VOLUME 78 • ISSUE 14 • NOVEMBER 2, 2023
SCIENCE: What do racism, incels, and TikTok have in common? P. 8 OPINION: PSU is exploiting student-funded organizations P. 9 CROSSWORD: Explore Vanguard's latest story-based puzzle P. 10
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE The impact felt by our campus community P. 4-7
LL AT A R O F N M U L O C FORM T A L P N O I N I P O N /PSU OPE ME AND AFFILIATION W
PSU
• STATE NA CHOSEN BY THE EDITOR D AN ED TE AN AR GU T PAID, NO @PSUVANGUARD.COM OR • SUBMISSIONS ARE UN IT ED TO NS IO IN OP ORIES AND • SEND THOUGHTS, ST
CONTENTS
COVER DESIGN BY WHITNEY McPHIE PHOTO BY ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI
NEWS & CULTURE FEATURE On taking sides: Israel-Palestine
P. 4–7
SCIENCE & TECH Phrenology and Physiognomy trending on social media
P. 8
OPINION PSU needs to resassess its priorities
P. 9
CROSSWORD Answers in stories
P. 10
COMMUNITY & WELLNESS RESOURCES Updated weekly
P. 11
STAFF EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Kat Leon
SPORTS EDITOR NOW HIRING
MANAGING EDITOR Brad Le
OPINION EDITOR Guest Star
NEWS EDITOR Zoë Buhrmaster
PHOTO EDITOR Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani
CO-NEWS EDITOR Alyssa Anderson
ONLINE AND PROMOTIONS EDITOR Alley Henrici
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Macie Harreld
COPY CHIEF Isabel Zerr
SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Cameron Rodriguez
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER NOW HIRING! CONTRIBUTORS Amber Finnegan
PRODUCTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Whitney McPhie TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS George Olson Hongzu Pan Sara Ray 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 online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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Freedom in times of fear DOUG WEISKOPF, PSU CLASS OF ‘71 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. Dear editor: There has been much in the news lately about both pro-Palestinian and/or pro-Israeli statements by college students resulting in 1950’s era-type blacklisting of various kinds, which I see as a bad sign of our times. I recall being a Portland State student in 1969 organizing peaceful Vietnam War protest marches and my parents fearing it could cost me future employment opportunities. Luckily for me, in the series of events during the 1970s, including Watergate, [Richard] Nixon being driven from office for his crimes, and the instant collapse of the U.S.-backed regime in South Vietnam, had most people agreeing by 1975 that war protesters like me had been right all along. I think we need to allow the young people of today to express their political beliefs freely, as my generation did years ago, as long as ethnic slurs and advocating violence are not part of it. Sincerely, Doug Weiskopf
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
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ON TAKING SIDES: ISRAELPALESTINE
JEWISH, ISRAELI, AND PALESTINIAN PERSPECTIVES AT PSU VANGUARD STAFF This article provides narratives from all sides— from Jews, Israelis and Palestinians. It is a collaborative effort by Portland State Vanguard to convey a fuller, more inclusive portrayal of the reality unfolding on campus. While further historical context surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian crisis is necessary for the following dialogue, the primary goal of this article is not to fully address the crisis itself, but rather its effects on members of the Portland and Portland State communities. The quotes below are experiences and opinions belonging to those quoted and don’t necessarily represent the opinions of PSU Vanguard.
DISCUSSION AROUND CAMPUS
A small crowd gathered behind city hall at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13. By 3:10 p.m., hundreds appeared to show support for Palestine. The crowds of protestors marched to the front of the building, calling chants along the way. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” the crowd called out. “Stop U.S. aid to Zionist Apartheid!” it cried out a moment later. After the demonstration reached the open space in front of the hall, people began taking turns speaking publicly. “We just want to be free,” said Ruba Jordan in her speech to the passionate crowd. “We just want our kids to have futures. We don’t want families to be wiped completely. We just want to live like anybody else.” Throughout the rally, those protesting held hundreds of makeshift picket signs and flags above their heads.
