Morimoto’s model
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Portland State University Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 | vol. 67 no. 13
Celebrating coming out
Debate heats up campus
QRC’s Outlist grows in its third year Mary Breaden Vanguard staff
Coming out is more popular than ever. In honor of National Coming Out Day on Thursday, Oct. 11, Portland State’s Queer Resource Center has launched the Outlist, now in its third year. The Outlist is a list of people who have identified themselves as supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex community—some as one or more of the aforementioned, others as allies of the under -represented group. The Outlist will be unveiled in the Park Blocks on NCOD as part of the Portland State of Mind event series. Last year, over 1,100 members of the PSU community signed the list, doubling the rate of participation from the list’s first year, 2010. As of last week, more than 1,200 people had signed the list. “Our list is too large to print in a school newspaper,” Cat McGraw, coordinator at the QRC, said with pride. Many universities have had Outlists in existence for much longer than PSU has, and McGraw said she saw the positive effects of an Outlist firsthand when she worked for the University of Oregon. In order to sign the Outlist, students, faculty, staff and alumni had to type in their names and their departments, as well as majors or job titles. Participants were also given the option to identify where they fall on the queer spectrum by checking a corresponding box. See outlist on page 4
MIles Sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFF
mayoral candidates Charlie Hales (left) and Jefferson Smith debate Portland issues on stage in Lincoln Hall. Most of the debate focused on issues affecting Portland at large.
Candidates face off at PSU Ravleen Kaur Vanguard Staff
Lincoln Hall opened its historic doors to the public on Monday evening for the first televised debate of the general mayoral election. Charlie Hales and Jefferson Smith faced off at Portland State in a fastpaced debate, offering points of consensus and nuanced differences. “It’s a really awesome experience to have the candidates on campus,” sophomore Jessa Peary said. The event was broadcast live by KOIN Local 6.
The debate was moderated by station news anchor Jeff Gianola. Panelists included Associated Students of Portland State University President Tiffany Dollar, Portland Tribune reporter Steve Law and retired KOIN news anchor Mike Donahue. Although the majority of the debate was devoted to issues faced by the city at large, the topic of higher education surfaced from time to time. Dollar asked the candidates what they would do to increase job opportunities for recent college graduates, thousands of whom are out of work.
“Contrary to the Portlandia caricature, young people don’t come here to retire,” Hales said, explaining that he would work on creating a “climate of opportunity” through increasing access to credit and by building school/ business partnerships throughout the region. “What we’ve got to have is an economic plan that fits this century,” said Smith, who called for investment in schools and better workforce training. Both candidates vowed to focus on growing small business as a part of their strategy for job growth. Dollar also asked the candidates what they would do to ensure that students in Portland’s public school
system are college-ready. Smith advocated for state-wide funding increases and summer gap programs to promote work readiness. Hales declared that legislature has not done enough to address the issue. In addition to adequate funding, he called for middle-college programs that would allow high schoolers to take college courses. An issue that did not come up during the debate, the Education Urban Renewal Area, is one that directly implicates PSU. The plan, approved by the Portland City Council this May, would funnel increased See debate on page 4
Filipino talent hits the stage Kaibigan continues the tradition Katie Quick Vanguard staff
If singers, dancers and comedians aren’t enough to get you to go check out this weekend’s ShowKase from PSU’s Kaibigan club, maybe free dinner will do the trick. This Saturday, Oct. 13, PSU’s Kaibigan club is hosting its eighth annual ShowKase talent show in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. Admission for students is free, and includes a Filipino dinner with lumpia (eggrolls), afritada (rice noodles) and more served before the show. Kaibigan, now celebrating its 10th year at PSU, recognizes Filipino-American
students on campus while providing cultural, educational, political and social activities. “We invite everyone—that’s why we do this,” said Aiman Al Khachi, the club’s publicity coordinator. While the event is focused on Filipino culture and participation, the event is open to the public, with the goal of drawing a bigger crowd each year. Last year, the club set an attendance record of at least 400. The first ShowKase brought in approximately 200 people and has grown significantly every year. The ShowKase is just what it sounds like: an opportunity for Filipino students affiliated with the club
to demonstrate their personal performance talents. The acts themselves are not focused on Filipino culture but are a demonstration from and celebration of Filipino students. The ShowKase also serves as a fundraiser for the PSU Filipino American Student Association Scholarship fund. “We get a lot of sponsors from the community,” said Kaibigan President Nikki Deleon. While there are funds raised with each ShowKase, the majority of funding for the scholarships comes from outside sponsors. “It’s planned entirely by new students, with new ideas and new themes every year,” Deleon said. Last See Kaibigan on page 3
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