Portland State Vanguard May 21, 2013 by Portland State Vanguard

Vanguard ••Tuesday, Thursday, TUESDAY, Jan. MAY Nov. 31, 21,8, 2013 2013 2012• •news •news news

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Erick Bengel

NEWS EDITOR NEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Deeda Schroeder

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Louie Opatz

OPINION EDITOR OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Meredith Meier

SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Marco España

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR ASSOCIATENEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Whitney Beyer

PRODUCTION MANAGER production@psuvanguard.com

Colton Major

PHOTO EDITOR photo@psuvanguard.com

Karl Kuchs

Online Editor online@psuvanguard.com

Claudette Raynor

CALENDAR EDITOR calendar@psuvanguard.com

Jordan Molnar

COPY CHIEF copy@psuvanguard.com

Emily Gravlin

ADVERTISING MANAGER vgdispad@gmail.com

Sam Gressett

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Romeo Salazar

ADVISER Judson Randall

ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman

NEWS

Editor: Deeda Schroeder news@psuvanguard.com 503-725-3883

aramark from page 1

Aramark refutes concerns, says demands are unreasonable Food For Thought [the student-run restaurant] is tucked away in the basement. The administration cares most about profits, not students’ health or autonomy.” When asked about the pros and cons of outsourcing food services, Kristine Wise, the university’s manager of Auxiliary Retail Services, said it can be a success. “The University of Oregon has an in-house food service program, and my experience is that it works very well and is profitable for the university,” Wise said. The contract with Aramark requires that a total of 30 percent of all food purchased be locally sourced (a designation that includes Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Northern California) and that this percentage must increase by 2 percent each year. Thirty percent of fruits and vegetables, 50 percent of beef and flour and 100 percent of dairy products must be procured locally, but it’s often been unclear if these quotas are being met. Erratic submission of required quarterly reports and

protests from Aramark that some of the requirements are unreasonable have clouded the issue. In fall of 2012, PSU sociology major Danielle Grondin assumed the newly created position of food systems coordinator within the Sustainability Leadership Center. She has been working closely with Aramark to increase the amount of locally produced and organic food purchased for campus food services. In addition, she is overseeing efforts to reduce packaging and waste, including the introduction of reusable takeout containers and a composting program for the residence halls. In an effort to do its part, Aramark hired Daniele Minniti, a recent graduate of PSU’s environmental studies program, to track local and organic purchases as the company’s firstever sustainability intern. Tim Kellen, the food service director for Aramark, met with Student Activities and Leadership Programs earlier this month to receive their input on Aramark’s catering program. Among the suggestions

corinna scott/VANGUARD STAFf

Students have criticized the administration for allowing Aramark to hold a monopoly on freshman meal plans and student group catering options. made were requests for more locally sourced, organic and free-range menu offerings. The weekly farmers market held on campus was mentioned as a possible source. “There are three things there,” Kellen said. “I can’t purchase from the farmers market because they don’t have a vendor’s license to sell to wholesalers. [With] freerange meats, that gets into the price issue. It’s not going to meet the…price point of $8 a head. We have a sustainable menu with free-range meats, and if people want to pay extra for that it’s available.” Local and organic vegetables

and fruits would likewise drive up costs, Kellen said. He defended Aramark’s catering program, saying, “We make 10 percent over cost. We barely make a profit on it. It’s about helping students provide food for their events.” Student groups using Smith for catered events must use Aramark’s catering program, according to the university’s contract with the company. And student groups holding a catered event anywhere on campus are required to use Aramark if they want to be able to bill the cost to the university rather than pay out of pocket. There is also a

requirement that all freshmen living on campus purchase a meal plan through Aramark. These stipulations have led to criticisms that student choice is being compromised in the name of corporate profit. Wise says the university tries to balance financial considerations, sustainability goals and student needs in its food service program. “There’s always that fine line you have to walk in this industry, or any kind of service industry. What do people want, what will they consume? It’s always a push and pull between cost and other goals. In the end, it’s consumer-driven.”

DESIGNERS Tom Cober, Danielle Fleishman, Dillon Lawerence, Elizabeth Thompson, Maria Perala

WRITERS Kat Audick, Brie Barbee, Zach Bigalke, Adam E. Bushen, Chris Carpenter, Gino Cerruti, Ryan S. Cunningham, Matthew Ellis, Stephanie Fudge-Bernard, Crystal Gardener, Matthew Hall, Rosemary Hanson, Breana Harris, Heather Jacobs, Coby Hutzler, Ravleen Kaur, Nicholas Kula, Emily Lakehomer, Turner Lobey, Austin Maggs, Alex Moore, Suraj Nair, Kaela O’Brien, Ashley Rask, Eva-Jeanette Rawlins, Jeoffry Ray, Benjamin Ricker, Patrick Rogers, Jesse Sawyer, Gwen Shaw, Shilpa Esther Trivedi, Stephanie Tshappat, Ryan Voelker

PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Johnston, Riza Liu, Kayla Nguyen, Miles Sanguinetti, Corinna Scott, Adam Wickham

VIDEOGRAPHER video@psuvanguard.com

Jann Messer

COPY EDITORS Kylie Byrd, Rachel Porter

ADVERTISING SALES Jordan Gekeler, Deborah Thompson

DISTRIBUTORS Matthew Ellis, Katie Hendricks

The Vanguard is published twice weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subscription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. ©2011 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26 Portland OR, 97201

SBA donations from page 1

Money will help fund new building for business school Bob Speltz, the director of public affairs at The Standard, said in a statement that the company has a special relationship with PSU. “Many employees received degrees there and others are currently pursuing degrees. The school has also partnered with The Standard to provide customized learning opportunities for our business leadership program,” Speltz said. According to Mihalko, the SBA administration prides itself on connecting students to the local business community. The renovation and expansion will add new event spaces and meeting rooms to better accommodate local business leaders, Mihalko said. In a prepared statement, SBA Dean Scott Dawson said that the project will bring the school together in a new way. “The new building will, for the first time, allow us to create a true business community with the benefits that come from all being under one roof,” Dawson said. PSU’s School of Business Administration was ranked 14th in the world by Beyond Grey Pinstripes, an independent, biennial business school survey and ranking managed by the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education. “Our building should match with our curriculum,” Mihalko said. PSU President Wim Wiewel agreed, and believes that the SBA is a key part of PSU. “Having its students get access to a functional, attractive space is a huge win for all of

PSU. We are not yet widely recognized for the quality of our programs; having quality space to match the excellence of our academic programs makes a big difference symbolically, as well as in day-today reality,” Wiewel said in an email. “I’m so grateful to the donors who are making this possible!” The SBA’s need for space is reflected in the fact that its varied “centers,” which offer concentrated study in particular aspects of business, don’t have their own facilities. The centers at SBA focus on topics including real estate, retail leadership, entrepreneurship and sustainability. The goal of the centers is to unite students and faculty with the community, Mihalko said. “School and community come together in centers,” she said. “Right now they don’t have a facility. There needs to be a place and a face to the centers.” In addition to space, the renovation and expansion will add state-of-the-art classrooms, auditoriums, offices, study rooms and common areas, Mihalko said. The existing business school space is 52,000 square feet. The construction will add 42,000 square feet, and 53,000 square feet now used by the Graduate School of Education will be renovated for use by the SBA. The result will see the business school nearly triple in size. The new facility will also meet Leadership in Energy

COURTESY OF PSU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

A rendered image features the interior plans for the proposed business school building.

KAYLA NGUYEN/VANGUARD STAFf

Kristin Mihalko, director of external relations in the school of business administration, discusses the school’s future on campus. and Environmental Design standards and incorporate sustainable design. The goal is to meet Platinum standards, Mihalko said. Whether PSU will receive funding from the government will be announced this summer. While it is not set in stone, Mihalko says that the SBA feels confident it will receive the funding because the project

is ranked number one in priority on the Oregon University System Capital Project Priority List, a list of projects to be state funded. According to Mihalko, the high priority is thanks to a recommendation by Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber. Planning for the expansion of the SBA began back in 2008, but stalled during the recession. In the past two years, however,

the project has again gained momentum, Mihalko said. During construction, Mihalko said that students will most likely be able to take classes in parts of the building and move into the newer classrooms as they are built. She also noted that the Graduate School of Education will most likely be relocated to Neuberger Hall.

NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, • •TUESDAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY MAY MAY24, 21, 17, 1, 2012 2013 • VANGUARD

Publications adviser candidates visit campus this week Allie Clark Vanguard staff

jinyi qi/VANGUARD STAFf

Cameron Frank, left, Christina Kane, Eva Soto and members of PSU’s Student Action Coalition gathered on Friday.

General assembly sparks conversation Meeting calls for greater engagement and cooperation among PSU student groups, faculty Dan Shepard Vanguard Staff

In 2012, students across the Canadian province of Quebec went on strike. Hundreds of thousands of students marched against government legislation that would have led to an increase in tuition rates. The student protests quickly gained momentum as thousands—largely liberal groups, ranging from workers unions to leftist political parties— joined a common cause. Ultimately, the government held tuition steady. On Friday, a group of students, faculty and union workers met in the Smith Memorial Student Union for the second Portland State Student General Assembly, organized by the Student Action Coalition. The coalition is inspired by the actions of the Quebec student protesters. Their website declares that they are “dedicated to the project of building student power on campus,” and that they “believe that education is a social right and that students, professors, and campus workers should have a say in the direction and operations of the educational institutions which they are a part of.” Cameron Frank, a member of StAC who attended the Friday gathering, said the group has realized its strength is in unity. “This year was interesting, because we got a clear message about the need to work together and form partnerships,” Frank said. Given the diversity of attendees at the assembly, the

conversation was equally varied, touching on the many issues and interests that the group brought to the assembly. With attendees seated around a large circle of tables, topics of discussion ranged from tuition increases to the effectiveness of the Associated Students of Portland State University to union negotiations and the loss of many programs because of heavy budget cuts. While many issues were brought up throughout the meeting, there was a repeated concern about the budget cuts that have affected various programs. In particular, the defunding of Chiron Studies was heavily discussed. Those in attendance were supportive of the program, promoting not only the value of the teaching opportunity for students but also the program’s financial viability and profitability. The consensus seemed to be that the administration’s response was inadequate and insincere. Given Chiron’s long history of trying to go through the proper channels for funding, attendees seemed to agree that a greater mobilization of student groups to take more assertive action is necessary to get the administration’s attention. “One take away was that everyone is concerned about the attack on education by the economization of higher education,” Frank said. Another issue that resonated with the group was the current labor negotiations between the administration and university professors. Given the presence of Service Employees International Union members, faculty and students, the discussion about labor negotiations (referred to as a “pending showdown”) led to talk of these various groups

forming an alliance in order to form a united front and reach the goals of each. The various representatives of each group recognized the logistical problems inherent in creating this sort of alliance. Not less so because securing student involvement is a disheartening problem, which the group recognized by pointing to the low turnout for the recent ASPSU elections as well as a “general malaise” among PSU students. Two things ultimately came out of the second general assembly. First, there was agreement among those in attendance that cuts to valued programs like Food For Thought Cafe and Chiron Studies were a part of a wider series of losses to PSU students. This concept may have been best described by one attendee, Ahjamu Umi, who called their defunding “an effort to eliminate the voice of students.” The second point of agreement was that greater action is needed from those in attendance to mobilize those affected by these issues. This translated to members of various groups—such as union workers, students and faculty—recognizing that they need to form better networks in order to facilitate communication and make their actions more effective. Ultimately, unity and cohesiveness are key to making progress in addressing the many issues facing the students, faculty and workers of PSU, they agreed. “The next step is to set up a meeting with the SEIU, AAUP, ASPSU, and concerned students to discuss specific strategies for meeting all our goals and making this an open, fair, and democratic university,” Frank said.

