PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 24 • APRIL 23, 2019
VICTOR’S DINING HOURS:
OPEN SOMETIMES
INTERNATIONAL U.S. CALLS FOR ASSANGE’S EXTRADITION AFTER ECUADOR ENDS ASYLUM • COVER PSU DINING FAILS TO MEET STUDENT EXPECTATIONS • ARTS & CULTURE HOT TOPIC HEARTS REUNITE AT TAKING BACK SUNDAY CONCERT
CRIME BLOTTER
April 15–19
DYLAN JEFFERIES APRIL 15 Attempted theft
Harassment
At 11:44 a.m., CPSO responded to a report that the storage cabinet had been broken into in the landscaping yard behind the Viking Pavilion. Nothing was taken.
Disturbance
CPSO arrested a non-student at 12:53 p.m. who was causing a disturbance in the Academic and Student Recreation Center. It was later discovered the person had a warrant for their arrest.
APRIL 16 Harassment
At 8:57 p.m., CPSO responded to a report that students were being harassed due to their ethnicity in the Smith Memorial Student Union cafeteria.
APRIL 17 Trespass/Arrest
At 7:44 a.m., CPSO arrested a non-student for trespassing on the second floor of the Blackstone Residence Hall.
CPSO received a harassment report from a non-student who was protesting the treatment of Falun Gong in the Park Blocks outside SMSU at 1:30 p.m.
APRIL 18 Threatening Behavior
At 8:39 a.m., the Portland Police Bureau advised CPSO there was a woman armed with a knife threatening pedestrians around SW 11th and Montgomery.
Suspicious Activity
At 6:53 p.m., a student reported hearing a cell phone camera taking pictures in the second floor restroom of the Science Research and Teaching Center.
APRIL 19 Fire Alarm
At 12:06 a.m., CPSO and the Portland Fire Bureau responded to a fire alarm at the Broadway Residence Hall. The building was evacuated. There were no reports of smoke or flames.
CONTENTS COVER BY ROBBY DAY AND DANA TOWNSEND NEWS HILL TO HALL
P. 3
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL REVOLUTION BLAMED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CATHOLIC CHURCH
P. 10
DOMINANCE, POWER AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE: ‘REDEFINING MASCULINITY’
P. 3
CAPITOL CONCERNS
P. 4
SUDANESE PROTESTERS CALL FOR NEW GOVERNMENT AFTER MILITARY COUP
P. 10
PSU LEGAL SERVICES CALLS FOR DECRIMINALIZATION OF SEX WORK
P. 5
JULIAN ASSANGE SEVEN–YEAR ASYLUM ENDS
P. 11
INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
P. 6
ARTS & CULTURE THE BEAUTIFUL BLOSSOM OF ‘I AM A WITCH’
P. 12
JAGUAR BODIES SOLD ON BLACK MARKET
P. 7
WELCOME TO SPLIFF
P. 13
‘CLIMATE COMES BEFORE CASH’
P. 7
SHOW ME THE MATCHA
P. 14
COVER WE PAY A LOT, DO BETTER
P. 8–9
TAKING BACK SUNDAY TAKES US BACK
P. 15
EVENTS CALENDAR
P. 16
STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Nada Sewidan MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif NEWS EDITORS Sophie Concannon Anamika Vaughan INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Madison Cecil ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cervanté Pope OPINION EDITOR Taylar Rivers ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama
COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn CONTRIBUTORS Chloe Dysart Shandi Hunt CJ Huseo Dylan Jefferies Maggie Lombard Emily Price Marena Riggan Kevin Shank McKinzie Smith Delaney White Joel Williams PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Bo Koering MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Huilyn Loo
PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas LEAD DESIGNER Dana Townsend DESIGNERS Zak Stone Robby Day DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info@psuvanguard.com
MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.
A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
APRIL 15–20 CHLOE DYSART
APRIL 15: BILL PROPOSED TO CHANGE LAWS ON DRONE INTERFERENCE PASSES OREGON SENATE
Senate Bill 581 passed the Oregon Senate on Monday and is headed to the House for approval. S.B. 581 would change the criminal offense for repeating drone interference of conventional aircrafts to a misdemeanor. The current punishment for the offense includes a violation and fine, similar to a speeding ticket. Violations of the law through representative drone interference include preventing the landing or taking off of an aircraft, hitting an aircraft in flight or using lasers in the direction of an aircraft. Last summer, Oregon firefighters experienced similar issues with drones when fighting forest fires.
APRIL 16: PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL TO CLOSE IN RESPONSE TO TEACHERS UNION STRIKE
Portland Public Schools preemptively announced a shutdown on May 8 in response to a statewide teacher walkout. The walkout—organized by the union Portland Association of Teachers—is to protest a lack of funding for schools. The event will also protest large classroom sizes, out-of-date facilities and teachers unable to give students individual attention. To make up for the day missed, students will attend an extra day at the end of the year.
APRIL 17: OREGON SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY TO STOP TAKING MONEY FROM CORPORATE PACS
Senator Jeff Merkley, D–Ore., announced he will be the state’s first congressional member to stop accepting money from corporate Political Action Committees. In his previous re-election campaign in 2014, Merkley accepted approximately $1.2 million from corporate entities. Merkley confirmed that he will not be running for President in 2020, but will instead be seeking re-election as an Oregon senator. Other Oregon representatives’ funding has come from corporate PACs—for example, Representative Peter DeFazio’s, D–Ore., latest disclosure agreement showed nearly half of the $320,000 raised for his re-election campaign has come from PACs of companies like Intel and Nike.
APRIL 18: GOVERNOR KATE BROWN DECLARES OREGON CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM A CRISIS
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown defined the Oregon child welfare program a crisis, partly in response to a recent lawsuit against the Oregon Foster care system from a child advocacy group. Earlier this year, a released 2018 audit revealed the Oregon foster care system has been housing children in institutions accused of abuse and converted juvenile detention facilities. Brown promised to take steps in solving the issue through her new executive order, including an oversight board led by herself and an on-site crisis team to implement the Board’s recommendations.
PSU STAFF DISCUSS MASCULINITY DURING AN EVENT PUT ON BY THE WRC. CJ HUSEO/PSU VANGUARD SHANDI HUNT Portland State’s Women’s Resource Center took a critical stance on the dynamics of power and privilege in masculinity during a “Redefining Masculinity” event on April 16 in the Peter W. Stott Center’s practice gym. The event featured an all-male panel composed of seven PSU faculty and staff members with different professional backgrounds and involved a Q -and-A session in which the panelists answered questions reflecting on masculinity, toxic masculinity and sexual violence. Moderators read anonymous questions from audience members addressing potential problems associated with masculinity. A preview from the documentary The Mask You Live In— which highlights how men and boys are conditioned to restrain themselves from showing emotion and to confront what it means to be masculine in America—was shown to introduce the topic. An audience member asked what the acceptable form of masculinity is in today’s society, adding, “[Cis men are] forced to be in [a] single box and not step out of it. [Men are asked] not to express their emotions like they need to, but in turn to be violent and aggressive.” “In a patriarch context, [masculinity] is largely about domination, about power,” said panelist and Assistant Professor of Black Studies Derrais Carter. “The default mode of masculinity that we understand in the national context in the United States is about power and domination…which means…being a man in a traditional way, or performing masculinity in a traditional way means making other peoples’ worlds smaller.”
