PSU Vanguard by Portland State Vanguard

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 71 • ISSUE 3 • JULY 12, 2016

‘THIS CAN’T BE JUSTICE ’ P.4 BUDGET CUTS TARGET HIV CARE... P.6 PSU SENIOR SHARES REPORTING LIVE EXPERIENCE... P.10 PSU.TV UNVEILS DEBUT ANNUAL FILM PROJECT ‘RETRO HERO’... P.12 NEW ‘GHOSTBUSTERS’ WOES ARE OVERRATED...

Swimming in homework? No worries, we got you, boo. The Vanguard will also be here all freaking summer.

psuvanguard.com @psuvanguard

NEWS INTERNATIONAL COVER ARTS & CULTURE OPINION CALENDAR & HOROSCOPE ETC

4 6 8 10 12 14 16

COVER BY HUNTER SHARP. PROTESTERS CONFRONTED WITH RIOT COPS RAISE HANDS IN SOLIDARITY.

BYSTANDER IN THE CROWD PHOTOGRAPHING A PROTESTER’S SIGN.

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 Jeoffry Ray editor@psuvanguard.com

SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD

MANAGING EDITOR Molly Ozier managingeditor@psuvanguard.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Jon Raby associatenews@psuvanguard.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Stuart Neuberger neub@pdx.edu

NEWS EDITOR Jessica Pollard news@psuvanguard.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Hunter Sharp 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 Rachel Goldstein Aaron Osborn CONTRIBUTORS Emily Barnes Catherine Johnson Ryan Morse

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.

Correction: In our July 5 print edition, a photo by Vanguard photographer Kyle Charlson (pg. 7) was misattributed to unaffiliated photographer Jessica Patching-Bunch (pg. 8) and vice versa.

NEWS

BUDGET CUTS AFFECT OREGONIANS COPING WITH HIV/AIDS JON RABY

Effective July 1, the Oregon Health Authority cut approximately $100,000 of grant funding for the Cascade AIDS Project’s education and outreach budget for insurance enrollment. The OHA is an umbrella organization for the state of Oregon focused on meeting and improving the health care needs of Oregonians. Services such as education, coping methods, insurance guidance, job and housing placement as well as STI testing are among the services CAP provides. These services are made available to students through Portland State. The organization is also listed on the Queer Resource Center community resource page. “When we have a true positive [HIV test], not the preliminary positive from the rapid test but the full-on blood test, a CAP person will often come down to [the Center for Student Health and Counciling] and meet with the student, discuss treatment and work on strategies to get anti-retrovirals paid for [or] covered,” said Nick Walden Poublan, student insurance advisor at PSU. The cut to CAP resulted in two employee layoffs and the dismantling of their outreach and insurance guidance program. “We are looking at our own budget to cover one of those positions,” said Peter Parisot, director of strategic development and communications

at CAP. “We’re committed to making that happen.” Compared to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s $6 million annual budget this amount is small, but what underlies it is the loss of culturally competent guidance for people coping with HIV from precontraction to treatment. Last year, CAP surpassed an enrollment goal set by OHA by 58 percent, according to a press release from the organization. According to Parisot, the cut came without warning or explanation, which suggests a lack of transparency within OHA. Through the Oregon Health Plan, OHA provides insurance to HIV/AIDS patients. The OHA website is expansive and the home page lacks links to resources for insurance guidance for those coping with the infection. A Vanguard reporter attempted to be directed by the OHA to proper services by telephone conversation, and found the state organization offered only general information. OHA transferred the caller to another branch of the agency multiple times, and finally to a nonprofit outside OHA. The reporter identified himself as a sexually active gay male looking to find the right health plan for testing, preventive medications, and in the worst case scenario, treatment, and was specific in asking for help in guiding him through the process because insurance can be complicated and HIV is a

PSU Vanguard • JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

life-threatening infection. Insurance companies often use a tier system in which more expensive and rare drugs, like those used for HIV treatment, are on a higher tier and only covered under specific plans. This includes preemptive transmission defensive drugs called Pre–Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP. Truvada is a PrEP drug and can be used for both HIV treatment and prevention. Parisot estimates the cost of Truvada is between $1,500 and $2,500 per month. According to the AIDS.gov website, gay and bisexual men of all races are both the most severely affected by and at risk for HIV. HIV treatment today is much different than it was 10 years ago. With proper medication infected persons can keep their CD4 cells high enough and viral levels low enough to virtually keep the virus from being transmitted and to live a functional, healthy life. CD4 cells, often called T-cells, are a type of white blood cell that help protect the body from infection. “For people living with HIV and other chronic diseases [insurance guidance] is especially important because not all insurance plans are created equal,” Parisot said. “You need to find something that covers your HIV medicines at a reasonable price,” Almost 275 people are diagnosed with HIV in Oregon each year, according to CAP.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY AARON OSBORN

