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Wiewel wins award for green effort PSU leads the nation in eco-friendly design Erik Mutzke Vanguard Staff
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded Portland State President Wim Wiewel its Presidential Award. The prestigious award recognizes exemplary and bold leadership in sustainability on campuses and in the community nationwide. “This is the gold medal of sustainability achievements,” Wiewel said. “It’s gratifying because we have been trying to position PSU as a national leader in sustainability for years. Sustainability is a key institutional priority.” The USGBC is an organization that is best known for its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification program. Portland has eight LEED-certified buildings on campus. The USGBC is committed to advocating for public policy that supports and encourages green buildings and communities. “The Presidential Award aims to highlight change-makers who are truly setting the bar for excellence when it comes to systemwide sustainability in the higher education community,” said Rachel Gutter, director of the Center for Green Schools at USGBC, in a press release. During his five years as president, Wiewel has focused on sustainability within the institution. See GREEN EFFORT on page 4
Students explore Persia PSU offers Oregon’s first minor in Persian Ravleen Kaur Vanguard staff
A replica of the world’s first charter of human rights sits at the United Nations headquarters, an emblem of the organization’s cause. The writer of the ancient clay cylinder was Persian king Cyrus the Great, who hailed from present-day Iran—a region that remains greatly misunderstood despite the blinding political limelight that surrounds it. This fall, Portland State launched Oregon’s first minor in Persian, offering students a chance to acquaint themselves with the culture, literature and language of the region. “Persian culture is one of the glories of antiquity, and the Persian language is one of its defining aspects,” said Jennifer Perlmutter, chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures at PSU. The minor encompasses courses in language, literature and culture and comes at a time when the university is expanding its internationalization efforts. Before this fall, PSU’s language-only Persian program fulfilled undergraduate foreign language requirements but did not lead to a degree or certificate. Persian, along with Arabic and Turkish, will be PSU’s third minor in a Middle Eastern language. “Iran is one of the least understood countries in the world,” said Anousha Sedighi, an associate professor of Persian who leads the program. “And that’s really a pity because knowing about, say, the history of Iran really helps people to open their eyes about the current situation.”
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THIS PAINTING is one of many that adorn the walls of the 17th century Hasnt-Behesht, or “Palace of the Eight Heavens.” The palace is located in Isfanan, Iran. Along with Sedighi, spearheading the program in its inaugural year is renowned Persian scholar Dick Davis, who will be a visiting scholar this winter and spring. Credited with translating the Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”)—a seminal work of Persian literature—into English, Davis is a best-selling author and a poet in his own right. He will teach three
new courses, including classes titled “Persian Folklore and Mythology” and “Iranian Women Writers.” “[Davis] is a very important pillar in Persian literature,” Sedighi said. “He’s really going to be important for the visibility of the program.” Students at PSU have been collaborating to promote Persian cultural and artistic heritage for years. With
the addition of the minor, they will be able to formally align their Persian studies with their career goals. Victor Mena, a criminal justice major, hopes his chances of joining a governmental organization will be boosted by his language skills. “Persian is one of the government’s wanted See Persia on page 4
The mysteries of moss sex Moss uses smell to get the job done Maya Seaman Vanguard staff
Rocky Cookus/VANGUARD STAFf
A SPRINGTAIL, in close up, wades through moss leaves, aiding in the fertilization process.
Walk down any street in Portland, and you’ll see it. It covers roofs, tree trunks, sidewalks and fences. It’s part of what makes Portland look so magical, like a fairy tale forest full of history. Moss. What we don’t realize is that moss is one of the oldest plants on earth, and that for the past 400 million years it has been growing and reproducing with assistance from one of the world’s oldest land-dwelling animal species. Like modern pollination relationships between flowering plants and
bees, moss has long been manipulating tiny invertebrates called microarthropods to transfer sperm from male to female moss in order to sexually reproduce. “This work excites me because it reminds me that mosses and insects have likely been dancing partners for a very, very long time,” said Todd Rosenstiel, a professor of biology at Portland State. Mosses can be sexually separate, meaning that there is a physical distinction between male and female, and like other species it is the male that carries sperm. Originally it was thought that mosses had to live in a wet environment in order to successfully reproduce—places with consistent rain, like here in Portland—because the water would allow
the sperm to swim from the male moss to the female moss. What research is finding, however, is that microarthropods like springtails and mites are carrying the sperm from the male to female mosses. “Mosses and microarthropods have been coexisting for about 450 million years—that is more than 300 million years longer than the flowering plants and their pollinators emerged,” said Erin Shortlidge, a PSU graduate biology student whose dissertation work focuses on the factors that influence sexual reproduction in mosses. The fact that researchers can see that there might have been an See moss SEX on page 2
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Young adult readers crave real-life issues Sexuality, identity among concerns
SARA RYAN, a young adult author, spoke at the Thursday event.
Mary Breaden Vanguard staff
You don’t have to be a reader of young adult fiction to know some of its heroes and heroines. Who doesn’t know Harry Potter and Hermione Granger? Young adult books make up a genre of literature that is beginning to take up more space on best seller lists and movie screens. The genre, which targets readers between 12 and 18 years old, and its norms were the topic of a discussion Thursday evening at the Smith Memorial Student Union, “Beyond Judy Blume: Identity and Sexualilty in young adult literature.” Panelists included Sara Ryan, a local comic book author and Multnomah County librarian; Carter Sickels, a local novelist; Michelle Roehm McCann, a children’s book editor and author as well as an instructor at Portland State; and Vanessa F. La Torre, a youth HIV-prevention educator at the Cascade AIDS Project in Portland. The moderator, a high school student, began the discussion by asking if panelists felt that reading YA literature was an important part of a young
What to know before you start punching that timecard
researchers at PSU are hoping to find out why electric bikes like this one aren’t more widely used.
Vanguard staff
Could Portland be a new market for e-bikes? Kaela O’Brien Vanguard staff Miles Sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
adult’s life. The answer was a resounding yes. “I want to encourage my students [in the publishing program] to change the picture to reflect more of who we are now,” McCann said. She said that more teens are reading than ever before and that, until now, no best-selling book from this expanding genre has ever included a gay character. “Maybe I should change genres, because people are still reading YA,” Sickels said with a laugh. He recently published his first novel. The moderator also ques-
Tiny mites help moss fertilization as they walk through leaves drier environments. By walking through the moist moss, the springtails and mites dip their feet in droplets of water containing sperm. The sperm then latches onto their feet and legs, stealing a ride to the female moss, where the tiny arthropods will unknowingly deposit the sperm. This discovery helped answer the question of how moss manages to reproduce in areas with minimal moisture, or in harsh environments where sperm may have trouble swimming to the female moss. The lingering question was why the springtails and mites
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tioned the panelists about the importance of giving readers characters they can relate to. “I could always relate to Hermione because she was a know-it-all and I was a know-it-all,” the moderator said to laughter from the audience and panel. “Meg from A Wrinkle in Time was our Hermione,” McCann said. Reading this YA novel as a teen, McCann said, jump-started her addiction to science fiction. Ryan brought out a few books that she felt showcased a more progressive inclusion of ethnically and sexually
diverse characters, including I Will Save You, by Matt de la Pena, and Adaptation, by Malinda Lo. As a librarian, Ryan said that it’s important for her to have books that offer a multitude of identities for young adult readers to choose from. Before drawing to a close, the panelists discussed some grimmer realities facing YA writers and readers, such as the “straight-washing” scandal of last year, in which two YA authors wrote a blog post for Publisher’s Weekly describing an agent who offered to buy their manu-
script on the condition that the authors change a character’s sexual orientation. This scandal brought to light other shortfalls in providing diversity within YA publishing, which McCann discussed with some statistics that Malinda Lo had published on her website. Namely, Lo found that less than 1 percent of YA characters are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and that 50 percent of those LGBT characters are male. See Young adult on page 4
do this—how can they tell the difference between the male and female moss and why do they travel between the two? “We got into the idea that there might be volatile chemicals—smells. That was the question: Why do the bugs go to the reproductive part of the moss, the part that has the sperm or the ovule?” Eppley said. They discovered that the arthropods are drawn to
“Could this interaction between plants and arthropods be one of the keys to plant life on Earth?” Dr. Sarah Eppley biology professor
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E-bikes’ peddle power Students learn workers’ rights
Katie Quick
Moss sex from page 1
interaction between plant and animal life much earlier than previously thought raises an important question: “Could this interaction between plants and arthropods be one of the keys to plant life on earth?” asked Dr. Sarah Eppley, a PSU biology professor. Using fire moss, a species of moss commonly found in Portland, Eppley and her team confirmed that, while a moist environment does improve moss fertility rates, mites and springtails will also deliver sperm to female mosses in both rainy and
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Erin Shortlidge/VANGUARD STAFf
WALK OF FAME: A tiny springtail walks across firemoss leaves, helping the plants reproduce.
the female moss by scent. In the lab they were able to separate male and female mosses, allowing springtails access to both guided only by scent, they consistently chose the female moss. Using gas chromatography, technology that color-codes vapors, Eppley and her team were able to see the chemical compounds emitted by the male and female mosses and found that the female moss emits a much stronger odor than the male. “That says there is this difference between males and fe-
This year, Portland State will take a closer look at a relatively undiscovered form of transportation: electric bikes. On the agenda is finding answers to two questions: Why aren’t these bikes more popular, and how are they being used? “We are trying to see what is the market for e-bikes, but also taking the previous research a little further,” said John MacArthur, coprincipal investigator of the study at Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium. The study will begin this winter and will consist of four separate trials taking place through the summer. Each will contain 30 adults, predominantly PSU faculty. Participants will receive electric bikes complete with GPS systems to track individual usage. An electric bike looks like a normal bike, except it comes with a battery that provides extra power. Most e-bikes are “pedal-assist,” meaning that the bike requires minimal pedaling and the battery does most of the work. E-bikes are becoming more compact and easier to travel with. Manufacturers of ebikes aim to create a product that can get commuters all the way to their destinations
or be taken on public transit, MacArthur said. “We’ve highlighted different groups of people that typically are having perceived barriers to biking, and by giving them a different type of bike or new technology, would it get them to bike?” MacArthur asked. He noted that the four groups in the study will be divided into women, people over the age of 55, people who have to commute five or more miles a day and people with injuries such as a bad knee or back. The only obstacle OTREC might encounter is finding the right types of participants. Otherwise, the group is feeling confident about being prepared, MacArthur said. OTREC teamed up with Drive Oregon and Conscious Commuter Corporation to fund the study. Drive Oregon is an organization that strives to promote, grow and support the electric vehicle industry in Oregon. “We helped develop the project concept, connect Conscious Commuter to OTREC, and we are providing a grant of $44,100 toward the project’s costs,” said Jeff Allen, Drive Oregon’s executive director. Conscious Commuter is a producer of electric bikes that has its home base in Portland. The company manufactures nearly all components of their products locally, from
Erin Shortlidge/VANGUARD STAFf
Erin SHortlidge, a PSU graduate student, looks closely at moss in Lassen Volcanic National Park. males—the chemistry proves it’s true,” Eppley said. This discovery sheds new light on the spread of plant life on earth. So much so that the scientific community chose to publish Eppley, Shortlidge and Rosenstiel’s research in the highly esteemed science journal Nature. “[Mosses] are more than just rooftop annoyances and a scenic place to plant your gnome collection—they are this little, living, green thread that links us back to the earliest origins of plants on Earth,” Rosenstiel said. The next step in this research is to find out if this moss-arthropod relationship
applies to multiple species of moss, and if it occurs in every environment. Shortlidge recently received a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation and a field research grant from the American Philosophical Society, which will help fund her study of mosses in harsh environments like Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. “This work should remind us that plants have been using scent to manipulate animal behavior for a very long time,” Rosenstiel said. “After all, why do we give scented roses and lilies on Valentine’s Day if not to manipulate animal behavior?”
daniel johnston/VANGUARD STAFf
john macarthur is organizing a study at PSU that looks at electric bike use.