When asked how masculinity and the dynamics of power and privilege perpetuate sexual violence, the panelists took a long pause before anyone volunteered to answer. “I think a lot of times, males, we don’t really think about it, but [we think] we own every space we go in to, or the default is that it’s male…when you feel you own a space… then it can become easy to make a judgement that if this space is mine, then everything else in this space is mine as well,” explained Coordinator for Latin@ Student Services Emanuel Magana. Magana continued, saying the way men communicate with each other can objectify other human beings. “When thinking that a space belongs to the man who occupies it, he might feel everything in it is available for use, including women, as he sees fit,” Magana said. Panelists also discussed sexual violence in relation to the perception of masculinity. “Men who have perpetrated sexual violence see the availability and access to sex as how masculinity is defined,” said Adjunct Professor and therapist Matthew Geraths. Geraths said men believe they have a right to the access of sex, and when they are denied this “right,” it causes anger and a “aggrieved entitlement.” Geraths defined aggrieved entitlement as the “idea that a man, specifically white men, are fearful of losing what should be rightfully theirs through their privilege.” The panel also highlighted the use of power and positive image has allowed men to perpetuate sexual violence, including beloved celebrities and public figures. “I am deeply suspicious of positive images…[which] allows people to get away with so much shit,” Carter said.
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
CAPITOL CONCERNS PSU FACULTY, STAFF, ALUMNI LOBBY FOR STATE FUNDING
SOPHIE CONCANNON Amid Portland State facing a $18 million budget shortfall and a possible tuition increase of 18%, PSU students, faculty and staff gathered on April 16 in Salem to lobby for state funding during the annual PSU Day at the Capitol. PSU described the Day at the Capitol as a way to let the state legislature know “how important our university community is to Oregon. PSU students cannot afford excessive tuition increases, and [that is] why [state] funding of public higher education is critical to Oregon’s future.” Kevin Neely, associate vice president of government relations, estimated around 30–40 students participated in PSU Day at the Capitol, similar to last year’s event. He confirmed PSU faculty, staff, alumni and trustees were present at the event. “The day was a resounding success,” Neely said. ”We are confident that it made a difference with key legislators and demonstrated the challenges faced by our students.” Neely said PSU students, faculty and staff met with over 20 senators and 30 representatives to advocate for increases in funding and student scholarships. PSU belongs to Senate District 18, represented by Senator Ginny Burdick, D–Ore., who met with students and expressed her pride at PSU belonging to her district on social media. PSU students also met with Gov. Kate Brown to discuss state funding to keep tuition costs down. Brown has previously voiced her support for lowering tuition increases. Brown and the Oregon Legislature approved increased state funding for higher education in 2017.
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PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
PSU COMMUNITY MEMBERS GATHER AT THE CAPITOL TO LOBBY FOR FUNDING. COURTESY OF PSU Rebecca Jean Olsen, a staff member for the PSU department of communications, thanked Brown for her support of higher education and for PSU. “We’re going to need more than a $40 millon increase to keep the doors of opportunities open for all,” she said, “but we know you can figure this out so our students don’t have to.” The Finance and Administration committee will consider options for tuition from 9 a.m. to noon on May 3 in the Academic and Student Recreation Center. The full PSU Board of Trustees will convene to talk about final tuition decisions and funding from the state from 1–4 p.m. on May 13 in the same location. If Brown and the Legislature approve additional state funding, the recommended tuition increase will also include proposed reductions for the tuition increase. The proposed reductions are required by H.B. 4141 from the previous year, which includes a clause stating “a plan for how tuition and mandatory enrollment fees will be decreased if the public university receives more money from the state than anticipated.” H.B. 4141 also requires public universities in Oregon to establish an advisory board to advise the university president regarding tuition and enrollment fees—The Tuition Review Advisory Committee for PSU. Neely predicts students participating in TRAC will receive PSU’s administrative recommendation for tuition the following week after the event at the Capitol. From there, the memo
will be delivered to the president and commitee leadership. Earlier in 2019, the Associated Students of Portland State University caused a stir by announcing they would not participate in lobbying at the Capitol this year despite participating in PSU Day at the Capitol in earlier years. Camilo Abreu A., ASPSU legislative affairs director and student representative of TRAC, said ASPSU boycotted lobbying with the PSU administration because “legislators have specifically told us they are disappointed in how the administration is handling administration and finance at PSU.” Abreu A. also said ASPSU has been in “constant contact” with legislators and have been working to introduce a bill to freeze tuition. “We firmly believe the state should not only increase funding for PSU but should replace tuition and ‘private grants’ as part of our funding model,” Abreu A. said. “The PSU administration does not support our position.” On ASPSU attendance, Neely said, “We were disappointed that ASPSU did not participate. The day would have been more impactful with their attendance.” ASPSU President Luis Balderas-Villagrana said when students return from the Capitol every year, they are still faced with increased tuition. “Our goal is to send a clear message to the Legislature— funding for higher education should not be used as a pawn for political gain,” Balderas-Villagrana said.
NEWS
PSU LEGAL SERVICES CALLS FOR DECRIMINALIZATION OF SEX WORK DYLAN JEFFERIES Portland State’s student legal services hosted two speakers from PSU on April 16 to discuss the potentially harmful implications of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act on sex workers. SESTA and FOSTA are a set of bills signed into law by President Donald Trump that took effect on April 11, 2018. The bills seek to limit sex trafficking by making it illegal for websites to provide a platform where sex workers can advertise. The interactive presentation was held in the Women’s Resource Center at PSU as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The two speakers—April Kusters from student legal services and Adrienne Graf from the PSU School of Social Work—gave a broad overview of SESTA and FOSTA during their presentation. Both speakers argued the bills’ continued criminalization of sex work as more harmful than helpful to sex workers and the sex work profession. According to Kusters and Graf, websites such as Backpage— used by sex workers to advertise and screen potential clients— were immediately shut down after the implementation of SESTA and FOSTA. Websites such as Craigslist and Tumblr were forced to remove all sections of their sites that could potentially be used for sex work. Before the bills took effect, websites like Backpage were protected by section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a piece of internet legislation that stated websites are not responsible for content published by users on their platforms.
SESTA and FOSTA created an exception to this rule, declaring websites are responsible for third parties publishing ads for sex work on their sites. Websites like Backpage provided a rating system for sex workers. The system allowed users to screen and identify potentially dangerous or unwanted clients. The website also allowed sex workers to work independently and from their own homes. Kusters and Graf criticized SESTA and FOSTA throughout the presentation for the ramifications sex workers have already begun to experience because of the two bills. According to Kusters and Graf, the bills make it more difficult for sex workers to safely work online, forcing them to migrate to the streets. “St. James Infirmary Clinic was tracking data right after SESTA/FOSTA went into effect,” Graf said. “After Backpage and some other websites were taken down, within a month there were around 20 workers that previously had done indoor sex work, now doing outdoor sex work, that went missing or were murdered,” Graf said. Graf also said not all sex work-related advertisements have been removed from the internet. She pointed out the bills disproportionately affect members of marginalized communities. “There are still tons of sites that are up and running, most of them you have to pay to be a part of,” Graf said.“They’re very exclusive. They tend to be for white,
cisgender women—people that fit into dominant beauty standards, people that don’t live in fat bodies.” Graf continued saying the hierarchy of oppression still exists in the sex industry the same way it exists elsewhere. “The majority of those sites are still operational, but the sites that were more accessible are down,” she said. “It disproportionately affects more vulnerable workers.” Citing an Amnesty International Paper that collected information from anti-trafficking organizations and sex workers rights activists from around the world, Graf said “decriminalization is the only thing that supports the human rights of people that are trafficked, and people that are sex workers.” At the end of their presentation, Kusters and Graf took questions and comments from the audience. Attendees already familiar with the bills voiced their concerns for the system allowing sex trafficking to continue, as the bill does not differentiate between kinds of sex work. The American Civil Liberties Union and the United States Department of Justice have spoken out against provisions in the bill that would potentially make sex work more unsafe. Kusters and Graf provided a string of examples of people whose lives have been torn apart by criminalizing sex work. “I feel very critical that criminalization is the main way that we approach this conversation,” Graf said. “I am an advocate for decriminalization.”
