PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 26 • MAY 7, 2019
INTERNATIONAL PSU CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL CULTURES AT CARNIVAL NIGHT • COVER 11.11% TUITION INCREASE ON THE WAY • ARTS & CULTURE SWMRS REVOLUTIONIZE NEW WAVE OF PUNK
CRIME BLOTTER
April 28–May 5
DYLAN JEFFERIES APRIL 28 Assault
Campus public safety office and the Portland Police Bureau responded to a report of an assault around 7:33 a.m. at Starbucks on SW Montgomery and 10th. The victim, a non-student, was punched in the face and declined to seek medical assistance.
APRIL 29 Theft
CPSO took a report from the Portland State locksmith that a security box affixed at the rear entrance/exit of Ondine Residence Hall was ripped off the wall in order to gain access to the electronic access card. The incident occurred between April 27 at 8:00 a.m. and April 29 at 4:07 p.m. At around 9:08 p.m., CPSO received a theft report from a student whose laundry had been stolen from the Ondine Residence Hall laundry room.
APRIL 30 Harassment
At around 3:56 p.m., a student reported to CPSO that a non-student had left his jacket with her and was now harassing her in an attempt to retrieve it. The jacket was left at CPSO for the owner to come pick up.
MAY 1 Racist Graffiti
CPSO took a report that racist graffiti had been found in the disabled stall of the basement men’s restroom in Lincoln Hall.
Lewd Behavior
CPSO responded at around 3:52 p.m. to a report of a male masturbating in the Park Blocks outside of Lincoln Hall. CPSO found the man, a non-student, lying on the grass under a blanket. He was found to have a valid PSU exclusion and was warned about the potential consequences of conducting offensive behavior.
MAY 3 Theft
A staff member called CPSO to report that a defibrillator had been stolen from Hoffman Hall.
Stalking
At around 9 p.m., CPSO was advised by a PSU instructor that their student may have been stalked off campus by a former PSU student. CPSO then contacted the former student and took a courtesy report.
MAY 5 Trespassing
At 11:54 p.m., CPSO found a non-student and known person in the men’s restroom of the Douglas Fir pod, which had already been locked and secured for the night. The individual was issued a PSU exclusion.
CONTENTS COVER BY ROBBY DAY
NEWS HILL TO HALL
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P. 10–11
SFC LIVING WAGE FEE INCREASE PROPOSAL REJECTED BY BOARD COMMITTEE VIOLET GIBSON, NAYELI NARANJO-ROBLES WIN 2019–2020 ELECTION
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SQUIRRELPOCALYPSE
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OPINION THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT
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INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
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ARTS & CULTURE PUNK IS ALIVE AND WELL
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AUSTRALIA TO KILL 2 MILLION CATS BY 2020
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WE’RE ALL SATANISTS NOW
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SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF FREEDOM
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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COVER BOARD COMMITTEE TO SEND TUITION INCREASE PROPOSAL
P. 8–9
STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Nada Sewidan MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif NEWS EDITORS Sophie Concannon Anamika Vaughan INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Madison Cecil ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cervanté Pope OPINION EDITOR Taylar Rivers ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama
COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn CONTRIBUTORS Sabrina Achcar-Winkels Pete Bensen Chloe Dysart Dylan Jefferies Emily Price Gregory Retz Marena Riggan Kevin Shank Joel Williams PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Bo Koering MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Huilyn Loo
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INTERNATIONAL ‘WE ARE ONE’ RAMADAN KAREEM IAAF REGULATING TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN FEMALE ATHLETES
PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas LEAD DESIGNER Dana Townsend DESIGNERS Danielle Emeka Rosemary Oliva Zak Stone
DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale
TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info@psuvanguard.com
MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.
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A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
SFC LIVING WAGE FEE INCREASE PROPOSAL REJECTED BY BOARD COMMITTEE MAY 1–3 CHLOE DYSART
MAY 1: OREGON REPUBLICANS DELAY TAX VOTE Democrats’ new tax bill—House Bill 3427—has the potential to raise billions of dollars in tax revenue from businesses to be spent on early childhood and public school programs. The bill was recently voted out of committee and onto the House floor according to Statesman Journal. However, in an attempt to show dissatisfaction with the bill, Republican lawmakers have stalled the vote by not waiving the requirement that bills must be read in their entirety. The bill would require that businesses in Oregon with at least $1 million in sales pay a .57% tax on sales. The vote will eventually move forward, and if passed, will move to the Oregon Senate.
MAY 1: PORTLAND POLICE REPORTS MAY DAY PROTEST PEACEFUL According to The Oregonian, approximately 200 people gathered in Holladay Park on Wednesday afternoon to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. May Day protests—an annual occurrence in Portland—commonly focus on labor rights, but Portland protesters focused on immigration after controversial decisions made by the Trump administration in the past year. The 2019 protest remained peaceful, according to the Portland Police, but some protesters reported and posted videos of instances of violence and pepper-spraying between protesters and counterprotesters.
MAY 3: NEW REPORT REVEALS WHERE MARIJUANA TAX MONEY IS GOING In 2016, Oregon voters approved a 3% tax on marijuana products that was anticipated to benefit business owners and those who previously had legal charges relating to marijuana. A new report published in May and reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, revealed the money is instead going toward police and transportation. The tax revenue came in at $3.6 million in 2018 and $4.6 million in 2019. According to Associated Press, voters feel the tax was intentionally broad to convince voters the money would go toward drug treatment and serving communities of color despite no intention to follow through on those measures.
MAY 3: NEW OREGON WILDERNESS PROTECTION BILL The Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden, D–Ore., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D–Ore., aims to protect and expand wilderness protection efforts in Oregon. The bill would specifically add recreation areas around the Rogue and Molalla rivers and expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness, while also outlawing mining on 100,000 acres in southwest Oregon. Statesman Journal reports while the bill aims to increase Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy, opponents worry it may also increase wildfires, which has been a previous issue in the region.
JOHN ROJAS ANAMIKA VAUGHAN The Finance and Administration Committee voted to send President Rahmat Shoureshi’s student fee budget to the Executive Board instead of the proposal drafted by the Student Fee Committee. The president’s budget proposal of a $23 increase in the student incidental fee does not include a “living wage reserve” for paying student workers $15 an hour wages. The SFC intended the living wage reserve to be a pool of around $600,000 from which fee funded areas could choose to fund their student workers at a $15 an hour wage. The SFC would not have been in a position to legally mandate that FFA’s pay the higher wages. The problem the finance and administration committee had with this reserve was that it would trigger increases for all employees across campus, incurring additional costs to the university. In a letter sent to the SFC, Shoureshi explained an immediate increase of all student workers to $15 an hour would cost “upwards of $1 million” which “translates to a 1.2% increase in resident undergraduate tuition.”
