ongoing human rights violations. On Oct. 27, Kulongoski signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the State of Oregon and the State of Israel “to develop and strengthen economic, industrial, technological and commercial cooperation between [them],” according to the governor’s press release. In response, the organization Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights (AUPHR) composed an open letter to the governor, titled “The Moral Implications of Doing Business with Israel.” This letter outlines the organization’s grievances with Israel, which subsume both Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian lands and its systematic discrimination against Palestinian citizens. Although Kulongoski declined to meet with AUPHR, Jodi Sherwood, deputy communications director for the governor, sent an e-mail to AUPHR member Peter Miller. “The Governor believes that the Memorandum…is in the best interest of the people of Oregon. Israel is a strong and democratic friend
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Rate your professor: Online course evaluations, which are optional, have not recieved enough student feedback.
EVALUATIONS ON PAGE 2
KULONGOSKI ON PAGE 2
Administration works to expand diversity awareness at PSU Training seminar and diversity graduation requirement may be on the way ALISON BARNWELL VANGUARD STAFF
Since she was hired by Portland State in September, Chief Diversity Officer Jilma Meneses and her team have been working with the Office of Student Affairs, the Multicultural Center and the Office of Admissions to address all aspects of diversity in student life. Meneses recently consolidated the Affirmative Action Office and the Diversity and Equity Office into one office, now known as the Diversity and Inclusion Office. The two branches within the program will be the Equity and Compliance Office and the Diversity Advocacy Office.
“The Equity and Compliance Office will be in charge of compliance and promoting a safe campus, free from discrimination and oppressive behavior,” Meneses said. The Diversity Advocacy Office will support the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students. “This infrastructure change will help build the foundation for our work to come,” Meneses said. Meneses plans to expand in the future by hiring a new director, who will report to her, and hopes to develop an online training seminar called “Respect at the University.” One of her main goals, she said, is to create a Diversity Action Plan that will help the PSU community define diversity. Faculty, staff and students would be involved in the drafting of the plan. DIVERSITY ON PAGE 3
AUGUST MILLER/VANGUARD STAFF
Adressing diversity: Chief Diversity Officer Jilma Meneses hopes to develop a Diversity Action Plan.
2 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ NEWS
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Senate meeting roundup Constitution
During the Student Senate meeting, senators discussed a change to the amount of signatures required to amend the constitution. As of now, initiative proposals to amend the constitution must contain valid signatures of 15 percent of the student body at the time of the student government elections. In addition, the election must have a turnout of at least 75 percent of the number of votes cast in the most recent student government election to be valid. Additionally, the Student Senate, by a two-thirds majority vote, may place referendums on the ballot without petition. Skeleton senate
The Senate also voted on a “skeleton senate” over the summer to increase efficiency, in addition to giving senators the opportunity to study abroad, visit family or travel. Budget changes
Budget changes included removing two positions from the executive staff, which will allow ASPSU to increase efficiency, save money and continue to represent students. ASPSU included advertising funding this year to advertise in student publications and increase its phone-line item for phonebanking nights. There was also a $25 pay increase for the Judicial Board chair, Elections Board chair, senate pro tempore and Senate Finance Committee chair. The budget is still being finalized and will be posted through the Student Fee Committee's online system. ERICK BENGEL
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DISTRIBUTORS Brittany Castillo, Brandy Castillo The Vanguard is published two days a week as an independent student newspaper governed 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 subscription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. ©2010 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY VANGUARD 1825 SW BROADWAY SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION, RM. S-26 PORTLAND OR, 97201
CRIME BLOTTER The Campus Public Safety Office is required by law to maintain a public crime log, which it publishes on Mondays and Fridays. ■■ Nov. 30, 12:47 p.m.: Suspect hit victim’s vehicle in Parking Structure 3, and left without providing information. ■■ Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m.: Victim’s bicycle was stolen on Lincoln Hall grounds. ■■ Nov. 30, 10:17 p.m.: Suspect was in possession of heroin on Smith Memorial Student Union grounds. ■■ Dec. 1, 10:27 a.m.: A suspect stole a victim’s wallet in the School of Business Administration. ■■ Dec. 1, 6:31 p.m.: A person was arrested on Harrison Street Building grounds for trespassing on Portland State property. The individual also had a warrant out for their arrest.
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Equal rights: Several human rights groups, including members of SUPER, a pro-Palestinean student organization at PSU, accused Governor Kulongoski of ignoring Israel's human rights violations.
KULONGOSKI FROM PAGE 1
PSU student group says tax dollars are funding Israeli military of Oregon and the United States,” Sherwood said in the e-mail. “This agreement will build on our existing trade relationship with Israel, open up new opportunities to share information and foster commercial ties in areas that are vital to Oregon’s economic future.” However, SUPER President Wael Elasady said that there is a precedent for Oregon to refuse to do business with states that violate international law, namely, Oregon’s “Sudan Divestment Legislation” that arose from growing concern over Sudan’s genocide. According to Miller, Israel routinely violates the rights of Palestinians by enforcing racist domestic policies that confer second-class citizenship status upon its Palestinian population. This is true for both the Palestinians who reside within Israel and those who reside in the Occupied Territories: the
West Bank, Gaza and Arab East Jerusalem. “Israel has dozens of laws that privilege Jewish citizens over non-Jewish citizens,” Miller said. “Racism against non-Jews is institutional and in the open.” Israel’s institutional racism against Palestinians, according to Miller, extends from unequal access to housing and government jobs to limited access to water and the possibility of being jailed indefinitely without due process. According to Elasady, human rights groups like SUPER and AUPHR make three basic demands of Israel. First, Israel must end its occupation of Palestinian lands. Second, it must end the second-class citizenship status of Palestinians. Third, it must honor the “right of return” of displaced first-generation Palestinian refugees and their descendents.
SUPER was co-founded in January of 2009 by PSU students Wadah Sofan and Elasady, a student of international studies focusing on the Middle East. According to Elasady, SUPER is currently working on raising awareness in the PSU community and in Portland at large on the reality of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. In addition, the organization is expanding an activist tactic known as a “boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign,” in which businesses refuse to carry Israeli products until the nation-state complies with international law. Elasady said that the campaign is a nonviolent way of placing economic pressure on Israeli society to help abolish Israel’s oppressive policies. Elasady emphasizes that SUPER is “not anti-Israeli.” “[SUPER] advocates for
equal and full rights for all people, for both Palestinians and Israelis in that region,” he said. According to Miller, every American should be conscious of Israel’s track record of violations because the U.S. government heavily subsidizes Israel and is, therefore, complicit in Israel’s apartheid-like laws and imperialist posture on the world stage. “The U.S. gives Israel $3 billion in military aid every year,” Miller said. “That amounts to about $28 million federal tax dollars leaving the State of Oregon and going to Israel as weapons every year.” Miller added that this figure should concern Oregonians because the state’s decision to ignore Israel’s crimes comes at great cost to its security interests and to the state’s reputation. ■
EVALUATIONS FROM PAGE 1
Studies show only students with extreme opinions submit online evaluations task is not clear to the part they play in the overall educational experience at PSU.” Instructors use course evaluations to improve courses for future students, and they are frequently used as evidence of teaching acumen by tenureseeking professors. In addition, course evaluations are used by department chairs to evaluate curricula, as well as the professors within the department, according to Leslie McBride, director of the Center for Academic Excellence. “It’s really important that the evaluations be reliable because of these important uses,” she said. According to Geiger, the evaluation data is also one of the primary ways that departments determine whether or not to rehire or promote fixedterm faculty—professors with
temporary teaching contracts. Because of the significant part these evaluations play in maintaining academic excellence, it is imperative that the results be a representative sample of the students’ opinions of the class, according to Geiger. With online evaluations, however, studies have found that the only students who fill out the form on their own time either loved or hated the class or instructor. “These extremes do not represent a random cross-section,” Geiger said. The data from the evaluations is analyzed in terms of percentages of the class; to get an accurate sampling of the class, almost everyone in the class needs to fill out an evaluation. Much research has been done to find ways to motivate fac-
ulty and students to participate in this online evaluation process. Dr. Thomas Benton, who contributes to The Chronicle of Higher Education, has said that the response to online evaluations has been something akin to the commentary found on websites like www. ratemyprofessor.com. Students are more apt to make offensive, unproductive comments in these anonymous forums. Not only is this kind of feedback hurtful to some teachers, but it also does not provide enough information to teachers to make positive changes to their course or curriculum, according to Benton. According to McBride, there are a variety of reasons that online course evaluations outstrip paper evaluations for efficiency. First of all, they are easier to
customize for the uses of different departments and course levels. Instructors can easily add questions that pertain to their class goals. McBride added that evaluations save time because professors and staff no longer need to count forms, stuff envelopes, sharpen pencils, scan forms afterward and type up handwritten comments. In addition, online evaluations save more than 27,000 pieces of paper formerly required for each student at PSU to fill out the paper version each quarter. Because of the need for accurate data and the low feedback rates from the online evaluation, the communication department decided to leave the choice between paper and online evaluations to individual classes. ■
NEWS ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 3
DIVERSITY FROM PAGE 1
Potential diversity requirement would model that of Linfield College Melissa Trifiletti, director of New Student Programs, said she looks forward to working with Meneses. New Student Programs sponsors an event called “Bridges,” which reaches out to ethnically and culturally diverse and first-generation university applicants. Meneses’ office and the staff at New Student Programs haven’t set goals yet, but Meneses recently requested information from New Student Programs about all of its diversity outreach programs. “How do we improve our recruitment of students throughout the country?” she said. “They [New Student Programs] are already doing a lot of work, so the question is, what more can we do?” In a recent all-university email sent by President Wim Wiewel, he expressed hope that PSU’s students and staff are aware of society’s interconnectedness in light of the recent Portland bomb threat by a Muslim teenager. “I want to remind faculty, staff and students that Portland State University values diversity and promotes mutual understanding in a global context,” he said. The expansion of diversity awareness at PSU could involve some curriculum changes, according to Meneses. She cited Linfield College’s Diversity Studies graduation requirement as a model. The Linfield curriculum states that all students must take two courses that address facets of cultural diversity. This requirement is motivated by changes in the world outside the classroom. Joy Nelson, an academic advising assistant at Linfield who graduated last year, said that the diversity requirement helped her understand more about the world. “It opened up some windows,” Nelson said. Éxito, the new Latino task force launched by Wiewel last year, has received significant attention from the university and the local press. Meneses pointed to the many scholarships that were recently made available to diverse applicants as one of the changes reflecting the momentum of Éxito and similar efforts on campus. “We have to be more present in the various Portland communities of underrepresented populations and encourage student recruitment and retention,” Meneses said. Polly Livingston, director of the Disabilities Resource Center and one of the three chairs of the council, applauds the actions Meneses is taking in upholding diversity goals at PSU. “Let’s not just talk about; let’s do it,” she said. “Jilma’s fantastic at that.” Before she came to PSU, Meneses founded Our Family Adoptions in 2002, a nonprofit organization serving orphans and orphanages in
the Democratic Republic of Congo, and from 2005 to 2010, she worked at Oregon Health and Science University as the director of Risk Management. PSU’s Diversity Action Council started pushing for the university to hire a diversity officer last year. Livingston said that she and her colleagues “tried to get this position for PSU… because we felt that diversity needs to be front and center at this university.” “It’s not just [Meneses’] job, it’s the job of everybody here,” Livingston said. “But we need a director, somebody who’s going to hold people accountable.” ■
Green businesses bring solar energy to Nicaragua PSU students travel to rural country to install solar electric systems TORI CHRISTENSEN VANGUARD STAFF
Portland State, Green Empowerment, New Roots Energy and Sunlight Solar energy are working together to help install solar electricity in Nicaragua. Nicaragua is among the lowest producers of electricity in the Americas. The country relies mostly on oil and kerosene for its power, which led to an energy crisis in 2006. The country has still
not fully recovered, according to New Roots co-founder Greg Pierce. Pierce decided to focus on Nicaragua after he performed a case study in which a wind-powered turbine processed mango fruit for export products. The idea is now offered at PSU as a capstone, “Environmental Issues in Nicaragua.” In a three-part course, students begin by learning about technologies and economic issues in Nicaragua. During the second part of the course, students study in Nicaragua for one week, touring sustainable energy projects and traveling around the country to see their implementation.
