Portland State Vanguard Vol. 72 Issue 30

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 72 • ISSUE 30 • MAY 22, 2018

PSU CO-OPS EDUCATION SOME WORRY CORPORATE INFLUENCE WILL COMPROMISE STUDENTH INTERESTS

NEWS: KATE BROWN VISITS PSU P. 3

INTERNATIONAL: #METOO TO #WETOO P. 10

26–28

The PSU Bookstore and campus will be closed!

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JUN

WEEKEND

MAY

MAY

MEMORIAL DAY

06

Last day to pay 3rd payment plan installment to avoid $100 late fee.

ASPSU is hiring. Applications due May 27th at 5 p.m.

SUBMIT ANONYMOUS TIPS Hey, PSU students, faculty and staff! Have you seen or heard something you think Portland State Vanguard should know about or investigate?

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CONTENTS COVER DESIGN BY SYDNEY BARDOLE

NEWS KATE BROWN TALKS PSU ISSUES WITH STUDENT VOTERS

P. 3

STUDENTS SHARE INTERNATIONAL CULTURES, EXPERIENCES

P. 10

DSA BRINGS ‘TAX THE RICH’ CAMPAIGN TO SALEM

P. 4

AS PORTLAND’S ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS, OREGON STRUGGLES TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY

SPORTS VIKING SNAPSHOT

P. 11

P. 5

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS EFFECTIVE ACTIVISM

P. 5

P. 11

COVER PSU CO-OPS EDUCATION

ARTS & CULTURE WEEKLY PLAYLIST: POSTMODERN HURRICANE BLUES

FIND IT AT 5TH: ‘HUNGER’ FOR TRUTH

P. 8–9

KAT BLAQUE’S KEYNOTE TESTIMONIAL ON SELF-ACTUALIZATION

P. 12

INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

P. 6–7

OPINION EMOTIONAL LABOR IN PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

P. 13

#METOO GAINS SUPPORT IN JAPAN

P. 10

COMICS

P. 14

EVENTS CALENDAR

P. 15

P. 11

STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Evan Smiley MANAGING EDITOR Danielle Horn NEWS EDITORS Anna Williams Fiona Spring INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Marena Riggan ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Alanna Madden OPINION EDITOR Nada Sewidan ONLINE EDITOR A.M. LaVey

COPY CHIEF Missy Hannen COPY EDITORS Molly MacGilbert Jesika Westbrook CONTRIBUTORS Lukas Amsden Rebecca Capurso Cory Elia Andrew Gaines Piper Gibson David Gillespie Shandi Hunt Andrew Jankowski Jake Johnson Justin Thurer Taylor Such Eva Park Karina Santacruz

PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Brian McGloin MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emma Josephson PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS Li Chun Wu Brett King CR E ATI V E DIR EC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sydney Bardole LEAD DESIGNER Robby Day Chloe Kendall

DESIGNERS Lisa Dorn Lisa Kohn Leah Maldonado Kailyn Neidetcher Margo Smolyanska Jenny Vu M A R K E TING & DIS T RIBU TION DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Danielle Horn T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton

A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info@psuvanguard.com MIS SION S TAT EMEN T 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 quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

A BOU T 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 Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

NEWS

KATE BROWN TALKS PSU ISSUES WITH STUDENT VOTERS GOVERNOR FOCUSED MAINLY ON VOTER TURNOUT

DAVID GILLESPIE Oregon Governor Kate Brown, who is seeking re-election this year, met with members of the Associated Students of Portland State University and the Oregon Student Association on Tuesday, May 15 to discuss issues relevant to the PSU student body and advocate for student voter participation in the Oregon primaries.

Gathered in a small briefing room in the ASPSU office, Brown asked members about their educational focuses and career-based aspirations, but focused mainly on weak college-age voter turnout for local and statewide primary elections.

Brown won the Democratic primary with more than 80 percent of votes cast, but according to an Oregon Secretary of State unofficial tally, only 33.6 percent of voters turned in their ballots, the lowest in 20 years. It is unclear what percentage of those voters were traditional college-age students.

“Turnout numbers are relatively low,” Brown said, addressing a table of ASPSU leaders, “and I’m just curious about what you’re hearing from students [and] from your colleagues about enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm around the election.”

Newly elected ASPSU senator Isaac Harper turned Brown’s question in the direction of issues more immediately important to students that might distract them from local or state-wide politics.

“Admittedly, I think that most students are so buried in studies and so buried in trying to pay rent and pay tuition,” Harper said, “that, oftentimes, they barely have

ANNA WILLIAMS/PSU VANGUARD the ability or time to pay attention to local–level races.”

In response, Brown said she believes one of the best ways for students to advocate for their own interests is for them to participate in the voting process.

“Do you have a sense that students make the connection between who gets elected to the legislature and the impact on tuition?”

Brown asked. “There’s a really hotly contested state Senate race in East Portland. Do they get the sense that that person may have,

and is likely to have, a huge impact on our ability to impact tuition?”

“Who’s electing our officials?” she added. “It’s people who are older than me. Who are elected officials responsive to? The Baby Boomers.”

Following her meeting with ASPSU, Brown and student leaders from ASPSU and OSA gathered between Cramer Hall and Smith Memorial Student Union for a get-out-to-vote event to collect ballots. Brown then opened herself up for questions from the press.

When asked what she planned to do about

OREGON GOVERNOR KATE BROWN MEETS WITH STUDENTS AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY TO ADDRESS ISSUES AFFECTING THE STUDENT BODY. ANNA WILLIAMS/PSU VANGUARD

Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)—which PSU officials have blamed in part for annual raises in tuition—Brown said her administration had “provided with legislation in February a match for local jurisdictions to pay down their share” of costs related to PERS and that, if elected, she would “continue to make progress.”

According to The Oregonian, Oregon’s public pension deficit has exceeded $25 billion, and investment returns on pensions have decreased, which means in upcoming fiscal years public schools, universities and local governments will need to pay a higher share of the PERS bill.

In response to PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi’s plan to create a co-op program at the university—which he suggests will bring more private investment dollars to campus—Brown said in talks with the business community, leaders have “said that they are willing to pay more so that we can adequately fund higher education.” For more information about the co-op program, see pages 8–9.

About a dozen students turned in ballots to Brown and ASPSU senator Hakan Kutgun who held an unofficial ballot box together and took photos with students. Overall, the message from Brown was clear: If students are to enact change within the university— tuition, student livability, housing prices, etc.—then they need to vote.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

DSA BRINGS ‘TAX THE RICH’ TO SALEM PARTICIPANTS PROTEST BROWN’S BUSINESS TAX BREAK REBECCA CAPURSO Protesters from Poor People’s Campaign, Oregon’s Democratic Socialists of America, Jobs With Justice and other organizations met in front of the state capitol building in Salem Monday, May 21 to rally against Governor Kate Brown’s special session in which lawmakers will vote on her proposal to lower taxes for certain business owners.

“It is time for us to stand up against the austerity model that has left our state perpetually underfunded for decades,” said Portland DSA Co-chair Emily Golden-Fields in a press release.

“Where’s the special session for education? For rent control? For foster care? To protect immigrant and refugee communities?”

Brown is pushing to amend a 2013 law that lessened the tax burden on manufacturing and export businesses. Currently, the law does not benefit sole proprietorships—businesses conducted by just one person. Under Brown’s amendment, sole proprietors would pay less in taxes than would wage-earners grossing the same amount.

