FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 109
Event of the day Interested in other cultures and countries? Attend the 34th Annual International Night and eat foods from different regions and enjoy music from around the world. When: 5 p.m. Where: Smith Memorial Student Union
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INSIDE OPINION
President’s garden still flourishing
Overcoming Oregon obesity Childhood obesity is down in Oregon… or is it? PAGE 3
ARTS
Just plain wrong Just Wright is unrealistic and predictable from start to finish pAgE 5
Presidential permaculture: Students planted a sustainable garden at Wiewel’s home in 2009.
Pustules, boils and sores galore! Third annual PDX Zombie Prom hits Portland this weekend pAgE 6 Music for everyone Another all-ages music venue bites the dust PAGE 7
NEWS “Break the Wall; Embrace the World” 34th annual International Night to cross cultural barriers pAgE 8
SPORTS
Students return to Wiewel’s permaculture garden, discuss sustainability Catrice Stanley Vanguard staff
Last year, students from Portland State designed a permaculture garden to be planted in President Wim Wiewel’s yard. This year, on May 1, a small group of students and faculty returned to his home to celebrate the garden’s success, one year later. The group helped replace annual vegetable crops and herbs, as well as plant seeds, according to Jordan Mercier, a psychology student who
Clubs with character A look at two rec clubs with unique focuses PAGE 10
ASPSU Vice President Ed Hallman. “We basically sat around and had a nice long conversation,” he said. “[We talked about] the direction of Portland State and what we see as the strengths of the college in terms of sustainability.” The group also discussed the future of sustainability at PSU, as well as what improvements need to be made in order to provide the university with a promising future, according to Hallman. Mercier also appreciated having time to touch base with Wiewel. “[Wiewel] talked a lot about sustainability at PSU and how that’s looking from the institutional level,” Mercer said. “The people I know are working from the ground level so it’s really nice to have someone who is
Vanguard staff
Speakers Board needs students
Student fees fund Portland State’s Educational Activities Speakers Board, a committee of six representatives from across campus that helps student groups and academic departments bring speakers to campus. However, the board is currently suffering from understaffing and a lack of visibility. The Speakers Board consists of three students, chosen by the ASPSU president, and three faculty members, chosen by the Faculty Senate, according to Shannon Timm, the future adviser to the Speakers Board and a current
advisor for Student Activities and Leadership Programs. This year, however, only two students have remained on the board, according to Timm. “The last couple of years, [the board has] struggled,” she said. When a new ASPSU president takes office, they often make appointing students to the Speakers Board a low priority because they already have so much to learn, Timm said. In addition, appointees are not always fully prepared for the commitment.
SALP plans to recruit student members, increase visibility Sharon Rhodes
The ultimate sport comes to PSU An inside look at Ultimate Frisbee PAGE 10
was involved with the activities. Mercier also volunteers at PSU’s Reuse Room, and is part of a Capstone project that is constructing the composting station in the Smith Food Court. Amanda Leece, volunteer coordinator at the Sustainability Leadership Center, was also present that day. “It was really fun to get our hands dirty and getting to plant things,” she said. For many of those present to replant the garden, however, the real treat came after the manual labor was done. Once the planting was completed, there was an hour or more in which the garden helpers sat down with Wiewel to discuss sustainability, said
Photo courtesy of PSU Communications
In order to curb this problem, SALP hopes to recruit student members for the Speaker’s Board, according to Timm. “Interested people should contact student government,” she said. According to Timm, next year big changes are in the works for the Speakers Board. “I anticipate that a year from now [the board] is going to look really different,” she said. “It’s just been a little neglected.” To date, the Speakers Board has worked almost entirely behind the
part of the actual bureaucratic aspect of it.” A permaculture garden is a system intended to be sustainable with little to no input from gardeners, once in place, according to Hallman. “It’s not just something that is limited to growing things,” he said. “It’s actually a way of thinking about all the inputs and outputs of a system and pointing them inward so they take care of themselves.” Hallman said he gained a great deal of his permaculture insight from Permaculture Design, a two-term course offered by Toby Hemenway. Students in the course designed the permaculture garden that is now on display in Wiewel’s front yard. “It’s a really great course. It is one of the best things I’ve done in college. And after you finish both terms, you actually get your permaculture design certificate,” Hallman said. “Also, the instructor is one of the coolest and wisest individuals I have met in my life.” Fallon Roderick, Student Leadership liaison for Ecological Sustainability, encourages students to get involved in sustainability projects such as this one. “I think the Sustainability Leadership Center is going be the place for students to come when they want to get involved in sustainability projects,” Roderick said. There are several other gardening projects available on campus for students that want to venture into sustainable practices, according to Leece. In addition, Leece said it was an exciting time to get involved in sustainability. “There are lots of opportunities available,” she said. “If they want to help they can just contact us [at the Sustainability Leadership Center].” According to Hallman, permaculture ideas are just beginning to take off. “I think it’s a huge opportunity for a lot of people,” he said. “Permaculture is really going to explode– especially as we get more into urban agriculture.”
scenes. However, beginning next year, Timm said she hopes to work on “leadership development with the students” on the board. Timm said she also plans to update its website–which is currently a link to a PDF file–and create “some branding” to increase the visibility of the board and the speakers it brings to campus. With a yearly budget of approximately $35,000, the Speakers Board typically helps student groups and departments bring 10 to 15 speakers to campus each year, according to its website. Though the board provides anywhere from $100 to $2,000 for a given event, individual student groups and departments have a cap of $3,000 per year, Timm said.
SPEAKERS continued on page eight
Vanguard 2 | Opinion May 14, 2010
Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Virginia Vickery News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor
OPINION Editorial Stott Center fees, rec club woes
Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Bryan Morgan Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Kristin Pugmire Copy Chief Kristin Pugmire Calendar Editor Jae Specht Advertising Manager William Prior Marketing Manager Judson Randall Adviser Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Associate News Editor Corie Charnley Production Assistants Stephanie Case, Justin Flood, Shannon Vincent Post-production Assistant Adiana Lazarraga Contributors Stacy Austin, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Leah Bodenhamer, Meaghan Daniels, Sarah Engels, Sarah Esterman, Amy Fylan, Courtney Graham, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Joe Hannan, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Carrie Johnston, Sara M. Kemple, Tamara K. Kennedy, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Natalie McClintock, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Tanya Shiffer, Wendy Shortman, Robert Seitzinger, Catrice Stanley, Amy Staples, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Andrea Vedder, Katherine Vetrano, Allison Whited, Roger Wightman Photographers Drew Martig, Michael Pascual, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Noah Emmet, Amanda Gordon Advertising Sales Sam Gressett, Iris Meyers, Ana SanRoman, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Beth Hansen Distributor Cody Bakken The Vanguard is chartered to publish four days a week as an independent student newspaper 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 subcription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Copyright © 2010 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26, Portland, Ore., 97201
In January, lines to the new student recreation center were around the block as people flocked to the shiny, new building. On the other side of campus, however, a different building was preparing to lose a significant source of revenue: Campus Rec. The Peter W. Stott Center was built in 1966 as a space for physical education classes, as well as for the growing Athletics Department. The facility is no longer home to the Campus Rec program, however. Since the program moved to the new Athletic Student Recreation Center, the Stott Center administration has had to come up with an alternative source of funding. The source: increased prices on room rentals. The Stott Center currently charges rec clubs to use most of their facilities. Before, when Campus Rec was located in the Stott Center, they didn’t have to pay room rental fees. Now, some rooms cost more and some rooms cost less, but the average that rec clubs are spending amounts to around a third of their budgets on a space from their own university. Considering that on average rec clubs were allocated less than $9,000 this year, that’s a lot of money to be spending on facilities alone. This is a funding problem that won’t be easily fixed. Campus Rec’s move to the ASRC—and with it the rec clubs funding—wasn’t news to the Stott Center administration. The ASRC had been under construction for over two years; however, a plan to keep the Stott Center financially afloat was not implemented. Instead, when the ASRC opened, the Stott Center had to raise their rental prices to make up for the lost revenue. Rec clubs complained. Some paid the fees, some took their business elsewhere and some just stopped practicing.
The fix for the Stott Center is tri-fold. First, outreach needs to occur to attract promoters and organizers for events such as dances, powwows and performances. The space, however, is perfect for some of the events that happen all around campus, but is rarely used for events like these. For instance, at Party In The Park, they could host the rec clubs and athletic teams in the gym with signs directing students there. This would also increase the number of groups that know about the space and might use it in the future. The second fix to this problem is to convert more of the space into classrooms. Currently the Stott Center only has a few traditional classrooms, while the university has a shortage of classrooms and could use more space. This solution would better utilize the building and also draw students and group leaders into the building, increasing visibility and room rentals from outside venues and other student groups. Finally, the Stott Center needs to recognize that rec clubs are an integral part of the university and should be offered a discount when they register for building rentals. Most services at the university provide a discount for students and student groups. Reducing the cost—maybe even having pricing competitive with the new ASRC—would increase their rentals because they are once again affordable. This isn’t by any means the fault of any one person or department, but it does negatively affect particular parties: the rec clubs and student groups. The Stott Center has a wonderful history of promoting and maintaining athleticism on this campus: Seeing it suffer financially and then hurt others isn’t acceptable. Changes need to be made to bring it back to the way it was.
