Daily Vanguard April 1, 2010

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 84

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INSIDE Arts

Side projects and takeoffs Black Prairie releases debut album, Feast of the Hunters’ Moon PAGE 4

How faux-ny!

Satirical film festival runs this weekend at the Hollywood Theatre PAGE 4

A new fantasy Long awaited new Final Fantasy is here with some new tricks PAGE 8

Governor's race green debate Gubernatorial debate held at PSU draws a big crowd Carrie Johnston Vanguard staff

Tuesday night’s debate, held in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, drew over 1,000 registered attendees, while adjacent rooms with live screenings of the debate accommodated the overflow.

The candidates, former Governor of Oregon John Kitzhaber, former Chief of Staff for Governor Kulongoski, Allen Alley, and former President of Oregon State Senate Bill Bradbury, fielded questions ranging from cap-and-trade policies and land use issues to lifestyle traits and basketball trivia.

In his opening statement, Kitzhaber said, “I hope that the governor will use his platform in office to continually improve the state of the environment.”

Bradbury began by noting his history of environmental stewardship “long before sustainability and conservation were buzz words.”

“I have a goal of making Oregon the sustainability capital of the world,” he said.

Alley spent his opening statement recapping his campaign walk from Baker City to Portland and reflecting on a conversation he had with his 17-year-old daughter who insisted cougars were more important than people in the case of cougars killing Eastern Oregon dairy cows.

“Can cougars help polar bears?” he asked his daughter, who said “No.” Alley concluded, “Well, then people are more important than cougars.”

“We need private sector based solutions [to environmental problems], not government based solutions,” he said.

One questioner asked, “How do you envision people to be moving around in the future?”

Kitzhaber listed mass transit, bike paths and a new generation of electric cars.

“I believe that future is possible and I think Oregon can achieve it,” he said.

Bradbury said, “How about improving the use of…walking?”

Alley concurred with Bradbury’s suggestion and said, “I like walking!

But we can do so much better! I am an engineer…we can build a thousand-pound vehicle that can transport four people.”

Sports

Change is coming Football practice set to begin under new leadership PAGE 6 Vikings top Big Sky at Anteater Invitational Women's golf places 12th, Yada named conference Golfer of the Week PAGE 6

Marni Cohen/Portland State Vanguard

“There are possibilities for personal transportation,” he said.

“But when you force innovation… that’s when costs go up.”

The candidates were divided on the question of a Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline.

Bradbury said, “It doesn’t make sense to extend our fossil fuel dependency…instead of developing our renewable resources here.”

Kitzhaber said, “Natural gas is abundant here…I oppose the LNG plan.”

The proposed pipeline, according to the Oregon Pipeline Web site, will be routed through Clatsop, Tillamook, Washington, Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties. It will run 120 miles from the Oregon LNG facility in Warrenton to the Molalla Gate Station near Molalla.

“We need a transition plan to natural gas. I support the LNG plan,” Alley said.

Catherine Thomasson, an organizer for climate change solutions, questioned the candidates’ positions on regulating the use of toxins in consumer products. “[Toxins] are not my priority.

Getting people back to work is my priority,” Alley said.

Giving the question some consideration, Bradbury said, “We [governors] have a basic responsibility to work to keep chemicals out of the environment.”

Moving the debate along, Kitzhaber said, “We need to frame this [toxins] as a health issue rather than an environmental issue.”

The debate led into closing statements and a round of questions fired off by the candidates, in which Bradbury asked Kitzhaber why he accepted a campaign donation from Cascade General, a shipping company that has been fined by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I am incensed by your accusation,” Kitzhaber said, “that I am somehow in their pocket because of their donation to my campaign.”

The event was sponsored by The Sierra Club, Oregon Environmental Council, Environment Oregon, Oregon Wild and Oregon League of Conservation Voters.

A video of the debate will be available on the Oregon Environmental Council Web site.

Green gov hopefuls: Candidates faced off in an environmentally themed debate.

Senate momentum Student Senate looks at budget, approves constitutional amendments Corie Charnley Vanguard staff

At Tuesday’s Senate meeting, the Student Senate made headway on key issues that have been pending for several weeks, including the review of the Student Fee Committee’s budget allocation and the approval of ASPSU constitutional amendments.

