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PORTLAND STATE OF MIND: VG’S EVENT RECS p 4 VIKS RUSH 531-YARD VICTORY p 7 RETRO HERO ENTERS EDITING PHASE p 10 NETFLIX GETS EVEN CHILLER p 13

VOLUME 71 • ISSUE 9 • OCTOBER 11, 2016

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART

Raising Oregon’s corporate tax Labor and business leaders debate Measure 97, the $3 billion a year corporate tax on Nov. 8 ballot, in an interactive televised event.

FREE 7-8 pm Monday Oct. 17 Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom Reserve a ticket by contacting the PSU Box Office at 503-725-3307

FALL CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIRS ALL MAJORS

STEM

10.19

SOCIAL IMPACT 11.15

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO

The event will be televised on KATU-TV (Channel 2) and webcast on katu.com.

10.18

bit.ly/vikscareerfairs

CONTACT US A SKAC S@ PDX. E DU | 5 0 3 . 7 2 5 . 4 0 0 5 FAC E BO O K | P ORT L A N D S TATE U N I VE RSI T Y A DVSI N G & C A R E E R S E RVI CES I NSTAG RA M | PSUAC S

NEWS FEATURE ARTS & CULTURE OPINION ETC EVENTS

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COVER IMAGE BY JAMON SIN AND TEXT BY AARON OSBORN

IN THE SHADOW OF THE KINGDOM: SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING IN PORTLAND SHARE HOW THE STRICT POLICIES OF THE WAHHABI KINGDOM REACH FAR BEYOND THE GULF. P.8

A SIGN OUTSIDE A UNIVERSITY IN RIYADH PROHIBITS MEN FROM ENTERING. SIGNS ENFORCING STRICT GENDER SEGREGATION ARE UBIQUITOUS IN SAUDI ARABIA. PHOTO COURTESY OF A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE

MISSION STATEMENT: The Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with a quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills that are highly valued in today’s job market.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Colleen Leary editor@psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY AARON OSBORN

MANAGING EDITOR Molly Ozier managingeditor@psuvanguard.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Alanna Madden associatenews@psuvanguard.com

MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Andy Ngo multimedia@psuvanguard

NEWS EDITOR Jon Raby news@psuvanguard.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Arlen Cornejo production@psuvanguard.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Madelaine Elvers psustudentmediamanager@gmail. com

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Finnegan arts@psuvanguard.com

PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo photo@psuvanguard.com

OPINION EDITOR Jennee Martinez opinion@psuvanguard.com

ONLINE EDITOR Tim Sullivan online@psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Jessica Gaudette-Reed international@psuvanguard.com

COPY CHIEF Thomas Spoelhof copy@psuvanguard.com

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks DESIGNERS Lauren Chapluk Terra Dehart Shannon Kidd Aaron Osborn CONTRIBUTORS Deena B Gray Bouchat

Delaney Bigelow Myles Boynes Joan Brown Emily HagenBurger Catherine Johnson Monica Juarez John Pinney

ADVERTISING SALES Cody Layton Ilyse Espino

PHOTOGRAPHERS Kyle Charlson Rachel Lara Jamon Sin Lauren Smith-Freimark Roosevelt Sowka

ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman

COPY EDITORS Emily HagenBurger Jacoba Lawson Nicholas Shea

ADVISER Reaz Mahmood reaz@pdx.edu

The Vanguard is published weekly as an independent student newspaper 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.

NEWS

THE ANNUAL PORTLAND STATE OF MIND CELEBRATION kicks off Thursday, Oct. 13 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 22. The PSOM calendar lists over 50 events happening on or near the Portland State campus throughout the 10-day celebration. Since it would be impossible to attend every event offered, we’ve scoured the event listings and picked out a few that stand out as noteworthy.

For the full list of events, visit pdx.edu/portland-state-of-mind.

PORTLAND STATE OF MIND EVENTS: VANGUARD’S TOP PICKS THURSDAY, OCT. 13 PORTLAND STATE OF MIND CONCERT Smith Memorial Student Union, Parkway North Room 101 6–10 p.m.

This concert features !!! (pronounced Chk-ChkChk), EASTGHOST and Force Publique and will be located in SMSU’s Parkway North Space, right across the hall from the food court and cafeteria.

Cost: Free to PSU students and $15 for the general audience. Tickets are required and available through the PSU Box Office.

PDXTALKS Lincoln Recital Hall, Room 75 7–9:15 p.m.

This TED Talk-style lecture series hosted by PSU’s Office of Communications features PSU alumni and faculty speaking on a vari-

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ety of subjects. Speakers include Gretchen Schauffler, founder of a line of vibrant interior paints called Divine Color created to combat the effects of dreary Portland weather; Kevin Truong, a Portland and New York City based photographer who created the Gay Men Project; Wajdi Said, president and co-founder of the Muslim Education Trust speaking on fostering understanding and engagement with Portland’s Muslim community; Amelia Pape, an Oregon based social entrepreneur and food access advocate who founded My Street Grocery; and Larry Wallack, current PSU professor and director of the Center for Public Health Studies and distinguished fellow of the Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness at Oregon Health & Science University.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Tickets required and available through the PSU Box Office.

FRIDAY, OCT. 14 CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY TOUR Meet in Urban Plaza 506 SW Mill St. 10–11:15 a.m.

Explore many of the PSU campus’ sustainable features, including solar panels, green roofs and moves toward sustainable architecture.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

OUTDOOR PROGRAM 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Academic and Student Recreation Center Room 515 6–10 p.m.

PSU’s Outdoor Program kicked off in 1966. This celebration looks back on the past 50 years of student-led outdoor adventures.

Cost: Free, open to current and alumni Outdoor

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Program trip leaders, staff and volunteers.

SATURDAY, OCT. 15 HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME AND TAILGATE Tailgate: Kingston Sports Bar & Grill, 2021 SW Morrison St. 11:30 a.m.

Football game: Providence Park 1844 SW Morrison St. 2:30 p.m.

Athletic Director Mark Rountree and the PSU Alumni Association are hosting the pregame party, called the Hop Valley Brewing Urban Tailgate, outside Kingston Sports Bar & Grill. At 2:30, the PSU Vikings face the Cal Poly Mustangs at Providence Park for the homecoming game.

Cost: Free to PSU Students with ID, $20–$40 for the general public, $5 for kids under 8th grade. Purchase tickets at the PSU Box Office.

MONDAY, OCT. 17 WORLD LANGUAGES FAIR SMSU Browsing Lounge Room 238 1–3 p.m.

A celebration and exploration of world languages and cultures. Learn how to write your name in Japanese or Chinese, how to say hello in Arabic and Persian and explore the music of Russia, Korea and more. Hosted by PSU’s Department of World Languages and Literature.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

PAPER TIGERS Film Screening and Panel SMSU Browsing Lounge Rooms 237, 238 and 239 7:30–9:30 p.m.

The School of Social Work is hosting a screening and panel discussion of the film Paper Tigers, described on the PSOM events listing as a movie that “captures the

pain, the danger, the beauty and the hopes of struggling teens—and the teachers armed with new science and fresh approaches that are changing teen lives for the better.”

Cost: Free and open to the public, with tickets available through Eventbrite Ticketing.

PSU CONVENES: SHOULD OREGON RAISE CORPORATE TAXES? SMSU Ballroom Room 355 7–8 p.m.

Sponsors and opponents of the proposed corporate business tax, Measure 97, square off in a debate, livestreamed by KATU-TV and moderated by Steve Dunn.

The measure goes to vote Nov. 7.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Tickets required and available through the PSU Box Office.

