Portland State Vanguard Volume 78 Issue 30

OPEN OPINION PLATFORM COLUMN FOR ALL AT PSU

• STATE NAME AND AFFILIATION W/PSU

• SUBMISSIONS ARE UNPAID, NOT GUARANTEED AND CHOSEN BY THE EDITOR

• SEND THOUGHTS, STORIES AND OPINIONS TO EDITOR@PSUVANGUARD.COM

CONTENTS

ARTS & CULTURE

The invisible labor of U.S. farmworkers

What is the ASPSU Senate?

OPINION

Body Positivity movement losing traction

STAFF

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF

Kat Leon

MANAGING EDITOR

Tasha Sayre

NEWS EDITOR

Zoë Buhrmaster

CO-NEWS EDITOR

Alyssa Anderson

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Macie Harreld

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Anish Kumar Arumugam

OPINION EDITOR

Cameron Rodriguez

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Sergio Cervantes

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Josi Struck

ONLINE AND PROMOTIONS EDITOR

Alley Henrici

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Aishwarya Suresh

COPY CHIEF

Isabel Zerr

CONTRIBUTORS

Alberto Alonso Pujazon Bogani

Amber Finnegan

Diana DeGroot

Isaiah Burns

JJ Christensen

Milo Loza

Thuyu Gedi

Vaishnavi Srinath

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Briana Cieri

DESIGNERS

Arianna Thomas

Haley Hsu

Abby Raymundo

Parker Patnode

TECHNOLOGY & WEBSITE TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANTS

George Olson

Hongzu Pan

Sara Ray

ADVISING & ACCOUNTING

COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA

Reaz Mahmood

SALP ACCOUNTANT

Maria Dominguez

STUDENT MEDIA TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR

Rae Fickle

To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com

MISSION STATEMENT

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.

ABOUT

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 online 24/7 at psuvanguard.com.

CONTRIBUTORS

Write. Edit. Photograph. Film. Design. Illustrate. Create.

WRITE: News, Arts & Culture, Science & Tech, Sports and Opinion

PHOTO & FILM: Create engaging content that captivates our audience in modern and creative ways

EDIT: Ensure precision, clarity and consistency in every article

DESIGN: Create impactful visual content that empowers, respects, educates, guides and shares truth

Learn skills, build a professional portfolio and make your own schedule. We are willing to train inexperienced applicants who demonstrate ability and a desire to learn the skills. Contributors are paid for published work.

THE INVISIBLE LABOR OF U.S. FARMWORKERS

ART AND ADVOCACY FOR FARMWORKERS’ RIGHTS

Farmworkers are the backbone of society. They literally produce the means to our survival. Yet, despite their vital role, their work is undervalued and overlooked.

“27% of [Oregon] Farmworkers are in poverty,” stated a 2022 Oregon Human Development Corporation report. “They suffer rates much higher than the rest of Oregon’s population (13%).”

The total number of farmworkers in Oregon is more than 86,000 people, “12,000 of whom are not legally authorized to be here,” the report stated. “These undocumented Farmworkers are responsible for 18% ($732 million) of the state’s annual economic output and pay around $13 million in taxes annually.”

Farmworkers—undocumented farmworkers in particular—continue to face widespread social, economic and political marginalization on a systemic level. One significant issue which persists among migrant laborers is wage theft.

Alexis Guizar-Diaz—a sociology PhD candidate at Portland State—recently began working with the organization Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), aka Northwest Tree-planters and Farmworkers United. Founded in 1985, the organization is dedicated to advocating for farm laborers in the northwest region of the United States.

Guizar-Diaz spoke of a recent experience with a candidate seeking endorsement from

PCUN. Midway through the interview, the candidate broke down in tears.

“I [was] like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Guizar-Diaz said. “I asked her ‘Que pasa? What’s going on?’ And she let us know that she hadn’t been paid in three weeks. Working Monday through Saturday, sunup to sundown in these tulip fields… all because the labor contractor said, ‘Hey, I can’t pay y’all. Maybe next week.’”