Cindy Stake, general counsel and secretary to the Board of Trustees, said that if the living wage reserve were adopted and then additional employee wage increases were not implemented to match, the university would be breaking the law. Elliot Thompson, chair of the SFC, asked if the school was “currently breaking the law if there were differentiations between people who are working because students are kind of put on the back burner.” “I can’t say that we are currently breaking the law, but I can say that we have a lot of work to do to make sure we have a consistent approach,” Starke said. “Pretty routinely across the board, students are being paid less than their contemporaries in the world,” Thompson said. “We hear that it’s grueling for them to devote themselves to a university, devote themselves to providing services to their peers, and not have that work respected or seen.” All other aspects of the president’s budget proposal are the same as the SFC’s proposal. The president’s budget proposal will now be sent to the executive Board for approval.
PSU Vanguard • MAY 7, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
VIOLET GIBSON, NAYELI NARANJO-ROBLES WIN 2019–2020 ELECTION
ASPSU PRESIDENT VIOLET GIBSON AND VICE PRESIDENT NAYELI NARANJO-ROBLES WERE ELECTED MAY 3 FOR THE 2019–20 SCHOOL YEAR. BO KOERING/PSU VANGUARD GREGORY RETZ Violet Gibson and Nayeli Naranjo-Robles, of the slate “New Possibilities, True Leadership,” won the Associated Students of Portland State presidential and vice-presidential positions with 564 votes, beating Kyle Leslie-Christy and Motutama Sipellii, of the slate “Creating a Cohesive Community” by 163 votes. With a total of 1,004 votes cast, voter participation is only slightly higher than the 981 votes last year. This equates to around a 3.6% voter turnout this year. “Through our committees we have the opportunity to reach out to students, but I’d like to reach out to professors more,” Gibson said. “This election, we weren’t allowed to lobby to classrooms. One thing we’d like to put in our constitution is to allow us to reach out to professors so we can get information out to students better.” This is the first time in two years voters had more than one presidential candidate to choose from. “A lot of the time students don’t really know how to tell us what they need,” Naranjo-Robles said. “Part of what we want to do is to make it more accessible for them to reach out to us and reach out to other people who need to hear what they are saying.”
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During the debates, Gibson stated her support for the police to remain armed, saying she believed the majority of students feel safer with armed campus police. The Margolis Healy report on campus public safety stated that 52% of the 14% of students, faculty, staff and community members surveyed opposed armed officers. “When I reached out to [Campus Public Safety], they explained to me that the reason there are armed police on campus is because Portland police is understaffed,” Gibson said. “They’re not able to attend to our 27,000 student body.” “The only choice we have is to arm police until we can sit down with Disarm PSU, the administration and CPSO to find a real feasible solution,” Gibson continued. “We have to find something that works for students and the administration.” Regarding campus safety, Naranjo-Robles said she cares most about what students want. “We have to have a better conversation about it to figure out different options,” Naranjo-Robles said. “You can’t just disarm them and then that’s it, we need to figure out different options.” “Safety on campus is a huge thing right now. Winter term we had a hike in the amount of complaints about safety. We need to figure out our options.”
Voters also approved proposed changes to the ASPSU constitution. Changes include the addition of a 10-point plan called “The Collective Rights and Liberties of Students,” developed by the current legislative committee. Other constitutional changes included vote restructuring, such as the requirement of a two-thirds majority in most circumstances and the addition of a non-voting faculty-senate member. “Our job is to lobby for the students to the administration, not just to work in our own interest,” Gibson said. The seven student fee committee seats went to the seven candidates who ran: Sirra Anderson, Gabriel Hagemann, Hakan Katgun, Fouad Mahideen, Samson R. Swan, Jose RojasFallas and Devon Wanderon. The student fee committee creates budget proposals for how the student incidental fee will be allocated to fee-funded groups. For student senate, all 15 of the candidates who ran won, including one write-in, Alessandra Peraza-Aguillon, who filled the remaining position. The other 15 senate candidates were Sophie Balthazaar, Jared Chin, Alexandre Dassise, Hannah Grazian, Grace Hagemann, Mallory Hawke, Wyatt Isaacs, Aydia Johnson, Nicholas LaHusen, Allen Lam, Hanna Anderson, Nathan Mapes, Aimee Marentette, Peter Wedlake and India Wynne.
NEWS
SQUIRRELPOCALYPSE SQUIRRELS INVADE MONTGOMERY RESIDENCE HALL
ADAM HOLLAND
DYLAN JEFFERIES According to students at Portland State, squirrels on campus—especially in the Park Blocks near campus buildings—seem to be getting braver. There have been instances of squirrels making their way inside Montgomery Hall and Blumel Hall as well as unsubstantiated claims that squirrels have been stealing illicit goods from dorms, including adderall and marijuana. Savannah Swartz, a residence director at PSU recounted a few instances of squirrels inside Montgomery Hall. “They are very comfortable in our spaces. We just see them going in and out of windows to get loaves of bread and bags of chips.” Swartz continued, “Last Friday was a hot day so we had the windows in the back open, and a squirrel came inside the desk space and walked right up to the desk member working. She had to encourage the squirrel to go back out the window.” Saqif Maqsud, a PSU student who lives in Blumel Hall, said, “My apartment faces the PSU Honors house, and the tree branches line up perfectly with our windows.” He said one winter he left the windows open and stepped out of the building for a moment. When he came back, there were a few uninvited guests in his room.
