Portland State Vanguard

VOLUME 68 | ISSUE 13

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

VIKING MOTORSPORTS GOES ELECTRIC

NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

Faculty and staff at Portland State weigh in on the academic merits of social media. pg. 5

Women, is your period making you depressed? Or are drug companies looking for more money? pg. 8

Feeling Blue? The Vanguard’s Tristan Cooper examines the latest release from Top Shelf Productions. pg. 17

Big Sky Soccer Tournament in Hillsboro this week. Read how you can score free pizza and a ride. pg. 20

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CONTENT NEWS OPINION COVER ARTS & CULTURE CALENDAR SPORTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM Whitney Beyer

MANAGING EDITOR MANAGINGEDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM Jordan Molnar

NEWS EDITOR

4 8 12 14 18 20 COPY EDITORS Emily Keith Margo Pecha Meg Riley

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ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

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Reaz Mahmood

OPINION EDITOR

Ann Roman

OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM Breana Harris

SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM Jesse Tomaino

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PHOTO EDITORS PHOTO@PSUVANGUARD.COM Miles Sanguinetti Corinna Scott

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The Vanguard is published 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.

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Cover: Photo by Miles Sanguinetti ©2013 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY VANGUARD 1825 S.W. BROADWAY SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION, RM. S-26 PORTLAND, OR 97201

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

STRING OF BIKE THEFTS ENDS IN ARREST

BIKE HUB AND CPSO OFFER BIKE SECURITY TIPS

STEPHANIE TSHAPPAT

The first month of fall term saw a rash of reported bike thefts reported on campus.

The Campus Public Safety Office increased efforts to stem the trend, contacting individuals found loitering around the bike racks across campus and issuing them Portland State exclusion notices that bar the subjects from campus.

Several of the individuals contacted were found to have tools associated with theft and burglary on their person, such as wire cutters and tin snips— tools often used for cutting the cable locks, are a common way students secure their bicycles to bike racks.

On separate occasions in the first four weeks of fall quarter, CPSO was able to arrest five individuals—Robert Charles Dady, Jacqueline Anderberg, William Duke, Trevor Johnson and Edward Duncan—in connection with bike thefts on campus.

Charges included unlawful possession of burglary tools, attempted theft II, attempted theft III, criminal trespass II and various other charges involving narcotics.

Dady, who was arrested by CPSO on Oct. 2 for unlawful possession of burglary tools, attempted theft II and a felony warrant, was arrested again by the Portland Police Bureau on Oct. 15 for similar charges in connection with bike thefts that occurred in the Pearl District.

According to PPB’s press release after the arrest, the investigation started when a bike theft victim witnessed a suspect, later identified as Dady, riding a bike that had been stolen. PPB’s Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team, in working with several business in the Pearl Disctrict and reviewing surveillance footage, was able to connect Dady with many of the bike thefts

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that had occurred in the area. The press release also states that the investigation discovered “that Dady used wire cutters to cut cable locks on many of the bikes that were stolen.”

Clint Culpepper, supervisor of PSU’s Bike Hub, said an increase in bike thefts on campus at the start of the school year is no coincidence.

“Bike thieves know when school starts and deliberately come to campus during that time,” he said.

“Downtown areas and college campuses in general have a tendency for higher bike theft numbers, so we have both of those things working against us.”

In their press release, PPB outlined the following list of “proactive measures” for bicyclists to help protect themselves from bike theft: “*Use U-locks! Most stolen bikes were reported as having a cable lock that was broken and left at the scene; very few bikes using U-locks were reported stolen.” “*Individuals living in secure residential apartments should not leave their bikes outside their rooms in the hallways or unlocked in the basement.

Either lock it with a U-lock in the basement or keep it inside your personal apartment. Additionally, do not assume your secured business area is secure either—always lock your bike.” “*Consider double locking, especially in areas where bike theft is common.” “*Take a photo of your bike— if stolen, you can post the specific information and photo on http://bikeportland.org/ stolenbikes. BikePortland.org has teamed up with StolenBikeRegistry.com to help battle against bike thieves.”

CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan said that CPSO agrees with the advice outlined by PPB, especially with regard to U-locks.

Zerzan advised students to use U-locks because thefts where one is used properly are a rare occurrence.

Zerzan also recommends using the bike garages located throughout campus.

“We have yet to have a bike theft out of one of the bike garages,” Zerzan said.

“We’d love to see every building have a secure room or garage for bicycles,” Culpepper said, “we think that’d be awesome, but there’s a lack of space [to consider].”

The bike garages are available for a fee—$15 per term or $45 annually—and are secure, have cameras and are swipeaccessible 24 hours a day.

The fees are also prorated, so the cost decreases as the year goes on.

Culpepper agrees with Zerzan’s advice on being proactive in preventing bike theft.

“There are huge things you can do to help yourself, like getting a U-lock,” he said. “You need a proper lock. U-locks are the only lock we sell at the Bike Hub—we don’t sell cable locks because we’re not going to sell something that we wouldn’t use ourselves.”

Culpepper also advises students to not leave their bikes outside for extended periods of time if they can help it.

“Never leave your bike outside overnight and certainly never over an entire weekend,” he said.

There are outside bike racks available at every building, complete with illustrations depicting the proper way to lock up your bike and the advice to not rely solely on a cable lock, which can be easily cut with a simple pair of wire cutters.

“A big thing we see is new students or students new to riding to campus using cable locks or other locks that aren’t secure enough,” Culpepper said.

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

And in case your bike does get stolen, Culpepper said that knowing its serial number, make and model is very important.

“This information will help you in reporting it to CPSO or PPB and will help make finding your bike easier,” he said.

Also, there are online databases, both local (www. bikeportland.org) and national (stolenbikeregistry. com), where you can list your bike as stolen.

Culpepper said the Bike Hub is in the process of creating its own campus registry as well.

“We’ve been looking to implement our own voluntary, web-based bike registry, not as a preventive measure, but as a proactive measure in helping students recover their bicycles if they get stolen,” he said.

The Bike Hub is a little community within itself, Culpepper said, and they’re here to help.

“We have the tools and everything necessary to walk any member through repairs they want to learn to do, from changing a flat tire to a complete overhaul on their bike,” he said. “If members forget their U-lock, we can loan one out to them for free for the day.”

Bike Hub membership for all current students, staff and faculty is $15 for three months or $30 for a calendar year, and gets members discounts on parts and accessories, and as well as the free U-lock loan.

(For non-members this service is $1).

“Having a bike stolen is the number-one thing that prevents people from continuing to ride their bikes to campus.

Everyone I know has had a bike stolen, and it’s a big deal,” Culpepper said. “A lot of it is informing people. If no one’s told you to use a U-lock instead of a cable lock, how will you know?”

BRI KAME, a Bike Hub employee, secures a bicycle outside on campus.

JINYL QI/PSU VANGUARD

HERE’S MORE More information about PSU’s Bike Hub is available on their website at http://www.pdx.edu/bikehub/ For more information about bike garages and their locations, visit the Transportation and Parking Services bicycling website at http://www.pdx.edu/transportation/bicycling In July 2013, the Portland Police Bureau released a new video to help community members understand measures they can take to recover a bicycle if it’s stolen or missing: http://youtu.be/p9I23PAP4ok If you know your serial number and want to find out if your bike is at the Property Evidence Division, call 503–823-2179. If your bike has been stolen, please file a report online at: http://www.portlandpolice.com

PSU GETS HIP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA CHRISTIAN S. ANICIETE, social media coordinator for PSU, works on his laptop in Smith Memorial Student Union.

KAYLA NGUYEN/PSU VANGUARD

NEWS

HEATHER WILSON

Social media is not only a big part of everyday life but is also growing exponentially in the workplace and in academia.

Christian Aniciete is the social media coordinator for the Office of University Communications at Portland State and an alumnus of the PSU School of Business.

Spend a few minutes talking to him about his job, and it’s obvious that he believes in the power of social media.

“We strive to use social media to build a level of connection, pride and spirit for our students,” Aniciete said.

The university does this by using different platforms to target a variety of audiences.

PSU’s Twitter account, for instance, is mainly targeted at local news outlets.

“Facebook is used to showcase campus life at PSU. Students are able to respond, and that makes it a two way conversation,” Aniciete said.

The university’s most recently added platforms, Tumblr and Instagram, provide an opportunity to reach out to incoming students and current high schoolers interested in attending PSU. “It’s very important to be on top of the latest trends,” Aniciete said. Paying attention to the latest trends has paid off. PSU’s social media network has won several national awards, including recognition at the annual Social Media Awards, making it one of only two universities recognized in a group that typically only includes marketing agencies and businesses.

However, social networking is not just for reaching out; it is also used to facilitate collaboration within the university. Over 150 different student groups and departments across campus use social media for organizing and outreach.

“We put on a social networking event every quarter, and we utilize the talent that we have on campus, whether through student groups or connecting with different departments,” Aniciete said.

“We are very adamant about not outsourcing.”

Social media is slow to make its way into the classroom, but according to Aniciete, more instructors are implementing social media in their classes. They are using Google Hangouts, WordPress and other tools for group collaborations, and some create Facebook groups for their classes.

“In very large classes, students are seeking a personal connection with instructors. It makes communication easier and provides a way for students to engage,” Aniciete said.

Dr. Ursina Teuscher, a psychology professor at PSU, uses social media in her business as a personal decisions coach. She believes it can add to the classroom experience.

“Social media could add a fun aspect and could be useful to provide additional content,” Teuscher said.

“They could also be helpful for continuing the topic or group beyond the duration of the class enrollment.”

She publishes a regular e-newsletter both so her former students can stay informed and to extend their learning experience after they’ve left class.

This may not be the only purpose social networking serves in the classroom.

Tammy Wheeler, a teacher in the master’s business program and a freelance management consultant, thinks social media literacy is fast becoming an important consideration in hiring and promotion practices outside academia.

Many employers are trading dedicated office space for virtual office space.

This means that employees are more geographically diverse and both employees and their managers must use social networking for effective communication and collaboration.

“The way in which employees share knowledge, information and ideas is greatly impacted by technology and social media,” Wheeler said, “and is a criti-

cal factor in how organizations hire, train and lead employees.”

Although not yet regularly used in the classroom, online learning, mentoring and collaboration is common in modern workplaces. Wheeler does not see this trend slowing down.

“Even things like performance management, goal setting and documentation are now done online in many organizations, so they must use this technology to do their regular management work,” she said.

Should academia anticipate the future use of social media and make it an integral part of the educational process in the classroom?

