Portland State Vanguard by Portland State Vanguard

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PORTLAND STATE Vanguard

VOLUME 69 | ISSUE 22 | FERUARY 10, 2015

“Where the ends dont meet” A look into how income insufficiency affects the PSU community

NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

School ofpg. officers. Architecture 6 awarded $300,000 grant to build an undergraduate research lab. pg. 4

Not all protests campus. pg. 9 are equal. Some causes are not worth the time. pg. 11

“How can pients. pg.you 16 sit there, calmly eating muffins when The Importance of Being Earnest premieres this month?”. pg. 19

What does club Marathon. pg. seating 23 at the Rose Quarter have to offer? Get this writer’s perspective on pg. 25

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NEWS

School of Architecture receives The W.M. Keck foundation supports $300,000 grant PSU to build a new research lab for undergraduate students Katrin Kasper

Portland State’s School of Architecture has received a $300,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation in order to build a new undergraduate research lab. The foundation supports research programs for science, engineering

and medical research as well as undergraduate education programs. The new lab was designed for research on green building techniques and will be completed by next fall. The project will supply undergraduate

students with more research opportunities. It is an extension of the Research-based Design Initiative for graduate students, started by the School of Architecture that started in 2011. “It is my concern that undergraduate students can at least do one small research project. We’re going to hopefully have 200 students

With the help of the Keck Foundation, the School of Architecture will build an undergraduate research lab focused on green building practices.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

per year coming through this lab,” said Assistant Professor Corey Griffin, who will lead the lab. He said that he’s excited for the department to offer more practical experience. “The opportunity is interdisciplinary and not only for architecture students.” In September 2013, Griffin started the application for the grant. The School of Architecture received the final confirmation letter and a check on Christmas Eve 2014. “In a school that has built its educational goals around the human experience of architecture, the Keck award affords our students the opportunity to learn through direct,

Christian profeta/PSU VANGUARD

hands-on empirical investigation of buildings, and to test prototypes for sustainable solutions that would otherwise remain purely conceptual,” said Clive Knights, director of the School of Architecture. The money will provide the lab with equipment for environmental data collection, simulation tools for design, and fabrication tools for rapid prototypes to analyze building performance. This lab will build a better knowledge of measurement tools. “The goal of the lab is to provide research experience that focuses on green buildings and reduce the amount of resources that buildings use,” Griffin said. “To understand how buildings use energy, you need tools to document them. Simulation software then can help to measure and optimize those things during the design process.” The grant will also be used to pay lab employees and for the development of teaching modules. The grant will also create fellowships for faculty members for three years. Griffin said he will select three faculty members each year from those who apply. “They will get money to pay their summer salary or buy themselves out of class so that they can come to the lab, learn how to use the tools and develop those teaching modules that they then can use in their classes,” he said. The Research-based Design Initiative for graduate students in the School of Architecture is a project started by Griffin and Professor Sergio Palleroni. It was supported by grants from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

(NCARB) and the Oregon Community Foundation. Julia Mollner and Reid Weber are graduate students who participated in the initiative in Fall 2013 and Winter 2014. They worked for different Portland firms and researched daylighting techniques in buildings. Mollner’s project was concerned with the light conditions in a newly built school. “That included going out to the school, taking light measurements, comparing those to the design of lighting programs and make them more accurate to the real life situation,” she said. As building research becomes more prominent and architecture is a competitive field, both Weber and Mollner said they appreciate the opportunities for hands-on knowledge afforded to undergraduate students by the grant. “It almost puts our students towards the forefront of our profession, and to have skills like that is really valuable to future employers,” Mollner said. Weber, who received his undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho, said he was lucky to get early hands-on experience there. “I was using light meters and stuff early on in projects and I think the expansion to undergraduate classes is awesome,” he said. Asked what she likes most about her studies, Mollner said, “People spend most of the time of their lives in buildings and don’t give more thought to that. Buildings and our environment affect the way we live, and how we are mentally and physically as far as health goes. For me, architecture is a way to make a positive impact on that.”

NEWS

psu nationally recognized for work in community engagement Carnegie Foundation renews PSU classification as leader in Community Engagement

STUDENT ACTIVITIES ADVISERS COURTNEY BAILEY AND NICHOLAS RUNNINg teach student leaders in an ongoing course on community engagement.

Kara erny

Portland State has been awarded the 2015 Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for their mission to “Let knowledge serve the city.” This classification designates PSU as a nation-wide leader in community engagement. PSU was among the first universities and colleges to be given this classification when it became available in 2006, and the current designation will remain in effect for 10 years. To qualify for classification, institutions are required to fill out an application and provide documentation of their work with community partners. “PSU was one of the first institutions to be part of this,” said Sona Andrews, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “They just had another round of re-applications, so that’s why we are promoting now—or reminding people that we are one of the institutions that they’ve designated to be a community engaged institution.” Erin Flynn, Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, said, “We have universities coming from all over the country to visit us, to learn about how we do community engagement, and part of the reason they know about us is because of our Carnegie classification.” According to the Carnegie Foundation’s website, “community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger

communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.” “I think [community engagement] is one of the cornerstones and hallmarks of [PSU],” said Seanna Kerrigan, Capstone Program Director. “Especially with the Senior Capstone as a graduation requirement, it’s imperative that we link our academic course content with our community and enhance the student’s learning as a result of it.” PSU’s degree system requires that students work with community partners in order to graduate. These relationships and partnerships set PSU apart from other urban universities in regards to community engagement, according to Flynn. “If you come to PSU for your education, you’re really getting true, hands-on, real world experience,” Flynn said. “So if you’re interested in a particular subject or want to go into a specific major, you’re not just getting book learning, you’re also getting applied learning.” According to the Carnegie Foundation’s website, 188 colleges and universities who received the classification between 2006 and 2008 were eligible for re-classification this year. Of those, 157 were reclassified and an additional 83 schools were added for the first time. These 240 schools joined 121 schools that received

the classification in 2010, making a total of 361 schools across the nation classified for the 2015 cycle. “I hope [the classification] will continue to give us the prestige and recognition that we deserve in this area nationally,” Andrews said. “Urban institutions have great advantages and PSU is among the nationally recognized.”

SYLVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

Leading, learning, life changing Prepare for your future career in: • Teaching • Counseling • Adult Education • And more!

pdx.edu/education PSU Graduate School of Education Graduate School of Education PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Noon—2pm | Room 296/298 | SMSU Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

NEWS

fAcultY, ADminiStrAtorS DiScuSS PortlAnD StAte’S future At Winter fAcultY SYmPoSium

THE SOUTH SKY BRIDgE on campus features the university motto, “Let knowledge serve the city.”

eVan BirKelanD

Faculty and staff gathered inside Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom on Tuesday, Jan. 27 for this year’s Winter Faculty Symposium. Portland State President Wim Wiewel and the Coraggio Group oversaw the event. The goal of the symposium was to discuss strategic planning for the next five years. The new strategic plan is an attempt to overhaul PSU’s current plan, undertaken in the 2007–08 academic year, as well as to address conflict between faculty and administrators, which came to a head in last year’s American Associa-

DEVIN COURTRIGHT/PSU VANGUARD

tion of University Professors contract negotiations. “Clearly there was a sense that somehow...there were discrepancies between how we’re going forward as an institution. Do faculty want to go one way while administrators want to go another way?” Wiewel said in an opening speech. The plan also takes into account changes in the university’s infrastructure, notably last year’s addition of the Board of Trustees. “I was pretty sure that this board was going to push big on accountability, and in order to [create] accountability they wanted to know, ‘Okay, what’s the plan, where

are we going in terms of the university?’” Wiewel said. Strategic planning project manager Kari St. Peters stressed inclusiveness when electing members to serve on the Strategic Planning Initiative Team. “We created the Strategic Plan Development Team, and this group is made up of faculty, administrators, students—a little smattering of everybody,” St. Peters said. “We’re trying to pull not only individuals who have a stake but to try to contact individuals who are already doing that work.” The team is a response to requests by the Board of

Trustees to renovate PSU’s current plan, which the board feels is out-of-date, according to Wiewel. It will consist of eight topic teams. Each topic team will handle specific themes related to academic success. Topics range from Equity, Opportunity and Access to Student Learning and Academic Success. “It’ll be an iterative process until we land on something that everyone can agree with,” St. Peters said. Attendees of the event were separated into planning stations, and members of each topic team moved between stations to ask attend-

ees questions related to their respective topics. The Student Learning and Academic topic team sat down with one of the planning stations to discuss their work in the strategic plan and to ask questions to faculty. Michael Bowman, an associate professor of engineering at PSU, asked, “How can we improve faculty accessibility to students?” Discussions also touched upon the differences between services for graduate and undergraduate students. One participant commented that graduate students have less access to student services.

Other topics of conversation included PSU’s expansion into online coursework. One faculty participant commented that while online classes increase student accessibility to a larger audience of students, the quality of the coursework can be lacking. Wiewel stressed the importance of communicating with faculty about the means by which administrators will go forward with changes to the strategic plan. “It’s not so much the product at the end that matters, but how it creates conversation and discussion,” Wiewel said.

CRIME BLOTTER

Week of Jan. 26–30

jorDan paige

JANUARY 26 CAR THEfT

Parking Structure One Around 7:15 a.m. Officer Peter Ward responded to a student’s report of a vehicle break-in. Her silver Hyundai Elantra had three windows broken out between 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 25 and 7:15 a.m. on Jan. 26. An expired California driver’s license, a personal check in her name and clothing were all stolen from the vehicle.

JANUARY 27 CRIMINAL MISCHIEf

Cramer Hall At approximately 2:25 a.m. dispatch received an email concerning graffiti in the first ﬂoor unisex restroom. A janitor took a photo of the graffiti— the word “Saem” written in orange paint—and

subsequently removed it. The email, with an attatched photo, was forwarded to the campus grafiti task force officer, Officer Chris Fischer.

EXCLUSION

Peter W. Stott Center Officers Jon Buck and David Troppe were dispatched around 10:02 p.m. to a report of a non-student attempting to break into the building. The officers arrived on the scene and found the individual crouched and peering into the front entrance of the building. The individual insisted he had not entered the building. However, the reporting PSU staff member told Buck that he had witnessed the individual shaking the doors. The staff member asserted further that he later found the individual in the Stott Center and forced him out physically. Eventually, the indi-

vidual admitted to having been in the building and Officers Buck and Troppe issued him an exclusion.

JANUARY 28 MEDICAL ASSIST

Cramer Hall Around 10:00 a.m. Officer Gary Smeltzer responded to a report that a student had fallen to the ground and might need transportation to a hospital. After arriving on scene, Smeltzer determined that the student had fallen due to knee pain. The student refused transport to a hospital but did allow Smeltzer to assist him to SHAC.

GRAffITI

Neuberger Hall and University Services Building Between 9:55 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. Officer Fischer responded to two reports of graffiti. The alley between the University Services Building and the Koi-

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

nonia House was graffitied with the words “Saem,” “Wolf” and “Last Bus Club.” Fischer was then informed of new graffiti in the men’s restroom on the third ﬂoor of Neuberger Hall where “Saem” had struck again. Fischer noted that “Saem” seemed to be targeting restrooms according to a specific pattern. The investigation is ongoing.

