Portland State Vanguard Volume 77 Issue 26

NEWS

PSU Presidential candidates talk policy platforms P. 4-5

NEWS

Portland’s city government is changing P. 6-7

AN

INTERVIEW WITH THE

ALT-DRAG TRAILBLAZER. P. 8-9

OPINION

Ann Cudd should be PSU’s next president P. 10-11

OPEN OPINION PLATFORM COLUMN FOR ALL AT PSU

• STATE NAME AND AFFILIATION W/PSU

• SUBMISSIONS ARE UNPAID, NOT GUARANTEED AND CHOSEN BY THE EDITOR

• SEND THOUGHTS, STORIES AND OPINIONS TO EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM

CONTENTS

STAFF

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tanner Todd

MANAGING EDITOR

Brad Le

NEWS EDITOR

Zoë Buhrmaster

NEWS CO-EDITOR

Philippa Massey

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Kat Leon

OPINION EDITOR

Nick Gatlin

PHOTO EDITOR

Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani

ONLINE EDITOR

Christopher Ward

COPY CHIEF

Nova Johnson

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Nick Gatlin

CONTRIBUTORS

Abby Jobe

Milo Loza

Jesse Ropers

Isabel Zerr

PRODUCTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Whitney McPhie

DESIGNERS

Casey Litchfield

Mia Waugh

Zahira Zuvuya

TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS

Rae Fickle

George Olson

Sara Ray

Tanner Todd

ADVISING & ACCOUNTING

COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA

Reaz Mahmood

STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT

Maria Dominguez

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR

Rae Fickle

To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com

MISSION STATEMENT

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.

ABOUT 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 Wednesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

COVER DESIGN BY WHITNEY MCPHIE

SEND US YOUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR

ABOUT

We have revived our “Letters to the Editor,” a recurring Opinion feature that publishes and spotlights voices from around PSU, as well as the larger community of Portland, Oregon. This is a section devoted to spotlighting the opinions and feelings of our readsers, rather than the writers and contributors in our newsroom, and we welcome submissions from anyone. We’re particularly interested in perspectives related to current Portland events and community issues, as well as circumstances that impact the Pacific Northwest overall. We’d also love to hear your thoughts on stories we’ve covered—if you have a strong opinion about something we’ve reported, write us! We’ll happily read your submissions.

To share your letters for publishing consideration, email your thoughts to opinion@psuvanguard. com with the heading LETTER TO THE EDITOR, followed by your subject line.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, The Vanguard Editorial Staff

TWO FINALISTS REMAIN IN PSU PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

HOW DO THE TWO CANDIDATES’ PLATFORMS COMPARE?

ZOË

BUHRMASTER

The search for a new president at Portland State is down to the final two candidates. Both present strong academic credentials, with parallel interests in PSU’s goals towards diversity, student success and civic engagement.

Ann Cudd, Ph.D., currently serves as provost and senior vice chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh. Her past experience includes time as dean at Boston University, vice provost and dean for the University of Kansas, and previous director of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program at the University of Kansas.

Kathy Johnson, Ph.D., is the executive vice chancellor for Indiana University and Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI), having previously served as associate vice chancellor, psychology department chair and faculty fellow where she led in the planning and implementation for an Honors College at IUPUI.

Both candidates visited PSU’s campus over the past two weeks, participating in open forum discussions where students and faculty posed questions about weighted issues on campus. Questions highlighted racial equality, social justice, enrollment decline, budgetary issues, campus intracity interaction, support for faculty and administrator interconnection, athletics, campus culture and the transfer pipeline from community colleges to PSU.

RACIAL EQUALITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Dr. Cudd emphasized the importance of teaching empathy and cultural competency. At the open forum she proposed one option to increase accessibility: designing free, single-credit courses to fill in gaps for high school education. Additionally, Dr. Cudd also suggested increasing the conversation around diversity in the classroom by proactively creating spaces for peer-to-peer conversations.

Dr. Johnson also wishes to be proactive in the conversation around diversity by working with the dean and the provost to allow students in various disciplines to take ethnic studies courses. One of her primary goals is to support the BIPOC community by promoting the value of ethnic studies at PSU, a course requirement recently instituted into the general education requirements to graduate.

TRADITIONAL TESTING METHODS

Dr. Johnson is also familiar with the test-optional practices of IUPUI, where the Council of Deans she is a part of has integrated test-option solutions.

