Portland State Vanguard, Vol. 74, Issue 10

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD VOLUME 74 • ISSUE 10 • NOVEMBER 5, 2019

COLLEGE

ATHLETES

EXPERIENCE

HOUSELESSNESS

NEWS FOOD INSECURITY,

INTERNATIONAL DÍA DE LOS

ARTS SINGER-SONGWRITER

HOUSELESSNESS AFFECTS

MUERTOS COMMEMORATES

NOAH GUNDERSEN ON LOVE,

COLLEGE ATHLETES

LOVED ONES WHO HAVE PASSED

DRUGS AND DEPRESSION

CRIME BLOTTER

Oct. 24–Nov. 3

SOPHIE CONCANNON OCT. 24 Liquor Law Violation Residence staff reported six students to Campus Public Security Office who were under the legal age and in possession of alcohol in Ondine Residence Hall at 7:30 p.m.

OCT. 28 Attempted Burglary A Portland State employee reported an attempted burglary that occurred at the Karl Miller Center some time between Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. and Oct. 28 at 9:50 a.m.

Threats A non-student reported threatening statements made by a PSU student. The statements were made at 11 a.m.

OCT. 29 Parking Structure Getaway A non-student was found in Parking Structure 3 at 8:48 p.m. and evaded CPSO via an electric scooter.

Trespass A non-student was arrested in Parking Structure 1 at 8:10 p.m. for trespassing after being previously excluded from PSU.

OCT. 30 Trespass A PSU employee reported that an unknown male was found sleeping inside a secure room in Lincoln Hall at 9 a.m.

Burglary A PSU employee reported a burglary that occurred in the Smith Memorial Student Union some time between Oct. 14 at 9 a.m. and Oct. 30 at 2:15 p.m.

Hit and Run A PSU student reported a hit and run in Parking Structure 1

that occurred some time between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.

Vandalism A PSU employee reported vandalism to a room in Lincoln Hall that occured at 8:39 p.m. A PSU student reported vandalism to their vehicle which occurred in Parking Structure 1 at 1 p.m.

NOV. 3

NOV. 1

Trespass A non-student was issued a trespass warning after being found in Parking Structure 3 at 5:04 a.m.

Vandalism CPSO removed several stickers that were placed in various areas across campus at around 11:30 a.m.

NOV. 2 Motorcycle Theft A PSU student reported their motorcycle was stolen out of Parking Structure 3 some time after 4 p.m.

Fire Alarm CPSO and the Portland Fire Bureau responded to a fire alarm in Montgomery Residence Hall at 5:45 p.m. that was set off by an overloaded washing machine. There was no smoke or flames.

Agency Assist CPSO assisted the Portland Police Bureau in contacting and arresting a non-student in the Parkmill Parking Lot at 1:09 a.m.

Vandalism The south doors of the SMSU building were found to be taped open at 5:37 p.m.

Attempted Scooter Theft A PSU student reported an attempted theft of a scooter outside of the Millar Library at 5:50 p.m. The scooter was damaged in the process.

CONTENTS COVER BY BRANDON PAHNISH NEWS HILL TO HALL OCT. 27–NOV. 3

P. 3

PSU STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES DISCUSS CHANGING IMMIGRATION LAWS

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND STUDENT’S DISAPPEARANCE SPURS INVESTIGATION

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INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

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REDACTED NEWSPAPERS PROTEST LACK OF PRESS FREEDOM

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UNITED KINGDOM CELEBRATES SAMHAIN

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DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS COMMEMORATES LOVED ONES COVER FOOD INSECURITY AFFECTS STUDENT ATHLETES, GREATER CAMPUS COMMUNITY

STAFF

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Nada Sewidan MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif

P. 8–9

ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama

LEAD DESIGNER Dana Townsend

COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn

DESIGNERS Brandon Pahnish Sam Person

CONTRIBUTORS Hanna Anderson Kameel Assad Chloe Dysart Emily Price Delaney White

DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Nick Townsend

PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Alex Wittwer

T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Juliana Bigelow Tien Pham John Rojas

OPINION EDITOR Anthony Montes

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Owen Demetre

SPORTS EDITOR Rich Rigney

PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas

NEWS EDITORS Sophie Concannon Dylan Jefferies INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Madison Cecil

A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood

SPORTS HOUSELESSNESS IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS

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VIKING VOICE HOMELESSNESS RESEARCH & ACTION COLLABORATIVE ON PSU’S SAFETY PLAN

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OPINION DEMOCRATIZING POWER AT PSU

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ACTIVIST CELEBRITIES TAKE FOCUS AWAY FROM SOCIAL ISSUES

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ARTS & CULTURE NOAH GUNDERSEN'S LATEST ALBUM BEARS ALL

PORTLAND THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCES A MODERN-DAY RENDITION OF 2500-YEAR-OLD GREEK PLAY EVENTS CALENDAR

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info@psuvanguard.com

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MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard ’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

NEWS

PSU STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES DISCUSS CHANGING IMMIGRATION LAWS OCT. 28–NOV. 3 HANNA ANDERSON

OCT. 28: OREGON’S ONLY REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS CHOOSES NOT TO RUN IN 2020

United States Representative Greg Walden, Oregon’s only Congressional Republican, announced he would not be seeking reelection in 2020. Originally, in an interview with Politico, Walden denied speculation that he was considering leaving Congress and instead said he wanted to help the Republican party gain back power after losing the House majority, according to OPB. After 20 years of serving in the same seat, and with a strong Republican majority in his Eastern Oregon district, Walden said he was confident he could win the seat again. However, according to AP News, he is leaving to “pursue new challenges and opportunities,” which do not include other political positions. Multiple Republican politicians have stepped forward in considering running for the seat, including Knute Buehler, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018.

NOV. 2: FEDERAL JUDGE FROM PORTLAND TEMPORARILY BLOCKS PRESIDENT’S HEALTH INSURANCE RULE FOR IMMIGRANTS

U.S. District Judge Michael Simon prevented a new rule by the Trump administration regarding health insurance requirements for immigrants from going into effect. President Trump had signed a proclamation on Oct. 4., which would deny immigrants visas if they could not prove they could pay for their own medical costs within 30 days of entering the country, either through health insurance or out of pocket costs, according to The Oregonian.

A class action lawsuit was filed in Portland’s federal court on Oct. 30 by the Portland-based Innovation Law Lab and the Los Angeles-based Justice Action Center. At the hearing, Simon granted a temporary restraining order, which prevented the rule from going into effect. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 22.

NOV. 3: MULTNOMAH COUNTY SPECIAL ELECTION TO END TUESDAY

Multnomah County held a special election on Nov. 3, with a deadline to drop off ballots at 8 p.m. that day. The election had no candidates or open political seats—instead, there were four city measures to vote on. According to Willamette Week, the lack of political races created a sense of apathy toward the election, which only had a 16% voter turnout as of Nov. 1. Two measures were money related, one for a Portland Metro bond totalling $475 million and a five-year levy for Portland Public Schools raising approximately $100 million a year. Both measures would replace existing ones and would not raise property taxes. The other two measures, from Commissioner Amanda Fritz, concerned the Water Bureau—one to strengthen protections for the Bull Run Watershed and another that would allow the Water Bureau to fund agreements that would help distribute water to Portlanders in case of an emergency, according to OPB.

COURTESY OF FLICKR DYLAN JEFFERIES Multiple immigration law experts and community groups held an event on Oct. 29 where speakers discussed changes to immigration law under the Trump administration.