According to The Oregonian, an analysis by the Legislative Revenue Office found more than 75 percent of the $11 million tax giveaway would go to business owners making over $200,000 a year if Brown’s proposal passes. More than 40 percent would benefit sole proprietors making more than $500,000 annually, and less than 10 percent of the tax savings would go to those making fewer than $100,000.

Additionally, the tax break—which Brown said could benefit around 9,000 business owners— might drain between $10 million and $15 million from the state’s budget.

In an official proclamation, Brown wrote, “Oregon’s smallest businesses should have the chance to grow by allowing them the same reduced tax rates that other qualified businesses already receive.” Rally organizers, on the other hand, refer to the proposal in a press release as “class warfare against the working people of Oregon.”

Alyssa Pagan, an organizer with Poor People’s Campaign, said she believes Brown’s special session reveals where her loyalty lies. She said she hopes the rally “shows more people that Kate Brown is beholden to business interests and that her loyalty is to them [because] a lot of people are confused about that.”

Poor People’s Campaign and Oregon’s DSA stated in their joint press release that they hope this rally will lead to a new special session—one that would “tax the wealthy and corporations to fund education, housing, jobs, and services for our immigrant and refugee communities.”

This event follows the recent “Tax the Rich” rally, held on May 10 outside of Portland City Hall and organized by the Portland DSA and Tax the Rich Portland. Participants protested against Mayor Ted Wheeler’s proposed budget cuts and increases to Portland Police Bureau staffing, arguing the city would be able to add $114 million annually to fund community centers, parks, housing and refugee services by increasing tax rates for those making more than $250,000 per year.

Prior to the protest, Pagan said that although she does not know whether police will be present at Monday’s rally, she said attendees “should be prepared for police violence, because generally they use brutal force with no consequence.”

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA DURING A JANUARY 20 MARCH AGAINST FASCISM. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD.

ANNA WILLIAMS

MAY 14: GLADSTONE BURGERVILLE VOTES TO UNIONIZE

One month after a Southeast Portland Burgerville voted to establish the Burgerville Worker’s Union, one of the only federally-recognized fast food unions in the country, Gladstone Burgerville employees voted 17-5 to join. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, union demands include a $5 per hour raise, more consistent scheduling practices and affordable healthcare. BWU members from the SE Portland location will begin bargaining May 22.

MAY 15: LOWEST VOTE TURNOUT IN 20 YEARS DETERMINES OREGON PRIMARIES

Just over one third—33.9 percent—of Oregon voters turned in their primary ballots on Tuesday, May 15, the lowest turnout of primary voters since 1998. However, according to The Oregonian, overall participation numbers rose this year, two years after Oregon’s Motor Voter Law, which automatically registers individuals to vote when they obtain or renew a driver’s license, first went into effect.

MAY 14–20 4

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

At the state level, incumbent Governor Kate Brown will face Republican Knute Buehler in November, while activist Jo Ann Hardesty and Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith will face off for a Portland City Council seat. Either city council winner will be historic for Portland, as a woman of color has never been elected to the council.

MAY 16: CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $5.1 BILLION BUDGET

City Council approved Mayor Ted Wheeler’s proposed budget on Wednesday, May 16, to the dismay of protesters who have opposed the budget’s $5 million increase to the Portland Police Bureau to hire 49 new officers. However, an additional $31 million will go to the Portland–Multnomah County joint Office of Homeless Services, and $500,000 will be allocated to legal defense for Portland immigrants facing deportation. To help pay for the budget increase, the local business tax will increase from 2.2 to 2.6 percent to rake in an additional $15 million per year.

MAY 18: FARM BILL FAILS IN THE HOUSE

The Farm Bill—an $868 billion legislative package that would have subsidized agriculture and funded food assistance programs—failed in the House in a 198-213 vote amid partisan fights about immigration and strict work requirements the bill imposed on individuals receiving food assistance. According to Vox, Republicans tried to gain more support for the bill by pushing for a simultaneous floor vote on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which House Speaker Paul Ryan opposed.

NEWS

PORTLAND’S ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS, OREGON STRUGGLES TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY FIONA SPRING An April 2018 economic forecast report published by Portland State’s Northwest Economic Research Center shows for the first time in nine years, the overall rate of economic growth in the Portland Metro Area is beginning to slow. At the same time, a recent report from the Oregon Center for Public Policy indicates Oregon has made little to no progress in addressing food insecurity.

The NERC report, “Portland MSA [Metro Statistical Area] Economic & Population Outlook,” is the latest in a biannual series of forecasts for employment, income, housing permits and housing prices in the Portland Metro Area, which comprises Clackamas, Columbia, Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon and Clark and Skamania counties in Washington. Its most recent installment finds that while Portland’s economy continues to

grow, it is beginning to show signs of slowdown after nine consecutive years of expansion.

“When economic regions reach the promised land of full employment,” wrote NERC Director Tom Potiowsky in the report’s introduction, “the ability to grow quickly is constrained by the available resources.”

The report predicts that as Portland’s housing market continues to cool, rising rents will push residents to move further outside the city center. Meanwhile, wages will grow, helping to mitigate the effects of rising expenses.

Potiowsky emphasized that slowing growth does not necessarily signal an approaching economic downturn. “We [will] see growth continuing in the Portland [Metro Area] at a slower rate but no recession on the horizon,” he wrote. “At the very

least, not in 2018.”

Even as Portland’s economy continues to expand, however, the issue of food insecurity remains prominent statewide. According to OCPP’s May 17 report, 527,000 Oregonians—or 14.6 percent of households—experienced food insecurity, meaning they did not know where their next meal would come from or went hungry, during the three-year period of 2014–2016, the most recent period of available data. As noted in the report, this number adds up to approximately the combined populations of Eugene, Salem, Beaverton and Bend.

Though rates of food insecurity in 2014–2016 had fallen by 3.9 percent compared to the previous period of 2011–2013, this decline was not statistically significant. During the same period, food insecurity fell by 11 percent nationally.

“We cannot say with confidence that food in-

security has gone down in Oregon,” stated OCPP Policy Analyst Janet Bauer in a press release.

“It’s just as likely that the situation has not improved as it has marginally improved.”

Additionally, the report finds this problem is not exclusive to those living below the poverty line. In 2016, three in 10 Oregonians experiencing food insecurity had incomes that exceeded the State’s limit to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. This limit is 85 percent above the federal poverty line.

“It’s clear that many working families are under severe economic pressures,” Bauer stated, “and have to make tough choices about whether to pay the rent, keep the lights on or buy food.”

FOURTH ANNUAL CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS EFFECTIVE ACTIVISM SHANDI HUNT Portland State’s Diversity Action Council, in partnership with the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion, hosted its fourth annual Culturally Responsive Symposium on May 10 in Smith Memorial Student Union. The symposium consisted of nine workshops throughout the day between the second and third floors of SMSU and attendees were encouraged to spend time in as many of them as possible. The workshops focused on themes of inclusion, community, identity and allyship and addressed issues of implicit bias and bystander intervention.

“Our hope here today is that [the] dialogue that can be a part of our sharing and our insights and our communication will allow you to not only serve [PSU],” said PSU Interim Vice President of GDI Michael Alexander in his opening statement, “but [to] serve your own desire to grow deep in your understanding of the potential of the humanity that we’re a part of, if we can allow ourselves to not only embrace our truth, but to welcome the truth that others bring to the community.”

