Portland State Vanguard Volume 76 Issue 6

VOLUME 76 • ISSUE 6 • MAY 4, 2021

NEWS ‘We will be on strike until we reach a contract’ P. 4–5

ARTS & CULTURE May the fourth be with you P. 26–27

OPINION Will there be a greater Idaho?

P. 29

CONTENTS

COVER BY SHANNON STEED

NEWS COVID-19 UPDATE

P. 3

OREGON TECH FACULTY GO ON STRIKE

P. 4

OREGON REIMPOSES COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN SOME COUNTIES

P. 5

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF CHAD DEAD TWO DAYS AFTER REELECTION

P. 6

LARGEST VIRTUAL GATHERING OF WORLD LEADERS TACKLES CLIMATE CRISIS

P. 7

THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

P. 8

GET OUTSIDE GUIDE

P. 9–24

STAFF

OPINION EDITOR Nick Townsend

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Justin Grinnell

ONLINE EDITOR Lily Hennings

MANAGING EDITOR Nick Townsend

COPY CHIEF Sophie Concannon

NEWS EDITORS Nick Gatlin Rachel Owen

CONTRIBUTORS Alana Baldwin-Joiner Sofie Brandt Conor Carroll Diane Erickson Luke Harkins Dylan Jeffries Allison Kirkpatrick Benjamin Kirkpatrick Analisa Landeros Ryan McConnell Claire Plaster

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Karisa Yuasa SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Béla Kurzenhauser ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Morgan Troper

Eva Rioseco Eric Shelby Mackenzie Streissguth PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Annie Schutz MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Olivia Lee PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sam Person DESIGNERS Farah Alkayed Sam Garcia Shannon Steed

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY VACCINE INEQUALITY LOOMS OVER OREGON

P. 25

ARTS & CULTURE HAPPY STAR WARS DAY

P. 26-27

OPINION WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE OREGON LEGISLATURE

P. 28

LET THE RED COUNTIES GO

P. 29

COMICS

P. 30-31

EVENTS CALENDAR

P. 32

T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow Kahela Fickle George Olson A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale

To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@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, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

COVID-19 UPDATE CONOR CARROLL

TOTAL CASES AT PSU AS OF MAY 3: 56

Eight April cases, one May case Eight cases have been reported in the month of April, as well as one in May, at Portland State, bringing the total case count at PSU to 56. Five resident students and three on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19. Some potential on-campus exposures have been identified and have undergone testing and quarantine.

PSU relies heavily on a self-reporting system for people who have tested positive or inconclusive and have been on campus within two weeks. The self-reporting form can be found on PSU’s Coronavirus Response website.

The Student Health and Counseling Center (SHAC) is taking measures to obtain COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine distribution is controlled by the state and timelines are not clear at this point.

TOTAL IN OREGON AS OF MAY 2: 186,344 CASES, 2,501 DEATHS

Total vaccinations as of May 3: 564,556 in progress, 1.29 million completed After Governor Kate Brown declared 15 counties in the state of Oregon would be subject to more rigorous COVID-19 restrictions, the GOP in the Oregon State Senate issued a statement insisting that they would compel a procedural rule, which would require all bills to be read in full before passage could be considered.

The practice is like the United States Senate’s filibuster procedural practice, allowing a minority to block a simple majority from passing a bill or resolution, though Oregon State Senate’s rule does not hold such a grandiose place in legislative practice.

“As this session has shown, the Constitutional requirement that legislation be read in its entirety is an important tool to encourage bipartisan collaboration,” a press release from the Senate Republican Caucus stated, according to OPB. In retaliation to the state GOP’s demand that all bills are to be recited aloud and in full, Oregon State Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) utilized a move first tested in the Oregon State House of Representatives earlier this year: computer software to read the legislation instead of the congress members.

TOTAL IN U.S. AS OF MAY 3: 32.2 MILLION CASES, 574,220 DEATHS

Total vaccinations as of May 3: 147 million with at least one dose, 105 million fully vaccinated According to a recent ProPublica report, the counties with the statistically-lowest vaccination rates are the same counties in which residents are most prone to actually contract COVID-19.

The vaccine rollout, according to the White House’s official statement, was intended to prioritize the communities and demographics considered most vulnerable to contracting and thereby transmitting the virus.

The analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on vaccination rates per county indicates “early attempts to prioritize people with chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes and obesity have faltered. At the same time, healthier – and often wealthier – counties moved faster in vaccinating residents, especially those of 65 and older.”

According to CDC data, indigenous people are 1.6 times more likely to contract the disease than white people, 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for it and 2.4 times more likely to die from it.

Concurrently, Black and Hispanic or Latinx persons are at least 1 to 2 times more likely to contract COVID-19, nearly 3 times more likely to be hospitalized from it and at least 2 times more likely to die from it.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

NEWS

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OREGON INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

OREGON TECH FACULTY GO ON STRIKE FACULTY UNION REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS THE HISTORIC ACTION DYLAN JEFFERIES Faculty at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) went on strike on April 26, marking the first faculty-wide strike in Oregon higher-education history. OIT faculty organized through the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in 2018, making all four-year public universities in Oregon union represented.

The OIT faculty on strike are demanding fair wages, secure benefits and reasonable and clearly-defined workloads, according to a press release.

“We organized our union in record time and we’re the first faculty ever to go on strike in Oregon,” stated Mark Clark, professor of history and past OT-AAUP president, in a press release. “I hope Oregon Tech’s senior administration is prepared to negotiate a similarly historic contract.”

Negotiations for the first contract between OT-AAUP and OIT administration began in the fall of 2019 and continued for over 500 days. The administration declared an impasse on March 10. An impasse ceases bargaining between the parties; during an impasse, both sides present a final offer, and then a mandatory 30-day cooling off period is observed. After 30 days, management can unilaterally implement their offer, and the union is allowed to strike, according to OT-AAUP spokesperson Franny Howes.

At OIT, that 30-day period ended on April 17 but was extended to 6 a.m. on April 26. After a long night of negotiations and no agreement, OT-AAUP held a strike authorization vote which passed overwhelmingly, with 92% of voters in favor of the strike, according to a press release.

“We negotiated all night, up until 6 a.m. on Monday, and [OIT administration] were not able to meet us at a suitable offer, so we went on strike,” Howes said. “We have huge participation, and we will be on strike until we reach a contract.”

Faculty held pickets at the OIT campuses in Klamath Falls and Wilsonville throughout the week. As of April 29, no agreement has been reached. Erin Foley, Dean of Students at OIT, told Klamath Falls’ Herald and News classes will be covered by other instructors brought in from outside the university system, part-time faculty and full-time faculty not on strike.

Both OT-AAUP and OIT administration are currently raising questions about the legality of the others’ actions.

OT-AAUP’S DEMANDS

“We are asking for a reasonable and clearly defined workload, not a lighter workload,” Howes explained. “We want to have a clear definition of how much work we are supposed to be doing for the compensation we’re getting, and to be protected from overwork.”

According to Howes, workload requirements in regard to teaching are well-defined; it’s the non-teaching work, such as leadership committee work and research and advising, that needs to be more clearly defined.

Howes, who is also an associate professor in the Communications Department at OIT and a student in Portland State’s Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship program, said at one point during the fall 2019, she went partially

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blind due to a stress-related migraine which she attributes to being overworked as a faculty member at OIT. “I temporarily lost 50% of my field of vision, and it was terrifying,” Howes said. “We shouldn’t be asked to sacrifice our health to keep the university running.”

OT-AAUP is also demanding secure benefits.

“What I understand is that [OIT administration] wants to put language into their contract that would allow them to unilaterally change the health benefits package of members,” said PSU-AAUP Vice President for Communications and Public Relations Emily Ford.

Ford also mentioned one of the perks of faculty positions at Oregon’s public universities is the quality benefits package provided by the Public Employee Benefit Board.

“That’s a huge problem that [OIT] would put in language their contract would enable them to change that,” said Ford.

Lastly, OT-AAUP is demanding fair wages.

“Faculty being fairly compensated for their labor translates into the success of students in the classroom,” Ford stated. “Faculty working conditions are student’s learning conditions.”

Faculty union officials stressed the decision to strike is never taken lightly.

“We care very much about our students, and as we say often: we don’t want to strike, but we will if we have to,” said PSU-AAUP President Jennifer Kerns. “We don’t want to interrupt our student’s education, and we don’t want to put off their graduation. I know OIT faculty did this with great deliberation and thoughtfulness.”

Kerns also said faculty well-being is essential to the success of a university.

“When faculty are treated well, the morale is better at the university, and [faculty] can focus their attention on doing their work as educators, and not on being overworked or working for wages that aren’t even close to market or on their health insurance,” Kerns said.

“Don’t see this as a callous act on behalf of the OIT faculty and think that they’re not considering students—they are,” Kerns continued. “They just were backed into a corner by [OIT administration], and they had to make that decision [to strike]. Hopefully OIT’s administration will resolve this so that faculty can get back into the classroom and serve the students.”

CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP IN OREGON HIGHER EDUCATION

According to faculty union officials, Oregon is currently experiencing a crisis of leadership in higher education which is directly impacting the work of educators across the state.

“Faculty, public universities and the state of Oregon care deeply about the success of their students, and it’s not that people take going on strike lightly at all,” Ford said. “It’s a very serious issue, but it is a right that we have, especially when we are faced with leadership in higher education that is facing a major crisis.”

Ford pointed to OIT, where faculty took a vote of no confidence in the president; Western University, where faculty also took a vote of no confidence in the president; Oregon State, where the president recently stepped down; Linfield College, where there are ongoing issues with the Board of Trustees; University of Oregon, where the faculty union is bargaining for a contract with more shared governance; and PSU, where former President Rahmat Shoureshi stepped down in 2019.

“We have this enormous crisis of leadership in higher education in the state of Oregon,” Ford said. “I think this strike that’s happening [at OIT] is very much related to that crisis, and that division between administration not understanding the day to day realities of the people in the ranks who are doing the actual work of teaching and serving students and all of the student needs.”

Howes said the fact that so many issues in Oregon higher education leadership are occurring at once suggests there’s a problem.

Kerns also noted the crisis of leadership in higher education in Oregon, mentioning the importance of showing up in solidarity for Oregon’s other public university unions, because “a good contract and a respectful relationship between management and faculty is important to set the stage for other universities for them to have similar, respectful relationships.”

The OIT administration filed a petition last week asking the Employment Relations Board to declare the faculty strike unlawful. The board dismissed the petition on April 29, according to a press release.

“We feel that the amount of public resources spent on litigation and replacement workers could easily have gone toward uplifting Oregon Tech faculty and their service to students,” said Christopher Syrnyk, an Associate Professor at OIT, in a press release. “Senior administration could end the strike today if they were willing and ready.”

Negotiations will continue on April 30.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

CONOR CARROLL The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on Friday reported 5,729 new daily cases of COVID-19 throughout the week of April 19–27. That signifies a 21% rise from the preceding week, which marks the fifth uninterrupted week of 20% or higher surges in daily cases, according to the OHA. Governor Kate Brown gave a press conference the morning of Friday, April 30, her first since extending the emergency order in Oregon through June 28 and the most recent “extreme risk” restrictions.

“I was presented with data with two paths Oregon could take,” Brown stated during the briefing on Friday. “As your governor, I chose to save lives.”

According to a report from OPB, “Restaurants, gyms, places of worship and other venues returned to these more limiting pandemic rules Friday in the 15 counties that were moved into Oregon’s extreme risk phase.”

Restrictions are instituted until at least May 6, depending on infection and hospitalization rates. This means a cessation of indoor dining in restaurants, reducing capacity at places such as gyms, pools and most recreational centers.

If weather permits, anyone wishing to exercise or socialize can do so outside, if social distancing and other governmentissued safety precautions are followed.

Brown said that the decision was informed by a growing percentage of young Oregon residents with no underlying health problems contracting very serious cases of the virus, as well as a near doubling of hospitalizations for patients with COVID-19.

Possible explanations for the current trends are the spread of more severe and deadly mutations spreading rapidly through Oregon, and the fact that most residents have yet to be fully vaccinated.

Most states in the United States are seeing downward trends in infection rates, leaving some asking why Oregon has seen such a dramatic recent uptick in infections.

Some experts have posited the increasingly warmer weather could be a factor in the increased spread. As the weather warms, more and more people may wish to go outside.

One of the most alarming possibilities for the dramatic increase in cases is the presence of dangerous new variants of the virus. Unlike the East Coast and parts of the southern and midwestern U.S., the West Coast did not initially have to fear hyper-virulent strains of mutated COVID-19, such as the “U.K Variant,” more properly known by its scientific abbreviation, B.1.1.7.

The U.K. strain is now the “principal variant of concern” in the entire state of Oregon, according to Brett Tyler, the director of Oregon State University’s Center for Genome Research and lead researcher for OSU’s “TRACE” project.

In a recent report from OPB, Tyler stated, “The fraction in the sequence cases in Oregon reported are going up very sharply for B.1.1.7. It went up from 10% to 60% from March 14 through April.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a study last Wednesday, which found the “PfizerBioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines [were] 94% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization among fully vaccinated adults and 64% effective among partially vaccinated adults aged [greater than or equal to] 65 years.”

Moreover, the B.1.1.7 variant, the dominant strain in Oregon, does not appear to impact the effectiveness of the vaccines.

However, other variants, like B.1.351 or the “South African” variant, and P1, the variant first discovered in Brazil, seem to be less affected by the vaccination process.

