VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 3 • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
NEWS: JASON WASHINGTON GRAND JURY DECISION P. 6–7 | SPORTS: VIKINGS FOOTBALL SQUAD FALLS TO BOBCATS P. 25| GUIDE: MEET PORTLAND STATE P. 9–24
CONTENTS
CONTENT WARNING: P. 26–27 AND 28 CONTAIN MATERIAL REGARDING GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ABUSE.
COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS MAY, COVER DESIGN BY ROBBY DAY NEWS LOCAL GROUP RALLIES AGAINST ANTI-SANCTUARY STATE MEASURE SFC CONSIDERS CHANGES TO ATHLETICS FUNDING
P. 3
OPINION THE TECH EMPLOYEE TAKE BACK
P. 29
P. 4
THE INFORMATION AGE
P. 29
GRAND JURY DECISION RENEWS DEBATE ON CAMPUS SAFETY
P. 6–7
ANXIETY: MEET MAGIC
P. 30
SPORTS VIKINGS FALL TO BOBCATS IN HOME OPENER
P. 25
ARTS KILLER BABIES, AZTEC DEATH GODS, AND EVIL MARSHMELLOW WHIP
P. 31
MEET PORTLAND STATE GUIDE
P. 9–24
INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
EVENTS CALENDAR
P. 32
P. 26-27
ROHINGYA, STILL IN CRISIS
P. 28
STAFF
SPORTS EDITOR Davy Gillespie
EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nada Sewidan
ONLINE EDITOR A.M. LaVey
MANAGING EDITOR Missy Hannen
COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn
NEWS EDITORS Chris May Fiona Spring
COPY EDITOR CJ Claringbold
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Marena Riggan ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Justin Knipper OPINION EDITOR Katharine Piwonka
Contributors Lukas Amsden CJ Claringbold Cory Elia Andrew Gaines Cam Howard Shandi Hunt Charles Rose Anamika Vaughan
PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Brian McGloin MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emma Josephson PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robby Day LEAD DESIGNER Savannah Quarum DESIGNERS Lisa Dorn Danielle Emeka Margo Smolyanska DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Chris May
MARKETING MANAGER Katelyn Plummer T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info @psuvanguard.com
MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.
A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print every Tuesday and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
FIONA SPRING
SEPT. 15: ROUNDUP STILL USED IN PARKS DESPITE LEGAL SETTLEMENT IN CANCER CASE
SEPT. 20: BABY BOOMERS CATCH UP TO TEENS IN MARIJUANA USE
Portland Parks and Recreation confirmed it continues to use the weed killer Roundup, recently at the center of a lawsuit that led to a $289 million judgement against Monsanto, the producer of the herbicide. The jury found that Monsanto is liable for its product causing the cancer of school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson.
As reported by The Washington Post, a federal drug use survey shows older people have closed the gap in monthly marijuana use. Oregon legalized recreational marijuana use in 2014. Recreational marijuana is currently legal in nine states, and medical marijuana is legal in 30 states. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has threatened to ramp up enforcement of federal drug laws and crack down on marijuana businesses, while Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced a bill that would essentially end federal prohibition in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana.
SEPT. 19: PORTLAND GRANTS $500K TO COVER ATTORNEY FEES FOR IMMIGRANTS
SEPT. 15–21
Portland City Council commissioners voted 4-0 to approve $500,000 in legal assistance funds for immigrants and refugees facing deportation. Portland’s newest City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly spearheaded efforts to establish the legal assistance program. Eudaly cited the need to protect everyone’s constitutional rights to due process as justification, particularly during a time of increasingly aggressive attacks against immigrants by federal agencies.
SEPT. 20: ABSENT FUNDING FOR HOMELESS SHELTER, WAPATO JAIL SLATED FOR DEMOLITION Because of the $50,000 monthly price tag to maintain the empty Wapato prison in far Northeast Portland, philanthropist and real estate mogul Jordan Schnitzer, who owns the prison, has given local officials an ultimatum on securing funding for a houseless shelter. If a deal isn’t secured within 90 days, Schnitzer said he’ll demolish the jail and build a warehouse.
LOCAL GROUP RALLIES AGAINST ANTI-SANCTUARY STATE MEASURE CORY ELIA Approximately 40 people representing various local activist groups including Abolish ICE PDX, Portland Tenants United, Jobs with Justice and Socialist Alternative Portland gathered on Sept. 16 in downtown Portland’s Terry Schrunk Plaza to protest a ballot measure that would abolish Oregon’s sanctuary state policy. Since 1987, ballot measure ORS 181A.820 has prevented state and local law enforcement agents from using money, equipment or personnel to enforce federal immigration law. Oregon elected officials announced in July 2018 that a measure to re-
peal the law qualified for the November 2018 ballot. The measure has sparked debates across the state over issues of rule of law, public trust and racial profiling. “We are here because we feel Measure 105 is a horrible assault on immigrants’ rights in Oregon,” said Socialist Alternative member Jake Henceroth, “combined with the fact that it’s a good opportunity to talk about how our sanctuary state is already insufficient.” Participants had originally planned to march from Schrunk Plaza to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on SW
Macadam Ave., but due to a smaller than expected turnout, opted for a four-block march around Portland City Hall and Multnomah County Justice Center. Meanwhile a detachment of Abolish ICE PDX members held a vigil in front of City Hall. The rally’s Facebook event page features a list of demands, including the abolition of ICE, legal status and free legal representation for all United States residents, the formation of an elected police oversight board with full hiring and firing powers over police, and jobs and expanded social services for all people, regardless of citizen-
ship status. “Sanctuary state policies in Oregon [are] some of the very small protections the immigrants in this state have, and there are still not enough,” said local organizer and Portland State student Olivia Pace. “If those policies were to be removed, it would be absolutely devastating for the immigrant community here…When policies like this are rolled back, it completely undermines movements that fight for liberation, and it costs the lives and the safety of people in our community and across the world.”
RALLY PARTICIPANTS MARCH NEAR CITY HALL IN PROTEST OF MEASURE 105. CORY ELIA/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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NEWS
SFC CONSIDERS CHANGES TO ATHLETICS FUNDING NEW FORMULA WOULD FACTOR IN ACADEMIC SUCCESS
DANIELLE EMEKA
ANAMIKA VAUGHAN The Student Fee Committee discussed a possible change to a formula used to allocate student fee dollars to the athletics department on Tuesday, Aug. 14. This formula would include academic success in the calculation. The SFC—a branch of Associated Students of Portland State—is a seven-member committee responsible for recommending the allocation of student fee dollars to fee-funded areas on campus assisted by ASPSU, the Board of Trustees and the university president. The allocation of these dollars usually covers staffing and operational costs for student services including the Queer Resource Center, the Disability Resource Center, the Helen Gordon Child Development Center, Student Activities and Leadership Programs and PSU athletics.
(Fall Enrollment) X $140 X 75% weight + (Previous year SFC allocation) X 25% weight + $19 (price per ticket average) X student attendance at athletic events
= SFC funding toward Athletics Currently, the formula for determining athletics funding calculates each year’s allocation based on fall enrollment, the previous year’s allocation and student attendance at games, with different weight placed on each component.
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The SFC proposed the inclusion of academic success—measured based on grade point average—into the formula, but the exact weighting of its inclusion remained undecided. Director of Athletics Valerie Cleary said both grade point averages and graduation rates for student-athletes are higher than those of the average PSU student. It is required by the athletics department, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and specific team standards to maintain a GPA around 3.0, as well as demonstrate initiative to graduate. “Because we know what our academic performance is for our students athletes, that could only benefit us,” Cleary said. “We have some teams that are well above a 3.5 team average, so we’re really proud of that.” According to meeting minutes found in the ASPSU public drive, a decision has not yet been made about this change. Cleary said the allocation money, which totaled around $3.6 million for financial year 2019, makes up around 25 percent of campus athletics’ total yearly budget. Athletics also receives money from state funds through the university, state lottery, donations, sponsorships from companies such as Nike, Les Schwab or Pepsi, the NCAA and revenue from ticket sales and guarantee games. “We play what we call guarantee games,” Cleary said. “For example, Football Bowl Series schools will pay Football Championship Subdivision schools to come and play them in the preseason. Each year we budget out that we will get anywhere from $800,000–$1 million from playing those games,
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
specifically in football, and those numbers are a little bit smaller for men’s basketball and women’s basketball, but we do play some of those guarantee games for about $200,000 total.” Cleary said athletics funding is different from other feefunded areas in that the funds are not allocated to specific funded areas within the department. The funding for athletics functions more as a pool, which pays for all of the required aspects of the athletics department. For example, if they lost a funding source, specific sports could not be defunded without violating NCAA regulations, travel funds could not be forfeited because teams still have to travel as a part of the program, and the department could not forgo the purchasing of equipment required for each sport. “The operation we have is a required operation,” Cleary said. “So even if we lost that amount, it wouldn’t mean that we could necessarily get rid of something, or eliminate something, or something would be defunded. The only thing we could potentially cut is staffing, but even then, we’re not an overly-staffed department by any means. We’re actually an understaffed department.” Students do receive some benefits from the use of their student fee dollars, such as free admission to games. “I always look at our role, too,” Cleary said. “Obviously we are here to provide a service not only to our student-athletes but to our students on campus for engagement, but then also what [that means] in regards to the overall visibility of the university and how we play a part in that. And that’s a hard one to put a dollar figure to.”
NEWS
HOUSELESSNESS ADVOCACY GROUP PROTESTS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS CORY ELIA Houselessness advocacy group Western Regional Advocacy Project held a rally on Sept. 18 in Pioneer Courthouse Square to launch a campaign against business improvement districts—divisions of cities in which businesses are required to pay an additional tax used to fund projects within the district including cleaning, security, capital improvements and construction of public walkways. WRAP organizers said in a press release that BIDs contribute to “continued criminalization of houseless individuals in Portland.” “Patrolling and controlling our public spaces, sidewalks, streets and parks, BIDs are privatizing our downtown and main thoroughfares,” the press release continued. “Our public spaces are becoming corridors and shopping centers that are welcoming consumers with open arms and excluding everyone else. Most particularly impacted by this emerging trend are the houseless communities that see areas to rest and sleep—free from harassment and criminalization—shrinking.” Organizers said the rally was in response to the Aug. 22 release of a University of California Berkeley study prepared for WRAP about the effects of BIDs on houseless communities in California.
WAN
According to the study, the California state legislature first authorized BIDs when it passed the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1965, with the goal of revitalizing struggling urban areas. Since that time, the state has authorized three similar statutes: the Parking and Business Improvement Area Law of 1989, the Property and Business Improvement Act of 1994 and the Multifamily Improvement District Law of 2004. BIDs—also known as business improvement areas, business revitalization zones, community improvement districts, enhanced services districts, special services areas and special improvement districts—have expanded throughout California and across a number of cities in the United States. Portland’s current BIDs include the Downtown Clean and Safe District and the Lloyd District. Researchers found BIDs in California engage in advocacy on both state and local levels in order to enact, strengthen and maintain anti-houseless laws, and spend assessment revenue collected from properties including publicly owned buildings on anti-houseless policy advocacy. Additionally, the number of BIDs established after 1994 correlates with a rise in the amount of anti-homeless laws. “BIDs exclude homeless people from public spaces in their districts through policy advo-
cacy and policing practices,” the study’s executive summary states. “BID involvement in social services is experienced by homeless people as an additional form of policing, surveillance and harassment.” As rally organizers began to set up their table, microphone and tent in the square before the rally, security personnel informed them that without a permit, they would not be allowed to rally with their equipment. Organizers opted to continue the rally without equipment as speakers representing WRAP-affiliated organizations Sisters of the Road, Right 2 Survive, Street Roots, Portland Copwatch, Portland Tenants United and Portland Jobs with Justice addressed approximately 50 ralliers gathered in the square. The rally concluded with a march from Pioneer Square to Sisters of the Road cafe on NW 6th Ave. and NW Davis St., where organizers held a strategy meeting outlining their next steps for the campaign. “The business improvement districts are pretty bad,” said Benjamin Donlon, a representative from Right 2 Survive and Sisters of the Road. “Historically, they’ve been the main force for gentrification in a lot of downtown corridors. They’ve been pushing out people left and right and utilizing urban renewal zones to enforce racist policies.”
PSU STUDENT ALYSSA PAGAN, LEADING AN ANTI-BID MARCH, HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN THE TARGET OF HATE GROUPS FOR HER ACTIVISM. CORY ELIA / PSU VANGUARD
T? N E V E SE AN
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COVER
GRAND JURY DECISION RENEWS DEBATE ON CAMPUS SAFETY CHRIS MAY
Top Portland State officials have signaled a willingness to revisit campus public safety policy amid new calls for the disarmament of campus police. A Multnomah County grand jury on Sept. 13 announced their decision not to indict PSU campus police officers Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey in the fatal shooting of Jason Washington on June 29. Washington’s death was the first fatal shooting involving campus police officers since the PSU Board of Trustees’ controversial decision to commission armed officers in 2014. Washington’s widow Michelle Washington released a statement through her attorney expressing disappointment with the decision. “We want those responsible for the death of my husband to be held accountable,” the statement read. “We will always remember and love Jason and know he was needlessly killed while attempting to keep the peace.” Portland City Council candidates Jo Ann Hardesty and Loretta Smith both called on PSU to disarm its police force in the wake of the grand jury decision, Portland Mercury reported.
