PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD
VOLUME 72 • ISSUE 2 • JULY 5, 2016
WINDS OF CHANGE
PORTLAND SEEKS A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRATION INFLUX
Swimming in homework? No worries, we got you, boo. The Vanguard will also be here all freaking summer.
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NEWS INTERNATIONAL COVER ARTS & CULTURE OPINION ETC CALENDAR & HOROSCOPE
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COVER ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART.
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 Molly Ozier managingeditor@psuvanguard.com
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Jon Raby associatenews@psuvanguard.com
ADVERTISING MANAGER Stuart Neuberger neub@pdx.edu
NEWS EDITOR Jeoffry Ray news@psuvanguard.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Arlen Cornejo production@psuvanguard.com
ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Finnegan arts@psuvanguard.com
PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo photo@psuvanguard.com
OPINION EDITOR Brie Barbee opinion@psuvanguard.com
ONLINE EDITOR Andy Ngo online@psuvanguard.com
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Serina Hersey international@psuvanguard.com
COPY CHIEF Chelsea Lobey copy@psuvanguard.com
DESIGNERS Lauren Chapluk Terra Dehart Elise Furlan Rachel Goldstein Aaron Osbourne CONTRIBUTORS Catherine Johnson Randee-Jo Barcinas Manglona Jennee Martinez John Pinney
Jessica Pollard Thomas Spoelhof PHOTOGRAPHERS Thomas Spoelhof ADVERTISING SALES Dennis Caceres Cody Layton Becca Propper 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
PAZ, PEACE, PRIDE JON RABY
“It’s a way to make people want to stay home and be afraid because of who they are.” You may have seen the Paz Peace banners around the Portland State campus. For some the initial meaning may be a bit of a mystery, while for others it may not to difficult to draw out the interconnected communities represented by them. The shooting occurred just hours before the PSU graduate commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 12, and six days prior to the Portland Pride festival, a celebration of pride and diversity within the LGBTQ community. Paz is Spanish for peace; the words in bold-faced white lettering are set atop the rainbow-colored LGBTQ flag. The banners are a show of solidarity and support for the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities most heavily affected by the Orlando shooting, and they are also a call to come together as a campus. On the afternoon of the graduation commencement, attendees shared a moment of silence for the victims of the mass shooting. Supporters held a candlelight vigil that night at the waterfront, and within four days the banners could be seen hanging around the campus. Monday morning, one day after the attack, all staff and students at PSU received an email from the vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs detailing safe places for students to talk
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and grieve. These included the Queer Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center and the Center for Student Health and Counseling. Holding Space, a combined effort by the QRC and La Casa Latina on the third and fourth floors of the Smith Memorial Student Union, provided a safe environment on Monday to process what had happened and heal. There was a counselor from SHAC present, and various relaxing and releasing diversions such as Play-Doh and coloring available. Holding Space offered a sense of community to anyone wanting to drop in. Statistics point to a stark disparity involving hate crimes and the LGBTQ community. Shortly after the shooting, Time Magazine reported on findings by the Poverty Law Center that “LGBT people accounted for 2.1 percent of the U.S. population but were the target of 17.4 percent of violent hate crimes.” “Location matters,” said QRC Coordinator Craig Leeds. “I consider this event a hate crime because it occurred at a queer club. The fact that it was predominantly queer and trans Latinx people who were killed matters.” Leeds uses the term Latinx as a gender-neutral form of Latino or Latina. Leeds
PSU Vanguard • JULY 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com
A PAZ PEACE SIGN POSTED ON THE SIMON BENSON HOUSE. SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD pointed out that the attack focused on a specific community, in a much narrower act of hate and prejudice than the broad anger seen in many other acts of internal terrorism seen in the U.S. “I think it’s both,” said Lily Harris, a PSU student who attended Pride and volunteers in the QRC. “[Terrorism is] an act that you do to make people afraid—and this made people afraid. It’s an act of hatred against the Latino community, against the queer community, and it’s a way to make people want to stay home and be afraid because of who they are.” Dr. Carmen Saurez, vice president of Global Diversity and Inclusion at PSU and one of the main organizers of the banner project, said hate can be the only logical way to sum
up the kind of violence seen in Orlando, and in general the violence perpetrated against others seen as different. At the June 19 Pride Parade, a small group of eight to 10 hecklers, all white men, shouted obscenities and violent warnings at marchers. Though Leeds did not witness the hecklers he said that it was not unusual to have them there. “It has been my experience that there are individuals at many Pride events who have signs and yell in protest,” Leeds said. “These demonstrators often use biblical text to make their case against the queer community. These demonstrators are often not violent, and Pride attendees simply ignore them.”
“I don’t want to say that it’s normalized, but it is kind of expected,” Harris said. “People really like to tout Portland as a progressive city, but surprise, sometimes it is really not.” Photos of the Orlando victims were displayed on a fence on the Portland waterfront with flowers, poetry, hearts and other items people contributed, along with the sentiment “We are Orlando.” Harris noted that some people cried while others stood and observed for a while. “It is really discouraging, because I can’t be sure that anything is going to happen—that they are going to legislate to prevent this,” Harris said. “I don’t know what they are going to do to keep this from happening again, because it can happen again.”
