Portland State Vanguard, Vol. 73, Issue 9

VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 9 • NOVEMBER 6, 2018

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INSTANTANEOUSLY Intersectionality is the latest secular cult!

Humanities are under attack by neo-Marxists!

The left is censoring free speech in academia!

INTERNATIONAL: PSU ELIMINATES SWAHILI, ANCIENT GREEK AND TURKISH • OPINION: TRANS COMMUNITY WILL NOT BE SILENCED

PLEASE VOTE TODAY!

CONTENTS COVER BY SAVANNAH QUARUM NEWS MEET ASPSU’S MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

P. 3

INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

P. 10

COMMUNITY SPEAKS ON CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY

P. 4–5

ELIMINATING WORLD LANGUAGES

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SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM DOMINATES DURING PRESEASON EXHIBITION

KHASHOGGI UPDATE

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P. 6

VIGIL FOR PITTSBURGH MASSACRE

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VIKINGS VOLLEYBALL SQUAD GROUND EAGLES AT HOME

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CELEBRATING DIÁ DE LOS MUERTOS

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WHAT’S ON DECK? A LOOK AT UPCOMING VIKING ATHLETIC EVENTS

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IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TELL THEIR STORIES

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OPINION #WONTBEERASED: GENDER IS YOURS TO CLAIM, NOT THE GOVERNMENT’S

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ARTS & CULTURE BOOK COSMOPOLIS: LITERARY ARTS HOST YEARLY BOOK FESTIVAL

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EVENTS CALENDAR

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COVER HOAX ARTICLES RAISE QUESTIONS OF ACADEMIC ETHICS, RIGOR OP-ED ‘CONCEPTUAL PENISES’ AND OTHER TROLLING

STAFF

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P. 9

ONLINE EDITOR A.M. LaVey

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emma Josephson

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nada Sewidan

SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN Nico Vessia

PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Robby Day

MANAGING EDITOR Missy Hannen

COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn

NEWS EDITORS Chris May Fiona Spring

COPY EDITOR Erin Bass

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Marena Riggan ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Justin Knipper OPINION EDITOR Katharine Piwonka SPORTS EDITOR Davy Gillespie

Contributors Sabrina Achcar-Winkels Alex Amen Sophie Concannon Madison Cecil Savanna Ford Shandi Hunt Ryan O’Connell PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Brian McGloin

LEAD DESIGNER Savannah Quarum DESIGNERS Lisa Dorn Leah Maldonado Keyali Smith Margo Smolyanska DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Chris May T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info @psuvanguard.com

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

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

ASPSWHO?

NEWS

OCT. 31– NOV. 3 SOPHIE CONCANNON

OCT. 31: NO INDICTMENT FOR POLICE IN SEPT. SHOOTING, GRAND JURY RULES A Multnomah County grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by officers Sgt. Garry Britt and Officer Jeffrey Livingston, who shot and killed Patrick Kimmons on Sept. 30. The official video of the incident was released on Wednesday by police after a private screening with Kimmons’ family, according to The Oregonian. The findings of the grand jury were released the same day, just weeks after a vigil held for Patrick Kimmons was disrupted by right-wing protest group Patriot Prayer.

OCT. 31: DEATHS JUSTIFY WAPATO SHELTER, COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAYS Multnomah County Commissioner and Portland City Council candidate Loretta Smith came out in support of the plan to convert Wapato Jail into a homeless shelter on Oct. 31, according to Portland Tribune. Smith cited evidence of 79 deaths in the houseless community as justification. A report issued by the Oregon Community Foundation early this year stated “homelessness in the greater Portland region could increase 26 percent” over the next four years, spurring Smith and Republican gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler to renew calls to move forward on Wapato, located in North Portland.

NOV. 1: STATE LAWMAKERS VOW TO REDUCE INCARCERATION TIED TO MENTAL HEALTH State lawmakers, including President of the Oregon Senate Peter Courtney, D–Portland, have stated a committee will be created to examine the link between “mental health problems and incarceration,” according to Associated Press.

The committee originated in response to a report issued Nov. 1 by Oregon Public Broadcasting estimating half of all inmates incarcerated in Oregon have mental health issues.

Committee members will come up with policy suggestions for the 2019 session assisted by information from Oregon’s health authority and criminal justice departments.

NOV. 3: PORTLAND’S FIRST BOOKSTORE/BAR CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING Portland’s first bookstore and bar combination opened Nov. 3.

Eater PDX first reported the opening of the Rose City Book Pub earlier this month. Owned by Portland native Elise Schumock, the spot will serve as a fully-functioning bookstore with an estimated 7,000–8,000 used books for sale. The Rose City Book Pub will also be a hotspot for quality wines and craft beer, and the owners hope to host “regular community nights and book clubs,” according to The Oregonian.

ASPSU MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, FATIMA V. PRECIADO MENDOZA. ALEX KIRK AMEN/PSU VANGUARD ALEX KIRK AMEN Political science major Fatima V. Preciado Mendoza is the director of the Associated Students of Portland State University’s Multicultural Affairs Committee.

Her goals include providing academic support to first generation college students and connecting with the various cultural resource centers on campus.

“I really want to continue to support the cultural resource centers as Multicultural Affairs Director,” Preciado Mendoza said. “I was a little bit overwhelmed to be at such a large institution, and sometimes these spaces are not designed to cater toward first-generation students.”

One of the Multicultural Affairs Committee’s current projects is to help create the Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian student center. “A main focus is to make sure we have the proper funding for the MENASA student center and to ensure they have their full time director,” Preciado Mendoza said.

The various cultural centers on campus are funded by the Student Fee Committee. The SFC is made up of seven members in charge of allocating the student incidental fee and the student building fee, according to the ASPSU constitution.

“Most of the work has been student-led and student organizers have been putting in hours to bring more awareness to [the MENASA student center],” Preciado Mendoza said.

“They have presented at the SFC, so we’ve been really pushing the SFC to make sure they get the funding they need.”

Preciado Mendoza is also the director of DREAM PSU, a newly recognized student organization for self-identified undocumented students, and serves as a student admissions representative and student ambassador coordinator.

Preciado Mendoza said she sees overlap in her leadership roles in DREAM PSU and ASPSU. “We’re putting up events and providing resources for students. We’re bringing an awareness about the undocumented experience, and I feel like a lot of that ties into my work as multicultural affairs director.”

Preciado Mendoza was elected as a senator in June 2018 and appointed to her current position by ASPSU President Luis Balderas-Villagrana. This is Preciado Mendoza’s first year with ASPSU. Preciado Mendoza said she intends to spend this year reaching out to the student body in order to amplify their voices and ensure they are represented by ASPSU. “When you’re engaging on different topics and different things that come up, other students will start to notice,” she said. “I want ASPSU to connect with students in a way where we don’t have to be asking what do our students need.

We should already know that.”

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

COMMUNITY SPEAKS ON C CHRIS MAY

Margolis Healy, the external consulting firm tasked with a comprehensive assessment of Portland State campus safety as a result of the fatal shooting of Jason Washington by campus police, began their work with nine listening forums occuring Oct. 30–Nov. 1.

Meetings with different stakeholders on campus will take place over the next two weeks, after which Margolis Healy will begin compiling an initial draft of its report. That process should take approximately six weeks, according to statements by the firm.

The final draft of the report will be provided to university administration.

“I believe, based on the call I had, it is the university’s intention for every work product that we produce to be made available to the campus community,” said Steven Healy, CEO of Margolis Healy. He said he didn’t know exactly in which form or medium they will be made available.

Below are comments made by faculty, students, staff and community members during the listening forums.

C AU

Shandi Hunt and Sophie Concannon contributed reporting for this story.

OS S R C T O N O D S CAOUTTCIORNOS S S O R C T O N CAUTION DO UTION DO N CA S S O R NOT C “My personal experience with CPSO is as faculty; I’m sometimes working into the wee hours of the night.

