Portland State Vanguard

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 70 • ISSUE 26 • MARCH 1, 2016

NO END IN SIGHT? News International Arts & Culture Opinion

GRAD WORKERS UNIONIZE FOR CHANGE P .4 COMMUNITY CALLS FOR SOLUTIONS TO ISLAMOPHOBIA P .6 GREEN ROOTS CAFE ON SHAKY GROUND P .12 END SLUT SHAMING FOR GOOD P .15

JUST WOKE UP AND CAN’T GET OUT OF BED BECAUSE YOUR MOM IS THERE AND YOU JUST REALLY DON’T WANT TO TALK TO HER BECAUSE OMG MOM YOU’RE EMBARRASSING ME NO I DON’T WANT TO CLEAN MY ROOM I LIKE IT AS IT IS?

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL COVER ARTS & CULTURE OPINION ETC

4 6 8 12 14 BACK

COVER AND MASTHEAD BY STEVEN YOUNG 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. 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.

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NEWS

GEU HOPES UNIONIZATION WILL HELP WOUNDS SCAB OVER GRADUATE EMPLOYEES TAKE STEPS TO ADDRESS HOURS, BENEFITS AND PAY ELLENA ROSENTHAL

Graduate employees of Portland State announced plans to form a union last month. The Graduate Employees Union, along with student allies and PSU faculty union representatives, made their announcement on Feb. 1 by delivering a letter to PSU President Wim Wiewel.

The GEU formed with support from the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers.

Once GEU is recognized as a union by the state of Oregon, they will become affiliated with AAUP and AFT. Both groups have assisted GEU’s organization efforts by answering questions about legal processes, providing places for PSU graduate employees to meet and offering a substantive support staff.

Ted Cooper, a graduate research assistant and spokesperson for the GEU campaign, cites income disparity among graduate employees and a lack of resources as reasons for unionization.

“If we don’t have compensation, affordable healthcare and workloads that make our [ jobs] possible, then we can’t do them well,” Cooper said.

Ryan Wisnor is a master’s student in public history and works as a graduate teaching assistant and peer mentor for the University Studies program.

“What organizing means to me is that we finally have a community to advocate for,” Wisnor said. “Having a voice within the administration is really important in our lives as students, as workers, and as members of families and communities.”

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Wisnor has past experience as a union member and hopes to use what he learned to help unionization on PSU’s campus.

He said that listening to people and taking their concerns seriously are two of the most important lessons he learned for successful organizing.

GEU organizers want all 807 PSU graduate employees to have a voice when the bargaining unit starts addressing their needs and demanding changes. Wisnor pointed to contacting graduate students and hearing their stories as one challenge faced by GEU. “It takes time,” Wisnor said.

Organizers held a forum on PSU’s campus on Feb. 16; Cooper counted 69 PSU graduate employees in attendance, as well as graduate employee representatives from Oregon State University and University of Oregon. Organizers from UO and OSU gave short presentations on how graduate students at these schools have benefitted from unionization. They also shared secondary benefits, like the community that has been created for grad employees.

Three graduate employees who aren’t yet organizers also discussed their experiences on PSU’s campus.

“The function of the forum was to have a conversation with as many members of the bargaining units as we could get to come,” Cooper said. “At the end of the forum those who were interested in doing so were offered an opportunity to sign authorization cards.”

According to Cooper, GEU has more than 50 percent of graduate employees affiliated with the union. GEU unionizers are now contact-

Vanguard • MARCH 1, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

position, type of graduate givers and we are the providAFT has assisted GEU in or doctoral program and ers to the ones that we love. writing a mission statement, other factors,” UComm said No longer will decisions be which stresses the desires of in a statement. the PSU graduate assistants made about us without us.”

“Any employee who is overand illustrates the issues of worked or underpaid is unable STRENGTHENING THE concern. to pay sufficient attention to PICKET LINE “To a large extent the [GEU] everything they have to do,” The PSU Faculty Associa- organizing committee has Pardín said. “A lot of the gradu- tion represents adjuncts at to work in the ways that it ate employees have to neglect PSU and is affiliated with wants,” Cowan said. “Our job their family life and neglect AFT. Kelly Cowan, PSUFA is really just to make sure their graduate education.” president and member of they have the tools to supGEU and its allies pre- AFT’s executive council, ex- port themselves, like meeting sented a letter to Wiewel, plained that getting serious spaces and assistance, and requesting the university about organizing efforts help in whatever they need.” administration stay neu- means pulling in part-time, Timeline for implementatral throughout this pro- full-time and other faculty tion is unknown, although cess, among other requests. unions to pool experience organizing conversations are During the presentation, and knowledge. ongoing. The next step for Wisnor gave a testament to “One of our priorities is GEU is to petition the Emhow the lack of pay as a grad- to make sure we continue ployment Relations Board uate teaching assistant and to get university employ- for recognition.

DELEGATING FINANCIAL the high healthcare costs af- ees, including graduate stu“We [graduate employees] BURDEN Josè Padín, president of fect his life. dents, unionized,” Cowan love our jobs and we fully an“In two weeks my partner said. “We have unionized ticipate that the university AAUP-Oregon and associate sociology professor at PSU, will be having a baby, and I graduate students on other will do the right thing and said that one reason graduate will be a father,” Wisnor said campuses, and for a while respect the legal right for us students are used on college during the announcement. we have been really hoping to talk and organize a union,” campuses like PSU is purely “I am here to tell you today, that PSU would be the next Wisnor said. to remind you, we are not campus where unionizing To learn more about onfor financial purposes.

“Our university can get just students. We are workers, for graduate students could going GEU efforts, visit pdxgeu.org/allies. them on the real cheap, they we are parents, we are care- happen.” are using graduate employees to save money,” Padín said. “There is no reason to have a master[s] student in their first year fully teaching a course, except for the fact that it’s financially convenient.”

Graduate employees at PSU receive tuition assistance and stipends. According to the PSU office of University Communications, hourly wages may range from $13.38 to $16.38 and minimum pay range is determined by length of appointment and full time equivalents; graduate assistants are also eligible for student health insurance coverage.

“In addition to remissions, graduate assistants receive GEU MEMBERS HOLD A BANNER IN THE PSU URBAN CENTER. ON FEB. 1, ORGANIZERS MARCHED TO PRESIDENT WIEWEL’S OFFICE TO ELLIE BRADLEY/PSU VANGUARD pay based on hours worked, DECLARE THEIR PLANS TO UNIONIZE. ing people who have signed the GEU mission statements and are asking them to sign authorization cards.

“We will submit these to the Oregon Employment Relations board, and once we have all the submitted cards from a majority of members of the bargaining unit, we will obtain legal recognition,” Cooper said.

GEU members will continue to reach out to other graduate employees through ongoing conversations with people on and off campus, series of forums, talking about the student unionizers’ experiences and maintaining open lines of communication.

