Portland State Vanguard by Portland State Vanguard

Unions and university use interest-based bargaining to start to strike a deal

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 69 | ISSUE 35 | MAY 26, 2015

Finding Common Ground NEWS

OPINION

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

President Wim Wiewel discusses PSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future at quarterly Student Media press conference. pg. 5

campus. Black Widow pg. 9 gets left out of action figure production, exposing deeper issues of gender stereotypes. pg. 8

pients. Jazz studies pg. 16 sends off founder, longtime director with night of special performances. pg. 14

What do yoga, Marathon. pg. 23 taints, anuses and empowerment have in common? Turn to pg. 22 to find out.

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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

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ADVISER

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DESIGNERS

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Andy Anady, Nathan Anderson, Evan Birkeland, Jaqueline C. Bryan, Carli Gibson, Elizabeth Hendrickson, Serina Hersey, Katrin Kasper, Molly Ozier, John Pinney, Jon Raby, Kevin Rackham, Aislinn Rennison, Sebastian Richardson, Miles Sanguinetti, Lauren Schlangen, Kayla Townsley

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Silvia Cardullo Ahn Duc Do Chavelin Gonzalez Christian Profeta

ADVERTISING SALES Bri Robinson, Dennis Caceres Rainer Evens

ONLINE@PSUVANGUARD.COM Jaime Dunkle

COPY EDITORS

Molly Hunt 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.

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Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

NEWS

Architecture students build urban parklet christian profeta

Students from the S c h o o l of Architecture began constructing a parklet near the food carts in the South of Market [SoMa] EcoDistrict on SW 4th on May 24 and 25. The 41-square-foot parklet will be open to food cart patrons and passersby. Between crowd-funding and fundraising by the SoMa EcoDistrict Steering Committee, PSU’s Institute for Sustainability, and the PSU Foundation, the parklet project recieved $15,640 in cash and kind donations. Assistant professor in the School of Architecture B.D. Wortham- Galvin has overseen the student project since 2013. “I am interested in what I call ‘small urbanism’—how little projects can make a huge different in the city,” she said.

Wortham-Galvin is also interested in allowing an urban community to interact with one another, instead of simply walking to the carts to get lunch and returning to each person’s individual offices. She has studied parklets across North America and presented an exhibit of case studies to ISS. Because the parklet will take the place of two parking spots and some motorcycle parking, fundraisers needed to generate enough to cover the city’s lost revenue from paid parking. “When people ask if it is permanent, we have fundraised to build it and to pay the lost revenue for the next year,” Wortham-Galvin said. She added that the city may want to move the parklet. “Whether it stays or not has nothing to do with permanence, but obviously at some

point someone will have to take the initiative to keep paying the lost revenue for the city.” The parklet reaches to the corner of the curb in order to eliminate potential trash buildup. Lorne Gillingham, one of the students in Wortham-Galvin’s class, said, “All the wood is juniper, which was specifically chosen because it has a natural rain resistance. We tried to stick with very elemental things.” Michael Coon, a graduate of PSU’s Master of Architecture program, designed the parklet. He said the city has been helpful and responsive to the project. “At one point we had a canopy, and that got nixed for a few reasons,” Coon said. “One, there were a lot of structural concerns, and two, in the end they said, ‘We would feel comfortable without it because

Assistant Professor B.D. Wortham-Galvan and parklet designer Michael Coon direct installation of the 4th Avenue parklet. The parklet will provide seating and table space for the general public in front of the food cart lot. Christian Profeta/PSU VANGUARD

they are hard to deal with for a lot of reasons.’ They were really cooperative and they really loved the idea of it. At the time it was a truly public [parklet]. No one owned it; it was not associated with any restaurant. It was public.” Coon recalled the community’s enthusiasm and urge to see this happen.

“There are two other public ones hanging out [on] Alberta Street, but they are not associated with food,” he said. “But I would hope, if this is successful, I would like to see more food carts adopt these. It is serving a complete strip of food restaurants, but none of them own it, so they can not say who can come and go, and

it is totally there for the pedestrian.” Coon said he thinks parklets throughout the city would contribute to community building and would also help to “feed the soul.” “My hope is people are so glad that this is here that they help out and help clean up after themselves.”

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NEWS

A stable financial future: PSU implements new budget model Serina Hersey

The psu Financial Futures Task Force has adopted a new budget model, Performance Based Budgeting, to support academic missions and align expenditures with institutional strategic priorities. Previously, PSU managed its resources using an Incremental Budgeting Process. Budgets were either larger than the previously approved budget or smaller when revenue declined. “It is helpful to contrast PBB to our prior incremental based budgeting,” said Sona Andrews, PSU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “With Incremental Based Budgeting, units were allocated a budget and needed to deliver their mission and services within that budget. PBB flips that and looks at: what does a unit need to fulfill its mission and how can resources be allocated to support that?”

In June 2011, the FFTF began developing what is now PBB. At a recent student media press conference, President Wim Wiewel said the task force and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission went through 57 different models before ultimately adopting PBB. “[FFTF] was essentially set up to work toward a stable financial fiscal future for PSU,” said Kevin Reynolds, interim vice president of Finance and Administration. “It was really trying to look at all of the sources of revenue that the university has and all of the expenditures.” The 2015 Fiscal year will be the first year of PBB implementation. PBB is an Educational and General Funds budget, so it will not include revenue generated by research grants and contracts, philanthropic gifts, fees or auxiliaries.

“Budget is going to follow performance. This is to align resources with where our students are,” Reynolds said. “The students are a predominant form of revenue. We’ve defined the teaching operations at the university as the revenue-generating components of [PSU]. As we grow beyond inflation and more students come, the revenue should flow to the activities where those students appear.” Wiewel said PSU has the second largest proportion of Pell Grant-eligible students and the largest absolute number. The old manner of budgeting was, Wiewel said, “incredibly unfair…In educating the poorest, and often the least prepared students, we nonetheless got the least money on a per-student basis…This formula begins to change it.” For example, PSU has seen an increase in students in Engineering. PBB will allow

more funds to be allocated to that department. In addition, Engineering will not experience as many cuts as other departments if more students continue to enroll. “There are incentives built into PBB,” Andrews said. “Units have greater control over how they spent their budgets. The revenue-generating units have the ability to generate additional revenue and both the revenue generating units and the revenue supporters have the ability to realize internal savings that they can use for other unit needs.” Some departments within PSU are concerned that PBB may affect the quality of academics. “Faculty members are worried that if you just simply allow the revenue to track where the activity is, people might lower their quality, or make classes easier so more students will enroll, or give out more degrees,” Reynolds said.

The Revenue Cost Attribution Tool will help address some of these concerns. This tool shows where the revenue is being generated and where the funds are going. “We forecast the revenue for the next year, and from that forecast we are able to tell every unit what their budget for the next year will be,” Reynolds said. “In good years, there will be a small budget percentage increase. In not-so-good years, the budget could be minus. My role overall is to provide a balanced budget for [PSU].” Last year, the Provost was able to predict an additional $3 million in revenue from student enrollment. Therefore, millions of dollars in funds did not need to be cut from the academic budget. “[Last year] Finance and Administration and other units took significant cuts

and people were laid off,” Reynolds said. “There were very, very few cuts made in the academic units in terms of instructors and support for students…Even though there were some cuts in Office of Academic Affairs, there was a re-allocation of funds. The Provost has gone through a similar process this year of identifying places where we are growing, places where we are shrinking, and making targeted investments in those areas.” Although PBB was implemented recently, students are already seeing the results of this new program. “We have started to provide resources to units where there is high student demand, ensuring new sections are opened when classes fill, starting new programs, and funding faculty positions in areas of growth,” Andrews said.

President Wim Wiewel discusses future plans with Student Media Vanguard Staff

Portland State President Wim Wiewel held a quarterly student media press conference on May 22. Representatives from the Vanguard and the Rearguard were present. Wiewel discussed commencement, the strategic plan and ASPSU, among other topics. “The big thing coming up is the commencement,” Wiewel said. “Right now it looks like we’re going to give 6,065 degrees, which—if all is well—will be the most of any Oregon university.” Wiewel also touched on higher education funding from the Oregon Legislature. Along with representatives from seven other Oregon universities, Wiewel spent a day last week in Salem meeting with several legislators, including Governor Kate Brown and speaker of the house Tina Kotek. “We were really able to… show them that the universities are working together,” Wiewel said. “There was

some fear that we would all be at each other’s throats… We’re actually collaborating more closely with the other universities than we ever have before.” “The Co-Chairs have recommended a budget of $670 million in the biennium,” Wiewel continued. “We are asking for $755 [million]…We’re not going to get there this round, but we are still hoping we will go above the $670 [million].” Wiewel mentioned the recently drafted report by the Implementation Advisory Committee for Campus Public Safety, which outlines safety recommendations for the implementation of armed officers on campus. He also said that PSU’s Strategic Plan has been slightly delayed, but should be drafted by a writing committee over the summer. Wiewel then opened the floor to questions. Vanguard: What’s happening at PSU over the summer?

Wim Wiewel: The…big thing over the summer is to complete the first draft of the Strategic Plan, so that’s a very big deal. The other big thing is that there will be bargaining [with faculty unions] going on…In the past, bargaining was pretty much suspended during the summer. We’ll finalize the budget… We have a new distribution formula for the money, which will help us a little bit next year, it will get better as time goes on. VG: 1,041 students voted in the last ASPSU election, which is about 3.7 percent of the student body. What do you see as the role of ASPSU on campus? How can they improve student engagement? WW: I continue to be very disappointed and frustrated that it’s that low of a turnout. It surprised me this time, because there obviously was a lot of publicity about the elections…So I’m a little puzzled

why [turnout] wasn’t bigger, and I don’t have a good answer to it at all. So I think it remains a very important challenge for the new student government to figure out…and to increase the turnout. ASPSU has an absolute legitimate role in shared

governance… so we take them very seriously in that regard. I’ve always said I also listen to other voices. I know that ASPSU…cannot possibly speak for all students. Nobody can. So it is important for me and for everybody else in lead-

ership positions within the university…to listen to other voices as well who, for whatever reason, may not be fully represented by ASPSU. So we will continue to do that. For the full Q&A please visit psuvanguard.com.

President Wim Wiewel (left) answers student media questions at a spring term press conference. Anh Duc Do/PSU Vanguard

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

NEWS

Four PSU graduate programs listed among top in nation katrin kasper

Four graduate programs from Portland State made it into the top 25 programs in the nation: Social Work; Urban and Regional Planning; Biology; and Linguistics, according to the spring 2015 rankings for Graduateprograms.com, a website that provides resources and program ratings and reviews for prospective graduate students. The ranking, based on student feedback, is a guide to graduate schools. Between September 2012 and March 2015, more than 70,000 recent or current graduate students reviewed and rated their programs. More than 1,600 graduate programs nationwide were evaluated. Graduateprograms.com ranks PSU 8th for top Social Work Schools, 13th for Urban Planning and Policy Degrees, 18th among best Linguistics Programs, and 21st for best Biology programs. Last year, Social Work was ranked 14th, Biology 28th and Linguistics 22nd. Urban Planning was recently added by graduateprograms.com as a new program category

and therefore not reviewed in 2014. Scott Gallagher, PSU’s director of communications, said he is not surprised and very happy about the outcome of graduateprograms. com’s ranking. “Across all the rankings we see yearly, [PSU] is an up-andcoming university,” he said. “We’re getting more research dollars, we’re tracking fantastic faculty and we’re attracting some of the best and brightest students in the world.” PSU programs benefit from good ranking positions and the resulting circle of overall regard. According to Gallagher, PSU’s Social Work program and the Urban and Regional Planning program are especially well-respected. Kurt Bedell, marketing and communications manager of the School of Social Work, is excited to see a gain of six places from 14th to 8th over the previous year. “One thing I could highlight which might be an influence is the brand new online master’s program we began last year,” Bedell said.