I have, over the years, used them as an escort to my vehicle numerous times, but I haven’t actually done that since they’ve been armed. I think there have been one or two times that I probably would have in the past.

It certainly has impacted my sense of comfort calling for that service. They’ve always been delightful. I don’t have any reason to feel threatened or anything, but it’s changed my behavior.”

—Sybil Kelley, Assistant Professor of Science Education and Sustainable Systems, Graduate School of Education

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

OS R C OT N O D

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TICOAUTION ION T ION U T N D DO NOT C S CA U A C R ON S O S S S O C S AUTION D CRO OT OT CR O NOT CRO T C N O R O SS N D OS S O N D O N I T CAU UTIO C AU CTIAON DO T O NOT N DO N O I T CRO C AU SS LISA DORN

“I’ll say what I said with the conversation before the former president of the university chose to arm the campus safety officers: It was a solution looking for a problem...

What I said before and what I believe now is there is less chance of death by firearm on our campus if officers do not have arms.”

—Gina Greco, Professor of French; Chair, World Languages and Literatures

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CAMPUS PUBLIC SAFETY

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“I sat on the campus climate committee for the campus strategic plan, which included CPSO officers. The thing I kept hearing from CPSO officers on this committee is, ‘We need to be very careful and aware of people who have no reason to be here or don’t belong here.’ [There was] frequent mentions of things like, ‘The MAX line is opening, don’t you know that all of these people will be coming on campus?’

There was a lot of fear-mongering about things like campus sexual violence. Some of us were asking, ‘How would you be stopping a situation of sexual assault that happens in the context of a party or drinking? You’re not there, you’re not going to stop that from happening.’”

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ION T U CA

—Lisa Bates, Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Planning

“I’ve had conferences on this campus where students of color were harassed by campus police, and so they don’t feel safe, ever.”

—Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council Candidate

“I’m an alum, staff member and I’ve got a daughter who goes here. And while in general I feel safe in Portland, I can tell you as a parent of a 19-year-old girl, I don’t always feel safe for her. For me, one of the benefits for the increased attention on campus public safety at PSU is that I think there is heightened awareness of crime and how we deal with crime here on campus. I can also tell you that when I went to orientation with my daughter, at the table with all the parents when they learned I was staff here, the number one thing they wanted to know from me was, ‘Is my child safe here?’ That resonated with me because my response was, ‘Of course your child is safe.

I’m sending my child here, and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t feel like she was ultimately safe.’ But I can tell you I appreciate greater attention to our campus and its safety.”

—Susan Klees, Senior Financial Officer, Finance and Administration

“We are campus safety and security consultants; that’s what we will look at.

Insomuch as we find indications or evidence of institutional racism within the policies, procedures and practices of the campus public safety office, we will call them out.”

—Steven Healy, Margolis Healy CEO

“I’ve been at PSU for 20 years, and I have never felt unsafe here. Our campus has grown enormously over the years.

We do have times in classrooms where we have disruptive students. And now, we don’t have any immediate way of getting assistance with that other than calling campus safety—and someone comes in armed. I’ve had conversations with the chief of police about this, and right now they don’t have the capacity to change that.”

—Virginia Butler, Professor and Chair of Anthropology Department

“I do work with a lot of the exterior components and have higher engagement with nonPSU community members. Granted, I’m not going to put everyone in the same tent, but there are a lot of aggressive folks on campus, and then when we do try to contact CPSO with concerns of either the safety of staff and students, the response time is, I would say almost non-existent.”

—Brandon Lesowske, Campus Sustainability “We know there is a lot of distrust about this process. What we are here to do tonight is earn your trust by listening to your concerns, hearing those and moving forward.”

—Christiane Hurt, Margolis Healy

“There have been a couple situations where there was an individual on campus who appeared to be on drugs or didn’t know where they were and really needed help, and because of campus public safety officers being armed, I have to second guess, ‘Do I want to call these people because I’m not equipped to help them?’ but I don’t want to escalate the situation or cause harm. I also think that PSU has done a good job establishing an amnesty policy for students who are drinking or using drugs and experience sexual violence, but I don’t think that is very clear to students or communicated well. Based on the results of the 2016 campus climate survey conducted by [Global Diversity and Inclusion], many students don’t understand advocacy and response resources for sexual violence.”

—Anastasia Hale, senior, Community Health Education major

“I’ve been on campus since 2004 as a student and then also as an employee. I’m not going to speak for the whole community; I’m going to speak for my personal experiences and maybe some stories I’ve heard from people, but I’m at a point where I would not call CPSO because every time I’ve called I feel the issue I had has not really fully been addressed. I’m also going to say I’ve seen CPSO walking down the street and they make a point of saying hi to me. I think at times with the community they might be very friendly, but I am frustrated with my interactions with them to the point if I’m in a situation where I would normally have called them, I now maybe will with my co-worker be like, ‘Will you come with me to do this thing?’”

—Amanda Wolf, Campus Sustainability

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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SPORTS

VIKINGS DOMINATE DURING PRE-SEASON EXHIBITION MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM SHOWS PROMISE FOR STRONG SEASON DAVID GILLESPIE Portland State’s men’s basketball team took a decisive win, hosting the Multnomah University Lions for a preseason exhibition on Saturday, Nov. 2 that ended with a score of 119-89.

Although the matchup was only an exhibition, it was a good opportunity for the team to get a lay of the land in their new basketball facility, as well as for fans to get a look at a team that seems set to improve upon previous seasons.

A preseason coaches’ poll projected The Vikings to finish fifth in the Big Sky conference, a single place above their sixth place ranking in the 2017–18 season where they finished with 20 wins and 14 losses—their best record in nine years. This precedent-breaking performance came about with the hiring of a new head coach, Barret Peery, who is set to have his second season with the team this year. Seven of last season’s players will be returning this year, bringing experience that could help Vikings defy preseason projections.

Among those returning players is Holland “Boo Boo” Woods, PSU’s sophomore point guard and Big Sky Conference Freshman Player of the Year for the 2017– 18 season. Woods made his first time on the new Viking Pavilion court count, finishing the game with 18 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals. Senior forward Jamie Orme—another returning athlete—also had a great outing, finishing with 11 points, 14 rebounds and a block.

PSU’s first regular season matchup will be against PAC 12 powerhouse University of Oregon at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in Eugene.

SENIOR GUARD DEREK BROWN (NO. 0) ATTEMPTS A SHOT FROM OUTSIDE. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES HOLLAND “BOO BOO” WOODS

JAMIE ORME

SR | #13 | FORWARD

SO | #3 | POINT GUARD

POINTS: 18 ASSISTS: 8 REBOUNDS: 4 STEALS: 4

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

POINTS: 11 REBOUNDS: 14 ASSISTS: 3 STEALS: 3

SPORTS

VIKINGS GROUND EAGLES AT HOME VOLLEYBALL SQUAD GARNERS A MUCH-NEEDED WIN DAVID GILLESPIE The Vikings volleyball squad powered their way into a decisive win against the Eastern Washington Eagles, coming out on top with a 3-1 victory on Nov. 3 at Viking Pavilion.

The win came at a time when the Vikings needed it most, as they head toward the end of the season and hope to clinch a berth in the eight-team Big Sky Conference playoffs.

Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen was a force to be reckoned with, overpowering the Eagles’ front line with 14 kills and two blocks. Teaming up with Mullen to assure the win in Saturday’s match was senior middle blocker Katy Wilson, who finished out the match with 17 kills and three blocks.

The Vikings were an offensive force, garnering a hitting percentage of .652, something not done by a Portland State team since 2013.

The Vikings sit one match behind the current eighth place team, University of Montana, and have four matches remaining in the regular season—all against teams ranking above them in the Big Sky Conference standings.

Wins against these teams would be crucial in PSU reaching the playoffs, something the team has done the past two seasons.