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“Stop colonization, free Palestine,” one sign read. The complicated history between Israel and Palestine is a tragic, complex and longstanding point of violence and contention in the Levant. Tensions and violent altercations between Hamas and Israel have left Palestinians, Israelis, civilians and tourists in the crossfire. On Oct. 7 of this year, Hamas launched an unprecedented air and land attack on the Israeli people, escalating the conflict. “I reject the framing of this as a conflict,” said Dr. Stephanie Wahab, a professor in the school of social work at PSU. “I don’t think of it as a conflict, but rather as an occupation. I feel like conflict doesn’t even begin to describe the experience of Israeli aggression, of violence, of dispossession, of land theft and apartheid on Palestinians over the past 75 years.” Wahab’s father was a Palestinian refugee in 1948, and she has spoken and written about the crises of the region before. The conversation and activism happening at PSU often hinges on an unequivocal, absolutely categorical judgment of land rights and Indigeneity. One might say this perspective is oversimplified, misinformed and creates disharmony. One Jewish alum of PDX Hillel—who has a Bachelor of Art in Indigenous studies—wished to remain anonymous. “We are an ancestral peoples of that land,” they said. “We do not deny that Palestinians are also an ancestral peoples of that land. However, people are dehumanizing us based on the misinformed claim that we are colonizers and foreign occupiers.”
ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
“People need to understand that Jews were in Europe because of diaspora, and even when we were in diaspora, we were identified as Jews,” the Jewish alum said. “We can tie our roots to that land [of Israel] for thousands of years… It is not a biblical heresy. It is archaeological. It is anthropological. It is ancestral. It is linguistic. Et cetera.” “So, being in Israel is an act of self determination,” the Jewish alum said. “It is one of the biggest, most successful Indigenous sovereignty movements. Does it mean that it is exempt from criticism? Does it mean that it is perfect? No. Indigeneity is not a virtue. Indigeneity is a responsibility that people have to their land.” One individual at the Oct. 13 demonstration, Ali Kamal, identified themself as being from Palestine. They spoke out about the violence which the Palestinian people are being subjected to by the Israeli state. “What’s happening is inhuman,” Kamal said. “The bombing of the people has to stop. There’s 2.3 million people in Gaza, and they’re being bombed as we speak. That is inhuman. That is unacceptable. It has to stop.” Students and PSU organizations have held numerous rallies around campus since the escalation of violence in early October. Many have shown support for Palestinians at PSU. The Portland Jewish Voice for Peace organization gathered to call for a ceasefire on Oct. 19. That same day, the PSU Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (PSU-
COURTESY OF ANONYMOUS PDX HILLEL ALUM Portland has seen rallies and protests after the losses seen by both Israelis and Palestinians. This peace rally on Oct. 22 allowed people to mourn and condemn the antisemitic acts of Hamas.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
SUPER) and Progressive Campus Solidarity Union (PCSU) held a rally which demanded Palestinian freedom. Many Portlanders have also been gathering to show support for Jews and Israelis. Oregon for Israel organized a peace rally on Oct. 22. The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland hosted a candle-lit vigil to stand in solidarity with Israel on Oct. 9. Hundreds gathered to mourn and condemn the antisemitic acts of Hamas—including mass murder, assault and the ongoing hostage crisis. Dr. Natan Meir—an American-Israeli and the chair of the Judaic studies department at PSU— recognized the importance of distinguishing Hamas from the Palestinian people in general. “The radical antisemitism of Hamas is not the ideology that motivates the Palestinian nationalist movement as a whole, and there are many Palestinians who are not antisemitic,” Meir said. “But make no mistake: pro-Palestinian activists—including some on the PSU campus—who
call for Palestine to be liberated ‘from the river to the sea’ are not just calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state,” Meir stated. “They are calling for the destruction of Israel and— along with it—the destruction of all Jews living in Israel. When they call Israel evil, they are invoking thousands of years of anti-Jewish and antisemitic hatred that viewed the Jews as the epitome and ultimate embodiment of evil in the world.”