The first cohort of students recently finished this online program. Bedell notices a strong interest in high-quality online programs in general. “Our faculty team worked really hard for that,” he said. “The school was selected to receive funding and support to develop the program.” Funding was provided as part of the Provost’s Challenge, which allocated $3 million to fund and support 24 innovative faculty-staff activities at PSU. PSU’s School for Social Work is involved in working within Portland, the county and the state. It’s also the only public, non-online Social Work graduate program in Oregon. Tracy Braden, Student Services Coordinator of Urban Studies and Planning, said Portland is known as a model city in terms of urban planning, particularly for alternative transportation. The program is incredibly well known, nationally and internationally,” Braden said. “The students in the master’s program are able to be very actively engaged from the start. The program is very

Dr. Ken Stedman (right) of the biology department studies a virus with research assistant David Goodman. The biology department is one of four PSU graduate programs ranked top in the nation by graduateprograms.com. Joseph Thiebes/Vanguard Archives

hands-on practically oriented—and enables students to really get into the field and develop skill tools.” “When it comes to Urban Planning, we have a long history of being directly related to improvements and developments in the city,” Gallagher said. “[PSU] has worked with city planners since the ’60s.” There are many rankings with different methodologies. Graduateprograms. com’s ranking works by taking the average score out of 15 ranking categories to determine the position of each graduate program.

The categories consist of topics like Academic Competitiveness, Social Life, Career Support and Campus Safety. For example, for Campus Safety you might respond to the line, “How safe you felt; the efficiency of and access to campus security” on a scale from 1 (not safe) to 10 (absolutely safe). The scores of the graduate programs are then compared and ranked across all schools. Only when a minimum threshold of graduate students reviews their program is it ranked. This minimum threshold varies from program to program.

“For a program less than 50 students, we like to have no less than 10 percent of the total number of graduate students taking the particular program,” said John Karageorge of graduateprograms.com. “For larger size programs, we require a minimum of 10 completed surveys.” By completing a survey, grad students can participate in the ranking process. For example, 3,000 graduate students from more than 150 accredited social work programs across the United States reviewed their programs and submitted a survey.

brightest stars in our community with sustainability awards,” Williams said. “After that, the food comes out and the fun really begins.” Forty-four projects will be presented, including those by the Student Sustainability Leadership Council, PSU’s EcoReps, the Portland International Airport and the Portland Food Economy Project. “It’s just really impressive and inspiring to see projects that are making our campus and our community a better place all grouped together in one venue,” Williams said. The celebration is a collaborative effort by the Institute for Sustainable Solutions

along with the Sustainability Leadership Center and the Campus Sustainability Office. Sustainability is a large component of the PSU campus. The university continues to make sustainable operational changes with the goal to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2040 in the Carbon Action Plan. “Sustainability is about social justice, it’s about the environment, and it’s about having a fun, thriving and stimulating place to call home,” Williams said. “That’s what we’re celebrating.” More information about the event and sustainability action can be found at www.pdx. edu/sustainability.

Don't you P-O-L-L-U-T-E the Earth Annual Sustainability Celebration kicks off on May 28 elizabeth hendrickson

PSU Sustainability logo

As part of an ongoing commitment to promoting sustainability, on May 28, the sustainability programs at Portland State will host their eighth annual Sustainability Celebration. The program will be held in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, and doors will open at 3:30 p.m. The event is free for students with an RSVP. “The Sustainability Celebration is a fun and painless way to become familiar with and inspired by all the work, activities and people who make up PSU’s sustainability effort,” said Christina Williams, the communications director at the

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions. “I always say if you only have time to attend one sustainability event all year, make it this one.” The afternoon starts with the Sustainability Excellence Awards Ceremony with remarks from PSU President Wim Wiewel and the Institute for Sustainable Solutions Director, Jennifer Allen. Following will be a showcase of sustainability projects by students and faculty across campus, refreshments and live music entertainment. “We have a short formal program that covers the highlights in sustainability for the past year and honors the

NEWS

Kellogg Awards honors English department student writers evan birkeland

Portland State’s English department hosted its 51st annual awards ceremony, giving accolades and cash prizes to both undergraduate and graduate students for collegiate writing. Twenty-one students were honored for their contributions to poetry, nonfiction, fiction, and academic writing. Awards are named after noteworthy faculty from PSU’s past. English department Chair Paul Collins spoke about the department’s history leading up to this year’s ceremony. “Perhaps it is right…that a large urban university has an event, once each year, when the past and the present of the English department can be joined,” he said. “The present year has been an eventful one.” The English department at PSU has seen some major overhauls in staffing this year as well as new programs added to the major. “We saw the launch of a new comic studies certificate, the arrival of our new colleague Josh Epstein,” Collins said. We’re about to see the launch of our film studies…an online film journal…Fittingly the first issue will look at local filmmaker Gus Van Zant. We saw one of our past inhouse authors win a Pulitzer this year.” Mike Davis, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, was the guest speaker at this year’s ceremony. His lecture, entitled “Writing as Rioting,” which was supposed to address his work, ended up covering little of its original subject matter. “I was taking some kind of hallucinogen, or maybe the wrong kind of medication,

when I came up with the title for my speech,” Davis said. “I’m not really going to talk about hot rod apocalypses, or whatever [the event page] says.” Davis’ speech centered on his travels through Western Central America, focusing on history during and after World War II. Prize winner Cassia Gamill was the recipient of the Marilyn Folkestad Graduate Scholarship, an award given to graduate students returning to higher education to study literature after a break. “I submit every year,” Gamill said. Beyond providing writers monetary compensation for their exceptional work, the Kellogg Awards aim to reinforce writers’ drive to continue working. “It feels important to me because it gives me encouragement to keep going with my writing,” Gamill said. “When I know someone has read my work and sees promise in it, that makes me feel like I should keep writing and that other people might want to read it as well.” The annual event is also a means to bring together disparate departments in the English program. “I know [to] all of my friends in the English department, in all the various programs, like the [Master of Fine Arts], and the [Master of Arts], and the publishing department, the fact that this evening represents all the various strands of the department is very exciting, and I know that everyone looks forward to coming and cheering on their colleagues, and celebrating them, because our students do really good work,” Gamill said.

Graduate student Cassia Gammill (right) is awarded the Marilyn Folkestad Graduate Scholarship during the Kellogg Awards. . silvia cardullo/PSU VANGUARD

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OPINION

There are no cheap luxuries It might not be you, but somebody is paying the price That’s What’s the Matter

by Kevin Rackham A recent New York Times article about manicure technicians and the awful working conditions they deal with has made the rounds, and people are shocked at the things that happen to make their cheap manicures possible. Around the same time, John Oliver’s segment on sweatshop labor and fast fashion went viral and reminded people that $5 t-shirts and cheap shoes come at the cost of exploitative labor somewhere further down the line. The last month has really impressed on me a lesson that I always try to keep in mind: There’s no such thing as a cheap luxury, and when something is suspiciously cheap, it’s either sketchy quality or they cut corners on paying their workers. One of the other stories that was big last week was a call for a boycott of Driscoll’s berries. Driscoll’s is accused of violating labor regulations. The company allegedly used suppliers that paid workers $7 per day for working 15-hour shifts, using child labor and failing to protect workers from sexual abuse and harassment. This is a story that isn’t any different from the conditions we hear about in clothing factories in Bangladesh, or electronics factories in China. Cheap consumer goods come at a price. Usually that price comes at the cost of quality, labor costs or both.

Shelf-less women Vices and Virtues by Carli Gibson

Not everyone can afford to fill their grocery cart with more expensive meat and produce or pay the premium for higherquality clothes. That doesn’t mean we should all have to forego out-of-season fruit, or buying affordable clothes, or just give up on owning technology, but it’s important to realize that oftentimes the things that make quality of life in America so high come at the cost of exploiting someone further down the line. We shouldn’t take that quality of life for granted. Our culture of cheap, instant gratification relies on people who more than likely won’t have the money or opportunity to enjoy the things they’re producing. And more often than not, things that avoid the chain of globalization and exploitation are noticeably better quality (although admittedly more expensive). Local, seasonal fruit almost always tastes better than fruit that got picked out of state and spent days or weeks being shipped and refrigerated. Clothes that use higher quality fabrics and ethical labor last longer and look better. We should also be putting more pressure on politicians and companies and call for higher labor standards both home and abroad, but we can take smaller steps, too. Instead of buying that $5 shirt, save up and buy a $15 shirt that was made in the United States. It will last longer and hold up better. Instead of buying Driscoll’s berries out of season, stock up during the summer or pick them yourself so you can freeze them to thaw later and enjoy throughout the year. At Portland State, we talk about ways to be more sustainable all the time and about small steps we can take to reduce waste, usage, our carbon footprints, etc. I think we should be having those same conversations about ethical labor. Ultimately, these ethically made goods are more sustainable. By reducing your reliance on cheap consumer goods, you can feel better about your impact on other people and on the environment.

Black Widow action figures are, frustratingly, almost nonexistent In the past, society has always worked to show us that men are stronger than women, and by default are the real heroes, badasses, etc. But recently, we’ve seen women disprove that theory on the big screen with characters like Princess Leia and Black Widow. The big deal with women, like these two who are on the big screen and kicking major butt, is that they work to break down a stereotype, and in the process they become role models to women both young and old. That is why it’s so frustrating that there is a lack of female action figures standing alongside their male companions. I like to think that in this day and age the idea that girls can’t play with action figures, and boys can’t play with dolls, is a thought of the past—although I know that’s not entirely accurate. In fact, I’m sure this unnecessary stereotype is one of the bigger reasons we’re seeing a lack of female action figures lining the shelves. If only boys play with action figures and only males can be heroes, then why make women action figures? Unless of course you’re at Toys “R” Us, which does carry one Princess Leia figure—Slave Leia. What does that say to younger generations? It imposes that stereotype that women cannot be as strong as men. If the only Leia figure that lines the shelves is her in shackles, chains and a bikini, it is not only demeaning to her character, but to women

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Workers in the U.S. and Mexico have called for a boycott of berry producer Driscoll’s, alleging worker abuse. Chavelin Gonzalez/PSU Vanguard

everywhere. It completely disregards the instances where she saved Han Solo, killed Jabba the Hut, and so on. Rather, the idea of sex selling is being imposed on kids and furthering the message that women can’t be heroes. We don’t see male heroes shackled in chains; we see them in their uniforms, being heroic. Recently, Black Widow has grabbed the attention of the big screen. She may not be a god, have anger issues, or have millions of dollars to build a suit of armor, but she is a trained assassin and, most importantly, she’s an Avenger. Which is why it is so incredibly frustrating that she does as much on-screen heroic fighting as her male counterparts, yet her action figures still appear to be sparse. In fact, Disney even went as far as to completely remove her from a set that included all Avenger action figures and had the audacity to cover the box with a scene she owned, replacing her with Captain America. I guess since she’s not a princess, Disney doesn’t have time to put her on the shelves. Could you stoop any lower? Characters like Princess Leia and Black Widow are essential to today’s society. They make huge statements on the big screen. They break down the stereotype that women can’t be as strong, as powerful, and as heroic as men. The fact that they’re being snubbed of the opportunity to be mass produced action figures, like the men, is extremely disappointing, especially to the young girls and boys who want to take her home. And I mean the action figure version, not the slave-princess version. C’mon Disney, let’s fix this issue.