COURTESY OF Richard masoner/cycleliciousztt
the frame to the handles. The company provided 30 electric bikes for use in the study. “We are very blessed and appreciative,” said Bob Vander Woude, Conscious Commuter’s CEO and cofounder. He also explained that this study has given his company the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge while testing every component of the manufacturing process, from the suppliers to the delivery method. Electric bikes have many benefits, MacArthur said. The first and most obvious benefit of an electric bike is the decreased dependency on gas-powered vehicles. Use of an electric vehicle or bicycle to commute to school or work is far less damaging to the environment. “We are trying to help people get into the idea of commuting sustainably and responsibly,” Vander Woude said. MacArthur also explained that the electric bike promotes active transportation. While the battery power does remove much of the difficulty of biking, some pedaling is required. Riding an electric bike rather than driving a car is a healthier and more active approach, he added. Another benefit is simply providing another sustainable option for commuters, he said. Also set to greatly benefit from this study is Conscious Commuter. “This project is having a major, positive impact in helping Conscious Commuter grow here in Oregon,” Allen said. “We think there’s tremendous opportunity for Oregon to develop and produce high quality e-bikes and export them globally.” Should the study produce positive results, Conscious Commuter is set to begin fullfledged electric bike production in 2013. In addition to boosting Portland’s economy, because the manufacturing takes place in Oregon there will be employment opportunities, especially for young college graduates, MacArthur said. Nationally, little research is looking into electric bikes in this way, so “this study gives PSU a cutting-edge look at ebikes,” MacArthur said.
Do you know your rights as an employee in Oregon? How about what your employer can and cannot do with your wages? Students gathered in the Smith Memorial Student Union Thursday afternoon for an informational session about Oregon’s wage and hour laws hosted by Portland State’s Student Legal Services. Lynn Clark, staff attorney for SLS, said it’s important to inform students before they begin working so they aren’t taken advantage of. “People often don’t approach us for help until after a problem has started,” Clark said. SLS staff reviewed many practical examples of what workers and employers can expect from one another in Oregon. For example, there are only a couple of instances in which an employer is not obligated to pay minimum wage. This includes if you’re if you’re an independent contractor, an intern or a volunteer. The federal minimum wage is lower than Oregon’s minimum wage, so employers are obligated to pay all employees at least $8.80 per hour. In January 2013, the minimum wage will increase to $8.95 per hour, which is adjusted for inflation. “Oregon has the secondhighest minimum wage in the country. If and when the state and federal wages conflict, the employer is obligated to pay whichever one is more beneficial to the employee,” Huzafia Siddiqui, an intern with SLS, said. It’s illegal in Oregon for a restaurant to pay its employees the federal tip cred-
corinna sctott/VANGUARD STAFf
huzaifa suddiqui, an intern for PSU’s Student Legal Services, led the workers’ rights discussion. it, which is $2.13 an hour, and then force them to rely on tips for the rest of their wages. “The restaurant industry is probably where we see the vast majority of students come in with complaints about wage and hour issues, because restaurants sometimes pay in cash instead of checks, sometimes they pay under the table. And sometimes the end result is that the person is being paid less than what they’re entitled to,” Clark said. If a student at PSU finds himself in a position in which he feels his employer skimped on his paycheck, he can use the the SLS to file a wage claim. Doing so offers the employer a chance to pay the employee, or the employee can choose to take further action. With unpaid internships, it can be easy for an employer to take advantage of a student, SLS staff said. Internships must have an educational focus and last a fixed length of time. There can’t be any expectation of employment at the end, or, as Clark said, “that job that they draw you in as a carrot on a stick saying, ‘Work for us for a certain amount of time for free, and then we’ll hire you.’” What most students probably aren’t aware of is that an employer can require that you
work overtime, SLS staff said. When you work overtime— meaning more than 40 hours a week if you’re a full-time employee—you receive one-anda-half times the regular wage. Your employer doesn’t need to give advance notice to require you to stay later, but does need to pay you at the overtime rate. Employees are entitled to a paid 10-minute break every four hours. Every six hours, the employer is obligated to let the employee take a 30-minute lunch break. Finally, paychecks cannot be withheld from an employee as punishment and should never be a hardship for the employee to claim. Lukas Brewington-Janssen, a sophomore who’s working with the SLS as an intern this fall, assists the attorneys, takes notes and does research for the different files and cases that come up in the office. He explained why this lecture was so important. “I found a lot of the info regarding wages important— and the info about breaks and what we’re entitled to. Most people don’t know this stuff.” Clark said students should know that the SLS offers free services to students. The only exceptions could be court fees, litigation costs or other courtrelated fees.
lynn clark, staff attorney at PSU’s Student Legal Services, explained workers’ rights at a Thursday session.
corinna scott/VANGUARD STAFf
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VANGUARD • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 • News
young adult from page 2
Human sexuality a ‘contentious issue’ in young adult literature La Torre suggested that communities need a broader dialogue about sexuality to decrease the stigma of having LGBT characters and sexual content in YA literature. Sexuality, she said, is a broad topic.
“I’ve seen attitudes change after someone was introduced to a book,” La Torre said. The event was planned by Ashley McAllister, the merchandise coordinator for Bitch Media, in conjunction
miles sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
michelle Mccann, a PSU instructor, spoke at Thursday’s event.
with a grant from the Oregon Council for the Humanities. McAllister said that she came up with the idea for the panel after noticing the popularity of YA literature in the publishing world right now. “Human sexuality seems to be a contentious issue and an important issue,” she said, also mentioning that teens often find comfort and hope from reading stories about characters they can relate to. Kari Anne McDonald, a second-year student in the PSU Master of Public Administration program and a graduate assistant for Portland State’s Women’s Resource Center, helped Bitch Media in planning the event. She related Thursday night’s talk to a larger effort to represent women in the publishing industry, starting at Portland State. “I would be interested to know how many women hold higher positions in publishing on [Portland State’s] campus,” she said. “It’s important to talk about how women’s stories are not being heard.” While including more diversity within the pages of YA books, powerful roles within the publishing industry will need to be held by people with diverse backgrounds before readers will see a shift in the portrayal of LGBT characters, MacDonald said. “Some writers might think they’re doing a good thing by including [queer characters],” she said, while noting that merely adding diverse “token” characters does not serve to alter a “narrative dominated so much by heterosexuality.”
Crime Blotter Josh Kelety Vanguard Staff
Public indecency: Nov. 2 Lincoln Hall
At around 4:20 p.m., a student alerted Officer Shawn McKenzie of a white male in his 20s who was masturbating on the first floor of Lincoln Hall near the southeast stairwell. Exclusion: Nov. 3 Science Research and Teaching Center
Nicholas Davis was issued an exclusion order from campus by Officer Denae Murphy after she spotted him walking around the SRTC jiggling the door handles of locked offices. Detox transport: Nov. 4 Science Research and Teaching Center
At 6:06 a.m., Officer Jared Schuurmans contacted a man sitting on the loading dock of the SRTC. The man was highly intoxicated and wanted to go to the Hooper Detoxification Stabilization Center. Officer Schuurmans transported the man to a detoxification center without incident. Felony marijuana possession: Nov. 4
karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
PSU president Wim Wiewel will be honored at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. green effort from page 1
$25 million Miller grant buoyed sustainability efforts “In 2007 and 2008, PSU’s top administration officially designated sustainability as a top institutional priority, and later that year we received the $25 million gift from the Miller Foundation to support our sustainability programs,” said Jennifer Allen, director of the Institute of Sustainable Solutions at PSU. The sizable Miller grant was received one month into Wiewel’s first term. Since then, Electric Avenue has been created—PSU’s stateof-the-art electric vehicle
charging corridor—and a new green building research lab has been built. Other green-minded projects include the Take Back the Tap campaign that installed hyrdation stations on campus, the Solutions Generator and the Clean Air Corridor, which will go into effect in the winter of 2013. “We have had support for sustainability efforts from our students, from faculty across campus and from our administrative leadership. Few institutions can claim the same
PErsia from page 1
Portland is home to a sizable Iranian and Persian-speaking community languages,” said Mena, who received a scholarship from the Persia House organization. “Personally, I think Persian should be a major.” Also enrolled in the minor is Jon Vance, a recipient of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship who aspires to work in the foreign service and nurture relations between Iran and the United States. Vance, an international studies major, credits his education at PSU with preparing him for his professional goals. “Iran has become one of the most geopolitically significant countries in the world,” Vance said. “The establishment of PSU’s Persian minor coincides with critical bilateral tension between the U.S. and Iran.” Vance intends to take all the courses offered by Davis, even though he will have completed his minor requirements before then. “I cannot ignore such an invaluable learning opportunity, ” he said. Mena concurs, seeing Davis
as a noteworthy example of tackling and mastering an unfamiliar language. “I’m Mexican, and I’m trying to learn this difficult new language. Dr. Davis is not [of Persian heritage] but has built 30 years of knowledge,” said Mena, who is taking on Persian as a third language. “I also know a couple of U.S. army veterans who have served in Afghanistan and become acquainted with Persian,” said Parisa Ghafoori, president of the Iranian Students Association. “They were interested in learning it better and thus attended PSU.” Moreover, Portland is home to a sizable Iranian and Persian-speaking community, said Ghafoori, a graduate student born and raised in Iran who has taught a 300-level Persian course at PSU. Many children learn Persian from their families at an early age, but forget much of it as they grow up, Ghafoori explained. “Having Persian as a minor offers a great deal of value to
Parking Structure 3
At 5:38 p.m., Officer David Baker and Officer Murphy arrested a man, later identified as John Brett, for urinating near the southwest entrance of the structure. After a search, the officers seized several bags of marijuana, which together weighed more than an ounce. Brett was issued a citation, and a felony packet was completed and sent to the district attorney.
stone carvings of the Immortals— Persian elite soldiers.
Vehicle break-in: Nov. 7 Parking Structure 3
At 10:55 a.m., a student reported to Officer Gary Smeltzer that her car had been broken into. Three towels were stolen from the vehicle. COURTESY OF wikimedia.org
level of cross-campus engagement,” Allen said. Wiewel has also been actively engaged with the executive committee of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which is an effort to address global climate disruption by a network of colleges and universities that have made commitments to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from specified campus operations. Additionally, the ACUPCC seeks to promote the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to restabilize the earth’s climate. On Nov. 15, Wiewel will go to the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco to accept the award before a crowd of 40,000 people. The conference attracts trade, academic and professional associations from across the nation. Showcased at the entrance of the conference will be the PSU Department of Architecture’s very own mobile green building classroom. The prototype of this innovative design will be showcased before the county’s leaders in sustainability. “We have the potential to go much further with this,” Wiewel said. “We can make PSU into a laboratory for sustainability.”
these families,” Ghafoori said. “Students can not only learn and work on their mother tongue, but can also gain credit and a degree for it.” Supplementing academia with cultural activities has been a continual focus of the program. The $150,000 Parsa Community Foundation grant that brought Davis to PSU also helped organize a concert by an Iranian musician, provided Persian music courseofferings at PSU, and will fund and an upcoming lecture series about Iranian women in Spring 2013. “[The Iranian Students Association] has been collaborating with the Persian program since the start of the student club. We believe that the two entities will continue to work together to be better and better in presenting and celebrating the region’s rich cultural and artistic heritage,” Ghafoori said. The program offers critical language scholarships to Tajikistan and elsewhere but does not currently offer opportunities to study in Iran. “At this point, we are not there yet. But that would be a goal in the future, for sure,” Sedighi said. Sedighi, who is currently the only regular, tenured Persian Studies faculty member, hopes to bring more professors into the program. “If we had professors in history, sociology and so on, then that would enable us to offer a Persian Studies degree—and that’s part of the internationalization goals of the university,” she said.