“I opened the door to find two squirrels, one sitting on my chair and the other going through a box of papers I had near my desk,” Maqsud said. “I wanted to take a photo, but they quickly darted out the window as soon as I pulled my phone out.” According to Swartz, incidents like this might have started because of a particularly caring squirrel-lover who used to live in Montgomery. “She would just feed them every day for two years,” Swartz said. “They’d come into her room, and then when she moved out, she asked to please tell the person who moves in after her that they really like peanuts, and she feeds them twice a day and whoever moves in after her needs to keep up that tradition,” Swartz said. The large amounts of friendly squirrels isn’t unique to PSU. Reports of squirrels have been documented at universities across the country. A Twitter thread recently blew up when user Rodger Sherman posed two questions: “Did you attend a college with squirrels on campus?” and “Did people assert that your school’s squirrels were, in some way, different from most squirrels?” Thousands of users responded with reports of their favorite campus squirrels, raising the question of where all these
squirrels come from, and why they seem to love universities so much. Squirrels were introduced at the turn of the century into urban areas by humans in order to make cities feel more like nature. In an article entitled “The Urbanization of the Eastern Grey Squirrel” published in the Journal of American History, author Etienne Benson said, “The people who introduced squirrels and other animals to public squares and commons in Philadelphia, Boston and New Haven sought to beautify and enliven the urban landscape at a time when American cities were growing in geographic extent, population density and cultural diversity.” The eastern grey squirrel—the same breed of squirrel climbing into windows on PSU’s campus—isn’t one of the four native species of squirrels in Oregon. According to the article, eastern grey squirrels disrupt the natural ecosystem. According to The Oregonian, author Marci Degman writes, “We already know these Eastern squirrels cause trouble for the native squirrels by outcompeting them in many ways. Eastern squirrels reproduce quickly, adapt to the local environment well, consume more diverse foods and are highly tolerant of human activity.”
PSU Vanguard • MAY 7, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
THIS WEEK
around the
WORLD
April 29–May 3
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April 28
BURKINA FASO
Six people were killed in an attack on a Christian church following Sunday service in northern Burkina Faso. Al Jazeera reported armed attackers riding on motorbikes fired at the congregation as they were exiting the church in the small town of Silgadhi, killing five worshipers and a pastor. Two others have been reported missing. According to Deutsche Welle and BBC, the West African nation is well-known for its history of religious tolerance and cultural diversity. While no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, the country has seen a rise in extremism and violent attacks from groups based in neighboring Mali.
April 28 2
INDONESIA
Following the island nation’s massive elections, Spokesman of the General Election Commission Arief Priyo Susanto confirmed that 272 election officials had died in ten days due to overwork while another 1,878 had become ill. According to Reuters, election officials have been working long hours counting millions of ballots by hand in an effort to have a final count by May 22. Indonesia, a country made up of thousands of islands spanning some 3,000 miles, held its presidential, parliamentary, regional and local elections simultaneously for the first time on April 17 in an effort to cut costs. Over 800,000 polling stations were set up with nearly 6 million people employed to assist the 193 million eligible voters, 80% of whom cast their ballots that day.
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April 29 3
UNKNOWN– POSSIBLY SYRIA OR IRAQ
For the first time in five years, leader of the self-declared Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared in a video released through their Al-Furqan media channel on April 29. Baghdadi, who was last filmed in 2014 while giving a sermon at the Great Mosque in Mosul, Iraq, has been believed dead, as the U.K.–based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in July 2017 via TIME. While it’s unclear when the video was filmed, Middle East Eye reports Baghdadi made commentary on recent events including Israel’s elections and protests in Algeria while claiming responsibility for the Sri Lanka Easter attacks. Baghdadi claimed the attacks were “vengeance for their brothers in Baghouz,” referring to a battle which ended in March in decisive defeat for the group. The location of where the video was filmed is unknown. However, according to The Independent, Western intelligence speculate Baghdadi had gone into hiding in a remote location either in Iraq or Syria.
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April 29–May 1
JAPAN
For the first time in over 200 years of Japanese monarchs, now former Emperor Akihito officially abdicated the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on April 29 alongside his wife, Empress Emerita
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Michiko, thereby officially ending the Heisei era. “Since ascending the throne 30 years ago, I have performed my duties as the emperor with a deep sense of trust in and respect for the people, and I consider myself most fortunate to have been able to do so,” he said via The Japan Times. According to Kyodo News, Akihito became the 125th emperor of Japan on Jan. 7, 1989 following the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito. Crown Prince Naruhito officially became emperor on May 1 during a ceremony exclusive to male adults of the imperial family, ushering in the new Reiwa era of Japan.
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May 1
GLOBAL
International Worker’s Day, held every year on the first of May, was observed by millions across the world in protests and demonstrations for better working conditions. Vox reported riot police clashed with protesters in Turkey, Russia, France and Italy while arresting hundreds of demonstrators. In Hong Kong, bus drivers and housekeepers demanded a 44-hour workweek—an 11-hour difference from their current required hours. Workers in Bangladesh rallied for sexual harassment protections and paid maternity leave, which is already required by law but rarely executed. Protesters in Jakarta, Indonesia attempted to reach the national palace as they demanded higher wages but were blocked by police barricades. Algeria saw continued protests as the
country addresses unemployment and poverty, while construction workers in South Korea protested against deteriorating working conditions. An effigy of the Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte was burned by protesters as they rallied for higher wages and enforced labor contracts, while Nigerians demanded qualitative healthcare and other social safety nets in Logos.
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May 3
SINDH, PAKISTAN
A doctor in the city of Larkana was arrested on May 3 after a string of recent HIV cases were traced back to him. According to Al Jazeera, over 90 people, including 65 children, were infected with the virus. The doctor, identified by The Independent as Dr. Muzaffar Ghangharo, was using contaminated syringes. Local Police Chief Kamran Nawaz confirmed the doctor in question also has HIV. The case began to receive attention when 39 people including 18 children tested positive for the virus last week. “The blood of the parents of the infected children was also tested, but their results were negative,” said Azra Pechuho, the provincial minister of Sindh for Health and Population Welfare. More than 2,400 people were tested by medical teams to determine the severity of the situation, The Telegraph reported, after which it was found at least 98 were infected while tracing the incidents of new cases back to Ghangharo’s private clinic.
INTERNATIONAL
AUSTRALIA TO SOUTH AFRICA KILL 2 MILLION CATS CELEBRATES 25 BY 2020 YEARS OF FREEDOM MADISON CECIL AND KEVIN SHANK
ZAK STONE EMILY PRICE Australia plans to kill two million free-roaming feral cats across the country by 2020 in an effort to defend several native species from potential extinction. Cats were first introduced to Australia by European settlers in the 17th century. In the late 1800s, cats were intentionally released with the hopes they would help control rabbits, rats and mice. The cat population has since skyrocketed to cover an estimated 99.8% of the country, according to The Guardian. The invasive species, unless domesticated, often hunts many native animals in order to survive. According to Charles Darwin University, the feral cat population is believed to kill more than 1 million of Australia’s wild birds, 45% of which are unique to the country and found nowhere else on earth. A single feral cat kills an average of 1,000 animals native to Australia each year, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. While most of their prey are smaller animals such as crickets, lizards and mice, some pursue larger animals. Rangers in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands captured a feral cat and found a rock-wallaby weighing 11 pounds in its stomach in 2017. “[Feral cats] are the single biggest threat to our native animals and have already directly driven into extinction 20 out of 30 mammals,” National Commissioner of
Threatened Species Gregory Andrews told The Sydney Morning Herald. Some areas of Australia are offering rewards for killing feral cats, with Queensland rewarding $7 for each cat scalp. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has spoken out against this reward system. “Feral cats who are shot or poisoned suffer in the same way and feel the same pain that our companion feline friends would,” PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Ashley Fruno said. Australians who hunt feral cats typically use a poison called sodium fluoroacetate, sometimes called 1080. The Queensland Banana Shire Council calls 1080 the “most efficient, humane and species-specific pesticides,” and it is often used on feral cats as well as other animals such as foxes. Some cat hunters use poisoned sausages to kill feral cats. According to The New York Times, a man sometimes referred to as “Dr. Death,” creates the sausages in a factory south of Perth. The poisoned treats are a combination of kangaroo meat, chicken fat, herbs and 1080. “We are not culling cats for the sake of it,” Andrews told The Sydney Morning Herald. “We are not doing so because we hate cats. We have to make choices to save animals that we love and who define us as a nation like the bilby, the warru [black-footed rock-wallaby] and the night parrot.”
