Portland State Vanguard by Portland State Vanguard

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E T U T I T S SUB h eRr c C E E TR IT I N H A IS ! H T I M S

VOLUME 71 • ISSUE 18 • JANUARY 17, 2017

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

HOW TRUMP HAS BECOME OUR SUBSTITUTE TEACHER p. 12

STUDENTS DESIGN SLEEPING PODS FOR HOMELESS p. 10

NORTH KOREAN NUKES NET SANCTIONS p. 7 YOUR INCIDENTAL FEE AT WORK p. 4

MINI-DOCUMENTARY NOW AVAILABLE AT PSUVANGUARD.COM

‘TRAITORS’: THE MINORITIES WHO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP ANDY NGO As the state-by-state election results showed Hillary Clinton trailing behind Donald Trump on the evening of Nov. 8, 2016, CNN contributor Van Jones called the moment a “whitelash.” In the days that followed Trump’s electoral college victory, many media outlets published reports and opinion pieces highlighting minorities’ fears, frustrations and anger about a Trump presidency. As protests erupted across the country, Portland in particular experienced violent rioting. While many local young people have demonstrated public opposition to the election results, millennial women, people of color and queers who support Trump exist. “Self-hating gay.” “A disgrace.” “Uncle Tom.” “Traitor.” These are some of the names Tylor, Tina, “Neil” and Adrian have been called for being supporters of the president-elect. Tylor, a gay man who works in banking, says that Trump’s hard-line stance on radical Islam is needed after the Orlando Pulse nightclub massacre by an Islamist gunman.

Tina, the daughter of a former Vietnamese refugee, likes Trump’s emphasis on legal immigration. “Neil” (who asked to remain anonymous) is a black mixed-

race man and says Trump offers hope to black American communities left behind by decades of Democratic leadership. And lastly, Adrian, a bisexual student of Middle Eastern

background majoring in business finance, likes Trump’s economic vision. “‘Traitors’: The Minorities Who Support Donald Trump” is a short docu-

mentary film exploring the political views and complex identities of this largely hidden community at Portland State University and beyond.

Multimedia at psuvanguard.com Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this film are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Vanguard.

WATCH OUR NEW DOCUMENTARY FILM ON PSUVANGUARD.COM

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP TO BE INAUGURATED JAN. 20 ALEX-JON EARL The inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and Vice Presidentelect Michael Pence will be held Friday, Jan. 20th, beginning at 8:30 a.m. local time with the official swearing in at 9 a.m. While no official watch parties are planned on campus as of press time, most TVs on

campus should be clear of anti-Trump students as a walkout is planned to begin at noon. Expect the prewalkout speeches to keep lefties occupied and the state-subsidized TVs open to all you eager capitalists hungering to hang out in a publicly-funded collective space to celebrate.

ILLUSTRATION BY LYDIA WOJACK-WEST

NEWS

P.4

INTERNATIONAL

P. 6

COVER: ALL BARK, SNOW BITE

P. 8

ARTS & CULTURE

P. 10

OPINION

P. 12

ADVICE

P. 15

EVENTS

P. 16

COVER PHOTO BY JAMON SIN, DESIGN BY NIMI EINSTEIN

EDITOR-IN-TREES Colleen Leary

DESIGNERS Lauren Chapluk Terra DeHart Shannon Kidd Lydia Wojack-West Nimi Einstein

MANAGING EDITOR Tim Sullivan

MARKETING DESIGNER Skylar Nguyen

NEWS EDITOR Jon Raby

DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Hrushikesh Apte

STAFF EDITORIAL

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Alanna Madden ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Matthew Andrews OPINION EDITOR Jennee Martinez INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Alex-Jon Earl COPY CHIEF Thomas Spoelhof COPY EDITOR Jacoba Lawson ONLINE EDITOR Andrew D. Jankowski CONTRIBUTORS Cassie Duncanson Kevin Hadsell Catherine Johnson Chris May John Pinney Christian Poindexter Nick Tool Anamika Vaughan

PHOTO & MULTIMEDIA PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo PHOTOGRAPHERS Stella Crabtree Rachel Lara Jacob Salazar Jamon Sin MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Andy Ngo

ART DIRECTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Osborn

PSU Bookstore Board of Directors is Recruiting Board Members! Gain experience working in a non-profit board of directors, serving on committees in the areas of finance, bylaws, elections, marketing, and charitable giving. Meetings are held monthly. As a non-profit organization, the Board of Directors’ mission is to provide support to students at PSU, while ensuring that the services offered by the campus bookstore are delivered effectively and efficiently. To apply: Email a resume and a 150-word statement of intent (why you would like to be on the board) to Russ Norton, Executive Director, at nortonr@psubookstore.com.

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING MANAGER Madelaine Eivers ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks ADVERTISING SALES Michael Hardy Ilyse Espino Caitlyn Malik

ADVISING & ACCOUNTING ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher

The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies 12th Annual Gus & Libby Solomon Memorial Lecture

Democratic Values after Trump: A Frank View

COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood To contact Vanguard staff members, visit psuvanguard.com/contact. To get involved and see current job openings, visit psuvanguard.com/jobs 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. About The Vanguard, established in 1946, 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 the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print every Tuesday and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

Barney Frank

(U.S. Congressman D-MA 1981-2012)

FREE and open to the public Lincoln Recital Hall | 7:00pm Thursday, January 26 For more information including accessibility pdx.edu/judaic | 503.725.8449

NEWS

STUDENT FEE COMMITTEE PRESENTS 2018 BUDGET TO SENATE ANAMIKA VAUGHAN On Jan. 9, the Associated Students of Portland State Senate met to discuss the Student Fee Committee’s budget proposal for the 2018 financial year. If passed, the budget will increase students’ incidental fee by $17— from $221 to $238— per term for full-time students, excluding the summer term. Each of the 35 fee-funded areas saw a 5 percent base reduction from their 2017 financial year budget due to a variety of factors: decreased student enrollment, increases in cost of living allowance, and a minimum wage raise from $9.75 to $11.25. The FFAs were allowed to request budget increases through an appeals process. The SFC has spent more than 250 hours working on this budget. To offset the fee increase to students, the SFC has also proposed to reduce the student building fee by $9 per term, and $7 for summer term. Combined with the incidental fee changes, it would bring students’ total increase down to $8. In addition, the SFC has decided not to factor in wage compression. FFAs must utilize their approved budgets to raise wages for employees to a comparable amount above minimum wage after the minimum wage increase sets in. “The SFC really tried to focus on students first and what might best serve student interests,” said SFC Chair Jemila Mohammad. “This involved a lot of discussion surrounding keeping fees affordable while also continuing to support services that serve and impact students.” The SFC also prioritized investing in student labor and promoting diverse, inclusive spaces for PSU students. Each program requesting a budget increase during the appeals process was required to demonstrate how it would meet those standards. Programs such as the Smith Memorial Student Union, Little Vikings, Graphic Design Center, Littman + White Galleries were granted over 3 percent increase to cover minimum wage increases, while programs like the Queer Resource Center and Student Legal Services which saw 4–6 percent increases to also maintain current levels of programming. “Ultimately we decided to increase the incidental fee so that a lot of the services/areas we fund could continue operating in the same capacity and to grow,” Mohammad said. “I’m hoping that things will go smoothly from here and we can reach a consensus on the budget and the fees with the other actors involved.”

