A look at Hollywood’s straight shooter Django Unchained and 20 years of Tarantino Arts & Culture page 6
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Portland State University Portland State University Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 | vol. 67 no. 27
Rent with Why was the power off? caution ‘Deferred maintenance’ is on PSU’s to-do list Isaac Hotchkiss Vanguard Staff
Textbook rental only cost-effective in some scenarios Isaac Hotchkiss Vanguard Staff
Classes have just started up again. At the Portland State Bookstore, a line of customers loops around the store, through the aisles and down the staircase. They’re waiting to pay for books they are buying or renting, a backto-school ritual for thousands of PSU students each term. Textbook rental is at an all-time high, according to bookstore staff, since the bookstore now offers a rental option on all textbooks. Is renting the best way to save money on books? Representatives from the bookstore admit it’s not always cost-effective. Introduced in winter 2011, the rental option allows a student to rent a textbook for the term at a lower cost than buying. The student then has the option of either returning the textbook at the end of the term or buying the book for the difference of the rental and purchase cost. There are times when renting the book, purchasing it at the end of the term and then immediately selling it back to the bookstore costs significantly less than renting alone. Students assuming it’s cheaper to rent and return can unknowingly lose money. When the Vanguard asked Nebraska Book Company, new operator of the PSU Bookstore, why it allows for scenarios like this, Area Vice President Courtney Gruber said it’s all about giving customers choices.
Intentional blackouts hit 13 university buildings for as much as an hour at a time during winter break. From Dec. 23 to Jan. 1, outages occurred almost daily. The west campus electrical infrastructure is poorly documented, leaving it vulnerable to failure, and the outages were part of an assessment to fix this problem. While the $200,000 maintenance project wasn’t reported to have any cost savings to the university, it was a
necessary maintenance exercise, said Quinn Soifer, facilities engineer. Outages did not affect residential buildings, and only affected buildings used primarily for research, classes and office space. Many of the PSU science labs are located in the affected areas, however. Soifer explained that, in meetings with the departments, PSU Facilities and Property Management reached an agreement that one hour was the maximum amount of time a lab could be without power without damaging research. Generators
were on site in case of failure during the maintenance. Chemistry professor Niles Lehman manages one of the affected labs, where origin-of-life and prebiotic chemistry research is performed. He explained that nothing was harmed during the power cuts. Except for having to briefly shut down computers, research was unaffected, and he and his students were able to work during the break. But what, specifically, did FPM do during the shutoffs? Soifer explained that the electrical infrastructure was long overdue for maintenance because of all the small repairs and adjustments that had occurred over the last 20 years. “We were able to install sensors on the cabling and test the integrity of cabling periodically as needed so
Debate simmers after shooting Stephanie Tshappat Vanguard staff
Corinna Scott/VANGUARD STAFf
Sgt. Joe Schilling of the Campus Public Safety Office patrols campus. In the event of an active shooter, the Portland Police Bureau would need to respond.
See books on page 3
we can better plan for the future,” Soifer said. Scott Gallagher, PSU’s director of communications, said improving the documentation was a part of PSU’s deferred maintenance list— the schedule of noncritical projects the university works on when it has available funds. “It’s not anything that’s been ignored,” Gallagher said. “It’s just on the list. You know, it’s like your house.” Departments, lease holders and lab managers were notified and encouraged to make the appropriate adjustments and remove perishables. The maximum duration of any outage was one hour, with additional power bumps and outages of 15 to 30 seconds.
Last month’s tragic shootings at Clackamas Town Center and Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. bring even more attention to an ongoing issue at Portland State: the possibility that PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office may soon become a sworn law enforcement agency with armed police officers. People all across the country are asking questions about how to prevent the next horrific act of school gun violence, while at PSU our own debate has been simmering for months about whether campus security officers need their own guns. How would CPSO’s response be different if PSU’s officers were armed? The key difference lies in the extra minutes it would take for armed officers to arrive at the scene of a crime. While there are emergency plans in place for a variety of incidents, campus security functions more as an incident in an emergency situation, CPSO Chief Phillip Zerzan said. See CPSO on page 2
Students share perspectives Capstone brings students together from worlds apart Jaime Dunkle Vanguard staff
COURTESY OF Seth Thomas
A protester climbs a light pole in Tahrir square in downtown Cairo. Seth Thomas was able to snap this photo and snare it on his blog for his capstone course.
Watching the sun set against the Giza pyramids, tasting authentic pastries in France or riding a bullet train in Japan—any of this could be part of your senior capstone curriculum. Designed for students studying abroad, the “Reporting Live” capstone connects Portland State students in foreign countries with middle schools and high schools in the Portland area via online blogs. Students participating in the program have reported live from all over the world: East Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania.
Other than studying abroad, requirements for entering this program include being able to write with a conversational voice and being blog savvy, according to Reporting Live Program Director Kate Kangas. Since no final exam is taken, students instead meet with their class face-to-face at the end of the term, a “finale celebration.” “I’ve offered it now for two fall terms in a row, with plans to offer it again next fall,” Kangas said. “We’re hoping to expand it to spring term as well.” Blogging from the biggest city in the Arabic world—Cairo, Egypt— PSU junior Seth Thomas shows Leslie Burgoine’s sixth-grade social studies class at Lane Middle School in Portland what life is like in the desert metropolis. “I wanted them to hear about Egypt without always hearing about ancient
Egypt,” Thomas said during a brief stay in the U.S. “I wanted them to hear about what’s going on today.” Trains in Egypt give women the option to ride with men or on women-only cars. Thomas discussed this cultural difference with his class. “I talked a little bit about sexual harassment, and it was difficult to figure out how to talk about that,” Thomas said. If you think the program is cakewalk, think again, Thomas warned. It’s not focused solely on the blogosphere. “It’s a lot more work than it appears at first, because it’s not just blogging once a week,” Thomas said. “You also have readings and you have to respond to at least two students’ blogs each week.” See Reporting Live on page 2
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NEWS NEWSNEWS •• TUESDAY, TUESDAY, • Tuesday, TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY Jan. MAY24, 17, 8, 1, 2013 2012 • VANGUARD
Vanguard • Tuesday, Thursday, Jan. Nov. 8, 2013 8, 2012• news • news
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New class: Book publishing
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PER HENNINGSGAARD, director of PSU’s master’s in publishing program, is teaching a new undergraduate course.
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ADVISER Judson Randall
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DESIGNERS Tom Cober, Danielle Fleishman, Dillon Lawerence, Colton Major, Maria Perala
WRITERS Kat Audick, Zach Bigalke, Mary Breaden, Adam Bushen, Chris Carpenter, Gino Cerruti, Becca Cotton, Shanna Cranston, Ryan DeLaureal, Jaime Dunkle, M.C. Ellis, Matthew Ellis, Stephanie Fudge-Bernard, Crystal Gardener, Melinda Guillén, Rosemary Hanson, Isaac Hotchkiss, Breana Harris, Alyck Horton, Heather Jacobs, Ravleen Kaur, Joseph Kendzierski, Nicholas Kula, Josh Kelety, Emily Lakehomer, Turner Lobey, Andrew Lawrence, Austin Maggs, Alex Moore, Andrew Morse, Erik Mutzke, Suraj Nair, Rabia Newton, Kaela O’Brien, James Putnam, Kevin Rackham, Eva-Jeanette Rawlins, Jeoffry Ray, Benjamin Ricker, Sierra Roberts, Patrick Rogers, Duncan Ros, Maya Seaman, Gwen Shaw, Shilpa Esther Trivedi, Stephanie Tshappat, Ryan Voelker
PHOTOGRAPHERS Daniel Johnston, Karl Kuchs, Riza Liu, Miles Sanguinetti, Corinna Scott, Adam Wickham
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Gwen Shaw Vanguard Staff
When Dr. Per Henningsgaard was hired as the director of Portland State’s master’s in book publishing program, he was told to begin a list of class offerings specifically for undergraduate students. Henningsgaard got right on it, and is now teaching “The Creative Business of Book Publishing” as a four-credit class offered under both ENG 399 and WR 399. Henningsgaard said that, as of now, it’s mainly filled with English majors and writing minors, but he believes that as the class is offered more frequently there will be a greater variety of disciplines represented. Many students want to work with books in some way but just aren’t sure what direction to take, he said. This class— and similar ones to follow—is what Henningsgaard sees as a way to give students a peek into something they haven’t been exposed to before. “It also really widens their understanding of what they are studying in other classes,” Henningsgaard said. “All of our classes in college are based on studying text of
some sort, and almost all of those texts go through publishing of some sort. To understand the process gives you a new understanding of the text that you’re studying, and students can take that knowledge into all their other classes as well.” Meant as an introduction to book publishing, the course is organized according to a sequence of processes that most books move through on their way to being published. It covers the editorial process, the design and production process, and marketing and sales. The course will be a combination of lecture, discussion and hands-on work. Students will work as small groups both in the classroom and the computer lab. Groups will work on the design of a book, or on editing a book. “I think one of the things that’s really unique about this class is that it picks up something that’s really unique about our master’s program,” Henningsgaard said. “And that is that we have an emphasis on providing our students real-world experiences dealing with this subject matter.”