This week, students will have a chance to meet the candidates for the coordinator of student media position, which oversees Student Publications, with open interviews taking place tomorrow through Friday. Candidates Jil Freeman, Reaz Mahmood and Natalie Shaak will give presentations on how they would handle a hypothetical problem. The presentations are an opportunity for students to learn about the candidates and offer their feedback to the committee in charge of hiring the new adviser. “Those people’s styles and personalities and philosophies make a huge difference in how successful student leaders can be at PSU,” SALP Director Aimee Shattuck said. “It matters that we hire people students can connect with.” The adviser’s purpose is to provide support and instruction to students involved in KPSU, PSU.tv, the Vanguard, the Rearguard, the Portland

Spectator, the Portland Review and Pathos literary magazine. According to current adviser Judson Randall, who is retiring after serving as the publications adviser for 17 years, the adviser’s goal is to “foster an atmosphere in which students can express their voice through publications.” The new adviser would do this by teaching publication and management techniques and serving as a resource for students with questions. The adviser would also help the publications with legal matters, such as making contracts with outside companies for necessary services, and administrative tasks such as payroll. Tomorrow, Freeman will be interviewed from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 294. Mahmood will be interviewed Thursday at the same time and place, and Shaak will be interviewed from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in SMSU, room 296, on Friday.

Chiron from page 1

Chiron coordinator calls situation ‘unfortunate’ were explored, how the program will be funded in the immediate future remains undecided. Andrews is still gathering information before giving a response to Chiron Studies coordinators, said her assistant, Cathy Knight. The provost declined comment before next week. “I understand that there is information she wants to research following our meeting,” Medina said. Andrews plans to give Chiron coordinators some information by Friday, he explained. “Hopefully by that time we will have a guarantee of a budget. “[The provost] wants to find out where exactly the tuition revenue will go,” Medina said. Though former Provost Roy Koch cited budgetary concerns as a reason for discontinuing Chiron Studies funding, Medina said that the tuition brought in by the program vastly exceeds its budget. This concern was not fully resolved during the meeting, Medina said. “[It was addressed] to an extent. There’s a lot of conversation around where tuition raised by student credit hours goes,” Medina said. “That conversation is convoluting a lot of conversation around budget and creating an atmosphere of uncertainty. “It’s a really unfortunate situation,” Medina continued. “While we understand that there are budget cuts all over the university, those

budget cuts are usually in the 2 to 4 percent range. A program that our students really love and value was cut by 100 percent without an adequate explanation of why that happened.” Medina did not get the sense that Andrews was particularly supportive of the program itself, but he remained hopeful that other members of the administration will help garner support. Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Success Sukhwant Jhaj, who was also present at the meeting, showed support toward the program, according to Medina. “I think that our leaders are hopeful that there is potential to work with [Jhaj toward]

a sustainable future for the program,” Medina said. Medina was also optimistic that Chiron Studies instructors, who have been teaching without pay, will be compensated for their time. “One thing that was promising is that there was indication…that the administration might be willing to rectify the situation of our instructors and myself not being paid,” Medina said. “We’ve been part of this university for almost half a century, so there really is no right for the university not to compensate our instructors.” Future funding options for Chiron Studies included integration into existing departments, but Medina remains concerned about funding for the upcoming school year. “This thing is unfolding very slowly,” Medina said.

jinyi qi/VANGUARD STAFf

chiron coordinator ruzzel medina is hoping the university administration will back the program.

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 • News

Activist urges unity Marxist Bill Fletcher Jr. shares his perspective Jesse Sawyer Vanguard staff

On Saturday, the International Socialist Organization hosted Bill Fletcher Jr., a renowned Marxist and labor activist, who spoke before a modest yet passionate crowd at the United Church of Christ in Northeast Portland. Fletcher stressed that the political left in the United States desperately needs to redefine its goals among the list of new crises the nation faces. Fletcher emphasized that these crises are producing a very serious situation: a massive polarization of the nation’s wealth brought on by what he described as rightwing populism. “The term that’s regaining use is plutocracy” to describe the phenomenon, and the moneyed group whose members he considers “in charge,” Fletcher said. He described the current crisis in a threefold manner: economic, with what he called a structural system in trouble; environmental; and the crisis of confidence in our government, which he believes is compounding the other two. “Under both Democrats and Republicans we’ve seen a shift to the right, at the same time that neoliberalism is

strengthening,” Fletcher said. He went on to say that the strength of right-wing politics has been aided by the persuasive narratives they deliver to the public. These narratives, he said, are often tied to blaming one group’s problems on an entirely different demographic. This tactic has strengthened the resolve of many who are struggling in the current environment. Famous among these is the narrative that “white America” is being marginalized by other demographics that are gaining prominence. “This country began as a white republic,” Fletcher said. “The rest were at best guests and at worst interlopers.” The right wing is playing off this theme, Fletcher continued, but attitude is changing with changing demographics in this country. Fletcher sees this change as a potential opportunity for the political left. In the wake of these crises, along with the changes in demographics, he believes that a new era of organization may be emerging for the political left. According to a Gallup poll Fletcher cited, 30 percent of Americans (roughly 90 million people) have said they would try alternatives to capitalism. Such big numbers, Fletcher suggests, mean that the left needs to reorganize its message to reach out to this group of citizens.

Miles sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf

Bill Fletcher jr. talked about “reimagining” the many parts of leftist politics on Saturday. “We’re not used to thinking on the scale of thousands and thousands of people, and that’s the challenge,” he said. In the end, Fletcher’s message centered on the need to reimagine the organization of such a potentially large group. “In the absence of organization, people look for all kinds of solutions,” he said, adding that the left needs to seek more concrete stances for people to latch onto and that it’s not enough for people to talk in abstractions. “What people need is a

counternarrative telling people who are being hit by the right that it’s not their fault,” Fletcher said. To genuinely engage with this large group, the left must find linkages between the struggles of its various elements. “It means repudiating a small-group mentality,” which Fletcher suggests is what the left is used to. “The obligation of the current left is to ask ourselves, ‘What are the questions that we can unite on?’”

New director chosen for Master of Social Work Program Keva Miller, a former PSU professor, is promoted Jesse Sawyer Vanguard Staff

Jinyi Qi/VANGUARD STAFf

Keva Miller is now the director of the Master of Social Work Program.

‘Hollaback!’ to raise awareness about street harassment

Portland State’s School of Social Work has hired a new director for its Master of Social Work program. Keva Miller, who received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and her doctoral degree from Fordham University in New York, has taken the position. Aside from her education, Miller brings a resume that includes: school and medical social work; juvenile and adult criminal justice; adoption; and child welfare research consulting. Miller was an assistant professor at PSU for five years before the promotion. With a passion for both research and administration, she said she is committed to promoting the key tenets of the SSW’s mission statement. Key among those is a

“dedication to social change and to the attainment of social justice for all people.” “As a social worker, it’s synonymous with social justice,” Miller said. “My vision is to go forward with what we’re doing and strengthen it.” That strength, Miller explained, comes from a constant concern for and focus on the school and its curriculum that faculty, staff and students alike share. Miller asked: “Are there injustices in any way with the work we’re doing?” She answered her own question with a resounding yes, and went on to say, “We as humans can always do better.” Miller focuses her work on the idea of doing better and emphasizes the utility of the skills and perspectives found throughout the department’s curriculum. “It’s always important for the students to have a social justice lens,” she said. “It’s not just the responsibility of faculty but the student’s responsibility. We’re all responsible for learning and holding each other accountable.”

mean sTreetS: An event will give students, faculty and the community a chance to speak out about streeet harassment.

Open mic night gives attendees an opportunity to share their experiences Daniel Shepard Vanguard Staff

There is a certain trepidation many people feel when they step outside at night—and it isn’t imagination alone that feeds their fears, but the culmination of so many news stories about sexual assault, aggressive panhandlers or verbal abuse. Many people, be they student or professor, male or female, have been a victim of street harassment. On Wednesday, a group of Portland State students will lead the “Hollaback!” open mic night event, which will provide a forum for individuals to share their experiences with street harassment in order to raise awareness about the issue. The event will be held at the Women’s Resource Center, located at 1802 SW 10th Ave. in the Montgomery Court Residence Hall basement, and will run from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event is free, and both men and women are encouraged to attend. Aubrey Limburg, one of the event’s organizers, said

that the inspiration for it came from an assignment in her “Sociology of Family Violence” class, taught by professor Amy Lubitow. Lubitow, who has a connection to the Hollaback! organization on the East Coast whose aim is to end street harassment, gave students the opportunity to organize an event in place of a final exam. Consequently, students organized the open mic night and even began working toward forming an official PSU chapter of Hollaback! Limburg explained that the night will begin with a mixer, where attendees can help themselves to food and drink while they chat, followed by an introduction to Hollaback! The night will close with the open mic, where presenters can express themselves in whatever way they wish, and will include music, poetry and even a puppet show. “I hope that attendees can walk away feeling inspired about what they can do to combat harassment, and feel more empowered,” Limburg said. Spots are still available for those who want to speak during the event, and can include up to two five-minute speaking slots per person. If you’re interested in speaking, contact event organizers at hollaback psu@gmail.com.

NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, • •TUESDAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY MAY MAY24, 21, 17, 1, 2013 2012 • VANGUARD

5 3

Class profile: ‘The Urban Forest’ Course looks at trees in the city Gwen Shaw

urban trees and the challenges that come with managing an urban forest,” Karps said.

Vanguard Staff

Several years ago, geography professor Joseph Poracsky created a class called “The Urban Forest.” Recently, Poracsky became the department chair, and adjunct geography professor Jennifer Karps took over the class. Karps has been an adjunct professor in the geography department since 2008. She also works for the City of Portland as part of a program in the Environmental Services Bureau that plants trees to manage storm water. She has been working with Portland’s urban forest for 11 years. The class is a 400/500-level geography class that begins by looking at the theoretical context of the topic and exploring answers to several questions: What are trees? What is a forest? What is ecology? What is urban ecology? Then the class examines trees in the urban environment more directly. “We look at the benefits they provide, and how humans interact with them. We…begin to talk about the management of

“[I]ntegrating trees into the fabric of the built environment presents challenges in maximizing the benefits they provide while limiting mangement and liability costs.” Jennifer Karps, PSU professor

“The city’s trees provide a wealth of tangible and intangible benefits to the residents,” Karps added. “Yet integrating trees into the fabric of the built environment presents challenges in maximizing the benefits they provide while limiting management and liability costs.” As such, the class also considers the liabilities that come with living with trees, and the relationship between trees and people. Along with this they look at volunteerism and the many ways people can get involved with trees.

The class meets twice a week for an hour and 50 minutes. Karps said the class is mainly lecture, initially. But as they delve deeper into the topic, students get more interactive and the class leans more toward discussion. Karps said there are four major assignments throughout the term, one of which is to read a journal article that has something to do with urban forests. The field is very broad, so the students all get to look into something that interests them. In the last five weeks of the term, students present to the class. “[I]nstead of only hearing from me, they’re also hearing from their peers,” Karps said. Since the articles students choose vary, discussion topics range from social to ecological. Karps has many colleagues at her job with the City of Portland that work within the urban forest field. She gets many of these colleagues to come to class and lecture on the topics on which they are experts. With the range of information provided by this mix of sources, Karps believes that her students are getting a much broader view of urban forestry.

the city of portland boasts one of the greenest cityscapes in the country.

An important thing to understand about this class is how it qualifies as a geography course. “The geographer’s lens is really helpful because geographers look [at] patterns across space and through time, so that’s natural of the urban forest,” Karps said.

Some of the geographical questions the class looks at include how the urban forest on the east side of Portland differs from that on the west side; the differences between downtown and East Moreland, or Mount Tabor or Forest Park; and how the urban

forest in Portland is different than those in Gresham or the Gorge. Karp said that looking at these spatial patterns helps one to better understand what the urban forest is, and can help the urban forest to be successful in the long run.

NOW HIRING Designers Email The production manager production@psuvanguard.com

VANGUARD ••TThursday, TUESDAY, uesday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, Jan. MAY JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY 31, 21,8, 2013 2013 2012 10, 25, 26, •2, 2012 2011 •ARTS •2012 ARTS ARTS ••&•OPINION &OPINION CULTURE &ARTS CULTURE CULTURE & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

EDITOR: Louie Opatz ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694

I’m a weirdo Dark Horse releases new mystery graphic novel The Creep Tristan Cooper Vanguard staff

You know the story: A mysterious tragedy, a surly gumshoe, an old flame, a bittersweet ending. It’s been almost a century since Dashiell Hammett mastered the noir genre with The Maltese Falcon, but since then the same yarn has been unraveled in thousands of different ways. As mystery fans know, it’s not where you end up but the road you took to get there. Written by John Arcudi (known for the excellent Hellboy spinoff B.P.R.D.) and with art by Jonathan Case of Portland’s Periscope Studios, The Creep centers on a detective bent on solving the mystery of a pair of teen suicides. Oxel Karnhus is put on the case via a letter from Stephanie, the mother of one of the deceased boys. She’s an old college girlfriend from before he was a private eye—before his mug looked like the side of a limestone cliff. A real syndrome called acromegaly, which usually surfaces in adulthood, warped Oxel’s body and face. He gets stares from little girls on the train and is harassed by youths in the street. It’s the same pituitary disorder that gave cult icon Rondo Hatton his classic Hollywood horror look. Oxel is more or less based on Hatton, who was known as “The Creeper” after a character he played in a 1944 Sherlock Holmes film. Though most everyone in the story reacts strongly to Oxel’s appearance, readers will be less put off. The comics medium already has a tendency to exaggerate features, so Oxel’s face

only appears monstrous when juxtaposed with regular faces in the same panel. Most of the time it just feels like Herman Munster actor Fred Gwynne has taken up P.I. work. Despite his condition, Oxel spends the novel struggling to look beyond the surface of the mystery. Unable to face his former lover, Oxel focuses on the mother of the other deceased boy, a woman named Laura, and Stephanie’s ex-husband, Greg. Barring them, we sense that a few other things are picking at Oxel: Questions of mental illness and the sexualities of the two dead teens—best friends before death—plague Oxel in his search for the truth. Arcudi manages to bring up these questions without asking them aloud. In one scene, Oxel is going over the case in his head while staring at what seems to be a gay couple on the subway. One of the men lashes out at Oxel, who meant no harm, telling him that he of all people should know it’s not polite to stare. Oxel asks himself, “What the hell just happened?”

“Like a fly buzzing near your ear in bed, the minutiae will return your thoughts to the plot over and over again, whether you like it or not.”

To his credit, Arcudi doesn’t spell it out, leaving the reader to come up with an explanation. Though the back half of The Creep is a real pageturner, it takes a while to get going. We learn the names of players and their relationships with each other before meeting most of them, creating confusion as to who is who and to whom. The disjointed introductory chapters can

So i creep: John Arcudi and Jonathan Case release their new graphic novel, The Creep, on Portland’s Dark Horse Comics.

probably be attributed to their original format. Like many graphic novels on the shelves, The Creep first hit stands in a single-issue format and is now collected in hardcover. But the first chapter is made up of three smaller segments that initially appeared in the anthology series Dark Horse Presents. This transition is awkward, but the story finds its groove by the end of the second chapter. From there, The Creep glides, slowly accelerating to its inevitable but shocking resolution. Arcudi crafts an ending that is truly unexpected and horrifying, but also solves the

Defining ‘femme fatale’ NWFC screens 1996 thriller Diabolique Tess Anderson Vanguard staff

Over the last few months, the Northwest Film Center has screened—and will continue to screen—films for the class/film series “Literature into Film.” The course is exactly what its title sounds like, offering a deeper look into the way directors, producers and screenwriters interpret and transform words on the page for the silver screen. This evening, the center will offer another screening in the series—the 1996 film Diabolique, starring Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani. Like so many movies from the ’90s, Diabolique revolves around murder and the scandal and aftermath that accompany it. This version involves a murder triangle in which the points are the fragile wife, the willful mistress and the abusive husband. All three work together at a boarding school for troubled boys: The wife and mistress are both teachers and, oddly enough, very good friends. The wife is very much aware of her husband’s affairs and the abusive husband doubles as a sadistic dean. The wife, Mia (Adjani), and the mistress, Nicole (Stone), have both come to loathe the husband, Guy (Chazz Palminteri), and by some roundabout logic come to the conclusion that the only way they’ll ever reach peace in their lives is by killing the monstrous Guy. So, the ladies lure him into Nicole’s home under the pretext that Guy and Mia will discuss a divorce. Prior to the meet-up, Nicole has laced a bottle of scotch with a drug that renders the recipient unconscious. Guy downs a few drinks and, after a brief scuffle, is knocked out.

Two Sides of a love Triangle: Sharon Stone and Isabelle Adjani star in Jeremiah S. Chechik’s 1996 thriller, Diabolique, which screens this evening at the Northwest Film Center. The ladies take his consciousness all the way out by drowning him in the tub. When the deed is done, they return him to school grounds and dispose of the body in the pool, making it look like a tragic drunken accident. Shortly after the completion of the scheme, strange events keep happening: the body goes missing from the pool, the suit Guy was wearing the night he died is returned to his office and pictures of the women disposing of the body appear. Police Detective Shirley Vogel, played by the ever-charismatic Kathy Bates, begins looking into the matter. As every character in the movie has realized, something about this whole situation stinks. The two ladies grow increasingly disconcerted and frantic, resulting in hectic events, multiple

twists at the ending and murders that aren’t quite what they seem. The film is based on the 1952 novel Celle Qui N’Etait Plus, roughly translated as The One That Was Not, by the crime-writing duo Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac under the pen name Boileau-Narcejac. The twosome have contributed to many other famous films with their writing, including Vertigo, Eyes Without a Face and the original adaptation of Les Diaboliques. Now, I’ve never seen the original, but from what I’ve heard the two differ greatly: The 1996 version has the feel of a typical ’90s crime thriller, whereas the French 1955 model has more of a Hitchcockean vibe. (The British “Master of Suspense” originally wanted to buy the rights to the film, but

mystery in a satisfying way. Case illustrates The Creep with two styles. The predominant one is characterized by simple lines and cool blues and grays, conveying a bleak town with an even bleaker history. His second style is much warmer; Case portrays past events with thin, sketchy lines filled out with nostalgic red and yellow watercolors. This style is employed mostly for flashbacks, but we also see it when Oxel is on the phone with Stephanie. With the watercolors the reader sees Oxel’s old girlfriend not as she is but as Oxel imagines her through the lens of his rose-tinted memory. Case’s usual hard, cold style is not nearly as attractive as the scenes using watercolor, but that plays to the novel’s strengths. The past is an alluring mirage, its illusions opaque and dangerous. The Creep moves slowly, and aside from its terrifying conclusion it doesn’t leave a strong first impression. But over time the details will start to tug at you: Like a fly buzzing near your ear in bed, the minutiae will return your thoughts to the plot over and over again, whether you like it or not. The more time that passes after reading The Creep the easier it is to appreciate the finer points of the understated story—though that could just be the passage of time.