ON JAN. 9, THE ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF PORTLAND STATE SENATE MET TO DISCUSS THE STUDENT FEE COMMITTEE’S BUDGET PROPOSAL. RACHEL LARA/PSU VANGUARD The student senate has until Jan. 31 to either accept the SFC’s proposal or recommend a new student fee allocation. If the senate approves or makes no changes to the allocation, the budget will be forwarded to PSU President Wim Wiewel. Otherwise, the SFC has seven days to respond to any alterations proposed by the senate.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

Wiewel has 10 business days to either accept the SFC’s budget proposal or notify the SFC of any modifications. The SFC has 10 days to consider and respond to those modifications. “The final recommendation to the Board of Trustees is due on March 1, and then the [BOT] will meet on March 8, which I assume is when they will make a decision,”

Mohammad said. “Fiscal Year 2018 starts on July 1, 2017, which is when everything will go into effect. Any increases to the fees will begin in the fall term.” Ultimately, the student incidental fee allocation will be made jointly by Wiewel and the student senate. The next ASPSU Senate meeting is Jan. 23, the SFC budget may be decided at this time, but a decision must be made by Jan. 31.

NEWS

PSU TO RECEIVE $15.6 MILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH ANAMIKA VAUGHAN

In early December, Portland State secured a $15.6 million federal grant for transportation research, education, and outreach by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which is to be administered by PSU’s Transportation Research and Education Center over five years. TREC has brought $48 million to PSU over the last 10 years through a single federal program. The grant will support TREC’s National Institute for Transportation and Communities, a program that focuses on increasing access to opportunity, improving multimodal planning and shared infrastructures, advancing research on smart cities and developing data, models and tools. The NITC is a PSU-led partnership with University of Oregon, Oregon Tech, University of Utah, and more recently, University of Arizona and University of Texas at Arlington. The NITC program is one of five in the nation.

According to a press release issued by TREC, there are currently 11 projects slated for funding in the first year. These include: –A smart platform for connected vehicle infrastructure and signal control –A multidisciplinary look at how the concept of walkability has left out disadvantaged neighborhoods and how to address those gaps –Two innovative efforts to help transit connect people with jobs and opportunities –An examination of the economic and business effects of converting infrastructure for non-motorized transportation –A study to inform proactive traffic management during major disruptive events “This grant recognizes that [PSU] research has shifted the national conversation around transportation,” said PSU President Wim Wiewel in a press release. “It used to center on moving as many cars as quickly as possible. Now we ask how transporta-

CRIME BLOTTER

tion can give people access to opportunities and best serve our communities.” TREC will partner with local agencies, including the Portland Bureau of Transportation, Metro, TriMet and the Oregon Department of Transportation, to ensure the research is put to good use. “Locally, our researchers have had a hand in evaluating the green bike boxes at intersections and the separated bike lanes on Broadway,” said Justin Carinci, communications director at TREC. “We’ve helped transit buses stay on schedule and serve people more reliably.” TREC has also trained transportation professionals from across the United States how to improve bicycling in their communities. Dr. Kelly Clifton, professor for Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, has had many research projects supported by NITC since arriving at PSU in 2010.

Dec. 27-Jan. 2

DEC. 27

Vandalism Smith Memorial Student Union Someone vandalized the kitchen. There is no suspect information.

DEC. 29

Theft 1 Lincoln Hall Over the past two weeks four network switches have been stolen.

DEC. 30

Theft from vehicle Parking Structure 3 A phone charger was stolen out of a vehicle.

Clifton’s team has received funding for projects such as researching pedestrian behaviors, developing modeling tools to estimate pedestrian demand, and working to improve the way people assess the multimodal transportation impacts caused by new city development. “This grant allows me to involve and fund graduate students and undergraduate students in my projects, which enhances both my projects and their learning experience at PSU,” Clifton said. “Currently, I’m researching how residents of Portland consider their transportation options when looking for apartments. With the new grant, I hope to continue this work and have the ability to engage students in my research projects.” The grant will also support students through its scholars program, which recognizes outstanding students working on transportation projects.

STELLA CRABTREE/PSU VANGUARD “The grant has many benefits for students,” said Dr. Chris Monsere, department chair and associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “First, all of the research grants include support for students through GRAs (stipend and tuition remissions) and hourly work. We’ve also employed a number of undergraduate research assistants on our projects in the past and will continue to do so.” Students involved in Students in Transportation Engineering and Planning will also receive support from the grant, and many will get the opportunity to travel in order to present

and observe transportation research. “In our most recent reporting period, ending Oct. 30, [TREC] funded 11 undergraduate researchers and 54 graduate researchers and gave out 27 scholarships to students to study transportation,” Carinci said. “We support 189 student transportation group members, including the Students in Transportation Engineering and Planning group at PSU. We placed students in 18 transportation internships.” With the help of this grant and future opportunities like it, PSU can remain on the national forefront of transportation innovation, research and education.

JOAN BROWN

Warrant arrest Near Peter Stott Field A female student reported a suspicious male loitering in the bushes. Campus Public Safety Officers arrested the male on a felony warrant for burglary out of Washington State. The male is flagged as a serious threat to law enforcement.

JAN. 2

Criminal mischief 2 Fourth Avenue Building underground parking garage A cash lockbox was ripped from the wall and found lying on the ground unsecured and opened.

Theft 2 Science Research and Training Center At 5 p.m. a blue-and-white Trek bike was left unsecured near the east basement entrance. When the owner came to get it at 6:30 p.m., the bike was gone.

Theft from vehicle Parking Structure 3 A student reported a smashed window on her vehicle and that an iPod and GPS were missing.