Jennifer Martinez-Medina—a public affairs and policy PhD candidate at PSU—grew up in a low-income agricultural community in Central Valley, Calif. “I like to say that it’s the world’s refrigerator because if you walk through any grocery store, most of the fruit you’ll see comes from somewhere in the Central Valley,” Martinez-Medina said. “Whether that’s Bakersfield, Fresno, Madera—any of those regions.”

Martinez-Medina described what it is like to drive through those regions, saying how you may pass by the dairy farms, and it may seem like nothing is there. In reality, thousands of farmworkers are working there.

“A lot of times, family farmworkers experience wage theft,” Martinez-Medina said. “They’re not able to use their family leave, and there’s really no recourse they receive, because we have a grievance-driven system, which requires farmworkers to come forward and express the issues that they’re experiencing. That puts

ISAIAH BURNS

"Sunday Morning II" was inspired by the idea that even on days of rest, farmworkers are always working

ISAIAH BURNS/PSU VANGUARD

The labor performed by farmworkers is crucial for all, and yet their role continues to lack visibility in wider society and sufficient protections in the workplace

MACIE HARRELD/PSU VANGUARD

them in a really vulnerable position, because the employer can retaliate.”

“A lot of our people aren’t viewed with dignity and are dehumanized, so it becomes very easy for people to take advantage of our community,” Guizar-Diaz said.

Farm work is inherently dangerous work. Laborers work with hazardous machinery and toxic chemicals. They risk exposure to infectious diseases and venomous animals. In addition, they work long hours performing strenuous work while exposed to the elements.

Guizar-Diaz detailed some of the most prominent hazards which farmworkers face today, ranking high among them being dangerous heat and air quality during the summer. Earlier this year, PCUN was able to secure strict rules regarding labor rights during times of high risk.

“It’s a basic right to have adequate breaks, water and protection against heat and smoke,” he said. “Every summer, we all face it, right? All the smoke? They’re out there picking fruit or tending crops. We literally have people dying out there, and it’s just insane.”

According to Guizar-Diaz, achieving even basic human rights for members of his community is often an uphill battle.

“I mean, there are the usual challenges of just how hazardous farm labor is—how repetitive the work is, how difficult it is on the body, how low-paying these jobs are,” Mendez-Medina said. “Even with some protections that we have now, they are still especially low-paying because of the seasonality.”

Many farmworkers in the U.S. still lack sufficient access to even the most basic necessities, such as clean water. While in his master’s program, Guizar-Diaz focused much of his research on this issue. Growing up around potato and wheat farms, he faced water

shortages firsthand. He recounted times when he could not shower due to the neighboring farms depleting the local aquifer.

Martinez-Medina recalled a similarly bleak situation in her hometown, where the local water supply was tainted for decades with a—likely carcinogenic—chemical called 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP). Originally used as a pesticide, practical use of the substance was banned in the ‘90s due to the discovery of numerous health hazards to humans. According to Martinez-Medina, it was not until 2020 that her family was informed there were high levels of 1,2,3-TCP in their local water supply.

“In California, specifically, the state says that it’s a human right to have clean water, and they’re not fulfilling that right,” MartinezMedina said.

Both Guizar-Diaz and Martinez-Medina pointed out that many of the laws which are put in place to protect laborers do not apply to workers who lack documentation—a fact which creates great disparities in the treatment of immigrant workers.

“The way I like to think about it is that all the issues that we face as a society are exacerbated for them,” Guizar-Diaz said. “You’re being paid poor wages and don’t have legal status in the United States… All the issues that we face as people as a society, just multiply that by 10, because you’re facing these barriers as a farmworker.”

Narsiso Martinez, a mixed-media artist from Oaxaca, Mexico, uses his personal experience as a farmworker to underpin the major themes of his art practice. “Some moments, like when I’m drawing, my mind just wanders,” he said, referencing his years working on farms in Washington. “It goes back to that situation I was in before.”

“I relive those moments, such as when I saw a person carrying a heavy bag only to trip with

the whole thing… or an old lady who could barely carry the load she was carrying…” Martinez said. “Just really sad moments, they’ll be repeating in my head.”