DANA TOWNSEND
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
THIS WEEK
around the
WORLD April 15–21
1 5
2
6 3 4
1
April 15–16
PARIS
The Notre Dame Cathedral became engulfed in flames when a fire broke out on the morning of April 15 and continued until the next day. The 12th-century structure became the center of international media attention due to the extent of the blaze. With fears the entire landmark would be destroyed, crews worked to save the countless relics located inside the cathedral as hundreds to thousands of people “watched in horror,” France 24 reported. The French news agency’s live coverage reported the cathedral’s iconic spire collapsed about an hour after the fire began. President Emmanuel Macron rushed to the scene, declaring the fire a national emergency before going directly into meetings with the Paris police. According to French news outlet The Local, with some 400 firefighters working the scene, the blaze was brought under control by April 16 with the cathedral’s main structure saved. Paris Prosecutor Remy Heitz said via Deutsche Welle the fire was most likely an accident and not due to arson. 2
April 16–20
U.S.–MEXICO BORDER
As reported by BBC, a video emerged detailing the detainment of over 300 migrants and asylum seekers on the night of April 16 by armed militia along the border between Mexico and New Mexico near Sunland Park. The vigilante militia, who call themselves the United
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Constitutional Patriots, is part of a growing right-wing movement that has tasked itself with providing border security. A spokesman for the UCP, Jim Benvie, who describes the detainment at gunpoint as a “citizen’s arrest,” was quoted by the news agency saying, “If these people follow our verbal commands, we hold them until Border Patrol comes.” The group received widespread criticism for their tactics, and on April 20 the leader of the UCP Larry Mitchell Hopkins was arrested by the FBI due to the possession of firearms by a felon, as reported by The New York Times. New Mexico’s Attorney General Hector Balderas told the The New York Times, “This is a dangerous felon who should not have weapons around children and families.” 3
April 17
INDONESIA
The world’s third largest democracy and the largest Muslim country by population went to the polls for their simultaneous presidential, parliamentary and local elections. Approximately 77% of the country’s 193 million eligible voters took part in this year’s elections with over 800,000 polling stations across the island nation, The Straits Times reported. Incumbent President Joko Widodo of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, PDI-P, vied for his second and final term in office against former Army General Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesian Movement Party, Gerindra. While The Straits Times noted votes could take
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
up to 35 days to be completely counted and reported, according to Al Jazeera quick counts— votes counted at various polling stations by independent institutions—reported 55% of the popular vote in favor of Widodo. 4
April 17
PERU
Former president of Peru Alan Garcia attempted to evade police by committing suicide. He died in a hospital in the country’s capital from his injuries. Police arrived at his home to arrest the former president for his connection to the widespread corruption investigation Operation Car Wash. After asking to make a phone call, he retreated into a room where he shot himself in the head, The Economist reported. According to Deutsche Welle, Garcia was suspected of taking bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht during his second term and in return granted them contracts to build a new subway system. Odebrecht is central to the investigation, and in 2016 they admitted to paying various South American officials bribes amounting to some $800 million in order to secure contracts. 5
April 18–20
SYRIA
Almost 50 Syrian soldiers including four senior officials were killed in separate attacks conducted by Islamic State fighters over the course of two days. According to Deutsche Welle, the assault began on the night of April
18 in the province of Homs, with a separate attack in the neighboring province of Deir Ezzor where nearly 500 Syrian soldiers were ambushed by the armed group. As reported by Al Jazeera, clashes continued for two days, during which a pro-government militia sent fighters to liberate the battalions. Syrian forces also came under attack west of Aleppo from al-Qaeda-linked militant group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Over 20 soldiers and fighters were killed in the attack. 6
April 21
SRI LANKA
The small, southeast Asian country was affected by a series of bombings targeting churches and hotels on Easter Sunday, killing at least 300 people and injuring an additional 500. Al Jazeera’s live coverage reported at least eight coordinated attacks throughout the country, including St. Anthony’s Shrine in the capital city Colombo, St. Sebastian’s Church in Negombo and Zion Church in the city of Batticaloa. The Cinnamon Grand, Kingsbury and Shangri-La luxury hotels—all located in Colombo—and the Tropical Inn Hotel in Dehiwala were attacked as well, killing some 35 foreign tourists. Emergency crews rushed to the attack sites to assist the hundreds of people injured, and police issued an immediate island-wide curfew. The attack is the worst in 10 years since the civil war came to an end, and while police have arrested thirteen suspects, no group or individual has claimed responsibility so far.
INTERNATIONAL
CLIMATE COMES BEFORE CASH
JAGUAR BODIES SOLD ON THE BLACK MARKET
NORWEGIAN YOUTH CALLS FOR COMPLETE PHASE OUT OF OIL INDUSTRY EMILY PRICE
FOREST JAGUARS ILLEGALLY HUNTED AND KILLED IN SOUTH AMERICA ZAK STONE EMILY PRICE Jaguars, classified as a near-threatened species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, are facing loss of habitat by the sudden increase of mining and logging in South America, and are now being hunted, killed and sold on the black market. The animal can be a source of black glue-like paste which can be illegally traded and exported. The paste is created by boiling the jaguar bodies for up to a week and is traditionally used in ancient Chinese and Japanese medicine. Buyers may pay up to $3,000 for a tube believing it can be used to treat arthritis, enhance sexual performance and improve overall health, according to The Independent. Jaguar smugglers move frequently to keep their business hidden. In Suriname, a small country south of Brazil, jaguar teeth are obtained and set in gold before being sold in the country’s capital, Paramaribo. Teeth, claws and skulls are considered to be worth around $1,200, while a jaguar carcass could be sold for $260, according to The Independent. The World Animal Protection, a Londonbased nonprofit organization, is heading an investigation into the illegal capturing and killing of this endangered species. So far, they have collected evidence of hunts, illegal trade and photos of dead jaguars chained to vehicles. “The investigation has uncovered a shocking underground trade exploiting an iconic animal of the South American rainforests in a barbaric way for unproven traditional Asian medicine,” WAP Investigations Advisor Nicholas Bruschi said. “Jaguars already face the challenges of habitat destruction and human-animal conflicts. They are now cruelly and needlessly killed, left to die agonizing deaths.”
Today, there are an estimated 17,300 jaguars in the wild. These numbers have continued to drop despite the laws prohibiting poaching. There has been a recent rise in the domestication of jaguar cubs. The cubs are taken from the wild and sold as pets to wealthy buyers who display the jaguars as status symbols. When the jaguars grow too large, they are killed and are often used in different foods. “It is extremely sad news for these incredible big cats whose numbers are already in decline,” Bruschi commented. “And, while jaguar cubs might seem very cute, they are still wild animals and belong in the wild, not in the illegal pet trade.” Over the past 20 years, Chinese immigrants have moved to Suriname in large numbers to run infrastructure operations on major roads and building projects that cut through the Amazon rainforest. This allows jaguar poachers to more easily access different parts of the forest. “My assessment, based on several sources, is that the number of jaguars killed for their parts in Suriname may amount to well over a hundred on an annual basis,” Pauline Verheij of the International Fund Animal Welfare told National Geographic. “It doesn’t take a biologist to understand that these numbers are hugely unsustainable.” WAP is trying to raise awareness regarding the issue, hoping the Surinamese government will increase patrols to assist in stopping the illegal trade and killing of jaguars. The country has made plans to build a road through the jungle that connects Paramaribo to Brazil, which could potentially open more remote habitats of jaguars.
