Daily Vanguard January 28, 2010

Event of the day

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 58

Are you a fan of anime? Swing by the Anime Club meeting and connect with fellow anime aficionados.

When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: SMSU, room 229

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INSIDE NEWS

ASPSU protest planned

Help with groceries is a snap Food Stamp Program offers same services but is now called SNAP PAGE 2

They say no student input on report, admins disagree

Pepper spray OK The personal safety device allowed on campus, others not PAGE 3

The student government intends to hold a protest tomorrow to express its concern over what they perceive as a lack of student input to the university administration’s position on the Frohnmayer report, which recommends a financial restructuring of PSU. The administration says it has no official stance on the recommendation to make PSU a public corporation, and that student input is actively sought.

On Nov. 18, 2009, the Oregon University System released the 56-page report commissioned of David Frohnmayer, former University of Oregon president, which suggests that Oregon’s largest universities be financially restructured. ASPSU President Jonathan Sanford and his Chief of Staff Zaki Bucharest expressed that student government is opposed to the recommended changes at a public forum held in Parkway North yesterday.

Friday, Wiewel and presidents of other Oregon University

Arts

Bringing music to the masses Sound Roots is on a mission to make you more musical PAGE 4

Angels looking like demons With possessed humans as God's exterminators, Legion is more funny than scary PAGE 5

Sports

Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff

Virginia Vickery/Portland State Vanguard

Forum and protest: ASPSU Chief of Staff Zaki Bucharest and President Jonathan Sanford at a student government forum about a potential university restructure.

System schools will address the subcommittee appointed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski to look at the performance of postsecondary education. The idea behind the committee is that if the current funding model for schools isn’t working, legislators should consider pushing a figurative reset button.

“Wiewel is speaking to the governor’s committee without asking student what they want to do,” Sanford said.

Wiewel’s Chief of Staff Lois Davis responded in an e-mail to the Vanguard: “President Wiewel has been actively seeking student input on the issue of possible restructuring

of higher education for the past two months and will continue to do so as long as the issue is under discussion.”

The reason given by Sanford for tomorrow’s protest—which will occur at noon in the Park Blocks—is that Wiewel has not given students a chance to weigh in on the issue

PROTEST continued on page two

Stipend shortage Measures 66 and 67 resolved

pass

The ASPSU Senate voted Tuesday to adjust senator and SFC stipends Measure 66

Measure 67

The passage of Measure 66 raises taxes on individuals who earn $125,000 or more, and for households who earn a combined $250,000 or more.

The passage of Measure 67 raises the state’s $10 minimum corporate income tax to $150, as well as the cost of some business filing fees. It also increases the amount of taxes applied to profits for corporations.

- Yes votes: 168,682 (71.29 %) - No votes: 67,947 (28.71 %)

- Yes votes: 168,082 (71.14 %) - No votes: 68,184 (28.86 %)

Amy Staples Vanguard staff

Our new recreation center, part II The ASRC offers a variety of recreational activities for the alternative-minded student PAGE 6

After months of uncertainty surrounding the future of student government stipends, the Student Senate voted Tuesday to lower Student Fee Committee and Senate stipends for the remainder of the year and capped the number of Senate positions that can be filled.

The reduction in stipends was made necessary due to a clerical error in last year’s SFC process.

Senator’s monthly stipends have been reduced from $200 to $150 and SFC member’s stipends have been reduced from $600 to $515.

The Senate put forth a friendly amendment to allow unexpected money from any further resignations to be paid toward SFC stipends, up to $550 per student.

“We’ve known from the beginning that we’re $40,000 short so there’s been an ongoing discussion,” said Eddie Hallman, ASPSU administrative director.

Last year was the first year the SFC funded senator positions.

When the new line item was

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Stipend solutions: ASPSU Administrative Director Eddie Hallman and Senate President pro tempore Daniel Lyons at a Senate meeting.

entered into the spreadsheet, a calculation error was made and when the SFC held its hearing on the ASPSU budget, the error was compounded, reducing the stipends of all ASPSU stipend positions, not just the line with the original error.

At one point in December, it was hoped that a portion of the error could be rolled over into next year’s budget, so that this year’s students would not take a large pay cut.

ASPSU continued on page three

More info Tax revenues generated will go into the Oregon General Fund, from which higher education, healthcare and public safety are funded. The following is a summary report from the Multnomah Country Elections Web site of the election returns posted yesterday at 2:26 p.m.: - 130 of 130 precincts reported - Total registered Oregon voters: 412,110 - Ballots cast: 237,303 - Voter turnout: 57.58 %

Vanguard 2 | News January 28, 2010

Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Virginia Vickery News Editor

