Portland State Vanguard Volume 78 Issue 35

OPEN OPINION PLATFORM COLUMN

EDITORIAL

Kat Leon

Isaiah Burns (in training)

MANAGING

Tasha Sayre

NEWS

Zoë Buhrmaster CO-NEWS

Alyssa Anderson ARTS

Macie Harreld

Anish Kumar Arumugam

OPINION

Cameron Rodriguez

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Sergio Cervantes

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Josi Struck

ONLINE AND PROMOTIONS EDITOR

Alley Henrici

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Aishwarya Suresh

COPY CHIEF

Isabel Zerr

CONTRIBUTORS

Amber Finnegan

Diana DeGroot

Isaiah Burns

Lilli Rudine

Milo Loza

Tayma Miguel-Reyes

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

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 online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

NOW HIRING COPY CHIEF

Responsibilities:

• Copy edit all Vanguard articles, from copy edits on docs to finalizing copy edits on the full issue's PDF

• Maintain PSU Vanguard House Style Guide and update as necessary

• Train incoming contributors who are interested in copy editing

• Assign articles and assist contributors as they edit, answering questions as necessary

• Maintain clear communication with Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director during production

ELSA grant amount: $2,100 per term

Hours per week: 15–20 hours

Applicants with previous copy editing experience are preferred, but we are looking for enthusiasm more than anything.

If you have a keen eye for detail and writing, then please apply!

HELEN GORDON CENTER FAILS TO CALL 911 FOR INJURED CHILD

RECORDS SHOW A HISTORY OF NON-COMPLIANCE WITH STAFF SAFETY TRAININGS

ZOË BUHRMASTER

The following article contains content depicting graphic images and details regarding an injured child. Some individuals may find this disturbing, we advise reader and viewer discretion when proceeding.

Rachel Jones answered her phone around 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 17, 2023. The call came from Helen Gordon Child Development Center (HGCDC), where her 2-year-old daughter, Clementine Jones, attended daycare.

On the other line, HGCDC front office receptionist, Lynette Choi, informed Rachel Jones her daughter had bitten her lip, and that she recommended that Rachel Jones come to the school.

“To me, it didn’t feel urgent, because it said she just bit her lip,” Rachel Jones said. “So what I did was I said, ‘well, let me go to the kitchen.’ It’s just how unurgent it felt.”

Rachel Jones recalled deciding to stop by her apartment first to pick up some snacks for Clementine Jones, since—by that time—she figured the kids had not had lunch yet.

“I’m picturing a child biting their tongue,” said Rachel Jones, recalling her frame of mind when she got the call. “You know, when you bite your tongue. We even, as adults, bite our tongue and it hurts really bad. That’s honestly the visual I had in my mind.”

Clementine Jones sustained a three-quarter-inch laceration to her lip while on the playground at the center. According to Rachel Jones, HGCDC staff did not call 911 at the time of the injury, despite the wound actively gushing blood when she finally made it to the center.

Since the incident, Rachel Jones filed to sue HGCDC for failure to provide first aid and contact emergency services, according to the tort claim notice Rachel Jones’ attorney, Kevin Brague, sent to the center on Feb. 7, 2024.

The first injury report HGCDC released stated that Clementine Jones “was playing with another child and was pushed. She fell and hit her lip on the play structure—bit her lip?” Later, Lynn Green—Director of HGCDC—updated the report to add that it was “probably on the wood or plastic cap of the structure.” The updated report also added that “she was standing on the ground & was pushed from behind.”

Both of Clementine Jones’ teachers in her Caterpillar Room class were on break at the time. Three other teachers were supervising the children on the playground, one of whom was two feet away from Clementine Jones at the time, according to the injury report.

About five minutes after the first call, the receptionist at the childcare center called Rachel Jones again, asking her how far away she was. Rachel Jones told her she would arrive in about five minutes, as she was already on campus and headed over. The receptionist then informed her that Clementine Jones had bitten through the second layer of her skin and had begun to bleed badly. Rachel Jones recalled being on the phone with the receptionist when she walked into the HGCDC entrance and immediately heard screaming and crying.

“It sounds like her life is in danger,” Rachel Jones said, recalling the event. “I walk into the lobby, and I see Clementine stretched out on the floor by herself, arms and legs like a crime scene.”

Clementine Jones lay alone on her back, with legs wide open, arms down by her sides on the lobby floor. Four adults were in the room, but none attended to her, said Rachel Jones.

Something had split Clementine Jones’ lip on the left side, leaving an approximately three-quarter-inch gash, according to the HGCDC injury report. Her daughter’s clothing was covered in blood, Rachel Jones recalls.

Rachel Jones immediately burst out crying, panic setting in. She considered calling the police at that moment.

“I kind of reach for my phone a little bit, like, ‘should I call 911?’” Rachel Jones said. “And they was like, ‘no you need to take her to the emergency room.’”

Green later told Rachel Jones that staff did not immediately call an ambulance, because they were waiting to see whether or not Rachel Jones wanted to take her to the hospital. In the event of a medical emergency, however, licensed childcare centers are responsible for calling emergency services, according to Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Early Learning Division.

Justine Larson—a studio teacher at HGCDC—asked Rachel Jones if she had a car.

Rachel Jones told Larson that she didn’t drive because she lived in campus housing. Larson then asked if Rachel Jones had a car seat and offered to drive her and Clementine Jones to the hospital.

Rachel Jones happened to have a travel seat in her dorm across campus that she had used for their flight from the East Coast, where Rachel Jones is originally from. Larson told Rachel Jones that, if she went and got the seat, Larson would take her to the emergency room.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Rachel Jones said. “I’m just thinking, like, I don’t know. This is my first child.”