PAST GRAND JURY DECISIONS
Multnomah County grand juries have opted to not indict officers involved in fatal shootings on a number of past occasions. The most recent cases involved the April 7 shooting of John Elifritz, who was shot and killed after entering a houseless shelter with a knife and reportedly cutting himself on the neck, and the March 2017 shooting of 17-year-old Quanice Derrick Hayes. In 2017, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 505, increasing the transparency of the grand jury process by requiring court proceedings be recorded and those records be made available to the public when a grand jury declines to indict an officer.
REVIEW OF BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE
Recently released body camera footage and police reports have shed light on the moments leading up to Washington’s death. Less than 30 seconds after arriving outside the Cheerful Tortoise bar in the early hours of June 29 to respond to reports of a drunken brawl, McKenzie and Dewey both fired their weapons a total of 17 times, hitting Washington nine times and killing him. Washington, a Navy veteran and postal worker, can be seen in the body camera footage attempting to break up an altercation between his friend Jeremy Wilkinson and another man. Washington fell over while attempting to pull the man off of Wilkinson. Shortly afterward, someone can be heard saying, “He’s got a
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STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS RALLY OUTSIDE SMSU BEFORE MARCHING TO THE CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE. CHRIS MAY/PSU VANGUARD gun.” Washington, who had a concealed carry permit, is seen getting up and walking away from the fight as an officer shouts, “Drop the gun!” several times. The body camera footage does not show clearly whether Washington had the gun in his hand when he was shot. Police reports indicate the gun seen holstered to Washington’s hip belonged to Wilkinson. Wilkinson told detectives he had handed it over to Washington after the pair was forced to leave the Cheerful Tortoise because of an argument with at least four men who alleged Wilkinson had used a racial slur. Both Wilkinson and Washington had been drinking heavily throughout the afternoon.
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Dewey and McKenzie are in the process of returning to administrative work and will continue to be armed. The two officers make up one-sixth of the sworn police force, and it remains unclear how this personnel change will impact the Campus
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Public Safety Office’s ability to respond to incidents on and around campus. Following the grand jury verdict announcement, Associated Students of Portland State University President Luis BalderasVillagrana dissolved an Executive Cabinet meeting that was in progress in order to attend a press conference being conducted by PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi in his office. Since the decision to arm campus officers, consecutive ASPSU administrations have made campus disarmament one of their key priorities, as has the Portland State Student Union, which spearheaded the Disarm PSU campaign in 2015. Balderas-Villagrana currently sits on the University Public Safety Oversight Committee, an advisory group comprised of students, faculty and staff members. ASPSU also created an ad hoc committee to address campus public safety issues in direct response to Washington’s death. The university announced external consulting firms will be conducting two separate reviews of campus public safety policy.
COVER Margolis Healy, a consulting firm that specializes in campus safety and regulatory compliance, will review the university’s overall campus public safety policies. OIR Group, which over the past eight years has provided reports on officer-involved shootings to the Portland Police Bureau, will review the shooting. Shoureshi said the cost for these reviews has yet to be released due to ongoing contract negotiations. On the day of the grand jury decision, the Board of Trustees stated it was prepared to “wrestle with [the decision to arm campus police] again—with open minds—to determine whether the current policy should be continued or changed.” Public comment will be possible at an upcoming Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 4. While the review process will include other campus and public forums to allow community feedback, several groups have already made their positions known to the administration.
DEBATE OVER ARMED CAMPUS POLICE
Over the summer, PSU’s School of Social Work circulated an open letter calling for faculty signatures in support of disarmament. The letter included the school’s 2014 statement asserting arming PSU officers will make the campus less safe, not more. The School of Gender, Race and Nations and University Studies also circulated letters calling on Shoureshi and the Board of Trustees to disarm campus police. SGRN’s letter, after recognizing individual officers’ commitment to the values of community policing and campus community members’ need to call on CPSO when faced with harassment and threats, stated, “What the senseless death of Jason Washington reveals in blood, however, is that as a fundamental structural matter, disarming CPSO is a necessity. Sadly, the con-
sequences of remaining armed are no longer hypothetical.” University Studies Executive Director Maurice Hamington wrote in an email the letters “were an act of freedom of speech and no one was compelled to sign. In fact, we told faculty that if they wanted to write a letter in opposition, they were welcome to do so.” He also stated that although he was not personally aware of any such efforts to oppose disarmament—given the size of the university and diversity of political positions among faculty and staff—the existence of such efforts would not come as a surprise. In October 2014, the American Association of University Professors polled its 1,200 PSU members on the proposal to arm officers. Roughly one-third of the members responded, and of those, 256 were opposed while 119 were in favor. In November of the same year, ASPSU emailed more than 21,000 PSU students to request feedback on the resolution to commission sworn, armed officers. Less than six percent responded, and of those, 58 percent opposed creation of a sworn police force while 37 percent were in support. The email survey followed an informal campus safety survey conducted in 2013 through ASPSU’s Facebook page, which received only 307 responses. Roughly one-third of respondents agreed that PSU should have its own sworn police force, one-third disagreed, and one-third was neutral. Slightly over half of all respondents to the survey indicated they were not aware of the services CPSO provided. ASPSU Legislative Affairs Director Camilo Assad said they felt the campus community had already made their voices heard over the last four years. “[The administration] doesn’t need to go and spend student dollars, taxpayer dollars, to say, ‘We need to figure out if this is a good or bad idea.’”
“What is being hidden from students is that tomorrow [CPSO Police Chief Donnell Tanksley] could make a declaration,” Assad said. “He could issue a directive saying, ‘We go out tomorrow disarmed.’”
ADDRESSING CAMPUS SAFETY NEEDS
In a 2014 memo to the faculty senate, former General Counsel David Reese confirmed there was no legal requirement for police officers to be armed. One of the main arguments for the initial commissioning of sworn officers claimed expanding the authority of campus public safety officers was necessary to address growing security challenges both on and off campus. However, in a follow-up question from the senate asking if unarmed officers with expanded legal authority and jurisdiction could still meet campus safety needs, Reese stated he felt unarmed police would be unable to do so. The memo was part of a debate between faculty senate members on whether to support a resolution opposing the commission of sworn officers. According to official meeting minutes, former CPSO Chief Phillip Zerzan was present at the debate and told faculty senate members he “could not ask unarmed officers to do police work without being trained and equipped as police officers.” Former PSU President Wim Wiewel also attended the debate. Addressing the group, he said he “thought continued discussion would only yield continued stress and aggravation.” The minutes go on to state Wiewel “rejected the argument for voting for the world we might ideally want to live in and asked senators not to support the resolution.” The faculty resolution passed 38-14. Vanguard investigation is still ongoing. We will continue to report new developments.
OLIVIA PACE DEMANDS CAMPUS DISARMAMENT DURING A RALLY FOR JASON WASHINGTON ON THE FIRST DAY OF FALL 2018. CHRIS MAY/VANGUARD
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Viking Voices is an open platform, rolling submission op-ed column open to all students, faculty, staff and alumni of Portland State. Please provide your name and major or affiliation with PSU. No submissions over 600 words. Submissions are voluntary, unpaid and not guaranteed to be published. All submissions will be reviewed and selected by the Vanguard Opinion Editor.
Submit your thoughts, stories and opinions to: opinion@psuvanguard.com
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STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
P. 10 INTRAMURALS AND REC CLUBS ON CAMPUS
P. 15
MEET YOUR PROVOST
P. 11 CAMPUS MAP
P. 16–17
SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE THE CITY
P. 12 MEET PORTLAND STATE
P. 18–21
YOUR LOCAL MOVIE THEATERS
P. 13 HARNESSING PSU INNOVATION
P. 22
MUSIC VENUES IN AND AROUND PSU
P. 13 MEET VANGUARD
P. 23
FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION STRUCTURE IS NOT THE RULE
P. 14 LANGUAGES OFFERED AT PSU
P. 24
STUDY HAUNTS ON OR AROUND CAMPUS
P. 14
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GET TO KNOW SUSAN JEFFORDS
PSU WELCOMES A NEW PROVOST
KATHARINE PIWONKA Exactly five weeks ago, Portland State welcomed its new Provost Dr. Susan Jeffords. Before PSU, Jeffords was at the University of Washington. She chaired the Women’s Studies Dept., was dean of social sciences, worked as the first vice provost for Global Affairs, and most recently, was chief academic officer for one of the newer campuses at the University of Washington. Tell us about yourself. Where did you go to school and what are your academic interests? I’ve always been a public school person. For my undergraduate years, I went to the other PSU, Penn State University. It’s funny; I started college at a PSU, and now here I am at the other PSU. I have a bachelor’s degree in English and psychology. I then went to graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania and got my Ph.D. in English. My interests are in feminism and American popular culture. I’ve written a couple of books, mostly having to do with gender analysis of different aspects of American culture. My first book was on the Vietnam War. My most recent book was an edited book on media and Osama Bin Laden. I have a lot of connections, but they all come from a feminist point of view. What drew you into this career path? Did you always know you wanted to go into higher education administration? When I became chair of Women’s Studies [at the University of Washington], I discovered I really enjoyed the work. I liked having a chance to impact student learning and the opportunities students have in different ways than in my own classroom when I was teaching. I realized it was rewarding for me to do work on the behalf of the student experience at a broader scale. Can you describe the job of the provost at PSU? The provost at any university is the chief academic officer. In the same way the chief budget officer oversees the budget at a university, the chief academic officer oversees things related to academics. I have the opportunity to oversee the courses, curriculum, majors and the programs that students pursue during their education. What are your specific goals during your time as provost at PSU? PSU has a national reputation as a university who cares about students and about access while being deeply committed to community partnerships within a great city. I want to keep further-
DR. SUSAN JEFFORDS. KATHARINE PIWONKA/PSU VANGUARD ing the work that has already achieved so much at Portland State; to continue strengthening partnership with the city and with the communities this university serves. What do you love about this job? This job gives me the chance to meet people all throughout [PSU] and people in this community who love this university. Whether they’re faculty or students or staff or alums or community members, this is a beloved university. It’s clear that people really care deeply about Portland State. How do you take that and connect with students? That is a good question and this subject means a great deal to me. Sometimes, when I have time, I just go walk around campus, sit in a coffee shop and talk to students. What would your advice be for students at PSU right now? Part of being in college is giving yourself permission to explore the freedom to try a lot of new things. It doesn’t mean giving up a commitment to something you want to get out of your education. But it does mean making sure your education is both about that focus and about exposing yourself to things you never thought you would do or try. I’ve met many students in my career who take one class and it changes the way they think about everything, all because they took a risk trying something that was different for them. I have enormous respect for the multiple things students are juggling while they are here. I would just say that if in all that juggling, you could juggle something new, it would be to your benefit. What do you love about PSU? I have to tell you what I love most about PSU so far is the people. Everyone has been incredibly kind and generous with their time and their ideas. The people here have really helped to define this as a special place. Is there anything else you would like to say to students and the PSU community? I am just thrilled to be here and excited to be part of this community. I am truly looking forward to working with everyone involved in keeping this university on a great trajectory.
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SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE THE CITY CHRIS MAY There are over 4,000 employees working at Portland State, over one-sixth of whom are students themselves. Professors, coaches, police officers and administrators are all common sights around campus, but PSU is also made up of lawyers, data analysts, mechanics, physical therapists, custodial staff and countless other people working behind the scenes. Here’s an overview of some of the major moving parts of the university.