“Even prior to the pandemic, we had shifted to test-optional admissions at the undergraduate level and for many graduate programs,” Dr. Johnson said in her cover letter for the PSU presidency. “Most recently we have created a new integrative pathway for promotion cases of faculty whose work is broadly focused on equity and inclusion. I am deeply committed to this work and to the continuous need for professional development and personal reflection that it demands.”

Dr. Cudd implemented a test-optional method at the University of Pittsburgh. “We have, like many universities, gone ‘test-optional,’ an experiment that has helped those admissions achievements and we are confident is making our already outstanding student body even more dynamic, talented, and innovative,” she stated.

ENROLLMENT DECLINE AND COLLEGIATE BUDGET ISSUES

Dr. Cudd referenced her participation in regaining funding for the English-intensive program at the University of Pittsburgh post-pandemic. She forwarded that this experience provided her with the understanding of what it takes to avoid closing

similar programs, something that many PSU departments are currently undergoing the possibility of in light of recent budget cuts. She would approach budget issues at PSU by restructuring and strategic planning versus budget cuts, as her focus is on the educational mission of the college and student involvement. While Dr. Cudd did not explicitly lay out what this plan would look like in regards to budgetary issues, she emphasized her approach would hone in on common metrics and goals, working transparently and bringing in new initiatives to phase out old ones that are no longer serving the college.

“I see Portland as ‘growing in diversity,’” Dr. Cudd said. “I want to encourage out-of-state students to attend with a culture of belonging and inclusivity.”

Prioritizing graduate school is a primary focus for Dr. Johnson in student enrollment. Building pathways for graduate students, she said, specifically with marginalized groups, would help to diversify research. She cited stopping the decline of undergraduate admissions as something that would also enable promotion of PSU’s graduate school. She thinks approaching budgets with a balanced mindset is key and leans towards producing immediate results that minimize negative impacts to the university, such as cutting academic programs.

CAMPUS INTRACITY INTERACTION

Dr. Johnson said her goal for the college would be to produce professionals who understand city safety. She believes that cultivating a sense of humility and sensitivity on campus is important, partnered with advocating for the safe use of weapons and enforcing safety by means of awareness.

Dr. Cudd cited her experience that both universities where she has worked are intracity. At the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Cudd led the college in searching out and attaining classification by the

Carnegie Community Engagement, which recognizes institutions that make extraordinary commitments to their public purpose.

“I am excited to bring these experiences to Portland, where I see many opportunities for collaboration and inspiration for mutual benefit,” Dr. Cudd said.

FACULTY SUPPORT AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRUST

Dr. Cudd plans on working with the teacher union in order to create security for faculty members and solid connections between faculty and administrators. She would like to create events and open, in-person forums where representatives from various groups can meet and collaborate on shared goals and purposes at the college. “Good staff equals good teaching,” Dr. Cudd said.

During the open forum, Dr. Johnson said ensuring that students and faculty have a voice is her number one priority. Her strategic plan to address the issue of demoralized faculty would entail sharing governance of the college and its resources.

“Getting adjunct and staff the salary they deserve,” Dr. Johnson said. “Don’t use adjuncts to save money.”

Additionally, to encourage trust between faculty and upper administration, Dr. Johnson suggested implementing transparency in opening up college data access to staff and faculty. “Empower everyone within the community,” she said.

THE TRANSFER PIPELINE FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO PSU

Dr. Johnson cited looking at the transfer data available between two-year and four-year colleges would be her first step, partnered by employing mentors to aid in transition from community college. Ultimately, her work would focus on removing the stigma that students are less prepared to finish school and continuing to cultivate an inclusive university environment.

Dr. Cudd said she believes that the transfer pipeline from community colleges to universities is important. As such, she plans to meet with community college presidents to make a seamless transition for students looking to transfer.

ATHLETICS: D1 FOR PSU?

While Dr. Cudd has a positive attitude towards athletics, she is undecided on whether or not Division 1 (D1) athletics is a better fit for PSU and would like to get to know the campus better. “What value does it bring to campus?” Dr. Cudd said. “Is D1 a better decision for PSU?”

Dr. Johnson believes athletics are an important part of university life, citing the contribution they provide to the community and connection they create between students and alumni. She believes that D1 has the potential to raise the reputation of a university, and because athletics also creates natural leaders and role models, she sees potential in instituting D1 athletics at PSU.

CAMPUS CULTURE

Dr. Johnson believes that using innovative solutions to embrace challenges on campus would be key to implementing change. She believes that by using improvement science there is potential to lift PSU up as a national model, stressing the significance of community partnerships.