NEWS

PSU GRADUATE PROGRAMS RECEIVE NOTABLE RATINGS FROM COLLEGE WEBSITE EMILY BARNES

Two graduate programs at Portland State were nationally rated by SR Education Group, an organization aimed at helping prospective students find the right college and some of the top graduate programs in the country. The ratings, for the Master of Social Work and the Master of Public Policy programs, were based solely on alumni and student respondents. Though the national recognition that SR Education’s ratings provide may have a positive influence on the university, the ratings are only based on nine student respondents for the School of Social Work and six student respondents for the public policy program. The School of Social Work ranked 17 out of 50 top graduate schools, while the public policy program ranked 18 out of 25. Harvard University was number 1. Each university’s ranking was based on seven catego-

ries rated on a five-star scale: campus safety, career advising, quality of instruction, student diversity, networking opportunities, student financial services and satisfaction with degree. PSU’s Master of Social Work was rated 4.14 in satisfaction and had the highest individual rates between quality of instruction, student diversity and satisfaction with degree. The Master of Public Policy was rated 3.9 in satisfaction where career advising, networking opportunities and satisfaction with degree rated the highest. Both programs had a 100 percent recommendation rate. Sarah Bradley, MSW program director in the School of Social Work at PSU, praised her program’s faculty as one of the pillars that makes this program excel saying that their strong research and work in the field directly reflects on the classroom.

CRIME BLOTTER

“Overall, I thought it was an incredible education,” stated Eric Lawson, who just graduated from the MSW program. “I think the School of Social Work needs to set up some sort of class or seminar on dealing with triggers,” Lawson added “There is a lot of pain that people go through in the program and I think having some sort of training on how to communicate that would help.” This past spring, the School of Social Work also nationally ranked among the top 25 percent of social work programs by the U.S. News & World Report based on information they collect from other social work programs in the U.S. The MPP was launched in January 2015 but is a rapidly growing program. A benefit of this, as one student reviewer in the program wrote in SR Education Group’s report, is that because “[the program] is so new, those who are enrolled have a lot of feedback

involved in shaping the academic process.” Because of the low number of respondents and the survey model taking data only from those who choose to speak up, this one survey cannot prove to be an overall portrayal of the top graduate universities. It does, however, provide a national platform for PSU to advertise to prospective students. According to Taitum Ridgway, a SR Education Group representative, PSU’s 4.14 student satisfaction rating in the MSW program and 3.9 satisfaction rating in the MPP program both with 100 percent recommendation

June 30–July 4

June 30 Women-Only Swim Academic & Student Rec Center pool Officer David Troppe was dispatched on a call regarding a possible student misconduct case at the ASRC pool. A staff member explained that he received complaints from students and lifeguards that two men walked through the women’s locker rooms to the pool during a women-only swim period. The males stated that they identified as female and continued to use the pool. Because there is no issue with people self-identifying as female, they would have been welcome to participate in the women-only swim. However, the complaint arose when someone overheard them laughing and telling a group of people that they “got away with it.” Staff requested that officers attempt to locate video from the ASRC of the two men in an attempt to identify them, but a review of the video was unable to provide any further information.

rates are impressive, regardless of the limited number of responses. “Of course additional reviews would improve our ability to accurately reflect overall student opinion,” he said. “We’re continually striving to collect more reviews so that future rankings may benefit prospective students even more. “One reason for a low number of respondents could be that students and alumni are often not aware of just how impactful their experience and insight could be.” His organization puts more value on first-hand experiences than on brochures, school visits or faculty testimony.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK Ridgway encouraged students to fill out these surveys in order to increase accuracy of the ratings and to provide insight for prospective students. A survey out of University of California, Los Angeles, in 2010 revealed that college rankings, particularly out of magazines, are the 11th most prominent deciding factor in where a student decides to go to college for undergraduate studies. It stood below financial aid prospects, campus visits and cost of attendance, among other factors.

EMILY BARNES

Invasion of privacy Cramer Hall Officers responded to a report of a male pointing a camcorder under a female’s skirt. The incident was reported by a witness, and a victim has yet to be identified or located. The perpetrator is described as a white male, approximately 35–40 years old, 6 feet or taller and a skinny build with sandy blonde hair. His attire was described as blue jeans, a tan sweatshirt and sneakers.

to kill him. Spry then smashed his right passenger mirror with the knife and turned away to walk toward Dominos. The professor then exited his car. When Spry noticed this, he turned back and began chasing the professor with his knife raised in the air. The professor got back into his car and Spry proceeded to Dominos again where he demanded that the order he placed earlier be expedited. Spry then flashed his knife again, threatening the staff before leaving with his pizza. He was arrested by PPB and Officer Gary Fischer issued him a new PSU exclusion for the incident.

July 2 Portland Police Bureau arrest Art Building An art department professor was exiting the building when he noticed Gary Anderson Spry sitting in the parking lot drinking box wine. When the professor declined Spry’s offer of a drink, Spry became upset. He had a knife on the ground by the professor’s car, but the professor kicked it away. He sat in his car when Spry began threatening

July 4 Missing person report Officer David Baker was dispatched on a missing person report of an international student who is in the country as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. There is currently no information to indicate that the student is an endangered person. Still, the Department of State was contacted in order to notify family members. An investigation is ongoing.

