Portland State Vanguard 10-02-12

Old is the new new A conversation with designer Courtney Leonard on high-end fashion and sustainability ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 7

NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ARTS & CULTURE............ 6 OPINION........................ 10 SPORTS........................ .. 14

FREE The Vanguard is published every Tuesday and Thursday

PSUVANGUARD.COM PUBLISHED SINCE 1946

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 | VOL. 67 NO. 10

Campus Portland is calling alerts Less than 50 percent of students notified in case of emergency ISAAC HOTCHKISS VANGUARD STAFF

If an apocalypse happened tomorrow, all you would have to do is look around and you’d know what was going on.

But in the case of a more opaque emergency, such as a gunman on campus, possible bomb threat or even a snow day, more than half the campus is out of the loop.

“Humans are inherently bad communicators,” said Bryant Haley, emergency management coordinator at Portland State. “I mean, have you ever been in a relationship?”

According to Haley, this August there were approximately 12,500 students signed up for PSU Alert, the service that rapidly notifies the PSU community by text, voicemail and email in the case of an emergency. There were just under 30,000 students at PSU in 2011–12.

Haley says he would like more people to sign up.

Keeping people informed when things are falling apart is tough, he explained. “In an emergency, 85 percent of the time communication breaks down. Just look at the FBI when 9/11 happened.”

Clery Act If there were a crime at PSU, the university is required by the 1990 Clery Act to provide “timely warning” to the entire campus. Warnings are distributed via email, announcements on PSU’s website, printed notices posted at visible locations and local media.

These legally required timely warnings are only somewhat effective, however. They might not be seen by people away from computers, and those who are working may not check email or the PSU website frequently enough. And people can miss signs around campus.

Therefore, PSU and many other universities offer a quicker and more personal alert service, locally called PSU Alert. This provides rapid notification and offers more information than the legally mandated timely warnings. In addition, PSU Alert users can opt into information updates about weather or traffic emergencies.

Haley described how, as a child, he used to have to wait for a scrolling ticker on the morning news to announce whether there was a snow day at his school. Now the information can be delivered to the public in a simple email or text message.

See PSU ALERT on page 4

New study explores the city’s draw to the young and college educated

ANDREW LAWRENCE VANGUARD STAFF

“If you build it, he will come,” goes the famous line from the 1989 Kevin Costner film Field of Dreams. But according to the results of a study by two Portland State professors on the city’s uncanny ability to attract and retain young, college-educated students, a better tagline for Portland might be “Don’t build much of anything at all—they’re just going to keep coming anyway.”

Titled “Is Portland Really the Place Where Young People Go To Retire?”—a reference to the popular comedy Portlandia—the recentlyreleased study finds that these young, college-educated (YCE) individuals continue to flock to Portland despite high unemployment, lower pay and a propensity for those who are employed to find only part-time work or work in “non-college” occupations, such as food service.

“Young people do not come here to retire, but do not come here to get rich either,” the study concludes.

“I would presume that people know that moving here is not exactly like moving to the promised land from a job-market perspective,” said Greg Schrock, assistant professor of urban studies and planning at PSU, and one of the authors of the study.

“The presumption is that people are trading their earnings, their financial well-being, for other kinds of nonmonetary benefits.”

These “nonmonetary benefits,” such as Portland’s music and DIY culture, quick access to stunning natural amenities like Mt. Hood or the Pacific Ocean, and its unique transportation ethos are part of what keeps Portland’s “demographic effectiveness” high despite a languid job market.

An area has a high DE if more of the target group move in (or stay) than move out.

For example, if the target group of a study is aging, long-haired metal drummers, and for every 10 who move to an area, four move out, the DE of that area for aging, longhaired metal drummers would be 60 percent.

ADAM WICKHAM/VANGUARD STAFF

PORTLAND’S CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES are just one of the city’s many draws.

The target group of the study in question, though, was YCE individuals between 25 and 39, with whom Portland had a DE of 29.2, second only to Louisville, Ky. Among the top 50 U.S. Metro areas for 2008–2010. That beat out Seattle, with a score of 28.5; Austin, with a score of 23.7; and San Francisco, with a lowly 16.2.

So while it’s always nice to beat Seattle, Portland needs to recognize and take advantage of this vast, untapped pool of young talent before it’s too late, as migrants can often be fickle, said Jason Jurjevich, assistant director of the Population Research Center at PSU and the study’s other author.

“You know, just because we’ve had these strong historical trends of attracting and retaining young people with bachelor’s degrees, there’s no guarantee that in the future folks will continue to pour into the region,” Jurjevich said.

Depending on how you measure it, Portland also has either the highest or third-highest rate of YCE self-employment in the U.S.—between 9 and 10 percent—according to data contained in the study.

One could ask the question, though, whether those 9 or 10 percent are self-employed by choice or chance.

See UNEMPLOYMENT on page 3

Invasive bullies Saving the endangered Oregon spotted frog MAYA SEAMAN VANGUARD STAFF

Knee deep in Washington’s cold marshland waters, Kyle Tidwell catches frogs and records habitat data. It isn’t what most people would consider an ideal way to spend a Saturday morning.

But to Tidwell, a Portland State graduate student, it’s paradise.

As a conservation biologist researcher, Tidwell divides his time between the field and his office at the Oregon Zoo, where he studies amphibian behavior. His doctoral research focuses on the impact of the vastly invasive American bullfrog on the local—and endangered—Oregon spotted frog.

He’s collecting clues to help solve a decades-long mystery: What role does the American bullfrog play in the decline of the Oregon spotted frog population?

In recent years, Oregon spotted frog numbers in the Pacific Northwest have dwindled. The frog now inhabits less than 15 percent of its original range, in part because of competition with invasive predator

species such as bullfrogs. The bullfrog—a frog of superior size, weight and speed compared to the Oregon spotted frog—will feed on anything that can fit in its mouth, putting the tinier, slower spotted frog high on the bullfrog’s menu.

According to Tidwell, bullfrogs have been affecting native frog populations for over 70 years, and currently thrive in every location where Oregon spotted frogs have gone extinct. This has prompted institutions like the Oregon Zoo to begin raising the endangered species in captivity for the purpose of reintroducing them into the wild at locations with stable habitats—and hopefully no bullfrogs.

Despite this bleak scenario of frog against frog in an unevenly matched fight for an already limited habitat, there is some hope. The only location in the world where Oregon spotted frogs manage to coexist with bullfrogs is at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Washington.

The refuge covers more than 6,500 acres of pristine forests and wetlands.

Managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, this gem of the Pacific Northwest also acts as a safe haven for bald eagles and the endangered greater sandhill crane.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL DURHAM

THE OREGON SPOTTED FROG—pictured here in the Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Washington—is fighting for its survival.

“It’s a unique privilege to work with Oregon spotted frogs at Conboy Lake.

The refuge is a beautiful place,” said Tiffany Hicks, a biologist for the WDFW. If Tidwell can discover what aspect of Conboy Lake’s Oregon spotted frog population makes them successful, then perhaps those conditions can be replicated in other locations.

To uncover how Conboy’s Oregon spotted frogs are surviving, Tidwell has devised a series of inventive experiments that mimic predator approach.

One test involves dropping a foam ball from above a frog’s head, not

allowing it to hit them, but close enough to elicit an escape response.

He records and compares the response times of two populations of Oregon spotted frogs: one from Conboy Lake and one from Black River, where bullfrogs have remained absent. But since a foam ball is not a predator of the Oregon spotted frog, Tidwell decided to get more creative.

“If I think that the bullfrog is the thing that is causing them to go extinct, I need to throw a bullfrog at them, metaphorically,” Tidwell said.

See FROG SCIENCE on page 2

2

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • NEWS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Erick Bengel

NEWS EDITOR NEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Deeda Schroeder

OPINION EDITOR OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Meredith Meier

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Louie Opatz

SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Cory Mimms

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

NEWS

Guest Wifi now on campus Open access to the PSU network

ASSOCIATENEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Whitney Beyer

PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Elizabeth Thompson

ERIK MUTZKE

VANGUARD STAFF

PHOTO EDITOR PHOTO@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Kayla Nguyen

ONLINE EDITOR ONLINE@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Claudette Raynor

CALENDAR EDITOR CALENDAR@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Jordan Molnar

COPY CHIEF COPY@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Emily Gravlin

ADVERTISING MANAGER VGDISPAD@GMAIL.COM

Iris Meyers

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Romeo Salazar

ADVISER Judson Randall

ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman

DESIGNERS Tom Cober, Danielle Fleishman, Colton Major, Maria Perala

WRITERS Kat Audick, Zach Bigalke, Mary Breaden, Chris Carpenter, Gino Cerruti, Becca Cotton, Shanna Cranston, Matthew Ellis, Marco España, Crystal Gardener, Melinda Guilén, Rosemary Hanson, Isaac Hotchkiss, Ravleen Kaur, Nicholas Kula, Josh Kelety, Rusne Kuzmickas, Andrew Lawrence, Austin Maggs, Andrew Morse, Alex Moore, Erik Mutzke, Cassandra Moore, Kaela O’Brien, Alle Powers, Katie Quick, Kevin Rackham, Patrick Rogers, Eva-Jeanette Rawlins, Jeoffry Ray, Benjamin Ricker, Austen Ruzicka, Maya Seaman, Gwen Shaw, Scottie White

PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Johnston, Karl Kuchs, Jinyi Qi, Miles Sanguinetti, Corinna Scott

VIDEOGRAPHER VIDEO@PSUVANGUARD.COM

Jann Messer

COPY EDITORS Kylie Byrd, Rachel Porter

ADVERTISING SALES Sam Gressett, Brittany Laureys, Kari Tate, Erik Weiss

DISTRIBUTORS Erik Mutzke, Katie Quick

The Vanguard is published twice weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subscription issues may incur a 25 cent charge.

The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. ©2011 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY VANGUARD 1825 SW BROADWAY SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION, RM. S-26 PORTLAND OR, 97201

EDITOR: DEEDA SCHROEDER NEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-3883

Imagine being a guest at Portland State.

Whether you’re here to do personal research at Millar Library or attend an academic conference, accessing the Internet will be a necessary part of business.

