Portland State Vanguard, vol. 71 issue 28 by Portland State Vanguard

GREEN GUIDE

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VOLUME 71 ISSUE 420 BLAZE IT APRIL 18, 2017

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online at psuvanguard.com & @psuvanguard

POTLAND STATE VANGUARD tytytytytytytytytyt 4/20 is here—the unofficial official holiday for all things marijuana. Turn to P. 16 to for the Vanguard’s annual low-down on the devil’s lettuce. P. 8 A S P S U s t u d e n t g o v e r n m e n t b a ll o t n o w o p e n f o r v o t e P. 6 A m i d s t u d e n t p r o t e s t , B o a r d v o t e s t o i n c r e a s e t u i t i o n b y 9 p e r c e n t

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CONTENTS COVER PHOTO COLLEEN LEARY, DESIGN BY NIMI EINSTEIN NEWS AMID PROTEST, BOARD VOTES TO INCREASE TUITION BY 9 PERCENT STUDENT GOV’T BALLOTS NOW OPEN FOR VOTES

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STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-KIEF Colleen Leary MANAGING EDITOR Tim Sullivan NEWS EDITOR AJ Earl ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Alanna Madden INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Chris May ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Matthew Andrews OPINION EDITOR Evan Smiley

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Kristi Tihanyi Delaney Bigelow Zachary Vandehey PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Andy Ngo PHOTOGRAPHERS Jake Johnson CR E ATI V E DIR EC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Osborn DESIGNERS Terra DeHart Shannon Kidd Lydia Wojack-West

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GREEN GUIDE 2017

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ON & OFF CAMPUS EVENTS APRIL 18-24

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Nimi Einstein Chloe Kendall Robby Day Max Wayt Aaron Ughoc DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGERS Hrushikesh Apte Venkata Naga Sai Dilip Daneti A DV ER TISING ADVERTISING MANAGER Madelaine Eivers ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks ADVERTISING SALES Michael Hardy Ilyse Espino Caitlyn Malik

A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher 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 MIS SION S TAT EMEN T 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. A BOU T 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.

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NEWS

A IS FOR ANARCHY:

DANIEL MCGOWAN PRESENTS AT PSU ANNA WILLIAMS Daniel McGowan, former radical environmental activist and political prisoner, engaged an audience of students, community members, seniors and activists packed into two small rooms in Smith Memorial Student Union on April 7, 2017. Attendees listened to McGowan present his activist experiences while advocating for a broadening scope of radical political movements and supporting prisoners currently struggling in custody. McGowan, a college-educated anarchist and son of a New York City police officer, was arrested by federal marshals on Dec. 7, 2005. McGowan was charged with arson and property destruction for crimes he committed four years earlier while he lived in Oregon. As a member of the radical environmentalist group Earth Liberation Front, McGowan fought to stop old-growth logging and introduction of genetically modified organisms into the environment. ELF’s methods included two incidents of arson at Superior Lumber in Glendale, Oregon and Jefferson Poplar Farm in Clatskanie, Oregon. By strict definition, anarchy is a system in which there is no government and no hierarchy of power in society. Anarchists have participated in the civil rights movement through civil disobedience, protest against urban sprawl and deforestation, and criticism of elitist power structures. In many cases anarchists have called for direct action involving arson or destruction of property. However, protests, fundraising, and lobbying have been just as big a part of anarchy’s history. McGowan was arrested over 12 times at the beginning of his activism career.

“I kind of burnt through a lot of the different tactics that our movements use,” McGowan said. “Including some of the more mainstream ones like writing letters and lobbying and things like that back in New York.” McGowan moved back to New York in 2001 to live with his partner at the time and work at WomensLaw.org. McGowan was one of seven ELF members arrested on the same day. He was indicted after a conversation with a former co-activist was wiretapped. As the events of 9/11 were still fresh in 2005, McGowan believed “the Department of Justice was on a path to indict old crimes.” McGowan’s charge included a domestic terrorism enhancement, though his actions did not harm any lives or government property. McGowan was supported financially and socially through members of the anarchist community throughout his incarceration, but he became famous for his recounting of life in an ultra-secure Communications Management Unit in Marion, Illinois, which was originally built to house prisoners from Alcatraz. In the Huffington Post’s series of articles on McGowan’s unusual journey through the prison system, McGowan detailed how prisoners were kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours at a time. He could no longer hug and kiss his wife during visitation, but instead had to talk to her through a monitored telephone across a thick pane of glass. Civil liberties groups like the National Lawyers Guild contested McGowan’s “terrorist” designation, as his actions had only resulted in property damage. Attendees of McGowan’s talk included not only black neckerchief-clad PSU students

donning anti-Nazi patches and combat boots, but also environmentalists, community anarchist supporters, and senior citizens. One such community member, Cindy, who requested the Vanguard not publish her last name, said, “If we don’t shake things up a bit, make a stink, nothing will change.” Cindy flaunted a “Vegan for life” tattoo on her left forearm and said she works with Northwest VEG, an organization that helps people transition to plantbased diets. Another attendee had the Anarchist Black Cross symbol—a fist rising from a cross— tattooed to his arm, while his neighbor drank from a water bottle adorned with a “Support Daniel McGowan” bumper sticker. At the back of the room, representatives from the Portland Anarchist Black Cross held a table of postcards with prison addresses of political prisoners so attendees could write them support letters, as well as political stickers, one of which read, “Good Night Alt-Right.” Justin Floyd, a PSU alum and organizer with Portland ABC, said the ABC does “basically anything we can do to put prisoners on blast or to provide material support for them.” McGowan was a recipient of fundraising and support letters sent by ABC members and workshop participants and reached out to Portland ABC to help advertise his visit and distribute his zine about Communications Management Units. Addressing anarchist’s media reputation, particularly after recent anti-Trump protests, Floyd, like McGowan, stressed that the public likes to focus on the most “spectacular” crimes committed by anarchists, such as arson or property destruction, rather than the ideologies behind them.

SHANNON KIDD

“We at the Anarchist Black Cross and other anarchist communities across the U.S. immediately noticed when people like the Oregonian or Fox News or others immediately threw us under the bus,” Floyd said. “Same with the Portland Police Bureau.” McGowan said he chose to leave the ELF when he realized his actions did not agree with his morals. Though he said he did not want to tell other anarchists how to go about their activism, McGowan warned the audience against the cycle of ineffective actions that leave some activists “burned out.” For more on anarchism in Portland, contact Radical Education PSU, the student organization that sponsored McGowan’s visit. Students can also attend a Portland ABC meeting, workshop, or letter-writing group to get involved with the community.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVEY PROMPTS HONEST CONVERSATION ANNA WILLIAMS Portland State staff led the first of two panel discussions on Wednesday, April 12 in response to the results of PSU’s 2016 Sexual Misconduct Campus Climate Survey. The survey results were released on the morning of April 4, 2017 in an email sent to the entire university community by PSU President Wim Wiewel. Less than a dozen students attended the event held in the Multicultural Student Center. The survey stats revealed that 1 in 7 women and almost 1 in 3 trans and non-binary students have experienced sexual violence while enrolled at PSU. While these results are half the national average for women and consistent with the national average for trans and non-binary students, the survey revealed students to be unaware of available resources on campus, and that students felt disconnected from PSU and not in control of their college experience.

According to Julie Caron, the PSU Title IX coordinator, sexual misconduct includes “any non-consensual touching, as well as any nonconsensual penetration.” Included on the panel were Caron, Jessica Le, peer educator at Illuminate PSU, Adrienne Graf, relationship and sexual violence response coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center, Dr. Marcy Hunt, director of counseling services at the Center for Student Health and Counseling, and Craig Leets, director of the Queer Resource Center, among others. The survey, sent out to over 12,000 of those students enrolled in the Spring 2016 semester, garnered a 19 percent response rate. “This is consistent with federally recommended college sample sizes,” Caron said. However, the 14 percent male response rate was lower than the university’s target, meaning the 4 percent of men who reported sexual violence while at PSU could be higher.

Caron expressed concern because the survey revealed less than a third of PSU students know about resources on campus for those who have been sexually abused. The survey also revealed more than half of sexual misconducts were instigated by nonPSU members. One audience member asked how the university helps the majority of PSU students who live off campus. Information about the after-hours Call to Safety line and the Bradley Angle House, which also has a 24/7 line, is available on the IPV program webpage. Graf said PSU has been collaborating with these two agencies to give off-campus PSU students options for support. IPV is also working with Campus Safety, which has an escorting service that can help bring intoxicated students back to their dorms, to provide amnesty for underage drinkers that either report or experience sexual violence or other issues needing

Campus Safety, law enforcement, or medical response. According to Erica Bestpitch, administrative coordinator for the WRC, 177 students have utilized IPV advocates since September 2016. While the IPV program has been in place since 2001, IPV advocates have only had confidentiality since 2014. Though IPV advocates are held to responsible employee guidelines, similar to mandatory reporting laws, Graf said, “[Confidentiality] marked a different era of our advocacy programming.” In response to the high rate of trans and non-binary students affected by sexual violence, Caron said, “We are continuing to work with the QRC as well as the community to help respond to that.” Details of survey results, Wiewel’s letter, and a list of resources, phone numbers, and advocates are available on the Global Diversity and Inclusion “Equity and Compliance” web page.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

NEWS

BOT UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES 9 PERCENT TUITION INCREASE JAKE JOHNSON

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MET ON APRIL 11 TO DISCUSS TUITION INCREASE. JAKE JOHNSON/PSU VANGUARD The Portland State Board of Trustees unanimously voted to raise tuition by 9 percent and revealed that they have virtually chosen a new unnamed university president at its meeting Tuesday, April 11. In addition, BOT members elected a new chair and vice chair of the Board.

ASPSU SPEAKS OUT AGAINST TUITION HIKES

Foreshadowing the tuition increase approved minutes later, newly appointed ASPSU Vice President Alex Herrera commented on the BOT’s lack of interest in student voices. “I’m aware of folks who signed up on the speakers list before the 24-hour deadline and were not allowed to speak,” Herrera said. “I understand that there are time constraints here. However, when we are talking about a matter of tuition increase at an astronomical rate of 9 percent, I think that is vital that students are able to voice their concerns fully and that they should be heard fully. This is a decision that could potentially price students out of their education.” Newly appointed ASPSU President Zia Laboff also voiced concerns. “This is an issue that we’re seeing nationwide against education,” Laboff asserted. “We believe that it’s really important for PSU and especially Oregon as a state to take a stand and make a strong position in support of higher education and in support of students. This is an issue that really will end up falling on the backs of students. It’s a pattern that we’ve seen and it’s very concerning.” Laboff expanded on this, noting that while PSU claims to pride itself on its commitment to diversity and the representation of underserved communities and non-traditional

students, these are the students that will be affected the most. BOT Chair Pete Nickerson’s calculated response appeared to be critical of student participation. “The board has been constituted for three years,” Nickerson responded. “I want to assure you that there’s been no attempt to silence anybody or to prevent them from having the opportunity to come speak with us. Again, the Board, meeting only 12 times in those three years values the opportunity to hear from people who do sign up and from yourselves.” “I did attend the finance and administration committee meeting last week,” Nickerson continued. “And I don’t believe there were any students there who weren’t part of the process.” After thanking Hererra and Laboff for being willing to step up into their new roles, another trustee took a softer approach by using praise. “I appreciate everything you say about tuition and increases,” Trustee Christine Vernier said. “I really appreciate the fact that you’re lobbying because, really, the bottom line is we have to get more money nationally and from the state. Student voices are the best voices for them to hear; we’d go down and lobby too, but your voices are heard loud and clear down there, so thank you for doing that.”

TUITION INCREASE CONCERNS, PRESENTATIONS AND VOTE

The next presentation was given by PSU Faculty Senate Presiding Officer Brad Hansen, who expressed concern about several bills currently making their way through the Oregon Legislature.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

“I think if we have activism, it could be directed toward a governmental level, not this level,” Hansen said. Instead, he said, it should be aimed “at the legislature, or at the federal government to respect the needs of society to invest in higher education.” Hansen is worried the bills will manifest themselves as a way for the state to micromanage PSU and other centers of higher learning in ways counterproductive to educational advancement. “I wanted to end on a positive note,” Hansen stated. “I think we’re doing the best we can with what we have to work with and the faculty’s committed to that. I hope the board knows that, and I hope the students know that too.” On a less positive note, Kevin Reynolds presented an audit that showed PSU’s 2017–18 budget at a $20 million deficit.

“WE’RE HERE, WE’RE BROKE, OUR EDUCATION IS NOT A JOKE.” — RALLY PARTICIPANTS Reynolds noted that over the projected tuition increase cycle of six years, the budget will still be at a deficit but tuition will have gone up 50 percent. Irving Levin interjected that it appeared tuition would actually be raised roughly 66 percent. Every two years is a biennium in BOT budget terms. The first year of a biennium sees a 9 percent tuition increase for resident students, the second year sees a 5 percent tuition increase. Nonresidents see a 5 percent increase every year for these six years.

The BOT then voted unanimously to raise tuition. Local news crews swarmed BOT Chair Nickerson.