The banners around PSU are a sign of solidarily with those affected by the Orlando shooting in June. They were placed in recognition of what happened, and as a reminder that everyone who wants one has a place in the PSU community. Students and administrators joined together to create and raise the banners. The Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion and the QRC were among those that participated, coordinating volunteer efforts offered by an array of PSU community members. “The banners are meant to honor, recognize and observe the Orlando tragedy,” Leeds said. For more from the QRC, visit pdx.edu/queer.
NEWS
PORTLAND NARROWLY MISSES SMART CITY TRANSPORTATION GRANT “We wanted to improve the whole commute route for workers who lived in [East Portland] and worked in the north part.”-Jonathan Fink, PSU Vice President of Research A GOOGLE SELF DRIVING CAR. COURTESY OF USER MARC VAN DER CHIJS THROUGH FLICKR Self-driving cars, or autonomous vehicles, were once the stuff of dreams. Now at the height of increasing urbanization, cities across America, including Portland, are itching to implement this technology and other intelligent transportation systems, or ITS. Earlier this month, Portland was one of seven city finalists for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s $40 million Smart City grant, focused on enhancing transportation research and technology. The grant was awarded to Columbus, Ohio earlier this month. A smart city, according to the Smart Cities Council, is an urban area that uses technology to enhance city functions in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. According to the USDOT website, the department was looking to invest in a mid-sized city that could reveal to the U.S. over time how collected data and Intelligent Transportation Services could reduce
traffic congestion, improve safety, amp up inclusion and reduce environmental impact. Speculation varies as to why Portland—described by current U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx as having a “leading edge” in the world of transportation—wasn’t chosen. Technology Association of Oregon President Skip Newberry pointed to geographic availability for testing as a likely factor in the decision, noting it as an area of emphasis by USDOT. “Columbus had an area where they were willing to test out autonomous vehicle technology,” Newberry said. “That was an area we were caught a little flat footed...it was all very conceptual [for us].” Autonomous vehicles, Newberry said, can reduce accident-causing human error. An increase in autonomous vehicles could also mean an easier transition to fewer cars in general as biking and public transportation are emphasized.
It’s possible, according to Jonathan Fink, vice president of research at PSU, that politics played a role. “Oregon is not very important from a political national standpoint,” Fink said. “Giving us extra money isn’t going to change anything large.” While Oregon remains an obvious blue state in the 2016 election, Ohio has been named by publications like the Washington Post as a crucial swing state. Research published by Vanderbilt University in 2011 shows that federal funding will often go to swing states to sway voters in the direction of the current president or their party. Newberry also believes it could have something to do with the private sector. Other finalists had donor matches for the $40 million of federal money from within the city. Despite the recent loss, Portland’s dreams of transportation innovation are far from over. Many of the plans written into the Smart City
grant proposal are still in the works for the city. The Ubiquitous Mobile “UB Mobile” application, an app intended to help users of public transit make the most convenient, economic and sustainable choices, is something that Newberry believes could be created for $5 million. “The technology is probably the least difficult aspect of these projects,” Newberry added. Another larger project discussed in the grant proposal, the Southeast Powell/Division bus rapid transit line, is expected to take off in four to six years. First implemented in Brazil, BRT is a fusion between busses and light rails. Because it involves no rails, these transit systems can evolve with changing traffic flows over time. Unlike buses, BRT systems can hold many more commuters and many people can board at once instead of one at a time. According to Oregon Metro, people board buses
on Powell and Division street 18,000 times a day. “We wanted to improve the whole commute route for workers who lived in [East Portland] and worked in the north part,” Fink said. The line would travel to Gresham, north of Southeast Portland, and possibly make the commute easier for those living in diverse communities in East Portland. The Powell/Division corridor is one of a few projects that the City of Portland, in conjunction with PSU, is working on through the Metrolab Network. The Metrolab Network, part of the White House’s Smart Cities Initiative, is a group of 34 city-university pairs, each working on different projects in their own city. The network met last September at the White House, where university representatives and representatives of each city gathered. “We sat around for about four hours, talking about what the value of this kind
of network might have,” Fink said. Back in September when the Metrolab Network was beginning, many cities chose to focus their Smart City projects on sewage, trash or water management. It seemed only natural that Portland’s focus in the network would be on transportation. “PSU has a very strong transportation research group, it has for quite awhile. We’ve had a series of large grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation,” Fink said. Fink said that this year has been about getting started. Soon PSU and Portland hope to extend research opportunities to more students from departments like engineering, computer science, geography and urban planning. Like the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at PSU, the Metrolab Network hopes to eventually involve capstone projects in its work.
