Portland State Vanguard, Volume 74 Issue 34

VOLUME 74 • ISSUE 34 • JUNE 2, 2020

‘IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, WE NEEDED SOMEBODY IN CHARGE WITH THE TITLE OF PRESIDENT’

NEWS IN-PERSON COMMENCEMENT • INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES BEGIN OPENING UP • ARTS & CULTURE CHARLI XCX'S NEW QUARANTINE ALBUM

CONTENTS COVER BY DANA TOWNSEND

NEWS HILL TO HALL

THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS FILL PORTLAND'S STREETS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE NIGHT

P. 3

ARTS & CULTURE QUARANTINE CUISINE: TOO MUCH PASTA

P. 10

P. 3

CHARLI XCX RELEASES AMBITIOUS NEW ALBUM

P. 11

THE NAMES WE TAKE REVIEW

P. 12

OPINION HYH: THE FUN IN THE SUN EDITION

P. 13

THE TEAM BEHIND PSU’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE

P. 4

THE GRADUATION MUST GO ON

P. 5

INTERNATIONAL THE FINANCIAL INVIABILITY OF ESPORTS: MANY WATCH, FEW PROFIT CHINESE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW FACES P. 6 BACKLASH IN HONG KONG AND ABROAD SPORTS

WOMEN IN SPORTS COUNTRIES BEGIN TO REOPEN DESPITE COVID-19 FEARS P. 7 COMICS COVER STEPHEN PERCY WILL BECOME PSU’S 10TH PRESIDENT P. 8–9

STAFF

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Dylan Jefferies MANAGING EDITOR Hannah Welbourn NEWS EDITORS Hanna Anderson Justin Grinnell INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Chloe Dysart SPORTS EDITOR Rich Rigney ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Nick Townsend OPINION EDITOR AJ Earl

ONLINE EDITOR Annie Schutz

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Owen Demetre

COPY CHIEF Sophie Concannon

PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas

CONTRIBUTORS Natalie Conway Lennon Duncan Ida Ayu Dwijayanti Spence Garfield Nick Gatlin Missi Jarrar Bela Kurzenhauser Emily Price PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Alex Wittwer

LEAD DESIGNER Dana Townsend DESIGNERS Farah Alkayed Brandon Pahnish Sam Person Shannon Steed DIS T RIBU TION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dylan Jefferies

T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow George Olson John Rojas A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher STUDENT MEDIA 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.

P. 14 P. 15 P. 16

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.

NEWS

THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS FILL PORTLAND’S STREETS FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE NIGHT

MAY 27–31 MISSI JARRAR

MAY 27: ADDITIONAL CHURCHES FILE LAWSUITS AGAINST

GOVERNOR BROWN

Alleging the governor’s social restrictions violate their constitutional right to the freedom of religion and assembly, two more churches filed charges against Oregon Governor Kate Brown. The Edgewater Christian Fellowship in Grants Pass and the Church of God of Prophecy in Roseburg filed a federal suit in the United States District Court in Eugene on Tuesday, according to AP News. The churches want to resume inperson worship as early as May 31. The Oregon Supreme Court is preparing to make a decision on an earlier suit against Brown by Baker County churches, consisting of 10 churches and 20 individuals. The premise of the lawsuit is Brown exceeded her authority when she ordered social distancing because of COVID-19. According to OPB, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on in-person religious services, which could affect the Oregon case, as Oregon is part of the ninth circuit.

MAY 29: SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS MAY CONTAIN FALSEHOODS ABOUT

ELECTIONS IN OREGON

According to AP News, Republican Secretary of State Bev Clarno alerted Facebook and Twitter to alleged falsehoods being shared on their platforms. On May 18, the website Gateway Pundit, which Facebook says is “known for publishing falsehoods and spreading hoaxes,” published an unverified claim that Oregon officials changed hundreds of Republicans’ ballots to non-partisan, according to The Oregonian. Instead, Oregon state election officials heard an increase in complaints from voters during primary elections who say they received non-partisan ballots when they believed they had registered as Democrat or Republican. Many of these complaints came from people who had been inactive voters for some years and had initially registered as nonpartisan. The social media companies agreed to take steps to stop the information.

MAY 30: POLICE DECLARE RIOT AS PROTESTERS SET POLICE

HEADQUARTERS AFLAME

Protesters broke into police headquarters in downtown Portland on Friday night.

Portland police declared a riot around midnight as fires were set in the street near Southwest Alder and 4th Avenue. Video appeared to show dozens of people breaking into Pioneer Place mall and taking bags from a Louis Vuitton store, according to AP News. The protest began peacefully in Peninsula Park before hundreds began marching through downtown to Portland police headquarters outside the Multnomah County Justice Center. According to KOIN News, at least two protesters were arrested and no other details were immediately released.

MAY 31: DIRECTOR OF EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT FIRED OVER DELAYS

Governor Kate Brown fired Oregon Employment Department Director Kay Erickson over delays in delivering unemployment benefits to Oregonians who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown said in a statement via AP News, “in the middle of this pandemic, the continued delays from the Oregon Employment Department in delivering unemployment insurance benefits to thousands of out-of-work Oregonians are unacceptable.” Brown asked for Erickson’s resignation on Sunday. When the pandemic hit, the employment department was quickly overwhelmed, as more than 440,000 Oregonians filed for jobless benefits and the state’s unemployment rate spiked to an all-time high at 14.2%, according to The Oregonian.

Erickson had been director of the Oregon Employment Department since 2016, when she was appointed by Brown.

PROTESTERS HOLD SIGNS, IN PROTEST AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY AND THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD OUTSIDE MULTNOMAH COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER ON MAY 31, 2020. JUSTIN GRINNELL/PSU VANGUARD JUSTIN GRINNELL AND DYLAN JEFFERIES Thousands gathered on both sides of the Willamette River as protests against police brutality continued, following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white Minneapolis police officer.

Against a chain link fence, protesters packed in front of the Justice Center in downtown Portland, starting at approximately 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. At the same time, another group of protesters marched from Laurelhurst Park on the city’s east side. Both protests continued past Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s 8 p.m. curfew.

Downtown protesters chanted “Black lives matter” and “George Floyd,” as well as shouted for police officers lining the Justice Center’s front entrance to take a knee. Isaiah, a protestor at the event, attended the first protest that occurred on Friday of the same weekend before the curfew was enacted. “[Portland police] started tear gassing people and trying to push people north, but people looped around and started smashing shit,” Isaiah said about the first protest. “That’s when I decided to bounce.”