Sarah J. Christensen, Editor-in-Chief | Virginia Vickery, News Editor Theodora Karatzas, Arts & Culture Editor | Richard D. Oxley, Opinion Editor Robert Britt, Sports Editor | Marni Cohen, Photo Editor Bryan Morgan, Production Manager | Zach Chastaine, Online Editor Kristin Pugmire, Copy Chief
Following the money Portland’s politics needs some ethics Natalia Grozina Vanguard staff
Politics and ethics seem to be two concepts most people, sadly, don’t associate with eachother. Though as citizens, it is something we must demand in order to maintain a functional government for the people. On April 7, Rudy Soto, one of the seven candidates for Dan Saltzman’s position as commisioner, filed a complaint asking the state Attorney General, John Kroger, to investigate the wrongdoing by the current Portland City Commissioner. The misconduct that raised questions for Soto was in regards to the allocation committee of the Portland Children’s Levy—a committee on which Saltzman sits and which last year awarded a $600,000 grant to Cares Northwest, a nonprofit group that employs Saltzman’s girlfriend. Although the organization is for a good cause, there are issues of conflict of interest because Saltzman never disclosed his relationship nor did he recuse himself from the vote. Whatever happened to being ethical and having integrity? Unfortunately, the attorney general’s office denied the investigation because “the city attorney and state ethics director both said ethics law does not cover financially independent girlfriends of public office,” Soto said. Soto believes that “Dan’s excuse as being shy for lying by omission is an example of why we need to replace career politicians with public servants who value the importance of honesty and integrity.” And this is exactly the point. Regardless of whether the ethics law does not cover financially independent girlfriends of public office does not justify the
dishonesty. Not saying something is considered being dishonest. The disregard of Soto’s complaint by the attorney general is questionable. If this was not a big deal then there would not be so many complaints and curiosity from the public. More so, spending that much money on his forgotto-mention girlfriend’s charity is dishonest. If you want to give money to a cause maybe you should consider filling potholes, preventing police shootings and getting the water rates lowered in Portland instead. According to Willamette Week, “the charity has been running successfully for over 20 years without any city money as collaboration between local hospitals, before Saltzman voted for the allocation of the money to it last year.” Yet the filling of potholes in Portland aren’t very successful at all. Furthermore, Saltzman’s accomplishments page on the campaign website states, “As part of his tireless advocacy for children, Dan delivered more resources to preventing, investigating and arresting more child abusers and added positions in the Portland Police Bureau’s Child Abuse Team.” Yes, this may be very admirable, but the only problem is that he includes Matt Hennessee, known for his scandal involving the sexual abuse of a teenager, on his list of endorsements. Great campaign contribution, right? His girlfriend’s charity just looks like a carefully planned out “support” that will get him the maximum election benefit. Sorry, but the “it’s good for children” speech where Saltzman mentioned Children’s Levy 12 times in an hour at his city club appearance a couple weeks ago only sounds good during election time. He should be more concerned with the city’s debt, but since he is not then maybe he should have a career change and run for a post at Portland Public Schools or with Multnomah County.
Overcoming Oregon obesity Childhood obesity is down in Oregon…or is it? Amy Fylan
Vanguard staff
It is no secret that obesity currently is a huge problem in the U.S. (no pun intended). But a more increasing and disturbing concern is the fact that the issue is spreading to the nation’s children. As technological advances such as video games are increasingly getting better and better, what child would want to play outside and exercise a bit? Though despite the nation’s rapid decline in quality of health, Oregon supposedly has the lowest child obesity rate in the U.S. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and recently published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the state’s child obesity rate dropped 32 percent, while the nation’s rate as a whole rose by 10 percent. However, the statistics used in the study were from 2003 to 2007 and researchers are baffled, unable to explain Oregon’s decrease in obesity.
It is possible that Oregon is truly on its way to conquering obesity not only in children, but in adults as well. Adding further good news, Men’s Health recently listed Portland, Ore., number seven in the top 10 leanest cities in the U.S. Local studies tend to contradict this latest national one. While still lower than the national average, some groups say obesity rates continue to increase. The Oregon Healthy Teen’s Survey, using statistics from 2001–2007, reported that eighth-grader obesity increased from 7.3 percent to 10.6 percent, and eleventh-grader obesity increased from 6.7 percent to 10.2 percent. Again, the research was limited to students who were only in eighth or eleventh grade at the time. Oregon lawmakers have taken steps in the right direction attempting to reduce the obesity problem: They have set stricter nutrition standards, including what is sold in school vending machines and a la carte stands while also boosting requirements for physical education. Although, with the current state of the economy, physical education classes in many schools are at risk of being cut.
Vanguard Opinion | 3 May 14, 2010
Conspiracy theory of the week The death of Michael Jackson Move over Elvis, Tupac and disco–there is a new character in town that some claim is not dead.
Illustration by Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard
So how reliable are these latest statistics? The elementary schools in the Reynolds’ school district have been without a formal P. E. class this academic school year, and with continuing budget cuts, other school districts may follow. Yes, legislature has made improvements when it comes to the nutrition in schools, but do you know what they consider a vegetable? French fries. And no matter how many actual real fruits and vegetables such as carrots, celery, apples and oranges are offered, there is no guarantee the children will eat them.
It’s not entirely the school system’s fault. The blame also falls on society as a whole. With more and more households requiring a two-parent income, who has time to cook? And hey, we do like our fast food. It fits in with our fast-paced lives. Throw in other factors such as kids having TVs with gaming systems in their rooms, and who would want to play outside on a sunny spring or summer day? Whatever the solution may be, it isn’t going to happen overnight. However, being more aware of the predicament of child obesity, as told through such surveys, is the first step towards progress.
Last year, the king of pop Michael Jackson left this world leaving thousands of adoring fans, his family and most likely a number of exotic pets. Or did he? Conspiracies are already making their rounds putting forth that Jackson did not die, but actually faked his own death. The top speculation says that the mega-star faked his death in order to escape his dire financial predicament, and keep the massive amount of funds already paid to him for an upcoming tour. Recently, the Internet has brought another addition to the scheme claiming that burn victim and friend of Jackon’s, Dave Dave (yep, that’s his name), is actually the pop star himself in disguise. A video of Dave on Larry King is circulating on YouTube in an attempt to make the case. Though the King of Pop has only been gone less than a year, as time goes on, more angles on the conspiracy are sure to arise.
Liana Shewey/Portland State Vanguard
Historic house: Built in the 1880s, the house on Southwest 11th Avenue is a good example of a Victorian-era home, but will soon be torn down.
History schmistory Historic house on campus is not worth saving Will Blackford Vanguard staff
Portland State’s historic house on Southwest 11th Avenue is well on its way to demolition. Some would like to see the house preserved, but ridding the campus of this empty, asbestos-ridden house is not such a bad idea. The house in question was built in the 1880s and stands at the edge of a little park between 11th and 12th Avenues on Market Street. PSU Director of Communications Scott Gallagher said that the house has been empty for years because of dangerous asbestos insulation, according to a recent article in the Vanguard.
Portland State graduate Brandon Spencer-Hartle believes that there should be talks about preserving the building because of its history. On Hartle’s “Don’t Just Demolish Portland State’s Past!” Facebook page, he advocates for preserving the house or erecting an education exhibit about the house in whatever structure takes its place. This seems to be a case of saving an old building just because it’s old. The house itself has no special importance to the campus, nor is there any record of important historical events taking place there. There is no really good reason to save the house aside from the fact that it is old. One big reason given by Hartle and Val Ballestrem, education
manager for the Architectural Heritage Center, is that the house is a good representative of homes from Portland’s own Victorian Era, according to an article in the Daily Journal of Commerce. It seems to me that other documentation would serve just as well to preserve such a style. Photographs, papers and blueprints of the house can all be saved regardless of what happens to the house itself. If one of the main reasons for preserving the house is because it is representative of a certain style, the house itself need not remain standing to do so. One could even take the blueprints and build their own house in the same exact style if they so wished. But I guess it’s not the same because the wood used to build it wouldn’t be old enough. Sustainability is a buzzword that people like to throw around here in Portland, and talk about this house is no different in that respect. Brandon and others have said that, somehow, a remodel may be more sustainable than something else. This, of course, comes without any reference as to what may take
its place. In that respect, it is more assumed than anything else. Who is to say that the new structure won’t be more sustainable than anything the house could be made into? Moving the house, as was done for the Ladd House back in 2007, would be quite expensive, about $30,000 to $50,000 according to Keith Settle, president of Northwest Structural Moving. It would also require cutting the street car and utility lines that hang over downtown Portland, making it all the more expensive. Most importantly, though, is that no one seems up to the task. The school has offered the house, for as low as one dollar, to bidders who are willing to move it, with no bites on the line as of yet. This is about progress, and with progress sometimes comes the demolition of outdated antiquities to make way for better living. We can and should preserve the information of our past, but that can easily be done without leaving a relic standing unused in the middle of an urban campus.
