Portland State Vanguard, Vol. 73, Issue 29

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 73 • ISSUE 29 • MAY 28, 2019

PSU SHOULD PUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY INTO PRACTICE

OPINION ABORTION SHOULD NOT BE UP FOR DEBATE • ARTS & CULTURE METALHEADS UNITE IN DEVASTATION ON THE NATION TOUR

CRIME BLOTTER

May 20–27

SOPHIE CONCANNON Warrant arrest At approximately 8:39 p.m., CPSO arrested a non-student for warrants after they were found trespassing.

MAY 20 Warrant arrest At approximately 10:02 a.m., Campus Public Safety arrested a nonstudent on a warrant and issued a Portland State exclusion.

MAY 21 Harassing Communication/Trespass Arrest At approximately 1:58 p.m., a PSU student reported a male made sexual comments and followed her to an exit. On May 22, a non-student was arrested for trespassing regarding this incident.

MAY 22 Vehicle break-in CPSO responded to six reports of vehicle break-ins. Property was reported to be taken in all incidences.

MAY 24 Harassment At approximately 9:20 p.m., CPSO responded to a report that a PSU student was physically harassed by another PSU student in Lincoln Hall.

MAY 25 Fraud/Counterfeiting At approximately 3 p.m., a PSU student reported he received counterfeit money for property sold to a non-student at University Place Hotel. The student received the counterfeit money on Jan. 4, 2019.

Harassment At 7:33 a.m., CPSO responded to unwanted contact between two nonstudents in the Smith Memorial Student Union.

MAY 27 Telephonic Harassment At 3 a.m., a PSU student reported multiple harassing phone calls, occurring on May 26.

CONTENTS COVER BY JOHN ROJAS

NEWS HILL TO HALL

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PSU CHIEF OF POLICE ACCEPTS NEW POSITION IN WASHINGTON STATE

REVENUE FORECAST COULD LEAD TO LOWER TUITION INCREASES

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PSU CELEBRATES SUSTAINABILITY ON AND OFF CAMPUS

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CRAMER HALL PROBLEMS

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INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK AROUND THE WORLD

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‘TRAVEL THROUGH TIME’ WITH KOREA

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POTENTIAL PEACE PLAN CALLED ‘SURRENDER ACT’

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COVER THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATION SHOULD PUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY INTO PRACTICE

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STAFF EDIT ORI A L EDITOR IN CHIEF Nada Sewidan MANAGING EDITOR Marta Yousif NEWS EDITORS Sophie Concannon Anamika Vaughan INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Madison Cecil ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cervanté Pope OPINION EDITOR Taylar Rivers

ONLINE EDITOR Sangi Lama COPY CHIEF Hannah Welbourn CONTRIBUTORS Christina Casanova Chloe Dysart Amanda Guthu Adam Holland Hana Nagura Emily Price Marena Riggan Rich Rigney Joel Williams PHO T O & MULTIMEDI A PHOTO EDITOR Bo Koering MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Huilyn Loo

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INTERNATIONAL CHILEAN BUSINESSMAN FACING EXTRADITION TO THE U.S.

CHINA ACCUSED OF CONTINUING TO ILLEGALLY HARVEST ORGANS

INDIAN ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS

ABORTION IS NOT POLITICAL

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ARTS & CULTURE ‘LEGENDS SKATE HERE’

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BLACKENED DEATH METAL

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EVENTS CALENDAR

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LEAD DESIGNER Rosemary Oliva

STUDENT MEDIA ACCOUNTANT Sheri Pitcher To contact Portland State Vanguard, email info@psuvanguard.com

T ECHNOL OGY & W EB SIT E STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR Corrine Nightingale TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS Annie Ton

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A DV ISING & ACCOUN TING COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Reaz Mahmood

DIS T RIBU TION & M A R K E TING DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING MANAGER Dylan Jefferies

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OPINION HOUSELESSNESS ON THE RISE

PRODUC TION & DE SIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR John Rojas

DESIGNERS Danielle Emeka

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MIS SION S TAT EMEN T Vanguard’s mission is to serve the Portland State community with timely, accurate, comprehensive and critical content while upholding high journalistic standards. In the process, we aim to enrich our staff with quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills highly valued in today’s job market.

A BOU T Vanguard, established in 1946, is published weekly as an independent student newspaper governed by the PSU Student Media Board. Views and editorial content expressed herein are those of the staff, contributors and readers and do not necessarily represent the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration. Find us in print Tuesdays and online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @psuvanguard for multimedia content and breaking news.

NEWS

PSU CHIEF OF POLICE ACCEPTS NEW POSITION IN WASHINGTON STATE MAY 21–24 CHLOE DYSART

MAY 21: OREGON SENATE PASSES ELECTION SECURITY BILL

Senate Bill 944 “overwhelmingly passed” the Oregon Senate on the day of Oregon’s special election for local positions and tax laws according to AP News. The bill would require county clerks to perform hand-count or risk-limiting audits after every election, as opposed to just general elections. The bill’s primary purpose is to help ensure accurate election results. The bill will be voted on in the Oregon House of Representatives in the following months.

MAY 22: NEW BILL CHANGES OREGONIAN TAX EXEMPTIONS

Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill stating Oregon residents will no longer be free of Washington’s 6.5% sales tax. Currently, Oregon residents can have sales tax taken off items that will be used outside of Washington, such as clothing and electronics. Now, Oregonians will have to submit an annual form to the State of Washington asking for the reimbursement of sales tax over purchases of $25. Inslee said he believes it will generate more revenue for the state, but opponents of the bill are hesitant, saying businesses along the Oregon-Washington border will suffer. This does not include local sales tax, such as the 1.9% charged in Vancouver. The bill goes into effect on July 1.

MAY 23: GOV. KATE BROWN INTENDS TO REVERSE OREGON STATE POLICE FUNDING CUTS

After Oregon police officer Nic Cederberg was awarded the national Medal of Valor, Gov. Kate Brown announced her intent to reverse funding cuts to Oregon Police Department. Officer Cederberg was the sole state trooper to pursue a man who had shot and killed his wife. Cederberg was left in critical condition after the shooter opened fire. Brown said if rural police departments were better funded, Cederberg wouldn’t have been alone that night, yielding a different result. Funding cuts have left Oregon with only 380 troopers to patrol more than 6,400 miles of highways and often do not have the budget to employ troopers 24/7.

MAY 24: CHANGES MADE TO OREGON JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM

Senate Bill 1008 passed the Oregon House in a 40-18 vote, reversing the decades-old practice of automatically sending youths accused of serious crimes to adult court. This is an overturn of Measure 11, a mandatory minimum sentencing law that requires that anyone 15–17 years old arrested for certain crimes be charged as an adult.

This decision is being hailed as significant progress toward reforming the juvenile justice system. Gov. Brown is expected to sign the bill in the upcoming week.

CPSO CHIEF TANKSLEY BEING SWORN IN BY FORMER PSU PRESIDENT RAHMAT SHOURESHI, 2017. COURTESY OF KATIE PIERCE ANAMIKA VAUGHAN Donnell Tanksley, chief of police for Portland State’s Campus Public Safety Office has accepted a new position as chief of police for Blaine City, Wash., starting June 24.

According to The Bellingham Herald, Tanskley was confirmed for this new position May 15.

There has been no announcement to students about Tanksley’s impending departure by PSU’s University Communications.

“I don’t know why PSU hasn’t said anything, because it’s technically public information,” said PSU Student Union member Kaitlyn Dey. Dey said she had heard rumors of him leaving and confirmed them by searching Tanksley’s name on the internet.