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Rahmat Shoureshi President
Portland State University Board of Trustees
Enrollment Management Financial aid, campus visits and events, admissions, student recruitment and new student programs
Academic Affairs Implements policies, international affairs and administration of all academic units and several resource centers
Office of Information Technology Resets Odin passwords, designs and maintains all technological infrastructure on campus, acquires and updates software, audio visual services, cybersecurity and IT support
Academic Innovation, Planning and Partnerships Advising and career services, tutoring, registration and records, teaching consultations, outlining of campuswide learning outcomes and teacher evaluation
Public Affairs Produces campus news, tracks local and federal legislation impacting the university, advocates for the university in public policy, marketing and public relations
Research Data management, storage and security; use, care and treatment of research animals; aggregation of internal and external funding opportunities, protection of human subjects of research, graduate studies and intellectual property protection
Global Diversity and Inclusion Community outreach and engagement, management of cultural resource centers, student legal services, disability resource center, veterans resource center, equity and compliance investigations
General Counsel/ Secretary to the Board Public records, legal advice and services for the university and retention of policies
Finance and Administration Budgeting, campus safety, campus rec., transportation, construction, cashier services, accounting, human resources and student financial services
Athletics Athletic and training programs, sports medicine, advising and support for student athletes
Institutional Research and Planning Research and data collection; compiling and storing data for reporting and planning
Internal Audit Audits university operations to prevent waste, fraud and abuse; reports to Board of Trustees
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YOUR LOCAL MOVIE THEATERS
A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS INDEPENDENT THEATERS NEAR CAMPUS ANDREW GAINES This is the obvious one—if you’re reading this guide, admission is probably free for you. 5th Ave. is right here on campus and free for all students. The theater shows a well-curated variety of art films, documentaries and more popular fare, and it’s a great way to expand your cinematic horizons on the weekend. The downside is it only shows films on weekends, so waiting for it to screen something you enjoy might take a while if you’re not into this week’s showing. This term, I highly recommend the Halloween screening of Canada’s 3D psychedelic horror movie The Mask and the Rainer Werner Fassbinder double feature closing out the term. You can find the complete schedule online.
WHITSELL AUDITORIUM
The next closest theater to Portland State is this cozy little space in the basement of Portland Art Museum. Northwest Film Center screens several movies every week, from recent animated films and black and white classics to locally made music videos and documentaries.
OMSI
Just across the river, an easy streetcar ride over Tilikum Crossing, lies the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Their Empirical Theater
shows big Hollywood blockbusters, science documentaries and the occasional science fiction flick. They’re also the closest IMAX screen to PSU, so get in line now for Episode IX.
LIVING ROOM THEATERS
A short streetcar ride in the other direction takes you to Living Room Theaters, right by Powell’s and Sizzle Pie. The roster is mostly recent independent and foreign films, although it also shows some big name hits. Stay for the free live music every Friday and Saturday night.
CINEMA 21
Primarily dealing in arthouse cinema, Cinema 21 is a smaller theater located in the ever-trendy Pearl District. The theater frequently shows smaller documentaries and films you can’t find elsewhere, so if you’re looking for something intellectual and challenging, this place is often your best bet. And if arthouse isn’t your style, consider checking out one of their regular screenings of infamous trainwreck The Room.
CLINTON STREET THEATER
Another old Portland landmark, the Clinton Street Theater, shows plenty of indie films and documentaries alongside regular showings of The Rocky Horror Pic-
ture Show and their Clinton Street Resistance series, in which classic movies are screened. The proceeds go to different charities each week. As one of the oldest continually running theater in the United States, the Clinton is a terrific place to watch a movie, grab a drink and give money to a good cause.
HOLLYWOOD THEATRE
Built in 1926, the Hollywood is a gorgeous historical building, though much of it has been renovated over the years. Hollywood shows a wide variety of independent, arthouse and grindhouse pictures, with multiple different programs running each month to keep things interesting. Their Grindhouse Film Festival and Kung-Fu Theater nights are some of my personal favorites. If you love cheesy cinema as much as I do, Hollywood has you set—but don’t write off their more serious fare, which often screens in glorious 70mm. Times and tickets can be found online. Be sure to stay up to date and learn about one-night events ahead of time: They tend to sell out fast.
BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
MUSIC VENUES IN AND AROUND PSU CHARLES ROSE Portland is a great city for music, and at the heart of the city, Portland State is close to it all. Here are some ways to experience live music at PSU and beyond.
LINCOLN HALL
One of the oldest buildings on campus, Lincoln Hall houses the PSU School of Music & Theater as well as three separate performance venues. Chamber Music Northwest, Friends of Chamber Music, White Bird Dance Company and all of the student ensembles perform here frequently.
NOON CONCERTS
Every Thursday at noon in Lincoln Hall 75, the music department hosts a concert featuring PSU students and faculty performing jazz, classical and contemporary pieces. Every concert is free and open to the public.
‘LIVE@LUNCH’
From noon–1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, PSU Professional Sound brings great live music to the Park Blocks (or Parkway North if it’s raining). These concerts are conveniently
next to the Smith Memorial Student Union dining hall right at lunch time. Sitting down to live music in the middle of the day is a great way to let off steam after morning classes, and the rotating lineup always offers something interesting.
KPSU
The college radio station can be found online at kpsu.org and in person inside SMSU. Programmed by and for PSU students since 1994, KPSU features music, comedy and talk radio as well as more experimental fare. Don’t miss Live Fridays at 5 p.m. featuring performances and interviews with local and touring artists.
HOUSE SHOWS
Old Portland is dead. The days of dirt cheap rent attracting creative hopefuls are well behind us. But some of the best concerts can still be found in basements and dive bars if you know where to look. The Facebook group Portland Underground Show Listings is a good place to start; it’s quite active and features a wide variety of music, from punk to dance to experimental. Even if you end up
standing outside making conversation the whole time, the experience is wholly unique and definitely worth a $5 cover charge.
THE SCHNITZ
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is home to the Oregon Symphony, and it’s only a five minute walk from campus. If you stop by the ticket office on SW Washington and show your student ID, you’ll be able to buy $10 student tickets, which is a fantastic deal (usually great seats as well; I almost always get a seat in the lower balcony).
THE OLD CHURCH
Uncomfortable pews and giant pipe organs may bring up all manner of childhood memories, but The Old Church is a great venue a few blocks from campus, with surprising acoustics and a consistently solid roster. Local chamber music groups such as FearNoMusic perform here, and even Michael Gira will be here in October. The guy whose band Swans made an album called Public Castration Is a Good Idea performing in a place of worship. What a world we live in.
JUJUBA BRINGS AFROBEAT TO PORTLAND STATE. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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IT’S ABOUT YOU, NOT THE CALENDAR
KATHARINE PIWONKA
The common expectation for undergraduate graduation timeline is four years. However, it’s not always the best path for students. Here are some reasons to consider prolonging your time in undergraduate education at Portland State.
PROFESSIONAL, PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC LIFE BALANCE
PSU requires a minimum of 180 credits to graduate, with every major differentiating how credit hours must be dispersed. If students wants to graduate in four years, they need to take 45 credits per academic year, excluding summer, which is 15 credits per term. This is no small task and a huge commitment, especially when students have part or full-time jobs, internships, sports and social and personal lives. Striking a balance at any age can be challenging. Depending on your situation, it can be worth cutting back on class hours to allow more time in other areas of your life.
UNDECIDED MAJOR
Rushing into a full schedule at the beginning of your university career isn’t beneficial if you don’t know what you want to study. About one-third of undergraduate students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program change their major at least once, and one in
ten change their major at least twice. Changing your major often leads to unnecessary credit hours on your tuition bill. Slowing down and taking 6–10 credits your first couple years can allow you to explore new interests inside and outside of the classroom while getting major-related requirements out of the way.
STUDENT LOANS
Some say four years will be less expensive, but when looking at the big picture, this is not always the case when student loans are involved. About four in ten adults under age 30 are still paying off student loans including interest. Investing in yourself by taking on loans can be the right choice. However, working more to help pay the cost of tuition upfront can save you potentially thousands of dollars after graduation because of the interest rates you avoid later.
Academic advisers at PSU can help make a graduation timeline, mapping out realistic goals. Currently, the Office of Student Success is developing customizable degree planners for students to help visualize their time in college. PSU also has many resources available for students who would like to graduate in four years. It’s okay not to graduate in four years; it’s okay not to graduate in six years. It’s okay to have things in your life besides textbooks and class commutes. Prioritize your life by what you want, what works with your lifestyle and what is realistic. It’s about you, not the calendar.
LIFE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT PLAN
Some students may decide to take a break from college when opportunities like internships, travel, professional development or significant life changes come up. Not to worry; college will still be here when you get back. Taking a gap year—or years—may benefit your life and the time you spend in university after. It’s okay to decide to take a term or two off to focus on other interests.
COURTESY OF PSU UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
STUDY HAUNTS ON OR NEAR PSU CAMPUS KATHARINE PIWONKA
It’s that time of year again. The leaves begin to fall, the air is crisp, campus fills up and homework begins to pile. Where should you escape to study in peace? Luckily for students, Portland State and its surrounding areas are filled with quiet, undiscovered haunts perfect for studying, from on-campus to off-campus spots to late-night and daytime cafes.
CAMPUS HAUNTS
Whether you commute or live on campus, cramming between classes is something everyone is and will be guilty of this year. When you’re in a study emergency, staying conveniently on campus is your best bet. You need somewhere quiet, available and close. Branford Price Millar Library Everyone knows the library is the place to go on campus for all of your study needs, but not everyone knows to head down to the basement. The basement holds several study nooks that completely shut out the outside world, leaving you to focus purely on that procrastinated paper. Hardly anyone heads downstairs, so you will probably have the place to yourself. Broadway Lab/IDSC The Integrated Digital Support Center, commonly referred to as The Broadway Lab, is between 6th and Broadway and is the place to print on campus. There is hardly ever a line and computers are always open. Broadway is fairly unknown to offcampus students, so this spot is never packed.
FREE OFF-CAMPUS HAUNTS
Once in a while, you will feel the need to head off campus for a study session and won’t want to pay for another cup of coffee. There are lots of open and comfortable spots within walking distance from campus—great for studying or relaxing with a book. Lobby Next to Garden Bar On 2nd and Market, there is a Garden Bar attached to a large lobby at 100 SW Market St., near the Market Center
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Building. The lobby is stunning and stocked with couches, chairs, booths and a fireplace. Wi-Fi is free and outlets are everywhere. This is definitely a good off-campus spot to know about. Garden Bar also has pretty good coffee when you need a caffeine fix. City Library Dating back to 1902, the Multnomah County Library boasts gorgeous architecture and galleries and is even on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s a short walk from campus and a perfect alternative to PSU’s library, with lots of space, tables, resources and staff to help you with your academic needs.
CAFE HAUNTS
LATE NIGHT HAUNTS
It’s late and you have a paper due at 8 a.m. the next morning. Where do you go? Anywhere but your dorm or bed. Research shows working in your bed or bedroom hinders productivity and hurts your sleep patterns. Try Millar Library on campus or a late-night cafe. My favorite late night study spot is at World Cup Coffee and Tea at Powell’s City of Books. Whichever locations you decide to make your own this academic year, make sure it fits your study style. If you are someone who needs silence to focus, libraries are a great bet. If you like a little more action around you, go cafe haunting. There is a perfect study spot for everyone, so go find yours. Happy haunting!
There is nothing like studying with a steaming cup of coffee or tea right beside you. If you want to stay off the beaten path when it comes to study-cafes, skip the Starbucks and try these out instead. Phat Cart Nestled right next to campus is Phat Cart near the food cart pod on College St. With a breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink menu, you can’t go wrong here. Sesame Donuts Unmatched donuts, great coffee and good people. What more could you ask for in a study spot? Sesame Donuts is a locallyowned business located on the Park Blocks near PSU. Free Wi-Fi, comfy chairs and vegan donut options make Sesame Donuts a suitable spot for everyone. Museum Grounds & the Portland Art Museum Museum Grounds is the cafe at Portland Art Museum. Not only do they make the best mocha in the city, but it’s also an undiscovered location for laptop users. Once you’re finished studying, head on into the art museum with your student pass.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
STUDYING IN MILLAR LIBRARY. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
WORK IT OUT BY WORKING OUT CAMPUS OFFERS STUDENTS GYM MEMBERSHIPS AND MORE
DAVID GILLESPIE
THE CLIMBING WALL IN THE PORTLAND STATE REC CENTER. THE CLIMBING FACILITY IS ONE OF MANY ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE TO PSU STUDENTS AND REC CENTER MEMBERS. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
College—for most of us—is not exactly what we envisioned, for better or worse. You surely benefit from exposure to new people, new ideas and, for some, a new city. You get to see yourself make changes while you advance toward earning your degree and moving on to the next step in whatever life plan you’ve created. Despite all of these advantages, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You have a constant schedule of classes, you spend hours holed up in the library or the nearest coffee shop studying, and given the nightmarish price of tuition in the U.S., you’ve likely also got a job (or two) thrown into the mix. With all of those stressors, responsibilities and obligations going on in your life, it should come as no surprise that some of us are left in a position where we need a good release. I’m not one to slight the mentally rejuvenative properties of a good old fashioned keg stand or bong rip, but there’s only so much that our good friends Sam Adams and Mary Jane can do to help us when we’re reaching our mental wit’s end (despite them trying their damndest). It’s important to remember if you are feeling like cracking under the collegiate pressure, you’re not alone: A 2016 study by the American College Health Association found that just under 50 percent of college students report feeling hopeless at some point during their school year. My own personal study found that I tend to get that feeling about twice a year while sobbing uncontrollably into a Domino’s pizza and blasting early Fall Out Boy records.
