Portland State Vanguard Volume 78 Issue 29

NEWS: PSU students react to passed bill limiting campaign donations P. 6

NEWS: PSU expe s discuss Measure 110 rollback and community impact P. 7

OPINION: People voted in Measure 110; Kotek shouldn’t unilaterally roll it back P. 8

ART OR VANDALISM?

‘Street a and graffiti are evidence of humanity of our

presence here’ P. 4–5

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STAFF

SOCIAL MEDIA

Josi Struck

Alley Henrici

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Aishwarya Suresh

COPY CHIEF

Isabel Zerr

CONTRIBUTORS

Amber Finnegan

Adriana Stanzione

Darcy Williams

Diana DeGroot

Jessica Pelton

JJ Christensen

JM Vincent

Lilli Rudine

Milo Loza

Thuyu Gedi

Vaishnavi Srinath

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Briana Cieri

DESIGNERS

Arianna Thomas

Haley Hsu

Abby Raymundo

Parker Patnode

TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS

George Olson

Hongzu Pan

Sara Ray

ADVISING & ACCOUNTING

COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA

Reaz Mahmood

SALP 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

PORTLAND STREET ART—VANDALISM OR CREATIVE EXPRESSION?

SPRAY CANS AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY

The status of street art is a contentious issue. For some, it is not so much art as merely gratuitous graffiti. For others, it can be a source of civic pride, public artistry and community engagement in cities across the country.

In Portland, creative expression is everywhere, literally written on the walls. Whether it be a word, a random name, a cryptic message, a vibrant mural, a crude drawing or a powerful political statement, Portland’s city walls reflect a cacophony of different voices within local society.

However, discerning graffiti from public art proves a rather subjective task. “To me… [graffiti] is actual vandalism; it’s not sponsored, it’s not allowed, it’s not sanctioned,” said Portlandbased visual artist, Slang. “Street art—that term—used to be more definitive, and I feel like it has become more loosely defined… It’s become generic, but it used to have a substantial meaning.”

Slang points to art dealer and curator Jeffrey Deitch as a primary actor in blurring the line between the substance of real art

and graffiti art. “He [Deitch] got hired to work at the [Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)] and did a show called Art in the Streets,” Slang said.

The show was based on “the graffiti styles that emerged from American housing projects, subway yards, and bleak suburban parking lots during the 1970s.” This gallery ended up being one of MOCA’s most popular shows. Despite its success, “The board just all protested, ‘This isn’t art!’” Slang said. “That’s the problem with old mentalities getting in the way of everything.”

In academia, the artistic canon is well defined and well taught. Slang described their time in art school as having been skewed by a “weird insecurity of holding on to the indoctrination of what art is,” Slang said.

Scholarly artistic communities deem specific genres of work more worthy of recognition than others, yet even institutional definitions of good art have changed dramatically with time.

“They were teaching me how to be a successful artist, but [a successful artist] 30 years ago,” Slang said.

“Art in itself is so subjective,” said Sid Spencer, an art curator at Art Design Exchange (ADX), a community event and art gallery space in Portland. “It’s not black and white. There’s a gray area.”

ADX recently hosted a public event called The Rattle Can Revival, which showcased the work of different street artists, graffiti artists and muralists. A long table displayed repurposed spray cans elaborately decorated in different themes. Peculiar sculptures made of found materials and beautiful paintings incorporating common techniques in graffiti decorated the gallery.

“Street art and graffiti are evidence of humanity or evidence of our presence here,” Spencer said. “When I lived in Washington D.C., there wasn’t nearly as much street art as there is in Portland.” It’s difficult to imagine walking through the streets of Portland without the presence of street art and graffiti. It’s become a part of the urban landscape.

ADRIANA STANZIONE Depicted is one of Slang’s mural works in Portland. For Slang, they say creating art is cathartic. “That fury I had, just bled into my art, and expressing that rage—it kind of became a coping mechanism” they said

COURTESY OF SLANG

Graves’ painting, “Tulip Dreamers,” was on display at the TheRattleCanRevivalat ADX. The piece depicts a white tulip drenched in green and orange spray paint in a recklessly impactful juxtaposition

Finn Graves was one of the artists whose work was on display at ADX. One of her paintings, “Tulip Dreamers,” depicts a white tulip drenched in green and orange spray paint in a recklessly impactful juxtaposition.

Graves’ art practice is guided by the idea of transformation. “It’s all about transformation,” they said. “‘What can I take away from this? What can I create out of nothing?’” Graffiti, street art, vandalism—however we define those terms—are acts of transformation in themselves.

For Graves, the only difference between graffiti and public art is that “one artist is being paid, and one isn’t,” they said. “Everybody has their own definition of what art is.”