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Faculty profile: Emily Ford
Faculty profile: Craig Epplin Watching the future of book publishing Gwen Shaw Vanguard staff
After finishing graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and teaching at Reed College and Columbia University, Craig Epplin is excited to be working at Portland State. Epplin is teaching two classes this term: A survey course of “Modern Latin American Literature,” focusing on pieces from 1900 to the present day, and “Latin American Modern Poetry.” Epplin looks forward to getting to know the students at PSU and to learning about the publishing projects going on here. A great deal of his research concerns small-press publishing, and he is currently wrapping up a book on the
esthetics of small-press publishing in Argentina. He became interested in this topic because he believes Argentina has a really lively small-press scene right now. “I love books as physical objects,” he said. “And people are doing really creative work with the format of books.” Many people have been asking themselves recently if it even makes sense to publish physical books anymore. But Epplin’s not worried about that. “I think it will stay around. I’m more interested in what the economics of it are and what the distribution models are going to be,” he said. He also thinks it’s interesting to see what’s going to happen to bookstores. He
COURTESY OF Craig Epplin
believes that if people prefer an electronic format to paper format, that’s fine. The question is about the physical spaces where people get these objects. One direction he sees the industry going is that bookstores will start focusing on other things, like hosting events. He pointed to Powell’s Books as a great example of that. Its calendar of events is extensive: “That’s something I’m watching,” he said.
Oregon student numbers hit record high 10-year enrollment growth for OUS continues to outpace national averages The Oregon University System announced that a record-high enrollment of 101,393 students was reached in fall 2012. The increase reflects an influx of out-of-state and international students, and growth in highdemand fields such as engineering and health care, where targeted university investments continue to support an increasing number of students. Ten-year enrollment growth for OUS continues to outpace national averages, increasing by almost 23,400 students since 2002—almost the size of another University of Oregon—with more than 19,100 of those just in the last five years. Oregon was recognized last year for having the highest five-year enrollment growth in public postsecondary education of any state in the nation.
OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner gives credit to faculty and staff at Oregon’s public universities for continuing to serve more students in the classroom with support services that keep them in college in very difficult budget times. “More of our students are facing affordability and life challenges, are juggling work and college, and are returning to school after unemployment or after serving our country in the military. These are the students and the issues that we are focusing on to reach the state’s important 40-40-20 education attainment goals,” Pernsteiner said. “Meeting this target is both an equity and an economic issue for Oregonians. We need the companies and the jobs that educated, diverse
Fall ’11
citizens draw in and keep in a state, and that help stabilize the economic flux that has kept Oregon from bouncing back.” For this fall term, PSU counted 28,731 students attending school, compared to 28,958 students in fall 2011, nearly a 1 percent decrease. Oregon’s 40-40-20 goal, recently codified in law with the passage of Senate Bill 253, targets achievement levels at 40 percent of Oregonians with a bachelor’s degree or higher, 40 percent with an associate’s degree or post-high-school certificate and 100 percent with at least a high school diploma. The ultimate outcome of increased enrollment over time is an increased number of degrees attained by OUS students. A record-high number of graduates who departed campuses this past June produced the resulting lower enrollment increase than seen in recent years. OUS
Fall ’12
Headcount Change
Outside of academics, Epplin is coeditor of a magazine based in Portland and New York called Rattapallax. Though it’s mainly a poetry magazine, Epplin said they are currently in the process of adding music and nonfiction sections as well. After spending time on the East Coast, Epplin is stoked to be back in Portland. He described the city as lively for its size. “I feel like there’s a lot of really interesting, creative energy here in Portland.”
awarded 20,209 degrees and certificates in 2011–12, an 8.1 percent increase over 2010–11 and an all time high for the system, with bachelor’s degrees alone totaling 15,492. Melody Rose, vice chancellor for academic strategies, said that leaders, professors and teachers at the university, community college and K–12 levels are working together to rethink how higher education is delivered so more people can enter and graduate college and find great jobs. “We are hopeful that the state will make an investment in Oregon’s college students in 2013 that will ensure that cost is not a barrier for them. We can’t afford to lose a generation of educated Oregonians,” Rose said. Enrollment growth for OUS in fall 2012 increased by 1,077 students, to 101,393 students. This is a five-year increase of 23.3 percent, keeping OUS on a trajectory just slightly short of what is needed to reach the state’s 40-40-20 goal by 2025.
Kayla Nguyen/VANGUARD STAFf
Giving students a crash course in research Gwen Shaw Vanguard staff
Since February, Emily Ford has been working as a reference and instructional librarian at the Portland State Millar Library for the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Her duties are to staff the reference desk, answer chat questions coming from students on the library website, and let classes know when the library has a guest lecturing on how best to do research and think critically about the material. Ford’s area is anything concerning the departments, programs, institutes and centers within the university. Before this position, Ford worked a similar job at PSU but as a parttime, interim faculty member. There are so many things about working at PSU that excite her, but mainly she is looking forward to the opportunity to work with students and faculty to make things happen. “There [are] all sorts of cool
—Oregon University System
FTE Change
Headcount FTE
Headcount FTE
Number Percent
Number Percent
Portland State
28,958 20,459
28,731 20,226
-227 -0.8
-233 -1.1
University of Oregon
24,447 23,450
24,591 23,378
144 0.6
-72 - 0 . 3
Oregon State
24,977 22,597
26,393 23,523
1,416 5.7
925 4.1
Southern Oregon
6,744 4,678
6,481 4,573
-263 -3.9
-104 -2.2
Western Oregon
6,217 5 , 1 2 7
6,187 5,106
-30 -0.5
-21 -0.4
Eastern Oregon
4,298 2,906
4,208 2,903
-90 -2.1
-2 -0.1 source: www.ous.edu/news/110812
Now hiring Reporters Apply online at psuvanguard. com, or drop by the Vanguard office in the Smith Memorial Student Union sub-basement.
projects that I think students and faculty would like to do and I’d like to help them with,” Ford said. Outside of her job, Ford absolutely loves to cook: “A lot,” she said. “And I love to eat.” She also recently got a little red scooter and has been enjoying her commute to work. Ford encourages students to use the PSU library page. One tip: If students plan to use Google Scholar for research, they should make sure to use the link from the library website instead of going directly to Google. “If you use the link from the library home page, it will help you get to the full text of articles that we have at the library, and I think that’s really important for students to know,” she said. Ford believes that students, as a whole, are good about asking questions, but that sometimes they just wait a little too long. She tells her students—and even the faculty she works with—that if they spend longer than 15 minutes trying to figure something out, then it’s time to ask for help. “I think sometimes people get frustrated, and there’s no need for that,” Ford said. “We’re here to support students, and that’s what we do. We love to help them in any way we can.”
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Arts & Culture • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD ••Tuesday, Thursday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, Nov. JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY 13,8,2012 2012 10, 25, 26, 2, •2012 2011 •2012 ARTS ARTS •• •&OPINION OPINION &ARTS CULTURE CULTURE & CULTURE
ARTS & CULTURE
EDITOR: Louie Opatz ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694
Cross-cultural comedy The 1491s come to Portland State Melinda Guillén Vanguard staff
The 1491s, “a sketch comedy group based in the wooded ghettos of Minnesota and buffalo grass of Oklahoma,” according to their website, have been spawning a new era of Native American satirical education since they made their first video. In some of their online videos, the group can be seen dressed as Navi from Avatar while teaching about the racism they found in the movie. Group member Bobby Wilson is seen preaching about harmful ways to poison the body while devouring fast food. Ryan Red Corn is spotted dancing in just his boxer briefs, a loincloth and a headdress along streets and town squares. In a little more than a week, this group will be spotted at Portland State. In conjunction with Native American Heritage Month, PSU’s United Indian Students in Higher Education group will host the 1491s at the Native American Student and Community Center. The event will kick off tomorrow with a meet-and-greet for both students and the community to join in conversation with members from the group. UISHE will also be serving Native American meals like salmon and buffalo to accompany the event. On the following day, Nov. 14, the 1491s will entertain the public with their form of raunchy humor and satirical comedy in a live performance. Katie Gargan, a senior social science major with a minor in Indigenous Nations Studies and coordinator for UISHE, explains the goal of the program.
John Daille/VANGUARD STAFf
The Pre-columbus Era: Ryan Red Corn and Dallas Gold Tooth of the 1491’s bring their controversial sketch comedy troupe to PSU as part of Native American Heritage Month. “The mission of UISHE is basically to promote Native American cultural values and provide cultural support to Native American students at Portland State,” Gargan said. “We also provide a cultural program that has an educational benefit to both the PSU community as well as the greater Portland community, because we open most of our events up to the city.” At one of their weekly meetings, members passed around ideas about how to celebrate their heritage month. Naturally, the 1491s were one of their top picks. Since the group travels to universities and tribal colleges to spread their message, and since they would be in the Portland area at the time, the 1491s agreed to appear at PSU for the very first time. Twenty members of UISHE have been organizing the event at the university ever since. Gargan explained that this event has brought a lot of excitement to Native American com-
munity members who know of the group, and visitors from neighboring schools all over the state have already RSVP’d. “They’re a really popular group, so what we’ve been hearing is that people have been getting wind of that and are excited,” Gargan said. “The 1491s are pretty unique in that they really employ the value of humility. What they do is poke fun at ridiculous aspects of different cultures, so we have just tried to set this up as an educational opportunity, meaning it’ll be entertaining and a lot of fun but it’ll also force you to think a little deeply about a lot of issues that are relevant in the Native American community.” UISHE member and Vanguard Calendar Editor Jordan Molnar expressed the importance of attendance at the event, not only because it shines a light on crucial issues affecting the Native American community but because it does so with laughter—something
Quebec’s musical revolution French, Canadian Studies departments bring Quebec culture to campus Mike Allen Vanguard staff
Quebecois identity is about more than being the only predominantly French-speaking population in North America. Quebecers have their own political party in the Parti Quebecois, which calls for sovereignty of the province. They have their own (often troubled) history as French settlers in an English-settled land. They have their own food tradition, which includes the now-very-trendy poutine. And they have their own music. That music seems, on the surface, simple, rustic and homey. Built around the melodeon, fiddle, piano and guitar, the sound is pure folk: he fiddle evokes Appalachian bluegrass, the accordion recalls zydeco. But on subsequent listens, the mind begins to open a new space for a sound that is both familiar and, in some ways, as foreign as Tibetan flute music. The rhythm is kept by the tapping of feet: Podorythmie or les pieds, as it’s called, according to pianist and singer Dejah Leger, whose traditional Quebecois band, La Famille Leger, will cap the “Faces of Quebec” event this Friday at Portland State. The event will take place this Thursday and Friday, Nov. 15 and 16, and will include lectures by the band and by Dr. Natalie Debray from the University of Washington, whose academic career has focused on the culture of French Canada. Despite hailing from Seattle, La Famille Leger is led by patriarch and melodeon player Louis Leger, who is originally from New Brunswick, Canada, a bilingual province east of Quebec.
