Portland State Vanguard

VOLUME 68 | ISSUE 28 | APRIL 1, 2014

The Park Blocks Riot ik e o f 19 70 tr s t n e d tu s e th g R e m e m b e r in

NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

Professor wins Google grant to support research in internet encryption technology. pg. 7

No matter how much college seems necessary for success, it’s never going to be the answer for everyone. pg. 8

Two PSU alumni on exhibit at the Augen Gallery throughout the month of April. pg. 16

PSU Softball is off to a slow and soggy start but Coach Sherwood thinks there’s time to turn it around. pg. 23

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CONTENT NEWS OPINION COVER ARTS & CULTURE CALENDAR SPORTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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NEWS

task force recommendations:

Arming Officers and Beyond Stephanie Tshappat

The first recommendation of the report issued by the Task Force on Campus Safety, released in late February, was to provide Portland State students, faculty and staff access to “sworn [police] officers” who have campus police training and who are available on campus for the PSU community.

But this was only the first recommendation of several meant to improve campus safety at PSU. The other recommendations listed in the report were suggestions that apply to three aspects of campus safety: the Campus Public Safety Office, access control on campus, and safety awareness and emergency preparation.

Jackie Balzer, chair of the Task Force and vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, said she was proud of the work the Task Force did on the report, and added that PSU President Wim Wiewel thanked the Task Force for their hard work.

“I was very pleased with hard work on the part of the Task Force. All members were fully engaged in the process and were very thoughtful when writing the recommendations,” she said.

“All members of the Task Force learned a great deal about PSU and campus safety via interviews, readings and forums, and this is reflected in the recommendations.”

For CPSO the recommendations include: maintaining non-sworn campus public

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safety officers on campus (in addition to sworn officers), establishing a permanent committee to consistently review the needs and best practices of campus safety at PSU, and providing safety presentations.

CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan agrees with the recommendations, stating that the first recommendation is “consistent with the setup of other universities in the United States.” He added that a permanent committee to oversee needs and best practices of campus safety “represents the future of law enforcement in the United States.”

As far as safety presentations go, Zerzan was in agreement with the idea.

“We do a lot of presentations—33 in 2013—but there should be more. Unfortunately, these presentations are resource driven. Patrol responsibilities overrule the presentations, and we don’t have the manpower to do more of them at this time.”

Michele Toppe, dean of student life, agrees with the recommendations set out in the report as well, especially in regard to having CPSO transition to an office with sworn officers as well was non-sworn officers.

“With our own campus police office we would have the opportunity to have our colleagues provide our campus safety, and that is very important to me, because my colleagues know our campus and our community,” she said. “I think of our CPSO of-

Sworn police officers on campus and electronic access control for doors are two measures that the Task Force believes will improve security at PSU.

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ficers as an extension of our student affairs office.”

In regard to access control on campus, the recommendations are: establishing business hours and regulating access to buildings where possible, establishing a goal of transitioning all exterior building doors to electronic access control, and recognizing the PSU identification card as both the only official form of PSU identification and the only method of electronic access control.

Zerzan said that some of these ideas are already being worked toward.

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

“In regard to access control, we’ve made tremendous improvements over the last year. We’re currently working on a project to have all the exterior doors on mainline buildings on campus on electronic access control,” he said.

“We’ve also been encouraging students to get the PSU identification/access card as their form of PSU identification.”

Toppe agrees that access control on campus is something to be addressed.

“Access is such a complex issue on our campus. People are accessing our buildings all the time for legitimate reasons,”

she said. “[There are] solvable concerns around access control but they will require conversation and education and investing in it.”

The recommendations for safety awareness and emergency preparation include considerations to create a campus safety marketing campaign, as well as ways to better communicate expectations of staff and students in emergency situations. A requirement for all PSU employees to sign up for the PSU alert system was also recommended.

Zerzan said these are being worked on as well.

“For example, there have been measures put in place by [the Office of Information Technology] to assist with signing up for PSU alert,” he said, adding that a campus safety marketing campaign would be, “a civilian position that is a resource multiplier, getting more involvement from student groups, staff and faculty.”

Balzer said the next step for the Task Force is the open forum that will be held April 30, 2014.

To read the full Task Force report, visit pdx.edu/insidepsu/ the-future-of-campus-security

NEWS

Second unfair labor charge filed against administration Sara Swetzoff

Last week students may have had a break, but Portland State faculty and administrators remained at the bargaining table.

As each bargaining session expired without a resolution, members of the American Association of University Professors recently expressed their concern that the PSU administration will discriminate against AAUP members who exercise their right to strike.

A formal accusation was filed with the Oregon Employment Relations Bureau as an unfair labor practice charge—the second such charge that has been made against the PSU administration during this biennium’s contract negotiations. It was announced in a March 24 press release.

This particular charge takes issue with two documents released by the PSU administration online and emailed to faculty and staff.

One document is a strike FAQ which declares that PSU will bar union members from email and all other university online systems and databases if they strike.

The second document is a set of demonstration guidelines posted on the Campus

Public Safety Office website.

Faculty claim that the administration has suddenly decided to call attention to the guidelines in an effort to intimidate employees who plan to strike.

“The university’s decision to cut off email access to striking employees is discriminatory and retaliates against employees for exercising their right to strike,” said Phil Lesch, executive director of PSU-AAUP. Lesch compares absence by strike to any other legallyprotected unpaid absence from one’s employment, such as sick leave or maternity leave. Faculty who are on sick leave and cannot work do not lose access to their email or other resources associated with their job.

However, Scott Gallagher, PSU’s director of communications, disagrees with this comparison, asserting that sick leave is part of standard work benefits whereas going on strike is a choice more akin to temporarily quitting a position. Gallagher said that allowing a striking employee to use their university email would be like allowing a terminated employee to continue coming into the office.

“When faculty are on

strike, they are choosing not to work; if they don’t work, we can’t pay them, and therefore they may not work,” Gallagher explained.

“Faculty have the right to strike, but it is common practice to not allow them access to the office and to any office tools such as email,” he said.

Lesch disagrees. “Striking is protected activity under law, and employees do not lose their employee status just by exercising that right,” he said.

“Email is a right protected by our contract and the administration is required to maintain email—along with all other contract provisions—while in the hiatus period of an expired contract,” Lesch added. “The Oregon [Employement] Relations Board has consistently held that email in these situations must be maintained. Cutting access to email is not standard procedure in strike situations. It is unlawful.”

'A safe manner' In terms of the demonstration guidelines that prompted the second part of AAUP’s allegations of potential discrimination against striking union members, Gallagher

argues that such guidelines have been in place for decades and simply aim to protect the safety of all those involved.

“Demonstration guidelines have been in place going back to the ‘60s. They came into play in recent years when the Occupy movement extended to PSU’s Park Blocks.

“This is what they boil down to: students, faculty, staff or whoever has the right to protest or demonstrate, but they have to do so in a safe manner that is respectful to others.”

However, AAUP argues that the guidelines are now being selectively enforced in a way that constitutes discrimination.

“We believe that notifying us that the demonstration guidelines will be enforced is the first time any group has been so notified,” Lesch said in an email.

The code includes a ban on signs attached to wood stakes or other hard handles and also prohibits the use of megaphones or other sound systems without prior approval from the Office of Student Affairs. AAUP’s March 24 press release alleges that the guidelines are “vague and overbroad and improperly prohibit protest activities that are plainly protected by the Oregon and

U.S. Constitutions.”

In Lesch’s words, AAUP is concerned that “picketers will be harassed for carrying picket signs, which would interfere with their right to picket and discourage them continuing,” to do so.

Questions of free speech Gallagher said there is nothing illegal or unconstitutional in the demonstration guidelines, and challenged AAUP to cite specific examples of constitutional violations.

In response, Lesch described the 2001 court case Edwards v. City of Coeur d’Alene in which the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that a ban on wooden or plastic sign-handles carried during parades or demonstrations is an unconstitutional restriction on the time, place and manner of speech.

The wording issued by the Ninth Circuit Court in the case states that “the classic image of a picketer—dating back to the early days of labor protests—is of an individual holding aloft a signbearing standard. Because social, economic and political protests are commonly associated with picket signs

attached to handles, the ordinance’s ban precludes an important communicative aspect of public protest.”

Lesch also cited cases related to the protection of amplified speech under the First Amendment, listing three cases in support of this precedent. He also took the opportunity to quote the U.S. Supreme Court’s statement from the 1948 case Saia v.

People of the State of New York: “Annoyance at ideas can be cloaked in annoyance at sound. The power of censorship inherent in this type of ordinance reveals its vice.”

Ultimately it will be up to the Oregon Employment Relations Board to decide whether AAUP’s filed complaint warrants a hearing.

The hearing will then determine whether or not the charge does in fact constitute an unfair labor practice.

Gallagher dismissed the ability of AAUP’s recent complaint to hold water with the Employment Relations Board.

“The filing of the charge is an accusation; anyone can make an accusation and it does not mean it is true. We are confident that it will not be considered an unfair labor practice,” he said.

“The university’s decision to cut off email access to striking employees is discriminatory and retaliates against employees for exercising their right to strike.”

Phil Lesch, executive director of PSU-AAUP Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

Oregon passes ‘Good Samaritan Law’ Karisa Cleary

the “Good Samaritan Law,” or House Bill 4094, was officially signed through by the Oregon State Legislature early last month This law gives medical amnesty specifically to minors in possession of alcohol in the special case that they are getting a person medical attention due to an alcohol overdose.

The bill was passed unanimously, and not just in the state of Oregon. Washington, along with sixteen other states, have also passed their own version of the “Good Samaritan Law.” In Oregon’s case, student

testimonies were given by Oregon State University and Lane Community College students. Portland State’s Eric Noll, the Associated Students of PSU’s legislative affairs director and Harris Foster, ASPSU president, also made two lobbying visits.

