Portland State Vanguard

VOLUME 68 | ISSUE 24

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Alex Tongue pushes downhill racing to the limit on longboards made from corn husks

NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

Friends and family remember geography professor Thomas Harvey’s life and achievements. pg. 5

Why street preachers deserve compassion even when they are not giving it. pg. 8

Are your taste buds tingling? Head over to Southwest’s Restaurant Row for all of your hunger needs. pg. 16

NBA All-Star weekend turned into the Damian Lillard show. Will he be rested enough for the second half? pg. 21

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NEWS

BERNICE KING SPEAKS ON EQUALITY AT PSU KARISA CLEARY

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of inequality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

On Feb. 12, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther

King Jr., Dr. Bernice King, gave a lecture to an audience of around 1,900 people at Portland State’s Peter W. Stott Center in honor of Black History Month. At the event, King spoke of her family’s legacy and encouraged the audience’s participation in continuing to put into action her parents’ plans for equality in modern society.

“We want everyone to be a part of the community, so we have to find a way to bring them back over no matter how hard, no matter how difficult, no matter how challenging it might be,” King said.

Along with King’s speech, the event also included a musical performance by Linda Hornbuckle, a legendary soul singer who began sing-

DR. BERNICE KING speaks to audience members at PSU about equality and her parents’ legacy.

MORGAN KNORR/PSU VANGUARD

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Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

ing at the age of 6 in Portland. Performances by Janice Scroggins and Hornbuckle’s old time gospel group were given as well.

A presidential welcome was given by PSU President Wim Wiewel. Senior community health major Michael Adams gave a student address In his speech, Wiewel reminded attendees of PSU’s community connection with the city.

“Part of what makes Portland State so special is our role here in the city, to be a convener for conversations that are important for our community,” Wiewel said.

Following Wiewel’s welcome, King began her lecture by reflecting on her life as a daughter of two historical American figures.

At the time of her father’s assassination, King was a 5-year-old observer of the revolution her father had put into place. Since then, she has obtained similar aspirations that her mother and father once pursued— achieving human equality around the world.

“I thank God for the honor and the privilege for being their daughter, which I don’t take lightly or for granted,” King said. “I only ask in this life that I live that people give me an opportunity to be our best self…Without question my father’s legacy is one of the most valued legacies of all time.”

As a fellow advocate for nonviolence, King noted that she supports her father’s choice to refrain from the use of weapons and violence to make his voice heard.

Currently the CEO of the King Center, which was founded by her mother, King has launched a campaign called 100 Days of Nonviolence on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. King hopes this campaign will start a worldwide conversation about nonviolence.

“I find myself in a unique position today—CEO of the King Center—of ensuring that generations of people understand that philosophy [of nonviolence] because the reality is that if we don’t embrace it, as my father once said, we will destroy ourselves in the misuse of our own instruments,” King said.

King also shed some light on her mother’s efforts during the civil rights movement.

“As I stand here tonight, I give honor and recognition to my mother as she gets lost in the equation when we talk about the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.,” King said.

“For 37 years after his assassination, she made a single decision and that was to institutionalize his legacy via the King Center and via the federal King holiday. She was the one who pounded the pavement, she was the one who reminded us what gave energy, inspiration to the movement and that was his nonviolence philosophy and methodology.”

During his address, Adams also drew on the impact that the King family has made on his life.

“I can’t imagine a world without Dr. King having been here,” Adams said.

“It is because of the many

brave souls like Dr. King and his regal wife Coretta Scott King, the freedom writers and the countless demonstrators that I am able to have an education and live a better life that my ancestors could only dream about.”

While Martin Luther King Jr.’s efforts made a huge impact in the civil rights movement, both King and Adams express their concerns for the future of human equality in terms of race and economic status.

Speaking to those currently advocating equality, Adams said, “There are still people out there seeking some solace.

“People are still being brutalized and being killed for being different,” he continued. “There are still groups of people who are waiting for their invitation to mainstream American society, like many of my wonderful undocumented friends and their families who need a venue to citizenship.”

“There’s still a tremendous amount of work that must be done,” King added. “Believe it or not, in our world today, 46 years after his assassination…zip code discrimination is a reality.”

However, Adams believes that there is still hope for equality in this nation.

“Time alone does not cure all evils. It takes all of us working collectively,” Adams said. “America, we need to do better, and yes, we can. Symbolically, it is still a time for many groups of people, and we need to bring everybody in from the cold, all of humanity.”

NEWS

THOMAS HARVEY: A MEMORIAL HANA KING

A crowd of over 50 people gathered in the Browsing Lounge of Smith Memorial Student Union on Jan. 10 to celebrate the life of geography professor Thomas Harvey, who passed away after a short illness on Dec. 13 at 62 years old.

Harvey, who began teaching at Portland State in 1990, was born Sept. 13, 1952, in Tupelo, Miss.—a small town that he credited with sparking his interest in folklore and field geography.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Antioch College in 1974, and a Master of Science in geography from Pennsylvania State University in 1982. He finished his studies with a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Minnesota in 1990 before moving to Portland’s Pearl District with his wife, Jean, and daughter Caitlin.

While at PSU, Harvey served as chair of the geography department from 2008 to 2011, but his first love was teaching.

“He came from a not very well-off background,” said his wife, Jean Spraker, whom he met in Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1973, “so he identified with a lot of the students. He liked the diversity here.”

Harvey’s colleague in the department of geography, Martha Works, described him as a “person of enormous integrity who had a lot of respect for the aca-

demic life and the life of the mind.

“He was very inquisitive and very smart and very thoughtful, and he really cared about the institution and about students,” she added.

At his memorial, Harvey’s intelligence and ingenuity were lauded by his longtime friend, Sona Andrews, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at PSU. Andrews first met Harvey when he was a graduate student at the University of Minnesota over 30 years ago.

“At that time, the department of geography [at Minnesota] was ranked the top geography department in the country and it had an amazing group of graduate students,” Andrews said, “and as an assistant professor it was really amazing to be among this group of bright, creative individuals.

“Tom was very much a part of all of that. This group was forging new ground in the field of geography. They were fun. They were irreverent at times. I’m just glad Portland State had the opportunity to benefit from that.”

Harvey was remembered by another long-time friend, Tony Goddard, as “a keen observer of the world and a scholar by nature, a communicator and a teacher by calling.”

Goddard met Harvey when they were both graduate students in Minnesota. He describes his friend, in four words, as someone who was

observant, diligent, engaged and finally, exasperated.

He says that Harvey would sometimes feel exasperated by the absurdity of life, but that he “had a bedrock belief that study, observation and analysis could actually work, that it could actually make the world a better place.”

Despite his studious academic nature, Harvey is remembered fondly by his wife as a man who “talked with a bit of spice [and] told a good story,” sometimes graded papers on the couch while watching NASCAR and loved “old-timey Southern honkytonk music.”

He was also an avid photographer who left behind a cache of over 80,000 photos documenting his travels and experiences.

Harvey served as one of the board members for the Pearl District neighborhood association, where he was described as a “stalwart worker and one of the people who brought a high degree of professionalism as well as enthusiasm [to the association]” by Neilson Abeel, a neighbor and friend who worked with Harvey while the neighborhood association was still young.

Harvey is survived by his wife Jean, daughter Caitlin, brother Andrew and mother Martha. A scholarship has been established in his name and donations can be made out to the Department of Geography.

THOMAS HARVEY taught at PSU for 24 years. He passed away in December at the age of 62.

PHOTO COURESY OF JEAN SPRAKER

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NEWS

THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS UNDER ONE ROOF KATHARINE PEDERSEN

With an abundance of changes going on at Portland State this year, including the expansion of the School of Business Administration, it’s clear that the university is in a season of renovation.

The $60 million expansion will be paid for with capitol funding and private fundraising, and will add 42,000 square feet to the building.

The Graduate School of Education, which shares space with the School of Business, will also be moving locations, which will free up another 53,000 square feet.

According to Scott Gallagher, director of communications at PSU, one of the main reasons for the expansion is “bringing the School of Business under one roof.”

With an estimated completion of fall 2016 or early 2017, PSU has chosen local architecture firm SRG Partnership Inc.—the firm responsible for designing Shattuck Hall and the Lundquist College of Business at the University of Oregon—to expand the business administration building. The firm will also be working with German firm Behnisch Architekten in order to complete the design.

According to Scott Dawson, the dean for the School of Business Administration, SRG Partnership Inc. has already begun gathering input and recommendations from

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more than 180 people related to the project. They will take these into account before finalizing a design.

One main goal of the expansion is to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design platinum certification.

Since the School of Business opened in 1987, it has more than doubled in size.

This has forced PSU to lease spaces outside of the School of Business building.

“Space is at a premium,” Gallagher said.

Dawson also stated that there are no study rooms or common spaces for students in the current building, which are features that will be included in the expansion.

“It effects students learning and their affinity for the university,” Dawson said.

The expansion will also help PSU become more competitive when being compared to other business programs.

Dawson and Gallagher both stated that a university’s buildings have a major impact on the decision for a student who is choosing between schools.

Dawson commented that the expansion will not only impact the students focusing in business, but will affect the overall student body. He hopes that the new expansion will increase student enrollment, and with more students attending PSU, will help keep tuition down.

RENOVATIONS will triple the space for business administration students.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

ALEX HERNANDEZ/PSU VANGUARD

NEWS

Film series to explore questions of Native American genocide HEATHER WILSON

The Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project at the Portland Center for Public Humanities will host a series of three films exploring the questions of genocide in North American history at the Native American Student and Community Center.

The three films delve into the historical and current effects of governmental policies on Indigenous peoples in the U.S. and Canada.

“In my experience in U.S. classrooms, topics like genocide or mass murder are thought of as happening to other people, somewhere else,” said Dr. Patricia Schechter, professor of history and chair for the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project. “It happens in places like Cambodia or Rwanda. It’s important to explore this topic within North American history.”

