VOLUME 76 • ISSUE 33 • JANUARY 26, 2022
INTERNATIONAL Tonga flooded with ash from underwater volcano P. 4
OPINION Sharing is caring P. 11
SCIENCE & TECH The student guide to Omicron safety P. 12
CONTENTS
COVER DESIGN BY SHANNON STEED COVER PHOTO BY JASON OKAMOTO
INTERNATIONAL TONGA RECEIVES AID AFTER VOLCANIC ERUPTION
P. 4
THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD
P. 5
SPORTS VIKINGS TAKE IT ONE GAME AT A TIME
P. 6-7
ARTS & CULTURE WITNESS A FUSION OF THEATER AND DANCE AT HEART OF STONE
P. 8-9
THE ROOM IS AN ECCENTRIC CULT CLASSIC
P. 10
OPINION SATIRE: NIKE SAYS IT’S UNETHICAL TO THRIFT SHOP
P. 10
OUR INTUITION IS TO SHARE
P. 11
SCIENCE & TECH A STUDENT GUIDE FOR COVID-19 SAFETY DURING THE OMICRON SURGE
P. 12
STAFF EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Béla Kurzenhauser
OPINION EDITOR Justin Cory
MANAGING EDITOR Karisa Yuasa
ONLINE EDITOR Lily Hennings
PHOTO EDITOR Sofie Brandt
COPY CHIEF Mackenzie Streissguth
SPORTS EDITOR Eric Shelby
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Olivia Lee
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Ryan McConnell
CONTRIBUTORS Wyatt Dillman Nova Johnson Milo Loza
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Tanner Todd INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Tanner Todd
PRODUCTION & DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shannon Steed
ADVISING & ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood
DESIGNERS Leo Clark Whitney Griffith Mia Levy Astrid Luong Anastasia Pargett
STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Maria Dominguez
TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Kahela Fickle George Olson Kwanmanus Thardomrong
To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com
STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Vacant
MISSION STATEMENT Vanguard ’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.
ABOUT Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Wednesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.
WE’RE HIRING Contributors & News Editors EMAIL RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
TONGA RECEIVES AID AFTER VOLCANIC ERUPTION
THE ATMOSPHERIC PLUME RESULTING FROM A VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN TONGO. COURTESY OF NASA
ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI Multiple volcanic eruptions occurred on the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic region on Jan. 14 and 15, producing a tsunami that traversed the Pacific Ocean and rocked the country of Tonga, as reported by Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey. Early eruptions destroyed approximately a third of the island, and were followed by an even stronger eruption two hours later, causing the tsunami in the Pacific. Eruptions on the first day produced mushroom-shaped ash, steam and gas plumes which rose 12.4 miles in the air. Eruptions the following day sent ash clouds that covered all islands of Tonga. The eruptions were heard 1,429 miles away in New Zealand, according to Reuters. The tsunami reached an altitude of 50 feet upon reaching the coast of the archipelago’s Ha’apai island group. Two people in Peru drowned from high waves caused by the tsunami. Tonga is an archipelago of 176 islands located in Polynesia, with a population of 104,494 spread across 36 of its islands. On Jan. 18, in its first update following the eruptions, the Tongan government said the eruption destroyed every home on one of Tonga’s smaller outer islands. Most news had been communi-
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INTERNATIONAL
cated through reconnaissance aircraft due to the country’s communications being disrupted by a severed cable. According to Reuters, the damage could potentially cut Tonga off from the rest of the world for days or weeks. The Tonga cable is an undersea fiber optic cable, approximately 514 miles long that connects the island nation to Fiji and international communication channels. The specialist ship expected to repair the cable, the Reliance, is docked in Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. “Typically, all things going well, it would take around two weeks,” said Craige Sloots, marketing and sales director at Southern Cross Cable Network. The Reliance is owned by United States firm SubCom which builds underwater cable networks. Repairs may be complicated by both volcanic activity and the underwater operations themselves, as cable operators must first
locate the break by testing to see how far a signal travels before going to the fault to repair it. The severed communication burdens family members and relatives outside of Tonga, waiting for news from their loved ones. “We just wait and pray and hope that communications come back soon because we don’t know anything,” said Pauline Lavulo, whose husband Aqulia is a pastor in Sydney for the Tongan community, to Reuters. “Every Tongan...wherever we are in the globe, we still have family back home.” The U.N. detected a distress signal in the islands and its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs drew particular concern from two islands, Mango and Fonoi, from which no communication had been received though an active distress beam had been located on the islands. 36 people live on Mango and 69 on Fonoi, ac-
ERUPTIONS AND TSUNAMIS ROCK TONGA AND FELT AS FAR AS PERU