Martinez pointed out how it’s often challenging for workers to speak about what they go through in their jobs as many of them lack official documentation, something he related to the broader theme of invisibility in the migrant workforce.

Martinez uses a unique practice of painting portraits on cardboard produce boxes rather than on canvas or paper. He portrays farmworkers and field laborers overlaid on the very packaging which serves to separate the consumer from the labor behind the product. This method ultimately calls attention to the subjects themselves.

A selection of Martinez’s works is currently on view at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) at PSU as part of the gallery exhibition called Labor of Love. The exhibition aims to recognize and appreciate those who contribute to society through “invisible labor.”

“Hidden, unseen, or invisible labor is work that goes unnoticed, unacknowledged, and thus, unregulated, and that is too often unpaid or poorly paid,” stated the brochure at the entrance of the gallery. The show identifies marginalized identities across the U.S. as being the most vulnerable to contributing to these forms of labor.

“Sunday Morning” is one of Martinez’s works on view at JSMA at PSU. The piece repurposes a box which had originally carried asparagus from the company Altar Produce. Martinez reimagines the label to incorporate a religious framework, in which a worker veiled for protection from the harsh sun kneels in a swathe of land. In the distance, asparagus stocks frame a church building.

“We were talking about religion and how Sundays are reserved for God…” said Martinez about the painting. “I thought of how farmworkers are always working, including Sundays, no matter the season. Whether it’s strawberries, apples or cherries, they’re always in… They will not allow the workers to stay home with their families… That’s why I call it Sunday Morning. The church is in the background, and then there is the broken woman.”

Martinez repurposes produce boxes as canvases, on which he depicts his fellow fieldworkers. This piece, titled “Self Portrait En La Cherry (with Strawberry Fields Forever in the Background),” is currently on view at JSMA at PSU

The produce sold in any given grocery store is available thanks to farmworkers, and yet the harsh working conditions endured by many of these workers goes widely unseen

MACIE HARRELD/PSU VANGUARD

MACIE HARRELD / PSU VANGUARD

WHAT IS THE ASPSU SENATE?

SENATORS TALK STUDENT GOVERNMENT AND WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IF RE-ELECTED

The Associated Students of Portland State University (ASPSU) is PSU’s student government. ASPSU elections are just around the corner, with the first senator debate on April 30 in Parkway North, Smith Memorial Student Union, at 4:30 p.m.

ASPSU has five branches—the Leadership Core, the Senate, the Operations Board, the Judicial Review Board and the Student Fee Committee. The Senate has six members, making it the largest branch of student government.

Michael Jones, a current ASPSU Senator, described the purpose of ASPSU and the Senate. “Basically, [it’s] a bridge between the student body and the PSU administration,” Jones said. “[The goal is] to try to bridge that gap between the two.”

The Senate bridges this gap by drafting and voting on resolutions on various campus matters. These resolutions then go to the Board of Trustees, who will decide whether or not they are implemented.

The Senate works to pass resolutions which benefit the school. However, the school has the final say on how much power the Senate’s resolutions have. Even when resolutions pass and are supported by the students, their implementation is entirely up to the PSU Board of Trustees—who can veto them.

Resolutions take on a variety of forms. The Senate publishes all resolutions online for the public to see. One recent resolution was the Trans and Queer Student Success and Retention Project, a proposed pilot project to put school resources into supporting and retaining queer and transgender students by helping them gain access to scholarships, transit passes and other material needs.

Jones also discussed how he’s working to pass a resolution to generate more support for out-of-state students. He hopes to continue supporting this resolution if reelected in the upcoming election.

Many Senate candidates talked about what resolutions they would like to see pushed through ASPSU, if elected. Senate candidate William Scholz spoke about using his prospective position in the Senate to push for more clean heating and clean energy on campus.

“The types of energy that we use right now, I believe we use a lot of hydropower already, but we could really be investing in things like solar,” Scholz said. “We have lots of space on the tops of roofs that we could be doing that for, and it wouldn’t be that expensive, especially considering that we use coal as the other primary energy provider—coal and natural gas.”

