Vanguard February 4, 2011

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VIKINGS LOOK FOR SUCCESS ON THE ROAD Men's basketball continues league play in California and Colorado

SUPER VIGILANTES

INDEX

Let Seattle's superheroes clean up the streets

NEWS OPINION ARTS SPORTS

OPINION: PAGE 4

SPORTS: PAGE 12

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Higher education reform affects you Portland State and the Oregon University System will host a public forum to discuss the future of higher education in Oregon on Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. The forum will give students and staff an opportunity to voice their concerns about restructuring, and learn how it will affect tuition, access to education, educational quality and faculty benefits. For more information, visit www.pdx.edu/insidepsu/ous-governance.

Celebrate the Chinese new year at PSU Chinese Student and Scholars Association to celebrate the year of the rabbit Tori Christensen Vanguard staff

The Chinese Student and Scholars Association (CSSA) is set to celebrate the beginning of the Chinese new year tomorrow evening with traditional performances by students. Chinese New Year festivities commemorate the passing of the old year while greeting the new one, according to Du Juan, CSSA’s spokesperson. CSSA’s goal is to bring the tradition of New Years to the students of Portland State. Last year, the group hosted both a dinner and a show. According to Juan, 600 tickets were sold altogether. This year, the event is free. Though there will not be any food, beverages will be provided. In the past, the CSSA hired outside performers to entertain guests. This year, after partnering with the Confucius Institute of PSU and the US Wushu Center, the performances will be done by these groups, though mostly by the members of the CSSA. There will be traditional performances such as a Lion Dance, Wu-Shu presentation, C-Pop (Chinese pop music), dance and a Chinese fashion show. “We’ve been rehearsing for weeks,” Juan said. Juan, who has been at PSU for a year and a half, is a graduate student studying communications. She will be acting as the master of ceremonies, along with two American students: David Binder and Michael Gray. Last year a representative from the Chinese consulate in San Francisco attended the event, and the CSSA has heard he plans to attend this year. More than that, though, the CSSA hopes to bring tradition and sense of unity to students on campus, Juan said. “I hope that a lot of students will enjoy and share in our tradition,” Juan said. The CSSA is a volunteer-run organization that helps Chinese students adjust to life at PSU. Unlike the common zodiac, the Chinese zodiac is based on years rather than months. There are 12 zodiac signs altogether. All of the signs are animals, including the horse, the dragon, the pig NEW YEAR ON PAGE 7

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PSU weighs in on DREAM Act Campus departments, student groups to host forum Sierra Pannabecker Vanguard staff

In response to the United States Senate block of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act last month, Portland State’s Student Legal Services (SLS) is hosting an informational event on Feb. 7 to investigate future implications for undocumented students. The forum is centered around the expertise of immigration lawyers who will be able to speak to the current college and work options for nonresident aliens, as well as opportunities for concerned citizens to get involved. SLS representative Shannon Sprague believes that the forum is both important and timely. “In December when the DREAM Act failed again, we thought that would be a perfect topic to address since it is something currently happening that is affecting students,” she said. The event is a collaborative effort between SLS, the Multicultural Center, Chicano/Latino Studies, International Student and Scholar Services and many student organizations, including the Las Mujeres, the African Student Association and MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan). DREW MARTIG/VANGUARD STAFF

DREAM ACT ON PAGE 7

Immigration reform: Members of Las Mujeres at its meeting. The group is helping to organize the forum.

The dilemma of the urban university Portland State faces limitations in its efforts to expand downtown Erick Bengel Vanguard staff

As Portland State’s enrollment continues to increase by at least 2,000 students every year, the university’s need for more student and faculty space continues to run headlong into a dilemma that confronts many urban campuses located in cities with expensive real estate: the dilemma of infrastructural expansion. Last fall, Associate Vice President of Finance and Administration Mark Gregory and his consulting team finalized the “University District Framework Plan,” a 120-page document that examines in great detail PSU’s long-term space needs as it relates to the university’s anticipated growth for the next 25 years. According to the plan, “future growth at the university will be driven by three primary goals: to support the station’s educational access goals, to develop a stronger sense of campus community and to expand research opportunities at the university.” However, PSU cannot really devise a farreaching “master plan” for the campus’ projected growth, Gregory said.

SARIA DY/VANGUARD STAFF

Dreaming big: Portland State plans to expand eastward over the next few years.

Because it does not own a sprawling campus with plenty of open acreage like Oregon State University or the University of Oregon, PSU must lease, buy, construct or renovate its buildings as circumstances permit. Its approach to ac-

quiring more space must, therefore, be a general one that accounts for the constraints of operating in downtown Portland. EXPANSION ON PAGE 3


NEWS ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 3

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Drink wine and support PSU Alumni Association introduces new wine club for students, alumni and community Brenda Yahm Vanguard staff

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here are many opportunities for students, staff and alumni to get involved at Portland State, including the university’s little-known Alumni Wine Club. The Alumni Association started the wine club in December 2010 to provide alumni with the opportunity to reconnect with each other and to develop networks within the community. The wine club holds most of its events off-campus at various vineyards. “[The club] is the bridge to bring alumni back together,” said Wine Club Manager Kevin Craig. Craig did not graduate from PSU, but is an employee at Artisan Wine in Tigard. In December, the wine club launched its first event and kick-off party at the Bishop House, located on the South Park Blocks. Craig said the club hopes to have a similar event in the future to get more people to join. To join the club, one does not have to be a PSU alumn. Current students and community members are also welcome. There are no fees associated with joining, but members are responsible for paying for their optional monthly or bi-monthly wine purchase. Membership includes a newsletter, and wine and vineyard information that goes along with purchased bottles of wine. A portion of the club’s proceeds go toward the PSU Alumni Association. It is used to host lectures and events on campus, as well as to fund student scholarships, according to Craig.

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Staying in touch: The wine club, which was started in December, donates a portion of its proceeds to the PSU Alumni Association.

In addition, the club provides its members with the opportunity to learn about Northwest wines and vineyards. There are currently over 700 different wineries in Washington and over 400 in Oregon. Though the club has just begun, the leaders are hoping it will have a significant impact and make a difference in the community, Craig said. The economy has created a tough market for those in the wine industry, and therefore the new club also supports local businesses.

Commenting on why people should join the club, Craig said, “There are three [reasons]: one, it helps support the fundraising effort; two, members will learn about an assortment of wines because most other clubs are a one-business type of club; and three, there is more variety”. For more information about the club, visit www.psualumniwineclub.org. ■

NEWS BRIEFS Three PSU students flee downtown Cairo Three Portland State students studying abroad in Cairo, Egypt have left the downtown area, according to Education Abroad Adviser Blythe Knott. The students were studying abroad at American University when riots broke out between President Hosni Mubarak supporters and anti-government supporters, according to Oregon Public Broadcast. “It was getting harder and harder to stay because they were confined to their dorms,” Knott said. One of the students, Gwen Bowers, is currently in Cairo’s Zamalek district, according to her mother, Jessica Waddell. Zamalek, an upper-class neighborhood, is northwest of Tahrir and is roughly three kilometers away from downtown Cairo. Waddell said that other students are being transferred to the neighborhood as well. The students now have Internet again, and Waddell said she has been talking to her daughter over Skype. In addition, she said that classes are set to start up again soon. Bowers, a junior majoring in international studies, has been studying in Cairo since August. According to Knott, the other two PSU students had just arrived in Cairo when riots broke out. One of them is still in the Middle East, while the second is returning to the United States. The students’ names could not be released. Corie Charnley, Vanguard staff

Campus to offer free tax preparation and filing Though the deadline is still two months away, students are starting to fret the looming tax season. To help alleviate the burden, Portland State’s student accounting group, Beta Alpha Psi, is partnering with Student Legal Services (SLS) to help students prepare their taxes for free. “It’s simple—come prepared with your basic forms, W-2, 1040, certain itemized deductions and in a 30–45 minute session, we will have your taxes done,” said Steven Nguyen, Beta Alpha Psi president. “This program is exclusively for lower and moderate income people.”

Additionally, Nguyen said that the student group can only assist those whose taxes are fairly simple. “Someone coming in with a shoebox full of tax writeoffs and other large deductions won’t find our services useful,” he said. The program runs alongside Cash Oregon and AARP Tax Aide services, which has been helping millions of people file their taxes since 1968. The majority of volunteers are students and retired certified public accountants. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the assistance provided by Beta Alpha Psi and the volunteers. “What most college kids don’t know is that they are qualified for the American Opportunity Credit, which is a refundable amount of up to $2,500,” Nguyen said. The American Opportunity Credit is just one of the few credits from which students may be able to qualify and benefit. “It is a great service to the community and a wonderful learning experience for our accounting students,” said Elizabeth Almer, an associate professor of accounting. The tax preparation service will be available until April 15, and more information can be found at www.betaalphapsi.pdx.edu, or at the School of Business and Administration. Christina J. Maggio, Vanguard staff

“The Biggest Loser” comes to Portland NBC’s show “The Biggest Loser” will host an open casting call in Portland on Feb. 26 at the Rose Garden Arena for its 12th season. “We would love to find a college student this year who’s Mr. (or Ms.) Personality…but would love to get healthy,” said Karen Happel, the show’s casting director, in an e-mail. To qualify, contestants must need to lose at least 100 pounds. No registration is needed, but only the first 500 people are guaranteed an interview. The casting call begins at 10 a.m. For those that cannot make it, NBC is also taking video submissions. For more information, visit www.thebiggestlosercasting.com. Corie Charnley, Vanguard staff

Still, Gregory argues that the best and cheapest option is always for PSU to find a wellmaintained,strategically located and fairly priced building already in existence. The newly purchased Market Center Building, for example, which began as a lease and became a fullblown PSU purchase last summer, met all of these criteria. According to Gregory, PSU is always on the lookout for new buildings, and it is not out of the question that PSU’s outcroppings will eventually reach the waterfront. “When you hear that our enrollment’s reversing, we will not be looking for space at that time,” Gregory said.

In order to expand, PSU is looking for buildings to purchase

Deaf scholar to host lecture at PSU Carl Schroeder, who was born deaf in the Netherlands, will be holding a lecture on Feb. 15 about the current status of American Sign Language (ASL). “Since 1965, the American Sign Language has been reluctantly examined as fully-fledged language of the Deaf that is sight-oriented. Signed, not spoken,” according to a press release. Schroeder is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Capella University. He used Gebarentaal (Dutch sign language) until 1963, when he moved to the United States with his parents. He then had to learn ASL. The lecture is sponsored by the American Sign Language Book Club, the School of Social Work and the ASL Program at PSU. It will be held in the Native American Student and Community Center on Feb. 15 at 6 .m. Corie Charnley, Vanguard staff

Spring 2011 schedule available The spring term 2011 schedule is now available online. The registration period runs from Feb. 14 to April 3.

The registration dates are as follows: Graduates and post-baccalaureate graduate students: Monday, Feb. 14. Seniors: Wednesday, Feb. 16. Post-baccalaureate undergraduate students: Monday, Feb. 21. Juniors: Monday, Feb. 23. Sophomores: Monday, Feb. 28. Freshmen: Wednesday, March 2. Non-degree students: Monday, March 7.