NEWS TUESDAY, OCT. 18 BLACK LIVES MATTER: RHETORIC OR REALITY? SMSU Browsing Lounge Rooms 327, 328 and 329 4:30–6 p.m.

This panel discussion featuring Black Studies faculty will discuss the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement. Panelists include artist, author and educator Turiya Autry, M.A.; national expert on Africana Studies Dr. Winston Grady-Willis; professor, Chair and Undergraduate Advisor of PSU Black Studies Dr. Shirley A. Jackson; Dr. Derrais (D.A.) Carter, assistant professor of Black Studies; and Dr. Ethan Johnson, associate professor in PSU’s Black Studies Department.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS: A NETWORKING EVENT FOR PSU’S LGBTQ COMMUNITY AND LGBTQ PROFESSIONALS IN PORTLAND

Ecotrust Billy Frank Jr. Conference Center, 721 NW 9th Ave. 6–8 p.m.

A night of networking and reflections on how Portland’s business community and landscape has changed over the past 10 years for LGBTQ professionals. Panelists include Joey Gleason, owner of Buckman Coffee Factory; Robin Knauerhase, research scientist at Intel Labs; Steve Lesky, program officer at Cambia Health Foundation; Bob Speltz, senior director of public affairs at The Standard; and Kris Young, VP/ GM NADTC of factory stores at Nike.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

WRITERS AT WORK University Pointe, Room 102 1955 SW 5th Ave. 7:30–9 p.m.

PSU’s English Department and Ooligan Press host Oregon writers in a discussion of their day jobs in writing-adjacent fields like publishing, teaching and literary non-profits.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

Crime blotter Oct. 3–10

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19

tion reception gives viewers a chance to meet the featured artists.

STEM CAREER + INTERNSHIP FAIR

Cost: Free and open to the public.

SMSU Ballroom, Room 355 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

An opportunity for current PSU students and alumni to connect with science, technology, engineering and mathematics employers and to learn about career and internship opportunities.

Cost: Free and open to PSU students and alumni job seekers.

THURSDAY, OCT. 20 2016 SCHOOL OF ART + DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION RECEPTION Art Building, AB Lobby Gallery (1st floor), and MK Gallery (2nd floor), 2000 SW 5th Ave. 5–7 p.m.

An exhibition of the School of Art & Design’s scholarship winners runs now through Oct. 21. The Oct. 20 exhibi-

PSU VOLLEYBALL VS. EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Peter Stott Center Gymnasium 930 SW Hall St. 7–9 p.m.

The Vikings volleyball team takes on the Eastern Washington Eagles in a Big Sky Conference match in the Stott Center.

Cost: Free for PSU students with ID. $10 for general public, $5 for kids 8th grade and under. Tickets available through the PSU Box Office.

FRIDAY, OCT. 21 DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL STUDENT SERVICES ALUMNI ALLIANCE KICKOFF PARTY Simon Benson House 1803 SW Park Ave. 5:30–8 p.m.

A celebration of the launch of PSU’s new Diversity and Multicultural Student Services Alumni Alliance. The event will feature a no-host bar, refreshments and free appetizers.

Cost: Free and open to the public. Space is limited. All interested attendees and their guests must register through EventBrite Ticketing.

SATURDAY, OCT. 22 LOST CITY, LIVING MEMORIES: VANPORT THROUGH THE VOICES OF ITS RESIDENTS SMSU Browsing Lounge Room 238 2–3:30 p.m.

A special screening of community-produced short oral history documentaries.

Through archival footage, historic photographs and compelling first-person narratives, this collection of short films creates a rich and elaborate mosaic of the vibrant community that made up the city of Van-

port. This event features appearances from former Vanport residents sharing stories and memories; PCC Cascade History Professor James Harrison; “Story midwife” and Vanport Mosaic co-founder Laura Lo Forti; and Portland author of “Images of America: Vanport” Zita Podany.

Cost: Free and open to the public. RSVP recommended at Eventbrite Ticketing.

FRIGHT NIGHT: UNIVERSITY HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE ANNUAL HAUNTED HOUSE Montgomery Court 1802 SW 10th Ave. 7–10:00 p.m.

Walk the haunted halls of this university residence building as the students transform it into a dreadful dungeon of doom.

Cost: Open to the public.

Residents of UHRL get in for free. General admission: $2 donation to the Ken Irwin Memorial Scholarship fund. A $5 donation lets you skip the line.

JOAN BROWN

Oct. 3 Exclusion action SW 11th and Montgomery In the dumpster compound, emergency medical technicians worked on a male reported to be unconscious, not breathing and with blue lips. He apparently suffered from a heroin overdose but was revived.

Elderly female lost Officer Peter Stuart Ward assisted an elderly female who couldn’t remember her way home or her address. The elderly female was recognized from a previous, similar incident. Her husband was contacted who came and got her.

Oct. 4 Car prowl Parking Structure 3 A student was sleeping in his car when a male broke the passenger window, yelled, then fled on a black bicycle.

Oct. 7 Trespass Warning Millar Library A male sleeping among a pile of books on the third floor of the Millar Library was awoken by CPSO officers and warned not to sleep on university property.

Oct. 8 Criminal mischief Bike Hub A large dual pane window was shattered. Entry was not made into the building.

Criminal mischief Neuberger Hall Someone used a planter to break the doorknob off room 305 and throw it through the window of room 308.

Warrant arrest Near Honors Program House Officer David Baker arrested Joshua Castillo on two misdemeanor warrants. Castillo had a current PSU exclusion for peering into dorm windows and attempting to gain entry into a residential building.

Timely Warning Student assault Walk of Heroines A female PSU student was approached by an unknown male and was asked if she wanted to be on Trump TV. She stated she did not, and threatened to call 911. The male knocked the phone out of her hand and stomped on it.

He then pushed the student and threw the phone before running away. He is described as white, 30-40 years of age, clean-shaven, acne scarring on face, brown jacket, and green baseball cap.

Oct. 10 Courtesy hit and run report City Sidewalk An unoccupied silver Honda sedan rolled backward and flattened a small tree outside the Vue Apartments. An older man with graying facial hair then approached the vehicle, assessed the damage, got in and drove away.

PSU Vanguard •OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

EQUAL RIGHTS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CONTINUES DISCUSSION ON CAMPUS POLICY EMILY HAGENBURGER At its second meeting of the semester, the Equal Rights Affairs Committee expanded on the issues brought up in its Sept. 27 inaugural meeting: reaching out to students, raising awareness, working on policy and working with the Oregon Student Association to increase voter registration.

ERAC Chair Kaitlin Hoback led the meeting, joined by Senators Carla Rose Allen, Catherine Everett, and Eli Matz.

Me m b e r s b r o u g h t t o light upcoming events in a continued effort to create an ERAC presence at university resource center functions.

They highlighted events such as the Portland State Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies’ 40th anniversary celebration happening from 5:30–9 p.m., Oct. 11 at Smith Memorial Student Union. According to the Facebook page for the event, there will be snacks, door prizes, and a keynote speaker: Dr. Nishant Shahani, a queer studies professor at Washington State University.

Allen also mentioned that

PSU’s Disability Resource Center will host monthly meetings for its Invisible Disabilities project from October to June of this year, and on Oct. 17 they will have a screening of the film Being You in Lincoln Recital Hall room 75.

Members also brought attention to the recent Free Bresha movement, a coordinated effort to get charges dropped against Bresha Meadows, a 15-year-old girl who killed her abusive father in self-defense and is consequently being incarcerated at the Trumbull County Ohio Juvenile Detention Center.

In upcoming days, events will be held across the country to bring awareness to this case, and Hoback said she hopes that the ERAC could put together its own event.