Those variants are far less common, accounting for an estimated 5% of total cases in Oregon, though given their extremely virulent nature, the scientific community and public health organizations are watching their development with great care.

The combination of factors which have resulted in the rapid increase in infections thus has led to the most recent lockdown.

Not everyone is entirely convinced the lockdown is necessary, especially Oregon State Senate Republicans. Last Wednesday they indicated their intent to procedurally compel all bills to be read, in full, before ultimate passage. This move is in protest of Brown’s declaration on April 27 which stipulates 15 counties would be subject to new limitations, in order to stem the spread of COVID-19.

In a letter to extreme risk counties, Brown noted the lockdown is a temporary measure “to save lives,” and that a $20 million dollar emergency fund is available to small businesses.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

OREGON GOVERNOR KATE BROWN DURING A COVID-19 VACCINE DEMONSTRATION. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

OREGON REIMPOSES COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN SOME COUNTIES “WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOURTH SURGE”

NEWS

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PRESIDENT OF CHAD DEAD TWO DAYS AFTER REELECTION

A CHADIAN SOLDIER STANDS GUARD WATCHING SPECTATORS ATTEND THE STATE FUNERAL FOR THE LATE CHADIAN PRESIDENT IDRISS DEBY. CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/AP PHOTO

DIANE ERICKSON On April 20, Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno was killed in action on a battlefield north of N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, according to the BBC. At 68 years old, he had been commanding his troops against a rebel insurgence, when he was wounded by an exploding shell. “​The Resident of the Republic, Head of State, Supreme Chief of the Army Idriss Déby Itno just drew his last breath while defending the nation’s integrity on the battlefield,” said army spokesperson General Azem Bermandoa.

Thousands of Chadians attended the former president’s funeral at the main square of N’Djamena, la Place de la Nation. Visitors packed the monument to mourn the shocking loss of their president.

Among the foreign key leaders attending was French President Emmanuel Macron, who gave a speech for the funeral.

“You lived as a soldier, you died as a soldier with weapons in hand,” Macron said. “You gave your life for Chad in defense of its citizens. We will not let anybody put into question or threaten today or tomorrow Chad’s stability and territorial integrity.”

Born the son of a sheep herder in 1952, Idriss Déby joined the Chadian military as a young man.

He received a professional pilot license in France, before returning to Chad in 1976. Six years later, Déby would become commander-in-chief of the Chadian army and, nine years following a military coup against his former leader and ally Hissène

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Habré, he became the president of Chad.

Two days before his death, on April 18, Déby had just won the most recent presidential election—had he not died, he would be starting his sixth term as president this year.

Déby’s enduring reputation also came with a string of corruption cases and human rights abuses during his 30 years as president. Many of his high-ranking colleagues were personally selected from his Zaghawa ethnic group, whether they had experience for the role or not.

According to The New York Times, Déby was also an important player against the spread of Islamic extremism in the Sahel region of Africa. His forces supported French troops in their combat against groups like al-Qaeda and Boko Haram.

Despite his long and steady rule, Déby’s position was constantly put in danger by instability and internal conflicts, some of which were Déby’s own making. He was accused of squandering Chad’s considerable oil revenues, leading to extreme poverty, discontentment and anger among the people. Since the 1990s, a variety of rebel groups have attempted to overthrow Déby’s reign—it was one of these groups that allegedly ended Déby’s life.

On April 11, the same day as the presidential election, a group of dissidents known as the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) departed from their base in neighboring Libya and crossed the border into Chad from the

north, according to Al Jazeera.

They brought money, battlefield experience and weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates. The FACT were forced to retreat the night of April 19, after suffering from heavy losses, but they claimed to have killed or wounded 15 high-ranking officers of the Chadian army.

Déby had been scheduled to give a victory speech on April 19, in celebration of his sixth election win. But his campaign director, Mahamat Zen Bada, stated the president had decided to visit Chadian soldiers fighting rebels north of the capital.

“The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate, but right now, he is alongside our valiant defense and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory,” Zen Bada said, according to local news reports.

Chad’s military generals state that Déby was commanding forces on the battlefield, until a shell exploded near his vehicle at Nokou, 170 miles north of N’Djamena.

In the same speech that announced Déby’s death on April 20, Déby’s son, 37-year-old Mahamat Kaka Déby, was immediately named the interim president and chairman of the Transitional Military Council (TMC).

The TMC will stay in charge of Chad until new elections are held in 18 months, but this move has been met with controversy.

The change in leadership directly violates

the Chadian Constitution, which “specifies that the president of the National Assembly, or failing that, the first vice president, should take over when the president dies.”

As soon as Déby was declared deceased, the National Assembly and the government were dissolved. Had the transition in leadership been lawful, President of the National Assembly Haroun Kabadi would be Chad’s president right now.

Also known as “the man in the black glasses,” Mahamat Déby is a 4-star general said to be a discreet, quiet officer. He began his career as a member of the presidential guard, before working his way up the chain of command and serving as the deputy chief of Chadian armed forces sent to Mali in 2013.

Not all have willingly bowed to Mahamat Déby’s reign. “Chad is not a monarchy,” a FACT spokesperson tweeted. “There can be no dynastic devolution of power in our country.”

General Abderamane Dicko, a leader in the Chadian army, has denounced the TMC, declaring the transitional council to be “a group of friends” and calling for “the quick formation of a broad, inclusive consultation before the country sinks into chaos.”

After his funeral, Déby’s remains were flown to Amdjarass, a small village near his hometown of Berdoba, near the Sudanese border. He is survived by three wives, two ex-wives and at least twelve children.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

KARISA YUASA United States President Joe Biden invited 40 world leaders to a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate from April 21–22. Country representatives included the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, or the 17 countries with the largest economies and greenhouse gas emitters.

“Thank you @POTUS @JoeBiden for convening the #LeadersClimateSummit,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, in a tweet. “Europe will be the 1st climate neutral continent. But it does not want to be the only one.

Let’s all commit to ambitious emission reductions by 2030, on the way to net-zero by 2050.”

During the first session, 26 country leaders in addition to von der Leyen and the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of their country or region’s work toward their climate goals or announced new goals.

“Our actions today have a direct bearing upon the future and security of my nation and for others in the Pacific and beyond,” said David Kabua, president of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. “Today we are navigating through the storm of climate change, determined to do our part to steer the world to safety.”

The leaders of the top six emitters of Fossil Carbon Dioxide in 2018—China, the U.S., the European Union, India, Russia and Japan—who covered 67% of global emissions, were present

during the opening session remarks.

Biden announced the U.S.’s new goal to cut carbon emissions by 50–52% from 2005 levels—almost double of former President Barack Obama’s goal of cutting emissions by 26–28% by 2025.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Japan would be increasing its emission cut goal from 26% to 46–50% below 2013 levels by 2030.

“Japan will continue strenuous efforts cutting its emissions by 50%,” Suga said at the summit. “Such a goal of 46% in reductions would mean that Japan will raise our current target by 70% and it will certainly not be an easy task.

However, by defining a top-level ambitions target, appropriate for the next growth strategy of a nation which underpins global manufacturing, Japan is ready to demonstrate its leadership for world decarbonization.”

Despite the new plans by other world leaders, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced backlash from industry and green groups for making no pledge to hit net zero by 2050.

The world’s largest exporter of coal and gas and the highest per capita carbon emitter among the world’s richest nations also did not offer any changes to its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030 that was set with the Paris Agreement.

“Australia is on the pathway to net zero,” Morrison said during the summit. “Our goal is to get there as soon as we possibly can. Future generations...will thank us not for what we have promised, but what we deliver.”

According to Reuters, the Australian government released projections in December which stated with the country’s current trajectory, emissions in 2030 would be short of the country’s original goal at 22% below 2005 levels.

“When the PM says we can rely on him to meet Australia’s targets—which are among the weakest climate targets in the developed world—it’s like a naughty schoolboy saying you can rely on him to not do his homework and get a D in maths,” said Australian Conservation Foundation Chief Executive Kelly O’Shanassy.

The summit also included two roundtable discussions in which over 60 additional countries had representation during discussions regarding climate change.

Although many applaud the summit attendees for their new goals in fighting climate change, some argue it is not enough.

“This summit has seen more targets than an archery competition,” said Kate Blagojevic, Greenpeace U.K.’s head of climate. “While this momentum is important, much more global ambition is still needed if we are to stand a chance

of meeting necessary climate goals. Targets, on their own, won’t lead to emissions cuts. That takes real policy and money. And that’s where the whole world is still way off course.”

“The climate crisis is the result of perpetuating the harmful systems of colonialism, oppression, capitalism, and market-oriented greenwash solutions,” said Climate Justice Activist Xiye Bastida.

“The 40 leaders who are in this summit are in the majority from the global north, which has perpetuated these systems, The communities who are most affected, those who have endured displacement because of drought, flooding, wildfires, crop failure and human rights abuses are not fully represented here today.”

Bastida—a youth climate activist from Mexico and leading voice for indigenous and immigrant visibility in climate activism—concluded the session.

“You will often tell us again and again that we are being unrealistic and unreasonable, but who is being unrealistic and unreasonable with unambitious, nonbold so-called solutions?”

Bastida said. “You are the ones creating loopholes in your own legislations, resolutions, policies, and agreements. You are the naive ones if you think we can survive this crisis in the current way of living.”

WORLD LEADERS ARE SHOWN ON A SCREEN AS PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SPEAKS TO THE VIRTUAL LEADERS SUMMIT ON CLIMATE. EVAN VUCCI/AP PHOTO

LARGEST VIRTUAL GATHERING OF WORLD LEADERS TACKLES CLIMATE CRISIS

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL

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THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD

Apr. 25–30

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April 25

JAPAN

The ruling Democratic Party in Japan lost all three parliamentary seats that were up for grabs in the by-elections, according to Reuters. The election was the first national election to take place since Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office last November. “Two of the elections were held due to scandals, so that was definitely in the background,” said Airo Hino, a political science professor at Waseda University. “But anger and frustration on the part of the people due to how the pandemic’s being handled, and the slowness of the vaccine rollout, also played a part.” Kyodo News reported Suga’s cabinet’s approval rating fell from approximately 70% when first taking office to below 40% in February. “I intend to take the people’s decision with humility, and make amends where amending is necessary after conducting further analysis,” Suga said.

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April 27

ALBANIA

The Central Election Commission announced that Albania’s Socialist Party won its third consecutive election with 98% of the ballots from Sunday’s parliamentary election counted, according to AP News. The commission said that the Socialist Party won 49% of the vote and 74 of parliament’s 140 seats.

“We broke the record,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said to thousands of supporters in the capital city of Tirana. “It was a historic record. Thank you for placing your faith in us to lead you

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for another four years. My dream…is to make Albania in this decade…the Balkan champion, in tourism and agro-tourism, in energy and agriculture and in fast, qualitative, incorruptible digital services.”

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April 28

SOMALIA

Following division on how to go about elections, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed called for new elections.

“As we have repeatedly stated, we have always been ready to implement timely and peaceful elections in the country,” Mohamed said in a speech. “But unfortunately, our efforts were hampered by individuals, and foreign entities who have no aim other than to destabilize the country and take it back to the era of division and destruction in order to create a constitutional vacuum.” Tensions have been high since Mohamed’s four-year term ended in February with no plans for elections in sight, according to Al Jazeera. This comes after Mohamed signed a controversial measure earlier this month to extend his term another two years—a move passed by Somalia’s lower house of parliament but rejected by the senate.

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April 29

LIMA, PERU

Pedro Castillo, Peru’s front running presidential candidate, was rushed to a health clinic for respiratory issues, according to Reuters. On April 11, exit polls by Ipsos Peru announced left-

wing elementary school teacher Castillo to be the top candidate for the election, followed by Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former Peruvian dictator Alberto Fujimori. “Dear compatriots: I thank you for convening...in Lima,” Castillo wrote on Twitter. “However, due to health issues, I inform you with regret that I will not be able to attend. My hugs and apologies for all those who arrived.” On April 30, Castillo announced he would be returning to the campaign trail in time for the first debate on May 1, after being diagnosed with a throat infection.

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April 30

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

45 people died early Friday morning in a stampede during a festival celebrating the ultra-Orthodox Jewish holiday of Lag BaOmer, according to AP News. Estimates report tens of thousands of people were present at the tomb of 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai for the annual festival. Citizens of the United States and Canada were among the casualties.

Some witnesses blame police barricades for blocking people from leaving properly. “The officers who were there couldn’t care less,” said Velvel Brevda, a rabbi who witnessed the stampede. “Beautiful holy Jews [were] killed here for no reason whatsoever.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced May 2 as a day of national mourning and said he joined others in donating blood for the injured. “In these moments our people unite and that is what we are doing at this moment as well,” Netanyahu said while visiting the scene.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

THE PORTLAND GUIDE TO LOCAL CINEMAS

OUT OF THE SUN AND INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING

REGAL THEATER. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD

BÉLA KURZENHAUSER The past year pushed many of us inside, pulling cinephiles such as myself away from the strange comfort of air-conditioned, butter-scented, sticky movie theaters and mediocre new blockbusters; exchanging such musky yet cozy delights for the arid landscape of PVOD and streaming releases such as Netflix’s Mank. I deeply miss my weekend pilgrimages to the theater, trekking through whatever harsh elements Portland has to offer in exchange for the ambrosia that was seeing a new release on the big screen. Thankfully, with the well-timed arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, theaters are beginning to reopen, and a return to the cinema is no longer a distant future. In case you’re not familiar with Portland’s local cinemas, here are six of the best theaters in the city.

