Portland State Vanguard

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 69 | ISSUE 29 | APRIL 14, 2015

NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

This week’s news section is an ASPSU Elections Guide: Get to know the candidates as they discuss campus issues. pg. 5

Don’t judge a cosplayer by their costume. They ’re people too and they just want to have fun. pg. 8

School of Music to host The Marriage of Figaro, a comedic opera about love. pg. 9

Root, rage or riot—win or lose. And Rachel Brathen on finding peace. pg. 21

CONTENT NEWS OPINION COVER ARTS & CULTURE CALENDAR SPORTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING MANAGER

EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM Turner Lobey

JGEKELER@PDX.EDU Jordan Gekeler

MANAGING EDITOR

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

MANAGINGEDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM Tim Sullivan

Tessa Millhollin

NEWS EDITOR

Reaz Mahmood

NEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM Colleen Leary

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ARTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM Brandon Staley

OPINION EDITOR OPINION@PSUVANGUARD.COM Chelsea Lobey

SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS@PSUVANGUARD.COM Matthew J. Ocasio

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR ASSOCIATENEWS@PSUVANGUARD.COM Lisa Dunn

PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION@PSUVANGUARD.COM Rachael Bentz

PHOTO EDITOR PHOTO@PSUVANGUARD.COM Jeoffry Ray

COPY CHIEF COPY@PSUVANGUARD.COM Margo Pecha

ONLINE EDITOR

ADVISER

ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman

DESIGNERS

Nimi Einstein Elise Furlan Shannon Kidd Rico Macias-Zepeda

WRITERS

Andy Anady, Nathan Anderson, Brie Barbee, Serena Hersey, Alex Moore, Moriah Newman, John Pinney, Jessica Pollard, Kevin Rackham, Jordan Rasmussen, Matt Rauch, Aislinn Rennison, Sebastian Richardson, Lauren Schlangen, Jason Susim, Kayla Townsley

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Silvia Cardullo Seleny Diaz Christian Profeta Jason Susim

ADVERTISING SALES

Tori Christensen, Bri Robinson, Dustin Clevenger, Dennis Caceres Rainer Evens

ONLINE@PSUVANGUARD.COM Jaime Dunkle

COPY EDITORS

Sabrina Parys Roberta Kelley

MARKETING MANAGER Vivian Vo

The Vanguard is published weekly as an independent student newspaper funded by the Student Fee Committee and governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members; additional copies or subscription issues may incur a 25 cent charge.

The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

Cover design by Nimi Einstein ©2014 PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY VANGUARD 1825 S.W. BROADWAY SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION, RM. S-26 PORTLAND, OR 97201

now hiring!

E A R N M O N E Y A N D G E T VA L U A B L E , P R A C T I C A L EXPERIENCE TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR RESUME!

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Student Media Marketing & Distribution Manager Our student Marketing & Distribution Manager works to elevate brand awareness and increase the audiences for PSU’s award-winning Student Media publications and outlets, including The Vanguard & Rearguard newspapers, Spectrum magazine, KPSU Radio and PSU-TV, and others. Job duties include:

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Conducting market research using focus groups and surveys to gauge audience interests and needs, and to measure students’ spending habits.

Developing multimedia marketing campaigns using student media outlets to enhance ou r brand awareness on and around campus.

Overseeing a distribution team to ensure timely and efficient distribution of our print publications, and auditing and adjusting distribution points to ma ximize distribution rates.

Planning and executing special events on campus and coordinating outreach efforts to PSU students , departments and staff.

Communicating with our student ad designers to accomplish department goals.

Documenting and maintaining an organized system to maximize results.

Student Media Advertising Sales Representative Our student Advertising Sales Representatives sell print and online advertising space in PSU’s award-winning Student Media publications (The Vanguard & Rearguard newspapers and Spectrum magazine). They also help promote sponsorships with KPSU radio and PSU-TV. Job duties include:

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Developing multimedia marketing campaigns for advertisers.

Servicing existing accounts and prospecting for an d developing new business clients, on the phone an d in person .

Communicating with ad designers to accomplish client goals.

Striving to meet and exceed monthly sales revenue goals.

Conducting ongoing ou treach to PSU departments, student groups, & local businesses to maximize advertising revenue generated in our print & onlin e publications.

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WITH FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES, THESE POSITIONS PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE Y O U R R E S U M E W I T H R E A L W O R L D E X P E R I E N C E I N A S U P P O R T I V E L E A R N I N G E N V I R O N M E N T.

Candidates must be PSU students taking 8 credit hours or more with an institutional GPA 2.5 or higher. No experience necessary, sophomore or junior standing preferred and all majors are welcome.

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Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

ASPSU Elections Guide 2015 Vanguard Staff

The polls for the Associated Students of Portland State University election opened on April 13. Polls close April 23.

Elections are scheduled to be announced at 2 p.m. on April 28 at Simon Benson House. PSU students will vote to elect a student body president, vice president, senators and student fee committee members. The ballot also includes a student vote on proposed ASPSU constitutional changes. Voters will find the ballot at aspsu.pdx.edu.

What is ASPSU?

Who is ASPSU?

Role of ASPSU

Aspsu consists of an executive cabinet, including the president and vice president and eleven appointed director positions. The senate contains 16 members who serve on subcommittees.

The Student Fee Commitee consists of 8 members who allocate student fee funds.

The ASPSU website provides descriptions of each of the positions included in the upcoming election. They are as follows:

ASPSU was established in 1946, as a studentrun governing body at the university. According to ASPSU’s website, their goals are to: • “Advocate for and represent the interest of students before internal and external bodies.

• Facilitate formal needs of communication and interaction between students, student organizations faculty and University administration.

• Identify and develop services not offered by other divisions of the University.

• Provide a process for students to fully participate in the allocation of student incidental fees.”

Role of the Senator

“The senate position consists of [16 members]…Senators advocate and represent the interests of the student body at large in senate meetings, trainings, action and event planning, as well as impacting the proposal of the student fee allocation through oversight over the final proposals. The senate represents the members devoted to creating a strong, effective and efficient student government and without their work the ability of ASPSU to function would be severely compromised. Senators are also required to participate in two committees and the actions, events and trainings they create.”

Role of the President

“The President’s role is that of the executive leader. They serve to make sure that ASPSU maintains retention and strong internal correspondence while working on projects they might have as their personal goals. They create the goals that the entire ASPSU student government shall act upon and support…The President’s role is broadly any action which supports the students of [PSU] as a legislatively mandated student organization whose purpose is to provide a formal means of communication between students, student organizations, faculty and the University administration; to advocate for students and provide for student representation on University committees; to provide programs and services not otherwise offered; and to provide a process for students to participate fully in the allocation of student fees.”

Role of Vice President

“The Vice President’s role is to make sure that ASPSU maintains retention and strong internal correspondence while working on projects they might have as their personal goals…The Vice President’s role is any action which supports the students of [PSU] as a legislatively mandated student organization whose purpose is to provide a formal means of communication between students, student organizations, faculty and the University administration; to advocate for students and provide for student representation on University committees; to provide programs and services not otherwise offered; and to provide a process for students to participate fully in the allocation of student fees.”

Role of SFC Member

SFC members serve as representatives on the SFC and the Senate. They are responsible for allocating the student fee budget each fiscal year. Representatives also serve as representatives to the university administration and meet quarterly with designated student fee funded groups.

For a full list and description of the candidates, please jump to our page 12 “Meet the Candidates” feature.

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Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

MEETING OF THE MINDS: CANDIDATES DEBATE STUDENT AND CAMPUS ISSUES. Last week, from April 7–9, candidates in the ASPSU election participated in executive, senate and SFC debates in Smith Memorial Student Union’s Parkway North.

The following pages highlight main issues addressed at these three debates.

NEWS

aSPSu hosts executive debate Serina HerSey

Associated Students of Portland State University presidential and vice presidential candidates met on April 7 in Parkway North for a debate before the student government elections.

Due to conflicting schedules, Dr. Khalid Alballaa and Linda Hoppes from the students for Affordable Educaation slate did not attend.

Tony Funchess and Kaitlyn Verret of Stand Up, Speak Out, Stand Together instead answered questions from a Student Media panel. Students and audience members were encouraged to ask questions as well.

Mike Sundberg, part of the Elections Committee, moderated the debate.

Opening statements Funchess and Verret addressed why they are running.

“I’m running because I think it’s time for students to have the opportunity to step up and be involved in student government,” Funchess said. “Not often are all students included in that process…We are looking to be a more inclusive space.”

Verret said, “We definitely want everyone’s voice to be heard, more people engaged

and to all work together as a community.”

Student engagement “We need students to show up. We need students to vote, to participate,” Funchess said. “We need students to say what they care about so we can advance those issues.

Verret proposed creating more events on campus that would get students excited, citing PSU as a nontraditional and commuter college. She also proposed the idea of the ASPSU office becoming a welcoming space for students.

“Let ASPSU become like a home to students,” she said.

“We are here to listen to them and to make them feel comfortable...Our slate is such a diverse group that students will feel welcomed to talk to anybody.”

Cultural competency Funchess advocated for student inclusivity and cultural competency. He said many of the cultural centers, are underutilized resources.

“If you want to include folks you have to make them feel more welcomed, and a lot of students don’t feel wel-

comed here,” Funchess said.

“Until we really become committed to the work of cultural competency that transforms the culture, the community and the climate here, then we will continue to struggle.”

Verret continued, “Underrepresented and marginalized groups involved…often feel that they do not have a voice. Communities of color are often those who are doing the work and are passionate [about] their work, so I love that ASPSU works with cultural centers and being able to engage those students.”

Campus safety Verret said she would like to see an oversight board including students that campus public safety officers would report to. She said this could benefit sexual assault survivors.

“It’s not easy for people to go to [CPS] officers, so I would like to have a group of people, maybe survivors themselves, people that are interested in the work, that someone can go report to and have help and support to move forward,” she said.

year, 60 percent of students said they dealt with food insecurity.

Funchess advocated to expand hours of the Food Pantry and utilize other resources.

“We need to branch out, build partnerships,” Funchess said.

“We need to identify ways to make healthy, sustainable foods and a more realistic option here on campus.”

Student parents Funchess also addressed student parents struggling with childcare costs.

“I am going to continue to advocate to the state to invest in the [Employment Related ASPSU PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TONY FUNCHESS (RIGHT) responds to a questino during the executive debate.

Daycare Program] so that there is money set aside for students to access for childcare,” he said.

Campus sustainability Funchess said he wants to continue the work on divestment that ASPSU has already done.

“We are going to do a ‘Yes We Can’ campaign,” he continued. “Tons of bottles end up in the garbage, and we can very well take that, recycle that, and turn that money into a resource for the purchase and training of an aid animal for the Disability Resource Center.”

Closing statements “I think when people go about social justice work and being change-makers, we have this grandiose idea that it needs to be the whole campus, or a huge number, and I think success is as small as helping one person,” Verret said.

“That one person can come in and be heard. that, in turn, creates a bigger group of students that you impact because more people will see that one example, and they can feel like they can come and be listened to, find solutions and strategize with people.”

Watch the video story online at psuvanguard.com

Food insecurity In a survey conducted in the 2013–14 academic

MILES SANGUINETTI/PSU VANGUARD

StUdEntS For AFFordAblE EdUcAtion rESPondS LiSa dunn

Dr. Khalid Alballaa and Linda Hoppes, of the Students for Affordable Education slate, were unable to attend the Associated Students of Portland State University executive debate. The Vanguard asked them to respond to debate questions over email.

The role of student government “ASPSU is the party that advocates for and protects the interest of all students,” they said, answering together. “Its role is not limited within the university; it extends to influence policymakers in Salem and elsewhere.”

