“TEDsex” talk coming to Portland Upcoming event will feature discussion of human sexuality NEWS page 2
NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ARTS & culture............ 6 OPINION........................ 10 ETC................................ 13 SPORTS........................ .. 14
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Portland State University WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2013 | vol. 68 no. 05
Provost’s Challenge awards $3 million in grants
CPSO talks security as reports of violence against women spike
Funding to go toward campus updates Gwen Shaw Vanguard Staff
Last November, Sona Andrews, the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at PSU, announced the Provost’s Challenge, a subset of the ReTHINK PSU project. The challenge award recipients were announced as spring term was coming to an end and received a shared total of $3 million in grants to help the advancement of Portland State. The project initially started with the Provost’s Challenge, which Andrews said was put together to see how technology could be used to change some of the curriculum at PSU. A competition was announced to award projects and proposals that would push the university in a more tech-savvy direction. After the announcement, it quickly became clear to Andrews that there was broad interest throughout campus to “rethink” PSU. “That’s how ReTHINK came about,” Andrews said. “The idea is that it’s more than just the awards for the Provost’s Challenge that are being made. It’s really about the greater…widespread use of technology in order to deliver programs more effectively, more inexpensively, and to provide greater access.” The Provost’s Challenge was divided into three categories: reframing, acceleration and inspiration. See Challenge on page 9
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CPSO DetectivE MATT Horton is trained to deal with sexual assaults on campus.
Main concerns center around crimes committed by nonstudents Ravleen Kaur Vanguard Staff
In recent months, media coverage of sexual assault toward women at Portland State has been on the rise. From incidents of inappropriate sexual touching earlier this year to two recent cases of physical harassment and assault in campus elevators, many wonder whether violence toward women on campus is increasing.
Throughout 2012 to early July of this year, the PSU Campus Public Safety Office issued seven timely warnings related to incidents of violence or sexual harassment toward women. This seemed to mirror the previous year’s number; in 2011, eight incidents of forcible sex offenses on campus occurred, up from four in 2010 and two in 2009. All of the attackers were nonstudents
unaffiliated with the university; all of the victims were women. The vast majority of assaults from 2009–11 took place in residence halls. All of these cases occurred between people who knew each other and did not relate to issues of building access. CPSO said that a rise in reported offenses does not necessarily reflect an increase in actual cases. “We know that sex crimes are grossly underreported [by victims],” CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan said. A 2006–10 Justice Department survey found that 54 percent of sexual assault cases go unreported.
According to a 2012 Centers for Disease Control report, 19 percent of undergraduate women in the United States have experienced attempted or completed sexual assault since entering college. Women aged 20–24 experience the highest rates of rape and sexual assault, according to the report. “We aggressively investigate these [cases],” Zerzan said. “I want persons who commit these crimes to go to jail, and thus far we’ve been successful.” In the five sexual assault and abuse cases that gained recent media attention, See Violence on page 2
Egyptology lecture sheds new light on lost history Brown University professor discusses recent expedition
Professor Laurel Bestock recounts her work studying ancient Egyptian fortresses in Sudan.
MattHEW Ellis Vanguard Staff
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Brown University’s Dr. Laurel Bestock visited Portland State last Thursday to give a brief lecture in Smith Memorial Student Union detailing her recent archaeological work in Sudan researching several ancient Egyptian fortresses that were last excavated during the 1930s. About 50 guests attended Bestock’s lecture, which was co-sponsored by the Oregon Chapter of the American
Research Center in Egypt, a nonprofit organization based in Cairo that assists scholars in the Middle East and spreads cultural awareness with local chapters in the United States. The lecture was also sponsored by PSU’s Middle East Studies Center, founded in 1959 as the first federally funded undergraduate program for Middle East studies in the country. “We were very excited to welcome Dr. Bestock,” said John Sarr, president of the Oregon Chapter of the ARCE. “As an assistant professor at Brown working in both Egyptology and archaeology, she is really doing some great work.” Bestock’s lecture focused on
recent studies of a series of Egyptian fortresses around the Nile River in Sudan, which were long believed to have been destroyed in 1964 after Egypt built the Aswan Dam. The dam redirected the Nile and created a large reservoir, Lake Nasser, across the Egypt-Sudan border, which covered a number of ancient Egyptian fortresses with a blanket of water. “I did my senior honors thesis on these fortresses,” Bestock said, “and I would sit in the library and cry—literally cry. This was the late ’90s, and at that time we See lecture on page 3
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Vanguard ••Tuesday, Thursday, WEDNESDAY, Jan. Nov. JULY 31, 8, 2013 24, 2012 2013 • news • news • news
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The Associated Students of Portland State University have been given the monumental task of selecting and recommending a student candidate to serve on PSU’s new Board of Trustees, which, according to the nominee application, will serve as a “policy and decision-making body.” The search was prompted
by the passing of Senate Bill 270, which called for the immediate establishment of institutional boards for the University of Oregon and PSU. Per the bill, the Board of Trustees will consist of up to 15 members—the majority being members of the general public—and will include PSU’s president as a nonvoting member as well as one classified PSU employee, one PSU faculty member and
one PSU student member. While it has been established that the student member will have voting rights, it is yet to be determined whether the classified employee and faculty members will as well. While there was an option to have more than one student member to serve on the board, PSU chose to allow only one. ASPSU begun the search for its student nominee July 15 and will continue to accept applications until noon of July 26. Per the organization’s press release, it “will conduct
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Violence from page 1
Portland State’s layout creates a unique security situation four arrests have been made. No arrest has been made for a sexual assault that was reported in November 2012. While most cases of sexual assault involve people who know one another, recent incidents at PSU have involved offenders who have had no relationships with the women they assaulted. “To me that’s alarming. Stranger-to-stranger crime is unusual in the United States,” Zerzan said. A 2005 Justice Department report found that 73 percent of sexual assaults were perpetrated by a “nonstranger”—someone the victim was acquainted with. The university’s urban setting, which blends fluidly with the city’s Park Blocks, public transit and other parts of downtown, has raised questions about ease of accessibility for a would-be sexual attacker. CPSO recently announced new restrictions on campus building hours and a move toward electronic access. “We’re balancing convenience with safety and security,” Zerzan said. “We don’t want to lock our campus up, but do want to control access.” That said, to say that PSU’s campus lends itself to criminal activity wouldn’t be entirely accurate.
A comparison of crime rates at PSU against rates across the city would be difficult and statistically unfair, according to Officer Mike Bledsoe of the Portland Police Bureau. The university’s dense student population sets it apart from any other space in the city. “It would be hard to exactly replicate the square-block foot pad that PSU encompasses and find a similar foot pad elsewhere in the city,” Bledsoe said. Still, being situated in the midst of Portland’s Central Precinct means the university attracts crime similar to what downtown Portland as a whole experiences, Bledsoe explained. PPB often partners with CPSO in investigating and dealing with crimes on campus, including sexual assault. Earlier this year, CPSO reached out to PPB to hire veteran detective Matt Horton, who primarily investigates crimes of sexual and interpersonal violence at PSU. Horton was trained specifically to deal with sexual assaults on campus. Zerzan said that comparing PSU’s crime rates to those of other universities, even other members of the “Urban 21,” would be faulty. The Urban 21 is a group of
four-year colleges located in urban settings that share similar demographics and characteristics. Another large, public, urban university in the Northwest, the University of Washington in Seattle, reported two cases of forcible sexual assault on campus and 11 off-campus cases in 2011. UW is not part of the Urban 21. “You have to compare a lot of things, including surrounding neighborhoods. Each institution is unique,” Zerzan said. At PSU, President Wim Wiewel’s recently organized task force on public safety is looking to develop a holistic, “reasonable model” of law enforcement service, Zerzan said. The task force is examining, among other things, the concept of a fully sworn campus police department. When a woman was attacked by a registered sex offender in a campus elevator in early June, CPSO did not have the authority to write a search warrant for his residence, complicating his arrest. “We should be able to control that,” Zerzan said. “We should be able to look out for the welfare of our students who are in crisis.” The task force is expected to have specific recommendations prepared by November. This story is the first in a series exploring violence against women at PSU. It will continue next week.