STUDENTS DISSENT, PSUSU RALLIES

After the tuition increase news, most of the audience and news crews left. The current BOT Vice Chair Rick Miller was elected as new PSU BOT Chair and Gale Castillo as new vice chair of the BOT. At 10:20 a.m. the PSU Student Union rally against tuition increase came to the BOT meeting, chanting from outside through the glass and stomping. “We’re here, we’re broke, our education is not a joke,” rally participants chanted. After the next break, the protesters entered the room respectfully and quietly, ate bagels and stood around quietly. There was one notable interaction between ASPSU Vice Presidential Candidate Donald Thompson III and newly elected BOT Chair Rick Miller. “There is a fundamental disconnect with impoverished students,” Thompson asserted. “You ask us to see your side, but likewise if you are not listening to those students you do them a disservice. If someone has a different experience than you, you also need to listen to them.” Before getting to the issue of tuition increase, the BOT heard comments from a student advocating $15 per hour for student workers. “It’s sad that some of these workers struggle to make ends meet,” the attendee said, noting how some workers have to “utilize PSU’s food pantry to put food on their table and may even live out of their cars.”

NEWS

STUDENTS PROTEST BOT’S 9 PERCENT TUITION HIKE ANAMIKA VAUGHAN

About a dozen Portland State students gathered in the Park Blocks on Tuesday, April 11 at 10 a.m for a rally organized by the PSU Student Union to protest the 9 percent tuition increase proposed by the Board of Trustees. Approximately 20 minutes before the rally began, the BOT voted to pass the increase, much to the surprise and chagrin of the protest organizers. “They have a track record of scheduling these meetings at the most inconvenient times and running them in a way where they have absolutely full control,” said Kaden, one of the protest organizers. “We try to take that control away from them by resisting in protest. They pushed the decision to the beginning so that they could do it earlier. They were definitely hurrying through their agenda to get to that decision.” The 9 percent tuition increase equates to an additional $693 a year for full-time undergraduate students and an additional $1251 for graduate students. “This isn’t the first time they have raised tuition since I’ve been here,” said Michael Richardson, another protest organizer. “I’ve

been here for about two years, and it’s just been steadily creeping every year. This year it’s the biggest raise that I have ever seen. And so I’m out here with [PSUSU] to speak out against it.” At 10:20 a.m., after the protesters implored more students from campus to join them, the rally, led by a large banner reading “Welcome to Police State University,” began to march toward the Academic and Student Recreation Center, where the BOT meeting was still in session. The rally, which had grown to around 20 students, stopped outside the Campus Public Safety Office to briefly speak out against the arming of campus police officers—another cause championed by the PSUSU with its campaign “#disarmPSU”. “We’re here basically to talk about and listen to student voices that have been ignored in this decision–making process,” Kaden said. “They state and put out that they have a big want and need for student voices and provide every opportunity for us to become involved, when in reality that’s not the case. I know several people who were denied

access to the speaker’s list when they applied to be on it within the allotted time that the Board gave us.” According to a press release by PSU, “The Student Budget Advisory Committee, which includes students, met five times to discuss budget planning and tuition. PSU budget officials also met with the Associated Students of PSU and the Student Senate. A campus budget forum was held last month, and ASPSU and other students have submitted comments on the budget and tuition.” Student protesters also voiced concerns about how the tuition increase would affect students who already juggle tuition with medication costs, children, and full or part-time jobs. Additionally, there were concerns about how this tuition increase, in combination with increases in rent prices in Portland, would push out lower income students. By 10:30 a.m., the protesters made it to the fifth floor of the ASRC, where they stood outside the BOT meeting to chant and stomp their feet. Chants included, “All power to the students,” “Down with

the Board,” and “They should not exist” (in reference to the BOT). Finally, the rally came to its conclusion inside the meeting, where the BOT members took a brief break from their agenda to speak with the protesters. “This is an uncomfortable situation,” said BOT member Gale Castillo. “We are facing reduced funding from the state and a 20 million dollar deficit, and we’re going to address this by increasing tuition and reducing our own expenditures by $9 million. We reluctantly voted for the increase, but none of us wanted to do that.” After the $9 million in budget reductions, which may include personnel reductions and increasing teaching loads, the remaining $11 million will be made up by the increase in tuition. According to a press release by PSU, the university is facing budget shortfalls due to decreases in state funding, school enrollment, and increases in pension costs, health care benefits and wages which total to approximately $12 million in PSU’s general fund next year.

STUDENTS PROTEST 9 PERCENT TUITION INCREASE. JAKE JOHNSON/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

NEWS INTERNATIONAL

VOTE TODAY!

VOTING POLLS FOR 2017’S ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF PORTLAND STATE ARE NOW OPEN! BE SURE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AND VOTE TODAY!

ELECTION DATES:

Polls for 2017’s ASPSU election will close on Wednesday, May 3 at 1 p.m. The announcement of election results will occur on Friday, May 5 at the Simon Benson House from 1–2 p.m.

POLLING STATIONS:

Open Monday–Thursday, April 17–May 3 between Smith Memorial Student Union and Neuberger Hall noon–1 p.m. Floats for Votes will occur in the PSU Park Blocks Tuesday–Thursday, April 25–27, noon–1 p.m.

ASPSU PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Thompson III

ASPSU VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Brent Finkbeiner

STUDENT FEE COMMITTEE CANDIDATES: Nhi Dao Suwadu Jallow Amber Hastings Violet Gibson Andy Mayer Patrick Meadors Mahamadou Sissoko

SENATE CANDIDATES: Alex Herrera Zia Laboff Jocelyn Rodriguez Katie Kennedy Emily Korte Catherine Everett Linh Le Sabrina Stitt Jocelyn Rodriguez Luis Balderas Villagrana Nickolas Hash Cuautli Verastegui Zoe Stuckless

VOTING POLLS FOR 2017’S ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF PORTLAND STATE ARE NOW OPEN! BE SURE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AND VOTE TODAY! JAKE JOHNSON/PSU VANGUARD

ASPSU PRESIDENTIAL

AND VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE? JAKE JOHNSON

Associated Students of Portland State University hosted its annual public presidential and vice presidential debate on Tuesday, April 11. The debate began at noon inside Smith Memorial Student Union and more closely resembled a press conference rather than a debate for unopposed presidential candidate Brent Finkbeiner and vice presidential candidate Donald Thompson III. Thompson was first to speak, opening with an acknowledgement of the indigenous space the PSU campus occupies. “It’s important to acknowledge the space that we occupy,” Thompson said. “The campus is built on indigenous land that was taken from those peoples. They have routinely been exploited and erased. When we have conversations about what’s going to happen to our campus, it’s important to acknowledge that we continue that cycle to this day of displacement and erasure.” Community Service Thompson said he was driven to student government through desire to be involved on campus in a more direct way and explained how it related to his own personal goals.

THE ASPSU PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT DEBATE ON APRIL 11. JAKE JOHNSON/PSU VANGUARD “The need to take control over my own sense of self, that extends from me to taking part in my community and taking control of my own destiny as a student,” Thompson said. “If you see an issue and you feel capable of contending it, then you should.” Finkbeiner’s draw to student government came from a personal place and his service to the country. “The same thing that inspires me to do this job today is the same thing that inspired me to join the military,” Finkbeiner explained. “I care very deeply about all the people in this country and in this world,” Finkbeiner continued. “There is so much that we can do for each other that we don’t do.” “One of the biggest things that I’m about is dedicating myself to others,” Finkbeiner said. “When I joined the military, I joined as a medic because my goal was not to ‘have some fun and blow some stuff up,’ it was to save lives and that’s what I did.” Finkbeiner felt he lacked a sense of purpose after leaving the military. “After you save a life and you see people hurting, there’s nothing more tragic than realizing there’s nothing you can do,” he said. Ultimately, Finkbeiner ended up in ASPSU as a student leader.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

Leadership through listening If elected president, Finkbeiner said he hopes to use leadership as a tool to advocate for fixing broken systems by banding together with others to create something better. “To put our personal selves aside as leaders, to handle other people’s pain and to listen to other people’s problems and to do everything that is in their best interest in how they describe it,” Finkbeiner said, describing his leadership goals. Finkbeiner expressed the belief that leaders who think they have all the answers without listening to others is a form of elitism that nearly got him killed in the military. Echoing the need for listening, Thompson expressed a desire to increase communication with diverse spaces, multicultural centers, and resource centers. “Use those connections to know what’s going on, to hear their concerns,” Thompson explained. He then added that he desires to see “the student body engaging with those groups in the different parts of the community that they are removed from.” Response to tuition increase In addition to questions about their personal leadership goals, Thompson and Finkbeiner were asked about other pressing issues on the

PSU campus. They expressed concern over negative effects this may have on underserved communities adding they hope to use ASPSU to support those students. Eligibility standards ASPSU recently looked into altering the constitution’s grades stipulation that removes ELSA scholarships for ASPSU members whose grades fall. Finkbeiner stated he has a hard time imagining most people doing ASPSU’s work for free. Finkbeiner stated the privilege of support from military service as a key factor in his ability to maintain his grades and wondered how much more students could get done if they didn’t have to constantly lobby against tuition hikes. Thompson described his belief in a leadership team that supports each others’ workloads, picks each other up when they are tired or need extra support to focus on studies. Thompson and Finkbeiner are hoping to check themselves and keep open ears to criticism from their peers within ASPSU and the student body. The two also expressed hopes to do a better job of keeping students informed about ASPSU happenings, ways to participate, and making access to ASPSU updates and information easier.

NEWS

STUDENT FEE COMMITTEE DEBATES FUTURE OF STUDENT FUNDING JAKE JOHNSON

Candidates for Associated Students of Portland State University’s Student Fee Committee met to discuss the ways each candidate is qualified to control funding for many clubs on campus. The April 12 event was held in Smith Memorial Student Union’s Parkway North 101. Of seven candidates running for the SFC, four candidates met to debate. Current incumbent SFC members Andy Mayer and Mahamadou Sissoko were joined by Nhi Dao, who currently serves as an associate justice for the ASPSU Judicial Review Board, and Patrick Meadors, who has no previous ASPSU experience but seems very interested in learning. Why run for Student Fee Committee? Sissoko was inspired to join ASPSU after realizing that people can actually do things about the problems they see on campus. “I saw things happening, thinking I had no control over them,” Sissoko remembered. “This position is an opportunity for me to address issues that I see on a daily basis happening to me and my fellow students.” Dao joined for similar reasons. “I know how student government works, and I know what problems are happening,” Dao said. “That’s why I want to be in student

government, to help my people.” A three-year veteran of the SFC, Andy Mayer also believes student government exists to attempt to solve problems that students have. “It was really eye-opening seeing the level of control students have over their incidental fees and the things we can do with them,” Mayer said. “We address a lot of really powerful issues. To me that’s what ASPSU and the SFC are for, to address issues that face students.” Meadors, new to student government, expressed enthusiasm about learning more about how student government works and how he can help. “There are lots of people that need assistance,” Meadors said. “These are people that have families, that are taking full course loads and working several jobs, all just in one person. That just boggles my mind, that they have to balance so many things and I would like to be able to help those people.” Meadors also asserted that he is interested in helping students affected by recent travel bans and listening to their concerns. What is the SFC and how you will make

it better? As most students may be unaware of what the SFC is, Andy Mayer was asked by debate moderators to expand on what exactly the SFC is and does. “Oregon law stipulates that certain mandatory incidental fees that every student pays when they attend school are to be controlled and allocated by the student government,” Mayer explained. “SFC is ASPSU’s committee that does that work. We get budget requests from almost 40 fee-funded areas, resource centers, cultural centers, ASPSU, legal services, student groups, the rec center, athletics, all the trauma care services on campus, and all of student media—and much, much more.” “We take that and we have to balance a budget that’s almost 16 million dollars in total,” Mayer continued. “That’s the work we do, it’s very important work, in my opinion, and it provides those services that they don’t get from the rest of the university.” Mayer also asserted that while PSU’s professional staff receive wage increases to assist with higher costs of living, student workers should but have not received similar increases.

Sissoko expressed belief in the importance of listening to and learning from others. Sissoko is also a firm advocate in conducting thorough research to get all of the facts needed to govern appropriately. If elected, Meadors’ first priority will be learning everything that the SFC does and what the current state of things are behind the scenes before making plans about what to do next. Dao hopes to learn more about the SFC and help educate students outside of ASPSU about all the of the things student government does in order to encourage them to get involved as well. Sissoko, Mayer, and Dao have all decided to run without a slate, citing a lack of need for outside associations. Meadors believes that by running on the Engage PSU slate, they can begin to foster communication and dialogue that will prove useful if elected. “What I want to see from the SFC this year is to be more critical than we have been in the past, which is a hard thing to do,” Mayer said.