The first film in the series, The Canary Effect, examines the way mainstream media portrays Native American issues and explores the white-washing of Native American history in public schools.

The film provides an in-depth study on the history of governmental policies affecting Indigenous peoples throughout U.S. history. The effects of mass extinction policies, from outright massacre and eugenics to the less violent policies of containment and cultural assimilation, are explained in a historical context.

The second film, The Thick Dark Fog, is a documentary about Walter Littlemoon’s efforts to reconcile with his experiences in an Indian boarding school in 1950.

According to the film, in the late 1800s the U.S. government implemented an Americanization policy designed to assimilate Native American children into European American culture. Young

children were commonly removed from their families and sent to federally funded Indian boarding schools, where they were forbidden to speak their native languages, wear tribal dress or practice their religions.

The film features interviews with individuals who attended Indian boarding schools in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and they discuss the ways shame and unresolved trauma experienced in the schools continue to impact their lives and the lives of their families.

“At PSU, students regularly raise the question of coercive assimilation as committing violence against a group. They often use the phrase ‘cultural genocide,’” Schechter said.

“These films help us to think through various kinds and types of violence in the colonization of the Americas and also to consider resistance and adaptation as well.”

The film explains that changes in government policy, including the right to self-govern and maintain their traditions, mean Native American cultures are no longer vilified in the U.S. Over the last 20 years, mainstream opinion of Native American cultures have dramatically shifted, and many native traditions are romanticized. This mystification of Native American traditions currently has a negative effect on Indigenous people.

Schechter explains that this is “because they are still being stereotyped. They aren’t being recognized as cultures with complexities and diversity.”

The last film in the series, No Turning Back, puts a spotlight on the diversity and complexity of the Indigenous peoples of Canada from several different angles. Native filmmakers collected over 300 hours of interviews from a wide range of Native tribes and cultures on topics like

past and present government policies, self-government and the criminal justice system from the perspective of First Nation peoples in Canada.

The film series is accompanied by literature that explores these issues in-depth.

“The books and literature were chosen to resonate with our target audience— mainly PSU students who are interested in learning about issues of culture and race in our past, present and future,” said Tavi Gupta, a junior and student director of the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project.

Each film will be followed by a discussion session over pizza, so students can ask questions and process any new or startling information they may learn from the films.

“These films help enrich our vocabularies beyond victimization and beyond binaries like ‘traditional’ or ‘assimilated,’” Schechter said. “A key goal is to help students think more critically and creatively about power in Native American history.

This involves broadening our grasp of the sources, the stories, the speakers and their many resonances across time and culture.”

Gupta is currently setting up an online forum for the film series where students can comment or post questions about what they learned in the films.

“It’s a place where students can post reflections on the films, ask questions and extend the conversation. We hope to use it to encourage discussion and maintain continuity of the conversation between films,” Schechter said.

More information about the film series can be found at thehgsproject.wordpress.com.

The films will be shown Feb. 27, March 6 and March 13 from 6–8:30 p.m in the NASCC, room 170. The series is free and open to the public.

‘THE CANARY EFFECT’ is the first film being shown in the series. ©YELLOW THUNDER WOMAN

CRIME BLOTTER

Week of Feb. 10-16

STEPHANIE TSHAPPAT

Feb. 12 EXCLUSION

University Center Building At 2:06 a.m. Officer Chris Fischer issued a PSU exclusion to non-student Ronald Brown for sleeping and then urinating on campus.

STUDENT CONDUCT

Science Building One Officer Fischer responded to above area at 5:18 a.m. after hearing the Portland Police Bureau being dispatched to a fight in progress where a black male was reportedly standing over a white male. Upon arrival, Officer Fischer determined there was no fight, and contacted a PSU student who stated he was intoxicated and had fallen.

Student denied medical attention for the bruise on his head and also declined to follow instructions by Officer Fischer and PPB

and was subsequently transported to detox by PPB. Report forwarded to Dean of Student Life and CARE team.

Feb. 13 ARREST

Smith Memorial Student Union At 7:42 p.m. Sergeant Joe Schilling and other Campus Public Safety Officers responded to a report of a female barricading herself in the women’s restroom to avoid an ex-boyfriend. Upon arrival, officers contacted a female PSU student and nonstudent Thomas Gilardi. An investigation concluded that no interpersonal violence had occurred. However, the PSU student was arrested and lodged at Multnomah County Detention Center for attempted unlawful possession of methamphetamine, and Gilardi was issued a PSU exclusion.

Feb. 15 THEFT

Cramer Hall Officer Nichola Higbee received a report from a PSU staff member that between 9:40 and 10 a.m., while he was in the copy room, his cell phone was stolen from office 217K.

THEFT

Park Plaza At 12:11 p.m. Officer James Dewey received a theft report from a student who stated the bike she rented from the Bike Hub was stolen from in front of the student’s apartment building between 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 15. Only the front tire of the bike was left U-locked to the bike stand where the bike had been secured.

Read the full crime blotter at psuvanguard.com.

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OPINION

FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: AN APOLOGY PSU'S EXTREME STREET PREACHERS

Against the Current

by Sebastian Richardson

No matter your religious affiliation or lack thereof, the street preachers who appear on campus are an unwelcoming sight. I, like most people, prefer not to be condemned to hell as I walk to and from class in the morning. However, where there are differences, there can also be understanding.

Too often I have found myself standing on the edge of a large group of people who were attempting to argue with these preachers. I began to notice that the people who were drawn in were not only those who wished to mock them and attempt to get a rise out of them, but also believers who were horrified and upset that these men were taking a message of love and perverting it to fit some agenda.

Once a young freshman girl bravely stood up there and pleaded with the crowd, saying that Christianity is a religion of peace and love, not hatred and condemnation. To these street preachers, that idea is laughable.

For them, the love of God is not evident by redemption, forgiveness and compassion. To them, the love of God is the guarantee that people will be punished accordingly. Conveniently, the people who most deserve condemnation are those with whom they disagree. The way they see it, you must fear God in order to love God. It’s very appealing to adopt an ideology in which you are always right and such claims are backed up by your own definitions of divine commands. It makes them feel justified and gives them an authority they wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s also very easy to see the appeal of the fire and brimstone approach.

Many of us would love to yell and scream about things we disagree with. These preachers found a loophole where such behavior is encouraged.

It’s easy for a religious person who doesn’t proselytize to dismiss the street preachers and try not to accept responsibility for them, but it’s impossible not to see that they are doing more harm than good. People do not respond positively to abrasive language. People are not converted by the fear of punishment. This is not the 17th century. Fire and brimstone is no longer effective.

I remember reading Jonathan Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” when I was in middle school. It terrified me. These streets preachers are probably just as scared

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as that middle school version of me. I do not mean that out of disrespect, but to illustrate that most of these preachers are operating out of a very powerful fear and the presupposed confidence that their actions will grant them pardon from an unquenchable wrath that is completely unavoidable unless you agree with them.

However, not every street preacher is the same.

One, when I asked if he believed he was bringing anyone closer to faith, boldly declared that Noah preached for a hundred years and converted no one and yet his actions were not in vain. That man was not even concerned with conversion, rather his own self-fulfillment and justification.

Another one told me that I would scream and yell too if I saw people trapped in a burning building and wanted to help them.

He actually seemed to be concerned with the well-being of others in his own strange way.

These subtle differences may seem like nothing to someone who enjoys mocking these street preachers, but recognizing these contrasts is important in understanding why they do what they do.

If they are acting out of fear in order to find favor in the eyes of their god, they are doing nothing but being selfish. If they are concerned for the welfare of others, they are acting out of a misguided compassion that can be sympathized with.

The most difficult part about watching them is that I do, in fact, understand them. We share a similar plight. I work with a campus ministry and devote a lot of time trying to have faithful and educated discussions about religion and God. I agree with their motives, but I am appalled by their methods. At a place of higher learning, proselytizing does not work. If you want to talk about faith, you need to use reason, knowledge and compassion.

I do not condone what these street preachers do. It’s wrong, just like berating them with insults and trying to instigate violence among them is wrong. They are people too; with feelings, thoughts and emotions. They are people who are obviously very scared and misguided and are acting in regards to fears many of us are not aware of. Regardless, we should treat them with the dignity every person deserves.

On the other hand, religious people should no longer passive-

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

©ELVERT BARNES

ly approach these preachers as an extreme that can be ignored.

What people see is what they get, and those who believe that religion leads to love and redemption need to respond in polite ways to these street preachers and those who attack them.

Religion shouldn’t be treated as a taboo subject that people tiptoe around. We aren’t children, and these dialogues should exist and be encouraged no matter your religious affiliation.

So on behalf of many of Portland State’s religious students, I apologize for the proselytization and anger displayed in the name of a faith that I, and many other people, adhere to peacefully, lovingly and rationally.

OPINION

COLLEGE CARES

We can't save the world, but we can think about it

The Pop Culture Ephebe

by Joshua Benson

The other night my roommate and I discussed ethnic slurs. He claimed that since people gave words their power, people could take it away. Using the “N” word, for instance, in non-hateful ways, works to change the meaning behind it.

I (probably not super respectfully) disagreed, which led him to a really interesting accusation: “What do you really know about the black American struggle?” I had to reply that I know nothing firsthand but would continue to deter the use of hateful words based on what I know about reality and sneaky institutionalized racism. “Yeah,” he said, “you’re definitely a student, getting off on your own ideas instead of doing anything.”

This wasn’t my roommate’s finest hour, but I’d be lying if what he said didn’t make me think.

The collegiate experience is easy to lampoon. Days spent moving in a pot-laden haze from one nondescript room to another, spewing what feels like brilliance but is really just euphoria from the sound of your own voice, certainly substantiates the claim that people go to college these days to avoid the real world.