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CPSO has been working with PSU’s administration to boost security on campus.
a very intentional and intense vetting process” before deciding which applicant will be nominated to sit on the PSU institutional board. ASPSU has good reason to be thorough in their search, since there may come a time when the nominated student board member is the only opposition against other committee members when it comes to issues that will affect PSU students, such as tuition increases. According to ASPSU president Harris Foster, the ideal
candidate will be passionate about “maintaining student autonomy” and knowledgeable about PSU’s inner workings, and “is someone who will fight for PSU’s students even when the president or anyone else on the institutional board does not agree with them.” Those interested in applying for the two-year position can find links to the application on ASPSU’s Facebook (facebook. com/ASPSUpdx) and Twitter (twitter.com/ASPortlandState) pages, as well as on the ASPSU website at aspsu.pdx.edu.
First ‘TEDsex’ event to host local sexperts
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The event’s organizer, brian forrester (not pictured), hopes to make sex easier to discuss.
Talks aim to spark dialogue about human sexuality Blake Hickman Vanguard Staff
On August 1, at 6 p.m., Portland will host its first-ever “TEDsex” event at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, at 1241 NW Johnson St. And it all started with a PSU student. Portland State senior Brian Forrester decided to organize the talk just a little over two weeks ago, but why the controversial subject? “Sexuality is a fundamental part of the human experience,” Forrester said, “but we don’t really talk about it, and I want to—and by all the RSVPs I’m getting, I think a lot of other people do too.” The “TEDsex” talk in Portland is set to feature three local “sexperts” who will present indepth 15-minute educational lectures. The session will end with community dialogue. Forrester hopes that the talk will help people get more comfortable discussing their own sexuality. “Sexuality is complex and complicated,” Forrester said. “As a student, I’m eager to learn about what it looks like and means to other people. “The smallest kernel of knowledge or the unexpected question can really make you
re-examine the way you view the world. That’s what ‘TEDsex’ is about. In theory, I think that’s what college is supposed to be about, too.” Originally a project of the Sapling Foundation, TED Talks have expanded nationwide, beyond their initial one-off conference to provide lectures related to “ideas worth spreading.” Forrester’s event has already received support from the community, with a host of sponsors including Planned Parenthood, Q Center, the Cascade AIDS Project, PSU’s Women’s Resource Center and Tea with TED, a Portland State campus group that brings students together on a monthly basis to discuss concepts from TED Talks over tea. Confirmed speakers include PSU’s Ben AndersonNathe, a professor of social work who leads the Child and Family Studies program at PSU, as well as Human Rights Campaign volunteer Miguel Cobian. Event organizers are still looking for a third speaker for the evening. More than 100 audience RSVPs have been received since the event launched 2 weeks ago. “TEDsex” is a free talk hosted at the Pacific Northwest College of Art on August 1, 6–8 p.m. To attend, register online at tedsex.eventbrite.com.
NEWS NEWS NEWSNEWS •••TUESDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, • TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY JULY MAY24, 17, 1, 2013 2012 • VANGUARD
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:
“Do you plan on traveling this summer?” Austin Maggs Vanguard Staff
Chris Cha, 31, a physics senior, plans to travel to Seattle once the term is over. “It’s a nice place to travel, especially for Pike’s Place. They have a lot of neat arts and crafts stores set up that makes it worth the while,” he said.
Jessica Cha, 23, a psychology senior, also plans to travel after the term ends. She plans to go to Eugene. “I have a wedding and a bachelorette party, so that should be fun…I might possibly go to the beach, also,” she said.
Gabe Granach, 23, a senior arts and letters major, has several weekend trips planned while working at PSU’s campus radio station, KPSU, during the week. “There’s too much going on at the home front to be traveling, so I’ll have several weekend trips, but that’s about it…I’ll probably make a trip to the beach or Seattle for a weekend,” he said.
Jenna Saadech, 23, a senior double majoring in economics and Arabic, already traveled to Chicago for a conference on socialism. She also plans to take an outdoor trip. “The conference was called Socialism 2013. It was about socialist theory, economics, oppression and all that…I’ll probably just go to the beach or camping. Something outdoorsy,” she said.
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brown university professor laurel Bestock presents her findings from her 2012 research trip to Lake Nasser in northern Sudan. lecture from page 1
Research expedition follows 2004 discovery thought they were gone. Gone, 8,000 years of history, gone.” But after an exploration by an archaeologist from the British Museum in 2004 revealed a small inlet above water that was supposed to be underwater, Bestock and her team knew they had to do everything they could to get into Sudan to investigate the fortress. The only problem? The tense security situation in Sudan means that getting in as an American citizen isn’t exactly a walk in the park. “It’s not exactly legal to go to Sudan,” Bestock said with a hint of sarcasm, “and even if you find a way in, the American government won’t let you bring anything.” After filling out stacks of paperwork and applications with the American government, Egypt and Sudan, Bestock and her team eventually found a way in that would require them to fly their equipment in through Austria and buy everything they needed to live on once they arrived, with countless permits in hand. “It
was an absolute nightmare,” Bestock said. “I lost days of sleep off my life.” But once they arrived, the excavation got underway— and the team found themselves quickly forgetting the paperwork and legal difficulties they had encountered as they endured 120-plus-degree afternoons and clouds of insects. Even worse, hours were
“This was the late ’90s, and at that time we thought they were gone. Gone, 8,000 years of history, gone.” Dr. Laurel Bestock
lost to the afternoon heat, when the team would have to rest in the shade with their feet in buckets of water after only a few hours of work in the morning. After fighting with their GPS, which didn’t seem to want to cooperate with
American satellites by sending a signal from Sudan, Bestock’s team found the site: an ancient Egyptian settlement known as Uronarti first discovered by Egyptologist George Reisner in 1930 and long believed to be submerged beneath Lake Nasser. At the site, the team found scraps of pottery and what appeared to be a large trash dump—either ancient or from a Harvard excavation near the area a few years earlier—all of which offered more questions for archaeologists than answers, driving Bestock and her team to look into options to return in the near future in order to extend their research at Uronarti and nearby sites. “Just the simple fact that this is here gives us such great hope for other sites in the area, and we hope to get back soon,” Bestock said. Thursday’s lecture was one in a series brought by PSU’s Middle East Studies Center Lecture Series. For more information on future events, visit pdx.edu/middle-eaststudies, and for information about the American Research Center in Egypt, visit arce.org.
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VANGUARD • WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2013 • OPinion
OPINION
EDITOR: BREANA HARRIS OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692
The rise of e-quality The downfall of well-written books Page by Page Brie Barbee Miles Sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
Will we pay attention? Trayvon Martin haunts our country’s consciousness Everywhere and Here Eva-Jeanette Rawlins
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he trial of Trayvon Martin is over. Yes, I meant Trayvon Martin, not George Zimmerman. When you think of murder trials, you rarely think of the victims as being on trial. They’re the victims, after all. They’re the ones who lost their lives. They are not here to speak for themselves anymore. They are usually painted with the most sorrowful of colors, their lives mourned and their memories safeguarded. Funny how different this trial was. The fact that a child’s—yes, a child’s—life was brutally taken often seemed all but lost in the courtroom. In the end, what it all boiled down to is that the way he looked, what he wore and how he acted somehow justified his murder. It’s not every day you see the victim on trial for his own murder, but that’s exactly what happened. The thing is, there’s not a whole lot more to be said. Every talk show and commentator has covered it from start to finish. It’s over. Maybe there will be a federal civil rights trial. Maybe there won’t. But will it matter? In the end, this trial, like the O.J. Simpson murder trial, revealed more than just the fact that Florida has some ludicrous laws (though it did that very well). It showed that we are a country paralyzed by the issue of race—transfixed by it, yet utterly inept at understanding and talking about it. And I say “understanding” rather than “solving” because I don’t think you can solve it any more than you can rip people’s hearts from their
bodies, reshape them, put them back in and expect them to beat differently. Racial tension exists because people exist. We’re the ones who invented race, after all. Does that mean we can’t grapple with it or find hope and healing? Absolutely not. Too often, people want to solve the problem so we can “move on” (whatever that means) despite the fact that in almost no situation does that ever work.
Racial tension exists because people exist. We’re the ones who invented race, after all. Does that mean we can’t grapple with it or find hope and healing? Absolutely not.