Alballaa and Hoppes said they plan to continue advocating for student rights

and interests by supporting PSU’s Legislative Affairs Director and the Oregon Students Association.

They also said they would “ensure resource centers are properly supported and margain with with the President’s office and Alumni Association to create more need-based scholarships.”

Student engagement They said ASPSU has traditionally been isolated from the student body, which has manifested in low student engagement.

“We want to increase student engagement by focusing on activities that create a strong [PSU] community where we can feel safer and

have fun while we accomplish our goals,” they said.

They continued that they would like to re-implement a newsletter program from a previous ASPSU administration.

“The newsletter was a great way for students to know what we were doing and how they could get involved,” they said.

Campus safety “Sexual assault prevention is [at the] heart of what we want to support if we get elected,” they said. Alballaa and Hoppes were two of several students who started a PSU chapter of Students Active For Ending Rape, which aims to address the issue of on-campus sexual assault.

“We would create a coalition between SAFER and other groups working on this important issue to better understand the concerns within the system and then get multiple perspectives to address this problem,” they continued. “We plan to create a social shift in perspective regarding sexual assault survivors and how to better empower them.”

Alballaa and Hoppes said they will also continue to work with the administration and the Board of Trustees on armed officer implementation.

Food insecurity “Zero dollars [of studentallocated funds] goes to the

food pantry,” Alballaa said.

“When serving [on] the SFC, I worked to address this issue, but some dated policies prevented the success of my efforts.”

He continued that he and Hoppes would work to address those policies and would additionally plan fundraising functions for donations with local organizations and the alumni office.

he said. “We believe an increase in scholarships for low-income students with children is a must. We plan to support them by backing funds…allocated to them by the SFC and by helping to educate students with children about the resources that are available to them on campus and elsewhere.”

Student parents

Hoppes, who created the Sustainability Affairs director position last year and is a member of Divest PSU, said, “I will personally be dedicated to continuing to shift the culture in ASPSU to embrace sustainability in all of our work.”

Alballaa was the liaison to all childcare programs when he was an SFC member.

“Students with children need a lot of support to make a better future for themselves and for their kids,”

Campus sustainability

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

SFc cAndidAtES dEbAtE jeSSiCa PoLLard

The Associated Students of Portland State hosted the Student Fee Committee debate On April 8, 2015, where candidates responded to questions posed by the audience and a Student Media panel.

Current SFC Chair Andy Mayer and Vice Chair Keikoanne Hollins participated in the debate, as well as two write-in candidates, ASPSU Director of University Affairs Jonathen Gates and Anna Vetter. Gates was a member of the SFC in the 2012–13 school year.

so [students] have frustration in that they can’t see what their work is doing.”

Turnover rate within ASPSU

Athletics funding

“A lot of it is the really hard training process and getting into the flow of what this actually is; there’s a lot of bureaucracy to get through,” Mayer said. “There’s a lot of money and a lot of laws about how this money can be spent,

Mayer explained that currently, funding for athletics programs rely on student participation at events.

Gates said, “I don’t think that the NCAA athletics program that exists at PSU is significantly beneficial to

Student engagement “I think ASPSU needs to get out of its office, get a little tan, maybe, and start spending more time outside where the students are not rushing between classes or trying to sit down and study,” Gates said.

Gates said utilizing the Park Blocks as a platform to communicate to students would likely increase overall student interest in ASPSU.

the institution or the students that go here, based on the cost that gets spent on it.

But, as a member of the SFC, I am not going to act on my own sole belief that athletics money could be better spent elsewhere without a significant student mandate.”

Hollins said that she runs track and field at PSU. “People in Portland love their athletics…[It] can be used to gain attendance from the general public,” she said.

“If we can create a good relationship between the University and athletics, there’s potential for there to be a lot of success.”

Building and renovations funding Candidates also discussed the SFC’s role in funding buildings and renovations, including the $1.5 million SFC allocation for the upcoming Viking Pa-

CANDIDATES ANNE VETTER, KEIKOANNE HOLLINS AND ANDY MAYER argue positions during a recent Student Fee Committee debate.

Listen to the debates online at psuvanguard.com

SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

vilion, which will be an upgrade to the current Peter W. Stott Center.

“Coming in, I would have a very different perspective than those who were embroiled in that process last year,” Vetter said. “I think that I would be very critical about the purposes and the necessity for the funds, just

on its face. That being said…

I think that it’s definitely an area where we can help to build that community, and opening it up to those other than athletes would be really valuable.”

Hollins expressed her support of the renovations.

“When it rains, [the Stott Center] actually does flood…

It’s just not a safe [space] for students to be using and occupying,” Hollins said.

All four of the debate participants said they would be willing to serve in SFC chair or vice chair positions if appointed.

For full debate coverage, see the web version at psuvanguard.com

SEnAtE cAndidAtES dEbAtE Serina HerSey

LEFT TO RIGHT: ASPSU VICE CHIEF jUSTICE BARBARA PAYNE moderates the student senate debate, along with Vanguard Editor-in-Chief Turner Lobey and associate news editor Lisa Dunn.

Listen to the debates online at psuvanguard.com ANH DUC DO/PSU VANGUARD

Of the 12 candidates running for Senate, 8 were able to participate in the April 9 Associated Students of Portland State University senate candidate debate: Liddy Champion, Lucero Cortez, Monty Herron, Shanae Jung, David Martinez, Luis Perez, Patrick Vroman and Angel Ware.

Candidates discussed high turnover in student government, cultural competency, tuition rates, sexual assault,

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food insecurity and student engagement.

Student engagement Vroman, who is currently a senator, said he believes lack of student engagement is the most pressing issue on campus.

“We’ve had quite a few events over the term and several issues that have come up, and I felt like the word

could have gotten out better, and students could have been more aware,” he said.

Vroman recently hosted a Town Hall meeting where students were able to express their views on various issues around campus. He said he plans to host more Town Halls in the future and hopes more students will attend to help combat concerns at PSU. Martinez said ASPSU needs to increase advertising and interact with students more.

Cortez and Ware both said increasing ASPSU’s visibility would make student government feel more accessible and increase student engagement.

Cultural competency Jung, currently a senator, said cultural competency is a matter of being aware of people’s personal histories

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

and the things that might trigger hurt. “[It is] being respectful of other people’s opinions and differences and accepting those [differences] and people,” she said.

Perez, also a current senator, said he is involved in cultural competency initiatives at PSU and would like to continue the work ASPSU is doing.

“For us to establish cultural competency trainings for faculty and staff and other members of our community is extremely important,” he said. “We want our students to succeed and concentrate on their academics and not to feel hurt.”

Tuition Herron said he met with each member of the Board of Trustees during finals week

to advocate against a tuition increase. He said freezing tuition goes beyond PSU. “Where we need to get compliance is with our [state] senators; we need to spend more time at the Capitol lobbying for the student body to get the kind of money this school deserves,” he said.

Martinez said he would like to see ASPSU mobilize and lobby for more funding from the state.

Sexual assault prevention “A lot of people are aware of sexual assault but are not aware of the policies that schools have, and they are not aware of ASPSU’s attempt at changing those policies and creating a safer environment,” Jung said, Vroman said he would like to see a shift in the discourse surrounding sexual assault.

“One emphasis that has to be made is we have to help people understand that [they] shouldn’t rape,” Vroman said.

“It’s the wrong focus to say, ‘Here’s how to avoid being raped.’”

Champion, a current senator, said she has addressed sexual assault prevention as a member of the University Affairs committee.

“A lot of the focus goes on making sure the university is aware that it is responsible, to a certain extent, for some of the things that happen on its campus and that it is in their best interest to have a healthy, safe community and student body, and they need to provide support for students who have been assaulted,” she said.

For full coverage, please see the web version at psuvanguard.com.

NEWS

ASPSU proposes changes to constitution

Turner Lobey

The Associated Students of Portland State University seeks to institute substantive changes to the student government constitution. Alterations to the constitution will be put to vote by the student body. No other measures will be on the ballot this election.

The proposed changes are as follows: ASPSU LOGO

Preamble: “Board of Trustees” has been added in the relevant paragraphs to reflect changes in university governance made by the Oregon Legislature.

Article I: Terms and Definitions

1. Terms are tracked in relevant bylaws, so the list of definitions has been reduced.

2. An Academic Quarter as defined in the ASPSU Constitution has been clarified. Each aca demic quarter is defined as including breaks between when class is in session.

Article III: Participation

1. Clarifies that Academic Standards apply for all elected, appointed, and mid-term appointed individuals in ASPSU. 2. Pass/No pass grades now count for calculating credit hours, except for ASPSU classes. This change has been made so that persons taking Pass/No Pass classes for their degree are not penalized.

Article IV: Governance

1. Clarifies the process and timeline for making amendments to bylaws and guidelines for ASPSU governing bodies.

2. Streamlines language that mandates compliance with Oregon Public Meeting Law. Article V: President and Vice-President.

1. Separates this section from Executive Committee in order to clarify the roles and responsi bilities of the President and Vice-President 2. Removes section about executive staff position creation as this process is already outlined explicitly in SFC guidelines.

3. Directly states that it is the President’s responsibility to fill all ASPSU mid-term vacancies.

Article VI: Executive Committee

1. Designates the ASPSU President as the chair of the executive committee. Removes language about delegation of the chair as Robert’s Rules of Order already allows this function.

Article VII: The Senate

1. The Student Position on the Board of Trustees has been added in the relevant paragraphs.

2. Membership and Voting Rights in the Senate have been clarified with regard to which ASPSU officials vote in the Senate and which do not. There have been no changes as to which offices confer voting duties.

3. Deletes language about the 8th SFC seat that has been removed as per Article VIII. 4. Clarifies the senate’s role in referrals and referenda. The process has not changed.

5. Clarifies the roles, responsibilities and election of the Senate Chair.

Article VIII: The Student Fee Committee

1. Removes the 8th SFC seat, which is filled by senate appointment, as the 2015–2016 budget only funds 7 SFC seats. Retains all elected SFC seats.

2. Removes language about guidelines for revision timelines.

3. Removes section describing SFC process investigation. This process still exists but is clari fied in SFC guidelines.

Article IX: The Judicial Review Board

1. Removes the Senate Liaison role, as the position has historically had poorly-defined duties and many discrepancies regarding its role.

2. Removes language regarding the Judicial board’s job of reviewing policies, procedures, and rules because they fall under “By-laws and Guidelines” which the Judicial Board al ready reviews.

3. Changes the definition of who may file attention requests to allow only Incidental Fee funded departments or PSU students. Previous language stated that any person may file at tention requests.

4. Introduces time limits to the Senate’s power to overturn Judicial Board decisions.

Article X: Elections

1. Clarifies what roles are elected by the Student Body and methods by which they are elected.

2. Adds language clarifying that the Judicial Review Board is in charge of changes to the Elec tions Committee by-laws and Elections manual.

3. Removes sections about Senators and SFC members being elected by Instant run-off.

4. Removes election timeline language. This language is available in the Elections Manual and the dates will change each year.

5. Removes language discussing Executive Committee role in elections.

Article XI: Replacement, Recall, and Impeachment

1. Removes language about the 8th SFC seat.

2. Removes language about filling SFC Chair vacancy because the process is described in the SFC guidelines.

3. Adds a line describing how to fill vice-presidential seat vacancy. No language on this ex isted before.

4. Clarifies language regarding impeachment; removes language regarding processes enu merated in Judicial Board Bylaws.

5. Removes “Open and Fair” language in line 11.7, as Oregon Public Meeting Law already re quires this.

Article XII: Initiative & Referendum

1. Initiative petitions must now have signatures of 3% of the student body, as tabulated in the most recent Fall Quarter FTE Report of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, instead of the 1% required before. The number of required signatures was increased to better ensure that initiatives reflect the will of the student body.