Letters to the editor are gladly accepted and should be no longer than 300 words in length. Submissions may be edited for brevity and vulgarity. E-mail letters to opinion@ dailyvanguard.com.
Vanguard 4 |4Opinion | News February January Month MayDay, 23, 13, 14, 2009 2010
Frustrated by the constant campus construction
The
Grammar Grouch by Robert Seitzinger
-ward suffixes It’s become a serious thorn in my grammarian side to hear the -ward suffix abused wantonly by the vast majority of Portland State Clown College Bozos whose conversations float into my ears as I walk across campus. Toward, forward, backward, afterward–these are the appropriate uses according to Associated Press Style, and most other American style guides.
Meaghan Daniels Vanguard staff
If you are a student at Portland State, chances are you have had a class in Neuberger Hall. And if you’ve had a class in Neuberger Hall recently, odds are you have heard the banging noises outside, or have had to chart new courses in order to navigate your way to class. Even if you have not taken a class in Neuberger, whether you are a PSU student or even just a member of the general public, you have inevitably seen the construction on and around campus constantly digging, blocking and causing a ruckus. There are days where it is extremely hard to even go to class,
and with this construction going on, constantly putting pedestrians on detours, traveling to classes seems almost impossible. People are creatures of habit—they keep daily routines. But how can a routine be kept when routes are constantly changing? Science Building 2 is one project on the long list of construction sites on campus. The point of this construction is to upgrade and expand the labs as well as create a new hazardous waste handling facility. Lincoln Hall also continues to be worked on, as well as Millar Library. Work continues on the water heating and cooling systems extending from the library to Shattuck Hall. Having an early morning class in Neuberger, is worse than any other early morning class elsewhere on campus. If the shaking of the
building is not enough to deter you from your studies, the banging of who knows what sure will, especially early on a Friday morning attempting to take a test. Although the construction appears to be something that needs to be done, the constant changing of places students and pedestrians can and cannot walk is getting ridiculous. With the routes changing, students are having issues getting to class on time and even finding the alternate routes. It should be possible to give students notification of changing routes before they get there so that they can plan accordingly ahead of time. That way, students do not panic, and will have plenty of time to get to class. In terms of the giant headache the construction is causing for anyone and everyone, students
and faculty alike, there really is not much that can be done. If the construction is something that must be done, then students can do nothing to protect themselves against headaches other than stock up on Advil. All students can do is really just sit, wait and adapt to the daily changing construction and disruptions of classes. Constant construction creates daily disruptions for everyone around the Portland State campus. It seems like this construction is never-ending. When was the last time the Park Blocks, or even just campus in general, was completely free of heavy machinery? When will this bout of upgrades, digging and building end? If there ever is an end to our campus construction, let’s just hope that it will all be worth it.
Now, when employing British English, you can add an ‘s’ to any of those words. The Brits seem to love going towards the use of this suffix in a way that’s backwards to American English. All you Bozo chaps and hooligans out there, have a laugh and fancy the use of the -wards suffix. However, since I write this column in a newspaper governed by AP Style, as most news outlets in our 50 states are, it’s never appropriate to use the -wards suffix. The next time some stoned freshman–and that big ol’ pot bust last week suggests there are too damn many of them around PSCC–says he likes walking backwards when he’s high within earshot of me, he’s going to endure a shrieking tirade about how moronic and unmotivated he is, courtesy of an offended Grouch. If I hear another drunken, new-to-being21-years-old Bozo bellowing “Go towards the goal!” during the NHL playoffs at the Cheerful Tortoise, I’ll break my pint glass on their skull. Worse is hearing some Bozo gal, complete with a tramp stamp tattoo and a face that looks as though a Mary Kay truck ran her over, rooting for Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, saying their moving forwards in the NBA playoffs. I like to offer those Bozo gals $5 bills—perhaps K-Mart is having a sale on some dignity, and they could clearly stand to pick some up. If you can’t learn to break your habit of appending that unnecessary ‘s’ to the -ward suffix, just stop talking. You’ll be doing yourself and anyone around you a favor.
Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard
Sidewalk closed: Some common routes around campus have been closed, forcing students to find detours.
The
NA T I ONA L with Richard D. Oxley Socialized heroes Richard D. Oxley Vanguard staff
Americans love to use the word “hero.” We love to acknowledge a certain greatness in our nation as well as those who embody that greatness such as our soldiers, police and firefighters. The good they do and the service they willingly provide for all of us more than earns the title of hero. Another word that has also gained recent popularity is socialism. It seems to pop up somewhere on a daily basis. Grassroots organizations such as the Tea Party have given socialism a lot of attention. And, while admittedly not as entirely extreme as the media has presented them as, it is difficult to deny that many who attend their events bear signs and chant slogans of anti-socialist nature. I hate to give him any press, but TV personality Glenn Beck has given extensive attention to his perceived socialist threat. For some time now he has hammered into his audience his view of socialism and its un-American
character that has menaced nations and societies throughout history, including our own. Unlike “hero,” socialism isn’t usually presented in such a positive light, usually garnering disapproving implications as it travels across our spheres of influence. It is quite understandable why it is looked down upon. History provides us a great number of examples of socialist horrors— perhaps the most famous being the National Socialist German Workers’ Party of Hitler’s Germany. But relying upon such tragic examples only offers a very narrow view on a rather extensive subject. Socialism is a rather broad notion and can be applied a number of areas such as economics or social programs. It is easy to overlook the reality that our country is, and has been for some time, very socialized to some degree, and without presenting any harm. If we were to banish all traces of socialized functions in our country, we would find a lot of our cherished and honored heroes out of work. The police who protect us, and
the firemen who save us, and our property, are the result of socialized programs. Beck may be horrified to know our neighborhood libraries are socialized—the centers that edify our society, and the sole source of Beck’s enlightened education as he confessed during his 2010 keynote CPAC speech. “I educated myself,” Beck said. “I went to the library— books are free.” Actually, and coming as no surprise, Beck was wrong. Those books weren’t and aren’t free—they were paid for by Beck, and by you and me, from the taxes we contributed. These social advantages aren’t something we have to do. Rather, they are something we choose to do because at some point our society realized they benefit us all for having them. Perhaps the biggest and most influential socialized part of our American society, one that very easily is forgotten, is our heroes in uniform—our soldiers. The United States’ military is highly socialized. My own family benefited from this system, as have many others. Our military has a variety of advantages
afforded to them such as education, training, housing, healthcare and retirement, among others. The armed forces in turn provide us all with the benefit of national security, protection and aide in times of crisis such as natural disasters. We all profit from advances in technology or medicine that the military produces regularly. The GPS that guides your travels is one example of technology the military has provided us with. Does this all mean that socialism is an answer to everything—that we should transform every aspect of our lives into a socialist program? Not at all, and that is not what I am suggesting; rather it just has its place, and is not the boogieman many would have you believe it to be. Instead of plastering a negative connotation over every stretch of social benefits we use, try not to forget that the highways and roads you travel upon, the national forests you hike and camp in, the cash you pay with, or perhaps even the credit union you use, are all brought to you by American socialized programs.