Dark Horse Comics presents The Creep By John Arcudl and Jonathan Case $19.99 Available at bookstores and comic shops everywhere

Boileau-Narcejac instead let him work his magic with Vertigo.) With the exception of Kathy Bates, whose character ultimately has no significant purpose, the acting in the remake is subpar to say the least; it’s my biggest complaint about this film. I have no other version of the characters in my mind to compare it to, though, so my standards may be lower than others. Even though Stone plays a part that appears to mirror her real-life personality, her delivery of her lines is forced. Adjani pulls a Carrie Fisher circa A New Hope and switches between accents: It gets to the point where bets could be made about whether she’ll put on her fake American accent or her native French accent in each scene. The newer version, though far less popular and acclaimed than its predecessor, stays truer to the novel than the original did, according to NWFC “Literature into Film” professor Pietro Ferrua. The fact that the 1996 version was more accurate is one of the main reasons it was chosen to represent one of the many books that have made their way into film form. Ferrua’s has taught since the 1970s: He taught literature at Lewis & Clark College and eventually designed the curriculum for “Literature into Film,” which was considered an experimental course at first. “The idea was to study how faithful and creative the adaptation was in comparison to the writings,” Ferrua said, “as well as to study how the two diverge or combine content.” The discussions after screenings offer insight into “cultural interrelations,” as Ferrua put it, allowing audiences to study how different forms of art, culture and expression can all be intertwined in a way that isn’t normally observed in the everyday classroom setting.

Northwest Film Center presents Diabolique Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium 1219 SW Park Ave. $9 general admission

Arts Arts&&Culture Culture ••T TUESDAY, uesday, Jan. MAY 21, 31, 2013 • VANGUARD

Messages from an Antique Land PSU English professor to lecture at Central Library Megan Fresh Vanguard staff

No matter what Thomas Freidman says, globalization is not a new phenomenon. PSU professor Bishupal Limbu’s upcoming talk will touch on this topic and other misperceptions we hold as citizens of the modern world. Limbu’s lecture is based on the 1994 book In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler’s Tale by Amitav Ghosh. Through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the lecture is sponsored by the Middle East Studies Center, the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys, the Oregon Council of the Social Studies and the Multnomah County Library. It will be held at the county’s Central Library this Friday. Limbu explained the three layers of the book explored in his lecture: “It is a story about this guy who goes to do field work in Egypt. But before he goes, he discovers a reference—he’s studying at Oxford for a Ph.D. in social anthropology—a very marginal note that refers to an Indian slave, and he’s intrigued. Part of the story is his attempt to recover or to recreate the life of this marginal figure who like himself is from India. “Another strand of the story is more or less about this world in the 12th century, this medieval world that is depicted as a world of commerce, of trade, and also of this wonderful cosmopolitanism,” Limbu continued. “And this part is about a Jewish trader from Tunisia who lived in the Middle East but then goes on to India.” In an Antique Land is the rare nonfiction book that reads more like a novel.

riza liu/VANGUARD STAFf

Portland State english professor Bishupal Limbu, who studies postcolonialism, globalization and cosmopolitanism, will speak about Amitav Ghosh’s work this Friday. “The main part is about Ghosh’s experiences living in two different villages in Egypt—a large part of it is memoir,” Limbu said. “The genre of the book is fascinating because it’s not a dry, anthropological account, it’s…an account that really places the anthropologist [as] the focus of the villagers with whom he interacts.” Many students have been taught to think of anthropology as a “first world” endeavor. This book, as Limbu said, questions “the figure of the anthropologist being a white person from the first world in a pith helmet who goes to a corner of the third world to do field work. “It’s to challenge that image, but also notice how because he’s coming from this privileged university…he participates in that sort of power

relation of the anthropologist. But…that power relation is very interestingly overturned by the fact that he is himself from a country that is actually the object of anthropology, rather than a place from which anthropologists come,” Limbu continued. “So it’s a very interesting way to subvert traditional notions of what anthropology is.” The lecture will also subvert our belief in the benefits of living in the modern world and the newness of globalization. “Ghosh calls it the ladder of development— the notion that modernization is the goal of all societies,” Limbu said. “If you have that kind of idea, both India and Egypt would be really on the bottom rungs of that civilizational ladder.”

That’s one idea that the book tries to both present and critique. “Related to that idea is the focus on cosmopolitanism that Ghosh finds existing in the medieval world that we do not find anymore,” Limbu continued. “We tend to imagine globalization as something that is new and belongs to our age, but one of Ghosh’s projects in this book is to show how globalization has a very long history that stretches at least as far back as the medieval world. “And it’s also a history that does not only involve, for instance, the West as the lead actor,” Limbu said. “It’s a history that actually involves other parts of the world—the Middle East, India, Asia. The friendships that [formerly] existed across regions of the world, Ghosh finds, are more difficult now.” Limbu also aims to challenge “the idea that Muslim or Islamic communities are not open, or that their histories are separate from ours, or that the only types of histories worth writing or reading or listening to are the ‘big’ histories.” Throughout his book, Ghosh highlights oftoverlooked historical characters. “One of the major themes of this book is the attempt to look at the histories that involve figures on the margins of the stage, about whom we do not know much at all—that is to say, people like you and me,” Limbu said. “When someone writes a history of this moment in time, it’s not going to be about people like you and me, people who will probably be in the audience at the library. So in a sense the book is about us.”

PSU’s Middle East Studies Center presents About In an Antique Land: A book discussion with Bishupal Limbu Friday, May 24, 2:30 p.m. Multnomah County Central Library 801 SW 10th Ave. Free and open to the public

Taking artistic risks Imago Theatre premieres Beaux Arts Club RaChelle Schmidt Vanguard staff

Imago Theatre is closing out its 2012–2013 season this weekend with Beaux Arts Club, a new play written by Imago co-founder Carol Triffle. Curtain up: It is the evening of the annual Beaux Arts Club meeting, a club in which everyday American women meet to discuss fine art and literature in hopes of elevating their own creative endeavors. As the play opens, we see Susannah, a downand-out artist who is hosting this year’s event. The walls of her apartment are covered with many of her previous (unsuccessful) artistic attempts. Although her art career has not been everything she had hoped it would be, she is excitedly putting the finishing touches on a new art installation before her guests arrive. After years of bad reviews and frustration she has finally created a work of art like no other— this piece will turn the art world upside down and finally establish her as a dynamic force within it. Susannah’s installation will be her masterwork, provided she can get the man she kidnapped, gagged and handcuffed for the piece to remain quiet long enough for her to complete the installation. Triffle described the play as “part comedy, part cheap mystery, with the whole thing wrapped up in film noir.” The story was inspired by a custom that originated in the late 19th century: Bored housewives would get together for tea parties

to pursue intellectual endeavors and educate themselves on fine art and literature. Triffle has decided to take that custom and give it a contemporary twist to create an absurdly post-feminist riff on female competition and the subversive nature of support groups. The play tells the story of three misguided contemporary women artistes—Susannah, Miranda and Harriet—whose frustrations with painting, poetry and their lives lead them to engage in crazier and crazier stunts in order to create the art they so desperately want to create. Susannah has created a human art installation with a subject that may or may not be willingly taking part in the piece. As the other women arrive, the work is met with a mixture of shock, excitement and a renewed sense of creativity. At the core of this play, two main questions are posed: What is art? And is it worth it to take great risks in order to pursue your art? For actress Anne Sorce, who plays Susannah, the answer to the latter question is an enthusiastic yes. “Susannah’s core is about being an artist,” Sorce said. It’s about “who she wants to be versus the voice inside her head.” Sorce’s Susannah has had a lot of disappointment, and even failure, in her life, and yet through it all she always manages to pick herself up and carry on. She is a character that you want to root for, and the big question is whether she will be able to pull it off this year with her new art installation. Triffle, who founded Imago Theatre in 1979, has a long history of creating and acting in innovative productions. According to imagotheatre.com, in 1997 she wrote and directed Ginger’s Green, which marked the beginning of a canon of original music-theater works that

Artists and Friends Susannah, Miranda and Harriet gather in Susannah’s living room in Beaux Arts Club. (Pay no attention to the man detained against his will.)

includes Ajax, Oh Lost Weekend, No Can Do and Missing Mona. In 2006 her music-theater style changed form under the influence of Richard Maxwell, often featuring anti-clown heroes played by Danielle Vermette and cofounder Jerry Mouawad in works titled Hit Me in The Stomach, Mix Up, The Dinner, Simple People and Backs Like That Splat. Over her 30-year association with Imago, Triffle has won numerous awards, including Best Touring Production from the Independent Reviewers of New England, an Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, New York Dance Film awards and Portland Theatre awards for choreography, costume design and best original play.

For Imago, Beaux Arts Club is a return to a more traditional style of theater. Triffle points out that at its heart Imago’s primary mission is to present innovative work that will entertain audiences.

Imago Theatre presents Beaux Arts Club Friday, May 24, through Sunday, June 9 Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are free with a suggested donation of $10–20 Recommended for teens and older

6 8

‘I’m Harvey Milk, and I’m here to recruit you!’ Milk comes to 5th Avenue Cinema Tess Anderson Vanguard staff

The year 2008, like many election years, was a big one in terms of politics—and political films: Che, Nothing But The Truth, Frost/Nixon, W. and, of course, Milk. Though not quite as financially successful as other movies released in 2008, Gus Van Sant’s Milk was certainly one of the most decorated: It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and took home two—best actor (Sean Penn) and best original screenplay (by Dustin Lance Black). The theater will be showing the emotionally wrenching biopic Memorial Day weekend. The timing is appropriate, in my opinion, to commemorate not only those who fought in foreign wars but also those who fought for freedom within U.S. borders. The movie is about Harvey Milk, “the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet,” according to Time magazine. Milk chronicles the story of how Harvey went from being a friendly, chipper camera-store owner to a friendly, chipper, significantly more confident politician in San Francisco. Not only does the film tell Milk’s story of getting from point A to point B, it also shows how he impacted individual lives as well as the issues of gay rights, awareness and acceptance. It’s one of the few movies where the ending is revealed from the get-go, though this is usually the case with biopic films involving assassinations. This does not make Milk any less enjoyable, however: It’s all about the story, not

oscar winner sean penn stars in Gus Van Sant’s 2008 biopic, Milk, which is screening this weekend at 5th Avenue Cinema. a happy ending. Anyway, Sean Penn doesn’t do happy endings. Milk’s opening credits feature archival footage from the ’50s and ’60s of police raiding gay bars and arresting patrons. Contrary to the mood the credits establish, the entire film is incredibly hopeful and positive, even in times of despair and failure. The film opens with Milk recording his will nine days before his assassination, setting up the narration and the film’s frequent jumps back and forth between past and present. Van Sant makes use of copious amounts of archival footage from interviews, debates, newsreels and public speeches. The material

makes for a powerful storytelling device that demonstrates the subject’s historical significance, and the reels elicit both compassion and outrage from the viewer. The film also uses photographs to serve as transitional or artistic devices. They’re left behind after the first half, leaving the viewer to focus more on the story and less on the artistry of the editing. Penn took home his second Oscar statuette for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, and rightfully so. It was a subtle yet effective thing of beauty to watch his character evolve. Even his vocal patterns and intonations change to mirror his character’s growing confidence.

