Portland State Vanguard

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 70 • ISSUE 30 • APRIL 5, 2016

THE QUIET TAKEDOWN OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION News International Arts & Culture Opinion

STUDENT ELECTIONS START NEXT WEEK p 4 FATAL EASTER SUNDAY IN PAKISTAN p 7 EXPLORE EGYPT’S HIDDEN MYSTERIES p 11 CHECK YO’SELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YO’SELF p 12

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL COVER ARTS & CULTURE OPINION GUEST SUBMISSION ETCETERA CALENDAR

4 6 8 10 11 14 15 16

COVER BY JEOFFRY RAY, MASTHEAD BY ELLENA ROSENTHAL Cover: Amy Duncan (right) leads a morning yoga class at the Stott Center. Duncan’s classes and other Physical Education offerings face an uncertain future.

Right: Renovations of the Stott Center for the upcoming Viking Pavilion form a key factor in the displacement of PE classes at Portland State.

Visit psuvanguard.com for up-to-date coverage on displaced student parents at PSU and pick up next week’s print issue for extended coverage.

You don’t have to be loud to be heard.

The Vanguard is hiring photographers, multimedia repo ers and writers for all sections. apply at psuvanguard.com/jobs

The Vanguard needs voices; apply today.

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

MANAGING EDITOR Claude Akins managingeditor@psuvanguard.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Serina Hersey associatenews@psuvanguard.com

COPY EDITORS Cora Wigen Kellie Doherty

NEWS EDITOR Jeoffry Ray news@psuvanguard.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Nimi Einstein production@psuvanguard.com

MARKETING & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Sophia Bagby

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Finnegan arts@psuvanguard.com

PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo photo@psuvanguard.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Stuart Neuberger neub@pdx.edu

OPINION EDITOR Brie Barbee opinion@psuvanguard.com

ONLINE EDITOR Andy Ngo online@psuvanguard.com

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Molly Ozier international@psuvanguard.com

COPY CHIEF Chelsea Lobey copy@psuvanguard.com

DESIGNERS Terra DeHart Elise Furlan Rachel Goldstein Shannon Kidd Peter Le

CONTRIBUTORS Mike Bivins Gray Bouchat Yuni Choi Kevin Hadsell Keisha Muia John Pinney Ellena Rosenthal PHOTOGRAPHERS: Beverly Frisk Ellena Rosenthal ADVERTISING SALES Eva Spencer Becca Propper Dennis Caceres Kayla Clemens

ADVISER Reaz Mahmood ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman 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

ASPSU ELECTIONS: HIGH HOPES FOR VOTER TURNOUT SERINA HERSEY The Associated Students of Portland State University are partnering with the Oregon Student Association and other organizations to prepare for student government elections with a focus in student voter turnout.

The student government elections have had an average 5 percent voter turnout since 1994. Turnout fell as low as 2 percent in 2013—569 students voted out of the 29,000 enrolled that year.

“Student government election [turnout] has been typically low, and a lot of that is because this is a commuter campus and there are a lot of folks that have families and jobs, that don’t have a lot of time to focus on what’s happening here on campus,” said Jessie Spinney, OSA campus organizer at PSU. Despite the low turnout, the years with referendums on the ballot have a spike, with almost 9 percent of the student body voting in 2004 for the referendum to pass the Student Rec Center fee. This year, student voters will weigh in on the Smith Memorial Student Union 2020 referendum, a proposal to fund reconstruction of the existing SMSU. “We want to have weight on that referendum,” said

Candace Avalos, coordinator of student government relations and Greek life advisor. “If overwhelmingly students want it, it has some weight when we give to the president saying we want to impose this fee to build a new student union.”

ASPSU’s goal for this year’s election is to get a 10 percent turnout, which is around 3,000 students.

Working out of the ASPSU office, OSA is hosting the Vote OR Vote campaign. OSA volunteers will table on campus and visit classes to register would-be voters. They will also speak to students about voting in the student government elections.

“There’s so many things a student has to do in their daily life and it’s really hard to find time to vote,” said Zia Laboff, OSA volunteer and ASPSU senate candidate.

“We’re just trying to make it easier for people.”

Liela Forbes, currently legislative affairs director for ASPSU and also running for ASPSU president, heads the Vote OR Vote campaign as part of the Civic Engagement Initiative.

“With the excitement around elections, we’re also saying, ‘Hey, it’s time to decide also who is going to represent you on campus,’”

Forbes said.

In addition to working with the OSA, ASPSU is live election polling in the Park Blocks on April 14 and April 16.

Portland State Professional Sound will be providing live music, and free food will be available at polling stations.

ASPSU will be hosting candidate debates on April 6 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Parkway North.

ASPSU works on both a statewide level at the capitol and locally with the Board of Trustees. They helped pass the initiative to put ballot boxes on campus and increased support for the Oregon Promise Community College Initiative.

Forbes pointed to student involvement in getting ballot boxes placed on campus.

“We can’t let that work slow down,” Forbes said. “We need students to recognize what’s at stake, and turn out to vote so that the people who are elected are the ones representing them.”

Polls for the student elections will open on April 11, and close on April 27. They will be located in between SMSU and Neuberger Hall. Free donuts will be provided.

ASPSU ELECTIONS VOTING BY YEAR (1994–2015) 28,000

STUDENTS’ THOUGHTS ON ELECTIONS SERINA HERSEY The Oregon Student Association and the Associated Students of Portland State University hosted their first voter registration tabling event on March 28.

Students gathered around the table located in the Park Blocks around noon to register for the first time or reregister to change their address, name, party affiliation and so on. OSA student volunteers and staff assisted students in the process.

Students who attended the event were asked three questions: 1.

2.

3.

Do you know what the ASPSU is and what it does?

Will you be voting in the student elections?

What comments do you have about general elections?

Cesar Maldonado

Major: Liberal Studies 1. “No.” 2. “No.” 3. “I don’t think it matters more who wins the presidential elections, as long as we elect dependable congresswomen and

Steven Ponec

Major: Art Practices 1. “A little bit. I know they represent the students at PSU and just by interacting with them I know they do the voter registration. That’s kind of about it.”

2. “Maybe. It depends how much information I know and if it will make a difference.”

3. “There’s so many things I can say. I’m sure people have said this already, but Trump is a horrible, racist, xenophobic person. Go Bernie.”

Erin Corbin

Major: Psychology 1. “They help out with different problems and issues at Portland State.”

2. “I usually don’t because it’s not on my priority list.”

3. “I think it’s interesting who’s running.”

20,000

Meghan Field

TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT

10,000

NUMBER OF VOTES 3,000 1,000

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03

02

01

00

99

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95

94

PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS VOTING IN ASPSU ELECTIONS BY YEAR 10%

1%

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15

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13

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07

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Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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Major: Geography 1. “I know that they enter my classes once a year and ask us to register to vote. I haven’t seen them in my classes this year so I’m glad they have a table out in the Park Blocks so I can register to vote.”

2. “No because I graduate in June.”