In a panicked state, Rachel Jones picked up Clementine Jones— whose lip was still bleeding—and hurried across campus to grab the travel seat and meet Larson back at the childcare center. Larson drove Rachel Jones and her daughter to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center on the other side of the Willamette River, three miles away from the childcare center.

The playground at HGCDC where Clementine Jones reportedly sustained her injury

ALBERTO PUJAZON/PSU VANGUARD

The hospital staff immediately sent the mother and child in an ambulance to Randall Children’s Hospital (RCH) to see a specialist. Rachel Jones texted her longtime friend Maria when she arrived at RCH, who came to the hospital along with her mother, who goes by D. Camille.

At RCH, Clementine Jones underwent sedation twice, receiving stitches and glue on her lip and spending a total of eight hours at the hospital, according to a complaint letter filed with the Oregon Office of Child Care Licensing in Dec. 2023.

SAFETY FIRST

As a certified childcare center, HGCDC must train all staff in safety set training courses, including the “Introduction to Childcare Health and Safety” and “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect.” ODE’s Early Learning Division requires childcare staff to complete these courses within 30 days of hiring and annually thereafter for any staff with unsupervised access to children.

For at least the past four years, HGCDC consistently failed to have a fully trained staff on the safety courses. ODE’s Early Learning Division public childcare safety portal records do not show detailed reports earlier than 2020.

On Oct. 23, 2023, three days after Clementine Jones’ injury, an Early Learning Division compliance visit to HGCDC showed that—within the required timeline—four staff did not have training in the “Introduction to Childcare Health and Safety” course, three staff had not completed “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect” training and two had not completed “Foundations for Learning,” according to the public childcare safety portal.

Five months earlier in May, 2023, eight staff members had not completed the “Introduction to Childcare Health and Safety” or the “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect.”

Training violations are considered a non-serious non-compliance issue, so the fee for a civil penalty of this kind is $50 per violation.

Emails between Amber Bayker—Office of Child Care Licensing Specialist—and Priscilla Lowells—Senior Legal and Compliance Specialist—revealed that within the Office of Child Care, there was a conversation about consequences for HGCDC considering the pending renewal of their license at the time.

“This program hires new staff with every new semester and are constantly not in compliance for trainings,” stated Bayker in an email dated March 7, 2023. “I have not issued their annual due to trainings not being completed at the time of visit… I do think that we should keep issuing the CP because they are not staying in compliance – I would even say they have not come into compliance at all.”

In June, 2023, the childcare licensing sent HGCDC a civil penalty of $225 for training non-compliance.

The staff is now up to date on all training requirements. On March 14, 2024, the center had an assessment and successfully renewed its license. The renewal came one month after Brague sent the tort claim notice to the center, notifying the center that Rachel Jones was suing them.

“HGCDC’s admitted lack of training, failure to provide first aid, failure to contact emergency services, and failure to provide a modicum of human compassion and care for a suffering child transcends ordinary negligence and is an extraordinary transgression of the bounds of socially tolerable behavior,” stated Brague in the Feb 7. notice.

SINCE THE INCIDENT

As a single mom, Rachel Jones found herself overwhelmed with taking care of Clementine Jones in the days following her daughter’s Oct. 17 injury. She took her daughter out of HGCDC and began taking care of her daily. Rachel Jones stopped going to classes shortly after.

“I couldn’t really mentally juggle being a mom and being in school at the same time,” Rachel Jones said. “It came with depression and feeling like I don’t know how this affects her, ‘cause she doesn’t talk… I didn’t want her desire to be able to speak or to hear go away.”

Clementine Jones has congenital cytomegalovirus, which means that she is non-verbal and wears hearing aids. At some point during the chaos of the incident, she lost her left hearing aid.

“The lady in the car told me the left hearing aid is still at the school,” Rachel Jones said, recalling Larson driving her and Clementine Jones to the hospital.

Rachel Jones met with Green in the days following the inci-

dent, foremost to ask where her daughter’s left hearing aid was and how to potentially replace it.

Green emailed Rachel Jones on Nov. 1, 2023, expressing concern about getting the hearing aid funded as soon as possible through paperwork sent by the Portland State Office of Risk Management.

“We have some movement on getting the hearing aid replaced that is missing,” Green stated. “I have been instructed to send you another claim form… I wanted to be specific about which part is missing and for which ear so it is clear on the form in order to lessen any delays by being as clear as possible. Is the missing part just the amplifier?”

As the weeks went by, Green stopped responding to Rachel Jones. On behalf of Rachel Jones, D. Camille followed up with the Office of Risk Management, who informed her that Green said her staff had put the hearing aid back in the child’s ear before leaving the center. In that case, replacing the hearing aid was not HGCDC’s responsibility.

The office provided Rachel Jones with an insurance claim for the hearing aid, which she filed in early Nov. 2023. A follow-up with the insurance company stated that processing the claim would take a while, and there was uncertainty as to whether or not the insurance company would validate the claim.

On Dec. 15, 2023, Rachel Jones left Portland and returned to the East oast to have Clementine Jones’ ears checked and obtain a replacement hearing aid for her. She is still there, having dropped out of PSU and now homeschooling her daughter while working.

Clementine Jones had only received hearing aids a few months before her first time at HGCDC. Rachel Jones put her daughter in the center in Sept. 2023 when she first began classes at PSU that fall term, this being her first time putting her daughter in any sort of childcare.

Green denied PSU Vanguard’s requests for interviews with her and the staff present at the time of the injury.