As a subcommittee of the Associated Students of PSU, members of the ERAC are aware of the need to address the campaign platforms that candidates with the Unite PSU slate ran on

last year prior to winning the election. Each committee has issues that its members specifically want to work on; for the ERAC, the two main issues are sexual assault prevention and providing equitable representation.

Though these goals will be achieved through a collaboration of all ASPSU members and committees, the ERCC will draw up policy blueprints to address the issues in upcoming meetings.

“The blueprints state specifically what we’re going to work on to address these issues,” Hoback said.

The next step for the ERAC’s drafted policy, “Affirmative Consent and Amnesty for Reporters and Victims of Violent Crime,” is finding a PSU staff member to sponsor the policy and then to finally present it to the university policies committee. To get it ready for this final step, the ERAC members used their second meeting to go over the wording of the policy

THE EQUAL RIGHTS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEETS EVERY TUESDAY AT 9 A.M. RACHEL LARA. PHOTOGRAPHER/PSU VANGUARD with a fine-toothed comb, an endeavor they will continue at next week’s meeting.

The policy hopes to protect reporters of violent crimes in an effort to encourage more witnesses to feel safe coming forward.

Drafters changed certain language of the policy to better clarify its meaning and

intent. The sections of the policy which ERAC members clarified and changed included the “Definitions” section and its wording of the definition of affirmative consent; the “Goals” section about how the policy seeks to make it easier for victims and witnesses of violent crimes to report them and get the help they

need; and the “Institutional Responsibilities” section, where the university’s obligations towards the victims, reporters and assailants are outlined.

For more information on the ERAC’s stances and issues, meeting minutes and agendas view its public documents here.

SPORTS

STAYING GAME READY: MAKING ATHLETES’ HEALTH AND WELLNESS A PRIORITY MONICA JUAREZ

Portland State is a university that prides itself on promoting health and wellness among its students.

The PSU Athletics department asserts that mental and physical health are vital for the performance of a student athlete. In an effort to achieve this, PSU offers athletes mental and physical help both on and off the field.

“Our Counseling Services director, Dr. Marcy Hunt, meets with all student

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athletes for an educational session called Mental Health 101,” said Dr. Dana Tasson, the Center for Student Health and Counseling’s executive director. “[The sessions] cover common mental health problems for students, tips for managing stress and self-care, and resources on campus.”

“If we discover a change in their attitude or behavior, we give them the proper resources for counseling on

campus,” said Tyler Geving, PSU Men’s Basketball head coach.

“We take it very seriously, our responsibility to educate our students on these very important areas,” said Lisa Miller, associate athletics director for Compliance and Student Services. “We do what we can with the resources we have to get our students the best experience possible, and to educate them.”

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PSU is a school under the National College Athletics Association, so there are certain protocols that must be met when it comes to the mental and physical health of an athlete. Miller ensures that the coaches are educated on NCAA rules such as academic eligibility and the promotion of health and wellness.

“We have an educational programming this year where we’re working with

SHAC,” Miller said. “We have three specific workshops that our student-athletes will be going through. One’s on mental health, we have one on consent, and we also have a bystander training.”

Required workshops and classes about sexual assault prevention are another important aspect of resources available to student-athletes.

Amy Kayon, a relationship and sexual violence prevention coordinator, has

been in her position at PSU for about a year. Kayon has begun collaborating with coaches to teach these workshops where all athletes will attend.

This coach-led training is modeled after “MVP” and “Coaching Boys into Men,” which are high school athletic programs. Kayon mentioned both have had promising results over the years.

“Coaches are leading meaningful conversations

SPORTS with their students around the topic of interpersonal violence, sexual assault and stalking,” Kayon continued.

After these conversations take place with their coaches, Kayon then teaches workshops about consent and active bystander training. Bystander intervention training hopes to empower witnesses of sexual violence to intervene before crimes become too serious. It aims to teach not just when and if to intervene, but to also give courage to witnesses to step up and offer help.

While these sexual assault prevention workshops are being implemented into PSU Athletics, Kayon said it is in no way a specific target at the department.

“This isn’t reactionary,” Kayon said. “This isn’t because they’ve done anything wrong or they’re a lightning rod for attention around this topic.”

College athletics all across the country have been under a microscope when it comes to sexual assault.

“They’re not the only program that we’re doing

THE STOTT CENTER FIELD. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD this robust prevention effort with,” Kayon said.

“International Student Life and housing are the other two places that have taken on prevention more robustly.”

When it comes to an athlete’s physical health, coaches and trainers say they always keep an eye out.

“As a coach, I’m constantly working with our trainer to make sure our guys’ physical

health is being monitored,” Geving said.

Geving also said they make sure to take every precaution if an athlete is injured.

“We are very cautious about injuries to our play-

ers. Our training staff does a great job of making sure they are completely healthy before returning to action.

We also give them proper treatment while recovering from injuries.”

Athletics is also offering an additional workshop for incoming freshman athletes called Viking Experience.

“I’ll be going in to see [the freshman] and doing a general introduction to the topic, and I’m going to use pop culture to facilitate that conversation,” Kayon said.

There are many different resources that PSU offers on campus that help students with physical and mental health. The PSU website has what they call a “Wellness Wheel” full of both online and on-campus resources to help students on their way to a healthy way of life.

“Student athletes can use all of SHAC’s various services, including counseling, medical services, dental services, academic testing services, and the mind spa,” Tasson said.

The Mind Spa is located in the University Studies Building, where students can do a variety of relaxing activities such meditation, yoga, and massage or light therapy.

“At the end of the day, the athletes’ overall well-being is the most important priority,” Geving said.

VIKS BREAK RUSHING RECORD IN WIN OVER BENGALS COMMENTARY BY MYLES BOYNS Despite finishing the day with zero passing yards, the Portland State Vikings celebrated its first conference win of the season against the Idaho State Bengals in dominating fashion with a score of 45–20. The Vikings used a strong rushing attack and vicious defense to come out on top.

Idaho State struck first on the scoreboard as running back Jakori Ford scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. PSU would quickly respond with a touchdown of its own as senior Paris Penn rushed to the end zone from 22 yards out to put the Vikings up 7–6.

“It all started with the O-line,” Penn said.

On the next offensive possession, senior quarterback Alex Kuresa scored on a 69-yard touchdown run.

The momentum carried

into the second quarter for the Vikings as running back Nate Tago got his share and began PSU’s first possession of the second quarter with a 72-yard touchdown run up the middle. The first half ended with the Vikings leading 31–6.

With PSU’s great offense came great defense. The Vikings defense made things difficult for the Bengals to develop any life. Just as Idaho State had a little bit of hope approaching the red zone, cornerback Xavier Coleman intercepted a pass on the Vikings 1-yard line.

In the fourth quarter, Paris Penn scored on a 52-yard touchdown run, for his fourth TD of the game. Bengals receiver, KW Williams scored two touchdowns to give Idaho State the fighting spirit. In the end, it

wasn’t enough as the Vikings snapped a three game losing streak and won 45–20 at home.

The Vikings finished the game with a school record 531 rushing yards and zero passing yards.

“Our running game was strong, so we continued to run the ball,” Tago said.

For PSU, Paris Penn finished with 16 carries, 184 yards and four touchdowns.

Tago had 12 carries, 199 yards and a touchdown. Kuresa finished the day with 12 carries, 92 yards and a touchdown.

Williams finished the day with 10 receptions, 101 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings go on the road and face Weber State in another Big Sky showdown at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8th in Ogden, Utah.