The Vikings will hope to continue their offensive hot streak during their upcoming away match against Idaho State—the current fifth place team in the Big Sky Conference—at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.

HADLEY HECK AND JENNA MULLEN HIGH-FIVE AFTER A POINT AGAINST THE VANDALS. BRYAN CARTER/PSU VANGUARD

WHAT’S ON DECK?

DAVID GILLESPIE

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. IDAHO STATE

CROSS COUNTRY NCAA WEST REGIONALS RACE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. WARNER PACIFIC

MEN’S FOOTBALL VS. NORTHERN DAKOTA

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. U.C. RIVERSIDE

NOV. 8 @ POCATELLO, ID The women’s volleyball squad will be looking to build a win streak after a big win against Eastern Washington University at home on Nov. 3. Idaho State is currently ranked fifth in the Big Sky Conference and is the most recent team to clinch a spot in the Big Sky playoffs, so they will present a tough matchup for Portland State, who could clinch a playoff spot themselves if they perform well during their final four regular season matches.

NOV. 9 @ HAGGINS OAKS GOLF COMPLEX, SACRAMENTO, CA Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams recently defied preseason projections and set multiple PSU records during the Big Sky championship meet, which was held on Oct. 27 at Haggins Oaks. They will look to continue performing above expectations as they face a larger, more talented pool of runners for the NCAA West Regionals race. Runners to watch will be seniors Kaila Gibson and Sarah Medved, who both placed in the Top 10 as individuals in the Big Sky championship race.

NOV. 9 @ VIKING PAVILION, PORTLAND, OR Portland State’s women’s basketball team will play their first regular season game at home in Viking Pavilion against Warner Pacific University, a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Vikings have been projected to take the number two spot in the Big Sky conference and recently earned blowout wins in both of their preseason exhibition matches. The game starts at 7:05 p.m., and will be free for PSU students with student IDs.

NOV. 10 @ GRAND FORKS, ND The Vikings football team will look to recover from a heartbreaking loss against Idaho State—a loss that snapped a three-game winning streak—during an away game against North Dakota University in Grand Forks, ND. The Vikings have been showing off their offensive prowess this season and will lean on that advantage to take home a win during this out-of-conference matchup.

NOV. 10 @ VIKING PAVILION, PORTLAND, OR The men’s basketball squad will have their regular season home opener in the form of a non-conference match against UC Riverside, who is the projected seventh place team in the Big West Conference of the NCAA. The Vikings won 94-82 against UC Riverside last season and will hope to post a repeat performance this season in order to win in their very first regular season game at Viking Pavilion. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. and will be free for PSU students who present their student IDs. -

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER

HOAX ARTICLES RAISE QUESTIONS OF ACADEMIC ETHICS, RIGOR FIONA SPRING

Over the course of 10 months between 2017 and 2018, three academics—including Portland State Philosophy Professor Peter Boghossian—submitted a series of hoax articles to various academic journals in an attempt to expose bias in the scholarly fields they refer to as “grievance studies.”

Boghossian and his colleagues—mathematician James A. Lindsay and Areo magazine Editor Helen Pluckrose, who has an academic background in English literature and history—said the articles were intended to satirize and reveal a lack of academic rigor in fields broadly described as cultural and identity studies, including gender and sexuality studies, race and ethnicity studies, fat studies and sociology.

The authors, who referred to the hoax as an academic project in “reflexive ethnography,” said they submitted “outlandish or intentionally broken” articles under pseudonyms in an attempt to see whether “absurd or deeply unethical” concepts would be able to pass muster in the peer-review process.

Of the 20 articles submitted, seven were accepted by academic journals, six were rejected outright and seven were still in the peer-review process when the project came to an end.

In the Areo article, the authors also stated they had received four invitations to peer-review other papers “as a result of [their] own exemplary scholarship,” but they rejected these invitations due to ethical concerns.

From the accepted articles, four were published online before the hoax was exposed. These included an article published in Sexuality & Culture suggesting “potential socially remedial value for encouraging male anal eroticism with sex toys;” an ethnographic study of so-called breastaurants such as Hooters published in Sex Roles; a fat studies article advocating for the introduction of a category for “fat bodybuilding” into the sport of professional bodybuilding; and an analysis of “human reactions to rape culture and queer performativity” among dogs at public parks in Portland published in Gender, Place & Culture.

All four articles have since been retracted by their respective journals.

Of the 20 articles submitted, seven were accepted by academic journals, six were rejected and seven were still in the peer-review process.

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“Something has gone wrong in the university—especially in certain fields within the humanities,” Boghossian, Lindsay and Pluckrose wrote in an Areo article. “Scholarship based less upon finding truth and more upon attending to social grievances has become firmly established, if not fully dominant, within these fields, and their scholars increasingly bully students, administrators and other departments into adhering to their worldview.”

“Because open, good-faith conversation around topics of identity such as gender, race and sexuality…is nearly impossible, our aim has been to reboot these conversations,” the authors continued. “We hope this will give people—especially those who believe in liberalism, progress, modernity, open inquiry and social justice—a clear reason to look at the identitarian madness coming out of the academic and activist left and say, ‘No, I will not go along with that. You do not speak for me.’”

Boghossian, Lindsay and Pluckrose stated they chose to call their project to a premature halt after their “dog park” article attracted skeptical attention on social media in journalistic publications. However, they said their results indicate deep flaws within these academic fields.

“Although purposely biased and satirical, our papers are indistinguishable from other work in these disciplines,” Boghossian said in a press release. “This is a big problem as this scholarship is taught in universities, taken up by activists and misinformed politicians and journalists about the true nature of our cultural realities.”

PSU student Bode Smith, a film studies major and member of the PSU Freethinkers student group, said he could see the potential benefits of the project, but it shouldn’t be seen as a dismissal of humanities disciplines altogether.

“I personally like what [they] did. I don’t think there’s any harm in it at all,” Smith said.

“Is there any critique happening within women’s studies? Basically everybody who’s there already has an [agreed-upon] logical precept… and they just run unchecked because outsiders basically aren’t in the conversation at all in the academic environment, so [in that regard], I think that it’s doing something that could be sort of informed, but shouldn’t be seen as complete dismissal either.”

Freethinkers member Blake Horner said she agreed there were issues with bias in humanities fields. “A lot of these humanities are ripe for exploitation from people who have an ideological stance,” she said.

Critics, however, have accused the trio of engaging in dishonest academic practices. In an

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

opinion piece published by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Carl T. Bergstrom called the project indefensible and accused Boghossian, Lindsay and Pluckrose of fabricating data and failing to obtain required Institutional Review Board approval for research with human subjects.

The IRB, managed at PSU through the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, regulates academic research involving human subjects and approves or rejects proposed research methods based on both regulatory and ethical considerations. With some specific exceptions, most published research involving the collection of data about human subjects requires an IRB review.

Boghossian did not respond to a request for direct comment.

Lydia McLeod, a first-year transfer student at PSU majoring in psychology and Spanish, is currently taking Boghossian’s critical thinking

class as a cluster course. She said Boghossian sometimes references his complaints about academia and the university in class.

“He doesn’t say explicitly what his problems are really, but I know he doesn’t like it,” McLeod said. “He talks about how he’s getting in trouble with [PSU], and that he can’t talk about protected classes.”

“He emphasizes a lot in class how people have attached their identities to their opinions, so it becomes really difficult to have a conversation with people because they just start getting upset and [offended] instead of discussing facts,” she continued.

McLeod said she found Boghossian’s approach to teaching critical thinking valuable, but she didn’t agree with everything he said in class. “One thing he did teach me is don’t 100 percent believe everyone, which has taught me to not believe him.”

OP-ED

‘CONCEPTUAL PENISES’ AND OTHER TROLLING ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND MAKING SENSE OF ‘HOAX STUDIES’

“...the goal, in the contemporary bullying style of Trumpist politics, is to ridicule others for personal gain.”