In his statement, PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi addressed the idea of inclusion as it relates to diversity. “Diversity is something that we see, sometimes we don’t see, but inclusion is something you feel,” he said. “It’s internal. What we need to do is to make sure that not only we address diversity, but we really address inclusion, making sure that we educate the community about what [it means] to be an inclusive community.”

A workshop titled “Inclusion and Accessibility in Activist Spaces,” hosted by PSU’s Disability Alliance student group,

addressed barriers people with disabilities face when working in activist spaces.

“Disability is a natural form of human diversity,” said workshop facilitator Dora Raymaker, a research assistant professor at PSU’s Regional Research Institute for Human Services. “The disability rights movement is grounded in broader civil rights movements.”

The workshop also discussed ways to improve accessibility for all activists. According to workshop facilitator endever* corbin [correct spelling], involving disabled organizers to evaluate the accessibility of a space is a step in the right direction for disability rights.

“We appreciate when places are accessible,” added facilitator Jules Gabbard Ledbetter. “It feels welcoming, empowering, and we feel appreciated in that space to do the activist work we came to do.”

Ledbetter added that even if a space is deemed accessible by the Americans with Disabilities Act, it might not be truly accessible to all people. “Normalizing access needs and disability is important,” they said. “Most people will experience a disability event that is temporary in their life…It’s a natural part of the human experience and doesn’t have to be a scary thing…Access spaces show that people don’t have to worry or fear so much if they do become disabled.”

The closing session featured presenters from PSU’s Department of Psychology, who hosted a presentation on improving allyship in social justice activism. From their research,

LISA KOHN the presenters concluded that people either want to help in activist circles or believe they already are but lack confident knowledge of what allyship means to participate effectively.

“Becoming an ally is not an overnight process,” explained graduated researcher Kelly Hamilton. “What we’ve found in our research is [that] people move from knowing nothing about being an ally to being effective at it. And what we’ve found is that there is an identity development process around becoming an ally.”

Hamilton added, “Putting yourself in the position of others helps you be more conscious [of ] the experiences of people who have different experiences of us and who experience marginalization day to day.”

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND CULTURE

THIS WEEK MARENA RIGGAN

May 20

around the

May 13–18

May 14–18

Windsor Castle, UK

Afghanistan

Turkey

Prince Harry and United States actor Meghan Markle married at the historical Windsor Castle in West Berkshire. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the wedding cost $45 million, and around 100,000 people gathered in Windsor for the historic event.

The government in Ankara recalled their ambassadors from both Washington, D.C. and Tel Aviv after the events along the Gaza border, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a genocide. The next day, Israeli ambassador to Turkey Eitan Naeh was also asked to leave the country, and on May 18, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation was held in Istanbul, where Erdogan urged Muslim leaders to unite in holding Israel accountable for Gaza killings.

May 20

May 20 Iraq held its first elections since declaring its victory against the Islamic State group.

The political bloc led by religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr has won 54 parliamentary seats with the Fatah bloc coming second at 47 seats and the Nasr Coalition third at 42.

May 13

Iran

After Trump’s decision last week to exit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reimpose sanctions on Iran, Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif left on tour in an effort to save the deal with the remaining signatory countries. On May 17, the EU moved to activate a statute that grants European companies and courts autonomy from United States sanctions against Iran.

May 17

Democratic Republic of Congo

May 19

Since May 8 when the Ebola virus was publicly declared to have re-emerged, 23 have died, this time in the DRC. The virus was mostly contained to remote, rural areas; however, the World Health Organization confirmed the virus had spread to the city of Mbandaka, which has an estimated population between 700,000 and 1.2 million.

May 14

South Africa Following the opening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and Israeli forces killing Gazans, the South African government ordered their ambassador Sisa Ngombane to return from Israel immediately. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has called for an independent inquiry into the deaths at the Gaza border.

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A car bomb explosion outside a government building in Jalalabad killed at least eight and injured 42 on May 14, after which four Islamic State group attackers stormed a finance office. On May 15, the Taliban attacked the city of Farah in an effort to gain control of the territory. On May 18, three explosions killed eight people and wounded 45 at a cricket stadium; however, the Taliban denied involvement to this attack.

Iraq

Greece

Yiannis Boutaris, mayor of the coastal city of Thessaloniki, was attacked by a far-right mob during a commemoration for the Pontic Genocide—an event during the first world war in which Greeks were killed by the Ottomans. Golden Dawn, a neo-fascist party in Greece’s parliament, celebrated the attacks against the mayor in a statement. Boutaris has been admitted to the hospital with injuries to his head, back and legs.

WORLD

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

Haifa, Israel

Amid protests against the killing of Gazans, 21 Israeli Arabs were arrested, including Jafar Farah, the CEO of an Arab citizens’ advocacy group.

Farah has accused the Israeli police of breaking his leg while in custody.

Humanitarian group Combatants for Peace posted on Facebook around 500 Israeli and Palestinian protesters were present for the demonstrations.

May 14

Gaza Strip, Palestinian Terroritories

Sixty Palestinians were killed and around 2,700 injured during the culmination of The Great March of Return, a series of protests which began six weeks prior in preparation for the U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem and Palestine’s Nakba Day. Since the start of the protests on March 30, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed and 12,000 injured. Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, strained on resources due to the blockade, struggles to treat the influx of patients.

At least 18 people died waiting for treatment.

HAIFA

WEST BANK

GAZA STRIP

JERUSALEM

ARTS INTERNATIONAL AND CULTURE

May 13–20 May 16–17

Global

May 16

North Korea North Korea threatened to cancel the June 12 summit with President Donald Trump, stating the U.S. must cease insisting “the complete verifiable irreversible denuclearization of North Korea.” National Security Adviser John Bolton was referred to by the North Korean regime as “human scum,” owing to his comments requiring North Korea to submit to disarmament similar to Libya in 2004.

The holiest month in Islam began May 16 for those in North America and Europe and May 17 for those in Muslimmajority countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by fasting during the day, among other practices. Ramadan will end with the Eid al-Fitr between June 14–16.

May 17

Washington, D.C. Gina Haspel was confirmed by the Senate as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency, despite receiving criticism for her interrogation tactics while serving as the CIA chief of station to a secret prison in Thailand following the 9/11 attacks.

May 18

Texas, U.S. May 14

Malaysia

After last week’s elections resulted in what’s been described as a shocking win for Malaysia’s opposition party, 92-year-old Mahathir bin Mohamad is the new prime minister. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak now faces charges of corruption, having allegedly used his position for gratification as a part of a larger scandal resulting in the loss of $4.5 billion. Najib and his wife are now under travel restrictions.

Eight students and two teachers are dead and 10 others injured after a 17-year old student of Santa Fe High School opened fire in an art class around 8 a.m. The attacker, who is now in custody and charged with capital murder, has been identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis. Based on evidence acquired from his journals, Pagourtzis originally planned to commit suicide following the attack.

May 18

Havana, Cuba

A Boeing 737 crashed shortly after takeoff on a domestic flight to the eastern part of the country, killing more than 100 passengers. Out of all passengers and crew members, only three survived, though they’re reported to be in serious condition. This 737 aircraft was built in 1979.