Protests at the Justice Center remained peaceful, but as the event continued past curfew, some protesters began throwing water bottles over the fence at officers. Portland police gave announcement they were declaring the gathering an unlawful assembly before throwing tear gas and firing rubber bullets into the crowd.

Moving away from the Justice Center, protesters were pushed west toward the park blocks by police vehicles and flashbang devices. Another gathering formed at Pioneer Square before being pushed again toward the Waterfront.

Sara, another protester and Portland State student, has protested every night since Thursday. “I got into a couple of confrontations with the police,” Sara said. “But I stood my ground, I stood up for my rights.”

At around 9 p.m., thousands of protesters who had marched from Laurelhurst to downtown gathered before the Justice Center. Multiple speakers addressed the crowd with a megaphone, leading chants and decrying police violence. Many protesters encouraged riot police to take a knee, and chanted “bring us the chief!”

At one point, an officer approached the chain link fence surrounding the Justice Center to address the crowd. The officer was handed the megaphone. He said he understood the mistrust between Portlanders and the Portland Police Bureau, and the PPB was eager to listen to protesters’ concerns. “Show us peace,” many in the crowd chanted.

Around 11 p.m., unexpected flashbangs quickly dispersed the large crowd. Smaller groups then moved to the north and south side of the Justice Center, where they were met with lines of riot police. The police encouraged protesters to move west, but the crowd continued to push east up against police barricades.

Around midnight, fireworks and flashbangs scattered the crowd, and police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. Tear gas filled Chapman Square, and protesters broke into smaller groups. Police surrounded the area on all sides, setting up barricades and demanding that participants leave the area.

By 1:00 a.m., the protest had been reduced to multiple small groups who wandered the downtown area before police were able to disperse them with more tear gas and flashbangs.

According to multiple sources, the May 31 protest drew thousands of participants, making it the largest protest since they began on May 28.

Another protest is scheduled to take place on June 1. Mayor Ted Wheeler and federal law enforcement official Billy Williams have called on Oregon Governor Kate Brown to activate the Oregon National Guard, according to Willamette Week.

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

3

NEWS

THE TEAM BEHIND PSU’S PANDEMIC RESPONSE JUSTIN GRINNELL

Portland State’s Incident Management Team (IMT) is a cross-functional group, understanding and responding to emergency events affecting the campus community; it has been critical in determining PSU’s response to COVID-19.

Originating as a method to effectively respond to wildfires, IMTs have been implemented in higher education institutions, and at the city and county level in Portland to respond to a wide range of emergencies, according to Brian Roy, associate vice president of risk management and contracting at PSU. “We meet regularly, we do exercises, we do training,” Roy said about PSU’s IMT. “What we’re [here] for is when we have an incident that is big enough or broad enough to impact the university in a way that we need to coordinate a response.”

While the IMT is normally comprised of multiple units such as University Communications, Student Affairs, Campus Public Safety Office and Facilities and Property Management, it has brought on the Office of International Affairs and Student Financial Services recently to aid in its response to the pandemic. According to Emma Stocker, director of emergency management, International Affairs and Student Financial Services was included in PSU’s pandemic response as students were affected financially, and some study abroad and international students couldn’t return home.

“Emergency management work doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Stocker said, whose role is making sure IMT is running efficiently and effectively. “All of my work is about connecting to the unit on campus, whether it’s health, facilities or IT.” IMT develops responses whenever campus operations are affected by foul weather like snowstorms, and trains for incidents ranging from power outages to a sky bridge collapsing in tabletop exercises—role-playing with IMT members as though an incident were happening in real time.

“We have not done a tabletop specifically about COVID[-19] or about a pandemic,” Stocker said. “But there were a number of pieces in place...that helped us get our footing quickly.”

In 2017, in the wake of a meningitis outbreak at the University of Oregon, PSU’s IMT and Multnomah County Public Health participated in a practical exercise for how to best administer medications effectively to the masses.

As part of the exercise, the campus rec center’s basketball courts were converted into a temporary facility to “administer” medication, but the basketball courts proved to be noisy and difficult to access from the street.

“I feel public health came away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the complexity of campus,” Stocker said about the joint exercise.

Currently, Student Health and Counseling (SHAC)—a member of IMT—still maintains a relationship with Multnomah County Public Health, with two SHAC personnel directly working with the county about assessing the state of the pandemic and developing an appropriate response.

“SHAC [is] the main public health point of contact,” Stocker said. “So they have plans with the county for how to test for, communicate about and manage communicable diseases or sexually transmitted infections.”

According to Roy, IMT intends to align its plan for a phased reopening of campus with Multnomah County, which would

4

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

mean PSU begins phase one of reopening on June 12. But for Roy, moving to phase one means “very little difference” as instruction for summer term is not changing.

“Basically it still means remote work as much as possible,” Roy said. “If work can be done remotely it should be.” While plans are still tentative, phase one for PSU could bring back some building maintenance and research as well as increased activity at SHAC. Fall term at PSU is even less certain. “Nobody can guarantee to know what things are going to look like,” Roy said. “So we are planning for various scenarios in the fall, but we just don’t have it nailed down quite yet.”

Stocker has been working with the provost about possibilities for what the fall term might look like. “The options are

endless when it comes to what instruction could look like,” Stocker said. “But we narrowed it down to two scenarios.”

According to Stocker, scenario one is primarily remote with restricted face-to-face interaction—in-person instruction would have to be approved as an exception. Scenario two is more about variety and instructor choice, which could include remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of both. On May 28, a survey was sent out from the Office of Student Success, asking for student opinions about the different scenarios.

But face-to-face interactions come with having to understand what COVID-19 room capacity would be, whether masks are required and best cleaning practices, which are still being decided. “In both scenarios, we would apply all the new public health guidelines,” Stocker said.

EMMA STOCKER, THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

NEWS

THE GRADUATION

MUST GO ON EVENTUALLY

PSU GRADUATES AT THE 2019 COMMENCEMENT IN THE MODA CENTER. COURTESY OF PSU.

HANNA ANDERSON After a term full of uncertainty—what will, for many students, be their last—Portland State will officially hold an in person commencement ceremony. At least, as soon as they can.