Shouldn’t this process be quick and easy? Now it is.

Before August, guest users needing to gain access to the PSU network had to make contact with the help desk, most likely wait in a long line and create a temporary account—a process anything but immediate.

Keen to this inefficiency, the network and telecommunications team, led by Director Shane Perry, has recently developed a new guest WiFi infrastructure that requires no assistance from the help desk.

Tamarack Birch-Wheeles, a network analyst in the network and telecommunications department, said the earlier process was especially inconvenient for big parties and conferences.

“Now the workload overall is distributed, as everybody can enter in their own contact information without visiting the help desk,” BirchWheeles said. Most importantly, this new guest wireless infrastructure alleviates pressure on employees at the Office of Information Technology, he added.

With a more easily accessible network for guest users, students may be asking themselves a major question: Will this lead to an oversaturation of guests users on the PSU network, making my time on the Internet slower?

The case is almost the opposite. While there could happen to be more guest users on the network, the student and guest capacities are now differentiated. The old system was set up so that any guest requesting a temporary

account would have the same experience as a student using the wireless infrastructure, Perry explained.

“We did not limit bandwidth usage or prevent/block bit torrents, for example. Guest users are now limited and throttled with the capacities they can utilize,” Perry said.

One could easily presume that a major transition like this would be costly and require massive funding. Think again.

“The entire project was only a labor investment. There was no capitol involved,” Perry said. The networking team tries to focus on implementing open source projects, which are free of charge and only require work hours. There was no new hardware purchased.

The guest wireless is geared toward the guest user’s basic needs of checking email and browsing, therefore allowing significantly more control over campus Internet capacities for non-PSU students, faculty or staff. This means that for students, staff and faculty, the Internet experience should be better all around.

“We did not want to compromise what the students are paying for,” Perry said.

PSU Crime Blotter PURSE THEFT: SEPT. 22

At 10:50 a.m. CPSO Officer Gary Smeltzer received a report from a student claiming her purse was missing and presumably stolen at the Dirty Nightclub on Northwest Third Avenue and Couch Street.

ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA USE: SEPT. 23

Officer Jared Schuurmans was dispatched around 12 a.m. because of the smell of marijuana coming from a room in the Ondine Residence Hall. Upon entrance to the room it was discovered that students were drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.

PROHIBITED BATHING: SEPT. 24

John Lynch was bathing in a men’s bathroom on the first floor of the Academic Student and Rec Center when Officer David Baker made contact with him. Upon questioning he was uncooperative; and it was discovered that he had a box cutter in his possession.

Lynch has a history of assault, burglary and theft.

MENACE: SEPT. 24

At 12:30 p.m., a female student reported that a man in a car attempted to get her to enter his vehicle by saying they had class together. The student had never seen the man before and refused the offer. The man proceeded to circle around the block several times while watching her.

POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE PIPE: SEPT. 25

Officer Baker was dispatched to the Peter Stott Center because of a man trying to gain access to a locker there. When approached, the man said that he found the key earlier and was trying to open the locker. He later admitted to carrying a crystal meth pipe in his backpack.

BIKE THEFT: SEPT. 27

Officer Baker logged a stolen bike report on the south side of Lincoln Hall. The bike was secured by a cable lock and was stolen between 3 and 5 p.m.

FROG SCIENCE from page 1

Bullfrogs are eating the smaller Oregon spotted frog Using a replica bullfrog head attached to the front end of a Thomas the Train children’s toy, Tidwell is able to push the fake bullfrog toward his test subjects, making for a more realistic renactment of a predator scenario. While the frogs from Conboy did have faster reaction times, Tidwell admits, “What I’m finding preliminarily is that they are not recognizing the invasive predator.” He tested 353 frogs this summer.

Tidwell thinks that the Oregon spotted frog has evolved to survive by remaining camouflaged in the face of a native predator—hoping to go unseen—allowing it to get very close before jumping away to safety at the last second.

However, when pitted against a larger, much faster species, allowing it to get close before attempting escape isn’t ideal.

“If several thousand years of selection resulted in a successful anti-predator behavior for the Oregon spotted frog, and we now have an introduced species that acts in a different way, then perhaps selection has dealt the Oregon spotted frog a bad

COURTESY OF MICHAEL DURHAM

LEFT: The Oregon spotted frog swims in Conboy lake in Klickitat County, Wash.

RIGHT: Kyle Tidewell, a PSU graduate student, catches frogs and records habitat data. hand by making them respond in a way that is deleterious to their survival in the wild,” Tidwell said.

Understanding the consequences of this survival trait becomes even more important when rear-and-release programs like the one at the Oregon Zoo are reintroducing frogs that have spent most of their lives in a threat-free environment into the wild. If wild Oregon spotted frogs have fallen prey to bullfrogs because of poor recognition and slow escape responses, then captiveraised frogs stand even less of a chance once released.

If Oregon spotted frogs are reacting too slowly to avoid bullfrogs, the next step is to determine how much of an impact the bullfrog has—essentially, determining how much Oregon spotted frog the bullfrogs are eating.

“We have found Oregon spotted frogs in the stomachs of bullfrogs. At every site where Oregon spotted frogs have gone extinct, bullfrogs now inhabit—but is that causation or correlation?”

Tidwell said.

This means further study is required. While collecting crucial habitat data surrounding

the ecological outlier that is Conboy Lake, and further studying the predator avoidance behavior of the Oregon spotted frog, Tidwell continues to collaborate with the Oregon Zoo. By raising Oregon spotted frogs for release, the zoo gives the species another chance at survival. With ecological management tools from Tidwell’s research, one day their populations may become self-sustaining. “In zoos we have an ethical imperative to maximize the well-being of the animals in our care,” said David Shepherdson,

conservation division manager at the Oregon Zoo. “This extends out to those anima ls that take part in species recovery conservation programs.”

“If we lose amphibians...we are going to lose all of the secrets that they have to offer,” Tidwell said. “You like medicine? You like antibiotics?

Then you like herptofauna.

Antifungals, antimicrobials, peptides, enzymatic function that we have barely tapped, that natives around the world already understand, come from herptofauna—someone has to save them.”

NEWS NEWSNEWS •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, • TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY OCT. MAY24, 17, 2, 1, 2012 • VANGUARD

3

International architects to lecture at PSU The discussion of place and its importance in architecture KAELA O’BRIEN VANGUARD STAFF

When an architect is designing a building, how does he decide when to use elements of the surrounding environment?

And how does the place he is building in—from geography, topography, culture or even surrounding buildings— factor into an architect’s plan?

Architects from Ireland, Spain and Scotland are headed to Portland this year to share their perspectives on building and place with Portland State students during the Portland State Department of Architecture’s second annual lecture series.

The goal is to broaden the audience’s perception as much as possible, said Clive Knights, who helped coordinate the lecture series and serves as a professor of architecture and chair of the Department of Architecture.

This year, the theme is place and its effects on architecture.

Lectures will be held at Shattuck Hall on the Portland State campus on Thursdays at 6 p.m. (schedule of lectures below).

“Most of the speakers are addressing real, contemporary issues,” Knights said. He believes anyone can benefit from the series, as it gives attendees a better understanding of the world they live in.

Knights described the concept of place as a widely disputed element of architecture with many viewpoints. Architects can choose to fit contextually with place, to contrast with place or to ignore the concept of place altogether when designing a building.

Knights looks forward to hearing from the speakers as they “each in their own ways come at that issue entirely different.” He also noted that the concept of place can be an obstacle for architecture students at PSU, and believes that the myriad views and

opinions offered by the series will help students to better grasp the meaning and importance of place.

“Last year’s lectures were interesting and informational,” said PSU student Shelby Cazier. “I look forward to the new theme this year and the fact that there are more speakers from other countries.”

Rudy Barton, a professor of architecture at PSU, said that the April 18 lecture by Tim Ingold is especially welcoming to students with little or no previous architectural knowledge. “[Ingold will] bring together art, architecture, anthropology and archeology in ways we can only imagine,” Barton said.

Knights describes architecture as an art that is rooted in the ground.

“You can walk around it, I guess, but it wouldn’t be convenient. It should make a positive contribution to everybody’s lives.”

If you go...

Oct 4: Dan Wood, WORKac, New York Wood is principal and cofounder of the New York

UNEMPLOYMENT from page 1

Many Portlanders choose self-employment 2000 2005/7 2008/10 Unemployment Rate 2.6% 3.6% 5.4% Part-Time Employment Rate 14.2% 15.3% 20.2% Self-Employment Rate 7.9% 8.9% 8.9% Occupational Underemployment Rate

34.8%

35%

34.8%

Source: “Is Portland Really Where Young People Go To Retire?”

Analyzing Labor Market Outcomes for Portland’s Young and College-Educated

By Greg Schrock, PhD and Jason Jurjevich, PhD. Department of Urban Studies & Planning, PSU September 2012

“Regardless of whether they’re doing it by choice or doing it by circumstances, I think it’s something that speaks to the resilience of the people who are here,” Schrock said. That Portlanders are used to making their own way, whether with business or art or beer, and not having things handed to them is an asset that the city and region needs to value more, he added. “Because the job market here has been so hard for so long, I think young people here are...maybe more accustomed to having to work a little bit harder to differentiate themselves, to distinguish themselves.”

Though most of the data in the study comes from those who have already graduated college, the results are far from irrelevant to current PSU students, Schrock said. “It’s certainly true that students are feelin’ this story as much as the young 25-year-old college graduate who moved

here,” he said. “In a sense, the students are further down the labor queue than the graduates are.”

Part of knowing and understanding the difficulties of the Portland job market means PSU students need to be proactive with their job search, said Greg Flores, associate director of Advising and Career Services at PSU. “Work on building a network that can support you in your job search, get involved with professional associations...

Also, start your job search early, even if that just means checking out job descriptions while getting your materials ready in the months before graduation.”

Flores added that ACS can help both students and alumni with choosing a career, resumes, cover letters and interviewing skills. The center will also host two career fairs this fall: an all majors fair Oct. 30 and a nonprofit fair Nov. 9.