NEWS

PORTLAND STATE DROPS LAST HOME GAME TO NORTHERN COLORADO MYLES BOYNS

The Vikings fought hard to break a pummeling eightgame losing streak, but a home-court advantage wasn’t enough to prevent a mauling by a pack of hungry Bears.

For their final home game of the season, Portland State’s women’s basketball went head to head against conference foe University of Northern Colorado last Saturday at the Stott Center.

The game was a chase, but it was the Bears that spent the night running away; UNCO was also under pressure to put an end to a three-game losing streak of their own.

Both teams started play at a steady pace, but Northern Colorado had the advantage as they brought more aggression on both sides of the ball.

The Bears ran a full court press defense in order to pressure the Vikings on offense and force some turnovers.

UNCO was also able to score some second and third chance points after collecting mul-

tiple offensive rebounds. The Bears led Portland State 18-9 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter intensified as the opponents picked up the tempo. Both teams went back and forth with consistent offenses, putting points on the scoreboard.

The Vikings looked to narrow the lead by keeping up with the Bears, but UNCO lead 3124 going into halftime.

Though the Vikings were able to keep up with the Bears in the second quarter, the third quarter had a different outcome, with UNCO pressing their lead over PSU. The Bears had the momentum going into the fourth, as they extended their lead with a score of 48-32. The Vikings were down, but not out; they switched to a full court press defense which momentarily slowed the Bears.

Portland State outscored Northern Colorado 17-4 in the first six minutes of the

fourth quarter, cutting the Bears lead to six.

The Bears were able to hold off as they found answers for the full court press defense.

They slowly picked away the Vikings’ previous gains to pull ahead and earned the win with a final score of 70-59.

Northern Colorado guard Kyleigh Hiser led all scorers with 21 pts (8-16 FG), 2 ast, 2 stl. Rebecca Howell also had a productive game for the Bears, finishing the day with 13 pts (6-9 FG), 7 reb, 1 ast.

Ashley Torres Negron led the scorers for the Vikings, finish with 14 pts (6-12 FG), 7 reb, 2 ast. Viking guard Corey James had a good day, shooting 60 percent from the field, finishing with 11 pts (3-5 FG), 7 reb, 2 ast.

The Vikings will finish their season on the road with their next games at Northern Arizona on March 2 and Southern Utah on March 4. Both games begin at 7 p.m. with video coverage available at http://eversport.tv/big-sky.

COOK AND SCHMIDT LEAP TO VICTORY IN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS ELLIE BRADLEY

The Portland State Vikings jumped, hurled and dashed their way through the Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Bozeman, Montana.

The Vikings recorded standout performances in the jumping events, with individual winners on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Freshman ChaQuinn Cook claimed victory in the women’s triple jump by a full foot, recording a personal-best of 40-01.50. Cook’s jump places her fifth on the Vik’s all-time

STEVEN YOUNG/PSU VANGUARD

list. Sophomore Spenser Schmidt recorded the school’s first long jump victory since 2003. Schmidt’s winning jump of 24-07.00 ft was a personal best by over a foot and placed him in a tie for 45th in the nation this season.

Also jumping their way into the meet highlights were senior Rockwell Tufty and sophomore Ta’mara Richey. Tufty broke the school record in the men’s high jump (6-09.50), moving past former record-holder Nick Trubachik by a half-inch.

Richey took home All-Big Sky honors in the women’s long jump with a season-best jump of 18-09.75, finishing third in the finals; she was also third in the triple jump.

The Vikings made their mark on the track as well, with several athletes collecting All-Big Sky honors.

Junior Genna Settle finished second in the women’s

60 meter dash and third in the 200 meter dash, taking all-conference honors in both events. Juniors Whitney Diggs and Akayla Anderson also took home all-conference recognition; Diggs finished second in the women’s 400 meter dash (56.36) and Anderson took second in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.52.

Junior Ben Richardson received All-Big Sky honors on the men’s side, finishing third in the 800 meter dash in a personal best time of 1:53.95.

The women’s team finished fifth overall, while the men were 10th.

Freshman Rachel Vinjamuri added points for the Vikings with a sixth place overall finish in the women’s 400-meter dash (56.92).

The women’s 4×400-meter relay team recorded a fifth place finish and four more points, thanks to the combined efforts of Vinjamuiri,

Diggs, Roazena Miller and Dejuanae Toliver.

Additional points on the women’s side came from the distance medley relay, which boosted the Viks score with an eighth place overall finish. Cheryn Trapp led off for the Viks, followed by Miller, Nyalual Beng and Kaila Gibson. Brandi Williams took seventh place in the women’s long jump with a final performance of 18-04.50, grabbing two additional points.

Senior Kevin Robinson finished fourth overall in the men’s heptathlon, following a strong first day performance where he set personal bests in all four events.

Points on the men’s side also came from freshman Alex Cisneros and Jean-Luc Toku.

Cisneros recorded a sixthplace finish in the 3,000 meter run (8:39.29) and Toku took sixth in the men’s triple jump with a final mark of 46-11.50.

Vanguard • MARCH 1, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

ISLAMOPHOBIA TEACH-IN RAISES ONGOING QUESTIONS

STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS CALL FOR INLCLUSION AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY IN FACE OF ANTI-MUSLIM RHETORIC KEISHA MUIA

The Islamophobia teach- in his homeland use this as attack here. We get them on a in, held the evening of Feb. propaganda to recruit more daily basis back home.”

Vice Provost for Interna25 in the Academic and Stu- people.

Additionally, Al-Daomi tional Affairs and Dean of dent Recreation Center, was intended to address the con- noted that Islamophobia Graduate Studies Margaret sequences of Islamophobia angers many Muslim people, Everett, co-hosted the event. and xenophobia at Portland which is counterintuitive Everett gave examples of for people exhibiting Islamo- PSU administration’s plans State.

Seven panelists, each with phobia, as this anger is then to address Islamophobia on varying experiences with or targeted toward the western campus. broad knowledge of islamo- world.

“I’ve been working very phobic and xenophobic isThe panelists shared per- closely with our Intensive sues, discussed topics and sonal experience with Is- English Language Program,” responded to questions. lamophobia and xenophobia. Everett said. “Really I think a Associated Students of PSU Students and community faculty that is very culturally President Dana Ghazi, who members responded with aware, committed to diversity, sat in audience, directly ad- stories of their own, includ- committed to a classroom envidressed the backlash of Is- ing one shared by a current ronment that is more supportlamophobia.

PSU student originally from ive of students. So that’s one “Islamophobia is harmful Libya. example.” because it legitimizes war in the Middle East,” Ghazi said.

“Because you make a villain of those people, it’s easier to go and bomb them.” She said, “Or it creates apathy, like with the Syrian refugees. “[Some people think] ‘Oh well. They’re doomed to that kind of fate’,” she continued. “It creates isolation in our communities. When you have isolated communities… people who are not feeling connected to their communities—this is how radicalizaFOUNDER OF IRAQI SOCIETY OF OREGON tion is created.”