Mario Parker-Milligan, legislative director of the Oregon Student Association, further explained the motivations behind Oregon’s recent enforcement of the law.

“We had multiple students testifying at both the house and senate committees on judiciary when hear-

ings were conducted on the bill,” Parker-Milligan said.

“We utilized our statewide lobby day on Feb. 11 to meet with every member of both committees and other members of the legislature, a total of 45 legislators, to build support. We had around 60 students in the capitol from universities and community colleges.”

Although this policy only extends to the use of alcohol, certain other bills have included the use of narcotics and included sexual assault reporting immunities.

At PSU, students have Eric Noll, ASPSU’s legislative affairs director, helped lobby for the new law.

JINYI QI/PSU VANGUARD

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Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

brought forward a “threetiered policy,” as Noll described, that will include sexual assault cases. As of now, they are waiting until 2015 to run this through as a comprehensive policy bill.

“We’re seeking to, in the next legislative section, run a piece of legislation that relates to ‘good faith reporting’ of sexual assault,” Noll said.

“So if someone is under the influence of narcotics [or] illegal drugs, or under the age of 21 and under the influence of alcohol, they can feel uninhibited to report a sexual assault or violent crime in that sense.”

Although PSU has prospective toward extensions in this policy, Parker-Milligan said that the board members have not yet agreed whether extending this law will be a priority at the state level, but gave a few words of advice to students who are interested in getting involved.

“I encourage students that may be interested in this type of advocacy to talk with their student government officials and encourage them to make this a priority if they see fit,” Parker-Milligan said.

“We will continue to monitor how this law is im-

plemented and work with members of the judiciary committees if students decide this issue should be revisited in 2015 or beyond.”

The “Good Samaritan Law” and like policies, although targeted toward college students, “aren’t specific to college campuses either, they’re law for the entire state,” Noll said.

Noll further described the motivation for backing this bill and future similar policies as a part of ASPSU. “We want to keep students safe even if they do make mistakes.”

NEWS

GOOGLE AWARDS COMPUTER SCIENCE FACULTY $96K Greg Young

One might not think of Portland State as a leading institution in computer science and internet security, but a grant from Google’s Eric Schmidt suggests otherwise.

Tom Shrimpton, professor of computer science at PSU, received an email two weeks ago from Schmidt telling him that he was awarded a $96,000 “New Age Digital Grant” in support of his research in internet encryption technology. Shrimpton, along with a small team of students and fellow professors both within PSU’s computer science department and from out-of-state universities, developed a technique that helps circumvent online censorship.

“The recipients chosen for the New Digital Age Grants are doing some

very innovative and unique work, and I’m proud to offer them this encouragement,” Schmidt said in a March 10 press release. “I felt it was important to encourage organizations that are using it to solve some of our most pressing problems.”

Shrimpton worked with his student Kevin Dyer, as well as colleagues Thomas Ristenpart at the University of Wisconsin and Scott Coull of RedJack, LLC, a network analytics company. They designed their technique to improve current encryption technologies, which they believed were not as sound as they could have been.

“We worked on another paper that was about how successful normal encryption is at hiding what website you visit,” Shrimpton said. “Peo-

ple had thought if you want to visit a website and you want to hide that website, [that] if you were to encrypt everything that you sent, you can hide everything—and it turns out that it doesn’t.”

An observer can still determine the frequency and number of encrypted users visiting one website.

So Shrimpton and his colleagues found themselves confronted with the question: Is it possible to take this encrypted data and make it look like normal, boring web traffic?

The answer so far seems to be a resounding yes, though it’s still far from perfect.

In spring of last year, Shrimpton bought a month of time on a virtual server farm in China and installed his client there. The other

end of that connection was installed at the University of Washington.

For one month they did everything they could think of that would attract attention from internet observers, such as visiting Facebook and Google searches for anything that could be considered hostile and so on. For that month they got no signs of outside observers.

“This is not an anti-censorship app,” Shrimpton said. “In some countries if people were to use programs to hide encryption data, there will be real harm— whether physical, economic, anything—so we’re trying to be extremely careful.

“We’re not pushing this to be used for everyone in the world, there’s still much work to be done.”

©Flickr User FutUndBeidl

CRIME BLOTTER

Week of March 17-31

Stephanie Tshappat

March 17 theft

Parking Structure One Officer Gary Smeltzer received a report of a student’s vehicle being broken into while parked on the fifth floor between Noon and 2 p.m. Numerous items were stolen, including Army clothing and a sleep system in both woodland camo and desert camo.

March 18 arrest

Millar Library Sergeant Michael Anderson was dispatched to a report of a female subject passed out in the basement restroom at 8:49 p.m. Upon

arrival Sergeant Anderson contacted the subject, a PSU student, who had just shot up heroin in the restroom. Dirty needles, marijuana, and pipes for marijuana and heroin were located as well. Student was issued a citation in lieu of arrest for attempted unlawful possession of heroin and possession of a controlled substance—marijuana. She was evaluated by Portland Fire Bureau and released to her husband’s care.

March 24 student conduct

Ondine Residence Hall Officer Shawn McKenzie responded to a complaint of marijuana smoke coming from one of the rooms. Officer

contacted the student resident who turned over his marijuana and marijuana pipe.

Report forwarded to the Dean of Student Life and Housing.

exclusion

Smith Memorial Student Union Officer Denae Murphy contacted non-student Martin Robichaux as he was exiting the single occupancy restroom on the first floor mezzanine level at 4:31 p.m.

Robichaux had occupied the restroom for 40 minutes and stated he was cleaning his staph infection. Robichaux was issued an exclusion for violating Oregon Administrative Rules regarding use of buildings, grounds and services.

warded to the Dean of Student Life.

March 26 Exclusion

Cramer Hall At 4:20 p.m. Officer Brenton Chose contacted non-student Keif Magic Sky who was reportedly in room 17 asking the receptionist if she knew of a good place to sleep. Sky was issued a PSU exclusion.

March 27 student conduct

Parking Structure Three Officer Brian Rominger contacted a PSU student who was found passed out in his Volkswagen Jetta, heavily intoxicated with a nearly empty bottle of Bacardi rum in the passenger seat. Student was released to the care of his girlfriend. Report for-

March 28 exclusion

King Albert Residence Hall Officer Jon Buck contacted non-student Jojo M. Brittain at 4:09 a.m. after observing him holding one bicycle and inspecting two others that were secured to the bike stable on the north side of the building. Brittain refused to comply with verbal orders to stop until the lights on Officer Buck’s patrol car were initiated at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Southwest Montgomery Street; Officer Buck then issued Brittain a PSU exclusion.

March 29 Student conduct

Ondine Residence Hall At 1:35 a.m. Officer Rominger received a report from resident assistants who stated they smelled marijuana from one of the rooms—the occupants tried to leave before officer arrival. Officer Rominger contacted three PSU students, including the resident, who all reluctantly admitted to smoking marijuana. Five glass pipes, a metal grinder, and two translucent pill bottles with marijuana inside were later seized for destruction. Report forwarded to the Dean of Student Life and Housing.

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

Choosing not to be a student Against the Current

by Sebastian Richardson The access to higher education is one of the greatest privileges we have in the United States. Many people take advantage of it and are encouraged from an early age to pursue a degree.

However, this almost blind insistence that every person should go to college does a great disservice to some of our youth.

During my senior year of high school, every teacher would ask me about my future plans. English classes would prepare me to write college-level essays, and there was even talk about making applying to college a graduation requirement.

It seemed that there was the assumption that college was expected of you after graduation.

Being a decent student in high school, I naturally assumed college was something I had to pursue. People hardly even humored the idea that there was another option. So without even considering other possibilities, I went to Portland State.

While for the most part I do not regret my decision to go to PSU, there are many reasons why I would dissuade others from pursuing a degree.

Unless you come from a wealthy family, odds are that you will incur a significant amount of student debt. For some, it seems like an investment worth taking, but for others, it puts them in a difficult financial position. It’s a gamble that many people take. But I don’t feel that enough people have considered the full weight of it. There is such a thing as manageable debt, but sometimes the debt isn’t worth the liberal arts degree.

Here in the U.S. we have fetishized the concept of higher education and perverted it into a mere springboard for economic stability. Because of this, many people don’t consider their options, some of which could be more effective and result in more prospective employment opportunities.

The trades are often considered to be a consolation prize for those who weren’t able to go to school, and they’re almost treated as a shameful alternative to college. It’s as if technical skills are sub-par in comparison to art, philosophy, biology or chemistry.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy philosophy as much as the next university student, but Aristotle is not very useful when there are electrical problems. Unless of course you solve problems by empirically contemplating how such first world luxuries affect our daily lives and work ethic.

While there are many practical objections to enrolling at a four year institution, there are also some more personal reasons why people shouldn’t pursue a degree.

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Rachael Bentz/PSU VANGUARD

Everyone has been in that freshman or sophomore inquiry class with a student who still has no idea what a thesis statement is, and who spends all their time taking elective courses about The Beatles and ballroom dancing, rather than focusing on a specific area of study.

While I will not explicitly say that such students should abandon the notion of getting an education, their motives should be taken into deeper consideration. Quite frankly, some people shouldn’t pursue a degree because they were not meant to be students and lack the basic skills necessary in order to succeed.

There are also those people who treat the university as some sort of glorified social engagement and spend the majority of their time drinking and partying. Half the value of college is in the experiences that take place outside the classroom, but this shouldn’t be a driving factor in the decision to attend. Personal growth is great, but that can be done outside the confines of a college campus.

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

I wish this was something I could be egalitarian about since the access to education is such a blessing, but I think we need to recognize that there are people who are simply not cut out for college. The insistence upon going to college does a great disservice to those who would be better off without it. We also need to recognize that paths which don’t involve college are completely valid and shouldn’t be dismissed from the get-go.