STUDENT GYM AT REC CENTER
How do we take action? Well, according to Sarah Gingell, PhD, with Psychology Today, there is “increasingly robust evidence suggest[ing] that exercise is not only necessary for the maintenance of good mental health, but it can be used to treat even chronic mental illness.” She even claims it can prevent depression, maintain mental health into your old age and can often produce results that rival certain pharmacological treatments. There are many Portland State students who perform such physical (and mental) upkeep by going to PSU’s Student Recreation Center, which offers state-of-the-art exercise equipment, a pool and sauna, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, a one-eighth mile indoor track, personal training programs and weekly exercise classes. A membership to this gym comes included with your tuition and student fees, so you could argue that you’re wasting money if you don’t go.
However, not all of us are are fond of going to the gym. If you’re like me, the primary issue is that you’re absolutely clueless about how to properly use the equipment. My best attempts at working out in a gym setting have involved me planting my ass on a stationary bike and feverishly pedaling to nowhere while I have titillating lust-visions of baked goods. (Bread just gets me, you know?) If hitting the gym isn’t going to cut it for you, there is another option offered through the university: organized sports via the intramural program or a Rec Club.
INTRAMURALS
Intramurals are a hallmark of most universities, and they involve getting a group of your friends together to form a team and participate in a variety of different sports. This fall term, for instance, provides you an opportunity to play flag football, soccer or volleyball. Don’t worry if you don’t have a volleyball team’s worth of friends (or a doubles tennis team’s worth, for that matter); you can visit IMLeagues and join a sport as a free agent, which allows you to participate in a pre-established team. The intramural seasons last for about 2–3 weeks each term, and some may have a $5 registration fee. Information regarding the intramural program at PSU can be found on the Campus Recreation site.
REC CLUBS
Perhaps you like the idea of participating in a team sport, but only playing for a few weeks at a time doesn’t seem particularly worth it. If you’re looking for more of a long-term involvement, joining a Rec Club at PSU might be the way to go. The diversity of sports offered by PSU’s Rec Clubs is pretty astounding, including sports such as cricket, rowing, disc golf, fencing, kickboxing, lacrosse and sailing. Not only do Rec Clubs tend to involve a more long term commitment, but many of the clubs also offer the appeal of competing against Rec Clubs from other universities. All of the Rec Clubs have different requirements to join relating to experience, time requirements, necessary equipment, etc., so keep that in mind. The best way to find out if one of these Rec Clubs is right for you is to simply email the team leaders. PSU offers a myriad of options for physical activity; it may be time to consider finding a way to get physically active. Not only will it be a great way to meet new people, form new experiences and reap physical benefits, but it is an excellent way to shake up your college experience and keep yourself mentally healthy. So what are you waiting for?
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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CAMPUS MAP • • • •
PHAT CART THE BROADWAY LAB MILLAR LIBRARY PARK AVENUE CAFE
STUDY • PARK BLOCKS: LIVE @ LUNCH • KPSU • LINCOLN HALL • 5TH AVENUE CINEMA
MUSIC AND MOVIES • CAMPUS REC CENTER • FOOTBALL FIELD • VIKINGS PAVILLION
ATHLETICS
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PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
MAX LINE STREET CAR
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STAFF IN OUR COMMUNITY CHRISTOPHER SHORTELL
DONNELL TANKSLEY
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
CHIEF OF POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE
Christopher Shortell is an associate professor and chair of the political science department in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government. “Political science is particularly critical as a major at this moment in time,” Shortell said. “We seek to better understand what is happening in the world around us. Politics can seem confusing, frustrating and alienating, but there is some sense and logic to it. Once you understand that, you have a much greater ability to engage with it, to articulate your values, and to pursue change.” After 10 years of working at PSU, Shortell’s advice to new and returning students is to explore their options, push their comfort zones and avoid focusing too narrowly as they choose classes. “You might be surprised by what interests you,” he said. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to learn about an array of subjects that can serve you well for the rest of your life.”
COURTESY OF PSU DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Chief of Police and Campus Safety Donnell Tanksley came to PSU in December 2017 after spending several years as assistant chief of police and assistant director of public safety at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. “I am still fairly new to the campus,” Tanksley said. “My experiences grow each day. One of the things I noticed right away and champion is the active student engagement, even though our setting isn’t a traditional model since we are in an urban area and many of our students commute. I support and welcome active civil discourse…I am a talker, but more importantly, I am a listener.” Tanksley said the Campus Public Safety Office’s biggest project for the upcoming year will be a comprehensive review of its policies, procedures, training requirements, recruitment, management practices, staffing levels, equipment and technology.
ERICA BESTPITCH
RACHEL LIDSKOG-LIM
DIRECTOR, WOMEN’S RESOURCE CENTER
PROFESSOR OF DANCE/ PROFESSIONAL DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Erica Bestpitch, who graduated from PSU in 2012 with a master’s degree in conflict resolution, has worked with the Women’s Resource Center for nearly five years and recently celebrated their first anniversary as director. “The Women’s Resource Center does two primary things: provides transformational and feminist leadership opportunities to students and offers support services to students experiencing sexual and relationship violence,” Bestpitch said. “We take an intersectional approach to social justice, and we support our students in developing leadership skills for positive social change. Despite our name, we serve students of all genders, including men, trans folks and non-binary folks. All are welcome here.” Bestpitch said all WRC events in the coming year will align with its annual theme: Antidotes to Disposability. “In so many ways, American culture practices quick fixes and disposable solutions,” they said. “We see disposability as a mindset that contributes to social, spiritual and environmental problems across the globe. This year, the WRC will explore ways that we can act against disposability and contribute to growing the social, spiritual, physical and environmental health of all beings.”
Rachel Lidskog-Lim has been a professor of dance at Portland State for 22 years. A master of Argentinian tango, salsa, East Coast and West Coast swing and ballroom dancing, she gives students the opportunity to explore what is sometimes an intimidating art form in an approachable, accessible, inclusive and fun way. “I love to teach dance at the college level. It is an honor and a privilege to teach these wonderful students and share the joy of dancing with them,” she said. While at PSU, Professor Lidskog-Lim has organized dance performance teams with students that have not only performed on campus, but at other schools and elderly care homes as well. “Watching the exchange between hearts, students and audience, connecting with music and dance and smiling,” has been one of her most favorite experiences teaching. Lidskog-Lim is the owner of Dance With Joy Studios, where she continues to spread the love of dance with her community. “Art is awesome! Music, dance, theater, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, calligraphy, pottery and more. It brings connection and joy.”
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PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
COURTESY OF ERICA BESTPITCH
COURTESY OF DONNELL TANKSLEY
COURTESY OF RACHEL LIDSKOG-LIM
HANNAH FISCHER
LORI COULTER
FACULTY-LED PROGRAM COORDINATOR, PSU EDUCATION ABROAD
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC INNOVATION, PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIPS; VICE-CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE FOR IMPROVING STUDENT FOOD SECURITY
After graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, Hannah Fischer spent a year in Germany interning abroad. In 2014, she began her career at Portland State, working in the Education Abroad office as a graduate assistant while starting her masters program in public administration. In addition to her time in Germany, Fischer also studied abroad in a small Spanish town for four weeks while obtaining her undergraduate degree and spent three months in Vietnam doing research during for her master’s program. She just recently returned from a short trip to the UK as well. Fischer worked full time while studying for her master’s degree, an achievement she is very proud of. “I understand the stress that many students at PSU are under,” she said. “I hope to inspire future PSU students to find ways to build an international experience into their degree plan.” As a program coordinator at the Office of International Affairs, Fischer works on building programs ranging from one–10 weeks in order to provide a diverse array of opportunities for students, no matter how busy they may be. “PSU students are especially driven, capable and inspiring, and I love that my job lets me create international programs just for them.” As for advice, she urges students to expe-
COURTESY OF HANNAH FISCHER
rience a study abroad program before graduating. The Education Abroad office hosts scholarship workshops and info sessions each term, and on Oct. 3 they will host their biggest event, the Fall Education Abroad Fair.
Lori Coulter graduated from Tulane University in 2006 with a bachelor’s in humanities. Since March 2016, she has worked for Portland State implementing new methods to help students stay in college and overcome any barriers they may face. “It seems like such a simple thing, to ask students how they define their success and what they need to be successful, but it is such a huge difference from other institutions I have worked at.” In order to combat some of these barriers, Coulter suggests seeking assistance from the various offices across campus, whether it’s the Committee for Improving Student Food Security, the Financial Wellness Center, the Women’s Resource Center, or any other office which facilitates supporting students with their specific needs. “Being a student is challenging in so many ways, but there are a lot of services and resources at PSU,” she said. “As members of the PSU community, we truly want to see students succeed.” As the vice chair of the CISFS, two significant programs she has helped initiate are the Free Food Market and increased campus support for SNAP assistance. An affiliate of the Oregon Food Bank, the Free Food Market occurs every second Monday of the month providing fresh produce and shelf-stable items to the PSU community. Additionally, the
BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
CISFS offers walk-in hours for those needing assistance in accessing SNAP benefits and navigating the process. The SNAP resource team is a group of students, faculty and staff who are trained by the Multnomah County Department of Human Services. This November, the CISFS will be hosting Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a week-long series which aims to inform the public on these issues as well as available services.
CHRISTOPHER BRODERICK ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Christopher Broderick is the associate vice president for communications and marketing, overseeing a staff of 20 who work in campus communications, public relations, marketing, social media and creative services including recruitment materials and Portland State Magazine. He came to PSU eight years ago after spending 30 years working for newspapers in Portland, Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas. If he could design any class and its curriculum, Broderick said he would like to teach news writing, media studies and other journalism classes.
COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER BRODERICK
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL STUDENT GROUPS ON CAMPUS MARENA RIGGAN
At Portland State, the Student Activities and Leadership Program, or SALP, is designed to enrich experiences and provide students with the opportunity to integrate their learning while building leadership skills, ethics, social justice and civic engagement. All SALP organizations are student-led; however, depending on the nature of the organization, they may be sponsored by a department at PSU or be a student chapter affiliated with a larger organization. For the 2018–2019 academic year, PSU has recognized 158 student organizations, ranging in category from arts and academics, to business and pre-professional tracks, to advocacy and politics and more. Below are the organizations with an international or multicultural focus.
ACADEMIC AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE CLUB ARABIC LANGUAGE AND CULTURE STUDENT ASSOCIATION ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS (EWB)
Engineers Without Borders Portland State is the student affiliation of Engineers Without Borders USA, a non-governmental organization dedicated to international development through engineering projects. Their current international projects—for both the PSU chapter and the national organization—are focusing on Ethiopia, Nicaragua and the Philippines
ZETA PHI BETA
The Eta Phi Chapter is the local PSU chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, an international, historically Black sorority founded in 1920 at Howard University. Eta Phi’s mission and vision is to empower disenfranchised populations and maintain a socially and politically conscious community. They became PSU’s first single charter Black Greek Letter Sorority on March 27, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL ARAB PERSIAN STUDENT ORGANIZATION ARAB STUDENT ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN STUDENTS
The Association of African Students works to bring together African students and the larger community at PSU, promote understanding and cultural exchange, create a space to discuss topics relating to Africa, and increase awareness of the various economic, political, social, cultural and environmental issues the continent faces. The AAS also regularly hosts cultural events, dignitaries, lectures, films and documentaries.
BLACK CULTURAL AFFAIRS BOARD (BCAB) BLACK STUDENT UNION CAMBODIAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (CSA) IRAQI STUDENT CLUB JAPANESE STUDENT SOCIETY KAIBIGAN FILIPINO AMERICAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION KOREAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION KURDISH YOUTH ORGANIZATION (KYO) KUWAITI STUDENT CLUB LAS MUJERES MOVIMIENTO ESTUDIANTIL CHICANO DE AZTLAN (MECHA) NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS
CHINESE STUDENT SCHOLAR ASSOCIATION
NEPALESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION FOR ISRAEL (CHAI)
ORGANIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
PSU SOCIETY OF HISPANIC PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS (SHPE)
HONG KONG STUDENT ASSOCIATION (HKSA)
PACIFIC ISLANDERS CLUB (PIC)
SPANISH CLUB
INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION
PERSATUAN MAHASISWA INDONESIA AMERIKA SERIKAT PORTLAND (PERMIAS)
The Spanish Club at PSU exists to help facilitate conversation, improve Spanish communication capabilities and connect students to the Spanish community in the greater Portland area. All PSU students are welcome regardless of their proficiency level.
STUDENT ORGANIZATION OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS (SOAL)
The Indian Student Association aims to connect and educate the community at PSU and the greater Portland area with the diversity of Indian culture by hosting cultural events and informal meetings throughout the year. Additionally, they aim to help Indian students adapt to the campus environment and strengthen academic studies about India at PSU.