“We take our responsibility of caring for children seriously and therefore safety is paramount at the center,” stated Green in the email to PSU Vanguard. “We will continue to prioritize the safety and development of our children and employees, and have no further comment on this matter at this time.”

COURTESY OF RACHEL JONES

COURTESY OF RACHEL JONES

Clementine’s injury (left) was originally said to be due to her biting her lip. The official report would later state it was caused by another child shoving her into the green plastic cap on the play structure (right).

PROJECT REBOUND AIMS TO FIGHT SYSTEMIC BARRIERS

CREATING A COMMUNITY FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED STUDENTS AT PSU

Project Rebound is an unofficial organization of formerly-incarcerated students at Portland State. Despite facing challenges both academically and personally, the members pursue goals centered on offering resources to other formerly-incarcerated students, giving them a voice and defeating the stigma surrounding them.

“There are many stigmas associated with formerly-incarcerated students,” said Michaela Loggins, a PSU student involved with multiple organizations on campus. “My goal is to bridge a gap between the populations while bringing awareness to the makeup of our student body.”

Lisa Guirsch—a student who was among the first to use Project Rebound services and now works for them—said the fear of others prevents many students with recent criminal records from accessing many of the same resources as students with no records.

Before Project Rebound, the PSU Higher Education in Prison program (HEP) was the primary resource for incarcerated students. The HEP program provides individuals actively experiencing incarceration with the opportunity to enroll in university courses, with the ultimate goal of integrating into the PSU campus after release.

This was how Lisa Guirsch first became involved with the university. Lisa Guirsch was incarcerated when she came across fliers offering inmates the chance to enroll in college courses.

“It was during the last year of [COVID-19],” Lisa Guirsch said. “We hadn’t had any visitors and hadn’t seen our families, religious services or anything. And somehow, PSU got their foot in the door to do this.”

Enrolling in classes was the first step in a significant journey Lisa Guirsch would take involving the university.

Then-Director of the HEP program Deborah Arthur would go on to ask Lisa Guirsch along with her partner, Rachel Guirsch, and another formerly-incarcerated student, Kiesha Johnson, to build a program that offers resources, services and a community to formerly-incarcerated students on campus. They aimed to model it after the Project Rebound program in California.

Project Rebound remains an entirely separate organization from HEP. It operates independently as a community of students with no official recognition from the university. The program receives funding through AmeriCorps, which provides stipends to students like Lisa Guirsch, who work there.

Lisa Guirsch said that the stigmatization of incarcerated people presents itself in tangible ways, such as their inability to secure housing for formerly-incarcerated students.

“We’ve been trying to get campus housing, but told no,” Lisa Guirsch said. “They just aren’t willing to look at it on a case-by-case basis… They don’t want a bunch of felons congregating.”

Lisa Guirsch pointed to Portland’s probation system and the places that they place formerly-incarcerated people as a significant hurdle to success.

“When you’re released from prison, they put you wherever it is that they want to, and they’re usually not the nicest places to be,” Lisa Guirsch said. “You’re coming from the jail, and you’re put right back with the same people that you fell with.”

Lisa Guirsch reminisced on a friend of hers who died by suicide after relapsing on drugs while on probation. She claimed the system of probation was the principal cause of their emotional decline.

Lisa Guirsch noted the immediate exposure to crime, as well as the fentanyl crisis, to be regressive in efforts to reduce recidivism.

According to a report authored by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission Statistical Analysis Center, arrest rates for formerly-incarcerated individuals on probation varied upwards of 11.7% from 2006–2016, an upward trend that is significantly less common than arrest rates from individuals released without parole.

Dismantling stigma and advocating for better living conditions is one of Project Rebound’s larger missions, but they also have short-term goals.

According to Rachel Guirsch, they are working on building connections with other universities around the country.

“It’s about building a sense of community,” Rachel Guirsch said. The theme of community comes up quite often in the conversations with members of Project Rebound, as it provides a reprieve from the harsh realities of life immediately after incarceration.

“We try to help people that come to Project Rebound, because, let’s face it, life’s hard, but it’s even harder when you’re formerly incarcerated,” Lisa Guirsch said.

Today, Project Rebound offers an ever-expanding range of services. The program provides students with essentials such as backpacks, laptops, school supplies, public transportation passes and food vouchers. It also connects students with tutoring and offers a range of services that aim to help formerly-incarcerated students readjust to society.

ISAIAH BURNS

COURTESY OF LISA GUIRSCH

Rachel (right) and Lisa (left) Guirsch, two of the founding members of Project Rebound

PSU FACES DEQ VIOLATIONS FOR FUEL STORAGE TANKS

COMPLIANCE ISSUES PROMPT URGENT ACTION AND UPGRADES

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) cited Portland State on March 14 for multiple violations regarding its underground storage tanks (UST), which hold fuel for emergency generators.

The DEQ report highlighted several specific violations at two UST locations at Smith Memorial Student Union (SMSU) and the Fourth Ave Building. These tanks are crucial as they provide fuel for backup generators.

“The University has two underground storage tanks (USTs) locations noted in the DEQ report at Smith Memorial Student Union and Fourth Ave Building that provide fuel for backup generators that service those locations,” stated Jeffrey Rook, Director of Environmental Health & Safety at PSU.

The UST system at SMSU has a capacity of approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which powers an emergency generator. The second UST system, located at the Fourth Avenue Building, has a capacity of approximately 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel and also powers an emergency generator, DEQ’s penalty order stated.