Article XIII: Amendments

1. Requires that for Senate-referred amendments to the Constitution, at least 3% of the total student body must have voted in the election for the amendments to be ratified.

Information on the constitutional changes courtesy of ASPSU. For more information, visit aspsu.pdx.edu.

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

Six days aboard the ‘Southern Cross’ could be your last Andy Anady

As much as I hate the word psychological as a way to describe writing (as if anything made by humans can be devoid of psychology), Becky Cloonan’s Southern Cross comic boasts a central focus on the psychological essence of her protagonist, Alex Bairth, as she embarks on a journey to find out how her sister, Amber, died on Saturn’s horrible moon, Titan.

Amber was the good one and got an administrative job on Titan. It’s not the most dangerous job on the moon, but it’s a mining moon with nothing but ice and oil, and the only shuttle going between it and Earth only makes the trip twice a year.

So when Alex gets on this ship, the Southern Cross, she’s not only onboard for six days straight, but she’s going to a moon where she’ll be for half a year. She’s going to collect her sister’s remains, but she’s also looking for what’s happened to Amber.

That’s what immediately got my attention and convinced me to pick up the first issue. Not only does Southern Cross have a female protagonist, her entire characterization and plotline doesn’t involve falling in love and obsessing over a man.

Alex is just a tough, powerful and protective woman who gives up a lot and puts herself in grave danger for the sake of a sister, a sister, who was successful in ways that Alex failed.

Alex’s whole character is intriguing because at first she appears a little one-dimensional—your typical monosyllabic tough-guy—but that’s far from true. Along with the art of the comic, Alex shifts from the concrete to the abstract and the art gets weird and ridiculously exciting.

Southern Cross really is on the cusp of genres, hard science-fiction in its artwork with an impressive mystery, too. Even the fact that Amber died on a dangerous moon

with no way off doesn’t really afford the story a facile explanation.

It ends weirdly violent, and I suspect that the Southern Cross’ secret is something sort of cannibalistic, like a cut-up-people-for-parts kind of cannibalism. You can do that sort of thing when you’re far in space and far from Earth.

A six day trip made every six months—that sounds like a breeding ground for cannibalistic space travel to me.

That, and the massive corporation, Zemi, which owns the mining rig on Titan, the tanker Southern Cross, and the entire space port where Alex launched off and controls literally everything about the lives of oil miners—expendable miners whose lives might not be as valuable to Zemi as the ships they work on.

I hope this space opera explores Amber and Alex’s relationship in the next issues, but there’s also some-

thing obviously wrong going on, not only Titan but on the Southern Cross as well.

I don’t think Alex will make it six days without noticing and doing something about it.

As much as Southern Cross is already straddling genres,

taking the best parts of each, I think it’s only going to get weirder and better.

Cloonan and Belanger are both gifts to sciencefiction and horror. It’s like Ray Bradbury’s “Kaleidescope” and Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars had a

baby and that baby knows how to write women like they’re people.

So, if you’re terrified of the cold infinity that is space, you should read Southern Cross because it will only make that fear far, far worse.

SOUTHERN CROSS ISSUE 1

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Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE Music school to present ‘Le nozze di figaro’ MoriaH neWMan

The Portland State School of Music will present Le Nozze Di Figaro, or The Marriage of Figaro, from April 17–26. All performances will be held at the Lincoln Performance Hall. Tickets are $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for students, PSU faculty and staff.

Composed by the musical master Amadeus Mozart and aided by the talents of Lorenzo Da Ponte, the comical marriage of Figaro and his betrothed Susanna is a four-act comedic opera of romance, charm, wit and passion.

The opera will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Christine Meadows, opera production director in the PSU School of Music, is excited to be bringing Mozart back into the spotlight.

“We haven’t done Mozart for a while,” Meadows said. “[Mozart] is so good for students because he’s one of the most exposing composers.

You really have to be able to sing things beautifully and cleanly, and very much in tune. Any little things show in Mozart because of the way he writes.”

One of the many talents Mozart and Da Ponte bring to audience members with Figaro is the many ways in which characters are relatable.

Bob Kingston, a local music expert, has been involved with the School of Music for four years and will present an informative pre-performance lecture an hour before the show.

Kingston said one of the reasons Figaro continues to speak to audiences 230 years after its premiere is that Mozart and Da Ponte created characters who deal with issues that resonate with us now: love, courtship, infidelity, forgiveness and reconciliation.

“What’s perhaps most remarkable about this opera is that these issues are presented in ways that seem fresh and surprisingly modern.

How this happens is a great mystery, and is also a testament to the genius of these two men,” Kingston said.

Kingston said there has been some concern that the use of surtitles might be distracting, but that he believes they are no more distracting than subtitles in a foreign film.

“We can take in a line or two [of ] text in a fraction of a second without really missing much of the action,” Kingston said. “I suppose we sacrifice something when [surtitles] give us the punchline before the music does, but that’s a small price to pay for understanding the subtle nuances of a great li-

bretto like the one Lorenzo Da Ponte created for Figaro.”

Haley Maddox, a senior in the School of Music, is excited about her role as Cherubino, the sex-crazed adolescent pageboy.

“I’m enjoying the challenge of playing a boy because it’s the first pants role I’ve ever played,” Maddox said.

Maddox said Figaro has been difficult. She had a lead role in the opera last year, and while the music was difficult, she was playing a woman and singing in English.

“Now I’m playing a boy, and the music is higher…it’s much harder because there are more aspects to it that don’t come as naturally,” Maddox said.

Audience members are sure to be fully engaged during the performance.

“When I listen to or watch a performance of FigaroW, I never once feel like I’m experiencing something dated or old-fashioned,” Kingston said. “This work still speaks to us across the centuries because it deals with things that are timeless and universal.”

Watch the video story online at psuvanguard.com

‘lEAPinG dArKnESS’ Exhibit ExPoSES ProvoKinG connEctionS aiSLinn renniSon

Jump into the world of thought-provoking, life-size photograms in the altering exhibit Leaping Darkness at the Littman Gallery, led by artists Anna Daedalus and Kerry Davis, through April 29.

The first-time display of abstract and cinematic figures was the third artistic reflection inspired by their research of atomic destruction and environmental demolition.

Both members of the interdisciplinary collaboration, 13 Hats, Davis and Daedalus first started working together in 2011. Since then, they have been creatively motivated by the destruction seen in the Pacific Northwest environment and how that relates to similar damage in Japan.

“Before, I didn’t know about the close connection with Nagasaki,” Daedalus said. “Apparently the plutonium in the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki was developed at Hanford Nuclear Reservation, right here, secretly.”

The idea of using photograms artistically started with their creation of a shadow box, displayed during the Hiroshima anniversary, Aug. 6. Uti-

lizing a box in a public space, people were able to get their picture taken as a shadow, recreating the victims’ shadows that were imprinted on the buildings and ground when the bomb was dropped.

Leaping Darkness is evocative of those shadows. Although those photograms were not sculpted, Leaping Darkness is magnificently large and three-dimensional.

“We went out there to [Hanford] and did a tour of the site, and while we were there we did our first water shadow,” Daedalus said.

“The idea around that was to draw connections between the Pacific Northwest and Japan, present nuclear issues and historical ones, and also to talk about the Columbia River as the life blood to our region and how it is being polluted in a very serious way.”

Davis and Daedalus were surprised to continuously find devastating connections between their home and Japan. Some of the water shadows taken at the Columbia River revealed plastic and trash. A lot of that debris, a reminder of the tsunami in

PATRONS VIEW A COLLECTION OF PANORAMAS

by Anna Daedalus and Kerry Davis, on display at the Smith Memorial Student Union Littman Gallery.

COURTESY OF ASHLEY VAUGHN

Japan, is still showing up on the Pacific Northwest coast.

Since then, Davis and Daedalus have been moved to get more involved artistically and educhationally within

environmental issues close to home.

“After we did the water shadows, we would ripple the paper and make them look like water, like they were wavy,”

Davis said. “And we really found that to be an interesting way to present the material besides it just being a traditional, flat, two-dimensional photograph that’s pristine and always in perfect condition.”

This idea started the work of the yearlong process to create Leaping Darkness.

“When you walk around the gallery you should get a feel that each piece is moving and that they are all interconnected,” Davis said.

The abstract sculptural treatment of the paper in Leaping Darkness makes the static art appear as if it is active and alive.

“We are interested in this idea of finding a way to get back to the material world of things leaving a trace of their physical presence on paper,” Daedalus explained.

Davis and Daedalus are focused on future collaborations with other artists.

However, they both prioritize involvement with the Portland community.

“We like the idea of giving back and working with the community besides just being a part of the gallery

world,” Davis said. “Nothing against that world, but there are other ways to show our work.”

Davis and Daedalus enjoy dialogue with the public because they are curious about the dynamic between what the artist and the spectator can bring to each other and what can be formed through that interaction.

“We are always interested in people pushing their envelope and their use of materials if they’re an artist,” Daedalus said. “Or their perceptions if they’re a nonartist. There are endless variations and opportunities.”

Led by Davis and Daedalus, there will be a chance for Portland State students and the Portland community to share their inspired thoughts through a talk on April 21, 6:30–8 p.m. in the Littman Gallery, further explaining the artistic process that led to the creation of Leaping Darkness.

In the meantime, Davis and Daedalus are focused on opening a unique art exhibit very shortly within their Sellwood workplace, Roll-up Photo Studio and Gallery.

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

tin hoUSE to hoSt AUthor nAM lE At thE littlE chUrch jon raby

Tin House Books and Portland State will host writer Nam Le at the Little Church on April 16 at 6:30 p.m. as a part of their writerin-residence program.

Le is a Vietnam-born Australian whose first book, The Boat, won numerous awards including the PEN/Malamud Award, Pushcart Prize, Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize.

It was voted the number-one fiction book by the Oregonian in 2008.

Tin House will be hosting the visiting author in Portland, where he can relax, work and hopefully find inspiration.

“The aim of our ongoing partnership with [Portland State] is to bring national caliber writers to Portland for in-depth teaching oppor-

tunities in their MFA program, as well as providing the writers an opportunity to generate new work in a creatively stimulating environment,” said Lance Cleland, director of the Tin House Summer Writers’ Workshop and an assistant editor of Tin House magazine.

The event will include a reading selected by the author. It is free and open to the public.

Le will stay in Portland for three months as a part of the program. As a part of the writer-in-residence program, Le will also be teaching a graduate workshop for PSU’s MFA program.

“Not only do we want to bring in authors whose work will excite and challenge the students at PSU,” Cleland said, “we also aim

to bring in people who will be excellent literary citizens that will engage with the community.”

The Boat is a collection of short stories that take place all over the world. Le’s stories often explore ethnicity and all its subjectivity.

One story tells of his Vietnamese father and the horrors he saw during the American War. Another follows a 14-yearold Columbian boy who takes the life of a sicario, an assassin.

Le obviously had fun with the creative inspiration and plot of some of these short stories, but the level of research and how authentic they feel may make some wonder if he actually lived these lives.

Much like Nam Le’s current life, the stories in The Boat take place all over the world. The settings range from a small Australian fishing town to New York City.

One takes place in Tehran and another in Hiroshima.

TIN HOUSE PRESENTS NAM LE The Little Church 5138 NE 23rd Ave. April 16, 6:30 p.m.

