Portland State Vanguard, Vol. 73, Issue 15

HAVE YOU HEARD OF GOD THE MOTHER? PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 15 • FEBRUARY 5, 2019

NEWS FEE-FUNDED STUDENT EMPLOYEES MAY GET A PAY BUMP • OPINION K-12 EDUCATION FAILS TO TEACH BLACK HISTORY • COVER CULT-LIKE RELIGIOUS GROUP SOLICITS PSU STUDENTS

CRIME BLOTTER

JAN. 28–FEB. 23

CHLOE DYSART JAN. 28 Harassment

It was reported to CPSO that a customer in Millar Library’s coffee shop had thrown a shoe at an employee, grazing their face. It was also reported that after being asked to pay for a candy bar in their possession, the customer proceeded to eat the candy bar and then leave the library. The investigation is still open and pending.

JAN. 29 Fire alarm

At approximately 5:30 p.m., CPSO responded to a fire alarm at Blumel Hall. Portland Fire Bureau arrived at the scene and determined that a washing machine on the seventh floor had created smoke, setting off the alarm.

Assistance Rendered

Two males were reported to be asking female students inappropriate questions at Millar Library around 7:40 p.m. for a so-called survey they claimed to be conducting. CPSO determined no crime had been committed.

FEB. 1 Invasion of personal privacy

reported to CPSO that an individual had been videotaping a student employee without consent while in a stall in the women’s bathroom.

FEB. 2 Trespass warning

At approximately 3:30 a.m., CPSO responded to a report of a male non-student peeping through a stall in the Ondine lobby bathrooms.

The victim, who was also a non-student, declined prosecution and the case was closed.

FEB. 3 Assault

At around 3 a.m., CPSO responded to reports of assault that occurred on SW 5th and College St. Officers located the victim outside Cheerful Tortoise, and the investigation remains open.

Aggravated assault

CPSO responded to a report of a stabbing on the streetcar at the Urban Plaza around 7:30 p.m. Officers located both the suspect and the victim, after which time the Portland police took over the investigation.

On the first floor of the Academic Student Recreation Center, it was

CONTENTS COVER BY ROBBY DAY NEWS ASPSU MOVES TO RAISE SOME STUDENT WAGES TO $15 AN HOUR

ASPSU REFUSES TO LOBBY WITHOUT TUITION FREEZE COMMITMENT

P. 3

ARTS & CULTURE THE ODDEST OF ODD JOBS

P. 11

P. 4

ROCKING FOR UNIONIZATION

P. 12

RACISM, POVERTY, MILITARISM: PANEL CONNECTS MLK TO TODAY

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A MODERN TAKE ON SILENT FILMS

P. 12

INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

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FACULTY CONCERNED OVER PSU CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE CONTRACT

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OPINION FAILING VICTIMS OF THE #METOO MOVEMENT

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JUST FRIENDS

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BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

P. 15

EVENTS CALENDAR

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COVER CHURCH RECRUITS ON CAMPUS DESPITE CULT, TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS P. 8–9 INTERNATIONAL BRAZIL’S COLLAPSED DAM KILLS MANY, HUNDREDS MISSING

STAFF

ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama

EDIT ORI A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nada Sewidan

COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn

MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif

COPY EDITORS A.M. LaVey

NEWS EDITORS Chris May Anamika Vaughan

Contributors Sabrina Achcar-Winkels Pete Bensen Sophie Concannon Chloe Dysart Adam Holland Maggie Lombard Shayla Naswood Kevin Shank A. Stricu Morgan Watkins Delaney White

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Lukas Amsden ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cervanté Pope OPINION EDITOR Taylar Rivers

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PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Bo Koering MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emma Josephson PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Savannah Quarum

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

LEAD DESIGNER Robby Day

TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Damaris Dusciuc Long V. Nguyen Annie Ton

DESIGNERS Colin Davis Lisa Dorn Danielle Emeka John Rojas

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, Instagram and Twitter @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

NEWS

JAN. 28–FEB. 1

ASPSU MOVES TO RAISE SOME STUDENT WAGES TO $15 AN HOUR

SOPHIE CONCANNON

JAN. 28: EDUCATIONAL AIDES SUE PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR NEGLIGENCE Eight special education classroom aides in Beaverton, Gresham and Portland are suing their school districts for a combined $3.6 million for negligence, battery and failure to re-employ. Their lawsuit describes constant sexual and verbal abuse from students, with no training on how to deal with violence in an educational setting. More than one aide experienced major physical injury and “no measures were put in place to protect the staff from frequent abuse,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit is required to be answered in 30 days

by Portland Public Schools.

JAN. 31: CONTROVERSIAL CLIMATE ACTION BILL SUPPORTED BY GOVERNOR After a year in the legislative process, a bill to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions and implement a cap-and-trade system was released. Gov. Kate Brown—who was re-elected on a platform of comprehensive climate change control—has issued a statement supporting the bill in full. Business owners criticized the legislation, saying it would initially target oil companies and would cause higher gas prices, but the carbon cap could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 percent by 2050, according to Vox.

JAN. 31: BATTLE OVER VIRGINIA ABORTION LAWS EXTENDS TO MULTIPLE STATES After New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expanded abortion rights to include emergency late-term abortions, debates have struck up in Virginia about similar laws, tabling the bills currently in progress, according to The Washington Post. Over 14 states are currently reassessing their abortion policies, and abortion activists are afraid the extreme controversy coming from these measures, including the part of the New York measure that decriminalizes abortion, will stop progress, according to The Washington Post.

FEB. 1: LEGISLATORS REVISIT VACCINE LAWS AFTER MEASLES OUTBREAK Over 43 people have been diagnosed with cases of measles in the Washington-Oregon area in the last few weeks. According to The Associated Press, Washington and Oregon are two of 17 states with laws that allow non-medical exemptions for mandatory vaccines. Oregon has the highest statewide vaccine exemption rates in the United States, with 7.5 percent of Oregon kindergarteners missing vaccines for non-medical reasons.

U.S. Rep. Paul Harris, R–Washington, has introduced a measure to remove the exemption for the MMR vaccine with the goal to prevent further outbreak.

SFC CHAIR DONALD THOMPSON III OUTLINES A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE STUDENT INCIDENTAL FEE BY 12.5 PERCENT TO FUND DEBT REDUCTION AND MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES FOR SOME STUDENT WORKERS. CHRIS MAY/PSU VANGUARD CHRIS MAY Associated Students of Portland State University senators voted in favor of a Student Incidental Fee budget proposal on Jan. 28, which includes an effort to raise student wages.

The proposal could end up involving all campus employees earning less than $15 an hour.

Every student taking eight credits or more pays the Student Incidental Feew, which would increase by 12.5 percent or $30 ($240) to $270 per term if the proposed budget passes. The Student Fee Committee decides how the funds from those fees are allocated to different fee funded areas, which include campus resource centers, the Academic and Student Recreation Center, Student Media and other groups.

Almost a third of the proposed student fee increase would go toward establishing a reserve fund that would enable FFAs to pay student employees at least $15 an hour. “[Government officials] think it should happen in 2022,” said Donald Thompson III, chair of the Student Fee Committee. “I think we can make it happen sooner, and so we should.”

Oregon lawmakers approved a series of minimum wage hikes in 2016 that would see wages in Portland rise to $14.75 by 2022.