The people of South Africa celebrated Freedom Day on April 27, which honors the 25th anniversary of the dissolution of the apartheid, a legislative system that enforced racial segregation in many aspects of life, including living areas, public facilities and romantic relationships. Freedom Day is “the commemoration of the first democratic elections held in South Africa,” according to the country’s government. Many of those who celebrated Freedom Day wore the colors of the ANC to honor Nelson Mandela, who “played a crucial role in the struggle that ended the brutal system of racial discrimination” before he died in 2013, according to AP News. Some 3,500 people danced and sang in Kwa-Thema, a small township east of Johannesburg. Mandela, leader of the African National Congress political party, was officially the country’s first democratically elected leader on April 27, 1994. The 1994 elections were the first elections in South Africa in which everyone over the age of 18 was legally allowed to vote regardless of race. Previous to this election, only the white population was allowed to vote. “On this day 25 years ago, we founded a new country defined by the principles of equality, unity, non-racialism and non-sexism,” President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said at a rally. “Despite the passage of time, it is a day we remember vividly—the exhilaration of seeing nearly 20 million South Africans of
all races waiting patiently at polling stations around the country to cast their ballots.” Despite the celebration of freedom and equality, Quartz Africa reports South Africa as “one of the most consistently unequal countries in the world.” With a 27% unemployment rate, more than half of the population lives in poverty. The number of people in poverty, despite decreasing for several years, suddenly increased in 2015, according to Statistics South Africa. According to SSA, children under 18 have the highest poverty levels. “Growing up in poverty is one of the greatest threats to healthy childhood development,” the report stated.“Unfortunately, in 2015 this was a reality for over 13 million children living in South Africa.” With presidential elections happening May 8, several political parties including the ANC took advantage of Freedom Day to reflect on current issues in the country while highlighting the concerns of the electorate. “There are great divisions between rich and poor, between urban and rural, between men and women, between those with jobs and those who are unemployed, between those who own land and those who were deprived of it,” Ramaphosa, an ANC member, continued at his Freedom Day rally. “As we celebrate 25 years of democracy, we need to focus all our attention and efforts on ensuring that all South Africans can equally experience the economic and social benefits of freedom.”
NELSON MANDELA WAS THE FIRST ELECTED PRESIDENT IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
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COVER
BOARD COMMITTEE TO SEND TUITION INCREASE PROPOSAL 8
PSU Vanguard • MAY 7, 2019 • psuvanguard.com
ANAMIKA VAUGHAN The finance and administration committee voted to send a budget proposal—including an 11% increase in tuition for resident undergraduate students—to the Board of Trustees for consideration. The Board will vote on the budget on May 13. Because the tuition increase is above 5%, the university will have to defend the Board’s decision before the Higher Education Coordinating Commission if they vote to approve this budget. “Let me express the feeling that the goal [of the Board] is really not to increase tuition unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Portland State President Rahmat Shoureshi said. Associated Students of PSU President Luis Balderas-Villagrana recommended to the Board a zero percent tuition increase for resident, non-resident and graduate students. Balderas-Villagrana added, “As student body president, as somebody who does work with state legislators and over these past months has worked with the administration, I know that a zero percent tuition increase is not rational. I think we are in a tough time at the university, and I try to be hopeful but I am questioning whether the state will give us more money at this point.”
THE 11% INCREASE
For a zero percent increase—at the level of investment from the state—the university would have to find $21–23 million in operational cuts. At a 5% increase, the university would have to find $13–15 million in cuts. Reynolds explained that the school looked at approximately $16 million in reductions in keeping with the 5% tuition increase benchmark. “We rejected $6 million in cuts which were just too impactful on student support, timely graduation, academic quality and long-term fiscal stability,” Reynolds said. “Examples would be not filling any of the tenure line positions...reducing the number of advisors that we put in, not
COVER
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DISCUSS PRESIDENT SHOURESHI’S TUITION RECOMMENDATIONS, MAY 3. BO KOERING/PSU VANGUARD
funding financial aid, reducing the amount remissions available,” Reynolds said. The exact reduction in available remissions amounts an estimated 500–1,000 Pell grant-eligible Oregonians who would no longer be able to participate in those programs. $16 million in cuts could also impact national accreditation, oncampus student employment opportunities and compliance and safety risk management, according to Reynold’s presentation. With the remaining $10 million in cuts, the budget would require at least 9–11% increase in tuition. “The other thing we did—and this was a long deliberative meeting with the president and the executive committee— was to say these levels of reductions are so painful, even without that $6 million,” Reynolds said. “How do we try to protect or mitigate the impact on our academic affairs or our academic programs?” Reynolds explained that an additional $500,000 had to be invested back into the office of academic affairs, which brought the tuition increase recommendation up to 11%. “I would like to mention also that [the exact numbers] may change a bit after the state receives its revenue projections which are supposed to come on May 15, so some of the assumptions made in terms of how much the state is going to contribute may change,” Shoureshi said. “Nobody wants to see that level of increase, but things are still fluid and we will do our best,” Shoureshi continued.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS
There are also $1.5 million in strategic investments in the budget, including Information Technology educational services for student success, accommodation resources, financial aid staffing, campus public safety office, IT integrations and $200,000 in student-led investments.