With that said, that accusation is usually leveled by someone who toils at a job he or she is miserable in. I think a lot of people let income stand in for reality. But those people can become complacently removed from reality and decisionmaking as much as the lofty student.

Furthermore, I’m aware that lofty stoners constitute only part of the college experience. Many college students do a lot

of actual thinking. I think plenty go to school to learn about different walks of life and world issues, acquiring sympathy and very real opinions.

There is something problematic about this behavior though, which my roommate gets at. As college students, particularly those at the graduate level, we have made the decision to spend the majority of our professional time accruing knowledge about various experiences. Some of us even hope to continue the tradition of knowledge accrual by teaching. However, when dealing with real issues that involve the health, happiness and agency of other people, is thinking enough?

Take yours truly. Piggybacking on the idea that literature creates better, more sympathetic and socially active people, I’ve satisfied myself with a desired profession in literary criticism. Thinking about the ways in which literature operates and what it says about the human condition might be able to change my and others’ frames of reference, allowing them to apply critical knowledge to everyday life.

While I still believe in this idea, I’m quickly realizing its limitations. I’m taking a postcolonial ecology class that deals with topics like degenerative oil extraction in the Niger Delta and the Bhopal disaster—the fallout of commercial colonialism. As Westerners who benefit from commercial colonialism’s spoils, my cohort and I are starting to feel pretty disillusioned. One classmate claims she visits the gas pump less these days. Meanwhile, I sort of want to get a ticket to Kenya and start planting trees and standing down government forces.

Those offended by what they think is the college student’s willful ignorance are off the mark. Our job is, in fact, to engage with world issues. I think the problem with the intel-

lectual is that he or she gets closer to the issue than most and then balks without knowing that he or she is balking most of the time.

The intellectual comes into close proximity with issues like persistent racism and poverty and thinks that learning about it will emanate benevolence from his or her well-read body—that the intellectual has done his or her part—whereas those who don’t engage at all fly under the judgmental radar.

The intellectual walks on a foundation of relevant issues and more often than not seeks merely knowledge, not action.

Hence, the backlash.

So things like my class—which require constant encounters with people in other countries who face hardship and actually do something about it—force the intellectual to do a personal inventory and wonder what he or she can physically do.

Listen, I’m not saying that every intellectual should pick a foreign cause and start working to solve it. With regard to action, I think the preliminary thing to do is to work within and ameliorate the world around you. Humanity is humanity, and no job is too small. What I am saying is to think (which I’m sure plenty of you already do, but humor me) about the bigger problems you think about and wonder why you’re just thinking about them. Is it because you intend to utilize this information, or is it because you like the idea of all of this stuff in your head that you can call up at will during cocktail conversations?

Doing something is a process. It takes a game plan. I understand that. Honestly, this is all very easy for me to say behind the safety of my MacBook, cuddling my space heater. But who knows, maybe something like Amnesty International or another organization responding to causes you’ve thought a lot about has a place for you.

CHRISTOPHER PERALTA/PSU VANGUARD

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

SOMALIS: A MISREPRESENTED PEOPLE The Illuminator

by Mike Bivins Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden has become a prominent topic in the national conscience as a result of the film Captain Phillips. Before that, when someone thought of Somalia, all they could think of was Black Hawk Down and the 18 Americans that were killed in that incident.

If you’ve been paying strict attention, you might remember that Somalia harbors pesky pirates, as well as a burgeoning terrorist threat in the form of Al-Shaabab.

Al-Shabaab was linked to the bombing of a mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September of last year. Over 60 people were killed in this attack.

The events of 1993, portrayed in the film Black Hawk Down, are what caused America to quit on Somalia. Since then, it has become a largely lawless country that is globally renowned for images of poor and starving children.

Why hasn’t the mighty U.S. stepped up to help this poor nation onto its feet?

Some say that dead American soldiers are evidence

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enough that our presence is not wanted. To them, I say the thousands of soldiers left dead from the Iraq War must have been some indication that our presence in Iraq was not wanted. This did not stop America from invading Iraq to remove an evil dictator, and subsequently occupying it for the next decade. Perhaps it is because Somalia, unlike Iraq, does not have massive oil reserves—the stability of which the world has come to rely on. Whatever the reason, America had turned its back on Somalia until now.

In October 2013, the same month as the release of Cap‑ tain Phillips, the U.S. sent military advisers (troops in uniform) to help Somalia combat Al-Shabaab. With Osama Bin Laden dead and Al-Qaeda on the ropes, America needs a new boogieman to justify our tax dollars flowing to the companies that compose the military industrial complex. Al-Shabaab fits the bill.

I have begun to notice that Somalia appears to be one of the topics that inhabit the national echo chamber.

The media have kept it at the periphery of our national conscience for years by maintaining steady reports regarding cargo ships successfully hijacked and ransomed by Somali pirates.

Next, to coincide with the release of a popular movie about the subject and reports of increasing terrorist activity, the U.S. sends troops to help fight the terrorists.

The U.S. has been bombing and conducting raids unilaterally inside Somalia for years, and it now appears the U.S. might be trying to play up fighting, as Bush would put it, the “evildoers.” This imagery could be aimed at stirring up our inner patriots to legitimize an extended occupation of this land. Could this small seed of military advisers blossom into a full-blown U.S. occupation of Somalia?

Is this really the correct action that the world should be taking in regards to this troubled land?

I have not seen the movie, but the first thing I noticed from the trailer was that the pirates probably made quite an impression on an American public who is largely unaware of Somalia and its people. I wonder how many people in America have even known a person from So-

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malia? If a person in a foreign land had never seen an American before, this would be the equivalent of showing them Joe Dirt and implying he is indicative of your average American.

This movie does not accurately reflect your average Somali, just like Joe Dirt does not reflect your average American. Only a miniscule amount of people in Somalia are terrorists or pirates. The projection of this negative image of Somalia to a naïve American public could help to subtly justify in their eyes any future American troops to be installed there indefinitely.

Captain Phillips cost $55 million to produce. How many Somali children could this feed? Rather than sending in troops, and bombing steadily, why have we not been trying to help these people? Whatever aid the U.S. has been rendering clearly has not been enough.

When I first brought up the issue of Somali piracy, and that I could not help but support their activity, my co-worker was appalled. I told her that when you are starving, there are no jobs and the world has turned its back on you, then you have to do something. I reminded her that if her children were starving she would probably take whatever action was necessary to feed them, and since there are not any

©COLUMBIA PICTURES

banks around to rob, any of the more than 20,000 ships passing through the Gulf of Aden every year is the next best target.

This is a cry for help, yet all the U.S. can do is send troops and make a movie which exploits the situation as well as shapes the public’s thoughts regarding it. Again, pirates and ter-

rorists are not indicative of your average Somali. Perhaps, in between Hollywood and bombings, some people will stop and help create a much needed national dialogue about the plight of the citizens of Somalia, as well as putting a halt to the warmongering and profiteering that permeates American foreign policy.

THE RISE OF NERD CULTURE

OPINION

Page by Page

by Brie Barbee

The end of January brought Wizard World’s Comic Con to Portland. Writers, artists, actors and nerds alike gathered at the Oregon Convention Center to share their love and passion for all things comic related.

The event went beyond the comic book industry, bringing together people from around the area to provide an opportunity to celebrate their similar interests and dress up in some really cool costumes. Portland Comic Con 2014 was an event enjoyed by many, and many are already making plans to attend next year.

Such a large gathering of nerds in Portland wouldn’t have seemed possible a few years ago. It is thanks to the increasing popularity of video game and comic book conventions around the country, such as the Penny Arcade Expo, the original Comic Con in San Diego, BlizzCon and E3 (to name just a few), that Portland’s convention is now possible. And if you thought this year was big, each new year promises to bring something bigger and better than the one before.

To a life-long nerd like myself who enjoys playing video games and reading fantasy, seeing so many conventions like this is confusing. Not that I’m complaining—I certainly love them—but since when has nerd culture become so popular?

Doesn’t seeing the words “nerd” and “popular” in the same sentence scream oxymoron? When I was growing up, nerds seemed to make up a rather slim portion of the population, yet now, somehow, tens of thousands of people are showing up to gaming and comic conventions around the world.

While this sudden burst of nerd culture popularity is surprising to say the least, it’s nice to realize how many people share the same passions as I do. There used to be a time when being a nerd was something to be embarrassed about, not something you could brag about to your friends. However, this idea is quickly being overwhelmed by the rapidly growing nerd industries. In 2011, the U.S. computer and video game software’s gross domestic product was $4.9 billion. This is a substantial amount of money that is expected to expand in the future.

Research firm DFC Intelligence estimates that the worldwide video game industry is poised to reach $70.1 billion by 2015 from the combined growth of console, portable, PC and online video games. Nerd culture is picking up steam and showing no signs of stopping.

This is great news for people who’ve felt like they had to hide the things that they enjoyed doing for so long, but it can also feel quite daunting. To suddenly have such a large group of in-

VALARIE KITTLE/PSU VANGUARD

dividuals connecting over the same interests is wonderful, but can be off-putting to people who are used to doing these things in small groups or alone.

However, rather than push away a new group of people, we need to embrace our shared interests. That doesn’t even mean attending the conventions and events—because they can be quite expensive—but trying to make the things we love accessible to other people. It’s already underway, but we need to make sure it stays that way.

You and I aren’t the only people in Portland, or anywhere else for that matter, who enjoy playing Dungeons & Dragons, reading comic books, writing fan fiction or playing video games. The rapid growth of these industries proves that there are tons of people out there who enjoy it as much as we do.