The majority of ASPSU senators agreed with Thompson, approving the budget proposal 14-2-1. The budget will be submitted to PSU President Rahmat Shoureshi, who has the final say on what is ultimately submitted to the Board of Trustees for a vote.

In fiscal year 2018, the SFC paid 4 percent of the total salaries and wages at PSU, which translates to 1,067 employees out of PSU’s 8,628 total, paid in whole or part by SFC-funded areas.

The proposed changes, however, have the potential to impact not only student workers funded by the SFC, but also employees across the entire campus.

“There are multiple potential barriers that the SFC can encounter in doing this,” said Derek Davis, the bud-

get advisor to the SFC, “All of which could impede the ability to access this reserve.”

The barriers Davis referred to include state laws which require equal work for equal pay, and potential sources of tension in instances where some student employees are suddenly making more than other students and professional staff.

“If someone raises student workers’ wages to $15 an hour and someone else is doing the same job for less money, they can file an HR claim saying they’re not getting paid the same amount,” said Camilo Assad, ASPSU’s legislative affairs director.

Alex Dassise, ASPSU academic affairs director, said several FFAs have expressed apprehension over using the money.

“There are professional staff that make less than $15 an hour, so you would be in a situation where students are being paid more than professional staff.”

FFAs would not be obligated to make use of any funds raised by the SFC. “If it can’t be used,” Davis explained, “It would be a situation where you’re charging students for something that can’t go anywhere.”

Alex Accetta, assistant vice president of campus rec and student union services, oversees both FFAs and departments with funding sources apart from student fees, such as the University Market on the first floor of Smith Memorial Student Union. “Clearly we would have to make some changes, and there’s a lot of levers to pull on that.”

Responses to pay increases could include increased rates for users or decreases in staffing, Accetta said.

In response to concerns that the proposal would potentially set students apart from community members, Thompson emphasized his role is primarily concerned with serving his fellow students.

“There’s hardly a better way to directly serve students than saying, ‘Those of you that are employed by us get paid enough to go to this school, to live in this city or make an effort toward that,’” Thompson said. “[Community members] can’t come to me and demand a pay raise. And if they could, I would try to advocate for them.”

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

ASPSU REFUSES TO LOBBY WITHOUT TUITION FREEZE COMMITMENT

FLYERS DISCOURAGING STUDENTS FROM PARTICIPATING IN LOBBYING ACTIVITIES POSTED THROUGHOUT CAMPUS BY ASPSU. CHRIS MAY/PSU VANGUARD

ANAMIKA VAUGHAN Amid the ongoing budget battle in Salem, the Associated Students of Portland State are refusing to lobby state legislators on behalf of PSU for more money unless the university’s administration commits to not raising tuition costs for students in the coming years.

This is a part of ASPSU’s goal of pushing the university toward a tuition-less education model. ASPSU’s Legislative Affairs Director, Camilo Assad, is hoping a commitment from the administration to freeze tuition will make pressuring the state for more money easier. “Either [the university gets] more money in or they take more money out of [the students],” Assad said. “[The administration has] spent plenty of time proving to us that they should change our minds but spent no time really addressing how they could do what we are asking,” Assad said. “That is a fundamental, huge issue.”

Kevin Neely, assistant vice president of government relations, said he doesn’t think commiting to no tuition increases— regardless of the outcome of budget negotiations in Salem—is a promise the Board of Trustees would be willing to make.

“I don't think [the Board is] responsible and I wouldn’t blame them,” Neely said. “It seems to me to be out of line with their statutory obligation to protect the bottom line.”

In the past, university administrators have relied on the lobbying efforts of students in Salem to get more money out

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of the state, according to Neely.

“We know unequivocally that students and recent alumni are the two most effective messengers with our community leaders and with our state legislators,” Neely said.

Student lobbying is a part of a larger budget battle currently going on between the state and public universities. As of right now, PSU and all other public universities and community colleges are not getting additional funding from the state for the upcoming biennium.

The lack of increased funds would roughly equate to at least a 2 percent cut in the upcoming academic year compared to this year, due to how university budget money is distributed.

The governor has also recommended defunding sports lottery funds and the engineering sustaining and technology funds, both of which disproportionately affect PSU. Additionally, the university is also responsible for honoring healthcare and retirement costs of university employees who are part of the Public Employee Retirement System.

“If the legislature were to pass the governor's budget as is, I believe that tuition at PSU could go up by between 9 and 15 percent,” Neely said. “I would hate for that to happen without the students weighing in in Salem.”

ASPSU still intends to travel to Salem on Feb. 18 for what they’re calling an “anti-lobbying day,” and to join other protests and rallies organized by education association unions,

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

teachers and students from around the state.

“We are going to bring down our own signs and our own materials so we can inform people of why we believe the state is failing us in funding education at the university level,” Assad said.

“Since the administration is unwilling to move even an inch in our favor in connection to getting this money, we will also explain why we are critical of their stewardship of our education.”

The university is hoping to receive a minimal additional investment of at least $120 million from the state to avoid significant tuition hikes and cuts to services.

“If students want to keep tuition low, it really is very much in their hands in Salem,” Neely said. “They have an incredible amount of power as it relates to advocacy, and it would be unfortunate to see that blunted in 2019.”

According to Neely, every additional $800,000 that comes to PSU on top of the flat funding would equate to one percentage less tuition that needs to be raised, or the equivalent monetary amount in cuts to academic programming.

“We don't want to be pawns for the administration when we go to the state and have it seem like we're in lockstep because we don't agree with the way they're going to use the money,” Assad said. “So we're going to go express our views in that we’re not interested in just gobbling up as much money as we can for other people to misrepresent our interests to do things that students are not in favor of and don't have agency over.”

NEWS

RACISM, POVERTY, MILITARISM: PANEL CONNECTS MLK TO TODAY CHRIS MAY AND A. STRICU Fifty years after the assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr., a panel of scholars and activists gathered on Jan. 29 in Smith Memorial Student Union to honor his legacy and address contemporary political and social issues through the lens of a speech he gave a year before his death.

“For so long we have been looking at the most neutered, the most anodyne clips of Dr. King’s thinking,” said Lisa Bates, assistant professor at Portland State’s Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning. “Here we’re really able to engage with his diagnosis of the origins, the causes and the intertwined nature of racism, economic exploitation and militarism.”

In 1967, as protests against the Vietnam War proliferated, King delivered his “‘Three Evils of Society” address at a political conference in Chicago. The speech identified racism, poverty and militarism as the three gravest challenges facing contemporary United States society.

“This particular remembrance speaks eerily to present day experience and looks strikingly similar to present day worldview,” said Reverend E.D. Mondainé, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Portland chapter.

ON CAMPUS POLICE Moderator Winston Grady-Willis, director of the PSU School of Gender, Race, and Nations, preceded the panel discussion by connecting the event to the death of Jason Washington by PSU campus police officers in June 2018.

“Many of us have been involved in DisarmPSU activities, and many of us have been in dialogue with individuals on campus who don’t take that position,” Grady-Willis said. “We respect and lift up academic freedom.”

“Re-reading the speech, I was struck by how much what Dr. King has said about racism and poverty seem like they were words written last week,” said Marisa Zapata, director of Portland State’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative.

Disarming sworn campus police is among the questions being considered during an external review of PSU campus public safety policies by the firm Margolis Healy, whose final report has yet to be released.

