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HOSTS SCREENING OF THE LAST QUEEN
SCIENCE & TECH BE PREPARED, NOT SCARED
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tanner Todd
MANAGING EDITOR
Brad Le
NEWS EDITOR
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Kat Leon
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Nick Gatlin
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P. 6-7
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SPORTS VICTOR THE VIKING
OPINION
UHRL NEEDS A BETTER HEAT SAFETY POLICY
P. 10-11
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PORTLAND STATE’S RESPONSE TO ANTI-TRANS THREATS LACKS CLARITY P. 13
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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Whitney McPhie
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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.
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.
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The Vanguard Editorial Staff
ASPSU Children’s Center families and staff held a virtual public town hall to discuss the decision to move ASPSU Children’s Center into a shared space with the Helen Gordon Child Development Center. The group met on May 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. over Zoom, open to the public.
ASPSU center families and staff originally requested Lynn Green, director of the Helen Gordon center, to hold a town hall meeting in an attempt to discuss the concerns of ASPSU parents and staff regarding the transition. Green denied the request, welcoming ASPSU families to instead set up individual Zoom meetings with her to lay out their concerns.
“I think that town halls can get a little unfocused, and a little off task,” Green said. “I’m trying to keep in mind what this is really about. It’s not about anything else, but providing
more opportunities for families on campus and using the resources we’ve been given.”
Dr. Martín Alberto Gonzalez, an assistant professor at Portland State in Chicano Latino Studies and ASPSU center parent, began the town hall Zoom meeting with a presentation of personal narratives and data he collected about the potential impacts of such a move on the ASPSU center. According to Gonzalez, the unilateral decision made by Dean of the College of Education Jose Coll, with data collected by Green, overlooked the needs and wants of ASPSU parents and children as well as ASPSU staff.
Due to the decision, two Black caretakers and teachers—Beverly Armstrong, ASPSU center teacher for 17 years, and Kim Allen, director of the ASPSU center since its creation 25 years ago— are planning to quit once the transition is made.
The Helen Gordon center has historically had difficulty incorporating diversity into their longterm staff, who are primarily white. In several conversations with Green after the decision had been made, Armstrong expressed her concern over bringing ASPSU’s racially diverse group of children into a predominantly white space.
“You’re gonna take a small percentage of kids and put them into Helen Gordon’s hoping to look to diversify,” Armstrong said. “I said, ‘if you’ve been doing it over the years, and have not had families of color come in, something is wrong.’”
Green said in a prior conversation with Portland State Vanguard that she and her administrative team are working to make applying for a job at HGC more accessible for people of diverse backgrounds. So far, she has removed the requirement that caretakers must
have a four-year degree to apply, opening it up to those with at least 30 quarter hours of college courses in Early Childhood Education, those with one full year of full-time experience working in childcare or those with a Child Development Associate Credential.
Louna Agoro—ASPSU parent and previous accountant for the dean’s office—said that though they live in Lake Oswego, she drives her boys the 30 minutes to and from the center everyday so that they can see and spend time with other children and teachers of color. She shared how Allen helped one of her two sons who is neurodivergent go from being nonverbal to speaking clearly.
“I visited the Helen Gordon center and my child, who operates as neurodivergent, would not thrive there,” Agoro said. “The space was
large and chaotic, and the idea that you’ll merge a space that’s worse off for children doesn’t make sense to me… I hope that this gets over to her [Green] and that she does what is just and not what is financially feasible.”
In the transition, ASPSU children and staff will share rooms with similar aged classes from the Helen Gordon center, though both will continue to operate with separate pay structures and pick-up flexibility according to Green. ASPSU runs at lower rates and allows parents to pick up their children at any point during the day, while the Helen Gordon center operates with a higher cost bracket and has set pick-up times with late fees.
The ASPSU center serves a maximum of 40 children, while the Helen Gordon center serves around 200. Despite this, families wanting to
place their children at the Helen Gordon center are typically put on a long waitlist, taking almost two years for some families like in the case of Marisa Miller, a PSU career center staff member and alumni with children at the ASPSU center. She relayed how she discovered the ASPSU center while on the waitlist for the Helen Gordon center, and fell in love with the environment at the ASPSU center.
“As other parents have said, I felt just the sense of love and community in this place,” Miller said. “It was entirely different than the daycare that we were at where it felt very transactional, like a ‘drop my kid off, I pay you money.’”
Other ASPSU center parents and staff spoke, sharing experiences of support at the center, several stating that if the transition is to occur, they would likely look for childcare
elsewhere. Some Helen Gordon center staff and families attended, who Gonzalez thanked for showing up.
ASPSU Senator Ime Guzman also spoke and conveyed support for the center, sharing that despite being a part of ASPSU he did not hear about the decision until after it had been made with support from the ASPSU Student Fee Committee.