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE INTERNATIONAL

CAPSTONE CONNECTS THE LOCAL TO THE WORLD SERINA HERSEY University Studies, the general education program at Portland State, requires that students choose a senior capstone to fulfill the requirement. The Reporting Live capstone is a unique international program that virtually bridges Oregon middle schoolers to college juniors and seniors studying abroad, connecting middle school curriculum to PSU students’ academic global experience. The program was started in fall 2011 by Katherine Kangas, who is the capstone instructor as well. Typically, the classes are pulled from Portland Public Schools, and Kangas will reach out to to the teachers at PPS. According to the website, the program is “grounded in peace journalism and intercultural competence theory.” Students update a blog weekly for their middle school students back in Portland. These blog posts are then tied into the middle school classroom curriculum, incorporating themes that are studied in class. “There is a lot of flexibility and individuality and creativity when the student is creating her blog,” said Alyse Collins, Education Abroad advisor at PSU. “At the same time, students will probably reach out to the Portland public classroom teacher, and find out what the curriculum is like this year or what [the teacher] wants to see on the blog. Maybe [the teachers] want to work on a certain kind of theme: world history, environment or whatever they may be focusing on in their own curriculum. When they’re doing those blog postings, they’re trying to keep that in mind.” Capstone students engage with their middle school partners in an ongoing discussion about one another’s experiences. Some Reporting Live students skype their middle schoolers back home, where they can pose questions about the country. Blog posts include journals, interviews and videos. Some Reporting Live students interview other middle

schoolers from the country they are abroad in, and Portland middle schoolers are able to ask questions and learn about children their age that are part of an entirely different culture. “Students have told me that when they are doing the Reporting Live capstone blogs, it has been very helpful to them because it pushes them to think more creatively,” Collins said. “Also it pushes them to think about, ‘What do these kids back home want to learn about this?’ Maybe they have culture shock and want to stay home for the weekend; however, this motivates them to go outside and be like, ‘I have to go to that festival because the kids are going to love that.’” About 15 to 16 students choose the capstone per term, which is offered in the fall and spring. This capstone is available to most students with 90 credits or more, except honors, business and engineering majors. Students usually take the six capstone credits on top of their academic or internship credits they are earning abroad. Students are enrolled in a D2L course online and are able to communicate with each other and share their blogs and experiences as well. “These kids are learning about geography, current events, history, politics, and they’re getting the opportunity to think about things in a different way,” Collins said. “They have a college student who is mentoring them.” The Vanguard interviewed Nora Fatland, a Reporting Live capstone student who was recently featured in the Portland Tribune, to hear about her study abroad experience in Chile.

lust in my blood and have done quite a bit of travel in the U.S. and some in Latin America as well. I’m married and my husband is also a bit of a traveler, so we’re a good match. VG: What made you choose the Reporting Live capstone over the other capstones? What about this capstone stands out? NF: I chose this capstone specifically because of the opportunity to work with students in the Portland area and their ability to enhance my experience abroad. What I mean by this is that by writing my entries and reading/answering questions I can process some of these experiences in a different way and get a different perspective. Plus, I will always have the blog to look back at. I can’t remem-

ber how I stumbled across this capstone but as soon as I read the description I knew it would be a perfect fit. VG: What has been your most memorable experience so far? NF: Most memorable experiences have been attending student protests and getting to see the power of student mobilization. Another good one is discovering the underground techno scene here in Valpo and making friends with all the people in the scene. It’s still a very new music scene here so there are only several clubs that hold these shows and a lot of the time you see the same people at these shows and bond over the music. It’s interesting because Chileans are really willing to bridge the language gap and I’ve made some great friends from this.

VG: Why do you recommend studying abroad to other PSU students? NF: Studying abroad is incredibly important even if you’re not a language student. Getting a different perspective on the world is an important part of what it means to be human. In the capstone, our professor, Kate Kangas, made us really reflect on things that we found “weird” about our country and why it made us feel like that. When you’re forced to examine culture and customs, both your home country and your host country, you’re allowing yourself to understand people’s differences a little better and that none of it is really that weird at all. The other thing is I believe learn-

ing another language is an incredibly important skill to have and immersion is proven to work. VG: What country would you like to go next and why? NF: I definitely want to explore more of South America, maybe Peru or Bolivia. I’ve heard good things from fellow travelers about both places. One friend studied in Peru and loved it, and I would love to see what she saw. Another traveler friend gushes about Bolivian food. I’ll definitely be back to Chile again too. I’ve really fallen in love with this country. For the steps on how to apply for the program, visit pdx. edu/capstone-reportinglive/ home.

Vanguard: Tell me a little about yourself (your major, year, hometown and so on). Nora Fatland: Right now I’m a junior in the world language department studying Spanish. I should be wrapping up my degree at the end of the upcoming school year. I’m from Boise, Idaho, and my parents are from South Dakota and Chicago and met in Arizona, so I’ve got wander-

PSU Vanguard • JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

NORA FATLAND SHARES HER EXPERIENCE ABROAD WITH HER MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASS.

COURTESY OF NORA FATLAND.

ARTS INTERNATIONAL & CULTURE COVER

‘THIS CAN’T BE JUSTICE ’ JESSICA POLLARD & SERINA HERSEY

additional reporting by

ANDY NGO

“THIS IS BEAUTIFUL CHAOS,” SAID ALYSSA PAGAN, PSU ALUMN. “I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR POWER.” SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

COVER DALLAS POLICE MURDERS

Thursday, July 7, the day was beginning to fade, but for the Portlanders involved in the anti-police brutality protest organized by Don’t Shoot Portland, it had only just started. “How many more victims do we need?” Don’t Shoot Portland organizer Teressa Raiford asked a crowd of hundreds outside the downtown Apple Store, partway into the action.