May 13

Surabaya, Indonesia

May 14–19

Jerusalem

On Monday the U.S. Embassy officially opened in Jerusalem after President Donald Trump declared the city Israel’s capital in December.

Middle East Eye reported Palestinian demonstrators protesting outside the new embassy were beaten and arrested by Israeli security forces as onlookers shouted “Burn them, shoot them, kill them.” On May 18, around 100,000 Palestinians celebrated the first day of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa Mosque; however, many Muslims banned from entering the grounds of the Noble Sanctuary instead decided to pray at the nearest entry point.

A family of six carried out suicide bombings of three churches in the second largest Indonesian city, killing seven civilians and injuring 40. The family divided itself into three groups to coordinate the attacks at the same time: two of the family’s teenage boys, the father with another son and the mother with their two small children. The attack is believed to be in connection to the Jemaah Ansharut Daulah, an Islamic State–inspired group.

May 18

Chile

The Catholic Church finds itself in another sex scandal as all 31 bishops to Chile resigned in an official document after being summoned to Rome by Pope Francis. Francis accused the bishops of destroying evidence into the allegations and pressuring investigators into minimizing the issue, declaring the “entire Chilean church hierarchy was collectively responsible.”

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS COVERAND CULTURE

PSU CO-OPS HIGHER ED CORY ELIA AND ANNA WILLIAMS Since Portland State President Rahmat Shoureshi began his relationship with the university as a candidate in winter 2017, he has promoted the idea of a cooperative education system that would allow students to gain practical work experience as part of their degree path.

Since then, as PSU students face another tuition increase, Shoureshi has pushed the co-op system as a means of inviting business investment into the university to lessen the financial burden on students.

Shoureshi said he anticipates starting the program in the next year or two, beginning with the business school and eventually expanding to every other major on campus. As the beginning draws near, however, some students have doubts about what it will mean for PSU’s culture, how much students will end up having a say in their education, and whether co-ops will only benefit a privileged sector of PSU’s student population that doesn’t have to work while going to school.

WHAT IS A CO-OP?

“Co-op is when you combine the work of the student in the classroom with work in real life,” explained Dr. Behrooz Satvat, associate teaching professor in chemical engineering at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. and faculty member of Northeastern’s 109-year-old co-op program, in an information session he led at PSU on Friday, May 18.

Satvat said Northeastern students can work for one of over 2500 local and international businesses, hospitals and nonprofits for one, two or three six-month long stints. The experience, according to Northeastern’s website, “remains a powerful learning model that integrates classroom learning with real-world experiences.”

In some cases, Northeastern’s co-op program extends a four-year degree to five years. PSU could end up mimicking this system, alternating students in their last two years at PSU between terms working and terms going to school. However, Shoureshi suggested in a March 16 press conference that he would like to see students earning money in a part time co-op while still attending school.

Satvat added that while enrolled in the program, PSU students could receive a no-cost credit, meaning they would be

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

still officially enrolled at PSU and could avoid triggering repayment of their student loans. Additionally, students would still be able to access campus resources and PSU’s health insurance plan.

The pay would also count as work-study, Satvat said, so it would not be taxable at the end of the year and wouldn’t count against the amount of financial aid a student receives.

Additionally, if PSU follows in Northeastern’s steps, students would make far more than minimum wage. At Northeastern, students make between $14–17 an hour.

Satvat said PSU’s program wouldn’t be rushed or copied from Northeastern and student and faculty member input will be key in its creation.

25 percent of co-op interships would not pay, most of which would be for students majoring in liberal arts degress.

WHO DOES A CO-OP BENEFIT?

In the March press conference, Shoureshi said the co-op program would most likely begin with business students and eventually expand to other programs on campus.

However, according to Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Erin Flynn, who helped establish PSU’s co-op task force in February 2018, three undergraduate student representatives majoring in business, engineering and graphic design meet with the committee every two weeks to work on developing PSU’s plan.

“We will be launching the co-op program in multiple schools and majors beginning next year,” Flynn wrote in an email. “Initially we plan to start the program involving the following majors: accounting and marketing (business); math and statistics; graphic design [and] geographical information systems (GIS).”

Shoureshi has marketed the program as a way for students to earn a decent wage while learning job skills applicable to their major. At a presentation to the Westside Economic Alliance forum in Tigard, Ore. in February, Shoureshi said, “It provides [students] the financial ability to go through school.

Instead of working three jobs—and we have so many students in that category, but in jobs that have nothing to do with what they are studying or the future they have—this way we will be able to put them in the right experiential learning.”

However, Flynn stated both faculty and staff have expressed concerns that a co-op program at PSU would actually “add to inequities among students.”

“Everyone sees the benefit of students obtaining paid, work experience related to their chosen major prior to graduation,” Flynn wrote.

However, one main concern Flynn said students and staff have voiced is “many PSU students must work part or fulltime in order to put themselves through school. If co-op jobs are not reliable [or] don’t pay as much as jobs students already have they will not be able to participate in the program.”

The other main concern, Flynn added, is “many PSU students are enrolled in majors that may not easily lend themselves to paid co-ops—e.g. social work, urban planning, history, sociology etc.”

At Northeastern, a significant number of co-op programs are indeed unpaid.

According to Nathan Hostert, 2018-2019 Northeastern student body president, some co-op internships, especially in medicine, humanities and social sciences, do not pay students. While some internships take Northeastern students across the world, others place students in nonprofit jobs that cannot afford to pay.

An audience member asked Satvat exactly how many PSU internships would be unpaid. Satvat answered that if PSU fol-

EDUCATION lows the same trend as Northeastern, 25 percent of co-op internships would not pay, most of which would be for students majoring in liberal arts degrees.

SOME WORRY WHETHER CORPORATE INFLUENCE WILL SUPERCEDE STUDENT BENEFIT With that in mind, newly-elected Associated Students of PSU senator Camilo Assad said they worry PSU’s co-op program will change the university’s fundamental mission of “let knowledge serve the city.”

“We keep moving away from college being an opportunity to be better informed citizens and contribute to our communities, which is something PSU really puts out as a big part of [its mission],” Assad said.

“People want business degrees because it seems like it’s something that’s more employable,” they added. “[But] it does nothing to help any student in any other area that’s becoming less employable. Journalism programs are being cut, foreign language departments are being cut...the purpose of college, in my opinion, is it’s a place where we don’t just learn about what can get us a job.”

Assad grew up in Lafayette, Ind. where their mother was a lecturer at Purdue University. Assad said from the ages of 6–17, they were able to bear witness to how Purdue’s own co-op program affected students in less popular majors on campus, as well as what the program offered the local economy.

“Before the co-op program was fully established, [Purdue] had a decent liberal arts section, but where it was really attractive was its engineering departments and its Krannert School of Management and business management [program],” Assad said.

Eventually, however, Assad said Purdue began investing less in liberal arts programs. “It used to be a really well-rounded university,” they said, “but now it’s literally a waste of money if you’re not going there for an engineering or business degree.”

What this could mean for PSU, Assad added, is that “liberal arts [are] going to get cut further. The number of people who it actually helps is so much smaller than the marketing it does for the university. It’s going to help [PSU students] in the hundreds, not thousands.”

Assad is currently an ASPSU member of the Tuition Review Advisory Council and helped lead two strikes this term to convince the university administration to withdraw this year’s tuition hikes. Assad expressed frustration that after several alleged requests the administration never gave him a detailed budget breakdown.