Norway’s Labour Party blocked oil exploration in the northern Lofoten Islands on April 5. Many Norwegian youth are now calling for a complete stop to oil drilling in the country. The Labour Party, a long-time oil-industry ally, refused to support drilling on the islands in part due to campaigning by the Workers’ Youth League (AUF). “In this area, nature has to come first,” AUF leader Ina Libak, 29, told Reuters. Teenagers as young as 16 are calling for more environmentally friendly energy sources. “Climate comes before cash,” Simon Sand, 16, said in an interview at a recent climate protest outside the Norwegian Parliament. The youth wing of the conservative Labour Party wants to see a “market and environment-based downsizing” of the oil and gas industries in Norway and hope to see the complete end to both by 2035. The young Norwegians are also concerned about who will be able to replace the qualified and aging gas workforce. Equinor, the top oil producing company in Norway, expects to lose half of its 21,000 workers over the next 10 years. “When Europe stops using oil and gas and switches to other energy sources, and that is happening very fast, it would affect us,” Libak said via Reuters. “I’m really concerned that we will have high unemployment in 20 years if we don’t make that plan now.” Those in opposition to the youth movement argue the economic risk of restricting or potentially phasing out the oil and gas industries is too high, as it employs 170,000 people and is a major source of revenue to the country.
Oil and gas account for approximately half of Norway’s total exports, according to Norwegian Petroleum. The country supplies the EU with about 25% of its gas demand and is the third largest exporter of natural gas in the world. “Those revenues are not possible to replace from other sources,” Frode Alfheim, leader of a top Norwegian trade union Engeri, told Reuters. “Much of the welfare state comes from this industry.” According to Bloomberg, the Labour Party’s sudden shift in views on climate change are a cause of concern for the oil industry. Many oil companies are concerned that if the party is willing to stop oil drilling in the Lofoten Islands, they will also be willing to compromise on other oil industry related issues in the future. Oil companies have voiced specific concern over the petroleum tax system and licensing policies if the party continues to make compromises. “That’s something we have to acknowledge,” Espen Barth Eide, a top energy lawmaker told Bloomberg regarding the future shift away from the country’s reliance on the oil industry. “We need to work to make sure that precisely the people, clusters and technologies that have served us so well also take ownership of that transition.” The decision to abandon Lofoten was made days after the government announced it would begin investing into renewable energy projects such as wind and solar power. The Norwegian government also announced in March it would no longer support 134 oil and gas companies and instead support only BP and Shell, which both have renewable energy divisions.
DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST AGAINST OIL DRILLING IN NORWAY, 2011. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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COVER
WE PAY A LOT, DO BETTER PSU DINING DOESN’T MEET STUDENT EXPECTATIONS VANGUARD OPINION TEAM Dining on campus should cater to students, but Portland State’s dining options can’t seem to live up to standards. Various complaints from students regarding PSU’s dining accessibility and quality have been brought up.
VICTOR’S DINING CENTER HOURS OF SERVICE Monday
MEAL PLAN
7 8 AM
Freshman students or First Year Experience (FYE) students living on campus are required to have a meal plan with access to Victor’s Dining Center for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This plan costs students at least $1044 per term but can go up to $1426 for the “All Access” option. The lowest plan offered grants a student 10 meals a week, which is not enough to eat two meals a day. First-year student Osiris Mercade believes “the quality of food doesn’t really equate to the price of it.” To have access to Smith’s Kitchen, you must get dining dollars or pay out of pocket. Dining dollars are money you give to PSU and then they give you 10% of it as an increase. Essentially, to eat three substantial meals a day, a student has to either pay $1426 per term for a seat at Victor’s or cough up their own money for some take-out.
LACK OF ACCESSIBLE FOODS
American food culture has changed significantly over the past decade. Today’s college students are drifting away from greasy pizza and hamburgers and toward organic produce, whole grains and international foods. Some students require vegan or vegetarian food options while others prefer eating food that is ethically sourced, nutritious and environmentally conscious. To address this new generation of students, many colleges such as Kennesaw State University and University of Oregon have revamped their dining programs. The lunch lady in the kitchen stirring the mystery soup has been replaced by an executive chef and well-trained kitchen staff. Sadly, more often than not, the menu at Victor’s rotates between the same general options like pizza, soup and salad, with
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10 11 12 1
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Breakfas t
Continental Breakfast Lunch
Brunch
2
DINING HALL HOURS
3 PM
Unfortunately, the dining halls often fail to meet expectations. The main dining hall, Victor’s Dining Center, operates during unsuitable hours that don’t work with all student schedules. The dining halls serve lunch from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m., with only “light lunch” options during meal gaps. This time frame is too small for many to take advantage of. On Saturdays and Sundays, the hall is closed entirely between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. and reopens back up from 5 to 7 p.m., forcing students to look elsewhere during those gap hours. Their dinner hours are not that accessible either. On weekdays, Victor’s closes at 8 p.m. and from Friday–Sunday it closes at 7 p.m. “[Students] need more weekend hours because [they] rely on the dining hall,” said sophomore Sierra Gray. During term breaks, the dining hall has no operation hours at all. For four weeks in winter term and two weeks in spring, students have to find food elsewhere. Despite the time discrepancy, the price of the meal plan does not change for these terms. In addition to this, Smith’s Kitchen, despite having multiple food establishments closes between 4–5:30 p.m., depending on the vendor.
9
Tuesday
4
Light L unch
5 6 7 8
Dinner
a few unique options that are repeated every few weeks. This is a shame, especially considering the diversity of the Portland food scene and the possibilities of PSU’s location and facilities. Some students feel as if the dining hall does not provide enough healthy food options. “The food is very fattening, and I’ve heard that people have been getting sick,” said first-year student Lila Renteria. “They should provide only fresh and healthy foods and they should cook their food with something that’s non-grease. Since we’re a country battling obesity and heart disease, we should not be serving any sort of junk food or sweets to our students. There are alternatives to these foods that are much healthier.” In recent years, The Hartman Group’s A.C.T. (Anthropology. Culture. Trends.) Health & Wellness Now have seen a substantial rise in health consciousness amongst consumers. The Gen Z demographic is amongst the highest group focused on where their food is sourced and what it will do to their body. “People with dietary restrictions don’t have many options,” first-year Shannon McCarron said. “It’s difficult to eat healthy as well, because sometimes things like vegetables, rice and fruit are undercooked, unripe, not warmed properly, etc.”
According to a study conducted by PETA, vegetarians and vegans are becoming more numerous on college campuses, resulting in more schools creating restaurants specifically for this student population.
HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
The health implications of having an incompatible dining hall are numerous. Previously, most students who chose not to eat in the dining hall instead became regulars at local fast-food and pizza places, eating unhealthy meals two or three times per day. Healthline has conducted research that shows how unhealthy eating habits can lead to other health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Everyday we are becoming more aware that what goes into our bodies can have a real impact on how we feel during the day. Going to class on an empty stomach or full of unhealthy food leads to problems with concentration, mood swings, headaches and more, according to Living Strong. Being able to eat good food in the morning, at noon and at night can help students feel better both physically and mentally.
COVER
ER
I wish Smith was open on weekends so I could get a snack without spending real money.
I like the section that was supposed to be “cultural” and it was one thing a day, I want more variety like that.
First-year student Shannon McCarron
7/10 needs revamping. Needs more weekend hours because some students rely on the dining hall.