CPSO from page 1
Multiple agencies would respond in an ‘active shooter’ incident “We don’t currently have the ability to intervene and respond in an active shooter incident. Portland Police Bureau would respond, but there is a timeliness issue with a community of this size and complexity,” Zerzan said. The PPB Central Precinct responds to on-campus calls that CPSO is unable to handle, and their response to a report of an active shooter would differ if CPSO was a sworn agency, said Central Precinct Commander Bob Day. “Obviously, if CPSO was a sworn agency, we would have armed personnel on scene sooner,” Day said. “Having an armed CPSO officer at PSU who knows the campus and is able to get keys to locked buildings could get us in [to the area of the incident] sooner, and we could locate the shooter sooner. I think it would increase overall response.” Day added that multiple agencies would respond in an active shooter incident. Information provided by CPSO’s records department shows that in 2012 there were 12 reports of firearms-related incidents on campus, with eight of those confirmed to involve firearms, though no active shooter incidents occurred. Zerzan does not believe the recent tragedies add more urgency to the discussion of CPSO’s potential transition, but he does see how compelling the issue is, especially with the unique nature of campus policing. PSU President Wim Wiewel said Portland State is as prepared as it can “reasonably” be for an active shooter incident. “You can only be prepared for so many eventualities. Given the realities of life, we’re prepared as we think is prudent, ” he said. Wiewel didn’t want to speculate about how the response to an active shooter incident would be different if CPSO were a sworn law enforcement agency, explaining that the topic is outside his area of expertise.
“This decision should not be driven by [the events] at Clackamas Town Center and in Connecticut. [It’s] not good logic; it’s reactionary and arbitrary to make this decision based on recent events,” he said. According to Wiewel, the discussion and review of the structure of CPSO has been going on since 2008 and is still as important now as it was before the shootings in December. “We’re aware such risks exist and we’re aware you cannot prevent all risks, [but] you try to make the best decision,” Wiewel said. “PSU does not seem like a horrendously unsafe place.” If CPSO were a sworn law enforcement agency, in an active shooter incident CPSO would have armed police at the site in under a minute, Zerzan said. There would also be a comprehensive response plan in place involving locking down buildings and limiting access to the area where the incident is occurring. “We know that with most active shooters in academic settings, it is prompt police response that shortens exposure to the shooter.” Wiewel made it clear that the decision has not yet been made. “The door is still open and I’m very interested in the discussion of alternatives to enhance public safety alongside this proposal [of transition for CPSO],” he said. “There may be a way to reach an agreement or negotiation without going the full extent to sworn, armed officers.
[This] discussion has not fully run its course yet and I want to have this discussion so all arguments can be heard and weighed and valued.” In the meantime, there is still plenty to do on campus, Zerzan said. “Our focus [also] needs to be on intervention and prevention, and we have that pretty good here with our community [at PSU],” he said. “But the reason to have armed police is to protect against someone who is acting outside the boundaries of the law.” After the shootings, CPSO’s website was updated to include resources for students and staff in case of an active shooter incident. The website defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and other populated area.” The website also says that “in most cases, active shooters use firearms and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly.” The website’s resources include an instructional video entitled “Run. Hide. Fight.,” an “Active Shooter Pocket Guide,” and a link to an informational online class through the Federal Emergency Management Agency entitled “Active Shooter: What You Can Do.” All are available at pdx.edu/cpso/activeshooter-what-you-can-do. Hard copies of the “Active Shooter Pocket Guide” are also available in the hallway outside of CPSO’s office in Shattuck Hall. The online course through FEMA is free and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.
books from page 1
Buying used and selling back is best option “We provide as many options as we can,” Gruber said. “No risk” rental has risks According to Gruber, Nebraska’s rental program is advertised as “no risk,” since it allows the student to either return the textbook or buy it at the end of the term for the cost difference. This protects the student from a case in which a new edition is released and he or she would not be able to sell the book back. The other options offered by the bookstore are to buy new, or used if it is available. “Every student is different; that’s why we have three options,” Gruber said. She pointed to the English 100 course at PSU as an example of where rental is clearly saving students money. In that course, a student can rent the textbook for exactly half the price of a new copy. Even if the student were to purchase and then sell the book back for the buyback price currently listed on the bookstore’s website, they are still saving $16 by renting the textbook. However, this savings doesn’t exist for many of the options in the bookstore catalog. The textbook for Psychology 200, another popular
course, is currently listed on the bookstore’s website as $29 cheaper to rent than to buy. However if students did not exercise their option to buy the book and immediately sell it back to the bookstore, they would lose $20 by renting. Ken Brown, general manager of the PSU Bookstore, also admits that stand-alone rental is not always the most costeffective option. “The best option in terms of total economic impact is to buy used and sell it back,” Brown said. Brown said the most common behavior of students, however, is simply keeping their books. The bookstore only gets back 10 to 20 percent of the books it sells, Brown said, though this statistic doesn’t account for students selling their books to sources outside the bookstore. Sarah Bachenberg, text manager at the PSU Bookstore, said that many books in the catalog can be more expensive to rent than to sell back. Bachenberg recommended rental for students who would like a slight up-front discount on their books, since the “no risk” guarantee allows students to
later purchase them in full. She also said rental does not make sense if a student will need the book for multiple terms. Additionally, if an edition goes out of print during the term when a student uses it, the bookstore will not buy it back. “[Nebraska] sets prices for rentals; there may be a slight decrease in the winter,” she said. When should a student rent? Karey Koehn, a spokesperson for Nebraska, said it is difficult to tell when a book will go out of print and whether the bookstore will buy it back. It depends on the professor, who chooses how quickly to adopt new editions, or on the school, which may opt to eliminate the textbook’s course, she explained. Additionally, sometimes new editions are not adopted by professors and, therefore, will still be used at the store. “There are instances where [rental] can save money,” she said, “but there are instances where it may not be cost-effective.” She emphasized that the discussion of whether a student should rent or resell a textbook is complicated due to factors such as new editions and fluctuating buyback prices. “Situationally, it’s really hard to make a blanket statement,” Koehn said.
Crime Blotter Josh Kelety Vanguard Staff
Assault/harassment: Dec. 12 Broadway Housing Building computer lab
At 11:51 a.m., Officer Robert McCleary responded to a report of a male yelling at a female in the Broadway computer lab. Upon arrival, nonstudent Adrian Chase was found present. Just before the arrival of the officers, Chase had assaulted one person in the lab and spit on another. He was taken into custody. Suicide threat: Dec. 16 Broadway Housing Building
Officer Jared Schuurmans was dispatched at 12:23 a.m. to the Broadway building to respond to a suicide threat made by a resident. The resident intended to hang himself. After being talked into refraining from such action, Multnomah County Mental Health Services were contacted and references were given to the student. Trespassing/concealed weapon: Dec. 18 Science Research and Teaching Center
At 8:52 a.m., Officer Gary Smeltzer and Officer Joseph Schilling responded to a report of a man sleeping in the lobby area of the first basement floor in the SRTC. They found nonstudent John Thomas Duncan and upon contact found an ax/hatchet down the back of his pants. He stated it was for self-defense. Duncan was issued an exclusion order. Juvenile with marijuana: Dec. 20 Park Blocks
Officer Chris Fischer contacted a juvenile at around 8 p.m in the South Park Blocks who was carrying marijuana in plain view. He was transported to Oregon Health Sciences University because he was vomiting on site.
Every week, the Vanguard interviews members of the Portland State community in the Park Blocks and asks them a timely question.
This week’s question:
“How suitable is PSU’s Viking mascot, considering its student body?” Nadima Hipolito, a post-bac psychology major, 35, finds the mascot unsuitable because she feels students can’t relate to its physical appearance. “He’s so muscular and has a beard. I don’t know how many people here can identify with a full beard and this body that’s not impossible, but hard to keep up with,” she said.
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Tristan Patterson, a junior history major, 31, feels that a different mascot would be more suitable to represent not only PSU but also the city of Portland in general. “I don’t honestly see how it plays into Portland State,” Patterson said. “I don’t see the association between Vikings and Portland, so I would say that there are more mascots that would be idiosyncratic of Portland.”