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES ISSUE RUSSIAN HACKING REPORT CHRIS MAY On Jan. 6 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified version of its report on Russian involvement in the recent U.S. presidential election. The report drew on intelligence collected and disseminated by the CIA, FBI, and NSA. While all three agencies were in near unanimous agreement in their findings, the actual evidence for these claims was not provided in the declassified version of the report, leading to criticism from those implicated in the report as well as former Intelligence officials. The report claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign to influence the election, including coordinated propaganda efforts, cyber espionage against U.S. political organizations, and the public disclosure of data collected by Russian agents. The report went on to suggest that the thousands of emails from DNC officials and Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta, were in fact provided by Russian military intelligence to Wikileaks. The Vanguard sat down with professor David Horowitz of the History department to discuss the implications of the report. Was the report just an echo of Cold War groupthink, painting political opponents as tools of the Kremlin? While Horowitz said that he personally didn’t believe any hard evidence would emerge showing a definite link between the Trump campaign and Russia, if such a link could be established the repercussions would be profound. “Rather than the Cold War, I’m thinking of Watergate,” Horowitz said. “It seemed curious that Trump’s national security team doesn’t really agree with him on any of this.” Trump has continued to exhibit an adversarial relationship with the intelligence community leading up to his transition to the White House and challenged the conclusions suggesting his ties to Putin. But Trump isn’t the only person who is questioning the veracity of claims from the U.S. intelligence community. In its report, the ODNI states, “We assess with high confidence that the GRU [General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate] relayed material it acquired from the DNC and senior Democratic officials to WikiLeaks.” This assessment directly contradicts statements from Julian Assange, founder and editor-in-chief of Wikileaks. According to Assange, Wikileaks’ source was not the Russian government. “Our source is not the Russian government. It is not state parties,” Assange said in an interview. During a press conference at the Ecuadorian Embassy on Jan. 9, Assange criticized the report’s lack of any evidentiary basis, calling it a “press release” designed for political effect. “I have read literally thousands of intelligence reports,” Assange said. “Wikileaks specializes in publishing a wide range of information, but that includes diplomatic and intel-

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART ligence reports. The report which was released on Friday… is not an intelligence report. It does not have the structure of an intelligence report, it does not have the structure of a daily brief.” The ODNI report begins with a disclaimer emphasizing that the necessity of protecting sources and methods means that providing specific examples or evidence of its claims would endanger either, stating: “The Intelligence Community rarely can publicly reveal the full extent of its knowledge or the precise bases for its assessments, as the release of such information would reveal sensitive sources or methods and imperil the ability to collect critical foreign intelligence in the future.” James Clapper, outgoing Director of National Intelligence and the author of the ODNI report, defended the findings of the report during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing the day before the declassified version was released to the public. During the hearing he also espoused the view that Assange should not be given any credibility.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

Clapper’s other greatest hits include a false testimony to Congress concerning the NSA’s surveillance program, a lie that has been cited by Edward Snowden as a major catalyst for his initial decision to blow the whistle on the various mass surveillance programs being undertaken by the U.S. government and its allies. As of late there have been several cases of overblown stories alleging various nefarious Russian plots being widely circulated and quoted, only to later be walked back because of their inaccuracy. Given the ease at which action based on misinformation and outright lies can lead to catastrophic quagmires, and the echoes of McCarthyism already rising in the media and halls of government, government agencies’ appeals of “trust us” should be met with skepticism while attempting to gauge the true level of the “Russian Threat.” “I don’t think Russia is an existential threat to the United States,” Horowitz explained, “but it is a destabilizing force in a very unstable world.”

INTERNATIONAL

UN INCREASES SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA IN RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR ASPIRATIONS CHRISTIAN POINDEXTER

On Nov. 30, 2016 the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to increase various sanctions on North Korea in reaction to the country’s repeated long-range nuclear missile tests. The original sanctions, issued in March 2016, were an effort to stifle the country’s nuclear weapons testing and manufacturing. These sanctions were political as well as economic: a pledge to reduce the country’s coal and mineral exports, which contribute largely to its economy, and a tightened surveillance on certain individuals who have ties to weapons trade and development. Since then, however, North Korea’s coal exports increased, prompting the Security Council to amend the original sanctions in favor of stricter demands. The new sanctions delineate harsher restrictions, planning to cut $700 million annually in coal exports. It also keeps an eye on North Korea’s overseas bank accounts, and expands the list of individuals sanctioned from travel or assets and under surveillance. The implementation of these new sanctions lies in the hands of North Korea’s chief consumer of coal exports, China. The Chinese government (as well as South Korea) supported the U.N. resolution because North Korea’s arming itself is seen as a threat to stability in the region. Although economic sanctions are typically justified politically, Portland State professor of International Ethics Aleksander Jokic asks whether or not they can be justified on moral grounds as well. In a Foreign Policy Journal article titled, “Why Western sanctions against Russia will not be lifted any time soon,” Jokic says sanctions, whether unilaterally applied or by a body such as the U.N., are usually morally akin to an act of war.

Jokic says that sanctions are a virtual punishment for some perceived wrongdoing by bodies who possess the ability and power to distribute such punishment. Sanctions should not be “unlike a court ruling,” as Jokic states, in that the punished always deserve the right to at least some terms by which, upon their completion, their sentence is lifted (akin to a prison sentence). Jokic argues that sanctions do not usually take this form. Sanctions, being parts of ongoing disputes between nation-states, tend to develop alongside the situations which put them into place. This tendency leads to the rational conclusion that sanctioning states will amend their sanctions as international tensions oscillate, as they almost always do. Coupled with the fact that sanctions take place across sovereign borders of various states, this means that sanctions may be considered, perhaps by their very nature even, a more belligerent form of international relations in that they do not reflect the fulfillment of conditions prescribed by some established system of laws. It is in this way that sanctions are more akin to an act of war, according to Jokic, and thus less morally justifiable. Jokic also argues that in many cases, sanctions are only the catalyst to counter-sanction upon counter-sanction coming from the opposing sides; this sort of behavior can also be attributed to states in wartime. As the sanctions have been amended, this point of comparison in Jokic’s analysis is likely prescient. Further, North Korea has already rejected the resolution, which means that the scenario will most likely enter yet another phase, eventually requiring yet another amendment to the U.N. sanctions.

JAN.9

JAN. 11

JAN. 12

JAN. 13

Jan. 9–13 Alex-Jon Earl

ILLUSTRATION BY NIMI EINSTEIN

FRANCE

Kim Kardashian’s chauffeur was among 17 people arrested in connection to a highly-publicized October heist. The 40-year-old and his co-conspirators allegedly made off with million-dollar jewels and more and had been on the run until this week. The heist came in the midst of a spree of high profile robberies of France’s wealthy that have shaken the global elite who visit the Gallic nation for a luxurious getaway.