AUTHOR NAM LE signs autographs during the 2010 Comédie du Livre in France.

a dog and its boy turner Lobey

RADAR FILMS/2013

THE NORTHWEST FILM CENTER PRESENTS BELLE AND SEBASTIAN ‘Belle and Sebastian’ Whitsell Auditorium 1219 SW Park Ave. Saturday, April 18 at 2, 4 and 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 19 at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

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When I was young I wanted to go on an adventure. Being the timid and allergy stricken kid I was, chances were pretty slim I’d make it on my own in the real world. I knew I needed a companion if I wanted to survive. With a faithful pup at my side, we could be like Tintin and Snowy: fighting Nazis, solving mysteries and discovering ancient artifacts.

My family got our first dog when I was 10. I was ecstatic.

I would finally have my faithful sidekick. To my surprise, Merlin wasn’t Snowy. Merlin didn’t know any tricks, and he didn’t save me from trouble. He wasn’t particularly brave, either. He came from an abused home and was too afraid to enter the kitchen.

The dog was a lounger who showed his bravery by barking at squirrels and redheaded children. Merlin

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

COURTESY OF ESBY THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

‘Belle and Sebastian’ doesn’t need new tricks to be a gem

wasn’t the adventuring type, but I loved the chubby little sausage of a dog just the same. Couch life would have to do for us.

Belle and Sebastian, on the other hand, got to live the adventurous life we didn’t. The 2013 film, which shares the name of the two heroes, is the story of Sebastian, a 6-yearold boy living in occupied France during WWII. Without friends or family, he is raised by a surrogate grandfather figure and spends his days roaming the French Alps. Because that’s definitely the best place for a child to spend his free time.

While Nazis harass the villagers, the family’s goats are attacked by some kind of monstrous rabid beast. In his wandering, Sebastian discovers the monster to actually be a wild and misunderstood

shaggy sheepdog that he fondly names Belle (because she’s a pretty dog).

In typical child-animal friendship-adventure-film fashion, the two develop a special bond and take to thwarting the occupying force. The Nazis are trying to discover the people responsible for smuggling Jewish exiles into Switzerland. Like Tintin and Snowy, Belle and Sebastian must help the exiles cross treacherous mountain passes in a winter storm and get them to safety.

While the film can be overly sentimental at times, it can’t help but be charming and sincerely sweet. It has all the tropes one would expect from a film about a young boy’s bond with an animal— the young orphan boy is a loner, he befriends a wild or misunderstood animal, the

townspeople vilify it, the boy must keep it a secret to protect it and the father figure doesn’t understand. It’s all here in Belle and Sebastian, but it doesn’t seem to matter much.

If anything, Belle and Sebastian is a sentimental look at the ways in which befriending an animal can enrich one’s life.

In my own life, things didn’t play out so dramatically. Merlin died two months ago. We didn’t live through the times Belle and Sebastian did, but I’ll always remember our adventures fondly, even if they were much quieter. Maybe it was because his departure was so recent, but I couldn’t help but remember that tubby little dog of mine while watching the film. Maybe watching Belle and Sebastian will do the same for you.

ARTS & CULTURE

the antlers deliver at Crystal ballroom jordan raSMuSSen

On stage at the Crystal Ballroom, Peter Silberman of the Antlers called Portland a little slice of paradise. Before a backdrop of changing lights and with the natural beauty of the Crystal Ballroom surrounding them, the Antlers gave back to paradise with a blissful performance of their own on April 1.

Supported by Portlandbased folk collective Musée

Mécanique and alt-R&B act Shaprece of Seattle, the show was the first of KPSU’s 30 Shows in 30 Days event and KPSU’s first co-presented show with Eleven Magazine at the Crystal Ballroom.

The show began with Musée Mécanique. The band set a dreamy and intricate tone for their set, a theme that would recur throughout the night.

With seven members on stage, their music, and especially their live show, is somewhat reflective of their name. Their detailed and lush folk arrangements were given time to grow and build as their many instruments slowly and beautifully coalesced.

Densely and intricately percussive, their folk music is unafraid of electronics and

big sounds, which gave them a lot to work with inside the Crystal Ballroom.

Up next was Shaprece, an alt-R&B singer from Seattle who, during her set, announced that she made dreamy music, keeping with the theme quite nicely.

Unlike Musée Mécanique before her and the Antlers later in the night, Shaprece’s dreams are more of the sen-

THE ANTLERS perform for a crowd of fans at the Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland.

SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

sual type. Supported by a producer to her right and a cellist to her left, Shaprece stood in the middle of the stage with confidence, class and an impressive voice to match.

At what was essentially an indie-folk concert, Shaprece’s production was enough to get some concert-goers dancing along to her off-kilter, trippy-but-danceable beats.

Perhaps it was the electronic cello that convinced the indie crowd, the addition of which sets Shaprece’s music apart from much of the current altR&B acts.

Accompanied by her voice, the cello acted almost as a second vocalist at times, echoing Shaprece or engaging directly with her voice.

Her vocal range stretched far, and the music had no problem keeping up.

At one point between songs, she said she wanted to give the audience 1,000 hugs.

Unfortunately, I was not the recipient of one of them.

Then, finally, the Antlers.

Full disclosure, as KPSU’s Blake Hickman put it, I am an Antlers fanboy. That’s a fair assessment. At the merch table they had plenty of vinyl LPs of their fan-favorite masterpiece Hospice, a record that has been conspicuously missing from many record stores for far too long.

Between their set and Shaprece, Peter Silberman and Darby Cicci were diligently setting up on stage with the help of the crew, making the anticipation in the air and the crowd even more palpable.

Judging by the relatively large amount of Antlers shirts in the audience and the general moodiness in the air, it’s fair to say that people were here to see the Antlers, a band that

people might, just like me, hold a deep emotional connection with.

Beginning their set bathed in a sea of purple and blue, the Antlers opened with the crystalline intro to their latest LP Familiars, “Palace.”

The internet is rife with complaints about the sound quality at the Crystal Ballroom, but that night there were no qualms whatsoever.

The delicate pieces sounded full, but still intimate and emotional. When the volume got louder (which it did to a deafening level during the Hospice track “Kettering”) the Antlers managed it well, keeping their combination of horns, jazzy percussion, moody keyboards and deliberate guitar playing flowing seamlessly together in sync.

The airiness of the Crystal Ballroom matched well with their music, giving the in struments plenty of space to fill and resonate.

Most impressive during their set were the new takes on old songs, specifically when they performed “Putting the Dog to Sleep” from Burst Apart, and closer “Epilogue” from Hospice.

Before the recording and production of 2014’s Familiars, the Antlers had yet to experiment with the jazzy, blues-inspired indie rock they played that night, and thus did not write or perform their older songs with the aforementioned horns.

However, the Antlers performed these songs with the same emotional intensity but with new instrumentation, providing a whole new perspective or an update to their older music. For an Antlers super fan, it was an incredibly surreal and beautiful experience.

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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COVER

Meet the 2015 ASPSU Candidates Serina Hersey

Associated Students of Portland State University kicked off the elections with a “Meet the Candidates” event on April 3 at the Multicultural Center, where candidates were introduced and got to know

executive

each other through a series of activities.

There are two slates running in the elections: Step Up, Speak Out, Stand Together [SUSOST] and Students for Affordable Education [SAE], as well as two independent and four write-in candidates.

DR. KHALID ALBALLAA, PRESIDENT, SAE

Alballaa is pursuing a master’s degree in business management. He has been part of two ASPSU governments as a senator and SFC member. In addition to student government involvement, Alballaa has organized committees that fostered multiple extracurricular programs, including a volunteer program to teach the public CPR and first aid skills.

“I started that program from scratch and built it with my team to be one of the largest volunteering programs in my undergraduate university, which is more than double the size of PSU,” Alballaa said.

After graduating from medical school with an M.D. and working as a physician for a little CHRISTIAN PROFETA/PSU VANGUARD over a year, he joined a multinational corporation for three years as a business development manager.

“I decided that I was not just interested in serving few patients in a hospital but rather in creating entirely new organizations that can serve thousands,” Alballaa said.

Alballaa said he and his slate would like to focus on affordable education, a more transparent ASPSU, an equitable campus, smarter investments and engaging students.

“I plan to utilize my academics and professional business experience to help ASPSU make smarter investments,” he said. “For example, expanding the student safety net by [granting] the Student Pantry a baseline funding level for food and ensuring resource centers are properly supported and bargaining with [President Wim Wiewel’s] office and Alumni Association to create more need-based scholarships,” Alballaa said.

He emphasized engagement based on experiences in the past.

“ASPSU, throughout the years, was isolated from the student body, which manifested itself in low engagement of students in almost all ASPSU’s activities,” Alballaa said. “I want to increase student engagement by focusing on activities that create a strong [PSU] community where we can feel safe and have fun while we accomplish our goals.”

LINDA HOPPES, VICE PRESIDENT, SAE

Hoppes is a graduate of PSU with a Bachelor of Science in community development and a sustainable development minor. She is currently working on her master’s degree in education and policy with a concentration in leadership for sustainable education. Hoppes transferred to PSU from Mount Hood Community College, where she was involved in student government. “[MHCC’s] student government changed who I am and changed the direction of where I am going,” Hoppes said.

This will be her third year in student government at PSU. She created the ASPSU sustainCorinna Scott/Vanguard Archives ability affairs director position with the help of community members and works with sixth graders as a garden educator.

“What I [would] like to see move forward is a really solid foundation at ASPSU,” she said. “The idea of reaching out and more process time, learning from each other, and having all of us and engaging with students I think is really important…How would we know what to change without reaching out?”

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Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Executive

Senate

SFC

TONY FUNCHESS, PRESIDENT, SUSOST

Funchess transferred to PSU from Portland Community College in 2013. He is majoring in community development and minoring in business administration. He is currently the director of Multicultural Affairs in ASPSU. At PCC, Funchess was president of the Black Student Union for two years. He is currently Vice President of the NAACP for the City of Portland and the Executive Candidate Member of the Tri State Conference, overseeing 17 branches for Civic Engagement. He was recently elected as Vice President of the Urban League Young Professionals.

“I am really focused on community engagemiles sanguinetti/PSU VANGUARD ment and civic engagement,” Funchess said.

Through his involvement in groups both on and off campus, Funchess’ goals include spreading his values and reaching out to students.

“I believe in creating access and spaces for students who have traditionally been locked out,” he said.

Funchess’ said the SUSOST slate is focused on bringing students together.

“We want to be able to hear from [students],” Funchess said. “We want to be very clear on what the student needs are and translate that to administration to result in positive outcomes.”

His other goals include increasing the voter turnout and making sure students’ voices are heard.

“As a candidate, it’s not really about voting for an individual,” Funchess said. “It’s about the vote. We want a minimum of a 10 percent voter turnout. The more students who turn out to vote, the more power we have to go to administration and say ‘This is what students want.”

Funchess said he would also like to start an internship program focused on leadershiip development and focus on making ASPSU more visible.

KAITLYN VERRET, VICE PRESIDENT, SUSOST

This is Verret’s third year at PSU, and she is majoring in women’s studies and minoring in law and legal studies. She would like to attend law school and practice civil rights law.

Verret is currently a senator in ASPSU. “I want to move up to vice president to take on more responsibility, [a] leadership role, and have the opportunity to talk to administrators and be the voice of the students,” Verret said.

Verret encouraged students to vote, not just for her or her slate, but in general to create a greater voter turnout. miles sanguinetti/PSU VANGUARD “Not many people know about ASPSU, or do not feel like they can come in and talk to people, or be heard,” Verret said. “We want to make people feel more welcome. There are also certain things we will be focusing on such as the deputization of CPSO, safer campus, sexual assault and tuition affordability.”

COVER SHANAE JUNG, SENATE, SUSOST

Cortez has been involved in ASPSU since October 2014. Cortez is studying film production and communications.

Cortez said she is concerned about the lack of student involvement in campus issues and politics at the university.

“I want to make it as easy as possible for students to find information on what is going on campus,” Cortez said.