ADVOCACY
IRANIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION OF PORTLAND (ISAP)
STUDENTS UNITED FOR PALESTINIAN EQUAL RIGHTS (SUPER)
JEWISH STUDENT UNION
The Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, or SUPER, consists of students, faculty, staff and community members of PSU who work to promote equal rights for the Palestinian people. Their three main goals are: to end the occupation of territories occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War and dismantle the separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank; to elevate Arab citizens of Israel to full equality; and support right of return for Palestinian refugees as outlined in UN Resolution 194.
LEVANT/SHAMI STUDENT ASSOCIATION MUSLIM STUDENT ASSOCIATION NEPALESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION OMANI STUDENT CLUB
ARTS ANIME CLUB
The Anime Club at PSU is dedicated to creating a space where students may enjoy and explore anime and related topics, such as manga and Japanese pop-culture, on a consistent basis. Additionally, they are committed to educating the community on the diversity surrounding the medium.
GREEK LIFE ALPHA PHI ALPHA DELTA SIGMA THETA
MULTICULTURAL AMERICAN INDIAN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING SOCIETY (AISES) Founded in 1977, the American Indian Science and Engineering Society was created to combat the high dropout rates, low college enrollment and underrepresentation of Native Americans in the sciences. The PSU chapter aims to assist students with the challenges of college life, improve the overall campus climate for all students, and provide support programs which effectively improve Native American students’ representation and success, both at PSU and in the greater society.
OMEGA PSI PHI
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PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
RUSSIAN CLUB
The Russian Club aims to bring together students who are interested in Russian language and culture, while connecting students with Portland’s greater Russian-speaking community. Additionally, they strive to promote understanding between Russian and Slavic communities and students at PSU.
TAIWANESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION THAI STUDENT ORGANIZATION
The Thai Student Organization aims to cultivate an understanding of the Thai culture with the Portland community while creating an atmosphere that promotes collaboration and learning. The TSO hosts various academic and non-academic events at Portland State, such as their April 2018 event, “One Day in Bangkok.”
UNITED INDIGENOUS STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION (UISHE) VIETNAMESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
SPIRITUAL GREAT PROPHET MOHAMMED GROUP HINDU YUVA
Hindu YUVA, which stands for Youth for Unity, Virtues and Actions, works to create opportunities for all members of PSU to understand and p ractice Hindu Dharma, while providing a space for Hindu youth to connect by way of events and weekly meetings.
MULTICULTURAL FACULTY SHARE THEIR STORIES
LINA GOMAA
BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD
JUDY BLUEHORSE SKELTON
COURTESY OF JUDY BLUEHORSE SKELTON
WORLD LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
INDIGENOUS NATIONS STUDIES
SENIOR ARABIC INSTRUCTOR II, ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEWER
ASSISTANT. PROFESSOR OF INDIGENOUS NATIONS STUDIES
Though originally from Egypt’s capital city of Cairo, Lina Gomaa obtained a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing with a minor in journalism from Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she also obtained her TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certification. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Arts in Arabic/English translation and English literature from Ain Shams University, as well as a certification in Teaching Arabic for non-native speakers obtained from the American University in Cairo. In 2012, she obtained a Master of Arts in Arabic/English Translation and Interpretation from the University of Salford. One of her proudest achievements is designing an e-book, From MSA to CA: A Beginner’s Guide for Transitioning into Colloquial Arabic, which students use all over the world. At Portland State, Gomaa teaches both Modern Standard and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. She loves the symbiotic relationship of learning between her and her students. “I am learning about the American culture through them and they are learning about the Arab culture through me,” Gomaa said. She urges students to have patience when learning a new skill and to understand that grades do not define one’s abilities or future endeavors. At the office of world languages and literatures, Gomaa loves working with her colleagues, whom she describes as empathetic, caring world travelers. “WLL feels like the U.N. Almost everyone is bilingual, and when we get together for meetings or end-of-term gatherings, it feels like the whole world is just in one room.” As of this September, Gomaa has been working at PSU for six years.
As a Native community member, Professor Judy BlueHorse Skelton, assistant professor in Indigenous Nations Studies, is looking forward to continuing the educational journey with new and returning students. “It’s an exciting time with our new Indigenous Nations Studies Bachelor degree beginning this fall,” Skelton said. “Our students are passionate, inspiring and committed to social and cultural justice and their communities.” Like other faculty and staff members, Skelton is a PSU alumna and has always loved the PSU Native American Student and Community Center. “Like many students, it’s been my home away from home for nearly 15 years. It’s cultural programming, INST classes and Rooftop Garden featuring Northwest native plants make it one of my favorite places on campus to meet up, share food, learn from one another and just hang out.”
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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HARNESSING PSU INNOVATION KATHARINE PIWONKA
It’s not hard to miss the PSU Innovation signs in Urban Plaza. For the past three years, Portland State has made it in the top most innovative universities in the United States. But what exactly makes PSU innovative? PSU innovation refers to a variety of collaborations, academic tools, program expansion and research accessibility. PSU staff, faculty and students are constantly developing a variety of projects targeted to aid students across all departments of the university.
ON-CAMPUS INNOVATIONS
One project currently underway is the development of efficient and effective new approaches to degree planning and mapping. The Office of Student Success is currently developing interactive degree maps, building on past degree planning programs such as myNextSteps, ReTHINK PSU and the FourYear Degree Guarantee. “I appreciate the passion our students have for civic and community engagement, and their drive to be innovative leaders in their academic and creative pursuits,” said Kara Hayes, Student Success Coordinator in the Office of Student Success. Innovations on campus also include the Collaborative Life Sciences Building, the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and the University Studies Dept., of which has received recognition and awards and allows students to explore subject matter outside of their majors and academic disciplines.
FACULTY AND STUDENT COLLABORATIVE INNOVATIONS
Faculty are always working on research and community projects with collaboration from students. Past proj-
ects have included the faculty and student co-authored article, “Comparative Genetic and Genomic Analysis,” and the creation of “The King School Museum of Contemporary Art,” located inside a functioning K-8 public school in Portland by faculty and students in College of the Arts. Students can also work with Oregon Health & Science (OHSU) through PSU’s BUILD EXITO, a program that matches students with research mentors and exposes students to biomedical fields like psychology, social work and environmental studies. In a similar vein is the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Program for engineering students. “I enjoy the diversity of students at PSU. In addition to PSU, I’ve taught at the University of Minnesota and California State University, Long Beach...I would have to say that consistently, the strongest students that I have worked with during the course of my academic career have been my students at PSU,” said Erik Geschke, professor of art in the College of the Arts.
STUDENT INNOVATIONS
Perhaps the most important innovations happening at PSU are those instigated by students. At PSU, student life takes place in the city as much as it does in the classroom. “The line from city and campus is super blurred,” said Zach Whitworth, an undergraduate in his last year of a BFA in Art Practices. “It’s hyper-urban. That’s what makes us unique; it’s both good and bad.”
Students walk this blurred line between campus life and city life daily. Both University Studies and the Urban Honors College require junior or senior projects that take academics into the field, whether that be in the form of scientific research or a community engagement project. Student involvement in the community not only leads to personal growth, but the kinds of innovative creativity Portland needs. In the PSU Architecture Dept., students have been involved with creating sleeping pod villages for homeless women in Portland, and recently collaborated with the Pickathon Music Festival to design and build a sustainable stage to be reused in constructing transitional houseless villages in Portland. “What made PSU stand out to me was that it was a campus that would allow me to grow as an adult, not just as a college student” said Kendall Stowell, who is in her final year in the Human Resources Management and Leadership program. “There’s a community here, but it isn’t strongly focused on PSU itself, rather as people in Portland who are growing themselves academically. I sought agency when I signed up at PSU; I’ve definitely found it.” Portland State University is not typical. With an urban setting, over 200 flexible degree programs and the title of most diverse public university in Oregon, those attending PSU will have unique opportunities not available elsewhere. PSU helps facilitate the deep dive into accessible and rigorous academics, professional relationships and the city of Portland. PSU will teach you how to innovate, because PSU does it best.
COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
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PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
WE ARE VANGUARD PSU’S STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER
NADA SEWIDAN
I’m currently attending the MFA creative writing program with an emphasis in nonfiction at Portland State and hold a master’s in English with a concentration in book publishing. Managing content across different platforms, I incorporate creativity and honesty to connect and engage with our audience.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
My passion for language led me to PSU’s Honors College, linguistics department and Vanguard, where I’ve found my heart, my voice and my conviction. After working with such an inspiring team and community, I’ve changed career goals: Instead of editing, I’d like help reshape educational policy in the U.S.
I’m a transfer student from central Oregon majoring in liberal studies at Portland State. My passion for English led me to the role of copy chief, where I review all content to ensure its readability.
I’m a post-bacc student in the graphic design program, working with a super creative team of designers and illustrators to make Vanguard look good since January 2017.
MISSY HANNEN
HANNAH WELBOURN
ROBBY DAY
MANAGING EDITOR
COPY CHIEF
PRODUCTION MANAGER
CHRIS MAY
After my career as a Hong Kong film producer was derailed by tabloid journalists, I knew I had found the work that would become my life’s purpose. I am passionate about journalism because it allows me to step into worlds I would otherwise never know while channeling my curiosity toward serving and informing the community.
NEWS EDITOR
BRIAN MCGLOIN
NEWS EDITOR
I’m a returning student after a 17-year break in my education. I worked as a photojournalist. I am now a senior majoring in communications with a minor in photography. This is my third term as the photography editor. I am responsible for the photographic content of Vanguard, both print and online, as well as educating photographers in the field of photojournalism.
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
JUSTIN M. KNIPPER ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
FIONA SPRING
I am a fourth-year student in the Honors College studying political science and Arabic. As news editor, I am responsible for curating, editing and reporting on content relating to the goings-on of PSU and its surrounding area while working with a team of reporters to accurately and responsibly inform the campus community.
I’m currently a second-year grad student in PSU’s Book Publishing program, as well as a soon-to-be Comics Studies post-bacc graduate. Additionally, I taught English in Japan for three years, plus recently finished an internship with Dark Horse Comics. I started at Vanguard this summer for Arts & Culture, where you’ll find the latest news on movies, music, comics and more, all in and around Portland.
MARENA RIGGAN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
I am a junior majoring in film and minoring in Spanish. I have been with Vanguard since winter 2018 working as the multimedia editor. I work with contributors to engage and inform our audience through the use videos, photos, and podcasts.
EMMA JOSEPHSON
A.M. LAVEY
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
ONLINE EDITOR
DAVID GILLESPIE SPORTS EDITOR
I am a senior in the applied linguistics department. I am excited to start Vanguard’s brand new sports section, and I hope to cultivate it in a manner that best serves and represents PSU’s various student athletes. When I am not at work or at school, I spend my time obsessing over the Portland Trail Blazers—and the NBA in general—with my wife, Maggie.
KATHARINE PIWONKA OPINION EDITOR
When I first came to PSU, I was a Chinese major, having studied three years prior in high school alongside French and Japanese. I am now a junior majoring in international studies: Middle East and Arabic. In the future, I would like to work as a journalist or humanitarian aid worker in the region, helping people who lack economic and political backing and media exposure. I am responsible for telling the Portland State story via our online and social media outlets. I am a senior in the PSU Russian Flagship Program, and this is my third term with the paper. An award-winning writer and photojournalist, I covered the Department of Defense for more than 10 years before coming to Vanguard.
I am a junior pursuing an art history major and gender, sexuality and queer studies and design management minor. When I started writing for the opinion section last year, I was looking to learn about journalism and media; I focus on creating environments in which writers and readers can connect and engage in productive conversations exploring new points of view.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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LANGUAGES OFFERED AT PSU MARENA RIGGAN
Portland State’s World Languages and Literatures Department offers undergraduate courses in 20 languages, with degree programs for: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Persian, Russian, Spanish and Turkish. This year, heritage courses are also offered for Spanish and Vietnamese. Additionally, master’s degree programs are offered for French, German, Japanese and Spanish, with Arabic, Chinese and Russian as minor foci. Be sure to check your course planning guide as not all courses are taught each term or even each year.