–PSU Pro-Educational Editorial Collective

ROBBY DAY

Dear Portland State students, What should we make of the recent rash of hoax articles that supposedly “[reveal] deep problems in social sciences” and show “something has gone wrong in the university?” What does this mean for your education?

Some—including the authors of these hoaxes, Peter Boghossian, Heather Pluckrose and James Lindsey—have compared this rash of hoaxes to the notorious Sokal affair. In 1996, esteemed physics Professor Alan Sokal entered the socalled Science Wars by submitting an article that was largely nonsense purporting to be a postmodernist take on theoretical physics to a leading humanities journal, Social Text. The journal, which is not a peer-reviewed publication, published it.

A NEW SOKAL AFFAIR OR JUST A SUCKER’S AFFAIR? Let us be clear. We’re not necessarily opposed to a well-executed hoax. But we must ask: What are the contributions of the recent hoaxes? How do these recent hoax papers reflect any understanding of the academic disciplines they aim to critique?

The first attempt by Boghossian and others, posting a concept called the “conceptual penis,” aimed to demonstrate the field of gender studies was without quality standards and biased against men. It was rejected by these journals, which presented an enormous problem. The paper instead went to a so-called generalist social sciences journal for publication, a journal so esteemed one of us recently found a blanket invitation to publish there in our email spam folder.

Seeking to conceal the fact that no serious scholar would view this sort of hoax as having much value, the authors railed against the dangers of online pay-to-publish journals as well as the field of gender studies. The first is a genuine, if entirely unoriginal, concern. The second claim is utterly inappropriate given the hoax failed.

Undeterred, Boghossian and his coauthors crafted more fake pieces to flood the journal-scape, further clogging the pipeline for scholars who want to publish actual research. Some of the junk pieces were “theoretical” pieces, providing so-called theory willfully designed to obfuscate, while other papers actually involved completely falsified data, a thing that we ought to call by its name: fraud.

Since there were 20 or more pieces and journals of any quality require at least two peer reviewers—a job that academics perform without pay because they actually care about improving their disciplines—we can deduce these junk papers involved the authors knowingly wasting the time, effort and goodwill of at least 40 reviewers and at least 20 editors.

We cannot conclude there was some kind of intellectual value provided by the non-research papers, but we can identify the drain on valuable unpaid time of real scholars these “hoaxes” directly produced. Some of your own professors are likely to be among those doing this unpaid work; this is part of the workload competing with their teaching and mentoring activities.

Further, in all research fields, rules of scholarly conduct exist.

In the social sciences particularly, the recent “hoaxes” likely constitute a form of academic dishonesty. Just like students, faculty have a code of conduct. In fact, the very first standard in this code reminds faculty members to practice “intellectual honesty, seeking and stating the truth as [they] see it; [They] devote [their] energies to developing and improving [their] scholarly competence.”

Moreover, a faculty member is supposed to be a good colleague. By purposefully wasting colleagues’ time and goodwill, Boghossian and his coauthors failed to follow any of these guidelines.

While many would normally consider these non-research, educationally-irrelevant “hoax” activities to be unworthy of addressing, credulous journalists interested mainly in spectacle have taken these frauds and introduced them to the broader world.

When supposed scholars repeatedly engage in fraudulent behavior violating acceptable norms of research in any discipline, we have to start asking what the purpose is. Desperate reasoning, basic spite and a perverse interest in public humiliation seem to have overridden any actual scholarly goals.

Nothing about this affair suggests anything but academic dishonesty and flat-out disrespect of colleagues. This is why Boghossian does not design and conduct studies to weigh in on biology and gender—instead he is continuing the pattern he began in previous years of provocation for the sole purpose of self-aggrandizement. His invitation of Google engineer James Damore to tell us why women are incapable of excelling in tech fields was certainly disrespectful of all of his colleagues who identify as women—Damore proved barely articulate, much less a serious gender scholar. Similarly, in asking slyly “Is Intersectionality a Religion?” as he has in public presentations, Boghossian shows he less interested in the hard work of scholarship and more interested in scoring cheap political points without actually engaging pivotal concepts.

In this context, the “hoaxes” are simply lies peddled to journals, masquerading as articles. They are designed not to critique, educate or inspire change in flawed systems, but rather to humiliate entire fields while the authors gin up publicity for themselves without having made any scholarly contributions whatsoever. Chronic and pathological, unscholarly behavior inside an institution of higher education brings negative publicity to the institution as well as the honest scholars who work there. Worse yet, it jeopardizes the students’ reputations, as their degrees in the process may become devalued.

WHAT MUST BE DONE? The 1990s were a time of debate and exploration in the field of philosophy of science that rendered Sokal pivotal. However, gender studies, ethnic studies and Black/African American studies programs are not new and have had to fight for their claims to knowledge against an academy designed to minimize them. These intellectual fights are long done (although the political ones rage on), which is why the clown car of hoax writers does not bother engaging with them—the goal, in the contemporary bullying style of Trumpist politics, is to ridicule others for personal gain.

Some faculty practice education in bad faith right in your own backyard. This is to the detriment of the university’s reputation and the serious scholars trying to make PSU an excellent place to seek higher education. Unfortunately, education in bad faith seems more newsworthy than all of the great things happening here. These types of fraudulent, time-wasting, anti-intellectual activities are something we are becoming nationally known for under the guise of free speech or academic freedom.

Make no mistake: We are some of academia’s biggest critics. But we also believe in the core value of education and are pained by the amount of attention being diverted toward unscholarly activities done for individual self-aggrandizement.

Signed,* PSU Pro-Educational Editorial Collective: Assistant Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Faculty, School of Social Work Assistant Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Assistant Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences NTTF Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Adjunct Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Associate Professor, Humanities Ph.D. Student, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Assistant Professor, University Studies Professor, Urban Studies *We have opted to communicate our concerns through a collective identity rather than individually. Boghossian has not only indicated his less-than-collegial attitude through his hoaxes, but has actively targeted faculty at other institutions. None of us wish to contend with threats of death and assault from online trolls.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD Oct. 28–Nov. 4

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Oct. 28

Chongqing, China

A bus crashed into the Yangtze River when it swerved into the opposite lane, hitting one car before plunging off a bridge. The incident started when one of the passengers, surnamed Liu, became angry with the driver, Ran, who would not let her off after her stop was missed. Liu started hitting Ran with her phone, prompting Ran to respond. He lost control and swerved off the road, falling 164 feet into the river. A search and rescue mission was deployed and the bus was retrieved from the river on Oct. 31. However, 13 of those on board have been confirmed dead with two still missing. Dashcam footage from an oncoming vehicle shows the bus plunging into the river, while video from inside the bus was retrieved detailing the fight.

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Oct. 29

Java Sea

A plane traveling between the Indonesian islands of Jakarta and Sumatra crashed into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after departure.

Of the 189 on board, no survivors were found.

The Lion Air flight had just left when pilots requested permission from air traffic control to return to Jakarta. Contact was lost shortly

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after at 6:30 a.m., with Flightradar showing its path ending abruptly over the sea. The National Search and Rescue Agency was deployed, and wreckage from the Boeing 737 MAX 8 including seats and debris was found. No cause has been determined. However, Lion Air is known to have a history of similar incidents, the latest being in April 2018 when one of their flights was evacuated after skidding on the runway during heavy rains.

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Oct. 29

Taif, Saudi Arabia

Relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have been strained after the kingdom executed Tuti Tursilawati, an Indonesian national given the death sentence in 2011 after killing her employer in 2010. Tursilawati was working inside her employer’s home as a domestic servant when he allegedly attempted to rape her. Tursilawati claims she was acting in self-defense. Over 9 million migrant workers live inside the kingdom. Human Rights Watch reports predominantly women domestic workers routinely face abuse from their employers under the kafala system, a type of sponsorship found in the Gulf where employers may confiscate passports or withhold wages, among other things. Tursilawati’s family was not notified of her execu-

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

tion, and Jakarta has filed an official protest against Saudi Arabia.