When passed, these resolutions are sent directly to the Board of Trustees. However, ASPSU has no power to overrule something the Board of Trustees does.

The recent defunding of the International and English Learning program is one example of something ASPSU does not have the power to influence.

“They are cutting their funding, basically because the program is deemed [not as] desirable because there’s less people utilizing their services,” Jones said. “So, the Board of Trustees or the administration has decided to just kind of fade their funding away.”

Despite its goal of bridging the gap between students and administration, ASPSU remains unknown to many students and has historically failed to engage with the student body.

According to data ASPSU collected on last year’s election in 2023, only 8% of students voted. The highest percentage of students to vote in an ASPSU election was in 2012, when just over 10% of the student population voted.

“I don’t think the average student even knows about ASPSU,” Jones said. “A lot of students don’t even really know that they have a student government.”

According to Jones, this lack of student body participation surrounding ASPSU has led to problems. “The fact that a lot of students don’t really know about us is, for me personally, a cause for concern,” he said. “You know, issues around campus arise, and they kind of don’t know who to go to about it.”

Many fellow senators are running on a promise to work to increase engagement with ASPSU. “I believe a lot of students don’t know in general about ASPSU,” said incumbent Senator Brady Roland. “I am hoping to change that. ASPSU’s Senate is working very hard right now to reach out better to students.”

Incumbent Nehemiah Wilson is running to be one of next year’s senators. He expanded on what he believed was a reason for this disconnect. “This is a common sentiment amongst many members within student government and then people outside of student government,” he said.

“Students don’t know who the student government is,” Wilson said. “It’s just an organization here on campus. What do they do? They fight for student needs, but I got needs, and they’re not fighting for my needs.”

The senators and candidates are hard at work, hoping to increase student involvement before the elections.

“We are going to be tabling every week on Thursday for the rest of the term, and hopefully continue doing it next year as well,” Roland stated.

Wilson also talked about ASPSU’s role in connecting student groups and facilitating student events—which is a part of ASPSU’s role in supporting the student body. He wants to help the students see that ASPSU is there to support them.

“For example, the Organization of International Students— they run an event every year called International Night, and this year, they’re trying to do bigger and better,” Wilson said. “And I think last year it was in the business building. And then this year, they’re hoping to have it in the Viking Pavilion. However, that requires a bit more funding, and it requires a bit more involvement. We learned about this, and so we were actively reaching out. ‘Hey, we heard about this event’s happening, and we want to get involved.’”

These efforts are part of ASPSU’s broad campaign to represent student issues and bring those issues to the attention of the Board of Trustees.

When asked if students should invest more in ASPSU, Jones said 100%. “For the simple fact that we were designed specifically for them,” he said. “Given the fact that the administration is just so distant from the student body, I would encourage them to really look into ASPSU. Look into what we do, and if there are any problems that they feel really need to be addressed, we are the first point of contact for them.”

ASPSU is the student body government that advocates for students to the administration

COURTESY OF ASPSU

BODY POSITIVITY LOSING TRACTION

THE

RESURFACING OF DIET CULTURE

THUYU GEIDI

Picture this—It’s 2012. Lana Del Rey just released Born to Die, you’ve finished reading a John Green novel and a new app called Instagram is taking over the scene. On Instagram, you notice the new trending tag: #BodyPositivity. Scrolling through, you see photos and videos of women of all races and body types preaching about loving one’s body, resisting beauty standards and defining all bodies as beautiful.

Well, the best you can do is imagine, because the age of #BodyPositivity is ultimately dead, gone, shattered—you get the point.

For a short period—coined by Black and queer activists in response to the continued invisibility of certain body types—the social movement #BodyPositivity gained traction via social media throughout the 2010s.

Like all movements, the Body Positivity movement was wellmeaning, but it still had its shortcomings. Rather than advocating for the dismantling of systems which commodify and stratify our bodies, the movement focused too heavily on squeezing all bodies into the—not necessarily criticized—box of beautiful rather than dismantling what beautiful meant and who has historically defined beauty.

It’s easy to conflate desirability with acceptance, but the reality is that desirability only gains others’ tolerance of you when you’re in a marginalized class.