PSU Vanguard •JULY 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com
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ARTS & CULTURE INTERNATIONAL
IE3 GLOBAL INTERNSHIPS: CONNECTING STUDENTS TO INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONS SERINA HERSEY
With over 200 study abroad programs offered at Portland State, students who are interested in going overseas may be overwhelmed with the amount of resources that PSU has to offer. For students that are looking for internship-based abroad experiences, however, IE3 Global may be the program for them. IE3 Global works with Oregon universities and beyond to provide “high-quality study abroad, internship, research, exchange, and faculty-led programs,” according to their website. The Vanguard spoke to three advisors from the Office of International Affairs: Education Abroad to inform students specifically about the internship program IE3 Global offers. “The IE3 internship program allows students to directly immerse themselves in a working environment in numerous locations around the world for a quarter or longer,” said Jennifer Hamlow, director of Education Abroad at PSU. “They are integrated into an organization, whether it’s a nongovernmantal organization or otherwise, and are given real life work experience.” Students can choose from 200 different jobs in over 60 countries. People can easily navigate the website and choose an internship program that best fits them based on major, language, location and/or professional focus. Each internship page outlines what the program is about, qualifications, costs and even testimonials from other PSU students. “We have a large portfolio of employment partners all over the world,” said Jerry Gaube, IE3 Global program director at PSU. “We work with students to place them in opportunities that will allow them to get the professional, academic and cross-cultural experience that they’re looking for to make that next step in their university experience as they move toward graduation.”
WHY INTERNSHIPS?
Internships are a way for students to gain professional experience before graduating college. “You’re learning all these soft skills like cross-cultural communication, dealing with ambiguity [and] just managing uncomfortable situations, [and] that can be very valuable to future employers to know that you already had that experience and succeeded in a foreign environment,” Hamlow said. Gaube suggested that IE3 internships are not for everyone. “There’s a major difference between going on an internship experience as opposed to going on a faculty led shortterm program or even a university exchange program,” Gaube said. “This side of the experience is very self driven. It requires a high level of creativity and professionalism on the part of the student, a high level of competence and relationship-creating ability as well as the ability to deal with ambiguity in going into a professional situation in another country… It takes a special student at a certain point in their academic career and has a relatively good handle on some of the goals to reach. Specifically, we find that these types are students are able to go and make an impact in a short period of time, but also truly learn about themselves because they have to go through this process with nobody really holding their hand.” IE3 has both paid and unpaid internship programs. Participants work 35 to 45 hours per week and can get internship credit that can go toward their degree. Because credits transfer, some students are able to graduate even sooner. The financial aid they receive can be used as well.
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BUNCH VISITED THE RUINS INSIDE THE CITY OF CUENCA, ECUADOR AS PART OF HER IE3 GLOBAL EXPERIENCE. “Sometimes people don’t understand that for both internships or study abroad, students can access their financial aid,” said Alyse Collins, assistant director at Education Abroad. “If they’re getting a Pell grant or a Stafford loan, that money can go toward the cost of studying abroad or internship [abroad]. “With internships particularly, some of these are quite affordable options depending on where you’re looking and which kind of internship.” Collins continued. “The fact of the matter is, you’re using your financial aid, you’re earning credit, so you can stay at Portland State for winter quarter or go to Costa Rica or South Africa— somewhere sunny and warm and interesting. [You] can take a little break from Portland and PSU, but still work toward your education.” IE3 Global creates individual internship experiences for students—one intern goes to one company per term. During the year, 30 to 50 students participate in the program each term. Summer is the most popular term for students. Gaube also pointed out that PSU is different when it comes to global internships, due to different profiles, demographics and interests than some of the other universities. “I am currently sending students to Estonia, to Germany, to Kurdistan, to Latin America, and to Indonesia just for teaching,” Gaube said. “This is a program that is uniquely interesting to PSU students because we find that PSU students tend to have a little bit more work experience than your average university student, just as a general tip. They are oftentimes more suited to be successful emerging into professional contexts than many
COURTESY OF JESSICA PATCHING-BUNCH
other university [students]. This would be wonderful for more PSU students to be involved in.”
NARROWING IT DOWN
Gaube advises individuals to have an idea of what profession they want to get into before even choosing the country. “I would suggest that this type of program is a professional development program,” Gaube said. “Although the location can be important for many factors, perhaps because you have specific cross-cultural and linguistic goals related to the host culture. At the end of the day, those types of goals can be met going on a university exchange program. This type of program is about gaining professional skills.” Collins prepares students by asking questions like whether they want to be in an urban or rural environment, where they feel comfortable living, what kinds of topics they are i nterested in, if they are well situated to being in a removed or rural environment, what kind of lifestyle they are looking for, if they are equipped to deal with these differences, and if they are ready and prepared for the adjustments they are about to make. “It depends on the student flexibility,” Collins said. “People want to go abroad generally because they are interested in having an amazing experience that is life shifting and changing, but then you also have to be realistic about what that actually means.” Doing research on the community, housing availability, what the climate is like, politics, safety and security, everyday living
ARTS INTERNATIONAL & CULTURE costs, daily life, different funding opportunities and so on can help narrow down the search.
HOW TO APPLY
All prospective study abroad students must first attend an Ed Abroad 101 session. Ed Abroad 101 is five days a week during the school year and three times a week during the summer, located in East Hall. Then, students should schedule a meeting with both an education abroad program and an IE3 Global program to make sure all credits are aligned. All advisors have lived or studied abroad and “offer a high level of expertise,” according to Gaube. “[IE3 program advisors] are the custodians of the relationship between our partners internationally and the universities to help make sure this is the best fit,” Gaube said. The application is a two-part process: One must apply in the Viking Abroad system and also the specific internship found on the IE3 site. Advisors suggest to start planning at least six months in advance to make sure future interns have all the credits, financial aid and scholarships they will need to make the next step toward their global venture.
INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE
A job is not always guaranteed after an internship, but Collins emphasizes that it will be beneficial toward the individual’s life goals, whether it is graduate school, starting a business or volunteering for the Peace Corps. “It gives a student an opportunity to experience a different kind of worldview,” Collins said. “It expands everything and gives a lot of creative energy. It gives you a better sense of what you can do with your degree while gaining life skills toward graduating.” IE3 Global offers PSU students hands-on professional experience on an international level. The classroom becomes larger than 30 desks and a projector screen—the world become the classroom. “It’s the best time to go abroad because when else are you going to have financial support to go explore the world and get credit for it, too,” Hamlow said. “Going abroad is a life-changing experience. Whether it’s traveling, studying or working, I think it is just so important to open your eyes and see how big the world is.”
AN EDUCATION ABROAD 101 SESSION, WHICH INFORMS PEOPLE OF THE BASICS OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES AT PSU. KYLE CHARLSON/PSU VANGUARD
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT JESSICA PATCHING-BUNCH
“Last year I participated in an internship facilitated by IE3 Global. During the pre-departure orientation, we were told that interns often returned to home greatly changed by their experiences abroad. I am a nontraditional student and I had been working towards my undergraduate degree off and on for about 10 years at this point and I was sure that my direction could not be changed. Another factor adding to my convictions about my steadfast direction was my previous travel experience. I can now say that my direction has changed and the experiences I had during my time in South America have changed me forever. My time spent abroad was both some of the most challenging and rewarding times in my life. I am very
JUNE 28
Zimbabwe restores its electricity after large amounts of power was lost due to a hitch in its distribution system. Half of its daily supply was lost amidst a struggling economy trying to overcome severe drought and downturn in commodities.
JUNE 29
The first non–state running gas station opened in Mexico for the first time since the 1930s. Pemex, Mexico’s gas monopoly, has owned and controlled all gas stations in the country since the 1930s. Now two other companies have opened to hopefully lower gas prices, based on NPR news reports.
JUNE 29
JUNE JUNE 28-JULY 21-26 1 Serina SerinaHersey Hersey
A groundbreaking ceremony to build the Site of Remembrance for former comfort women in Seoul was held on Wednesday, according to Japan Times. These women, who were forced into human trafficking by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, will be given more support through the memorial site and other fundraisers.
thankful for the opportunity I had to explore the world, and myself in the process.”
SUSAN CAISSE
“For an older, married student the idea of study abroad and taking an internship isn’t easy. They interrupt not just education, but the entire family. With IE3 I was able to select the length of time that suited me best (1 term). Of course I wished it was longer, but I needed to graduate more than I needed to be in Spain. One of the important things it gave me was experience teaching in a university setting and teaching a new variety of English, English as a foreign language. It’s not possible to get foreign language teaching experience here. Time spent abroad and previous university teaching experience are both coveted skills that look great on a resume.”
JUNE 30
Researchers discover first prominent evidence that the ozone layer above Antarctica is “healing,” according to BBC News. The hole is 4 million square kilome-
JUNE 30
Two prominent press-freedom activists were released in Turkey on Thursday, while one still remain in prison. According to Reuters, their terrorism-related charges will not be dropped, despite global disapproval of the detention.
JULY 1
Eleven more foreigners linked to the deadly airport attack in Instanbul were imprisoned on Friday. Forty-four people were killed on Tuesday by three suicide bombers. A total of 24 people are detained. According to Turkish government officials, the three attackers were Russian, Uzbeck and Kyrgyz nationals.
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COVER
WINDS OF CHANGE
PORTLAND SEEKS A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF MIGRATION INFLUX CATHERINE JOHNSON
PHOTO CAPTION. PHOTOGRAPHER/PSU VANGUARD VIEW OF DOWNTOWN PORTLAND FROM PITTOCK MANSION. SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD Portland is already seeing an influx of new residents. But how much of this is due to climate change–related concerns, how many more people should the city expect, and is Portland prepared? These were the questions at the heart of the Winds of Change? symposium held at Ecotrust and hosted by Portland State’s Population Research Center, the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies and the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group on June 24. Lara Whitely Binder is a senior strategist at the Climate Impacts Group. She said that people have been increasingly starting to ask: Are we really going to get more climate refugees? It seemed to her and her colleagues that there was a lot of speculation and jumping to conclusions. They wanted to know if the research supported these claims, which is what led to the creation of this symposium. “We want people to walk away with a good understanding of what we currently know about migration and migration patterns, and also where does climate change start to come into this?” Binder said. “We’re not trying to answer these questions, we just want people to have a better foundational understanding.” PSU President Wim Wiewel introduced the event and referred to the many issues worldwide that lead to migration,
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like the refugee crisis, Britain exiting the European Union, and, of course, climate change. “There are real issues in this world that make people want to live in different places than where they are now and we can’t just say, ‘We’ve got ours,’ and close the door. That, to me, is the worst,” Wiewel said. “That doesn’t mean you open the doors wide. You’ve got to think about and plan for it, and that’s why this meeting is so important.” Wiewel said the issue of a growing city is increasingly on the mind of PSU administrators as they plan for the future, especially regarding housing and whether or not to build more housing projects. Since about one percent of the Portland population are students at PSU—a growing city translates into a growing school. Currently, the university has a plan to grow to 36,000 students from its current 29,000. But if it grows more than that they need to know so they can plan accordingly. “It matters to us every day at PSU,” Wiewel said. Nonetheless, reflecting on his experience in other cities like Chicago and Baltimore, Wiewel seemed to view growth as a good problem to have—as long as Portland can plan for it. “I tend to be quite a proponent of growth,” Wiewel said. “I feel it beats decline any day of the week.”