3. “I think it’s really important to be educated about who you vote for. Don’t just vote because popular media give this image about who’s right and who’s wrong. See what feels right with you. It really frustrates me how ignorant people can be toward this national election.

As I get older, I noticed how influenced the younger generations are by others.”

GRAPH BY RACHEL GOLDSTEIN, PHOTOS BY SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD

NEWS

DESPITE PROTEST AND INTERRUPTION, BOARD APPROVES TUITION AND FEE INCREASE COLLEEN LEARY Amidst crowd protests, interruptions and heated public comment, the Portland State Board of Trustees voted on Thursday to increase 2016–17 tuition and mandatory fees by 3.7 percent for resident undergraduate students.

This translates to a $101 per term increase for resident undergraduate students enrolled in 15 credits per term.

Nonresident undergraduate tuition and fee rates will increase by 3.6 percent.

“Without this increase, PSU would have to cut $6 million from the budget,” said Peter Nickerson, chair of the board.

“We understand any tuition increase is a hardship for our students,” Nickerson continued. “That’s why PSU needs more outside support.

Oregon ranks near the bottom nationally in state support of higher education, and we need to find alternatives that help make PSU more affordable for our students and future students.”

PSU President Wim Wiewel described this increase as modest when compared to other public Oregon universities.

Associated Students of PSU President Dana Ghazi addressed the board at the beginning of the meeting, citing a need for better results for students on matters of educational affordability and inclusion of diverse student populations.

Ghazi shared her personal experience as a student leader, graduate assistant and mother.

“I’m sharing this with you because it’s important to highlight over and over that we as students have a lot to juggle with when we are in this university,” Ghazi said. “The amount of dedication that we put forward to speak with you—to be able to engage—is tremendous.”

She continued by saying she believes student involvement should be met with appreciation, not the threat of disciplinary action.

“The way I see it, they are exercising the only power they have,” Ghazi said. “We are told this is a model based on shared governance, yet we don’t see that happening. It’s obvious that the power lies in the hands of this board. They

are resisting nonviolently— holding no tasers, clubs or guns. In fact, it’s the administration and other bodies here that have the tasers and guns.”

ASPSU Vice President Davíd Martinez also addressed the board, focusing on the trustees’ responsibility to find additional cost-saving resources to keep higher education affordable for students.

“Education is one of the basic instruments for a successful society,” Martinez said. “It should be available and affordable to everyone [who] wants education. It’s time to rethink how universities function in society so we can [function] as an academic institution and take it away from a business model.”

MEETING PROTEST & RELOCATION

Trustees approved the increase after moving to a second location about two hours into the meeting, as a result of disruption from audience protesters.

Board members said the protesters made it impossible to continue addressing agenda items in the original

PSUSU ORGANIZER OLIVIA PACE ADDRESSES THE PSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES ABOUT STUDENT GRIEVANCES OVER RECENT BOARD DECISIONS. BEVERLY FRISK/PSU VANGUARD meeting room, so they moved the meeting to an undisclosed location—later identified as a room in the basement of the Engineering Building—and livestreamed the remainder of the meeting through a link on the board’s website.

Crowd protests mainly focused on financial hardship for students and faculty, armed campus officers and greater inclusion of marginalized populations.

Many members of the crowd repeatedly shouted “Disarm PSU.” Others stood silently with tape over their mouths, which protester and PSU

THE PSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED TO INCREASE UNDERGRADUATE RESIDENT TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES BY 3.7 PERCENT. BEVERLY FRISK/PSU VANGUARD

FOR MORE ON THE BOARD MEETING AND PROTESTS, JUMP TO PG. 14

Student Union member members to voice their conOlivia Pace explained as a cerns about the corporate representation of student model being used to run the voices being silenced by the university, tuition hikes, unPSU administration. fair wages for those working Protesters have demon- on campus, food insecurity, strated in similar ways at the and the arming of campus seprevious three board meetings. curity without consent from These protests were the campus. We ask for media planned, as outlined in a and community support at statement issued by PSUSU this time. Protesters will reat 9 p.m. the evening before main in the room until 5 p.m. the meeting: when the meeting is sched“[PSUSU] will be arriv- uled to end.” ing in mass numbers to the…

Upon learning the locaBoard of Trustees meeting. tion where board members “This is in response to the were continuing to address looming vote on…the raise in agenda items, the protesters tuition, the continuation of followed and carried on the poverty wages being paid to demonstration as planned. those working on campus and In addition to the approved the continued silencing of stu- increase in tuition and fee dent voices with the growth of rates, board members unanithe campaign to disarm cam- mously voted in favor of a resopus security, ‘Disarm PSU.’” lution to approve the Strategic After board members Plan and revise the university moved to the second location, vision and mission statements, PSUSU members released as well as a separate resoluthe following statement: tion directing pursuit of col“In response to the admin- lege affordability and student istrative targeting of student success initiatives. activists for a nonviolent inAdditional agenda items terruption of the [Dec. 10, and presentations were 2015 board meeting], mem- not completed, including bers of the broader Portland an overview of the Office community have interrupted of Global Diversity and the currently in session Inclusion and an orientation Board of Trustees meeting… session for the PSU School in solidarity with [PSUSU]. of Business Administration, “These community mem- cited in the unofficial board bers will be creating space for meeting notes as “not preconcerned student, staff, fac- sented due to the interrupulty and other community tion of the meeting.”

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

BOKO HARAM SUICIDE BOMBERS WIPE OUT MOSQUE KEISHA MUIA Two female suicide bombers associated with the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram bombed a mosque on March 16, killing over 20 people and injuring more than 15.

The bombing took place in the town of Maiduguri—the birthplace of Boko Haram— in two waves: One suicide bomber entered the mosque and detonated her explosives, while the second bomber waited outside the mosque to bomb those attempting to flee.

The mosque in question had recently reopened after a similar bombing occurred in October resulting in six deaths.

The militant group first drew worldwide attention after abducting over 200 schoolgirls in the Nigerian town of Chibok in 2014.

Boko Haram is proving to be resilient, although statements last September by the Director of Information at the Defence Headquarters, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said otherwise.

“These terrorists have been subdued…As I am speaking to you, all the terrorists’ camps have completely been wiped out….We are making a lot of headway so people should know that Boko Haram is no longer strong enough to hold grounds.”

Similarly, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that Boko Haram is “technically defeated.”

However, a report conducted by the Global Terrorism Index in 2015 suggests otherwise: “Boko Haram and ISIL were jointly responsible for 51 percent of all claimed global fatalities in 2014.

“Nigeria experienced the largest increase in terrorist activity with 7,512 deaths in

6

2014, an increase of over 300 percent since 2013.”

Additionally, 70 percent of the group’s victims have been private citizens, which has made Boko Haram the World’s Deadliest Terrorist Organization of 2014.

Boko Haram has been active in this part of Nigeria for years, and has been suspected of carrying out similar attacks in the region.

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

According to The New York Times, the Islamist group has increased the use of women and girls as suicide bombers.

Many rescued girls and women returning home have found it hard to reintegrate into their respective communities after being abducted by Boko Haram.