OCT. 1, 2016: NATE TAGO RUSHES DURING THE NCAA FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN VISITING IDAHO STATE BENGALS AND THE PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS AT PROVIDENCE PARK, PORTLAND, OR. COURTESY OF LARRY C. LAWSON

PSU Vanguard •OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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FEATURE COVER

IN THE SHADOW OF THE KINGDOM

SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENTS STUDYING IN PORTLAND SHARE HOW THE STRICT POLICIES OF THE WAHHABI KINGDOM REACH FAR BEYOND THE GULF. ANDY NGO

“Even if you change my name, I’m afraid they’ll find out who I am,” Mutab said, as

he attempted to calm himself by drinking his favorite Arabic tea, Alwazah, or “swan.”

“If my government finds out I am an apostate, I could be jailed when I go home,” Mutab said. After a pause, he added, “Or I could be killed.” Apostasy is the act of leaving one’s religion.

In traditional orthodox interpretations of Islam, the penalty for apostasy is imprisonment and death.

The Vanguard interviewed Mutab, Faisal, and Noora, three Saudi Arabian nationals studying in Portland.

For their protection, the Vanguard has changed the names of the three interview subjects.

Mutab and Faisal are students at Portland State. Noora attends another educational institution in the area but asked that it not be named.

As of fall 2014, Saudi Arabia provided the largest quota of international students at PSU with 442 students.

PSU’s relationship with Saudi Arabia spans decades.

The Kingdom’s current crown prince, Mohammad bin Nayef, attended PSU from 1977–80.

Established in 1932, Saudi Arabia’s origins stem from an 18th-century pact between Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, a puritanical Islamic revivalist, and Muhammad ibn Saud, a central Arabian ruler. The modern Saudi Arabian state is a theocratic, authoritarian dynastic monarchy.

Saudi Arabia’s “Basic Law of Governance,” which governs the country, states that its constitution is the Quran and the Sunna—the actions and sayings of Muhammad—

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and that Shari’a, which means Islamic law, is the foundation of the Kingdom.

CLANDESTINE ATHEISM

Mutab and Faisal are closeted atheists and sometimes prefer to be called “ex-Muslim.” Many atheists of Muslim heritage refer to themselves as ex-Muslim in order to acknowledge the cultural traditions in which they grew up.

“Within Muslim contexts, atheism has largely been regarded as a Western phenomenon,” said Muhammad Syed, president of Ex-Muslims of North America, a nonprofit based in Virginia. “The ‘exMuslim’ identity allows us to deliberately stake a position that we are both from Muslim communities and reject the dogma.”

Mutab said he left Islam after being exposed to new ideas and lifestyles in the United States. “The Islam I was raised with in Saudi Arabia is against modernity,” Mutab said. In Saudi Arabia, Mutab supported gender apartheid—strict segregation of the sexes—and intolerance of other religions, hallmarks of a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam.

Faisal left Islam after introducing himself to philosophy.

“I remember when I first got exposed to Plato’s Republic,” Faisal said. “I was shocked that a non-prophet would write something that wise.”

SAUDI ARABIAN WOMEN: “PERPETUAL MINORS”

Noora is a practicing Muslim but remains equally concerned about the potential consequences of publicizing her opinions. Noora rejects Saudi Arabia’s institutionalized version of Islam, sometimes called

Wahhabism, named after the country’s puritanical cofounder, Ibn Abd al Wahhab.

Wahhabi Islam, also known as Salafism, is a rigid and literalist version of Islam derived from the medieval Hanbali tradition. The Hanbali school of jurisprudence is usually seen as the most fundamentalist strain within Sunni orthodoxy. Salafism is sometimes linked to the ideology of jihadist groups like the Islamic State.

“I was brainwashed to hate,” Noora said. “The Jews, Christians, non-Muslims— even Muslims not like us.

There is nothing spiritual about that kind of Islam.”

Saudi Arabia bans the open practice of non-Islamic religions and has intensified criminal penalties for Sunni Islamic beliefs that steer too far from official state orthodoxy. The Shiite Muslim minority, who are concentrated in the Eastern Province, are also subject to systematic discrimination.

Noora is in favor of sexual minority rights and women’s equality, which puts her at deep odds with the state. In Saudi Arabia, women are effectively treated as perpetual minors regardless of age, and relationships outside of heterosexual marriage are criminalized. The country is known for its guardianship system which requires that every woman have a male guardian, or “wali al amr,” in order to travel or make most life decisions. The guardian is normally a father or brother but can also be a son or uncle.

“I’m an adult woman and my country requires me to get permission from my father to do anything,” Noora said. “This is inhumane.”

While in the United States, Noora has eschewed the

PSU Vanguard • OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

black veil and robe she was required to wear since childhood. “The niqab [face veil] not only covers a woman’s identity, it ignores her existence,” Noora said.

Defiantly enjoying a glass of French wine during the interview, Noora added, “I am most homesick when I’m actually at home. I am homesick for freedom.” Possessing or consuming alcohol is strictly prohibited in the Kingdom; transgressors are faced with severe punishments.

AN AUTHORITARIAN STATE WITHOUT THE RULE OF LAW

Although not an ex-Muslim, Noora is concerned that her views could be construed as sedition or blasphemy.

Saudi Arabia is noteworthy for having few formalized laws, instead relying on the judgment of exclusively male prosecutors and religious judges who define criminal behavior on a caseby-case basis.

“The regime is reliant on the Wahhabi religious establishment for support, which means that reforming human rights in the area of religious liberty is difficult,” said Dr. Lindsay Benstead, associate professor of political science in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at PSU. Benstead specializes in politics and women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

“Geopolitics make it unlikely that the U.S. and other countries will put much pressure, at least publicly, on Saudi Arabia to reform,” Benstead said.

Last year, an additional hurdle was added for liberal and secular Saudi Arabians when the promotion of “atheist thought” became

prosecutable under new antiterrorism legislation through royal decree.

“Anything I say or do here— online or offline—could have consequences back home,” Noora said. “It’s better to stay quiet.”

SAUDI ARABIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD

Saudi Arabia’s repression of freedom of expression, association and conscience have sparked criticisms from human rights organizations. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia goes as far as routinely jailing nonviolent dissidents, including children, without trial for months and years.

“Saudi authorities, namely the ruling royal family, have often used the courts to stifle and silence any critique of the political and judicial system or the excesses and control of the religious establishment,” said Dr. Elham Manea, associate professor in the Political Science Institute at the University of Zurich. Manea, who is a practicing Muslim, specializes in Islamism and its impact on human rights.

“The case of Saudi blogger, Raif Badawi, illustrates how dire the consequences are of criticizing the religious authorities and their conduct,” Manea said. In 2013, Badawi was convicted of “insulting Islam” for his role

“ANYTHING I SAY OR DO HERE— ON OR OFFLINE— COULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES BACK HOME.” -NOORA, A SAUDI ARABIAN STUDENT CURRENTLY BASED IN PORTLAND in co-founding and operating an online forum called Liberal Saudi Network.

The website featured articles critical of the religious authorities.

After a failed appeal in 2014, Badawi’s sentence was increased to ten years in

prison in addition to 1,000 lashes and a fine of one million riyals (approximately $266,550).

Last year, Ashraf Fayadh, a Palestinian artist, was sentenced to death based on accusations of blasphemy and atheism through poetry.

FEATURE Executions in Saudi Arabia are usually performed through public beheadings.

Saudi Arabia is among 12 other Muslim-majority countries which prescribe the death penalty for apostasy, although executions are generally rare, according to the “Freedom of Thought Report 2015.” In recent years, Saudi Arabia typically sentences those accused of apostasy or blasphemy to long jail terms, public lashings and heavy fines.

These developments don’t placate Mutab’s concerns, however. “Even if my state doesn’t kill me, a fellow citizen could, and he would have legal justification based on Shari’a,” Mutab said.

CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES SCHOLARSHIP

Faisal echoed much of Mutab’s fears, but highlighted the additional pressures that come with studying on a governmentfunded scholarship. In 2015 alone, around 200,000 students studied abroad through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Scholarship Program.

On the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education website, the scholarship application’s rules dictate that applicants be Muslim. In Arabic, the first rule states that one must “[preserve] the Arabic and Islamic identity while observing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s laws and painting a good picture of it abroad.”

Rule two continues: “Maintain good behavior while on scholarship and not engage in any act that could undermine the reputation of religion, nation, or the security of the nation.”

The first two rules for the state scholarship program place emphasis on portraying a positive image of Islam and country while studying abroad.

Figures obtained from the Office of International Affairs show that 83 percent of Saudi Arabian students at PSU received scholarship funding from the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission in fall 2015.

SACM is an arm of the MOE, which provides support and assistance to students studying in the United States.

Both Mutab and Faisal said the large presence of Saudi Arabian students on state scholarships sometimes cre-

ates an environment of ideological conformity given the precepts of the program.

When Mutab first attended PSU, he attempted to find a supportive community within the Saudi Student Association but soon found conflicts of interests.

“They are connected to SACM,” Mutab said. “Their priority is to promote the interests and image of the state.”

Faris Alhanaya, president of the club for the 2015–16 academic year, confirmed to the Vanguard that the group received funding from SACM but denies any allegations that the group is intolerant of different political and religious views.

“During my presidency we had celebrated four events and we have never asked certain people to join, but our celebrations were always open to anyone,” Alhanaya said.

ASYLUM

The insecurities that come with being a closeted atheist on a state-funded scholarship are not unwarranted, Faisal explained. Earlier this year, Haifa Alshamrani, a Saudi Arabian woman studying pre-med at the University of Glasgow, had her scholarship revoked.

Alshamrani, who is ex-Muslim, alleges that the Saudi Arabian government ended her scholarship as punishment for her husband’s refusal to support efforts to build a local Wahhabi mosque during his time as chairman of the Saudi student organization.

Fearing charges of apostasy upon return to Saudi Arabia, Alshamrani and her husband have filed asylum claims in the United Kingdom.

According to international and U.S. law, foreign nationals can seek refuge if they can establish that they were “persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.”

Although refugee eligibility appears broad, qualifying at the individual level is often difficult. “It’s not just about wanting to apply for asylum,” said Shalini Vivek, staff attorney at PSU’s Student Legal Services. “They have to make sure they actually even qualify for it.”

The office employs two part-time contract immigration attorneys who are available by appointment

for counsel. Their area of expertise includes asylum, Vivek said.

Vivek added that the Office of International Student and Scholar Services sometimes reaches out to SLS to host presentations that cover asylum-related issues for students from specific countries. However, “[Representatives from the OISSS] haven’t advised us on asylum for Saudi Arabian students,” Vivek said.

The OIA oversees all matters related to the specific needs of international students but currently lacks protocol for providing recourse for students who face possible prosecution in their home country for “thought crimes” conducted at PSU. “If a student presented themselves to us with this sort of problem, we would make every attempt to support them,” said Christina Luther, director of OISSS, an office within the OIA. When asked for details, Luther said, “I really can’t tell you what kind of support we would offer a student with specifically this type of situation because I have not encountered it before.”

Luther explained that the office doesn’t have the capac-

ity for that level of specificity.

However, she stressed that this does not mean they are unavailable to help students navigate unique crises.

The Catch-22 situation is a reality that all three interview subjects face. They remain silent in fears that escalation could exacerbate problems, while university administration is only able to provide general support at this time.

THE ESSENTIALIST PARADIGM

In a final plea, Mutab, Faisal and Noora asked that the local community not presume that those with Muslim backgrounds prefer or need different treatment.

“The assumption that every Arab is a Muslim creates a barrier between myself and other students,” Faisal said. “I wouldn’t get invited to social events based solely on the assumption that I would hate a mixedsex environment.”

Faisal continued: “Islamic beliefs would always be defended by non-Muslims around me just so that my feelings aren’t hurt. This is mostly a social problem, but in an academic space it’s really troublesome.”

Manea argues that the postcolonial and postmodernist discourse often found in Western academe homogenizes and essentializes certain perceived features of minority groups.

“The ‘essentialist paradigm’ uses a prism that reduces minorities of different national and cultural backgrounds to their religious identity,” Manea said.

“Consider the person who is called a Muslim, perceived as a Muslim and treated as a Muslim, despite the fact that this person may not be religious at all or may prefer to be identified by his or her nationality.”

In February 2016, PSU hosted a campus-wide teachin event on Islamophobia. “[The teach-in was] organized in response to a rise in anti-Islamic actions and rhetoric throughout the country, including the PSU campus,” President Wim Wiewel said in an email sent to every student.

“Islamophobia is a form of racism,” said Dana Ghazi, student body president for the 2015–16 academic year.

“It’s not different than any other racism that’s operating in this community.”

Mutab, Faisal and Noora expressed discomfort with some Islamophobia awareness campaigns. They explained that even though they are sometimes the victims of anti-Muslim bias, Islamophobia can be a problematic concept at the ontological level because it does not separate criticism of ideology and religious practice from that of Muslim people. In a Saudi Arabian context where religion and state are intertwined, they have been accused of being Islamophobic when they spoke out online against state practices.

SIGNS OF PROGRESS IN THE KINGDOM

MANY WOMEN IN SAUDI ARABIA HAVE POSTED PHOTOS OF THEMSELVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH CAPTIONS PROTESTING THE COUNTRY’S GUARDIANSHIP SYSTEM AND FEMALE DRIVING BAN. PHOTO COURTESY OF A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE

Despite the challenges of living in the shadow of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mutab and Faisal are hopeful about the future. “The new generation of Saudis who studied abroad are capable of improving things back home,” Mutab said.

Faisal said that while the growth of liberalism is slow in Saudi Arabia, it is happening and issues like women’s rights and free speech have gained international and domestic attention. This

year, several high-profile social media campaigns have focused on women’s rights in the country.

Most recently, the Arabic language hashtag which translates to “Saudi women demand the end of guardianship,” became popular on social media after Human Rights Watch published a scathing report on the state of women’s rights in the country.

In response to calls to end the guardianship system, Abdul Aziz al Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, said in the Okaz newspaper that the campaign is a “crime against Islam and Saudi Arabian society.” Al Sheikh is the top religious authority in Saudi Arabia. He advocates for the guardianship system to remain.

In contrast to Mutab and Faisal, Noora has dimmer prospects about the future.

“The experience of being a woman in Saudi Arabia today makes me hopeless,” Noora said. “I yearn to be treated and seen as an equal human being. The Shari’a of my country prevents change.”

In spite of their differences over predictions on the direction of the Kingdom, Mutab, Faisal and Noora believe that secularization is a key in liberalizing Saudi Arabian society and policies toward a democratic future. Meanwhile, their views remain in the protective shadow of anonymity.

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. and SACM did not respond for comment on issues and allegations raised in this article.

Editor’s note: The Vanguard is committed to free speech and serving its diverse audience. This includes people of all faiths and non-faiths. We stand unequivocally for the rights and protection of all people based on religion, beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, national origin and race.

Students who feel they are the victims of prejudice or harassment can find support at the PSU Office of Equity and Compliance. Comments which threaten or insult individuals or groups of people will not be tolerated. We encourage civil discourse.