POLARIZATION
Regardless of how people interpret or relate to the Israel-Palestine conflict, listening to the lived experiences shared by the people in the community is necessary for maintaining inclusivity and peace here at PSU. “It’s divisive, because it’s a bitter, intractable, complex conflict, and because people like things to be simple,” Meir said. “They feel that they have to take one side or another rather than understanding that there are two narratives.”
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ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD Students from all backgrounds came together in order to protest the inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people and call for a ceasefire The black-and-white framing of this conflict has substantially intensified anxiety, fear, grief and animosity at PSU. “Since students who are active on campus tend to also be active politically, they get taken in by the ideologically-polarized rhetoric that often swirls around American college campuses, which—because it’s simplistic—is far easier to digest than a historically accurate explanation of the conflict, which people usually don’t have time for,” Meir stated. Notably, classrooms on campus have become a facet of these divisions. Some teachers have made isolating statements. Students who are uncomfortable contradicting their teachers are left feeling disenfranchised. “I have spoken with PSU students over the years who have said that they felt that professors in certain classes [which teach about] the Middle East spoke out stridently against Israel rather than maintaining objectivity and distance, which should be any college professor’s approach,” Meir stated. “It’s difficult for those who are in these classes to feel safe, because their humanity has been stripped away from them, and they are being casted as this evil person,” the Jewish alum said. Wahab argued that we need to take a stand for Palestine and engage in a thoughtful conversation addressing the dehumanization of the Palestinian people. “I think Palestinians and Israelis are either going to live together or die together,” Wahab said. “I think we can live together, but I think it has to begin with an end to seven decades of daily violence against Palestinians and an end to the occupation… There needs to be sound, slow, thoughtful voices speaking up around stopping the occupation.” “Suffering, getting bombed, having their land stolen—it has to stop,” Wahab said. “There has to
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be an end to this, they have to reach some kind of peace treaty… We’re hoping that will happen.” Everyone agrees the violence needs to end, but what that entails is not a simple matter. “What happened was a war crime, and right now Israel is being defensive,” the Jewish alum said. “It is defending its people… You can’t call it genocidal. Genocide is about intent. Not every war is a genocide, because genocide is talking about the intent. It’s about the eradication of the people.” The Jewish alum noted experiencing feelings of indifference toward Jewish suffering from the Portland community, and that a loud response to violence against Israelis, specifically the attack on Oct. 7, has been justification rather than empathy. “It is especially hard when anti-Zionists respond saying that Palestinians have been suffering for 70-or-so years,” the Jewish alum said.
“And this is not denying the Palestinian suffering and the trauma that comes with it. It’s very real, and it’s very important to recognize. But in no way does it justify or mean that Israelis and Jews were asking for it or deserving of it.”
ANTISEMITISM IN PORTLAND
A common sentiment repeated throughout interviews with Vanguard was that rhetoric and actions expressed on campus are conducive to an environment which is exclusionary and prejudiced toward Jewish and Israeli students, based on their religious affiliation or nationality. “Some of our Jewish students are fearful of having their Jewish identity be known publicly because of what they perceive as a campus that is generally unfriendly to Jews, and—more specifically—to Jews who identify with Israel,” Meir
stated. “From my perspective, I want all students of any background—whether religious, racial, ethnic or any other category—to feel comfortable publicly identifying with their group or political cause of choice.” The Jewish alum argued that ignoring or dismissing the voices of Jews and Israelis in this discussion also dehumanizes and justifies violence against Jews. “Teachers and students have made statements about what is going on, [but] have not shown or expressed or demonstrated any level of compassion or sympathy for the immense trauma that this [Oct. 7] massacre has brought onto the Jewish and Israeli community,” they said. “The rhetoric is that it’s deserving almost” the Jewish alum said. “Which is insane to experience when you’re in feminist circles, for example, to have the mass rape-fest that happened to be justified, or to just say, “Oh, they were asking for it…’ It’s very dehumanizing.” “My friend—she is afraid to wear her Magen David [necklace] in class,” the Jewish alum said. “She started off classes wearing it, because it’s part of her culture, because it’s part of her identity.” Another Jewish-Israeli PSU student who wished to remain anonymous spoke on this issue, “I don’t feel safe walking around with any clear symbol on me that shows that I’m Jewish or I’m Israeli,” they said. “And it’s things that I’m proud of, and I should be able to be proud of my identity. But unfortunately, with everything going on, I don’t know who’s demonizing me, and I don’t know who literally thinks that my life doesn’t matter, or that I’m better dead.” Jews feeling the need to hide their identity for fear of antisemitism is far from unprecedented. However, currently, the United States is experiencing one of the most significant waves of antisemitism it has ever seen.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD On Oct. 13, students weaved through campus in a protest calling for the freedom of Palestine