The industries are there, and there are people who want to see them succeed. People want to be engrossed in these nerdy things. Times are changing, and rather than ward off any

chance of bringing more people to our side, we should embrace them. Embrace the people who want to start playing video games or want to play D&D for the first time, and encourage people to show their passion for the things that they love. It might be for the popularity, but that shouldn’t result in us closing ourselves off to people who want to express themselves.

It can be difficult to respect someone who suddenly tells you how much they love video game X or superhero movie Y. How do you know that their interest is as genuine as yours? It shouldn’t matter, because no one should feel embarrassed to like the things that they do or think that they are a practically non-existing minority in the place that they live.

That’s not true. Portland and other cities are ready to embrace nerd culture, and we have to be there with open arms to prove that we are ready to see it expand as well. In the end we are all a little bit nerdy, and there should be no reason why we shouldn’t let everyone know it.

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COVER

TOBIN SHIELDS

Alex Tongue pushes downhill racing to the limit on longboards made from corn husks

COURTESY OF ALEX TONGUE

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COVER Portland State sophomore, 21-year-old Alex Tongue, has made quite the name for himself over the past three years in the longboarding community. He has been on the pro-circuit since 2010, traveled to over 21 different countries to compete and was ranked fourth in the world two years in a row. He is sponsored by an environmentally-conscious brand, designs his own boards and makes school a priority. In other words, he has found success both on and off the board.

Well, it depends. “In my eyes they are the same thing,” Tongue told the Vanguard.

“When it first came out, there were guys bombing hills, guys doing tricks, but it was all just skateboarding.”

There may not be a huge distinction in free or casual riding, but when competing they are very different sports. At a competition, a skateboarder will focus on their tricks or style. A longboarder, however, focuses on racing and speed—a lot of speed.

Tongue reflected on his last race in Bogotá, Colombia, where the track was much shorter than some of the others he had raced on. “There isn’t a lot of room between you and the other racers,” he told us. “A foot is a big difference.

In fact, some races can go as fast as 70 miles per hour.” He took first place at that event and was excited to bring home the trophy.

While he may have won that single race, it takes many more wins to gain any kind of reputation in the longboarding community. Over the course of a year’s season, hundreds of riders compete in qualifying races all around the world. While many of the races take place in the U.S. or Canada, a number take place internationally.

When asked where some of the best longboarders come from, he said, “There are a lot of good guys from Canada, Switzerland, Australia…” He continued to list countries, and then paused, “there are good riders everywhere!”

However, when it comes down to the end of the season, only a small portion of riders are able to compete for the grand prize. “Usually the event has a cap of 200 riders, then only about half of those actually qualify to race.”

After various four-round races called “heats,” the winners are broken down and ranked. “For the past two seasons I have been ranked fourth internationally,” he humbly said, “but this past season wasn’t my best—I only came in ninth.” Although he felt it wasn’t his best season, he still out rode hundreds of other racers and made his sponsors proud.

A season of riding with Alex Tongue “During the season, my training involves skating a lot and staying in shape,” he explained. “When it’s the offseason I still skate a lot, but focus more on weight and balance training. Most of the working out is more for injury prevention than anything.”

Injury prevention is a big deal in Tongue’s sport, because crashing at such high speeds can result in serious consequences. Aside from a few concussions and a few broken toes, Tongue hasn’t sustained any massive injuries while riding, although he prepares and plans for the worst.

Like any trip away from home, it normally begins with a long flight. While most riders will stay only for the duration of the event, Tongue makes it a point to stay for a few extra days. When traveling out of the country, Tongue will meet up with a local and stay with him while he is visiting.

“One of the great benefits of being a racer is that you make friends all over the world. Almost any country I go to, I know a friend that I can stay with. After a few days experiencing the local culture, it is time to race,” he said.

A day prior to any major event, most riders will review the course and have the opportunity to practice on the track. Although Tongue spends the day physically preparing, he is also figuring

out what strategies will work best, and most importantly, figuring out what the other racers’ strategies are.

“In some ways racing is like a puzzle,” he said, “you have to figure out how three to five other guys are going to handle this particular track.”

When racing, riders need to stay aggressive in order to win their heats. However, the idea of being aggressive at that speed is difficult for many people because riders also need to take into account falling at such great speeds.

“Just imagine hopping out of your car while going down the freeway,” Tongue said.

Once the race is complete, there is a podium event where the riders receive their medals and prizes. Later that day there is usually some kind of celebration in honor of the riders. “After all is said and done, it is time to fly home, unpack, repack and fly to the next World Cup,” Tongue said.

A great rider deserves a great sponsor Unlike most riders, Tongue didn’t sign on with the first company that offered him a sponsorship. “I went a year without a board sponsor, just trying to figure out what felt right to me,” he said. He wanted to make sure that he signed on with a company that made quality products that he felt good about backing, and one that was going to be focused on helping him grow as a racer.

After touring for a year and competing in the North American championship out of his own pocket, the longboarding company Stalk It approached him through Facebook, and Tongue liked what he saw.

Stalk It is a subsidiary of Corn Board Manufacturing Inc., a company that received a unique patent to create pressboard planks out of discarded corn stalks. But Tongue

doesn’t just race for Stalk It; he also designs boards for them as well.

Working part time in their research and development department, he has helped to design not only his own professional racing board, but also a few casual boards as well. He also mentioned, “I have always been interested in green companies, and am excited for what they are doing for the longboarding community as well.”

What is he doing at PSU? “Well, I live in Happy Valley, and if you have ever been there, then you know it’s all hills,” he said with a smile. “Plus, I wasn’t any good at tricks.”

Aside from being the local college, Tongue always liked the vibe of PSU and had always looked forward to attending school here. During the offseason, he spends winter term studying to get a marketing degree.

COURTESY OF ALEX TONGUE

Longboarding? Is that skateboarding?

TONGUE celebrates on the podium at a recent World Cup event.

“You don’t really want to be skating in the rain,” he laughed. “I come home, go to school, and then am back on the road.” He is hoping to do this his entire college career.

“I think that the experience of traveling the world is comparable to what I would actually be learning in school.”

While he thinks that what he is doing will help him out later in life, he was also sure to mention how strongly he feels about attending school.

Tongue has always been interested in the business side of things, and is excited to pursue a career in business marketing. When asked if he wanted to go into the longboarding

business, he said, “Although I have a lot of contacts in the profession, I just don’t know if that’s where I want to end up.” He explained that it would feel too much like mixing business with pleasure, and wanted to keep longboarding for himself.

What’s next?

Tongue plans to continue competing this coming season. The Vanguard will be trying to keep a close eye on him as he zooms down the hill at a mile a minute, and will be sure to follow up with him to see how his season goes.

Check out his Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/ AlexTongueFanPage and his website www.alextongue.com

BOARDS MADE OUT OF CORN? Tongue’s sponsor Stalk It is a subsidiary of Corn Board Manufacturing Inc., a company that received a unique patent from Mississippi State University to create pressboard planks out of discarded corn stalks.

Over 40 percent of the corn plant is often thrown away by producers. This new process makes use of that material and turns it into a strong pressboard that could easily replace wood as production material.

CBMI claims that the growth of a single acre of corn can help to remove over eight tons of CO2

from the atmosphere. They also encourage the ending of clear-cutting and want to see more production of corn, both as a food source and as a valid replacement for wooden boards. It is also much easier to grow a cornfield, and can be produced at a much faster rate than regular wood can.

They only have a handful of corn presses as of now, but they plan to expand nationally and begin much higher production within the coming years.

While their parent company is busy making homes and alternative fuel out of

the stuff, Stalk It focuses on board sports like longboarding, skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding.

“I was a little hesitant at first,” Tongue admitted. “I mean, boards made out of corn?” He knew that they were going to have to be able to hold up to speeds as high as 70 mph. “But I was actually pretty surprised. It was as strong as any other board that I have seen.”

For the past three years Tongue has been receiving gear and a salary to compete for the brand, and not once has he looked back.

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ARTS & CULTURE

PORTLAND STATE AND ALL THAT JAZZ 11TH ANNUAL PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL FEATURES PSU STUDENTS AND FACULTY

DARREL GRANT, associate professor of music for jazz studies and jazz piano at PSU, will be conducting a Jazz Conversation with acclaimed jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal on Feb. 20.

SHARON JACKSON

Jazz. Hear the pure cool as the music dances on the ivories, and beats and bops and booms on the strings of the bass. As a horn blows harder than a heavy gust through the windy city, with a rhythmic tat-TAT-doom-KA-key beating repetitiously on the drums, your body and soul engage in a high of aesthetic sounds.

PDX Jazz is a non-profit organization. Alongside co-founder and sponsor Travel Portland, they will help present the 11th annual Portland Jazz Festival, with the mission to inspire, educate and develop future jazz audiences for generations to come. The festival runs from Feb. 20 to March 2.

As a celebration of Black History Month, the Portland Jazz Festival is dedicated to preserving America’s indigenous art form by presenting internationally recognized jazz masters alongside local jazz musicians. A series of jazz education and outreach programs that extend into Portland’s schools and neighborhoods is at the heart of the annual event.

Portland State plays an important part in this year’s Portland Jazz Festival. Several faculty and students are taking part in education and outreach events, performances and jazz conversations.

“My goal in being involved in the festival is to bring as much as possible of this incredible jazz in the doors of PSU. It happens all over the city but I am really pleased there is an association with our school,” said Darrell Grant, associate professor of music for jazz studies and jazz piano at PSU. Grant has been involved with The Incredible Journey of Jazz since the festival’s beginning in 2004. This middle school program is a six-piece ensemble with a narrator explaining the history of jazz, the significant components of the genre and historical figures like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.

Mario Sandoval is a senior in jazz studies at PSU who will be playing the drums in The Incredible Journey of Jazz.

“Jazz is very American, like baseball, and I believe Americans should be exposed at a young age. I enjoy the reaction from the kids because in their minds jazz is something far from what they are expecting, and they get to see it evolve in a matter of an hour,” Sandoval said.

