VANGUARD WILL BE BACK IN PRINT IN JANUARY, BUT WE’RE NEVER FAR AWAY. STAY IN THE LOOP ON LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, SPORTS, OPINION, ARTS & CULTURE AND EVENT LISTINGS AT PSUVANGUARD.COM. VISIT OUR JOBS PAGE FOR CURRENT OPENINGS AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. FOLLOW FOR REAL-TIME UPDATES ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER @PSUVANGUARD
CONTENTS COVER PHOTO BY SILVIA CARDULLO, DESIGN BY SHANNON KIDD
CORRECTION: CORRECTION: THE NOV. 14 PRINT VERSION OF THE ARTICLE ‘AFROCENTRIC TECH STARTUP BATTLES BRAIN DRAIN, BOLSTERS BOOTSTRAPPERS’ REFERRED TO NIGERIAN STARTUP GREEN AFRICA AIRWAYS. THE CORRECT NAME IS GREEN AFRICA AIRLINES.
FEAST ON THIS!
NEWS RECORD FRESHMAN ENROLLMENT FOR 2017
P. 3
SPECIAL GUIDE FOR ALL YOUR WINTERY WONDERINGS
P. 7–26 P. 28
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION PARTNER PROGRAM ENTERS 15TH YEAR 志工交流論壇進入了第十五年
P. 4
STUDENT GROUP RESOURCES STUDENT GOV’T INTROS NEW COLUMN (YOUR STUDENT GROUP CAN DO THIS, TOO!)
ARTS & CULTURE LOVING VINCENT AND COMIC BOOK REVIEWS
P. 6
VIKING VOICES DEMOCRATIC? YES. REPRESENTATIVE? NOT REALLY. IN RESPONSE TO SOCIALISM
P. 27 P. 27
ADVICE ASK JESSANDRA
P. 31
OPINION HOUSELESSNESS DOESN’T BELONG IN A SANCTUARY
P. 29
STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-LEAVES Colleen Leary MANAGING EDITOR Evan Smiley NEWS EDITOR Alex-jon Earl ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Alanna Madden INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Chris May ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Matthew Andrews OPINION EDITOR Thomas Spölhof
ONLINE EDITOR Andrew D. Jankowski COPY CHIEF Missy Hannen COPY EDITORS Harlie Hendrickson Jake Johnson Molly MacGilbert Jesika Westbrook CONTRIBUTORS Jordan Olson Lily Hart Jordan Ellis Anna Williams Cassie Duncanson Morgan Watkins Jesika Westbrook Li Chun Wu
PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo PHOTOGRAPHERS Li Chun Wu Jake Johnson MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Danielle Horn CR E ATI V E DIR EC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shannon Kidd LEAD DESIGNERS Lydia Wojack-West Robby Day Aaron Ughoc
DESIGNERS Marika Van De Kamp Elena Kim Chloe Kendall DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGERS Andrew D. Jankowski Evan Smiley Colleen Leary A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT Annie Ton
COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood To contact Vanguard staff members, visit psuvanguard. com/contact. To get involved and see current job openings, visit psuvanguard.com/jobs MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with a quality, handson journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.
A BOU T Portland State Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print every Tuesday and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
NEWS
TO BE YOUNG AND WISE AND DEBT-FREE FIRST GEN ‘FOUR YEARS FREE’ PARTICIPANTS BOLSTER RECORD-BREAKING FRESHMAN CLASS ANNA WILLIAMS Wilson said she wishes more Oregon schools offered free tuition for low-income students. Adjusting to life in the city, away from family and friends who can’t afford an out-of-town school, has been challenging. “Portland is not for everyone,” Wilson said. “It’s just going to take time to adjust. But just knowing that [I] have this opportunity, it will be so much better in the long run [than] with student loans and being in debt.”
PSU’S RECORD FRESHMAN ENROLLMENT
PSU enrolled its largest freshman class in history this year, representing both the success of PSU’s Four Years Free program and recent improvements made to the admissions department. A total of 2,015 freshmen enrolled in the Fall 2017 semester, breaking PSU’s prior record of 1,870 students in 2015. Of these freshmen, 1,216 are first-time, full-time Oregon residents, representing a 26.5 percent increase from last year. PSU’s current freshman class makes up less than 10 percent of PSU’s total enrollment, which mostly consists of continuing student retention. This has been a tricky subject for PSU over the last several years, as retention and total enrollment numbers have been dropping, tuition continues to rise, and state and federal investment in higher education has fallen steadily. Director of Community Outreach and Engagement for the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion Ed Washington said the boost in freshman enrollment is “a matter of all hands on deck.” “I think it’s just beginning to pay off now,” Washington added.
DIVERSITY OUTREACH AND INCREASED ENROLLMENT
In addition the record-breaking freshman class, Hispanic student enrollment rose 12 percent, an increase credited to various outreach focuses and coordination with student groups. PSU’s admissions department specifically concentrated on outreach toward Oregon and Portland students. According to Washington, the OGDI outreach program hosts tours for local students from kindergarten to high school, including schools with significant minority populations. Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs John Fraire said focusing on Portland’s urban population might explain the boost in this year’s Hispanic student enrollment. Additionally, Fraire said, PSU has coordinated with initiatives like the Black Student Success Summit, which brought 500 Black high school students to PSU last spring. These outreach efforts are part of many strategies the admissions department employed in recent years to boost operation and continue securing new students. “We’ve been spending the last two years reorganizing, restructuring and advancing the admissions office,” Fraire said. Improvements have included hiring more admissions officers and a better admissions website experience for prospective students. Fraire added that the admissions office website can now track stealth visitors to better understand the topics web visitors search and create customized experiences when they return to the site. “If you combine a really good program that gets a lot of information out backed up by a sound operation,” Fraire said, “the two together produce a nice, large class.” CHLOE KENDALL
Jacey Wilson is one of 2,015 Portland State freshmen who attended their first days of undergraduate classes at the start of Fall 2017. She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree by 2021, and she plans to do it for free. Wilson joins more than a third of this year’s in-state freshman, roughly 492, enrolled in the first generation of PSU’s Four Years Free initiative, which, along with federal Pell grants, covers full-time tuition and fees for up to 12 consecutive semesters. Some students might never have come to PSU without it. Wilson, who eventually wants to teach elementary school, said she would otherwise be in her hometown of Pendleton, Ore. attending Blue Mountain Community College right now. While BMCC’s tuition and fees would be an inexpensive option compared to starting as a freshman PSU, she would then face the reality of paying for her four-year degree further down the line. “[FYF] has been worth it,” Wilson said. “It’s not as stressful as most students that I’ve talked to, with how many loans they have to get.” To be eligible to apply for the program, students must be first-year freshmen, current Oregon residents who graduated from an Oregon high school with a minimum 3.4 GPA and Federal Pell Grant-eligible. To continue in the program, students need to maintain a 2.0 institutional GPA and enroll in at least 12 credits per term. The program will cover up to 15 credits per term. FYF does not cover living expenses, so Wilson works to pay for her daily necessities while enrolled in a full-time courseload. Students can also qualify for outside scholarships and may use student loans to cover expenses beyond tuition and fees, including room and board.
FOLLOW US ONLINE FOR WEEKLY UPDATES OF CAMPUS CRIME IN ‘CRIMEBLOTTER’ AND PORTLAND CITY HALL HAPPENINGS IN VANGUARD’S ‘HILL TO THE HALL’ COLUMN. PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
3
YEAR IN REVIEW
A LOOK BACK AT VANGUARD’S TOP 20 STORIES OF 2017 VANGUARD STAFF
It’s been a tumultuous year in general, so it might come as little surprise Portland State Vanguard’s most popular stories dealt with a rise in right-wing extremist activity. Whether it’s Neo Nazis and white nationalists organizing publicly, or more vague concepts like xenophobic attacks, vandalism or inciting a disturbance of peace, 2017 was marked by a pendulum swing. People also like to read about weed and strip clubs. Here’s a look back at the stories that got us here.
*HONORABLE MENTION: WHEN PRO-LIFE COMES TO CAMPUS
A PSU student group teamed up with an outside pro-life organization to erect a two-story display equating abortion to genocide. It caused counter-protests, donations to Planned Parenthood and numerous responses ranging from open letters to vandalism.
20. MAY DAY RIOTS: “A CHANGE IS GONNA COME”
Although we’ve covered the history of May Day protests before, this was the first year Donald Trump got to experience the American tradition as President.
19. SLUTWALK RESPONSE
Angry comments from event organizers caused an op-ed about Slutwalk PDX to receive significantly more coverage than the article that inspired it.
18. JOEY GIBSON DOES SAN FRANCISCO
The founder of Patriot Prayer isn’t welcome in California.
17. UNAPOLOGETIC?
One of Vangaurd’s first pieces about white nationalists after a spike in hate crimes in Oregon.
16. VIKING VOICES’ “DIALOGUE AS A TWO WAY STREET”
A student leader shared their negative experiences engaging online with ASPSU officials about divisive subjects like the pro-life demonstration on campus and the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict.
15. CHADWICK MOORE COMES TO PORTLAND
We wrote a preview about gay right-wing writer Chadwick Moore’s campus talk.
14. LEGAL WEED
The debate over legalizing marijuana across
4
VG’S MOST READ 2017 STORY: ‘FASCISM ON THE RISE,’ A PROFILE OF PORTLAND’S WHITE SUPREMACISTS JAKE JOHNSON/PSU VANGUARD the United States was not only the most popular article from our Green Guide, but almost Top 10 Most Popular of 2017.
13. RALLIES COLLIDE
Three protests with competing ideologies choked downtown Portland streets.
12. PSU STUDENT STABBED
9. LADY GAGA SEEN IN PORTLAND
One of the world’s biggest pop stars was seen outside a Portland recording studio. The Oregonian, Portland Mercury, Willamette Week and TV stations covered our story.
8. EX-CABBIE HARASSES GAY BAR PATRONS
When Jeremy Christian killed two men and wounded another in a racist attack at the Hollywood Transit Center, the survivor was revealed as a PSU student.
Daniel Svoboda, a man who made international news for harassing gay bar patrons, came back to the same bar the same day Donald Trump announced his ban on transgender service members in the armed forces.