RECENT VICTIMS SPARKS PROTEST

This year, the U.S. is over halfway to breaking triple digits in terms of policerelated deaths. Alton Sterling, according to the Guardian, was the 558th person to die at the hands of U.S. law enforcement in 2016. Sterling, 37 and African-American, was shot by police on July 5 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following an anonymous call to police that he’d shown a firearm. The full account of the killing is still being established, and involved officers are on administrative leave, according to CNN. Just a day later, Philando Castile, 32 and also AfricanAmerican, was shot four PROTESTERS HOLD DON’T SHOOT PDX BANNER IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND. SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD times after being pulled over for a broken tail light in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. He died in It is estimated that black Americans are 2.5 times more a local hospital. In response to both deaths, Portlanders congre- likely to get killed by the police, according to the Washington gated in Pioneer Square to participate in a peaceful protest or- Post. The same amount of white and black unarmed Americans ganized by Don’t Shoot PDX, an activist community that grew have been killed by the police, analysts say, but the overall popout of the events that took place in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. ulation of white Americans is five times larger.

7:24pm

7:00pm 8

MARCH TO THE JUSTICE CENTER

9:08pm

CONGREGATE AT PIONEER

“ I practice peace, but I’m prepared for war.” –BLACK PANTHER SPEAKER

PSU Vanguard • JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

The same night of the protest, former army veteran Micah Xavier Johnson used an AR-15 style rifle, according to Mirror, to “carry out a coordinated ambush” targeting white police officers at a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas, Texas. The attack left five police officers and Johnson dead. After an “intense firefight,” Johnson was blown up by a robot bomb. The officers killed were Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens (48), officer Michael Krol (40), Sergeant Michael J. Smith (55), officer Patrick Zamarripa and Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer Brent Thompson. “We’re sworn to protect you and your right to protest, and we’ll give our lives for it,” Dallas Police Chief David Brown told CNN Sunday. “And it’s sort of like being in a relationship where you love that person, but that person can’t express or show you love back,” he said. “I don’t know if you’ve been in a relationship like that before, Jake, but that’s a tough relationship to be in, where we show our love...there’s no greater love than to give your life for someone, and that’s what we’re continuing to be willing to do.” President Barack Obama also spoke of the recent tragedy in a NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland. “The demented individual who carried out these attacks in Dallas, he’s no more representative of African-Americans than the shooter in Charlestown was representative of white

“I AM A REVOLUTIONARY.” –LEAD SPEAKER

LAND AT YAMHILL & 6TH

“ What we need is for the Police Department to stop acting like gang members.” –PROTESTER/SPEAKER

OPINION COVER Americans or the shooters in Orlando or San Bernardino were representative of Muslim Americans... They don’t speak for us, that’s not who we are,” Obama said. Obama still hopes to pass tighter gun laws, despite Congress rejecting access. “I firmly believe that America is not as divided as some have suggested,” he said. “Americans of all races and all MICHAEL STRICKLAND’S MUGSHOT. backgrounds are rightly outCOURTESY OF THE PORTLAND POLICE raged by the inexcusable attacks on police, whether it’s in Dallas or any place else. That includes protesters. It includes family members who have grave concerns about police conduct, and they have said that this is unacceptable.”

HUNDREDS HIT THE STREETS

The rally initiated at Pioneer Square, where multiple people spoke to the crowd. One participant told the crowd, “At the end of the day it’s going to be you against them. I’m not coming out here for the rally. When we move with the Panthers, trust me, when you see me move, I’m moving in violence. I’m moving in retribution for my ancestors.” He ended his speech with, “Good thing we didn’t turn the tables yet or I’ll lynch you motherfuckers.” One young speaker addressed the fact that even children were victims, referring to the Tamir Rice case, where Rice was shot when police mistook a pellet gun for a real one. Another participant in a camo jacket, a significant influence throughout the march, said to “put your phones down,” emphasizing that taking videos, social media and virtual communication was not enough, and that there needs to be more action. “Stop filming. Give somebody else your phone. It [police violence] has to stop,” he said. There were enough attendees to fill an entire city block, sidewalk to sidewalk. From Pioneer Square, marchers headed to the Justice Center. Together, protesters chanted “I am a revolutionary!” and even referenced singer James Brown’s “Say It Loud—I’m

Black and I’m Proud.” Protesters repeatedly called for newly appointed Police Chief Mike Marshman to come outside and speak. He did not show.

MAN PULLS GUN

It was there, as different activists took turns speaking to the large crowd, that Michael Strickland—a notorious Laughing at Liberals contributor—pulled out a handgun. Several participants in the demonstration ran off the scene, many visibly shaken. Strickland was arrested by Portland Police during the protest in front of the Justice Center. He has since been charged with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon after initial charges of menacing and disorderly conduct. From there, the group headed outside the Apple Store, where, Raiford and others spoke. Former Portland State student Alyssa Pagan, took time to recite the names of both Sterling and Castile four times each. “This is beautiful chaos,” Pagan said, noting that demonstrations weren’t the be-all and end-all of instigating change. “I want people to be able to see their power.” Shortly after, protesters headed down Southwest Fourth Street in a silent march. Some held candles—presumably in memorial—while standing in silence outside the courthouse,

MOTHER SHOWS SOLIDARITY WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT. SERINA HERSEY/ PSU VANGUARD

“ Hey hey, ho ho, these racist cops have got to go,” participants said, and silence ends with dancing and chanting at Wells Fargo bank.