As president, Dr. Cudd stated she believes creating and building a relationship with students is vital. If chosen, Dr. Cudd hopes to do so by being a visible presence on campus and intentionally setting aside time for student connections, along with potentially teaching a course at the university.

Both emphasized the importance of student mental health, alongside diversifying the community.

The next president will be chosen before the next academic year, starting fall of 2023.

Feedback forms for the two finalists can be submitted through PSU’s presidential search website, https://www.pdx.edu/board/ presidential-search. Any following questions, comments or feedback about the presidential search can be directed to pressearch@pdx.edu.

Reporter Abby Jobe contributed to this article.

PROFESSOR KATHY ELIZABETH JOHNSON, PSU PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE C. COURTESY OF DR. KATHY JOHNSON

PROVOST ANN E. CUDD, PSU PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE B. COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

INSIDE PORTLAND’S CITY COUNCIL REFORM PROCESS

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHOSHANAH OPPENHEIM

PIPPA MASSEY

In Nov. 2022, Portland voters approved ballot Measure 26-228. This measure represents a package of changes, including using rank-choice voting to give voters the power to rate candidates in order of preference. The new system also increases Portland’s City Council from five to 12 members and divides Portland into four districts, each with three elected councilors. Portland State Vanguard interviewed Shoshanah Oppenheim, the Strategic Projects and Opportunity Manager, about how the changes are being implemented.

VANGUARD: How is the transition team ensuring that the team is fairly dividing the new districts?

SHOSHANAH OPPENHEIM: The city council appointed a 13-member independent district commission…their job is to develop a district plan for the city council elections. They will be engaging the community and ensuring that the community’s voices are heard throughout the process and developing a draft plan for community review later in the summer. Their final plan is due September 1.

VG: When would the city of Portland start using this form of government? Is there an official date?

OPPENHEIM: The first election of the new City Council and the district elections is going to be in November 2024; and in January 1 of 2025, when we open our doors at the city of Portland, we will have a new form of government.

VG: What are the biggest challenges associated with adding the district system to the existing at-large city commission that you faced?

OPPENHEIM: I think the biggest challenge is the timeline—it is somewhat relentless. The commission just got appointed. They are 13 individuals and several alternates who have never met each other and are going to be making a very very important decision for Portlanders. So educating the commission, ensuring that they have the information that they need in order to develop criteria that is reflective of our community and ensures that we have districts of equal population that meet the other criteria required for districts. I think that’s the biggest challenge—it’s a very short timeline, and these are volunteer positions, and we know that the commissioners will be giving up a significant portion of their time and pretty much the entire month of July in order to accomplish this task.

VG: Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that City Commissioner Dan Ryan said that once the decisions were made by the charter commission, it felt really rushed. What do you say in response to that?

OPPENHEIM: Having sat through the two years of the charter commissions work which was deliberate and effective and both educating themselves as well as educating the community, I think I just have a difference of opinion. Reasonable people can disagree about the process for the development of the charter amendments but I respect the commissioner’s thoughts on that, but it was a very long, deliberative process that engaged every part of the community in the conversation.

VG: Major milestones: Overview of the projects and the key deliverables

OPPENHEIM: So we’ve met our first milestone, which is launching the independent district commission and recruiting for their salary commission and their governance transition advisory committee. In April we’ll see revisions to our code to account for elections using rank-choice voting that will allow the county to adopt changes to their elections software for tabulation. In August, the salary commission will complete their work, establishing the salaries for elected officials. In September, the district commission will establish maps for the four geographic districts…and we’ll be launching a voter education campaign to ensure that Portlanders have the information that they need to exercise their choices on the ballot. A key milestone for this whole project is the adoption of the budget for fiscal year ‘24, ‘25. The budget will span the current form of government in a new council mayor form with the addition of the city administrator.

VG: How will voters hold the district commissioners accountable for problems when there are three people per district?

OPPENHEIM: The benefit to Portlanders of having three representatives representing them in their districts is that our neighbors and Portlanders will have more diversity of thought and expertise representing them in their districts, so rather than it being confusion about who is responsible, there are more people responsible to advance the needs of a particular district.

MIMI GINA: PDX ALT-DRAG ICON

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATOR OF ASSID QUEENS

Mimi Gina—local drag queen and creator of Assid Queens—had a succinct description of what drag queens are like for those who don’t know any. “If you’re gonna hang out with a drag queen and be around with a drag queen and work with a drag queen, you have to know that we are all fucking crazy,” Gina said. “None of those motherfuckers were normal… we’re like theater kids, but we serve cunt. That’s how I would describe drag queens.”