Rachel Harvey of UNICEF explained their reactions, stating, “There’s a fear about the re-

turning girls and women, that they somehow may have been radicalized because they’ve spent such long periods under the control of Boko Haram… we were finding that communities and families were struggling to accept these children, women and girls back.”

Due to the Nigerian military’s efforts to eradicate the group, as well as support

from neighboring countries and the U.S., Boko Haram has been forced out of major towns and villages, and pushed into the forest.

This push has weakened Boko Haram’s ability to seize large territories, subsequently shifting their military focus to targeting public spaces, such as markets and mosques.

Nevertheless, the strength and resilience of this group is still present, as seen by the attack in Maiduguri.

Consequently, the local bombings have struck fear in many Nigerians, resulting in thousands of people fleeing their homes and either living in camps running out of food and water, or with nearby friends, relatives or strangers.

MAIDUGURI, THE BIRTHPLACE OF ISLAMIST TERRORIST ORGANIZATION BOKO HARAM. COURTESY OF USER UNITED NATIONS CARTOGRAPHIC SECTION THROUGH WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

INTERNATIONAL

PAKISTAN BOMBING: 70 PLUS DEAD ON EASTER SUNDAY YUNI CHOI On Easter Sunday, at least 70 people were killed and hundreds wounded after a suicide bomb went off in a park in Lahore, Pakistan, near multiple merrygo-rounds with families nearby on March 27. The attackers—Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ulAhrar—targeted Christian families celebrating Easter, although Muslims were among the victims.

“We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter,” stated spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan for the extremist group.

Christians may have been targeted due to religious contention in Pakistan. In a country of 190 million, Pakistani Christians make up about 1 percent of the population. They are primarily located in Lahore. According to NPR, the community of Christians have complained that the government does little to protect them when there have been smaller, periodical attacks.

According to the medical staff who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, women and children were the majority of fatal victims of the attack. Those wounded are

known to be in critical condition. They estimated at least 300 people injured from the attack, and the death toll may continue to rise.

The Punjab government responded to the attack by announcing three days of national mourning and closure of all public parks and most businesses in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a four-hour meeting with his top ministers; Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif directed intelligence agencies to investigate the attack. The government has made promises to identify the attackers and bring them to trial.

THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD MARCH 28–APRIL 4

Lahore is the capital of Punjab Province and the hometown of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif.

Ehsan warned of future attacks following the Easter bombing, “It’s our message to the government that we will carry out such attacks again until Sharia [Islamic law] is imposed in the country.” He said, “Our suicide bombers will continue these attacks.”

This is the third bombing in Pakistan this month, attesting to potential threat of Islamic extremist groups, despite the government’s militaristic efforts to crack down on extremists in the past two years.

In 2014, Pakistani Taliban killed more than 130 schoolboys in their educational environment. Pakistan armed forces have increased offensives against Islamist militants, yet attacks have not decreased.

In another attack last year, popular Pakistani Regional Minister Salmaan Taseer and eight others were killed at his home in a bombing. Taseer campaigned for changes in the country’s blasphemy laws

to diminish persecution of religious minorities.

Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri was charged with killing the regional governor and was hung. After the event, Qadri became a revered figure among Pakistani supporters.

Just days before the Easter attack, thousands of Qadri supporters came out in public protest.

Protesters marched through Islamabad—the country’s capital—forcing their way into a high-security area where Parliament and the Supreme Court are located. A scene of violence erupted as public properties were damaged and police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Although public opinion is largely critical of the jihadists’ attacks on civilians, this protest showed the sympathetic attitude many have toward the extremist groups in Pakistan.

Due to the close proximity of events, the Easter bombing may have ties to a conflict between police and supporters of Qadri.

Other people expressed that the security at the park was too lax. There was no security at the gates and the guard at the main gate was not checking people, according to The New York Times.

In an interview with NPR’s Philip Reeves—who was in Lahore at the park on Monday—university lecturer Ammar Jan commented on the presence of terrorist threat in Pakistan, “There was a feeling that perhaps suicide bombings would become a thing of the past, but I think it’s hit us home last night that the war is very much an ongoing effort.”

Muhammad Usman, a former Lahore police captain, said police had recovered body parts of the bomber from the scene and are trying to identify him.

Haider Ashraf, a senior police official, confirmed there were ball bearings found on the ground after the bombing. Investigators are trying to confirm that the attack was caused by a suicide bomb.

China

Molly Ozier Afghanistan

MARCH 29:

Cairo bound EgyptAir flight MS181 is hijacked by Egyptian man, Seif Eldin Mustafa. Mustafa strapped a fake suicide bomb around his stomach and forced the pilot to land the plane in Cyprus. Mustafa is currently in custody.

MARCH 31:

South African President Jacob Zuma is found liable for spending up to $20 million in public funds on so-called security upgrade on his private residence.

APRIL 3:

Associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin are found to have channeled as much as $2 billion to offshore accounts according to a leak of documents from Panamanian law firm. These documents, referred to as the Panama Papers, outlined classified information related to hundreds of offshore companies.

APRIL 4:

Greece closes its borders to nearly 200 migrants as they try to reach refuge. Instead, they are deported to Turkish land as the first of many boatloads of people seeking asylum in Greece, but sent away to Turkey.

India

27 March 2016 Iran

Suicide bomb kills at least 75 people at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan

IN A COMMUNITY PARK IN LAHORE, PAKISTAN A SUICIDE BOMBING TOOK PLACE. COURTESY OF USERS CACAHUATE AND DGUILLAIME THROUGH WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

7

COVER COVER

THE QUIET TAKEDOWN OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION JEOFFRY RAY AND ELLENA ROSENTHAL The Physical Education program is undergoing a quiet shakeup after spring term.

Multiple instructors will lose their jobs and students will no longer have the option to take certain physical education courses for credit.

The PE program, which has served thousands of students since the ’90s, will close its doors come summer term. Some classes will be absorbed into the College of The Arts and the new School of Public Health, which is a collaboration between the Oregon Health and Science University and Portland State.

More than 25 courses will be eliminated, including aquatic-based classes, and sports classes such as basketball and soccer.

With its green finish and a conception date of 1966, the Peter Stott Center will undergo a nearly $50 million overhaul to become the multipurpose Viking Pavilion. The building looms over PSU’s athletic field and is the home of athletics programming, and the PE program in particular which offers a variety of courses designed to provide PE opportunities to students for credit.

The PE shakeup coincides with Stott’s closure for reconstruction. Director of Physical Education Randy Miller explained that most of the retained classes would move to the Academic and Student Rec Center during renovation. A few courses, including dance, yoga and pilates, would be administered by the College of the Arts for the next year.

“The intent right now is to protect [instructors’] jobs and maintain continuity for students,” Miller said.

Miller also pointed out the challenge faced by the program through a drastic reduction in space. After vacating the 120,000-squarefoot Stott Center for a single room in the Rec Center, Miller estimates a 99.5 percent reduction in space going into the next academic year.

He also projected uncertainty about the classes’ return upon completion of the Viking Pavilion.

“Nothing is off the table in terms of staying in Stott,” Miller said.

FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN

PE INSTRUCTORS DEVELOPED POSTERS AND MARKETING WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM CUPA IN THE FACE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT. ELLENA ROSENTHAL/PSU VANGUARD

8

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

To take a class through the PE program, students must pay a total of $320 plus a $50 fee. The $50 goes toward the program for everything from cleaning supplies for yoga mats to salaries for adjunct professors and instructors.

The PE program itself is self-sustained, meaning it gets no money from the College of Urban and Public

Affairs. For many years, the program had a surplus coming through its doors, according to Nikos Filis, a 1968 PSU graduate and PE soccer instructor.

“We were so successful that for many years we had a surplus, and at the end of the fiscal year that surplus went back to the school [CUPA],” Filis said. “The issue is now that because our enrollment is dropping we aren’t getting that fee and we aren’t making enough money to support the department.”

Enrollment in PE classes dropped 20 percent from spring 2015 to spring 2016, according to CUPA Dean Stephen Percy. Percy, who came to PSU two years ago, said he and his staff considered differentwaystorestructurePE after being made aware of declining enrollment.

“What can we do with this [issue] if the program is shrinking away, and no longer breaking even?” Percy said.

University Communications confirmed a 37 percent decrease in enrollment over the last four years, with students enrolled dropping from 6,937 in the 2012–13 year to 4,338 in the 2015–16 year.

Media Relations Coordinator Suzanne Pardington Effros noted that the 2015–16 numbers include preliminary data for spring term.

“Enrollment in PE courses has declined since the Rec Center opened, because students can do a lot of sports and fitness activities tuition-free in the new facility,” Pardington Effros said in an email.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR AMY DUNCAN DEMONSTRATES A STANDING POSE FOR A MORNING CLASS AT THE STOTT CENTER. JEOFFRY RAY/PSU VANGUARD Percy said he met with Miller, instructors and faculty, and conducted a student survey regarding physical activity and education. The resulting decision to cancel PE courses was not an easy direction to move, Percy added.

“Rather than cut courses, I wanted to find them new life in the College of the Arts or in the new Applied Health and Fitness program, which would give these courses a closer connection to the academic programs of the university,” Percy said.

Miller pointed out that the survey, which polled 4,171 students on their awareness and interest in PE courses, seemed to be the limit of CUPA’s outreach effort to students. He also acknowledged the complexity of addressing the issues of enrollment and student awareness on a campus of PSU’s size.

“There are so many balls in the air,” Miller said. “It’s hard to pinpoint where that engagement should have been.”

END-PROGRAM

Dean Percy’s name is at the end of an email sent out on Jan. 12, 2016, letting Physical Education instructors know that the PE program would be cancelled.

“When I announced that this was the direction we were moving, I invited anybody who wanted to meet me to meet me,” Percy said. “I met with four members of the adjunct faculty, discussed all the reasons we were making the decision, and how it would be reorganized.”

Percy said he told dance instructors he was very willing to take their resumes to the dean of the College of the Arts, and he had good instructors he wanted to pass onto them.

That option would prove unavailable for sports and aquatics-based instructors, whose programs will end after this term due in part to a lack of facilities with the renovation in process. Filis, the soccer instructor, is among those holding jobs to be terminated.

COVER COVER “You have people here 20 few years were not showed “The [soccer] fields fill up years, 22 years, and all of a the Stott building until quickly and it’s by teams that sudden you’re out of a job,” the plan for the new Viking aren’t sharing, and this is one Filis said. “Right now I teach Pavilion was devised. of the only dedicated hours three classes, [down from “People didn’t know we you have to play soccer, you seven classes winter 2016], were here,” Duncan said. don’t just come here and and then that’s that.”

“We would see the tours mess around,” Evans said.

Miller shared similar mis- go around, and some of us Pick-up games are offered givings about the loss of per- spoke up because [the tour at PSU, but Evans explained sonnel to the PE shakeup. He guide] would come through that it’s not the same as havpraised the fit of the current with the group and only ing a class with multiple roster of instructors to PE’s talk about athletics being in weeks of instruction where mission and expressed regret the building, nothing about skills can be developed, and at a loss of both experience and PE classes.” instructors make sure evperson-to-person contact ofDuncan also met with Rec ery student has time with fered by outgoing professors.

Center Director Alex Accetta the ball.

“We’ve had 600 to 700 years to discuss options. Accetta Micha Eastman, also a PSU of institutional experience; pointed to the non-require- student, was a late-comer to there is going to be a lot of ment of physical education soccer. He loves that his PE that lost,” Miller said. “I’m for graduation as a roadblock. classes have students from SOCCER INSTRUCTOR NIKOS FILIS IS AMONG THOSE PE ADJUNCTS EXPECTED TO LOSE looking at 20 to 30 colleagues “Over the years we had of- every country.

THEIR JOBS AFTER SPRING TERM. COURTESY OF PSU that I worked with every day fered some of our instruc“It’s a nice opportunity to Accetta acknowledged “I’d like the students to know that I won’t see more than tional programs in our fitness meet people and to have a lot there’s no appointment to be once or twice a year now.” and outdoor program for of friends,” Eastman said. “I [at the Rec Center]. It’s all self via email that former PE that they don’t count when deAmy Duncan is one of the elective credits through the started playing at PSU about motivated. Here, if you have instructors were unlikely cisions are made, even though adjunct instructors that met School of Community Health,” six years ago.” a class to show up to, that to find employment in the people say, ‘Oh we care about the students,’” Filis said. with Percy. Duncan, a yoga in- Accetta wrote in an email reDuncan explained that the you’ve paid extra money for, Rec Center.

“Beyond some of our fitness Duncan also questioned structor with 11 years of expe- sponse. “Unfortunately, with- biggest difference between you’re like, ‘I’m coming.’” rience with the PE program, out an academic graduation students taking physical edDuncan also pointed to classes we rely on all stu- the direction of the universpent winter term knocking requirement mandating phys- ucation classes at the Rec relative level of expertise dents to teach our classes as sity PE curriculum, arguon doors. ical education classes the bud- Center versus taking them between instructors as a dif- that is part of our mission in ing that physical education “I was trying to find a get model to support activity through the PE department ference between classes Campus Rec,” Accetta said in plays an important role in home for the department,” classes did not pencil out and comes down to the idea that through PE and those at the the email. “That means un- student development.

“If as a university we are Duncan said. students choose other classes courses through the PE de- Rec Center. Programs at fortunately we do not often preparing students for a Dean Percy remembered in which to engage.” partment are progressive the Rec Center are student- hire beyond students.”

Filis explained that the more successful life outa candid conversation with Not all students agreed and sequential. run, whereas PE instructors Duncan. with Accetta’s remarks.

“People start out with a ba- are focused in their field, of- students in his soccer side of the university, should “[It was] a very useful and Logan Evans, a junior at sic information on how to ten with years of teaching classes became really angry there not be physical well-bewhen they learned that PE ing considered which leads to reasonable conversation,” PSU, has taken Filis’ soc- move their body and then experience.