JANUARY 29 MEDICAL ASSIST

Epler Hall Around 12:38 a.m. Officer Brian Rominger responded to a medical call from a hall resident. The resident reported that she had been nauseous and vomiting since 9:00 p.m. the previous day, but declined transportation to a hospital by both ambulance and campus safety. She insisted she wait for her mother to arrive before receiving medical attention.

BURGLARY

Engineering Building Around 11:50 a.m. Officer Smeltzer and Lieutenant Craig Whitten responded to a report of a “hold up” on the fifth ﬂoor of the engineering building on Fourth Avenue. A faculty member reported that she had found an African American male, approximately 6ˇ and wearing a fuzzy hat, exiting her office and carrying what she recognized as her wallet. She confronted the unidentified man, who returned the wallet and ﬂed the scene when one of her coworkers called campus safety.

THEfT

Market Center Building Just after 4:00 p.m. Officer Smeltzer was dispatched to a report from a staff member that between 10:00 a.m. on Jan. 27 and 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 29, a bike seat from her bike had been stolen while it was

parked on the B1 level of the building.

THEfT

Academic and Student Recreation Center Officer Fischer responded to a report from a student around 11:00 p.m. that his red, purple, blue and pink Nike running shoes had been stolen from the men’s locker room. The student has requested video documentation from the locker room, leaving the investigation open.

JANUARY 30 GRAffITI

Cramer Hall Around 9:00 p.m. a student reported that he had witnessed a white male, aged 20–30, with blonde shoulder length hair and a tan jacket exit a stall that had just been spray

psu introduces Masters of public policy program aleXanDre poMar

THE HATFIELD SCHOOL OF gOVERNMENT now offers a master’s program in public policy. SELENY DIAZ/PSU VANGUARD

the College of Urban and Public Affairs’ Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State will offer a two-year full-time master’s degree in public policy beginning in the fall. The program is designed for those looking to work in public, nonprofit or private sector jobs. The program’s area of focus will be concerned with government actions that address public issues. Areas of study will include political science, public administration and economics. Chris Shortell, a professor of political science at PSU, worked with faculty members to create the program. It took years of planning and development before it was implemented. “There has been talk of this possibility for close to 10 years

now, with the latest interaction having been the development process over the last four years,” Shortell said. Oregon State University is currently the only university in Oregon to offer such a degree. However, similar degree programs are more common in both Washington and California, as well as along the East Coast. Bruce Gilley is the Master’s of Public Policy director and a professor of political science at PSU. “This is a landmark program and where there is only one school within the state with an active public policy program,” he said. “They have helped and supported us here.” He continued, “The assistance [OSU] presents helps [us] create a larger hub of pol-

NEWS icy training within the state of Oregon which [we] do not currently have.” “When it comes to getting the approval of a program there are many hurdles that need to be cleared, and this program cleared all of them,” Shortell said. The Master’s of Public Policy will require 61 credits to be awarded a degree. Coursework will consist of a first-year core curriculum in policy leadership, analysis and process for an accumulated total of 31 credits. The second-year curriculum will consist of 12 credits in composed policy tracks, 12 credits in policy specialization, 3 credits from a summative project and 3 credits for a professional development plan. The program will accept a cohort of 20 students this fall. “We expect a lot of demand in terms of applicants, and there have already been many inquiries since the announcement in December,” Gilley said. The application process will be selective in order to ensure a diverse cohort with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds. “[We] are looking for individuals with real passion

toward the public policy area; it takes just that to be a real professional in the public policy career field,” Gilley said. “The first cohort will really help shape the program.” The program will assist those seeking careers in developing and analyzing policy. One of the goals of the program is to provide training and education in an area of study that usually falls between the cracks of existing programs. Adi Darmawan is currently a senior at PSU. “Most [students] look for graduate programs after graduation and that is what I am currently advancing towards,” he said. “When I heard of PSU offering a degree in public policy, I was sure where I was headed,” Darmawan said. “This presents an opportunity to not just receive a quality education, but also to contribute to the future of the program by contributing to the shaping and preparation for future participants.” Applications for the program were made available in January. The final application deadline is April 30.

Week of Feb. 3–8 painted. The student described the possible suspect as “dirty,” but Officer Fischer did not determine whether this person was the “Saem” bandit.

fEBRUARY 3 EXCLUSION

Hoﬀman Hall Officers David Baker and Murphy contacted a nonstudent trespassing in the men’s restroom around 4:05 p.m. The non-student was placed in handcuffs for officer safety when he repeatedly attempted to reach for an unknown item in his pocket. After the individdual consented to a search of his person, the officers discovered two syringes and a bag with a white crystal substance akin to methamphetamine. The individual was issued an exclusion and the drugs found on his person were confiscated.

THEfT

Academic and Student Recreation Center Around 9:17 p.m., a student reported that his wallet had been stolen from his backpack which had been stowed in an unsecured locker in the second ﬂoor locker room. The student told Officer Denae Murphy that another student had been watching him while he stowed his belongings and, when he returned just 25 minutes later, both the patron and his wallet were gone. In the wallet were three debit cards, a credit card, a blank check and an insurance card. The case was closed due to lack of investigative leads.

fEBRUARY 5 STUDENT CONDUCT

Millar Library At approximately 8:14 a.m. Officers Smeltzer and Shawn McKenzie were dispatched to a report of a student threatening others and waving a knife. The officers arrived on the scene to discover that the student had become upset that the ATM was not dispensing money. He had attempted to access the money by using a knife he grabbed off of a custodial cart, at which point others tried to intervene. The officers calmed the student down.

fIRE

University Place Hotel Around 9:53 p.m. Officers Baker, Fischer, Nichola Higbee, and Rominger responded to reports of a fire and individuals trapped on an elevator filling with smoke. The individuals had

already managed to exit the elevator upon the officers’ arrival, but white smoke was still accumulating in the lobby. Portland Fire Bureau arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames inside the mechanical room. It was concluded that the elevator’s motor in the mechanical room had overheated after too many individuals occupied the elevator.

fEBRUARY 6

TRESPASS ARREST AND EXCLUSION

Parking Structure One Officers Smeltzer and Fischer were dispatched around 3:00 p.m. to respond to reports of three nonstudents using drugs in the stairwell. The officers apprehended the non-students. Two of the individuals were issued exclusions. The third individuals having been issued a previous exclusion, was arrested for trespassing.

VANDALISM

Cramer Hall An anonymous student reported around 1:33 p.m. that the display outside the Anthropology Office had been vandalized. The word “Israel” had been crossed out and above it was written “Palestine.” The report led to the discovery that the Geography Department’s atlas display on the fourth ﬂoor had undergone the same vandalism.

fEBRUARY 8 HARASSMENT

Broadway Housing Building Officers Troppe and Baker responded to reports around 10:41 p.m. that a female student had been followed and harassed by a non-student on her way between Millar Library and the Broadway Housing Building. The non-student has been the

subject of multiple reports of harassment by female students. Three witnesses reported the harassed student caught the non-student’s attention when she passed him at the Cheerful Tortoise. He began making inappropriate comments as well as getting uncomfortably close to the student’s face. When several individuals confronted the man, he reacted by hitting one with a pizza box, pulling out mace and threatening to stab them with a knife. The student subject of the report did not wish to report the incident, but officers encouraged her to talk to someone at the Women’s Resource Center if she felt compelled.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

OPINION

not All ProteStS Are eQuAl That's What's the Matter

by Kevin Rackham

Last summer I walked through Pioneer Square and dodged a bunch of chubby white guys with red paint splashed on the crotches of their shorts to protest circumcision. Right across the street there was a topless woman holding a sign to protest the Hobby Lobby decision. Everyone’s too familiar with the anti-abortion protestors and their five-foot-tall bloody fetus posters who like to spend time on campus. Portland’s weird reputation and very liberal attitudes about free expression seem to encourage protests about any kind of issue, but I think Portlanders have gotten so used to frivolous protests and kooky methods that they don’t recognize it when serious ones happen. Go to the comments section of any news article about protests and you’ll see people complaining about “professional protestors” and people who are protesting for the sake of proPROTESTERS call for accountability during a Dec. 2014 demonstration against police violence.

JEOffRY RAY/PSU VANGUARD

testing. Watching things like the anti-circumcision protest, I can understand those complaints. If you’re really upset about being circumcised or have some trauma about it, dumping red paint on your shorts and complaining about feminine cruelty probably isn’t going to make people seriously think about your issue. What I don’t understand is people who level those same accusations at the #BlackLivesMatter protests, the 15 Now movement and all the other activism that’s come out of the awful tail end of 2014. People aren’t mad about police brutality and racial justice because they don’t have anything better to do with their time. Fast food workers and other low-wage employees aren’t protesting because they’re slackers. These are real issues that the media has presented ample evidence for over the last few months. But when there were demonstrations about these issues, I mostly hear people complain about traffic being blocked or hear the normal whining of, “If they had real jobs they wouldn’t have time to protest.” I think Portlanders have gotten so used to seeing protests and being hassled to sign a petition as an everyday thing that they’re starting to see all causes as equal. In the case of the #BlackLivesMatter protests, there’s no denying that Portland has historically been more than ready to ignore or reject black voices, and there’s an element of that involved, too. It’s easy to ignore a cause that makes you uncomfortable or makes you think about questions that are hard to answer. But it’s disheartening to see a city with a reputation for being liberal—that was so up in arms to keep ﬂuoride out of the water and legalize weed—to be so disinterested with issues that directly affect the lives of some of the most disadvantaged people in our city. Not all causes are equal. When a group has the resources and manpower to shut down traffic or convince the mayor to schedule a meeting with them, they should be taken a little more seriously than the “professional protestors.” When that same group is responding to inequality and is part of a movement that has been reported on for six months, maybe it’s time to listen to them.

letter to the eDitor I enjoyed reading your story about the 4YDG. Thinking about it, it’s probably the biggest lie ever written by our institution, or any college institution that endorses the concept of a four-year degree. Not to say I don’t love what PSU has to offer, but your article, “My DARS Scars,” made me cringe. I went to PCC for about two years before I became a student here. This was about enough time to complete my associate transfer degree. I cherish it so much. When I started college I thought I’d do pre-nursing, and now I’m here at 22, a junior, praying that I don’t ﬂunk out of my B.S. in Biology or accrue so many loans by the time I do graduate that the federal government comes to chop off my head. I’m sure one could finish their degree in four years, but I like how the article stated, “I hope you don’t have any love interests, need for a job, pressing addictions, illusions of free time, or hobbies of any sort,” because as we know, that degree is going to be fought for with the sweat

of our own brains by writing essays and cramming that seemingly useless information for that midterm. Brain sweat. Given the above variables and knowing that most students aren’t focused solely on school, PSU should call it the 5–7YDG, to be fair. It’s makes me reminisce the texting phrase “YDG,” or “yadig?” In a short, painstakingly elaborate paragraph, here’s a painfully elaborate joke. “How many loans and how much money will you invest to have a career and be educated in, say, a few years? Do you want to come to this school to spend your education dollars? We made this 4-year plan and this DARS program just for you so you can have your degree, and you don’t even have to think of how much money it costs. We’ve got all the majors. So come here! Ya dig?” What a perfect pitch to get students to invest their dreams into PSU. So, given the reality that our daily lives are usually hectic outside of our school schedule, a 5YDG would be a much more

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

accurate advertising slogan. Again, I’m a science major. I’ve taken two lab classes at once. Both my eyes and my information retention skills literally melted into my own brain and made biochemical babies. In my humble opinion, no one should enroll here thinking they’ll finish their degree by 22. The article’s comments about our faulty DARS report and competitive class sizes prove this. We’re all in the Satisfactory Academic Progress struggle and we better fake it ’til we make it. This institution costs tons of money and folks should not view entering Student Status here lightly. Maybe the Rally to Restore Higher Education on Thursday, Feb. 12 will bring about some fair legislative change for us. Thank you, Branden ambert psu student

OPINION

A green thumBS-uP for PSu

COMPOSTING IN DORM ROOMS IS A GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY STUDENT DORMS on the west side of campus now come equipped with individual compost bins.