INDIA

Amazon was met with rage in the South-Asian nation after links to a doormat featuring the Indian flag were widely circulated. Calls to withdraw all similar products deemed likewise offensive were answered quickly by Amazon who has since apologized.

GAMBIA

Members of the current party-in-waiting for the Gambian presidency have again asked long-time President Yahya Jammeh to step down after losing the Dec. 1 election, promising all the luxuries afforded to a former head of state. Jammeh has yet to accept, further heightening the impatience of President-elect Adama Barrow.

CUBA

The United States officially ended the “wet foot/dry foot” policy that allowed Cubans without visas to stay in the country as immigrants from the communist nation. The change in policy is a massive shift from the Cold War era when those fleeing the island nation were allowed the privilege as part of the United States’ ongoing opposition to the Castro administration.

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

COVER INTERNATIONAL NEWS

SUBSTITUTE TREE-c IS A HIT IN SMITH ! PSU CREWS CLEAN UP TREE AFTER PORTLAND SNOW STORM

Almost a foot of snow blanketed the City of Portland starting last Tuesday, Jan. 10. The snowstorm, unusual by Pacific Northwest standards, resulted in two full days of Portland State campus closure and a 10 a.m. delayed start on Jan. 13. As a result of the atypical snow, a tree in the PSU Park Blocks smashed into the west side of Smith Memorial Student Union just before midnight on Jan. 10. The tree, which has since been removed, knocked out several windows in the building. The damage resulted in the closing of several SMSU spaces, including the Quiet Study Lounge and the Browsing Lounge in SMSU 238. Both of these spaces will be closed until further notice, according to an email sent by SMSU Operations Manager Mark Russell. The Viking Room SMSU 026 and the second floor lounge remain open for student use. Remnants of the fallen tree remain in the Park Blocks, marked off by bright yellow caution tape. Russell mentioned in his email that funeral arrangements for the tree will be forthcoming. Vanguard staff members asked students in the Park Blocks about their thoughts on the fallen tree and how they spent their unexpected snow days.

“IT’S REALLY SAD TO SEE THE TREES FALL. THE CAMPUS IS SO BEAUTIFUL. THEY SYMBOLIZE A LOT FOR [PSU]...HAVING THE TREES THERE SHOWS HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT THE SCHOOL HAS PUT IN TO KEEP THEM THERE.” -HALLE WILKENING INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE MAJOR, AGE 20

JON RABY/PSU VANGUARD

JAMON SIN/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

cheR !

COVER

“I TRULY ENJOYED THE DAYS WE HAD OFF. I LIKED THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE SCHOOL; I DON’T REALLY LIKE WALKING IN SNOW.” -IVAN GAGATKO ENGLISH MAJOR, SENIOR

JAMON SIN/PSU VANGUARD

“I LIKE [THE SNOW]. I’M ORIGINALLY FROM MAINE, SO I’M USED TO ALL THIS IF NOT MORE, SO THIS DOES NOT BOTHER ME WHATSOEVER. I ENDED UP HAVING TO WORK, BUT...I FOUND TIME TO PLAY IN THE SNOW. I WENT SNOWBOARDING NEAR MOUNT HOOD.” -PAGE MURPHY BIO/PRE-MED MAJOR, AGE 23

JAMON SIN/PSU VANGUARD Editor’s note: While PSU students frolicked in the snow, Vanguard staff hunkered down drafting up as many Snowpocalypse puns as we could muster.

Here are some of our favorites: • Have an ice day • If a tree falls in the Park Blocks and snow one’s around to hear it, does it still hit Smith? • Hey tree, are you hitting on me? Love, Smith • Smith and the Park Block trees living in a snow-dependent relationship • At PSU, trees hug back • All bark, snow bite • Timburrrrr • Oh snow you didn’t!

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PORTLAND STATE TACKLES HOMELESSNESS WITH POD INITIATIVE CASSIE DUNCANSON

Portland State University is no stranger to innovative, community-driven design. The School of Architecture’s Center for Public Interest Design works toward serving the underserved: from working with reservations in Montana, an orphanage in Haiti, and a fishing village in Ecuador to creating locally-made, green, modular classrooms and a community center in Inner Mongolia. Their latest initiative, a collaborative effort to develop long-term solutions to homelessness in Portland, is no exception. The CPID focuses on human-centric design and community empowerment. Currently, CPID students are investing their time and energy in the Partners on Dwelling initiative, developed in conjunction with the mayor’s office, the Village Coalition, City Repair Project, homeless services and community members. Portland’s politicallycharged housing crisis spurred the initiative. The city council declared a state of emergency in fall 2015, and in Feb 2016 former Mayor Charlie Hales initiated a sixmonth Safe Sleep policy, which allowed homeless persons to camp on public property during summer 2016. The CPID convened a charrette—a meeting where professionals, students, community members, social workers and advocates for the homeless—including members of homeless communities—met and put their minds together. Instead of slapping a Band-Aid on the problem, the aim was to think outside the box and come up with a new solution that hadn’t yet been considered. The charrette challenged the design and architecture communities to combine their collective knowledge and directly tackle the problems currently facing a large portion of Portland’s population. Rather than just looking at the shelters as a feat of engineering, the meeting looked to design practical solutions.

After the meeting, 14 teams (including two based at PSU) formed and started designing shelters. The two PSU teams focused on creating designs that would utilize reusable materials, ease of assembly, and replicability in order to limit construction complications and reduce the design’s footprint. The PSU teams ended up designing three pods: the Cocoon pod and the Trot pod, along with a third, called the NW pod. In order to ensure that the designs would be easily replicable by the public, the teams challenged themselves with this third pod, which had to be built within a week and eliminated the need for cut metal and lumber. Key players involved in the PSU teams include: Todd Ferry, PSU architecture faculty, CPID research associate, and fellow with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions; Sergio Palleroni, PSU architecture faculty and senior fellow with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions; visiting CPID Faculty Fellow Dr. Pedro Pacheco; and local real estate company Neighborhood Works. Designs from all teams are currently on display at city hall. Once finalized, the plans and designs will be made open source, allowing anyone to build these pods in their own communities. Prototypes have already been built, and were put on display at NW Glisan Street and NW Park Avenue in early December. At present, one location has been designated to host a village of these pods. The proposed community, in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, is named Argyle Village. One of the biggest challenges the POD initiative faces is figuring out how the pods will work as a village and how the villages will integrate with existing communities. The initiative wants to change public perception so these villages are viewed as valuable. To that end, the people involved in creating these villages have to learn

and work with the neighborhood in order to gain support. Many people have some desire to help the homeless, but solutions fall flat when nobody wants to volunteer in their own neighborhood. The goal is to have these villages— and the people who inhabit them—become a part of the story of the community. The proposed pods at

Argyle Village will house 14 homeless women. Part of the reason for choosing an all-female community is the greater likelihood that women will end up homeless. Complicating the issue is the rise of mental disability among homeless women. The CPID is in the unique position of being able to reach

out to professionals, community members, and students eager to learn and act, and hopes to continue convening charrettes to tackle local issues. Facing the uncertainty of the near future, the CPID and the Partners on Dwelling initiative promote grassroots movements supporting the complex needs of local communities.