NEWS Help with groceries is a snap

Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Shannon Vincent Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Robert Seitzinger Copy Chief Robert Seitzinger Calendar Editor Jae Specht Advertising Manager William Prior Marketing Manager Judson Randall Adviser Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Associate News Editor Amy Staples Production Assistants Bryan Morgan, Charles Cooper Williams Writers Stacy Austin, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Tyler Carter, Corrie Charnley, Meaghan Daniels, Erica DeCouteau, Sarah Esterman, Amy Fylan, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Nadya Ighani, Carrie Johnston, Tamara K. Kennedy, Anita Kinney, Gogul Krishnan, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Wendy Shortman, Catrice Stanley, Amy Staples, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Katherine Vetrano, Allison Whited, Roger Whightman Photographers Aaron Leopold, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Noah Emmet, Amanda Gordon Advertising Sales Ana SanRoman, Wesley Van Der Veen

Food Stamp Program offers same services but is now called SNAP

Make sure to bring the following items:

Gogul Krishnan Vanguard staff

Purpose The federal Food Stamp Program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), still helps to ensure that students, families, seniors, people with disabilities and low-income workers have enough food to eat. SNAP can be used to purchase food from grocery stores and many farmers’ markets.

The federal government pays the full cost of food benefits and shares the cost of administering the program with individual states. In Oregon, the program is headed by the Oregon Department of Human Services.

How to apply 1. First, an application for services must be completed. Applications can be picked up in the lobby of any DHS Self-Sufficiency Office.

2. Call Oregon SafeNet at 800723-3638 to find a nearby office.

Applications in different languages can be downloaded through the Oregon DHS Web site.

3. Return the application to the office and get it date stamped.

While an application may be faxed or mailed, one must follow up at a local office to meet with a social worker.

4. The office may be able to meet with an applicant when an

PROTEST |

application is submitted, or an appointment may be made to see a case worker at a later date.

1. An official form of identification 2. Social Security numbers of everyone applying for benefits 3. Proof of income for the last 30 days 4. For non-citizens, proof of legal status for everyone applying for benefits

How to use

Raising awareness

SNAP benefits are made available on a monthly basis. The funds appear as a balance on the Oregon Trail EBT card. The EBT card looks and works like a debit card. It can be swiped at a register just like a debit card and then “EBT” must be selected as the payment method. To complete the transaction, a pin number must be entered. No one except the cashier will know that it is an EBT card and not a debit card.

“A lot of people are aware of the food stamp program, but do not know about the recent name change to SNAP. Many people are unaware that they are eligible for SNAP­— especially students,” said Jennifer Hanson, Oregon Hunger Task Force member and a community health student at PSU. Hanson is doing outreach to students. She will be posting SNAP eligibility information on PSU listservs, leaving SNAP informational sheets and applications for services around the campus and talking to student groups about SNAP eligibility.

She also interviews students who use SNAP to learn more about their experience with the program and see if they have suggestions for how it can be improved. She can be contacted at jennifer@oregonhunger.org.

Additional facts: - SNAP is a nutrition-support program designed to help people stay healthy through difficult times - Over half of all U.S. citizens will use SNAP at least once during their lifetime - SNAP is not a charity—as a taxpayer, citizens pay into the program and, when needed, they can reap the benefits - There are enough SNAP

Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Jennifer Hansen

More information about SNAP is available at: www.oregon.gov/DHS/ assistance/foodstamps/ foodstamps.shtml www.fns.usda.gov/ www.cbpp.org/ To learn more about SNAP eligibility, students may contact Oregon SafeNet at 800-723-3638.

from page one

Admins want student input, ASPSU says none was sought before his discussion with the subcommittee.

Wiewel representatives said that, while no official position is held, there is a draft of a discussion paper outlining changes the administration hopes to see, if any are made.

“In his opening statement [at Friday’s meeting], President Wiewel will make clear that PSU does not have a proposal for how to restructure Oregon’s public higher education system: what it has are a set of general principles and a draft discussion piece

Advertising Designer Shannon Vincent

Contact Editor-in-Chief 503-725-5691 editor@dailyvanguard.com Advertising Manager 503-725-5686 ads@dailyvanguard.com The Vanguard is chartered to publish four days a week as an independent student newspaper by the PSU Publications Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers, and do not necessarily represent those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration.

One copy of the Vanguard is provided free of charge to all community members, additional copies or subcription issues may incur a 25 cent charge. The Vanguard is printed on 40 percent post-consumer recycled paper.

Copyright © 2010 Portland State University Vanguard 1825 SW Broadway, Smith Memorial Student Union, Rm. S-26, Portland, Ore., 97201

dollars for everyone that needs them—an estimated 20 percent of Oregonians who are eligible for SNAP do not apply - Oregon brings in more than $900 million federal food stamp dollars each year - For every $1 used by SNAP, $1.73 goes back into the community— in essence, using SNAP helps the economy - Students receiving SNAP can defer their student loans while receiving benefits - Applying for SNAP is easy and in most cases, users do not have to apply more than once a year

Virginia Vickery/Portland State Vanguard

Frohnmayer forum: Student government represenatives at a forum in Parkway North.

that is being used to promote a campus-wide discussion with all stakeholders, including students,” said Davis in the e-mail.