WAR AND POVERTY “To me, homelessness is the clearest example of societal failure,” Zapata said. Her research has identified an “implicit and explicit bias in shelter workers,” with people of color more likely to be disciplined in homeless shelters and more likely to be asked to leave for the same infractions as someone who is white might commit.

One aspect of the speech Zapata said was more difficult to relate to concerned King’s criticism of the Vietnam War, a stance that was so controversial at the time it earned condemnation from civil rights leaders and resulted in the severance of a formal working relationship with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

“There are a lot of ways in which how we think about and talk about war has changed since 1967,” Zapata said, “Ways that are deeply terrifying and interconnected.”

Congress hasn’t officially declared war since World War II. Since then, presidential war powers have expanded armed

SCHOLARS AND ACTIVISTS SPEAKING ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MLK’S THOUGHTS AND TODAY’S SOCIAL ISSUES. SHAYLA NASWOOD/PSU VANGUARD

conflicts. According to the Congressional Research Service, it’s not clear whether a president requires Congressional authorization at all.

Zapata also characterized the war on drugs, war on terror and recent border security actions as examples of campaigns targeting communities of color within U.S. borders. “Our wars are not just external; they’re internal.”

COMMUNITIES OF COLOR Challenges to political unity within marginalized groups and communities of color were also featured during the panel discussion.

In response to comments from Mondainé about “Black conservatism on immigration” and “being tired of being melted into the pot that says we’re communities of color,” GradyWillis proposed a balancing of Black self-determination against “[Having] an expansive view not only of our current reality, but also of our history, that may force us to look at some issues a bit more uncomfortably.”

“We often talk about the nature of enslavement in the socalled New World and the experiences of enslaved Africans, and that’s absolutely true,” Grady-Willis continued. “But it’s only been recently that there’s been more of a substantive discussion of the fact that our indigenous brothers and sisters

have also been enslaved, and for hundreds of years.”

Grady-Willis also highlighted the case of Buffalo Soldiers, Black soldiers who served in the U.S. army from the Civil War to the mid-20th century. While Buffalo Soldiers should be celebrated for their role as Black soldiers who helped win their own freedom in the Civil War, he said, “What we often tend to try to sanitize or have euphemism around is the fact that those very same Black U.S. soldiers were often on the front lines of the genocide of indigenous communities throughout the U.S. West.”

“We have spent many hundreds of years in an oppressive structure that pits people against one another in incredibly complicated ways,” Bates said.

According to the panelists, student and youth activism will play an important role in the future of social justice movements.

“How can we support our students?” Bates asked. “How can we support our future students, these teens who are around our city asserting their full humanity and who are envisioning a future in which they’re learning and working and where their creative pursuits are truly valued?”

“I think the way we need to [do that] is to continue to talk openly about the ongoing failures in our institutions and organizations,” Bates continued. “We need to hold on to these echoes of the past that continue to cascade around us.”

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

THIS WEEK

around the

WORLD

Jan. 27–Feb. 3

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Jan. 28

VENEZUELA

After recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as rightful president of Venezuela in what many have called a United Statesbacked coup, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced Jan. 28 the implementation of sanctions against Venezuelan oil by the Trump administration. According to The Guardian, $7 billion worth of assets from the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. will be blocked as National Security Adviser John Bolton pushes for privatization of Venezuelan oil. “It will make a big difference to the U.S. economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela,” he said as quoted by Democracy Now!

Jan. 31 2

MANUS ISLAND; MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The Victorian Prize for Literature was awarded to Kurdish-Iranian asylum seeker Behrouz Boochani, who has been living on Manus Island off the coast of Papua New Guinea for almost six years, Al Jazeera reports.

Boochani fled Iran in 2013 after fearing arrest for promoting the Kurdish language and cul-

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ture following the jailing of fellow colleagues.

As he attempted to reach Australia, he and 75 other asylum seekers were sent to the Manus Island Detention Center by the Australian Navy, where he wrote his now award-winning memoir No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison. Though the detention center has since closed, Boochani is still not allowed to leave the island and was unable to receive his award personally in Melbourne where the ceremony took place.

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Feb. 1

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

The U.S. Agency for International Development ceased all assistance to Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza, as well as $60 million set aside for security services, due to the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act, which was passed in 2018 and became effective Feb. 1. As reported by BBC, the Palestinian Authority stipulated they no longer wished to receive aid once the ATCA became effective, as the new law allows U.S. citizens to sue recipients of foreign aid over complicity in so-called acts of war. Haaretz also reports the new law could have adverse effects on civil society groups promoting coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians if grants amounting to millions of dollars are lost.

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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Feb. 1–2

D.C.; MOSCOW, RUSSIA

The White House announced on Feb. 1 its decision to begin withdrawal from the Cold Warera Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, a landmark agreement signed in 1987 between the former Soviet Union and the U.S. which prohibits the use of ballistic missiles, the New York Times reports. According to German news outlet Deutsche Welle, the U.S. has withdrawn, claiming Russia has been in violation of the treaty for years. “Russia is in material breach of the INF Treaty and must use [the] next six months to return to full and verifiable compliance or bear sole responsibility for its demise,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

In response to the decision, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Feb. 2 that Russia would likewise suspend participation in the treaty as they begin building new intermediaterange missiles.

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Feb.3

RED SEA

The UN hosted peace talks between two of the warring parties in Yemen off the coast of Hodeidah in the Red Sea as they attempted to find a neutral territory acceptable for the representatives of both the Houthi rebels and Yemeni

government, Al Jazeera reports. Since 2014, civil war has raged in Yemen between the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and Houthi rebels backed

by Iran. A ceasefire was declared in December with the intention of withdrawing forces by Jan. 7. However, both sides have accused the other of violating the agreement. Representatives between the two sides discussed the stalled agreements on Feb. 3 as Head of the UN Mission in Yemen Patrick Cammaert oversaw the meeting.

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Feb. 3

EL SALVADOR

Salvadorians headed to the polls to vote in the sixth presidential election following the country’s civil war. TeleSur reported 5.2 million people were expected to vote across El Salvador’s 1,595 polling stations, as the country decides between three candidates: Carlos Calleja of the Nationalist Republican Alliance, Hugo Martinez of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and Nayib Bukele of the Grand Alliance for National Unity. Reuters reported Bukele, largely seen as the anti-establishment candidate amid the country’s two-party system, was ahead in opinion polls. However, as reported

by The Washington Post, widespread worry remained among voters over the country’s endemic gang violence.

INTERNATIONAL

FACULTY CONCERNS OVER PSU CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE CONTRACT

LISA DORN

KEVIN SHANK The Confucius Institute at Portland State is at risk of not being renewed if the contract cannot be amended to include First Amendment rights to faculty.

CI is a non-profit public educational organization geared toward promoting Chinese culture and language.

It also promotes study abroad programs and international Chinese teachers to come to the United States. The organization is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and therefore connected with the Chinese government.

Currently, one of the main concerns is that CI has a great deal of say in how the curriculum is structured, which may be colored by political motivations from the People’s Republic of China. The fact that CI operates from within PSU, with limited oversight, is another concern for many of the faculty.

The affiliation with the Chinese government—which has been historically known to curtail human and civil rights within their national boundaries—has also in part contributed to some of the concerns expressed in June 2018 by the PSU faculty senate.

In June of last year, the senate passed a resolution between PSU and CI, which is set to expire this February. Within the

resolution, it calls on the president to only renew the contract if the following terms are met: 1) PSU to gain “unilateral control” over hiring and overseeing staff and curriculum and 2) Enstate first amendment rights, academic freedom and other protections. First Amendment rights include freedom of speech.