Another outreach program that Grant has organized is the Student Stage, where PSU hosts high school and college jazz ensembles to play non-competitively. The two groups performing from PSU are Park Avenue and Colligan Man, which is playing a tribute piece to Martin Luther King Jr.

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MILES SANGUINETTI/PSU VANGUARD

“The hope is that students will become interested in the local musicians that are playing. The idea is to connect them to the jazz tradition in Oregon, which is really strong and has a long history,” Grant said.

Jazz Conversations, a series of interviews with jazz musicians, are an opportunity for students and the community to hear an artist talk about their life. Grant will be conducting a special Portland Only Jazz Conversation with living legend Ahmad Jamal, an American jazz pianist, composer and educator.

“Ahmad Jamal is one of the great jazz pianists in history, essentially,” said George Colligan, associate professor and jazz area coordinator at PSU. “To me there is really nothing that can duplicate hearing a great band live; in this world we take it for granted,” Colligan said.

Known as a pianist, Colligan will give a surprising performance leading his group, Theoretical Planets, as a drummer.

The group features PSU students Jon Lakey (bass), Nicole Glover (saxophone) and Joe Manis from Eugene (saxophone).

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“I teach by example and musical interaction. We have to reach the young players and keep the lineage of jazz going.

Part of jazz history is the mentorship; great jazz players learn not in school but on the bandstand playing amongst musicians better than they are. Getting these experiences are vastly more important than being in the classroom,” Colligan said.

As well as the PDX Jazz paid performances, there is an extensive free performance schedule. One particular performance will be the PSU Student Trio featuring Lakey, Glover and Jordan Goldblatt.

“I am really looking forward to this gig, a very fun night of music,” said Lakey, a senior in jazz studies at PSU. “This year is maybe the most happening year with so many different caliber of artists involved, sort of like bringing a bit of that New York City jazz scene to Portland,” Lakey said.

The schedule and tickets for the Portland Jazz Festival can be found at http://portlandjazzfestival.org

ARTS & CULTURE

Natural history, hockey history collide The Oregon Historical Society showcases Ansel Adams and Portland’s favorite competitive ice sport ANDREW ECHEVERRIA

The Oregon Historical Society is presenting two new exhibits that are sure to inspire and intrigue any and all interested in the flavor of local history. The two exhibits, “Ansel Adams: Masterworks” and “Rose City Champions: 100 Years of Hockey,” will provide a mix of art and sports history to enrich the intellects of Oregonians and history buffs alike.

“Many of Oregon’s contemporary photographers and artists have been deeply

influenced and inspired by the work of Ansel Adams, so the roots of his creativity are firmly in Oregon’s soil,” said Brian J. Carter, museum director of the OHS. Anyone who has seen even one of Adams’ landscape photographs can attest to the point that Carter conveys.

Beyond creativity and inspiration, Adams’ photography almost seems to encapsulate the Oregonian spirit of discovery and outdoorsmanship.

Many of the chosen works on display, which Adams himself considered to be his best, showcase beautiful depictions of nature waiting to

be captured, earthly essences waiting to be enjoyed.

Some sobering, some provoking, each work visually represents the vivacity of the beautifully lonely world we inhabit.

“I am drawn to ‘Mount Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, From Manzanar, California, 1945,’” said Carter. “On first glance the landscape seems remote and inhospitable, but as you give the photograph more of your time, the rocks and boulders come to life, and it seems one can almost see their personalities emerge and demand attention.

That is the mastery of Ansel

Adams, capturing the breath of life in his work.”

The exquisite landscape photography of “Ansel Adams: Masterworks” will be on display through April 14, and will be followed up later this year in November by a show of Oregon’s contemporary landscape photographers.

However, if there’s a chance that gorgeous photography isn’t your thing, fret not: “Rose City Champions: 100 Years of Hockey” is sure to please.

“Hockey has endured and thrived in Portland for 100 years and has at times been one of the most popular and

best attended sporting events in town,” said Scott Peterson, contributor to the Rose City Champions exhibit.

“When the Memorial Coliseum was built in 1960 for the Portland Buckaroos franchise, the arena was packed for every home game and the word on the street was that the Memorial Coliseum was the place to be on Saturday nights. The Portland Buckaroos averaged 7,000 fans per game from 1960 to 1970, which means that an average of 450,000 fans attended the Buckaroo games each year during that time frame,” Peterson said.

‘MOUNT WILLIAMSON, THE SIERRA NEVADA, FROM MANZANAR, CALIFORNIA, 1945’ by Ansel Adams is on display now at the Oregon Historical Society.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANSEL ADAMS / 2014 THE ANSEL ADAMS PUBLISHING RIGHTS TRUST

Focusing on the legacies of three largely influential Portland hockey teams, the Rosebuds, Buckaroos and Winterhawks, “Rose City Champions” spans the scope of the 1960s heyday of hockey love to the modern popularity hockey enjoys in the city.

Though the Winterhawks have a definite widespread fan base that may even teeter toward fanatical, it is interesting to note how the popularity of hockey in Portland has fluctuated over the years.

“Hockey is still very popular but it would be difficult for hockey to ever again reach the heights of popularity that it enjoyed during the years of the Portland Buckaroos from 1960 to 1974,” Peterson said.

Despite changing franchises, fan bases and venues where the sport is played, there is no denying the rich history hockey has in Portland and the roles these teams have played in the history of competitive sports in Oregon.

“Each of these teams have had a significant impact on the sport of hockey and each found a place in the heart of Oregonians,” said Lori Erickson, curator at the Oregon Historical Society.

“Whether it was the Portland Rosebuds playing for the Stanley Cup, the architectural marvel Memorial Coliseum being built as the home for the Portland Buckaroos, or the Portland Winterhawks leading the way in NHL draft picks, Portland teams have had an impact on the city, the state, and the history of hockey in America,” Erickson said.

“Rose City Champions: 100 Years of Hockey” will be on display through April 1.

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ARTS & CULTURE

SOUTHWEST PORTLAND’S RESTAURANT ROW KERRY POLITZER

Are you tired of food carts? Or maybe you’re seeking some fancier fare for the folks? Fortunately, Sothwest Portland’s emergent Restaurant Row is only a short walk from Portland State; the block of S.W. Washington Street between 12th and 13th Avenues explodes with culinary possibilities. Pick up a custard-filled doughnut topped with pearls of Valrhona chocolate, an overflowing bowl of pasta carbonara, or a Korean pork shoulder sandwich with kimchi and chili mayo. All of the below recommendations will leave you satisfied without taking too big a bite out of your wallet.

Blue Star Donuts

Ración

At the northeast corner of Restaurant Row you’ll find the best doughnut shop in the city. The year-old Blue Star, which advertises that it values quality over quantity, doesn’t lie; it often runs out of its most popular varieties.

Sample creative concoctions like blueberry-bourbon-basil, Cointreau crème brulee, blackberry compote with peanut butter powder, Valrhona chocolate cream, and Key lime and Meyer lemon curd.

All doughnuts are made with traditional French brioche dough and are glazed to order.

Next to Blue Star Donuts is the fanciest joint on the block, an open-kitchen tapas bar.

Ración serves a menu of inspired small plates with surprising flavors. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Spanish octopus or beef tongue. Take advantage of the happy hour, when each plate is only $8. Or convince your folks to splurge on the tasting menu.

1237 S.W. Washington St. (503) 265‑8410

1205 S.W. Washington St. (971) 276‑8008

Grassa

1205 S.W. Washington St. (503) 241‑1133 Not up for octopus? Well, who doesn’t love a plate

CHAUNCEY ROACH, bar manager at Ración, prepares a drink.

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pork belly gyros, porchetta with gremolata and Korean pork shoulder sandwiches. There’s more though; Italian tuna melts, crispy beer-battered cod on a bun and even a vegetarian sandwich. If you’ve got the stomach for it, accompany your sandwich with a pile of Parmesan-dusted French fries with fried herbs or a side of house chicharrones.

Lardo

Ruby Jewel Scoops

Lardo is for the large appetite. As you might guess from its name, the restaurant focuses on pork, serving it in meatball banh mi,

While this ice creamery isn’t technically on Restaurant Row, it’s an honorary member due to its placard right next to Lardo. Also,

1205 S.W. Washington St. (503) 241‑2490

428 S.W. 12th Ave. (971) 271‑8895

it’s right across the street.

Ruby Jewel is famous for its ice cream sandwiches and signature sundaes. The extensive menu of flavors always includes a vegan variety. Get creative with your toppings—smother your fresh mint-chocolate flake with some peppermint fudge, or sprinkle rosemary pecans over your honey-lavender ice cream. If you need some caffeine, opt for “The Buzz”: chocolate and espresso ice cream, espresso caramel sauce, candied coffee and whipped cream. Ruby Jewel also serves housemade hot chocolate for those times when it’s too cold for ice cream.

BLUE STAR DONUTS offers a variety of tasty, fresh-baked pastries to sate your sweet tooth.

HELENA WOLFE/PSU VANGUARD

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of pasta? Grassa serves up handmade noodles in a variety of succulent sauces. Dive into a bowl of bucatini carbonara with pork belly and Pecorino Romano or pumpkin tortelli with brown butter. Don’t forget to order the garlic bread, it’s out of this world. Grassa gets mobbed pretty quickly, but turnover at the communal tables is brisk.

HELENA WOLFE/PSU VANGUARD

ARTS & CULTURE

Looking back on a shared injustice KERRY POLITZER

On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued a decree that would tear apart the lives of countless Japanese Americans.

Executive Order 9066 authorized the forced relocation of over 100,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast.

These citizens were uprooted from their homes, banned from returning and sent to live in internment camps.