The variety is lacking. Honestly, one of the best parts of the dining hall is when they have the create station. It would be awesome if they had two create stations because it offers more variety. If they looked at the floorplans closely and went about it strategically they could probably use the space in a much better way. It’s not like Victor’s is going to get bigger, so instead they need to focus on how they are placing things. Sophomore Sarah Jackson
Sophomore Sierra Gray
The dining hall tries its best to have a lot of options but it usually doesn’t have a whole lot of good vegan and vegetarian options for people. There’s usually only two or three per meal and because of that I stopped going to the dining hall as often.
First-year student Valentine Fry When students are deciding which school to attend, the usual stuff comes into play such as academic programs, athletics and extracurricular activities. However, with the evolution of college dining facilities this has also become part of the decision-making process. Students considering a school need to evaluate the dining facilities as well, particularly if they have a medical condition that requires a special diet. Those students who are vegetarians or vegans also need to take a close look at a college’s dining arrangements. The dining options at PSU were made for students, yet they are not catering to them. From food to hours of operation, the system stands to be inaccessible. On top of classes and outside obligations food is the last thing a student should feel unsure about. PSU should not only address these issues but make an effort to change. We reached out to Director of Marketing and Guest Experience Kim DiNardo, Executive Chef Matt Steele and Interim Victor’s Dining Center Director Dan Sprauer, but they did not respond by publication date. CJ Huseo, Taylar Rivers, McKinzie Smith and Delaney White contributed to this article.
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE (FYE) RESIDENTS Meal Plan
Meals at Victor’s
Dining Dollars
Cost o f Plan per Term
Unlimited
$50 per term
$1426
The 15
15 per Week
$100 per term
$1423
The 10
10 per Week
$300 per term
$1343
Economy
10 per Week
None
$1044
All Access
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
CULTURAL REVOLUTION BLAMED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CATHOLIC CHURCH
SUDANESE PROTESTERS CALL FOR NEW GOVERNMENT AFTER MILITARY COUP PROTESTERS GATHER OUTSIDE THE ARMY HEADQUATERS IN KHARTOUM, SUDAN, APRIL 2019. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
POPE BENEDICT XVI WROTE A LETTER BLAMING THE CULTURE OF THE ‘60S FOR SEX ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS KEVIN SHANK Former Pope Benedict XVI released a letter on April 10 expressing his belief that the “all-out sexual freedom” of the 1960s is to blame for the sexual abuse and pedophilia scandals within the Catholic Church. The retired pope, who was the leader of the Catholic Church from 2005–2013, was the first to resign in nearly 600 years. His 5,500 word letter was originally published in the German periodical, Klerusblatt. In recent years, the Catholic Church has come under public scrutiny after several sexual assault scandals. In 2018, former Cardinal for the Catholic Church in Australia George Pell was convicted of sexual assault against two young boys and is now serving six years in prison. In February, Pope Francis acknowledged the sexual assault of nuns for the first time in history. According to The New York Times, Benedict’s letter blames the cultural revolution of the 1960s for the rise in these alleged assaults. During the 1960s, changes in dress and music became less conservative, while attitudes toward sex and drugs became more open. The former pope said he believes these cultural shifts led to an era where “previously normative standards regarding sexuality collapsed entirely,” Benedict’s letter via Catholic News Agency said. “The Western society is a society in which God is absent in the public sphere and has nothing left to offer it,” Benedict’s letter said. “And that is why it is society in which the measure of humanity is increasingly lost at individual points it becomes suddenly apparent that what is evil and destroys man has become a matter of course.”
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“The mental collapse [of the 1960s] was also linked to a propensity for violence,” Benedict said. “That is why sex films were no longer allowed on airplanes, because violence would break out among the small community of passengers.” According to Benedict’s letter, the sexual revolution of the 1960s caused pedophilia to be “diagnosed as allowed and appropriate.” “Why did pedophilia reach such proportions?” Benedict wrote. “Ultimately the reason is the absence of God.” The pope also blamed homosexualility for being a root cause of predatory sexual behaviors. “In various seminaries, homosexual cliques were established, which acted more or less openly,” the letter stated. According to The New York Times, there are only 10 publicly gay Catholic clergymen in the United States. It is estimated that 30–40% of the U.S. Catholic clergymen are gay, most of whom continue to remain closeted for fear of reprisals within the Catholic Church. The cover-up of sexual abuse within the church is an ongoing issue and many theologians were dismayed at the response by Pope Benedict XVI. “I think the main problem is that it doesn’t mention victims at all,” Natalia ImmperatoriLee, associate professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, told NPR. “If you look at Benedict’s letter, the victim in his letter is the church. And that’s a real slap in the face to people who have survived sexual abuse.”
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
MADISON CECIL After a military coup resulting in the arrest of Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir, thousands of protesters demanded the immediate transfer of power from the military council to a civilian-ruled government. Bashir, who was Sudan’s president for 30 years according to France 24, was arrested and removed from office by the country’s army on April 11. Sudanese Defense Minister Awad Mohammed Ahmed Ibn Auf made a public television broadcast the same day, announcing the military council would lead a two-year transitional government, at the end of which democratic elections would be held. Days after Ibn Auf’s announcement, protesters gathered outside the Defense Ministry to demand the transitional government be ruled by civilians and the prosecution of former government officials. Chanting “freedom and revolution are the choice of the people,” protesters waved national flags and marched outside the ministry. According to BBC, a significant portion of the Sudanese Professionals Association protesters are women and young people. According to The Guardian, the SPA—one of the civilian organizations leading the protests—issued a statement on April 15, saying, “We hope that everyone will head immediately to the areas of the sit-in to protect your revolution and your accomplishments.” Discussions between the military council and a group of 10 protester-representatives began on April 11, according to
The Guardian. The military council confirmed they were willing to transition to a democracy after an interim period of two years. According to BBC, protesters announced they were no longer speaking with the military council because their demands were not being met as of April 21. According to ABC News, one protester, Qurashi Diefallah, called the military council “just an extension of the regime, which stole 30 years from us.” “We will remain in the street until power is handed down to civilian authority,” Samia Abdallah, a 24-year-old protester, told Reuters. “We will bring down military rule.” The military council insisted they were willing to consider a joint military-civilian transitional government, but that the council was responsible for national security. The protesters have installed barricades around Khartoum, Sudan’s capital. The military council has now surrounded the barricades with tractors and troops and are threatening to tear down the stone barricades. Early April 22, the military council called for the “immediate opening of the roads and removal of the barricades,” according to ABC News. The protesters, however, are refusing to move. “We will carry on manning the checkpoints as usual,” protester Kawthar Hasaballah told BBC. “No one, not even the military council, will remove us from our places.”
