Portland State Vanguard Volume 75 Issue 11 by Portland State Vanguard

VOLUME 75 • ISSUE 11 • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Shelter Storm FROM THE

P. 8–9

NEWS Oregon wildfires scorch roughly 1 million acres P. 5

ARTS & CULTURE Modern television’s bildungsroman P. 13

OPINION “I really don't want to be on unemployment” P. 14

B C H A N G E F N A R M O R Y

D T S K J V B S R E V E N T L

Q V E A K I R Z T E L E A R N

D E I D Z R F B L U E G R J A

SEARCHING FOR CONNECTION?

V J E H X T A I F K D J Y Q M

B P I C O U D I N W F E S X I

V A O O Q A X K E C K T N J G

O X N M S L P M I O N Y W T S

N F L M Y Q A G G N O J F P S

L W H A I N U N M N P U R T GM H B N E W L A S Q B T U C Z

I Y E I U J N Y O C E K P E X

A M B T Y A E R R T D P Y X A

L T Q Y B Y R Y S R G C D N J

B D I V E R S E I D E A S W Z

Our time is now to seek connections, conversation, and positive change. Join TEDxPortlandStateUniversity this October for a free virtual event featuring a diverse group of speakers from our local community. Our speakers have selected topics that need to be addressed now more than ever, because we believe great ideas have the power to change beliefs, attitudes, and ultimately, the world. Visit our website now to register for our free 2020 event. Think you found all 16 words? Send us a picture at tedxportlandstateuniversity@gmail.com to enter to win a free prize!

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CONTENTS

COVER PHOTO BY SOFIE BRANDT / COVER BY SAM PERSON

NEWS FARMWORKERS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC FALL TERM KICKS OFF WITH A BACK TO SCHOOL TOWN HALL TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

P. 3 P. 4 P. 5

INTERNATIONAL SUGA ELECTED JAPAN’S NEW PRIME MINISTER

P. 6

OCCUPATIONS AIM TO FORCE ACTION ON GENDERED VIOLENCE IN MEXICO

P. 6

PERU’S PRESIDENT PERSISTS AMID POLITICAL TURBULENCE

P. 7

FEATURE SHELTER FROM THE STORM

P. 8–9

STAFF

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Justin Grinnell MANAGING EDITOR Nick Townsend NEWS EDITORS Hanna Anderson Dylan Jefferies INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Karisa Yuasa ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Morgan Troper OPINION EDITOR AJ Earl ONLINE EDITOR Lily Hennings

COPY CHIEF Sophie Concannon CONTRIBUTORS Sofie Brandt Andrew Christensen Emma Colburn Ida Ayu Karina Dwijayanti Aineias Engstrom Melody Field Meghan Utzman PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Annie Schutz MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Nick Gatlin PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sam Person

DESIGNERS Farah Alkayed Sam Garcia Shannon Steed DIS T RIBU TION DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dylan Jefferies T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow Kahela Fickle George Olson John Rojas A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher

INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

P. 10–11

ARTS & CULTURE STILL MARIO AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

P. 12

PEN15 AND RAMY: SIMPLY GREAT TELEVISION

P. 13

OPINION WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT PAYS MORE

P. 14

BLOOD CLOTS AND ANXIETY: A LESSON IN SELF-AWARENESS

P. 15

DESIGNER SHOWCASE SHANNON STEED

P. 16

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard ’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

FARMWORKERS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC A TEAM FROM 11 NONPROFITS AND THREE OREGON UNIVERSITIES RELEASE A NEW STUDY ON FARMWORKERS FACING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CHERRY ORCHARD IN OREGON. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS MEGHAN UTZMAN Essential workers in every industry across the country are facing unique and devastating challenges to cope with COVID-19, but none quite like agricultural farmworkers. Most of the 174,000 employees across the state of Oregon support their families through a job that can’t be done from home, earn an income below the poverty line, live in substandard housing conditions, lack basic access to healthcare insurance and now face the ultimatum of going to work or homeschooling their children. These factors combined prompted the development of the Oregon COVID-19 Farmworker Study (COFS) team—a combination of 11 farmworkerserving non-profit organizations and academic professionals from Portland State, University of Oregon and Oregon State University. The COFS team set out to evaluate the economic, health and social conditions faced by farmworkers due to COVID-19, and through the use of surveys, carried out the only study of its kind in Oregon by speaking directly with farmworkers to learn about the challenges they face first-hand. The team’s conclusions resulted in the following nine policy recommendations that will be presented to various committees and legislators in the upcoming special session. “Replenish income and safety net support for farmworkers regardless of documentation status, such as the Oregon Workers Relief Fund, COVID-19 Farmworker Rental Relief Fund, and expand qualifications for Oregon Worker Quarantine Fund.” More than a quarter of Oregon’s farmworkers are undocumented and considered unathorized to work in the United States, even though 67% of respondents in this study reported living in the states for over 15 years. The federal H-2A Visa program allows agricultural employers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural jobs. However, it provides less than 4% of the hired workers needed in agriculture, and leaves most workers unable to access social services such as unemployment, SNAP/

TANF benefits, childcare subsidies and other government-allocated emergency funds in response to COVID-19. “Expand stock of housing opportunities that can serve farmworker families facing housing insecurity and/or needing temporary quarantine shelter with adequate social distancing.” Of the 214 farmworkers surveyed, 34% reported they knew a coworker who was infected, 20% reported someone in their household had been infected and 9% reported that COVID-19 resulted in the death of someone they knew. Currently, OSHA does not release the occupation of those who died from COVID-19, but these results suggest “a far higher mortality rate than the 1% reported by the CDC.” It’s common for farmworkers to share their living quarters with other families in the agricultural industry. One of the study’s participants explained they lived with 19 other people, and that if anyone was to come down with the virus that they wouldn’t be able to adequately quarantine. “Enforce existing anti-retatiation and workplace protections that assure farmworkers can take time off and/or file employer complaints without fear of retribution, such as supporting stronger whistleblower protections and abolishing farm labor collective bargaining restrictions.” 28% of farmworkers in the study reported fear of losing their job if diagnosed with COVID-19, and 5% feared government authorities. Additionally, while it was reported that most agricultural employers modified their worksites to prevent the spread of COVID-19, 22% of workers reported no changes made to the bathrooms and handwashing areas, and 20% reported their employer did not supply them with masks. “Strengthen Oregon/OSHA occupational safety enforcement and worksite auditing activities, including random inspections.” Since OSHA doesn’t currently perform random inspections of agricultural worksites, a