At the May 17 press conference, when asked about CPSO’s ongoing retention and recruitment problem, Ucomm failed to mention Tanksley. When asked in a follow-up email May 20 about open positions at CPSO, UComm only mentioned the two sergeant and six police officer positions which are currently open.

Acting President Stephen Percy explained that problems with retainment and recruitment could be related to the uncertainty of CPSO at the moment.

Since the March release of the Margolis Healy report, the Board of Trustees has yet to consider implementing any changes recommended by the report.

“I want to try to work and make sure the morale of those folks is there, and we are currently recruiting,” Percy said.

“Part of what we can do to help is try to clarify where we’re going in the future, consider the Margolis Healy report, hear from the committees looking at it, get some other input, make a decision...because that uncertainty is obviously something anyone looking at a job [is going to consider].”

Retention and recruitment aren’t just problems faced by CPSO. Portland Police Bureau has an estimated 120 sworn officer vacancies.

“A lot of that probably does have to do with the culture, especially in Portland with all the protests for the most part, police are like ‘oh god, I don’t know if I want to be involved in that,’” Dey said.

“I do see it as a win in the sense that not as many people are thinking they should be cops because it’s not helpful and it’s not a good thing to do and there are other ways we can take care of our community,” Dey added.

Tanksley has been chief of police for CPSO since 2017.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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NEWS

REVENUE FORECAST COULD LEAD TO LOWER TUITION INCREASES

SNAP!

SNAP!

WITH A FORECAST OF INCREASED REVENUE BY OREGON, PSU HOPES TO SECURE MORE FUNDING. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS ANAMIKA VAUGHAN Oregon’s quarterly revenue forecast estimated on May 15 the revenue for 2019– 21 to be up by about $737 million. There were also increases in lottery revenue as well as corporate and personal income tax kickers.

“The revenue forecast and strong economy present an excellent opportunity for the legislature to invest in post-secondary education, including increases of no less than $120 million for universities and $57 million for colleges to minimize tuition increases,” said Associate Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Neely.

This could be good news for Portland State and other Oregon public universities hoping to get increased funding from the state in the coming biennium. Right now, PSU is facing a potential 11% tuition increase.

“PSU staff and faculty continue to strongly advocate for more funding in Salem,” Neely said. “At a meeting with seven key legislators last night, they again highlighted the urgency of engagement with university students. I know I am a broken record, but PSU student

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involvement could help deliver funding to substantially reduce the proposed 2020 tuition increases.”

Around 30–40 PSU students went to the Capitol in April to lobby for state funding during the annual PSU Day at the Capitol.

Associated Students of PSU did not participate in lobbying this legislative session until the school committed to a tuition freeze in protest of increasing tuition costs.

“With the increase in available revenues, I am cautiously optimistic that the legislature will provide resources above the $40.5 million increase already in the co-chairs budget,” Neely said. “Every legislator knows that to keep tuition at or below 5%, PSU will require a new investment of at least $120 million for the public university support fund.”

Part of the budget proposal approved by the Board of Trustees May 13 included a plan for stepping down tuition costs in the case of increased funding from the state. According to that step-down plan, an investment of $120 million would bring tuition down to 4.9%.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

VANGUARD IS HIRING A PHOTO EDITOR, CONTACT MARTA YOUSIF AT

managingeditor@psuvanguard.com

NEWS

PSU CELEBRATES SUSTAINABILITY ON AND OFF CAMPUS

CHLOE DYSART

Portland State held their 12th annual Sustainability Celebration on May 23 with a display of sustainable projects on campus, speakers on sustainability and information about various sustainability–focused student groups.

Dr. Todd Rosenstiel, associate dean of research and graduate programs for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, spoke at the event about his hope for the future of sustainability at PSU. “To me, it’s really not about if PSU will continue to develop strength and focus in sustainability and sustainability themes, but more to the point of how as a group of faculty, staff and students will collectively advance this work,” Rosenstiel said.

Rosenstiel also pointed to the recent effort in the Oregon Legislature to pass a statewide carbon cap and trade system bill, which would make Oregon the second state to pass such measures.

On PSU’s duty to advance sustainability, Rosenstiel said, “We too, like the Oregon legislature, must be leading Oregon collectively to a better future, and I believe that’s our responsibility.”

THE KARL MILLER CENTER WAS BUILT WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND. BO KOERING/PSU VANGUARD

The event also referenced sustainability off campus. Lents Green Ring—a community project that focuses on the diverse neighborhood loop of Lent—was displayed at the event. The organization finds sustainable upgrade solutions and aims to “make the loop feel safe, family friendly and accessible to all mobility types” using existing infrastructure and some additional investments.

Upgrades included adding adequate lighting to streets as well as increasing mobility of pathways to all transportation needs. The project is funded by a grant from the PSU Institute for Sustainable Solutions.

The event showcased sustainability projects around campus as well. Elizabeth Hoekstra, associate campus planner, showed the university’s plans to expand pedestrian-only green spaces, such as the Montgomery pop-up plaza which runs through the end of May. “There’s a lot of studies that show that [natural spaces are] beneficial to mental health and ability to focus and being projective, so I think that’s a huge benefit not only for the PSU community but to the larger community as well,” Hoekstra said.

The event also presented research on PSU’s own sustainability practices, showing the post-occupancy building performance in the Karl Miller Center. Being one of the newest buildings on campus, KMC was built with sustainability in mind, such as the hydronic radiant floor system which helps regulate the building’s temperature using water.

KMC ranks low in energy usage when compared to other buildings on campus due to its energy-saving design that includes natural ventilation and increased air flow.

The Campus Planning Office plans to expand green spaces around campus, as well as research the ways in which transportation is used on campus and how it can be improved.

The Student Sustainability Center, a resource center focused on service, was also present at the event, displaying their work with the garden task force and beekeeping groups. These groups are aimed at creating community and connecting with the earth in a sustainable way.

Funding for the SSC comes from a variety of sources but mainly through grants, donations and Student Fee Committee allocations.

CRAMER HALL PROBLEMS ADAM HOLLAND Cramer Hall, constructed in three phases beginning in 1955, has become a construction zone over the course of the 2018–19 academic year.

According to student reports, the bathrooms on every floor are constantly closed and reopened, and debris from construction is present throughout the building.

According to Project Assistant Amy Wood, Cramer is undergoing a one-year project in which the entire plumbing and air systems are being modernized and upgraded. The building, named after Portland State’s first President John Francis Cramer, has not had an overhaul of internal systems since its completion in 1970, meaning systems like the HVAC are over 50 years old.

Wood, who is overseeing the upgrade, said the work will update all the plumbing and piping systems as well as the electric power. “This will end up providing better airflow throughout the building as well as improved lighting,” she explained.

SOME ASPECTS OF CRAMER HALL HAVE NOT SEEN IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE 1970S. BO KOERING/PSU VANGUARD. Regarding the closure of the bathrooms on each level, Wood said all the restrooms in Cramer sit on risers.

“There are two different sets of risers, so each time one of them is being concentrated on, the set of restrooms along that particular riser must be closed for safety reasons. Additionally, both men’s and women’s restrooms along the risers differ from floor to floor, leading to a men’s room being closed on one floor while a women’s is closed on another.”

Some of the restrooms in Cramer are being renovated as well. “None will undergo a complete remodel, but some of them will receive new tiling,” Wood said.

Several students have brought up concerns around the ceiling tiles being removed and some of the restrooms be-

ing open during active construction. The project superintendent, Gabe Hostetler, said debris from construction was a “nuisance,” but did not present real danger to anyone in the building. “[This] comes with the territory of a building being shared with students and faculty along with a construction crew,” Hostetler said.