Although the panelists were meant to respond to an outline of questions in the press release, several ques“I come from Benghazi, Everett was asked to retions were left unanswered.

Libya,” the student said. spond to a student who spoke Panelist Bashar Al-Daomi “We’ve been battling terror- about professors who have responded to the question, ism for four years now. I’ve asked him to explain ISIS, “What happens in society as a lived three years of my life in terrorism, and Muslim afa constant war.” fairs, which suggests there result of fear and hate?”

“We Muslims are the first may still be professors who Al-Daomi explained that people in his homeland see people who stood against ISIS,” don’t have the cultural comthe effects of Islamophobia she continued. “People here in petency needed to address in America, and terrorists America [were victims to] one this issue.

“We need you not to care for us, but to care with us. We are equal.”

–BAHER BUTTI,

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“Yeah, and I think there is work to be done. I think that goes back to the ongoing cultural competency training of the staff and administrators,” Everett said.

Ghazi explained that a cultural competency module for PSU faculty and staff has already been proposed to the administration.

“The faculty is aware of it, but it’s not applied because the administration didn’t institutionalize it; it’s up to us,” Ghazi said.

Panelist Baher Butti, founder of Iraqi Society of Oregon, suggested that individuals who want to help in ending Islamophobia and xenophobia change their mindset when considering these issues.

“We need you not to care for us, but to care with us,” Butti said. “We are equal.”

There was much confusion as to who would be on the panel for the event. Ghazi, a Syrian Muslim, was asked to be on the panel. However, a day after Ghazi accepted the position, she was informed that the spot had been already filled.

Those who attended the teach-in learned that in fact, the position has not been filled.

Two students who had been selected to speak on the panel pointed out that they had only been contacted to be a part of the panel 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to take place.

“I want to tell you that your student government wasn’t invited to this event,” Ghazi said.

PANELISTS DISCUSS IMPLICATIONS OF ISLAMOPHOBIA AT PSU AND BEYOND. COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD Ghazi further explained that ASPSU had initially contacted the Board of Trustees about the issue of Islamophobia on campus, which she said highlighted the confusion that the person who had proposed such discussion—a PSU student, Syrian and a Muslim—had not been included in the event.

Comments made by Everett suggest that the administration and staff are committed to listening to student’s plights with these issues on campus.

“We are very committed to hearing that, to addressing those concerns,” Everett said. “My goal moving forward is to have more opportunities for this; but I

also think as a university we have a commitment to [a] respectful debate.”

Similarly, PSU President Wim Wiewel said in the teach-in press release, “I want to pledge my commitment to our Muslim students, some of whom expressed their concerns at campus forums about feeling marginalized and isolated.”

Wiewel was present for the first part of the event. During public comment, some attendees criticized Wiewel’s decision to leave before the panel opened to students to voice their comments, questions, and concerns.

For extended coverage, visit psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

HISTORIC PRODUCTION OF JAPANESE CLASSIC PLAY HITS THE STAGE KABUKI AT PSU THROUGH MAR. 5

YUNI CHOI

Portland State staged the first production of Japan’s classic theater style last week. This was the first time that a Kabuki play was presented fully in English by a North American university.

“The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai” debuted Feb. 25 at Lincoln Hall Performance Theater.

PSU students and staff filled the audience, along with members of the community. Some came to support friends and family involved in the production, while others were lured by curiosity, eager to see what Kabuki was all about.

Kabuki, though globally recognized, may not be completely familiar to the majority of audiences in the Western Hemisphere.

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theater art.

It is recognized as one of Japan’s three major theaters and named as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Noted characteristics of Kabuki actors include elaborate costumes, visually striking makeup and big wigs. It is also known for its unique exaggerated acting style and delicate movements that hold meaning to the play.

The stage set also makes Kabuki unique to its culture. A typical set includes

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

a footbridge that allows actors to enter and exit through the audience. Off to the side of the stage are musicians who provide live music throughout the play and a narrator who leads the storyline with their uniquely Kabuki style diction.

Considered one of the finest plays in the repertory, “Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai” is a tale of loyalty, perseverance, injustice, treachery and revenge to serve justice.

However, it is not an all heavy play, as the story is sprinkled with romance, adventure and humor.

Even for those unfamiliar with the Japanese culture, emotions may be translated through the performance of the actors and dialogues that have been modified to be understood easily by American audiences.

The show glittered with beautiful colors of traditional Japanese costumes and unfamiliar props, including Kabuki Dummies who narrated parts of the play.

The elaborate costumes alone were enough to capture the interest of the curious audience.

Dr. Laurence Kominz, the visionary and director of the play, explained that it wasn’t easy to bring about such a “grand and elaborate spectacle.”

According to Kominz, it took an incredible amount of effort–from fund raising, assembling and training students–to bring this vision to fruition. There were almost fifty students involved in

the production, including Kabuki actors, dancers, musicians, and set designers. The group had just seven weeks to master their parts and build sets for 10 different scenes.

The results led to a historic performance at PSU and “the biggest wardrobe of Kabuki costumes on our shores,” Kominz said.

This was a dream project of Kominz for a long time.

“I’m convinced that Kabuki is the most exciting theatrical genre in the world, and I want to share my enthusiasm with as many friends, and Portlanders, as I can,” he said.

Performers and crew members included students from Japanese Studies, the Department of World Languages and The School of Theater and Film. Others included several theater faculty, individuals hired outside of the university and some from Tokyo who joined the large design and performance leadership team.

The show itself was made possible by 80 students who not only performed on stage, but made costumes, wigs, properties, stage sets and dealt with logistics, such as costume changes between acts.

Watching the show made it clear why helping to dress the performers was crucial in running a smooth show: the traditional

Japanese costumes come in multiple layers and require elaborate methods of dressing.

After an intense first part of the show, some audience members commented on their experience.

“I think it is a valuable experience to be exposed to theaters of different cultures,” said one student in the audience. “I am not sure how close this show is to the original Kabuki, but I am sure it would be just as exciting in English as it is in Japanese. In real theater, language or culture should not matter in understanding and enjoying it.”

Abbie Johnson is a student at Linfiel College and came to watch her cousin,

Matthew Stenson, perform.

“This is a really good look into the Japanese culture and traditions,” Johnson said. “This is my first time watching Kabuki.”

PSU Foundation member Karie Trumbo experienced a similar sense of awe. “I have never seen anything like it.

It’s so artistic–the lighting, costumes, the way they walk and their expressions…its very similar to an opera.”

Although the art and spirit of the play kept true to the traditions of Kabuki theater, PSU’s production of the beloved play marked a crucial departure from Japan’s Grand Kabuki. Traditionally a male-led art form, the PSU production was led by both female and male actors on stage.

“We enthusiastically encourage women to perform on stage, in both male and female roles, and we present our play in English, and in an idiom that is easy to understand,” Kominz said.