Must be enthusiastic about reporting, willing to cover any event and responsive to constructive criticism. Apply online at psuvanguard.com, or drop by the Vanguard office in the Smith Memorial Student Union sub-basement.
VIDEOGRAPHER video@psuvanguard.com
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Reporting Live from page 1
Study-abroad students connect with Portland middle school students
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DISTRIBUTORS Matthew Ellis, James Putnam The Vanguard is published twice weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subscription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper. ©2011 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26 Portland OR, 97201
Study-abroad students lacking motivation to document their travels could find an extra push by taking the capstone course. “It definitely made me have a bit more of a structure, as far as making those videos. It was something I wanted to do anyway, but probably something I wouldn’t have done without a teacher and grade to respond to,” Thomas said. Amy McBride teaches social studies and language arts to sixth- and seventh-graders at Access Academy, a public school program for talented and gifted students in Portland.
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She teamed up with Josh Hunt, last year’s Vanguard editor-inchief, who reports live from Tokyo. “One of my students…felt like she had a lot of stereotypes about Japanese people based on manga, anime and media,” McBride said. “She felt she learned a lot about life there beyond the stereotype.” McBride’s students check Hunt’s blog every week, often replying to posts. Students were excited about the project, especially its use of technology, so participation levels were high.
“It’s definitely a really great way to engage students in the class,” McBride said. “It gets them thinking beyond middle school, too.” Seeing diversity from someone else’s perspective was one of the most positive parts of the program, according to McBride. “I think that it really gave them the awareness of what it is like to be living in another culture as a foreigner,” she said. One of the first students to sign up for “Reporting Live” was John Esh. After considering a career teaching English in France, he used the capstone to help him decide. “It’s a really good way to help you find your voice if you’re considering teaching,” Esh said.
Biology junior Vinh Hua, 21, finds the Viking a suitable choice for a Portland mascot because of the Vikings’ background as explorers. “At this point, it seems like PSU’s thing,” Hua said. “Vikings were one of the first explorer [groups] in Europe, and that’s what I feel like PSU students are here to do. We’re not really a party school, we’re a school where people come back to find out what they want to do.”
Katherine Fernandez, an undeclared freshman, 18, finds the Viking suitable because it’s an original choice as opposed to other school mascots. “I’m used to seeing mascots as animals. In schools, every mascot is an animal, so it’s a change that the mascot is a person,” Fernandez said. “PSU isn’t a traditional college or university.”
COURTESY OF Seth Thomas
PSU student Seth Thomas shared this image of the Corniche in Alexandria, Egypt, with Portland middle schoolers. Nick Kapranos’ sixth-graders at Gray Middle School were really excited to meet Esh. They enthusiastically asked questions at the final celebration. “It was a lot of fun for me to
show these students France through my eyes,” Esh said. “Definitely do it!” For more information on the “Reporting Live” capstone, contact Kate Kangas at kangask@pdx.edu.
Austin Maggs/VANGUARD STAFF
Austin Maggs Vanguard staff
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Arts & Culture • Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD ••Tuesday, Thursday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, Jan. JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY 8, 2013 8, 2012 10, 25, 26, •2, 2012 2011 ARTS •2012 ARTS ••&•OPINION OPINION CULTURE &ARTS CULTURE & CULTURE
ARTS & CULTURE
EDITOR: Louie Opatz ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694
Pulp Quentin
‘Open’ for art
Django Unchained and 20 years of Tarantino
PSU gallery now accepting submissions for student art show
Breana Harris Vanguard Staff
When Quentin Tarantino appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson to promote his new movie Django Unchained a couple weeks ago, Ferguson began the interview by remarking on Tarantino’s casual wardrobe, calling it a return to “video store chic.” It was a funny reminder of the legend of Tarantino, which, more than two decades into his career, I think people tend to forget. Back in the late ’80s, Tarantino really was a video store clerk. It seems unremarkable now, in the age of YouTube and the iPhone, when pretty much anyone can make a film and distribute it. But before the Internet, Tarantino was a novelty. He demystified filmmaking in a way that was rare. Tarantino was just a geek—a major fan of ’70s gangster, “blaxploitation,” spaghetti western and kung fu films—who wanted to make movies that contained everything he loved about cinema. In that way, he was ahead of his time. Tarantino’s second and arguably most famous film, 1994’s Pulp Fiction, is on the short list of movies that legitimately changed my life. It wasn’t so much the content as the incredible, visceral feeling of watching it. I never knew movies could be like that.
One of the legends surrounding the film involves a woman who passed out during a screening when John Travolta’s character stabs Uma Thurman’s overdosing moll in the heart with an adrenaline needle. To me, that was a symbol for the entire movie—a shot of adrenaline to the heart, set in a ludicrous fantasy world of thrilling proportions. I saw it five times, bought the screenplay and read it over and over, discovered his first movie, 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, and became a Tarantino aficionado who dreamed of being him when I grew up. I was 13 years old. I mention this only because I’ve been mulling over some of the Internet discussions about Django Unchained, Tarantino’s most recent film, which tells the story of a slave, played by Jamie Foxx, who is freed by a German bounty hunter, played by Christoph Waltz. It’s a spaghetti western that takes revisionism to a whole new level, in the vein of 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, and a lot of people don’t think teenagers should see it. As in, ever. I was lucky enough to have fairly progressive parents who didn’t place many restrictions on what I watched and gave me the freedom to explore my voracious love of film. I understand that not every kid can or should be afforded this freedom, but the discussions about it fascinate me. Entertainment Weekly actually published an article on the “Family Room” section of its website in which author Abby West fretted over the idea that her teenage son might want to see Django
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Jeoffry Ray Vanguard staff
COURTESY OF Columbia pictures
The fastest gun in the south: Jamie Foxx stars as the titular character in Quentin Tarantino’s most recent revenge blockbuster, Django Unchained. Look for Leonardo DiCaprio as a sadistic slave owner. Unchained. The comment section is rife with people demonizing anyone who would let their high-school-aged kids watch a Tarantino film. And, even better, those who think Tarantino should not be making films at all—that he is a garbage-peddler, a sociopath and a bad person. There are plenty of good, nice things to make films about, these folks argue, so shouldn’t everyone be making those instead, just in case? The “just in case” here is a reference to the tragic shooting in Newtown, Conn. a few days before Christmas. It’s a subject I don’t feel qualified to speak about, especially because so much has already been said. I believe in gun control, but I’ve also never owned a gun, and I can respect that some people value them. But what I can’t fathom is the National Rifle Association blaming violence in the media for this overwhelming tragedy, to deflect attention from, you know, the actual weapons. Tarantino’s films are undoubtedly violent, and the violence is often filmed with audacious glee: He presents you with shocking and violent situations and then dares you to laugh, pushing the boundaries of entertainment. Like the films that inspired him, Tarantino lacks any sense of political correctness or the obligation to have a moral to his story. Tarantino’s earlier films, especially, are pure, meaningless fantasy—filmmaking for filmmaking’s sake. There is absolutely no connection between Kill Bill and reality. And the idea of blaming Tarantino for somebody thinking that there is seems archaic and ridiculous. Of course, times have changed for both Tarantino and his audience. Inglourious Basterds is considered by many to be his greatest film, and despite my teenage loyalty to his first two films, I definitely agree. Basterds marked a shift for him as a director, when the master of modern pulp filmmaking decided he might actually have something to say. There have been literally hundreds of movies made about World War II, but only Tarantino could make a highly charged, bombastic Jewish revenge fantasy that culminates in a FrenchJewish woman burning down a cinema full of Nazis with celluloid film while American Jewish soldiers gun down Hitler and Goebbels. Basterds uses cinema as a literal weapon in a sort of self-referential cycle that is both classic Tarantino and deliciously new. He says that not every artistic vision of the Holocaust has to be a somber, three-hour, documentary-style diatribe. Why can’t we look at history for what it really means instead of what literally happened? Why can’t we dissect the darkest parts of humanity and be empowered by them? Which brings us to Django Unchained. Obviously, there are more issues raised by the film than just violence. Filmmaker Spike Lee has famously denounced it on Twitter, saying that depicting slavery in the context of a spaghetti western is an insult to his ancestors. Many critics have voiced concerns about racial slurs and other racial elements of the film, which seems misguided to me because the film is being attacked from both sides: Either it’s not historically accurate enough—too sensationalist, too fantastical to deal with a thorny issue like slavery—or critics are worried about the depiction of racism.