It’s not just ignorant to suggest that a centuries-old violation of human rights based on skin color can be solved and moved on from— it’s really the problem. We have the audacity to think that as long as we don’t see or experience it overtly, it can’t really be that bad. Then trials like this throw it on our laps again in a very public way and show us we’re nowhere
closer to resolution than we were 18 years ago. Regardless of the details of the case, it feels like deja vu. In a Huffington Post/YouGov poll, the majority of whites thought Zimmerman was not guilty and the majority of blacks thought he was. We watched the same trial, heard the same testimony and delivered completely different verdicts. Sure, there was a huge national discussion about the “stand your ground” law, but the overarching theme of the trial was undeniably race, and it split us squarely down the middle. The question is, will we take a moment to listen instead of talk? I hope so. Otherwise, in another few years, we’ll be slapped with another massive headline and still be scratching our heads, wondering what hit us. As progressive and modern as we think we are, it sometimes seems we’re moving backwards. Perhaps that’s just pessimism, but the fact that we are still as divided as we were almost 20 years after the Simpson trial means we’ve had a whole new generation born in the meantime and we’re still thinking the same way. Sadly for Trayvon Martin, this trial served as a barometer for our country, and while I hear a lot of voices, I wonder if there’s any listening. Not just polite listening, but the kind that says, “I’m willing to give up my opinion for a moment to hear yours. I will set aside my experience for a minute to understand yours. I’m willing to accept I could be wrong so I can hear what you think.” Our country is broken by the sins of its past and yet they do not remain there. They follow us and will continue to follow us unless we stop trying to be right and start trying to understand.
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s an English major and avid reader, I have read my fair share of books. Even after reading my textbooks for school, there is something comforting about curling up with a good book. Reading can be a wonderful hobby, especially once you find a brilliant author who continues to spoil you with hours of entertainment in a $10 paperback. That being said, I have also read an unfortunate number of poorly written books, which nowadays seem to be popping up all over the place. Digital books, which do not require any physical materials to create (once you have something to read them on), are changing the way people read, as well as changing the way people publish. Each year, 2.2 million unique titles are printed around the world. That figure is a bit smaller if you only include books written in English, but that’s still a huge number of books created annually. The rise of tablets and e-readers such as the iPad, Kindle and Nook has contributed a great deal to this increased number of books. E-books can now provide an inexpensive and easy means for writers around the world to get published, even if they aren’t any good at writing. While it has become easier to get your book published, it has also gotten significantly more difficult to make your writing stand out in the sea of published authors. It can be frightening for any hopeful author who wants to get famous.
Their writing may never be read because there are so many other books out there. And it is a legitimate concern for any newly published writer. With the number of books that are currently in print, and the number that continue to get published every year, we are officially creating culture faster than anyone can consume it.
Is this overwhelming number of books pushing readers away from reading? Or is digital reading simply giving wannabe writers false hope?
Even if you spent most of your life reading, it would still be impossible to read all the books that are currently on the market, and that’s not even taking into account the new books that are being published each year. It’s now possible for two avid readers to never read a single book in common. Is this overwhelming number of books pushing readers away from reading? Or is digital reading simply giving wannabe writers false hope? Unless you were not
particularly fond of reading in the first place, it shouldn’t be possible for any number of books out there to truly discourage someone from reading. It should give you a greater incentive to read, and a chance to discover new and unique books all the time. However, with record numbers of manuscripts in the world today, the nature of literature has changed. The chances of someone publishing a really popular and well-written book these days seems a lot slimmer when readers are forced to weed through an increasingly large number of books. Hopeful writers might feel uneasy at the thought that getting something published no longer seems like the last step toward getting famous. It is now crucial to stand out in other ways. If someone is lucky enough to get their work published, in print or as an e-book, it doesn’t guarantee them any amount of fame or renown. This might not seem like a good thing, but, when you think about it, writers who are truly good at what they do will get popular, even if they are competing with a large number of other authors. While the rise of digital literature has changed the way that books are being published, it has not really changed the fundamental aspects of publication and reading. Reading is still words on a page, page after page, even if you are reading them on a screen rather than a piece of paper. And while there may be more badly written books out there since the rise of e-books, there are still well-written books out there, as well. It is just a matter of picking up a book, reading and finding out what you enjoy.
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OPinion NEWS NEWSNEWS •••TUESDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, • TUESDAY, JANUARY JANUARY JULY MAY24, 17, 1, 2013 2012 • VANGUARD
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Betrayal at Twitter The social media platform hands users to the French Ms. Fudge’s Sweet Nothings Stephanie Fudge-Bernard
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Comic chameleon Does Comic-Con need to embrace change? Guest Column Breana Harris
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nother year, another successful ComicCon International. Last weekend, 130,000 people packed the San Diego Convention Center, bringing a $175 million boost to the city’s economy. Depending on what you care about, a lot of cool stuff happened. Warner Brothers announced that the sequel to Man of Steel will be a Superman and Batman team-up movie. Some very lucky panel attendees got to see the full pilot episode of Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And 20th Century Fox’s “surprise” panel included, as predicted, pretty much every member of the mammoth cast of X-Men: Days of Future Past. I attended Comic-Con last year, when I still lived in Southern California. It was my last hurrah before leaving behind smog and celebrities for rain and hipsters. I’m sure many PSU students have experienced the con before, but if you haven’t, let me give you the low down. It’s hot. There are a lot of people. If you’re remotely interested in getting into Hall H and seeing the big panels full of famous people, lining up at 4 a.m. is probably smart. You will then wait in the longest line you have ever waited in for at least six hours before you are crammed into a tiny seat next to obese 11-yearolds, college guys in Ghostface masks or middle-aged women in catsuits. All of whom smell very badly. Then, you’ll wait through every single panel that comes before the panel you want to see. I know many conventiongoers are actual comic book fans, not just film geeks and celebrity junkies like me. But
I don’t really feel like the floor is that much better. It’s hard to cut through the massive herd to inspect the severely overpriced merchandise: $8.50 for the world’s worst hamburger, $16 for a Doctor Who comic book, $35 for a picture with Counselor Troi and Geordi. Walking around like a zombie for four days? Priceless. That’s not to say I didn’t have some great times at Comic-Con. But the amount of time I spent standing in line or being told by a friendly security guard, “You seem like a nice person. The line is six blocks long. Don’t bother,” far outweighs the time I spent actually doing things. If you Google, you can find articles from as far back as 2005 asking the question: Has Comic-Con gotten too big? There’s no doubt the convention has physically outgrown its premises. With 600 hours of programming, they’re now holding some panels in the Hilton next door—or turning exhibitors away altogether. That’s part of the reason the San Diego Convention Center has cut Comic-Con’s rent nearly in half. According to the San Diego Union-Tribute, they now pay just $150,000 to use the convention center, a fraction of the amount of money they rake in. A couple years ago, concerns about the convention’s size were so major that cities like Anaheim and Las Vegas tried to convince organizers to move. But with this break on rent prices, Comic-Con has contracted to remain in San Diego through 2016. What happens after that? I get why San Diego wants to keep Comic-Con. It goes a long way toward funding the city’s fire fighters, police and
school districts. But it’s also way too big. Going to the con was just a three-hour drive for me. My sister lives in San Diego, so I didn’t even need a hotel. But people fly in from all over the world for Comic-Con. Imagine showing up from Australia just to find out you’re probably not going to see or do nine out of 10 things on your con wish list. I also attended WonderCon Anaheim last year. ComicCon’s little brother was actually a lot more intimate and fun. I waited less than an hour for the Prometheus panel, and I was four rows away from Michael Fassbender. What’s not to like? Could Comic-Con ever be like that again? There’s a plan to expand the convention center by 400,000 feet, which is part of San Diego’s push to keep Comic-Con in the city. But that won’t help with those lines. Why not expand it to two weekends? It worked well for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. I know panels can’t be duplicated for two weekends like concerts can, and that part of the reason studios and fans love Comic-Con is the thrill of big surprises and exclusive footage—most of which turns up online in a few days anyway. But since it’s already impossible to get into all the panels you want to see, why not split up the lineup? Let people choose which weekend is more appealing. That gives them a chance to see more things. Did I mention I got conSARS for two weeks last year? That’s the nickname for the infamous illness that comes from being around all those people with not enough hand sanitizer. Comic-Con is stupid. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to see if my website login still works. Ticket sales for the 2014 convention are just around the corner.
witter has released five names to French prosecutors after fighting for months against a court order. by a private French citizens’ group. The tweeters who were given up had posted antiSemitic tweets that went against French anti-hate laws. The site released a statement trying to rationalize the duplicity with stuff about a “valid legal request” and making sure it was clear that the information was passed on to law enforcement and not just the FrenchUnion of Jewish Students and SOS Racisme (the organizations that sought the identities). As an American, I feel it’s incredibly important to uphold free speech and protect it for everyone, no matter what incredibly wretched, hateful words the five individuals spewed on their pages. Unfortunately, conflicting values across countries make that very difficult to do. Governments increasingly hound sites like Twitter for more and more information, and it’s cause for alarm for anyone who uses social media. In this instance, Twitter appealed the decision—to no avail—in June. Despite being pretty well known for theoretically protecting its users’ free-speech rights, it is not the first time Twitter has caused a commotion for abusing its relationship with its tweeps. During the last Olympics, the company actually turned off an account belonging to British journalist Guy Adams when he continually criticized one of Twitter’s corporate partners in his tweets. Twitter’s sketchy handling
of its users is not insignificant for us here in the United States, because such privacy invasions are not unique. Other Internet giants have also faced pressure to meet the legal restraints of other countries, adhering to intense political pressure and making money all at the same time.
