Portland State Vanguard Volume 77 Issue 38

NEWS

CRISIS COMMUNICATION

INSIDE PSU’S STRATEGY

P. 8-9

Campus demonstrations protest PSU’s budget management P. 4-5

ARTS

Foreign language programs experience dramatic cuts P. 6-7

SPORTS

PSU cheerleading team put on pause P. 10-11

OPEN OPINION PLATFORM COLUMN FOR ALL AT PSU

• STATE NAME AND AFFILIATION W/PSU

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

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

CONTENTS

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STAFF

EDITORIAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tanner Todd

MANAGING EDITOR

Brad Le

NEWS EDITOR

Zoë Buhrmaster

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Macie Harreld

SCIENCE & TECH

Kat Leon

SPORTS

Laura Kowall

OPINION EDITOR

Nick Gatlin

PHOTO EDITOR

Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani

ONLINE EDITOR

Christopher Ward

COPY CHIEF

Nova Johnson

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Nick Gatlin

CONTRIBUTORS

Kai Field

Amber Finnegan

Milo Loza

Isabel Zerr

PRODUCTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Whitney McPhie

DESIGNERS

Camden Benesh

Neo Clark

Casey Litchfield

Kelsey Zuberbuehler

TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS

Rae Fickle

George Olson

Sara Ray

Tanner Todd

ADVISING & ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA

Reaz Mahmood

STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT

Maria Dominguez

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR

Rae Fickle

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

MISSION STATEMENT

Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

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

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

COVER DESIGN BY WHITNEY McPHIE

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For more information, email editor@psuvanguard.com

HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT CURRENT PORTLAND

EVENTS? SHARE IT!

TANNER TODD

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

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

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

The Vanguard Editorial

Staff

PSU STUDENTS AND FACULTY PROTEST UNIVERSITY’S BUDGET MANAGEMENT THE DEMONSTRATIONS HAPPENED IN THE WAKE OF CAMPUS-WIDE FUNDING CUTS

KAI FIELD

Over 50 students and faculty gathered in Urban Plaza Square to protest Portland State’s inefficient management of funds, as well as to raise awareness about the decisions in campus-wide budget cuts affecting faculty, students and staff.

Portland State University American Association of University Professors (PSU AAUP), Portland State University Faculty Association and social science students planned the June 8 event to last from 12–2 p.m., just outside the Rec Center where the Board of Trustees were meeting with the Finance & Administration Committee.

The budget cuts were a result of declining enrollment. As of May 30, upwards of 80 adjunct professors had reported notifications of contract non-renewals, according to PSU AAUP’s webpage titled “Deep Cuts Cause Chaos on Campus.” This is in addition to department-wide course reductions, particularly for summer classes.

The PSU AAUP, whose demands can be found on their website , are protesting the stress of the budget cuts on students, faculty and staff—causing, among other things, increasingly unsustainable workloads, difficulty with graduating on time, rescinded research opportunities and non-renewed contracts of adjunct faculty.

When asked to explain what happened in the June 8 Finance

& Administration meeting with the Board of Trustees in relation to the management reserves, Amy Mulkerin—the Vice Provost for Academic Budget and Planning—said that in order to support the gap in the Education & General (E&G) budget, they had to allocate $20 million from the management reserve. In recent years, the board has utilized the management reserve both to support that gap and for “planned strategic uses at the unit level.” Things have changed this year, however.

“We need to include those other planned uses in the E&G budget rather than reserves,” Mulkerin said. Recorded livestreams and slideshows from board meetings can be found on the board’s website at www.pdx.edu/board

Several participants shared their disappointment in the word that a $10 million start-up fund had been set aside for Incoming President Ann Cudd, as referenced on flyers distributed by the PSU AAUP

“While it is up to [PSU] to decide how to allocate those funds, I don’t appreciate how they have this really huge price tag at the top while simultaneously cutting on the bottom,” said Sam Morehouse, a political science student. “If it’s such a high number that they need to be making cuts, then I think it’s too high.”

In an email from the Media Relations Manager at University

Communications Katy Swordfisk, however, an official statement from the university denied such a fund exists.

“There has been no $10 million start up budget set aside for Incoming President Ann Cudd or any other purpose[…] we are adhering to all elements of the collective bargaining agreements PSU has in place with its unions,” the university said in the statement.

The statement also mentioned that the university is working to reduce current funding by 2% in light of its declining enrollment. Their current priorities are on increasing enrollment and seeking funding support.