I value any person who seeks to better themselves through education. Widespread education can do wonders for American culture and society as a whole. But no matter how many degrees there are out there, the world will still need retailers, waiters, cooks, plumbers and janitors, and such careers shouldn’t be treated as second rate.

A person should not feel bad about their decision to not go to college, nor should they feel pressured into going. Instead, people should recognize their abilities, limitations and available opportunities, and do what’s best for themselves.

OPINION

The Kardashian conundrum

©VOGUE

The Front Row

by Breana Harris How much do you care about Kim and Kanye? Anna Wintour, the editor of American Vogue, seems to think that the pair hold a significant cultural relevance, or at least that they can sell magazines. She has faced a healthy dose of criticism and backlash since her decision to feature them on the cover of the April issue, and I probably don’t even need to explain why.

Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar tweeted that she was canceling her subscription, and nearly 20,000 people retweeted or favorited her in support. According to The Daily Beast, the magazine’s Facebook page has also been inundated with angry comments and threats of cancellation from customers who feel that Vogue’s brand is associated with class and prestige, and that featuring someone like Kim Kardashian on the cover irrevocably tarnishes this brand. Many call her talentless. Others call her immoral.

I have to admit, I was initially angered by the cover as well. I even registered on Vogue’s website to leave a comment. I think part of the reaction came from previous press reports that Wintour had held out against giving Kardashian the cover for a long time, and it looked like a concession. Another question that many people have is who, exactly, are Kardashian’s fans?

If her influence on society seems so universally scorned, who is watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians or buying magazines with her face on them? Well, I can answer that, in part.

The day that the cover was released, I ended up arguing with a

close friend of mine who happens to be a legitimate, non-ironic fan of Kardashian and Kanye West. She found the backlash against the cover ridiculous, snobby and hypocritical.

There is nothing wrong with my friend. She is on the President’s List and has a higher GPA than I do. She is more well-read than I am, and she watches all the same so-called cerebral television shows I watch: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and things like that. She just also happens to watch Kardashian’s show, The Bachelor and those Real Housewives shows that I don’t know the difference between.

She made several compelling arguments, some of which are also addressed in The Daily Beast’s article. The best-selling issue of Vogue was in 1992, and it featured a collection of the biggest supermodels at the time, including Naomi Campbell. Campbell made news for her obviously catty response to being asked about the Kardashian cover, where she refused to comment and insisted on being “politically correct” while laughing and making her feelings obvious. Yet Campbell herself is a recovering cocaine addict who has been arrested for assault ten times and has pleaded guilty to attacking assistants, housekeepers and even police officers. It would be hard for anyone on Facebook to argue she is more talented or moral than Kim Kardashian.

As my friend pointed out, it is very trendy to hate the Kardashians. Their magazine covers are not selling well. In 2012, covers featuring one or more Kardashian sisters were among the worst-selling issues for Glamour and Allure. Not only that, Keeping Up with the Kardashians has seen ratings plummet to less than half of the numbers they pulled in during the first season. And that’s fine. Their cycle of relevance may be ending, and consumers are deciding that with their wallets and their Nielsen boxes, which is how it should be.

Whether Wintour made a smart business decision in putting Kardashian and West on the cover remains to be seen, but I have been left wondering whether the backlash against it is really fair or warranted. It all depends on whether you see fame and notoriety as something you must deserve (and how could

you?), and whether you draw arbitrary distinctions between some celebrities and others.

Don’t get me wrong, in a perfect world it would be great if everyone we celebrated was a brilliant artist or innovator who truly deserved to be famous. But even in that world, your opinion on who is a brilliant artist or innovator would be different from mine. In reality, people get famous for all kinds of different reasons. Admittedly, the Kardashian family seems to have chased fame in a very deliberate and calculated way, but it’s not like it didn’t work for them. And a Vogue cover is not a Nobel Peace Prize. Many famous models who have graced the cover have just as few accomplishments and arguably greater moral failings than Kardashian.

The rules about who is scorned and who is celebrated are random and changeable. I remember everyone thinking it was tacky when the Spice Girls covered Vogue in January 1998. Critics thought the magazine was pandering to the lowest common denominator. Years later, those women are regarded with affection and nostalgia. I really like Victoria Beckham, but I wouldn’t say that she is all that different from Kardashian either.

So what exactly is my problem with Kim Kardashian? I’m not a fan, but I’ve never really put the effort into hating her, so I wasn’t sure why her cover bothered me. I actually respect Kanye West for his talent, and I do find it curious that he is half-hidden behind a woman in a wedding dress who is now famous just for being engaged to him.

Looking at Kardashian from a feminist perspective creates a sort of conundrum. Yes, it bothers me that a young woman would engage in that much plastic surgery, that she would market her pregnancy or that she would gain notoriety for a romantic relationship with a man who actually is a brilliant artist and innovator. But it also bothers me that her role as a leader of a successful business empire is diminished, and that she receives so much vitriol from other women. Those same critics glorify what Vogue is “supposed” to be and the often despicable fashion industry, which is more detrimental to women than almost anything these days.

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

The perils of Chinese medicine Global Thinking

by Derek Sun

One of the most widespread criticisms directed toward our national healthcare system—besides the accusation that it isn’t much of a national healthcare system because of its failure to cover a majority of America’s population—is that it is obsessed with profit at the expense of fulfilling the lapidary objective of helping people and extending life.

Some critics contend that a completely different system of healthcare is necessary. This system would do away with surgeries and medicine tested and proven to work via science, and instead rely on age-old treatments steeped in culture and misunderstanding. A common solution offered to the flaws of so-called Western medicine is Chinese medicine.

Living in Portland, we are exposed to a depressingly high number of schools like the National College of Natural Medicine and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, which claim to teach traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, to practitioners and students.

At medical school fairs I have attended, the hawkers of TCM set up stands advertising the benefits of their practices right next to conventional medical schools. Given that Portland is a city that values offbeat thinking and lifestyles, it is unsurprising that it hosts an enormous number of believers in TCM relative to the rest of America.

“Believers” is the proper term to use for those who practice and use TCM, because the dichotomy between Western medicine and Chinese medicine is a false one. With scant hard evidence from scientific findings to back it up, TCM supporters depend on fallacious arguments concerning the “centuries of wisdom” and “enduring popularity” of their trade. They fail to realize that things such as astrology, the Mayan calendar or human and animal sacrifice, have had lasting prevalence which does not ensure that these ideas are just or correct.

I accidentally became a TCM patient several years ago in a pharmacy in Shanghai, and my experiences revealed that in terms of the pursuit of financial gain, TCM and Western medicine have a lot in common.

During an organized tour of southern China, we arrived at one branch of Tongrentang, which is a pharmaceutical chain store founded in 1669 that serves as the Chinese equivalent of Walgreens. Pharmacies are generally not interesting landmarks for tourists, and it soon was clear that we were brought in to hear a sales pitch. After an hour of hearing about products that cured everything from comas to constipation, we received free foot massages from store employees and were granted free consultations with a TCM doctor, who miraculously discovered that all of us present possessed dire health problems that could only be cured with thousands of dollars worth of Tongrentang products.

After spending several minutes taking my pulse and asking me about my diet and exercise, the doctor informed me that I was diagnosed with chronic diarrhea and stomach pains that I never even knew I had. My only hope was to purchase five boxes of herbs for the low price of $250 each. Examining my mother, the doctor concluded from her age that her life was made unbearable by the stress of raising a wayward son and suffering from hot flashes. There was nothing she could do to

10

CORINNA SCOTT/PSU VANGUARD

improve except make a beeline for the pharmacy counter and pick up more herbs worth $700.

“I’d really like to buy some, but we’re on a budget and we can only afford some of the medicine,” my mom replied.

“That’s all right,” the doctor responded without missing a beat. “You can both take the same medicine and recover.”

A miracle occurred that day. We discovered medicine that would not only stave off diarrhea and stomach cramps I never had, but would also alleviate symptoms of menopause. Soon enough, we heard the doctor note the success rate of the medicine in curing back pain, athlete’s foot and baldness. Terrified patients started reaching for their wallets to ward off diarrhea, menopause, back pain, athlete’s foot and baldness in one fell swoop.

Tongrentang operates across all of China, and even in other countries. It generates billions of yuan in profit each year, putting to rest the notion that Western medicine is only obsessed with money, while Chinese medicine lives in noble poverty.

Last fall, Slate published an incriminating article on TCM, noting inefficiencies and inconsistencies in its cures, the heavy promotion it received from Mao Zedong to become popular and undermine Western medicine and the heavy skepticism it receives even among native Chinese. I noticed baskets of dried beetles, bottles of preserved snakes in wine, and horns and tusks of deer, rhinos and elephants in display cases at Tongrentang. I wondered how many endangered species gave

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their lives to keep Tongrentang in business. Would environmentally conscious Portlanders still support TCM if they encountered the money-grubbers and peddlers of dead animals I met that day?

The popularity of TCM is a discouraging sign of humanity’s collective tendency to favor something obscure and unconventional simply because it is obscure and unconventional, no matter how much harm and deception is involved. As Portlanders, we take pride in bucking trends and popularizing ideas that few other people follow, be it fixed-gear bicycles, soccer, or cruelty-free vegan organic natural whole grain free-range clown beer. The flip side emerges when we reject fluoridation of water and use spurious arguments and data to convince people that simply because every other city fluoridates their water supply, we must remain different.

We find new thrills in adopting TCM and considering it to be just as legitimate as Western medicine, which means continuing to support a false dichotomy. There is no such thing as Western, allopathic, evidence-based, scientific or profit-based medicine, nor is there Chinese, aryuvedic, naturopathic or holistic medicine. The only division in medicine is between medicine that works and medicine that doesn’t work. TCM squarely fits in the latter category, and the sooner we accept this truth, the less harm we will do to fellow humans and other animals on Earth.

OPINION

An open letter to President Wim Wiewel The Illuminator

by Mike Bivins

I hope this letter finds you in good health and in good spirits. You are probably wondering why I am writing to you in this format.