So how does Portland plan for this inevitable growth? Amy Snover, the assistant dean for the College of the Environment and director of the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington, said looking at the past for solutions is no longer sufficient in an era of climate change. She emphasized the need for new partnerships and new collaborations. “What we don’t know is how it’s all going to play out,” Snover said. “We don’t know the answers and we’re not exactly sure how to answer them yet, which is why we’ve brought together such an interesting mix of people who know about climate science and projecting population trends and economics.” The first speaker was Jose Miguel Guzman, a fellow with ICF International, and he highlighted the importance of adaptation. “People will have to adapt to climate change with the resources they have, with the options available to them,” Guzman said. One way that people do this is through migration as a survival strategy. Portland is considered a major destination for those fleeing the impact of climate change because of its water. With fires and droughts plaguing places like California, the water of the Pacific Northwest is a draw for many. But migration is based on a range of other economic, social, political and demographic factors too.
OPINION COVER
2014-2015 Portland Population Estimates 2015 POPULATION: 2,389,228 NEW RESIDENTS, 2014-15: 40,621 DOMESTIC MIGRANTS (MOVED FROM ELSEWHERE IN US): 21,479 INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS: 6,423 NATURAL INCREASE (BIRTHS MINUS DEATHS): 11,405 GROWTH RATE SINCE 2014: 1.72% GROWTH RATE SINCE 2010: 7.02% SOURCE: US CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES FOR JULY 1, 2015, RELEASED MARCH 24, 2016.
“Migration is a mirror. When you study migration, you study everything.” -DAVID PLANE One way to prepare for the influx of people coming to Portland is to know who they are and where they’re coming from. David Plane, a professor at the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona, said there is no single migrant identity. It’s complex. He compared migration researchers to tornado chasers. “Migration is a mirror. When you study migration, you study everything,” Plane said. Robert McLeman, an associate professor in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, echoed this sentiment. He said there is no average migrant and that most migrants move within their own countries, not between them. Understanding where people are coming from and why will help Portland prepare. While this is a daunting task, McLeman said he resisted having an alarmist attitude, though it’s essential that we make plans. “Let’s not ignore migration. It’s not going to go away,” McLeman said. Guzman also offered optimism. While he acknowledged that the poorest people will suffer disproportionately, he was hopeful about the new data and technology that is now available, and glad that people are more educated. “This topic is extremely important, extremely timely, it fits with what Portland is about, it certainly fits with our motto of ‘let knowledge serve the city,’” Wiewel said. “Let us figure out how we can continue to create great places for everyone.”
ILLUSTRATION BY AARON OSBORN
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ARTS & CULTURE
FIDELITY MEETS FREEDOM
CHAMBER MUSIC NORTHWEST ROCKS LINCOLN HALL THOMAS SPOELHOF
Mentioning the term “chamber music” among the uninitiated inevitably connotes images of lulling instrumental music heard countless times while waiting in elevators. In reality, chamber music is among the most stunning of musical performance styles. By definition, chamber music is performed by a small ensemble of musicians, typically stringed, each individually responsible for their instrument’s part. When performed well the resulting sound is awesome. Chamber Music Northwest awed concertgoers June 28 inside Lincoln Performance Hall presenting their prelude show to this year’s five-week Summer Festival, running now through July 31. House attendance was full for the concert, billed “A Trio of Trios.” Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart were represented under the
artistic direction of David Shifrin, with Ida Kavafian on violin, Steven Tenenbom on viola and Cello Hall of Fame inductee Peter Wiley rounding out the trio. The musicians delivered a razorsharp rendition of classical standards colored with liberty and inventiveness. Shifrin and Wiley led a discussion with fans before the concert, answering questions and entertaining participants, but the meeting was really a chance for fans to listen in on a conversation between two genuine master musicians discussing their craft. The two commented on the challenges of interpreting musical standards that have stood for centuries while embracing the freedom of transcending rules. “We think about a written language, like Chinese, where the same characters in the same languag e can be unrecognizable from one
dialect to another,” Shifrin said. “And I was just thinking about how the same page of music can be interpreted so differently from one musician to the next.” Under Shifrin’s direction, CMNW’s Summer Festival this year dedicates itself to finding the original in the familiar. The prelude concert focused on the five string trios Beethoven wrote before composing quartets and seeks to explore the possibilities of individualism while remaining true to the compositions. Wiley discussed the dichotomy of literal musical interpretation and liberal improvisation. He then waxed on his own process of interpretation. “As a musician develops, we learn more and more about freedom in music and we hope to get further and further away from the sort of strictness of it all, Wiley said