Memories of a childhood road trip helped draw anthropology senior Samantha McKeachnie to PSU from Utah, and she soon fell in love with Portland: the nature, the culture, the people. But after she graduates she doesn’t plan on staying in town, mostly because she sees more opportunities to find a job in her field outside of Portland.

McKeachnie says she knows a lot of “transplants” to Portland from the East Coast who are not employed. “I don’t know why they come,” she said. “I guess they just like the sound of it.”

For business administration and accounting sophomore Hayden Taatjes, the environment you live in is something you pay for, just like anything else. “There’s always some sort of trade off,” he said. “You’re not going to find the perfect place with the perfect job.”

CORINNA SCOTT/VANGUARD STAFF

CLIVE KNIGHTS, chair of the architecture program.

City-based firm WORKac, where he develops urban and architectural planning projects. His projects involve issues of culture and consciousness, nature and artifice, surrealism and pragmatism. His work is international and has received numerous awards.

Nov. 8: Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey, O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects, Dublin, Ireland O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects have received many awards, including the TIAI

Gold Medal, the highest honor in Irish architecture. Their work is described as uniquely contextual, materially rich and exquisitely crafted.

Feb. 7: Kevin Daly, Daly Genik Architects, Los Angeles, California Daly is principal and cofounder of Daly Genik Architects, whose projects range in size from single room spaces to campus wide planning. Their work is environmentally and socially responsive and has a focus on craft, construction

systems and material research.

March 1: Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano, Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, Madrid, Spain Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos is based both in Madrid and Berlin, and is known for projects that combine a contemporary architectural style with traditional settings and historical structures. Nieto and Sobejano also teach at the European University of Madrid and at the University der Kunste of Berlin.

April 18: Tim Ingold, Department of Anthropology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland Ingold is an anthropologist, author and professor. He brings together what he calls the “4 As”: anthropology, art, architecture and archeology.

May 2: Julie Bargmann, D.I.R.T. Sudio, New York Bargmann is the founder and principal of D.I.R.T. as well as a designer of regenerative landscapes. She also teaches at the University of Virginia and has received many awards, as well as been featured in art and design exhibitions around the world.

4

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • NEWS

Building the war chest Higher education political action committee features a who’s who of Oregon’s business elite DESMOND FULLER VANGUARD STAFF

Any organization that can count Nike Chairman Phil Knight and Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle among its donors is a force to be reckoned with in Oregon.

With the support of other generous checkbooks, like those of of Edward L. Maletis of Columbia Distributing Company and John von Schlegell of Endeavour Capital, Oregon’s biggest business names are forging a strong lobbying force to address the state of Oregon’s higher education.

Oregonians for Higher Education Excellence, under the direction of Boyle and von Schlegell, has collected over $9 million to put behind lobbying efforts for more independence amongst the seven state universities in the Oregon University System. Knight is one of several donors to contribute over $625,000 to the political action committee. Knight has historically been a key contributor to his alma mater, the University of Oregon, which has spearheaded lobbying efforts to pull away from the OUS. According to Boyle, the main issue for the PAC has been greater independence from the state for the universities— through the formation of local institution committee boards that would have the authority to oversee aspects of university administration independent from the OUS. Boyle said the PAC would like to see legislation that would these committees legal.

If not, the PAC would consider PSU ALERT from page 1

Need for awareness And, Haley pointed out, people are much more likely to check their phones in one of these emergencies.

Opt-in issue Currently, anyone who wants to receive the alerts must sign up for the service.

But Chris Broderick, PSU’s vice president for communications and marketing, suggests that students could be opted in to the alerts by default.

This poses its own challenges, he said.

Haley says one issue is the decentralized nature of the PSU student body. Many live off campus and may not wish to receive text messages about campus emergencies. Another problem is collecting and verifying accurate data from everyone.

“There’s advantages to both,” Campus Public Safety Chief Phil Zerzan said. “The broader

going directly to the voters, using its donations for an initiative petition campaign.

“We would never recommend that the institutions not be part of the state—they have to continue to remain part of the state and supply the citizens with a dividend for all the money they’ve invested over the years—but we think that could be more efficiently done in an independent manner,” Boyle said.

With funds for higher education diminishing, Boyle argued that further independence from the state is necessary to develop the strengths of the institutions to effectively compete with universities in other states and countries. In Boyle’s view, increased funding from the state belongs to a bygone age.

“If I thought that was going to happen, we’d have a much different discussion. I don’t think it’s possible that there’d be more money allocated from the state budget to higher education,” Boyle said.

Boyle argued that a state without a strong higher education system cannot produce a highly trained domestic workforce.

Boyle cited his own company, Columbia Sportswear: “Speaking selfishly, we’d prefer to hire students that are from here.”

Political action committees such as Oregonians for Higher Education Excellence often have a profound effect on the decisions of the legislature, said Debbie Koreski, Portland State’s director of state government relations. This is especially true if the group has the resources to launch its own petition, which seems likely in this case. Koreski explained that the legislature may write their own version of an interest group’s initiative to compete, simply because in most cases interest group

number of people we can reach, the better.”

Spreading the word Haley heads an awareness campaign to get more students signed up for the alerts. He has been posting signs all around campus with the website address where students can sign up for the alerts and has been spreading information to new students.

Hired in October 2007, Haley says he was charged with marketing and implementing a quick alert system in the wake of the Virginia Tech campus shootings of that year.

“It became clear the government was going to require a notification system,” he said.

The last big PSU alert involved a non-PSU student who pulled a gun on a CPSO officer near Parking Structure 3 in June. The entire area was closed off by police, and traffic and campus movement was impeded.

initiatives are written to gain votes and are difficult to enact into law.

“It’s not like this is some kind of grassroots movement,” Koreski said. “Political action and initiative totally influence [legislators’] behavior.”

“There’s a lot of research that suggests that in inititiative campaigns you can spend more money and defeat legislation, but there’s no evidence that spending more money causes an initiative to be enacted into law,” PSU Professor of Political Science Richard Clucas said.

Interest groups usually have an easier time influencing the legislature, and turning to the voters with an initiative is a gamble, Clucas explained.

“The threat of having something on the ballot is one thing, but whether or not it’s the real threat that they can get their way with the voters is questionable,” he said.

In spite of the theme of independence for all universities, this PAC has the characteristics of an extension of the University of Oregon Foundation’s lobby for greater autonomy, Koreski said. “Lawmakers are skeptical that this is big money trying to privatize UO, and they’re definitely trying to fight that perception.”

Boyle called this a common misconception and maintained that the PAC stood for greater autonomy for all the institutions that wanted it. Boyle pointed out that other institutions had testified in favor of local boards, including PSU President Wim Wiewel.

Though PSU has voiced interest in having an institutional board and could benefit from greater independence, Koreski explained that the difference in approach lies in the degree to which UO wants to pull away from the OUS. Clucas added that the formation of a PAC such as Oregonians for Higher Education Excellence is an important indicator of future political activity regarding the state of higher education in Oregon.

PSU Alert kept the campus informed of developments throughout the day as police searched the area. The man was later arrested at a local Fred Meyer after a stand-off with police.

Sign up for PSU alerts Broderick said that during emergencies his office receives a lot of calls from the public wanting to know what’s going on.

“We tell them that this is why it would be helpful if they had PSU Alerts,” he said.

Haley says there is at least one test alert every year, with the possibility of running a quarterly test message.

“We need to have as many as possible on this so they know what’s going on,” he said.

Students and faculty can sign up to receive PSU Alerts on the web by logging into my.pdx.edu and clicking on the following links: Personal Information > PSU Alert Emergency Notification > Enter Phone, Text and Email.

Election countdown ASPSU continues to reach for its goal of 4,000 registered student voters SHANNA CRANSTON VANGUARD STAFF

Walking around campus, they seem to be everywhere.

Wherever you look, someone is standing in the Park Blocks with a clipboard in hand.

These people are often trying to get students to sign their names for the next round of ballot measures. But, recently, students are being approached and encouraged to register to vote by the Associated Students of Portland State University.

With the voter registration deadline set for Oct. 16, ASPSU has worked hard to reach its goal of getting 4,000 students to register. As this year is the presidential election, ASPSU cannot stress enough how important it is for students to vote and have their voices heard.

According to ASPSU Communications Director Anthony Stine, registered students for

fall totaled 1,439 on Sept. 28.

ASPSU will continue to ask students to register until the deadline.

“We [ASPSU] have been asking professors if a rep can come at the beginning of classes to speak for maybe the first five minutes,” ASPSU Vice President Marlon Holmes said.

“The reps pass out registration cards…survey cards that ask people their stance on certain measures…and ask if any student would like to volunteer as a class rep and phone banking, where we call students who said they are interested if they can help us out.”

However, even with all the ASPSU leaders and volunteers going class to class, there are not enough helpers to get to every class. “Even if everyone went to speak to at least at five classes per day, there are not enough people to cover the 3,000-plus classes around campus,” Holmes said.

While ASPSU took voter registration forms during dorm move-in, this netted only small results. Holmes believed that this is because many students were already living on campus during the summer. Viking Days attracted a

number of interested students from ASPSU’s many campus events, as did the booths that were set up in order to inform students of ASPSU and get more people involved and registered to vote.

“We will continue to be clipboarding around campus and engaging people as they pass by,” Holmes said. “We will also be tabling…at ASPSU tables set up around campus.

I find that students are more inclined to approach tables, especially when they pass out food. Students love food,” he laughed.

Also being distributed for the upcoming election are be pamphlets by the Oregon Student Association that give an overview of each ballot measure as well as candidate stances on those measures. ASPSU will also have the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom open to students on the evening of Nov. 6 (Election Day), so that students can follow the results of the presidential election.

Students who want to register to vote or get more involved may visit the ASPSU office in SMSU 117 to get a registration form or more information.

NEWS NEWSNEWS •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, • TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY OCT. MAY24, 17, 2, 1, 2012 • VANGUARD

5 3

Improving student engagement in the classroom School of Business Administration teams up with designer GWEN SHAW VANGUARD STAFF

Classrooms at Portland State often look the same.

Some are older and some are newer. Some have flat ground and others have several tiers.