The Page Master by Shezad Khan

It’s hard not to think about sustainability when you think about Portland State. We have eight LEED certified buildings on campus, including Stephen E. Epler Hall, the Science Research & Teaching Center, Lincoln Hall, the Academic & Student Rec Center, Shattuck Hall, Broadway Housing Building, the Engineering Building and the Research Greenhouse. The Campus Planning and Sustainability website says that a green building “uses natural resources…uses energy-efficiency systems and materials” and “reduces, reuses, and recycles materials.” With PSU’s focus on being eco-friendly, it’s not a surprise that the university received a $25 million grant to research sustainability. Something that seems to be getting pretty big at PSU is composting. Composting is essentially reusing food scraps and other organic items to create new soil which, in turn, creates new food. A few housing developments on campus provide their rooms with composting pails that students can use to collect food scraps and throw out in compost-specific bins on campus. Although PSU is a relatively green university, it’s still important to ask what the benefits are for composting. We know composting creates soil, but what other benefits does it have? According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s webpage, composting both enriches soil and helps clean up contaminated soil. Compost, as the page says, “encourages the production of beneficial micro-organisms…which in turn break down organic matter” and the compost process also “degrades and… eliminates preservatives, pesticides, and…hydrocarbons.” Composting, as you can imagine, also prevents pollution. One of the major greenhouse gases is methane, and composting organic matter from landfills can “[avoid] the production of methane.” One of the main reasons I’m writing this article is to learn about composting. I learned about the compost pails in certain housing buildings from a fellow writer. After learning about the composting process and what it intends to do, it seems like a good model for universities to be following. Portland is, without a doubt, a progressive city. It’s hard not to run into activists in Portland, especially on campus. One thing I recently became aware of is the fact that PSU has its very own EcoReps. EcoReps are students living on campus who promote sustainability. Yeah, I didn’t know about them either, don’t worry. It’s kind of interesting how these movements can sometimes go under the radar. Part of this, of course, can be blamed on people just not being interested. Another part, however, can be

SELENY DIAZ/PSU VANGUARD

blamed on the fact that these movements aren’t being promoted or put out there enough. Now, I’m going to go ahead and ignore those of you who don’t understand how science and data work, but as far as I am concerned, as well as many others, our world’s climate is in pretty bad shape. Finding ways to boost our environmental preservation is a pretty good idea. In other words, I think PSU’s strides toward making sustainability a very real opportunity are great. The university’s decision to allow students to take part in com-

posting in their own rooms is a great way to get college students involved. It’s especially good in helping those who want to be involved find a starting place. As I mentioned before, PSU’s passion for environmental awareness is something that other universities, institutions, or really anyone can benefit from. As time goes on, conditions for the earth we live on may worsen. I know a lot of people may say that it’s hopeless, but in cases like this, the attitude you have toward solving the problem can make all the difference.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

OPINION

the time hAS come for more cAmPuS houSing oPtionS The Campus Oracle by Nathan Anderson

I ’ m

lucky enough to live in campus housing, a place with good neighbors, an awesome resident assistant, and access to the entire campus right from my doorstep. Others don’t have such luxury. A classmate of mine last term lived in Southeast Portland and had to bike several miles to campus each day. Another acquaintance lived in West Linn and drove to school each and every morning, hunting for one of the elusive parking spots somewhere within a mile of campus. I see this and am glad that I live on campus. Unfortunately, not everyone who wants to live on campus has the opportunity to do so. It is for this reason that I hope that Portland State will soon consider adding more housing units to their current list. It’s no secret that the university is considered a commuter school and that many students have no desire to live on campus. This is a good thing, but I fear that it overshadows the very real needs of students who want to live near or on campus. When I was a prospective student exploring my options for education across the state, housing availability was a significant deciding factor. Other schools offered substantial housing options, and some even made it mandatory to live on campus for freshmen. PSU’s strength as an institution was strong enough that I decided to attend regardless of my ability to live on campus. So I’m left wondering why PSU’s housing choices are so poor. The obvious answer is simple logistics and economics. As an urban campus, space is limited and that space would be better suited to expanding classrooms and other educational buildings. Additionally, housing is expensive for the school to acquire and maintain, and there are housing options near campus that, one could argue, fill the needs of current and future students.

But this argument fails to address the very basic need that plagues almost all college students: finding affordable housing. Many students choose campus housing because it is easy to get, it provides quick access to classes, and the various hoops that are required to find an apartment in the city simply don’t exist. Now, make no mistake, campus housing has its drawbacks. It’s expensive, loud neighbors can drive one to the brink of insanity, and when people share things like kitchens and laundry rooms, theft is an ever-present possibility. Not to mention the unreliability of certain building systems in the historic units. However, I feel that these drawbacks are not sufficient enough to encourage students to look elsewhere for housing. I enjoy living on campus for the most part, and I can credit part of my success here to the fact that I don’t have a long commute and that I can simply walk straight home from class and hunker down with my studying. Hearing from other students who live on campus, this isn’t a unique feeling on my part. Given this, I would encourage PSU to consider very strongly adding several residence halls to their current crop. Failing that, perhaps the university should invest in major renovations to the older residence halls such as Blackstone and Parkway and add more living space—as well as updating the heating, plumbing and electricity. I would also argue that perhaps the time has come for the university to raze these older buildings completely and rebuild larger, more energy efficient and accommodating housing structures in their footprints. This past fall, 30 students who wanted to live on campus but were not able to get into campus housing were given rooms in the University Place Hotel until space became available this term in the normal housing units. This underscores the need students have for good housing options here on campus. Perhaps the powers that be should take note. NIMI EINSTEIN/PSU VANGUARD

Send us your letters! got something to say? Disagree with something you read in this week's issue? The Vanguard welcomes all letters to the editor from students, faculty, staff and community members. Send all letters to opinion@psuvanguard.com 10

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

OPINION

sad girls Cherry Bomb by Anna Suarez

INTERSCOPE RECORDS/2014

Maybe feminism is not only about empowerment, burning the bra, and smashing the patriarchy. Perhaps there is a side of feminism that is living in the shadows. Admitting profound sadness as a feminist is not easy, in fact it is a terrifying challenge. As feminists, we generally try to empower women who are sad, but we rarely address that being a feminist can also mean embracing that sadness. Audrey Wollen, a Los Angeles artist famous for her recreations of classical art, has made a powerful statement which she calls the Sad Girl Theory. She describes Sad Girl Theory as labeling women’s suffering due to cultural oppression as an act of resistance. She argues that sadness in women does not mean passivity, but that crying, suffering and pain are instead acts of revolution. They are acknowledging how fucked up the world is. Audrey Wollen is expressing a notion of deep importance. Being a woman can be lonely, scary and alienating. Personally, she empowers me to acknowledge the fear I feel and the struggle to be seen beyond sex in a man’s world. I cry for my womanhood, but I see no reason to cover my tears. Powell’s Books is embracing the notion of sad women who can conquer the world, with their new section of books that celebrate the tragic heroine. In literature, we see countless instances of the tragic hero, especially in Shakespeare, but tragic heroines are not a household phrase. Lena Dunham, Sylvia Plath, Chloe Caldwell and Zelda Fitzgerald find themselves in the tragic heroines section. They are among those who have something deeply powerful to say to the world: We are sad because we are oppressed. Whether a book is about a tragic heroine character or written by a tragic heroine, women are pouring their sadness into their art in order to develop a groundbreaking message. In my opinion, the queen of the current tragic heroines is a fearless woman who is breaking boundaries in American media: Lana Del Rey. We know her for her bluesy singing voice, heavy black eyeliner, stiletto nails and pouty lips. Though Del Rey sparks criticism for her passivity and her Lolita obsession, she is creating art of deep importance. Her beauty is similar to the classic starlets in noir films. I can imagine her in a Hitchcock film, but also on the cover of Maxim. She appeals to the American male gaze, but her art portrays sadness mostly caused by the men in her life. She discusses themes women often face: heartache and loss, being the other women but also being feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir’s, “The Other.” Del Rey portrays herself as a sexually desired American woman to showcase the sadness many American woman face due to their struggle to expose their autonomous selves. Sad girls have been alienated over the course of decades because emotional women are rarely taken seriously, not only in America, but everywhere. In an episode of Sex and the City, Charlotte reveals how she cried at work one time in 10 years and she is still belittled by her colleagues. Miranda and Samantha claim they have never cried at work for fear of not being taken seriously by their male colleagues. Women are either brave or emotional; there is no in-between. Whether it’s being passive or being stoic, women are often encouraged to

act a certain way because of fear. On the other side of this argument are sad girls, who are liberated and fearless. Historically, sad girls were thrown into asylums by their husbands or fathers. They were thought to be crazy. Anne Sexton sat in her car wearing her favorite fur coat, drink in one hand and cigarette in the other hand, and inhaled carbon monoxide. Sylvia Plath stuck her head in an oven. Virginia Woolf put rocks in her coat pocket and walked into the river Ouse. Historically, sad girls’ voices were not heard due to the re-

pression of women’s emotions as well as the stigmatization of mental illness. The brilliant women that took their lives are an innumerable loss to not only the literary community, but the entire population of women. They had powerful voices, and they were silenced by patriarchy. However, it is slowly becoming unacceptable to dismiss women as passive, sexual creatures. Perhaps we are crying at the centuries of oppression, perhaps we are crying because everything we are encouraged to do is for fear. Recently, sad girls have been ﬂoating to the surface of our culture.

Kayla toWnsley

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

CAREER GUIDE

Career Fair Guide

It’s baaaaaack. Portland State’s annual Career Fair will return to Smith Memorial Student Union this week, chock full of foldup tables covered in brochures and people in blazers. You know what that means: It’s time to take a shower, put on your Sunday best and get a job. And we’re here to help.

RACHAEL BENTZ/PSU VANGUARD

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

CAREER GUIDE Engineering and Technology Career Fair Feb. 11, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom PARK BLOCKS 14

Garmin At

ODOT

GlobeSherpa

PGE

Reach Technology

ESI

CorrQuest

13 39

Cinder Staffing

CampusPoint

38 37 36

US Bureau Reclamation

Con-Way

45 44

Sherwin– Williams Lattice

53 52

Toyo Tanso

PSU OIT

Dannon Compnay SBI Software

Welch Allyn

Rohde & Schwarz

OCHIN

CollegeNET

Kiewit

Puppet Labs

Phase2

WebMD

BEC

Syntel INC

WorkSource OR

Acquia

DN Tanks

HDR Eng.