ARTS & CULTURE Just plain WRONG Just Wright is unrealistic and predictable from start to finish Sarah Esterman Vanguard staff
It’s clear early on in Just Wright that the film is set in a Cinderella-like dreamland. Not only is the setup— professional basketball player falls for some regular girl he meets at a gas station—unrealistic, the film portrays the New Jersey Nets as being the all-stars of the league. Since I admittedly know nothing about basketball, I did my research on the team. As it turns out, the Nets suck and, to add insult to injury, the team will soon be leaving New Jersey. One must wonder what in the world Hollywood was thinking, and how all of the Nets fans out there (assuming there are any) are going to feel about this. Inaccurate team information aside, Just Wright is one of those predictable sports rom-coms. A film like this is best taken at arm’s length—or perhaps even further away. Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a physical therapist and a diehard Nets fan. When she meets the star of the team, Scott McKnight (played by rapper Common) at a gas station, they appear to hit it off and he invites her to his birthday party that weekend. Apparently Leslie is the girl that guys love to hang out with, but
not the girl that guys love to date. Accompanied by her best friend Morgan (Paula Patton), who dreams of becoming an NBA wife, Leslie attends Scott’s party. And like the hottie best friend always does in romantic comedies, Morgan steals Scott’s attention immediately. Fast forward a few months and Morgan and Scott are engaged. That is, until—cue suspense music— Scott takes a fall, tearing a knee ligament. When his doctor tells him that he may not recover before the playoffs (which is necessary in order to be re-signed by the Nets), Morgan dumps him. Enter Leslie—Scott’s new physical therapist. Although she has just purchased a fixer-upper house that desperately needs her tender loving care, Leslie agrees to live in Scott’s house full-time to help him get back in the game. It works. By the time playoffs roll around, Scott’s knee has healed. He makes it to the playoffs and makes the winning shot. Oh, and he and Leslie fall in love somewhere along the line, in case you hadn’t figured that out yet. All in all, the entire film is nauseatingly cheesy. Common is too adorable to be taken seriously. He has puppy dog eyes even when he’s supposed to be angry. Latifah’s character comes off as weak and passive, which contradicts everything that comes out of her mouth. The dialogue is beyond predictable. Those versed in the
Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com
romantic comedy genre may even be able to guess what each character will say and when. One such scene occurs when McKnight runs after Leslie at the end for the dramatic “I’m in love with you” moment. It comes off awkward and bizarre, which is cause for laughter because it is so ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the moment before when he’s in an interview talking about Leslie and he realizes his feelings. After finishing a statement, he takes off the microphone clipped to his lapel and dramatically says, “I have to go.” After the fluffy film is over, there are two questions that remain in the mind. For one, what in the hell happened to that house that Leslie bought? And secondly, how in the world are Leslie and Morgan still friends at the end (the last scene shows them sitting together at a Nets game)? Unanswered questions like these, along with the poor acting, predictability and a sucktastic script, make Just Wright all sorts of wrong.
Actor/idiot: When theater and music collide So they aren’t all terrible, but the bulk of actors who decide to turn to music do kind of suck. There’s just no getting around it. Here are three actors-turnedmusicians who should go strangle themselves with a guitar string before they cause any more ear bleeding. Taylor Momsen: The Pretty Reckless Kudos to the youngest Gossip Girl member for being so successful at such a young age. Sadly, her Country Love-wannabe grunge power ballads just don’t do it for me. Seriously, girl looks like she’s going to be a skinnier, more attractive Love…just with worse music and a heavy dose of teenage angst. She’s certainly got some pipes on her, but those lyrics and instrumental arrangements are about as memorable as a tooth cleaning.
Just Wright Directed by Sanaa Hamri Now Playing
All photos courtesy of Fox SearchLight
G ET T I N G B A C K I N T O U C H W I T H N AT U R E
Portland State alum Matt Love shares his story as a teacher and writer Wendy Shortman Vanguard staff
Matt Love fell into his job as the caretaker of the 600-acre Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but what he got out of the experience changed his appreciation of Oregon, and his life as a teacher and a writer. Love, an English and history teacher, happened to be teaching the daughter of Eric Nelson, the former caretaker of the refuge. “I talked to the refuge manager, because we sort of knew each other,” Love said. “He said, ‘Hey, I have a proposition for you.’ It was just like that—I didn’t have to apply. I didn’t have to do anything.”
After working in Portland, and being unable to achieve conventional writing success, Love moved back to the Oregon coast at 33 years old. What began as a new responsibility evolved into a whole new outlook on life and the way he wrote. His new book, Gimme Refuge, reflects on his unique experience and what he took away from it. “I write almost exclusively about Oregon,” Love said. “The refuge has taught me a lot about Oregon land and a lot about subjects that were interesting to me.” Taking on the responsibility of caretaker was a learning experience for Love, one that has affected not only his writing, but his career as a teacher, too. “When I left, I took all that I learned and threw it into my teaching,” Love said. “All that stuff was all sort of seamless to my understanding of nature. I just brought that light into the classroom.” Love explains that his students will vouch for the fact that, in his classroom, they’re constantly talking and thinking about our beautiful environment in Oregon. Love’s new approach to teaching largely comes from the new things he has learned. “The refuge has taught me a lot about Oregon land,” Love said. “I learned a lot about how a watershed functions, where the blackberries that I had been battling came from, and why the Refuge was established—for the geese that are becoming endangered.”
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 May 14, 2010
Love’s experience has not only reignited his life as a teacher and a writer, but as an Oregonian. “It gave me something to fight for,” Love said. “An opportunity to stand up for the degradation of the natural world that I couldn’t see when I was in Portland.” Love founded Nestucca Spit Press in 2003, which is comprised of literature exclusively for and about Oregon. The company was named after the famous sand spit in Pacific City, where Love often visits with his dogs. The spit is a place of inspiration for Love, and hopes that his new book will inspire his fellow Oregonians. “I would hope [Oregonians] read the book and see that it’s important to take risks,” Love said, “and try to pursue what you’ve always wanted to do. Here’s a guy that went for it.” Love describes the suffering he went through emotionally—as he didn’t achieve what he sought out to do as a writer in Portland—and the physical strain of the manual labor he did as the caretaker. “You don’t read books too often about people that do manual labor,” Love said. “I don’t mean going for a hike, either. It was all new to me.” Love, who is a PSU alumnus, majored in history and graduated in 1986. Love explains how people at Portland State inspired him. He still maintains his appreciation for one of our own history professors. “My love of history was born because of professor David Horwitz,” Love said. “I took
All photos courtesy of Nestucca Spit Press
nine classes from him, or some ridiculous amount, and he was the one that just got me interested in things that later really came home to roost.”
Reading with Matt Love Powell’s City of Books on Burnside 1005 W Burnside St. Tonight, 7:30 p.m. Free
Jared Leto: 30 Seconds to Mars Ugh, again with the angsty pop-punk? Jared Leto is an incredibly talented actor. Why couldn’t he have just left it at that? The fact is, his acting skills sort of transfer over to his music career. He’s very good at playing the part of a rockstar. From the carefully applied eyeliner to the theatrical music videos, the only thing Leto is missing is the musical talent to back up this Oscar worthy foray into the world of rock. Keanu Reeves: Dogstar Oh god, where to begin here? Dearest Keanu, we all loved you in The Matrix and Speed. You’re an incredibly successful actor and somewhat of an iconic figure in Hollywood. So who told you to form a band, huh? That’s cool that you played with David Bowie and had Weezer open for you (not so cool that you played with Bon Jovi though), but your music? Well, it blows. Thankfully, Dogstar doesn’t seem to be doing much, if anything at all, on account of Reeves’ tight schedule. Let’s hope things stay that way, because Dogstars’ music has about as much personality, as… uh…Keanu Reeves.
Pustules, boils and sores galore!
Vanguard 6 | Arts & Culture May 14, 2010
Big, fat list of shows: Friday’s live music lineup Boom!, Grandparents, Wane Blown, Cheetah Tears The Artistery, 8 p.m., $6, all ages Manrock, Dealer High, Seven Reasons Ash St. Saloon Pan, 7:30 p.m., $7, 21+
Third annual PDX Zombie Prom hits Portland this weekend Bianca Blankenship Vanguard staff
In the world of colleges and universities, prom nights are usually disposed of and disregarded as social nightmares from high school that none of us wishes to relive. Somehow when the term “zombie” is added to the mix, heads start turning—turning all the way around, in fact.
Stanton Moore Trio, Anders Osborne, Robert Walter, Will Bernard Dante’s, 9 p.m., $15, 21+ That 1 Guy, Boy Eats Drum Machine Doug Fir, 9 p.m., $12 advance, $14 door, 21+ Honest To Empire, Pseudoboss, Blue Ember, Spiritual Plague, Forrestals Fall Hawthorne Theater, 7 p.m., $8, all ages Remy The Restless, Lamar Leroy, Patricia Furpurse, Avalon K, Nathan Detroit Holocene, 9 p.m., $3, 21+
Dj Rapclass and The Great Mundane The Parlour, 7 p.m., $4, all ages Stag Bitten, Moments In Static, Kotten-Dik, Valkyrie Rodeo Plan B, 9 p.m., donations welcome, 21+ Converge, Gaza, Coalesce, Lend Black Satyricon, 7 p.m., $15, all ages Ben Darwish w/10 piece all-star band, Marv Ellis, Dj Dr. Adam Someday Lounge, 9 p.m., $10, 21+ White Rainbow, White Fang, Rob Walmart The Woods, 8 p.m., $10, 21+
Portland.” After the undead have sufficiently gorged on drinks and spare limbs, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” will blare over the sound system, which means that the time has come for the costume contest. Awards for prom king and queen go to the best-dressed zombies. Performer Uncle Eerie, who specializes in everything scary, creepy and grotesque, will host the event. If there’s any question of what to wear to the Prom, the event’s website is a clarifying source. The website advises “standard prom attire which has been run over by a large truck, put through a meat grinder and/or attacked with a sandblaster.” As with previous years, the event production company Morti Viventi produces the prom. Morti Viventi is Portlander Heather Erickson’s creation. It surfaced from a desire to create unique events in the city that don’t take themselves too seriously. The company also specializes in wedding and party planning, as well as event coordination, production and management. For zombies inexperienced with the makeup required to create green, bleeding pustules, the Prom will offer the expertise of zombie makeup artists on site. At a fairly cheap price, they can decorate attendees with undead skin accessories like wounds, rotten teeth
and protruding glass shards. New World Industries photographer Adam Michaud will work as the event photographer. Of course, personal cameras are allowed and it would be a shame to go without one. Vendors at the event will include mostly gothic arts and crafts from local artisans Goth Fox, SteamBaby and others. Hollywood Vintage is sponsoring the event, along with the PDX Hallowe’en Bazaar and Best Care Animal Hospital.