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

number of farmworkers in this study reported that employers frequently staged their work environment in order to meet standards only when OSHA was expected. “Provide compensation for farmworkers who were forced to take time-off work and/or on informal networks for caretaking/childcare responsibilities due to the closure of childcare facilities and transition to virtual education since the start of COVID-19.” 68% of farmworkers in the study reported a dramatic loss of work and income during the pandemic. According to the survey data, while 75% of workers had children, women bore the majority of this loss due to increased caretaking responsibilities as a result of sudden school closures. “Implement digital literacy programs to improve farmworker families’ access to technology, such as supplying smartphones, tablets and stipends to offset internet service costs.” The financial demands of online learning require swift action be taken in order to fund the resources required for children of farmworkers to continue their education. The majority of surveyed participants reported difficulties paying for basic expenses: 58% for food, 59% for rent, 57% for gas and electricity and 29% for water, leaving no excess income to put toward educational technology. “Mandate employers provide training, when not already required, in languages farmworkers speak and provide targeted plans to improve language accessibility of information, rules, guidance published by government agencies, by funding local organizers and navigators that can reach and inform farmworkers who speak indigenous languages.” Only 68% of respondents reported they received training from their employer on how to be safe from COVID-19. 91% stated that they

understood the information—however, 6% received training in an unpreferred language, and 4% said they only understood some of the information. “Provide frequent and extensive access to COVID-19 testing with convenient access to lab results, vaccinations when available, and access to traditional methods of mental health support administered through trusted community clinics.” Only 37% of farmworkers reported being tested for COVID-19, and the cost of testing was cited as a significant barrier. Additionally, 91% of participants didn’t have access to mental health insurance, leaving them to rely on the limited resources of community organizations such as the Virginia Garcia Clinic or Salud Medical Clinic. “Ease barriers for exercising legal rights by connecting farmworkers to legal navigators that can provide legal advice on workplace rights, tenant rights, concerns over public charge and immigrant rights.” Oregon law gives all workers, including farmworkers, sick and family leave based on certain thresholds. However, 53% of participants in this study indicated they did not know about these resources. An additional 48% were unaware of the $20 million Oregon Worker Relief Fund, which was created specifically for immigrant farmworkers who do not qualify for unemployment. In the upcoming months, the COFS is expected to come out with a second phase of surveys and results focused on workplace conditions, transportation to/from work, caring for children with closed schools and challenges of remote schooling, housing conditions, access to medical care and other basic needs. “We’re talking about farmworkers,” said Dr. Lynn Stephen, anthropology professor at the University of Oregon and a COFS academic partner. “But farmworkers are whole people, who have whole lives.”

NEWS

FALL TERM KICKS OFF WITH A BACK TO SCHOOL TOWN HALL EMMA COLBURN Portland State kicked off its 75th anniversary with a Virtual Town Hall Wednesday, featuring a panel of administrative leaders who offered answers to top questions looming over students and faculty alike as classes resume. Panelists discussed how PSU is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader financial context behind tuition increases. As fall term begins, campus residence halls are open, but most classes will remain online. Provost Susan Jeffords reported decisions regarding in-person versus virtual course offerings for winter term will be made in early October. Panelists also covered the “COVID Round-Up,” an email communications briefing for students on how to manage the risks of COVID-19 that landed in inboxes last week. While The Center for Student Health & Counseling (SHAC) is working closely with Multnomah County to organize the campus response to the virus, panelists emphasized that reducing community spread starts with each person monitoring their own well-being. “All students and employees are required to conduct a self-check for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to campus,” one panelist said. SHAC provides the daily self checklists on their website, one for staff and faculty members and one for students taking classes in person. Those who have symptoms, or who have been exposed to COVID-19, are required to report to their healthcare provider or to SHAC, where testing is now available to all members of the PSU community. Currently, tests are sent off with a 1–3 day turnaround time. On-site processing of tests will begin shortly, sharply reducing turnaround time to mere hours and increasing effectiveness in stopping community spread. Outside of SHAC, other important measures PSU is taking to reduce community infections include restricting access to all campus buildings through PSU ID cards, arranging

NEWS

PANELISTS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY SIT DOWN TO ANSWER STUDENTS’ TOP QUESTIONS

SAM GARCIA

furniture to promote safe distancing and the use of newly-installed air filtration systems. The Town Hall MC, Kanari Porotesano, introduced Dr. Ame Lambert, PSU’s new vice president for Global Diversity & Inclusion. While Lambert’s position officially began in August, she started ahead of schedule in response to current demands for racial equity work, a key aspect of her position. “There are many conversations happening across campus at all levels,” Dr. Lambert said. “The campus is activated and moving. The cumulative impact of these efforts is transformation for equity and justice.” Lambert announced the Virtual Equity Summit, will take place on Oct. 30. The day-long event will “discuss the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion at [PSU],” according to the event’s website. Vice President of Finance and Administration Kevin Reynolds provided a financial update, projecting budget shortfalls for the upcoming fiscal year due to the potential for reduced enrollment next year, and the possibility of less funding from the state. President Stephen Percy followed up to affirm the question of affordability remains central to PSU, providing context for this year’s tuition increases—4.9% for resident undergraduate students. PSU is expected to make up the deficits left by state budget cuts by increasing revenue-raising tuition. Percy also said he is working with legislative partners to sustain the mission of PSU. Percy also emphasized a commitment to the town hall style of news briefings as a succinct way for anyone interested in tuning into how broader trends are reshaping campus life and institutional policies at PSU.

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

OREGON WILDFIRES SCORCH ROUGHLY 1 MILLION ACRES ANDREW CHRISTENSEN

Wildfires in Oregon are not unusual, yet the 2020 wildfire season was anything but normal. An historic extreme wind event struck the West Coast on Monday, Sept. 7. Fire warnings were issued across Oregon due to incoming weather patterns that were expected to cause easterly winds with gusts over 50 miles per hour. The windstorm ended up blowing across all of Oregon, from the Cascade Mountain Range to Western Oregon and the Oregon Coast Range, and lasted nearly 72 hours, causing massive fires to roll through Oregon’s forests. The hot, dry and windy conditions created an environment conducive to wildfires. When the winds knocked down power lines and ignited fires located high up in the Cascade mountains, it helped fuel at least 35 wildfires in Oregon alone. Overall, the fires burned across roughly 1 million acres, according to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. “We have not seen the likes of this fire in this state, this integrated with our communities, ever before,” said Doug Grafe, chief

FIRE BURNS ON SEPT. 15, 2020, OUTSIDE OF PAISLEY, OREGON. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, when discussing the persistence of the wildfires and the state’s ability to control the rapid growth at a Sept. 11 press conference. The largest of the wildfires this season were the Lionshead Fire, Beachie Creek Fire, Holiday Farm Fire and the Riverside Fire. Each occurred in the Cascade Mountain Range and, when combined, were responsible for burning approximately 700,000 acres and 2,500 structures, 1,237 of those being residences. During the press conference, Grafe stated that the fires “will be on our landscape until the winter rains fall.” While wildfires in the Cascades are traditionally infrequent, they are not unprecedented. Similar wind events to the one that began on Sept. 7 have led to large and fast burning wildfires in the past. The Yacolt Burn in 1902 destroyed approximately 500,000 acres and killed 65 people in Southwest Washington. More recently, the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017, ignited by the illegal use of fireworks, burned 50,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge. Both fires were partially caused by easterly wind events in the Cascade Mountain Range, according to the United States Forest Service. Oregon forests are typically considered more fire resistant forests than other areas due to several factors. For one, the Cascade Mountain forests are largely made up of tree species that develop thick bark, such as the

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Ponderosa pine, Western larch and Douglas fir, which insulates them from heat. Another factor is the timing of the fire season in the Pacific Northwest, which runs approximately mid-summer to the beginning of fall. When not under drought conditions, these areas receive moderate amounts of seasonal rain and additional snow melt from the high mountain regions that help to prevent fires occurring and spreading during the fire season. These factors make the 2020 fire season especially unusual. Dr. Max Nielsen-Pincus, an associate professor with the department of Environmental Science and Management at Portland State, currently studies wildfire history and risk management for fires in the Western U.S. Nielsen-Pincus said results from statistical modeling used to determine potential risk of large wildfire occurrences showed the areas where large Cascadian wildfires spread this year are always at low risk for large wildfires. The model showed potential results for 10,000 fire seasons. However, the sort of large wildfires normally considered low risk in the model are exactly what occurred in Oregon starting on Labor Day. The fires scorched more acres and structures than any past wildfire in Oregon. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including climate change, overlogging and a century of total fire suppression, which leads to forests conducive to wildfires.

