Daily Vanguard November 24, 2009

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Event of the day

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2009 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 40

Celebrate diversity and gain intercultural understanding by attending Hijabi Monologues, hosted by the Women’s Resource Center. A workshop will follow the presentation. When: 5 p.m. Where: SMSU Ballroom

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INSIDE OPINION

Former FAP employee comes forward with claims of intimidation Employee threatened with illegally obtained termination letter

but King said he was asked by her what could be done “to make this go away.”

Vinh Tran

The incident

Vanguard staff

The greatest escape Criminals released early due to state budget cuts PAGE 3

NEWS Proudfoot resigns ASPSU’s legislative affairs director leaves student government PAGE 4 Portland State, OUS enrollment numbers up However, Portland State sees slight decline in freshman enrollment PAGE 4

ARTS

Twitch Trek Star Trek D-A-C trades technicality for arcade action PAGE 6

A former Portland State laborer, who worked for Facilities and Planning, said he was intimidated by a supervisor who appeared to be threatening the laborer with termination. The laborer, Fred King, says that in June, lead carpenter for FAP John LaDu obtained a termination letter that had been given to another employee, and having written King’s name in place of the other employee’s name, showed it to King. King, who was laid off a month later, said LaDu told him, “I’m just letting you know that this kind of stuff can happen,” which King took as a threat. After receiving a memorandum on the incident from Construction Supervisor Gail Hamilton, Associate FAP Director Nancy Grech called King and LaDu into her office and asked LaDu to apologize. “‘I didn’t mean to threaten you, I didn’t mean anything by it,’” King recalled LaDu saying. “It wasn’t a real apology.” Asked about the incident, LaDu said he could neither confirm nor deny that it happened. “I can’t tell you anything about it,” he said. Grech would not comment on it,

BREAKING NEWS Football player jailed Robert Britt Vanguard staff

Gypsy punk on screen Documentary on Gogal Bordello premieres in Portland this Friday PAGE 7

SPORTS

Soccer season in review A look back at the Vikings’ recordbreaking season PAGE 10

A Portland State football player is in custody on charges of sex abuse, harassment and resisting arrest for actions that occurred at West Hall early Sunday morning. Abraham David Gertson, 20, is in custody at the Multnomah County Sheriff ’s Office for allegedly fighting with Campus Public Safety officers, according to the campus crime log released by the Campus Public Safety Office. At 2:10 a.m., officers responded to a report that a female was fondled without permission. When they arrived at the residence hall, Gertson fought with officers, hitting one officer and causing a severe laceration to another officer’s hand from glass in his backpack. Gertson, a freshman defensive tackle, is a native of Beaverton and a graduate of Westview High School.

On June 5, King and two other coworkers were assigned the task of moving all offices in the University Studies suite to prepare for construction. According to King, LaDu gave his crew about four hours to complete the task. King said he went to see another supervisor to ask for help. “We didn’t have enough manpower to complete it in four hours, so I went and got some help from the supervisor of construction,” King said. In an official memorandum recalling the incident, Hamilton confirms this fact. Hamilton provided King with several workers and the crew finished on time. The following Monday, June 8, King said he was called into the office by LaDu. According to King and the memorandum, LaDu asked King why he didn’t ask for permission to go get help. “I was expecting to be called in and be congratulated,” King said, “I thought I did a good job.” Instead of a compliment, LaDu showed King the termination letter to a maintenance worker who had been laid off in April.

In the field where it showed the maintenance worker’s name, LaDu had scratched out the original employee’s name and written in King’s name. According to King, it was clear to him that LaDu was making a threat.

Japanese Student Society sold out third-annual Japan Night Event aimed to provide entertainment, knowledge of culture Erica DeCouteau Vanguard staff

The Portland State Japanese Student Society, together with the Multicultural Center and Takamichi Okabe, Japan’s consul general in Portland, hosted its third-annual Japan Night for a packed house last night in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. A crucial part of the event was to raise awareness about Japan and its culture, organizers said. “Lots of Americans don’t know what Japan is. They automatically think of sushi [when they think of Japan],” said Taishi Seki, sophomore exchange student. The first performers of the evening, Portland Taiko, showed off

two synchronized drum pieces, which hold significance in Japanese culture. Other highlights included a fashion show, which organizers said was meant to portray the identity of Japanese women through the ages, and a speed-eating contest, in which attendees were encouraged to participate. The audience also participated in a quiz on Japanese culture and other trivia. The night opened with remarks made by Okabe and Multicultural Center Director Jon Joiner. Okabe noted the differences between Portland and Japan, but emphasized that the celebration of diversity is imperative to the continuation of these types of events. Joiner praised the support and participation of the audience for making Japan Night possible. “It has been a joy to watch this event happen every year,” Joiner said.

Photo courtesy of Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office

Gertson

Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Successful event: The third-annual Japan Night at Portland State sold out all tickets.

“He said, ‘I’m just letting you know that this kind of stuff can happen,’” King said. “He was upset that I went behind his back.”

FAP continued on page five

A place for American Muslims to share their stories

Hijabi Monologues ­­­­­­promotes awareness, individuality Gogul Krishnan Vanguard staff

Portland State’s Muslim Student Association along with the Women’s Resource Center and the Multicultural Center is hosting the Hijabi Monologues tomorrow, Nov. 24. The show uses real-life stories of Muslim women and presents a soulsearching journey into the lives of the Muslim-Americans. The MSA aims to create awareness about laws that contradict faith, such as ones banning teachers from wearing religious attire. While talking about the Hijabi Monologues event, MSA President Erica Aisha Charves said, “There will be a play that emphasizes individualism and a workshop after,

MSA EVENT continued on page five


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Daily Vanguard November 24, 2009 by Portland State Vanguard - Issuu