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Oct. 31

Arkhangelsk, Russia

Russia’s Federal Security Service building was the target of a suicide blast when a teenage boy detonated his explosive in the lobby, killing himself while injuring three others. The explosion occurred at 9 a.m., though seven minutes prior, a message appeared on the application Telegram warning of the attack. “I will most likely croak in the blast. I wish you a bright future of anarchist communism,” said the poster signed Valeryan Panov. “The reasons are quite clear to you. I have decided to do this because the FSB has gone fucking mad. It is inventing cases and torturing people.” Though the assailant has not been named, an anonymous official told Agents France-Press via Al Jazeera they believe the attacker was Mikhail Zhlobitsky, a student at a nearby college.

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Nov. 1

New York City, U.S.

The UN General Assembly has condemned the U.S. embargo on Cuba, with 189 countries voting in favor of the resolution. Only two countries

voted against—the U.S. and Israel—while Moldova and Ukraine abstained. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley expressed her disfavor with the outcome, saying the embargo is intended to combat the country’s human rights violations.

“You’re literally hurting the Cuban people by telling the regime that their treatment of their people is acceptable,” Haley said. Though the resolution does not allow for the U.S. embargo to be forcibly halted, the vote reflects global outlooks on Cuba–U.S. relations.

Ongoing 6

U.S. Mexico Border; Central America

In response to the migrant caravan of people fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, President Donald Trump announced Oct. 31 the deployment of 7,000 military troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of Operation Faithful Patriot. However, migrants who are mostly coming from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are still some 700 miles away from the Texas border and some 2000 miles from California, according to Business Insider.

Trump has called the caravan an invasion while calling on military to use lethal force against anyone throwing stones, as reported by Canadian news outlet Global News.

INTERNATIONAL

ELIMINATING WORLD LANGUAGES

PORTLAND STATE CUTS SWAHILI, ANCIENT GREEK AND TURKISH SAVANNA FORD Former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Karen Marrongelle issued a proposal in August 2017 to eliminate language programs in Ancient Greek, Swahili, Korean and Vietnamese by summer term 2019 in response to a budget deficit.

The world languages and literature department has the second largest enrollment in CLAS after the department of mathematics and statistics.

In response to a memo from Marrongelle dated Aug. 29, 2017 concerning the proposed language cuts, Chair of the WLL Department Dr. Gina Greco issued five letters arguing against the curriculum changes.

“Maintaining a robust world languages program shows concrete institutional support for the university’s broader goals for internationalization,” Greco stated. “Cutting funding for world languages, particularly non-Indo-European ones, could be read as a move that runs counter to the university’s position on developing cultural competency.”

According to Professor of Greek Laurie Cosgriff, the WLL department does not stand alone in its disfavor with the decision.

“Faculty members in art history, philosophy, history, and the Honors College, as well as the WLL department, strongly opposed the elimination of Ancient Greek from the curriculum,” Cosgriff stated in an email.

Cosgriff, whose program in Ancient Greek was taught on the Portland State campus for 19 years, also said not only was it a valuable program for students, but for faculty members who have taken her courses over the years as well. Cosgriff expressed the significance of this program for students studying the classics and relating disciplines.

“I view this as a very short-sighted decision,” Cosgriff said. “The way the decision was made is also disturbing...The dean had a shortfall in the budget that she had to make up, and rather than allow the WLL department to decide how to make cuts, she chose to abolish faculty positions.”

While eliminating Ancient Greek and Swahili was in direct response to departmental budget cuts, the decision to cut Turkish was a mutual decision between the dean and Professor of Turkish Pelin Basci, as she decided to transfer from the WLL department to the Honors College.

While Swahili, Ancient Greek, Turkish, Swedish and Vietnamese have the lowest

student enrollment in the department, Swedish is paid for by outside grants.

Additionally, Swedish alternates its language section every other year while the first and second year of Vietnamese are taught together in the same classroom. On average, by the second year of Swahili, Ancient Greek and Turkish, one to three students were enrolled per term per language.

“The curriculum has traditionally been within the purview of the faculty, not the administration, so the dean’s actions set a worrying precedent for the weakening of faculty governance,” Cosgriff said. In her time at PSU, Cosgriff has known budget shortfalls to go for cuts to the instructional budget instead of the administrative budget. However, the school’s priorities are readjusting.

Aisha Awo, community and public relations coordinator for the Pan-African Commons, expressed her distress for the Swahili program elimination and how this particular language represented a greater connection for the African diaspora. “Swahili is not just a language to me; it’s a lifestyle, a culture, a symbol of home away from home,” she said.

In Awo’s experience, she said Swahili was the only language she could connect to—especially since PSU is a predominantly white institution. Students who had not come from the African diaspora had also visibly enjoyed the enrichment that learning a new language and culture provided.

“Students have confided in me and told me that Swahili has been a language they favored and are disappointed with the decision,” Awo said. “I also think the fact students were not able to take part in this decision was quite insensitive and inconsiderate.”

Additionally, Awo lamented the elimination of the program for those who found Swahili as a reprieve from the cultural isolation they felt on campus.

According to the department’s mission, incorporating language—no matter what language—“plays a central role in preparing the students of Portland State University to function in the global community.”

Additionally, the professional benefits found for graduates who have studied language exceed their peers who have not.

Bilingual candidates are paid higher—between 5–20 percent more per hour than base rates—and have honed important soft skills for the job market, including communica-

tion, leadership, strategic thinking and problem solving. These are critical for American businesses which, according to a report by the Committee for Economic Development, lose $2 billion annually due to language and cultural misunderstandings.

However, despite personal and monetary benefits, language study in the United States is in steep decline. A report by the Modern Language Association of America detailed

how enrollments in languages at institutions of higher education declined by 9.2 percent between 2012–2016.

“I don’t think that on our campus we’re being singled out because the administration doesn’t like language, but we are suffering absolutely from a national trend amongst students not to pursue language study, and it makes us an easy target in difficult budget times,” Greco said.

BOOKS ON SWAHILI, TURKISH AND ARABIC. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI VIGIL HONORS —CONTINUED VICTIMS OF PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE MARENA RIGGAN Since the Oct. 23 Vanguard issue covering the murder and disappearance of self-exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, new information has come to light. Below is a timeline of various events in relation to the case.

RYAN VALHEURDI/PSU VANGUARD

SABRINA ACHCAR-WINKELS Community members from Portland State and the Portland area gathered on Nov. 1 in the Park Blocks to commemorate those killed in the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh last week.

The vigil was hosted by the PSU chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, an interfaith, political organization which seeks a peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians.

Those in attendance took part in lighting candles while holding silent contemplation for victims of the attack. “We always hear about fascism on the rise, but it is present. We are here and we see effects of it daily,” PSU student Zia Laboff said.

As one of the leaders for Jewish Voice for Peace PSU, Laboff helped set up and coordinate the vigil, inviting those of all faiths to join with the Jewish community in mourning the death of the 11 victims of the attack. “The fact that it was done under three days...we are so grateful and appreciative of that and all of the different people [who] came out,” Laboff said.

Portland resident Alea Brager, who identifies as both Jewish and lesbian, was one of the attendees. During the vigil, Brager shared a poem by Mary Oliver, “Sunrise.”

“This poem is about how we’ve been, throughout history, experiencing oppression we all have in common, and that we need to lead our lives as we dive into the fire of the oppression with whatever joy we can,” Brager said. “That poem harkens to me this deep feeling that all of us can come through the start time by understanding our commonality.”

