Portland State Vanguard Volume 78 Issue 18

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VOLUME 78 • ISSUE 18 • NOVEMBER 30, 2023

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BOEING STUDENTS URGE PSU TO CUT TIES WITH WEAPONS MANUFACTURER P. 4–5 SCIENCE & TECH: PSU'S EPL PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH CUTTING-EDGE RESOURCES

ARTS & CULTURE: ARTIST BLENDS STORIES OF VIETNAMESE HERITAGE WITH AUGMENTED REALITY

OPINION: VICTIM-BLAMING IS A PERVASIVE CYCLE BENEFITING THE PRIVILEGED

P. 6–7

P. 8–9

P. 10


SU P T A L L A R O F N OLUM C M R O F T A L P N O SU N OPINI

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FILIATION W/P • STATE NAME AND AF OSEN BY THE EDITOR CH D AN ED TE AN AR PAID, NOT GU COM • SUBMISSIONS ARE UN ITOR@PSUVANGUARD. ED TO NS IO IN OP D AN ORIES • SEND THOUGHTS, ST

CONTENTS

COVER DESIGN BY BRIANA CIERI PHOTO BY ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI

NEWS Students protest PSU partnership with Boeing

P. 4–5

OPINION The culture of victim-blaming is pervasive

P. 10

SCIENCE & TECH 3D Printing, laser beams and SNES controllers

P. 6-7

NEWS CROSSWORD Answers in stories

P. 11

ARTS & CULTURE Artist Spotlight: Lillyanne Pham

P. 8-9

COMMUNITY & WELLNESS RESOURCES Updated weekly

P. 12

STAFF EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Kat Leon

SPORTS EDITOR COMING SOON

MANAGING EDITOR COMING SOON

OPINION EDITOR Cameron Rodriguez

NEWS EDITOR Zoë Buhrmaster

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani

CO-NEWS EDITOR Alyssa Anderson

ONLINE AND PROMOTIONS EDITOR Alley Henrici

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Macie Harreld

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Tasha Sayre

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Anish Kumar Arumugam

COPY CHIEF Isabel Zerr CONTRIBUTORS Amber Finnegan Isaiah Burns

PRODUCTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Briana Cieri 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.


CONTRIBUTORS Write. Edit. Photograph. Film. Design. Illustrate. Create. WRITE: News, Arts & Culture, Science & Tech, Sports and Opinion

PHOTO & FILM: Create engaging content that

captivates our audience in modern and creative ways

EDIT: Ensure precision, clarity and consistency in every article

DESIGN: Create impactful visual content that

empowers, respects, educates, guides and shares truth Learn skills, build a professional portfolio and make your own schedule. We are willing to train inexperienced applicants who demonstrate ability and a desire to learn the skills. Contributors are paid for published work.

APPLY TODAY at psuvanguard.com/jobs

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD IS

NOW ON TIKTOK! Follow us now @psuvanguard for… MULTIMEDIA STORY CONTENT BEHIND THE SCENES ABOUT US AND MORE! PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com

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CAMERON RODRIGUEZ/PSU VANGUARD Students gathered on Oct. 19 to call on PSU to cut ties with Boeing, given the company's connection to U.S. involvement in international conflicts

STUDENTS PROTEST PSU PARTNERSHIP WITH BOEING ALYSSA ANDERSON & CAMERON RODGRIGUEZ On Wednesday, Nov. 8, Portland State students and members of organizations—including Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER), the Resist UnitedStates-Led War Movement and the Jewish Voice for Peace Portland—gathered in the Urban Plaza as part of a rally for the Cut Ties with Boeing campaign. Protesters held the rally to express their objection to Portland State’s ongoing partnership with the weapons manufacturer Boeing. A recent opinion article for Portland State Vanguard cited PSU’s global undergraduate program, which stated that “PSU is one of only 13 Boeing supply chain focused universities, meaning that Boeing recruits PSU supply chain students every fall term.” “PSU holds a ‘special recruiting and hiring relationship’ with Boeing, a major contributor to the PSU Foundation,” stated a flier handed out at the rally. “U.S. documented drone strikes alone have killed over 2,000 civilians since 2004 in Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, and Yemen. Boeing is a key provider of fighter jets and bombs to the Israeli military in its assault on Gaza. Take