Members from groups such as PSU Student Legal Services, the Oregon Law Center and the Oregon State Bar Association gave presentations outlining subjects such as immigration laws, different types of immigration status as well as where those facing deportation can seek legal help.

“We try to host this forum at least once a year, and the kind of information we’re gonna be giving you are kind of basic information about immigration law, updates on the changes in law and policy, and then also some tools you can refer your communities to reputable immigration legal service non-profits,” said Caroline van der Harten, director of immigration legal services with SOAR Legal Services and host of the event.

Alexandra Blodget gave a broad introduction to immigration law and how certain laws have started to change under the Trump administration.

“This information is so you can have these things on your radar and to try to bust some myths about immigration, because there’s a lot of myths and a lot of rumors,” Blodget said.

Kim Le, immigration clinic attorney with PSU Student Legal Services, talked about ways undocumented students can get the legal help they need through PSU. “Student Legal Services offers legal services to PSU students who are paying student fees and currently enrolled at PSU in a number of different areas of law,” Le said. “It’s free to PSU students, so definitely take advantage of that.”

“For immigration consultations, we are actually also able to meet with students’ immediate relatives,” Le said. “That could be the student’s parents, spouse, siblings—so it can be a very important student resource to

provide stabilization in the student’s lives, so that the student can focus on being a student.”

One issue the speakers touched on was the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act by the Trump administration. DACA, a program instituted by the Obama administration in 2012, permitted those who immigrated to the United States as children to apply for certain benefits, such as the ability to apply for a work permit, social security and the opportunity to get an ID and a driver’s license.

“The Trump administration intended to cancel the program, and thereafter, there were quick lawsuits brought up. California, New York and D.C. judges have since ordered USCIS to accept renewal applications while a decision is being brought up at the Supreme Court,” said Selby Abraham, staff attorney with SOAR Immigration Legal Services, during his presentation.

According to Abraham, the future of DACA will be decided by the Supreme Court as soon as June 2020. On Nov. 12, oral arguments will be heard by the Supreme Court, and one of the judges making an argument will be Luis Cortes, a DACA recipient.

Many DACA recipients are currently enrolled at PSU. In June of 2019, PSU Interim President Stephen Percy discussed the idea of implementing a Dreamer Center at PSU, where DACA students could receive all the help and resources they need in one place. According to Percy, more information would be available this fall, but so far no information has come out.

Currently, DACA students can find resources at the Dreamers PSU webpage.

PSU is currently considered a sanctuary campus, which means Campus Public Safety Officers don’t enforce federal immigration laws, and that PSU faculty, staff and students are not required to consent to immigration enforcement activities on campus or provide confidential student information.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND STUDENT’S DISAPPEARANCE SPURS INVESTIGATION HANNA ANDERSON Amidst the events surrounding the disappearance of University of Portland student Owen Klinger, Joe Schilling, Campus Public Safety Office’s interim chief of police, detailed what would happen if something similar occurred on the Portland State campus.

According to Schilling, if a PSU student is reported missing, CPSO’s policy is to begin investigating the student immediately. He said other agencies may have a 24-hour-wait period for students or persons over the age of 18.

“The policy on our campus is that we go ahead and start the investigation immediately,” Schilling said. “And that might look different depending upon what the circumstances are...We'd do a little investigation, check out the dorm room or where they live around the city, and try to get some information to start the investigation.”

If the student is still not found, however, CPSO would then reach out to Portland Police Bureau, who would be able to provide greater resources in finding missing persons.

The best way to prevent missing persons cases, he said, is for students to look out for one another and keep in touch when leaving for an extended period of time.

“It's often said, and it really is true, that the safety of each individual is really the responsibility of the community,” Schilling said. “So when everybody pulls together, we have a better opportunity to stay on top of things.”

DISAPPEARANCE OF OWEN KLINGER

Klinger was last seen leaving his dorm at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 6. He was reported missing after going more than a day without contacting loved ones—which was unusual for Klinger, according to UP. After the PPB launched their official investigation, word of Klinger’s disappearance spread quickly throughout the city, and eventually to PSU as well. News outlets such as The Oregonian and KVAL reported on when the student first went missing and continued following the story afterward.

Flyers were posted around both UP and PSU campuses, and regular searches were held throughout the Portland area, composed of multiple search parties, family and friends, and community members, in an effort to find Klinger. An Instagram account, @ findowenk, was also created to help search efforts.

PPB released an early theory on Oct. 13 that Klinger had purposefully left the Portland area after watching videos about hopping freight trains, shutting off his cell phone on the night he disappeared, withdrawing money from an ATM and saying that he was attending a team meeting when there was none scheduled, according to a news release from the PPB. His parents, however, disputed the theory. According to OPB, Klinger’s mother, Mary Klinger, stated, “It doesn’t make sense.

He’s a practical kid...If he had a dream in his heart to go adventure somewhere, we would have talked about it more. He would have made a plan, gotten more of his money, gotten more stuff, gotten a buddy. He wouldn’t have gone on his own without telling us, breaking all our hearts.”

In all states and territories, there are currently 16,865 open cases of missing persons, and according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs.) 600,000 people go missing every year.

Another missing persons case was opened in Oregon on Oct. 10.

Doug Faoa, a foster child from Albany, was reported missing after arriving at the Inn Home for Boys in Clackamas County, a living facility to help boys with emotional issues. He was reported to the Department of Human Services the next day.

However, his foster mother, Carol Palmer, was concerned that not enough was being done. No major media outlets reported on his case when it first occurred, according to OPB, in stark contrast to Klinger’s case.

Two weeks since Klinger was last seen, PPB responded to a report on Sunday, Oct. 20 of a body found in the Willamette River— which they recovered and gave to the medical examiner’s office.

After hearing about the report, Klinger’s parents released a statement, believing that the body found was of their son.

“Portland police notified us that they have recovered a body that we believe is our son, Owen Klinger.”

The statement read, “We deeply appreciate the extraordinary effort and support that thousands of people have provided over the past two weeks. We now ask for privacy as we move forward with our healing process.”

PPB confirmed on Oct. 22 that the body found was Klinger— however, a cause of death has not yet been released. UP held a public funeral for Klinger on their campus on Oct. 30.

ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL

THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD

Oct. 28–Nov. 3

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5 4

3 1

1

Oct. 28

BAMOUNGOUM, CAMEROON

Landslides caused by heavy rain killed at least 42 people, including 26 children and four pregnant women in western Cameroon.

The landslides occurred late at night while most were asleep, making it difficult for them to escape. The New York Times reported heavy rainfall continued throughout the night and the following day, forcing the rescue efforts to pause several times due to flooding. Officials reported they believe more bodies are buried under the rubble, but a final death toll has yet to be released, according to CNN.

Oct. 28 2

BAYONNE, FRANCE

An 84-year-old man, Claude Sinke, shot and seriously injured two men in their 70s outside of a mosque in Bayonne. The men were shot when they caught Sinke lighting the main entrance and exit of the mosque on fire. According to ABC, Sinke attacked the mosque to “avenge the destruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral,” which he believes was burned down by Muslims. The

two men who were shot are currently receiving treatment in the hospital for their injuries but are expected to make a full recovery. Sinke was later arrested at his home, and no other injuries or deaths were reported by authorities.