What happens when the devastation from these fires is finally accounted for? According to Nielsen-Pincus, many of the affected communities will likely go back to some sort of normalcy when the smoke clears, the fires are extinguished and the evacuation orders are lifted. However, not every affected community will be able to go back to normal. During a press conference on Sept. 9, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said that areas such as Detroit, Blue River, Vida, Phoenix and Talent are “substantially destroyed,” and that “this could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfire in our state’s history.” While there is inherent risk to rebuilding these areas due to their location in wildlandurban interfaces, which are at risk for future wildfires, there also lies an opportunity to build more fire-resistant structures. Nielsen-Pincus pointed to Greensburg, Kansas as a prime example for this sort of opportunity. In 2007, the small town of Greensburg in Southwest Kansas was hit by an EF5 tornado, the highest level of tornado based on wind speed, and traveled down the center of the town, destroying 95% of its structures. Locals in the community thought of rebuilding the town differently, and in the end, the town received national attention for its reconstruction; it became a symbol of sustainable development and green technology.

NEWS

SUGA ELECTED JAPAN’S NEXT PRIME MINISTER

IDA AYU KARINA DWIJAYANTI

PRIME MINISTER YOSHIHIDE SUGA. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

When Shinzo Abe suddenly stepped down in August due to health concerns, Yoshihide Suga stepped up to be Japan’s next prime minister, following years in the background of Japanese politics. The 71-year-old prime minister will have to deal with the country’s economic stagnation, aging population and new challenges due to the global pandemic. According to Worldometer, as of Sept. 25, Japan has had 80,041 coronavirus cases with 1,520 confirmed deaths. Unlike Abe, who is a third generation politician, Suga came from the rural north of Japan. However, being the son of a strawberry farmer and school teacher did not stop him from being elected as the leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party on Sept. 16. John Vail, a chief global strategist at Nikko Asset Management, said to the South China Morning Post “Suga’s experience with the virus situation, including his appropriate pushback on complete shutdowns, is key, as this is Japan’s greatest concern right now.” Al Jazeera also reported that while the new prime minister depicts a continuation of Abe’s policy framework, Suga plans to implement more policies on agriculture and tourism in order to better the country’s rural communities. After years of being the longest chief cabinet secretary in the country, Suga is known for his skills in political deal-making and his understanding of Japan’s complex nature in the bureaucratic system. “Nobody has had as long a tenure as Suga,” said Kiyoaki Aburaki, managing director of BowerGroupAsia in Tokyo, to Al Jazeera. “He knows everything. He knows how the government works. He knows how sectionalism has previously prevented change. That is a great asset for him.” The South China Morning Post reported while Suga seems to have sufficient support, his obstacles will be determined by his diplomatic skills, such as dealing with Japan’s relationship with the United States and China. An associate professor of international relations at Tokyo’s International Christian University, Stephen Nagy, explained “Japan’s broad approach towards China has been to balance accommodation with Beijing with security, and integrating the Japanese economy into those of its neighbors in the rest of Asia.” Within his first ten days in office, Suga spoke to China’s President, Xi Jinping, the first call between the two countries’ leadership since the pandemic began. “Stable relations are important not just for our countries but for the region and the international community. I want to fullfill that responsibility,” Suga said during a NHK broadcast following the conversation. Even with his experience, not everyone is convinced that Suga is up for the job. “He has very little in the way of a network outside Japan and does not come across as a natural diplomat, so I do not anticipate that he will look at ease alongside other foreign leaders,” said Koichi Nakano, professor of politics at Tokyo’s Sophia University, to the SCMP. “It is true [Suga] was the longest-serving chief cabinet secretary, but in that time, he came across as very secretive, very authoritarian and something of a bully in the press conferences that he held every day,” Nakano said.

INTERNATIONAL

OCCUPATIONS AIM TO FORCE ACTION ON GENDERED VIOLENCE IN MEXICO "NOT ONE WOMAN LESS" SIGN. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

AINEIAS ENGSTROM Protests against gendered violence in Mexico have reached a new pinnacle this month after feminist activists stormed and occupied the country’s National Human Rights Commission on September 3. The federal building in Mexico City remains under the control of the group Ni Una Menos—“Not One Woman Less”—and has been repurposed to serve as a shelter for female victims of violence. Its walls have been painted with murals demanding justice for the victims and messages denouncing police, while the entrance is blocked by a row of defaced portraits of male national figures. On September 15, Mexican Independence Day, the occupiers also hosted a rally to gain further attention for their demands. In solidarity with the takeover in the capital, other feminist collectives in Mexico have seized control of local human rights commissions across the country. “Like the women in Mexico City, we believe the National Human Rights Commission is a failed, inefficient and neglected institution,” said one protester from Sonora in northwestern Mexico, as reported by NPR affiliate KJZZ. “We support all of the brave mothers looking for their daughters, and all of the survivor families that are seeking justice for those who have been murdered.” The activists said they will hold out until the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador addresses the escalating spiral of crimes committed against women. Mexico has recently seen a dramatic rise in domestic violence and femicides. Government data published in February indicated on average, 10 Mexican women are murdered every day. Statistics also show the number of femicides has risen by 137% over the past five years, according to Reuters. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions on public behavior appears to have exacerbated

the issue of domestic violence. In March 2020, a network of women’s shelters reported a 60% increase in emergency calls by women—more than 26,000, according to Al Jazeera. The organization attributed this to the combination of lockdown conditions and long-term failure on the part of state authorities. López Obrador has drawn the ire of the feminist activists for failing to take forceful action to combat gendered violence. Protesters have also taken issue with the president’s response to the occupations. He accused the protesters of vandalism for defacing portraits of national figures—a charge that drew a sharp response from demonstrators. “How can you get outraged about this picture, but not about how my own daughter was abused?” said one mother of a survivor about López Obrador. The takeovers of the National Human Rights Commission buildings are arguably the most forceful action yet in a series of protests against gendered violence in Mexico, which began in August 2019 after two girls separately alleged they had been raped by police officers. The protests have since included an attack on the attorney general’s office, the defacement of multiple national monuments and government buildings and even a nationwide women’s strike in March 2020 shortly after the gruesome killings of 25-year-old Ingrid Escamilla and 7-year-old Fátima Aldrighett. The feminist activists are determined to stand their ground against what they say are unjust and lethargic state authorities. “The institutions can go to hell because they don’t respect people’s human rights,” said one woman, who said she waited for hours at the National Human Rights Commission in a failed attempt to find her niece and sister, as reported by The Guardian.

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

PERU’S PRESIDENT PERSISTS

AMID POLITICAL TURBULENCE PRESIDENT MARTÍN VIZCARRA. COURTESY OF FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

KARISA YUASA Peru’s President, Martín Vizcarra, survived an impeachment vote on Sept. 18. He was accused of “moral incapacity” after audio tapes surfaced appearing to show him attempting to obstruct a corruption inquiry. The crisis began when Edgar Alarcón, a Peruvian legislator charged with embezzlement, released an audio recording that appeared to show Vizcarra discussing with aides how many times they were visited by musician Richard Cisneros. Cisneros, also known as Richard Swing, had come under scrutiny for nearly $50,000 in questionable contracts with Vizcarra and the Ministry of Culture for jobs such as motivational speaking during the height of the pandemic. The musician had performed in support of Vizcarra during his 2016 presidential campaign, but the president denies the contracts were to return a political favor. According to The New York Times, Vizcarra was heard in an audio recording telling officials that, “in an investigation, we’re all involved…We have to present a common front.” Although Vizcarra confirmed the voice in the recording is his, he stated he believes the recordings are heavily edited and do not contain proof of any illegal activity.