These stipulations imply that currently, CI faculty are not recipients of these protections under the current contract.

“The senate resolution takes an either/or form,” said Thomas Luckett, presiding officer of the PSU faculty senate.

“That is, it advises the president either to add certain new contract language to our contract with CI or to decline to renew the contract. I have been assured that the administration is pursuing the first of these two options.”

Ken Ruoff, professor of modern East Asian history at PSU reiterated his concerns over the relationship of PSU with CI. He described the cultural differences between the two countries—U.S. and China—and how differing political, cultural and social priorities can create differences in goals and motivations between the two entities, which then influence how the institution is run.

China has a different understanding of the level of aca-

demic freedom afforded to participants by the educational program in the U.S., specifically in regards to PSU. This different level of understanding is leading to friction between the two entities, according to Ruoff.

In a statement provided by Ruoff, he expressed that “a great Pacific Rim City such as Portland deserves a first-class China Studies Center at Portland State University...only if the Confucius Institute will be allowed to operate under the principle of academic freedom going forward. This is the only way it can contribute to university-level China studies.

Otherwise, it should not be housed at PSU.” CIPSU offers, according to their website, “non-degree Chinese language and culture courses” as well as “Chinese language teacher professional development and training” and “academic programs and lecture series related to Chinese culture and contemporary China.”

Currently, CI operates out of the Office of International Affairs located in the Karl Miller Center. If CI were housed away from campus, the CI would not necessarily need to comply with PSU expectations of academic and cultural responsibility that is currently the concern of the PSU faculty senate.

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER

HAVE YOU HEARD OF GOD THE MOTHER? CHURCH RECRUITS ON CAMPUS DESPITE CULT, TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS LUKAS AMSDEN Portland State students report being approached on campus by World Mission Society Church of God members amid rumors the group is involved in sex trafficking and cultlike behavior.

“Have you heard of God The Mother?” asked a woman who identified herself as Julia, a member of the World Mission Society Church of God on PSU’s campus.

University students throughout the United States have reported being approached by people usually in pairs preaching about “God The Mother” and are invited to Bible study sessions with transportation sometimes being offered. Students have filed reports with campus police over aggressive proselytizing and fear of being trafficked.

At PSU it has been reported to Vanguard that members of the church have approached students at late hours and at odd venues such as in front of bathrooms.

Bode Smith, a PSU student, encountered on the way to the bathroom a WMS member who asked if he wanted to talk about Jesus and later got his phone number. According to Smith, the member showed him a picture of a Korean woman, claiming it was Jesus’ wife, God The Mother.

PSU Campus Police Sergeant Joseph Schilling said they’re aware of the group on campus but action has yet to be taken at PSU and universities nationwide. WMS is considered a legitimate church, therefore the group is afforded protection under freedom of religion.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS Sex trafficking rumors originated at the University of Mississippi Ole Miss campus due to an unrelated case of human trafficking. The claims went viral on Facebook and Twitter and have since spread nationwide.

Mackensie Faulk, a student at Ole Miss recounts her experience with WMS members: “They asked if I was religious, and I said yes, but they sort of looked at me like I had the wrong religion or something and kept trying to tell me about God The Mother,” Faulk said to The Daily Mississippian. “They invited me to Bible studies, and when I said I was busy, they insisted I take a pamphlet and she wrote a phone number on it.”

WMS denied the allegations in a statement posted on their website and social media.

“Recently, we were made aware of a social media post in which someone appears to accuse the Church and its members of being linked to a ring of sex/human trafficking.

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Nothing could be further from the truth. We are a church of Christian love and denounce any such activities wherever they may be carried out.”

WMS AROUND THE WORLD The group is active in 175 countries throughout the five continents. WMS is a sub-Christian group founded in 1964 by Ahn Sahng-hong and headquartered in South Korea, characterized by the Christian Council of Korea as “a blasphemous heretical cult,” in a statement issued in 2005.

The group is also known for its volunteerism and received the Queens Award for Volunteer Service in the UK. WMS was recently banned from Vietnam after the Committee for Religious Affairs accused church leaders of brainwashing and micromanaging members’ lives.

According to the committee, members are required to spend hours studying the Bible and engage in services where church leaders demand extreme behaviors such as showing disrespect to their parents, becoming estranged from their family, destroying the family’s ancestral altar and defaming the beliefs or religions of relatives, as reported by Asia News.

ORIGINS OF WMS WMS was originally called Witnesses of Jesus Church of God. After the death of Ahn Sahng-hong in 1985, a schism occurred between Ahn’s family and current leading pastor of WMS, Kim Joo-cheol, and Zahng Gil-ja. Gil-ja defined herself as the maternal embodiment of God and bearing the epitaph God The Mother and Jerusalem Mother, among other iterations. Members of Ahn’s family formed the lesser known New Covenant Passover Church of God. According to their website, WMS differentiates itself from other Christian sects by emphasizing the 2,500 instances of plurality in the Bible in reference to God. “Let us make man in our image” is one such verse the WMS uses to rationalize a “God, the mother.” The group considers worship at the cross as idolatry and recognizes the late founder Ahn Sahng-Hong as the Second Coming of Christ and paternal embodiment of God, God The Father.

The group puts particular emphasis on the afterlife. In soliciting new members after introducing God The Mother, discussions typically segway into questions like “Do you want to spend eternity in peace and happiness after you die?”

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

CULT-LIKE BEHAVIORS The group has been accused of employing cult-like tactics which include sleep deprivation, family separation and behavior manipulation. In a lawsuit filed against WMS, Michelle Ramirez claimed the group “deprived her of sleep and forced or coerced her to work or engage in other activities for extremely long hours for no compensation and alienated her from her family and friends.” She also alleged the identity of Zahng Gil-ja as God The Mother is something that is hidden from most members.

Cathleen Mann, who counsels members of former cults, said WMS is a cult with a “fear-based” doctrine in which the ultimate goal is to receive teachings directly from Mother God, who is a living Korean woman identified as Zahng Gil-ja.

“Fear and guilt, that is what fuels this cult,” former member Michelle Colon said in an interview with People. “They fill you with this fear that the world is going to end at any moment and you feel guilty for not doing enough good before the end comes.”

Cult expert Steve Hassan, author of Combating Cult Mind Control, spoke with former WMS members, their families and their attorneys to learn more about WMS. He determined that WMS controls members’ behavior, information, thoughts and emotions. Hassan said the information he gathered fulfills most of his criteria for what a “destructive cult” is, although he was unwilling to label WMS a cult. WMS is an apocalyptic group that predicted the end of the world in 2012, former WMS missionary Ron Ramos told Hassan.

Examining WMS, a site dedicated to monitoring the group, used Hassan’s cult criteria from his book Freedom Of Mind and concluded “each of the components Hassan lists are present within their organization.” The site has become a haven for former members of WMS, who voice their experiences and concerns.

Laykit, a recent WMS convert wrote, “I was really happy to join this church because we study straight from the Bible, but I’m quite shocked to have found this website, and I’m also really not sure about who this Ahn Sahng-hong is that they keep mentioning in prayer. I thought he was just founder of the church but now I’m hearing he is the Second Coming of Christ and I’m very confused now. I don’t know what to do.”

Members are discouraged from using the internet, which church leaders call “indulging in the tree of knowledge of good and evil,” and from getting pregnant due to belief in the end of times.