In just the second half of 2012, Twitter had 1,009 government requests for user information. Of those, a whopping 815 came from none other than Uncle Sam himself.
Google, for one famous example, went against its own mission statement when it finally caved in to China’s demands to censor its content. More recently, Tumblr caused some uproar when it decided to change how not-safe-for-work and adult content is viewed. Yahoo purchased the company back in May for $1.1 billion and promised to “let Tumblr be Tumblr,” but evidently couldn’t even wait six months before changing it. Now indexing is disabled on anything tagged as “adult,”
which makes it incredibly difficult to find all those nudie pictures without a direct link. These kinds of shenanigans have implications that impact how the world finds porn— and, possibly more importantly, how it communicates. As other countries grow toward their own levels of free speech, minor injustices such as these only serve to slow progress. Plus, Twitter giving out user account names always means they could (and probably will) do it again, and for who knows what reason. The Internet increasingly facilitates global communication and provides an outlet for what we all hope is anonymous discussion, but perhaps we shouldn’t be so naive. In just the second half of 2012, Twitter had 1,009 government requests for user information. Of those, a whopping 815 came from none other than Uncle Sam himself. One of the problems with social media sites is how easy it is to pretend that our information is protected, anonymous and safe, or at least that we are uninteresting enough that our data will not be handed out. Unfortunately, that just does not seem to be reality these days. Still, Twitter is perhaps one of the most honest examples of social media, with its transparency pages that are easily accessible on the Internet. At Transparency. Twitter.com, anyone can look up exactly which countries are requesting data and user accounts, usually in connection with criminal investigations. Perhaps as we continue further into the age of tweets, posts and hashtags, we need to remain a bit more paranoid about protecting our information. We can’t always trust these sites to do it for us.
© Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press
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VANGUARD ••TThursday, WEDNESDAY, uesday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, Jan. JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY JULY 31, 8, 2013 24, 2012 10, 25, 26, 2013 •2, 2012 2011 ARTS •2012 ARTS • ••ARTS &•OPINION OPINION CULTURE &ARTS CULTURE & CULTURE & CULTURE
ARTS & CULTURE
EDITOR: Turner Lobey ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694
Endless summer eats Five places around campus guaranteed to make you loosen your belt Blake Hickman Vanguard Staff
It’s summer term. You want to graduate on time (say, in five years instead of seven) so you load yourself up with as many credits as possible. Meanwhile, you’re subjected on a daily basis to seeing pictures in your Facebook feed of that guy from last term’s Spanish class on vacation in Machu Picchu. But even if you’re too busy to go on an expensive trip, there are some places where you can get at least a slice of summer in that hour break between classes.
New Taste of India 1901 SW Fourth Ave. Remember that episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 in which Brandon and Dylan get stuck in an tribal sweat lodge? (Season five, episode 17—and yes, it’s on YouTube.) I had a similar experience eating here with a classmate of mine. We both sat in the summer sun, amazingly spicy curry wraps in hand, sweating buckets and reaching a new level of spiritual foodie awareness (OK, maybe not that last part). Let me tell you about that curry wrap, though. You know how delicious naan bread is when you dip it in curry? Imagine what is, essentially, a naan burrito. Hungry yet? Be sure to ask for it extra spicy so you too can have the sort of epiphanic moment that can only come from the combination of summer heat and the spiciest of curries.
Lily Oriental Food and Bubble Tea Southwest Fourth and Hall streets After you sweat yourself silly over a curry wrap, be sure walk down the street and grab a nice, cold bubble tea. Having trouble deciding on a flavor? Try taro—a root vegetable, believe it or not, with a sweet, almost grape-like color and flavor. Pro tip: be sure to get your bubble tea in blended form for maximum bubble-laden refreshment.
Joe’s Burgers 540 SW College St. On the ground floor of University Pointe,
Joe’s Burgers offers students the most traditional of all-American fare—burgers and hot dogs served on the sort of almost-stale white buns that invoke summer afternoons spent with Super Soakers and Hi-C Ecto-Cooler. Try the Diablo-Dog, a hot dog wrapped in bacon and deep fried, served with chili and jalapenos. Joe’s is also home to some of the best milkshakes around, with seasonal flavors that will blow your mind like rich peanut butter cup or summer blackberry. Pro tip No. 2: Joe’s has one of the best veggie burgers in town; it’s larger and more complex in flavor than its meaty cousin.
Tartberry Too 536 SW College St. There’s something intangibly delicious about frozen yogurt. Something about being able to tell yourself “It’s just yogurt!” makes you feel like you’re making a healthy choice as you pile on enough toppings to get a near-$6 sticker shock after its all priced and weighed. There’s been a proliferation of frozen yogurt eateries around the city as of late, and I can assure you that Tartberry Too is among the best. The stuff is customizably delicious. Tartberry Too even serves it up in smoothie form. Smoothies are healthy, right?
Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen 1038 SW Stark St. After a late night of studying, or imbibing one too many of Vanguard writer Kat Audick’s berry-tart margaritas from the July 2 issue, there’s just something refreshing about a delicious bagel on a summer morning. Kenny and Zuke’s has some of the best in Portland, and if you’re feeling ambitious you can even stick around for a full breakfast. I’ve only tried it once—it’s hard for me to pass up a tasty bagel—but the salmon hash is divine. For those looking to get their bagel on, Kenny and Zuke’s has the best shmear in town, including maple-walnut cream cheese that will satisfy even the sweetest of teeth and a lox cream cheese that is immensely rich and filling with just the slightest savory flavor of lox. Spare us, East-Coast-elitist-Portland-bagel-haters, will ya?
jinyi qi/VANGUARD STAFf
Beat the Heat in sugar-coated style at Tartberry Too.
© Cellar Door Games
Death is inevitable in Cellar Door’s Rogue Legacy.