“I know a lot of people who have had to extend their plans for graduation or come up with extra money because of the sudden cancellation of summer classes,” said Chris Hill, a political science master’s student. “People were already registered for the summer, had adjusted their work to align with their schedules, but are now panicking making new plans for the summer.”

Peggy Maxey, a political science MS/undergrad student, first became aware of the budget cuts upon finding out that her political theory professor Nathan Gies’ job was at-risk. Noting how much of an asset he was to both his students and the university, she started a petition called Save Dr. Gies in an effort to save his job.

PSU STUDENTS AND FACULTY GATHER TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS ON JUNE 8. KAI FIELD/PSU VANGUARD

“Dr. Gies was originally hired as a temporary replacement for the previous political theory professor who never came back,” Maxey said. “He has a PhD in political science with an expertise in political theory from Johns Hopkins. No other professor here specializes in political theory, so if we lost him, the department would suffer.”

Gies himself reported hearing rumors about the budget cuts, before learning on May 17 via his department chair Joshua Eastin that the futures of the position he was filling in for and that of political theory were uncertain.

“What was initially questioning my position for next year and beyond, turned out to be worse than I thought,” Gies said. “Political theory being in question raises concerns for our graduate, PAP and MPP programs as I feel they’re all interconnected.”

Political Science Department Chair Joshua Eastin explained that he feels strongly against the impact these reductions and limitations have had on his department.

“We had initially proposed offering eight summer courses, but the Dean’s office had whittled that down to five,” Eastin said. “Those were on the schedule, people were registering for them.”

That’s when the Board of Trustees made the decision to stop using the management reserve for specific usage at the unit level. “It eliminated our flexibility to fill these budgetary gaps and we were lucky to even be able to offer the one upper division class for this summer term,” Eastin said.

When asked about Gies’ situation, Eastin explained that he spoke to the Dean’s office to figure out how to come up with the money to find, pay and hire a new political theorist, “but in this budgetary environment, I just don’t think it’s going to be possible. So it’s been very demoralizing for us.”

He then went on to say that despite these challenges, he’s still optimistic about political science and their ability to offer courses that students rely on—but without a political theorist to support that component of their program, the department will be lacking in some capacity.

Apart from impacts in regards to course projections, PSU’s Viking Cheer Program joined the protest on June 8, as they were also majorly affected by the university-wide budget cuts.

According to their petition on Change.org—called Save Portland State University’s Cheer Program —Leah Thyne, the Associate Athletic Director, quietly sent them an email

on June 2 stating that they “decided to pause the cheer program for the 2023-2024 season[…] based on a variety of factors, including budget constraints due to significant cuts to athletics.”

Their petition also states that the Viking Cheer Program has been the one to fundraise money each year to fund their transportation to and participation in competitions. They have also had to pay out of pocket for cheer shoes, camps, food and transportation to games.

The money allocated to them by PSU Athletics was put toward paying “some” coaching staff, with the rest being volunteers due to their minimal budget.

Ultimately, Gies said, the protested issue lies within the lack of transparency in the university’s decisionmaking process.

“Listen to the people who are affected and genuinely involve them in the process, rather than just announcing decisions to them, and then forcing all of us to scramble to figure out what that means for us,” Gies said. “We have an idea of shared governance… but things like this make it seem like that’s not happening.”

PSU STUDENTS AND FACULTY GATHER TO PROTEST BUDGET CUTS ON JUNE 8. KAI FIELD/PSU VANGUARD

WHY DO PSU LANGUAGE PROGRAMS KEEP GETTING CUT?

SHRINKING PROGRAMS ARE ABOUT MORE THAN DECLINING ENROLLMENT

The United States is one of a small handful of countries with no official language. While it may be tempting to interpret this as intentional homage to the diversity of languages and cultures that make up this nation, the reality of the American attitude towards second language acquisition tells another story.

According to a report by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, only 10% of Americans speak a language other than English proficiently. Of that 10%, three quarters are heritage speakers, having learned the language at home.

While learning a second and even third language is common practice starting in primary school in many regions of the world, only 11 U.S. states mandate a foreign language requirement at the secondary level, according to American Councils

Many post-secondary institutions offer opportunities for students to study languages previously unavailable to them. Yet overall trends reveal foreign languages to be faltering even at the collegiate level, considering that only 7.5% of U.S. students were enrolled in at least one language course as of 2016, the second lowest rate since 1960.

Portland State is no exception to this—at least inasmuch as funding allocation would seem to suggest. PSU has seen many language programs shrink—or completely disappear— over the last 10 years or so. In fall of 2021 for

example, both the Chinese major and minor became completely unavailable for student admission. Now, PSU’s Middle Eastern languages are facing the same fate.