Speaking about the ensuing personal and cultural devastation, Japanese American Citizens League board member Susan Leedham said, “Community leaders were the first ones that were taken away—all the Buddhist ministers, the lay leaders in the Buddhist church, businessmen. Then, when people were living in the incarceration centers, there was a complete breakdown of the family, be-

cause people weren’t living in their homes; they were living in barracks.”

Leedham went on to say that when the prisoners were finally released, they were compelled to relinquish their traditional affiliation with the Japanese Buddhist church.

“We lost our culture.”

For two years, Leedham served as co-president of the JACL, which is the oldest

and largest Asian civil rights organization in the U.S. Since its founding in 1929, the JACL has evolved to focus on civil rights for all.

This month, the Portland chapter of the organization will commemorate the tragic events of 1942 by joining with Portland’s Native American community to present Shared Injustice: The Japanese American and Native American Experience. A panel of

JACL and Native American Youth and Family Center members will discuss their shared history of injustice and discrimination.

“We will talk about our shared experiences with our government letting us down and taking away our rights as citizens of this country,” Leedham said.

In addition to a discussion panel, the event will feature an exciting musical presen-

tation by the award-winning Portland Taiko drumming ensemble and Native American drummers.

Drumming is integral to the religious traditions of both communities.

“It appeals to people on a primal level; it shows a commonality of the human spirit,” Leedham said.

This free event is open to the public and will take place on Sun‑ day at 2 p.m. in Hoffman Hall.

MOMMY’S LITTLE MONSTER 5th Avenue Cinema brings 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' back to the big screen TURNER LOBEY

I always wanted kids someday. My wife and I never idealized the white picket fence family dream of the ‘50s, but we thought it might be nice to maybe start a family after we finished with school, got settled into careers and bought a house.

We Need to Talk About Kevin killed that dream. Never before had I encountered something that would make me want to put an end to my family’s male line.

Tilda Swinton plays Eva Khatchadourian, a former travel writer who lives a lonely life in a shabby and often-vandalized house while working in a strip mall travel agency. Her present life is a combination of despair and depression, driving her to constantly live in the past.

Community members ostracize her, shooting daggers of distrust and hatred whenever she passes. In one scene, a woman crosses the street just to slap her across the face. In another, two Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on her door, asking if she knows what will happen to her in the afterlife. “Oh yes, I do as a matter of fact. I’m going straight to hell. Eternal damnation, the whole bit,” is her cheerful yet authentic response.

Why? Eva is a mother struggling to live with the

atrocities committed by her son Kevin (Ezra Miller).

Told out of chronological order, the film follows the relationship of the mother and son, from birth to his 18th birthday. We see Eva after the birth, struggling to deal with Kevin.

In the arms of his bumbling and oblivious father Franklin, (John C. Reilly), the boy is calm and lovable. With mom, his cries are incessant. The noise becomes too much for Eva to handle, so much so she takes to pushing the stroller past a jackhammer to drown out the wails.

During infancy he is irritating and patience-testing.

During his toddler years, Kevin is conniving and cruel.

At one time, Kevin makes his mother so angry that she shoves the child, breaking his arm in the process.

One can’t help but think of what might be running through Eva’s head: What if I don’t love my child? What if my child is a monster?

As a teenager, Kevin is attractive, charming and extremely talented with a bow and arrow. He’s had some problems in the past, but everyone seems to adore him

except for Eva. When Kevin looks at his mother, one can’t help but see flames of malice and evil flicker behind his eyes. Eva and the audience are the only ones who can sense it, but something vile seems to be lurking beneath the surface, and we can only wait uneasily until it emerges.

Throughout the film, we get flashes of a scene of Eva driving towards her son’s high school, surrounded by police cars with sirens flashing. When we finally get to the school, it’s worse than we imagined.

One may think this film is a question of nurture versus na-

ture, but director Lynne Ramsay doesn’t seem to be concerned with answering this. It’s easy to assume that Eva must have had some hand in shaping him into the monster he becomes, but placing blame and respon-

sibility isn’t that easy. Who can say for certain what makes something evil? If Eva can’t answer that question, I don’t think we’ll be able to.

All I know is, I’m still doubting having children.

5TH AVENUE CINEMA presents WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb.22 at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.

TILDA SWINTON (LEFT) AND JOHN C. RILEY are the parents of a child who commits a school massacre in ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin.’

©ARTIFICIAL EYE FILM COMPANY LTD

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

17

ETC

EVENT CALENDAR Wednesday, Feb. 19 Through the Developmental Thicket with Lemony Snicket: Provoking Curiosity, Promoting Empathy Using Literature in Graduate Psychiatric Education Noon Neuberger Hall, room 407 724 S.W. Harrison St., Portland, OR 97201 Dr. Craig Usher, assistant professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at OHSU, offers a talk on the use of literature written for children as a guide in child and adolescent psychiatry training.

This in-depth, psychoanalytic approach to reading characters in literature aims to strengthen the interactions and clinical dynamic between practitioner and client in the child and adolescent psychiatry setting. Lunch will be provided. FREE

Mendeley for Beginners 2–3 p.m.

Millar Library, room 160 1875 S.W. Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201

them in the first place, this session is the perfect opportunity for a free lesson. Bring your laptop or simply come to take notes while an instructor provides a crash course on the use of the Mendeley program. FREE

Back to the Future: Understanding How Misdemeanors, Felonies and Other Blips in Your Past Can Affect Your Future 4–5:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 328 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Background checks are a common part of applying for jobs, but what do you do if your background doesn’t exactly check out as clean?

Come to this information session to find the answers to common questions such as, “Can employers check your credit?” or, “Can criminal charges be removed from your record?” Learn what types of things potential employers are allowed to look for, as well as how to address your past during interviews.

FREE

If you need help learning how to properly cite sources in your research papers or projects, or even how to collect

Overlook Village Street Fair 7–9 p.m.

Hatfield Warehouse 2130 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, OR 97217 The Overlook Street Fair is an event that brings neighborhood businesses together to provide a place for Portlander’s to purchase local goods and enjoy some live entertainment. Various vendors will be auctioning off goods for charity while attendees enjoy live music, food and drinks all covered by the $15 price of admission. For more information and to see what is available at the fair, visit www.overlookvillagepdx.com.

Thursday, Feb. 20 Women’s Climbing Night 4–8 p.m.

Academic and Student Rec Center, 3rd floor 1800 S.W. 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 Women climbers of all levels, including those completely new to climbing, are invited to an evening event meant to encourage women to take advantage of climbing at PSU and the opportunities the Outdoor Program has to offer.

The climbing center orientation video and quiz are re-

quired before participation in this event, but all Rec Center members are welcome. FREE

True Stories of Climate Action 5–7 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, Ballroom 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 PSU and partners including the city of Portland, Climate Solutions, Ecotrust, Oregon Environmental Council, Renewable Northwest Project, and the VOIS Alliance come together to bring you an evening of true stories about firsthand experiences with the effects of climate change and how people are working to fight it. Please RSVP for this event by going to www.eventbrite.com and searching “True Stories of Climate Action.” FREE

Friday, Feb. 21 Campus Conservation Nationals: Logical Laundry Soap Making Workshop 5 p.m.

Ondine Lobby 1912 S.W. 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 Learn about sustainable approaches to doing laundry while also learning how to craft your own laundry de-

FEATURED EVENT

tergent. All supplies will be provided to participants free of charge and those who attend will be able to take home their handmade laundry detergent. FREE

Saturday, Feb. 22

Every Saturday through the winter season Portland’s Winter Farmers Market offers the opportunity to shop fresh and local. Browse seasonal fare from over 35 farmers and food vendors, and enjoy freshly brewed coffee as well as breakfast and lunch. FREE

Teaching Arab Culture Through Literature and Film

Monday, Feb. 24

9 a.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 294 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201

A Language Shared: Journalists, Veterans, and PTSD

This workshop will introduce participants to a five-unit high school curriculum designed to promote awareness and acceptance of Arab culture in American high schools.

The program covers cultures from Morocco in the west to Gulf countries in the east. For more information or to register for the workshop, visit www.middleeastpdx.org/ resources/workshops/ 2013-teaching-arab-culturethrough-literature-andfilm/2014-spring-workshop FREE

Portland Winter Farmers Market 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Shemanski Park 1010 S.W. Park Ave., Portland, OR 97205

WHAT THE...?!

7 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, ballroom 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 With more students who happen to be veterans than any other Oregon university, PSU is dedicated to serving the military community through education. This portion of the Community in the Classroom lecture series is designed to examine and promote an understanding of the adjustment difficulties soldiers and journalists face when attempting to reintegrate back into civilian life. FREE

FREE

21+

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER BRENDAN MULLIGAN/PSU VANGUARD

‘Still I Strive’ Film Screening Friday, Feb. 21 7–9 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, Multicultural Center (room 228) 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Writer, director, and cinamatographer Adam Pfleghaar presents a film that blends fact and fiction to show the struggle of Cambodian youths who use the performing arts as a tool for healing and transformation. Under instruction of a renowned actress, the young aspiring artists work toward their ultimate goal: to perform in front of Princess Bopha Devi as a celebration of their culture and heritage. FREE © PIONEER CINEMA INSTITUTE

18

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

“Are you the trench coat masturbator?”

“No...I don’t own a trench coat.”

ETC

Pisces Feb. 19–Mar. 20

Taurus Apr. 20–May 20

Your feelings are always valid, dear Pisces, but has it ever occurred to you that perhaps you do not have enough information to make a fair assessment of a current situation? It’s not a dialogue unless both sides are willing to listen.

Why the long face, Taurus? The rain is no reason to be feelin’ down! You may not have an umbrella, but you can still frolic in some puddles. Make your own happiness, and the sun will come around.

You may be feeling like you’re on top of the world this week, but you had best remember what our good friend gravity has to say at times like these. What goes up must come down, and the higher you are the harder you fall.