cording to the Tonga government. Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, Tonga’s deputy head of mission in Australia, expressed concern about the possibility of aid delivery missions on the island spreading COVID-19. “We don’t want to bring in another wave—a tsunami of COVID-19,” Tu’ihalangingie told Reuters, as the islands currently have no infections. Two ships from New Zealand carrying essential water supplies were expected to arrive in Tonga on Jan. 21. Teams from the Red Cross in Tonga confirmed that ash and salt water had contaminated the drinking water of tens of thousands of people. New Zealand said Tonga agreed to receive its two aid ships, the Aotearoa and the Wellington, despite its concerns of introducing COVID-19 to the islands. One Tongan man, 57-year-old Lisala Folau from the island of Atata, has been hailed a reallife Aquaman after surviving the explosions by swimming for 27 hours after getting swept out to sea. Folau, who told his story to Tongan media agency Broadcom Broadcasting on the radio, said the tsunami swept him out to sea after he climbed up a tree to try and escape it. “I just floated, bashed around by the big waves that kept coming,” Folau said.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
THIS WEEK 1
around the
WORLD
Jan. 16-23
2
3
1
January 19
LONDON, UK
Boris Johnson dismissed calls from opponents to resign over a series of lockdown parties, according to Reuters. The lockdown parties in question are a series of events hosted at Downing Street held during COVID-19 lockdowns. Johnson apologized last week to parliament for attending a party on May 20, 2020, claiming to only have been present for 25 minutes to thank staff. An investigation into the parties has uncovered an email from a senior advisor to Johnson’s private secretary Martin Reynolds advising not to go ahead with the May 20, 2020 party. Johnson has denied the claims that he was warned the gathering would break COVID-19 regulations. However, Dominic Cummings—another former advisor who left the government in Nov. 2020—said at least one other advisor told Reynolds the party should not go forward. Cummings also claimed that Johnson agreed on the drinks for the party. “Nobody told me that what we were doing was, as you say, against the rules,” Johnson told reporters on Jan. 18. “I thought that I was attending a work event.” On Jan. 19, Christian Wakeford—a representative of the Bury South constituency in northern England—left Johnson’s Conservative party after calling the lockdown parties “disgraceful.” “My
decision is about much more than your leadership and the disgraceful way you have conducted yourself in recent weeks,” Wakeford said. “I can no longer support a government that has shown itself consistently out of touch with the hard working people of Bury South and the country as a whole.” David Davis quoted a fellow former conservative lawmaker. “You have sat there too long for the good you have done,” said Leo Amery to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, in 1940. “In the name of God, go.” 2
Ongoing
UKRAINE
Russia has positioned several thousand troops and artillery near the Ukrainian border, which it has previously invaded in 2014, according to Reuters. “Russia will be held accountable if it invades—and it depends on what it does,” said U.S. President Joe Biden to reporters on Jan. 19. “It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and what to not do.” Biden’s remarks resulted in various world leaders scrambling for unity, after his suggestion that the United States and its allies would disagree on how to respond if Russia were to invade Ukraine. On Jan. 20, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that several allies were “considering to
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
increase deployments of NATO troops in the eastern part of the alliance,” but considered Biden’s remarks “not at all” a green light for Russia to invade Ukraine. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping that its allies would stand against dictatorship, at the annual Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations on Jan. 21. According to Reuters, Russia’s actions may have resulted in almost the exact opposite of Putin’s desires, by sparking back up NATO’s unity and alliance. Neutral countries Finland and Sweden returned to the discussion of possibly joining NATO. French President Emmanuel Macron offered to send troops to Romania, which Romania accepted. The current status is “certainly NATO’s defensive posture, [but] we’ll have to strengthen even further,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said, “I think the U.S. moving additional capabilities to Europe now is definitely in the works, because the situation demands it.” 3
January 21
APIATE, GHANA
A truck carrying explosives through a mining village in Ghana detonated in transport,
flattening a village and killing at least 13. The 66-foot-wide explosion was caused by a collision of a motorcycle with the truck, and the government stated a roadside power transformer could’ve played a role. “We’ve seen damage to lives and property here that is just indescribable,” said Daniel Adu-Gyamfi, a volunteer with the response team who is a student from a nearby mining college. “Yesterday...you could see human remains all over the place.” The ministry of lands and natural resources ordered the suspension of Ghana’s chief inspector of mines, responsible for supervising all mines used in the area. The truck carrying the explosives was owned by Maxam, a Spanish company, and was en route to the Chirano gold mine, operated by Torontobased Kinross. The ministry of lands and natural resources also suspended Maxam from manufacturing, transporting or supplying explosives until after a pending investigation into the explosion. The driver of the truck was able to lower the potential death toll by warning the motorcyclist, nearby school teachers, students and other community members in the small amount of time between the collision and the detonation of the explosives on the truck.