During this week, students also help to develop the community. The last part of the capstone is back on campus, where students create a proposal for future sustainable energy development projects based on what they’ve learned. Sunlight Solar, a company that provides solar electric and solar thermal energy for homes in eight states across the country, loaned four solar panel electric systems to low-income Nicaraguans through a microfinance revolving fund. They then work to pay off their debt through the profit made by the energy systems. As the new Nicaraguan owners of these systems pay off their
share, more solar electric systems will be donated—about one or two per year over the next 10 years. “While in Nicaragua, we learned [that] the key to a successful development project is community involvement coupled with personal ownership,” said Kip Barrett, who cofounded New Roots alongside Pierce. “Selling these systems via the micro-finance revolving loan, rather than giving them away, allows the community members to own them while benefiting others in their communities as well.” With the help of PSU students, ASO Phoenix installed the systems throughout Nicaragua in July and August. ■
4 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
SPORTS
■ SPORTS Upcoming games
EDITOR: ROBERT BRITT SPORTS@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538
Saturday Women’s basketball
Viks bring pride to Park Blocks with Big Sky win
Sunday
Women’s volleyball wins conference tournament, makes NCAA Tournament
Men’s basketball
ROSEMARY HANSON VANGUARD STAFF
Portland State at Oregon Eugene 3 p.m.
T
he Portland State women’s volleyball team nearly had the tables turned on it in last weekend’s Big Sky Championship at the Stott Center. After coming back from a twoset deficit to defeat Montana in Friday’s semifinal, the Vikings gave away a two-set lead over Northern Colorado the next night, before rallying to win the conference tournament in a dramatic five-set victory. Portland State beat Northern Colorado, 3-2, to claim the championship title and the league’s automatic invitation to the NCAA Division-I Tournament for the second time in program history. “I’m excited that, as a team, we were able to pull through when it started to get tough,” senior outside hitter Whitney Phillips said. The Vikings (21-8) faced No. 7 Hawaii (28-2) in Seattle yesterday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The results of the game were
not available as of press time. Portland State played in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and fell to Washington in Seattle. The Vikings, who hosted the Big Sky tournament by virtue of winning last year’s regular season title, won the championship in their 20thstraight win over a visiting conference opponent. But the beginnings of Saturday’s match gave no hint that it would end in a nail-biting finish.
Portland State at UC Irvine Irvine, Calif. 4 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 9 Men’s basketball
George Fox at Portland State Stott Center 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 11 Women’s basketball
Loyola Marymount at Portland State Stott Center 1 p.m. ALL PHOTOS BY HEATHER NODDINGS/VANGUARD STAFF
Portland State won the opening sets 25-22 and 25-18 to take an early 2-0 lead, but the Bears did not go home without a fight. In set three, UNC took a slight lead that it carried to a 25-23 win. The Bears held the momentum and won the fourth frame, 25-19, to tie the game. The tiebreaker stayed close and featured six tied scores as the top two teams in the league fought to continue their season.
“I’m excited that, as a team, we were able to pull through when it started to get tough.” WHITNEY PHILLIPS
A Bears’ attack error put the Vikings at match point, 14-11, and gave Phillips the serve. The estimated crowd of 900 fans rose to their feet as Phillips
delivered what could have been her last college serve. Her serve was good and the Viks and Bears kept up a long volley, but the point eventually went to the Bears. PSU called their final timeout, and the break was just what they needed. Sophomore outside hitter Aubrey Mitchell, assisted by freshman setter Garyn Schlatter, delivered a kill from the right side to earn the Vikings a 15-12 victory in the
deciding frame. “I thought the fifth set was a battle,” head coach Michael Seemann said in a statement released by the school. “I felt we had some timely blocks at the end there that swayed it in our favor. We also served tougher there in that last set to get them out of system.” Led by Phillips, who earned her sixth-consecutive doubledouble with 17 kills and 22 digs, four Vikings recorded kills
Big Sky Championship Semifinals No. 3 Idaho State (2) No. 2 Northern Colorado (3)
1 25 22
2 21 25
3 23 25
4 25 20
5 11 15
No. 4 Montana (2) No. 1 Portland State (3)
25 18
25 18
13 25
22 25
12 15
Championship match Northern Colorado (2) Portland State (3)
22 25
18 25
25 23
25 19
12 15
Sun., Dec. 12 Men’s basketball
Conference champs: The Vikings celebrate after defeating Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Championhip match at the Stott Center on Saturday.
in the double digits. Seniors Christie Hamilton and Lana Zielke each had 11, while sophomore Alexa Rosendale had 10 to go with her 15 kills for the only other doubledouble of the night. Northern Colorado’s Kelley Arnold led the floor with 20 kills. “We made it a point to make sure that we did a good job of carrying out the scout report,” Seemann said. “And we obviously are familiar with this team, so executing was a big issue.” The victory over the Bears was not the Vikings’ only battle they faced to win the championship title. The Viks defeated Montana, 3-2, in Friday’s semifinal. Fourth-ranked Montana came out of the gates swinging and dominated the first two sets, leaving the Park Block fans wondering if this was the end. The Griz took the first two frames with identical 25-18 scores, and held the Viks to dismal hitting percentages of .085 in set one and an even worse .039 in set two. “We talked about keeping our poise; we talked about things like being patient, offensively,” Seemann said. “And we did neither of those things in the first two sets.” Against the wall, the Vikings bounced back in the third set to ensure they wouldn’t leave the weekend empty-handed. Portland State took control, and went on two four-point runs in the set. Seemann said that he told his players at the break to be more patient on offense, and to relax and get back to the game plan he said they strayed from. And they did; the Viks took the set 25-13. Montana battled in set four, but a 25-22 win by PSU sent the semifinal to a fifth set. Hamilton said the Vikings’ focus on keeping their composure paid off in the championship. “We always talk about how up-and-down emotions always throw you off,” she said. “If you make a bad play, wipe it clean and ask your team to give you another pass to try to connect on the next play.”
If the Viks took one thing away from this match that they used on Saturday, it was how to handle the pressure of a close fifth set. Portland State pulled the score to 14-11, but the Lady Griz got one more point before outside hitter Rosendale sent the Vikings to the championship match with a 15-12 win. Seemann said he was “extremely proud” of Rosendale, a player that had not seen much playing time during the season. “She came in and took some gutsy swings,” he said. “She defended well for us.” Phillips was the only player to tally a double-double in Friday’s semifinal. She led all players with 21 kills, and led her team with 20 digs. Zielke tallied 13 kills and senior libero Diana Villalpando recorded 19 digs. Three Vikings earned tournament honors over the weekend. Phillips, Schlatter and Zielke were each named to the All-Tournament Team, and Phillips was also selected as the tournament MVP. Northern Colorado defeated Idaho State Friday, 3-2, to enter Saturday’s championship match. ■
Cal State Fulerton at Portland State Stott Center 2:05 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 15 Men’s basketball
Portland State at Cal State Bakersfield Bakersfield, Calif. 7 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 16 Women’s basketball
Portland State at Nevada Reno, Nevada 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 18 Women’s basketball
Portland State at Brigham Young Provo, Utah 2 p.m. Men’s basketball
Portland at Portland State Stott Center 7:05 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 20 Men’s basketball
Portland State at Nevada Reno, Nevada 6:30 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 21 Women’s basketball
Big Sky Championship All-Tournament Team Whitney Phillips (MVP) Portland State
Georgia Tech at Portland State Stott Center 7 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 23 Men’s basketball
Garyn Schlatter Portland State Lana Zielke Portland State Ashley Lichtenberg Northern Colorado Kelley Arnold Northern Colorado
Utah Valley at Portland State Stott Center 7:05 p.m.
Tue., Dec. 28 Men’s basketball
Portland at Portland State Stott Center 7 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 29
Britta Bartschi-Rhodenhouse Idaho State
Men’s basketball*
Jaimie Thibeault Montana
Northern Colorado at Portland State Stott Center 7:05 p.m.
