Get IN VOLVED P. 8 GET AR OUND P. 20 GET GOOD GRADES P. 32
we are explor ers
Orien t a t ion G 2013 uide
Miles SANGUINETTI
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Table of conte nts cover photo by maria perala
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housing info
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TRANSIT TIPS
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psu history
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RESOURCE CENTERS
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clubs and organizations
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aspsu info
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clubs rec center
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BUDGET TIPS
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FOUR CORNERS OF PORTLAND
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CAMPUS SAFETY
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WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
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library info
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GOOD EATING
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STUDY GUIDE
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OBSCURE portland
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TUNNEL GUIDE
Know your campus. Explore the city. Make it your own.
Welcome Explorers! Whitney Beyer EDitor-in-chief
Congratulations, you’ve made it! You have found your way to Portland State University. For some of you, this is a dream come true: You’ve waited all your life to walk among this green, urban oasis. For the rest of you: Brown’s loss, right? When I started applying for colleges in high school, I was iffy about PSU. A friend of mine had told me all about how awesome it is to attend college classes “in buildings downtown.” I imagine this sounds exciting to a lot of people, but something deep inside my soul felt amiss—was I denying myself a traditional college experience? Fearing the prospect of an un-college-y college run, I applied to Oregon State; I thought, I’ll be a Beaver! I even went through the entire process of selecting a roommate and a class schedule. Sure, Corvallis is basically a cohort of bros awkwardly misplaced among farmland and cow pastures, but Beaver Nation! Am I right?! Truth be told, I never did make it to OSU—nor to Arizona State, for that matter, despite having made it all the way through the processes yet again. ASU, like OSU, just wasn’t my bag—and I don’t think I could have made it my bag if I tried. Right as I was beginning to question whether that traditional college experience was in the cards for me, I fell in love with the city of Portland. Somewhat reluctantly, I surrendered to the idea of attending college classes “in buildings downtown” and submitted my application to PSU. Arriving on campus, I quickly learned that PSU is far more than a collection of downtown buildings hosting classes. This urban campus, rich with opportunity and diversity, is as communityoriented as it is beautiful. At this school, people ask questions; and beyond that, they seek justice. I’m sure there are students who came to PSU in search of a traditional college experience, but something tells me that most of the people this university attracts are in search of something more. And something tells me that most of them find it, too. Whatever it is you’re looking for, I hope you find it. I hope you explore this beautiful city and immerse yourself in this vibrant campus. And while you’re at it, I hope you keep a copy of this Orientation Guide handy. Inside you’ll find everything you need for a successful start at PSU—from studying tips to public transit information. Our urban campus has much to offer, but don’t confine yourself to university grounds. You’re an explorer, so go have an adventure! Let your knowledge serve, not only this city, but the world.
Thie ones to credit EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Whitney Beyer MANAGING EDITOR Jordan Molnar NEWS EDITOR Coby Hutzler ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Turner Lobey OPINION EDITOR Breana Harris SPORTS EDITOR Marco España ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Ashley Rask PRODUCTION MANAGER Colton Major art director Maria Perala PHOTO EDITOR Miles Sanguinetti Online Editor Claudette Raynor COPY CHIEF Emily Gravlin ADVERTISING MANAGER Sam Gressett ADVERTISING DESIGNER Romeo Salazar ADVISER Reaz Mahmood ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman DESIGNERS Maria Perala, Sean Bucknam WRITERS Brie Barbee, Theo Burke, Christian Carson, Matt Deems, Jaime Dunkle, Blake Hickman, Adam Lamascus, Sheena Miller, Alex Moore, Brandon Staley, Stephanie Tshappat, Reid Tyler, Ryan Voelker PHOTOGRAPHERS Jinyi Qi, Corinna Scott, Brian Nguyen ADVERTISING SALES Jordan Gekeler, Deborah Thompson
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Living situation Find a place to call home away from home Matt Deems
After a long day of classes, study sessions and, yes, some occasional celebration, students need a place to retire for the night. For those who want to live just a stumble away from their morning midterm, here are a few of the choices available.
University options Montgomery Court
The oldest of the dorms, Montgomery Court is located just off the Park Blocks, near Millar Library. The four-story dorm has the usual amenities (laundry, common spaces) and is single-occupancy with community bathrooms separated by gender.
Parkway Manor
The Parkway is a five-story 1930s-era dorm situated across from Lincoln Hall. Near the streetcar line and offering four different room options (sleeper, studio, one bedroom and two bedroom), the Parkway is great for students who value convenience and need quick access to public transit.
Ondine
Unlike its older counterparts, Ondine is a bit closer to apartment living. The building is 15 stories high and offers a lounge, meeting spaces, laundry rooms, kitchens and even parking. This modern dorm has a variety of room options, from single occupancy to suites. Ondine is located two blocks from the Academic and Student Rec Center and is near a few top-notch restaurants.
Blumel Hall
This nine-story dorm is located on the same block as St. Helens, but is nearly 60 years newer. Blumel has 173 unfurnished one-bedroom units that are relatively roomy, with large windows and private kitchens.
King Albert
A coffee shop resides on the ground floor of the 63-unit King Albert. Each unit comes equipped with a kitchen and bathtub, and is unfurnished with hardwood floors.
Convenience is key for many students in their search for housing around campus.
Stephen Epler
Stephen Epler is one of the most modern dorms PSU has to offer. The 128 open-floor units boast private kitchenettes, bathrooms, large windows and bicycle storage. The building was constructed with sustainability in mind; the Global Village Program is on the top floor.
Broadway
Broadway is similar to Ondine in terms of its modern appeal. Broadway has an on-site computer lab, lounges, classrooms for studying and one of the largest eco-roofs in Portland. The building’s 353 studio units all come with a kitchenette and bathroom.
All photos Miles sanguinetti
Some buildings come with furnished options.
Non-university options
St. Helens Court
Built in 1928, St. Helens is three blocks west of the Park Blocks. St. Helens offers a small selection of one-bedroom dorms, 36 studios and one sleeper. All units have hardwood floors and kitchens, and nearby parking is available for an additional fee.
Stratford
The Stratford is located at Southwest 10th Avenue and Market Street, close to the streetcar and just a few blocks from a grocery store. The three-story building has unfurnished one-bedroom apartments and studios with private kitchens.
Blackstone
Blackstone is positioned across the street from the PSU library, just a park block from Smith Memorial Student Union. Blackstone is located in the heart of campus (great for farmers market enthusiasts) and has several room options, all with kitchens and hardwood floors.
The Vue Apartments
The Vue—a high-rise located right on the Park Blocks with a coffee shop, sandwich shop and bar located on its ground floor—is a popular option among PSU students. The Vue offers several unit layouts, from studio to penthouse, and has a great view of downtown Portland and its surroundings.
University Pointe
Technically operating under the rules of PSU dorms but run by an outside partner, University Pointe is a recently constructed building with a focus on sustainability (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold status). It’s located on the MAX line a couple of blocks from campus and has a private fitness center, a computer lab and entertainment lounges. Coffee, frozen yogurt and burger businesses occupy the ground floor.
Settling into a new residence is often first on the agenda for incoming fall students.
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Time Flys A look at Lincoln Hall, circa late-1950’s.
The college that can’t stop A brief history of Portland State Turner Lobey
Portland State, a 49-acre urban campus that bleeds into the surrounding metropolis, sits nestled in the heart of downtown. Blurring the boundaries between school and city, PSU is more than buildings of bricks and mortar: It is a product of community birthed in conflict and tempered in challenge. From humble beginnings to sprawling urban university, PSU’s roots reach back through decades of opposition, beginning with a world at war.
The beginning With the United States’ entry into World War II, the production of war materials became a major priority. As the country scrambled to produce equipment for the war effort, Oregon became a leader in the production of ships. Henry Kaiser’s Portland shipyards became a focal point of U.S. shipbuilding. Between 1940 and 1943, defense employment numbers in the region skyrocketed from just a few thousand to 140,000. The demand for workers was so high that local recruitment
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rapidly depleted the hiring pool. People were imported by the thousands from as far away as New York City to work in the shipyards. With the influx of newcomers, Portland soon found that it was unable to house the hordes of workers and families entering the city. The housing industry entered crisis mode as people without homes found themselves sleeping in tents, in movie theaters and on the streets. Fear spread throughout the Kaiser Company that ship production would inevitably be hindered by the lack of housing. Vanport was the solution. The housing project of Vanport—unofficially known as Kaiserville—was 650 acres at what is now Delta Park in North Portland. Vanport quickly became a hub of transient labor, making it the second-largest city in Oregon and home to more than 42,000 people. It was a city that never slept. Shipbuilding was a 24-hour enterprise, and life at Vanport revolved around work. Both father and mother worked, so children were generally left unattended and unsupervised. Housing was rapidly and poorly constructed so heat and electricity was at times scarce and problematic. As the war came to a close, residents trickled away from the makeshift town. Many would leave after the need for ships waned, but waves of incoming veterans seeking to reintegrate into civilian life through work and education would keep the population steady at 18,000. In 1946,
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the Oregon State System of Higher Education approved plans to create a temporary education program, the Vanport Extension Center, to serve WWII veterans and their families. Classes were first held as a short-term summer program, designed to prepare students transferring to accredited universities like Oregon State University and the University of Oregon. That first summer there were 221 enrolled students, almost entirely veterans. By fall quarter, enrollment had jumped to 1,410. Vanport College evolved rapidly. Engineering was the most common course of study, followed closely by business and the liberal arts. Students moved quickly to form a student government, as well as a host of clubs. The college even had its own newspaper, Vet’s Extended—which would be retitled the Vanguard that winter—edited by blind student and veteran Don Carlo.
The flood All came to a crashing halt on Memorial Day, 1948. The Columbia River, swollen from melted snowpacks and copious amounts of rainfall, smashed a hole in a railroad embankment that had been serving as a dike; the result was a 10-foot wall of water that plowed its way through Vanport. Cars bobbed atop the surface of the river as houses were up-
rooted from their foundations and carried away with the current. The majority of the residents were able to evacuate in time, but 15 lives were lost. Engulfed in its watery grave, Vanport was beyond saving. President Harry Truman flew in to witness the aftermath firsthand. What he encountered was decimation. No reconstruction effort was to be attempted; Oregon’s second-largest city had been erased from the map.
A new beginning Fortunately, the spirit of Vanport College survived the flood, but the institution was left without a home. Quick-thinking administrators and faculty members had salvaged some equipment and records from the school before evacuating, giving it a second chance at life. The displaced place of higher learning would wander among temporary homes for several years before finding a new permanent location. By 1952, Vanport College had moved three times, finally resting at the old Lincoln High School (the modern-day Lincoln Hall) at Portland’s Park Blocks. There, at the “Old Main,” the school would shed its former title, renaming itself Portland State College, signifying the school’s expansion into a four-yeardegree-issuing institution.
Demonstrators gather in 1970s to voice opposition to the Vietnam War. During the 1950s and ’60s, Portland State flourished in an era of relative peace and prosperity defined by growth. Enrollment numbers increased and the school was ignited by a fury of expansion that spread throughout the Park Blocks and saw greater numbers of students, faculty, courses and buildings, culminating in the 1969 Oregon State Board of Higher Education decision to give Portland State university status.
Unrest Then, in an instant, all that tranquility was washed away in a flood of protest and discontent. It was 1970 and the United States was in the midst of an armed conflict in Vietnam. On April 30, President Richard Nixon gave a televised speech to the world in which he announced plans to deploy American forces to Cambodia, where North Vietnamese forces were supposedly being harbored. The antiwar movement got its second wind. Handfuls of students and faculty members had begun to organize protests and sit-ins following the president’s announcement, but PSU’s social activism would reach new heights in the wake of the events at Kent State University in Ohio on May 4. After protestors burned down the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps building during antiwar demonstrations at the campus, the National Guard was sent in to establish order. Guardsmen, nervous about the crowds, first fired tear gas on the protestors—and then opened fire, killing nine and wounding four. Universities around the nation responded with one of the loudest movements of student protest to date: 350 universities—PSU included—were shut down by millions of students in solidarity with the victims of the Kent State massacre. Protestors barricaded the South Park Blocks, which at the time were still open for traffic, staging acts of civil disobedience in the form of demonstrations, marches and speeches. By May 11, Portland State protestors had been on strike for nearly a week and classes had been cancelled. At the center of the Park Blocks sat a large medical tent, which would soon become an icon of the school’s protest. Portland police clad in riot gear and armed with nightsticks entered the park to disperse the crowds, remove the barricades and tents, and return a sense of order to the campus. The armored enforcers encountered students, arms locked, surrounding the first-aid tent. When they refused to budge, violence erupted. Protestors and police clashed in a bloody dispute that sent 31 protestors to the hospital. The next day, thousands of PSU students and local Portlanders united to march on City Hall in outrage over the use of excessive police force. Neither the mayor nor the police commissioner came out to meet the crowd. The rest of the term went by without any major conflicts. The protest had ended, but the legacy lived on. The events at the medical tent sent tremors throughout PSU that succeeded in radicalizing a new wave of students, faculty and community members alike.