The cited violations included failing to have adequate releasedetection equipment, failing to test spill-prevention and overfillprevention equipment, failing to conduct line-tightness testing on piping at the SMSU facility and failing to conduct annual operation- and maintenance-walkthrough inspections.

These violations came to light after DEQ updated its regulations in Oct. 2020, which meant the previously compliant USTs no longer met the new standards.

PSU responded by hiring a contractor to upgrade the tanks

and ensure compliance with the new DEQ requirements. “These types of USTs were previously exempt from DEQ rules,” Rook stated. “With the updated DEQ rules, which went into effect in October 2020, the UST were not in compliance.”

In response to the DEQ’s findings, PSU has taken several actions to address the violations. “PSU has made the required repairs and upgrades and completed the testing to ensure the tanks do not leak,” Rook stated. The university has also provided updated training for the facilities teams responsible for the USTs to reflect the new DEQ requirements.

Moreover, PSU is discussing with the DEQ a potential reduction in the $25,472 fine they currently face for the violations. “PSU is working with the DEQ to reduce the total civil penalty based on the corrective actions taken by the University,” Rook stated.

Proper release-detection and spill-prevention measures are crucial to minimizing health and environmental risks. “The requirements for release detection and spill prevention are in place to ensure that potential spills or leaks from the tank are detected quickly and can be corrected,” Rook stated.

Although no leaks or spills have been reported at PSU’s UST locations, the newly implemented equipment and procedures are designed to enhance response times and reduce environmental impact in the event of an incident.

Even though no reports of spillage were found and the updated DEQ requirements went into effect in Oct. 2020, the key findings from the DEQ letter stated that the tank monitor for the

UST system at SMSU was non-functional—with the last tanktightness test conducted on Sept. 30, 2017.

The UST piping at SMSU—which routinely contains diesel fuel—did not meet the required standards and had not undergone line-tightness testing since Nov. 2016.

To prevent future violations, PSU has implemented continuous monitoring and maintenance protocols for its USTs. “The upgraded leak detection system allows for continuous monitoring so facility personnel can respond to an incident,” Rook stated. Facilities staff have also received training on the new inspection requirements and are using a computerized maintenance management system to track reports and ensure compliance.

PSU has consistently been recognized for its sustainability efforts, ranking among the top 50 sustainable colleges in the United States by Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and the Sierra Club’s Cool Schools. Regarding the potential impact of the DEQ violations on this reputation, Rook expressed confidence that the corrective measures would mitigate any negative effects. “We have completed the required repairs, testing, and training, we do not believe these violations will affect our standing and reputation in these rankings,” he stated.

The recent DEQ violations concerning PSU’s underground storage tanks have prompted the university to make necessary upgrades and adjustments to meet updated regulations. While the situation has been addressed with corrective actions and enhanced training, it underscores the importance of ongoing vigilance in environmental compliance.

ANISH ARUMUGAM & VAISHNAVI SRINATH

Smith Memorial Student Union, one of the PSU buildings cited in the DEQ report for UST violations

VAISHNAVI SRINATH/PSU VANGUARD

URBAN DESIGN FOR A BETTER WORLD

ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS PRESENT INNOVATIVE THESIS PROJECTS

Brandi Barlow’s thesis project is a biophilic approach to architecture that creates restorative spaces for cancer patients by incorporating natural elements, promoting holistic healing and well-being

Graduate students in the Master of Architecture (M.Arch) program at Portland State are finalizing their capstone thesis projects. Each member of the 18-student cohort has designed a thesis project guided by an overarching question corresponding to a particular place or community.

“They can be situated more in theory or more in practice, depending on what you want to do,” said M.Arch student Kaleb Huerta. “So some people will get extremely theoretical and philosophical about what it is, and some of them will be much more rooted in the zoning and planning and all the regulatory things that determine what we can and can’t do.”

“A lot of it is self guided,” Huerta said. “So you’re set up with the tools to start framing what you’re thinking about, but what it actually becomes is up to you.”

These thesis projects involve extensive research, community outreach, urban design planning, model-making, sketchwork, mapmaking and other modes of craftwork. Each thesis will culminate in a printed book, oral presentations and an open-house gallery display.

“We are, in a thesis, developing both the problem and the solution, and so a lot of it is telling a story through the process,” said M.Arch student Eric Giovannetti.

For M.Arch student Zeta Blice, housing insecurity in Portland was the problem to be addressed. Blice’s thesis question asked, “How can architecture join education and housing to create a safe environment for unhoused students and their families?” This thesis project

repurposes the abandoned sheriff’s office on 122nd Avenue and Gleason Street to be used as a middle school and affordable living space.

M.Arch student Brandi Barlow’s thesis seeks to “rebridge the connection between the medical world and the natural world, and to integrate spiritually engaging spaces to further support and humanize patients.” Barlow’s inspiration has come from witnessing their own mother’s journey in cancer treatment and recognizing the positive effects of more natural, welcoming settings rather than clinical environments.

“I think, for a lot of us, [our theses have] something to do with our heart, in a way…” said M.Arch student Athena Rilatos. “You follow that thread of what is your passion, or what is something that’s exciting for you to work on, and then you’re just spending your time getting to work on that.”

Informed by Indigenous Futurism, Rilatos’s thesis project is guided by the question, “how can architecture facilitate Indigenous restoration in the urban environment?” This project realizes Land Back by restoring waterways and their previously buried or disrupted natural ecosystems and “integrating Indigenous treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather into downtown Portland’s landscape,” Rilatos said.

“As a Native, in my treaties it’s stated that I have the right to fish, hunt and gather,” Rilatos said. “And we are people of roots, fish and game. And it’s really hard to find that within the urban context. So I have to be Native out there, not in the city.”