POTENTIAL SENATORS DEBATE OVER PASTA LUNCH WITH 16 SENATE POSITIONS AVAILABLE, 4 CANDIDATES DEBATE TO SHOW THEIR WORTH JAKE JOHNSON While there is always a lot going on in the lives of PSU students, four candidates made time to attend the Associated Students of PSU Senate Debate on Thursday, April 13, held in Smith Memorial Student Union room 294. After a tumultuous few months, the candidates expressed they were looking ahead to ASPSU’s future in the coming school year. Of the four candidates in this year’s debate, three have experience in ASPSU. Zia Laboff is currently ASPSU president, Luis Balderas Villagrana is currently the senate chair, and Jocelyn Rodriguez is currently sustainability affairs director for ASPSU. Sabrina Stitt does not have previous ASPSU experience but felt it was necessary to take a more active role on campus. All four candidates are part of the Engage PSU slate, led by ASPSU presidential candidate Brent Finkbeiner and vice presidential candidate Donald Thompson III. Remaining objective and seeking to represent all students Villagrana expressed the belief that an important first step to being there for all stu-

dents is just being available. One way Villagrana hopes to achieve this is through having open office hours. Villagrana feels it is not a very inviting indicator of ASPSU’s interest in your voice if you show up to the ASPSU office only to find the lights off and the door locked. Additionally, Villagrana asserts that you need to reach out. “You actually have to talk to people,” Villagrana said. “You have to talk to the student leaders, you have to go to the international community and say, ‘What is PSU not doing for you and what are the ways we can help you?’” Laboff feels that the common shared experience of being students is key for her in seeking to understand and appreciate different ideas. “As a leader I think it’s very much important to encourage different forms of thought and not be impartial to them,” Laboff said. “It’s important to stay true to our experiences and the knowledge and the values that we hold, but at the same time it’s equally important to understand that everyone has different experiences and knowledge and values, and those are formed through life experience.”

“People come from different back“You shouldn’t punish students for having grounds,” Laboff continued. “Different hardships in your life,” Stitt said. environments produce different forms Rodriguez feels that one reason people can of thought, and it’s important to value all get poor grades at school is by being forced to those equally since we are all working to- take classes they have no passion for. gether as students.” “If you’re not interested in it, you’re not gonna Grades as a barrier to participation have a passion for it, and if you don’t have a pasCurrently, undergraduate students are re- sion for it, you’re not gonna get good grades,” quired to have a 2.5 GPA and graduate students Rodriguez said. “You’re also doing other jobs, or are required to have a 3.0 GPA in order to par- having children, or worrying about how you’re ticipate in ASPSU. Athletics programs have a gonna get to school, or how you’re gonna eat, 2.0 GPA requirement. or how you’re gonna pay your bills. To me, I just Villagrana rememdon’t know how not getting enough bers having bad grades A’s is going to relate to you being a in high school and good leader.” thinking of going to Laboff expressed concern college. He asserted over the concept of a meritocthat his grades did racy that only values the voices it not define him and has deemed worthy through the do not define others. achievement of a number. She feels –Luis Balderas Villagrana He attends PSU and that by creating this barrier to paris involved in student ticipation some of the diversity government. Villegrana also fears that if that PSU values is edged out, and students he had listened to others, he would not lose opportunities to represent themselves. have been able to be here today. Election polling began Monday, April 17.

“What is PSU not doing for you and what are the ways we can help you?”

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL

VENEZUELANS VACATION IN THE STREETS TO PROTEST POLITICAL POWER GRAB ERIC STEFFEN

Protests have rocked Venezuela following the now-overturned Supreme Court ruling that stripped the National Assembly of its power to legislate and handed that power over to the Court itself. Because the courts are packed with loyalists, many view the opposition-controlled National Assembly as the sole check on President Nicolás Maduro’s power. The protests also come in response to the deteriorating economic situation in the country, with widespread food shortages and increasingly rare medicinal supplies. The most significant part about these recent demonstrations is that the lower income areas of Caracas and the surrounding areas, often bastions of support for the Maduro administration, have been active participants. Many are coming out to demonstrate the exponential increase in prices on basic necessities such as food and medicine. In recent days the protests have turned violent, with the National Guard and national police service firing tear gas into the crowds and utilizing water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Venezuela’s neighbors have condemned the violence and have called on the government to hold elections to bring back democracy to the country. Reuters quoted Brazil’s foreign minister as saying, “Brazil supports an honest and effective international political dialogue to guarantee the full restoration of democracy.” Despite the intense media coverage of the current political situation in Venezuela, the country has been heading down this path for quite some time. In 2015, The Economist reported on the

APRIL 9

arrest of an opposition-aligned Caracas mayor in an article titled “Sliding Toward Dictatorship.” A dual Venezuelan-American citizen, Maria Rivera-Novoa, also a Portland State/Portland Community College dual enrollee, said that the slide toward dictatorship in the country was not so obvious. She compared it to how a lobster is cooked: “You place it in the water alive and it is unaware it is about to die because the process [of boiling] is so slow and gradual.” Slowly the institutions that are upheld in democratic countries have been eroded and stuffed with regime loyalists. The enthusiasm that swept Hugo Chávez to power allowed him to undermine Venezuela’s democratic institutions without the people’s knowledge. “It’s great people and countries are speaking out, but this is not new,” Rivera-Novoa said. The Caracas-based government has banned political opposition figures from running for government, with the most recent casualty being the popular opposition governor of the state of Miranda, Henrique Capriles. Maduro cited Capriles’ support and presence as a prominent figure among the demonstrators as the reason he is unable to run. “The right wing’s treason of our national interests is cause for indigTERRA DEHART nation,” Maduro was quoted as saying in The Seattle Times. Maduro was hoping that during Holy Week, with many Venezuelans receiving vacation time, protests would diminish slightly. Having clearly not seen that happen, the president even offered additional vacation days to citizens in an attempt to cut back demonstrator numbers. Maduro is facing increasingly difficult odds of the protests and demonstrations ending soon, as the opposition has pledged to hold the largest of their demonstrations on April 19, the fifth anniversary of Maduro’s ascension to the presidency.

EGYPT

Holy Week in Egypt started with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declaring three days of nationwide mourning on Palm Sunday after two separate bombings targeting Coptic Christian churches in Alexandria and Tanta left almost 30 dead and dozens more injured. In response, el-Sisi has announced a three-month state of emergency in the works, including the establishment of “supreme council to counter terrorism and extremism.”

APRIL 11 TAQBA,

SYRIA

Friendly fire from a U.S. drone resulted in the deaths of at least 18 members of an allied Syrian force. The Syrian Democratic Forces to which the slain soldiers belonged characterized them as martyrs, while U.S. officials argued such incidents are unavoidable in a conflict that has seen more than 20,000 airstrikes from the U.S. and other coalition forces.

APRIL 13

OTTAWA, CANADA

Aiming to deliver on one of his campaign promises, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration presented a plan to legalize recreational marijuana nationwide by 2018. If Canada can successfully implement a regulatory and legal system controlling the production, distribution, sale, and consumption of marijuana, it will join Uruguay and become the only other nation in the world to establish a legal marijuana market.

APRIL 13 NEW

YORK CITY, U.S.

APRIL 8–14

In a rare moment of consensus, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to end its peacekeeping mission in Haiti. The election and inauguration of President Jovenel Moise and U.S. pressure to reduce expenditures on peacekeeping missions contributed to the decision to replace the controversy-plagued mission with a smaller police force by October.

Chris May

APRIL 14

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA

As a U.S. carrier unit continued on its way to waters off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared in a ceremony to cut the ribbon on a huge new housing project in Pyongyang. Foreign journalists invited to the event weren’t allowed to enter any of the buildings or confirm if there was actually anything inside the new 3,600 housing flats and 70-story high-rises.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS OPINION & CULTURE

SCREAMING AT BOOKS: GAIL GODWIN’S ‘GRIEF COTTAGE’ REVIEW BY CASSIE DUNCANSON

Everything about Grief Cottage called to me. The gorgeous cover. The summary. The author’s note. Gail Godwin refers to her interest in liminal spaces: “I’m drawn to those crossover places in ghost stories and novels: the hair-thin junctions between sanity as we understand it and what we call ‘the other side.’” Give it to me! I want all of that! Conceptually, this novel is a powerhouse. Textually, it falls flat. (Save me from authors who feel the need to write out the phonetics of dialect—and then remain inconsistent with the rules they have established.) Grief Cottage follows an 11-year-old boy named Marcus. Raised by a single mother recently involved in a fatal car accident, Marcus is placed under the care of his great-aunt Charlotte. She is a reclusive painter who lives alone on an island in South Carolina and manages to live off the money she makes with her depictions of the local landscapes. On the end of the beach is a ramshackle cottage slated for demolition, colloquially called “Grief Cottage” after a family disappeared during a hurricane decades earlier. Soon after arriving on the island, Marcus has an encounter with what he believes to be the ghost of the teenage boy who once lived there. Marcus spends the majority of his time on the island cleaning up after his aunt, watching after turtle eggs, sorting through his old belongings and attempting to solve the mystery of the ghost. Marcus is a young, smart boy who has had a lot of tragedy in his life. His mother has died, leaving him with the mystery of a deceased father he only has one photograph of. His aunt, despite her good intentions, is an

alcoholic. His aunt’s friend Lachicotte takes it upon himself to keep an eye on Marcus but also makes sure to keep reminding Marcus to act as a guardian to his aunt, arguing that she is incapable of fully taking care of herself. As I continued reading I was reminded of the movie Secondhand Lions: A young child is left with an estranged relative; family secrets to be uncovered; child attempts to take care of their guardian; child attempts to discover the secrets of the dead; animals in the backyard (in this case, protected loggerhead turtle eggs). On the surface, I enjoyed these traits. Despite the book’s tragedy, I never got the sense that the protagonist was, well, sad. The novel very closely follows his interior monologue, so it is occasionally clear that Marcus is in denial and actively chooses not to think about how tragic his life has been up to this point. Although the boy just lost the only parent he had ever known and goes to live with strangers, there never seemed to be a moment in all his thoughts where he realistically would have wallowed in that sadness. I was also confused about the ghost. The ghost didn’t appear to be as important a character as the summary led me to believe. The dead boy is on the page a handful of moments, but my biggest challenge was that I never felt invited to believe the logic. That is, Marcus explains his child-logic to us regarding ghosts and the supernatural, but I never bought into it. Part of this was the result of his voice being written as extremely well-educated, but the narration seemed to suggest that we, the readers, were

experiencing these events immediately after they occurred. The effect was that I frequently felt I was reading more of a personal narrative than organic retrospective thought. The last fifth of the novel takes a confusing turn,

where after spending 200 pages following Marcus over the course of one summer we follow a compressed description of what he gets up to over the following decades, all through his education and a reconciliation with someone from his past.

I was left reeling, trying to figure out how all of the different thematic threads I’d been collecting fit into this expanded timeline. I enjoyed the pieces of Grief Cottage, but they just didn’t add up for me when strung together.

I received a copy of Gail Godwin’s Grief Cottage: A Novel from Bloomsbury via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no payment from the publishing house. The book is set for publication June 6, 2017.

BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING/2017

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

MAGIC IN MAGICAL THINKING

VANESSA CARLTON AT THE DOUG FIR LOUNGE REVIEW BY ANDREW D. JANKOWSKI

VANESSA CARLTON PERFORMED AT THE DOUG FIR LOUNGE ON APRIL 8. ANDREW D. JANKOWSKI/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

“Fake news exists in families,” Vanessa Carlton said during her sold out 2017 performance at the Doug Fir Lounge, generating laughter from the audience. Carlton was explaining the painting behind her, a potentially larger-than-life reproduction of a 1963 oil painting by her grandfather Alan J. Lee, which depicts three semi-nude female forms. The color palette was impossible to determine, as the venue’s red, blue and orangeyellow lights distorted it beyond recognition, yet the colors and scale were critical in inspiring Carlton’s most recent full-length album, Liberman (2015). Carlton explained how her grandfather gave up his profession when he married and had children in the 1960s and started designing women’s button-down shirts; she also talked about how, when he immigrated to the United States, he changed his last name from Liberman to Lee so as to assimilate and “be less ethnic.” Identity is a recurring theme across Carlton’s discography. Whereas some artists struggle with accepting the realities of aging and maturing, others struggle to be freed from youth. The lowest point of the show, if there has to be one, was Carlton’s rendition of “A Thousand Miles,” the song Carlton’s publicist said I could only ask one question about for our canceled interview. “Let’s open up some room to let the elephant out,” Carlton said, before beginning her set with accompanist Skye Steele, whom Carlton met at the end of her major label period. Even though Carlton is obviously over the song that has found eternal life beyond her, in jewelry commercials and numerous hip-hop songs (Cam’ron’s “10,000 Miles” being Carlton’s favorite), the audience didn’t care, singing along in earnest with the lyrics that some-to-many in the room might have heard when they were tweens. The audience Saturday night seemed like it could be close to half women and half men who could be defined as old millennials or young Gen X/Y-ers, and I question how many in the audience first realized Carlton’s musical genius through learning Be Not Nobody on piano. After that song, however, Carlton’s show flourished. Vanessa Carlton is on tour promoting her new live albums, Liberman Live and Earlier Things Live. Both albums were recorded on the last night of the Liberman Tour and were released as separate albums on different record labels within six months of each other. Carlton has stated in numerous interviews (and reiterated at the show) that her major label releases are not reflective of her contemporary artistry, and do not interact with her independent canon, which includes Liberman and 2011’s Rabbits on the Run. Many of Carlton’s major label songs dealt with youthful themes of love and yearning and were inspired by Carlton’s childhood adolescence. Rabbits on the Run, by contrast, is a sonic/lyrical soundscape inspired by Stephen Hawking and Watership Down.