ISLAMOPHOBIA
People on all sides of this issue suffer due to extremism and prejudice. Islamophobia has long been an issue in the U.S. While we were not able to get statements from students on campus directly speaking to their experience, it is clear the Israel-Palestine conflict has exacerbated Islamophobia and blatant racism. The Oct. 13 rally organized by PSU-SUPER was conscious of potential violence. Initially planned for an earlier date, the rally was rescheduled due to direct threats against the protest. Additionally, Vanguard received reports that protest organizers were facing hate on campus the day before the original rally date, including physical violence, being shoved and having their food spit on. According to KOIN 6, the Islamic Society of Greater Portland (ISGP) has reportedly faced death threats, and students attending the mosque have experienced bullying in their community, leading to increased fear. “We believe this current wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents we are experiencing nationwide is a director result of the ongoing dehumanization of the Palestinian people and the denial of their human rights,” stated Ibrahim Hooper, the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). “It makes people afraid to engage in free speech and makes people afraid for their safety,” stated Corey Saylor—the research and advocacy director at the CAIR—in an interview with KOIN 6. “And it makes people afraid to engage in the political life that should be the bedrock of the [U.S.] where we present different opinions. I want to be very clear: Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, ethnic hate, whether you’re targeting Arabs, all of that stuff, is unacceptable.” According to NPR, Palestinian-Americans
are experiencing workplace discrimination, ranging from employers instructing them not to voice their opinions due to concerns about potential antisemitism to incidents of doxing and job-termination. Across the U.S., Muslims, Arabs and Palestinians have suffered hate crimes and acts of violence directly linked to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. One tragic example of this was on Oct. 14, when “a 6-year-old Palestinian-American was stabbed 26 times for being Muslim,” as CNN stated. On college campuses, Muslim students have experienced targeted acts of hate in the past weeks. For example, in a recent incident at the University of Texas, pro-Palestinian students were harassed and intimidated, being called terrorists for their organizing an educational event about the history behind the conflict. In a statement, the ISGP said they are saddened and concerned about the threats, and that they “urge everyone to promote understanding and peace during these challenging times, and to remember that violence and hatred solve nothing.”
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
WHAT NOW?
This war has had far-reaching impacts on the rest of the world, inciting violence on many innocent people from Jewish, Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian communities. Engagement with this conflict should not be reduced to a binary of support or opposition between these complex and diverse peoples. “On Monday Oct. 9, for example, I asked my students what they thought had made some of their peers rejoice at horrific murders of children and babies, so horrific I could not repeat the details in class and cannot repeat them here,” stated Dr. Moshe Rachmuth, an Israeli and professor of Hebrew studies at PSU. “My students gave me an interesting perspective,” Rachmuth said. “For some, my students said everything was like a sport. ‘There’s your team, and there’s my team. If your team suffers then my team wins, and that’s all that matters.’” If this is indeed a widely held perspective, then “we, the professors at PSU, have a difficult task ahead of us,” Rachmuth explained. Dr. Nina Spiegel—professor of Israel studies at PSU—highlighted the importance of
students practicing critical thought and intentional reading, both in their communities and online. “Learn how to delve below slogans and headlines and appreciate the complexities, challenges and collective memories of these societies,” Spiegel said. Wahab agreed. “I think one part is just becoming more informed,” Wahab said. “I think [be] more careful and critical readers, especially when it comes to news and the depictions and stories that are represented [with] U.S. news in particular.” Wahab added that seeking out and listening to Palestinian voices—especially in heavily charged times like these—is crucial. “We’re everywhere, and we don’t get the luxury to grieve in moments like these,” Wahab said. One Jewish and Israeli PSU student who wished to remain anonymous offered an ideological shift in thinking about how to engage with the crisis and the people affected by it. “It’s really important that it not be an ‘us versus them’ mentality,” they said. “You don’t have to dismiss one for the other.”