Rilatos’s thesis prioritizes sustainable devel-

opment and honors the cultural preservation and rights of local Indigenous peoples while also providing the Portland area with greater access to the region’s natural beauty and wildlife.

Decolonizing Portland is also the focus of M.Arch student Rebecca Silk’s thesis project. Silk’s main priority in developing their thesis was to “connect people with plants and the environment.”

Silk chose the abandoned United States Postal Service site in NW Portland near Broadway Bridge as the site for their thesis project. The area will be redeveloped into a park featuring a basketry learning center. The land will use “Native American tending practices, to encourage reciprocal relationships [in which] humans care for the plants and plants care for the human,” Silk said.

Another M.Arch student, Alondra Maldonado, has centered her thesis on the Latino community of Rockwood, Oregon. “Growing up in this area, I have always noticed a deep need for the introduction of third spaces—places for leisure, learning, resources and more,” Maldonado said.

Maldonado titled the project “Fortaleza.”

The project seeks to answer the question, “How can architecture and urban design strategies be employed to foster vibrancy, resiliency, and prosperity within the Latino community in Rockwood, Oregon?”

This project bolsters community resources in Rockwood while honoring the city’s cultural identity. Maldonado has redesigned several blocks in the city center, incorporating an indoor soccer arena, a church, a music event cen-

ter, affordable housing units and a pulga—or flea market—among other resources.

Maldonado’s research process involved significant community engagement. She spoke with business owners, clientele at her mother’s store, pulga vendors and other Rockwood community members to find out “what is missing in the United States that they left behind in their country, and bringing that little piece of home here, because I think everyone deserves a space to be in,” Maldonado said.

M.Arch student Brianna Montes also draws from personal experience in a MexicanAmerican community to form a thesis project which reimagines the U.S.−Mexico border. Montes’ project is located between Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is guided by the question, “How can replacing the U.S.-Mexico border with activity notes contribute to the realization of a 15-minute city model and promote transcultural experiences for those living along the border?”

Montes defines activity nodes as public spaces which bring people in, such as playgrounds, libraries, green spaces or even outdoor seating. This thesis project merges the two cities by introducing various activity nodes while ensuring all necessary goods and services are within a 15-minute radius—on foot or bike—at any given point across both cities.

At the heart of this thesis project is a community hub and shopping center called Mercado Plaza which conjoins the two cities. “This will serve as an open public space for both communities to come together and to begin to

MACIE HARRELD

COURTESY OF ISABELLA THOMAS

strengthen the existing trans-cultural way of living,” Montes said.

This project confronts the physical, social and cultural harm perpetuated by the current functioning of the U.S.−Mexico border. As a native of this region, “home itself is what inspired me to start this thesis,” Montes said.

Huerta and M.Arch student Ethan Goldblatt have collaborated on a joint thesis project which also transforms home—in this case, downtown Portland—into a thriving city center. “I think public space in Portland is just not really as activated and interesting as it could be,” Huerta said, pointing out many vacant buildings, unprogrammed spaces and hostile architecture around the city.

The site of Huerta and Goldblatt’s thesis project starts from Pioneer Square and leads down SW Yamhill Street to Tom McCall waterfront. The project incorporates a green corridor which would create a covered, walkable path from Pioneer Square to the waterfront.

The waterfront would be transformed into a beach access point supporting water activities, such as swimming and kayaking. The project includes additional waterfront infrastructure, such as restaurants and cafes, outdoor auditorium-style seating and a water taxi transporting people down and across the river.

The project challenges the notion that the Willamette River is unclean or unsafe. “People have it in their head of it as like an industrial river, but they’ve done a lot to try to [improve that],” Huerta said. “And so swimming is a big

part of that… getting people’s toes in the water is a really big thing, to be able to connect to the river and start establishing that space as a swimming space.”

This thesis prioritizes public transportation and walkable spaces over car roadways to build a stronger connection between the city and the river. “We’re looking at the streets becoming a little more of a space for people versus just car space and starting to break down the barrier that is Naito [Parkway],” Huerta said.

Huerta and Goldblatt’s project drew inspiration from their shared experience on a recent travel grant where they studied architecture abroad in Singapore and Taiwan. The duo decided on these destinations in light of the countries’ unique and inverse approaches to urban design.

Huerta explained that Singapore is known for its master city planning, developing the urban landscape with an orientation towards the far future. Meanwhile, in Taiwan there is “a very long history of organic urbanism where things sprout up and emerge and are allowed to be there,” Huerta said.

The research which Huerta and Goldblatt engaged in abroad ultimately carried over into their thesis project. “We’re trying to figure out what of these two different approaches is potentially something that can be drawn on for Portland, or more generally anywhere,” Huerta said.

An open house event displaying the M.Arch student thesis projects will be held on June 13 in Shattuck Hall.

COURTESY OF ISABELLA THOMAS

Brianna Montes’s thesis project merges two cities across the U.S.-Mexico border, replacing the border with activity nodes, a community center and cultural programming. All necessary goods and services would be within a 15-minute radius of any given point

Kaleb Huerta and Ethan Goldblatt have collaborated on a joint thesis project which transforms downtown Portland into a thriving city center

Athena Rilatos’s thesis project realizes Land Back through urban stream daylighting, and by integrating Indigenous treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather into downtown Portland's landscape

COURTESY OF ISABELLA THOMAS

Zeta Blice’s thesis project repurposes the abandoned sheriff’s office on 122nd Avenue and Gleason Street to be used as a middle school and affordable living space

Athena Rilatos’s thesis project aims at facilitating Indigenous restoration in an urban environment Brianna Silk’s thesis project redevelops the abandoned USPS site in downtown Portland, into a park featuring a basketry learning center

FIND IT AT

CINEMA PARADISO

AN ITALIAN CLASSIC PROJECTING THE MAGIC OF FILM

This week, the staff at 5th Avenue Cinema—Oregon’s only student-run theater—has chosen to project Cinema Paradiso Giuseppe Tornatore wrote and directed this heartwarming Italian classic which beautifully captures the essence of nostalgia and the magic of cinema. Set in a small Sicilian village, the plot revolves around filmmaker Salvatore Di Vita as he reflects on his childhood and the influence of his local movie theater, Cinema Paradiso.