“The city…has zoning codes and limitations on how much the campus can grow, so it’s not like we can just go slap up a building and do whatever we want,” Gregory said. “There’s a certain amount of carrying capacity downtown.” Although PSU owns the overwhelming majority of its buildings—usually bought with some combination of state funding and money raised by the university—it does not own the space into which the university must expand, according to Provost Roy Koch. “Clearly, the options around campus are limited in terms of buildings that are available,” Koch said. “So oftentimes we simply have to take advantage of a situation where someone is leasing a building in the neighborhood.” Indeed, PSU’s annual population growth, which stands at 6–8 percent, is occurring at a faster rate than the university can buy or erect new campus buildings. Such growth has been especially problematic within the last two years. As Oregon plunged into a recession and a greater proportion of the state’s workforce has turned to higher education for vocational refuge, PSU has had to lease space from private buildings—such as the SARIA DY/VANGUARD STAFF Clay and Unitus BuildCampus growth: The university recently purchased the Market Center Building, ings—on a rather ad-hoc which was previously leased. It will be used to house administrative offices. basis just to handle the sudden burst in enrollment levels. Gregory, however, added that he wishes PSU “If you look at the way we use most of the space had more money to spend because buildings are on campus, it’s actually not for classrooms,” Koch cheaper now than at any time in recent memory. said. “As we get more students, we need more The most expensive option is to renovate an old faculty, the people who work behind the scenes.” building that has fallen into disrepair. Both Shattuck When PSU does decide to erect a new build- Hall and the nearly condemned Lincoln Hall— ing, the university must make sure it gets the which hail from 1915 and 1911, respectively—remost “bang for its buck,” given that the land cently underwent desperately needed renovations. around campus costs roughly $8 million per According to Koch, the renovation of Science block, Gregory said. And since there is little Building 2 is in its final stretches, and Neuberroom to build horizontally, there’s an immediate ger Hall is next on the hit-list. push to “go vertical.” “There’s always at least one renovation project “We need all the height we can get,” he said. going on here,” Koch said. For expediency’s sake, new buildings tend to Because PSU is forced to make the most of be as mixed-use as possible. Classrooms are of- its available space, one does not stumble upon ten located closer to ground level, with laborato- many idle areas on campus. ries and research facilities higher up, and admin“In general, this university is space-deprived, istrative offices higher still. so we’re pretty close to being fully used at all Yet from an aesthetic perspective, it is not ad- times,” Gregory said. visable to erect a host of monolithic structures, He added that the university tries to weed out according to Gregory. Stacked-boxed buildings inefficiencies wherever they crop up. Gregory of varying sizes, on the other hand, give the and his staff must keep a vigilant eye on how campus a more appealing shape—hence, the de- departments employ the space allotted to them, sign of the Urban Center and Student Academic lest a perfectly good would-be conference room and Recreation Center. go needlessly underused. ■

CAMPUS CONNECTION

Have the winter blues? Seasonal Affective Disorder may be to blame The seasonal form of depression is treatable with counseling and light box therapy on campus Maya Lazaro Daily Emerald staff

Despite recent sunny skies, winter depression still has some students wishing it was spring. But with rainy, gray skies dominating Oregon winters, some students have been taking advantage of the University Health Center’s services to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. Anna Epstein, a health center peer health educator and University junior, has noticed an increase from fall term in the number of students asking about SAD resources. “More people have been coming to us about how they could get the proper vitamin D in them because they might be feeling depressed,” Epstein said. Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as SAD, is a seasonal form of depression occurring in the fall and winter months that can cause sluggishness, irritability, social withdrawal, irregular sleep patterns and a loss of interest in sex, work or other activities. Although the exact cause of SAD is unknown, the National Institutes of Health states it is most likely related to several factors, including body temperature, ambient light and hormone regulation. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, SAD affects between 4 and 6 percent of Americans every year, with another 10 to 20 percent suffering from a milder version of the disorder. It is thought to be more common in northern latitudes, where there is less exposure to sunlight. University Health Promotion Director Paula Staight recommends students experiencing symptoms of SAD meet with

a practitioner for $15 to assess whether or not they have SAD and what treatment options would be helpful. If a student is found to have the disorder, treatment options can include counseling, medication or sitting under a light box or lamp that mimics natural sunlight. Light boxes or lamps can help diminish symptoms of SAD in some individuals, according to the National Institutes of Health. The health center currently has two light boxes from Northern Light Technologies available for students who have been diagnosed with SAD. Despite a possibly high prevalence of SAD, and the work the peer health educators do to promote awareness of treating the disorder, Epstein said she thought many students didn’t realize SAD and the treatment services within the health center for the disorder exist. “I don’t think people hear about it if they aren’t really proactively looking for it,” Epstein said. Staight said that with all the distractions students face, it’s easy to see why students may not know about SAD and treatments available for it. “I would guess that not all students, and maybe the majority, might not know about it, because ... there is a lot of competition for their attention,” Staight said. Staight said she thought University students hailing from states with more sunlight need “an extra heads up” when it comes to SAD. She also encourages students who want to boost their moods to spend time doing activities outdoors, even in lessthan-ideal weather. “It really helps to exercise and get those good endorphins going ... even though it’s cloudy and wet, you can still go outside and still exercise,” Staight said. ■ *This article was originally published in the Daily Emerald. It appears here in its original form.


4 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ OPINION

OPINION

OPINION ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 5

EDITOR: RICHARD D. OXLEY OPINION@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5692

Super vigilantes Let Seattle’s superheroes clean up the streets

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ook! Up the street! It’s a crazy person, it’s a cop—it’s…a superhero? People in Seattle may feel as if their lives are now part of a comic book these days as caped crusaders run around the city taking down crimiMEAGHAN nals. And DANIELS not only are they fighting crime, they are feeding the homeless. Ten self-designated superheroes are wearing costumes and fighting crime in the Seattle area. They are the Rain City Superheroes. Their leader, Phoenix Jones, has most recently stopped a carjacking while, of course, wearing his costume that consists of a cape, a fedora and a suit made out of black and gold tight rubber. Jones is armed with a taser, a nightstick and mace. In addition to their superhero costumes, they also wear bulletproof vests. They wear the costumes to help protect their identities, much like the famed superheroes we all know and love, such as Batman and Superman, but also to help identify themselves as the good guys to bystanders or to police. Although they may have the elaborate outfits—just as our beloved fictional superheroes do—they do not have the powers that come from the comic books. This causes many to wonder whether or not it is good to have ordinary citizens involved in criminal activity to this degree. It is dangerous for these people to try to confront criminals. So the ultimate questions are; Is this vigilantism good, or is it just creating more danger and more work for the police department? Is this stupidity, courage or just general badass-ness? This debate was perpetuated even further

QUOTE FOR THOUGHT

when Phoenix Jones had his nose broken and was threatened at gunpoint as he was trying to break up a fight. The Rain City Superheroes are just ordinary, everyday citizens who one day decided that enough is enough, and that they were going to try to help improve their home. They have normal 9-to-5 jobs, families and friends—a real life. If they want to include vigilantism, then good for them. They are all very brave individuals who are just trying to help, and they are doing so in a creative way. Phoenix Jones, along with other Seattle super-

“ A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both. ” James Madison

The skinny on “Skins” Artistic expression or MTV ploy? Kali Simmons Vanguard staff

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hile much of what MTV broadcasts could be construed as pornography, they appear to have finally hit the mark with their new series “Skins.” “Skins” is a show that originally broadcast in England, and won a BAFTA , which is British talk for “big important award.” While this kind of overseas television exchange isn’t new to the United States, “Skins” has created a conflict beyond its script-stealing antics. The first episode manages to go an entire two minutes before it premieres its first hint of nudity. The show seems to present itself like a wacky teen sitcom, and has a number of teenagers doing teenage-y things: A girl has to sneak home after a party, a guy tries to help his friend lose his virginity—it even has cheerleaders and Catholic schoolgirls. For the most part, “Skins” seems like every other teen show. The best comparison I can make is that it’s like “iCarly,” but with fewer virgins and more nipple jokes. It even showcases the song “My Girls” by Animal Collective in the first episode, which is MTV shorthand for “this show is hip and edgy!” The major and only difference between the American and U.K. version of the show is that

the “actors” in the U.K. who portrayed the young teens were in their mid to early 20s, while the ages of the American cast rages from a safe 19 down to an extra-illegal 15. Charges have been leveled against the show as to whether or not what they are producing qualifies as child pornography. Whether or not those allegations hold water, the glamorization of sex, drugs and crime that occurs on “Skins” seems to counteract any warning or lesson that the network attempted to scare into teens with shows like “16 and Pregnant.” The greatest irony of the show is that it proclaims to be an accurate depiction of how teens handle issues like sex and substance abuse, yet lacks a single hangover. The lack of negative effects gives the whole series a glamorized feel that has clearly angered parents. While proclaiming to be realistic, it offers no opportunity for a dialogue on consequences. Clearly, MTV is attempting to expand its market by reintroducing more scripted shows into their network. This would allow them to alternate between episodes of “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom” without viewers catching on. When the first episode previewed, it gathered over 3.2 million viewers, a level comparable to the viewership of similar shows like “Pretty Little Liars” or “Vampire Diaries.” And while Skins has received a TV-MA rating, it has reached the same 12- to 35-year-old viewership as other less scandalous shows. This begs the question—why are kids watching this?

MTV has constantly tried to push the envelope with their programming, whether they feature scandalous music videos or borderlinevulgar reality shows. Unfortunately, they seem to have reached their limit. This would be one thing if they were doing so for artistic reasons that might cause us to question our cultural limits…but they aren’t. They’re doing it for the money. Sadly, this plan seems to be backfiring on them, as several of their sponsors have begun to back out on the show. Companies like L’Oreal and Taco Bell have run screaming from the show over the racy subject matter and child pornography debate. It seems as if MTV is trying to get out of their reality rut, but they only seem to be digging themselves a deeper grave. While it might be sad or boring to show things like STD tests or

funerals, there are real consequences of life, such as what is portrayed in the show. The teenage utopia they’ve composed undermines their entire idea of a “real-life portrayal” of teen life. In the first episode, they manage to turn grand theft auto and a drug overdose into a laughable event. Honestly, parts of the show are comical. It is far from the worst television show I’ve seen and makes sense that teens want to watch it. But the main draw on which MTV is clearly capitalizing is the drug use and the sexuality. MTV is counting on the fact that you’ll ignore how utterly intellectually and socially vapid the show is and tune in. Whether or not MTV is doing something illegal is their issue, whether or not you’re just lame enough to support them in their exploitative endeavor is yours. ■

Photo courtesy of mtv

GUEST OPINION

“Nerd” is not a derogatory word JoAnna Wendel Daily Emerald staff

ILLUSTRATION BY SUSANNAH BECKETT/VANGUARD STAFF

Back to the drawing board Finding what is wrong with our student government

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.ORG

heroes such as Red Dragon and Buster Doe, seem to understand what they have gotten themselves into, as well as the risk and the danger that comes along with this line of work. They are proud of what they do, and they have every right to be. The Rain City Superheroes put themselves in danger every time they put on that mask, those tights and pick up that taser. What keeps them going is the conviction that they are doing good in the world, they are making a difference and they are making the world a better place for everyone else. Realistically, the police cannot be everywhere that a crime is committed and with the Rain

City Superheroes running around, it adds to the amount of people out there helping to protect the community. It is also not illegal to dress up as a superhero. Phoenix Jones has stopped an intoxicated person from getting into their vehicle and driving drunk. That is something for which the community should be infinitely grateful. Drunk driving is a serious threat. Though the Rain City Superheroes may not run into drunk drivers every night, their presence has been known to both members of the community and police officers. They make a difference; they are important. Often, people witness crime and do nothing about it. The “bystander effect” is a common misconception that someone else will do something about the situation so you do not have to. It is about time someone takes some social responsibility. Someone finally decided to stand up, to change things and declare that they have the power to make the world a better place. ■