Ben Shaevitz/VANGUARD STAFf
Oh, Fiddlesticks: Devon Leger, of La famille Leger, plays fiddle at the 2010 Festival dubois. Le Famille Leger is speaking and performing at PSU as part of the “Faces of Quebec” event. Leger’s wife, Barbara Leger, plays the guitar, and his son Devon plays the fiddle and taps out the rhythm. Devon’s wife Dejah also participates. The term melodeon may refer to a type of pump organ, but the instrument played by Louis Leger is technically referred to as a diatonic button accordion. Among other differences, the melodeon has buttons rather than piano keys (like the familiar accordion), to allow the release of air across the reeds. Dejah Leger maintains that Quebecois music has a distinctly Celtic feel and, indeed, the rhythms are reminiscent of a jig. The lyrics are all in French, but “although many of Quebec’s traditional songs can be traced back to ancient France, the accent, vocabulary and subjects are distinctly French-Canadian,” Leger said. La Famille Leger will be giving a presentation about French Canadian traditional music at 3 p.m. on the day of their performance. Debray’s lecture will be about the role of the
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media and the Quebec government in maintaining French Canada’s unique cultural identity. Her doctoral focus was on intercultural communication, specifically that of France. Her interest in Quebecois culture began, according to her, “with a simple question: How French are the French Canadians? “I was interested in learning about what legacy of France, if any, remained in the province. I was curious what the Quebecois thought about France and how they celebrated and memorialized their French past,” Debray said. “This simple question sparked a passion for the Quebecois people and culture and led me to change my academic focus from France to Canada, specifically Quebec.” Debray’s lecture will give an overview of the history of Quebec and will focus on the ways that Quebecois media and the government of Quebec have maintained the cultural identity of French Canada on a continent of English speakers. Her thesis title, I Remember France: Media,
Native Americans believe can be the best medicine. “I think it’s important because it’s not just preaching, but it’s a fun way [for] them to poke fun at the culture [and] also talk about serious issues,” Molnar said. “They’re real people and it’s definitely worth taking a look at. I personally have laughed very hard at some of their videos.” Although the issues presented will predominately be those relevant to Native Americans, Gargan said that anyone from any background will be able to relate, learn and grow from these performers. “I think that it’ll be good exposure to relay the issues that are really relevant to Indian people, and being able to see what makes us laugh and what makes us cry,” Gargan said. “Just to really understand cultural values is what this is about, and it’ll be fun for people regardless of their background.” Molnar agreed that the 1491s highlight relevant issues for everyone, not just those with a Native American background. “This group has really embraced differences while keeping their culture a central part of who they are, that’s something in the Portland area that we need,” Molnar said. “We need people to feel like they can be who they are in every way. You can celebrate your culture and you don’t have to sacrifice being a very modern contemporary person. You can be involved in all sorts of different things, and you can look any way, and you can still be who you are and who you feel like you are.”
PSU’s United Indian Students in Higher Education presents The 1491s Meet and Greet Meet-and-Greet: Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m. Performance: Wednesday, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. Native American Student and Community Center Free and open to the public
Memory and Nation Building in Post-Quiet Revolution Quebec, gives some indication of what she might focus on in her lecture. Prior to 1960, Quebec was known as a conservative, reclusive, backwater region that clung tightly to its religious and agricultural values. From 1960 through 1966 the province underwent what came to be referred to as the “Quiet Revolution,” which saw increasing secularism and modernism in Quebec society. Unlike many other monumental social transformations, however, Quebec’s revolution was accompanied by fierce nationalism: Measures to protect its unique cultural identity were incorporated into its liberalized government. Separatist factions of the Parti Quebecois chanted “Le Quebec aux Quebecois!” at rallies, though that phrase has become unpopular because of its xenophobic connotations. Dr. Annabelle Dolidon, of PSU’s Department of World Languages and Literatures, which organized the event along with the Canadian Studies program and the Portland Center for Public Humanities, refers to Quebec as “its own ‘country.’” Her account of the genesis of the “Faces of Quebec” event provides some insight as to the role the Quebec government plays in the maintenance and promotion of Quebecois identity. Dolidon and Martha Hickey, the director of International Studies, applied for a grant from the Quebec government for the promotion of Quebec culture here. The Quebec government awarded them $5,000 to bring representatives of Quebec culture to Portland State.
Away with the fairies Portland Center Stage debuts A Midsummer Night’s Dream Breana Harris Vanguard staff
“The lunatic, the lover and the poet are of imagination all compact,” says Duke Theseus in his famous Act V speech in William Shakespeare’s comedy of fairy mischief and romantic confusion, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His point encapsulates one theme of the play: Love makes you crazy. The world where Titania, queen of the fairies, falls in love with a man who has a donkey’s head, and where Demetrius and Lysander, rivals for Hermia’s affections, find themselves fighting over the scorned Helena instead, could very well be nothing but a dream. But Shakespeare’s tale endures as one of his most magical, sexy and hilarious works, and this month, Portland Center Stage is hoping to bring the show to a new generation of audiences. The events of A Midsummer Night’s Dream center around the wedding of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Amazon Queen. The action is divided into three separate stories, which collide and overlap in the most comic of ways. The first story is that of four young Athenians who are celebrating the wedding. Hermia defies her father’s orders to marry Demetrius and runs away to the forest with her true love, Lysander. Demetrius pursues her, and he is pursued in turn by Helena, the sad but lovable girl who is in love with him: “Demetrius, I am your dog, and the more you beat me, the more I shall fawn on you.” That should give you an idea of Helena’s character. The second story takes place in the woods and the fairy realm, and involves Oberon, the king of the fairies, who is trying to claim an Indian changeling baby from his wife, Queen Titania. Oberon sends his servant, Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, to spread a love potion over Titania’s eyes while she is sleeping so she’ll fall in love with a deer or a rabbit or some-
thing, which is supposed to make her more likely to give up the baby. Oberon’s a little twisted, right? But the worlds of the fairies and the mortals cross when Oberon decides he wants to make Demetrius realize his love for Helena, so he sends Puck to use the love potion on them, too. Of course, this all goes very badly. The third story—the biggest source of broad comedy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream—has to do with Titania and her encounter with a band of six Athenian workers who are in the forest rehearsing a play to perform for the wedding. One of them, Bottom, gets his head changed to a donkey’s head by Puck, and becomes the recipient of Titania’s enchanted love. The forest becomes a haven for all sorts of crazy romance. How will Oberon and Puck put everything right again? PCS’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Penny Metropulos, who served as associate artistic director for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 12 years and has directed for both the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and California Shakespeare. The cast includes Oregon Shakespeare Festival company members such as Daisuke Tsuji, who takes on the iconic role of the mischievous Puck. Richard Baird and Dana Green play both Theseus and Hippolyta and Oberon and Titania, respectively, giving the show even more of a dreamlike quality. The play is presented as the centerpiece of PCS’s 25th anniversary season and will run till Dec. 23 so that audiences have a chance to make it part of the holiday season. “What excites me about this play is the pure joyful comedy of it,” said Natalie GenterGilmore, public relations manager for PCS, in an email. “It just doesn’t get any funnier than watching Titania speak those beautiful lines of verse to Bottom while he has the head of an ass. It combines the sparkling language of Shakespeare with side-splitting physical comedy.” One of the most exciting elements of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that the National Endowment of the Arts made it possible through their Shakespeare for a New Generation program, which awards grants to help bring live theater into the lives of young people. If you’re a fan of the Bard, like I am,
Warm pumpkin gnocchi
getting audiences to see colorful, creative performances of works that many people don’t take the time to appreciate or understand is nothing less than a great cause. Even if you’re not a Shakespeare buff, the incredible imagery, comedic wit and unique magic of the play can draw you in. It all adds up to a dream worth having.
Goodbye Halloween, hello Thanksgiving Kat Audick Vanguard Staff
Even though Halloween has come and gone, the delightful flavor of pumpkin is here to stay all winter long. Perfect for a Thanksgiving potluck or a quick gourmet meal at home, this pumpkin gnocchi recipe is a savory favorite among foodies. The subtle sweetness of the squash puree pairs wonderfully with the sharp parmesan and fragrant sage. In this recipe, pumpkin puree replaces the traditional potato as a binding agent. Overworking your dough can make it lose its tender texture. Only knead it until ingredients are combined— too much kneading will make it tough. Fresh gnocchi has a habit of sticking together. To avoid this, boil in small batches and toss in a bowl with a little olive oil once cooked to keep the pieces separate. During the frying stage, hold off on adding the sage and oregano until the gnocchi has had some time to crisp up on its own. This will save your herbs from burning.
PSU French and Canadian Studies departments present “Faces of Quebec” Lecture by Dr. Natalie Debray Thursday, Nov. 15, 2 p.m. Native American Student and Community Center, room 110 Presentation by the Leger family Friday, Nov. 16, 3 p.m. Cramer Hall, room 124 Live concert by La Famille Leger Friday, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Hall, room 75
Courtesy of Portland Center Stage
Dream A little Dream: Portland Center Stage brings director Penny Metropulos’ vision to life this week with its rendition of Shakespeare’s classic farce A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Instructions
Karl Kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
Holy Gnocchi! Warm your kitchen and your belly with this rich, delicious meal. Pumpkin puree sets this dish apart, making it a perfect Thanksgiving treat.
Bring a large pot with lightly salted water to a rolling boil. In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Mix in pumpkin puree and egg yolk until just combined. If dough is too sticky to roll, add more flour a few tablespoons
Portland Center Stage presents Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Nov. 13—Dec. 23 Tuesday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Mantinees 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, noon Thursdays Gerding Theater 128 NW 11th Ave. Tickets start at $39; student discounts available
Ingredients 2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 cup reserved 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 1 egg yolk 1/3 cup butter 5 fresh sage leaves, chiffonaded 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pinch dried oregano 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese at a time until it is easier to handle but still a little tacky. Leave ball of dough in a bowl covered with a damp cloth for 10 minutes. Cut dough into four equal pieces. Using your hands, on a lightly floured surface roll each piece into a long rope about the width of your pointer finger. Then cut rope into chunks that are about 3/4 of an inch long. Using the back of a fork, roll each gnocchi so that small line impressions are formed. Drop fresh gnocchi into boiling water in about four batches, stirring slightly to avoid sticking. Boil approximately 1 to 2 minutes until gnocchi floats, then remove with slotted spoon and toss lightly with olive oil. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry gnocchi 1 to 2 minutes until they begin to crisp. Add sage, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until herbs are fragrant and butter has browned slightly. Serve in a bowl with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy!
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VANGUARD ••Tuesday, Thursday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, Nov. JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY 13,8,2012 2012 10, 25, 26, 2, •2012 2011 •2012 ARTS ARTS •• •&OPINION OPINION &ARTS CULTURE CULTURE & CULTURE
Matsuri for the rest of us Japanese Student Society shapes Japan Night 2012 into cultural festival Mike Diallo Vanguard Staff
In Japanese, matsuri is the word for festival, and every year there are countless local and national celebrations of the rich heritage that connects the country. PSU’s Japanese Student Society saw an opportunity to infuse this lively atmosphere into their annual Japan Night event, a showcase of Japanese culture that takes place this Friday, Nov. 16. Using matsuri as the guiding theme of the event, the JSS intends to present and celebrate their culture with the campus. “We’ve been planning since the beginning of summer,” said Ilesha Dirkse, president of the society. “It takes a lot of preparation, contacting companies and making reservations. We’re in a good position now.” Dirkse’s confidence is impressive, considering that her presidency began in early summer. She’d been a member of JSS for a year before running for vice president. Her role expanded when the former president needed to step down, yet Dirkse has taken up her new responsibilities gracefully, knowing what is important about Japan Night and JSS: “Helping our students,” she said. Dirkse wanted to create opportunities for the members of JSS: The acts and presentations give students a place to present their passions to the school and greater community. The student group has gathered several attractions, reflecting many facets of Japanese culture. Art, calligraphy, food and fashion are
Corinna Scott/VANGUARD STAFf
Bang the drum quickly: Four PSU taiko drummers are seen here performing at the 2011 Japan Night. Attendees of Japan Night 2012 can expect more drumming, along with food, fashion and J-pop music crews. all aimed at providing a chance for JSS students to show what makes them unique. “It’s about the power of the students,” said Shimpei Tsurumaki, JSS public relations manager. Even though it is his first time helping to organize the event, Tsurumaki has a handful of tasks in the preparations for Japan Night. He is in charge of the communication and cohesion of the event, relaying information between the groups and supervising the advertising. It’s all in hopes that the group’s work will promote the JSS across campus, because Tsurumaki knows firsthand how the presence of culture can change the college experience. After graduating in Japan, Tsurumaki had academic support at PSU, but without knowing the aspects of his culture that made him
unique, these programs failed to be helpful outside of class. It was the JSS that helped him feel at home, and he wants other students to know that there are opportunities for cultural support at PSU. “Understanding the differences in culture is the most difficult part [of ] moving [to America],” Tsurumaki said, adding that Japan Night is a way of sharing and celebrating the experiences of the JSS students. International student Rikiya Mori agrees that Japanese culture is an important message to share. Coming from Waseda University in Tokyo, Mori was pleasantly surprised to find there was interest in Japanese art and language in America. Still, he knows there is more to share, and he explains the intention behind his 10-minute
presentation at the event. “It’s focused on the differences in Japan and America, past the languages. My message is communication through interaction and information,” Mori said. He believes that by knowing more about one another we can strengthen international communication based on mutual respect for our differences. Much like the various matsuris in Japan, there are different motivations for each of the students who participate in Japan Night, but they are unified under a common thread: the resounding spirit of Japanese culture. Last year the tone of the event focused on the devastating earthquake in Japan and overcoming the tragedies that came with it. While there will be some information surrounding the disaster this year, Japan Night 2012 celebrates the festive nature of the culture. “It is all out, and very vibrant,” Dirkse said. Music is a huge part of the event, and the evening’s sounds will come from taiko drums and the stereos that accompany the various dance groups. Soran-Bushi represents the traditional moves of Japan, while two J-pop crews give us a look at what is hot and current in Japanese entertainment. In the end, it’s really about a love of Japan and a desire to share the customs and traditions that make the country great. There are benefits for the performers, who are opening themselves up to presenting, and audiences, who are learning foreign ways and ideas. The JSS has created a matsuri for the whole culture to share.