PDX Zombie Prom Bossanova Ballroom 722 E. Burnside St. Saturday, 8 p.m. $15 21+
All photos courtesy of PDX Zombie Prom/flickr
Braaaaains!: Eat your heart out (and your neighbors’ too) at this year’s PDX Zombie Prom.
How did that get in my smoothie?
Deer Or The Doe, The Four Edge, Total Noise The Knife Shop, 9 p.m., $5, 21+ Chris Pureka, Ramaya Soskin Mississippi Studios, 9 p.m., $15, 21+
Now in its third year, PDX Zombie Prom has rapidly become a crucial aspect of the “keep Portland weird” culture. It ranks high in the category of unusual events unique to Portland, along with the Zombie Walk, the Naked Bike Ride and the Plunderathon. Zombie Prom will frighten and terrify this Saturday at the Bossanova Ballroom. The theme this year is “Pretty in Pieces” and promgoers are encouraged to dress in zombie-fied 1980s prom attire. Like any prom, there will be live music, but the 1980s theme won’t cross over. The appropriately named band Nekronotz will headline the stage with rockabilly and psychobilly music. A special appearance from Barnyard Ballers offers up more of the same style. The rest of the night will consist of DJ Apocalypse, DJ Skittish and DJ Non spinning some goth, industrial and house music. Unlike most proms, though, this one serves alcohol. No hidden flasks or vodka-filled water bottles required. Naturally this means that the prom is only open to the 21+ crowd. Zombie Prom veteran Daniel Taylor said that the best part of the event was “the overall spirit of so many Portlanders just letting loose, spending a few bucks at Goodwill and throwing themselves into an exhibitionary affair that is oh so
Some new stars steal the show in your favorite liquid beverage Katherine Vetrano Vanguard staff
Warning: Smoothie traditionalists might object to the following recipes. The gym guys with Hulk-like necks—the ones who slam protein powder mixtures and cretin concoctions before spending hours lifting in front of their reflections— they’re probably not going to like these recipes. Juice shack employees clad in aprons and visors might not like them either. Luckily, if you are someone who cares about taste or nutrition (or both for that matter), these might be just what you need. Inspired by a recent experience with the Sip food cart at the Eat Mobile festival, there are some unexpected additions to these smoothies with very rewarding results. So don’t fear change and jump right in. You might get a new favorite you were never expecting.
Oh My Oatmeal Smoothie
Lean Green Machine
This recipe adds the fiber and substantial goodness from your warm breakfast bowl into liquid form.
Now, we all know that what we eat and drink should likely value taste before health benefits. This smoothie is vibrant green and goes down good, but it also happens to be a nutritional powerhouse—both pineapple and kale happen to have been rumored to speed up metabolism.
Ingredients 1/4 cup of oatmeal 1/4 cup of soy milk (or rice, nonfat or hemp milk) 1/4 cup frozen berries (strawberries are good, but a mix of several is better) Method Put oatmeal in blender first before anything else. Blend for a minute or so, letting the oatmeal become a fine powder. Next, add the soy milk and berries and blend until smooth. If seeds aren’t your thing, strain the mixture.
Ingredients 5 leaves of kale (any variety) 1 cup of pineapple chunks ( fresh or frozen) 1 1/2 cups of cold water Juice of half a lemon Method Place kale then pineapple then water in blender and let blend for a minute. If you can still see tiny specs of kale, keep blending until the smoothie is a solid emerald green color. When done, squeeze in lemon juice and enjoy.
Energy Tea Smoothie Ingredients 2 bags of green tea, or 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea and a French press 1/2 cup of ice cubes 12 ounces of water 1/2 tablespoon of grated ginger 1 teaspoon honey (or brown rice syrup or agave nectar) Juice of half a lemon Method Brew tea in your French press or a large mug, letting it get a little stronger than usual. Let the brewed tea sit in your fridge for an afternoon, or in the freezer for about twenty minutes. When chilled, add tea to a blender and place in ice cubes, ginger, lemon and honey. Consistency of your smoothie will be a little thin, so feel free to serve over ice or add a banana for creaminess.
Photo courtesy of Terriseesthings/flickr
MusIC for everyone (over 21) Another all-ages music venue bites the dust Leah Bodenhamer Vanguard staff
Located next to the Chaos Café in Southeast Portland, The Parlour stands humbly, bearing its mustachioed logo to the street and beyond. Enter the small peeling doorway and you are greeted with the fragrant warmth of cozy locality, low ceilings and dim lighting. The walls are tastefully decorated with local art, in the true Portland fashion; abstract portraits of treewomen and birds, colorful swirls of landscapes and leaves. The Parlour sports all the requirements for a hip, local space: hand-knitted cat hats, locally made rings and magnets, vegan cookies and a collection of literature ranging from Ayahuasca and marijuana to 2012 conspiracies, ancient wisdom and dancing serpents. The female singer onstage takes a moment behind the mic to say, “Thanks for coming, you guys are here for a really great cause. The Parlour has been really good to me.” For the past few months, The Parlour has been hosting an array of benefit shows in hopes to keep their business afloat, but things are starting to look grim. Mike Harper, Ian McEwan and Jonathan Cruz were employees at Chaos Café when they began brainstorming ideas to fill the empty space that was the other half of the café. It had always been a dream of theirs to own and run a music venue, seeing it as a sort of “springboard” for their fellow artists and musicians. It wasn’t the supply of talent that was the obstacle though—it was, unsurprisingly, the lack of monetary funds. “If we had begun with more money,” Cruz said, “it would have been a whole different story, but because all our funds came out of our pockets and from family and friends, it was really hard to begin with.” The group couldn’t receive a loan from the bank because they had no experience running a business. Often times, to run a successful business, you need a loan from the bank. To postpone the closing at the end of May, the three agree that it would take about $5,000 and/or the purchasing of beer on tap or an espresso machine, but they all seem at peace knowing the Parlour’s closing is on the horizon. The three co-owners have worked over a year basically for free, voluntarily spending hours on the construction, design and
management of the venue, barely breaking even each month. Their vision was to enable people of all ages to enjoy the rich Portland music scene in a very personal and warm environment. Unfortunately, the world as we know it, or rather, the Portland as we know it, makes it incredibly difficult for all-age venues to stay afloat. The music venue industry makes most of its profit from liquor sales, which requires jumping through a whole other set of fiery circus rings, in addition to their already numerous business licenses and regulations. “We’re happy we got to do it at all,” Cruz said. The shows throughout May will be mostly benefit shows, some of them hosted by Portland State’s radio station KPSU. Depending on
donations, who knows what could happen? The real problem at hand is much larger than the potential closing of The Parlour, it’s the subjugation of the youth. Mississippi Studios, Doug Fir Lounge, Dante’s, Mt. Tabor Theater, Holocene—all are 21+. The worst part is not that a specified group of individuals is not permitted to enter certain venues. The worst part is that their denial is a result of the presence of alcohol. Not only does that perpetuate the youths’ anarchical desire to obtain what it is told it cannot, it also stagnates social and creative growth, and furthers the youths’ dependence on technological representations of music, which are far from any sort of live experience. Sober minds not already jaded by
Illustration by Justin Flood/Portland State Vanguard
years of alcoholic socialization will be the most receptive to the music that is being presented to them on stage. It is said that music is the most complex form of social interaction of all earthly species, not an elitist privilege. So is the problem rooted in the licensing, funding and regulations? Is it the fear of change? Or is it the embarrassment of sharing a venue with your inferiors? Won’t opening to an all-ages crowd bring in more business to both the venue and the musicians? Surely to be unanswered, the questions and obstacles regarding the struggling industry of Portland’s all-ages venues will bring yet another business to its close. Another empty building, another lost community.
Vanguard Arts & Culture | 7 May 14, 2010
Visuals Film Festival It’s not too late to submit your video to the Visuals Film Fest. Any genres are welcome but films can be 10 minutes max and must be submitted by May 21. There is no entry fee. Details can be found at 5thavenuecinema.org or by calling 503-725-3551. 5th Avenue Cinema is located at 510 SW Hall.