The city of Portland, however, has no issue imposing a rigid definition of graffiti. “Any unauthorized markings of paint, ink, chalk, dye or other similar substance which is visible from premises open to the public and that have been placed upon any real or personal property,” according to City Code Chapter 14B.80.

In Portland, graffiti is considered criminal mischief. At the lowest level, it is a Class-C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and fines reaching $1,250.

For many Portlanders, this criminalization of graffiti artists merely perpetuates a harmful system. “They want to keep us locked up and incarcerated,” Slang said. “It’s a multibillion dollar industry.” The prison industrial complex is something that Slang passionately criticizes, and this criticism is often reflected in Slang’s own art.

“They don’t want to lose their stock, so they’re going to keep this system going,” Slang said. “You’re locking up kids and young people in a violent system. You’re creating violent people. That’s the cycle of violence. We’ve done that, and it doesn’t work.”

Slang works as a volunteer for P:ear, a non-profit organization that supports Portland youth experiencing houselessness. “P:ear creates a safe space,” Slang said. “They’re an example of what transformative justice actually is. When there is a dispute or a conflict between two kids, there’s no punitive action taken… That’s a really good framework of [what] we as a society need to do instead of punitive measures. We need to start working with the cause, not the symptom of something.”

According to Slang, what helps youth the most is “just talking and genuine affirmation.” they said. “That goes a really fucking long way. You don’t have to do much other than just genuine encouragement… Even the smallest amount of affirmation—I see it light the fire in these kids. They are some of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met.”

One way that Slang and P:ear support Portland youth is by leading mural projects across the city. P:ear prioritizes the importance of art in building strong community ties and offering an outlet for self-expression.

ADRIANA STANZIONE/PSU VANGUARD

The Rattle Can Revival showcased the work of different street artists, graffiti artists and muralists, including these works depicted by artist Mizchaos

Slang discussed their personal experiences with racism, as well as a disillusionment with the United States capitalist system that only made them feel more out of place as they’ve grown up.“I feel like my story is a perfect example,” they said. “I didn’t have anywhere else to direct my energy and rage over these things.”

“[Creating art is] just very cathartic and therapeutic, you know?” Slang said. “That fury I had just bled into my art, and expressing that rage—it kind of became a coping mechanism.”

According to Spencer, the spray can serve as a symbol of defiant freedom of expression. It is even described as a politicized object in a handout from The Rattle Can Revival

Yet, without an official warrant, many Oregon politicians consider street art as nothing more than a nuisance to be covered. A large sum of taxpayer money is allocated to removing and covering graffiti.

According to KATU News, the Oregon legislature recently approved a $20 million package for the Oregon Department of Transportation to clean up highways and revitalize Portland. 20% of the money will be allocated to the removal of camps, 20% to graffiti removal, 20% to trash removal and the remaining 40% to access prevention, such as building infrastructure to prevent camping.

Not everyone agrees with the proposal’s efficacy, especially regarding graffiti removal. “As a graffiti artist, it’s like, ‘Great! A blank canvas!’” Graves said. Graffiti offers a platform for self-expression, allowing people to share their thoughts, ideas and emotions with a wide audience, thus sparking conversation among viewers. Taking creativity to the streets factors out gallery curators and critics, and it can therefore be completely unrestrained and often anonymous. Anonymity is a large part of the culture surrounding graffiti and also acts as a buffer between vandalism and the law.

Philosopher Marshall McLuhan famously described art as “anything you can get away with.” The fascination of art has always skewed more towards the side of the rebellious. Creativity and innovation often involve pushing boundaries and taking risks, which is exemplified in graffiti.

Despite the contesting opinions and differing perspectives on graffiti and its impact on city life, it’s not hard to find the spaces that street and graffiti artists provide for those to share their love for art. Spray cans and paint have shrouded mundane walls and buildings all across Portland with often captivating and beautiful—but sometimes crudely malapropos—images.

These industrial canvases—walls and street signs, water fountains and alleyways—therefore reflect the city’s ideas, stories, diversity and talent worth recognition, even if it’s just a passing glance.

Laugh Basement

The Goodfoot Lounge

Apr. 22, 7:30 p.m.

$10

Local comedians perform with touring headliners, curated by Hewitt Pagenstecher

In Concert on Downtown's Transit Mall

Pioneer Place

Apr. 23, 12 p.m.

Free

Live opera performance by soprano Madeline Ross

Dough

Mississippi Pizza

Apr. 24, 8 p.m.

$5

Stand up comedy hosted by Lance Edward and Neeraj Srinivasan, featuring local comedians

The T34 Jazz Quartet

Turn Turn Turn!

Apr. 25, 4:30–6:30 p.m.