As the mass of people entered the small conference room located on the fourth floor of Smith Memorial Student Union, the attendees called attention to the need for more chairs, as IAN they gathered BELLAMY and sat in various conglomerations around the U-shaped tables. The chair's mallet sounded an order of silence to the otherwise rowdy bunch that comprises the ASPSU Senate. These people are elected student officials, put in power to represent the student body. On the agenda today: corresponding with the Elections Board, reviewing Senate bylaws and working out kinks in the coming leadership conference. Amid all the jargon that one must suffer through hearing at a weekly ASPSU Senate meeting—always open to the public—I found myself surprised at the surplus of rhetoric, misunderstandings and general lack of tact that encompasses our student government. With last year’s meager election turnout (one of many grave problems ASPSU is facing) it was a disappointment to hear the mass of complaints about a miscommunication

regarding a leadership retreat, while ASPSU President Katie Markey’s presentation on proposed education reform was cut short and factually brief. Although the next elections take place between weeks three and five of spring term, some things should be addressed before they accept those resume-building leadership reforms. First, restructure the Constitution. It is 26 pages long, with scattered and ridiculous expectations such as Article IX, 3.3: “Persons desiring the recall of any officer(s)…must obtain the signatures of not less than 75% of the total number of votes cast for that position in the last Annual Election within a one-month period from the date of initiation…” How can ASPSU reasonably expect to get an equivalent of three-fourths of the miniscule voting population to sign a petition that 27,000 out of the 28,000 would probably never care to hear about? They must start thinking about their constituency here. By the way, I believe it’s supposed to be spelled out “of no less than 75 percent,” and not “not less than 75%.” Vice President Ethan Smith, as quoted by the Vanguard, said, “I believe that the longest serving senator has only been here 18 months. With such a short term, it’s hard to really get a working knowledge of the constitution.” It seems pretty important, if you ask me.

Next, make it easier for the public to give input on the meetings; some of us will even speak for free. It might be important for them to instill confidence into students that their system actually does what its talking heads promise. For example, in a Vanguard article “ASPSU Gears Up For Next Year,” written in June of last year, Markey claims to be working on getting the kinks out of the website in order to keep up-to-date information about ASPSU to students, as well as working to ensure that students have a voice in restructuring. Six months later, not much has happened. From a student’s perspective, it looks like they aren’t doing much. Do something new. Use experimental voting methods like standardized bids, remake the constitution and aim for innovation. Because whatever ASPSU is doing now just isn’t working to get people excited. The majority of people don’t take flashy student government campaigns seriously; they didn’t during high school, and still don’t. What the students of PSU are looking for is something remarkable and progressive, such as bike lanes and ZipCars. ASPSU has much to do. They lobby for student interests in the State Legislature, appropriate money to student groups and have a truly meaningful impact on student rights. ASPSU needs to find a way to make students care, but students need to start caring themselves. ■

Back when I was in elementary and middle school, being a nerd was a bad thing. Being a nerd meant you were one of those kids who sat in the corner and played games on your calculator. Being a nerd meant wearing sweatpants and T-shirts, dragging a rolling backpack behind you. Being a nerd meant you had no social skills whatsoever but employed a deep knowledge of intellectual understanding instead. I remember hearing kids talk about the nerds and how weird they were and how nobody liked them. I was terrified of being labeled as a nerd. Luckily, my high school was an art school, so I was free to frolic through the Meadows of Artistic Nerdiness without a Bullying Storm O’ Doom to ruin my days. And upon leaving my safe haven of art nerds and entering a community of 20,000-plus individuals where you have to carefully craft a personality to stand out from the crowd, all of my nerdy endeavors have suddenly started to bubble to the surface, just so I can be a little different. Now, as I spend my days in the EMU Fishbowl, pretending to study and actually being a huge voyeur, I’ve noticed the abundance of nerds who have come out to shine unashamedly in their nerdy glory, and I commend them. The history of the word “nerd” is a mysterious one. There are contradicting stories about its origins and original definitions. It seems to have always been a synonym for “square” or “drip,” but it eventually evolved into a label for that awkwardly smart kid who can’t carry on a normal conversation without referencing something obscurely technological. The word “nerd” was first seen by the public back in 1950, in a Dr. Seuss story

called “If I Ran the Zoo.” It was about a little boy named Gerald McGrew who had unique ideas about how he’d travel around the world and bring back Elephant-Cats and other exotic animals. At one point he exclaims, “I’ll sail to Ka-Troo/ and bring back an It-Kutch, a Preep and a Proo/ a Nerkle, a Nerd and a Seersucker, too! “It is unclear whether this is just a coincidence, or whether people really did take this word and give it new meaning. From there it is seen sporadically around the world — in a Scottish newspaper column, which defined “nerd” as a synonym for “square,” or in a 1951 Newsweek article, again being called a synonym for “square” or “drip.” Some nerd experts say the original spelling was actually “knurd,” which is “drunk” spelled backwards, because knurds were the lame kids who didn’t drink. These days, “nerd” is officially defined as an “unstylish, unattractive or socially inept person; especially: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. When I see that negative definition of the word “nerd,” I couldn’t agree less. In my eyes and brain, a nerd is a really awesomely smart person who is an expert in a particular field, and if you’re any kind of lucky, you are friends with this person. The “particular field” can range anywhere from deep, intimate knowledge of things like comic books, Magic, Dungeons & Dragons or Pokémon, to things like physics, math, language or history. Sometimes it’s all of the above, and more. I especially like one of Urban Dictionary’s definitions: “a person who does not conform to society’s beliefs that all people should follow trends and do what their peers do. Often highly intelligent but socially rejected because of their obsession with a given subject, usually computers.” I was inspired by a quote I read one

day while trolling the popular blogging website Tumblr. It was credited to the New York Times bestselling author John Green (Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns, among others). He says that nerds “are allowed to love stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-can’tcontrol-yourself love it,” and “When people call people nerds, mostly what they’re saying is ‘you like stuff,’ which is not a good insult at all.” And of course, my favorite line is, “Like, ‘You are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.’” The trueness of this statement is what hit me the most. I never really thought I fit the label of “nerd” before I read this quote. Now, I know better. I love stuff. I can talk about science for three hours straight; I get

really excited when I see the word “dinosaur;” and I can have a long, in-depth conversation about the BBC show “Doctor Who” and not suffer any qualms whatsoever. So this is my message for the nerds out there: You’re cool. Being a nerd these days means being ironically cool, intelligent and just a little eccentric. The knowledge you employ or whatever it is you get excited about, whether it’s Harry Potter, computers, or the weather patterns of subtropical jungles, is something to be immensely proud of. ■ *This article was originally published in the Daily Emerald. It appears here in its original form.


NEWS ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 7

6 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ OPINION VANGUARD EDITORIAL

Alternative transit lifestyle, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the MAX Portland State, you should be proud of yourself. A recent Portland State survey of commuting habits found that 40 percent of students surveyed utilized Portland’s public transportation options to get to campus—up from 39 percent in 2009. This represents a nearly 10 percent rise in mass transit use among PSU students over the last decade. Surely these are statistics that have the power to give us that warm-and-fuzzy feeling in the deepest part of our eco-friendly hearts. We’re making progress and effecting change at the local level. We’re doing our part to combat climate change. We’re hitting numbers that, if this were the major league of mass transit use, would keep us in the majors and prevent a relegation to a farm-team in Palookaville. But couldn’t we do better? Imagine the bump in pride we would experience if we broke the .500 mark—that’s 50 percent for those not familiar with sports lingo—in mass transit use.

pass by taking a slice of the revenue it brings in from parking fees and applying it to the FlexPass. A popular misconception is that TAPS only offers a limited number of FlexPasses; however, this is not the case. Instead, their sale is limited in time. The transportation office stops selling them after the second week of the term because they are no longer considered economical. In all, the FlexPass is a great deal for PSU and has been a step in the right direction for those utilizing mass transit to and from campus. It has gotten us to this 40 percent benchmark. However, perhaps it is time for further steps to be taken to increase the benefits of the FlexPass. Would more students take advantage of it if the price was brought down? Can a pass be prorated according to when it is purchased during a term? Perhaps there is a way to further reduce the price of the FlexPass. As it now stands, students must be enrolled in no less than three credits to be eligible to purchase one of However, perhaps it is time for further the passes. But steps to be taken to increase the benefits could an adjustment to this polof the FlexPass. Would more students icy help? Could take advantage of it if the price was TAPS increase this requirement brought down? to six credits? The funds saved Students have the necessary means to reach from not having to subsidize a pass purchased that mark. Each term, PSU’s Transportation by a student taking just one class may further and Parking Services office offers the FlexPass, reduce the cost to a student enrolled at least an all-zone TriMet pass valid for the entire half-time. term. During winter term, FlexPasses were In a 2009 commuting study, students sugsold for $180, which saved students almost gested that increasing the discount on TriMet $30 per month from the full cost of an all-zone passes, along with improvements to transit pass. Over 4,000 students took advantage of service and connectivity, would be incenthis discount last term, according to a TAPS tives to choosing an alternative to driving to spokesperson. campus. Since then, TriMet’s Green and YelThe FlexPass is available to students at a dis- low Lines have quite literally been brought counted rate because both TriMet and PSU to PSU’s front door. Perhaps it’s time to take help cut the out-of-pocket cost for students. these suggestions about cost into considerTriMet sells the passes to PSU at a discount ation so we can get more students through and from there, TAPS subsidizes the cost of the that door. EDITORIAL BOARD Virginia Vickery Editor-in-Chief Corie Charnley News Editor Nicholas Kula Arts & Culture Editor Richard Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Kristin Pugmire Copy Chief

DREAM ACT FROM PAGE 1

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Documentary film "Papers" will be screened at the forum

ASPSU responds

Re: “What would you say…you do here?” Editorial, Feb. 1 ASPSU has a long history of working with students at the university and state levels students to solve issues that affect them. As mentioned in your editorial, this fall we mobilized over 100 student volunteers who registered more than 2,500 students to vote. Your editorial gives the sense that after this campaign we ceased reaching out to students, however, this is not true. Students come to our office to work with us on issues that are important to them. The Senate and Executive branches work closely together to gather information from the diverse PSU community and to disperse information. We are planning on tabling, visiting classrooms, and holding town halls. ASPSU is a student run organization that prioritizes the success of its students. Sometimes students need to take a step away from the organization to succeed personally. We now have a full, experienced staff that is advancing the goals of ASPSU and the students. We would like to clarify some inaccuracies in your editorial. The current ASPSU administration took office on June 1, 2010, not in May. While running for office, President Markey never made campaign promises. She ran on three themes: 1) Student Voice

in Restructuring, 2) Student Dignity, and 3) Inclusive Spaces. Students have been involved in restructuring all year: Over 600 student testimonials have been collected. We are mobilizing students to educate and engage them in restructuring (as shown in the Vanguard, Jan 28, 2011, “Restructuring gains momentum on campus,”). We have hosted Days of Action to educate students and gather their opinions. Senators are engaging their constituents in discussions about restructuring. Two areas on campus have changed signs to promote gender-neutral awareness. The room in ASPSU was converted into an office for SFC and the president to provide a secure location for files and supplies. OSA is a valuable ally and tool that we use to lobby and organize with other public universities, however, the needs of PSU students have always, and will always, take precedence over OSA’s agenda. In order to avoid future inaccuracies, we invite the Editorial Board to meet with us so we can provide you with accurate information. For more information on past ASPSU activities that engaged students, please refer to previous issues of your publication. ■