PSU Vanguard • JANUARY 15, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL

BRAZILIAN MINING COMPANY VALE S.A. IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR DEATHS RELATED TO A DAM COLLAPSE IN THE MINING TOWN OF BRUMANDINHO. COURTESY OF GUILHERME VENAGLIA, CREATIVE COMMONS

BRAZIL’S COLLAPSED DAM KILLS MANY, HUNDREDS MISSING SABRINA ACHCAR-WINKELS At least 121 people died and hundreds more are missing after a dam in Brazil collapsed at an iron ore mine on Jan. 25, creating debris that buried the town of Brumadinho.

The dam is located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, a mining hub with a population numbering in the hundreds.

Two dams in over three years have collapsed in the state of São Paulo, leaving citizens in fear that Brazil’s monitoring system is deeply flawed.

In November 2015, another dam in São Paulo had burst, killing 19 people in the small village of Mariana. Both dams are associated with Vale, a Brazilian mining company. The disasters have opened up a line of questioning into the company’s practices and Minas Gerais environmental regulations.

A network of sirens and security measures are in place to warn downstream residents in case of a failed dam collapse.

According to Vale, the dam “underwent ongoing independent and external audits.” A year before the dam collapse, resident Mario Fontes reported “geo-referencing” surveyors on his property who assessed the risks of the dam breaking via an analysis of surrounding topography.

Nilo D’Avila, Greenpeace Brazil’s campaign director, said

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in a statement to The Guardian, “Cases like these are not accidents but environmental crimes that should be investigated, punished and repaired.”

According to CNN, Brazil arrested five people after the dam burst. Employees of Vale and consultants of TÜV SÜD, a German company that certified the dam for safety, were among those arrested.

The three Vale employees charged in the incident were involved in obtaining the mining project licensing, Bloomberg reports. In a media statement, Vale said it is fully cooperating with authorities and will be supporting the investigations.

Brazil’s National Mining Agency had classified the Brumadinho dam as low risk weeks before its collapse, according to CNN. The certification that found the dam stable raised serious concerns about the undermined audits of other dams across Brazil.

“If this so-called ‘stable’ dam is breaking, there is no guarantee whatsoever about the security of other dams in Brazil,” said Luiz Jardim de Moraes Wanderley, a mining specialist at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. “It shows a major problem in the public and private monitoring and inspection of dams in the country,” he added.

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro voiced his opinion on the environmental regulations, claiming they are too stringent. Shortly after taking office, he made plans to combine the country’s agriculture and environmental ministries.

Following international condemnation, the plan to combine the ministries was backtracked, causing Bolsonaro to reconsider the merger.

“We intend to protect the environment without creating roadblocks to progress,” Bolsonaro said in November. Environment permits can take as long as 10 years for certain infrastructure projects and that “cannot continue,” he added.

On Feb. 2, Bolsonaro expressed “sadness” over the deaths at Brumadinho in an official statement. “We will take all the possible steps to minimize the suffering of families and victims,” Bolsonaro said in a speech, which was later posted on Twitter.

“Many dreams were buried in the mud,” Eliu Camara de Siqueira Jr., who lost his father-in-law at the mine, said to BBC. “Dreams of young people who were looking forward to a job with Vale, dreams of older people looking forward to retiring in the countryside, all this is now under the mud.”

ARTS & CULTURE

THE ODDEST OF ODD JOBS DESCEND INTO STREISAND’S BASEMENT IN ‘BUYER & CELLAR’ MAGGIE LOMBARD Fun fact: Underneath her massive Malibu mansion, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winner Barbra Streisand has an entire shopping mall—a treasure trove of her endless belongings, modeled after a decorative arts museum in Delaware. Another fun fact: No one staffs it.

In Buyer & Cellar, currently being put on at Portland Center Stage, playwright Jonathan Tolins answers the question, “What if the mall was staffed?” by exploring the ensuing dynamic between a lone employee, his boyfriend, his boss, his friends and Streisand herself. Oh, and it’s one actor playing all of these roles.

Nick Cearley stuns in this show with his portrayal of Alex Moore—the down-on-his-luck Los Angeles actor and ex-Disneyland cast member who is hired to be Barbra’s mall staff— and his playful impression of Streisand. One of the first things he promises the audience is he absolutely will not do an impression of the famous performer, which makes it all the more delightful when “The Lady Herself” first descends into the mall. He delivers a hilarious portrayal, somehow managing to fully encapsulate her spirit by merely adjusting his sweater and bringing up his shoulders.

Of course, he’s had time to practice—this is Cearley’s eighth time in the play, and it shows. He’s got a masterful grip on the marathon story, bringing a bold vibrancy to the sub-basement studio theater at PCS, painting several different scenes on the mostly bare stage with only his non-stop, yarn-spinning energy. Projections from designer Will Cotter aided Cearley in fleshing out each location. It was wise of PCS to not attempt to fully furnish the stage—from the emptiness grows a kind of elegance that our imaginations, guided by Cearley, can explore.

It’s what Barbra would want.

We’re warned from the start that the story is fake. It’s a ridiculous premise. Still, the next hundred minutes that follow will tug at your heartstrings and have you laughing until your ribs hurt. Alex is our tour guide through both the mall and the mind of Barbra, who delights in pretending to be a customer in her own basement by giving a fake name and even haggling over the price of an antique doll she wishes to buy. It’s a seriously funny exploration into our obsession with icons and their peculiar removals from real life, dotted with occasional profound realizations from Alex.

As it turns out, being a cashier to the stars can create turmoil in your personal life, as Alex leaves his boyfriend, Barry, when

he doubts that Barbra even cares about Alex. During one of his last shifts in the mall, Alex spins around, arms outstretched telling us: “A person’s arm span is roughly the same as their height, and that circle you make when you spin around is the extent to which you take up space in the universe. It seems to me, the stuff inside that circle is more important than all the stuff you put around it.”

It’s a feel-good moment that fits perfectly in the light-hearted romp. You’ll remember the merits of make-believe and child-like warm fuzzies that come from tending to a personal collection.

Whether you love, hate or don’t care about Streisand, go see Buyer & Cellar. If not for Streisand, then for playwright Tollins’ finely crafted story. He may insist it’s pure fiction, but Alex’s journey will ring true for anyone who’s ever found themselves doubting what their place is in the world.

Student tickets start at $25. PCS is also a participating member of Arts for All, meaning Oregon Trail cardholders can get tickets for $5. Buyer & Cellar runs Jan. 19–March 3 in the Ellen Bye Studio at The Armory in downtown. More information can be found at pcs.org/buyer.

NICK CEARLEY PERFORMING IN ‘BUYER & CELLAR’ AT THE ARMORY. COURTESY OF PORTLAND CENTER STAGE AT THE ARMORY

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

ROCKING FOR UNIONIZATION MUSICIANS AND ACTIVISTS SHOW SOLIDARITY FOR BURGERVILLE EMPLOYEES

A MODERN TAKE ON SILENT FILMS AMBIENT LIVE BAND PLAYS ALONG TO 'PANDORA'S BOX'

PETE BENSEN

ADAM HOLLAND

Few things move people quite like music—both figuratively and literally. Such was exemplified on Jan. 26 at the Firkin Tavern, as musicians and political activists alike joined together in support of the Burgerville Workers Union in its quest of granting better working conditions and equal workers’ rights to all the company’s employees.