“I would not use social media as a mandatory component in a class though,” Teuscher said, “...and even if it’s an optional component, I would want to be careful not to put students at a disadvantage who don’t use social media for whatever reason.”

Wheeler is in partial agreement.

“It depends. If you mean doing things during an inperson class, it’s probably not very important,” Wheeler said. “In relationship to the team projects and class assignments, yes.” She sees social media proficiency as important to the future success of her students.

“I believe it is impacting it now and will have greater impact in the next few years,” Wheeler said. “If a manager can’t or won’t use technology, they will become obsolete and un-hireable. I have seen that firsthand.”

To make sure her students are prepared for the virtual office, Wheeler integrates social networking into her curriculum.

“My students all use video clips in their team presentations, and they are powerful, humorous and get the point across quickly,” Wheeler said.

“They also have to be effective at networking for their leadership interviews and for their case study presentations, and networking is a key component of social media.”

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

5

NEWS

PANEL FOCUSES ON CONFLICT IN SYRIA JAY PENGELLY

With stories like Obamacare and the government shutdown dominating front pages, it seems Syria and the chaos of the last year have faded into the background.

The Portland State Middle East Studies Center partnered with the Middle East Research and Information Project and the Reed College Political Science Department to host a panel discussion called “Reflections on the Conflict in Syria” in Smith Memorial Student Union on Nov. 1.

Three distinguished academics from distant universities provided information and perspective on the Syrian conflict and recent events.

Curtis Ryan, a political science professor at Appalachian State University and a specialist of international relations in the Arab world was the first to speak, He focused on the regional context, looking at the responses from Syria’s neighbors and global ramifications.

Relations with neighbors is never a simple matter in the Middle East, and during struggles such as those Syria is currently involved in, they become increasingly confused.

“Turkey is very heavily involved against the regime. Qatar is playing a more active regional role in its foreign policy than ever in the history of the country, Saudia Arabia has been

actively involved, and those countries have not always been on the same page,” Ryan said. “They back different groups inside Syria.

Jordan has not been actively involved; it has not picked a side. Iran has strongly backed the Syrian regime and props them up as one of the few allies they have in the region.”

Ryan believes that major world powers have meddled in the affairs of Syria, causing strife akin to an older yet familiar conflict.

“We have a global level that frankly looks disturbingly like Cold War dynamics that most of us thought left us two decades ago. All the countries that have permanent seats on

the security council of the UN are actively involved mostly in countering each other,” Ryan said. “Russia has countered almost every major initiative involving Syria. We saw countless conflicts during the Cold War that follow this type of pattern where the external powers are countering each other at every level.

It has severe consequences for those people on the ground who are not from the U.S. or Russia.”

Next to speak was Bassam Haddad, a political science professor at George Mason University. He looked at the political economy of Syria, assessing the current situation as well as how things got the way they are.

“So many of us who like to write about Syria take March 2011 as the starting point for analysis and thereby jettison the impact of the fundamental state society of the past 40 or 50 years,” Haddad said. “This is problematic and shortsighted.”

Haddad went on to describe how the dramatic conflicts of the war have lessened in the past months, but the situation has become untenable both internally and worldwide.

“The stalemate is between the regime and forces on the ground, but we are also seeing entrenchment in the international setting as well. A stasis at all levels.”

Last to speak was RoDR. CURTIS RYAN, a professor at Appalachian State University, discusses affairs in Syria.

KAYLA NGUYEN/PSU VANGUARD

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chelle Davis, a cultural anthropologist from Georgetown University. Her focus is on Syrian refugees. Her research of diaspora populations began while working with Iraqi refugees in Jordan. More recently she has looked at Syrians who are fleeing to neighbor countries that open their borders. These include Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.

The only border country which refuses Syrian refugees is Israel.

Some of the statistics Davis gave were shocking.

“We’re moving towards 30–40 percent of the population not living in their homes,” Davis said.

In September of 2012, there were 303,000 registered refugees—today there are 2.2 million.

“Estimates are hard to come by and easy to give out,” Davis said. “They’re not very reliable.”

Davis said there may be half a million or more unregistered people in Jordan alone.

According to Davis, there are some bright spots in this bleak picture. Many countries have made education and health care available to refugees. In Lebanon, there are more Syrian refugees in public school than Lebanese students.

“People are leaving the country for basic care. They need food and medicine for their families,” Davis said.

While Syria struggles with internal strife, the rest of the world looks on. In the bargain struck with Russia, chemical weapons are supposedly being removed from the country, ideally making Syria a safer place and bringing an end one step closer.

“It’s not just a struggle in Syria, it’s a struggle for Syria,” Ryan said.

NEWS

CAREER FAIR OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE KARISA CLEARY

XAN PEDISICH, operations manager at PSU Business Accelerator, speaks to attendants about her work.

JOSÉ-DAVID JACOBO/PSU VANGUARD

CRIME BLOTTER Oct. 28 Arrest

Science research and Teaching Center and Science Building One At 10:09 p.m. Officer Shawn McKenzie contacted a vehicle traveling between the above buildings and the driver, non-student Barry Washington, and an unknown passenger fled the scene. Officer David Baker and Officer Denae Murphy assisted in searching for the subjects; Officer Chris Fischer located Washington in the laundry room of King

On Oct. 29, the All Majors Career Fair was held in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, courtesy of Advising and Career Services at Portland State.

Here both PSU students and alumni could network with 80 various companies that had booths at the event, offering opportunities from careers and part-time jobs to internships and volunteer work.

“This is a great opportunity for all students to discover potential careers and internships because there’s something here for everyone,” said Greg Flores, the associate director of Advising and Career Services.

Companies represented ranged anywhere from Panda Express to Boeing to the Portland Timbers to the U.S. Peace Corps.

For students looking for a part-time job, Panda Express

was on the lookout for hourly associates, and the Timbers were offering unpaid ticket sales internships for students in the sports field.

Boeing was also there to recruit upperclassmen who are majoring in business, engineering and information technology for full-time internships in their specified fields. This undergraduate internship program runs 10 to 12 weeks during the summer and is open to juniors and seniors.

“These are good, paid internships with full-time benefits included for undergrad students [in these majors],” said Nicole Doucette, the PSU campus recruiter for Boeing. She said that Boeing also hires from within, creating potential career options for all interns.

For alumni, the Peace Corps is offering two-year volunteering opportunities through the federal government. Prospective volunteers must have a bachelor's degree

Week of Oct. 28 - Nov. 3

STEPHANIE TSHAPPAT

Albert residence hall and took him into custody. Washington was charged with two counts of Criminal Trespass II and one count of Possession of a Controlled Substance—Marijuana after a digital scale with marijuana residue was located inside the vehicle he was driving.

Oct. 29

Student Conduct

Officer Gregory Marks received a report of a student sending threatening e-mails to the Business Affairs office at 9:29 a.m. Reported for-

or 10 years of experience in a particular program offered by the organization.

“A bachelor’s [is required because it] prepares you for the unstructured environment of the Peace Corps,” said Ruby McConnell, the campus representative for the Peace Corps.

The Westgate University Program was also in attendance to offer three-month placements in Japan teaching English as a second language for graduates.

Along with career opportunities outside of the university, the PSU Human Resource Center was at the fair to discuss the 52 full-time positions currently available through the university.

Students also had the opportunity to learn more about the Business Accelerator program at PSU, which is an incubator program dedicated to helping anyone launch a prospective business. This accelerator does not fund businesses, but

warded to Dean of Student Life. No further information.

Oct. 31

Criminal Mischief

Parking Structure Three At 10 a.m. Officer Brenton Chose received a report from a student who stated his vehicle had sustained scratches that were six feet in length; the scratch on the driver’s side occurred on October 24 between 7:50 a.m. and 12 p.m., and the scratch on the passenger side occurred on October 30 after 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 1

Theft by Deception

At 12:19 p.m. Officer Nichola Higbee received a report from a student who stated on October 31 at 5:10 p.m. two unknown individuals asked him to cash a check for them via the ATM. The individuals withdrew $430 from his account, although the check was for a larger amount.

Nov. 3

Narcotics Violation

Southwest Jackson and Southwest Park Officer Fischer and officer

Brian Rominger contacted non-student Rene M. Perez in regard to a case of Coors Light he had discarded in the bushes south of Shattuck Hall after seeing the patrol car. Perez was found to be of age for the alcohol and consented to a search of his person due to an odor of marijuana. A glass pipe with marijuana residue was located and seized for destruction.

Read the full crime blotter at psuvanguard.com

rather offers them a space in the building, introductions to investors and advertising for jobs, which students could apply for at the fair.

Located off the main campus on Corbett Ave., som aspiring entrepreneurs may not have crossed paths with the Business Accelerator program As Xan Pedisich, the operations manager at Business Accelerator, said, “this [opportunity] is off the student radar.”

The Graduate School of Education at PSU also presented their 53 graduate programs at the fair , including certificates, master's and Ph.D.s in education.

Students can acquire six initial teaching licenses, from English as a second language to counseling.

These programs have been around for around 20 years and have had thousands of PSU students graduate from them.

For those who missed the fair this fall, the All Majors Career Fairs are held once every term and have roughly the same breadth of recruiters. "[They] reach out to 500 companies each term; we have [preparation] down to a science through SMSU conferences and mapping out the venues,” Flores said.

For students with more specific career goals, Advising and Career Services also puts on four other career fairs: two for engineering and technology, one for non-profit organizations and, starting this year, the Northwest Graduate School Fair. During this fair, representatives from schools all around the Northwest come to recruit future graduates.

For more information on all upcoming career fairs at PSU visit: http://www.pdx. edu/advising-career-services/ career-fairs.

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

WOMEN GET A NEW DISORDER

PMDD TRANSLATES TO MMDC—MORE MONEY FOR DRUG COMPANIES

Everwhere and Here

by Eva-Jeanette Rawlins There aren’t many certainties these days. Change happens overnight, and there’s little we can predict anymore. Like, will the government shut down again in a few months, or will politicians do the work we expect them to? Who knows?

For better or for worse, however, there is something pretty much every woman can look forward to monthly. That marvelous, fun-filled week to 10 days affectionately known by many terms—one of which is your period—and its close friend PMS. For some fortunate souls, it’s hardly a blip on their radar, and the idea of not having a period scares them more; for others, it’s that time when our reproductive system and hormones seem to have hijacked our bodies, and a warm bed and painkillers don’t even do the trick.

It’s what makes us women, right? If we were true feminists, we would embrace and celebrate the beauty of this rite and bask in the glory of womanhood. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. So why are some people calling it a mental disorder?