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

Jung has been at PSU since fall term and is studying political science with a minor in law and legal studies. She is currently a senator in ASPSU. She commits herself to various internships and volunteer organizations such as the Queer Resource Center on campus.

Jung would like to continue the work of her committees as well as the ASPSU as a whole.

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

LIDDY CHAMPION, SENATE, SUSOST

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

Champion is studying biology and was appointed for senator during the winter term.

This will be her first election at PSU. Champion is a front desk volunteer for the Women’s Resource Center and a part of the Reproductive Justice Action Team and Love Your Body Action Team. She also mentors local high school students looking to pursue higher education. Champion was recently appointed as the coordinator of the ASPSU Food Pantry.

“I am part of the University Affairs Committee and Equal Rights Committee, focusing on cultural competency, and also have been helping with the Sexual Assault Prevention Policy,” Champion said. “The main reason I want to be senator again is because I’ve been really enjoying what I have been doing so far.”

HECTOR ZARAGOZA, SENATE, SUSOST

Zaragoza has been at PSU for two years and is majoring in social work and minoring in dance.

“If I am selected, my goal is to accurately represent the needs of students to the best of my ability,” Zaragoza said.

Seleny Diaz/PSU Vanguard

PATRICK VROMAN, SENATE, SUSOST

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

Vroman is running for re-election as senator.

He started a LGBT support group at his past community college and has continued to be an activist for peace.

“One thing I would love to do is Town Hall [meetings],” Vroman said. “It is really important because one of the problems we are finding is that a lot of students are not really engaging, and we’re not engaging with students. There is a gap we need to close, and I think that this is one way to do it.”

There has been one Town Hall meeting so far, and Vroman would like to continue at least one per quarter in the future. He would also like to create multilingual ballots next year.

WONDEMAGEGNE NEVENS, SENATE, SUSOST

Nevens has been studying international development with a focus on Africa and a minor in political science at PSU for three years.

Nevens has worked at Member Services at the Campus Rec Center and is currently a secondyear Student Ambassador. He has also been an officer in the Association of African Students.

“My goal as a senator, if elected, is to focus on resource accessibility for students,” Nevens said.

“This can range anywhere from getting information out to students about the resources available to them to advocating for more support for minority students whether financial or academic.”

JEOFFRY RAY/PSU VANGUARD

DAVID MARTINEZ, SENATE, SUSOST

KATHRYN VU, SENATE, INDEPENDENT

Martinez has been at PSU for two years studying political science with a focus international development. Currently, he is a member of the SFC. “My goal is to empower students and create student power,” Martinez said. “I’m a socialist student of color dedicated to fight social inequality, political oppression, racism and police brutality. I’m an anti-war activist and student leader. I believe students have the potential to change society if they work together and organize efficiently.”

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

senate

LUCERO CORTEZ, SENATE, SUSOST

Vu is a pre-med student studying biology. She has never held office and wants to become more involved in student government.

“Not many students know what the ASPSU actually does,” Vu said. “I feel like we are a huge resource for students, and I want ASPSU to have more of a conspicuous presence for the school. I want to bridge the gap between students and administration, and I hope that the things that are going on can be more transparent.”

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

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senate

COVER MONTY HERRON, SENATE, WRITE-IN

LUIS PEREZ, SENATE, INDEPENDENT

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

Perez is a senior studying anthropology and is graduating this term. He has been involved with ASPSU for three years and is currently part of the Sustainability Affairs, Equal Rights Affairs and Academic Affairs Committees.

“What I hope to do is continue my work in the Sustainability Affairs Committee and fill the gap between ASPSU and the Food Pantry,” Perez said. “I want to continue fundraising for the Food Pantry and keep the shelves stocked, especially now that the tuition is going up. For Academic Affairs, we want to pass cultural competency and focus on education for students.”

ANGEL WARE, SENATE, WRITE-IN

Ware is a sophomore at PSU and has been involved in the Campus Rec Center and Queer Students of Color.

“Nobody really knows about Queer Students of Color, so by being in the ASPSU I want to get the word out,” Ware said.

HOW TO VOTE FOR WRITE-in candidates:

Some candidates decided to run after the candidate application deadline. Their names will not appear on the ballot and will need to be written in as follows:

Jonathen Gates, SFC: J. Gates Anna Vetter, SFC: A. Vetter Monty Herron, Senate: M. Herron Angel Ware, Senat: A. Ware

Watch the video story online at psuvanguard.com

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

sfc

Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

SONYA FRIEDMAN, SFC, SUSOST

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard

Friedman is an international student from Russia.

She is a junior majoring in anthropology. Friedman has been involved in the PSU Student Union since her freshman year. She would like to continue her work in the Portland State University Student Union, especially working against tuition increases, as well as havingavoiceincampusdeputization.

“I hold radical political views that has to do a lot with the state of inequality in this country that bleeds into the rest of the world,” Friedman said. “I see universities as the vanguards of social change.”

JAREK HUNGER, SFC, SUSOST

Courtesy of Laurence Oliver IV

KEIKOANNE HOLLINS, SFC, SUSOST

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard

ANDY MAYER, SFC, SUSOST

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Gates was vice chair of the SFC during the 2013 academic year.

“My goal is to prepare the SFC for their continued existence as part of a distinct body from the Oregon University System,” Gates said. “So preparing the SFC to have the infrastructure in place to handle the widely changed allocation time…and regulations surrounding the student building fee.”

His long-term goals include renovating the Smith Memorial Student Union, and including more students in senate meetings.

Anna Vetter, SFC, Write-In

Mayer has been at PSU for two years studying computer science. He is currently the Chair of the SFC, serves on the Student Budget Advisory Committee, as well as various other groups around campus.

“My number-one thing is getting students to vote, be engaged and getting them to speak out,” Mayer said. “As a member of the SFC, I want to take that and implement it into our policies.”

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard

Hunger has been a student at PSU and with ASPSU for about two years. He is an economics and mathematics major. This year, he served as the ASPSU legislative affairs director and accounting director for the Organization Budget Council.

“If elected, I will work hard to make sure that our student fee is being used as effectively as possible,” Hunger said.

He continued, “[I] hope to see diversity supported and increased on the SFC and believe that it is critical to incorporate unique viewpoints in order to come to the best decision,” he said.

JONATHEN GATES, SFC, WRITE-IN

Hollins was appointed to the SFC in the beginning of the academic year. She is currently the SFC vice chair. “[SFC members] need to keep in mind what’s best for the student body and what makes the student experience better for everyone else,” Hollins said. “I think it helps for people to come back who already had experience with the budgeting process.”

Hollins is passionate about giving back to the student body and wants to create an impact as an SFC member.

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Herron is a student in the Graduate School of Education and has been at PSU for five years. He is active in the United Indian Students of Higher Education and other advocacy groups on campus.

He wants to focus on networking, developing and the intersection of different communities.

“I’m running because some of the most pressing issues facing students right now are tuition increases, food insecurity, and there’s a general malaise in some areas on campus and I’d love to see that the work that’s being done with cultural competency trainings continue,” Herron said.

Vetter is a graduate student in PSU’s PACE program, focused on student affairs.

“As a single parent, I am very conscious of every dollar, and I will bring this understanding to the SFC,” she said. “Student fee expenditures have affected me as a participant, a spectator, and as a student employee. This is a huge responsibility to allocate 14 million student dollars, and I am up to the task.”

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard

OPINION

Professors: racists need not apply Years ago, right out of high school, I took several automotive repair classes at my local community college. One particular instructor was notorious for his sexist and racist remarks, and while I knew beforehand that he exhibited this behavior, I wasn’t prepared for the extent of what I had to listen to while in class. Naturally, my classmates and I complained, and naturally, by the time the complaint made its way up the chain of command, the term was over. I never knew what happened with our concerns other than I knew the instructor continued to teach.

Fast forward to today. Here I am at a rather well-regarded university, located in what can be argued is one of this country’s most progressive and liberal cities. I pay for my classes, and I expect at least marginally decent service from my professors. I should not have to listen to xenophobic and racist ranting from any professor working in an official capacity.

I thought my community college instructor, constantly making fun of overweight women and Mexican nationals, was an outlier. A one-off. Apparently I was wrong.

The Campus Oracle

by Nathan Anderson

The recent debacle at Reed College has me thinking about the nature of free speech on campus and if we, as students, should be protected from speech that may make us feel uncomfortable. Our society is not a bubble (or at least, it shouldn’t be), and all of us are going to be exposed to ideas and philosophies at one time or another we do not agree with. I think it’s ludicrous that students feel they have a right to be shielded from speech they find offensive or don’t agree with. Being able to express opinions in an open and public fashion is one of the cornerstones our society is built upon. Freedom of speech is sacred: Regardless of location or circumstances, personal freedom of speech should never be curtailed simply because those with thin skin might get a case of the vapors.

So how does that philosophy jive with the speech of a professor? Why should students be allowed an open forum but professors should not?

Professors serve, above all, the students. Making racist remarks in class undermines (to put it mildly) the ability of the professor to be an inclusive provider of factual information and

ideas. The important distinction here is being in the classroom.

Outside of class, everyone—professors included—should be able to express their beliefs without restriction. However, when acting in an official capacity as a representative of the university, making racist comments is wholly unacceptable. In such capacity a professor is not—or at least shouldn’t be—expressing personal views but rather teaching factual information. A professor standing on a street corner, in no way acting as a representative of the university, shouting profanities and insults against Polish or Spanish people, is perfectly legal. The same professor, lecturing in class and insulting Polish or Spanish people, should be immediately dismissed from the university.

Someone who is given the responsibility of teaching true, factual history in a respectful manner and in a professional environment yet lacks both respect and professionalism is unfit to teach. Quod erat demonstrandum.

And yes, this article comes from a recent experience I had in class. A class I was quite excited to take but now am dreading completing. It shouldn’t be that way.

In the investment chapter of the document, it specifies that whether or not the proposal is enacted, the chapter is to be confidential for four years. The fast track is an antidemocratic process that was originated by Nixon, and after five years of negotiations, it’s unacceptable how much we’ve been kept in the dark about a deal that would have such a massive impact.

Another clause from the investment chapter spells out a new type of court for investor-state disputes. These courts would operate outside the scope of other international authorities and allow corporations to sue governments for things like loss of expected profits. This type of lawsuit is already becoming common. Phillip Morris has been in the process of suing countries like Australia and Togo for harsh new tobacco labeling laws. Giving corporations more power to challenge progressive reforms is a terrible precedent to set, and it’s hard to imagine very many scenarios where the government getting sued by an international corporation is going to work out well for taxpayers or workers.

In a recent poll, 73 percent of Oregonians said they opposed the fast track. Trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization have cost Oregon tens of thousands of jobs. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden holds a key place on the United States Senate Committee on Finance where the fast track legislation is being developed.

Obama and Wyden have talked about the TPP being important and beneficial for Oregon, but Oregonians have a right to be skeptical. Wyden is known for his attempts to be the bridge between parties and is often lauded for his bipartisan work, but

what good is bipartisanship if he’s throwing his constituents under the bus to achieve it?

Take a few minutes to call Wyden’s office and ask for more transparency on the TPP. The TPP is a chance to enact real trade reforms and create new labor and environmental standards, and it will set the tone for renegotiating similar trade deals with European nations soon. But every leak makes the need for transparency and more public input more obvious.

We deserve a better process than this.

the oregonian misses the mark on Senator Wyden and the tPP That's What's the Matter

by Kevin Rackham In a recent article that set new levels of awful even for them, The Oregonian’s editorial board recently dismissed Trans-Pacific Partnership protesters as “entertaining” and lauded fast tracking the proposal as critical bipartisan legislation and par for the course as trade legislation. It completely glossed over the lack of transparency concerning the proposal or any of the leaked clauses that spurred the protests in the first place. Since The Oregonian didn’t see fit to mention any of the reasons the TPP is concerning, I picked some of the worst.