In a joint communication, the Associated Students of PSU (ASPSU) and the University Commencement planning team, after meeting with each other and other students, announced that the university was “100% committed” to having an in-person commencement ceremony, once the conditions and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic would allow them to.

“An in-person event will be scheduled and shared with students as soon as Oregon public health guidance allows for it,” stated ASPSU President Kyle Leslie-Christy and PSU Vice President for Enrollment Management Chuck Knepfle in a joint announcement. “We know that this may not bring much reassurance for those graduating this spring, but we want you to know that we are working hard to make this process more transparent, more equitable, and filled with more student voices.”

In addition, PSU will continue to hold multiple virtual commencement ceremonies on its website on June 14, and assured students participating in the virtual ceremony would also be able to join the one in-person, once it happened. For students who want professional photos, PSU also assured that photographers would be at the event.

Nothing is finalized for the in-person ceremony, other than that it will, indeed, happen.

“There's for sure gonna be an in-person graduation,” Leslie-Christy said. “I think it's important to know that there will be an in-person graduation, [that an] in-person event will be scheduled and shared as soon as the Oregon Health Authority Guidance allows for it.”

PSU originally announced commencement would be held virtually on March 26, to the immediate dismay of many students. While the response was largely negative, PSU released a follow up statement, reaffirming that commencement would not be postponed to a different date.

“We are not able to postpone commencement mainly because it is not possible to know how long coronavirus restrictions will last, which puts any future bookings of large venues in doubt,” the announcement stated, as a comment to the original release on PSU’s Facebook page. “We understand how hard you’ve worked towards graduation and how important it is for PSU to recognize your accomplishments. We know it is disappointing not to have a traditional in-person commencement. We share in that disappointment.”

In response, the Equal Rights Advocacy committee, directed by Ernesto Dominguez, and the Academic Affairs committee, directed

by Madeline Frisk, co-sponsored a resolution to “hold PSU administrators at fault for not reaching out to a diverse group of students

for guidance in this matter initially.” They asked that PSU reconsider their decision to only hold a virtual commencement ceremony.

The resolution passed in the ASPSU Senate on April 13, with a 14-1 vote.

“Without warning or discussion or outreach by the administration, students, including myself, got an email that commencement would be virtual this year,” Frisk said. “That, to me, was a misstep and disrespectful to the student body. I understand it was a decision that needed to be made for health and safety reasons, but I feel that a discussion should have been had beforehand and that there should have been more than an email with very little details or a sense of it being a student-centered decision.”

ASPSU also released a survey to the student body to gather data on various issues since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—including commencement. Later, the planning team invited ASPSU, along with other students, to meetings discussing future and possible plans for commencement. The group was kept relatively small, however, according to Frisk.

“I also had asked if more student groups and resource centers could have been reached out to, but the administration wanted to keep the group small so only seven students were at the meetings which were held,” she said.

“I’m hopeful there can be more students in the planning discussions representing more academic departments, resource centers and

student groups in the future so that more perspectives can be heard.“ For Dominguez, the meetings were a chance to increase transparency between students and university administration, and gave ASPSU an opportunity to keep students informed.

“I think a lot of things that ASPSU had been trying to do, to kind of connect student voice to the university—it started to feel actually like it was doing something when we heard that the university was was going to do an in person event, and was going to find a way to have photographers available for students,” Dominguez said. “So that was the first time that I felt like, oh, they're actually listening.”

There is still a lot that is tentative, regarding in-person commencement—but students are no longer left to wonder whether it will happen at all.

“I think they didn’t want to promise anything with all of the uncertainties given health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, but I think commencement is something that, especially for those who are historically marginalized and underrepresented in higher education, is bigger than just a silly celebration,” Frisk said. “It’s a show of their hard work, dedication, and it’s a chance to be with friends, family, fellow classmates and loved ones. It’s more than just the gown, the cap and the fanfare, it’s about achieving a degree which provides opportunities.”

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

5

INTERNATIONAL

CHINESE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW FACES BACKLASH IN HONG KONG AND ABROAD

A JOURNALIST RETREATS FROM TEAR-GAS FILLED STREETS IN HONG KONG ON OCTOBER 31, 2019. KATHERINE CHENG/FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

IDA AYU DWIJAYANTI China’s legislature is set to begin deliberating national security legislation in Hong Kong to limit opposition activity in the semiautonomous territory. The legislation has drawn criticism that it could allow the central government to take greater control after prodemocracy protests last year, according to AP News.

Deliberation is scheduled to begin on May 29 in the National People’s Congress. Spokesman Zhang Yesui said, “Establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security.”

China could place the draft law into Annex III of Basic Law, by legislator or decree to convert national laws that must be implemented in Hong Kong, according to BBC. Hong Kong’s government is bound by Article 23 of the Basic Law in its constitution, which prohibits any act of treason, secession, sedition or subversion against China. Beijing has increasingly pushed for measures such as punishment for disrespecting the Chinese national flag according to AP News.

6

The newly-proposed national security and anti-sedition law could reduce many of the fundamental political freedoms and civil liberties guaranteed in the agreement made when the city was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

The protests began in June 2019 and lasted until September 2019 over plans that would allow extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China, according to BBC. CNN reported Beijing officials argue the law is necessary to prevent violent unrest like last year, and Chinese authorities blamed “foreign forces” for encouraging those protests.

BBC also reported Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam, who is a pro-Beijing supporter, said the law will help authorities more in tackling illegal activity in the city.

Hong Kong’s last colonial governor, Chris Patten, told Reuters, “You cannot trust [President] Xi Jinping’s China. That’s different from previous administrations. He tightened up as a dictator. He cannot abide anyone who disagrees with him and the Chinese government.”

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has responded to the legislation, stating “the [U.S.] strongly urges Beijing to reconsider its disastrous proposal, abide by its international obligations, and respect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, democratic institutions, and civil liberties,” according to BBC. AP News reported spokesperson for the U.S. department of state Morgan Ortagus said, “Any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong would be highly destabilizing, and would be met with strong condemnation from the United States and the international community.”

Ortagus added the limitations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by China to Hong Kong will affect “the United States’ current treatment of Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong’s number two official, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung, told CNN any sanction imposed by the Trump administration on Hong Kong is a “double-edged sword,” as it enjoys a large trade surplus with Hong Kong, “Any sanctions do nobody any good at all. It would

hurt Hong Kong but it would doubly hurt the United States.”