Vanguard 88||News News February Month MayDay, 12, 14, 2009 2010
News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
NEWS “Break the Wall; Embrace the World”
Beached whale found
International Night at a glance Dishes and caterers: -Hyde Deli: Pa jun, japache -Cha Cha Cha: Mini tamales, enchiladas and taquitos -Blue Olive: Greek salad, hummus, domathes, pita and baklava -Tandoor: Chick masala, chana masala, chicken biriyani, white rice and naan bread -Taste Unique: Pasta and tiramisu -E’njoni Café: Ethiopian bread, saffron rice, curry vegetable and spicy beef
A young minke whale was found washed up near the South Jetty of the Columbia River on Tuesday, according to an article published in The Oregonian on May 11. Keith Chandler, the manager of the Seaside Aquarium, told The Oregonian that the whale, which was just over 13 feet, was most likely still nursing. A beached whale is a rare sight, as they tend to stay far out at sea, Chandler said. On Wednesday, Dr. Debbie Duffield, a professor of biology at Portland State and the coordinator for the North Coast Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network, brought a team of students to Seaside to perform a necropsy on the minke whale, according to the article. “Whale calves are very valuable specimens to have. We’ve been doing the stranding network for 15 years and this is the first time I’ve seen one,” she told The Oregonian. “This will give experts a chance to have an up close look at a marvelous animal, and hopefully we’ll know more after we open it up.” For more information about the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, visit www.mmi. oregonstate.edu/ ommsn.
International Night: Students wore traditional attire to last year’s event.
34th annual International Night to cross cultural barriers Sara M. Kemple Vanguard staff
In 2009, over 500 people attended International Night, an event put on by volunteers from the Organization of International Students to promote cultural awareness. However, the OIS expects an even greater turnout at this year’s event, which will take place tonight. This year’s theme, “Break the Wall; Embrace the World,” is focused primarily on friendship. “This year we chose to call it ‘Break the Wall; Embrace the World,’ because we wanted to unite various people together and break those stereotypes,” said Leonardo
Orozco, who helped gain publicity for the event. This is Orozco’s third year working with International Night. Jimmy Hsu, the OIS’s publicity head, has worked alongside other student volunteers to spread the word about the event. They have sent out postcards and posters to various high schools and colleges in the area. “We hope to unite not only PSU students and faculty but people from the Portland community as well,” he said. Volunteers also posted information requesting someone to design a poster for the event. According to Hsu, many people were excited to do so. “We actually decided to use a poster that was designed by a student from Sunset High School,” he said. To start off the night, a dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Marni Cohen/ Vanguard Archive
in 109 Smith Memorial Student Union. The meal will include dishes from many different countries, including Korea, Mexico, Greece, India, Italy and Ethiopia. There will also be a variety of beverages available. After the dinner is served, there will be 33 cultural booths representing over 25 countries. The exhibit will be displayed on the second floor of SMSU, in the Multicultural Center. “The booths are designed to show people a glimpse of the culture and give them the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the world around them,” said Jill Townley, International Student Life coordinator. Following the booth display, the entertainment section will start at 7 p.m., in the SMSU Ballroom. There will be various performers, as well as an international fashion show with models from around the world.
Entertainment includes: -Taiko drummers -Salso Con Coco -Murray Irish dancers -Randa Ben Aziz -Vietnamese student group -Saudi student group -Japanese student group
This year, the students of the OIS have taken a different spin on the fashion show. They plan to display a wide range of countries,to give an overview of their traditional dress and history. There will also be short dance lessons by some of the different booths, and palm reading. “It is important to realize that this is a student-run event, and they work hard to make this happen every year,” Townley said. Tickets are available at the Portland State Box Office, which is located in SMSU on the first floor. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for the general public. For more information, visit www.oia.pdx.edu.
–www.oregonlive.com/ news
SPEAKERS |
from page one
Students struggle to submit proposals ahead of time However, because of the planning required to not only bring a speaker to campus, but also to prepare a proposal to request funding from the Speakers Board, student groups sometimes struggle to make use of these funds.
Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard
Shannon Timm
Timm said she blames the quarter system because the fast pace and tight scheduling make it difficult to plan an event so far in advance. Though the importance of some aspects of proposals depends on the year, “Things that are always important are completed details of when and where the events are going to be,” Timm said. In addition, the Speakers Board gives preference to the proposals that do not charge a fee to PSU students, according to its website. Proposals must also demonstrate that a wide range of people are interested in the speaker. It supports only those events that “benefit the entire campus,” Timm said.
There are also university rules regarding what the board can pay. For instance, it cannot reimburse a company that has paid a speaker to come to PSU, she said. The board can pay the speaker an honorarium, or for his or her travel, but they cannot pay for both expenses. Despite some problems of maintaining board members and planning ahead, the Speakers Board helped bring Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams to PSU in February of 2009. Adam’s honorarium was $14,000, which was well over the $2,000 cap for an individual event. As a result, those who arranged the visit combined a number of sources, in addition to the funds allocated by the Speakers Board. Though student groups must submit a proposal at least one month before the event for which they are requesting funds, Timm said student groups should plan far ahead with their SALP advisors to ensure that the board will help fund it.
Liana Shewey/Vanguard Archive
Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams
“There is really not very much that you can’t do if you think far enough in advance,” she said. “Over the summer be thinking about who you want to come in the winter.”
For more information about the Speakers Board, visit its website at www.web.pdx.edu/~salp/pdf/SpeakersBoardGuidelines&Application.pdf.
Vanguard, Rearguard receive 17 awards Corie Charnley Vanguard staff
Last week, the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association presented the 2010 Collegiate Newspaper Contest awards to university newspapers from across Oregon. Of the total 139 awards given out, Portland State’s Vanguard and Rearguard placed first in seven categories. The two publications also received 10 second-place awards and three honorable mentions. “The competition was strong,” said student publications adviser, Judson Randall. “I’m very proud of the Vanguard staff and the Rearguard staff.” Overall, 640 entries were submitted in 21 different categories,
The Vanguard which were divided into three different circulation groups. According to Julie Schmidt, network and events coordinator for the ONPA, the first circulation group was comprised of four-year daily university newspapers, while the second circulation group was comprised of four-year nondaily university newspapers. Two-year nondaily university newspapers made up the third circulation group. The entries were judged by a group of individuals in the editorial and advertising departments at member newspapers of the ONPA, including the Register Guard, the South County Spotlight and Rogue River Press, Schmidt said. “[The contest] is very prestigious, it’s the top of the heat for recognition,” Randall said. For a complete list of the awards and the winning entries, visit www.orenews.com.
First Place -Best Section: Richard D. Oxley -Best Headline Writing: Robert Britt -Best Feature Story: Theodora Karatzas -Best Editorial: Vanguard Editorial Board -Best Review: Sarah Esterman Second Place -Best Section: Theodora Karatzas -Best News Story: Virginia Vickery, Theodora Karatzas -Best Series: Nilesh Tendolkar, James McKenzie -Best Editorial: Vanguard Editorial Board -Best Sports Story: Robert Britt -Best Columnist: Patrick Guild -Best Design: Staff -Best House Ad: Charles Cooper Williams -Best Website: Zachary Chastaine Honorable Mention -Best Section: Virginia Vickery -Best Columnist: Richard D. Oxley
ONPA honors university newspapers
Vanguard News | 9 May 14, 2010
News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com
The Rearguard First Place -Best Headline Writing: Adam Barber -Best Design: Milo Hayden, Lyla Rowen, Adam Barber Second Place -Best Graphic: Milo Hayden Honorable Mention -Best Website: Brett Campbell
Underground America Day Today is Underground America Day, which was founded by architect Malcolm Wells in 1974. This little known observance celebrates those ecologically conscious homeowners that live subterranean-style.
Vanguard 10 | Sports May 14, 2010
SPORTS
Sports Editor: Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com
Random sports and gaming trivia Baseball rules were codified in 1846 by Alexander Cartwright of the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. Baseball’s home plate is 17 inches wide. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades, King David; Clubs, Alexander the Great; Hearts, Charlemagne; Diamonds, Julius Caesar. In 1970, 127 runners ran the N.Y. Marathon. In 1998, 32,000 did. In a typical season major league baseball will require 4,800 ash trees worth of Louisville sluggers. On Feb. 6, 1971 the first golf ball was hit on the moon by Alan Shepard. Pitcher Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds hurled his first majorleague game in 1944. Nuxhall, the youngest pitcher in major league baseball, was only 15 years, 10 months and 11 days old.
THE ULTIMATE SPORT COMES TO PSU An inside look at Ultimate Frisbee Tanya Shiffer Vanguard staff
It’s a mixture of football and soccer with a bit of basketball thrown in, but there’s not a ball in sight. Ultimate Frisbee has recently come to PSU and it’s a sport that is becoming increasingly popular, especially at the college level.