On potentially placing protective tarp or nets over the area of removed tiles to prevent debris from falling, Hostetler said at this point in the process, it wasn’t “entirely necessary.”

“We’ll be out of your hair soon enough,” Hostetler said.

The project and subsequent construction in Cramer is set to reach completion in summer 2019.

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INTERNATIONAL

THIS WEEK 6

around the

WORLD

May 21–26

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May 21

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Dozens of people are dead after the armed militia known as Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R) attacked several villages in the northwest region of Pahoua near the border with Chad, The Washington Post reports. At least 54 civilians were killed by the group as revenge for the killing of an ethnic Peuhl—the minority group they seek to protect against sectarian violence, according to Al Jazeera. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission condemned the attacks, while UNICEF issued a statement saying the attack “marks a low point since the fragile peace and reconciliation process was agreed in February.”

Additionally, Minister of Communication Ange Kazagui demanded 3R commander Sidiki Abass hand over those responsible for the attacks or face consequences personally.

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May 21

SAUDI ARABIA

At least three sources, two of which are within the Saudi government, informed Middle East Eye that three prominent Muslim scholars currently jailed on charges of terrorism will be executed following the Islamic month of Ramadan. According to the news outlet, the men in question—Salman al-Odah, Awad alQarni and Ali al-Omari—were arrested in

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September 2017 and were all prominent on social media. Odah in particular was known internationally due to his progressive views on homosexuality within Islam and was arrested following his tweet praying for the end to the Saudi-led blockade against Qatar. According to one of the sources, the execution of 37 men in April was a precursor in order to judge the international reaction, especially from those in high positions of government. “They are encouraged to do it, especially with the tension in the Gulf at the moment,” the source said. “The [Saudi] government calculates that this enables them to get away with this.”

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May 21–24

INDONESIA

More than a month after the country held simultaneous presidential, legislative and local elections, Al Jazeera reported the Election Commission announced incumbent President Joko Widodo’s victory early on May 21. Widodo reportedly received 55.5% of the vote. Losing candidate Prabowo Subianto would not accept the results as valid, claiming widespread fraud and vote rigging had occurred. In response to the results, thousands of Prabowo supporters began protesting, subsiding on the morning of May 23.

According to the South China Morning Post, more than 900 people were injured, eight people were killed and 20,000 police were deployed during

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the two days and nights of protests. Prabowo’s lawyers officially submitted a lawsuit on May 24 as a formal challenge to the results.

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May 23–26

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Voting to elect the 751 members of parliament for the European Union—which is headquartered in Brussels—began on May 23 in the world’s largest multinational election. As reported by Deutsche Welle, citizens of the EU’s 28 member states including the UK headed to the polls between May 23–26 with respect to their individual country; the Netherlands and the UK began first on May 23 while Latvia, Malta and Slovakia began voting on May 25. Germany, France, Italy and Spain—the largest holder of seats—began voting on May 26. A total of 420 million out of the EU’s 512 million population were eligible to vote this year, but voter turnout varied widely by country.

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May 24

LYON, FRANCE

A manhunt ensued following an explosion outside a bakery on the busy street of Rue Victor Hugo in the center of Lyon. While no fatalities occurred, at least 13 people, including a 10-year old girl, were injured in what officials suspect was a parcel bomb containing screws and bolts, according to France 24. The suspect is believed to be the culprit due

to video surveillance depicting him partially masked and dropping off a package near the bakery on a mountain bike. In response to the attack, police evacuated the area and Paris’ counterterrorism authorities have opened an investigation.

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May 24

UNITED KINGDOM

Prime Minister Theresa May announced she will step down from her post as head of government and leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, effective June 7. “I will shortly leave the job that has been the honor of my life to hold—the second female prime minister, but certainly not the last,” she said in her broadcast speech via The Guardian. According to POLITICO, the decision comes following the defeat of her Brexit deal three separate times by Parliament in the past six months. May was appointed as prime minister after David Cameron announced his resignation on June 24, 2016, one day after Britain voted in favor of leaving the EU. Since then, there has been little progress in reaching an agreement, and talks have stalled both domestically and with the EU. The contest to replace May will be a two-stage voting process within the Conservative party, BBC reports. Conservative members of Parliament will decide the two candidates in the first stage, and British members of the Conservative party will vote between the two candidates during the second stage.

INTERNATIONAL

POTENTIAL PEACE PLAN CALLED ‘SURRENDER ACT’ PALESTINE OPPOSES U.S.–PROPOSED PEACE PLAN

FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER OF THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY RIYAD AL-MALIKI. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS AMANDA GUTHU The United States plans to release a new Israel-Palestine peace plan that has been called a “surrender act” by the Palestinian foreign minister.

With the 50th anniversary of Israel’s invasion of the West Bank and Gaza on June 5, the U.S. announced they have created a new plan to end the decades of conflict between Israel and Palestine. They will announce the plan after the end of Ramadan.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict dates back to the end of the 19th century and is primarily a conflict over territory. After the 1948 ArabIsraeli war, the Holy Land was divided into three parts: the State of Israel, the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip. Since 1970, there has been international efforts to find terms for a state of peace.

“We want people to be able to have the freedom of opportunity, freedom of religion, the freedom to worship, regardless of your faith,” Senior Advisor Jared Kushner said, according to The Washington Post.

People who have spoken with Kushner and other White House officials told The Washington Post the peace accords will likely include autonomy for Palestine rather than sovereignty.

“We believe we have a plan that is fair, realistic and implementable that will enable people to live better lives,” a senior White House

official told The Washington Post. “We looked at past efforts and solicited ideas from both sides and partners in the region with the recognition that what has been tried in the past has not worked. Thus, we have taken an unconventional approach founded on not hiding from reality, but instead speaking truth.”

The plan for peace has been discussed since December 2017. Foreign Affairs Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Riyad al-Maliki opposes the plan. At a UN meeting, al-Maliki said plan laid out “conditions of surrender” rather than peace terms.

“The U.S. ‘deal of the century’ is the consecration of our century-old ordeal: no independence, no sovereignty, no freedom, no justice,” al-Maliki told reporters, according to Al Jazeera.

“And if they do not think that this situation will have an impact on the future of Israel and the region, one way or the other, they are the ones that are delusional, not us.”

Palestinian leadership has not been consulted for the planned U.S.–led Bahraid conference next month for Washington’s Middle East plan, in which the Palestinian-Israeli peace plan in meant to be released.

Palestinian leadership said that any Palestinian participation in this conference would be “nothing but a collaborator for the Americans and Israel.”

‘TRAVEL THROUGH TIME’ WITH KOREA PSU STUDENTS HOST ANNUAL KOREA NIGHT HANA NAGURA As part of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, Portland State’s Korean Student Association hosted their annual Korea Night “Travel Through Time” themed event.

The event was held on May 24 in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, where PSU students and Portland groups performed traditional and modern Korean dance and music. PSU students also performed K-pop dances. Traditional Korean cuisine was offered as well as a Korean calligraphy booth.

The show kicked off with three traditional musical performances called Nongaknori, Nanta and Hwagwanmu. Nongaknori was originally called “farmers’ music” and was played to pray for good weather and a good harvest.

Nanta is a traditional percussion performance.

Hwagwanmu was introduced around 1950 and is inspired by a dance that was once conducted in the royal palace. It was enjoyed by only the royal family and nobles.