Vizcarra is the sixth consecutive Peruvian president accused of corruption. While serving as vice president, Vizcarra’s predecessor, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, resigned ahead of an impeachment trial on the similar charge of “permanent moral incapacity.” Vizcarra promised to “clean up the country’s political system,” and gained support for his anticorruption agenda. According to a poll by IPSOS Peru, Vizcarra had an 87% approval rating at the beginning of the pandemic. “He hasn’t been able to carry out all the political reform that he and his allies hope to,” said Steve Levitsky, a Harvard political scientist, according to AP News. “But corruption in middle-income countries is never eliminated in a single presidency.” The president has faced backlash and tension from politicians for his attempts to change how Peru’s government is run. Vizcarra also has no party representation in Congress. When the controversy first came to light, Vizcarra denied any wrongdoings and refused to step down. “I am not going to resign, I have a commitment to Peru and I will fulfil it until the last day of my mandate,” Vizcarra said, as reported by Reuters. Vizcarra also told reporters he believed the impeachment trial was “a plot to destabilise the government.”

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

This is not the first attempt members of Congress have made to impeach Vizcarra. Last September, Congress attempted to impeach him for incapacity, which ended when he dissolved Congress. “I do not hide, I have not done so before and I am not going to do it now. I am here, with my head high and my conscience clear,” Vizcarra said to Congress on the day of the trial. On Sept. 11, Peru’s Congress voted to open the impeachment proceedings. The motion received 65 votes and was backed by six out of nine political parties that represent 95 of the 130 congressional seats. Before the trial, Vizcarra asked Congress for forgiveness for the disturbance the release of the tapes caused, but maintained the position he did not do anything wrong. While discussing, many in the oppositioncontrolled Congress expressed Vizcarra’s apology was unacceptable and wanted a full investigation. However, many also indicated the impeachment trial itself was rushed and flawed. After 10 hours of debate, only 32 votes were cast in favor of Vizcarra’s impeachment, with over half of the members originally in favor of the trial withdrawing their support. This was severely short of the two-thirds majority, or 87 votes, needed to remove the president.

Some worried the trial was an unnecessary distraction as Peru continues to face the devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Al Jazeera. Despite strong and early action, Peru was hit hard by COVID-19. As of Sept. 26, Peru had 800,142 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 32,142 deaths, the highest per capita mortality rate in the world. Peru also had one of South America’s fastest growing economies, but is currently expecting a 12% contraction this year, according to The New York Times. “The situation with the pandemic is really serious right now,” said head of the Peruvian branch of the anti-corruption group Transparency International, Samuel Rotta, according to the Washington Post. “The last thing Peruvians need is this slap in the face.” “It’s not the moment to proceed with an impeachment which would add even more problems to the tragedy we are living,” lawmaker Francisco Sagasti said, as reported by AP News. Vizcarra has called for a proper investigation of claims, but emphasised it is not the right time to add politically motivated hurdles. “Peru cannot be stopped because of the content of a few audio recordings with no validity,” Vizcarra said in a speech before Congress prior to the vote. “The management of the pandemic and the economic reactivation cannot remain in suspense.”

INTERNATIONAL

Shelter From The Storm · · ·

Oregon wildfires displaced thousands, PSU’s University Place Hotel opened its doors DYLAN JEFFERIES

SMOKE FROM THE OREGON WILDFIRES FILLS THE SKIES ABOVE PSU. ANDREW CHRISTENSEN/PSU VANGUARD

WIND It didn’t feel like the beginning of the longest week of their lives. Chelsey Huff, 28, was relaxing at home in Oregon City with her husband, mother-in-law, two young sons and two dogs on Monday, Sept. 7. They had the day off for Labor Day. In the evening, the winds picked up, and the sky became a dark, hazy maroon. At that time, they didn’t know of any fires nearby. “We were just kind of oblivious, I know that sounds bad, but we just assumed that everything was fine,” Huff said. When they woke up the next morning, the power was out. Huff, who works as the enrollment advisor for Portland State’s Criminology and Criminal Justice online program, emailed her boss from her phone, which still had cell service, letting her know she had to take the day off. Then they sat around waiting for the power to come back on. Huff got a hold of her aunt, who works for the Oregon Department of Forestry. She told Huff that the situation was bad, and that they should think about evacuating as soon as possible. “We thought she was crazy,” Huff said. “We were like, ‘we’re fine, we’re totally fine.’” But when she went outside to assess the skies, she saw three wildfires in the surrounding hills, slowly drawing nearer to her home. “As soon as that happened, we were like, ‘oh my gosh, this is real,’” Huff said. Cell reception was mostly unavailable. The only way Huff could get a hold of others was by calling whenever she managed to find shaky service.

FEATURE

Eventually, Huff was able to contact extended family living in Gresham. Even though there wasn’t yet an evacuation notice, Huff decided to play it safe by taking her family to stay with them for the time being. That afternoon, they gathered up some valuables and necessities and headed out, thinking they would be back home for dinner. But by the time they arrived in Gresham, the situation had gotten worse. Oregon City was under a stage three evacuation notice, and the fires were less than half a mile away from their home, where they had left many possessions, along with their nine chickens. Their family’s home in Gresham was crowded and stressful. Huff and her husband slept on the floor. “We were so thankful that we had somebody to stay with, and they had space for us,” Huff said. But she also felt guilty; her family had friends from Estacada who also needed a place to stay because their house had already gone up in flames. *** When the wildfires started, staff at the PSU University Place Hotel were under a lot of stress. Sarah Bithell, the front desk manager, whose family lives in Estacada, had three siblings and their families who had to evacuate the area, as well as other family members who were under evacuation notice. “I love that area, so it has been extremely painful, scary and sad knowing that it was and is on fire,” Bithell said. Caelan Jye “CJ” Fludd, 29, a front desk supervisor and a PSU undergraduate student studying Spanish and psychology, was also distressed. “Initially, when the fires and evacuations started happening, it was very stressful and a bit chaotic,” Fludd

said. “We all have friends and family, in the PSU community and out, who live in the areas that were in danger. The natural reaction is to want to help, but there wasn’t really anything we could do...[I was] feeling a bit helpless.” According to Fludd, PSU administrators and hotel management were trying to figure out a way to offer aid to those affected by the fires, and a temporary evacuation rate was put in place for displaced community members on Sept. 8. Families and persons displaced by the fires started arriving at the hotel early on Sept. 10. That evening, hotel staff were looped into the final plan decided on by PSU administration and hotel management; All displaced PSU students, faculty and staff and their immediate families—including pets—could stay at the hotel for up to 14 days, free of charge: no fees and no deposit. A complimentary hot breakfast would also be provided each morning. Hotel management was also in contact with Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s office and the Multnomah County Emergency Management office, both of which requested that the hotel accept additional displaced families in case shelters in Multnomah County reached capacity. The hotel also had rooms set aside for Portland first responders, which had been set aside towards the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic for emergency workers, typically from Oregon Health and Science University, who didn’t want to return home in between shifts at the risk of infecting their families. According to Antonio Recillas, general manager of the hotel, even with so many rooms set aside—over 100—the hotel was still offering rooms at regular rates, but that members of the

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PSU community would be given priority. “[The hotel] is going to prioritize PSU families first,” Recillas said, “so if someone comes from PSU and they need to stay here, we will take from another block of rooms, from either the governors or Multnomah County, to be able to give that room to the PSU family.” “We would rather serve the community than make money, if that makes sense,” he said.