Penn has established a reputation in his personal life for being, shall we say, less than personable. He frequently chooses somber and serious roles, and as a result he’s also known for being one of the more emotionally moving actors in Hollywood. In Milk, he plays his polar opposite: amiable, cheerful, positive, appealing to multiple types of people; Penn’s very talented at faking it. Honorable mention in the acting category goes to Josh Brolin, playing Dan White, the initially subtle antagonist whose desperation manages to incite the audience’s empathy while simultaneously making viewers despise him. There are other political antagonists in the film, including Anita Bryant, who only makes appearances via archival footage; in other words, you can’t make up some of the stuff she said. There’s also John Briggs—the biggest opponent of gay rights and what Milk represented in general—played by Denis O’Hare, an openly gay actor. Van Sant, who was nominated for best director, screenwriter Black, who won for his screenplay, and the film’s two producers are just a few of the players involved who are also openly gay. For whatever reason, this film tends to be shown when there’s something substantial happening in the world of gay rights. Milk was first released mere weeks after the November election in which Proposition 8 passed the California ballot, restricting the recognition of marriage to opposite-sex couples. Who knows—had the film been released earlier, there might have been a different outcome in the vote. And now, as the film is set to play on campus, Gov. Mark Dayton just signed a bill making Minnesota the 12th state to legalize gay marriage. Harvey would be proud.

5th Avenue Cinema presents Milk 510 SW Hall St. Friday, May 24, and Saturday, May 25, at 7 and 9:30p.m. Sunday, May 26, at 3 p.m. Free with student ID

Sweet red rhubarb cobbler Say that 5 times fast Kat Audick Vanguard staff

A recipe that would truly make your grandma proud, this delectable rhubarb cobbler will absolutely sell you on vegetable-based desserts. This dish is both cheap and easy, a student’s two favorite food-related words. Rhubarb is so good for you that you don’t even have to feel gluttonous chowing down on the leftovers for breakfast. Rhubarb is one of those bizarre vegetables with flavors that cross over into the fruit world. While extremely low in calories, this mystery plant has a surprising amount of nutritional benefits. High in fiber, rich with antioxidants and packing a heaping helping of B-complex and K vitamins, rhubarb is a great go-to food for seriously good eats. The key to a well-made rhubarb cobbler is proper timing: Before you even begin to mix your other ingredients together, toss your cut rhubarb with 1 cup of sugar, cover and set aside to macerate. For best absorption, slice your rhubarb stalk into 1/2-inch pieces, cut at a diagonal. Once your cobbler cooks, be patient; let the pastry cool completely before cutting so that all of the tasty filling has a chance to settle. Serve with whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla or lemon curd ice cream. (Note: You will need a 9-inch brownie pan and parchment paper for this recipe.)

Ingredients Cobbler: Cooking spray 1/2 lb fresh rhubarb (a little over 2 cups when sliced), cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 cup sugar, divided 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 stick of unsalted butter, softened 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup sour cream Whipped topping for garnish (optional) Crumble topping: 1 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf

Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice rhubarb on a diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with 1/2 cup sugar; cover and set aside. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a few inches of extra paper on two sides for easy removal later. In a large bowl combine flour, salt and baking

powder and set aside. In a separate bowl beat 1/2 cup sugar, butter and lemon zest until combined. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla extract one at a time. Mix in sour cream and then gradually incorporate flour mixture into the batter. To prepare the crumble topping, melt butter and stir together with flour, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Pour the batter into the bottom of the

pan, top with macerated rhubarb and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake in center rack for approximately 1 hour until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside until cooled. Lift parchment to remove cobbler and cut into squares. Garnish with whipped topping or ice cream.

16 10

VANGUARD •• TUESDAY, THURSDAY, MAY NOVEMBER 21, 2013 10, • OPINiON 2011 • SPORTS

OPINION

EDITOR: Meredith Meier OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692

Serving a community in need

Dominika Kristinikova/VANGUARD STAFf

PSU creates new services for student veterans, but will the federal government do the same? A Critical Glance Adam E.Bushen

B Pregnant women paid to give up cigarettes It’s not as simple when the smoke clears Everywhere and Here Eva-Jeanette Rawlins

eadlines are a great way to gauge how judgmental you are. The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is almost irrelevant since people don’t read those any more. It’s all about headlines, bylines and taglines. It’s the two seconds when a cleverly crafted phrase catches your eye and tells you its story before you move on to the next one. They’re loaded these days— they have to be. I got a good sense of my judgy-ness when I recently read the headline: “Eugene CCO to pay pregnant women to stop smoking.” My response was anything but empathetic, and within minutes I’d thought of 20 other things that funding could, and should, go to. If having a baby isn’t reason enough to stop smoking, I don’t know what to tell you. I was embarrassed by it. Embarrassed for the mothers. Embarrassed for the program. I tried to imagine how it would feel to be paid to protect the life of my child. That’s when I stopped. I couldn’t imagine it. I also couldn’t fathom trying to come off 10 cigarettes a day with no one there to support me. That was Heidi Zauner’s story. She told Oregon Public Broadcasting that when she found out she was pregnant she was smoking half a pack every day. I’ve never

smoked, except for the predictable few puffs in high school to prove I was…something. Not sure what. I have no idea what it feels like to be addicted to a substance as strong as nicotine. I’m addicted to coffee and that’s bad enough. According to the OPB report, 40 percent of women on the Oregon Health Plan who are of “child-bearing age” know what it feels like. Thirty-two percent of them continue to smoke while pregnant. Yet how many girls grow up thinking they’d like to smoke throughout their pregnancy and put their babies at risk? Still, many of us look at women who do and roll our eyes with disgust. There’s no justification for knowingly putting your baby’s health at risk. That’s a given. But when was the last time you or anyone you knew changed their behavior in response to being shamed? Perhaps it’s not about justifying it but more about understanding it. The Trillium Community Health Plan is providing women with the one thing that most, if not all, of us need to succeed—empathy and community. Sure, it’s possible to go through the horrible experience of withdrawal alone, and more power to those who can, but it’s so much better when someone is there next to you. That’s what this program is, really. With no

judgment, it welcomes pregnant women who smoke, has them pick a quit date and signs them up for counseling. These women come in at set intervals during their pregnancy to be tested for signs of nicotine. If negative, they’re given a gift card to a store where they can buy groceries, baby clothes or household items. Each time they prove they haven’t been smoking they get another gift card, and the amounts increase the longer they test negative. If they fall off the wagon they start over again, but they aren’t kicked out of the program. You might wonder why those who consistently take care of themselves and their children aren’t rewarded instead of those who can’t seem to get it together. After all, isn’t this setting a precedent of rewarding bad behavior, leaving the door open for countless opportunities for people to abuse the system? Perhaps. Then again, perhaps it’s also stretching out a hand to help someone who desperately needs it. Someone like Holly Puzio, a 22-year-old mother of a 4-year-old with another on the way who’s trying to find a place to stay and who’s stressed out of her wits. Yes, we could all ask her how she got herself into that situation in the first place, but throwing stones is easy. I was ready to throw one, especially when I thought of little babies being born with nicotine in their system. So why not do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen?

ack in the 1940s, before Portland State was a recognized four-year university, the Vanport Extension Center was founded as an avenue for World War II veterans to get a college education. PSU’s evolution to Oregon’s largest state university was built on serving a community’s needs. Now, PSU is getting ready to launch its latest effort in offering educational services to student veterans: the Veteran’s Resource Center. With more than 1,000 veterans enrolled at PSU, and even more expected with the looming international military withdrawals, the VRC’s goal is to make the transition from a military environment to an academic one as easy as possible. Set to open this fall, the VRC will offer new academic workshops to help veterans map their academic careers and to assist student veterans who need help choosing their major and potential career. The center will complement the variety of services for student veterans that PSU already offers, including Viking Vets, Veteran Services and VetSuccess. Student veterans face a wide array of obstacles that the rest of us can only imagine. Alienation, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries are just a few of the hurdles these student veterans must overcome as they navigate their academic career. Despite these hindrances, student veterans add a depth to PSU that would otherwise be lacking. As Michele Toppe,

PSU’s dean of student life, said in a press release, “The wealth of experience and skills they bring makes our campus a better, more diverse, aware and civil place.” While the university is doing its best to aid our student veterans socially, academically and professionally, we have to question whether the U.S. government is doing enough for our returning soldiers. Statistics and widespread opinions paint a pretty bleak picture. This past winter the Department of Veterans Affairs released the results of a 10-year investigation into veteran suicide. What the DVA found is sobering: An American veteran commits suicide every 65 minutes. This equates to about 22 veterans taking their own lives every single day. Of these, 31 percent are veterans 49 years old or younger. Even these statistics are likely an underestimation, as suicide isn’t always listed as the cause of death due to families’ desire to avoid the negative public perception of suicide. If the number of veteran suicides continue to rise, then we clearly aren’t doing enough to prevent them. And veteran suicide is only one blight in our treatment of returning soldiers. The bureaucracy that veterans must navigate to receive their hardearned and often much-needed benefits is leading directly to the deaths of veterans. Documents gathered by the Center for Investigative Reporting indicate that the average time a veteran must wait to

receive disability compensation or any other benefits is 273 days, but veterans filing their first claims—those just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan— wait closer to 320 days. Veterans living in major cities wait even longer: 642 days in New York City, 619 days in Los Angeles and 542 days in Chicago. The number of veterans waiting more than a year for benefits went from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 as of December 2012. That’s a 2,000 percent increase. If receiving these benefits means life or death—and to some it does—imagine what it must be like to just wait and wait, hoping to get your benefits before something bad happens. That tells you something about where our veterans’ health and well-being stands in our government’s list of priorities. And let’s not forget the estimated 200,000 veterans sleeping on the streets somewhere in our country. Even President Barack Obama has spoken out on this issue. In a speech he gave last Memorial Day, Obama declared that how veterans are treated is “a national shame, a disgrace.” I’ve never served our country; most of us haven’t. We can’t possibly imagine the things veterans go through. While they say war is hell, imagine coming home from years of enduring the terrors of war in a foreign country and being neglected by the very people you risked your life for. It’s saying a lot that PSU makes a concerted effort to do more for our veterans. When will our federal government do the same?