On Feb. 5, Wiewel will meet with representatives from ASPSU to hear their input regarding a possible restructuring.

The night before the report’s release last fall, Wiewel addressed the Student Senate, telling them about the report and asking them to form a committee he could work with to receive student input on how PSU should proceed. Wiewel made similar requests of the Faculty Senate, the PSU Foundation, SEIU and the Alumni Board.

On Jan.12, the Senate formed a task force in response to the President’s request but not all of the positions on the task force have been filled yet, according to Senate President pro tempore Daniel Lyons.

According to the President’s Office, any major restructuring of an OUS school would require approval by the Legislature.

Restructuring could result in the provision of more flexibility for individual campuses, and possibly leave the Chancellor’s Office and

State Board of Higher Education in place.

Another model may be for individual campuses to have their own independent governing boards. Since no legislation currently exists, the future of how Oregon’s higher education is governed is uncertain.

Where to find: - President Wiewel’s draft discussion paper: www.pdx.edu/president/ restructuring - The Frohnmayer report: www.oregonstate.edu/senate/ ifs/IFS-Report.pdf - The ASPSU response: aspsu.pdx.edu

from page one

ASPSU made cuts to stipends However, Lindsay Desrochers, vice president of Finance and Administration, communicated to Johnnie Ozimkowski, SFC chair, that this was not an acceptable solution, according to Hallman.

It was also made clear to ASPSU that they had to figure out how stipends would be paid out for the remainder of the school year before anyone would get paid during winter term.

The Senate also voted to cap the number of senators at 19. There are 25 senate seats available. In a typical year, 22 senators are elected and three are appointed by the ASPSU president and approved by the Senate.

The ASPSU president fills vacancies that occur throughout the year. There are currently 16 senators. Since December, six senators have quit or resigned.

It is important for the Senate to have enough people to be a governing body. Quorum is the required number of people needed to legally hold a meeting. This number is usually determined by the size of the body.

“Oregon open meeting law says you have to have a majority

to make quorum and our Senate bylaws states it has to be 13,” said Daniel Lyons, pro tempore Senate president.

Meeting quorum has been a problem in the past, according to Hallman. He said, since the inception of the stipend for senators, many accomplishments have been made, compared to the year before the stipend started when quorum was achieved “maybe 10 times.”

Hallman said the resignations over winter break mostly came from students who felt they were involved in too many activities and didn’t have the time needed to commit to the Senate. Lyons said they also lost a student who took a job in the new rec center.

With the resignation of ASPSU Vice President Azadeh Chitsaz Tuesday, her stipend might be used to raise the pay of SFC students for the month of June, as discussed at the Senate meeting Tuesday.

According to Lyons, this move will have to be discussed further before any more changes are made to the budget.

The ASPSU Student Senate is the legislative branch of student governance at Portland State University. The Senate is responsible for representing the interests of the student body, as well as approving the Student Fee Committee budget and confirming appointments, constitutional revisions, the ASPSU budget, and any revisions to the ASPSU bylaws and guidelines. -ASPSU Web site

Pepper spray OK The personal safety device allowed on campus, others not Sarah J. Christensen and Virginia Vickery Vanguard staff

Campus Public Safety issued a student on campus a citation for possessing pepper spray—a personal protection device—on Dec. 8, 2009. Though the charges

Photo illustration by Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard

Pepper protection: PSU allows pepper spray on campus, but students who misuse it are subject to punishment.

Follow us on Twitter! @psuvanguard

ASPSU |

were eventually dismissed, CPSO said it is not entirely certain about which personal safety devices are allowed and which are not.

The law states that weapons classified as chemical agents are not allowed on campus but CPSO determined that pepper spray does not fall under that classification and, as such, is permitted, said Michael Soto, director of public safety.

“But, the [misuse] of the device could still lead to criminal charges,” he said. “For safety though, we recommend its better to make loud noises and stay away [ from an attacker] rather than get close enough to spray.”

At this time, CPSO has yet to determine a clear policy concerning electronic weapons like stun guns and Tasers.

“I’m not going to say they’re allowed, I’m not going to say they’re illegal,” Soto said. “As yet, we don’t have a clear answer on Tasers, but neither do the Portland Police. More research is needed.”

Under Oregon state law, it is illegal to possess weapons in public buildings, which includes universities.

The Student Code of Conduct states that it prohibits the “Possession or use of firearms, explosives, dangerous chemicals, or other dangerous weapons or instrumentalities on universityowned or -controlled property, unless expressly authorized by law, Board or PSU rules.”

Natalee Webb, interim assistant Dean of Students, explained that the State Board of Higher Education dictates the content in the Code of Conduct at Oregon University System schools.

“One thing to know is that a citation from CPSO is not the same thing as a complaint through the Code of Conduct, it’s a very separate process,” Webb said.

According to Webb, CPSO enforces the local law and can file for a Code of Conduct citation, but that they do not have any ability to directly enforce the university conduct codes.