ONE OF THREE SLEEPING PODS DESIGNED BY STUDENTS IN PSU’S CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEREST DESIGN. COURTESY OF MARK STEIN

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

Information about School of Architecture and CPID projects can be found atcenterforpublicinterestdesign. org/projects-1. Information about the PODh initiative can be found at centerforpublicinterestdesign.org/ partners-on-dwelling-podinitiative.

ARTS & CULTURE

SUSTAINABILITY SYMPOSIUM AIMS TO EDUCATE, EMPOWER AND ENGAGE PSU STUDENTS PARTNER WITH PCC AND GPSEN

CATHERINE JOHNSON

AMY PEARL OF HATCH INNOVATION, KEYNOTE SPEAKER FOR THE UPCOMING SUSTAINABILITY SYMPOSIUM. COURTESY OF AMY PEARL The Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network and Portland Community College will co-host a Sustainability Symposium with the theme “Community Research: Shaping Sustainability for a Greater Portland and Planet.” The symposium will take place 1–9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27th at PCC’s Sylvania Campus in southwest Portland. The event will include a keynote speaker, TED talk-style presentations, workshops, a poster session, tabling, a networking reception, and an awards ceremony in order to highlight local academic and community research on sustainability issues. Amy Pearl of Hatch Innovation was chosen as the keynote speaker in the hope that people will be inspired to think differently about what it means to be innovative and resilient.

GPSEN is part of a global network of 149 Regional Centers of Expertise (RCE), which addresses and implements global and regional sustainability initiatives through collaborative partnerships, formal and informal education, training, and public awareness campaigns. GPSEN’s slogan is “Educate Empower Engage,” and the symposium is attempting to do all three. Education will take the form of a wide array of speakers and presenters, of all grade levels (from children to retirees), in and out of academia. “We are trying to identify ways for people to engage,” said Kim Smith, a sociology professor at PCC and GPSEN coordinator. As a teacher, professor Smith has seen her students feel discouraged by current

problems, so she reframed her teaching methods in order to demonstrate that it’s possible to make a difference. The symposium aims to do the same. “The empowerment piece is to help people have hope that it is possible to create change, especially during this political era,” Smith said. “A big part of the intention for this event is to have folks feel inspired, to find out ways to get involved.” The symposium’s program includes a networking reception, where people can learn about other groups and find opportunities to be active. The award ceremony also promises inspiration by highlighting individual leaders who exemplify progress in sustainability, equity and economics. Joel Magnuson is an economist who has contributed to the field of

mindful economics, a movement that offers a democratically-based economic alternative to our current system. Ibrahim Ibrahim, a 16 year-old with the Muslim Education Trust, represented GPSEN at the global RCE meeting in Indonesia last month; this year he will be recognized as a leader of the youth network for the Americas. Smith emphasized the importance of youth participation. Another promising student is Bashar Al-Daomi, a doctoral candidate in Portland State’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and active leader at PSU. He was invited to participate in two sessions at the GPSEN symposium. In the first, Al-Daomi will be a panelist, discussing the power of campus sustainability us-

ing specific case studies from PSU. In the second session, he will engage in a workshop focusing on enhancing leadership through increased networking with various schools, centers and organizations related to sustainability. “I believe the success of any type of work starts from the right networking and communication,” Al-Daomi said. He’s excited by how this event will bring together so many different groups with a common purpose. “This symposium will have participants from the private sectors, civil society, government, and academia who are all looking for any opportunity to make future generations safer, more sustained, prospective, secured and flexible,” Al-Daomi said. “Moreover, they will discuss the best paths or

strategies to shape three important life aspects: social justice, economic development and environment protection system.” However, one of the challenges of organizing such an event has been navigating the abundance of interest in the Portland area and deciding which goals to focus on. Smith described this as both a blessing a curse. “Sustainability is a gigantic topic because it engulfs all different aspects, it’s not just the environment,” Smith said. “The challenge is building a container big enough to connect the dots. What does it mean to build a network?” Sustainability efforts are also plagued by worries over the incoming president’s administration, lack of funding, and volunteer burn-out. “We’re already at our limits and now everybody is asking us to double down,” Smith said. Briar Schoon, sustainability manager at PCC, echoed these concerns, saying that this work is more critical now than ever. “I think what’s really important is providing the space for leaders in sustainability to come together so we can feel rejuvenated, as well as the strength in community, the strength in numbers,” Schoon said. “We are going to continue the good fight despite what hardships we face and what comes our way.” The symposium is determined to garner hope, create the necessary opportunities for involvement, and rally the resources necessary for sustainable change. “At least I have hope that there are good people doing good work,” Smith said. “We’re taking action to try to make progress and that’s what the symposium is about. I feel better when I know folks are trying and I feel better about myself when I know I’m trying.”