(Because making a film about slavery in the preCivil War South while leaving out racism sounds like a great idea.) Like every Tarantino film, Django is unflinchingly brutal, but the film delves into the historical atrocities of its time even more than Basterds did. Although the story is fantastical, it’s a shame that Lee didn’t actually watch it, because I found it to be unsparing in its portrayal of the horrors of slavery. And, unlike with the Holocaust, there isn’t a long line of films attempting to do that. Is Django a great film? It’s pretty great. Is it the masterpiece that I consider Basterds to be? Not really. Django is much thinner overall and lacks the more coherent storytelling of Basterds. But it is an entertaining mash-up of amazing performances, memorable moments and powerful ideas about freedom, revenge and morality. The film is also full of Tarantino’s trademark dialogue, which he deserves to be known for much more than for his violence; I consider it a flaw in American culture that he isn’t. The relationship between Foxx’s Django and Waltz’s King Schultz is dynamic and interesting, and it’s nice to see Leonardo DiCaprio really act again—it’s his best work in years. The ironic thing about movies like Django and Basterds is that, from a certain perspective, they could be seen as NRA fantasy movies, based on the same logic that the members of that organization often use. What if American soldiers infiltrated a Nazi cinema with guns? We could have killed Hitler! What if freed slaves came back for revenge, with guns? We could have defeated Confederate plantation owners! I can’t stop thinking about this line of reasoning whenever I hear people advocate for armed guards in elementary schools or teachers with handguns in their desks. The same people who don’t want you to see Tarantino films want to make his ideas a reality. They should already know that the revenge fantasy is just as violent as what actually happened. Tarantino’s last two films tap into something relevant about how we view history. We always talk about remembering the heroes, whether in times of mass shootings or mass genocide. But heroism isn’t always black and white—it’s brutal, it’s violent and it often comes with great sacrifice. Tarantino himself has said that he finds it cathartic to portray the people historically seen as victims as the victors and avengers of the story. In today’s culture, the concept of violent revenge is shied away from, looked down upon— and, for the most part, rightly so. But in films, especially those that deal with the violence of history? It’s OK to revel in the fantasy. Django Unchained might be imperfect, but it’s a fitting advance for a celluloid-geekturned-genius. Two decades ago, who would have thought Tarantino could be righteous?
Django Unchained Showing at the Regal Fox Tower 10 846 SW Park Ave. For show times, visit regmovies.com
Portland State’s Littman and White Galleries will put student art on display this month, and it’s not too late for aspiring artists to get involved. The exhibition, titled “Open,” will hang from Thursday, Jan. 17, to Wednesday, Jan. 30. Works will be selected by guest juror and Portland-based art writer John Motley. The Littman Gallery will accept submissions through this Thursday. Gallery staffers emphasized that students of all disciplines are welcome to submit pieces in any medium. “We were thinking of calling it ‘Open’ because we’re trying to reach out to the student body,” gallery curator Leif Anderson said. “A lot of them aren’t aware of the gallery, or they don’t come to shows. We’re using the title as a sort of opening invitation. By having a juried show, we’re urging students to get engaged. Thematically, we’re not stressing any genre or medium of art.” Promotion for the exhibition began fall term, which ended with an initial round of submissions during finals week. Students from a variety of art backgrounds submitted everything from paintings and sculptures to photography and video. Littman Gallery Administrative Coordinator Vanessa Robertson-Rojas expressed excitement about the initial submissions. She also stressed that more practicing student artists should consider getting involved, whatever their area of study.
“I stopped by to look over the submissions, and everything looked great,” Robertson-Rojas said. “We’re totally pumped about all the work, and can’t wait to see what others bring in. But more students should definitely submit work.” Gallery staff invited Motley to jury the exhibition in hopes of bringing his expertise and objective eye to the university. Motley, a critic and arts writer who has worked in Portland since 2008, has been published in several area publications, including the Portland Mercury and The Oregonian. Motley explained that he had studied and written on several areas of culture, including film and literature, before putting the pen to art critique. What attracted him to writing about contemporary art, in particular, was the challenge it presented in decoding its intent and meaning for readers. “I think perhaps there’s more need for interpretation and contextualization for the average reader,” Motley said. “If it’s a novel, a film or a record, people can usually arrive at their own conclusions about that, but there tends to be a little more obfuscation or specialization in contemporary art that can require unpacking what it is someone’s actually seeing in a gallery.” Asked how he might approach the jurying process, Motley pointed to his strategy when visiting gallery exhibitions that he will write about: keeping an open mind going forward and “curbing any impulse to anticipate” what he would see or how he would feel. “I think that strategy is absolutely going to be in place for this process,” Motley said. “I have no idea what to expect: It’s an open call to students. So I expect to see an incredible breadth of media and quality. I’m looking forward to the surprise.” In addition to selecting works to be displayed, Motley will also select three works to receive honorariums, all of which will be announced at
If the shoe fits... The student art that could grace the walls of the Littman and White Galleries awaits its fate. Students have until Thursday to submit their pieces.
Corinna scott/VANGUARD STAFf
the exhibition’s opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 17. Winners will include one Best of Show and two Honorable Mentions. Rewards will be offered by the gallery and the Pearl District’s Utrecht Art Supplies store, according to Robertson-Rojas, who praised Utrecht’s support. “Utrecht was super prompt and efficient,” she said. “They decided they wanted to be involved and just got in there with us. There was a hurricane on top of their headquarters in New York, and they still had it together in a timely way.” Nina Reynolds, another curatorial coordinator for the gallery, encourages students of all stripes to consider submitting. “Hurry up and submit!” Reynolds said in an email. “Students are encouraged to go above and beyond. Home projects are welcome. You do not have to be an art major to get your work in the exhibition.” Reynolds, who started with the gallery at the end of summer, explained that the Littman is working on other efforts to generate direct student engagement. She pointed to ongoing plans to host a monthly platform where interested viewers can discuss the displayed work in a safe environment as just one example. “I think it would be really neat to see students come in during our operating hours and to view the work and begin critical discussions with us
and others about the art,” Reynolds said. “I feel that many people aren’t quite sure how to look at contemporary art, and I am hoping that the Littman Gallery can be a safe place for us to express our ideas about society, art and all of the ethereal and nebulous stuff that we are all concerned with at some level deep down inside.” Nobody can say for certain exactly what sort of a show will result, but Motley offered insight about the results of the jurying process. “It’ll be interesting as a snapshot of what’s going on for young art makers in the city,” Motley said. “I’ll be interested in seeing what sorts of themes or commonalities emerge.” Submissions will be accepted Tuesday– Thursday of the first week of winter term. Art must arrive ready to hang and will be left with the gallery until the jurying process is resolved on Friday, Jan. 11. For more information, contact the gallery at 503-725-5656 or littmanandwhite@gmail.com.
“Open,” a student art show juried by Portland arts writer John Motley Thursday, Jan. 17–Wednesday, Jan. 30 Opening reception Thursday, Jan. 17, 5–7 p.m. Littman and White Galleries Noon to 4p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union
Food resolutions for the new year Simple switches for a better long-term diet Kat Audick Vanguard Staff
November and December are doubleheaders for gluttony. Between indulging in holiday hams, puddings and pies and a heaping dose of joyous drinking, it’s about time for some serious body recovery. But starving your body on extreme diets or fasts to combat the weeks of feasts is setting yourself up for failure. By making small adjustments to your everyday eats, 2013 can be the year of a happier and healthier you. The average American omnivore doesn’t get nearly enough fruits and vegetables in his or her diet. We are a carb-loving country and proud of it. Make a conscious decision this year to boost your vitamin intake by packing your meals with local produce. Get creative by finding ways to use fruits and vegetables as your eating vessel: Switch chips and dip for chopped veggies and hummus, or trade cheese spread and crackers for sharp cheddar and apples. Instead of stuffing taco fixings into a flour tortilla, pack them into a baked bell pepper. Our brains form habits over the types of food we consume regularly, so the more often you opt for a healthier choice the more your body will crave it. Another common mistake is reaching for the low-cal option at every opportunity. This is particularly true when it comes to drinking. Light beers boast few calories, but they lack the flavor gratification your tongue really wants. Instead of knocking back a few pints of the light stuff, enjoy smaller servings with the
higher satisfaction of a local craft brew. Some full-bodied beers are even better for you than the lighter chuck. A pint of Guinness has more vitamins and fewer calories than most of its lighter competitors like Coors, Sam Adams and Budweiser. It’s relatively easy to make minor dietary changes, and your body and brain will reap the benefits of boosted energy. This spiced shrimp taco recipe is a delicious dinner option that weighs in at around 300 calories per serving. Its savory spices, sweet peppers and apple and cool queso fresco will satisfy your flavor cravings— all while keeping it light.
Ingredients 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 teaspoons lime juice, divided 1/3 teaspoon ground chili pepper 1/3 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper 1 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 stalks green onion, chopped 1 Granny Smith apple, seeded and chopped 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 8 small corn tortillas 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco Salt and ground black pepper
karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
spice without the price: These spiced shrimp tacos pack a major flavor punch while keeping the calorie count low.