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Oct. 28–29

KOGI, NIGERIA

Heavy rainfall and flooding allowed 122 prisoners to escape a correctional facility in the state of Kogi, Nigeria after sections of fencing around the perimeter of the facility was destroyed. The rainfall caused many cells within the facility to flood, and Nigerian Correctional Service spokesman Francis Enobore said the flooding caused any prisoners “to break out of custody for safety,” according to News24. Of the 122 escaped prisoners, 25 were recaptured.

Al Jazeera reported that by Oct. 29, 97 prisoners remained at large in the surrounding area.

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Oct. 31

LIAQUATPUR, PAKISTAN

A portable gas-powered stove exploded on a train on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi,

killing at least 73 people and injuring an additional 48 passengers. Several of the injuries were caused when people attempted to avoid the blaze by jumping off the moving train.

One man pushed his wife out of the train before jumping after her; he suffered minor injuries, while his wife has major head trauma, according to BBC. According to hospital officer Gurmukh Ram, 58 of the recovered bodies were burned so badly “no identification was possible.” “There was chaos everywhere,” survivor Jamshed Pathan told BBC. “It was very difficult for us to get out and save ourselves.”

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Nov. 2

DARQAD, AFGHANISTAN

A roadside explosive device detonated at approximately 8:30 a.m. and killed nine children, eight boys and one girl, on their way to school. The children were all between 8 and 11 years old, according to Al Jazeera.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the explosive device, Afghan authorities have blamed the Taliban for the attack. Until Afghani security forces recently regained

control, the Taliban controlled the district.

According to BBC, it is not uncommon for the Taliban and other militia groups to plant explosive devices on the road with the intent of hitting security forces after the land has been reclaimed.

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Nov. 3

SOMME, FRANCE

A bus carrying 32 passengers from Paris to London flipped onto its side, injuring 29 people. Of the 29, four were seriously injured in the crash. The bus, owned by FlixBus, was carrying 11 passengers from France, 11 from Britain, five from the United States and several more from Spain, Australia, Romania, Russia and the Netherlands. The cause of the crash is currently unknown, but some authorities suggest slippery roads contributed to the incident, according to AP News. “FlixBus is in close contact with the relevant authorities to determine the exact cause of the accident and to ensure all passengers receive appropriate support,” a statement released by the bus company said, according to BBC.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5 , 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

REDACTED NEWSPAPERS PROTEST LACK OF PRESS FREEDOM MADISON CECIL AND EMILY PRICE Australian newspapers blacked out their front pages on Oct. 21, making them appear heavily redacted in protest of the government’s control over press freedom.

While conversations criticizing the Australian government for limiting press freedoms have been ongoing for several years, police raids on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and a News Corp Australia journalist’s home in June led to a major increase in these criticisms.

The police raid on ABC’s office in Sydney included the examination of approximately 9,000 computer files in relation to a 2017 press release titled “The Afghan Files,” which exposed unlawful killings and misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, according to The Washington Post.

The home of Annika Smethurst, a journalist for News Corp Australia, was also raided, and according to Al Jazeera, officials went through her underwear drawer as well as several other personal belongings. The raid was in response to a 2018 report written by Smethurst which contained evidence that government officials were secretly monitoring Australian citizens.

The Australian Federal Police, and several officials from the Australian Security Intelligence Agency and the Department of Home Affairs, defended the police raids, claiming the news reports published in 2017 and 2018 violated laws of national security and secrecy.

According to Acting Commissioner Neil Gaughan, the information released in the stories was “top secret and secret,” and therefore should not have been released to the public, as it jeopardized national security, according to The Washington Post.

“No sector of the community should be immune to this type of activity or evidence collection more broadly,” Gaughan said during a press conference, according to BBC.

In 2015, the Australian government created the Journalist Information Warrant, which is a warrant required by law that forces journalists to reveal their source of information, whether the source requested to remain anonymous or not. The same year, protections on whistleblowers were strengthened. However, media officials claim the protections and the JIW are not enough and stronger protections are needed.

“It is one thing fighting for an army in a war because you have a support group, but as a whistleblower you have none of that,” whistleblower and former Australian defense force lawyer David William McBride told BBC. “You’re fighting a war on your own, and your own sanity is often questioned by yourself and by others. It is a really miserable fight.”

“I could see that the [Australian] government had become the worst threat to national security that we faced,” McBride continued. “They were no longer interested in actually defending the country. They were simply interested in defending themselves.”

Australia, despite ranking above the United States and the United Kingdom in press freedoms in the 2019 World Press Freedom Index, has no constitutional protections of speech or privacy. BBC reported the lack of protections has led to the creation of the Right to Know coalition movement, which organized the heavily redacted newspaper protest.

BBC reported news organization companies—including Nine which supports The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and News Corp Australia, which includes The Australian and The Daily Telegraph, as well as the union for journalists known as Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance—have joined the co-

alition. The coalition is supported by not only newspapers but also television and radio outlets, according to BBC. “[The campaign is] about defending the basic right of every Australian to be properly informed about the important decisions the government is making in their name,” Hugh Marks, chief executive of Nine said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera.

The Right to Know movement issued a statement with six key demands, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The coalition is requesting the government immediately implements the right for media outlets to contest search warrants, increased whistleblower protections, restrictions on secrecy designations within the government, reformation of information freedom restrictions, the exemption of journalists under several national laws and the update and reformation of defamation laws to keep up with the digital era.

“This is a serious development and raises legitimate concerns over freedom of the press and public scrutiny of national security and defense matters,” ABC’s Managing Director David Anderson said in a statement, according to The New York Times.

“The ABC stands by its journalists, will protect its sources and continue to report without fear or favor on national security and intelligence issues when there is a clear public interest.”

Those involved in the movement argue protecting press freedom and privacy is not just for journalists, but also a key feature of democracy, therefore limiting these freedoms is limiting Australia’s democracy. “Australia is at risk of becoming the world’s most secretive democracy,” Anderson stated, according to BBC.

NEWSPAPERS IN AUSTRALIA PROTEST CENSORSHIP ON OCT. 21 BY REDACTING THEIR COVERS. RICK RYCROFT/AP IMAGES

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL

UNITED KINGDOM CELEBRATES SAMHAIN

A SAMHAIN-INSPIRED FLOAT RIDES THROUGH A CROWD DURING THE DERRY HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL. COURTESY OF DERRY CITY & STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL

CHLOE DYSART A modern-day Samhain festival occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland and hosted approximately 120,000 people over the course of a fourday celebration.

Samhain, pronounced “Sow-win”, is a Pagan holiday celebrated in Scotland, Ireland and some parts of England. The name translates to “summer’s end” in Gaelic and marks the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice.

During the night of Oct. 31, it is believed the veil between the human and spirit world is at its thinnest due to the changing of the seasons, allowing fairies or spirits to cross over. The Samhain festival involves dressing up as monsters or animals to prevent the fairies from kidnapping or harming those of the human world.

“Halloween is mostly about trick-or-treating and parties; I feel like Samhain was much more meaningful and had a bigger cultural impact on the people who celebrate it,’’ Lauren Kramreither, an international exchange student studying in Edinburgh, Scotland told Vanguard.

One of the main attractions of the festival in Derry was the arrival of the winter king, who marks the change from the light half of the year to the dark half. The winter and summer king then take part in a ritual where the summer king is overthrown, as onlookers dressed in costumes used fire and drumming to narrate the change.

The festival also involves the speaking of Gaelic, a language which only 1.7% of Scotland’s population is able to communicate in, according to Scotland’s 2011 census.