“Most people are not familiar with Asian cultures; although K-pop is getting popular, traditional music and dance are not well known,” KSA officer Suho Kim said. “We invited traditional performers so that people could get opportunities to experience a new culture, which is necessary for them to understand other cultures.”

After the dances, the Taekwondo team took the stage. They incorporated kicking and jumping movements into their performance as well as broke several wooden boards. Taekwondo is a Korean martial art developed over 5,000 years ago and was initially a defense martial art called “Subak” or “Taekkyon.” Taekwondo developed into the form seen today in order to allow people to train their mind and body.

The event also featured a fashion show, displaying the evolution of fashion in Korea over thousands of years. Some models wore Hanbok, which is the traditional Korean attire worn in daily life until 100 years ago.

Others wore what is considered to be today’s typical school uniform.

The event finished with a performance of the Arirang medley. The Arirang medley is about sorrow, separation, union and love. It is considered to be one of the most famous Korean folk songs.

“A school event like this is an easy way for people to learn about a culture that they otherwise would not be able to learn about without any kind of integration of other elements like dance and music,” PSU student Kayla Bronson said. “It is more solidifying when you learn it through something fun like this than to learn from class or Wikipedia.”

THE THEME FOR THE KOREAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL EVENT DURING API HERITAGE MONTH WAS TIME TRAVEL. BO KOERING/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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COVER

BOARD OF TRANSPARENCY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATION SHOULD PUT THEIR COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY INTO PRACTICE VANGUARD EDITORIAL TEAM Vanguard: “Do you still believe in transparency as a Board?”

Board Chair Gale Castillo: “I don’t know if I want to answer questions in the middle of a Board meeting. We do believe in transparency. It’s been the basis of our operations since we’ve begun.”

Time and time again, when seeking answers from the university, student media encounters roadblocks and half-truths.

Our experience has revealed that Portland State’s commitment is to its own narrative of greatness first and foremost, with a commitment to transparency and truth as more of an afterthought.

In correspondence with University Communications, student reporters are often given the run-around when it comes to asking critical questions about university affairs. It is not uncommon to receive a “We will get back to you,” or “I’ve still not gotten an answer to your inquiry yet” when asking about campus security committees or the former president’s payout.

In fact, during the winter term student media press conference with former President Rahmat Shoureshi, UComm told Vanguard it was not allowed to livestream the event because they had not been given enough time to “prepare.” Prior to that, a Vanguard editor was even asked to “consider tweaking a headline” by UComm.

At open comment periods, student reporters are told that Board meetings are not the appropriate setting to ask questions.

Students and student reporters are meant to be satisfied with the one-sided exchange with the Board: the Board can seek direct comment from the public, but the public cannot seek direct comment from the Board.

If students and student reporters are not meant to ask questions at open comment periods, then this only leaves two other means of getting answers from the Board. First, one could send them an electronic message through a form on the Board’s website. Second, one could email UComm, who will then forward the message to members of the Board, and relay that message back.

Email communications allow the Board and UComm as much time as they’d like to form the perfect response. It removes all authenticity, spontaneity and genuineness from the interaction.

Is it reasonable to expect a student body to trust a Board that insists on methods of communication this sterile and this filtered? This isn’t how a university that is committed to transparency should behave.

THE PRESIDENT IS NOT A CROOK!

Nothing demonstrates this point more clearly than how the university controlled and stifled the flow of information during the recent presidential scandal. Since the moment the first

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

article in The Oregonian came out—exposing serious allegations of misconduct from Shoureshi—the university has done its best to keep the scandal under wraps.

In a letter sent out to faculty and staff, Shoureshi denied the allegations: “Unfortunately, [the Oregonian] article also contained errors and misleading comments. The Board of Trustees has wisely undertaken a full review of the facts, and I am committed to cooperating fully with this effort.” Unfortunately, this letter was not sent to students who might have been confused about the very public condemnation of their university president.

Vanguard was made aware of this letter because UComm had mistakenly forwarded the letter to one of our news editors. We published it because we believe students should be kept informed. UComm stated the letter was not sent to students because they “have not gotten any questions from them so far.”

The Board then held a series of confidential meetings. Only members of the media were permitted to attend and only on the condition that no information from the meetings would be published. Part of these meetings was a discussion of the official investigative report of all of the allegations of misconduct against Shoureshi. As part of Shoureshi’s contract, this investigative report will never see the light of day. Castillo stated that “part of the agreement we reached with the former president includes the reports. So we’re really not allowed to discuss the reports in public according to the agreement.”

Finally, Shoureshi announced May 10 his decision to resign.

In the letter sent out to faculty and students, the Board attempted to obfuscate the scandal by praising his many achievements.

The letter read like a glowing review of all that Shoureshi had done in his short 21 months at PSU: ...Under Dr. Shoureshi’s leadership, the university has made significant strides. During his tenure, PSU launched a $300 million fund-raising campaign and raised more than $66 million to support students, faculty and programs. PSU also expanded its global reach by promoting new partnerships with universities in China and Saudi Arabia, launched the Harold Schnitzer Visiting Scholar Program and developed vision and goals for PSU to attain by 2025...

The underlying message to students reads something like this: Shoureshi was a good guy! What scandal? Just focus on all the good this university is doing! Apparently, students are expected to believe their president simply left his post because “the time has come for [him] to focus on [his] family first,” according to a letter he sent out to students.

This letter did not clear up any confusion that students might have had about the presidential scandal. It didn’t mention whether The Oregonian’s allegations of money mismanagement, workplace harassment or Shoureshi’s deleted emails were true

or false. It doesn’t say how the Board is going to try to avoid situations like this in the future.

The Board also has not explained how a school facing an 11% tuition increase can afford a $880,000 payout to Shoureshi, or his paid leave or his extended health insurance. In the May 13 Board meeting, Vanguard asked the Board if this payout would affect the rising tuition costs, to which Board Chair Gale Castillo said it would not. When asked where the money would come from, Castillo replied: “This is an open comment period. If you want to talk to University Communications and conduct an interview there, that would be more appropriate. I’m not going to conduct an interview here.”

When a Vanguard reporter asked the Board to confirm if they had asked Shoureshi to resign, Castillo said: “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told the other [reporter]; I’m not going to conduct an interview here. If you would like to talk to University Communications you’re welcome to do so.”

Again, how can a Board claim to be transparent when they insist on using UComm—the public relations wing of the university of which its purpose is to make this university look good—as a mouthpiece?

STUDENT CONCERNS

Did the presidential scandal not affect students? Students pay tuition to attend this institution. It stands to reason that students care about the reputation of this school, they care about whether their president acts in an ethical manner and they care about how their Board of Trustees deals with instances of misconduct on this level.

On many occasions, members of the Vanguard editorial team have been approached by students confused by what is happening on this campus. They are confused about what it means to be at risk for accreditation, why our school is facing massive tuition hikes and what is going on with our leadership.

Kaitlyn Dey, a student and member of PSU Student Union, also finds challenges in communicating with the Board: “It’s extremely difficult, and I would say we’ve never really had any kind of dialogue with the Board that’s direct,” Dey said. “It’s always through public comment for the most part...we have a had a few Board members approach us [during a meeting break] and kind of talk to us, but I’ve noticed that those conversations don’t really go anywhere.”

The question of disarmament of campus police has been an important subject on campus since the death of Jason Washington last year. Since then, PSUSU has been seeking information from the Board.

Dey testified before the Board during open comment at the May 13 Board of Trustees meeting, reminding them that the student union has not given up on its efforts to disarm campus police.