Review of SFC budget: The Senate Finance Committee proposed several recommendations to be submitted to the Student Fee Committee in regards to the recent budget allocations. The revisions to the budget were considered after Jeremy Hardy, KPSU’s station manager, Portland State’s debate team, and members of Las Mujeres, gave testimony about cuts to their budgets on March 16.

The approved recommendations are as follows: -$26,000 increase to the debate team’s budget -$28,000 increase to KPSU’s budget -$12,529 increase to Las Mujeres’ budget -$5,400 increase to the Jim Sells Childcare Assistance Program In addition, the Senate Finance Committee requested that the SFC reexamine the budgets of the Muslim Student Association, the Organization Budget Council, Greek Life, the Multicultural Center and the Student Veteran Association.

After the SFC looks at the Senate’s recommendations, the changes made to the budget will once again return to the Senate for review

ASRC GRAND OPENING TODAY A two-day event to celebrate the grand opening of the Academic and Student Recreation Center begins today.

The event is put on by students, the School of Social Work, the City of Portland, Campus Recreation, chancellor of the Oregon University System, and TriMet.

Event Schedule April 1 8:30 a.m.

Biker Breakfast and Pancake Breakfast (Urban Center Plaza, ASRC lobby if it rains) 11:00 a.m.

Music and Information Fair Noon Opening Ceremony 1:00 p.m.

Open House/Campus Rec Events (sustainability and facility tours, ReRev Challenge) 5:30 p.m.

Faculty/Staff vs. Student Basketball Game April 2 School of Social Work Celebration (ASRC, Sixth floor) 4:00 p.m.

Reception & Tours 4:30 p.m.

John Longres PhD Suite dedication 5:15 p.m.

Donna M. Beegle Community Classrooms Dedication, featuring a talk

by Donna M. Beegle 6:00 p.m.

Reception & Tours

before the final approval process moves forward.

Constitutional amendments: During the last week of winter term, the Judicial Board submitted several constitutional amendments that had to be approved by the Senate before becoming official.

“There was a lot of discussion throughout the year between the members of the Judicial Board and other members of ASPSU about what revisions should be made,” said Judicial Board Chair Brad Vehafric in an e-mail.

“The resulting changes were made to simplify and clarify potentially ambiguous issues rather

SENATE continued on page two

Vanguard 2 | News April 1, 2010

Sarah J. Christensen Editor-in-Chief Virginia Vickery News Editor Theodora Karatzas Arts & Culture Editor Richard D. Oxley Opinion Editor Robert Britt Sports Editor Bryan Morgan Production Manager Marni Cohen Photo Editor Zach Chastaine Online Editor Pockets Copy Chief "I'm Baaaaaaaaack!"

Calendar Editor Jae Specht Advertising Manager William Prior Marketing Manager Judson Randall Adviser

NEWS Optimism from Wim In an address, President said PSU has done well in spite of economy Courtney Graham Vanguard staff

Amidst talk of federal education and student aid reform and the implementation of President Obama’s “Race to the Top” program, the university is working as hard as ever to maintain its status as a prestigious urban research institution, stated Portland State’s president during a public address.

President Wim Wiewel said in his March 16 campus update address that PSU’s commitment to service, excellence and educational opportunity has allowed the university to thrive in this time of economic, political and social uncertainty.

Partnerships have been strengthened with local private and public entities, such as the City of Portland and the Oregon Sustainability Center.

The administration has also made attempts to improve student success by increasing student retention rates and attracting more international students, as well as through the creation of a Latino/ Latina Student Success task force.

The task force is identifying ways to recruit and retain more Latino students, faculty and staff, according to the Portland State Web site.

Several points came through in the president’s address, of which many students and community members may not be aware.

For example, the university saw an increase in donations, including its third largest gift ever—$3.9 million from alumnus Fariborz Maseeh to the math and statistics department.

