Daily Vanguard December 4, 2009

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 43

Event of the day uard Vang Guide 2009

Holiday

Look inside to find the Vanguard’s 2009 Holiday Guide.

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INSIDE NEWS Urban Plaza: centralized location for transportation needs Urban Plaza becoming home to new Bike Hub PAGE 2

rec center

OPINION

A more accurate Christmas story Christmas commercialism is a long-standing holiday tradition PAGE 4

ARTS

Drinking through the holidays Stay warm with winter beers this weekend PAGE 9

All photos on left side courtesy of Vanguard Archives

Before: The rec center pool (top) and basketball court (bottom) in January of 2009.

2010 comes bearing gifts: a new rec center The long-awaited debut of new rec center reaches fruition next term Ryan Pemberton

Keeping it Superfresh Start the year off right with a heavy dose of local dance jams PAGE 10

SPORTS

Player profile: Aaron Woods Portland State football’s all-time leading returner reflects on his last season PAGE 12

All photos on right side by Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard

After: (Top) The rec center pool currently. (Below) The basketball court currently.

Vanguard staff

At noon on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010, the new Portland State recreation center will be open for business.

According to the Campus Recreation Web site, the initial proposal for a new recreation center was first made in 1987, making this building a long-awaited, much-needed resource for Portland State students.

“We want students to use this amazing resource in which they have invested,” said Alex Accetta, director of Campus Rec. “We would also like to let students know that we are asking for their patience as we engage in this new enterprise.”

The new rec center will be available to any Portland State student taking one credit or more during the winter term. Students must possess a PSU OneCard with a photo on it to get into the new rec center. If a student

has a OneCard without a photo, they can stop by ID Services in the lobby of Neuberger Hall to get their picture taken and be issued a new ID card.

Perks of the student membership include: free access to the climbing wall (though certification is required), free GroupX classes, affordable personal training, intramural sports programs, outdoor program trips and equipment rentals.

Reserved lockers and towels will be available for a monthly fee. Day-use lockers will be free, provided students bring their own locks. Reserved locker rentals will be available at 7 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, on a first-come, firstserved basis.

For more information about Campus Recreation programs and the new rec center, visit www.campusrec.pdx.edu.

“This building is certainly something in which we think [the students] will be proud,” Accetta said. “It demonstrates our commitment to living healthy lives which ultimately helps students be successful academically. We are here to support that mission.”

In pieces: The rec center running track in January of 2009.

Student thoughts “I’m really excited for the new B-ball courts. I play intramurals, and I can’t wait to rock some B-ball on those shiny new courts.”

—Nick Gable, senior “I just cancelled my membership at my gym, so I could use the one in the new rec center—I might as well since it’s free and at my disposal.

The new rec center is saving me money already!”

—Lorenzo Laurence, junior “I’m looking forward to the Equipment Rental Center finally getting an upgrade. They’ve been operating out of a tiny garage for as long as I’ve been a student here.

I think this will help people utilize that resource more now, too.”

—Carla Browning, sophomore

Rec center opening events: Sunday, Jan. 3, noon The rec center will open for the first time.

Monday, Jan. 4 Sustainability Tours and a ReRev Challenge—ReRev is a system on the ellipticals that generates electricity back to the building.

Tuesday, Jan. 5 Multicultural Recreation—Hula lessons from the Pacific Islander Club, multiple other clubs tabling and opportunities to learn about recreation like badminton, table tennis, tango, cricket and more.

Thursday, Jan. 7 Accessibility—A demonstration of wheelchair sports and a chance to participate as well. There may also be goalball, a sport for the visually impaired.

Friday, Jan. 8 A student vs. faculty/staff basketball game sponsored by ASPSU. The ceremonial grand opening is Monday, Feb. 22, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Almost finished product: The rec center running track as it stands now.

Vanguard 2 | News December 4, 2009

Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Danielle Kulczyk News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Shannon Vincent Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Jennifer Wolff Chief Copy Editor Jennifer Wolff Calendar Editor Matthew Kirtley Advertising Manager Judson Randall Adviser Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Marketing Manager Kelsey Chinen Associate News Editor Virginia Vickery Production Assistants Bryan Morgan, Charles Cooper Williams

Writers Kate Alexander, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Klara CachauHansgardh, Maeve Connor, Meaghan Daniels, Erica DeCouteau, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Ed Johnson, Carrie Johnston, Mark Johnston, Zoe Kellett, Tamara K. Kennedy, Anita Kinney, Gogul Krishnan, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Holly K. Millar, Stephanie Fine Sasse, Wendy Shortman, Catrice Stanley, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Allison Whited Photographers Aaron Leopold, Rodrigo Melgarejo, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editor Robert Seitzinger Advertising Sales Matthew Kirtley, Ana SanRoman, Jae Specht, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Shannon Vincent Contact Editor-in-Chief 503-725-5691 editor@dailyvanguard.com Advertising Manager 503-725-5686 ads@dailyvanguard.com The Vanguard is chartered to publish four days a week as an independent student newspaper by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subcription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

Copyright © 2009 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26, Portland, Ore., 97201

NEWS Furlough closure What students need to know about Dec. 19–28 Sarah J. Christensen Vanguard staff

Portland State will be closed from Dec. 19–28 for mandatory furlough days. Furlough days, or leave days, are required for all, classified and unclassified staff.

For students, this will mean many services and amenities will not be available, so they should plan accordingly.

Urban Plaza: centralized location for transportation needs Coming and going: With the MAX, bus lines, the streetcar and new Bike Hub, Urban Plaza is the “front door to PSU.”

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Office of Student Financial Aid The financial aid office will be completely closed down. Disbursements will be placed in students’ accounts on Dec. 28 due to the holiday.

Urban Plaza becoming home to new Bike Hub Maeve Connor Vanguard staff

Registration and Records office The registration office in Neuberger Hall will be closed. However, online registration through Banweb will still be available to students.

University Housing Administration offices will be closed, but resident assistants, mail clerks and front-desk attendants will be operating as usual.

Dining All Portland State-operated dining services will be closed.

This includes the Victor’s in Ondine dining hall, Viking Court and The Meetro Cafe.

Transportation and Parking Services Garages will be open, but unmonitored. Parking from Dec. 18– 28 will be free.

Center for Student Health and Counseling SHAC will be closed, but afterhours nurses will be available for phone consultation by calling 503-725-2800. Urgent messages left for SHAC will be answered the next business day.

Dental services

Urban Plaza, the area between Southwest Mill and Montgomery streets and Southwest Fifth and Sixth avenues, has become a transportation hub for Portland State and for all of Portland, with access to public transit and, this January, the new Bike Hub. Portland State owns Urban Plaza, and it was intended to be a “front door to PSU,” according to a publication from the Portland Development Commission.

In 1994, Portland State secured a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to undertake a master-plan study for the area. This master plan’s findings—similar to those of Portland State’s University District Plan, already in place— recommended improved retail and transit facilities, along with residential development.

The goal was to transform campus into a vibrant urban neighborhood.

Construction of Urban Plaza began in June 1998 and was completed in January 2000. It is the home of the Urban Center, the Portland State Bookstore, the new rec center, retail facilities and a variety of transit options.