INTERNATIONAL
5
VIKINGS TAKE IT ONE GAME AT A TIME ERIC SHELBY
MEN'S BASKETBALL: FOUR-GAME HOMESTAND
The Viks ended their road trip in Cedar City against the Thunderbirds in a 86-76 loss. Khalid Thomas led the squad with 16 points and went four for nine on three-pointers. Michael Carter III wasn't far behind with 15 points, going six for 13. James Jean-Marie stays consistent with 10 points, going four for seven and a perfect two for two on the free throw line. Ezekiel Alley also never fails, putting up a season-high 16 points, shooting 5-9 and 4-5 on threepointers and 2-2 on the line. With nine lead changes and eight ties the whole game, the Viks let Southern Utah get past them in the second half. The Vikings travel back home for a five-game homestretch starting with Montana. Fans rocked the ship this game with the Viks’ explosive start, holding on to the lead for most of the match. Things got trippy in the last several minutes of the game with five lead changes and seven ties. The Viks couldn’t stop the Griz from coming back, and kept at it until the last second. Montana went on to win this game 66-64 in a nail-biter. Damion Squire finally got play time after missing the first half of this season due to an injury, dropping 17 points on the Griz—shooting seven for 12 and a perfect 3-3 on the free throw line. The team struggled to shoot threes this game, going 1-10 the whole game. Thomas stayed hot, going four for seven with 11 points and three for six on the line. The Viks couldn't get it done Saturday against the Bobcats, losing 73-60 after a close game at the half. JeanMarie put up 12 points for the Viks, shooting 4-10 and 3-5 on the line. Damion Squire went a perfect 6-6 on the free throw line, giving the Viks 11 points. Alley shot 5-10 and 12 points for the Viks. Mikal Starks, earlier in the first half, got a technical foul. The Viks had four ties and nine lead changes throughout the game. Both teams had 27 bench points. Khalid Thomas had a season-high two blocks, and went 3-4 on the free throw line. In just 13 minutes, Trey Wood shot 2-2 and shot a free throw, making five points.
DAMION SQUIRE PUTS UP 17 POINTS IN THIRD GAME BACK
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: MONTANA EXCURSION
The Viks traveled to Montana to play their second of five games on the road. Alaya Fitzgerald shot 4-8 and a perfect 4-4 on the free throw line, putting up 12 points for the traveling Viks. Esmeralda Morales and Savannah Dhaliwal both put up 11 points with Morales going 2-3 on the line, and Dhaliwal shooting 5-11 with five rebounds. In only nine minutes of playing time, Jenna Kilty went 2-3 in both field goals and three-pointers, producing six points. Montana had four of their players score 12 points—or more—to win the game 93-57 as the Viks left Missoula and traveled to Bozeman in their next competition against the Montana State Bobcats. The Viks struggled offensively against Montana State on Jan. 22, dropping the game 71-56 with the Bobcats maintaining the lead for 36 of the 40 minutes. The Vikings have been outscored 164-113 on this Montana road trip. The Viks this game had a 27% field goal percentage, going 1452. Jada Lewis led the team shooting 6-9 and 5-7 on threepointers and 18 points. Alaya Fitzgerald went 1-8 but a perfect 6-6 on the line with 8 points. Dhaliwal had 10 rebounds that game, leading the team. Mia ‘Uhila—in just 18
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SPORTS
DAMION SQUIRE GUARDS AGAINST MONTANA. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
PLAYER PROFILES DAMION SQUIRE
JADA LEWIS
There are currently two athletes in Portland named Damion with the number zero on their jersey. One is Damion Lillard of the Trailblazers—and the other is junior guard Damion Squire of the Vikings. Damion Squire was a transfer from UC Davis, before coming to compete for the Viks his junior year. Unfortunately, he had a hip injury that caused him to sit out of the first 11 games of the season. In his first game as a Viking, he went 3-3 and earned seven points in just 15 minutes to give the Viks a conference win over Sacramento State on Jan. 15. The Canadian had his season-high as a Vik in the back-and-forth game against Montana with 17 points, shooting 7-12.
The junior guard from Rocklin, California had a day on the road against Montana State on Jan. 22 with 18 points. She shot 6-9 and an impressive 5-7 on three-pointers. Lewis has a .398% three-point field goal percentage this season, and currently averages 10.4 points per game. She’s also a perfect 10-10 on free throws, never missing one this season. Wearing #23 on the court, Lewis had her season-high points against Prairie View, with 23 points in November. Catch her at the next Viking home game when they play Northern Arizona on Jan. 29.
MICHAEL CARTER III DUNKING ON MONTANA. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD
ESMERALDA MORALES NEXT TO PORTLAND PILOTS. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD minutes of playing time—went 5-6 on the line, giving the Viks 7 points. The Viks that game had 17 turnovers compared to the Bobcats’ 10.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: POSTPONEMENTS
Both men's matches against Oregon on Jan. 17 and Portland on Jan. 19 have been canceled due to COVID-19 protocols, and the next match will be the home-opener against George Fox University on Feb. 11. The home-opener for the women's team is Jan. 28 against the crosstown rivals, University of Portland.