Graduate student and head coach Ted Hart played for four years at Oregon State and was a little surprised when he came to PSU that a team wasn’t already established, but last fall, the club took off after a previous disorganized effort. “It seemed so obvious with the [Stott] Field, the amount of students here and how popular the sport is here in Portland,” Hart said. Due to the trademarked brand name of Frisbee, the game is officially called Ultimate, and the Ultimate Players Association is the governing body for the game in the U.S. Gameplay is very fast-paced, and far from boring. Seven players on each team pass the disc from one player to the next. The player holding the disc is not allowed to move, except to pivot, until he has thrown it to the next player within 10 seconds of receiving it. Movement continues until the disc passes the end zone with a complete pass and scores the goal. If the disc is held for more than 10 seconds, is intercepted, blocked, dropped, not caught or goes outof-bounds without returning back in-bounds, possession transfers to the opposing team. Play continues until either team reaches 15 points, with a two-point margin of victory required over the opponent. What really makes this game unique is it is self-officiated. That’s right, not a referee in sight.
The distance between the pitcher’s rubber and home plate in baseball is 60 feet, 6 inches. The first cover of “Sports Illustrated,” in 1954, showed National League umpire, Augie Donatelli, behind the plate with two major-league stars: catcher Wes Westrum, and batter Eddie Matthews. Instant replay was first used during an ArmyNavy Football Game at Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia on Dec. 7, 1963. The first pick (by Eagles) in the first NFL draft in 1935, was Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago. He never played in the league. The first players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson in 1936. The first professional football team to sport an insignia on their helmets was the Los Angeles Rams in 1950, who hand painted yellow horns on their blue leather helmets. The largest baseball card collection, 200,000 cards, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The only father and son to hit back-to-back home runs in a major league baseball game: Ken Griffey, Jr., and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., both of the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 14, 1990.
—www.corsinet.com
Clubs with character
Photo courtesy of Alex Fiks
A look at two rec clubs with unique focuses Robert Seitzinger Vanguard staff
The Academic and Student Recreation Center opened this year and now houses many of the student rec clubs that are overseen by the Rec Clubs Council—the governing body comprised of five student leaders and three advisers. RCC groups represent a wide range of interests, including two groups that aren’t tied to conventional sports. Sami Faile, Rec Clubs coordinator and adviser to the RCC, oversees 27 clubs, among them the Board Game Society and the Medieval Combat Club. She said clubs are funded by the RCC—a recognized Student Fee Committee organization—and that groups are not required to charge membership dues. However, RCC funds are subject to restrictions and she encourages groups to assess membership dues so they have money to afford, for example, custom T-shirts. She said the clubs she oversees represents a lot of diversity and that she enjoys her job because of that. “I like working with them, it’s a good job to have,” Faile said. “They’re all unique and fabulous in their own way.”
Medieval Combat Club This group of padded-weaponwielding members meets for practice twice a week, including once on Saturdays in the Park Blocks near the Portland Farmers Market. Hao Tran, senior and whose official title is club commander, said he has been involved with the group—also called Valhalla—for three years and that the group has a lot of fun while retaining a competitive spirit. “It’s a childhood dream,” he said. “We get to hit each other with sticks!” Tran said there are no membership dues this term, but that they travel to bouts in the region, most recently to Ashland for a bout with a similar group at Southern Oregon University. He said they may implement a small due next year. Seven members attended Wednesday’s practice, which Tran said is a typical group size for practice.
Fouls are given for physical contact and can be contested or accepted, which is dependent on whether the player admits fault for the contact. According the UPA website, “Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player.” Sportsmanship and honesty are key components to this game. The popularity of the sport in the Northwest has created some of the best players in the world. The Seattle Sockeye Club is headed to the Czech Republic for the World Flying Disc Federation Ultimate Club Championships on July 3–10. According to graduate student Steven “Trigz” Murshel, a current player for the team, “U.S. or Canada usually wins, but the sport is becoming more and more competitive.” The National College Championships will be held May 28–31 in Madison, Wis., where the University of Oregon will be competing. Since this is the first official year for Ultimate at PSU, club members have concentrated their efforts on recruiting and organizing, and Hart is excited about how things are progressing. “We’re planning a lot of good stuff for next year and we’ll have two big events and a clinic per quarter for the students who are interested in playing,” Hart said. The club’s website will be finished this summer and a
calendar will let students plan ahead for these events. The team will hold a hat tournament on May 28 from 3:30–7:30p.m. at Stott Field where names are drawn from a hat to form the teams. Hat tournaments help to form new connections for the team and bring about awareness for the sport. All levels of experience are encouraged to come and either participate or observe the game, and the team is always recruiting.
They will participate in Western Wars 7 during May 20–24, the largest medieval combat gathering in the Pacific Northwest with groups from Oregon, Washington and Idaho competing. Ximena Lemoine, sophomore, said this is her first term with the group and that she enjoys participating in practices, and is excited for Western Wars. “The group is awesome, a really great way to relieve stress,” Lemoine said. Jeremy Baker, also a sophomore in his first term with Valhalla, said he enjoys the group and that it is a “really good, refreshing experience.” Faile said she likes working with Valhalla and respects the club for their effort. She said they draw a good amount of interest from college students and that she hopes they continue participating in bouts with other medieval combat clubs. “They really stepped up their game this year; they’ve done a lot as a group,” Faile said. Tran said Valhalla’s status for the summer is “up in the air,” but that he plans to continue with the group in the fall. He said he hopes they continue to grow, and that teaching medieval combat to newcomers is exciting. “Anyone interested is welcome to come in whenever they can,” Tran said. “More people means more fun.”
members. Jonathon “Wally” Dyer, graduate student, said Society meetings could mean playing several short games, though some meetings focus on a single game. They recently held a one-shot Dungeons and Dragons adventure that lasted for all of a five-hour meeting—and that wasn’t enough time to finish the game. “It’s a good way to get away from homework and to relax, “said Society member Cody Bakken, senior. “Games might last for two hours.” “Or two minutes,” Dyer added. Alex Fiks, junior and group president, said they play a wide range of games brought in by members, typically Eurogames, such as Settlers of Catan, and that they encourage members to bring in any game they like, “except Monopoly,” he joked. “They’re a pretty consistent group, always in here [ASRC, room 236] for their meeting times,” Faile said of the Society. When asked about new members, Fiks said they welcome anyone who enjoys board games and would like to join. “Our door is always open,” he said. “New members and new games are always appreciated.” [Editor’s note: Cody Bakken is a Vanguard employee.]
Board Game Society The Society meets twice a week to play a wide range of board games and meetings typically include five
Medieval Combat Club (Valhalla)
Board Game Society
Website: medievalcombat.groups.pdx.edu Meets: Wed 3:30–4:45 p.m., ASRC, room 430; Sat 1–3 p.m., Park Blocks Free to attend
Website: sites.google.com/site/ psuboardgamesociety Twitter: @psuboardgames Meets: ASRC, room 236, Thurs 6:30–8:30 p.m.; Sun 5–8 p.m. $5 per term membership dues
All photos by Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard
PSU Ultimate Frisbee Club Current site www.pdx.edu/recreation/ultimate Future site www.ultimate.groups.pdx.edu
Wii Tennis Tournament Intramural Sports is hosting a Wii Tennis Tournament on Tuesday, May 25, in the ASRC Lounge outside the Rec Clubs Office (room 236). Rusty Vineyard, Intramural Sports coordinator, said it will last from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., and that there will be prizes for winners. The tournament will be held in single-elimination format, and it is free to participate.
etc.
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Vanguard Etc. | 11 May 14, 2010
CALENDAR Edited by Will Shortz
Your Ad Here Call the Vanguard 503.725.5686
Down 1 “Original father of harmony,” per Beethoven, briefly 2 Heavenly neighbor of Scutum 3 Former Ecuadorean money 4 Production team? 5 Like some cheap mdse. 6 Itʼs noble 7 Guest in a library 8 Galls 9 What a priest may say shortly after waking up 10 Lyricist Dubin and others 11 Clock 12 Snipe, e.g. 13 Some vintage clubs 14 Floating brown algae 21 1970s kidnapping grp. 23 Group in the Bogart film ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE “Black Legion” B R I L L I G G I M B L E 25 Historical region on the Strait of L I N E A R A F O R A G E D Dover A L C O H O L R E A D I N G 28 One way to take S E A S O N G Y R E R Y E back oneʼs words? R E C A P C L A D 30 Grayish brown B A N D E R S N A T C H O R E O I G N O R A M U S 32 “Whatever” D I E O U T M Y S O R E 34 Something thatʼs the most Y A R D S A L E S E T A L luxurious of its L E W I S C A R R O L L kind C A K E S N I D E 35 Capital on Gulf St. Vincent H U H W A B E J A I L E D A R A P A H O S U L T A N A 36 Like some thoroughly T A K E S O N O R I E N T S examined S L I T H Y B E A M I S H passages
Across 1 Flower-scented refresher 11 P.D. personnel 15 Flimflamʼs antithesis 16 Drink in a sippy cup 17 Longtime battler of the Mongols 18 Antonyʼs love 19 It flows through Knottingley 20 Chicago Stingʼs org. 21 Writer who created Shrek 22 Court figure 24 Word with pain or treatment 26 Support at the top? 27 Pain 29 They utilize high bands 31 World leader whose full name included Abdel twice 33 Catering hall sights
34 Changing places with swimmers? 38 Rat 40 Hit from the 1997 album “Surfacing” 41 Subs 43 Gets information from, in a way 45 Sweetens 50 Fighting something, say 51 Like jerky 53 Sign of availability 54 Sanctuaries 56 Second-century year 58 Locale of the radial notch 59 Pet problem 60 Alternative to alternative 62 “As You Like It” servant 63 One who used to go clubbing? 64 Hanna-Barbera productions 65 Spots
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Puzzle by Ned White
37 River past Solothurn 39 “Everybody Loves ___” (Johnny Cash title track) 42 He wrote “I will show you fear in a handful of dust”
44 Theyʼre often needed to go clubbing 46 100 centimes 47 Where semis arenʼt typically seen 48 Opera character who sings “Eri tu” 49 A bee may be on it
52 Minor accident results 55 Phenomena after retiring 57 Itʼs often volcanic 60 Theyʼre often volcanic: Abbr. 61 Transformer, e.g.