During his presentation, Gonzalez emphasized that while emails from Coll and Green promised to keep ASPSU’s low rates and flexibility, his concern went further into the future.
“They told us, ‘you’re not going to pay any of these fees, what are you complaining about?’” Gonzalez said. “I’m complaining for my future students. That’s what I’m complaining about.
I’m complaining for the students who are still looking for daycare here at PSU.”
A new letter of support from organized ASPSU parents and staff outlines two new demands for Green: one, to stop the move immediately; and two, for Green to work collaboratively with ASPSU center staff and families to find an alternative solution to the budget crisis. Attendees sent a recording of the town hall meeting to Green, giving her until May 23 to respond to the requests.
If they do not hear from her, supporters of the center will organize and demonstrate accordingly, according to the letter.
“Our demands, y’all?” Gonzalez said. “I feel kind of embarrassed to talk about the demands because they’re very basic, all right? I’m very embarrassed about it.”
Portland State’s Middle East Studies Center will be hosting a screening of the 2022 Algerian historical drama
The Last Queen, directed by Adila Bendimerad and Damien Ounouri, on Friday, May 26.
This event will take place at 5th Avenue Cinema. It’s free, open to the public and will include a Q&A session afterwards with special guests Ahmed Bedjaoui and Nabil Boudraa.
Ahmed Bedjaoui is a professor of Audiovisual Communication and Cinema at Algiers University 3, and Nabil Boudraa is a professor of French and Francophone Studies at Oregon State University.
The Last Queen is the story of Algeria’s past, a tumultuous history that shaped the political and cultural reality of modern Algeria. Set in the 1516 Kingdom of Algiers, Queen Zaphira (Adila Bendimerad) boldly resists the Ottoman invasion of her kingdom in an impassioned tale of violence, betrayal and sensuality.
This first-of-its-kind historical drama shatters the mold of Algerian cinema and historical narrative alike. The underlying plot of the film reveals a true history, never before depicted on screen.
“Most of it, if not all of Algerian cinema, deals with the colonial period, meaning the late French occupation of Algeria, and the Algerian revolution,” Boudraa explained. “The film is interesting because it’s probably the first Algerian film that tackles Algerian ancient history or removed history.”
“North Africa, Algeria in particular, has known colonization for more than 3,000 years,” Boudraa said. The Last Queen depicts the pivotal moment in which the King of Algiers, Salim Toumi (Mohamed Tahar Zaoui), is assassinated by Ottoman corsair Aroudj Barbarossa (Dali Benssalah), marking the beginning of Ottoman occupation in Algeria.
While the overarching historical events and lives of the male figures in The Last Queen are attested, the details surrounding Queen Zaphira are highly debated by historians. Co-director and lead actress of the film, Adila Bendimerad, explained the making of Zaphira’s character in the film’s press kit. “In the various historical accounts, we speak of the wife of King Salim Toumi who raised a rebellion against the corsair Aroudj Barberousse,” she said. “In hundreds and hundreds of pages of historical testimony, this woman’s name is never mentioned!”
The production of The Last Queen is pioneering not only because it makes space for women as action film protagonists, but it also makes space for women in history itself. “Since the men who wrote history decided to erase them or to discredit them, I find it important historically and poetically to evoke them, to imagine them, to interpret and to question the few elements that we have,” Bendimerad explained.
Of course, women are not the only ones who have been
blotted out from this history. The Last Queen is intentional in representing the ethnic diversity of Algeria as well.
“Here is a window that’s opening at last,” Boudraa said. “Finally, it’s opening on the ancient history of Algeria. Because whether it’s the authorities or whether it’s colonialism, it’s always these cliches that Algeria was nothing, nothing happened, nothing was there before colonialism—French colonialism, that is. And that’s a big cliche.”
The French colonized Ottoman Algeria in 1830, and occupied the region until Algeria gained independence in 1962, after nearly eight years of violence in the Algerian War of Independence.
Despite these centuries of colonization and oppression, the Indigenous Peoples of Algeria have maintained their identity and continue to fight for rights and representation in present day Algeria. One way in which The Last Queen honors the ethnic diversity of Algeria is through the language of the dialogue. Colonial ideology, historically and presently, pressures Algerians to accept French and classical Arabic as the standard languages. However, Boudraa explained that these two languages are “not really widely used by the population.”
“What’s widely used by the people in everyday life in every street is Algerian Arabic,” he said. “Derja is the name of Algerian Arabic. It’s not really Arabic—it’s a blend of many languages. It’s like a dialect, spoken by Algerians but also Morrocans and Tunisians with variations, with different accents.”