“I mean, I’m at the point in my life, knock on wood, when I will let my music make me more and more free. When I decide that it’s musically right to be strict, then I’m going to be strict.” The strictness of interpretation is among the most suspect of concepts when one considers two performances of the same piece will never be exactly the same. Performers try their best to stay true to what the composer wrote and to make the work brighter and more beautiful than even the composer ever imagined. None have been more influential in this respect than Beethoven. The pivotal genius of Beethoven and his influential reach provide the basis for CMNW’s entire summer performance series this year. The Lincoln Hall show, in particular, focused on the similar trio notation of Haydn and Mozart and sub-
sequent composers Schubert, Mendelssohn and Brahms. “The challenge of presenting Beethoven’s music in context of our festival was to try to show a clear picture of the breadth and progression of his work, his inspirations and the work of those he influenced,” Shifrin said. Violinist Ida Kavafian described Beethoven’s string trio as having a raw, honest, and challenging performance style, due in no small part to the individual responsibility of each player. In such close company and in such intimate venues, there is no room for a musician to make mistakes. “String trios in general are particularly challenging, as the works are so difficult and the genre is so exposed,” Kavafian said. “In my case, I am playing a work of early Beethoven, which means that he was not yet suffering with the hearing loss that
so affected his future works. Emotionally, the D major string trio is perhaps not as complex as some of his later works but it is technically incredibly challenging.” Despite the sophistication of the work, few young people outwardly express appreciation for Beethoven today, much less live performances of a chamber trio. There is a group that appreciates Beethoven because they can appreciate his music, and then there is a smaller set that can appreciate how complex and truly brilliant the compositions are. Only a few can understand and appreciate the deliberation in his work. When the brilliance in Beethoven’s work is ascertained, the master-level status allows for inventive interpretation. Chamber Music Northwest brought master-level interpretation to Lincoln Hall for their concert.
CHAMBER MUSIC NORTHWEST’S TRIO OF TRIOS AWED CONCERTGOERS AT LINCOLN HALL PERFORMANCE CENTER ON JUNE 28. COURTESY OF TOM EMERSON/PSU VANGUARD
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ADVICE
SUBPAR ADVICE FROM THE SUB-BASEMENT HAIRY, ENGAGED AND ESTRANGED JOHN PINNEY
ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART
Hairy Situation writes: I am a 32-year-old owner of a small company with a handful of employees. One of my employees, “Laura,” wears her hair in an extremely tight ponytail every day. I have noticed that Laura has a significantly receding hairline and thinning hair around her face, probably due to traction alopecia, a condition where hair loss is caused by overly tight hairstyles. If traction persists, the hair loss can be permanent, but it can also be halted or reversed in early stages by changing hairstyles. Many women are not aware that hair loss can be caused by tight hairstyles, and I believe that Laura may not have this information. Is there a tactful way I can share it with her?
Heya Hairy, I’m not sure if your laser focus on one of your employee’s hair care is creepy or a symptom of small office boredom, but I’m gonna be completely honest with you because I feel like we’re that close. You seem like you’re about two steps away from pulling a full Hannibal Lecter and I, for one, am not digging that scalping vibe. Why do you care if one of your employees goes bald? Vain much? Or are you projecting? Honestly, it’s kind of weaksauce if this is the most crucial thing happening in your business right now. Do you sell shampoo like that late night stuff I see made out of bee honey? I can’t imagine why you feel the need to single out this one employee unless you’re selling a shampoo
mixture that is a hybrid of Lisa Frank dreams, Randian theology and the chorus of Mr. Roboto mixed all into one. Your only tactful way to “share” is to confess that you’ve been a legit creeper and hope that there’s nobody “Laura” can report you to in one of those business bureau things. Good luck with that! Laura, if you’re reading, your boss is a creeper. I’d at least change addresses. Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru *** Estranged and Happy Writes: Any suggestions on how to tell my mother that I do not want her at my wedding? She has been a mean and manip-
ulative alcoholic my entire life. I finally stopped talking to her about two years ago after she caused serious legal troubles for my sister. Around the same time, I graduated with my master’s degree, and she didn’t show up to the ceremony because she was too busy at an AA meeting. She emails me once in a while to say she loves me and it breaks my heart, but I don’t want to risk inviting her and have her not show up. Or else she shows up and gets drunk and vicious. She has never been able to act right at major functions. She has not given me any reason to believe that she has been sober nor stayed sober. Please help! I haven’t even told her that I’m engaged.