Brandon Harris Communications Director Associated Students of Portland State University

“The student organizations’ main role is to help promote this event within their organizations, get students to attend who are interested,” Sprague said. “For departments, it is an opportunity for them to promote their services to PSU students.” ASPSU has taken a supportive stance on this forum, as a participating group member of the Oregon Student Association (OSA). “This forum is a great opportunity for student leaders here at PSU to show their support for the issue, while gaining valuable knowledge on the issue,” said OSA Campus Organizer Casey Dreher. SLS is an on-campus law firm that helps students with everyday legal issues. However, there is currently no immigration specialist on staff. Consequently, SLS felt that it would be important to have knowledgeable presenters speak to the PSU community about the DREAM Act, according to Sprague. The need for such counsel was realized last semester when a student came to SLS in need of immigration assistance. The staff organized a clinic, for which they contracted an immigration lawyer who would be able to speak specifically and directly to the needs of those students, according to Sprague. In turn SLS contacted Las Mujeres, a Latina student group, to talk about the possibility of creating a workshop that would address students’ general immigration questions, Sprague said. According to a press release, lawyers will discuss alternative forms of immigration relief, as well as ways to earn citizenship under the law. In addition to the legal advice, there will be a screening of “Papers,” a documentary that tells the stories of five Oregon “DREAMers,” all of whom are young people who would have been able to earn legal status if the DREAM Act had passed.

SARIA DY/VANGUARD STAFF

Celebrating the new year: Du Juan passes out flyers for the event in the Park Blocks. NEW YEAR FROM PAGE 1

Event will feature performances by student groups and the rat. Those born during the years associated with these animals are said to have certain characteristics. Those born in the year of the rabbit, for instance, are said to be wise, cautious and somewhat timid. Traditionally, the festivities are held for two weeks, ending on Chinese New Year’s Eve, where Chinese families get together for a big dinner and other events. “For New Years…the family members gather,” Juan said. “Grandmas and grandpas, cousins, aunts and uncles. We all have dinner,

watch shows and play games. It’s a real family event. New Years in China is like Christmas here.” The event will take place tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. For those unable to attend this year’s event, Portland’s Las Su Chinese Gardens will have a traditional Chinese New Year celebration that will last for two weeks. It will also be having a customary lantern viewing on Feb. 17. ■

DREW MARTIG/VANGUARD STAFF

Getting the word out: Las Mujeres, a student group on campus, is helping to organize the event.

The DREAM Act is a bipartisan congressional bill that proposes a way for certain undocumented residents of the U.S. to earn conditional resident status. If passed, some immigrant students would also be eligible for financial aid and, eventually, citizenship. The bill would subject immigrants seeking resident status to strict requirements, including two years of college education or two years of military service. The bill passed in the House of Representatives after President Barack Obama pledged to push the legislation through congress back in November, but was stymied by a Senate filibuster last December, according to congressional documents. The forum will be held on Monday, Feb. 7 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in Smith Memorial Student Union’s Multicultural Center, located in room 228. ■


ARTS & CULTURE ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 9

8 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

A&C

EDITOR: NICHOLAS KULA ARTS@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5694

photo courtesy of nuevaforma.com

One man, one glass, one table: Professional story teller Spalding Gray.

Three easy pieces all photos karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFF

Ross Christy: artist in residence

Erin O'Regan: Assistant director

Pink is the new black Splendorporium’s annual Pink Show Candace Opper Vanguard staff

“I love pink,” said Art4Life Director Sandra Santoro, as she sat in a small kitchen off Splendorporium’s main gallery space. Appropriately, she has furnished the kitchen with pale pink vintage appliances, but Santoro is also referring to the Splendorporium’s annual February Pink Show, a celebration of Valentine’s Day. Splendorporium is an eclectic and surprising space developed initially around Art4Life, a nonprofit organization designed to educate students on diversity within the arts, other cultures and the city. The organization began on a note of frustration. At the time, Santoro was teaching college and often found herself fed up with her students’ close-mindedness. “I had students who were afraid to go downtown in their own city,” Santoro said. She grew up in New York and was appalled at her students’ sheltered attitudes. She decided to take matters into her own hands and form a creative program that would help to edify kids

about culture and the arts from a younger and want them to believe that anything is absolutely possible.” more impressionable age. Six years into the venture, Santoro decided And so Art4Life was conceived. The program essentially takes the place of daycare, providing they needed a space, and so came Splendoran after-school curriculum of arts and culture porium, the first children’s gallery of its kind for students in pre-K through fifth grade. Six and simultaneous community space for local public schools in Portland currently participate artists. The gallery is located within the nondein the program, yielding over 300 students. script folds of industrial southeast, just south of Powell and 21st The organizain the Brooklyn tion employs 32 Splendorporium is an eclectic part-time artists and surprising space developed neighborhood. From the outside as teachers, and it looks like a is funded entirely initially around Art4Life hole-in-the-wall, on parent tuition. Each month, the program focuses on a dif- but it opens up to a huge lofty space that houses ferent country, exploring cultural aspects such both the community and Art4Life galleries, as as visual arts, theatre, music, literature, dance well as a separate studio space for an annually and food. In addition, the kids take regular field sponsored artist-in-residence program. While trips into the city, exploring how that country’s this is the permanent home for Art4Life, the culture meets Portland’s own. These trips fa- space is also donated for like-minded commumiliarize students with the rich cultural milieu nity events, such as art shows through Portland’s right on their doorsteps. These experiences also DART schools. Splendorporium hosts monthly themed provide an opportunity for interaction. For example, when students visit the symphony, they shows, and the magnitude of the space allows don’t just sit in the audience—they go backstage for huge and eventful First Friday openings like the one inaugurating The Pink Show on Feb. 4. and witness the inner workings of that world. “We get at least 200 people, but usually closer “This encourages kids to think big. We

Healthy U participation tops 200 It's not too late to join the challenge Rian Evans Vanguard staff

The Healthy U Wellness Challenge is still going strong. The challenge, designed to both educate students and improve their overall health, is now up to 234 participants and 23 teams. The participants are a near 50/50 mix of students and faculty/staff. The current top three teams are (from first to last) We Fit and Fun Bring The Jalapeños (yes, that’s really their name), Cyclebabe and last but not least, BEAT. Erin Orndorf, PSU’s coordinator of health and fitness promotions, said that overall participation has been strong, with the “Lunch and Learn” sessions, offered every Wednesday at noon in Smith Memorial Student Union 229, pulling in the most participants. The “fitness center and program orientation,” “SMART goals and fitness myths” and “stretching, injury prevention and gear” events have also received heavy attendance. It’s too soon to say how successful the blood drive has been so far, but hopefully readers

wick clothing and socks, towels, gym bags and nutrition bars. Another recent addition that will be helpful for participants is the new drop-in personal training hours. A personal trainer is on hand during peak gym hours to answer questions and demonstrate exercise technique free of charge (for days and times, please visit the Campus Rec website). For those still contemplating joining the challenge, it’s not too late! Team registration is closed, but individuals can still register. Of course, one must expect to be a bit behind on points, but an active participant still has a good chance at earning prizes. ■

to 500, at these openings,” Santoro comments. This turnout is not a surprise. Along with the local artists’ and children’s artwork, The Pink Show’s opening will also host a variety of community participants like the Voodoo Doughnut Van, which, through Urban Opportunities, employs homeless and at-risk youth. The event will also feature Wanderlust, the mobile vintage retail shop and Rojo the Therapy Llama, an active community participant in animal-assisted therapy, who will be dressed for the occasion. “He usually wears a pink feather boa,” Santoro said. There will be themed snacks and Valentinemaking stations and, of course, a diverse selection of pink-themed art. Splendorporium’s share of the gallery sales goes directly back into the Art4Life pool. The opening promises plenty of people championing their Valentine’s Day holiday spirits. If you plan to attend, be prepared to wear pink and check your rancor at the door. “This is a place to be silly—for kids and adults.” ■

Spendorporium Opening reception: Friday, Feb. 4, 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Runs Feb. 4–25 3421 SE 21st Ave. 503-953-2885

tis. Even if one isn’t interested in a full-blown resistance-training program, the addition of functional training is a wise investment for those who wish to remain optimally functional as they age.

Nutrition Program 2 Wednesday, Feb. 9, noon–1 p.m. in SMSU 229 (“Alumni Lounge”)

“Food labels can be misleading. Learn to decode the false promises and overblown claims of packaged food labels. Plus, learn to outsmart your cravings with strategies that will help you eat healthier.” Go to this class and become appalled at the inefficacious way in which your government regulates food labels.

UPCOMING EVENTS 20/20/20 Mini Marathon

drew martig/VANGUARD STAFF

Healthy U: Bloody fantastic.

will be motivated to donate. Campus Rec is very pleased with overall event participation, but also hopes to see more students participating in the physical activities offered. Gym crowding in peak traffic hours and personal scheduling conflicts are most likely the cause of lower participation in the physical offerings. Campus Rec is trying to sweeten the pot and maintain motivation levels by offering bonus points and chances to earn additional prizes like dry-

Functional Training

Saturday, Feb. 12. 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. at Campus Rec

Tuesday, Feb. 8, 1:15–2:15 p.m. in ASRC 440/441

“Fast is good, but distance is better. Break out your swim goggles and running shoes! It’s time for the 20/20/20 Mini Triathlon! In the spirit of triathlon, participants will compete for 20 minutes in each of the following disciplines: Lap swimming in the PSU pool, spinning on the stationary bikes, and running on the indoor track.” This is the perfect opportunity for those not quite ready for a full triathlon. For more details on any and all events, visit pdx.edu/recreation/ wellness-events

“Getting through your day is so much easier when you have enough strength and endurance to perform whatever activities your daily life throws at you. Using medicine balls and other fun equipment this class includes full body exercises with an emphasis on total body strength, endurance, and coordination.” It may be hard to imagine now, but performing day-to-day tasks can become more difficult with age, and not just due to arthri-

The calm before the Portland International Film Festival storm Ines Kuna Vanguard staff

[Editor’s note: As we all know, the Portland International Film Festival is coming soon. What does that mean for us at the Vanguard? Well, it apparently means a pound and a half of DVDs. This is also the first time I’ve ever had to sign for a package at the Vanguard. We’re going to do our best to bring you coverage of what you need to see at this year’s PIFF, and what you don’t really need to see.]

And Everything is Going Fine

Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow” (1978) is one of Jackie Chan’s first films, which is perhaps enough reason to view it. Chen Chi-Hwa directs this quirky kung fu flick, which follows classic themes of the genre including lots of awesome fighting, open set design, the juxtaposition of good and evil and orphan protagonism. Unlike the Northwest Film Center’s recent showings of the Shaw Brothers films “The Avenging Eagle” and “Opium and the Kung Fu Master,” “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow” lacks the overt comic element of the “fool” archetype. The film follows Chan’s character Chien Fu, an orphan who learns the ways of snake-style kung fu through his friendship with an old beggar played by Yuen Siu Tien. Chien Fu is put to the ultimate test when he comes face to face with the murderous Eagle Claw clan. Although action packed, “Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow” does not strive to compare to the Shaw Brothers productions with regard to set design appeal.