Yes, you heard me. I recently heard the term “premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).” Not to be confused with PMS, which is in a whole different genre.

These days, there’s a label for everything and a disorder for how you eat your cheese. Soon they’ll be calling childbirth “fetal evacuation syndrome.” I’m no expert, but it seems that in the last 20 years disorders have increased exponentially, in large part because they’ve been given fancy, complicated names. So I was skeptical. PMDD sounded a whole lot like B.S. Then I heard an interview on NPR with a sufferer of PMDD, Amanda Van Slyke, who admitted that every month, at that time, she’d be so depressed she couldn’t get out of bed. She said,“You feel like killing yourself…you have so much anxiety, you can’t leave your house.” Another woman said she absolutely loathed herself and told her friends to leave her alone for a few days until she returned to her normal self again.

Imagine that happening every month, for at least a week.

That means you feel “normal” for about three weeks at a time.

That’s a major chunk of your life. Suddenly a few cramps and bloating don’t sound that bad.

Still, I wondered, is it really a disorder? How do you decide whether you’re having the mother of all periods or if you’ve got a mental problem?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, PMDD is diagnosed when symptoms occur for at least two

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successive months, disrupt a woman’s ability to carry out her daily activities and when the depression occurs during her period, not the rest of the time. In other words, as Dr. C. Neill Epperson, director of the Penn Center for Women’s Behavioral Wellness, explains, a woman experiences “symptoms under a certain hormonal state that are not there under another hormonal state.”

According to the NPR report, “Psychiatrists have been slow to formally recognize PMDD as a disorder, but that’s changed under the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the DSM-5, which lists PMDD as a distinct mental disorder.” I wondered what the change was about.

I got my answer pretty easily. The report mentioned pharmaceutical companies, and I thought, “Duh! How could I be so stupid?” It turns out that the prescription drug Sarafem was approved as a treatment for PMDD by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. Interestingly enough, Sarafem is no different from the antidepressant Prozac. In fact, its properties are identical.

According to NPR, “The patent on Prozac was about to expire, and manufacturer Eli Lilly faced losing market share to generic versions.” So what did they do? Changed the name to Sarafem, painted it pink—because, of course, it’s for girls—and then charged $10 a pill. The generic drug cost 10 cents a pill.

How utterly convenient.

I’m not saying PMDD isn’t real. For women who experience these horrific symptoms, they don’t care what it’s called. They just want relief. I get that and honor that, and having someone tell them they’re not alone is comforting. I am equally con-

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

vinced that drug companies love these four letter acronyms and smile all the way to the bank with them.

For the large majority of women, PMS is a natural (albeit uncomfortable) sign of hormonal health. It means something is happening that’s supposed to happen. But we have gotten so used to silencing our bodies with medication instead of letting them tell us what’s going on that I wonder what will happen in the future if we start over-medicating the very process that enables us to have children.

Interfering with our bodies’ systems cannot and should not be taken lightly. Sarah Gehlert, Brown School professor of racial and ethnic diversity and scholar in Washington University’s Institution of Public Health, conducted a study that found only 1.3 percent of women fit the criteria for PMDD and even then, the biology behind the symptoms was still a mystery.

Gehlert has real concerns that “PMDD could be overdiagnosed, pathologizing healthy women who were experiencing normal hormonal shifts. After all,” she says, “there’s a lot of money to be made from it.”

There’s also the worry that the label of “mental disorder” could in fact be harmful to women. She wonders if, for example, a woman in a child custody case who has been diagnosed with PMDD could be seen as unfit to care for her child because she has a mental illness.

What it comes down to is that we need to think long and hard about who really benefits from diagnoses like these. When it seems like the drug companies are smiling far too widely, there’s probably something rotten going on.

CORINNA SCOTT/PSU VANGUARD

OPINION

KNOWLEDGE, NOT TEST SCORES THE CHANGES AMERICA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM NEEDS

This, Not That

by Chelsea Lobey Technology is changing the way we learn, but the American school system is struggling to keep up.

Our access to information, the way in which we interact with each other and the knowledge that is available to us is rapidly evolving. Yet our schools are still relying on outdated methods of rote learning and standardized tests, which have a tendency to change the way schools and teachers present information.

For a country that tends to think it’s number one at everything, America’s education doesn’t stack up all that well when compared to other countries. A 2012 study by Pearson, a global educational assessment firm, ranks the U.S. 17th in the world for overall education, while Finland ranks at the very top, despite their notable lack of standardized tests like the ones used in the United States.

In Finland, teaching and learning is much more flexible.

Teaching is an exceptionally well-respected profession, and teachers are given the trust and freedom to gauge the needs and educational levels of their particular classroom.

Finnish teachers and students work together to create a learning environment suited to their individual needs. Everyone learns and grows together. Students are encouraged to take risks and ask questions, then learn how to find the answers, think creatively, be inquisitive, actively participate in their learning and utilize the technology and resources available to them.

It’s this kind of learning environment that creates individuals who are prepared to go out into the real world and be productive members of a forward-thinking and forward-moving society.

They become citizens who want to tackle the big problems head-on and who have the ability to think creatively and critically about those problems.

Having that flexibility is part of what distinguishes Finland from the U.S., where teachers are not trusted to make their own decisions but are instead required to follow specific guidelines and teach to certain educational standards.

Since No Child Left Behind was enacted in January 2002, teachers have been forced to meet a very rigid set of guidelines and standards to ensure that all children have a chance at an equal education and to close achievement gaps across the country. In theory, this is a great idea, but in reality, it has not lived up to the hype.

JOSÉ-DAVID JACOBO/PSU VANGUARD

Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis found that “despite its intentions, there is no evidence that NCLB-style accountability has led to any substantial narrowing of achievement gaps.” And in fact, since it has come into effect, NCLB has had a negative impact on the diversity of subjects students are allowed to study. In 2010, the Arts Education Partnership found that 43 percent of art teachers reported decreases in funding, and 84 percent reported that their programs either have increased interruptions, conflicts and problems, or have become more complicated.

Our current teaching method, which consists of the teacher at the front of the classroom lecturing at a student body who is perpetually struggling to stay awake, is not working, and our low global rankings and standardized test analyses prove that.

Children need to be engaged in an active learning environment, not a passive one in which information is meaninglessly crammed into their heads.

We need to instead work on promoting an engaged and thoughtful curriculum. For quality learning to take place, kids need to get their hands dirty and participate. We need to teach them how to think for themselves, how to seek knowledge and how to think critically and creatively. Teach them how to

sift through large amounts of information and find the truth among the slush. Teach them the skills and tools they need to succeed in a culture of information overload, not just memorization and simple facts.

Too much of what is taught in schools and put on tests is easily accessible on the internet. A kid with a smart phone doesn’t need a teacher to make him memorize a list of U.S. presidents; he can look it up in seconds. Classroom time would be much better spent helping the kids to learn why we have presidents in the first place and encouraging students to ask deeper questions and delve into the depths of the information available to find the answer. The deeper knowledge and understanding that can only come from an engaged classroom is necessary in today’s world.

The internet and other technology we surround ourselves with is rapidly changing the way we learn. It’s time we take a closer look at how we utilize tests and how we approach teaching and learning on a day-to-day basis. If we can learn to adopt a more flexible education system that has the potential to grow and change with technology, then our students will be better equipped to go out into the real world and form a citizenry that is prepared to meet the challenges of modern society.

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

THAT’S NO MOON LOOKING FORWARD TO J.J. ABRAMS' STAR WARS

The Basement Troll

by Reid Tyler

I have always loved Star Wars.

I’ve loved it from the moment I saw an Energizer commercial in 1991 involving Darth Vader’s lightsaber dying for lack of a battery. Even though I had no frame of reference, I still chuckled when he dramatically raised his fist to the heavens and cried “Nooo!” (which I’m fairly certain was the original inspiration for Episode III’s snort-worthy conclusion).

The first film of the saga that I watched was a dusty, deteriorating copy of The Empire Strikes Back on VHS, which I enjoyed on a faux-wood, rotary dial television on the floor of my grandmother’s bedroom.

I was transfixed by that film from start to finish. We all were.

Immediately afterward, my parents drove me to the video store as I bounced with anticipation. I snatched up A New Hope and was likewise enthralled by the mere existence of such a staggering story. Endless possibilities flew through my mind and opened my imagination. I couldn’t wait. I sat through Empire once more for the sake of chronology (even at the age of six, I was a completest) and slid Return of the Jedi into the tape player.

I knew something wasn’t quite right.

In contrast to the mythic drama, character and morally significant plot of Empire, this film seemed to be presenting the semblance of the of Star Wars I now loved as a smokescreen for the marketing of merchandise and the dramatic shift to a younger demographic.

Six-year-old me did not make those observations specifically, but I knew, inasmuch as a child can, that I was no longer watching the same series. I later learned that this had much to do with George Lucas’ significant creative absence from the making of Empire. (He was busy creating his own empire.) Director Irvin Kershner and writer Lawrence Kasdan were free to craft a mature and allegorical tale which would be considered one of the greatest films ever made.

Five years after my love affair, the release of Episode I: The Phantom Menace crushed any dreams I’d had of a rebirth and continuation of the feelings that Empire evoked. Lucas had carried the messy multi-set ending and cuddly, racist children’s toys of Return of the Jedi into his prequel trilogy, repeating his financially substantiated formula with an exponentially ramped up SFX proclivity. The substance was gone.

As a new age of Star Wars dawns, fans are confronted yet again with the question of thesis. Now that Lucas has loosed his grip on the franchise, will the story be free to take to the grounds of brilliant filmmaking once again?

With Disney’s purchase of the Star Wars rights, there are

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©GAGE SKIDMORE

sure to be far more Star Wars films in our future than the five which have already been announced. Disney will be releasing at least one Star Wars film every year, beginning in 2015 with Episode VII (followed by Episodes VIII and IX, with two spinoff films in between).

We have all known about the new Star Wars trilogy since October of 2012. What do we now know about the film? That it is being made with J.J. Abrams at the directorial helm of the franchise. His notorious media silence is well in effect. This is both unsurprising and pleasant considering the rise of FES, or Fan Entitlment Syndrome (which I won’t allow to drag this particular article into the depths of its accompanying misery).

Disney is much too smart to allow something as important (and expensive) as Star Wars to be tainted by leaks, rumors and acidic speculation. If they have their way, we likely won’t hear anything concrete about the upcoming films until the release of the first trailers.

This topic of conjecture won’t be going anywhere for a good long time.