Free

Enjoy jazz tunes with the T34 Jazz Quartet during happy hour

Portland’s Pettiest Pageant

Escape Bar & Grill

Apr. 26, 9 p.m.

$15

A drag show, hosted by Savannah O. Bennington

TEDxPortland

Keller Auditorium

Apr. 27, 9 a.m.

$89+

Educational speeches featuring a blend of creativity, technology and innovation

Beethoven’s EighthSymphony

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Apr. 28, 2 p.m.

$49+

Oregon Symphony presents a witty Beethoven classic

OREGON CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW LIMITS CAMPAIGN DONATIONS

STUDENTS AND LOCAL POLITICIANS ON CAMPUS REACT

House Bill 4024—a bill to limit campaign donations—passed through the Oregon State House of Representatives and Senate with bipartisan support and sailed right onto the Governor’s desk, where it was signed into law. The bill, which will go into effect in 2027, is a significant reform that will transform Oregon from a state with no campaign finance contribution limits to one where individuals and corporations can only donate $3,300 per election.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Political Party Committees can contribute up to $30,000, and Membership Organizations—i.e., labor unions, nonprofits and charities—can contribute $26,000.

It also requires dark money groups—nonprofits that previously donated money to campaigns, or otherwise advertised and organized on behalf independently, without disclosing their revenue sources or donors—to reveal their donors.

The law started as a negotiated compromise between two groups, Oregon Business & Industry and Honest Elections Oregon. Both groups planned on presenting reform bills as initiatives in the 2024 election but realized they would be competing against each other. After discussing and negotiating, they presented a joint bill to the Oregon State House.

The champions of the bill were bipartisan, with one being a right-leaning, pro-business group and the other a leftleaning, election-reform group. Due to its nature as a bill with bipartisan support, it maintained this support and passed with supermajorities in both the House and Senate.

“The passage of the bill represents the best of what’s possible when people with different viewpoints and who have a common goal can thoughtfully come together and provide the leadership that Oregonians so want to see,”

Governor Tina Kotek stated in The Oregonian

“The bill will finally meaningfully limit campaign contributions in Oregon,” House Speaker Julie Fahey stated in The Oregonian. “It will level the playing field between everyday Oregonians and the billionaires who have been pouring money into Oregon campaigns in recent years.”

On campus, students and local politicians have reacted to the news in many ways. “[The bill] will mean that campaigns are going to need to be much more efficient and effective with their messaging going forward because they just won’t have the kind of budgets that they used to,” said PSU global studies student Harrison Temple.

Logan Laity—PSU student and candidate for State House District 32—had some criticisms of the new law.

“The first thing you need to know about this law is it does a great job of establishing minimums for different types of organizations that coordinate with campaigns,” Laity said. “The tricky part is that we have an entire class of political spending that isn’t coordinated with campaigns.”

Laity’s fear is that these groups, already disconnected from the campaign, will both grow in funding and grow further disconnected from the campaign they support. This could confuse messaging around election times and could even cause vote splitting.

“The second thing [that] is gonna happen is all those big-dollar donors who can’t directly interface with the campaign anymore… are going to form more dark money groups, and they are going to spend through those dark money groups,” Laity said. “What that means is you’re going to have campaigns who put out their messaging and what they want to say, but then there’s going to be a separate organization saying a completely different thing on your behalf.”

Laity also criticized the bill for not expanding funding to enforce this bill. “With the additional resources they are going to need to put in place, there is not nearly enough funding to actually enforce the provisions against dark money spending,” he said.

Despite these criticisms, Laity explained that he and many still support the bill. He noted that he spent five times less per vote last election, as opposed to his competition who solicited and accepted corporate cash and were flooded with cash from these sources.

“We needed this,” Laity said. “I know I spend a lot of time talking about the dark money, because it’s an overlooked portion of this bill, but at the end of the day we really did need this reform. What we’re doing is… putting more power in the hands of the grassroots donor and more hands [towards] the power of organized labor. And that’s inherently a good thing for our democracy, but it’s supposed to be from the bottom up and not from the top down.”

Temple echoed this point, saying he thinks the bill is a step in the right direction.

“If we really want to put the representative in representative democracy, it requires that it be a mass participation, not just the participation of those most able to pull out their wallet,” Temple said. “I think that it isn’t the total solution, but it is a step in the right direction for ending the kind of corporatist politics that we’ve seen in the country after the passing of Citizens United [v. Federal Election Committee]. So it’s a good step in the right direction.”