Ann Roman Advertising Adviser Illustrator Kira Meyrick Associate News Editor Corie Charnley Production Assistants Shannon Vincent Charles Cooper Williams Post-production Assistant Adiana Lazarraga Contributors Stacy Austin, Will Blackford, Bianca Blankenship, Meaghan Daniels, Erica DeCouteau, Sarah Engels, Sarah Esterman, Amy Fylan, Courtney Graham, Natalia Grozina, Patrick Guild, Joe Hannan, Rosemary Hanson, Steve Haske, Nadya Ighani, Carrie Johnston, Sara M. Kemple, Tamara K. Kennedy, Gogul Krishnan, Ebonee Lee, J. Logue, James MacKenzie, Daniel Ostlund, Sharon Rhodes, Tanya Shiffer, Wendy Shortman, Catrice Stanley, Nilesh Tendolkar, Robin Tinker, Vinh Tran, Katherine Vetrano, Allison Whited, Roger Whightman Photographers Michael Pascual, Liana Shewey, Adam Wickham Copy Editors Noah Emmet, Amanda Gordon Advertising Sales Ana SanRoman, Wesley Van Der Veen Advertising Designer Beth Hansen Distributor Cody Bakken

Find us at www.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.

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“While we have been forced to rely more and more on other sources of funds because of the decline in state funding, we will continue to advocate strongly and as strenuously as we can for state support.”

–Wim Wiewel

While it has not been an easy year for Oregon’s economy—and therein, its schools—with no hint of a rapid recovery, Wiewel remains optimistic. Over the course of the past year and a half of his presidency at PSU, the university has seen improvements in several key areas of its strategic plan.

One such area is in the implementation of the “First Steps to Success” plan, which enforces stricter admissions standards, mandates advising and orientation for new students, and requires earlier declaration of majors for advanced students, among other provisions.

The university has also taken pains to emphasize its five main goals through the strategic plan: Providing civic leadership through partnerships, improving student success, achieving global excellence, enhancing educational opportunity, and expanding resources and improving effectiveness.

Additionally, plans are nearly complete for a new Life Sciences building in the South Waterfront district, which would be built in partnership with other institutions, according to the PSU Web site.

Some of these flourishing new partnerships may include Portland General Electric, Intel, Oregon Health & Science University, Boeing and PCC Structurals. These alliances, in relation to the strategic plan, would put the university on track to meet its June 2010 goal of proposing a joint, non-profit research entity with OHSU, for example.

PSU, according to Wiewel, is also looking to expand the role it plays in successful education from preschool through university, and is continuing to advocate at both the state and federal level for better funding for education.

“While we have been forced to rely more and more on other sources of funds because of the decline in state funding, we will

Adam Wickham/PSU Vanguard

Wim Wiewel: University president delivered an address on the state of PSU in mid-March.

continue to advocate strongly and as strenuously as we can for state support,” Wiewel said.

He also emphasized that while at times it may feel as if PSU is unique in its fiscal woes, universities across the nation are facing problems with decreased federal and state funding, pressure to improve graduation rates, and greater requirements with regards to federal accountability.

To cope with tightening budgets and potential future crises, university committees and the

president are looking for policy spaces where PSU can develop a new financial model and approach to governance, which would afford the administration more flexibility, should the need arise.

“Amidst all this challenge and change,” Wiewel said, “We are holding to our course and sticking to our goal of becoming a great urban research university that provides educational opportunities for Oregonians and is a leader in sustainable development.”

and all other rules, policies and procedures of ASPSU affecting the student body. The constitution had previously required only one annual report.

“Having a quarterly [publication] would certainly help with institutional memory and archives,” Vehafric said.

According to the official summary of the revisions, the change will also help improve transparency and accountability of ASPSU. The president’s length of office was also clarified at the meeting.

According to the constitution, the president may seek election and hold office for two 12-month terms.

However, the terms do not have to be consecutive.

The Student Senate did not approve one of the more controversial amendments, which relates to the system of checks

and balances within ASPSU. The amendment proposed that the decisions made by the J-board could be overturned by not only a threefourths majority vote in the Student Senate—as previously defined by the constitution—but would also require approval by the president.

“That takes away a balance and puts it right into the executive office,” said Senator Patricia Binder.

Daniel Lyons, president protempore, recommended the revision be struck down. However, in the future, he proposed the J-board reword the amendment so that it applies only towards matters that directly affect the Senate.

Lastly, the Senate approved an additional section to article VII of the constitution addressing allegations of ethical misconduct and conflicts of interest.

SENATE continued from page one than make any lasting or radical changes that could otherwise be made by a given administration.”

The first major revision passed was a unified eligibility guideline to hold an ASPSU office, rather than a guideline that is position-specific. “[The J-board] decided that the best for all involved is that [ASPSU has] a one-size-fits-all eligibility requirement,” said Vehafric. “Why would we want different standards for different positions?”