“In accordance with [the strategic investment of $200,000], I will pass an executive order in the following two weeks creating a committee called the committee on student success that will review this investment and find the best way for students to be involved,” Balderas-Villagrana said. The student-led investments, according to Reynolds, will be an avenue through which students can address the increasing demand to tackle issues like food insecurity and housing. “I think this will be important when we talk to the HECC; if we don’t raise tuition at a higher level, we can’t fund these sorts of initiatives,” Reynolds said.
HOW PSU COMPARES
Oregon State University, Eastern Oregon University and Western Oregon University are all proposing an undergraduate tuition increase lower than 5%. When comparing undergraduate tuition for these universities against PSU, OSU tuition for undergraduate resident and non-resident tuition is higher. For EOU, tuition for both resident and non-resident undergraduates is lower than PSU. For PSU, undergraduate resident tuition represents 43% of the gross tuition revenue. Reynolds also said that, unless something significantly changes, it is likely that Oregon Institute of Technology, Southern Oregon University and University of Oregon will increase their tuition above 5%. “Our colleagues don’t sit in the same place as us financially,” Reynolds said. When looking at the estimated forecasts of state fund allocations for some other universities in the state, OIT would be receiving $54,594, OSU and SOU would be receiving around $25,000 and UO would be getting $20,112 per degree. PSU would be receiving around $16,979 per degree.
“We have one of the lowest tuition rates, we have mostly instate students and we receive one of the lowest levels of funding from the state—we don’t have much of a choice,” Reynolds said.
FOCUS OF STATE LEGISLATORS IN EDUCATION
According to Kevin Neely, associate vice president of government relations, the focus of state legislators this session has been investments in K-12 education. The House passed an education revenue package on April 29 that did not include higher education institutions. The package is expected to generate over $1 billion annually, according to Neely. “More state funding is the only immediate solution to protect students and preserve academic excellence,” Neely said. “The university community needs to be united in its demands for additional state funding.” Unlike previous years, ASPSU did not participate in lobbying at the Capitol for more state funds this year in an effort to get a zero percent tuition increase commitment from the university. However, nearly 40 PSU students did participate in lobbying for additional funding on PSU Day at the Capitol on April 16. “Advocacy from students at the other six [public universities in Oregon] has been a critical component of the gains made to date,” Neely said. “Student lobbying is always critical to increased public university funding.” When asked what the university is doing right now, Neely said the administration’s highest priority is budget advocacy. “[We are] working with an alliance of stakeholders, including faculty unions, community colleges and university partners, we have met with nearly 50 legislators and work regularly with legislative leadership and Governor [Kate] Brown to increase investment,” Neely said.
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INTERNATIONAL
‘WE ARE ONE’
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS HOST CARNIVAL SHOWCASING DIVERSITY
MADISON CECIL The annual International Night event hosted by Portland State’s Organization of International Students on May 4 in the Karl Miller Center brought dance, music and culture from around the world to PSU. “I like how we’re able to showcase all the different cultures of our students,” said International Night volunteer and PSU student Fatima Preciado. “I think it allows them to express themselves and share a piece of who they are and a piece of back home.” The first two floors of the Karl Miller Center and SW Montgomery between 6th Ave. and Broadway were shut down from 5–9 p.m. and dedicated to the carnival. Different activities, including face painting, a variety of games and a country trivia booth were set up. “At the trivia booth, you look at some pictures of festivals that are going on in different countries, then you go look around and try to guess what country that festival is in,” Preciado said. “You can earn points and get to win prizes like candy. [The street carnival] is the fun section of the event.” Inside the Karl Miller Center, the OIS decorated the railings with papel picados, also known as pierced papers. Papel picados are thin, colorful pieces of paper that have been pierced with abstract holes. Henna was also offered inside the entrance of the Karl Miller Center.
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Four classrooms were sectioned off, each dedicated to showcasing a specific region. The four regions were the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Asia. In the Middle Eastern classroom, event-goers could learn about the culture from countries like Yemen and Saudi Arabia, while the Latin American classroom took visitors to Venezuela. “The main takeaway is the diversity of culture,” Sue Vu, OIS event coordinator and PSU international student from Vietnam, said. “We are all different and we all have different cultures, but the fact is that we are all here tonight, sharing it and enjoying other activities.” In the classrooms, international students created posters with information about the different countries. In the European classroom, people could learn about Denmark through games such as “Minute to Win It.” In the Middle Eastern classroom, there was a makeshift photo booth, as well as traditional clothing and other objects from the region. Throughout the night, different groups demonstrated dances and music from different cultures. Portland’s Bloco Alegria group was the first to perform, demonstrating their Rio-style samba music and dancing. The White Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance group brought East Asian culture to the Karl Miller Center by performing a Hok San Southern Lion Dance.
The PSU Japanese Student Society also performed a J-Pop dance, followed by a traditional dance by PSU students from the Indian Student Association. Students from the Korean Student Association also performed a K-pop dance, and the Latin Dance Club performed the salsa, a dance heavily inspired by Cuban culture, and the bachata, which originates from the Dominican Republic. “Typically, people think Latin dances can only be performed by people who are dating or together because they seem more romantic or sexual,” Burns explained. “For us, performing these pieces is not romantic; some of us don’t even know each other. It’s just for fun and to learn about the culture.” The OIS’s main event of the night was the fashion show. Showcasing traditional and modern styles from around the world, international students walked down the makeshift runway in the Karl Miller Center to share a piece of their culture. “Everybody is so different and this whole event is all about celebrating diversity and showing that we all are unique and at the same time uniting that uniqueness,” Dmytro Shakalov, a PSU international student from Ukraine and emcee for International Night 2019, said. “We are unique as a planet, as humankind, and we are showcasing our greatness.” “We are one, and there’s a diversity at PSU that we are creating,” Vu added.