“The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai” will continue its run on the Lincoln Stage through Mar. 5. For tickets and information, visit http://tinyurl.com/z9u2dcp.

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COVER COVER

NO END IN SIGHT? CAMPUS IMPACTS OF A CITY-WIDE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS.

CHRISTOPHER TROTCHIE

ust across from the Twelfth street exit near Portland State’s Stott Center, Ralph Hoyt and his friend Bonnie Snell organized a montage of mismatched luggage and pushcarts by the side of the road. The luggage was made for an airport—the kind with the small shifting wheels good for carpet and linoleum, not for gravel on the side of the highway where they stood.

Hoyt and Snell appeared confused and agitated. They had just been kicked out from underneath the overpass, which for the last few weeks had been home. The two didn’t have to talk with each other about their situation; they both understood they didn’t know where to go, or how they would get there. For them, this was a typical Monday.

Snell is new to this life and struggling with her situation. This is the first time she has lived on the street. For the last five months she has had to cope with conditions that have left her feeling demoralized and humiliated. Not being able to bathe is one of the most difficult parts of her new life.

Even when Snell can find a shower she is allowed to use, she doesn’t have clean clothes to change into when she’s done.

For Hoyt, the hardest part of being homeless is the uncertainty and lack of security that comes with being in his situation.

“I have been deemed with a disability, and I can’t get any housing,” Hoyt said.

Unlike some of the homeless in Portland, Hoyt has an income. He receives assistance resulting from a back injury that left him disabled, but the amount of money he receives each month is not adequate to secure him a permanent residence.

Hoyt lives under door stoops and overpasses each night, just like an estimated 2,000 homeless in Portland that can’t find room in shelters.

Some nights Hoyt is forced to hop from one spot to another, regardless of weather conditions or his back injury. The doctor Hoyt sees a couple of times per week is the biggest reason he doesn’t move away.

Living on the streets of Portland for going on two years, Hoyt doesn’t see an end in sight “If you go to some of the shelters you end up getting creatures like bedbugs [and] scabies, that kind of thing,” Hoyt said.

“It’s happened to me three different times.”

THE SCOPE

PSU is located in a metropolitan area that may see demographic changes as Portland’s mayor, Charlie Hales, moves forward with a $30 million plan to address the city’s homelessness crisis.

His plan will incorporate the use of city-owned spaces, such as parking garages and other publicly owned areas that could be utilized as makeshift camping areas for Portland’s homeless.

Mayor Hales’ new guidelines about where homeless individuals can sleep in the city have some Portlanders

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ILLUSTRATION BY PETER LE

concerned about safety issues. Others support his action of declaring a state of emergency—giving him the ability to make decisions unilaterally to deal with one of Portland’s most persistent issues—as a needed action. Many believe it is a step in the right direction.

Homelessness is not an issue isolated to urban areas. At PSU, homelessness is a reality that many face on a daily basis.

With some students on the brink of financial disaster and tent communities encroaching on campus, students, faculty and administrators alike are becoming more aware of the larger issues affecting the city as they manifest on campus.

THE CHALLENGES OF MONITORING BLURRED BOUNDARIES

The Campus Public Safety Office is closely monitoring increasing needs to address challenges associated with homelessness.

According to Craig Whitten, lieutenant of operations, an increase of homeless activity near sections of campus is evident.

Areas near Oregon Department of Transportation property bordering the west side of campus are areas of concern for CPSO. But Whitten feels the situation is under control at this point, and he does not foresee any large scale issues arising in the near future.

“Personally, it is a concern,” Whitten said. “It’s people out there that are trying to survive and there aren’t resources available provided by the city or state to be able to do so. Here at the university we have problems trying to provide for our students.”

Officer Whitten pointed out that between SW 12th, Market, and Montgomery there are often groups of homeless people camping on either ODOT property or city property. Because the areas in question are not on school property, CPSO can only observe activities that are taking place.

On occasion, CPSO may call Portland Police Bureau to handle a situation just off of campus. Sometimes, a member of the homeless community may need medical assistance.

“We are always worried about being able to provide people with assistance, that’s our main thing,” Whitten said. “If someone needs assistance we try to locate assistance for them.”

Working to keep PSU campus gleaming for the last 11 years, Suzen Wilson and her landscape crew have plenty of stories that may make some cringe. If you can dream it she has probably seen it during her time at PSU keeping the bushes on campus at bay.

“Right now there is a mattress behind Hoffman Hall we haven’t picked up; we will,” Wilson said. “I’m surprised we haven’t [gotten] a work order for it yet. Generally that is what happens when the campus police find a camp on campus.”

Because she would see them every day, Wilson can remember a time when dealing with homeless people resulted in the development of ongoing relationships.

“Its different now,” Wilson said. “Now there is just more and more people camping and we don’t have a special way of dealing with them except through CPSO usually. If there’s people actually present on campus, then CPSO has to get them to leave.”

Wilson spends a lot more time these days doing what she calls security pruning. Security pruning is when she trims the vegetation to the point people have a hard time hiding behind them. At night this practice becomes important to maintain a safe environment for students and staff.

Wilson said that students should be aware of their surroundings in case of any dangerous situations. She cautioned against approaching unfamiliar camps alone, but she also pointed out that most in camps posed no threat.

“A lot of these people are harmless and they’re just doing what they have to do to live,” Wilson said. “But, you can’t tell for sure.”

THE HELPERS

Each day a line begins forming in front of PSU’s student-run Food Pantry about a half hour before the door opens. Liddy Champion, Food Pantry Coordinator, arrived just before opening on Monday, Feb. 22. By then about 40 students were waiting in a line that stretched the length of the hall. This sight is not an uncommon scene each day of the week between 12:30–2:30 p.m.

Some days the line reaches all the way around the corner, forcing students entering the building at the top of the stairs to zigzag through the masses waiting to get food. The eclectic mixture ranges from students young and old, foreign-exchange students and prototypical Portlanders.

For two hours a day, the Food Pantry serves an average of 100 students.

In Room 325 of Smith Memorial Student Union, a room that used to be a broom closet, Champion and her team used to see about a dozen students pass through the pantry daily. That number is growing, and as it grows, so does Champion’s concern. She worries that the increase of students using the pantry might translate outside of the pantry.

Champion thinks word is getting out about the pantry, and as that is the whole idea, she also thinks Portland’s

COVER COVER Downing has managed her situation while maintaining going to school, having a place to live and keeping food in the fridge. For some students the pressures are different, and in the worst case a student can end up homeless and hungry.

difficult housing market is a large factor in the increase in student need. On particularly busy days, the number of students utilizing the Food Pantry climbs to 150.

The Food Pantry does not ask personal questions as students pass through the checkout line, but Champion knows some who use the pantry are dealing with homelessness, or have in the past. She knows this because some students have communicated with her.