INTERNATIONAL
ASSANGE’S SEVEN-YEAR ASYLUM ENDS
WIKILEAKS FOUNDER FACES EXTRADITION TO U.S. MADISON CECIL Julian Assange’s seven-year asylum ended on April 11 after London Metropolitan Police officers escorted the WikiLeaks founder from the Ecuadorian Embassy. Assange moved into the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he was facing sexual assault charges. His stay came to an end when several embassy officials complained about him skateboarding at night and his poor personal hygiene. There were also reports that Assange smeared his fecal matter on embassy walls at least once. “We’ve ended the asylum of this spoiled brat,” Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno announced in a speech. “From now on, we’ll be more careful in giving asylum to people who are really worth it and not miserable hackers whose only goal is to destabilize governments.” Moreno claimed Assange was “discourteous and aggressive.” According to the president’s speech, Assange issued “hostile and threatening declarations against Ecuador.” Assange was confined to a small office the embassy had converted into a bedroom during the extent of his seven-year stay. Critics often equated the bedroom to a prison cell, according to NBC News. “It’s not so much Julian Assange’s being held hostage in the Ecuadorian Embassy,” UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said in a statement released by the Foreign Office. “It’s actually Julian Assange holding the Ecuadorian Embassy hostage in a situation that was absolutely intolerable for them.” AP News reported that while the relationship between Assange and the Ecuadorian government had been souring for many months, the release of information and photographs regarding Moreno and his family was “the final straw.” Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who originally granted Assange asylum in 2012, criticized Moreno, calling him “the greatest traitor in Ecuadorian and Latin American history” in a tweet on April 11. “Moreno is a corrupt man, but what he has done is a crime that humanity will never forget,” Correa wrote. According to a police statement, London officers were “invited into the embassy by the ambassador, following the Ecuadorian government’s withdrawal of asylum.” Sweden, who had dropped the sexual assault charges when they were unable to formally notify Assange while he was in the embassy, is now discussing whether or not to reopen the investigation, according to BBC. Despite Sweden dropping the assault charges, London authorities arrested Assange in relation to an extradition request from the United States, which was filed in December 2017. “The indictment alleges that in March 2010, Assange engaged in a conspiracy with Chelsea Manning, a former intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, to assist Manning in cracking a password stored on U.S. Department of Defense computers connected to the Secret Internet Protocol Network,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. “During the conspiracy, Manning and Assange engaged in real-time discussions regarding Manning’s transmission of classified record to Assange.” Manning, who leaked archived military documents to WikiLeaks in 2010, was arrested on March 8 when she refused to testify in front of a grand jury against Assange and his antisecrecy organization.
JULIAN ASSANGE WAS INDICTED AND REMOVED FROM THE ECUADORIAN EMBASSY. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS “I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been historically used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech,” Manning tweeted in response to the subpoena for her testimony. Assange is scheduled to appear in a U.S. court on May 2 for a formal trial and has been charged with computer hacking conspiracy. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. British District Judge Michael Snow found Assange guilty of failing to surrender on April 11, calling Assange’s behavior that “of a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own selfish interest.”
Assange now faces up to 12 months of jail time in the UK if the country decides not to extradite him to the U.S. Ecuadorian Telecommunications Vice Minister Patricio Real announced hacking attempts on the government have doubled since Assange’s asylum was granted. Some government websites, including the central bank and foreign ministry, have had some 40 million hacking attempts per day, according to Reuters. “During the afternoon of April 11 we jumped from 51st place to 31st place worldwide in terms of the volume of cyberattacks,” Real told reporters before assuring them the attempts did not result in the loss of any government data.
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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ARTS & CULTURE
THE PSYCHEDELIC BLOSSOM OF ‘I AM NOT A WITCH’ A SURREAL JOURNEY IN SUPERSTITION
JOEL WILLIAMS In Africa, there are people who believe in the literal existence of witches. They blight crops, bring bad fortune and plague families. While not a true story, the I Am Not A Witch film director Rungano Nyoni visited an actual witch camp in Ghana to make the movie. The film tells the tale of a young girl cursed with powers she doesn’t understand in a world utterly terrified by the dark occult powers she supposedly wields. I Am Not A Witch fits into the category of a successful film. Perhaps the largest contribution is the genius of David Gallego’s cinematography. The movie is filled with gorgeously composed shots, but there are several scenes that purposefully throw away technical conventions. Scenes that are naturally picturesque are shot handheld in what feels like a counterbalance to something too intrinsically elegant. In an early surreal scene, we are thrown into spiritual chaos with discordant avant-garde jazz that is out of time with cuts, a polyrhythmic orgy conveying what it would be like to bear witness to such a lurid spectacle overlayed with the death rattle of a sacrificed animal. Speaking of avant-garde jazz, another strong point of the movie is the spectacular soundtrack. While we experience the vicarious fear that the lead girl (played by Maggie Mulubwa) experiences, dissonant violins screech away, lending emotional weight to that fear. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons makes a timely appearance. A good soundtrack can make or break films—this soundtrack is perfectly executed and elevates the movie. There are times when I want a clear storyline—a simple story told skillfully is something undervalued in mainstream and modern cinema. The storyline in I Am Not A Witch falls into another category that I equally enjoy, where metaphor and meaning take precedence over having a very straightforward storyline. Do not misinterpret this to mean the storyline is somehow obtuse or intellectual—there is definitely a flow of story in the film, but there are undercurrents to the surface level storyline. Part of that may be due to Mulubwa having very little dialogue, but it also may be due to the meanings behind the film. The idea of living in a world where people actually believe in witches, magic and other such superstitions— and legitimately fear their influence—seems like some sort of distant dystopia to most Western people. We don’t have to defend the neighborhood goth girl from angry mobs with pitchforks because we don’t live in medieval Europe anymore; rational secularism has won. But there are parts of the world where the existence of witches is an honestly held belief and we are in no way immune to falling back into the luring tendrils of the superstitious abyss. I Am Not A Witch isn’t just a story—it’s a lesson about who we are and perhaps a warning of what the human mind can sow.
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PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
‘I AM NOT A WITCH’ IS A STORY ABOUT A GIRL WITH POWERS SHE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. SCREENSHOT FROM OFFICIAL MOVIE TRAILER
ARTS & CULTURE
WELCOME TO SPLIFF PORTLAND’S FIRST STONER FILM FEST
SPLIFF FILM FESTIVAL IS A CANNABIS-THEMED FESTIVAL, A FIRST FOR PORTLAND. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS MAGGIE LOMBARD The lights dimmed. The crowd quieted. A cloud of smoke is blown out from behind the curtains. Dan Savage arrived to tumultuous applause. “Guys, I can’t, I’m so fucking high right now,” he laughed as he struggled to introduce the night’s program. It was SPLIFF, a new stoner-centric film festival created by Savage, who also founded the amateur porn film festival Hump. During its inaugural tour of pothead cities, Portland had a doubleheader showing on April 20. Savage, like the majority of the audience, had prepared accordingly (read: smoked weed) for the night, ready for the festivities ahead. Still laughing, he surveyed the crowd: “How many of you are high right now?” A deafening cheer from the audience was his response. One attendee even showed up in a skirt printed with cannabis leaves. Sponsors of the event, such as Oregon’s Finest, had taken over the hallway of the building and were offering everything from free lighters and rolling papers to non-medicated samples of some of their most popular edibles. While most sponsors were dispensaries and edible companies, there were a few comedic outliers, like Clone-A-Willy, so you can make a mold of a dick out of silicone, and a watch company, so you can keep track of how long it’ll be until your edible kicks in.
Once Savage managed to finish his pre-show announcements, no time was wasted in rolling through the clips. First, though, an introductory video of smashed-together clips, a hodgepodge of audio and melting graphics that broadcast a clear message—“Shit’s about to get trippy.” Welcome to SPLIFF. Said message was carried on into the first film of the night: N.O.P.E, a mid-‘90s PSA about the dangers of weed where a seventh-grader takes one puff and becomes a “crazy lunatic, a vicious murderer and a kinky sex pervert” during a kaleidoscopic montage of tits, Satan and literal ass clowns. From there on, the short films—all under a time limit of 4:20—kept playing one after another. Audience members were encouraged to fill out a ballot to vote for the trippiest, stupidest and funniest films, as well as a Best in Show category. Certain films transcended those categories though, like Bloom, a luxuriously sensual celebration of the beauty of marijuana smoke, and Leaffolder House, the suspenseful tale of a dealer going to a cabin in the woods with production quality that rivaled a blockbuster horror film. Joint Heights was one of several stopmotion submissions, but it took the cake in terms of detail and effort, featuring joints doing everyday activities like yoga, fucking and rocking out to music on headphones.