In 2004, Oregon Legislative Counsel Gregory A. Chaimov responded to an inquiry from Rep. Wayne Krieger as to whether or not universities had the authority to regulate the possession of firearms and other weapons on their campuses.

In an opinion written by Chaimov, he stated, “…district school boards, boards of education of community college districts and the State Board of Higher Education do not have the authority to prohibit a person from carrying a firearm on the campuses of the schools, colleges and institutions for which they are responsible.”

The confusion is that, although a 2004 General Counsel opinion claims that Portland State’s campus is considered public, Chaimov’s response claims that the General Counsel doesn’t have the authority to designate the campus as public.

Furthermore, PSU campus is considered public by the State of Oregon and a law restricting or allowing the possession of firearms supersedes the Student Code of Conduct.

For more information visit: www.leg.state.or.us/ors/166 www.cpso.pdx.edu

Vanguard News | 3 January 28, 2010

News Editor: Virginia Vickery 503-725-5690 news@dailyvanguard.com

Good news for people who hate to leave the house The number of Americans working from home is on the rise. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 11.3 million people worked from home in 2005, compared to 9.5 million people in 1999.

The news gets better for college graduates: about 47 percent had at least a bachelor's degree and almost 32 percent had some college.

Nearly half of those employed at home earned $75,000 a year or more. The most common occupations were professional at 25 percent, executive, administrative and managerial at 22 percent and sales at 18 percent.

The median yearly income of people at home was $68,000.

51 percent were female, and 82 percent were white nonHispanic.

Overall, 8.1 percent of the U.S. workforce worked from home in 2005.

Oregon Hunger Task Force The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in November that Oregon has the second highest hunger rate in the country with 6.6 percent of Oregon households going hungry due to lack of money from 2006 to 2008.

That corresponds to about 95,000 households a year.

This is an increase from the 2003 to 2005 numbers of 3.9 percent.

Mississippi beat out Oregon with a rate of 7.4 percent. Nationally, 49 million Americans live in households that go hungry.

Oregon Food Bank Network distributed 66.2 million pounds of food from 2008 to 2009, the highest amount of any state in a single year.

Vanguard 4 | Arts & Culture January 28, 2010

ARTS & CULTURE

Arts Editor: Theodora Karatzas 503-725-5694 arts@dailyvanguard.com

Thirsty Thursday: Live music to go with your drinking problem Chervona, Renee De La Prade If you’ve ever had the pleasure of walking in on a Chervona concert, you know how crazy these guys can get.

Fun, energetic and worldly, the band functions as Portland’s own less-punky Gogol Bordello. Mixing languages, styles and ethnic backgrounds, the group is a veritable mish-mash of music sounds and colorful sights. Without, fail, they always seem to get their crowds up off their seats and dancing in the streets.

Alberta St. Pub, 9 p.m., Free, 21+ Hornet Leg, Bodhi, Go Go Simba, Droni Mitchell The members of Hornet Leg know their garage rock. The band has perfected a lo-fi, stripped-down sound with a devil-may-care vocal styling that harkens back to the Velvet Underground and teenage boredom gone awry.

Joined with fellow garagesters Bodhi, these two bands alone should make for a pretty interesting, if not just a tad gritty, evening.

music Bringing

masses Sound Roots is on a mission to make you more musical Scott Ostlund Vanguard staff

Have you ever gone to a concert and thought, “I wish I would have learned the guitar when I was younger.” Or have you found yourself wishing you could trade that 16-credit load and full-time job for a chance at gracing the stage with poise and musical ability? Do you have a child who hasn’t had the opportunity to plug into music at school but they want to learn the guitar, the piano or, dare I say it, the drums? Sound Roots School of Modern Music in North Portland has given Portlanders each of these opportunities by creating a musical school with quality instruction and confidence-building experiences.

Chris and Fara Heath, who have lived in Portland for seven years, founded Sound Roots. The couple met in Boston while Chris was attending the Berklee College of Music, and Fara was getting a bachelor’s degree in human services from Northeastern University. Chris studied song

to the

writing and film scoring at Berklee, but found a knack for teaching following his graduation. Eventually, the couple was motivated to start a music school not only for kids, but adults as well. After moving to Portland, the Heaths took on Sound Roots with the mindset that any person of any age should have the opportunity to be as impacted by music as they were.

Though the couple didn’t move to Portland for the sole purpose of creating Sound Roots, the City of Roses has become the perfect community to start a school of this magnitude.

“We love Portland,” Fara said.

“I don’t think we would have been able to do this anywhere else...we have found that this community is incredible. There is so much energy around local businesses, and small business working together to help each other.”

If you log onto the Sound Roots website one of the first things you will notice is their “Friends” page.

This link shows many of the local businesses that have displayed their support for the school through attending concerts and staying plugged into happenings at the school.

One characteristic that makes Sound Roots so appealing is the ability they have to customize their education. Rookie Rock is a program to learn the joys of music for children up to 5 years old. Sound Roots offers private lessons for all ages as well as beginning classes for instruments like guitar and piano.