INTERNATIONAL
MADISON CECIL/PSU VANGUARD
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INTERNATIONAL
RAMADAN KAREEM BISCUITS PREPARED FOR EID AL-ADHA IN SOMALIA. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS SABRINA ACHCAR-WINKELS Also known as the holy month, Ramadan is a month-long holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world to mark the month Allah gave the first chapters of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. This year, Ramadan begins on May 5 and ends on June 4 in the United States. Ramadan is a month of prayer, fasting and nightly feasts marked by the first sighting of the new moon. Since the moon is not in the same phase at the same time around the world, different regions begin and end the holiday at slightly different times. Those who celebrate this holiday fast between dawn and dusk. According to NBC News, “the fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate.” During the holy month, Muslims wake up early and eat a pre-dawn meal called “Suhoor.” There is not one version of this meal, as it varies depending on the region and countries. In Lebanon and Syria, Suhoor is usually made up of a flatbread with thyme, cheese and yogurt. In Afghanistan, people eat dates and dumplings. The fast is broken each night with a small meal called “Iftar.” Traditionally, this is a sip of water followed by dates, representing the same meal Prophet Muhammad used to
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IAAF REGULATING TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN FEMALE ATHLETES
CASTER SEMENYA HAS REFUSED TO TAKE MEDICATION TO LOWER HER TESTOSTERONE. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS MADISON CECIL
break his fast hundreds of years ago. Iftar is a social event and it is common for mosques to host large events for the meal. Not every Muslim is required to fast. There are exceptions for children who have not yet reached puberty, sick people, elderly people or women who are menstruating, pregnant or breast feeding. Professional athletes who are traveling are not required to fast either. Ramadan is a month of not only fasting but also self-restraint. Smoking cigarettes, using drugs and drinking alcohol are not allowed during the holy month. According to The Islamic Association of Raleigh, sexual intercourse, even between spouses, is not allowed during the fast. There is a three-day festival at the end of Ramadan. Sometimes called the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast, Eid al-Fitr begins when the new moon is first seen, symbolizing a complete lunar cycle since the beginning of Ramadan. Edi al-Fitr, much like Ramadan, is celebrated differently by different countries and regions. The festival typically begins with a prayer followed by a sermon. According to Al Jazeera, “many people wear traditional clothes, give gifts or money to children and donate to charity” during the festival.
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Two-time Olympic champion Caster Semenya lost her court appeal against the International Association of Athletics Federation on May 1, allowing the IAAF to regulate testosterone levels in female athletes. Semenya is hyperandrogenic, meaning she has significantly higher testosterone levels than most cisgender women. The Olympic runner is considered to have a “difference of sexual development,” or DSD, by the IAAF, and the new regulations would require her to take medication to reduce her naturally occurring testosterone levels. The IAAF justifies the new regulations by arguing that elevated testosterone levels create an uneven playing field for other athletes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled unless the affected athletes take medication to regulate testosterone levels, they will not be able to compete. Critics of the court decision have called it discriminatory, including the court itself. According to Al Jazeera, CAS ruled, “On the basis of the evidence submitted by the parties, such discrimination is a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of achieving the IAAF’s aim of preserving the integrity of female athletics in the Restricted Events.” The events included in the new regulations, which will take effect on May 8, will include all
events between the 400-meter and the onemile race, according to The Telegraph. If a woman affected by DSD refuses to take medication but wants to continue to compete, she will be required to change her event of choice. “Hell no,” Semenya said when Al Jazeera asked if she would take medication. “I’ll always run the 800-meters. The 800-meters is my calling—I believe in it. I’ll switch when I want to switch events. No man can tell me what to do.” Semenya won her 30th consecutive 800-meter on May 3, but this may be her last race. The runner may appeal her case again, which would send the decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal by May 31. Lynsey Sharp, who has been racing against Semenya for 11 years, called the competition “difficult” at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Despite the difficulty, Sharp is against the new IAAF regulations. “I know that the IAAFs regulations have always targeted me specifically,” Semenya said after she won her 30th consecutive 800-meter race. “For a decade the IAAF has tried to slow me down, but this has actually made me stronger. The decision of the CAS will not hold me back. I will once again rise above and continue to inspire young women and athletes in South Africa and around the world.”
OPINION
THE EARTH IS NOT FLAT
ROSEMARY OLIVA
TAYLAR RIVERS Is earth’s shape a matter of opinion or science? It’s science; the earth is most definitely round. It’s a circle. A sphere if you will. Members of the Flat Earth Society claim to believe the earth is flat. Walking around on the planet’s surface it looks and feels flat, so they deem all evidence to the contrary—such as satellite photos of Earth as a sphere—to be fabrications of a “round Earth conspiracy” orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies. These theories may be a rightful opinion, but they are simply not factually correct and promote a false narrative. First, a brief tour of all the theories of a flat-earther: In their mission to dismiss numerous amounts of concrete evidence that Earth is spherical, they rally behind counter arguments that at first glance many write off as impractical. The leading Flat Earth theory holds that Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the center and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall wall of ice, around the rim. NASA employees, they say, guard this ice wall to prevent people from climbing over and falling off the disc. There’s another theory within the main one: Flat-earthers believe photos of the globe are photoshopped; GPS devices are rigged to make airplane pilots think they are flying in straight lines around a sphere when they are actually flying in circles above a disc. The motive for world governments’ concealment of the true shape of the earth has not been identified, but flatearthers believe it is probably financial.
“In a nutshell, it would logically cost much less to fake a space program than to actually have one, so those in on the conspiracy profit from the funding NASA and other space agencies receive from the government,” the flat-earther website’s FAQ page explains. Despite the many theories that flat-earthers have conjured up in support of their stance, the earth is in fact round. In late 300 BCE, philosopher and scientist Aristotle devoted his studying to proving the physics of the earth. Aristotle believed in a round Earth with the observation that during lunar eclipses, Earth’s shadow on the face of the sun is curved. Since this curved shape exists during all lunar eclipses, despite the fact that Earth is rotating, Aristotle correctly concluded that from this curved shadow that Earth must be a sphere. If Earth is a disk and the stars, planets and other nearby objects are hovering in a dome above the surface, as many flat-earthers believe, solar eclipses become impossible to explain or justify. The total solar eclipse that crossed North America in August 2017 should not have occurred if their theory was correct. Even if you still believe that all philosophers were spreading myths and NASA is a sham, there are tests that can be conducted by the individual that would prove that Earth is round.
Climbing up either a tree, building or any high platform you can see a farther distance the higher you go. If earth was flat, you’d be able to see the same distance no matter your elevation. The reason that your view expands as you reach a higher elevation is due to the curvature of the earth. More than anything, the Flat Earth theory is a conspiracy that is constantly growing and piquing the interest of others. According to the Flat Earth Society’s leadership, its ranks have grown by 200 people (mostly American and British) per year since 2009. As inconceivable as their belief system seems, it doesn’t really surprise experts. Karen Douglas, a psychologist at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom who studies the psychology of conspiracy theories, says flat-earthers’ beliefs cohere with those of other conspiracy theorists she has studied. “It seems to me that these people do generally believe that the earth is flat. I’m not seeing anything that sounds as if they’re just putting that idea out there for any other reason,” Douglas told Live Science. Though the Flat Earth theory is just a theory it negates the vast amount of scientific research and technological advancements that society has worked so hard on. Everyone is entitled to their rightful belief system, but the Flat Earth theory has spread beyond the means of a hush-hush conspiracy to a full-blown society.