11. OFFENSIVE SIGN
7. STRIP CLUB ETIQUETTE GUIDE
Area 52, a neighborhood bar in outer East Portland, found an offensive chalk message outside its door, and neighbors said it wasn’t the first time they saw a message like this. Since that article’s publishing, Area 52 has transferred ownership.
10. BRAWLT RIGHT
One of our July cover stories documented alt right vs. antifa confrontations at the height of their tension, shortly after the Hollywood Transit attack.
Our most popular story that isn’t a hard news piece per se.
6. IDENTITY EVROPA COORDINATOR RESIGNS
White teenager quits white nationalist club to find Jesus, prepare for college.
5. MISLEADING COVERAGE OF INTERFAITH PANEL SPARKS TROLL CAMPAIGN
Questions over context caused two major
uproars on PSU campus and across the internet.
4. INTERNET CLAPS AT SANDY HUT, SANDY HUT CLAPS BACK
Sightings of right-wing men’s club members at Sandy Hut forced the almost 100 year old bar to clear up rumors that they proudly serve Proud Boys.
3. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PATRIOT PRAYER?
We covered what looks like is going to be the end of Joey Gibson’s movement, which lasted less than a year but managed to disrupt the peace everywhere they went.
2. FIRED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH?
A former multimedia editor’s termination went viral on right-wing blogs, a handful of local outlets, got hundreds of comments and still isn’t our most-read story.
1. FASCISTS REVEAL THEMSELVES
This profile on white nationalists in the Portland metro led to one’s resignation from his high-profile post within a club.
INTERNATIONAL
VOLUNTEER CONVERSATION PROGRAM OPENS CROSSBORDER DIALOGUE
志工交流論壇開拓跨境對話
LI CHUN WU AND CHRIS MAY For the past 15 years, Portland State’s Volunteer Conversation Program has acted as a bridge connecting American students with international students from PSU’s Intensive English Language Program. “The volunteer program not only gives [international] students a good chance to practice speaking English, it also supplies American students with a good opportunity to come in contact with different cultures,” said undergraduate student Peter Brown dos Reis, who currently serves as the IELP Learning Center’s volunteer conversation program coordinator. At present, the program has approximately 40 volunteers and 50 exchange students participating, according to Brown. IELP students can choose to sign up for individual conversation partner sessions or enroll in the Individual Conversation Partner Program. Students’ meeting times and places are not restricted. Heading to a popular coffee shop or working on homework together in the library are both possible options. On Oct. 13, IELP brought many American and international students to its office for the Volunteer Conversation Program’s first meeting of the school year. Students had the opportunity to meet their partners and begin their individual journeys into foreign territory. Topics of discussion included the the din-
ing habits and food cultures from everyone’s home country. “I understand what it is like to learn a new language and how scary it can be to work on conversation skills,” said Grace Hilliard, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. “If I can help someone feel a bit more comfortable in their ability to speak, then I can count it as a successful use of time.” The Volunteer Conversation Program entices students pursuing English-teaching graduate and certificate programs, as these curricula require volunteer hours in the field. Kim Dodds, currently studying to be an English teacher, is one such student. She recently returned from South Korea, where she participated in a language exchange internship. “I know that it is difficult for exchange students to reach out and try and make friends with Americans when they aren’t yet confident in their own language skills,” Dodds said. “I also experienced this while I studied abroad.” Enrollment isn’t restricted, and the Volunteer Conversation Program invites any interested local students to sign up at any time; anyone with a positive attitude and passion to understand foreign cultures is welcome. To sign up, contact: ielpcpt@pdx.edu
EXCHANGE STUDENTS CHAT WITH THEIR CONVERSATION PARTNERS AT IELP OFFICE ON OCT. 13. LI CHUN WU/PSU VANGUARD 自15年前起，波特蘭州立大學的志工交流 論壇扮演起交流的橋樑，將美國學生與隸屬 於密集英語課程(Intensive English Language Program)的留學生們相互連結在一起。 「志工交流論壇不僅是給予留學生練習說 英語的好機會，更是提供美國學生接觸不同 文化的好契機，」論壇學生負責人彼得•布朗 (Peter Brown dos Reis) 說。 根據布朗估計，目前約有40位志工與約50 位留學生參加。 學生們可以選擇一對一交流，或是團體交 流。學生們可固定見面的時間與地點也不拘 束，到喜歡的咖啡廳閒聊或是到圖書館一起 寫功課都可以。 10月13日在IELP辦公室內聚集了許多來自 世界各國的留學生以及美國學生，此聚會是 由IELP專為PSU學生設立的志工交流論壇初 次見面會，讓留學生與本地學生能藉此機會 認識自己的學伴，順便各自展開一場異國之 旅。話題包括自己國家的飲食習慣與文化。 「我可以想像用一種新語言來和當地人交
談是需要很多勇氣的，」主修專為教授非英 語系人士英語(TESOL)的研究生格雷思•荷拉 德 (Grace Hilliard) 說。「如果我可以讓他們 成功踏出那一步，我想我所花在這上面的時 間也都值得了。」 因課程學分需要，吸引許多和荷德拉一樣 主修英語教學的研究生主動報名參加。金伯 利•達德司 (Kim Dodds) 也是其中之一。剛從 韓國留學回來的她，在韓國時也參加了類似 的交流活動 。 「當覺得自己的第二外語還是無法流利溝 通時，留學生很難跨出門跟美國人交朋友， 這點我知道的,」達德司說。「我在韓國時也 經歷了這種情況。」 志工交流論壇隨時歡迎有興趣的當地學生 參加，報名條件不限，只要有熱忱與想要了 解異文化的積極態度，都歡迎來報名。報名 或有任何問題請洽詢IELP。 聯絡郵件信箱：ielpcpt@pdx.edu
CLIMATE CHANGE WRITING CONTEST CALLS FOR WORLD-SAVING IDEAS JESIKA WESTBROOK
Portland State Institute for Sustainable Solutions is offering students with a passion for writing and an interest in climate change solutions a chance at $1000 through its “Thinking Our Way Forward” writing contest. Despite ever-expanding scientific evidence, some have dismissed climate change as a myth, including multiple people in positions of power. A notable and unfortunately comical instance of such denial came just two years ago when Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) brought a snowball into Congress as a counterpoint against climate change. The growing trend in both government and the general populace is to join the scientific community’s consensus: Rapid climate change is man-made, and research shows we have the power to slow rising temperatures.
Paul Lask, an adjunct English teacher at PSU and one of the judges for this contest, offered some ideas: “This is a writing contest centered around climate change,” Lask said. “We are looking for solutions-based ideas to the unfolding climate catastrophe.” This is an opportunity to bring creative thinking to the table. It opens the floor for not only the natural sciences but also the arts and social sciences to contribute to the conversation about causes and solutions. The contest is not limited to academic essays that outline sophisticated or technical solutions. Submissions will be assessed for original ideas and writing quality. Keywords are imagination, vivid imagery and plausibility. Lask encouraged students to utilize the PSU
Writing Center, located in Cramer Hall 188, as a resource for this contest and other writing ventures. He also recommended deep reading and peer workshops. Most importantly, Lask said, “try to answer the prompt question: in a world locked in the grip of climate crisis, how can we think our way forward?” Submissions are due Friday, Dec. 1 and limited to 1,500 words. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000. Second and third prize winners receive $500 and $250, respectively. The deadline for the PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions ‘Thinking Our Way Forward’ writing contest is Dec. 1 For more information on contest guidelines and deadlines, visit our website:
SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
5
NEWS INTERNATIONAL NEWS
LOVING “LOVING VINCENT” HAND-PAINTED VAN GOGH BIOPIC SCREENS AT CINEMA 21 JESS MCFADDEN The 2017 film Loving Vincent, from directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, is a hand-painted exploration of controversy surrounding Vincent van Gogh’s death. Hand-painted, you ask? Why yes! According to Kobiela, “We painted over 65,000 frames on over 1,000 canvases. We shot the film with actors, and literally painted over it frame by frame.” As a painter, I’ve always yearned to get inside some paintings and wander around. Movement is implied and embodied in Impressionism, a style of painting associated with van Gogh, but animating 65,000 paintings takes movement to the next level. Loving Vincent is an experience similar to taking drugs or playing video games all night: It changes the way the world appears. It provides a possibility for even the most solid objects to become wavy and odd-colored, creating a universe that breathes and emotes like a living organism. In other words, it’s super trippy. The film takes place after van Gogh’s death in 1890 in France.
Van Gogh regularly sent letters and was close with his postman. When the postman received news of van Gogh’s death, he sent his son Armand, whom van Gogh had painted, to deliver a letter to van Gogh’s brother Theo. Upon discovering Theo had also died, Armand’s simple mission became complicated as he encountered many people from van Gogh’s life with different pieces of the story. How did van Gogh really die? Mystery! Suspense! Controversy! Drama! It all takes place on a historically informative stage. The filmmakers mimicked van Gogh’s painting style with considerable effort, and some of his famous paintings are directly imitated throughout the film. However, this is not consistent as flashbacks are painted more realistically in black and white. I also found it distracting how some facial features, especially eyes, were rendered with too much detail, so they looked more like a programmed filter than van Gogh paintings. When van Gogh painted people’s faces, they were usually just as distorted as everything else in the paintings. Instead of hav-
ALTITUDE FILM DISTRIBUTION/2017 ing eyes, people had weirdly shaped blobs. To be fair, viewers might have a hard time relating to the characters in the film if they are too abstract. In its examination of van Gogh as a person, rather than the two-dimensional art deity we may typically see, Loving Vincent questions myths of the lonesome, maddened artist, and considers the complexity of the person beyond the persona. Loving Vincent is currently screening at Cinema 21 and Century Clackamas Town Center.