OPINION

Resist resisting arrest Police officers sometimes abuse their power, but they are also necessary for civil society Against the Current

by Sebastian Richardson In the past year, we have seen countless events of police brutality, corruption and racism which have left a major wound in the psyche of many Americans, especially those directly affected by such acts of violence. While these events have been nothing short of tragedies, it has given people the ability to truly begin addressing issues of racism and power dynamics when it comes to our police force. One of the issues that has become a large point of contention in these controversies has been the rhetoric surrounding resisting arrest. Let me start off by saying that I in no way agree with any unnecessary violence toward unarmed, innocent civilians, let alone toward those who may have actually committed a crime of any sort. Anytime a person is wrongfully killed I, like most people, would hope that justice would prevail. However, regardless of the fact that many of these issues are often more complex than the media would have us believe, it seems common that officers tend to blame people for resisting arrest when things don’t go as smoothly as they would have liked. Many times resisting arrest is used as an excuse to help legitimize controversial arrests and brutal actions taken by police. In almost all of the more recent cases of police brutality, resisting arrest was cited as a primary reason officers felt the need to resort to lethal force. Officers will also use the claim that a suspect was resisting arrest to abuse their own authority. Just in the past year, a California public defender was arrested and detained for nothing more than resisting arrest, regardless of the fact she was not being arrested for any crime and was, in the view of the officer, deemed defiant for simply trying to do her job. Sometimes one can be detained for simply responding slowly, having an attitude, or a mere difference in opinion of what is actually going on. People who tend to get caught up in the rhetoric of resisting arrest are essentially trying to denounce what is happening and put the blame on victims rather than institutional racism and power structures. While I can recognize that police can and do abuse the whole resisting arrest thing, I feel having a discussion about how someone should respond to officers has been neglected. Quite frankly, the success of an officer’s job depends upon people cooperating with them and following the law. Resisting arrest is against the law, and it directly interferes with the police’s ability to maintain order and public safety. If you resist arrest, you incite confrontation, and by inciting confrontation, you may incite violence which does very little to help a cause or prove your innocence. No one would argue that police don’t abuse their power, but I feel we cannot suspend their authority and ability to enforce the law because some cops misuse it. With this in mind, people need to be respectful toward police officers Under no circumstances do I think that police officers are justified in taking extreme measures in order to subdue crimi-

rachael Bentz/PSU VANGUARD

nals who don’t pose a real threat. However, resisting arrest is never a good response. If you downplay the role defiance and resistance has in many of these cases of police brutality, you give ammunition to those who want to dismiss the racial factor and let institutional racism run its course. Sadly, this can quickly turn a populist/progressive movement into an us versus them archetype. These recent conflicts give us all the more reason to encourage people to not resist arrest, to not run away from police officers, and to not directly act defiantly toward them. Police officers do not have the option of walking away when faced with possible criminal offenses; if they did, then their role as enforcers of the law would be undermined and unreliable.

I would argue that for a modern democratic nation to exist you must rely upon the rule of law, and that rule of law does require you to relinquish authority for enforcing the law, making judgments and using lethal force to those who can bare that responsibility. It’s a shame that in today’s world I would have to advocate that people shouldn’t resist unjust action for fear of potential violent escalation that all too often seems to result in the tragic end of a human life. Sadly, that’s the world we live in. We must feel free to criticize police officers for potential misuse of power, but we also must respect the fact their role is essential to civil society. Criticism and disrespect do not have to go hand-in-hand but if you encourage resisting arrest, downplay it or justify it, it becomes hard to separate those two things.

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

OPINION

The MAX Orange Line: Better late than never The Campus Oracle by Nathan Anderson

TriMet and the city of Portland have been trying to build a MAX light rail line to Milwaukie since the 1970s. In the mid90s, a plan was presented to the public that would have created a MAX line from Milwaukie to Vancouver, Washington. Oregon voters approved the bond, while Clark County voters did not. After stagnating for over a decade these plans were tweaked a bit in 2008, abandoning the Washington connection. Finally, the Federal Transit Administration approved the plans in 2011 and now the MAX Orange Line will run from Union Station in Northwest Portland to Southeast Park Avenue in Milwaukie. It will join the other MAX lines downtown and link the heart of the city to the new Oregon Health and Science University waterfront campus and to OMSI, the Brooklyn neighborhood and finally Milwaukie.

To be sure, this new line has caused some controversy. Opponents of the new line complained about the necessary construction of another bridge across the Willamette, now officially called the Tilikum Crossing. Complaints about the cost of the bridge were numerous, and detractors pointed out that several bridges currently in use in the Portland area needed replacing. The Interstate Bridge and the Sellwood Bridge were commonly cited examples. The right-of-way required for safe passage of the trains necessitated the removal of trees and the engineering of raised track beds. Naturally, some people felt this was unacceptable. Despite the controversy, progress is...well, progress. Downtown Portland is a prohibitively expensive place to live for all but the highly aﬄuent, yet many of the city’s services are located there: OHSU is close enough to make no practical difference, Portland State sits in the heart of downtown, many of the city’s financial and business services are downtown, and the finest restaurants are in the heart of the city. Yet housing is only to be had for those with significant income. This is not necessarily a bad thing; indeed, it follows the precedent set by most major cities the world over. However, with this nucleus of economic and social activity comes a very real need for public transportation into and out of the city. Currently, TriMet buses service most of the metro area, but bus schedules are irregular and often change or are

eliminated during the weekends or on holidays. While MAX trains can suffer from some similar problems, the effect is miniscule compared to the deficiencies suffered by the bus service. Additionally, the new Tilikum Crossing will link the Portland Streetcar stop at OMSI to the South Waterfront, thus significantly cutting streetcar transportation times from the eastern stations to downtown and the Northwest parts of the city. Thus, the new Orange Line is a good thing. Students, shoppers, diners, patients and weekend visitors will be able to commute from the southern suburbs into the heart of the city with little fuss and little delay. Housing opportunities for students at PSU are limited at best and now that the MAX Orange Line will connect PSU and Milwaukie, students will be able to search for housing farther from campus, content with the knowledge that they now have reliable transportation to school should they choose to live in those areas. Businesses in Milwaukie will get a boost and land values will likely increase. Much of the controversy has faded in recent months as the planned project nears completion, but there are still those that feel the new MAX line was and is a waste of money. However, the MAX is one of the most efficient and highly rated public transportation systems in the country and expanding it to meet the needs of Portland metro’s ever-growing population can only be a benefit to Portland.

kayla toWnsley

THE NEW MAx ORANGE LINE will carry passengers between the Southwest Waterfront and Milwaukie, making it the first MAx line installed into Southeast Portland. CHAVELIN GONzALEz/PSU VANGUARD

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

OPINION

‘Welcome to Me’ The level of honesty we’ve come to expect from talk shows New Kid on the Park Blocks by Molly Ozier

Warning: This article contains spoilers from the new film ‘Welcome to Me.’ If you haven’t heard, Kristen Wiig came out with a new film called Welcome to Me, where she plays a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery. And if that’s not enough to get you interested, Will Ferrell produced it. Your immediate thought might be that it’s a comedy. I definitely laughed throughout the film, but a dark comedy is probably a better description. Not many people know about Welcome to Me, so I’ll provide a brief synopsis: A woman (Wiig) with borderline personality disorder is obsessed with The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is socially awkward, dresses as though it’s still 1980, and has a profoundly blunt personality. One day she wins $86.7 million in the lottery. She decides to go off her medicine and, after a series of events, ends up paying outright to create her own multi-million dollar talk show. When the producers asks her what she wants to talk about on the show she simply replies, “me.” And so they create the show titledWelcome to Me. This film stood out to me not because it deals with BPD, but because of how honest it depicts talk shows. Shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View and Dr. Phil were all created because someone said, “I want to have a show where I can talk about myself.” As I sat in the dark theater watching Welcome to Me, I had this moment of clarity: Who thought that it would be entertaining to have celebrities talk about popular culture when average, unknown people do the same thing every day without being filmed, paid or promoted to do it? And that’s why I fell in love with Welcome to Me. Our heroine, while mentally ill, is pure. She doesn’t sugarcoat her show with celebrities, popular culture or free gifts for the audience. She literally does exactly what she would do if she were in her own living room. She paints her toenails, talks to her mom on the phone and watches TV on a set made to look exactly like her living room. But then she also takes it to an extreme: She begins to neuter dogs on the show; she has actors play out scenarios from her childhood while she critiques them, and begins to make out with the guy she’s dating, all while being filmed on national television. There are many different talk shows that are catered to all different kinds of audiences. But what makes a talk show is the host. From Bill O’Reilly to Jon Stewart there is an array of people and topics that are being discussed everyday. A host can make or break a show. Recently, a new wave of hosts have been taking over the shows that have been around for decades:

Alchemy/2015

Jimmy Fallon for Jay Leno, Stephen Colbert for David Letterman, and James Corden for Craig Ferguson. With each new host comes some new segment on the show. This is nothing new, but the level of honesty that each host shares with their audience is the same. Any deeper and it wouldn’t be aired. This is the type of honesty we’ve come to expect from television: superficial intimacy. And that’s why we watch these shows, not to feel depressed by the world but to view popular culture in the one-dimensional representation these hosts share with us. Because it’s entertaining. This forces me to wonder what would happen if a show like Welcome to Me actually aired. Would it be forced off the air like it was in the movie? Or would be we be able to embrace it for the truth it shares?

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

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

COVER

Finding Common Ground Unions and university use interest-based bargaining to start to strike a deal

lisa dunn

There are roughly 2,100 teaching and nonteaching faculty employed by Portland State: adjunct instructors, senior instructors, associate professors, assistant professors, researchers, librarians, attorneys, advisers, tenure track, non-tenure track, temporary and permanent. And they’re all bargaining with PSU this summer. PSU Faculty Association, the parttime faculty union, will negotiate its entire contract, which expires at the end of June. The PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors, the full-time faculty union, has begun negotiating several articles within their current contract, which was ratified in mid-2014 after complicated negotiations. The contract will expire in November. “Students should care, because we care about them,” said Davida Jordan, a PSUFA member and an adjunct instructor in the Intensive English Language Program. “Like they say, our working conditions are their learning conditions.”