In terms of funniest films, the audience was dying with laughter at The Girl Who Couldn’t…, a moving and somber short about a girl who couldn’t get high, and Kevin’s Proclamation, in which a man named Kevin repeatedly says “I love you, man!” and nothing else. The range of content among the films was astounding, and it truly showed the definition of “stoner film” was far broader than anyone imagined. Some films were straight-up stupid, but the audience ate it all up. There were hilarious breaks from some of the more intense ones, like Leaffolder House or Corporate Coitus. Overall, there was a film that celebrated every aspect of stoner culture: munchies, paranoia, physical high, giggles and so on. The vast majority of the films came from Seattle and Portland, with a few coming from other states like Pennsylvania and California, and the festival even featured international submissions from Germany, Belgium and Canada. Here’s hoping that SPLIFF continues on for many years to come. As stoner entertainment evolves into modern times, it’s clear that something “dumb” is no longer the status quo for what people want to watch when they’re high. Stoners want comedy, drama, romance, sex, horror, aliens and avant-garde content, and SPLIFF delivered on all of it.
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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ARTS & CULTURE
SHOW ME THE MATCHA A TASTING TRAY OF DIFFERENT MATCHA BLENDS. MAGGIE LOMBARD/PSU VANGUARD
MAGGIE LOMBARD Portland has a pretty good matcha scene. You may have noticed the vibrant green drink has been taking over your local coffee shop, Starbucks menu board and social media feed. Simply put, matcha is green tea that has been finely ground into powder. The tea is whisked into hot water rather than steeped. Matcha can be pricier than regular tea because it is grown under much more restrictive conditions and comes in several grades, with the most expensive being “ceremonial grade.” Plus, it’s got more caffeine than regular green tea and has more of a grassy flavor, if you’re into that sort of thing.
If you’ve never tried it and are wary of eating anything described as grassy, start with a mixed drink, like a matcha lemonade, or even a matcha-flavored snack like Pocky. That way you can experience the elements of matcha flavors without fully committing to the boldness.
for a good introduction to the taste of matcha. If you want a light, sunny drink that cuts down on the earthiness of matcha and replaces it with sweet citrus, go for this one. No dairy means no creaminess, but sunny forecasts call for lemonade anyway.
MOST SWEET
BEST GRAB AND GO
Location: Upstream Coffee WHAT TO ORDER: Matcha latte with soy milk and cinnamon syrup. Sound gross? I thought so too when the barista recommended cinnamon syrup in lieu of honey as a sweetener. “It tastes like a snickerdoodle!” she promised. I didn’t really want my iced grass water to taste like a cookie but to be honest the pale green drink handed off to me was, indeed, snickerdoodle heaven. Soy milk adds the perfect touch of vanilla flavor, but almond milk works if you wanted a fuller, nuttier taste.
MOST PHOTOGENIC
Location: In J Coffee WHAT TO ORDER: Matcha latte. Joe Yang, owner of In J Coffee, takes his drinks seriously. Every time I’ve ordered a matcha latte, it’s been served in a mug with a beautiful design poured into the top. In addition, the coffee shop is an Instagram dream—white walls, light wood and menu on a roll of butcher paper. In summary: perfect matcha and perfect photo content. In J is a good place to bring a quiet project or a friend to catch up with.
MOST REFRESHING IMPOSTER
MAGGIE LOMBARD/PSU VANGUARD
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PSU Vanguard • April 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
Location: Starbucks WHAT TO ORDER: Matcha Lemonade. Unfortunately, Starbucks’ matcha powder is 50% sugar and 50% matcha powder. The fact that it’s not 100% matcha is disappointing, and thus I am labeling it as an imposter. On the plus side, that does mean it makes
Location: Green Zebra Grocery If you’re not looking for any bells, whistles or high levels of Instragramability, but something that you can buy, knock back and keep moving forward with your day, then the Green Zebra Grocery on campus has two winners for you—MatchaBar’s Hustle energy drink and Picnik’s Golden Milk Matcha latte. MatchaBar’s canned drinks are thin, sparkling and low in sugar, while Picnik’s have a creamier texture that promises to be good brain fuel. Get the Hustle drink for when you need to stay awake during a lecture. Get the Picnik latte for when you need to power through a project due at midnight.
MOST DELUXE
Location: Smith Teamaker (Inner Southeast Location) WHAT TO ORDER: Matcha Madness Flight. At the earthy cafe tucked inside Steven Smith’s buzzing production center, servers will bring you a flight of rare matcha and offer information on every variety. Included in the flight is matcha with jasmine pearls, which you won’t get to try anywhere else. You’ll also try matcha in its purest form and experience the flavor with nothing masking it at all. Also, it comes with a shortbread cookie that’s perfect for tea-dunking.
MOST AUTHENTIC
Location: Portland Japanese Garden WHAT TO TRY: Matcha made during a Chado—or tea ceremony—at the Portland Japanese Garden. These ceremonies are pre-scheduled events, so make sure you’ve planned your visit accordingly. If you miss out on a ceremony, go to the Umami Cafe on the premises and order one of their several matcha tea sets. Guaranteed to be the most educational and enlightening matcha experience on this list. Godspeed, children of matcha.
ARTS & CULTURE
TAKING BACK SUNDAY TAKES US BACK
20 YEARS OF THE BAND MARKS A REUNION OF EMOTIONAL SOULS CERVANTÉ POPE
lyrically. He said Portland was the most hyped Nothing about that reaction was strange—in fact, it’d be weirder if the audience There are two types of Taking Back Sunday and hottest city of the tour so far and based on wasn’t at full vocal capacity. Yet, lead vocalist Adam Lazzara hit everyone with a bit of fans—those who willingly revelled in the incredible how near unbearably loud everyone was, that a peculiar take on his normal speech. scene-ness of the band and their sounds without statement was probably true. “We come to you in the spirit of celebration,” Lazzara said as he took on the charshame—and those who for whatever reason chose to After finishing “Head Club,” Lazzara yet again acter of a southern preacher, choosing to speak with the drawl regular Dixie church keep their fandom on the downlow back in the band’s took some time to preach. This time, he comattendees are used to. Sure, Lazzara was born in Alabama and currently lives in heyday yet openly express it as adults now. municated how the previous night’s show enterNorth Carolina, but the juxtaposition between his individual theatrics and the Folks who fall on both sides of that line banded totained a coin toss of which album would play next emo post-hardcoreness of the Long Island band was difficult to get used to when gether in a reunion of Hot Topic hearts on sold out in its entirety. The choice was between their sophconsidering his normal approach to words isn’t as contrived. Friday and Saturday Taking Back Sunday shows. It omore album Where You Want to Be and their third It didn’t matter, though. Once Lazzara ever so dramatically expressed was the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation, and record Louder Now. The previous night got Where that they’d be playing their debut album Tell All Your Friends from start to there were 20 years worth of fans packed in the Crystal You Want to Be, leaving the Saturday set with the latfinish, the southern confusion of the crowd seemed to slip away. Banter Ballroom carousing in all their glory. ter. Saturday’s Taking Back Sunday purists expressed between Lazzara and Nolan led into a very boisterous opening of “You Part of what made their sets so amazing, aside from the slight displeasure, some of them sticking around to Know How I Do.” fact that they came back nearly in original formation— hear “MakeDamnSure” before dipping out. After rolling right into “Bike Scene,” the band paused for another mospecifically, with John Nolan who left for a few years to do Many others, though, didn’t let what could be considment of personal storytelling. At this point they revealed how most of the Straylight Run and unfortunately without founding memered a modest low point for the band deter them from songs on the record were named after 4 a.m. forays of Nolan and Lazzara ber Eddie Reyes—is the communal air of excitement that continuing to celebrate their existence to begin with, watching the names of programs scroll by on the old school TV Guide blanketed the venue. There wasn’t a meek or apathetic soul forging on through the rest of the show to the album’s end. Channel, which, if you’ve ever actually looked at the titles of their in sight—everyone was on some level of inebriation openly Despite the mild displeasure of a few, the general consongs, makes sense. vying their love and affection for the band that helped most sensus was one of amazement, appreciating and bonding. These little moments of repose gave a history into the band that of them get through high school. Strangers traded the discomfort of the accidental bumps as fans, we don’t get to hear through the music. Still, we didn’t come Stories of Taking Back Sunday shows past, favorite songs and shoves typical of show atmosphere as a chance to for the conversation—we came for the music, and everyone’s reacand band member attractiveness were the most frequent scream lyrics in one another’s faces. tions to “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team),” “There’s No topics overheard. None of the numerous side conversations It was evident that as a whole we relived a specific moment ‘I’ in Team” and “You’re So Last Summer” definitely showed that. could hold a candle to the volume level of the crowd once the in time. It was an emotional night for emotional hearts, and it Everyone knew all the words to every song, shouting them in room fell black. As each member filtered out one by one, colwas one surely none of us would take back. unison along with Lazzara as if they were having a conversation lective cheers echoed off the venue’s walls.
