To contact Portland State Vanguard, email editor@psuvanguard.com.
MISSION STATEMENT
PSU 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 at psuvanguard.com.
DESIGN BY HALEY HSU
Library Food Cart Pod To Close In Mid-June
Due to construction, all food carts will be permanently displaced
GRACE PETERSON
The Library Food Carts on 979 SW Harrison will be closing down permanently on June 12, 2026. In January, Portland State University announced it would be building new housing on the land currently occupied by the Blackstone Residence Hall after its demolition. With the construction of the new resident hall on that site, the food carts will be removed alongside the Library Bike Garage and the Montgomery Court Residence Hall.
Demolition will start in the summer, meaning the space must be cleared by June.
Fasial Obeidi is the owner of Sheesh Shwarma, a food cart in the pod. He first opened his cart in April of 2023 and claims that this closure will have a huge impact on the community.
“It’s the only food cart — or really, food spot — open late for students on campus. It’s a central hub near the library, and a lot of people gather there,” Obeidi said in a written statement. “I feel hurt … we’ve been a big part of the campus food scene for years. As a PSU business graduate myself, I really want to remain part of the PSU community. This whole situation is disappointing.”
Jamphel Dorji owns Momo House Food Cart, a unique fusion of Tibetan, Indian and Nepalese cuisines, which joined the food cart pod in 2024. He says this change has already impacted him financially, like a bomb dropping from the middle of nowhere.
“[The] situation is truly tough, we filled out all the food business licenses and county inspection and extra insurance for [the] whole year, which is very costly and there is no refund — huge loss,” said Dorji.
Jason Franklin is the Associate Vice President of Planning, Construction & Real Estate for the University. He shared that PSU explained the situation to the vendors with additional notice to make the transition easier.
“All food cart pod owners were notified verbally in late 2025 and in writing on February 3, 2026,” Franklin said. “Each food cart pod is on a month-to-month lease, and our notification far exceeded the requirements in their lease.”
Food cart owners were given official written notice on Feb. 3 by mail, email and a hand-delivered notice. It included information on contract termination and a timeline. On April 15, PSU reached out to confirm the move-out plans with the owners and followed up again on May 30. June 12 would be the last day of operation for all the food carts in the pod, though many may leave before then. All remaining carts must be removed from the space by 5 p.m. on June 14.
“Thank you for your support to our students and your contributions to the PSU community over the years,” the termination notice read. “They have been greatly appreciated.”
Dorji and Obeidi don’t have new permanent locations yet. Obeidi shared that he tried to discuss options, but PSU did not offer any help with relocation. Dorji will be servicing catering and events, and has a second cart at the Rose City Food Park.
“Moving out to a new place is very hard, as we have to build new customers from [the] very beginning,” Dorji said.
Obeidi shared that he will also operate Sheesh Shwarma at various events, but losing access to the Library Food Carts will cause significant consequences for his business.
“We’re actively looking at other options — stores, carts, anything that can keep us nearby. It’s been a tough search,” Obeidi said. “Our spot on campus has served many students and faculty, and our business has grown … losing that space is a significant hit.”
The new residence hall is expected to provide dorms for roughly 550 students and is expected to be completed by
Fall 2028. In a previous Vanguard article, it was explained that Blackstone had to be vacated by June 30, 2025, and that Montgomery will close in June 2026. At that time, it was already clear that the food carts would be displaced, but PSU would look for a place to bring the Library Food Carts back after construction.
“Part of what we’re going to investigate is if there’s an opportunity to put the food cart pod back on that site in some meaningful way, [which] may or may not be possible given all the new requirements the city and county have for food carts. Or if there’s someplace else kind of adjacent there that we could carve out that makes sense,” said Franklin.
In an emailed statement on May 12, Franklin asserted that this is no longer an option. He said that PSU’s Commercial Real Estate team has considered new locations and opportunities for displaced food cart owners, with some locations in the University District and others in different parts of Portland.
Additionally, PSU doesn’t have the resources to create a new food cart pod on campus. This is primarily due to space constraints and new Portland city regulations, which include grease trap, power, water and sewer.
“The new residence hall does not include a food cart pod,” Franklin confirmed. “There was no room on the site to accommodate this use and the City’s new regulations require significant investment … to create a food cart pod and PSU simply does not have the resources in our commercial real estate auxiliary to develop a new food cart pod.”
Despite the situation, Dorji remains hopeful.
“We would love to come back in [the] future if there is ever a call back, for our sake as well as our great customers’ sake, too,” Dorji said.
Home Taste LLC is one of the three food carts to be displaced.
Vikings perform in first home conference meet in 13 years
Portland State University hosted the Big Sky Outdoor Championships May 13 to May 16, 2026, the first conference meet at PSU since 2013. All ten schools in the Big Sky Conference gathered at Mt. Hood Community College’s Earl L. Klapstein Stadium to compete, with several Vikings posting impressive marks over the course of the meet.