Current conditions: PSUfA According to PSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning, there were 695 adjunct instructors and 58 research positions at PSU in Fall 2014. In an email, Carol Hawkins, PSU’s Director of Academic Employee and Labor Relations, said that PSUFA will represent roughly 874 teaching and research faculty in the upcoming negotiations. Kelly Cowan, an adjunct professor in the engineering department and the president of PSUFA, did not respond to requests for comment. PSUFA represents all teaching and researching faculty who work less than .5 FTE, which, according to the collective bargaining agreement, is approximately 22 credit hours per year, not including summer term. FTE, or Full Time Equivalency, is a metric used to measure workload. “That’s a pretty hard and fast rule,” said Edward Taub, organizing director for PSUFA. “Once you get over half-time, [PSU] is liable to pay benefits.” SHANNON KIDD/PSU VANGUARD

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Currently, adjunct instructors make a minimum of $858 per credit. Taub said it’s rare for someone to receive more than the minimum. For a four-credit class, that’s $3,432. Adjunct instructors are hired on a term-to-term basis. “We want to make it more known that some people who are teaching you are making a lot more money than the other people who are teaching you, and your quality of education is going to be the same,” Jordan said. Jordan has taken on a central role in PSUFA in the lead-up to bargaining. She has been working in the IELP on and off since 2007. She currently works at Portland Community College as a part-time ESOL instructor and has also worked at Mt. Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College in the past. PSU, according to the collective bargaining agreement, is required to give adjunct instructors at least five weeks notice for job assignment offers when feasible. Depending on the department, however, that kind of notice is rare, according to Taub and Jordan. “People don’t step up and take advantage of assignment rights language because they’re afraid,” Taub said. “There’s no job security to begin with, and, you know, in some departments, where adjuncts are really treated like dirt, they’re afraid to step up. In other departments, they’re moving on it because those departments are more reliant on adjuncts and therefore more respectful toward them.” “I’ve never had five weeks’ notice,” Jordan said. “PCC gives you your classes pretty far in advance. Mt. Hood Community College, Clackamas—they do it a lot farther in advance. They have different constraints, though…partly because we’re dealing with international students [at PSU] versus residents [at community colleges]. But so it’s a gamble. If I get offered a class at PCC, I can say, ‘Well, I want to keep my schedule open for PSU,’ and they’ll

COVER say, ‘Okay, cool, thanks, we’re going to give that class to somebody else.’ So it’s like, do I want to wait until the last minute and get a class from PSU, which may not ever materialize? Or do I want to take this PCC class?” The agreement also allocates $175,000 per year for a healthcare fund. Faculty who want to use the fund may apply only during terms in which they are employed, and the funds are dispersed on the last day of the term. “The way this health insurance [fund] works, you don’t get the money until the last day of the term, so it’s not that helpful in a way, if you don’t want to live off of credit cards,” Jordan said. “When fewer people knew about it, it was maybe kind of a good deal, but now that more people are learning about it, the amount that everybody gets is shrinking.” There is a professional development fund of $85,000 per year. Eligible members may apply for a maximum of $2,000 each to put toward research or attending conferences. There is also an educational fund of $45,000 per year. Members are also encouraged, per the agreement, to participate in departmental committees, but they are not compensated for departmental participation. “I do it because I love it,” Jordan said. “It’s such a dynamic job. There’s a lot of creativity involved in teaching…working conditions are terrible, but in a way, it’s still worth it.”

Current conditions: AAUP According to Phil Lesch, the Executive Director of AAUP, the union is representing 1,262 individuals at the time of bargaining. This includes tenured and tenure-track teaching faculty, non-tenure or fixed-term teaching faculty, and non teaching faculty, such as researchers or academic professionals. Members of AAUP are full-time, teaching or working at .5 FTE (23 credit hours) or more per year. Teaching faculty must not take on more than 36 credit hours per year, no more than 10 percent of which may be from non teaching activities such as research or sitting on committees. AAUP positions are salaried based on position, rank and FTE. For instance, effective January 2015, a professor with a 12-month appointment working 1.0 FTE will receive a minimum salary of $101,232. According to AAUP’s “Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2013–14,” the average salary for a professor at a public doctoral university last year was $126,981. According to the agreement, an instructor with a 12-month appointment working 1.0 FTE will receive $50,160. A research assistant with a 12-month appointment working 1.0 FTE will receive $50,160. Faculty working less than 1.0 FTE receive lower salaries in accordance with their workloads. Teaching faculty receive 2.5 percent salary increases from year to year to keep up with inflation. Faculty also receive reduced compensation over summer term. AAUP members have access to health care through the Public Employees’ Benefit Board. PSU pays 95 percent of the monthly premium, and members pay the other five percent. According to the 2015–17 PSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Issues, “Faculty and academic professionals do not have paid family leave, and current policies are not family-friendly. Out of pocket health care costs are rising, and health incentive programs do not meet the needs of faculty and academic professionals. Academic professionals are unable to take leave and are not reimbursed for leave they do not take.” AAUP has a professional development fund of $650,000 per year and a $500,000 per year fund for travel related to professional development. Members of AAUP and their families are also offered discounted tuition, according to AJ Brown, an instructor in the IELP. “[My son] goes to school here at a tremendous discount because I’m a teacher here,” Brown said. “It’s a big benefit if the faculty takes advantage. And so, AAUP just fought and—we just got something… that says it’s not going to change.” For non-tenure track or fixed-term faculty, contracts are on a 9-month or year-long basis. After four years, fixed-term faculty may earn the right for multi-year contracts. Per the agreement, a minimum of 80 percent of non-tenure track instructional and

research faculty with seniority status must be granted multi-year contracts, either two or three years. Multi-year contracts are assigned depending on seniority and rank. PSU created a joint labor and management task force, per article 18 of the agreement, to examine ways to create indefinite contracts as a means of “providing enhanced job security for longer term, productive and successful non-tenure track faculty that support the needs and demands of individual departments.” The task force determined that, after a certain amount of time, fixed-term faculty should be eligible for permanent positions, but their recommendations have not been made policy yet. “There’s just not a ton of security for teachers like me,” Brown said.

Negotiating the past In a student media press conference on May 22, PSU President Wim Wiewel said he wants to avoid what happened during last year’s negotiations with AAUP, which almost resulted in a strike. “The way it went last year was not good,” Wiewel said. “There was a lot of stress and tension and antagonism. That’s not good for the institution…it’s not good for anybody.” “There were just vast differences between the two sides about how to resolve several issues,” Miller said. “[The administration] wanted to remove some language about promotion and tenure...plus, of course, salary and job security. Last time we wanted job security in terms of having multiple year contracts for more of our non-tenure track faculty. We were really at odds about that last year.” AAUP and the administration did not come to an agreement in direct bargaining, so they moved to mediation. Janet Gilman, State Conciliator for the Employment Relations Board, medi-

roed it out, so a small increase there.” Taub said he would ideally like to see another $50–75,000 in the health care fund. “That would really help, in particular, the higher premium people. You know, those people who are not healthy and have to spend more on health insurance.” Jordan agreed that the health care fund needs to be increased. “It’s a way to show that adjuncts are valued, to say, ‘Yes, we care about your health care, and if you’re sick, we want you to be able to take care of yourself.’” Ultimately, Jordan said, she wants to see more job security and more respect for adjunct instructors. “Having some kind of notification, knowing farther in advance or if you’ll even have a job at all—maybe longer contracts. We want more transparency in the departments: do you move up? Is there seniority for an adjunct? What are you working toward? Once you’re fixed-term, full time, there’s a very clear path and hierarchy of: if you’ve been here for this many years, you get such and such, and this is your title. As an adjunct, it’s kind of like, you’re here or you’re not, nobody’s keeping track. We’d like to feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel—like you’re working toward something.” “Our interests are to create the best possible university that provides high quality education-where tuition is kept as low as possible, where people are fairly compensated, and where [we can] deliver quality education and secure the long-term financial viability of the university,” Wiewel said. “As you can imagine, there is a tension between all of those. It’s always going to be a juggling act.”

Looking ahead Both unions will be employing Interest-Based Bargaining this time around. Gilman, who helped AAUP and the administration come to an agreement last year, has trained AAUP in IBB and will be present for bargaining this summer. IBB, according to ERB’s website, “differs from traditional bargaining by starting with interests, exploring options and building toward solutions.” “IBB brings both teams to the table to discuss interests and options rather than positions,” Hawkins said. Hawkins is on the university’s bargaining team and will provide labor relations and collective bargaining advice and support to Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Leadership Development in the Office of Academic Affairs and Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Shelly Chabon, who is also on the administration’s bargaining team. Miller said she hopes IBB will help the administration and AAUP understand one another’s positions better and more easily come to an agreement. “It is different in the sense that we can still caucus, we can still disagree, we don’t have to be best friends or anything like that, but it really is not oppositional. It is more about finding common ground to work from in order to make decisions.” AAUP and PSUFA held a joint rally several weeks ago in order to build a relationship between the two unions. “The goal is strength in numbers,” Miller said. “We have very similar asks of administration. I don’t want to sugarcoat it and say that there aren’t any differences between the two [unions], because there are, but we’re opening up our bargaining about the same time, and it really makes sense to work together.” Jordan said she wants the two unions to build empathy, especially since some demands overlap. “We should be working together...We can help each other.” “Ideally our relationship with both PSUFA and AAUP will be better at the end of negotiations than they are today,” Hawkins said. “Our goal is to build a relationship of trust and respect and a strong and supportive environment for our faculty.” AAUP has already started bargaining with the university and will continue bargaining throughout the summer. Wiewel said the goal is to finish negotiations with AAUP before the end of the calendar year. PSUFA will start bargaining with the university at the end of the term. Hawkins said PSUFA is aiming for a late June IBB training date.

“I do it because I love it.” -Davida Jordan

ated between the two parties. That, however, did not result in an agreement, and the two parties came to an impasse. AAUP voted to strike, but the administration and the union eventually came to an agreement. PSUFA and the administration last negotiated in 2013 and ratified their current collective bargaining agreement in November 2013.

What the unions want According to the 2015–17 PSU-AAUP Collective Bargaining Issues, AAUP has four bargaining goals including: support for professional development, including increased access to funds and more direct funding in order to fully support their research programs. AAUP also wants retention and recognition of services, which would reward academic professionals, who currently have no room for advancement, for specialized skills. Under retention and recognition of services, AAUP also wants the administration to adopt the joint labor and management task force’s recommended permanent employment policy for fixed-term faculty. “Let’s have more people who can count on their job for more than a year, and let’s [increase] that,” Miller said. The third issue AAUP wants to address is a healthy workplace, which would include paid family leave and more family friendly policies for both faculty and academic professionals, a revisitation of the current healthcare system, and better work-life balance. AAUP is also asking for higher summer session pay rates and compensation more on-par with national salary averages. PSUFA will be negotiating for more money in the professional development and education funds, according to Taub. “I really think the faculty education fund needs to be reworked and increased,” Taub said. “We have a number of graduate students who are adjuncts, and we’re helping them pay for their graduate education from the faculty education fund... Professional development, we’re in pretty good shape. We ze-

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

Music as the medium for education Multiple ensembles come together to celebrate retiring PSU jazz director Aislinn Rennison

Charley Gray’s career has been anything but uneventful. He created the jazz studies program at Portland State and co-invented the Portland Jazz Orchestra. Although the University of North Texas graduate has worked and performed in several states, his last 27 years have been spent teaching in Portland. Students, faculty, alumni and local musicians will celebrate the retiring music professor and director of jazz studies on June 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Performance Hall. PSU’s College of the Arts

will be presenting the Portland State Jazz Ensemble and Portland Jazz Orchestra. Special guest PSU alumni will speak at the concert. Out of 75 other applicants, Gray was chosen for the job in 1988. One of the job requirements was that he start a jazz studies degree. “He is really the person who shaped and created this program,” said Darrell Grant, professor of music at PSU. “He created a minor in jazz studies, bachelor’s and master’s. He really built this program.” Grant and the Chair of the Clackamas Community Col-

lege music department, Lars Campbell, are using this year’s spring jazz concert as a way to honor Gray and all his accomplishments during his career. Hired by Gray, Grant has become a close colleague and friend. “[Gray] has been a real mentor,” Grant said. “He is somebody who cares deeply about his students. That really impresses me. He is a wonderful musician and composer, but his focus is really on his students. I’ve seen that influence over a couple generations.” Gray has developed close relationships with his stu-

Chavelin Gonzalez/PSU Vanguard

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

dents because he teaches so many classes, so he ends up teaching the same students several times. “A lot of really good friends I have now started out as my students,” Gray said. Many of those former students will be part of the special guest alumni speakers at the concert. “I’m just grateful that I’ve gotten to know them,” Gray said. “That's been the overriding part of all of this, is that I got to know some really neat people. The faculty, my peers; they are all just wonderful.”