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Action against PSU’s complicity in war crimes!” “The main goal of this rally was to spread a petition for a campaign for PSU to cut its ties with Boeing,” said Cody Urban, a member of the Resist U.S.-Led War Movement. “We’re calling for PSU to end it’s quote unquote special hiring relationship, end the program with the school of business, get rid of all of Boeing’s names across the campus and stop sending students into work for a company that—for especially many migrant students—is actually making bombs that are killing their families back home. That makes this campus ultimately not a safe place for those students.” Shams Mahmoud is a member of the student-led organization SUPER, which works to educate people on Palestinian history and culture while fighting PSU’s connection with Boeing. “Boeing is the world’s second largest arms manufacturer,” Mahmoud said. “It funds the killing of people and destruction of countries. Not just Palestine—but notably Palestine right now— but also Iraq, Syria, Yemen, the Philippines and many more countries. It’s especially urgent for PSU to cut its ties with Boeing,

because it has a special recruitment deal with the weapons manufacturing company, and it’s unlike any other university in that it has a recruitment deal with them, so I think PSU has a special interest in cutting ties with this war profiteering company.” Mahmoud said this is the third time they have fought against this partnership, explaining that they also took action in previous years to no avail. In both 2016 and 2021, the Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) passed a resolution calling for PSU to sever connections with organizations which profit from human rights violations against Palestinians. In 2021, ASPSU called on the PSU administration to cut ties with Boeing specifically. Boeing produces helicopters, rockets, bombs, missiles and other military tools utilized by the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia and numerous other countries during times of war or other conflicts. A 2022 Vanguard article reported that “the raw materials required for Boeing’s products—such as aluminum, titanium, silicon, copper and cobalt—all often come from conflict zones, or regions of the world like the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com


ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD

where warring factions use the sale of these precious resources to fund genocide, slavery and other human rights abuses.” Moreover, according to the United Nations, extracting such materials often leads to extreme environmental degradation in these regions. Portland Mercury reported that, on Nov. 17, members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) picketed Boeing’s plant in Gresham to protest the supplying of weapons to Israel during the current Israel-Palestine conflict. The Seattle Times reported that, after the Oct. 7 Hamas’ attack which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and 200 hostages, Boeing accelerated the delivery of 1,000 bombs to Israel. On Nov. 25, Al Jazeera reported that over 14,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, including 6,150 children. Mahmoud, who is from Iraq, explained how he and other students feel uncomfortable with Boeing’s presence on campus. “I don’t want to be a part of an institution [or] give my money to an institution that supports the killing and destruction of people back home—in my country, and countries that I’ve lived in, and countries I love with people that I love,” Mahmoud said. “A lot of the student body here are from the Philippines. They’re from Syria. They’re from Iraq. They’re from Palestine. They’re from Yemen. They’re from Libya. They’re from so many different countries that Boeing profits off the destruction of, and they’re recruited to manufacture weapons that go and harm the people in their home countries, which is very sickening to think about. That’s why I think PSU