FIRE Appeya Galindo, a PSU alum, her husband and her son, Tyler Haskett, who will be attending PSU this fall as a freshman, had to evacuate their home in Colton, Oregon, where the Riverside fire was raging, on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Over the next few days, Galindo and her family stayed with friends, family and at hotels, where they accrued over $1,300 in fees. “Our extended family and friends were able to help us with this, but it was not sustainable,” Galindo said. “We found ourselves constantly wondering what we were going to do next and where we would go.” Additionally, Galindo’s husband is immunocompromised, which made finding refuge even more difficult amid the ongoing pandemic. Galindo received an email from PSU University Communications on the morning of Sept. 11, informing the community that the University Place Hotel was open to those displaced by the fires. The news came like a much needed breath of fresh air. “It is beyond words how grateful our family has been for all who have been able to help us through this, and for PSU and the amazing staff at University Place Hotel for taking us in during this difficult time,” Galindo said. Chelsey Huff and her family awoke to the email from University Communications on Sept. 11, and they decided to jump on the opportunity. Huff was then resigned to the fact that her home and possessions were “just going to burn, and we couldn’t do anything about it.” Huff and her family hadn’t been able to sleep the past few nights. “It’s hard already going through this, and then having two kids and not having your own space to just relax,” Huff said. “We were sleeping on the ground and everything like that. And so, when we got that email, I was like, I’m gonna call them, and I’m gonna see if they have anything.” Huff spoke to Sarah Bithell, the front desk manager. Huff was struck by the compassion Bithell expressed over the phone. “She really took the time to be human and show concern, which like, that meant a lot because it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced.” Bithell did what she could to get Huff everything she needed, which ended up being two rooms to accommodate the whole family, one of which had a sliding glass door to easily let the dogs outside. “When you get here, we’ll hug each other and cry together,” Bithell said. *** Shortly after the email from University Communications went out on the morning of Sept. 11, University Place Hotel staff were inundated with phone calls. Joanna Isimbi, 25, a front desk agent and graduate student at PSU, was working the morning shift. She received an email from hotel management in the morning, informing her of the decision to house community members displaced by the wildfires. It also asked that hotel staff try to be as accommodating as possible. After Bithell joined Isimbi a little after 10:00 a.m., things started getting hectic. “We were receiving phone calls, like, every second,” Isimbi said. “It was pretty intense. People were just saying thank you, you know, telling us their stories, how crazy it was to have to go to another place. It was pretty sad.” CJ Fludd, the front desk supervisor, arrived later that day for the mid-shift. “It was very draining emotionally, having family after family come in, obviously exhausted and worried about their unsure future,” Fludd said. “There were instances you could see the parents were doing everything they could just to hold the tears back, staying strong for their children.” In an email sent that evening to the general manager, Bithell wrote: “I have to share that I am beaming with pride in how my team has stepped up. We were busy non-stop since I arrived today…My team rocks!”

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*** Huff and her family drove to the hotel on the night of Sept. 11, where they were able to check-in without any hassles; then, for the first time since they left their home on Sept. 7, they were able to enjoy a moment of peace. While checking in, Bithell and Huff didn’t hug because of social distancing guidelines, which were being diligently followed by hotel staff despite the frantic circumstances. “I checked in and they were so nice,” Huff said. “Usually, they make you put down a $50 deposit or something, which like, we have that, but [we were thinking] we might have to get a new house, and we didn’t know what was going on.” The next morning, Huff and her family enjoyed the free, hot breakfast provided by the hotel, which also adhered to social distancing guidelines. “There were no worries about social distancing,” Huff said. “That was really reassuring, especially because I have two little kids, and it’s like, not only am I not at my house, but we’re also currently in a pandemic.” Bithell reached out to Huff that morning to connect her with various resources. She offered to get her in touch with a worker from one of the child-development service centers on campus, who was making sure that kids at the hotel had everything they needed, including games and toys. “[Bithell] just kept going above and beyond just to make sure that we were okay,” Huff said. “It was just really, really touching.” After breakfast, Huff and her family went to stay with their extended family in Gresham, and returned to sleep at the hotel at night. They continued this routine for the next four nights.

SMOKE Appeya Galindo and her family, who arrived at the hotel on the morning of Sept. 11, were grateful to finally have a place to stay that was both inexpensive and followed social distancing guidelines. “University Place Hotel has given us great comfort and peace of mind so that we are able to focus on repairing our home and helping to take care of our other friends and family who have also been affected by the fires,” Galindo said. “Our hearts are humbled by the outpour of love and dedication that surrounds us in our Colton, Estacada and Molalla communities as well as here in Portland.” On Sept. 16, five days after they arrived at the hotel, Galindo learned that the area around her home in Colton, Oregon had gone down to a level two evacuation notice, and that her home had been spared by the fires. However, Galindo and her family decided to continue staying at the hotel because the extremely hazardous air quality which enveloped the West Coast had settled into their house. *** For the next week, staff at the hotel were working long shifts back to back, helping family after family who, in many cases, had lost everything, or at the very least, were displaced for an indeterminate amount of time. But the overarching feeling among them was a feeling of gratitude for being able to offer assistance and sympathy at a time of catastrophe and uncertainty. According to hotel manager Antonio Recillas, “We have our priorities where they need to be. People first. It’s not about money, it’s about relationships and safety, and we’ll figure out the rest, and that goes a long way...In the face of tragedies, there’s always something good that comes out of it, so we’re very blessed that we’re able to help.” “Before Friday [Sept. 11], I had been struggling with feeling helpless,” Bithell said, “so it was extremely relieving and satisfying to be able to support our community so generously by facilitating safe shelter without the added worry of how to afford it.” “I am very thankful that PSU and the University Place Hotel gave me the opportunity to help people who were displaced by the fires,” Fludd said. “It helped give me a stronger sense of purpose, and a sense of pride to be a part of PSU’s staff.” “People kept thanking the hotel, the management, and it was a privilege to be able to tell people, ‘oh yes, you can actually stay here for free,’” Isimbi said. “It felt really good. It’s not like I’m telling them the fires will be gone or anything, but just telling them, ‘we have this place to stay, and you don’t have to think about fees or anything like that.”

PSU families occupied 91 rooms at the hotel by Sept. 14, according to Recillas.

