WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010 • PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY • VOLUME 64, ISSUE 90
Event Eventofofthe thenight day KPSU is hosting new DJ orientations for anyone interested in becoming a DJ and having their own show—no experience required!
When: 2 p.m. Where: KPSU studio, SMSU sub-basement
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ARTS
Documenting our world
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African culture celebrated AAS to host 30th annual African Culture Night Sara M. Kemple Vanguard staff
The Association of African Students will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its African Culture Night this year, an event that is dedicated to raising awareness of Africa’s history and heritage. Once a year, the AAS hosts an evening in which the public can discover the ancient traditions and history of Africa. This year’s event will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 17 in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. According to Princesse Likayi, who is in charge of public relations for the AAS, this year’s theme is titled “In the Beginning,” and will exhibit the roots of Africa’s history, as well as the continent’s cultural vastness. The event is held in hopes of bringing people together through authentic cuisine, dancing and drumming. Since its formation in 1975, the AAS has worked to unite Africans living throughout the African diaspora with the larger Portland community. According to Likayi, African Culture Night’s 30th
AAS: The AAS promotes their event this week.
anniversary represents thirty years of success for the AAS. “This event motivates the people of Portland to understand the real history from the students’ perspectives in the eyes of Africans,” Likayi said. Likayi has been working with the association for nearly a year, and hopes to make the public more aware of the roots of African culture. For this year’s event, the AAS will turn the entire second floor of the SMSU Ballroom into a museum
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exhibit, showcasing art and providing information about the ancient peoples of Africa. In addition, the AAS will provide displays about ancient kings, queens and philosophers. There will also be artwork and stories that show the various African kingdoms and ancient warriors. “There are so many myths that can be redefined, and we want people to see the evolution that Africa went through,” Likayi said. Aside from the food and dance, the AAS will host a fashion show to
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Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
display the various garments and dress that date back to ancient times. In addition, Gloria Ngezaho, a student at PSU, was chosen to recite some words by a previous AAS member at the event. “This event represents the entire viewpoint of our community,” said Useni Makano, the AAS president. “The food and performing artists are chosen by the theme that AAS decides—we try to find performers that reflect that,” Likayi said. “The flyer chosen by AAS was designed to represent royalty,” she said. “It was chosen in colors of purple and gold and can be seen in the glass case next to the student store and Starbucks in Smith.” The AAS also hosts other events that are well-attended by the Portland community, such as World Aids Day, AriCafe, Red Spot Series and special historical events. The AAS has always sought to be active in Africa, and is working on that goal for the upcoming years. “We have sent out flyers to all of the Portland Community College campuses, David Douglas High School, and everywhere that we can to spread the word [about] these communities,” Likayi said. “We want people from various backgrounds to know how it feels to be part of this.” Tickets can be purchased at the PSU Ticketmaster, near the entrance of SMSU, or online at PSU’s Web site. The AAS recommends that tickets be bought in advance to support the African community in a night of culture, food and entertainment.
Don’t ask, don’t tell: QRC & SVA participate in public forum.
Student representatives discuss the controversial policy Amy Staples Vanguard staff
Representatives from the Queer Resource Center and the Student Veteran Association shared their experiences and views in a moderated forum last Wednesday. The forum was held in response to President Obama’s call to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass” policy that was enacted in 1993 under the Clinton administration. Originally called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy was amended to include the longer stipulations in response to harassment and persecution of service persons.
Drew Martig/Portland State Vanguard
The Safe Spaces policy was in place for the public meeting, and 26 audience members were present. The panelists were identified only by their first names in order to protect their privacy. Glenn and Tabatha represented the QRC, while Jason and Kevin represented the SVA. Student Aaron Powell, the forum’s moderator, is a member of Portland State’s debate team and was once a member of the Navy. Several questions were asked by Powell, including what the policy is, how it affects unit cohesion and what consequences would arise if the policy were repealed. Members of the audience also asked questions and gave input as the forum progressed. Jason is an officer of the armed forces who has spent a decade in the military. Jason said that if the policy were to be repealed,
the military would implement it and punish people for harassing homosexual soldiers. As for whether the policy is a good one, Jason said, “Opinion is a luxury. Military service is a tool of social change, not a place where social change happens readily.” Kevin Hershey, SVA’s president and a five-year veteran of the Navy, said, “It’s a bad thing. People shouldn’t have to lie about who they are.” Glenn said that being a closeted homosexual caused him anxiety and created other challenges as a result of self-doubt. Tabatha said that she supports the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy because soldiers would be judged by their performance, rather than by what they do in their free time. However, Tabatha said she also supports removing the part of the law that considers homosexual acts criminal. Glenn also said that it is bothersome that the policy defines homosexual activities as a criminal offense. He pointed out that there is a harassment policy that covers everything except sexual orientation. Commenting on whether Congress needs to act on the promise to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Hershey said, “It’s open to interpretation [if Congress does not act]. Bad idea.” As for unit cohesion, Glenn cited several studies which show that unit cohesion was improved when other armed forces removed discrimination against sexual minorities. Jason pointed out that the military has a network of support for people to address harassment.
If the policy is repealed then service members experiencing harassment will have recourse. Another audience member asked how the policy change would impact recruitment. Jason responded that the economy has helped enlistment and that at this time the military is not having a difficult time recruiting soldiers.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” reports The Government Accountability Office released a report in February 2005 that read, “322 (3 percent) of separated service members had some skills in an important foreign language such as Arabic, Farsi, or Korean.” The study period was from 1994 to 2003. The number of discharges in the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy increased every year leading up to 2001. However, the numbers dropped off in 2002 and the following years after the 9/11 attack and the subsequent invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The GAO also determined that the Department of Defense spent an estimated $95 million to replace the 9,500 service members that were separated from 1994 to 2003. The GAO found that the “financial costs and loss of critical skills due to the DOD’s homosexual conduct policy cannot be completely estimated” because the DOD “does not collect relevant cost data.”