Rentrack

Army HydroElectric Design

Parsons Brinckerhoff

♦ S T A G E ♦

M LA arch se Re

Engineering & Technology Fair

Aerotek Eng.

Cambia Health

Va lin ,

CDK Global

a m re Ja wa ft So

PolarInstuments

8 Leidos

Daimler Trucks NA

BIOTRONIK

MCECS

Eid Passport

KPFF

GTS Services

30 Lightspeed

Men

Women ACS

Elevator

ACS

New Relic

ace erf Int

Alcove: Soda/ Candy vending machine

Exit : overpass to Advising & Career Services

COURTESY OF Advising and Career Services

Acquia Aerotek Engineering BIOTRONIK / Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. Business Education Compact (BEC) Cambia Health Solutions CampusPoint CDK Global Cinder Staffing CollegeNET, Inc. Con-Way Enterprises CorrQuest Daimler Trucks North America DN Tanks Eid Passport, Inc. ESI - Electro Scientific Industries Garmin AT GlobeSherpa GTS Services, LLC HDR Engineering Hewlett Packard (HP) Interface Engineering, Inc. Jama Software Kaiser Permanente Kiewit KPFF Consulting Engineers Lam Research Corporation Lattice Semiconductor Corporation Leidos

41 55 6 50 52 47 15 39 26 37 21 4 49 33 22 16 18 31 57 10 8 23 28 43 32 9 44 5

Lightspeed Systems New Relic OCHIN, Inc. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Parsons Brinckerhoff Phase2 Polar Instruments Portland General Electric PSU OIT Puppet Labs Reach Technology Inc. Rentrak Corporation Rohde & Schwarz, Inc. SBI Software Sherwin-Williams Company State of Oregon Employment Department WorkSource Syntel INC The Dannon Company Toyo Tanso USA, Inc. US Air Force US Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric Design Center US Bureau of Reclamation Valin, Inc. WebMD Health Services Welch Allyn

30 7 11 17 56 59 14 19 46 51 20 40 27 53 45 42 58 54 36 29 48 38 13 25 12

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

CAREER GUIDE Saia LtL Freight

Verizon Wireless

Clackamas County

Advantage Sales

Innovari

Susan G. Komen

US Air Force Wyndham Goodwill Industries Telephone & Data Systems

YMCA

USMC Officers OR Child Dev. Coal.

67 66

Pac. Capital Resource

City of Portland

45 44

55 54 53

College Pro PSU Student Legal Ujima for Children Int.

64 63

College Cambia Possible Health

Forest Service Aruba Networks

Blount Internation-

MENTOR ORegon

Quaker Voluntary

SSOE

Tillamook Cheese

WorkSource

Cascadia Behavioral

Capus Point

Emerald Materials

CDK Global

ODOT

US Peace Corps

Internships

Multnomah County

Country Financial

Graduate Stidies

Alcove: Soda/ Candy vending machine

Elevator

ACS

Men

38 PSU Grad Business

37 Stanley Hydraulic

PSU Alumni Relations

ACS

PSU OIT

3Degrees

WA State Patrol

Albertina Kerr

Konica Minolta

Schneider

FBI

u rea . Bu US elam of R

First Investors

Americam Family Ins.

TwinStar Credit

WillametteEarlyMBA

Zones, Inc

Looking Glass Youth

OR Dept Revenue

METRO

Robert Half

Airgas

Youth villages

Clark Public StreamTeam

Pacific Office Auto

PSU Graduate Education

Greater OR Behavioral

Hertz Corp

Richland Police

Sherwin Williams

BEC

Rogue Farm Corp

Penske

IRCO

Vivint

Consolidated Electrical Dist

Comcast

CASA of Oregon

Insight Global

JB Hunt Transport

Leader Creek Fish-

Fisher Invest

foodguys

Kidco HeadStart

Am. Overseas Dom.

Wa . She Co. riff

Ora cle C

orp

12, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Smith Memorial All Majors Career Fair Feb. Student Union Ballroom

Women

Exit : overpass to Advising & Career Services

COURTESY OF Advising and Career Services

US Peace Corps Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) CDK Global Emerald Performance Materials/Emerald PSU Office of Information Technology (OIT) 3Degrees Robert Half US Bureau of Reclamation Comcast American Family Insurance Vivint

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center foodguys Washington County Sheriff’s Office Oracle Corporation Kidco Head Start Leader Creek Fisheries JB Hunt Transport CASA of Oregon Consolidated Electrical Distributors Saia LTL Freight Verizon Wireless Clackamas County Advantage Sales and Marketing Innovari Susan G. Komen For The Cure TwinStar Credit Union Washington State Patrol

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Cascadia Behavioral HealthCare SSOE MENTOR Oregon

33 34 35

Stanley Hydraulic Tools PSU Graduate Business Programs Country Financial Multnomah County PSU Alumni Relations PSU Graduate Studies YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Telephone & Data Systems, Inc. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette Wyndham Vacation Ownership US Air Force Willamette University Early Career MBA First Investors Corporation Schneider Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. Albertina Kerr Centers Ujima for Children International Foundation PSU Student Legal Services College Pro Oregon Child Development Coalition US Marine Corps Officer Programs Metro Looking Glass Youth and Famiily Services, Inc. Zones, Inc. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) CampusPoint

37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Aruba Networks Forest Service Cambia Health Solutions College Possible Pacific Capital Resource Group, Inc. State of Oregon Employment Department WorkSource Insight Global Pacific Office Automation Clark Public Utilities - StreamTeam Youth Villages Airgas Tillamook Cheese PSU Graduate School of Education Quaker Voluntary Service Blount International, Inc. City of Portland Fisher Investments IRCO - Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization Sherwin Williams Hertz Corporation Oregon Department of Revenue Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. Richland Police Department Penske Truck Leasing Rogue Farm Corps Business Education Compact (BEC) Welch Allyn

63 64 65 66 67 73 68 69 70 71 72 74 83 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 84 85 86 87 88

CAREER GUIDE

Get a job!

How to land an interview for your dream job

Colleen Leary

The cost of higher education is rising exponentially, and it’s also becoming increasingly difficult to find a decent-paying job without a bachelor’s degree or higher. But what good is an expensive degree if you can’t find a job after you graduate? Many students graduate from college without the skills needed to land gainful employment in the real world. Portland State’s School of Business Administration website is a valuable resource for students looking to beef up their resume and interviewing skills.

RESUME BUILDING

Impressing a potential employer in an interview is important, but first you have to land an interview. Your first line of contact with an employer is through your resume and cover letter. If these aren’t up to snuff, you’ll never get to the interview. The SBA website provides a toolkit and several tips for creating a resume that is attractive to potential employ-

ers. First, they emphasize content. Resumes should be audience-specific. This means taking the time to tailor each resume to the job you’re applying for. For instance, if you’re applying for a marketing job, list your marketing-related skills and experience first. Sell yourself. If there’s any time you want to toot your own horn, it’s on your resume. Clearly list your accomplishments and goals you’ve met in your previous employment. Quantify your accomplishments. For example, you could say, “assisted 2000 customers per day,” or “supervised team of 200 employees.” Instead of listing your job duties, use action verbs, like “developed,” “demonstrated,” “prepared,” and “organized.” SBA’s website has an extensive list of action verbs to use in a resume. If you graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, include it. Otherwise, leave it out. Consider your email address. It says more about

you than you might think. The SBA toolkit warns against using casual or unprofessional email addresses. If your usual email address is redpartycup21@aol.com or bigboy3000@geocities.com, you’ll want to create a new email address—consider a gmail account—that is associated with your name, like joe.schmoe@gmail.com. Use simple language and keep your resume to one page. Resumes should be clear, concise and direct. Always use bullet points instead of large blocks of text. A potential employer should be able to quickly glance at your resume and get a clear understanding of what you might bring to the table. No Comic Sans or Chiller fonts. Resumes are not a good place to experiment. Keep your formatting straightforward and stick to standardized fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, 10–12 point. Highlight your name in a slightly larger font. An exception to this might be if you’re applying for a design or

marketing job. More creative or artistic jobs can warrant a bit more creative license in formatting. Just remember to keep your information clear and easily digestible. A resume should not create more work or confusion for your potential employer.

WRITING COVER LETTERS

Create a personalized cover letter for each position. Keeping a resume to one page can be difficult, and the cover letter can help you expand on areas that are bare bones on your resume. Keep it short.The cover letter should be brief and readable, also no longer than one page. The cover letter should be engaging, personal and professional. Your contact information should be clearly displayed at the top of the letter. Stand out. The first paragraph of your cover letter needs to be attention grabbing and direct. Demonstrate that you have a strong understanding of the company’s specific

needs and goals. This includes the specific position you’re applying for and how you learned about the opening. Promote yourself. The next section of your letter is the “sell yourself” portion. The SBA toolkit highlights two purposes for this section: Tell them why you’re interested in the company and convince them why they should be interested in you. This includes your specific strengths and skills that qualify you for the position they’re trying to fill. As in your resume, provide examples, accomplishments and future goals—but avoid redundancy. Clearly highlight achievements that translate specifically to the position. College students and recent graduates should highlight how their academic career has prepared them for the position. Remember that internships while in school are a valuable tool in preparing yourself for the career you want. Be accessible. The closing paragraph of your

cover letter should entice the employer to contact you. This is where you specifically ask to be interviewed at their convenience. Give your availability, phone number and email address. Professionalize your voicemail. When you’re trying to get hired, pay attention to your voicemail greeting. Keep it personalized, professional and simple. Make sure your name is clearly recorded and try to sound friendly and engaging. Try smiling while you record your greeting—this can make a real difference in the tone of your voice and employers will notice. If you take care to prepare your resume and cover letter using these guidelines, you’re far more likely to land an interview with a desirable employer. You can check out these tips, view sample resumes and cover letters, interview tips and access career-related resources at pdx.edu/sba/career-services.

Live without regrets, Learn without borders.

Discover where you’ll study abroad at usac.unr.edu

USAC VWXG\DEURDGXVDF#

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

COVER

“Where The Ends A look into how income insufficiency affects the PSU community

Don’t Meet”

Lisa Dunn

Portland State’s Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies recently released a report on poverty in Oregon called, “Where The Ends Don’t Meet: Measuring Poverty and Self-Sufficiency Among Oregon Families.” The report was co-authored by Elizabeth Morehead, the director of research and web development at IMS, and Sheila Martin, the director of IMS. It is an updated version of a 2010 report of the same name. Morehead is currently on leave and was unavailable for comment. The report, Martin said, used the Self-Sufficiency Standard, a regionally-specific manner of measuring the income necessary for households to pay for basic needs, including housing, food, transportation, childcare, healthcare and taxes without subsidies. Public subsidies include government assistance. Private subsidies include shared housing, food from food banks, and free childcare from friends or family members. The Self-Sufficiency Standard was created in the 1990s by Dr. Diana Pearce of the Center for Women’s Welfare. The Center developed an Oregon specific standard in 2008. It is an alternative to the Federal Poverty Level which was created in 1964 by Molly Orshansky. The FPL works under the assumption that sufficient household income can be calculated by multiplying a household’s food

budget by three. Mary King, an economics professor at PSU, said, “The [FPL], though a heroic effort when created, is just not up to the job of describing who is poor and who is not.” By using the Standard, Morehead and Martin found that while 18 percent of Oregon households are below the FPL, 37 percent of households do not earn sufficient income to meet their basic needs without subsidies. The number of households not meeting the standard rose about 10 percent from 2008–14. “That is a huge number of people who have inadequate income,” said Jamin Kimmell, a student in the Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning program and a research assistant at IMS. “I think that’s the headline of this report: how many people are struggling in this region,” “It’s not new news,” King said. The report found that income and educational attainment are correlated, number of children in the household and income insufficiency are correlated, and that minorities suffer disproportionately from income insufficiency. “Education and wages are

so closely tied,” Martin said. “The first job you get does, in a way, affect your wage trajectory for the rest of your life.”