JJ CHRISTENSEN

KOTEK SIGNS BILLS ROLLING BACK DRUG DECRIMINALIZATION

PSU EXPERTS SPEAK ON THE DECISION

Drug decriminalization finished its short-lived term in Oregon after Governor Tina Kotek signed two bills on Apr. 1. The first reclassifies minor drug possession as a misdemeanor crime while the second bill will provide $211 million for county projects and community mental health programs with drug addiction services.

Kotek’s approval of the two bills, House Bill 4002 and Senate Bill 5204, came after a four-year debate on the efficacies of Measure 110—the 2020 bill that decriminalized drug possession and designated around $300 million for drug treatment services. The two bills are set to go into effect on Sept. 1, according to a letter Kotek sent to Rob Wagner and Julie Fahey, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House respectively.

Kaet Haefeli is a student at Portland State and a peer harm reduction specialist with the Wellness & Health Action Team (WHAT) at the Center for Student Health & Counseling (SHAC). She’s worked in the addiction field since 2017 and highlighted the need for more infrastructural support.

“The biggest issue that I’ve seen is that we don’t have enough resources to go around,” Haefeli stated. “There’s not enough treatment beds. It’s harder for people to access services because there can be high barriers to those services. I love the idea of [Measure] 110. It looked good on paper, but in practice, we just don’t have enough resources in order to make it effective.” Issues on the criminal justice side of things arose in a year-one

report by PSU, where researchers noted several themes in the response of law-enforcement officers to Measure 110. Officers indicated that decriminalization had resulted in the loss of probable cause to search, leading to what they described as a less proactive approach to drug use response and a more reactive one.

The report also noted that officers were largely hesitant to or not at all handing out Measure 110 citations, as they felt there would be a lack of consequences either way.

With the change, police officers will be able to provide people with the option of participating in substance-treatment instead of going to jail.

Dr. Kelsey Henderson—an associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at PSU—is one of the researchers who contributed to a study on Measure 110. Henderson hesitated to opine on the Measure 110 repeal, citing a need for further data to support it.

“We see that [Measure] 110 had an association with an uptick in property crime rates,” Henderson stated. “However, as the data matriculates and we add 2023 data, we see that that rate has really stabilized in the state, and it’s not so far off from other states that did not decriminalize.”

The need for more funding for support services, Henderson said, is nonetheless self-evident.

“There is a huge proportion of the population in Oregon that are in need of treatment services,” Henderson stated. “We know

that we’re not doing enough or that we’re not reaching enough of the population. We’re also always ranked high up in terms of addiction rates to different substances.”

Included in House Bill 5204 is just over $1.3 million for PSU to help fund behavioral health education programs and provide mental health services for the community. The PSU funding is the largest of five donations to Oregon University’s behavioral health programs, which include Eastern Oregon University, Western Oregon University, Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Institute of Technology.

Sarah Williams—Associate Director of Clinical Services at SHAC—noted that a concern for re-criminalizing drug possession is the negative association this can place on people.

“I think there’s a greater sense of shame that gets created around criminality,” Williams stated. “There’s a stigma that gets attached to that, which makes it harder to access support and care.”

Haefeli continues to assist in programming with WHAT here on campus with the goal of supporting folks dealing with addiction in any way they need.

“Harm reduction is really all about social justice and equity and making sure that people feel that they are loved and cared for regardless of what their lifestyle choices are,” Haefeli stated. “If somebody wants to continue to use substances, I think they still deserve compassion and care.”

J.M. VINCENT AND ZOË BUHRMASTER

SERGIO CERVANTES/PSU VANGUARD

Portland State peer harm reduction specialist Kaet Haefeli noted that Measure 110 needed to have more instructional support to be successful. The recent overturn was due in part to the rise of overdose deaths

SHAME ON YOU, KOTEK

RECRIMINALIZING DRUGS WITHOUT A VOTE UNDERMINES DEMOCRACY AND REPRESENTATION

The quick passing of House Bill 4002 is an action by the Oregon legislation to recriminalize minor drug possession, and it is not only an attack on the vulnerable populations that are susceptible to drug use, but also a slap in the face to the democratic process and voters who passed this measure into law.

Measure 110 was a 2020 voter-backed policy change, and now it is the scapegoat for inept politicians. Not only was it designed to finally start tearing away at the devastation that the War on Drugs had on cities and communities by decriminalizing drugs, but it was also meant to focus resources on expanding services to help people living with addiction.

Unfortunately, this recent move to recriminalize drugs was predictable, and not for reasons the conservatives or detractors of the bill might think.

Instead, it stems from the enduring influence of the dogmatic remnants of the War-on-Drugs narrative. While numerous news articles highlighted the measure’s failures and shortcomings, the entrenched rhetoric of the War on Drugs has maintained its grip on policy decisions. Those resources, like drug treatment, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), have been met with bureaucratic fumbles and attempted delays by state officials from the start.