Leo Jul. 23–Aug. 22

Typically you like to surround yourself with friends and family, but this week you’re feeling more wallflower than social butterfly.

Make some time for yourself this week to recuperate, and you’ll be back to your outgoing self in no time.

We need to have a talk, Leo. What happened to you?

You used to have grand dreams and inspired goals, but instead of changing the world to fit the image in your head, you changed the dream when things got tough. It’s time for some serious re-evaluating.

Cancer Jun. 21–Jul. 22

Virgo Aug. 23–Sept. 22

Gemini May 21–Jun. 20

Aries Mar. 21–Apr. 19

it is? It’s Care Free Week!

That means it’s time to leave your worries, woes and responsibilities behind while you kick back in the recliner, take your pants off and knock back some cold ones.

Check your calendar, Cancer. You know what week

You only read these horoscopes for fun. You know

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there’s no way that the position of the stars can determine how your week will go‌unless they say you’re going to find the coolest new pair of shoes for a price you can’t refuse, and then you’d just be stupid to fight destiny, wouldn’t you?

Scorpio Oct. 23–Nov. 21

Do you ever get stuck in one of those ruts that leave you wondering when it’s going to be good news instead of more challenges? The cosmos has something great in store for you in coming weeks; you just have to believe you deserve it.

but think you’re the only one making any sense, and some days you may be totally right about that. Try not to build too many walls that you can’t tear down, dear Capricorn. It’s the diversity of perspective that makes life interesting.

Libra Sept. 23–Oct. 22

Sagittarius Nov. 22–Dec. 21

Aquarius Jan. 20–Feb. 18

You enjoy a steady stream Remember the days You’re not always one for of responsibility, but all when stability made signs or omens, but in the work and no play makes you cringe? Do you recoming weeks I would urge Libra a dull individual. call that feeling of dread you to pay close attention.

Throw away the expectayou got when the idea It seems there is sometions projected onto you of forever crossed your thing you need to underby others in favor of your mind? My, how things stand, and that something own approach. You’ll be change, dear Aquarius! is practically breaking much happier in the long Don’t get caught up in down your front door. run if you do. thinking that freedom The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation and stability are mutuThe New York Times Syndication Capricorn Dec.Sales 22–Jan. 19 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y.Corporation 10018 ally exclusive. It’s sim620For Eighth Avenue,Call: New1-800-972-3550 York, N.Y. 10018 Information Some days you can’t help ply not the case.

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Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

19

SPORTS SCORES

UPCOMING

PSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

PSU MEN’S BASKETBALL

SACRAMENTO STATE PSU

Top Performers: Andre Winston, 18 points

72 PSU @ SOUTHERN UTAH 65 THURS. 2/20 6:00 p.m.

PSU @ EASTERN WASHINGTON MON. 2/24 6:05 p.m.

PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PSU SACRAMENTO STATE Top Performers: Emily Easom, 24 points

80 PSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 84 SOUTHERN UTAH vs. PSU

SAT. 2/22 2:00 p.m. | STOTT CENTER

EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. PSU

PSU TRACK AND FIELD

MON. 2/24 7:00 p.m. | STOTT CENTER

HUSKY CLASSIC

Top Performers: 3 new Big Sky Conference Tournament Qualifying marks set

PSU SOFTBALL

PSU CHATTANOOGA

Top Performers: Aubrey Nitschelm, 2–2, 1 run

Top Performers: Kevin Durant, 38 points, 10 rebounds

MON.–TUES. 2/24–25 | SANTA ANA, CA PSU MEN’S TENNIS

SAT. 2/22 10:00 a.m.

PSU WOMEN’S TENNIS

163 155

AKRON vs. PSU FRI. 2/21 1:00 p.m.

CLUB GREEN MEADOWS | VANCOUVER,WA NBA

SAN ANTONIO vs. PORTLAND WED. 2/19 7:00 p.m. | MODA CENTER

WHL

PORTLAND VANCOUVER

UC IRVINE INVITATIONAL

3 9 PSU @ AIR FORCE

NBA

EAST WEST

PSU GOLF

Top Performers: Oliver Bjorskstrand, 3 assists

7 WHL 4 PRINCE GEORGE vs. PORTLAND TUES. 2/18 7:00 p.m. | MEMORIAL COLISEUM

GLORIOUS PSU GREEN BLAZER WORN

BY HEAD COACH TYLER GEVING DURING THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHT AT STOTT CENTER 20

ROOKIE, ALL-STARS MAKE FOR INTRIGUING SECOND HALF JOEL GUNDERSON

With 29 games remaining in the most surprising season in franchise history, the Blazers find themselves in the strangest of situations: trying not to fail.

For the most part, 2013–14 has been the opposite of past failures. It has been devoid of comical injuries, stagnant ball movement and foreheadslapping errors. The offense has been precise, the chemistry off the charts and the defe…ok, you can’t win them all. However, the defense has been good enough so far to help the team to the third best record in the West.

Thankfully, it appears the best is yet to come.

After chugging into the All-Star break a tired, beaten-down mess, the Blazers look to be re-energized by a rookie, while kept afloat by their stars.

After missing most of the first 40 games—as well as a good chunk of last season— rookie and 2013 10th overall pick C.J. McCollum seems to be coming into his own, sparked by a 19-point effort against Minnesota just before the break, where he single-handedly propelled the Blazers to a crucial road win.

“He made shots, he got out in transition, I thought he did a nice job defensively,” head coach Terry Stotts said. “It’s easy to look at the shot-making, but his playmaking at the point was good when it had to be…and I thought his defense was just as good as his offense.”

McCollum’s energy and shot-making ability seems to have rejuvenated a bench unit that has been maligned for the better part of two sea-

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

ALDRIDGE working in the paint against Andre Drummond.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

sons. Along with Mo Williams, McCollum brings an innate ability to score, no matter his position on the floor.

Then there’s the Blazers’ two biggest weapons, LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard.

It’s easy to blame the Blazers’ sluggish first half finish on fatigue, and that was certainly a contributing factor. However, what’s often lost is that Lillard was going through the roughest stretch of his career for the last 15 games or so.

His shot wasn’t falling and his defense was as suspect as ever, yet the Blazers remained above water. Now after an eventful All-Star break

(to say the least), if Lillard can regain his touch, he appears to be the last missing link for an offense that, at one point this season, was the league’s most dangerous.

Aldridge, on the other hand, saw no drop-off. From the outset this has been his season, his team. With career highs in points (24.1) and rebounds (11.5) to go along with his increased leadership role, Aldridge has been not only the team’s MVP, but a viable candidate league-wide.

If Portland—often cited as a non-contender due to their jump shooting nature—is going to make a run past the

first round, it will be Aldridge and his low-post game that gets them there.

His ability to perform down on the block—while not his main go-to move—will keep teams honest and let Portland’s three-point shooters (McCollum, Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum) have the room they need.

Just because Portland is a surprise team doesn’t mean they can’t make noise come May and June. They have all-stars, leaders, solid bigs and an emerging rookie.

Now it’s time to piece it all together for one last magical stretch.

SPORTS

LILLARD-CENTRIC ALL-STAR WEEKEND

DAMIAN LILLARD REPEATS AS SKILL CHALLENGE WINNER, COMPETES ALL THREE NIGHTS JAY PENGELLY

Damian Lillard participated in a record five events at the NBA 2014 All-Star Game. Alongside teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, the two Portland Trail Blazers received one of the highest honors a player can have during the regular season, playing time in Sunday night’s big game.

But Lillard’s All-Star experience began days earlier, the second straight year he would play in the Rising Stars Challenge. The two teams were drafted by former players and current TNT analysts Chris Webber and Grant Hill.

Lillard was the first pick for Team Hill.

While starting and playing over 30 minutes, Dame mostly deferred in this game and did not play much of the second half. He posted respectable numbers of 13 points, plus five rebounds and assists in Team Hill’s defeat of Team Webber, 142–136.

The next night was jam-packed with Lillard: He would compete in three of the day’s four events. This year the NBA made some refreshing changes to the Saturday night festivities. Now the participants were grouped East or West, and were playing for charities selected by each respective conference.

Some minor shifts were also implemented on the events themselves. In the Skills Challenge—a display of dribbling, passing and shooting—Lillard was the defending champion. New this time around, the challenge is now a two-player relay, where

Lillard was partnered with the Utah Jazz’s Trey Burke. The pair clocked the best overall time in the first round before winning it all in the second.

Next up was the Three-Point Contest, with the novel idea of an entire rack made up of two-point “money-balls.” In the past only the last ball of each rack was a money-ball. The players got to pick where the special rack went, and Lillard chose the second corner spot for his. Lillard scored 18 points in the first round, one shy of the eventual champ, San Antonio Spur Marco Belinelli.

In his last event of the evening Lillard had the Slam Dunk Contest, with a whole new format featuring a 90-second freestyle round where three players worked together to showcase teamwork and impressive dunks.

Following the freestyle round there were one-on-one battles, all presided over by three judges: NBA Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving.

Lillard had a pair of pretty under-the-leg jams, and Wilkins made a comment on how impressed he was, but the dunk contest was dominated by the East. Paul George, Terrance Ross, and especially John Wall dunked with authority and style.

Wall won the whole thing with a dunk where he leaped over the Washington Wizard’s mascot, who was holding the ball, then grabbed the ball and pumped it down before reverse jamming. It

brought the crowd to their feet more than anything else that night. Like every few years, the commentators took the moment to exclaim “The dunk contest is back!”

We will see about that.

Lillard was the first NBA player to compete in three events in one day. Back in 1993, Kenny “The Jet” Smith was the first player to participate in both the dunk and three-point contest.