All photos University Archives / Portland State University Library
Bigger than the flood The smoke had cleared over the campus, but decades of budget crisis loomed on the horizon. Perhaps the most significant challenge PSU faced since the tidal waves of the Columbia River was the lack of funding and the state’s unwillingness to fully financially support its universities. With decreasing amounts of public money entering the school, budget cuts were common and the threat of layoffs and program cuts was imminent. By 1992, the financial crisis was considered one of the most threatening issues the school had faced. By March of 1993, 25 people had been laid off, including eight tenure-track faculty members. In the midst of financial crisis, PSU managed to persevere and incorporate a broader scope of programs: women’s studies in 1970, the School of Urban Affairs in 1976, the School of Performing Arts and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1982, to name just a few. A new mission statement was drafted in 1978, one that put a focus on the metropolitan area surrounding the school. There would be an emphasis on off-campus education that provided research and other services to the city—the embodiment of the motto immortalized on the walls of the university: “Let Knowledge Serve the City.” In 1993, Portland State implemented one of the most radical changes to the undergraduate system to date: the University Studies program. Designed to create a more dynamic and effective general education structure, University Studies has become the centerpiece of PSU’s undergraduate program. Intended to provide opportunities for greater learning that extend through all four
years of the program, it culminates in a Senior Capstone that brings together students from various majors to create a project that in some way benefits the community.
Looking to the future
latest efforts have focused on an urban renewal project aimed at transforming Portland’s downtown. Recently given the green light by Portland’s City Council, the project will create a 144-acre education district with PSU at the center. Millions of dollars will go toward redesigning and restoring the district to give the school room to grow. Over the next 30 years, urban renewal revenue will be used to expand university programs, fund new buildings and projects and upgrade pre-existing ones in great need of attention. In an ever-growing city, the hope is to provide a more stable environment and a more secure future for the college that can’t stop.
Entering the new millennium, PSU began to revamp itself to fully commit to ensuring a sustainable future. The Campus Sustainability Office was founded in 2002, followed shortly by the Social Sustainability Colloquium in 2003. A groundbreaking policy requiring all new construction to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification was put into effect. All buildings would become “green”; new buildings would be designed specifically PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH to minimize their impact on TUTORING the environment through the conservation of energy, water • Tutoring in writing, proofreading, and research and natural resources, and by retired college English professor with 32 years major renovations of existing of experience. campus buildings would soon commence in the attempt to • Generate ideas, plan an essay, write prompts reduce the campus’ ecological to help a student begin writing, revise, and footprint. proofread written work. In the midst of unparal• Help English as a Second Language students leled growth, the university read, learn grammar, and pronounce standard is now looking to the future. American English. With 30,000 students, PSU is the largest university in • Proofread resumes, work world correspondence. Oregon. It is projected that the number will grow to Call (503) 544-1528 for more information and prices. 50,000 by 2035. To accommodate this expansion, PSU’s
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Going clubbing Adam LaMascus photo by miles sanguinetti
Welcome to college, a place where your life will change forever in ways you can’t imagine. For many of you, welcome to a new city. A bit overwhelming, no? Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Lots of people will have advice for you as a new college student—some of it good, other bits less so. One piece of advice that nobody gave me when I was a freshman—and I wish they had—was to join as many clubs, groups and activities as I could. College gives you many opportunities to participate in activities that are extremely expensive or more difficult to find in the real world than they are at PSU. Take advantage of your access and go to more clubs than you know you will have time for once classes pick up so that you can sample your options. Even go to clubs that only sound mildly intriguing, because you might discover a new hobby you didn’t know you had an interest in. Even if you decide not to participate, you learn a lot about yourself based on what you are drawn to and repelled by. In many ways, finding out who you are is one of the most important aspects of college. Of course, in addition to the deeper self-discovery benefits, participating in activities is fun. Groups are a good way to meet people with common interests, and therefore a good place to make strong friendships. When you are new to college, especially if you are new to a city, it is especially important to make good friends.
Self-discovery and making friends are worthwhile endeavors, but there are even more benefits that are less obvious. Getting involved in various activities at PSU can potentially teach you new skills or refine ones you already have. Skills, accomplishments and clubs often look good on resumes, too. Even if they don’t provide you with useful career skills, they can be points of interest for potential employers and make you stand out. Consistent involvement in one or more organizations shows people that you are well-rounded, reliable, can function well in cooperative environments and can manage your time well. Especially if you take on leadership positions in these groups. It shows that you can handle responsibility and being in charge, which is never a bad thing. Having a regular activity or two also provides an excellent outlet for stress and something to focus your mind on. This helps you remain calm when things get difficult, and in college things will get stressful sometimes. Aimee Shattuck, the director for Student Activities and Leadership Programs, said in an email that “[t]he best way to explore what groups and clubs exist on campus is to create an account at OrgSync.com. Students can put in key words or explore groups by category to find the right fit for them. Students can also go to pdx.edu/ student-leadership to learn about events on campus, how to start a group, and other opportunities to get involved.”
Why freshman year is the time to be a joiner
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Again, I doubt that you will find nothing interesting, as PSU offers a veritable plethora of groups. There is a group for nearly every ethnic background. Clubs vary from athletic to intellectual, everyday to unusual. A few examples that interest me include the Jiu Jitsu Club, because being in shape and having martial arts skills is healthy and empowering; the Fencing Club because, as a graduate student studying history, swords have always interested me; the German Student Association, because I’ve been learning German for two years and I’ve got a number of German friends; and the Dragon Boat Club, initially because of the name, then because apparently it is a flat canoe sprinting sport. Nice! I would like to emphasize: Get involved now rather than later. I can personally attest that the students who say “I’ll do that later” tend to not actually do that later. There will always be another project, another paper or another chapter that you can use as an excuse. Trust me, the four years go by faster than you realize, and it isn’t uncommon for “next week” to turn into never. Your freshman year of college will be exciting, nerve-wracking, stressful and some of the most fun you will have in your life if you do it right. There is no better time to meet new people, make new friends and learn new skills. Go find clubs and people that interest you.
The full list of groups at PSU Academically-Controlled Auxiliary Activities Committee Active Minds Chapter Alpha Chi Omega sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society American Indian Science and Engineering Society American Institute of Architecture Students American Marketing Association American Society of Civil Engineers American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers American Society of Mechanical Engineers American Water Works Association Anime Club Anthropology Student Association Arab Persian Student Organization Associated Students of Portland State University ASPSU Constituion and Judicial Review Board ASPSU Student Fee Committee Association of African Students Association of Engineering Geologists Association of Fundraising Professionals Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Atma Foundation Club (education, empowerment, and sustainability advocacy group) Baseball Basic English and Bible Club Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society Biology Investigation and Outreach (education/outreach, and connections for biology students) Black Cultural Affairs Board Bouldering Club Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Breakin’ Club (Break dancing—its not about breaking pottery. I checked.) Brony Alliance for Magical Friendship Cambodian Student Association Campus V.I.S.I.O.N (outreach and religious activism) Caribbean Community Connection (C3) Catholic Student Association Chi Alpha Christian Community Chi Epsilon Honor Society Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society Chinese Student Scholar Association Christian Science Organization Christians United for Israel Coalition for Asian Pacific American Studies College Democrats College Republicans Commercial Real Estate Association Community Development Student Group Coriba Geology Club Crew (rowing crew) Cricket Club Cru (Christian group) Cultural Centers (explore diversity) Curling Club (if you don’t know what curling is, Google it—it’s actually really interesting) Cycling Club Disc Golf Diversity Scholarship Programs
Dodgeball Club Dragon Boat (co-ed canoe sprint) Eben-Ezer Christian Club Electro Dance Engineers Without Borders Entrepreneurship Portland State University Environmental Club Environmental Science and Management Grad Student Association Fencing Club (en garde!) 5th Avenue Cinema (operate and promote the 5th Avenue Cinema, a student-run cinema) Film and Digital Photography Club Financial Management Association Fire Arts (fire dancing—as a pyro, I approve) Food Action Collective (education on healthy, fair, sustainable food practices) Food for Thought Cafe (non-hierarchical affordable vegetarian foods) Food for Thought Student Art Gallery Freethinkers of PSU (secular, atheist, agnostic group) French Club Friends of Geography Friends of Graphic Design Gamers Republic of University Players (video games, board games, LARP, et cetera) Generation Unleashed—Portland State (Christian group) Geospatial Information Society German Student Association (Ich liebe Deutsch!) Global Medical Brigades Golden Key International Honor Society Graphic Design Center Greek Council Green Note (co-ed a capella group) Hong Kong Student Association Ice Hockey Club (Canadian citizenship not required) Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School III-Dimensional Arts Association (3-D arts, sculpture, et cetera) Impact (Christian outreach group) Indian Student Association Instrumental Music Club Interfaith Leadership Team International Business and Economics Association International City/County Management Association International Cooperation International Socialist Organization (includes free copy of The Communist Manifesto?) Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Iranian Students Association of Portland Iraqi Students’ Club Japanese Student Society Jewish Student Union (shana tova!) Kaibigan (Filipino club) Kappa Sigma fraternity Kickboxing Club Korean Student Association KPSU (student-run radio) Kuwaiti Student Club Lacrosse, Men’s Lambda Alpha Honor Society Las Mujeres (Latina women’s group) Latina Dance Leadership Fellows Learning Center Littman and White Galleries (fine arts) Manufacture and Fabrication for the Sciences Military Science Club (brush up your acro-
nyms) MindfulPSU (meditation group) Model United Nations (more fun and less threat of world war than the real one) Modern Buddhist Student Association Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan Muslim Student Association National Association for the Advancement of Colored People National Society of Black Engineers National Society of Collegiate Scholars National Student Speech Language Hearing Association Net Impact New Music Network Omega Rho International Honor Society Optometry Club Oregon Students Public Interest Research Group Organization Budget Council Organization of International Students Organization of Graduate Students of Social Work Orientation Team (helps orient new students) Pacific Islanders Club Paranormal Activity Club (the truth is out there) Pathos Literary Magazine Persatuan Mahasiswa Indonesia Amerika Serikat (Indonesian Club) Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society Phi Delta Theta fraternity Phi Sigma Sigma sorority Philosophy Club (I think, therefore I belong to this club?) Physics Society Planning Club Plant Science Consortium Portland Collegiate Furs Portland Pre-Health Society Portland Pre-Law Society Portland State Professional Sound Portland State Programming Board Portland State Red Cross Student Group Portland State University Guild of StudentConductors Portland State University Human Resource Management Association Portland State University League of Legends (rage harder, noob) Portland State University Math Club Portland State University Russian Club Portland State University Students for Concealed Carry Pre-Dental Student Organization Pre-Pharmacy Student Association Pre-Veterinary Medical Group Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology PSU Debate Union (advance your skills beyond “Nuh-uh!”) PSU For Life (a pro-life group) PSU TV PSU Writer’s Collective Psychology Club Public Administration Student Association Python, R, Octave, Geodatabases, R Studio, ArcGIS, MATLAB Qatari Students Association Queer Resource Center Rec Admin Club Rec Clubs Council Rec Clubs Leadership Program Romanian-American Group
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Rotaract (Rotary-sponsored service club) Rugby, Women’s (because helmets are for wimps) Running Around Portland (long-distance running club) Sailing Club SALP Student Administrators Club Saudi Student Club Scholars for Awareness of Neuroscience Education Science Outreach Society Slavic Christian Club Smith Space Committee Soccer, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Society for Classical Languages, Literature, and Culture (semper ubi sub ubi) Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society Student Animal Liberation Coalition Student Chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Student Leaders for Service Student Opera Association of PSU Students for Liberty Students for Sensible Drug Policy Students for Social Action Students for Unity Students in Transportation, Engineering and Planning Student Organization for Applied Linguistics Students Preventing Underage Drinking Students United for Nonviolence Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights Supply and Logistics Management Association Sustainability Leaders Network Swahili Experience Club Table Tennis (the most popular sport in China, I’m told) Taiwanese Student Association Tango Club Tau Beta Pi Honor Society Tau Sigma Honor Society Tea With TED (watch TED Talks, then have tea and discuss) Tennis Thai Student Organization Theater Arts Student Organization Time Arts Club UAE Student Group Ultimate Frisbee, Men’s Ultimate Frisbee, Women’s United Indian Students in Higher Education Vietnamese Student Association Viking Motorsports (sadly, you don’t drive motorized longships) Viking Vets (Student Veterans Association) Volleyball, Women’s Water Polo, Men’s Water Polo, Women’s With Israel Women for Women International Women in Business Women’s Resource Center Zoe Club (Christian group)
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Taking advantage of the Rec Adventure comes in many forms at PSU’s Academic and Student Rec Center
Abigail Rose stays healthy while getting the most bang for her tuition dollars.
Alex Moore
Some students at Portland State will go through their entire academic career without exploring Campus Rec. Which is a tremendous waste, because tuition covers almost everything inside the Academic and Student Rec Center, from the swimming pool to the basketball courts to the fitness center. All a student needs to take advantage of the facility is a valid Portland State identification card, which allows access to anything on the second, third and fourth floors of the building. The Rec Center offers fitness and health sessions, instructional programs, intramural sports leagues and even a climbing center. From cardio to yoga, swimming lessons to kayaking seminars, there is an activity to match up with just about any interest and skill level. Those looking to join an intramural league have several sports to choose from, including basketball, indoor soccer and dodgeball. Extra fees may be required for the intramural leagues depending on the sport. There are a couple dozen Rec Clubs scheduled throughout the year, and the variety is
impressive: kickboxing, fencing, table tennis and dragon boat racing are just a few of the options available. If you’re interested in getting in touch with nature, the Rec Center can help with that as well, with classes and excursions planned through the Outdoor Program. Inclusive accommodations are provided and youth programs are organized during the summer. The Rec Center is open Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The center also has extensive weekend hours: Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. While students taking at least one credit are automatically enrolled, memberships are also available for PSU faculty, staff and alumni, and qualifying PSU affiliates. Keep up to date with program updates, holiday closures and other information at pdx.edu/recreation/student-rec-center. Location: 1800 SW Sixth Ave. Member Services Desk Phone: 503-725-2931 Email: campusrec@pdx.edu
all photos miles sanguinetti
En Garde! The Fencing Club is one of many offered through Portland State Rec Clubs.