“And Everything is Going Fine” (2010) is a documentary about the work of actor and monologist Spalding Gray. I’m not going to pretend I knew what a monologist was either. Basically, it’s a person who tells stories for a living, and they don’t even have to be funny. Yes, like that one professor you have that goes on tangents but with the actual job description. Gray talks about a plethora of everyday top- “Snake in the Eagle's Shadow” ics, such as his mother’s dramatic prayer calls to Screens Feb. 5 Jesus, his attempts to join a writer’s colony and nwfilm.org stories about the family cat. Gray’s tales, though random, calm and mediocre, are inexplicably captivating. The way his voice plays confidently with the words of his narration keeps audiences watching. Gray is half the funny guy you sit next to, half the grandfather you never had. Admittedly, this film is not for everyone. Director Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s Eleven”) takes a rare approach to documentary filmmaking, simply producing a stream of raw footage from Gray’s monologues photo courtesy of lovehkfilm.com without any transitions, Chan: You have failed to block the eye poke with your right hand. You are not ready. voice-over, or the like. The film is as raw as it gets; nothing has been tampered with. I’m not sure Bastard Swordsman if it’s really an approach as much as it is laziness. “Bastard Swordsman” (1983) is another Maybe it’s just a time constraint thing. He would Shaw Brothers film. This means that viewhave added transitions if he wasn’t too busy plan- ers can expect visually stimulating mise-ènning his tearful retirement announcement that scene, serious cinematic zoom-ins, histrionic fight scenes and lots of drama. The film leaked via podcast just a few weeks ago. The clips have no real order, some are in awful follows Yen, a regularly bullied orphan—that quality and I could have gotten an earful of stories is, until he decides to battle the rival clan. from my blabbering relatives for free. However, if Also, there is a swordsman involved, and you are a habitual clip-hopper on YouTube and he is quite the bastard. First impressions you regularly listen to unimportant people’s opin- are shattered, relationships are questioned ions, or read Facebook status updates of people you and discipline is rewarded in this whimsical film. don’t know, you might find it rather enjoyable.

“And Everything is Going Fine”

“Bastard Swordsman”

Screens tonight through Feb. 6 nwfilm.org

Screens tonight nwfilm.org

photo courtesy of thefuntimesovibe.com

Come at me bro: Oh, and bring dip.

I’m just here for the dip Three appetizers to serve this Sunday Kat Vetrano Vanguard staff

You may be a die-hard football fan and couldn’t care less wtnor of your food-focused friend— and perhaps your hungry self as well—here are three options to serve during the big game.

For the healthy friend: Crispy Kale Chips Definitely consider doubling this recipe—the crunchy texture (surprisingly different from regular sautéed kale) is addicting in all its salty glory.

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, any variety 1 tablespoon of olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients

1 onion 2 garlic cloves 1 can of low sodium tomatoes, drained 2 chipotles and 3 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the can 1 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped

Method Peel and cut the onion into four large halves. Drop the onion chunks into a food processor, and pulse until chopped (alternatively, you could just chop the onion by hand before proceeding to the next step)—about a minute. Peel the garlic cloves, and add them to the bowl of the food processor and pulse for 30 seconds, or until finely minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the mixture is slightly chunky—about three to five minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

For the traditionalist: Homemade Ranch Dip

Method Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Tear the kale leaves off of their stems. Put away stems for another use. Toss kale leaves with the olive oil on a baking sheet and season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 10–12 minutes, watching closely to make sure the chips don’t burn. Pile high on a plate, and serve.

For the spicy companion: Smoky Salsa While store-bought, watered-down pico de gallo may be the standard at football parties, this salsa is much more flavorful and almost as easy as picking some up at the store.

Since the real thing is so simple to prepare (and almost free, if you have a well-stocked pantry), there’s no reason to serve this dip from the bottle.

Ingredients

1 cup of greek yogurt 1/4 cup of mayonnaise 1/4 cup of sour cream 2 tablespoons of dill 1 tablespoon of onion powder 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method Mix all ingredients in a bowl, tasting seasonings to your liking. Serve with veggies or chips.


ARTS & CULTURE ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 11

10 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ ARTS & CULTURE

LET IT SHOW, LET IT SHOW, LET IT SHOW FRIDAY, FEB. 4

All the news that’s barely fit to print

Dead Prez, Tyree Harris, Aaron Ob Smith, Urban Truth, Speaker Minds, Luck One

Nicholas Kula Vanguard staff

For reasons unbeknownst to me (other than Portland being statistically one of the whitest cities in the country), hip-hop shows rarely come to Portland. And when they do, they’re overhyped all to hell, often resulting in finding piles of their handbills in campus bathrooms. Additionally, the overhyped shows are rarely showcasing anyone that is worth seeing—and they’re at the Roseland! The whole system’s a mess, really. That said, Dead Prez is playing at Backspace. I know what you’re (maybe) thinking. How in the hell did Backspace wrangle one of hip-hop’s best acts away from the Roseland, and more importantly—how the hell did they get them to Portland in the first place? While the answers to these questions may be forever shrouded in mystery, the fact is, this is really happening. And you should go.

Department of Homeland Security seizes websites, irrelevance

Photo courtesy of lastfm.com

Dead Prez

BACKSPACE, $15, 9 P.M., ALL AGES

Creta, Masmod, Pinscape, Miori, Cloudburst, Sleepyhead, Marcus Fisher, DJ Etbonz Though it’s nestled snugly in the northwest district—an area I’ve traversed many a time—I had to do a double take when I found out that Ziba Auditorium is on Northwest Eighth and Marshall, an intersection I’m sure I’ve been through hundreds of times. I must be blind, though, because Ziba obviously has enough community influence to host eight acts from all over the U.S. and have them play for free. The official title of this event is “Kontrast,” an event which believes in moving “creative electronic music” out of claustrophobic club environments where it’s usually found and into a wide open space where the surroundings can be appreciated along with the music and visuals. Sounds awesome to me. The cost sounds even better. Photo courtesy of nuevaforma.com

Masmod

Notes from the underground

ZIBA AUDITORIUM, FREE, 7 P.M., ALL AGES

SATURDAY, FEB. 5

The Department of Homeland Security seized ATDHE.net earlier this week because the site was broadcasting live sports games, most of which are available via basic cable. Homeland Security said, “They included [other] programming from several networks as well.” However, since the government has now photo courtesy of atdhe.net gaffed the whole site up, we’ll never know if they’re just pulling our illegal-sports lovin’ legs. This raises an interesting question, though: Should the government be allowed to just take someone’s website, regardless of the activity contained therein? Does the government have a list of things that are awaiting the a-OK to seek and destroy? Does the government obtain and carry out warrants for illegal search and seizure within days but drag its feet about healthcare, or anything important? Because I have to tell you, I have a pretty wicked chronic backache and now I can’t even watch hockey on the Internet. Thanks a lot, government. Cleverly, ATDHE has just moved all their crap to another domain, ATDHE.me. The government apparently doesn’t care.

Citigroup buys EMI, music takes worst turn since you bought Sugar Ray’s album “Floored” and none of the tracks sounded anything remotely like “Fly” In an unprecedented move, Citigroup, aka the bank, has purchased EMI, the publishing company responsible for the rights to hundreds of millions of songs. Photo courtesy of Musically.com This should not come as a shock to anybody who ever used the Internet and has had the disservice of downloading RIAA-planted scrambled mp3s off Kazaa. The war between the music industry and the legion of Internet users has been well documented ever since Napster allowed us to download all the mislabeled Weird Al Yankovic songs we could ever want. However, this acquisition raises a very important concern: How on Earth did a huge investment company see publishing rights to music as a wise investment? Has anyone who works for Citigroup driven past a Tower Records or FYE in the last three years, or do they all take a helicopter or zipline to work? All this means is that advertising firms have to call up the bank every time they want to use that 5 6 7 8’s song in another commercial. To be honest, I’m OK with this, as long as they have to hear the same hold music we do.

Jean-Claude Van Damme now officially stingier than Burt Reynolds

Photo courtesy of deadair/flickr

Mustaphamond

Mustaphamond, Kotton Dik, The Greys Mustaphamond is starting to join the esteemed ranks of Cower and Purple Rhinestone Eagle in the much-coveted “10 listing club.” Since I’ve started writing these guides, I’m not sure if there’s been a Mustaphamond show I haven’t written about. Instead of telling you how great they are, I’m going to tell you about the first time I saw them, and maybe then enough people will go and see them so they don’t have to play Hungry Tiger Too anymore. It was five years ago, back when Ground Kontrol was still having shows, and I was working the door. Mustaphamond came in and had a box especially for microphones that they set near the back of the stage. I initially assumed they were for the band, but there were far more microphones in the box than there were band members. When it came time for Mustaphamond to go on, their drummer exploded all over the stage. He’s easily one of the best drummers I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen Hella, Kylesa, et al. After a few songs, the guitarist reaches for the box and withdraws four or five mics. He runs around to several arcade machines and puts a microphone in front of each one. He then instructs people to play the games while Mustaphamond plays—so that their monstrous drummer could drum around the games, seamlessly integrating them into the show. And they did. And it was just as awesome as it sounds. Though there are no arcade games at HTT, you can expect some manner of tomfoolery at the show. Be there.

HUNGRY TIGER TOO, 9 P.M., UNKNOWN (PUNK ROCK) PRICE, 21+

And you will know us by our incredibly long name

At Drai’s restaurant in Hollywood last week, Jean Claude Van Damme thoroughly smashed the cheap tip record previously held by Burt Reynolds. For a $940 bill, Van Damme left a paltry $40—or 4 percent. This 4-percent travesty finally bumped out Burt Reynolds, who had previously been handing out autographed 8x10s of himself along with small monetary compensation. Due to tens of thousands of old women who still watch Shamus on AMC every other day, the demand for Burt Reynolds autographs still has not hit its ceiling on eBay. In all fairness, Van Damme is from Belgium, and the rumors are true— Europe is not as loose with the tips as Americans are. That said, Van Damme has been dining at our luxury establishments for years now—get the hint. Perhaps this is Van Damme’s last gasp of royalty money and this is all he can afford to tip until TBS brings back “Movies for Guys Who Like Movies” or until AMC renews “Bloodsport” with yet another five-year contract. photo courtesy of pikosky.sk

JCVD: With all that money saved on tips, he can go to the gym more.