Greetings Estranged, I have taken the liberty of writing you a form letter you can send to your mother. Tell me if this helps at all. Or don’t, I don’t care. I’m not your mom. “Dear ____, Please be informed that I, your undersigned daughter (signs name here), am getting married but I don’t want you within 500 feet of the wedding. I have hired bodyguards and they have explicit instructions to pepper spray and mace on sight. We have made sure to have mock-ups of you made in various hair styles and colors, so don’t try anything. You are being watched. Sincerely, Your Ex-Daughter ___”
How does that look to you? Does it seem formal and cold enough? If your mom is too busy for your master’s graduation, why do you assume she’d even show up or wants to show up at all? Were you that great a kid, honestly? I’m just saying that none of us are perfect and even if your mom is really screwed up (she sounds it!), your creepy uncle Greg is probably going to do the worm at your wedding and that’s also going to ruin it. Not psychic! I just know how weddings work. Instead of being whiny, tell your mom you’re not interested in her drama and it’s your day. Or send the form letter. Whatever works best for you. Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru
PSU Vanguard •JULY 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com
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OPINION
TRIGGER WARNINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND Peripheral Views Randee-Jo Barcinas-Manglona
ILLUSTRATION BY ELISE FURLAN
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PSU Vanguard • JULY 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com
College isn’t so bad these days. I remember being terrified after hearing about it from my high school teachers and older relatives. “There is no second chance if you miss assignments,” they said. “Professors don’t care,” they said. After attending college for two years, I’m now realizing that I was terrified for nothing. Don’t get me wrong; there are a few professors I would never take a course from ever again. But honestly, professors are pretty lenient nowadays. If anything, they treat us like kids. I don’t blame them. As college students, we expect a lot from our professors. They shouldn’t give us too many assignments. They should always cancel class. Why do they talk so much? Can we just watch films every class? If you’re a college student, you’re probably guilty of at least one of these expectations. I know I am. One big expectation is the integration of trigger warnings in the classroom. The idea of trigger warnings is simple—they inform students that the classroom material can possibly cause an emotional reaction. There is nothing wrong with this: A war veteran or rape victim should be able to know whether a class material is safe for them or not. However, trigger warnings are getting out of hand. More and more college students expect trigger warnings for almost everything. Classic novels like Mrs. Dalloway and The Great Gatsby have already been requested by students to need trigger warnings. They have been taught in the classroom for many years. It is only recently students have had a problem with them. But what are we learning if we expect censorship for materials that are meant to teach us something? Why do we need professors if we are the ones choosing what we want to learn? While I completely agree that sometimes topics are more offensive than educational and therefore should not be discussed, I do believe that expecting trigger warnings for almost everything denies our right to have quality education. College students are supposed to be challenged. After all, how are we supposed to be the future leaders of this country if we can’t learn to engage in topics that make us feel uncomfortable? Any time we tell a professor what can’t be discussed, we are denying ourselves the opportunity for academic freedom. This is not to say students have no right to feel a certain way when it comes to sensitive topics, but my professors always made sure to inform us that we could talk to them individually if we needed special accommodations or had any concerns. And that’s perfectly okay for us to do. What’s not okay is to expect them to refrain from teaching something that simply “bothers” us. We need to be bothered. That’s how we change the world. We need to recognize a problem, notice that it bothers us and do something about it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned thus far, it’s that college is not supposed to be comfortable. We don’t pay so much just to remain in our comfort zones. Our professors know that. They get paid to help us reach our full potential. The next time you stumble upon classroom material that makes you feel uncomfortable, thank your professors. Don’t start a protest.
OPINION
ISLAMOPHOBIA NEEDS TO STOP All That Isn’t Jennee Martinez
ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK I have yet to stop learning while being in college. I guess they’re telling the truth when they say that college is full of continuous, enlightening information that keeps coming despite the lack of sleep and constant mental breakdowns that learning entails. However, I’m sick of being taught that Muslims are murderers. I was too young to remember exactly what followed after 9/11, and although I’ve grown up in a post-9/11 world where the idea that airport security means madness and deportation is actually taken seriously, I was too young to understand the politicians and I was too naive to comprehend messages from the media. I’m old enough now though, and if this post-9/11 world has taught me anything, it has taught me to hate. Or it’s tried to anyway. Politicians (this term should be used loosely in this case) such as Donald Trump have instilled fear into our country. We have been taught to fear anyone different, anyone foreign, anyone who has a darker skin tone than us. And above all else, we have been taught to fear Muslims. Even worse, we have been taught to hate them.
Nobody wants to talk about the two white male shooters who shot 12 students and one teacher in 1999 at Columbine High School. Or the 23-year-old from South Korea who killed 32 people. You never hear people talk about Adam Lanza, another white male who slaughtered 30 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary. Nobody even specifically targets the white man responsible for the Aurora theater shooting that injured 70 and killed 12. The Charleston church shooter, who was responsible for the deaths of 12 people and is suspected to be a white supremacist, hasn’t been spoken of after the attacks, either. I find it strange that these men who were all responsible for murder haven’t caused problems for their entire race. After these massacres, we hated the shooter. We hated the person. We hated the individual. We didn’t hate all white people. We didn’t blame their entire race or religion. Somehow, after the Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub left 49 dead, we have begun to blame all Muslims for the actions of one man. It’s like we have been convinced that all Muslims are murderers. And now, we have been taught to fear them. We have been taught not to trust them.