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Australian and Canadian counterparts also expressed “deep concern” in a joint statement towards China’s proposal, according to BBC. “Making such a law on Hong Kong’s behalf without the direct participation of its people, legislature or judiciary would clearly undermine the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, under which Hong Kong is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy.”

According to CNN, 300 people were arrested across Hong Kong on Wednesday over the new security law, as sporadic protests were contained by a massive police presence and a zero tolerance approach, with the use of pepper spray and pellets.

In the wake of the arrests, former lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Nathan Law told Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK, “It’s like a de facto curfew now,” and added “I think the government has to understand why people are really angry.”

INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRIES BEGIN TO REOPEN DESPITE COVID-19 FEARS

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST CITY AND A MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

EMILY PRICE Countries all over the world are preparing to reopen domestically after COVID-19, calling for new regulations regarding business and travel.

In Australia, optimism for recovery comes from announcements to revive tourism. Tourism accounts for nearly 3% of the country’s GDP, according to Budget Direct. According to The New York Times, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a three-stage plan on May 8 to reopen the economy, including tourism.

Resumed tourism will allow travel between Australia and New Zealand, a plan that’s called the “trans-Tasman bubble.” New Zealand and Australia’s international borders will remain shut for non-residents. Small gathers have begun to resume, along with outdoor activities, as well as takeout and delivery services.

Greece has also announced plans to reopen. According to VisitGreece.org, “some shops and services” have begun to open as part of Greece’s two-month plan as of May 4. People will be required to wear face masks in public and residents will still not be allowed to travel beyond their “wider region of residence,” according to The New York Times. Travel outside of the European Union is banned, in addition to Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany.

On April 28, the Greek government announced its plans to ease restrictions and dedication to return to a “new normal” with “continuous monitoring,” assuring that in future months, it will remain alert for a new outbreak.

Tourism is a large part of the Greek economy, and the country will have to recover over the course of the coming years.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hopes tourism will resume this fall, using testing and contact tracing to prevent spread, according to CNN. There will be more emphasis on social distancing activities and accommodations.

"The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you've had in previous years," Mitsotakis told CNN. "Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece—provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path," Mitsotakis said.

In Puerto Rico, strategies to begin reopening are underway.

The Puerto Rican tourism board announced it will be implementing a two-step program to allow businesses to open under new safety measures.

Mexico has no official date to open, and details on how it will happen is unclear. President Andrés Manuel Lópes Obrador said there is a “light at the end of the tunnel,” and wants the country to begin in areas by May 17 and across the country by June 1, according to Reuters.

All Mexican citizens have been encouraged to stay home, wash hands frequently and maintain social distancing. Large gatherings have also been banned. Air travel remains accessible but is subject to health screenings.

France has announced a “very gradual” ease of restrictions, announced by Prime Minister Édouard Philippe. France’s Parliament has voted to extend closed E.U. borders until July 24. Residents are not allowed to leave their homes without written certificates.

Starting on May 11, small museums, libraries, stores and markets will be the first allowed to open. Masks will be required for the public to wear, along with the practice of social distancing. The French government is incentifying small gathering practices in initiating cycling over public transportation. “Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that 30 miles of streets normally used for cars will be reserved for cyclists, including Rue de Rivoli and Boulevard Saint-Michel,” said

Kate Schwab, media relations manager at Atout France to The New York Times.

Italy remains one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic.

A 58-year-old hairdresser working in a small hair salon business in the city of Palermo, Italy said, "The workflow is great.

There is no crowd, the ambience is clean, and people finally have to be punctual," according to Al Jazeera, Clients have to be booked in advance, be seated six feet apart and employees must wear face masks and santise work stations between appointments.

Other businesses are permitted to reopen, such as restaurants, cafes and clothing shops. The Italian government is trying to prevent triggering a second wave of infection. Italy had been hit by 32,000 deaths and approximately 225,000 infected over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italian economists are looking towards what will be the new normal. "The economic outlook is awful," said Flavia Terribile, economist and chair of the OECD Regional Development Policy Committee to Al Jazeera.

Economists stated the Italian economic growth is estimated to drop by 8% this year and will hit the tertiary sector, including culture, tourism and catering.

On May 18, the first set of businesses were allowed to open, and by June 1, bars and restaurants will join them. Some Italians can return to work, and some travel has begun to be permitted.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told Italy to prepare to be “co-existing with the virus.”

How different nations will recover after COVID-19 rests on the ease of certainty of safety and security, all of which might not become apparent until a vaccine becomes available.

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

7

COVER

STEPHEN PERC WILL BECOME PSU’S 10TH PRESIDENT

8

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

CY

COVER PERCY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON JAN 30, 2020. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

BOARD OF TRUSTEES PASSES RESOLUTION WITH A UNANIMOUS VOTE

HANNA ANDERSON Watching the special Board of Trustees meeting on May 27 over a computer screen, watching grainy video and professionals forget to unmute themselves, it was one of plenty things at Portland State to change in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board was determined to keep one thing the same, however: PSU’s president.

With a unanimous vote by the BOT, Stephen Percy will become PSU’s 10th president.

“In the last year, Dr. Percy has shown strong leadership,” stated committee chair Greg Hinckley and vice chair Margaret Kirkpatrick in a BOT announcement, “His work guiding PSU’s transition to a virtual campus in such a short time period is the latest example of his effectiveness and dedication leading this campus. Dr. Percy has done an admirable job in leading the university during a difficult time in its history, and he has demonstrated he has a keen understanding of our students and community.”

After the Executive and Audit Committee of the BOT announced its recommendation of Percy to the full board on May 11, an online survey was put out to the greater campus community. According to Hinkley and Kirkpatrick’s announcement, about 90% of approximately 400 respondents supported appointing Percy to the president position. Percy also received support from the Faculty Senate, the PSU foundation, Associated Students of PSU (ASPSU) and the four employee unions.

After the resolution was passed, Percy was given the chance to address the Board in the remaining minutes of the meeting.

“I just want to say it’s been an honor to serve as the interim president of [PSU] over the past year,” Percy said. “We must identify and take strategic actions, consistent with our mission and values to strengthen PSU in this area of great change in higher education. I should really appreciate your support, and pledge my full energy and spirit to work with the board of trustees to advance PSU. I’m so optimistic about the future, and I want to thank [the BOT].”