TriMet’s presence has made the

Debate Team won latest competition, now 3 for 5

Online services

The Portland State Debate Team landed their third consecutive win this year at the 79th annual Mahaffey Memorial Debate Tournament in McMinnville.

The Debate Team is currently ranked 52nd in the world.

Portland State debate team partners Aaron Baker and Lindsay Bing took first place and Sean Partch and Kelly Welch took third place.

Kelly Welch, Debate Team student coordinator, also went on to win the Individual Top Speaker Award for the third consecutive year.

Two Portland State teams in the novice division were semifinalists: Klara Cachau-Hansgardh and Katie

Peter W. Stott Center The Stott Center will be closed to students for everything except for prescheduled sporting events.

This will mean no open gym times, etc.

Ian Stude, transportation options manager for Transportation and Parking Services.

It is a goal of the Bike Hub to encourage commuters to try cycling, and transit riders are part of the target, Stude said.

The Bike Hub will offer retail service, professional repair service and seminars and workshops, in addition to being a place where students can work on their bikes like the Bike Co-op currently is.

While seminars and workshops have not been officially planned, Stude hopes to offer them on topics such as bike mechanics, route planning and safety.

The larger size means they can have a larger staff and a larger range of products.

The Bike Hub being in the Urban Plaza will make the area a centralized location for transportation needs, said Clint Culpepper, Bike Hub supervisor and former bike mechanic.

The Urban Plaza has become a very important node for the university, Zalkow said.

He explained that the South Park Blocks used to be the center of campus, and now the campus has two centers. Zalkow believes that the development of the Urban Plaza has created more interest in developing the area surrounding it, and that the importance of public transit and biking in the Urban Plaza shows the tremendous focus on promoting alternative modes of transportation at Portland State.

Portland State Debate Team gets third consecutive win of the season

The office will be closed, though emergency calls to the office will be answered the next day and there will be one dentist available for emergencies.

The Office of Information and Technology will be closed, but all online systems will still be operational. These include: Blackboard, Banweb, Webmail and the library Web site.

Urban Plaza a transportation hub, and the Urban Plaza is the busiest public transit station in the Portland metropolitan area.

TriMet was involved in planning the Urban Plaza, but mostly they just happen to be there, said Mary Fetsch, TriMet communications director.

Fetsch acknowledged that many people travel to Portland State using TriMet. Five million people visit Portland State annually, and according to the Portland Development Commission, approximately 30 percent use public transit to get there.

In a survey conducted in 2005, 38 percent of Portland State student respondents used public transit to get to campus.

“Having the Green Line is a plus,” Fetsch said about the newest MAX line.

The Bike Hub is also coming soon to the Urban Center, located in the Urban Plaza. While the Urban Plaza is already a transportation hub, with the new Bike Hub, it will become the multimodal center of the university region, said Dan Zalkow, associate director and planner for Housing and Transportation Services.

The Bike Co-op has long-existed in a 200-square-foot room, but it is moving into a 2,000-square-foot room in the Urban Center and will expand to offer services beyond the scope of the original Co-op.

“It is extremely advantageous to have a bicycle facility directly adjacent to a MAX platform,” said

Zoe Kellett Vanguard staff

Slayden, and Rett Mutchler and Molly Shove.

“We owe so much of our success to our head coach, Chris Richter,” Welch said. “Furthermore, our group operates like a team, and we are so unified in our goals as a group that we provide mutual support and encouragement in developing all of our members as thinkers, speakers and competitors.”

Teams are given only 15 minutes of preparation to create their case, after receiving the debate topic.

“At any given tournament, we can discuss between five and nine different topics through the entirety of the competition, and all of us have become avid readers of current events as a result,” Welch said.

To prepare for a debate competition, the team reads news magazines such as The Economist and regularly checks news Web sites like CBC or CNN to keep up on international issues.

Photo courtesy of Chris Richter

Portland State Debate Team

The Debate Team meets every Monday and Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 323, and is open to all Portland State students. Interested students should e-mail psudebate@ gmail.com for more information.

“There is no better group of people with whom I’d prefer to spend my time,” Welch said.

[Editor’s note: Klara CachauHansgardh is a Vanguard employee.]

Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff

Three programs housed in the School of Social Work recently received a total of $11.1 million in federal grants to help at-risk youth.

The Regional Research Institute (RRI) was awarded $3.2 million from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to test the benefits of intervention to strengthen relationships of siblings in foster care.

A total of $4.2 million was awarded to the Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Center for Mental Health Services for young adults with serious mental conditions.

A nearly $3.7 million federal investment was announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The money will be used to expand the Reclaiming Futures model into three more juvenile drug courts across the country over the next four years.

“With this latest investment, the Reclaiming Futures model will now be in 26 communities across the nation,” said Laura Nissen, national program director for Reclaiming Futures, in a statement released Oct. 26. “We are honored that the federal government is supporting this innovative approach and helping us spread the model to even more communities where teens need our help.”

With its additional dollars, Pathways will focus on the transition to adulthood of young people with serious mental health conditions. Co-directed by Nancy Koroloff and Janet Walker, Pathways incorporates research, training and dissemination projects informed by the voices of young people with serious mental health conditions and grounded in positive youth development and recovery approaches, according to a press release.

Lew Bank, RRI principal investigator, and co-investigators Laurie Powers, Sarah Geenen and Bowen McBeath will use the NIMH funds to carry out the five-year study of foster care. They will collaborate with the Oregon Social Learning Center, the Oregon Department of Human Services and child welfare offices in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Marion counties.

This is the first experimental study funded on the topic, according to a press release.

Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Laura Nissen: Portland State social work professor and director of Reclaiming Futures.

Millions

Vanguard News | 3 December 4, 2009

for at-risk

youth Follow us on Twitter! @psuvanguard

Federal grant money for Portland State social work programs

News Editor: Danielle Kulczyk 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com

Happy holidays!

Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Jim Carlton: Research associate in Portland State’s School of Social Work.

Good luck on finals and have a safe and happy holiday break. See you in 2010!

Vanguard 4 |4Opinion | News December February January Month Day, 23, 13, 4, 2009

Opinion Editor: Richard D. Oxley 503-725-5692 opinion@dailyvanguard.com

What do you think?

Are college degrees worth it?

Higher education offers a number of choices from which school to attend to areas of study. We’ve all heard the clichés referencing unused college degrees, but is time spent at a university really a waste of time for some people? After all, who can put a price on knowledge or enlightenment?

The perception of what the college experience should be may vary from the vocational career driven path, to the opportunity to expand one’s intellectual horizons.

What do you think? Why are you attending college? Are some degrees really not worth the tuition or is there something gained beyond what money can buy? Are some degrees more valuable than others, or does it all depend upon the person, or who you know in the end? So many questions, and only you hold the answer .

Leave a comment online or write a letter to the editor and email it to opinion@ dailyvanguard.com.

Let us know what you think.

OPINION A more accurate Christmas story Christmas commercialism is a long-standing holiday tradition Patrick Guild Vanguard staff

Are you sick of all the materialism that comes with the holiday season?

I’m sorry to say that much of the commercialism we deem “modern” has roots extending back many centuries, when America’s ideas of Christmas were being formed. Credit cards and layaway are as much a part of Christmas traditions as sleigh bells and Aunt Ida’s fruit cake.