“It’s about respect,” Emmett Schlenz, a member of the union said. “Most low-wage, service industry workers are treated like shit all the time. We’re expected to just deal with it and we’re told—maybe explicitly, maybe implicitly—that’s what we deserve, that we don’t deserve any better.”

The Burgerville Workers Union was born in April 2016 when its members demanded higher wages, safer working conditions, affordable healthcare and more consistent scheduling.

The show’s turnout was indeed worthy of the cause, with enough people crammed into the bar that one could barely move around the space— and that’s meant to be taken in the best way possible. Before the first band played, Schlenz took to the stage to thank everyone for coming.

The crowd erupted with applause as Schlenz announced that the Hawthorne Burgerville’s union had successfully gained federal recognition—the first of its kind in the country.

The bands playing in support took to the stage with an energy that was driven and inspiring. The night started with Dress Forms, who played synth-charged punk music with a spirit and passion that matched the movement itself. In stark contrast, Dragging an Ox Through Water took the stage with sounds as haunting and ethereal as they were beautiful.

L.O.X. played as the concert’s final act, with a slower, passionate post-punk sound that concluded the night in perhaps the most fitting way possible. Be it a member of a band or the crowd, it was clear everyone in attendance was there for the same reason.

“I’m here because I want to support Burgerville workers,” said a member of the crowd. “I think it’s really important that working class people begin to organize, and the only way to push against privatization, against the steady declining wages is when people organize. I think what they’re doing is absolutely the thing people should be doing right now.”

It hasn’t been an easy three years for the union or its members, as the company has largely responded by rejecting its demands, taking punitive action on employees who

The 1929 movie adaptation of German play Pandora’s Box was met with live music in conjunction with the showing at its Jan. 26 showing at the Clinton Street Theater. For a silent film, there really wasn’t much that was silent about the experience.

Premiering at the tail-end of the silent film era, this run of Pandora’s Box was shown in 16mm. The rustic atmosphere of the Clinton Street Theater, which first opened in 1915, complimented the silent film well, as its oldtimey interior is apt for the film’s period.

The historic theater was relatively well attended by what looked to be at least 50 spectators ready to watch what unfolded. What resulted was a contemporary take on cinematic history.

The concept of pairing live music with silent film isn’t new—in fact, it’s a defining element of the era. When film first debuted back in 1894, the only method of including sound along with productions was to incorporate live music performances in conjunction with a film’s viewing. Guitarists, organists and orchestral ensembles generally improvised a score or learned a compilation of theatrical and classical repertory music prior to the screening.

In this instance, instead of the traditional orchestra used at the height of the silent film era, the recent screening of Pandora’s Box paired a live ambient band along with the movie as part of a more modern depiction.

The overall undertones of the film were captured well by the desert-drone of local band Abronia, whose ebb and flow went very smoothly with the storyline. With tenor sax, lap steel, bass, guitar and pedal steel among their instrumental arsenal, they made good use of the varied tools they typically employ.

More cheerful notes were struck during the film's comedic scenes, punctuated by a smattering of laughs from the audience.

Pandora's Box follows the twisted journey of LuLu, the mistress of Dr. Ludwig Schon.

When Schon decides to spurn his previously arranged marriage to instead take LuLu as his wife, he finds her in the company of two other men on their wedding night. Furious, he demands she kill herself with a pistol he hands her, not wanting to become a murderer himself. In the ensuing struggle, the pistol fires into Schon, who dies. The proceeding trial finds LuLu guilty of manslaughter, but she escapes with Schon's son Alwa and they

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BURGERVILLE WORKERS UNION SUPPORTERS STAND OUTSIDE OF COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN OF VANCOUVER AND SPEAK ABOUT FULL-TIME BURGERVILLE WORKERS WHO EXPERIENCE HOUSELESSNESS AND FOOD INSECURITY. COURTESY OF BURGERVILLE WORKERS UNION were union members and even firing many.

According to the union’s website, Burgerville has a history of treating its employees poorly.

The average worker falls under the poverty line and the company even allegedly committed Occupational Health and Safety Association violations, including denying workers breaks and committing health and safety infractions.

A member of L.O.X. worked at Burgerville for a long time. They attest to the company’s supposed unsavory states.

“It fucking sucked,” they said. “It was the hardest work I’ve ever done. No tip jar, erratic hours and management was hostile. People who worked there with me were people providing for families, people who were immigrants. A huge part of the fast food workforce is people sending their kids to school in really precarious situations because of the kind of work that they’re in.”

According to Schlenz, the union went public with three stores, having no formal recognition or having ever gone on strike. Almost three years later, the union has proudly had three successful elections, three successful strikes and is larger, better organized and more militant in what they do.

“We’re trying to negotiate the first fast food contract in the United States,” Schlenz said, “The future looks bright.”

For more information on the cause and the members of the Burgerville Workers Union, go to boycottburgerville.com.

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

flee the country together. After months of living in squalor, LuLu is forced into prostitution to bring in money. Unfortunately for her, her first client ends up being Jack the Ripper.

The opening act was very lighthearted overall, and you began to get the sense that this was more of a comedy than anything else. However, things quickly turned during Acts 3 and 4, in which LuLu's promiscuous behavior and Schon's death both occur. Loud trumpet blasts and cymbal clashes accompanied the escape from the courtroom scene, and the finale of LuLu's rendezvous with Jack the Ripper and Alwa's walking away carried rather somber tones, indicating a rather unhappy ending.

Despite the movie’s ending, it seemed as though the audience left quite pleased.

Combating the silence of Pandora’s Box with sonic manifestations of the film’s moods probably helped, but really it’s just entertaining to watch murderous engagements acted out wordlessly.

LOUISE BROOKS, THE LEAD ACTRESS IN 'PANDORA’S BOX' 1929.

COURTESY OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

OPINION

FAILING VICTIMS IN THE #METOO MOVEMENT FEAR OF EXCLUSION PREVENTS SURVIVORS FROM REPORTING

KEYALI SMITH

DELANEY WHITE Led by influential people but experienced by all, the #MeToo movement has become exclusionary in many harmful ways, which in turn is counteracting the progress.

A year and a half after the fallout of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, people throughout the United States and the world have been coming forward with their stories of sexual assault and harassment. This created the #MeToo movement, which aims to end sexual assault and harassment, prosecute perpetrators and empower victims.

This movement has grown to include hundreds of thousands of voices, yet with the media taking hold, not all of those people are represented. In fact, many survivors feel as though they cannot come forward at all in fear of rejection by the movement’s supporters themselves.

Megan Fox, a well-known actress throughout Hollywood, has expressed this frustration publicly. Fox told The New York Times she didn’t think she would ever be “considered normal or relatable or likable,” and that was one of the reasons she chose not to come forward with her experiences.

A marked fear of victim blaming by the media was weighing on Fox’s mind as well. She noted that “if ever there were a time

where the world would agree that it’s appropriate to victimshame someone, it would be when [she] came forward with [her] story.”

People are choosing not to report instances of assault because of how the media presents the perfect sexual assault victim—someone who is relatable to everyone in the movement and is easy for people to feel sympathy for. Fox doesn’t see herself this way, and it has held her back from adding to a movement that should support her.

This is not just an issue in Hollywood or in the lives of celebrities—this is a pressing concern for every citizen in this country. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 71 men in the U.S. will experience sexual violence in their lifetimes. We can’t accept these numbers as accurate—they are without a doubt too low since the majority of survivors do not report. Report numbers are even more inaccurate for men.