There are tables, chairs and many tiny desks.

But one classroom stands out.

This spring, room 390 in the School of Business Administration building became known as the “learning studio.”

Currently, the business strategy senior capstone is the course that mainly occupies it.

It’s there as a learning laboratory—a means to study how students’ surrounding environment can affect their engagement.

Jill Mosteller, assistant professor in the school of business, is part of the group that set up the learning studio with the help of Herman Miller, an upscale furniture company that provided furniture for the room.

“We’re able to look at what kind of classrooms are conducive to effective teaching and, more importantly, what classroom designs may be more effective to student learning outcomes,” Mosteller said.

This is achieved by using furniture that allows flexibility so that the design of the room and the way students and instructors interact can be easily changed.

“It allows us to explore how the teacher and student dynamics within the classroom can be enhanced through the change of the physical aspects in the classroom itself,” Mosteller said.

At first glance, the learning studio looks like a normal lecture room with desks and chairs set up in lines. But what makes this furniture special is that it is all on wheels and extremely light, allowing it to be moved around easily and quickly. This allows flexibility in the classroom and encourages engagement by not making students sit in one place the whole class.

“It has at least allowed us a lot more flexibility in our ability to interact in a way that is, I think, a lot more conducive to the way that we’re dealing with clients,” said Bill Jones, adjunct professor in the school of business, who teaches the business capstone.

“If we have a lot of clients, or a lot of groups, we’ve got

the ability to change the shape of the room so those groups can talk to each other without having to move, or shimmy, around the furniture,” Jones added.

Aside from the furniture, the learning studio has another very big difference. Since the room has no windows, there is room for a large white board on each wall.

Also, instead of one big projector in the middle of the room, each of the four walls has its own close-range projector, which eliminates shadows on walls when one stands in front of the projector light.

Each projector can be set up differently, or they can all be used in the same presentation. The class can split off into four separate groups, and the teacher can walk around t0 help each group individually without interrupting the entire class.

Anthony Pepe, a marketing manager at Herman Miller, explained that they design

and manufacture furniture for offices, schools and hospitals. Over the past three years, Herman Miller has worked with universities around the world on similar projects.

With the knowledge they are able to gather from this research, they will refine old designs and create new ideas.

“The data we collect is going to help validate with other universities that are feeling like maybe they want to change their learning processes,” Pepe said. “The data we have now shows there’s real measurable difference in the outcome of the learning.”

Jones and colleague Melissa Appleyard, another professor in the school of business, both agree that the flexibility this classroom allows has helped in many ways. Having the ability to easily and quickly break into groups helps students feel involved.

Sean Richards, a senior accounting major who is finishing his last term with the business capstone, said that

his favorite part of the class is the multiple projectors.

“We give a presentation almost weekly. And since the projector goes forward and backward we can look at the back wall and know what’s being presented so we can keep and maintain eye contact while still looking at the PowerPoint slides,” Richards said.

Another advantage of white boards on all four walls is that professors do not have to erase their writing to make room for more lecture notes.

This way students have more time to take notes and to go back and read what was discussed at the beginning of class.

Appleyard notes that many groups outside of the business department assisted with audio-visual, facilities, and technology needed for the project to be completed.

“It’s just a really nice collaborative effort to pull off in a short amount of time,” she said.

6

VANGUARD •• TUESDAY, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, OCT. JANUARY OCTOBER FEBRUARY JANUARY 2, 2012 10, 25, 26, •2, 2012 2011 ARTS 2012••&•OPINION OPINION CULTURE ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE For every season Japanese literature scholar to speak at PSU TRISTAN COOPER

VANGUARD STAFF

Every year, thousands of visitors make their way to the Portland Japanese Garden to take in the amazing sights. Though the sheer beauty of the gardens is an experience unto itself, few visitors come away with a comprehensive understanding of the Japanese connection to the natural world.

An upcoming lecture at Portland State seeks to fill that gap in our knowledge.

This Thursday, Dr. Haruo Shirane, a professor at Columbia University, will deliver a lecture focusing on concepts from his new book, Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons: Nature, Literature, and the Arts. The book explores the deep connection between the Japanese and the changing seasons through the lens of hundreds of years’ worth of literature, architecture, paintings and other artistic media.

“The Japanese have an acute sensitivity to the changing seasons, and it has absolutely defined so much about Japanese literature, about Japanese aesthetics,” said Dr. Ken Ruoff, Portland State professor and director of the Center for Japanese Studies.

Shirane is considered a leading academic authority on historical Japanese literature; he has authored several books used in classrooms at all levels across the world, including Traditional Japanese Literature: An Anthology, Beginnings to 1600.

Jon Holt, a Japanese language and literature professor at PSU, often uses Shirane’s work in his lesson plans. Holt’s office is overflowing with books in both English and Japanese.

From textbooks to manga, decades worth of reading is piled to the ceiling. Shirane’s books hold an especially prestigious spot on a high shelf.

“I had to read Professor Shirane’s books when I was an undergraduate, when I was a graduate, and when I was taking my Ph.D. general comprehensive exams,” Holt said.

“In order to prepare for a career in Japanese literature, you have to read his books.”

To Holt, it felt less like a requirement and more like a privilege. He speaks with great reverence when it comes to Shirane’s work in the field of Japanese literature. “[Shirane]’s changed the way we read things, what we read and, therefore, what we should know about Japanese literature. He knows so much about premodern literature; not only the classics, but how they are received, how they were thought of by critics and how they were made into the institution of Japanese literature, the canonical texts,” Holt said. “Not only does he look at primary texts—the actual stories— but he knows the research, and he also knows how these texts survived as the classic works of Japanese literature.”

Though Shirane’s work obviously appeals to Japanese scholars like himself, Holt firmly believes that the average PSU student can gain a lot from the event.

“I think what someone will appreciate by hearing Professor Shirane talk is just being immediately plugged into that [knowledge],” Holt said. “I mean, you can read the book, but his talk is really going to connect you with his large ideas.”

Boasting the most comprehensive program in the Portland/Vancouver area, the center plays a large role in the strong relationship between PSU and other universities in Japan: PSU shares an exchange program with both Waseda University in Tokyo and Hokkaido University in Sapporo, a Portland Sister City. Ruoff is proud of the center’s accomplishments.

“I think that the [center], in the areas of humanities and social sciences, provides an unusually powerful model for the way that PSU can partner with the community for everyone’s benefit,” Ruoff said.

The CJS has two other prominent upcoming events: on Oct. 18, the center will host “The Global Outreach of Japanese Popular Culture: The Influence of Iron Chef on American TV Programming,” a lecture that should prove exciting for any fan of cooking competition television shows. “Gold for the Old? Demographic Change and Economic Growth in Japan and China” is set for Nov. 15 and focuses on the sustainability of both countries’ ways of life as their populations continue to increase.

The season is turning once again in the Pacific Northwest, and though the year’s reserve

Bearing witness Esteemed genocide expert talks testimony, politics ROBIN CROWELL VANGUARD STAFF

“How do we really put pressure on the rallying cry ‘never again’ so that it will mean something?” asked Marie Lo, director of the Portland Center for Public Humanities.

This is the question that John Roth, a philosophy professor at Claremont McKenna College in California, confronts in his upcoming lecture, “The Politics of Testimony: Aftereffects of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities.”

Roth, who also serves as the director of Claremont McKenna’s Center for Human Rights, will deliver his lecture as part of the Portland Center for Public Humanities’ Holocaust and Genocide Studies project series.

The well-known scholar began his study of genocide nearly 40 years ago when he became interested in the Holocaust.

“From there my commitment to that work grew and expanded,” Roth said. “Eventually, I was teaching about genocide and human rights as well.”

His lecture poses questions about how to use the information gathered from survivor testimonies and the responsible political and ethical reponses.

According to Roth, his approach to his studies stems from a background in philosophical training; this allows him to view studies of the Holocaust and other genocides with specific attention to the ethical and political aspects of such atrocities.

“What we are calling the ‘politics of testimony’ covers a variety of areas,” Roth said. “First, how to use ‘testimony,’ especially that of the victims of mass atrocities, has been an issue for scholars who study genocide and other crimes against humanity.

“The same thing holds with regard to testimony in international courts of law,” Roth said. “Here the issue extends to how the persons who have been victims of atrocities may be affected by testifying.”

Through the well of presented information is immense, the question arises: what can be done? To many people, education is the first step toward change. Roth hopes that these talks and discussions can ignite change and awareness.

EDITOR: LOUIE OPATZ ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694

JINYI QI/VANGUARD STAFF

HARUO SHIRANE’S new book is displayed prominently on PSU Professor Jon Holt’s bookshelf. of sunny days is dwindling, Holt recommends that you spend at least one evening indoors.

“Anyone who loves the four seasons will get a big kick out of this, though we in Portland only have two, I guess,” Holt said. “I imagine that anyone who comes to the talk will almost be transported to Japan and be living in each of those four seasons for a while.”

“We try to influence policy when and where we can, but scholarship in these areas is largely about raising awareness and helping people to see that there are things we can all do to resist atrocities,” Roth said. “Discussion about testimony and the politics that surround it are part of this process.”

The lecture is part of the center’s ongoing series that examines the politics of testimony and testimonials. The series will also include David Cohen, director of the War Crimes Center at the University of California, Berkeley, who will discuss testimony and its legal implications.

Roth’s recent work revolves directly around issues regarding ethics and responsibility relating to testimony of survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides.

“I think his work raises really powerful and important questions that will resonate with many of our students,” Lo said.

Roth recently coauthored Rape: Weapon of War and Genocide with Carol Rittner, RSM, a distinguished professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The book is a collection of original essays by distinguished genocide scholars and aims to be a “tool kit” for activists and an “informative alarm” for general readers, according to the publisher’s website.

“In the past 20 years, rape has emerged explicitly as a policy that is part of genocidal campaigns,” Roth said. “This is by no means the first time that sexual violence has been

The Center for Japanese Studies presents A lecture by Dr. Haruo Shirane Thursday, Oct. 4, 6 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 328-29 Free and open to the public

crucial in crimes against humanity. But in the past two decades these problems have become especially acute.”