SOFTBALL: RUN IT BACK, 2022 SCHEDULE RELEASE
JADA LEWIS IN A GAME AGAINST WEBER STATE. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
The schedule for the 2022 softball schedule has been released for the reigning Big Sky champions. The season opener starts Feb. 11 in Riverside, California at the Lynn Russell Miller Classic, facing off against teams like Utah Valley, Pacific and UC Riverside. Then the ship travels to Tempe, Arizona for the Littlewood Classic with UC Berkeley, Arizona State, University of Texas, El Paso and Illinois State. Youngsville, Louisiana is home to the Mardi Gras Mambo, where the Viks play Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, University of Louisiana, Nicholls and Northwestern State. The first home series for the Viks will be Mar. 4 in a three-game series against Robert Morris University. Soon after is the Oregon/Oregon State Invite, playing North Dakota State and our state rivals, Oregon and Oregon State. Corban and Pacific come to Viking territory starting March 16 in a three-game series—before conference play begins Mar. 26 against Montana. The 2022 Big Sky Championships will be held in Ogden, Utah, starting May 11 with the Viks looking to defend their title. The Viks finished their 2021 season 15-26 and 8-10 in conference. They won the Big Sky Championships last year which punched their ticket to the NCAA softball tournament for a chance to compete and win the Women's College World Series.
PORTLAND STATE SOFTBALL. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD
PORTLAND STATE AT BAT. ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD
SPORTS
7
WITNESS A FUSION OF THEATER AND DANCE AT HEART OF STONE THE STORY OF SELF-DISCOVERY SET IN KAZAKHSTAN TOLD THROUGH DRAMATIC MOVEMENT ALISHER KHASANOV DEMONSTRATING A DANCE MOVE. ALEXANDR BERAN/FOOL HOUSE ART COLLECTIVE
TANNER TODD When longtime friends and artists Olga Kravtsova and Alisher Khasanov decided to produce the theatrical dance performance that would become Heart of Stone, they knew they wanted to create something that would cross boundaries between artistic traditions. Between the two of them, they had more than a fighting chance. Khasanov, who was born in Kazakhstan and studied in Moscow, had years of dance and choreography experience under his belt; Kravtsova was trained at the Russian Academy of Theater Arts and holds a degree in Russian Folk Dance. The two had met in 2006, when they were working together at Drama Theater A-Z. When Khasanov moved to L.A., not far from Kravtsova’s current home in Portland, the two decided to take advantage of their relative closeness and put on a show together. “Finally, last summer, we just decided, ‘let’s do it,’” Kravtsova said. Not long after jumping into the process, the duo realized they needed another creative voice on the team: a writer. Through an interpreter, Khasanov explained the need for someone with a writing background to clarify and organize his ideas—a playwright. Almost immediately, Kravtsova knew exactly who they needed. Karen Polinsky was standing in line at a car rental dealership in Boston when the call came in. It was a hot summer day and the line was backed up for hours, but Polinsky was already in a good mood; she and her husband had just returned
from a successful outing in Boston’s jewelry district to kill time and had revisited the place they’d bought their wedding rings years prior. The trip down memory lane had put her in good spirits, even before her phone rang. “[Kravtsova] called me, and then I did feel like the universe was smiling down on me,” Polinsky said. “It was like this burst of sunshine.” The creative relationship between Kravtsova and Polinsky went several years back, to when Kravtsova had acted in a play Polinsky had written. Kravtsova came into the production last-minute, to fill in for a pivotal role vacated when the original actor had landed a role in a movie. Kravtsova quickly stepped into the performance, making the role her own. “She learned the whole thing in like a week and a half,” Polinsky said. “And then she pretty much stole the show.” Now, several years after their first production together, Kravtsova was reaching out to work with Polinsky again, this time as a producer instead of an actor. Polinsky said yes. The three of them—Kravtsova as producer, Polinsky as writer and Khasanov as choreographer—converged in L.A. After almost a week of spending quality time around the city, the three holed up in a spa with several thermoses of tea to hash out the first draft of the script that would evolve into Heart of Stone. There, in the seemingly unlikely workspace of a spa common room, Polinsky took all the stories she’d heard Khasanov tell about his childhood and upbringing in
“I WROTE THE STORY, BUT HE MADE IT COME ALIVE.”