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
HEBREW
RUSSIAN РУССКИЙ ЯЗЫК
Courses: 101–303 ASL
Course: 101–302 Modern Hebrew
ARABIC
ITALIAN ITALIANO
Courses: 101–303 Standard Arabic 304–306 Egyptian Arabic Advanced Arabic Special Studies This Term: Arab Cinema
Courses: 101–302 Italian Special Studies This Term: Italian Women Writers in Translation
Courses: 101–303 Russian 150–151 Intensive Russian Advanced Russian Special Studies This Term: Russian Phonetics and Phonology Russian History to 1917 Flagship Studies: Intro to Flagship Globalization American Studies Russian in the Major
CHINESE 中文 Courses: 101–303 Mandarin Chinese Advanced Chinese Special Studies This Term: Intro to Classical Chinese
FRENCH FRANÇAISE Courses: 101–303 French 341–343 Intro to French Literature Advanced French Teaching French Special Studies This Term: French Film Topics in French Film 17th Century French Literature
GERMAN DEUTSCH Courses: 101–303 German Advanced Grammar German Deutsch (continued) Teaching German Special Studies This Term: Topics in Culture and Civilization The Age of Goethe
GREEK ελληνικά Courses: 201–203 Special Studies This Term: Plato as Literature Sophocles and Euripides
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JAPANESE 日本語 Courses: 101–203 Japanese 301–302 Speaking and Listening 304–305 Reading and Writing 341–343 Topics in Japanese Literature Advanced Japanese Advanced Japanese Grammar Readings in Japanese Literature Teaching Japanese
KOREAN 한국어 Courses: 101–203 Korean Special Studies This Term: Korean Culture and Civilization
LATIN LINGUA LATĪNA
SPANISH ESPAÑOL Courses: 101–303 Spanish 201–303 Heritage Spanish Spanish Phonetics and Phonology 341–345 Introduction to Hispanic Literature Advanced Spanish Grammar Teaching Spanish Special Studies This Term: Social and Legal Service Latin American Culture and Civilization Early Modern and Colonial Culture and Literature Modern Cultural and Literary Expressions Peninsular Drama Latin American Prose Ibero American Film
SWAHILI KISWAHILI
Courses: 101-303 Latin Courses: 201–203
NORWEGIAN NORSK
SWEDISH SVENSKA
Courses: 101–203 Norwegian Courses: 101–203 Swedish
PERSIAN
TURKISH TÜRKÇE
Courses: 101–302 Persian
PORTUGUESE PORTUGUÊS
Courses: 201–203 Turkish Special Studies This Term: Popular Culture and Literature in Turkey
Courses: 101–302 Portuguese
VIETNAMESE TIẾNG VIỆT
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
Courses: 101–203 Heritage Vietnamese
SPORTS
VIKINGS FALL TO BOBCATS IN HOME OPENER
THE VIKINGS FIND THEMSELVES OUTGUNNED BY MSU’S SOPHOMORE QB, TROY ANDERSON. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD DAVID GILLESPIE The Vikings went into their Big Sky Conference opener against the Montana State University Bobcats with a certain level of uncertainty. For one, the team is incredibly young. Over 60 of their players are freshman or sophomores, and only 12 starters from last season were going to be rejoining the team. Second, there is the uncomfortable reality of having finished the 2017–18 season dead last in the Big Sky Conference without a single win which, according to head coach Bruce Barnum, should never happen. Finally, and more relevant to the game at hand, it was largely unknown whether one of the Bobcat’s key pieces—sophomore quarterback Troy Anderson—would be playing due to an injury sustained to his left hand. Troy Anderson did, in fact, play, and he played lights out. Passing for 107 yards with one touchdown reception and rushing for 211 yards with two touchdown completions of his own, Anderson put on a show that dashed any hopes of a win for the Vikings in their home opener at Hillsboro Stadium. Barnum did not mince words regarding the opposing QB’s performance, saying that Anderson was “the key reason [the Bobcats] won that game.” Despite the bitter reality of a season opening loss, the Vikings showed promise during a game that, while all-but-lost in the latter half, featured a fair amount of traded blows during the first half. Leading the resistance was Portland State’s sophomore QB Davis Alexander. Alexander was given a chance to gain starting experience at the end of last season, boasting impressive numbers: over 250 passing yards per game along with around 120 rushing.
Alexander continued that hot streak during Saturday’s game, making his presence known midway through the second quarter by hurling back-to-back 40-yard and 35-yard passes to freshman and sophomore wide receivers Mataio Talalemotu and Emmanuel Daigbe, respectively. However, the passing game proved to not be a consistently reliable option for Alexander, whose offensive line often gave way to a larger Montana State defensive line, often forcing Alexander out of the pocket. Alexander managed to make use of such situations and put on an adept display of scrambling that left him with 71 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. At face value, the final score of 43-23 is prone to giving off an impression—one of a lopsided loss— that does not entirely line up with reality. By the numbers, the Vikings remained toe-to-toe with the Bobcats, completing a virtually identical amount of passing yards, giving up only a single fumble and interception indicative of impressive ball handling, especially considering the aforementioned pressure the offense was continually facing, and an identical number of third-down conversions. At the end of the day, PSU found itself on the business end of an opposing quarterback on a warpath and an opposing team which seemed, at times, to simply be bigger and more experienced. While a loss is never the desired outcome for any team, the Vikings managed to show promise in the face of adversity and inspire hope for a turnaround season from a young team starting to find their groove. The Vikings will spend the next two weeks on the road facing the University of Idaho Vandals, followed by the University of Montana Grizzlies before coming back to host the Northern Colorado Bears at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Providence Park.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
THIS WEEK
around the
Sept. 18
Germany Sept. 19
London, UK The Metropolitan Police have dubbed an incident involving a car ramming pedestrians near a mosque in northwest London a possible hate crime. Around midnight, three individuals inside a car were asked to leave a private parking lot outside the Al-Majlis Al-Hussaini Islamic Centre. According to The Sunday Times, the suspects made Islamophobic comments including “dirty Muslims” before ramming three men. The suspects attempted to ram groups of people as they left, according to witness testimony via Al Jazeera. No arrests have yet been made.
Jordan; East Jerusalem; Lebanon Middle East Eye reported Sept. 19 Saudi Arabia’s decision to ban around 634,000 Palestinians living in Jordan and East Jerusalem who hold temporary Jordanian passports from Hajj and Umrah, religious pilgrimages outlined in Islam. While Umrah is not mandatory, Hajj is a requirement under the five pillars of Islam. Another 300,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon have also been banned, as reported by Arabic news media Alarab.qa via Middle East Monitor. The ban was reported early in September by travel agents who were told not to submit travel visa applications for anyone who does not hold an official passport from the Palestinian Authority.
Sept. 21
Faryab, Afghanistan Eight children died and six more were injured after an unexploded mortar suddenly detonated. The children, ages 5–12, found the explosive and brought it to the house where they attempted to open it, unaware of what exactly it was. Two of the injured children were in critical condition after losing limbs and being taken to a hospital in the northwest of the province.
Syria
Relations between Russia and Syria intensified after Russia accused Israel of attacking its Ilyushin 20 electronic intelligence plane, killing all 15 crewmembers inside on Sept. 17. As it turns out, the plane was mistakenly attacked by Syrian air defence following a strike by the Israeli Air Force against a manufacturing facility on Syria’s coast.
Sep. 22
Ahvaz, Iran
Sept. 16
United Arab Emirates According to The Times of Israel, Private Israeli and Turkish jets flew to the UAE’S capital city of Abu Dhabi via Amman, Jordan in what is theorized to be part of secret, unofficial talks between the two countries as their governments attempt to restore relations. Relations between Turkey and Israel declined in May when more than 60 Pales tinians were killed by Israeli military along the Gaza border on the same day the United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Israel a “terrorist state” and expelled the Israeli ambassador. Israel responded by expelling the Turkish consul-general.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
September 16–23 Sept. 19
Domestic Intelligence Chief Hans-Georg Maassen was removed from his position and reassigned as a deputy minister by Chancellor Angela Merkel. The decision came after Maassen suggested a video of anti-immigrant nationalists attacking Afghan refugees was actually a fake produced by a left-leaning organization, which came in direct contradiction to a statement released by Merkel. “The skepticism toward the media reports on right-wing extremist hunts in Chemnitz are shared by me,” Maassen said. “Based on my cautious assessment, there are good reasons to believe that this was intentional false information.”
Sept. 17
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WORLD
Twenty-nine people were killed and another 70 wounded during a military parade commemorating the eight-year war with Iraq under Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. Four men dressed in military garb descended on the parade and opened fire, killing members of the Revolutionary Guard, women and children in attendance and one journalist. One of the gunmen was arrested and died later of his injuries, while the other three were killed at the scene of the attack. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has linked the attacks to the U.S. and its allies.
Sept. 19
India
By means of executive order, triple talaq—sometimes referred to as instant divorce—is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine as of the Sept.19 decision. Triple talaq, a practice in which a husband may divorce the wife by saying “talaq” three times, is most commonly found among India’s Muslim population who follow a different Islamic code of law. The practice is already banned in Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; however, some rights groups believe the executive order is designed to target Muslim communities.
ARTS INTERNATIONAL & CULTURE Sept. 16
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 16
Near Laredo, Texas District Attorney to the Webb-Zapata County Isidro Alaniz informed The Washington Post on Sept. 16 of charges against Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Juan David Ortiz, who confessed to killing four women between Sept. 3–Sept. 15. All four women were sex workers, killed by gunshots to the head and left on the side of the road after Ortiz picked them up and drove them outside Laredo city limits. He was arrested at 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 15, at his home after a fifth woman escaped and found a state trooper.
Palestinian Ambassador to the U.S. Husam Zomlot and his family were expelled and his bank accounts frozen Sept. 16 following an announcement a few days prior by the State Department that the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s diplomatic offices would cease operations by Oct. 13. Zomlot and his two children held visas valid until 2020 when they were informed they had been rescinded and ordered to leave the country immediately.
Sept. 16
Cuba
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel spoke in support of same-sex marriage while discussing issues relating to the country in an interview with Telesur saying, “Let’s not give way to any kind of discrimination.” Cuba’s constitution is currently under review by the National Assembly, which has approved the right to same-sex marriage in the new draft. Díaz-Canel also spoke about relations with the U.S. constitutional reform and politics in the region during the interview.
Sept. 21
China
In response to a statement by the U.S. State Department condemning China’s purchase of aircrafts and missiles from Russia, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said, “The Chinese side expresses strong indignation over the above-mentioned unreasonable practices of the U.S. side,” warning the U.S. of consequences if sanctions were applied. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also commented that the U.S. was using unfair methods in order to beat competitors in the global market.
Sept. 18–19
Global
This year, one of the most important Jewish holidays Yom Kippur began at sundown on Sept. 18 of the Gregorian calendar and ended the following evening. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” and is commemorated through a 25-hour fast, intensive prayer and reflection while attending synagogue, with the central theme surrounding repentance in the wake of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year in the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur falls on the tenth day of Tishrei, the first month, and marks the end of Rosh Hashanah.
Sept. 21
Guatemala A prominent Mayan Ixil community leader known for her work supporting human rights was killed by gunshot while on a routine errand to the hardware store where her husband worked. Juana Ramirez Santiago was a well-known midwife and one of the founders of the Network of Ixil Women which works to promote women’s rights in the community. At the time of the attack, she was walking to bring her husband his dinner, which she did every night, when neighbors heard four gunshots. Ramirez died at the scene.
Sept. 20–21
Global
The Muslim holiday Ashura this year began the evening of Sept. 20 and ended the next evening. Ashura falls on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Hijiri—Islamic—calendar. It’s celebrated to commemorate the ancient Battle of Karbala, when the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson alHussein and a small band of fighters were slaughtered by Umayyad forces, thus making it a critical historical marker in the division between Sunni and Shiite sects.