COVER

“We feel there hasn’t been a lot of transparency with the Board of Trustees going forward with the process of determining campus public safety policy. I realize there is a committee that has been set up but there hasn’t been any public acknowledgement of that...We do not have any information about what has happened in those meetings.”

Indeed, the committee in charge of evaluating and producing recommendations from the Margolis Healy report holds private meetings, takes no minutes and will not share their findings publicly until the June 20 Board meeting—a meeting which is scheduled for the week after finals, when many students will be returning home for the summer, graduating or otherwise disconnected from campus.

When Vanguard reached out to UComm for an explanation as to why this committee holds its meetings in private, we did not get any answers.

After a week of waiting, “I am still looking into your request” is all the information we have received on that.

“It’s not super surprising,” Dey said. “We expected more considering Margolis Healy’s report said one of the big issues was that [the university] is not communicating properly and there’s no transparency. The process is really bad and there’s a lot of mistrust. What they should have been doing is making sure it was a more open process that was actually involving students.”

Fortunately, after months of frustration and a lack of communication, Dey and one other PSUSU member did end up securing seats on the committee, which will continue to meet once a week until June 20.

However, this success is hardly a glowing review of Board transparency.

We still don’t know why this committee is secret. Students still don’t have any updates or information from the Board as to what steps they are taking toward resolving the question of armament on campus.

WHAT DO WE WANT FROM THE BOARD?

We want transparency from the Board in the form of direct communication. Student reporters should be afforded the opportunity to get clear, honest answers from the Board in a face-to-face setting. Limiting communications to email and digital communications—filtered through UComm—is not good enough.

The lack of communication regarding the presidential scandal, campus safety and student media inquiries among other issues is an insult to the most important stakeholders a university has: the students. The way these scandals were dealt with is a disappointing demonstration of transparency, a value to which Castillo herself explicitly said the Board was committed.

Set up a press conference with student media. Host an open forum with your most important stakeholders—students—and answer our questions honestly.

Vanguard’s purpose is to seek truth and report it. Without the cooperation, honesty and transparency of our campus leaders, we all remain in the dark.

Anamika Vaughan contributed to this report.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL

CHILEAN CHINA ACCUSED BUSINESSMAN FACING OF CONTINUING TO EXTRADITION TO U.S. ILLEGALLY HARVEST ORGANS

DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING AGAINST CHINA’S TREATMENT OF THE FALUN GONG COMMUNITY. BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA. COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

CARLOS CARDOEN SHAKING HANDS WITH FORMER LEADER OF IRAQ, SADDAM HUSSEIN. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS EMILY PRICE The United States Department of Justice accused Chilean businessman Carlos Cardoen of illegally selling bomb-making materials into Iraq in the 1980s and 1990s and formally filed a request to detain him on March 22.

After being placed on “red alert” by the International Criminal Police Organization— commonly known as Interpol—in 1993, Cardoen has been unable to travel outside of Chile. The Chilean Supreme Court has now placed him on house arrest, allowing the U.S. two months to formalize his extradition.

Cardoen claims the U.S. was fully aware of his business interactions with Iraq. “[The U.S.] has demanded [Cardoen’s] detention with a view to extradition almost 26 years after the initial indictment was made,” Joanna Heskia, Cardoen’s lawyer told BBC. “It is a request based on crimes that do not exist in Chile and thus cannot be prosecuted.”

The U.S. investigated Cardoen for several years in the 1990s in regards to zirconium he illegally exported to Iraq before President Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded Kuwait in 1990. Zirconium is a material often used in a variety of bombs that the U.S. did not want Iraq to possess.

According to Chilean news outlet El Desconcierto, the U.S. accused Cardoen of illegally selling 29,000 bombs—most containing zirconium—to Iraq during the 1980s and 1990s. Cardoen allegedly made 200 million USD from the business deal.

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“We all thought that [Hussein] was the defender of the Western world when he was fighting the Iranians,” Cardoen told The New York Times in 1993. “Everyone was happy about my selling arms. American officials patted me on the back. And now the good guy has turned into a bad guy, and there is a witch hunt out for me.”

The Chilean Foreign Ministry has intervened several times on the behalf of Cardoen since the 1990s, sending seven diplomatic requests to the U.S. to end the investigation, according to Chilean news outlet La Tercera.

None of the requests were ever answered.

Daniel Prieto, a defense analyst who worked with Cardoen until 1985, told BBC that Cardoen Industries has been developing defensive weapons since the late 1970s, when tensions between Argentina and Chile were on the rise. “[The weapons] were manufactured to defend Chile,” Prieto said. “But when the Falklands War broke out [in 1982 between Argentina and the UK], the Argentine threat dissipated.”

Cardoen Industries eventually began selling arms to foreign countries when the tensions between the two countries relaxed. Iraq was among these countries.

According to BBC, Heskia hopes to prove that the accusations “are arbitrary and illegitimate” and that they have contributed to Interpol sustaining an illegal red alert against him for more than a quarter of a century.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

CHRISTINA CASANOVA AND MADISON CECIL After a Chinese hospital was accused of illegally harvesting organs in 2016, the number of transplants is still significantly higher than the number of organ donors in the country.

It is believed that underground harvesting targets marginalized groups such as Falun Gong members, Uighur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and Christians.

In 2016, a report was released claiming China was engaging in the widespread and systematic harvesting organs of prisoners. The report estimates between 60,000 and 100,000 organs are harvested and transplanted each year.

“The [Communist Party] says the total number of legal transplant is about 10,000 a year,” human rights attorney David Matas told CNN in 2016 when the accusations first surfaced. “But we can easily surpass the official Chinese figure just by looking at the two or three biggest hospitals.”

The illegal harvesting is difficult to prove, according to The Wall Street Journal. The only available witnesses are those whose organs were forcibly removed and the doctors, police officers and prison guards involved in the removal process.

One of the biggest obstacles to the investigation is that many of the forced donors do not survive the operations due to the loss of vital organs, according to Forbes.

Despite the difficulties researchers have faced while investigating the alleged organ harvesting, Forbes reports that “researchers make a clear case that the vast majority of the unreported cases of organ transplants are the illegal practice of forced organ removal.”

The independent group known as the China Tribunal was formed to further investigate

the organ harvesting and has spoken to several witnesses who support the accusations.

“The Tribunal’s members are all certain— unanimously, and sure beyond reasonable doubt—that in China, forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has been practiced for a substantial period of time involving a very substantial number of victims,” Sir Geoffrey Nice of the China Tribunal said in an interim judgement on Dec. 11 2018.

China is facing international backlash as a result of the accusations. There have been calls for the United Kingdom to restrict travel to China due to some reports of British residents receiving illegal organ transplants. The UK would not be the first to impose an organ tourism ban; Spain, Italy, Israel and Taiwan all have restricted travel to China due to similar allegations.

“It is wrong that people should travel from [the UK] to China for what is almost a live organ on demand to suit themselves,” Jim Shannon, a member of the British Parliament told The Guardian. “It is hard to take in what that means—it leaves one incredulous. It means someone can sit in London or in Newtownards and order an organ to be provided on demand.

Within a month they can have the operation.”

China has repeatedly cited articles 7 and 8 of their human organ transplant regulations when refuting the accusations. “The donation of human organs shall be made under the principle of free will and free of charge,” article 7 states, according to The Guardian. “A citizen shall be entitled to donate or not to donate his or her human organ; and any organization or person shall not force, cheat or entice others in donating their human organs.”

INTERNATIONAL

INDIAN ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS MODI RE-ELECTED AS PRIME MINISTER

NARENDA MODI BEING SWORN IN AS PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, 2014. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS MADISON CECIL After a month-long, seven-phase election process, the Indian elections have come to a close with Narendra Modi winning a second five-year term as prime minister on May 23.