PSU’s Japanese Student Society presents Japan Night 2012 Saturday, Nov. 17, 6–8:30 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom Free for students; $8 general admission at Smith Box Office
Zines give voice to social justice Women of Color Zine Workshops teach participants to express themselves Robin Crowell Vanguard staff
Tonya Jones started the Women of Color Zine Workshops four years ago to “provide a creative space for women of color in Portland. “The workshops cover different topics, such as ‘zines 101,’ writing activities, [sometimes accompanied by] guest speakers,” Jones said. “Overall, it’s really just an opportunity to make new friends and a place to relax and have fun.” Jones is associated with PSU’s Women’s Resource Center and the mission, according to the WRC’s website, to advocate for “the best educational and campus experience for all members of our community,” by “advancing social justice, ensuring access to personal empowerment for all self-identified women, and by working toward a safe and healthy campus.” In order for Jones to encourage women of color to get involved in zines and do-it-yourself culture, Jones uses the words of an admired Portland activist, PSU Black Studies professor Walidah Imarisha, who once spoke at one of the zine workshops. “She noted that, as people of color, we have always had to use alternative forms of media to get our voices heard,” Jones said, “creating our own
Miles Sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
Zinesters Isabel Ortiz Ornelas, Tonya Jones and Vanguard columnist Shilpa Esther Trivedi are all involved in the Women of Color Zine Workshops, which Jones founded. The group meets every Friday at the Women’s Resource Center. newspapers, journals and books; self-publishing is a part of our history as women of color.” A fellow woman of color, longtime zinester and author of the zine All This is Mine, Sugene Yang-Kelly views making a zine as a “self-indulgent” activity. “It’s just a fun, personal outlet, and I’m not trying to reach a wide audience or impress anyone
or change people’s minds,” Yang-Kelly said. “It’s a bonus if other people want to read my zines and have a conversation about it.” Yang-Kelly became involved in zines after heavy participation in her school’s newspaper and art and literary magazine. She began production of her zine after the school newspaper censored an article of hers.
Yang-Kelly and a few others decided to publish and distribute the article themselves, free from the constraints of the school’s publications. “I didn’t even know what zines were when I first started making them,” Yang-Kelly said. “It was exciting to discover there was a whole community out there, and I was happy to be a part of it.” The Women of Color Zine Workshops are ongoing and held monthly (except in December, January and March), in the WRC. The workshop meets on a chosen Friday of that particular month from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Supplies and snacks are provided, and the workshops are open and free to individuals who self-identify or live as women of color. Led by Olivia Olivia, one of the group’s members, the focus for the upcoming meeting will be on letter-writing. “Confessions are the beginning of a story you’d never think you could tell. This workshop will explore the deeper and darker side of letter writing, secret-telling and memoir,” Olivia said in an email. “Telling our own stories on paper might be a good way to start writing letters ‘we’d never send’ and turning them into ‘stories we decide to share.’”
PSU’s Women’s Resource Center presents Women of Color Zine Workshop Friday, Nov. 14, 5:30 p.m. WRC lounge (Montgomery Hall basement) Free and open to the public
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OPINiON • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD •• Tuesday, THURSDAY, Nov. NOVEMBER 13, 2012 •10,OPINiON 2011 • SPORTS
OPINION
EDITOR: Meredith Meier OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692
Treat or trick? Finding the femme in sexy Halloween costumes One Step Off Emily Lakehomer
H Karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
Pruning the ‘Silicon Forest’ Growing Oregon’s burgeoning tech industry That’s What’s the Matter Kevin Rackham
T
here’s a behemoth coming to Oregon. In October, Apple broke ground on its biggest data center yet on 160 acres of land in Prineville. The data center will be home to two 338,000-square-foot buildings and will host the lion’s share of iCloud. Are new data centers what we need, though? Apple will be the relatively new kid on the block, considering that Google, Facebook, Amazon and Adobe all have similar facilities in the state. As cloud computing becomes a major staple of daily life, Oregon is attracting even more server farms and tech companies. At the beginning of the recession, I remember state politicians railing against Oregon’s taxes, claiming it would drive businesses away from the state; businesses were already leaving in droves. That was ridiculous. Oregon’s become increasingly more attractive to out-of-state corporations specifically because of the tax breaks. They get big breaks on property taxes because of enterprise zones in Wasco, Umatilla, Washington and Cook counties, and the lack of sales tax means construction materials and computers are millions of dollars cheaper. Google saves about $24 million by operating here. They also like our cheap and
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plentiful power, and our low temperatures save money on cooling. It’s important that we keep it that way, though. New data centers are becoming a strain on local power companies, and local towns could end up paying more as power companies try to compensate. Local economies shouldn’t take the fall for increased power needs.
Simply building infrastructure doesn’t give our economy the help it needs.
As the state’s energy needs grow, we should use this demand to make green energy a bigger priority. Facebook installed solar panels and uses Prineville’s dry air as part of a cooling system. Apple’s expected to do something similar and has pledged its facility will be powered 100 percent sustainably. The problem is that Apple counts hydroelectricity as sustainable, which means more power from Oregon’s grid. New data centers pump a lot of money into the economy
while they’re being built, but they don’t employ very many people, putting us at risk of higher power rates. And they don’t pay very much in taxes. Attracting business is good, but our economy could be benefitting so much more when businesses like Google and Apple come to town. Rather than working to attract new server farms, we should be trying to attract new facilities and offices that interact with local economies. With Hewlett-Packard going downhill, and places like Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific letting people go, Oregon has a lot of qualified workers, and Portland seems to have an endless supply of underemployed programmers. Intel has more than 16,000 employees here and currently has its largest site in the world out in Hillsboro. It puts billions of dollars back into our economy (and to charity) in exchange for the same benefits the data centers enjoy. Data centers aren’t as big of a deal as real campuses could be. I grew up in Albany, Ore., where a ton of HP workers lived before the company started making terrible decisions. Outside of town we also had Weyerhaeuser and GeorgiaPacific as well as a paper mill. Albany’s economy was great when those businesses were booming. Manufacturing jobs help economies, and I’m not convinced that the kind of business Prineville and other towns are getting now will. Simply building infrastructure doesn’t give our economy the help it needs. A bunch of data centers won’t put money into the town or state in the long term. Towns that make deals like the ones The Dalles made (in which Google pays $250,000 a year instead of taxes on equipment and buildings) lose money because they’re afraid of losing business. The “Silicon Forest” is great for Oregon, but it could be a lot better. We should still try and get these new businesses, but we need to stop being so lenient that they become a drain on the economy. The tech industry is the future, but that future shouldn’t come at such a high cost.
alloween might be old news by now, but it’s just far enough away that as you browse through the night’s photos taking stock of who partied most, whose costume didn’t make it through the night and who got the most “candy,” one detail’s bound to pop up: Who had the sexiest costume? According to Cady Heron, the protagonist of the cult film Mean Girls, “Halloween is the one night of the year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Derogatory use of “slut” aside, Cady’s right. Right around the beginning of September, something happens in the aisles of department stores: Halloween mania takes over—decorations, assorted candies and, of course, costumes. Halloween’s got major appeal. But why do costume companies feel the need to add “sexy” to the title of every costume? Sexy witches, sexy vampires, sexy pirates, sexy ghosts…anything you can think of can be sexy-fied for Halloween. The trick is that these costumes aim at those of us who identify as female. For the past few years I’ve wanted to be Red Riding Hood for Halloween. Why I haven’t done it yet: Prepackaged costumes are a little too sexy for my taste, and I have absolutely no talent for sewing. Go all-out-sexy for Halloween, by all means. As Cady says, it’s the one night we can really, truly get away with it. The root problem is that costumes are being assigned “sexiness” while at the same time
being engendered. Shouldn’t males be given the same opportunity to be sexy and look their best on Allhallows Eve? Apparently not. I’d like to know where Sexy Darth Vader and Sexy Frankenstein’s Creation are every year. These “sexy” costumes have questionable objectives: to give female-identifying individuals a boost of self-confidence and to appeal to the fancies and whims of a male audience. It’s no secret that we still live in a man’s world. Anyone who denies that needs a crash course in feminist theory, and probably a privilege check as well.
I’d like to know where Sexy Darth Vader and Sexy Frankenstein’s Creation are every year.
Nearly everything manufactured is for the convenience of men. If this sounds biased toward feminist thought, that’s because it is. The existence of a little thing called patriarchy means everything in our material world can be traced back to men, and to how men will almost always be favored in any situation.
Wikipedia defines patriarchy as a social system wherein males are the central authoritative figures over, well, everything. This includes family, government and property. Men are in charge of and have a say in everything. Despite all the progress of the past 200 years, we still live in a patriarchal world. It would be awesome if “sexy” Halloween costumes existed solely to make us ladies feel and look good for ourselves—and just ourselves. Sadly, that’s not the case. The really awful part? We can’t do much about it. Sure, we can boycott these sexy costumes, but where’s the fun in that? It’s a vicious cycle with no way out. One solution: Don’t feel the need to be so overtly sexy on Halloween. This year, rather than using my grocery money on an expensive “sexy” costume, I dressed up as the Log Lady from the cult show Twin Peaks. The Log Lady’s matronly sweaters and flannels aren’t exactly eye-catching and conventionally sexy, but pairing that ensemble with some black thigh highs and lace-up boots added enough oomph to keep me happy. Plenty of other costume ideas can be more empowering than the typical runof-the-mill costumes we see in stores every year. Rosie the Riveter is always a great choice, or perhaps an updated version of Emily Dickinson? Give Google a go and see what you come up with. Halloween’s a fun holiday because we get to pretend to be something entirely different for one night. Sultry and sensual costumes aren’t bad choices, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. No one should ever be ashamed, or be shamed by others, for wanting to look hot on Halloween. Always keep in mind, though, who you’re trying to appeal to, and think about patriarchy and those damn interlocking systems of oppression, because they’re constantly at work trying to ruin all the fun things in life.