Trail of Dead: Not drawn to scale.

centrated because he has lived everywhere from the northern trenches of Olympia at Evergreen State to the depths of southeast Asia in Thailand. He is also a part of the Austin country-cum-folk Jake Stevens group Brothers and Sisters. Vanguard staff “Tao of the Dead” is a record that is a unique The Austin quintet known as And You Will throwback to what the true meaning of an alKnow Us By the Trail of Dead—commonly re- bum used to represent—the constant melodic ferred to as simply Trail of Dead for short—are groove and comfort—just as one would expedue to bless us with their seventh full–length stu- rience through the smooth transition between dio album titled “Tao of the Dead.” The record the ebb and flow of a tide. Keely, in an interis going to be released by their very own Richter view with Spin late last year, shed some light Scale Records in North America on Feb. 8. on the upcoming release of their next album. Trail of Dead made their debut in the music “It’s the way I listened to albums when I world in 1998 with their self-titled album, which was a kid, seeing as some of my favorite rewas released on the label Trance Syndicate. The cords were Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the independent label—now deceased—was co- Moon,’ Yes’s ‘Relayer’ and ‘Close to the Edge’ founded by King Coffrey, the drummer for the and Rush’s ‘Hemispheres,’” Keely said. “I popular Texas band always liked listenButthole Surfers. ing to records that It is rather diffi- Despite being known for were just a concult to speak about starting their songs by tinuous piece, like Trail of the Dead slowly building up to their an orchestra or a without covering symphony.” one of its most in- tracks’ crescendos, fans are Helping bring teresting and tal- going to be pleased to hear life to the vision ented members. that Keely has of that on the new release, British born frontcreating an album man Conrad Keely there are songs that do just that is more on the is a huge source of that…and ones that don’t. old-school side, Trail of Dead’s crethe producers of ativity that drives this work were the progressive punk band forward into new presented with a unique challenge. However, realms. Keely, and the group’s general ability to “Tao of the Dead” is graced with the producfluctuate between their instrumental duties, di- tion help of Chris “Frenchie” Smith, who also rectly speaks to their acclaimed art rock talents. helped to produce their debut record, and It is hard to say where Keely’s influences are con- Chris Coady, the producer for groups like

“Tao of the Dead” is the latest step in the trail of records

NOW HIRING REPORTERS

PHOTOGRAPHER/VANGUARD STAFF

Beach House and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The LP is split into two parts and—filling that nostalgic hole in Keely’s side—they are recorded with different tunings. Part one is in D, and two in F, and—just as an old record serves its purpose by acting as a book being read aloud as a continuous stream of thought—part one is divided up

into 11 tracks that flow into each other just as well as the chapters of a book would do. Part two, masterfully produced by Coady, is a monstrous 16-minute long track that is comprised of six movements. The album was recorded in only 10 days this past summer in El Paso, Texas, at Sonic Ranch’s recording studio. “We wanted to record it fast—really fast,” said Keely. “Many of our records have been painful to make and I…wanted to have fun. That approach made the whole record sound more spontaneous, fresh and quick to deliver. There’s no waiting around—[the sound] is immediate.” Despite being known for starting their songs by slowly building up to their tracks’ crescendos, fans are going to be pleased to hear that on the new release, there are songs that do just that…and ones that don’t. “Summer of All Dead Souls”—the track that was released last November to originally help promote “Tao of the Dead”—is an example of a song that is claimed to be out of character for this group. It starts with an opening “get-right-to-the-point” drum line followed by a ear-smashing array of distortion, then proceeded by Keely yelling his lyrics that seem to color between the lines of global issues, ones revolving around the economy and what not. Regarding the lyrics of “Summer of all Dead Souls,” Keely had this to say to Spin: “[It’s] inspired by a documentary I saw about China, or, as they’re calling it these days, Chimerica. It illustrated the ongoing struggle between the third world and the first world.” “The Tao of the Dead” provides a terrific display of a surprisingly old band that has—without a doubt—something still to prove. ■

“Tao of the Dead” And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Richter Scale Records Due out Feb. 8


12 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ SPORTS

SPORTS

SPORTS ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 13

COMMENTARY:

EDITOR: ROBERT BRITT SPORTS@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-4538

Don’t get too attached to your current Blazers

Vikings look for success on the road Men’s basketball continues league play in California and Colorado Kevin Fong Vanguard staff

P

ortland State men’s basketball has taken its act on the road this week to face Sacramento State and Northern Colorado in Big Sky Conference play.

Senior guard Melvin Jones

The Vikings (11-10, 4-5 Big Sky) are tied with Eastern Washington for sixth place in the conference standings and look to make their way to the top of the table with wins over the Hornets and Bears. Although players are still hampered by injuries, head coach Tyler Geving isn’t ready to make any excuses for his team. “We have the talent on this roster to be one of the top teams in this conference—I think we’ve proven that,” Geving said. “It’s about playing at a high level consistently.” The Vikings played Sacramento State last night, the results of which

were not available as of press time. This was the second game of a back-to-back twogame series with Sacramento State, and the Vikings already beat them last week 86-80 at the Stott Center. The odds may be in the Vikings’ favor, as they have won their last eight meetings with Sacramento State, and are 22-9 all-time in the series, but the team isn’t taking anything for granted. “We can’t overlook [Sacramento State],” senior guard Melvin Jones said. “Playing them at their place, on the road, is totally different.” Portland State has had its difficulties away from home this season, managing only a 1-7 record in road games. However, if the Vikings hope to separate themselves from the middle of the pack in the Big Sky, it is essential for them to prove they can go into hostile environments and find success. “We haven’t really won on the road,” junior guard

all photos by karl kuchs/VANGUARD STAFF

The long shot: Junior guard Charles Odum chucks the ball from a distance at the end of the first half against Sac State.

Charles Odum said. “But there were games we played pretty well and maybe should have won. We just have to keep working.” On Saturday night, Portland State faces a stiff challenge as the team squares off against second-place Northern Colorado at ButlerHancock Pavilion in Greeley, Colo. The Bears enter the contest with an 11-9 record overall and 7-2 in league play. The two teams already met this season in late December, with the Vikings falling to the Bears 79-66 at the Stott Center. Although Northern Colorado is currently riding a two-game losing streak, the Bears have dominated Big Sky play with solid defense, sharp shooting and tough rebounding. They rank second in the conference in threepoint percentage and fourth in rebounds per game. Portland State is second in the Big Sky in scoring average, but ranks seventh in rebounds per game. Without starting junior forward Chehales Tapscott and junior center Nate Lozeau, who are both sidelined due to injuries, the Vikings have been searching for consistent inside play and production on the glass. Lozeau has missed four games with a severe ankle sprain, but could return to action sometime in the next week. Tapscott underwent surgery last week to repair damaged cartilage in his knee and could miss up to 2-3 weeks. In total, Portland State players have missed 30 games to injury so far this season. “We can’t think about the [injuries],” Geving said. “We have to go with what we have and keep moving forward.” Despite the setbacks, the Vikings are still within striking distance for a top-four finish in the Big Sky. Senior forward Phillip “Tree” Thomas has stepped up to help fill the void up front, scoring a career-high 29 points against Sacramento State last week. Odum continued his strong play in recent weeks and is averaging 17.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in Big Sky games. In Geving’s second year as head coach, Portland State is on pace to outdo their 13-19 overall record last season. With seven games left in the conference play and four of those seven on the road, the Vikings are motivated to show they’re truly one of the top teams in the conference this season. “It’s a big test for us,” Jones said. “And they beat us at home, so we have to get them back.” ■

P

ortland State men’s basketball has taken its act on the road to face Sacramento State and Northern Colorado in Big Sky Conference play this week. The Vikings (11-10, 4-5 Big Sky) are tied with Eastern Washington for sixth place in the conference standings and look to make their way to the top of the table with wins over the Hornets and Bears. Although players are still hampered by injuries, head coach Tyler Geving isn’t ready to make any excuses Guess who's back: Senior Phil Nelson has come back to the Vikings' roster after a foot injury suffered in the preseason had him riding the bench.

KEY PERFORMERS CHARLES ODUM Junior guard 14.5 pts/game 3.6 reb/game 2.7 ast/game .545 shooting .471 three-pt shooting 24 three-pointers made

Stephen Lisle Vanguard staff

MELVIN JONES Senior guard 11.4 pts/game 2.0 reb/game 2.4 ast/game .391 shooting .370 three-pt shooting 50 three-pointers made PHILIP THOMAS Senior forward 9.3 pts/game 3.2 reb/game .500 FG .793 free throw shooting goviks.com

BIG SKY CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS Overall 16-5 11-9 11-10 12-8 10-9 11-10 7-14 6-15 5-16

Home 10-1 7-0 8-1 7-1 6-1 7-3 7-3 5-2 5-5

Away 6-4 3-8 1-9 4-7 3-7 2-7 0-11 0-12 0-11

Change is coming to Portland—you can feel it. Don’t take my word for it, though; just listen to Blazers general manager Rich Cho, who was asked recently how likely it is that his staff will make a trade in the coming weeks. “I’d say the chances are pretty good,” was Cho’s reply. “We are being pretty active—put it that way.” Cho’s statement isn’t groundbreaking news, but it’s certainly a re-enforcement to the idea that something needs to be done with this roster soon. The stakes for winning an NBA championship have been raised with “Dream Team”-like superrosters such as the LA Lakers, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic dominating the upper echelon of the league. Meanwhile, two of the Blazers’ franchise players are currently sidelined with serious injuries. If mediocrity meets your standards, then the world isn’t completely falling apart. Portland is still hanging on. It’s just past the halfway point in the season, and the Blazers are clinging to the eighth seed in the Western Conference by two games over the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that’s never made the playoffs in the history of its franchise. To be fair, there’s been a handful of good sprinkled in as well. LaMarcus Aldridge deserves to be an all-star and has singlehandedly kept Portland in the playoffs. Since Brandon Roy’s absence, he’s averaging 23.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and shooting 51.5 percent from the field. But perhaps the biggest statement came

New coach and roster have the PSU men’s soccer club ready for spring competition

CHEHALES TAPSCOTT Junior forward 11.7 pts/game 8.2 reb/game 1.9 ast/game 1.1 stl/game .463 shooting

Big Sky 8-1 7-2 5-4 4-4 4-4 4-5 4-5 2-7 2-8

Kevin Fong Vanguard staff

earlier this week, as he exploded for a 40-point open markets in the world. The best thing for career-high against Tim Duncan and the first- the Blazers to do is cash in while the value of place San Antonio Spurs. their assets is high. Mathews and Batum are both This season, Aldridge has not only become the desired by other GM’s around the league, and Blazer’s best player and most valuable asset, but he’s Fernandez has even regained some of his trade become the only untouchable player on this roster. value. Andre Miller is older, and because of his If there was a realistic offer made for Greg Oden expiring contract, he is almost as equally valuable or Roy, I’m certain the front office would take it as a trade catalyst as he is as a player. under serious consideration. The same goes for any It makes sense for Cho to take advantage of the other player on the roster, aside from Aldridge. situation. I’d be surprised if the Blazers Sure, this Blazer team is fun to root for. They’re didn’t put together a deal by the Feb. 24 a gutty and hard-working group of underhanded trade deadline, even if it’s just a small underdogs. Still, I wouldn’t recommend deal to acquire a future draft pick or becoming too emotionally attached to anyone. One of the downsides to emotions is that they can cloud your perspective—something all fans can be found guilty of at one time or another. Remember future Blazer “allstars” such as Martell Webster? Travis Outlaw? Or Jerryd Bayless? What happened to them? The truth is that if Portland wants to reach the next level and become a true contender, then head coach Nate McMillan needs another all-star level player who can create offense for himself and his teammates. Wesley Mathews is a solid young player and has played well recently, but isn’t a bonafide superstar who can get into the lane and consistently wreak havoc off the dribble. The same goes for Nicholas Batum. Ditto for Rudy Fernandez. The NBA landscape operates under Nobody's safe: With their roster in pieces and the trade similar principles and rules as most deadline looming, anybody could be fair game for a move.