The amendment requires that all undergraduate and graduate members maintain a minimum 2.00 GPA and 3.00 GPA per term, respectively. In addition, graduate members must complete five credits per term and undergraduate members must complete six credits per term.

Previously, members of the SFC had separate academic

requirements dictated under the Oregon University System rules.

The revision requires all ASPSU members also meet both the OUS and the constitution’s requirements.

Other amendments that the Senate approved were regarding ASPSU stipends, which are to be regulated by Oregon Revised Statutes, rather than university policies. In addition, a new amendment dictates that no ASPSU member may simultaneously hold more than one position in ASPSU governing bodies, including the executive staff, the J-board, the SFC, the Student Senate and the Elections Board, unless otherwise stated in the constitution.

As of Tuesday, the ASPSU president will also be required to publish quarterly compilations of Student Senate resolutions, J-board rulings, SFC rules and procedures,

Vanguard 4 | Arts & Culture April 1, 2010

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

Playing at the Northwest Film Center Pauline at the Beach Éric Rohmer, France, 1982 “A wagging tongue bites itself.

As close as Rohmer comes to the structure of classic French farce, Pauline at the Beach sets into motion a roundelay of lovers who spend late summer in a Normandy resort misunderstanding each other’s desires and motives. The Pauline of the title is a pubescent girl who gains a sentimental and sexual education by watching the seductions of the sextet of adults around her, including her glamorous cousin who wants to ‘burn with love.’

The algebraic precision with which Rohmer charts their flirtations, betrayals, and disputes is offset by the film’s eroticism and its halcyon summer setting. A refreshingly cool entertainment, rigorous, controlled, yet also profoundly passionate."

—Andrew Sarris The Village Voice Friday, 7 p.m.

A Tale of Springtime Éric Rohmer, France, 1989 “A Tale of Springtime follows Natacha, an 18-year-old pianist who has talent for music but not for life. She decides that her father, on whom she dotes, should drop his current mistress for another woman, Jeanne, a philosophy teacher whom Natacha adores.

The domineering and capricious teenager plots to convince her father that he really belongs with Jeanne, and her stratagems are played out in a series of rendezvous and dinner parties in which philosophical jousting is barely disguised as a form of amorous competition.

One of Rohmer’s most refined and delightful films, Springtime offers a panoply of pleasures: Music by Beethoven and Schumann, deluxe Paris apartments and French country houses, engrossing chat about Kant and Aristotle, lovely ensemble acting, and—as always with late Rohmer—editing and photography of unerring elegance and precision.”

—James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario Friday, 8:45 p.m.

ARTS & CULTURE

Side projects and takeoffs Black Prairie releases debut album, Feast of the Hunters' Moon Leah Bodenhamer Vanguard staff

Three years ago, Chris Funk and Nate Query of the Decemberists gave birth to the skeleton of a melody, which they transcribed with talents of fellow band mate and accordion player, Jenny Conlee, Portland violinist Annalisa Tornfelt and guitarist Jon Neufeld. It began on the road when Funk’s love for the Dobro guitar was on the rise and his conversations with Query led to the idea of starting a primarily instrumental bluegrass band.

Their sound has evolved into something a bit more eclectic and complex, however, as if they approach songwriting as composers rather than pop musicians. The result is a genuinely exciting album to both the music lover and the music critic.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Decemberists, it may be worth your time to give them a listen. With five full-length albums and over four EPs, the Decemberists have played at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Monolith and all over Europe, spreading their delicious folksy vibe throughout the world.

Thus, Black Prairie honestly utilizes the term “side-project” as all members of the quintet play in other touring bands and only come together when in their home base of Portland. Alaskan native Tornfelt fiddles with Portland’s The Woolwines and, for years before that, played with Bearfoot Bluegrass.

She turned the album around with her gently beautiful voice. Originally, the idea was to make it a completely instrumental album, but when Tornfelt sang, they had to make room for her vocals.

“We kept to the style of the rest of the album,” said Neufeld. “But she has such a great voice that we had to make a few songs for her to sing in like ‘Crooked Little Heart’, ‘Single Mistake’, and ‘Red Rocking Chair.’”