Assad said this symbolizes that the administration keeps students in the dark about where their money is going, which takes away student’s control over their education.

“The purpose of college, in my opinion, is it’s a place where we don’t just learn about what can get us a job.”

- ASPSU senator Camilo Assad “[The administration] spends more on things that we don’t care about and they fund things that make the university better marketing-wise,” they said. “I don’t need tons of PR for [PSU] to get my education and neither do any of us.”

Flynn stated “developing co-op placements for students is labor intensive and will require additional staff to be successful.” Flynn did not elaborate, however, on how much it would cost to hire the one or two full-time staff the co-op committee anticipates it would take to get the program off the ground, or whether that investment would come from the administration, individual schools, or outside the university.

A SUCCESS STORY FOR NORTHEASTERN

Despite reservations from students and faculty at PSU, some Northeastern students say the co-op program has opened doors not guaranteed for a lot of college students.

According to Victoire Cointy, executive director of communications for Northeastern’s student government association and cur-

ARTS AND CULTURE COVER

rently working at Zipcar through the co-op program, “90 percent of our graduates are employed full-time after graduation.”

She added, “Our co-op program reaches other cities, other states [and] other countries…If we were to only have relationships with employers in Boston then I feel like we would definitely be much more limited.”

The process of writing a resume, going through interviews, and even being rejected from some positions has been a great learning experience, Cointy continued. “It’s also a great way to check if you’re in the right field.”

“You can get co-ops from multiple different careers, and you get multiple networks that you can build off of,” Hostert added. Hostert is currently working in a co-op at the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

He added, “I’m also interacting with people at the [Internal Revenue Service] and interacting with people in the district court and...in the state government as well.”

“It allows you to build connections outside of just one job,” Hostert said.

Assad said they acknowledge the benefits of co-ops, but said they worry that PSU, a university that struggles to keep up with its expenses every year, might end up selling out to the business community.

“I don’t think co-op programs are inherently evil,” Assad said. “A lot of people come to college because they’re seeking better employment, and it’s not easy to get hired without any experience when you come right out of college.”

However, Assad added, “I don’t think personally the student’s education should be more influenced by businesses.

We’ve already seen it lead to way more administrative positions, narrowing job markets, programs that are super inefficient and raised tuitions and increased debt.”

“You can tie a lot of that,” they said, “[to treating] the university like a business instead of treating it as a public good [and] a public service.”

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

#METOO MOVEMENT GAINS SUPPORT IN JAPAN THE VOICES UNHEARD LUKAS AMSDEN The #metoo movement takes on Japan’s media as female journalists begin to come forward. The #metoo movement in Japan has garnered international attention after a highranking finance ministry official stepped down amid claims of sexual harassment by a female journalist working for TV Asahi.

The scandal exposed issues regarding Japan’s media organizations and sexual harassment.

Junichi Fukuda was recorded asking the journalist, “Can I kiss you? Can I hug you? Can I touch your breasts?” Despite the recording, Fukuda denied the allegations and instead threatened to file a lawsuit for defamation against the publication. The journalist turned to a weekly magazine after her boss told her not to report the incident.

After facing criticism from Japan’s Newspaper Workers’ Union, the head of Asahi TV’s news division Hiroshi Shinozuka told BBC, “We are doing some deep soul-searching [regarding] our inability to respond appropriately despite receiving information that one of our employees had been sexually harassed.”

As reported by Channel News Asia, a total of 86 journalists have banded together in the wake of the incident to combat the issue by founding Women in Media Network Japan, an organization aiming to bring an end to sexual harassment for Japanese journalists.

In the article, former journalist for Asahi Shimbun and one of the founders of WiMN Yoshiko Hayashi said, “We are resolved that now is the time to eradicate sexual harassment and any other human rights infringement.”

Journalists have also seen government support in six opposition parties that chose to abstain from scheduling any new deliberations in protest of the sexual harassment allegations.

The most notable among the voices is minister for women’s empowerment Seiko Noda. According to The Asahi Shimbun, Noda said, “The reality is that victims of sexual harassment can’t talk about it even to their families.”

Others echoed this sentiment. “Many women in journalism felt it difficult to raise their voice out of embarrassment and fears that it would destroy the relationship with their contacts,” Hayashi said to Channel News Asia. “We were the people whose voices were unheard.”

BEFORE #METOO

In 2017, former news intern Shiori Ito stood alone after making public allegations of rape against high-profile television journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi, was never arrested, and the case was dropped before setting foot in court despite video and DNA evidence, as reported by CNN.

LISA DORN Ito became the first Japanese citizen to use the hashtag #metoo.

Ito claimed police discouraged her report, saying, “They told me that I won’t have the life I want to have in Japan if I do. If I want to work as a journalist in Japan, I have to give up my dream.”

Ito left Japan after being targeted online by hate mail and threats. Since then, she has joined Monika Fukuhara in helping organize the new #wetoo movement in her fight against sexual harassment in Japan.

#WETOO

A Japanese proverb warns, “The nail that sticks out, gets hammered down.” The new #wetoo movement intends to provide directly responds to the difficulties Japanese people face voicing sexual harassment. Fukuhara notes #wetoo goes beyond the self-identification found in #metoo. “By using ‘We Too’ instead, we show greater solidarity,” Fukuhara said in The Japan Times. “We are letting victims know they’re not alone and that we listen and support, making it easier to speak up,” Fukuhara continued. “Since Japanese society has some sort of prejudice against victims, it’s difficult for women to raise their hands and say ‘Me Too.’”

STUDENTS SHARE INTERNATIONAL CULTURES, EXPERIENCES AT ANNUAL CELEBRATION EVA PARK Portland State held its Annual International Night in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom Thursday, May 17. International Night is PSU’s largest cultural night event, highlighting countries and their cultures from around the world. The theme for this year was Festivals Around the World.

Volunteers greeted visitors and hosted games and tables featuring a number of countries including South Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, France, Colombia, Bangladesh, Peru, Oman, Iraq, the Philippines, Ireland and Ukraine.

Volunteers brought traditional clothes, artifacts, decorations, dolls, books and pamphlets representative of their respective countries. Some were personal possessions, but many were borrowed artifacts from WorldOregon, a non-profit organization that promotes cultural understanding through various programs such as their International Visitors Program. The artifacts are part of Global Classrooms, a program that aims to educate students in the Portland school system about world cultures.

Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Afghan and Saudi Arabian hosts at their booths were in traditional clothing, allowing visitors to take pictures with them. Cultural games were hosted in the Browsing Lounge, and three henna artists inked visitors.

On the first floor of SMSU, volunteers served complimentary food representative of various cultures, including hummus and pita, the Korean noodle dish japchae, Chinese mantou, vegetarian Indian curry, Vietnamese tofu spring rolls served with peanut sauce and baklava, a Mediterranean dessert made from filo dough.

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

The highlight of International Night was the performances hosted by Benjamin Pocheron, an international student from France, and Jasmine Torres, a United States student.

The show opened with two performances by Oregon Irish Dance Academy that had 17 young dancers, followed by Jing Lu, an instructor with PSU’s Confucius Institute, and her instrument the yanqing, or Chinese dulcimer.

Xiaoxin Wu played the Chinese guzheng, a long horizontal stringed instrument also found in Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese cultures, and Cong Xu and Xu Wu performed the flute and violin together.