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Transportation Seminar: The Alameda Corridor: Lessons Learned Noon Urban Center Building, room 204 Speaker Gill Hicks will address the major challenges faced by the $2.4 billion Alameda Corridor project, as well as the lessons learned 34th Annual International Night 5 p.m. SMSU Ballroom This year’s theme is “Break the Wall; Embrace the World.” Events will include dinner (which features several international dishes), cultural booths, musicians and dancers
Saturday “The Work of Art” Photojournalism Projects 11 a.m.-6 p.m. NE Alberta St. between 14th and 15th Avenues This event will exhibit the photojournalism projects created by a Freshman Inquiry class taught by Dr. Jamie Ross
To place an event:
KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2010 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by UFS, Inc. www.kenken.com
● Each row and each column
must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.
● The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given
5-14-10
operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.
● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.
Contact vgcalendar@ gmail.com or pick up a calendar request form at the Vanguard advertising office, SMSU, room 115.
SPORTS EXTRA VIKINGS
This weekend in Portland State sports
EYE SECOND CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP
Wins at inaugural PCSC Championship Series will lead to NCAA berth James MacKenzie Vanguard staff
After coasting to the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division title, the Portland State Vikings are headed to Moraga, Calif., to face Coastal Division winner Saint Mary’s College in the inaugural PCSC Championship Series today and Saturday. While Portland State (29-25, 18-2 PCSC) has been the hottest team in the PCSC over the past several weeks, winning 13 of its last 14 games and only dropping two conference matchups, Saint Mary’s enters the series riding its own wave of success. The Gaels (28-20, 14-4 PCSC) have won 10 of their last 12 games and own the PCSC’s best overall record this season. With a core of players that includes freshman pitcher Anna Bertrand, junior pitcher Nichole Latham, senior catcher Brandi Scoggins and senior infielder Becca Diede, Portland State goes into the championship series having
matched the best conference record in PCSC history. The 18-2 mark matches Loyola Marymount’s 2007 conference record, and PSU can also tie Loyola Marymount for most conference titles in PCSC history with three apiece if they take this weekend’s best-of-three series. The Vikings, who swept a school record four conference opponents this season, owe a large part of their success to a pitching staff that has been nearly unhittable. Bertrand and Latham combined to pitch 110 2/3 innings in conference and held the PCSC to a 0.74 ERA. The two hurlers also combined to strike out 126 batters while holding PCSC sluggers to a mere .201 batting average against them. While Portland State pitchers stymied conference opponents, the Viking lineup did its part in lighting up opposing PCSC pitchers. In conference, the Vikings batted .315 with a slugging percentage of .455, with senior infielder De’Chauna Skinner leading PSU in slugging percentage, clubbing five home runs in only 50 at bats. Scoggins has been Portland State’s most consistent bat, hitting .467 in conference with eight doubles, while Diede and sophomore designated player Lacey Holm have each added four of their own in conference. With the team’s strengths clearly defined on the stat sheet, head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk believes that it is the little things that will help to seal a second consecutive championship for the Vikings. “Everything needs to come together—whether it be our offense that sometimes struggles, sometimes we play a little hesitant on defense—we need to be there the whole time and make sure that we do the little things right and that’s what we’ve been talking about all week, is focusing on the little things,” EchoHawk said. Saint Mary’s counters with a lineup that has been slightly more productive than the Vikings, posting a .717 on-base plus slugging percentage on the season to Portland State’s .681 OPS. Senior catcher Jenna Smith
and sophomore infielder Rebecca Sabatini, who have, combined, hit 15 doubles and 13 home runs, lead the Saint Mary’s offense. While the Gael’s offense has been the cornerstone of their success, their pitching staff is led by sophomore Brittany Linton who, in 179 1/3 innings pitched, allowed opposing batters to hit only .255 while walking only 54. As a whole, the Gael’s have posted a 4.08 ERA in 326 2/3 total innings. Portland State will be looking to capture their second championship and trip to the NCAA tournament in as many years, while Saint Mary’s looks to gain their first PCSC crown. The Viking’s own the all-time series against the Gael’s 29-15, include winning three of four games against Saint Mary’s last year. With Portland State knocking out nationally-ranked University of Oregon at the beginning of the month, Echo-Hawk has stressed what she’s told the team all year—that they can beat anyone if they play the game to their own standards. “We just need to take care of us and play well. As long as we do that no matter who we’re playing, we’re going to win,” Echo-Hawk said.
Friday PCSC Championship Series Best-of-three series at Moraga, Calif.
Portland State Mountain Division (29-25, 18-2 PCSC)
Nilesh Tendolkar Vanguard staff
All photos Vanguard Archive
The Portland State Badminton Club’s 2010 Spring Tournament will be held Saturday at the ASRC, and the event is open to all Portland State students, staff and alumni. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and play begins a half-hour later. “I’ll say 70 percent of the participants will be Portland State students and alumni,” Club President Cherie Nguyen said. “We have several players coming from University of Oregon Badminton Club…and the general community. We currently have almost 40 players registered for the tournament.”
Track and field Big Sky Outdoor Championship Where: Ogden, Utah When: 10:30 a.m. Softball PCSC Championship Series, Game One at Saint Mary’s Where: Moraga, Calif When: 2 p.m.
vs.
Saturday Saint Mary’s Coastal Division (28-20, 14-4 PCSC)
Sailing Club PSU Gorge Invitational When: TBA Track and field Big Sky Outdoor Championship Where: Ogden, Utah When: 8:30 a.m.
Game One Fri., 2 p.m. Game Two Sat., Noon Game Three * Sat., 2 p.m. * If necessary
Live stats/audio at GoViks.com
Dragon Boat Club Rainier DB Festival Where: Tacoma, Wash. When: 9 a.m. Badminton Club 2010 Spring Tournament Where: ASRC When: 10 a.m. Softball PCSC Championship Series, Game Two at Saint Mary’s Where: Moraga, Calif. When: Noon Softball PCSC Championship Series, Game Three* at Saint Mary’s Where: Moraga, Calif. When: 2 p.m. *If necessary
Sunday All photos courtesy of Portland State Athletics
Series bound: The Vikings are taking on Saint Mary’s today in the first-ever PCSC Championship Series.
What’s all the racquet? Badminton Club hosts spring tournament on Saturday
Vanguard Sports | 12 May 14, 2010
The tournament will include men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles matches. “It is a best two-out-of-three games format, then we have a dropflight system for consolation as well. However, consolation will only be held if time permits,“ Nguyen said. She believes that the club’s eight-member men’s team has a great chance this year. “They have great potential and are all committed to be trained professionally,” she said. “We do have a great volunteer coach. The team trains every Sunday to help them prepare for the tournament, as well as to improve all the stamina, strengths and skills as required.” However, the transition from the Stott Center to the ASRC this year has not been a smooth affair for the club. “It was a little bit difficult at the beginning since we were having leader transition, then the budget
allocated was not estimated to fit with our situation this year,” Nguyen said. “The former officers underestimated the number of club members as well as all the expenses associated with the tournament.” Nguyen said the club hopes to host another tournament in the fall. “Our officers are still in the learning process to get the club moving toward the directions we want, and it seems we are on the right track, and hopefully more big great things will be coming our way until the end of 2010–11 academic year.” The Badminton Club practices Wednesdays 9–11 p.m., Fridays 7–9 p.m. and Sundays 3–6 p.m. The club’s drop-in hours are Tuesday and Friday from 4–7 p.m. For further information contact badmin@pdx.edu.
Sailing Club PSU Gorge Invitational When: TBA