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PHRENOLOGY AND PHYSIOGNOMY TRENDING ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD Social media filters can seem harmless when looking at the shape of someone's eyes and deducing things about their character, but the deeper context connects to problematic pseudoscience
A PERSPECTIVE ON PSEUDOSCIENCE’S IMPACT ON POP CULTURE CAMERON RODRIGUEZ Phrenology and physiognomy are two distinct pseudoscientific practices. Phrenology attempts to establish a connection between cognitive ability, as well as the size and shape of a person’s skull. In contrast, physiognomy focuses on scrutinizing individuals’ facial features as a basis for making assumptions about their character or personality. These pseudosciences have contributed to the perpetuation of ingrained values in society. For example, high-brow is associated with prestige, while thick-skulled is often linked to a lack of intelligence. Even when these pseudoscientific ideas are debunked, they can still gain traction if they become widely popularized. The internet really is the World-Wide Web, forming connections of people hundreds of miles away over games, ideas and interests. It hasn’t been around for long, but we’ve seen the impact the internet has made. It’s been a mixed bag, popularizing innovative and helpful knowledge while also being a breeding ground for germinating and spreading hate and harmful ideas. Some have looked into the mechanisms of this spread. An article published by the Asian Journal of Philosophy explores a wider idea of toxicity. “We argue that a combination of technical features, such as the algorithmically curated feed structure, and social features, such as the absence of stable social-epistemic norms of posting and sharing in social media, is largely responsible for the unchecked spread of epistemically toxic content online,” the article stated. Some avid internet users might have heard about infamous websites known for their toxic user base, particularly 4chan. As a toxic website, it is known to propagate hateful ideas, values and activities across the internet. This is where the phrase physiognomy check originates. This practice involves intentionally popularizing a recognized pseudoscience. Humor based on 4chan is often toxic, not be-
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cause of what it is saying seriously, but because of what it is saying as a joke. This idea of irony poisoning refers to normalizing extremist ideas or slogans, often presented in jest. These jokes are usually intended to elicit a reaction without reflecting the person’s actual beliefs. However, when these jokes are normalized, they can become partially true. If someone looks and acts a certain way, there may be some truth to the associated stereotypes. This is a part of irony poisoning. The normalization of harmful ideas can lead to the spread of toxic beliefs. Another concept which gained popularity on 4chan is the incel—or involuntarily celibate— mentality. “Self-proclaimed incels often blame society and their genetics for not being successful in romantic endeavors,” CBC News stated. Research done by criminologists and sociologists highlighted that “the threat posed by these groups isn’t being taken seriously enough,” according to CBC News. According to a Slate article by Christina Cauterucci, this online community gave rise to various ideas, terms and attitudes, some self-deprecating and socially isolating to those observed. “These insular communities have developed an in-group lingo that’s tricky for outsiders to parse,” Cauterucci wrote. “When a community that’s highly anonymous, decentralized, and often contradictory becomes fodder for memes, which are easily stripped of their provenance and edit history, it becomes extremely difficult for observers to understand and contextualize what they’re seeing.” This makes it hard to track and measure the movement of images and memes which are rooted in the misogynistic subculture. What initially emerged as a fringe subculture has the potential to spread to more prominent and potentially harmful online trends. Look at figures like Andrew Tate and the rise of selfproclaimed alpha male podcasts which promote
anti-feminist ideologies. This group employs photos and memes to further the idea that incels do not possess the physical attributes associated with a Chad and, as a result, face difficulties in the dating world. This leads to their self-identification as incels. When people say they looked like someone who would do XYZ, this judgment is based purely on looks ascribing attributes to physical characteristics. This isn’t just based on beauty and sexism, but also proliferates the normalization of stereotypes and racism, often ascribed values based on ethnic and visible features. These memes travel across the internet, the social media sites which people don’t think critically about but are still affected by them. Once this humor and these images are normalized, it’s seen as spaces where people compare themselves and others to the standards displayed in the polarized lenses of attractive and unattractive, weak or strong, smart or stupid, etc. Trends and categories are emerging on platforms like TikTok, where phrenology and physiognomy