Quinn Bicer is pursuing a TEFL certificate, Middle East Studies major and Arabic minor, and is also president of the Arabic Club at PSU. Bicer is leading an active student resistance against the downsizing of the language programs, through the initiation of the Student Committee to Save Language and Cultural Studies at PSU.

The group’s online manifesto, “Fighting for a Multicultural Future”, opens with the following lines: “We present these statements and testimonials to you as an independent group of students who have been greatly harmed by Portland State University and the program cuts that have been made so carelessly and with no student consultation.”

Bicer explained that he was excited to study Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at PSU to learn more about his own Turkish heritage, but soon found that the Turkish language program had already been cut, and was later told that the Middle East Studies major would soon follow.

Without Turkish as an option, Bicer chose to study Arabic from the Middle Eastern languages. “Because it was the most widely spoken,” he said. “This is probably going to be the

most useful, and I’ll be able to talk to the largest amount of people, but when I started actually learning it, I was like, wow, this is actually so fun and I just really love this intrinsically.”

At that point, Bicer decided he would double major in Arabic and Middle East Studies, but could only officially declare Middle East Studies as his major since the TEFL certificate occupied one of the two degree slots available on PSU’s registration site Banweb. “I couldn’t undeclare Middle East Studies because they scrapped that like my first year here, so me being declared as that was my only insurance, to where I know they would have to let me finish it,” Bicer said.

Only after consulting various academic advisors did Bicer discover that the Arabic major was no longer available to pursue either. Subsequently, he was unable to continue working with his thesis advisor, since advising was specific to a major that was no longer accessible to him.

Bicer explained that even the MESC center was uninformed and excluded from PSU’s decision to cut the programs. Bicer cited a serious lack of transparency on the part of administration in regards to the downsizing. “No one talked to me,” he said. “No one talked to me about anything. I just assumed that everything was as normal, and like it would normally be in a college program.”

This desire for the higher-ups to improve communication is echoed by PSU staff. “Transparency is really important and transparency is not being achieved,” said Malcolm Goldman, World Language Requirements Specialist and Office Coordinator, in regards to reorganizing departments. “I think that things could go a lot more smoothly… if there was a concerted effort for administration to at least put guidelines or regulations on how to communicate with students during this process.”

The university’s rationale behind downsizing the language programs is rooted in course enrollment numbers and unavoidable budget deficits. “Pretty much all of the explanations are just very cold, hard—these are the numbers,” Goldman said. “Having read the faculty union’s report on that and the independent report that both the union and the administration requested, both of them say, actually you do have enough money—there’s just a lot of administrative bloat and things not going into places they should.”

“The cuts being very horse blinders on, only looking at numbers, is a really big disservice to students,” Goldman said. “Looking at it in a compassionate humanistic way, of like ‘here are students who want to study this thing, and humanities have value outside of just professionalism and within professionalism,’ I think that’s an important recognition.”

MACIE HARRELD

SCSLCS-PSU STUDENTS PROTEST LANGUAGE PROGRAM CUTS AT FACULTY SENATE MEETING ON JUNE 5. MACIE HARRELD/PSU VANGUARD

To blame budget cuts on low enrollment numbers is an oversimplification of the underlying structures necessary for program success in the first place. If a program is underfunded and understaffed, student enrollment will diminish as a consequence of those administrative choices.

PSU’s ongoing hiring freeze demonstrates a perpetuation of this pattern—a practice that Goldman’s department experienced personally.

Goldman began working for the department of World Languages and Literatures in Nov. 2022, alongside two integral positions—the academic coordinator and the department manager. By May, both of these staff members had left their positions. While a temporary support position has been approved, Goldman remains as the only non-student staff member for the entire department. These vacant roles will not be filled due to the hiring freeze.

Because the administration has thwarted the department’s ability to adequately staff critical positions, the excess workload has been reallocated to the remaining staff in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences—with particular weight falling on Goldman and the department chair, despite the fact that “the department chair already has a lot of other tasks to balance,” according to Goldman.

Goldman also said that the distribution of labor has become increasingly inequitable. Ultimately, the holes in these support positions stunt the growth and success of each respective language program. “Faculty don’t have the support they need in order to focus on teaching their classes,” Goldman said.

“All of that trickles down to student success,” Goldman said. “Students will have a harder time interacting with faculty because the faculty is gonna be stressed out doing other stuff that they really shouldn’t need to be doing.”