In creating Assid Queens for her fellow drag queens, Mimi Gina wanted to give space for the alternative crowd in drag. Queens would collaborate with different bands in the DIY shows and put on hybrid shows with half live music and half drag. Another part of this was showing drag to young people and changing the spaces for DIY bands. “One of the reasons I loved doing stuff on the punk scene was I didn’t feel like we had a lot of fem or queer representation on stage,” Gina said. “When I was going to these punk shows, there was just a bunch of boys in the band. I was like, ‘this is lame.’” It’s this platforming and collaboration that she’s proud of.

Looking back, Gina felt she was destined to become a drag queen, and her journey inspired the creation of Assid Queens. “I’ve always been cross-dressing,” Gina said. “It started before I could remember, so I’ve always just been grabbing shit out of my sister’s closet.”

Despite this instinct, Gina suppressed her identity for a long time. “I grew up in the 2000s, and it still wasn’t totally cool to be like a faggoty faggot, though I was a faggoty faggot,” Gina said.

It was then that she first watched RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I watched season five, and I’m like, this is crazy,” she said. “This is exactly what I want to do with my life.” Gina had always been interested in weird things, so it felt empowering to see people on TV talking about things she thought were niche.

Gina then knew drag was her passion, so

she began attending shows around Portland.

“I think the first thing that people in the drag community didn’t like before was I used to underage club a lot,” she said.

Part of her reason for sneaking in was the deplorable state of all-ages shows in the scene when she was growing up. Some choice details she shared included cum-stained couches and cigarette smoke and ash everywhere. Worst of all, the drag was lackluster. “People would do the worst drag, and you would just be like, ‘I did not just bus 30 minutes to be here,’ but like, it was the only thing we had,” Gina said.

Gina practiced painting her face at home before going out for the first time in drag to Dante’s. “Oh girl, it was so ugly,” she said. “I looked like I smeared shit on my cheek. Nothing was clean. There was barely any eyeshadow. I could barely draw a brow.”

Despite this, Gina continued to attend shows in drag, walking to and from shows through downtown. “I was so dumb,” Gina said. “I cannot believe I never got hate crimed. Someone called me a chick with a dick out of their car once. I was like, fuck you, pull over.”

Gina continued attending shows until the pandemic hit. When the shows started again, she was at last 21. However, people in the scene didn’t forget her underage past. “I tried to start going to events then, and immediately there were a couple girls who were much older than me were like, ‘oh, I remember this bitch, this bitch used to come clubbing underage and would put venues at danger, and we can’t book her,’” Gina said.

It was her difficulty getting booked that led Gina to start Assid Queens. They started with a house show before finally getting their first bar show. What initially led Gina’s decision in venues was a desire to put on all-ages shows.

“Like I mentioned earlier, they were so bum fuck shitty when I was growing up,” Gina said.

“I think it’s important for queer kids to see

JESSE ROPERS

MIMI GINA, DRAG QUEEN IN PDX. COURTESY OF ROSIE CAKES

freaky people, cross-dressers on stage and like know it’s normal.”

However, the all-ages shows had their own plethora of issues. “They’re so unregulated,” Gina said. “People are overdosing and shit at shows. I had a show last March where a 16-year-old girl overdosed. She was fine, but that was freaky.”

The overdosing, kids getting drunk and other liabilities that go along with all-ages shows have led Gina to stop hosting them. “I’m moving on from the all-ages thing,” she said. “It’s just too much of a hassle.”

Gina had some good and a lot of bad to say about the state of the drag scene in Portland. One crucial bit that she gave praise to was the inclusivity. “They’re very pro-trans and different sexualities and genders,” Gina said. “Portland’s really progressive about that. And the drag scene, like it doesn’t really matter what you were born as, no one’s gonna be like, oh, you’re cheating at drag cause you have a pussy.”

It’s a refreshing juxtaposition when compared to the drag scenes in other parts of the country.

Gina used Texas as an example, where not only is transphobia more abundant, but the rules and regulations are strict. “You have to wear nails, big jewels, be sparkly and have bright colors,” Gina said. “Your wig has to be glued. You have

to wear blush, contour and highlighter. That’s why I like alternative drag.”

Gina also shared a long list of the negatives present within the community. “Portland is a vampiric city where people suck on each other,” she said. “There’s a lot of drama, and I just don’t see a lot of people celebrating each other.”