The directors incorporated about seven languages in the film. Their intent was to represent the diverse nature of Algeria’s history and people. “We spoke a thousand languages here,” Bendimerad said. “We come from these mixtures and it is magnificent. It is this hybridization that can still be heard through our surnames, our cuisine, our faces, and it is probably our greatest strength.”
Another language featured in the film is Kabyle, a language of the Indigenous Berber People of North Africa (also known as Amazighs). “I come from a Berber region next to Algiers called Kabylia, so we speak Kabyle language—it’s a dialect but it’s actually a language,” Boudraa said. State suppression
of Berber identities and languages has contributed to the marginalization of Berber languages and a dismissiveness of their proper classification.
“Now that I see these two sidelined, marginalized, minority dialects dominating the film—it’s a great thing for me, for Algerians,” he said. “It’s the two languages that represent the people of Algeria, of North Africa. And that’s reality. That’s what people speak.”
The Last Queen is more than entertainment—it serves to represent a cultural and historical reality for Algeria and North Africa.
Even the film sets made use of the most authentic locations possible. The scenes take place on actual historical sites, such as palaces and mosques. “It was very important not to do it in the studio, in another country, but to show the richness of what remains of our heritage,” Bendimerad said.
The film was produced over the course of roughly seven years. Being the first of its genre, the production required extensive historical research, innovative costume design and an original soundtrack.
At the intersection of Indigenous representation, women’s valor and regal cinematography, a masterpiece so defiant of the dominant narrative is born that it is actually being stifled by the Algerian state itself. “It’s been blocked by the government, by the authorities,” Boudraa said. “Nobody knows exactly why they did that. The government, the authorities, they say it’s because of bureaucratic reasons.”
Meanwhile, The Last Queen has been received with zeal on the international stage. After its premier at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, it was met with huge success with its release in
France last month. “The theaters are so full of people that they are extending the duration of the film… especially in Paris, they are opening more screening sessions,” Boudraa said.
The screening at 5th Ave. Cinema is an event that not only promotes intercultural awareness, but also makes this film very accessible to the PSU community.
“Ahmed has connections in the film industry in Algeria and was able to secure us a very reduced price for screening The Last Queen,” said Corinne Hughes, the MESC Outreach Coordinator. “Typically, to screen a feature film can cost hundreds of dollars for the screening rights, so this was such a fantastic opportunity with this being a new, foreign film.”
As experts in Algerian cinema and culture, Boudraa added that for the Q&A portion of the event, he and Ahmed Bedjaoui will “be available to answer questions and will also give context about the film so people will know what this is about, because it’s not obvious. Even Algerians watching this, most of them will be just discovering a new page in their history.”
The term “the Big One” commonly describes the anticipated seismic event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is wellknown among Portland residents. While feeling apprehensive about this future threat is natural, it might be reassuring to know that many people are actively preparing for it. Several resources and support systems are available and working to prepare for this future crisis, potentially exceeding what one might initially expect.
“It’s a daunting, frightening thing,” said Mark Meininger, the Sabin neighborhood Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) Team Lead and Treasurer for Friends of the Portland NET “I think one part of what I hope to get across is with just a little forethought and discussion with your friends, folks can get to a pretty comfortable ‘we can do this’ place of mental preparedness. That takes away the built-up fear that can otherwise be debilitating.”
According to a survey collected by Portland State Vanguard, 50% of respondents did not know the role of a Neighborhood Emergency Team, and 25% were unsure.
The city of Portland states that “Neighborhood Emergency Teams are Portland residents trained by PBEM [Portland Bureau of Emergency Management] and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods.”
In the past, NET volunteers have focused primarily on preparing for the Cascadia Subduction Zone quake by doing training and community outreach and are preparing to respond to this looming disaster.
“The one time that we can go out without explicitly being called out is in a big disaster like an earthquake that breaks communications,” Meininger said. “That’s the one time after the shaking stops—we know. Okay, we are now deployable.”
Each team is equipped with a clear plan. “Each NET neighborhood team has what we call an operations plan and the standard operations plan,” Meininger said. “The sequence is first, we make sure we are okay, and folks in our house are okay and there’s not an immediate crisis either at our house or in neighbors’ houses. And then, we go to what we call our team staging area, which is often a school, or some central place in the neighborhood.”
After coming together, the team goes to work. “We have a few tasks that we do,” Meiniger said. “One task is what we call damage assessment. So the fire bureau wants to know where there’s lots of damage or where there are big fires burning. So one role we have is to go track that and report that up the chain of command. The other [role] is search and rescue, where we tend to folks who are injured and do as best we can for where they are.”
While the training NETs go thorough is good at preparing them for the task at hand, the potential for emotional toll is high—especially for the search and rescue team, who are taught to prioritize their safety which in part means being willing to walk away from saving someone when the situation is unsafe.