CINEMA 21

616 NW 21st Avenue Cinema 21 is one of Portland’s oldest theaters, and it’s built a loyal following despite having only three screens. It’s one of the most crucial pillars that support Portland’s festival circuit, and has been embedded in Portland’s local film industry for a long time, hosting such names as Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant and Kelly Reichardt. One of its most popular traditions is the

ings (I highly recommend seeing 2001: a Space Odyssey there at the next screening). Although the Hollywood does show new releases, its true speciality is in festivals and speciality screenings, such as old silent films accompanied by a live organ score.

Going to the Hollywood feels like more than just going to the movies—it’s an experience in and of itself, and is truly one of the best moviegoing affairs in the area. The theatre is currently still closed, but you can keep up to date on their social media or by signing up for their newsletter.

WHITSELL AUDITORIUM

1219 SW Park Ave The Whitsell Auditorium is the screening room of Portland’s very own filmmaking mecca—the NW Film Center. Beyond hosting classes and workshops and supporting local industry, the NW Film Center also hosts extensive screenings of locallymade films and old classics. The Whitsell Auditorium is a vital part of local film festivals such as the Portland International Film Festival and the Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival. You’ll frequently find it hosting retrospectives on the work of classic directors such as Agnes Varda or screening obscure new features from local Pacific Northwest filmmakers.

films from the new Mortal Kombat to Jasmila Žbanić’s Oscarnominated Bosnian drama Quo Vadis, Aida?

REGAL

340 SW Morrison St (Pioneer Place), 846 SW Park Ave (Fox Tower), 1510 NE Multnomah St (Lloyd Center) Regal Cinemas is one of the major United States theater chains alongside AMC and Cinemark, and it has multiple locations embedded throughout the city. The two closest theaters to Portland State’s campus are Regal Fox Tower 10 and Regal Pioneer Place 6, located respectively in the Fox Tower skyscraper and the upper floor of the Pioneer Place mall. Despite being so close to each other, the theaters show very different films, resulting in little overlap between the two locations. Regal is the best location to head to if you’re looking for the newest blockbusters, smaller-budget Hollywood films and Oscar nominees.

It also has an IMAX screen at the location over at Lloyd Center, which is worth the trek if you want to watch new releases on the biggest screen you can. Regal’s also well-known for their participation in the yearly Studio Ghibli Fest, which re-screens old Studio Ghibli movies throughout the year, and their Regal Unlimited subscription allows you to watch unlimited movies for only $21/month, which is easily the best deal for frequent cinemagoers. Regal’s Portland locations haven’t reopened just yet, but Fox Tower and Lloyd Center are reopening on May 14th, with Pioneer Place to follow on the 21st.

5TH AVENUE CINEMA

510 SW Hall St. 5th Avenue Cinema is PSU’s very own student-run cinema, screening a precisely-curated lineup of films every weekend for as long as classes are active. Tickets are free for PSU students, and the theater is one of the only in the region to screen films on both 35mm and digital, allowing for some truly unique experiences (summer 2019’s closing film was a 35mm screening of Masaki Kobayashi’s Hara-Kiri—a once in a lifetime experience). The theater remains closed until the campus fully reopens, but until then, its employees are hosting a biweekly podcast discussing their favorite films.

LIVING ROOM THEATERS. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD rare late-night screening of the 2003 disasterpiece The Room with Tommy Wiseau in attendance, which has occurred several times over the years—always managing to rack up a full house.

Outside of their presence on the festival circuit, Cinema 21 is also the go-to spot for movies from distributors such as A24 and NEON, whose films don’t usually manage to hit the multiplex.

HOLLYWOOD THEATRE

4122 NE Sandy Blvd The Hollywood Theatre has been around for 95 years, affixing itself as the most prestigious theatrical experience in the city.

It’s one of the only theaters to screen films in 35mm and 70mm, and it kicks off every year with several stellar 70mm screen-

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LIVING ROOM THEATERS

341 SW 10th Avenue Living Room Theaters’ name comes from its fame for having the comfiest theater experience in the state, with couch-like seats, small screening rooms, and a food and drink menu. It’s pretty much the closest thing you’ll get to a Pacific Northwest equivalent to Alamo Drafthouse. Living Room shows a diverse hodgepodge of films, but is most well-known for its array of international festival circuit titles. The theater serves food and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to patrons of age, and their doors are closed to anyone under 21 past 7:30 p.m., making it a great theater for people eager to escape multiplex screenings with chattery kids. It’s currently open, showing all types of

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A DAY AT THE LAN SU CHINESE GARDEN

LAN SU CHINESE GARDEN. NICK GATLIN/PSU VANGUARD NICK GATLIN Having received a vaccination, I recently had a “normal” day out of the house for the first time since last March; I have to say, I missed it.

As more people get vaccinated for COVID-19 and restrictions on public gatherings are loosened, it can be a nice treat to get outside a bit more. Go meet up with a friend for some outdoor dining, go to the art museum or have a house party with everyone you know that’s been vaccinated—and make sure to do everything safely, of course. While it’s still a good idea to be cautious, this summer won’t be like last summer. Enjoy the fresh air and sunshine!

Before the pandemic, I made a ritual out of visiting the Lan Su Chinese Garden at least once every quarter. A friend and I would spend an afternoon walking around the garden, drinking tea out of gaiwans in the wooden teahouse, getting our fortune told and watching the koi swim around in the lazy river. When the pandemic struck, the Garden, like most other things, closed indefinitely. It wasn’t until recently that it reopened, and, after I got the vaccine, I knew I had to go back.

Lan Su was built as a collaborative effort between Portland and its sister city, Suzhou, in China’s Jiangsu province. The Garden’s name is meant to represent Portland and Suzhou, with the words “Lan” and “Su” translating to “Orchid” and “Awaken,” respectively.

We got there at about 12:30, close to high noon. The sun beat down on us from above as the day felt almost more like summer than spring. The peonies and magnolias were in full bloom, and a wave of perfume washed over us as soon as we stepped in the gate.

We walked along the path, over to one of the many covered porches overlooking the Garden’s river. To facilitate social distancing, visitors are only allowed to walk in a single direction around the garden, and all of its branching paths have been converted into one-way walkways. This turned out to be somewhat of a mixed blessing. Restricted to only one path, I found myself paying more attention to what I saw, knowing I would have to walk all the way around to see it again.

We stepped into a side room, shortly after entering the Garden, which held a little display of teaware in the back, in front of a window looking out onto a bed of flowers. On the walls were about a dozen framed art pieces, made with paper cutouts layered on top of one another to create depth in the image. You can buy these pieces, if you want—sadly, I didn’t have $900 on me, no matter how much I wanted to hang an awesome paper dragon on my wall.

After stopping off in the art room, we continued along

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the path; here, we got a full view of the river, looking down its entire length as we watched a gasp of koi encircle each other, coming to the surface every once in a while to make a big “O” with their mouths and gulp for air—which, after reading about it, may not have been a great sign.

Finally, we ducked into the tea shop at the far end of the Garden. This is what I think of when I think of Lan Su—most of my memories of the place revolve around drinking tea in the upper floor of the tall, narrow teahouse, sipping a cup of pu-erh or oolong out of a gaiwan, taking care not to accidentally swallow any of the loose tea leaves.

Things are obviously different because of the pandemic. No more can you go upstairs. Instead, they’ve set aside space by the river for patio seating, and you can sit inside at a few tables by the window. In order to protect both the customers and the employees, there is no more table service. If you want to get tea, whether you’re getting it to-go or to drink there, you order at the counter and receive your tea in a paper cup. Their menu has shrunk significantly as well. Whereas before you had dozens of loose leaf tea varieties to choose from, now you’re limited to the basics—like Earl Grey, jasmine and matcha—served in a tea bag, to make it easier to grab and go.

My friend and I chose to sit at a table by one of the large, open windows overlooking the Garden. I made a remark that came to my mind seemingly out aof nowhere: “I miss the feeling of ceramic on my teeth.” And it was true. The inner wax coating of a paper to-go cup doesn’t feel nearly the same as the hard ceramic of a gaiwan. Despite being in the same garden I remember from a year ago, things have inarguably changed.

Of course, none of that is the Garden’s fault. Things are different because they have to be. No one chose to live through a pandemic, and the best we can do is reach out for the things that feel just a little bit normal.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the stark white wall that surrounds the Garden. Despite being in the middle of Old Town, with busy city streets all around, the Garden feels almost completely removed from the outside world. I say “almost” because there’s still a bit left—you can still see the tops of tall office buildings and hear the faint sound of the MAX outside the walls.

There’s a somewhat magical feeling that comes from this. It’s a sense of being isolated and surrounded by activity, at once. It’s the feeling of being in a pocket of serenity in a world of noise.

Even the pandemic hasn’t changed that feeling. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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MINECRAFT

NICK GATLIN

Picture this: it’s summer 2011. You’ve just graduated from 7th grade, and you’ve got nothing to do. You’re sitting in front of the family computer—when there was still a “computer room” in the house—and, having just given $20 of your precious money to some Swedish company named “Mojang,” you boot up a strange little indie game called Minecraft. The title screen comes up, and you hear the quiet beginning of a soft piano melody.

Until this year, I hadn’t played Minecraft since middle school. I had periodically checked in on my favorite Minecraft YouTubers from the early 2010s and watched the announcements from Mojang about new updates every now and then, but as I graduated to high school my interest in the game gradually faded. I stopped playing games on the computer as I became immersed in the libraries of the Wii and Xbox 360. I did play Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition a few times, but it just didn’t have the same charm as the original and I quickly abandoned it.

Fast forward to last year. When the pandemic started and we all withdrew into our homes, a lot of things changed for me. To start, I finally saved the money to build my own gaming PC, something I had been dreaming about for years. The first thing I did once I built it was buy all the games I had been wanting to play but couldn’t, because they would have killed my laptop. These were games such as Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and New Vegas;

Oblivion and Skyrim (I’m a bit of a Bethesda fan, if you can’t tell); and games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which could technically run on my old laptop, but only at 20 frames per second.

I still hadn’t come back to Minecraft, however. I had even lost the credentials for my account. But in summer 2020, after three months of being inside, and unsure if or when the pandemic would ever end, I found myself gravitating back toward my old comfort game. I had a bit of a nostalgiafest that summer—I rewatched a bunch of Studio Ghibli films from childhood, reread old books, the works—and it just seemed natural to re-download Minecraft and experience everything the game had to offer.

I had to buy a new account, having lost my old one in the tangled web of new Mojang accounts after Microsoft bought the game. But buy a new one I did, and as I booted up the game for the first time in nearly a decade I felt a flood of memories coming back to me. Things were different, for sure. Years of updates, bug fixes and new features made the game feel like a whole new world compared to the Minecraft that I knew back in 2011.

But it also felt comfortingly familiar. During a time of such uncertainty, playing Minecraft again felt like laying a weighted blanket on top of myself while lying in bed on a rainy Saturday night drinking Sleepytime tea. Needless to say, it felt very homey.

I spent much of that summer rediscovering the

world of Minecraft, running through its endless fields, mountains and mesas, taming horses and befriending villagers, building my house into the side of a mountain like a fancier version of the first shelter I ever made in the game. Physically, I was confined to my home—but in Minecraft, I could go anywhere.

Eventually I started to play Minecraft with friends, something I had never really done before because all of my friends in 2011 thought Minecraft was a stupid dork game for nerds—I sure showed them. Unsurprisingly, playing with other people is way better than playing alone. On our server we have a little village area with all our houses close together, and some more unusual amenities like “Friendship Mountain,” “Trump Tower” and “Sonic Underwater Level 2 [Gone Sexual].”

This is the Get Outside Guide, so I guess I’m supposed to tell you to get out of your house or whatever. And yes, now that vaccines are becoming widely available in the United States and pandemic restrictions are lifting, you should absolutely go outside more and find fun things to do beyond your house. But you don’t necessarily need to leave your front door to have a good time.

It’s just as possible to “get outside” in a game like Minecraft. It’s just as possible to spend time with your friends on the computer as it is, you know, in the outside world. It’ll just be in the form of 16x16 cubes.

MINECRAFT. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

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A GUIDE TO INDOOR GARDENING IN 2021 RYAN MCCONNELL Whether it is to spruce up your dorm or give some extra flavor to your cooking, indoor gardening can become an effortless, fruitful experience to anyone willing to place a pot on their windowsill. Many fear the purchase of a plant ensures its imminent death; however, with a little patience, even the least plant-savvy person can grow a green thumb. No yard? No problem!

This guide is here to help you bring life into your apartment and keep your plant babies happy.

PLACEMENT IS KEY

The most important part of indoor gardening for any beginner plant parent is location. Plants need sunlight, but depending on the direction of your windows, direct sunlight can burn the leaves of a plant. Think of your window like a magnifying glass; if the glass is too close, the sunbeams will burn right through the leaves. At the same time, placing plants too far away from sunlight can prevent the plant from gathering the nutrients it needs to survive. So what’s the sweet spot? It depends on the plant, but in general, placing a pot on top of a stool or desk sitting in front of a window is a great middle ground for plants to photosynthesize without too much heat from the sun radiating on them. If a plant calls for indirect sunlight, it’s a good idea to place it further away from the window, or to put down the window shades in the area.

LEARNING TO LISTEN

Plants are living creatures, and they can communicate their needs just like any other living creature! It can get confusing to figure out how much sunlight a plant needs, or how much water it needs, but plants themselves will give very clear indications on what is too much or too little.