Neufeld plays with classic bluegrass group Jackstraw as well as The Kung Pao Chickens, who play live at the Laurelhurst Pub if you’re looking for some hot gypsy jazz and a cold brew. He moved to Portland over 13 years ago in search of an embracive music culture.

As well-traveled musicians, the five began writing songs together with the ease of professionals.

Their debut album, Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, was recorded back in December and is to be released April 6. It consists of two traditional tunes and 11 original tracks. Other than the few that Tornfelt sings on, they are all instrumental compositions.

How faux-ny!

Satirical film festival runs this weekend at the Hollywood Theatre Bianca Blankenship Vanguard staff

The name, Faux Film Festival (FFF), might be confusing. No, it’s not a fake festival—it’s quite real and has been running for six years now.

Rather, it’s a festival that features fake films. Spoofs, satires, faux commercials, faux film trailers…the list goes on. This year the festival promises to be as silly as ever, with three nights full of faux.

Mike Shkolnik created FFF in 2005 and has been running it since.

He first came up with the idea after working on his own faux film trailer, Broccoli Man Vs. the Zombie Vegetarian, in which heroic Broccoli

All screenings are in Whitsell Auditorium, 1218 SW Park Ave. Free with PSU student ID.

–nwfilm.org

Scream of the Bikini: One of the many film trailers in this year's festival.

Photos courtesy of Faux Film

Black Prairie: New work from members of the Decemberists.

Photos courtesy of Black Prarie

“Ostinato Del Caminito” exhibits Black Prairie’s genre exploration as it begins with a deep driving riff written by the bassist, which alone could be the basis for a heavy metal tune. The violin rises like Fantasia waves, dancing with the offbeat guitar rhythms, which all together create an ancient yet intense soundscape, like some sort of neoBaroque war ballad. Suddenly, the song breaks into a hush of slides and whispers like glowing footsteps of sound, only to return and end with a progressive Eastern European sound. The transformation of material is intrinsic to their style.

“The tunes come in as one thing,” Neufeld said. “Travel through the band, and come out as something more elaborate and completely different.”

The future of Black Prairie is promising. They hope to tour the country this summer, promoting their new album and they are eager to get back into the studio for some more

recording time. The great unveiling, Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, will be in stores April 6 on CD and vinyl.

Man arrives to fight off the zombie vegetarians and their lust for greens.

Shkolnik sought out a festival to submit the trailer to, but found none. There were some mockumentary festivals, but nothing that also welcomed faux trailers, commercials and other shorts. Thus, FFF was born.

Shkolnik also sponsors the festival with his bizarre toy-selling business, Mad Martian, which boasts 196 different eyeball toys, among other strange knick-knacks.

If that sounds a bit wacky, it’s because it is. FFF is anything but serious. Their motto is, “we poke fun at stuff.”

There are faux film trailers like It Came From Over Yonder, in which mysteriously airborne cow pies infiltrate a city. There are uplifting and inspiring stories like The Joe Show Show: Growth, in which the main character finds hope and meaning in a ham and cheese sandwich.

Sunday will be somewhat Snuggie-themed, as The Snuggie Killer will screen and any audience member who arrives in a Snuggie will be given a $2 discount on admission. There will also be Snuggie giveaways provided by The Snuggie Killer filmmakers.

Many of the filmmakers involved will attend the festival. There are two blocks of films each night, and every block except the last one on Sunday will be followed by free Q-and-A sessions with the filmmakers. Some of the directors are flying in from across the country for the festival and others are locally based.

Friday night will feature faux commercials and movie spoofs and Sunday night will be mostly horror films with commentary in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Saturday night is reserved for general satire films.

The filmmakers range across the board, from amateur to professional.

FFF received a wide variety of submissions.

“It’s funny, it’s a complete mixture,” said Shkolnik. “We’ll get stuff that’s a bunch of frat boys with a camcorder and we’ll get stuff with special effects and everything.”

Shkolnik and a committee that varies every year from three to six filmmakers choose the films. When asked to pick a personal favorite for this year’s festival, Shkolnik simply said, “They’re all my personal favorites.”

While Shkolnik is a filmmaker himself, he shrugs off the title.

“I don’t make a lot of films, admittedly,” Shkolnik said. “I do it more as a hobby.”