We need more than just being tolerated. We need a just society where our bodies don’t determine our value and the products made to achieve unrealistic standards aren’t cemented into our lives from birth.

The movement ultimately lacked any critical analysis of race or class. It was spearheaded by larger-bodied women and then co-opted by thinner, midsized, white women. This isn’t to say all bodies shouldn’t be appreciated. However, those most marginalized should be positioned at the forefront of a liberation movement. Photos of thin women before and after eating a meal shouldn’t be the peak of body positivity.

I’m not here to criticize all parts of the Body Positivity movement. If anything, I’d like to highlight its flaws and points that need improvement. Movements so often get co-opted by the

least-marginalized and more-palatable groups that their meaning is ultimately lost and they are commodified.

With the end of the Body Positivity movement, we witness the rise of thinness as a trend. For a while, the beauty standard was an hourglass figure—often described as “slim thick”—and Brazilian butt lifts were the trending enhancement surgery.

We even see celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and others, reverting to the thin standard, opting out of their curves for a slimmer, trendier figure these past few years. This directly ties into Kardashian shedding aspects of Black culture to gain acceptance back into white American culture, seeing as how thinness is the center of white European beauty standards.

Books, such as Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia, can give a more in-depth analysis of this history and the complex relationship between anti-Blackness and anti-fatness we see today.

I’d note that, while it remained quiet in the 2010s, the skinny trend reemerged in the 2020s, specifically during the pandemic when lockdown encouraged many to find new hobbies.

An option for many became healthier living and at-home workouts. For a moment in time, Chloe Ting’s workout videos appeared on everyone’s YouTube homepage. Now, fast forward a few years later, TikTok videos of people recalling this time period in utter horror have arisen.

You can also credit the resurgence of the skinny trend to the attempted revival of Y2K fashion, an era marked by a focus on thinness. Elements of Y2K fashion, including low-rise jeans and miniskirts, often exist for a thinner body type, and larger bodies wearing the same thing are often met with hostility. This begs the question: is it really fashion, or are they just skinny?

This isn’t to say that promoting fashion and expressing style can’t be positive. However, the constant attempts to sell thinness to us through fashion and centering skinny bodies at the forefront of trends leaves us more prone to promoting certain beauty standards. The discouraging of larger bodies wearing certain clothes is overplayed and, frankly, fatphobic.

Through the internet and social media apps, such as TikTok, we see rapid trends play out in real-time. Recently, Ozempic,

a medication for diabetes, has been promoted as a weight-loss drug. The widespread abuse of Ozempic as a weight-loss drug has led to a shortage of the medication, making it difficult for those most in need to get access to it.

Even affluent individuals, such as Oprah Winfrey, have fallen for the Ozempic craze. Winfrey has spoken to People Magazine about using Ozempic for weight loss purposes despite her role at WeightWatchers, whose organizational ethos forbade the use of the medication.

Ozempic halts pleasure receptors in your brain through the active ingredient, semaglutide, which induces fullness. This is yet another quick-and-easy solution but needs to be thought out more with the results of what happens after Ozempic—much like how, after dieting, 90% of people regain all that weight

It should be noted that thinness has always been in and has never truly gone away. However, the recent trend of turning to medication one does not necessarily need for aesthetic purposes brings forth ideas we so desperately attempted to push back against with the Body Positivity movement and is undoubtedly one of the most high-risk routes to achieving weight loss goals.

Additionally, as we see attempts to further ideas of white supremacy through authoritarian rule and law-making, we will simultaneously witness the values of this and similar systems subliminally seeping into our everyday lives.

Like all ideas under white supremacy, ideas of beauty are rooted in the distance to Blackness. White European beauty standards do not value larger bodies and features of women of color, especially those of Black women.

As I mentioned earlier, it is not a coincidence that—as certain celebrities no longer view Black culture as profitable—the reentrance into white culture requires changing the body for a slimmer figure. In the never-ending chase for beauty, we often lack race analysis that helps us dissect how beauty standards contribute to the fetishization of Black people and women of color.