concepts are making their way into face filters. These filters allow users to visually compare themselves to the criteria presented by these pseudosciences, and—in a playful or entertaining manner—have their physical characteristics assessed as indicators of their character or intelligence. These trends have infiltrated the prevailing physical beauty culture. They involve the measurement and assessment of facial features, similar to the concepts found in the incel community, where one’s looks are seen as indicative of their weaknesses and strengths. The minuscule differences in centimeters can be considered significant factors influencing one’s perceived success in these contexts. The canthal tilt refers to the angle at which the corners of a person’s eyes are positioned, either tilting up or down. On TikTok, there’s a filter which visually demonstrates this concept. Typically, this
filter is associated with questions about attractiveness and the attempt to quantify this attribute. It introduces the notion of hunter and prey eyes. If someone’s eyes tilt down toward their nose and have a sharper or squared shape, they are often categorized as having hunter eyes, which is linked to being quantifiably more attractive and dominant. Conversely, if a person’s eyes tilt up toward the bridge of their nose and are rounded with a more open appearance, they are referred to as having prey eyes, which is associated with being seen as less attractive and weaker. Another TikTok facial filter is the 33-33-33 filter, splitting the face into three segments and measuring facial symmetry. While some people interpret it as being mid, since it’s supposedly the average, many people use the filter to see if they have the most beautiful face symmetry. What is interesting is the professionals commenting on this trend. Orthodontists and plastic surgeons are frequently discussing the use of facial filters within their profession. This raises the question of why reputable fields engage with pseudoscientific concepts and what this implies for the facial reconstruction industry. While phrenology and physiognomy are pseudosciences, it’s worth considering how much such thinking influences our society. It opens up the opportunity for further exploration of these ideas and the view of their validation within broader society. Exploring beauty standards prompts us to contemplate what it means to conform to them, and conversely what it means to deviate from them. To delve deeper into this issue, we must consider other factors like race, gender and age, as these elements are often visible in a person’s presentation. We must explore how we continue to perpetuate and judge external appearance with internal qualities and traits.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
PSU NEEDS TO REASSESS ITS PRIORITIES STUDENT-RUN ORGANIZATIONS DESERVE TO NOT BE EXPLOITED ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD ALYSSA ANDERSON
The SALP office is home base for most student-led organizations, many of whom are underfunded and understaffed, which leads to significant issues in the student organizations that add value to PSU's landscape
Academic institutions like Portland State need to reassess their priorities if they want to continue claiming that they put their students first. Universities must compensate student organizations which actively work to benefit the campus community to uphold their student-serving missions. If they neglect to do so, universities will eventually lose the dedication of student leaders and employees. Student organizations that do valuable work will eventually crumble as their members become tired of being exploited for cheap labor. Numerous programs, organizations and services at PSU rely on student employees, student workers and members of student-run organizations, such as Student Media, Associated Students of Portland State University Student Government and the PSU Food Pantry. These individuals must receive fair compensation for the valuable contributions they make to the university. Looking at on-campus job listings for students at PSU, most student workers here don’t make a livable wage from their campus jobs. Most oncampus jobs listed on Handshake describe an hourly wage of roughly $14–16 an hour, often with under 20 hours a week of work available. For my position as the associate news editor and interim opinions editor at Portland State Vanguard, I receive one payment of $2100 per term in the form of a grant. This amount—calculated assuming I would work approximately 20 hours per week—is far from paying me for the work I need to do for this position, which is frequently more than 20 hours a week. Despite the title of editor, my role often expands to include so much more than editing. The situation is worsened by the lengthy processing time of applications for new contributors. Unfortunately, this delay is not caused by Vanguard or any student organization. Instead,