The book is a comparative study, covering the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing in the Bosnian War and victims of femicide in Guatemala. The day after the lecture, Friday, Oct. 5, Roth will lead a workshop at 10 a.m. in Neuberger Hall that will focus on his book.

“The workshop will focus in some detail on issues raised in my new book,” Roth said, “My lecture on the politics of testimony has a broader focus, but the two occasions, I hope, will supplement and complement each other.”

Both events look to increase awareness in the community about mass atrocities and what everyone can do to resist them. The politics discussed within the lecture aim to inform citizens about what can be done.

“I think that sometimes students learn about these issues but feel helpless about what to do,” Lo said. “His talk will direct us towards possibilities for action.”

The Portland Center for Public Humanities presents “The Politics of Testimony—Aftereffects of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities” A lecture by Prof. John Roth Thursday, Oct. 4, 7–8:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 338 Free and open to the public

ARTS & CULTURE • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • VANGUARD

Old is the new new: high end fashion and sustainability A conversation with local fashion designer Courtney Leonard TAMARA ALAZRI VANGUARD STAFF

Check it: She describes herself as a “redheaded Barbie come to life.” She prefers vintage furs to fleece. She’s into one-of-a-kind statement jewelry and flashy rings. She paints her lips cherry red, loves old black - and - white films, and sips her black coffee with a straw. She’s not afraid to let you know what she thinks. She believes that green is the new black.

Yes, Portland fashion designer Courtney Leonard believes in making the old look new.

Recycling and upcycling—converting seemingly useless materials into new, higher-quality products—are hot trends in the fashion industry, and Leonard is constantly exploring new ways to create singular, high-end garments from sustainable fabrics. This has been her mission since launching her “ecoluxury” fashion label, MIDGE, back in 2009.

Designers like Leonard play an essential role in Portland’s fashion scene by incorporating sustainability into their work and changing the image of “sustainable” from worn-down garments with unflattering shapes to something

decidedly more chic. Leonard accomplishes this through upcycling.

“I enjoy making products that are challenging and create emotion,” Leonard said. “Upcycling is the perfect way for me to show this, because every detail, line and silhouette is molded into something different.”

In upcycling, leftovers are transformed into high fashion by reworking and reshaping the fabric. Though it sounds easy, it can be a challenging task to incorporate upcycling into each piece of clothing. As Sass Brown writes in the Eco Fashion article, “Sustainability in High-end Fashion”: “Very few products, let alone garments, fulfill the concept of sustainability in its entirety.”

Leonard has managed to achieve this while bringing a unique luxury to her aesthetic.

Recently, handbags have been the focus of her collections. Staying true to her love of leather, wool and suede fabrics, each bag is carefully crafted with varied textiles like fringe, feminine bow ties, and chains mixed with black, deep blue and cream tones. The contrast gives her designs a unique edge.

“I hope to encourage innovation in sustainability practices,” Leonard said.

Her interest in fashion sprang from an early career in modeling: at 14 years old, she began modeling for well-known department stores like Gap and Nordstrom. After her modeling stint, she worked at Bloomingdales and Britex, the luxury fabric store, which perpetuated her love for quality textiles.

Upon moving to Portland, Leonard enrolled at the Art Institute, where she is currently working

7

COURTNEY LEONARD on her creative process: “I like a good balance of chaos and order.”

DANIEL JOHNSTON/VANGUARD STAFF

hard on her senior capsule collection. Described as “glamour daywear meets rock feminine,” it will feature artful hand-painted textiles, blue and purple tones, floral prints, leather-incorporated bodices and a crystal chandelier.

“This is about doing what’s right, not what’s on trend,” Leonard said. “At MIDGE, we embrace edge, and it’s about mixing the soft with the hard; it’s androgynous.”

Understanding that working as a successful fashion designer is not just about producing well-made garments but also running a business, Leonard spends much of her day working online.

She’s planning a viral video debut that will showcase all her designs, editorial work and photos for the upcoming season. Leonard plans to take a more “behind-the-scenes” approach to marketing her brand.

“It’s a scary time, because technology is moving so fast, and it almost creates a feeling of isolation,”

she said. She also corresponds with her marketing team and assistants while using technology to focus on the expansion of her brand.

Leonard currently works privately, preferring to give her clients a more quality experience. She has designed for the likes of Beyonce’s musical director, local actress Katie O’Grady, and Emmywinning television news producer Sheila Hamilton. She splits her time between the institute and her studio in the Pearl District.

Her latest work can be found at Johnny Sole in Southwest Portland and Zelda’s Shoe Bar in the Pearl District.

Leonard, like many fashion enthusiasts and designers, believes that fashion is similar to telling a story.

“We’re here to celebrate individualism, lifestyle and investments,” she said. “We are the future, and fashion is the future, so why should we all dress the same?”

The ultimate breakfast sandwich and smoothie A match made in backto-school heaven KAT AUDICK

ach, cucumber slices, fried egg, mustard and sausage patty in any order on top. Enjoy immediately or wrap it up for when you’re on the go.

Combine all ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Enjoy immediately.

VANGUARD STAFF

With school back in session, it’s best to look at the new school year as an opportunity to fill your brain with bountiful amounts of new information. A poorly nourished brain cannot absorb all this fresh knowledge. Do yourself the favor of eating a filling breakfast that will keep you alert and excited for class.

This ultimate breakfast sandwich is ready in minutes and packed with everything you need for a balanced breakfast. Pair it with a honey banana smoothie and you’ll be pumped with delicious flavors to begin your first day back on campus.

Using veggie patties in place of meat helps cut back on the greasiness that usually accompanies breakfast sausage.

Instructions

KARL KUCHS/VANGUARD STAFF

JUMPSTART YOUR DAY with a delicious — and nutritious — breakfast sandwich and fruit smoothie.

Microwave veggie sausage according to package directions. In a small frying pan, heat cooking spray or butter over medium heat and break in 1 whole egg. Sprinkle egg with salt, pepper and paprika and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your personal preference.

Slice English muffin in half and toast on medium-high setting in toaster. Mince fresh chives and combine with cream cheese. Once muffin has toasted, assemble sandwich by spreading chive cream cheese on one side and then layering spin-

Ingredients Sandwich 1 frozen breakfast veggie patty (try MorningStar brand) 1 egg 1 whole wheat English muffin 2 tbsp whipped cream cheese 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced 5–7 fresh spinach leaves 3–4 cucumber slices 1 dab of yellow mustard (optional) 1/4 tsp paprika salt and pepper cooking spray, or small dab of butter Honey banana smoothie 1 cup whole milk 5 ice cubes 1 ripe banana 1/4 cup almond butter 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tbsp ground cinnamon

16 10

VANGUARD •• TUESDAY, THURSDAY, OCT. NOVEMBER 2, 2012 •10, OPINION 2011 • SPORTS

OPINION

EDITOR: MEREDITH MEIER OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692

Sans the Salt

Whom do teachers unions really hurt?

Unions damage the education system

Alyck Horton

A

s is the case with much of the working class labor groups in the 20th century, teachers formed unions to have their collective needs met. It’s a simple concept: If the district doesn’t give them what they want, they don’t do their jobs.

The idea of unions is fantastic when you consider their role in the Industrial Revolution, when employers locked their workers in hazardous factories for

pennies an hour. But with programs like Public Employees Retirement System and two months off each year, as is enjoyed by Chicago teachers, the union is much less concerned with keeping children from burning in fires than making sure Mrs. Moffat can buy a new Camry.

Teachers deserve to be paid handsomely. The teachers who make $40,000 per year, purchase their own school supplies for students’ use, and work with children from lowincome homes with little or no parental involvement really deserve to earn a livable wage.

The average Chicago teacher’s salary is $76,000, and the new contract gives them a 4 percent salary increase over the next four years.

Juxtapose that with the average Oregon teacher’s salary of around $51,000, or a teacher in Alabama who holds a

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Private vs. public Education means more than its cost

Terry GaskillBarsness

C

hoosing a college can be stressful.

Each student must decide if he or she wants to attend a party school or a more scholarly institution. Perhaps he

wants a school with a liberal inclination, or maybe she desires an institution with a strong religious foundation.

Another decision? Private or public.

Often, the biggest determining factor for choosing a university is price. According to recent findings by The Hechinger Report, many private colleges are reducing or freezing tuition to make private school education more accessible.

Average inflation-adjusted net tuition and fees at private colleges has actually dropped 4.1 percent from 2006–07 to 2011–12, ac-

MILES SANGUINETTI/VANGUARD STAFF

School districts tend to bully teachers, and have historically given teachers very little pay for a tremendous amount of work.

master’s degree and only takes home $46,000. You could buy a brand-new BMW 1-Series with the salary difference between Chicago and Portland teachers, yet in three years the average Chicago teacher’s salary will be nearly $80,000.

That money will have to

cording to The National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities website.

Though perhaps not as prevalent in Oregon, instances of private institutions lowering or freezing tuition in order to better compete with public universities are taking place all over the nation: Indiana, Ohio, Vermont, Pennsylvania.

William Peace University in Raleigh, N.C. lowered its 2012–13 tuition by 7.7 percent.

In Minnesota, Concordia University lowered tuition by $10,000 dollars to combat the trend of university becoming less affordable.

At least 25 private colleges and universities implemented tuition freezes. Dartmouth College, as of this academic year, is offering free tuition for students whose family income is $100,000 or less—effectively eliminating student loans.

This is evidence that the idea of high tuition automatically equating to a better education is changing.

However, according to USA Today, private universities still maintain a level of prestige associated with

come from somewhere, and various school programs are very likely to suffer for it.

Teachers unions are also responsible for keeping incompetent teachers in their jobs with tenure, making it costly and nearly impossible to get rid of bad teachers. This provides for a poorer education at additional cost for the school district.

School districts tend to bully teachers, and have historically given teachers very little pay for a tremendous amount of work. Operating in a union, however, offers onesize-fits-all solutions when they should be resolved on a case-by-case basis.

Unions assume all workers are the same. They sell teachers like sausage. Sure, there are some really good pieces that go into it, but then there’s the gristle and other unsavory bits that nobody wants.

