Vanguard October 19, 2010

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I LIKE IT ON THE FLOOR Where do you like to keep your purse for cancer?

OPINION: PAGE 4

INDEX

VIKINGS HANDLE BEARS, LUMBERJACKS

NEWS OPINION ARTS SPORTS

Volleyball stays atop conference standings with two-win weekend

SPORTS: PAGE 12

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PSU community mourns loss of two professors Murder-suicide of Richard Hunter and Astrid Schlaps leaves colleagues, friends with questions

Hunter to shoot Schlaps before taking his own life. While speculation still swirls around the circumstances of the couple’s death—sources close to the couple don’t believe it’s possible that Hunter even owned a gun—the memory of Hunter and Schlaps is honored in Manzanita and Portland. Schlaps was a long-time student and instructor at PSU. Originally from Germany, she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from PSU in 1986 and won the Lauretta Kramer Scholarship when she entered PSU’s Graduate School of Social Work in 1988. In 1990, she was named the most outstanding direct human services graduate. She began teaching at the School of Social Work in 1993, and within six years she became a full-time faculty member. She retired from

ALISON BARNWELL VANGUARD STAFF

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n the Portland State faculty directory, Richard Hunter and Astrid Schlaps are still listed as members of the School of Social Work, though they passed away at the beginning of September. Last week, police determined that their deaths were consequent of a murdersuicide motivated by financial troubles. Schlaps was found on the couch at the couple’s Manzanita home with a $5 bill in her hand; Hunter was in a stairwell above the basement, a few feet away from a .357 revolver. Friends of Hunter and Schlaps in Manzanita and at PSU are grieving the unexpected loss of two known anti-gun pacifists who were looking forward to a long, active retirement. “It was like nothing I’d seen before,” said Officer Sean Ahlers of the Manzanita Police Department. Police found the bodies on Sept. 10, when they responded to a request for a welfare check. Three days later, the case was nearly closed unsolved, but an article in The Oregonian and the insistence of the couple’s friends in Manzanita pushed investigators to continue working. The police concluded that a foreclosure on the couple’s home in Portland and six months of past dues on their Manzanita home pushed

“They were both wonderful professors… students went out of their way to take classes from them.” KATHARINE CAHN

teaching in 2007, but she continued to maintain the private practice that she’d developed over the years, working with adults, children and families affected by abuse and trauma. She was 55 when she died. PHOTO COURTESY OF BONNIE SPEERS

Looking back: Richard Hunter and Astrid Schlaps at their wedding ceremony in Manzanita, Ore.

MOURNING ON PAGE 7

ASPSU appoints new senate pro tempore Ethan Smith new to PSU, student government CATRICE STANLEY VANGUARD STAFF

Though Ethan Smith took over as the new Student Senate

pro tempore on Oct. 5, he has already made a name for himself in ASPSU. “Ethan has been doing a wonderful job. He has jumped right into the position,” said ASPSU President Katie Markey. As pro tempore, Smith is the chair of the coordinating committee for the Senate.

“We are the ones who establish the agenda for the Senate,” Smith said. “We … monitor the Senate to make sure that they are staying on task, which includes things like one-on-one interviews with the senators, making sure they are meeting with their constituents—those types of things.”

ASPSU Vice President Lauren Morency is the president of the Senate and in charge of the meetings. However, if she were not available, Smith would assume her responsibilities. When the position opened after the previous pro tempore, Cathy Symes, resigned, Smith did not consider running. ”I honestly didn’t even think

of it,” Smith said. It was later in the week that he was approached by another senator who asked Smith if he would accept a nomination. “After getting details on what all was involved [for the position], I said, ‘Of course,’” Smith said. PRO TEMPORE ON PAGE 3

Campus Rec wins Bike Commute Challenge Department wins in its division with 40 percent commute rate PETER BROWNING VANGUARD STAFF

Portland State’s Campus Recreation took first place for the second year in a row in the Bicycle Transportation Alliances’ annual Bike Commute Challenge. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance [BTA] is working to translate the positive message of biking to communities. Its Bike Commute Challenge, which takes place every September, aims to get people to ride their bikes while commuting to work. This year the BTA reported 2,017 riders, 650 teams and 74,447 miles logged. Individuals log their miles, and the BTA determines the winners by calculating the percentage of miles the agency commuted by bike, not necessarily the total miles logged. This allowed the Campus Rec staff to compete in a division of 25 to 99 people. Kjerstin Brinton is new to the Bike Commute Challenge, and as student coordinator of Campus Rec she was an integral part of the team this year. “I was really excited. I wanted to be able to live up to what Campus Rec did last year, and am happy we did,” Brinton said. Brinton and team leader Todd Bauch, who is also director of operations, helped the team accomplish its goals. For him, the excitement was more about the journey than the results. “It’s interesting, the dynamic that forms within the department—you find a way to create something that includes everybody,” Bauch said. Bauch, who commutes from northeast Portland, knows the importance of building team spirit and including everyone. “One day I bought coffee, we [all] shared equipment [and] when it rained we lent fenders,” Bauch said. “Last year people had extra bikes so we were able to loan them out to get people involved.” The Campus Rec team, which consisted of professionals, student managers and graduate assistants, competed with programs from all across the state. Notable cities included agencies in Ashland, COMMUTE ON PAGE 3


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