With the perpetual bombardment of the typical survivor from the media, it is no wonder people choose not to come forward.

Take for instance the exclusion of male sexual assault sur-

vivors. A horrific cocktail of toxic masculinity and inaccurate media portrayal has prevented male-identifying people from coming forward out of fear of being seen as less than a man.

Terry Crews has been one of the most outspoken critics of this, challenging the media’s silence around male survivors. On Twitter, in interviews and even to the Senate, Crews has been vocal about how the "silence is deafening when it comes to men talking about this issue."

Crews is a sexual assault survivor himself, and has been open about his experience on social media platforms. He faces criticisms on many fronts—not only is he a man who has survived sexual assault, but he also has to contend with Black masculinity and the expectations that go along with it.

If the media was more inclusive of his message and others like it, more men, especially men of color, would feel comfortable speaking out about their experiences.

Despite the #MeToo movement’s prevalence, media inaccuracy has created another storm that it must weather. Becoming inclusive for all survivors and allowing every person to feel comfortable and welcomed when reporting their experience is the next hurdle.

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

JUST FRIENDS

WOMEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEPARATE THEIR FRIENDSHIPS FROM ROMANCE, MEN DON’T MORGAN WATKINS Men and women have two different mindsets when it comes to friendship. Where women want friends, men see the possibility for something more.

With the added influences of evolutionary urges and complicated attraction, heterosexual, cis-gender, opposite-sex friendships have been a topic of discussion—it brings to question whether it’s a viable option or a myth passed down from one foolish generation to another.

On a stereotypical basis, men are portrayed as having other intentions when it comes to trying to be friends with women.

On the other hand, women seem to separate their friendships and romantic interests.

Adrian F. Ward, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Harvard University, does not consider a friendship between two opposite-sex, heterosexual individuals possible. Ward concludes that relationships between the opposite sex cannot exist without being blinded by possible romantic attraction. In his article “Men and Women Can’t Be ‘Just Friends,” Ward stated, “Although women seem to be genuine in their belief that opposite-sex friendships are platonic, men seem unable to turn off their desire for something more.”

A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire found that opposite-sex friendships between heterosexual individuals are easily compromised by one-sided attraction. Through examining 88 pairs of undergraduate-age, opposite-sex friends, it was concluded men were not only more attracted to their female counterparts, but they also assumed the women were attracted to them as well.

The girls surveyed were generally not interested in their male friends at all but did hold the notion that things were mutual.

“Men consistently overestimated the level of attraction felt by their female friends and women consistently underestimated the level of attraction felt by their male friends,” Ward said.

As broad of a statement as it may seem, science has contributed to the notion that men are the ones (unintentionally) who are unable to maintain opposite-sex friendships.

I polled Instagram to find out what they had to say about men and women hanging out platonically. Overwhelmingly, my followers voted that opposite-sex friendships were totally possible.

Out of the 76 people who voted, 69 people (91 percent) claimed men and women could get on platonically, while seven voters (9 percent) were less optimistic.

Similar to the ideas expressed in the article written by Ward, a male respondent said, “I feel like they can be friends, but there’s always suppressed attraction coming from the guy’s part.” He went on to say some guys opt into friendships with girls simply because being friends with the one they can’t have is better than nothing at all.

In response to his comments, another male respondent offered up some positive insight on how men and women can make things work in the friend zone. “Culturally, I think it’s difficult for men to separate friendly interaction with romantic interest, but clear boundaries, as well as specific and directed communication, can definitely allow for regular platonic friendships.”

At the end of the day, no one can read minds. You will never truly know the intentions of the people around you. The line between romantic and platonic relationships is solid to some and dotted to others. Science may not be in favor of oppositesex friendships, but with communication and understanding, it’s possible.

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PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

JOHN ROJAS

OPINION

BLACK HISTORY MATTERS INACCURATE DEPICTION IN EDUCATION CULTIVATES IGNORANCE

TAYLAR RIVERS Black history is part of American history and does not belong on a separate timeline. The exclusion of such a vital part of history is affecting students in our current education system.

In the United States, Black history has long been considered separate from American history, which in itself is a reflection on the lack of representation, attention and dignity given to the subject. In American history, Black people are referred to in improper language, dismissive stories and oversimplified accounts of events.

Students build off of previous learning in K-12 education, and their current knowledge is influenced from those early experiences.

In U.S. history especially, among other required classes, Black history is not fully encompassed and taught; it instead is only mentioned in a few chapters. When not fully educating on a large part of history from the curriculum, Black youth cannot properly learn the past of their ancestors. Additionally, it creates ignorance surrounding the importance of Black history in the general education system.

“In many schools, teaching American history often means ignoring racism,” said Donald Earl Collins, an associate professor of history at the University of Maryland University College, via The Washington Post. “The problem isn’t just general ignorance of this nation’s history of racism...it’s also about the willingness of many Americans to ignore this history. It’s their willingness to only see America one way, to only see Americans of color as subtext, a mere addition to a story mostly about rich and powerful white men.”

Texas has long been criticized for the language used in their textbooks referring to the accounts of Black people. In a geography textbook published by McGraw Hill, the book refers to Africans brought to American plantations as “workers,” rather than slaves. America was founded on the backs of slaves, and yet textbooks in Texas refer to this as “the immigration of

DANIELLE EMEKA Africans.” The erasure of the events that Black ancestors have had to endure at the hands of colonizers—and the convenient removal of all other narratives—portrays a harmful depiction.

The Texas Freedom Network, an Austin-based advocacy group, said in a statement that even after the revisions, the standards do not render a full representation of civil rights movements in the U.S. Higher education has expanded to include courses which focus on the influence and experience of the Black community in America. The creation of the Black studies curriculum, founded at San Francisco State College in 1968, was a result of the student body gathering and demanding the inclusion of Black studies in effort to progress racial equality in educational field.

Though the creation of Black studies is progressive and currently expanding, the fact that it’s a college course means it may not be accessible to all youth due to lack of opportunity or resources to attend college. In that regard, it is not certain that Black studies courses will be attainable. It must then be taught early on.

Not a lot of students know about slavery’s origins and the government’s role in perpetuating it. In a survey conducted by The Southern Poverty Law Center—with the purpose of gauging the knowledge of students regarding slavery—approximately one-third of participants correctly identified the 13th Amendment, which officially ended slavery.

In addition to the survey, SPLC conducted a report that explores authors analyzing “the ways that we teach and learn about the history of American slavery;” their overhauling mes-

sage is that “the nation needs an intervention.” The project is an effort to begin the conversation of allotting teachers the proper resources to teach Black history that is glazed over in the average curriculum.

In an article published by The National Museum of African American History and Culture, Lonnie Bunch stresses the importance of Black History Month being taught and thoroughly discussed in primary education. The pressure that is placed on this historical month is the result of the lack of discussion in regularly taught textbooks.

Bunch stated, “The great diversity within the Black community needs the glue of the African American past to remind us of not just how far we have traveled, but how far there is to go.”

Education gives us a knowledge of the world around us and changes it into something better. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life and helps develop our own point of view and opinions. Information cannot be converted into knowledge without education and education makes us capable of interpreting and navigating the situations we encounter. If the inclusion of the Black history continues to be limited, the truth of our nation’s origins will continue to be blurred.