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

OPINION INTERNATIONAL NEWS

IS DONALD TRUMP AMERICA’S NEW SUBSTITUTE PRESIDENT? A REAL LIFE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER SAYS, “PROBABLY, YES.” A recent opinion piece by Slate titled, “Donald Trump, the substitute teacher of American presidents,” has been making the rounds on social media over the last couple weeks. The author likens Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office to a substitute teacher supervising a class of students for the day, along with everything this connection implies: The piece is subtitled, “A glimpse of the four years to come, in which Kevin Hadsell chaos reigns and nothing of any substance gets done.” What should we make of this connection? A quick scan through the comments reveals a number of irate substitute teachers who are offended by the comparison. The words disrespectful and offensive appear repeatedly, again and again, like a mantra. I can only say to the substitute teachers of America: I, too, work as a substitute teacher. In my personal and professional opinion, the comparison is completely and 100 percent accurate. To be a substitute teacher is to enter into a weird grey area of the teaching profession. Your very presence in the classroom signifies a disruption to the ordinary school day, and nobody really knows quite what to do with you. You have no real identity of your own, but rather absorb, like Mega Man, the qualities and attributes of the teacher you represent. You are given keys, a name tag, an oft-murky “plan”

Musings from the Sub-Basement

that is either a) incomprehensible, or b) just some worksheets on the quadratic equation or whatever. You project authority for a time, raise your voice if necessary, and leave at the end of the day like nothing ever happened. Any authority you project is theatrical: You don’t know them, they don’t know you, yet as the teacher you are expected to lead them whether they like you or not. You can always deploy repressive tactics if necessary (office referrals, detentions, etc.), but these tend to cause more problems than they solve. Not much gets done, of course. The fondest wish for your time here—from yourself, the teachers, administrators, and the students themselves—is that everyone can get through the day without the whole place burning down. It is a reasonable request, and the least one can expect of you. You can even go home afterwards and tweet about it on social media. The parallels for a Trump presidency are striking: Donald Trump will get the keys to the White House in January, stay for a time and sort of blunder through, hopefully following some sort of rudimentary plan. His lack of experience and knowledge of the basic functions of government is already providing America with a much-needed civics lesson on how government and foreign policy works. (We’re learning right along with him!) If we are very lucky and have enough good karma shored up from the Obama years, he will not have burned everything to the ground by 2020. It is, from a presidential standpoint, the least we can expect. The disarray we will face in the coming years will prove challenging. And yet, as a teacher I am required by my profession to have faith in America’s youth: It is practically stamped on our official licenses. It is here, I believe, where our young people can be of particular help in resisting a Trump presidency. Who

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK else but they are more uniquely qualified to band together against a substitute teacher, one woefully clueless of ordinary classroom protocol? Who else is better equipped to crumple our collective feelings of outrage and disgust into a tiny spitwad of consternation and launch it across the room through the hollow shell of a ballpoint pen? Their pencils are already sharpened and aimed at the panels of the ceiling: We would be wise to redirect them to politically progressive ends, to find their mark in the ceiling panels of the Trump White House to dangle for the next four years, garishly yellow, defying gravity, defying everything. I write this column from a drafty classroom in Gresham High School, room 221, subbing for high school English. As I walked in this morning with throngs of students through the double-doors of the building, I heard a student behind me talking to his friends about his plans for the future. In a mood of general conviviality, he charted his course for the upcoming year: “I’m going to draw a big dick on the wall and sign my name to it,” he said. “Then I’ll get expelled. Because f*** it. It’ll be hilarious.” His friends chimed in with warm, appreciative laughter. Encouraged, he continued: “I mean, what are they gonna do, not let me go to college?” I turned right, into the main office, signed in with the secretary, and picked up my keys and sub folder. I ascended the stairs to the second floor and looked for room 221, wherever it was, so that I may supervise America’s youth until the responsible adult-type person in charge returns. In the meantime, someone, somewhere, in this (still) great nation of ours is planning something big, something in the shape of a giant penis emblazoned on a wall, in a universal symbol of defiance. I urge you, anonymous student, whoever you are, to use your dick-drawing talent for the greater good. Draw it as big as you can. Draw it for all of us.

OPINION

DRIVING IN PORTLAND: ARE YOU WASTING MONEY? The Complete Tool by Nick Tool Portland State is a commuter college. On-campus housing, and even housing near campus, can be very expensive. The majority of PSU students are heading to school from further away than a pair of legs might want to travel. There are biking students, driving students, mass transit students, carsharing students, and carpool students. This article is for members of the student body who are considering or are already driving to campus every class day. First, we need to take a look at the cost of driving for the average American. Owning a car is about more than making the payments: Car ownership means fuel, insurance, maintenance, tires, registration, depreciation, and financing costs. AAA’s “Your Driving Costs” report from 2015 puts the average cost of owning a car at an averaged 75.8 cents for anyone driving 10,000 miles per year, 58 cents for those driving 15,000 miles per year, and 48.8 cents for anyone driving 20,000 miles per year. That is $7,580 on the low end, $8,700 per year for the 15k mile crew, and $9,760 for anyone putting down 20,000 miles in a year. What does this all mean? First, we will stick with the 15,000-mile group since they are right in the middle. These folks are paying $725 a month to drive, which is about half the rent of a one-bedroom apartment in this city. These figures don’t include PSU’s parking permit cost, which can cost a full-time student between $30 to $130 per month. If a student lives in the Portland Metro area, a FlexPass for public transportation costs $60 per month. This FlexPass gives students access to all TriMet buses, MAX light rail, Portland Streetcars (which all students can currently ride for free), C-Tran local buses (non-express), WES commuter trains, and the OHSU aerial tram. For employees, the Passport program is just $50 per month over 11 months. The employee Passport offers all the same benefits the students receive, free membership to the PSU Bike Hub, and free Zipcar membership with reduced hourly or daily rates. Just to reiterate the difference here: Car ownership: $725 per month. Mass transit: $50–$60 per month. That is a six-hundred-and-sixty-five-dollar difference per month for students. What could a college student do with $665 extra per month? How essential is car ownership for a student, really? That extra money could pay for a lot of ride-sharing for students who want to go to places public transportation doesn’t go. It could pay for a long weekend car rental twice a month for those students old enough to rent cars. More importantly (to this author), it could mean $665 less per month that a student needs to earn. That free time turns into study time or possibly enough time to take an additional class! Imagine adding an extra class per term to a degree plan for an entire college career. That is an extra term’s worth of classes per year of school. Shaving

JACOB SALAZAR/PSU VANGUARD a year off of school means reducing overall tuition cost, adding on a year of higher earnings after graduation, and less student loan debt. Financial benefits aside, thirty minutes to an hour on public transportation each way can turn into time to make a schedule for the day, extra study time, a chance to organize the day’s lecture notes, an opportunity for recreational reading, blogging, or possibly the best of all: napping. Of course, car ownership is required for some students. To speak personally, I am a 30-minute drive from the closest TriMet transportation. I routinely use my car 3–5 times a week to go places that public transit will not go, and I am on campus nearly every day of the week.

I tried public transportation for a year. The savings were negligible since I had to drive to a Max station, but the time on the train was fantastic. I caught up on all my favorite music blogs, studied, wrote, and talked to as many people as I could. Public transit has some serious benefits, and with financial benefits like those discussed above, it is definitely worth a try. Need more reasons to give it a shot? Taking alternate transportation into the city reduces a student’s carbon footprint, improves air quality in the city, and keeps pollutants off the roads and out of our water. Save the world while saving money. How much can you afford to waste? Ditch the car, save money, and gain some free time.