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com

Boeing is directly involved in the ongoing Israel-Palestine war and accelerated the delivery of 1,000 bombs to Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Over 14,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, including 6,150 childrenhave been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, including 6,150 children has a special duty to cut ties with Boeing.” In a recent press conference with Vanguard, PSU President Ann Cudd explained how the university has no direct investments in Boeing and owns no stock in the company, but that PSU is the recipient of donations of time and money from the company. “We have hundreds of alums who work for Boeing, and they donated money to name a classroom in the business school, so [that is] how we have benefited from our relationship with them,” Cudd said. “I suppose cutting ties would cut off future benefits… I will never be in a situation where I will sell out the university for some donation. There is no donation that is worth our integrity, our reputation and our values, but things are complicated.” Cudd explained how many factors play into how institutions accept donations. In particular, the questions which frame which companies’ donations are welcome include whether or not the company is violating any laws or the institution’s values, and if its support is essential to pursuing an academic or educational

research mission for faculty and students. “I think it’s important to maintain a pretty politically-neutral stance in accepting that so as not to chill the free speech and academic freedom of various members of our community,” Cudd said. Mahmoud explained how PSU gains financial benefits from its association with Boeing, especially as Boeing recruits many students who secure jobs soon after graduating. Mahmoud said this relationship gives PSU leverage and benefits the institution entirely. “PSU claims that it has a very diverse student body—that it takes care of its students—but, again, it does not,” Mahmoud said. “It has shown us repeatedly that it does not. Whether it’s with arming the campus security here, whether it’s Boeing, whether it’s ignoring the calls for better housing—there’re so many different issues that PSU routinely ignores or pushes under the rug. When it comes out, it’s really ugly, because it’s been suppressed for so long, and it’s not brought up until there’s a boiling point… when people can’t ignore it anymore.”

NEWS

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3D PRINTING, LASER BEAMS AND SNES CONTROLLERS PSU'S ELECTRONIC PROTOTYPING LAB

ANISH ARUMUGAM/PSU VANGUARD PSU’s ELP provides resources like 3D printing to students to create an environment where students can create and learn ANISH ARUMUGAM In a galaxy not so far away, where ideas are born, molded and brought to life, lies a center of futuristic innovation. Take a journey through laser beams, 3D printing wonders and a sprinkle of Super Nintendo magic to find the quirkiest lab on campus—Portland State’s Electronic Prototyping Lab (EPL). Edward Ivory—the program manager at EPL—shared the secret behind the lab. “It’s not just a lab; it’s an idea incubator.” The EPL is a hidden gem that unravels the intricacies of interdisciplinary workspace. It empowers by letting everyone engage in a community-driven environment which thrives on collaboration and knowledge sharing. At the heart of EPL’s offerings are its 3D printing services, allowing students to turn their concepts into tangible prototypes. Ivory emphasized the importance of quality prints over speed, highlighting the delicate balance between heat and speed in 3D printing. “The faster you move that head on the printer, the more heat is spread out, affecting the strength of the printed parts," Ivory said. “You have only a certain amount of heat that you can add to that plastic before it starts breaking down.” The lab charges $0.15 per gram for 3D printing, which Ivory said was significantly lower than other alternatives available to students. The focus is on functional and sturdy prints, ensuring that

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the projects undertaken are not just aesthetically pleasing but also serve a purpose. EPL is not just about 3D printing. It offers many state-ofthe-art equipment and resources, from laser cutters and circuit board manufacturing to an open workspace with general tools. Furthermore, the lab is in talks to further expand its capabilities. The lab wants to add a water jet cutter, a powder 3D printer and a plug-and-play CNC milling center. EPL equips students with the tools to turn their ideas into reality and gives them the space to create. One student repurposed a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) controller to function as the controller for operating the lab’s signage board. “It’s not just about building things,” Ivory said. “It’s about building a culture of open innovation.” In order to provide students with a place to learn and grow, EPL has brought back workshops, such as soldering sessions. These workshops were sparked by the need to reconstruct the lab after it was closed for general usage due to COVID-19 and the previous student managers had graduated, therefore the entire management team had to start from scratch. Moreover, the EPL team conducts numerous on-demand and immediate workshops to assist students with their creations. One of the most inspiring aspects of EPL is its impact on students’ academic and professional journeys. Ivory shared