The lack of transparency is first and foremost one of the biggest issues. The term fast track refers to a process where the legislation is put before Congress for a simple yes or no vote without a committee process or amendments heard. Anything we know about the TPP so far is thanks to WikiLeaks because the negotiators who are writing the proposal are trying to keep it all under wraps.

OREGON SENATOR RON WYDEN has voiced support for a plan to fast-track legislation on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

PUBLIC DOMAIN

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OPINION

Cosplayers are people too Don’t judge the costumed ones

Page by Page

by Brie Barbee

Everyone seems to know when a video game convention comes to town by the way the attendees dress. People who like to dress up as their favorite video game or anime character stand out from so-called ordinary people and are quick to be labeled eccentric or weird based solely on their appearance and clothing choice. Conventions—dedicated to anime, video games, comic books and everything in between—are just about the only place where you are likely to see large numbers of cosplayers.

If you were to dress up in full costume any other time of the year, you would not only get incredibly strange looks, but people would probably cross the street to avoid walking past you. There is a very harsh stigma about the way people dress and the things they are passionate about, particularly when it comes to things like video games or anime. Cosplayers are often seen as weird, creepy, sexual, socially awkward or out of touch with reality because they choose to dress up as a fictional character.

That totally sucks. Cosplayers spend a lot of time and energy in order to look like their favorite character. They are not

weird, creepy, sexual or socially awkward, and no cosplayer thinks for a minute that they are actually the character they are trying to portray.

How is cosplaying as your favorite video game character that much different from wearing the jersey of your favorite athlete? The costumes look different, sure, but we all know that no one wearing a sports jersey is trying to convince anyone that they are a professional athlete. Yet wearing a jersey out in public is totally normal, while wearing a cosplay outfit is not.

There is always an expected level of professionalism in every situation of our lives, including many situations where wearing a sports jersey would not be acceptable. Wearing a giant Master Chief suit to your office would not be appropriate, but then neither would wearing sweatpants. There are many more places where wearing a sports jersey is socially acceptable, but only one (conventions) where wearing cosplay is, and even that is debatable. The attendees might find the outfits acceptable, but what about the people walking around outside of the convention center?

Courtesy of Anna Fischer through Creative Commons via Flickr

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I am not trying to suggest that everyone should cosplay every day or that a video game inspired outfit should be as socially acceptable as a sports jersey. That’s not practical, and if I was trying to make that point, no one would go for it.

I am, however, trying to encourage you to stop for a moment and think about what it actually means to be a cosplayer. It’s not exactly a common thing, and many people, even if they do attend these conventions, do not cosplay.

Why is that? It’s not as if, as adults, we suddenly have an aversion to wearing costumes. Hundreds of thousands of people, both children and adults, dress up for Halloween every year. Obviously, not many adults go trick-or-treating, but the idea of dressing up in a costume is not exclusively for children.

I have to assume that the largest reason for the stigma surrounding cosplayers is the fact that the idea is a very new one. The notion of dressing up in cosplay didn’t really start to gather steam until the 1990s, likely influenced by the increased popularity and technology of the video game industry.

For many students attending college, the cosplay movement has been around as long as we have. But for those people born significantly before 1990, cosplaying might just seem like a really weird trend. There hasn’t been anything like cosplaying before.

Even if there were, the characters and the materials available to cosplay (as the video game industry created a lot of them), the stigma of liking those things was a lot stronger than it is today.

If you played Dungeons and Dragons or read fantasy novels, you were likely labeled a nerd. Cosplaying might only have further proved that your hobby wasn’t part of the mainstream.

But that is not the case anymore. Video games, anime and comic books are more successful now than they have ever been. More and more people are beginning to associate themselves with these industries, and being a nerd is no longer considered an inherently bad thing.

So what about cosplay?

There is still very obviously a stigma associated with cosplaying, but is it like the stigma that used to be associated with video games and nerdiness? As it gets more popular, will the stigma lessen or go away? Or is cosplaying its own subculture with its own rules and people who enjoy it (seeing as it branches across anime, comic books and other mediums)?

I don’t have an answer for those questions. I think it’s too early in the lifespan of the cosplay movement to really decide the intricate workings of it. But I would like to see the stigma for cosplayers go away or at least decrease. The people who want to cosplay are passionate and are capable of making really amazing costumes that are pieces of art in their own right.

Even if cosplaying is not a mainstream hobby, it seems incredibly unfair to outcast the people who do it or make assumptions about them that are not true. Everyone cosplays for different reasons, likes different characters, has different skills, and approaches making a costume differently. It’s a cultural movement that is gaining momentum, and the people involved in it shouldn’t be judged unfairly.

OPINION

PoliticiAnS And thE diGitAl dividE Against the Current

by Sebastian Richardson Here in the United States it is important for elected officials to appeal to their voting base with issues that are concerning to them. Oftentimes these issues are related to health care, the economy, social security, education and war, among other social and public policy issues.

However, there seems to be one issue that promises a large disconnect with today’s younger voters and elected officials: net neutrality. There are many reasons why politicians seem to be on the wrong side of this debate. More often than not it’s an issue of money and campaign contributions.

Cable companies who have been fighting net neutrality, like Comcast, hold a lot of sway in Congress. Prior to the Federal Communications Commission’s ruling in favor of net neutrality this past February, many senators were fighting against the classification of the Internet as a public utility back in 2014.

Twenty-eight representatives signed letters to the FCC against this motion and, not surprisingly, all 28 of these representatives had received over $26,000 from the cable industry on average. Republicans who signed letters against this motion on average received more than $58,000 from cable companies.

Greg Walden, the only Republican representative from the state of Oregon, has received more contributions from cable companies than any other representative in the House.

Comcast is the 25th most-held stock by members of our national legislature, and our former speaker of the house and current senate minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, owns more than any other person in congress.

PROTESTERS DRESSED AS INTERNET CATS stand in support of net neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC in January.

INTERNET LITERACY IS CRUCIAL IF POLITICIANS WANT TO KEEP GETTING ELECTED Sadly, shacking up with cable companies is not only common among Washington politicians but also has lasting effects here in Oregon. Our new governor, Kate Brown, came under fire early this year regarding her previous support of Comcast, which was recently voted as the worst company in all of America. During her time as secretary of state she sent a letter supporting Comcast’s $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable to the FCC which was almost verbatim what Comcast asked her to say.

Today’s youth care about access to the Internet, so supporting a company that is directly fighting against keeping the Internet a level playing field is not a smart political move. Many of today’s youth might express no interest in international politics, but prevent them from binge watching Friends and Orange is the New Black on Netflix and you’ll have yourself another revolution.

While money in the hands of lawmakers is largely to blame for this trend, the age gap between today’s technologically literate youth and older lawmakers may cause this divide. In 2014, the average age of the U.S. House of Representatives was 57 with the Senate’s being 62. In the U.S. Congress there are five senators over the age of 80 and six representatives in the same demographic. These are congressmen who would have been attending college during the presidency of Eisenhower and would remember when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space.

COURTESY OF FREE PRESS PICS THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

I’m not saying that elected officials who are senior citizens and past the age of retirement don’t have anything to offer today’s youth, obviously their experience makes them a wealth of knowledge, and their wisdom far surpasses that of most. Nevertheless, when it comes to issues like net neutrality it seems that many politicians these days either have no idea what that is or are directly fighting against it, alienating younger and more technologically conscious voters.

Tualatin Mayor Lou Ogden also endorsed the Comcast merger and, according to one person who contacted his office, he seemed unaware of Comcast’s reputation, didn’t quite grasp net neutrality and blindly signed the papers. While Odgen might be interested in learning more about the issues relating to the Internet, this lack of certainty shows a startling digital divide between most politicians and younger voters. Even presidential hopeful Ted Cruz seemed to have a weak understanding of what net neutrality is and was quick to denounce it as some form of invasive government overhaul, which it’s not.

If politicians want to continue getting elected and accurately represent their constituents they need to realize that issues such as net neutrality and fair access to the Internet is a cause that most millennials can get behind and will vote for.

So, to all you elected officials out there, brush up on that Internet literacy and stop supporting evil companies like Comcast because, so help me God, if you get between me and my late night YouTube surfing you will have lost my vote in a heartbeat.

KayLa toWnSLey

KayLa toWnSLey

Unnecessary Necessary Expenses Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

17

ETC

EVENT CALENDAR john pinney

April 14

April 15

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Between SMSU & Neuberger

When: 2 p.m.

Where: Women’s Resource Center

Secret Service On Campus

I don’t know what exactly has me so excited for something called a Secret Service Pathways Internship (maybe I’ve seen American Presidents one too many times?) but I squeed a little bit at this listing. Maybe it’s because I look great in sunglasses and well-tailored-yet-breathable black suits. I don’t know. I just imagine that whoever shows up looking for applicants knows a lot of handto-hand combat techniques.

Queer Consent

Part of the SAAM event schedule, this workshop is open to any person of any gender identity or sexual orientation. The Queer Resource Center and WRC are merging for this workshop to help those wondering what dating, sex and consent truly look like. FREE

Creating Healthy Interpersonal Relationships When: 12 p.m.

Where: Women’s Resource Center

Part of the Sexual Assault Awareness Month event series, this interactive discussion focuses on positive caring relationships and what those look like as opposed to unhealthy relationships, which is great because we could all use more positive relationships in our lives.

Autistic Spectrum and Healthy Dating When: 12 p.m.

Where: SMSU 327

Part of the SAAM event series. A lot of discussion will take place around boundary setting, consent, positive conflict resolution, and taking a look at the support needed to maintain FREE healthy relationships.

Cookies and Convos When: 3 p.m.

Where: USB 402

Dawn Kasper

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Shattuck Hall Annex

FREE

April 16

If Dawn Kasper’s artistic works are half as kick ass as their name, then this promises to be another great one from the MFA Studio Practice Lecture folks. Dawn is fascinated by the emotional projections and manipulations of our consumer culture and uses that fascination to create “structured yet spontaneous” living sculptures.

FREE

FREE

The Advising and Career Services folks are here to offer free snacks and informal chat around all your questions about advising, career opportunities, and all the other services they can offer you, like making sure you’re in a major that actually suits your wants and needs. FREE

War II and how this came about as a falling domino due to other bombings in earlier conflicts. Spoiler alert: These bombings don’t just destroy buildings and morale among the countries. FREE

April 17

Korea Night

When: 6 p.m.

Where: Peter W. Stott Center Presented by the Portland State Korean Students, the event is also called “PDX 2015 Modern Seoul.” I’m not actually sure what this event entails, but it is apparently the biggest night of the year offered by the campus Korean club, and it’s probably going to be an amazing time. I really hope sharing trends from Korean culture means that somebody will teach me some KPop dance moves. FREE

Ignite your Voice Japanese Studies Lecture When: 6 p.m.

Where: SMSU 327-9

Join Prof. Sheldon Garon to discuss how and why the Japanese suffered such attrocious bombings during World

When: 6:30–9:30 p.m.

Where: Soma Space

This weekend workshop for women is all about personal expression, freedom and communication.

There will be manifestation of desire, somatic exercises to challenge fear, and guided meditation.

April 18

April 19

When: 11 a.m.

Where: 4175 Hwy 101 N. Tillamook, OR 97141

When: 11 a.m.

Where: Ground Kontrol Fee: $8–10

Competition: Grilled Cheese

If you don’t like the idea of this, then you just plain don’t like fun. Maybe I’ve been watching too much Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen, but I love the idea of a competition that leaves me filled with grilled cheese and hope for America while being in a Tillamook factory..