Suraj Nair/VANGUARD STAFf
Was Sandy handy? Despite the destruction, the hurricane has some positive aspects Sans the Salt Alyck Horton
T Riza Liu/VANGUARD STAFf
Why protest? There are many ways to make a difference What’s the Big Idea? Ryan DeLaureal
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n Feb. 15, 2003, millions of people around the world came out to demonstrate against the United States’ imminent invasion of Iraq. Damascus, Calcutta, Glasgow, Auckland, Sydney. In London, an estimated two million people. In Paris—250,000. And Rome alone had an estimated three million people in attendance, setting a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest anti-war rally in history. China was the only part of the world to not see any demonstrations. Five years, one president and millions of dollars later, we were still in Iraq, bogged down in sectarian conflict and struggling to install a democratically elected government at our own expense. Troops were sent, bombs fired. Civilians were killed. American men and women were sent back in caskets to be buried as heroes. In 2012, nobody remembers why we were even there. In the ’60s and ’70s, thousands came together to protest the Vietnam War, but it still turned into one of the longest wars in American history. It held its reign until the current war in Afghanistan. For all the blood and sweat, Vietnam was one of our biggest military losses. Saigon fell. The communists took over South Vietnam. There was no domino. As Americans, we tend to accept protest as a dear and fundamental right, guaranteed to us by the Bill of Rights and part of a great American tradition. How much power protesting actually has to change any-
thing is questionable. If the government remains obstinate, or if you’re protesting against public opinion, how much is your voice echoing within a vacuum? Our Founding Fathers set a good example for us with the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence. Almost 200 years later, the civil rights movement reinforced
Something that starts as a nonviolent protest has the power to topple a regime.
the idea that change can come through democratic means. Even though civil rights may seem obvious and fundamental now, it was a long and bitter struggle with much opposition in the South. About 100 years passed from Lincoln to Lyndon B. Johnson before equal rights became a reality for many people. Many tried to stop desegregation, still clinging to the antebellum past. Eisenhower had to send federal troops to Little Rock, Ark. to enforce desegregation of public schools. This isn’t ancient history— it was practically yesterday, at the same time we began sending men into space. People say we’re a pio-
neering, advanced society. In response I say that in Los Angeles County a measure on this year’s ballot requiring the use of condoms in the making of porno films passed with almost 56 percent of the vote. To this day, thousands of people in the United States oppose things like windmills, preferring to send their own children across the globe to die while protecting the rights of strange people in foreign lands, all in the name of justice and democracy. These are things that nobody in the Middle East (or anywhere else) ever asked the U.S. government to provide for them. A good reason for living is also apparently a good reason for dying. On the bright side, we’ve lately seen that change is possible. The Arab Spring movement is proof: Something that starts as a nonviolent protest has the power to topple a regime, based on the will not of the U.S. but of the actual, local population. It’s especially effective when you’re well organized and have the opinion and might of the United Nations behind you. We may not have stopped the war in Iraq, but protesting is more than just standing on the corner with a sign. It means making an active effort to change the world by obstructing injustice and, if necessary, breaking the law. It means choosing one way over another. It’s the essential and vital right of saying no. There are many ways of protesting—it doesn’t have to be violent to be effective. If you’re committed to something, make it part of everything you do. If you do this, then you won’t merely be opposing something, you’ll be creating it, and every second will be a protest.
he dollar amount of the economic impact of Hurricane Sandy is increasing daily, as some areas are still without power and people are picking up the pieces of their demolished homes. Families were displaced and left homeless, and 110 lives were lost to the storm. Current estimates of the total monetary damage run the gamut from $20 million up to $100 million, with Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi estimating it to be in the end zone of $50 billion. Sandy’s turning out to be the second-most-costly hurricane in American history, taking a backseat only to Hurricane Katrina, whose $110 billion in damages are still in the process of being repaired. For the first time since the attack on the twin towers, the New York Stock Exchange closed its doors, as did thousands of other businesses on the East Coast as hurricane winds and floods caused power outages, leaving our brethren from the original 13 colonies with soggy Sperry Top-Siders and economic devastation. There is, however, a silver lining to the massive physical damages resulting from Sandy’s wrath. The housing market has been stagnant at best, with a glut of homes left to dilapidate on the market while waiting
for buyers. Sandy was sort of like a magic restart button. Now, carpenters and construction workers are being called to action to help repair and rebuild after insurance companies fork over the estimated $10 billion in claims they’re expected to pay out. The building materials have to come from somewhere, and we should expect to see a bit of recovery in the auto industry as hurricane victims start to replace their submerged vehicles. All things considered, Wells Fargo Senior Economist Mark Vitner predicts that, despite an economic loss of one-fifth of a percentage point this quarter, the construction boom that’s about to hit the Northeast can be expected to boost the economy by the same percentage in the next two quarters. But recuperation’s long boulevard isn’t adorned with yellow bricks for everyone. Federal disaster assistance usually only comes by way of loans, which of course must be paid back with accrued interest. Only about 2 percent of Americans have a flood insurance policy, which must be purchased as a supplement to homeowner’s insurance, as most plans don’t cover flood damages. The past two decades have been challenging for those living in coastal regions along the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans, and with people still struggling to recover from Katrina, there’s more pressure than ever on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is expected to provide cash assistance the victims to help them rebuild their lives. There’s never a good time for natural disasters, but the rebuilding process is one that will heal the East Coast. Economically, the storm may prove to be a much-needed catalyst for the construction companies to get people employed again. As much as $10 billion per day is forfeited in lost productivity. Capping this off by making the cleanup as fast and efficient as possible is the key to economic recovery. However, it could take several months before insurance companies start to pay out claims, and even longer until the harsh New England weather is suitable for construction work. What can we as Oregonians take from this? Buy lots of flood insurance and start building housing developments toward the coast. Our coast is far less densely populated than the East Coast, but earthquakes, floods and tsunamis are very real occurrences that we should be mindful of and prepare for on all levels. If you want to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, please visit the Red Cross website. You can also help them out by paying taxes, because our government will be spending a considerable chunk of change on this catastrophe.
Got something to say? Give us your $0.02 at psuvanguard.com
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ETC. ETC.• •Thursday, Tuesday, Nov. Nov.13, 8, 2012 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 • Opinion
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Erick Bengel EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691
emailing publichumanities@pdx. FRee edu.
Homeless in Portland
Interrupting Oppression: Transformative Theater for Social Change
With many causes, homelessness remains a problem in Portland Art of the Possible Joseph Kendzierski
T
he problem of homelessness has been nagging at my mind for the past few weeks. During election cycles we often hear how great our country is, that it’s the “shining city upon a hill.” But how can we be such a country when we have citizens who don’t have a safe place to sleep at night? When good men, women and children are under constant threat of attack, illness and even death? Multnomah County had a total of 4,655 people experiencing homelessness last year, according to the Portland/Multnomah County 2011 Point-in-Time Study. Of that number, 2,727 are homeless, while the rest are sleeping in transitional housing; 35 percent are unsheltered families with children; 46 percent are people of color, and 12 percent are U.S. military veterans. All of these percentages far outpace the ratio of the group when compared to the general populace. If we as a nation, city and community really want to be better, we can’t allow the problem of homelessness to persist. We must find it in our hearts to do something, and not blame the homeless for their problems because doing so allows us to remain above the issue and uncaring of those affected by it. One of the most common thoughts regarding homelessness is that the homeless can’t afford rent because they don’t have jobs or sources of income. That is simply untrue.
Approximately 10 percent of homeless people were employed in 2011, according to the December 2011 U.S. Conference of Mayors Hunger and Homeless Status Report. Another prevalent belief about homelessness: that it results from drug addiction. That may certainly be the case for some; there is no denying that drug addicts do stand a higher risk of becoming homeless. Not all addicts are homeless, though, so it cannot fully answer the question.
If we as a nation, city and community really want to be better, we can’t allow the problem of homelessness to persist.
The other major cause of homelessness is mental illness, which often makes it impossible for affected people to keep a job, or even afford to stay in a home. Now that we’ve established some basic root causes, we know we can help—certainly we can do more than we are
right now. If there is one thing I believe in, it’s that we can always do better. Though many regard homeless people as a blight on our community, we need to recognize that we’re often not that far away from being homeless ourselves. It’s simply not enough to give money to the guy sitting on the corner, or to one of the many supportive charities—in order to eradicate homelessness in our community, we have to do more. Many of us at Portland State exemplify the poor, starving college student stereotype, but that doesn’t preclude us from helping out: We can give our time and ourselves. It takes a little courage to get out and volunteer, but the rewards far outweigh the risks. We can also lend our voices. We can build a movement that demands our elected representatives do more than they are currently doing. When we get involved, we can set in force an unstoppable momentum. It will require time and energy. It will be hard; we’ll want to quit, but if we truly want to become the “shining city upon a hill,” we must work and sacrifice. We can’t give up or allow ourselves to be persuaded that homelessness is someone else’s problem. We have to make it our problem. Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
4:30–7 p.m. Multicultural Center, room 228 1825 SW Broadway St.
COURTESY OF pdx.edu
Join fellow students at Montgomery Court for an evening dedicated to the celebration of the season. Food and fun will be provided free of charge!
Tuesday, Nov. 13
Miles Sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
The four-year guarantee A proposed program can help you graduate sooner, but what’s left out? A Critical Glance Adam E. Bushen
P
ortland State recently held four openfeedback sessions for faculty, staff and students to determine the viability of implementing a four-year degree guarantee program. The idea is that the program would ensure that problems with signing up for courses or finding courses required for graduation would be avoided. If a student participates in the four-year degree guarantee program and can’t graduate because a course required for graduation is unavailable, PSU would either remove the requirement or substitute the course with another. By having students finish in four years rather than stretching out their educations, student loan debt would decrease. There are merits to such a program, but it infringes on the concept of what services a university provides. College represents a space for sharing knowledge, discussing progressive ideas and obtaining a broad and informed worldview. College produces community leaders, intellectuals and wellrounded citizens. For a student to enter a program that lowers the cost of attendance by eliminating University Studies, the benefit of going is also lowered. Getting a degree as quickly as possible while only learning
what’s directly relevant to your major becomes the goal, rather than the experience of shaping a world view or intellect, of becoming a community leader and intellectual.
The higher earning potential achieved through a degree no longer results in high-paying jobs after graduation. Now, more than ever, the question of attending university has become a cost-benefit analysis.
A four-year degree guarantee program may eliminate University Studies requirements in order to fulfill its guarantee, and students may only need to complete their major’s requirements—which can be very attractive, but this type of program resembles a vocational education rather than a full college experience. Yes, it should certainly be an option for high school
students to consider when determining their choice for a higher education. More vocational schools should be available. But to place this type of program into a university setting contradicts the reasons we attend university over vocational or trade schools in the first place. For many, the strongest lure of this program is its financial implications. National student loan debt has surpassed $1 trillion. This trend of increased tuition and student debt makes the idea of attending university undesirable. Additionally, the discouraging job market makes higher education appear impractical. The higher earning potential achieved through a degree no longer results in high-paying jobs after graduation. Now, more than ever, the question of attending university has become a cost-benefit analysis. In addition to contradicting the reasons for attending a university by devaluing a liberal education, the financial benefit the four-year guarantee provides creates the wrong perspective on rising costs of attendance. By placing the focus on finishing school as soon as possible, we lose focus on solving the problem of rising costs of attendance and decreased state and federal funding. While this program could work within our currently broken system, the focus should be on creating solutions that lower costs without diminishing the benefits of going to a university.
Sarah Mirk and Carl Adamshick reading 7 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 298 1825 SW Broadway
Join local nonfiction writer and Portland Mercury contributor Sarah Mirk and accomplished local poet Carl Adamshick for a reading of their FRee works.
Escape to Gold Mountain 6:40 p.m. PSU School of Business Administration, room 190 631 SW Harrison St.
David H.T. Wong, a prominent architect in Vancouver, Canada and the author of the forthcoming graphic novel Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America, will be at PSU to talk about his new book and the history of Chinese immigration to and settlement in North America. There will be book sales and a signing session FRee prior to the talk.
Wednesday, Nov. 14
Back Fence PDX presents “Catch Me If You Can” 6 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Mission Theater 1624 NW Glisan St.
The Mission Theater hosts an evening of true storytelling revolving around the theme of “catch me if you can.” Storytellers vary from an events planner for Nike to a former member of the Blue Man Group. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. For more information visit backfencepdx.com. 21+
Independent Kurdistan? Perspectives on the Non-Arab Middle East 5:30 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 238 1825 SW Broadway
Join PSU in celebrating Jewish Book Month by attending a panel discussion on topics raised by author Ariel Sabar in his book My Father’s Paradise, about a time in Iraqi Kurdistan history when Jews and Muslims FRee lived side by side.
Test Your Mood! 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 238, 1825 SW Broadway
Students feeling the pressures of school and general life should take advantage of Portland State offering the opportunity for free stress evaluation, resource information and consultations with Student Health FRee and Counseling.