The weekend culminated on Sunday night with the 63rd installment of the NBA All-Star game. In a game which, as usual, was lacklus-

ter defensively until the final few minutes, the East prevailed over the West 163–155.

This year’s game made past ones look like pre-shot clock era defensive battles. Offensively, it was record setting even for the All-Star game.

This year had the most overall points scored (318), most points scored by one team (163, East), and most three-pointers made by a player (8, Carmelo Anthony).

Both Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin scored a whopping 38 points, four shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record.

The MVP honors went

to the Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who had 31 points and 14 assists while leading the East to victory.

For Portland’s All-Star duo it was a quiet night.

Lillard clocked the least minutes of any player at just under nine, though he scored nine points and grabbed a rebound in his short stint. Aldridge played just over 13 minutes, scoring four points and netting five boards.

One question that the city of Portland has been asking since it first got a profes-

sional team in 1970 is: When will we host the NBA AllStar game? This year it was in New Orleans, who last hosted in 2008. The line the NBA has given the public for years is a lack of hotel space.

While the Rose Quarter area of town does not have the finest such establishments, downtown Portland is a ten minute trip across the river, filled with high-end hotels and everything else an All- Star weekend would require. Heads up NBA, Portland is back to being a basketball power and we deserve some recognition.

DAMIEN LILLARD defending Russell Westbrook in one of the last games before the All-Star break.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

21

SPORTS TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Dear Michael Sam, I understand why your coming out of the closet prior to the NFL draft is such a big deal in the eyes of the media. I also understand how monumental a moment this will become in history. But you know what I don’t understand is why people keep asking if “teams will pass on you” or “if you will work in an NFL locker room.”

There is no way a talent like yourself will not make an NFL roster, but the fact that people have even brought up the idea of teams not drafting a legitimate pass rusher because of his sexual orientation is absolutely bizarre to me. I would love to see you play for the team I root for: the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks!

I would love to see you play anywhere. And that has nothing to do with sexual preference; it has to do with the fact that you can flat out play football.

No one can argue that you are a talented athlete. Look at that resume; co-defensive player of the year in the SEC, a league-leading 11.5 sacks and a playing style that can fit both a 4–3 and a 3–4 defense in the NFL. Who cares about this media explosion that happened over the last week? You are going to be a solid draft pick somewhere in the third to fifth round for any team that likes winning.

I’ll be honest with you and I’m sure you know this, but there are stupid people in this world. A lot of them go to football games after putting a few drinks down. There are going to be some things said, and most likely it won’t be just from the fans. But what we should be glorifying, instead of asking all these stupid questions about media attention and locker room chemistry, is how brave what you are about to accomplish is. It takes guts to know that it’s not going to be easy every Sunday, but someone’s got to do it first.

So ignore those idiots out there. Don’t let them get under your skin. Instead, let it fuel you. When it comes down to it, you are playing football. And don’t forget, you have a ton of support out there. Heterosexual or homosexual, people are supporting you. Those cries are a lot louder than the negative ones—even when some of the negativity comes from your father. If he isn’t extremely proud of the courage it took for you to be the one who blazed this trail then to hell with him. You’re clearly strong enough to do this without his support. It’s his loss.

Ultimately, I want to thank you for being at the center of a monumental moment in sports. We live in a time where the U. S. is starting to change its mind on gay rights issues. Finally, right? It took long enough. But sports have been so far behind. It’s 2014 and really, an active NFL player hasn’t come out as gay yet? Those are some pretty big rosters. Anyway, I’m glad you feel good enough about yourself and the people around you to do so.

Sports are about coming together. Can we truly come together if athletes are afraid to be who they are?

You will be a mentor for a lot of people. You are making history. Now go prove everyone out there wrong who questions if this is okay or not. Show that sports are an area where people don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff. They shouldn’t have to worry about it in the real world, so why should they have to worry about it in the best escape from reality we know of?

And come on, NFL. If you can let Michael Vick play and be a part of the locker room, you can let Michael Sam play. Good luck man. Have a great career.

Sincerely, Alex Moore Vanguard SportsDesk

Oregonian skiers in Sochi soaking it all in CLAUDE AKINS

Beneath the political spectacle of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, there were two Oregonian skiers competing for gold this last Wednesday.

Laurenne Ross, from Bend, finished 11th in the women’s downhill, and Aurora’s Jacqueline Wiles finished 26th in a race that resulted in the first ever tie for first place in the 78-year history of Olympic Alpine skiing, between Tina Maze of Slovenia and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland.

Both Ross, who honed her skills on Oregon’s Mount Bachelor, and Wiles, who began skiing on Mount Hood, are first time Olympians. Aged 25 and 21, they have plenty of Olympic years ahead of them.

Despite not making it to the medal stand, Ross put everything in perspective.

“Racing in the Olympics has always been a dream of

mine,” Ross wrote on Thursday, blogging about her time in Sochi. “Racing in the Olympic downhill always seemed like the most extreme, insane thing I could ever shoot for…And yesterday, I did just that.”

Wiles’ tone, too, was one of eagerness and promise, in part because she had exceeded expectations by even qualifying for the event.

“It’s way more than I ever thought,” she said. “I was planning on just doing a couple of World Cup races at the beginning of the year…But I ended up doing well and they kept taking me [to races].

Now I’m here. It’s just crazy.”

To put the promise of her future in skiing terms, it is important to note that Olympic icon and former gold medalist Bode Miller competed this week at age 36, 15 years older than the young Oregonian.

Speaking of time: Wiles was 3 seconds behind the gold medalists, a gap which, in the

downhill skiing arena, means 20 skiers between you and first place.

“It’s just that lower of a tuck or that cleaner of a line that makes you that much faster,” Ross said.

How fast, exactly, are we talking here? Former Olympian David Currier says, referring to the 1972 games that he competed in, “We had top speeds over 93 miles per hour when I competed. They haven’t gotten much faster since then.”

But of course, these dangerous speeds are simply what downhill skiing entails.

“I just like speed,” said Wiles.

Although no Oregonians have yet to medal, snowboarder Kaitlyn Farrington of Bellevue, Idaho grabbed gold in the women’s halfpipe on Wednesday. Ross and Wiles will continue to enjoy their time in Sochi while formulating a plan to get to Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Games.

LAURENNE ROSS in a warmup race during the Nature Valley Raptor World Cup in Beaver Creek, CO before heading to Sochi.

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©CODY DOWNARD

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Vanguard | FEBRUARY 18, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

WINTER OLYMPICS TURNING SOCHI FABULOUS? TOBIN SHIELDS

After a slew of anti-gay laws passed in Russia over the past few years, the Sochi Winter Olympics have been targeted globally as a stage to challenge equal rights for gay Russian citizens.

Homosexual activity was decriminalized in 1993, and it took six more years for Russia to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness. However, in 2013 the country took a step backwards for gay rights as President Vladimir Putin helped to pass legislation that bans the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors, which in turn would make it illegal to suggest that gay relationships are equal to heterosexual relationships, or to distribute any kind of material on gay rights.

In the media Britain’s major broadcasting station, Channel 4,

released a 90-second video prior to the opening ceremony that went viral almost instantly. Fittingly titled “Gay Mountain,” the promotion featured a burly, Russian, shirtless male performer wearing a bear tail and surrounded by backup dancers in flaming bodysuits and sunglasses, singing the original song “Gay Mountain.”

On its corporate homepage, Channel 4 posted a photograph of the dancer with the caption, “Good luck to those out in Sochi.”

Google has also shown its support by changing its daily “Doodle” to a rainbow flag and silhouettes of different winter sports. Below was a quote from the Olympic charter stating “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind

and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”

While Google made no official statement about the logo, they only commented that “they wanted the image to speak for itself.”

The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion aired a short commercial simply showing the thrusting motion that a pair of bobsled riders must do prior to launching down the track.

However, it was done in slow motion with a rather hot and steamy soundtrack, and ended by claiming “The games have always been a little gay.

Let’s fight to keep them that way.”

At the games To the utter dismay of President Putin, there was an openly gay competitor

who made it to the Olympic Games. Australian snowboarder Belle Brockhoff said that it would be the perfect time to send a message to both Russia and the world about equal rights.

The Australian Olympic Committee has supported Brokhoff in her trek to the Winter Games, but wanted her safe first and foremost.

“They don’t recommend me waving a [rainbow] flag around, which I won’t do,” she mentioned in a few different interviews prior to the games. However, after she competed, she said that she would like “to rip on [Putin’s] ass. I’m not happy and there’s a bunch of other Olympians who are not happy either.”

The competitors, and spectators for that matter, have to be very careful about what they say or do in regards to pro-gay protests.

Although most of the players are not Russian, they still must abide by Russian law—and the law states that pro-gay propaganda of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Russia made it clear that they would not hesitate to arrest anyone breaking the law, even if that person was a competitor.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach made it very clear that the games shouldn’t be used as a stage for political demonstrations, no matter how good the cause may be.

He did mention though, that “the athletes should enjoy the freedom of speech, so if in a press conference they wanted to make a political statement then they are absolutely free to do so.”

While there have not been any political outbursts in the games themselves, Germany’s outfits

during the opening ceremonies caught quite a lot of attention. Proudly displaying vibrant stripes of blue, green, yellow, red and white made the audience immediately think that it was a political stunt.

However, the outfit’s designer Willy Boger explicitly stated that it was only meant to be eye-catching, and nothing else. They were intended to celebrate “the great atmosphere” of the 1972 Summer Games in Munich. If Germany did admit that they were supporting gay rights, then they could have risked their players getting arrested—so it is hard to know whether they intended a protest or not.

Overt or subtle, the world is sending Russia a message: We don’t care who the Olympic athletes are sleeping with. We just want to see them compete.

RAINBOW STRIPES were painted in front of the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland in protest of Russia’s anti-LGBT legislation.

CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTIONS TO MURRUR

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