As members of the Tree of Life Congregation gathered for morning Shabbat

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service on Oct. 27, the attacker, armed with an assault rifle and several handguns, entered yelling anti-Semitic slurs before opening fire. Though this is one of the worst anti-Semitic attacks to ever occur in the U.S. according to the Anti-Defamation League via CNN, incidents of anti-Semitism have risen astronomically since 2016—in 2017 alone, the Anti-Defamation League found a 57 percent increase.

As a response to the attack, two Muslim organizations—CelebrateMercy and MPower Change—raised $200,000 to help families of the victims, according to The New York Times. Their initial target was $25,000, but in six hours they reached their goal. Nearly a week later, members of Tree of Life gathered for their first Shabbat service since the attack.

While hateful rhetoric and attacks on minority groups increase as reported by The Washington Post, Laboff hopes to see people with different backgrounds and beliefs come together. “I think moving forward, it’s about time to acknowledge—taking time to honor the people who have lost their lives and just find ways to support each other, because there is no bandaid fix for this unfortunately,” Laboff said. “I hope to see more empathy from people...if we can empathize for the other oppressed communities going through similar tragedies, it will build solidarity.”

She ended the night with a moment of silence along with giving thanks for all who came to honor the victims and support the community.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

Oct. 2: According to Al Jazeera’s initial timeline, Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey at 1:14 p.m. to obtain a marriage license. His fiancé, Hatice Cengiz, waited outside for three hours, at which point she asked staff at the consulate of Khashoggi’s whereabouts. Staff informed her he left through a back entrance.

Surveillance video which has since been removed showed a man dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes leaving the embassy, BBC reported.

Oct. 3: Saudi officials acknowledge Khas -hoggi’s disappearance but deny any other involvement, saying he left the consulate the day before. However, Turkish officials say Khashoggi never left the embassy.

Oct. 9: The Washington Post releases information concerning intercepted U.S. intelligence involving a Saudi plot to abduct Khashoggi.

Oct. 15: Turkish authorities enter the Saudi consulate for the first time, reportedly finding evidence of hazardous materials and freshly painted areas.

Oct. 19: The Gulf kingdom admits Khashoggi was killed inside the embassy, claiming the death was accidental after conversations between the journalist and officials divulged into a brawl.

Oct. 22: As reported by Haaretz, Saudi Arabia’s official website for the Future Investment Initiative is hacked, replacing the main page imagery. The image depicted Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman standing, a bloodied sword ready to behead Khashoggi, who is kneeling. The robes MBS

HACKERS ADDED THIS IMAGE TO THE FUTURE INVESTMENT INITIATIVE’S WEBSITE ON OCT. 22. PHOTO: @HELENCROBERTSON is wearing has an additional “ISIS” sewn on the front, with an Islamic State flag in the backdrop.

Oct. 23: King Salman and MBS receive the son of slain journalist Salah at the palace in Riyadh to “express their condolences,” according to Al Jazeera. A photo of the crown prince shaking hands with Salah Khashoggi during the meeting went viral, prompting widespread commentary and criticism.

Oct. 24: Saudi sisters Rotana and Tala Farea, who had applied for political asylum while studying inside the U.S., are found on the Hudson River bank bound together with duct tape. While not directly related to Khashoggi, the separate incident draws more scrutiny on Saudi Arabia’s international reach toward dissidents.

Oct. 25: After Saudi Arabia lifted the travel ban placed on Khashoggi’s son last year despite having dual U.S.-Saudi citizenship, Salah Khashoggi—accompanied by his family—leave the country, arriving in Washington, D.C the same day. He joins his mother and siblings who are already in the U.S., as reported by Middle East Eye. Oct. 26: Turkey prepares to demand extradition of the 18 allegedly involved in the murder of Khashoggi, Reuters reports.

Nov. 2: A month after the initial disappearance, the body of Khashoggi remains elusive. As such, a memorial was held in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile in Turkey, officials continue to investigate the case, speculating Khashoggi was dismembered in order to “dissolve for easier disposal.” Additionally, Al Jazeera reported Khashoggi being described as a “dangerous Islamist” by MBS in a phone call with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and National Security Adviser John Bolton.

INTERNATIONAL

TODOS SOMOS CALAVERAS, WE ARE ALL SKELETONS REMEMBERING FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR DIÁ DE LOS MUERTOS MADISON CECIL

A DANCER FROM THE NORTHWEST CONSERVATORY OF DANCE PERFORMS DURING THE DIÁ DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION IN SMSU 101. AMITH KASHYAP/PSU VANGUARD

Organized by Portland State’s La Casa Latina Student Center, a celebration of Diá de los Muertos was held on Nov. 2 to commemorate the holiday and bring the community together.

Diá de los Muertos, commonly known as Day of the Dead, is traditionally a Mexican holiday celebrating deceased family members. The event included many traditional aspects of Diá de los Muertos including ofrendas, calaveras catrinas, pan de muerto and tamales, as well as dancers from the Northwest Conservatory of Dance who performed customary Mexican and Spanish dances.

“We are dedicating this time to remember all of our family and close friends,” said Fellow student Jonathon Ramirez. Organizers also created an arts and crafts station where guests could decorate calaveras of their own before adding it to the garland in honor of their lost loved ones.

Calaveras, or skulls, may be the most widely-known symbol of Diá de los Muertos. While they are usually colorful and elaborately drawn or painted, they were originally short, literary works.

The painted skulls seen today can be attributed to Mexican lithographer and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada, who accompanied his literary calavera with a stylized skeleton. The quote “Todos somos calaveras,” meaning “We are all skeletons,” exemplified the idea that lying underneath all faults and differences, everyone is the same and has their own skeleton.

Handmade papel picados, or pierced papers, were hung along the windows. A common staple of the celebration, papel picados are thin pieces of colorful paper with abstract holes cut through. While they can be seen in Mexico throughout the year, they become extremely popular during

Diá de los Muertos as they represent the fragility of the lives they are celebrating.

Diá de los Muertos celebrations originated in Mexico and are now celebrated all across Latin America. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Mexican Halloween,” Diá de los Muertos can be traced back to around 3,000 years ago with the ancient Aztec, Toltec and Nahua people, according to National Geographic. In pre-Columbian times, these civilizations considered mourning the dead disrespectful since death was a natural phase of life. Instead of mourning, they celebrated what they believed to be the only time in the year the departed could return to the realm of the living.

According to My Modern Met, the holiday was originally commemorated in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar—August of the Gregorian calendar. However, due to Spanish colonization and the subsequent Catholic influence, the month-long celebration changed to align with the Hallowmas season—the three-day Catholic observance of All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Despite this influence, Diá de los Muertos is filled with symbolic meaning that can be traced back to these civilizations. During the celebration at PSU, students made their own ofrendas, filling them with photos, candles, flowers and an assortment of objects representing their loved ones.

Ofrendas are altars decorated with candles, flowers, copal incense, photos of the deceased, spirited drinks as well as food to replenish the energies of spirits after their journey.

These altars are not meant for worshipping the dead, but instead celebrating their return.

‘THE IMMIGRANT STORY IS THE AMERICAN STORY’ IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TELL THEIR STORIES MARENA RIGGAN Portland Story Theater, a nonprofit dedicated to facilitating the spread of diverse narratives, hosted their Urban Tellers Immigrant and Refugee Special Edition on Nov. 2.

The evening event highlighted stories from six immigrants and refugees in the community, including Sankar Raman, Israa Hasani, Ivan Hernandez, Victor Bencomo, Onyeka Jones and Wafa Almaktari.

First to present that evening was Sankar Raman, founder of The Immigrant Story—a nonprofit organization of more than 20 volunteers. Raman’s presentation, “The Passive Activist,” detailed his journey in founding the organization in order to disparage negative stereotypes against people who originate from elsewhere. “To be an immigrant, especially if you’re a person of color, has always been challenging in our country,” he said.