But you just have to deal with it because it all comes in the same casing.

The education system’s goal should always be to put the children first. Employ only the best teachers, at fair salaries, and get rid of those who aren’t best suited for the job.

For $76,000 a year I would expect only teachers of high quality, ones that earn and deserve the compensation they’re picketing for. My

problem with unions is that the highest paid of the lot are simply the ones with the most years under their belt. The poor performers piggyback on those who actually give a damn.

If the union cared about the students it supposedly served, it would set up a process for ensuring only quality teachers were placed in classrooms.

While unionizing is great for guys who weld metal together and drink Mountain Dew all day, when it comes to something that matters—your children—paying top dollar for a subpar job doesn’t make much sense.

smaller class sizes, which theoretically produce better relationships with teachers and a more thorough understanding of coursework.

Gallup polls this year indicate that Americans still consider private institutions more prestigious than public, meaning that privately funded schools are perceived to

graduation of students who simply get priced out of continuing education due to tuition increases, and who feel they are paying outrageous prices for minimal education.

In California, Christopher Campbell, a law student at the University of California, Irvine, is actively campaigning to amend the California State Constitution to ban state universities from raising tuition after a student has enrolled.

In Oregon, fiscal support for upper-level instruction is meager at best. As a result, Oregon now ranks in the bottom five nationally for state-supported education, according to Chris Broderick, Portland State associate vice president of university communications.

“State funding for PSU has declined sharply in the past decade,” Broderick said. “It has been well documented that Oregon spends more state money on prisons than it does on state universities. The result has been higher tuition for students.”

The message on the web— and in the media—that public university students are generally paying more for lower quality education signifies

that public universities have to find other ways to maintain a competitive edge.

At PSU, the edge comes in the form of community involvement.

Despite a lack of state funding, PSU manages to challenge the notion that public universities are less influential than private, producing students that have real-world advantages. PSU does this by instilling an aptitude for civic engagement into its students and through its senior capstone courses.

PSU’s dedication to inspiring students’ success through community involvement has led to the college being named one of 10 “up-and-coming” universities by U.S. News and World Report, sharing the list with influential private colleges like Tulane and George Mason universities.

PSU may not always be flush with funds, but it knows how to use its status as a public university to keep education available to a wide variety of students. Perhaps in the future, the best way to judge a college will be to look at the way it engages students in learning how to be a responsible human being.

In Oregon, fiscal support for upperlevel instruction is meager at best. As a result, Oregon now ranks in the bottom five nationally for state-supported education.

have more academic influence and world impact than their public counterparts.

Despite this, private colleges still find it necessary to reduce the sticker price in order to entice prospective students away from public universities.

Public universities nationwide have experienced problems with retention and

OPINION • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • VANGUARD

Truth’s First Victim

Voice of one, anger of all How one video has us rethinking free speech, and for good reason

Adam Salazar

A

nti-American protests in the Middle East are nothing new. In fact, they’ve become

so common that they are practically a part of the cultural landscape.

On Sept. 11, 2012, the world woke to a siege on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, by protesters and armed assailants. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

In subsequent days protests erupted all over the world. The result: dozens of deaths and a further-damaged world standing for the U.S. What caused this flurry of violence and unrest? It

wasn’t the assassination of a politician, or the invasion of a militant behemoth in a quest for power or supremacy. No, the main catalyst for this current situation came from a most unlikely source: YouTube.

On July 2, a trailer for a film entitled Innocence of Muslims, which consisted of poorly shot scenes depicting the prophet Muhammad as a lecherous tyrant, was uploaded to YouTube. Discontentment over the film spread throughout the Muslim world and reached a fever pitch with the events in Libya in September.

While it’s fair to say that a myriad of other factors contributed to many of the protests around the world, we cannot deny the film’s significant role in the resulting violence and outrage. Neither can we deny the need to address an equally pressing concern: If this means of expression can be such a contributing factor to all of this international discord, should it be allowed to exist?

Free speech is one of the most hallowed rights we possess as U.S. citizens. It can

Everywhere and Here

Romney reveals his math skills 47 percent don’t figure into the equation

Eva-Jeanette Rawlins

I

t’s all about percentages.

For more than a year, we’ve been a country of the 99 and the 1 percent. If you count yourself among the 99 percent, you’ve proudly worn the label as a badge of honor because, heck, it sets us apart from immoral, corporate greed. If you land in the other category, it’s been easier to just not advertise the fact and hope no one notices.

However, there’s a new percentage being thrown around these days—the 47 percent.

Thanks to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, this new number now occupies our national consciousness—one whose definition he came up with all on his own. Though the details are a bit fuzzy as to whom exactly comprises this number, what we do know is

that it’s not “us,” it’s “them.”

“Us” being a room full of rich folks and “them” being…well, all the rest of us losers.

The secretly taped video of Romney chatting candidly with a room full of donors at a $50,000-a-plate fundraising event has circulated the Internet, print media, Twittersphere and beyond. It’s definitely cleared up any doubts about what he thinks of almost half the country.

We’ve been asking for specifics from his campaign for a while; well, now we have it in his own words: “My job is not to worry about them.” The 47 percent of us, that is.

Just who is this 47 percent?

In his words, they’re people who are “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them…that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That it’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them.”

Wow. The man who could potentially lead our nation for the next four years has stated unequivocally that Obama voters are irrational, victimized moochers and are basically none of his concern.

He didn’t stop there. All but throwing his arms up in despair, he sighed, “I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

be used by the virtuous to address government corruption or dubious corporate practices, and at the same time may be used by religious fanatics to incite hatred by crying “God hates fags” and “thank God for dead soldiers.”

It can’t be disputed that for this cherished right to work it must be applied fairly and evenly. We must accept popular and distasteful manifestations as equal exercises of that right, even if the former is in shorter supply than the latter. There are, however, conditions to this freedom.

In the 1969 case Brandenburg v. Ohio, the Supreme Court ruled that speech could be prohibited if it is “directed at inciting or producing imminent lawless action” and it is “likely to incite or produce such action.”

Determining whether or not Innocence of Muslims meets these standards is a complex process. Though the film was obviously inflammatory and created to mock Islam, there’s no way of knowing if its intent was to directly incite violence, and it’s doubtful that its creators would confess to such intent.

It doesn’t take a foreign

policy analyst to know that the relationship between the U.S. and the Muslim world is precarious at best. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, now believed to be the film’s creator, aggressively promoted it when its initial July posting to YouTube failed to gain viewership.

Few things make me seethe. I try to be a nice person and keep a cool head. But these comments from a candidate for the presidency of the United States made me seethe.

A president should absolutely have a strong belief system and take whatever stance he or she believes to be most effective. What a president should not, and absolutely cannot, do is dismiss everyone who doesn’t share the same principles. It’s unconscionable that Romney has—with such obvious flippancy—effectively erased half the country from his agenda.

There are numerous offensive aspects to his speech, not the least of which were

his gross generalizations of Obama voters, but it would take pages of wasted energy to address them all.

Free speech is one of the most hallowed rights we possess as U.S. citizens. It can be used by the virtuous to address government corruption or dubious corporate practices, and at the same time may be used by religious fanatics to incite hatred by crying “God hates fags” and “thank God for dead soldiers.”

The video was dubbed in Arabic and copied thousands of times in order to enhance its visibility. These actions show that the film’s champions did indeed want

There are numerous offensive aspects to his speech, not the least of which were his gross generalizations of Obama voters, but it would take pages of wasted energy to address them all.

What struck me most, though, was his blatant widening of the “us” and “them” chasm. I wish I could have

11

as many Muslims to see it as possible. This effort, coupled with the knowledge that the U.S. isn’t held in very high esteem in the Muslim world, means that the likelihood of violence was high.

It can’t be decided at this moment if the film should be banned. That is a complex and cumbersome judicial process that will create much controversy. In the meantime it’s up to us as ordinary citizens to counter its malicious effects in our own way—by ignoring it.

Innocence of Muslims is just the most recent example of a cultural grenade, detonating crude and mean-spirited garbage that does nothing to further the dialogue on any issue.

The film possesses no value or reputable endorsement, and instead banks on having its worth measured by the visceral response it provokes in those who view it.

In this regard it can be viewed as a success. If that power is taken away en masse, then its message of intolerance and prejudice can be filed away in the endless collection of eccentric and hateful individuals to be ignored and forgotten.

seen his face when he said to his crowd of millionaires, “You see, you and I, we spend our day with Republicans… with people who agree with us.” About the rest? “These people are people who voted for [Obama] and don’t agree with us.”

If we had any doubts about who Romney’s people are— whose backs he’s got—we shouldn’t anymore. It’s plain as day. It’s the 53 percent who think, look, talk and have the same size wallet as he does.

Maybe if he spent a little more time with “these people” who don’t agree with him, he’d see that callously writing off the 47 percent may be the biggest mistake he ever made.

12

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • OPINION

The Emphatic Observer

Oregon schools push for better writing instruction… finally It’s a step in the right direction, but is it too little too late?

KARL KUCHS/VANGUARD STAFF

Rabia Newton

B

eginning with the class of 2013, Oregon high school students will be expected to demonstrate adequate written communication skills in order to graduate. Teachers from all disciplines—not just English—are being asked to implement a more rigorous writing curriculum in order to prepare students for testing at the end of the year.

I’m thankful that the Oregon public school system is finally paying writing instruction some much-deserved attention. However, I wonder if such a significant change is still too little and much too late.

After all, one-third of this year’s seniors have already failed the very writing test they will be required to pass to

receive a diploma. We’re obviously doing something wrong.

Class sizes are big. Budgets have been cut. Teachers are stretched thin. But writing is too important to fall by the wayside. As a skill that uniformly affects students’ performances in nearly every other discipline, effective written communication is perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of a comprehensive education—and the one that’s most often overlooked.

In a system that values math and reading test scores above all else, can we really expect teachers to transform an apathetic generation of texters and tweeters into decent writers?

I certainly hope so, but probably not by the end of the year.

For major change, we’re going to need to see a fundamental shift in the way writing is taught and how writing instruction is viewed at the state and federal level, a daunting task at best. Simply incentivizing the concept of “good writing” by threatening students’ diplomas doesn’t seem like a long-term solution (or even a short-term one, for that matter).