Direct appointments such as Percy’s are uncommon, but not undoable. Typically, the search for a new president would be much lengthier, including the creation of a presidential search committee that consists of representatives from the PSU community and at least one other public university president—except in the case of an interim or acting president, in which a search committee is not required. The BOT announced in Fall 2019 it would defer starting its search to Spring 2020. Then, the pandemic happened.

According to its bylaws, the BOT—along with the governor or a stand-in appointed by the governor—always has the authority to appoint the president, and may do so directly.

Hinkley cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties it caused for meetings and travel as the main reason why the Board chose the direct appointment.

“We realized that a traditional search, including external candidates, would probably be close to impossible, or if it was possible, would take two or more years to conclude,” Hinkley said. “In this environment, we needed somebody in charge with the title of president.”

Percy was first named as acting president on May 10, 2019, following the resignation of former PSU president Rahmat Shoureshi. He was officially appointed to the position at the following BOT meeting on May 13 by a unanimous vote. Prior to accepting the position, Percy was dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs.

A committee later was formed to search for an interim president. At a special June 20 meeting, Percy was unanimously appointed to the position, and would remain as interim president until a permanent president could be found.

“I’ve had a lot of leadership experience, but the presidential level is different,” Percy said. “As we got into it, and as we worked through some challenges and moved forward, I found I enjoyed it. I thought we’d built a strong leadership team, I began to have more ideas about what I think my contributions to the university would be and the value I bring to it...I didn’t start out for sure that I would be interested.”

While the BOT approved the resolution, Percy will not officially transition to the role of president until the completion of an employment agreement. While the contract isn’t finished and will continue to be negotiated, certain guidelines have already been released by the BOT; His compensation won’t exceed the median of similar institutions, or provide allowances for housing and travel. The contract will also define goals for the president, and establish metrics to measure his progress towards them.

The agreement is expected to stipulate that the appointment, since it was done directly by the board with a less involved process, lasts for three years, a limit that isn’t typically applied to university presidents.

“It was quite important to have a term more limited than normal to look and see how it’s going, and then make a decision where they go after that, and I’m very comfortable with that in this situation,” Percy said.

Percy’s first email announcement since becoming president addressed the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, calling for justice and insisting that justice and equity would be a core part of PSU. “We must deepen our work to make our community one where justice and equity are central to who we are,” Percy stated. “We must work towards equity and justice at Portland State, in Portland, in Oregon, in America, and across the world.

It will take intentional and collective action to dismantle systemic structures of oppression. Today, and always, black lives matter.”

PSU faces a number of difficult situations in the coming months, including decreasing enrollment and adapting to the coronavirus pandemic, both of which are adding additional strain on the university’s revenue and budget. In his upcoming position as president, Percy will be at the head of handling these issues.

“We need creative and bold new approaches and new types of solutions to deal with the challenges we’re facing today,” Percy said. “This is a time of opportunity that we must embrace. This is a challenging time—we’ve all been through it, but also, disruptions unleash creativity and energy and innovative spirit we haven’t seen for a long time. We must take advantage of that.”

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

9

ARTS & CULTURE

QUARANTINE

THE ONE WHERE HE MAKES WAY TOO MUCH PASTA

NICK GATLIN I keep telling myself I’ll eat a salad sometime. “This is just temporary,” I say. “I can’t eat nothing but carbs forever.”

It turns out I can.

Anyway, I haven’t cooked any real food this week except pasta, so…here you go.

EGG YOLK PASTA

Ingredients: Egg yolk(s) Olive oil Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese Lemon juice/zest (optional) Diced garlic (optional)

I discovered this recipe while trying to develop a vegetarian carbonara for myself. I’m vegetarian, by the way. It turns out this technique for making a creamy, emulsified sauce works for just about anything, and I’ve been using it nonstop for weeks now.

Start by boiling your pasta of choice according to package directions. We’re not going to cook it in the sauce, so you really want to make sure it’s cooked all the way through before you drain it. You can use any type of pasta for this, but I would recommend a large,

10

hollow pasta like rigatoni or a bulky noodle like bucatini. Don’t use flat, smooth pastas like fettuccine—the sauce will fly everywhere and get all over your face and your clothes.

Not fun.

In a mixing bowl, crack an egg yolk, discarding the whites. You can use these something else, like a meringue or egg white omelette. I usually use 1 yolk per serving, but you can go yolkier (?) if you want. Slowly drizzle in about a ¼ cup of olive oil—I didn’t say this was healthy—and whisk it with the yolk until you get something about the consistency of soft mayonnaise. Then, add your grated parmesan, pepper and lemon/garlic. I really don’t care how much of these you use. Honestly, I’ve gone through a half block of parmesan in one meal before, so I’m not one to judge.

When your pasta is done boiling, spoon a few tablespoons of the pasta water into your sauce bowl, stirring until incorporated. The starch in the water is what will hold your sauce together, making it creamy instead of oily. Once that’s mixed, put your pasta in the bowl and stir it together until the sauce is fully mixed and clings to the pasta. Bon appétit.

PASTA W/ EASY TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients: Canned tomato Tomato paste (optional but encouraged) Onion Garlic Oregano Alcohol if able—preferably white wine or vodka

Dice one onion relatively fine. Sauté it in a wide skillet until it becomes translucent, or until it gets some brown spots. If you have a can of tomato paste, add that here. Deglaze your onions with either water or alcohol— vodka will give you a cleaner flavor, while white wine will make the sauce slightly sweet and fruity. Add your whole can of tomatoes, garlic and oregano, and simmer until noticeably reduced and it sticks to the back of a spoon.

This is the simplest tomato sauce I can think of. If you cook it in a wide frying pan instead of a pot, the increased surface area will let it cook in less than 30 minutes. This sauce will give you everything you want out of a slow-simmered tomato sauce with a fraction of the time and effort.

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

EGG YOLK PASTA. NICK GATLIN/PSU VANGUARD

SUPER SIMPLE STOVETOP MACARONI & CHEESE Ingredients: Milk Cheese Spices

I’ve tried a lot of mac & cheese recipes.

I’ve tried them with a flour roux. I’ve tried them with evaporated milk; I’ve even tried them with fancy stabilizers to try to make the “creamiest” sauce possible. Turns out: you don’t need any of those. All you need to make a great mac and cheese is milk, handgrated cheese and some decent spices.