Peter Kramer Rec Club Coordinator
Community, diversity and recreation. These are the three words that describe our 31 Rec Clubs. Portland State Rec Clubs is a student-led program representing different sports, games and physical activities. Clubs are organized by students and funded by student fees. We encourage participation by providing opportunities for recreation and intercollegiate competition between students of all skill levels. Rec Clubs strive to embody all the values of Campus Recreation by being community-oriented, safe, sustainable, diverse, accessible and educational. You can learn more about Rec Clubs at our website, pdx.edu/recreation/rec-clubs; our Facebook page, facebook.com/portlandstaterecclubs; or our office on campus, room 236 in the Rec Center. Because our clubs are diverse in their activities and missions, they have different requirements to join. The best way to find out how to join a club is to contact one of the student leaders. To contact a club click on the club and use the contact information provided. Club leader email and club waivers are included on every club page.
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Spencer Sorensen intramurals Coordinator
Intramural Sports provide Academic and Student Rec Center members an opportunity to participate in various sports leagues, tournaments and events. It is a great opportunity to get involved on campus, make new friends and exercise in a safe, fun environment. The leagues typically run for more than six weeks, and then playoffs are contested during the final couple weeks of the quarter. Various sports leagues are offered during each quarter. Intramural Sports take place in the Rec Center and at Stott Field and change every term. Some offerings include: basketball, soccer (indoor and outdoor), flag football, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, floor hockey and dodgeball. All ability and skill levels are welcome. You can learn more about Intramurals at our website, pdx.edu/recreation/intramurals; our Facebook page, facebook.com/intramurals; or our office on campus, room 236 in the Rec Center.
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Coby Hutzler Christian Carson
Unless you’ve been in a bomb shelter or had your nose in a book for the last decade, you know that Portland has a legendary reputation for food, music and quirk. And while college students are notoriously short on time and money, with a little scrimping and planning there are some truly wonderful foods and adventures to be had (fairly inexpensively) here in the Rose City, whether by bicycle, train, bus or on foot. What follows are just a few of our personal favorite spots around town. While there’s only so much we can tell you about this city, there’s definitely more out there; go and find it!
Northwest We’ll begin our adventure in Northwest Portland, the area of town north of Burnside Street that stretches from 23rd Avenue through Old Town/Chinatown and east to the Willamette River. The Pearl proper is Portland’s land of young, upwardly mobile professionals and restaurants, bars, galleries and vintage boutiques. To reach the Pearl, you’d be best served by biking or hoofing it, as it is only 20 minutes from PSU and there is no better way to stick your nose into every vintage boutique or gallery along the way. The Portland Streetcar comes straight through, as well, and you can also grab the MAX Green Line at PSU or bus lines 15 or 77 at stops located due east of PSU, on Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Crystal Ballroom 1332 W Burnside St. mcmenamins.com
Built in 1914 and originally called Cotillion Hall, the Crystal Ballroom is nearly a century old and has seen its share of jazz, police raids and Grateful Dead shows. Re-opened by McMenamins in 1997, the Crystal continues to host all manner of performances and features a “floating” dance floor, which flexes beneath your feet and gets you wondering if you’re actually dancing on a cloud.
Backspace 115 NW Fifth Ave. backspace.bz Just around the corner from Ground Kontrol, Backspace has hosted a thriving community of art, music, poetry, technology and amazing food for well over a decade. In addition to hosting all-ages shows seven days a week, Backspace serves up local foods, beverages and coffee with an emphasis on vegan and vegetarian fare. It’s a great place to hone your gaming skills, play pool, discover great local art and music or just hang with some newfound friends. Directly off the MAX Green and Yellow lines, or any bus that frequents the transit mall.
Henry’s Tavern 10 NW 12th Ave. henrystavern.com Occupying another age-old Portland landmark, Henry’s Tavern sits in what used to be the power house for the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery (the tavern’s namesake), which brewed beer at the site for more than 140 years. These days, the tavern sources most of its beer from local breweries, has more than 100 beers on tap and boasts plenty of food to sustain your adventures. To get there, take the Streetcar to NW 10th and Couch streets, then backtrack to Burnside Street and head west for two blocks.
The four corners OF PORTLAND A see-it-to-believe-it guide for students
Downtown Hustle-y, bustle-y and full of noise, downtown’s got a lot going on, and plenty of it’s right here on campus. Whether you’re in the mood to read over coffee at a cafe or watch a soccer ball get blitzed around at a Timbers game, there are plenty of ways to break up your weekly march through your classes.
Soccer fans rejoice: Jeld-Wen Field is a 20-minute walk from campus and home to Portland’s MLS team, the Timbers, as well as the Portland Thorns, the city’s professional women’s team. Tickets for most matches start at $15–25, and PSU’s football team plays its home games here as well. Flash your student ID at PSU’s games, though, and you’ll get in for free.
5th Avenue Cinema
The People’s Pig
510 SW Hall St. 5thavenuecinema.org PSU’s student-run cinema is almost always showing something, and admission is free for PSU students, faculty and alumni with ID. It’s $2 to get in for other students and seniors; general admission is $3. Whatever you end up paying, you’re in for a treat, with free popcorn accompanying screenings from the theater’s “eclectic selection of camp, cult, classic and contemporary independent and mainstream films.” Check in on their programming at any given time and you’re likely to have heard of a few of the films on offer—but only a few.
SW Washington Street and 10th Avenue facebook.com/PeoplesPig This no-nonsense food cart is just down the hill from PSU, making it a must-try for the student on the go. Owned by Cliff Allen and his sidekick Ray Ballentine (aka Ray-Ray), this food cart keeps it fresh, flavorful and to-the-point with juicy roast pork offerings. With simplicity a key component of their philosophy, every ingredient gets to shine through: Allen uses five components max to accomplish daring, mouth-paralyzing feats. Do yourself a favor and order the porchetta sandwich: slices of rolled pork roast smeared with garlic and fennel seed, brightened with a fistful of fresh arugula and a squeeze of lemon juice, all wedged into Allen’s home-baked sourdough ciabatta rolls. We promise you will not be disappointed.
Portland Farmers Market PSU portlandfarmersmarket.org/markets/psu Feeling ill after Friday night? Regain your composure with a Saturday morning stroll through the Farmers Market! Portland hosts several farmers markets, and this one is held in the Park Blocks near Smith Memorial Student Union on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. through October and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in November and December. More than 150 vendors of all kinds will have made an appearance before the year’s end, many of whom call Portland home (though more than half trek in from elsewhere, sometimes as far away as Noti, Ore.). Whether you’re craving a hunk of cheese, a fistful of truffles or a cup full of coffee, the Farmers Market is not to be missed.
Jeld-Wen Field 1844 SW Morrison St. jeld-wenfield.com
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Goose Hollow Inn 1927 SW Jefferson St. goosehollowinn.com Opened in 1967 by Bud Clark, the former Portland mayor (’84–92) well known for “exposing himself to art” (do yourself a favor and look up the photo—Portland actually used to be weird), this welcoming public house offers great food, conversation and atmosphere, all quietly tucked away in Goose Hollow (located on both the red and blue MAX lines, or a 10-minute walk from campus). The Goose offers a life-changing Reuben (and serves it up vegetarian style, too, with the corned beef replaced with sauteed mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and garlic), piled high with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and their house-made Reuben sauce, then roasted open-faced until golden brown. They also offer wicked shrimp and crab cocktails, pizza, quinoa salads (gluten- and dairy-free) and countless other sandwiches. If you have any lingering doubts concerning the Goose, read their 1967 mission statement on the menu: “Bud Clark rocks.”
North/Northeast Portland
international and local films. Get there by jumping onto the 12 bus, and jump off at the stop at NE 42nd street.
Home to the former city of Vanport, which was PSU’s first home, North and Northeast Portland are steeped in an industrial past, and taken together account for Portland’s more-diverse neighborhoods. Go far enough this direction and you’ll run into the port facilities on the Columbia River. Stop before that happens and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to poke through neighborhoods like Mississippi and Alberta. Or, you know, other places.
Swift Lounge
Record Room 8 NE Killingsworth St. recordroompdx.com Billing itself as a “vinyl lounge,” Record Room on Northeast Killingsworth Street is a locally owned record shop that deals in a good selection of new and used vinyl, with beer, wine and coffee available while you browse. Patrons of all ages are welcome from noon–7 p.m. each day, and pinball and frequent live music mean that even if you leave empty-handed you’re sure to have had a good time. The 44 bus will get you as close as a block away, but the rest is up to you.
Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard hollywoodtheater.org This not-for-profit, independently owned and operated movie palace first opened in 1926 and every year screens “nearly 300 of the best films from all over the world,” with special attention paid to
1932 NE Broadway swiftloungepdx.com This awesome destination point has what you need when you need it. Booty-bumping disc jockeys? Check. Weekend brunch? Check. Affordable, healthy food? Swift it! A Southern-inspired menu offers macaroni and cheese (with or without kimchi, pulled pork or bacon), black-eyed peas over rice, oven-baked cauliflower, sauteed Brussels sprouts or collard greens, falafel bowls, dill-smashed potatoes, vaca-frita (Cuban-style marinated, twice-cooked flank steak), cheesy polenta and, yes, fried chicken. My heart lies with the sides, where $4 gets you a single serving of ass-kicking food or, for $9, three of your faves. The help is feisty, the DJs are committed and the people-watching on Broadway is entertainment for anyone who just de-compartmentalized their mind after finals.
The Waypost 3120 N Williams Ave. thewaypost.com Is The Waypost a cafe, a tavern or a music venue? Yes! Whether you’re looking to catch up on some reading or enjoy a pleasant weekend brunch, a Northwest-brewed draft beer or an evening of live music, film or lecture, this cozy space lends itself to just about anything. To get there, grab the 44 bus and jump off at North Cook Street; The Waypost will be a block south.
Whether you’re a foodie, sports nut or lover of all things science Portland has a place for you.
Jinyi Qi
Southeast Portland If you don’t already live out here, the odds are good that you might before you leave PSU. Inner Southeast is a quasi-industrial smorgasbord of restaurants, bars and disused warehouses. East of 12th Avenue is largely residential and stitched together by the numerous cafes, bars, markets and eateries that straddle Belmont and Division streets and Hawthorne Boulevard, but we trust you’ll find those places whether or not we tell you about them—so here are a few other spots worth checking out.
wakame? Love yourself. If for some bizarre reason you don’t like soup, Biwa has tofu, cucumber and wakame salads, homemade dumplings, marinated ginger clams, sashimi, a plethora of grilled items (lamb, chicken, pork bara, mushrooms and mochi to name a few) and even kara-age (Japanese-style fried chicken). Biwa opens late (5 p.m.) and stays open late, so grab a date, or at the very least a spoon, and get there by foot (a 30-minute walk from PSU), bicycle or bus (lines 6, 12, 15 or 20).
White Owl Social Club
Mount Tabor City Park
1305 SE Eighth Ave. whiteowlsocialclub.com For all the metalheads, vegans, vegetarians, omnivores and gluten-free out there, look no further— the White Owl has what you’re looking for. Located in inner Southeast, just over the Hawthorne Bridge (like eight gazillion buses run over that thing), WOSC boasts two happy hours (3–6 p.m. and 11 p.m.–1 a.m.), rocking shows almost every night, a massive outdoor patio (take advantage while you can) and great bar food that borders on Southern comfort/local affair, with massive consideration going out to the non-meaters, and dietary-awarians. Satiate your rock-induced post-show cravings with vegan macaroni and cheese, beet and quinoa salads, vegan barbecue jackfruit sliders and chili— really, the menu is quite thorough. They even have fried moonbrine pickle fritters and four types of potato boots (stuffed and crisped russet potato skins), yeah!
Extinct volcanic cinder cone between East 60th and 71st avenues It’s surprising how few people know about this place. There are only four cities in the U.S. that have extinct volcanoes within their limits, and Portland is one of them. Last active 300,000 years ago, Mount Tabor’s eruptions would have been less like a mountain exploding and more like honey being spilled. The park today is an enormous wooded space with plenty of room to romp around and an exquisite view of downtown from the summit. Head this way for a serene jog or bike ride, or bring your own volcanic honey out for some sublime sunset scenes by hopping on the 35 bus to Salmon Street and transferring to the 15, which will take you down Southeast Belmont Street to 69th Avenue and Yamhill Street. Jump off here, point yourself south and prepare to be amazed.
Biwa 215 SE Ninth Ave. biwarestaurant.com Just a stone’s throw from the White Owl is Biwa. Simply put, these folks know what they’re about and where they’re going. The chefs at this awesome Japanese sake house make their own noodles and ferment their own kimchi, tsukemono (Japanese pickles) and saba nanbanzuke (barbarianstyle fried, pickled mackerel—trust me, it’s the bomb); and, if requested, will pair your meal with the perfect sake. Too young to hit the sake, you say? Not a problem. I usually end up at Biwa when my soup cravings can no longer be denied. The pork ramen with quail eggs? Do it. Vegetable udon with
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry 1945 SE Water Ave. omsi.edu Every city should be as lucky as Portland is to have a museum like OMSI to call its own. Aside from berthing a submarine that appeared in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, the museum hosts several traveling exhibits throughout the year and is home to an Omnimax theater, planetarium and several regular science and technology exhibit halls. Regular adult admission is $13, and there are a few ways to get there. By bike, cross the river on the Hawthorne Bridge bike path and take your first right, following the signs toward OMSI’s signature red smokestack. By bus, grab line 6 on Southwest Columbia Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues and get off at the east-side Hawthorne Bridge stop; OMSI is just a few blocks’ walk to the south.