However, with the current administration and rhetoric espoused by President

Donald Trump, Raman decided to create an avenue to counter these ideologies. “I told myself, I’m going to be a passive activist,” he said. “The immigrant story is the American story.”

Israa Hasani, a mental health counselor at OHSU for refugee victims of war and torture, presented “Self Love,” in which she told her story of self-discovery. Hasani expressed the constraints of life in Iraq as a woman and the control necessary to adhere to social norms. “That control didn’t come from a privileged place; it came from fear.

Fear of persecution, fear of being spoke at as a woman.”

She left the country by way of marriage.

However, 20 years later she and her husband divorced. “Marriage became for me an obstacle to the way I want to raise my child.”

She ended her presentation detailing a story about meeting a man who, while he was no

longer in her life, gave her the chance to feel a deep connection she had not known before. “I am thankful to meet with you because you gave me a glimpse to what it means to fall in love. But more importantly… the most important thing actually is loving myself this way,” she said to him.

Later in the evening, Wafa Almaktari, a senior at Portland State, led the audience with her story, from her childhood in Yemen to her current life. “As a child, I was honest, I was bold, I was outspoken, I was confident and I was never afraid.” Almaktari told the crowd about several incidents in which she stood up to boys taunting her, exemplifying her spirited personality.

As the war in Yemen came, she left her home, including her love, facing hardships along the way, such as the time she was called a terrorist on campus. “I left everything behind just to live in a world where it’s safe to get to talk without fear,” she said. “But the Wafa in me, the person

WAFA ALMAKTARI SPOKE AT THE OLD CHURCH NOV. 2.

BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD who fought the boy, the person who yelled and screamed can’t do that here...I don’t want to risk my green card. I worked so hard to get here.”

Almaktari has found new ways to combat prejudice, such as speaking out against Islamophobia at events. In June, she will graduate and intends to join her fiance back in Yemen. “I’m planning to go back to my country and get married, and I’m planning to get him here. But with all that’s happening right now, I don’t know how it’s going to go,” she said. “The warrior inside me is not going to leave the love of my life behind.”

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

#WON’T BE ERASED GENDER IS YOURS TO CLAIM, NOT THE GOVERNMENT’S KATHARINE PIWONKA The discrimination administration has struck again, this time targeting transgender and LGBTQ+ rights.

A memo leaked by The New York Times reported the Trump administration may be trying to limit the definition of sex, consequently excluding transgender individuals from sex-based discrimination protection.

The memo would endorse discrimination on a legal level while it attempts to silence, erase and disrespect trans identities and experiences. Its purpose is neither economic nor human rights based, rather a political agenda based on narrow-minded bigotry. It’s intolerance at its worst.

“Sex means a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth,” stated the memo, as reported by The New York Times.

“The sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.”

Limiting sex to male and female exclusively is scientifically inaccurate; intersex individuals are born with both male and female sexual anatomy, biologically defying binary expectations relating to sex and gender. In other words, limiting sex to only male and female “doesn’t represent the true spectrum of biological gender,” according to Oliver Villman, PSU social sciences and women, gender and sexualities student.

More than 1600 scientists, nine of whom are Nobel laureates, have denounced the scientific claims in Trump’s anti-trans memo in an open letter.

Since the 2016 election, the United States has seen a slew of anti-transgender and antiLGBTQ+ federal policies, such as the ban on transgender military service enlistment and the “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division” promoting gender discrimination in health care. The leaked government memo proposing the potential rewrite of gender and sex would have hugely negative implications on trans-identifying individuals.

“Specifically, how changes in federal policy around the definition of gender and/or sex might affect students will depend if the area of law is governed by federal, state or local law and regulation,” said April Kusters, assistant director of student legal services at PSU. “Concerns I have are transgender individuals’ access to public facilities, medical insurance, how the change will affect transgender

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Center. “There is a culture of expecting trans people to be okay with getting scraps.” “[Trump] can wipe out our legal terminology but we will continue to exist—just as we always have, even before the terms for our identities existed,” Villmann said. “Without representation, without freedom to be ourselves, without normalization and acceptance of our otherized identities, we will continue to die.”

“Trans people are often ignored, glossed over, treated with disrespect and then expected to be okay with bare minimum effort from other cis folk” —Ollie Murauskas, trans resources and retention coordinator at the PSU Queer Resource Center

KEYALI SMITH

students’ access to health care and difficulty accessing passports, as well as passports indicating inaccurate gender information.”

Title IX protects certain kinds of sex-discrimination related to gender and gender expression, expanded by the Obama administration in May 2016. Laws, policies and procedures enforced by the government are meant to protect people. A policy such as this does the opposite for 1.4 million individuals in the U.S. who are federally recognized, surgically or otherwise, as transgender.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

After the memo was leaked publicly, thousands of individuals took to Twitter with the hashtag #WontBeErased. Two large rallies for transgender rights took place in Washington Square Park in New York and in front of the White House in D.C. “Trans people are often ignored, glossed over, treated with disrespect and then expected to be okay with bare minimum effort from other cis folk,” said Ollie Murauskas, trans resources and retention coordinator at the PSU Queer Resource

In the U.S., there needs to be a cultural shift towards inclusivity, respect and safety for all. “If people are still on the fence about how to get involved, now is the time to really start thinking about ways to do that,” Murauskas said. “Take allyship as seriously as possible.”

The memo proposed deviates from this progress and digresses into oppressive hierarchical and patriarchal narratives, reminiscent of historical trans violence and disenfranchisement.

It is not up to the government to define personal identity. Gender is experienced individually; it is and should be decided by the individual.

“Regardless of Trump’s attempt to erase trans, non-binary and intersex folks, we will continue to exist,” Villmann said.

Resources for Students on Campus: On PSU campus, the QRC is hosting studentled events during the month of November as part of Trans Empowerment Resistance and Resilience. The QRC serves as a resource and support system for LGBTQ+ students and allies. Students can also turn to Student Legal Services, who can assist with legal name and gender changes or other legal issues such as trouble with landlords, criminal cases and records and immigration issues.

ARTS & CULTURE

LITERARY ARTS HOSTS YEARLY BOOK FESTIVAL RYAN O’CONNELL The Portland Book Festival, formerly known as Wordstock, returns Nov. 10 to Portland Art Museum and surrounding venues with 157 authors and presenters appearing on nine stages, plus writing workshops, pop-up events and approximately 100 exhibitors and vendors.

Booksellers, periodicals and over 40 publishers will sell their wares and services, promote themselves and make connections with readers and writers.

Featured authors on the event’s schedule include comedian and star of Broad City, Abbi Jacobson; Emmy-nominated chef Edward Lee; debut novelist Tommy Orange; poet and memoirist Gregory Pardlo, whose Digest won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry;

and Oscar-winning actor and typewriter enthusiast Tom Hanks.

Many nationally-recognized Portland area authors will also speak, including poet and slam champion Anis Mojgani; bestselling graphic novelist Marissa Meyer; poet and editor Ashley Toliver; and Portland State’s own Leni Zumas, whose Red Clocks was a New York Times Editor’s Choice.

The PBF has evolved since it first appeared in 2005 at the Oregon Convention Center. After a one-year hiatus in 2014, the festival moved to its current site, where this year, in addition to the museum, stages will be located at the Oregon Historical Society, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Winningstad Theatre, First Congregational United Church of Christ, The Old Church and Brunish Theatre. Although these venues are small compared to the convention center, their location in and near the Park Blocks and Portland State campus improves the atmosphere of the event, as well as

access to downtown attractions and transit connections.

Perhaps just as important as the festival’s move across the Willamette River is this year’s name change, which organizers aim to appeal to a wider audience. “You don’t have to explain what ‘Portland Book Festival’ means—it’s immediately clear, and doesn’t require a subtitle,” said Festival Director Amanda Bullock. “It doesn’t reference a separate event, which might not be relevant to or recognizable by many younger attendees, which opens up the audience more widely.”