success stories of former students securing positions at renowned companies like Intel, SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, attributing their success to the hands-on experience gained at EPL. One notable example is Nic Redfield, who not only worked at Intel but also brought the EPL concept back to the company, establishing a similar prototyping space. “Nic had convinced his boss what a great resource our lab is, and they had now built a literal copy of PSU’s EPL back in Intel,” Ivory said. Ivory emphasized the importance of student’s contribution to feedback and encouraged students to share their experiences with the lab. “Students can play a crucial role in promoting the EPL by simply expressing how it has impacted them,” he said. Ivory also invites students to visit the lab, witness its capabilities and actively participate in workshops and projects. The vision for the EPL is clear—to create a space where students build things and skills that transcend the classroom, preparing them for success in the real world. EPL is a testament to the importance and benefit of the dedication to hands-on learning and innovation. Students are encouraged to engage as the lab looks forward to potential expansions and enhancements to improve its capacity. Whether you’re a science fiction enthusiast or a tech wizard in the making, EPL welcomes all to join in and create.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com


ANISH ARUMUGAM/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com

SCIENCE & TECH

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: LILLYANNE PHAM PRESERVING VIETNAMESE HERITAGE THROUGH VIRTUAL ART

ISAIAH BURNS

COURTESY OF LILLYANNE PHAM Pham’s 2023 multimedia installation piece titled “cây mong c/tree of wishes” was inspired by a Vietnamese tree of wishes in Suoi Tien Theme Park, Vietnam. This piece was located on PSU campus and emitted sound recordings and conversations as a way to honor Vietnamese language and culture

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Lillyanne Pham—an MFA student in Portland State’s School of Art + Design—is the 2023 recipient of the Andries Deinum Prize for Visionaries and Provocateurs. This $10,000 award will support Pham’s innovative multimedia project titled Thương, which loosely translates to love in Vietnamese. Through this project, Pham steps into the future of augmented reality, telling a story of Vietnamese heritage with emerging digital technology. Pham pinpoints a particular encounter that inspired the beginnings of this project. She was painting a mural at Orchards of 82nd—a subsidized housing program in SE Portland—when an older man sparked a conversation with her in Vietnamese. “I told him I can understand him, but I can only speak a little bit of Vietnamese and he was like, ‘No, keep talking,’” Pham said. “I was thinking, ‘You don’t even know me. Why do you want to hear my broken Vietnamese?’ And he just kept telling me to keep going.” “Me and the stranger kept talking in Vietnamese for 10 minutes or so,” Pham said. “I was just talking about random stuff, saying random words, I didn’t make any sense. I’m pretty sure at one point I was like, ‘Okay, I can count to 10!’ [At the end of the conversation], he said, in Vietnamese, ‘Just keep practicing and don’t let anyone stop you. It’s more important to shamelessly practice without being embarrassed, than it is for me to understand you.’” Through her art practice, Pham considers her complicated relationship with her mother tongue and the associated challenges she has faced and is working to overcome. For example, she described a sense of loss in assimilating to a homogenous United States culture. “I grew up speaking Vietnamese until first grade,” Pham said. “Then I went to Catholic school, and I was about to be held back. They forced my mom to teach me English, so I kind of lost my language.” This impacted her ability to communicate with other Vietnamese people throughout her childhood and adolescence. While she could often understand what people were saying, forming a response was difficult. “That was always a struggle with me, because I was like, ‘Am I Vietnamese enough?’” Pham said. Pham confided in her Vietnamese peers about having trouble with grasping Vietnamese. Her peers assured her that their Vietnamese was even outdated compared to recently immigrated Vietnamese. Pham said her friend called the tongue “a time capsule.” “I was like, ‘Wow, there’s something going on here with how memory works and how it can be decolonized as you experience it and express it,’” Pham said. “I felt like technology was an easy puzzle piece to turn something imaginary into something tangible that people can see and touch.” Through Thương, Pham seeks to illuminate the complexities of the Vietnamese language, culture and inter-generational memory through the immigrant experience in Portland. Her vision for the project is to create mirrors of real-life times and places and exhibit them in a digital world. Focusing on Vietnamese families in Portland and the things they hold close, she will create 3D scans of people, places and objects and display them inside a virtual reality environment.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com