During the fall term I sent you an inquiry. Rather than receiving a response from you, I received a response from your secretary. This gave me the impression that you might not be a people person and might occasionally find it necessary to hide behind your secretary. That, or you just do not care about the people who help pay your salary. In fact, I am not even sure that you read my inquiry about tuition rates at all.

This slight is magnified by the fact that you make hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’ve encountered professors, including graduate instructors, who work for peanuts but still find time to respond to emails almost instantaneously—multiple times in one day, if the emails start early enough. Heck, I once had a computer science professor who would literally respond at any hour of the night.

I recently viewed an assistant professor listing posted on the Portland State website. What I saw being offered to potential applicants was underwhelming compared to your salary: a paltry $60,000. These people making $60,000 are busy grading papers, teaching class and conducting their own research, yet they can somehow manage to email me multiple times in one

day. You, however, can’t be bothered to at least craft a quick response on your iPhone.

Wim, considering the fact that you are raking in money hand over fist and cannot be bothered to respond to me, my opinion of you is not particularly high at this moment.

This slight has given me reason to doubt how sincere and genuine you are in your efforts at striking a deal with the professors’ union.

This question of sincerity stems from a recent email that was sent to my university account. The letter I am referencing came to me on March 14 from some agent of yours named pdx_help@pdx.edu.

I don’t understand why you chose to have this letter sent a little after 9 p.m. That is suspicious and weird. In my opinion, the email amounts to propaganda, especially since it contains a large direct quote from the university’s side and does not provide any kind of balancing statement from the opposition.

Not to mention the fact that students are a captive audience.

Fortunately for me, I can come to my own conclusions without your help just fine.

The conclusions are simple, really. The mystery fliers that were on classroom walls last term broke it down for me quite nicely. One quick search through the internet seemed to cor-

roborate the following: You and your ilk (administrators) are making way more than your fair share. Maybe if the instructors do strike, then you can perform their jobs for a while. Maybe then you might remember what real work is and redevelop the personal touch you seem to have lost as a result of distancing yourself from actually educating students.

Give the professors what they want. They are not asking much in comparison to the amount of work they put in. Wim, I know that you will use the following argument: “If we do not pay the administrators competitive market wages then how can we retain leadership that will allow the university to accomplish X, Y and Z?” I would counter that question with the following question: “If we pay the administrators money we should be paying educators, how do you expect to retain the best and brightest educators?”

Both are fair questions. However, the truth of the matter is that there is not money for both. Consider who has the most direct impact on students, and then ask yourself where the money should go. Instructors have the most influence on a student’s learning, not some bean counter who is worried about getting their next slick capital-development project approved. Give the educators their raise, and stop the madness.

CORINNA SCOTT/PSU VANGUARD

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COVER

The Park Blocks Riot Remembering the student strike of 1970 Brandon Staley

The threat of an American Association of University Professors strike at Portland State looms. If the professors and the administration can’t cut a deal, no one is sure exactly what Spring term will look like. This isn’t the first time the university has come close to buckling under the weight of a strike. There was another, in 1970, when the stakes were much higher, and the outcome far more dire. In light of what might happen, now is the time to look back.

The summer of 1970 was rife with conflict across American college campuses. The Vietnam War was in full swing.

American civilians, many of them college age, were being drafted into a war the country did not want.

Across the United States, college campuses served as staging grounds for the anti-war movement. Students and members of innumerable anti-war organizations would gather on campuses to sing, chant, bear signs or simply stand stoically in defiance. PSU was no exception.

On May 11, over a hundred PSU students and Portland residents gathered for one such peaceful demonstration, but something went terribly wrong. What resulted was one of the most controversial altercations between Portland Police and students that the university has ever seen.

The show is over Perhaps one of the most hotly contested issues on campus in 1970 was military recruitment. Some reasoned that if the U.S. military was the monster traipsing through Vietnam with wild abandon, then surely feeding that monster was out of the question.

On March 23, anti-recruitment protesters broke into the second-floor room of the Smith Memorial Student Union where Navy personnel were taking recruitment appointments.

The recruiters were forced to retreat to Lincoln Hall, where they locked themselves in the Placement Office.

Bricks shattered the windows of the office and students surrounded the doors, but no one was injured.

Police were able to pacify the protesters, many of whom were non-student members of the White Panthers—a far-left, anti-racist, white American collective that grew out of the Black Panthers—but not before they taunted the police with shouts of “sieg heil.”

Shortly after the protests, PSU Vice President Robert Low announced that all further recruitment efforts would be based out of the Lincoln Hall Placement Office. The recruitment protest marked the first time in the university’s history when Portland Police were called on campus.

“If we can’t keep order, somebody else will have to help us do it,” Low said in a Vanguard article published after the protests.

When asked by a reporter if he thought police could be controlled if ordered into action against protesters, Low said, “No, I think once you give the signal the show is over.”

Two more weeks would prove Low right.

The student strike On May 4, a ripple of unrest spread across American college campuses. The ripple originated in Kent State University

CHRISTOPHER PERALTA/PSU VANGUARD

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COVER in Ohio, where the National Guard opened fire on a group on unarmed students protesting the invasion of Cambodia by the U.S. and the Republic of Vietnam. Nine students were injured, four were killed. The event would be known as the Kent State Massacre.

Outraged, students shut down campuses across the nation in a coordinated strike. PSU was the only Oregon college to shutter its doors in protest. Faculty joined in too, with an estimated 134 professors and university staff counting themselves among the strikers.

“After a day of intense deliberation with students, faculty and administration,” said Gregory Wolfe, former PSU president in a Vanguard article covering the strike, “I have concluded that classes should be closed until next Monday morning as elsewhere in the nation.”

In place of classes, a rally was held in the Park Blocks. After the rally the demonstrators marched on City Hall, where they insisted they meet with Mayor Terry Shrunks. When Shrunks emerged from City Hall the demonstrators issued several demands, including nerve gas masks, amnesty for those arrested during protests and a scheduled day of mourning for the massacre at Kent State.

When Shrunk refused to meet all of their demands, the demonstrators marched away chanting “too much bullshit.” From City Hall, the group divided. One half set off to “liberate” food from the SMSU cafeteria, while the other half occupied the park in hopes of enlisting more students to their cause.

When the tussle in the cafeteria ended, the two groups reconvened in the park where they erected and barricaded a small camp. There they would remain until the evening of May 11, when panicked shouts announced the approach of the Tactical Operations Platoon.

The barricades fall The day of the violence between protesters and police began with the early morning removal of the barricades surrounding the Park Blocks camp. A crowd formed around the police as they dismantled the barricades. Insults were slung, but the altercation remained nonviolent. More barricades materialized by noon.

When word of the new barricades hit City Hall, Mayor Schrunk ordered the Park Blocks cleared. This included not only the new barricades, but also several shanty tents and a “hospital” tent that had been erected by protesters.

According to The Oregonian, protesters formed a circle of three and four persons deep around the hospital tent. According to the Vanguard, the remaining protesters began to chant “Peace. Peace.”

Lieutenant James Brouillette, the commander of the Tactical Operations Platoon, gave the order for the protesters to disperse. Many did, but nearly 100 remained. Lt. Brouillette ordered his squad to charge.

According to the Vanguard, several faculty members stepped forward to urge police not to advance. They were ignored.

“People screamed,” a reporter for the Vanguard wrote.

“Many retreated across Montgomery. A few didn’t, and they were beaten.”

Police occupied the hospital tent block while injured protesters were carried to a nearby parking lot. Protesters hurled rocks and bottles at police as they retreated. depending on the source The Oregonian claimed that only four policemen were injured, one of whom had been hit in the face with a burning board. An article by the Vanguard reported 15 policemen injured, one of whom had been hit with a pipe.

The Oregonian claimed that the melee lasted 20 minutes.

One writer for the Vanguard claimed the fight lasted only two minutes.

When it was over, 28 protesters were hospitalized. Only 11 of those protesters were students. Six people were arrested.

“I hoped it would never come to this,” said Mayor Schrunk in an article that appeared on the front page of The Oregonian.

The university reopened the following day.

See RIOT on page 14

When Shrunk refused to meet all of their demands, the demonstrators marched away chanting “too much bullshit.”

Courtesy of Portland state university 1970 yearbook

CHRISTOPHER PERALTA/PSU VANGUARD

Courtesy of Portland state university 1970 yearbook

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COVER

courtesy of portland state university 1970 yearbook

RIOT Continued from page 13

We were wrong Doug Kenck-Crispin, resident historian and host of the Kickass Oregon History podcast, said that the Park Blocks Riot should be not viewed in a vacuum.

Kenck-Crispin is a graduate student at PSU studying public history. He has researched the melee both for his podcast and as an undergraduate. Kenck-Crispin said that some news sources from the time tend to portray the conflict as monochromatic. The reality is much more complex.

Kenck-Crispin said that not all members of the student body were in favor of the strike. While PSU was politically active and far-left leaning, it was still a commuter school.

Many of these commuter students, labeled “jocks” by the far-left, just wanted to attend school and graduate.

“It’s relevant in our era now, with the possibility of the professors’ strike looming,” Kenck-Crispin said. “‘What’s going to happen next term?’ I imagine a lot of folks were asking that.”

“They were ready to graduate. But if there were no classes, if people were striking, how did that affect their graduation?”

Kenck-Crispin said that when the Portland Police entered the Park Blocks to remove the barricades, they were doing so under pressure from not only the jocks, but also the public. Most of Portland at the time was not sympathetic to the protesters in the park, who were linked to hippie culture.

“There’s this impression that it was these peace-loving PSU students who got the shit beaten out of them by the cops,” Kenck-Crispin said.

In reality, several outside groups had seized on the commotion and were present among students and faculty.