INSTRUCTIONS In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp lime juice, chili pepper, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Combine spice mixture with shrimp in a ziplock bag, seal and shake, then allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Chop green onion, apples and bell pepper, and toss in a bowl with minced jalapeno, 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp lime juice, two pinches of salt and a sprinkle of ground black pepper. Remove spiced shrimp from bag, discard
marinade and saute in a pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side, or until heated through. Finish shrimp with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and set aside in a covered bowl to keep warm. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, flash fry corn tortillas with a few drops of oil to desired toasty-ness. Divide shrimp equally among tortillas and top with apple-pepper salsa and crumbled queso fresco. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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OPINiON • Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD •• Tuesday, THURSDAY, Jan. NOVEMBER 8, 2013 • 10, OPINiON 2011 • SPORTS
OPINION
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EDITOR: Meredith Meier OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692
water from page 10
COURTESY OF Bostonherald.com
Is anti-gun legislation effective? Outlawing guns reaps mixed results, doesn’t solve the problem Ms. Fudge’s Sweet Nothings Stephanie Fudge Bernard
I
n the aftermath of the horrific shooting at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School and the tragedy in our own Clackamas Town Center, many Americans are considering pushing anti-gun laws to prevent such atrocities from occurring again. While the heartache is still raw and the anger is still smarting, it’s important that our nation look at this issue rationally in order to confront this violence in the most effective way possible. Gun control seems to bounce in and out of the media in sensational bursts of opinion, conjecture and excitement. The complexity of gun control is, however, an issue often distorted by abused statistics, unquantifiable variables and extreme emotion. It might seem that making guns illegal would lower gun crimes but, unfortunately, we live in a world where bad people don’t follow the law. In Washington, D.C., for example, a decades-long handgun ban hasn’t demonstrated any definitive evidence that making guns illegal will stop people from killing each other. Crime has actually increased since the ban, though statistics don’t account for a slew of variables like the drug market, changing demographics and economic conditions. Professor Gary Kleck, from Florida State’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, compared the trends in D.C. to Baltimore, Md., a very similar city. His research
found that both cities imitated each other in violent crime and that D.C.’s gun ban didn’t reduce homicides. Quite a few anti-gun lobbyists are pushing for banning what they call “assault rifles,” a term that doesn’t actually have a technical definition and means different things to different people. Usually, it refers to semiautomatic and automatic rifles that can shoot several rounds before needing to be reloaded. A similar law has existed in the past. From 1994 to 2004, it was illegal in the U.S. to manufacture certain types of semiautomatic weapons, automatic weapons and magazines that could hold more than 10 rounds, like the AK-47. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created a task force to determine the effectiveness of the ban, but found insufficient evidence to say it prevented violence. Another problem with laws that specifically target assault rifles is that, despite the traumatic shootings we’ve had this year, handguns are used far more frequently in violent crime. More handguns have been used in mass killing sprees than semiautomatics, probably because it’s not that difficult to switch out a magazine and continue to shoot. To confound all this, there is so much misinformation about guns that it’s nearly impossible to have an objective conversation about them. Many people don’t understand basic
gun terminology—like the differences between a semiautomatic and an automatic gun, or that “clip” and “magazine” are not synonymous. While it’s not important for most Americans to have a grasp on gun anatomy, anyone arguing over what should and shouldn’t be banned needs to understand the basic concepts. There are also quite a few opinionated anti-gun arguments that don’t make much sense. The belief that people don’t ever “need that type of gun” may or may not be true, but it
shouldn’t be used as evidence for why something should be illegal. I have plenty of things I don’t need but enjoy having, like the four-inch heels in my closet or that plate with Captain Picard’s face on it. We enjoy hobbies that are sometimes dangerous, and we seem to keep plenty of them around because we can. Swimming pools are a huge cause of unintentional deaths of infants and children under 14 in the U.S., and removing them could potentially prevent the deaths of far more children than a gun ban would. If our ultimate goal is to save lives, we could start by banning private swimming pools and creating pool-control laws for public safety. Obviously there are major differences between accidental drowning and violent homicide, but both result in death. If anything, the risk swimming pools pose is a simpler problem to solve, yet we choose to ignore it in our society because it’s not as exciting and emotionally charged as a public shooting. Solving violent crime in our society is going to take a lot more than banning a few guns. If we are interested in actually making a difference, we need to stop blaming an inanimate object and start blaming the evil people that perpetrate these crimes, and find the reasons in our communities that create crime. Would legislation banning assault rifles have prevented the Connecticut shooting, or at least limited the destruction of life? Who knows? It was a bizarre anomaly perpetrated by a disturbed individual whom we can’t possibly understand. If your end goal is to decrease violent crime, though, banning guns isn’t the answer.
Suraj Nair/VANGUARD STAFf
Swiss company Nestle hopes to bottle and sell water overseas from Cascade Locks aquifer ourselves either without water or unable to afford what little is available. While I am sure the town of Cascade Locks would benefit from the increased economic activity the plant would provide, what happens when the water runs out? Will Nestle stay around and continue to provide jobs in the area, or will they pack up and move elsewhere to repeat the cycle? Given that there have been no guarantees that Nestle would stick around, or that the jobs provided would even go to local residents, we should be very cautious about what we
Karl Kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
Local water, up for sale Is Cascade Locks selling out? Art of the Possible Joseph Kendzierski
D
espite the abundance of water we are currently experiencing here in Portland, the sad truth is that the planet’s water is quickly disappearing. And, as we all know, water is essential to life on our planet. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, used by NASA to measure variations in the planet’s magnetic sphere, has also been used to monitor groundwater levels since 2002. GRACE data is showing that groundwater levels—the amount of water available in aquifers—has dropped by about 20 percent in that time period. This is an alarming fact made worse by the implications of a water shortage. Over the past few years, more droughts have occurred in more regions across the globe. Given that water is quickly proving to be a valuable and scarce resource, how should we, as a community, use our water? Should we use what we have to increase our regional economic viability? Or should we try to conserve our water, ensuring that it is there for future generations? The aquifer serving the Oregon town of Cascade Locks is one of the remaining aquifers in the region with an ample supply of water. This aquifer is the focus of a three-yearlong battle still being fought in our state. Switzerland-based Nestle Group, famous for their chocolate, would like to build a
new bottling facility for their Pure Life and Arrowhead brands of water in Cascade Locks, thereby increasing the economic viability of the town. Bruce Sorte, an economist at Oregon State University, recently concluded in his economic analysis that the new facility would nearly double the economic output of the city. However, the water they want to bottle—and subsequently sell outside our region—is currently managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife because it is a thermal refuge for steelhead salmon, a protected species. ODFW also uses the water to manage the Oxbow Hatchery for this and other species of fish. If we allow our precious water to be sold at discounted rates—the current rate for municipal water in Cascade Locks is one-fifth of a cent per gallon—and then exported and sold at current market rates, we set a dangerous precedent. Such a decision would signal that we feel that whatever common resources we have are for sale and that, as long as we are paid, nothing is too important to be sold off. While I normally do not take a protectionist stance on economic issues, I feel that in this case the risk to our region is too great. If the current trend documented by GRACE continues, we will quickly find See water on page 11
do with our limited resources. The environmental costs are too large to be ignored in this situation. With the removal of so much water from the Oxbow spring and aquifer, the hatchery may be unable to support the fish population it has, the thermal refuge for steelhead could disappear and, in time, the local community may be hard-pressed to provide enough water for their own use. We, as a state, region and community, simply cannot afford these costs—not when the profits of the sale of our resource will not be used to
benefit our community. We should all join together and tell ODFW that we do not approve of our precious water being sold and taken out of our community. We do not approve of the plan to eliminate one of the last thermal refuges for steelhead. We do not want the water that feeds our fish hatcheries being bottled at discounted rates and then sold at a premium. On Feb. 8, ODFW will hold a meeting that will help to end this long battle. We need to show our support for our community and tell ODFW that we say “No!”