Another issue Gina mentioned was the difficulties that alternative drag performers face. “It’s really hard to move up in the scene and get booked at certain places if you don’t know the right people or have a certain aesthetic,” she said. “If you want to dress up like Rosemary’s Baby and perform an abortion on stage or pretend to be Courtney Love and smoke a crack pipe while pregnant as a number, you’re not gonna move up the ranks of the typical club setting.”

The drama and booking difficulty have led many original Assid Queens and Gina’s favorite queens in the community to quit. “They’re like ‘it’s just too much drama and effort, and I have to try too hard, and I don’t get to do what I want to do,’” Gina said.

As far as Gina’s routines, they are constantly evolving. However, she shared a few that have always been fan favorites, such as her psycho killer number. “It’s like a news video talking about how Lorena Bobbit cut off her husband’s

penis,” she said. “And then I come out, and I have a little vegetable board, and to the beat of ‘Psycho Killer’ I’m cutting up zucchini. When I do that, people go crazy.”

Gina doesn’t cartwheel or do death drops, leaning instead into her funny side for hosting shows. “I’m better just chatting with the audience, playing games, telling jokes,” she said. “People will call me a bitch, say that I’m the biggest cunt ever, but the whole cast knows they’re there to get roasted.”

Gina’s main inspirations for her work are relatively straightforward. “I like trash,” she said. “I like hot fucking garbage. I’ve always been attracted to those bold, brazen, nasty but stylish characters. And so there’s a lot of that in drag and in queer culture... Like Dolly Parton said, she loved the way the town whore looked, and her mom would be like, ‘that girl’s nothing but white trash.’ She’s like, ‘I wanna be white trash.’ And I’m like, me too.”

Another major inspiration Gina cited was feminism. “I like angry women,” she said. “I

really like listening to Bikini Kill and Hole just cause they scream a lot, and it’s very anti-boy. I really hate men.”

Speaking of patriarchy, Gina had words for straight people wishing to attend her shows. “It’s really disrespectful when you’re someone totally outside the community, like straight dudes or bachelorette parties show up, and they don’t have a fucking dollar for you,” she said. “It’s like, okay, I get it, but stand in the back and cheer a lot. At least don’t be, like, front and center.”

Gina wanted to ensure people know that she isn’t who people assume. “I just want everyone to know that I’m not this horrible cunt they think I am,” she said. “I am kind of a bitch sometimes to people, and there are definitely some people that have the right not to like me. I wish more people got to know me ‘cause we actually have a really tight-knit [group] of people who perform in Assid Queens and the people who come. It’s a bunch of queer weirdos who get to celebrate together and be freaky and punk.”

MIMI GINA, DRAG QUEEN IN PDX. COURTESY OF ROSIE CAKES

MIMI GINA, DRAG QUEEN IN PDX. COURTESY OF KAT MONSTER

ANN CUDD FOR PRESIDENT

TO CHOOSE CUDD

NICK GATLIN

This is an opinion piece, not an editorial endorsement. The views expressed here do not represent the views of all of Portland State Vanguard.

On May 16, 2022, Portland State’s Board of Trustees voted to establish a Presidential Search Advisory Committee tasked with recommending a replacement for current PSU President Stephen Percy, who announced around the same time his intention to step down from the role. Now, in Feb. 2023, we have two finalists: Kathy Johnson, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor at the Indiana University and Purdue University of Indianapolis (IUPUI); and Ann Cudd, Ph.D., provost and senior vice chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Both are compelling candidates and both would be exceptional administrators. However, the Presidential Search Advisory Committee can only choose one candidate. In the end, I believe Dr. Cudd to be the correct choice: given her experience, her educational philosophy and her commitment to community engagement, I urge the committee and the Board of Trustees to select her to be PSU’s next president.

WHAT DOES THE PRESIDENT DO?

It may be helpful to begin by defining what exactly the University President does. According to the bylaws of the Board of Trustees of PSU, the Board “delegates the conduct of administration and management to the President… entrusts development and implementation of the curriculum, pedagogy and research through the President to the Faculty,” and occasionally charges the president with “leading a strategic planning process” regarding the university’s “strategic direction.” The president also has a symbolic role as the public face of the university, and as the spokesperson for its faculty, employees and students. This includes, for example, communicating with the state legislature about increased state funding for the university.