COURTESY OF LILLYANNE PHAM Pham co-led a youth-centered arts project which culminated in a public mural titled “Drink the Water, Remember the Source.” The mural is in the playground area of Orchards of 82nd Pham hopes to archive the memories and lived experiences of four families. Among them is the older man who encouraged her to continuously engage with the Vietnamese language. Thương is unrestrained in regards to the sorts of experiences it aims to preserve for the Vietnamese community. “One of my participants talked about being on the bus cutting coupons with her grandma on the way to the Chuck E. Cheese on 82nd,” Pham said. “She said, ‘That’s one of my memories I really like. I don’t know if it’s important or not.’” “I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s super important!’ Vietnamese experiences don’t have to be about the war,” Pham said. “That is a Vietnamese experience, sitting on the bus with your grandma going to Chuck E. Cheese is in itself important.” Thương is conscious of protecting the authenticity and self-representation of a particular community, a thoughtfulness that stems from Pham’s previous academic experiences. Prior to her time at PSU, Pham received a degree in sociology at Reed College. Her senior thesis focused on Asian American Feminism on Instagram. Studying this image-based platform through a sociological lens has informed much of Pham’s current work. Pham has also participated in many projects far removed from digital media technologies. She served as an Americorps volunteer. In 2020, while working with a neighborhood prosperity initiative in a Northeast Portland neighborhood called Parkrose, she started a program called Youth for Parkrose. This project allowed youth to lend their voice and creative designs to their neighborhood through paid artwork and

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com

social activism. “I figured out how we could apply for art grants in order to do that,” Pham said. “It was pretty easy for me because I knew how to write grants, I knew organizing lingo. After doing that, it just kind of snowballed from there.” Today, Pham has more than 30 projects listed on her website. Common themes of restorative justice, community engagement and uplifting of marginalized voices are present throughout. Pham has used art as a medium for activism and community organizing to such an extent that she has long felt hesitant to call herself an artist and instead chose to label herself a neighborhood organizer. “I feel like everyone has that one reason they don’t want to call themselves an artist,” she said. “I stopped calling myself a neighborhood organizer a couple months ago and officially embraced the term artist.” Pham is using Thương as an opportunity to further embrace her new title. “This project has helped me,” she said. “It’s weird to be an artist leading an art project instead of being a community organizer who’s paired with an artist doing an art project.” The essence of Thương suggests that the line between art and community-building is perhaps not so distinguishing. Thương is a word for love in Vietnamese, but it is not a direct translation. Unlike yêu, a Vietnamese word related to passionate or romantic love, thương is a tender, caring and innocent love often felt between younger people and their elders. “Thương is mostly what little kids hear from elders…” Pham

Pham organized community projects in Parkrose with the aim of showcasing artwork made by youth of color. These zines are a project titled May Our Joy Pulse Through Generations, featuring the work of five teens from Parkrose High School said. “[Growing up] I never knew there were two different types of words for love. I just thought thương was something my mom would just say,” Pham said. Pham aims for Thương to become available to the public in Sept. 2024. It is one of several projects she is currently working on.