For an extended version of this piece, visit psuvanguard.com

PSU Vanguard •OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

PSU.TV BEGINS EDITING PHASE FOR ANNUAL FILM PROJECT ‘RETRO HERO’ CATHERINE JOHNSON When PSU.TV’s creative team behind Retro Hero started filming this summer, they had not yet raised the $18,000 needed to complete the project. But with the help of an Indiegogo campaign, sponsorship by Amtrak, a grant for new equipment, and the dedication of over 80 students, they were able to forge ahead.

“It was just an amazing group of people,” said Markus Lin, film director and director of photography. “Everyone donated their time and resources and believed in the project and came together. To me, that’s what was so special about Retro Hero.”

This is PSU.TV’s flagship Annual Film Project, an entirely student-produced feature length film. Last year they put out a call for scripts and selected Dom Peña and Emma Kent’s Retro Hero, the story of Eliza, a competitive gamer who must compete in order to defend her father’s legacy and ameliorate her family’s financial struggles. Auditions were held in July, and shooting took place over the summer.

The cast, crew and production team for this project, which ranged from 20 to 40 people on set each day, are all student volunteers. One PSU alumnus of the film program donated his time and taxi bus to drive people home at the end of the night when filming ended at 2 a.m.

The set location was also provided free of charge. Superplay, an arcade in Beaverton, donated the use of its space, including a laser tag arena transformed into a virtual reality world.

“They believed in the cause and the film,” Lin said.

However, there were some limitations because of lack of funding, including locations they couldn’t get and some days when they couldn’t continue filming because they didn’t have the money to feed the cast and crew.

It was a learning experience for everyone. The majority of the crew had never attempted a project like this. That meant there were several teachable moments. It made communicating positive criticism after 10 or 12 stressful hours on set a specific kind of challenge.

“It’s not like another set or job where if you do something wrong you get fired or leave. That person is there to learn and to do their best and you want everyone to succeed,” Lin said.

In fact, providing this kind of experience for students is a primary value of the AFP and the Portland State film community.

“It’s the perfect environment to make a mistake, to work out a lot of your nerves about being on set,” said T.J. Hunt, the project’s director of PSU.TV. “It’s good to have a place where you’re making something of this scale, but you still have the opportunity to learn and you’re allowed to grow.”

Now that Hunt and Tarquinn Boyatt, the film’s head editors, have finished logging each shot, they will begin the creative process of editing from over 9,000 gigabytes of footage. Once Lin is pleased with the editing and how the scenes flow from one to the next, it will be handed off for sound design, including an original score and visual effects. They hope this will happen in January and are aiming for a March release date.

Then the piece will be sent to film festivals around the country and the world. Most of these festivals have exclusive premiere rights, which means they can’t premiere the film until after it’s been submitted and they know where it has been accepted. After the festival circuit is done, they’ll premier the film in Portland and eventually post it on the PSU.TV YouTube channel.

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THE PROCESS OF FILMING RETRO HERO. COURTESY OF PSU.TV In addition, “Turtle Fire,” the 16-bit arcade game designed specifically for and featured in Retro Hero, will also be made available online for anyone to play.

But while Retro Hero moves into the next phase of production, the next Annual Film Project will commence with a call for scripts this term so that the next film can begin shooting during the summer of 2017.

“The hope is to have one of these every year,” Hunt said.

“We want to give people a great learning experience. We’re hoping to keep it up.”

The intention behind the AFP is not only to give students a feature film on their resumes, but to integrate with the film de-

PSU Vanguard • OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

partment. According to Lin, the film department has an exceptional studies program and they teach students how to tell and dissect a story, but it is often difficult for students to gain direct production experience.

The AFP is attempting to fill that need. They want all students to be able to use professional equipment before they graduate.

“Our view is that the more qualified people are coming out of PSU, the more our own degrees are worth,” Boyatt said. “By raising the community, we’re trying to make PSU the most viable film school it can be.”

Visit PSU.TV for more on Retro Hero.

ARTS & CULTURE OPINION

STUDENTS DIRECT PROFESSIONAL ACTORS FOLLOWING PLAYWRITE WORKSHOP GRAY BOUCHAT

Creativity took the stage on Oct. 5 as five students presented their own oneact plays written over the course of a 10-day playwriting workshop. Hosted at the Native American Student & Community Center, the students directed professional Portland actors, who brought their characters to life.

The twist? The characters could not be human.

The room was filled with engaged Portland State students and the general public. Each play began with the directors introducing themselves. Every director appeared inspired by the opportunity to work in a creative environment and appreciative of the chance to direct real actors.

The event began with the first play of the night, At the Edge of the Woods,

by Senora Blanco. A conversation ensues between one-legged crow and a teenaged tumbleweed whose dream is to live in the forest.

The crow was made up in completely black getup and the tumbleweed wore an oversized brown cardigan.

The second play, Out of the Blue, directed by Micah Read, presented an algal bloom and a four-year-old cuttlefish.

The algal bloom was scared that she wouldn’t be able to photosynthesize because she started to turn blue—and her costume reflected it. She was draped in beautiful turquoise attire, and the cuttlefish wore intricate patterned pants.

The actors’ voices filled the room with enthusiasm, captivating the audience with their fervent tone and emotions.

Each play also conveyed humor, from the tumbleweed complaining about a dead beetle in her twigs to the cuttlefish’s competitive dreams.

The third play, Unadoptable,

by Deyalo Bennette, included a young dolphin attempting to free a well-traveled tumbleweed trapped on a piece of driftwood. The drama kept the audience focused. The

dolphin made chirping noises and swam around the stage, truly keeping in character.

The fourth play, Reflection,

by Rachel Done, centered around a compact mirror and an insecure sun bear. The bear thought he was fake because he was part brown bear, so he never wanted to look in the mirror. The play dramatically ended with the bear finally conquering his fear and looking into his mirror friend.

The night wrapped up with the final play, Broken to be Transformed, directed by music major Lifia Teguh. A tall coconut palm and a marble cooking pan work together in their mutual dream to explore the world.

The audience lit up and applauded all five directors as they went up to take their final bow. The actors took their parts seriously: the algae were constantly flowing, the bear hung slouched and

rugged, the crow hopped on one leg. The actors were dedicated and enthusiastic.

Teguh, a Junior at PSU, enjoyed her time in the workshop. She says it helped her grow in her creativity, considering this was her first time ever writing a play.

“As a student I can see that it is a very good chance for us to explore some of our gifts or talents that we have,” Teguh said. “I used to feel like, oh, I don’t have the

“IT’S LEARNING BY DOING.” -LIFIA TEGUH, DIRECTOR OF

BROKEN TO BE TRANSFORMED

qualifications…but it’s just amazing how a group of professionals give you the chance to explore.”

Teguh was surprised by the amount of control she had over her play. “It was all me. Like, this was my play, so do it any way you want to.

They are very good actors.

We just give directions on how they want to move and costumes as well,” Teguh said. “It’s learning by doing.

Don’t be afraid to say what you have in mind.”

The students worked with coaches who served as scribes and listening ears.

They would tell the coaches what they wanted to write for the plays, and the coaches would then pose questions to make the play writers think further and more in depth.

Teguh’s coach, Brooke Dabalos, has mostly worked with younger age groups, so working with college students was a new experience for her. “College students are so used to planning ahead, and PlayWrite is all about going with the moment and tapping into the characters and how they would act in that moment, not about what the plot is going to be.”

Dabalos said she hopes the experience helped the students go beyond their creative boundaries. “When you pick up something to read or you go look at art, usually it’s special because of that person who created it,” Dabalos said. “I think that’s what really taught me as an artist and a writer—to push beyond the surface level.”

ONE OF THE PLAYS PERFORMED AT THE NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT & COMMUNITY CENTER, “OUT OF THE BLUE” BY MICAH READ. LAURYN SMITH-FREIMARK/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard •OCTOBER 11, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS TO BE MORE IMPORTANT She Said

by Delany Bigelow Mental illness is not a rare thing: almost one in every five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year. Still, society often acts as if mental illness shouldn’t be talked about.