“Samhain was definitely taken very seriously by everyone at the event,” Kramreither said. She reported that those dressed in costumes “stayed in character and even spoke Gaelic” When Christianity began to take hold in Europe, the holiday was adapted into “All Hallows’ Eve,” as being Pagan was condemned under Christian rule. The holiday’s practices changed but continued to remember the dead and changing of the seasons.

Although these celebrations may sound different from the Halloween today, Samhain has influenced modern traditions in many ways.

Turnip carving has since turned into pumpkin carving, and going door to door in costume is derived from Celtic practices where cake was given instead of candy.

Nick Manzer, another international student at the event told Vanguard Samhain felt more “spiritually inspired and meaningful than a traditional Halloween.”

“Halloween in North American feels more commercialized and commodified,” Manzer continued.

Though a more North American-style Halloween is also celebrated in the United Kingdom and is especially popular among university students, Samhain is a way to keep traditions and Pagan culture alive.

Manzer said he would be eager to attend Samhain again and urges anyone who gets the chance to attend to do so, as “actually being there and seeing it all happen felt meaningful and important to those celebrating.”

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS EVENT COMMEMORATES LOVED ONES DECORATIONS CELEBRATING LIFE AND DEATH, SURROUNDED BY PICTURES OF LOVED ONES, WERE ON DISPLAY DURING THE DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS EVENT HELD ANNUALLY ON CAMPUS IN THE SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD CHRISTINA CASANOVA Portland State’s La Casa Latina Student Center organized a celebration on Nov. 1 to honor those who have passed for Día de los Muertos.

Día de los Muertos, also known as “The Day of the Dead,” commemorates loved ones who have passed and brings the Latinx community together in celebration. According to National Geographic, although the holiday is celebrated throughout Latin America, Día de los Muertos is often associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated.

Those who celebrate Día de los Muertos believe the dead would be insulted by mourning and would rather celebrate their life with parties, drinks, food and other things the dead enjoyed when they were alive. According to

National Geographic, Día de los Muertos recognizes death as a part of human life and is not something that should be feared.

The PSU event had traditional food, traditional ofrendas, or altars, for loved ones and students who have passed. The Mariachi band from Woodburn High School also performed at the event.

“Holding an event like this is important because it allows us to celebrate our culture in a way that acknowledges us and informs and educates others about it,” said Anayeli diaz-Espinosa, a student programmer at La Casa Latina.

The traditional ofrendas were placed with names and photos of people who have passed away. Traditionally, the altars are decorated

with candles, calaveras, offerings of food and Mexican marigolds. It is believed in Mexican culture that the marigolds on the ofrenda is what guide the spirits home.

“It was a lot of altar building, a lot of honoring people who have died, our ancestors and other famous Mexican icons like Selena who passed away,” diaz-Espinosa said.

Handmade papel picados, or pierced papers, were hung along the walls and across the ceiling at the PSU event. People also had the opportunity to get their faces painted as calaveras, or skulls. “[The Latinx population is] a growing population at PSU, so to have these events is very important because we have a very rich Latinx

culture here,” said Emanuel Martinez, programming assistant for La Casa Latina and emcee at the Día de los Muertos event. “However, a lot of the time we don’t get to see that, so for us to put on this event, we like to think that it allows a place for the Latinx community to come and gather and just be a part of a safe space.”

The event was filled with activities, food and entertainment, but the celebration did not stop there. La Casa Latina asked the crowd to write down the names of loved ones that the crowd would like to honor. “We invite you to honor your loved ones with us,” said Emanuel Martinez. The altar assembled by the members of La Casa Latina Student Center will be placed on display at Hoffman Hall.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER

PSU’S FOOD PANTRY, LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT OF SMITH MEMORIAL STUDENT UNION, SERVICES NEARLY 2,000 STUDENTS A TERM. ALEX WITTWER/PSU VANGUARD

FOOD INSECURITY, AFFECTS STUDENT-ATHLETES GREATER CAMPUS COMMUNITY

SOPHIE CONCANNON Associated Students of Portland State President Violet Gibson said food insecurity is plaguing PSU’s campus, and a group she assumed were taken care of by PSU by virtue of their position— student-athletes—are still affected by food insecurity and often go unmentioned.

“I don’t understand how we can expect students to adequately learn when they don’t have an adequate source of food,” Gibson said.

Approximately 48% of PSU students reported some degree of food insecurity in 2018. Director of Athletics Valerie Cleary said food insecurity occurs among student-athletes as

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well, and if the campus community and the student-athlete community were compared, food insecurity would likely be proportional.

“Sometimes there’s the perception that if you’re a Division I student-athlete, you’re somehow not experiencing what the general population experiences as a whole,” Cleary said. “Our student-athletes are truly just a microcosm of the greater campus as a whole, whether that’s housing or food or finances...it’s no different.”

“People in athletics...we’re expecting them to use their bodies in very intense ways, and they’re still not getting the

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

adequate food that they need to be able to do their job and fulfill their duties as a student-athlete here on campus,” Gibson said.

The athletics budget for the 2018–19 fiscal year was $7,324,202 million. Cleary stated that it’s not in the athletics budget and resources, and that’s preventing changes like giving a meal plan to all student-athletes.

“We could provide unlimited meals. We can do that. Now it’s the resource piece of do we have the means to do it,” Cleary said. “Can we technically do that? We can. Does our budget allow it? No, it does not. Would I love to do it? Of course.”

COVER Cleary also said that utilizing “touch-points”—or times when students interact with the faculty, staff and coaches at PSU—is an important way to spread awareness of resources on campus.

“I tell students all the time, whatever’s happening out here where they’re giving out the boxes of produce...I’m like you all need to be on that, because that is not cheap,” Cleary said.

Cleary also said spreading the word about resources such as the Food Pantry is an important step to helping alleviate food insecurity.

“I think we do that a lot informally, but I think students... even for our student-athletes, they might walk [by] that day where they’re handing out produce and think they’re not eligible for it,” Cleary said. “I think [one way to help] is really encouraging all of our students to really utilize those resources, especially if they need it.”

“Tell your homie to go get the bell peppers,” Cleary said, referencing the Free Food Market in the Park Blocks. “I think they just don’t know unless someone tells [them]...what [their] resources are.”

FOOD INSECURITY ON CAMPUS

According to a campus-wide student food insecurity survey, 48% of PSU students experienced some kind of food insecurity in 2018. Approximately 18% of that stated they had repeatedly not had enough food to eat, which categorizes them as having very low food security.

According to a separate report published in 2018, 42% of community college students and 36% of university students indicated they were at the lowest levels of food insecurity.

Food insecurity on college campuses is on average three times the USDA average mean of 12.3%.

The Committee for Improving Student Food Security—an independent volunteer committee dedicated to improving PSU student’s accessibility to food—was created in 2014 and has implemented programs such as the Free Food Market to

benefit the PSU community after a survey reported 59% of PSU students had experienced some kind of food insecurity in the 2013–14 academic year.

Other resources created to alleviate food insecurity on campus include PSU’s Food Pantry. According to their website, the Food Pantry provides assistance to approximately 2,000 students annually. However, according to the estimates for enrolled students in winter term 2018, 11,949 students experienced some form of food insecurity, meaning the Food Pantry is only servicing one-sixth of PSU students experiencing food insecurity on campus.

ALLEVIATING FOOD INSECURITY FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES

Cleary detailed the athletics department’s efforts to reduce food insecurity among student-athletes, saying the department “gets savvy” with Costco orders and try to provide lowbudget food options like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during the day.

“I swear that football team will never eat another peanut butter and jelly sandwich ever in their life once they leave here, but it’s cheap and it’s rich in protein and it’s easy; it’s quick,” Cleary said.