* Conference game
SPORTS ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 5
Men’s basketball fends off Seattle U Vikings head into winter break on three-game winning streak KEVIN FONG VANGUARD STAFF
T
he Portland State men’s basketball team could have easily folded after watching Seattle University slice a 10-point halftime lead to just two points with five minutes left in the game. Facing multiple injuries and a roster that has dwindled down nine active bodies, the Vikings showed grit and determination as they fought Seattle down the stretch and held onto an 83-76 victory Wednesday at the Stott Center. “I kept thinking, I hope this isn’t a repeat of last year,” senior guard Melvin Jones said. “I was getting flashbacks.” The Vikings (4-1) lost to Seattle last season at the Stott after giving up a big lead and losing what became a close game down the stretch. But this season, Portland State got its revenge. Using high energy and defensive pressure, the Vikings overwhelmed Seattle and forced 21 turnovers, leading by as much as 15 in the first half. “That’s the frustrating part,” head coach Tyler Geving said. “We had some chances to finish them and we didn’t. We did some stupid stuff down the stretch and kind of let them back into it.” Despite that, led by a gamehigh 23 points from Jones, the Vikings showed their resiliency and spirit as a team. “Fortunately, we never let them take the lead,” Geving added. “If they would have taken the lead, then things would have changed (down the stretch), but we were able to hold them off.” The Redhawks (3-7), who beat Oregon State last month, utilized a 1-3-1 zone to hamper Portland State’s attack and make their run in the second half. However, solid guard play from sophomore Chris Harriel (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) and junior Charles Odum (12 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds) enabled the Vikings to break down the zone and control the pace. “The [1-3-1 zone] bothered us a little bit,” Jones said. “But we were able to keep our composure.” Often, the Vikings pushed past the half-court traps set by Seattle’s zone and attacked the rim. Portland State’s offensive
mentality forced the issue and put Seattle in the penalty early, as the Vikings knocked down 26 of 32 free throw attempts. “Our goal was to keep attacking, attacking, attacking,” Jones said. Geving added that, overall, the Vikings did well controlling the tempo. Dominating the glass went a long way toward dictating the tempo of the game, as Portland State out-rebounded Seattle 42-33, including 21 offensive boards that translated to 22 second-chance points. Junior forward Chehales Tapscott was relentless inside, and recording his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Vikings disrupted Seattle’s offense with various defenses throughout the evening, moving between a 2-3 zone, a 3-2 zone and man-to-man. In general, PSU has shown the ability to take advantage of their athleticism and successfully apply defensive pressure. “Anytime [Seattle] got comfortable with one defense, we switched to another and our guys did a great job adjusting between them,” Geving said. Five games into the regular season, and Portland State is off to a solid start. The Vikings will play nine games over the next month before the start of next term. Even
without the responsibilities of class, the team will stay busy with seven non-conference games remaining before the Dec. 29 Big Sky opener against Northern Colorado. “The break from school is nice, because all we have to do is worry about basketball,” Jones said. The Vikings play their next game this Sunday against Oregon in Eugene. In December, Portland State will play five home games at the Stott Center, including local rivalry games against George Fox and University of Portland. Despite a new-look roster and injury setbacks, the Vikings seem to keep improving after every performance and are really coming together as a team in recent weeks. The team is finding balanced scoring contributions and leadership has been provided by seniors Jones, Paul Guede and Philip “Tree” Thomas. As PSU continues to define its identity, defensive intensity could emerge as the key, as the players have bought into a hard-working defensive mindset to go along with their high-octane offense. “We’re a fun team to watch,” Geving said. “It’s a great group of kids, and they play hard. There’s no quit in these guys.” ■
ADAM WICKHAM/VANGUARD STAFF
Chris Harriel
NOW HIRING: DESIGNER The Vanguard is hiring a design assistant. Design assistants get paid to produce newspaper layouts, information graphics, illustrations and other design elements to accompany stories. Ideal applicants will posses strong page layout skills and be capable of working quickly and independently in a fast-paced newsroom environment. Applicants must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours at PSU. Send applications & samples of work to vanguardproductionpdx@gmail.com
6 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
■ SPORTS
PSU honors former student-athletes Six former Vikings added to the athletics Hall of Fame ROBERT BRITT VANGUARD STAFF
When Karen Strong last played basketball for Portland State, the original “Star Wars” film was in theaters, Jimmy Carter was in office and the Portland Trail Blazers were winning their only NBA championship title. Last month, Strong and five others became the most recent additions to Portland State’s Athletics Hall of Fame. With each representing a different sport, the six former student-athletes were inducted in a Nov. 14 ceremony in downtown Portland. Strong’s fellow inductees were Orshawante Bryant (football, 1997–2000), Cynthia Macom (softball, 1987–91), Matt Mandigo (golf, 1990–93), Shelley Rumberger (volleyball, 1985– 88) and Chuck Seal (wrestling, 1966–69). “I am totally honored and humbled,” Strong said following an on-field recognition at halftime of the PSU football game in Hillsboro the day before her induction. “Especially for someone that was pioneering women’s sports.” Strong played on the PSU women’s basketball team for two seasons, from 1975–77, during the early years of women’s sports at PSU. She averaged 22.1 points and 14.7 rebounds in
National champion: Chuck Seal (center) stands at the top of the medal platform at the 1967 NCAA Div-II championship.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PSU ATHLETICS
Hall of Famers: From left to right: Orshawante Bryant, Shelley Rumberger, Karen Strong, Cynthia Macom and Matt Mandigo.
her first season—marks that still top the school record books. “We were just starting out,” she said. “We only had numbers on one side of our uniforms. When we got numbers on both sides—we were actually a team then.” Two of the honorees, Mandigo and Seal, represent teams no longer fielded at PSU. Portland State discontinued its men’s golf program in 2002 and the wrestling program in 2009, citing budgetary reasons for both. Seal was a three-time All-American wrestler and a member of PSU’s 1967 national champion team. In the 152-pound weight class he twice won the NCAA Div-II championship in the college division (1967, 1969), and he finished second in 1968. Mandigo played on the men’s golf team for four years. He won the NCAA Div-II Regionals in 1992 and earned All-American honors for an eighth-place finish in the national championship. Bryant was a wide receiver and kick returner
from the Vikings’ first Div-I recruiting class in 1996. He set 10 school records during his PSU career and still holds the records for career receiving yards (3,449) and receptions (223). Before pursuing a career in the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League, Bryant was a part of the Vikings’ first Div-I playoff team in 2000. Macom was a record-breaking centerfielder for a PSU softball team that twice made the NCAA playoffs, and in 1991 she was named a second team All-American selection. She described that year’s Div-II championship in Midland, Mich. as her most memorable moment in a Viking uniform. “We were ranked No. 1 in the country the whole year,” she said. “We get back to the championships, and in our first game—I believe it was Southern Missouri—we were leading the whole game. Then, in the last two innings a passed ball goes by our catcher, who had not had an error all season, and they tied it up.
Pro picks Another prime-time showcase for Vick BARRY WILNER AP PRO FOOTBALL WRITER
Chicago’s defense found a way to curtail Michael Vick’s exploits. Houston’s D doesn’t resemble the Bears in any way. Another prime-time showcase for Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles comes Thursday night when they entertain the Texans. Yes, Houston comes off a shutout of Tennessee, but the Titans are in turmoil and nobody is suggesting the Texans should be equated with the Monsters of the Midway. In fact, they’re usually more like a turnstile than a brick wall. Even with the blanking of the Titans, Houston ranks 28th overall on defense and 31st against the pass. Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek collectively must be saying “Bring them on.” Philly is a 7-point favorite to remain atop the NFC East. “For us to go out there and not to be able to win like we wanted to is obviously disappointing,” Jackson said of the loss at Soldier Field. “That’s (neither) here nor there. We’re on to the next one. We have Houston coming in, and that’s what we’re worried about.” No worries. EAGLES, 28-20 Chicago (minus 3 1/2) at Detroit Time to give the Bears some Lovie. BEST BET: BEARS, 17-3 Dallas (plus 5) at Indianapolis Imagine: Colts were 11-0 a year ago. Now, they could fall to 6-6 as Peyton Manning struggles to carry an injuryravaged squad. UPSET SPECIAL: COWBOYS, 26-24 N.Y. Jets (plus 3) at New England, Monday night The always-entertaining Rex Ryan and his band of personalities against the always-staid Bill Belichick and his band of automatons. Except that Tom Brady has shown the kind of fire this year that Ryan would welcome. PATRIOTS, 27-17 Pittsburgh (plus 2 1/2) at Baltimore Another game with two strong AFC teams, albeit not nearly as solid as projected when the season began. The winner has a leg up on a division title and a postseason bye. RAVENS, 16-13 Atlanta (minus 21/2) at Tampa Bay Man, are the Falcons good at home. True Super Bowlcaliber teams also are dangerous on the road. Here’s
“It ended up going 17 innings and three-and-ahalf hours, and we lost that game,” Macom said. “We had to play immediately, and lost the second game in something like 14 innings, a two-and-ahalf hour game. So we got third in the country. “That was marathon softball,” she said. “But talk about PSU’s newest Hall a memory; I’ll never of Fame inductees forget that.” Another former Orshawante Bryant Viking to earn All- Football, 1997–2000 American honors, Rumberger had a ca- Cynthia Macom reer bookended with Softball, 1987–91 championships titles. She played middle Matt Mandigo blocker for PSU vol- Men’s golf, 1990–93 leyball squads that Shelley Rumberger won the NCAA DivWomen’s volleyball, 1985–88 II national championship in 1985 and Chuck Seal 1988. Wrestling, 1966–69 Championship titles and national hon- Karen Strong ors notwithstanding, Women’s basketball, 1975–77 Strong and Macom said their fondest recollections of playing for PSU surround the personalities and the camaraderie. “[Coach] Teri Mariani was the best,” said Macom, now a mother of three living in West Linn. “I was with her when she hit her 1,000th win—it was a very cool moment for all of us to be a part of that with her.” Strong, a Portland schoolteacher for 31 years, said her fondest memory of the team was simply the friendships she had made. “We had a good time, and we all got along together,” Strong said. “That was the best part.” Due to health complications, Seal was unable to attend last month’s induction ceremony, according to athletics spokesman Mike Lund. ■
a chance to prove that. FALCONS, 21-13 Oakland (plus 12 1/2) at San Diego Here come the Chargers! There go the Raiders! CHARGERS, 30-13 San Francisco (plus 9 1/2) at Green Bay Even with Frank Gore out, the Niners have the best running back in this game in Brian Westbrook. Problem is, Green Bay is far better in every other area. PACKERS, 28-13 Denver (plus 6 1/2) at Kansas City Chiefs need to keep winning with San Diego on its November-December run. All the karma in Denver is bad. Wonder if Haley and McDaniels will shake hands this time. CHIEFS, 33-24 New Orleans (minus 6 1/2) at Cincinnati Saints are beginning to find their stride. Bengals have been in reverse for two months. SAINTS, 28-13 St. Louis (minus 3) at Arizona Are the Rams really leading the division? Are the Cardinals really this bad? Yes and yes. RAMS, 24-10 Carolina (plus 6 1/2) at Seattle If Seahawks don’t win this one at home, they can kiss any playoff hopes goodbye. SEAHAWKS, 23-13 Buffalo (plus 6 1/2) at Minnesota Vikings showed some passion and positive emotion last week. Bills have to forget last week’s heartbreaker. VIKINGS, 27-21 Cleveland (plus 5 1/2) at Miami Browns nearly lost at home to Carolina. That’s enough evidence for us that Dolphins will get second home win. DOLPHINS, 22-10 Washington (plus 8) at N.Y. Giants Which Washington team shows up for a still-undermanned Giants squad, the one that’s beaten Philly, Green Bay and Chicago? Or the one that lost to Detroit and Houston? GIANTS, 21-14 Jacksonville (OFF) at Tennessee Jaguars are in contention in part because Titans and Texans have fallen apart and Colts are banged-up. JAGUARS, 17-14 RECORD: Versus spread, 8-5-3 (overall 93-71-5); Straight up, 11-5 (overall 116-60) Best Bet: 6-6 against spread, 8-4 straight up. Upset Special: 7-5 against spread, 7-5 straight up.