“You know, the folks who are NET volunteers are all signed up to try to help as best they can, so having to consciously not
help [can be difficult],” Meiniger said. “So another path of my interest area is helping NET volunteers be aware of that coming down the pike, so it’s not such a surprise when it gets them.” Dealing with a natural disaster can be traumatizing. Moreover, both history and the data show that minority and low-income individuals face higher risks and have a hard time recovering financially from natural disasters.
The Friends of the Portland NET, the non-profit that Meininger is a part of, tries to help balance the scales a bit. This organization seeks to be an outreach, community education tool and funds manager—and soon-to-be fundraising arm—for NETs.
“I think the NET program itself tries to equip some folks who can’t really afford to set themselves up as NET volunteers,” Meiniger said. “One of the goals of Friends of Portland NET is also to be able to provide more funding for that to increase equity across the NET program.”
Like many, COVID-19 had a lasting impact on NETs. “COVID took a toll on the NET program,” Meiniger said. “It made it difficult for teams to meet and continue building those
connections. It made it difficult for folks to deploy because it didn’t even feel safe to go out to do that.”
However, there were things to learn from the pandemic as well. In many ways, it shifted the volunteers’ perspective and showed them the gaps in our community’s ability to address the crisis as a whole.
“As we were kind of shutting down, one of the guys on the task force said we are talking about what to do for something, and as he put it, will probably not happen in our lifetime,” Meiniger said. “Which with a 35% chance in 50 years for those of us in our 60s, and we have nothing for this COVID pandemic.”
The NETs have changed their focus to help with various disasters, community health and safety events. By adopting this approach, they can aid the community in the aftermath of the global pandemic and be better equipped to handle potential extreme weather incidents, among other crises that are becoming more common. It also helps them stay up-todate on how to respond to crises and connect with people face-to-face in a meaningful way.
“What that kind of has brought about is another branch of what a lot of the NET teams have done, which is to realize the need for organizing neighbors, not just for a big earthquake, which takes storing water and all kinds of things, but also to be able to help each other in ice storms or when the heat gets bad,” Meiniger said. “To basically make the first level of outreach to be able to respond to the things we respond to now a couple of times a year. Over time we can fill back in the earthquake preparedness, but we’re going to have ice storms next winter, and we’re probably going to have heat events this summer.”
Meiniger also believed the new structure ensures better volunteer retention. “I think one thing with big disaster training, if that’s all you’re set to do, you can go years sitting around with nothing to do,” he said. “As a volunteer, it kind of saps your interest in doing that. But activating Portland NETs for everything from downed power lines to extreme weather shelters to working at the Rose Parade in first aid tents, it keeps us current in our skills and also keeps us engaged in the volunteer program.”
NETs are actively involved in community engagement efforts, aiming to empower individuals to connect with others. However, when considering neighborhoods and the community as a whole, the sheer size of these groups can be overwhelming.
However, Meiniger emphasized the importance of starting small by initiating conversations and building relationships with immediate neighbors. This approach enables people to develop a sense of familiarity with their neighbors and encourages mutual support and check-ins. In an ideal scenario, this interconnectedness works like a domino effect throughout the city and encourages connections and community as a strong bulwark against looming threats and fear.
Students are one of the most challenging groups to reach regarding community crisis planning. “Students turn out to be a pretty hard group to get organized,” Meiniger said. “We’re used to people who are living in the same house for 10 or 15 years. You guys are hard—you come and go.”
For students on top of our always-in-motion lives, many are
commuters—especially here at PSU—providing us with a few different communities we interact with regularly and often semi-equally.
This provides different people the community will have to rely on in the case of a sudden emergency. “What groupings could [students] figure out that makes sense for how you all are scattered about either Southwest or whatever parts of the city?” Meiniger asked.
It starts with connecting with our community, and according to our survey, 66% of our readers that responded said they felt somewhat connected to the campus community, which is a significant first step.
However, thousands of people attend Portland State, and many might feel a different sense of community. PSU often feels like each individual has the opportunity to construct their own experience, and for those that are here and not connected, how can we reach them?
“Recognizing when somebody needs help,” Meiniger pointed out. “I think when folks get scattered as everybody is at the end of each day, when somebody doesn’t show up the next day, somebody noticing and just checking is really the very first step.”
At the same time, as students, we should be invested and aware of how our campus is preparing to face the next big crisis. According to the Vanguard survey, 46% strongly to somewhat disagreed that PSU was prepared for an impending crisis, while 33% did not agree or disagree, and 25% somewhat agreed.
I live on campus, but to be honest, I’m not sure,” noted Andrea Henrickson, a PSU student.
I think that many students feel this uncertainty, and in a crisis, knowledge of who is in charge and where to go for resources and support is essential. For Portland, the NETs can provide that support. However, as a campus, we should not only work on supporting each other, but also educating ourselves on the resources available to us in all of our communities.