One of the most popular programs offered is called Rock Band Camp.

In one week, students create a band name, make concert posters and practice for their very own show that takes place on that Friday at Mississippi Pizza in North Portland.

“It’s amazing to see the progression, in five days,” Fara said. “Kids come in so shy and never have touched an instrument before sometimes. And by day five they are like super rock stars.

It’s awesome to watch.”

Though this may seem like an event for young musicians, Chris and Fara will be the first to correct you. Sound Roots has created a program called Rock University. It has the same basis and experiences as Rock Band Camp, but it is aimed towards adults who feel like stepping out of day-to-day life for a week and learning how to rock ’n’ roll.

For lessons and classes, Sound Roots makes a conscious effort to hire educated and talented teachers who can not only instruct, but are able to focus or adapt to different genre’s such as classical, jazz, and rock.

“We actually go out of our way to try to pay our teachers at the top of the going rate, because it is really important to us that they are really experienced and educated,” Fara said.

With the struggle to keep arts in local school districts gaining energy, Sound Roots hopes to fill a void in the Portland community. On Site is a program that Sound Roots has

started just recently. It will allow schools with discretionary funds to have a per diem teacher come and teach a class such as beginning guitar, or many of the other classes offered at Sound Roots. The school is not only focused on educating its own students, but bringing music education to everyone in the Portland area, no matter what age.

“I’m really glad that there is such an awareness, even in tight economic times,” Farah said. “They know how important it is.”

Though 3954 N Williams St. may look like an unassuming coffee shop with a cafe cart on the sidewalk, as soon as you step inside, walk past the espresso bar and through the double doors, you will see and hear the value each student is gaining.

Whether it’s the main office, the practice room surrounded by windows that some call the fish bowl or the new classrooms developed by the staff of Sound Roots, each detail is in place in order to create a comfortable musical environment for kids and adults alike.

“Music is one of those things that if you find a love for it, find a passion for it, it’s not work at all,” Fara said.

Their passion for teaching is obvious and their students are excited. Sound Roots is filling a void in the Portland community and will continue educating Portlanders for years to come.

Sound Roots School of Music 3954 N. Williams St. 503-282-9999 www.soundrootsmusic.com

Ducketts, 9 p.m., Free, 21+ Future Historians, Eggplant There’s a quaint factor about Future Historians’ name that also seeps into their music as well. Lead singer Dave Shur’s voice is clear and melodic, carrying with it not only words but also emotion. Their overall product has a very dreamlike quality to it and features a lineup of musicians possessing talent, grace and spirit.

Kelly’s Olympian, 8:30 p.m., $6, 21+

Sound Roots School of Music: Providing a musical outlet for the community.

Photos courtesy of Sound Roots

Vanguard Arts & Culture | 5 January 28, 2010

Quotes from Coco: The founder of Chanel speaks

angels looking like demons All photos courtesy of Bold Films

With possessed humans as God’s exterminators, Legion is more funny than scary Sarah Esterman Vanguard staff

Whenever I find myself laughing out loud at things like, for example, an innocent-looking old woman— who could be my own grandmother with her cropped, curly white hair and frumpy pink sweater—taking a chunk out of a guy’s neck before crawling around on the ceiling and cursing at the top of her lungs, I wonder if I’m a sick, twisted person.

But then I hear my laugh echoed by the majority of a theater full of people and I feel (somewhat) OK with myself.

This wasn’t the only time I feared for my sanity while watching Legion.

Although the trailer made the idea of God’s mission to exterminate mankind (because once again we let the ol’ man upstairs down) by having his angels possess humans in order to kill the last hope for the

species—a baby that has yet to be born—totally terrifying, Legion is far from frightening.

In fact, it’s downright hilarious. For one thing, the overt symbolism (e.g., the diner that the pregnant mother works at is called Paradise Falls) takes all need for the viewer to have any sort of intelligence out of the equation. And the apparent moral of the story—to give your father what he needs and not what he asks for— is nauseatingly cheesy. But Legion is about the fall of mankind, which is supposed to be serious, right?

Thank god—no pun intended— the Lord’s favorite angel Michael refuses to carry out the orders to kill the unborn baby and takes the fall from Heaven in order to protect it.

Actually, Michael is the best thing about the film. With his delicious British accent and ripped body, most women in the theater were probably—like myself—hoping he might take his shirt off at some point.

But the lusting stops there.

Adrianne Palicki plays Charlie, the mother of whom is supposed to be the savior of the world, and Lucas

Black, plays the too-redneck Jeep (seriously, his name is Jeep) that is supposed to be Charlie’s love interest, and they’re attractive on the outside.

But their characters aren’t believable.

Jeep’s personality is absent and Charlie is whiny and unlikable— though that’s probably a fault of the script and not her own.