“Do we have a long way that we could go? Totally,” Cleary said. “Ideally, we could have every single athlete on a meal plan, where we knew they could do whatever [the] standard meal plan is and they would have access to breakfast, lunch [and] dinner.”

However, Cleary said even though resources for studentathletes could be expanded—like increasing dining hall nighttime hours or student-athletes on a meal plan—the money would have to come from somewhere else and might not balance out.

“I never want to say ‘no they’re fine, they’re not hungry, they’ve got PB&J’s,’ no,” Cleary said. “But I know they’re a small piece of the bigger challenge that the university has.”

“I never, ever want the perception that our student-athletes are that much more special, that their food insecurity or their housing challenges are more important than the general campus, because that is not the case. They are just like every other student here.”

Cleary also said they try to close the gap through their nutrition program, which was kickstarted by donor contributions and continues to be funded through donors.

“We’ve actually made nutrition as one of our key elements that we’re fundraising for, so when we meet with donors and they’re talking about ways they could help with athletics...nutrition is a component,” Cleary said.

Cleary said the PSU athletics department also works closely with Gatorade to make sure money is going toward protein-rich foods and powders instead of just products like water coolers.

“The team might say tonight we’re having spaghetti and meatballs and be able to feed everyone all at once,” Cleary said about food when the dining hall isn’t accessible, adding that the student athlete’s per diem—a small monetary amount usually granted—could be used for similar purposes.

Cleary also said there’s a significant gap between the Power Five level and PSU, and although they’re getting closer to closing the gap with food insecurity, they’re not there yet.

“We are still very far away from what I think the general public would think that a Division I athletic program is,” Cleary said.

Cleary said food insecurity among student-athletes was representative of the campus community, and using studentathlete’s food insecurity concerns to draw attention to a greater issue was a good thing.

“I think you’d be hard-pressed to find any student on campus right now that’s like ‘nah, I’m cool, I’m good. Money [for food, housing]? No problem,’” Cleary said. “Our student athletes are just like any student. But [they] get to represent this university on a larger scale, if we could use that for good, then I’m all about it.”

FREE FOOD RESOURCES FREE FOOD MARKET

WHAT: Fresh produce and food products WHEN: Second Monday of every month at noon. The next Free Food Market is on Nov. 18 WHERE: Shattuck Hall, Park Blocks WHO: Students, faculty, staff and community members NOTES: Bring your own bag! Occurs rain or shine, first-come/first-served

FOOD PANTRY

WHAT: Groceries WHEN: Monday, Tuesday, Friday 12:30–3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Thursday 2–5 p.m.

WHERE: Smith Memorial Student Union basement, 047A WHO: Students, ID required NOTES: pantry@pdx.edu for more info—students can sign up for picking up outside of regular business hours through the website

SNAP ASSISTANCE

WHAT: Assistance with registering for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, a food stamp-equivalent WHEN: By appointment WHERE: Various assistance locations, including the SMSU and FMH building WHO: Students and community members NOTES: pantry@pdx.edu to schedule appointment with a SNAP Outreach Specialist or visit the food pantry during operating hours

MEAL VOUCHERS

WHAT: Meal vouchers for Victor’s dining hall WHEN: Pick up voucher between 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on Monday– Friday from Melissa Clark in SMSU 462, or from any other CISFS employee WHERE: Ondine Residence Hall, Victor’s Dining after receiving free voucher WHO: Students—bring Student ID NOTES: Receive up to five free meal vouchers a term

ST. STEPHEN’S EPSICOPAL PARISH

WHAT: Groceries WHEN: Fourth Thursday of every month from 2–6 p.m.

WHERE: 1432 SW 13th Ave. WHO: Everyone NOTES: Call (503) 449-4969 for more information

OUTSIDE IN

WHAT: Free meals WHEN: Monday–Friday 9–10 a.m, 1–2 p.m., and 5–6 p.m., Sunday 1–2 p.m. and 5–6 p.m.

WHERE: 1132 SW 13th Ave. WHO: 18–25-year-olds NOTES: Call (503) 535-3800 for more information

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER

HOUSELESSNESS IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS PORTLAND STATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DISCUSSES HOUSING INSECURITY AMONG PSU ATHLETES RICH RIGNEY Portland State athletic director Valerie Cleary spoke on the issue of housing insecurity experienced among PSU college athletes and other college campuses, highlighting what she said is a common misconception that students playing a college sport have everything taken care of for them.

A 2014 Sports Illustrated report, the last known published report measuring houselessness in college athletics, found that 10% of United States college students who reported themselves as houseless were varsity student-athletes.

“There’s this perception, especially if you’re a Division I studentathlete, that you have everything provided to you, everything is paid for, and that’s really not the case,” Cleary said. “I think the challenge is just that we live in a high-cost living place.”

Although scholarships may cover a student’s housing costs if they live on campus, Cleary said those cases are rare. Strict rules enforced by the National Collegiate Athletic Association limit the ways a studentathlete can receive financial support.

According to the NCAA, an athlete is not eligible in a sport if “[they or their] relatives or friends, ever have accepted money, transportation, lodging, entertainment or other benefits from an agent” or if they “receive financial aid other than the financial aid that [their] institution distributes.”

“We’ve had a few instances where student-athletes get in a bind where they’re just like, ‘I can’t make rent this month’ or whatever it might be,” Cleary said. “With NCAA rules there’s only so much that we can actually help with.”

In 2015, Silas Nacita became “officially and permanently ineligible” by the NCAA after accepting food and housing from a third-party family.

“We hear about student-athletes having to get really creative about how many roommates they have,” Cleary said. “[Other times] a lot of our student-athletes, they’ll work nights, or they’ll try to do significant summer employment or off-season employment. That way they can save up a lot, but they know in-season they’ll be able to pull from that to pay their rent.”

Student-athletes experiencing houselessness can utilize the same resources available to all PSU students with the exception of the special assistance fund.

“It’s money that’s provided through...our NCAA allotment that comes in from the conference office,” Cleary said. “But there are really strict guidelines that can be used for, and it’s not a substantial amount of money. We typically use those for emergency situations.

A student-athlete has to apply for it.”

Cleary also emphasized that this is not an issue disproportionately impacting student-athletes.

“This is not a student-athlete problem only,” Cleary said.

“Portland’s an expensive city...the same thing applies for a student-athlete; their rent isn’t any cheaper than anyone else’s.”

A PSU report published on Aug. 1, 2019 by the PSU Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative and Northwest Economic Research Center estimated there were over 38,000 houseless people living in the tri-county area at some point during 2017.

The report also stated that the real number is likely even higher, because it’s impossible to calculate exact numbers due to the difficulties of recording each individual dealing with housing insecurity and the varying definitions of houselessness used when collecting data.

Additionally, the College and University Basic Needs Insecurity report stated that among college students, the percentage dealing with housing insecurity in America is larger, with “60% of survey respondents at two-year institutions and 48% at four-year institutions experience housing insecurity.”

Cleary cited high housing costs as a primary challenge in securing housing for students, adding that the issue surrounding houselessness in athletics has more to do with the financial limitations of the university and athletic department than it does with housing availability.

The best thing student-athletes—or any student of PSU—can do, according to Cleary, is reach out.

“I hope that if any of our student-athletes are having a challenge, whether that’s trying to figure out how to make rent one month because they didn’t get to work as many hours or whatever it might be, that they would feel that they had someone within this athletic department, a coach, an athletic trainer, an administrator, whatever it might be, that they can go to and say, ‘Hey, I’m in a bind and I need help figuring this out,’” Cleary said.