Thursday, Nov. 15
Lunch and Learn: Postrevolution Tunisia Noon East Hall, room 109 632 SW Hall St.
Learn how to use Theatre of the Oppressed techniques in this workshop, which examines the impacts of oppression on us both as individuals and as a community. The workshop will examine power, build connection and create interventions that deepen our activist work both personally and institutionally. No previous acting experience is required! FRee Saturday
Active Citizen Anthropology 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Wisdom of the Elders 3203 SE 109th Ave.
Enjoy an opportunity to take place in a unique service learning opportunity with Portland State undergraduate students in anthropology and to share a potluck-style lunch. Please register with Rob Duren at robduren@gmail.com for this event. FRee
Santa Arrival Parade The Middle East Studies Center invites you to bring your lunch and take part in an informal discussion about contemporary Tunisia with Mohamed Daoud, an expert on the FRee subject.
Healthy Relationships Workshop 3–5 p.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th Ave.
The Women’s Resource Center is celebrating Sustainability Month with a workshop that offers instruction in building healthy relationships and learning how to apply them to create sustainable communities.
Fall Fest 6–9 p.m. Montgomery Court 1802 SW 10th Ave.
University Housing and Residence Life and the Residence Hall Association present a Fall Festival at Portland State. There will be caramel apples and tangy barbecue, photo booth and face painting, pumpkin FRee carving and more!
Friday, Nov. 16
Lynda Barry: Girlhood through the Looking Glass Noon Neuberger Hall, room 407 724 SW Harrison St.
PSU English department faculty member Susan E. Kirtley offers a look at her recently published book on the art of Lynda Barry, best known for her long-running comic strip Ernie Pook’s Comeek. Kirtley focuses on Barry’s recurring images of young girls in a variety of mediums and genres. Free lunch will be provided; please RSVP by
10 a.m. Pioneer Courthouse Square 701 SW sixth Ave.
Santa arrives at Pioneer Square this year on Nov. 17! Come to welcome him and enjoy the festivities as he leads a parade to Pioneer Place. FRee
Sunday, Nov. 18
Indonesian Movie: The Angel Song 3 p.m. Fifth Avenue Cinema 510 SW Hall St.
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ETC.
a meal of traditional indigenous foods for Portland State. Come taste a sampling of the “first foods” and learn about different ways of giving thanks and why this tradition, and food itself, are important to indigFRee enous cultures.
Tuesday, Nov. 20 Come enjoy a screening of the Indonesian film The Angel Song at 5th Avenue Cinema. For more information contact permias@pdx. edu.
Monday, Nov. 19
Asian-Americans: Achievements Mask Challenges 6:30 p.m. Academic and Student Rec Center 1800 SW Sixth Ave.
Portland State’s Dr. Junghee Lee and Dr. Lew Bank present the latest research findings on challenges facing Asian-Americans in this lecture, with a heavy focus on Asian men involved in the correctional system and the feelings and frustrations of Korean-immigrant parents. FRee
Thanks Giving: A Celebration and Exploration of Indigenous Traditions and the First Foods 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Native American Student and Community Center 710 SW Jackson St.
The Sustainability Leadership Center Food Systems Task Force, along with community partners, hosts
Transgender Day of Remembrance 6 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, Ballroom 1825 SW Broadway
The Queer Resource Center welcomes transgender activist and author Janet Mock for a special presentation. Janet will salute and honor women who have triumphed and dealt with tragedy within the transgender community. Tickets are $5 presale and $8 at the door. No one will be turned away, however, for lack of funds. For advanced tickets and more information contact FRee psutrans@pdx.edu.
“Let’s Talk” drop-in counseling 2–3 p.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th
Come to the Women’s Resource Center for a free consultation with a SHAC counselor about any questions you may have or stresses you FRee may be dealing with.
= on PSU campus FRee = free of charge = open to the public 21+ = 21 and over
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SPORTS ETC. •• Tuesday, Tuesday,Nov. Nov.13, 6, 2012 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD ••Tuesday, TUESDAY,Nov. JANUARY 13, 2012 10, •2012 SPORTS • ETC.
SPORTS
EDITOR: MARCO ESPAñA SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538
From the paddock to the bank Portland Meadows and the uncertain future of horse racing paddock, when Cory Mimms Vanguard Staff
Canada geese flew against a backdrop of blue and the sun warmed a thin crowd. Spectators idled at picnic tables, sipping beers, studying race guides. As the horses walked off the track and into the paddock, some of the crowd picked up their young children and followed them inside. They squeezed into the circular room and held their kids up to see the thoroughbreds just beyond the chain-link fence and concrete barrier, where trainers saddled them. Then the horses walked back into the sun, leaving only the odor of equine hide behind. It’s a soily aroma that is gone and forgotten once out of the
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it’s immediately replaced with the smell of money. Unfortunately, this smell is fading. There was a time when horse racing held a monopoly on legal gambling. But other betting options like Powerball, video lottery, scratch-offs and casinos have siphoned the attention of the racing crowd. This year, Portland Meadows has responded with a brand new ad campaign, which they hope will draw in new patrons and the dollars in their pockets. And on the surface, it seems to be working. “Attendance has increased exponentially and we have introduced many new and lapsed customers to our track,” said Will Alempijevic, Portland Meadows’ general manager. Just getting people to attend
the races won’t save the sport, though—the audience needs to engage, a problem which isn’t confined to the Meadows and doesn’t end at the betting windows. Nationwide, interest in horse racing has waned, along with boxing and other formerly mainstream individual sports. The handles are getting smaller and smaller as the crowds continue to dwindle. People are going elsewhere for their gambling needs, or never had any interest to begin with. Many in my generation fall into this second category, a generation for whom horse racing is widely considered a thing of the past. But for me, racing is still exciting: all the gripping suspense of a close football game or soccer match crammed into half a minute. And at Portland Meadows, even the seats closest to the action are free. Out in the stands, the trumpet sounded, drawing
the crowd back to their seats. As usual, most people were quiet as the horses circled, showing off the owners’ silks. Perhaps they were simply eyeing the odds. As people placed their final bets, the race odds changed up on the jumbo screen: 9-1 odds jumped to 5-2; 4-1 became 2-1. People furrowed their brows, peering at tickets, deciding whether or not they should change their bets. Some who sat out of the sun in lawn chairs kept their poker faces on and nodded their heads, as if they expected these final numbers. The announcer reminded the crowd that it was just one minute to post, and so most of the unsure remained, now even less certain that they would make it back to their tables in time to catch the action if they went inside to rebet. It was a one-mile, 70-yard race, so the gates were on the far side of the track, hidden
away behind the jumbo board with orange digital numbers glowing on it, beyond the geese and blue sky. “It is hard to say how long the track will be open,” Alempijevic said. “We have a viable product and an industry with a strong economic impact to the state, but we have very significant costs in running the business. Portland Meadows has been under financial duress for some time now.” The horses were in the gate, the announcer said, and then they were off. A few people scanned the track with large binoculars. A few rocked babies side to side or held toddlers up to see. Then the horses darted into the scene, a jumble of argyle silk and chestnut hide. Grumbles grew to shouts, and people began to slap their race guides on their knees and hands. People rocked with the rhythm of the announcer, rocked with the horses as they rounded
Ascending new heights Rock climbing builds strength, confidence and inner calm
the track. They shouted as the sound of hooves approached, smiled and squealed, frowned and growled as the horses thundered past and through the finish line. And just like that, the excitement was over. The winning horse slowed to a walk and then doubled back toward the winner’s circle, where its photo was taken amid a cluster of onlookers along with the jockey, the trainer and the owner. The sun crouched behind the clubhouse, leaving the track in a cool shadow, a shadow filled with hope for the rest of this season and for the one beyond it. The crowd shifted in an immense wave and then broke, scattering some of itself into the clubhouse and bar and onto the rows of betting machines, leaving the rest in track-side seats to contemplate the next race. After all, there were only 26 minutes to the next post.
Maya Seaman Vanguard Staff
PSU Kickboxing Club From the ashes of obscurity Formula One illustrates the fragility of showcase events
karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFF
on the rocks: Louis Henry scales the wall at the PSU rec center. Aspiring and accomplished climbers alike are welcome.
Zach Bigalke Vanguard Staff
This time of year is a hectic one for sports spectators in the United States. Baseball just concluded its Fall Classic, the denouement of a long summer spent at ballparks across the country. Football, both professional and collegiate, enters the heart of the season as teams vie for position in the standings and the polls. Lost amid the deafening buzz of these high-profile pastimes, Formula One returns to America on Nov. 18, when the top tier of international auto racing reinstates the United States Grand Prix to the schedule at the new Circuit of the Americas track in Austin, Tex. The return is a welcome one, but it was hardly a given. Five years ago, it seemed that F1 had left the country for good after Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted its final version of the U.S. Grand Prix. We tend to think of these and other iconic sporting events as permanent, immovable fixtures on our sports calendars, but the reality is that popularity in sports ebbs and flows, and when a sport wanes in popularity, we are apt to forget its history. For four decades, F1 was as popular as any other form of auto racing in the United States. At least one race in the F1 season was held on American soil every year from its inception in 1950 until the early 1990s. From 1976 until 1984, ours was the only country with multiple dates on the calendar. And then it vanished, first with the dissolution of Phoenix’s version of the U.S. Grand Prix in 1991 and, later, the Indianapolis version, which ran from 2000 to 2007. Exposure is essential for the survival of any sport. When fans have no opportunity to watch an event, they naturally find others to occupy their time. The decline of F1 in America is not merely the result of market saturation by NASCAR and other professional racing options, but also a lack of focus in presenting viewers with a top-shelf motorsports experience. Part of the reason races never succeeded in Phoenix or Indianapolis—or for that matter Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas or Long Beach—is that they raced on courses shoehorned into meeting F1 specifications. Even Watkins Glen, which hosted the U.S. Grand Prix from 1961 to 1980, suf-
fered from its reduced length and insufficient maintenance. F1 racing never lacked intrigue for U.S. audiences, it merely lacked the proper arena—until now. The Circuit of the Americas provides a made-for-F1 course on American soil for the very first time. No longer relegated to racing on inadequate street courses or modified preexisting tracks, F1 now has an American track to rival Europe’s legendary courses. When showcased properly, even sports with far less footing in the U.S. than F1 have experienced a meteoric rise. The most obvious example of this transition is soccer, the most popular sport by far in nearly every country in the world but the U.S. The 1994 World Cup in America deserves much of the credit for generating the interest that turned soccer into a mainstream sport on our shores. Without the success of that tournament, Major League Soccer would have been a pipe dream instead of the viable sports league that it is today. With the World Cup, a generation of fans was introduced to a sport that had been a muted blip on the American radar for decades. Few domestic sports pages ran soccer scores 20 years ago; now you can turn on the television on Saturdays and Sundays and watch live matches from all around the globe. F1 didn’t die in the United States because it lacked for interest. The sport faded from public consciousness because, unlike the grand superspeedways of NASCAR, it had no legitimate venue to house its competitions on American soil. Subjected to subpar conditions that hampered world-class competition, fans turned elsewhere for entertainment. The loss of the U.S. Grand Prix five years ago reminded us that no sporting event is guaranteed residence on our screens and in our hearts. If four decades of history and tradition can be lost, then every event is vulnerable. But the rebirth of F1 in Austin also illustrates that, under the right conditions and with a dedicated effort, even off-theradar sports can reawaken their past glories.
My first experience indoor bouldering was ridiculous. I felt completely out of shape. My fingers burned, my forearms swelled and my shoulders ached. I grew blisters in places on my hands I didn’t think could blister. Unlike traditional top-rope rock climbing, bouldering doesn’t use any safety ropes. I watched other climbers skitter up the walls like Spiderman while I clung to the holds like Mary Jane awaiting rescue. But as a former surfer, I knew that no activity worth doing comes easily, so I kept going back. Before I knew it, my body felt lighter. I moved with finesse along the wall and found a Zen-like focus to ease my mind. Other climbers in the gym would cheer me on, and the sense of community was overwhelming. “It’s challenging on so many levels,” Circuit Bouldering Gym member Bjorn Vanberg said. “There’s the strength requirement to hold on, balance to keep your weight distributed, flexibility, endurance—and it is also a mental challenge, planning how you will tackle the route.”