Champion understands a little better than some what being a student in need is all about. Before she was managing the Food Pantry, or studying for biology and psychology as a double major, or working as the Associated Students of PSU senate chair, she was also a student in need.

“I feel like on an individual level there are a lot of people interested in supporting students,” Champion said. “I think on a greater institutional level it is a harder question to answer. I also think PSU and its students face a problem in that the university is so large and is in so many different spaces. It is sort of disjointed at times.”

THE RESPONSE

THE STUDENTS

Amanda Downing makes sure to get to the student food pantry a little early. After eight terms at PSU, she is ready to wrap up her degree and move on to the next stage of her life. She studies environmental science and thinks math is easier than biology.

Downing also understands the difficulty of having enough food to make it through a month.

“I’m just trying to get through school, and I don’t have the money to go out and buy a bunch of groceries when I need food to keep my brain going,” Downing said.

Twice a week she visits the Food Pantry, and between what she is able to bring home and with a little planning, she saves close to $100 per month. The money she saves enables her to maintain a delicate balancing act that keeps her moving forward.

Originally from Salem, Downing lived in Portland for 10 years before she was finally priced out and moved to Beaverton. Her rent went from $500 per month to $1,200 the next.

RALPH HOYT AND BONNIE SNELL STAND NEXT TO THEIR POSSESSIONS AFTER ODOT WORKERS POSTED EVICTION NOTICES NEAR THE 12TH ST. EXIT ON MONDAY FEB. 22.

THEY ARE UNSURE WHERE TO GO NEXT. CHRISTOPHER TROTCHIE/PSU VANGUARD

When the the situation gets too overwhelming for a student to deal with on their own, PSU does have people to talk to. Located in the office of the Dean of Student Life, the CARE Team is able to work with students on finding solutions to some of the complications they face.

Adam Jones is a graduate student intern that is available to help students dealing with housing insecurity. He started working with the CARE Team in the beginning of fall term.

Since his start, Jones recalls working with about 12 students in each of those terms. He knows that some students on campus are having a difficult time. Last term, a few of the students he worked with had to withdraw due to their situation.

“Housing insecurity looks different than your typical homeless person living on the street,” Jones said.

Crashing on a buddy’s couch, bouncing from hotel to hostel, or sleeping in the lobby of Neuberger are the kinds of signs that a student is in a critical situation. When he makes contact with such students one of the first things he will do is ascertain what kind of networks they are already using. For example, Jones will assess whether or not the student has a family member that is willing to help out.

For Jones there is no silver bullet to solve the issue of student homelessness. And unfortunately, the amount of services on campus are limited.

“There’s not a lot,” Jones said. “We don’t have emergency housing here on campus.”

The rising tide of homelessness is affecting life in Portland in a profound way and solutions are complicated. The issues surrounding homelessness are just as complicated as homelessness itself.

Maybe Jones said it best.

“Unless there is a radical social change, I’m not sure of what the solution is going to be.”

STUDENTS MASS NEAR SMITH ROOM 325 TO WAIT FOR THE FOOD PANTRY’S OPENING, WHILE OTHERS PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSFER OPEN HOUSE. CHRISTOPHER TROTCHIE/PSU VANGUARD

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INTERNATIONAL

CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL FLOURISHES HONG KONG STUDENT ASSOCIATION HOSTS THIRD ANNUAL CELEBRATION

ADRIANA STEIN

On the evening of Feb. 26, Portland State’s Hong Kong Student Association hosted its third annual Chinese Lunar New Year Festival in Smith Memorial Student Union.

The Chinese New Year “is a widely celebrated festival in Hong Kong,” said Annie Lai, HKSA Secretary. The mission is to keep the Chinese tradition alive here at PSU by continuing to practice customs and traditions.

According to Lai, the traditional Lunar New Year Festival in China actually lasts for about 15 days and celebrates family and friends, gives people a chance to honor the Gods, and represents good luck and fortune. The celebration essentially provides “a clean start” Lai explained, as people transition from the old year to the new one.

The event nearly filled the room with audience members and volunteers, many

of which came from the Vietnamese Student Association. The show included various acts of entertainment—both modern and traditional—as well as a raffle.

Audience members were welcomed into the room with applause by event volunteers at the entrance doors. Traditional decorations of red and gold covered the room while modern Chinese pop music blasted from the stereos.

The “Wishing Tree” is a common part of the Chinese Lunar New Year Festival tradition. In the corner of the room stood the makeshift Wishing Tree that allowed students to write their wishes on a slip of paper and tape it on a string to hang in hopes that it will come true in the new year.

In Hong Kong, the wishes are attached to oranges and thrown into a real tree, according to Sally Veunnasack,

THE LION DANCE PREFORMED AT THE CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR, BRINGING LUCK TO THOSE WHO WITNESS IT.

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a HKSA volunteer. People write out their wishes on slips of paper and attach them to a string, but instead of placing them in to the tree, they throw their wishes into the tree attached to a mandarin orange. Veunnasack said the important thing to remember is to not read other people’s wishes.

While waiting for the show to begin VSA officer Thi Nguyen said she came to see what other organizations are

BEVERLY FRISK/PSU VANGUARD

up to. Having recently celebrated at the Vietnamese New Year Festival, she was happy for the strong support for different Asian clubs to share their cultures.

Another PSU student, Beth Roth, decided to return after seeing it for the first time last year. “This event provided a chance for me to see some Chinese traditions I couldn’t have seen otherwise.”

The performances included a mixture of traditional and modern entertainment.

Once the show began, YouTube singer, Hana Kim took the stage, as well as ended the show. Other contemporary performances included the International Band: Hongkongese Group, a dance by the HKSA Officers, and a performance by the PSU Hip Hop Association.

The Lee’s Association of Portland presented a traditional Lion Dance. The Lion Dance “represents luck and fortune for people,” announced host and PR Officer for HKSA, Tiffany Choi.

Based off of mythological dragons, a rare sighting of the Lion Dance brings people good luck. This dance is typically performed in many Chinese festivals. They also presented different Kung-Fu styles that included routines set to a drum beat with a staff, spear and tiger fork.

The line-up also included a traditional “Chinese Ribbon Dance” performed by the Sunflower Dance Troupe accompanied by a number called “The Joy of Spring.”

We just hope that “people can have a little taste of how festive and fun it is during Lunar New Year’s because it is such a widely celebrated holiday in Hong Kong,” Lai stated.

MARCH 2-

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2

6

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

JOHN PINNEY SUNDAY, MARCH 6

BEYOND THE GATE: A TALE OF PORTLAND’S HISTORIC CHINATOWNS

RACHEL HILL

AMERICA’S COLLECTIBLES

Oregon Historical Society Fee: $11 Come learn about both the Old and New Chinatowns of Portland in this mixed media presentation that weaves its way around the United States before coming home. Available until mid-June.

Shattuck 217 12 p.m.