Men’s soccer club stays competitive during offseason

CHRIS HARIEL Sophomore guard 14.5 pts/game 5.4 reb/game 1.9 ast/game 1.6 stl/game .397 shooting .346 three-pt shooting 36 three-pointers made

School Montana Northern Colorado Montana State Northern Arizona Weber State Portland State Eastern Washington Idaho State Sacramento State

As the trade deadline looms, change is in the air for Portland

Streak W6 L2 L3 W2 W1 W1 W2 L2 L1

The Portland State men’s soccer club has thrived for the better part of the past decade because of the dedication of returning players. The team’s fall record (4-3-2) isn’t the best it has produced in years past, but is nothing that cannot be used to build on. It is tough to gauge competition at the club level since the Big Sky Conference does not field men’s soccer competition and there is little funding left to join another conference. However, the passion that is sometimes lost in the process of gaining status in the college sports world is present in a team playing for the sake of getting together to play a game they love, regardless of funding. Although it is currently the soccer offseason, club president Brian Clemmons feels that it is the perfect time to create cohesion within the roster and give the team a chance to adjust to its new Spanish-speaking head coach, Luis Zanbrano. Zanbrano played for the Chilean national soccer team nearly 20 years ago and brings a high level of experience to the field. He has years of experience playing professional soccer in South America, and according to Clemmons, was too good of a prospect to pass up for the head coaching job with the club. Having a head coach with a resume like Zanbrano’s is an honor, but the new coach is a native Spanish speaker with very little English vocabulary. Club Vice President Zack Kannur jokingly said that the language barriers are one of the great things about the sport. “Our coach had a great career, and even with the language barrier I think it is part of what makes soccer unique,” Kannur said. “It

is such a large sport that you will see players and coaches from different countries coming together to play, regardless of the spoken language.” While Kannur said the language difference is sometimes frustrating, many players on the team are able to pick up on his Spanish and communicate it with the rest of the team. The club has a melting pot of talent on their squad, including players representing 12 different nationalities, all with different styles of play. In American soccer culture players are often trained to use the high fitness levels as a way to win games, while more traditional Hispanic cultures may rely heavily on continuous passing. Regardless of the differing opinions of play, Kannur said each player is willing to adjust to the style Zanbrano chooses for the team. Players for the club have come from all over the world to include countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Denmark. Some of the members actually played for semi-professional teams and leagues in other countries, but chose an education in the U.S. over continuing to play overseas. “We have a lot of international players that have played at high levels in college, but came to school here for the education,” said Kannur. “It definitely is funny to see all of the different arguments and conversations that are happening on the field between so many different cultures.” Team President Brian Clemmons, a junior defender for the club, is a prime example of a player that changed schools, but continued to find a way to play the game he loved. Clemmons transferred from Northwest Nazarene University after playing a year in the NCAA Division-II league. Clemmons has made sure that the team stays productive, even in the cold winter offseason, when some choose to take a break. Many players take the offseason as an opportunity to load up

on classes, so there may be only 12–14 men suited up during any given practice. Low-key scrimmages, friendly games with the women’s soccer program and intense workouts give the team a chance to iron out fundamentals and get into shape even with a depleted roster. All of the offseason training prepares the Viks for local tournaments that start in April as things warm up. Spring tournaments are a great way to keep up the competition level during the rest of the year, and also provide the team a chance to see what other programs are doing with their squads. The University of Oregon World Cup is one of the three main tournaments in which the Viks will compete, and they will be playing in the tough NCAA competition against the likes of University of Washington. These tournaments, though, give players the chance to shine. Team captain and scoring leader Ali Alnoaimi, a starting forward from Dubai, tallied eight goals in 10 games for the Viks during the fall. Other standouts on the squad include midfielders Jacob Holmestead and Ben Pepesch, who combined for six goals and brought creativity to the team’s play. The largest thing that was displayed in the team practice was to not over-think, and simply enjoy the game. A relaxed and fun environment was maintained, while also keeping a high level of competition. The different cultures that make up the team provide challenges, with language differences and completely different styles of play brought to the table. A collective effort and sense of family have provided the team a very fun atmosphere to play in. Different backgrounds and styles have blended into what is sure to continue to be a great year for the PSU men’s soccer club. For more information on the PSU men’s soccer club, visit the website at w w w. w i x . c o m / p s u m e n s s o c c e r / p s u soccer or see them in action from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Stott Field. ■

clear up more cap space. I wouldn’t be shocked if Cho held off on making a major deal until the off-season, if nothing jumps out at him. The first-year GM has emphasized that there are no “quick fixes” and that he’s not willing to sacrifice the team’s long-term future for a short-term boost. But regardless of when it arrives, one thing’s for sure: Change is indeed on its way. ■

all photos courtesy of nba.com/blazers

Airtime: Despite this easy-in, the Nuggets got the best of the Blazers.


SPORTS ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ VANGUARD 15

14 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ ETC.

ETC.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: VIRGINIA VICKERY EDITOR@DAILYVANGUARD.COM 503-725-5691

SUPER BOWL-PRO PICKS

CALENDAR Today “How Sprawl is Lengthening Our Commutes and Why Misleading Mobility Measures are Making Things Worse” Noon Urban Center Building, room 204

Featuring Joe Cortright of Impresa, and sponsored by the Center for Transportation Studies as part of the Transportation Seminar Series.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Gcobb.com

Big Ben: Can Ben Roethlisberger earn a third Super Bowl ring?

Social Sustainability Colloquium: “The Myth of Apathy, or Why People Don’t Seem to Care About Sustainability”

Tradition-laden Super Bowl has Pack favored

1 p.m. Academic and Student Rec Center, room 660

Presented by Renee Lertzman, Ph.D., researcher in communications, psychology and sustainability. Lertzman will address such questions as: Is it possible that anxiety and fear are profoundly impeding our abilities to respond proactively and creatively to our impending crises? How can we explain the inertia and paralysis on the part of both the public and our politicians?

Barry Wilner AP Pro Football Writer

Lecture: “The State of the Safety Net in the Post-Welfare Reform Era” 3 p.m.

Photo courtesy of teri wood

Cramer Hall, room 271

Presented by Hilary Hoynes, professor of economics at U.C. Davis.

A Super Bowl super fan

PSU Sustainability + Music Lecture 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Recital Hall, room 75

Presented by the PSU Department of Music with support from the PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions. The event will feature Jeff Todd Titon, musician, folklorist, ethnomusicologist, and will focus on the ways in which music plays a role in building a sustainable world.

Saturday Student Opera at PSU Presents the Annual Masquerade Ball 7 p.m. Hoffman Hall

Student Opera at PSU is hosting a free masquerade ball in black and white! The dance will feature KPSU DJs, live operatic performances, free food and drinks, prizes and more.

Monday

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. ©2011 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved. Dist. by UFS, Inc. www.kenken.com

● Each row and each column

must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given

operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

Meet communication major Teri Wood, whose nonverbals scream “GO PACKERS!”

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Robert Britt Vanguard staff

2-4-11

Bike Hub Women’s Repair Night 5 p.m. PSU Bike Hub

This will be an open repair night led by female staff. Workshops are free for all Bike Hub members; to learn more about becoming a member, go to www.pdx.edu/bikehub.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, February 04, 2011

MFA Lecture Series: Deborah Stratman 7:30 p.m. Shattuck Hall Annex, room 198

Stratman is a Chicago-based artist and filmmaker interested in landscapes and systems. She currently teaches at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Tuesday Public Forum: The Future of Higher Education in Oregon 4 p.m. Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom

Portland State and the Oregon University System are hosting a public forum to discuss the future of Oregon’s higher education system. Panelists representing higher education and the Oregon Legislature will discuss proposals for restructuring public higher education and answer audience questions. The event will be moderated by Peter Bhatia of The Oregonian. Panelists will include PSU President Wim Wiewel, George Pernsteiner of the Oregon University System, representatives from PSU faculty and ASPSU. Bike Hub Workshop: Brakes 5 p.m. PSU Bike Hub

This workshop is the second installment in an advanced five-week series. Workshops are free to all Bike Hub members.

TO PLACE AN EVENT: Contact vgcalendar@gmail.com or pick up a calendar request form at the Vanguard advertising office, SMSU, room 114.

Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 One likely to die on the road? 7 What something may go down to 14 Foster girl 15 Poster girl 16 Debunked? 17 Response to great news 18 Big tin exporter: Abbr. 19 Beat badly 21 Battle joinerʼs choice 22 Kind of replication 23 Sticks up for, maybe? 25 Serbian city where Constantine the Great was born 26 Org. with towers 27 Luzón, e.g. 28 Thingamajig

31 Film in which Eddie Murphy voices the dragon Mushu 33 Lit 35 Be revolting 40 Homes within nations 41 San Franciscoʼs Museo ___ Americano 42 Red giants in the night sky 45 Procure 47 Big hit 48 Cross character 49 Not dormant 51 As 52 Ice legendʼs family 54 Head start? 56 Itʼs often hung illegally 57 “The Humbugs of the World” author, 1865

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A C O P

S H U L S

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R E N E W J A P E O P E R K I A S E A R F F O R N O N E N O T R E L V E

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60 Be coerced 62 Relationship in the 2009 film “I Love You, Man” 63 1974 hit with Spanish lyrics 64 “Got it” 65 The Allman Brothers Band, e.g.

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Down 1 Creator of TVʼs “Alias” 2 Blimp navigator 3 Boxer who wrote “Reach!” 4 Switch sides? 5 Some county fair contest entries 6 Folks getting into dirt 7 Bait 8 Bucks, e.g. 9 Rockʼs Brian 10 Freaks (out) 11 Not going anywhere 12 Carrier of drum cases, maybe 13 First in line, say 15 Over and over 20 Like M&Mʼs 24 Sacrifice fly? 27 Cartoonist, at times 29 64-Across, to a cat 30 Debugger? 32 Court proceedings 34 Freak

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Obviously, you’re a Packers fan, but how big of a Packers fan would you say you are? Teri Wood: Well, I have a 400-square-foot room in my house

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that is a Packers room devoted to all-Packers paraphernalia, including a pool table.

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Puzzle by Caleb Madison

36 Self, in a Latin phrase 37 Many users follow its directions 38 “Gentille” one of song 39 Problem for one whoʼs trapped 42 Visit

How long have you been a Packers fan? TW: I have been a Packers fan for about 24 years.

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Every team needs its fans, and every Super Bowl needs its super fans. The fans dressed head-to-toe in team gear, with faces painted in team colors and heads filled with enough obscure team stats to stump the Schwab, add the perfect amount of fanaticism to the Super Bowl recipe. Although the Steelers–Green Bay matchup provides few local ties to Super Bowl XLV, it only took a short time scouring the Portland State campus in search of a super fan worthy of highlighting to find our pick. Prepare to meet senior Teri Wood, a communication studies major that has a deep affection for the Green Bay Packers.

43 “The Transcendence of the Ego” writer 44 Some muscle cars 46 ___ National Park 50 It may stick to your ribs

53 Language related to Finnish 55 Dummy on a greyhound track 58 Coll. peer leaders 59 Uptownʼs dir. in N.Y.C. 61 Really try

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Todayʼs puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

Why are you a Packers fan? TW: My husband grew up watching Bart Starr. He remem-

bers, vaguely, the first two Super Bowls, which Green Bay won, of course. And I married that 28 years ago, and it was an option to either be frustrated because he loved football or to learn something about the game, which I did. And after I learned about the game I came to really appreciate the Packers.

So, is your whole family a Packers family? TW: They grew up that way! I have a son that is a San Fran-

cisco 49ers fan, and then all my other kids are Packers fans.