PSU’s K-pop dance group’s routine began with a backflip from one of the dancers as they performed to popular K-pop artists like Momoland, Boa and Red Velvet. The Latin Dance Club featured a salsa, and Naureen Khan performed an Indian Bollywood dance in sari.

Filipino students Izabella Sy and Jhustin “Jhus” Custodio and Indonesian student Stanly Thiofilus performed their group numbers, with Sy on vocals, Custodio on the cajón and Thiofilus on acoustics. Two students from Indonesia— Jacqueline Moningka on vocals and Lifia Teguh on piano— performed a duet singing about a prayer for their country.

International Night’s fashion show also highlighted cultural dress from around the world, including Peru, Malaysia, India, Taiwan and Vietnam.

International Night is organized by the Office of International Affairs, with the help of numerous volunteers who are part of the International Cultural Service Program and other student associations.

Park was a host for the South Korean booth.

STUDENTS SHARE HOME CULTURES AT INTERNATIONAL NIGHT. MARENA RIGGAN/PSU VANGUARD

ARTS & CULTURE

ALANNA MADDEN

FIND IT AT

POSTMODERN HURRICANE BLUES

1. The Word ‘Hurricane’ – Air, The Virgin Suicides (2000)

9. The Killing Moon – Nouvelle Vague, Bande a Part (2006)

2. Autumn Sweater – Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (1997)

10. Riviera 69 – Chris Joss, You’ve Been Spiked (2004)

3. I Talk to the Wind – Giles, Giles, & Fripp – The Brondesbury Tapes (1968)

11. Reintroductions – Sinitus Tempo, Black (2017)

4. Nights in White Satin – The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed (1967)

12. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On (1971)

‘HUNGER’ FOR TRUTH

5. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) – Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Rust Never 13. Midnight Creeper – Eagles of Death Sleeps (1979) Metal, Peace Love Death Metal (2004) 6. Nietzsche – The Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia (2000)

14. The Sky is Crying – Elmore James, LP (1960)

7. Happy Meal II – The Cardigans, First Band on the Moon (1996)

15. Karma Police – Radiohead, OK Computer (1997)

COURTESY OF 5TH AVENUE CINEMA

8. What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 16. Playground Love (Vibraphone Version) 1): Blue Sky Revisit/Transmission 2 – DJ – Air, Playground Love (2000) Shadow, Endtroducing… (1996) 17. Moon River – Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Complete Original Soundtrack (1961)

ANDREW GAINES MARGO SMOLYANSKA

Listen to DJ Salinger at psuvanguard.com or on Spotify.

VIKING SNAPSHOT MAY 6–22 TAYLOR SUCH

SOFTBALL:

Sunday, May 6 PSU at Southern Utah

Score: 17-7 (W) Viking Sophomore’s Marissa Bruno and Riley Casper outperformed themselves against SUU. Bruno had a career-high with four runs batted while Casper hit her first career home run. PSU had a season high with 17 runs.

Thursday, May 10 PSU at Montana

Big Sky Softball Tournament Score: 3-6 (L) Viking junior Alyssa Burk threw two perfect innings.

Friday, May 11 PSU at Weber State

Big Sky Softball Tournament Score: 4-3 (W) The game was tied 2-2 at the top of the seventh by Viking Sophomore Alexis Morrison with her first career triple.

TRACK:

Tuesday, May 8 PSU at Big Sky Outdoor Championships Viking freshman Kristen O’Handley set a personal best on the first day with score of 3,062 points and sat first place in the heptathlon. Returning junior Donté Robinson set a personal best in the 100-meter event finishing in 11.11 seconds.

Wednesday, May 9 PSU at Big Sky Outdoor Championships Donté Robinson became the second Viking ever to win both heptathlon and decathlon titles.

Robinson additionally set a personal best in the pole vault at 4.41-meters.

Thursday, May 10 PSU at Big Sky Outdoor Championships Returning Sophomore Sarah Medved became the first ever Viking to win a big sky title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, finishing at 10:30.35. Viking freshman Kamal-Craig Golaube set a personal best in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.44 seconds.

Friday, May 11 PSU at Big Sky Outdoor Championships Viking freshman Nia Powdrell was seeded at 11th place in the 100-meters event and later finished with third place at 11.635 seconds. Kamal-Craig Golaube set another personal best in the 110-meter hurdles finishing at 14.34 seconds.

NEXT WEEK TRACK:

All day May 24–26 PSU at NCAA West Preliminary Rounds.

Director Steve McQueen’s 2008 film Hunger takes a powerful and occasionally grotesque look at The Troubles— a five-year series of Maze Prison protests against human rights atrocities committed against imprisoned Provisional Irish Republican Army members by the hands of prison guards and British government in Northern Ireland.

McQueen shows viewers the last days of Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), who participated in the Dirty Protest of 1978—where Maze Prison inmates refused to leave their cells to use the bathroom or shower to avoid vicious beatings from prison guards—and died leading the second IRA hunger strike in 1981. Actors Liam McMahon and Brian Milligan portray the harrowing resulting conditions that were messy, cold and violent, but demanded response and action from around the world.

Overall, The Troubles took place over three decades— ending as recently as 1998—and cost the lives of over 3,600 civilians. The specific strikes within Hunger, however, were a reaction to the British prison’s failures to meet the IRA’s Five Demands: the right to one’s own clothes, to nonforced labor, free association among prisoners and educational or leisurely organization, to communicate with the outside world, and the reinstatement of the prisoner’s de facto prisoner of war status—a privilege outlined by the Geneva Convention of 1949 and withdrawn by the British government in 1976.

Hunger assumes you are well-read on The Troubles— which can be confusing if you’re not—but the film plainly states Sands’ personal journey in a way that’s impossible to misinterpret. Although the struggles of Maze prisoners are deeply upsetting to watch, McQueen deftly portrays a side of the political struggles between Britain and Ireland that is rarely shown in film. In fact, most movies about The Troubles, such as the excellent ‘71, choose to show military conflict outside of the prison rather than what happened to revolutionaries after they were imprisoned.

Watch McQueen’s award winning film debut at 5th Avenue Cinema May 25–27.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

KAT BLAQUE’S SELF-ACTUALIZATION KEYNOTE TESTIMONIAL ANDREW JANKOWSKI Intellectuals are annoying. They’re convinced of their superiority, obsessed with academic form and constantly convincing you of their importance. Kat Blaque is not an intellectual. She knows who she is, and if you’re not into her, she knows you can click elsewhere. Her videos cover her solicited responses to issues affecting trans people, including how to handle rejection, the monetization of anti-feminism and queer and Black representation on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Blaque tells truths based on lived experience rather than academic study. She leaves room in her talks for herself to be wrong or for her viewer to insert themselves to create dialogue. Blaque doesn’t engage with trolls or play devil’s advocate, but she does engage with people who are trying to learn or construct their own identities.

If you disagree, Blaque already knows she’s not here for you; she’s here for someone else. On Wednesday, May 16 over five dozen people convened at the Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom to hear Blaque’s personal testimony on self-discovery, evangelical Christianity, Hollywood and the artistic community’s misguided sense of progressivism.

Kat Blaque, an illustrator, transgender activist and YouTuber, was the keynote speaker at Portland State’s Pride Month, where PSU resource centers, student groups and departments hold events celebrate LGBTQ+ history and visibility. Blaque’s keynote was sponsored by five different PSU organizations which included PSU’s Queer Resource Center; the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department; the Women’s Resource Center; and PSU’s Speaker’s Board.