Dying—you know, the family business Review of Cellar Door’s Rogue Legacy Brandon Staley Vanguard Staff
Rogue Legacy is a story about family. It’s different from a lot of similar stories, though, in that most involve an internal strife that gets resolved in a touching scene, culminating in old grudges being set aside in favor of the cathartic reaffirmation of familial ties. There’s usually a reunion. Someone gets married. Rogue Legacy is more about your children’s children running into a castle and hitting ghost horses with swords. So, there are differences. The game has been touted as a “roguelite” by developer Cellar Door, meaning that they set out to create a more approachable roguelike (a label that has become synonymous with unforgiving, tough-as-nails gameplay and severe punishments for player death). Was Cellar Door able to successfully tread the tenuous roguelike line, or did their compromises cause Rogue Legacy to come up short? In the game, you are forever storming an ever-changing castle, pushing deeper and deeper against increasingly difficult resistance. Your objective is to slay four bosses, thus clearing your way to the final encounter. Doing so in one run is nigh impossible (some enterprising individual will eventually prove me wrong, but trust me; it’s really hard), so death is inevitable. Unlike in most games, though, you don’t simply respawn. Instead, you just spawn. Subsequent runs in Rogue Legacy are played as one of three children of the now-defunct former hero. Each child has a range of traits that make the game easier, harder or weirder. Traits range in effect and severity. Some, like colorblindness and nostalgia, simply apply filters to the screen (a black-and-white filter for colorblindness, a sepia-toned filter for nostalgia) that only alter the game visually. Some traits alter the gameplay altogether. CIP (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain) removes your health bar. Dementia brings enemies that cannot harm you or be harmed, and occasionally your hero will hear sinister noises. Vertigo flips the castle on its head, forcing you to play on the ceiling. (Yes, this is maddening. Yes, you need to try it at least once.) With so much emphasis on traits passed down through the generations, you might be inclined to think that, through selective breeding, you could craft an Ubermensch the likes of which the world has never seen before, so laden in positive traits that enemies quake in his or her wake. Rogue Legacy isn’t quite Eugenics: The Game, though. The qualities and classes of each heir are randomized, meaning that you can’t choose the traits they inherit. Occasionally this
randomization forced me to make compromises in terms of the negative effects I was willing to bear in exchange for that one trait that could make my run easier. There are ways of permanently enhancing your lineage, though. Points can be added to a skill tree using the gold you collect on a run. Skill tree customization, which can range in scope from health increases to unlocking entirely new classes, effects all subsequent generations, the in-game conceit being that you are upgrading your family castle and thus the enhancements survive through the ages. Runes and armor upgrades, also bought with gold, offer permanent enhancements. Runes attach to armor and can alter your character’s abilities, enabling such features as double-jumping and life drain, among others. The central bummer in Rogue Legacy stems from these permanent enhancements, which steadily increase in cost. At some point I felt like I was grinding areas I had already conquered in search of the gold needed to upgrade my lineage, thus allowing the next generation to forge deeper into areas I had already been to but was simply too underpowered to make any progress in. An entire run devolving into a gold-hunting mission seems like a negative mark on the game, and it was in fact rather tedious. But Rogue Legacy has been designed around this tedium, sort of. The Miner class (classes are also randomized, much like traits) is designed so that the player receives an greater percentage of the gold collected. Of course, since classes are randomized, you might find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of your monetary needs—waiting for the right class to pop up so that you can do what you already know you need to do. The same goes for bosses, many of which have weaknesses to certain classes or traits built in. You just have to wait for those classes and traits to materialize. In the end, the grind feels like padding masquerading as difficulty. Rogue Legacy is a fascinating mixture of things I really like and a thick layer of filler that seems to give way at a moment’s notice. Exclusively for the PC, it is a tragedy that this game isn’t on the consoles so that it can reach a wider audience. Cellar Door is onto something great with Rogue Legacy, but the game needs a little more time in the oven. Regardless, it’s worth picking up Rogue Legacy, if only to experience the eccentric world the developers have created.
Cellar Door presents Rogue Legacy Price: $15 Platform: PC
ArtsArts & Culture & Culture • WEDNESDAY, •Tuesday,JULY Jan. 24, 31, 2013 • VANGUARD
Portobello bison burgers with apple slaw Get wild with this gourmet grub! Kat Audick
Ingredients Bison Burger 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 medium portobello mushroom caps, chopped 1 lb ground bison 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Apple slaw and topping 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced 1/4 golden delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced 1/4 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced 1 tbsp mayonnaise 1/4 tsp sugar 1 tsp cider vinegar 1 tsp olive oil 1 tsp stone-ground mustard 1/3 cup chevre cheese 1 cup caramelized onions 4 kaiser rolls
Vanguard Staff
Hey summer, have you heard? Bison burgers are where it’s at. Leaner than your average chuck burger, bison meat has a rich and decadent flavor that perfectly complements delicious apple slaw and creamy chevre cheese. Pair with baked parmesan-garlic fries and you’ll be in for a truly gourmet dining experience. The addition of minced portobello mushroom makes these burgers extra juicy when pan-fried. It also helps that lean bison retains a lot of moisture despite its low fat content. Caramelized onions can be a tad time consuming, but are completely fine to make ahead of time. Keep prepared onions covered in your fridge for up to three days and reheat with a quick saute over medium heat. Baked fries are a delicious alternative to their traditional, deep-fried cousin, but can be
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Parmesan-garlic fries 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into half-inch wedges 5 tsp olive oil, divided 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 3 cloves garlic, minced in danger of drying out in the oven. Try flashboiling your cut fries for 2 to 3 minutes before baking to retain moisture.
Miles sanguinetti/VANGUARD STAFf
Apple Slaw makes the perfect side to your better–than–beef bison burger. onion, portobello mushrooms, salt and pepper until minced (avoid blending to a paste). In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, then add mushroom and onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are lightly browned and excess liquid has evaporated, about 8 to 11 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, thoroughly mix with ground bison and form into 4 half-inchthick patties. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook burgers for approximately 4 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness.
Apple slaw and topping
Instructions Bison Burger In a food processor or blender, pulse chopped
Slice celery ribs and apples into thin matchsticks. Toss in a medium bowl with mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, olive oil and stone-ground mustard. Caramelize onions by sauteing 1
chopped yellow onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top your cooked burger with apple slaw, caramelized onions and a smear of creamy chevre cheese and serve on a kaiser roll.
Parmesan-garlic fries Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Flash boil potato wedges for 2 to 3 minutes, then drain and set aside. Toss wedges with 4 tablespoons olive oil and arrange on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 12 minutes. Turn potatoes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Meanwhile, saute minced garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss wedges with garlic and additional parmesan as desired and serve immediately.
Double, double toil and trouble Forest Park is rumored to be home to wicked witches and paranormal entities Jaime Dunkle Vanguard Staff
No Lovecraftian tentacles peered out from the shadows as I had expected—well, hoped—except the random gnarled root sticking out from the pale, muddied earth, obstructing the trail and mocking me. Allegedly, this part of Forest Park in Northwest Portland, Macleay Park, is home to nightly hauntings. According to Portland’s Parks and Recreation, a blood-soaked dispute between the Balch and Stump families, who lived in the area in the 19th century, resulted in two deaths. None of the official history suggests anything witchy to explain the nickname Witch’s Castle. The rest area where the Lower Macleay Trail meets the Wildwood Trail is almost a mile from the Macleay Park entrance. Although it’s rumored to have been the home
of witches, no proof of that exists except via hearsay, poorly written blogs and ghost-hunter smartphone apps (I’ll explain later). A plaque in the park says it best: “Near this site stood the cabin of Danford Balch…In 1859, Balch was convicted and hanged for shooting his son-in-law.” After an escape from jail, Balch was rearrested in July of 1859 and sent to the gallows later that fall. It was the first legal public hanging in Oregon. Radiant with ancient neon-green moss, an overhanging branch arched near-animate above the rock-riddled pathway. Just as I passed beneath it, my mind recoiled with sudden paranoia. Wind bellowed in my ear like a bemoaned spirit speaking in high-frequency ultrasonic noise. This was only the trail to Witch’s Castle, and I was already launched full-force into some paranormal mind-funk frenzy. At least it was a free, natural high; I didn’t have to blow money on
Spectral speculations surround this decrepit building in Macleay Park.