Americans are under the impression that we are at the zenith of civilization, that no other culture before us has been so advanced, so intelligent, so materialistic.

This misconception has lead to a general paranoia that we have lost our way in this modern world.

Christmas traditions are no exception. A quick examination of the holiday season’s history reveals that commercialism has been a part of the Christmas experience in America for as long as it has been celebrated.

Christmas wasn’t officially a holiday in the U.S. until 1870, but the New York Historical Society, founded in 1804, propagated the Dutch practice of gift giving at Christmas.

The group’s patron saint was St. Nicholas who would leave toys and fruit in stockings over a fireplace.

A member of the society, writer Washington Irving, helped to create one of the first modern images of the Dutch Sinterklaas (a shortened form of Sint Nikolaas) in his depictions of

the saint as an elf who traveled from house to house in New York.

Stores began to advertise Christmas specials as early as 1820 with pictures of the new American image of Santa Claus. In 1841, J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress as the German Santa, Kris Kringle (a corruption of Christkindl, or “Christ child”), and attract customers into his store.

The man who holds the distinction as the first

based on cartoonist Thomas Nast’s popular interpretations.In Brockton, Edgar is remembered as a beloved philanthropist who truly embodied the spirit of Christmas and the fictional character he portrayed.

Children came from as far as Boston, Mass., and Providence, R.I., to see a living Santa. The next year, large department stores like Macy’s and Gimbels in New York City caught on and featured their own costumed Santas.

It seems that the

Kira Meyrick/Portland State Vanguard

department store Santa, however, is James Edgar, owner of Edgar’s Department Store in Brockton, Mass. In 1890, Edgar, who had previously dressed as a clown and pirate to entertain children in his store, had a Santa costume made

shopping season begins earlier every year.

According to The New York Times, Black Friday really did begin an hour earlier this year at major chains like J.C. Penney and Kohl’s. But what if the shopping season was changed to a week earlier? From 1939 to 1941,

President Franklin Roosevelt decided to move Thanksgiving up a week so the shopping season would be longer.

Before 1939, Thanksgiving was on the last Thursday of November. That meant that it would sometimes land on the 29th or 30th of November, making it the fifth Thursday of the month. Lew Hahn, general manager of the Retail Dry Goods Association, warned the president of the potential adverse effects a shortened shopping season could have on a Depressionera economy. Roosevelt listened and moved Thanksgiving from Nov. 30 to Nov. 23. It was so unpopular and ineffectual that it came to be deemed “Franksgiving.”

In 1942, a compromise was reached and Thanksgiving was changed to the fourth Thursday of November.

The buying frenzy that occurs in the weeks leading up to Christmas is an important part of our flailing economy. A study

by Ball State University found that $1 out of every $6 spent each year occurs during the holiday season. That’s money going to tree suppliers, retail salespersons and countless overlooked jobs in the retail industry. Seasonal jobs are created that help absorb some of the thousands of unemployed in the country. It’s easy to view large department stores as faceless, outsourced corporations, and most of them are. But don’t forget about the cashier trying to pay off her student loans or the elderly greeter at Walmart forced to go back to work because of low Social Security benefits. The gifts we buy help more than just our loved ones. Tip a little heavier, buy the bigger tree and participate in one of our country’s truest, oldest traditions—taking care of our fellow man.

Worth your while—and tuition Some degrees aren’t worth what you pay Natalia Grozina Vanguard staff

These days, networking is synonymous with having a successful career. No matter how big your office is, how good your marketing team does to create colorful and engaging advertisements, how creative your computer skills are or how many degrees you have, it is the quality of relationships you have established in your life with your family, friends, clients and—more than anything else—with everyone you don’t know that determines the success of your personal and career life.

I say this as a response to an article written by The Oregonian on Nov. 24 titled, “Is a college degree worth what it costs?” My answer to this question: it depends on the degree you obtain.

After looking at a few degree options at some universities in the U.S., I came to the conclusion that a major in film, religion, art history, philosophy, communications, dance and so forth is worthless.

Here is why: If you are paying a large portion of your money on an art history degree, chances are the profit you make will not outweigh the money you spent to obtain a degree.

More than likely, the only thing you can do with this degree is work for a museum. Each museum I have been to only employs one man who silently reads The New York Times in his booth. I highly doubt there are many positions open in this field.

Another example is philosophy.

Sorry, but this isn’t ancient Greece anymore. Sure, going to school is supposed to be a learning experience, but no one in the real world is going to pay you to explain to them something about existence from the hundreds of books you read. Thousands of dollars to pay for a philosophy degree is pretty absurd, as you can just spend $20 dollars for some weed and get a library card.

On the same page as philosophy is a major in religion. Really? Unless you want to work as a receptionist at the Christian Science Reading Room in Southeast Portland for the rest of your life after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on this degree from Duke University, go for it. If not, you know the answer.

And lastly, lets clear up the confusion about film and dance.

No one in Hollywood is going to care about your short animation about some alcoholic who finds the meaning of life. Unless you know someone working in Hollywood as a film director, good luck. And then there is dance. Besides having to clarify yourself about the type of “dancing for money” you do every time you tell people about your career, there are also no jobs for people who are mediocre dancers.

Dance is like art: You have to have imagination and creativity, as well as the dance moves and flexibility for a dance degree and unfortunately, imagination for a choreographed routine is not something you can pay to obtain.

You have to be born with it.

So all in all, is a college degree worth your money? Yeah, if you are smart enough to choose the right path. But more so, even if you don’t choose to go into science because organic chemistry is not your forte, the knowledge you gain in school will only take you so far. Emotional intelligence, as in having the emotional abilities rather than academic ones is what will take you far.

According to Gal Baras, in an article he wrote on business for www.ezinearticles.com, “Over 70 percent of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by ’word of mouth,’ so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.” Networking, more than ever, is the new way to gain a successful life.

Granted, not every person is a social butterfly and many still don’t have profiles on Facebook, MySpace or any other social network. But like all things in life, networking is also a skill that must be learned.

Not everyone will like your product, or want you to try to sell it to them. But overall, the 21st century has definitely become so technologically dependent that it is no longer about your degree. In other, more encouraging words, a bachelor’s degree from Portland State compared to a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University is not about the quality of education we might be missing out on, but rather the network and the people we might meet who can put us in touch with potential employers.

Vanguard Holiday Guide 2009 Use this page to wrap your favorite gift!

Vanguard 6 | Holiday Guide December 4, 2009

December holidays and remembrances Dec. 5: AFL-CIO Day Dec. 6: St. Nichol’s Day Dec. 7: Islamic New Year Dec. 7: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Dec. 10: Dewey Decimal System Day Dec. 10: Human Rights Day Dec. 10: Nobel Prize Day Dec. 15: Bill of Rights Day Dec. 17: Wright Brothers Day Dec. 20: International Human Solidarity Day Dec. 21: World Peace Day Dec. 21: Winter Solstice Dec. 25: Christmas Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Dec. 31: World Peace Meditation Day

HOLIDAY GUIDE R O E P S S AD ME HOL DAY CH I ER E Socially conscious alternatives to balance out your holiday karma Mark Johnston Vanguard staff

Your mommy bought you a new PlayStation, grandma bought you a new snowboard, but do you really need more crap filling your dorm room? This winter, instead of spending your holiday money on trips to Canada or another Simpsons DVD set, why not donate your time or unused items to those that actually need it this season?