That’s a pretty broad directive, and it underscores the importance of the president’s role in the university’s administration. The president oversees all of the important dayto-day operations of the university, either directly or indirectly through appointed executive officers like vice presidents. They’re also responsible for “interpreting and implementing the policies of the University and the Board,” a clause with far-reaching implications in the case of major policy shifts like tuition increases, budget cuts or program reductions

In the coming years, PSU is facing a confluence of crises, the largest of which is a precipitous drop in enrollment that shows no signs of stopping. “Portland State for the last 10 years has had diminishing enrollment every year,” President Percy told Vanguard in Nov. 2022.

How exactly the university faces these problems is largely the purview of the president. Consider Percy’s fall 2022 financial update, where he charted a course for PSU’s response to budget shortfalls—this included instituting a university-wide hiring pause, reorganizing student services and eliminating vacant positions, to name a few. These are decisions that affect everyone, and they are made largely at the discretion of the president. These are the stakes. The president does not decide the course of the university’s future alone—many decisions are made in concert with the Board of Trustees and Faculty Senate, as well as the Student Fee Committee and other working groups. But the president does wield the power of the bully pulpit. They have the ability to set the terms of debate on such essential questions as how to prioritize scarce resources, which programs to support or which to reduce and how to implement new policies.

Because of the vast authority granted to the president—both substantive and symbolic—it is vital that we judge the two candidates on the merits of their pedagogical and budgetary philosophies. We need a president who will put their weight

behind the preservation of important programs, especially those in the liberal arts and humanities, which have been threatened by declining enrollment nationwide. Liberal studies, to quote the Stoic philosopher Seneca, are “the study of wisdom.” They provide the basis of all other studies and give us the tools to examine ourselves. PSU’s motto is Doctrina Urbi Serviat—Let Knowledge Serve the City. Liberal studies are what allow us to answer the question: which knowledge?

KATHY JOHNSON, PH.D.

Dr. Johnson wrote in the Leadership Orientation section of her cover letter to the Board that her educational philosophy is guided by her training as a psychologist, “particularly through theories related to student development, program evaluation, cognitive science, the measurement and analysis of learning outcomes, and an appreciation for evidence-based practice.” She also emphasized her commitment to equity and inclusion, including IUPUI’s shift to test-optional undergraduate admissions prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Academic and Research Experience section, Dr. Johnson wrote that she has had “a broad range of experiences in designing (and reviewing) academic programs,” and “in developing processes and systems that help to assure quality as well as evidence-based continuous improvement.” A major theme throughout her application is her track record of securing research funding, particularly in STEM disciplines.

These are all formidable accomplishments, and I have no doubt in Dr. Johnson’s commitment to lead PSU “toward its vision of expanding opportunity, urban engagement, and the promotion of academic and research excellence,” as she puts it.

However, I have some concerns about what this application leaves out—specifically, any mention of the liberal arts, which the letter appears to eschew in favor of professional programs and STEM research. This is understandable, given

Dr. Johnson’s professional background, but at a time when academic programs may be faced with budget cuts, it feels a bit portentous to see such short shrift paid to programs in the arts and humanities.

This absence, coupled with the letter’s discussion of program efficiencies and “performance-based (or outcomes based) funding,” leaves me with an uneasy feeling regarding Dr. Johnson’s budgetary and administrative priorities.

ANN CUDD, PH.D.

Dr. Cudd, in her cover letter to the Board, placed heavy emphasis on her experience with community-focused programs at Boston University and University of Pittsburgh, such as Metrobridge and Pittsburgh’s Community Engagement Centers. She also highlighted her experience as an educator, citing her “unusually broad, interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching” from her time as a philosophy professor.

An encouraging sign in Dr. Cudd’s application is her stress on community engagement. “I am deeply committed to the student-centered, teaching mission of universities,” she wrote. This shows in her record of meeting with university stakeholders and community members. “I meet regularly with the University Senate President,” she noted, as well as “student leaders” and “various affiliation groups, such as our Black, LGBTQ+, and AAPI student groups.”

These values carried over into the open forum Dr. Cudd participated in on Feb. 9. She indicated that “there is a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of building trust between the administration and the community,” and that “she is open to various perspectives and will continue to hold open forums to meet and discuss issues in person,” per Vanguard ’s reporting of the event

Dr. Cudd’s stances on PSU’s budgetary future drew praise from Melissa Appleyard, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

in PSU’s School of Business, who told Vanguard that “[Dr. Cudd] didn’t shy away from the difficulties that we’re having now budget-wise… I think as the incoming president, we need someone who has a really extensive network in higher ed as well as ties to the federal government and federal funding sources to survive and grow and thrive as a university.” Dr. Cudd’s focus on growth rather than cutting costs is a signal of optimism that PSU desperately needs right now.