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Food, coffee and Bars Coby Hutzler
Coffee/cafes 1. Branford’s Bean Millar Library, first floor Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Sunday, 2–10 p.m. Offers: Coffee, tea, sandwiches, snacks
2. Chit Chat Cafe 1907 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Offers: Coffee, bubble tea, bagels, bagel sandwiches
3. Contrary 1876 SW Fifth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Coffee, pastries (a tiny place, not really suited to showing up and unpacking to study)
4. Park Avenue Cafe 1525 SW Park Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Offers: Coffee, sandwiches, pastries, soups, salads
5. Seattle’s Best 1742 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Thursday, 6 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Offers: Coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, panini
6. Starbucks (at The Vue Apartments) 1717 SW Park Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 5:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m.–9 p.m. Offers: Coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, panini
7. Starbucks in Broadway Building 603 SW Jackson St. Hours: Monday–Friday, 5:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Offers: Coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, panini
Hours: Monday–Friday, 5:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Satuday and Sunday, 6:30 a.m.–6 p.m. Offers: Coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, panini
Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.–2 a.m. Offers: Beer, wine, breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, stir-fry
9. Starbucks Counter
Restaurants
First floor of Smith Memorial Student Union Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Coffee, panini, snacks
10. The Meetro Cafe King Albert Residence Hall 1809 SW 11th Ave. Hours: Monday–Wednesday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Coffee, tea, sandwiches, snacks
1921 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday, noon–8 p.m.; closed Sundays Offers: Mediterranean/Lebanese cuisine, hummus, mazza, pita wrap sandwiches, desserts (good vegetarian offerings)
17. Baan-Thai
11. Cheerful Tortoise
18. Ben & Jerry’s
1939 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–2:30 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.–2:30 a.m. Offers: Beer, soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, breakfast, burgers, pizza
510 SW Mill St. Hours: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon–6 p.m. Offers: Ice cream!
12. Gnarly Grey
1923 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Sub sandwiches, salads, panini
1526 SW 10th Ave. Hours: Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–1 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–midnight Offers: Beer, burgers, wines, sandwiches, salads
14. Rogue Hall (at The Vue Apartments) 1717 SW Park Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.–midnight Offers: Beer, wine, burgers, sandwiches, salads
8. Starbucks
15. Suki’s Bar and Grill
1440 SW Park Ave.
2401 SW 4th Ave.
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16. Abu Rasheed Lebanese Restaurant
Bars/pubs
13. McMenamins Market Street Pub
19. Big Town Hero
20. Blue Fin Sushi 1988 SW Broadway Hours: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–9 Saturday, noon–9 p.m.; closed Sundays Offers: Sushi!
p.m.;
21. Cafe Yumm! 1806 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. Offers: Rice bowls, wraps, salads
22. Chipotle Mexican Grill 1948 SW Broadway Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Offers: Burritos, tacos, salads
508 SW College St. Hours: Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Offers: Bagels, sandwiches, coffee, wraps
24. Food for Thought Cafe
1924 SW Broadway Hours: Monday–Satuday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; closed Sundays Offers: Thai soup, salad, curry, stir fry, noodles, rice
1235 SW Jefferson St. Hours: Monday–Thursday, Sunday, 11 a.m.– midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Offers: Beer, wine, all-day breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, salads, steak
23. Einstein Bros. Bagels
Smith Memorial Student Union basement, southern end Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Coffee, tea, pastries, breakfast, lunch, vegan, vegetarian. Menu rotates daily
25. Hotlips Pizza 1909 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Offers: Pizza, sandwiches, salads, beer, wine, fruit soda
26. Joe’s Burgers 540 SW College St. Hours: Open at 11am, 7 days a week; Lobby closes at 11 p.m.; walk-up window closes at 1 a.m. Sunday–Thursday, 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday Offers: Burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes
27. Loco Locos Burritos 1728 SW Broadway Hours: Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; closed Sundays Offers: Mexican food, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas
28: Panda Kitchen 1968 SW Broadway Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Offers: Chinese food, fried rice, chow mein, soup
29. Pita Pit 1811 SW Fifth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Offers: Pita wraps, salads, soups
30. Pizza Schmizza Pub & Grub 415 SW Montgomery St.
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Hours: Monday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–midnight Offers: Pizza, beer, salads, pasta
33. Subway (at The Vue Apartments)
Offers: Frozen yogurt
1717 SW Park Ave. Hours: 24 hours a day Offers: Sub sandwiches, salads, breakfast
36. Thanh Long Bakery and Restaurant
31. Pizzicato
34. Taco Del Mar
1708 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Offers: Pizza by the slice, panini, pasta, beer
1930 SW Fourth Ave. Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Offers: Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, kids’ menu
32. Rice Junkies 506 SW Mill St. Hours: Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Bento bowls, wraps
35. TartBerry Too 536 SW College St. Hours: 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m.
635 SW College St. Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; closed Sundays Offers: Vietnamese cuisine, pho soups, curry, sandwiches
37. Victor’s at Ondine Ondine Residence Hall 1912 SW Sixth Ave. Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m. (closed 10–11 a.m.); Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. (closed 10–11 a.m.); Saturday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and
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5–7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. Offers: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, all-youcan-eat buffet, rotating menu, nightly dinner specials
38. Viking Court Smith Memorial Student Union, first floor Hours: Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed weekends Offers: Various restaurants, including Sbarro, Greens To Go and Grille Works Hours are subject to change throughout the school year.
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So many carts With so many options to choose from, campus food carts provide students with the opportunity to venture into new food territory.
miles sanguinetti
jinyi qi
miles sanguinetti
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Good eatin’ Your guide to campus food carts Blake Hickman
Lets talk about food carts. I know you’ve heard of them. Maybe you’ve seen that food cart show Eat Street on the Cooking Channel, or Anthony Bourdain’s many segments devoted to the art of the food truck. Its undeniable that the Portland food cart scene is a lively one, so chances are you’ve been to a couple. Maybe you’ve been to Potato Champion in Southeast in the middle of an all-nighter, or maybe you’ve enjoyed the various offerings at the Mississippi Marketplace pod up on North Mississippi Avenue. Food carts are easy to find, but, for the uninitiated, their appeal can be a bit difficult to articulate. Food carts were originally conceived as a working-class eating option. Around the world, street food vendors have catered to construction workers and attendees of public bazaars—you could even argue that humble hot dog vendors at the baseball stadium fit into the street food category as well. There’s just something to be said about watching food slingers who can do so much with such a small amount of space, and getting to connect so directly with owners and chefs; it’s one of those intangible feelings that just about every Portlander seems to get. So what about PSU? Essentially, Portland State’s campus food cart scene breaks down into three categories. So, please, use this carefully curated list and enjoy some good food—and be sure to Google the Go Box thing. It’s awesome.
The obvious Southwest Fourth Avenue and Hall Street Throw a rock at these food carts and there’s no telling what kind of cuisine you might hit (but please, fellow Vikings, don’t actually throw rocks). The initial visit to this food cart mecca can be an overwhelming one. With so many food carts, where to begin?
Nong’s Khao Man Gai All talk of the best food cart at PSU begins and ends here. This is it. It’s been profiled by media outlets from the Cooking Channel to Canada’s The Globe and Mail to Bon Appetit, and for good reason. Nong’s Khao Man Gai serves up a Chinese staple done perfectly. The best place to start is the No. 1, the eponymous khao man gai. The ingredients, just chicken and rice after all, are simple—but the results are divine. You come at the king, you best not miss.
Salvadoran Pupusas and Tamales I had never even heard of pupusas before attendingPSU. Simply put, they’re delicious. Imagine a pancake-thick corn tortilla stuffed with cheese
and jalapeno or meaty pork goodness. That’s what this cart serves up, and mighty affordably too. Be sure to check out their tamales as well, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Thai Pasta There are so many Thai food carts in the 97201 zip code it’s impossible to profile them all. That said, Thai Pasta is my favorite. They offer an inventive take on the usual Thai food cart fare, using unexpected pasta to liven up Thai staples—their delicious spaghetti kee mao being the perfect example. They’ll also pair most of their dishes with an appetizer and a beverage in an affordable combo option. That said, steer clear of the fried rice. I made the mistake of deviating from my usual go-to and was greeted by a one-way ticket to Pea and Carrot City, population one kajillion. (“You know what the best part of that dish was? The peas and carrots!” said no one ever.)
crinkled fries smothered in delicious meaty chili and topped with spicy sausage. The owner is incredibly friendly, and when I told him that I was hungry he replied, “That’s good, because these chili cheese fries were designed specifically to cure hunger.” Good to know. There are also a variety of sauces—from garlic aioli to chipotle mayo to the classic Thousand Island— with which to smother your dog. Doggone it, what are you waiting for?
Tandem Treats Hey vegans! No, you haven’t been forgotten. Tandem Treats, “all local and mostly organic,” brings you an eclectic menu of various meatless hot dog offerings from a cart that’s propelled by a tandem bicycle. If you think that’s neat, just take a gander at the amazing double-unicorn logo. Whoa!
The underrated
The convenient
Fifth Avenue Parking Lot (at Harrison Street)
Southwest Park Blocks
Its only a two-cart pod, but the ground floor of the Fifth Avenue Parking Garage houses two excellent food carts with ample seating.
This is where the Portland Farmers Market, which is home to some of the area’s oldest food carts, congregates every Saturday.
Basha’s Mediterranean Cuisine The “Original PSU Food Cart,” Basha’s has been a go-to lunch spot of mine for years. They always have affordably priced lunch specials and falafel you can depend on. Be sure to ask for the spicy sauce!
Hot Dogs and Fries Have you been to PSU’s newest food cart, Hot Dogs and Fries? Ask yourself, “Do I like hot dogs? Do I like fries?” If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then consider giving this cart a try. The chili cheese fries are incredible: fresh
La Casita Mexican Grill La Casita serves up some of the best Mexican food in the city at an insanely affordable clip (their three-taco special is only $5) and also offers a plethora of delicious handmade salsas to drench your tacos in. The combo meals are delicious and come with rice and black beans.
We Be Wieners One of several excellent hot dog carts in the area, We Be Wieners opened in 2005, bringing a lot of variety to the table with items like corn dogs and Frito pie. Be sure to try the Porklandia sandwich—much more enjoyable than the show it’s named after.
jinyi qi
Hot Diggity Dog The abundance of hot dog carts on campus makes PSU a hot dog lover’s heaven.
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TOP 10 PERFECTLY PORTLAND PLACES The City of Roses awaits you
with busking musicians, gutter punks and even chess freaks (they play on the public chess boards). The Square also hosts Flicks on the Bricks—free movies projected on a big screen—during the summer, and more than 300 events every year. Just avoid it at night, unless you’re fond of riffraff.
The Roxy
1121 SW Stark St. 503-223-9160 24 hours a day, closed Mondays The Roxy is the best place for bottomless coffee, a greasy breakfast or cheesy grits, especially at 4 a.m. It’s a must-visit for goths, punks and drag queens. This inner-city Quentin Tarantino shrine has a jukebox that holds some of the same CDs it did in the ’90s (like the Twin Peaks soundtrack!). A Jesus statue hovers overhead as you scroll through the music selection—you can look up his loincloth! The Roxy gets packed when bars close at 2 a.m. and sometimes has a waiting list, especially on weekends.
Voodoo Doughnut 22 SW Third Ave. 503-241-4704 24 hours a day
Sure, their doughnuts are delicious, but you’ll end up eating your hand before you can grab a Miami Vice Berry. Bring your best friend, your dog—anything but an appetite. The line usually wraps around the block.
Shanghai Tunnel Tour
120 NW Third Ave. 503-622-4798 Times and prices: shanghaitunnels.info Some of the buildings downtown are linked via shanghai tunnels, which are basically brick basements connected to each other. Some people say these subterranean paths are the most haunted places in Oregon; there’s even a separate paranormal tour available. The official walking tour website offers the chance to explore the Merchant Hotel, Old Town and Chinatown.
Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade 511 NW Couch St. 503-796-9364 Noon–2:30 a.m. All ages until 5 p.m. 21+ after 5 p.m.
Jaime Dunkle
Every city has character. Everyone knows Portland for its plethora of mostly odd entertainment options mixed with Mother Nature and a dash of nerdcore. Here’s a list of parks and businesses, both nationally known and obscure, that put a face on Portland’s zany flavor. Several of them are free, and the rest cost less than $10 to enjoy. To make it easier to choose where to explore, this list is divided into three categories: well-known, psychotronic and outdoorsy. Every establishment mentioned is either within walking distance of the Portland State campus or can easily be reached by public transit.
Play Tetris, drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon and listen to Skinny Puppy (if there’s a disc jockey)—all at once. Ground Kontrol rules! But forget all that—there’s an Addams Family pinball machine upstairs and a the state-of-the-art bathroom decorated by Tron! Actually, Jessica Helgerson did the interior design. On her website she states, “In the restrooms we took our cue from the most classic of all classic arcade games; the men’s restroom floor is a to-the-pixel accurate rendition of Pac-Man, the women’s is Ms. Pac-Man.” Most of the games cost a quarter, but a few cost 50 cents. According to the official website, Ground Kontrol offers “over 90 of the best arcade games from the past four decades, all in an authentic game room environment.”
The well-known Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside St. 503-228-4651 9 a.m.–11 p.m.