Although it can be hard and uncomfortable to be vulnerable enough to ask for help or treatment, mental health isn’t something that should be a last priority.

Mental illness left untreated can interfere with daily tasks or pleasures, cause job loss, destroy marriages and even lead to death. Sadly, many who experience mental illness feel ashamed or too embarrassed to ask for help. Many fear accepting or admitting that they experience a mental health problem simply because of the stigma that surrounds it.

Despite the stigma, mental illness needs to be discussed and I’m going to talk about it.

I have depression and anxiety. It began the summer after my junior year of high school. I spent hours alone in my room watching television or thinking—thinking about how hopeless I felt. I could never think of anything that would make me happy. I was irritable and lonely. I never felt like spending time with anyone, and in the moments that I did, it was hard to pretend I was okay. I was always an upbeat person, and when I began to feel unlike myself, it terrified me.

I remember taking multiple online tests regarding mental illness, and each time I received the same result: depression. I tried to deny it while I lied to myself and convinced myself I was fine. A few weeks went by with the same feelings and it quickly started to affect my schoolwork, appetite and relationships.

I felt better as I got out of the house and around people, but I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone about how I was suffering—not my friends, sisters or parents. I thought everything I was experiencing was in my head. I didn’t know if they would understand the deep and excruciating sadness I was feeling.

When things got worse, I was so desperate for a solution that I began to feel extremely scared. I just wanted the pain and nothingness to go away. I finally told my parents in an email after I spent hours trying to figure out what to say. What if they thought I was faking it? What if this would be too much for them to handle? I thought that maybe I could just figure it out all on my own.

But the people who you love and trust, like my parents, often know what to say and what to do to help you. I started going to therapy and a little while later I started taking medication. Very slowly but surely, things got better. Today I get by without medication and utilize therapy and meditation. I still have bad days, but they are fewer and farther in between.

I believe it’s important to tell stories that help break the stigma because mental health problems are more common than people realize. If we don’t take steps to normalize mental illness like we do physical illness, people who struggle won’t feel comfortable receiving help.

This is why I chose to share my story.

Having a mental illness is just as serious and can be as common as many physical ailments. Sadly, we continue

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ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART

to stigmatize one and not the other. Mental health is just as important as physical health: Without one, it’s very difficult to have the other.

When our mental health is in order, it’s a lot easier to take care of ourselves and our physical health. Depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses can make it difficult to focus, stay motivated, feel confident, get adequate sleep or eat well.

For someone who needs their physical health to be in good condition, like an athlete, mental health is also key despite the fact that physical health is usually the focus. However, without proper mental health, physical health will decline.

This is something athlete, along with coaches and other supporters, must be very aware of. Physical health should never be the only priority.

Mental health issues are much more common than many realize; therefore, it’s important to know you can get help.

Mood disorders including major depression, dysthymic

PSU Vanguard • OCTOBER 4, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

disorder and bipolar disorder are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both youth and adults between the ages of 18–44. Overall, about 18 percent of the people in the U.S. will experience a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder in their life.

It’s quite possible that you know or love someone that has experienced or suffered from a mental illness, and it’s important to know how to help them and how to express empathy. If you or someone you know needs help, talk with someone you trust, utilize the counseling resources at the Portland State’s Center for Student Health and Counseling, use online resources such as Psychology Today for help finding a therapist, and make self-care a priority.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

OPINION

THE CHILL FUTURE OF NETFLIX

SOME OF NETFLIX’S ORIGINAL CONTENT. KYLE CHARLSON/PSU VANGUARD

Andy’s Thoughts

by Andy Clark Netflix is beautiful. If you analyze it and dive down deep enough, this becomes the one thing that ties us all together— everyone has a Netflix account. (If you don’t, you can use my mom’s.) This is an entertainment distribution company that has become so popular it’s now synonymous with sex.

Netflix and chill, anyone?

I’m not a business genius but if your product leads to sex, you’re definitely going to make some money. That’s why diamonds, champagne and Usher albums will always be profitable.

Now, Netflix is expanding.

At the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference in September, Netflix CEO David Wells announced, “You should expect us to continue to push toward more 50–50 in terms of original exclusive content and licensed content.” This means Netflix will continue to expand their options of original programming such as Bojack Horseman and Orange is the New Black, shifting the focus of their company from content distributor to creator.

This is good. Not only is this a good sign because of the fact that Netflix makes fun, entertaining shows—shows about horses who were ‘90s television stars—but also because it signals a larger shift in the entertainment field: a shift for the better.

In cultural terms, the Golden Era of Television often refers to a time in the ‘50s and ‘60s when television programming was considered part of high society. This was a time when television sets were still expensive, leaving the new phenomena in the hands of the educated, cultured elite. The few channels available showcased ballets, symphonies and sophisticated live dramas.

It was like an era of Mad Men without all the sex.

Today we live in a new golden era despite the fact that no one can exactly agree upon when it began. For some, like Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, it dates back to 1981 and the debut of the gritty police drama, Hill Street Blues. Others point to the 2000s and credit the proliferation of cable TV and the internet as the jump off.

For me, it began when Katie Couric interviewed Lil Wayne.

Regardless of the start, viewers can agree that now more than at any other time in history, there is an abundance of good television shows. From Breaking Bad to Toddlers in Tiaras, there’s a show for everyone—no matter how weird you are. And that’s the secret to all the success.

Playing to broad audiences often leads to trouble. Anyone looking at America from the outside can clearly tell that we are

not on the same page. So why and how would we all be entertained by the same television shows? Despite their popularity, the most viewed shows are often the worst—and that fact is basically common knowledge. Who was actually entertained by Two and a Half Men? With companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon producing their own content, along with the new shows continuously pumped out by cable channels, there’s an influx of shows. This allows creators to target smaller, specific audiences and ultimately leads to more satisfying product.

Every one of us has found a show that only we and a few of our closest friends enjoy. We watch religiously despite the fact that no one else seems to know the show exists. This specificity of show-to-audience is only available because the production of new television shows continues to increase. We may finally reach a ratio where the amount of shows is equal to the number of audience members.

How amazing would that be? A whole television show planned and produced specifically to fit your likes. That’s a future I want to live in.

So keep creating, Netflix. Because that’s definitely the only way I’m going to see a Lil Wayne-Katie Couric cooking show.

PSU Vanguard •OCTOBER 4, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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ETCETERA

THE CONNECTION

INTRODUCING DEENA B’S BI-WEELKLY COLUMN DISCUSSING ALL THINGS PORTLAND HIP-HOP

DEENA B Like some of you, but also unlike some of you, I started college a little later in life. My first stop instead was radio—KBOO Community Radio—where I produced a program called “The Soundbox.”

Those first radio programs were an insane mix of punk, hip-hop, and whatever other weird sonic thing that could be found. Eventually the show focused on local hiphop at a time when most folks not living in Oregon thought that Portland was some weird logging town not

far from Seattle. Through that radio show, I found folks like myself: music lovers, audiophiles for beats, rhythms and lyrics.

The proper hip-hop terminology for this is being a “head.” So, yeah, I teamed up with some heads from around town. This turned the show into a five-and-ahalf hour weekly hip-hop scholars program—a headquarters for all things hiphop. If you were a DJ, you were invited, freestylers were invited, beat makers were invited, graffiti art-

ists were invited. Everyone came down to the station, with whatever crazy story attached to a new track, record, sample or drum kit they had to show off.