Dr. Cudd also wrote in her application that she has had “multiple meetings with lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington, DC to lobby for student aid and explain the importance of higher education to our economy and civil society.” This is a promising sign not only for her ability to effectively negotiate with lawmakers, but also for her willingness to advocate for the mission of higher education itself—something that we cannot take for granted in a climate dominated by utilitarian considerations of dollars and cents.

Readers may note that the university president is granted broad authority to interpret and implement university policies.

It is in this regard that Dr. Cudd’s record is most commendable.

As a professor of philosophy, Dr. Cudd has published a wide range of academic articles across her career, many of which deal with hot-button issues like sexual harassment, campus speech and drug policy.

In a 1994 article titled “ When Sexual Harassment is Protected Speech: Hostile Environment Sexual Harassment Policy in the University,” Dr. Cudd argues that sexual harassment law “fails to meet the constitutionally-supported goals of equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination,” and that as such, “colleges and universities have a special responsibility to support the expression of those who would end discrimination and to criticize and remove support from those who would continue it.” This would be a welcome sentiment at a university that has often remained painfully

silent in the face of discriminatory speech

In a 2019 article titled “ Harassment, Bias, and the Evolving Politics of Free Speech on Campus,” Dr. Cudd wrote that “we in the university community should see the problem of free speech on campus as one of developing the kind of intellectual community we want and need to make society better in the ways in which higher education is uniquely suited… Administrators and faculty must always keep important principles and aspects of the mission of education in view. When begun by students, however, university faculty and administrators can and should support progressive change in other ways that challenge the entrenched understandings of academic freedom and tradition in order to bring about social transformation and serve the evolving social missions of universities.”

Finally, in her stunningly courageous article “ Taking Drugs Seriously: Liberal Paternalism and the Rationality of Preferences,” published in 1990 at the height of the War on Drugs and American hysteria over drug use, Dr. Cudd argues that—with the exception of anabolic steroids—a liberal society has no legitimate rationale for outlawing the use of drugs: “laws prohibiting the use of drugs restrict people’s rights to do what they may rationally prefer when they do not thereby harm others.”

Whether or not you believe Dr. Cudd’s views to be correct—I, for the most part, do—it is impossible to deny that she has engaged deeply with the issues. She has not shied away from even the most controversial topics, approaching them instead directly and in good faith.

Dr. Cudd’s leadership philosophy—grounded in the liberal arts tradition—and her educational and administrative record give me the confidence to make this recommendation. For all these reasons, I believe that Dr. Cudd is the clear choice for PSU President.

CASEY LITCHFIELD

THURS 2/23

EVENTS CALENDAR

FEB. 22-28

MILO LOZA

ART

CREATIVE CLUB SELLWOOD COMMUNITY HOUSE

10:15 A.M.

FREE

INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING ART COMMUNITY WITH INSTRUCTION AND STORY SHARING

ARTIST COMMUNITY MIXER VARIABLE CREATIVES

7 P.M.

FREE CASUAL, COMMUNAL SPACE TO WORK ON ART INDEPENDENTLY OR SHARE PROJECTS. ALL MEDIUMS WELCOME.

EXPERIMENTAL COMICS ZIBA AUDITORIUM

8:30 A.M.

FREE SKETCHBOOK COMIC ARTIST ELIZABETH HAIDLE SHARES HOW TO CAPTURE THE FLEETING THROUGH TINY BOXES

PAINT NIGHT PORTLAND CIDER CO. - WESTSIDE PUB

1 P.M.

$45

A RELAXING EVENING OF PAINTING, CIDER AND CONVERSATION

PAINT THE SKY WITH STARS BOTTLE & BOTTEGA

3:30 P.M.

$42

LEARN FROM AN ARTIST HOW TO PAINT A STARRY SKY

KIDS STORY AND ART CLASS AWAKE COFFEE & ART

10 A.M.

$5

CRAFTS FOR ALL AGES, INCLUDING

PLAYDOUGH, WATERCOLORS, PAINTING ON CARDBOARD, STORIES AND MORE

VISUAL ARTS PRIZE EXHIBITION JSMA AT PSU

12 P.M.

FREE AN EXHIBITION SHOWCASING THE WORK OF ARLENE SCHNITZER VISUAL ART PRIZE WINNERS

MUSIC

NO VACATION HAWTHORNE THEATRE

8 P.M.

$20

SAN FRANCISCO-BASED INDIE POP BAND KNOWN FOR DREAMY, ATMOSPHERIC TUNES AND NOSTALGIC LYRICS

SONIDERO: ROSE CITY ALBERTA STREET PUB

10 P.M.

FREE CUMBIA NIGHT WITH DJ DEADSTEADY SOUND

FILM/THEATER COMMUNITY

COMEDY OPEN MIC

ARROWOOD

8:30 P.M.