Free This symposium lecture from Rachel Hill is for anyone interested in the benefits and the challenges faced when dealing with food urbanism and how distinct efforts can be made so no one goes hungry.

Expo Center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fee: $7 Come look for unique gifts, glimpse the recent past and forge connections with that one guy who has an encyclopedic knowledge of whatever you’re into (board games, in my case).

GARDEN PLANNING PARTY

SOUTHEAST ART WALK

South side of Smith Memorial Student Union 1 p.m.

Did you know we have a Student Sustainability Center?

Well, their task force is taking the month of March to host a variety of events, the first of which is this planting party at the Grazing Garden. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirty to make our campus a better place.

Multiple Venues 10 a.m.

Free The return of spring means the return of the Portland Art Walk! This specific annual event showcases the talent of 70 artists and works the boundaries of Southeast 9th to 41st via Powell and Hawthorne Blvds. Self guided tours allow you to visit many different types of artists.

FIVE JAZZ STORIES Jimmy Mak’s Fee: $10 cover charge If you’re a fan of jazz looking for an amazing dinner and a brief glimpse into the mind of five jazz legends, check out this performance. Come for food, drink and important life moments recounted of people like John Jensen, local trumpet legend.

THURSDAY, MARCH 3

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

CURATING DIRTY LOOKS

PENJING: POTTED LANDSCAPES

Lincoln Hall 331 4 p.m.

Free Bradford Noreen works as an independent curator in L.A. and Brooklyn and brings Portland his knowledge of the queer cinematic avant-garde.

Academic & Student Recreation Center Auditorium, Room 001 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Learn about the different East Asian considerations and the art of bringing nature indoors through this series.

This lecture, “Penjing: The Living Art of Time, Space and ‘Place,’” encourages hands on learning.

ROBOEXPO

“I’M NOT THERE”

Glencoe High School Cafeteria 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Fee: $10 (includes spaghetti dinner) This Roboexpo not only showcases the work of local and middle school teams, but robo enthusiasts will also find law enforcement, printing and iSpark toys to enjoy and ogle.

Fifth Avenue Cinema 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Free (with Student ID) Todd Haynes’s revolutionary and quirky docudrama on the life of Bob Dylan uses a variety of actors to document the American songwriter who was both praised and misunderstood. Also showing on Friday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

ADVERTISEMENT

•FEATURED EVENT• POWFEST: THE POWER OF WOMEN IN FILM Hollywood Theatre March 3-6 Fee: $9 to $20 each or festival pass: $60 This local women’s film festival is crucial to support; women’s voices in films are unique, dedicated and powerful. Come and witness a journey of storytelling that may make you want to pick up a camera all on your own. Now nearly a decade since its inception, the POWfest certainly isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

*One-way fare. Offer available online only. Valid for sale and travel through May 31, 2016. Fares, routes and schedules subject to change without notice. Other restrictions apply. See Amtrak.com/SeeWhatHappens for details. Amtrak and Amtrak Cascades are registered service marks of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

ARTS & CULTURE

GREEN ROOTS CAFÉ FACES CHALLENGES TO STAY AFLOAT OVERWHELMING DEBT ECLIPSES STUDENT CAFÉ BUSINESS PLAN CATHERINE JOHNSON

GREEN ROOTS CAFE LOCATION IN THE BASEMENT OF THE SMITH STUDENT UNION. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD It’s been a year since Green Roots Café, a student-run vegetarian and sustainably sourced restaurant, opened in the basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union. But the eat-in is already facing serious challenges that might threaten its existence.

After the previous establishment, Food for Thought, closed due to severe financial mismanagement, GRC opened with an entirely new student staff at the helm.

They operate on a breakeven model and receive no funding from the university, except for $107,000 from the Student Fee Committee, all of which goes directly to the building as rent.

But since opening in January 2015, the business

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has accumulated $38,000 of debt and if this figure isn’t reduced to $10,000 by June 30, they may not be able to continue.

According to Angela Hamilton, the coordinator of student-operated services and the advisor for GRC, their financial struggles have been exacerbated by two pipe leaks that have forced them to close the kitchen for three weeks. This is usually the cafe’s busiest time of the year, but at this point they are only able to serve coffee and pastries, causing a drastic hit to their sales.

They’ve also confronted unanticipated expenses, like a $4,000 yearly contract for their point-of-sale system support. In addition,

Vanguard • MARCH 1, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

a high turnover rate among the student staff has made addressing these financial problems an even greater challenge.

The managers feel that more opportunities to cater on campus could significantly help. GRC brought in $11,000 in the 2015 fall term just from catering, which has a larger profit margin. However, because of the university’s contract with Aramark, they are prohibited from serving anywhere in SMSU other than their own space.

But whether or not a student-run cafe can succeed at all is a question on many people’s minds. Hamilton has been in her role since November 2013 and she’s only seen financial records for about the last five years.

She said the model they’re working through is in itself problematic because it’s like a non-profit model imposed on a corporate model, in which they have to project what their revenue and expenses will be.

“Your success is based on whether your projections were right, not necessarily whether you profited,” Hamilton said. “There could have been instances when the cafe was profiting but they had overestimated what their revenue was going to be and therefore it showed as a loss at the end of the year.”

The GRC managers are also frustrated with how they’ve been represented by their liaison on the SFC, the seven member body responsible

for allocating the $15 million of collected student fees.

That liaison, who recently resigned from the position, was Khalid Alballaa. He’s an MBA student with a background in business, finance and accounting. He is also a frequent visitor of the cafe; he loves visiting the restaurant and acknowledged that they do a great service to the community.

“There’s not a lot of places to hang out on campus and this is one of my favorites,” Alballaa said.

However, he feels that GRC should be self-supporting, and if they can’t break even then an external vendor should replace them. He said he was disappointed by their failure to manage the restaurant and thinks everyone would benefit from professionals taking over.

“I know that we can have the same level of service, or even better, with an external tenant doing it,” Alballa said.

The way Alballa sees it, instead of paying to house GRC, the university could be collecting rent from someone else. In addition, students could still work at the cafe and gain valuable experience, relying on the expertise of professionals to teach them industry best practices.

Alballaa said he took his role as liaison very seriously and that being responsible meant cutting inefficiencies.

“It’s my obligation, my duty, to advocate for students on campus and their money because every student pays for

that. They trust us to make “If learning is only focused wise decisions in funding on getting it right, then programs,” Alballaa said. we’re creating a bad learnHamilton envisions an- ing environment.” other option. She believes Hamilton believes that an ideal model would have they are acquiring valuable a professional staff member high-level business skills dedicated solely to the cafe, they wouldn’t get if someone something she’s just not able else was running it. to do as the supervisor of “I don’t think there’s anyfive—soon to be six—­ other thing more important than student organizations. for them to work on someAntonio Matic, one of the thing themselves,” Hamilton managers, agrees with Hamilton. said. “They’re also provid“I think that things defi- ing this service to students. nitely will need to change— And through providing that an actual staff member would service they’re still creating be very helpful,” Matic said. value for every student at PSU And this way the stu- who wants to get a nice meal.” dents could still have ownRegardless of whether ership over every aspect of GRC is able to pay down the operation. some of their debt by the end “In terms of what the stu- of the year, GRC staff and addents learn and get from it, visors agree that something even if they’re failing, they’re will need to change in their learning,” Hamilton said. business model.