One such task that often falls unfairly on professors is the promotion and advertising for course offerings and program events. “ I wish there was sort of a larger coordinating media body that knew how to do that… because I wish that my job was not about PR,” said Jon Holt, professor of Japanese. “I wish that I could focus on one, teaching—two, my research. Because those things go hand in hand, so that would make me a better professor.”

Many of the language programs at PSU are not offered at any other Oregon schools, and in some cases these language degrees aren’t even offered anywhere in neighboring states. “The university could do a better job of promoting, selling, advertising, our language programs,” Holt said. “Where else in the state of Oregon are you going to learn Persian? Or where else are you going to be able to learn four years of Japanese? PSU offers so many options to students.”

Holt explained that the Japanese program has maintained consistently strong enrollment numbers throughout his 10 years at PSU. “We still have, you know, 20 to 35 people graduating with Japanese majors every year,” he said. “I’m busy. I stay busy.”

Despite the administrative narrative that enrollment numbers determine downsizing, even the Japanese program has suffered from budget cuts. “If they ask us to make cuts, I get it,” Holt said. “But if they feel like certain things are strong, they should not cut it. They should promote it. For example, summer classes are a really contingent issue.”

Historically, PSU has offered many language courses in a condensed summer format, the

equivalent of an entire academic year of language in just a summer term. These programs allow students more leeway to organize their other courses during the academic year, and also offer an opportunity to fulfill the two-year language requirement in just 12 months.

Aside from the scheduling benefits, this format is simply beneficial for intellectual growth.

“For language learning, because you really need to practice it every day and practice it a lot every day, it’s so amazing, and you really get these star students who emerge there,” Holt said.

PSU has been offering Japanese in the summer since 1985. Cuts to those offerings began in 2013, and summer 2023 will mark the first summer in which no Japanese courses will be offered during the term.

These types of formats are often taught by graduate students with assistantship positions.

Holt explained that cutting the summer programs “has been very painful, and painful in a number of ways because you’re not giving the chance to students who want to move quickly, and you’re also cutting out funding for GTAs.”

Ultimately, the language units at PSU contribute to student integration on campus, marketability in the workplace and the personal satisfaction of multilingualism. The faculty, cultural events and academic challenge associated with studying these languages provide support for student success, but also foster connection between PSU and the diverse community of Portland.

“The idea of PSU promoting itself as a diverse institution while centering only on English speak-

ing classes and English cultures, just isn’t—you can’t call yourself diverse without having an opportunity to learn about other cultures from those other cultures’ perspectives, and that’s what you do with language courses,” Goldman said.

“A lot of these languages that are getting cut, are languages that have a really significant presence here at PSU and in the greater Portland area, with people who moved here from other countries, and international students,” Bicer said.

“If you cut all the language programs it’s like you’re shutting out so much of the world,” he continued. “There’s so much culture and history that’s documented in other languages and there’s a whole ocean of information and connections that come from knowing any other language.”

FLYER WALL OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF WORLD LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES IN FMH. MACIE HARRELD/PSU VANGUARD

HOW PSU PREPARES FOR A CRISIS

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY’S CRISIS PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

KAT LEON

Crisis is inevitable—what goes up must come back down. Given this inevitability, it is vital that institutions prepare for it and ensure that they know how to respond. Portland State is responsible to its students and the community to ensure that it is ready for the many potential crises that face our institution.

To do this, PSU’s University Communications has created a plan on how to communicate about the crisis to the student body, faculty, alums, families of students, local community and the various other parties whom the crisis could impact.

Katy Swordfisk is the media relations manager at PSU and the primary person responsible for creating PSU’s most current and in-depth Crisis Communication Plan (CCP). “Building out the plan was really building on what we already have, which is a much smaller version,” Swordfish said. “And then me doing months of research, reading, looking into best practices, interviewing stakeholders all across campus about their needs and experiences. And then putting all of that together into this much more comprehensive document.”

This document is an in-depth instruction on approaching various types of crises and how to best and most effectively communicate about them. “For this plan, there are three types of crises: immediate, emerging and situational,” Swordfisk said. “An immediate crisis would be something that we would

activate immediately. That would be something like a shooter on campus, sexual assault, inclement weather—really like the range of things.”

An emerging crisis, according to the CCP, is a “type of crisis [that] includes controversial PSU Board of Trustees decisions, lawsuits, controversial speakers on campus, academic scandals, etc. These events can be anticipated, and with proper planning and a managed response, detrimental news coverage is kept to a minimum.”

Finally, a sustained crisis is ongoing. While the university might not always be “looking to the plan every day for guidance, you’re keeping those things in mind—the different groups that you need to talk with,” Swordfisk said.