We already know that Episode VII will in fact be shot on film, as opposed to the digital of the prequel series. This means more practical effects and sets.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy divulged in an interview that “We all know that [creator George Lucas’] dream has become

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

almost a religion to some people. I remember reading a thing somewhere, someone wrote about just wanting [the new film] to feel real; to feel authentic. I remember I felt that way when I was 11 years old, when I saw the first one. As much of a fairy tale as it was, it felt real. And to me, that is exactly right.”

To a point, these films will be bending to the attitudes of fans like us, because Abrams is first and foremost a fan of Star Wars.

He wants to see a return to the heart and truth of the story that we loved, just as we do.

Nobody wants a repeat of what is known as the massacre of 1999.

Some argue that the prequel trilogy is so hated because of its story: The account of a democracy which, through corruption, crumbles from within—a prospect too terrifyingly familiar to be played at. The opposition feel that it was the clean cities, lack of “western frontier” feel and demystifying of the Force which ultimately spelled excrement for fans of the originals.

I say that we can place blame all we want, but by pushing past each painful detail to see the simple truth one will come to the conclusion that those films were soiled by nothing more than bad [filmmaking.] From casting to script to direction, they were doomed at their core.

In J.J. Abrams, however—a fan, just like us—we may yet have a new hope.

“Now that Lucas has loosed his grip on the franchise, will the story be free to take to the grounds of brilliant filmmaking once again?”

SUSPENSION (AND REVISION) OF DISBELIEF

OPINION

LEARNING TO APPRECIATE PREPOSTEROUS FILMS

The Pop Culture Ephebe

by Joshua Benson

Originally I intended to discuss the irresponsible ways in which artists ask us to suspend our disbelief, not necessarily by creating an alternate universe, but in leaving out or fudging narrative information.

The idea came to me recently when my roommates and I watched The Fellowship of the Ring. In one scene, after Gandalf discovers the true nature of the ring and the Nazgul torture its whereabouts out of Gollum, Gandalf shows up at Frodo’s front door all in a dither. The wizard reveals crucial information about the ring and the approaching Nazgul.

“How does Gandalf even know that Gollum gave Frodo up and the Nazgul are coming?” my roommate asked. This is assumed possible because the movie said so and represents a major gap in the film’s logic.

The fact is that Gandalf, for all of his moth chatter and demon fighting, isn’t prescient. We only see him perform research in a library at Minas Tirith. His ability to track the alienated and reclusive Gollum isn’t presented and is also improbable. How could Gandalf possibly travel to Mount Doom to find out such information, considering its stringent security and Sauron’s panoptic eye that would certainly feel and see the wizard’s presence? The film, for the sake of time (and this is the 300-hour extended version, mind you), forces us to blindly accept this irrationality.

If you’re willing to take this as an inoffensive casualty of adaptation, consider this: A friend of mine recently went to see a poetry slam. “It was fun,” she said, “I just wish people would stop talking about, like, ‘yo, meanwhile I’m dealin’ with this war in the Middle East,’ like it’s really a part of their middle-class pseudo-bohemian lives.” Try not to get weird about the Middle East reference. I’m not making a political statement. The example just illustrates that these often unfounded, clichéd buzz phrases no longer feel like part of the artist’s perspective but fool us into thinking that the poet is courageously political and thus important.

See, I fear that as audience members we allow artists to cut corners. We seem to prefer this, because it gets the damn consumption part over with so we can more quickly be cultured

SANDRA BULLOCK finds a new purpose to live in Alfonso Cuarón’s latest film, ‘Gravity’. © WARNER BROS. PICTURES

and knowledgeable. We’re confusing culture with simulations that haven’t been fully realized, leaving potentially dangerous gaps in our understanding. What if we try to use this unfounded dramatic opinion to the same effect and get called on it?

Anyway, that was going to be my original argument, and I still think there needs to be more follow through from the audience as an effort to hone our discerning eye and avoid consuming blindly. However, a friend told me about a movie that he thought was great but absolutely preposterous. Perfect, I thought, and so I bought an exorbitantly priced ticket, slid on my ludicrous 3D glasses and experienced Gravity.

If you haven’t seen it yet, avert your eyes and get a clue. I’d be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to elude spoilers for this fantastic film—but back to business.

Gravity is, in some ways, preposterous. Aside from heroine Dr. Ryan Stone’s highly unlikely survival after being flung through space, surviving minutes without oxygen, escaping two explosive space stations, using a precarious capsule to jump the atmosphere back to Earth, then landing in a lake, apparently there are also some scientific inaccuracies. Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson points out that this all, unbelievably, occurs on the same plane of orbit, and Stone’s hair maintains its shape even though zero gravity should have Don King-ed that situation.

However, when we share Stone’s POV during her swing out of control, I nearly had an anxiety attack. When she runs out of oxygen a solid minute or two before reaching a space station, I keenly felt my own sense of hopeless perseverance. When she finally touches down on Earth, after she has decided to engage in life again instead of drowning out the sound of humanity, I knew there could be no other way.

Our heroine needed to succeed—to get another chance. It’s a hard pill to swallow with a film that blends myth and realism the way Gravity does, but catharsis supplanted my need for explanation.

So now I have a two-part conclusion. The first calls for recognizing the methods creators use to achieve suspension of disbelief, if only to distinguish when the end outweighs the means and when we’re being duped. The second, reinforced by this revisionary experience, coincides with the collegiate lifestyle, in which one gets accustomed to bolstering his or her brilliant thoughts all day. It’s best expressed by a phrase my friend uses when he’s called out for changing his opinion.

“But you just stood behind the opposite idea 10 minutes ago!” someone will challenge, to which he’ll reply, “Well, I was younger then.”

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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COVER

VIKING MOTORSPORTS

GOES ELECTRIC COBY HUTZLER

MILES SANGUINETTI/PSU VANGUARD

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Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

Building a race car isn’t easy, and building a fast one is harder. Pulling it off takes years of experimentation and dedication, financial backing, know-how and guts. Add to that the need for fast, competent drivers and build regulations that can change from one year to the next and the order grows taller—and that’s just for one car. To ante up and throw a second car into the fray while powering it with a different, relatively new technology could be seen as foolishness—or confidence.

Either way, on the fourth floor of Portland State’s engineering building, the students of Viking Motorsports are doing just that.

COVER The objective is simple: Teams prepare their vehicles to the satisfaction of a fictitious manufacturing firm that’s looking to produce a small race car for non-professional motorsport enthusiasts.

That’s Formula SAE, one of the largest student design competitions in the country.

The groups’ efforts culminate in annual competitions, where university teams from around the world assemble to snap up as close to 1000 points as possible. Teams must design and construct a car that’s not only quick and safe, but also meets numerous other criteria, including confidence-inspiring business presentations and spoton technical inspections.

“It’s a big project,” said Troy Brown, technical director and vice president of Viking Motorsports, which is also known as VMS. “It’s like running a small business, and we have to do everything on our own.”

While the team has multifaceted needs and welcomes students with all kinds of skills, Brown said that new members don’t always stick around.

“The attrition rate’s pretty high right off the bat because people don’t know what they’re getting into.”

Traditionally sanctioning petroleum-powered cars, FSAE held its first electric competition in 2013. While the electric car will be a first for VMS, Brown said the group, which first came together in 2001, plans to draw from its own past experience with gas-powered cars.

Brown, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering student, is in his second year at VMS. He said support and advising from professionals in the industry are vital to the group’s efforts, and when it comes to engagement from the industry, there’s a willingness to embrace newcomers

to electric racing that ends up being harder to earn for those using gas.

“Working with electric [motorsport] companies has been a lot more fruitful,” he said, adding that electric racing has only become practical within the last 10 years. “Gas racing has been around for ages, so you’re just the new kid on the block.”

Brown said that donated time and resources mesh with the team’s effort to produce as much of the car on their own as possible. “We’re trying to do as much in-house as we can,” he said.

Going Electric “Oh man, it’s been a lot of work,” said Quinn Sullivan, a first-year master’s student at PSU studying electrical engineering. He’s also the Formula Electric manager at VMS and is hardly new to the idea of an electric race car.

“I’ve actually been personally interested in electric vehicles for several years,” he said. “I built my own electric car as a personal vehicle out of a two-door Saturn.”

Sullivan doesn’t think either of the cars will be the “easier” one to work with. “I think there’s give and take,” he said. While an electric setup is more mechanically simple, it also comes with more complicated electronics and software to manage it all.

“It’s too soon to tell if any one of those things will take more or less time,” Sullivan said. “It could go either way.”

At this point, the group is designing an oil-based cooling system for the new car’s electric motor. Without it, Brown said, the motor could overheat to the point of becoming impractically sluggish.

Brown said the stresses these motors are put through ultimately determines how warm they’ll get.

“We’ll be seeing a lot higher temperatures than you do in a production car,” he explained. “A production car goes very slow speed for a long distance, and we’ll be jumping up to high speeds… [and] pulling a lot of power through the motor pretty much constantly.

“So you might see much higher temperatures in [competition cars] than you would in other applications.”

Both Brown and Sullivan said that the infancy of the electric class at Formula SAE played a large part in their decision to go for an electric car last summer. Sullivan said that last year, of the “20 teams that were registered, only five arrived with operational cars, and only one of them passed technical inspection.” The competition, then, was wide open.

Add to that the fact that VMS already had trailer space for a second car, and the decision to go electric nearly made itself.

KEITH OCCENA (LEFT), a member of Viking Motorsports who focuses on research and development, and Troy Brown, the groups technical director, pose with their gas-powered car.

Onward and upward Scott Brenaman was the technical director at VMS for two years before graduating from PSU in 2011. These days, he’s a mechanical engineer at Pratt and Miller, an engineering firm that does general defense and motorsport work in New Hudson, Mich. He works in the aerodynamics department on projects for Chevrolet’s campaign in IndyCar, a professional auto-racing series held mostly in the U.S. Brenaman said that the atmosphere at VMS changed quite a bit over the time he was there. When he first came on as a regular team member in 2009, most of his work focused on the car’s suspension—but only for the first year.

MILES SANGUINETTI/PSU VANGUARD

The next year, he said, “I wanted to grow the project into something bigger.”

That effort revolved around fostering a more cohesive, professional atmosphere within the team, as well as sharpening their public appearance. Before 2010, VMS had only been able to pass their technical inspections.

That year, however, was a breakout for the group, seeing them finish 37th of 56 teams.

In 2011, they were 24th of 61.

2012 had VMS finishing 16th of 77 competing squads—far and away the teams most successful year.