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ARTS & CULTURE

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT EVOKES QUESTIONS ABOUT TRUE NATIVE HISTORY AND CULTURE NATIVE-AMERICAN ART CHALLENGES THE NARRATIVE CATHERINE JOHNSON

Contemporary Native Photographers and the Edward Curtis Legacy is on display at the Portland Art Museum until May 8. The exhibit features Curtis’s photographic depictions of Native-Americans which are placed next to other photos to elicit audience dialogue, comparing and contrasting the different outlooks of Native-culture.

Curtis is the author of The North American Indian, a 20 -book set that documents the cultural practices, languages and traditions of over 80 tribes. However, his work is controversial for the ways in which it romanticizes Native culture. He has been criticized for manipulating his photographs and posing his subjects in such a way that eliminates signs of modern life and creates an idealized, nostalgic preEuropean image of Native Americans.

The exhibit asks audiences to think critically about Curtis’ photographs by placing them alongside the perspectives of current Native Americans, one of whom is Portland-based artist Wendy Red Star, from the Crow Nation.

Her piece “Apsa’olooke Feminist” is one of four photographs in a series made in collaboration with her daughter. It is a contemporary version of classic portraiture in which they are dressed in colorful shawls and bead work.

This stands in stark contrast with Curtis’ photographs which are black and white. Red Star wanted to highlight these colors because they weren’t available to Curtis when he was taking pictures at the beginning of the 20th century.

“Crows are known for wearing lots and lots of colors and patterns,” Red Star said. “It was really important to fill my area of the gallery space with that color.”

For her it’s also important that when people come into the exhibit they see the Crow Nation, not just Native Americans.

“For me it’s really about specificity and putting names to people and humanization,” Red Star said.

One patron, Amy Minato, is the writer in residence for Literary Arts’ Writers in the Schools program. She was with a group of students from Metropolitan Learning Center who were asked to spend time looking at a specific piece in the exhibit and then write about it.

“This is a particularly provocative exhibit because it brings up a lot of social issues for them to talk about.

We talk about the power of writing to change,” Minato said. “These photographs obviously are creative expression that have affected social change, so they’re perfect for this group.”

Evelyn McMahan, a senior at Metropolitan Learn-

ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD ing Center, contemplated a series of silhouettes of Native people and plans to write a poem based off of her thoughts.

“I’m still deciding how I feel about it because I feel in cutting out the shapes of the people it’s kind of like leaving them up to our interpretation,” McMahan said. “But then again, could it be taking away that power to assume from us? I’m not sure.”

Olivia Glynn, a junior at MLC, said she was struck by

a Zig Jackson photograph in which a Native man wearing a headdress stands against a cityscape next to a sign that reads: Entering Zig’s Indian Reservation.

“I like this one best because of the [man’s] stance,” Glynn said. “It looks very strong, almost confrontational toward the camera.

But also very proud. It’s pretty rad.”

The exhibit also provides opportunities for visitors to respond. At two locations,

reams of paper are set up for people to write down their thoughts and reactions.

Roger Carlile, a PAM docent of nine years, said the exhibit is set up to be provocative because it asks the viewer to think about the old culture and new culture and whether certain Native people were exploited. It asks if their history was correctly recorded.

“You have the rather poignant statements about the current artists speaking about how their native lan-

guages and cultures were treated,” Carlile said.

Carlile appreciates the way the students were asked to spend a lot of time with the work instead of just walking through.

“To sit in front of art and write reflections syncs up with what the curators and the museum staff are trying to get people to do in front of art, rather than whisk through and have a short visit,” Carlile said. “Spend some time, think about this.”

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OPINION

REPUBLICANS: DO YOUR JOB!

FINDING SCALIA’S REPLACEMENT SHOULDN’T BE THIS HARD

THE CAMPUS ORACLE NATHAN ANDERSON

I would like to suggest that, for the next 11 months, President Obama veto every single bill that lands on his desk.

He should make it clear that he wants the next president to make the decisions on these bills because it allows the American people to have a say in who gets to veto legislation.

After all, an election is coming up, right?

I’ll wait a moment for the laughter, derision and finger pointing to die down.

Now then. If the above statement sounds as stupid to you as it does to me, you aren’t alone. The vast majority of Americans, regardless of political party affiliation, want their president to actually do his job. But that’s not what Senator Mitch McConnell thinks.

McConnell believes that Obama should not have the right to do his job. According to Politico, before Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia’s body was even cold—McConnell’s statement came less than one hour after Scalia’s death had been confirmed—McConnell said “‘the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.’”

McConnell is apparently forgetting that the American people did have a voice: they elected Obama to be president not once, but twice. Perhaps McConnell still believes in the 3/5 rule? Obama is doing his job; McConnell is not doing his. To declare that the Senate should not even consider an Obama nominee, regardless of the nominee, is childish and setting the country up for a constitutional crisis.

Republicans have defended McConnell’s statement by pointing out there is no provision in the constitution that specifically requires the Senate to approve or reject a Supreme Court nominee. In other words, it’s not forbidden, so it’s perfectly okay to do so. I’m not sure I agree with this, as the constitution clearly says the Senate shall “advise and consent.”

McConnell is advocating that the Republicans do neither. He wants to skip the whole process and still get his way. However, as I’m not a constitutional scholar, that’s not an argument I’m prepared to fight.

ILLUSTRATION BY PETER LE

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But I will say this: by McConnell’s logic, it’s okay to spit on police officers or call a group of nuns dirty, disease-ridden prostitutes. In fact, if I am to believe McConnell, not only is it allowed but such behavior should be encouraged because hey, it’s not illegal. That’s his argument in a nutshell.

It’s legal to be offensive and rude to nuns and police officers, but that doesn’t mean that it’s warranted or acceptable. Just because something is not specifically forbidden does not mean that it is morally or socially acceptable to do.

It’s also not warranted or acceptable for McConnell and the rest of the Senate Republicans to ignore Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee simply because they despise the man who made the nomination.

It’s no secret that the Republican Party has declared a Holy War against Obama and Democrats. However, this may be their “crossing the Rubicon” moment. At least, I hope it is.

I hope the American people are fed up enough with this mindless obstructionism that, should the Senate block all attempts to fill Scalia’s seat—and in doing so shirk one of the most important duties they have as Senators—the voters of this country punish them severely and replace them with people who actually represent this country’s interests and have a desire to do their jobs.