“All crises have some level of impact on the PSU’s reputation, but a sustained crisis can drain PSU of resources, lower morale, change public opinion and take a prolonged time to recover,” according to the CCP.

Once the crisis type has been defined, whoever is available comes up with a communication strategy, and this group determines “if we need to do anything communication-wise [or] if we put a pin in it and revisit [later],” according to Swordfisk.

For an immediate crisis, that response time is already determined, and the PSU alert system is the primary mode of communication about an immediate threat. For those signed up,

texts and emails are immediately sent to relevant parties, alerting them of the crisis and how to respond. Typically, students receive such alerts for inclement weather, but they serve as a means of communication during various types of emergencies.

“There is signage around campus noting that PSU alert is our method of communication in a disaster, and there is email communication regularly regarding how to sign up,” explained Jeffrey Rook, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, which ensures the university meets regulatory requirements.

Although information and instructions on accessing the crisis messages may be available, it does not guarantee that individuals can or do actually access them.

“I think communication, it’s about making sure that information is available in many different places that students can access,” Swordfisk said. “So it’s the idea of meeting them where they’re at. Yes, email and PSU alert systems are very important, but it’s also not necessarily where students get information. So we try to reach out in other ways as well.”

These other ways include social media. Swordfisk highlighted the importance of Instagram, especially for audiences on campus, and having the other groups on Instagram cross-posting to ensure that the message reaches the maximum number of students.

However, given that many students don’t have access to devices or the internet, this can severely hinder access to crisis messag -

ing for some. “It is a challenge, especially when communication is shared almost exclusively digitally,” Swordfisk said. “And we don’t have flyers posted on campus and that sort of thing.”

Additional risks face marginalized communities regarding lack of access to crisis communication and resources. “Traditionally, marginalized communities will have a more difficult time coming back,” President Stephen Percy said in a recent press conference “They maybe don’t have the information on how to prepare.”

Rook seconded this notion. “Historically, traditionally marginalized communities have not been involved in the discussion or planning process regarding emergency preparedness,” he said. “One of the university’s goals is to expand the communication to get more individuals aware of emergency preparedness and some of the basic steps they can take to prepare for and respond to a disaster.”

In an effort to try and address this gap, the university provides the Emergency Procedures Guide , which is translated into multiple languages and accessible from the PSU website. This is the stated response to addressing this disparity.

Access to information is not only a concern for those who cannot access it, but for those who might not be able to in the case of a major natural disaster like the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.

“There is an expectation of disruption to some campus communication,” Rook said. “We do not know for how long or how severe it will be. We do know that when cell service is impacted and before it goes down, SMS texts can still go through unless the entire region is in the dark.”

The CCP would resort to “posted messages on buildings,” Rook said. “With a larger communication impact to the region, PSU will certainly rely upon assistance from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, the State of Oregon and FEMA for added assistance.”

When it comes down to natural disasters, preparation for the direct aftermath is essential, and people will need to be able to rely on their communities as a resource.

“As for the ability to support students after a disaster, we

do have different response capabilities—however, that is contingent on the extent of the damage to our buildings, availability of staff depending on the time of the year and access to city and county resources,” Rook said. “A part of our response plans is to also build strong relationships and memorandums of understanding with the city and county to ensure we have access to emergency supplies.” Moreover, the safety of our buildings is further essential to ensure that individuals who access these buildings are safe and able to respond to the crisis. “Buildings before a certain time were not built up to seismic codes,” Percy said. “We’re taking down a couple, now, that are in bad shape anyway but don’t meet those codes.”

“New and remodeled buildings on campus meet or exceed seismic code standards and requirements for the state of Oregon,” Rook said. “While it is unclear exactly what a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake will do to this region, all modeling and forecasting note the impacts will be substantial to older, unreinforced masonry buildings.”

While rebuilding and remodeling is a more long-term solution, smaller steps are also being taken to ensure safety in campus buildings. “There are basic efforts that are required for internal contents in a building, such as ensuring bookcases and shelving are secured to the wall,” Rook said. “Additionally, we work with the Portland Fire [& Rescue] Bureau to look for ways to minimize or mitigate other hazardous conditions inside our buildings and look at easy-to-reduce impacts to occupants.”

Percy further noted that the university had taken steps to ensure internal systems are protected as well. “We have a system to backup a lot of our information—all our data, you know, billing data, enrollment data, transcripts—with another university so that there’s another place where it is, so that if something goes down we’d be able to use that,” he said.