Percy said. cer classes for two years build on what they learned “Our approach is a little courses were to be cut after mental, emotional and physDuncan disagreed. in a row and doesn’t know the last week,” Duncan said. different, I’m not in train- this term. He also criticized ical health? Should that not “It had been 21 months be- what his options will be “Students recognize that they ing to do anything else,” the university for discount- be part of what we’re trying ing student voice. to do here?” Duncan said. fore he met with any of us,” next term. need physical activity, and Duncan said.

Duncan said. “I went to see Dean Percy with three other instructors, and it felt like we were just deflected, that Dean Percy was through with us and through with commuCOURSES TO BE CANCELED AFTER SPRING TERM 2016 COURSES MOVING TO PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION COURSES POTENTIALLY MOVING TO COLLEGE OF THE ARTS nity health.”

Duncan and other PE in111 - Chen style 18 Form 100 - Adapted Physical Activity 101 - Gentle Yoga structors worked to salvage 113 - Tai Chi 42 Forms 102 - Gentle Tai Chi 103 - Relaxation Yoga the program in recent years 114 - Tai Chi 40 Forms 104 - Meditation 105 - Yoga to little effect. As enrollment 115 - Tai Chi Weapons Form 112 - Tai Chi 24 Forms 106 - Continuing Yoga numbers slipped in 2013, PE 116 - Wu Shu Longfist 119 - Zumba 107 - Yoga II instructors postered and 123 - Aerobics Boot Camp 120 - Barre Fitness 108 - Yoga Sculpt fundraised to update the a 126 - BOSU Body Sculpt 121 - Cardio Kickboxing 135 - Pilates website in an effort to stoke 130 - Total Body Conditioning 122 - Body Weight Boot Camp 136 - Pilates Fusion student interest.

141 - Akido 124 - Abs-Lower Body 155 - Salsa & Latin Dance “We also had a campaign 142 - Akido II 125 - Body Sculpt 156 - Latin & Ballroom Dance where we put up posters that 143 - Hapkido 127 - Flex Fitness 157 - Ballroom Dance said other promotional things 149 - Aqua Fit 128 - Weight Training 160 - Argentine Tango but none of us [instructors] 150 - Beginning/Intermediate Swim 129 - Fitness Conditioning 161 - Swing Dance were skilled in marketing,” 151 - Lap Swim 131 - Sports Conditioning 162 - Beginning Belly Dance Duncan said. “We don’t have 152 - Water Polo 132 - Weight Loss Boot Camp 163 - Hip Hop Dance time or the expertise to figure 167 - Bowling 140 - Self Defense out a marketing program to 168 - Advance Bowling 144 - Judo market our classes.”

170 - Tennis 145 - Brazilian Jui Jitsu

2016 PE COURSE TRANSFER PLAN

PHYSICAL EDUCATION VS. REC CENTER

The move of recreational activities to the Rec Center on the other side of campus left the Stott Center in the shadows. Duncan also claimed that admission tours within the past

171 - Golf 172 - Fencing 173 - Basketball 174 - Soccer 175 - Volleyball 275 - Stretch and Strengthen 290 - Scuba 290L - Scuba Lab

146 - Brazilian Jui Jitzu II 176 - Day Hiking 177 - Hiking the Columbia Gorge 181 - Varsity Sports 193 - Fitness Instruction Adapted PE 194 - Fitness Instruction Personal Training 277 - Flex Fitness 280 - Viking Success 281 - Viking Experience

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

9

ARTS & CULTURE

THE END IS JUST THE EGYPTIAN HISTORY COMES TO LIFE BEGINNING ON CAMPUS MAINTAIN MOMENTUM AFTER GRADUATION

FRESH MYSTERIES ARISE THROUGH NEW DISCOVERIES

GRAY BOUCHAT

GRAY BOUCHAT College students live for the day they graduate but fear the day they have to find a job. Author Scott Eberwein hopes to ease the transition with his new book, Cash Your Investment: How to Leverage Your College Degree Into a Great First Job. Eberwein had similar fears of finding work after college.

In the book, he relays advice that helped him snag a job in New York. A search guide for college students, it offers more than just information on resumes and interviews.

“I really tried to put in a lot of my own personal experiences, my personal examples, which will hopefully make it more relevant,” Eberwein said.

He hopes that since he can relate to college students based on his own experiences, readers will enjoy the book and learn something

10

BROWN BOOKS PUBLISHING GROUP/2016 new. He particularly emphasizes what a student should do before they graduate and begin the job search.

Besides just offering advice, Eberwein wants students to feel self-empowered. The book offers tips on how to not let the fear of the job world hinder your motivation.

“I feel like the mental aspect [of finding a job] was underappreciated,” Eberwein said. “I want there to be self-empowerment and motivation. I want to write a book that hasn’t been done before.”

He said he doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel by telling students what they can already easily find on the internet. His aim for this book was to encompass all the information a college student may need within a single source.

“Awareness is pretty big… don’t limit yourself. ‘Hey, you

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

can do this!’ The goal was to make [the book] that onestop shop,” Eberwein said.

His goal was to create a product unique to the jobsearching world, including all the tools necessary. Eberwein notes, for example, the importance of finding a mentor during one’s college career in order to receive advice.

“What better way to learn about the job market or the corporate world than to talk to someone who is already out there and has already done it?” Eberwein said. “I really had to lean on a mentor to show me the ropes.”

Eberwein elaborates that speaking with someone in your career field can greatly benefit a job search later on.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online and most book retail stores for $19.95.

Egyptian history took center stage at Portland State on March 29. Dr. Pearce Creasman, director of the University of Arizona Egyptian Expedition, gave an hour-long seminar on temples, king burials, and mysterious connections about ancient Pharaohs.

The room was at capacity with an older demographic of an engaged audience asking questions after every slide. Creasman is extremely knowledgeable about the field, and added humor throughout the presentation. His interest in Egyptian culture stems far beyond just temples. “[I’m] curious in the Maritime world…their society,” Creasman said. “No one looks at Egypt that way. We know a lot about death, but almost nothing about life.”

Creasman is experienced in archaeological research in Egypt, and has been associated with UA for their Egyptian expeditions.

Two years ago, Creasman and his crew discovered a brand new temple made out of mud brick. They suspect it either belonged to the tenth

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD son of Rameses or his grandfather. Mysteries like this led to a flood of questions and theories about hidden and undiscovered temples.

Creasman had one main objective for the audience: “To be curious. If you’re not looking, none of this would have been found. Just be curious.”

More mystery arose in the presentation in discussion of Nefertiti and Tutankhamun.

Recently, the mask that had been archived from Tutankhamun was damaged by people cleaning it. The beard had fallen off, and they glued it back on. In order to assemble the mask back together, it needed to be repositioned, revealing other parts of the mask.

Through this series of events, a discovery was made: There was another name on the mask—Nefertiti. This rose the question of whether or not this was originally Tutankhamun’s mask, and if perhaps the beard wasn’t originally intended.

Creasman believes the mysteries don’t stop there.

“I can’t even get my brain around how much more there is to know,” Creasman said.

“There are missing pyramids.