Heard a Rumor you’d like US to check out? Contact us at our tip line: news@psuvanguard.com
Kayla nguyen/VANGUARD STAFf
Arming CPSO Does more CPSO autonomy truly lead to increased safety? A Critical Glance Adam E Bushen
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fter attending the public forum regarding the boost to PSU’s Campus Public Safety Office’s budget and the deputizing of CPSO officers in December, I came away with the understanding that there are two different opinions on the best way to improve student safety on campus. One involved swearing in CPSO officers to allow them greater authority and autonomy, and an increased budget to facilitate these increased capabilities. The opposing argument endorsed preventative measures such as providing better lighting around campus and implementing safe-walk programs. The really controversial issue surrounding CPSO, however, is arming its officers. While I support any effort to improve campus security, providing CPSO officers with firearms is not the ideal method to deal with safety risks on campus. People will argue that without armed officers, an armed and dangerous criminal would have more time to cause havoc. In addition, CPSO Chief Phillip Zerzan was forthright in expressing his unhappiness with CPSO’s current relationship with the Portland Police Bureau, stressing that the PPB’s response time is too lengthy to prevent a public safety disaster on campus. Zerzan stressed that creating an autonomous campus security unit with capabilities equal to the PPB’s would drastically increase campus safety. My response to this argument is that improving the relationship between CPSO and the PPB can be just as effective as arming CPSO officers and would be unquestionably more costeffective. As an urban campus, PSU has unique characteristics. The
possibility for dangerous individuals with no affiliation to the university to be among students and staff is higher than at a more traditional, secluded campus. However, if PSU’s downtown location provides a space for criminals to potentially tread, it also provides a space for Portland police officers to patrol. Why should it be that only CPSO officers may patrol campus? Yes, CPSO officers are better suited for issues that are unique to a campus environment, but they are not suited for handling the crime outside of the campus that potentially filters into it. By having Portland police officers include PSU in their “beat,” they can develop a better understanding of the university’s nuances while offering capabilities that CPSO officers don’t currently possess. It may even allow for PPB to mend its reputation as a “shoot first, ask questions later” police force by creating a positive relationship between officers and students. There is simply no justification for CPSO’s desire to avoid working with PPB and become entirely autonomous. Yes, the PPB currently has a bad reputation, but it is inexcusable that the relationship should remain strained. The Portland Police Bureau is located about eight blocks from campus; its proximity should prevent problems with delayed response times. If PSU and CPSO truly feel that it is an issue, then a dialogue between CPSO and the PPB needs to be initiated. Throwing money at the problem and creating our own police force is not the ideal solution. While money should never be the deciding factor in the handling of public safety, judging by the concern demonstrated by students at the public
forum, it is a topic that deserves to be addressed. At the forum, it was stated that an increase to CPSO’s budget would not result in a tuition hike. This is all well and good, but the allocation of PSU’s existing funds remains a concern. If funding the CPSO expansion will require the millions of dollars it’s rumored to cost, then something will have to be cut in order for the school to balance its books. Frankly, I find that alternatives to deputizing and arming CPSO officers can be much more cost effective and would prevent cutting other programs to fund this renovation. Coupled with improving CPSO’s relationship with the PPB, preventative measures can be implemented at a fraction of the cost of creating an autonomous CPSO. These include eliminating dimly lit areas, implementing safe-walk programs and increasing the number and visibility of emergency phones— more inexpensive approaches to improving public safety. Increasing the number of CPSO officers rather than spending the money to have each trained and sworn in also presents a more affordable approach to increasing campus security, and if they can work effectively with Portland police officers, it could prove more productive. Even if PSU does have each CPSO officer trained and sworn in, we are still left with a security force of inexperienced and newly armed officers. Inexperience and firearms do not mix. I, for one, would feel much safer having experienced Portland police officers who have dealt previously with violent criminals responding to potentially violent offenders on campus. While training is great, experience is priceless. Whichever direction PSU and CPSO decide to take, there will need to be a great deal of transparency in the planning and execution of such an overhaul, for this is a process that requires the voice of the students.
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ETC. ETC. • Thursday, • Tuesday, Nov. Jan. 8, 2012 2013 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD • Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 • Opinion
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Erick Bengel EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691
A Disney queen from Uganda
Friday, Jan. 11
Women Veterans Outreach Action Team 9–10 a.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th Ave.
Small acts of kindness in the face of tragedy Everywhere and Here Eva-Jeanette Rawlins As we accelerate into the new year, December recedes in our rearview mirrors. Thankfully so. Last year ended in one of the most tragic and uncertain ways in recent history. With the shootings at the Clackamas Town Center and at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, holiday cheer was replaced with generous helpings of fear, doubt and wondering what our world was coming to. At the same time, we balanced precariously on the edge of a fiscal cliff, with Washington politics once again taking us on a down-to-the-wire ride of anxiety. Nonstop projections were complete with an email from the Portland State administration warning: “If an agreement isn’t reached, Oregon
universities face potential cuts.” That was just what we needed to hear as we raised another glass of eggnog, hoping to rinse out the bad taste in our mouths. December left many of us feeling like there was more bad in the world than good. When each day was met with another little 6-year-old’s funeral, it was hard to imagine anything worse. The common denominator across myriad news reports was a general sense of paralysis and inexplicable sadness. So, if you were anything like me, you desperately needed some good news with your New Year’s. Some reason for hope. I then discovered the story of Phiona Mutesi—and realized hope is in the countless everyday acts of kindness that, though small in comparison to
huge, horrific catastrophes, can make a life-changing difference. Phiona is a Ugandan teenager whose life has always been hard. Her father died when she was around 3 years old, and early on she was forced to scrounge on the streets for food for herself, her mother and her brother. She told CNN that it was on the streets that she first heard of a man named Robert Katende, who had started a chess club in her slum, Katwe, and offered children a bowl of porridge if they came to learn. With the promise of a meal, Phiona soon became a regular. Katende told CNN that he chose to teach the children chess because it gave them skills, including “how to make decisions, obstructive thinking, forecasts, endurance…looking at challenges as an opportunity in all cases, and possibly, not giving up…anything to do with life, you can get in that game.” He soon discovered that Phiona was a natural. Within a year, she was beating all the
The goal of the Women Veterans Action Team is to provide the support and special resources that women veterans need. Meetings are held bimonthly at the Women’s Resource FREE Center.
Women of Color Action Team Noon–1 p.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th Ave. COURTESY OF dentolibrary.wordpress.com
older girls and boys, and despite the fact that many thought a poor slum girl shouldn’t be playing a “white man’s game,” she continued to make the daily four-mile trek to practice. What no one could have imagined came true—today, at the age of 16, possibly 15 (she’s not quite sure), she is Uganda’s top player and represents her country in international chess tournaments. In 2010, she flew for the first time in her life to a competition in Siberia, praying for “God to protect me, because who am I to fly to the europlane?” ESPN writer Tim Crothers heard about her and wrote a story on her journey. People everywhere were inspired by her story. He eventually wrote
a book about her, The Queen of Katwe, and now Disney is in the process of turning it into a movie. Crothers marvels at a girl who has faced “every hurdle that the world can place in front of her,” and who is now inspiring hope in people all over the world. A little girl who walks two hours every morning to fetch drinking water and who never learned to read or write now walks proudly on the world stage, carrying the honor of her country as she competes against the best of the best. It’s the small acts, however, that make this huge story possible. It was Robert Katende who started a chess club, of all things, in the most unexpected of places, and thought highly
enough of slum children to invest in coaching them. It was Phiona’s courage and belief in herself that kept her coming back. It was Crothers who took the time to tell a less-than-flashy story. It is a program called Sports Outreach that is sponsoring Phiona to go to school and learn to read and write. It is people from vastly different lives each doing their part that culminates in a story of hope. If we all choose to write our own daily stories of kindness in 2013, while we might never erase the tragedy around us or make a Disney movie, we may be the reason that someone who was once invisible can now feel like a queen.
With meetings twice a month, the Women of Color Action Team provides support and a sense of community for women of color on the FREE Portland State campus.
Saturday, Jan. 12 Maria Perala/VANGUARD STAFf
The Examined Life: Ponder unanswered questions and challenge those that have been answered at Portland’s Socrates Cafe Wednesday from 7-9pm at Southeast Portland’s Three Friends Coffee House. Tuesday, Jan. 8
Take Back the Night 5–6 p.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th Ave.
Come offer your support to survivors and endeavor to promote awareness by joining others at the first meeting at the Women’s Resource Center aimed at ending sexual violence.
FREE
The Lost Boy 7:30 p.m. Artists Repertory Theatre 1515 SW Morrison St.
Artists Repertory Theatre invites you to come and experience an intriguing show full of crime, circus acts and a mystery based loosely on a true story. Tickets are $20–45 and can be purchased at artistsrep.org.
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Dropping Gems Showcase
Portland Socrates Cafe 7–9 p.m. Three Friends Coffee House 201 SE 12th Ave.
Socrates Cafe gatherings are an international opportunity for people around the world to gather together and participate in group discussion. The aim of these gatherings is “socratizing,” a practice that runs on the belief that you learn more when you are questioned as well as when you question others. FREE
Thursday, Jan. 10
Archaeology First Thursday 4–5 p.m. Cramer Hall, room 41 1721 SW Broadway
Every first Thursday of the month, stop by the Anthropology Department to attend a free lecture. This week Eric Gleason from the Nation Park Service focuses on uncovering the Chinese presence from the past in The Dalles.