Not only has Gray appreciated getting to know the people around him, but they have also valued his input, advice and friendship in return. Students have even asked Gray to become ordained so he could marry them, including Campbell’s marriage. “I’ve done about five or six of them,” Gray chuckled. “Pretty good average so far. I think only one is no longer. That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about.”

A service to education Gray has been a part of major life events with his peers and students, but they have been a part of his, too. When Gray’s daughter was born 22 years ago, he was overwhelmed by the support and kindness his staff and students displayed. “All the kids made stuff for her, and everyone came down and was super nice,” Gray said. “They even made blankets. It was very touching. But they are just like that all the time, on any given day someone is doing something nice.” George Colligan, jazz area coordinator, still remembers Gray’s 62nd birthday. “I remember our director gave him 62 bottles of beer in a cooler,” Colligan laughed. Gray and Grant hired Colligan four years ago when searching for a third jazz professor. “Without them I wouldn’t be here,” Colligan said. “I mean, Charley was the one who got me here. He’s one of the more seasoned faculty members. He knows the system better than anyone else. Anytime I get stuck, I go to him.” Colligan isn’t the only one who goes to Gray for advice. Many local high school band directors are good friends with Gray and seek his help composing. Every year Gray picks a few high schools to spend time with and creates music specifically for that band. “He is not an elitist in that way,” Grant said. “He puts his art as a service to education. He’s arranged my music, too.

He will write charts customized to specific bands and the students within those bands.” The time spent devoted to his students has yielded amazing results and experiences. For example, the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble was started by two of Gray’s former students. They were inspired by Gray and thoroughly enjoyed writing and playing music in his big band. They took that love and started an organization committed to non-profit jazz composition and performance.

There for the music Not only has Gray given tangible gifts such as written music and charts, he has also given the gift of memories and experiences. One of the most profound memories for Gray, Grant and their students was their trip to Russia. For 10 days in 2011, they traveled around Russia as the Jazz Bridge Project, teaching music, meeting with government officials, giving educational presentations and performing. “That was life-changing, a lovely trip,” Gray said. “I got to know [Grant] a lot better and the people who went were some special people. It was unreal. I had no idea what to expect. But it was a perfect group of people and the whole thing was just awesome. We were there for the music and there with musicians. Lots of vodka, too.” Gray knew early in high school that he wanted to become a teacher. He was inspired by his own band and music education while growing up in the San Francisco area. “I think that with music, it’s about finding a mentor,” Gray said. “That’s what really helps.” After finishing his undergraduate studies at San Francisco State and receiving his teaching credentials, Gray taught high school music in northern California. “I think I started too soon,” Gray said. “I still would have See music on page 15

ARTS & CULTURE

You want the toast? You can’t handle the toast!

Tim Sullivan, The College Culinarian

Breakfast, brunch or brinner, if you don’t at least have French toast for any of these meals then you’re obviously doing something wrong with your life. So here’s my take on this classic breakfast staple for you to make easily at home.

Step 1: In a large baking dish, combine the eggs, half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract with a whisk. Now you’ve got custard.

Step 2: Place the slices of the bread into the large baking dish

into the custard. Allow each slice of bread to soak up your custard concoction 20–30 seconds per side. Remember, French toast is supposed to be a bit gooey in the center. If you like dry French toast then you’re a blasphemer. During this time, preheat your griddle at medium heat.

Step 3: Lube up your griddle liberally with butter or nonstick spray. Place two slices of bread on the griddle and cook each side for 2–3 minutes per side. Repeat till all of the bread is cooked. Step 4: Now place your stack of French toast on a plate, cover

with your favorite topping(s), and defend that hill of delicious breakfast delicacy from the hoards that want some for themselves. The slackers.

Serves: 6–8 Tools:

Whisk Large baking dish Stovetop griddle or electric griddle Turner or spatula

Ingredients:

6–8 slices of thick crusty day old bread (French bread, Challah, Brioche) 6 eggs 1 ½ cups of half and half ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract ¼ cup of brown sugar Butter or nonstick spray for the griddle

Optional toppings:

Maple syrup Powdered sugar Favorite jam, jelly or marmalade

Courtesy of Deror avi through Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons

music Continued from page 14 gone into it but I just got to a point where I felt like I wanted to play music, and I thought that would make me a better teacher in the long run if I played more.” Gray took a break from teaching when he was asked to become the musical director for the Ice Capades, which included being on the road for nine months at a time. Some of the performers he was traveling with had gone to University of North Texas, a school highly acclaimed for their jazz program. After six years with the Ice Capades, Gray decided to get his Master’s at UNT. “I felt like I had done enough and seen enough that I could

make practical use of the things I was learning,” Gray said. “It completely prepared me.”

Strange September Although Gray became a full-time professor at PSU, his love of performing and composing did not dwindle. Gray and Campbell created the Portland Jazz Orchestra in 2008, comprised of a full 18 piece jazz ensemble. The PJO performed at least four large concerts a year in the Portland community and created the album Good Morning, Geek. Unfortunately, the recession in 2010 and 2011 made it hard for the PJO to find gigs,

and the band stopped performing. However, the PJO will reunite and perform at the celebration. Gray hopes that by playing, it will bring motivation to the members to find gigs regularly again. “This concert will be nice to remind us all how fun it was,” Gray said. Along with performances, the event will also include a slideshow and an opportunity for faculty and students to share their favorite memory with Gray. “People are coming out of the woodwork,” Colligan said. “He is a very beloved figure in the community and people who have gone here want to come out and show their support for him.” Grant explained that along with the concert, a scholarship is being made through

donation for a committed jazz student, in honor of Gray. “My philosophy is that music is the medium for education,” Gray stated. “But the real education is just a way you can teach your values.” Not only is extreme devotion displayed in Gray’s teaching and through his music, but it is also highly apparent in other areas of Gray’s life. “When Charley is dealing with something he is passionate about, he comes alive,” Colligan said. Gray has also been an inspiration to his colleagues to persevere in their own goals. Colligan explained that Gray was a motivating figure for him when he first started at PSU. “He really has a way of connecting with people,” Colligan said. “He was always leaving books in my box for me to read.”

One of those books, Born to Run, transformed Colligan’s life. Colligan has also been deeply inspired by Charley’s bravery. “Charley is a quiet guy I think he is very shy at heart, but it’s amazing to watch him overcome that,” Colligan said. “It’s interesting. I remember him giving a lecture in his Beatles class. Just to watch him, knowing that his nature is very shy, and he gets up and talks about something that he loves. It just doesn’t matter, and he seems totally comfortable.” Knowing how much funding can be a challenge for students, Gray’s biggest hope for the program is that more scholarship money can be incorporated. Gray believes that the faculty and the new dean of the college of arts will continue to increase visibility for

PSU’s music school, which will hopefully generate more attention and funding. But Gray said he really doesn’t have any complaints. “I can’t say that I wish things were different,” Gray said. “You can always have more scholarship money and more support, that’s a given, but all in all I’ve been really happy.” Gray said that he intentionally has not made any plans for his retirement. He is going to take life as it comes and see where he goes. Ideally, however, Gray would like to continue writing music for local high school bands and for the resurrected PJO. “The summer is just going to feel like the summer, like it always does,” Gray said. “But September is going to feel funny because I’m not coming back here.”

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

'Crow Hollow' is the fashionable nostalgia of literature

SHANNON KIDD/PSU VANGUARD

lisa dunn

When I was a teenager, I went through a brief phase where I was obsessed with the 1960s. I read, watched, wore and listened to anything to do with that era. And by that, I mean I watched Breakfast at Tiﬀany’s, wore frosty, pink lipstick and listened to the Beatles. I was convinced that I should have been alive during the height of Twiggy, Andy Warhol and all those other stereotypical ’60s figureheads. The words “I was born in the wrong era” probably came out of my mouth at one point or another. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I didn’t really care about or understand the ethos of the 1960s—I just liked some of the stuff. I co-opted certain external markers of that era and used them to define my own millennial experience. Because I didn’t understand the context of the era, I probably definitely sounded like an idiot when I would say things like, “George Harrison is the best Beatle” and “Oh my god, I just love mod fashion.” I know, I know. Infuriating, right? Crow Hollow by Michael Wallace is the literary equivalent of my Hepburn phase. Set in Boston at the end of the 17th century, Crow Hollow is the story of James Bailey, a weirdly standoffish agent of the crown and wannabe colonial James Bond, and Prudence Cotton, a widow who was taken hostage by the Nipmuk tribe along with her young daughter during King Philip’s War. Benjamin Cotton, Prudence’s husband, was tortured and killed by The Natives. Prudence escaped, though her daughter remained a captive and was presumed dead by Prudence’s uptight family.

James comes to Boston to investigate the suspicious death of Prudence’s husband, who happened to be another agent of the crown. Prudence wants James’s help tracking down her daughter, who she believes is still alive even though everyone around her is like: seriously, Pru, leave it be, she’s dead and shit. But a mother always conveniently knows, you know? There’s also a Praying Indian named Peter Church, hired by James to probably help distract the Puritans and maybe talk to the Nipmuk. Peter is a Quaker, and there’s, like, beef and stuff between the Bostonian Puritans and the Quakers, because history. This story could be in any time or place, which is a mark of bad historical fiction. Instead of really getting to the heart of the time period, Wallace just uses random historical words and markers as placeholders for truly understanding the time period. James, at one point, says that a man acts like he has “a blunderbuss up his bunghole.” I mean, score one for Googling 17th century weapons, Wallace, but come on. The writing is inconsistent and unconvincing. It’s like an ill-fitting tux. I get the look you’re going for, but it doesn’t gel. The Puritan characters call one another Master, Goodman and Goodwife because, you know, they’re Puritans and Christian names are a no-no. Except Wallace often forgets that they call each other by formal titles, and the Puritan characters often address one another by their Christian names. Wallace makes the same mistake with Peter as well. Peter only says thee and thou except

when he doesn’t. It’s infuriatingly sloppy. To boot, it’s supposed to be a thriller full of mystery, suspense and action. But the plot is predictable. Blah, blah, Prudence’s motherly intuition is right. Blah, blah, James’s hunch about certain characters is dead-on. Guess what happens between the really hot, devil-may-care spy and the surprisingly selfsufficient Puritan babe, even though they, like, totally have nothing in common? The characters are wooden and one-dimensional, and I suspect that Wallace is a neckbeard-y men’s rights activist. James makes plenty of comments about women being gossips. He quips that marriage is a fate worse than death. At one point, James even makes out with a 16-yearold servant girl in a scene that is as unconvincing in the description of James brushing her inner thigh as it is creepy. Again: She’s 16. Those were different times, eh? Wallace, at the very least, knows how to infuriate his readers by writing vague things like, “[James]’d vowed before leaving English soil that he would return in triumph, take the prize that was waiting for him in London.” Only 10 pages later, he reveals that the prize in question is a position as Chancellor of Agents. It’s a weirdly ineffective way to build suspense, and it focuses on the wrong details. Wallace also has this habit of tacking on information— secret familial relations, unexpected character motivations and characters having unexpected talents that conveniently help move along the scene at hand. These rev-

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

LAKE UNION PUBLISHING/2015

elations happen frequently enough that it seems too much like a lazy, “Well, shit, I have to fill this plothole and quick!” kind of writing rather than

well thought out plotlines that make you say, “I should have seen that coming.” One thing I absolutely should have seen coming is

how bad this book was. I should probably go dig my Breakfast at Tiﬀany’s poster out of storage and find a place for it in my bedroom.