NW Pet and Companion Fair When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Expo Center (Hall E) Free

I see a few people on campus with companion animals (I resist the urge to pet; please always ask before you do!) and so I thought ya’all might like to know about this companion pet fair. Your pet may also attend the show if you fill out the release form on the link in the Expo Center website and they are well behaved and always leashed. My assumption about this event is that it is both awesome and probably not for someone with pet allergies.

Portland Pinbrawl 2015

Okay, first, can we please give an award to whoever named this event? Secondly, did you know there are 128 people known as the “best pinball players” and that they’re not all from Pdx? Anyway, there’s lots of battling for supremacy and the title of Pinball Master.

I don’t think you can call people Pinball Wizards because of the song. Maybe I should start training for next year’s event.

April 20

Legal Beagles: Weed Edition When: 11 a.m.

Where: SMSU 228

Now that weed is legal, you probably have a lot of questions. Or maybe you just want to celebrate with people like you. Student Legal Services will have all the info on the facts, the laws and your rights regarding cannibi.

FREE

FREE

FREE

21+

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER

FEATURED EVENT Soul’d Out

When: April 14–April 20 Where: Many Venues I confess that as far as music goes, I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to soul and soul-adjacent musical styles. However, the blurb for this music festival proclaims it for all generations and backgrounds, which is great, and talks about New Orleans jazz, Brooklyn Hip-Hop and rising stars of the R&B scene. One of the performers, Goapele, is apparently the spiritual love child of D’Angelo and Sade. How could you not love that? Venues include the Crystal Ballroom, Alahambra, and Dante’s. Three out of four acts seem to be 21 + and for an all-access pass, you’ll be shelling out $145. It’s probably worth it though. 21+

soul’d out logo

18

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ETC

horoScoPES joHn Pinney

Aries March 21–April 19 culture references this week, One thing you have to admire and yours is no different. Be about Lord Zedd was his tenac- one with the Doogie Howser, ity. No matter his failures, he child medical genius. always approached destroying the Power Rangers with fervor.

Leo July 23–Aug. 22

on Supernatural and totally bugged Sam into the crazy house?

once in the 1990s to steal shoes, specifically Reeboks, from a Foot Locker.

Scorpio Oct. 23–Nov. 21

Aquarius Jan. 20–Feb. 18

It seems odd to me that no Would you have the initiative Do you remember the words one else except for Darkwing to make something this week, to “Conjunction Junction,� Duck ever explored the Dis- Aqui? I’ve been thinking about Taurus April 20–May 20 Do you remember that episode Leo? Because you might want ney Negaverse. That really how Slenderman went from of Boy Meets World where Mr. to have a refresher before you was a wasted opportunity. joke to reality and made a ton Maybe in Kingdom Hearts of money. You could do it too.

Feeny mic drops on the kids start working on that essay.

4, right? and walks out of the room?

You’ll need that kind of conviction this week.

Virgo Aug. 23–Sep. 22 Pisces Feb. 20–March 19 The most underrated season Sagittarius Nov. 22–Dec. 21 Does it ever bother you that finale in the Whedonverse You used to watch that show no one in Duckburg wore is the one featuring Jasmine Doug, didn’t you, Sagi? Of pants but most of the women Gemini May 21–June 20 The intro for Beakman’s from Angel. She might have course you did. Do you realize wore skirts? And what was World had a couple of pen- been a horrifying person- you’ve gone from being a Doug up with Gizmoduck? Does a guins from the Henson Com- eating alien, but she really did to being a Roger in regards to robot superhero in Duckburg someone in your life? Time to still need to be duck-themed pany goofing around. Take a just want to bring us peace. if one of the main villains is a apologize. leaf from their book this week trio of weasel brothers? and enjoy some joie de vivre.

Libra Sep. 23–Oct. 22

Cancer June 21–July 22

One hundred percent of these horoscopes are pop

Capricorn Dec. 22–Jan. 19

Do you ever think of the irony of the guy who played Jacob on Lost—the white smoke monster—later played Lucifer

Don’t think about how creepy it is that Santa and Dennis Rodman broke into a mall

From Mystic J, permanent resident of Room 1313, Hollywood Tower Hotel

ELISE FURLAN/PSU VANGUARD ELISE FURLAN/PSU VANGUARD

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aCroSS 1 Rob a philosopher (4) 3 One crosses river to find some land (4) 6 Fool locks copper in cell (5) 10 Test ground after some radiation displacement (7) 11 Nominal union leader is involved in tense criminal trial (7) 12 Concentrated, finding Einstein very complex? (9) 13 Jelly, say, mostly produced with one kitchen device (5) 14 Modelled in nude, representing water-spirit (6) 16 Duke has daughter that’s outgoing–it’s a disadvantage (8) 18 Bike featured in red was green (8) 19 Decorated band of woollen cloth (6) 22 Serpent-witch depicted in plate (no name given) (5) 23 Swift horse’s whinny heard by maiden (9) 25 Checks decisions involving head of state (7) 26 Unfriendly landlord’s lazy without a hint of doubt (7) 27 Garments about to leave African city (5) 28 Ship from past? That’s about right (4) 29 Smack is a fishing boat (4)

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doWn 1 Czech composer is a high flier at university (7) 2 Bound to upset militant, having dismissed worker (5) 4 Football side gets the axe, I see in report (6) 5 Rent out English vessel in port (8) 6 Republican element largely opposed to authority ousted two leaders (14) 7 Lucille ate without a worry, becoming fat (9) 8 Tree maintenance (7) 9 Where one learns to do the ironing? (7,7) 15 Once, millions read new version of Boccaccio’s tales (9) 17 Nonconformist church building a healing pool in Jerusalem (8) 18 Depending on artisan to turn up about one (7) 20 European alliance with West America has Homeric character (7) 21 Edible clam from Ohio raised in boggy area (6) 24 Poem telling of journey to Uruguay (5)

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

19

SPORTS

StoP bEinG lAZy, SPortS FAnS CoMMentary by aLeX Moore

Every time collegiate athletes enter the primetime of their respective seasons, someone makes the argument that they should be paid. Every time.

Throw in some numbers about how much money colleges, corporate sponsors and television networks make off athletics, call it modern day slavery, and you’ve got yourself an argument that’ll play into the emotions of anyone who made a bracket for March Madness.

So how would paying college athletes fix anything?

If people who make this argument are actually upset about how much money is being made off these athletes, why doesn’t anyone talk about the root of the problem? Instead, we just say we should throw more money

into a business that’s already dominated by greedy companies and individuals.

Look at March Madness.

They signed a television deal worth over $10 billion in 2010. Not a penny of that money went to the athletes.

It might sound horrible, but why doesn’t our answer to this problem start with how much we allow television companies to profit off college sports?

The bad doesn’t only come from television; the NCAA has its issues too.

Specifically when it comes to injuries and players losing their scholarships.

There isn’t a lot of safety for college athletes who essentially lose their value once they are unable to perform at a certain level.

Anyone can talk about how big a professional contract

KANSAS jAYHAWKS FANS during a 2008 March Madness match.

Heckles & rants

COURTESY OF DOUGLAS LEMOINE THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS

is and make the comparison to the athletes who do not receive any of that money.

That’s being lazy. And with a multi-billion dollar industry driven by us, the fans, we cannot afford to be lazy.

Sports fans who say collegiate athletes should be paid are looking at the situation with a magnifying glass.

If that continues to happen, athletes are going to continue to be exploited even if we do throw them a little money for their efforts.

Let’s quit this attitude, sports fans.

Let’s stop pretending that college athletes are any more important than anyone else who goes to college because that is simply not true. If anyone should be getting paid, it should be the engineering student who has to work a minimum wage job on top of

going to school for one of the most time consuming majors out there.

The way college sports function needs to change. There are too many students out there who don’t have enough time to get their degree because they are spending so much time dedicated to their respective sports, just to tear their ACL and lose their scholarship.

But if this is something that truly needs to change, there is no short-term fix in giving 18-year-old kids a paycheck.

So, stop it.

Make change happen in other ways. Attack the greedy people who make multi-billion dollar deals based on the corporate sponsorships and television deals. Stop being lazy. The athletes aren’t the only ones being exploited—you are as well, sports fans.

Quiet the riots CoMMentary by Matt rauCH

You know what really grinds my gears? What happens after wins (or losses) of championship games in all sports at all levels.

No, I am not talking about the losing team claiming a referee and league-based conspiracy is the reason they lost (which needs to stop too).

I am talking about the riots that take place in the hometowns of the teams involved.

From the New York Daily News reporting on “15 people [who] were arrested for offenses such as resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly” in Arizona after losing in the Elite 8, to FiveThirtyEight reporting on 31 people who were arrested in Kentucky while rioting after losing in the Final 4, reactions to sporting events are getting out of control.

Fueled by alcohol and emotion, these riots often include

20

vandalism and violence that can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Now, even though the rioters are to blame for their behavior, city officials should also shoulder some of the blame for not properly preparing for such incidents.

Rather than reacting toward these situations with truckloads of police in riot gear armed with beanbag ammunition and pepper spray, city officials should expect this and take a more proactive approach.

Take Duke, for example.

Developed in the ’90s, students have a huge bonfire on campus each time they win a National Championship.

Rather than implement campus-wide curfews or pack the streets with shieldwielding riot cops, city officials work with a coalition of volunteer students to en-

sure that the bonfire goes as safely as possible.

What’s even more impressive? The fact that this whole thing was originally the idea of various city officials. After a Duke loss to Louisville in the ’80s that resulted in riots the police were unprepared to handle, they decided to take a proactive approach to dealing with the situation. According to SB Nation, “During the 1990 tournament, the Police Department opted for a more controlled option of a large screen in Cameron for the Duke vs. UNLV game, with a Duke ID card required to enter. They also sponsored a bonfire in the Card Gym parking lot.”

Not only did the police stymie the possibly dangerous and expensive riots, they created an environment in which the oftentimes emotionally-reactive student

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

base could safely let out their frustration or celebrate their elation. How long will it take for other schools to follow their lead?

Could you imagine (and you’ll need a big imagination) what would happen if Portland State won a national championship and started a bonfire in the Park Blocks? Would the Portland Police Bureau take a proactive approach, or would they react with tear gas and rubber bullets? I truly do not know, but judging from past protests in the area, I lean toward the latter.

Either way, it is time for city officials, university administrators and student leaders from all over to step up and think outside the box when it comes to handling the almost guaranteed reactions that follow major wins and losses.

PROTESTERS CHEER around a burning car during the 2011 Stanley Cup riot in Vancouver, BC.

COURTESY OF DAVID ELOP THROUGH CREATIVE COMMONS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

SPORTS

Climbers rock out in the rose City CoMMentary by Lauren SCHLangen

Climbers came from Idaho, Washington and various parts of Oregon On the weekend of April 11–12, to compete against one another at the 2015 Rose City Rock Rodeo.

The two-day competition took place here at the Portland State Rec Center.

Upon entering the climbing center of the third floor of Campus Rec, I was bombarded with thunderous applause as a climber had just attempted a route. Despite failure to complete said route, everyone in attendance was cheering and supporting the climber. “You’ve got four minutes,� said an official as the next climber approached the rock wall.

As it was the finals of day one, the climbers were allotted one attempt to complete

the course at hand. They were each given four minutes to do so. Once again, everyone that sat within the climbing center was supportive, cheering words of encouragement and motivation. Having yet completed the route at hand, the official gave a oneminute warning. The climber responded with a double thumbs-up and optimistically made another attempt.

It doesn’t seem like that much work because the climbers make it look so easy.

But each climber that attempted routes jumped down from the rock wall panting, sweat dripping down their temples and the backs of their necks.