FREE
8:30 p.m. Holocene 1001 SE Morrison Str.
Master of Science in Financial Analysis Information Session
Up-and-coming local electronic label Dropping Gems will showcase a collection of their producers at Holocene on Jan. 9 to offer an opportunity for local artists to find out what they are all about. More information is available at holocene.org. FREE 21+
6 p.m. College of Urban and Public Affairs, Memorial Boardroom 506 SW Mill St.
Art and Social Practice Conversation Series: Purple Thistle Center 1–2 p.m. Field Work 1101 SW Jefferson St.
Field Work hosts a conversation about the founding of the Purple Thistle Center, a community institution for youth in Vancouver. Learn how the founders put together this innovative new resource and about their vision for putting it to use.
FREE
If you are considering a Master of Science in Financial Analysis degree, this information session will help you discover everything that you need to know, including future career opportunities as well as information about admission into FREE the program.
Advanced Screening: Zero Dark Thirty 7 p.m. Lloyd Center Cinema 10 1510 NE Multnomah St.
The creators of The Hurt Locker return to the screen with another compelling story, about one of history’s greatest manhunts. For more information visit zerodarkthirtymovie.com.
Portland Bridal Show 10 a.m. Oregon Convention Center 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The Portland Bridal Show is a chance to see fashion shows and meet with various vendors and wedding specialists. Tickets are $9 at the door or can be purchased in advance at portlandbridalshow.com.
Hungover Brunch 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Swift Lounge 1932 NE Broadway
If you have had a rough weekend Swift Lounge has the cure, with
a specialized menu designed for rejuvenation every Saturday and Sunday. This brunch is always 21+ and the only cost is the price of food. 21+
Sunday, Jan. 13
Loudon Wainwright III at the Aladdin 7 p.m. doors; 8 p.m. show Aladdin Theater 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave.
Grammy award winner Loudon Wainwright III will be at Aladdin Theater for a show that precedes the release of his latest album. Admission is $30.
Monday, Jan. 14
MLK Tribute: School of Gender, Race and Nation 1–3 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228 1825 SW Broadway
The Multicultural Center will host a discussion on the dynamics of social justice and how studying race, gender and sovereignty can initiate change that leads to social freedom.
FREE
Black Cultural Affairs Board Annual Awareness Dinner 5 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228 1825 SW Broadway
The Black Cultural Affairs Board will be holding the first dinner that will provide a forum for students to openly discuss issues that need to be address in order to form a more inclusive student community on
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campus. This year, the focus will be on the present need of faculty color FREE in the classroom.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
Faculty Favorite Lecture Series: Ben Anderson-Nathe 2–4 p.m. Women’s Resource Center 1802 SW 10th Ave.
Dr. Ben Anderson-Nathe will be at the Women’s Resource Center to lead a discussion that investigates the discourse of the It Gets Better Project, a movement started by sex columnist FREE Dan Savage in 2010.
Multicultural Center MLK Student Pep Rally 4–6 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228 1825 SW Broadway
Join fellow students at the Multicultural Center’s “Reflect and Connect Session,” a pep rally aimed at pumping students up for open discussion about race and social justice.
Art of Musical Maintenance 5 p.m. Goodfoot Lounge 2845 SE Stark St.
The Goodfoot Lounge presents an art show based around the art of concert poster creation. The longrunning show will feature more than 300 posters from more than 40 individual artists. FREE
= on PSU campus FREE = free of charge = open to the public 21+ = 21 and over
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SPORTS ETC. •• Tuesday, Tuesday, Nov. Jan. 6, 8, 2012 2013 • VANGUARD
VANGUARD ••Tuesday, TUESDAY,Jan. JANUARY 8, 201310,• 2012 SPORTS • ETC.
SPORTS
EDITOR: MARCO ESPAñA SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538
Women’s basketball team swept at Stott Center Montana schools claim two in a row in Portland
above and beyond: Sophmore guard Allison Greene breaks through two Montana State Defenders.
Rosemary Hanson Vanguard Staff
A fan’s wish list
old ball game: Ty Cobb, MVP of 1911, the last year of baseball’s run as a major sport for most fans. professional hockey, even if it is run by idiots and played in sweltering heat.
The end of baseball
Holding out hope for the new year Vanguard Staff
This will probably come as an enormous shock, but I must confess that I am not a great athlete. Outside of a weekly basketball game with friends (a graceless, foulheavy, exclusively half-court affair) and the occasional joyless run, I don’t exactly “play” a lot of “sports.” No, that ship has sailed, and so this hacky New Year’s resolution column comes to you instead from the perspective of a concerned spectator and insatiable consumer. Here’s hoping that the greater (wide) world of sports resolves to whip itself into shape in some key areas in 2013.
The return (and full recovery) of the NHL When it came to the lockedout National Hockey League, I didn’t really have a horse in the race; the 2011–12 season marked my 20th consecutive year as a sports fan without
“For the fourth time in 20 years, and despite generating a record $3.3 billion in revenue last season, the NHL failed to live up to its end of the bargain.” watching a single game played in the NHL. But the lockout of a major North American sports league is an indefensible affront to fandom. As fans, we endure con-
tract disputes, new stadium shakedowns from billionaire owners and exorbitant ticket prices that remind us against our will that it’s all just a business. Year after year, we dutifully suspend our disbelief at this charade and dive right back into the fray, and all we ask in return is that everyone involved play the games and cash their checks.
“Andy Rooney did a celebratory 60 Minutes spot about the last living baseball fan in 1994.” For the fourth time in 20 years, and despite generating a record $3.3 billion in revenue last season, the NHL failed to live up to its end of the bargain. That’s right: under the “leadership” of Commissioner Gary Bettman, the NHL has experienced a lockout four times in the past two decades, including the loss of the entire 2004–05 season. The most recent dispute only just came to end on Sunday, with an abbreviated regular season set to begin next week. After all that, we could hardly be faulted for turning our backs on such a bogus league. But you try telling that to all those doeeyed Canadians, who love hockey so much that they’re even willing to accept the loss of storied franchises to the likes of Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and freaking Tennessee. They deserve
courtesy of Mike Morbeck
courtesy of sportzy.tumblr.com
courtesy of VancityAllie
Once and future king: Sidney Crosby is eager to transition back to his day job after another late start by the WHL.
Drew Lazzara
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Have you guys ever met a baseball fan? Me neither. I believe that Andy Rooney did a celebratory 60 Minutes spot about the last living baseball fan in 1994. His name was Gus “Whiskers” Plunkett, a delightful octogenarian who played shortstop for the Oklahoma Brown Sox in the Dust Bowl Leagues and was named MVP in 1916 despite losing a foot to diabetes in the 10th game of the season. Baseball is so boring to watch and play that it has now been replaced by kickball in the pantheon of ironically played hipster sports. It’s a game more perfectly (and more concisely) expressed in a box score, can be played at its highest levels by overweight, frequently drunk tobacco users, has no salary cap (which crushes the dreams of small markets) and makes the city of Boston and its fans even more insufferable.
Major League Baseball’s regular season spans 162 games, which is a long enough timeline to ensure that most teams finish .500, meaning there is no way to discern who is actually good. Two out of the 10 postseason participants make their way there by way of a one-game playoff (making the previous 162 even more pointless!), followed by a fivegame series and two sevengame series before a champion
“I will admit that there is something to be said for a day at the ballpark.”
Wistful Thinking: Coming soon? Relive a decade of audibles in the comfort of your own home. is decided. Way to determine the “best” team, baseball. I will admit that there is something to be said for a day at the ballpark—sun in the sky, cold beer in hand, a delicious hot dog cooking on the grill. But that’s called a barbecue, and you don’t have to pay for a ticket or watch an interminable (there’s no game clock!), awful baseball game. Let’s put the “past” in “America’s pastime” and end this garbage. My dad will just have to find something else on the radio to fall asleep to.
Complete NFL seasons on DVD/Blu-ray If I had to pick just one of the things on this list to become a
reality, it would be this one. Imagine reliving entire seasons of your favorite NFL teams, game by game, with all the delirious highs and crushing lows they brought with them. Each season would be gloriously restored and packed with bonus features: hometown radio calls synched up with gameplay (without the government-mandated seven-second delay of a “live” broadcast), SportsCenter highlights, headlines and prognostications from the year. I’d jump at the chance to experience my hometown Colts all throughout the Peyton Manning/Andrew Luck years, over and over again. And I would never get tired of them. Happy New Year.