As a boy, Salvatore forms a deep bond with the projectionist at the theater, who becomes a mentor and father figure for him. The film explores their friendship while serving as a love letter to the art of filmmaking and the communal experience of watching movies.

Clara Johnson—the 5th Avenue’s longest-standing member— chose this week’s film. Johnson projects 5th Avenue’s films from a small room hiding behind the audience, influencing her choice of Cinema Paradiso

As a projectionist herself, Johnson was compelled by the representation of a fellow projectionist on film. Originally, Cinema Paradiso was going to be shown in 35mm film, but due to distribution issues, it will be shown in its digital format. Johnson expressed her excitement about their initial plan showing the film in its physical format, saying, “a film on film about a projectionist projecting film on film.”

According to Johnson, Cinema Paradiso is a classic feel-good film, “heartwarming in a lot of ways. It’s kind of like an ode to people who like watching movies and also the people who make them and the people who project them.”

She added how personal the film feels to the director—because it is. “It’s filmed in his hometown,” Johnson said. “It has that nostalgic feeling of looking backwards and reflecting on your life. Anybody could fall in love with it, I think—anybody who loves film—because it’s a movie about film.”

Johnson’s enthusiasm for the film continued. “It’s very good, but also I thought it would be fun because we played Fight Club at the beginning of the term, which was a film on film,” Johnson said.

Fight Club notably has a scene where it looks like the physical film is getting off track and showing sprocket holes—a scene Johnson thought was really fun but never got used to projecting. “Every time, I’m like, ‘oh fuck,’” Johnson said.

That same scene surprised and frightened projectionists in 1999 when Fight Club was initially shown. Johnson talked about how scary it can be to see an issue like that with physical film, especially when considering the events of Cinema Paradiso. “It’s a theater that gets set on fire from film—nitrate film,” Johnson said.

“Projecting film is really nice, but it is kind of emotionally exhausting,” Johnson said. Since physical film can be potentially dangerous—as seen with the inferno of Cinema Paradiso—projectionists have to pay close attention to the projector. “You have to dedicate your entire attention span for the reel-to-reel switch—changeovers,” Johnson said. “’Cause then you can miss it, which I’ve done [while] trying to do my homework.”

Over the last few weeks, Johnson has been working on a special project for 5th Avenue. “I’m basically making an archival book about the cinema,” Johnson said.

For this project, Johnson has been delving into the history of the theater, looking through old yearbooks, collecting archival photos and also taking her own photos of the cinema’s inventory materials, like lenses and slide film. “I hope it can show people all the little trinkets we have that they may not know about,” Johnson said.

Unbeknownst to Johnson, she began this project last summer while contributing to the cinema’s archival process. However, it wasn’t until this past term—when she started taking a photo-book-making class—that the project came to full realization.

Naturally, Johnson chose film as the project’s main medium of documentation. “I wanted to shoot it on film, because I thought that was also kind of meta, like about film on film,” she said. “A published photo book about the space [5th Avenue]—which no one has done—would be really, really cool.”

For Johnson, this project has led to a sad realization that physi-

cal film will never be the popular medium it once was. Still, she is very proud to be a part of a cinema that keeps the tradition alive. “It made me realize how slowly but surely—maybe it was fairly fast, I don’t know—that film has been dwindling out,” she said. Johnson noted that, upon opening and for years to come, all films at 5th Avenue were shown on 35mm. “Every single one,” she said.

Johnson appreciates that 5th Avenue has made film cinema accessible to Portland State students. “To be able to see famous films on 35 millimeter for free is a pretty sweet deal, considering how hard it seems to be to get them,” she said.

Johnson first viewed a physical film as an audience member at 5th Avenue. “I remember looking back at the window,” she said, realizing at that moment that she wanted to be a projectionist for the theater. “I get to learn so much about something niche, even though it didn’t used to be niche at all.”

Johnson and her coworkers discuss the films for each term and coordinate with each other to maintain a balance in their mixture of tones, formats and preferences. “We usually try to space them out to not have too many 35mm [films] back to back,” she said. “And then also to not have them all be super depressing. So we try to plan accordingly, but also collaboratively.”

5th Avenue typically prefers to show experimental, foreign and arthouse films rather than mainstream films. “We don’t want to play necessarily mainstream stuff consistently, but it does seem like most people come out for those things,” Johnson said, shrugging. “I just wish more students would come out. It seems like people don’t even really know that we’re here.”

Johnson mentioned that Cinema Paradiso is widely considered to have one of the best movie endings of all time. This acclaim influenced the staff’s decision to make it the cinema’s final showing of the term.

Students can catch a screening of Cinema Paradiso at 5th Avenue Cinema for free on campus this weekend. Showings are Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

MILO LOZA

COURTESY OF 5TH AVENUE CINEMA

WE NEED SOLIDARITY TO ACHIEVE LIBERATION

INTERLOCKING SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION BIND US TOGETHER

As I type this, Columbia University has called in a militarized police force to brutalize, silence and terrorize the very students it’s obligated to protect. I propose that, as we advocate in the name of Palestine and push for divestment, we should also push for an end to all colonial occupations and white supremacist institutes, including the very concept of academia.