FORGET THE MOVIES, READ THE COMIC BOOKS KORBIN CHAPMAN
This year has been jam-packed with comic book movies, already squeezing in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Logan. With November promising Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League, it’s easy for us sweaty nerds to get caught up in the cinema scene, but we shouldn’t forget the marvelous source material. We are living in a beautiful time to be a nerd. Our current era being dubbed the “Second Golden Age of Comics.” With so many amazing comics out now, here are a few you should be reading. Paper Girls is perfect for anyone who loves cheesy ‘80s movies about potty-mouthed kids and monsters. Brian K. Vaughan, writer of Saga, The Runaways, and Y: The Last Man, and Cliff Chiang, known for his beautiful pencils on New 52 Wonder Woman make up the series’ creative team. Very much in the vein of The Goonies, or more recently Stranger Things and IT, Paper Girls is about, well, paper girls. In 1988, a handful of middle school girls discover something afoot in their suburban town. It’s wacky and wonderful, and at least worth a read. Local author David F. Walker’s Occupy Avengers may be the best Hawkeye story since the legendary 2012 arc by fellow Portland comic writer Matt Fraction. Penciled by Carlos Pacheco, the book follows Clint after the events of Civil War 2. Disowned by the superhero community, Hawkeye takes to traveling the U.S., helping right wrongs all around the country in communities often overlooked by superheroes. For any reader with a taste for social justice and commentary, Occupy Avengers is for you. Sadly, this series was cancelled after only nine issues, despite love from fans and critics. Fortunately, the entire series has been collected into two trades, so you don’t have to hunt for them. While it’s a great time to be a comic book fan, it’s just as good a time to be a Star Wars fan. Lucasfilm and Disney have been killing it in film, tv, books and comics. Star wars: Darth Maul is a miniseries written by Cullen Bunn and pencilled by Luke Ross, four issues about one of the most badass Star Wars characters. I mean, he kept himself alive after being hacked in half, using only the power of pure hatred. That’s pretty metal. With Star Wars: The Clone Wars fan favorites Cad Bane and Aurra Sing in supporting roles and a
6
AARON UGHOC Fugitive-esque storyline, Maul must find and kill a missing Jedi Padawan. Rage and carnage follow. It’s dark, violent and even funny at times. I found myself tearing through this series. I know what you’re thinking: where is my DC love? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Following the New 52 reboot a few years ago, DC rebooted, or recombined, or something. In an attempt to bring more New 52 stories into the same continuity as their golden age stories, someone did something, and that’s not me being coy: they simply haven’t explained what all has happened. Despite this annoying decision, Tom King’s work on Batman Rebirth has
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
been great—not quite on the same level as as Scott Snyder’s New 52 run, but certainly fun. With new vigilantes Gotham and Gotham Girl and an epic gang war between the Joker and the Riddler, Batman Rebirth also made Kite Man not only interesting, but one of my favorite tragic Batman villains, almost on par with Mr. Freeze. Batman Rebirth may be some of the best work not only at DC but in all of comics right now. While there are a ton of other great series out you should be reading, like the Rick and Morty comic book and Superman Rebirth, these are just a few of what I’m geeking out over.
FEAST GUIDE
Hello! My name is Shambles June McBrambles, the Beast of the Holiday Feast Guide! Look for me on the following pages for tips to make your winter celebrations purrfectly spect-CAT-ular. LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
FEAST ON THIS:
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Recipes to Warm Your Holiday Bones Ugly Pumpkins Make Delicious Pies Reminder: Holidays Can Be Painful, You’re Not Alone International Students on Spending the Holidays in the U.S. All the Things That Make Us Fell Vangrateful A Look Back at Portland’s Epic Snowstorms Smart Charitable Giving: Where Your Dollar Makes the Biggest Impact
15-18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Usable Wrapping Paper!
All I Want for Christmas: A Poem Give the Gift of Giving and Volunteer This Holiday Season Look Good, Feel Good & Survive the Holidays As An Alt-Eater
Resolve: How to Make Lasting Promises to Yourself This New Year Use Your Winter Break to Binge on Animated Entertainment Pets in Sweats 4.0: Cutie Creatures in Clothes
SILVIA CARDULLO
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
7
FEAST GUIDE
A FRIENDS FEAST COOKING GUIDE CLASSY COOKING WITH CASSIE CASSIE DUNCANSON Maybe you’re not returning home. Maybe you’ve managed to score a seat at your friend’s house. Or maybe you’re graced with a decent sized dining room. It’s a Friend Feast. The best goddamn holiday there is. No matter where you end up, whether you’re at a friend’s house or at a bar with seats for its neighbors—which is the true story of how I spent my first Thanksgiving in Portland with a friend visiting from California at The Skyline Tavern, a bar that feels awfully similar to a bar back home in Vermont—it’ll probably be potluck style, and you probably need a dish to bring. Whether you’re in charge of the side dishes, a main dish, or a dessert, I’ve got you covered.
BREAD FROM SCRATCH (VEGAN FRIENDLY)
Adapted from Michael Ruhlman’s cookbook, Ratio. Makes one loaf or 13 2.5oz. rolls • • • •
20 ounces all-purpose flour 12 ounces warm water 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon instant yeast
SILVIA CARDULLO
1. Combine water and yeast. Let sit for 3–5 minutes. Add flour and salt. Knead approximately 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover and set aside in a warm environment, the top of the fridge is usually excellent. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, usually one hour. 2. Preheat oven to 375F. Shape appropriately, either in a loaf tin or flat rack. Let sit for 10–15 minutes. 3. Bake loaf for 30 minutes or rolls for 50 minutes. Bread should sound hollow when you tap the exterior, or reach 180F on a food-safe thermometer.
POTATO BEAN KALE SOUP (VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE FRIENDLY) Ingredient proportions are subject to taste. • • • • • • • • • • •
Oil (vegetable or olive) Garlic Shallot Red Onion 2 or 3 potatoes White beans (canned or dry) Red beans (canned or dry) Vegetable stock or bouillon Salt Kale Spices: cumin, cayenne, bay leaf
1. If using dried beans, soak overnight. Canned beans need no preparation. 2. Dice the garlic, shallot, and red onion. Cube your potatoes. De-stem your kale and roughly chop. 3. In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, garlic, shallot and onion until translucent. 4. Add potatoes and beans. Cover with water and add bouillon, salt, and spices according to taste. 5. Keep on medium-high to medium-low heat until potatoes and beans are cooked. 6. Add kale 5–10 minutes before serving.
3. Toss vegetables in a bit of olive oil. Add to pan. Season pan with salt and pepper. 4. Add a pinch of rosemary and thyme and a few leaves of sage. 5. Cook 35–40 minutes until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. If chicken and veggies start to burn before the chicken is done, cover with foil.
PUDDING SURPRISE PIE • • • •
1 package instant chocolate pudding 1 package instant vanilla pudding 1 graham cracker crust (don’t throw away packaging) Milk
1. Whisk 1¾ cup milk into vanilla pudding mix. Pour into graham cracker crust and spread evenly. 2. Cover with the plastic cover that came with the crust and refrigerate for 5–10 minutes until set. 3. Whisk 1¾ cup milk into chocolate pudding mix. Pour over vanilla pudding. 4. Cover with the plastic cover again and refrigerate for 5–10 minutes until set. 5. Serve with whipped cream.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGGIES
Ingredient proportions are subject to taste. • • • • • • •
LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
8
Bone-in chicken thighs Parsnips Potatoes Mushrooms Leeks Chicken stock Spices: rosemary, thyme, and sage
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Preheat an oven-safe pan, cast iron preferable. 2. Add a knob of butter and a touch of olive oil. Sear the chicken skin-side down in the pan 2–3 minutes and repeat on other side.
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
SILVIA CARDULLO
FEAST GUIDE
THEY’RE GOURD PUMPKINS, BRENT:
LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
HOW UGLY SQUASH CONQUERED THE HOLIDAYS ALEX-JON EARL Did you know that a zucchini and a pumpkin are the same thing? Technically, they are in the same family, but would you put the former in your holiday pie? Probably not. The delightful round and ribbed orange gourds we decorate our decks with on Halloween and draw alongside turkeys in our holiday art aren’t always what we’re glopping into our yummy baked tarts, though. It’s true they’re a variety of Cucurbita, Latin for squash, but selective breeding has created something odd.
THE HISTORY OF PUMPKIN EATING HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN SWEET
After colonizers—the buckle hat ones—arrived in this beautiful land, they quickly discovered gourds. Keith Stavely and Kathleen Fitzgerald identify multiple uses for pumpkin in the colonial era in their book America’s Founding Food, including smushed up pumpkin. Plain but delicious, the Wampanoag taught colonialists how to make this staple of feast food. It clearly made its mark since a version of this mash is present on Thanksgiving dinner tables to this day. However, culinary historians will tell you sweet pies weren’t really a thing at that point, so expecting a crusty little pumpkin is wishful thinking. So what else were they going to do with pumpkin to fill the time? They would also scoop out the pumpkin’s innards (delightful) and fill it with a lovely stew of pumpkin and whatever was in season at the time. Imagine: venison, root vegetables and pumpkin. Now imagine you’re a pumpkin and some colonialists are going all Hannibal Lecter on you by slopping your own brains back into your head. Delicious for the people, but not so pleasant for the pumpkin!
WHO WANTS PIE?!
Classic pie gourds looked pretty gourd and photogenic, but they didn’t produce quite enough flesh to sustain the capitalist pie machine. This posed a question: how do we take this beloved orb of holiday goodness and create something more profitable? The answer was a mix of using other squash and selective breeding. The former involves other types of winter squash, and the latter led to the creation of many varieties of pumpkin. However, we ended up with something less than photogenic. Just look at the Dickinson Pumpkin. Even the best-looking ones aren’t anything like the kind you’d see a buckle hat-wearing turkey riding at a parade. Thankfully, we have marketing to close the perception gap and ensure people still think pumpkin when they scoop mush into mixing bowls this holiday season. You were expecting a recipe? In lieu of a recipe, we will leave you with this: the largest pumpkin pie ever weighed 3,699 pounds. SILVIA CARDULLO
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
9
FEAST GUIDE
HOLIDAYS ARE ROUGH, YOU’RE NOT ALONE BY ALANNA MADDEN
I’m not ashamed to admit it: I hate the holidays. While my reasons are personal, I believe they’re important to share. If the holidays are hard for you too, know you’re not alone. I’ve often struggled with depression between October and January. I’m not talking about little bouts of sadness, but a consistent, heavy inner disparity that lasts from the moment I wake up until I finally manage to fall asleep. The holidays make all of this harder to deal with; in fact, I think the holidays cause these feelings in the first place. I’m not naive enough to believe Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s should look like pages from Martha Stewart Magazine. And I fucking hate the movie Love Actually, so I’ve never wanted a Hugh Grant love story. The holidays are difficult because life is already hard enough. It can be difficult to balance two jobs and full-time college classes with feelings of loneliness, stress, hunger, sleep deprivation, and an empty wallet And while family and friends may only be a text, call, or 30-minute drive away, it can be a struggle to find time to contact them. Being a self-sustaining “adult” can feel impossible at times. So imagine trying to navigate this struggle every year with divorced parents while watching your older siblings getting married, having children, and hosting celebrations that your part-time job(s) won’t allow time-off for. You might not need to imagine—you may already know.