The 2010 Vanguard
Holiday Guide What happens when you can't go home? PG. 8 Christman songs that don't completely suck PG. 9 Volunteer this holiday season PG. 10 Top 10 holiday movies PG. 11 Six must-see holiday events PG. 11 Holiday spirits PG. 12 Where to get your picture taken with Santa PG.12 Holiday shopping 101 PG. 13 10 best holiday songs PG. 14
8 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010
■ HOLIDAY GUIDE
What happens when you can’t go home? Eating holiday dinner in Portland NICHOLAS KULA VANGUARD STAFF
Plane tickets cost a lot around the holidays. Airline companies know this, and that’s how they get you. That said, if you don’t have $1,000 to spend on a plane ticket, there are some restaurants in the Portland area that serve up nice holiday meals for a fraction of the cost of airfare. Since lots of people travel on the holidays, Portland’s hotels often go out of their way to serve up festive dinners. The first two suggestions will be hotel restaurants, and the last two will be standalone restaurants. PLACE: Heathman Restaurant WHERE: Heathman Hotel, 1001 SW Broadway WHY: You may know the Heathman as the place
BEVERLY LR/STOCK.XCHNG
Food: Delicious, glorious food
where the door guy/valet dresses up like a medieval prince. As the Heathman is one of our city’s finest hotels, it is only fitting that it offers up an equally fine restaurant. Granted, Heathman does indeed serve “pretty food,” but for the most part, it’s pretty good. Heathman serves up a Thanksgiving feast as well, and it’s there that it ditches all the fancy-pants stuff and goes right for the essentials with a contemporary flair. Christmas dinner is more of the same of what you’d expect from their Thanksgiving fare, as both dinners generally employ the same bounty of goodies. PLACE: Pazzo Ristorante WHERE: Vintage Plaza Hotel, 422 SW Broadway WHY: This building is tough to miss because it
looks like it’s made out of actual rocks. Vintage Plaza indeed. While the outside looks like a dank cave, the inside houses an Italian restaurant that is actually pretty good. I know you’re going to look this up on Yelp later, which I have to advise against. Hotel patrons—especially expensive, luxury hotel patrons—are notorious for being overly persnickety about everything, in-
cluding the restaurants holding up the corner of their hotel. That said, you have nothing to worry about with Pazzo. Be warned, you won’t find spaghetti here. What you will find is lovely contemporary Italian fare served up in new, exciting ways. They’re open on Christmas, too, and they always do something good for weary travelers. PLACE: Fenouil WHERE: 900 NW 11th Ave. WHY: Fenouil is serving up
a four-course prixfixe menu on Christmas Eve. And it’s a French restaurant. Oh, Portland. Unlike some other establishments open for the holidays, Fenouil is actually rolling out a special menu for the dinner, instead of serving the same food wearing a Santa hat. One might feel a little antsy about spending Christmas Eve in a French restaurant in the Pearl, but Fenouil has many friends and few enemies in Portland’s culinary scene. It’s the only restaurant in this article that prominently wears the “local/sustainable” badge of honor—a Portland staple. What can you expect? Well, if you’re vegetarian, not much; unfortunately, options are limited on that front. However, if you enjoy poultry or fish, you’ll get along well with Fenouil’s chefs. PLACE: Ling Garden WHERE: 915 NW 21st Ave. WHY: Who can forget the
classic scene in “A Christmas Story” where the Bumpus family’s dogs enter and subsequently ransack Ralphie and company’s Christmas spread? Following that, the family goes to a Chinese restaurant and feasts while being serenaded by the employees. Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant is quickly becoming a tradition among broke college kids. I’ve done it; maybe you have too. However, everyone who has done it knows that all the charm lies within getting Chinese food that is just ok—and tons of it. If you want fancy pants Chinese, go out and find it. Here, you get what you expect, good versions of Americanized Chinese staples. Lots of sweet and sour sauce, fried rice and mar far everything. Merry Christmas! ■
HOLIDAY GUIDE ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 9
Christmas songs that don’t completely suck JAKE STEVENS, NICHOLAS KULA AND RICHARD D. OXLEY VANGUARD STAFF
Exhumed, “No Presents for Christmas”
There’s only one metal band that even pretends to give a rip about Christmas, and it’s TransSiberian Orchestra. And since they only get together once a year to play Christmas music en masse, it doesn’t count. Enter: Exhumed, a thrash/grind band. Yes, I know, King Diamond originally did this song, and I’m going to catch hell for it, but Exhumed is much, much better than King Diamond. Sorry, guys. This song is essentially about Christmastime at the homes of dysfunctional families, but if you want to skip to the cheerful stuff, you can skip to near the end. You’re treated to about 30 seconds of a blast- beat-filled rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the main hook of “White Christmas,” except “Christmas” has been replaced by “Sabbath.” Ha! Get it?
The Dandy Warhols, “Little Drummer Boy”
Putting shame to the countless amount of previous versions and covers of this yuletide classic, The Dandy Warhols’ adaptation takes the cake over all the others. This song was released by Capitol Records in 1997, during the band’s short-lived popular era due in part to their unmistakably catchy singles “Bohemian like You” and “We Used to Be Friends.” These songs managed to conquer the airwaves, then suddenly disappear. Highly influenced by The Velvet Underground, this version of “Little Drummer Boy” is complete with enough fuzz on the guitars to warm you up. Bottom line: This cover is convincing enough to think that the song just can’t be done any better. The credit for the original version goes to songwriter: Katherine K. Davis. She wrote the song in 1942 and it was originally titled “The Carol of the Drum.”
“Jingle Cats” (album) Quite possibly the best Christmas album ever recorded, “Jingle Cats” is over an hour of traditional Christmas tunes played on a katzenklavier. Ok, ok, not a real katzenklavier; more likely the bored 4-track bedroom recordings of a very lonely person with hundreds of cats. Either way, someone who works at a record company thought this was a great enough idea to mass-produce. And by golly, they were right. Let’s get things straight— this is not an album of cats just yowling. There is real musical accompaniment, so it doesn’t sound like the Humane Society. Sometimes, some stupid dog barking sneaks into the mix, which is likely a lead-in to the same company’s “Jingle Dogs” which sucks really bad because barking is harsh and percussive. That said, buy Jingle Cats.
The Kinks, “Father Christmas”
Planting seeds for early rebellion, “Father Christmas” tells a story of a toy shopkeeper of the same name. He is beat up by a gang of poor kids asking for his food and money because it would be much more useful to them instead of toys. Released as a single by Arista on turkey day in 1977, the song unfortunately did not reach a high position on many charts but it has been covered by a wide array of bands such as Gigolo Aunts, Green Day, Warrant, Bowling For Soup and OK Go. If you haven’t heard this song, listen to it! “Father Christmas” is another great example of Ray Davies’ unquestionably talented songwriting and why The Kinks have remained as one of the most influential bands to this day. Other than all that, it’s just a damn good song, so there is absolutely no excuse for you to not dedicate nearly four minutes of your time to it.
Run DMC, “Christmas in Hollis”
Back when hip-hop was still fun and not about dick size, the genre took itself much less seriously than it does today. So much less so, in fact, that rhyme legend Run DMC wrote a Christmas rap, and it was still completely awesome. Essentially, the song only dedicates one verse to its title, what Christmas is like in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. The first verse is kind of a long setup where The Rev and cohorts explain their way off the naughty list by discussing a situation in which they find and return Santa’s huge wallet. The point here, however, is not how Run DMC returned Santa’s billfold or what they ate for Christmas dinner in Queens, but moreso that there was a time in history where a Christmas rap song was not considered corny.
The Flaming Lips, “Christmas at the Zoo”
Between the song’s melancholy psychedelic Christmas tone and the signature soft-spoken vocals of the Flaming Lips’ lead singer Wayne Coyne, “Christmas at the Zoo” is a Christmas song worthy of being played any time of the year. Released by Warner Bros. in 1995, “Clouds Taste Metallic” the band's seventh album contains CatZ and some of the most creative work that was appearing then, especially from Oklahoma. The album also serves as a landmark for the group because this is the last time they were predominately known to be a guitar-driven band before moving into more experimental psychedelic territory à la “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and “At War with the Mystics.” As Christmas songs usually do, CatZ tells a quaint little story of somebody, presumably Coyne, not having snow on Christmas Eve, leading to a rather interesting decision to release all of the animals at the zoo. There just happens to be one problem: The animals don’t want to leave when released and would rather save themselves. CatZ is a track that will not only bring a smile to your face, but also provide an original look into ways of spreading Christmas cheer. HOLIDAY MUSIC ON PAGE 14
Hollis all day: RIP Reverend. May you have an excellent Christmas in heaven.
AUGUST MILLER/VANGUARD STAFF
10 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ HOLIDAY GUIDE
Volunteer this holiday season Stay happy during winter break by helping your community SIERRA PANNABECKER VANGUARD STAFF
With the holiday shopping season already in full swing, it can be difficult to remember that there are people in our community who lack basic necessities, such as food and warm clothes. However, for those of us that have more than we need, this time of year is one of the most common seasons to feel depressed. Thankfully, there is one solution to both these problems. According to brain research conducted by National Institutions of Health, the University of Wisconsin and Emory University, among others, acts of compassion cause the release of endorphins, resulting in the same emotional response experienced during eating and sex. This year, consider some of these options as ways to reach out to the community and help someone in need, while improving your own mental health in the process.