Kenck-Crispin said there were reports of people coming in from out of state who viewed the protests as a kind of destructive celebration. One of these groups broke into the SMSU and caused enough damage to temporarily close the building.

For many, the student strikes of 1970 were a sobering experience.

In 1993, Dory J. Hylton, a doctorate student at PSU, wrote her dissertation on the Park Blocks Riot.

“It happened at the same moment in a time when millions of other college and university students, myself included, stood on the brink of what we thought was going to be a revolution,” Hylton wrote. “Not the violent overthrow the government kind, but the peace and love and justice for all kind, where caring for your neighbors, even if they be your enemies, might cure what ailed the world.

“We were wrong about the revolution.”

CHRISTOPHER PERALTA/PSU VANGUARD

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ARTS & CULTURE

Northwest sounds Portland's Philip Grass releases new EP 'Find' Turner Lobey

I had a somewhat embarrassing experience during my first listen.

In my play-through of the opening track, I thought that Philip Glass was branching away from minimal piano sounds and was getting really weird—and not the Koyaanisqatsi kind of weird. It wasn’t until the second song that I realized Philip Grass is not Philip Glass and I need to pay closer attention to what I’m reading.

Not to be mistaken with the minimalist composer famous for film soundtracks like Dracula (the 1998 re-release of the 1931 Bela Lugosi classic) and The Hours, as well as

his nearly endless list of solo and collaborative projects, Philip Grass is the electronic project from Burton Schaber and Ben Durfee.

Their latest release is Find, available now from Dropping Gems records. Though it clocks in at just under 20 minutes, the EP’s four tracks somehow find a way to encapsulate the sounds and feelings of the rainy and overcast Pacific Northwest (and it’s not just their use of samples of environmental and nature sounds).

They aren’t Northwest natives—the two relocated to Oregon from Massachusetts—but to me, Find

weekly missive Did you know that PSU is home to a student-run radio station that’s on the verge of getting a signal on the FM dial? That’s right. KPSU has big things coming on the horizon.

In the future, this little column will feature anything from artist interviews to concert previews to rad playlists, but today we’d like to let you know about our 2014 Pledge Drive: #AMPKPSU! From March 31 to April 20, KPSU is hosting a series of events throughout Portland in addition to some truly special programming to raise funds, make friends and spread awareness towards our efforts to obtain an FM signal.

sounds like home. Maybe it’s the name playing tricks on me, but “Mt. St. Helens” reminded me of rainy hikes with my father at places like the titled mountain and Marblemount, Wash., while “All I Need” reminds me of time spent biking through the Pearl District at night.

Find is more than a little jazzy—it’s slick. Wispy vocals accompany swirling and lofty piano lines in a way that is punchy but never abrasive.

In many ways, the EP fits the idealistic version of Portland that exists in my head.

If you’re looking for something low-key, this might be up your alley.

©Dropping Gems

By Blake Hickman Assistant Promotions Director

Check out these #AMPKPSU events:

Ground Kontrol for $5.

April 3

This Ain’t No Hula: A Hard Ticket to Hawaii Lampoon (The KPSU version of Mystery Science Theater 3000) at Hollywood Theater.

First Thursday at Pony Club w/ Lagunitas Brewing Co., and KPSU DJ’s.

April 4 KPSU’s All Nighter. A streaming music festival featuring 24 hours of high-quality radio entertainment with exclusive live sets from Magic Mouth, The Lower 48, AND AND AND, Noble Firs, Your Rival, The Vandies, A Volcano, Night Mechanic, St. Even, Frozen Family, Chanterelles, and more. Listen at KPSU.org.

April 10 Unlimited free play at

April 12

April 16 KPSU presents Phone Call, Magic Fades, Rap Class and DJ Portia at Holocene.

April 18 KPSU Kruise: a midnight concert cruise on the Portland Spirit with Magic Mouth and Orquestra Pacifico Tropical.

See you next week for something entirely different.

Your friends at KPSU.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Art professionals on display

PSU alumni featured at the Augen Gallery Jeoffry Ray

Portland State’s art pros are always working hard at their practice. This month, two university alumni are exhibiting the fruits of their labor at the Augen Gallery DeSoto Building, right in the heart of the Pearl District.

The Augen Gallery will show the pair of individual exhibitions from April 3–26, with an opening reception scheduled to run concurrent with downtown Portland’s First Thursday on April 3.

PSU art professor Sara Siestreem will exhibit Sonnets, a collection of paintings and prints contemplating visual poetry. Adjacent to Siestreem’s work, artist and KBOO talk host Eva Lake will show her recent body of collage works, collectively titled Anonymous Women.

Siestreem, who works in mixed media through a combination of color field painting and automatic drawing, noted that she explores symbols in her work. Drawing from her background as part of the Hanis Coos tribe of the Umpqua River Valley, she contemplates humankind’s relationship to the land in her art making.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the Fukushima disaster and its effects. The contaminates in the water, and the damage to the fish,” Siestreem said. “The Hanis Coos are salmon people, and fish a big part of our culture.

This body of work is a progression of that awareness.”

One such piece, “whales and clean water,” uses expressive

16

strikes of graphite and color in a series of vertical strokes across the picture plane. Soft washes in reserved yellows and greens inform the background, while a thick overlay of translucent blue acrylic washes over the central expanse. The artist’s brushstrokes are evident in the blue, and cut wavelike structures into the space to illustrate the ocean’s play.

Bob Kochs, Augen Gallery director and curator, pointed out that it was precisely Siestreem’s sense of abstraction that drew him to represent her work. He noted a tendency in many of Portland’s established galleries to exhibit representational work, which depicts objects or images directly from life.

“I’d been interested in the non-objective work being created in town,” Kochs said.

“I was less interested in narrative figural work than the more abstract things.”

Siestreem also noted the influence of poetry in her work, from which she derived the show title Sonnets.

The narrative form and inherent structure of the sonnet informed her current work, she explained.

“The sonnet is 14 lines,” Siestreem said. “In the beginning, it poses a problem, and by the end, it’s solved. I’m really into the visual poetry out there. It’s all around, the world is filled with it.”

Printed works Also showing will be a suite of collages produced by mixed media artist Eva Lake. Lake

explained that this would be the first showing of her Anonymous Women series in Portland. Lake’s recent work is the product of an ongoing exploration of female beauty and obscurity of personal narrative. It has been shown in galleries in New York City and abroad Kochs explained that Lake’s current work marks a departure from previous collections of minimalist paintings. He pointed to the influence of Dadaism and surrealism, alternative artistic movements from early 20th century Europe.

“Her current work is a totally different focus than what she’s produced previously,” Kochs said. “She’s really excited about the collages and has been focusing on these for the last three or four years. She bridges the gap between the Dadaists and the surrealists.”

As part of Portland’s early punk scene, Lake explained that she felt a kinship between the contemporary underground rock scene and the earlier Dada movement. A longtime fan of the American pop art movement, Lake was first exposed to Dadaism and surrealism at an art retrospective in London.

“I went to that show, and it totally blew my mind,” Lake said. “For me, it had been a really important discovery. I kinda thought that Dada and punk were really the same thing. I got a lot of inspiration.”

Lake’s Anonymous Women touches on a range of subjects,

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Eva Lake “Anonymous Women #18”

each a different take on universal and female beauty. After a previous run collaging famous women, the artist has moved on to exploring noncelebrity models.

In each piece, she extracts and arranges various parts from a woman’s photograph, to combine it with a mashup of imagery to construct a new narrative.

The works range from the energetic to the serene, from the introspective to the humorous. Each collage features a model unknown to Lake, and this is the part of the work that most compels her.

COURTESY OF EVA LAKE

“What helped me make the anonymous woman was that I could cut her the way I wanted, I didn’t have to keep a face attached,” Lake said.

“I never got to approach the art in that way. I think that... is why that work is currently the strongest. Also, it’s telling a story that no one else can tell.”

More than art Making artwork is hardly the extent of Lake’s art

practice. In addition to her visual art career, she also hosts the weekly KBOO talk program Art Focus. An outgrowth of her earlier work at PSU’s own KPSU, Art Focus features Lake’s ongoing dialogue with artists and other arts professionals. She pointed out that she considers her radio show to be a part of her overall art practice.

See ART on page 17

ARTS & CULTURE

‘Let us be thankful we have commerce’ Cult classic 'THX 1138' comes to 5th Avenue Cinema Hannah Griffith

George Lucas’ THX 1138, screening this week at 5th Avenue Cinema, is a 1970s dystopian science fiction film about a highly controlled underground city. The story here is one of an unhappy nature. Man has moved underground, is overpopulated and is under the control of big government. Every citizen is on drugs at all times. To be sober and drug free in this world is a crime. Video surveillance watches the populace 24/7 and monitors everyone on everything, down to their own thoughts.

Video surveillance observes the populace constantly. Everything is monitored, even their own thoughts.

In this futuristic hell of a world, human life as we know it no longer exists. The differences between men and women are virtually destroyed by the State, allowing only unisex haircuts and uniform wardrobes to mask all gender differences. The sole motive of this city is to work, produce goods and ultimately, to consume.

Even sex is banned because it is thought to be a distraction from production. Sexual needs are fulfilled individually with what I can only describe as a masturbation machine. This world has no God—only a production deity known as OMM 0910. They have no love, and essentially no hope.

One day a woman of this dystopia, LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) decides to stop taking her medication and realizes— what a shocker—that she is in love with her roommate, THX

ART Continued from page 16 “I do radio to learn what people are doing, to talk to others and keep up with what’s going on,” Lake said.

“Art is a conversation, it’s not just an object. It’s not even just working in the studio. I would say that’s the least of it.”

Siestreem also maintains a professional practice that goes beyond creating art. In addition to art classes taught at PSU and other schools, she also focuses on education about the contribution of Native Americans, both in contemporary art and cultural heritage.

Siestreem has also lectured for the Portland Art Museum about indigenous artists, and will also begin teaching a class about the topic at PSU.