ARTS & CULTURE

Graphic tee content, viewer discretion advised “Marge in charge of fashion”

shannon kidd/PSU VANGUARD

Graphic t-shirts have the power to reduce your appearance to that of a 14-year-old in a matter of seconds. You know the kind of tee I’m talking about. The ones that read “my imaginary friend thinks I’m crazy too,” purchased

Courtesy of David Fulmer through Creative Commons via Flickr

from the clearance rack of Hot Topic, Wal-Mart, TeeFury or Fuego (aka, Tumblr the store). Graphic t-shirts are tricky to pull off when you’re an adult, and especially difficult if you look younger than your age. If you don’t like high school boys hitting on you, you may want to rethink wearing that graphic tee out in public. The obvious choice is to avoid wearing them as much as possible; I find people in positions of authority value my opinions more when I’m not wearing a shirt with cartoons on it that says “Monster Party!” or a grotesque Murderdolls shirt. If you’re really attached to graphic tshirts but find you need to look semi-professional, at

least save them for the weekend. Or turn them into tank tops. Or throw pillows. There are many other options. If you feel that you can’t part ways with your graphic t-shirts, at least spare those around you by avoiding ones with subjectively witty sayings and phrases: “Don’t make me get the flying monkeys,” “Cool story, bro,” “Keep calm and (insert fandom reference here),” etc. You know these shirts all too well. They’re annoying and often overuse sayings that weren’t too funny to begin with. Fortunately, there are a few other options that aren’t too bad. Wolf t-shirts are one of these options. These were pretty popular for a while, but not so much recently. They’re

probably safe to wear still if you don’t see an overpopulation of them in the Portland wilds. In a similar vein, you could look for a unicorn tee instead, if wolves aren’t quite up your alley. Band shirts are another option, though I’d advise you to make sure you know what band you’re representing. Some band t-shirts have really neat designs. Some band shirts are really old (I’m told this is vintage) and the designs printed on them aren’t issued anymore. You never know what you’ll find unless you do a little digging! And, of course, band shirts always make nice souvenirs from shows you’ve attended. Stereotypical tourist shirts

are another of my favorite alternatives—either from trips you’ve taken or purchased secondhand from your favorite thrift store or a yard sale. There are so many cool vintage touristy tees out that that it’d be a shame to wear the same Doctor Who shirt as everyone else, you know? Exhibit A: “Washington, the Switzerland of America” with an illustration of Mt. St. Helens. That is a real shirt I once saw and is infinitely better than anything you’ll find at Fuego. The moral of the story is that graphic t-shirts will always make you look much younger. But if you go about them in the right way, they’re more likely to be a conversation starter than a reason people avoid you.

Global Rhythms IV sings music of the world Choirs from across campus come together for multicultural music night Jon Raby

“One thing that is true about human beings—it doesn’t matter what time period or where on the Earth—every civilization that we know of has gotten together to sing,” said Ethan Sperry, director of choral activities at Portland State. PSU’s Man Choir, Vox Femina and University Choir will be singing songs from around the world for their fourth annual Global Rhythms concert on May 29. The choirs will be joined by percussionist Brian Davis of Pink Martini. The concert will feature voice and drum music from 10 countries around the world. Some of the featured music will be from Argentina, Brazil, Estonia, Haiti, the Philippines, South Africa and the United States. The concert will have five different PSU composers and around 130 singers with all three choir groups combined. Man Choir is composed of all men, as you may have guessed. They are an audition-only vocal group that was founded in 2011 by Sperry, who is also the director of Man Choir’s 40 members, give or take. Vox Femina, on the other hand, is an all-female, auditioned choir composed of mostly vocal and music education majors. Joan Szymko, associate director of choral activities, directs Vox Femina, which was also started in 2011 when PSU added select men’s and women’s choirs to the vocal music department. They also have around 40 members. “I do think that the single-gendered choirs offer the singers an opportunity to relax more into being themselves,” Szymko said. “Having directed women’s choirs for many years, I’ve seen value placed on personal connections with the stories behind the words that are sung.” The division of men and women is not so unusual in choir. According to Sperry, the music just sounds different. “Having both single-gender choirs allows for a variety in the choral program and a sense of community among singers with closely related or similar voice types,” said Sterling Roberts, one of five conductors for the concert.

PSU’s University Choir will be singing as well. With about 70 members, the university choir is not only made up of music majors but a diverse group of students across campus. “We are a pretty serious classical music school, but when it comes down to singing, this is something that just connects people, and plugging into the music of some other culture from some other time period helps make the world smaller, helps bring some understanding,” Sperry said. The concert will be backed by the drumming of Davis leading several student percussionists. Davis is from the band Pink Martini, a 12-person Portland orchestra that performs all over the world and features influences of jazz, classical and oldfashioned pop. They got their start in 1994 when their first hit, “Sympathique,” was a huge sensation in France, and was even nominated for song of the year by France’s Victories de la Musique awards. Davis was raised in Portland and teaches samba and body percussion throughout the West Coast, and is the founder and director of Lions of Batucada, a Brazilian dance and percussion ensemble. Davis plays a variety of Latin percussion instruments. Global Rhythms IV is expected to be about an hour and a half long and will be comprised of around 20 songs. Szymko and Roberts will be conducting Vox Femina; Sperry and Jason Sabino will conduct Man Choir; and Roberts, Sabino and Jaron Christman will conduct the university choir. Szymko also composed two of the songs that Vox Femina will perform. Throughout the concert, conductors will be switching out, back and forth, as will the different choral groups. “It’s a lot of really fun music, [and] a good way to hear what other cultures have to offer music-wise,” said Lila Yang, who sings alto two for Vox Femina. Yang said they will be singing in many different languages as well. “The main piece I'm conducting with Vox Femina in the concert comes from the Dominican Republic,” said Roberts,

a graduate-level teacher’s assistant. “It describes the Mangulina, which is derived from a Spanish heel-tapping dance, and incorporates the güira, a metal scraper played with a metal fork, and tamborra, a double-headed drum.” Global Rhythms IV will be Sabino’s last concert. A graduate student as well, he will complete his master’s of music in June. “I’m very excited for the next stage in life, but it’s going to be bittersweet,” Sabino said. “The choral department has been a wonderful community and family, and I’m proud to be part of the legacy. I’m sad to leave, but I’ll continue supporting the choral department in any way I can in the future.”

The Portland State Chamber Choir performs David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion at the St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in downtown Portland. Stephanie Yao Long (The Oregonian/OregonLive)

Performances will be in Lincoln Performance Hall May 29 at 7:30 p.m. and May 31 at 4 p.m. Student admission is $7 and general is $12. Tickets can be purchased online, or at the university box office found just inside the Broadwayfacing doors of the Smith Memorial Student Union building.

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

ETC

EVENT CALENDAR John pinney

May 26

Book of hours

9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. PSU Library There’s a lot of companion stuff that goes with this library exhibit, but the big to do is that the book of hours is this super rare medieval manuscript and officially makes our school the fanciest on the block. Fun fact: The book of hours is one of those ancient texts where the historical side–eye meme comes from. A digital exhibit is also available. FREE

Graduate Skool? 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. USB 402

So, what are your thoughts on continuing education? Do you toss and turn at night wondering what the value of graduate school, PSU or another option, might hold for you and your future endeavors and plans? Well, this workshop is right for you! And, bonus, they’ll help you on the path to a compelling application if you decide in the positive. FREE

going to have to get chosen last, but it won’t be because they’re not loved or talented. Trust me, I’ll probably be the least talented kickballer out there. So come and watch me fall on my butt, have some food, and enjoy the sun. FREE

May 27

Caravanning

7–10 p.m. Caravan “The Tiny House Hotel” Fee: $12 There is a lot of musical talent here in Portland. Like, a lot. The Caravan probably features more acoustic sets than anything else during these summer Wednesday night sessions. But what they have over most places is a barbecue pit and free s’more stuff for you to use while you jam out to some of the best and newest up-and-comers of the PDX scene. Check the website for the full band list and dates.

also holding a picture of Reese Witherspoon as herself, which is what I would do if Reese Witherspoon ever played me in anything. Hint: I’d probably actually be played by that guy who played Rudy.

May 28

Beer is for Lovers Tour

6–9 p.m. Base Camp Brewing and beyond Fee: $75 You don’t just drink beer on this tour, which you can get into with a valid ID, you learn the processes that go into making and drinking delicious malts/ hops/whatever goes into beer. There’s even some fun trivia once you’ve migrated over to Migration Brewery! 21+

May 29

Softball Tournament

Cheryl Strayed

5 p.m. Stott Field

Pride Kickball Party

7:30 p.m. Newmark Theatre Fee: $32–85

Did you know May is Pride month on PSU campus? Kicking off the events of the day is this kickball party. Someone’s

Who knew you could get so famous by walking? Cheryl Strayed of Wild fame will be talking about her collection of essays and her experience with Wild while presumably

Sign up at Campus rec with your friends! It’s $15 per team, and the event is open to members and non–members. Personally, I love a good game of softball on a warm spring afternoon. Maybe it’s my Midwestern upbringing, or maybe it’s just because I don’t have to

12 p.m. Urban Plaza

be in the field worrying about getting beaned with a softball, which, even though the name implies cushyness, does still, in fact, smart.

“Johnny Guitar” 7–9 p.m. Whitsell Auditorium Fee: $8

I bet you didn’t know that Joan Crawford was in a western, did you? Even some Joan Crawford fans forget about her turn as the industrious and vicious Vienna, the biggest diva to ever grace the Wild West since John Wayne in McClintock. This cinematic gem is about the conservative town versus the strong–willed saloon owner Vienna, and the rest has to be seen to be believed. I recommend seeing over merely believing in its existence.

May 30

It’s Wrestle...Sport!

Oregon Convention Center Fee: $21 Okay, so everybody had that “wrestling is cool” phase, am I right? If you say no, then you’re a liar. Don’t pretend that hearing that WWE’s nerdy cousin WrestleSport is coming to the OCC and that you can meet legends like Chris Masters and

Mason Ryan doesn’t make your heart go pitter-patt. Doors open at 5 p.m. for meet and greet and photo ops.

history on campus, so I want to give ya’all a shout out when I can.

“Kung Fu Hustle”

May 31

7 & 9:30 p.m. 5th Ave Cinema

I love this weird movie. I know it’s supposed to be a loving caricature of the genre, but if this were a legit piece of cinema art—and I’m not saying that it’s not—I would dip this in white chocolate and eat it like a pretzel. You know what I mean. From the landlady and her lanky husband that are the yin to the other’s yang to a guy that pumps himself up by punching his way out of a street light (if I remember correctly), this movie begs for your attention and doesn’t let go. Can Quentin Tarantino say that he ever had a dancing gangster troupe in any of his movies? I think not. Friday night showings are 7 and 9:30, and Sunday is a 3 p.m. showing.

MFA Thesis Exhibit 2015 Disjecta

Hey! University of Oregon’s MFA program needs some love, and I think we’re the right school to give it. Though I’ve never met any of the people here personally, that I know of, 10 of my fine arts brethren and sistren are showcasing their talents and hearts, and everyone should support them.