Help at the Oregon Food Bank 7900 NE 33rd St. 503-282-0555
Located just several miles away from Portland State in northeast Portland, the Oregon Food Bank supplies countless charities with food stock year-round. The need for volunteers at this location is very high, and the process is simple. To apply as a volunteer, visit its website at www.oregonfoodbank.org. The volunteer positions range from packing individual grocery bags to sorting fresh donations.
Sell Christmas trees for Café au Play 5633 SE Division St. cafeauplay@gmail.com
Café au Play is a coffee shop, play space and communal gathering place for caretakers, parents and children in the city of Portland. The mission of Café au Play is to empower parents and caretakers by connecting them with each other and a myriad of community resources. As a nonprofit organization, it depends on coffee sales, private donations and fundraisers to cover costs. Additionally, its annual Christmas tree sale is a major source of revenue, and it requires a high volume of volunteers. The sale runs from Dec. 3–23, weeknights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers can contribute by posting fliers before the sale and tagging, trimming and helping customers load trees. In addition, the organization needs donations of baked goods to sell at the tree lot. If you are interested in helping in any capacity, send an e-mail to the cafe.
ADAM WICKHAM/VANGUARD STAFF
Can it: Give your pantry full of canned vegetables you're never going to actually eat to ASPSU's food drive.
Take a shift at Fish Emergency Services 1335 SE Hawthorne Blvd. 503-233-5533
This food and clothing pantry is located on Southeast Hawthorne, just north of Ladd’s Addition in southeast Portland and walking distance from campus. It specializes in providing bags of groceries and gently used clothing to people in need at no cost. This season, Fish needs people to pack bags and run the clothing room distribution. Community help is crucial, as the organization runs entirely on volunteer manpower. Volunteers are taken on a walk-in basis from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday. One can also call ahead.
Donate non-perishables to ASPSU’s food pantry 117 Smith Memorial Student Union 503-725-3454
We are all aware that money is tight, and as students it can be difficult to work and keep on top of schoolwork when financial aid doesn’t cover all living expenses. To help address this issue, one of ASPSU’s goals this year has been to open a food pantry for students at PSU. The pantry, located on the second floor of SMSU, is close to completion and ASPSU is collecting supplies and food with which to stock it. There are drop-off bins around SMSU, including one in the ASPSU office and in Ondine Residence Hall. Currently, ASPSU is also running a food collection competition between student organizations, so stop by any of the participating groups and make your donation of toothpaste, soap, canned food, dry pasta and other shelf-stable food items.
Join Hands On Greater Portland 1621 NW 21st Ave. 503-200-3355
Hands On Greater Portland not only sets up its own volunteer events in the city, but also partners with other local charities to help them recruit volunteers. One of the main features on Hands On’s website, www.handsonportland.org, is a calendar that centralizes all the volunteer opportunities for most of the charitable organizations in the area. Because many people volunteer during the holidays, lots fill up fast so sign up early and check back frequently for updates. ■
HOLIDAY GUIDE ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 11
Top 10 holiday movies There’s a holiday movie for everyone RICHARD D. OXLEY VANGUARD STAFF
Sure, when it comes to holiday movies we can all point to a fair number of flicks that have become standards for this time of year—“It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Christmas Story,” and more. But they can get old quick, especially while ignoring a plethora of films that hold their own and pull off the holiday spirit nicely…some in their own unique way.
“The Family Stone” (2005)
A romantic comedy, a feel-good family flick or just a straight-up holiday movie, “The Family Stone” is many things. It will certainly have viewers laughing and crying and feeling all nice by the end of the movie. PHOTO COURTESY OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX
“Christmas Vacation” (1989)
“Christmas Vacation” humorously points out one rather trying aspect of the holidays we all know about, but don’t often mention—family. Sure, some people have nice families that spend loving holidays with each other. But for the rest of us with normal families, they can be a real pain in the ass.
Die Hard: Bringing a much needed yippy-kay-yay to the holiday season.
“Die Hard” I and II (1988, 1990)
“Die Hard” and its sequel bring a little much-needed “yippykay-yay” to the holiday. How many other holiday flicks have as many explosions, shoot outs and great one-liners.
“Elf” (2003)
This movie can be so stupid, it’s genius. Of course, Will Ferrell is the linchpin that holds the whole film together. In the end, it provides a couple of hours to kill while putting down cookies and eggnog.
“Scrooged” (1988)
A modern take on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” with Bill Murray standing in as the Scrooge character. Wonderfully funny in a way Murray can only supply.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993)
I’ll be honest, I’ve never gotten into this flick as much as others have. But aside from keeping Hot Topic in business, it does take the place of watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the 10th time.
“Muppets Christmas Carol” (1992)
The classic Charles Dickens’ tale of the power of Christmas spirit delivered with Muppet flare. And if you don’t like the Muppets, you’re going to hell—just saying.
Six must-see holiday events Annual Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto Through Dec. 30 www.thegrotto.org
Christmas Ship Parade Dec. 9 – 21 www.christmasships.org
Museum by Moonlight Dec. 9 www.worldforestry.org
Zoo Lights Through Jan. 2 www.oregonzoo.org
The Lights on Peacock Lane Dec. 14 – 31 www.peacocklane.net
Winter Wonderland Lights at Portland International Raceway Through Dec. 26 www.portlandraceway.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS
Gremlins: They make a great Christmas present. Just don't get them wet or feed them after midnight.
“Gremlins” (1984)
Many might not remember, but yes indeed, “Gremlins” is set in the midst of the holiday season. Totally straying from the traditional feel-good format akin to holiday films, “Gremlins” satisfies the rest of us who enjoy a little mayhem mixed with laughter.
“Love Actually” (2003)
The stories of various London residents finding love, hope and all that crap, set against the holidays. It’s just plain cute.
“Trading Places” (1983)
Okay, so this is not truly a holiday movie. But hey, there aren’t too many flicks of cheer this Grinch can stomach and I needed to round out the list to make a solid 10 movies. It does take place around the holidays, while also being a classic Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy. ■
12 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ HOLIDAY GUIDE
Holiday spirits What every holiday needs—booze! Hot Toddy
RICHARD D. OXLEY VANGUARD STAFF
The holidays are a time of traveling, shopping and gathering with one’s family…oh man, I need a drink already. Of course, I am in no way promoting excessive consumption of alcohol, but we all know this time of year has its share of cocktails and booze—and hey, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy visiting with my uncle Daniels during Christmas. Here are a couple ideas to fuel your holiday cheer—keep in mind that the Vanguard always urges responsible legal consumption.
A standard in winter drinks, and a superb aid for your sore throat. While your doctor might not recomend it, a Hot Toddy usually clears my head up when I have a cold. There are a number of recipes for a Hot Toddy, depending upon tastes—some with scotch, rum or brandy. But I prefer a straight shot of whiskey. 1 oz honey 1 oz lemon juice 3 oz whiskey
Take a coffee mug and start by adding the honey, followed by the lemon and then the whiskey. Next, fill the rest of the mug with boiling hot water. You can add a dash of cinnamon and throw in a lemon wedge while you’re at it.
A Vanguard sports editor tends to his cold with a Hot Toddy.
Mulled Wine
Snuggler
Various cultures have their own versions of a mulled wine—Germans call it Glühwein, Nordic cultures call it Glög. It’s a spiced wine served hot. It’s not difficult to prepare, as you basically just empty a couple bottles into a pot and heat it up. You could stop there and be fine, but if you really want to treat yourself, toss in a couple cinnamon sticks. If you’re feeling fancy you can also peel off and add some orange zest. But the real trick is adding more booze to the wine, as heating will burn off some of the alcohol. There is no exact science to this, but little by little add some spiced rum such as Sailor Jerry. Adjust to taste, which is all part of the fun. Top left: an Apple Pie cocktail. Bottom right: a delicious Hot Toddy.
Apple Pie
On a chilly winter night, a snuggler could be just what you need. Chocolate and peppermint goodness in a mug.
¾ oz peppermint schnapps 5 oz hot cocoa 1 teaspoon sugar
Combine ingredients into a mug. That’s your base. But the drink isn’t complete until you float some whipped cream on top.
Irish Eggnog When it comes to eggnog during the holidays, it’s not rocket science—put booze in it. But an Irish eggnog is special treat. 1 oz Guinness 1 oz gold rum eggnog
A good old martini with the twist of apple delight. 6 oz vanilla vodka 1 oz apple brandy 1 oz dry vermouth ALL PHOTOS BY RICHARD OXLEY/VANGUARD STAFF
Combine all ingredients into a shaker over ice and, well, shake. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy.
It’s not too difficult to figure out. Put the first two ingredients into a glass and top it off with eggnog. ■
Where to get your picture taken with Santa
Bridgeport Village Daily: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Dec. 5–6
Clackamas Town Center Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: Noon to 6 p.m. Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lloyd Center Monday – Saturday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Christmas Eve: hours TBA
Pioneer Place Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Washington Square Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Christmas Eve: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. *Note: Most Santas take breaks throughout the day to "feed the reindeer."
HOLIDAY GUIDE ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 13
Holiday shopping 101 How to find the right gifts for the right people JESSE HANSEN VANGUARD STAFF
Be it for your mother, father, partner or best friend, the idea of gift shopping can be a nerve jangling experience. This year, however, how about kicking the habit of purchasing ghastly gifts? For you, dear readers, the Vanguard has painstakingly sought out and compiled a list sure to satisfy even the most discerning of Christmas consumers, custom-tailored to fit the college student budget. Ranging from local vendors to the far-flung recesses of the Internet, you’re sure to find something for everyone.
Shopping for boyfriends
Let’s face it: Guys should be easy. When shopping for men, you can’t go wrong with superfluous electronics. Any gadget that makes life vaguely easier, or saves imperceptible amounts of time, is probably something we can’t live without. Take, for example, the USB Beverage Cooler/ Warmer. Unless his computer is conveniently placed within arm’s reach of the fridge/microwave, the man in your life probably needs this. This item can be found at www.usbgeek.com for $22. However, if the idea of precariously balancing drinks next to your computer is unappealing, then maybe the iCarta iPod dock is for you. A two-in-one toilet paper dispenser/iPod dock with speakers, the iCarta is an absolute necessity for extended bathroom visits, or solo karaoke sessions in the shower. Find it at www.amazon. com for $40. For the less tech-oriented boyfriend, try the Paradise Pen Company in the Pioneer Square Mall. With a wide variety of sophisticated pens, any man will feel like a champ taking notes in style. The Padrino Contour is highly recommended.