Boil your pasta according to box directions for al dente. You can use the classic elbow here, or you could use rigatoni or even orecchiette (ear-shaped shells). In a bowl, grate any mix of cheese you’d like. I recommend some mix of sharp cheese, like sharp cheddar, and mild, creamy cheese like gouda or

swiss. The most important thing: grate your own cheese! Yes, I know it sucks, but pregrated cheese from the store is filled with starches and anti-caking agents that impede even melting later on.

Once your cheese is grated, add enough milk to just cover it. Then, add your spices.

You can go for the classic black pepper, or you can get adventurous with some paprika, or dried mustard seed. Go nuts. Any spice that you think works with cheese will probably taste good.

When your pasta is cooked, reserve some of the pasta water and drain the rest. Add your pasta back into the pot, along with your cheese mixture and reserved pasta water. Stir it vigorously, mixing continuously until the sauce is fully melted and creamy. That’s it! No sodium citrate, no roux, no evaporated milk. Just cheese and milk, held together by the starch in your pasta water.

ARTS & CULTURE

CHARLI XCX RELEASES AMBITIOUS QUARANTINE ALBUM, “HOW I’M FEELING NOW” LENNON DUNCAN Charli XCX knows how badly we want to go out to brunch, but she also knows we would 100% go partying with our friends if we could have one hour of our normal lives back.

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, has always allowed her audience to artfully indulge in fantasies of debaucherous fun—her music makes room for those moments to be pure. On her newest album “how i’m feeling now,” the artist explores familiar subjects from the world of pop as the escapist fantasies they’ve become.

Aitchison approaches the idea of her new album with signature bluntness; when quarantine is over, you won’t find her reading in a tranquil coffee shop—she’ll be dancing on a table somewhere. This is the intensity with which she undertakes “how i’m feeling now,” released on May 15. In part a departure for the artist, the work is a profound reflection on loneliness and desire in the past, present and future, but carries an intense power-pop disposition that will make for immaculate live material.

The British expat is still reeling from a year of unprecedented success. In 2019, she released her self-titled LP “Charli,” the highly-anticipated successor of her breakout 2017 album “Pop 2.” Then, she embarked on a worldwide tour which stopped in Portland in October before ending in Australia in early February.

The pop star’s community of fans was excited about her trajectory. Aitchison describes herself as a workaholic—while she was perfecting “Charli,” she satiated her devotees with features on singles by other artists in her orbit. She even surprised fans by appearing on a remix of “ringtone” by divisive duo 100 Gecs shortly after the end of her tour. Nobody had any reason to believe she would slow down.

Then, coronavirus began to tear through countries, and the news was dominated by terrifying reports of illness, death and panic.

Following the implementation of lockdown orders in her home state of California, Aitchison announced on April 6 on several social media platforms she would be writing, producing and mixing an album from her home under quarantine. She set the date for May 15, giving herself six weeks to complete an album, despite

her previous, “Charli,” taking two years. She went on to explain that the album, which she soon titled “how i’m feeling now,” would be an interactive, collaborative project that she intended to complete with the help and input of fans. She co-wrote songs with followers on Instagram live and consulted her fans on Twitter when finalizing the album’s tracklist. Most of the significant updates seemed to happen on Zoom, where Aitchison discussed quarantine and the artistic process with celebrity friends and former collaborators.

Despite describing her two prior albums as “feature-heavy,” the artist expressed uncertainties about the technical aspects of teaming up with other musicians remotely. In an early Zoom meeting, she described “how i’m feeling now” as her “most collaborative project,” citing plenty of feedback and inspiration from an adoring fanbase despite a complete lack of appearances by repeat collaborators.

Engagement was a critical part of the process of making “how i’m feeling now.” Aitchison knew she had everything to lose when she cracked open her seamless hit-making formula, but it paid dividends.

The artist was able to receive the feedback she needed and offer an album her devoted fanbase was guaranteed to enjoy. Since release, the short-order LP has been received with critical praise.

The album begins with heavy-hitter “pink diamond,” which circulated briefly on Twitter after it was teased in a Zoom meeting for less than 40 seconds. Aitchison seems to make it clear to fans who missed her signature intensity on “Charli” that she did too.

As the lyrics meander around the theme of isolation, she laments, “In real life, could the club even handle us?”

Over the wild dance instrumental, Aitchison tells her audience that she understands how much people miss having fun, but she doesn’t want to talk about why it feels impossible right now.

Subdued songwriting in the lead single “forever” assures faithful listeners that Aitchison draws clear and thoughtful influences from key areas of her own discography in her new release. Aitchison and producers BJ Burton and AG Cook use pacing as an instrument—it punctuates Charli’s thoughts and moves the song into ballad tempo, showing fans a more emotional and vulnerable side that hasn’t been seen before. This same affected writing works wonders on tracks like “7 years” and “enemy.”

The end of the album delivers the optimism that many seek from pop music, but with all the maudlin yearning anyone could possibly relate to. The artist reminisces on being surrounded by friends in powerhouse “c2.0,” crying out, “I miss them every night” during the driving chorus. In the final track, “visions,” she dwells on the past and the future. In the last few seconds, the Y2K techno-inspired track is distilled to a mechanical whirring. As listeners ponder the end of “how i’m feeling now,” they can only hope

that this hyperbolic revved engine is attached to something that’s on its way to a future beyond quarantine—one with more of this type of ultra-personal pop music.

The album’s quintessential track might be its second single, “claws.” In the same way “forever” would be a great fit on “Charli,” “claws” would have made a perfect addition to Aitchison’s hit 2017 album “Pop 2,” which was rife with timeless pop influences and dynamic, innovative production.

Dubbed the world’s most “fully-online pop star” by Pitchfork, the pop magnate proves she’s got her finger on the pulse as a self-described fan of her own music. She continues to lead the curve by showing the music industry that the future can unfold on Twitter, Zoom and Instagram live. Artists can connect with fans in a significant new way while simultaneously foregoing the possibility of delivering work they won’t like by directly involving them in the process of creating it. This generates brand-new types of loyalty and buzz.

The newest release from Charli XCX is thorough and streamlined, and it bears a promise from the artist to keep pushing the envelope. With “how i’m feeling now,” Aitchison continues to define the importance of her work—she establishes that pop stars can be skilled and intelligent, and their music some of the most functional and necessary in our changing world.

CHARLI XCXXCX PERFORMS AT ATA ACONCERT 2014.