All over Portland, thousands of people have nowhere to go and nothing to eat. Some of these fabulous charities could really use your help and much-needed materials for those less fortunate.

Portland Rescue Mission was founded in 1949 in a tireless commitment to “break the cycle of homelessness.” At their original location they still offer men’s services, from initial offerings to transitional living. The organization also offers services to women and children from their Shepherd’s Door location that has provided transitional services for almost a decade. For

Give the gift of geekiness this holiday season Robert Seitzinger Vanguard staff

Ah, winter break. There are no lectures or projects, it’s frickin’ cold outside and you’ll want something to kill time in the place of walking to and sleeping through class.

Lucky for you, we scoured the interwebs for gifts to give the geeks, dorks and nerds in your life. They’ll clap their hands like a child given a sparkler, adjust their pocket protectors and smile toothily when they unwrap the gems listed below.

Enjoy the geek-out!

For the best-dressed dork xkcd clothing Varying prices Where to find: store.xkcd.com Yup, the über-dweebs at xkcd can bring dorkdom to any holiday gathering, especially if the partiers are sporting ties with stick figures and T-shirts with Linux shortcuts. Their shirts run around $20 apiece and there are also polos for sale for the dork who likes to look professional.

the holidays, Portland Rescue Mission has set up a Web site that people can register at and view a Christmas wish list from the men, women and children in the Mission’s recovery program. Interested parties can contact them via their Web site at www.portlandrescuemission.org, or by calling 503-MISSION (503-647-7466).

Operation Nightwatch opened their doors in 1981, beginning as a street ministry approaching the city’s homeless and eventually opening a hospitality center. They supply blankets, clothing and personal hygiene items at a time of day when no other helping agency is open.

Needed donations (distributed for free to people experiencing poverty and homelessness) from Operation Nightwatch include adult clothing, blankets, guitar strings, backpacks and sleeping bags, new underwear and socks, travel-size hygiene items, TriMet tickets and nonperishable food items. Volunteers are also needed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers can sign up by contacting Operation Nightwatch at volunteer@downtownchapel. org or by calling 503-228-0746, extension 13.

Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard

Portland Rescue Mission: A cornerstone of charity that has helped thousands since its founding.

Rose Haven has been serving the needs of Portland’s less fortunate women and children for over 10 years by providing life-sustaining services and assistance in obtaining help. Rose Haven offers referral and advocacy services to housing, legal aid, medical and mental health care. The agency serves over 100 people a week, providing everything from medical aid to legal assistance for a myriad of issues that face their clients. Items can be donated directly to Rose Haven at their downtown location at 627 NW 18th Ave. Items currently needed include blankets, coats, shoes, socks, gloves, TriMet tickets, hygiene items, women’s and children’s clothing, phone cards, gift gas cards and non-perishable food items. As with the other agencies, volunteers are needed at Rose Haven as well. Those interested can contact volunteer coordinator Ellen Lubrano at 503-248-6364, extension 305.

Transition Projects is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1969 to serve homeless single adults

in their transition from homelessness to housing. Their founding mission states that they aim “to provide lodging, food and other assistance for poor and homeless men.”

Now in their 40th year of community service, Transition Projects boasts an adult shelter, youth shelter, an alcohol and drug outpatient program, day shelter, an employment program, a cleanup center and many other programs. Volunteers are needed to assist in running the agency’s computer centers as well as providing meals and other tasks.

Interested parties can contact Transition Projects at volunteer@ tprojects.org.

Before you pop open your eggnog and toast to barely passing your chemistry final or run off to Mt. Hood for an impromptu snowboarding trip, take time to think about those who could really use the bare essentials that you may be taking for granted. A little bit of your time, or a small donation could mean life and death to someone.

For the gaming geek Valve Complete Pack $99.99 Where to find: store.steampowered.com There’s no better way to spread holiday cheer than sitting in front of a TV and shooting the life out of assorted bad guys and monsters.

Younger siblings and antisocial uncles will be only too happy to join you in playing this collection of games while ignoring the rest of the family.

Of the 22 games included, Left 4 Dead 2 draws the most attention and for good reason. It’s got enough gore to satisfy any geek’s bloodlust, as evidenced by its ban in Australia—you know a game is plenty raw when a continent of foulmouthed, kangarooheadbutting drunkards find a game too violent for the public’s good.

For the geek in a galaxy far, far away Star Wars flash drives $39.99 Where to find: www.thinkgeek.com Has someone at work cracked a joke about Greedo shooting first? Do they think their hometown should be renamed Cloud City? Then you

All photos courtesy of www.xkcd.com

Get your geek on: Be sure to spread dorky yuletide this holiday season.

can’t go wrong with a flash drive featuring a Star Wars character.

Four gigabytes of storage will be protected by Darth Vader or Yoda, because who’s gonna steal a geek’s flash drive?

For the narcissistic nerd Personalized bobble head Varying prices, start at $75 Where to find: whoopassenterprises.com There are some nerds who feel like the acme of man, and they will want to be memorialized in a way more lasting than a photo post on 4chan. Here’s what you do: Make the self-absorbed dork a bobble head doll of themselves!

Send a photo to the folks at Whoopass Enterprises and they’ll send back a mockup of the bobble head free of charge that can be set to one of their dozens of styles. They’re not cheap, but a holiday special is being offered—log on and place your order on the hop!

For the dorky hypochondriac Swine Flu Survival Kit $14.99 Where to find: www.stupid.com H1N1 isn’t drawing the attention it did a few months ago, meaning it’s less of a health scare now and more of a joke. Nerds, however, are obsessive-compulsive piles of craziness, so they’ll want some items to assert their healthiness.

Bacon Band-Aids and floss are a good way to calm down the pig-flufearing dork. The sight of swineshaped soap will help them see that the “epidemic” is just a bunch of hogwash.

hOLIDAY GUIDE

Still

Last-minute holiday shopping locations near campus

stalking

University Market

Santa

Robert Britt/Portland State Vanguard

The Vanguard ’s secondannual mall Santa rating extravaganza Vanguard staff

Theodora Karatzas/Portland State Vanguard

Robert Britt/Portland State Vanguard

Classy Santa: The kindest, classiest Santa

you will ever meet is at Bridgeport Village.

Santas of Portland: Left, Bridgeport Village; top, Washington Square; bottom, Pioneer Place.

Hurry up and don’t waste any more time, head out and hop onto a Santa lap near you!

Bridgeport Village

Washington Square

Lloyd Center

Pioneer Place

“Classy” Santa

“Spaced Out” Santa

“Velvet Rope” Santa

The “Real Deal” Santa

Décor: 9

Décor: 5

Décor: 3.5

Décor: 7

Santa has his very own house set up next to the mall’s fountain and outdoor Christmas tree. Elves are there to help you choose the perfect photo package and tend to crying patrons, and let’s face it, there are always a few weepers out there.

Your typical mid-mall setup near the food court escalators. Somewhat cartoony but the little ones won’t mind.