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

No Cost & Private STD / STI Testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, & trichomonas Participants Receive $50 Molecular Testing Labs is developing and validating a self-collection kit for screening sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is looking for female only study participants.

All participants will receive an STI panel at no cost with $50 compensation which includes testing for:   

Gonorrhea Chlamydia Trichomonas

The entire visit should take no more than 15 mins to complete (please allow for 30 mins to be safe).

Compensation is provided as cash immediately at the time of the study. Results provided confidentially through SHAC within a few days. In order to receive compensation, all participants will be expected to provide urine and vaginal swabs. You must be SHAC eligible to participate.

Call the SHAC to make an appointment for the STI study. The option for additional testing and treatment will be available through the on-site nurses.

Testing will be performed at the SHAC every Tuesday & Friday from 10am – 2:30pm. Walk-ins during those days are welcome, but appointments are recommended to avoid longer wait times. Email Dr. Sailey at csailey@pdx.edu if you have questions about the study.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ETC

WOES OF THE QUEER AND THE WELL-FED SUBPAR ADVICE FROM THE SUB-BASEMENT JOHN PINNEY The Only Granddaughter Writes: My grandma isn’t going to live very much longer. She’s over 90 and it’s probably just a matter of weeks. I’m her only grandkid. While I was in her attic looking for some old photographs last week, I stumbled upon love letters she wrote to another woman when she was in her 20s. It was clear the two women had a very intimate friendship and I often wondered about the cold and unhappy relationship she shared for many years with my grandpa. Should I remind her of who she was before she passes away? Heya Granddaughter, ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART Not a Baby Gay Writes: I finally came out last year as a lesbian and it took me a long time to make that choice. I was raised in a very conservative home, definitely not the most supportive. Everyone but my close friend Joyce is super accepting. She calls me a “baby gay” and wants me to call myself bisexual “just in case” I fall in love with a man. She also likes to sprinkle around “advice” about not coming out to my parents. What should I do? Heya NABG, Joyce sounds like a nightmare of a human being. Her one lesbian friend up and marries a dude and suddenly no lesbians exist anywhere. That must feel really invalidating after having the courage to come out as yourself. I think, more than anything, we certainly need more yous than Joyces in the world. And I think now more than ever is the exact time to start coming out. Harvey Milk was not wrong in what he said. Are you worried about blowback from alienating Joyce? Is that why you’re still friends? I would’ve dropped her like a hot potato, but it sounds like maybe she knows your parents in some capacity and you’re afraid she’ll rat you out. Because that’s a very real worry and a thing that happens, I’m sorry to say. I’m also sorry to say that there’s no way to convince Joyce that you’re not a baby gay and some sort of misguided binary heterosexual going through a phase. The Joyces of the world are as self-assured as those moms with the a-line haircuts that drive soccer vans and see the manager waaaaay too much while shopping for groceries. The best I can do is to ask you to think about what she brings to your friendship, what she gives to you that another friend does not. If the answer is nothing or is even more negative than that, it’s time to cut the friendship loose—in person. And at that in-person meeting, make it very clear why you’re ending the friendship.

Who exactly does this memory sharing serve? Is it for you or is it for her? What is the point of dredging up these memories? Are you going to personally track the woman down so they can be reunited and spend the last of grandmother’s moments with your OTP (One True Pairing)? There’s not much of a good scenario here for you. You’ll get all the warm fuzzies but also possibly risk tainting last memories of grandma—not just because she might be someone who had a homosexual relationship with one very special person, and having that one relationship does not always mean you label yourself as lesbian or bisexual or pansexual, especially if those are labels that you don’t always associate with positive things. Grandma might not be as keen on that trip down memory lane as you are. You don’t mention whether your grandmother has Alzheimer’s or if she’s asking you to bring these photos/memories to her. What is your angle in all this? Until you can answer that question, I can’t answer yours because that reminder might not be what either of you actually wants or needs. Maybe try doing a puzzle with old grandma instead. If she wants you to know, she’ll bring it up. And trust me, it won’t be some romanticized version of “find the picture that unlocks my secret sexual past” like you want it to be. Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru

Well Fed Artist Writes: So I’ve been a struggling artist for a few years and I’ve never had much success until recently. I was able to get some of my work into a few art shows but it got trashed by online reviewers. Oddly enough, though, I’ve gotten more offers for work because of the bad reviews. I wouldn’t mind except that now I can’t stop thinking about how those bad reviews live online forever. Maybe I shouldn’t put much stock into bloggers and their reviews, but what if real professionals hate me? Should I take it as a sign or just learn to accept the criticism, grow, and keep doing me? Heya Non-Starving Artist, You’re a struggling artist who has broken through the romance of the starving artist nonsense that makes society devalue most if not all forms of art! Congrats! Now you start to panic and worry that you’ll be made a fraud, that you’ll be caught up in the glamour. That your art will never lift above the rest of your contemporaries. Well, take heart in that it most likely won’t. You may be a competent artist, but competency does not necessarily equal extraordinary greatness. And even the extraordinarily great can fall flat sometimes (Hi Joss Whedon! Hi Stephen King!). But that does not mean you should not continue to work and learn in your craft. It just means you can give yourself permission to fail. And fail you should. At least once majorly and a few times with minor bumps. Failure is okay. It’s how we learn, it’s how we become humble. It’s how we know our craft is the thing we really, truly want and that even if we could we wouldn’t chuck it away for all of anything. Even if the critics hate you, you are getting hired. Someone saw something they liked or they saw something the critics bristled against, and they said they wanted a steaming, heaping second helping of just that. Celebrate now! You deserve it after your struggles of trying to make it! And if that doesn’t help, you might actually just not believe you should make it. It happens. Jezebel had this great story about a year or so ago about a woman who dressed up as Cookie from Empire for a new job that she was intellectually qualified for but had trouble believing she could actually achieve in. And guess what? Faking it until she made it worked! Now she’s in charge of herself again and doesn’t have to play act a character’s confidence.