CHARLI PERFORMS CONCERTININST.ST.LOUIS, LOUIS,MISSOURI MISSOURION ON AUG. AUG. 9, 2020.

ABBY GILLARDI/FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

11

ARTS & CULTURE

THE NAMES WE TAKE

NEW YA NOVEL TACKLES IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY DURING A PLAGUE NATALIE CONWAY

DANA TOWNSEND

12

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

How do you survive and thrive when your entire world falls apart? The Names We Take by Trace Kerr, an apocalyptic youngadult novel published by Ooligan Press, tackles this question.

When Kerr began writing her novel in 2015, she had no idea that its subject matter would be so prescient. While she noted that the impact of the virus “colors the whole story,” Kerr pointed out the novel picks up a full year after the pandemic hits. Readers who seek an escape from the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic shouldn’t be deterred; the impact of the “one mile cough” only serves as a backdrop for Pip, Iris and Fly’s reckoning with identity, community and survival.

The cover of the book, featuring the black and orange wing of a monarch butterfly, has meaning for Pip and for the author herself.

Kerr credits her husband’s love of monarch butterflies to her initial interest in including them in the book. The power that comes from transformation, reflected in a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly, was Kerr’s ultimate impetus for positioning monarchs as central to the story’s theme.

“Research is my first love,” Kerr said. This passion helped her to piece together a realistic depiction of the detrimental effects of a virus. Among the more challenging aspects of writing The Names We Take was adding dimension to “evil” characters. In a world where surviving often requires violence, Pip, Iris and Fly must confront characters that are unlikeable or even dangerous. Kerr explained she had to challenge herself to give all of her characters, even ones that seem like “monsters,” a personality that transcends the classic bad-guy “trope[s].”

As someone who grew up in Seattle and has called Spokane home for 14 years, Kerr infuses a distinct Pacific Northwest feeling to her setting. “Spokane is kind of a character in the book,” she said, adding that writing about the town she lives in made the writing process more natural. The first chapter features one of the novel’s most memorable scenes, when Pip meets Iris while making a daring escape across the Monroe Street Bridge. The Spokane Public Library provides an excellent view of the bridge, and this served as one of Kerr’s inspirations for the novel. “I’ve spent hours just standing there, looking out over that view of the river and the town,” she said. “There’s something about that old bridge and the construction and the design over the river” that made Kerr realize that Spokane had to be the setting of her novel.

The LGBTQ+ representation in The Names We Take makes it stand out among other post-apocalyptic young adult fiction. Pip, the protagonist, is intersex and bisexual, and her love interest, Fly, is lesbian. In her author’s note, Kerr writes her youngest child helped inspire her to write the book: “As they explored their own identity, I thought that this story might help them understand that I could accept, love, and celebrate them.”

While Pip’s queer identity is an important aspect of The Names We Take, it isn’t the entire story. “I really wanted Pip to be someone who...knows who she is,” Kerr said. Pip doesn’t spend the story grappling with her identity; instead, her biggest challenge is facing a world that is often hostile towards this identity. “Never let anyone tell you who you are,” Kerr said when asked about the most important message of the novel. “I stripped away the entire world for these characters to be able to go: ‘this is who I am, and that’s just fine’.”

THE FUN IN HYH: THE SUN EDITION OPINION

AJ EARL It’s summertime in Portland and that can only mean one thing: the flaming sky orb will throw its fury down upon us.

Hooray! Don’t be fooled by the pleasant cool and rainy weather that shows up intermittently throughout the season, it’s just a mask for the horrifying skin-burning vitamin D laser that is aimed directly at us at all times. And as if that’s not bad enough, we have to contend with the sky laser rising super early along with birds and those annoying “morning people.” We just can’t win! Anyway…

Have you heard Lady Gaga’s new album, “Chromatica?”

Yeah, yeah, this is me editorializing on my musical tastes, but honestly we all need new music these days. The violence against Black people and the general atmosphere of both uprising and political malaise are really bubbling up and making things a frothy mix of both anger and outrage. There’s also that virus thingy. But yeah, “Chromatica!” It’s basically an old school Gaga album mixed with, I guess, mysticism? It’s hard to know, she’s very strange. Either way, it’s a great album!

Did you know that even more parks are open? From city to state to federal, parks of all sorts are starting to open up for responsible, socially distanced enjoyment. Near Portland—because you shouldn’t go far beyond where you live—we have Mount St. Helens, where Coldwater Lake is open. If you take I-5 to Castle Rock and travel 504 to near its end, you’ll end up at Coldwater Lake. It’s a great little spot for chilling, plus you get to see Mount St. Helens from various viewpoints. On the other side of the volcano there are fewer options, as snow is still keeping roads blocked.

If you were hoping for a quick return to normal at your favorite restaurants this summer, you are sorely out of luck. The primary thing you’ll be seeing for the time being is restaurants trying to simply make room for you when they reopen. That’s complicated greatly by the fact that cities cannot make up their minds on sidewalk service regulations. In Portland, this includes a poorly-worded email, a new seating space program and a quick and confusing backtrack from officials. A quick call to the location might clarify their current situation, but with how quickly things have been changing lately, you might just end up with more questions than answers.

Clearly, this week has been a total bummer, from inhumanity to this literally too much sunshine blazing above Portland.

I also managed to give myself a concussion and busted my nose open, so we are looking at even more recovery from head injury here, well after the initial bus accident that caused the first blow to my head. In short, things aren’t great! But, you’re here, I’m here, we’re all here—and that’s worth celebrating.

Take it easy everyone, and enjoy your summer.

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

13

OPINION BRANDON PAHNISH

BELA KURZENHAUSER Competitive gaming as an industry, or rather, a sport, has leaped onto the scene in the last decade. Games like Riot’s League of Legends and Valve’s Dota 2 dominated the early scene with massive prize pools and grandiose tournaments. Meanwhile, Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch pushed the esports industry further in the last two years since its origin, bringing esports to worldwide fame featuring home and away games airing on channels such as ESPN. Investors, colleges and anybody seeking to hop in on the action has sunk money into teams, even millions of dollars—the Overwatch League’s buy-in price for a team is a whopping $20 million. Franchise deals, sponsorships, international travel and six-figure salaries have caused many to believe esports are the future of competitive sports. But everybody involved is losing money.