The phone lines would blow up with people waiting to guess the original samples to a track or for a chance to freestyle to an instrumental over the air. That experience showed me that Portland’s hip-hop scene is a complex network of players. Complex easily translates to a variety of whatever your flavor in local hip-hop: conscience rap,

boom bap, gothic bangers, party style, gangsta. Portland always has someone here that’s got your vibe covered.

And here you are, not knowing about them.

It’s not really your fault.

National social news pages like Buzzfeed and Noisey often only skim over the local hip-hop scene, often highlighting new acts, or the centuries-old drama between the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and hip-hop venues. Local newsprint can also be hit or miss, operating with a sort of tunnel vision

focusing on, again, newer acts. That’s only skimming the surface, so if you live here and you’re into hip-hop, you might as well dive in.

So now I’m a student at Portland State and have moved on a little bit from strictly only being on the airwaves. I still have the radio show, broadcasting Saturday nights at 10 p.m.–midnight.

Sometimes I’m there, and sometimes I’m out and about DJing—something else I picked up along the way.

Also the pen, or rather the keyboard: here I am. I’m

writing this column for the Vanguard. “The Soundbox” started in 1998, meaning that I’ve been a fan of Portland hip-hop for about as long as some of you have been alive. That equals experience, and the good folks here are letting me put you up on game about great local hiphop shows happening, great hip-hop spots to check out when you’re not studying, and great music you should study to.

Hope you tune in.

BOOKISH & BROKEN-HEARTED

SUBPAR ADVICE FROM THE SUB-BASEMENT JOHN PINNEY Broken-Hearted Bookworm writes: My stepdad was recently clearing out his book collection and offered me a book I'd given him as a gift some odd years earlier. I had been living in my car at the time and had scrounged together the money, leaving a very heartfelt inscription inside with some choice memories of our time together. I really cherish this man's love because my biological dad was not great. I thought we had a really good bond, but he's never even read the inscription in the book or even cracked it open. This feels like a breaking point in our relationship for me as now I feel like the disconnect between us is really growing. How do I tell him how I feel?

Heya, Bookie.

Does it occur to you that maybe your stepdad is lying when he says he didn't read it? Maybe he did open the book but found it was very emotional and couldn't continue. When the fatherchild bond is so fraught like yours is, it's very possible that memories can be harder to live through than you can imagine because they come with such bittersweetness.

A couple of other things: One, you say the book was unopened. But unless it was shrink wrapped, what definitive proof do you have that it was actually unopened? This isn't one of those college books your

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teacher makes you buy that you don't actually read, this is a somewhat cherished keepsake. Did you flip through all the pages to make sure none of them were dog-eared, that none of the spine was even remotely cracked and that no pages were stuck together with ketchup topping from meatloaf? (Things happen. Don't judge me, Bookie.)

Two, you've had a superiority complex about this gift for a long time. Are you still living out of your car? Or has life gotten better with the help of this same loved one? Maybe instead of reading your painstaking inscription of memory lane, your stepdad was living life and being there for you, and now that he's in a better spot doesn't feel like he (or you) needs to go back there.

What I'm getting at is that maybe you've got feelings about this inscription that have nothing to do with the book. Time spent being homeless sometimes changes people to be a little more cynical (no matter the length) and not to be mostly heartless or cruel, but give the guy a break. Sometimes a father can't be a dad, no matter how much he wants to be.

Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru

PSU Vanguard • OCTOBER 4, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK

EVENT LISTINGS FOR OCT. 12–16 FEATURED EVENT PORTLAND STATE OF MIND OCT. 13–22

This Thursday kicks off the university’s annual 10-day celebration of all things Portland State, packed with over 50 campus events. There’s something for everyone, including concerts, lectures, workshops, art exhibits, political debates, tailgates, film screenings and parties.

Check out page 4 of this issue for a write-up of the Vanguard’s PSOM picks, or visit pdx. edu/portland-state-of-mind for the full calendar.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12 10TH ANNUAL DAY OF THE DEAD EXHIBITION GUARDINO GALLERY FEE: NOT ANNOUNCED AT TIME OF PRINT

Fifty artists celebrate the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) from their own festive, joyful, wise and sorrowful perspective. This mixed-media event encourages each of the 50 artists to celebrate their inner soul and connection to their culture, ancestors, future and even themselves. Come and celebrate their distinct visions intertwining together now through Oct. 23.

THE SOUL OF BLACK ART UPFOR GALLERY 11 A.M.–6 P.M. FREE

John Goodwin has curated 100 years of art depicting the change of black culture in America. Featuring various black viewpoints capturing the culture of the times, this

curated collection will be on display until Oct. 15.

WYNTON MARSALIS ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 7:30 P.M. FEE: $40+

Jazz trumpeting legend Wynton Marsalis is giving a one-night performance of jazz, though it’s unknown whether he’ll play his own worthy music or jazz standards you know and love. In either case, it’s sure to be a night not to miss.

THURSDAY, OCT. 13 THIS IS THRILLER ACADEMIC AND STUDENT RECREATION CENTER 6:15–7:45 P.M.

In anticipation of the Vikings’ homecoming game on Oct. 15, there are several dates of practice for a “Thriller” flash mob that welcomes students, staff and the general public to join in the Viking celebration of athletic prowess with a touch of whimsy.

GHASTLY MAGIC PERFORMANCE WORKS NORTHWEST 8:30–10 P.M. FEE: $15

Be not afraid mere mortal, for the men performing talented feats of magical skill onstage are not fearsome wizards but rather gifted mortals well-versed in the arts of mental power, magic and storytelling. Not intended for audiences under 12.

John Pinney FRIDAY, OCT. 14 CIDER FEST! EXPO CENTER, HALL A 4–10 P.M. FEE: $12 (AT THE DOOR)

Take the Yellow Line out to the Expo Center and enjoy a two-day bacchanal featuring not only different types of local non-alcoholic fruit cider but also beer, wine, and great eats!

Though alcohol will be present, this event is not explicitly stated to be 21-and-over only.

Saturday times are noon–8 p.m.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND FUDGE BEE THINKING 4–5 P.M. FEE: $15

Marketed as a healthier alternative to funsized Halloween treats, nutrition coach Hillary Bergh is offering a 1/2 pint jar alternative and recipe for a fudge that will satiate your sweet tooth all fall long and beyond.

SATURDAY, OCT. 15 BROADWAY’S NEXT HIT MUSICAL WINNINGSTAD THEATRE 7:30 P.M. FEE: $33–$37

You have the power to create the next Broadway hit musical. Master improvisers will ask you to help create songs and then you’ll watch the magic of your collective audience voting unfold. The results are often hilarious and definitely never boring. Improv musical comedy might just be the next big thing.

CHORAL ARTS ENSEMBLE SEASON OPENER ST. ANDREW CATHOLIC CHURCH 7:30 P.M. FEE: $5 (STUDENTS), $20 (GENERAL)

The 48th season for Portland’s Choral Arts Ensemble begins with Paul Moravec’s requiem for America’s soldiers that aims to console and lift both the living and the dead. Performing all weekend long, season tickets are also available.

SUNDAY, OCT. 16 DR. STRANGELOVE WHITSELL AUDITORIUM 4:30 P.M. FEE: $9

Presented by the NW Film Center, this classic black and white portrait of a world on the verge of war (sound familiar?) is manipulated by a “patriot” and a generally frightening cast of helpless politicians who watch the end of the Earth unfold from their bunker beneath the ground.

RESTORING THE BREATH PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 10 A.M.–5 P.M. FEE: FREE–$20

Running through the end of February, this collection of the ancient Coast Salish art form known as weaving relies on items made by traditional techniques and showcases four of his accomplished students’ most compelling work. Brought to you by the Center for Contemporary Native Art.

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