In any case, he is bringing together FFF for a number of talented filmmakers who might equally shrug off their titles. The result is a festival that’s fun and downright silly.

Black Prairie The Woods 6637 SE Milwaukie Ave Thu, 9 p.m. $12, 21+

Faux Film Festival Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd.

Fri-Sun, 7 p.m. $7

Student Publications editorships open for 2010–2011 year The Portland State University Student Publications Board has announced that applications for leadership of the Vanguard, the Graphic Design Center, Pathos Literary Magazine, the Portland Review, the Rearguard, KPSU and The Portland Spectator are open for the 2010–2011 academic year.

The Vanguard editor oversees PSU’s daily newspaper with a staff of nearly 60 persons.

The Rearguard editor produces a monthly publication of an alternative viewpoint.

The Graphic Design Center manager oversees a graphic design business for students and others.

The Portland Spectator editor oversees a monthly magazine of conservative political commentary.

The Pathos Literary Magazine editor manages a thrice-yearly literary magazine that publishes only Portland State University student work.

runs an AM-band radio station (and short-range FM-band radio station) with diverse content and a staff of about 80.

The KPSU radio station manager

The Portland Review editor operates a thrice-yearly literary review that publishes fiction and art from submissions originating locally, nationally and internationally.

Application materials may be obtained from Judson Randall, student publications adviser, in Room S-26A in the Smith Memorial Student Union subbasement.

Completed applications must be submitted electronically or on paper by noon April 5, 2010, to Randall at randallj@ pdx.edu. The Student Publications Board will hire the editors after interviews to be conducted within 10 days.

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Vanguard 6 | Sports January April14, 1, 2010

SPORTS SPORTS

Sports Editor: Sporty Bob 503-725-4538 sports@dailyvanguard.com

Portland State women’s golf results to date Golfweek Conference Challenge Sept. 13–15 Team score: 952 (328–317–307) Placing: 18th out of 18 Low Viking: Kalyn Dodge, 233 (76–80–77)

Washington State Inland Cup Sept. 21–23 Team score: 963 (320–319–324) Placing: 9th out of 13 Low Vikings: Aubrey Vaughn, 242 Britney Yada, 242 Danielle Ranallo, 242

Heather Farr/ Colorado Memorial Oct. 5–6 Team score: 936 (301–317–318) Placing: 11th out of 20 Low Viking: Tiffany Schoning, 235 (77–79–79)

Price's Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate Oct. 12–14 Team score: 933 (311–309–313) Placing: 17th out of 18 Low Viking: Britney Yada, 228 (78–74–76)

Fresno State Lexus Classic March 1–2 Team score: 917 (310–300–307) Placing: 9th out of 14 Low Viking: Britney Yada, 220 (74–71–75)

UNLV Spring Invitational March 8–10 Team score: 917 (294–310–313) Placing: 13th out of 18 Low Viking: Britney Yada, 226 (69–75–82)

Change is coming

Looking to new leadership: A new era for Portland State football begins next week, as new head coach Nigel Burton and the Vikings start spring practice.

Football practice set to begin under new leadership Allison Whited Vanguard staff

A season of change is ready to begin for Vikings football. After a dismal 2–9 season, Jerry Glanville and company are out and new head coach Nigel Burton and his clean-up crew are in.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is just create a culture of

winning. That is something we started on from the moment we walked in the door,” Burton says.

Burton will be facing a number of obstacles this season. There has been a complete overhaul on both offense and defense. Gone is the spread offense, conducive to big stats and big plays. Gone is the 3–4 defensive scheme that was former head coach Glanville’s bread and butter.

The spread will be replaced with the pistol offense, something Burton knows well from his time at Nevada. Bruce Barnum,

Vikings top Big Sky at Anteater Invitational Women's golf places 12th, Yada named conference Golfer of the Week Tanya Shiffer Vanguard staff

The Portland State women’s golf team finished in 12th place at the San Diego State-hosted Anteater Invitational on Tuesday.

The two-day event, held at the Dove Canyon Country Club in southern California, featured 15 teams and three rounds of play. San Diego State won the invitational with 899 strokes (300-299-300), six shots under second-placed University of San Francisco.