The resources that Measure 110 is supposed to provide might still be offered postrecriminalization. However, “533 people per year could receive jail sentences after having

their probation for a drug charge revoked,” OPB Conrad Wilson reported. The commission notes that some of those could also be served in a treatment facility, but at least so far, Oregon has not been able to provide treatment to everyone who wants it.

It’s absurd to expect positive results to magically appear after just three years, especially with resources not adequately allocated by inept politicians who seemingly wanted this bill to fail.

It is easier for these politicians to give up and go back to criminalization. It gets people off the streets where they aren’t seen. That is what this seems to be about more than anything; people don’t want to see it, don’t want to share a street with it and would rather have people locked away from them than support recovery.

According to OPB, the lobbying behind the appeal effort to recriminalize was backed by some of the wealthiest businessmen in Oregon. These are clearly not the right people to judge the circumstances of addiction and criminalization from a neutral standpoint.

While the fentanyl crisis is undeniable, it’s evident that criminalization repeatedly fails to provide a sustainable solution. Moreover, it is important to note that it is not just Oregon that is experiencing worsening conditions. Drug overdoses—particularly involving fentanyl— have been on the rise across the United States

So how does decriminalization impact this crisis, the supposed reason for the overturn

of Measure 110? Portland State conducted a study regarding Measure 110, revealing that it had no impact on violent crime rates and a slight increase in property crime, but that was in line with other states without the measure, and while there has been an upward trend in overdoses, that trend also could be correlated with COVID-19 lockdowns and are consistent with national trends.

Given this evidence, the drug crisis is clearly not solely attributable to Measure 110. Yet the media, politicians and Facebook mobs are quick to propagate the misconception that this issue is unique to Oregon because of its decriminalization efforts.

Those who aren’t directly affected often rush to criticize and demonize individuals grappling with addiction without fully understanding the complexities of the situation. Oregon lawmakers and enforcers continue to further victimize individuals struggling with addiction, much like they do with those experiencing homelessness.

Picture being in desperate need of help only for the state to respond by fining, assaulting or incarcerating you. Unfortunately, you don’t have to imagine this if you’re living on the streets or battling addiction.

According to OPB, data from 2022 revealed that half of the people arrested by the Portland Police Bureau were unhoused, indicating a pattern of targeting vulnerable populations rather than genuinely assisting them.

Groups like American Civil Liberties Union

Oregon warn about the detrimental effects of House bills that disproportionately target Black and brown communities already subjected to heightened police scrutiny.

Honestly, I’m ashamed of this state, but not surprised. With all the media articles and social media posts, it’s evident that people don’t care; they just want the problem to disappear.

The city’s abuse of its authority isn’t shocking either. It’s frustrating, though, that advocacy groups have been working for years to make a change, only for legislation to pass within a week and for lawmakers and the most privileged in our city to single-handedly overturn a bill passed by Oregon voters.

This issue transcends drugs, addictions and safety concerns. It delves into the broader context of the drug war, the oppression of marginalized communities and the expansion of authoritarian power sanctioned by the state.

The measure we supported in 2020 now lies defeated, having succumbed to the propaganda of the drug war and enabling state police to resume harsh treatment of individuals struggling with addiction.

Lawmakers must recognize that their actions have real consequences, and lives hang in the balance. It’s imperative that they prioritize compassion, evidence-based solutions and the fundamental rights of all individuals, irrespective of their circumstances. Let’s remind them that we voted for a system that values justice over the interests of the wealthy and privileged.

CAMERON RODRIGUEZ

ABBY RAYMUNDO

ARIANNA THOMAS

MEDIA AND CELEBRITIES CO-OPTING AND EXPLOITING AAVE

THUYU GEDI

Finna, shawty, gyatt, woke, rizz and now locked-in—yet another African American Vernacular English (AAVE) phrase has been trivialized and appropriated.

It’s nothing new to see non-Black people have co-opted another aspect of Black culture, more specifically, Black American culture. Non-Black people have consistently viewed Black culture as a trendy costume and form of comedic relief for non-Black people’s entertainment.

AAVE—especially online—is now another aspect of Black culture that people exploit and sometimes alter for purely consumptive reasons and then toss aside when it’s no longer trendy. Much like our hairstyles and music, AAVE is up for public consumption and isn’t considered worthy of the same respect offered to other cultures.

AAVE’s roots are in various English dialects, Creole languages and West African languages. Its origins derive from slavery, the Jim Crow South and developed separately from white orthodox English. AAVE is governed by rules and grammar, like any other language. It isn’t slang or broken English.

To believe AAVE is improper English is to suggest a fundamental difference between two cultural dialects, and further a fundamental difference between the two groups who claim these dialects: Black and white Americans.