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ARTS & CULTURE
PUNK IS ALIVE AND WELL SWMRS LEAD NEW GENERATION OF PUNK
SWMRS PERFORM AT WONDER BALLROOM ON APRIL 30. PETE BENSEN/PSU VANGUARD PETE BENSEN Native Oakland outfit SWMRS showed Portland that punk is in fact not dead, or meek, for that matter. Punk rock is and always has been about passionate, defiant expression. Throughout the decades, despite facing inevitable stylistic shifts, mainstream commercialization and even genre purists attempting to police what is and isn’t punk, this ethos has remained rock solid. The night’s openers helped speak to that too. The explosive and impassioned “riot-grrrl-esque” sound of quartet Destroy Boys was memorable—their socially charged resonance embraced a fiercely feminine intensity. This was followed by Beach Goons, who charmed the crowd with a fast-paced, classic punk rock sound that was tinted with the psych-infused, surf rock notes that their name suggests. But much of the night’s intensity came from headlining act SWMRS, and it wasn’t only the music that made it that way. One might expect a band comprising of the son of Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong to find themselves trapped in the shadow of such a monumentally influential and culturally
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established band like Green Day, and yet SWMRS managed to avert this trap effortlessly. To say that the band is not standing on the shoulders of giants, or that such inborn music industry connections have nothing to do with the band’s current success would be ludicrous. However, at first glance, the band makes it painstakingly clear that they do not wear their predecessors on their sleeves. They are fiercely individual, both stylistically and otherwise. From the moment the band hit the stage, it became clear that performing ability runs in the Armstrong family. To say that drummer Joey Armstrong commanded the crowd would be an understatement—he owned the stage. Jumping back and forth across the stage, Armstrong displayed an ardent swagger seldom seen in some of the best performers. After just three songs in, Armstrong stopped to make a speech about treating others well at a SWMRS show, specifically addressing sexual assault. “We gotta make sure absolutely no sexual assault happens in here,” Armstrong said. “We will stop the show and get that loser out of here.”
Gestures such as these set a powerful precedent on how one should behave at any show. This is especially true given that many of the concertgoers were younger and more impressionable. For this reason, SWMRS act as representatives for a younger generation of punk music. They openly and proudly stand up for the values their generation believes in, on stage and in the studio. Every step of the way the band makes it clear exactly what they stand for. For example, their title song “Berkley’s on Fire” was written in support of “150 masked agitators” who protested the planned appearance of alt-right darling Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley. Despite what genre purists and traditionalists might say, punk music is not solely defined by the musical attributes present but by the energy brought to the table by those creating the music. SWMRS epitomizes this as well as any band, representing not only punk rock’s potential, but how far it’s come—and they show no signs of stopping any time soon.
ARTS & CULTURE
WE’RE ALL SATANISTS NOW DOCUMENTARY ‘HAIL SATAN?’ IS A SURPRISING CALL TO ACTION JOEL WILLIAMS Documentary film Hail Satan? reveals how one cult is, as a matter of fact, an organization that cares about feminism, gay rights and social justice. If you find yourself lacking in knowledge on the six-year-old Satanic Temple, they’ve hit the big screen with informative reels. Through providential footage recounting various members, the documentary film Hail Satan? tells the story of how the Temple came to be, its successes, failures and ultimately where it’s headed. If you were one of the maybe three people at the Temple’s first onscreen press conference/rally, you would have never guessed that anyone would follow them. A Halloween storepurchased black-cloaked Satanic interloper delivers an awkward speech to almost no one. Having practiced a comical parlor trick to display the audience, the move fails in execution and the press conference is an abysmal failure. While giving a post-rally interview to the press—the few that were there—they cryptically answer questions while a man wearing dark sunglasses and garb stands behind him. That man is the Temple’s co-founder and seemingly reluctant spokesperson, Lucien Greaves. We aren’t given a very good reason for his reluctance—maybe he simply wants to avoid the public eye—but it was abundantly clear that the Temple’s first choice simply wasn’t going to cut it. Everything about Greaves screams, “I’m the leader of a Satanic cult.” As the film unfolds, however, you learn that perhaps the organization and its people aren’t as “evil” as they seem. The film follows Jex Blackmore, the founder of the Detroit chapter of the Temple. She’s something of a firebrand, a rebel within an already highly rebellious organization. The film showcases the many lurid spectacles that Blackmore and her chapter staged. We bare witness to a fervent speech—delivered over ominous music—that concludes in two men embracing in a passionate kiss. You end up reveling in her vehemence, clarion calls for “destruction of the
patriarchy” and infectious subversiveness. When she exits the story, you can’t help but ask “Why would an organization so bent on defending freedom of expression stifle exactly that?” The film questions that in a country where we have a sitting alt-right, internet troll president—one who deserves Jex Blackmore’s extreme condemnation—how are we to counter such willful systemic disdain for justice? What happens when the laws our ancestors enshrined—constitutional rights gifted to us in the background of genocide and white supremacy—are applied with blatant inequality?
The Satanic Temple uses these laws against Christian right establishments, especially when they further their goals under the guise of “religious freedom.” They demand the erection of Baphomet statues when state governments erect Biblical ones on government property in blatant disregard for the United States Constitution. They troll anti-abortion protesters, becoming the living black-cloaked embodiment of everything they fear. When corporations lobby for “religious exemption” clauses to avoid covering basic women’s healthcare in their employee benefits, the Satanic Temple is there saying, “This also covers Satanists who have a religious belief in women’s healthcare.” Near the end of Hail Satan? the film takes a pause from its fairly high-spirited pace. There’s infighting and various local chapters have seceded from the national organization. The Temple faces a major legal setback, Greaves suits up in body armor to protect himself from religious zealots, and the fate of their iconic status is in limbo. It is the first occasion in the movie—barring a few glimpses of the security camera system the Temple has installed at their headquarters—where we see that this isn’t all rebellious debauchery and Christian trolling, there’s palpable risk involved with these activities. The death threats are unmistakably real. Despite this, Hail Satan? still manages to end on an upbeat note. In dark times, when authoritarianism is on the rise, Hail Satan? is a call to action. When the opposition believes in magic and fairy tales, sometimes the best response is to become the horrific undead necrodragon in their nightmares—a tactic that works especially well when you don’t believe in magic and fairy tales yourself. Hail Satan? is currently playing at Cinema 21 and Hollywood Theatre.