THE GUILT IS COMPLEX
The guilt is essentially self-blame. You blame yourself for not acquiring more scholarships and grants, for switching majors, for having debt, and for procrastinating self-care. The guilt says you’re ungrateful, or that you owe it to parents or other people to do something with your life, rather than owing it to yourself. For me, the guilt also involves post-traumatic stress. Although I’ve worked through these issues and have come to a mature understanding of the past, I still absorb the pain and grief of other family members who haven’t. I’ve never let go of my desire to make everything OK, but I know I can’t, and it kills me. I’ve always hated choosing between parents for holiday functions. No matter what, someone gets upset. No matter which presents I receive or what we eat; neither house is home anymore, which leads to feelings of displacement. And don’t even get me started on the guilt related to the expectations that come with a religious upbringing. My brothers still joke about the year I refused to attend church and my mother announced, “THANKS FOR RUINING EASTER.” While I don’t have any answers for those with similar feelings and experiences, I can tell you with certainty that you’re not alone. Sometimes just knowing that is enough, and if it’s not, know that helpful resources are out there. I’ve tried many, and they have helped. These feelings used to feel worse.
HOW I COPE
Here’s some advice I’ve found helpful: Do not shut down. Share your thoughts. Don’t believe everything you think. Do
10
ELENA KIM something for somebody else. Work toward a goal that scares and excites you (I’m not talking romance; I’m talking personal achievement). Additionally, it might sound lame, but when I feel the absolute worst, I make a list of my feelings. I do not include any explanations whatsoever; just the recognition of each feeling. Next, I go through every emotion and add a couple of sentences about my associated actions. Then I free-write about the possible reasons for these feelings and associations. Finally, I go through each feeling and write a one-sentence solution. I push myself through it, no matter how difficult it might be. It looks something like this: 1. Lonely 2. I feel lonely when I come home at night after work and school.
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
3. I’m lonely because I haven’t spent any quality time visiting friends and family since September. I miss them, but I can’t justify missing a deadline for a social date. 4. Find a way to schedule one friend or family date per week and stick to it. One is better than none.
RESOURCES
Counseling services are available through the Center for Student Health and Counseling. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, you’re still not alone. But you should know that suicide is never the answer, and you can overcome these feelings and find help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. It’s not a cheesy service. There are people out there who truly care and will assist you. You’re never alone.
FEAST GUIDE
HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AHMED ELTALLY AND CHRISTOPHER STAIR
Final exams are around the corner, and while some students prepare for an-all-too -familiar-holiday season, others prepare for a winter far from home. International students on campus shared their experiences, traditions, favorite holidays in the U.S and being away from their home country while others are celebrating.
Jose Pool Sierra is an international student from Mexico majoring in business administration. “For me, being in the U.S. during the holiday season is exciting because I get to meet new people and learn from another culture. Most of the time, I participate in some holidays just to socialize, meet new people and learn about such celebrations. “People in the U.S. think the Day of the Dead in Mexico is similar to Halloween, but that’s not true. Normally people in Mexico don’t dress up with costumes and go out for trick-or-treating. Even though [dressing up] wasn’t new to me, I found it very strange. “Back in Mexico, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Some Mexican-Americans might celebrate it, but people in Mexico don’t. “During this time of the year, I just tend to call back home all the time. Knowing that my family is enjoying this time makes me happier. I always joke by telling them to send me some of the leftovers through the mail, which never happens. Knowing that I will see them very soon makes me cope with the anxiety of not being with them.”
Chi Nguyen is an international student from Vietnam. She arrived almost six years ago as a junior in high school, and is now a senior studying supply chain logistics and management. “I don’t have any family members in the U.S., so I definitely miss them more during the holidays. I take it as an opportunity to experience [local] culture. “My best friends who I grew up with in Vietnam are also studying in the U.S., so we are lucky being able to get together, especially during the holidays. “My favorite [holiday] is Thanksgiving. My friends and I gather for a big Friendsgiving and cook up turkey, bake pumpkin pies and celebrate traditions we never thought we would if we hadn’t gone to America. “I also love Christmas season and how the spirit is everywhere, and that we can feel it so clearly. [People in Vietnam] celebrate Christmas as well. However, it is more of a social holiday rather than a family gathering because families gather during Lunar New Year instead.” On the strangest holiday tradition she’s seen in the U.S.: “St. Patrick’s Day. I guess it is strange because in Ireland people don’t even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by drinking beer, and in America we do. I’m seeing this day as an excuse for people to drink rather than understanding who St. Patrick is or what the day is really about.”
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY EACH STUDENT
SovanPiseth Suon is an international student from Cambodia. He is currently studying business marketing in his third year at Portland State. “It’s very fantastic to experience new holiday seasons. When I first came here, I was so excited to see people dress up on Halloween. I personally never dressed up as anything, but I would love to next time. “[E]veryone was talking about Christmas couples before it’s really Christmas. I don’t have these kinds of holidays in Cambodia, so it’s a totally new experience and I enjoy it so much. You don’t need to look at a calendar to know which holiday will be coming up. “I came here to learn both education and culture from this country; therefore, I am most likely to participate in as many holidays as possible. And not even once have they disappointed me. “I missed a lot of holidays in Cambodia because I’m here. What I did was call my parents; we would video call and they showed me what’s going on. Our family usually has a meeting party every big traditional holiday in Cambodia.”
Hong Byeong Chan is an international student from South Korea, studying mechanical engineering. “Portland is a calm city. I can feel free here, it’s different from Korea. In Korea, every day is busy, we call it Hell Joseon. But in America it’s very free and I have a lot of time to enjoy U.S. culture. “I don’t miss home, but when I feel a sense of loneliness, I video call with my friends— that relieves my loneliness enough. “I heard American people enjoy Christmas with their family. But Korean people, at least most of them, enjoy Christmas with their lover or girlfriend. “In Korea, we don’t have Halloween, so when I came here I was able to participate in a Halloween party. I saw costumed people, which was exciting. It’s a big difference from Korea; some people will dress up on Halloween [on the bar streets], but it is not Korean culture. “Korea has a lot of holidays, like Pepero Day, White Day and Black Day. For example, Pepero Day is on Nov. 11. People should buy Pepero [similar to Pocky] for their girlfriend or lover. That really burdens some [people].”
ERIC STEFFEN
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
11
FEAST GUIDE
I’M FEELING VANGRATEFUL FOR… The cultural and social expectations many of us face from November to January are weird, depressing, nostalgic, overwhelming, expensive, stressful, full of pressure and mostly annoying. Even so, it’s a good reminder to step back and reflect on the elements in our lives that bring us joy and fulfillment. Vanguard team members compiled a list of some of the things that make us feel VanGrateful.
MATTHEW ANDREWS, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • • •
COLLEEN LEARY, EDITOR-IN-LEAVES: •
The people who see me, hear me and recognize I’m just a fragile sappy creature behind a salty thin candy crab shell The trust others have placed in me as a leader and their willingness to be vulnerable and take risks The life-changing opportunity to follow in Don Carlo’s footsteps and lead an organization with a 70-year legacy Vanguard’s very own Don Carlo, Reaz Mahmood. And the classiest hard-ass I know, Sheri Pitcher. My perfectly janky, perfectly beautiful lime green house, the people and creatures who live in it and my near-future chance to finally unpack the boxes I moved in September Family support from thousands of miles away and my chosen family residing in the sub-dungeon of SMSU My best friend, my person. My person who offers me unwavering patience, knows how to call me on my shit, rescues me from myself over and over and over. My person who chose to say, “Yes,” instead of saying, “No, weirdly demanding and abrasive stranger, I don’t live with my mom and I will not show you my stomach. Now kindly leave me to enjoy my pizza in peace.”