AAVE is not proper English, because it isn’t white American English, which as a dialect has been privileged to provide its speakers with socio-political power at the expense of AAVE speakers.

It frustrates me when non-Black people get to create a comeup by attempting to sound Black, while actual Black people find themselves forced to code-switch to be respected in white-dominated spaces.

We see it with Bhad Bhabie whose whole image is driven by AAVE, starting with the name. Had a Black girl proclaimed, “Cash me ousside, how bout dat?” she’d immediately be labeled

violent, aggressive—every name in the book.

However, Bhad Bhabie is white. Therefore, she’s considered a teenager adopting the language of Black communities—or bad influences according to white parents—and refer to it as just a phase.

She is going through a phase, a predictable one, wherein nonBlack people appropriate Black culture and then abandon it when it no longer suits them. I can almost guarantee—bet money even—that when she’s exhausted of it and it no longer pays the bills, she’ll throw Black culture away and return to white culture.

When non-Black people use AAVE, they are symbolically aligning themselves with centuries of Black struggle and Black resistance. In doing this, they privilege themselves unduly, benefitting from the Black labor and Black resistance which has characterized the development of AAVE and Black American culture more broadly.

Similar things can be said about the adoption of other Black cultural artifacts, like Kim Kardashian removing her implants and trading her Fulani braids and Black women-inspired curves for a slim, white ideal figure and platinum-blonde roots.

Miley Cyrus did it after using Black culture to shed her Disney skin before deeming hip-hop misogynistic, and Ariana Grande did it when she had to sell the song “7 rings.”

The Pookie Nation, non-Black man from Tiktok will probably disregard Black culture when the brand deals start rolling in. He’s already receiving articles from his use of AAVE.

It’s a recurring event that I’m never surprised to see, but am always consistently appalled by.

It’s important to note that AAVE is largely region-specific. While one term is used in one region, it may not be used in another. The beauty of AAVE is that there isn’t a Merriam-Webster dictionary for it, yet we, as Black people, can infer what a certain word means just by hearing it. While the Black experience isn’t uniform, there’s still an understanding because many of

our cultures intertwine.

That’s part of why it’s so frustrating to see non-Black people using AAVE. It often sounds like a baby learning to talk for the first time. Most of the time–okay, like 90% of the time—they don’t know what they’re even saying.

They think gyatt is a noun, misuse the habitual “be” and worse co-opt and change the meaning altogether to fit their liking—like that’s Black people’s way of speaking. They learn from the internet and regurgitate it like parrots. How is there no embarrassment?

AAVE has always been appropriated, but TikTok has significantly broadened the number of words appropriated. Now so much of AAVE is referred to as TikTok or Gen Z slang despite these words being used long before their generation.

The intertwining of AAVE with mainstream media erases the unique history of AAVE and Black folk. It’s appropriation at its finest. The constant use is frustrating and insulting to the centuries of the language’s development.

What’s worse about their use of AAVE is when they insist on pairing it with a “blaccent,” their idea of how Black people sound. Think of the gay man who claims he has an inner Black woman and believes “chile” came from a Nicki Minaj meme.

The goal is to embody and have proximity to Blackness. While non-Black people hold negative biases about Black people, they simultaneously find the culture cool and appealing and want to strip it from its cultural roots to be more easily consumed as a commodity for their enjoyment.

AAVE stands as a testament to Black Americans’ strength and rich heritage. Though it has been stigmatized, it’s important to remember its linguistic value and recognize it as a fully developed language. AAVE will continue to be commodified and exploited unless we fight back. The fight for liberation also includes preserving Black culture and calling out appropriation. Anything short of this is merely ineffective.

CAN YOUR DOG PREDICT AN EARTHQUAKE?

PLANTS AND ANIMALS PREDICT EXTREME WEATHER—PERCEPTION OR FACT?

VAISHNAVI SRINATH

Have you ever wondered how some creatures seem to have a knack for predicting the unpredictable? From plants subtly signaling rain to animals sensing impending disasters, nature is full of fascinating phenomena that leave us in awe of its mysteries.

There is anecdotal evidence of this occurring, dating all the way back to 373 BCE when the Greek historian Thucydides reported rats, dogs, snakes and weasels deserting the city of Helice in the days before a catastrophic earthquake. But simply demonstrating that animals possess this capability is insufficient scientific evidence.

However, a study published by Scientific Reports showed how birds might be able to detect hurricanes and cyclones a lot sooner than humans. A thrush species’ mating habits were a reliable indicator of the severity of the Atlantic hurricane season, according to a study that spanned 20 years.