It’s vital on the liberation front to refrain from negotiating with oppressive institutes or states and stand firm in our demands. Recently, Brown University protestors disassembled their encampment after agreeing with the administration to push talks of divestment to Oct. 2024.

Knowing how institutes have operated in the past and their tactics to muzzle movements, it’s clear that the school intends to spend the summer enacting policy to stop future encampments and protests.

If Brown University intended to vote yes to the students’ demands, they would do so now rather than postponing it for five months. Rather than using the master’s tools—in this case voting—we should demand an immediate divestment by any means necessary.

Student protesters have been met with the most heinous acts of violence, with Black and Muslim students facing the brunt of it. Videos have surfaced of Arizona State University police removing a Muslim women’s hijab. At the University of California, Los Angeles, videos were captured of Black students having the N-word spewed at them by Zionists

We should remember that Zionist racism and white supremacist ideals directly affect Black people, demonstrating that Zionism expands beyond the borders of Palestine. Zionism isn’t just forcibly establishing a homeland in the name of Jewish people, but also enforcing the pure intolerance of others, aligning with violence against Black people.

This is an even stronger reason for us to combat Zionism head-on.

The brutalization and humiliation of Black and brown students by Zionists remains a reminder to us that, during protests, white allies must utilize their privilege and place themselves at the forefront.

It’s crucial that, in our liberation fronts alongside Palestine, we center dismantling anti-Blackness as it is pivotal for white supremacy to function and for colonialism to operate.

We must analyze whiteness and our attitudes about Black people as we know them and recognize that whiteness, as constructed in the imagined racial hierarchy, exists exclusively in opposition to Blackness.

The way that Black people are defined in the white consciousness mirrors the way that Palestinians are defined in the Zionist consciousness.

The broad pattern of anti-Indigeneity harbored by white supremacist colonial projects can be seen in both of these cases, with settler-colonists viewing the cultures and religions of colonized people as savage others. This attitude allows white settlers to excuse the colonial crimes committed in their name as retaliatory or paternal, and more effectively dehumanize the colonized subject.

As it’s been emphasized that all of our struggles are connected, we should use the current momentum to extend the mic to those facing similar atrocities as we see in Sudan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We shouldn’t “not now” each other, but instead formulate ways to incorporate all the issues we face in the struggle for liberation. Rather than centering our focus on a single cause, we should instead mobilize for a global, anticolonial resistance movement.

New York University (NYU) has ties to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which funds the Rapid Support Forces currently carrying out genocide in Sudan. Students should advocate for the divestment of NYU from the UAE.

As we witness violence against student protesters, there’s also dialogue to be had surrounding how the most impoverished remain patient zero for police tactics. The sweeping of encampments by law enforcement directly mirrors the sweeps done to our houseless communities in the United States. As we advocate for divestment by setting up tents, we should remember those who resist houselessness daily and face the brunt of sweeps.

The New York Police Department—along with numerous other police departments across the U.S.—employs extreme violence against student protestors, utilizing protest suppression and counterinsurgency tactics exchanged and developed in concert with the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) through joint training operations, as reported by Amnesty International

In the way that IOF terrorizes and violates Palestinians, we witness the same done to Black people here in the U.S. With the expansion of cop cities across the nation, we must remain cautious of politicians and investors promising us that the militarized centers exist for the benefit of public safety.

Between the increased surveillance explicitly targeting Black people and the continued trend of land grabs from Indigenous Americans, it is very clear that cop cities exist to continue the subjugation of Black and brown people under the guise of public safety and preserving a non-existent democracy.

Post-2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, we see conditions for Black Americans largely remain the same. If anything, police have gained an increase in funding, opposite to the call of demands to defund and ultimately abolish the police.

Ultimately, BLM’s shortcomings as a movement come because the bourgeoisie swiftly co-opted it and then sold it back to us in the form of symbolic concessions. Through Black celebrities and Black politicians alike, the radical demands of the BLM were sanitized and re-introduced to the community—not as revolu-

THUYU GEIDI

J.M. VINCENT/PSU VANGUARD

tionary action, but as a set of consumer ideals comfortably within the colonial market economy.

Similarly, we’re seeing attempts at co-opting the movement, with politicians who continually fail to show meaningful support for Palestine now providing speeches to students at encampments.

The consumerization of pro-Palestinian activism is also reflected in influencers, grifters and opportunists, such as Shaun King, who hosted a paid-entry Ramadan Iftar. Shortly after the announcement of the #Blockout2024 trend—a movement committed to blocking celebrities who’ve remained silent on genocide—celebrities like Lizzo immediately posted in support of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Palestine.

Even Angela Davis—a former Black Panther Party member and activist—appeared at the Auraria Campus encampment in Denver. While some hold Davis’s appearance in high regard, I struggle to see the relevance of her presence given that her politics have drastically shifted. Davis has pivoted towards a more neoliberal framework.

Back in 2020, Davis backed President Joe Biden, which makes one wonder how a former revolutionary Marxist can endorse a genocide-profiting liberal who’s openly supported Israel throughout his political career Rooting for Democrats, in general, receives a major side-eye, seeing as how they’ve continued to leverage abortion rights above our heads and failed to address community issues, such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

I feel as though we are holding onto the radical Angela Davis, the Communist-Party-member version who stood trial in the state of California. We need to take the initiative as a community rather than operating on symbolic nostalgia and depending on leaders to drive movements.