PSU Vanguard • JULY, 3 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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INTERNATIONAL
STILL IN CRISIS ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ROHINGYA
KUTUPALONG CAMP, BANGLADESH JANUARY 2018. COURTESY UK DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LUKAS AMSDEN A mob of nationalist Buddhists and Myanmar’s security forces attacked Rohingya villages in 2017 as retaliation to the militant liberation group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which had previously assaulted 30 security outposts in Myanmar. The systematic burning of 288 Rohingya villages along with rapes and murders has been called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing” by the U.N., prompting a mass exodus of over 750,000 Rohingya out of the estimated 1.1 million population. Since the crisis began in 2017, the U.N. has called the Rohingya the world’s most persecuted people, and their plight is said to be the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. The Médecins Sans Frontières found that even in the most conservative estimates, over 6,700 Rohingya including 730 children under the age of 5 were killed between Aug. 25 and Sept. 24, 2017. The Rohingya themselves have documented many of the detailed horrors, providing video evidence depicting charred human remains, houses burned to the ground and bodies of women and children strewn about. Satellite imagery has even shown bulldozed villages, but the primary source comes from 875 in-depth interviews of witnesses and victims conducted for a 444-page U.N. report which was published Sept. 17, 2018. The report included testaments of gang rape, children ripped from their mother’s arms and thrown into rivers, executions, mass graves and other similar assaults. One survivor recounted her experiences, stating, “I entered the house with four of my neighbors, and three of us had babies...There were dead bodies on the floor, young boys and older men from our village. After we entered the house, the soldiers locked the door. One soldier raped me. They stabbed me in the back of my neck and in my abdomen. I was trying to save my baby who was only 28 days old, but they threw him on the ground and he died. The other women who were there
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were also raped. It was late in the afternoon when I became conscious. I awoke because small flames were dropping from the roof onto my body. I was the only one who survived in that room. I could barely move, but I realized I was going to burn to death. Although my baby was dead, I held him close to my heart, but I could not bring his body with me.” Around 2 p.m. on Aug. 17, 2017, the village of Chut Pyin was subjected to a brutal clearance operation in which they were killed by military forces and neighboring ethnic Rakhine using gunfire and knives. A survivor described the event via the report, stating, “If people were not killed by the gunshots, they were slaughtered to make sure they were really dead.” Most Rohingya refugees made it to the Kutupalong camp, Bangladesh’s largest refugee camp, which housed over 20,000 refugees at its peak. However, with the rapid influx of refugees, many overflowed into unregistered expansion sites. As of June 30, 2018, the U.N. Refugee Agency had a population count of 888,111 refugees inside Bangladesh, of which only 45,777 resided in the Kutupalong or Nayapara registered camps. Despite a heritage dating back to the antiquity of the Arakan kingdom, the Rohingya are an unrecognized Muslim minority from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, previously known as the Arakan state. While many trace their heritage to Arab traders of British-occupied Myanmar, the Rohingya were excluded from the 2014 census altogether and labeled as illegal Bengali migrants, thereby denying them access to education, healthcare and other rights and benefits. After the country shifted from dictatorship to democracy in 2012, relations between Buddhist and Muslim communities worsened in the region. The Rohingya were dubbed “the boat people” when they arrived on the foreign shores of Southeast Asian countries in 2015, having fled on boats and makeshift rafts from their homes in the coastal region of the Rakhine State.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
State Counsellor and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has drawn international criticism in her response to the military campaign and ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people, which has often been one of silence and denial. Additionally, she has denied identity of Rohingya as a term altogether, instead peddling the label “Bengali” while likening them to illegal migrants and terrorists. Former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein criticized her for this failure, stating, “To strip their name from them is dehumanising to the point where you begin to believe that anything is possible.” To many, Suu Kyi has failed in her position as a moral authority and has since been stripped of several awards, such as the Freedom of Oxford award and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Elie Wiesel Award. As of late August 2018, seven awards had been revoked, the latest being the Freedom of Edinburgh award. In addition to graphically detailing crimes against humanity, the U.N. report called for the prosecution of six Tatmadaw generals including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing. “In the light of the pervasive culture of impunity...named senior generals of the Myanmar military should be investigated and prosecuted in an international criminal tribunal for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,” as summarized in the report. Myanmar’s official government position has called the attacks “clearance operations” in an effort to stabilize the region for development and has used the attacks by Rohingya militant groups as justification. However, the U.N. report states, “Military necessity would never justify killing indiscriminately, gang raping women, assaulting children and burning entire villages.” The U.N. is urging constitutional change through the abolishment of discriminatory laws and by restructuring and limiting the Tatmadaw’s power in the political sphere.
OPINION
EMPLOYEES TAKE BACK TECH FIGHTING BACK AGAINST CORPORATE EMPLOYERS
KATHARINE PIWONKA Technology has a power potential the world has only begun to experience. In the last 10 years, we’ve seen the evolution of the cell phone, an AI revolution, 3D printing, self-driving cars and other mindblowing successes. With tech development and programming getting more and more advanced, here’s an important contemporary question to consider: How do we keep this new source of power in check? As Voltaire may have said, with great power comes great responsibility. Many individuals have serious doubts that Silicon Valley tech giants have the moral boundaries required to uphold ethical standards. Much of this doubt comes from those who are closest to massive tech development projects: employees. Google, Amazon, Microsoft and other tech giants are not transparent with their tech development or what happens after developmental stages. “People who signed up to be tech heroes don’t want to be implicated in human rights abuses,” said a senior Google employee involved in protesting Google’s partnership with the United States Department of Defense. Amazon is developing facial recognition technology for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, something that could inevitably target and harm minority groups. Amazon employees wrote an open letter to CEO Jeff Bezos stating they “refuse to contribute to tools that violate human rights.” The letter included a link to yet another open letter signed by over 40 civil rights organizations.
“We already know that [amid] historic militarization of police, renewed targeting of Black activists, and the growth of a federal deportation force currently engaged in human rights abuses—this will be another powerful tool for the surveillance state, and ultimately serve to harm the most marginalized.” The Amazon employee letter continued. Microsoft is also being criticized for its programming developmental work with ICE. The company has a $19.4 million contract that has employees calling for “children and families over profits.” President of Microsoft Brad Smith said Microsoft is not working to separate families. However, there are no policies or procedures to check the power of government institutions once technology is out of corporate hands. Google employees are also openly criticising their corporate tech employer’s involvement with Project Maven, a program helping the U.S. Department of Defense build automated weapons with artificial intelligence for warzone drones. Researchers have warned this AI technology will likely contain invisible racial biases, putting minority groups and innocent people at risk. “We believe that Google should not be in the business of war,” states an open letter to Google. People, not algorithms, should be in control of lethal technologies. After extreme internal and public backlash, Google announced it will not be renewing its contract with the Pentagon when it expires in 2019. However, Google is still under fire for other in-progress projects. Currently, Google is working with the Chinese government to develop a censored search engine.
Anonymous employees have expressed ethical and moral concerns over human rights violations and potentially oppressive consequences. No standards of accountability exist in tech development because this is new ground. Capitalism creates an environment in which technologies are developed for and sold to the highest bidder. The fate of technological inventions with dangerous potential shouldn’t be decided by profit-driven corporations. This kind of government and tech company collaboration is reminiscent of the IBM and Nazis deals during the Holocaust. Years later, companies still have not learned how to value human life over economic advantage. The message tech employees are sending is loud and clear: Tech corporations need to uphold higher moral and ethical standards and take actions which reflect these values. A public statement of assurance isn’t enough in a world where the government can get away with separating families. Tech company administrations should not enable this behavior, but should instead put up safeguards protecting at-risk groups. Employees are leading the way in tech company accountability today, but they do so at their own expense. Those who speak out against their corporate employers risk unemployment and lawsuits. Public discourse is about to become extremely important. Corporations that prove criminal should not be supported, and transaction transparency must be demanded. The stage isn’t just for employees anymore; It’s time for everyone to take back tech.
THE AGE OF INFORMATION LEGITIMACY IN AN INFORMATION-CLUTTERED WORLD
CAM HOWARD In today’s age of information, it’s hard to get facts you can trust. Discrediting information that contrasts with personal worldviews has never been easier thanks to the rise of social media and the wide variety of news sources available today. Information—accurate and inaccurate—is out for anyone to interpret, manipulate and present in any way they like. This leaves the truth vulnerable. Up to 67 percent of Americans reported getting some or most of their news from social media in 2017. However, social media isn’t regulated like traditional news outlets. There is no way personal accounts can be held to the same journalistic standards that professional reporters uphold, and there is no standard of accountability for social media. Donald Trump is well-known for posting false information in the digital world. Despite waging war on fake news, the president is ironically guilty of spreading misleading and inaccurate information through social media. Trump recently tweeted about property control in South Africa: “I have asked Secretary of State to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. ‘South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers.’” While there is a motion in the South African government to take back land previously seized by white colonists under racist property laws, Trump is facilitating white supremacist narratives that perpetuate South Africa’s devastating colonial past by spreading false information about “the large scale killing of farmers.” However, social media isn’t the only place bias slips through the cracks. Newsrooms across the country are pushing invis-
ible political agendas: a consequence of bias news curation, politically bent ownership and overbearing corporate control. Enthusiastic supporter of the Republican party Rupert Murdoch is a prime example. Murdoch owns Fox News and other news companies and doesn’t separate personal beliefs from editorial content. Murdoch’s news organizations have given large sums of money to the Republican party and his companies lean heavily on the side of conservatism. Despite obvious bias, Murdoch’s political influence in news media remains consistent, partly due to key approval from the president. Other news companies are playing the same game. In April 2018, Sinclair Broadcasting Group found itself in hot water after requiring local station news anchors to read a script on “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” People took this to be a push for conservative agendas though Sinclair claimed to have no political motive. However, when a multi-million dollar news corporation gives local news stations’ programming and content scripts, it raises criticism and valid concerns about how people will get accurate and genuine news based in their community. Will any news source be trustworthy if the same organization signs their paychecks? With political bias potentially tarnishing our local and national news streams, and with the leader of our nation only making matters worse, how can we stay educated in a world so full of dirty information? We can start by understanding where news comes from. Looking into individual and corporate ownership of news
LISA DORN
sources and examining political or personal bias is paramount. Where the story is coming from can be just as telling as the information presented in the story. Information and news can be discredited and manipulated in ways that muddle the truth. In this new age of information, it’s more important than ever to fact check and take ownership of personal media consumption habits.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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OPINION
ANXIETY: MEET MAGIC HALLUCINOGENICS AS A CONTROVERSIAL SOLUTION CAM HOWARD From time to time, everyone experiences increased heart rate, racing thoughts and an anxious stomach. It’s a primitive part of our brain working in overdrive, with some stimuli in the environment having triggered it. I This is anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 18.1 percent of United States residents over 18 suffer from anxiety. Of that, only 36.9 percent end up seeking treatment. Many of those who do seek help often end up turning toward medication. Medications serve a great purpose in alleviating anxiety. Unfortunately, they end up falling short in some areas. Mental health professionals have raised concerns about medications; while they may help suppress symptoms of anxiety, in certain instances, they aren’t getting to the core of the actual issue and are often dangerously habit forming. However, there is an unexpected alternative: Hallucinogens as anti-anxiety medications are part of a research renaissance. Before their total ban and illegalization in the U.S. in the 1970s, research on MDMA, LSD, peyote and other drugs was underway. Many psychologists saw a future in their medicinal usage. However, politics at the time sought to criminalize and target certain social movements and racial groups, some well known for using hallucinogens such as antiwar leftist counterculture hippies. Thus began the War on Drugs. After constant pushing from psychedelic pioneers such as Timothy Leary who declared the benefits of individuality and freedom of the mind, the government pushed back by banning all psychedelics including psilocybin, the psychoactive chemical found in some mushrooms. Consequentially, funding for research around psychedelics became sparse. Within the last 30 years, researchers at John Hopkins, New York University and other institutions have been doing quiet
work around the potential benefits of psilocybin mushrooms, particularly their potential use for therapy. This could lead to an exciting new era in the field of mental health, especially in battling anxiety-based disorders and conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
WHAT IS PSILOCYBIN?
Psilocybin is a natural psychoactive substance and the active ingredient in psychedelics known as magic mushrooms. When taken, the body and substance together produce mindaltering states and hallucinations. This mind alteration includes feelings of euphoria as well as visions, a loosened grip on time and nausea. However, psilocybin also temporarily slows down activity in the amygdala—the area of the brain responsible for emotions and, when overstimulated, anxiety and depressive disorders. When psilocybin is present, it decreases anxiety and increases happiness. Psilocybin has also been credited for allowing a more vivid recall memory. Used in a therapeutic setting with the right dosage and mindset, psilocybin creates a calmer experience when revisiting traumatic emotions or memories during guided sessions with medical professionals. This sets the stage for vital therapeutic work around anxiety and other mental disorders. A study in 2013 found psilocybin reduced depression and anxiety suffered among life-threatening cancer patients. Patients reported feeling less hopelessness and despair and more feelings of satisfaction. Six and a half months later, participants reported feeling better about the prospect of death. Other studies have shown similar results: Most participants still feel positive effects from their therapeutic session months and even years later.
MARGO SMOLYANSKA
RISKS OF PSILOCYBIN
Current research actually shows psilocybin mushrooms to have low toxicity; in fact, a higher dosage is required for an overdose than what is present within psilocybin. Moreover, very few people who have been part of studies based around psilocybin report negative long-term effects in their mood or behavior. In short, psilocybin is a relatively low-risk drug despite its categorization as a Schedule I drug generally thought to have no potential medical uses. Negative connotations around psychedelics exist, and rightfully so—when they are abused. However, there is massive untapped potential that has been overlooked. There is pushback from conservatives, but the positive effects are undeniable. When it comes to psilocybin shrooms, the future looks magical.
MARGO SMOLYANSKA
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PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
ARTS & CULTURE
KILLER BABIES, AZTEC DEATH GODS, AND EVIL MARSHMALLOW WHIP
AN INTRODUCTION TO CULT FILMMAKER LARRY COHEN ANDREW GAINES Today, dear readers, I’m taking you to school. We’re here to learn about Larry Cohen, the enigmatic New York cult filmmaker responsible for giving astute audiences movies about killer babies, Aztec death gods and evil marshmallow whip. Jumping into a director’s body of work can be daunting, especially when the films in question have never gotten the love and followings of more widely appreciated genre films. Cohen’s films look cheap and were often made for even cheaper, but they contain a manic energy and authentic New York attitude hard to find in other B movies. I’ll discuss the best jumping-on points into Cohen’s catalogue, and where to go from there.