Be sure to keep an eye out for follow-up articles on preparedness. Future issues will explore PSU’s crisis response plan and other community resilience and crisis preparedness resources.
Even if you aren’t a big fan of sports, chances are you could name some teams by identifying the mascot that represents them. You’ll see a mascot running around at games giving high fives and providing silly photo opportunities, along with making sure there is enough energy from the fans to make the team feel supported.
The origins of mascots for sports can be traced back to various cultural and historical influences including folklore and mythology, often borrowed from the cultures surrounding the community. Creatures like lions, tigers and bears are used because of their association with strength and bravery and often represent the desired qualities of a team and instill a sense of pride and identity.
One of the appealing aspects of mascots is their whimsical nature. Mascots often have exaggerated features, colorful costumes and playful personalities that add a touch of lightheartedness and fun to sporting events and other special occasions where they are needed as representation of the team.
A mascot serves as a visual representation of a sports team’s identity and helps create a recognizable brand. It often embodies the team’s name, spirit and values, making it easier to be relatable. Not to mention the amount of promotional material that can be created to embody the mascot.
Mascots are entertainers in their own right. Their whimsical appearance and behavior are designed to captivate and amuse audiences, particularly the kids. By being playful, silly and sometimes even mischievous, mascots create a sense of joy and excitement that enhances the overall entertainment value of an event. They are by nature the more approachable face of any team with their larger than life personas and friendly demeanor that helps break down any barriers between fans and the team, resulting in fans feeling more of a connection. Mascots have a knack for engaging with fans and sometimes the reactions they receive are unexpectedly funny and make for a potentially viral moment. And for us here at Portland State, we have Victor the Viking to represent us.
Victor the Viking was first introduced in the 1960s when PSU transitioned from being a two-year college to a four-year university. But why a Viking? Victor comes from the university’s Scandinavian roots, plus the added bonus of the strong qualities associated with Vikings like strength and determination.
The initial design of Victor featured a bearded warrior with a horned helmet and shield. But over the years, the mascot has evolved into something a bit more modern and approachable. Known for his energetic and engaging personality, he is often seen on the field or court leading cheers and interacting with fans. In addition to being PSU’s hype man during the games, he also serves as an ambassador by making appearances at various campus events, community functions and other local middle or high school events. But you might be wondering about the human that makes this all happen for us here at PSU.
Allow Portland State Vanguard to introduce our man behind the mask, “Z.” Much like Bruce Wayne hiding his role as Batman, PSU protocol requires that the identity of Victor the Viking must stay anonymous. This makes it easier for the person inside to take over the mantle of the viking mascot and gives them a lot more freedom to flail around freely and bring joy to the fans attending the sporting events. Studying history in hopes to join the teaching program at PSU, Z was in the market for a job on campus. With his performing arts and theater background, the school thought they would give him a shot. He did a working interview at Tigard High and impressed the right people, signing a contract with the university starting in the fall of 2022.
In the beginning, Z was a little nervous because of the fact that he had never been a mascot before, but he knew the ins and outs of performing from doing it previously—even though this type of performance is a bit different from the rest. “I had no background in it, but I do have a background in theater,” Z said. “I just kind of winged it the first couple months and then started to get the ground under my feet a little bit and feel better about it.”
In addition, there was the added pressure to really bring the mascot back to
life after its long absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with practice, he has become very fond of his role of Victor the Viking.
Z found that his biggest reward to being the mascot for PSU is the excitement that he can bring to the fans and families of the players. He said that it takes a lot of empathy to run around dressed as a seven-foot Viking while sweating away every ounce of water in his body. But he understands the assignment as the metaphorical host at games and events.
Vanguard was able to get the inside scoop from Z on the day-to-day life of a sports mascot. First things first, Z said that hydration is the most important part of prepping for game day. “The biggest thing for me is hydrating the day before,” Z said. “Like hydrating to the point where you feel a little sick.”
Often, he is required to show up before the crowd comes rushing in to provide the media team with promotional images. Fortunately, he has his very own space in the locker room and gets to interact with the players, which helps him feel included and not just some strange character tagging along to the games.
In his short career as Victor, one of his most memorable times getting suited up was when he joined the dance team on the floor during halftime of the game and did the dance right alongside them, despite the fact that “I’m not a dancer, at all,” as he said. Z claimed that he would bring the suit home and practice making moves other than waves and highfives, which he said gave his dog existential dread. “I would take the suit home with me and my dog would always be freaked out a little bit,” Z said, recalling the hours of practice he did leading up to the dance.