The Native American studies course, titled Contemporary Indigenous Art and Critical Theory, will be comprised of both academic study and craft from a cultural perspective.

“It’s an academic class, but everyone is going to be required to work on handcraft [that is] native to their own culture,” Siestreem said. “It will be an

©Warner Bros.

1138 (Robert Duvall). LUH decides to take him off his drugs, and he then begins to reciprocate the same feelings toward her.

The two begin a passionate and sexual relationship, even though it is forbidden. Once discovered, they must go on a journey for freedom, love and independence.

The symbolism Lucas incorporates throughout the film is both powerful and revolutionary. Everything in the film is white, from costumes to the characters themselves—all of which add to the pristine and sterile environment of the underground city. The whiteness represents the overall premise of the movie, which is essentially a future devoid of nature. Materialism replaces naturalism, which diminishes freedom by the driven order.

Lucas establishes the tone of the film through characters who are flat, monotonous and mechanical. The character opportunity to foster mutual respect and ownership of one’s own culture. I want to teach students what’s appropriate from a native perspective.”

Both artists came to be represented by Augen at around the same time, and though their work is different, each communicates their dedication to their practice in both their makings and their professional lives beyond the studio.

“Art is with everybody, and at all times it is all things,” Lake said. “We are here to move mountains, and you can do that in many ways.”

THX 1138 however, is the embodiment of nature and, as the movie progresses, so too does his connection to the natural world. His sexual encounter with LUH 3417 is the first that motivates him to seek out the organic. He uses his natural abilities to overcome his weaknesses and to escape the underground city. By the end, THX 1138 learns to embrace nature, and above all learns that the sterilized collective that is so glorified in his society is in truth the epitome of humanity’s downfall.

THX 1138 is an emotional and powerful story of one man’s desire to disassociate from the domination forced on him. This is one of the forgotten classics of dystopian fiction, and should be rightfully recognized as a groundbreaking film for apocalyptic motion pictures.

PSU professor Sara Siestreem exhibits her paintings throughout April at the Pearl District’s Augen Gallery.

THE AUGEN GALLERY presents EVA LAKE: ‘ANONYMOUS WOMEN: RECENT COLLAGES’ SARA SIESTREEM: ‘SONNETS: PAINTINGS AND PRINTS’ Augen Gallery DeSoto Building 716 N.W. Davis St. April 3–26 Opening Reception: 5–8 p.m. on Thursday, April 3 JEOFFRY RAY/PSU VANGUARD

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ETC

EVENT CALENDAR Tuesday, Apr. 1 A Day in the Life: ‘I Shall Not Hate’ 6:15 p.m.

Multnomah County Central Library, U.S. Bank Room 810 S.W. 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 I Shall Not Hate is the story of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Harvard-educated Palestinian doctor who was born and raised in a refugee camp on the Gaza Strip and who faced tragic losses and responded to this in a remarkable way. Join Laura Robson, associate professor of history at Portland State, for a discussion about this powerful text. Free books will be available until stock runs out. FREE

Wednesday, Apr. 2 Campus Rec Open Forum

be seeking feedback on the services they offer and how students use the facility, as well as what they would like to see in the future. This event is open to all students. FREE

Burying Man’s Best Friend: Canine Catacombs in Ancient Egypt 7:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 338 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Dr. Salima Ikram, Egyptologist at American University in Cairo, directed the Mummy Project at the Egyptian Museum, co-directed the Predynastic Gallery project, and is director of the North Kharga Oasis Survey. Now she will be at PSU to give a lecture on the different types of canine burials found in Egypt and what exactly they can tell us about the relationship between humans and dogs in Egypt’s past. FREE

5:30–6:30 p.m.

Academic and Student Rec Center, room 210 1800 S.W. 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97201 Come let your voice be heard at the Campus Rec Open Forum, where the Academic and Student Rec Center will

Friday, Apr. 4

Saturday, Apr. 5

Sunday, Apr. 6

Children’s Museum Free First Fridays

Hollywood Farmers Market

Pioneer Courthouse Square’s 30th Birthday

4–8 p.m.

Portland Children’s Museum 4015 S.W. Canyon Rd., Portland, OR 97221 Every first Friday of the month the Portland Children’s Museum offers free admission. The Portland Children’s Museum is the 6th oldest children’s museum in the country and offers various interactive exhibits that are both fun and educational.

All ages are welcome during free admission days. FREE

PSU French Film Festival Various Times, Apr 4-6 Various Locations PSU presents a festival of French films that will span three days at various locations. Four films will be featured during this free event, and donations will be accepted for those who want to help support the event and those putting it on. For more information, visit www.pdx. edu/events/psu-french-filmfestival?delta=0 FREE

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

NE Hancock St. between 44th and 45th Avenues in the Hollywood District The Hollywood Farmers Market offers a wide variety of fresh, local fare to those who stop by. Everything from veggies, to cheese, to seafood and sauces, will be available for purchase from local vendors. FREE

Hell Scrolls: Death, Redemption and Remembrance 9:30–11 a.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 236 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Dr. Kenneth Brashier, professor of humanities and religion at Reed College, will be presenting a lecture on the Chinese notions of hell, its underworld courts, and gruesome retributions. He will also provide a look at the historical, artistic and literary forces that gave hell its shape in China.

You will be able to view actual hanging scrolls and a couple of statues. As a cautionary warning, some images may be quite graphic. FREE

FEATURED EVENT

3–5 p.m.

Pioneer Courthouse Square 701 S.W. 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97204 Pioneer Courthouse Square celebrates it’s 30th birthday with the kickoff of a year-long birthday celebration on April 6. The event is free and open to everyone and will include live musical performances

by Pink Martini and other special guests. Free minicupcakes will also be available while supplies last. FREE

Monday, Apr. 7 Mom’s Group 1–2 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 462 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 Every Monday at 1 p.m. mothers who also happen to be students at Portland State are invited to come to a social hour where they can talk, gather resources, enjoy getting to know each other and learn about the support PSU

has to offer them. Children are welcome to attend as well and snacks will be provided.

FREE

Tuesday, Apr. 8 Understanding Muslim Admirers of Japan’s Shinto Emperor 6 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union, room 329 1825 S.W. Broadway, Portland, OR 97201 The Portland State University Centers for Japanese and Middle East Studies present Cemil Aydin, associate professor in the department of history at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, who will be offering a talk on the international and intellectual histories of the Ottoman and Japanese Empires.

FREE

FREE

21+

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER

WHAT THE...?!

BRENDAN MULLIGAN/PSU VANGUARD

AMP KPSU kickoff party featuring OUR NOISE by Emi Lenox Friday, Apr. 4 6–10 p.m.

Pony Club Gallery 625 N.W. Everett St., Portland, OR 97209 #105 KPSU presents a night of music, drinks and art with Emi Lenox. Featured will be a series of gig posters featuring ghost themed headliner bands that Emi made up and opener bands her twitter followers made up. Each poster will have prints available for purchase. KPSU will also have a DJ present to make sure there is music, and drinks will be available. Everyone is welcome to come help KPSU raise funds to put toward obtaining an FM signal. ©Emi Lenox

18

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

“You can’t poop honorably.”

ETC

Aries Mar. 21–Apr. 19

Gemini May 21–Jun. 20

Taurus Apr. 20–May 20

Cancer Jun. 21–Jul. 22

Sometimes the days feel long and endless, and others they feel like they’re slipping through your fingers. Try to find peace with the present, dear Aries; it’s your best chance at making good use of your time.

Two steps forward and one step back—it can be an endlessly frustrating process. Instead of focusing on the setbacks, however, I’d urge you to consider the nature of your progress.

Even one step forward is a step in the right direction.

The light at the end of the tunnel is a stone’s throw away, dear Taurus, so don’t lose sight of your goals. This is about the time where giving up seems easier, but if you hold on a little longer, I promise you’ll be where you want to be.

The lesser traveled path can lead to great adventures, but this isn’t always the case. Your need for security and your desire for novelty stand in opposition to one another, and this can make you feel restless. If a potential opportunity gives you pause, err on the side of the familiar and predictable.

Leo Jul. 23–Aug. 22

Doesn’t it feel like it was only yesterday you were feeling sorry for yourself? Quite some time has passed since then, and your confidence and sense of inner peace have only continued to grow. Pat yourself on the back, dear Leo—you deserve it.

Virgo Aug. 23–Sept. 22

Sometimes life builds you up just to throw you back down—and when it does, it really sucks. Try not to bring others down with you, dear Virgo. The people in your life only want to see you happy, and pushing them away won’t help anything.

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Libra Sept. 23–Oct. 22

Sagittarius Nov. 22–Dec. 21

Scorpio Oct. 23–Nov. 21

Capricorn Dec. 22–Jan. 19

Don’t let your thoughts make you a prisoner in your own head, dear Libra. Does it seem productive to repetitiously hold yourself accountable for mistakes you’ve made in the past? Learn to let go and move forward.

Aquarius Jan. 20–Feb. 18

Growing up may sound like a bore, but it doesn’t mean you have to leave your childlike sense of wonder behind you. Find ways to mature and grow while keeping your love of fun in tact. Adulthood has it’s perks, you know.

Time flies when you’re having fun—or in your case when you’re incredibly busy. Take a moment to give yourself recognition for all you have accomplished.

Sooner than you know, you’ll be onto the next adventure.

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Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

19

SPORTS SCORES

UPCOMING

PSU MEN’S TENNIS

PSU MEN’S TENNIS

PSU SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

0 EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. PSU 5 SAT. 4/5 1:00 p.m.

CLUB GREEN MEADOWS | VANCOUVER, WA

Top Performers: Brent Wheeler and Ian Risenhoover won their doubles match 8–5

PSU WOMEN’S TENNIS

PSU @ BOISE STATE

PSU WOMEN’S TENNIS

0 7

PSU SACRAMENTO STATE

Top Performers: Dané Vorster 1–6, 6–1, 6–1

SAT. 4/5 12:00 p.m.