With 900 million eligible voters and over 8,000 candidates, the 2019 Indian elections were the largest elections in world history. 600 million people voted to fill the 543 available seats in the Lok Sabha, India’s legislative body, over a six-week period. The elections had a 67.1% voter turnout, according to The New York Times.

Leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Modi announced he had won the election before the votes had been finalized. In order for Modi to be elected, the BJP needed a minimum of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha and passed this mark before the total votes were released. The BJP finished the election with 303 seats in the Lok Sabha—up 19 seats from 2014.

“This election was fought not by politicians but the people of this country—but it’s the people of this country who have emerged victorious,” Modi told supporters at BJP headquarters, according to BBC. “We will never give up our ideals, our humility and our culture.

Modi is the first prime minister in 50 years to win backto-back elections with a majority in the Indian Parliament.

According to The New York Times, there is already talk of electing him for a third term since India does not have term limits.

President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan both congratulated Modi on Twitter. “Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm,” Trump tweeted. “I look forward to continuing our important work together!”

After winning only 44 seats in 2014, the BJP’s main opposition, the Indian National Congress Party won 52 seats in this year’s elections. The 2019 elections were one of the Congress Party’s worst elections in history. Out of 29 total states, the Congress Party did not win any seats in 13 states.

The Congress Party’s leader Rahul Gandhi lost his Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh to BJP member Smriti Irani. Gandhi held this position since 2004, but three of Gandhi’s family members held the same parliamentary seat over the past seven decades. Gandhi has offered to resign as leader of the Congress Party since announcing his defeat, according to India Today.

After losing to Gandhi in the 2014 elections, Irani began making regular visits to Amethi. She has made several public statements claiming Gandhi “neglected” the region. Gandhi made a public statement announcing his defeat on May 23.

“Today is the day to wish Modi all the best, hope he looks after the interests of the nation,” Gandhi said, according to India Today. “I said before the campaign that voters will decide the final verdict and they have given their verdict.”

In addition to Gandhi losing his seat, eight Congress Party Chief Ministers lost. The Barring Kerala region—where the party won 15 seats—is the only area the party won in the double digits.

In West Bengal and led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the BJP won 18 seats, a significant difference from the two they won in 2014, according to Al Jazeera. The Trinamool Congress Party increased its share of the vote in West Bengal by 5%.

“Left voters have consciously voted for BJP because they knew only a Modi regime at the Centre could end TMC’s fascist rule in Bengal,” BJP Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly told Indian news outlet The Hindustan Times. “The end of the Mamata [Banjeree] regime is a matter of time now.”

723 candidates out of 8,000 were women this year. This was the first year in India’s history that female and male voter turnout numbers were equal. Female voter turnout had been increasing in India over the past several years, and this year, nearly half of the registered 900 million voters were women.

The 2019 elections also held the highest Muslim representation in India’s history. Despite making up 14% of the Indian population, Muslims made up 4.2% of Parliament after the 2014 elections. That number has increased slightly and is now up to 4.8%.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION

HOUSELESSNESS ON THE RISE TAYLAR RIVERS Portland is a booming city with the job market and population on the rise. Despite this, the state of houselessness in Portland is one of the most visible issues in the city, and it isn’t being handled correctly.

It’s hard to hide—more than 1,800 people sleep outside in tents or on the streets every night, according to data from the City of Portland. That includes children, families, seniors and people with disabilities. There has been numerous legislation which attempts to hinder the visibility of the community rather than aid them. Even with nonprofits, donations and services provided for the houseless, it’s still not enough.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to houselessness. The housing market in Portland is growing increasingly unaffordable. The average one bedroom is approximately $1,132 according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. With minimum wage being around $12 an hour and Social Security assistance having a limit of $735 lo-

cally, it is near impossible to afford rent, let alone other basic necessities.

Aside from affordability, there have been facility closures that have caused the widespread displacement of people. Dammasch State Hospital, a known institution that housed individuals with various mental illnesses and/or physical disabilities closed 20 years ago. After the closure some patients were placed in adult foster care but others were left to find shelter elsewhere. With the closure of such a large facility, the city said that they would have structures in place to accommodate the previous patients, yet never followed through on such promise.

Portland City Councilman and Housing Commissioner Dan Saltzman confirmed in an interview with City Journal that closure of Dammasch State Hospital “did increase the homeless population on the streets of Portland and a lot of other cities.”

“It’s a nationwide problem, and it really pulled the rug out from underneath a lot of people,” he

said. “Community resources were supposed to be put into place when we closed the big institutions, but the second part didn’t happen.”

Multnomah County reported 4,177 people homeless on a single night last year, a 10% rise from 2015—many believed the number was even higher.

City officials are not well equipped and lack tact regarding this issue. Exposing tensions, the president of Portland Police Association controversially said in July the city had become “a cesspool,” a comment the mayor dismissed as “ridiculous,” according to The Oregonian.

To describe a vulnerable community who is often left to fend for themselves with no help as a “cesspool” is utterly disrespectful.

Police should hold no bias toward the citizens of their city, yet the president is on record showing no regard for the safety or humanity of houseless people. Dancing around the systematic issues that have caused this crisis and blaming the individuals who suffer from them

is not the proper way to deal with this matter.

Houseless people are not only comprised of criminals, addicts or the mentally ill. A majority of this community is filled with people who are the victims of systematic issues such as: lack of government assistance, an elite job market, unlivable minimum wage, stereotypes and discriminatory labels and little to no family support. Criminalizing this community and blaming them for issues so far out of their control is inhumane.

Passing strict legislation only furthers the dislike for their mere existence, such as the laws that prohibit sitting or laying down on any public property and not allowing any camps to be set up. Houseless people are people and cannot be treated like trash that needs to be hidden from the public eye.

City officials need to realize the more they overlook this issue the worse it will get. The houseless issue needs to be viewed as a humanitarian crisis and not a disturbance.

ROSEMARY OLIVA

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

OPINION

ABORTION IS NOT POLITICAL TAYLAR RIVERS Abortion is not a political issue. It is not something to be discussed, banned, voted on or debated by politicians. What we choose to do with our bodies is not a matter for anyone else.

When we say abortion is political, we cheapen it, relegating it into the same pile of taxes, foreign policy and all other socioeconomic issues.

Churches that assert abortion is political have an excuse to avoid it, claiming the obscenely misunderstood “separation of church and state.” The views of these few are not representative of the population.

Most importantly, not only can no one rule over the individuals’ body autonomy, but people who have not or could not experience it can’t rightfully speak on the matter.

A dozen states in 2019 have either passed or attempted to pass stricter abortion legislation. With the appointments of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, anti-abortion activists and conservative lawmakers are betting the bans will lead to lawsuits that could push the high court to overturn Roe v. Wade, which recognizes a woman’s constitutional right to abortion.

Recently, Alabama lawmakers have passed a bill that would make it a felony for doctors to perform or attempt to perform an abortion in the state. The controversial bill contains no exceptions for victims of rape or incest but does allow for abortions in cases where the mother’s life is at risk.

Kay Ivey, the governor of Alabama who signed the bill severely restricting abortion, explained that she and Alabamians believe “that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Her reference to God draws attention to the frequent correlation between efforts to restrict abortion and religious beliefs.

The United States Constitution calls for the separation of church and state. Anyone who believes a fertilized human egg is God-given is entitled to that belief.

Not all people share that same belief, and for those who don’t it is unlawful to require their obedience.