Freshman Britney Yada finished in a three-way tie for sixth place with 223 (79-71–73), nine shots above winner Kayla Mortellaro,

Anteater Invitational March 29–30 Team Score: 943 (316–318–309) Placing: 12th out of 15 Low Viking: Britney Yada, 223 (79–71–73)

Photo courtesy of Rod Commons/Portland State Athletics

Golfer of the Week: Freshman Britney Yada

tied for sixth place at the Anteater Invitational.

a sophomore from the University of Idaho. Yada is Portland State’s scoring leader for the fifth time in seven events this season and gives her a team-best scoring average of 77.23 strokes per round.

The Anteater Invitational was Yada’s second top-10 finish out of three spring events. Following her performance, she was selected as the Big Sky Golfer of the Week, marking the second such honor for her this season.

The Vikings topped the only other Big Sky Conference school competing at the Anteater, Sacramento State, who finished in 14th place with 958 combined strokes. Portland State is now 9-3 in the Big Sky. Non-conference opponent Oregon State tied for eighth place with the University of Hawaii at 939 strokes.

The Anteater Invitational also saw the return of senior Stephanie Johns, who hasn’t competed since the fall due to a back injury. Johns led the Vikings on Monday in a tie for sixth place, but by the end of the tournament on Tuesday, she dropped to a tie for 17th place.

Contributing to the Vikings’ team score was sophomore Tiffany Schoning, who finished tied in 17th out of 80 golfers. Senior Danielle Ranallo finished in 73rd with 253 and freshman Corrine Gilbertson finished in 80th with 267.

Their next scheduled tournament is the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic at Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz., on April 4-5. This will be the last event before the Big Sky Championship on April 19-21.

former offensive coordinator at Cornell University, will handle the offensive duties.

“When [the pistol] is working, it buys a step on the defense. It slows them down one reaction step and that’s where the magic of it is—in the run game,” says Barnum. “We will be a heck of a lot more runheavy than what they’ve had here in the past.”

Barnum also said that the pistol is a different look than anyone else in the Big Sky Conference gives. The Vikings will be a power-run team that can throw the ball. This will cause Big Sky opponents to prepare for the Viks in an entirely new way.

Barnum said the new attitude on offense will be “here’s what we do— stop us,” which will give the team a much-needed swagger.

The switch to the 4–3 defense should be a big improvement over Glanville’s overly complicated defensive machinations. It will also allow players who are more suited to play tight end to switch from the linebacker position to offense.

The reemergence of the tight end position is a boon from the pistol offense and will add further depth to the offense.

There are also challenges that have arisen that are beyond anyone’s control. PGE Park, the Vikings’ home on game day, is getting a facelift, displacing the team for a year. For the 2010 season, Hillsboro Stadium, which is 14 miles from campus, will have to do.

Making things more difficult, the Viks will play only four games at home, and two of their first three opponents compete in the prestigious Pac-10.

The roster also poses a problem for the restructured team. There

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

wasn’t a single tailback on the roster, which is the key position in the backfield for the pistol offense.

There is also a lack of experienced players. Almost 60 percent of the team’s members are freshmen or sophomores.

Burton has sought to overcome this deficit through signings. This year, he says, he signed more players from junior colleges than he plans on doing in any other year. He also feels that this will give the team a better academic background.

“I think we’re going to have to find a way to squeeze out every inch of production that we can out of our current team,” Burton says. “You’ve got to focus on what a young man can do, not what he can’t do.”

One of the ways that Burton plans to do this is to be a constant presence in his players’ lives. This includes weekly academic meetings and some member of the staff being present at every team function, big or small.

“We’re a very hands-on crew in terms of our coaching staff. [The team] get[s] tired of seeing us,” he said.

Burton also wants the student body to buy into the winning attitude. It’s a main part of his agenda. He alludes to “tricks in [his] back pocket” to promote school spirit, which he will begin to preview this spring.

Commenting on his overall expectations for the team this year, Burton appears modest.

“I would say you can expect to see an exciting brand of football. I think you can expect to see a team that improves over the course of the year,” he said.

Spring training starts Monday, and continues every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:35 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Stott Field.

Aaron Leopold/Portland State Vanguard

Run and gun: Sophomore quarterback Connor Kavanaugh will work with a new offensive strategy in 2010.