it is due to systematic issues which have been ongoing for over two years and are beyond our control. Not only am I responsible for the expansive job of being an editor, but I also have to write every story myself. Needless to say, I am putting more than 20 hours a week toward this paper. Moreover, I am a full-time graduate student with another job on top of this one. I could make much more money if I took on more hours at my second job instead of working tirelessly at a student-run newspaper which barely pays me. My friends and family have urged me to quit— and I have certainly considered it myself—but I love what I do too much to leave this job behind. I initially thought the money from my editing position would help me. However, after I reported this additional income to financial aid—something I was required to do—I found they reduced my overall aid allotment because of the grant. Instead of using this income to pay for daily living expenses like the food, clothes or medical expenses I need to survive, I have ended up using the majority of it to pay for tuition and other school-related expenses. Essentially, the university gives me money, and I have to give it right back to them. Almost every year while pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I worked at my school’s studentrun newspaper. Back then, I would write three or sometimes four articles a week, edit my entire section, take photos and edit them, plus lay out my section for both the print and online versions of the paper. I regularly stayed at the newspaper office until 1–2 a.m. and I did not get paid. While my position at my previous newspaper has opened the door to many great opportunities, it is not reasonable for universities to continue to underpay their workers or attempt to pay them in experience, especially considering the condition of our economy and the benefits schools and universities gain from having resources like a student paper.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
While we are paid now, what we get is not meeting the absolute bare minimum. This term, I used half of my grant to pay tuition. Factoring that in, I make $100 a week working here. I am grateful to be compensated for my work after spending many years working for free, though I am still drowning in financial aid debt and struggling with basic needs. Nevertheless, with the way my general cost of living has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, I still need more to make ends meet. Even though CNBC reported that general inflation is slowly but surely decreasing, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics said the consumer price index (CPI) increased 3.7% from Sept. 2022–23. At the height of the pandemic, the CPI read an increase of 9.1%. Many Americans are still recovering from this drastic change in the price of living, myself included. Food-at-home prices—such as food purchased at grocery stores—increased by 3.6% over 12 months. Food-away-from-home prices—such as food purchased at restaurants—increased by 7.1% over a 12-month period. Just like everything else, the price of attending college has increased exponentially over the years. According to a Forbes article which cited a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the average price of college tuition, fees, and room and board increased 169% from 1980–2020. Inflation and general economic unrest have affected just about everyone—universities included. Many private and public universities have reported significant cuts to their budget. Often, student organizations are the first things to go. “As more college leaders are discovering, it’s time for a serious financial reckoning that accounts for what it actually costs to employ all its administrators and staff and offer all the academic programs, student support services, research projects, community outreach and
nonacademic activities like athletics that most colleges provide,” stated Dr. Michael Nietzel, former university president and writer at Forbes. “Then, and only then, will these institutions be in a position to determine—and pay for—their real priorities.” As more colleges grapple with this financial reckoning, it becomes evident that student-run organizations need to be prioritized if universities want these long-standing organizations and support systems to continue. In recent years, student-run organizations have dwindled in membership—primarily because students can no longer afford to be underpaid or unpaid altogether. The Student Press Law Center reported that many college newspapers regularly lose talented writers for purely economic reasons. In many of these cases, the reason these student writers were being underpaid or not paid at all was said to be because of university budget cuts or a lack of budget. Universities are complex institutions, and we need a better solution for navigating budget cuts and financial trouble. Student-run organizations such as Vanguard and the student government are vital to such institutions. However, we are consistently not a priority to the institutions we serve. Overall, student services remain underfunded, leading to services which cannot serve their community in the way it deserves. As benefactors who funnel our money and resources into the university, it only makes sense for the university to support and give back to us. After all, there would be no university without students. At Portland State and nationwide, student workers are struggling. If universities continue not prioritizing students’ work by paying them a livable wage, these valuable organizations will disappear altogether.