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ARTS & CULTURE
Kazakhstan and funneled them into a manuscript. “We just sat there, and [Polinsky] started to write,” Kravtsova said. “And she was writing for an hour, and then she would keep writing, and writing…three and half, four hours later she was like, ‘I’ve got a play.’” Polinsky said that the manuscript was barely finished before she stood up in the middle of the seating area, where she described and acted out the entire script before Khasanov and Kravtsova. Polinsky knew the script would go through numerous revisions before it reached its final form, but the core idea of a story about a talented young dancer in Kazakhstan was there. “I knew at that point that [it wasn’t] going to stay in that story arc that I set it in, in that form,” Polinsky said. “[But] now we have characters, now we have setting, we have a central drama.” With the script done, the project’s next phase became one of intense dialogue and collaboration between writer, producer, dance choreographer and, of course, the performers. The three set up a ten-day workshopping session to explore and flesh out the production, recruiting six performers from diverse backgrounds to play out each of the drama’s roles. The finer details of the script became the product of a close dialogue between Khasanov and Polinsky, with Kravtsova translating between the two of them. “Really, I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Polinsky said. “I only have suggestions, by watching and listening to what he’s telling me. It’s almost like he does a kind of theatrical dance for me, and I’m supposed to guess how that turns into words.” Khasanov described the process as one of clarifying and refining. He used the analogy of a funnel that he spoke his
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
intentions for the story through and which Polinsky would then organize and filter down into a stream of concentrated information that could fit through a straw. Kravtsova, who translated many of their exchanges, commented on the inquisitive nature of Polinsky’s questions. “When we talk about the details and questions, we feel like she was a psychiatrist,” Kravtsova said. “She was so specific on human nature.” Part of their success in developing the script together came from the fact that the two shared common ground as artists. “He’s got all these different influences, some of them are shared between us,” Polinsky said of Khasanov. “I’m just listening and trying to tap into what I know and what I don’t know.” As an artist and choreographer, Khasanov said that he believes that there are two subjects which are universally interesting and spoken about in art—love and death. “Every time the actors go on stage…they talk about these two subjects, about love, and death,” Khasanov said through an interpreter. Polinsky echoed Khasanov’s sentiment by referencing a favorite quote of hers. “There’s this thing that Vladimir Nabokov said that’s a guiding principle for me, which is that ‘the most intense effect in art is the perfect combination of beauty and loss,” Polinsky said. “To me that’s not very different from [Khasanov’s] statement that it’s all about love and death.” With the help of Kravtsova’s interpretation, the two worked out the script that would become Heart of Stone in its final form. The result was a concentrated, pared-down script that
expressed itself through both its action and its dialogue, one that embodied what Polinksy described as Khasanov’s ability to “strip everything down to its essence.” “I wrote the story,” Polinsky said. “But he made it come alive.” Once the script took shape through the interchange between Khasanov and Polinsky, it was given dramatic life in the movement and speech of the performance’s cast of actors and dancers. As a choreographer, Khasanov strongly believes in revealing the hidden talent within the production’s performers, even if they’re not fully aware of it. He described the transformations that occurred in the space of only ten days, as the actors discovered skills and confidence they didn’t yet know they had. “The actors need to be open,” Khasanov said through an interpreter. “They need to be able to trust you.” Polinsky agreed. “What he’s describing is really the magic of theater,” she said. “[Khasanov] is really amazing in his ability to really bring out the best in actors and he has his own way of doing it…but I do think that’s what it is about. You bring these people together and they have this experience together.”
Quite often this collective experience becomes a point of intersection for different perspectives, as Kravtsova was quick to point out. “It’s a very unique collaboration of different communities, of different cultures, different languages,” she said. “We’re not shy to speak English there, to speak Russian there, Chinese…it was just very unique.” Kravtsova spoke of fostering the wildness of different personalities coming together in one creative effort, and underscored the importance of creating a space where everyone was truly welcome. Ultimately, Heart of Stone was the product of this multicultural vision, as well as the dialogue that was able to happen between the creatives who dreamed of it in the first place. Much like the performance’s script and central story, the people who brought it into existence changed as well—and Polinsky recognizes this as a key part of the process of theater in general. “In the end, everyone’s changed by the experience,” she said. “And no one can ever forget it.” Heart of Stone will be staged virtually, with performances running from Feb. 4-5.
“EVERY TIME THE ACTORS GO ON STAGE...THEY TALK ABOUT THESE TWO SUBJECTS, ABOUT LOVE, AND DEATH.”