“Plants and animals respond to their environment,” said Portland State Professor Mitch Cruzan. “They can use cues such as temperature and changes in day lengths to respond to what is happening.”

Contrary to popular belief, plants such as the silver thistle don’t possess the power of foresight. Instead, they react to subtle changes in their surroundings, such as humidity levels. “Plants don’t really anticipate what’s going to happen, but they do respond to what is happening,” Cruzan said.

J. Whitfield Gibbons—Professor Emeritus from the University of Georgia—pointed out that these abilities are not so much superpowers as finely tuned adaptations honed through evolution.

“Conventional wisdom has it that wildlife has an innate ability to detect earthquakes before they occur,” Gibbons stated. “Indeed, animals may sense subtle cues such as vibrations preceding seismic events, giving them a head start in reacting to impending danger. However, attributing mystical powers to their actions may be overstating the case.”

“Implications that animals not only detect an upcoming earthquake but actually do something to save themselves are probably overstatements,” Gibbons stated.

While animals may exhibit unusual behaviors before disasters, such as elephants trumpeting or dogs barking, these actions are likely instinctive responses to perceived threats rather than conscious predictions of doom or attempts at protecting themselves or us.

“First, I really don’t think animals or plants have any special powers beyond those that help them in their daily lives,” Gibbons stated. “For example, bats and dolphins can hear ultrasonic sounds; duckbill platypuses can detect electrical impulses created by a prey animal’s muscular activity; and some birds can navigate using the magnetic field from the North Pole. All are abilities that people do not have, but not superpowers.”

Despite the allure of tales linking animal behavior to impending disasters, scientific inquiry reveals a more nuanced reality. Studies conducted by researchers—such as Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior— shed light on the intricate relationship between animals and their environment.

Wikelski’s research on farm animals in earthquake-prone regions offered intriguing insights into the potential for short-term earthquake forecasting. By monitoring animal activity patterns, Wikelski and his team observed consis -

tent anticipatory behavior preceding may indeed serve as precursors of impending earthquakes.

The researchers found evidence that the farm animals began to change their behavior up to 20 hours before an earthquake. Whenever the monitored farm animals were collectively 50% more active for more than 45 minutes at a stretch, the researchers predicted an earthquake with a magnitude above 4.0. Seven out of eight strong earthquakes were correctly predicted in this way.

“The closer the animals were to the epicenter of the impending shock, the earlier they changed their behavior,” Wikelski stated when the study was released in 2020

Rachel Grant—a behavioral ecologist—came to similar conclusions while studying in South America. Within the Peruvian Andes’ Yanachaga National Park, she used motion-triggered cameras to record animal movement patterns for a period which included the 2011 Contamana earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.0.

“The number of animals recorded on the camera traps started to decrease about 23 days before the earthquake—with the decrease accelerating eight days prior to the earthquake,” Grant stated in her 2015 paper on the research concerning the study “On days 10, six, five, three, and two prior to the earthquake— and on the day of the earthquake—no animal movements were recorded, which is highly unusual.”

Grant also discovered that, two weeks before the earthquake, there was a pattern of strong perturbations in local atmospheric— electric charges every two to four minutes. This pattern might explain why animals in the area started acting differently. There was a particularly large fluctuation at the beginning of the second stage of the animals’ disappearance from view, which occurred about eight days before the Contamana earthquake.

According to an article by BBC, scientists are now exploring

whether these electromagnetic perturbations in the atmosphere prior to earthquakes could be a warning sign of impending quakes—which animals may be sensing.

Severe stresses—known to generate electric charges called positive holes in deep rock—always occur just before an earth quake. Ionizing air molecules above their surface, these electrical charge carriers can swiftly travel from the Earth’s crust to the surface.

Worldwide, this ionization has been detected in the moments leading up to earthquakes. This could be an extra signal that some animals can detect—the generation of these ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic waves by the positive holes as they move.

However, skepticism remains a crucial guiding principle, as with all scientific endeavors. The United States Geological Survey cautions against attributing too much significance to changes in animal behavior, emphasizing the need for reproducible evidence before drawing definitive conclusions.

Regarding catastrophe prediction, not all experts agree that animal early warning systems are the way to go. It’s essential to approach each discovery with curiosity and skepticism. While anecdotes may captivate our imagination, rigorous scientific inquiry serves as our compass in navigating the complex tapestry of the natural world.

Using sensor tags, scientists have been able to get answers to important questions about animal behavior. However, the information we obtain from these creatures still only provides a partial view of the entire picture.

So, the next time you marvel at a plant’s uncanny response or an animal’s seemingly prescient behavior to changing weather, remember that nature’s secrets are not easily unraveled. However, through diligent research and unwavering curiosity, we continue to unlock the mysteries of the world around us, one discovery at a time.