ARTS & CULTURE

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THE CULTURE OF VICTIMBLAMING IS PERVASIVE A JUST WORLD FOR THE PRIVILEGED FEW CAMERON RODRIGUEZ Victim-blaming is pervasive across various societal arenas, creating an environment that empowers the privileged while stripping power from everyone else. This perpetuates a cycle that hinders personal empowerment and reinforces a damaging narrative, ultimately undermining the well-being of those who have experienced harm. A culture of victim-blaming not only diminishes individuals’ self-worth, but also stifles their ability to advocate for themselves. It operates as a mechanism that discourages victims from expressing their struggles, leading them to internalize their challenges. This internalization fosters psychological subjugation, making it significantly more difficult for individuals to develop a sense of self-worth. The attitudes, beliefs and values we embrace have the power to either uplift or damage one another. In today’s society, fear and shame are wielded as tools of psychological oppression, making individuals feel helpless or deserving of conditions which are the direct byproduct of a system that individuals don’t control. Just World Theory suggests that we live in a just place, so people get what they deserve. Good people get good things, and bad people get bad things. The thought around this belief system is that it offers a sense of control to those who believe in it. This idea is understandable for those who fear becoming victims and want to feel in control of their safety. Unfortunately, many have heard “I wouldn’t let it happen” or “It wouldn’t happen to me.” This is a way of removing oneself from the probability of harm. It isolates the victim by implying they did something wrong to deserve this. Empathy is not given, as it is not deserved, which is genuinely the harm of this worldview. Victim-blaming—frequently linked to cases of domestic violence and sexual assault—often operates in intimate and interpersonal situations where abuse is internalized, compounding the victimization. It can also extend beyond abuse victims. By examining it through the lens of a just world perspective, we can see how victim-blaming is employed against oppressed groups to exacerbate their marginalization. The intimate nature of victim-blaming is strikingly apparent in cases of gaslighting, a manipulative technique that unfairly burdens victims by distorting their perception of reality. This distortion often leads observers to perceive those undergoing gaslighting as gullible, as manipulators deliberately undermine the victim’s confidence in their thoughts, perceptions and memories, fostering an environment of self-doubt. This perception of gullibility, coupled with guilt, compounds the harm suffered and intensifies the isolation experienced by the victim. Broad statements like “They should know it could happen” or “They should change how they act to avoid being victimized” further contribute to victimblaming. This aligns with the flawed Just World Theory, suggesting that individuals are responsible for foreseeing accidents and incidents. The Just World Theory, in turn, intertwines with the myth of meritocracy, a belief that individuals in different social classes earned their positions through merit or talent. However, the unspoken implication is that those in unfavorable social positions deserve the hardships they endure. This mindset implies that those facing poverty should merely work harder or be smarter to escape their circumstances. In examining this line of think-

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OPINION

ing, one must question: Who truly benefits from perpetuating such a perspective? Poverty serves as a socially acceptable avenue for victim-blaming, where individuals are unfairly held accountable for the hardships they face. Those living below the poverty line lack not only material resources but also the empathy of society. Despite widespread awareness of the harsh realities tied to poverty, including health challenges and violence, there remains a tendency for some to question what the victim is doing about it? By framing poverty as an individual problem rather than a collective societal concern, we strip away the shared responsibility we should collectively bear. This shift from a communal understanding of the issue to an individualized perspective not only diminishes the empathy owed to those facing poverty but also absolves society of any responsibility toward them, ultimately perpetuating exclusion. In the realm of victim-blaming, minority groups, particularly those subjected to direct violence, such as police brutality, face a disturbing pattern. Despite a disproportionate number of Black individuals incarcerated, there exists continued protection of this system perpetuating this harm that distinguishes who deserves compassion and who warrants cruelty. This is evident in labeling someone as a criminal or suspect, which often results in the justification of inhumane treatment. For those adhering to the Just World Theory, systemic injustices can be challenging to confront, as acknowledging a flawed system necessitates more significant change than blaming the actions of a single individual. Consequently, even when someone is subjected to brutality, there are individuals quick to ask, “What did you do?” This tendency reflects an unwillingness to grapple with the idea that the entire system requires reform. Victim-blaming extends beyond direct violence and can manifest more subtly, as seen during the AIDS epidemic. During this crisis, individuals were not treated compassionately, with blame placed on the gay and sexual minority population for perceived sinful activities, leading to further isolation. This indirect form of victim-blaming highlights the pervasive nature of this behavior across various societal issues. In more everyday and generalized scenarios, victim-blaming extends to the broader population, particularly in cases where individuals fall victim to corporations’ deceptive practices or harmful product exposures. For instance, the 1992 McDonald’s lawsuit, where over 700 complaints surfaced regarding scalding