The first half of the night heard Carlton and Steele playing an Earlier Things-inspired set: “White Houses” and the Stevie Nicks cover “Carousel” flowed into “San Francisco,” a song about red flags in relationships and the psychological concept of magical thinking, and “Who’s to Say,” a song dedicated to her queer fans (Carlton came out as bisexual in 2010). Carlton mentioned her theory that queer people feel pain collectively as a hive mind, which could illustrate how traumas like transphobia, day-to-day homophobia and the Pulse Massacre are crippling. The second half of Carlton’s show came from the contemporary canon but was played in a style distinctive from Liberman Live. “Take It Easy,” “Operator,” “Nothing Where Something Used To Be,” and “Blue Pool” took on an indie-dance feel with the inclusion of loop pedals, allowing Carlton and Steele to both become a full band and choir, and achieved nuanced soundscapes that reflect Carlton’s recent career as a film score composer. As my mind wandered around the room, I appreciated the Doug Fir Lounge’s use of mirrors to amplify the perception of space without making the space appear jam-packed. I noticed at least two people crying behind me, including a dudebro looking man. If there had been space in the room, I would have twirled my Stevie Nicks fantasy. Between songs, Carlton opened up about losing her mind on the internet and being afraid to appear in public until finding inspiration in her friend, Julian Dorio of Eagles of Death Metal, who has continued to appear in public since the 2015 attack on Paris’ Le Bataclan. Carlton talked about live music as a safe space akin to church as sanctuary and encouraged attendees to stay after the show to write a postcard to politicians ranging from Mayor Ted Wheeler to President Donald Trump. Carlton said the show would be the last for a long while of this intimate scale—she promised to return to Portland in a larger venue with a full band—and for this reason, amid this hyper-anxious global moment, I chose to let my mind go and embrace the lush, dreamy elements of the music. It was like a coffee shop on acid, like if you ditched Lana del Rey while she was #HighByTheBeach and found a soft lagoon, and if you could stop imagining what it would look like if fifty people in the Doug Fir Lounge dropped dead like they did in Florida at Pulse not even a year ago. Reprieve from anxiety in public spaces is rare. It was relaxing to lose myself on the Doug Fir Lounge floor in the soft sonic current. The crying around me became part of the soundscape; being jealous of a good cry, I welcomed it. Carlton ended the night by playing a new song, “Love is an Art,” and an encore cover of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz” with vocalist Tristen. After the encore, I stayed to write a postcard to Mayor Wheeler (hi Ted!) with approximately a dozen others. I did not stay long enough to find out how many people chose to write post cards, but the line for post cards and the line for merch seemed to be similar lengths.

OPINION

CHANGE THAT NEVER CAME WHY RURAL AMERICA VOTED FOR TRUMP WORDS OF A WONDERER by Jennee Martinez I sat with four other Portland peers on election night and watched as they cried and gasped in awe over what they were witnessing. Though I had never felt out of place in my new home, I felt different from the other Portlanders who were huddled with me as we sat sobbing and gulping wine on my rickety futon: No one around me could understand how this man had won. I am a millennial from a small coal mining town in rural, conservative Utah where guns are rampant and the homosexuals are damned to burn in hell—a town that possesses all the qualities that made up the Trump deplorables—and I understood perfectly. Though the Portlanders had grown up and flourished in a city of homosexual sin complete with the devil’s lettuce and liberal ideology, their progressiveness had left them in a comfortable bubble that suddenly burst as the results poured in. This liberal, radical bubble they had unknowingly enclosed themselves in had secluded them from the rest of the world, making the Trump victory seem almost incomprehensible. I was from the strange, alternate universe they were now slowly coming to understand. Although my feelings of disappointment were similar, the results did not shock me. I understood perfectly what Portland and other parts of the country could not fathom. I had witnessed the disenfranchisement of rural America that resulted in a Trump victory. Carbon County, the place I used to call home—and a place which was named specifically after the abundance of coal in

the area—was founded upon immigrants who came to the area searching for work. Once known as the town of “57 varieties” for its diverse population, Helper, Utah was the place where famous outlaw Butch Cassidy staged a robbery, prostitutes waited for men to visit from the bar, and mine tragedies were part of life. Today the Carbon County boom is long gone. This is a town that has fallen behind in the times and is left to be forgotten as the rest of the world progresses. Empty buildings, once bars and brothels in the “good ol’ days” now sit abandoned on Main Street—blamed solely on Obama. Over the years, the area saw closures of shopping spaces such as J.C. Penney, Aaron’s, Payless shoes, and Kmart, all of which left—closed their doors along with multiple unsuccessful mom and pop stores and restaurants. Mines became vacant one by one, either due to unsafe conditions, mine disasters, contract or monetary issues, or the decrease in the demand for coal. Just last year, the Carbon Power Plant saw its last days due to EPA violations. Thanks, Obama. I understand perfectly why these people voted for Trump. For years, the rest of the nation progressed, voted, and slowly saw change. Yet for rural America, these changes did not positively affect them. These changes destroyed their jobs, their economy, their town, and eventually controlled every aspect of their lives simply because they refused to change as well. As the government implemented new rules and laws, Helper fought them and complained about them or could not

economically support the upgrades necessary to meet regulation. As jobs were forced out of the area, new jobs never came in. It’s not enough to simply promise Americans that renewable energy can and will be bigger and better while offering more jobs than coal if these promised jobs never make it to the places where coal was taken away. Little by little, places like Carbon County began to fall apart and the people left behind began to feel lost, angry and ignored. Trump talked the talk and spoke words sweeter than candy in the minds of these rural Americans. Here was a man who was going to stop taking their jobs, stop waging a war on coal, and stop implementing regulations that only hurt them. Here was a man who promised to give power back to them—something that had long been controlled by people vastly different from them. If this election has taught this nation anything, it should be this: We can no longer afford to ignore rural Americans. Because when we do, and if we do, men like Trump will win over and over and over again. When regulations are imposed which directly affect rural America, implementation for projects and jobs that can sustain the area must be implemented as well. Otherwise, you will have a hotbed for coal-loving, climate-changedenying Trumpers, clinging to the words of a narcissist, a racist, and a con man, as they hold on to their last hope of survival.

SHANNON KIDD

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

OPINION

THE INTERNET, THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE GENERATION GAP Error 404: Column Not Found by Ryan Morse During the first week of April, the U.S. president signed a piece of legislation eliminating rules that require internet service providers to receive your consent before selling your potentially sensitive information to tech companies. This list of potentially sensitive information includes your geolocation, children’s information, health information, social security number, financial information, app-usage history, content communication and, yes, your much-sacred web browsing history. I want to say the killing of these rules is surprising or shocking, but this is more or less what I’ve come to expect from the political climate. The current administration has proven itself quite keen to roll back on regulations set up by the previous administration. I was, however, a little surprised at how under the radar this all seemed to happen. The passing of this rollback was able to be kept on the down-low while we were focused on the GOP’s unsuccessful attempt to pass its own health care bill and its more “successful” SCOTUS nomination. Many of us seemed to have our attention elsewhere, unfortunately. Pretty sneaky. Much like I did with Scott Pruitt’s unfortunately successful nomination, I found myself looking to see which representatives and senators gave this the okay and helped it pass. In the Senate, it passed 50–48 with no votes for the legislation from Democrats or Independents, while in the House of Representatives it passed 215–205, with all 190 Democrats and 15 Republicans voting in opposition of the legislation. Oregon’s Sens. Merkley and Wyden and Reps. Bonamici, DeFazio, Blumenauer and Schrader all voted in opposition, while Oregon Rep. Walden voted in favor of the legislation. In Alaska, my home state, Sens. Murkowski and Sullivan and Rep. Don Young voted in favor of the legislation. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I am disappointed and angry all the same. One thing that fascinates me about this legislature is that, from my perspective, public opinion didn’t seem to be as divided as parties were. I don’t know anyone who liked this legislation. Alaskans that I know all seemed to despise the idea of our browsing history being sold. Even Alaskans who voted for Donald Trump called senators and representatives, urging them to vote against this legislation. People like their privacy. Yet Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young voted for it anyway. So what does this mean about senators and representatives who voted in favor of this legislation? Either they didn’t care about their constituents, got big paychecks, don’t care about or

understand the internet’s importance, or some terrible combination of the three. Either way, it’s disgraceful and discouraging. It also serves as a reminder of the generation gap between young voters, politicians, and, well, the larger media—that is, the 24-hour news cycle. I don’t think I’m overstepping when I say that politicians and mainstream broadcast media don’t necessarily understand the importance or influence the internet has on younger voters, and they have rarely had a good idea of how to deal with and address topics related to the internet. In turn, it’s hard for young voters to find the proper way to address our concerns and investments in the internet and translate that to larger platforms. As the rollback on net neutrality devolves further and further, I hope that we start paying more attention and keep raising our voices louder and louder. Visit aclu.com/what-net-neutrality to learn more, and check out this article online for resources to better understand net neutrality and to start protecting it.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

SHANNON KIDD

N G E U E

MUSIC RECS FOR ALL YOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF HIGHS P. 17

HOW TO GET HIGH WITHOUT SMOKING WEED P. 23

GET TO KNOW PSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DRUG POLICY P. 18

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT DOWN WITH THE WEED P. 24

WEED THROUGHOUT THE TIMES P. 18 CANNABIS CLOSE TO CAMPUS P. 19

TOP POT FOR YOUR DOLLAR P. 22

INCREDIBLE EDIBLES BY TIM P. 26 HOW DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD FEEL ABOUT WEED? P. 28

SILVIA CARDULLO/ PSU VANGUARD

y Green Guide

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

DRO LIFE. SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

Green Guide y

A FEW GREEN MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS Z ac ha r y Va nd ehey

Everyone has different taste in everything: movies, books, ice cream flavors, driver’s seat position, shoe size etc. No topic of interest, however, has a more widespread preference palate than music, and for good reason: music comes in all shapes and sizes. Not only are there a bajillion styles, there are also a bajillion different moods and physical states people indulge in that may require a certain flavor of vocals, chord progression, instrumentation or overall vibe. People listen to music for a bajillion different reasons, sober or otherwise. Whether you’re on the jog, on the job, or on the drug of choice, these artists will help you fill each moment with the sweet ambience you’re looking for.

UPBE AT : FU T U R E I S L A N D S

To start off upbeat before working toward the more dulcet tones, one of my favorite bands, Future Islands, has a pretty infectious style. Bordering on the rock/indie pop genre, they steer their songs with a funky, tantalizing bass line that drives the sound. If your head isn’t bobbing right from the start, the drop of the beat and the entrance of the synth tones will ensure it. Lead singer Samuel Herring sings his lyrics with passion and vigor, using his powerfully gruff voice to serenade and electrify at the same time. Their album Singles topped charts across the nation, with album opener “Seasons (Waiting on You)” being awarded the best track of 2014 by NME, Pitchfork and Spin. Their most recent album The Far Field, gloriously perpetuates the iconic funkiness and fervor of their previous albums. If you enjoy Singles, you will absolutely love The Far Field. And if both those are up your alley, their first album In Evening Air will also suit your groovy desires.

T RA NQUILIT Y : B L O O D O R A N G E

For more serene music lovers, Blood Orange offers a tranquil and tropical vibe while still riding the groove train. What’s amazing about everything Blood Orange puts out is this: it’s virtually all one guy. Dev Hynes, voted one of NME’s top 20 “coolest people in rock” in 2008, masters the synths, beats, live instruments and most of the vocals. His second album, Cupid Deluxe, garnered high praise from critics all over. While I’m no music critic, Cupid Deluxe remains my favorite album to date: perfect for relaxing and drifting off into a state of tropical bliss.

HIP-HOP AND R & B : A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

Many of Mary Jane’s myriad maniacs prefer pairing their puffery with hip-hop and R&B spices. If that’s your deal, A Tribe Called Quest’s most recent album is a collection of poetry in motion that touches on all styles of sound. From slow, sultry jams to upbeat and hard hitting rap, We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service covers all the bases for R&B and rap lovers. Whether or not grass is an important part of your balanced breakfast (or second breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea time, sevensies, dinner, or supper) music probably always will be. These albums may already be on repeat throughout your day, but speaking as someone who’s fond of the ganja, I gotta say, these artists are always able to lift my spirits when they’re already high.

SILVIA CARDULLO /PSU VANGUARD

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PS-U CAN’T SMOKE WEED ON CAMPUS G E T T O KNOW P SU ’ S DRUG POL ICY

We’d like to provide a friendly reminder that Oregon’s legal weed does not apply on Portland State’s campus. As a state university that receives federal funding, PSU’s policies reflect federal policy. Since the U.S. at large hasn’t gotten on board with our free green way of life out here in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll have to refrain from toking up all Willie Nelson while on campus. That means you cannot be in possession of marijuana in any form on campus. Please remember to partake responsibly and legally.