PARKER PATNODE

VANGUARD CROSSWORD

Answers in stories

04/22/24

Answers from 4/15

1) essays, 2) dolphins, 3) mail, 4) queer, 5) Schnitzer, 6) empathy, 7) PACs, 8) bowling, 9) Fremont, 10) gallery, 11) downtown

Across

Down:

White celebrity noted for exploiting AAVE for personal gain.

1. One of the subtle cues animals may detect prior to seismic events

erm meaning support from multiple political parties, as seen in Oregon's campaign finance reform.

3. Birds' mating habits indicate the severity of this natural disaster

Previously anonymous political funding but is now mandated by Oregon law to disclose donors. Two words.

6. Governor who signed two bills related to drug decriminalization in Oregon

7. Team at SHAC focusing on addiction support and health advocacy, acronym

potent opioid complicating the debate on drug decriminalization.

Platform mentioned for the appropriation and trivialization of AAVE by non-Black users.

Across:

Down

1. One of the subtle cues animals may detect prior seismic events.

2. White celebrity noted for exploiting AAVE for personal gain

4. Term meaning support from multiple political parties, as seen in Oregon's campaign finance reform

3. Birds' mating habits indicate the severity of this natural disaster

6. Governor who signed two bills related to drug decriminalization in Oregon.

5. Previously anonymous political funding but is now mandated by Oregon law to disclose donors, two words

7. Team at SHAC focusing on addiction support and health advocacy Acronym.

8. A potent opioid complicating the debate on drug decriminalization

9. Platform mentioned for the appropriation and trivialization of AAVE by non-Black users

MILO LOZA

Community & Wellness Resources

UPDATED WEEKLY

By Milo Loza

Happening Soon

Live @ Lunch

SMSU 101

Apr. 23, 12 p.m.

Free for students

Local, live music serving as lunchtime entertainment

Under Armour Tour

Under Armour Campus

Apr. 24, 2 p.m.

Free for students

An immersive journey of athletics and innovation exploring world-renown facilities

Board Game Night

SMSU Cafeteria

Apr. 26, 3 p.m.

Free for students

Hang out and play board games

Bowling Extravaganza

SMSU, Viking Lanes

Apr. 26, 5 p.m.

Free for students

Celebrate the spring quarter with free bowling

The Merry Widow

LH 175

Apr. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Free for students

Operetta performance of a romantic comedy with live orchestra accompaniment

Rebels of the Neon God

5th Avenue Cinema

Apr. 28, 3 p.m.

Free for students

A Taiwanese film about urban youth, disillusionment and rebellion

Resources

PSU Basic Needs Hub

SMSU Suite 435

Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Free for students

Helps students access resources such as funds, food, housing, employment, childcare and health support

PSU Food Pantry

1704 SW Broadway (temporary location)

Tues–Thur, 12–4 p.m.

Free for students

Access to free groceries in a welcoming, equitable, trauma-informed way. Must be enrolled in at least one credit for summer or fall

SMART recovery meetings

University Center Building 340 E

Times vary

Free

In peer recovery, students with shared experiences connect to reduce stigma and build a campus recovery community

SHAC weekly online parent support group

Online

Thursdays 11 a.m.

Free

Come together as parents in a relaxed setting to support each other, share ideas, collaborate and commiserate

Women’s Resource Center

Online

Mon–Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free

Confidential advocacy services to students who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, violence and stalking

Oregon Energy Fund

Varying Locations

Mon–Fri, hours vary

Free

Provides energy bill assistance to low-income Oregonians to support household stability

Wellness

SHAC Mind Spa

UCB Suite 310

Mon–Fri (by appointment)

Free for students

Solo space to experience biofeedback, light therapy, meditation, massages, relaxation and more. Must be enrolled in at least five credits for summer or fall

Opioid Overdose Reversal Training

SHAC, Suite 340E

Mon 10–12 p.m. & Fri 2–3 p.m.

Free for students

Pick up free opioid overdose reversal medication and get a 10-minute training on how to use it

Mindful Meanderings

Listen on Spotify

Available 24/7

Free

PSU-produced podcast about being mindful while outside, practicing gratitude, finding joy and being in the moment

Telus Health Student Support

Download on App Store or Google Play

Available 24/7

Free

Connecting students with free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support

Outdoor Workshop Wednesdays

Watch on Youtube

Available 24/7

Free

PSU Campus Recreation Center staff videos about topics ranging from Leave No Trace and plant identification to hiking spots and land acknowledgments

BORP online fitness studio

Watch on Zoom

Mon–Sat, hours vary

Free

Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program’s (BORP) virtual exercise classes for people with physical disabilities