Our country needs a two-party system to operate with any degree of efficiency and fairness. The trouble is that the current Republican Party apparently has no desire to actually govern and thus should be replaced by one that does. Whether that’s a new party with the Republican name, an evolution of the current Republican Party into something that America can actually be proud of, or a new party altogether is fairly irrelevant. The bottom line is it needs to happen, and soon.

A common complaint among Republicans is that Obama spends far too much time on the golf course and basketball court instead of at his desk working. While “too much time” is subjective, at least Obama, unlike the Republicans in the Senate, is willing to do his job. This is something they would be wise to consider, and a behavior the American people would be happy they emulate.

Should they fail to do so, one can only hope that come Jan. 3 they will all be dusting off their resumes.

OPINION

SLUT SHAMING HAS GOT TO STOP All That Isn’t

by Jennee Martinez Thanks to “Mean Girls,” I was 10 years old the first time I heard the word slut. My parents were overwhelmingly protective when it came to PG-13 movies and tried to shield me from any risqué material that might taint my worldview. However, their task became impossible once I entered the pre-teen world of sleepovers.

Although Regina George is to blame when it comes to my expanded vocabulary, she’s not the only one to blame for shaming female sexuality.

Throughout middle school and high school, I watched my female peers continuously put-down, punished and targeted for the way they expressed their sexuality. This hatred came from both boys and girls. Almost everyone had something to say about the girl who was having sex. And they weren’t nice things, either.

Girls labeled as sluts, even in high school, often have a hard time redeeming themselves, no matter how hard they try or the truth of the situation that brought on the label. Although most of us have grown up and fallen away from our shallow high school values, there’s still a lot of negativity regarding a woman and her sexuality.

After seeing how girls were treated, societal implications and people’s reactions, I’ve become extremely cautious and aware of how I present myself. I want to make sure whatever I do, what I wear and what I say makes me appear virtuous, clean and respectable.

Here’s the good news though, a self-redeeming and reassuring fact I discovered when I realized that it was society, not myself, that had things backwards: having sex does NOT make me a slut.

It does not make me wrong or bad. It does not make me loose or nasty. It does not even make me sleazy or dirty. Slut-shamers, however, are the worst of the worst.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a slut is defined as “a promiscuous woman; especially: a prostitute” or “a saucy girl.” Somehow, that’s not the exact picture society has painted in our minds when we hear the word. We imagine something much worse, much naughtier and much more risqué.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines promiscuous as “not restricted to one class, sort, or person,” and if that’s the case, all of us are sluts. And we’re sluts for a lot of things.

Here’s the bottom line: my sex-life is none of my classmates’ businesses, none of his business, none of her business and none of your business. It’s only mine. Because surprisingly enough, my sex life doesn’t affect anybody else but me, myself and I. It’s almost ridiculous to think that anybody else would care so much.

If I’m not sleeping with you, why should it matter to you?

What I do and who I do, is none of your business.

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART Our society has created a double-standard when it comes to gender and sexuality, which has given all the power and acceptance to men when it comes to sex. If a guy boasts and brags about all the different girls he’s sleeping with or has slept with in the past, it’s joked about and responded to with a simple “oh man, whatta player!” response. We don’t ever stop to taunt him about his many sexual partners, the amount of sex he’s having or how much he may be getting around. Yet if a girl were to do the same thing, she’s cast aside and labeled a slut.

In reality, it’s the same damn thing. If you’re going to call me a slut, you better call him one, too.

Not only does slut-shaming need to stop, but society needs to realize that judging women and labeling them as sluts purely because of their clothing (or lack thereof ) is just as wrong and degrading as labeling them based on their actions. A woman should not be defined by what she wears.

Condemning me for my appearance not only discredits me, but allows others to assume who I am, how I am going to act or whether my clothes mean I’m asking for it.

I’m not asking for anyone’s opinion, judgments or preconceived notions and I’m especially not asking for society to condemn me as a slut.

I’m only asking to be respected; for all women to be respected, no matter what we do, what we wear or how we choose to act. I’m asking to be left alone so I can decide for myself how I’ll express my sexuality; without experiencing back-lash when I do so.

It’s sad that our society spends so much time deciding who is a slut, what defines a slut, and it’s disheartening to know that something like that even matters. Slut-shaming needs to stop.

In the famous words of John Green: “Who even gives a fuck about sex?! People act like it’s the most important thing humans do, but come on…You know what’s important? Who would you die for? Who do you wake up at five forty-five in the morning for even though you don’t even know why he needs you?”

Maybe we should be worrying more about those things instead.

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ETC

HOROSCOPES FOR THE WEEK OF 02/28 by John Pinney ARIES (MARCH 21–APRIL 19)

This week you have the chance to participate in something life saving. Be a part of your local community and dive right in to this special opportunity.

TAURUS (APRIL 20–MAY 20)

Instead of criticizing people you don’t understand, try walking a mile in their shoes. Different experiences will build your character and help you to shine once back in your own skin.

GEMINI (MAY 21–JUNE 20)

Luxuriate with those little extras this week.

You’ve been running yourself ragged and a day with nothing but good food, good sleep and good friends would be better than any prescription drug.

CANCER (JUNE 21–JULY 22)

Though you think the idea of handwriting science helping to predict parts of your personality is ludicrous, we can both agree that you could probably use a refresher on cursive.

LEO (JULY 23–AUG. 22)

One of your friends is having the kind of bad week that would leave you reeling.

Be supportive and take that friend out for a nice lunch, listen to their qualms, and don’t try to fix it. They need a friend, not a to–do list.

VIRGO (AUG. 23–SEP. 22)

The secret you’ve been holding in is under threat of exposure. You’ll have to decide if you can accept this exposure gracefully or if a Britney Spears style meltdown is on the way.

LIBRA (SEP. 23–OCT. 22)

Like it or not, ceremony and pomp are some of the ways that we culturally mark the rites of passage in our life. So grin and bear it when you’re asked to be in someone’s wedding party.

COLORING PAGE by Terra Dehart

Suh G? The letter of the week is G! Can you find 11 things that start with the letter G in this image?

SCORPIO (OCT. 23–NOV. 21)

Once every four years, leap day sets our calendar right. Why not take this leap day year and reflect on how far you’ve come in less than half a decade’s time.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22–DEC. 21)

Do yourself a favor this week and go out and buy yourself some of your favorite flowers. The bouquet will not just look lovely but will also reflect your complex personality while brightening up your home.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22–JAN. 19)

You don’t have to be a genius to come up with a winning concept. The Coca–Cola Bears, for instance, were a simple yet effective marketing technique that took on a life of its own.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20–FEB. 18)

Many horror stories have taken place at carnivals.Underneath all that joy is a dark side to merriment that we never think of.

What’s beneath your joy?

PISCES (FEB. 19–MARCH 20)

Get out of the house this week and celebrate the coming spring with a rousing bit of tennis. The strenuous physical activity will do you some good after such a long winter indoors.

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