First and foremost, check the soil. The only plants that like to be completely dry before watering are succulents such as Aloe vera. Most plants enjoy a consistent level of moisture in their own soil. You can check soil moisture by placing your finger about an inch inside the soil.

If the dirt sticks to your finger and is slightly squishy instead of crumbly, it likely has enough water. Most people believe that plant death is a result of under-watering; however, over-watering causes more houseplants to wither because of what’s known as root rot, which attacks a plant’s roots and can kill it altogether. Soil should never be completely soggy; if you’re watering a plant every day and notice it withering or yellowing, it likely has too much water in its pot. On the other hand, a plant will wither and sag if it isn’t getting enough water. Do not overload the plant with water every day afterwards.

Instead, wait a day or two—if it begins to raise itself up again, give it another drink. Most indoor plants cannot handle watering more frequently than every three days or so.

Sunlight is much easier to handle for most plants. Over time, it is actually possible to watch plant leaves grow and bloom in the direction of the window. If a plant is reaching out toward the window, then it might be time to scoot the plant

closer to its light source. On the contrary, dried and faded leaves combined with dry soil are usually the biggest indications that a plant is receiving too much sun. Set it back, give it some space and water it carefully so that it can recover.

GATHERING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

There are a plethora of options out there for pots, dirt and growing equipment, so what’s the right choice? The golden rule for collecting the right pot is always drainage. Never place any plant in a container without drainage holes.

A mason jar pot may look cute, but the water needs to leave the soil to prevent root rot. Plastic pots retain more water, but are more costefficient than terracotta or ceramic pots. Terracotta is more porous, which lets more water evaporate faster from the container, making it a great option for succulents and orchids.

In general, all-purpose potting mixes do wonders for most houseplants and herbs. The exceptions are succulents and orchids, which require their own soils. Succulents require extra drainage to mimic arid environments, whereas orchids require tree bark to mimic their natural habitats.

If you find yourself concerned whether or not your living space produces enough sunlight, you can find full-spectrum glow lights in most hardware stores. Plants require specific electromagnetic waves in order for them to promote active and healthy growth. Grow lights differ from normal household lights in their ability to produce waves that mimic sunlight. Hardware stores often have ample gardening sections, which provide a wide array of plants, pots, dirts and lights to choose from. I suggest purchasing a timer along with the grow light to mimic daylight for the plants, as too much artificial light can still cause the plants to burn.

If you have enough space to section off an area inside or a coat closet you aren’t using, you can also contemplate constructing your own grow tent.

A grow tent is simply a tall tent with reflective walls that has airtight ventilation and is waterproof and lightproof. A lot of grow tents are advertised for up to $400, but you can build the same structure for a fourth of the price;

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all you need is some PVC, grow lights, a fan and some Panda film, all of which you can buy online. There are many YouTube videos that have step-by-step instructions for building a grow tent from scratch, oftentimes for well under $100. These can get pretty big, so they’re only recommended for those who have the space and ceiling height.

WHAT IS A GOOD FIRST PLANT?

The best plants for newcomers are pothos plants and spider plants. Pothos plants are tropical, and their natural habitat includes periods of drought mixed with periods of intense rainfall. These are the perfect plants to get accustomed to caring for, as they require low light and generally enjoy being watered intensely once every couple weeks or with sporadic watering. They’re a vine plant as well, so they’re perfect for placing in a high area, such as atop a bookshelf or cabinet.

Spider plants also enjoy direct sunlight, and they can survive for extensive periods of time without water. They are extremely hard to kill, even amongst the most neglectful. These two plants can easily be watered at the end of a school week or weekend, and won’t immediately wither if one’s attention has been placed elsewhere through a midterm or final assignment.

HERBS INDOORS

Many herbs can thrive inside an indoor environment—even in a kitchen—so long as there’s a window. Oregano is an easy-to-care-for, delicious herb that has the versatility to fit in many dishes.

Basil is another great addition to any kitchen; however, basil plants require more water than most other houseplants, so expect to water them about every other day. Don’t forget to snip off any flowering buds, also known as bolting. Basil plants are annuals, so they will expend all of their energy into flowering after about a year of care or consistent high heat. Cutting flowering buds will prevent the leaves from becoming bitter and allow the plant to continue leaf growth. Perennials are often great additions to an indoor herb garden, as they will produce yields all year long. Green onions, chives and watercress are perfect examples of perennial vegetables to grow indoors, because they retain yearly yields but do not grow so large that they have to compete for sunlight.

No matter what your experience is with plant care, there are opportunities for everyone to be able to start and succeed in growing their own indoor garden. Not having a backyard shouldn’t hold you back from growing fresh ingredients for that next Italian dish. Buying local plants from nurseries is also a great way to support local businesses and help communities through the pandemic. And, besides, having a new green friend to study alongside you is a great addition to any household.

SHANNON STEED

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WHERE’S THE WIFI?

AN ATTEMPT TO FIND THE BEST OUTDOOR SPOTS TO CONNECT TO YOUR NEXT ZOOM CLASS

KARISA YUASA On a chilly November night, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing at almost two in the morning. When my groggy eyes finally decided to focus on the phone screen, I realized it was a Google Meet call from my boyfriend.

After my confusion for why a Google Meet call was necessary this late—his phone had died while on a late night walk— he let out an awkward chuckle and said, “Well, fun fact: the Eduroam WiFi works from Pioneer Square.”

I think about that comment sometimes when I sit in my hot, stuffy dorm room for what feels like the zillionth Zoom meeting of the week. The virtual environment seemingly created the perfect opportunity to take classes and do meetings from anywhere, yet here I was sitting at a desk wanting to be anywhere but here.

That being said, I like to believe I am no stranger at finding odd places to take advantage of virtual learning. Doing class from an airport was going perfectly until I hit the 45-minutesof-free-WiFi mark and was abruptly ejected from my 50-minute class.

But that got me thinking: how far from my little dorm room will the school WiFi allow me to take my Zoom lectures?

In search of a simple answer, I reached out to the Office of Information Technology to see if they could help. Their answer, in short, was that WiFi is complicated and therefore they didn’t have a solid, concrete map of the WiFi boundaries.

I took that as less of a setback and more of a challenge as I set out to discover the wackiest places the school WiFi works in, and some weird places where it doesn’t.

For the sake of simplicity, I want to define school WiFi as what is available through PSU Secure and not include the Eduroam service that allows anyone with an Odin login to gain access to WiFi at thousands of colleges and university campuses throughout the world. I didn’t think it was fair to compile a list solely made of random universities on different continents.

With my go-to Starbucks Pink Drink and WiFi-only iPad in hand, I started my journey to get in some well-needed steps and take on the challenge so you don’t have to.

I started by walking through the Park Blocks. I had no issues with connecting to the internet, but that didn’t feel like a discovery worth this whole page. Past the Walk of Heroines, things still seemed to be going well. Feel free to enjoy your Zoom lecture while watching the cute puppies at the dog park.

Going further back, there’s a path that runs between Hoffman Hall and the Peter W. Scott Community Field that leads to an entrance on to the back of the field. If you are interested in standing directly behind the field goal post to watch games or practices with no blocked view and don’t mind the loud highway directly behind you, this might be for you, but if you’re looking for a view while taking your next Zoom work meeting, I would call this a hard pass. The internet will work a solid 5% of the time, though if you have a coworker that won’t shut up in meetings, I guess missing 95% isn’t that bad.

Coming back around, if you have been eyeing the playground at the end of the Park Blocks behind the Native American Student and Community Center (NASCC); hoping to take a few trips down the slide when breakout rooms hit that awkward silence, I have some bad news for

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you: the school WiFi is non-existent. You are not connecting to that Zoom meeting at all. However, if the meeting is not that important, you might be able to make friends with a fluffy cat and dog like I did while I was there.

Walking towards the NASCC and the Broadway Residence Hall, I struggled to connect to WiFi until I was walking directly next to Broadway. Although the WiFi worked decently well while within an arm’s reach of the building, once a few steps away—not even quite at Mak’s Mini Mart—it cut out again.

Going even farther south, I wanted to check the WiFi near the 4th Ave. food carts, given their prime location between Ondine and the engineering building. It worked—well, most of the time.

Oddly enough, I had little trouble connecting to the WiFi outside of the CVS on SW Harrison—that was, until I took my first step inside. With the excitement of finding cool places fading, I bought Nestlé Dibs ice cream to keep my spirit high as I finished my rounds and headed back towards the Park Blocks.

I walked along the Park Blocks past Fariborz Maseeh Hall, then Smith Memorial Student Union, then Cramer and Lincoln Hall, getting superb access next to each building with only a little difficulty for brief moments between buildings.

In the Park Blocks between Lincoln and the old Parkway Residence Hall sits a streetcar stop that is probably the furthest place you will get a solidenough connection to catch your whole Zoom lecture, but quite frankly, at this point, why would you? In my opinion, it would probably be easier to get an italian cream soda and

overpriced sandwich from the Park Ave. cafe and leach on their free WiFi. Maybe this list would have been more interesting if I just listed universities in other countries you could connect to through the Eduroam WiFi. In conclusion, if you were hoping to take your next Zoom meeting outside, beware: the WiFi arguably sucks ass.

SAM GARCIA

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THERE’S A LOT OF WATER IN PORTLAND RIVERVILLA PARK. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD

EVA RIOSECO Now that we’ve all had a generous taste of good weather and sunshine here in Portland, it’s probably a good time to plan a river trip. Here are some of some of the greatest and least crowded swimming holes in Portland. Some offer diving opportunities, while others are ideal for lounging. All in all, Portland has a perfect swimming hole for everyone.

IN PORTLAND:

SELLWOOD RIVERFRONT PARK. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD

Sellwood Riverfront Park (1221 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR) The Sellwood Riverfront Park is sandwiched between the Willamette River and the springwater corridor. Walk through the off-leash dog park area to the dock or follow the trail to the long stretch of beach, both of which provide visitors with many spots to relax. This great spot is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Portland, making it a quick and easy place to visit for some sun or a swim. If you’re traveling by bike or foot from downtown, you can take the springwater corridor from OMSI to Sellwood Riverfront Park. For drivers, there’s a free parking lot and additional street parking for visitors.

Hawthorne Docks/The Holman Dock (Willamette River Greenway Trail, Portland, OR) One of Portland’s most popular urban swimming spots, the Holman Dock, is located on the Willamette River next to the Hawthorne Bridge. This is the most central of all the locations on this list, and is only around a 20-minute walk or a five minute drive from PSU. Although there’s limited room at this swimming spot, it’s a great place to view the downtown cityscape and have a quick dip.

Kelly Point Park (N Kelly Point Park Road, Portland, OR) A 20-minute drive north from Portland State’s campus, this beautiful park is perfect for picnicking and lounging on the beach. The area is full of cottonwood trees and has some lovely sunny meadows, and the beaches look out on the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. This spot is ideal for picnics, lounging and dipping your toes, although Portland Parks recommends you don’t swim due to the unpredictability of the current. There’s a large free parking lot for visitors.

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JUST OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND:

Oxbow Regional Park (3010 SE Oxbow Parkway, Gresham, OR) Just a short 30-minute drive from downtown Portland, Oxbow Regional Park offers an excellent riverfront beach on the Sandy River, and is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, floating and fly fishing. There are several beach areas in the park. If you’re okay with a short hike, park at the boat launch and follow the trail through the amphitheater and past the campgrounds.

You should be able to follow the path down to a more secluded beach. A $5 entry fee that doubles as a parking pass is required to enter the park.

Walton Beach, Sauvie Island (38798 NW Reeder Road, Portland, OR) Located on Sauvie Island and about a 30–40 minute drive from downtown Portland, Walton Beach is a popular spot to lounge and swim. The beach is ideal for people who are looking to have a picnic or lounge in the sun all day and maybe take a quick dip in the water. There are no spots for cliff jumping. There’s a parking lot that fills quickly on the weekends, and a parking pass is required. The parking pass is available for purchase at the general store at the base of the bridge as you cross the river channel onto Sauvie Island. A daily pass is $10; an annual permit is $30.

Glenn Otto Community Park (1102 E Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, OR) Glenn Otto Community Park is located on the Sandy River just outside of Troutdale. This family-friendly spot is around a 30-minute drive from downtown Portland. At Glenn Otto, you’ll find a nice beach area that has ample space for spreading out. There are some shallow sections in the water and deeper spots with rocks for small jumps. This spot is ideal for just about any kind of river lover. A word of warning, however: it can fill up quickly on the weekend.

THE BEST SWIMMING HOLES IN AND AROUND THE CITY If you check out this spot, definitely stop at the Sugar Pine Drive-In, which is located in the parking lot. Sugar Pine offers a variety of sandwiches and salads, but the real winner is the soft serve. They have delicious dairy-free options as well.

High Rocks (25 82nd Drive, Gladstone, OR) If you’re looking for a place to cliff jump, High Rocks is the spot for you. This urban swimming spot on the Clackamas River is just around 30 minutes from downtown Portland. The river is quite deep here, making it perfect for jumping off the rocks surrounding the water. Lifeguards are on duty at the park from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

NOTABLY NUDE:

Rooster Rock (Corbett, OR) Rooter rock is about 22 miles from Portland in the direction of the Columbia River Gorge. It’s on the Columbia River and is a popular spot for windsurfing, kayaking, fishing and nude sunbathing. There are two beaches, one where clothing is required and one clothing-optional, hidden away from the park’s central area. Rooster Rock has lots of space to spread out and take in the gorgeous views of the Gorge.