If we can’t find pyramids, what else are we missing?

There will be new discoveries all the time.”

Through his presentation, Creasman shared more discoveries. Within King Tut’s temple, there is a right turn. However, king’s temples traditionally turn left, so Creasman brought up the question: Why does King Tut’s turn right? Nefertiti didn’t receive a proper burial; was he buried with her? Creasman doesn’t think there is enough evidence to support the idea, but he believes it creates an interesting controversy.

The presentation was riddled with attentive patrons who asked many questions, and even stayed after the presentation to further talk with Creasman. He also mentioned another project that he and UA are participating in: building a public library in Egypt with free internet and books. Creasman believes this is the most important thing going on right now, as it will help educate the people and preserve Egyptian culture.

OPINION

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE BLOODSHED Moral Clarity Andy Ngo

AFTER THE MARCH 22 ATTACKS IN BRUSSELS, THE EIFFEL TOWER CHANGED ITS COLORS TO MATCH THE FLAG OF BRUSSELS. COURTESY OF USER LECTRICEDUSOIR THROUGH WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Last November, as bodies lay in Parisian morgues following the worst attack on French soil since WWII, Brussels, the capital of Belgium, was put on security lockdown amid imminent threats of cross-border attacks.

A Belgian national, Salah Abdeslam, was on the run from authorities, his image plastered on media outlets for his alleged involvement in the Paris murders.

The lockdown rent the heart of the European Union, its lively citizens replaced with armed military and police. This sobering moment of isolation for Brussels’ residents revealed a crisis in a country that has contributed the most European fighters per capita to Iraq and Syria.

Belgians, meanwhile, share cat memes spoofing #BrusselsLockdown and deflecting the uncomfortable severity of the situation with comic relief.

Two weeks ago, we learned that after nearly five months on the run, Abdeslam was found not in distant Syria but rather at an apartment only minutes from his mother’s house in the Muslim neighborhood of Molenbeek in Belgium. Some residents were actually angry at Abdeslam’s arrest and a number of youth reportedly threw projectiles at police.

“We got him,” Theo Francken, the Belgian secretary of state for asylum and migration, wrote in a tweet. Despite the intensity of the manhunt that lasted months, police from another Belgian city have subsequently admitted they had intelligence about Abdeslam’s address last year but failed to pass it on. Four days after the arrest, Belgium was ripped apart by bombings that killed residents and guests of the city.

Politico released a damning report revealing authorities

only questioned Abdeslam for a mere hour in the days leading up to the attacks. A community’s collective shield can hide even the most notorious fugitive from the prying eyes of the world, and a society’s blinders can further keep us from confronting the most difficult of problems.

The crisis in Brussels underscores our difficulty in honestly confronting the threat of political Islam, or Islamism, to pluralistic societies and the people who live in them. Islamists are people who want a public political order centered on an interpretation of Islam. They seek to achieve this goal either through violent or nonviolent means.

Islamism is a 20th century theo-political movement that draws from interpretations of Islamic tradition and scripture, yet remains distinct from the religion of Islam. In some Muslimmajority societies today, aspects of Islamism are merged in the institutionalized interpretation of Islam. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are prime examples of this, with their ultra-conservative and politicized version of Islam, called Wahhabism or Salafism.

The world’s first Islamic democracy, Pakistan, adopted an Islamist legal framework under the military government of General Zia-ul Haq in the ’80s. Pakistan has some of the most draconian blasphemy laws, used to prosecute dissidents and religious minorities. Civil society groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and its various derivatives around the world also adhere to a similar, albeit milder, ideology.

Brussels is now reeling from multiple explosions that reduced dozens of people, brutally, to chunks of flesh at an airport and metro station.

About 300 other people re-

main in hospital care, their bodies maimed by shrapnel from IEDs detonated by suicide bombers who shouted in Arabic before blowing themselves up.

With Belgium having a rather minimal record for foreign military involvement, some pundits and politicians are discussing how Muslims have been disadvantaged instead of discussing the Islamist ideology that motivates jihadists.

The National Post’s Adam Taylor argues that “those from immigrant backgrounds find themselves at a competitive disadvantage on the job market.” The Abdeslam family reportedly owned several businesses and earned over €100,000 a year.

Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill opines that radicalization is a product of marginalization. Many of us deal with legitimate grievances stemming from feelings of marginalization. How does that explain the desire to kill innocents or take sex slaves in a foreign land?

It’s difficult to have honest discussions about the Islamist ideology when accusations of “Islamophobia” and bigotry are rife. Wellintentioned people unaware of the nuances of non-Christian religions and political movements are fooled by the Islamophobia meme, which often works to actively conflate people and ideas.

As feminist liberal Muslim Asra Nomani said on Real Time with Bill Maher during the Paris attacks, “It’s almost like the world needs so much blood to be spilled to wake up.” At least 60 were killed last Sunday as Pakistani Christian families celebrated Easter at a Lahore park. The Pakistan Taliban outshoot Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility.

Can we wake up? We must.

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

11

OPINION

OP-ED: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH GUEST COLUMNIST Submitted by Anastasia Hale As college students, we have a lot on our minds and a lot of issues we care about, so it’s easy to forget we also need to look after ourselves. A great way to take care of yourself and contribute to a better, healthier campus and community is by taking care of your sexual health. The health of your community depends on the good sexual health practices of every student—such as getting tested for STDs and having protected sex.

There are still a lot of myths about STD testing, so throughout April—STD Awareness Month—everyone should know that getting tested is a basic part of staying healthy and taking care of their bodies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis increased in 2014, and the truth is that STDs impact young people the hardest. Half of all STDs are contracted by people younger than 25, even though they’re only a quarter of the people having sex. Most STDs don’t have any symptoms and you can’t tell by looking at someone if they have one, so it’s important to know your risk and protect your health.

Getting yourself tested is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health and it’s easy, quick and painless. For example, with just a swab inside the mouth, rapid HIV tests can give you results in as little as 20 minutes.

If you haven’t already, you should also talk with your partner about STD testing. One survey found that most young people said they would be glad if STD testing was suggested by their partner and that it reflects their partner’s responsibility. And if

you have an STD, tell your partner. These conversations may seem hard to have, but open communication with your partner is essential to staying healthy.

Preventing the spread of STDs is crucial too. Using condoms consistently and correctly provides the best protection against STDs—and can take a lot of the worry out of sex, since you and your partner won’t be worrying about unintended pregnancy or STDs. People who use condoms rate their sexual experiences as just as pleasurable as those who don’t, and it’s a good way to feel more relaxed about sex and have more fun.

So this month, make a plan to get yourself tested and keep yourself and your campus healthy. Visit PPCW.org to find a health center near you for STD testing, treatment and information to help you take charge of your sexual health.

Anastasia Hale is a student at PSU and a Portland Teen Council Intern at Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette.

A PLANNED PARENTHOOD LOCATED ON SOUTHEAST 50TH AVENUE. ANDY NGO/PSU VANGUARD

Smoke pot but don’t fit the stoner stereotype, e. g. for medical, spiritual, or social anxiety reasons? We want to hear from you! Email arts@psuvanguard.com and share your story for the chance to be covered in our upcoming weed issue.