For anyone seeking assistance with housing insecurity, contact the PSU Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative.

JOHN ROJAS

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

VIKING VOICE

VIKING VOICE THE HOMELESSNESS RESEARCH & ACTION COLLABORATIVE SPEAKS OUT ON PSU’S SAFETY REPORT, “A HOLISTIC PLAN FOR CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY” We appreciate the effort to improve safety at Portland State. We want to make sure that safety extends to all members of our campus community. Therefore, we are compelled to talk about what is missing from the current discussion.

In the latest PSU safety plan, “A Holistic Plan for Campus Public Safety,” race is not effectively addressed. Jason Washington was a Black man. People of color experience disparities during police encounters, which is why planning for campus safety requires planning with communities of color. Communication materials and action plans that do not adequately address race, do not inspire confidence that the real risks people of color face with armed security have been fully considered.

We appreciate that the report commits to campus security engaging with people experiencing homelessness in the most appropriate way possible. In line with the statement that we issued last March in response to the

Margolis Healy report, we want to reiterate that people who are homeless are no more likely to pose security threats than people who are housed. Homelessness creates a security threat to houseless individuals, not to our campus.

—The Co-Founders of the Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Paula Carder Todd Ferry Jacen Greene Lisa Hawash Maude Hines Sergio Palleroni Greg Townley Marisa Zapata Submitted by Communications Specialist Stefanie Knowlton from Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative at PSU

BRANDON PAHNISH

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

DEMOCRATIZING

POWER AT PSU

DANA TOWNSEND

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

KAMEEL ASSAD Portland State is an institution driven and determined by a small cabal of Portland’s business elite dictating policy, direction and the ultimate administration of the university.

The creation of PSU’s Board of Trustees in 2013—see Oregon Senate Bill 270 and House Bill 3120—was followed by the appointment of only the wealthiest “philanthropists” with vested interests in the university. More consequently, it created a system where the people making the highest levels of decisions for academic institutions were anything but the people who would face the consequences of those actions.

The state covered its back by including token representation: one student member, one faculty member and one staff member, each occupying one of the seats on the Board. The remaining seats were handled by the moneyed elite of the university’s respective communities. In some cases, it allowed the donors of gift contracts—donations that are contractually obligated to be spent as intended by the donor—to directly oversee the administration of their dollars.

Board representation includes Nike executives; two former chairs of the PSU Foundation, which solicits and handles PSU donations; investment bankers and financiers. These are gracious terms for the gentrifying venture capitalists that comprise Portland’s business class, and to find where the corrupt developers of Portland go to hide, look no further. Two close friends and business partners, Irving Levin and Thomas Imeson, of disgraced pedophile and former Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt sit on PSU’s board.

This system was founded on the principle of decreasing the financial burden of the state upon the administration of public universities in Oregon.

It was a simplistic application of logic: If local business leaders preside over these boards, the schools will be more effective at lobbying individually at the state level and more effective at soliciting donations locally.

The only people capable of soliciting such high levels of donations, however, would not be the people who make up our campus communities—students, faculty, staff—it had to be the wealthy elite of Portland.

If the role of the Board is to govern a university, what alternatives exist? The current model relies on local oligarchs and developers to make macro-policy decisions in the best interest of the institution and community. Their will is then executed by a team of bureaucrats whose authority and privilege are divorced from any accountability on behalf of faculty, staff and/or students.

PSU Sociology Professor Aaron Roussell said he believes that we can address many of our undemocratic processes by replacing outside governance with student-faculty governance.

“If we’re going to be inclusive about education, the question is how do we cut [the bureaucracy] that needs to be cut, the hierarchy itself and how do we also maintain those [administrative] pieces necessary for the institution,” Roussell said.

One possible alternative was proposed the very first year Portland State College became known as Portland State University. In 1969, Andy Haynes ran a campaign for student body president on a platform demanding to ban police from campus, create an experimental studentdriven college, abolish the football program and create a governance structure of the school with the ability to execute decisions—a studentfaculty government with real power.

“Self-administration means more governance by us,” Roussell said. “It may mean more work for us, but it is more productive work not handed down by the administration. We’re all drowning in paperwork and we didn’t ask for it.”

Haynes was elected as Oregon’s first Black student government president. The popularity of his ideas among the student body led to the student government election with the largest proportion of students voting in PSU history, according to the PSU yearbook.

Today, the same issues Haynes campaigned on are active issues on campus, albeit in different ways. Rather than defunding athletics, PSU has a $52 million sports building on campus, and the Board created its own private police force that murdered a Black man last year. Additionally, the facultystudent governance remains primarily constrained to small portions of university governance and can be overruled by the administration.

At the most recent Board meeting on Oct. 10, Faculty Senate President Isabel Jaén Portillo said that PSU has no need for a president and should explore faculty-student governance. She also said she plans to raise the issue in a faculty senate forum to garner additional support.

The answer to an undemocratic governance is to nakedly and unashamedly embrace that there are no greater leaders of our community than the people who make it up, and if the greedy corrupt developers and capitalist vultures won’t give it to us, you might say it’s time we just took it from them.

OPINION

ACTIVIST CELEBRITIES TAKE FOCUS AWAY FROM SOCIAL ISSUES

JANE FONDA (CENTER) TAKES PART OF A RALLY ON CAPITOL HILL IN WASHINGTON ON OCT 18, 2019. MANUEL BALCE CENETA/AP IMAGES

DELANEY WHITE Scrolling through Twitter lately, Jane Fonda has been a recurring figure. Why? Her multiple arrests, of course.

Celebrities can bring attention to important causes and lend much-needed activist energy, but sometimes the spectacle of their involvement overshadows the cause itself.

Fonda has been organizing weekly protests on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., in what she’s dubbed “Fire Drill Fridays.” Each Friday, a new issue connected to the current climate crisis will be highlighted until January, and activist groups such as Greenpeace, as well as other celebrities, have joined her in direct action techniques.

Fonda was arrested and escorted from the protest area by police on Oct. 25, all while accepting a BAFTA award. She was again arrested on Nov. 1, which resulted in her having to spend the night in jail. These arrests have become the subjects of praise, attention and even a meme.

Yet, when thumbing through the timeline, without some significant digging it’s hard to identify what she’s protesting.

This is not her intention. Fonda participated in these protests to raise awareness to pertinent issues and get more people involved, not to gain attention for herself. The scene of her arrests, though, are definitely garnering more of a following than what she’s advocating.

This is similar to actress Shailene Woodley’s arrest at Standing Rock in 2016. The media and attention in that time period were focused on her, the arrest and the strip search

she underwent, not on the protests at Standing Rock and the reason she was there in the first place.

ABC news actually ran a headline: “Shailene Woodley says she was strip searched after Dakota pipeline arrest,” and within the article, there is no mention of the protest outside of the arrest. Reading the article, it’s more of an account of one privileged woman’s run-in with the criminal justice system.

Again, many interviews centered on this “trauma,” not on any of the Standing Rock issues.

Both Fonda and Woodley have the best ideas behind them; they are actively organizing and partaking in protests in order to raise awareness for causes they care about. Sadly, the public is more interested in their mugshots and strip search stories than whatever they were protesting in the first place.