RAIN Huff and her family were able to return home on Tuesday, Sept. 15, after the evacuation notice for Oregon City went down to a level one. Their house was messy and covered in ash, but everything was spared, including all nine chickens that were left behind during the hurried evacuation seven days earlier. “We were so worried about them, but we came home and all nine of them are healthy and alive,” Huff said. “They’re stained yellow from the smoke, but they’re totally okay.” When they returned home, the family got busy cleaning, which, because they had thought they would lose everything, became a blessed and thankful act. “[Our house] definitely wasn’t the cleanest, but I am more than happy to clean my house, because I have a house, you know?” Huff said. Huff felt immense gratitude for the services the hotel was able to provide for her family when she reflected on the past week: “I can’t express how thankful I am to be a part of PSU, and the fact that they were just trying to do everything they could to be helping. I think that is what really stood out to me—that it didn’t feel just like a hotel and a business transaction. You could tell that they genuinely cared about us, and genuinely felt what we were feeling.” More than anything, Huff said, it was that level of compassion, from the moment she called the hotel and spoke to Bithell on the phone to the moment she left, that stood out to her about the experience. “They just wanted to do anything they could to make us comfortable, even when everything was falling apart around us and there were so many uncertainties,” Huff said. “That was so important—the human connection.” *** Galindo and her family were able to return home on Saturday, Sept. 19. The evacuation notice around their home in Colton was still at a level two, but the rains had cleared the air enough for them to comfortably return. They were hoping that that notice would go down to a level one soon—until then, they didn’t feel comfortable bringing their pet guinea pig back from a sitter, which made it difficult to fully settle in. “Our home still smells like smoke, but we have been able to maintain air quality for the most part,” Galindo said. “This morning [Sept. 20] we woke up to some smoke outside, but it lifted by noon.” “We are thankful that we still have a place to come home to and we are heartbroken for those who do not. They are all in our constant prayers,” she said. *** Heidi Williams, the social media manager for PSU communications, received a direct message on Facebook from a woman named Emily Bourgo on Friday, Sept. 11. It read: “I have no idea how my family is ever going to be able to thank you enough for your overwhelming kindness, compassion and generosity, offering PSU students within the evacuation zone, a place to stay temporarily. My daughter is a PSU student. We have been awake all night and all day, trying to find somewhere/anywhere to stay because the air within our home has gotten so thick and incredibly toxic from fire, which isn’t far from us. I can’t seem to stop crying, the stress, fear, etc., and now crying because we finally have somewhere to go! There are no words, there will never be the right words to express our deep gratitude. Thanks to PSU, we are scheduled to check in at the university hotel at 4pm. I wish I could hug whoever made this happen. Thank you.” Bourgo, her daughter McKenna and their dog arrived at the hotel that day, where they met Sarah Bithell behind the front desk. Bithell, in an email to the hotel manager, Recillas, remarked how Bourgo and her daughter were in tears with gratitude when they arrived at the hotel. As she was checking them in, Bithell gave them warm cookies and their dog a treat, which overwhelmed Emily even more. “I wished I could hug her,” Bithell wrote. After reading Emily’s Facebook message later that night, Bithell was herself overwhelmed with emotion. “It wasn’t until I got home and read it aloud that I recognized how powerful Ms. Bourgo’s message was,” she wrote in an email to Recillas. “I have had a lot of meaningful guest experiences throughout my career in hospitality, but never more than now.”

FEATURE

THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD Sept. 20–Sept. 25

INTERNATIONAL

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AINEIAS ENGSTROM

Sept. 20

BANGKOK, THAILAND

Backed by tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters, leaders of the pro-democracy movement in Thailand attempted to hand-deliver a letter to the king’s Grand Palace. According to CNN, the letter listed 10 demands for government reform in the monarchy, including revocation of strict anti-defamation laws, passage of a new constitution and the abolition of several military and royal positions in government. The demonstrators were stopped by police before reaching the royal residence and subsequently agreed to hand the letter to a police commissioner. Since criticism of the Thai royal family is currently punishable by up to 15 years in prison, the gesture was nonetheless hailed as a victory by student leader Parit Chiwarak, who also called for a general strike on October 14. The protests in Thailand erupted in July amid growing discontent with King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who has been accused of enriching himself and quarantining in a German four-star hotel during the COVID -19 pandemic.

Sept. 21

ATHENS, GREECE

The Greek government announced 243 migrants in a temporary refugee camp on the island of Lesbos have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Associated Press. Stelios Petsas, a spokesperson for the Greek government, presented the results of more than 7,000 tests conducted there in recent days, while also noting most of the infected were asymptomatic and no Greek officials had tested positive for the virus. The migrants are part of a group of nearly 13,000 people, who were forced to flee fires that destroyed the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos earlier this month. Four Afghan asylum seekers were charged with starting the fires to protest the dire living conditions and the COVID-19 lockdown orders in the old camp. The Greek government is now encouraging those left without shelter by the blaze to move to a new tent city erected on short notice near the island’s largest town, Mytilene. 3

Sept. 22

GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR

According to a statement made by the Ecuadorian navy, Chinese fishing vessels have left an area

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near the Galápagos Islands after fishing in the southeastern Pacific for the fourth summer in a row. The ships operated legally in international waters and were monitored by the Ecuadorian navy, but the large size of this year’s fleet of more than 300 vessels sparked concerns over possible damage to the ecosystems in the area. “With such a large number of fishing boats, we have the risk that certain species are diminished,” said Rear Admiral Daniel Ginez, the Ecuadorian Commander of Naval Operations, to Reuters. Ginez added his country would explore measures to stop future “preying on fishing resources” near the Galápagos Islands that are known for their extraordinary biodiversity. 4

Sept. 23

MINSK, BELARUS

Despite weeks of widespread demonstrations against his authoritarian rule, Alexander Lukashenko was sworn in for a sixth term as president of Belarus. The ceremony took place behind closed doors at the Independence Palace in Minsk and prompted further protests that were broken up by state police, who arrested more than 150 participants. In a statement, opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, currently in Lithuanian

exile, described the swearing-in as a farce and reasserted her claim to the presidential mandate. She was Lukashenko’s only notable opponent in the election on August 9 that has been condemned as fraudulent by both the European Union and the United States. Notwithstanding growing international pressure, Lukashenko has clung to power by arresting opposition figures and turning to Russian President Vladimir Putin for support, according to the Washington Post. 5

Sept. 25

CHUHUIV, UKRAINE

A Ukrainian Air Force plane crashed while approaching a military airport in the eastern part of the country, killing 26 people on board. One survivor was hospitalized in critical condition. The Ukrainian State Emergency Services reported the Antonov An-26, a Soviet-era transport aircraft, was mostly carrying cadets from the nearby Kharkiv Air Force University at the time of the crash. According to AP News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the crash site on Saturday and announced a full review of the condition of the country’s military equipment. A commission to investigate the cause of the wreckage was also set up.

INTERNATIONAL

UNPACKING SUPER MARIO 3D ALL-STARS, BOX BY BOX

R E T F A O I R A M STILL S R A E Y E S E H T ALL

MORGAN TROPER There’s a lot to both love and loathe about Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Nintendo’s new Mario compilation-cum-cash grab. The good: It gives you three of the greatest video games ever made—1996’s Super Mario 64, 2002’s Super Mario Sunshine and 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy—on a single, tiny Nintendo Switch cartridge. All games have been given the high-definition treatment, and two of its three titles—Sunshine and Galaxy—are being properly remastered and re-released for the very first time. And, of course, all three games are fully playable in the Switch’s handheld mode with only a slight visual downgrade, which might be the best part of the package. The bad: Nintendo unveiled the game on September 3, only a few weeks ahead of its September 18 release date. The big reveal was accompanied by the troubling announcement that this would be a limited release, with all physical and digital sales of the game officially ceasing on March 31, 2021. There’s some precedent for this, as Nintendo has a history of manufacturing scarcity and mismanaging supply. Its NES Classic Edition, a miniaturized version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System that came preloaded with 30 games, quickly sold out everywhere and became an expensive collector’s item after it was released in 2016—that is, until it was reissued a couple of years later.