FREE

STAND-UP COMEDY OPEN MIC WITH FOURMINUTE SETS, HOSTED BY BRENT LOWRY

ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION WACOM EXPERIENCE PDX

5 P.M.

$30

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT TO FINAL ANIMATION FOR MUSIC VIDEOS

OMSI AFTER DARK

OMSI

6:45 P.M.

$25

NIGHT OF BOOK-THEMED FUN FOR ADULTS WITH BEER, BOOKBINDING DEMOS, GAMES AND OMSI EXHIBITS

PORTLAND HEIGHTS WALKING TOUR VISTA SPRING CAFE

1 P.M.

$20

DISCOVER PORTLAND HEIGHTS’ HISTORY AND STUNNING VIEWS ON A NARRATED WALKING TOUR OF THIS DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD

OCCASION VIBRATION WITH MIDLAND VITALIDAD MOVEMENT ARTS & EVENTS CENTER

10 P.M.

$15+

MIDLAND IS A LEGENDARY HOUSE MUSIC DJ AND PRODUCER, KNOWN FOR HIS TIMELESS CUTS AND ICONIC LIVE SETS

SAMIA WONDER BALLROOM

8 P.M.

$25

INDIE POP ARTIST SINGS INTROSPECTIVE AND EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SONGS WITH A DISTINCT VOICE

THE FLOOZIES THE NORTH WAREHOUSE

9 P.M.

$35

FUNK DUO KNOWN FOR THEIR HIGH-ENERGY PERFORMANCES AND UNIQUE BLEND OF ELECTRONIC AND LIVE INSTRUMENTATION

MUSIC MONDAY!

HAMMER + JACKS

10:30 A.M.

FREE ROTATING PDX MUSICIANS PREFORMING FOR CHILDREN, ALL AGES!

THE DESLONDES MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

9 P.M.

$17

QUINTET INFUSES SAXOPHONE, FLUTE AND SYNTH INTO A UNIQUE BLEND OF GRITTY COUNTRY, ROCK AND R&B

YOUNG AMERICANS PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

7:30 P.M.

$25+

A MUSIC-LED COMEDY EXPLORING IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES ON TWO ROAD TRIPS 20 YEARS APART

THE MAD ONES COHO THEATER

7:30 P.M.

$18

A PLAY WHERE A CHILD’S GRIEF PARALYZES HER, CAUGHT BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS AND THE UNKNOWN

RIFF OPEN MIC

UNLIMITED IPA

7 P.M.

FREE

COMEDY OPEN MIC WHERE EACH COMEDIAN GETS A RIFF TOPIC BEFORE GOING ON STAGE

OPEN MIC COMEDY THE CHEERFUL TORTOISE

9 P.M. FREE

WATCH LOCAL COMEDIANS PRACTICE JOKES WITH FIVE-MINUTE SETS, ON CAMPUS AT PSU

MY FAIR LADY KELLER AUDITORIUM

7:30 P.M.

$30+

THE SUMPTUOUS AND THRILLING REVIVAL OF LERNER AND LOEWE’S CLASSIC MUSICAL ABOUT TRANSFORMATION AND IDENTITY

PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIAL MCMENAMINS TAVERN

6 P.M.

FREE

BRING YOUR CAMERA AND PRINTS, MEET WITH FELLOW PHOTOGRAPHERS

PORTLAND FARMERS MARKET PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

9 A.M.

FREE

A LIVELY OUTDOOR MARKET WITH LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE, ARTISANAL GOODS AND STREET FOOD

SPRING HOME & GARDEN SHOW PORTLAND EXPO CENTER

10 A.M.

$15

EXPLORE NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR HOME AND GARDEN PROJECTS

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE NEWMARK THEATER

7:30 A.M.

$25+

JOIN A SCIENTIST IN EXPLORING DEEXTINCTION’S ETHICAL AND TECHNICAL CHALLENGES

LITTLE BROWN BIRDS PORTLAND AUDUBON

6 P.M.

$20+

LEARN TO DISTINGUISH AND IDENTIFY UNIQUE PATTERNS AND BEHAVIORS OF WRENS, FINCHES AND BLACKBIRDS