Ultimately, living under a beauty standard that values thinness and heavily enforces it, we must be cautious about whom our values align with and push back against patriarchal ideas that commodify the body and sell our insecurities back to us.

ARIANNA THOMAS

YOU MAY WITNESS A STAR EXPLODE THIS YEAR

NASA OFFICIALS SAY IT’S A ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME VIEWING OPPORTUNITY’

VAISHNAVI SRINATH

As the night sky prepares to unveil a mesmerizing celestial event, astronomers and stargazers alike eagerly anticipate the upcoming nova in the constellation of Corona Borealis. This rare astronomical phenomenon promises to captivate observers with its luminous display.

The star system—located 3,000 light-years from Earth—is predicted to become visible to the unaided eye soon. This could be a “oncein-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova outburst only occurs about every 80 years,” according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). “T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, last exploded in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again between February and September 2024.”

T Coronae Borealis was discovered by astronomer John Birmingham in western Ireland when it went nova in 1866.

The star system—normally of magnitude +10, which is far too dim to see with the un-

aided eye—will jump to magnitude +2 during the event. This will be of similar brightness to Polaris, aka the North Star. Once its brightness peaks, it should be visible to the unaided eye for several days, or just over a week with binoculars, before it dims again for possibly another 80 years.

This recurring nova is only one of five in our galaxy. This happens because T CrB is a binary system with a white dwarf and a red giant. The stars are close enough where, as the red giant becomes unstable from its increasing temperature and pressure and begins ejecting its outer layers, the white dwarf collects that matter onto its surface.

William Blackmore—Portland State alumnus, planetarium director and astronomy instructor at Mt. Hood Community College—explained the complexities of the nova phenomenon. “A nova, distinct from a supernova, arises from the interaction between a white dwarf and a red giant in a binary star system,” he said. “As the white dwarf accumulates material from its companion, it undergoes a thermonuclear reaction, resulting in a brilliant outburst of light.”

Blackmore highlighted the importance of seeing such a rare event, comparing it to studying the history of how stars have changed over time. He highlighted the role of novas as standard candles for measuring distances in space and explained the formation of new elements during these energetic reactions.

Standard candles are astronomical objects that make up the rungs of the so-called cosmic distance ladder, a tool for measuring the distances to farther and farther galaxies. Measurements of the distances to these stars from Earth are critical in making precise measurements of even more distant objects.

For amateur astronomers eager to catch a glimpse of the nova, Blackmore offered practical advice. He recommended familiarizing oneself with the constellation of Corona Borealis and utilizing tools, such as star maps and smartphone apps, to locate it in the night sky. With the nova expected to reach a brightness comparable to Polaris, observers armed with binoculars or telescopes can anticipate a stunning celestial display.

“The fact that it’s recurring on a timescale we could work with—as us humans are concerned and not thousands of years—but still within a human lifetime makes it very special,” Blackmore said.

Jim Todd—PSU alumnus and Director of Space Science Education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry—emphasized the historical importance of novas. Todd highlighted the transient nature of celestial events, reminding us that the light from the nova we observe today embarked on its journey thousands of years ago.

Todd encouraged amateur astronomers to embrace the nova as a unique learning opportunity, urging them to exercise patience and

persistence in their observations. He suggested using telescopes equipped with astrophotography capabilities to capture the nova’s fleeting brilliance and contribute to scientific understanding.

“Nova’s are much more rare than what we say, [and] than what we see of the solar eclipse,” Todd said. “So we just had one [eclipse] on April 8, but we last had one in Oregon in 2017. But we won’t see [the nova] again for a very long time.”

“We’ll see it from now until September,” Todd said. “But why September? Well, the constellation we have to keep an eye on is in the vicinity of Hercules and Brutus. By September, it will go below the horizon for us.”

“Keep in mind, we’re looking at a nova that occurred 3,000 years ago,” Todd said. “A light that left that star, traveling at light speed, 6 trillion miles a year, 186,000 miles per second, would reach your eye now when the nova actually happened 3,000 years ago. For many people, that’s a hard concept to understand. It’s essentially like you’re looking at a ghost.”