Books covering 122 subjects in more than 35,000 subsections fill 68,000 square feet of the main Powell’s location downtown. No wonder it claims to be the world’s largest independent bookstore. Touring authors speak in the Pearl Room on the third floor. Rows of art and entertainment books fill the shelves. Nestled in the corner, a cozy rare-book room houses scarce titles like History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark to the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean—selling for $25,000 without the map, according to Michael Kim, who has worked at Powell’s for six years. He said another version with the original map is selling for $350,000, although he’s never actually seen it. Used titles can go for as cheap as $1. The Powell’s website has a $7-or-less literature section filling 2,717 pages!
Pioneer Courthouse Square 710 SW Sixth Ave. 503-223-1613 24 hours a day
Portlanders—even transplants—call it The Square. This urban courtyard in central downtown crawls with people day and night; tourists dodge transients and Starbucks hipsters bop around
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Bibliophiles rejoice: Powell’s offers books on just about any subject imaginable.
all photos Miles sanguinetti
The psychotronic The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum
2234 NW Thurman St. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. According to employee (and relative through his sister’s marriage) Matthew Vasquez, the owner, his son and his friends are local animators who have worked for Laika and the Portland-based TV series Grimm. If people knew that walking in, props like the life-size installation of midget aliens doing an armed autopsy experiment on a guy wearing hiking boots would make more sense. But it doesn’t explain the dried mealworms and scorpions offered as sundae toppings on the Bug Eater’s Delight (only $4). They also sell gag gifts and random novelty items. The Peculiarium staff encourages patrons to deface the glow room. It’s a tagger and street-artist paradise, where customers can legally vandalize private property. The neon-yellow/green room is covered in a collage of mostly incoherent scribbles from floor to ceiling.
Movie Madness Video 4320 SE Belmont St. 503-234-4363 11 a.m.–11 p.m.
This is the most comprehensive and tasteful video store in America. Browse the Mystery Science Theater 3000 video collection and see real movie props, like a building model used in both Blade Runner and Ghostbusters. They offer new releases, but the best titles are psychotronic, horror, foreign or anything old, art-house and not mainstream.
The outdoorsy Lone Fir Cemetery
2115 SE Morrison St. Trees and foliage sprawling across 30 acres make this cemetery a tranquil sanctuary to visit for a walk, day or night. Restoration nonprofit Friends of Lone Fir state on their website, “Its first burial was Emmor Stephens, father of landowner J.B. Stephens, who died in 1846.” That’s 167 years ago (although Oregon Metro says it was founded in 1855). This historic burial ground ranked ninth on National Geographic’s “Top 10 Cemeteries to Visit” list.
Witch’s Castle
Northwest 29th Avenue and Upshur Street In 1929, the stone house known as Witch’s Castle was merely a bathroom. Now it’s a picturesque mosspainted structure in Forest Park, just past the intersection of the Lower Macleay and Wildwood trails in Macleay Park and a little less than a mile from the main entrance. Because of a violent family feud between Danford Balch and his new son-in-law, Mortimer Stump, Balch shot Stump dead, went to jail, escaped, went back to prison and was then hanged at the public gallows—the first legally executed person in Oregon. The moniker Witch’s Castle comes from a rumor that Balch believed his wife bewitched him, according to Kris Lively, founder of the Portland Oregon Paranormal Society. Aside from the alleged hocus-pocus, the hike leading to Witch’s Castle vibrates with neon-green flora.
Voodoo Doughnuts First open in 2003, Voodoo Doughnut original location on Southwest Third Ave now attracts visitors from around the world.
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These boots were made for walking And biking. Also, public transit. I have very versatile boots. Brandon Staley
Biking One of the cheapest and easiest ways to get around Portland is by bike, and, luckily, the city has the infrastructure to support it. Bike lanes and paths crisscross the city and can get you everywhere from the Pearl District to Northeast Portland safely and with relative ease. That’s all well and good, but if you’re from out of town or thinking of getting into biking for the first time then the transition can seem daunting. Fortunately, Portland State is a big fan of the urban cyclist. With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips for making the most of your bike commute at Portland State.
The first thing you should know about is the PSU Bike Hub. If you’re a student considering commuting by bike this is the first place you should go. At the Bike Hub, 1818 SW Sixth Ave., you can purchase gear, bring your bike in for repair, register for various classes and seminars and more. You can even rent bikes and storage space. And if you find yourself liking it you can sign up for a membership, which will get you a discount on most gear, guided repairs from staff (so that you can do it yourself next time!), and even access to the tools and workspaces in the Bike Hub itself. Maybe you’re not quite sure you want to start biking. A bike can be a costly investment, after all. If you’re looking to dip your toes into
the waters of urban bike ownership then the VikeBike program is just what you’re looking for. For $45 a term you get a refurbished commuter bike with fenders, front and rear lights, a helmet, a U-lock, membership to the Bike Hub and reserved space in one of PSU’s four bike garages. That’s $540 over four years—less than the cost of most new bikes without any of the gear and perks thrown in. Storage can be a major barrier for new bike owners, especially if you’ve made your home in the dorms (which are historically not spacious accommodations). Luckily, Portland State offers secure bike parking on a term-by-term or yearly basis. The best part is that it’s cheap. For just $15 a term or $45 per year you can opt to lock up your bike in one of four covered garages. Garages are accessible only by scanning your student identification card, all entries and departures are recorded by security cameras and all garages include air pump and repair stations. Garages only have a certain number of allotted spaces, so make sure to secure one as soon as possible. If you’re working on a strict budget (and what student isn’t?) there is also outdoor bike parking dotted around campus. Outdoor parking comes less recommended simply because Portland’s bike-friendly scene has also bred an equally voracious bike theft scene. If you have to park your bike outside for the night, make sure everything is bolted down with the best U-lock you can buy and that you have removed all accessories like bags, lights and tools. If you’re looking for peace of mind when leaving your bike outside then it might be worth your while to invest in a TiGr lock—a thin, light, transportable bike lock made of titanium that is essentially the bane of bike thieves.
MAX If you’ve decided to move to Portland then you likely already know about the TriMet MAX. If not, then the giant train hurdling through downtown sure was a surprise, huh? The Metropolitan Area Express not only runs through parts of downtown, it also goes as far out as Gresham to the east, Hillsboro to the west and the airport to the north (sorry, but you no longer have an excuse to not meet your family at the airport when they come to town to visit and “just check up on you”). It’s worth familiarizing yourself with the MAX lines (yellow, blue, green, red) and its various stops, as it is a fairly efficient and safe way of getting around not just Portland but the surrounding cities as well. The cost to ride the MAX is $2.50 for a twohour pass or $5 for an all-day pass. Tickets can be bought in booklets at most grocery stores (like the Safeway on Southwest Jefferson Street) or one at a time via the various dispensers down-
town. It should be noted that the tickets you buy from stores won’t be validated, so you’ll need to validate them at one of the metal validation boxes that sit right next to ticket dispensers. If you get your ticket from the dispenser itself then it will already be validated. On the bright side, the transit system in Portland largely runs on the honor system. There are no turnstiles like you find in San Francisco or New York. You’re just expected to have a validated ticket that can be presented to a TriMet employee should they ask (and they will). Now, that doesn’t mean you should just walk onto the MAX without a ticket. You can, but at that point you’re risking getting ticketed to the tune of $175 or more. I’ll be honest with you, both the ticket dispensers and validation machines break down with alarming regularity. TriMet is addressing this issue with a smartphone app this year, but it’s not here quite yet. That means if you’re buying your tickets in booklets or through dispensers, you can potentially be caught in a situation where you simply can’t get to where you need to be because technology has failed you. If you find this happening, or if you just want a more reliable pass, PSU offers a termlong discounted TriMet pass for students called the FlexPass. The FlexPass will cost you $215 for the fall term and will be valid from September 23 until December 31. To buy a FlexPass you must be taking at least three credits and have a valid PSU photo identification card (because a FlexPass is actually just a sticker that goes on your ID). Your FlexPass will get you onto any form of public transit in Portland, including MAX, buses and the streetcar.
The Streetcar You can think of the Portland Streetcar as the younger sibling of the MAX. While the various MAX lines are designed for high-speed, long-distance travel, the streetcar largely stays downtown and close in on the East side. One of the coolest things about the streetcar is that as a student you are entitled to ride it for free. This is extra convenient when you consider that there are two streetcar stops on campus in the Park Blocks, one for the north/south route and one for the west/ east route. The streetcar is also more geared toward entertainment and sightseers, meaning it goes to some pretty cool places like Powell’s City of Books, Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen, OMSI and all of the great restaurants and shops in the Pearl District. On that note, while the MAX prevents you from making excuses about not being able to meet your folks at the airport, the streetcar is great way to occupy them while they’re in town. It’s so easy to lose people in Powell’s—oops!
max tip!
bike tip! Downtown Portland is covered in rails for the MAX and Streetcar. Never try to cross or change lanes parallel to these rails! The wheels of your bike can get stuck and your own speed and weight will send you flying, likely to the nearest emergency room. Cross these rails at a perpendicular and save yourself some literal pain!
The MAX is pretty bike-friendly! Racks are located at the end of each car. Just hang up your bike by the front tire and you’re good to go. Bikes are rarely the targets of theft on the MAX, but it might be a good idea to keep an eye on it anyway.
Campus garages are located at:
Southwest 12th Avenue and Montgomery Street (75 spaces) Southwest Fifth Avenue and Harrison Street (86 spaces) Southwest Third Avenue and Harrison Street (57 spaces) Southwest Mill Street and 10th Avenue (14 spaces)
SAFEWAY
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Resource centers on campus Stephanie Tshappat
Advising and Career Services University Services Building, room 402 503-725-4005 askacs@pdx.edu pdx.edu/careers
African American Support Services Diversity and Multicultural Student Services Smith Memorial Student Union, room 425 503-725-4457 pdx.edu/dmss/AA
Disability Resource Center All photos Brian Nguyen Family Matters Students and their children can find stable footing and support at the RCSC.
SMSU, room 116 503-725-4150 drc@pdx.edu drc.pdx.edu
Diversity and Multicultural Student Services SMSU, room 425 503-725-4457 pdx.edu/dmss “Diversity and Multicultural Student Services’ mission is to build and strengthen a sustainable, educationally diverse and co-curricular environment where all students have the access and support they need to achieve their educational goals. We will accomplish this mission by providing structured support services to student populations whose access, retention, academic success and graduation are most challenged by social historical factors and contemporary inequities. We will provide a student-centered inclusive environment that enriches the university experience and engages both families and the community.”
La Casa Latina SMSU, room 229 503-725-6710 pdx.edu/dmss/la-casa-latina
Latino Student Services Diversity and Multicultural Student Services SMSU, room 425 503-725-4457 pdx.edu/dmss/LSS
Native American Student Services Native American Student and Community Center 710 SW Jackson St. 503-725-5348 pdx.edu/dmss/nascc
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Queer Resource Center
TRIO/Student Support Services
SMSU, room 458 503-725-9742 qrc@pdx.edu pdx.edu/queer “The Queer Resource Center provides students along the sexuality and gender spectrum with the support they need to persist to graduation. The Queer Resource Center’s vision is to facilitate a campus environment such that Portland State University is the higher education destination of choice for students, staff and faculty along the sexuality and gender spectrum.”
SMSU, room 425 503-725-3815 pdx.edu/trio-student-support-services “The mission of TRIO-SSS is to increase the retention and graduation rates of eligible low-income, first-generation and disabled students, and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success for those students through comprehensive services and advocacy.”
Resource Center for Students with Children SMSU, room 462 503-725-9878 sswc@pdx.edu “Raising children is a joyful and rewarding experience. It can also be a demanding and challenging job, especially when you’re juggling multiple roles. The Resource Center for Students with Children offers integrated services that support students’ goals to be effective parents while succeeding in their academic pursuits. Through campus projects, community involvement and advocacy, we strive to increase available resources and opportunities that improve the quality of life for students with children.”
Student Health and Counseling Center 1880 SW Sixth Ave. 503-725-2800 pdx.edu/shac
SHAC Testing Services 527 SW Hall St. University Center Building, room 310 503-725-5301 pdx.edu/shac/test
Student Legal Services SMSU, room M343 503-725-4556 pdx.edu/sls
Veterans Resource Center SMSU, room 401 503-725-9807 psuvrc@pdx.edu pdx.edu/veterans “If you have served in uniform or are a dependent of someone who has, you may be unaware of the history of Portland State and its veteran population. While you may be choosing to pursue your higher education goals at Portland State University because of our high academic standards, our esteemed faculty or our proud reputation for innovation, it may surprise you to learn how rich and long PSU has been a school veterans have attended and will continue to attend.”
VetSuccess 503-725-9828 mark.lettiere@va.gov “All student veterans, active duty officers and dependents attending Portland State University can access the Department of Veterans Affairs through a full time VA counselor/coordinator. VetSuccess on Campus is a program through the Veterans Benefits Administration that places an experienced vocational counselor at a local college to provide assistance and support to veteran students and their eligible family members. This counselor will serve as a ‘one-stop liaison’ for veterans on campus. PSU is one of only 20 campuses in the nation to have an on-campus counselor from the VA.”
Women’s Resource Center Montgomery Hall basement 1802 SW 10th Ave. 503-725-5672 pdx.edu/wrc
Writing Center Cramer Hall, room 188 503-725-3570 writingcenter.pdx.edu/ index.php
GOOD FOR 20% OFF ALL VINYL, CDS AND DVDS* *NOT GOOD WITH OTHER OFFERS *EXCLUDES SALE ITEMS
EXPIRES 10/30/2013 Resources The QRC offers support to students, faculty and staff anywhere on the sexuality and gender spectrum.