“By the end,” Brenaman said, “it’s really starting to be [more than] just a handful of engineering students who manage to dress up halfway nice.”

“There was just a really high degree of pride and professionalism that hadn’t been there the first year I was there.”

However, Brown said that as former VMS members graduated, their knowledge and organizational effort often graduated with them.

At the gas-powered competition in 2013, late paperwork meant that VMS was docked 100 points in the final classification, knocking them down 17 places from 29th to 46th. Without that penalty, Brown said, VMS would have placed within the top quarter of teams worldwide.

“It was a good car,” he said in an email, “we just didn’t have the organizational structure or the leadership in place to pull it off at the time.

“I and a couple others got to experience that fault and we are making sure it’s not a problem this year.”

Brown said that, going forward, one of the team’s priorities is to build up a library of technical documentation that can be handed down to

the next batch of VMS members. “You start building up a knowledge base and moving up from there,” he said.

According to Brenaman, many of the engineering students on VMS use the experience to prepare for their livelihoods. “For many of us, a sense of pride comes from being a good engineer.

“Overall, I think it’s a really awesome opportunity for any student that especially wants to get into the engineering or technology field after they graduate,” he said, adding that Formula SAE’s focus on race cars is a large part of what compels students to participate. “[The organizers] really just use [Formula] SAE as a carrot to dangle in front of your face,” he said.

A hypothetical “Formula Wheelbarrow,” he added, would probably draw a smaller crowd.

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

THIS IS OUR TOWN PSU'S SCHOOL OF THEATRE + FILM GEARS UP TO PRESENT THE CLASSIC PLAY

PORTLAND STATE SCHOOL OF THEATRE + FILM prepares for the upcoming production of Our Town.

BRITTNEY MUIR/PSU VANGUARD

RACHELLE SCHMIDT

Beginning Nov. 14, the Portland State School of Theatre + Film will be presenting Our Town, a live adaptation of Thorton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1938 play of the same name.

I recently had the chance to sit down with professor and director Lorraine Bahr and the entire cast to talk about the play and what it means to take part in the creation of a classic. As the 26 cast and crew members began filling up the rehearsal space in PSU’s Lincoln Hall, a strong sense of community became immediately clear. Laughing and joking was mixed with serious discussion about the play, and each person’s commitment to bringing Wilder’s world to life was obvious. It was easy to get the sense that not only are they a group of students and actors, but more fundamentally, a community of people brought together by their love of the play.

“It really has a strong sense of community to it. It’s people coming together about something. They’re really wonderful people, and I think that rings true for the cast,” said Zachary Marsh, who plays George Gibb. “The play is timeless. I think you could go through any era and share this story and people would understand what’s going on and what it’s about and the kind of themes it brings together.”

The play tells the story of the inhabitants of the fictionalized small town of Grover’s Corners, N.H. Set in the years between 1901 and 1913, the story revolves around two families, the Gibb family and the Webb family, with specific focus on the romance and eventual marriage between the Gibb’s son George and the Webb’s daughter Emily.

Although the play will stick to tradition by using minimal sets and props, this production is adding a unique twist to this show. Each night a different PSU professor will be making a cameo in the role of Professor Willard. There is no word yet on who will be performing on which night, but many professors will be making their acting debut.

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Because of its setting, it would be easy to dismiss the play as a sort of sentimentalized piece of Rockwellian Americana, but to do so would be to dismiss its nuances. Our Town is a play that deals with serious issues that affect everyone without relying on cynicism, Bahr said.

“It is possible to be a realist without being a cynic,” said Bahr.

“The reality is that everyone dies and there is no reason to pretend that isn’t so.”

The central themes of the play include life’s transiency, the importance of love and friendship and appreciating every moment you have. It is a story that deals with joy and tragedy and is a reminder of brevity and the importance of making the most out of each moment, even seemingly insignificant ones.

The play is a journey of human life and the beauty that can be found in the mundane if you just take the time to look.

“It is really one of those everyman, existential, really relatable in every sort of way plays,” said Cooper Blomberg, who plays Mr. Webb. “The first time we did readings I got choked up, and I got a real connection to all the characters. I felt like I know these people in life, but I feel like everyone in the room felt that way and they all have totally different lives than I do.

That was kind of what was really special about that. It cuts through right to the core of what’s in people’s heads, love and death and life.”

“It’s so easy in today’s age to get caught up in everything. You have your technology, you have Facebook and you live your life through that and it moves so quickly,” said Robyn Davis, who plays Mrs. Gibb. “This play makes you realize that it moves so quickly, and you don’t want to miss those special moments: the birthday parties, the conversations you have with your loved ones. I think that’s a message that still needs to be told. It’s okay to slow down look at everything, experience everything, because you never know when it’s going to be gone.”

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THE PORTLAND STATE SCHOOL OF THEATRE + FILM PRESENTS

OUR TOWN Lincoln Performance Hall 1620 S.W. Park Avenue Portland OR 97201

Preview Night Thursday, Nov. 14 7:30 p.m.

Performances Nov. 15-17 Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Nov. 20-23 Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

ARTS & CULTURE

COOL-WEATHER STYLE, MEET SCHOOL SPIRIT REPRESENTING YOUR SCHOOL STARTS WITH A T-SHIRT CAROLINE MCGOWAN

Fall term is now halfway done, and as midterms hit it’s important to stay loyal to our beloved Portland State.

The bookstore is loaded with options for showing off our green and black pride, but the options for making a statement with Viking style don’t stop there. With the doldrums of rainy days upon us, there is no time like the present to take the classic PSU T-shirt and reimagine it as a vital part of your day-to-day attire.

The quintessential college tee gets a bad reputation. Everyone has had one at some point, and they’re often designated for game day, trips to the rec center or pajamas. For only about $12, the T-shirt is an easy choice to reach for on early mornings and lazy days, but just because it’s a basic tee doesn’t mean it has limited wardrobe potential. What can be overlooked is how the classic tee can be great for

fashionistas hoping to stay comfy and campus-minded.

The key to taking the basic and making it fabulous is in the layers. Jackets, scarves, sweaters and accessories create endless possibilities. When styling oneself based on taste rather than perfect matching, the basic tee is the first step.

At first blush, one may think of reaching for jeans and tennis shoes with their college shirt, but when you think outside the box the possibilities are endless. Are you a rocker at heart? Leather and chains are perfect for amping up the standard boxy shape. Are you a feminine dresser? Jewels and floral patterns are excellent for complimenting the deep tones of the alma mater.

Have a green shirt? Consider pairing it with a black windbreaker, hoodie or even a black leather jacket. Alternately, a black shirt is a great choice if you are one off the many who has hopped on board for the military-green jacket that has been a recurring trend the past few seasons.

With a basic shirt, finding a visual balance can be achieved by having something eye-catching on the lower half of the outfit. A pair of funky shoes or statement pants can be just what you need to do the trick. Consider a bold print or color when choosing pants to pair with your shirt. A coolerweather fabric maxi skirt and boots is also an option that often gets over looked.

Repping green and black has no limits, and you can show off your PSU pride from your head to your toes in any weather for any occasion. Stave of desires to wear your stinky old running shoes and opt for some trend-friendly ankle boots or colorful espadrilles.

Ladies, consider stacking some bangles on your wrist for some added luxe. Gents, perhaps accessorizing with an

offbeat beanie is just what you need to break the mold.

The bottom line: Don’t be afraid to take something basic and explore the possibilities for making it expressive. Accessories are a quick fix. No longer does the classic PSU tee have to be relegated to athletic wear and lazy days. With some thought and creativity, it can be the perfect springboard for marrying campus life with a campus budget.

SCHOOL SPIRIT GEAR Portland State T-shirt | $12 PSU bookstore Bangles | $9 styleforless.com Men’s green pants | $30 uniqlo.com Green beanie | $28 us.topshop.com Women’s faux leather jacket | $40 target.com

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

DANGIT that’s

JORDAN’S DON’T BAKES JORDAN MOLNAR

Sometimes you just want cookies. Sometimes you want to make those cookies without having to use your oven at all.

Well, you’re in luck! The answer to your cookies vs. oven dilemma is only a short read away. It’s time to get familiar with your microwave and waiting around for long periods of time.

To begin this recipe, you should find yourself a medium- to large-sized bowl. It’s not terribly difficult; if you don’t already have one, someone else probably does. There’s always the store, too. Actually, if you are going to continue to cook, you should probably have a stock of bowls that range from small to large. Anyway, you should combine your dry ingredients in this bowl. That includes your sugar and cocoa powder first. Stir this around, then go ahead and add your milk.

Got that under control? Great! You’re a champion. Now add the butter or margarine and corn syrup. It doesn’t really matter whether you use actual butter or margarine; you’re going to be fine either way. Frankly, this mixture is going to taste a lot more like chocolate and peanut butter with a heavy dose of added sugar than anything else. But that’s sort of what we are going for with cookies, isn’t it? Something sweet and probably really, really bad for you. But also something that will most likely win you a lot of friends if you are willing to share.

Wait, where were we? Oh, right, you added the corn syrup and margarine OR butter. (Your choice. Do what you feel is right.) Next you should casually stir the mixture, then pop it in the microwave, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes on high. If you can’t figure out what high is, it is pretty safe to assume that your microwave is automatically set to high. Heat it until it is boiling rapidly. When it is done, stir it once. Things should be pretty much melted by then. After that, you are going to want to put it back in, still uncovered, for another 3 minutes or so.

So now you’ve microwaved the heck out of your cookie mixture. That’s fantastic; that is exactly what you were supposed to do! But don’t get carried away. You’re not done. Now you have to stir in your peanut butter and oats. You guessed it: After this it is back into your microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is boiling again. You can do it; it’s just the microwave, nothing crazy like the oven or anything. I promise this is the last time.

When that is done, remove the mixture and let it stand for 20 minutes. That means that you set the bowl aside and DO NOT TOUCH IT for 20 whole minutes. This will help with the thickening process, and you cannot really form cookies until your mixture is good and thick. Another thing that will help is beating the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes after you have let it stand for 20. It’s going to bring air in and help it cook, making the mixture finally thick enough to drop onto a sheet of wax paper or something equivalent so that it can form into cookies.

Make the cookies as big as you want them to be. That is totally up to you. Make sure that you allow them to rest until they

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are fully formed and hard enough to peel away from the paper and eat. And hey, look at that! You have some pretty awesome cookies that didn’t have to go anywhere too near an oven. This is a classic recipe and one that you can easily double, so if you are having a lot of guests or feeling particularly hungry for all of the cookies you can hoard, don’t be afraid to just multiply the ingredients by two. Use the same microwave times, however, or you are going to end up with some seriously messed up cookies.