© Rick Hamell
cheap beer to get in the zone. My brain swam in my head as my ears buzzed. An invisible, clammy, toaster-oven hot hand pressed through my skull and on my amygdala—but then the creek’s soft babbling soothed the fear. All of this happened within five to 10 seconds before I resurfaced. Rocks crunched under my feet. Muggy pockets hung in oppressive tufts as flying insects breezed by, unaffected by the sticky air. Primordial trees that once towered stories high now crisscrossed beside the trail. At the trail intersection stood the moss-assaulted stone structure: Witch’s Castle, rumored to be the hanging site of the most nefarious Northwest witches. According to Parks and Rec, it was a bathroom built in 1929, later gutted after a hurricane destroyed it in 1962. As I ascended the stone structure, nothing ominous stood out. It was merely an archaic ruin of past architectural aesthetics and Oregon history. A log across from the building summoned me. I strolled over. My neck twisted to catch the view down a sharp stony decline—I’m a little acrophobic. The height wasn’t much, maybe 10 or 15 feet, but it felt like Vista “Suicide” Bridge. One of my friends (you didn’t think I was going alone, did you?) pointed across the park and blurted out, “I wonder if that’s where ol’ boy was hanged,” half joking, half serious, and wholly and brutally inappropriate. It wasn’t the gallows’ grounds; it was a dilapidated restroom. Frayed rope hung overhead, from what appeared to be a Douglas fir, maybe 30 to 40 feet high. My friends were oblivious to my sweatgenerating soliloquy. After half an hour, around 9 p.m., two girls unabashedly approached Witch’s Castle, laughing, completely unafraid. Carrie Marino, a student at Portland Community College, was showing her friend Tracie Garber the infamous hangout. “This is my destination. Today, we were drinking, and I was like, ‘Let’s go to the
fort,’” Marino said. Without letting a full second pass, she said, “What’s the history? What’s up with this place? I feel an energy here.” I told her I’d let her think about it for a moment, and then I said to her, “A family used to own this property.” “Goosebumps,” Marino said, pointing at the hair standing on her forearms. “I’m pretty psychic. I keep seeing, like, two kids: a girl, a boy. There is a family. Four. Peaceful, though.” The Balch’s had nine children, according to Parks and Rec, but whatever. Nine and four look almost alike. “Still, I don’t feel creeped out by this place; I feel kind of whimsical about it,” Marino said. Garber looked at Marino and said, “It’s awesome. It is like you said, it’s magical.” Kris Lively, founder of the Portland Oregon Paranormal Society and a private investigator and corrections officer, said he didn’t know a lot about Witch’s Castle. He said it’s a hangout for teens who end up with trespassing charges. “To be honest, real paranormal groups stay away from this place because all it really is is a rumor,” Lively said. “Most places, we can do a history, we can do a background check and actually know if there’s proof of murders, or whatever there might be. But you picked a really tough place.” Even though he didn’t have any investigative evidence of Witch’s Castle being haunted, Lively had some top-secret ghost-hunter resources—an app he had to hang up the phone to use before calling me back—to finally reveal the origin of Witch’s Castle’s nickname. One story that seems totally fabricated claims it’s a place where witches were hanged. The second legend at least has roots in known history, stating that Balch’s wife bewitched him. “Which means she cursed him—you know, make him do something [with] the power of a curse,” Lively said. “So when he was hung, everybody thought it was her fault because she bewitched him. And that’s what gives it the name Witch’s Castle.”
Arts & news Culture • WEDNESDAY, •Tuesday,JULY Jan.24, 31, 2013 2013 • VANGUARD VANGUARD
Former Portland State student publishes book Matt ‘Danger’ Stares’ new book now available electronically Austin Maggs Vanguard Staff
The book is called Extremely Successful Book and the author is recent Portland State graduate Matt “Danger” Stares. Stares’ book is an abstract comedy compilation of essays he wrote in class, including one linking space and politics. Stares also has a chapter composed of Craigslist advertisements, which was the book’s main selling point. “I guess they were so ridiculously obnoxious or funny that they approached me about writing a whole book of Craigslist ads, but I told them about all of this [other] stuff I was working on,” Stares said. “Some of them were class essays that were slapstick-y and got turned into chapters in the book.” PSU’s director of publishing, Per Henningsgaard, who taught Stares in his “Creative Business of Book Publishing” class, advised him on how to market his book. They mostly discussed the social media aspect of book marketing. “Matt and I had quite a few conversations about publishing,” Henningsgaard said. “I think that it was a matter of hearing a variety of different approaches to market a book… The more samples you look at, the more successful you are in publishing your book.” Other PSU resources Stares used in developing Extremely Successful Book included maxing out his 500-page paper limit per term and printing advance digital copies in the PSU libraries. He would also spend time before classes writing in the local sports bar, the Cheerful Tortoise. “I don’t care for writing in libraries or around the
COURTESY OF Matt Stares
Matt “Danger” Stares released his book on Amazon after more than a year of work. student centers because it’s not conducive for me to write around other students,” Stares said. “I like being in a dark corner with some background bar rabble…I’d just set up my laptop, get a $2 breakfast and coffee, and just write it for at least three hours every morning.” The book was Stares’ first, and was published through Word Branch Publishing. Extremely Successful Book is the first comedy book for Word Branch, which typically specializes in science fiction. Stares was granted 40 percent of royalties while Word Branch and Amazon each get 30 percent. In addition, Word Branch provided Stares editorial advice and copyediting sessions. Stares was happy with these resources compared to what many authors get. “I took a publications class to study how other authors were treated in the past, and this is actually some of the best treatment that an author [can get],” Stares said. “They ultimately let me write whatever I
wanted, which was nice.” Stares recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in arts and literature with a minor in writing. He spent more than a year working on Extremely Successful Book and wrote more than seven drafts before releasing the book on Amazon. “You just have to keep working through it. I would just open my Word document every day, going through it, making sure it’s good, adding to it, reading it, being like, ‘Is this funny at all?’ So only the A-plus [material] gets put out there,” Stares said. Stares gave copies of his book to several friends, including Los Angeles comedian Joe Sib and TV comedian Michael Ian Black. He also gave excerpts to both Henningsgaard and his sister Arica. “Matt’s hilarious,” Henningsgaard said. “He has a terrific sense of humor and unique style in both his writing and his humor.” Extremely Successful Book is available in e-book format for $2.99, with a hard copy due later this year.
Challenge from page 1
ReTHINK PSU hopes to make online learning more accessible to students When the awards were announced, the reframing and acceleration categories were grouped together and received a total of $2,310,000 and the inspiration category received a total of $200,000. An additional $250,000 is reserved for ePortfolio, platforms and information technology, and $240,000 for centralized project management support over the next two years. As proposals and projects were submitted and evaluated, students had the opportunity to look online and comment on them. Andrews said that this was an important and innovative touch to the challenge because it shows that student input is valuable. One focus of the ReTHINK PSU project is to change the way PSU uses online learning. Andrews pointed out that the school is working toward putting entire programs online so that they can be more accessible to students. “[A large part of ] ReTHINK is to be able to provide lower costs to students and provide greater access,” Andrews said. The current format for most online and hybrid classes is to have the class meet once a week for the professor’s lecture, and then do the majority of work and discussion
online. Faculty and staff are working to change to a structure where lectures and readings are posted online and the one class meeting a week is spent on assignments and group work. One of the projects awarded in the reframing and acceleration category is focused on reframing chemistry and biology education. “The chemistry department and the biology department [will be] working together to actually meld some of their courses and use some online formats to be able to do that,” Andrews said. Another big project getting funded is the University Studies Online General Education Pathways project. UNST will receive $275,000, the most funding for a single project. Rowanna Carpenter, project leader and director of assessment and upper division clusters for UNST, said that their “project is basically to move the general education pathways online so that students who are getting online degrees are getting more streamlined general education pathways.” Of all the projects, this one effects the greatest number of PSU students. Almost everyone who attends PSU knows and deals with UNST courses, and this project is working
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to get four entire “pathways” available online. Each pathway includes a sophomore inquiry, three junior clusters and a senior capstone. The goal is to make it clearer to students which classes should be taken. “So if a student is in family studies, they know that that sophomore inquiry links directly to those cluster courses that are online,” Carpenter said. “They [will] have a suggested capstone that they take that’s also related to that theme, so that it’s clearer to students the connections between those classes.” With ReTHINK PSU well on its way for this year, students can look for more changes in the online class presence. Andrews pointed out that on the rethink.pdx.edu website, a list of all of the projects that received awards are available to view, as well as those that were not chosen. “Many of the proposals that didn’t get funded are still moving forward in some fashion or another anyway,” Andrews said. She added that with all the talk of big universities developing online programs, it’s important for PSU students to be aware of what the PSU faculty and staff are doing to stay on par with them. “PSU students should not feel like we’re behind the times,” Andrews said. “We’re right there running with them; some cases with the pack, and other cases ahead of the pack.”
Kayla Nguyen/VANGUARD STAFf
Provost sona andrews has been advocating increased availability of online classes.
VANGUARD••T•Thursday, uesday, THURSDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, Jan. JANUARY OCTOBER Nov. FEBRUARY JANUARY 31, JULY 8, 2013 2012 24, 10, 25, 26, •2, 2012 2011 2013 ARTS •2012 ARTS ••&•OPINION ETC OPINION CULTURE &ARTS CULTURE & CULTURE 10 VANGUARD 6
ETC.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: WHITNEY BEYER EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691
Embers $2 Fridays 9 p.m.–midnight Embers Avenue 110 NW Broadway
Every Friday for the month of July Portland’s premier show bar and dance club will be serving $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon and well drinks in celebration of 43 years of Pride in Portland. Bring a group of friends or come make some new ones from 9 p.m. to midnight at Embers Avenue.21+
Saturday, July 27
Fifth Annual Northwest Book Festival 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Pioneer Courthouse Square 701 SW Sixth Ave. © Oregon Brewers festival
Come to the waterfront on Wednesday, July 24 to work your way through samples or full pints of more than 80 different beers on tap.