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Vanguard Arts & Culture | 8 April 1, 2010

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Long awaited new Final Fantasy is here with some new tricks Steve Haske Vanguard staff

The first thing you’re going to notice about Final Fantasy XIII when you pop in the disc is how utterly gorgeous it is. Square Enix has always had top-notch production values and cut-scenes that rival the likes of Pixar in terms of quality of art, direction and intricacy, but FFXIII really takes the cake. It’ll basically make your eyes tear, it’s so blisteringly beautiful.

Now, bringing up issues of graphics first and foremost in regards to a series that’s traditionally been known for its narrative, characterizations and deep battle mechanics might seem a little strange, but that’s because Square opted to try some new things with FFXIII—namely the emphasis on linearity that hews closely to the game’s more Hollywood-style approach.

Some fans might cry foul at this (especially after the half-decade long wait we’ve endured in getting the game) saying that FFXIII plays almost more like an adventure game than a true RPG. In some ways, this is true.

But is a movie-like approach and linearity so bad? Is it such a crime that FFXIII doesn’t give you unfettered access to a vast world until late in the game? If the game

still plays well—which it most certainly does—I would say no.

Square has been pushing in this direction for a while, anyway. FFX and FFXII both had similar set-ups to some degree, and while, yes, they still had traditional mechanics such as experience points and levels, they were certainly predecessors of FFXIII ’s almost entirely cinematic and infinitely more accessible approach.

Let me be clear—this does not mean that your beloved Final Fantasy has been dumbed down.

The emphasis, as it were, is just on different elements of the game. With its multi-million dollar Hollywoodgloss, FFXIII is damn gorgeous (you owe to it yourself to get this on PS3, if you’ve got a choice), but dungeon design notwithstanding, it’s hardly a script that’s all explosions and plotadvancing dialogue.

The game’s narrative is just as engaging as it’s always been, slowly unraveling the story of six people chosen to save the world (cliché, yes)—but only having that power granted to them by becoming pariahs who are hunted the world over.

This isn’t just some group of insurgents striking up arms against a corrupt ruling class, either (although that plays a part). To reject their destinies—culled forth from a godlike race—is to accept death, whereas embracing their fate means sacrificing themselves for the salvation of the world.

The usual political and religious elements are present, as are the various motivations and personal

stories each character brings to the table, all exceptionally delivered by a group of talented voice actors. No doubt about it, FFXIII is every bit Final Fantasy.

The other important element of the equation, then, is the battle system, and thankfully FFXIII delivers in spades here, eschewing the traditional form of battle to a fast, strategic system that forces you to think on your feet. Basically, you only control one player at a time, while the other two members of your party are AI-controlled, but things move at such a breakneck pace you’ll barely miss being able to control them.

Each move, whether it’s attack, magic, defense, support or whatever else, takes up a certain number of points per turn, allowing you a finite number of options per turn.

For example, at the beginning of the game, Lightning, the de facto main character, can either slash twice with her gunblade or once as an overall attack that targets all enemies but is weaker.

Things don’t stay this way for long, though. As you progress you get the ability to do more moves, chaining together attacks that happen in real time. Enemies all have a chain gauge, which effectively works as a defensive barrier that can be broken down for massive damage.

Chain gauges yield after so much damage is dealt per turn, and the faster you can pull off a series of attacks, the higher the percentage on the gauge goes. Adding to the strategy is the ability to break off charge

times, effectively letting you attack before an entire chain of commands has finished charging, resulting in a quicker offensive strike.

Another crucial component to the battle system is the ability to quickly have your party switch roles on the fly in battle, changing their offensive, defensive and support abilities—so if you start wailing on an enemy to break its chain gauge, your offense goes up but you’re more vulnerable to attacks yourself, and in this mode you can’t use magic to heal (only items, which you’re not going to want to spend all your precious gil on).

It sounds complicated, but the way the game’s various battle systems work together is beautiful symmetry. Yeah, it’s unorthodox, and the action moves at such a comparatively fast clip it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on sometimes, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

Throw in the ability to stealth past enemies (or surprise attack for a preemptive strike) and you’ve got some of the best combat the series has ever seen—and that’s not even counting the summons. For all of its changes, this Final Fantasy is no less fantastic.

Final Fantasy XIII Square Enix PS3, Xbox 360 $59.99

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Final Fantasy XIII : This new addition to the long-running game series bring with it the same old story with stunning new visuals.

All photos courtesy of Squaresoft