Back in March, I had the opportunity to be an audience member of Davis’ “Apartheid, Prisons and Capitalism” speech at the University of Oregon. Recording was forbidden, but I recall that Davis reminded the audience that she was simply a member of the Black Panther Party during her speech. This serves as a reminder from Davis herself not to idolize activists or public figures.

Imperialism is a brutal force with the intent to take from, instill fear and conquer others. Imperialism advocates for nations, and this demands our immediate attention. We need nothing short of the abolishment of all these oppressive systems. Anti-Blackness and patriarchy exist as limbs on the body of imperialism.

Rather than allowing institutions that benefit from these harmful systems to placate us and boost rhetoric of equality and justice, we should hold them accountable to these words and demand actions that show their lies. A multifocal, anti-colonialist movement would not only bring us towards creating a more just world, but it would unite whole diasporas.

Local A&C Events

MILO LOZA

Laugh Basement

Goodfoot Lounge

June 3

$10

Comedians curated and hosted by Hewitt Pagenstecher

Noon Tunes Summer Concert Series

Pioneer Courthouse Square

June 4, 12 p.m.

Free

Enjoy regional and local music at lunchtime with food vendors

Hannah Gadsby

June 5, 7 p.m.

$40+

A stand-up comedy show by Australian comedian known for Nanette

Free First Thursdays

Portland Art Museum

June 6, 10 a.m.

Free

Enjoy free admission and special activities all day at the museum

Shane Gillis Keller Auditorium

June 7, 7 p.m.

$42+

New York Comedian with sharp, observational humor

The Bad Seed in 35mm

Hollywood Theatre

June 8, 3:30 p.m.

$9

A 35mm projection of the classic thriller film

Monet to Matisse: French Moderns

Portland

June 8, 10 a.m.

$25

An exhibition of 60 modernist masterpieces from the mid-nineteenth to midtwentieth centuries

Angela Davis—a former Black Panther Party member and activist—appeared at the Auraria Campus encampment. Some praise her presence, but Thuyu questions her motives due to her shift towards a more neoliberal stance

ALBERTO PUJAZON/PSU VANGUARD

ARIANNA THOMAS

PARKER PATNODE

HALEY HSU

VANGUARD CROSSWORD

Answers in stories

Untitled

MILO LOZA

Answers for 5/27 1) ASPSU, 2) whistleblower, 3) Boeing, 4) buoyancy, 5) immunity, 6) boba, 7) Epilogue 8) Meta, 9) ByteDance, 10) HKSA, 11) backpacks

Across

Supervised release system that can hinder the success of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Unofficial PSU group providing support and advocacy for formerly incarcerated students.

8. Films that are experimental, non-mainstream, often shown at 5th Avenue Cinema

Down:

Down

1. The withdrawal of investments, as a form of protest against oppressive regimes, advocated by students across the United States

1. The withdrawal of investments, as a form protest against oppressive regimes, advocated by students across America.

3. Skilled creation involving detailed architectural models, sketches and design elements

4. Temporary setup by protesters to demand action and draw attention

3. Skilled creation involving, for example, detailed architectural models, sketches, and design elements.

6. Oregon Department that cited PSU for multiple compliance issues with fuel storage tanks, acronym

4. Temporary setup by protesters to demand action and draw attention.

7. Childcare center at PSU facing scrutiny for handling an injury incident, acronym

9. Open-house event displaying architecture students' thesis projects

6. Oregon Department that cited PSU for multiple compliance issues with fuel storage tanks. Acronym.

Across:

7. Childcare center at PSU facing scrutiny for handling an injury incident. Acronym.

2. Supervised release system that can hinder the success of formerly-incarcerated individuals

9. Open-house event displaying architecture students' thesis projects.

5. Unofficial PSU group providing support and advocacy for formerly incarcerated students

8. Films that are experimental, non-mainstream and often shown at 5th Avenue Cinema

10. Clara Johnson’s project documenting the history of 5th Avenue Cinema

11. Final project for architecture students, among others, at Portland State

12. Storage tanks that have been cited for issues at PSU, plural acronym

Community & Wellness Resources

UPDATED WEEKLY

By Milo Loza

Happening Soon

PSU Jazz with Johnaye Kendrick

Lincoln Performance Hall

June 3, 7:30 p.m.

Free for Students

Special performance by a Grammy winner with PSU Vocal Collective and Jazz Band

Live @ Lunch

SMSU 101

June 4, 12 p.m.

Free for students

Live concert series at lunchtime where you can study and meet with local artists

Sound Art Installation: Home:Lost

Lincoln Hall Boiler Room Theater

June 6, 4 p.m.

Free for Students

Interactive installation exploring displacement through sound and scenic environments

PSU Wind Symphony: Renewal

Lincoln Performance Hall

June 6, 7 p.m.

Free for Students

Concert featuring the Cleveland High School Wind Ensemble

PSU Orchestra: Unfinished Business

Lincoln Recital Hall

June 8, 12 p.m.

Free for Students

Ken Selden conducts works by Franz Schubert and William Grant Still

Cinema Paradiso

5th Avenue Cinema

June 9, 3 p.m.

A nostalgic film about a young boy’s love for movies and his friendship with a projectionist

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

SMSU basement

Tues 10:30–4:30 p.m., Wed 9–1:30 p.m., Thur 12–5:30 p.m. and Fri 10:30–5:30 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

Wellness & Health Action Team

Follow on Instagram

Available 24/7

Free

WHAT is a group of peers who educate on health topics specific to PSU students.

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