• • • •
• •
•
My biggest problem being too much cool stuff to do Having so much to be thankful for I have trouble making a list The fact that at no time in my life have I known so many intelligent, skilled, talented, compassionate, funny, humane weirdos that I can count on as friends, mentors and colleagues Also, Star Wars
• • • •
MARIKA VAN DE KAMP, PRODUCTION DESIGNER • • •
My wonderful friends and family Cheesecake Fuzzy socks
CHRIS MAY, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR
Staying warm, dry, and well-fed No one shooting at me Being surrounded by great people
• •
•
My parents, who I would give a major artery to if they ever needed it My amazing partner Antonio, the most supportive person ever My wonderful coworkers at Vanguard My spectacular friends Food
• • • •
•
The new friends I’ve made at PSU My friends’ cats Being able to call my brother and chat about anything, and he always has something interesting to tell me as well The Hoyt Arboretum, and all the beautiful parks and gardens within Portland, so I can visit nature without having to leave the city
The birth of my first nephew Reconciling old family grudges Being close to the end of my undergrad Joining Littman + White Galleries’ 50+ year legacy of defining contemporary art on campus and making PSU a contemporary art destination
SILVIA CARDULLO, PHOTO EDITOR •
• • •
ANDREW D. JANKOWSKI, ONLINE & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
THOMAS SPÖLHOF, OPINION EDITOR • • •
DANIELLE HORN, MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
The First Amendment The collective kindness, support, inspiration, encouragement and love I’ve been fortunate enough to receive and witness during my short and happy life Lucky breaks
LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
MISSY HANNEN, COPY CHIEF • •
EVAN SMILEY, MANAGING EDITOR • • • •
This beautiful fall weather My cuddle-bug kitties, stinky beautiful pup, and rockstar partner The endless empathy and creativity of others Most cheeses
SHANNON KIDD, CREATIVE DIRECTOR • • •
AARON UGHOC, PRODUCTION DESIGNER • • •
12
French bread All cheese everywhere My mom
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
•
The empathic crew of humans that have surrounded me when I needed it most My relentlessly loving family and partner Vanguard and its inhabitants for providing me presence and space My bike
• •
A new awesome job with people who, like me, do the best they can My sometimes-better half: an endless fount of support, snuggles, and giggles My fur-babies, Henry B. Cat and Cooper D. Dog, who always inspire me to be present The universe’s ever-present fiery love and grace
FEAST GUIDE
READ ALL ABOUT PORTLAND’S WORST WINTER STORMS A TRIP DOWN SNOWY MEMORY LANE THROUGH NEWSPAPERS LILY HART
THE PSU PARK BLOCS AFTER A SNOW STORM IN PORTLAND DURING JANUARY 2017. VANGUARD ARCHIVES/JAMON SIN
MARIKA VAN DE KAMP
As we transition from fall to winter, snow has already hit Seattle, and colder than average weather is predicted for the Pacific Northwest throughout the 2017–18 winter. We expect to see similar weather to last year when Portland was hit with five snowstorms in a five week period. Whether you await this season with trepidation or excitement, let’s take a look at some of the most severe winter weather in the Portland area. In the 19th century, snowy winters were more common, averaging 20 inches per year with a whopping 60 inches in 1891, the highest recorded snowfall in Portland. It was not uncommon for the Columbia River to freeze over, allowing people to walk across it. General Ulysses S. Grant recorded this in a letter to his wife while stationed at Fort Vancouver in January 1853. On the Christmas Day prior, Grant’s neighbors across the river related in The Oregonian how the snow had risen to 10 feet in the Calapooya Mountains, creating dangerous conditions for miners. The storm delayed mail from Salem, slowing the legislature. Grant’s account confirmed, “The Columbia River is so much blocked up with ice that navigation is almost entirely prevented.” Five years later in January 1857, The Oregonian wrote, “The roofs of several buildings have been crushed by the weight of
snow upon them. Several persons narrowly escaped with their lives.” In 1924, the Willamette River froze over, an occurrence more rare than the Columbia freezing. One December 1924 article stated, “Old timers said this was the first time the river had presented such an arctic appearance in more than 40 years.” In January 1949, The Oregonian ran the headline, “Ice Floes Choke Columbia, Strain on Power Continues.” Ice was threatening the Bonneville Dam, which in turn threatened the city’s power. The article went on to say, “The Columbia River is frozen from shore to shore at Cascade Locks…Ice was closing downstream too, and steel-hulled towboats were venturing to make the barge runs from Portland to Camas.” Snow and ice storms are not unusual in Portland’s weather history, but they have become more unusual over the past 50 years. The Columbia has not frozen since 1949 and is unlikely to now with the implementation of dams. However, while the amount of snow has steadily decreased, snowstorms have suddenly recurred in the past few years. Last year, Portland recorded 11.8 inches in January. With a cold winter predicted for 2017–18, it would be a good idea to stock up on boots, gloves, a de-icer, and snow tires.
LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
13
FEAST GUIDE
GIVE WISELY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
LEARN WHICH NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY HELP THE CAUSES THEY SUPPORT JORDAN ELLIS
In the wake of a season of natural disasters, 2017 has already been a year of charitable giving. Charities raised more than $350 million nationwide in the three weeks following Hurricane Harvey, with millions more after Hurricanes Irma and Maria. This is not including the coming winter months, when an estimated “25 percent or more of all annual giving in the U.S. occurs,” according to the GiveGab blog. With the emphasis on donations we’ve seen and will continue to see through year’s end, some people are concerned about giving smartly. Is our money going where we want it to? Earlier this month, the American Red Cross, one of the most well-known and trusted humanitarian organizations, “confirmed that more than $5m (£3.8m) of aid money was lost to fraud and corruption during the ebola epidemic in West Africa.” In an interview with NPR several months earlier, Red Cross executive Brad Kieserman admitted to not knowing how much of each donated dollar actually went to Harvey relief. Much of this kind of information still isn’t public, even after discovering 25 percent of funds donated to Haiti in 2010 went to internal spending. But I’m not just hating on the Red Cross. In 2012, watchdog group CharityWatch published a list of “‘Not So’ Great Nonprofits,” including Feed the Children, National Foundation for Cancer Research, and Parkinson’s Research Foundation. Being informed about where you donate should now be common sense. Whether you’re giving in the wake of a disaster or as a regular end-of-year habit, do your homework. A simple online search makes this easy and totally doable. Websites such as Charity Navigator and Give.org evaluate charities to assist donors in finding trustworthy recipients. Some websites also allow you to search by specific issues, which is helpful when you have a cause you care about but need help finding relevant charities. When evaluating a potential charity, it’s best to look at both the group’s website and a third-party site like a charity evaluator, or search Google to see if the charity has received any bad press. Find out what specifically your money is funding. Is the organization transparent about allocation? What other projects does the group work on? What percentage of each donation goes to internal costs or advertising? Charity evaluators often break down spending, a major aspect in gauging worthy organizations. Do these third parties align with the charity’s own claims? Transparency is key when it comes to trustworthy organizations.
14
OTHER TIPS:
• Check an organization’s status as a taxexempt charity through the IRS database. • Donate on your own time; you don’t need to give in to pressure on-the-spot. You can always ask for the charity’s name and donate later. • Assess the impact the charity has had in people’s lives. GiveWell includes this factor in its evaluations so you are able to know if an organization is actually making a difference.
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD
FEAST GUIDE
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS AN EPISODIC POEM ALANNA MADDEN
Dear Santa, Putin, Xi Jinping, Betsy, I’ve been told that you—whoever you are—are listening and watching. I’ve been told a lot of things this year but the necessity of mothernaked truth has never been more prevalent than now. I do not mean to be brash, crude or demanding, but the intent of this letter should suggest the plaguing apathy to which irreverence it will be held– Like so many other words published that do not show the eyes as a window to humanity but the trompe-l’œil of the justice, truth and freedom inscribed upon the sepulcher of our Constitution. The last year, like so many others, tested my understanding of good, and to that extent I am unsure if I deserve the gift for which I’m about to ask. For I’m now uncertain of all objective needs and desires. Should I unwrap another gift of obscurity this holiday and consent to it’s requisition of cheer? Absolutely not. As though I could conflate the door-busting warmth of merriment with the autoclavic embrace of Plath’s oven. As a taxpaying civilian, student journalist; sister, daughter, aunt: all that I want for Christmas is hope. Not the hope you’ve permitted in the past— The Obama-branded hope; Peace Corp, PETA; 3 a.m. colonial guilt infomercials; Sarah McLaughlin’s dead dog; Roe v. Wade, Nixon’s impeachment; and the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863—
I want a day where I can wake for school and not read about mass shootings and police brutality; the pardoning of sexual predators, white supremacists, and dishonorable ‘trusted servants’ of Capital[ism]. I want the hope you’ve taught us to fear. A hope with a light and heat that radiates like a burning Walmart. The kind of hope that can heal the bodies and minds of our invisible family outside: weathered, imprisoned, impoverished, bordered, reserved, indebted, and classified. A hope that is cutting like a femme wit— Stuffing the mouths of creeps with the torn out pages of my “bullshit liberal women’s studies” books; slicing the spaces between the teeth where they lie. The hope that I won’t spend the rest of my life living to work and working to live. A hope that doesn’t resemble red lights, “white power,” and blue skin. Hope looks like your testimony, retribution; Our survival, resilience; And restoration. I trust you will find this letter unsatisfying and read with flagitious esteem, Good luck, A.L. Madden
I want the hope of watching every politician who demanded protesters to take off their masks to take off their own. A hope that can smolder the stores open on Thanksgiving and crumble the statues of men who’ve made the holiday so. I want the definition of truth to be contested so long as it’s upheld in the criminal justice business; for the truth to be accurate.
SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
19
FEAST GUIDE
THE GIFT OF GIVING BACK VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON FIONA SPRING Holiday consumerism got you down? Want to give back? You’re not alone. Every year, people around the city work together to help out those less fortunate while charitable organizations ramp up their efforts to help everyone have a safe and happy season. If you’re looking for ways to lend a hand, look no further. Read on for our list of ways to get involved in your community during the holidays, and remember while the supply of volunteers is especially high during the holiday season, the demand lasts all year. Help is needed and welcomed during every season.
POTLUCK IN THE PARK
Potluck in the Park, founded in 1991, is a local nonprofit organization which serves a free hot meal to anyone in need every Sunday in O’Bryant Square in downtown Portland. It is run entirely by volunteers, and all food is donated by individuals, businesses, organizations, and religious institutions. Each year, Potluck in the Park hosts a Christmas dinner extravaganza, featuring free music and entertainment, cell phones for contact with loved ones, stockings and goodie bags, pictures with Santa and full turkey dinners Portland residents in need. Volunteer registration for this year’s Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Dinner event is not yet open. Have plans for Christmas Eve but still want to help out? Don’t despair! Potluck in the Park is always looking for volunteers and has 54 volunteer spots available each week: 50 in the park and four in the kitchen. Prospective volunteers should sign up in advance.
OREGON FOOD BANK
The Oregon Food Bank’s mission is “to eliminate hunger and its root causes… because no one should be hungry.” It functions as a coordinating agency for a network of 21 regional Oregon food banks. The OFB network provides food boxes for over 270,000 people in need each month. Volunteer opportunities are generally one-time commitments of two to three hours and available for groups, families and individuals. These opportunities include sorting, packing, labeling and other processing to prepare food for distribution; maintaining OFB’s learning gardens; and facilitating Seed to Supper vegetable gardening classes. Interested volunteers can also organize a Food & Fund Drive through OFB. See on-campus opportunities for programs combatting Portland State student food insecurity.
20
NORTHWEST CHILDREN’S OUTREACH
Northwest Children’s Outreach is a volunteer-run organization working to collect resources such as diapers, clothing, shoes, books, toys, formula and hygiene products and distributing them to caregiving organizations which work directly with children in need. Volunteer work includes sorting and packing orders, warehouse organizing and stocking, general office work and organizing donation drives and resource projects. Prospective volunteers can visit one of NCO’s four Portland-area locations in the for more information.
LIFT URBAN PORTLAND
Lift Urban Portland is a local nonprofit founded in 1980 in Northwest Portland as a network of volunteers with the goal of supporting neighborhood residents. It now operates a food pantry and harvest share affiliated with the OFB, an “Adopt a Building ” program and an annual Christmas dinner event. Prospective volunteers can apply to work with Lift Urban Portland online.