Something that goes hand-in-hand with celebrity protesting is celebrity political endorsements. Especially in regards to presidential elections, celebrities will endorse candidates they believe. For instance, both Beyonce and Jay-Z supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Beyonce has over 134 million followers on Instagram, and her opinion holds sway over many people of the Bey-Hive. While a larger sphere of influence—especially over social media—is something celebrities bring to the table, their fame and name recognition can allow them to get away with cartoonish and almost dangerous behavior. This is becoming increasingly apparent in today’s politics.

Kanye West’s continued endorsement of and friendship with President Donald Trump is a prime example of two people holding tremendous sway over the American public. Their friendship has become a meme for years—who could forget “Thank you Kanye, very cool!”—and their fame has distracted from their absurd comments and questionable political views and actions. The media, and all of us glued to our news feeds, won’t notice EPA regulations being rolled back or other quiet government changes that have huge impacts, because Trump’s next tweet is being analyzed.

In contrast, celebrities can use their status and power to create social change through a more institutional approach focused on utilizing their wealth to support activist groups, such as actors Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio, both of whom created foundations that provide funding for organizations serving frontline communities and fighting environmental injustices in the legal system.

When it comes to celebrity activism, many are placed in a precarious situation of wanting to help but not wanting to distract from the issue at hand. Fame can shine a spotlight and bring a larger group of people into the fold of a particular issue, but the famous spokesperson cannot become the central idea. This is difficult to reconcile, and despite their best efforts, Fonda or Woodley did not achieve that.

That’s not to say one can’t share a good Fonda arrest meme on Twitter—just make sure to figure out exactly why she was being arrested in the first place.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

ON LOVE, DRUGS AND DEPRESSION NOAH GUNDERSEN’S LATEST ALBUM BEARS ALL NADA SEWIDAN Singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen’s latest album Lover captures the mood of a certain time—a journey into after-hours, dream-like spaces, exploring the uncertainties of loving and being loved. Compared to previous albums, this feels like Gundersen’s most vulnerable work.

The album took about a year to make and is a culmination of songs co-written with producer Andy Park and of older songs Gundersen had been working on for some time. Some songs on the album were ones he wrote in a span of days up in a cabin in Bellingham, Wash., and others like “All My Friends” and “Crystal Creek” were songs he had never really found a place for until this album. There’s a lot Gundersen is bearing in this record and this open-book approach to some of his past hardships with drugs, love and depression feels resonant and somehow hopeful.

“It’s the most honest thing I’ve ever made,” he said. “It’s all me. It’s all different parts of me.”

Through metaphors and experiences, the album traces Gundersen’s late 20s with lovers and friends, and in it there’s a real sense of grappling—songs addressing love from different angles, whether it’s questioning love, sacrificing for love, losing love, loving love, the memory of love.

“I think we’re told a lot of things about what love is, what it’s supposed to mean, what it’s supposed to accomplish for us and how it’s supposed to fulfill us or complete us,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of my life looking for different things from people and relationships and love, and ultimately being let down and letting other

people down because of expectations and shortcomings.

There’s that journey in the record.”

The title track “Lover” is an embodiment of the album and this journey that ultimately reaches a self-realization and fulfillment. In it, Gundersen sings: “I don’t need no lover/I need a mother to come to my room/I don’t need no father/I need an ocean to carry my mood/And I need your love.” “[‘Lover’] summed up a lot about me,” he said. “There’s a sadness to it. There’s a tragicness to it, but there’s also that kind of empowerment to that song that says “I don’t need someone else to complete me, but you know, I still love love.’”

Other songs like “Audrey Hepburn” are haunting, creating an atmospheric and spacey mood with lyrics reflective of the album’s overall tone: “We rode together in the wind, vanished in a dream/Where the nights went on forever, the last stand of something free/There was a warning you neglected to receive/ From your beloved Audrey Hepburn, never love a wild thing.”

“We wanted to make a lyric based singer-songwriter song that also had interesting and weird sounds in it that captured a mood,” Gundersen said. “I was trying to capture the feeling of a certain time of a certain relationship in a certain space that I was in in my life that was kind of dreamlike.”

“All My Friends,” the one upbeat song on the album, stands out as this 20s-going-to-live-forever anthem, reflecting on the highs of being high and alive. The juxtaposition of this song, especially paired with most of the tone in the rest of the album, feels necessary. It reflects on the moments in Gundersen’s

journey where he was partying and doing drugs, moments of naive invincibility.

With other songs like “Crystal Creek” and “Out of Time,” there’s something lonely in the pursuit of love. Gundersen spoke to those moments of sadness and depression.

“I think it’s easy to, especially as a ‘self-proclaimed sad bastard singer-songwriter,’ to romanticize your pain,” he said. “I’m learning how to accept some of these things more instead of feeling like I have to rage against them or bury them. That the act of being human is a lot of different things. And if you bury one thing, you’re inevitably burying other things.”

He also explained how therapy, music and meditation allowed him to have a more clear picture of his own internal workings and anxieties and moments of depression.

Listening to Gundersen’s album feels like living out some of those moments alongside him. The aches are there, the highs and lows of love, the loneliness and empty feelings all coalesce into a memoir of an album that is as painful as it is hopeful and relatable.

“It’s a record about someone getting broken and someone searching for love and for fulfillment and recognizing their shortcomings and believing that they are worthy of love, and sometimes being worthy of love is just worthy of your own love for your yourself.”

Noah Gundersen is currently on the last leg of his tour and will be playing on Nov. 12. at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland.

COURTESY OF NOAH GUNDERSEN

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE

PORTLAND THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCES MODERN-DAY RENDITION OF 2500-YEAR-OLD GREEK PLAY

NICK TOWNSEND

COURTESY OF SHAKING THE TREE THEATRE

Director Samantha Van Der Merwe and her theater company produced a rendition of Euripides’ genre-defining tragedy Bakkhai that captures the subversive nature of the original work without losing their modern audience.

Bakkhai ran at Shaking the Tree Theatre from Oct. 4–Nov. 2 with its own interpretation of the original play. Debuted posthumously after Euripides’ death in 405 BCE, Bakkhai is one of the most performed tragedies in history. The playwright made nothing definite in the work which aims only to capture the nature of the god Dionysus. Using a new translation by poet Anne Carson, Shaking the Tree offers one interpretation of the work, representing Dionysus as a symbol of change and subversion that the audience must come to accept on the deity’s own terms.

As one enters the theater, they’re immediately greeted by a long, ornamented green dress the size of the stage. The dress draws the viewer’s eye up to a small throne at the back end of the stage where a figure with hair in the shape of faun horns, clad in jewelry and feathers, sits with their eyes closed. This long green dress was the first thing that Van Der Merwe envisioned as she read the script for Bakkhai, a “spectacle piece” that allows the audience to immediately notice the larger-thanlife nature of the protagonist Dionysus.

This air of mystery didn’t dissipate. As the lights began to dim the figure rose from his chair and spoke “Here I am, Dionysus.”

Carson’s translation, first performed at the Almeida in London in 2015, sparkles from the first line. The daemon’s words seem to slip out of actor Aries Osiris’ mouth as they strut forward, every eye in the audience waiting for their next move. The chorus dance and twirl and gossip around their deity. They are the Bakkhai. The figure before them is Bachus, now disguised as man.

The plot of the play focuses on Dionysus coming into Thebes and turning the women of the city into his followers, the Bakkhai. The king Pentheus, played by Zak Westfall, refuses to recognize the divinity of Dionysus despite his own mother joining the Bakkhai. The tragedy of the family plays out without much further intervention from Dionysus. The god spends most of the play giving Pentheus chances to change course, at last letting punishment fall upon him. This is where Van der Merwe sees the play as ultimately relevant today.