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INGREDIENTS Serves 6 | Costs: $12-15 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 2 cups sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut up 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1/4 cup peanut butter (can increase to 1/3 based on taste preference)

CORINNA SCOTT/PSU VANGUARD

THIN BLUE LINES

ARTS & CULTURE

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS RELEASES NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL COMIC TRISTAN COOPER

For years, Portland’s Top Shelf Productions has continued to publish unique autobiographical comics. Earlier this year, the Vanguard reviewed Jeffery Brown’s A Matter of Life and Jess Fink’s We Can Fix It! Both had the frank reflections and somber half-epiphanies you might expect from an autobio comic, but each had their own unique spin on the subgenre.

The latest from Top Shelf is Blue, a semi-autobiographical comic by up-and-coming Australian cartoonist Pat Grant, now out in softcover.

Like its Top Shelf brethren, Blue hits familiar lifestory beats while subverting them at the same time. In the opening scene, a shy and lonely boy approaches three sketchy kids on the beach.

When asked whether their sandcastle could use an extra hand, the group decides against it when they learn the boy came to the small coastal town from Sydney. Upon their departure, they smash the castle and leave the boy alone with a smattering of small, broken dunes.

Those three terrible children are the closest thing

Blue has to protagonists. In a world where thousands of artists share memoirs every day, often with unsympathetic young characters, Grant sets his story apart with his frank admission of pointless cruelty. That, and the aliens In a slight deviation from history, aliens are visiting and in some cases immigrating to Earth. They look a bit like big blue bowling pins with jellyfish tentacles propping them up. The people in the small coastal town of Bolton are barely tolerating them. We get hints of their eventual takeover as more and more move in. In Blue’s scope, there’s a thin line between extraterrestrial and legal aliens. One bumper sticker reads: “We grew here, you flew here.”

But that’s just the backdrop for a particular day in the life of the trio. They’ve heard that there was an accident on the town’s train tracks. Someone was struck by a train and essentially exploded. To hear a wild-eyed kid tell it, the cleanup didn’t so go well either—there are still body parts on the tracks.

The three spend most of their day skipping school,

doing everything possible other than going to look at the scene of the accident.

At 96 pages, Blue doesn’t try to tell a riveting true story of triumph over adversity. It could be described as a sci-fi slice-of-life, but that might not fit either. In the afterword, Grant recalls something that fellow artist Shaun Tan said to him: “Comics are almost always about memory, about looking back, about making sense of the past.”

Grant renders his semichildhood in a bizarre and beautiful fashion. The kids themselves are ugly and cretinous masses of squiggly lines, while the environments are fantastic and ethereal in a storybook way. The effect is like watching the Garbage Pail Kids walking through a Dr. Seuss book.

While most of the book is in black and white, careful splashes of blue accent every page. It’s the color of the outsiders, the color of the moatlike ocean that surrounds the xenophobic town. Like the simple storytelling, the use of blue is functional, but with clear purpose.

Blue is the kind of short read that will stick with you

© PAT GRANT

for the rest of the day. The $14.99 asking price is fair for those who want to support independent artists and publishers, but some won’t be happy when they’re done reading in well under an hour. Fortunately, the digital copy is an incredible value at $1.99 at www.comixology.com. With Blue, trying something new and weird costs less than hopping on a TriMet bus.

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS presents Blue Pat Grant $14.99 paperback $1.99 digital

Where are you goin’?

‘FIVE EASY PIECES’ IS COMING TO 5TH AVENUE CINEMA 5TH AVENUE CINEMA presents Five Easy Pieces 510 S.W. Hall St. Portland, OR 97201 Friday Nov. 8 at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Saturday Nov. 9 at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Sunday Nov. 10 at 3:00 p.m.

HANNAH GRIFFITH

Grief, sarcasm and sympathy make up the incredibly tragic and hilarious New Wave film Five Easy Pieces. No happy ending is found here; this is a pure and pragmatic tale, keeping audiences breathless and engaged the entire 96 minutes.

Tears and laughter will run rampant throughout 5th Avenue Cinema, which is airing the film Nov. 8 through Nov. 10.

Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces is a ‘70s dark-humored tragedy about a man who is dissatisfied with his life and

has lost his sense of identity.

Jack Nicholson stars in his first major leading role as Bobby Dupea, a blue-collar oil rigger and former piano prodigy.

Playing alongside Nicholson as his witless and needy girlfriend is Karen Black. Cheating, alcohol and emotional abuse compile their relationship from beginning to end, with few moments of tenderness in between.

The two eventually set off north to visit Bobby’s father, and along the way engage with a series of melodramatic characters who help further

advance Bobby’s sense of frustration and self-disgust.

This is a story of both suffocation and freedom. We are taken on a journey through these miserable people’s lives and are able to fully resonate with their behaviors and destinies. Alienation is a prominent crisis for each character and is only answered through a rebellious act of escaping one’s problems and fears by running away.

Five Easy Pieces is one of the first art films to create a character indefinitely lost and dejected in the world.

This is not a fairy tale; this story does not get wrapped up in a neat little bow, but instead leaves us stunned, silent and questioning. The opportunity for being absorbed into this Oscar-nominated film is too great to pass up and will introduce an entirely new generation to the brilliance of this ‘70s counterculture masterpiece.

5th Avenue Cinema is free for Portland State students, $3 for other students and $4 general admission.

Visit 5thavenuecinema.org for more information.

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

17

ETC FEATURED EVENT Murder Mystery Machine 7:30 p.m.

Funhouse Lounge 2432 S.E. 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97214 The Unscriptables, Portland’s own improv comedy group, keep the Halloween spirit alive with their new show Murder Mystery Machine; a never-before-seen slasher-style show improvised live on stage and investigated by the Scooby Doo gang. The show counts on the audience for suggestions each night and is sure to never be the same. Come see it every Saturday through Nov. 30 for only $10.

©FUNHOUSE LOUNGE

EVENT CALENDAR Tuesday, Nov. 5

Wednesday, Nov. 6

Social Sustainability Month: Film Showing and Discussion

Insurance Workshop 101

3–5 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 228 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 The Garden follows the plight of urban Los Angeles farmers as they organize to protect their 14-acre plot from being taken over and destroyed. The event will begin by establishing an atmosphere for active participation, followed by the film screening and a facilitated discussion. FREE

Open Mic Tuesdays 7–9 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, main floor stage at NE corner 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Portland State Professional Sound invites you to join them for open mic nights every Tuesday in the Smith Memorial Student Union. Bring your own instruments and let PSPS take care of lighting and sound while you share your talents with your fellow Vikings. FREE

18

1:30–2:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 238 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 The Center for Student Health and Counseling is offering PSU students the opportunity to get to know their health insurance plan. Student health insurance coordinators will lead an informational session on understanding the benefits offered, finding a preferred provider, the claims process and much more. For more information, contact insurancehelp@pdx.edu.

FREE

Social Sustainability Month: How to Make Your Own Deodorant 5–7 p.m.

Women’s Resource Center 1802 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 Social Sustainability Month explores the relationships between social identities, personal action and systems of oppression by focusing on one particular type of relationship to dirt and masking body odor.

Participants in this workshop will walk away with an understanding of some of the history of hygiene, perspec-

tives through which they can analyze how race influences sustainability work and their very own homemade deodorant. FREE

Thursday, Nov. 7 Nonprofit Career Fair 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 355 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 The Nonprofit Career Fair is an event that is sponsored by Advising and Career Services and aims to help students connect with nonprofit organizations. Visiting employers will provide information on career positions, internships and volunteer opportunities in the nonprofit sector. FREE

Friday, Nov. 8 Middle East Studies Center Lecture Series: Ahmed Maher Noon Smith Memorial Student Union, room 236 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Nobel Peace Prize-nominee Ahmed Maher, the founder and chief coordinator of the April 6 Youth Movement, will be speaking at PSU about the movement which served as one of the most

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

important organizers of the 18-day uprising that resulted in Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s departure on Feb. 11, 2011. Come learn how the group was formed and how they were able to accomplish social change. FREE

Saturday, Nov. 9 Shahin Najafi: Live in Concert 7–9 p.m.

Tiffany Center 1410 S.W. Morrison St., Portland, OR 97205 The Persian program at the Department of World Languages and Literatures present Shahin Najafi, an Iranian musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and social activist who has been one of the most influential voices in Iran’s modern hip-hop scene. His songs deal with issues such as theocracy, poverty, sexism, censorship, child labor, execution, drug addiction and homophobia and pack powerful messages. Admission is $25 for the general public, but only $10 for PSU students with valid ID.

Monday, Nov. 11 Bicycle Maintenance 101 Noon–1 p.m.

PSU Bike Hub 1818 S.W. 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 The PSU Bike Hub will be offering a free workshop that covers all of the basics that are needed to properly maintain your bicycle, including demonstrations on proper methods of lubricating your drivetrain, adjusting your brakes, properly maintaining your tires and all of the other tricks to keep you rolling around town. You are free to bring your own bicycle if you have specific questions about it. FREE

Tuesday, Nov. 12 Nutrition Workshop: Food.

Body. You. 2–3:30 p.m.

Student Health and Counseling 1880 SW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 Nutrition Services at the center for Student Health and Counseling will be offering a workshop focusing on improving eating and exercise habits. Issues such as body image, how to shop right, and safe, effective diets to improve overall health and wellness

will be discussed. Join fellow students and gain essential tools for nourishing yourself in a way that makes sense for your body and mind alike.

Student participants must be eligible for SHAC services.

If you have any questions or would like to attend the workshop please contact Annika at a.backstrom@pdx.edu. FREE

A Day in the Life: The Language of Baklava 6:15 p.m.

Multnomah Country Central Library 810 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 PSU associate professor of English Diana Abu-Jaber will hosts a discussion about her memoir, The Language of Baklava, which weaves together stories of being raised by a food-obsessed Jordanian father with tales of Lake Ontario shish kebob cookouts and goat stew feasts under Bedouin tents in the desert.

The book also includes a variety of delicious recipes. Free copies of the memoir will be handed out to a limited number of attendees. FREE

FREE

21+

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER

ETC

Scorpio Oct. 23–Nov. 21

Capricorn Dec. 22–Jan. 19

You’re in the thick of your astrological new year, and you feel like you’re finally starting to come out of your funk.

Good news, Scorpio.

The coming week will serve to seal the deal, so you’ll be feeling tiptop in no time!