When looking at players like former Overwatch League player Jay “sinatraa” Won, who haggled for a whopping $150,000 salary, and League’s Lee “Faker” SangHyeok, whose salary is estimated at $2.5 million, it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the sports are profitable. Indeed, they are profitable, but only for the players, as well as the casters. The overall budgets of teams can be massive—even at relatively small minimum salaries, management can

14

pour millions of dollars into simply paying their team every year. Combine that with buy-in team prices, travel costs and coaching prices, and you’re looking at an overall loss of money for organizations and teams.

Looking at larger physical sports, the valuation is incredibly high. Players get paid anywhere from a few million to dozens of millions, and teams are valued at billions. The money in sports such as basketball, football and baseball comes from a vast array of sources. Incredibly lucrative sponsorships from large companies, massive merch sales—$14 billion in 2019—and ticket sales can all be eventually met by esports, but there’s one key part that’s missing—culture.

Baseball, basketball and football are crucial to culture all around the world, but particularly in America. Baseball is the American pastime, and sports as a whole have a powerful and dominant presence in the cultural zeitgeist. Basketball has been around since 1891, football since 1892 and baseball was invented in 1839. They have had over an entire century to make their mark on culture. They’re digestible, as well: easy to watch and understand. They’re consistent. The rules of basketball will always stay the same, and even if you can’t keep up with the strategy of plays, it’s easy to recognize the difference between a twopointer, a three-pointer and a slam dunk.

Esports are in constant flux, and they’re also incredibly complicated. League is one of

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

the worst criminals here. With 148 different characters, unless you are an avid player of the game, you’ll be lost following it not even a minute in. Characters are complex, with multiple abilities each and understanding what all of them do is a task within and of itself. On the other hand, a game like Overwatch has 32 heroes, which are much easier to track and follow, but has constant balanced changes that cause the “metagame” to change every single week.

Trying to understand or follow those changes is a Sisyphean task, especially when simply fine-tuning a statistic on a hero can make that hero completely unviable to play.

There’s absolutely no hope for these games to maintain their presence in the heat of culture. They’re difficult to follow, they change constantly and their lifespan can be incredibly limited. Investment prodigy Mark Cuban stated in an October interview “[...] here in the United States, it’s an awful business,” and all of the money in the industry is in Korea and China.

This doesn’t mean that esports are a doomed failure, however. The core struggle is that companies like Blizzard have attempted to immediately leap into the fray and start NBA-scale leagues with playoffs and huge stadiums. There’s clearly money in gaming entertainment—last year witnessed somewhat of a livestreaming renaissance with streamers

like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins entering the public eye with their massive salaries and public talk show appearances.

The Overwatch League’s recent tournamentbracket May Melee championship is evidence that smaller, more engaging events can bring in more viewership. The event took place over just three days on YouTube, and saw some of the highest viewer engagement all season. People don’t want an NFL or an NBA for esports, they want a somewhat laid-back, care-free, goofy system that doesn’t try to act serious. Maybe it’s better if companies lean back and try to make their own, smaller leagues rather than attempt to capture the public attention, only to fail. Chess, bowling and billiards all have their own championship leagues, taking advantage of the fact that they don’t need large, physical fields and courts to play the game.

The reality is that the esports industry is and has been on a decline in the U.S. Owning a team at this point is equivalent to cutting a hole in your bank account, and unless executives can figure out a way to either decrease costs or increase profit, most of these leagues will be doomed to crash. Among all this, games are still forced to compete with other games as a product. As new competitors enter the fray, what was once hot and new will age and fall. The best sports, the most popular sports, are timeless.

Games, unfortunately, are not the same.

SPORTS

WOMEN IN SPORTS THE FIGHT CONTINUES SPENCE GARFIELD Women have taken huge steps toward becoming seen in the world of sports over the last several years—and not just in the media. University of Portland alum Megan Rapinoe was honored as Sports Illustrated’s 2019 Sportsperson of the Year, giving both women and LGBTQ+ individuals visibility in professional sports.

Since 2000, only two women have won Sportsperson of the Year: Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe is only the fourth woman in the 66-year history of the award to win the honor unaccompanied.

While women in sports receive much more coverage than they once did, the goal of equality is still far from being realized.

Portland State alum Teri Mariani, a 1976 graduate and three-sport athlete, was involved in PSU athletics for more than 30 years and has seen the changing role of women in sports.

Mariani played basketball, volleyball and softball for PSU before moving on to play three years of professional softball. Following her professional playing career, Mariani went on to coach PSU softball for 29 seasons, reaching the playoffs nine times and placing nationally four times.

Mariani has the most wins of any coach in PSU history for men’s or women’s sports and has been inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

When asked about her experience as an athlete while at PSU, Mariani chuckled. “It was a lot different,” Mariani said. “I had a great time and was able to play multiple sports because they didn’t overlap. I went to the booster

lunches for football, and once they got to know me, they got to see what I was doing a little bit.

That’s kind of how it starts.”

“But [women] need to work harder for that than the guys do,” Mariani said. Politics played a part in giving Mariani a platform to showcase the value of women’s athletic abilities, as it often does today.

Before Title IX, PSU had policies in place that kept women from receiving the same benefits as male athletes. To Mariani, this was commonplace, and a price to pay for playing on a sports team.

Mariani described a period of time before Title IX when female athletes had to walk through the men’s locker room to see a trainer. In order to get through the locker room, a woman had to put a paper bag over their head to be led through the locker rooms. Torment from the boys would frequently ensue.

“It was hard to raise too much of a concern, but it finally took one of our coaches to go through and understand what we were going through,” Mariani said. “Back then, it wasn’t an issue of harassment or anything like that, because that just wasn’t a problem yet. We were all so excited to play that we just put up with it.”

While significant progress has been made to provide women with a better experience while participating in sports, the lack of representation and opportunities for women within coaching is a problem that persists to this day.

Male sports do not typically require a male coach. However, men tend to take over the vast majority of coaching roles, even if they are the head of a women’s sport.

Only 20% of women’s soccer coaches are female. In 2014, Becky Hammon became the first female assistant head coach in the history of all four major U.S. sports. Katie Sowers, an NFL assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, became the first female and openly gay coach at the Super Bowl in 2019.

Not long ago, when Sowers was finishing school, she was denied a coaching position for being a lesbian. Now, she is a trailblazer for women in coaching positions and throughout the sports world.

SHANNON STEED

PSU Vanguard • JUNE 2, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

15

DANA TOWNSEND