1937 Marihuana Tax Act passed thanks to racism. 1936 Reefer Madness shows how smoking pot turns good folks into crazed villains. 1910 Mexican immigrants are smoking “marihuana.”

1952-1956 Boggs Act and Narcotics Control Act: possession first offense 2–10 years in jail, up to $20,000 fine.

1942 Hemp For Victory! Kill the Nazis by growing pot!

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

1972 Nixon’s Shafer Commission recommends decriminalizing marijuana and removing its Schedule I classification. Nixon doesn’t care. 1970 Controlled Substances Act designates marijuana as Schedule I alongside heroin. 1968 “Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people.” - John Ehrlichman

SILVIA CARDULLO/PSU VANGUARD

1994 Bill Clinton establishes “three strikes you’re out” rule. 1983 D.A.R.E. program established.

1973 Oregon decriminalizes marijuana, drastically reducing penalties for possession.

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CANNABIS CLOSE TO CAMPUS RAN D E E - JO B AR C INAS-MAN GL ON A

I f you ’re 21 or over , a weed enthusiast, and new to the area of Portland State—whether as a student, faculty, or resident—chances are you’re looking for a kick-ass dispensary or head shop to supply yourself. It is true that in a state with legalized marijuana, you can stumble upon numerous dispensary shops, not knowing which to choose. To help narrow down your options, here are a few details on some of the places within walking distance of campus. Zion Cannabis Settled in the southwest corner of downtown, Zion Cannabis is just a 10-minute walk from campus. Word on the street is that their products are high quality, thus worth the expense for those of you who choose quality over

1998 Entire West Coast has legal medical marijuana.

1996 California passes Prop 215 legalizing medical marijuana.

quantity. Staff answer questions in a knowledgeable manner and help make your visit successful and worth it. You can find a fine selection of edibles, bud, and extract at Zion, as they claim to offer Portland’s cleanest cannabis and concentrates. The Dispensary Located about a 20-minute walk from campus, The Dispensary is right off SW 1st and Yamhill and your best option if excellent customer service is your top priority. Staff are known to be the friendliest people you will ever encounter—all very well-informed and accommodating. Another great thing about this dispensary is the convenience of its location, just off the MAX line downtown, which works well with the busy schedules of students and staff.

2014 Oregon votes to legalize weed for recreational purposes.

2012 Colorado and Washington voters leglalize recreational marijuana for adults 21+.

MindRite Dispensary While MindRite is a longer walk from campus, visit the dispensary by hopping on the MAX Green Line or taking an 8-minute Uber ride— both worth it for those of you who look for the whole package. Excellent customer service, great prices, quality products—you name it. The staff are not only nice, but they also provide the best recommendations that fit your needs as an individual. Their efforts and knowledge are visible as soon as you enter. If you’re looking for a place where you can feel comfortable, welcome, and successfully assisted, this is the right place for you. Head Shop: Mellow Mood Located on SW Broadway and Clay, Mellow Mood is just a short walk if you’re on cam-

2016 Gallup Poll reports 60 percent of U.S. citizens support legal recreational pot and 90 percent support medical uses. 2015 Report shows 85 percent of arrests for marijuana possession are black or Latino despite not being more likely to smoke than white people.

pus, 3–5 minutes depending on where you are. They offer a fine selection of glass pipes, and their prices are reasonable, especially for college students on a budget. Best thing about the place is the accommodating and well-educated staff. If you simply let them know your budget, they will provide you with your best options. Lastly, even if you’re not looking to buy anything, the shop is a great place to stop in, say hi to the friendly staff and ask them any questions you might have. These are some of the shops I found close to PSU, but Portland offers a wide variety of dispensaries and head shops to fulfill your special needs if none of the places mentioned above work for you. Lastly and most importantly, have fun and smoke responsibly!

2018 Weed is just straight-up federally legal?

2017 21-year-olds can legally smoke in 8 states plus Washington, D.C. Twenty-eight states allow for medical marijuana. TEXT BY JAKE JOHNSON, DESIGN BY ROBBY DAY

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WEED SCIENCE 101

Since recreational marijuana has become legal in Oregon, you may have noticed a familiar, skunky scent more often or walked into a dispensary yourself to try some special chocolates. Popularity aside, you may not know exactly what marijuana does to your body or how to customize your weed purchase to your needs. Dr. Kim Brown, Portland State professor of biology, explained that tetrahydrocannabinol, a sought after chemical in marijuana, is a mild hallucinogen. THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in the body, which then interact with other cells much like opioid receptors do. Opioid receptors bind to drugs such as heroin and common prescription painkillers, suggesting that though marijuana has not proven to be addictive, its fat-soluble and tolerance-building properties mean it should be used with caution. The California Society of Addiction Medicine published a more in-depth report that suggests marijuana should, indeed, be classified as addictive. Anna Williams However, a growing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational patrons. Brown said that even though he believes THC to be geno-toxic, meaning it can damage DNA. “At this point, that is not conclusive in many studies. It’s an open topic for many people.” Because marijuana is not federally legal, researchers cannot get federal funding on how THC conclusively affects the brain. One thing that Brown knows, however, is that if THC damages brain cells, these cells will not regenerate to a significant degree. “[Brain cell] regeneration, has been shown in mice and humans on the order of 0.1 percent of what normal cell regeneration is,” Brown said. However, not all marijuana partakers necessarily use weed just to get high. THC is popular for cancer patients, as it has proven to relieve nausea and pain associated with chemotherapy. Cannabidiol oil, another major chemical in marijuana, can help relieve seizures and reduce paranoia or anxiety symptoms sometimes caused by THC. When a customer walks into a dispensary, they are often given a menu that describes the kinds of effects different strains of the weed flower tend to have. These menus often list how much THC or CBD is present in the strain. Cheyenne White, a budtender at Foster Buds in southeast Portland, said that many customers come to her asking which strain can help them with their pain, nausea, or anxiety symptoms. Many of these customers tend toward high CBD strains. “CBD is the non-psychoactive property,” White said. “It’s meant to heal people.” High-CBD products can come in flower form that can be smoked or in topical salves, lotions, tinctures, or concentrated oils that can be vaped. White recently learned that many customers have experienced nerve pain relief from high-CBD topicals. “[Topicals] help target an area [on the body],” White explained. “[They] will help relieve pain.”

Foster Buds sells an oil stick, similar to a honey stick, containing scarce amounts of THC customers experiencing menstrual cramps buy to relax their muscles and relieve the pain. It is important to note that weed customers partake at their own risk. Budtenders are not doctors and cannot offer medical advice. A year after pot was made legal in Oregon, police reported an increase in drivers under the influence of THC. Similar reports have come from Washington, which legalized marijuana in 2012. On a different note, without federal studies it is difficult to know what kinds of effects marijuana has on the environment or how it might make it into waterways over time. Environmentally-conscious customers might want to consider this, as well as how much water is used to cultivate the plant on a mass scale. One way to get around this is by cultivating your own pot plants at home, which is one benefit of Oregon’s legalization. COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD

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UNCLE SAM VERSUS THE DEVIL’S LETTUCE J a ke Jo h n so n

C annabis has been a popular plant of controversy for thousands of years. In the U.S., this is no exception.

THE U.S. LOVED CANNABIS IN THE 1800 s

Imported by the Gunjah-Wallah Company as early as 1862, advertisements were seen in publications everywhere. “HASHEESH CANDY,” one ad claimed, “a most wonderful medicinal agent for the cure of nervousness, weakness, melancholy, confusion of thoughts, etc. A pleasurable and harmless stimulant. Under its influence all classes seem to gather new inspiration and energy.” For at least 50 years, doctors prescribed cannabis extracts for problems including “sexual debility…all pains,” and even just plain old melancholy.

RACISM SOURS PEOPLE’S TASTE FOR “HASHEESH CANDIES”

blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” The Nixon-appointed 1972 Shafer Commission recommended decriminalizing marijuana and removing its Schedule I classification. Nixon said nay. Oregon took the commission’s advice and in 1973 became the first of 11 states throughout the 1970s to decriminalize marijuana, lowering penalties to those similar to traffic violations.

1980s WAR ON DRUGS: HEAVY HANDED

“Marijuana, pot, grass, whatever you wanna call it,” Reagan campaigned, “is probably the most dangerous drug in the United States.” Nancy Reagan, who created the “Just Say No” campaign, believed marijuana dealers were taking “the dream from every child’s heart.” D.A.R.E. program founder Daryl Gates believed people who “blast some pot on a casual basis…ought to be taken out and shot.”

Problems began when white people saw not-white people smoking “marihuana.” From 1910 through the 1930s, minority commuSHANNON KIDD nities and degenerates were associated with and vilified for smoking marihuana. This racially motivated smear campaign started the U.S.’s departure from cannabis. Reefer Madness debuted in 1936. The film, a tragedy about innocent white kids who get MASS INCARCERATION caught up in a bad scene, warns that smoking reefer makes people manic monsters who In 1986 Reagan furthered mandatory minimum sentences. Some sentences were reducible by helping lose their minds, kill and rape. Surprisingly the film is not as overtly racist as intentions the government prosecute someone else with a worse crime, an offer one in three defendants accepted. behind it appear. A 1988 conspiracy amendment stated anyone involved in a crime received the same sentence as In 1937, Harry Anslinger campaigned to end pot’s free reign on American society. the person found guilty. “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S., and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Bill Clinton’s 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act included controversial “three strikes Filipinos and entertainers,” Anslinger said. “Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from rule.” Despite not being more likely to use marijuana than white counterparts, a 2015 report shows 85 permarijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with negroes, en- cent of those arrested for possession were black or Latino. This created issues when individuals could spend tertainers and any others.” their lives behind bars because of racial profiling. Anslinger’s racist intentions are clear, and Floyd Baskette added more in a letter to Congress. Federal drug cases increased 450 percent from 1986–98. Law enforcement viewed this as productivity. “I wish I could show you what a small marihuana cigaret[te] can do to one of our degenerate Spanish-speaking residents,” Baskette wrote, “most of [whom are] low mentally, because WEED STARTS WINNING AGAIN of social and racial conditions.” 1996 saw weed’s first win in close to a century as California passed Proposition 215 creating a legal space for medical marijuana. Oregon and Washington joined the party in 1998 and legalized medicMARIJUANA BECOMES LEGALLY DIFFICULT inal cannabis. These “convincing testimonies” enacted the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which restricted Colorado and Washington legalized recreational use of marijuana by adults in 2012 with Oregon importation and sale of cannabis; violators faced fines of $2,000 or five years in prison or following in 2014. both—penalties not worth the risk for most. As of 2017, eight states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational use of marijuana. 28 1942’s “Hemp for Victory!” campaign encouraged patriots at home to kill Nazis by pro- states have medicinal cannabis. viding troops with much-needed fibers for rope, thread for shoes, and parachute webbing. 2016’s Gallup poll shows 60 percent of voters in the United States support legalizing marijuana The Boggs Act of 1952 and the Narcotics Control Act of 1956 damned first offenders of for recreational use by adults and 90 percent want medicinal cannabis legalized. marijuana possession to minimum sentences of 2–10 years and fines up to $20,000.

CRIMINALIZATION: RACIST ROOTS

Nixon’s “War on Drugs” created the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, designating cannabis and hemp Schedule I controlled substances—declaring cannabis as bad as heroin and worse than cocaine. Domestic Policy Chief John Ehrlichman confirmed criticisms for racial disparities and intentions in enforcement. “The Nixon campaign in 1968 and the Nixon White House after that had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people,” Ehrlichman said. “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

After a century of demonizing, the tide seems to have turned. Apparently most people are not too concerned with whether or not jazz musicians are smoking pot these days. Although it’s unlikely Donald Trump will be the president to legalize weed, it would be a smart way to have history books say something other than he was the guy who almost started a war with Russia again. However, a century of vilifying minorities for smoking marijuana while proceeding to legalize it poses ethical questions that still need to be answered. If marijuana doesn’t seem to be so bad, what are the reparations needed for the victims of the war on drugs?

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GETTING TOP POT FOR YOUR DOLLAR A n n a W i lli ams

Balancing homework, social life, employment, and getting high can be pretty challenging, especially on a desperate student budget. Additionally, blazing is not always the most convenient for getting Latin homework done or achieving your munchie-avoidant January weight loss resolution. Whether you are a “budding” weed connoisseur or have never touched pot in your life, there are plenty of resources available for navigating this big green city and getting exactly what you are looking for. Portland State students Nick, Sonja, and Rachel, who preferred not to reveal their last names, suggested that over-21 students do not necessarily need to buy cannabis or partake in it often. “I’ve never paid for drugs,” Sonja said, adding that often her friends gift her marijuana. “If you are charismatic you can figure it out.” Nick said that he only partakes in edibles “once or twice in the summer.” Dispensary budtenders are trained to choose strains for new customers based on exactly what they need. Andrea Durland, a budtender at La Mota dispensary in southeast Portland, said it’s important to work with the customer’s budget first and foremost. After that, customers are given a variety of options based on how they want to consume the plant. “We ask what [the customer] is working with, like whether they have any paraphernalia or they want to smoke or vape,” Durland said. “We set them up and walk them through the process.” Customers are usually given a menu that lists the different bud strains the dispensary carries, including what effects are usually noticed and how much THC, the hallucinogenic chemical, and CBD, the chemical often used to relieve menstrual pain or put users to sleep, is present in the strains. Different effects are determined by plant engineering and are tested by the public to determine their common effects. “[Producers] are able to select for different traits and different phenotypes to get what they want,” Durland said. Many customers choose to smoke weed in a “blunt,” or cigar form. If one does not desire fancy smoking, however, a variety of vaporizers, vape pens, bowls, and pipes are available to avoid burning one’s throat. Budtenders can offer direction for how many grams a new customer should start out with, but more concentrated iterations like hash and less-palatable resin are available for seasoned consumers.