Pisces Feb. 19–Mar. 20

“I don’t know why this black cloud is following me, but I don’t like it.� You’ve been a little Debbie Downer lately, Capricorn, and you don’t like that at all! It may be time for you to stop thinking about what’s going wrong and start thinking about what’s going right.

Sagittarius Nov. 22–Dec. 21

Your intuition is in peak form, dear Pisces, making this an ideal time for approaching an old problem with a new perspective.

Don’t be afraid to review the past at this time; it’s what you need in order to take the next step forward—and what a lovely next step it will be!

Aquarius Jan. 20–Feb. 18

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days that you hardly even noticed how far you’ve really come.

Keep it up, Virgo, and let the ideas flow. This week will be especially good for collaborating and problem—solving, so put on your thinking cap and get right to it.

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Gemini May 21–Jun. 20

You’ve been especially withdrawn in recent weeks, and that’s no surprise considering how much is on your plate right now. What a drag to be such a bore, though! Especially for a fire sign like you. You’ve got the itch, Aries, so scratch it. Take a night off to hang with some real-life friends.

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This is an especially good time for your relationships, dear Taurus. Whether you’re wedded, bedded, single and ready to mingle or just plain stoked to eat pizza in your underwear alone, relationships of all types will receive a boost in the coming weeks.

Aries Mar. 21–Apr. 19

When’s the last time you did something creative, Aquarius? If you don’t expend some of that creative block buildup ASAP, you might find yourself getting a little cranky in the coming days.

This is the part of the year during which you are feeling the lowest energy. Keep that chin up, Sagittarius, for your period of rejuvenation is on its way. In the coming weeks, it’s important that you lay low and get ample rest.

Taurus Apr. 20–May 20

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Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

19

SPORTS SCORES

UPCOMING

MLS PLAYOFFS

MLS PLAYOFFS

PORTLAND SEATTLE

Top Performers: Darlington Nagbe, scored the go-ahead goal

3 SEATTLE vs. PORTLAND 1 THURS. 11/7 8:00 p.m. | NBC SPORTS WHL

TRI-CITY vs. PORTLAND WED. 11/6 7:00 p.m. | KPAM 860 AM

WHL

PORTLAND SPOKANE

Top Performers: Oliver Bjorkstrand, scored the opening goal

3 NBA 1 HOUSTON vs. PORTLAND TUES. 11/5 7:00 p.m. | COMCAST SPORTS PSU FOOTBALL

NBA

SAN ANTONIO PORTLAND

Top Performers: Damian Lillard, 25 points

105 115

PSU @ IDAHO STATE SAT. 11/9 2:05 p.m.

PSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

PSU @ UNLV FRI. 11/8 7:30 p.m.

PSU FOOTBALL

WEBER STATE PSU

Top Performers: DJ Adams, 152 yds., 2 TDs

24 PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 45 GEORGE FOX vs. PSU FRI. 11/8 7:00 p.m.

PSU WOMEN’S SOCCER

PSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

N.W. CHRISTIAN PSU

Top Performers: DaShaun Wiggins, 20 points

73 NORTHERN COLORADO vs. PSU 85 THURS. 11/7 3:00 p.m.

PSU VOLLEYBALL

SOUTHERN UTAH vs. PSU

PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SIMON FRASER PSU

Top Performers: Keaton McFadden, 21 points

69 74

THURS. 11/7 7:00 p.m.

PSU VOLLEYBALL

PSU MONTANA

Top Performers Leigh-Ann Haataja, 5 blocks

3 1

PSU’S RANK IN TOTAL OFFENSE IN THE FCS, WITH 514.6 YARDS PER GAME.

PSU WOMEN’S SOCCER TO HOST BIG SKY TOURNAMENT TEAM TAKES UNDEFEATED CONFERENCE RECORD INTO TOURNAMENT PLAY TOBIN SHIELDS

After completing the program’s first unbeaten Big Sky slate, the Portland State women’s soccer team will be hosting the Big Sky Soccer Championship on Thursday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 9, at Hillsboro Stadium.

Throughout their season, the team recorded an impressive 10 shutouts and only allowed a total of three goals— two of which came as a result of penalty kicks. Head coach Laura Schott believes that this victory streak came from a team full of hardworking and dedicated individuals.

“Our players are more serious about success than they have been in years past,” she said in an interview. “Everyone wants to win on every team, so this year we have a group that takes care of the basics without question. This has allowed us to focus on details that separate good from great.”

This year’s team is also incredibly young. Out of its 25 players, 18 are underclass-

men, and Schott doesn’t seem hesitant to play any of them.

Out of the 12 players to score points, seven were freshmen or sophomores. Schott believes that a good team isn’t based on age.

“Regardless of how young or old our team is, my expectation is that we do the best we can in any given year,” Schott said.

The team’s upperclassmen have also made quite an impact on the program as well. Junior Eryn Brown had one of the best seasons of all time at PSU by ranking fifth in points (19) and tying for fifth in goals scored (7) and sixth in assists (5) in a single season.

Ariana Cooley, another PSU junior, was named Big Sky offensive player of the week earlier in the season as a result of her two goals and one assist in matches against Weber State and Idaho State.

The tournament will include two semifinals and a championship match, with

the winner of the tournament earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Vikings have qualified for the Big Sky Tournament 10 times in their 17-year history in the conference but have only hosted the tournament twice before this season. When asked about her expectations for the coming weekend, Schott said, “My expectation for the tournament is to focus on one game at a time.”

PSU will be one of four teams playing at the event.

Third-seeded Weber State and second-seeded Northern Arizona will play in the first semifinal at 12 p.m. Nov. 7, while the top-seeded Vikings will host No. 4 seed Northern Colorado at 3 p.m. in the second semifinal on Thursday. The winners of those matches will then play for the championship at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.

When asked if she was worried about the competition, Schott commented, “All of the teams in the tour-

nament are good. It is a talented field, so any team we face will bring a good game.”

She isn’t worried, but understands that her team is going to have to maintain the same level of focus and motivation they have demonstrated throughout the season in order to have a shot over the weekend.

Schott feels that although her team has done well this season, she realizes that it’s not quite over. “At some point we may reflect on the great things that have happened this season, because there have been many great accomplishments. Right now, though, we have no plans to reflect, only to continue preparing for the next games.”

For any students that want a ride to Hillsboro Stadium for the match against Northern Colorado, two buses will leave Stott Center at 2 p.m. on Thursday. There will be free pizza and a ride back to campus afterward. To reserve a seat email wnb@pdx.edu.

THE VIKINGS scrimage on the Stott Community Field as they prepare for the upcoming tournament.

JOSÉ-DAVID JACOBO/PSU VANGUARD

20

Vanguard | NOVEMBER 5, 2013 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

THE VANGUARD’S NFL MIDSEASON REPORT JOEL GUNDERSON

From one season to the next, perhaps no league in sports is as unpredictable as the NFL. From top dog to bottom feeder, franchises can change overnight with one injury or bad personnel decision.

At the halfway point of the season, here’s a look back at the top storylines from a wild nine weeks of action. The good, the bad, the surprising—and who will square off in the Super Bowl.

JULIUS THOMAS EFFECT: Coming into the 2013 season, Portland State alum Julius Thomas was a relatively unknown commodity to most of the country. A physical specimen coming out of college, Thomas spent much of his first two seasons injured. Combine that with having Tim Tebow as your quarterback in season one, and it’s understandable why he was flying under so many radars.

Enter Peyton Manning.

Thomas, finally healthy, has had a breakout year, accounting for 450 yards and eight touchdowns. Another basketball-turned-football star, Thomas has seen his stock skyrocket in the league’s most prolific offense.

“To have the kind of start I did in the NFL, to have a season-ending injury on your first catch in your second game, was…it was a roller coaster for me,” Thomas told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.

“Now, to be practicing with Peyton Manning, it forces us all to play at a higher level, forces us all to be accountable so we’re ready for every Sunday.”

Thomas suffered an ankle injury on Oct. 27 but isn’t expected to miss much time.

If he can stay healthy, there seems to be no limit for the former Viking.

PHILLY FLOUNDERING: Coming off a disastrous 4–12 campaign in 2012, the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans thought they had turned the corner from the Andy Reid era. The franchise felt stale under coach Reid, who took them to five NFC championships—including four in a row— during his tenure. So, they did the most un-stale of things and hired Oregon head coach Chip Kelly.

It’s pretty much been downhill since then.

Not only have the Eagles struggled to a 4–5 record, but also their offense—perhaps the most talked-about offseason topic in the NFL—has been less than stellar. A tough schedule, injuries and a horrid defense have taken the magic out of Kelly’s first season.

What Andy Reid is doing now has not helped either…

SHOULD WE HAVE SEEN THIS COMING? The Kansas City Chiefs were 2–14 last season. Their season was marred by off-season drama and inept quarterback play.

Out went Romeo Crennel, in came Andy Reid and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Chiefs are the NFL’s only unbeaten team at 9–0. They are riding a strong defense and the steady play of new quarterback Alex Smith.

The 2012 version of the team sent six players to the Pro Bowl, leading the league, but had the worst record. If ever there were a team in need of a proven coach, this was it.

JULIUS THOMAS has accounted for 450 yards and eight touchdowns over his year with Denver.

ADAM WICKHAM/PSU VANGUARD

Nine games in, it seems they made the right call.

FIRST HALF SURPRISES: Trying to figure out the biggest surprise of the first half is almost impossible. There have been pleasant ones (the NY Jets, Terrelle Pryor, the Detroit Lions, the San Diego Chargers) and bad ones (Pittsburgh, the Giants, Eli Manning), but perhaps no story came more out of left field than the resurgence of the Indianapolis Colts.

Two years removed from disaster (Bye-bye, Peyton), the Colts have the best young quarterback we’ve seen in 30 years; young, talented skill position players around him; and ownership that will do whatever it takes to win.

Their 6–2 record might not be the surprise—they made the playoffs last year, after all. No, the biggest surprise is how well the franchise has handled adversity the past two seasons.

Peyton Manning was let go. Head coach Chuck Pagano missed most of 2012 with cancer. His replacement during that time, Bruce Arians, left to coach the Cardinals. Through it all, they rebuilt a roster that was aging and broken down (are you paying attention, Pittsburgh?) and, yes, got Luck(y) by drafting the young QB out of Stanford. Having already notched wins over San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, the Colts appear to be destined for big things in 2013.

SECOND HALF PREDICTIONS: It’s almost impossible to make predictions in this league, but what the heck…let’s have some fun!