Another mid-mall attraction, but featuring the ambiance one would expect from the usual Lloyd Center environment. Wait. Where’s my wallet?

In comparison to other sites, it may appear that this display was not as extravagant, but this Santa has no need for cheap parlor tricks.

Jolliness: 2

Jolliness: 5.5

Jolliness: 10

Seemed to be high on OxyContin.

Jolliness: 7.5

Lap factor: 3

We will draw upon his jolliness for strength during the darkest of days.

Presented more of a soft kindness than a jovial ho-ho.

More frail than plump, this Santa’s tight grasp lacked the warm embrace of Christmas.

Santa appeared pleased to greet his young visitors who were granted an audience.

Lap factor: ?

From afar, he appeared to have a lap.

It brings you back to your childhood and gives you hope for the future.

Aroma: 1

Aroma: 6

Aroma: 8

Not much to go on. Definitely no cookies in the air.

Coffee and gingerbread lattes.

Starbucks was nearby.

Theo’s Creep-o-meter:

Theo’s Creep-o-meter:

Chocolate-y goodness (though the nearby Moonstruck Chocolate may have given him unfair advantage).

Lap factor: 7

It felt as sturdy as an oak tree.

Aroma: 8

With candy canes aplenty, this Santa’s shack will tickle your nose with peppermint delight.

Theo’s Creep-o-meter:

Not at all. This Santa was voted the Best Santa of the Willamette Valley by the Statesman-Journal—and they are a real newspaper.

The overflowing fountain next to the electric lights of the tree increases the “shock” value of this Santa experience. But inside “Classy” Santa’s house is everything you come to expect from your photo excursion to the North Pole.

A trip here will not disappoint, and will certainly leave you full of jolly Christmas cheer.

Located in Smith Memorial Student Union, this market has items for gift baskets and PSU logo items for your parents.

They also have a lot of different greeting cards for the relatives if you don’t feel like being impersonal with e-mail cards. Don’t forget that the store will be closed during PSU’s upcoming furlough days, Dec. 19–28.

Safeway

Robert Britt, Richard D. Oxley, Theodora Karatzas and Danielle Kulczyk

Some things are synonymous with the holidays: Spiked ’nog, the tearing of wrapping paper, clothes from grandma that you will never wear and mall Santas. No matter who you are, it’s hard to garner negative feelings about good ol’ St. Nick.

With plenty of Santas to go around in Portland—all providing a comfortable lap for you to relay your Christmas wishes—four Vanguard editors hit the pavement to find the right portly impostor for you.

Vanguard Holiday Guide | 7 December 4, 2009

Let’s just say Theo was not comfortable with this Santa. Her exact words are best left out of print.

During our visit, “Spaced Out” Santa failed to offer any candy or ask what we wanted for Christmas.

Santa’s helpers did not don the typical elf-like attire one would expect from jolly ol’ St. Nick’s workshop, but rather from Crazy Eddie’s Used Car Emporium.

Overall, this Santa experience covers your basic holiday needs, with no frills for your photo op.

Children may enjoy their short walk through this Christmas-cookiecutter display of the North Pole.

We may never know.

If this Santa was a nightclub, you better be on the list. In order for us to see Santa, we had to go through two levels of employees and we were told they needed to “check with corporate” before granting us press access.

We can only assume the “Velvet Rope” Santa experience involves champagne and B-list celebrities.

From a distance, he seemed genuine down to his white beard. We were eventually notified hours after our visit that Santa would be available for interview later that evening, but by then we were downtown enjoying the Holiday Ale Fest.

Located at the corner of Southwest 10th Avenue and Jefferson Street, it may seem like a bit of an odd place to do your holiday shopping, but their selection is a lot bigger than you might think—holiday mugs, ornaments, candy and cards. As a college student knows, money for groceries is always tight, so giving a gift card for food isn’t a bad idea either.

Pioneer Place A little bit farther from campus, but well worth the effort.

Many department and specialty stores to choose from, everything available for young cousins to grandparents.

Everyone on your list can be treated to a nice holiday gift.

Saturday Market

Lap factor: 10

Theo’s Creep-o-meter:

How dare you say that about Santa?

Once again, this “Real Deal” Santa tops our charts as the most Santastical in all the land. Even with simplistic décor, this Santa warmed the hearts of everyone around him.

As far as we are concerned, this is St. Nicholas himself.

No barriers could keep this Santa from working the room, bringing joy to old and young alike—and we got coloring books to boot. If we could, we would spend all day with this jolly red giant of Christmas enchantment. This Santa could brighten the atmosphere of a maximum-security prison.

The market is located at Southwest Ankeny Street and Naito Parkway. The market will be open until Dec. 24, so there’s plenty of time to get unique gifts for your unique friends. You’ll find vendors from across the state selling their goods here. Don’t forget that the market will be closed until the next Saturday Market season opens.

Plaid Pantry At the corner of Southwest Mill Street and Park Avenue lies a super-quick holiday gift location. The gifts aren’t as personal and creative, but sometimes a six-pack of Mountain Dew is all your roommate really needs anyway.

The Vanguard

tuesday wednesday thursday friday Get your daily dose.

Vanguard 8 | Holiday Guide December 4, 2009

PSU holiday events

Holiday guide merry mixology

PSU Symphony Orchestra Bloch International Jubilee Event The Portland State University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Ken Selden, presents the Destinies and Destinations concert in celebration of the Ernest Bloch International Jubilee.

All photos by Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Mmm, such a nice, sweet holiday treat. Serve in a mug.

Irish-style hot chocolate

$12 general admission, $10 seniors admission, free for students with PSU ID Where: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Northwest 17th Avenue and Davis Street When: Dec. 4, 2009, 8 p.m.

Native American Christmas Bazaar Vendors from the Native American community presenting Native Americaninspired items: beaded Christmas balls, jewelry, pine needle baskets, used books, star quilts, hats, soup and fry bread, family portraits and much more.

Where: Native American Community Center, 710 SW Jackson St. When: Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fuel for your holiday cheer Richard D. Oxley Vanguard staff

The holidays have been known for the cheer they inspire, and perhaps even a fair amount of humbuggery. Either way, one thing we all can enjoy is a nice nip of a Yuletide cheer here and there.

Everyone has their own favorites and possibly their own recipes. Here are some simple and easy standards, and maybe even a couple new ideas to pour down the hatch this winter. And, of course, the Vanguard would like to remind you to drink responsibly this season.

Hot Toddy

Irish Black Russian

It’s nothing new, but it sure is tasty and works wonders for a sore throat when you have the sniffles. Plus, it’s a warm, simple pleasure on a cold evening. In a coffee mug, take a slice of lemon and squeeze it dry. Throw the slice in while you’re at it. Cover the lemon in honey, and then cover that in brandy. Finally, fill the rest of the mug with hot water.

Also known by a plethora of other similar titles. This one is good to drink year round, but just goes especially well on a snowy night.

You basically make a Black Russian (shot of vodka and a shot of Kahlua) in the bottom of a highball glass.

Give it a couple squirts of cola and top it all off with Guinness. You can replace the vodka with whiskey if your tastes prefer. This one is a good choice for coffee lovers.