WHITNEY McPHIE

PUT ON PAUSE

PSU CHEER TEAM’S 2023–24 TAKES A TUMBLE DUE TO BUDGET CUTS

The Portland State cheer team will be absent from the sidelines during the upcoming 2023–2024 season. The decision to put the cheer program on pause from the administration has not only raised questions about the future of school spirit, but has also sparked discussions about the financial and administrative challenges faced by the collegiate athletic programs here at PSU.

Cheer squads bring many invaluable contributions to universities, enriching the campus experience in numerous ways. Beyond the glitter and pom poms, these teams play a significant role in fostering students’ sense of belonging, unity and pride. From igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm to creating lasting memories, cheer

squads are an integral part of the collegiate fabric that should be cherished and celebrated.

On the night of Friday, June 2, the squad members all received an email from PSU’s athletic department. “We recognize and appreciate the dedication and hard work that you and your team have put into the cheer program,” it stated. “The positive impact of the cheer program on the school community has been significant, and we sincerely thank you for your contributions. After careful consideration and evaluation, we have had to make the very difficult decision to pause the cheer program for the 2023–2024 season.”

The email further emphasized that the decision was made after careful consideration

and not taken lightly. They cited several factors leading to the decision, including budget constraints resulting from significant cuts to athletics. The school hopes that the cheer program can restart during the 2024–2025 academic year, but currently, the future of the cheer team is still being determined.

Before the announcement, the cheerleading team sensed that the upcoming 2022–2023 season might face cancellation. After bringing home a National Championship Title trophy and snagging several other medals at various competitions throughout the year, the head coach and her assistants decided to resign at the end of April. After their departure, the team members planning on returning next year took

it upon themselves to send new leader recommendations to the athletic department’s director. However, in response—radio silence.

Ryley Stewart, a member of the cheerleading squad, shared her perspective on the current situation and expressed confusion about the sudden pause. She mentioned that the team receives a budget of $4,000 each season, which is meant to cover expenses such as travel, food, uniforms and equipment. However, it often results in the team covering a significant portion of the expenses themselves.

“The Viking Cheer program has always been underfunded, and our teams have always tirelessly fundraised to purchase our gear and equipment needed, including to travel to

LAURA KOWALL

CHEER TEAM MID-ROUTINE DURING A COMPETITION. COURTESY OF ANGELICA CERVANTES

compete in National Collegiate Competition,” Stewart stated. “Our uniforms are turned in and return season after season. We pay out of pocket for camp, practice gear, transportation to games, and our food during travel.” So, when the cheerleaders hear things like “it’s due to budget cuts,” the math doesn’t add up for them. According to Stewart, this news of the pause arrived after the team had a well-attended recruitment camp in early April. During the camp,

several aspiring cheerleaders had already taken steps to join the team for the upcoming season. Stewart also drove the point across that the squad does not just show up when expected to, but they bring in fans to attend games and support our athletes from the stands. “The Athletic Department already struggles to get more of our student body and other spectators out to games; cutting out Cheer will not help,” Stewart stated. “Many of our cheerleaders have

chosen to attend PSU so their friends and families can easily be part of our Gameday. They make up a large part of the crowd returning game after game. We even go as a group to offer support to teams such as volleyball where we aren’t even cheering.”

PSU’s media and communications manager, Mike Lund, mentioned that one of the reasons the athletic department believes it is necessary to pause the cheer program for the year is because the team is not a competitive cheer program.

However, this statement contradicts the achievements the squad brought back to PSU this year. After their victorious performance at Nationals, the team expected to be celebrated, just like other teams. Instead, the team did not even receive an invitation to the annual Viks Night—an event where all athletics teams and faculty gather to celebrate the accomplishments of various sports teams.

“The department is doing this to evaluate and develop the program to support the goals of the athletics program and University,” Lund stated. “This will allow us to review alternative program models and alternative funding opportunities to make the program stronger and more sustainable. We hope to determine a long-term sustainable program model that is supported appropriately to provide a positive experience for PSU students. We are currently having conversations with leadership within the cheer community in Oregon and peer institutions regarding building a model for Cheer that best fits PSU.”

Sports events can often feel lackluster and devoid of spirit without cheerleaders. In their

absence, the atmosphere in the stands may become subdued, and spectators may struggle to sustain enthusiasm throughout the event. The spirited routines, chants and synchronized movements of cheerleaders serve as a constant reminder of the team’s achievements, adding an extra layer of motivation and support, both to the crowd of fans and to athletes working hard on the field.

The athletic department’s justification for budget cuts and canceling the program raises doubts, particularly when considering the self-sustaining initiatives undertaken by the cheerleaders. Furthermore, the presence of cheerleading at PSU has played a crucial role in enhancing game day experiences, fostering school spirit and attracting larger crowds.