ON-CAMPUS OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in giving back a little closer to home? Portland State hosts many volunteer opportunities. OFB collaborates with PSU on two programs combatting food insecurity: PSU Food Pantry and Harvest Share. The food pantry, located in Smith Memorial Student Union 047A (in the basement between the quiet meditation lounge and the bowling alley), is open Monday through Friday 12:30-2:30 p.m. Associated Students of PSU collaborates with OFB to provide students a free food resource. Coordinators seek volunteers for staffing, stocking the pantry and among other needs, like advertising. Find volunteer opportunities by completing a PSU Food Pantry Volunteer Interest Form. OFB also partners with PSU’s Committee for Improving Student Food Security to bring free fresh fruit and vegetables to the Park Blocks through Harvest Share. Students and members of the Portland community will find an abundance of food outside Shattuck Hall at noon on the second Monday of every month, rain or shine. The next two Harvest Shares are Dec. 11 and Jan. 8. Volunteers are always welcome, needed and get first pick at produce as a thank you for their time. Sign up on through the CISFS website. And we can’t forget PSU’s very own Student Community Engagement Center.
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD Located in SMSU M113C, SCEC facilitates a wide range of volunteer and community service opportunities, from the year-long Student Leaders for Service program to the one-term Mentors Advocating and Promoting Success Program to its one-time days of service, held once every few months. Students with a specific vision can also work with a group through SCEC’s Serve Your City programs to build a tailor-made on or off-camp anced search function to help prospective volunteers find opportunities that fit their needs.
FEAST GUIDE
LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING GOOD THIS FALL MORGAN WATKINS
With leaves falling, pumpkin spice lattes steaming, and holiday tunes playing harmoniously in every mall and convenience store in the city, fall is the most wonderful time of year. However, it’s also cold as fuck, windy, and usually soggy outside, which could put a damper on anyone’s autumn spirit. But with these fashion tips and tricks, you’ll be able to move into Portland’s dreary months in style.
INVEST IN A BOMB-ASS JACKET
This is kind of a no-brainer, but hear me out. Functionality doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style! Jackets come in all shapes, sizes, colors and patterns, ranging from classic Georgie-from-It yellow plastic numbers to ultra-chic red trench coats. You can find sleek, stylish rain jackets anywhere from Nordstrom to Target. As long as you look for synthetic or laminated fabrics (which are often waterproof or water-resistant), some insulation or wind protection and a sturdy hood, you’ll be golden.
BOOTS ARE YOUR FRIENDS
Have you ever decided to wear a pair of sneakers on a damp day, then instantly regretted it when you stepped into a puddle as deep as a Jaden Smith tweet? We’ve all been there. It’s crucial you have a pair of boots to endure the rainy season. This may seem basic, but your boots don’t have to be. If you aren’t into the Hunter boots craze, then give Dr. Martens a shot. I’ve had mine for almost two years and never had soggy toes after a day out. For the bootie lovers out there, Jeffrey Campbell sells adorable rainbooties, which are available with heels or a flat sole at Urban Outfitters and online.
BECOME ONE WITH LAYERED CAKE
No, don’t actually cover yourself in frosting. Or do, and let me know how it goes because that sounds wild. But seriously, layering will not only keep you toasty on colder days, but you’ll also look hella stylish. Try a scarf, or go
preppy with a collared button-up under a chunky sweater. You can even incorporate summer pieces by throwing on your favorite strappy tank or short-sleeved tee over a longsleeved top.
HATS OFF—FUCK IT, HATS ON
Hats are a fun way to keep your head dry and warm while also serving style. Beanies are a comfortable, easy go-to found practically anywhere that sells clothes. More daring, fashionforward choices include wide-brimmed hats, berets, and fisherman hats. If you’re looking for vintage vibes, scope out local thrift stores for cool, cost-conscious options.
BE SURE TO FALL FOR YOURSELF
Whatever you choose to wear this season, just make sure that it expresses you and makes you feel comfortable and confident! Have fun with your autumnal looks, and never take fashion too seriously.
LYDIA WOJACK-WEST
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
21
FEAST GUIDE
HOW TO RESOLVE
YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING AND KEEPING RESOLUTIONS MATTHEW ANDREWS The real problem with New Year’s Resolutions is their singularity. We make them on New Year’s Eve. We break them on New Year’s Day. We forget about them for another 12 months. The resolutions we know we should make haunt our Decembers. The ones we’ve broken haunt our Januaries. Here’s how you fix it: Give your resolutions serious time and consideration. Start thinking about your resolution well before December, set a realistic date to implement it, and make a plan. A few Decembers back, I decided to make a plan to quit smoking by the end of the year. Not a resolution to quit smoking on January 1st, but a dedication to thinking seriously about how to tackle my tobacco addiction. This meant finding a sustainable, practical solution. That meant making a plan. This is not a quit smoking guide, so I won’t bore you with details. By January 1st, I had drawn up an action plan that included going back to school (right here at Portland State, in fact) and working on other aspects of my lifestyle. I set a date and started working toward it.
January is a terrible time to try anything new and difficult, and February is worse. The weather is at its roughest, even if you don’t live too far north. Everybody is exhausted from the holidays. We’re all going back to work and school. The daily grind is extra grindy. The earliest you can hope to accomplish anything is March, maybe April. This happens to be an ideal time for quitting bad habits and starting good ones. The birds start singing, the flowers start blooming, Lent gives way to Easter, the Sun returns to take away the S.A.D. of the world. I’ve generally taken a Carnival (bye, meat) approach to my resolutions. In the case of smoking, I set my quit date to the first day of spring term. Knowing I was going to quit in three months gave me license to smoke my way through the rest of winter. By the time the snow melted, I was so over-nicotined I could hardly stand it. One last spring break smoke binge and I was ready to say goodbye to tobacco. I’m happy to say I’ve not only not relapsed, I’ve been able to go back to enjoying a nice cigar or a heady spliff for their own sakes, just like I had before I started smoking a pack of Lucky Strikes every day.
SET A FAR OUT DATE
STAY BALANCED, AND TAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF
DECIDE TO DECIDE, THEN MAKE A PLAN
Your resolution date should be long enough after New Year’s Day that you can really prepare yourself to follow through.
I could never have quit smoking cigarettes if I hadn’t consciously, intentionally, obsessively indulged every
other vice. My weed and whiskey intake went way up for the first post-nicotine year, and I spent a lot of lazy afternoons watching movies and taking long baths. When I quit drinking alcohol this past April (following a wellplanned month-long bender), I went completely coffee crazy. Eventually, I’ll quit coffee (probably weed too), so if you meet me in 10 years and I’m unnaturally obsessed with herbal tea and hazelnuts, you’ll know why.
TELL EVERYONE WHAT YOU’RE DOING
If my friends and colleagues didn’t know about my ongoing experiment with sobriety, they all would have killed me by now. Support comes in a lot of forms, not least of which is the patience people who care about you will show when they know you’re battling your demons and dragons. Find allies—hiking buddies, bandmates, therapists, counselors and professors: people who will invest in your progress. And it’s important to be visible: Your successes, however modest, will inspire others.
CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER
It takes awhile for new behaviors to stick, and if it were easy you wouldn’t be making resolutions about it. Whatever happens, keep going. Forgive yourself when you fail. Take Dory’s advice from Finding Nemo: Just keep swimming.
MARIKA VAN DE KAMP
22
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
FEAST GUIDE
CARTOON BINGE BREAK A FEW RECENT ANIMATED SERIES TO GET YOU THROUGH WINTER KORBIN CHAPMAN With the holiday season fast approaching and the abundance of free time accompanying it, a lot of us will being turning to TV or streaming services like Netflix to fill the void. I’m sure everyone is looking to binge the next big pop culture phenomenon or sweeping drama, but let me make a case for lighter, more easily digestible cartoons. The animation industry has been at its peak in the last few years, especially when it comes to mature programs. While established titans like Family Guy, South Park, and The Simpsons have been around for decades, and shows like Adventure Time and Regular Show offer a blend for both younger and older audiences, never has there been such a plethora of great adult-oriented cartoons. Shows like Archer, Bojack Horseman and Rick and Morty are excellent and well worth the attention they get, but there are plenty of smaller, less popular cartoons in the same spirit. One such show is Big Mouth. Created by and starring Nick Kroll, a stand up comedian and the genius behind the underrated Kroll Show, Big Mouth is all about puberty. It’s a Netflix exclusive with a great cast featuring fellow stand-up comic and frequent Kroll collaborator John Mulaney, alongside comedian and Get Out director Jordan Peele. While the subject matter could turn some away, anyone who sticks around is in for a treat. The show handles its subjects with surprising levity, especially when addressing added complications many younger people face going through puberty after the advent of the internet and social media. It’s a short watch, and many seasoned binge viewers could easily handle the whole series in a single sitting. Another hidden gem is F Is for Family. Created by Simpsons alum Michael Price and stand-up comic Bill Burr, F Is for Family is set in the 1970s and is in the same vein as Family Guy and The Simpsons: a dysfunctional family that just can’t seem to get shit together. Similar to its predecessors, F Is for Family’s big distinction is its unwavering vulgarity. Bill Burr as Frank is the highlight of the show: a father with uncontrolled rage and hatred for his family that may take the cake for being the most dysfunctional of all time. Despite the venom most of the characters spew at each other and the show’s generally mean tone, deep down it has heart, which may be its most endearing and enjoyable quality. This one isn’t the longest binge either, but its two seasons are great, and knowing a third is on the way should be enough to give it a try. While it’s easy to get caught up in the countless dramas and sitcoms available to stream, it’s important we viewers also support the great animation available to us. And if you finish everything I’ve listed, you could give Bob’s Burgers a third round. Tina really shines in repeat viewings.
AARON UGHOC
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
23
FEAST GUIDE
Gizmo
Pets in Sweats 4.0 Here we go for the fourth time: Pets in Sweats! Sweaty Pets! ‘Tis the season to dress your pets in holiday clothes and squeal as they wiggle around their disgruntled little fur bods.
COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD
Bender
COURTESY OF SEAN MCDONALD
24
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
FEAST GUIDE
Shambles COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD
Mr. Randy Randy Buns Buns Mr. Mrs. Sidney Claus COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD
COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD
Jinky
Silvia
COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD
ALEX-JON EARL/PSU VANGUARD
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
25
FEAST GUIDE
Meowy Winter Break! From Shambles McBrambles in Pajambles!