Writers Needed
Get paid $8.80 an hour/4–12 hours per week to write. See your work in print every week. No newspaper experience required. Must be enthusiastic about reporting, willing to cover any event and responsive to constructive criticism.
Apply online at psuvanguard.com, or drop by the Vanguard office in the Smith Memorial Student Union sub-basement.
Following two straight road wins, Portland State came back to the Stott Center to face a pair of formidable conference opponents last week, going up against the Montana State University Bobcats on Thursday and the University of Montana Lady Griz on Saturday. The Vikings, who were without standout guard Kate Lanz after she suffered a season-ending ACL injury the previous week, were unable to hold off the visiting teams despite solid efforts by senior guard Courtney VanBrocklin and the rest of the Viking squad. With the losses, PSU dropped to 7-6 overall and
just 1-3 in conference play. The team appears to be feeling the impact of losing Lanz, who had established herself as a crucial presence on the defensive end and on the boards for the Vikings. PSU was outrebounded in both of games against the Montana visitors, and both opponents had more steals than the home team. “[The] biggest challenge we faced was the opposing teams’
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post players’ size and their physicality,” VanBrocklin said after the game. “And because of that, we had a hard time guarding them.” While the team struggled defensively, VanBrocklin took control of the offense. Down by just five at halftime on Thursday, she scored 19 of her 21 points in the second half to keep the game close
and helped the Vikings to get within one point with less than a minute to go. The Bobcats then settled in at the line and hit a series of clutch free throws to come away with an 81-74 victory. The senior went on to tie her career high with 26 points against Montana two days later. PSU was able to keep the score within nine in the first half, but the Lady Griz stretched their lead to as many 19 points in the second, eventually winning 70-55.
Despite the setback, the Vikings remain optimistic that VanBrocklin’s leadership and the continuing strong play of junior forward Angela Misa will allow the Vikings to compete with the rest of the Big Sky this season. “It’s important for me to continue to perform right now,” VanBrocklin said. “Our team is struggling to find enough confidence to put up shots. Right now, it’s important for me to push and facilitate the offense, and if it comes
down to it—if no one can get a shot—then I can take that opportunity and shoot.” The Vikings will travel to take on California State University, Sacramento this Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff scheduled for Saturday at 5:35 p.m. Live stats will be available on goviks.com.
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VANGUARD • Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 • SPORTS
New year just like old times for the Winterhawks Portland begins 2013 with 10th straight victory Zach Bigalke Vanguard Staff
The Portland Winterhawks welcomed 2013 with a hardfought victory at the Rose Garden, as the Western Hockey League leaders rallied to defeat Everett in an offensive showdown on Saturday. Five days after goaltender Mac Carruth wrapped up 2012 with a 5-0 shutout against Seattle on New Year’s Eve— tying the team record with his 105th career victory—the Winterhawks went with Brendan Burke in goal and survived a shaky outing from the backup netminder to extend their winning streak to 10 games. With the depth of the roster reduced by injuries and the loss of three veteran stars to World Junior Championship rosters, Portland was tested early by the visiting Silvertips. Burke allowed three goals in the first two periods, but the Winterhawks came back to tie the game in the second and then got a pair of third-period goals from rookie left winger Paul Bittner. Those two goals proved to be the difference, and the home crowd left the arena celebrating a 5-3 victory. “I like the way our team competed tonight,” acting Winterhawks head coach Travis Green said. “I didn’t think we were real sharp throughout the game, but I
think it’s a good sign that we found a way to win tonight.” Silvertips center Manraj Hayer opened the scoring for Everett, finishing off a shorthanded break with left wing Joshua Winquist early in the first period. The Winterhawks cashed in on a power play 37 seconds later to even the score, as team captain Troy Rutkowski corralled a pass from Nicolas Petan and beat Everett goalie Austin Lotz with a slap shot from the point. After Winquist was sent to the penalty box for roughing later in the first, Portland scored a second power play goal when Petan potted the rebound off attempts by Taylor Leier and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and the Winterhawks took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Silvertips quickly gained momentum in the second period, reclaiming the lead on the strength of two goals just 50 seconds apart. Winquist got the tying goal 5:27 into the period, set up by Hayer and defenseman Connor Cox. Moments later, Stathis Soumelidis found Logan Aasman with a clear passage to goal, and Aasman’s wrist shot bounced off Burke’s left shoulder to put Everett back in front. Portland continued to press, though, gradually establishing an advantage with their speed along both wings. Their
Recent results Thursday, Jan. 3
WOMen’s basketball
vs. Montana State Vikings
81 74
Top performers Angela Misa: 11 points, 12 rebounds Courtney VanBrocklin: 21 points, 6 assists
Men’s basketball
@ Montana State Vikings
62 59
Top performers Aaron Moore: 17 points, 12 rebounds Lateef McMullan: 17 points, 4 rebounds
Friday, Jan. 4
NBA Karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf
Streaking: Winterhawks center Taylor Peters looks for an opening as the opposition closes in. efforts were finally rewarded when Brendan Leipsic scored off of the puck cycling of Petan and Bittner, showcasing the chemistry already developing between the new linemates. Two minutes into the third period, the Winterhawks won a faceoff to the left of Lotz and Leipsic sent a pass in front of the net to find Bittner for the goal that put Portland up for good. Leipsic and Bittner connected again for an insurance goal with 2:08 remaining. “I don’t think it was one of our best games, but we came out here to win and we found a way to get two points,” Rutkowski said after the game. “You don’t see a lot of 10-game win streaks, and to have two so far this season is pretty special.”
@
NHL and players reach tentative CBA agreement
Blazers Memphis
After 113 days, it appears that hockey’s labor impasse is finally moving toward a workable solution. As Saturday night blurred into Sunday morning, the National Hockey League and its players came to provisional terms on a new collective bargaining agreement that would bring the latest NHL lockout to an end. With the help of federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh, the two sides were able to reach a compromise following months of contentious negotiations. The players agreed to a maximum length of seven years on new contracts and eight years on contract extensions, a reduction in the players’ share of revenue from 57 to 50 percent and a lowering of the salary cap. The proposed 10-year CBA allows players to opt out after eight years in exchange for several major concessions. The announcement of the deal means that the NHL can resume play in time for a partial season of 48–50 games. After the CBA is finalized and ratified by both parties, the league should return to action at some point between Jan. 15 and Jan. 19.
86 84
Top performers J.J. Hickson: 19 points, 11 rebounds Damian Lillard: 11 points, 8 assists
Saturday, Jan. 5
WOMen’s basketball
vs. Montana Vikings
70 55
Top performers Courtney VanBrocklin: 26 points, 2 steals Angela Misa: 5 points, 9 rebounds
Men’s basketball
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Rough road through Big Sky Vikings basketball off to rocky start Alex Moore Vanguard Staff
The Portland State men’s basketball team heads back to the Stott Center on Thursday after a difficult road trip through Montana last week. The Vikings are now four games into their conference schedule and have dropped the last three in a row. After a solid win over Idaho State University on Dec. 20, the team suffered close defeats to Weber State University, Montana State University and the University of Montana. Portland State is 3-8 overall this season. Looking to brush off the loss to Weber State at the end
of December, the team traveled to Bozeman on Jan. 3 for a showdown with the Bobcats. PSU trailed for most of the game but kept the score close with a 15-1 run late in the second half, tying the game with three minutes to play. Montana State then regained an eight-point lead with only 12 seconds left before the Vikings rallied back to come within three, but sophomore guard Dre Winston Jr.’s three-point attempt at the buzzer missed the mark and the Bobcats escaped with a narrow victory. In the second game of their Montana stint, PSU took on the Grizzlies in Missoula. As
in their previous game, the Vikings trailed throughout most of the first half and found themselves down by as much as 17 early in the second. They eventually managed to cut the deficit to single digits and were within five points of the Grizzlies’ lead with 15 seconds remaining. That was as close as they would get, however, as Montana hit its free throws down the stretch to take the game 62-55. PSU has struggled on the road this season, losing all six of their away games in 2012–13 and eight in a row dating back to last season. The Vikings hope to get back on track at home this week against California State University, Sacramento on Jan. 10 and Northern Arizona University on Jan. 12.
Montana Vikings
62 55
Top performers Aaron Moore: 14 points, 11 rebounds Renado Parker: 12 points, 7 rebounds
WHL
vs. Winterhawks Everett
5 3
Top performers Paul Bittner: 2 goals, 1 assist Brendan Leipsic: 1 goal, 2 assists
NBA
@ Blazers Minnesota
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At a loss: The Vikings are still working to find their form in 2012-13.
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Top performers Nicolas Batum: 26 points, 5 rebounds Damian Lillard: 20 points, 6 assists