The presence of a cheer squad at PSU holds significant importance. These enthusiastic and dedicated teams contribute significantly to the campus culture, fostering school spirit and building a sense of community.

The removal of the cheer squad eliminates a valuable platform for student involvement, depriving athletes and fans of the uplifting energy and support these talented individuals provide.

PSU has to acknowledge the substantial role of cheer squads in creating a positive and inclusive campus environment and prioritize their reinstatement for future seasons.

The cheerleaders are calling on the student body, athletes, coaches, alumni, administration and communities to come together and help reverse the decision to end their program. They express their desire to support PSU and see their program thrive.

SMILES AS BRIGHT AS GOLD AFTER WINNING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. COURTESY OF CAILEY CHRISTENSEN

PROVIDING CHEER FOR THE FANS AS THEY ENTER THE STOTT CENTER. COURTESY OF CAILEY CHRISTENSEN

MEMBERS OF THE CHEER SQUAD APPRECIATING THE SUPPORT FROM THE PSU COMMUNITY. COURTESY OF RYLEY STEWART

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

THE ART OF DECEIVING: “SHUTTING DOWN” VS “REORGANIZING” ASPSU CHILDREN’S CENTER

The perspectives and opinions printed in this Letter to the Editor are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the positions of Portland State Vanguard or its editorial staff.

Last quarter, ASPSU Children’s Center (ASPSU CC) parents and staff were notified accidentally, and with short notice, that their center would be merging with Helen Gordon Child Development Center (HGCDC) due to budget cuts. The decision makers were interim Dean for the College of Education Dean Jose Coll (who recently resigned) and Director of HGCDC Lynn Green. No one from the ASPSU CC was consulted for input. Not even Kim Allen, a Black woman who has served as the director of the ASPSU CC for over 25 years. When we asked why parents and staff were not consulted, Lynn Green recently stated, “Families were not informed about the decision-making process because it was a business decision that had to be made on an administrative level, and involvement of families would not have been appropriate.”

As heartless as this sounds, it is not sur-prising. Throughout this whole process, Lynn Green has denied opportunities to speak with ASPSU CC families and staff collectively, and has de-

ceived ASPSU CC families and staff, along with the Portland State University community as a whole. To encourage trans-parency and shed light on the impact this merge will have on families, the ASPSU CC hosted a virtual public town and invited the entire PSU community, including Lynn Green and Dean Jose Coll personally, but they did not show up. Instead, Lynn Green and her HGCDC team presumably spent countless hours creating ridiculous responses to our petitions/ letters of support to stop the merge.

toddlers. For context, ASPSU CC currently serves both infants/toddlers and preschoolers. ASPSU CC serves 6-month-olds to 5-year-olds. Because of this range of ages, ASPSU CC often serves siblings who are taken care of right next door to each other.

Make no mistake. The ASPSU CC was established in the late 1990s because of the advocacy of PSU students to support students who are parents with the mission to serve the campus community by contributing to student success

children will have one less affordable option to send their children.

Here are some thoughts about the deceitful comments recently made by the HGCDC team.

“ASPSU Children’s Center IS NOT being ‘shut down’.”

The ASPSU CC as we know it today will no longer exist. After this merger, the many benefits (intentional mission for diversity, flexibility, affordability, intimate care, majority Staff/ Caretakers of Color, etc.) will no longer be available to future students, staff and faculty with children. This merger removes the heart and soul of ASPSU CC and its inten- tional serving of marginalized populations. Sure, the childcare space will remain, but it will never operate in the same way it has been for the past 25 years under the leadership of Kim Allen. Its autonomy will be removed. Its affordability will vanish. Its diversity will be a thing of the past. Call it what it is. They’re shutting it down!

For example, Lynn Green and her HGCDC team are calling this merger a “reorganization” to make it sound less severe than it really is. ASPSU CC families have been told that the space where the ASPSU CC currently exists will still be there and will still operate, but in a different capacity. It will become an extension of HGCDC, primarily serving infants and

and retention through the provision of highquality, affordable, flexible short and extended hour child care. Students needed an alternative to HGCDC. The ASPSU CC is a student fee funded entity and has served as an affordable and viable alternative to other daycare centers that are available on PSU campus. With this merger, PSU students, staff and faculty with

“ASPSU CC’s mission of providing more flexible/hourly care is NOT going away… It is true that ASPSU CC were told that their rates would remain the same when the transition was to happen in Spring… HGCDC seems more expensive because the amount seen when looking at the rate sheet is much higher than the hourly rates. When broken down to cost per hour provided,

SUPPORTER OF ASPSU CHILDREN’S CENTER

ITS AUTONOMY WILL BE REMOVED. ITS AFFORDABILITY WILL VANISH. ITS DIVERSITY WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST. CALL IT WHAT IT IS. THEY’RE SHUTTING IT DOWN!

however, HGCDC offers a much lower rate, especially for those families who need full-time care.”