“For me, Dionysus represents change and inclusivity. The establishment doesn’t like change. The establishment is holding on so tightly to that power,” Van der Merwe said. Pentheus and his family are ultimately forced to change, with grave consequences for their family and for Thebes.

Bakkhai was originally a genre-shifter, in part, because the chorus is integrated into the plot. In traditional Greek theater the chorus serves as the author’s “footnotes,” standing to the side and sing-shouting information that the audience might want to know. In Bakkhai, the chorus is an integral part of the plot that interacts directly with characters in the play. The five chorus members in Shaking the Tree’s production work to great effect to show this dynamic and perhaps suggest how unique it is.

“I wanted the songs set before we started putting everything else together,” Van der Merwe recalls, speaking about the chorus. The decision paid off. The chorus sings in pairs and triplets, shifting harmonies that help capture the feeling of change and friction that draw the audience into the timeless story.

Bakkhai finished its run on Nov. 2, but Van der Merwe is looking forward to continuing to challenge the status quo in Shaking the Tree’s next production, The Banquet. Running Jan. 31–Feb. 22, The Banquet is described as a “theatrical exhibition” of a banquet for the dead. If it’s anything like Bakkhai, Shaking the Tree is in for a rich and compelling season of theater.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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Nick Townsend

NOV 5–11 ART

MUSIC

FILM & THEATRE

COMMUNITY

FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC: THE DANISH STRING QUARTET LINCOLN PERFORMANCE HALL 7:30 P.M. $32–57 A world-renowned string quartet performs on PSU campus as part of their limited United States tour.

‘REDWOOD’ PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY 7:30 P.M. $21–87 An Ancestry test reveals a shared connection between a Black woman and her white boyfriend. The show features dancing, comedy and conversation on systemic inequities.

VIKING MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. PUGET SOUND STOTT PAVILION 7:30–10 P.M. $5–30 PSU’s men’s basketball team takes on the University of Puget Sound from Tacoma, Wash.

“ITALIAN EXCELLENCE” PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 10 A.M.–5 P.M. $17 W/ STUDENT ID A celebration of the work of children’s author Gianni Rodari, along with works from several other 20th century Italian artists.

ALESSIA CARA ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 7:30 P.M. $29.50–59.50 The Canadian popstar hit is known for her non-glamorous, relatable style and lyrics.

‘PARASITE’ CINEMA 21 7:00 P.M. $9 W/ STUDENT ID The latest film from celebrated South Korean cult-film maker Bong Joon Ho, creator of The Host and Snowpiercer.

STRAIGHT KOREAN FEMALE FANS, THEIR GAY FANTASIES AND K-POP SMITH STUDENT UNION 294 6–8 P.M. FREE Associate Professor of Film Studies Jungmin Kwon discusses her work on female fans of gay media in South Korea.

A NIGHT WITH COLE PAULS FLOATING WORLD COMICS 6–8 P.M. FREE Comic artist from the Yukon territory discusses his new graphic novel Dakwäkãda Warriors.

THE THESIS KELLY’S OLYMPIAN 9 P.M. $10 This popular monthly event features the latest up-and-coming Portland hip hop artists and producers.

WHITE BIRD: REGGIE WILSON/FIST & HEEL LINCOLN PERFORMANCE HALL 7–9PM $25–38 An innovative dance group explores elements of African diaspora and the early Black American Christian experience.

JORDAN SCHNITZER GALLERY GRAND OPENING FIRST THURSDAY RECEPTION FARIBORZ MASEEH HALL 5–8 P.M. FREE Tours given by gallery curator Linda Tesner. Snacks and wine will be available, along with viewing of the gallery’s inaugural exhibit.

FRI NOV 8

“OF MYTH OR OF MONDAY” RUSSO LEE GALLERY 11 A.M.–5:30 P.M. FREE A new exhibition of paintings by Elizabeth Malaska unites strange and familiar forms to interrogate the concept of mother and womanhood at large.

TWIN PEAKS WONDER BALLROOM 8 P.M. $18 Chicago-centered garage rock band with a hard to Google name.

“SMOKEFALL” DEFUNKT THEATER 7:30 P.M. PAY WHAT YOU CAN The Portland debut of a critically acclaimed experimental play chronicling a family across multiple generations. Described as “Thornton Wilder on acid.”

A CONVERSATION WITH JAMES VERINI POWELL’S BOOKS BURNSIDE 7:30 P.M. FREE Journalist James Verini discusses his new book They Will Have to Die Now, about the last battle against the Islamic State in the urban terrain of Mosul, Iraq.

SAT NOV 9

PORTLAND BOOK FESTIVAL MULTIPLE LOCATIONS 9 A.M.–6 P.M. $15 A huge collection of author talks, writing workshops and vendors spread across multiple venues. Cost includes admission to the Portland Art Museum.

FLATLAND CAVALRY DANTE’S 9 P.M. $12–15. 21+ Lubbock, Texas based roots and western music with a modern twist.

LIVE WIRE RADIO: PORTLAND BOOK FESTIVAL EDITION ALBERTA ROSE THEATER 7:30 $20–35 Catch a live taping of OPB’s nationally syndicated variety show featuring authors, illustrators and poets this week.

PRETTY KITTY HOLIDAY CRAFT BAZAAR TABORSPACE 10 A.M–4 P.M. FREE Shop handmade gifts for pets and their humans. All proceeds benefit House of Dreams no-kill cat shelter.

Featuring refreshments, door prizes and a silent auction.

“LIFE:LINES” CENTRAL LIBRARY COLLINS GALLERY 10 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE An exhibit of works by the Portland Society for Calligraphy on what’s important to them, put to the pen and paper.

MARILYN KELLER AND THE EZRA WEISS BIG BAND AUGUSTANA LUTHERAN CHURCH 6 P.M. FREE A gospel jazz performance that benefits Immigrant Families Together, a foundation that provides support to migrants on the border.

“MIDNIGHT TRAVELER” LIVING ROOM THEATERS MULTIPLE SHOWTIMES $8 W/ STUDENT ID When the Taliban puts a bounty on the head of Afghan filmmaker Hassan Fazili, he is forced to flee the country with his wife and two daughters.

SCI-FI AUTHORFEST 13 POWELL’S BOOK CEDAR HILLS CROSSING 4 P.M. FREE Mingle with numerous sci-fi authors from across the country.

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN: THE BEATLES! OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 10 A.M.–5 P.M. $8 This is the last day to catch the touring exhibition of Beatles memorabilia from their early boyband period.

MACHINE GUN KELLY THEATER OF THE CLOUDS AT MODA CENTER 8 P.M. $16–99 The Midwestern rapper known for his rapid-fire delivery comes to Portland for a show that’s sure to get your blood pumping.

RETRO MOVIE NIGHT: ‘CONEHEADS’ CRUZROOM ANNEX 6 P.M. FREE Watch the bizarre SNL-spinoff film in a cozy space on Alberta. Different movies show every Monday.

TRIVIA AT OAKSHIRE BREWING COMPANY OAKSHIRE BREWING COMPANY 7–9 P.M. FREE Grab a beer or a kombucha and battle out to trivia with some friends.

TUE NOV 5

“SACRED SPACES” BY BILL SHARP WATERSTONE GALLERY 7 P.M. FREE The debut of a new series of paintings inspired by the poetry of Alan Ginsburg at this artist-owned gallery.

WED NOV 6 THU NOV 7 SUN NOV 10 MON NOV 11