Resin is the black tar-like substance left over after smoking a bowl or pipe. It is extremely potent, but “gross” according to Durland. Hash is the sticky, THC-concentrated substance that builds up on cutting tools when marijuana plants are processed. Inhaling weed chemicals provides the most rapid effects, but ingesting marijuana can produce a longer-lasting high. The high will last longer in a slow metabolism and shorter in a fast one. Since the recreational daily limit in grams of cannabis recently rose in Oregon from 15mg to 50mg, customers are no longer able to buy a $6 brownie or gummy. Now customers must spend $25 or more on edibles, but Sarah explained that these products can be broken up into many pieces for careful consumption. Finding out a list of contaminants like pesticides or fertilizers is much easier for pot than it is for food. Since the Oregon Health Authority found in 2016 some strains of cannabis containing high levels of pesticides, all dispensaries in Oregon are required to keep full chemical lists for every strain on hand so that customers know exactly what they are ingesting. Additionally, there is currently no true organic standard for marijuana. Customers concerned about getting organic strains should ask their budtender for the list of chemicals present in their product. Sonja and Rachel have consumed cannabis in a variety of ways, ranging from homemade apple bowls and toilet paper roll and rubber band pipes, to milk jugs and plain rolled blunts. With the demands of homework and employment, however, Sonja suggested understanding one’s priorities as a student first and foremost. “If you’re tight on money, prioritize food,” Sonja said. Sarah suggested customers look through the website leafly.com to explore strains, read reviews, and decide how they want to consume their product before coming to the dispensary. Leafly posts reviews of local dispensaries, which can help a customer choose the most inexpensive products for their taste. Trying marijuana for the first time does not have to be intimidating or expensive. Finding products to suit your needs and knowing exactly what you are consuming is not difficult either. Rachel offered one more word of advice: “Be mindful of yourself as a student and what you’re willing to do and not do. Take care of yourself first.”

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NO SMOKING, NO CHEWING: OTHER WAYS TO GET YOUR GREEN Gray B o u c h a t

Imagine a world where marijuana isn’t demonized or illegal. Imagine a world where hemp is used for basically everything because of its eco-friendly properties and prosperity. In 2017, there are already several ways to administer cannabis (even if smoking and edibles aren’t your thing), and hemp and marijuana products now have many uses beyond pleasure and pain relief. Marijuana’s uses have expanded by leaps and bounds in the medical industry. If you are interested in using weed instead of painkillers, it’s quite handy for arthritis, glaucoma, mental health, and maybe, just maybe, the stress of college. Obviously there is the edible route: Who wouldn’t want chocolate and a high? But for other medical purposes, there are various oils and extracts which can be rubbed on joints and other aching areas of the body. Patrick Stewart recently came forward and discussed his cannabis use. Before using cannabis ointment and spray, his arthritis crippled his knuckles so badly he couldn’t make a fist! Now, with the help of his marijuana spray, he can make a fist quite easily. He says he would much rather use this because the over-the-counter pills he was taking to manage his pain could have, if taken long enough, deeply damaged his liver. Cannabis is also making its way into the beauty industry. I personally believe that whatever you massage into your scalp is quite important, since it is such an absorbent part of the body. Also, the fewer ingredients listed on the bottle the better. Organic and cruelty-free hair products are important, but sometimes expensive, so I suggest buying a small bottle and seeing how your head and hair react to the new cannabis shampoo, and then going from there. Most of these products are hemp-infused, but it all comes from the same place! Hemp oil is full of fatty omega acids, which are also found in fish oil. Fish oil helps hair and nails grow and lubes up the joints; since the same stuff is naturally found in hemp oil, even better! There are some plants that grow buds and some that do not; hemp is the non-bud bearing plant. There are so many things it can be used for! Besides eating hemp seeds as an after-class snack and using hemp oil for cooking, hemp can help around the house. If you are a cat lover like myself, a cat tree is a must! If you have some hemp rope, it is a natural way to create a makeshift cat scratcher. By wrapping the hemp rope around a table leg, you have just made your furry friend a brand new thing to scratch apart! Hemp is an extremely diverse plant, allowing it to be customized into pretty much anything. As far-fetched as it sounds, why can’t hemp fuel the world? More scientists need to get on this: imagine if hemp fuel was the new thing! Sustainable, environmentally friendly, and plentiful! Hemp can also be used instead of plastic. It’s called “hemp plastic” and doesn’t pose any health risks. It is, of course, fully biodegradable. Beyond the high marijuana can produce for an individual, its value is a universal thing. From the buds to the plant, to the spray to the oil, to the shampoo to the plastic, hemp and weed can be used for pretty much anything. It’s extremely helpful and may very well be the solution for the problems the world is currently facing. So grab a bong and some hemp plastic, and let’s get to work!

COLLEEN LEARY / PSU VANGUARD

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PUFF, PUFF,

I’LL PASS BY KRISTI TIHANY I

The last few years have been paradigmatic in terms of legal and social attitudes toward recreational marijuana use, especially since a number of states, including Washington, Oregon, Colorado and California, have paved the way for legal state medicinal and/or recreational use. It’s increasingly likely that while growing up, at some point you will be told things like, “Everybody smokes pot,” “It’s no big deal,” or “Try it!” In spite of this—news flash!—not everyone gets high on pot or thinks it’s cool. Maybe you are the type who likes to keep your head space clear and do not consider yourself functional when intoxicated. It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. This guide will kick you some good methods of both turning down peer pressure and asserting your position as a non-stoner.

JUST SAY NO

This tried and true classic works best if you are very assertive and sure of yourself when you say it. Some people have issues with this step and invite further pressure because of their obvious uncertainty. You can stop the situation before it goes too far by saying no to weed like you mean it. Most stoners would be chill enough to at least back off. Hey, more for them anyway.

REMIND YOURSELF OF YOUR GOALS

If you are tempted to partake but know it’s just not the right choice for you, keep in mind good reasons why smoking would be counterintuitive to your goals. For example, getting stoned is not likely to enhance any exam-taking experiences and definitely could limit a prospective job search. If you’re not willing to give it all up for Mary Jane, you have complete control over whether or not you inhale. Goal orientation is an effective deterrent to pot use.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS

It’s kinda hard to avoid pot use when your friends are smoking blunts in the apartment or wherever you are hanging out. Instead of feeling left out when they are laughing their asses off at the newest Seth Rogen comedy, try making clean friends that enjoy daily activities the sober way. This doesn’t mean you have to dump all your besties, but a little space could make them realize you value their friendship without the weed. Saying no, keeping goals and changing up your core friends can really aid in avoiding habits that can be tempting. You don’t have to be anti-weed to not smoke, and it’s your right to either partake or deny. Put yourself in the position to decide what is best for you and hold the right to pass.

LYDIA WOJACK-WEST

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DEAR STONER A MARIJUANA VIRGIN’S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEVIL’S WEED MORGAN WATKINS

Growing up in rural Illinois, I was always told that drugs of all kinds were bad news, even weed. It was known affectionately as “The Gateway Drug,” aka the express lane to heroin and crack cocaine. I believed that for a long time, from grade school to junior high and even my early years of high school. People around me always looked down on those who smoked pot, saying they were all just burnouts who would inevitably end up in jail or face-down, dead in a ditch somewhere. But looking back, I’ve realized that I was brainwashed and ill-informed. One of my best friends is a regular marijuana user, and when I first found out about it several years ago, I was adamant about him quitting. He tried to explain to me that it wasn’t a big deal, but as I said, I was under this impression that he was going to end up in prison or blown up or something. As time went on, I became more inclined to hear my buddy out and ended up doing a little bit of research, only to find that a large percentage of what I had been told by teachers and adults and D.A.R.E. was all fabricated exaggerations of the truth. This epiphany not only shed a hell of a lot of light on the subject of weed but also brought on quite a bit of curiosity as to what marijuana is all about. First of all, how do you deal with the smell of it? I know a lot of people are delighted by the aroma of marijuana, but it’s just so incredibly pungent. It’s like an invisible weed ghost is following you around everywhere you go, spreading its stank from point A to point B and every point in between. Is there some sort of maneuver that you can pull to eliminate the stench?

Does all weed have the same musky, “dank” smell? Also, what the hell is “dank” anyway? Aside from the smell, there’s the infamous coughing spell that sometimes erupts when people smoke pot. What’s that all about? Like, are you okay? Does that happen to everybody? I have this dreadful fear of choking or not being able to breathe and would really appreciate it if I didn’t die via weed-induced asthma attack. Something I have less knowledge on would be edibles. I mean, I like to eat, so this may be the route to go for me…but what do they taste like? I’m sure there are a bunch of different flavors to choose from, but where do I begin? How do I know what’s good and what tastes like straight-up death? Also, am I going to see crazy shit? Because I have a friend who tried edibles and saw people standing in the corner of an empty room, and honestly, I don’t know if I’m mentally equipped to handle that. And if we’re still talking about eating things with drugs in them, how about those infamous pot brownies the world has been raving about since the ’70s? I love brownies, and I love feeling happy, so maybe that would also be a good combo, right? While I’m still a marijuana virgin through and through, I would never say never to giving marijuana a go. It’s just one of those things that you’ve got to experience at least once in your life—just as long as you’re on board with it and you’re trying it for yourself and not for the sake of assholes and their peer pressure. The way I look at it now, it’s just a plant that makes people feel good. What could be so evil about that, D.A.R.E.?

CHLOE KENDALL

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INCR-EDIBLES

T i m Sulli v a n

Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to branch out and turn over a new leaf. So why not try out some edibles? The recipes below will help you on your way to a new budding relationship with everyone’s favorite plant. Using THC concentrate to create the cannabutter needed for these recipes is the easiest method to making some potent edibles. The drawback is that you need to be extremely aware of your THC portioning. With the edibles showcased in this article, I used Organa Labs Pineapple Kush CO² concentrate, which is a decarbed indica oil. If you have your own favorite concentrate, use that. The key thing you need to know before using concentrate, like with flower, shake or trim is that the key process is decarboxylation. If you want to know how to decarb your concentrate, check out this article from the Cannabist to learn how. Disclaimer: The extract used is tested at 71.1 percent THC, which is 711 milligrams and sold in 1 gram increments. Each recipe uses 8 ounces of cannabutter, which registers at 355.5 milligrams of THC. Portion accordingly and test your edibles in small increments. Always remember, fewer portions means higher concentrated edibles and vice versa.

CAN NAB U T T E R f r o m co n cen t r at e:

C A L M C A RA MEL S :

– – 8 o unc es o f b u t t er or cocon ut oi l – – 0 . 5 gram of d e c ar bed con cen trate ( oil, s hatt er , s a p, o r wax) – – 1 t e asp o o n o f su n flower lecithin

M a k es 3 6, 1 o u n c e, 9 . 9 m i lli g r a m s ser v i n g s. – – 8 o u n c es c a n n a b u t t er o r c a n n a - c o c o n u t o i l – – 2 1/ 2 c u p s o f b r o wn su g a r – – 1 c u p o f li g ht c o r n sy r u p – – 14 o u n c es o f sweet en ed c o n d en sed m i lk – – Pi n c h o f sa lt – – 1 t ea sp o o n o f v a n i lla ex t r a c t

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt two sticks of butter or 8 ounces of coconut oil. • Once melted, take the saucepan off of the heat and whisk in the 0.5 gram of decarbed concentrate and sunflower leci thin. Keep whisking until the concentrate and lecithin are fully incorporated. • Transfer the butter or oil to a heat-proof glass container and let cool.

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the 8 ounces of cannabutter. Prep a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment comes an inch up the side of the pan. • Once melted, add the 2 ½ cups of brown sugar and mix until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Continue mixing and add the corn syrup, salt and sweetened condensed milk until fully blended. • Using a candy thermometer, keep the mixture at 225 F for at least 12–15 minutes. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, take a clean spoon and dip it into the caramel and then, over a bowl of cold water, let the candy drop into the water; if the candy solidifies into a pliable ball, then it’s good to go. Mix in the vanilla extract at this time. • Pour the caramel into the 9×13 pan and place in the fridge to cool down. Portion into the recommended serving size.