It requires dedication, however, and there are three things you will experience when you first start climbing that will make you want to quit. First, you will feel weak. No matter how much you can bench press, rock climbing will make you feel like a Tyrannosaurus rex climbing a rope in gym class—heavy, inept and utterly graceless. Second, you will feel fear. Most people, even adventurous ones, are afraid of the heights they dangle from on their maiden attempts. I have a grossly intense fear of heights that used to paralyze me—I still don’t like being in tall buildings—but rock climbing has allowed me to take control of my fear by placing my safety in my own hands in a very literal way. Last, you will fall. People will see you fall, and you will feel embarrassed. It is this component of rock climbing that I find the most intimidating but also the most motivating. Unlike schoolwork or team sports, you cannot make excuses or lay blame on others for your mistakes. Rock climbing is all on you, even if you have someone beneath you holding the ropes to your harness. But if you manage to fight past these three obstacles, rock climbing will become one of the most challenging and gratifying sports you’ve ever experienced. I have brought
every one of my friends with me at least once, and more than half of them have become addicted. “You can challenge yourself and your friends in a noncompetitive, chill environment,” Portland State student Kelly Flynn said. “And the benefits are more than just physical— climbing and bouldering teach you that when you’re tired, lost and want to give up, the best thing to do is to stop, remember to breathe and look at the big picture.” In Portland, the indoor rock climbing scene is huge. The Circuit Bouldering Gym is one of the largest bouldering–only gyms in the country, and they have locations in Northeast and Southwest Portland. The Portland Rock Gym at East Burnside Street and 12th Avenue offers both bouldering and top-rope climbing. If you are a PSU student, the Academic and Student Rec Center has its own rock climbing wall that you can climb for free. The rec center also offers bouldering, top-rope climbing, free shoe rental, lessons and a weekly beginner’s night. Whether you top-rope climb or boulder, rock climbing will challenge your body and help you build confidence in a way that few other sports can. I asked first-time climber Mike Mayaudon how he felt after ascending his first route. “That was hard,” he said. “I want to do it again!”
Tough weekend for the Vikings
Volleyball team rebounds from loss with five-set victory est hitting percentage of Rosemary Hanson Vanguard Staff
Saria dy/VANGUARD STAFF
kickstarter: Students develop their skills at a Kickboxing Club on meeting in the Academic and Student Rec Center.
Discover your inner strength Crystal Gardner Vanguard Staff
In the Portland State Kickboxing Club, students bring an assortment of martial arts disciplines together as they build confidence and learn self-defense. The group focuses mainly on muay thai and boxing but also works in aspects of capoeira, tae kwon do, kung fu and krav maga. “We teach a system of repetition that leads to a person feeling secure with any situation that might arise,” kickboxing coach Kaiwi “Eevie” Amina explained. “Teaching someone how to save their own life is the goal at hand, [but another goal is developing] life skills that can be applied at any time.”
The variety of techniques leads to a well-rounded education, and building strength in mind and body are equally important. “We want each person to feel that they can conquer any challenge with confidence,” Amina said. The club is planning a selfdefense seminar for PSU students and is also hoping to get high school students involved with the kickboxing community. With bullying becoming a more serious problem in schools, the group feels it is important to educate younger generations on how to protect themselves. The PSU Kickboxing Club meets in room 430 of the Academic and Student Rec Center on Mondays and Fridays from 2–4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 8–10 p.m.
Saria dy/VANGUARD STAFF
learning the trade: Kickboxing blends a diverse mixture of fighting styles.
With only one weekend left in regular season play, Portland State volleyball is now one game behind new conference leader Idaho State University. The Vikings slipped from their first-place position following a shutout loss to the University of North Dakota on Thursday, then got back to their winning ways on Saturday as they took out the University of Northern Colorado in five grueling sets. “We gave every point the same level of effort on Saturday,” junior setter Garyn Schlatter said. “On Thursday, it kind of felt like we were going up and down like [a] roller coaster, but on Saturday we played every ball the best that we could.” Thursday’s match against North Dakota was the second straight loss for the Vikings. After sweeping North Dakota earlier in the season, the team was unable to find an offensive rhythm against their Big Sky rival. For just the third time this season, no Viking player recorded double-digit kills, and the team suffered the low-
the season at .099. After dropping a close first set, PSU briefly held the lead in a back-andforth second, but North Dakota pulled ahead at 15-14 and the Vikings never recovered. Saturday’s performance was an entirely different story,
“I think certainly the biggest change was that it was a more complete team effort on Saturday.” Michael Seemann, head coach
however, as the Vikings controlled the net and regained their offensive momentum. Sophomore middle blocker Katie O’Brien contributed nine blocks, the most by a Viking all season. “I think certainly the biggest change was that it was a more complete team effort on Saturday,” head coach Michael Seemann said. Despite being outhit by Northern Colorado in a 25-19 first-set loss, the Vikings were able to come back and win
the second by a score of 25-18. The team relied on passing by Schlatter and double-digit kill performances from senior outside hitter Megan Ellis and junior outside hitters Aubrey Mitchell and Jaklyn Wheeler. Schlatter had 41 assists on the night, to go along with a career-high 25 digs. After the Vikings’ secondset win, the Bears came back and took the third 25-15. The fourth frame was close, with multiple lead changes and ties. Clutch play by the Vikings led to a 26-24 win in that set, and the team managed to maintain their composure in the fifth, winning it 15-10. “We have been struggling the past couple weeks [with] our offense,” Schlatter said. “On Saturday, we were looking more at one point at a time— not focusing on what had already happened, but being able to maintain a more consistent level by always focusing on what we can do next.” The Vikings now head back to the Stott Center for the final weekend of the season. They will face Weber State University on Thursday, followed by a showdown with Idaho State University on Saturday in a match that may determine this year’s Big Sky champion.
comeback: After kicking off the weekend with a loss, the Vikings responded with a five-set win.
miles sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFF
16
VANGUARD • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 • SPORTS
A promising start for Blazers New-look Trail Blazers show flashes of brilliance
Vanguard Staff
Portland State’s cross country team went up against some of the best runners on the West Coast on Friday when they competed in the NCAA West Regional Championship in Seattle. Senior Amber Rozcicha paced the women’s team, while the men were led by freshman Neil Seibert. “The regional meet was a great opportunity for our athletes to see what highlevel championship racing is about,” head coach Jonathan Marcus said. “With the team being so young, and rebuilding, I’m looking forward to the next couple years. A lot of people walked away better for having the experience. And that was the mission.” Rozcicha’s run capped a stellar final season at PSU,
3 0
Top performers Leigh-Ann Haataja: 9 kills, 4 blocks
Friday, Nov. 9
cross country NCAA West Regional Championship Top performers Amber Rozcicha: 89th in the 6k, 21:28 Neil Seibert: 145th in the 10k, 32:34
Women’s basketball
vs. Vikings George Fox
COURTESY OF TheFanhub.com
rising to the challenge: Nicolas Batum will take on a larger role for the Blazers this year in a tough Northwest Division.
But before you despair, Blazers fans, consider their competition thus far. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers all beat the Blazers by double digits. “Dare to dream,” right? Actually, yes, I dare, because that same Portland squad also took down Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and the reloaded Lakers on opening night at the Rose Garden. Then they traveled to Houston and overcame a resurgent Rockets team led by new arrival James Harden, one of the NBA’s most dangerous offensive threats. Lillard, the sixth overall pick in this year’s NBA
draft, is a familiar name for Portland State basketball fans. Lillard played his college ball at Weber State University, where he made a habit of manhandling the Vikings—and the rest of the Big Sky Conference—during his four years there. NBA scouts and analysts were skeptical, though, about how well he would transition to the pros; they couldn’t help but recognize the big-fish-ina-small-pond element of those college stats, and Lillard’s reputation as a “score first” point guard left many doubts about his ability to direct an NBA offense. Lillard is silencing his critics, at least for now—he is
currently tops among rookies in both points and assists, and the Blazers’ overall turnover rate is one of the lowest in the league. Aldridge is also off to a strong start in his seventh season, embracing his role as the Blazers’ team leader. The franchise forward is good for about 20 points and eight rebounds every night, taking some of the pressure off his inexperienced supporting cast. J.J. Hickson has come out as the team’s leading rebounder, and Batum is doing a little bit of everything, expanding his repertoire on the offensive end while continuing his always exceptional defensive play. Ba-
tum will be especially crucial to the team’s success this season, as the Blazers’ roster is built to score in transition and any defensive struggles will make it difficult to do so. The task ahead is not an easy one. Even if they overachieve, Portland plays in what will arguably be the best division in the NBA this season. The Thunder are expected to remain atop the Northwest, and the Nuggets and Jazz will likely dominate the Blazers down low. Still, the Rip City faithful have rising stars to root for in Lillard and Batum, and for the first time in a while, a bright future to dream about. Dream on, my friends.
Cross country runs with the best Alex Moore
Volleyball
North Dakota Vikings
Vanguard Staff
Vikings compete at West Regional meet
Thursday, Nov. 8
@
Bryan Zinschlag
With a record below .500 to start the season, the Portland Trail Blazers are, technically speaking, losers. And yet it doesn’t feel that way. Point guard Damian Lillard has thus far actually managed to exceed the unfairly high expectations placed on him, establishing himself as the league’s most impressive rookie in the early going. All-star forward LaMarcus Aldridge has played like one and is living up to his team captain designation. Shooting guard Wesley Matthews is hitting jump shots when the teams needs them and swingman Nicolas Batum is as dynamique as ever. With some surprisingly solid performances right out of the gate, Blazer fans could be forgiven for jumping to playoff-contending conclusions. But the fact remains that this team is still very much in the midst of the rebuilding process. The Blazers are the league’s fifth-youngest roster and its fourth-least experienced, a combination which tends to produce intermittently exciting but ultimately mediocre campaigns. And they have indeed shown many of the deficiencies that were expected of them. The Blazers currently hover around the middle of the pack in team scoring but are near the bottom in defense, not a good sign for the team’s longterm prospects this season.
Recent results
one that included a firstplace finish and multiple topfive finishes. The senior came out gunning but couldn’t keep pace with the top 25, which would have landed her a spot in the national championships. “She wanted to give herself a chance to qualify for the national meet, and she did that,” Marcus said. “For the first half of the race, she was up there with the frontrunners…that’s a championship attitude.” Seibert also wrapped up a strong season, which leaves a lot of hope for the future of the men’s program. “I have no doubt in the next few years he will be up there,” Marcus said. “His junior and senior year, he will be in that conversation to qualify for the national meet.” Marcus will look to build on the cross country team’s success in the coming track and field season.
55 35
Top performers Courtney VanBrocklin: 13 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks Angela Misa: 12 rebounds, 4 steals
Men’s basketball
vs. Vikings Pacific University
77 58
Top performers Dre Winston Jr.: 16 points, 3 assists Renado Parker: 8 rebounds, 4 steals
WHL
@ Winterhawks Vancouver
9 5
Top performers Nicolas Petan: 2 goals, 2 assists Derrick Pouliot: 1 goal, 8 assists
Saturday, Nov. 10
Football
@ Montana State Vikings
65 30
Top performers DJ Adams: 107 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
Volleyball
@ Vikings Northern Colorado
3 2
Top performers Garyn Schlatter: 41 assists, 25 digs Megan Ellis: 13 kills, 9 digs COURTESY OF Goviks.com
Leading the Way: Senior Amber Rozcicha competes in the final race of her PSU career. “We have a lot of good women coming back, and the whole men’s team [is] coming back,” Marcus said. “With us being pretty young,
we now have an experience with these returners about the caliber of competition the regional meet is going to be. I’m looking forward to the
next two or three years.” The indoor track and field season begins on Nov. 30 with the Jackson Open in Boise, Idaho.