Nearly 60% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a 2018 survey from the Pew Research Center.

As of 2018, global surveyor Gallup showed Americans are evenly split on how they personally identify—45% of Americans consider themselves pro-life and 49% are pro-choice; 3% are mixed or neither; 1% do not know what pro-choice or pro-life means; the remaining 2% have no opinion. However, 79% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances.

As much effort and intensity that politicians put into legislation regarding abortions and discussions centered around them, there is no talk of what possible reform can happen to aid the mother after the child is born. No one wants to talk about the lack of childcare within communities, dwindling government assistance, a broken education system and troubling family dynamics that don’t nurture a child.

Being pro-life is not agreeing with moral implications of abortion and prioritizing the welfare of the unborn child regardless of the state of the person carrying them. This is all fine and a personal opinion, but where are pro-lifers when it comes to discussing the overflowing foster system, overworked Child Protective System workers and houseless families with children?

The silence on these issues makes it apparent that a child is only worth the fight when they are unborn. Sure, an unborn child is not physically capable of speaking for itself, but the person who conceived them can.

ROSEMARY OLIVA

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

‘LEGENDS SKATE HERE’ TOP PORTLAND ROLLER DERBY TEAM FOSTERS INCLUSIVITY RICH RIGNEY The Rose City Rollers, ranked #1 roller derby league in the world, showcase some of the best roller derby talents—so good, in fact, you’d never believe they’re volunteers.

What’s equally impressive, however, is the community of acceptance, empowerment and inclusivity RCR has created—a community that has drawn skaters from across the country to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

A few skaters who moved to Portland specifically to be part of the Rose City Rollers revealed what brought them to the organization: inclusivity.

This inclusivity has taken on a number of different forms. “It feels like there’s a comradery across all levels of skating,” said Molly Olmstead, who is known within the league by her derby name, Polly Wanna Crack’er.

“It’s not just ‘you’re really good or you’re not.’ Everyone is part of the community and everyone is welcome.”

Martine Tendler, whose derby name is “Tiggz,” suffers from a connective tissue disease as well as a degenerative joint disease and was inspired by skaters from RCR with similar diseases facing the same struggles.

MEMBER OF THE HIGH ROLLERS MOLLY OLMSTEAD SKATING IN FRONT. COURTESY OF BILL ZINGRAF

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PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

“[It was the opportunity to] play at the highest level I could before my body gave out,” Tendler said. “I saw them doing things I wanted to achieve and from an outsider’s perspective, I thought I would be accepted and able to follow in their footsteps and carve out space for other chronically ill skaters.”

She attributes the diversity of skaters as a contributor to this inclusivity. “It’s such a diverse community, with LGBTQ+ members and people from a lot of different backgrounds,” Olmstead said. “We’re all empowered doing the same thing and working toward the same goal.”

She credits the league’s shared values for creating “a place where people of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds can grow and better themselves sports-wise, but also person-wise.”

Dakota Evans—Derby Name: Evans—echoed these feelings of acceptance. “As a non-binary person, I love how valid I feel here.”

Each skater emphasized the feeling of empowerment that comes from belonging to this community. “[This is the] first space that I have ever truly been able to be myself and be celebrated for it,” Tendler said. “Skating at RCR helped me gain the confidence to live out my other dreams.”

Olmstead remembers the impact her RCR idols had on her growing up and is grateful for the opportunity to provide the same impact for others. “Creating a space for young girls to be empowered and find their space I feel like is really important,” she said.

Evans shares Olmstead’s gratitude and hopes to give back to the organization that has been instrumental in her personal development.

“There’s so much room for growth in and out of the league, and I’m so excited to see where this community will take me and what I can do in return.”

In many cases, the value of inclusivity reveals itself in acts of kindness, something Tendler experienced firsthand after her father passed away.

“My world stopped,” Tendler said. “[My teammates] brought me food, sent me flowers, continually checked in on me and made sure I was drinking water and sleeping okay. We show up for each other however we can, where we can.

I think that’s pretty valuable.

Clearly, it’s more than their success on the derby track that distinguishes these athletes.

But let’s not forget these skaters are badasses at the top of their game.

As volunteer Dennis Gleeson put it: “Legends skate here.”

Portland’s roller derby league will be holding the Home Team Championships at 6 p.m. on June 1 in Oaks Amusement Park.

ARTS & CULTURE

BLACKENED DEATH METAL

DEVASTATION ON THE NATION TOUR VISITS PORTLAND JOEL WILLIAMS Outside of Bossanova Ballroom on May 19, metalheads of all shapes and sizes set the mood for the evening of ravishing grimness and malignant black metal that lay ahead.

The opening band was Nightmarer, a blackened metal outfit whose members hail from various cities, including New York and Berlin.

Their performance was high energy and exceeded expectations for an opening band on such a stacked bill. They were technically adept at performing the music they were playing but stylistically weren’t very captivating. While having tinges of experimentation and a firm footing in French black metal, an almost metalcore or post-hardcore sound peaked its ugly head out at times—along with the occasional characteristic breakdown, which seemed incompatible with the rest of their music.

After the opener was rushed off the stage, Denver’s Vale of Pnath briskly began their set.

Their music was technical and blistering, mixing old school death and black metal—an unholy mixture of influences that any true extreme metalhead could bang their head to. Their set went by quickly, either because it actually was short, or because it was entrancing enough to lose sense of time. Following their last song, their singer—a long-haired and beard-sporting man—blew kisses out to the audience.

Hate (a simple but fitting band title) from Poland took the stage next. Everyone in the band except the lanky center guitar player was a colossal individual, each wearing military garb and something resembling war paint on their face. They delivered an aural assault that matched their onstage personas—massive, unrelenting and warlike. After hammering us with their last song, like martial cavemen they celebrated their victory with thrown up horns and cheers from the audience.

The crowd was growing restless as Incantation took the stage, and the energy in the room became palpable. The music may be negative, but those of us who love it feel the pangs of positive excitement which spread like unseen black tendrils throughout the audience. They’re something of an institution, anyone with a death metal denim vest is required by peer review to have an Incantation patch, lest they be judged harshly.

After delivering their first song, vocalist, guitar player and only original member John McEntee informed us that they were here to “punish us with death metal,” which of course elicited howls of support from the audience.

They delivered a virtuoso set of old and new material, and when it was time for their final song, McEntee triumphantly raised his guitar

HELMUTH LEHNER OF BELPHEGOR BLESSING THE CROWD WITH PRAYERS OF UNHOLINESS. JOEL WILLIAMS/PSU VANGUARD in the air and proceeded to shred his way through what remained of the performance.

By now, the tendrils of energy in the room were multiplying from the abyss as the room began to reach full capacity. The filler music changed to an ominous rumbling mixed with dissonant-sounding choir hymnals. Two large wooden upside down crosses appeared on stage and a stagehand nonchalantly plopped down a mic stand covered in bones, which sent the room cheering for a moment. A second bone-encrusted mic stand was delivered to the stage, followed by an ornate metal stand with two snake heads and another upside down cross, bringing the upside down cross count (to whomever is keeping track) to three.

Belphegor took to the stage with much pomp and circumstance. Each member wore grave paint—for those unfamiliar, it’s similar to corpse paint, but it’s supposed to make the wearer ap-

pear as if they had just crawled out of a buried coffin. Everything about their stage performance dripped with drama, from the blasphemous props to the gestures of their frontman, Helmuth Lehner. While brutalizing the audience with their brand of blackened death metal, Lehner repeatedly rolled his eyes back in his head and opened his mouth, mimic-mocking a visage of death. He also frequently gave the audience unholy prayers from behind his metal snake stand. Their performance was riveting and barbarous, leaving one to question how anything more brutal could follow.