And is it really fair to penalize students and teachers for failing to reach goals they haven’t been given the tools they need to meet? Probably not. With only 67 percent of high school juniors coming in at grade level on a test that teachers describe as easy, asking for more (without first giving more) strikes me as potentially counterproductive.

Unfortunately, though, in an educational system where test scores mean money, this initiative may be the closest thing to progress we can reasonably expect. But it’s still a top-down model of change that may hurt before it helps.

In fact, I might go so far as to predict a drop in Oregon’s already low graduation rates as a result and perhaps even a slight increase in dropouts. If you’re certain you can’t graduate, why bother showing up?

In an ideal world, writing instruction in public schools would receive more money and more time, and enjoy a broader spectrum of implementation. Teachers of all subjects would be trained in writing instruction, and testing wouldn’t be used punitively.

We don’t live in such a world. Quite honestly, I’m not sure we ever will.

Writing as a craft and a basic form of communication is not only devalued by our educational system, but also by our culture. We prefer “real”

trades, like engineering or medicine—skills that produce tangible results. On its own, writing is just a bit too abstract and intellectual for us.

I really do hope Oregon schools are on the right path.

I want this change to be an

omen of good things to come. I wish for future generations of PSU students who are better writers because of it. But I also hope what’s being done is in the academic best interest of all students, not just those of the future. Only time will tell.

ETC. • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • VANGUARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ERICK BENGEL EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691

13

ETC.

UPCOMING EVENTS WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3

PSU’s First Bone Marrow Drive 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

PSU Park Blocks

The PSU Center for Student Health and Counseling is hosting Portland State’s first-ever bone marrow drive.

The drive is an effort to register potential donors to the National Marrow Donor Program’s registry.

To register, those interested should head to the Park Blocks to see if they meet requirements and offer a cheek swab to determine tissue type. For more information, contact Gwyn Ashcom at gwyn@pdx.edu or visit bethematch.org.

Free Forest Ecology Seminar 4–4:50 p.m.

Cramer Hall, room 71 1721 SW Broadway

The PSU Environmental Science and Management department and the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station will come together this Wednesday to present a seminar where various researchers involved in forest ecology will outline their current projects. This event is free and open to the public.

Solutions Generator Info Session 2:30–4 p.m.

Market Center Building, room 127 1600 SW 4th Ave.

Students looking for an opportunity to incite change will be able to gain valuable insight at this information session. The 2013 Solutions Generator offers a chance for students to have

their collaborative sustainability projects funded. Before submitting project ideas, interested parties should consider attending this event.

THURSDAY, OCT. 4

Portland State of Mind: Archaeology First Thursdays 4–7 p.m.

Cramer Hall, room 41 1721 SW Broadway

Speakers from academic institutions, tribes, and various private and public agencies are invited to Portland State to discuss their individual research and thoughts on policies that shape the way archaeology works in the world today. This is a great opportunity for students, faculty and interested members of the community to meet. This event is free and open to the public.

Portland State of Mind: Japan and the Culture of the Four Seasons 6–7:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 328-29 1825 SW Broadway

The Portland State Education Abroad program is hosting a fair to answer questions about how financial aid and scholarships work with study abroad programs and to offer information about degree requirements, as well as the types of programs available and where they are located. The first 100 students to arrive at the fair will receive a free travel guidebook, and all students in attendance can enter to win free international airfare. This event is free and open to all PSU students.

FRIDAY, OCT. 5

Portland State of Mind: Viking Fest 6:30–10 p.m.

TriMet turnaround behind University Pointe 1955 SW Fifth Ave.

Your Portland State Vikings and head coach Nigel Burton invite you to join them for an evening of food, games and prizes to show your support before PSU takes on Idaho State the next day in the homecoming football game. This event is free of charge.

Guest speaker Dr. Haruo Shirane discusses the ways in which the concept of the four seasons has influenced aspects of Japanese culture and how, when and why this began, revealing the meaning of the practice in terms of social, religious and literary constructs. This event is free to attend.

Portland State of Mind: PCPH Workshop with John Roth: “Rape: Weapon of War and Genocide”

Study Abroad Fair

The Portland Center for Public Humanities presents Professor John K. Roth discussing his latest co-edited volume, Rape: Weapon of War and Genocide, as part of the Holocaust

11 a.m.–2 p.m.

PSU Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, room 335 1825 SW Broadway

10–11:30 a.m.

Neuberger Hall, room 407 1875 SW Park Ave.

and Genocide Studies Project Series at the Portland Center for Public Humanities. The event is cosponsored by the Oregon free and open to the public.

Portland State of Mind: Startup Weekend at PSU Oct. 5, 4 p.m.–Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science Building 1930 SW Fourth Ave. Suite 500

Startup Weekend at Portland State offers aspiring business owners the chance to gather and learn how to start their own business. Participants come together to pitch ideas, work on projects and eventually make presentations to local investors in order to find funding for those projects.

Registration starts at $29 and includes meals. For more information visit startupweekend.org.

SATURDAY, OCT. 6

Portland State of Mind: Men’s Football, Vikings vs. Idaho State 5:05–7 p.m.

Jeld-Wen Field 1844 SW Morrison St.

Your Portland State Vikings take on the Bengals from Idaho State University in the PSU homecoming game. Come and enjoy the atmosphere and lend your support to your team. The game is free for students with valid ID, and tickets can be purchased by the public through the PSU Box Office at 503-725-3307 or online through Ticketmaster.

Prices range from $14–55.

Portland State of Mind: Concert 8:30 p.m. to midnight Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, room 355 1825 SW Broadway

PSU students and alumni are welcomed for a night of food, fun and dancing with music provided

by KPSU. Other attractions at this event include a photo booth and door prizes, as well as the opportunity for a meet and greet with others who are associated with the university. This event is free of charge for all PSU students.

Portland Fresh Hops Beer Fest Noon–8 p.m.

Oaks Amusement Park 7805 SE Oaks Park Way

Oaks Amusement Park’s annual festival in celebration of local brewmasters happens Oct. 6; the beer is made from hops gathered during the mid-August to mid-September Oregon hop harvest. All ages are welcome to attend (photo ID will be required for alcohol) and tickets range from $13.30–36. Purchase tickets at oregonbeer.org/freshhopsfest.

MONDAY, OCT. 8

Indigenous Solidarity Day 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Native American Student and Community Center 710 SW Jackson St.

The Native American Student and Community Center, along with Healing Feathers and Diversity and Multicultural Student Services, is proud to present Indigenous Solidarity Day. The celebration consists of many events ranging from a guest speaker, traditional games and tours to a potluck and information fair.

This event is free and open to all new and returning students. For more information visit pdx.edu/nativecenter.

Portland State of Mind: Portland Mayoral Debate 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Lincoln Hall Auditorium 1620 SW Park Ave.

Contenders for Portland mayorship Jefferson Smith and Charlie Hales come together at Portland State to shed light on their individual views and take part in a debate. The event will air live on local news and radio and is free to attend.

TUESDAY, OCT. 9

Free film screening: Terra Blight 5:30 p.m.

Parsons Gallery, Urban Center Building second floor 506 SW Mill St.

The PSU Campus Sustainability Office and the Environmental Club present a free screening of the new documentary film Terra Blight, which explores America’s consumption of computers and highlights the hazardous waste created in pursuit of new technology.

Following the film will be a Q-and-A session with two of the filmmakers.

Attendees are encouraged to bring old electronics to be recycled responsibly, so long as they are laptop-size or smaller. The screening is free and open to the public.

14

VANGUARD •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY,OCT. JANUARY 2, 2012 10,•2012 SPORTS • ETC.

SPORTS

EDITOR: CORY MIMMS SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538

Get out of the city this fall Guided and educational weekend getaways in the great Northwest CRYSTAL GARDNER VANGAURD STAFF

The Outdoor Program here at Portland State is one way for urban dwellers to get out of the city and experience the wonderful wilderness of the Northwest.

With activities for any skill level, the Outdoor Program allows PSU students to escape into nature.

The program has a wide variety of trips planned for this term. Whether it is whitewater kayaking, hiking or rock/ cliff climbing, all the trips have a few similarities: The fees are kept low or free, transportation is provided and guides lead and educate the group.

“Beginner or advanced activity levels are all addressed when planning the trips,” trip coordinator Steve White said. “The program really makes an effort to make all trips accessible as possible

to all levels of experience.”

The Outdoor Program offers many services to students who are enrolled in at least one credit at PSU. These include discounted rentals and specials on holiday weekend trips.

Grabbing the gear, learning the trails and experiencing the scenery around Portland is a great way to relax.

Additionally, the Outdoor Program is a great volunteer experience for PSU students with a passion for engaging and teaching others. Students have the opportunity to advance within the program while tightening leadership skills and exploring nature, from the Pacific Ocean to the Cascades. Being part of the program allows students to be heard by proposing trips and executing them with their peers.

Students interested in volunteering can apply online or contact Kat McLaughlin in the program offices by Oct. 5.

Applications are accepted at the beginning of each term except summer.

NORTHWEST NATURE: Students enjoy a trip with PSU’s Outdoor Program.

COURTESY OF DYLAN ERICKSON/PSU OUTDOOR PROGRAM

Fall trips • • • • •

Broughton’s Bluff Day Climbing Trip, Oct. 13 Introduction to Whitewater Kayaking Seminar, Oct. 14 and 21 Rock III, Oct. 20 Goonies “Never Say Die” Geocaching Trip, Oct. 27–28 Inclusive Day Hike, Oct. 28

PATRICK S. ROGERS VANGUARD STAFF

You’re still trying to stay in shape, and not only do you not have the time—what with the part-time job, full-time school schedule and jam-packed social calendar—but maybe something about the gym environment turns you off and club sports seem too competitive.

We share a similar dilemma.

I have been struggling to find solutions. As inches grow on my beltline, lately it seems I’m ruled by fear and trepidation... until now.