PSU SOFTBALL

PSU @ SOUTHERN UTAH

TIMBERS FIELD EARLY SEASON WOES Timbers DEFENDER Michael Harrington has four goals this season and was issued a red card in a match against Dallas.

FRI.–SAT. 4/4–4/5 | 3-GAME SERIES

PSU SOFTBALL PSU GOLF

11 9 WYOMING COWGIRL CLASSIC

NORTH DAKOTA PSU

MON.–TUES. 4/7–4/8 | MARICOPA, AZ

Top Performers: Becca Bliss, 4–5, 2 RBI

PSU TRACK AND FIELD

PSU GOLF

MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGIATE TOURNAMENT

11th as team

STANFORD INVITATIONAL FRI.–SAT. 4/4–4/5 | PALO ALTO, CA NBA

Top Performers: A Ram Choi tied for 11th as an individual

PORTLAND @ LAKERS

NBA

MLS

MEMPHIS PORTLAND

Top Performers: LaMarcus Aldridge, 28 points

TUES. 4/1 7:30 p.m. | TNT

98 SEATTLE vs. PORTLAND 105 SAT. 4/5 12:00 p.m. | PROVIDENCE PARK WHL PLAYOFFS

VICTORIA vs. PORTLAND

MLS

PORTLAND DALLAS

Top Performers: Dallas D Matt Hedges, 1 own goal

1 2

FRI. 4/4 7:00 p.m. | MEMORIAL COLISEUM

MILES SANGUINETTI/VANGUARD STAFF

Alex Moore

THE NUMBER OF TIMES PSU GOLFER A RAM CHOI HAS BEEN NAMED BIG SKY CONFERENCE GOLFER OF THE WEEK. 20

The Portland Timbers haven’t started out the season like most of their dedicated fans were expecting.

Four games in and Portland has yet to win, tying and losing two games each. The most recent loss for Portland came at the hands of Dallas, who scored a late goal to break a 1–1 tie.

The game didn’t go exactly as Timbers coach Caleb Porter had planned, when Portland lost arguably their best defender in Michael Harrington to a red card.

Harrington was involved in some physical play off the ball that resulted in red cards for both him and Dallas midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson. But this didn’t change the Timbers’ play or attitude toward the game, as

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

they fought hard throughout. The Timbers finished with 15 shots, but only three were on goal.

The loss in Dallas was the second result in a row ending in zero points for Portland. Despite this unsuccessful start, Porter started to see some of the effort that Timbers fans were used to seeing last season.

The Timbers’ attack started to look dangerous for arguably the first time all season during the Dallas game because of the relentless style of Max Urruti, who played one of his better games of the season.

Portland’s acquisition this offseason, Gastón Fernandez, failed to take a shot in the game and looked off sync in the Timbers’ offense. Porter subbed out Fernandez for Kalif Alhassan in the 62nd minute. Darlington Nagbe

also left the game in Dallas because of a muscle injury, and his status is up in the air for Portland’s upcoming game against Seattle.

With everything that has gone wrong, the start of this season closely resembles the start of last season for the Timbers, who finished with one of the best records in the MLS last year. The Timbers’ attitude is still positive because it is early in the season and there’s plenty of time to turn things around, but that doesn’t mean that Portland and Coach Porter can sit back and hope things will change.

With the Sounders coming to town this week, it’s hard to call that rivalry just another game, and it’s important to more than just the players and standings what the result is this Saturday.

Opportunities in which Portland struggles to score will be magnified because of the fact that this is a rivalry game. Struggles will be seen by everyone tenfold. But on the other side, Portland also has an opportunity to prove to everyone that they can return to the form they were playing in last year, by soundly beating a team that everyone in the Rose City wants to beat.

Three of the Timbers’ next five games are at Providence Park, where Portland has tied twice in two games this season. Portland has yet to get a point on the road this season, but some wins at home would go a long way toward getting the season on the right track.

Kickoff for the Timbers and Sounders is set for 12 p.m. on April 5.

SPORTS

q&a: Katie howard talks mma and sushi Mike Bivins

Shoplifters beware: the next time you think about getting a five-finger discount at New Seasons you had better think again. Professional mixed martial artist Katie Howard might be lurking in the next aisle over.

On Saturday, G.I.R.L.S. Gym representative Howard (1–0 Pro) will be headlining the 77th edition of the Full Contact Fighting Federation’s Rumble at the Roseland. She will fight Glena Avila (2–2 Pro) in a 115-pound professional tilt.

The Rumble at the Roseland primarily features amateur contests. However, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Ronda Rousey putting women’s MMA on the map again, as well as Howard’s recent upset victory at the preeminent regional event CageSport, this fight is a necessity.

For those reading who have never seen women fight in a skillful manner, this kind of thing might seem foreign or shocking to you. If you have been following the fight scene, the name Gina Carano might ring a bell. I alluded to Rousey putting women’s MMA back on the map. That is because Carano was the previous face of women’s mixed martial arts, until she was rubbed out by the one-woman wrecking crew that is Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Justino attempted to carry the banner for women.

Unfortunately, she eventually failed a post-fight drug test for the steroid Stanozolol, calling into question the legitimacy of her previous victories.

Women’s mixed martial arts already had a cloud over it because of Justino’s manlike physique. The posi-

tive drug test was merely a confirmation of what everyone suspected all along. As a result, Justino was unceremoniously stripped of the Strikeforce 145-pound title she’d won by vanquishing Carano. Unfortunately, it was too late for women’s mixed martial arts; the damage had been done. As a result, Carano did what was best for her brain—as well as her bank account—and started acting.

As for Justino? She has faded into relative obscurity.

After this fateful failed drug test in early 2011, I had written off women’s mixed martial. That was until I saw the FCFF poster featuring Howard, and assumed she must be pretty talented to be featured in a pro main event.

After watching what limited footage there was available on YouTube, I was thoroughly impressed with her ability to deliver crippling blows, as well as how effective she is in striking and hunting for submissions off her back. I was able to catch up with Howard and her coach Sarah Oriza, who were happy to answer random questions that came to my mind. Statements have been edited for clarity. mike bivins: Do you have a nickname? katie howard: Not yet. mb: Do you have a favorite food? kh: Spaghetti and sushi, but I really love all kinds of food!

Oriza lets me know that while Howard is allowed to eat as much sushi as she wants, she has to maintain a fairly strict diet. mb: How long did you train at G.I.R.L.S. Gym before you had your first fight?

kh: Two and a half years. mb: Wow! So Sarah [Oriza] definitely made sure you were ready, and it looks like this has paid dividends in the way of wins. Is fighting your full-time job? kh: Nope. I work at New Seasons. mb: Do you have a favorite fighter? kh: Nick Diaz is definitely one of my favorites.

As a personal aside, I too am a Nick Diaz fan. He dutifully plays the bad-guy role in the ring and gives almost lackadaisical interview responses when he is not in character. mb: Is there a submission hold that you favor? kh: Head and arm choke. mb: Like an arm-triangle choke? kh: Right! mb: You were a huge underdog in your professional debut against world ranked

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Miriam Cardosa. What was it like to overcome those odds? kh: I’m used to the pressure at this point. Plus, I’m usually the underdog anyway. mb: Is it different for you now that you are fighting as a professional, rather than an amateur? kh: Not really. I train the same. I train hard for every fight. Although the cage is bigger, and the rules are a little different.

Professional fights generally have five-minute rounds, whereas amateurs have threeminute rounds. Amateur does not allow elbows of any kind, or knees and kicks to the body of a downed opponent. Professional generally allows both of these things. Currently, only international MMA allows for kicks and knees to the head of a downed opponent.

We have a laugh as Oriza reminds Howard that she now gets a paycheck.

There has never been a better time to be fighting in the women’s 115-pound division.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is poised to crown a champion for their vacant 115-pound title, and strawweights will be a commodity due to a current shortage of credible challengers. Accordingly, a few more wins in a row could see Howard getting a call with an invitation from UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

As mentioned, the UFC is home to 135-pound women’s champion, Olympic bronze medalist and all around media darling Ronda Rousey.

Rousey is able to regularly put butts in seats and create media buzz, a feat that would have proved impossible ten years ago. During the interview, Howard’s coach men-

tions that when she began fighting in 2006 there was virtually no money to be made for women. However, women’s MMA is back on the map, and with a highlevel championship available. This will hopefully be the catalyst that entrenches women’s MMA in American popular culture.

Katie Howard (Left) and Allie Szymoniak spar at their gym in preparation for upcoming fights.

MILES SANGUINETTI/PSU VANGUARD

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

21

SPORTS ToToWhom WhomititMay MayConcern Concern Dear Portland, You finally have professional football. It’s played with eight guys to a side on half a field with (barely) padded hockey boards instead of sidelines, but it’s football.

The Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League have played their first two home games at the Moda Center, and it’s a blast.

Arena ball is a fast-paced game with kicks ricocheting off trampoline-like screens behind the end zones, players getting knocked into the front row of the stands and scores that resemble basketball games more than those of the NFL. Thunder owner Terry Emmert and his staff have created an atmosphere that is similar to the NBA in more ways than the high scores. Every timeout on the field is filled with contests for young fans, a DJ scratching records and mugging for the camera, and the Thunderettes firing their T-shirt cannons into the audience.

At the most recent game they even rolled a dozen Harleys out onto the field so the team could be announced to the thunderous sound of revving engines. What does any of that have to do with good football? Not a lot, but it’s pretty entertaining.

Other than jamming as much entertainment as possible around the actual game, the main marketing strategy for the team is their reliance on “Home Grown” talent to fill much of the roster. There are a couple former Vikings on the team, most notably Justin Monaghan. The wide receiver has 14 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in the first two games. The 2012 Portland State graduate has been the main target for tough yards over the middle, and even holds for extra points.