The poor script is no surprise, though, considering that knowledgeable viewers are left to wonder if anyone involved in the making of the film has actually even read the Christian Bible. The God portrayed in Legion is not the God of the New Testament Bible. He’s very Old Testament with his I-willsmite-you-if-you-do-anything-wrong, I-will-kill-even-the-faithful attitude.

In addition, the mission to kill an unborn child doesn’t sound like a very Godly thing to do.

Really, if it weren’t for the fact that the film is supposed to be biblical, I might call it a zombie flick. The angelically possessed and the zombies have a lot in common: Both are masses of people that don’t control themselves, both have a taste

for human flesh and both are undead.

The only difference between the two is that God’s new army has the ability to speak coherently (but even when they do, it’s just God using them as vessels to say what he needs to say).

Needless to say, if you want a horror film that will send shivers down your spine, Legion is not it. The characters are almost completely forgettable and the plot contains no element of realism to ground it.

Really, the entire thing resembles a sucktastic version of Dawn of the Dead, so save some dough and go rent that instead.

Legion Directed by Scott Stewart Now playing

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“A woman has the age she deserves.”

“A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future.”

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.”

“Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.”

“Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”

“Elegance is refusal.”

“Fashion fades, only style remains the same.”

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

“Great loves too must be endured.”

“Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death.”

“How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone.”

“I invented my life by taking for granted that everything I did not like would have an opposite, which I would like.”

“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

“Jump out the window if you are the object of passion. Flee it if you feel it. Passion goes, boredom remains.”

–brainyquote.com

Legion: Peeping through the blinds isn't going stop the masses of murderous angels.

Grannies gone wild: Thankfully there wasn't a wet T-shirt contest—just blood and gore.

W a n Vanguard t ed:

Arts Writer

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arts@dailyvanguard.com

Vanguard 6 | Sports January 28, 14, 2010

SPORTS

Sports Editor: Robert Britt 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com

Correction: On Tuesday, a photograph of Portland State men’s basketball player Melvin Jones was misidentified as teammate Jamie Jones. The Vanguard apologizes and regrets the error.

Nelson out for season Portland State men’s basketball starting forward Phil Nelson is out for the season after breaking a bone in his foot during practice.

According to a statement released by the school, the junior was driving to the hoop during Tuesday’s practice when he landed awkwardly on his left foot, causing a fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone.

Nelson will require an estimated three months of recuperation, thus ending his 2009–10 season. As of press time, it had not been determined if he would require surgery.

In his absence, the Vikings are expected to alter their starting roster in Saturday’s game by starting junior guard Melvin Jones along with senior forward Julius Thomas.

The 6-foot-8 Nelson has been a star player on the Vikings’ roster. This season, he averaged 12.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, and was selected as a Big Sky Conference Player of the Week in midDecember. His 48 three pointers placed him fourth in the conference rankings.

This is Nelson’s second season with the Vikings, and he has started all 53 games since his arrival. He is a native of Keizer and transferred to Portland State after playing one season at the University of Washington.

All photos by Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Keeping fit: The new facilities available at the ASRC, such as the multi-use courts pictured

above, provide Portland State students with a variety of options to stay healthy and active.

Adam Wickham/Portland State Vanguard

Climb it: The climbing center at the ASRC allows students to practice their bouldering skills.

Certification is required, but instructors are available to provide the necessary training.

Our new rec center, part II

The ASRC offers a variety of recreational activities for the alternative-minded student Nilesh Tendolkar Vanguard staff

This is the second of a three-part series in the Vanguard covering Portland State’s new Academic and Student Recreation Center. In this installment, we will explore the various facilities for intramural sports, rock climbing and outdoor activities.

Since the Academic and Student Recreation Center held its grand opening on Jan. 3, Portland State students have passed through its doors more than 30,000 times to take advantage of the university’s newest facility and the array of fitness opportunities it provides.

In addition to standard gym features like weight rooms, multisport courts and swimming pools, the ASRC offers a variety of features for the alternative-minded athlete.

One of the crown jewels of the new rec center is the new indoor rock climbing wall. Located on the third floor, the ASRC’s climbing center supports sports climbing as well as bouldering without a harness.

“The bouldering wall is 14 feet tall, while the top-rope wall soars to 35 feet. The climbing wall is provided

by Nicros, which specializes in climbing wall systems made of precast glass fiber reinforced panels that look like the Smith Rock, which is famous in the state of Oregon,” said Ben Berry, climbing center instructor and a junior majoring in environmental engineering.

Berry added that the new climbing center is arched to add realism and difficulty, unlike the old wall at the Stott Center.

Before climbers can get a handhold on the wall and try their might at scaling its face, they are required to undergo an orientation session and certification. As an added precaution, instructors and staff ensure there is a crash pad positioned below every climber, and instructors and a spotter keep their eyes on the climbers.

“I think the safety measures are great,” said junior Nick Lee, communication major. “The Campus Rec staff are always there to answer any questions that we may have. They gave a class—and the training—and I am taking a test to be certified.”