The rising cost of childcare

Latinos account for approximately 8.5 percent of Oregon’s population.

23.3 percent of Latinos in Oregon are below the FPL. 36.7 are above the FPL but below the Standard. 60 percent of the total Latino population earns insufficient income.

The black or African American population makes up roughly 1.8 percent of the total Oregon population.

32.9 percent are below the FPL. 20.1 percent of the population are above the FPL but below the Standard. 53 percent earn insufficient income.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

RACHAEL BENTZ/PSU VANGUARD

“We wanted to understand how families in Oregon are being affected by increasing costs and stagnating wages,” Martin said. One of those increasing costs is in childcare. The average cost of childcare for one preschooler in Multnomah County jumped from an average of $618 per month in 2008 to $1,124 per month in 2014. According to the report, as the number of children in a household rises, so does income inadequacy. Lisa Wittorff, the director of PSU’s Resource Center for Students with Children, said that about 22 percent of PSU students are parents to minor children. That is, she said, roughly 6,000 students. There are three childcare centers for students and faculty on campus, paid for in part by student fees and in part by federal grants. The Children’s Center in Smith Memorial Student Union is subsidized entirely by student fees. According to Center Coordinator Kim Allen, it currently serves

52 students. Helen Gordon serves 118 students according to Ellie Justice, the director of the center. Little Vikings serves upward of 30 students per day, and last term they served 192 students in total. All three childcare centers on campus allow parents to sign up for short-hour care based around students’ school schedules. Student fees help, in part, to keep prices low. “They help offset some of the [operating] costs,” Allen said. The centers charge as little as $5.60 per hour per child, depending on the age of the child. For students who can’t get into one of the on-campus childcare centers, Allen said that for full-time care for a toddler, parents can pay upward of $1,400 per month. “It has to be [expensive]. It’s labor intensive,” King said. The ratio of caretakers to children has to remain low in order to provide high-quality care, and so costs remain high. “But…it’s not publicly paid for or subsidized. [The U.S. is] unusual in not putting more public dollars into childcare,” King said. PSU’s Resource Center for Students with Children runs a subsidy program, the

COVER Jim Sells Child Care Assistance Program. The subsidy will pay for anywhere from 10–50 percent of the cost of childcare at both on-and off-campus childcare centers for qualifying parents. The program is completely funded by the student incidental fee. It received about $580,000 this year. It is able to serve about 300 students per term. “Right now we’re able to give [funding] to everyone who applies who qualifies,” Wittorff said. “But when childcare costs $2,000 and you get 50 percent covered, you still have to come up with $1,000.” “The relative cost of childcare for children under three in Oregon is the highest in the nation,” Wittorff said. “Relative to income, that is.” Martin said access to childcare can be the difference between someone being able to attend college or not.

Disproportionate income insufficiency in communities of color The IMS report found that communities of color are disproportionately affected by income insufficiency. Latinos account for approximately 8.5 percent of Oregon’s population. 23.3 percent of Latinos are below the FPL. 36.7 percent are above the FPL but below the Standard. In total, 60

percent of the Latino population in Oregon make insufficient income to meet their basic needs without subsidies. The black population makes up roughly 1.8 percent of the total Oregon population. 32.9 percent are below the FPL. 20.1 percent are above the FPL but below the Standard. In total, 53 percent of the black population is below the Standard. “You can’t say that there’s one factor driving it,” Martin said. “There’s a whole load of factors.” “You’ve got the impact of discrimination, current and historical, and you’ve got the impact of residential segregation, which is very high still based on ethnicity,” King said. More than 40 percent of fall term 2014’s incoming freshman class were students of color. Of those students, approximately 40 percent identify as Latino. That brings the percentage of Latino students at PSU to about 10 percent of the total student body. “The things that PSU can do—is become more intentional across the board in the recruitment of students of color,” said Tony Funchess, multi-cultural affairs director for Associated Students of PSU. “Yes…we tout a 40 percent diversity rate for our incoming freshmen. However, we consistently and repeatedly have a 3 percent enrollment for African

Americans. What are we doing to increase that?” Funchess added that he doesn’t see PSU doing much to retain students of color. He said that PSU focuses on input, not outcome. Funchess clarified that he is not speaking on behalf of ASPSU. “I’m heated up,” he said. “We have to become more intentional about retaining those students while they’re here,” Funchess added. “[PSU] prides itself on the students of color that are here. It’s key to not lose sight of the programs that are going to help them, because a lot of them do need extra support that maybe a traditional college student might not need,” said Pedro S. Torres, program coordinator at La Casa Latina. Torres said that there is a direct correlation between student involvement and student success. “We are really trying to get students into our spaces…pushing them to get involved.” Torres said that he sees good things happening at PSU. “I’ve seen the commitment of the people I’ve met to really support these students,” Torres said. Right now La Casa Latina, Torres said, serves a dual purpose. “On the one hand, it’s to make students more aware of social issues that might affect them…it’s educating them,” he said. “A lot of times [we’re] pushing them

to get involved.” “With our front desk workers, we have some systems in place to try to professionalize them as much as we can,” Torres said. “We offer them a certain set of hours where they can do training on campus…usually through [Advising and Career Services],” Torres said. Giving them these skills, he said, will help them later in life. La Casa Latina is fully funded by student fees and cannot provide scholarships to the students who use the space. “There are students that, quite frankly, if they don’t get scholarships, they don’t go to school,” Torres said. “The people who are more concerned about taking on debt are lower-income [individuals] and communities of color, because they justifiably have less confidence that they’ll be able to earn enough in the future to pay that off,” King said. “I think [to help students]…to really bolster the programs that are already here and to create new ones so that students feel that there really is an investment on the part of the university in retaining and having them here,” Torres said. “Because it’s not enough to just accept, you know, the highest percentage incoming class of color. You have to help them once they’re here, and you have to help them finish.”

“[I]t’s not enough to just accept... the highest percentage incoming class of color. You have to help them once they’re here, and you have to help them finish.”-Pedro S. Torres

PSU spending on helping lowincome students “Student debt is just such a looming issue,” King said. It makes it so much harder for people both in the moment to make decisions about going to school and saying in school, and what people’s fears are in the long-term.” According to the PSU website, 69 percent of students receive some sort of financial aid. “Certainly [PSU might] help with housing—making housing affordable,” Wifforff said. “Although there are spaces on campus for students to live with their children, it can be more expensive because they get charged for their spouse.” There are also federal programs, such as TRiO, in place to help low-income students. TRiO is a program intended to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed in higher education. Lind Liu, the director for TRiO’s Student Support Services, said that PSU has four TRiO programs. 1,083 low income and/or generation high school and undergraduate students participate in four programs that offer student development and support and financial assistance. All programs are fully funded by the federal government. “While PSU does not match the funding, they do support us in indirect ways such as providing space for our students, general office supplies [and] technology upgrades,” Liu said. Student fees help fund programs such as the Jim Sells Child Care subsidy and student centers such as the Multicultural Center and La Casa Latina, which help retain minority or at-risk students. Funchess said that student resource centers create breathing space for communities of color and marginalized communities who otherwise have to navigate a largely white community. “What cultural centers do is create a space where those individuals can, for lack of a better term, take the mask off,” Funchess said. “They can relax. They can find community...That shared experience creates a bond that strengthens the individual to go back out into the world, to go back

out into academia and be successful.” Resource centers, he continued, give marginalized students and communities of color access to academic, cultural and individual support that they wouldn’t otherwise get at PSU, which is 60 percent white. “Last year, I took 82 students to the Oregon Students of Color Conference,” he continued. “It was a beast to get dollars so that students who are traditionally marginalized and locked out of leadership positions were able to receive top notch leadership training.” “I shouldn’t have to fight to get dollars to support students,” Funchess said. King said that PSU’s funding is limited. “It is a very lean operation,” King said. “Though I wouldn’t argue that all the money is going to the right places.” “There’s never going to be, in that budget, a lot of money, and other players need to step up,” King said. King said the state used to pay 70 percent of the cost of higher education and students paid the remaining 30. In the past 20 years, she said, that ratio has reversed.

Beyond PSU “One of the things we have to do [at IMS] is dispel myths,” Martin said. Though income insufficiency disproportionately affects marginalized communities, Martin said this report might change the perception of who is poor. “Those who are below the Standard…90 percent are citizens, 75 percent are white, half have children, half do not. 17 percent have a bachelor’s degree…Only 23 percent of households have no workers. 94 percent of them are getting no public assistance,” she said. Martin said that, though IMS does not prescribe policies, they release these reports to foster regional collaboration, in the hope that they can promote understanding and advocacy across jurisdictions. “The conversation that we started is how to measure poverty and what the implications are,” Kimmell said. “This is a problem beyond PSU,” King said.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

literary arts nonproﬁt to host ruth ozeki

Famed writer and filmmaker to host talk, workshop FILMMAKER AND AUTHOR RUTH OZEKI will visit Portland on feb. 19.

jon raBy

Novelist and filmmaker Ruth Ozeki will speak at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Feb. 19 before a soldout audience. The lecture is one talk in a multi-part collaboration with Literary Arts, a center for nonprofit literary arts programs in Portland. Literary Arts conducts a survey for each of its programs—a wish list of whom patrons would like to see visit. “Ms. Ozeki’s name has been a reoccurring one on these surveys,” said Paige O’Rourke, executive assistant at Literary Arts. “When an author’s work resonates with our community such as Ms. Ozeki’s has, we strive to

bring them to our community in order to foster an even deeper connection between author and reader.” Ozeki has written three novels, her most recent of which is A Tale for the Time Being. The novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2013 and has received the LA Times book prize for fiction, among other awards. While in Portland, Ozeki will also be teaching a master’s class in fiction on Feb. 16. The class will be a three-hour course in which 10 students are asked to submit a work of fiction to the author beforehand. The class will focus on their work specifically.

“Building community around literature is at the heart of all of Literary Arts’ programs,” O’Rourke said. “We believe that there is an urgent need for us to bring together artists and audiences, students and adults to share in the stories that tell us who we’ve been, who we are and who we will be.” A Tale for the Time Being focuses on the 16 year-old Nao and writer Ruth, who finds Nao’s journal when it washes ashore on a remote Canadian island after a tsunami in Japan. Ruth is transported to the girl’s past and her own future. Ozeki also has experience in the film world. She got her

start as an art director on low budget horror films. In 1995 she wrote, directed and produced the feature-length documentary Halving the Bones: The Fractured History of a Skeleton in the Closet. The documentary is a personal narrative about her family history and a look at issues which mirror some of the major struggles Asian Americans face in this country, such as divisiveness, alienation and belonging to multiple cultures at once.