“There’s nothing anti-patriotic in examining America’s great flaws and failings,” Collins said. “Race and American history are inextricably linked; Black history and American history are one and the same. Students who demand that race be excluded from a history class reveal how little they understand: about U.S. history, about race and ultimately, about themselves.”

PSU Vanguard • FEBRUARY 5, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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Cervanté Pope

FEB 5–FEB 11 ART TUE FEB 5

“POWER OF PROTEST: THE MOVEMENT TO FREE SOVIET JEWS” OREGON JEWISH MUSEUM AND CENTER FOR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION EAST GALLERY TUE–THU: 11 A.M.–5 P.M., FRI: 11 A.M.–4 P.M., SAT & SUN: NOON–5 P.M. • $8 ($5 WITH STUDENT ID) This exhibit explores how effective protesting was on Soviet Jewish society at this time.

WED FEB 6

“MEET THE MAKERS” PREVIEW RECEPTION WATERSTONE GALLERY 5:30–8 P.M., ON DISPLAY THROUGH MARCH 3 • FREE

MUSIC

FILM & THEATRE

GIVE!GUIDE CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION PARTY REVOLUTION HALL 6–9 P.M. • FREE

‘IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU: STORIES FROM THE DARK SIDE OF DATING’ ALBERTA ROSE THEATRE FEB. 5, 6: 7 P.M. • $20–25

This celebration party is first come, first serve. There’s a photo booth, drinks, a prize ceremony and a super secret music performance, so you’ll definitely want a spot.

ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL, AMENTA ABIOTO, BROWN CALCULUS HOLOCENE 8 P.M. • $10–12 • 21+

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon’s yearly fundraiser takes a turn for the ugly this time with personal stories of dates gone wrong as the theme.

‘YOU’RE WELCOME’ MISSISSIPPI PIZZA PUB 9:30 P.M. • FREE Every Wednesday hosts Adam Pasi, Marcus Coleman and Shain Brendan unite as the #pizzagang and bring to the stage some of town’s funniest upand-coming comedians.

THU FEB 7 FRI FEB 8 SAT FEB 9 SUN FEB 10 MON FEB 11

Waterstone’s varied roster of artists is debuting a group exhibition of new paintings, sculptures, wood carvings and more.

Everything about tonight will make you want to dance. Plus, Amenta Abioto is premiering her new music video for “Plant It.”

“EPIKOS–AN INCOMPLETE TRAVELOGUE” GALLERY @ JUPITER HOTEL OPEN 24 HOURS • FREE

DREAMDECAY, MO TROPER, WET FRUIT PARKWAY NORTH 7 P.M. • FREE

Local artist Shanon Playford shares pieces of her yet-to-be-finished visual tour diary inspired by her travels to Cyprus and Greece.

A little bit of psych-tinged punk from Seattle and quite a bit of local flavor.

“THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF AMERICAN RETAIL” CAMERAWORK GALLERY MON–SAT: 9 A.M.–6 P.M., SUN: 10 A.M.–4 P.M. • FREE

ON DRUGS, JO PASSED, AH GOD, BOINK POST 134 7 P.M. • $8

‘SMUT’ FUNHOUSE LOUNGE 10 P.M. • $6–12

On Drugs are celebrating the release of their cool but strangely titled second LP Uckhole, Futah.

Comedy meets burlesque at this monthly event. It’s also sex-positive, queer-centric and includes live music!

DRAMA, CHANTI DARLING, CLAIRE GEORGE WONDER BALLROOM 9 P.M. • $15–17 • 21+

‘DATE NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE’ FUNHOUSE LOUNGE 7 P.M., OTHER SHOWINGS: FEB. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 • $10–15 • 18+

Chicago duo Drama makes moody house pop that’ll make you groove, but Chanti Darling’s soulful disco is where it’s at.

Get a double dose of romantic improv comedy with a performance of Til Death Do Us Part and Secrets, Lies and Alibis for a little bit of drama.

KING TUFF, TROPICA MAGICA, MÁSCARAS WONDER BALLROOM 8:30 P.M. • $18–20

‘PONTYPOOL’ COHO THEATER THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M., SUN: 2 P.M. UNTIL MARCH 2 • $25–32

Artist Gabe Fernandez will have you dreaming of clear skies and a minimalist lifestyle with these vibrant and realistic works.

King Tuff makes some of the most feelgood garage rock around, with our local psych-cumbia outfit Máscaras to help get you in the groove.

What does a wannabe shock jock radio DJ do during a zombie apocalypse?

Well, he goes on-air, of course.

“NO PLACE LIKE HOME” ELISABETH JONES ART CENTER WED–SUN: NOON–5 P.M. • FREE

MASS APPEAL FT. THE STARTING FIVE HAWTHORNE THEATRE 8 P.M. • $15

‘TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY’ BACK DOOR THEATER THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M., SUN: 2 P.M. • $5–50

This collection of works was inspired by the stories of Honduran people trying to seek asylum in the United States.

For your much-needed dose of hip-hop.

Will Eno’s satire about the absurdity of the modern news cycle comes to life.

Phoenix photographer Jesse Reiser debuts the first in a series of photographic documentation showing the death of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.

“A 20 YEAR SURVEY” FROELICK GALLERY FROELICK GALLERY TUE–SAT: 10:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. • FREE You can check out this retrospective collection commending the two decades artist Ritsuko Ozeki has spent with the gallery until March 2.

“LIGHT SOURCE” RUSSO LEE GALLERY TUE–FRI: 11 A.M.–5:30 P.M., SAT: 11 A.M.–5 P.M. & BY APPOINTMENT. • FREE

‘THE DELAYS’ SHOEBOX THEATER THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M., SUN: 2 P.M. THROUGH FEB. 23 • $20 ($10 with student ID) Normally, airport delays are aggravating, but this play reimagines them in a fun, time-traveling way.

COMMUNITY CHINESE NEW YEAR LAN SU CHINESE GARDEN 10 A.M.–5 P.M. THROUGH FEB. 18 • FREE Patrons get to partake in daily activities including good fortune and prosperity activities, family-friendly crafting, lantern viewing and dragon processions.

CARE NOT COPS PDX: COMMUNITY REPORT LAUNCH AND PANEL DISCUSSION DISMANTLE CHANGE BUILD CENTER 6 P.M. • FREE Care Not Cops is all about deconstructing policing in exchange for community-driven alternatives. Local organizations invite the public to discuss how to further this mission.

PORTLAND WINTER LIGHT FESTIVAL VARIOUS LOCATIONS 6 P.M. • FREE Tons of lights. Tons of locations. All the prettiness can be enjoyed until Feb. 9.

CONVERSATION PROJECT: RACE AND PLACE CASCADIA BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE 11 A.M.–12:30 P.M. • FREE It’s pretty much what it sounds like—a public conversation about how Oregon’s racist history affects the development of diverse communities. It’s much needed.

MICHELLE OBAMA MODA CENTER 7 P.M. • $200+ High demand for the best first lady ever keeps driving the price of these tickets up but if you manage to snag one, you’ll get to hear this former first lady discuss her book Becoming.

ONE MOTO SHOW THE PICKLE FACTORY 9 A.M.–3 P.M. • $10 Catch the last day of the One Moto Show, which has celebrated motorcycle culture with bikes, art, food and drink for the last decade now.

TRIBES AND TREATY RIGHTS IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 7 P.M. • FREE Yakima Nation tribal member Aja DeCouteau speaks on the importance of communal salmon management in the region as well as tribes and treaty rights in the Columbia River Basin.