For the competitive types, Campus Rec’s intramurals program is currently running basketball, indoor soccer and four-on-four volleyball leagues this term at the ASRC. Over 39 teams registered before the leagues kicked off this past week.

Students can sign up for the leagues as either a free agent or as

part of a team on the intramurals program Web site. To conduct the games, the program has a dedicated squad of CPR-trained students to serve as officials and scorekeepers.

Other upcoming intramural events include urban winter olympics, a mini triathlon and a Nintendo Wii bowling league.

Also located in the new rec center is the flagship of Campus Rec—the Outdoor Rec program. They have been around since 1966, and they offer a multitude of trips and activities to get students outside and engaged.

Outdoor Rec organizes trips featuring camping, hiking, outdoor rock climbing, white water rafting, kayaking and cross country skiing.

The program also lets students rent outdoor equipment, attend trips and have students volunteer to spread the word about the program’s activities. Outdoor Rec strives to be environmentally sustainable and follows a “leave no trace” policy during their outdoor trips.

The ASRC too has made a conscious effort towards sustainability and accessibility. There is a provision to collect the rainwater from the roof and use it for plumbing and fire sprinkler systems, which has made the water distribution system 85 percent more efficient.

Over 800 lockers are available to rent for $12 per month at the ASRC.

Members may also access day-use lockers available at no charge.

Various sports equipment such as basketballs, soccer balls, table tennis paddles, jump ropes and other specialized items are also available for free.

All students are automatically members of the ASRC and can make use of its many amenities by simply showing a valid PSU OneCard with their photo at the member services counter on the second floor.

Though student memberships to the ASRC are included in tuition and fees, alumni, faculty and staff can purchase memberships. Spouses and guest memberships are also available, and more information on pricing and payment options is available at www.campusrec.pdx.edu or by calling 503-725-5127.

Look in next week’s Vanguard for part three of this series, where we will explore the various fitness and recreational classes the ASRC offers.

ASRC winter hours: Mon – Thu Fri Sat Sun

6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Noon to 8 p.m.

etc.

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64 See 17-Across 66 Off-road transport, for short 67 One unlikely to compromise 68 Fuel from bogs 69 Word in alumnae bios 70 Big name in small swimsuits 71 Many-axled vehicle Down 1 Appear to be 2 Golfʼs ___ Aoki 3 Roman Cath. title 4 Word with justice or license 5 Cynical Bierce 6 Scotʼs denial 7 ___ Sea (Amu Daryaʼs outlet) 8 Kind of will 9 What a flamingo might stand on 10 Countryʼs Brooks 11 Devotee 12 Sci-fi automatons 13 Class clowns, e.g.

18 Monticello or Saratoga 24 Crash-probing agcy.

27 Old hand 28 Refrain syllables 29 Item in a manʼs medicine chest

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Vanguard Etc. | 7 January 28, 2010

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42 I, to Claudius 44 Save for a rainy day 46 Go along with 48 One on deck 49 Like some job training 51 Novelist ___ de Balzac

52 Movie camera lens settings 54 Northern Scandinavians 58 Mayberry boy 60 “Gotcha” 61 Orioles or Cardinals 62 Bigfootʼs Asian cousin 65 Tripperʼs turn-on

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Home Buying 101 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Center for Urban and Public Affairs Room 212 Free discussion about the changing home market and advice for first-time homeowners 2010 Telluride Mountainfilm Festival 6 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom $7 advance tickets for students, $10 day of the festival

Friday Seminar: European Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Noon to 1 p.m.

Urban Center Building, room 204 Free discussion held

by Ed Fischer of ODOT about traffic control strategy abroad Seminar: State of the Atmosphere 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Science Building 1, room 107 Free lecture from University of Michigan professor Sanford Sillman

Saturday Opera Appreciation Lecture Series 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Cramer Hall, room 258 Free discussion about opera for students Soul Food Dinner 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

SMSU Ballroom Free food and entertainment w/ RSVP to dementro@pdx.edu Food and entertainment will be provided, and former Portland Trail Blazer Terry Porter will attend

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● Each row and each column

must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

● The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given

operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

Sunday

● Freebies: Fill in single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Ultimate Frisbee 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Campus Recreation Field Free non-team practice for students

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POP CULTURE ARTS & CULTURE

Vanguard Arts & Culture | 8 January 28, 2010

This day in history: Jan. 28 1547: Henry VIII dies.

His nine-year-old son, Edward VI. becomes king and the first Protestant ruler of England.

1573: Articles of the Warsaw Confederation are signed, sanctioning freedom of religion in Poland.

1624: Sir Thomas Warner founds the first British colony in the Caribbean, on the island of St. Kitts.

1754: Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word “serendipity.”

1813: Pride and Prejudice is first published in the United Kingdom.

1902: The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, D.C., with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.

Crimson geometry Death By Cube is a fun, strange and bloody XBLA shooter Steve Haske Vanguard staff

It’s easy to see the appeal for small-time developers to make a dual-analog shooter. Anyone can get into this kind of addictive, simple gameplay. Generally, all you need to do is move your character/ship/ whatever around with the left stick while firing by holding the right stick in the direction you want your shots to go. It’s that simple.