CERVANTÉ POPE/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • APRIL 23, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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Cervanté Pope & Hannah Welbourn
APRIL 23–29 ART
MUSIC
FILM & THEATRE
COMMUNITY
DMX, DJ O.G.ONE ROSELAND THEATER 8 P.M. $26.50 • 21+ DMX is out of prison and ready to bark in our faces. Yay.
‘CROSSING MNISOSE’ PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY TUE–SUN 2 P.M., 7:30 P.M., THROUGH MAY 5 $25–87 This modern take on the story of Sacajawea focuses on protecting the Mnisose from the Dakota Access Pipeline.
‘THE OFFICE’ TRIVIA VON EBERT BREWING 7 P.M. $5 You’ve probably binge-watched the show at least twice—and bragged about it on the internet—so this is the perfect time to test your Dunder Mifflin knowledge.
WED APR 24
“NEW WORKS” RUSSO LEE GALLERY TUES–FRI: 11 A.M.–5:30 P.M.; SAT: 11 A.M.–5 P.M. AND BY APPOINTMENT FREE With “New Works,” Tom Fawkes presents fairly vivid paintings of beautifully landscaped gardens from various places in the Mediterranean.
UADA, WORMWITCH, CLOAK TONIC LOUNGE 8:30 P.M. $10–13 • 21+ Black metal from mysterious hooded figures makes for a really good show, honestly.
‘THE ‘BURBS’ MCMENAMINS MISSION THEATER 8:45 P.M. $11 INCLUDES TICKET AND COCKTAIL • 21+ We all miss Carrie Fisher, and we all love Tom Hanks. Catch this ‘80s cult classic about the savagery that is suburbia.
“WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TOXIC POSITIVITY” ALANO CLUB OF PORTLAND 7 P.M. FREE After a successful turnout at the last meeting, Reimagining Recovery is back to discuss the repercussions of “good vibes only” culture.
“DROWNED WORLD” EUTECTIC GALLERY MON–SAT: 10 A.M.–6 P.M. FREE This new collection from Marjorie Dial mixes prints with molten looking sculptural pieces.
ICEAGE, PELADA, PUBLIC EYE DOUG FIR LOUNGE 9 P.M. $16–18 • 21+ Iceage bring the broodiness of goth with the fast-paced energy of punk, and it’s awesome.
NEW SHORTS IV: INNER PROBLEM CHILD SIP D’VINE 7:30 P.M. $10 SUGGESTED DONATION This installment of radio-style readings will include stories about problematic tooth fairies and more.
“STIS 101 FOR QUEER, POLY, KINKY PEOPLE” Q CENTER 7 P.M. $14.50 Evelin Dacker, MD and Sean P. Horan, MS will be at this open forum discussion to answer questions about STI risk and prevention.
FIERCE AND FRAIL II: OF BEINGS, BEASTS, AND SEED VERUM ULTIMUM ART GALLERY BY APPOINTMENT FREE Over 40 artists created various works that interpret their relationship with emergence and loss, making each piece beautifully unique.
LIZZO, TAYLA PARX ROSELAND THEATER 8 P.M. SOLD OUT Lizzo is such a phenom she sold out two nights at the Roseland. If you’re lucky enough to have tickets, you are truly #blessed.
‘AVENUE PDX: THE MUSICAL’ FUNHOUSE LOUNGE THU–SAT: 7 P.M., THROUGH MAY 4 $16–20 Avenue Q meets Portland in this improv musical that, yes, includes singing puppets.
FREE FRIDAY WINE AND CHEESE TASTING ELEPHANTS DELICATESSEN 5 P.M. FREE Free wine? Free cheese? What could be better?
SAT APR 27
“A TYPOGRAPHY OF LAMENT” FROELICK GALLERY TUES–SAT: 10:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M., THROUGH JUNE 1 FREE Photographer Susan Seubert created these vast glass images using the old school wet-collodion process.
NW POST ROCK FEST TONIC LOUNGE 8 P.M. $8 The second night of this mini-fest touts some awesome smaller name post-rock bands, but headlining act Coastlands always kills it.
‘BURLESQUE OVER BROADWAY’ CRUSH 7, 9 P.M. $18–26 Two different shows. One night. Lots of showtunes.
TEDXPORTLAND KELLER AUDITORIUM 9 A.M. $85–200 Don’t let the price of tickets keep you away—seeing TED talks live is way different than watching them on YouTube at 3 a.m.
SUN APR 28
JEFF SHERIDAN GALLERY @ THE JUPITER HOTEL OPEN 24 HOURS FREE There are a lot of natural occurrences in the world, and that’s something Sheridan’s paintings address. Particularly, how repetitive nature can be.
DO RIGHT SUNDAY DIG A PONY 9 P.M. FREE • 21+ It’s Dig A Pony’s monthly community fundraising DJ showcase, this time around featuring tunes played by Black Daria and Shi Shi.
NORM MACDONALD HELIUM COMEDY CLUB 5 P.M. $33–41 Former Saturday Night Live cast member Norm Macdonald will be at Helium for some dark, deadpan comedy. Sunday’s show is the last one with tickets available, so hurry!
PORTLAND FLEA + FOOD REJUVENATION 11 A.M. FREE More than 60 vendors will be at this month’s Flea + Food Market, with tons of vintage and locally made goods.
MON APR 29
THE BEST TRUTH WE GOT ADAMS AND OLLMAN WED–SAT: 11 A.M.–5 P.M. AND BY APPOINTMENT FREE Elias Hansen created his entire exhibition of sculptures based on common themes in the punk scene such as politics and eco-conservation.
BASS DRUM OF DEATH DOUG FIR LOUNGE 9 P.M. $13–15 • 21+ Where glam rock and garage rock meet.
SWINGING LONDON CINEMA: ‘PERFORMANCE’ THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 6:30 P.M. $7–9 A rockstar and gangster team up to uncover the corruption of the swinging scene.
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BIG SPRING BOOK SALE LLOYD CENTER DOUBLETREE HOTEL EXHIBIT HALL 9 A.M.–3 P.M. FREE This sale of donated books, movies, music and more will be going on all weekend, but everything is 50% off on Monday.
THU APR 25
TUE APR 23
CHRISTOPHER RAUSCHENBERG, WILLY HEEKS ELIZABETH LEACH GALLERY TUE–SAT: 10:30–5:30 P.M. FREE Christopher Rauschenberg and Willy Heeks have new works of abstract paintings and multi-image panoramic photographs.
FRI APR 26