Shopping for girlfriends
Have you ever bought a girlfriend a wireless mouse for Christmas? That’s a mistake you’ll only make once. Instead, saunter over to Northwest 23rd Avenue. Despite its status as the Rodeo Drive of Portland, it’s easy to get inspired once you get there. A good place for some serious last-minute shopping is LUSH, which advertises fresh, handmade cosmetics. You really can’t go wrong here. A large selection of hand soaps and lotions can be purchased for under $20, and for what it’s worth, the friendly staff at LUSH will let you sample the items in-store before you buy. This place is great for moms, too. Maybe your girlfriend is more the hipster type (it is Portland, after all). Try the 12-inch vintage vinyl record bowl at www.modernartisans.com for only $26.99. Designed by Jeff Davis, these dishes are perfect to accent any dorm or apartment, and are sure to please. For a truly inspired gift, check out Urban Outfitters, right off of Burnside on 23rd Avenue. It has a plethora of eccentric gifts, from hilari
It's the most stressful time of the year: Shopping for friends and loved ones should be fun, right? Not true.
ous coffee table books and decadent scarves to quirky and cute kitchenware. This place is a onestop shop for gifts.
Shopping for friends
Shopping for friends should be fun and easy. Unless you have a serious sentiment you’d like to add to your gift, just relax and pick something humorous and quirky. An inflatable moose head, for instance, can be found for $19.95 at www.amazon.com. If novelties aren’t your style, books can be the perfect gift. Right now, Powell’s Books is celebrating the holiday season by offering gift packages—a combination of gift cards and Powell’s merchandise. For the “artsy” friend, don’t overlook Paper Source, a local stationary shop that covers all your homemaking needs. It’s located at 638 NW 23rd Ave.
Seasonal “pop-up shops” and other hot spots
For the holiday season, Portland is privileged to host several pop-up shops in the downtown area. These temporary seasonal gift shops offer locally made arts and crafts to fulfill a wide variety of gift-shopping needs. Check out Crafty Wonderland (www.craftywonderland.com) for all things way too cute. For a complete list of pop-up shops, visit www.downtownportland.org. For even more amazing handmade goods, consider the “Super Colossal Holiday Sale” at the Oregon Convention Center on Dec. 11–12. ■
ALLERLEIRAU/FLICKR
14 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ HOLIDAY GUIDE HOLIDAY MUSIC FROM PAGE 9
10 best holiday songs Once the holidays hit, radio stations fill the airways with all the Christmas and holiday music one can handle. Of course, the down side to this is that a lot of holiday music…a fair number…okay, most of the stuff is just plain crap. It’s cheesy, it’s boring and frankly, most of the time it’s some pop star shamelessly exploiting the time of year to reign in some of that Christmas cash. There are, however, some nice choices here and there that one can easily enjoy without suffering through someone’s lame attempt to make a holiday buck—well, maybe a little suffering, but it’s totally worth it.
“The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole
In 1944, songwriter Bob Wells was attempting to cool off one sweltering hot summer day. So he started writing down thoughts of cold winter days—not trying to write a song at all. His friend and co-writer Mel Torme came across Wells’ notes, and a song was soon created. They quickly brought it to their friend Nat King Cole and a legendary song was born.
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by The Jackson Five
Wham: Last Christmas, George gave you his heart... but the very next day you just gave it away. Moral: Do not re-gift George Michael's heart. Ever.
JACOB WHITTAKER/FLICKR
A classic song about the innocence of childhood during Christmas…and also that horrifying incident children sometimes witness that will later put them in therapy.
“Last Christmas” by Wham
Just the right amount of cheese for the holidays bundled up in a classic ‘80s music video. Honestly, how could no one figure out George Michael was gay?
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
Another song that many artists take on, but none have ever topped Brenda Lee’s version from 1958. You can’t beat the original.
“Oh Come All Ye Faithful” by Twisted Sister
I don’t care what anyone says—Twisted Sister’s album “A Twisted Christmas” will always be in my Christmas music playlist. They also pull off an excellent version of “Silver Bells.”
“Christmas in Hollis” by Run DMC
Just try not to feel the spirit while listening to this tune. A great song in its own right, but it’s also a very memorable addition to 1988’s “Die Hard.”
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby owns Christmas.
“Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues with Kristy MacColl
Come on, not every Christmas is a snowy vision of wonder and joy. Sometimes, it’s a drunken reflection of better, and worse, holiday times. Delivered no better than by The Pogues.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer
Not strictly a holiday song, but it works. Many have recorded a version of this song, bur Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer did it best in 1949.
“All I Wanted Was A Skateboard” by Super Deluxe
The Seattle-based power-pop rock group Super Deluxe cranked out this holiday tune back in the late ‘90s, expressing something we all can relate to: not getting what you really wanted for Christmas, but instead more clothes that someone else believes looks swell. ■
ETC. ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 15
ETC.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: VIRGINIA VICKERY EDITOR@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691
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, December 03, 2010
Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Fixes, as some fairways 7 Charm the pants off 15 Missile that sank a British destroyer in the Falklands War 16 Words before many a foolish act 17 “Iʼm not listening …” 18 April shower? 19 I love the classic way? 20 Causes of breakdowns 22 Old Asian capital 23 Capital of Shaanxi province 25 Far from a sure thing 26 Lingerie shop specification 27 Ancient empire builders 29 Abbr. of politeness
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30 Bit of wishful thinking 31 Company at the forefront of the dot-com boom 33 Home of LewisClark State Coll. 34 Like brutal tactics 35 Not so tenuous 39 One with a small nest egg? 40 Make purr, as an engine 41 Poisonous mushroom producer, briefly? 44 Club cousin 45 Star in the Swan constellation 46 Shield border 47 Itʼs worn while driving 49 Top: Prefix 50 “Sk8er ___” (2002 top 10 hit) 51 Locale for an Olivier Award winner 53 One may suffer a blow
54 1980 Maxwell Smart film, with “The” 56 Extract 58 Clearing 59 Really lit 60 “Hang in there!” 61 Copied a capo
Down 1 In a hammock, say 2 Many a patient 3 Ones with the motto “One for the road”? 4 Andean tuber 5 Strike 6 See 7-Down 7 With 6-Down, common sight outside a school building 8 Mingo player of 1960s TV 9 Sawyerʼs successor in Chicago 10 Longtime enemy of Wonder Woman TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A C H B R I D G E S 11 Discipline symbolized by a M O E R E M O R S E painted circle I S A I S O L A T E 12 Style associated D E R M T V B A T with washboards S T O P E R A T O 13 Stuff T S F A V O R I T E 14 It covers 2% of S E R I O the earthʼs D E S S E R T M I X surface E N I E M I N E 21 Lighter option B E R R Y P I E A N D 24 The courtʼs A S A U C Y Bucharest T R E K L E E N E X Buffoon I O N I S C R E A M 26 Latte alternative N T O M E A A V E 28 Opposite of G E L A S P T E N ample
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30 Wasnʼt employed 32 Quick to get things 33 Plasma bit 35 Join, as a table 36 Quaint humiliator 37 Pep up 38 Responded to a crash, maybe 40 No posh hotel
41 Hang (with) 42 51-Across unit 43 Uses shortening on? 44 State surrounded by Lower Saxony 47 Complete, informally
48 “How pallid, chill and ___!”: Keats 51 Alternative to a carpet lift 52 Part of the Tuscan Archipelago 55 Apnea diagnoser, briefly 57 They, in Calais
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.
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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
12-3-10
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.
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OPINION ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ VANGUARD 17
OPINION
EDITOR: RICHARD D. OXLEY OPINION@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692
How to prevail over retail The value of a gift with meaning KAT AUDICK VANGUARD STAFF
There is no better way to celebrate the morning after a holiday dedicated to marathon-style family gluttony than spending money in retail. As Americans, we are champion shoppers birthed out of the womb to hit the ground running toward a Black Friday sale. It has been hard-wired into us to take a second glance
at every red discount sign we pass on the street. Sure, those burnt-orange argyle stockings are straddling the line between very fashionable and absolutely tasteless, but they are 50 percent off, damn it! Since a good number of us that are putting ourselves through school actually work in retail, I find it a bit ridiculous that we casually wind up pouring our hard-earned money right back into it. Even those strong enough to resist splurging on themselves can be broken down by the urge to spend money on the ones they
love. The giving of gifts has a huge importance in our culture and it is exaggerated tenfold around the holidays. You can say you just want to express how much someone means to you, but secretly you are their main opponent in a battle of out-gifting one another. They love you the amount of a brand new Nikon D90 digital camera, so god help you if you only love them back an iPod shuffle’s worth. However, there is a way to end this holiday cage match. In a commercial world, it is easy to forget the power of a handmade gift. Something self-created doesn’t have to denote a craft project. It can be
any number of things; even if it is as simple as spending time together. I’m not asking you to make your girlfriend a multicolor macaroni necklace—unless, of course, that’s her kind of thing. What I am asking is that we reconsider what we find valuable. When reflecting on what you cherish most out of a relationship, it is not likely that you’ll choose the entire DVD series of “Arrested Development” that they bought you last winter (in all fairness, that may be the second most important thing, but it probably doesn’t hold the title of most important). We are creatures that remember moments, not objects.
If we can accept this, maybe we can keep our cash-squandering to a minimum this season. It is naive to say we won’t spend any money on items from retail and similar realms. That pair of concert tickets or sushi dinner will probably do the trick. However, for those who constantly nickel-anddime themselves into debt, the construction of a handmade lower-cost present can be just as significant. We tend to shy away from personal gifts because they are undoubtedly more timeconsuming. Finding a dapper yellow coat at H&M and dropping 50 dollars on it could be done in a half-hour shopping
Get in the true spirit of Christmas
The Christmas lie
The holiday is not so bad after all
The integrated origins of the holiday
MEAGHAN DANIELS
“Bah Humbug” is a mantra that many people seem to embrace around the holiday season. But even Ebenezer Scrooge appreciated Christmas, in the end, for what it was: a celebration with family and friends. Yes, it is that time of the year again, when lights are put up on trees, Starbucks sells its red cups full of delicious holiday goodness and the stores begin having their holiday specials. There is a special feeling in the air around this time. Whether it’s the storefronts decorated in their holiday finest or the music on radio airwaves, something is different about this time of the year, and it is something special. Perhaps, for us college students, it is the comforting feeling of finishing a term with nothing left academically lingering. Or maybe it is simply that there are no classes for the majority of December. While the lack of school and all the decorations are nice, the true spirit of Christmas is spending time with family and friends, the people that mean the most to you in the world. It is a time of celebration and relaxation. It may be argued that Christmas has been completely commercialized, which is true. I will not argue that at all.