Karl Kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf

OPINiON • TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 • VANGUARD

Kiss of death

Dominika Kristinikova/VANGUARD STAFf

New study shows danger awaits in some cosmetics One Step Off Emily Lakehomer

T Where’s the honey? The sweetly sticky truth about artificial sweeteners Page by Page Brie Barbee

ll over the world, honeybee colonies are collapsing. This phenomenon, called Colony Collapse Disorder, happens when the colonies’ worker bees mysteriously disappear. For many years, scientists have been unable to determine the cause of these disappearances. Reports have suggested that the widespread use of pesticides may have something to do with colony collapse, but the exact cause remains unclear. However, a recent study out of the University of Illinois may have determined the cause of CCD in bee colonies around the world. The likely culprit: highfructose corn syrup. Over the years it’s become common practice for commercial beekeepers to feed honeybees high-fructose corn syrup so that their natural food source, honey, can be removed and sold. Substituting chemically engineered HFCS for the honey that bees usually feed on weakens the bees’ immune systems and makes them more susceptible to disease and death. This hypothesis, while pointing a finger at a single contributor to CCD, may not fully account for the problem’s causes. It is, however, the closest we’ve come to explaining it. With new concerns and questions regarding feeding bees HFCS, will this discovery shine new light on how humans are affected by the substance? Not only is HFCS used as commercial food for bees, it’s also added to practically every packaged and processed food that we eat.

HFCS is cheap, cheaper than sugar, so it’s everywhere. You’ll find it in myriad foods, including less obvious items like bread, condiments, energy bars and pasta sauce. For years it’s been the goto substitute for table sugar (sucrose) in most U.S. food manufacturing.

You don’t need a scientist to tell you that eating large quantities of chemically engineered, complexsugar-ridden, unnatural sweeteners is bad for your health.

Overexposure to high-fructose corn syrup and other unnatural sweeteners makes us less able to taste sweetness. In order for our taste buds to experience similar levels of sweetness we must consume larger amounts of sugar. Similar to the way our bodies metabolize alcohol and build tolerance for it, we build tolerance for HFCS when we eat foods that contain it. You don’t need a scientist to tell you that eating large quantities of chemically engineered, complex-sugar-ridden, unnatural sweeteners is bad for your health. Yet with steadily increasing amounts of HFCS in the foods that we eat, diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other diet-related illnesses have increased to

epidemic proportions. More and more people are being affected. It raises the question: Are we doomed to a similar fate as that of the honeybee? Unlike the honeybee, however, which might not be aware of changes to its diet, we’re in control of what we put in our bodies. And we should be conscious of this. HFCS and any of its unnatural sugary cousins are included in the ingredients list on a food’s packaging. Checking the ingredients before you buy something is an important step in reducing the amount of HFCS you consume, and in negating the potentially lifethreatening risks it may pose to your health. Making foods from scratch rather than buying them from the store will also limit the amount of added artificial sugars and syrups you consume, and you’ll be more aware of the ingredients that you put into your body. Food with fewer processed ingredients is better for you and will make you healthier and happier. Reducing the amount of highfructose corn syrup that you eat might make everything taste a lot blander. While that might be true for a while—a few weeks at the most—your body will adjust to the new levels of sweetness and your sense of taste will go back to normal. Your newly reborn taste buds will be able to distinguish the more subtle flavors of your food, and in turn you won’t have to add as much seasoning. Foods that once seemed bland compared your sugary diet will now taste a lot more appealing, and you’ll be a lot healthier. Who wouldn’t want that? And perhaps if we can lessen our dependence on artificial sweeteners and HFCS, we might be able to change how HFCS is used in other ways. We might even save some honeybee colonies.

here was a time when I hated wearing makeup. I didn’t enjoy the hassle of applying and then reapplying layers of foundation, bronzer, eyeliner and mascara. I still hate the idea of doing that over and over again, but last year I discovered eyebrow filler and, well, I’ve never been the same. Since that fateful day, my love affair with makeup has blossomed into a committed relationship, complete with a morning ritual and me carrying a compact mirror in my purse at all times. A few months ago I got bored with my regular cat eye look and started wearing red lipstick a la Gwen Stefani. Lipstick is a lot of fun. You can completely revolutionize or tone down an outfit with the right shade. However, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health recently published a study in Environmental Health Perspectives that indicates the lipstick we’ve come to know and love might not be so good for us. Most cosmetics available at the drugstore or makeup boutiques like Sephora are filled with all kinds of chemicals and man-made products. Many of us know this, but we’ve chosen to ignore the facts. Maybe we shouldn’t ignore them anymore. The study stated that researchers tested “32 commonly sold lipsticks and lip glosses” and found that they contained “lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals.” CBSnews.com reported that of the products tested in the study, half had levels of lead “in concentrations

higher than [the] 0.1 parts per million cap the U.S. Food and Drug Administration places on candy frequently eaten by small children.” Before you toss out all your lipsticks, though, consider the fact that these levels of contamination might not be too threatening. The long-term health risks depend on how much lipstick or gloss is absorbed. With the liberal amounts of gloss many lovely lipstick wearers here at Portland State use on a daily basis, this statistic is a little staggering. Berkeley professor Katharine Hammond told the Huffington Post that this is just a starting point. She urged us not to panic, not to give up lipstick altogether, but said that the study’s results are disconcerting. “I don’t think this is trivial,” she said. “It needs to be addressed.” Indeed it does. We’ve been using lipstick for decades. Since the preliminary research results were released, the FDA has examined the levels of lead in lipsticks and concluded that the levels are too low to be considered a health risk. According to the Huffington Post, the FDA “has not set limits for lead in cosmetics.” In fact, in the U.S. there isn’t a single standard set for the levels of metals in cosmetics, according to a press release issued by the study’s authors. Linda Loretz, chief toxicologist for the Personal Care Products Council, didn’t think much of the study. She told the Huffington Post that these metals naturally exist in our environment, in our air, water and even food, concluding that it shouldn’t come as a

surprise that trace levels were found in lipsticks. So, even experts on both sides of the argument can’t definitively say whether lipstick is truly dangerous. Products touting “all natural” labels are the answer, some might say. Then again, that these metals and other “toxic” substances occur in nature is the double-edged sword of mass-produced and readily available cosmetics. You’d be hard-pressed to find lipsticks at a higher-end store that didn’t also include the various substances the study warns us about. Be that as it may, organizations like Skin Deep want consumers to know what’s in their cosmetics. Skin Deep provides a “safety profile of various cosmetics and body products,” and you should check it out before making your next makeup purchase. No one has the time (or the means) to conduct their own safety tests on the makeup they wear. The products I use, which aren’t tested on animals, are probably filled with all kinds of substances that could be considered dangerous to my health. Am I going to stop using them? No, probably not. Someday when I’m a wealthy English teacher (go ahead, laugh), I’ll be able to use the purest of red lipsticks and the most toxin-free eyebrow pencils. Until then, I’ll take these studies and articles with a grain of salt. Makeup probably isn’t all that great for us anyway; I mean, it clogs up pores, it has a tendency to dry out skin and lips, it causes acne and who knows what else. But we enjoy wearing it. It provides us with a feeling of beauty, maybe even self-love. Until toxicologists prove that lipstick, eyeliner or any of their cosmetic cousins are actually detrimental to our health, I don’t think we have a whole lot to worry about.

suraj nair/VANGUARD STAFf

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013 • Opinion

Online comments The story doesn’t stop when the print hits the page. Don’t like something you read in the Vanguard ? Want us to cover a story? Do you feel there’s more to be said? You have the opportunity to praise us or rip us apart. Post a comment online or write us a letter. Tell us what you think. Here are some online highlights from psuvanguard.com. “Radiation rock”

Vol. 67, No. 60 Bob Staples May 17 The in-store is actually Saturday the 18th! “Counter Coulter”

Vol. 67, No. 59

Chug, chug, chug! Amazing new Zane Lamprey show seeks funding through Kickstarter Ms. Fudge’s Sweet Nothings Stephanie Fudge-Bernard

ane Lamprey, the host of cheeky travel shows Three Sheets and Drinking Made Easy, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his new show, called Chug. Whether you love travel, drinking or just good comedy, Chug is going to be a show you won’t want to miss. While it will certainly involve drinking, Chug won’t just be about pounding beer. The show gets its name from the mode of travel Lamprey will use as he finds new drinking holes—the train. The new show will also allow Lamprey to once again explore all of the crazy ways people around the globe get absolutely sloshed together, while somehow still managing to be surprisingly informative. Basically, Lamprey’s MO involves traveling to unique drinking locations, breweries, distilleries and wineries to experience the interesting and bizarre customs people have, especially when it comes to alcohol. After both of his successful shows were kicked off the air, and when none of the mainstream networks wanted to promote what they viewed as just a drinking show, Lamprey decided he’d take his idea directly to all of the alcohol enthusiasts out there who love his irreverent humor and drinking expertise, and who also love to learn about new places.

The Kickstarter campaign will give Lamprey the funding needed to make the show longer than the previous 22–24 minutes, and if a network did decide to pick it up, all of the excited Kickstarter backers would get exclusive rewards ranging from behind-thescenes footage to T-shirts to an actual appearance on the show itself. If you love world travel and learning about all of the fantastic things you can do with alcohol, you’ve probably watched Three Sheets and Drinking Made Easy by now. Despite the alcohol, or possibly because of it, Lamprey manages to expose the beautiful, hilarious and terrifying differences between people all around the world, as well as their surprisingly similar habits. In Three Sheets, Lamprey went to places like Belgium, Croatia and the Philippines. Whether he’s jumping into beer baths in the Czech Republic or grabbing drinks from a molecular mixologist in Hamburg, Lamprey’s eccentric humor charms locals into opening up, resulting in one damn fine travel show. Drinking Made Easy, a national twist on Three Sheets, follows Lamprey as he travels all over the U.S. It’s even come to our very own Rose City. He stopped into Mint/820, a bar that I didn’t even know existed but that evidently creates delicious

cocktails from fresh ingredients like avocados and cilantro. He took a stroll over to Hopworks Urban Brewery to check out its carbon-neutral location and its Beer Bike, which can carry two halfbarrel kegs and three pizzas and has a solar-powered MP3 player. Evidently, HUB heats their product using biofuel wastes like french fry oils from local restaurants. Lamprey even went downtown and stopped by Portland’s oldest-operating restaurant, Huber’s Cafe, to try one of its famous Spanish coffees. After lighting the Bacardi 151, spilling a bit of Kahlua and sloshing the whipped cream, Lamprey expressed a sentiment common to many Huber’s patrons when he jokingly asked, “Is it possible that I feel drunk already?” after a single sip. You can expect to see some very zany things in Lamprey’s shows, like a stuffed monkey named Pleepleus, whose appearance is the cue to take a drink of your own. Lamprey’s pal Steve McKenna also sporadically pops into episodes to down a beer or five, run around naked with Lamprey and add some inappropriate— but welcome—humor. Whether you find different cultures fascinating or want to see all of the ridiculous things the locals manage to get Lamprey to consume—like viper rum—Chug will be a show that won’t disappoint. Jump onto Kickstarter before the campaign ends on June 1 and see what it’s about, and maybe send in some money for a T-shirt.