OPINION
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NEWS CROSSWORD ANSWERS IN STORIES
vanguard 4, mini ZOË BUHRMASTER
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4. attempt to study how intelligence and skull size are related 4. attempt to study how intelligence and skull size are related 5. one of the top Googled Halloween costume 5. one of the most Googled Halloween ideas of 2023 costume ideas of 2023
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CROSSWORD
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1. quarterly pay for an editor at the Vanguard, spelled out pay for a Portland State 1. quarterly Vanguard editor, spelled out 2. focuses on facial features and personality 2. focuses on supposed correlation supposed correlato between facial features and personality 3. black black-and-white 3. and white framing framingof ofaaconflict conflict
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
Community & Wellness Resources UPDATED WEEKLY By Kat Leon
Happening soon Leaf stamp art KMC 605 Nov. 2, 4 p.m. Free Allowing students to use botanicals to print on fabric enables them to create one-of-a-kind pieces
Animal Welfare Research with Dr. Laurel Fink SMSU 323 Nov. 3, 2 p.m. Free Learn what it’s like to be a researcher in animal welfare with Dr. Laurel Fink, an animal welfare specialist at the Oregon Zoo
Board Game Night SMSU Cafeteria Nov. 3, 3 p.m. Free A weekly board game night. Come hang out and play some games!
Fun Family Friday Viking Game Room Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m. Free Free bowling and pizza. It’s a great chance to relax and unwind from the week with your kids.
National Cyber League Team Game FAB FishBowl Nov. 4, 12 p.m. Free The PSU Cybersecurity Club welcomes you to join them in the bi-annual NCL Team game, where you can learn more about cybersecurity
Trail Keepers of Oregon Service Trip Outdoor Program Office Nov. 5, 8 a.m. Free for Campus Rec members
Community
Wellness
PSU Basic Needs Hub
SHAC Mind Spa
SMSU Suite 435 Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free for students
UCB Suite 310 Mon–Fri (by appointment) Free for students
Helps students access resources such as funds, food, housing, employment, childcare and health support
Solo space to experience biofeedback, light therapy, meditation, massages, relaxation and more. Must be enrolled in at least five credits for summer or fall.
PSU Food Pantry 1704 SW Broadway (temporary location) Tues–Thur, 12–4 p.m. Free for students Access to free groceries in a welcoming, equitable, trauma-informed way. Must be enrolled in at least one credit for summer or fall.
SMART Recovery Meetings University Center Building 340 E Times vary Free In peer recovery, students with shared experiences connect to reduce stigma and build a campus recovery community
Bipolar Student Connection Coco Donuts Tues 12 p.m. Free for students Casual meetup every Tuesday for the remainder of the fall term where you can bring homework and study! It’s a way to meet new people and chat.
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
SHAC Weekly Online Parent Support Group
Telus Health Student Support
Online Thursdays 11 a.m. Free
Download on App Store or Google Play Available 24/7 Free
Come together as parents in a relaxed setting to support each other, share ideas, collaborate and commiserate
Connecting students with free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support
Community Technology Space 730 SW 10th Ave. Suite 111 (entrance on SW 9th Ave.) Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Free Multnomah County official cooling center with access to free technology, internet, limited books and events
Oregon Energy Fund Varying Locations Mon–Fri, hours vary Free Provides energy bill assistance to low-income Oregonians to support household stability
Workshop Wednesday Video Series 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
When hiking in the wilderness, have you ever thought about who built the trails or keeps them maintained? Come help maintain the trails that we use and love.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 2, 2023 • psuvanguard.com
RESOURCES
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