Blaque and American Sign Language interpreter Abel Constantine were introduced by the QRC’s transgender retention specialist Jill Seale. “[Portland] is a lot less kitschy than I was expecting,” Blaque opened, dressed in a flowy, sheer ensemble ready for summer goth music festival season. “I thought it was going to be more granola and crunchy, but it’s like every other gentrified area I’ve ever visited.”

Though an atheist, Blaque’s educational background includes private Christian schooling, which is where the tradition of personal testimony came into play. (Sidebar: Blaque confessed to having released a Christian pop album years ago.)

Blaque discussed constructing her identity through a paper diary bought at the church store, then moving to Gen Y social media networks like Blogger, Xanga and MySpace.

Blaque shared the two sources of identity construction formerly available to trans people: messy, non-passing Jerry Springer “trannies” and a form-story whose common elements include shame and secrecy, working with sketchy doctors until they finally had The Surgery, then living out their days in passable secrecy—a term Blaque referred to as being stealth—with a loving spouse, and 2.5 kids.

It is a form-story that was likely meant to inspire hope among a population disproportionately targeted with violence or worse simply for trying to define themselves—a population trying to survive in the shadows. Although the form-story highlights a complex issue trans people experience daily, one cisgender people might not anticipate: not all trans people can or want to attain stealth, but all trans people long for an existence where they are not constantly made to define themselves or think about the politics of their survival. Blaque described these struggles as being a distraction that her straight, cis and even gay peers don’t have to overcome. How do trans people share their experiences without giving up stealth?

The answer, to broadstroke, is that you can’t, and you have to be willing to navigate what that means for you. For Blaque,

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 22 2018 • psuvanguard.com

KAT BLAQUE SPOKE AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT PSU’S PRIDE MONTH EVENT ON MAY 16, 2018. ANDREW JANKOWSKI/PSU VANGUARD this meant coming to terms with realizing that as she used YouTube, people might find her videos while seeking her for illustration work, and the lack of compartmentalization could cost her jobs. In this process, Blaque also came to learn she wouldn’t want to work with anyone who did not accept her for who she is. This is not to say that this was an entirely pain-free process.

Blaque recalled being betrayed by her gay best friend in college when he outed her to one of her roommates who had a crush on her. “I thought gay men had a sixth sense about being trans,” Blaque said. She recounted when she and her ex were evicted when her ex’s cousin shared her Buzzfeed appearance with other members of her ex’s family, effectively their landlord. She recalled traveling to Hollywood to find work and being laughed at behind her back by workers who took her resume, none of whom ever called her back. Blaque noted she could laugh about these stories because she was not a victim of physical violence but was aware they could have very easily ended worse than they did, and reminded the audience that other trans people are not as lucky.

At numerous points in her keynote, a recurring theme was Blaque’s blogs and videos being viewed by people she didn’t realize were watching her, which almost always led to incredibly positive reactions, like becoming popular in college as a result of her classmates watching her videos when she previously navigated popularity through academic intelligence, or working with the influential blogger-YouTuber ChescaLeigh, whom some people may know better at MTV’s Franchesca Ramsey.

Another theme was goal orientation: Blaque presented impressive goal plans from her teen days and outlined how she had completed or deviated from those plans, like getting into one of the United States’ top animation school, only to discover she hated navigated industry politics and ass-kissing.

Having met those goals, and in some cases moved on from them, Blaque did not lay out a detailed plan for her next decade. The unstated implication feels to be that Blaque is

allowing events to happen as they happen without needing a multi-step goal for global conquest ready for review.

Blaque hilariously recounted points in her self-discovery journey when she grew out of some phases, like being a Gervais-level atheist, an obsessive queer radical or having an objectively terrible taste in men. “Art school does weird stuff to you,” Blaque said, to laughter.

Blaque recognized these identities as stations she had to outgrow to become who she is now. She lovingly described the people she has been as being “so cringe,” and in this way she opened room for her audience, who may be in these phases of self-discovery, to recognize this cringe factor and move in a new direction.

But if they’re not ready, Blaque isn’t mocking or judging them.

One of the talk’s most important moments came during the short Q&A at the keynote’s end. Blaque took a question from PSU Sociology graduate student Joy Mutare Fashu Kanu, who told Blaque she is still a Christian and uses her videos while instructing classes and in her social networks to educate other Christians.

Mutare and Blaque discussed PSU department conversations over the name of Mutare’s department—sociology of minorities—and whether there is a better name. “How about ‘sociology’?” Blaque joked before explaining that the term would allow sociology students to focus on areas of oppression outside of how white people engage race, such as the study of precolonial queerness throughout international cultures, among other topics.

Blaque’s keynote opens PSU’s Pride season highlighting several important messages: the path to happiness and the path to success aren’t always the same paths, changing your plans and changing yourself are totally okay, and other people’s perceptions of you shouldn’t interrupt your own selfactualization. Blaque and Mutare’s exchange was a model of how people with conflicting ideologies can find common ground and be respectful toward one another. It’s also a matter of admitting that those are goals. If there’s one message the world needs for 2018, it’s this: don’t be a gross troll.

EMOTIONAL LABOR’S PRESENCE IN PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

OPINION

HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND COMBAT IT PIPER GIBSON When talking about emotional labor, articles frequently describe women’s romantic emotional labor in a relationship.

This is a real and prevalent problem, and there is no denying that, but emotional labor isn’t only present in heterosexual and romantic relationships. Family members, friends, coworkers and others can demand emotional labor from you, or you from them. Learning how to recognize when someone is asking too much of you, or vice versa, and slowly shifting behaviors can go a long way in strengthening and prolonging your platonic relationships.

RECOGNIZING EMOTIONAL LABOR

We’re often not taught how to establish healthy boundaries with friends. This only leads to people being taken advantage of and is not a foundation for a successful long-term relationship.

According to Glamour magazine, “It’s hard to be a good confidante when you’re burning the candle at both ends and then brooding because of it. The empathy I had for my friends is what psychologists call emotional empathy—that is, feeling the weight of others’ experiences, both good and bad.” This one-sided weight can lead to resentment, and if healthy boundaries aren’t established, it’s easy for friendships to disintegrate.

However, it’s not only friends that can demand emotional labor of each other; family members, coworkers, classmates and other platonic relationships are often fraught with the same problems. Women in particular are expected to perform emotional labor, which includes keeping track of schedules, deadlines and their household as well as managing the emotions of others, for nearly everyone in their lives on top of any other responsibilities they may hold.

All of this adds up and can quickly lead to burnout, which has real, lasting health consequences. In a 2018 study on emotional labor and burnout, researchers found “continuous exposure to stress due to excessive emotional demands might activate the stress system, including the hypothalamic

JENNY VU pituitary adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Furthermore, excessive and long-lasting emotional demands could contribute to depression or anxiety and behavioral problems, such as alcohol abuse or physical inactivity.”

CO M BAT ING EM OTI ONAL L AB O R D EM AND S

The first step is to evaluate your relationships: understand how much emotional work you’re putting in and determine if there’s an equal balance.