Wednesday, July 24
26th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival Noon–9 p.m. Tom McCall Waterfront Park Southwest Naito Parkway
Wednesday, July 24, opens the 26th annual Oregon Brewers Festival, an event that features a large variety of beers and sees attendance in numbers greater than 80,000 and with patrons from all over the world each year. Attendees will be offered the chance to taste more than 80 different kinds of beers or to try full beers with tokens that can be purchased on site. For more information, visit oregonbrewfest.com. FREE 21+
The Rigsketball Show and Finals 6 p.m. tournament, 8:20 p.m. show Holocene 1001 SE Morrison St.
The Rigsketball show at Holocene pits the members of local bands against each other in a basketball tournament. If watching musicians play basketball isn’t entertaining enough, the event also features a free show with a number of local bands including the Woolen Men, Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Minden, Grandparents, Gaytheist, The We Shared Milk and Mister Tang. FREE
Second Annual Brewer’s Pig Roast 6:30 p.m. East Burn 1800 E Burnside
For $15 you can get a plate of roasted pig and a pint at East Burn for the second annual Brewer’s Pig Roast, where local breweries come together to celebrate local brews. You are invited to bring your favorite bottles and growlers and to sample a large number of beers on tap. 21+
Thursday, July 25
Last Thursday on Alberta 6–10 p.m. Northwest Alberta Street between 15th and 30th avenues
Last Thursday on Alberta is a festival that celebrates local art in all forms. Performers and musicians will be out on the street and local bars and restaurants will be open and offering Last Thursday specials. The event is also a great place to purchase local art from galleries or the artists themselves and to check out some fantastic food vendors. For more information, visit lastthursdayonalberta.com. FREE
Movies in the Parks: Brave 6:30 p.m. Hazeltine Park 5416 SE Flavel Dr.
Movies in the Parks presents a screening of the Disney animated film Brave, the story of a young woman who defies tradition to seek her independence. Bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy free popcorn while you watch the film. The movie will begin at dusk. FREE
The Return of Top Down: Rooftop Cinema 8 p.m. Hotel deLuxe 729 SW 15th Ave.
Top Down: Rooftop Cinema is an event that begins on July 25 and runs through August. For the price of a $9 ticket the Northwest Film Center brings you movies under the stars, starting with Jour de Fete, a French comedy about a mailman who is easily distracted. Doors open at 7 p.m. and live music provided by Lincoln’s Beard begins at 8 p.m., while the movie will start at dusk. Food and drinks will be available and all ages are welcome. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nwfilm.org.
Friday, July 26
Portland Art Museum: Fourth Friday 5–8 p.m. Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave.
Every fourth Friday of the month the Portland Art Museum offers free admission to those who arrive between 5 and 8 p.m. Fourth Fridays allow you to catch a glimpse of what the museum has to offer without the price of admission. FREE
More than 100 well-known and highly regarded authors will be in attendance at the fifth annual book festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square. This event offers the opportunity to meet the authors in person and collect autographs as well as to ask any questions you may have. Twenty speakers will be giving talks on various subjects and there will be plenty of books for sale. FREE
Overlook Village Fifth Annual Street Fair 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Overlook neighborhood West of I-5 on North Killingsworth Street (between Omaha and Campbell avenues)
The Overlook Village Street Fair is a neighborhood event that invites attendees from all over to come and support local businesses and artists while enjoying some summer fun. Live music, food and art vendors, a
car show, a dog costume contest and other events make the festival fun for all ages. FREE
The Next Generation: The Musical! 7:30 p.m. Funhouse Lounge 2432 SE 11th Ave.
The Unscriptables, a local improv comedy group, will be performing their new show, USS Improvise: The Next Generation: The Musical! at the Funhouse Lounge. Performances are every Saturday night through July and each performance is different due to the improvisational nature of the event. Admission is based on a “pay what you want” scale.
Tuesday, July 30
Tuesday Night Tango 7 p.m. class, 8 p.m. open dance Bossanova Ballroom 722 E Burnside St.
On Tuesday nights the Bossanova Ballroom offers you the chance to learn to tango. Bring a partner or come alone for free dance from 8 p.m. to midnight. All skill levels are welcome, including beginners, and a lesson will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. for those who would like to learn the steps. Admission is $8 per person. 21+
Sunday, July 28
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. The only cost is the price of food. 21+
Portland Festival Symphony Concerts in the Park 6 p.m. Cathedral Park North Edison Street and Pittsburg Avenue
For 33 years the Portland Festival Symphony has been offering free concerts in some of Portland’s most stunning parks. Come celebrate this wonderful tradition and get your summer dose of classical music. All ages are welcome and encouraged to attend this event. FREE
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= on PSU campus FREE = free of charge = open to the public 21+ = 21 and over
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VANGUARD VANGUARD • • WEDNESDAY, TUESDAY, JANUARY JULY 24,10, 2013 2012• SPORTS • ETC.
Basement Notes: Lefty outlasts the field at Open Championship Final-round 66 secures Claret Jug for future Hall of Famer Marco España Vanguard Staff
With the leaderboard in flux on the back nine at Muirfield, Phil Mickelson settled into his stance for an eight-foot birdie putt. It was the final hole of the Open Championship, and the field had come unglued more or less as expected at a tournament that prides itself on reminding the world’s best golfers of their inherent fallibility. Lee Westwood had started the day with the outright lead, then bogeyed the eighth and added three more before he was done to post a 75 that shattered any chance he had to win his first major. Tiger Woods, a three-time Open winner on a five-year losing streak at the majors, had kept himself within reach of the lead for most of the tournament before his defiant putting over the previous three rounds finally went cold.
© Jon Super/AP
Phil Mickelson reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole of the Open Championship in Scotland. Mickelson birdied four of the last six holes en route to his first Open title.
Ian Poulter had made his move just a little too late, while Adam Scott had run out of ideas and finished the day where he started, treading water around third place.
Mickelson was tied for ninth when play began on Sunday morning but told a reporter that a score in the 60s would likely be enough to take the trophy at the most unforgiving
stop on the PGA calendar. As it turns out, he was absolutely right. By the time he lined up a slightly downhill putt on the 18th green, Mickelson was four under par for the day and
had passed nine golfers on his way up to first position on the leaderboard. He could have missed the putt and likely still held on for the victory. But after finishing
second last month at the U.S. Open—a tournament where he has served as the runnerup six times but never won— there was nothing about the last eight feet of his round that Mickelson was willing to leave to chance. So he took his time, making sure he was completely satisfied with his line, and brushed gently forward through the stroke. The ball moved most of the way on its own momentum after contact, picking up speed just a bit and breaking slightly to the left where he thought it would. Mickelson realized the ball was headed home an instant before the crowd did and raised his arms as it dropped into the cup to wrap up his 66. When a tournament plays out like this, it’s common to say that the victor “stole” the championship. And even though the phrase isn’t meant to be disparaging, it would not only be unfair in this case, it would be wholly inaccurate. Lefty did exactly what he knew he needed to do, and the rest of the field couldn’t keep up. It was more than enough.