9:48pm

ANONYMOUS PROTESTER HOLDS SIGN. SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD the air punctured by the sole sound of a crying infant. The quiet was eventually broken by chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, these racist cops have got to go,” and some crowd dancing.

POLICE CONFRONTATION

Throughout the march, police kept a close watch on the crowd, but from a distance. One helicopter was monitoring from above the Justice Center, and police cars and bikes blocked roadways a block or two ahead of the crowd. Even then, only one or two police vehicles barricaded the roadways, and no cops in riot gear were present during that portion of the march, other than the conflict with Strickland. Eventually, the group made its way to the Morrison Bridge, where some faced Portland Police in riot gear on the on-ramp, and others waited below on Naito Parkway. There were multiple police vans and cars, blocking the Morrison on-ramp. Other than verbal intimidation from the protestors to the riot police, no physical violence was portrayed from the activists. An hour and a half later, those waiting down below the bridge grew restless. Raiford emphasized that political protest is but a small part of anti-police violence activism. “We’re on the front lines all the time...start getting people involved in our organizing and our educational workshops, because we do fuck with this legislative action, and we do know our constitutional rights. And we do workshops so that people can understand what to do with them [rights],” Raiford told the crowd. She then asked the crowd how many had been personally affected by police violence, and a handful of people raised their hands. “You’re not informed, you’re not all intellectually satisfied with what this situation is talking about. If you don’t know what’s happening in your own backyard, then you’re blind to the facts. Wake up, we’re going home, y’all. Peace,” Raiford said.

10:18pm

PROTESTORS HEAD TO ATTEMPT TO TRY AND CROSS MORRISON BRIDGE, STAY DOWN ON NAITO

“ In case of an emergency, we will use riot control tactics...” –PORTLAND POLICE

MARCH IN SILENCE DOWN 4TH STREET, AS DUSK HITS

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

PSU.TV ANNOUNCES FLAGSHIP ANNUAL FILM PROJECT ‘RETRO HERO’ PROJECT SEEKS FUNDING VIA INDIEGOGO CROWDSOURCING CAMPAIGN CATHERINE JOHNSON

Until now, much of PSU. TV’s work has consisted of short pieces and concert series. But when they received a generous grant from Mt. Hood Community Media, it seemed a fitting time to expand their scope and pursue larger narrative projects, which is exactly what they’re doing with the flagship Annual Film Project. “It’s really a big step in our organization into becoming better filmmakers,” said Zach

Huckaby, an associate producer on the project. First, they looked to the community for scripts and then as a collective read them and voted on the one they wanted to produce. The winning script, Retro Hero, was written by two Portland State students, Dom Peña and Emma Kent. It’s the story of Eliza, a competitive gamer who must compete to help solve her family’s financial struggles and defend her father’s legacy.

“It’s really nice to see a really strong female character,” Huckaby said. “It’s always nice to see diversity.” Julie Lew, who has been handling marketing for the project, said what makes this story unique is the way it avoids the typical cliches of student films. It will also feature virtual reality and retro arcade gaming, including one game created by a programmer specifically for this film called Turtle Fire. “Even though we are still student filmmakers the scope of this is on a professional scale,” Lew said. “We’re doing special effects.” In fact, this is the largest student production Huckaby has ever worked on. They have 20 people on set, 40 people working on preproduction and probably another 20 working on postproduction. “When you get that many people working together to create something, it’s something far stronger than any one individual could create,” Huckaby said. “Very cool.” Auditions for the cast were completed the first

weekend in July and they will film for 20 days in August. In September and October they will edit the first cut of the film, followed by the second edit in November and December, with the film’s premiere slated for January. But despite the generous grant they received to purchase new equipment, funding the project is still one of their main challenges. Logistical items, such as supporting the large cast and crew of student volunteers and producing the special effects, are very expensive items in their budget. If they don’t raise the money they need, they will have to cut the number of days they can film, thus cutting the script, or else compromise the special effects. In response, they’ve launched an Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign, which will run until July 20. Despite these challenges, the students remain optimistic and excited. “The story is amazing,” Huckaby said. “We have all these different people with different skill

971-255-1758

sets come together and create something that’s totally beautiful and unique to the PSU community.” Jaclyn MacDonald, the production coordinator, added that this project is also giving students the chance to develop their craft. “There are a lot of opportunities for learning and growing and also broadening your horizons and figuring out different aspects of film that you may be interested in and weren’t aware of before,” MacDonald said. Lew, who is new to the marketing work she’s been doing for the film, agreed. “I’ve never worked on anything of this scope on campus,” Lew said. “PSU.TV and the AFP are really great about finding what you want to do and then giving you the opportunity to do it on a really professional, large scale.” Jordan Trout, a recent graduate and associate producer on the project, has also appreciated the experience. “It’s one thing to be in a classroom and be told what’s going to happen and to experience what’s going to happen in

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small doses,” Trout said. “But you get completely immersed with a great education.” PSU.TV is a completely student-run organization. They hope that this project will bring them closer to the PSU film program and draw even more talented students to PSU. Trout feels this project is a testament to what they can do and is excited to see everything come together. “It’s really interesting to see all of these pieces come together to make this one thing that everybody’s left their artistic imprint on and can point to as a sign of their artistry,” Trout said. “I think a film of this magnitude will show how serious we are about what we’re doing.” Huckaby hopes that audiences will walk away thinking, “Wow, PSU.TV is a great asset. This is something we need to keep our eye on.” You can support the film financially at their Indiegogo crowdsourcing page and follow the film’s production on their PSU.TV Annual Film Project Facebook page.