Decision makers are trying to “hush” families of ASPSU CC by telling current families that they will be paying the same rate and will be receiving more. What about future PSU students, staff and faculty with children? It is important for ASPSU CC to remain separate from HGCDC to give future students, staff and faculty with children more affordable options for childcare. Decision makers are saying that all childcare options are going up in price, but ASPSU CC is the most affordable, even with the price hike. Don’t believe the deceitfulness. HGCDC is more expensive. It was admitted by HGCDC that they are more affordable only if families send their kids full time. This is not the reality for all families. Not all families want to send their children to daycare full time or can afford full time care, and they should not be incentivized to do so. This is why affordable and flexible childcare like ASPSU CC is so important. This is something future families at PSU will not have access to.

“Staff support has been offered to ASPSU CC director/coordinator, Kim Allen, on numerous occasions and each time, there was either no response to the offer or Kim declined the support.” This is embarrassing. Lynn Green has re -

sorted to gaslighting ASPSU CC staff and families. It is always alarming whenever someone says, “I offered support, but they didn’t want it.” There is a difference between “offering” and ensuring support. A true leader investigates what support is needed, and then offers that type of support accordingly. When Kim Allen was asked about this exact statement, she admitted that Lynn Green has offered support, but it is the wrong kind of support. Lynn Green thinks that sending more student interns/teachers to ASPSU CC will resolve all issues, when in reality Kim needs billing/ invoice/admin-istrative support.

“We believe that a person’s identity or diversity of a community is not defined by checking a box based solely on the ethnic or racial status.”

This is a primary issue with HGCDC. They fail to recognize the importance of race, which explains why they have struggled with their racial diversity efforts. Conversely, ASPSU CC has historically and continues to intentionally serve Families of Color and currently has majority Staff of Color. Kim Allen has made it a mission to serve all families, especially Families of Color, and many of these families (White and Families of Color) deeply admire her for that. Families of Color are constantly referring other Families of Color to ASPSU CC because of Kim

Allen’s deep commitment for diversity. On the other hand, HGCDC has struggled with diversity over the years, as admitted by one of their staff members in a recent meeting. Our guess is that they are hoping that with this forced merge, their diversity problem can be fixed. That’s not how it works. Rather than forcing a merge, HGCDC should spend their time and energy to come up with a plan to recruit and support Staff and Families of Color for their own sake of sustainability and to better serve Families and Staff of Color.

When Kim Allen told Lynn Green she was against the merge and that she would be quitting if the merge happens, Lynn Green heartlessly said, “It’s going to be sad to see you go.” Such response proves a lack of commitment to diversity. To refuse to retain an experienced Black caretaker with over 25 years of service is very telling. Additionally, Beverly Armstrong, who has been a caretaker at ASPSU CC for over 17 years had negative experiences at HGCDC as a Black woman, and she said she will be quitting, too. To make matters worse, in conversation over the phone, Lynn Green told Beverly Armstrong that HGCDC “needs more color.” We are not okay using ASPSU Staff and Families of Color for a diversity effort that HGCDC has failed to fulfill on their own. Multiple ASPSU

CC families have expressed that they will be in solidarity with ASPSU CC staff and will not be sending their kids to HGCDC.

HGCDC’s recent response to the ASPSU’s CC petition to stop the merge was that racial diversity is not everything, and that HGCDC takes pride in having diversity in other aspects. The lack of racial diversity at HGCDC has been very evident throughout this whole process. No one from HGCDC is willing to challenge Lynn Green, a Black woman in charge of a non-transparent decision-making process. Perhaps folks think that because Lynn Green has a history of teaching diversity classes, she knows what’s best for Families of Color. That’s far from the truth. There are many administrators, professors and teachers who do not practice what they preach, and Dean Jose Coll and Lynn Green have proven to be exemplars of such. Universities often put People of Color in positions of power to “prove” that they value diversity. More times than not, those People of Color make decisions that work against their own communities. Still, no one is excused from inequitable and non-transparent decisionmaking processes. Nonetheless, this is a beautiful reminder that “All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk.” Dean Jose Coll and Lynn Green: Do better. Stop the Merge!

KELSEY ZUBERBUEHLER

JUNE 14

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