Lightning strikes, but not for Portland Donovan Ricketts comes through with 4 saves as the Timbers battle to scoreless draw against Philadelphia Alex Moore Vanguard Staff
During a game in which lightning stopped play for almost an hour, the Portland Timbers failed to find a spark on the offensive end against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday. But Portland’s defense was able to salvage the day, denying Philadelphia the go-ahead score as the Timbers left PPL Park with a road point. Portland has allowed just two goals in their last six MLS games. Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts had four saves against the Union, holding up under pressure against one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest squads. “It’s still early in the process of putting the team together, but we could be a lot better,” Portland midfielder Will Johnson said after the game. “Being hard to beat and not being outworked—those are two very good blocks to build the team on, so I’m proud that
we’ve got those things down. We just need to work on the attacking phase and quality of the attacking third.” Both teams ratcheted up their offensive intensity in the second half. One of the Timbers’ best chances to score came in the 55th minute, when Diego Valeri was denied at close range with a spectacular save from Union keeper Zac MacMath. Philadelphia had multiple chances as well, including a screamer by Conor Casey in the 71st minute, but Ricketts was there each time to shut down the advance. “Obviously, Portland’s been playing really well this year, and they’re a tough team to beat,” MacMath said. “They proved that tonight. Unfortunately, the bounces didn’t go our way and we couldn’t get one there at the end.” Philadelphia head coach Rob Vartughian acknowledged the clutch performance by Ricketts that saved Portland from the loss. “The
save [Ricketts] made on Conor is world-class,” Vartughian said. “We felt, to get to that point in the game, when we were on their end and we were pressing, it was a disappointment to not find a way to get a goal. You have to tip your hat to the guy, he makes an unbelievable save.” Timbers coach Caleb Porter, meanwhile, was understandably frustrated with his team’s inability to find the net, but commended Portland’s gritty effort. “There were some periods of play tonight that were as good as we’ve played all year,” Porter said. “It says a lot about our guys that we leave a game with a point on the road.” The Timbers now move on to an international friendly against Norwich City tonight, scheduled for 8 p.m. at Jeld-Wen Field. They’ll hit the road again after that, traveling to California to take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
© mlssoccer.com
Donovan Ricketts and the Timbers defense managed to hold the Philadelphia attack at bay to help Portland earn a road point on Saturday.
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VANGUARD • WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2013 • SPORTS
SPORTS
EDITOR: MARCO ESPAñA SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538
Thorns break Boston on the road Late goal by Shim lifts Portland to victory
Vanguard Staff
Tom Thibodeau is a fairly lowkey figure in professional basketball, but he just so happens to be one of the driving forces behind a significant shift currently underway among NBA franchises. Thibodeau was one of the architects of Boston’s championship season in 2008, where he was an assistant coach tasked with improving the team’s defense after coming over from Houston. He is now the head coach in Chicago and is responsible for the Bulls’ reputation as perhaps the most tenacious defensive team in the league. Thibodeau has garnered plenty of accolades over the last few years of playoff appearances by Chicago—he was named Coach of the Year in 2011—and his approach to the game is starting to rub off on other teams. Playing without star point guard Derrick Rose for the entirety of the 2012–13 season, the Bulls nevertheless hustled their way to a 45-37 record and a No. 5 seed in the playoffs, getting past the Brooklyn Nets in seven games before falling to the Miami Heat in five. Many of the top teams in the NBA last year were known for their stifling defenses, including the Indiana Pacers, the Memphis Grizzlies
0 0
Top performers Donovan Ricketts: 4 saves
Sunday, July 21
NWSL
@ Thorns Boston
2 1
Top performers Alex Morgan: 1 goal, 1 assist Meleana Shim: 1 goal © Randy L. RAsmussen/The Oregonian
in the box and fired a shot past Thorns goalkeeper (and last week’s NWSL Player of the Week) Karina LeBlanc. The Thorns were not alarmed, responding to the goal 11 minutes later as former Breakers defender Nikki Marshall sent a long pass to Alex Morgan, who finessed the ball around fill-in
goalkeeper Ashley Phillips to even the score. The goal was Morgan’s first since June 6. LeBlanc was crucial for the Thorns on Sunday with four saves, the best of which came in the 67th minute as Sydney Leroux found herself unmarked at the top of the Thorns box and sent a rocket on goal that LeBlanc repelled
with a diving effort. The Thorns took 15 shots in the match (seven more than Boston) and finally converted one into a goal in the 86th minute as Shim directed a perfect shot from the right side to beat Phillips. Morgan was credited with the assist. With the win, Portland improved to 9-4-3 this season
and the Heat, who rattled off 27 straight victories during the regular season in large part because they committed to a renewed focus on the defensive end of the floor. On the other end, intelligent and versatile offensive systems like those employed by San Antonio and Golden State are being closely studied by teams trying to find the right mix on their own rosters. General managers in the NBA are beginning to move away from the strategy of stockpiling big names in the hope that it might translate into playoff success, opting instead for a carefully considered blend of skills in order to compete in a league that is getting faster and more athletic every year. These changes in philosophy have made it necessary for front offices to delve more into the statistical side of the game than they ever have before. Much like the “Moneyball” movement in Major League Baseball (named for the Michael Lewis book about the Oakland Athletics and their concentration on advanced statistics and probability when making roster decisions), professional basketball is undergoing a numbers revolution of its own. NBA squads are looking closely at less-glamorous stats like field goal percentage, shot location and free-throw shooting, not to mention team offensive and defensive ratings. They’re finding out what works and what doesn’t, and they are
PGA
The Open Championship
Meleana Shim found the net just in time on Sunday, scoring the go-ahead goal for the Thorns in the 86th minute.
and is currently in second place in the National Women’s Soccer League standings. The Breakers dropped to sixth place at 5-6-5, two spots out of playoff contention. Portland heads home this weekend for a battle with the Chicago Red Stars on July 28 that will be broadcast nationally on Fox Soccer.
Moneyball hits the hardwood Tanner Notch
MLS
Timbers Philadelphia
Vanguard Staff
How statistical analysis is helping the NBA move forward
Saturday, July 20
@
Matt Deems
Two weeks removed from a 2-0 loss to the Boston Breakers in front of a sold-out crowd at Jeld-Wen Field, the Portland Thorns returned the favor at Dilboy Stadium, coming through with a tremendous late-game effort to take Boston down 2-1. Both teams scored an early goal but went cold after that until Meleana Shim tallied the game-winner with less than four minutes left in regulation. It was Shim’s second straight game with a goal. The Thorns’ cause was aided by the absence of Boston goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who earned the shutout against Portland on July 6. Portland’s roster was bolstered by the return of Tobin Heath, the twotime Olympic gold medalist midfielder who has completed her contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain. Much like the previous meeting, the Breakers got off to an early start, taking the lead in the 13th minute when midfielder Lianne Sanderson got an assist from Kyah Simon
RECENT RESULTS
The Chicago Bulls are one of several teams in the NBA that are finding ways to win without a surplus of star players on the roster.
Muirfield Golf Links Gullane, Scotland Top performers Phil Mickelson (three under par) wins Open Championship
UPCOMING Wednesday, July 24
MLS
International friendly
vs. Timbers vs. Norwich City FC Jeld-Wen Field 8 p.m. Forecast: high of 87 degrees, sunny
Saturday, July 27
mls
@ Timbers @ San Jose Buck Shaw Stadium 7:30 p.m. Forecast: High of 81 degrees, sunny
Sunday, July 28
NWSL © Paul Michna/The Daily Herald
assembling their rosters accordingly. To the casual fan, the outstanding level of play in the NBA over the last few seasons may seem like the logical result of an influx of top-shelf talent in recent years. But that’s only part of the story. A good barometer is Allen Iverson’s MVP season of 2001. Voters that year chose to give the league’s most prestigious individual honor to an undersized guard who, while thrilling fans with his incredible scoring displays, chucked up a ton of shots, didn’t pass very much and therefore wasted a lot of his team’s possessions over the course of an 82-game season. Though players with Iverson’s athleticism and mental
toughness will always have a place on an NBA roster, the reality is that the league is becoming a far unfriendlier place for players who are unable or unwilling to expand their production into other categories. Look no further than Brandon Jennings, the 10th overall pick by the Milwaukie Bucks in 2009, who is currently among the last remaining free agents to be offered a new contract after a season in which the Bucks made it to the playoffs. And the reason behind many teams’ hesitation to sign the athletic point guard is clear: Jennings was one of the least statistically productive players in the league last season, posting an abominable shooting
percentage and a highly inefficient assist-to-turnover ratio. He now finds the well drying up fast as franchises round up cheap, skilled role players who can be paired with incoming draft picks to establish longterm success. It’s a different game these days, and it will likely look even more different in the years to come. But it’s a welcome change as the NBA begins to place a premium on those aspects of competition that have often been ignored at the highest level of the sport. However unsettling that might be for a fan accustomed to the way things were, it is clear that the league is headed in the right direction—forward.
vs. Thorns vs. Chicago Jeld-Wen Field 4 p.m. Forecast: High of 74 degrees, sunny
NWL
vs. Hops vs. Everett Hillsboro Ballpark 5:35 p.m. Forecast: high of 74 degrees, sunny