Along with these positive changes, the PBF has contended with a problem: hordes of book lovers filling limited indoor spaces. Festival attendance, according to Bullock, rose from approximately 8,500 in 2015 to 10,000 in 2017. Organizers expect 10,000 attendees again this year and have capped the event at that number. This makes sense considering the long lines and packed venues of recent years.

Maybe crowds are not the worst problem to have, though.

To disgruntled PBF attendees waiting in long lines, I say we have reason instead to be highly gruntled. When the throng at your book festival could be mistaken for a well-read Trailblazers crowd, you have arrived in the literary big leagues.

Excuse the mixed sports metaphors—I’m excited about Portland’s future as a cosmopolis of books and book people. The PBF seems positioned to help bring about such a shining destiny.

“It’s a symbiotic relationship” Bullock said. “The festival couldn’t be successful without Portland’s lively literary scene, and the festival then contributes to and helps grow that community.”

The Portland Book Festival box office will open at 8 a.m. at the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave. Admission opens at 9 a.m.

More information is available at literary-arts.org.

MARGO SMOLYANSKA

PORTLAND ART MUSEUM AND SURROUNDING AREAS WHERE THE PORTLAND BOOK FESTIVAL IS SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN. BRIAN MCGLOIN/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 6, 2018 • psuvanguard.com

15

Justin Knipper

NOV 6–12

TUES NOV 6 WED NOV 7 THU NOV 8 FRI NOV 9 SAT NOV 10 SUN NOV 11 MON NOV 12

COMMUNITY

FILM & THEATER

ART

MUSIC

“A SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO BRUTE FORCE” UPFOR GALLERY 11 A.M.–6 P.M. • FREE This will be Ralph Pugay’s second show at UPFOR and will feature a series of drawings and paintings.

QUEER SOUP NIGHT HANDSOME PIZZA 6 P.M. • $10–20 SUGGESTED DONATION Decompress after an intense day of voting and social media sh*tposting with a hot bowl of soup at Handsome Pizza. Proceeds go to Pueblo Unido PDX.

THE CAPITOL STEPS ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 7:30 P.M. • $35 Enjoy a special night of political satire on the evening of Election Day with D.C.’s own Capitol Steps comedy troupe.

BLACKALICIOUS W/ 3RD TWIN STAR THEATER 9 P.M. • $18 • 21+ The Sacramento-based hip hop duo hits up the Star Theater with young artist 3rd Twin as direct support.

MAC INSTRUCTORS SHOWCASE MULTINOMAH ART CENTER 9 A.M.–9:30 P.M. • FREE Multnomah Art Center instructors will exhibit some of their latest works tonight and all week at the MAC.

WILD IN THE STREETS HOLLYWOOD THEATRE 7:30 P.M. • $7–9 The Hollywood Theatre and KBOO.FM present a special screening of this ‘60s protest movie.

DIANE WILLIAMS POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS 7:30 P.M. • FREE Diane Williams is founder and editor of literary magazine, NOON, and Powell’s is celebrating her new book release, The Collected Stories of Diane Williams, with an in-house signing.

LOCAL H DOUG FIR LOUNGE 9 P.M. • $16–18 • 21+ ’90s alternative rockers, well-known for their 1996 hit single, “Born to be Down,” will appear at the Doug Fir Lounge for a special Wednesday night gig celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Pack Up the Cats.”

“THE SPECTRAL DIVIDE” STEPHANIE CHEFAS PROJECTS NOON–6 P.M. • FREE “The Spectral Divide” is a new exhibition of photography and short film works by Mako Miyamoto.

THE ALLUSIONIST PODCAST MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS 7:30 P.M. • $25–28 Helen Zaltzman’s award-winning linguistics podcast comes to Portland for a special live recording.

J MASCIS ALADDIN THEATER 8 P.M. • $28.50–30 Singer and lead guitarist of popular power-rock group Dinosaur Jr. will be performing solo at the Aladdin Theater this week. British artist James Elkington will support.

SUICIDEGIRLS: “BLACKHEART BURLESQUE” CRYSTAL BALLROOM 9 P.M.–11 P.M. • FREE The internationally-known burlesque troupe brings a revamped version of its self-proclaimed “sexiest show on the planet” to the Crystal Ballroom.

ORYCON 40 RED LION HOTEL 9 A.M. • $35–70 The annual fan-run sci-fi convention will take place at the Red Lion Hotel all weekend. Artist Jeff Sturgeon will be Guest of Honor.

“FACTITIOUS MATTER” EUTECTIC GALLERY 10 A.M.–5:30 P.M. • FREE Visit the Eutectic Gallery for a viewing of new sculptural works that explore overarching themes of banality and everyday life.

BRIAN POSEHN HELIUM COMEDY CLUB 7:30 P.M., 10 P.M. • $20–26 • 21+ Actor, comedian and avowed metalhead Brian Posehn visits Portland once again for a few sets of hilarity at Helium this Thursday.

SADISTIC INTENT TONIC LOUNGE 9 P.M. • $18 • 21+ L.A. thrash icons Sadistic Intent storm the Tonic Lounge this Friday.

Portland’s own Petrification will support.

GEORGE JOHANSON: “THE ARTIST AT 90: A RETROSPECTIVE” AUGEN GALLERY NOON • FREE Join painter George Johanson for a special artist talk at the Augen Gallery this Saturday at noon.

NORTHWEST FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL OREGON CONVENTION CENTER 5 P.M. • $75 Enjoy a night of the best regional wines, beers and gourmet foods from in and around the Pacific Northwest.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS HEADWATERS THEATRE 7:30 P.M. • $10–20 The Missing Link Theatre Company puts on Neil LaBute’s dark rom-com about four Midwestern teens.

PLASTIC WEATHER GREEN NOISE RECORDS 5 P.M. • FREE These “bratty synth punks” from Portland will play a free show at Green Noise Records in North Portland with Rilla and Dreckig. Consider supporting your local record shop with a purchase.

HOLIDAY FOOD & GIFT FEST OREGON CONVENTION CENTER 10 A.M.–5 P.M. • $10 One of the largest holiday festivals in the Northwest returns for a whole weekend of shop-’til-you-drop holiday antics.

“MIGRATIONS” ANTLER GALLERY NOON–6 P.M. • FREE Josie Morway and Scott Listfield’s joint exhibition at the Antler Gallery is an exploration of wildlife and the biosphere through painting.

CLOTH NEW EXPRESSIVE WORKS 2:30 P.M. • $15–25 Portland’s Contemporary Ballet performs their new Richard Yatesinspired existentialist dance piece that questions the coming-of-age process we all experience.

SKIPPING BEDTIME W/ DJ RESCUE WHITE OWL SOCIAL CLUB 6 P.M. • FREE • 21+ Dance (most of) the night away and enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage (if you prefer) with DJ Rescue at PDX’s monthly dance party for parents and other tired people.

“FLOWERS ABOVE, FLOWERS BELOW” STUMPTOWN COFFEE 1 6 A.M.–7 P.M. • FREE Stop into Stumptown Coffee 1 and check out Zachary Marvick’s new series of watercolor, gouache and india ink paintings over a fresh cup of java.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX JACK LONDON REVUE 7 P.M. • $5 A group of bawdy jokesters share the stage and dish on humanity’s oldest and most fun pastime.

IDRA NOVEY & LENI ZUMAS POWELL’S CITY OF BOOKS 7:30 P.M. • FREE Those Who Knew is Novey’s new novel on corrupt politics and the group that aims to fix things will be one focus of tonight’s discussion with author and PSU professor, Leni Zumas.

YNDI HALDA HIGH WATER MARK 9 P.M. • $8 • 21+ The British post-rock group visits Portland for a night of cinematic soundscapes at the High Water Mark. Staghorn and the Mighty Missoula will open the show.