Eggnog If you need instructions on this, then you shouldn’t be drinking. Take your eggnog and put booze in it. Rum, Goldschläger, brandy, whatever.

Holiday cider Who doesn’t like a good cup of cider? On your stove, fill a large pot with a gallon of apple cider, sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg, then splash in a bunch of rum to taste.

Helpful hint: Instead of messing up your stovetop, use a Crock-Pot.

Glühwein The Germans never fail when it comes to fine drinks. Glühwein is a form of mulled wine that is basically spiced red wine served hot. You can pick up bottles of it at German markets. But just consider the bottles as base. The trick is to add a little rum—or spiced rum—while heating it on the stove. This not only adds a little kick, it also makes up for the alcohol naturally burned off.

Here’s another simple-yet-cozy drink. Hot chocolate is always a delight in contrast to frosted windows. Make a normal hot chocolate, and hey, don’t use the cheap stuff. You know what I’m talking about. Use a nice hot chocolate mix and throw in a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Scotch sour For those of us with a bit more refined taste, a Scotch sour comes as a welcomed warm up. Don’t use a lower-shelf Scotch, and personally I don’t like Johnny Walker, but if that is your preference, then please go right on ahead. You can use an oldfashioned glass for this. Throw in a shot of scotch and a shot of cherry brandy. Then add a dash of sweet vermouth and a squirt of lemon juice. As with most drinks, you can play around with the brandy, vermouth and lemon to fit your liking. I personally enjoy going heavy on the lemon juice. If you want to look extra fancy, garnish with a lemon wedge.

ARTS & CULTURE

Drinking through the holidays Stay warm with winter beers this weekend Bianca Blankenship Vanguard staff

As the school term comes to an end, what better way to celebrate the holidays than by heading downtown to the Holiday Ale Festival to try out all the new seasonal beers?

Sure, finals are still lurking next week, but this annual festival is a good excuse for a study break.

The five-day festival is hosting over 48 winter seasonal beers from all over the U.S., from abroad and of course from Portland’s own craft brewers. Some of these are made every year and reappear during the holiday season. Others are making their debut.

In addition to the seasonal ales being offered, a number of special kegs are being tapped for the event. Unlike the standard release, these limited-release beers won’t be around for the whole festival. Three or four of them are tapped each day,

and for many of these brews only a single keg has been supplied.

For the beer lovers, these limitedrelease beers are not to be missed.

Stout drinkers will have a chance to try Kona Brewing Company’s Coffee Imperial Stout, which packs a mean punch with roasted Kona coffee beans added in during the brewing process. Widmer has come out with another tasty selection, the Black Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout, a seriously dark beer that the brewery tossed plenty of locally grown raspberries into.

The stouts and porters are naturally more popular than lighter ales at the festival, as they are considered to be more wintry beers. For the beer drinker who prefers to see through their glass, rather than gaze into a pint of what might be mistaken for mud, there are other options available. Full Sail and Golden Valley are providing some lighter ales, in addition to a few others.

Be warned, though, because a lighter beer does not always point to a lighter hangover. Barley wine is another popular holiday beer that’s

One might ask if there’s some guilt in spending $20 to booze up as the holidays approach, rather than, say, slide that money in Tiny Tim’s direction. But the Holiday Ale Festival can satisfy those urges to give, while it keeps the drinkers cheery, by helping out the Children’s Cancer Association. Proceeds from coat check and from tips for the free handcrafted root beer—made especially for designated drivers—will go to the Portland-based nonprofit organization.

And if spending $20 for 10 beer tickets and a souvenir mug still seems too big a price, it’s not too late to sign up as a volunteer. Volunteering at festivals is the secret to saving money while still having fun in this city, but shh, you didn’t hear it here. Even a three-hour volunteering stint at this festival results in free beer. Now that’s a happy holiday.

All photos by Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard

prevalent at the festival, and just as its name is tricky by nature, its crisp, fruity flavor can be deceiving because barley wines tend to fuzz up the brain as quickly as a hefty stout. Of course, that’s what makes these beers a standard winter drink— they’re guaranteed to warm us up fast.

Holiday Ale Festival Pioneer Courthouse Square Now through Dec. 6 See Web site for times: www.holidayale.com $20 for a mug and 10 tickets

Holiday Ale: Attendees will have the chance to sample local holiday beers this weekend at the festival.

Christmas in America Wendy Shortman Vanguard staff

In his new book, Tinsel: A Search for America’s Christmas Present, Hank Stuever sheds light on the meaning of Christmas through the story of three different families right in the center of it all. It is the first book of its kind to give a journalistic perspective on the holiday where Americans spend $500 billion, even during a recession.

“I hope that [the book] really is Christmas as close to truth as it can possibly get,” Stuever said. “There’s a lot about my book that’s difficult, a lot is funny, warm and a lot of joy.

I feel that a real balanced account of Christmas would have all of that.”

The author’s inspiration came from seeing the book sections of stores like Barnes & Noble and Powell’s during this time of year, and their huge sections of Christmas books. In that section, Stuever noted

the typical Christmas book—either a Hallmark sort of novel or books by popular novelists about their personal childhood memories of the holidays.

“It surprised me that journalists hadn’t really done any long narratives,” Stuever said. “There’s also a lot of really sketchy history books that are not very well researched.

Very fluffy, not a lot of journalism.”

Stuever, who has been a journalist covering the popular culture and lifestyles of everyday Americans for the last 20 years, has reported on everything from the Oscars and the Olympics, to writing about real people at shopping malls, churches and weddings. With this book, he wanted to write about a topic no journalist had ever really gotten in depth with before.

Stuever set out to uncover the reality of the modern day celebration of Christmas through the eyes of three families in a suburb of Frisco, Texas. The author spent three consecutive Christmas seasons with the families taking notes on Caroll Cavazos, Tammie Parnell and Jeff and Bridgette Trykoski.

Arts Editor: Theo Karatzas 503-725-4694 arts@dailyvanguard.com

The year’s top five movies 1. Hunger A film as beautiful as it is harrowing.

Hunger director Steve McQueen took the story of Irish revolutionary Bobby Sands and, with the careful application of painterly details, turned his suicide by hunger strike into a truly profound meditation on martyrdom. Expertly executed on all levels, this movie is the peak of cinema as art.

2. Inglourious Basterds Quentin Tarantino is as shocking, bloodthirsty and egomaniacal as ever, but you can’t argue that this anti-Nazi hate screed was not a pure thrill to behold. Longwinded? Sure. Over the top? Definitely. But Basterds’ insano plot jackhammers through its troubles as pure, visceral pleasure.

3. Humpday A quiet, quick and wholly engrossing entry into the “mumblecore” movement, Humpday— about two straight friends ostensibly trying to make gay porn together—works because it has something to say about relationships and masculinity. You know how they say something is funny because it’s true?

That’s this movie.

The reality of

Hank Stuever tells a holiday story through the eyes of three real American families

Vanguard Arts & Culture | 9 December 4, 2009

Parnell owns a Christmas-decorating business. The Trykoskis own the house that everyone in their community comes to see each year for their Christmas lights display.

Cavazos, a single mom who struggles to maintain her holiday spirit, fights the crowds at Black Friday sales.