COHEN 101: KILLER FOOD AND BLACK ROYALTY Black Caesar is something of an outlier in Cohen’s filmography. In a career filled with science fiction and horror, this 1973 film is an unapologetic entry into the Blaxploitation genre, standing tall even amongst luminaries like Shaft and Black Belt Jones. Fred “The Hammer” Williamson plays Tommy Gibbs, an enterprising criminal who seeks to build an empire within the violently racist society he lives in. Cohen’s films often tackle high concepts with a sense of levity, but none of that is found here. Black Caesar is an angry, ugly film about an angry, ugly man who has absorbed all the hate and vitriol thrown his way throughout his life and become a monster for it. To build his name up, he’s forced to work within the largely racist and hateful mob system. Much of the film’s script— also by Cohen—is about how much dignity and humanity Gibbs will sacrifice to achieve his goals. It lacks many of the goofier elements of Cohen’s films, but his love of hot-button issues shines through. While Black Caesar approaches societal racism with all the subtlety of a meat tenderizer to the skull, the far sillier 1985 film The Stuff uses a ridiculous premise to skewer rampant consumerism. A mysterious, possibly alien, goop starts spilling out of a snowbank and—wouldn’t you know it—just happens to be the most delicious and impossibly nutritious snack the United States has ever known. Before the first act is over, the U.S. is crazy for the thick, creamy snack. It’s a shame, then, that The Stuff is also sentient and will eat you from the inside out. As the entire snack food industry attempts to pick up the pieces in a society which no longer has any need for other products, a small number of individuals (including longtime Cohen cohort Michael Moriarty) learn of the true nature of The Stuff and seek to destroy the snack before it takes over the world literally, not just culturally. Featuring some delightfully gross special effects and a slightly higher budget than most Cohen films, The Stuff is both a great palate
cleanser after the darkness of Black Caesar and a good introduction to the wild world of aliens and monsters to come.
COHEN 201: STOP-MOTION MONSTERS AND EVIL INFANTS The 1982 film Q (also known as Q: The Winged Serpent) features the hallmarks of Cohen’s work: a high body count and even higher concept, an off-the-rails performance from Michael Moriarty, a layer of rogue filmmaking charm and a police procedural subplot. Q improves on this formula by featuring lots of very cheap stop-motion animated monster action. Ray Harryhausen this is not; the titular flying lizardbeast looks janky and awkward at the best of times, but that adds to, rather than detracts from, the proceedings. Everything else in the film is lovingly rough around the edges, so why would the main attraction be any different? While the resurrected Aztec monster is using roofs of New York City as a buffet line, the human element comes into the film in the form of Moriarty’s Jimmy Quinn, a failed criminal who has decided to use his exclusive knowledge of the monster’s roost as a bargaining chip with the New York Police Department, selling it off only when he feels he has been properly paid. Quinn is a complete trainwreck, and Moriarty sells the everloving hell out of his boozy, desperate performance.
Q also contains Cohen’s trademark rogue filmmaking tactics. Getting a permit to send actors with guns running through the Chrysler building would cost a lot of money, so Cohen shot the scenes illegally, getting the footage before the cops showed up. This renegade approach to filmmaking adds an extra layer of illicit fun to the film. Speaking of illicit fun, the primary goal of the main character in 1974’s It’s Alive is to kill his infant son. It’s not a plot you’re going to see in a lot of larger Hollywood productions. Of course, said infant is a horrible mutant with razor-sharp teeth and a murderous instinct, so I’m not going to judge our protagonist. It’s Alive had a troubled production, and the film was received poorly before a reworked marketing campaign and a rerelease helped it become a sizable hit. Still, none of the film’s production issues are apparent on screen, as the film effortlessly hits all the requisite monster movie tropes one after another—just, you know, with a killer baby instead of a normal monster. It’s one of Cohen’s leanest films, taking as much from the popular-at-the-time medical thriller genre as much as it does from other horror movies. Poorly tested birth control drugs are the cause of the baby’s mutation, allowing Cohen to work in some ripped-from-the-headlines hand wringing over the newest contraceptives.
Cheap, mean and loads of fun, both Q and It’s Alive are perfect ways to continue your Larry Cohen pilgrimage.
COHEN 301: ALIEN JESUS AND TOWNIE VAMPIRES New York, killing over a dozen people, he claims a divine being commanded him to do it. This opening scene—and all the ones following—make viewing God Told Me To in 2018 chilling. Sure, the God in question may or may not be a half-alien entity with mind control powers, but Cohen milks a ton of drama and tension out of positing that random acts of violence could explode any where, at any time. The fear and paranoia the film deals with are all too real; it’s rare that a movie unintentionally becomes more relevant with each passing year. The massacres that occur throughout the film portray all the confusion and terror which ensue in the minutes following a violent attack. It’s almost a relief when a higher power does reveal itself to be behind the killings; that’s more than we get in real life. Much more lighthearted is Cohen’s A Return to Salem’s Lot (1984), a loose sequel to the Stephen King book and miniseries of the same name. Its sequel status is tenuous at best: No characters return and no plotlines are continued. Instead, it feels like Cohen really enjoyed the “vampires take over a small town” concept of the original story and threw away all of the Stephen King nonsense he didn’t like. Michael Moriarty plays a cold-hearted anthropologist who discovers you can’t go home again, especially when home is now under the complete control of a powerful vampire. It’s a comedic take on a self-serious story, and all the actors are given plenty of scenery to chew on in their ridiculous performances. It’s almost certainly the best film that features a Nazi hunter murdering vampires. (That’s “Nazi hunter” as in a man who professionally hunts Nazis, not a hunter who happens to be a member of the Third Reich.) You might be able to see why fans of the original miniseries were confused and put off.
COHEN POST-GRAD STUDIES
SAVANNAH QUARUM
Once you’re done absorbing all the Cohen you can handle, I’d highly recommend the new documentary King Cohen (2017), assuming you’re not completely done with him by the end of all these films. If you do come out the other side a fan, good news: Cohen is still an active scriptwriter in Hollywood and has at least two different film pitches currently being considered. It’s heartening to see that a guy as bold and relentlessly entertaining as Cohen hasn’t been chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood machine.
PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • psuvanguard.com
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CJ Claringbold
SEPTEMBER 25–O CTOBER 1 COMMUNITY
FILM & THEATER
ART
MUSIC
HAPPY SWIFT HOUR MCMENAMINS 23RD AVENUE BOTTLE SHOP 5 P.M. To celebrate the arrival of migrating swifts to Chapman Elementary School in September, get $1 off draft beer and cider when you mention the word “swift” from 5 p.m.–6 p.m. and 8 p.m.–9 p.m. Cheers, little birds.
PREPARE OUT LOUD MONTGOMERY PARK 5:30 P.M. • FREE What is your role in creating a “culture of resilience” and how does this relate to preparing for a magnitude 9.0 earthquake? Find out at this forum and resource fair presented by the Red Cross Cascades Region and KGW-TV.
HOW TO KICK-START YOUR DO-GOODER CAREER: GLOBAL AFFAIRS AND MORE 1 P.M. • FREE Professional Do-Gooder Lyla Bashan shares insights for “a career of conscience” and “a life lived globally.” A diplomat and author of Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes.
OUR BOLD VOICES PRESENTS: RESCUE IS FOR LOVERS MCMENAMINS MISSION THEATER 6:30 P.M.• $20 An evening of curated storytelling and community building: Listen to true, compelling, honest stories from real people who have adopted rescue animals.
ALL JANE COMEDY FESTIVAL 2018 PRESENTS FORTUNE FEIMSTER LIVE 7:30 P.M. • $28 Women represent only 17–19 percent of the comedy industry, but the All Jane Comedy Festival brings a lineup of 100 percent female-identified funny people. The festival kicks off tonight with Fortune Feimster (The Mindy Project).
THU SEP 27
MOVIE NIGHT: THE GOONIES (1985) PARKWAY NORTH PROJECT 5 P.M. • FREE The iconic film made in Astoria has achieved cult status for its wild tale of small-town misfit kids on a quest for pirate treasure. A family-friendly event for the PSU community; popcorn provided.
ECOFILM FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT & PARTY: THE BEAVER BELIEVERS (2018) THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7 P.M. • $7 W/ PSU ID So how can beavers help us deal with climate change, and even do much of the work for us? Check out the opening night film for answers and stick around for the party.
CARMEN NEWMARK THEATRE 7:30 P.M.• $34–58 Ihsan Rustem’s Carmen, choreographed for NW Dance Project, was named “coolest collaboration” of 2017 by Dance Magazine. The smash hit show returns to kick off the project’s 15th anniversary.season.
THE FOCKE WOLVES / THE PUNCHERS / THE VILES TWILIGHT CAFE & BAR 8 P.M. • 21+ The Focke Wolves are a “damaged rock and roll band” from Southern California who share a producer (Cameron Webb) with Motörhead and Kelly Clarkson.
FRI SEP 28
BROWN GIRL RISE & ATABEY FUNDRAISER PORTLAND MERCADO 6 P.M. DJ’s from Latinx collective Noche Libre and other musicians will provide entertainment at this fundraiser to benefit youth empowerment program Brown Girl Rise and Atabey Medicine, an herbal apprenticeship program.
END OF SUMMER TIKI PARTY THE ALIBI TIKI LOUNGE 6 P.M. • 21+ Stop by the Alibi, where boudoir photographer Gretchen Hove (Pin Me Up Portland) will raffle off a $1,000 gift certificate for sexy services.
AMERICAN HATE: SURVIVORS SPEAK OUT POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS 7:30 P.M. In Arjun Singh Sethi’s new book, immigrants, refugees and survivors of hate crimes tell stories of intensified bullying, discrimination and violence under Trump administration policies. Event sponsored by CAIR Oregon and Unite Oregon.
HANG ‘18! SURF ROCK PARTY WORLD FAMOUS KENTON CLUB 9 P.M. • $5 • 21+ Keep that 1960s beach vibe going (and get extra mileage out of your fab outfit) at the Kenton Club with a groovy night of surf rock featuring local bands King Ghidora, Don & the Quixotes, Outer Space Heater, and the Apollo 4.
GOODBYE, SUNSHINE FEST PORTLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 7 P.M. • $15 W/ PSU ID • 21+ Play with your food! Enjoy marshmallow wars, candy gambling, veggie race cars, and dessert before dinner, while local band Creature Party provides “wholesome punk.”
LOSE YR MIND FEST VITALIDAD MOVEMENT ARTS & EVENT CENTER 7 P.M. • $15 • 21+ The second of a two-night warehouse party, Saturday’s lineup includes L.A. Witch, Sugar Candy Mountain and Kulululu, plus vinyl DJs, food trucks and mind-melting projections.
WERNER HERZOG’S CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (2011) THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 9 P.M. • $7 W/ PSU ID Part of the Portland EcoFilm Festival, this documentary explores Chauvet Cave in southern France, where hundreds of images of animals were painted on the cave walls some 30,000 years ago.
SUNDAY WORKSHOP: ASSEMBLAGE & SHADOW BOX CREATION SCRAP PDX 11 A.M. • $25 Bring some of your keepsakes, treasures, personal artifacts and other bits of residue and turn them into a work of art. SCRAP is Portland’s headquarters for creative reuse.
A CELEBRATION OF CLASSICAL INDIAN ARTS: DANCE, MUSIC AND POETRY CENTRAL LIBRARY 2:30 P.M. With traditional music, colorful costumes, and passionate storytelling, local artists weave a multi-dimensional tapestry that brings together five different dance styles from across India.
CHINA IN DANCE NEWMARK THEATRE 7 P.M. • $31–54 W/ PSU ID Check out the Portland debut of world-renowned Beijing Dance Academy, performing 10 classical dances including the tragic love story of Liang Zhu, known as the Chinese Romeo and Juliet.
WHY ARTS AND CULTURE MATTER! IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION 6 P.M. • FREE Portland City Council candidates Jo Ann Hardesty and Loretta Smith will appear in this public forum to discuss the intersectionality of the arts and educate voters ahead of the November election.
TIEL AISHA ANSARI, AMELIA ETTINGER, F.I. GOLDHABER NORTHWEST LIBRARY 6 P.M. • FREE Tiel Aisha Ansari is a Sufi warrior poet and president emerita of the Oregon Poetry Association. Presented by Free Range Poetry.
GIANTS IN THE TREES (FT. NIRVANA COFOUNDER KRIST NOVOSELIC) MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS 8:30 P.M. • $17 Krist Novoselic plays accordion and bass. Local “witch folk” band Lenore opens.
TUES SEP 25
HEART OF THE GORGE TOUR PORTLAND SPIRIT CRUISES AND EVENTS 8:30 A.M. • $78 If you aren’t in class today, here’s a chance to take in the scenic autumn beauty of the Columbia River Gorge from the deck of an Explorer Jet Boat.
WED SEP 26
PSU’S PARSONS GALLERY, URBAN CENTER
SAT SEP 29 SUN SEP 30 MON OCT 1