COURTESY Of KRIS KRÜG THROUGH Creative Commons via flickr

Blake eats it:

the confit cAPer At the firSt nAtionAl tAPhouSe BlaKe hiCKMan

Each Monday, KPSU hosts Trivia Night at First National Taphouse—a relatively recent addition to the campus bar scene—hosted by the big homie Jake Sauvageau. For those who like trivia, the night will never disappoint. But I’m not here to write about trivia. I’m here to write about food and chew bubblegum, and chewing bubblegum doesn’t easily translate into a column. First National Taphouse is an interesting entity. Let’s be honest: It’s the closest thing

to a free-standing airport bar that I’ve ever seen. It’s interesting that an oncampus joint would pander to a yuppie-type crowd, but I guess between the profs, administrators (particularly given their recent pay raises) and trust-fund kids, there’s enough of a clientele to support a joint that serves potted crab as an appetizer. Speaking of appetizers, there’s really no question that First National Taphouse has one of the best pre-course meals in the city. The colcannon skins are basically

a gourmet version of traditional pub potato skins, with bacon jam and mascarpone taking the place of bacon bits and that weird, rubbery, yellow cheese that cheap restaurants use. An elegant and simple appetizer available at the Taphouse is a simple grilled artichoke served with an excellent aioli (the fries come with that sauce, too). There’s also the aforementioned potted crab, which takes me back to my days on the East Coast. Okay, so I’ve never lived on the East Coast, but whatever.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

The star of the appetizer menu by far, though, is the chicken wing confit. We’ve all had bad chicken wings. The gelatinous variety that places like Dominos and Pizza Hut serve aren’t fit for consumption, but they might do the trick if you’ve got a hankering for something that in no way resembles chicken, a wing or actual, edible food. These wings are incredible, though. The carrot habanero glaze has that perfect spicy and not-too-sweet quality. Being completely honest, though, the idea that because they’re layered together like

RICO MACIAS ZEPEDA/PSU VANGUARD

a house made of Lincoln Logs makes them a confit, as opposed to just another plate of wings, is pretty laughable. They’re the best appetizer on campus, so head to KPSU Trivia Night on Monday, grab yourself an affordable bottle

of beer from their small yet impressive bottle collection, and dig in. Just know that the entire time you’ll feel like a pilot or stewardess could sit next to you at any moment. Is that a bad thing, though?

ARTS & CULTURE

no countrY for ShittY rAmen I CAN'T fLAVOR IT fOR YOU—IT WOULDN'T BE fAIR

INGREDIENTS SPECIAL RAMEN

tiM sulliVan

The quintessential college meal, Top Ramen, is cheap and reliable. What do you get in a package of ramen? In the package you have dry alkaline noodles and a salt lick’s worth of “ﬂavored” bouillon, not at all appetizing when you look at it in that light. This recipe will add ﬂavor and a bit more nutrition in about the same amount of time. This recipe is based on a minimal broth version of ramen from a local restaurant named Shigezo which, obviously, I recommend.

Recipe steps 1.) Fill two medium-sized pots two-thirds full of water

and bring to a boil. While the water comes to a boil, grab your favorite ramen bowl and combine the sesame oil, soy sauce and diced garlic inside the bowl. This is the base of our broth. 2.) Place the noodles into one of the boiling pots of water and reduce the heat of the other pot to medium. Now, in the pot at medium heat, pour in a tablespoon of vinegar and then crack the egg into the water. Take a spoon, spin the whites around the yolk until it coalesces around the yolk. Remove the poaching pot from the heat and let the egg sit in the water for one minute.

1 ramen package, throw out the seasoning package (380 cal.) 1 poached egg (74 cal.) 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (for the poached egg) 1 tablespoon sesame oil (60-120 cal.) 1-1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce (10-15 cal.) 1-2 garlic cloves, diced (3-6 cal.)

3.) After your noodles reach the perfect al dente consistency, which takes 5–7 minutes depending on your stovetop, drain the noodles into a colander. Then dump them into your bowl with the broth. Toss the broth and noodles together with your chopsticks. With a slotted spoon, retrieve your poached egg and place it on your noodles. Add green onions for a bit of tang and color. If you want spicy broth, add Sriracha to the broth concoction before adding your noodles. If your noodles don’t seem right with no broth, heat up a cup or so of your favorite style of stock and add it to your bowl.

Tools: 2 medium-sized pots 1 slotted spoon 1 tablespoon 1 colander Set of chopsticks

Optional: 1 diced green onion stalk 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken/beef/veggie stock (preferably homemade) (10-15 cal.) 1 teaspoon of Sriracha

COURTESY Of KROPSOQ THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

WilDe timeS AheAD At lincoln hAll THEATER SCHOOL TO STAGE ‘THE IMPORTANCE Of BEING EARNEST’ ruBy King

Cucumber sandwiches will be all the rage when the School of Theater and Film puts on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest at the Lincoln Performance Hall from Feb. 26–Mar. 7. General admission is priced at $15, but students will only have to pay $6 if they purchase in advance.

Director Karin Magaldi, who recently staged six of Wilde’s children’s stories for Shaking the Tree Theatre, said she is passionate about the upcoming production. “It’s comedy and we don’t do comedies as often as we should, but it’s very smart comedy,” Magaldi said. “I think some people think it’s ﬂuff, but it’s not ﬂuff.”

ACTORS SUZANNE OWENS-DUVAL, ELENA AFANASIEV AND TAYLOR PASCHALL (LEFT TO RIgHT) rehearse for their upcoming performance of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest.’ SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

Magaldi said Earnest is perhaps the most perfect play from that era in terms of construction. With this type of comedy, however, the cast has had to be wary about not becoming melodramatic. “You’ve got to be careful about getting into physical comedy, because it’s easy to get into slapstick,” Magaldi said. “You cannot do that with a piece like this. That’s why it has to be subtle.” Devon Roberts, who plays the role of Jack Worthing (aka Ernest), said he has enjoyed developing what he calls one of his most challenging roles yet. “My character has quite a few layers to it,” Roberts said. “Some days I’ll get one layer down and [at] another rehearsal I’ll have another layer down, and it’s just a matter of combining those layers together into a deep, meaningful character. You keep doing the work, and it comes through,”

Zachary Messenger, who plays Merriman the butler, said he feels himself growing through each rehearsal, especially in a minor role. “I’m playing a smaller character, so I don’t have as many lines,” Messenger said. “So it’s digging behind the lines to try and find your character, because it’s not really lined out in the text. You have to look past what you say and try to bring something to the table that wouldn’t be there otherwise.” Tyler Miles, who plays Algernon Moncrieff has genuinely enjoyed working with the cast and playing around with the lines, especially those involving the infamous cucumber sandwich scene. With this comedy of errors comes many expectations of proper behavior. Magaldi insisted on having a dramaturge to get every detail right. Dramaturges act as behind-

the-scenes historians that give context to everything that was socially accepted and expected. Getting the social details of the Victorian era has been a challenge for the cast. “It’s about being authentic under the given circumstances so you really have to explore Oscar Wilde’s world, this time and history, to really get the given circumstances so you can be authentic,” Messenger said. Roberts said when actors attend rehearsal they are expected to wear button ups and ties, if possible. The practice helps the cast assume the mannerisms of the period. “It’s fun but frustrating because you just want to be yourself and do what comes naturally to you, but there’s some fun in exploring a foreign culture of social expectations,” Roberts said.

While the men may be expected to show up in ties, the women of the cast have started to wear corsets for each rehearsal. Because the girls are actresses and still need to be able to function to the best of their ability, the corsets can be loosened when needed as they make it more difficult to breathe, laugh and relax normally. “It is like some rock monster giving you a really big hug for a really long time,” said Amanda Pred, who plays Miss Prism. Taylor Pascal, who plays Cecily Cardew, Gwendolen’s counterpart, said she has had a great time playing with the fiery chemistry between Cecily and Gwendolen. “I’m really scared about laughing during the show,” Pascal said. “There are moments when we’re just watching each other and almost bursting from laughter.”

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE THE STUDENT-RUN OOLIgAN PRESS publishes a variety of books by local authors as part of PSU’s master’s program in book publishing.

SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

ooligAn PreSS hoStS SiXth AnnuAl Write to PuBliSh conference ViCtoria Castellanos

Ooligan Press hosted the sixth annual Write to Publish conference on Jan. 31, which aimed to aid and empower emerging writers by unpacking an oft-complicated publishing industry. The event drew dozens of literary enthusiasts to 45-minute panels and workshops that ranged in subject from creating a professional social media platform to how to maximize marketing potential via book design techniques. Attendees also had an opportunity to pitch their manuscripts to a literary agency and several local presses. Planning begins nearly a year in advance and is produced through the work of the Ooligan Press student

staff. Brandon Sanford acted as this year’s co-project manager for the conference alongside fellow graduate student Melanie Figueroa. “This year we have quite a few students, but it’s definitely still way more nonstudents,” Sanford said. “It’s more of a general publishing conference at this point, rather than being about Ooligan. It’s about using our know-how and connections to spread that know-how to the public, things like how to negotiate a contract successfully.” Write to Publish began as the brainchild of a couple Ooligan Press graduate students in 2008. Initially an open house night for the public, it functioned as a way to fund-

raise and draw attention to the budding program. The event was so successful that it has evolved into an annual conference that attracts a diverse body of talent from around the country to share their insights into various facets of the publishing world. Previous years have had specific themes, such as last year’s conference which featured panels and workshops specific to the young adult genre. “Sometimes the theme inﬂuenced how many people came.” Sanford said. “This year we moved away from themes and are focusing on just the technical aspects of making a business in the publishing world. In previous years what to expect was about 50 attendees, give

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

or take. We have definitely already hit that mark this year.” Write to Publish is unique in its vision; its focus is wellrounded and intends to help writers better understand the full scope of the publishing industry, rather than just the craft of writing. Sanford and Figueroa dedicated themselves to bringing in professionals whose collective knowledge spans the industry. This year’s keynote speaker was John Mutter, the former longtime executive editor of bookselling at Publisher’s Weekly and co-founder and editor-in-chief of Shelf Awareness, a trade publication featuring a daily e-newsletter with reviews, media

coverage and publishing industry news. Shelf Awareness Pro has an industry circulation of more than 33,000 and its version for consumers has a circulation of approximately 300,000 readers. With a focus on wide scope, Ooligan Press has brought in over 20 professionals with specialties ranging from publicity and editing to design. “We tried hard to go for not just diverse topics, but also not reusing the same speakers for every panel, to really add to the experience,” Sanford said. A running theme throughout the seminars was perseverance. Panelist and Late Night Library co-founder Trevor Martone told the sto-

ry of an author who pitched his manuscript to Laurie Liss, then an assistant literary agent. Liss’ boss wasn’t accepting new manuscripts at the time, but she listened to his pitch and, after reading the book, decided to go to bat for him. That little book? Robert James Waller’s The Bridges of Madison County. “Listen, you’re not a sellout when you believe in your writing and you try to get it out there,” Martone said. “I would say the most important things you can do are believe in yourself and in your writing, and you can promote yourself without feeling dirty. You can find the way to do it that’s best for you.”