DANA TOWNSEND
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Cervanté Pope & Hannah Welbourn
May 7–13 MUSIC
FILM & THEATRE
COMMUNITY
“I BEGIN WITH A THIN LINE” PDX CONTEMPORARY ART TUE–SAT: 11 A.M.–6 P.M., THROUGH JUNE 1 FREE Ellen George’s solo exhibition of paintings are “studies in fragility and exposure.”
MONOLORD, USNEA, WILL MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS 9 P.M. SOLD OUT Monolord may or may not be coming out with a new album soon, but we sold out the show in hopes of possible new material.
‘HAIL SATAN?’ CINEMA 21 $10 ($9 WITH STUDENT ID) 4:30 P.M., 7 P.M., 9:15 P.M. Satanism isn’t just about Satan—it’s about doing good for the community, too. How could you hate on devil horns now?
GREEN STREETS CLEAN UP ROGUE HALL 6:30 P.M. FREE Join Green Streets to help clean up the streets and bioswales around Rogue Hall. Bonus—Rogue will be providing beer for volunteers after the clean-up.
JO HAMILTON, CHRIS RUSSELL, BARRY JOHNSON RUSSO LEE GALLERY TUE–FRI: 11 A.M.–5:30 P.M.; SAT: 11 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE This group exhibition will feature crocheted portraits, linen paintings and mixed media.
EMILY WELLS, TOPU LYO DOUG FIR LOUNGE 8 P.M. $13–16 It’s experimental art-pop for all the experimental souls out there.
‘THE LIGHTNING THIEF’ KELLER AUDITORIUM 7:30 P.M. $30–60 A tale of Greek mythology and the powers of lightning, done in a fantasy-adventure style.
MAY 8TH FOR STUDENTS TOM MCCALL WATERFRONT PARK 11 A.M–2 P.M. FREE Educators, students and supporters will be rallying for more funding for K-12 schools in Oregon. Participants are encouraged to wear red.
“PANSY” NATIONALE WED–MON: NOON–6 P.M. FREE These works by Michelle Blade draw inspiration from the Garden of Eden, portraying feminine strength.
PASSION PIT ROSELAND THEATER 8 P.M. $37.50–47.50 It’s been a whole decade since Michael Angelakos released his electropop debut Manners, with that undyingly infectious cut “Sleepyhead.” See him do it live.
‘SIRENS OF COOS BAY’ CLINTON STREET THEATER THU–SAT: 8 P.M.; SUN MAY 12: 2 P.M.; FRI MAY 17: 10 P.M.; SAT MAY 18: 8 P.M. $15–20 Hans Christian Andersen’s mermaid classic is reimagined as ‘90s grunge tale based in Coos Bay.
TRAIL BUTTER TRAIL RUN 10 BARREL BREWING 6 P.M. FREE Join a guided run from the pub to Pittock Mansion to celebrate the release of Trail Butter’s new IPA-inspired nut butter. How very Portland.
“PROCESS PATTERNS” EUTECTIC GALLERY FRI–SAT: 10 A.M.–6 P.M.; SUN: NOON–5 P.M. FREE These ceramic pieces by Kat Hutter and Roger Lee are inspired by the colors and patterns seen living in Southern California.
BUN B STAR THEATER 9 P.M. $22–25 • 21+ Bun B is a straight up OG, coming from fronting seminal group U.G.K. and having a thriving solo career.
‘ESCAPED ALONE’ SHAKING THE TREE STUDIO THU–SUN: 7:30 P.M., THROUGH JUNE 1 $10–30 Making its West Coast debut, this play shadows a group of older women as catastrophe strikes them during a chill tea party.
WOMEN MAKERS NIGHT MARKET HELIOTERRA WINES 5–9 P.M. $15 IN ADVANCE, $20 AT DOOR Wine, food, flowers and more from women creators will be at this night market, perfect for a pre-Mother’s Day night out.
“OBJECTIFIED” FROELICK GALLERY TUE–SAT: 10:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. FREE Paintings by Portland-based artist Stephen O’Donnell will be on display until June 1. O’Donnell will host a discussion and tour at 11 a.m. on May 11.
STAVVES, AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD, TROW GIL’S SPEAKEASY 8 P.M. $7 • 21+ Fierce as fuck black metal blaring from a speakeasy-style pub in the basement of an apartment building. The neighbors are gonna be pissed.
BODY AWARENESS TWILIGHT THEATER COMPANY THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M.; SUN: 3 P.M., THROUGH MAY 19 $16–18 A psychology professor is tasked with putting together the Body Awareness Week events at her school, and things get emotional.
DOGGIE DASH 2019 TOM MCCALL WATERFRONT PARK 7:30–11 A.M. $50 REGISTRATION, FREE FOR KIDS 10 AND UNDER This walk/run benefits injured pets and animals without homes. If paying to run isn’t your thing, you can enjoy seeing all the dogs for free.
SUN MAY 12
“HANGING RIVER” HOLDING CONTEMPORARY THU–SAT: NOON–5 P.M. FREE Takahiro Yamamoto and Andy Paiko collaborated on this group exhibition featuring glass works and a live performance.
ANDY HUMAN & THE REPTOIDS, EX-KIDS AND COOL FLOWERS WORLD FAMOUS KENTON CLUB 9 P.M. FREE Free punks for all the punks that like free stuff.
‘PEBBLE’ IMAGO THEATRE THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M.; SUN MAY 12: 2 P.M. $10–20 Set at a mental institution, Imago adapts this Carol Triffle play about a puzzle-loving patient whose life is even more rocked by a mysterious guest.
TINY HOUSE TOUR CARAVAN 3–4 P.M. $10 Tour and learn more about tiny houses at the world’s first tiny house hotel, Caravan.
MON MAY 13
“INSPIRATIONS FROM NATURE: A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER SHOW” MULTNOMAH ARTS CENTER MON–FRI: 9 A.M.–9:30 P.M; SAT/SUN: 9 A.M.– 5 P.M. FREE This mother-and-daughter art show features paintings by Rachel Laura and basketry by Debra Carnes.
MOTOWN ON MONDAYS DISTRICT 9 P.M. FREE • 21+ Some of the most soulful record collections spun by a rotating selection of soulful DJs.
VISIONS & VOICES: STUDENT PLAYWRITING SHOWCASE PORTLAND CENTER STAGE 7 P.M. FREE Every Monday until May 20, high school students will get the chance to have their scripts acted out by professional actors.
FREE COMPOST DAYS 9325 NE SUNDERLAND ROAD MON–SAT: 7 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE Thanks to Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portlanders are welcome to pick up some free, unlimited and high-quality compost to start their gardening season.
ART TUE MAY 7 WED MAY 8 THU MAY 9 FRI MAY 10 SAT MAY 11