Nintendo’s “time-gating” of a product that should, by all accounts, be perennially available is annoying for consumers. But it presents its own set of challenges for smaller retailers (which, if we’re being honest, is anyone other than Amazon), some of whom had difficulty securing copies of 3D All-Stars from their distributors in the two weeks between the game’s reveal and release. Notably, the UK web retailer Base. com was forced to issue refunds when it realized pre-orders for the game had greatly outpaced the amount of product it was set to receive. Video game news site Eurogamer published an email Base.com sent its customers informing them their orders had been cancelled; “…as Nintendo and their UK distributers [sic] are unable to give us any reassurance that more stock will become available after release, we have taken the regrettable decision to cancel all orders.” Under normal circumstances, this would just be business as usual. In today’s climate— when video games offer a much-needed respite from the unrelenting horrors of the modern world—Nintendo’s Disney Vaulting seems especially weird and avaricious. Mario might be the one thing we can all agree on; good luck find-

ing a physical copy of his new game. So, it’s been difficult to extricate Super Mario 3D All-Stars from the context surrounding its release—and it’s hard to have a discussion about this game that isn’t at least partially contaminated by bitterness towards Nintendo for what is a truly boneheaded rollout. There are the technical quibbles as well. All games are running on an emulator, some of the more outdated aspects of these games haven’t been corrected in any way and there’s a serious dearth of incentivizing extras. Even the start-up menu is stock and sterile, which hints at something many gamers have suspected; this collection was thrown together hastily, and what you see is what you get. Nevertheless, what you get is pretty great. Playing a Mario game for the first time can be a life-altering experience. Mario isn’t just the de facto gateway into video games—he’s responsible for galvanizing the imaginations of millions. Returning to Mario games as an adult, then, is a therapeutic experience, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a slow, steady drip of serotonin-soaked nostalgia. You could argue all day about which of these three games is the best or has aged the greatest, but it’d be a waste of time; the best game in this collection is probably going to be the

game you have the fondest memories playing. That said, they each have their own objective strengths and weaknesses. Super Mario 64 is the most significant of the bunch from a historical standpoint, having single handedly ushered in “proper” 3D gaming in the mid-’90s. For zoomers and younger millennials who came of age in a post-Grand Theft Auto IV gaming environment, that’s likely all this game will seem—a relic of immense technological and cultural importance that is ultimately confined to its time and absolutely infuriating to play. Super Mario Galaxy exists on the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s a linear game that prioritizes micro novelties over sweeping attempts at innovation; it’s clever and chaotic and plays like a composite of everything that has ever made a Mario game great. Of the three, it is simply the most fun to play, and it benefits the most from the HD overhaul. But the game I find myself returning to the most is the series’ black sheep, Super Mario Sunshine—a title that attempted to break ground but tripped over its shoelaces and fell face first into a pile of dog shit. Sunshine’s gameplay centers around F.L.U.D.D.—a water pump that Mario uses to clean up the polluted Isle Delfino, the game’s tropical setting. Sunshine is by no means perfect—and a bastardized control scheme makes sections of the 3D AllStars port nearly unbearable—but it is the 3D Mario game with the most consistent vision. 64 and Galaxy are pure escapism; they’re apertures into fantastical virtual terrariums that bear little resemblance to Earth. By comparison, Sunshine’s quasi-realistic theme parks, crystalline beaches and quaint harbor towns seem just out of reach. Sunshine is about a vacation that goes horribly wrong, which is fitting—it makes me homesick for a better version of the real world.

SHANNON STEED

ARTS & CULTURE

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

PEN15 AND RAMY: SIMPLY GREAT TELEVISION

HIT HULU SHOWS BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THE COMING-OF-AGE GENRE MORGAN TROPER From the mid ‘00s to the early ‘10s, coming-of-age comedies starring white men or teenage boys targeted towards white men and teenage boys were a dime a dozen (and were usually in some way associated with the Judd Apatow multiverse.) Films like Superbad, Youth in Revolt and, well, pretty much anything from the era in question that starred Michael Cera centered on the micro dramas of suburban white male adolescence almost exclusively. That isn’t to say a film like Superbad doesn’t have universal appeal or isn’t still funny—it does and is—but its lack of cast diversity and the culturally passe male “gaziness” of its cliches cannot be ignored in the year 2020. Michael Cera-core began to feel a little stale and sketchy by the start of the last decade. Around the same time, we started getting shows such as Girls (2012), Broad City (2014) and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015). These programs— while maybe not coming-of-age stories in the traditional sense—nonetheless focused on young, clueless people attempting to square their residual little kid feelings with the cosmic seriousness and ineluctable cruelty of a grownup world. And, as all of these shows were the brainchildren of auteurs who are women—Lena Dunham in the case of Girls, Illana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson with Broad City and Rachel Bloom with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend—these tropes were approached from refreshing, non-aggrieved boy perspectives. I’d be remiss not to mention the ways in which Girls specifically is terrible, though. Its depiction of New York City—one of the most diverse places on the planet—is sterile and whitewashed, a white Brooklyn media socialite’s paradise replete with gentrifying coffee shops and warehouse dance parties. Moreover, it tackles social issues with the accuracy of a Dick Cheney shotgun blast; it hits the mark every once in a while, but there’s some serious collateral damage. This mostly just speaks to Dunham’s ignorance and class privilege; she was born into Manhattan money and—despite her good intentions—will always be divorced from the problems of ordinary people. Still, you could make a decent argument for Girls playing some part in priming relatively conservative viewers for coming-of-age stories that boast novel perspectives. Two recent examples of hit shows that fall loosely into the coming-of-age sub-genre—and whose perspectives are infinitely more valuable than Girls’—are the Hulu series Ramy and PEN15. Unlike Girls and Superbad and most American film and television, these shows’ characters and stories don’t orbit a predominately white milieu, and their success would have been inconceivable as recently as 10 years ago. Ramy—which was renewed for a third season over the summer—stars series creator Ramy Youssef as a somewhat fictionalized version of himself. (In the show his last name is Hassan.) Ramy is an American Muslim and the show chronicles the character’s attempts at reconciling his millennial inclinations (spoiler: he has a porn addiction) with the expectations of his family and community. It’s dark, funny and whip-smart.

PEN15—which is now in its second season—is closer to a conventional coming-of-age tale. It stars series creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle as their middle school alter-egos, and it’s pretty incredible that two actresses in their early 30s were able to transform into seventh-graders. It’s easy to draw comparisons between PEN15 and a show like Freaks and Geeks, but its antecedents are closer to Ghost World or golden era Wes Anderson. There are no self-reflexive “mic drop” moments in PEN15, and its leads don’t embody the obnoxious jaded teen affect viewers have come to expect from these types of narratives. PEN15 is a fly-on-the-wall comedy which candidly captures the earnestness and awkwardness of middle schoolers and their special little lives. You aren’t even rooting for the protagonists to get the guy; you mainly just want to jump inside the screen and be the first person to tell Maya and Anna that humanity, as a whole, is irredeemably terrible. Though, of course, that’s something every teenager has to discover for themselves. PEN15 shines a light on the beauty hidden within teenaged naivete—when every day is a rollercoaster of euphoria and dejection, when heartache or a parents’ divorce feels like the most oppressive thing on the planet. It is the television equivalent of the Big Star song “Thirteen.” Ramy and PEN15 are both unflinching in their depictions of a home life that might seem unfamiliar to white viewers. In Ramy, the titular character alternates between speaking Arabic with his family and English when he’s around friends—which is ultimately symbolic for the cultural identity crisis many second generation Americans face. Maya—whose last name is Ishii-Peters in the show— is Japanese American, and at home her family sometimes speak to each other in Japanese. Unlike in Ramy, Maya’s identity crisis is not yet in full bloom, and this aspect of the show is not necessarily central to its plot— it’s ultimately just one more thing that makes the recusant teen feel even stranger as she starts to navigate the big kid world. But PEN15 wouldn’t be the same show without these moments—they give credence to Maya’s underdog complex, separating her from the Michael Ceras of the world. A Japanese American protagonist in a hit Hulu show is huge—especially now, when Asian American representation in mass media is still embarrassingly scant and racism towards Asian Americans in general remains a frequent blindspot in conversations surrounding racial equality. Describing Ramy and PEN15 as novel feels like a slightly patronizing understatement—at the end of the day, this is simply great television. These shows are not the result of cynical boardroom pitch meetings or major studios attempting to satisfy their meager diversity quotas. They’re stories written and performed by actual, identifiable people, drawn from actual, identifiable life experiences—and the fact that there’s an appetite for them proves we’re tired of watching the same old shit.