2331 SW Sixth Avenue, Portland, OR 97201

$30+tax Eighth

COME IN TO FIND OUT THE STRAIN

21+ only w/Valid ID, or 18+ with valid ID and OMMP Card Strains rotate often

While supplies last *offer

RETRO HERO REHEARSAL HELD BY PSU.TV.

JON RABY/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

Offer limit one per person

only valid on specific strain

ARTS & CULTURE

PORTLAND NEW WAVE BURLESQUE CELEBRATES LIFE AND IDENTITY A DOCUMENTARY REVIEW OF ‘GLITTER TRIBE’ CATHERINE JOHNSON Burlesque is not just a hobby; it’s a celebration of life. That’s according to the performers in the new documentary Glitter Tribe by Joe Manning and Julie Livingston about the new wave burlesque scene in Portland. The film is a vibrant, hilarious, touching account of this erotic art form, following twelve dancers as they describe their personal struggles, passionate dedication, strong community and how this art is life. “I don’t know if I can say that dancing makes me feel alive,”

performer Angelique DeVil said. “Dancing makes me alive.” Burlesque can be traced back as far back as Ancient Greece. The fifth century playwright Aristophanes’ Lysistrata isabout the wives of Athenian soldiers who refuse to have sex with their husbands until they end

the Peloponnesian War. As the women tease and taunt their partners, the men’s erections grow to comic proportions. Teasing is an essential characteristic of the art and the first striptease is attributed to Lydia Thompson of the 19th century group the British Blondes, which scan-

dalized Victorian England. The group arrived in New York in 1868, where they were received with much acclaim, and burlesque flourished. Of course, one can’t talk about erotic dancing without mentioning Paris, can-can dancers and establishments like the Moulin Rouge. Over 100 years later, neo-burlesque draws from all of this history, but also embraces a wider range of performance styles and theatricality. For the artists in Glitter Tribe, burlesque isn’t just any one thing and the performers don’t embody any one person. Their personas are multiplicitous. “I think of Angelique DeVil as my megaphone,” DeVil said. “She’s an amplification of all the people I’ve been, that I am, that I want to be. I embody both extremes. The heroine and the villain and everything in between.” In neo-burlesque no subject is off-limits and anything can be made sexy. Eroticism doesn’t hinge on boobs and butts, it’s about commitment. “What I find incredibly sexy is someone putting themselves out there and committing entirely to whatever art form they have chosen for themselves, even if it’s something super weird,” said Babs Jamboree, who delighted audiences with her burrito striptease in which she was the burrito. This balance between humor and sex appeal is at the heart of many routines. But burlesque can also be a vehicle for social commentary. The Stage Door Johnnies are three male burlesquers who challenge ideas of masculinity by amplifying various aspects of how we expect men to behave. “It’s about exploring mas-

culinity, not defining it,” said Jett Adore. “You have to acknowledge the stereotype, you have to acknowledge the cultural norm, or you can’t play with it.” Burlesque also has ties to the do-it-yourself movement. Performers are largely self-trained, they pour hours of their time and money into creating their own costumes and developing their own dances, in addition to drawing on the genre’s conventions and tools—such as strip tease, pasties and ribald comedy. “A lot of artists you’re seeing now are taking that tool belt and using it as a means to express commentary on society delivered in a sparkly extravaganza,” said Haley Sweetlands Edwards, an author and journalist. While some compare burlesque to stripping, the artists draw a distinct difference between the two and refute the notion that their art disrespectfully objectifies the body. They claim what they do is not so carnal, it has more character and it’s more sophisticated. It doesn’t degrade the body, but celebrates it. While the film supplies an entertaining, intoxicating peak into the purpose and nature of this flamboyant fringe world, what’s most captivating about it, is the personal stories of the individual performers and what this art means to them. Growing up in North Dakota, DeVil felt like an outsider. She dressed differently, and she was told she was an embarrassment to her family. But she couldn’t change who she was, so she left when she was seventeen. For her,

burlesque wasn’t about defying others, it was about accepting herself; it was a homecoming. “It was like, I found my people! Everybody looked weird and it was celebrated and encouraged and you weren’t judged on that,” DeVil said. “There’s a commonality there. We’re all just telling our stories. And that’s one of the best parts.” Many of the performers recount similar experiences of feeling ostracized by others, or uncomfortable in their bodies until they found this culture and means

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART of self-expression and selfempowerment. For Zora Von Pavonine, the confidence she fostered on the stage seeped into other areas of her life. “Get what you want out of this lifetime,” Von Pavonine said. “Let’s not fuck about anymore and do this ‘we’re kinda getting by’ thing. I’m

not interested in that. And I’m not interested in making that kind of burlesque either.” The film has not yet been released, but when it is, be sure not to miss it.