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MAKING ‘CENTS’ OF COLLEGE
Stretching your budget at PSU Reid Tyler
Your first year in college is an exciting time, filled with promises of brain-expanding lectures, endless possibilities and (for some) light intoxication. Becoming a freshman is also a major transition into the beginning of real adult responsibility and financial burden. It’s no secret that college is expensive, and is becoming increasingly so each year. The average student graduates with $22,000 in debt. With all the stress of the exams, ex-sweethearts and exhibitionist shindigs that accompany college life, the last thing you want to worry about is your bank account. Here are some helpful hints and not-so-secret school services that can save you from falling into a world of monetary agony.
HigherOne Card
Let’s start with your shiny new student identification, the HigherOne card. Is it a bank card? Is it a license to kill? Here’s the deal. If you’re new to grown-up things, don’t be dazzled by the MasterCard logo. It isn’t full of free money. Your new ID doubles as a debit card, which has the option of being linked to its own bank account. You would use this account to draw from the financial aid left over after tuition takes its slice of the pie. This provides a simple and effortless avenue through which to access your funds, but beware of fine-print fees. You lose 50 cents with every debit transaction, and those quarters can add up fast. Opening your own bank account may end up saving you some much-needed money.
Create a Budget
Aspirin is great for taking care of headaches, and so are budgets. Before you pack up your lunch pail, take a minute to draft a realistic estimation of your expenses. Earmark some bills for books, tuition and necessities, and a make an allowance for frivolity. Now print your forecast on neon-green paper framed with images of robots fist-fighting mermaids, make a thousand copies and paste it all over your walls. It’s stylish, annoying and impossible to ignore. “Don’t confuse your needs with your wants,” advised Heather Mattioli, the assistant director of PSU’s Office of Financial Aid. In other words, if it’s shiny, don’t buy it.
Use Your Tech
These days, we’re surrounded by smartphones. They’re great for playing Tetris, ending arguments before they begin and also calling people sometimes. While you’re out exploring the city between classes, don’t forget to keep an eye on your bank account. Nearly every bank offers free account-management applications for your phone. You can keep track of purchases, make deposits and even use handy budgeting tools. Avoiding
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costly overage fees is as simple as stalking a Facebook friend. Your phone’s calendar is also the perfect tool for paying your bills (more on this later). Make small, consistent efforts toward keeping track of your finances—much like washing dishes or brushing your teeth—and you can avoid a huge, horrifying mess.
Instead of taking a cab to the mall, hop on the streetcar. It’s free with your student ID. And for those with a taste for culture, Portland Center Stage offers sharply reduced ticket prices to students of Portland State. So go see Sweeney Todd and bring your poncho. The first three rows are the splash zone.
Work Part-Time
Bottom line, borrow as little as possible. Federal subsidized loans are your best bet since they pay the fixed interest while you are in school. Your first choice should always be grants and scholarships. Treat it like a job—you can apply under categories as varied as race, gender, age, major and even eye color. “It’s important to start the search early,” Mattioli said. “Line up your letters of recommendation sooner [rather] than later, and make sure you edit your essays.”
Whether you’re sweeping up at a movie theater or slinging tacos from a food cart, investing 10–15 hours per week in a part-time job is a good idea. Receiving a little more income per month can never hurt (assuming you have the time to spare), and will aid in the age-old spending-more-thanyou-have battle. There isn’t a parent alive who doesn’t appreciate financial assistance, especially from a newly grown-up child. The more you can ease the burden on your family (or the government) through financial independence, the better. When your college experience is over, you will look back with pride (and possibly less debt) at having earned your education by waxing the toes of the elderly on the weekends. Seriously, finding a part-time job close to campus that will not only provide you an income but also experience in a future career is ideal.
Credit Cards
These pieces of plastic can be a blessing in an emergency—or leave you running from baseballbat-wielding collectors for the rest of your life. Mattioli warned that “[freshmen] may be inexperienced with evaluating the card’s rates and responsibilities.” Consider applying for one low-APR credit card with no annual fee, but do your research and be cautious. Learn how to make steady payments every month, on time, as with all of your bills. Using your phone’s calendar for simple reminders will keep the stress of forgetting at bay. This can slowly build up good credit through your college career (helping with big purchases such as cars and homes later on), and give you a little safety net in the case of a financial emergency. That includes plane tickets home and “my-roommate-threw-my-laptop-in-the-fishtank” fees (not taking your whole class to the opening night of Iron Man 7).
Student Perks in Portland
Our city is full of discounted (and even free) things for PSU students to do. Do a little research before heading out with expectations of excitement; you may be missing something that will keep your wallet happy. There are student discounts for movies, restaurants and shops everywhere. Just ask! The Portland Art Museum even offers a membership for students.
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Grants, Scholarships and Loans (oh, my!)
Avoid giving in to private lenders if at all possible. Free money is the best money.
Short-term Loans / PSU Financial Services
PSU is full of help, whether you think you need it or not. Stop by the financial aid department and have your questions answered. The School of Business Administration offers great assistance on things such as car loans, saving for retirement and financial literacy. Your last line of defense against poverty is taking advantage of PSU’s emergency short-term loans. If you find yourself stuck, your buddies at the university will help you by lending anywhere from $50–600 (with a small service charge). Thus, armed with all of this fantastic, not-sosecret knowledge, go out and learn things. Acquire a super-human brain and put your best foot forward into financial responsibility. Laugh, live and make mistakes—just not financial ones.
Shopping guide Ashley Rask
You’re moving into your new place on campus, and the last thing on your mind is where you’re going to buy shampoo and garbage bags. Let us save you a frantic Google search when you discover you’re out of toilet paper by providing you a list of places near campus to purchase everyday items at reasonable costs.
Safeway
1030 SW Jefferson St. This grocery store is the closest to campus and provides a large variety of food and basic amenities. It’s only a half-mile walk from PSU and is also accessible via the Portland Streetcar (which Portland State students and employees can ride for free). Products are moderately priced, but the location is the most convenient for students without a car.
Whole Foods Market
1210 NW Couch St. This market prides itself on its fresh, organic products, and is conveniently only 15 minutes away by streetcar. Their prices are a bit higher than other grocery stores, but you’re guaranteed a wide selection of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian options.
“Let’s be honest, money can be tight for college students.”
Great Clips
1974 SW Broadway Show your student identification card at this PSU location and you can get a brand new ’do for only $13.
Taco Del Mar
City Target
1930 SW Fourth Ave. Not only does Taco Del Mar have student specials, but with your student ID you can also get a free drink.
939 SW Morrison St. This newly opened Target location is a 10 minute ride away on the streetcar and carries everything from groceries to cosmetics to electronics. For the basics, like face wash and deodorant, Target always seems to have great deals and a huge number of online coupons.
Pizza Schmizza
415 SW Montgomery St. With your student ID you can get 25 cents off any item on the menu.
WinCo Foods
1222 NE 102nd Ave. A 40 minute trip from PSU on the MAX Green Line is quite a trek, but WinCo’s prices are the best of any grocery store in town. Their bulk section has most common baking ingredients, and you can buy everything from paper towels to cereal incredibly cheaply. They’re also open 24 hours a day, making them a perfect store for late-night shopping runs.
Let’s be honest, money can be tight for college students. So here are some locations on campus that offer discounts solely for being a PSU Viking:
Cheerful Tortoise (21+)
Miles Sanguinetti
City Target Check out the new City Target for your everyday shopping needs.
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1939 SW Sixth Ave. As if this sports bar didn’t already have enough fantastic deals, they also offer 50 cents off any item on the menu if you show them your laundry card.
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Student Government The Associated Students of Portland State University is in charge of representing and improving the lives of students on campus.
Corrina scott
STUDENT GOVERNMENT 101 Sheena Miller
The Associated Students of Portland State University,the student government body of PSU, is composed of three main branches: the student senate, the judicial review board and the executive branch. The student senate is in charge of confirming ASPSU appointments and budgetary and constitutional revisions, among other things. The judicial review board primarily serves to interpret enforcement of the ASPSU constitution in addition to ruling on appeals and suggesting amendments to the constitution. The executive branch is responsible for administrative duties and is in charge of ASPSU. According to ASPSU President Harris Foster, the mission of the organization is “to improve the lives of our students on campus.” If a student wants to get involved in ASPSU, Foster says some initial steps include “taking an introductory political science course” such as “Civic Leadership Development,” tabling, which is promoting ASPSU at events and providing information to the student body or “coming in to help with voter registration and survey campaigns…or interning.” A typical day for a member of the student senate might entail “working on a project
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decided on during committee, tabling, researching contracts and their effects on students or doing on-the-ground outreach,” Foster said. Take a look at a few brief profiles of several ASPSU members:
Eric Noll, legislative affairs director
Major: political science with a minor in civic leadership Year: junior Reason(s) for joining ASPSU: “I’m starting classes this fall at PSU after transferring from [Linn-Benton Community College], where I served in the ASLBCC student government as the legislative affairs director for two years. I joined ASPSU because I am very passionate about serving students and applied for ASPSU legislative affairs director because that is where I have the strongest skill set. Student government offers diverse and ever-changing challenges, and by taking those on I have a real opportunity to win concrete victories that improve the lives of students.” Most important goal while in office: “To build student power through leadership
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development, voter registration, policy change and legislative victories.” Advice for new students: “Well, I’m a new student myself, so the one piece of advice I can give to new students is to do something that matters—outside of your classes—while you are here at PSU.” Favorite song at the moment: “Radioactive” cover by Pentatonix and Lindsey Stirling
Steven Balogh, student life director
Major: economics Year: senior Reason(s) for joining ASPSU: “Student power!” Most important goal while in office: “I am putting together a student government newsletter. We are aiming to roll out the first one on Sept. 3. It will go out to every student. We’re not looking to make another Virtual Viking—we’re going to keep it short and sweet. A few short bullet points of recent accomplishments, goals, events and news. The idea is to show everyone that we’re here, we’re doing stuff and we know what’s up. It will be a resource for everyone to take a quick look and get a grasp of the student situation on campus and in Oregon.” Advice for new students: “Keep a 5-Hour
Energy [drink] in your backpack. Only use it if you legit can’t keep your eyes open.” Favorite song at the moment: “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
Harris Foster, president
Major: French with a minor in law and legal studies Year: junior Why he joined ASPSU: “Right out of high school, a campus tour guide made it clear that there was an open senate position. I got involved as an intern…On a college campus, student government members can actually have an effect and make real change [within] and [outside] of policy realms.” One goal while in office: “To make tangible change in the banking system on campus [working with Darren Matthews] and get the fifth ATM [as outlined in the HigherOne contract].” Advice for new students: “Don’t focus on just building your resume; follow your passion, get involved and the rest will fall into place.” Favorite song at the moment: “A Little Death” by The Neighbourhood For more information, visit aspsu.pdx.edu
SHAC 101
Top Services Offered Testing
Dental
Health promotion
Screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and contraception counseling
Ryan Voelker
For many Portland State students, investigating the Center for Student Health and Counseling, and the details of the Student Health Insurance Plan, may feel a bit cumbersome— especially when faced with the demands of coursework and other life issues. But just like obtaining a good grade in class, knowing how to make best use of your health services requires doing some homework. With the various misconceptions surrounding student health services at PSU, SHAC Marketing and Communication Coordinator Angela Abel feels it behooves all students to become familiar with the benefits to which they are entitled. Whether you need to find a dentist for a teeth cleaning or an acupuncturist to balance your qi, Abel said that SHAC offers Portland State students access to all these services and more. One of the many questions students may have is, how? Fortunately, Abel has answers. Vanguard: Who qualifies for services at SHAC? Angela Abel: All students domestic and international taking five or more in-load, nonself-support credits are able to use SHAC’s medical, counseling and dental services. All students, regardless of credits, are eligible to use Testing Services. VG: What are some services available at SHAC students may not know about? AA: Counseling resources include emergency as well as walk-in services and “Let’s Talk” locations throughout campus. Group resources include interpersonal process groups, grief recovery group, “Calming Your Anxiety,” “Intuitive Eating” and “Reducing Social Anxiety.” VG: Who qualifies for the PSU Student Health Insurance Plan? AA: All domestic students taking five or more in-load, non-self-support credits, or one credit for international students, are eligible for the PSU Student Health Insurance Plan through Aetna Student Health. VG: What are some perks of the Student Health Insurance Plan? AA: It includes free or discounted birth control, some acupuncture benefits, naturopathic physician coverage, transgender surgery, diabetic testing supplies, impacted wisdom teeth surgery [and] allergy testing and treatment. Prescriptions are also covered by the plan. Students can receive this benefit by providing their insurance card when [filling] a prescription at any pharmacy. VG: What are the hours at SHAC? AA: SHAC is open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. VG: Can students obtain a primary care provider? AA: Students can absolutely obtain a pri-
Medical
Cleanings and fillings
mary health care provider. They can see a provider at SHAC or they can establish care with an outside physician. VG: How big is the SHAC staff? AA: Combining five areas and the administrative staff, which includes student employees, SHAC has more than 100 staff members.” VG: What kind of wait time might students expect for non-urgent issues? AA: During the normal academic term, students with non-urgent issues or those needing routine care typically are scheduled one to two weeks after they set up their appointment. Students might get seen in one to five days if the need is more urgent, and for immediate care they can be seen the same day. Once a student checks in for their appointment, they are typically called back into the clinic right at their scheduled appointment time. VG: How are students billed? AA: All students who take five or more credits pay a student health fee, even if they waive out of the insurance. This covers most of their medical and counseling services at SHAC, along with allowing them to utilize the dental clinic. At SHAC, the health fee does not cover some things, such as diagnostic services. For these types of things, if the student has the PSU Student Health Insurance Plan, SHAC would bill Aetna Student Health on behalf of the student. If they do not have the PSU plan, the charges would get billed to their PSU account. The PSU Student Health Insurance Plan is $594 a term, or $148.50 a month, which for a no-deductible insurance plan is pretty amazing. The fee is billed to the student’s account with tuition for fall term and winter term. Spring and summer terms are combined. If students have the insurance during spring term, they get summer for free. VG: Are other facilities in-network with the PSU Student Health Insurance Plan? AA: The PSU Student Health Insurance Plan is administered through Aetna Student Health. Aetna has the second largest network in the country. In the Portland area alone this includes, but [is] not limited to, the full medical facilities of [Oregon Health and Science University], Legacy Good Samaritan, Providence, the Portland Clinic and Adventist [Medical Center]. Students are also able to look for providers and facilities that are in-network by visiting the website [DocFind. com]. Because the Aetna network is so large, students are able to get coverage no matter where they are in the U.S.