Collins Beach - Sauvie Island (NW Reeder Road, Portland, OR) Collins Beach is just past the aforementioned Walton Beach, also on Sauvie Island. This beach is clothing-optional and has been popular since at least the 1970s. It’s a small beach, about one mile long, and is often less crowded than the other beaches on Sauvie Island. Similar to Walton Beach, you must purchase a parking pass to park. The parking pass is available for purchase at the general store at the base of the bridge after you cross the river channel onto Sauvie Island. A daily pass is $10; an annual permit is $30.

RIVERVILLA PARK. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD

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VANGUARD E SHARE THEI WAYS TO GET EDITORIAL STAFF Winter is over, and for a few months, Portland won’t be blanketed in grey clouds and rain. Many Portlanders will look to take advantage of this limited window of warm air and sunny skies, but If you’re having a hard time deciding what to do or are looking for new ways to get outside, here are some of our favorite activities that get us out of the virtual newsroom to enjoy the weather.

SAM GARCIA

MORGAN TROPER, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

I got a dog this time last year, so I’ve become very acquainted with the dog parks across Portland. Spending time around a bunch of strangers and their dogs was something that made me a little uncomfortable at the start of the pandemic, but going to the dog park with my Texas Heeler—whose name is Jet, after the Paul McCartney and Wings song, naturally—has become one of my favorite outdoor pastimes.

It’s an excuse to get out of the house every day, and reading or listening to music while I throw a tennis ball for my dog has become a profoundly meditative habit that I can’t foresee breaking, even post-quarantine. Also, I love watching dogs in-

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teract with each other—it is one of the cutest, strangest and funniest things in the world. “Dog games” clearly have their own bizarre, internal logic that humans could never hope to understand.

Now that more people are vaccinated and less threatened by each other overall, I’ve even started talking to other owners at the park. Most of them are approximately 20 years older, but that’s alright with me.

and had the most amazing time. The shop operates in a red double-decker bus where you can drink amazing new coffee creations made by the owner or go with an authentic Egyptian coffee. Regardless, the ambience sitting on the 2nd floor of the bus and looking out is unmatched. If you’re feeling hungry afterward, there are some amazing food carts within walking distance.

OLIVIA LEE, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

RACHEL OWEN, NEWS EDITOR

I recently moved to Portland from Dallas, Texas a few weeks ago so I’ve been making an active effort to explore as much of the city as I possibly can. Since I live on campus, I’ve been going on walks around the Park Blocks everyday, taking in all the beautiful views of spring.

Every Saturday, I enjoy visiting the Portland Farmers Market in the heart of the PSU campus. I wake up bright and early in the morning to be the first to see what vendors have to offer that Saturday and I’ll usually pick up produce, baked goods and then sample one of the many vendors selling hot foods from either breakfast burritos, samosas, noodles or kielbasa.

A sunrise walk to the waterfront is always a wonderful start to any day and walking back, I always make sure to try a new coffee shop as well. I went to Tōv Coffee & Tea the other day

As the weather warms up, I love getting outside. Being able to go for a walk to smell the fresh air and see everyone out enjoying the day is truly one of the best things about spring.

Although going on walks and enjoying the outdoors alone is great, it’s always more fun with friends—following COVID-19 restrictions, of course.

One of my favorite things to do outside is have a picnic in the park with some friends. Currently, that looks like me and my friends sitting on separate blankets in order to maintain proper social distancing, but it is still so nice to be able to enjoy each other’s company.

When I go out I bring a quilt I made with my grandma to lay on, a sketchbook to doodle in, a book to read, some snacks to munch on and some water or tea to drink. Bringing these items

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

EDITORS IR FAVORITE T OUTSIDE allows me to really enjoy my time away from screens. It feels very meditative and relaxing.

My favorite park to go to in Portland is Cathedral Park just under the St. Johns bridge. The scenery of the Willamette River, the bridge and all of the green grass is so welcoming and open. There is so much space to sprawl out on and enjoy.

Going on picnics with friends has been a great way for me to get outside and spend time with the people I love while still staying safe. The pandemic is still a major health concern and needs to be taken seriously. Socially-distanced picnics are a fantastic option to safely enjoy someone else’s company or just my own.

Being outside is so great for my mental health that picnics have become a near-weekly routine. Getting outdoors and giving myself the time to relax has been one of the best gifts I have given myself.

Seven miles in total, the loop comprises a portion of Portland’s Green Loop as well as the entire Eastbank Esplanade and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Rain or shine, this run offers beautiful views of downtown Portland and the Willamette. As a bonus, any of the three bridges that intersect the loop can be used to cut down the runtime, if seven miles is too much running for one day.

As summer quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to lace up your running shoes and see where they take you.

paralleled view of Portland’s Forest Park. Many of my most tranquil days in Portland have involved nothing more than sitting on the incline of the hill with some tacos or barbecue, watching the water and the world go by.

NICK GATLIN, OPINION EDITOR AND INTERIM NEWS EDITOR

JUSTIN GRINNELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF

As part of a new year’s resolution four years ago, I started going to the gym 3–4 times each week, but as gyms and rec centers closed due to the pandemic, my workout routine came to a halt.

Lacking a physical activity and feeling the mental fatigue of quarantine, I threw on my running shoes one day and hurried out of my apartment. Running has been the best way to exercise outside my apartment while still social-distancing.

My normal route starts at the Park Blocks, heading west toward Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I cross the Tilikum Bridge and run north along the east side of the Willamette. I eventually make my way past the Moda Center and cross the Broadway Bridge. I then head back down the waterfront along the westside until I reach the Tilikum Bridge once again and run back to the Park Blocks.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

NICK TOWNSEND, MANAGING EDITOR

For Portland State students living in the downtown area without a car, St. Johns is a daunting trek. It hangs on the far north edge of town, overseeing the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Transportation options are slim, with most bus routes between campus and St. Johns taking about an hour, sometimes with a transfer. On a bike, you’re looking at a 17-mile round-trip ride on a narrow, busy road with slim shoulders. It’s with this in mind that I tell you going to St. Johns is absolutely worth your time.

Maybe it’s because of the trip, but I always feel like I’ve stepped into a different city when I enter St. Johns. The reason I come is always the same, the city’s best park: Cathedral Park. Resting underneath the magnificent St. Johns bridge, Cathedral Park is an always shaded sloping green hill that merges with the banks of the Willamette River, offering an un-

I’m not much of an outdoors person. Most weekends, my idea of fun isn’t going hiking or fishing or running or anything else traditionally outdoorsy. But, like all humans, I’m still drawn to the outdoors, and I can’t really stay inside all the time. So when I get cabin fever, I usually choose to do something more laidback: walking.

Yeah, I know. “Walking isn’t an activity,” you’re thinking, “it’s just a thing we all do!” And it is certainly less exciting than some of the other things on this page. It’s boring. But when you think of walking as an activity, as something you do just to do it, it becomes something else entirely.

I can spend hours walking around the city, making my way from one place to another and soaking in all the scenery. There are so many parts of Portland that I never would have known about if I hadn’t made the decision to walk down some unknown side street. Sometimes, if I have the time and the patience for it, instead of taking the MAX or the streetcar across town, I’ll map out a nice walking path and make my way there on foot. It’s way slower, for sure, but that’s part of the charm.

There are definitely more “traditional” ways to walk too, and I love them just as much—walking around Portland’s outdoor gardens, for instance—but there’s just something about taking the time to experience ordinary things that can’t be replicated.

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EXPLORING PORTLAND’S MYSTERIES PORTLAND IS WEIRD, BUT NOT IN THE WAY YOU THINK MORGAN TROPER There are a lot of great—and obvious—things to do outside in Portland during our mercilessly-brief dry season. The forest is in our backyard, and there are a plethora of wonderful beaches right outside the city. The middle of the year in Portland is also a great time to take stock of our city’s enduring mysteries. Many Portland natives or longtime residents take these curios for granted, although they’re sure to pique the interests of visitors and newcomers. Here are but four of Portland’s greatest mysteries.

THE WITCH’S CASTLE LOWER MACLEAY TRAIL, FOREST PARK The entries on this list are ostensibly Portland mysteries that can only be fully appreciated during the summer months, but the Witch’s Castle might be the lone exception to that rule.

A dreary drizzle really adds to the creepy ambience of this infamous Portland landmark, which is also referred to as the Stone House or the Macleay Park Shelter. It’s a jarring stone structure located smack in the middle of one of Forest Park’s most popular and accessible trails, and, for lack of a better expression, something just feels off about it. The structure’s sanctum is covered in strange, occult graffiti, and it’s not unusual to find disposed beer cans, glow sticks or other high school kegger miscellany strewn about, which is pretty terrible from an environmentalist perspective.

Legend has it that the Witch’s House is haunted by Mortimer Stump, a contract handyman who helped notorious Portland landowner Danford Balch clear this section of the woods for homebuilding in the mid-1800s. Stump allegedly fell in love with Balch’s daughter, and was murdered by Balch as a result.

Ghost stories notwithstanding, the actual origins of the

Witch’s House are less glamorous—it was constructed as a rest stop for hikers at the beginning of the 20th century, though was badly damaged by a storm in 1962 and was never repaired, resulting in its current, creepy state.

PITTOCK MANSION THE WEST HILLS This is perhaps the least mysterious entry on the list—there are signs on the highway that lead you all the way to the Pittock Mansion’s doorstep, after all. Still, the history of the property is slightly mysterious. It originally belonged to publisher and business magnate Henry Pittock, who is notable for transforming The Oregonian from a weekly newspaper into the state’s most famous daily. Also, Georgiana, Pittock’s wife, was a fan of gardening, and helped launch the Portland Rose Festival.

The mansion was opened to the public in 1965, and has been offering tours ever since. The Pittock Mansion is also one of the best places in Portland for huge, sweeping views of the city; its grounds make for great picnics or sunset viewings.

PORTLAND’S FREEWAY GHOST RAMPS EAST BANK ESPLANADE Portland is unusual for a major city in that its freeways are littered with mysterious “ghost ramps”—interchanges that were proposed but never completed. The most infamous of these is visible from the East Bank Esplanade and the OMSI parking lot.

This interchange would have served the abandoned Mt. Hood Freeway project, which would have cut through and decimated residential communities in SE Portland—a repeat of the de-

ABOVE: PRESCOTT ST. FREEWAY. SOFIE BRANT/PSU VANGUARD TOP LEFT: WITCHES CASTLE. KAT LEON/PSU VANGUARD BOTTOM LEFT: PITTOCK MANSION. KAT LEON/PSU VANGUARD struction and displacement wrought by the construction of I-5 years earlier. The story goes that the communities who would have been impacted by the new freeway filed a suit, and the plans for it were eventually abandoned in 1974. Today, these freeway stubs are grim, creepy reminders of what could have been—but they also speak to the unrivaled power of community action.

VANPORT’S REMAINS DELTA PARK, VANPORT STATION The tragedy of Vanport is one of the most shameful segments of Portland’s history, and shares some disturbing parallels with Hurricane Katrina. The town of Vanport was constructed along the lowlands of the Columbia River, and initially housed the construction workers employed at the Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. While these workers would eventually depart Vanport after the war ended, an influx of returning veterans and new residents kept the town alive. In 1948, a flood submerged the entire city of Vanport in the course of a single day, instantly leaving its 17,500 former residents without homes.

Because Vanport was initially intended to be a transient housing community, very few of the structures were strong enough to weather the flood. However, some of Vanport’s remains are still clearly visible from Delta Park, the area where Vanport used to be situated. A few roofs from houses that were destroyed in the 1948 Vanport flood are on display at the Vanport MAX station. And recently, a YouTuber by the name of Steve the Amateur Historian has dedicated a fair amount of research to this very topic—in 2017, he identified the remains of Vanport’s only standing movie theater, and argued that a stone structure along the Columbia slough was an amphitheater constructed by and for the residents of Vanport.

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CAPTURING PORTLAND FARMERS MARKET

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ERIC SHELBY An excellent spot to go outside and get some fresh air, the Portland Farmers Market opens every Saturday from 8:30–2 p.m. Portlanders can stroll through Park Blocks and support local businesses.

1. CUSTOMERS AT THE FARMERS MARKET. 2. CUSTOMERS BUYING FOOD FROM A VENDOR. 3. PORTLAND FARMERS MARKET SIGN. 4. VENDOR ARRANGING BOUQUET. 5. VENDOR GRABBING VEGETABLES FOR CUSTOMERS. 6. VENDOR SOCIALIZING WITH A CUSTOMER. PHOTOS BY ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD

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GET A FOOTHOLD IN THE

ROCK CLIMBING

COMMUNITY AT THESE PDX LOCATIONS RACHEL OWEN At the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Portland is known for its outdoor attitude and sensational opportunities to get outside. No activity showcases this more than rock climbing.

With plenty of gyms in the area, the city boasts an impressive rock-climbing community that is as enjoyable as it is adrenaline-boosting. Here’s a list of climbing gyms located in Portland, so anyone interested in trying out a new outdoor activity has a place to start.

PLANET GRANITE PDX

Location: 1405 NW 14th Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday 6 a.m.–10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.–6 p.m.

Student Day Pass Rates: $18 before 5 p.m.

Reservations: Required for day passes Planet Granite (PG) is a chain of climbing gyms that houses locations up and down the West Coast. The Portland location offers tall walls, top-out bouldering and an excellent workout area. Climbers will find friendly staff, easy-to-use equipment and plenty of beginner-friendly routes. Because PG is a chain,

the routes are fairly standardized and easy to navigate, making climbing a lot easier for those just starting out.

Want some guidance? Planet Granite offers a series of classes to get you started. It offers an intro to rope climbing, lead classes, beginner classes and so much more to get new and experienced climbers comfortable on the wall.