In turn, we’ve been influenced to hurt them. Maybe not physically and maybe not visibly, but our actions, our opinions and our discrimination is going to hurt the group being punished because of the actions of one man. We need to realize before our stereotypes begin changing our perceptions: Muslims are not murderers. They are not trained to kill, they are not taught to hate and their religion does not preach violence. Humans are murderers. That means that we cannot treat Muslims differently because of who we think they will be and what we think they will do. We cannot condemn everyone. I have little faith that things will change or return back to the “good ol’ days” before the terrorist attacks in 2001. I doubt that politicians will stop leading their people using fear tactics. And I have little hope that bigotry and discrimination will come to an end. We must learn to accept, we must learn to understand and we must learn not to blame. Pointing fingers will get us nowhere. So no, Muslims are no more destined to be murderers than the rest of us.
PSU Vanguard •JULY 5, 2016 • psuvanguard.com
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ETCETERA
COMIC
TOTALLY LEGIT HOROSCOPES Aries (March 21—April 19)
Travel is in the stars for you this week, but it’s likely that travel is coming to an end. Get close with family and friends and find an appreciation for home. If you still want to get out of town, remember travel is one of the best ways to find gratitude for what you already have.
Taurus (April 20—May 20)
You’re both the most hard working and the laziest in the zodiac. Personal dilemmas have been holding you back lately but it’s time to get back on track. Focus your energy on where your deepest desire lies. Use your creativity to turn them into a reality.
Gemini (May 21—June 20)
Watch out for the explode-y things, srsly. You know how you get around fire and loud noises, you run and hide like a dog. It was all well and good yesterday, but the Fourth is over. It’s time to play with the adults now and keep your fingers intact.
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Cancer (June 21—July 22)
It’s your birthday month, Cancer! Suck it! Suck it, bitches. Stop wasting time and worrying about the little things, it’s your time to shine! Things will fall into place soon, just focus and treat yourself this month. #treatyoself2016
Vanguard Staff Libra (Sept. 23—Oct. 22)
La-di-da, Mr. French Man. You sure like to party this week, Libra. Just don’t cause no trouble and don’t hurt nobody.
Scorpio (Oct. 23—Nov. 21)
Slow your roll, Leo. We all know you love to take charge, but really now, cool it. Your month is coming up soon, but until then go enjoy that summer sun.
Listen to your inner goddess this week, Scorps, and scope out some new possibilities. Take up a pottery class perhaps, or maybe that cooking class you’ve been eyeing. Your stubborn self could use a break from the daily grind. The worst of it’s behind you. Or is it…?
Virgo (August 23—Sept. 22)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22—Dec. 21)
Leo (July 24—August 22)
Use those organizational skills to network and dream up your upcoming future. Also look for some like-minded people this week, and grow confidence in your way of doing things. In love: open your eyes, dumbass. The person with their sights on you is likely not the person you have been pining after.
PSU VANGUARD • JULY 5, 2016 • PSUVANGUARD.COM
You’re a born leader, Sag. Don’t listen to what others say. Despite your paranoia that you’re being followed by the FBI or CIA, let your confidence guide you through this week’s mayhem at work. (Your office romance isn’t helping).
Capricorn (Dec. 22—Jan 19)
Things might be feeling a little off for you. Summer isn’t your time, really. We know you’re not used to that bright thing in the sky shining down on you. Try not to feel too bad about it; laziness is in your alignment.
Aquarius (Jan. 20—Feb. 18)
Everything is in flux. But not as bad as that Charlize Theron flop, Aeon Flux. Keep your mind open to sudden and seismic changes ya ninja, and maybe all will turn out for the better. If not, well, sorry, it’s a planetary thing. Blame Uranus.
Pisces (Feb. 19—March 20)
Time to get married! Or at least find someone who appreciates your caring and devotion. Jump in the Sandy river and start swimming. Maybe it’s time to see Finding Dory and just keep swimming, ya dingus.
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initially without obligation to buy (2,5)
16 Some tea? Be mother and state it smells nice (9)
ACROSS 1 Church woman gets to importune for payment with help (5,6)
25 Fate thus left Austria in recession (7)
18 He used canvas to depict an angel (7)
26 Woman’s not paid right off (6,5)
19 European agreement set back leading plant disease (3-4)
10 Sign of cross mostly represented holy love (7) 11 Recalling some prior territory? (5) 12 Tense mob set on rioting in US city (9) 14 Prisoner, a fraudster, against study (3) 15 Climber finds, for example, Cheshire pine around lake (6,5) 17 Shortening a game entailed amateur dropping out (11) 19 ’Arry’s condition for mischievous sort (3) 20 They may keep spirits on the move (3,6) 22 Performing poetry at first in theatre (5) 23 Ordered a porno pic,
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3 Even so, music group’s unable to do anything without record (11) 4 High places sometimes associated with a daisy? (3)
SOLUTION TO LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE
5 Ancient Greeks suppressing rising trouble for ages (5) 6 Go down and see academic with degree (7) 7 Harm orchard, circulating poisonous gas above (10,3) 8 Frequently found in extremely deep lake (13) 13 Bed of shellfish (clams) uses surprisingly low pressure (6-5)
• PSUVANGUARD.COM • PSUVANGUARD.COM PSU VANGUARD • JULY JUNE528, 2016 2016
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