Another highlight of his time as Victor was the new event PSU athletics puts on called the Teddy Bear Toss. “It’s a charity event where fans are asked to bring a teddy bear and toss it at the mascot in the center of the court at half time,” he said. “The toys are collected and donated to the Les Schwab—the tire company that sponsors our basketball team—Christmas toy drive. It was a big success this year and we are hoping to encourage participation for our event next year.”
Overall, the whimsicalness of mascots adds an element of joy, entertainment and approachability to sports events. They contribute a positive experience, create memorable moments and help forge connections between teams and their supporters. The whimsy of mascots is a cherished aspect of sports culture that brings smiles to faces and adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the game.
Year after year, it seems that summer temperatures keep increasing. As global temperatures rise, isolated weather events become more extreme, meaning colder winters and hotter summers. Living on campus during even mild heat waves, such as the one Portland experienced just last week, can be detrimental to student health. It is the responsibility of Portland State to ensure that student housing is a safe and comfortable environment for students and, in regards to heat safety, they’re falling short.
Within the Housing Handbook itself, there is no explicit explanation for University Housing and Residence Life’s (UHRL) ban on air conditioning units in student dormitories. In a recent email sent by UHRL to students, they explained that AC units draw a significant amount of power, which has caused outages in the past as well as the potential for water damage within rooms.
Compared to other, permitted appliances, AC units do use a significant amount of power. UHRL’s suggestion that students use evaporative coolers is good in theory, but may not adequately provide relief in this part of the country. Swamp coolers work best in drier environments, utilizing the hot ambient air to evaporate water within the unit itself to cool the space. However, if the warmer outside air is already at a sufficient humidity, the cooler works at a much lower efficiency.
Average humidity in the Portland area during the summer can fluctuate between 40-80%—the higher end of that range renders evaporative coolers almost useless. So while they do provide an alternative, and a somewhat costly one at that, UHRL does not seem to offer many effective options for students to alleviate heat within their rooms.
Some other cooling options provided by the university, such as air conditioned buildings around campus and the shaded park blocks, are good for relief during the day, but are only temporary solutions.
Extreme temperatures do not just affect students during the day. During heat waves, most notably intense ones like those experienced last summer, temperatures hardly drop during the night. This can have drastic effects on student health by affecting their sleep. Extreme heat during sleep can increase wakefulness and decrease the amount of REM sleep, and the cooling methods offered by the university do nothing to address this. Quality sleep is one of the most important aspects of health, affecting nearly all aspects of our day-to-day lives, from stress and anxiety to immune and metabolic health. Without proper sleep, the body’s natural cycles of rest and repair are completely thrown out of balance. UHRL policy should take this fact into account, especially considering students’ primary obligation while at PSU is to study—it’s difficult, if not impossible, to operate at full mental capacity without adequate sleep.
Historically, cities in higher latitudes like Portland have not required widespread air conditioning during the summer months, but as global temperatures rise there needs to be serious consideration into making AC a standard, both throughout general Portland housing and in university housing. Otherwise, it is going to be very difficult to convince students to live on campus over the summer months.
However, these expensive and large-scale changes to residency buildings are not the only ways to cool down campus housing. The windows in my room, for example, are framed with black metal, and they receive direct sunlight from about 3 p.m. until sunset. With these frames on the inside of the window, their heat radiates into my room even with my fans on at full blast. Simply changing these frames to a lighter color would work wonders in cooling individual rooms during the day. The blinds in my room also don’t cover my windows fully, allowing sustained sunlight to enter the room throughout the afternoon. Offering some kind of white, lightweight curtains to students would add another layer of protection and shade within rooms without the need for large scale investment on the part of the university.
Despite the importance of student safety during our increasingly warming summers, there is little likelihood of PSU changing its housing policies within the next few months. These rising temperatures are not merely an issue between the school and its students, but are a global issue that all of us will be struggling with. Stay hydrated, and help your fellow students stay cool this summer.
Anti-transgender provocateurs have recently visited campus, inciting deeper questions about the university’s response to such incidents—Portland State students deserve clarity from the university administration about how they plan to protect trans community members.
On April 26, 2023, PSU’s Director of Queer Student Services, Murph Murphy, posted on Instagram that the Queer Resource Center (QRC) had been informed that transphobic provocateurs were aiming to target the PSU campus. In both the original post and in the comments, Murphy explained that an unnamed “monetized group of YouTubers” were planning to instigate and record debates regarding access to gender-affirming care to generate clickbait for people with anti-trans views.
“These folks are trained to stay calm and within their rights to share their opinions on public property under the First Amendment,” Murphy wrote. “Legally, we cannot stop them. But, we can ignore them and not give them what they want: a reaction from us and further polarization.”
To avoid garnering support for this transphobic organization, Murphy did not provide the name of the anti-trans group and urged those feeling upset about this situation to donate to the QRC Foundation Account , where funds would go directly to support a “bigger, better, and more inclusive Trans Days of Empowerment, Resistance, and Resilience in fall of 2023.”