Starting this fall, the intramural sports program is making some changes to popular sports like soccer and basketball. In the past, the intramural program bracketed teams based on the level of competition, judged by each team’s first three games. Under this scheme it was conceivable to pair a hyper competitive team against a team playing for fun.

This year they retooled the Outdoor Soccer League by separating teams into competitive and recreational

brackets before the first game was played.

With more control over their level of commitment, students have one less excuse to join. For instance, if you decided to play outdoor soccer this fall, you could just show up to games, play and be on your way.

If you’re like me, though, not aligned with a large group of friends, you might wonder how the teams are assembled.

A captain might pick you from the free agent pool or, as Intramural Sports Coordinator Spencer Sorensen informed me, if there are enough free agents, they might end up all on one team.

The eight-on-eight outdoor soccer leagues begin Oct. 4, and four-on-four flag football starts Oct. 2. Sign-ups began Sept. 24, but the deadline isn’t until Oct. 4. The cost to join is $5 for free agents and $40 for a team.

Maybe you want to steer clear of the idea of team play, but still want the opportunity to run up and down a field and be involved in every play. Perhaps becoming an intramural sports official is your calling— but if you’re like me, fear of confrontation looms large.

“All of our games are student-officiated and trained inhouse, so I think that’s one of the beauties of it; if we have a

Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking Trip, Nov. 4 Eagle Creek Day Hike, Nov. 10 Opal Creek Service Trip, Nov. 11 Smith Rock Climbing, Nov. 16–18 Silver Falls Thanksgiving Camping Trip, Nov. 24–25

All schedules and prices are located online at pdx.edu/recreation/outdoor-programs-trip-schedule.

There’s still time for intramurals PSU’s intramurals offer quick, hasslefree respite from stress

• • • • •

conduct issue where one of the players is choosing to be a poor sport toward the official, they’re being poor sports toward their fellow students. It certainly adds another level of accountability,” Sorensen said.

Traditional ball sports aren’t your bag? A Halloween dodgeball tournament (a new event) is slotted for this fall. Or maybe you and your friends have a better idea? If it’s reasonable and has legs beyond a one-time event, Sorensen is willing to field your suggestions.

Some of the more novel ideas coming later in the school year include an ultimate frisbee league and an indoor triathlon. The triathlon will be 20 minutes each of swimming, running and stationary cycling.

What a lot of people don’t know is that the triathlon can be performed as a team.

Since you’re good at running, and I’m pretty good at swimming, maybe together we can find someone good at cycling and have a legitimate shot at this thing.

To learn more about the program, go to the intramurals office on the second floor of the Academic and Student Rec Center, or visit their website at pdx.edu/ recreation/intramurals.

SPORTS • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • VANGUARD

15

Vikings serve to victory Team continues undefeated season ROSEMARY HANSON VANGUARD STAFF

MILES SANGUINETTI/VANGUARD STAFF

ON FIRE: Vikings volleyball won two more games last week, taking their record to 6–0 in conference play.

The Portland State women’s volleyball team swept Northern Arizona 3-0 last week, maintaining its perfect conference record. The team’s goal this season is to control the sets through the serve, and on Thursday the Vikings did just that. With sophomore libero Kasimira “Kasi” Clark behind the line, the Vikings used the serving to their advantage and won their opening home conference match.

Clark led the team in serving with five aces. Sophomore middle blocker Leigh-Ann Haataja slammed three aces and senior setter Dominika Kristinikova had two.

With serving as the season’s focus point, head coach Michael Seemann said the goal on Thursday was to get servers to increase their numbers in each rotation, a goal the Vikings did particularly well in achieving.

The Lumberjacks boast a strong offensive team, and

they were able to come out early in the three sets, but the Vikings pushed past the Jacks on all three occasions. After a four-all tie in the opening set the Viks grabbed an 8-1 run off Haataja’s first service ace to open the gap to 12-5. Although the Lumberjacks later made an effort to close the gap at 18-

With serving as the season’s focus point, head coach Michael Seemann said the goal on Thursday was to get servers to increase their numbers in each rotation.

17, and hold close to a 22-22 tie, the Vikings finished with the opening win 25-23.

The second and third set mirrored the first with the Lumberjacks setting early ties that the Vikings broke. The Viks completed set two 25-18,

and with the help of three aces from Clark, sealed the sweep 2516 in set three.

Junior Jaklyn Wheeler said their teamwork was key in pulling away from the early ties.

“We had some unforced errors, but everyone really stepped up,” Wheeler said.

“When it is crunch time we can go.”

Wheeler led the team in kills with 19—the most by a PSU player in a three-set match.

Both Wheeler and senior outside hitter Megan Ellis tallied their 11th double-doubles for the evening, with Wheeler adding 11 digs to her kills and Ellis with 10 kills and 13 digs.

“The teamwork between hitters is huge,” Wheeler said.

Junior setter Garyn Schlatter helped Wheeler and Ellis control the offense while Clark commanded the defense, allowing the Vikings to control the pace of the game.

“We tried to get this team— which is very good offensively—off balance, and we were able to do that most of the night,” Seemann said.

The Vikings are now 6-0 for the season. Right now, the team’s focus is to carry that momentum into the upcoming games.

NOW HIRING SPORTS EDITOR APPLY ONLINE AT PSUVANGUARD.COM OR SEND RESUMES TO EDITOR@ PSUVANGUARD.COM

16

VANGUARD • TUESDAY, OCT. 2, 2012 • SPORTS

Gunning for gold

Thursday, Sept. 27

VOLLEYBALL

SHOTGUN: Kate Bonn takes aim.

She practices at the Hillsboro Trap and Skeet Club and has been shooting since she was 10.

vs.

3

Vikings North Arizona

0

Top performers Jaklyn Wheeler: 19 kills, 11 digs Megan Ellis: 10 kills, 13 digs Garyn Schlatter: 30 assists

Friday, Sept. 28

SOCCER vs.

Vikings University of Montana

2 0

Top performers Kayla Henningsen: 1 goal Daniela Solis: 4 shots Amanda Dutra: 3 shots

Saturday, Sept. 29

VOLLEYBALL vs.

MAYA SEAMAN/VANGUARD STAFF

Kate Bonn targets the 2016 Olympic Games MAYA SEAMAN VANGUARD STAFF

When she was only 10 years old, Kate Bonn’s father handed her a gun. Since he kept firearms in the house, he wanted her to understand the importance of gun safety.

So he took his little girl to the shooting range and gave her a .410-gauge shotgun, and she broke six out of her first 25 clay targets.

On March 27, Bonn became the female collegiate champion in international bunker trap, an elite shotgun

competition at the Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships. She won the event as a representative of Portland State using her custom Perazzi shotgun, which she lovingly refers to as “Lambert.”

International bunker trap is a little-known shooting discipline that originated in Italy, and one of the three shotgun events held at the summer Olympic Games, where Bonn aims to compete in 2016. Currently 22 years old and double majoring in psychology and criminal justice, one would think that by Olympic standards she is running out of time to contend. In shooting, however, the opposite is true.

“Some of the best trap shooters are in their 40s and 50s,” Bonn said. While she is aiming for the 2016 summer

Olympics, she could easily compete in the 2024 games as well. “You get better with age.”

Which is a good thing given that the U.S. Olympic team only offers one spot for the female international bunker trap event. But according to

He wanted her to understand the importance of gun safety. So he took his little girl to the shooting range.

Bonn’s coach, Dave Senter, she is well ahead of schedule.

“She’s realizing the cumulative effect of about six years of really good training. If you want to get to ‘world’ or ‘elite’

level, it’s about 10,000 hours or six years,” Senter said. “I think she’s got what it takes to do this.”

Like skeet shooting, bunker trap involves a clay puck about the diameter of a grapefruit that is launched into the air, giving the shooter a small window of time in which to shoot it. But bunker trap is far more difficult. Bunker trap targets are fired into the air from ground level, traveling away from the shooter, which makes skeet’s targets look like they are being lobbed overhead by a child playing softball.

In skeet shooting, the shooter knows the height and direction the targets will fly each time. In bunker trap, the clay pucks are fired from one of 15 machines, each programmed to launch a puck anywhere from a 45-degree right angle to

a 45-degree left angle—and at speeds up to 70 miles per hour.

During each round, the shooter rotates through five stations, shooting five pucks from each, for a total of 25 pucks in a round. Other than knowing that the targets will be fired from the ground-level bunker in front of them, the shooter has no idea in which direction the next target will fly. This makes for a shooter with zen-like patience and lightning reflexes—and Bonn is no exception.

Joking with Bonn after an afternoon of watching her shoot at the Hillsboro Trap and Skeet Club, I said she would be great to have around in a survival situation. “If you want to have somebody to help you out during the zombie apocalypse,” she replied, “I have lots of shotguns. ”

Vikings Southern Utah Top performers Jaklyn Wheeler: 17 kills, 7 digs Megan Ellis: 8 kills, 17 digs

Football vs.

Vikings Montana State

A look at Kasi Clark Sophomore libero This year the Vikings returned the entire roster except the 2011 senior libero. Clark went from seeing limited playing time in the defensive position during her freshman season to being the starting libero for the Vikings. The young player has stepped up and has been a key player for the Viks.

Clark’s statistics against Northern Arizona Aces: 5 Digs: 19 Assists: 2

Junior outside hitter The Vikings volleyball team is on a hot streak.

They are undefeated in conference play, currently sitting at 6-0, and outside hitter Jaklyn Wheeler was just named the Big Sky volleyball player of the week. The 6-foot-tall junior nailed 36 kills in two matches last week, averaging 5.14 a set.

Wheeler’s statistics last week Kills: 36 Digs: 18 Blocks: 4

3 1

Top performers Ian Sluss: 17 tackles D.J. Adams: 17 rushes for 56yards

Cross country Charles Bowles Invitational Top performers Amber Rozcicha: 1st place 5k, 17:46:70

SOCCER vs.

Timbers D.C. United

A look at Jaklyn Wheeler

3 1

1 1

Top performers Bright Dike: 1 goal

Sunday, Sept. 30

SOCCER vs.

Vikings Eastern Washington Top performers Amanda Dutra: 2 goal Megan Martin: 1 goal Lynsey Gaines: 1 goal

4 0