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Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

BEYOND THUNDERDOME: INSIDE THE RNC 2016

OPINION

Musings from the Sub-basement Kevin Hadsell I recently came across a news story that I thought was parody, but now appears to be completely and totally real. That the two can no longer be safely distinguished at a glance may tell you something about the times we live in.

The story: Over 53,000 people (as of April 1, 2016) have signed a petition to allow firearms at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this July. Guns are currently not allowed inside the Quicken Loans Arena (its real name, I swear), where the event will take place. The petition, which is adorned with a lovingly detailed illustration of a military-grade assault rifle topped with a laser sight, states, “Without the right to protect themselves, those at the Quicken Loans Arena will be sitting ducks, utterly helpless against evil-doers, criminals or others who wish to threaten the American way of life.”

This immediately raises questions, like: At what point have we wandered into a Batman movie? Who are these “criminals and evil-doers” and will they be wearing capes and/or identifiable insignia? And, most importantly, if firearms are to be confiscated at the door, from, like, everyone, why would the good people standing guard at the entrances not also confiscate them from said criminals and evildoers? That sounds like a serious breach of security.

The wording of the statement also tends to conjure up images of Dr. Robotnik piloting some sort of gargantuan BattleMech, punching a hole through the ceiling of the arena to terrorize the hardworking, fiscally responsible citizens of our nation. In which case guns may be less effective than the petitioners think.

My reaction to the petition went through several stages.

They were, in order: eye-rolling, followed by shock and alarm, followed by concern, and finally by a resolve to avoid the city of

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD Cleveland altogether this summer. It seems like the safest option, and the one least likely to get me shot.

And yet, after careful consideration and consulting my colleagues on the matter (okay, fine: “roommates with beer.”

Happy now?), I think I may have a firmer grasp of the situation. The Republican Party has long been dedicated to its goal of remaking the United States into something like the future envisioned by Mad Max. This is not a secret.

It accounts for most of the foreign and domestic policies of the GOP for the past 30-plus years: military interventionism, destructive environmental policies, dismantling social services, education and basically the entire public sector of our society, etc. All of this seems oriented to the sort of social and environmental conditions that made the Mad Max franchise so popular with audiences over the years.

The petitioners, it seems, have simply decided to act on Gandhi’s admonition to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” To this end the petitioners seek to recreate, within the confines of the arena itself, the exact conditions of 1985’s Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome.

To the uninitiated: In the film, Thunderdome is a gladiatorial combat arena where disputes are settled by fighting to the death. This is, of course, to take nothing away from the usual Mad Max fare—the vast unbreachable post-apocalyptic wasteland, death, explosions, multiple battle scenes and so on. It is a Mad Max movie, after all.

And when it comes to deciding on a single nominee to represent the Republican Party, it really is all about a fight to the finish. Donald Trump’s experience in professional wrestling alone makes him uniquely qualified for the event. It also promises to be a refreshingly honest portrayal of the entire two-

party political system—a pro-wrestling style deathmatch by which our collective political fates are sealed. In other words, it promises to educate as well as entertain.

Creating a real-life Thunderdome in reality is, of course, no easy task. But arming all 20,562 people (the capacity for Quicken Loans Arena) would certainly make it more manageable. And it is refreshing to see political action being taken at the grassroots level. Here we have a group of people willing to make their own convention into a microcosm of the world they wish to see, regardless of the sacrifice or loss of life due to untold numbers of shooting deaths, intentional or otherwise. Folks, this is the sort of bold political action this country needs. It is the sort of vision that has made this country great, and will perhaps, to borrow the phrase of one contender for the Republican nomination, “Make America great again.”

I suppose it does raise a final question: Why would Republicans want to recreate the world of Mad Max to begin with? What possible purpose can this serve? The petitioners have not provided us with an answer to this question. It is basically anybody’s guess at this point. But then again, who am I to criticize someone else’s dream? If you dream of a world where all people have the freedom to ride around in the desert, unhindered by things like trees and bodies of fresh water getting in the way, protected under the soothing reassurance of Uzis and assault rifles and flame-thrower guitars, then who am I to say you’re wrong?

It would be a world, after all, where anyone regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation or place of national origin can one day fulfill his or her dream of entering the gates of Valhalla, “shiny and chrome,” to do whatever one does up there. And that, perhaps, is a future I can believe in.

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

13

GUEST SUBMISSION

PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MIKE BIVINS Editor’s Note: Article published with permission from student media publication Pacific Sentinel and Sentinel News Editor Mike Bivins.

“Mic check,” sang a woman sitting in the front row of the audience.

The 30 minutes the Portland State Board of Trustees allowed for public comment at its spring board meeting was not enough time for a substantial number of the 100 or so attendees crammed into the standing-room-only board room. A substantial section of the crowd, buoyed by PSU Student Union members and their allies, then rose from their seats and moved into formation in front of the board.

Going into public comment, board chair Peter Nickerson advised the crowd, some with duct tape over their mouths in protest, that “there is no legal requirement for [the board] to hold public testimony at these meetings.”

Nickerson also commended those who signed up to speak and noted that the process is “not easy.”

The board also notes on its website that it chooses who is or is not allowed to speak via the posting of a list 24-hours before the meeting.

During the 30-minute comment period, PSUSU member Olivia Pace told the board the duct taped mouths symbolize “the way in which we have been silenced as students” by the Board of Trustees and administration.

As Donna Erbs—the parent of a PSU student—took the floor, Nickerson advised the group that it was out of order. Nickerson then called for a 10-minute break. The board would not be returning to this room and, like the winter Board of Trustees meeting before it, this meeting was go-

14

STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS PROTESTING TUITION INCREESE AND ARMED OFFICERS INTERRUPT BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING. BEVERLY FRISK/PSU VANGUARD ing to be conducted remotely from an unknown location with a live audio stream available on PSU’s website.

The community members then continued with their own public comment period, where a May 10 student walkout was announced by Pace.

The rumor was that the Board of Trustees had relocated to an unmarked emergency communications room in the basement of the Engineering Building. Acting on a tweet by a reporter for the Oregonian, this reporter sought out the relocated meeting.

Campus Public Safety Office Chief Philip Zerzan could be seen positioned at the bottom of the staircase leading to the Engineering Building’s basement and so, accordingly, the board room must have been nearby.

Zerzan would not tell me

Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

where the meeting was relocated to and had no comment on the situation in general.

After several jiggled handles of random doors in the basement hallway, a door opened and an armed CPSO officer greeted me and asserted, after inquiry, this was not where the board room was located. Carrying on, and having no success, I went back to the mysterious door and noticed the room number was obscured by a yellow sticky note. This time I knocked on the door, and it opened suddenly. I again inquired about the nature of the room, and insisted on being let in to see what was going on. The guard, after ascertaining my identity, said to “hold on” and closed the door. It turns out CPSO had lied.