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

OPINION

YOUR CHILDHOOD IS FINE

IN DEFENSE OF THE NEW ‘GHOSTBUSTERS’ MOVIE 404: Column Not Found Ryan Morse

Despite how much we love our movies, adaptations and sequels, we’ve never been much for remakes. Oh, we think to ourselves, this again? Why would they remake this? I’d much rather see a new and original story, like one where Kevin Spacey is turned into a cat until he learns the importance of family. Every once in awhile, however, the reaction to a remake can become more than just mild annoyance or disappointment. It can get downright nasty. Enter the new Ghostbusters movie coming out this month. This film reboots the 1984 comedy classic, bestowing it with new continuity and, most controversial of all, an all-female cast. The internet reaction was fairly negative to begin with, but once the trailer dropped last March the negativity escalated to an almost comical frenzy. In fact, the trailer is the most disliked trailer on YouTube. First off, let’s be honest: The trailer wasn’t just negatively received because fans felt the film was an unnecessary remake or that it looked worse than a lot of schlocky comedies coming out this year. No, this movie got especially poor reactions because it was remaking a beloved franchise (more on that to come) and it starred primarily women. As one negative YouTube commenter eloquently said when the trailer dropped, “I’m sure the producers are feminist.” So yes, there absolutely is sexism in the negative reaction to this film, even if we don’t

realize it on the surface. If your biggest problem with the Ghostbusters reboot is that it stars all women, you may need to reexamine your priorities. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s delve into the less sexist reason so many people are hating this film: The notion that this movie has tainted a beloved franchise beyond repair. Obviously there’s a reason this franchise is so well-loved. The first Ghostbusters is an admittedly damn good movie—the characters and world are fleshed out, the tone is the perfect balance of humorous and eerie, and it has everyone’s favorite slimeball Peter Venkman. I would argue that nearly all of that movie holds up fairly well. It’s a good movie that people went nuts about, which led it to being a franchise in the first place. However, that’s the thing: This is the revival of a franchise. If this was a remake of something like Casablanca, I would be annoyed, but Casablanca didn’t spawn an entire franchise with cartoons, video games, comic books and collectibles.

“If your biggest problem with the ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot is that it stars all women, you may need to reexamine your priorities.”

SCREENSHOT OF THE NEW GHOSTBUSTERS FILM. COLUMBIA PICTURES/2016

PSU Vanguard • JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL GOLDSTEIN In the wake of such nostalgic revivals like Star Wars and Jurassic World, it was inevitable that Sony was going to tap into that sweet, sweet Ghostbusters nostalgia whether we liked it or not. Luckily, the studios got someone who can actually make a good ensemble comedy (Paul Feig) and a particularly talented comedy cast. I personally think it’s a great thing this isn’t a cynical carbon copy of the original (see: the shot-for-shot Psycho remake from ’98). Even if it was a sequel to the original, before Harold Ramis’ death, there was still a high probability the third Ghostbusters wasn’t going to feature the whole cast. The sequel would have probably left Dan Aykroyd to his own devices, and we’ve all seen how well that works out when he tries to revisit his beloved franchises. There is a strong sentiment that Feig and Co. are “ruining childhoods.” First and foremost, your childhood shouldn’t be defined by a multimillion dollar franchise. Secondly, your childhood isn’t going to ruined by a movie nobody’s making you see. People still love their beloved Transformers after Michael Bay used that franchise to explain the Romeo and Juliet law, and I still like the characters of Superman and Batman even though I actively tried to fall asleep during Batman v Superman. If this new reboot doesn’t work out, chances are it’ll just become another forgettable remake. Remember the Total Recall and Robocop remakes? Hell, they’re remaking Ben-Hur of all things and I’ve already forgotten about it. Your childhood is fine and the new cast and crew are talented. Give the new Ghostbusters a chance.

OPINION

GUEST OPINION COLUMNIST

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART

“ISLAMOPHOBIA NEEDS TO STOP” – A REPLY

As an immigrant from the United States to sunny little Britain, I never went through the American education system. It must have changed a lot, though, because apparently Americans are now being taught that “Muslims are murderers.” That’s what I learned reading a recent Vanguard article by Jennee Martinez. Don’t get me wrong—I may have the passport, but my adoptive cultural milieu is one very different than most of you. Britain is a country that shares much of its culture, many of its values, with America—but we have our differences, too, shaped by geography and the divergent nature of our societies. Because of its past of slavery and racial exclusion laws, America has developed a commendable aversion to racism, like most of the rest of the world has now. Unique perhaps in the U.S. is this aversion extends to any characteristic that could be used to categorize or group people together. Martinez shows this in her article when she talks about not blaming “an entire race or religion” after massacres by white or Asian shooters. The crucial point lost to Martinez here is that one’s race and religion are incomparable referents on the topic of catalysts to action. They are, so to speak, apples and oranges. My own understanding is that race simply reflects human biodiversity and little more—minute adaptations to our environment that emerged over tens of thousands of years spent apart. While the U.S. is unique in that “race” is often understood in the sense of “culture” (such as how “black American” represents a cultural group as well as a racial one), I have not seen in America or anywhere else that biological race alone is sufficient to drive individuals to certain courses of action. Religion is different. Religion is a learned system of belief that comes as a diverse package filled with norms and values of its own. The Abrahamic religions all feature commandments to their adherents, specifically instructing them to behave in certain ways under specific sets of circumstances and condemning them if they do not. Martinez notes we didn’t blame all white people after the