Counseling
Individual and group counseling
Accommodated testing and classroom make-up exams Encouraging healthy and safe lifestyle choices and the student peer education team
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For more information, visit pdx.edu/shac.
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Meet the Campus Public Safety Office An introduction to safety for incoming students Stephanie Tshappat
Having the ability to learn, study and grow in a safe environment will be an integral part of your successful college career here at Portland State. To that end, PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office is constantly striving to maintain the utmost level of safety and security on campus. “We are committed to student success [through safety],” CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan said. CPSO is located in Shattuck Hall, room 148, and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help keep campus life at PSU as safe as possible. There is always a dispatcher available to take your call at 503-725-4404 and a campus public safety officer on duty to help you. CPSO’s website states: “The Campus Public Safety Office provides emergency response, emergency campus dispatching, and patrol services to the campus 24/7. CPSO works with our university partners to ensure that Portland State University is a safe place.” One of the more recent examples of CPSO’s commitment to safety came at the beginning of summer term, when access to university buildings after hours and on weekends was tightened. This security measure will continue through the coming 2013–14 school year, with after-hours and weekend access to many buildings on campus available only through an access control identification badge, which new and returning students are encouraged to obtain through ID Services in Neuberger Hall. “Portland State is a safe place. With that being said, it is an urban institution located in the middle of a large city,” Zerzan said. “So we ask students to be aware of that and be aware of their surroundings as they experience this vibrant, active and exciting university.” One important way you can keep yourself safe while on campus is to register for PSU Alerts. This system allows timely warnings to be sent via text message, phone call and email to advise students of safety issues that arise on campus. When registering for your PSU Banweb account through my.pdx.edu, there will be a pop-up screen to allow you to sign up for PSU Alerts. Use your most current contact information and make sure to update it with changes so you can continue to receive safety alerts and timely warnings. Here are more ideas to help you remain safe while on campus: Preprogram CPSO’s emergency dispatch number (503-725-4404) into your cell phone. Always be aware of your surroundings when walking on campus, regardless of the time of day or night.
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“Portland State is a safe place. With that being said, it is an urban institution located in the middle of a large city.”
CPSO Dispatcher Bonnie Jensen works to direct crime information to CPSO officers.
all photos miles sanguinetti
If you are nervous about walking to your car by yourself after dark, call CPSO for an officer escort. Keep the doors locked when in your dorm or apartment. Make sure to lock your vehicle, and do not leave valuables inside it. If you find yourself in a situation where you need help, ask for it, either by calling CPSO’s emergency line or by asking people around you for assistance. Be aware of the location of red (inside) and blue (outside) emergency phones on campus. They are strategically located throughout campus as a way to immediately summon emergency aid and connect directly to CPSO’s emergency dispatch line. Promptly and accurately report on-campus crimes and emergencies, including suspicious activity. CPSO’s public safety force consists of 12 patrol officers, three sergeants, a lieutenant, a detective and the chief, as well as six dispatchers and four additional access and records management personnel. They all work together to ensure that CPSO runs smoothly and efficiently in its mission to keep campus life safe. CPSO also works very closely with many agencies on campus to help promote the safety of PSU students. These agencies include the Student Health and Counseling Center, the Office of the Dean of Student Life, Student Legal Services and the Women’s Resource Center, among others. CPSO likewise works closely with the Portland Police Bureau and local fire and emergency medical services. Additional safety information, including what to do in case of an active-shooter incident, security-awareness programs and maps showing the locations of indoor and outdoor emergency phones are available on CPSO’s website at pdx.edu/cpso.
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Shawn Mckenzie is one of many CPSO officers available 24/7 to help students on campus.
Top 20 big words you need in college theo burke
Impress your friends! Convince your professor that you have already finished her readings! Here are the top 20 terms you may not know yet that will pop up again and again in your academic career at PSU. The best use of this clip-and-save guide is as a handy “heuristic” (see below) to help you breeze
affect (n.)/affective (adj.): Fancy words for emotions. Feelings. Emotive affect. Attaching emotion to a person, thing or experience. This is not the verb “affect,” as in “to affect [something or someone].” Nor is it the noun “effect,” as in “the effects of the kegger on Claudia the morning after.”
ence” or “experiment.” “Empirical” means using hard evidence (observations, experiments, data, surveys) to draw conclusions, as opposed to inferring through hypotheses, logic or assumptions. Empirical concepts and theories in your readings are the ones that have been tested with evidence and data gathering.
cognition (n.)/cognitive (adj.): Using the brain, basically. Thinking. Processing thoughts through your current form of epistemology (see below). As opposed to feelings. Or your subconscious. Or running across a football field for the heck of it. “This is your brain on thinking.”
epistemology (n.): The science, theory and art of knowing, often with regard to methods, validity and scope. Figuring out how we know what we know. Our default epistemology can change over generations as new technologies and new societal methods emerge.
dynamic (adj.): A process or system characterized by constant change, activity or progress; a thing stimulating development or progress; or a person full of energy and positivity. It is also a noun, meaning a force for progress, and dynamics (n.) in music means loud/soft. There are many uses of “dynamic,” which is why it can throw you off. dialectic (n.): Originally from the Greeks, who established various methods of reasoning and discussion to discover truth. The back-and-forth, point-counterpoint contradiction of ideas in an argument that serve as the determining factor for a situation. ecology (n.): This is not the meaning used in environmentalism. No, that would be too easy. In the social sciences, “ecology” refers to a theoretical “world.” Just as a bird population, for example, needs climate stability, food and freedom from stress and excessive predators, so does a theoretical “ecology” define a universe. In communication, media ecology describes how the medium we use (for example, choosing this newspaper instead of TV) affects our thinking method (reading this newspaper makes you smarter). In political science, population ecology theory describes how many interest groups can exist in a political system. efficacy (n.): the ability to produce a desired or intended result. empirical (adj.): Poorly named concept No. 1 (however, very important). It doesn’t mean “empire-related” or “universal.” The Latin and Greek roots of this word mean “experi-
hegemony (n.): Leadership, rule or dominance over others, especially by one country or social group, in a political, economic or social context. From the Greek “hegemon,” meaning “leader.” The Roman Empire, the Nazis in Europe during World War II and the United States after WWII are politically hegemonic powers. The United States is also economically hegemonic—the big economic dog in a world where the currency standard is the U.S. dollar. In cultural hegemony, media, government and big business promote the status quo to preserve their dominance of it. heuristic (n.): In a simple sense, a mental shortcut, like using shortcuts in math. Estimating instead of calculating. Guessing the beans in a jar based on how many are in one row. More elaborately, people use heuristics and biases to form perceptions of others quickly and easily. They become “cognitive misers” to quickly make decisions on issues they don’t care about or are too busy to examine. They often process messages in ads or from politicians using simple mental cues rather than analyzing reasoned arguments. Decision-making heuristics can be ideas like “experts are to be believed,” or “he/she is attractive, so I’m listening.” Also, it means selectiveness or stereotyping. meta (prefix): A jamming together of two or more concepts, studies or messages into a complex product. A meta-analysis statistically reviews hundreds of past studies on a subject, assigns weight of importance to different results and issues new conclusions based on the compiled results.
through those articles written by the pretentious researchers your professor hangs out with. You won’t have to grab a dictionary. You’ll leap over these mental hurdles and power through to the Readings Finish Line. Collect all 20 in your head! Trade with friends!
Meta-communication refers to the combination of the content in a message and it’s “relational” message—how I feel about you or what I’m telling you. A meta-message contains the spoken content plus the nonverbal communication cues.
affect the media environment.
normative (adj.): We know, why can’t it just be “normal”?! Because there’s nothing normal about researchers. They always use a bigger word when a common word will suffice; it’s how they impress one another. “Normative” means “normal-making.” A system or phenomenon, over time, creates social or cultural norms that a group or society follows.
semantics (n.): The meaning of a thing being studied, as opposed to its other aspects. The branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning.
paradigm (n.): The current model, pattern or underlying approach to a system. The accepted way of thinking about it. When people “think outside the box,” a “paradigm shift” can occur, and then a new way of doing things emerges. Not to be confused with: paragon (n.): Not a four- to 10-sided shape (“polygon”). A “paragon” is the perfect or ultimate example of something, such as a “paragon of virtue” or “your cook is a paragon.”
salient (adj.): No, it’s not about how salty something is (that’s “saline” or “salinity”). It means how important a concept, theory or force is to the people involved.
syntax (n.): The arrangement of words or clauses to create well-formed, clear sentences in a language. “For example, to have referred to this idea, this sentence, that you’re reading now, about the concept before, is not a good example.” taxonomy (n.): This word does not refer to the IRS and your taxes. It is not related to stuffing dead animals (“taxidermy”). Taxonomists list or catalog of all the various versions or elements of a system or phenomenon and label them (OK, maybe this is pretty much like stuffing dead animals).
temporal (adj.): This one has two common political economy (n.): Poorly named concept meanings: 1. relating to time. 2. relating to No. 2. It’s not about politics being efficient or worldly rather than spiritual affairs. saving us money. This concept should probably be named “political economics” or “economic politics.” It concerns how the actions of a government affect its nation’s economy, and how the state of the economy and the lobbying of economic interest groups affect who gets elected. In international resaves $1,000 per year on average lations, political ecocompare every online store in one place nomy concerns the new, used, rentals, eBooks relationships of naevery coupon, every offer tion-states as they negotiate how their own economies fit into the world economy. In media, it has to do with the power of large media corporations to
saves $1,000 on textbooks
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Librarians encourage students to use the vast array of resources available to them.
all photos from Miles sanguinetti
Library 101
Everything you need to know about PSU’s information center Jordan Molnar
On any college campus, the library can be an incredibly vital resource for students of all ages and majors. If you are new to campus or returning for another year, it is important to know what educational tools the library can provide and exactly how to use them. And who better to answer these questions than a librarian? Claudia Weston, the reference coordinator and government information librarian at Portland State’s own Branford P. Millar Library, sat down for a question-and-answer session about the library and how to put it to use. Vanguard: What do you think is the most under-utilized resource at the library? Claudia Weston: Oh, wow. I don’t have an answer for that. I have actually not ever really thought about it. I know that our head of Special Collections would like to get more student and faculty involvement in developing the collections. I don’t know if that is the same as saying it is under-utilized, but she would definitely like to see more interaction there. I have to tell you our resources are very well used, I think—both our electronic resources and our print resources. VG: When do you think are the best times to come to the library? I am thinking time of day as well as at what point during studying. CW: Well, those are different questions. We tend to be really, really crowded in the afternoons. Sometimes we are so crowded you can’t get to the computers we have here because they are full. So if you need to take advantage of that kind of resource I would recommend coming down in the morning or sometime later, and not
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waiting until the mid-afternoon. If you are looking for information—to work on a project, to write a paper—the sooner you come in the better. And, really, it helps, because there is usually more out there than you think and it takes a little bit of time to pull it together, and then more time to absorb it, and then of course you still have to write it. So don’t wait until the last minute! VG: I know that a lot of resources are provided here. Is there anything a student should bring along with them, anything that the library would not necessarily have? CW: That is another good question, something that I don’t really think about. We have Wi-Fi here, so I would say that, because our computers tend to be really popular, if you have a laptop bring it. That gives you more options as to where you can sit in the library, and because we have a network you can still print from your laptop on the printers. That way you’re not really tethered down to the few stations that we have. Well, we don’t have few, actually. We have hundreds. I am not sure that it is hundreds, I would have to go count them, but you know we even recently have started loaning laptops and calculators and stuff like that—so we really have tried to be receptive to what students want and need. What I would recommend is for you to bring thumb drives, so that when you find information you like you can save it to your H drive—your share drive—but this gives you another place to save it just in case. I like redundancy, so a thumb drive is definitely something I would recommend for a student to bring here. If
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you are a scribbler bring paper, though we often have scrap paper around the printers so it is kind of optional. VG: How exactly does printing from your laptop work? CW: What you do is you upload your document to print.pdx.edu and then you can send the document to whatever printer. It doesn’t even have to be in this library, you can send it over to Broadway or somewhere else. And here I think it is a fairly new resource; there is the color print down on the first floor, so that is pretty popular, as you can imagine. VG: As far as who can answer questions and where they are located, there seem to be people all over. Is the reference desk a good place to start? CW: It is a good place to start. There is also the circulation desk; if you’ve checked something out that is the place to go. We also have technology students and the Learning Center on the first floor. They can help you with your computer-related questions, Microsoft Office questions, PowerPoint questions or any of your application questions. Sometimes Microsoft Word thinks it knows how to format your paper better than you do, so you can go to them and ask how to undo what the program has done. But then we also have the Writing Center outpost here, and their hours aren’t as full as the reference desk—but we have their hours also online! Everything you’ve wanted to know is on the website. And then we have the Learning Center, also up here on the second floor, for tutoring, and they offer a full suite.