A short while later, the door opened and I was greeted

by PSU Communications Director Scott Gallagher, who invited me into what the Oregonian—the only organization with a reporter inside at the time—was referring to as “the bunker.” This was somewhat awkward because the Pacific Sentinel was not told where the board had relocated to, with earlier inquiring phone calls to Gallagher either missed or ignored.

[The bunker moniker was appropriate as the various maps and security feeds did hint toward the potential usefulness of this room during a real emergency.]

The board was conducting business as usual, and approved a raise in tuition and fees for the 2016–17 school year from 3.3 percent to 3.7 percent depending on whether a student is a res-

ident, nonresident, undergraduate or graduate.

During another board break the students eventually found their way to “the bunker” and could be heard chanting “Disarm PSU.” At this point PSU Vice President of Finance and Administration Kevin Reynolds remarked that the university has “got enough officers to push [the protesters] to the side when the board walks out.”

This “planned brutality,” as PSUSU member Alyssa Pagan described it, would not be necessary, and after giving over 1,000 signatures to raise campus wages to $15 per hour to a university representative who had emerged from the bunker, the protesters went on their way.

The board, after some tense discussion, also passed a motion to draft a proposal

for the board to have an open forum with PSU community members.

PSU President Wim Wiewel said the board meeting had to be moved to the new location because, “it’s very important for the board to be able to conduct its business and that was made impossible in the room where we originally were.”

The legality of this move has been called into question. The Oregonian reported that a local attorney specializing in Oregon’s open meetings laws said he was unsure how the moving of the meeting from a public location to a private location could be considered legal.

The university has not responded to inquiries about the legality of the board meeting’s secretive venue change.

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27 River in centre of West Bank city (4) 28 Most excellent wine collection mentioned in popular book (4,6) DOWN 1 Recovered with medical care, not half outstanding (9) 2 Without show of hesitation, pay out painter (7) 3 Advanced reading? (7,5) 4 One goes to pot and is then in hot water (3-3) 5 Reveal third of plot twists following on next page (8) 7,1ac Trounce in fight against coup? (7-10); 7,23ac Turning back (about face) (7-9); 7,11 Information obtained at the bar?

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Vanguard • APRIL 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

15

A P R I L 5 –1

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6

0

JOHN PINNEY

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

NW HIP-HOP MIXTAPE

DIVE-IN MOVIE

BRIDGE TO BREWS

4 p.m.

PSU School of Social Work This free conversation lead by Donnell Alexander will examine the intertwined hip-hop music of the Pacific Northwest with our local Portland culture and where all those influences can be seen.

6 p.m.

Rec Center pool The free start-of-term selection with inner tubes and food is Finding Nemo. Splash around, bring the friends you can remember and also remember to never tap on the glass. The fish hate it.

ROCK CLIMBING 101

‘TAXI DRIVER’

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Rec Center rock wall The rock wall is one of the coolest things about the gym, and everyone should try it once! This is a great opportunity to meet the climbing staff, learn about safety and see just how tall that sucker really is.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Hollywood Theatre Fee: $9 The 40th-anniversary edition of Robert De Niro’s masterful and chillingly suspenseful ode to overworked New York City taxi drivers. You’re quoting this one in your head right now.

8:40 a.m.

Waterfront Park Fee: $49 If you’re a runner but never had the chance to run over the Fremont Bridge, this 8K and 10K event is your chance. Come run and dance to the music, groove on over to the food past the finish line, and get some free tasting tickets. Family friendly.

THURSDAY, APRIL 7 SATURDAY, APRIL 9

YOUTH IDENTITY IN SCRIPTED REALITY 4 p.m.

PSU, TBD It’s hard to remember a time before reality TV and the question of its reality or lack thereof. Professor Amanda Klein tackles the subject by looking at the scholarship behind the kinds of identities you find on MTV.

NOEL FIELDING 8 p.m.

Revolution Hall Fee: $43 If you haven’t seen this British comedian’s work on the Nevermind the Buzzcocks game show, his boyish charm and energy will surely win you over.

PLANT & ART SALE 10 a.m.

Expo Center Fee: Free The homegrown Hardy Plant Society hosts this annual event in the hopes of making your world a little more beautiful without any barriers to those who love plants or art.

DINNER DETECTIVES 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Crowne Plaza Hotel Fee: $55–$60 Haven’t you ever wanted to be part of a whodunit? This interactive murder-mystery dinner show runs right up until New Year’s and will leave you guessing, with a prize package for the winner.

HOROSCOPES FOR THE WEEK OF

Aries (March 21–April 19)

You might find that quite a few things make you extra tense this week, but you will also have an opportunity to alleviate that tension with some welcome distractions.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Don’t just sit on the couch and let time pass you by! Get out there and have some experiences before you look back on your life with shameful regret.

Gemini (May 21–June 21)

Not just anyone could fill your shoes. There is something different enough about you that others would have trouble coming up with your ideas.

Cancer (June 22–July 22)

Are you being your authentic self around your new group of friends? The flip side of pretending to be someone else is losing who you actually are in the disguise.

A P R I L 5 –1

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Leo (July 23–August 22)

Somewhere in the back of your brain is a fiendish plan you’ve spent forever working on. But the ends don’t justify the means, and getting what you want will come back to bite you.

Virgo (August 23–September 22)

You’ve worked all your life to be a conscientious citizen, and you’re finally seeing some fruits from those efforts. But being a good citizen may come at a cost this week.

Libra (September 23–October 23)

Consider that each week can be like a mini new year. Resolve to meet certain smaller goals and watch how the mountains in your life begin to crumble into passable roads.

Scorpio (October 24–November 21)

Those fantastical ideas running around inside your head would make excellent stories. Consider keeping some sort of journal to look over later.

THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM 7:30 pm Imago Theatre, Main Stage Fee: $18–$50 Did you ever see the musical movie Once? Well, Enda Walsh also wrote this Irish-themed tale about three sisters seduced by the lead singer of a mysterious touring band that turned their lives and village upside down.

•FEATURED EVENT• ‘STAR TREK: THE ULTIMATE (MUSICAL) VOYAGE’ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Wednesday, April 6 8 p.m.

Fee: $35–$65 Sure, you’ve seen walls all over school plastered with invitations to purchase tickets, but you have to realize the scale of this musical venture to fully appreciate it. The Trek experience goes back more than five decades and crosses TV, film and even societal-norm lines. Mixed with iconic footage from the celebrated Star Trek brand, come see and hear some of your old and new favorites. Boldly go and purchase a ticket now!

JOHN PINNEY

Sagittarius (November 22–December 21)

You have an opportunity this week to bring joy to someone’s world. It could be a very small thing like a cup of coffee or paying it forward, but that might make all the difference.

Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

The changing of the weather will give you a great opportunity to go through some true spring cleaning. Consider donating clothes and goods to charities.

Aquarius (January 20–February 18)

You’ll have to be a go-getter this week to get what you want.

Sometimes instead of waiting for good luck to happen, you have to make it yourself.

Pisces (February 19–March 20)

Though you might feel that this week is an avalanche, you have expert skiing experience and shouldn’t be afraid you’ll be pulled under—only afraid of what the test might reveal.