Gary May 16 I’m going to go ahead and stick with arguing against your racist label. I would love to just say, how is anything Coulter said racist? But I’m sure I would not get a response with any substance, so I proceed with a breakdown of your thought silencing tactic. 1) Coulter uses humor and wit a lot, and this may have escaped you but her jokes are not racist they are jokes about racism. This means that she is using humor to point out a ridiculous situation; her “racist” statements are so out there that only an idiot or an ideologue would take them seriously. 2) How is using the term clitorectomy at all racist? You assert that is an African custom, maybe implying that only black people do it. Well that is wrong; some tribes have a tradition of doing it, but that tradition is diminishing. Where it is increasing is in the Muslim culture, and before you say, “that’s racist!” let me point out that being a Muslim does not mean that one is a certain race. Islam is a religion, not a race; it is an idea, like all religions, and like all ideas it is open to debate, discussion and criticism. 3) Tsnaraev, while he had a good tan, was Caucasian and his wife definitely is and BTW so is Coulter; so no racism there. You would have been better served arguing for the abolishment of female genital mutilation (clitorectomy) which is a growing problem in only one demographic, Muslims. But then some

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/ Portlandstate vanguard

other person that believes that “…there are some things we just shouldn’t say,” would try to label you a racist, and then nothing gets done or said to stop women suffering all over the world. “Broadway residents live with tighter security”

Vol. 67, No. 57 Zack Shannon May 7 I really hate that they are doing this. As a student who has lived in broadway for the past year I don’t like walking into my home and instantly becoming a suspect. Everytime they ask me for my ID it makes me feel guilty and that sucks. They have key cards to get in, but how easy it is to get around them I feel like they are only doing this to say they tried to do something when worse comes to worse. If they really cared about security at broadway they would have either cameras or a security guard the specifically roams the building. I do like that I’m treated as a suspect until I prove who I am. Broadway is my home and if they were trying to get people to move out by making them feel guilty then with at least for me they got there wish. Sara Guerre (in response to Zack Shannon) May 8 Your feelings < safety of students. Georgie Orwell (in response to Sara Guerre) May 14 Your rights < perceived safety of students. Sara Guerre (in response to Georgie Orwell) May 15 Your comment < Logic.

ETC. ETC.•• Thursday, TUESDAY, MAY Nov.21, 8, 2013 2012 • VANGUARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Erick Bengel EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691

About In an Antique Land: A Book Discussion with Bishupal Limbu 2:30 p.m. Multnomah County Central Library 801 SW 10th Ave.

Bishupal Limbu, an assistant professor of English at Portland State, will lead a discussion on a book by Amitav Ghosh, a compelling mix of research and imagination with a story that shifts back and forth between very different times. Limbu will lecture on the book at the Multnomah County Central Library downtown. FREE

Portland Art Museum Free Admission

THE ZUMIEZ COUCH TOUR offers the public the chance to meet some of their favorite professional skaters while also enjoying live music and free merchandise.

Tuesday, May 21

Tuesday Night Tango 7 p.m. class, 8 p.m. open dance Bossanova Ballroom 722 E Burnside St.

On Tuesday nights the Bossanova Ballroom offers you the chance to learn to tango. Bring a partner or come alone for free dance from 8 p.m. to midnight. All skill levels are welcome, including beginners, and a lesson will be offered from 7–8 p.m. for those who would like to learn the steps. Admission is $8 per person. 21+

2013 Mark Gurevitch Memorial Lecture 5 p.m. School of Business Administration, room 190 631 SW Harrison St.

Portland State welcomes professor Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna, to lecture on some of the fundamentals of quantum physics and then focus on photons and their relation to the field of quantum information. The lecture will present recent experiments in long-distance quantum teleportation and other exciting developments in the world of physics.

Wednesday, May 22

The Portland Women’s Movement Part 3: Fighting for Ideas and Dollars

Lincoln Hall hosts the Performance Attendance Recital Series, where you are invited to attend performances during the lunch hour for free. Each performance has a different theme and they run through the term. May 23 will feature vocal performers from Portland State. FREE

Thursday, May 23

Performance Attendance Recital Series Noon Lincoln Hall, room 75 1620 SW Park Ave.

Every fourth Friday of the month the Portland Art Museum offers free admission to guests during specific hours. Come enjoy a night of fantastic exhibits and the opportunity to learn something new and exciting about art. FREE

Saturday, May 25

Eighth Annual Filipino Culture Night

Net Impact Energy Efficiency Month Lecture Series: Transformation

6–9 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, third floor ballroom 1825 SW Broadway

4:15 p.m. School of Business Administration, room 190 615 SW Harrison St.

Portland State Kaibigan, the FilipinoAmerican student association, invites you to join them for the eighth annual Filipino culture night, a festival that will feature Filipino cuisine and modern as well as traditional dancing, songs, poetry and stories.

Scott Lewis of Brightworks will be the guest speaker for a lecture that is part of a month-long series on energy efficiency. He will answer the question: How do organizations influence their culture to adopt energy-efficient behavior? A happy hour reception will follow the lecture. FREE

Beyond Words: Language(s) and Learning Mathematics 6:30–7:30 p.m. College of Urban and Public Affairs, room 303 506 SW Mill St.

Professor Judit Moschkovich, University of California, Santa Cruz, is a noted author and speaker. She will be at Portland State to offer ideas about alternative forms of knowledge in relation to the construction FREE of mathematics.

7–8:30 p.m. College of Urban and Public Affairs, second floor gallery 506 SW Mill St.

This event features four panelists who are leaders in the field of women’s studies. The discussion will be based on how to organize and find funding to make sure that important programs are funded and included in educational institutions. Portland State’s women’s studies program is FREE used as an example.

5–8 p.m. Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave.

Friday, May 24

Are Bicycling and Walking “Cool”?: Adolescent Attitudes about Active Travel Noon–1 p.m. College of Urban and Public Affairs, room 204 506 SW Mill St.

Tara Goddard, a Ph.D. student at Portland State, will be presenting her research related to the attitudes of children between the ages of 4–17 years about physical activity for fun. Though the rates of activity seem to have declined, some research shows that this data differs from the ideas that young people have about things like biking and walking. FREE

Admission is free for Portland State students; faculty and staff will be admitted free of charge but donations will be accepted for the Kaibigan FREE Scholarship fund.

Sunday, May 26

Compound Fracture Movie Tour 7:30 p.m. Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd.

Actor Tyler Mane—Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II, as well as many other noted horror roles—will be at the Hollywood Theatre for one night only for a screening of his new film, Compound Fracture. VIP tickets can be purchased for $30, which allow for early entry to the theater and time for meet-and-greet and photo opportunities. Tickets are otherwise $20.

ETC. Tuesday, May 28

Information Session: Ever Thought about Study Abroad? 6:45–7:45 p.m. East Hall, room 236 632 SW Hall St.

All students are welcome to attend this information session about Portland State study abroad programs. Students who have just returned from studying abroad themselves will be available to answer any questions that you might have, as well as provide information about how to find scholarships and begin applicaFREE tion processes.

Screening: How’s Your News? 7 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 298 1825 SW Broadway

How’s Your News? is a documentary film that follows the journey of a set of reporters with developmental disabilities as they venture across the country and interview people that FREE they meet along the way.

Monday, May 27

Zumiez Couch Tour 12:30–7 p.m. Clackamas Town Center 12000 SE 82nd Ave.

The Zumiez Couch Tour brings brands and fans together for an event unlike any other. Celebrity skateboarders will be performing demonstrations of the latest gear, and local Portland band Red Fang will provide live music. The event will also include numerous games and giveaways, and it is all yours to attend for free. FREE

ADVERTISE FOR FREE! Place an event on the calendar: Contact calendar@psuvanguard.com or pick up a calendar request form at the Vanguard advertising office, SMSU, room S-30.

= on PSU campus FREE = free of charge FREE = open to the public 21+ = 21 and over

VANGUARD •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, MAY JANUARY 21, 2013 10, 2012 • SPORTS • ETC.

SPORTS

EDITOR: MARCO ESPAñA SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538

Contrasting styles in NBA conference finals 4 teams left standing as playoffs head toward June Drew Lazzara Vanguard Staff

The scheduling of the NBA playoffs makes no sense to me. I could probably write an entire column about how foolish it is that the Western Conference Finals began Sunday afternoon while the Eastern Conference Finals don’t begin until tomorrow evening, three long days later, even though the matchups have been set since Saturday. What this means is that the West champion may be crowned and resting up to a week before the East champion is decided. It also means that the Western Conference Finals will have begun by the time this article is published, so I will not be able to appropriately preview the most compelling of our two remaining playoff series. I would love to be able to tell you that the Memphis Grizzlies versus the San Antonio Spurs is going to be simply wonderful basketball. San Antonio’s excellence is well documented, but I doubt many people outside of Texas realize how much evolution that excellence has undergone in order to be maintained. The Spurs have morphed from a defense-first, slow-itdown juggernaut built around