ARTS & CULTURE

The ‘Outcast’ at home Comic series tackles the demons of child abuse Andy Anady

Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta’s Outcast is about Kyle Barnes, a young man dubbed Outcast by the demons in his life. Kyle’s whole life is defined by all the women in his life getting fridged, a term used to describe women in media being murdered for sheer plot advancement purposes—his mother and his wife are the main victims of such tropes. Besides all the white characters and fridging of the few women, Outcast makes for an enthralling read. The premise is nothing new: demons possess folks in a small town, and Kyle’s partner in crime is a reverend. But just because the premise is a little worn doesn’t mean it isn’t good, it just means that a lot of people have liked it and still like it. And what’s not to like about a miserable man who makes demons scream just by touching them? Personally, I’m anticipating the demons figuring out a way around the touch-aversion with a scene à la Voldemort’s “I can touch you now.” Even if the premise was boring, it’s used in a novel and really important way. The whole first volume plays well as a metaphor for abuse, especially child abuse and abuse caused by mental illness in the abuser. Kyle himself is an adult survivor of child abuse. His mother was possessed by a demon, I suspect, because he’s the Outcast which seems to be a euphemism for chosen one. And while I’m not an adult survivor of physical childhood abuse, I didn’t get the impression that the way Kyle’s situation was treated was disrespectful in any way. His mother was loving, and Kyle has distinct memories of her drawing with him and playing tag outside. But he also remembers when everything suddenly changed, when his mother was suddenly different. Suddenly she was cruel out of nowhere and vicious until he fought back. He beat her so bad that not only did the demon flee her body, but she was left catatonic in a hospital bed. In one scene he visits her and the two talk. “Were you a victim too?” he asks her. She can’t answer, of course. Demonic possession isn’t just a fitting metaphor, but historically one with quite some unfortunate context. The metaphor is so important, though. Kyle’s not only left without closure since his mother is completely incapable of communication, but now that he’s an adult he can realize that her abuse didn’t spring out of nowhere and that she’s a victim too. Her victimhood never cancels out his or excuses the abuse. She even puts him into an overfull foster home where he and his foster sister are further abused by another kid. Sibling abuse is even less frequently addressed and isn't often treated like the abuse it is. The whole book is littered with various scenes of children being beaten by adults, all in the name of demonic possession. For all that, Outcast is pretty spectacular. How often is there an adult child abuse survivor in comics? It’s impressive that such a serious problem is treated like the multifaceted horror it truly is. The small town politics are pretty spot on, too. Police officers turn blind eyes on a kid with a busted-up face because he’s friends with the reverend who was alone with him. It’s a face he got from an exorcism, but the police officers don’t know that. If it’s not too triggering, Outcast is worth a read even if just for the mystery that envelopes the small-town people appearing and disappearing in the nearby woods.

Image Comics/2014

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ETC

EVENT CALENDAR john pinney

Tues, Feb. 10

2015 Winter Education Abroad Fair

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, room 355 Did you know that Education Abroad has over 200 programs in 80 countries? That’s a lot of new people and places to explore! Whatever major you have, they have something that will interest you. There’s even finanical aid specialists to make sure nothing keeps you from exploring the possibilities. Free food to boot! FREE

Wed, Feb. 11

PIFF Screening: ‘Beloved Sisters’ (Germany) When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Cinema 21 It’s that time of year! The Portland International Film Festival is back with many an interesting foreign film. I personally guarantee you can find something you’ll enjoy.

Beloved Sisters is by German director Dominik Graf and is set in the late 18th century where two aristocratic sisters find themselves drawn to a young poet. Intrigues abound! See the PIFF Website for ticket prices and a full list of films and places they’re screening at.

Thurs, Feb. 12

All Major Career and Internship Fair When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: SMSU Ballroom, room 355 Over 80 organizations, from government to private sector and beyond, are represented and have a host of internship and career opportunities to present to you. FREE

Momotaro’s Wars: Images of Disasters When: 6 p.m. Where: SMSU, room 327 Free ticketed event

ing of pop culture and analyze several of the classical representations of this. Great for fans of such Japanese pop culture phenomenons as manga and anime. There will also be an exploration of how the presented mediums interpret natural and manmade disasters. Portland State students get free tickets, but you have to pick them up at the box office. FREE

Portland Opera Presents: Carmen When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Keller Auditorium See website for ticket prices. The Portland Opera presents the story of the original Beyoncé. A beautiful and classic opera. Great for Valentine’s Day as well, as there is also a Saturday screening at 7:30 p.m. No guarantees on the availability of tickets, though.

Gender Tree When: 9 p.m. Where: Post5 Theater Fee: $15

A new play by Cassandra Boice showcases two actors exploring the cultural construction of gender, especially through fashion.

Fri, Feb. 13

Dept. of Chemistry Seminars: Beth Habecker When: 3:15 p.m. Where: Science Building 1, room 107 Professor Beth Habecker is this week’s presenter for the Department of Chemistry. Professor Habecker’s focus is in understanding the changes that occur following a heart attack, including arrhythmias. The Habecker group is focusing on solving this molecular mystery, so come and find out what answers her research is bringing to the world.

Chinese New Year Celebration Gala; When: 6 p.m. Where: SMSU Ballroom, room 355 Free for PSU Students with id, $6 for general admission Ring in the year of the ram with the PSU Chinese Students and Scholars Association through FREE food and fun! FREE

5th Avenue Cinemas Presents: Weekend When: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Where: 5th Avenue Cinema From the man that brought you Looking, that TV show with Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey—you ARE watching it, right?—comes his award-winning movie about two strangers testing the boundaries of relationship. This is a beautiful piece of landmark gay male cinema and should not be missed! Saturday and Sunday showings are also available. FREE

Sat, Feb. 14

Happy Valentine’s Day! Lecture Recital: Echoes of China When: 2 p.m. Where: Lincoln Hall, room 175 Also titled “Contemporary Chines Piano Music,” professors Susan Chan of PSU music department and Elise Yun of School of Music, Soochow University, China, present a moving afternoon of music. FREE

The Jungle Book When: 12 p.m. Where: Northwest Neighborhood Cultural Center Fee: $12–17 Northwest Children’s Theatre presents an original adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s adventure story The Jungle Book (you remember the Disney movie with Baloo and Bhagera, right?). Presented in collaboration with the Anjali School of Dance.

Professor Hikari Hori will take a look at Japan’s exportFREE

21+

FEATURED EVENT FEBRUARY

Campus Rec February Climbing Challenge

COURTESY OF PORTLAND STATE

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

What better way to beat the winter blues than with a bit of competition? The Campus Rec Center will be is hosting a wall climbing challenge all this month. Grab a score card, record your progress and win some prizes! Rock wall climbing is an impressive challenge to conquer and it’s a great way to burn some calories. If I wasn’t a weenie afraid of being too high off the ground, I’d totally kick some tail in this challenge. There are also rumors that there will be different divisions, so you’ll have to head over to the Rec Center to find out what those are.

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER

ETC

horoScoPeS john pinney

Aquarius Jan. 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;feb. 18

Taurus April 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;May 20

Pisces feb. 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 19

gemini May 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;June 20

Lots of things offer you enticement for your soul, Aquarius. But if one of those things happens to be a wishgranting alien plant bent on conquering Earth, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best not to listen.

You might think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting a happy moment this week. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only intermission. The alien plant who has a thirst for blood knows about the person you like and would go to any lengths to keep you as its stooge.

However, if you do end up buying that exotic plant that might or might not be alien, the best thing you can do to attract that cute person who works with you is to name that plant afterÂ them.

Just because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a rebel does not mean he gets to give you a black eye. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dentist, and I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be all that shocked if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gassing himself to get through the day, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really scum and you should break it off withÂ him.

Aries March 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;April 19

If we ever have a total eclipse of the sun I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recommend going to any plant shops because if you buy a plant it will probably be an alien. And it really puts a damper on Valetineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day to have your beloved person eaten.

Cancer June 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;July 22

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going crazy. Crystal, Ronette and Chiffon really are the Greek chorus narrating your life. Either that, or you have cancer like that one woman in that episode of Scrubs. But really, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the first option better?

Leo July 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Aug. 22

Scorpio Oct. 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Nov. 21

It probably seems like a good idea to give blood to that exotic plant you bought. And maybe it was a good idea for a little while, but once you started falling asleep in the middle of the day, maybe you should have realized it was anÂ alien.

Others seem to know us better than we know ourselves, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they? Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to tell us when our rebellious dentist boyfriend is beating up on us, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to us to make our lives better and not wait for our Donna Reed wig in theÂ mail.

Virgo Aug. 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sep. 22

You have a secret talent for making emergency funeral bouquets with Easter lilies and some glitter glue. Better yet, with a bit of ribbon and basket work, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re single-handedly saving your business and friendship with that hot nerdy person who works withÂ you.

Being a radio DJ is a strange experience because you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to yourself or if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re beloved by many. In either case, if you have a show where you talk to people with many interesting things, be aware that one of those things might be a man-eating alien. Luckily for you, though, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re totally gonna dodge a bullet.

Libra Sep. 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oct. 22

That signficant other is totally worth getting if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to give your exotic alien plant who is a metaphor for maturity and masculinity something fresher than freshly ground chuckÂ roast.

Sagittarius Nov. 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Dec. 21

Capricorn Dec. 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Jan. 19

If the plant that might be an alien starts talking to you in jive, you really do want to rethink your priorities. One of those reasons is because it wants to take over the world, the other is that it probably requires lots of tool work to chop up all those bodies, and I know you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time for that while gearing up for the last half of theÂ term.

ELISE fURLAN/PSU VANGUARD

SuDoKu

croSSWorD

aCross

1 5 7 1 8 5 3 4 5 9 5 3 1 8 6 1 8 5 2 1 7 3

Create and solve your Sudoku puzzles for FRE E.

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28 Requiem for Nelson by Haydn (4) 29 Fine Austrain composer? (10) DoWn

2 Copper shortly denies source of annoyance is mobile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these concertgoers wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree! (9) 3 Endorses composer of Tintagel, say (5) 4 Brucknerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eighth is about sustained passages which gradually get slower (9) 5 Rock singer? (7) 6 Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m finding the odd bits of Boulez filter through (5) 7 Excited by extremely febrile performance of Medtner (9) 8 Some Elgar enamoured Promenaders standing here? (5) 14 Character in Madam ButterďŹ&#x201A;y who has only 7acâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to sing? (9) 16 Tenor performing Grieg and a bit of Lehar (9) 17 Score given to the more senior conductor (4,5)

19 She appears among Brendelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pet hates (7) 22 Arrangement of Alkan endlessly captivates English scout leader (5) 23 Scottish National Orchestra initially confused over G & S numbers (5) 25 Time and time again old boy follows beat (5)

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

hillsboro stadium stunts athletic program’s growth CoMMentary By aleX Moore

Hillsboro Stadium would be the perfect home venue for Portland State sports. It seats 7,600 people, which is a number that the Vikings fans near in attendance at football games. It also has a turf that was newly renovated in the last five years. But it’s called Hillsboro Stadium for a reason—it’s 14 miles away from campus. Portland—nicknamed Soccer City, USA—has a college nestled right in the middle of it, yet they play their soccer in the suburbs. If you need an example for how soccer has been successful in Portland, just look across the river at the University of Portland. If PSU’s women’s soccer team played the University of Portland on the road, it would be closer to campus than to

PSU’s home stadium in Hillsboro. UP is less than seven miles away from PSU—half the length students would have to travel to catch a home game. So PSU students have to make the trek out to Hillsboro by driving or taking public transportation to watch their women’s soccer team play a home game. And not just soccer; even the football team has made an appearance or two out in Hillsboro. Is the long journey worth it? Like most sports, this doesn’t matter when teams are winning. But in the case of women’s soccer, the argument can be made that they are the most successful sport at PSU. They are always contending for Big Sky championships and post-season berths in the NCAA tourna-

ment. They play big games against big teams. They have been winning. Everything about women’s soccer at PSU says that they should garner support from Vikings students. But at 14 miles away from campus, how can anyone expect Vikings fans to travel for home games? Even winning teams aren’t worth students traveling so far out of their way. It would take a lot to get PSU women’s soccer recognized with a big home crowd. PSU would have to be on the national radar. But why should it take that much to get people to go out to games? If it is that difficult to support a team, why are they playing at Hillsboro Stadium where are they guaranteed to get less support?