Dark Funeral, the “Ineffable Kings of Black Metal,” gravely entered the stage, each member wearing black medieval armor and traditional corpse paint. Their frontman, Heljarmadr, emerged with considerable fanfare while the drummer launched into their first song, which required him to perform an

absurd blast beat for several minutes. The crowd descended into chaos as a circle pit formed and fog cannons shot into the air. While the pit was in full battle mode, an elderly man in a tracksuit was incongruously moshing amongst black-vested longhairs easily half his age. Without warning, someone crashed into him, sending him to the floor.

After being devastated by six merciless black and death metal bands, perhaps some of the best of their respective genres, Dark Funeral left the stage with the crowd vying for an encore. They re-emerged with Heljarmadr waving a Dark Funeral flag, eliciting more blasts of fog cannons, and with stage lights on full. Launching into “Unchain My Soul,” with a building guitar introduction that gives way to furious blast beats and melancholic guitar riffs, they closed the show as the Satanic conquerors of Portland, and we all pledged rapt allegiance.

PSU Vanguard • MAY 28, 2019 • psuvanguard.com

Cervanté Pope & Hannah Welbourn

May 28–June 3 ART

MUSIC

FILM & THEATRE

COMMUNITY

TUE MAY 28 WED MAY 29 THU MAY 30 FRI MAY 31 SAT JUNE 1 SUN JINE 2 MON JUNE 3

JILL TORBERSON, CLEMENT LEE, POPPY DULLY GUARDINO GALLERY 11 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE This group exhibition features acrylic and oil paintings, steel sculptures and monotypes.

FEMMES OF ROCK N’ ROLL LOCAL LOUNGE 9 P.M. FREE • 21+

GRINHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS: ‘VIGILANTE’ HOLLYWOOD THEATER 7:30 P.M.

It’s a rare 35mm print of a revenge tale regarding everyday New York working men who take the law into their own hands once the police and court system have failed them.

Emo Nite LA is back at Holocene for another night of sad-as-fuck jams.

“PLANE OF SCATTERED PASTS” UPFOR GALLERY WED–SAT: 11 A.M.–6 P.M. FREE Heidi Schwegler and Quayola’s joint exhibition focuses on the fragmentation of objects as they age.

GHOST HOUSE NORTH LOVECRAFT BAR 9 P.M. It’s normally Eugene’s most beloved industrial and goth night down at Old Nick’s Pub, but this week, it’s traveled up to PDX to spin its eldergoth tunes.

BROKE GRAVY & FRIENDS: SUMMERTIME ALBERTA STREET PUB 7:30 P.M. $10 The Broke Gravy Boys are welcoming summer by inviting friends on stage to talk the best moments of spring while also dishing out some quite hilarious improv.

DISNEY TRIVIA SENATE 7 P.M FREE Stumptown Trivia w/ Graham and Senate PDX invite you to “be their guest” at this round of trivia.

“A THIRST FOR SALTWATER” FULLER ROSEN GALLERY 10 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE Lehuauakea Fernandez draws inspiration for these sculptures from a backpacking trip to indigenous lands in the southwestern United States.

BLACK MARBLE, FROTH, DYED DOUG FIR LOUNGE 4 P.M. $13–15 The evening, 21+ show is unfortunately sold out, but at least they added this one so we can see the darkness of Black Marble when the sun is still out.

‘GOING DOWN IN FLAMES’ HEADWATERS THEATRE THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M.; SUN: 2 P.M. $20–28 An equally funny and sad tale about a clown named Queenie Moon who develops dementia.

2019 SOUTH WATERFRONT STREET FAIR SOUTH WATERFRONT COMMUNITY RELATIONS 4 P.M. FREE This second annual event will feature beer, tacos and adoptable dogs. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday night.

HICKORY MERTSCHING, DAN PILLERS, DAVE BENZ GUARDINO GALLERY 11 A.M.–6 P.M. FREE Featuring oil paintings, sculpture and walnut ink paintings, this group exhibition will be on display until June 23.

CJ RAMONE, MEAN JEANS, MUSCLE DUNGEON, THE SADISTS HAWTHORNE THEATER LOUNGE 8 P.M. $15–17 • 21+ CJ may not have been the most famous member of the Ramones, but he was still a Ramone, and that’s awesome.

‘ARLINGTON: [A LOVE STORY]‘ COHO THEATER THU–SAT: 7:30 P.M., SUN: 2 P.M. $25–45 A story of waiting, long and voyeurism in a way you probably wouldn’t expect.

SNAP! Y2K - 90S VS 2000S PARTY HOLOCENE 9 P.M.–2 A.M. $6 • 21+ The theme is “band tees,” so dig up that nasty Nirvana shirt you’ve had for way too long or stop by Hot Topic for a new one.

“OBJECTIFIED” FROELICK GALLERY 10:30 A.M.–5:30 P.M. FREE Stephen O’Donnell’s solo exhibition features acrylic paintings that are beautifully realistic.

CHURCH OF MISERY, MONDO GENERATOR, TOKE DANTE’S 9 P.M. $20 A Tokyo doom-psych band whose songs are mainly about mass murderers and serial killers. Brutal.

‘THE PRICE OF FAME’ KELLY’S OLYMPIAN 1 P.M. FREE A tale about hip-hop’s influence— good and bad.

MY PEOPLE’S MARKET 715 NORTHWEST HOYT ST. NOON–7 P.M. FREE More than 80 multicultural businesses will be at this marketplace for Portland’s diverse entrepreneurs, artists and vendors.

“PRINTS FOR THE PEOPLE” PORTLAND ART MUSEUM 10 A.M.–5 P.M. $17–20 The latest exhibition at the Portland Art Museum includes works collected by the Associated American Artists.

THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, STRANGE RANGER, FLOATING ROOM DOUG FIR 8 P.M. $12–15 • 21+ You wouldn’t think dream pop and spoken word go well together, but Spirit of the Beehive show that it does.

‘BASKET CASE’ WHITSELL AUDITORIUM 7 P.M. $8–10 Where MAD Magazine and horror flicks collide…

‘GILMORE GIRLS’ BRUNCH TRIVIA BETHANY PUBLIC HOUSE 11 A.M. 20% GRATUITY ADDED TO BILL Pretend you’re in Stars Hollow as you brunch out and test your GG knowledge.

OLIVER KLINK CAMERAWORKS GALLERY 9 A.M.–5 P.M. FREE This exhibition is a series of photographs taken from Klink’s book, The Soul of the Bürkitshi, about women in Mongolia hunting with eagles.

WORSHIP: THE SADS CHURCH 8 P.M. 21+ It’s exactly what it sounds like—a congregational meeting of saddies listening to some of the saddest music ever made.

OCEANS, FLAMENCO EN VIVO MILAGRO THEATRE 7:30 P.M. $7–22 Seattle’s Savannah Fuentes performs another beautifully crafted flamenco piece, with music provided by guitarist Pedro Cortes singer/ percussionist Jose Moreno.

TEDXMTHOOD SALON: LESS FEAR, MORE JOY WAYFINDING ACADEMY 6:30 P.M. $20 TEDx salon events are meant to keep the TEDx community engaged between the larger events. This one is hosted by artist Gary Hirsch.

“Femmes of…” is a series of educational drag shows (thank goodness this exists now) meant to teach the community different things. This month, it’s some of the most prolific femmes in rock.

EMO NITE HOLOCENE 9 P.M. $10 • 21+