Because of that, there’ve been a lot of these types of game getting out through digital distribution. Some are good, like the Xbox 360’s classic Geometry Wars. Some are not so good, like the gun-in-your-mouth, avoid-at-all-costs Zombie Apocalypse.

Whatever the case, it’s usually a variation on the theme of move, aim and shoot.

Death By Cube is also a dualanalog shooter, but it’s not like one you’ve seen before. It’s bizarre conceit is that you’re a robot who’s lost his memory. So you have to go into the circuitry inside yourself and other robots. I think. Inside the circuitry there are strange cubes of all sizes, circular things that fire lasers, and other things that resemble lighters.

You whirl around the gridpatterned screen shooting these things, which by all rights look mechanical. But when they die, they erupt in an explosion of blood.

Uh, what?

It’s bizarre to witness, particularly if you don’t expect it, given the game’s clean, futuristic style and

general lack of clutter or graphical depth. But, there it is. According to Square, it’s actually oil. But it sure as hell looks like blood to me.

The story is just as odd. As the robot moves on from circuit board to circuit board, it (he?) rambles on about having dreams. Considering the brevity of each level’s exposition, the narrative is pretty opaque. Not that you play dual-analog shooters for their literary offerings.

But the key component to DBC’s weird charm is how it mixes the simplicity of standard dual-stick shooting mechanics with bullet hell shooters like Ikaruga or Radiant Silvergun (the former’s been ported to XBLA, and comes with my highest recommendation) where enemy projectiles literally fill the screen.

While the game’s directive is pretty easy to grasp—either survive, kill all the enemies or follow special objectives like defending a base, destroying an enemy’s or offing as many baddies as possible in a time limit, the game can be tricky.

Your robot is armed with a dash ability that basically lets you evade enemies—with the caveat that you disappear when using it and can end up coming out of an evasive maneuver into oncoming fire—and a shield that will temporarily catch enemy bullets and throw them back, which temporarily takes away your firepower. Both are equally as important to progress.

See, when you dash nearby an enemy, they become confused, which lowers their defenses. Wreaking bloody havoc at close proximity nets you a combo counter. The higher the counter, the more points given per kill. Confusing enemies is one of

1921: A symbolic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is installed beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to honor the unknown dead of World War I. 1922: Knickerbocker Storm, Washington D.C.'s biggest snowfall, causes the city's greatest loss of life when the roof of the Knickerbocker Theater collapses.

1935: Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion.

1938: The world land speed record on a public road is broken by driver Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz W195 at a speed of 432.7 kmh (268.9 mph).

1945: World War II supplies begin to reach the Republic of China over the newly reopened Burma Road.

Death By Cube: Blood, cubes and some excellent gameplay from Square Enix.

the only effective ways to kill at close range, unless you’re surrounded, which isn’t infrequent.

At the same time, enemy projectiles hone in on your position, making it necessary to catch them. But these volleys aren’t in short spurts, so you have to plan your strategy carefully.

Should you just catch a few bullets and keep moving, or hold it down until just before the shield is about to give out, running the risk of getting caught in whatever crossfire your shield wasn’t able to catch?

Either way, you can increase your power with the more power-ups you pick up (à la Gradius), But whatever the case, the game makes you stay on your toes— 90 percent of the time, DBC looks like a wild, bloody mess moving at a very quick pace. When enemies aren’t completely filling the screen with bullets to dodge or shield, there are little cubes laying down timed mines.

When that isn’t happening, you’re completely engulfed in a

Photos courtesy of Square Enix

sea of other cubes. Or there’s laser beams all over. It’s pretty chaotic. If it weren’t for the red markers that appear just before an enemy does (or before, say, a bomb explodes) you’d be pretty well screwed.

With so much happening on screen, it’s easy to rack up a lot of combos, but it’s even easier to die so pay attention. At least the game gives you options for the type of robot you want to use—more shield, better weapons, homing shots and others are all unlockable.

It’s refreshing to see a little bullet hell influence in a game these days, especially given that dual-stick shooters aren’t usually the deepest of games. That’s reason enough to give this strange little title a try.

Death By Cube Square Enix Xbox 360 (XBLA) $10

1958: The Lego Company patented their design of Lego bricks, still compatible with the Lego bricks produced today.

1964: A U.S. Air Force jet training plane that strays into East Germany is shot down

by Soviet fighters near Erfurt; all three airmen are killed.

1965: The current design of the Flag of Canada is chosen by an act of Parliament.

1982: U.S. Army general James L. Dozier is rescued by Italian antiterrorism forces from captivity under the Red Brigades.

1986: Space Shuttle Challenger breaks apart after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board.

2002: TAME Flight 120, a Boeing 727-100 crashes in the Andes mountains in southern Colombia, killing 92.

—wikipedia.com