PORTLAND ROCK GYM

Location: 21 NE 12th Ave. Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 7 a.m.–11 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Student Day Pass Rates: $18 Reservations: Required for non-members As the third-oldest climbing gym company in the nation, Portland Rock Gym offers a more traditional climbing experience than newer gyms. Located just on the East side of the river at the corner of NE 12th and E Burnside, Portland Rock is the most centrally-located gym in the city, allowing easy access for anyone in the Portland area.

The gym has an expansive bouldering area featuring a topout boulder that provides routes for those looking to seriously train or just kick back and have fun trying out the sport.

Toward the back, climbers will find an open floor with tall walls and numerous top rope routes. There are also four auto-belays for climbers that are looking for some solo sends and meditative training.

Portland Rock also offers several classes to get new climbers interested in the sport as well as the community. The introductory classes often fill up quickly, but are an immersive experience led by experienced staff to help new climbers.

THE CIRCUIT BOULDERING GYM

Locations: 410 NE 17th Ave., and SW 6050 S Macadam Ave Hours: Everyday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., South location Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Student Day Pass Rates: $17 Reservations: Required Just interested in bouldering? The Circuit has you covered.

With two locations in the city, the Circuit provides a gym that is solely focused on the art of bouldering. Each location has top-out bouldering and areas to traverse to practice technique.

Climbers will find fellow boulderers and an itch for strong, dynamic movements.

The walls at The Circuit range from 8–17 feet to give climbers an opportunity to experiment with different heights and routes to appease their abilities and interests. There is a free 60-minute intro to bouldering class available to any new climber at the gym to help get them started. The gym also offers Beginner Night every Wednesday after 4 p.m., where day passes are available at 50% off for first-timers.

PORTLAND STATE CLIMBING CENTER

Location: Third floor of the Academic and Student Recreation Center Hours: Monday–Friday 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.– 7:30 p.m.

Student Day Pass Rates: Free to PSU students Reservations: Required

PORTLAND ROCK CLIMBING GYM, PLANET GRANITE. COURTESY OF PLANET GRANITE PDX

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The climbing center in PSU’s Campus Rec Center features a 32-foot climbing wall with a series of climbing routes that allows people with all climbing abilities to try out the sport.

The floors are covered with a well-cushioned pad to ensure safe falls—however, down-climbing is encouraged for proper safety.

To keep in touch with COVID-19 guidelines, the Outdoor Program and Campus Recreation have adjusted the rules and regulations of the climbing center. Climbers are required to wear masks at all times, stay six feet apart and students are only allowed to practice bouldering. Rope climbing and belay classes have been put on hold to ensure safe social distancing for both the climbers and employees.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

4TH AND HALL’S BEST FOOD CARTS

4TH AVENUE FOOD CARTS. JASON DE LEON/PSU VANGUARD

BÉLA KURZENHAUSER Portland’s food carts have a long history and have earned their reputation as one of the city’s landmark attractions, with a diverse selection of cuisines and dishes from all over the world spread throughout the city’s labyrinthian concrete jungles and hazy suburbs. Most food carts are separated into pods, each scattered across the City of Roses, carrying their own distinctive identity with them.

One of the most popular spots for food carts on Portland State’s campus is the 4th and Hall food cart pod located on 4th Avenue. The singular block composed of haggling chefs and a lineup of carts that is too nebulous to ever fully pin down acts as a beacon for students and Portlanders as a whole to congregate in search of the best the region has to offer. So why not get outside, enjoy some sunshine and get yourself some good food at four of these excellent carts?

CHUNKY SUBS & PASTA

Chunky Subs & Pasta exists in a strange, nearly liminal space in the 4th Ave. pod, as it offers a selection of food unparalleled by any other cart nearby, yet seems to disappear behind a curtain of faded matboard menus and orange paint that cannot hope to stand out amidst the flashy marquees of its neighbors. Despite its humble appearance, Chunky Subs is a cart that always manages to convince me to make the pilgrimage to its doorstep, and I’ve never gotten the same thing twice—which is more than I can say for most other places, given my propensity to pick the same dish over and over again in favor of trying new things.

Chunky Subs feels like a Portland bodega, with its menu a haphazard blizzard of tacos, burritos, salads, pastas and most importantly—sandwiches. In a block crowded with entrees, plates and gyros far too large to hold in just one hand, they provide a form of reprieve with their cheap, diverse and flavorful grilled sandwiches. If you want the best fresh-off-the-grill cheesesteak you can get for only $6, or a bacon and roast beef sandwich with enough mushrooms to scare even Mario off, then Chunky Subs is the place for you.

POOMPUI

Thai food is nearly universally-loved, and one of my first desires when I moved to Portland was to find a place that served good, cheap pad Thai. Suffice to say, Poompui delivers, and they don’t just deliver pad Thai. One of the few actively open Thai carts in the pod, Poompui serves an array of noodle and rice dishes, curries, soups and stir fries—many of which I have embarrassingly shafted in favor of getting my usual order of pad Thai again.

Despite my own negligence as an eater, I would be remiss not to give this cart my full recommendation. Their crispy pork potstickers and peanut sauce make for a delicious appetizer in unison with any of their delicious (albeit slightly greasy) noodle dishes, and their tom kha soup is a personal favorite of mine on a cold winter morning.

POOMPUI. JASON DE LEON/PSU VANGUARD

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TAQUERIA VILLANUEVA

One of the greatest tragedies of the Pacific Northwest is that everything closes at a reasonable hour. That means that there are very few places to find food to satisfy cravings at that hour of drunken stupor or weed-induced munchies. While Taqueria Villanueva is not a 24/7 joint, it serves staggeringly delicious Mexican food up until 10 p.m.—which, by Portland standards, is practically 3 a.m.

Taqueria Villanueva holds a particularly special place in my heart; my CS classmates and I frequently visited it at the bookends of our evening classes, congregating like moths to a candle as we flocked towards the one cart still glowing in the aching hours of the night. The warm smells of refried beans and cheese that emanated from the cart would drift into the cold winter air, instilling a sense of ragged comfort unparalleled by any other cart on the block.

Sentimental ramblings aside, the dim bulbs of Taqueria Villanueva is the closest 4th Ave. has to Golden Arches, beckoning hungry travelers at all hours of the day to stop by and grab a burrito that’s not only better, but cheaper than Chipotle.

OLD TASTE OF INDIA

Old Taste of India serves some of the most comforting Indian food I’ve ever had in my life. It is—in comparison to my other recommendations—a cart that I head to when I’m actively seeking a sense of simplicity and repetition. Their name is no facade, with their menu carrying a selection of curries and rice dishes that evoke a sense of a home far away. There is no “show” with Old Taste of India, and almost everything is exactly as cut-and-dry as the menu describes it. Their food tastes warm and kind, and its restraint is exactly what makes it stand out in the busy pod of carts serving similar dishes and cuisine. Old Taste of India is food for the body and soul, perfect for any occasion or feeling.

TAQUERIA VILLANUEVA. JASON DE LEON/PSU VANGUARD

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EXPLORING PORTLAND’S BEAUTY BY E-BIKE KAT LEON

According to statistics from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, in 2017, 6.3% of Portlanders use bikes as transportation to work. This accounts for 22,647 workers, the most significant number of individuals of any large city in the Unit-

ed States. However, biking is not just a fantastic form of transportation. It can also be an excellent way to get some exercise and explore Portland.

With 85 miles of paths alone, there are tons of ways to explore our beautiful city.

There are tons of options when looking for a bike to rent, but Biketown has recently offered e-bikes to Portlanders, and this writer has enjoyed exploring Portland by zipping around on these bikes. While these bikes are only available in the City of Portland, excluding suburbs, there are plenty of paths to explore without leaving the city limits.

Willamette Park is a great place to bike through and an excellent place for a break or a quick game of tennis.

Almost all paths in Portland connect to one central loop split in half by the Tilikum Bridge. To the left of the Bridge lies the Springwater Corridor.

Once passing the Park, be sure not to miss the small opening to the second half of the trail. Don’t let the “Private Drive” sign throw you off—the path is right around the corner.

There are plenty of places to snap some iconic Portland photos along the city paths or just to stop and take a breather. The city has turned the fountains on for the summer, and one can stop a moment and run through them to cool off during a hot summer bike ride.

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SIX PORTLAND PATIOS TO HIT UP THIS SUMMER ABOVE: PHAT CART. SOFIE BRANDT/PSU VANGUARD

NICK TOWNSEND Multnomah County is entering another indoor dining freeze. Not ideal, but important. And hey, you can live through this. You’re young, you’re vaccinated or shortly will be, and you’ve built up a reliable pod of friends following best COVID-19 safety practices. Plus, Portland’s warm months are coming, and soon it’ll be 75 degrees every day with not a drop of rain in sight. So put on your fancy “going outside” pants and text that group chat that’s been dormant since your Zoom Halloween party and hit up a couple Portland restaurants serving great food outside.

PHAT CART

Located on Portland State campus just across from the 4th Avenue food cart pods, Phat Cart has been a familiar haunt for PSU students since it opened its brick-andmortar building five years ago. Phat Cart serves bento boxes that strike a comfortable balance between protein and sides, whether you get the korean beef bento with marinated short ribs and kimchi or the classic Mr. Miyagi sandwich—a mayo-marinated slab of fried chicken with lime aioli and crisp veggies served on pillowy white bread. Phat Cart also has some of the best vegan options on campus, and fried tofu can be added as a side to any meal. Rather than a traditional patio in front of the restaurant, Phat Cart’s outdoor seating is a balcony just above the entrance, accessible through a staircase on the side of the building. The balcony provides an unparalleled view of Portland’s downtown, especially at sunset, making it an ideal first date spot. There are only five chairs available, so go early, preferably during Phat Cart’s weekday happy hour from 4:20–7 p.m.

LUC LAC

Before the pandemic, Luc Lac was the number one late night happy hour in downtown Portland, running specials until 4 a.m. on the weekends. Now it’s slightly more reserved, finishing patio service at 10 p.m. cutting off take-out at 12 a.m. Still, it’s one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in all of Portland. Although the pho menu is excellent and the namesake luc lac beef is rich and smoky, the real move is the small plates section of the menu. Here you’ll find sugar cane shrimp, steak rolls, and meat skewers all at around seven dollars. Grab a couple vaccinated friends and find a seat on the big wooden patio that Luc Lac built into the street during the pandemic, then pass the small plates of grilled meats around the table and pretend that life was always like this.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

HAWTHORNE ASYLUM

Hawthorne Asylum is a relatively new food cart pod, opened about a year before the pandemic. Like other pods with outdoor seating, it has become a hotspot for people looking to gather safely outdoors and partake in a variety of different foods. Carts shuffle in and out as leases expire, so there’s always something new popping up in the 21-cart pod. What really makes Hawthorne Asylum stand out is Black Dagger PDX, a drink cart serving beer, wine, sangria and mimosa pints for onsite and to-go consumption. This makes Hawthorne Asylum one of the city’s best places to grab after-dark grub and booze, all in the open air. Hawthorne Asylum can be accessed from Portland State campus via the 14, 6 and 2 Trimet bus lines.

LARDO

If you’ve trawled all the carts at Hawthorne Asylum and didn’t find anything to your greasy, diseased heart’s liking, the logical move is to walk up the street to Lardo.

Here you’ll find massive sandwiches served either on bread or over fries, if you’re feeling particularly piggish.

The sandwiches come from a variety of traditions, including a pork meatball banh mi, a griddled mortadella sub and the Pho’Rench dip, a shaved steak sandwich served with pho broth aus jus. Lardo sits right on the corner of Ladd’s Addition, Portland’s sleepy and most roundaboutladen development. Its patio is large and spacious, with plenty of wooden benches, and heaters for when summer nights get chilly. Lardo also has a large rotating tap list of local beers and ciders from breweries like Breakside and Baerlic Brewing.

DOUBLE DRAGON

Double Dragon is first and foremost a cocktail bar, serving strong drinks with eye-catching names such as Electric Lettuce and Burnt Reynolds. All 15 speciality cocktails are excellent, but the more bizarre ones, such as the First Time Caller (mezcal, Singani, Aperol, lime, passionfruit, aloe, hellfire bitters and blackstrap float) really stand out alongside Double Dragon’s food offerings, which include banh mi, a coconut milk-based ramen and a shrimp, pork and scallion sausage patty on a bun from Grand Central Bakery. The banh mi and rice bowls both come with a choice of pork belly, chicken or soy curls. The pork belly is slightly charred, and the richness helps balance whichever boozy cocktail you’re imbibing. Double Dragon is just a short walk from the 12th and Clinton MAX stop, easily accessible from PSU’s campus.

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VACCINE INEQUALITY LOOMS OVER OREGON

SHANNON STEED

BÉLA KURZENHAUSER 30% of oregonians have now been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with another 14% having received at least one dose, but vaccine inequality in the state has become a greater issue than ever. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 40% of Oregonians in the wealthiest quartile of ZIP codes have received at least one dose, in comparison to 26% in the poorest quartile.

Vaccine disparity has posed a great threat and challenge towards the United States’ goal of obtaining herd immunity, and the underlying factors behind inoculation inequality come from many different sources. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic/Latinx citizens constitute for only 10.2% of fully vaccinated people in the U.S., despite making up 17.2% of the U.S. population. Similarly, Black Americans make up 8.5% of fully vaccinated people, in contrast with 12.4% of the U.S. population.