Publishing the names of transphobic organizations will only serve to grow their platform—it appears that ignoring such individuals is the only way to keep them from causing harm. Yet, in order for community members to fully protect themselves, those who feel at risk have the right to know who is potentially targeting them. The anonymous Instagram account PSU Times posted on April 30 that a disgraced PSU
professor was part of a group that came to campus with a video crew last year and provoked the community.
Aside from an emailed statement on April 27 from PSU President Stephen Percy that indicated the school’s support of its trans students, nothing more has been said publicly about these provocateurs with plans to target campus. As a queer PSU student, I have not interacted with or heard about any transphobic provocateurs in the area whatsoever. Optimistically, this is because they decided not to show up after all—perhaps the public outcry about their presence was enough to scare them off.
Judging by the recent news surrounding trans healthcare, however, this will likely not be the last instance of transphobia in the campus community. As reported in President Percy’s statement: “anti-trans bills in legislatures across the country have doubled since last year, with 469 bills introduced and 38 new laws on the books in 13 states. Many loud voices have made no secret of their desire to target trans, non-binary and gender diverse people.”
Trans people are under attack in the United States—there is certainly no debate about that. Though I do understand the need to avoid amplifying the voices of transphobes by paying too much attention to their threats, I do wish there was more clarity around this situation. Specifically, some sort of statement from the school on how, exactly, they plan to actively protect their trans students would have put my mind at ease.
To be honest, I have felt on edge since seeing the QRC’s initial instagram post. Though I generally feel safe on campus, I have begun feeling deeply uneasy on certain occasions when I am walking alone. Over the past few weeks, I have regularly caught myself on high-alert, checking my surroundings for video cameras and middle-aged white men. Many questions— with few answers—have been swirling around in my head
these days: are we still being targeted? Have they given up, or will they show up unannounced when nobody is expecting it? What, if any, plans are in place to protect students in these situations?
In a perfect world, LGBTQ+ people would not have to fear for their safety at such a disproportionate rate. Since this world is far from perfect, however, LGBTQ+ people like myself are forced to be fearful and watchful of those who do not think we should exist. Trans people are tired of being afraid, so it is time for organizations like PSU to make their plans to protect trans lives very clear. Without this clarity, trans people will continue to live in fear, wondering who will stick up for them when their safety is at risk.
Though President Percy’s statements in support of PSU’s trans community were reassuring, something more must be done to ensure that all students feel safe on campus. Just a few short weeks ago, it was announced that transphobic people were coming to campus and, as of yet, there has been no formal follow-up to this announcement. I am grateful to have been notified of this potential incident, but I wish there was more of an effort made to ensure I felt safe. It is great to know I have the support of my school and its faculty, but that is simply not enough these days. I need to know if they will protect me.
However, this is not to discount any of the work done by campus organizations. The QRC does incredible and important work on campus and in the community, and they deserve to be commended for their continued support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ students. Institutionally, on the other hand, PSU needs to make more of an effort to protect their trans students. I do not know what the solution here may be, but I do know that the school’s response to these transphobic threats did little to reassure me that my school would have my back.
MAY 24
THURS
MAY 25 FRI
MAY 26
SAT
MAY 27
SUN
MAY 28 MON
MAY 29
CREATIVE CLUB
SELLWOOD COMMUNITY HOUSE
10:15 A.M.
FREE
A MIX OF ART SKILLS INSTRUCTION WITH A STORY CIRCLE, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW FOLKS
FLORA COLLECTIVE ART SHOW
DOGWOOD
6 P.M.
FREE
BOTANICAL THEMED GROUP ART SHOW/ART WALK! SUPPORT LOCAL ART, DRINK WINE & FLOWER GAZE.
OMENS OF CAPACITY OREGON CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
12 P.M.
FREE
A POETRY READING FEATURING JANICE LEE AND BRIDGETTE HICKEY
WARHOL-INSPIRED PORTLAND
BOTTLE & BOTTEGA
2:30 P.M.
$42
A FUN AND CREATIVE PAINTING CLASS INSPIRED BY ANDY WARHOL
MOSAIC FESTIVAL
LOVETT DECONSTRUCTION & SALVAGE SHOP
11 A.M.
$5
JOIN SARAH TAYLOR AND DR. TANYA
MARCH FOR A TOUR OF FORMER RIPARIAN MARSHLANDS
PROJECT TIME
ROGUE HALL
7 P.M.
FREE
BRING YOUR PROJECTS, MEET NEW FRIENDS AND ENJOY CRAFTING TOGETHER
TUES
MAY 30
SECLUDED LAKE
BOTTLE & BOTTEGA
6:30 P.M.