If after evaluating your relationships, you’ve seen that you benefit from others’ emotional labor more often than you put work in, think about ways you can shift the balance. Philippe Leonard Fradet of The Body is Not an Apology magazine lists a few ways that men in particular can take on more responsibility in relationships: “Understand that the labor is necessary…

Learn to listen, instead of having an answer for everything…Take responsibility for your emotions—and your actions…Learn to be comfortable with being vulnerable.” This can start with reaching out to friends to hang out more often and handling the scheduling yourself instead of expecting others to do it, or other tasks that may seem small but are exhausting when piled up.

Another way to combat this is to learn to say no and take care of your own time and boundaries. Relationships are a two way street; if you’re not willing to tell someone you don’t want to talk when you’re not up for it, the other person is going to end up taking advantage of your time and energy, regardless of their intentions. Psychologist Dr. Christina Hibbert suggests framing saying no in a different way. “I have learned that saying ‘no’ to someone else is really saying ‘yes’ to something that’s more important to me,” she wrote. “It’s easier to do this when I’m clear on what really matters to me.

And, I am clearer on what matters most to me when I honestly check in with how I feel.”

Changing the way you approach conversations, in addition to explaining this concept to the people in your life, can go a long way in making your platonic relationships healthier and longer-lasting. Relationships that are unbalanced emotionally can be incredibly frustrating, but putting some of the responsibility on yourself to set boundaries and equalize the relationship is freeing and sets an example for others in your life about what healthy communication looks like. It takes some time and work, as all relationships do, but it’s worth it in the end to have relationships with a solid foundation you feel you can trust. And, as therapist Ellen Hendricksen points out, if those in your life aren’t receptive to these changes, it could be a red flag for an unhealthy relationship, one you might be better off without.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

13

COMICS

LEAH MALDONADO

MARGO SMOLYANSKA LISA DORN

@BERT.DAY

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

KAILYN NEIDETCHER

EVENTS COMMUNITY

FILM & THEATER

ART

MUSIC

THE ABDICATION OF JAPAN’S EMPEROR AKIHITO IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE SMSU 327 6 P.M. • FREE • ALL AGES Professor Ken Ruoff discusses Japanese politics: monarchy, emperor as symbol and women’s inability to lead in Japan’s patriarchal political structure.

LIVE @ LUNCH: BAMBOOZLE PSU PARK BLOCKS—PARKWAY NORTH IF RAINING NOON • FREE • ALL AGES The boozle buds sound like what would happen if Grateful Dead and Rush were tasked with making a funky soundtrack for a Blaxploitation film.

LEO TOLSTOY AND DZIGA VERTOV (2017) CRAMER HALL 183 4 P.M. • FREE • ALL AGES Vertov employed several of Tolstoy’s principles in his films. A discussion with the film’s director Galina Evtushenko follows the documentary.

REPULSING THE MONKEY T.E.A.M. EVENT CENTER SE FOSTER 7 P.M. • $5–15 • ALL AGES Siblings inherited their parent’s bar in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Pittsburgh and debate the difficult questions about whether holding onto heritage or selling is the right thing to do.

MATT DORRIEN THE OLD CHURCH 8 P.M. • $12 • ALL AGES Dorrien’s songwriting style is like a beautiful melodrama with unpredictable melodies and progressions somehow reminiscent of Randy Newman, a sad Elton John and Bryan John Appleby.

SHAWNTROPICS: ACT II CLOSING RECEPTION MK GALLERY 6 P.M. • FREE. • ALL AGES Shawn’s practice invited collaboration and introduced many people on campus to the friendly plant-loving artist brimming with positivity known as Shawn Creeden.

MUSIC AS SOCIAL JUSTICE: BRAVO CONCERT PETER W. STOTT CENTER 128 NOON • FREE • ALL AGES BRAVO’s tuition-free orchestral music program at Rosa Parks School in North Portland utilizes music instruction to promote self-confidence in youth and help children thrive.

LIVE @ LUNCH: CAMERON CALLOWAY PSU PARK BLOCKS—PARKWAY NORTH IF RAINING NOON • FREE • ALL AGES Join Calloway as he preaches the gospel of pop music framed within a very talented R&B style. His soulful vocals and carefully crafted mainstream sound will make this an uplifting Thursday.

FRI MAY 25

OREGON DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 2018 5TH AVENUE CINEMA 7 P.M. (THROUGH MAY 26) • $14 PER NIGHT • ALL AGES Friday and Saturday night have completely different films, so catch both showings!

SPACE CRAFT: A FRIENDTORSHIP EXHIBITION AND SCREENING CLOSING RECEPTION AB GALLERY 6 P.M. • FREE • ALL AGES PSU Art + Design’s students in the Friendtorship class partnered with students from Centennial Park High School to create DIY movie trailers.

PORTLAND TROPICAL GARDENS 7 P.M. • FREE • ALL AGES PSU BFA candidate Kayla Wiley’s “The Power of Rice” examines rice as nourishment, punishment, family and home. MFA candidate Xi Jie Ng (Salty)’s “Longing for Tropical Homeland” explores tropical fruit, mother tongue and answers letters.

SAT MAY 26

KOREA NIGHT SMSU 355 5:30 P.M. • FREE–$6 • ALL AGES Come celebrate Korean culture with the Korean Student Association’s night for all things Korean: food, fashion, traditional and K-pop music and much more!

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR. PARKROSE HIGH SCHOOL 7:30 P.M. • $10–16 • ALL AGES What could be more awesome than watching a live production of Schoolhouse Rock?

ENDGAME / FOOTFALLS BOILER ROOM STUDIO LH 55 7:30 P.M. • $6–15 • ALL AGES Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett’s works explore two stories about existence. Both works ask questions about waiting for death from two different perspectives.

LIVE PRE-SHOW JAZZ MUSIC 6:30 P.M. • FREE • ALL AGES Before seeing Lady Day stop into the main lobby of The Armory for some live jazz by PSU students and faculty.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL THE ARMORY 7:30 P.M. • $25–57 • ALL AGES Given the tumultuous nature of Billie Holiday’s relationship to her craft, this has the potential to be a very powerful performance.

DAVID BYRNE WITH BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE KELLER AUDITORIUM 8 P.M. • $50–80 • ALL AGES Since Benjamin Clementine cancelled his Valentine’s Day show due to some logistical issues, I’d be willing to pay the high price just to see the incredible opener.

MEMORIAL DAY EVERYWHERE ALL DAY • FREE • ALL AGES School’s closed, so host a barbeque or sleep in. Military families get free entry to the zoo, so take advantage!

VANPORT: A STORY LIVED. A STORY TOLD. PORTLAND EXPO CENTER 10 A.M. • FREE • ALL AGES For some, Vanport—the Portland ghost city that vanished in a flood— has a heavy and rich history, while others don’t even know it ever existed. Vanport is the seed that became PSU.

ROJO THE LLAMA! PORTLAND CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 11 A.M. • $10.75 • ALL AGES Because sometimes you just need to go pet a llama and have it eat a baby carrot out of your mouth.

Bonus: Rojo is known for wearing sweet outfits.

TUES MAY 22

PIAAA AFTER HOURS PIAAA SMSU 235 5 P.M. FREE • ALL AGES The Pacific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center is hosting Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly to help you briefly forget about the looming end of term.

WED MAY 23 THU MAY 24 SUN MAY 27 MON MAY 28

PSU Vanguard • MAY 22, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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ar VANGUARD WILL LISTEN If at any time you do not feel heard by Portland State and other appropriate avenues after bringing forward your safety or ethical concerns, Vanguard will listen.

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