When the OHA first released its vaccine plan last November, it announced it would commit to an equitable distribution of vaccines, prioritizing vulnerable and marginalized communities first.

Such claims seem to have been hollow, and the racial disparity in vaccinations throughout the country is echoed in Oregon as well. Vaccine disparity among racial demographics is seen most prominently in Oregon’s Hispanic/Latinx community, which has received 7% of the state’s vaccinations—a concerningly low statistic when compared to Oregon’s 13% Hispanic/Latinx population.

“I want to recognize the fact that vaccinations in Oregon have not been administered as equitably as they need to be,” said OHA director Pat Allen on April 16. “The numbers are stark and clear.

For too many people, race and income are predictors of whether you can access a COVID-19 vaccine or not.”

Oregon’s rush to increase eligibility among non-vulnerable groups despite a lack of vaccine availability is a potential

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

POOR DISTRIBUTION AMPLIFIES PREEXISTING DISPARITY contributor to the disparity seen in the state’s vaccine statistics. Although only half of all eligible adults had been vaccinated by mid-March, the state chose to open up eligibility for other groups, causing the already-depleted stock of doses to lag further behind due to increased demand. Furthermore, the placement of major vaccine hubs in largely urban areas and the confusing management of booking vaccine appointments doesn’t make the process any easier for people without access to healthcare services or transportation.

“Putting all of our resources into one large vaccine clinic only was probably not the best strategy for an equity focus,” said Kim Toevs, communicable disease director for the Multnomah County Health Department to The Oregonian.

Vaccine inequality in Oregon was met with harsh criticism from advocacy groups such as the Latino Network and non-profit El Programa Hispano Católico during a press conference on Apr. 15, with Latino Network executive director Tony DeFalco stating that negotiations with state authorities had not led to results. OHA Director Pat Allen doubled down on the state’s commitment to equitable vaccination, stating that the task was harder than they anticipated due to unseen factors such as external challenges.

One such challenge is a lack of transparency regarding information about receiving the vaccine, like concerns over whether ID will need to be presented to be vaccinated or that law enforcement could be at vaccination sites. Similar external challenges are seen in other demographics. Although Oregon has not faced issues with equitable distribution of the vaccine among the state’s Black population, it remains a challenge on a national level.

According to a February AP News poll, Black Americans and Republicans are the two demographics that express the most resistance or hesitancy towards being vaccinated against COVID-19. The scientific and medical communities have a long

and contentious past with the Black community, particularly following the infamous Tuskegee study in which Black syphilis patients were studied without consent and refused treatment for several decades. NBC’s Alicia Victoria Lozano noted other diseases such as HIV have a much higher infection rate among Black communities due to racist negligence perpetuated by the medical officials at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s.

Looking beyond vaccination rates, COVID-19 continues to spread through Oregon’s poorest communities. Out of the 10 ZIP codes in Oregon that reported the most new cases per capita between Apr. 19–25, seven of them ranked outside of the top 50% of communities in Oregon ranked by median household income.

Only two—Sandy and Troutdale—had a median household income of above $40,000. Although the east Portland and Gresham region has one of the highest rates of infection throughout the entire state, as of April 16, only 22% of residents had been vaccinated, according to The Oregonian.

Oregon’s data regarding vaccine inequity among vulnerable communities isn’t fresh, which has led some to raise concerns and questions over how long the OHA has been aware of the problem. When asked how long the OHA had been in possession of the data, the newsroom was met with empty answers and dodged questions. OHA Director Allen and Governor Kate Brown later committed to building better resources for vulnerable communities—such as a Spanish-language vaccine hotline—with Brown adding the state is doing “more than ever done before, and it’s not enough.”

“The people who need [the vaccine] the most are the same who don’t trust it,” said Sernah Essian of student-led medical advocacy group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines to NBC. “Without considering racial equity, we deepen the cracks that systemic racism has already created in our healthcare system.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

25

THESE ARE OFFICIALLY THE BEST FILMS IN THE FRANCHISE

HAPPY ST 26

ARTS & CULTURE

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

EDITORIAL STAFF May the fourth be with you! Although this cringe-inducing pun has been in-use since at least the late ‘70s, 2011 was when Star Wars Day became canonized. What began as a silly in-joke uttered among Star Wars fans at geek cons and within internet message board penetralia is now recognized by the powers that be, a.k.a. Disney.

It even has its own official website!

For this Star Wars Day, Portland State Vanguard asked its editorial staff to name their favorite film in the Star Wars franchise—and to defend their position, because this is Star Wars, after all. Nobody chose Star Tours or Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, much to my chagrin, but our opinions might still surprise you. And in case you haven’t seen these films, some of which are nearly half a century old, beware: spoilers abound!

NICK GATLIN, OPINION EDITOR AND INTERIM NEWS EDITOR: Return of the Jedi

is, to me, the quintessential Star Wars movie.

It’s got heart-racing action, intense moral dilemmas and crazy alien creatures. It just so happens that those creatures are Ewoks.

The film starts with possibly the coolest opening sequence of the movie: Luke rescues Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt after fighting his way past a massive Rancor, and the two escape certain death in the Sarlacc pit. This leads to an incredible action sequence where Luke performs a sick front flip and murders a bunch of dudes with his new, green lightsaber. And then Leia chokes Jabba to death with her own chains! Does this plan make sense? No. Is this whole sequence dumb as hell?

Sure. But isn’t that what makes Star Wars great?

For better or worse, no one can forget the Ewoks, the aliens native to the forest moon of Endor. These little teddy bears were almost certainly created in order to sell more toys to kids, and that’s why they’re wonderful. Who needs serious alien races when you get sentient children’s toys?

And who can forget the second Death Star?

The final battle between Luke and Vader is possibly the best in the series, as the awkward old-man lightsaber duels of the previous films gives way to a quick, athletic performance. And Vader’s decision to finally—spoilers—kill Palpatine and sacrifice himself in the process gets me every time.

RotJ is, un-ironically, my favorite Star Wars movie. Despite its faults, it’s like comfort food for my soul. Sure, Empire is probably the objectively better movie. But who needs that when you’ve got sick green lightsabers and talking teddy bears?

NICK TOWNSEND, MANAGING EDITOR: The

best Star Wars product is not a movie at all. No, my friends, it is the sublime masterpiece of engineering and art—forged in a single mold—that is 2007’s Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. As an adult, watching a Star Wars film is an exercise in entertaining the insane neuroses of George Lucas and criticizing the CGI or an unnecessary reference to midichlorians. Only playing through Lego Star Wars, preferably on a PlayStation 2, can capture the pure childlike wonder of experiencing Star Wars for the first time. Although it’s essentially a vehicle to sell Lego products to children,

it remains the best experience I’ve ever had with a Star Wars product. The ability to play through every scene in the prequels and original trilogy and toggle back and forth between all the characters in each scene creates absolute chaos, and also means that you can change who your favorite character is on the slightest whim. Many fights between siblings have been started over who gets to play Anakin or Obi-Wan in a particular level.

At its core, Lego Star Wars is what Star Wars was always meant to be: a product for children that is so rapturous that I want to experience it as an adult over and over again.

SOPHIE CONCANNON, COPY CHIEF: I haven’t

seen Rogue One in well over a year, but I still think about it every goddamn day. I distinctly remember the teaser trailer dropping—it’s formulaic, interspersing shots of stuff blowing up, a bad guy in a cape and stormtrooper helmets with shots of the Katniss Everdeen-esque main character just sort of walking around. 52 seconds in, though, Michael Giacchino’s expert rendering of the imperial alert mixed with a rendition of the oh-so-familiar Star Wars leitmotif indicates instantly that Rogue One is not like other girls. The story fits the niche category of being somehow both a prequel and a sequel, a position that screams cash grab so loudly you have to pretend that it didn’t actually come out on Christmas Day to make it watchable. It is a really good cash grab, though. So rarely does a prequel actually enhance the world in which it exists that my first reaction to watching Rogue One was to go and check the Star Wars wiki to make sure the events of the movie didn’t accidentally cancel out an entire plot line or something. It really has it all: arguably the scariest iteration of Vader across the franchise, music to rival the original film and Mads Mikkelsen playing a cool DILF, as is his God-given right.

Rogue One is more than a pretty score and kick ass robot legs, though. In the original trilogy, the biggest consequence for the titular star war is unnamed Rebel pilots dying off-screen—main characters Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie live happily ever after, presumably so Lucasfilm could ruin their characters for profit later. Or for theme park reasons, I don’t know. Still, the ending of the trilogy fits the tone of the movies: if you do the honorable and just thing, you get to live. Rogue One does not take that tone. Rogue One throws that tone into a garbage disposal and says “look, motherfucker, this is war.” If you ignore the American propaganda that I’m sure is nestled gently in there somewhere, this movie pays homage to the concerted effort of talented, brave, soulful people joined together to shed blood and tears over one task so menial that it saves the galaxy. It’s not a story of brave Jedi knights or genetically-chosen ones—it’s the story of engineers, cargo pilots and prisoners across the galaxy choosing to die fighting for a world that seems a little better than the one right now.

BÉLA KURZENHAUSER, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: Approximately three

years and four and a half months ago, Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi—the highly-anticipated sequel to 2015’s controversial revival of the Star Wars franchise—wriggled itself outside of its

dimly-lit, studio lot womb and onto the shimmering, shining lights of the silver screen. The film was immediately met with high critical acclaim and equally glowing commercial success, shattering the box office and infiltrating every conversation of the week.

Despite its success, The Last Jedi’s legacy is not one of achievement and celebration among one of pop culture’s most enigmatic and landmark franchises; but rather, one of toxicity, controversy and years of persistent debate over what kind of weird milk Luke Skywalker was really drinking in the movie. However, to me, The Last Jedi represents two incredible accomplishments in recent blockbuster history.

First, The Last Jedi is quite possibly the finest case study of media and culture in the entire 21st century; It captures one of the fiercest periods in reactionary media not just as a singular moment in time, but as a fluid and dynamic cultural debate spanning years of heated discussion. From afar, The Last Jedi carries with it the baggage of 40 years of pop culture iconography, yet refuses to shed any of the miasma present in its equally iconic and infamous fanbase.

The second achievement lies in its singular ability to convey the same themes that Lucas attempted to with his original series, weaving together a complex and ever-changing tapestry of politics and emotion, emblazoned with a sense of rugged heroism and collectivism that was tragically shattered by its immediate successor two years later. The Last Jedi is a film filled to the brim with troubled ragtag protagonists who save the galaxy not with violence but with love and empathy, restoring a world full of peace and free from oppression. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see a Star Wars film like The Last Jedi ever again.

JUSTIN GRINNELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF: My fa-

vorite Star Wars film is a toss up between Empire and Rogue One, but I’m not going to waste your time with the best films the franchise has to offer. Instead, I’m wasting your time with the best of the worst: The Phantom Menace.

So, I get it, the prequels don’t live up to the originals—most of them aren’t even good—but Phantom Menace is like an uncut, unpolished diamond. Beneath the dirt and rough edges is a radiant gem that any betrothed would be proud to wear. I’m actually really looking forward to the day I get down on one knee and propose with my VHS copy of Episode I. While The Phantom Menace is weighed down by the sleep-inducing politics of galactic trade federations, it is also elevated by high-stakes pod racing through the desert canyons of Tatooine along with one of the best lightsaber battles in the franchise. And while Episode I proves every Gungan is born a horrible mistake, the film also gives us Darth Maul, who is by far the most badass Sith in the series, armed with the coolest lightsaber. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the awesomeness that is Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. I don’t know what it is, but I love a Jedi master on the council who likes to walk the line separating the light side of the force from the dark.

The Phantom Menace may never be the best

Star Wars movie, but if Disney keeps its current course—Solo, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker—I think it can get close enough to find a place near the top of fans’ lists.

MORGAN TROPER, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR: When I first saw Star Wars, I was a lit-

tle too young to appreciate it. My grandpa took me to see the digitally restored, special edition of A New Hope when I was four years old, and I fell asleep—and, to be fair, the first hour of that movie is extremely slow by today’s standards.

About a year later I rented The Empire Strikes Back on VHS and fell in love with the series. My parents had just separated and the familial histrionics really spoke to me. I was mesmerized

by Yoda’s faux-spiritual adages and some of my earliest kid drawings were of AT-AT walkers.

While Empire is probably the Star Wars film that had the biggest impact on my life, Revenge of the Sith is the one I find myself wanting to rewatch most often. With the advent of Disney’s sequel trilogy, it’s become something of the series’ black sheep—it lacks the sentimental value millennials ascribe to The Phantom Menace, but it isn’t objectively awful like Attack of the Clones. It’s strange that it has this reputation, since in many ways, Revenge of the Sith is the series’ linchpin. It’s the film where—spoilers—Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader and it’s arguably the ultimate realization of George Lucas’ original vision for his saga, warts and all.

RACHEL OWEN, NEWS EDITOR: Out of all of

the Star Wars films in the galaxy, it is as obvious as Chewbacca’s hair is long that Solo: A Star Wars Story is the best.

Over the span of two hours and fifteen minutes, this supplemental feature provides the quirky backstory to everyone’s favorite intergalactic bad boy, Han Solo. Solo provides additional context to Han’s life and damaged personality, as seen throughout the rest of the franchise.

Viewers learn that Han is from Corellia where he and his true love, Qi’ra, are at the mercy of an oppressive government. The opening scene introduces their love both for each other and the destruction of their leader, the great Lady Proxima. Once they kill her, the two plan their escape. Can you say “aww?” During their escape, Qi’ra is captured and Han must leave without her.

He swears he will become “the best pilot in the galaxy” and return to save her some day.