$42
LEARN TO PAINT A LAKE IN A FOREST WITH INSTRUCTION FROM AN ARTIST
CONAN POLARIS HALL
8 P.M.
$44+
CAPTIVATING LISTENERS WITH POWERFUL AND IMMERSIVE SOUNDSCAPES THAT LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT
AUSTIN MILLZ 45 EAST
8 P.M.
$20
A TALENTED MUSIC PRODUCER AND DJ WITH DYNAMIC BEATS AND INFECTIOUS ENERGY
SHAKIN’ UP ALBERTA STREET DONNIE VEGAS
10 P.M.
FREE SKA AND REGGAE, FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS
INFECTED MUSHROOM
45 EAST
10 P.M.
$30
ELECTRONIC MUSIC DUO KNOWN FOR INFECTIOUS BEATS AND MIND-BENDING PSYCHEDELIC SOUNDSCAPES
OREGON SYMPHONY
ARLENE SCHNIZER CONCERT HALL
2 P.M.
$25
RENOWNED ORCHESTRA CAPTIVATING AUDIENCES WITH POWERFUL PERFORMANCES AND EXQUISITE MUSICIANSHIP
HOT LOVIN’ JAZZ BABIES THE MISSISSIPPI PIZZA PUB & ATLANTIS LOUNGE
7 P.M.
$8
HIGH-ENERGY SWING ENSEMBLE CAPTIVATING PORTLAND’S DANCE COMMUNITY WITH A SPEAKEASY VIBE
TINARIWEN WONDER BALLROOM
8 P.M.
$35
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED DESERT BLUES BAND KNOWN FOR THEIR SOULFUL MUSIC AND CAPTIVATING SAHARAN RHYTHMS
ARIES SPEARS HELIUM COMEDY CLUB
8 P.M.
$55+
A COMEDIC HEAVYWEIGHT WITH OUTSTANDING IMPRESSIONS AND UNIQUE TAKES ON CURRENT EVENTS
MYRA’S STORY 21TEN THEATRE
7:30 P.M.
$15+
MYRA’S ALCOHOLISM REVEALS
GENERATIONAL AND POLITICAL TRAUMAS IN A WORKING CLASS DUBLIN COMMUNITY
BOOGIE NIGHTS IN 70MM HOLLYWOOD THEATRE
7 P.M.
$10
A RIVETING FILM THAT DELVES INTO THE THRILLING AND TUMULTUOUS WORLD OF THE ADULT ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY HOLLYWOOD THEATRE
1:30 P.M.
$10
KUBRICK’S MESMERIZING SCI-FI MASTERPIECE TAKES VIEWERS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME
AFTER LIFE & DREAMS
5TH AVENUE CINEMA
3 P.M.
STUDENTS: FREE
GENERAL: $7
35MM DOUBLE FEATURE OF AFTER LIFE AND DREAMS
OPEN MIC COMEDY CHEERFUL TORTOISE
9 P.M.
FREE
FIVE-MINUTE COMEDY SETS ON CAMPUS AT PSU, WITH SIGN-UPS STARTING AT 8:30 P.M.
TECH HELP DROP-IN HILLSDALE LIBRARY
10 A.M.
FREE TECH HELPERS OFFER ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE FOR ALL YOUR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, FROM MOBILE DEVICES TO WEBSITES
DRINK, PAINT, SOCIALIZE PDX SUITE SPOT
7 P.M.
$30
UNLEASH YOUR INNER PICASSO AND ADD A TWIST TO YOUR NIGHT OUT
PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL PORTLAND
12 P.M.
FREE
TRADITION, COMMUNITY UNITY AND DIVERSE EVENTS WITH CONTEMPORARY AND NOSTALGIC PROGRAMMING
FREE MARKET GATEWAY DISCOVERY PARK 1 P.M.
FREE
GIVE FREELY AND TAKE WHAT YOU NEED: FOOD, CLOTHES, ELECTRONICS, PLANTS, TOYS, FURNITURE AND MORE
VORTEX COMMUNITY MEET TEA CHAI TE 10 A.M.
FREE
A CREATIVE GATHERING TO COLLABORATE AND BRING IDEAS TO LIFE
ARTSHITZ
THE HIGH WATER MARK
6 P.M.
FREE
SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN A VIBRANT MARKET FEATURING ART, CRAFTS, JEWELRY AND MORE
ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE
6:30 P.M.
$10
A POWERFUL DOCUMENTARY EXPLORING WILDFIRES, CLIMATE EXPERTS’ VOICES AND REIMAGINING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRE
SCAVENGER HUNT FOR COUPLES BENSON BUBBLER
12 P.M.
$10
AN OUTDOOR ESCAPE ROOM, SCAVENGER HUNT, WALKING TOUR, CHARMING PLACES, LOVE STORIES AND FUN CHALLENGES