26
VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
ASPSU DEMOCRATIC PROCESS CAN’T BE REPRESENTATIVE WITHOUT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Submitted by Roosevelt Sowka, PSU Student and Associated Students of Portland State Senator
Viking Voices is an open platform, rolling submission Op-Ed column open to all students, faculty and staff of Portland State. Submit your thoughts, stories and opinions to opinion@psuvanguard.com Please provide your name and major or affiliation with PSU. No submissions over 600 words. Submissions are voluntary, unpaid and not guaranteed to be published. All submissions will be reviewed and selected by the Vanguard Opinion Editor.
First, I would like to thank Anna Williams and Portland State Vanguard for reporting on the Associated Students of Portland State University. Their coverage of Portland State affairs, especially student government, increases awareness and holds individuals accountable. As a senator with ASPSU, I would like to discuss the claim made by Shayla Norris-York that ASPSU as a whole “signaled to the entire PSU community that they are only interested in representing students who align with their narrow political agenda.” Historically, ASPSU has pursued a narrow political agenda. I joined ASPSU at the start of this term as a student who had witnessed just that. ASPSU President Brent Finkbeiner stated, “Governments are made up of individuals [who] get passionate [and take] stances on or against certain things.” Within our 37 members, each has their own identity, personality and views. If you do not agree with one representative, I encourage you to reach out to another. I have witnessed, more often than not, the number of officer positions available surpass the number of individuals who campaign for these positions. Some individuals are elected into office by a single digit number of votes. They are democratically elected by about 1,400 of 27,000 students. The process is democratic, but is it really representative?
This is not just an ASPSU issue. When the student voice is lost, administrators, faculty members and student officers all act in a similar fashion, in the way their personal judgement deems best. In many instances, this works just fine, but it opens the potential for a lack of insight of what the real problems and solutions are. The student body, in their silence, condones and even encourages others to make decisions for them. If you are concerned about your campus community, join ASPSU. Speak to your representatives. Attend senate and committee meetings. Exercise your right to speak, in an appropriate and respectful manner, to demand from your representatives what you want to see on this campus. Without such input, we as representatives will make decisions with an incomplete perspective. I want to hear from you. If you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns, stop by our offices on the first floor of SMSU, M117. Email ASPSU at askaspsu@pdx.edu. Check out our website at community.pdx.edu/student-government. Read up on what we are doing in our public Google Drive folder. Come spring term, vote. Until then, email me, your senator, Roosevelt Sowka at rsowka@pdx.edu.
YOU DON’T NEED A WEATHERMAN TO KNOW WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS Submitted by Camilo Abreu, Portland State Student and International Socialist member Recently a Portland State Vanguard article “Socialism: You say you want a revolution” posed a fantastic question. Are those championing the socialist revolution transparent? In the interest of that transparency, I not only encourage anyone who would like to find out more about socialism to feel welcome at International Socialist Organization meetings and talk to students like myself who are members, but also feel it would be helpful to address what we mean by a revolutionary restructuring of society. What is revolutionary socialism? What does a group like the ISO champion? I could discuss the negative symptoms of capitalism, but most people interested in this idea are aware of gross wealth inequality, systematic racism, patriarchal oppression and the exploitation of workers all around the world. When you vote, do you feel like you’re making a serious impact on how your life is governed? I know I don’t. I’m shocked I’ve never been represented by someone who cares about the issues that affect my life, or even wants me to have any discretion in how I can live a life in harmony with nature, with people, with everything. “Socialism from Below” is the thought that we should all have a voice. We
should all have direct agency in how our lives are organized. I have enough faith that people are capable of deciding how their lives should be organized without basing that on their gender identity, skin color, amount of wealth, networking abilities or experience in killing people. A lot of [so called] great thinkers will tell you that you can just purchase your way to equality. Sounds like a fantastic idea if you can afford to purchase equality. Sadly, like most things in life, 90 percent of the world can’t afford to buy their own freedom. Sure, you can tell me society would be a lot better off if I purchased more food or rent instead of owning an iPhone, but then again, my iPhone was purchased thanks to the amount I need to use it for work and school (don’t worry, my employer didn’t offer to help when I asked). Funnier yet is the fact that most of the world is exploited by wage labor (also most don’t own an iPhone). As revolutionary socialists, we know operating within the system of capitalism will never offer an actual solution to its exploitation. In contrast to the claim that we haven’t seen a society run by workers, there are two points in history in which workers successfully organized society. Two prom-
inent examples are the Paris Commune in 1871 and Russia immediately after the 1917 [October] Revolution, where decisions were made by councils of workers. These examples of people’s power were eventually crushed by outside forces, but we study the good, the bad, and historical conditions in order to inform how we can move toward a revolutionary restructuring of society. That is not to say that we simply sit around and wait for revolution. Our goals in the present are to build a solid revolutionary party and educate ourselves on the context of the world through Marxist theory. We rally behind actions which improve the lives of people today. In the past year, the ISO has participated in movements including defending reproductive rights, the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, standing against the far-right’s racist violence, among many others. I was approached by the writer of the previous article to address their questions. As someone who works full time, volunteers, organizes and is a full-time student, I sincerely apologize I didn’t respond fast enough. To answer the tough questions in more detail, join us in the 2nd-floor lobby of Smith at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday.
PSU VANGUARD • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
27
STUDENT GROUP VOICES
GUEST SUBMISSION: CHLOE FRIEDLEIN, ASPSU PUBLICITY AND DESIGN DIRECTOR Hey PSU! My name is Chloe. I’m the Associated Students of Portland State’s Publicity and Design Director for the 2017–18 academic year. I am happy to announce that we have teamed up with the Portland State Vanguard to create a weekly column full of ASPSU happenings. In this column, we will highlight different committees that are working hard to advocate for you and your interests. We will also report the highlights of senate meetings, events and conferences. Our committees are lead by our awesome directors. Over the coming weeks you will gain insight into the different aspects of ASPSU and the work your student leaders are up to. Our committees are as follows, and they are lead by their corresponding director:
STUDENT LIFE
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCACY
STUDENT FEE COMMITTEE
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
You can learn more about the hard working individuals in charge of these committees at ASPSU’s official site. As your student leaders, we are here for you. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or if you want to get involved, you can reach out to each director at their ASPSU email address found on the “Get to Know Us” page listed above, or contact askaspsu@pdx.edu for general inquiries. We want to hear from you!
lead by Maxwell Everett (they/them/theirs)
lead by Hakan Kutgun (he/him/his)
lead by Luis Balderas-Villagrana (he/him/his)
lead by Tony Duadsuntia (he/him/his)
lead by Zoe Stuckless (she/her/hers/they/them/theirs) lead by Santiago Velasco (he/him/his)
UNIVERSITY AFFAIRS
lead by Lelani Lealiiee (she/her/hers)
SUSTAINABILITY AFFAIRS,
lead by Jocelyn Rodriguez (she/her/hers)
lead by Mahamadou Sissoko (he/him/his)
VANGUARD ENCOURAGES STUDENT GROUPS TO UTILIZE THIS STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION AS A RESOURCE BY SUBMITTING TO ITS “STUDENT LIFE” SECTION. HAVE A MESSAGE YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PSU COMMUNITY? EMAIL EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE SUBMISSIONS AND COLUMNS ON BEHALF OF GROUPS RECOGNIZED BY STUDENT ACTIVITIES & LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS.
T? N E V E SE AN
I T R E V D OA T T N A W
Seeking more membership and visibility on campus?