TIM SULLIVAN /PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

SNICK ER ING SNICK ER DOODLES* : Ma k e s 2 4 , 1 . 5 ounce s , 1 4 . 8 m il l igr a m s s e r v ings . – – 8 ounce s of r oom te m pe r a tur e ca nna butte r – – 1 1 /2 cups of s uga r – – 2 e ggs – – 2 3 /4 cups of f l our – – 2 te a s poons of cr e a m of ta r ta r – – 1 te a s poon of ba k ing s od a – – 1 /4 te a s poon of s a l t – – 3 ta bl e s poons of s uga r – – 3 te a s poons of cinna m on

*Recipe based off of the food.com, soft snickerdoodle recipe. • Preheat oven to 350 F. • In a large mixing bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter, eggs and sugar until fully blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until everything is fully incorporated. • Place the dough and ungreased cookie sheet into the fridge for 15 minutes. During that time, in a small bowl, mix together the three tablespoons of sugar and three teaspoons of cinnamon. • Once chilled, bring the dough and cookie sheet out of the fridge and portion dough into 1.5 ounce balls and roll them into the sugarcinnamon mixture. • Place 9–12 dough balls on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Bake for 12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Remove cookies from the cookie sheet immediately and place on cooling rack .

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DUDE, THOSE COOKIES… F I RS THA ND RE V IE W S OF T I M ’ S I N C R E D I B LE E DI B L E S Vanguard tested, Vanguard approved. Here’s what happened when the editorial staff tried out Tim’s edibles. “I ate half of a snickerdoodle, watched seven episodes of Top Chef, ordered a pizza at 2 a.m. and fell asleep before it got there. Also slept through my alarm the next morning. 5 stars” —Colleen, Vanguard Editor-in-Chief

“Me and my couch have become a singularity, we are now Toum or Cich…still figuring that one out” —Tim, Vanguard Managing Editor

“I was really excited to document my edible experience as a part of my job. Best job ever, I know. I had one snickerdoodle, and the only note I have written down is: 5:06 p.m. ‘Like, that’s a good cookie’ —my husband, who also ate one snickerdoodle. We then got really high and didn’t actually document anything” — Unnamed Vanguard staffer

“Enjoying these delicious edibles embodies the term ‘stoned.’ I was a statue for five hours—a perfectly content, gooey, grinning statue” —Thomas, Vanguard Copy Chief

“First attempt: Partner and I, both Veteran Stoners, each ate one snickerdoodle around 7 p.m. and one caramel around 9 p.m. We also polished off a bottle of Elijah Craig to celebrate quitting drinking the next day. Neither of us remembers much of what happened after that. Second attempt: We started with caramels this time, one each around 6 p.m., and chased with cookies about 9 p.m. No whiskey this time, just a lot of ginger beer and OJ. We put on the latest Depeche Mode album and started discussing synchronicities. Eventually we kept the DM going while we put Scooby Doo on the television. Too stoned to take detailed notes but the metric fuckton of Dark Side of Oz-type synchromeshing was spookier than usual.”—Matthew, Vanguard A&C Editor

CANNABIS USE HELPED HIM GRADUATE B y D y la n G a nsen a nd Nico las L ee

Multimedia at psuvanguard.com

M arijuana has been legalized in 28 states for either medicinal or recreational purposes. Portland, being a major city in a state that has legalized cannabis, attracts people both nationally and internationally who wish to legally consume the drug. Logan Stegner, an employee of a local cannabis dispensary says that his business sees a lot of people from out of town. “It is definitely a blessing to come into work and find people who

are coming from very far distances to seek better alternative medicines to treat their illnesses or symptoms that are troubling them on a dayto-day basis,” he said. Stegner said he also has international customers. “The other day, I was helping a woman from Switzerland who never tried cannabis a day in her life, but she read about how it deals with anxiety and depression and was looking forward to using it to treat her symptoms,”

he said. Cannabis is considered an illegal substance in Switzerland. Although decriminalized in 2012, only 6 percent of the population uses it. Casey Wyrembek, a PSU graduate and veteran, uses marijuana to help treat his symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. In the past, Wyrembek suffered panic attacks that have sent him to the emergency room. He says he struggled to get through college because

VISIT PSUVANGUARD.COM FOR A VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE WITH CANNABIS. DYLAN GANSEN & NICOLAS LEE/ PSU VANGUARD

of these incidents. “In combination with therapy...[cannabis] has been a fantastic tool to alleviate both anxiety and depression,” he said. “[It is] also helping with physical pain.” On April 20, some people across the country will associate cannabis with the simple notion of “getting high,” but it is important to note that for many users, the drug has helped cope with and manage chronic anxiety and pain.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

y Green Guide

TO WEED OR NOT TO WEED: DELANEY BIGELOW

As of this month, 26 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana in some form. Seven of those states and Washington, D.C. have the most open laws regarding legal marijuana for recreational use. Since being legalized in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, we have seen the many benefits of decriminalizing this herb. However, many states—and the federal government—still consider marijuana a banned substance. One of the benefits of marijuana legalization is the economic gains—millions in tax revenue every year to Oregon and even more in other states. In 2016 Oregon made $60.2 million in tax revenue from its marijuana sales tax, exceeding an initial estimate by sixfold. And according to the Oregon Department of Revenue, 40 percent of that tax revenue goes into the Common School Fund to help Oregon education. In 2016 Colorado made even more tax revenue than Oregon—$1.3 billion—most of which went into public schools as well. Now imagine what kind of effect this revenue could have on a federal level to benefit the nation’s education system.

Another reason the federal government should legalize marijuana is that recreational and medicinal use is harmless if not beneficial. While scientists have difficulty studying the effects of marijuana (less than 10 percent of studies on marijuana analyze its medicinal uses), cannabis has few negative side effects. Some of the minimal side effects include possible emotional, memory, and coordination problems. On the contrary, studies have shown the psychoactive compounds in cannabis can help control and decrease seizures and muscle spasms, decrease anxiety and PTSD, ease the pain caused by multiple sclerosis, treat inflammatory bowel diseases, relieve arthritis discomfort, improve the symptoms of lupus, soothe tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease, reduce some of the pain and symptoms caused by chemotherapy treatment, and even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Now that’s a long list of health benefits. Legalizing marijuana nationwide would also allow for more scientists to study side effects, symptoms, and benefits. Additionally, negative side effects of cannabis are particularly minimal when compared to

those of alcohol. Alcohol is highly addictive, easier to abuse, and can potentially lead to alcoholism. Alcoholism can cause hepatitis, jaundice, and chronic liver inflammation which eventually leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. Alcohol use also puts users at higher risk for heart disease, depression, stroke, sleep disorders, and several types of cancer. So why is alcohol socially and legally acceptable while marijuana is criminalized? Perhaps because of the culture stigma associated with drugs. Yes, a lot of drugs are dangerous or addictive, even the drugs prescribed by doctors. However, misconceptions regarding marijuana stem from lack of information, misinformation, and the current stigma. For instance, many people are told marijuana is a gateway drug. While cannabis use may be correlative in some cases, recent surveys have shown that a large number of opioid users in states with legalized cannabis have opted to switch to marijuana, lessening the dangerous implications of their drug use. By legalizing marijuana, we diminish the impact of cartels and highly dangerous illegal drug activity. We put in place laws that create a safer buying and

COLLEEN LEARY/PSU VANGUARD

selling process and environment. Lastly, legalized marijuana requires strict governmental regulation, so consumer risk is greatly decreased. Advancements toward federal legalization of marijuana over the past decades have stalled under the Trump administration and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, but that doesn’t mean that it will never happen. Progress starts with the states individually, and the nation is halfway there. The legalization of marijuana is safe and economic, so there are high hopes for the future of cannabis.

THIS WEED AROUND THE WORLD KRISTI TIHANYI

Weed has become ever-present in the daily lives of Portlandians, and many states have relaxed restrictions or legalized recreational pot use. Advocates are fighting for the national legalization of marijuana in efforts to decriminalize the currently labeled Schedule I drug. Does that make the United States a stoner nation? This question is not so easy to answer, as even in liberal states like Oregon the vote to legalize recreational pot was a close call, pointing to the fact that many citizens do not approve of its legality. Compared to the U.S., how does one categorize the countries around the world that have appeared to support weed use? It is unclear how ordinary day-to-day people in countries like Thailand, India, and Nepal produce or utilize marijuana because of skewed perceptions based on certain areas and stereotypes that label these countries as pro-pot. If you head over to Phuket, Thailand, where marijuana is supposedly legal but still warrants harassment from the local police force, you will likely find that the most popular form of marijuana sold there is in the form of Thai sticks. As many a hemp-lover has discovered, people in Thailand have culturally used the fibrous plant to make clothing and other materials rather than simply consuming it to get high. Interestingly, muay thai fighters have historically utilized marijuana fibers to wrap and protect their fists during fights.

However, according to sources on the topic, the presence of U.S. troops during the Vietnam War and the exposure of the soldiers to recreational marijuana use urged the prosecution of those who decided to engage in pot smoking activities. In India, where marijuana has been used since ancient history, pot use is still popular. Sometimes it takes a different form, and the cultural implications of its effects and uses vary, but marijuana has proven to be present in early texts and literature referring to the plant. Perhaps this is why it is no surprise that in March 2015, Tathagata Satpathy, a major parliamentary leader in India, admitted to smoking weed on several occasions and argued for its relegalization in India. Weed is still illegal in Nepal, but that doesn’t change its long history with pot use and production. In a historical account of a man’s trip through Nepal during the early 19th century, Francis Hamilton noted that Cannabis sativa plants grew quite literally like weeds throughout the area. In fact, this account describes some early methods of extracting the oils from the cannabis plant by puncturing the stem and collecting the fluids, which seems to point to the history of extracts and concentrates that are so popular in dispensaries today. However, the U.S. again intervened in this open marijuana use when travelers during the ’60s and ’70s were using the country as a haven

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

AARON UGHOC

for pot use. As the story goes, pressure from the U.S. led to a 1973 law making marijuana production and use illegal there. This little tour of attitudes and practices around the world involving weed only proves that the U.S. is not too different from our foreign counterparts. Some people like to smoke weed and think it is ridiculous that people have gone to jail and even prison over it. Others feel it is a gateway drug and danger-

ous to legalize for the sake of communities as a whole, despite a lack of scientific evidence showing such connections. In many countries, especially those that have had excessive contact with the U.S., the precedent has been set that marijuana should be illegal. But there is always an undercurrent of black market activity that exploits this profitable plant and benefits from its production, whether you are in the U.S. or across the globe.

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EVENT LISTINGS FOR APRIL 18–24

OFF CAMPUS FEATURED EVENT

CABARET 8 P.M. 420/24/7 DANTE’S THURSDAY, APRIL 20 $10–100, 21+ This cabaret revue celebrates the end of Oregon marijuana prohibition and features two title holders of the Miss Exotic Oregon Pageant in its cast. Check out our interview “420 Words with ‘Mistress of the Universe’ Patrick Buckmaster” online at psuvanguard.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 18 FILM

(SCREENING THRU 4/20) 4, 7, 9:25 P.M. CINEMA 21 $6–8.50, ALL AGES A white woman from upstate New York (Anne Hathaway) discovers a strange connection between her and a monster destroying Seoul, South Korea, after she loses her job and breaks up with her boyfriend. COLOSSAL (2016)

CABARET LOCAL LOUNGE SWINGARET FREE, 21+ 7 P.M. Host Ecstacy Inferno’s birthday party is a sliding-scale fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. Featuring drag, stand-up comedy, burlesque, singing and more from some of Portland’s top queer performers. HIP-HOP 7 P.M. GUCCI MANE, PLAYBOI CRYSTAL BALLROOM CARTI $40, ALL AGES The Atlanta rappers tour in support of their new work: Gucci Mane’s The Return of East Atlanta Santa and the rumored debut by Playboi Carti. THEATRE

7 P.M. ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE $25–33, ALL AGES Nellie McKay presents an off-Broadway production about closeted transgender band leader Billy Tipton, who achieved national stardom and was only outed on his deathbed in 1989. With contributions from Jelly Roll Morton, Yoko Ono and Cindy Walker. A GIRL NAMED BILL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BILLY TIPTON

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 FILM

7 P.M. THE SIMPSONS PARIS THEATRE MOVIE (2007) $5, 21+ A screening of the Simpson family’s only big-screen adventure on the 30th anniversary of their debut on The Tracy Ullman Show. Fun fact: The film itself turns 10 in July.