VG: As far as looking things up in the library goes, is that done mostly online or are there kiosks where you can look for something? Do you still have a card catalog? CW: No, it’s mostly online. But that is a good question. I can’t think of any paper catalogs we use, although there are some print resources that are used in lieu of the database. I can’t think of what they are off the top of my head. There are some specialized resources where we might just have the print, but for the most part we live in the electronic world. You can find everything through the website. We have kiosk-type computers on every floor where you can look up more than just what the library has, which come in handy because you can look up things that are on the databases and not just in the library, which is where the thumb drive can come in handy again. They do not have productivity software like Microsoft Word and things like that, but if you want to look up library resources you can do that from the kiosks or any computer. VG: When are books due back at the library, and what do we do if we need them longer than the checkout date? CW: The checkout period varies depending on whether you are an undergraduate or a graduate or a faculty member. Guess where you can find the times? On the website. Undergraduates can check books out for six weeks, graduates 12 weeks and faculty for a year. If a book is checked out and you need it then, you can put a hold on it and that sends a message to the person that has the book saying there is someone waiting for
Library Resources Millar Library offers a number of great resources to help students get work done well and in a timely fashion. A few great places to start include:
The reference desk
On the second floor of the library, the reference desk is the first place to go with any question. The people working there will either have a simple answer for you or know exactly who or where to send you to find what you’re looking for.
If you are working on a project with a group of people and want a nice, quiet place to study and go over the details, a study room may be the right option for you. Be sure to book these rooms in advance (up to one week ahead) and check the library website for availability.
Librarians
One thing the library is not short on? Librarians. They are all over the place, really, and ready to answer any questions you may have. However, they can also be contacted via phone, email or the library’s online chat service, which is available to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Computers and printing
The library offers classes and workshops on a wide variety of topics. From research techniques to citation management software, these workshops can be a big help with any project. A weekly orientation offering general information is also available.
If you need to type up a paper, do some online research or print out work and references, the library offers many computers with various printing options. These can get crowded quickly, so be mindful of giving yourself enough time to get the work that you need to do done when heading to the library for computer-use purposes. The library also has access to copy machines and scanners for research-related use, though
the book and asking them to return it. Or we can request a book through Summit and maybe get it to you even faster, so we give you a couple of options there. Not everything can be renewed but most of our books can be renewed, and that is just on a title-by-title basis. So if you need it longer you can go into your account and renew the book. VG: What exactly is Summit? CW: We belong to a consortium of university and college libraries called the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Those are university and college libraries in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. In Idaho there is only one. What this consortium allows us to do is, number one, we buy electronic resources more cost effectively because we have greater buying power, because there are 31 of us and not just one. The second thing that this lets us do is all belong to a courier, so we can guarantee a faster turnaround time for our students as far as the loaning and borrowing and sharing of materials. So a lot of times what we will do is, if five of us have a particular title, we won’t necessarily buy more because we can get you that title within five days. Even quicker sometimes—it’s very fast. So that is Summit. Big libraries that belong other than us are University of Washington, Oregon State, University of Oregon, Western Washington—and there are even smaller colleges like Lewis & Clark and Reed, so we’ve really got a lot of resources available. The other thing is if you, for instance, live in Southeast Portland and you live close to Reed so you do not want to come across the bridge to Portland State, you can actually borrow a book from them without coming here, and that is because they are part of the Summit system too. VG: Now for a silly question: Can people bring food into the library? CW: Not everywhere, but yes. Food and drink are permitted but the computer lab is different because it is a computer lab. Special Collections
is also another notable exception. If you walk through the second floor you will notice that people have food. And coffee, for heaven’s sake! So yes, you can bring food and drinks. VG: As far as computer use rules, are the general rules for using the computers here the same as the rest of the university? CW: There is an acceptable use policy that you sign into when you do your Odin login. We do have some public access computers and those are slightly different than the ones you sign into as a student. What distinguishes those is that they don’t have productivity software on them so they really are used to access research sites. We don’t allow all sites, it is not just open. We allow .edu and .gov sites, and we have gone through and approved certain .com sites. This is so that they are used for research purposes. There is a list of acceptable sites, because research is broad but we want to make sure that people use those for what they are intended. VG: Theft is an issue in any public place. Do you have any tips for avoiding getting your things stolen? CW: It is a public place. If you need to leave your work area, take your computer and your purse with you. We are a very busy, busy public place during the term, and a lot of people come through. We have increased our security presence, we do have security students that walk up and down through the library, and we have a really good relationship with campus security, too, where they come through. But, you know, would you leave your purse sitting on a bench at a train station? It is a public place and you have to be smart, I think. We have posted signs that tell people to take their valuables with them. We do have a lost and found, though, and you would be surprised how honest people are. You have your bad side, but then you’ve got the other side, where I have had people bring up laptops and wallets and phones. That is located at the circulation desk.
Classes and workshops
copyright laws are applicable. Computers all offer access to e-books and various databases to which the library subscribes, as well as research and course guides put together by PSU librarians.
Study rooms
The website
If you have any questions regarding just about anything library related, there is a good chance that they will be easily answered by a quick visit to library.pdx.edu.
You can also access various online databases from anywhere, on or off campus, through the website.
Physical materials
Finally, it is important not to forget that the library is full of books. Books, journals and other materials are always available when you are on campus. You can borrow materials by taking them to the circulation desk and checking them out, or if you cannot find what you are looking for at the library you can borrow from another library connected to the one on campus. For more information about the library and to find out the specific hours of operation (which vary by day and term) you can call the library at 503-725-5874 or visit library.pdx.edu.
The Library is a relaxing study space with a fantastic view of the campus.
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Study spot mainstays Your compendium on where to hit the books Jordan Molnar
Studying at home or in the library can get a little dull at times, so here are some study spots to break up the monotony.
Smith Memorial Student Union
Smith is always a good place to hang out, and it can be a good place to study if you do not want to be somewhere that is too quiet. There are lounges on each floor and most have areas where electronics can be plugged in. If you want to stay in Smith but are looking for a spot with lower traffic, try the second-floor mezzanine lounge.
Neuberger Hall
If you follow the signs toward the mezzanine area on the third floor of Neuberger, you will find a nice spot for group studying, complete with tables, chairs, and chalkboards lining the walls that are available for student use.
Native American Student and Community Center
A unique building from the outside, the NASCC also offers a quiet and welcoming atmosphere after you walk through the doors. There are alcoves with window seats in the larger main room, and toward the main office, another study area offers comfortable chairs, tables near outlets and a fireplace that is usually turned on in winter.
Science Research and Teaching Center
The SRTC is located near the west end of campus. From the outside it looks like any old building, but the inside has recently undergone a complete remodel. It’s been outfitted with new furniture, and both the first and second floors offer calm, quiet places to study. The real draw, however, has to be the number of animal skeletons, including a whale hanging from the ceiling.
Academic and Student Rec Center rooftop terrace
It may come as a surprise to those visiting the Rec Center that, aside from a state-of-the-art gym and pool, the facility is also home to one of the most beautiful study spots on campus. The fifth floor of the building offers access to a rooftop terrace with a stunning view of campus and the rest of the city and has plenty of places to sit with a group or on your own.
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Department lounges
Don’t forget when you are looking for a place to study that the department lounge pertaining to your major is a great place to start. The spaces can be small, but they usually have areas to sit. Other plusses: There are always people around to consult about your work if it is at all related to the department, whether they are other students or the professors whose offices are located there.
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Outside
Weather permitting, anywhere outside on campus can be great for studying. The best suggestion that can be offered here is to explore the campus and find a place where you feel comfortable. If you are looking for a place to start, the Park Blocks are a popular spot. You can also find a place to sit at the picnic tables near Blumel Field or by the fountain in front of Hoffman Hall. Exploration is the key to finding the perfect outside study spot on campus.
Restaurants and cafes
Advice not much different from that for finding a study spot outside: You have to find a place that is comfortable for you. Some suggestions to look into include Food for Thought Cafe in the basement of Smith, Seattle’s Best in Urban Plaza or McMenamins Market Street Pub. Most of these places have Wi-Fi available, and how busy they are depends on the place and the time that you visit.
Off campus
Studying off campus is always an option. PSU is an urban campus in the heart of the city of Portland, and it’s easy to wander off campus to find a place to get your work done. You can take public transit, or take a walk and get to know the city. If you chose to study off campus, Powell’s City of Books is a good place to start, though it can be crowded at just about any hour. Tom McCall Waterfront Park is another place off campus with plenty of space for studying, though you will most likely have to bring a blanket to sit on unless you can get comfortable in the grass. Once again, looking around for a study spot that fits your needs is the best approach when it comes to offcampus study spots.
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Live long and prosper A guide to staying happy and healthy this school year Brie Barbee
The Heathman Hotel: Portland Oregon Engineering Technical II Are you looking for a fast paced working environment, where each day is different? A place where your talent and expertise can immediately shape the course and change the direction of a leader in the hospitality industry? Well, look no further…The Heathman Hotel, a luxury 4 star independent hotel in downtown Portland Oregon, is the place for you! We are currently seeking an experienced, energetic and outgoing person for the position of Engineering Technical II. The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of 3 years’ experience in Facilities/Engineering/Construction. This individual must have extensive working knowledge of building systems to include, but not limited to: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, refrigeraand Preventive maintenance programs. This position includes a variety of duties including, but not exclusive to: • Troubleshoots equipment using proper tools in a skilled craftsman-like manner • Performs assignments as directed by the Chief Engineer • Assumes the duties of other mechanics when required, including light carpentry, plumbing, electrical, painting, etc. • Performs preventative maintenance on all equipment • Repairs all malfunctioning mechanical devices • Performs electrical, HVAC, plumbing, boiler and television repair as needed • Assumes responsibility when the Chief Engineer or the Engineering Supervisor is not available. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Please submit a current resume to Kyra Oslund, Director of Human Resources. You can email this to hr@heathmanhotel.com or mail to: Kyra Oslund Director of Human Resources 1001 SW Broadway Portland Oregon 97205
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1. Balance work and fun
Studying at a university doesn’t have to mean all work and no play. In fact, stopping to take a break and doing something you actually enjoy can do you a world of good. If you start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, take the time to appreciate a fun afternoon out with friends or an evening curled up with a good book. Even half an hour of genuine downtime can make a great difference in your ability to stay positive and continue to do well in school.
2. Don’t cram
No matter what people have told you, cramming before a big exam is only going to make you tired and less likely to remember the material. Instead of studying in large blocks that will tire you out, break large projects or study sessions into smaller pieces. You are going to retain more material this way, and it will prevent you from ruining an entire weekend trying to finish an important research paper at the last minute.
3. Remember your long-term goals and why you came to the university
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While the beginning of a new school year can be very exciting, the pressure of college can quickly become overwhelming. The stress caused by homework, studying and taking exams has a way of building up and overpowering our ability to cope with all the things that life decides to throw our way. So before life gets the chance to knock you down, here are a few pieces of advice to help you survive your time at Portland State and stay happy and healthy in the process.
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If you ever start to feel down in the dumps about school, or start to question why you are going to school, remind yourself of your longterm goals. Remind yourself of your career goals, academic ambitions or plans for after graduation. Reinforcing the reasons you wanted to go to college in the first place will help you stay positive along the way.
4. Develop a positive attitude toward school
Even if you only see school as a means to a highpaying job after graduation, it is important to develop a positive attitude toward your work. Each class you take is a step toward your future, and if you give up on a required course because you don’t like the subject or the teacher then you are going to end up delaying your degree and losing valuable experience.
5. Know the resources available to you at PSU
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There are a plethora of resources available at PSU to ensure that you do well in school. If you are struggling in your classes, there are several tutoring options. In the library, you can visit the Writing Center to get guidance and criticism on your writing assignments or talk to the librarians to get help finding specific resources. The Learning Center also provides more subject-specific tutoring and online services to make sure that you are able to do well in all of your classes. You can also visit the counselors at Student Health and Counseling throughout the week to discuss problems or concerns you have while you are attending PSU. Knowing there is always someone you can turn to and talk with will help you through hard times. There are also 24/7 hotlines available for when the offices are closed at night or on the weekends.
6. Ask for help before you really need it
If you notice yourself falling behind or struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your teachers, counselors and other PSU staff are literally paid to make sure you are doing well, and it would be a waste to not make use of their professional skills. Small problems can quickly becoming more serious if we don’t take the time to fix them, so it’s always a good idea to deal with any academic or personal issues right away.
7. Enjoy your college experience!
While we all attend college to learn, it is important to also enjoy the time you spend in school. When you look back on the four years that you spent at university you will want to remember them well. So join some clubs, make some friends and appreciate everything PSU has to offer!
Successful study habits: •Attend each class (or as many as possible) so you don’t fall behind •Create a study environment free from distractions •Take notes during class and review them regularly (every day if you can!) •Focus on the big picture, not small details, during lectures •Use index cards or other means to encourage constant studying and retaining of information
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PS2 /USB
Bridge and tunnel INFO UNCOVERED SKY BRIDGE
COVERED SKY BRIDGE
LH 3
CH
SMSU
ED / BA NH 4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
B
B
B
2
1
B
SB
Tunnel
Sean Bucknam
34
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N
LH: Lincoln Hall CH: Cramer Hall NH: Neuberger Hall SMSU: Smith Memorial Student Union ED/BA: School of Education/School of Business PS2/USB: Parking Structure 2/University Studies Bldg.
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