What is your plan for Sunday? Do you have a routine set up already? TW: We do. We go to this little place in east county called

the Refectory, and it’s where the Packers Club goes to watch

the games. It’s a bar, and there will be probably about 400 people. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. and the bar opens at 11 a.m. We’re going to get in line at 10!

Is that where you were going throughout the season for the games? TW: That’s where we go if it’s a regular season game…I have

this whole set of rules, which are ridiculous. If it’s a regular season game that’s one of the early games—so on the West coast that starts at 10 a.m.— then I go to church. For the NFC Championship, we didn’t go to church that week because we had to get a place to sit and watch the game. So that’s a pretty big game, the championship, and for the Super Bowl we’re also going to miss church.

Do you have any memorable moments as a fan that stand out in your mind that you’d like to share? TW: I do. As a family, we used to make it out to Green Bay

every once in a while, every couple of years, thinking “Well this might be Brett Favre’s last year; this might be Brett’s last year.” So we went in 2007, thinking it could be Brett’s last year, and we went to the final home game of the season and took our son, who turned 17 on the day of the game and it was Brett’s 17th year. And not too long after Brett retired— for the first time—the NFL Network did a video for him, and out of four fans that made it into the video from that game, I’m one of them. So, I’m practically famous [laughs].

Do you think Favre is coming back next year? TW: No way. I think when he retired he should have just

stayed retired. Personally, I think that when he retired from the Pack, I think Ted Thompson, the manager, should have let him come back when he said he wanted to come back. But after that, what Brett did was his own thing. I love Brett Favre, but I’m green and gold, and if he’s not wearing it then I can’t root for him.

Lastly, do you have any predictions for the score on Sunday? TW: I think it’ll be a low score. Both defenses are pretty

good, but we’re better. I would love to see it 50-0, but I’m going to guess 13-10, Packers. I would love to see it much higher, but we’ll see.

A Super Bowl matchup with a twist: The team with more losses is the favorite. A 14-4 Steelers team with a defense that allowed the fewest points in the league takes on a 10-6 wild card from Green Bay that barely has a running game. Yet the Packers, with only three players who have been this far in the postseason, are 2 1/2-point favorites over a franchise that has won a record six Super Bowls, including two in the last five years. What gives? Well, a run of five straight victories in which the Packers would have been done had they not won contributed to that betting line. So have the superior performances by quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a defense that has taken control of games early. “The motto is it’s just another week for us,” said All-Pro linebacker Clay Matthews, the runner-up to Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu for Defensive Player of the Year. “We’re not going to get caught up in all the hype. It’s just six or seven days that we have to tempo ourselves. We’re holding up fine and we’re going to be that way the rest of the way. We feel good about where we’re at. We’ll be fine.” Fine might not be enough, though, against Pittsburgh, which not only has the experience edge in the title game, but has displayed tremendous resilience all season and into the playoffs. Nobody runs the ball particularly well against the Steelers and their fast, mobile and powerful outside linebackers, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. Both also are capable of keeping Rodgers from escaping the pocket and making productive plays out of breakdowns. Polamalu is the most dangerous defender in the game, a guy who could pop up anywhere and become a game-changer. He might have made the defensive play of the season with his strip sack of Ravens QB Joe Flacco in a December victory. “Troy’s a great player,” Rodgers said. “He had an incredible season. Anytime you play a guy like that you have to find where he is on the field. Baltimore didn’t find where he was and he had a sack-fumble that ended up winning the game against them late in the season.” Matthews is that kind of player for Green Bay, which beat the Giants and Bears to get into the playoffs, then went on the road to win at Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago. So are cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams, safety Nick Collins and nose tackle B.J. Raji. If we consider the defenses a wash and give a slight edge to Pittsburgh on special teams, that means the ability of one of the offenses to establish itself — even if moderately — could be decisive. Rodgers has been football’s best quarterback of the last month or so, using his arm, his head and his feet to carry the Packers. His receivers are first-rate, particularly Greg Jennings, the top wideout in this game, and his line really came on this season. But Ben Roethlisberger already has won two rings and could join the likes of Tom Brady and Troy Aikman with a third. Roethlisberger’s leadership was key in Pittsburgh’s comeback win over Baltimore, and his scrambling destroyed the Jets in the AFC championship game. His receiving corps isn’t quite as impressive as Green Bay’s, but he has a big edge at tight end with Heath Miller over Andrew Quarless, and at running back with Rashard Mendenhall over James Starks. And the Steelers have the extra incentive of being underdogs. “We understand that despite our record, despite some of the things that we’ve done this year, they’re a team that’s heavily favored to beat us,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “Not pointswise, but just the majority of the experts feel like they’re a better team than us.” That’s it, exactly. The Steelers are terrific, but there’s something about the Packers that will make them better Sunday. PACKERS, 23-21

RECORD: Versus spread: 0-2 (overall 132-108-19) Straight up: 2-0 (overall 171-102) Best Bet: 8-11 against spread, 11-8 straight up. Upset Special: 11-8 against spread, 11-8 straight up.


16 VANGUARD ■ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 ■ SPORTS

Matching up with the best PSU hosts Big Sky leader Northern Colorado Rosemary Hanson Vanguard staff

posted the Viks against the Eastern Washington Eagles twice before they saw Sac State for a first time. This makes the Thursday night game the official start of the second round of Big Sky play. The second matchups among teams will continue when PSU faces Northern Colorado tomorrow evening. The Viks have three consecutive wins in their pocket. After the team opened conference play with just a 1-3 record, they put that all behind them and secured two wins on the road against Northern

Northern Colorado sent the Portland State women’s basketball team packing earlier this season, but this week the Vikings are seeking revenge as they host the firstranked Bears on Saturday. After a slow start to the season, Portland State (11-9, 3-4 Big Sky) recently bounced back in conference play to move into a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings. This weekend, the Viks look to move even higher. The Vikings hosted Sacramento State at home in the Park Blocks last night, the results of which were not available as of press Senior guard Lexi Bishop time. Last night’s game was the second consecutive time the Arizona on Jan. 22 and Sac Vikings played the Hornets, State last Saturday, with a Dam after winning the first meeting Cup win against rivals Eastern Washington in between. 97-73 at Sac State. Guard Eryn Jones has The conference schedule

been one of the key leaders in the past three games. Her performance over the week of Jan. 24–30 earned the junior a Big Sky Player of the Week award, Jones’ first this season. Over the week, Jones made 18 points in each of the Eastern Washington and Sac State games. She also went 5 of 5 from the charity stripe against EW and pulled down four rebounds against the Hornets. Senior forward Kelli Valentine commented on the leadership roles of Jones and sophomore guard Courtney VanBrockin, saying, “It’s refreshing for them to step up—I think we’ve been searching for it since the beginning of the conference play and we knew it would happen.” The senior pitched in 10 points against EW and 14 against Sac State. Valentine also said that Jones and VanBrocklin, who combined for 38 over the week, have helped her and the other senior leaders to help the team find a sense of identity on the court. Valentine said the team as a whole is much more cohesive than they were in the start of conference play. She said that being on the same page and narrowing in on goals will help the team when they match up against the topranked Northern Colorado (10-1, 7-1 Big Sky). Their only loss came from the second-

Friday Women’s tennis

Portland State (1-2)

at

Weber State (0-2)

Ogden, Utah 10 a.m. Men’s tennis

Portland State (0-3)

at

Lewis & Clark (0-0)

Lewis & Clark Tennis Dome 4 p.m. WHL hockey

Edmonton Oil Kings (24-24-1-3, 52 pts)

Portland Winterhawks (34-15-0-3, 71 pts)

at

Portland Memorial Coliseum 7 p.m.

Saturday Women’s basketball

Northern Colorado (12-9, 7-1 Big Sky)

Portland State (11-9, 4-3 Big Sky)

at

Stott Center 2 p.m. all photos by drew martig/VANGUARD STAFF

Women’s tennis

Brock and the rock: Freshman forward Allie Brock powers to the hoop.

Arizona last Thursday, and Weber State last Saturday. The Bears dominated both games, winning over NAU 72-58, and Weber State 67-49. The team’s Weber State win, combined with a one-point loss for Montana State against in-state rival Montana, pushed the Bears above

pitched in 10 against Weber State, and sophomore forward Lauren Oosdyke grabbed eight. Oosdyke was the single high scorer last time UNC faced PSU. The forward poured on a game-high 28 points against the visiting Viks. The Vikings were able to climb to just three points behind the Bears off a pair of free throws from junior forward Stephanie Egwuatu, but with Oosdyke leading the Bears, the home team secured a 72-60 win. Including the match earlier this season, the Bears have won the last four in a row against the Vikings. The Vikings hope to change the current record that they share with the Bears and continue their upward movement in the standings, while the Bears hope to hold their newly acquired first position. Tipoff tomorrow is set for 2 p.m. at the Stott Center. ■

“ It’s refreshing for [Eryn Jones and Courtney VanBrocklin] to step up—I think we’ve been searching for it since the beginning of the conference play and we knew it would happen.” Kelli Valentine

ranked Montana State on Jan. 8. The Bears head to the Park Blocks with a sixgame winning streak. They played Eastern Washington on Thursday, but the results were not ready as of press time. UNC played a pair of games at their home court, against Northern

Your weekend in sports

the Bobcats in the coveted No. 1 spot. It was freshman guard D’Shara Strange who dominated in the game. The freshman made a career-best 19 points, and also led the blue and gold in rebounds with seven boards. Behind Strange, senior guard Courtney Stoermer

FRESHMAN FACEOFF AND SENIOR STANDOFF

Portland State (1-2, 0-0 Big Sky)

Utah State (X-X)

at

Logan, Utah 2 p.m. Men’s basketball

Portland State (11-10, 4-5 Big Sky)

Northern Colorado (11-9, 7-2 Big Sky)

at

Greeley, Colo. 6:05 p.m. WHL hockey

Tri-City Americans (32-13-2-1, 67 pts)

at

Portland Winterhawks (34-15-0-3, 71 pts)

Portland Memorial Coliseum 7 p.m. Hockey club

Santa Rosa JC

at

Portland State

Winterhawks Skating Center, Beaverton 8 p.m.

Sunday Men's tennis

Gonazaga (2-2)

at

Portland State (0-3)

Club Green Meadows Vancouver, Wash. 9:30 a.m.

Sophomore guard Courtney VanBrocklin

PORTLAND STATE

NORTHERN COLORADO

Hockey club

Big Sky women’s basketball standings Santa Rosa JC

School Northern Colorado Montana State Idaho State Portland State Montana Eastern Washington Northern Arizona Weber State Sacramento State

Big Sky Overall 7-1 6-1 4-3 4-3 4-3 4-3 2-5 1-5 0-8

12-9 12-9 13-7 11-9 9-11 8-11 7-13 5-13 3-18

Home 10-1 5-3 8-0 7-1 6-5 6-2 6-6 3-8 2-7

at

Away Streak 2-6 6-4 4-7 3-8 3-4 2-7 1-7 1-4 1-9

W6 L1 W2 W3 W1 L2 L4 L2 L12

Portland State

Winterhawks Skating Center, Beaverton 8 p.m. NBA

Allie Brock

Kelli Valentine

D’Shara Strange

Lauren Oosdyke

Freshman forward

Senior forward

Freshman guard

Senior guard

4.8

10

Points per game

10.4

13.8

3.1

4.8

Rebounds per game

6.1

5.8

8

53

Total assists

33

5.8

Portland Trail Blazers (26-23)

at

Cleveland, Ohio 4:30 p.m.

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-41)


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