Learn more about free ad space for Student Activities and Leadership-recognized groups at psuvanguard.com/advertising
28
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
OPINION
A SANCTUARY CAMPUS MUST ABOLISH HOUSELESSNESS Libertarian Slant by Jordan Olson Being a sanctuary campus does not mean merely washing hands of direct involvement in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. It means providing a safe space for everyone in the community to live and contribute meaningfully to the governance of the community, regardless of how stigmatized they are. Whether we are talking about firstgeneration immigrants or the local houseless population, nobody should face harassment at a sanctuary campus on the basis of documentation or length of residency. And yet, the camps of the unhoused near Portland State are regularly scrutinized, surveilled and shuttled from spot to spot. What is the purpose of this? This expenditure of resources does not solve the underlying problem but merely moves it locally. Since students and taxpayers of Oregon fund these efforts, we should all be concerned these institutions seem content to spend our tuition and paychecks on an endeavor with no exit strategy and serious human consequences. Moreover, who benefits? Wouldn’t it be less expensive to establish permanent, sustainable areas of residence for the houseless near campus? One might envision the university’s schools of social work, architecture, public health, pre-medical studies and more benefiting from an ongoing positive relationship with these newly recognized and respected residents, many of whom have serious health problems that are not adequately accommodated by the current healthcare system. Furthermore, the housing crisis in Portland has produced frightening racial disparities, particularly for Black Americans, not only in overall residency figures but also in the houseless population. If PSU and the federal government are serious about pursuing innovative solutions to social problems, this is an option to consider seriously for both reducing policing costs and offering unique trans-class opportunities to our hardworking students and faculty. Students and faculty on our sanctuary campus also feel pressure. With room and board hovering near $12,000 per year, the average rate of nearby off-campus housing and transit climbing even higher, tuition climbing at near double-digit rates, and salaries for adjunct faculty at a mere $25,280 annually, many members of our community do not have the resources to house themselves on or near campus. Doubtless, there are many students in Portland’s community colleges that do not make it into PSU or other universities because of houselessness and poverty. Because of this, many members of our
community live far away from campus, and as a result, do not stick around after classes and other obligations are finished. This is an important explanatory factor in last year’s 2016 Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Survey, which reported, “Less than half of the student participants reported having a positive sense of community on the PSU campus...Only a third (33%) of the students felt connected to the campus... Three quarters (75%) of the respondents indicated that they did not feel they had a say about what goes on at PSU...Fifty-seven percent (57%) of students said they did not feel like a member of the campus.” If we are serious about addressing the void of community at PSU, the university needs to make truly affordable and stable housing available to the entire community. Doing so will not be easy. Structurally, PSU is located in a terrible place for addressing this issue: Downtown is the most expensive part of the city to live indoors. Under the DeVos-Trump administration, funds will surely tighten, and many departments will feel the burn of deep budget cuts. However, if we want PSU to be a worldclass university, the institutions, donors, and every level of government must invest less in sports stadiums and business schools and more in the basic foundation of community: affordable housing. The possible benefits would be remarkable, ranging from higher enrollment, retention, and thus more tuition being paid, to the less quantifiable aspects of livability and actual engagement with one’s education. If my classmates weren’t working 40+ hours a week or taking 19 credits including organic chemistry while working for minimum wage, it stands to reason their educational outcomes and ability to contribute in and out of the classroom environment would increase. That translates to a better college experience, fewer mental health problems, and improved career prospects. All this aside, ICE raids are ongoing around PSU. It seems this so called sanctuary campus declaration has too little teeth to be meaningful, even within the narrow definitions of the phrase. However, we can and must do more to protect and provide community. It is inspiring and heartwarming to see PSU’s administration take such a bold rhetorical stance on the issues of immigration and the right to selfdetermination. Now it is time to back those brave words with decisive action. For links to further reading, please see the online version of this article at psuvanguard.com
AARON UGHOC
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
29
OPINION
FOOD JUSTICE AND THE CASE FOR MUTUAL AID Libertarian Slant by Jordan Olson The holidays are just around the corner, and with then turkeys, tofurkeys, and hopefully genuine appreciation of one another. In times of acute need, when intervention by the state is not forthcoming, it is often neighbors themselves who take matters into their own hands. From hurricanebattered Puerto Rico to wildfire-ridden California and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in New York, stories of communities taking care of each other in the face of world-upending tragedy are as common as they are moving. In the era of a depleted welfare state, ecological collapse and mass displacement, it is more important than ever to center our capacity for mutual aid. Mutual Aid Disaster Relief is one such organization. Unlike many other aid organizations, the MADR network avoids ideas of hierarchy and charity. Instead, the group models its assistance, services and volunteering on the basis of horizontality and solidarity. MADR prioritizes local leadership and identification of needs, rather than trying to impose its own standards and structure on those being aided. MADR has been deeply involved in the recovery efforts of post-Irma Puerto Rico. A key point to understand about the situation in Puerto Rico is the U.S. territory has been on the road to austerity policies for years, acutely since the 2007 economic collapse. Therefore, any relief efforts need to not only address the immediate and longterm issues raised by the physical damage and displacement caused by the disasters themselves, but also the lasting harm brought by shortages of essential goods and services: food, water, housing, health care, electricity, and more that have steadily worsened over the past decade. MADR’s response to this situation has been diverse: Permaculturists have built solar arrays and water purification systems; doctors and nurses have traveled to remote areas to deliver badly needed healthcare services; and MADR organized food deliveries, K–12 field trips and classes, and even laundry services for families in need. MADR’s allies have also been involved in a similarly diverse array of projects outside Puerto Rico both before and after the most recent hurricane season: from the aftermath of Irma and Harvey in Houston, Texas, to the earthquakes that have rocked Mexico City, to floods in the Mississippi Valley and West Virginia. MADR’s roots go
30
CHLOE KENDALL back to organizations like Common Ground Collective and Climate Justice Movement, which take a holistic theoretical approach to the causes of and remedies to natural disasters which are often exacerbated by existing economic inequity and political marginalization. However, it is not just the acute, mediasaturated crises in faraway lands where one can see mutual aid at work. Situations with chronic needs have people working to address them, and Portland is no different from anywhere else. In fact, there are a wealth of peer-run organizations helping to facilitate people’s everyday needs right here in the city.
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
One such group is Food Not Bombs PDX, which hosts three free servings per week throughout the Portland metro area. Food Not Bombs is an international coalition of independent organizers that has roots in the anti-nuclear movement of the 1980s, where sit-ins at nuclear missile silos required logistical support. Since then, it has blossomed into a broad support network serving anyone feeling a dearth of community or food security. Food Not Bombs events can be fun. At a serving over the summer, I played ultimate frisbee with strangers and ate a delicious lentil soup in the park with a very age- and class-diverse convention of Portlanders.
While friendly, Food Not Bombs servings also focus on creating space for radical political conversations, mostly relating to peace and anti-militarist action. This type of community building is important for those hoping to build up a powerful people’s politics, as well as those who don’t know where their next meal might come from. Other local horizontally-run groups are assisting people in acute crises: not hurricanes or tornadoes, but during the tumult of political actions. Rosehips Medic Collective is a Portland-based collective of self-styled street medics who treat everything from chemical burns to abrasions and other medical emergencies that might result during a protest. Snack Bloc PDX is another group which focuses on providing food and water to those present in activist actions in order to promote health and good spirits while reducing dehydration and exhaustion among attendees. Critical Resistance PDX’s campaign for “Mental Healthcare, Not Policing” supports training officers and provides services for mental health crises in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary use of force and extrajudicial killings of Portland residents. There are also a number of institutional buttresses against food insecurity that you can check out on campus. The PSU Food Pantry gives away five free food items per person per day, 12:30–2:30 p.m. Monday– Friday in Smith Memorial Student Union 325. You can also donate to the Food Pantry. Harvest Share is also notable, where you can get free produce at noon on the second Monday of each month outside Shattuck Hall. Show up at 11 a.m. to be sure you’ll get something, because their stocks disappear quickly! Neither of these regular events require a student ID, and you’re encouraged to spread the word to non-students who might need help putting food on the table. To get involved with Food Not Bombs PDX, you can contact facebook.com/Food-NotBombs-PDX and check serving times and locations. Times may change as weather gets colder/wetter. If you’re interested in helping provide food for protesters, check out facebook.com/snackblocpdx, and if you’re interested in becoming a street medic or learning first responder skills, you can contact rosehipmedics@gmail.com. You can also support Mutual Aid Disaster Relief through mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/donate & mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/join
ADVICE
Dear Jessandra, One of my best friends is polyamorous. She has one partner who is super sweet and nice to her all the time and another who is over-controlling and possessive. He doesn’t treat her right, and it makes me feel really sad because I care about her. Whenever she brings the meanie partner up in conversation, I try to advise her not to date him. She still keeps holding onto him, even though her other partner is so great! I don’t know what to do! I don’t think you should spend time with anyone, even at the level of acquaintance, who isn’t nice to you. I am so confused about my role as a friend in this situation. Help! Sincerely, Carin’ Karen
5. AVOID BLACK AND WHITE THINKING.
Dear Carin’, I believe you have landed in one of the most difficult challenges of friendship. Truly loving another person can be so painful when we see and feel their suffering but can’t seem to change it, especially when they have shitty romantic partners. We see our friends for the incredible, strong, odds-defying superbabes they are. We know they only deserve the best! But sometimes even superbabes forget self-preservation and fall for jerks. Sometimes jerks are just nice people dating the wrong person, but at the end of the day, there’s no excuse for putting a partner down and making them feel bad. So what do you do? This is a tough one, and every relationship is different. Nonetheless, here are Jessandra’s Top Five Suggestions for Helping a Friend In a Bad Relationship (and feel free to substitute your pronouns, reader).
If you normally complain to your friend about her partner being a crappy person, that has the potential to push her away from you. She’s with this partner for a reason and looks for the good in him, even when he acts badly. It’s usually more helpful to pick apart specific things he says or does to hurt her. When I was in an unhealthy relationship, I had to keep convincing myself it was okay by building up this weird fictionalized narrative in my mind about what was going on. If a friend called my partner a sociopath or challenged his character as a whole, I had to choose between believing my friend and believing my narrative. Obviously, it was easier to continue believing my narrative. But when people talked about abusive behaviors in a way that didn’t make me defensive—especially if they were talking about someone else’s relationship or their own—I could quietly store that information away and piece it together later.
Instead of expecting you should always tell your friend the hard truth (that this partner sucks) or should always hold back, treat each mention of the partner as a unique experience. Sometimes your friend might want to tell you a funny, exciting story that happens to involve the partner. The best way to support her in that moment might be laughing and enjoying the story with her. A week later she might tell you a story which mentions the partner hurting her feelings, where she’s looking for a referee to tell her whether that behavior was acceptable or not. That might be a time to be more critical of the partner.
4. CRITIQUE BEHAVIORS RATHER THAN CHARACTER.
3. ALLOW YOUR FRIEND TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
Easier said than done. It’s very difficult and counterintuitive to watch a friend suffer without stepping in, but sometimes this is a crucial form of support. If you take it upon yourself to change your friend’s life, it will not be sustainable and you will eventually become exhausted, especially because trying to control someone’s decisions is not effective. Maybe your friend is still in this relationship because she is trying to figure something out. It could also be that her meanie partner is nicer than he seems. Or maybe you’re right, and this is just a bad situation. Either way, show her you respect her ability to think for herself and decide her own fate (although there’s definitely a point where more direct action becomes necessary).
2. BE AVAILABLE.
Even if you don’t spend a lot of time with this friend, let her know you’re there to provide support if she needs it. You might feel awkward telling her outright that you’re there if she needs anything, but sometimes friends aren’t sure how willing you’d be to provide the support they’re looking for. Especially if you’ve criticized her partner, it can be helpful to tell her where you stand: next to her. Support takes many forms, including but not limited to: listening without judgement; providing compassionate feedback or an opinion without expecting a specific outcome; lending transportation; helping with intimidating emails; helping with basic needs such as food or cleaning; going somewhere fun together; acquiring really cute puppies so you can pet them together; getting drunk and updating her online profile for her; and so on. Support should always be based on what the friend needs rather than what we want to provide.
1. BUILD HER UP, SUPERBABE!
I’m pretty sure this is the #1 best thing you can do for your friend. Remind her of why you respect her and how powerful she is. Remind her she deserves the best. Remind her of how much she’s helped you, how beautiful she is inside and out. Inspire her to go out into the world and do what she does best. I think most destructive relationships are related to feelings of insecurity. Even though you know your friend is a superstar, she may have forgotten, which is maybe why she fell into this little black hole. All of us make better decisions and have a more positive impact on the world when we’re aware of our true value and amazingness. That includes you, Karen! Good job looking out for your friend. I hope you look out for yourself just as kindly. Believe in yourself! Jessandra DO YOU NEED ADVICE? Jessandra would love to answer your questions about life, relationships, personal problems, or pretty much whatever! She may not be a professional, but at least she’ll tell you the truth. Send your requests for advice to arts@psuvanguard.com with the subject line “Jessandra” and hopefully she’ll get back to you soon! JESS MCFADDEN
PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 28, 2017 • psuvanguard.com
31