The rest of the film finds Han looking for a way to save his true love and live out his outlaw dreams. Along the way, he meets Tobias Becket, Chewbacca, a droid named L3-37 and the notorious gambler, Lando Calrissian.

They band together to form a crew that would make Luke and Leia proud.

What this movie lacks in female representation and a pass of the Bechdel test, it surpasses in cheesy acting, off-putting death scenes and lines that will make you ask “was that supposed to be funny?” Overall, Solo is truly the most entertaining of the Star Wars films because of its overwhelming ridiculousness and presentation of Han Solo as the bachelor he truly is.

TAR WARS DAY PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

27

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE OREGON LEGISLATURE

OREGON REPUBLICANS IGNORE THE NEEDS OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER CHRISTINE DRAZAN, SECOND FROM THE RIGHT. ANDREW SELSKY/AP PHOTO

LUKE HARKINS While the nation has been enthralled in a passionate debate regarding the future of the Senate filibuster, a similar conversation is unfolding nearby in Salem.

The Oregon legislature has spent 2021 contending with its own challenges borne of minority party obstruction. Best exemplified by the Senate Republican walkouts and the House Republican Caucus’ adamant demand that bills be read in their entirety before their final floor vote, the Oregon GOP has utilized nearly every tool at their disposal to slow the majority agenda in the assembly. While House Minority Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) has conceded the reading requirement in exchange for equal Republican representation on the redistricting committee, a conversation still needs to be had about the future of obstructionism in Oregon politics.

Like the national discourse on the Senate filibuster, the conversation in Oregon has similarly boiled itself down to two camps: Democrats who decry these obstructionist tactics as mere representations of an obstinate minority usurping the agenda through procedural technicalities, and Republicans who feel these tools are the only recourse they have left in a state that has effectively shut out conservatives from the legislative conversation. While there are certainly merits to both sides of this debate, a question needs to be asked: who does this obstructionism ultimately serve?

28

OPINION

Unemployment among Oregon workers hovered at 6% in March, wildfires have devastated communities and pervasive houselessness continues to impact thousands of Oregonians. The state has seen a net loss of restaurants in the midst of the pandemic and homeowners and renters anxiously await the legislature’s decision on extending the current eviction and foreclosure moratoriums.

Police brutality and social inequities still require addressing and solutions for climate change mitigation are long overdue.

Needless to say, Oregonians are counting on their government to pull through for them right now and a deadlocked legislature only serves to exacerbate and extend the arduous experiences people have been forced to contend with as of late. Minority participation in the legislative process is absolutely paramount, but it is abundantly clear the obstructionism we have seen in Oregon is less about compromise and finding common ground, and more about holding the legislative process hostage as retaliation for Oregon voters overwhelmingly choosing Democrats to lead the state.

Per Article IV, Section 19 of the Oregon Constitution, bills are to be read in full before the vote for final passage, unless the rule is suspended by a two-thirds vote. This session, House Republicans have been cleverly withholding their vote to suspend this rule, forcing the House Speaker to dramatically ex-

tend floor time to accommodate such a detrimental slow down to the legislative process.

Consequently, the imposed reading requirement has drastically impacted the efficacy of the legislature this session, the absurdity exemplified no better than by the forced reading of HB 2111, a 170-page bill renaming the OLCC. Ultimately, it passed 54-1 after hours of wasteful reading time.

In her floor remarks on March 9, Drazan assured the assembly she was open to collaboration during this contentious session. “If you want to be collaborative, I’m open to being collaborative—let’s have that conversation,” Drazan stated. However, in a March 22 letter to House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), Drazan’s list of demands in exchange for the lifting of the reading requirement reflected a far greater ask than just simple collaboration.

The Minority Leader’s requests included the suspension of any legislation deemed “divisive” or “controversial” and did not have bipartisan consensus. Whether or not Drazan’s efforts here were an example of admirable minority advocacy or bad-faith obstructionism, in a democracy it makes little sense for a minority party to have de facto veto power on any legislation they deem controversial.

Nonetheless, the situation has seemingly been resolved for the remainder of the 2021 legislative session. On April 14, House Republicans agreed to waive the bill reading requirement in exchange for equal repre-

sentation on the House Special Committee on Redistricting. While critics of this deal worry how this may impact the redrawing of Oregon’s congressional districts in light of the recently announced sixth seat the state will gain, only time will tell if this decision was the right choice. However, the question still remains: who has this obstructionism ultimately served? Certainly not the Oregonians in dire need of a functional legislature.

With the 2021 legislative session slated to end on June 28, legislators need to begin considering what the future of Oregon politics ought to look like in 2022 and beyond.

Legislative gridlock has been a plague on D.C. politics for far too long, and now it seems as though the Oregon Legislative Assembly is falling into the same, hyper-partisan paradigm we’ve seen reflected in the national discourse.

The party that accuses Democrats of excluding conservative voices from the legislative agenda is now the same party that feels it’s appropriate to deny quorum in the State Senate when they don’t get their way. Oregon Republicans begrudge Democrats for perpetuating an ineffective, bloated government, while now feeling it appropriate to bog down the people’s democratic processes when they lose elections. Needless to say, something has to give. The people of Oregon are depending on it.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

SAM GARCIA

LET THE RED COUNTIES GO

GREATER IDAHO PROPOSAL OFFERS A SOLUTION FOR OREGON’S REPUBLICANS—LEAVE

BEN KIRKPATRICK

Many residents of rural counties in eastern Oregon have grown weary of their decreasing political power. The solution? Join an existing red state.

Lawmakers in Idaho are entertaining an idea that would involve their state expanding to encompass nearly 75% of Oregon and a portion of northern California. This idea was “a movement born of frustration with a state Legislature perceived by some conservatives as too liberal and indifferent to rural concerns,” according to The Oregonian.

In Oregon, the Willamette Valley divides the state between east and west and is home to approximately 70% of Oregon’s population, with most folks residing in cities such as Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, Hillsboro and Beaverton. These cities also lean Democrat.

The legislation passed in these progressive cities—such as the decriminalization of certain hard drugs—affects not only the immediate environment but extends outward into rural communities that tend to lean Republican. Many such Republicans are concerned with the leadership in Oregon and the overwhelming Democrat direction it’s taking.

Mike McCarter, the leader of the Greater Idaho movement, referred to Oregon as a “sanctuary state” that essentially caters toward houselessness, hard drug use, rioting and undocumented citizenship. He also made it very clear that that’s not the way conservatives feel in Oregon.

“What takes place in the Portland area has a big impact on those rural parts of Oregon,” stated Governor of Idaho Brad Little. “They’d like a little more autonomy, a little more control, a little more freedom. I fully understand that.”

There seem to be two schools of thought surrounding the feat of making the Greater Idaho proposal a reality. One idea

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

is that if residents in rural areas want to live in Idaho, they should just move—and not spend time restructuring the state’s borders.

On the opposite side of the coin, many individuals living in communities east of the Willamette are born-and-raised Oregonians and don’t feel like they should have to—and don’t want to—move to Idaho. They just want to live in a place where they are “insulated from the liberal influence of large urban centers that tend to vote Democratic,” according to East Idaho News.

Moving Oregon’s border would essentially allow the liberal cities to remain as they are, keeping their politics and legislation in place—and not affecting the rest of the state with it.

Those who want to live in those particular cities can move there or stay put, and rural Oregonians can join Idaho, which is more synonymous with conservative values and tradition.

That way, both Democrats and Republicans can benefit from the process.

Such a movement would have benefits extending beyond appeasing residents’ political beliefs, though. It would also extend Idaho’s environmental, energy and resource jurisdiction over a much greater area, contributing to the growth of both timber and mining industries. It would also increase tax revenue per capita in the state.

The Greater Idaho group is looking to have 22 of Oregon’s 36 counties vote on the question, “Should the county commissioners advocate for the Idaho border to be relocated to make this county a county of Idaho?”

A minimum number of signatures would be required on the ballot to move this idea forward. Petitioners with Move Oregon’s Border and People Not Politicians have argued the

imposed COVID-19 restrictions have made traditional signature-collecting techniques more difficult than usual.

Such difficulties, the petitioners state, violate both the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution because they “effectively block voters from any chance to consider their proposals.” This issue was taken to the courthouse, and the judge agreed the state must reduce the required number of signatures, making it more feasible for the petition to reach the ballot.

Even if the necessary amount of signatures are collected, shifting Oregon’s geographical boundaries would require approval from Oregon’s and Idaho’s state legislatures—and Congress.

Before any lawmakers are involved, Move Oregon’s Border wants to poll residents of 17 different counties to get their opinion about whether they would like to switch states or not. This would be different than a traditional statewide ballot measure because it would entail slightly different requirements.

It has been challenging for the group to gain momentum due to the restrictions on large gatherings to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, which no one was prepared for.

Volunteers are still working on collecting signatures—albeit slowly— and are aiming to have their proposal on the ballot this November.

The proposal, although unlikely to pass, would make the legislative process in Oregon much easier, doing away with the Republican obstruction that Luke Harkins wrote about in Portland State Vanguard this week. Democrats in the liberal cities of western Oregon should allow the red counties to secede—for both parties’ benefits.

OPINION

29

SHANNON STEED

A HIKER’S GUIDE LEVEL 1

30

COMICS

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 3

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

SMOKE TRAIL

THE STRUGGLE OF CAMPFIRES

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2021 • psuvanguard.com

SAM GARCIA

COMICS

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EVENTS CALENDAR

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` MAY 4–8 DAVE’S HOT CHICKEN IS OPEN

TUE MAY 4

Tualatin 11 a.m.

Carnivores rejoice! Dave’s Hot Chicken—the famous purveyors of the Nashville delicacy— have opened a new location in Oregon. It’s not quite in Portland—the only location so far is in Tualatin, and it’s not servicing the greater metro area yet via any of the big delivery apps—but if reports are to be trusted, it’s well worth the somewhat annoying drive.

STORYTIME IN THE GROVE

A year ago, COVID-19 claimed the life of Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, one of the greatest pop songwriters of his generation or any other. Those in the know have always held Schlesinger’s work in high regard, but the songwriter’s untimely passing revealed just how big of an influence his work had on younger generations of musicians and songwriters. A tribute compilation titled Saving For a Custom Van was quickly issued, and, unusually for a tribute to a storied power pop band, its contributors were mostly up-and-coming indie groups whose members are under 40. In addition to his work in Fountains of Wayne, Shlesinger wrote the iconic theme song for That Thing You Do!—the best Beatles pastiche of all time—and co-wrote material for the Josie and the Pussycats reboot. These two films were massive millennial cultural touchstones in their own right, and Schlesinger’s contributions cannot be overstated. The tribute livestream, set to air on May 5, is a little different—most of all the acts playing are Schlesinger’s peers in the industry who worked with him at some point during his vast and varied career. Some of the heavy hitters include Micky Dolenz from the Monkees, Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze and Fred Armisen—plus many, many more.

“Storytime in the Grove will stream live to the Facebook group page each week. Your kids can comment on Facebook, and we will be able to respond in almost real time, as we sing, read, explore, and play online. See you online friends!”

SKATEMOBILE AT THE WATERFRONT

VAN MORRISON AT REAL WORLD STUDIOS

WED MAY 5

Hampton Opera Center 1 p.m. $10–20 Ongoing, every weekend, through May 31

SAT MAY 8

Every May 4 is—officially—international Star Wars day. The Star Wars fandom owes so much to fan interactivity; these films are fine to watch alone, but they’re infinitely more entertaining when you’re in a room full of people who can collaboratively quote Darth Vader or mock the terrible CGI in Attack of the Clones. Depending on you and your friends’ vaccination status, an in-person Star Wars marathon may not be in the cards this year, but streaming service Disney+ has a GroupWatch feature now, which is probably the next best thing. There are so many Star Wars films now that a complete marathon will need to consist of all nine films in the main saga, all of the Mandalorian, Rogue One, Solo and probably the Star Wars Rebels cartoon, for good measure. Well, how big of a fan are you?

ADAM SCHLESINGER: A MUSIC CELEBRATION Streaming via Rolling Live Studios 5 p.m. $20

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STAR WARS DAY

“Roller skate rentals on the waterfront! By popular demand we’re extending our SKATEMOBILE series through May – now with a new location! Our unique, sociallydistanced outdoor skating events will be coming to the Hampton Opera Center parking lot every weekend through the month. Tickets are limited to 75 attendees per session and go FAST, reserve your spot in advance. Skaters are welcome to cruise all over the gorgeous SE waterfront with their rentals, and explore our city this summer on wheels.

Check out the map of suggested routes and enjoy the choose-your-own-adventure!”

EVENTS

Live via Washington County Library Services 10 a.m.

Free

Livestream via nugs.net 12 noon $14.99

Classic rocker Van Morrison found a way to wriggle back into headlines last year when he teamed up with similarly tone-deaf guitarist Eric Clapton to release an anti-masker anthem called “Stand and Deliver.” The song is predictably terrible, and not just because of its irresponsible lyrics which were penned by two embarrassingly passé boomers who can afford to protect themselves from COVID-19 exposure indefinitely. “Stand and Deliver” is nightmarishly goofy, white boy blues rock, the musical manifestation of a mesh bag filled with your grandpa’s dirty, yellowed knee-high socks. It belongs in a Cialis commercial. I’m not sure about that Clapton guy, but Van Morrison? He’s inarguably released some of the greatest rock albums of all time. Maybe his unfortunate heel turn is why this livestream is so affordable—and hey, I’m not complaining.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 4, 2021 • psuvanguard.com