Stuever wanted to see their lives in a long-term way—even if that meant giving up his own Christmas plans for three years.

“By the end of this book my heart melted,” Stuever said. “It had an effect on me emotionally. Christmas is this cultural steamroller that gets it all. I’ve been stopping it, but by this time I’ve let it come over me.”

Stuever followed family members as they did mundane tasks like grocery shopping, going to church and buying and wrapping presents.

But these times of the day ended up being the most revealing and useful. Those were the times where they would start talking about their Christmas past, and their own past.

“Everyone’s emotions are here on Christmas,” Stuever said. “They really open up to you; they forget that you’re there.”

Photo courtesy of www.hankstuever.com

4. The Hurt Locker Finally, a movie about the Iraq war that neither overdramatizes its effects nor undersells its horrors.

Dismantling bombs anywhere is tough work, but in the midst of a war? Kathyrn Bigelow made this film full of action thrills and sinking thoughtfulness. A rare accomplishment.

5. Up Pixar put out another movie, and it’s good.

Really good. What a surprise. This time they take on old age and depression, tether an adventure to a raft of helium and let us float away on breathtaking animation.

—Ed Johnson

His book is the story of real people following the ups and downs of real life, trying to put it all together and get the most out of the Christmas season.

“It’s like you become a really good friend, a part of the family, but I’m the part of the family that’s writing everything down.”

Reading from Hank Stuever Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside St. Tonight, 7:30 p.m. Free

Vanguard 10 | Arts & Culture December 4, 2009

Billboard Top 10 Week of Dec. 5 Pop “Watcha Say,” Jason DeRulo “Paparazzi,” Lady Gaga “Down,” Jay Sean featuring Lil’ Wayne “3,” Britney Spears “Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus “Sweet Dreams,” Beyoncé “Fireflies,” Owl City “Already Gone,” Kelly Clarkson “Replay,” Artist: Iyaz “Meet Me Halfway,” The Black Eyed Peas Rock “I Will Not Bow,” Breaking Benjamin

Keeping it Superfresh!

Start the year off right with a heavy dose of local dance jams Theodora Karatzas Vanguard staff

Portland is all about community and, in the local music scene, nothing has reflected this more than Supernature, a monthly event at Rotture focusing on local dance acts.

Now, following a highly successful festival last summer, local electronic music aficionado and event planner Manny Reyes will be teaming up with a bundle of local talent to bring us Superfresh!

Reyes, who heads up the band Atole, and his friends, Eric Mast (E*Rock) and Marius Libman (Copy), started Supernature as a way to connect not only with local musicians, but also to connect with each other.

“The three of us wanted to have a night that we could get together and hang out on a regular basis,” Reyes said. “But also the main focus of Supernature is local electronic or local dance bands, which sets it

apart from any other dance night in town. It helps everyone out and we have fun doing it.”

After over 20 runs of the monthly event, Reyes and his friends decided to take things to the next level and began planning a two-day festival deemed Superfest! that took place last summer. The festival, which featured notable artists like YACHT, Starfucker (now PYRAMIDDD) and Explode into Colors, ended up taking off and turned into something much bigger.

“In order to do that at a space like Rotture it has to be big so we made it big,” Reyes said. “It sold out [and] it was lots of fun. We didn’t have any plans to do anything like it again.

We were just going for it and it worked out so well that Rotture told us that night that we were welcome to do it again. Had you asked me if we were going to do a winter fest this summer, I would have said no, so you never know. Time tells and things change. It’s a really exciting time still so I’m just having fun.”

Using his influence and tapping into the array of talented friends he accumulated during his time in Portland, Reyes was able to snag

“Break,” Three Days Grace

some current Portland favorites like May Ling, Deelay Ceelay and Strength.

“Manny is a friend of ours and we’ve played a couple times with [him],” said Patrick Morris of Strength. “When [he] asked us to do it…we were just like, ‘Yeah, yeah!

We want to play! Manny’s putting it together, it’s going to be great.’ We trusted that Manny would come up with a cool show.”

Strength, who will be playing the second night of the festival, are currently nearing the beginning of the end in recording their second album, a project they’ve been steadily chipping away at since March of last year. They’ll be selling a new 7-inch at the event, featuring their song “Metal” and a B-side.

A major aspect of Superfresh! is the fact that it is one of the only allages events of its kind in Portland and will be featuring a number of acts that have, in the past, rarely played to the under-21 set like Glass Candy and Dat’r.

“I have a lot more fun playing all-ages shows and my favorite audience is the all-ages audience,” said Reyes. “A lot of kids had their

Superfresh!

“Wheels,” Foo Fighters

Rotture, 315 SE Third Ave. Jan. 2 and 3, 6 p.m. to midnight $12 Saturday, $10 Sunday $18 two-day pass All ages For full lineup visit www.rotture.com

“Check My Brain,” Alice in Chains “Uprising,” Artist: Muse “(If You’re Wondering If I Want To) I Want To,” Weezer “Savior,” Rise Against “Kings and Queens,” 30 seconds to Mars “Jars,” Chevelle ”If You Only Knew,” Shinedown —Billboard

Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard

Glass Candy: The electro-disco act recently performed at Rotture and

will be returning in January as a headliner for Superfresh!

first opportunity to go to something like this, whereas…I had never heard of a festival like it before.”

Deelay Ceelay, who toured nationally this fall with Starfucker, had been hesitant to take on new projects in an effort to work on recording their next album. When presented with the opportunity to be a part of Superfresh! though, the drumming duo couldn’t say no.

“There’s awesome people putting it on and a good venue and all of our favorite bands,” said band member Chris Lael Larson. “And also, playing in a band, it’s sometimes hard to go watch shows ‘cause once you play it’s super fun to go see other bands but it’s not really as fun as when you’re playing yourself. This is the best of both worlds cause you get to go to a show you really want to see and play.”

Larson was also impressed by the running of the event as more of a friendly affair and a celebration of creativity, rather than a business venture.

“They’re not people who do things to just make money or for personal gain,” Larson said. “They really truly like the music. It’s not a business proposition. They’re putting it on because it’s what they love to do.”

With a lineup that can’t disappoint, a group of people organizing the event who care and the kind of crowd that isn’t embarrassed to dance, Superfresh! looks like it will be the perfect way to ring in a new year and get out all that pent up winter energy.

“I’m excited that this one is in the dead of winter,” Larsen said.” If you can get people out—they get a little cabin fever stir crazy—so sometimes you get really crazy parties in the winter. Everyone is so cold and in their house that when you finally get out and pack people into a club, I don’t know, it’s a good energy.”

SPORTS EXTRA Player profile:

Sports Editor:

Aaron Woods Portland State football’s all-time leading returner reflects on his last season Allison Whited Vanguard staff

Aaron Woods always has a smile on his face, and the senior wide receiver and kick returner’s positivity permeates every practice and game.

If a receiver drops a ball, Woods is the kind of guy who will pull the receiver aside for a little backand-forth with the ball to rebuild confidence.

Woods, at a diminutive 5 feet 5 inches tall, has started all of his 22 games since arriving at Portland State. He is a leader in every way and a model of what can be accomplished if the work gets put in.