And if she threatens to rat you out to your folks, you may have to come out to them preemptively. I’m sorry to say Joyce is a toxic friend and will most likely become a sharp and vindictive Facebook ex. Not the truth I want to write, but that’s probably the way it is. Maybe she’ll prove me wrong. Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

Hey, there are worse ways to get things done. ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru

PSU Vanguard •JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

EVENT LISTINGS FOR JAN. 18–24 Featured Event

FERTILE GROUND FESTIVAL JAN. 19–29 VARIOUS LOCATIONS FEE: $50 FOR A FESTIVAL PASS

This theater festival takes place in multiple locations around the greater Portland Metro area at multiple times throughout each of the festival’s eleven days. This festival is a great way to experience new and sometimes experimental works from a variety of voices on the Portland theater scene. Festival passes are $50 and can be purchased through fertilegroundpdx.org, which also has a full listing of what is playing during the festival. Single tickets are also sold for individual plays; most are around $15. Here are a few highlights:

BLIND (STAGED READING) BY BONNIE RATNER THIRD RAIL AT IMAGO THEATER 17 SE 8TH AVENUE FEE: $10

Set in 1960s Brooklyn, the tempestuous story of a black mother and her son versus a paranoid Jewish merchant is deconstructed. The question behind it all: Who really owns the neighborhood?

HOMELESS (THE MUSICAL) (STAGED READING) BY ALAN ALEXANDER III (AND CO.) CLINTON STREET THEATER 2522 SE CLINTON STREET FEE: $10 (STUDENTS)

Matilda finds something worth fighting for besides survival on the streets.

LITERARY THEORY BY SHERRY LANE (SUPPORT A FELLOW VIKING!) HIPBONE STUDIO 1847 E BURNSIDE STREET #104 FEE: $10

Right before she gives a big presentation on literary theory and why it even matters, Amy has some unexpected visitors. Lucky her.

INTO THE NIGHT BY THE ALLEGRO DANCE COMPANY BODYVOX THEATER 1201 NW 17TH AVENUE FEE: $20 (STUDENTS)

A belly-dance themed production that explores mortality and all that it contains.

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL LAKEWOOD THEATER COMPANY 368 S. STATE STREET, LAKE OSWEGO FEE: $10

Four one-acts written by up-and-coming high school students are workshopped with an audience along for the ride. This is a culmination of many sleepless nights.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18 KEEPING NATIVE BEES 6–8 P.M. BEE THINKING 1744 SE HAWTHORNE BOULEVARD FEE: $20

If you’re interested in helping to coax life back into the native ecosystem, come learn about the ins and outs, the pros and cons of beekeeping and how rewarding a future it can be for both you and all of humanity.

ALBERT CUMMINGS 8 P.M. ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE 3000 NE ALBERTA STREET FEE: $17–20

The legendary blues guitarist is here for one night only and comes highly recommended by fellow legends he’s played with: BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Johnny Winter among them. May play selections from his 2003 solo album From the Heart.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19 LOUIS C.K. 8 P.M. MODA CENTER 1 N CENTER COURT STREET FEE: $25–50

Brutally honest humor and endearing love for his kids have marked this comedian’s rise from stand-up to cable show maverick. Come hear the six-time Emmy award winner do the thing for which he’s known best.

ODD COUPLES 9:30 P.M. BRODY THEATER 16 NW BROADWAY FEE: $5

This night of improv comedy is performed by duos of improv teams from around the local area, competing for your laughs against each other’s extemporaneous wits.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 17, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

John Pinney FRIDAY, JAN. 20

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

PABLO SAINZ VILLEGAS 7:30 P.M. NEWMARK THEATRE 1111 SW BROADWAY FEE: $30–50 ($5 ARTS FOR ALL TICKETS MAY BE AVAILABLE)

CHOCOLATE FEST OREGON CONVENTION CENTER 777 NE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOULEVARD FEE: $15+

Pablo Villegas understands how to give us his heart via the Spanish guitar. He travels around the world from his home in Spain and has a sound that is uniquely acoustic. Come hear the blend of joy, sorrow, and hope in his Spanishinfluenced music.

RENT: 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR JAN. 20, 7:30 P.M. JAN. 21, 2 P.M. & 7:30 P.M. JAN. 22, 1 P.M. & 6:30 P.M. KELLER AUDITORIUM 222 SW CLAY STREET FEE: $30 ($5 ARTS FOR ALL TICKETS MAY BE AVAILABLE)

Honestly, it’s one of the best rock operas you’ll ever see. Jonathan Larson’s complete work before his untimely death is a harsh and loving ode to the bohemian-chic artists whose work often goes unnoticed as they eschew traditional modes of power. Ask any of your Broadway friends if they are Rent-heads, because there’s not enough space here to explain why this weekend should be devoted to Rent.

SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS JAN. 20, 7 P.M. (ARTIST TALK ONLY) JAN. 21, 7 & 9:30 P.M. JAN. 22, 3 P.M. 5TH AVENUE CINEMA 510 SW HALL STREET FEE: FREE FOR PSU STUDENTS WITH ID, OTHER STUDENTS $3, GENERAL ADMISSION $4

Multi-layered film featuring Carrie Brownstein in a non-Sleater Kinney, non-Portlandia role. Directed by PSU professor Matt McCormick, who will give a talk on Friday.

This weekend-long orgy of decadence is a great way to placate your sweet tooth if you have the cash. There are a few free samples, but most vendors are hoping you’ll pay full price after you pay admission. On top of that, there is also a VIP area and some wine selections, so it can get pretty pricey if you’re caught unaware.

WOMEN’S MARCH ON PORTLAND 12 P.M.

This march is in solidarity with those marching on Washington D.C., planned as an inauguration protest and visibility event. All people of an inclusive nature are welcome—no one will be turned away based on gender identity, immigrant status, ability, or religion. Keep tabs on the Facebook group to see where the march will start and end.

SUNDAY, JAN. 22 RODIN: THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE—SELECTIONS FROM THE IRIS AND B. GERALD CANTOR COLLECTIONS PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 1219 SW PARK AVE FEE: $20 (STUDENTS $16, ARTS FOR ALL $5)

The man that revolutionized sculpting is examined via bronzed works that remain to this day. His long career is highlighted, starting with his masterpiece Gates of Hell and continuing all the way to the Monumental Torso of the Walking Man. Rodin’s portraits of famous literary figures like Victor Hugo will also be available for viewing. The exhibit runs through April 16.

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE FILM CONCERT JAN. 21, 7:30 P.M. JAN. 22, 2 P.M. & 7 P.M. ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 1037 SW BROADWAY

Fee: $35+ ($5 Arts For All tickets may be available) The incomparable John Williams has scored many a famous film, and one of his more recent franchise works, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, is being performed by the Oregon Symphony. The movie will show in high-def on a screen while the orchestra plays along.