Feminist Bookstore Reading Frenzy

Dust jackets of feminist classics are displayed. Prominent pieces are provided by Lisa Anne Auerbach, Michelle Blade, and a host of others. I know a lot of people are interested in feminist

FREE

21+

PSU FREE OPEN TO PUBLIC 21 & OVER

FEATURED EVENT He Put the “Man” in Manilow When: May 28, 7:30 p.m. Where: Moda Center

Unlike Cher, I actually think this “One Last Time!” Tour is Barry Manilow's last tour. Which is sad, because how can you not love the guy who gave the world “Copacabana”? We won't talk about the Chuck E. Cheese rip-off. I’m very excited that ticket prices start at 19.75, which is the year that the world received the beautiful love ballad Mandy. Shut up, you're crying! I'm not crying! Regardless of your views on soft rock and mellow ballads, you need to see this guy live. It'll rock your world in that subtle sweet way that Jack Black did in The Holiday, which is the only movie I can stand him in.

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Barry Manilow performs in St Paul, MN in 2008. Courtesy of Weatherman90 through Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons

Midterm stress relief poster

ETC

Horoscopes John pinney

tracted. For instance, you Aries (March 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;April 19) Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not shocked no one want- pledged to always wear pink ed to take you to see Pitch Per- on Wednesday. Whatever fect 2, Aries. We both know in happened to that one? our heart of hearts that you really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sing.

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

You know how I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s summer, Taurus? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because those darn marathoners are blocking my routes downtown for all the weekends from now until September.

Gemini (May 21â&#x20AC;&#x201C;June 20)

So thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this burger joint in Seattle that has a dork burger, which is a mixture of pork and sesame glazed duck meat. Road trip?

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

You tend to break promises, Cancer. Not that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean well. You just get disELISE FURLAN/PSU VANGUARD

3 5 1 9

2 7

5 8 6 7 7 2 9

9 6 8 1 7 6

8 7 3 1 8 4

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Portland State Vanguardâ&#x20AC;?.

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9 3

Did you know Clueless was an update of a Jane Austen novel? I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that Leo (July 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Aug. 22) You could spend this sum- either. But I did remember mer embracing the socks and that Alicia Silverstone once sandals thing. Because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so made out with Liv Tyler in a you, Leo, and you have those music video. Pisces (Feb. 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;March 19) fantastic colored socks you That episode of the Simpsons got for Christimas to break was on where they mock Portin still. Sagittarius (Nov. 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Dec. 21) land and the Decembrists are Caramel corn was a staple of music teachers at Springfield the American diet long be- Elementary. Are the Decemfore salted caramel became a brists still a thing? Virgo (Aug. 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sep. 22) Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a pet dessert thing. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t America person, Virgo, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just say- wonderful? ing that maybe animals donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care for you when they whine as you reach out to pet them. Capricorn (Dec. 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Jan. 19) Just food for thought. Like Imperator Furiosa says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;women are strong and independent.â&#x20AC;? OK, she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say that, but she punched Libra (Sep. 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Oct. 22) The walls are shifting, Libra, Mad Max with a shotgun, so From Mystic J, permanent and if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get out of this I think you get the message. resident of Room 1313, HollyBritney-Spears-with-a-bald- Heed these words. wood Tower Hotel

cROssWORD

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

Aquarius (Jan 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Feb. 18)

Powellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a mad house. For the sake of my credit card, and yours, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t visit this week, Aquarius. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re running out of room anyway, and the weight of books might be making your floor unstable.

ELISE FURLAN/PSU VANGUARD

suDOKu

head funk, I can only predict grim portent.

across 1 He could be consumed with a lust to become crystal-user (6) 5 Very delicate material available from the Web (8) 9 Vessel containing pills primarily? (8) 10 Kingdom that's in possession of year-old Japanese painting (5-1) 11 Defeated party bouncing back as poll for Euro is decided (8) 12 In just under a month German replaces new car (6) 13 Introductory radio broadcast given by Liberal after European vote (8) 15 Slav girl has year off (4) 17 Nest's located by English woman (4) 19 I attempt to keep a certain equality of measure (8) 20 Loathing produced by crone hoarding money (6) 21 It's fired from Winchester perhaps (8) 22 Enjoy the taste (6) 23 Paisley for example puts marriage first (8) 24 Making certain to telephone after being given place by university (8) 25 A series that's tied? (6)

COURTESY Of ALBERICHCROSSWORDS.COM

doWn 2 Combine fossil fuel energy with significantly cleaner energy sources (8) 3 What old newspaper did, having cowardly editor (8) 4 Sent academician translation of Proust that's about acceptable (9) 5 German poet said to have blasted "mostly dumb German opera" (15) 6 Tree from Lusaka's gone astray (7) 7 Summer festival's leading lady finds setter's packing a most powerful piece (3,5) 8 Gypsy gentleman needs money for food (8) 14 Passed examinations? (9) 15 Piece of music much performed in Copenhagen? (8) 16 Marine being risquĂŠ in speech, almost drunk (8) 17 Cosmetic from the Orient found on the old ship (8) 18 No rep is substituted, note, when one appears thus (2,6) 19 One charges, taking pound from hero-worshipper (7)

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

Vikings cheer competes, prepares for next season Cheer team takes second place in NCACC Challenge Cup Lauren Schlangen

Portland State made it to Daytona. The PSU cheer team had been raising both funds and awareness prior to their April 7 departure date to Daytona Beach, Florida, for the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Championship. But they finally made it. The tournament is so prestigious that teams have to qualify in order to compete in Daytona, with two ways of qualifying. The first is attending a camp in Las Vegas, where teams compete and showcase their skills. Teams that qualify move forward to Daytona. The second option is to submit a video showcasing these same skills. These skills are then rated using a

point system that decides if the team qualifies to compete in Florida. Lucky for PSU, they made the cut and packed their bags for ocean waves, sandy beaches and the biggest cheerleading competition the Viks have seen sofar. In Daytona, it is all about cheer. Among the members that made it to Daytona is Molly McCay, a freshman at PSU. “Everybody there is into it and passionate about it,” McCay said. “There’s not only cheerleaders but also supporters. They really consider it a sport.” McCay is a local who grew up in Beaverton, where she attended Beaverton High School

and cheered for the varsity team in her four years there. “After I went to Daytona it made me fall in love with [cheerleading] even more,” McCay said. She said that the first time they competed in Daytona it didn’t go as well as they had anticipated. However, she said they actually ended up scoring higher than they thought they would due to the performance they had deemed as unsatisfactory. Uiltimately, the team barely missed the marker for finals. “We just missed making finals,” McCay said, “It was pretty devastating, but a lot of us were still happy with the way we performed.”

The teams that did not make it to finals were entered into an alternate pool of the competition known as the Challenge Cup. “We tried to keep our energy up ‘cause at that point it was all mental,” McCay said. Focused and ready for their second performance, the PSU Viks took the floor and ended up taking second place in the Challenge Cup and sixth in their division overall. The trip to Daytona was significant for the PSU cheer team. Before this, they had never competed in such a prestigious competition. But it was much more than just a competition. “The whole experience is what was most important

to us,” McCay said. “It’s like a reality check that you have to work together, no matter how well you work individually.” Though the season technically at a close, the team is still preparing for the road ahead. According to McCay, the PSU cheer season kicks off in July with daily doubles. This upcoming season they will be attending the camp in Las Vegas in attempts to qualify for the NCA championship for a second year in a row. When they get back from Vegas, they will continue their training with practices scheduled three times per week. In addition to these three practices, weight lift-

ing sessions will be incorporated into the team’s training schedule as well. Once classes begin in fall term, the team’s training schedule will consistently be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Their thrice weekly lifting sessions will be reduced to just one on Sundays. However, team members are required to train three times per week on their own outside of their scheduled training sessions. “A lot of people assume that we just sit on the sidelines and look pretty, and smile and wave our arms around,” McCay said. “But there’s a lot of work that goes into it. Until they actually try it, they won’t know what we do.”

FRIDAY FOSTER THE PEOPLE đ MISTERWIVES MILO GREENE đ LOST LANDER

SATURDAY

MU S ICFE STNW WATERFRONT PARK

AUGUST 21-23

MUSICFESTNW.COM/TICKETS

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BEIRUT đ BELLE AND SEBASTIAN TWIN SHADOW đŏBATTLESŏđ TITLE FIGHT CAYUCAS đ TALK IN TONGUES đ SALES ALIALUJAH CHOIR

SUNDAY

MODEST MOUSE đ THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH DANNY BROWN đ THE HELIO SEQUENCE LADY LAMB đ STRAND OF OAKS PURE BATHING CULTURE đ DIVERS BEAT CONNECTION

SPORTS

Rec Center upgrades should work out Renovations and remodeling to run throughout summer term Jacqueline C. Bryan

Spring semester is drawing to a close and warm weather is almost upon us. For some of us this means getting out of town, but for the rest of us it simply means enjoying Portland in the summer. The Campus Recreation Center at Portland State will undertake a transformation, with major construction and remodeling taking place. While this means the Rec Center will be covered in a cloud of dust and noise for the next three months, the end result will be a far better center for individuals to get their fitness on. This is a project the Rec Center wanted to undertake five years ago, but due to lack of funding it was never completed. “The bottom line is that we’re concerned about it being a welcoming environment,” explained Todd Bauch, Associate Director of Operations for the Campus Rec Center. “The weight room now is super crowded to the point where people are deciding not to workout.” Currently, the fourth floor has a huge open space that overlooks the floors below and isn’t being used to its potential. The main project will revolve around expand-

ing over that space, creating an open floor plan. From there, cardio and weight room equipment will be able to be dispersed evenly, granting individuals more freedom when working out. While there isn’t a plan to bring in much more new equipment, there are a few items in high demand that the Rec Center is working to accommodate into the new space, such as kettlebells, a TRX wall and a larger functional fitness area where people can do exercises likr sit-ups and push-ups. Because the floor plan will be more open, this will enable views of Mt. Hood from more places on the fourth floor, including a glimpse of it as you run around the track. As Bauch put it, “We’ll be able to bring the outside back inside.” The personal training program, which has become extremely popular over the years, is also looking at an upgrade. Right now trainers are forced to meet with clients in inconvenient settings to discuss and plan workouts. Erin Bransford, Fitness and Health Promotions coordinator for Campus Rec, is concerned about creating a welcoming environment.

“We want our personal training program to reflect professionalism, as well as flexibility, for the client and the trainers,” she said. There are plans to build two rooms designated specifically for the personal training program. One room will be used for fitness assessments, where the trainer will be able to gauge their clients’ needs, and a larger room next to it will be used for meetings and warm-ups before full workouts begin. “This room will also be where we store client files,” Bransford said. “We’re looking at software upgrades that will make life much easier for the clients and the trainers alike.” During construction, equipment will have to be moved around to accommodate the remodel. From June 15–17, the entire center will be shut down so that equipment can be moved out of the construction areas. From there, full-on construction will take place for the rest of the summer. “It’ll have a little bit of impact on the stuff that’s happening this summer, but by and large we’re going to try and keep everything as operational as possible,” Bauch said. Most of the equipment will be moved onto two of the basketball courts, and most of the group fitness classes will take place in one of the classrooms on the second floor of the Rec Center. Spin classes will take place on an outdoor deck on the third floor. For safety purposes, the locker rooms will be closed from June 25–July 1, but the pool and Jacuzzi will be open all summer long. “We’re excited about this,” Bauch said. “There will be a lot of dust around here for a while, but once the dust settles we’ll have a much better place.” The project is estimated to take about three months to complete.