Each route varies in difficulty. A different number of points is attributed to each route based on difficulty. A piece of colored tape is used

to distinguish the varying routes, whereas four pieces of tape shaped into a square represent the start and end of each route.

Climbers must start and finish their climb with both hands on the starting and ending pieces. Points will only be granted upon completing the route. I asked Dallas Tate, who helped staff the event, if in order to complete a route the climber had to hang from the final piece. “Ideally, yeah, you just have to make sure they’re not going to fall [in order to get points for completion],� he said.

Failure to stick to the colored routes is a waste of time. If a climber goes off course, “they have to come back down, it counts as a try,� Tate said. “[But] you can try as many times as you want.�

Although the climbers have unlimited attempts during each heat, they only have so much time.

Day one ran from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and included three 90-minute heats based on skill level. During each of these heats, climbers tried to accumulate as many points as they could in an attempt to qualify for the finals—beginning at 4:00 p.m.

While Saturday was meant for Portlanders alone, Sunday was for Oregon, Washington and Idaho as well. This regional event was put on by the Northwest

Collegiate Climbing Circuit.

This event ran from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and was set up similarly to Saturday’s event. The day was split into three heats according to skill level in which, again, climbers would accumulate as many points as they could in order to qualify for the finals. However, climbers were allotted two hours per heat instead of 90 minutes like the day before.

Despite competing against one another, climbers from opposing schools helped each other complete routes successfully. There is a lot

of strategy and strength that goes into bouldering and having an extra set of eyes to guide you proved to help some climbers get to the top of the wall.

Legs and arms shake as climbers exert all their energy into keeping their body up on the wall and contemplate their next move. They look like spiders on a web, appendages outstretched as far as they can go. The start of one of the routes required a move called a bang hang, which has the climber start by hanging from their feet and beginning the climb that way.

CONTESTANTS climb the rock wall of Voiron, France, during the 2007 Auvergne RhĂ´ne-Alpes championship.

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UPCOMING GAMES Women's Golf

Men's Tennis

Women's Tennis

BIG SKY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

PSU @ SOUTHERN UTAH

PSU VS. IDAHO

Fri., April 17, 11Â a.m.

Sat., April 18, 1Â p.m.

Ocotillo Golf Resort, Chandler, AZ Sun., Mon., Tues., April 19â&#x20AC;&#x201C;21, All Day

PSU @ NORTHERN ARIZONA Sun., April 19, 10Â a.m.

Softball

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s/ Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Track and Field

Oregon Relays

PSU VS. OREGON

MT. SAC RELAYS HILMER LODGE STADIUM,

HAYWARD FIELD, EUGENE, OR

Tues., April 14, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

PSU @ NORTH DAKOTA Fri., April 17, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Sat., April 18, 1Â p.m.

Fri., Sat., April 17â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18, All Day

Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA Thurs., Fri., Sat., April 16â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18, All Day

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

21

SPORTS

Portland relaxes with yoga girl rachel brathen CoMMentary by jaSon SuSiM

Assuming you haven’t been living under a rock or aggressively opposed to social media platforms such as Instagram, you have probably seen or heard of Yoga Girl.

With over 1 million followers, Rachel Brathen has become a prominent figure in the yoga community. Brathen currently resides in Aruba where she holds workshops and lives a fabulous life full of travel, adventure and intrigue.

Scrolling through her Instagram page (@yoga_girl), you might find her doing handstands in Times Square, surfing in Costa Rica or frolicking on the beach in Thailand.

Following the recent release of her first book Yoga Girl, a self-help memoir, Brathen has come to the States for what she calls The Hapiness Tour. The tour consists of both book signings and yoga workshops across the country.

Bright and early Friday morning, over 300 sleepy yogis converged on the Crystal Ballroom to meet Brathen and attend her workshop. As the ballroom filled with anxious yogis stretching on their mats, Brathen walked in to a boom of applause and adoration. Her presence was intoxicating as she com-

manded the room with her infectious smile and graceful demeanor. With such a large class size, assistance was given by several instructors from Yoga Pearl in Northwest Portland.

Also in attendance were Brathen’s husband Dennis a n d h e r b e l ov e d c a n i n e R i n g o (@ringo_thegringo) who each provided adjustments and assistance in their own ways.

The event opened with Brathen expressing her gratitude for the success of the Happiness Tour and the dedication of her fans. She seemed genuinely surprised that so many people

would get up before 7 a.m. to practice yoga with her. The workshop began with the class focusing on their intent, pondering what it is that they hope to get out of their practice.

Once the class was warmed up, Brathen led the class into a vinyasa (linking of body movement with breath) style sequence of poses. The flow of the class stayed within an intermediate level of difficulty with options for more advanced adjustments and poses.

Thoughout the practice, Brathen spoke about the infinite power to heal that is inside all of us as well as the beauty of being in the present moment.

Once the workshop came to a close, a Q & A session was held and Brathen answered questions about different topics ranging from her writing process to what she likes the most about Portland, her “favorite city in the States.”

She said she and her husband visit about once per year to enjoy the food and outdoor culture the city offers.

In lieu of taking selfies with all 300 or so in attendance, Brathen posed for a group photo before autographing copies of her book. Also offered were hugs and greetings for anyone interested in meeting her personally.

Nearly the entire class waited patiently to meet her and express their gratitude for the inspiration she brings to the yoga community. Those whose lives she seemed to touch the most were visibly emotional upon meeting her.

Many of them were overwhelmed with tears of joy.

Others (including myself ) walked out beaming with smiles from ear to ear, high on Brathen’s loving vibes, left hopelessly enamored.

The Happiness Tour will conclude on May 16 in Los Angeles, California. Yoga Girl is now available online and in stores.

VISITING YOGI RACHEL BRATHEN instructs a class of Portlanders at the Crystal Ballroom.

JASON SUSIM/PSU VANGUARD

22

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

2015 tiMbErS SEASon With WilliAM conWEll PHuoC franCiS nguyen

The Portland Timbers are a team coming off a tough 2014 MLS campaign that saw them miss out on the playoffs by a single point.

After a season where they were in the Western Conference Finals against Real Salt Lake, it was a disappointment.

To make matters worse, they lost their star playmaker “The Maestro” Diego Valeri and the relentless workhorse Will Johnson.

Valeri has been their top goal scorer, as well as assist leader, after making a huge impression in his 2013 debut season with 10 goals and 13 assists. In 2014 he made the MLS All-Star team in which he delivered the game-winning assist to LA Galaxy and United States Men’s National team legend Landon Donovan. In 2013 and 2014 the Argentinian playmaker was named to the MLS Best XI, as voted by the players, club leadership and members of the media.

Will Johnson, on the other hand, came in with Valeri to Portland in 2013 via a trade from Real Salt Lake for allocation money. The former captain and leader of Real Salt Lake had a great first year with the Timbers, with nine goals and five assists as well as a spot in the MLS Best XI. In 2014 he had six goals and two assists before coming down with the season-ending injury.

Johnson was also named to the MLS All-Star team in both years with the Timbers. Head coach Caleb Porter has said he hopes to get both of these players back in May. In the meantime, 2015 is going to be a year where the Timbers will be without two of their best players. They will have to adapt and change their style of play.

In order to get a sense of this change to the season,

managing editor of the Portland Timbers SB Nation Blog, Stumptown Footy, William Conwell provided me with the insight. I asked questions about the excitement of opening day at Providence Park, the play of the Timbers adapting without their two All-Stars, and his take on the early part of the season.

VANGUARD: What makes opening day at Providence Park so special with the Timbers Army behind this team?

CONWELL: Opening day is certainly wonderful and there is a buzz about the stadium that nobody can deny.

What makes the Timbers and the Timbers Army so special is that the buzz never goes away.

The excitement and the love of watching the Timbers play never goes away and that is reflected in the creativity and passion that the Timbers Army show both in and out of the stadium.

Of course, once the game gets underway, that buzz turns into something altogether more visceral as the Timbers Army drums beat like the heart of the stadium and the chanting and shouting and oohing and ahhing gets underway.

Then what makes opening day so special is the vice-like grip that grabs a hold of you and does not let go until the full 90 minutes have been played, compelling you to wave flags, stand up for the Rose City, Tetris back and forth, jump to show that you are Timbers, and to fall in love all over again in the 85th minute.

VANGUARD: Valeri is a perennial MVP candidate, and Will Johnson is the captain and a tireless worker for this team. How has the team adapted their play without two of their leaders?

CONWELL: Caleb Porter has adjusted his side’s style of

play to fit the loss of two of the team’s most influential players, going with a more direct style that has so far prized defensive solidity over the fluid attacking movements that we have seen from the Timbers at their best in the previous

Looking beyond Porter, the Timbers players have had to make adjustments of their own. Most impacted by this has been Darlington Nagbe, who has been asked to step up in a big way for the Timbers and drive the THE TIMBERS ARMY raises their flag after a goal in a 2009 game.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

two seasons. The results have been a mixed bag for the Timbers; allowing only two goals over the course of their first three games, but also only scoring two goals, the Timbers are still looking for the best possible approach to the game in their current situation.

team’s attack forward. So far the Timbers’ original draft pick has done well, creating both of the Timbers goals so far and masterminding plenty of other chances as well.

Despite all that, the Timbers are still a team that are characterized by the lack

of Will Johnson and Diego Valeri. If the Timbers tie, the refrain is, “But Valeri and Johnson might have turned that into a win.” If the Timbers lose, the refrain will be, “If the Timbers had had Valeri and Johnson, they could have turned that into a draw.” Even if the Timbers win, the refrain will be, “But imagine how good they will be with Valeri and Johnson back.” Of course, all of those refrains are correct. Johnson and Valeri are two of the most influential players on this Timbers’ side and until they return the Timbers seem to be just treading water.

VANGUARD: In three games there have been three draws. What is your take on the Timbers start to the season? What are some improvements you’d like to see? What are some concerns you still have? What are some positives?

CONWELL: The Timbers’ direct style of play early in the season has been an interesting departure from the Timbers of the last two years, although it is perhaps not as radical a change as it seems at first glance. The Timbers have always had the “direct football” card in their pocket and have played it several times over the last two years.

This time, however, the Timbers have had no choice but to play that card, limited by personnel and opponent.

For his part, Porter seems to think that the Timbers have over-corrected and gone too direct, an assessment that I agree with. The team began to work their way back toward the pretty passing possession setup that we all know and love in their last game against Sporting Kansas City, pushing Diego Chara further up

the field in a bid to win and hold possession further down the pitch, rather than simply accumulating the occasional strings of passes across the back line before lumping the ball forward.

While direct soccer can be beautiful, as were both of the Timbers’ goals against the LA Galaxy in week two, relying solely on it to generate your chances gives the opponent too easy of a time adapting to and stifling your attack. No matter how talented the Timbers may be in the attack, if their opponents can identify and shut down their avenues of attack, they will rarely score the goals they need to win games.

For the Timbers, an immediate return to the dominating, possession focused matches of 2013 may not be realistic, but steps that way need to be taken. Unleashing Chara has been a good start, and next should be encouraging the fullbacks to get forward and get involved in the attack rather than sitting back and maintaining defensive shape at the expense of providing an extra man in the attack.

The best thing the Timbers could do, though, is get Valeri and Johnson healthy as the pair bring an instant dynamism to the Timbers’ attack and a will to win that is unmatched in the side.

The Portland Timbers currently sit in a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference. Their next match-up is against the expansion side Orlando City SC who are led

by Brazilian star Kaka. The game is April 12 at 2 p.m. PT on ESPN2.

Check out more Portland Timbers and William Conwell content on Stumptownfooty. com or follow him on Twitter @williamconwell.

Vanguard | APRIL 14, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

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April 21st