Tim Duncan and an aging David Robinson into one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the game. (As you watch the West finals, be sure to note how many open corner threes the Spurs hit—you could make a drinking game out of it.) And the Grizzlies are doing everything well. They won eight of their last nine games in the playoffs leading up to this series and made both the Clippers and the Thunder look totally outmatched. It would have been great to talk about that stuff, but sadly that’s in the past. The future is the Eastern Conference Finals, which will almost certainly be less entertaining. Even if this series lasts seven games and each contest comes down to the wire, it could be some tough basketball to watch. A lion’s share of that blame goes to my beloved Indiana Pacers, one of the least aesthetically pleasing teams in the entire league. All season long, the Pacers have played the best defense in the NBA; were it not for a slight lull in mid-April, their numbers would have been historically great. That is their potential, and if you have the patience to appreciate it, it’s a sight to behold. Indiana’s starting lineup is huge and long. They never double-team, so they are the best in the league at chasing teams off the threepoint line. They play the pick-and-roll masterfully, with either a hard hedge from David West or a packthe-paint step back by the 7-foot-2-inch Roy Hibbert. They defend the rim without fouling, and they rotate on

a string. The problem is, it just doesn’t look like much. In fact, it usually looks like two teams not scoring, because as good as the Pacers are on defense, they are equally average on offense. For much of the year, their per-100-possession numbers (the best indicator of how relatively successful a team’s offense is) put them near the bottom of the pack. Since the All-Star break, they have made adjustments and seen better production from Hibbert and shooting guard Lance Stephenson, improvements that have actually pulled them close to the top 10 in scoring. Still, they win no beauty contests even on their most efficient days, and are still prone to stretches in which they are simply awful. But the dirty little secret of the Eastern Conference Finals and their potential for unwatchability is the Miami Heat. Perhaps I’m the only one who thinks so (a distinct possibility), but the Heat are rarely any more fun to watch than the Pacers. They are better in nearly every way (except in rebounding or defense, two areas that represent Indiana’s slim chance of taking this series), but they go about their business in a machine-like manner that makes their success look mechanical rather than exuberant. At the beginning of this season, I wrote about learning to love LeBron and his robot game, and I’ve done my best to appreciate his brilliance. It just isn’t as much fun to watch as Kobe’s or Michael’s or even Hakeem’s. Their games had

lebron james can expect to get swarmed by the Indiana defense when the series begins tomorrow.

fluidity, a certain kind of grace that LeBron’s superhuman physicality kind of flattens out. Those other greats also seemed to be constantly struggling against something, their achievements always made to feel unlikely no matter how often they happened. LeBron just seems inexorable. Plus, there’s just something about Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller and Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem and Norris Cole that irks

me. These guys are utilitarian at best, but in Miami they benefit from wide-open looks. It makes the team great, but not fun to watch— it offends my sensibility as much as the Pacers’ style likely offends yours. Which means that the Eastern Conference Finals are going to be ugly. I hope they will be competitive, and Indiana’s strengths form a perfect recipe for upsetting Miami. They have beaten the Heat twice this year, both wins coming

by double figures, and in both contests they contained Miami’s offense and dominated the boards. In Miami’s lone regular-season win, LeBron scored a season-low 13 points. Indiana makes you ugly, and that gives them a chance. But Miami is just a better team, and I’m not sure there’s going to be much to like for the casual fan in this one. I, of course, will be watching every minute, and I’ll be sure to give you every boring detail. Go Pacers!

Govi turns in record season Tennis player among best in Big Sky Rosemary Hanson Vanguard Staff

megan govi proved to be the driving force behind the improvement in the PSU women’s team this year.

Megan Govi is quick to give credit to her team’s effort in 2012–13, but the sophomore earned plenty of accolades on her own this season. Govi broke multiple school records as a member of the women’s tennis squad, including those for single-season wins and conference wins. She also won Big Sky Honorable Mention accolades for her performance throughout the season. Govi is an all-around athlete whose passion for fitness continues to drive her success on the court. “She is focused, committed—she sets goals,” head coach Jay Sterling said. “She knows what she wants to

achieve and she works really hard to make it happen.” As a child, Govi’s athletic interests were geared mainly toward swimming and basketball, but after following her brother’s lead onto the tennis court at age 12, she was hooked. Govi’s family remains her principal source of motivation, both on and off the court. “My brother played [tennis] and I wanted to be just like him,” she said. “So I picked it up and found out that I was pretty good at it.” Govi has proven that she has the talent to compete at the collegiate level, something that is already paying off for the team—her breakthrough second season for Portland State is one of the main reasons the women’s squad was able to score 12 wins in their 24 matches, the first time in the history of the program that the Vikings did not finish

below .500. Govi’s main goal is to build on that success going forward. “It’s nice that I had a good record, but it would feel a lot better if my team had also had that record,” she said. “It would be great if our team could have that success.” Govi is currently working toward a degree in communication. She hopes to go into broadcasting or publishing after graduation, and is looking to do an internship at a radio station this summer. But she’ll be on the court as well, working with Sterling and the rest of the coaching staff to diversify her attack, play more aggressively and continue improving her net game. Sterling isn’t concerned about Govi’s ability to handle the transition. “She is going to continue to get better,” he said. “We have only started to scratch the surface [of ] her potential.”

SPORTS ETC. •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, MAY Nov.21, 6, 2012 2013 • VANGUARD

13 15

Winterhawks fall to Halifax in Memorial Cup opener Huge 2nd period lifts Mooseheads to victory Zach Bigalke Vanguard Staff

Twenty-two minutes into Saturday’s Memorial Cup opener against Halifax, the Portland Winterhawks held a 3-1 lead after Ty Rattie sliced through the Moosehead defense for a power play goal. By the second intermission, however, any hope of a Winterhawks victory had evaporated as Halifax center Nathan MacKinnon’s hat trick spurred a five-goal second period that propelled the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions to a 7-4 win. Portland took the initiative against Halifax goaltender Zachary Fucale in the first period, outshooting the

Mooseheads 16-7 and going into the first intermission tied at 1-1 on a Seth Jones goal late in the frame. The Winterhawks then stole the lead 39 seconds into the second period as Portland captain Troy Rutkowski snapped home his first of two goals of the night, and Rattie followed him less than two minutes later to make it 3-1. Looking potent offensively and solid on the other end of the ice, Portland returned to the faceoff circle appearing to have stamped their mark on this matchup. But the Winterhawks’ third goal seemed to wake up the lethargic Halifax line. Jonathan Drouin started the goal glut for the Mooseheads a minute after Rattie’s marker, potting a rebound behind Mac Carruth to cut the deficit in half. MacKinnon, parked in front of the Winterhawks’ crease, redirected Brendan

zachary fucale was able to limit the Winterhawks’ offense in the first game at the Memorial Cup. Halifax came away with the win 7-4. Duke’s shot from the blue line to add the equalizer with 15:24 left in the period. For the next five minutes the two sides traded scoring opportunities, waiting to see who would bend next. When defenseman Derrick Pouliot’s slashing penalty put Portland a man down midway through the second period, Halifax got the opening they needed to open the floodgates and put the game out of reach. On the ensuing power play,

Luca Ciampini streaked down the left wing, fighting off tight marking from Jones and switching from backhand to forehand before finding a gap between Carruth and the near post to give Halifax a lead they would not relinquish. MacKinnon added two more goals before the second period ended, beating Carruth on the power play with 5:57 remaining and nabbing a shorthanded tally with less than two minutes remaining

before the intermission. “They can score at the flip of a switch, and that’s what they did,” Rattie said after the game. Rutkowski narrowed the gap to 6-4 with his second goal of the game early in the third period, but the Winterhawks would find no more holes in Fucale’s defense on the night. Stephen MacAulay restored the three-goal lead for Halifax with 14:27 remaining, the seventh goal allowed by Carruth on 35 shots.

“There’s a reason they’re ranked number one [in major junior hockey],” Rutkowski said. “We got away from our game the last 15 minutes of the second period, and it cost us.” The round-robin stage of the Memorial Cup concludes tomorrow, when the Winterhawks face the Saskatoon Blades. The champion of junior hockey will be crowned in the tournament’s finale on May 26.

Thorns suffer first loss of the season Late goal lifts Sky Blue FC to victory at Jeld-Wen Matt Deems Vanguard Staff

Feelin’ Thorny? The oncecontroversial T-shirt slogan turned into an unofficial motto as the Portland Thorns rolled through their first six games of 2013 unbeaten, leaving the competition wondering if they had just taken an up-close and personal tour of the city’s rose gardens. But when the National Women’s Soccer League leaders faced off against Sky Blue FC on Thursday, they finally ran into an opponent they could not deny, losing 1-0. Portland took to the pitch at Jeld-Wen Field in front of a crowd of 11,055 and found out exactly why Sky Blue FC is nipping at their heels in the NWSL standings. The Thorns had every reason to be confident going into the second home game in franchise history with a dynamic lineup that features Alex Morgan, who is currently tied for second in the league in goals, as well as the April NWSL Player of the Month, Christine Sinclair. But Portland’s attack came up empty against Sky Blue FC,

getting just three shots in the first half compared to eight by their opponents. The Timbers defense did their part, holding Sky Blue FC in check to keep the game scoreless at halftime, but the visitors began to establish themselves in the final 10 minutes of the half and seemed to have the energy on their side by the time the teams headed into the locker rooms.

Portland took to the pitch at Jeld-Wen Field in front of a crowd of 11,055 and found out exactly why Sky Blue FC is nipping at their heels in the NWSL standings. That trend continued into the first 20 minutes of the second half as the Thorns appeared worn down on defense and lacking in passing accuracy on offense. Sky Blue FC was relentless, feeding off the pace of Australian forward Lisa De Vanna, who had four shots in the game and two on goal as she consistently pulled off brilliant moves to lose her defenders. The Thorns continued to look for answers and were nearly rewarded for their patience in the 67th minute,

kayla nguyen/VANGUARD STAFF

on the run against Sky Blue FC’s potent offense, the Thorns were defeated 1-0 at Jeld-Wen Field.

when Alex Morgan sent a ripper on goal that flew just a few inches over the right post. But it was Sky Blue FC who finally saw the fruits of their labor against the exhausted Thorn defense, when they earned a yellow card on a foul by Sinclair in the 79th

minute. The resulting free kick was passed to Taylor Lytle, who converted it into a goal just a minute after being substituted into the game. With only seconds left in stoppage time, Lytle was whistled for a hand ball, giving Portland one last chance to even the tally—but the

ball was cleared away with a header and the Thorns took their first loss of the season. Portland goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc was deflated after the game but determined to look on the bright side. “Oh, it hurt, especially at home, because we want to put on a good show for the fans and make them know

that we appreciate them,” LeBlanc said. “To lose at home stinks that much more, but you know it’s good to have it this early in the season.” Defender Rachel Buehler echoed the sentiment. “We’ve had a good record so far,” she said. “The loss is a good wakeup call.”

VANGUARD •TTUESDAY, uesday, Jan. MAY31, 21,2013 2013• •SPORTS SPORTS

Timbers grind out a draw