I do not believe, however, that the commercialization takes away the magic. I for one enjoy drinking Starbucks peppermint mochas in their red cups, getting deals on stuff for my loved ones (maybe even myself ) and watching the classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Muppet Christmas Carol.” Of course, these are the traditions in my family: going Christmas shopping in downtown Portland, watching some of the “25 Days of Christmas” on ABC family, going to the World’s Largest Christmas Bazaar, seeing the tree lighting downtown with Starbucks in hand. It may be buying into the consumer culture that has created the commercialized Christmas, but it also embodies the Christmas spirit of loved ones surrounding you. You really cannot fight the commercialism off, and around this time, it is everywhere, no one is immune, no one is safe. If you cannot beat them, join them! You can create Christmas traditions around the commercialism that means something to you and the ones you care about. Every year the commercialization does get out of control, and I would agree with many that Christmas decorations and sales should not be around before Thanksgiving, let alone Halloween. All you have to do is simply refrain from the traditions until all the other fall/ winter holidays are celebrated. Christmas is about sharing things you love with the people in your life; it is about appre-
ciation. Giving presents shows someone you appreciate them. Now, I am not saying that you have to go and buy an iPhone for someone to truly show you care; you do not even have to buy anything, and all you need to do is make them a card that says you do. It is just something that is a little extra special to show your appreciation. Christmas is also a time to give back to those who are less fortunate. Anyone can donate to a charity; whether it is an item or just a little of your time, it is this time of the year that people need it most. There are often times when we are constantly moving from one thing to the next, being pulled in a million different directions. Christmas is a great time to stop, breathe and reflect on what we truly should be thankful for: the people in our lives. It is a time to get away from the stress of everyday life and be with your family. To those of you who stress out more during the holiday season, take time for yourself, remember how fortunate you are and remember the true meaning of the Christmas season: the people who mean the most to you. Take time to appreciate the little things in life and let the stress roll off your backs. Whether it is people you love or people you love to hate, Christmas is a time for family and friends, so embrace it. Embrace the feelings of happiness, embrace the people you care for, embrace the spirit of giving and embrace the tradition. ■
JANIEVE SCHNABEL
It’s a poignant and familiar image: a weary mother kneeling by a manger in the town of Bethlehem, wise men to the side, and an innocent, tiny child that would one day become an icon for so many people all over the world. Here in America, nearly everyone has heard some variation of the story, and it is difficult to go through December without seeing some representation of it. Churches across the nation recount the tale of the origin of Christmas to the congregations they serve. And all of them, from Catholic to Protestant, have got the real story all wrong. The fact is that the real origin of Christmas—at least the modern traditional version we have all come to know—isn’t so tidy and easily explained. It’s the amalgamation of beliefs from all over the world, coalesced into a singular event celebrated everywhere. And it didn’t happen by accident. Let’s start with something familiar: the date of Christmas. Christian churches and tradition tells us that we celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 in order to mark Jesus Christ’s birthday. In fact, historians extrapolating from biblical events and historical records estimate Christ’s birthday to be in either March or September—a three-month difference either way from the accepted date of today. So why
celebrate it in December? The best explanation for this lies in the early methods used in Christianity to convert new followers to the fledgling religion. See, early Christians weren’t as rigid and immoveable as today’s Christian leaders are. In fact, they were quite the opposite: shrewd, adaptive and pragmatic. They realized that the easiest way to convert people who already had a belief system of their own was to make the new religion that they were advertising a close analog to the preexisting belief. In an effort to convert Roman pagans, early Christians claimed that one of their holidays, Saturnalia, coincided with the birth of their savior, and convinced them to combine their two celebrations. As a result, the yet-unnamed Christian holiday was born. For years, Christmas was celebrated the same way Saturnalia was: with indecent exposure, rape, public intoxication, murder, human sacrifice and delicious human-shaped cookies. These things were lost over time, gradually morphing into singing naked in the streets and drinking excessively. And thus the beginning of the holiday we now know came to be. Along with the singing (now fully dressed and called caroling), the drinking and the human-shaped cookies which have persisted even today, the coagulation of Christian and Pagan beliefs also resulted in a tradition every child awaits with inescapable eagerness. The practice of giving gifts originated as a holdover from the pagan Saturnalia: Before Christianity had come along, gift-giving was a standard practice in Saturnalia. It wasn’t a
trip. Racking our brains over how to make something by hand or find a new experience to share can take days, if not weeks, of contemplation. But taking on that challenge is an expression of love in itself. Sure, getting creative is genuinely hard. But at the end of the day, we’re college students—in our prime for forming clever ideas. If we can come up with yet another thesis statement, essay or final project, we can definitely think of a gift that wasn’t purchased at the mall. Where there’s a will, there is indeed a way. And it could be a way that won’t compromise your ability to pay rent on time next month. ■
good enough idea for Christians, though. As they found more beliefs to mesh with, they associated the practice with a bishop responsible for the New Testament’s survival of the ecumenical gathering of the Council of Nicaea: Bishop Nicholas of Myra, who in the 19th century was finally sainted. In other words, jolly old Saint Nicholas. But not all Christmas traditions started with Saturnalia. One of them is as inseparable from Christmas as it gets: the Christmas tree. It all started, appropriately enough, with an attack on another belief system. A German man chopped down a tree known as the Tree of Thor to legitimize the Norse beliefs altogether. He told his town, Geismar, that the tree that grew in its place, a fir, was the symbol of Christianity, and the custom of decorating one for Christmas came about 1,000 years later with the symbolism firmly in place. Really, Christmas doesn’t have much at all that it can call strictly original. Mistletoe comes from pagan and Norse beliefs. Candles come from Roman history, and the Yule Log comes from German tradition. The only thing it really came up with on its own was the Christian Mass from which Christmas’s name was derived: Christ’s Mass. So the nativity scene, as beloved and representative as it may be, is only the first of the many things modern people picture incorrectly about Christmas. Few realize its origins in pagan festivities or the audacity with which early Christians claimed and remodeled the practices of other faiths. And despite the monopoly modern consumerism has on the future of the holiday, those origins aren’t going to change. ■
DESIGN BY JUSTIN FLOOD/VANGUARD STAFF
CONTRIBUTORS
PSU The musical score library is quiet, isolated and devoid of other living souls. Located on the third floor in an obscure corner of PSU’s library, the room has hundreds of scores that range from classical to German folk. My only encounter with other people in the room was with two freshman music students whose instructor had directed them there. I asked them what they liked about the room. One said, “They have every classical song I can think of, and that whole wall is just Bach. They have everything he’s ever written.” We discussed the mystery of the apparently useless tape deck in the back. They agreed that this room should be sought out by anyone who wants a peaceful place to lose themselves amongst centuries of musical history.
Bones are usually buried, but not at PSU’s Museum of Vertebrate Biology, which contains thousands of skeletal specimens. The professor who maintains the museum’s collection in Science Building 2 told me he would like students to dig deeper to see what this collection has to offer. During my visit we discussed methods of preparing these specimens for display, including ways to remove the flesh from a skeleton. He told me that for smaller specimens, they first clean the flesh and fur off the bones as much as possible, and then let flesh-eating beetles remove the rest. Larger specimens are left buried in the ground for five years before excavation. Larger skeleton articulations can be seen any time on the second-floor lounge area of Science Building 2, but those displays are just the tip of the iceberg. The bulk of the museum specimens are currently stored in the basement. Once its construction is complete, the specimen collection will be brought out of the basement into a new home on the second floor of Science Building 2.
Field Work, on SW 11th and Jefferson, is a new collaborative space organized by a group of PSU MFA and Graphic Design students. I have attended several events at Field Work, including a public forum on love that included a Skype interview with “The Love Artist," and a workshop on pickling by Chef David Barber, owner of Three Square Grill and Picklopolis. Field Work is looking to reach more people with a great schedule of upcoming events (hellofieldwork.tumblr.com) and is also currently accepting submissions for projects until Dec. 15. All events have been well worth the trip a little ways off campus to learn creative life skills and interact with the public and PSU students in a non-traditional learning situation. This is an amazing place that encourages artists and non-artists alike to explore creative uses of space and execute interactive projects.
I tried asking people about volcanoes: What did they know about Mt. St. Helens? "It erupted up in the ’80s." "I think it blew up in 1981." "It blew up six years before I was born." "The mountain is part of the Cascadia Tectonic System." "It was a big eruption." "There was lava, there was ash; it was part of the Ape Caves system." "My high school was named after a volcano in Alaska." "There's lots of volcanoes in Alaska." These are things I learned while standing on the Northeast corner of Cramer Hall by the red rock. Student ambassadors told me this rock came from the famous explosion, but later a student told me it was just a rock from the geology department. I actually heard a lot of conflicting information and I'm not sure if I learned anything true. However, I discovered how it feels to stop people on the street and ask them questions. It's fun, you should try it out.
The 12th Street Stairs are both mysteriously unknown and strangely famous. I visited the stairs for the first time in one of my P.E. classes last year. On a return trip to the stairs I met a woman named Georganne Pierce, who was walking with a friend. She told me that there were 176 steps and that the stairs were "very historic." I asked her if she knew anything about their history and she replied, "not really," but told me that a lot of runners use the stairs to train for the Portland to Coast Run. She continued to explain that people come from all over Portland to use the stairs. I learned that there are many more stairways like these throughout the city.
The Association of African Students is among other organizations and clubs that are part of Portland State University. These groups provide support and a sense of belonging to students of different backgrounds within the academic community and PSU in particular. As soon as I walked into the office of AAS, I encountered a warm and very welcoming environment. A student who identified herself as the "PR person" told me that the African Student Association has over 100 members and that it celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. Another friendly student in the office, who was
wearing a traditional Middle Eastern garment, told me that the mission of the association was to "unite the African student community attending PSU and the student community at large." They have a great number of activities and events throughout the year such as AIDS Awareness Week and African Night, which includes a fashion show that they enthusiastically encouraged me to attend.
Tucked away on the fifth floor of the Student Rec Center is a little known office that preserves maps, photos, architectural plans and even arrest records. The Portland City Archives houses materials dating back to 1851, the year Portland began keeping records. An archivist assistant said that since they moved to PSU’s campus in May of this year, the number of visitors has doubled. The archives' blog and Twitter pages have raised attendance at their public events as well. I asked assistant archivist Brian Johnson to show me a sample of recent research. He led me down a long row of dilapidated old books and pulled out a grey cardboard box with the words "Police Historical/Archival, Subject Files, Mug Book, Prostitutes, Queers, Pimps, Bunco" handwritten on the side. The book inside was full of arrest records from the 1940s and 50s. Prostitutes were listed as "immoral women," pimps as "bringing 2 together—immoral" and gay men
were arrested for "immoral disorderly conduct." I was both fascinated and appalled to see arrests that included euphemisms and moral judgment.