RIGHT: ALISHER KHASANOV'S HANDS IN MOTION. ALEXANDR BERAN/FOOL HOUSE ART COLLECTIVE BELOW: PERFORMERS REHEARSING HEART OF STONE IN PORTLAND, OR. JASON OKAMOTO/FOOL HOUSE ART COLLECTIVE
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
ARTS & CULTURE
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THE ROOM
MILO LOZA The Room is a 2003 cult classic film written,
produced and directed by Tommy Wiseau that follows a successful banker named Johnny (Wiseau) after his fiancé Lisa (Juliette Danielle) cheats on him with his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). Johnny spirals, and the film loosely follows that plot, with plenty of unrelated scenes including Lisa’s mom casually revealing she has cancer (never brought up again), their friend’s debt from drugs (never brought up again) and Johnny’s friends playing football in tuxedos (never explained). Critics have unanimously discredited The Room for its poor direction, cinematography, acting, screenplay, production value and score. But it’s this sort of disastrous technique that led to the product known and loved today. The result of Wiseau’s first film is an incoherent, confusing and often blurry masterpiece. The Room is a film that has accidentally integrated itself into popular culture by having ironically great comedic timing, an interesting production backstory and a monthly theatrical showing for enthusiastic audiences. The film is filled with non-sequitur events and leaves you laughing without knowing what’s going on. It’s comparable to Steve Martin, whose goal in comedy was to make people laugh without them understanding why. Perhaps it goes back to the origin of laughter: a primal display of superiority. Wiseau is an unconfirmed last name, belonging to a man of unknown age and country of origin. Even those who worked closely with Wiseau were confused by him. Sestero talked about meeting and working with Wiseau in his book The Disaster Artist, which played a large part in the film's popularity boom—as well as James Franco’s
2017 film adaptation of the book. But the main cultivator of the success of The Room was a large billboard that remained over Highland Avenue in West Hollywood for five years, from 2003–2008, even though the film was only in theaters for two weeks. The billboard presented a ghastly photo of Wiseau, along with a phone number to RSVP a showing at the two locations that held the film. It was a sight almost too bombastic to ignore, which cost Wiseau much, much more than he made. In addition, to this day, no one knows how he made his fortune, which he spent lavishly. For The Room (which reportedly had a budget of over $6 million), Wiseau filmed the movie twice on two cameras that he had bought, even when the industry standard was to rent just one high-budget movie camera, due to their constant evolution and becoming quickly outdated. In a 2009 interview with Portland Mercury, Wiseau said he filmed the movie twice because the entirety of Hollywood was “confused.” Apparently, Wiseau was very difficult and unreasonable on set as well. He was constantly getting into nonsensical conflict with his cast and crew. At one point, he had an entire bathroom built for himself, one that no one else was allowed to use. All this juicy information—and more—about Wiseau and the production of the film just created more fans, and kept old fans attentive. The cult following, which has slowly accumulated popularity over the last 18 years, led to the film being shown the first weekend of every month at select theaters across the country. The audience is often made up of enthusiastic college students that love heckling a movie. Wiseau even tours around the country, taking pictures with fans, signing autographs and introducing the movie. One
such screening was the weekend of Jan. 6, at Cinema 21 here in Portland that featured a live Q&A with Wiseau himself. Cinema 21 is one of many locations that Wiseau has frequently toured over the last decade, and his appearances are often met with sold-out late-night showings. Rules have even been developed to watch the movie, much in the vein of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Say “meanwhile, in San Francisco” when yet another shot of San Francisco is shown, clap to the beat of sex scenes and yell “spoon” as you toss plastic spoons at the screen, anytime a spoon is shown. With entertaining monthly events like this for nearly 20 years, The Room has truly deserved its place within pop culture history. The Room is certainly one of the most beautifully disastrous movies ever made. It’s hilariously-timed drama and fascinating history has led to the cult following. Although this movie may have originally gained popularity to make fun of it, Wiseau’s flop has turned him into a one-of-a-kind pop culture icon.