Kevin Davis—planetarium manager at Eugene Science Center—provided additional insights into the technical aspects of observing the nova.

Davis emphasized the importance of telescopes and astrophotography for enhancing the viewing experience, particularly in capturing the nuances of the nova’s evolution over time.

Interestingly, as it nears the end of its life, our sun will eventually become both a red giant and a white dwarf. First, it will swell, shedding its outer layers, and then it will become compact and super dense, around the size of Earth.

You can find T CrB in the constellation Corona Borealis, hence its name. The constellation’s Latin name translates to the northern crown, as it looks like a crown and is found in the northern sky.

Corona Borealis looks like a squashed “U” in the northern sky between the constellations of Hercules and Boötes. Under dark skies, you can see its seven brightest stars. The brightest is Alphecca, which has a magnitude of roughly +2.2. Once T CrB goes nova, it will be almost as bright as Alphecca.

“You can use the Big Dipper as a guide,” Todd said. “Make an arc with the hand of the Big Dipper to arc down to Arceus, which is the red giant, [a] super bright star. And then go to the left. And that’s where you’re going to see a crescent constellation, the corona borealis. You’re going to see that crescent star pattern. If you get to Hercules, you pass[ed] it. Hercules is a ketone pattern of stars. But if you go in between, you’ll find the constellation.”

With expert guidance, amateur astronomers are poised to embark on an unforgettable journey into the cosmos. Whether peering through a telescope from their backyard or attending public viewing events organized by observatories and science centers, students and enthusiasts alike can witness this celestial spectacle.

Local A&C Events

MILO LOZA

John Proulx

Classic Pianos

Apr. 29, 1 p.m.

Free

Solo jazz piano and vocals by John Proulx

Montavilla Open Mic

Montavilla Station

Apr. 30, 1 p.m.

Free

Comedy open mic featuring local talent with a podcast following the show

Acoustic Giants

The Old Church Concert Hall

May 1, 12 p.m.

Free

Live music in a historic venue featuring local acoustic artists

Rip City Comedy Fest

Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery

May 2, 12 p.m.

$25+

Comedy festival at kickass venues featuring local and national comedians

Portland Cinco De Mayo Fiesta

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

May 3, 11 a.m.

$12+

The largest multicultural festival in Oregon with Mariachi, Ballet Folklórico and more

Bridgetown Bluegrass & Folk Festival

First Congregational Church May 4, 10 a.m.

$5+

Annual celebration of bluegrass and folk with multiple bands and educational programs

Legally Blonde The Musical Winningstad Theatre

May 5, 2 p.m.

$35+

Musical comedy based on the movie about Elle Woods, a determined law student

PARKER PATNODE

NIKE HOOP SUMMIT

The twenty-fifth anniversary Nike Hoop Summit took place in Portland at the Moda Center on April 13. The Nike Hoop Summit is an annual basketball tournament in which the United States' top high school senior basketball prospects compete on a global stage against top basketball athletes from around the world, 19 years old or younger. 2023 marked the inaugural year of the women’s version of the Hoop Summit. On the women’s side of the games, Team World fell just short in the fourth quarter after leading for most of the game and was ultimately defeated by Team USA, 83-80. The men’s side of the games saw a more drastic win, with Team USA defeating Team World, 98-75.

ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI

ALBERTO ALONSO PUJAZON BOGANI/PSU VANGUARD

VANGUARD CROSSWORD

Answers in stories

Untitled

Answers for 4/22

1) vibrations, 2) Bhabie, 3) hurricane,

4) bipartisan, 5) dark money, 6) Kotek,

7) WHAT, 8) fentanyl, 9)TikTok

Across

Down:

A popular cosmetic surgery that aligns with past beauty trends, shaping body standards.

1. The brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis

The farmworkers' union in the Northwest, formed in 1985. Acronym.

4. A type of celestial event occurring in the constellation Corona Borealis soon which will be visible to the naked eye

6. A seasonal threat which poses a significant risk to farmworkers, leading to advocacy for stricter labor rights

A diabetes medication recently popularized as a weight loss solution, creating a shortage for those who need it medically.