BRIANA CIERI

coffee and a woman suffered third-degree burns. However, largely due to a well-executed public relations campaign, many dismissed the incident as the fault of a dumb consumer who should have known that coffee is hot. This narrative minimizes the genuine harm individuals endure and fails to provide them with actionable information. This example illustrates a broader issue where societal tendencies to blame victims for their misfortunes can obstruct the pursuit of justice and prevent the dissemination of crucial information about potential hazards. In such cases, the focus should be on holding corporations accountable for their practices rather than placing undue responsibility on individuals who have suffered harm. When the blame focuses solely on the victim, it perpetuates a status quo that maintains conditions conducive to potential harm. A more just approach involves adopting a restorative justice framework that centers on the victim’s health and well-being. This framework goes beyond individual accountability, seeking collective changes to reduce the likelihood of victimization. By acknowledging the systemic issues contributing to harm and implementing measures to address them, we move toward a more equitable and preventative approach to justice.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com


VANGUARD CROSSWORD Answers in stories KAT LEON

Vanguard Crossword - Crossword Labs

11/25/23, 7:22 PM

Vanguard Crossword Down:

1

1. “___ suggests that we live in a just place, so people get what they deserve,” three words

2 3

2. According to President Cudd, cutting ties would cut off future ___ 4

3. PSU’s ELP charges $0.15 per gram for ___, two words

5

4. ___ called on the PSU Administration to cut ties with Boeing in 2021 6

7. Pham described a sense of loss from forced ___

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Across: 8

5. Thương loosely translates in Vietnamese to ___ 6. Boeing is a major contributor to the ___, two words 8. EPL has brought back workshops, teaching students skills like ___

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9. Belief that individuals in different social classes earned their positions through merit or talent, three words 10. “ There’s so many different issues that PSU routinely ___”

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https://crosswordlabs.com/view/vanguard-crossword-3

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com

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CROSSWORD

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Community & Wellness Resources UPDATED WEEKLY By Kat Leon

Happening Soon

Resources

Wellness

PSU Basic Needs Hub

SHAC Mind Spa

Socratic discussion over current political topics

SMSU Suite 435 Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Free for students

UCB Suite 310 Mon–Fri (by appointment) Free for students

SMSU 326 Nov. 30, 4 p.m. 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.

Respectful and mediated discussion amongst peers regarding current political issues

PSU Food Pantry

Collage night at Littman & White Littman Gallery Nov. 30, 5 p.m. Free for students Destress by creating some art before diving head-first into finals week

Comedy and hip hop show Parkway North, SMSU Nov. 30, 6 p.m. Free for students One-of-a-kind comedy and hip hop show for the students!

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

ASL club game and bowl night

SHAC weekly online parent support group

Telus Health Student Support

Viking Gameroom Dec. 1, 12 p.m. Free for students

Online Thursdays 11 a.m. Free

Download on App Store or Google Play Available 24/7 Free

Come celebrate sign language and deaf culture in a sociable and interactive setting

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

Peer Support Project drop-in session

Community Technology Space

Outdoor Workshop Wednesdays

Women’s Resource Center Dec. 1, 5 p.m. Free for students

730 SW 10th Ave. Suite 111 (entrance on SW 9th Ave.) Mon–Fri, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Free

Watch on Youtube Available 24/7 Free

Peer Support Project aims to serve non-traditional students historically marginalized within higher education

Multnomah County official cooling center with access to free technology, internet, limited books and events

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

Board game night

Oregon Energy Fund

BORP online fitness studio

SMSU cafeteria Dec. 1, 3 p.m. Free for students

Varying Locations Mon–Fri, hours vary Free

Watch on Zoom Mon–Sat, hours vary Free

Come hang out and play some games!

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

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

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RESOURCES

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 30, 2023 • psuvanguard.com


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