TOMMY WISEAU ATTENDS SCREENING AT CINEMA 21
SATIRE: NIKE SAYS IT’S UNETHICAL TO THRIFT SHOP JUST DON'T DO IT WYATT DILLMAN Phil Knight, the founder of Nike—the world’s most valued clothing brand—made a bold statement last night to all thrift shoppers out there. “Nobody should be proud to purchase Nike apparel that is older than 10 years because it’s stained with the foul history of child labor and sweatshops,” he tweeted. Knight encouraged all consumers to buy brand new Nike products because it supports higher quality sweatshops, unlike the old ones. He shared his displeasure for countries like Indonesia, Taiwan and China that have subjected their people to
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barbarically low standards of living by allowing his company to exploit them. Knight demanded people stop thrift shopping and buy Nike before it’s too late—and the winter discounts expire. Thrift shopping, the new fashion movement, is no longer just for Macklemore and single moms. It is now an exciting hobby for the younger generation to showcase uniqueness and style. Kids are begging their parents for cash, and enthusiastically selling crypto to buy second-hand clothes instead of new items. Although it seems like a harmless activity, skeptics deem
ARTS & CULTURE / OPINION
this to be highly unethical as well as bad for the economy. “Buying old clothes hinders the production of new ones, which may result in pay cuts to foreign factories and job loss,” explained economist Donald Deagan. “Clothing manufacturers, such as Nike, are really the biggest in threat of this dispute.” It appears Nike simply cannot afford to pay its workers a liveable wage and make millions in net profit. Any minor decrease in potential sales would leave the company with no choice but to return factories to primitive conditions. Nonetheless, Nike has already be-
gun pushing back against this trend with a new commercial featuring LeBron James bullying a kid for wearing a vintage t-shirt that smells bad. Nike believes the advertisement clearly highlights the issue and will help end this foolish craze. Editor’s Note: Most quotes and events in this article are fictional. ANASTASIA PARGETT
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
OUR INTUITION IS TO SHARE HOW WE CAN AND MUST REDEFINE WHAT LIVING IN HUMAN COMMUNITIES MEANS
JUSTIN CORY Recently, some exciting studies have thrown doubt on widely-held conventional assumptions about so-called human nature. Though philosophy, anthropology and psychology are the classic disciplines traditionally tasked with such investigation, an invigorating infusion of exciting new data comes from within the fields of biology, economics, mathematics and computer science. One such idea that is long overdue—and the crux of social justice movements since time immemorial—is that selfishness is learned. How many times have we all had to reckon with the conventional argument that human nature is inherently self-interested and greedy? This sentiment has been at the bedrock of defending the greed-is-good consumerism of modern capitalism and the rugged individualism inherent in the idea of the American dream. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the early ‘90s, socialist and communist ideas seemed to have been trounced by the prevailing global empire of capitalism led by the United States. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, anti-capitalist organizers in the U.S. did manage to organize in resistance to the Gulf War—in reaction to the devastating impacts of neoliberal globalization a la NAFTA, in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis and in furthering the rights of the LGBTQ+ communities. However, in terms of organizing to create alternative economic relationships based upon cooperation rather than self-interest and competition, the U.S. left seemed to be at an impasse. That is, until the Occupy Wall Street Movement was sparked in response to the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008. Cartoonishly greedy financial de-regulation by bankers and stock brokers had resulted in the biggest economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Once again, the assumptions undergirding capitalism came under scrutiny by a growing segment of the population, both nationally and abroad. While Occupy fizzled out after a short while, the conversations and ideas that it brought to the fore have only magnified. A Gallup poll from 2018 showed findings that less than 45% of young people in the U.S. found capitalism favorable. Now, two years into a global pandemic, we are all forced to witness as supply chains break, as we watch our governments fail to keep us safe and housed, as they prioritize the economy and staying open above public health in spite of surging COVID-19 cases. We have also hardly been able to avert our eyes as the world’s 10 richest men collectively got $1.5 trillion—yes, trillion—richer during that same pandemic while the vast majority of us have suffered. Some of them even went to space to flaunt it at us. It is in the wake of all of this that refreshing ideas and novel approaches to the problems of inequality are a welcome respite. Much like what has happened with the lies inherent to climate science denialism, maybe if we can break apart the propaganda
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
and mythologies that our society and systems pass onto us as unquestionable fact, we can open to beautiful new horizons. Again, we aren’t born selfish. According to studies gleaned from 10 different experiments by David Rand and his colleagues at Yale University, when people rely more on their intuition, it increases cooperation. By contrast, strict self-interest is elevated the more time is spent weighing the cost-benefits analysis of a given situation. Importantly, challenges to the idea that we are inherently selfish are not really all that new. In his seminal pamphlet, An Anarchist Programme, the late 19th-century Italian anarchist Ericco Malatesta wrote, “We believe that most of the ills that afflict mankind stem from a bad social organization and that man could destroy them if he wished and knew how.” The crux of his argument was that social structures condition people to develop in certain ways independent of their will or intentions. These structures often just bring out the worst in people because they are designed to do so. He offered the solution that in order to change society, we would have to change the social structures themselves rather than the simplistic and individualized conventional thinking that says we can just replace bad rulers with good rulers, or reform bad individual behaviors while leaving the system itself intact. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” stated Lord John Acton in 1887. “Great men are almost always bad men.” Rather than focusing on rotten individuals who invoke our ire, we should be prefigurative, building new ways of being that replace these selfish and individualist modes of being in the here and now. Societal systems reproduce themselves through repeated behaviors and customs—and their influence on the kinds of people that emerge from them. If we want a world based on egalitarian cooperation, we are going to have to completely change ourselves and the structural systems around us—and, in doing so, create the conditions for new and evolving ways of relating socially and economically. We can look to another old, bearded philosopher, Peter Kropotkin, for inspiring and scientifically informed ideas on human cooperation. His scholarship and theories robustly countered the prevailing notions of his time, namely those of Social Darwinism, which can concisely be summarized as “survival of the fittest.” Darwin himself was not a proponent of this unscientific application of his evolutionary theory of biology. It was Kropotkin who coined the now-ubiquitous phrase mutual aid in the treatise of the same name. In it, he challenged the prevailing Hobbesian procapitalist worldview—namely that human nature is motivated by aggressive impulses and is intrin-