BY WILLIAM MILLER

numerous mass shootings initiated by white shooters that she lists—or how we didn’t blame Korean shooters after the Virginia Tech shooting. This is for good reason; CNN showed that white shooters have been responsible for 64 percent of mass shootings since 1982, making them underrepresented in incidences of mass shooting given the 72.4 percent of the total population they occupy. The real correlation to look for here is not race, but in fact mental health status, which research shows to be far more salient in mass shooting cases. Speaking of correlations, Martinez may not be aware of the extremely strong correlation between acts of violent terrorism and religion across the globe—one religion standing out quite a lot above the others. This is because as we’ve already seen, religions are unlike race in that they mandate that individuals take certain actions. Your own personal views on Islam, and whether or not it is a peaceful religion or ever can be, is irrelevant on this; the point is that we are being intellectually dishonest if we pretend that this correlation isn’t there. We can be adults and acknowledge that both extremes exist in the world—the self-identifying Muslim-American woman who refuses to don the hijab and the ISIS foot soldier who captures Yazidi women for the purpose of sexual enslavement. Both people are indeed Muslims who sincerely believe themselves to be following their faith. Just pretending that person B doesn’t exist will not make him go away. Simply stating that “they are not taught to hate and their religion does not preach violence” does not change the fact that some indeed are, and that in some contexts the religion indeed does. You will not stop ISIS by pretending it isn’t there. And if discussing how some of these problematic religious commandments can be understood as condoning violence (as they indeed are by some Muslims) is now seen as “Islamophobia” then I think this is the greatest tragedy of all, as our refusal to bring these verses up as suitable topics for

debate means that we are turning our backs on the Muslim reformers who would like to see these reinterpreted or in some cases even removed. What we should be doing instead is promoting progressive Muslims. By highlighting the cases of progressive Muslims trying to tackle the medievalist elements within the faith, we enable them as a vehicle for change inside the Islamic world. If we instead refuse to address these obvious problematic elements, saying that there are no problems with Islam, then we are disabling progressive Muslims trying to actually fix those very real problems. Don’t turn your back on Muslim progressives and reformers. Listen to their stories, give them a voice and give them a platform. Pretending, as Martinez does, that they have no reason to exist only strips them of legitimacy and weakens them in their struggle for a moderate and peaceful Islam. Will T.G. Miller is a current student of Cambridge University and a researcher at the Center for Kurdish Progress in London.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Miller’s response refers to a paragraph by Vanguard contributor Jennee Martinez which states, “We didn’t hate all white people. We didn’t blame their entire race or religion.” Martinez’s initial submission simply specified race. “Or religion” was added in final edits to address an unclear equivalency between race and religion in the column’s content.

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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ETCETERA

COMIC

COMIC BY TERRA DEHART

TOTALLY LEGIT HOROSCOPES Cancer (June 22–July 22)

Clear the clutter out of your life, Cancer. You have a heart of gold. You want to help out your family, friends and community. But first: Clear your thoughts of negativity, have a healthy body, mind and spirit. Help heal yourself before helping others. Light some sweetgrass incense this week to bring purity and positivity.

Leo (July 23–August 22)

It’s a week for bold decision making, little lion man. That’s right, tell the cute Chipotle employee you’re in love with him. And while you’re at it, screw the salad bowl and order yourself a damn quesorito! Move out of your parents’ house! Quit your job! Move back into your parents’ house again! Do something, anything!

7TH 1 2 1 JULY

Virgo (August 23–Sept. 22)

Not so innocent anymore. Take pride in your accomplishments and stop worrying about possible shortcomings. You are a full-grown adult man or woman, you can drink beer and take your clothes off in the park like a crazy person.

Vanguard Staff Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Once you mend your relationships, Capricorn, new possibilities will come your way. You can achieve a lot more with the support of others.

Aquarius (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Libra (Sep. 23–Oct. 23) Don’t worry about shit, Libra.

You’re a hard worker, Aquarius, and the stars show to keep up the good work. Don’t forget to take time to yourself, though. Even a few hours a day of relaxation can make a big difference.

Scorpio (Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

Pisces (Feb. 19–March 20)

Let go of the past, Scorpio, it’s only dragging you down. Start a new chapter in your life full of challenges and new adventures.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21)

Peaches are almost in season. You lucky dog, eat some delicious food and laugh. If anyone in your life bugs you, just work past it and ignore their attempts to bring you down. It’s summer, have fun.

Monday’s new moon will bring you a boost of confidence to share your creativity to the world. This is your time to shine, the world needs your inspiration and skills.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

Aries, you have a vision. You want to make it happen but you lack inspiration. Go out and be a tourist in your own city—check out the Portland Art Museum, take a serene walk in Forest Park or visit the many delicious food carts Portland offers. This will not only fuel your imagination and dreams, you may just find that special someone to share it with.

Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Don’t be a dope, they can piss up a rope. That’s right—you get Ween lyrics this week. Also watch that video where the cow loses when butting heads with a goat. Don’t be that cow, be specific in how you aim that bull head of yours.

Gemini (May 21–June 21)

Suggested movie: The Sixth Sense. You see dead people. I guess make friends with them. Or don’t leave the house. Just kidding, just take some care in your actions and words.

PSU Vanguard •JULY 12, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

PHOTO BY SERINA HERSEY/PSU VANGUARD