Back behind the computer lab of the PSU Library's second floor lies the Dark Horse comic book collection. PSU has nearly every publication from Dark Horse available for anyone with a library card to check out for themselves. Dark Horse Comics is a small comic book publisher located in Milwaukee, Ore., featuring popular franchises such as "Hellboy," "Aliens vs Predator," and "Star Wars." Special Collections librarian Cris Paschild informed me that one of Dark Horse's founders is a former PSU student. In 2008 the library and Dark Horse agreed it would mutually beneficial for two of each of Dark Horse's publications to be donated to the library. Now anyone can check out any of Dark Horse's large collection of comic books and manga straight from the PSU Academic Library.
I managed to stumble upon the "putting green" by chance some time ago behind the old Rec Center, and in it I have found a lost jewel on campus.
Rylee does too. That’s why we come to Food for Thought, and have been ever since we started going to PSU.
Out of the various colleges that I have attended throughout the United States I have found PSU to be the only university to have food stands for the people who attend classes. Being intrigued by the flavor and look of Mediterranean foods, I decided to focus my attention on Basha's Mediterranean Cuisine. The owner, Maggie, has run this stand for the past 12 years, and interestingly enough, took over the business from her father who started it over 35 years ago. Even with the frequent gloomy weather her business does pretty well. When I asked her what people's favorite food is here, she quickly answered “The falafel...it has been popular for over five years now.” Maggie loves to have people try new foods and even sometimes forces them to try something new—she made me my very first falafel.
While entering the Queer Resource Center, I was greeted by Glenn, one of the many friendly and helpful volunteers. He told me that he had been volunteering at the Queer Resource Center ever since he started at PSU. He showed me their wall of informational pamphlets that cover many subjects including contraception, support groups and how to deal with abuse. There are also free contraceptives offered in the center. He told me that there are always staff members and volunteers present in the resource center to answer any questions you may have. He also showed me a comfortable lounge area including couches, a television and movies. You are also allowed to check out books in a small library they offer. Glenn told me that the Queer Resource Center is a good place to go if you have questions about LGBTQ issues, want to learn about events going on, or need someone to talk with. The Queer Resource Center is located on the fourth floor of the Smith Student Union.
The Church of Saint Michael the Arch Angel on 424 SW Mill St. functions as PSU’s unofficial campus parish. After attending the congregation’s celebration of All Souls Day, I asked to meet with Deacon Charles Amsberry. He opened our meeting in his office with a prayer, after which I asked him about his call to service and what life events lead him to his spiritual vocation. We talked for almost an hour and his responses made me think about my own calling to be an artist. His general bio can be found on the church website, but you won’t find any information about his personal calling to faith without a person-to-person visit. Deacon Amsberry holds regular office hours and provides his services for funerals, baptisms, couples counseling, weekly mass and other sacraments. The congregation also hosts a variety of social services for the public including weekly sack lunches for the homeless, food boxes, youth education programs, and more.
Not in any sense that it’s a popular place to hangout, but in the sense that it has value as a refuge from the fast-paced and ever busy world that surrounds it. Tucked away from the heavy traffic of people up and down the Park Blocks, the bustle of students through the Smith Center and Neuberger Hall and the non-stop civilian footrace that always seems to be in mid marathon across campus, you can find the "putting green" almost always waiting in solitude with an eerie quiet compared to chatter of the world that encircles it. For me, it has provided a place far from its original purpose. It is a place of escape, a lost pocket of sanctuary for an occupied mind. Those who can appreciate it will find "the putting green" to be a niche where inspiration and relaxation can be virtually inhaled in peace away from prying eyes.
Feminism is a loaded subject. Many people choose to distance themselves from the label "feminist," because of their assumptions about what it might imply. Perhaps that’s why it took me nearly two years on campus before I asked a friend to lead me to PSU’s Women’s Resource Center and tell me about her experiences there. Hidden in the basement of Montgomery Hall, it was easy to see the appeal of the center upon entry. The room was enormous,
set up with couches, coffee tables, and just far enough off the beaten path to maintain a sense of tranquility unparalleled on campus. The WRC houses an extensive library and information on local women’s organizations, in addition to hosting events like an annual production of the Vagina Monologues, weekly knitting parties and guest lectures. To my friends, the WRC has been a welcoming, unencumbered environment where they can peruse literature, make a cup of tea and strike up a dialogue.
Food for Thought, the student run cooperative cafe in the basement of Smith, is buzzing with energy. The cafe offers vegan and vegetarian meals and the most sustainable coffee on campus. There are posters and flyers to graze near the coffee, people chattering, frequent events and live music— including an open mic at 7 p.m. every Tuesday night, and students get a chance to exhibit their artwork along the walls every term. Even though this place may not be the hidden destination that it once was, it has been a sort of refuge for me between classes. On one typical rainy day I find myself here, this time to meet my friend Rylee and catch up on every little detail. We strike up a discussion about current events and other on-goings, and I find comfort in the sense of community that is ever present here.
I recently took advantage of some free popcorn and weekend entertainment offered weekly at PSU's Fifth Avenue Cinema. My evening spent at the theater was unlike any movie experience I’ve previously had. First of all, I paid nothing. Also, the theatre is unseasonably cozy, the popcorn was infinite, and the classic movie made me feel fancy. The Fifth Avenue Cinema, located at Southwest Fifth and Hall, is a student run organization that plays a variety of 35mm reels. The cinema is open on Fridays and Saturdays 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Films are free for PSU students with ID, and $2–$3 for friends. For more information, pick up a schedule in the Smith Memorial Student Union.
“The Multicultural Center belongs to all students socially and academically—it is a resource that is here to serve students,” says Jon Joiner, the Center's Coordinator. Located in Smith Memorial Student Union on the second floor, room 228, it is a place to come to study, use the computers and attend events. It is also a social place of support for under-represented and majority students alike. Joiner refers to the center as a student’s "Home Away from Home." The center offers speaker forums, peer-to-peer mentoring, international coffee hour, a study community and many other great rewards. You can come to Study Hall from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. It is not just a quiet three hours, it is a vibrant three hours, including both group and individual studying, where conversations happen and people exchange ideas and information. Any student can come in—and light refreshments are always served.
20 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2010 ■ ARTS & CULTURE
Are you tough enough for the group? Campus Rec’s group class offerings
WANT MORE? Make sure to check out the Vanguard’s online arts section for more stories, including several online exclusives! This issue: television. Is there any truth to the unflattering nickname “idiot box?” Richard D. Oxley talks about cancellation of television programs that are geared towards smart people. You’re already reading the Vanguard, so this means you! Make sure to check it out on www.psuvanguard.com.
WANT SOMETHING TO DO? When fall term is over, look no further than these shows, all happening on Saturday the 11th! Cower, Defect Defect, Weed, Kurt’s Kids
blow through town, it’s always a real treat. Essentially, Low play ultra slow, mega-complicated jams that enrapture and beautify the listener. Since they play so slow, they can cram a lot of complexity in there. Don’t miss them at one of their very intimate performances.
Mississippi Studios, $16, 8:30 p.m., 21+
SARIA DY/VANGUARD STAFF
RIAN EVANS VANGUARD STAFF
The holidays are here at last. This means fall term is almost in the bag, and that a well-deserved winter break lies just around the corner. For a lot of us, the holidays also mean that we finally have some time to spend with our friends and our families. Like any red-blooded American, I love this time of the year, but it comes with one potential threat: gaining anywhere from five to 10 pounds of blubber as I over-indulge in delicious homemade foods. (My grandma is affectionately nicknamed “Grandma Cookie” for her otherworldly baking skills.) While I certainly encourage my readers to practice moderation when it comes to their holiday food indulgences, another step that can been taken to avoid packing on holiday chub is to participate in some of the Group X fitness classes offered at Campus Rec. Campus Rec currently offers over a dozen fitness classes to PSU students. Classes range from hardcore no-frills calorie burning like Boot Camp to the more unique and holistic offerings of classes like Nia. Though I still (and will always) recommend weight training to just about everyone, the truth is that not everyone is going to get bit by the iron bug like I was. While lifting weights is indeed fantastic for one’s health and body, it isn’t for everybody. Thankfully, the group fitness classes offer effective, often less in
timidating, more social and arguably more fun ways to get in shape and stay there. In the wide variety of group fitness classes of fered, the trainee receives live instruction as the class proceeds. This isn’t to say that there is absolutely zero learning curve for most of the classes, but it is easier to get a hang of than learning how to properly and safely perform 10 different weight training exercises. Classes offer a group environment, which usually makes for more productive workouts in my personal experience. The atmosphere created by like-minded individuals helps the trainee stay motivated, which is beneficial for beginners and experienced trainees alike. Lastly, most of these classes are just plain fun, even the tougher ones that leave the participant out of breath. With that said, for those looking for new ways to combat grandma’s baked goods or those who just want to inject a little more fun into their fitness routine, check out the Group X classes. No additional fees are required, the participant simply has to show up 30 minutes before the class and pick up a pass from the equipment checkout. This season, Campus Rec will be offering classes for the duration of winter break. For a full schedule of the current classes being offered, as well as class descriptions, head to www.pdx.edu/ recreation/group-x-schedule. ■
I’ve talked about Cower in here many times over. I almost don’t need to anymore. However, they’re playing Blackwater Records for three dollars with Defect Defect. Right there, that is a hell of a deal for $3, but then you have a band named Weed. Gee, I wonder what they sound like. That said, Cower plays awesome sloppy punk/metal that reminds me a lot of Gravity/ Ebullition records’s roster. Come check it out.
Blackwater Records, $3, 7 p.m., all ages Low’s Christmas Tour, Charlie Parr Low have been in the game for a while, with a name that pretty accurately reflects their sound. They don’t play often, so when they
Don’t, Confessions, The Neat Boasting one of Portland’s most ungooglable names, Don’t exists for one reason: to rock. Built around frontwoman Jenny Don’t, her band plays some serious grooving rock music, the likes of which has nearly been lost on Portland’s hard and fast hipster community. Tonight they’re playing at Saratoga, a new club in north Portland who has hosted some seriously great shows so far. If for nothing else, head up there to check out Saratoga, and let Don’t be your soundtrack. Just keep in mind the mystery cost and time.w
Saratoga, unknown cost, unknown time, 21+