The city of Portland isn’t exactly built to suit a stadium where PSU can play soccer. There’s no room for anything of that size to be built. Providence Park, where the football team plays, isn’t necessarily the solution either. Still a way from campus, the home of the Timbers has limited parking, and putting a few hundred people in a stadium that seats 20,000 makes a small crowd even more insignificant. In order for PSU sports to advance at all in any capacity, stadiums that are in Hillsboro cannot be a part of the PSU home venue. This is already a school that struggles to get people to home games that are just a few blocks away at the Peter W. Stott Center. And with an upcoming contract running out with Provi-

dence Park, Hillsboro Stadium is in the running to host all home football games. Can you imagine having to go 14 miles from campus to watch a football game? If attendance at Providence Park is low, what kind of crowds would show up on a rainy Saturday to watch the Vikings lose to Idaho State 31-13? There are ways in which PSU could make Hillsboro Stadium attractive to students, like having shuttles back and forth between campus to get to games. But as a student, would you really like to take the time to travel all the way out there if your football team is losing? Shuttling students to Hillsboro would be the only way that PSU could justify having any kind of athletic events 14

miles away from campus. And even then, that is only for students who are on campus, which at a commuter school is not that many. The worst part of all of this? There isn’t a clear fix. Without anything else closer, other than high school stadiums and Providence Park, PSU is in a position where 14 miles away is their best option. How can that be? What does having the best athletic venue for outdoor sports in Hillsboro say about our athletic program? Through all of this, there are a lot of questions that can’t be answered about PSU’s athletic complexes. But if one thing is for sure, it is that in order for athletics at PSU to evolve, Hillsboro Stadium cannot be a part of the future.

DESPITE BEINg 14 MILES AWAY, the Hillsboro Stadium currently hosts home games for PSU’s women’s soccer.

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Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

SiPPin’ BreWS in the cluB TREATING ONE’S SELf IN THE ROSEQUARTER CLUBSEATS THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS at the MODA Center in 2013.

CoMMentary By Matt rauCh

Being a sports freak and having lived in Oregon my whole life, I have attended a lot of Blazer’s games. From the days of Clyde “The Glide” Drexler and Terry Porter to the “Jail Blazers” era and on to today’s team, Blazers games have always been one of my favorite ways of spending my time. Since I can remember, these games have been great fun, but they have also been expensive. It seems that—as with everything—the older I get, the more expensive Blazers games become. I remember going to games with my family as a child and my parents only allowing me

to get a hot dog and a soda. If they were feeling extra generous I could also get some candy or ice cream. I didn’t know how much it cost, but I knew that a request for anything else would always get denied. That all changed during our first game in the clublevel seats with access to the all-you-can-eat buffet. It was like heaven for a child. Food, drinks, candy and desserts all for free! Needless to say, I ended up getting carsick on the way home, but it was well worth it. After turning 18 I moved to Seattle for about three

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years and didn’t attend a Blazers game until I was over 21. I made sure to get club-level seats for my return game, with full access to the buffet. After my pre-tipoff meal, I headed straight to the beer station to get my first-ever free beer, only to find that I had to pay almost $10 for it. I was devastated. I thought my all-you-can-eat-and-drink access included beer. It didn’t. That all changed this year. A friend of mine who is a season ticket holder called and asked if I wanted to use his club-level seats to attend a game. Never one to pass up

free Blazers tickets, I took him up on his offer. I had heard rumblings about a newly remodeled club level, but hadn’t paid much attention to it. I was eager to find out what my cherished club seats had to offer now. Upon arriving, I noticed that there were no more long lines at the buffets and that there were food-cart-style restaurants all over with stadium-priced menus. I decided to call my friend and ask him what happened. He explained that with the renovation, they changed the club level food policy. Rather

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than the all-you-can-eat buffet-style food options, each club-level ticket had $30 in credit that could be spent on anything in the arena—even beer and merchandise. I was elated! I could finally get that free beer I was once denied. The first thing I did was order some food from one of the food-cart-style restaurants. After a mistake with my order, I ended up

receiving a second order for free. Certainly can’t complain about that. After both orders were secured in my stomach, I went straight to the bar and ordered a delicious microbrew. Even though it cost $9.50 in credit, I don’t think a Blazers game beer had ever tasted so good. Well played, Portland Trail Blazers, well played.

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willamette.edu/gradprograms Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

PSU menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lacrosse gets in theÂ dirt

The PSU lacrosse team in winter 2013. Karl Kuchs/Vanguard Archives

Lauren Schlangen

On Saturday February 7, the Portland State lacrosse team kicked off their season with a scrimmage against University of Oregon. Players didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it home until late Saturday night after the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s travels from Portland to Eugene and back again. As any other sport, it is a timely commitment. Head coach Jared Corcotran has his team practicing four days a week, rain or shine. For those that are unfamiliar with the sport, it is similar to hockey played on a field, with a ball being passed between

players by crossesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;sticks with nets on the end. Ten players take the field at a time, but with only 13 on the PSU team total, that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave a lot of wiggle room for injury, let alone substitution, when game time rolls around. At the college level, the game is split into four 15-minute quarters. The players are equipped from head to toe with gear to protect them when they step onto turf: cleats, chest guards, elbow guards, gloves, helmets and mouth guards are all required to play; failure to do so will result in a penalty in

which the player at fault is to sit out for a designated amount of time. These penalties also happen when players act outside of what the rules of the game permits. Having played all four years of high school, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no surprise that freshman midfielder Ryan Leuty chose to pursue lacrosse here at PSU. PSU made it easy for him as there are no tryouts held in order to play lacrosse. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sign up and playâ&#x20AC;? kind of thing, as Leuty plainly putsÂ it. Leuty attended Galena High School in his home-

town of Reno, Nevada. He moved up to the varsity level his sophomore year, where he stayed for the duration of high school, achieving the rank of team captain, the award of MVP, and making first team all-league his senior year. After trying multiple sports throughout his childhood, Leuty found lacrosse and fell in love. He states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;[I] finally found something I really liked.â&#x20AC;? So much so

that at age 16 he got a tattoo dedicated to the sport on his leftÂ calf.

The lacrosse team takes the field again in a week and a half, on Saturday, February 21 here atÂ home.

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Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS Write for Sports!

Sports Schedule Feb. 10–16

We're looking for investigative reporting and in-depth analysis. We're looking for journalists, not just reporters. We need writers dedicated to alternative sports, health and fitness. We need writers who will cover our 30+ competitive recreational sports teams, such as breakdance, dragon boating, ultimate frisbee and tango. We need writers who can cover the burgeoning field of Esports. We need writers who will cover the academic competitions such as debate, math and chess. We need writers who can report on the state of personal wellness.

PSU Men's Basketball

Men's Tennis

PSU @ Idaho

PSU vs. Montana State

Thurs. Feb. 12, 7 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 13, 2 p.m.

PSU @ Eastern Washington

PSU vs. Portland

Sat. Feb. 14, 2:05 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 14, 5:30 p.m.

PSU Women's Basketball

Women's Tennis

PSU vs. Idaho

PSU @ Seattle

Thurs. Feb. 12, 7 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 13, 3 p.m.

PSU vs. Eastern Washington

PSU vs. Montana

Sat. Feb. 14, 2 p.m.

Sun. Feb. 15, 10 a.m.

Softball

Men's/Women's Track and Field

We want to let our readers know how to stay healthy with proper nutrition, exercise, yoga, meditation and other aspects of personal physical and mental health.

Wilson/Demarini Desert Classic UW Husky Classic Eller Media Stadium, Las Vegas, NV Fri., Sat., Sun., Feb. 13–15

Dempsey Indoor Center, Seattle, WA Fri., Sat., Feb. 13–14, All Day

Apply @ psuvanguard.com

Scrumming up PSU Women’s Rugby Phuoc Francis Nguyen

“I would say rugby is unlike any other sport in the fact that anybody can play,” according to first year Club President Kim Nguyen. “Don’t be intimidated. Give me one practice and one game. You will be hooked.” Since Nguyen’s freshman year of college, she has always wanted to play. Her sister got her into rugby at an Oregon Sports Union practice. Ever since that first practice four years ago, she hasn’t looked back. “I was always an aggressive athlete and was looking for a sport where I can better channel all my aggression. It was either that or lacrosse. I chose rugby,” Nguyen said. The success of the PSU Women’s Rugby Club team has validated her decision. “On the field you are getting thrown around, getting smashed, getting hurt, and you are literally doing that for your team. You are physically putting yourself at risk for these girls you consider your family,” Nguyen said. Nguyen embraces the con-

tact from rugby and the bonding after the matches. This traditional social allows teams to unwind and bond with other rugby players from other schools. “It is a lifestyle and not just a sport,” Nguyen said. Rugby debuted as a club at Portland State in 2004. On Mondays from 6:30 p.m.– 8:30 p.m. and Wednesdays

from 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Peter Stott W. Center turf field, you will see the PSU Women’s Rugby Club team practice alongside their coaches. Nguyen stated that the team’s goals would be “to recruit, sustain what we have been doing, build our club, more club leaders and make

sure the responsibilities are disperse. So that next year it is run more effectively.” The women’s rugby club is coming off a fall term where they won all of their matches while only dropping one game to Southern Oregon. In order to fill a full side, they need 15 members. These 15on-15 matches included wins

over Reed College, Lewis and Clark College, Western Oregon University, Willamette University and Pacific University. These home matches are played at the Peter W. Stott Field. The coaching staff is attributed to their success. They have been committed to the cause, been present

Photo illustration courtesy of Caricato da Finizio

and a consistent influence for the club team. Their coaches will work with new members to make sure they get acclimated to the fundamentals of the sport. Membership has been steadily increasing for the club team. Nguyen has put in a lot of extra miles for the club and wants her passion to spread to others as well. The continued turnaround of the club has led to a long term goal of playing in a league with the hopes of a stable team. Upcoming dates for the PSU Women’s Rugby Club include a tournament in Eugene and the Babbfest. The tournament is named after Lindsey Babb, an ORSU rugby player who was tragically murdered in 2010, and features all of the Pacific Northwest collegiate teams in a celebration of the sport. PSU plays their first official game against Western Oregon University next week on the road. The club team will also get to play Gonzaga University on the road later in the year.

Vanguard | FEBRUARY 10, 2015 | psuvanguard.com