The renovated Rec Center will feature an expanded floor plan, additional equipment and upgrades to the personal training program. Renovations are expected to take place throughout the summer. Jeoffry Ray/PSU Vanguard

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

SPORTS

A candid interview with

Jessica Boyd, the zero-bullshit yoga instructor matthew J. Ocasio

Jessica Boyd is something of a force of nature, and she brings her big personality into the yoga studio for a refreshingly straightforward workout twice per week. After taking one of her classes at the Rec Center, I sat down to interview her for a misguided article I was writing about why guys don’t, but should, do more yoga. After setting me straight, we launched into a lively interview that covered everything from prostates to period blood. Because, yes, men do indeed do yoga, but they can sometimes be real dicks about it. Vanguard: Do you always teach introductory classes? Jessica Boyd: Beginner friendly? Most of them, yeah. I like making yoga accessible for everybody. I like teaching at a gym and it being all levels because then anybody can come in and not be scared of it. VG: What’s the most advanced yoga classes they have here at the Rec Center? JB: Well, all the vinyasa classes are not beginner friendly. You’re moving constantly and you don’t hold anything for more than a breath. You have to be able to keep up with what’s happening by just listening to what the instructor wants. VG: Do there tend to be less guys in those classes, then? JB: There’s pretty much always fewer guys, but in my classes sometimes there’s half guys. I tend to have more guys in my class. I don’t know if it’s because my boobs are always out or because they like my style of yoga or, like, the music’s good… VG: Well, you are pretty straightforward, which I assume appeals to a lot of guys. JB: Yeah, I want a shirt that says ‘I’m not THAT kind of yoga teacher.’ I’m not, like, ‘Alright everybody, let’s set your

intentions for the day.’ There’s none of that. Instead of ‘tilt your pelvis down’ I say ‘Bring your taint towards the floor.’ It’s accessible. I’m not going to have you ‘blossom your anus’ or anything like that. I think that people in general tend to think that yoga is easier than it is, so I think the thought behind it for guys is that they think working out should be hard. Like, gay porn hard. In general, guys tend to do lifting and intense cardio. But I think that yoga’s hard, and most people that think [it’s easy] haven’t done yoga. I do some isometrics in my classes, and it’s hard holding a lunge. It takes a lot of focus. You have to mentally push through it. Sometimes I taunt my students when they’re in the middle of one of those really intense isometric poses, tell them, ‘Oh it’s okay, guys, it’s just yoga, it’s fine, it’s totally easy,’ and they’re like, ‘Die.’ VG: Why don’t you think more guys do yoga? JB: I think men value bulk over flexibility. If all you do is lifting and cardio you’re shortening your muscles and making yourself less flexible. The fact that men do these things means they should really be doing more yoga. The link between flexibility and injury rates is there. If you’re playing football or whatever, and your foot is planted and you’re falling, if your hip can take that movement your knee won’t. If that rotation can happen in other parts, where it normally should, then you won’t get hurt. I think, also, there’s an idea of what yoga culture is and that’s off-putting to a lot of men, too, like we were talking about. This flitty fucking attitude, there’s a lot of teachers who, you’re like, ‘Are you being genuine with that?’ Those who are genuine, you can tell. It’s their whole universe, I guess. But there’s a

lot that are not, and that’s not good for anybody. VG: What about one that bucks the trend and appeals more to guys? Would you do a yoga class where we listen to Isis and drone metal? JB: [Laughs.] Actually we were talking about that at KPSU for a fundraiser, where I could teach a metal yoga class. Actually, I just subbed a hip hop yoga class. It was really awesome. We had the Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest… making the playlist was so fun. And it’s really no different, it’s just the soundtrack. But yeah, I’d love to do a metal yoga class. I did a vagina-focused yoga class in March. For Women’s Month the gym did a whole week of women-focused classes. So my normal classes that had men in them were the same except that my soundtrack and the words that I use to describe things were more female-empowering. But I did do one called ‘Yoga for the Yoni,’ and it’s all talking about periods and cramps and boobs and kegels. And having conversations about it, not just doing yoga. There’s a warning in yoga that you’re not supposed to do inversions while you’re menstruating, and I always wondered about it. It always sounded like an old wives’ tale, like such an antiquated idea. I mean, yoga is over 5,000 years old, so there definitely is some history to the idea. But I do inversions when I’m menstruating and I haven’t exploded. The blood doesn’t come out of my eyes when I’m upside down—it just doesn’t work that way. There’s an end to that system down there, you know? Finally one teacher told me something that made sense, and it’s that women tend to be more tired and need more self care during that time, so that’s why. That makes sense. But that

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com

Silvia Cardullo/PSU Vanguard goes for yoga or for anything, right? If it doesn’t feel right or you’re too tired, just don’t do it, or hold the pose for less time. So we talked about stuff like that in the class. Because it’s really rare that people will stop to ask about it, even if they might be wondering. I once had a class with all girls, and this one girl did ask about it, and I was all ‘Yes! There’s no dudes in here, we can talk about our periods! Let’s do it!’ And there’s stuff that’s good for the prostate that I don’t

talk a lot about either. Sometimes I’ll mention it, because in the long run it’s good for everybody. It gets more blood flow to theirroot chakra.” VG: Certainly that’s something that a lot of guys could be more in tune with, yeah? JB: Yeah I think a lot of men just need to get over themselves. There’s this sensitivity and pride in them thinking, ‘That’s too easy,’ or whatever. If you’re doing yoga and it’s too easy, you can always make it more

difficult. Go deeper, do it a little faster. VG: Stretch further, yeah? JB: Totally. But stretching shouldn’t be one of those things where you’re like, ‘I can do this harder.’ You can’t force it, and if you do, you tear connective tissue. Jessica Boyd teaches classes Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m. and Fridays at 2:15 p.m. at the PSU Rec Center for the rest of the term. During summer, she will be teaching Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 11 a.m.

SPORTS PROFESSOR SPORT BALL PRESENTS

My, oh my: 10 reasons to give up and be a Mariners fan loved the loss than to have never loved at all.

2. Félix Hernández

RICO MACIAS-ZEPEDA/PSU VANGUARD Turner Lobey

Dear Professor Sport Ball,

I live in a house divided. My father loves the Dodgers, my mother loves the Athletics, and I am a lonely Mariners fan. From spring training to the World Series, our home is a place of feuding and vicious team-based discrimination. At times I feel like caving in and embracing a Californian baseball team. How can I justify being a M ariners fan? Can I ever show my parents the light and bring them into the King’s Court? How can I save my home? Being a Mariners fan is a lifelong uphill battle. Some say they peaked in 2001. Some say it was as far back as 1995. I’d like to be hopeful and say the best is yet to come. But that can be tough after years of devastating losses. Take heart, fellow Mariner. There are plenty of reasons to love your team. If you hold them true and dear in your heart, your parents just might be inspired by your conviction and see the light. Have confidence and keep the faith.

1. Track records don’t matter if you’re from the Pacific Northwest The Mariners’ track record shouldn’t factor into your commitment because the Northwest has a terrible history of being incredibly cruel to its sports fans. It’s almost like this place gets a kick out of squashing the hopes and dreams of its dearest supporters. Looking at the last 25 years, it’s really a surprise any of us even try anymore. We may be swept up in Blazermania, but take a second to stop and think about the years of injuries, bad signing decisions and painful losses. The Seahawks have a mediocre history. They have one recent Superbowl championship under their belt, but that last defeat was just cruel. I won’t even start on the Seattle Supersonics leaving. It cuts too deep, but they will forever live in my heart and in NBA Jam. The takeaway here is that losses don’t matter. If you’re judging the Mariners off their win ratio, you might as well give up on the Pacific Northwest teams all together. It’s better to have

If you’re looking for something to deposit all your faith into, that thing is a man. More than a man, really. Félix Hernández is our leader. The only messiah we’ll ever get. If anything will carry us to victory, it will be his beautiful, beautiful right arm. There’s nothing more glorious and rewarding than kneeling at our King's altar or pounding a Coors in the King’s Court. Long live the King, baby.

3. Lookout Landing Lookout Landing is the Mariners’ corner of SB Nation, a sports network dedicated to news, commentary and dialogue for fans. Lookout Landing is great if you’re looking for gifs of Brad Miller eating asparagus or want an in-depth breakdown of the Mariners’ bullpen (I go for the gifs). It’s one hell of a family, and you aren’t going to find a corner like this for any other team. In times of desperation, it’s a comforting support group. When things are great, who better to celebrate with?

4. Who else are you going to root for, the Angels? Yeah, right. Get real.

5. The commercials They aren’t commercials. They’re cinematic masterpieces. Every year, the Mariners release a new line of “cinematic masterpieces” to promote the

upcoming season while having a bit of fun. It goes without saying, they’re reel good. If you haven’t seen any of the commercials, “Larry Bernandez” is the pinnacle of the team’s short films, putting the revered work of Kenneth Anger to shame. What other team entertains you like this?

The silver lining in this situation is that it gives you an excuse to go to Nick’s Famous Coney Island on Southeast Hawthorne. Beer, baseball and hot dogs—it’s the best place for people who love sports but despise everything Buffalo Wild Wings stands for. You’d miss out on an awesome sports bar experience if you rooted for the Braves.

6. You don’t even want to watch 9. Stick with what you like bethe World Series, anyway As much you want to see cause it doesn’t matter—unthe Mariners make it all less it’s football the way to the top, do you really want to go through the trouble of watching the World Series? Bars get overcrowded, and there’s always that one asshat decked out in Yankees regalia. The commercials aren’t funny. The announcers aren’t your usual, familiar people. It’s just not worth it. At least that’s what I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

7. Félix Hernández Because King Félix deserves to be mentioned twice.

8. You get to go to Nick’s because of Ted Turner Because our nation’s capitalist system props up Ted Turner, allowing him to dominate cable television AND force his team down our throats, us Northwesterners don’t have many viewing options when it comes to America’s pastime. Unless you want to shell out the money for MLB.TV (which is AWESOME, but holy shit it’s expensive), you’re pretty much stuck with the Braves.

Hahahaha, watching football, hahahahahahaha.

10. It can only get better The Mariners have been through some rocky times, but they’ve also been through some beautiful moments that I wouldn’t trade for all the rings on fingers—hell, maybe one or two. Do you remember Félix’s perfect game? Or all of the players that used their time with the Mariners to kickstart stellar careers with other teams? Or the tidal wave of emotions Mariners fans around the world felt during Ichiro Suzuki’s last game? (Speaking of Ichiro, go listen to Ben Gibbard’s “Ichiro’s Theme.”) What other team has this kind of support? Maybe it’s trench mentality. We’ve been through the worst of times together, and we’ll sure as hell be here for the best of them, too. Things can be a bit rough, but we’re a big goddamn family. It may be a bit dysfunctional at times, but it’s the one we’ve got. The Mariners may stumble and they may fall, but one day we will join them in the sun.

Sports Schedule 5/25 — 5/30 PSU Events

Bike to PSU Challenge continues Tuesday, May 26–Sunday, May 31

Men's Track and Field NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Austin, Texas Thursday, May 28–Saturday, May 30, all day

Women’s Track and Field NCAA West Preliminary Rounds Austin, Texas Thursday, May 28–Saturday, May 30, all day

Pride Kickball Party Urban Plaza Tuesday, May 26, 12 p.m.

Arts Sports Lecture Series Featuring Lee Walton Thursday, May 28, 1 p.m.

Softball Tournament Rec Center Friday, May 29, 5 p.m.

Portland Sports

Portland Timbers vs. DC United

Providence Park Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m.

Portland Timbers at Colorado Rapids

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Saturday, May 30, 6 p.m.

Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit

Maryland SoccerPlex Saturday, May 30, 4 p.m.

Portland Thunder vs. San Jose SaberCats Moda Center Saturday, May 30, 3 p.m.

Vanguard | MAY 26, 2015 | psuvanguard.com