The local player the Thunder are really banking on is former Duck quarterback Darren Thomas.

T-shirts with his name and number on the back are the biggest sellers on the concourse, and he has been featured prominently on all of their promotional materials. The problem is that so far his skill set doesn’t seem like it’s tailored to the style of play in the AFL, where accurate downfield throws are at a premium.

Thomas has started both games to begin the season and is leading the team in passing, but is sharing time with Nate Enderle, a former University of Idaho Vandal. Both quarterbacks looked far better in the second game than they did in the season opener, so hopefully they are just developing the timing necessary to hit receivers who are already running at full speed when they snap the ball.

If neither quarterback develops into a dominant AFL force, I’m holding out hope for a scenario that could bring some wins and a maximum of entertainment value: Head coach Matthew Sauk is a former AFL-leading quarterback and is only nine days older than Peyton Manning. If the season really hits the fan, maybe he’ll suit up and lead the team himself.

Even with the quarterbacks struggling—and without the coach playing—I’ll be at the remainder of the games. The energy level is high and it’s an excuse to get over to the Rose Quarter on nights when the Blazers aren’t playing, so you can actually park and get a pregame beer without fighting through massive crowds.

I’m also hoping to figure out some of the unique AFL rules before the season ends—like a basketball style double bonus where the opposing team gets a first down after your third offsides penalty.

And dropkicks! Dropkicks aren’t just legal, they’re encouraged! Kicker Michael Braunstein hasn’t tried one yet, but extra points are worth two points and field goals are worth four if the kicker dropkicks it through the uprights. I assume Coach Sauk has him working on making that happen.

Games are super cheap, most of the players are guys from the area who probably wouldn’t be playing otherwise, and it’s an exciting night out. What more could you ask for? Even PSU legend Neil Lomax was at the first game, sitting in the first row next to Emmert. Kinda have to enjoy a sport where the owner is potentially in the line of fire, rather than above the crowd in a skybox.

Come out and join me for professional football in Oregon. It’s worth seeing in person, and if any of you sports fans out there harbor hopes of drawing other franchises to Portland someday—say an NHL or MLB club—then those leagues need to see that we support the teams we have.

Sincerely, Jesse Tomaino Vanguard Sports Desk

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22

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

Blazers playoff picture coming into focus Claude Akins

This Blazers season has truly been a story of two teams. They came into the All-Star break with a 36–17 record, and engaged in a battle with the Spurs and the Thunder for the top seed in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

As of right now, they are 48–27 and a paltry two games ahead of the electric Golden State Warriors for fifth place in the conference. They are 5–5 in their last 10, including losses to the Charlotte Bobcats (who are surprisingly not terrible), to the Orlando Magic (who are unsurprisingly terrible,) and to the Milwaukee Bucks (who just got called up from the D-league).

In that span they also lost to the Heat and to the very same Golden State Warriors who are hot on their heels.

It is easy, however, to slip into a doomsday pessimism with the Blazers. There are a few important caveats: LaMarcus Aldridge was injured recently with a back contusion, the starters have logged more minutes than any other NBA group this year, and the close games that they were winning earlier this year (pick your favorite Lillard late-game clutch three), they have recently been losing. However, Aldridge has come back strong, and they just thumped the Bulls and the Grizzlies— two quality teams—by a combined 34 points.

In short, these Blazers are tough to evaluate. With all that said, I will try to estimate exactly where they will be in the playoffs and if they have a chance at winning.

Their remaining schedule is against the Lakers, Suns,

Pelicans, Kings, Jazz, Warriors and Clippers. The safe bet is that they beat the Lakers, Pelicans, Kings and Jazz, and lose to the other three teams who are in the top echelon of the league.

However, given the Blazers’ propensity for losing to teams they should beat (Sixers, Bucks, Kings and Pelicans), I imagine they will fall to one of these teams. My guess would be the Pelicans, because Anthony Davis has become a top-five player. Yet, given their counter-propensity to play hard against top teams and those killer Lillard threes, I bet they beat the Suns and the Warriors. My prediction: they finish 5–2.

The crucial game is against the Warriors—if they win that one, they’ll be the five seed.

So, heading into the playoffs as the five seed, they will be slated to play the Rockets. The Rockets are the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 107 points per game. (The Blazers are fourth, averaging 106 ppg).

James Harden is averaging 25 ppg, and despite his low field goal percentage, is a top 10 player. Chandler Parsons, their lanky small forward, has also come into his own; so much so that analyst David Thorpe said that he is the third-best player over 6 feet 9 inches at finishing shots near the rim, right after Kevin Durant and Lebron James.

And then there’s Dwight Howard, who is looking more like Orlando Dwight than Laker Dwight.

With that said, the Blazers match up well with the Rockets. Both these teams score a lot of points, and both these teams can get those points from a variety of places.

Indeed, where the Blaz-

ers and Rockets have been criticized, is their lack of defensive ability. This last criticism, though fair, needs a little inspection.

Per Zach Lowe, “Portland has allowed just 99.7 points per 100 possessions in the 266 minutes Lopez and Aldridge have shared the floor, equivalent to a top five team mark.” This was written back in November, and since then, this number has decreased dramatically.

But there is an interesting hypothesis one can draw from this data. The Blazers had just begun the season at 13–3. They were fresh, and as mentioned earlier, this starting five has logged more minutes together than any other unit in the NBA. As much as their bench improved from last year, it is certainly not top quality, and thus the Blazers have had to rely on their starters more than the rest of the league.

The theory, then, is that with some rest and some increased intensity, these Blazers have the potential to get those everso-crucial late game stops on the road that are needed to win playoff games.

The question being: With some rest, will the Blazers be able to oust the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs? In the season series, they were 1–3, with one of those games going into overtime. The teams are evenly matched. They are both young and hungry. The names alone are impressive: Harden, Lillard, Lin, Batum, Parsons, Howard and Aldridge. Perhaps the wisest prediction is a coin toss, and like a Lillard three with a minute left, there’s nothing to do but hold your breath as it ascends into the air.

SPORTS

Softball Loses 4–5 in First Home Games The pitching and hitting are rounding into form, but not resulting in wins

Brittany Hendrickson, one of the Vikings' most noted offensive players, hit her second career grand slam during one of the break's games.

Jay Pengelly

While the bulk of Portland State students spent their spring breaks at home or on vacation, the softball team stuck around and began their home field schedule.

After a rigorous 22 games on the road to start their year, going 3–19 during that stretch, the Lady Viks were scheduled to host Big Sky rivals Idaho State and North Dakota at Erv Lind Stadium.

The home field for PSU softball lies five miles from campus in Northeast Portland’s Normandale Park.

Reflecting on the early struggles of her team, head coach Barb Sherwood, in her first year at the helm of PSU softball, points at this team improving through experience.

“We’ve had a tough go at it,” Sherwood said. “Our pitching is young and inexperienced.

But we’re getting better as we go. They were thrown into the fire early.”

Playing the first half of their season on neutral or opponent's fields takes its toll on both the coaching staff and players.

“Being on the road every weekend is tough. Not sleeping in your own beds,” Sherwood said.

But on March 22 Big Sky rival Idaho State came to town for a three-game series. Last year these two teams tied for the regular season championship before PSU won the conference tournament. The Bengals are considered not only some of the Vikings' toughest competition, but one of their chief rivals. They are also one of the seven Big Sky schools which have a softball

team. Among the five institutions which have yet to create a softball team, the Montana Grizzlies have begun to lay the foundation, hiring a head coach last summer.

PSU and Idaho State split their doubleheader with a 1–2 loss before an impressive 10–2 win. Both games featured effective pitching from PSU. Sophomores Karyn Wright and Melissa Masters threw for a combined 13 innings and 2.1 ERA on four total runs given up.

Coach Sherwood is a former pitching coach and considers the work done on the rubber some of the most crucial. “It’s called fast pitch for a reason. Pitching is a huge part of our game, it can make or break us.”

Junior Brittany Hendrickson, the Vikings’ go-to offensive player (a lefty) who led the team in triple-crown categories last year (batting average, home runs and RBIs), hit her second career grand slam in walk-off style to end the second matchup in the sixth inning. She went 4–5 that day with two runs and five RBIs. In the final matchup against Idaho State, Hendrickson continued her tear with a solo home run, double, sacrifice fly and three RBIs, but her offense alone wasn’t enough. The Bengals methodically worked PSU’s pitching staff, coming back to win 7–4.

Another three-game series (against North Dakota) was set for late in the week, and was pushed back multiple times because of rain. North Dakota came to town with

a 1–18 record and the worst ERA in the Big Sky, 10.53.

Two games were held at Hood View Park in Happy Valley, Ore. and the third canceled.

Both games played were closely contested, but North Dakota came out with a pair of wins, leapfrogging PSU in the conference standings.

In the first game of the doubleheader, North Dakota was up early before PSU had a six-run third inning, to go up 7–6. North Dakota responded with a six-run fourth inning, which all but sealed the final score 8–12. In the second matchup, the script was looking the same. North Dakota was up 7–2 entering the seventh and final inning. PSU scored seven runs, taking the lead, but North Dakota came back with four of their own.

Masters was effective with the bat in hand during the pair of games, going 5–7 with four runs scored. Senior Becca Bliss also had a strong outing, hitting 5–9 and a team high for RBI. Overall, the team batted .394 on 26 hits.

After this three-game losing streak, the Lady Viks sit at 4–23 overall, 1–4 in conference. The team will travel to Cedar City, Utah, next week for a series against Southern Utah.

For Coach Sherwood, the losses have been learning experiences and the team is looking forward, not backward. “They work hard, great kids, resilient. We’ve taken lumps and bruises but we’re playing the best ball when we need to, and I think we have a good chance of winning our conference.”

MILES SANGUINETTI/VANGUARD STAFF

Vanguard | APRIL 1, 2014 | psuvanguard.com

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