The Portland native and Sunset High School graduate came to Portland State two years ago after being recruited from Santa Rosa Junior College. He expected to play for former head coach Tim Walsh, but the coaching shakeup changed that.

When the coaching change happened in 2007, assistant coach Jim Craft stayed on as recruiting coordinator and Woods began talking with him about a future with the Vikings.

“That’s pretty much who brought me back up here,” Woods said.

For the Viks, it’s a good thing Craft was so persuasive.

Last season, Woods had over 1,000 yards receiving and set singleseason school records for kick returns and return yards. This season, he broke four kick return records, including the two he set last year.

When the last pigskin of this season had been tossed, Woods was the Vikings’ record holder in kick returns and return yards in a season with 53 returns for 1,314 yards. He also set the benchmark for career statistics in the same two categories,

with 88 returns for 2,222 yards.

Woods received Big Sky Conference and National Player of the Week honors for his performance against Weber State by racking up 330 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns, including a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown.

But not all aspects of Woods’ season have been so rosy.

“I felt like we were on track at the beginning of the year to go to the next level, but I felt like with the loss of [former offensive coordinator] Mouse [Davis]...we were trying to find ourselves,” he said. “But I don’t want that to sound like an excuse.”

The Viks finished the season with a 2-9 record—their worst in 27 years— and only one conference win. Woods saw a significant drop in his offensive production as well.

He racked up only 535 receiving yards whereas last year he had 1,028.

He is quick to add that he sometimes didn’t perform the way he should have.

He feels that the season started off difficult with games against Pac-10 Oregon State and conference powerhouses Montana and Weber State, and instead of these games pushing the team, they wore them down—players and coaches alike.

“That’s what happens during the football season,” Woods said. “You can’t really say that was the sole reason we didn’t achieve the wins that we should have.”

However, it can be seen in the statistics and points put up during the Weber State game that it was the pinnacle in Portland State’s performance, and the last-second loss lingered on.

The offensive struggles did not help. Known for being a pass-heavy team, the Vikings made a serious stab at the running game by tallying 1,185 rushing yards, compared to last season’s 322. However, the passing game suffered and totaled over 1,000 yards less than last year.

“We had a really, really good

Vikings shoot down Pilots Portland State defeats No. 25 U of P Robert Britt Vanguard staff

Late-game heroics by senior guard Dominic Waters led the Portland State men’s basketball team to an 86-82 upset over the Portland Pilots at the Chiles Center on Wednesday.

Aided by a Vikings defense that prevented the Pilots from scoring any field goals in the final four-anda-half minutes of the game, Waters scored 16 of his 23 total points in the last eight minutes to lead Portland State to victory after trailing by 12 points.

Waters shot six of 11 from the field, three of four from long range and eight of eight at the free-throw line. He also tied his career best of

nine assists.

The Vikings finished the game sinking 29 of 55 field goals for .527 shooting, and their 15 three-pointers ties the record at the Chiles Center.

Junior guard Melvin Jones finished with 17 points after shooting six of 15 from the field with five three-pointers. Forward Jamie Jones led the Vikings with 11 rebounds, a season high for the senior.

Junior forward Phil Nelson chalked 13 points, while junior forward Phil Guede sank four of his five attempts, nailed all three of his three-pointers and a free throw for 12 points.

The victory brings Portland State to 2-4 on the season and is the fourth consecutive win over the cross-town rivals, and second straight at the Pilots’court.

Portland State begins conference play at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, when they host Eastern Washington at the Stott Center.

Vanguard Sports | 12 December 4, 2009

Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com

This winter break in Portland State sports Fri., Dec. 4 Indoor track Jackson Open at Nampa, Idaho Sat., Dec. 5 Indoor track Jackson Open at Nampa, Idaho M-basketball vs. Eastern Washington 7:05 p.m., Stott Center Sun., Dec. 6 W-basketball vs. Pacific 2 p.m., Stott Center Wed., Dec. 9 M-basketball vs. Linfield 7:05 p.m., Stott Center Sun., Dec. 13 W-basketball vs. Gonzaga 2 p.m., Stott Center M-basketball at Pepperdine 2 p.m.

Rodrigo Melgarejo/Portland State Vanguard

Aaron Woods: The senior wide reciever and kick returner broke four school records this season.

offense, and I’m not saying that we didn’t this year, but I guess we just didn’t produce like we did last year,” Woods said.

“Sometimes running the ball is more effective than passing and I guess that’s the path that we were taking this year,” Woods said, waxing pragmatic about his struggles and frustration with the diminished role of the long ball in the game plan.

When asked if head coach Jerry Glanville’s resignation was the right move for the team, Woods showed that he understands the game of football at its most basic level, not something many can claim to do.

“I feel like the decision that was made was, I guess, based on the production that was done. We had three losing seasons,” Woods said.

“I’m a receiver. If I drop every ball, I’m not going to be able to play, you know?”

Woods is on track to graduate winter term with a degree in communications. However, he’s not done with football just yet.

Starting in the beginning of the year he will start training for the pros and “shoot for the stars and hopefully land in the clouds.”

Woods said he would be happy to sign with any team accepting of a short receiver, but in the event that doesn’t come to pass, he is thinking about work in social services.

No matter where he goes or what he does, Woods will be remembered

by Viking fans as the interminable team leader and record-breaking returner that he is.

Victory at home Women’s basketball beats UC Santa Barbara Rosemary Hanson Vanguard staff

The power of a home-court advantage and impressive scoring from senior guard Claire Faucher gave the Vikings the edge they needed to earn a much-needed 62-56 victory last night at the Stott over UC Santa Barbara, breaking a five-game losing streak.

The game began slowly for the Vikings, but with aggressive defense and clean shots they brought home a win. After the lead changed back and forth during the first half, the Gauchos turned a one-point lead at the break into a 10-point gap halfway through the second.

Not to be intimidated, the Vikings (3-5) pulled ahead with three minutes left and kept off the Gauchos to the end. UCSB played strong defense,

but the Vikings brought the offense to match.

Faucher, named All-Conference last weekend in Eugene, proved herself against UCSB by not only leading in points, with 23, but also with six steals and four assists.

“I never focus more on shooting or passing,” she said. “I try and focus on what the defense is giving me…

Most of my points are in the second half—in the first half I’m trying to get my team on the ball.”

Senior forward Erin Yankus posted the second-highest points with 10, and on defense junior forward Kelli Valentine and sophomore center Katy Wade were big contributors, both putting up five defensive rebounds.

After the longest losing streak under head coach Sherri Murrell, the team was ready for a win.

“I hate losing, and five in a row—that was rough,” said Faucher, before adding “We’re back on a winning streak.”

Tue., Dec. 15 M-basketball at St. Mary’s 7 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 18 W-basketball at Utah Valley State 6 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 19 M-basketball at Washington State TBA Mon., Dec. 21 W-basketball vs. Lewis & Clark 7 p.m., Stott Center M-basketball at Boise State 7 p.m.

Tue., Dec. 29 M-basketball vs. Willamette 5:05 p.m., Stott Center W-basketball vs. Oregon State 7 p.m., Stott Center Sat., Jan. 2 M-basketball vs. Sacramento State 7:05 p.m., Stott Center W-basketball at Sacramento State 2:05 p.m.