MVP: Andrew Luck. The obvious choice would be Peyton Manning, who will likely set numerous records by the time the season is over. But something tells me that the Colts will win a

game in January, in Denver, and that performance will net Mr. Luck his first MVP award.

COACH OF THE YEAR: This is a no-brainer: Andy Reid should have the trophy in his office already. He has taken a talented but undisciplined team and has already spurred them to seven more wins than last season. He’s made Kansas City a serious threat.

FIRST COACH TO GET THE PINK SLIP: The time has come for Jason Garrett to end his tenure in Dallas. The Cowboys are too talented to continually lose games the way they do. It’s simply time to move on.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: When you have your own hashtag cult following nine games into your career, great things are on the horizon. That’s what has happened to Buffalo Bills rookie and former Oregon Duck Kiko Alonso. Alonso has been nothing short of spectacular, with 89 tackles and four interceptions—including a 22-tackle performance against Cincinnati.

SUPER BOWL: New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts.

An outdoor Super Bowl in chilly New York is cause for concern for both of these dome teams, but they seem to be the most complete from top to bottom. New Orleans is 6–2, and nobody is talking about them.

The Colts have the three best wins by any team this year.

Rob Ryan has made the Saints defense formidable, and Trent Richardson finally gives the Colts a running game. Both teams have great coaches and could have two or three home games in the playoffs.

2014 SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS: New Orleans Saints.

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SPORTS THE PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM practice in the Stott Center to get in shape for their next game.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Dear Blazer fans, The NBA season is officially upon us, and that means everyone gets to hear about the Miami Heat’s quest for a threepeat. But we, as Blazers fans, get an added component to the media’s obsession with South Beach—Greg Oden.

Oden signed with Miami this offseason, and his only action in uniform so far has been during the preseason. The former Blazers center had a dunk and two fouls in his preseason debut. So Portland, will you be upset if the 2007 number-one draft choice wins an NBA title before the Blazers do?

I’m not going to lie: It is going to sting a little. Greg Oden, the man who was once the supposed key to a Blazers title, now on another team that is likely to get a ring. But you know what? I could not care less if Oden wins a title.

I wish the guy the best. I felt for him while he was here. All he wanted to do was play basketball, and he could not do that because of bad luck. The guy got screwed on multiple levels, and to make it worse, everyone in Portland compared him to fellow 2007 draft pick Kevin Durant, who enjoyed success in Seattle Oklahoma City.

When they finally let Oden go, the Blazers made the right decision. They cut ties with the anchor that was weighing down the organization. They turned a new leaf, and this season they should be back in the playoff picture. The Greg Oden saga is over, and that’s it. There is no carryover now that he is back in the NBA because frankly, Blazers fans, it’s not worth the trouble.

There is enough remorse in this fan base about injury-stricken players a la Brandon Roy. Why do we need any more? Let Oden do his thing. If he is successful, great. Good for him. If not, I wish him the best. Miami is the favorite to win the championship, and a lot of people will be surprised if they don’t. The number-one goal for Portland should be to put themselves in a position in which they can win another championship. It’s been a long while since the Blazers have been in that position, and whether or not Oden and the Heat win one first, it will not change the Blazer’s roster.

Let’s forget about Oden. Let’s forget about the bad luck this franchise has had with injuries. It’s time to move past it. Expectations for this franchise should have to do with wins, getting into the playoffs and then advancing. The Blazers are headed in the right direction, and it started with the removal of Oden from this franchise. Portland knew that there would be a chance he would play again somewhere else, similar to the way that Brandon Roy found a new team.

There are strong opinions on Oden and what kind of turning point drafting him was in the history of the Portland Trail Blazers. I get that. That is why it will be somewhat awkward to watch Oden out on the floor—to possibly watch him in the playoffs, and maybe even the finals. But let’s take those emotions and put them toward the Blazers now. We have a team that can challenge playoff teams in the Western Conference. Let the Heat do their own thing. In Portland, we can win one without any talents from South Beach.

Sincerely, Alex Moore Vanguard Sports Desk

CALLING ALL SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS THE VANGUARD IS LOOKING FOR Sports Writers Apply @ psuvanguard.com

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JOSE-DAVID JACOBO/PSU VANGUARD

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SHOOTS FOR BIG SKY Players returning from injury will play big roles KAYLA TATUM

The Portland State women’s basketball team is determined to dominate this season with five newcomers joining their squad and a jam-packed schedule that includes 16 regular-season home games.

When asked how she thinks the newcomers are adjusting to the team so far, head coach Sherri Murrell said, “There are four freshmen and one volleyball player joining us. The freshmen are adjusting very quickly with such a seasoned upperclass helping them along. They are working hard each day, and that’s what I like to see first. [Senior Cara Olden] will join us after her [volleyball] championship season. It will take some time for her, but I think she will instantly add intensity and athleticism to our team.”

“I lined up the toughest exhibitions possible. These teams are good,” Murrell said. “It will hopefully show us what we need to work on and get better at. It will be a good test for us.”

The Vikings hope to earn a spot in the Big Sky Conference tournament after finishing 12–17 overall and 6–14 in conference last year, missing the tournament for the second straight season. Return-

ing to the team healthy and ready to compete are starting point guard Kate Lanz and starting forward Angela Misa.

Both seniors had season-ending injuries last year but are making a comeback. Murrell commented on her team’s overall performance last year and what they are striving to do for the upcoming season, “I was not satisfied and neither was the team. We went through a lot losing Kate and then Angela amongst the other injuries, but we could have competed much better.”

She adds, “I can tell already this year’s team will be tougher; their chemistry is better. My expectations for this year is [for us] to grow each day, each practice, each game. Come conference—we want to compete and get to the tournament for a chance to dance once again.”

Although her season ended early last year, Misa is a great competitor. She was named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year with an average of 10.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. With those numbers, she became the first Viking since the 2003-04 season to average a double-double. She also was the first Viking to post 20

or more rebounds in a game since 1981.

Another player to look out for in the upcoming season is Lanz. Even though her season was cut short last year due to a knee injury and she was only able to compete in 10 games, she is still a contender for big things this season. She was named Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 2011-12, and in her 37-game career she has averaged 13.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. She also was the fourth fastest Viking to score over 500 career points.

The Vikings are scheduled to play against Saint Mary’s, a team they have never faced before, but the team is pumped up for the beginning of the season. “The team is excited to play in front of their friends and family,” Murrell said.

When asked what she thinks her team needs to improve on this season, Murrell said, “We need to play tough defense. We need to disrupt teams with our pressure.”

What is the number-one quality she looks for in an athlete?

“An undeniable will to win.”

The Vikings regular season opener is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 against Saint Mary’s at the Peter Stott Center.

LET’S MOVE! VANGUARD SPORTS INTRO TO EXERCISE 101 DREA VICK

Many people step into a gym and are at a loss as to what to do. So many machines, so many weights, so many options. Should you go to a spin class? A yoga class? Lift weights in a vain attempt to do what you think you “should” be doing? Here the Vanguard helps break down some myths about working out while also giving you a good starting point.

First of all, it’s important to note that any and all activity is great. Whether you go to the gym or not, moving your body on a regular basis is a great way to combat potentially life-threatening condi-

tions like heart disease and high blood pressure. It improves mood and energy levels, and for those of you who are scale-conscious, remember that it can help control weight. As a general rule of thumb, the American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of activity per day. This can be as simple as going for a walk. It doesn’t have to be an intense session at the gym. Just move.

There are some common myths floating around about what makes a healthy body, but the most crucial component of fitness starts with a healthy diet. You can do 1,000 crunches, but you won’t see that six-pack unless you eat

clean and do high-intensity cardio. In addition, ladies, no matter how much you lift, you will not look like Arnold.

Women’s bodies do not have the level of testosterone needed to bulk up. So unless you are juicing, you need not worry. Lift those weights like the strong women you are!

Men, on the other hand, do have the testosterone to bulk up, so keep lifting if the Terminator is your hero.

The basis of any strong workout is cardio. This is where you’re going to burn fat, build muscle and improve your endurance and lung capacity. If you develop a regular routine, you’ll be able to tackle those mon-

YOGA CLASS in the Academic and Student Rec Center.

strously steep stairs in Neuberger in no time. As a rule of thumb, you want your heart rate to be between 130–175 beats per minute for optimal strength conditioning. No need to go out and buy one of those fancy heart rate monitors; you can judge it by your ability to hold a conversation while working out. If you are slightly breathy while talking, you are headed on the right track. If you’re more of a numbers type of person, the treadmills at the Rec Center also have sensors that you can place your hands on to get a reading.

The biggest misconception of cardio is that you have to run. Not true. If you don’t like running, don’t do it. You won’t stick with something you don’t like. Try a Zumba class, which incorporates cardio with dancing, or try a spin class, which challenges your ability to ride a stationary bike through make-believe mountains. There are any number of ways you can get that heart rate up, so be creative. If you are interested in running and want to train yourself for a 5k or a half or

SPORTS

HEALTH& WELLNESS full marathon, Hal Higdon’s training plans are a great place to get started. They’re all available online for free and start from the very beginning all the way to a marathon. Start small and make goals you can achieve. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so don’t assume your ideal body can be either.

Weights are also a wonderful way to work out and will give you those sharp, cut lines that you’re looking for.

The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn outside of the gym just by going about your daily life. On that note, it bears repeating­ —because it’s the most common weight training myth that scares away women—you will not bulk up if you lift weights. You will get the definition you want without looking like you drank a steroid milkshake for breakfast.

Weights are also highly personal. What works for somebody else may not work for you. However, if you’re not the type to just jump in the weight room and wing it, you can schedule a free one-hour

personal training consultation at the campus Rec Center. They will go over weight room basics, talk to you about your goals, and show you a quick 15-minute workout.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to be safe and smart. If you have incorrect form, you can get injured and take yourself out of the game for a week or more. I highly recommend going the first few times with a friend that is familiar with weight training so they can show you tips, tricks and proper posture.

Working out doesn’t have to be a chore. It can actually be something you enjoy—or eventually learn to enjoy.

There’s no other feeling in the world that matches the endorphin rush of a good workout.

Try it out, customize it to your needs and get going. The benefits you’ll see far outweigh the initial frustration. Once you get into a regular routine, you’ll find that your day isn’t complete without a little exercise. Or in other words, think of Newton’s first law of motion: An object in motion tends to stay in motion.

Happy exercising!

CHELSEA DONALDSON helps one of her students with a pose.

JINYI QI/PSU VANGUARD

JINYI QI/PSU VANGUARD

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