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HULU SERIES RAMY. COURTESY OF IMDB

ARTS & CULTURE

MELODY FIELD The COVID-19 pandemic has proven minimum wage does not pay enough to cover the costs of daily living. Since early March, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused unemployment to skyrocket around the United States. Many people who were laid off six months ago are continuing to receive unemployment because their jobs are not safe to open yet. Some people who have been unemployed since March are still awaiting their first unemployment checks. Worst of all, entry level jobs have open positions that are not being filled because so many people are awaiting their jobs to open back up and do not want to climb the ladder to receive what they had been earning before.

Zac Keyes, a former Oregon resident, was laid off from his job as a computer numerical controlled machinist this past July, after working there for nine months. He was in the industry for six years and went to school for two years to be promoted from a CNC operator. For him, searching for a job outside of his industry is not a feasible option. “I really don’t want to be on unemployment,” Keyes said. “I feel better about myself and am happier when I work for my own money. However, while so much of the economy is shut down, either I need to change my field of work or collect unemployment till I can find something in my own industry. What makes it complicated is I make more on unemploym e n t than I

would if I changed industries and had to start working my way up again.” Keyes is an example of a typical unemployed middle-class American right now. While there are entry level jobs available, people like him feel waiting for jobs in their industry to open up again is their best opportunity—especially when unemployment is paying them more than an entry level job would. This is part of the problem causing widespread unemployment across the U.S. It’s not that there aren’t jobs available, it’s that there aren’t jobs that can sustain the typical American’s daily expenses. “While an adult, I’ve gone to college twice while working a full-time job so I could afford to pay my bills,” Keyes said. “Now I’ve got a family and a house payment. I’d have to take two fulltime entry level jobs to afford cost of living. At that rate, my family life and work performance would suffer and I’d be stuck in a loop. Best-case scenario, it could still take years to get my feet back under me. That being said, once unemployment is done if I haven’t found something that’s what I’ll have to do. It’s kind of stressful.” This is not even mentioning unemployment isn’t covering the costs of an average middleclass American. According to Keyes, he’s taken “probably around $250” out of savings. “It’s a bit hard to say for sure because I set money aside for projects, and we did do some elective spending,” Keyes said. Unemployment could start running out as soon as 2021, depending on individual qualifications.

Keyes noted if he had not set aside a large sum of money after recently selling his house, things would be much worse for him and his family. Although Keyes said he used money for projects/elective spending, it is still significant that he is having to do this. If he was working a job in his industry, he would be making the same spending choices without jeopardizing his savings. For a lot of Americans, unemployment is not a motivator, regardless of whether they have a job they’re waiting on to reopen. Even though unemployment is meant to be a temporary income, it doesn’t teach people how to get jobs, nor does it offer resources to do so. “It’s nice that unemployment exists, but it really isn’t providing me any resources to get back to work,” Keyes said. “I’d suggest not passing any viable opportunity for work. Dedicate some time looking for employment or educational opportunities either in your field or one you’d be interested in. And hopefully either the market recovers or the government provides more relief soon. I honestly don’t see jobs making less than 18 dollars an hour as remotely viable in a single-income home.” Keyes recently moved from Utah to Alaska and just had a job interview. Although it is outside his preferred industry, this potential occupation pays above minimum wage and will cover the cost of his children’s schooling while he waits on the economy to open back up.

WHEN

UNEMPLOYMENT

PAYS MORE

SHANNON STEED

OPINION

SHANNON STEED

WORKERS AWAIT CHECKS, OLD JOBS, IN COVID-19 CHAOS PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

BLOOD CLOTS AND ANXIETY: A LESSON IN SELF-AWARENESS

AJ EARL In December 2018, I was in a bus accident. Tossed around the interior of the bus after it hit a cow, I ended up getting knocked out for a moment before stumbling around in relieved, but shocked, silence. In the days and weeks that followed, my body reacted terribly to the accident and began to slow down. This and the eventual sedentary lifestyle it created would lead to one of my closest calls and worst health scares in my life: massive blood clots. Resting in bed more and more often, crushed by fatigue, I eventually found myself sleeping and sitting more and more often. When COVID-19 hit, it wasn’t uncommon for me to stay in bed for a couple of days at a time. Avoiding the outside world and dealing with the impact of the pandemic on my life and work, I created a private world for myself that was increasingly sealed off and immobile. This is when the blood pools and the clots form. A deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that originates in the deep veins of the body, most notably in the legs. Often, this is the result of long trips by air or car, but sometimes it’s just a matter of too much bed rest without moving the legs, such as during recovery from surgery, something I also dealt with this summer. Sometimes these clots can break off and travel through the bloodstream. When it ends up in the blood supply to the lungs, it becomes a pulmonary embolism, and if it’s impacting both lungs, it’s a saddle embolism. My first clue something was wrong was in my legs. I began to feel more pain in my legs, pain that felt like my leg was unraveling from the inside. Redness appeared, it felt hot. For the first few days, I attempted to walk on that leg every so often,

trying to keep the muscles stretched. Eventually, the pain became unbearable, I went to the emergency room. I was sent home with an anticoagulant and told to take it until my DVT dissolved in a few weeks’ time. Then it hit me—the anxiety. The best way to describe the anxiety I experienced in the days after my trip to the emergency room is to imagine every system in your body suddenly devoted to telling you something is wrong. Struggling against an extreme emotional discomfort, I tried to return my life to normal, to no avail. Ultimately, the anxiety got to be too much. When Xanax didn’t work, and valerian root couldn’t help me sleep, I decided it was time to go to the emergency room again. Amid the joking about my return visit, hospital staff were somewhat concerned. Sending various imaging techs in to see me, I was eventually told my clots had moved, with some parts becoming a massive clot in my lungs. Due to my age and relative health, my heart and lungs remained unstressed, but the clot needed to go. I was placed on a stronger blood thinner and sent home after a few days. The lesson here should be a warning to folks during this pandemic, especially those who are working from home; don’t ignore your body when the anxiety is too much. In my case, this anxiety was a sign that my body was having trouble with a mass in my veins. Since an opinion article

like this only really depicts my experiences and isn’t medical advice, talk to a physician and let them know any concerns you might have. Take a quick stock of your circumstances and let them know any relevant information, like a recent surgery, pregnancy or new hormone treatments. There are certainly many ailments that can arise during this pandemic, but those that impact you when you’re less active are certainly going to be more apparent. Being aware of your risks but also the signs of major health crises like blood clots is an important, life-saving level of attention. Although you shouldn’t diagnose yourself with something you’ve read about in an opinion article without seeing a doctor first, it’s still important to calmly and consistently assess your health. In this case, just understanding the warning signs of a blood clot was a life-saver.

SAM GARCIA

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com

OPINION

VANGUARD

DESIGNER SHOWCASE

SHANNON STEED

FLORA & FELINES CALENDAR

I’m Shannon, an incoming third year design student at Portland State. As an avid animal lover who’s desperate for a cat of her own, I created this calendar for folks like me. With plants that are native to the Pacific Northwest, this calendar is an homage to the many Portland animal lovers in my life that would love a cat in their home, even if it’s just on paper.

PSU Vanguard • SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • psuvanguard.com