sically selfish, competitive and possessive. Kropotkin did not deny the realities of conflict, competition and egoism. Rather, he proposed that cooperation, mutual support and care are also widely expressed in the animal kingdom and in all human societies throughout history. In fact, these ideas are even older than Kropotkin or Malatesta—or even Karl Marx. The principles of horizontally structured societies based upon collectivism and cooperation are as old as the human species and have been and are still present in many societies across the globe. In the Pacific Northwest, many Indigenous peoples organized their whole societies around potlatches, which were gift-giving and sharing feasts. We owe them, and this tradition, for the English word potluck. On the other side of the continental U.S., the Haudenosaunee— more widely known as the Iroquois Confederacy—held all lands in common, practiced self-management of work tasks WHITNEY GRIFFITH and did not believe in private property. There are many other examples of communalist, cooperative societies flourishing prior to the rise of capitalism and colonialism. And there are many books that you can—and should—read about the subject such as The Dawn of Everything by the late David Graeber, Worshiping Power by Peter Gelderloos, Society Against the State by Pierre Clastres and The Art of Not Being Governed by James C. Scott, just to name a few of my favorites. We can look to our own collective histories for inspiration, but we can also look to the findings of science for affirmation of wider possibilities than the current paradigm allows. In all of these, we will find that human beings are not predestined or stuck in this deterministic trap. We are not inherently mechanistic, self-interested or merely individuals competing for riches in a winnertake-all bloodbath. There are many forces that transpire to create the conditions in which we emerge. It is incumbent upon us to transform these and ourselves in the pursuit of human flourishing and development. All human beings, by virtue of existing, have an inalienable right to all that they need to survive, thrive and prosper. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
OPINION
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PORTLAND STATE’S STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER (SHAC). ERIC SHELBY/PSU VANGUARD RYAN MCCONNELL
A STUDENT GUIDE FOR COVID-19 SAFETY DURING THE OMICRON SURGE 12
SCIENCE & TECH
With many students, professors and staff calling in sick, businesses around Portland closing their doors and misinformation running rampant on social media, understanding how to be a responsible citizen and how to be safe can feel overwhelming. The height of the Omicron variant is beginning to wane, but death tolls continue to rise. Students aren’t the only ones who feel overwhelmed. According to a professional over at Student Health and Resource Center (SHAC), COVID-19 testing at the health center is currently only available to students who are showing signs of symptoms. “Testing is very cramped right now,” they said. With Omicron’s significantly higher virality than any over COVID-19 variant seen before, many students are also wondering what the best way to protect themselves and others should be. “The booster shot is still your best defense against the virus,” the SHAC staff member said. “It’s also important to wear a good mask.” Booster clinics are typically available at SHAC on Fridays, with the next booster clinic being Feb 11. Booster shots are usually available where prior COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, and Oregon state’s website provides a consistently updated list of vaccination clinics, including walk-up and drive-through clinics. As opposed to typical N95 masks, KN95 masks are one of the safest options for use because they provide an extra outer coating of polypropylene that helps to protect the wearer against small particles. Masks with exhalation valves, or vents, can allow for too many large particles to get through and contaminate the wearer so they are not recommended for use. Face shields also do not prevent transmission as effectively because particles can still be transmitted
through the sides of the covering. Cloth masks alone do not have the same level of protection as medical grade masks because they are not built to defend against smaller aerosol particles that could slip through the lining of the fabric. The most recent CDC guidance accepts cloth masks that are both multilayered and tightly woven, with a snug fit and adjustable nose bridge. However, it’s still recommended to wear a disposable mask underneath a cloth mask. This option helps to reserve N95 masks for healthcare workers. Cloth masks were a reasonable alternative when medical grade masks were unavailable, but over the past two years, proper mask equipment has become much more accessible. On Jan. 19, 2022, the Biden administration announced it will give out 400 million free N95 masks through pharmacies and community health centers. This could be a huge help for individuals who want to remain safe without being able to afford a large amount of disposable masks. For students who are concerned if they may have been exposed to COVID-19, but may not have symptoms, there are still options. Covidtests.gov, released Jan. 18, allows for every household in the U.S. to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. These tests will arrive in 7-12 business days. Other at-home COVID-19 tests are still available for purchase at local pharmacies—if the concern is more pressing— but can cost up to $40. SHAC’s COVID-19 resources page is one of the most essential websites for PSU students. The site provides common questions, reporting forms for students exposed to COVID-19 and other helpful community resources for the Portland area. If students have further questions, it’s advised to email them to coronavirusresponse@pdx.edu.
PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 26, 2022 • psuvanguard.com