Many farmworkers lack this due to theft, despite performing essential labor.

The Nike Hoop _____, an annual basketball tournament between America’s top High School Senior Basketball prospects.

Across:

Down

1. The brightest star in the constellation Borealis.

2. A popular cosmetic surgery aligning with past beauty trends and shaping body standards, acronym

3. The farmworkers’ union in the Northwest, formed in 1985, acronym

4. A type of celestial event occurring constellation Corona Borealis soon, naked eye.

5. A diabetes medication recently popularized as a weight-loss solution, creating a shortage for those who need it medically

7. Many farmworkers lack this due to theft, despite performing essential labor

6. A seasonal threat that poses a significant to farmworkers, leading to advocacy labor rights.

8. The Nike Hoop _____, an annual basketball tournament between the United States’ top high school senior basketball prospects

MILO LOZA

Community & Wellness Resources

UPDATED WEEKLY

By Milo Loza

Happening Soon

PSU Percussion Ensemble

Lincoln Recital Hall

Apr. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Free for students

Spring concert with contemporary chamber percussion by PSU Percussion Studio members

Live @ Lunch

SMSU Room 101

Apr. 30, 12 p.m.

Free for students

Lunchtime concert series to dance and study around local musicians

Blood Drive

SMSU Room 327-328

Apr. 30, 11 a.m.

Free

Join PSU and the Red Cross for this crucial donation event, which is open to all

ASPSU 2024 Elections Debate: SFC Candidates

SMSU Room 101

May 1, 4 p.m.

Free

Learn about Student Fee Committee (SFC) candidates, student governance and fee allocations

RISING: Rose & Thorn Choirs Concert

St. Philip Neri Catholic Church

May 3, 7:30 p.m.

Free for students

Engage with PSU’s choirs in their final concert, Rising , under the direction of Kimi Gubler Davis and Molly Kerns-Clapp

Mr. Burns

Lincoln Hall Studio Theater

May 3, 7 p.m.

Free for students

Experience an animated dark comedy about pop culture evolution

Resources

PSU Basic Needs Hub

SMSU Suite 435

Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Free for students

Helps students access resources such as funds, food, housing, employment, childcare and health support

PSU Food Pantry

1704 SW Broadway (temporary location)

Tues–Thur, 12–4 p.m.

Free for students

Access to free groceries in a welcoming, equitable, trauma-informed way. Must be enrolled in at least one credit for summer or fall

SMART recovery meetings

University Center Building 340 E Times vary

Free

In peer recovery, students with shared experiences connect to reduce stigma and build a campus recovery community

SHAC weekly online parent support group

Online

Thursdays 11 a.m.

Free

Come together as parents in a relaxed setting to support each other, share ideas, collaborate and commiserate

Women’s Resource Center

Online

Mon–Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free

Confidential advocacy services to students who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, violence and stalking

Oregon Energy Fund

Varying Locations

Mon–Fri, hours vary

Free

Provides energy bill assistance to low-income Oregonians to support household stability

Wellness

SHAC Mind Spa

UCB Suite 310

Mon–Fri (by appointment)

Free for students

Solo space to experience biofeedback, light therapy, meditation, massages, relaxation and more. Must be enrolled in at least five credits for summer or fall

Opioid Overdose Reversal Training

SHAC, Suite 340E

Mon 10–12 p.m. & Fri 2–3 p.m.

Free for students

Pick up free opioid overdose reversal medication and get a 10-minute training on how to use it

Mindful Meanderings

Listen on Spotify

Available 24/7

Free

PSU-produced podcast about being mindful while outside, practicing gratitude, finding joy and being in the moment

Telus Health Student Support

Download on App Store or Google Play

Available 24/7

Free

Connecting students with free, confidential mental health and wellbeing support

Outdoor Workshop Wednesdays

Watch on Youtube

Available 24/7

Free

PSU Campus Recreation Center staff videos about topics ranging from Leave No Trace and plant identification to hiking spots and land acknowledgments

BORP online fitness studio

Watch on Zoom

Mon–Sat, hours vary

Free

Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program’s (BORP) virtual exercise classes for people with physical disabilities