HIP-HOP VETERANS MEMORIAL TRAVIS SCOTT, FLYING COLISEUM LOTUS $42–55, ALL AGES 7 P.M. The “Antidote” rapper comes to Portland as part of the Soul’d Out Music Festival. FILM A GRIN WITHOUT A CAT (1977)

CLINTON STREET THEATER $5–8, ALL AGES

8 P.M. Church of Film presents French filmmaker Chris Marker’s essay on global political turmoil during the 1960s & ’70s. The film’s original French subtitle translates to “Scenes from the Third World War (1967–1977).” ROCK DANTE’S RIKKHA $8, 21+ 9 P.M. This Parisian rock band is neo-burlesque and covers Iggy Pop, PJ Harvey, the Pixies and Nancy Sinatra.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 HIP-HOP ROSELAND THEATER LUPE FIASCO $31.50–45, 21+ 8 P.M. Despite claiming to retire last year in relation to an anti-Semitic freestyle verse, Lupe Fiasco appears as part of the Soul’d Out Music Festival and to promote his new album. HIP-HOP BOSSANOVA LIL DEBBIE + SPECIAL BALLROOM GUESTS $15, 21+ 8 P.M. The Bay Area rapper and stylist has been associated with Kreayshawn and Riff Raff and comes to Portland to put her spin on 4/20. COMEDY GROUND KONTROL NO PUN INTENDO $3, 21+ 9 P.M. Local comedians John Schabl, Chris Ettrick, Dylan Jenkins, Katie Nguyen, Mohanad Elshieky and Marcus Coleman put on the 4/20 edition of this popular monthly video game-centered standup mic night.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 GRAND OPENING 11:30 A.M. PORTLAND GAY MEN’S PRISM CHORUS FREE, ALL AGES Celebrate the opening of Oregon’s first LGBTQ health center with a tour of the facilities and a performance from the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

FILM

SUD (1999)

WHITSELL AUDITORIUM $6–9, ALL AGES

7 P.M. Chantal Akerman’s documentary about the brutal 1998 truck-dragging murder of James Byrd Jr. by three white men, which partly inspired the Matthew Shepard Act Barack Obama signed into law in 2009, is essential viewing now more than ever. MUSIC ARLENE SCHNITZER SOLANGE, JAMIRE CONCERT HALL WILLIAMS $50–99, ALL AGES 8 P.M. Beyoncé’s younger sister headlines the Soul’d Out Music Festival, playing songs from her critically acclaimed album A Seat at the Table (2016). Jamire Williams plays from his album, ///// EFFECTUAL (2016). NIGHTLIFE JADE CLUB SHADE GROWN $8+, 21+ 9 P.M. House and boogie from L.A.’s Magic Touch (Damon Palmero), Miracles Club (Honey Owens x Rafael Fauria) and Pantøne (Carly Barton). MUSIC 9 P.M. BIG FREEDIA, TRIBE DANTE’S MARS $20, 21+ The New Orleans/Texas bounce queen has a Christmas album and honestly that’s reason enough for me to get a ticket to her Soul’d Out Festival appearance. TRIBUTE 9 P.M. SOUL’D OUT FESTIVAL STAR THEATER PRINCE TRIBUTE $12, 21+ Musicians Farnell Newton, The Othership Connection and Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme have between them played with Prince’s colleagues & contemporaries and bring a knowing tribute to the late funk icon.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 ACTIVISM TOM MCCALL RALLY FOR SCIENCE WATERFRONT PARK 10 A.M. FREE, ALL AGES The Portland version of a national march on Earth Day to draw awareness to the threats environmental scientists face under President Trump’s administration. Also there will be inspirational speakers, music and a kid’s zone. DANCE ALBERTA ROSE LE CHIC LE FREAK THEATRE 7 P.M. (ALSO SHOWING $25–35, ALL AGES 4/21) The Ecdysiast Pole Dance Company’s semiannual showcase pays tribute to disco and the queens who started it.

OPENING PARTY 7 P.M. PORTLAND DESIGN THE REDD WEEK $15, 21+ Opening party for Portland Design Week. Skip the entry fee by paying $395 for a week pass ($295 for students!). NIGHTLIFE BOSSANOVA BLOW PONY BALLROOM 9 P.M. $9, 21+ L.A. DJ Mateo Segade (Queen Kong) headlines Portland’s longest-running monthly queer dance party, with go-go dancers of all body types.

NIGHTLIFE GOODFOOT LOUNGE TROPITAAL $6, 21+ 9 P.M. DJs Anjali & The Incredible Kid and Mijo come together for a night of Desi-Latinx dance. NIGHTLIFE JADE CLUB DRESS REHEARSAL $5, 21+ 10 P.M. Drama Club presents a fashion-forward night of drama, romance, decadence and mystery. Music by DJs Perfect Health and Jackal, performances by Yuko, Dio Gionii and Justin Walling.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 JAZZ ROSELAND THEATER JIMMY MAK TRIBUTE $25–65, ALL AGES 6 P.M. Tony Starlight hosts this tribute to Jim Makarounis, owner/namesake of Jimmy Mak’s Jazz Club, which hosted jazz musicians for over 20 years in the Pearl District until his death in January 2017. Twenty percent of proceeds go toward founding a PSU jazz scholarship in Makarounis’ name. Part of the Soul’d Out Festival. NIGHTLIFE LEAVEN COMMUNITY SANCTUARY SUNDAY CENTER 7 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES Tape release party for Sanctuary Sunday featuring experimental musicians Ant’lrd, Kyle Landstra and Pulse Emitter. MUSIC VETERANS MEMORIAL THE XX COLISEUM 8 P.M. $40, ALL AGES The English indie-pop band tours in support of its new album, I See You.

MONDAY, APRIL 24 FILM

7:30 P.M. HOLLYWOOD THEATER $7–9, ALL AGES Fashion in Film presents the live creation of an installation by local designer Holly Stalder before the screening of the Sophia Coppola costume biopic about the doomed French queen (Kirsten Dunst). MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006)

Andrew D. Jankowski

ON CAMPUS FEATURED EVENT

FESTIVAL 11 A.M. EARTH DAY FESTIVAL PSU PARK BLOCKS FRIDAY, APRIL 21 FREE, ALL AGES PSU’s Environmental Club hosts a celebration honoring Earth Day, featuring related campus organizations, networking opportunities and more.

TUESDAY, APRIL 18 WORKSHOP EXECUTIVE & LEAN CAFE: A3 PROFESSIONAL THINKING EDUCATION, SAUVIE 8:30 A.M. ROOM (#100B) CENTER FOR FREE, ALL AGES Learn about A3 thinking, a leadership style rooted in how to identify, frame and act on improvement initiatives, problems and challenges. Registration is required. READING/MUSIC

NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENT & COMMUNITY CENTER 7 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES Theater artist Andrea Hairston reads from her new novel, Will Do Magic For Small Change, along with vocal accompaniment by singer Pan Morigan, who wrote songs based on lyrics featured in the book. WILL DO MAGIC FOR SMALL CHANGE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 DISCUSSION 11:30 A.M. MIXED ORIGINS: MULTICULTURAL EXPLORING CENTER (SMSU 228) MULTIRACIAL FREE, ALL AGES IDENTITIES Lunch and discussion on the complexities of multiracial identity. WORKSHOP ORCHARD (SW 12TH & BEEKEEPING MONTGOMERY) NOON FREE, ALL AGES PSU APIARY & Tim Wessels of Bridgetown Bees helps PSU students learn about how to care for this endangered insect. Liability waiver signage is required (obviously). GIVEAWAY 12:30 P.M. EARTH WEEK SEED PSU PARK BLOCKS GIVEAWAY FREE, ALL AGES Check out a seed from the PSU Seed Library and take it home in a biodegradable pot. LECTURE 2 P.M. CAN A POLITICAL SMSU 238 ACTIVIST BE A GOOD FREE, ALL AGES HISTORIAN? Dissent editor Michael Kazin discusses how academic historians’ political beliefs trend toward the Left, how some are actively trying to change society, and how this can affect the perceptions of their scholastic writing.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

ART OPENING

5 P.M. LITTMAN GALLERY FREE, ALL AGES Kayley Berezney presents her MFA thesis exhibition of sculptural objects inspired by her lived experience with metastatic breast cancer. On display through April 27. BOWED BY THE WAIT OF IT ALL

WORKSHOP NATIVE AMERICAN RADICAL RESISTANCE STUDENT & POST-ELECTION COMMUNITY CENTER 6 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES The School of Social Work, Momentum Alliance, Oregon Queer Youth Summit and Social Justice Fund present a panel workshop on social movement skill building.

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 LECTURE IN AMERICA’S LARGEST WHO VOTES FOR CITIES MAYOR? VOTER 2 P.M. TURNOUT FOR HOFFMANN HALL MAYORAL ELECTIONS FREE, ALL AGES Jason Jurjevich researches how older voters gain “electoral clout,” why younger voter turnout is so low, and why certain neighborhoods have dramatically higher turnout than others. WORKSHOP STUDENT LEGAL HIGH EXPECTATIONS SERVICES 3 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES Legal experts explain how housing, employment and PSU policies affect legal marijuana. FITNESS ACADEMIC STUDENT & ZUMBATHON RECREATION CENTER 5:30 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES Participants in this Zumba party can donate $5 to the Women’s Resource Center to provide safe shelter for women fleeing domestic violence. LECTURE POLITICS AND STATEA JAPANESE AMERICAN SPONSORED ACADEMIC ORIGIN OF JAPANESE PROPAGANDA STUDIES IN THE 6 P.M. UNITED STATES: SMSU 327/328/329 INTERSECTIONS OF FREE, ALL AGES MINORITY ETHNIC Professor Eiichiro Azuma (University of Pennsylvania) discusses what JapaneseAmerican studies looked like before and after WWII, and how the Japanese government once funded these studies. ACTIVISM MARKET CENTER MARCH FOR SCIENCE BUILDING #128 SIGN-MAKING PARTY FREE, ALL AGES 6 P.M. Free food and supplies to make signs for the upcoming March for Science, Portland’s version of a nationwide rally to raise awareness about the threats environmental science faces under the Trump administration.

RECYCLING URBAN PLAZA E-WASTE COLLECTION FREE, ALL AGES 10 A.M. Free Geek will collect your broken or reusable electronics: computers, tablets, smart phones, video game systems, printers, cameras and anything else that uses electricity and doesn’t belong in a landfill. WORKSHOP UNIVERSITY SERVICES NETWORKING 101 BUILDING #402 2 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES Learn the basics of effective networking: where, who and how. LECTURE NEUBERGER HALL DR. JEFFREY THUNDER #454 3:15 P.M. FREE, ALL AGES The Maseeh Mathematics & Statistics Colloquium Series Fund and the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics & Statistics present Dr. Thunder’s statistics colloquium on the application of numbers theory to coding. FILM QUEEN OF THE SUN: WHAT ARE THE BEES TELLING US? (2010)

6:30 P.M. 5TH AVENUE CINEMA FREE, ALL AGES

This documentary focuses on beekeepers, scientists and philosophers researching the mysterious and catastrophic decline of the global bee population.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 VOLUNTEERING SMSU 238 EARTH DAY OF SERVICE FREE, ALL AGES 8:30 A.M. Meet in Smith before heading out on community beautification projects in gardens and public spaces on and off campus. Registration required. STORYTELLING ASRC BUILDING EL CUENTO: THE STORY #620/#630 9 A.M. FREE, ALL AGES The School of Social Work presents Michele Martinez Thompson, Gerardo Jimenez and Martha Calderon for a day of stories and community development for students of color. MUSIC LINCOLN ANDREW BROWNELL PERFORMANCE HALL 7:30 P.M. $10–25, ALL AGES Portland native Andrew Brownell won second prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition 2006 and presents a recital of Bach, Shumann and Liszt pieces.

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

FILM

4/21–4/22) 5TH AVENUE CINEMA $4–5 (FREE W/PSU ID), 3 P.M. (ALSO SHOWING ALL AGES This drama about a 19th century Welsh family’s vanishing way of life beat both The Maltese Falcon and Citizen Kane at the 14th annual Academy Awards. Come for the popcorn, stay for all the film student rage-boners quietly throbbing around you. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941)

OPERA DATES/TIMES) SUOR ANGELICA + LINCOLN GIANNI SCHICCHI PERFORMANCE HALL 3 P.M. (MULTIPLE SHOW $15–30, ALL AGES Portland State Opera presents two one-act operas: the first about a wealthy woman sent to a convent to forget her bastard child, and the second about a wealthy family’s scheme to get their dead relative’s estate back from the monastery he willed his fortune to.

MONDAY, APRIL 24 ACTIVISM 11:30 A.M. SPRING BLOOD DRIVE SMSU 327 Go donate blood. Unless you’re queer; then by all means, keep your sweet, sweet blood to yourself while straight people are allowed to donate freely. PANEL MULTICULTURAL LISTENING TO YOUR CENTER (SMSU 228) VOICES FREE NOON Get free food and an opportunity to engage with Dr. Carmen Suarez, vice president of Global Diversity & Inclusion, Dr. John Fraire, vice president of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, and Dr. Sona Andrews, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs about…what exactly, the press release does not make clear. LECTURE URBAN CENTER THE KING’S TOMB IN FLOOR 2 ANCIENT EGYPT FREE, ALL AGES 7:30 P.M. Dr. Aidan Dodson (University of Bristol, U.K.) presents about the locations and types of burial structures for ancient Egyptian monarchs, from mud brick-lined pits and rock-carved galleries to the iconic pyramid labyrinths. Absolutely zero chance that this presentation by a British academic on Egyptian history will be problematic as fuck. Like, zero percent.

PSU Vanguard • APRIL 18, 2017 • psuvanguard.com

The PSU Staff leasing priority period ends on May 6th. WALK OR BIKE TO CLASS P R I V AT E B E D R O O M S & B AT H R O O M S A V A I L A B L E F U L LY F U R N I S H E D A PA R T M E N T S A M E N I T I E S F O R A F I T & H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E A C A D E M I C A L LY- O R I E N T E D E N V I R O N M E N T PROFESSIONAL, ON-SITE MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY LEASES R O O M M AT E M AT C H I N G A V A I L A B L E

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