Distance runner Emma Stolte in particular had a standout performance. She placed second in the women’s 1,500-meter with a time of 4 minutes, 22.03 seconds. Her first place finish in the women’s 5,000-meter, with a 16:13.38 time, made her the first ever Viking to win the 5K title and the first to win an individual title in either the Outdoor or Indoor championships since 2019. Additionally, Stolte is the first double-podium finisher for PSU since 2017.
“I always had the dream to get top-three in the conference,” said Stolte. “This has been my goal all year. I’m on such a high right now.”
Stolte’s performance was a highlight for several players at the meet, including teammates Jack Macdonald and Ocean Rideout.
“Watching Emma win the 5K was crazy,” Macdonald said in an email statement. “She didn’t even PR, and still won by over 10 seconds. Watching her throughout the season was so much fun; she is pretty unreal.”
Rideout also praised Stolte for her performance and hard work.
“It was just amazing to see,” said Rideout. “She was so strong the entire race. Seeing Emma compete during practice, and then have that happen in real time, in competition, it was such an incredible feeling for me. I can’t even imagine what it was like for
her, especially as our team got behind her and was cheering for her. It was a movie moment.”
Rideout came to Portland State University to play soccer and didn’t fully commit to track and field until her soccer season ended in November 2025. She joined the team as a
jumper, but she and her coaches realized she was “pretty fast,” as she described, and so she began training for running events as well. When it came time for the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, Rideout volunteered to participate in the heptathlon, a sevendiscipline event over the span of two days, to get PSU more points in the meet.
«TO SCORE IN A MULTI-TEAM TRACK AND FIELD MEET, A TEAM MUST PLACE EIGHTH OR HIGHER, WITH TEN POINTS BEING AWARDED TO THE FIRST PLACE WINNER.
Over the course of the heptathlon, the athlete’s performances within the individual events determine how many points they’re awarded. At the conclusion of the heptathlon, the points are added up to determine the final ranking, which then follows the above points system.
“My goal was to just score one point for my team,” said Rideout. “That’s all I was shooting for, eighth place. I started training for it around six weeks ago. There was a bunch of stuff I’d never done before, and my teammates were teaching me how to do all of them.” Rideout learned how to do events she had never done before just over a month before competing in the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, including Shot Put and Javelin. She had done hurdles before, but the height on the women’s 100-meter hurdles is different from the 300-meter hurdles, which she had done back in high school. Despite the added challenge of learning events just before competing, Rideout placed seventh in the heptathlon, recording two points for PSU.
HAYDEN NEUMANN
The Viking men entered a total of 14 events, with Jack Macdonald placing the highest in his fifth-place 200m finish.
ALL PHOTOS BY HAYDEN NEUMANN
*In outdoor track and field events, wind resistance, measured in m/s, is recorded during an athlete’s run and is noted next to their score in order to maintain maximum fairness. Negative numbers note a headwind, which means the wind was blowing towards the athlete, effectively slowing them down. Positive numbers designate a tailwind, with the wind blowing from behind the athlete, essentially aiding them by pushing them forward.
The PSU team as a whole have been putting in a lot of time and energy into training. Macdonald, who finished highest among the Viking men, earned fifth place in the men’s 200-meter with a time of 21.41, capping off a record-setting freshman year at PSU.
“There was lots of hard work that went into it,” said Macdonald. “From the weight room to the track, I was constantly trying to grow. I could not have done it without my strength coach, Fabian, and our assistant coach, Nick.”
Macdonald also praised his training partners, Isaiah Cadengo, Zach Payne and Beckett Stolp. “[They] made practice competitive and fun, which pushed me to get faster,” said Macdonald. “Could not have asked for a better freshman squad.”
Savannah Beasley and Ocean Rideout celebrate scoring in the 4x100m relay.
« In early May, sophomore Sienna Rosario returned from injury this season to set seasonal and personal bests in the 100m and 200m.
Emma Stolte had a record breaking performance at the meet, scoring 18 points in her double-podium finish.
When Dim Sum Meets Drag
HKSA holds its first-ever Drag Dim Sum event for AANHPI and Pride Month
LAYLA PHILLIS, MARYAM LUQMAN
At first glance, dim sum and drag seem like an unlikely pairing. One is rooted in extravagant performances and queer self-expression, while the other is a display of Chinese culture and family tradition. Well, at Portland State University, the Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA) combined the two to create an event that challenged the expectations on what Asian cultural events can look like.
This month, HKSA will feature a new event called Drag Dim Sum. This event will bring students together for an inclusive celebration of culture with both performance and food. By featuring dim sum alongside drag performances, they’re creating a space where students can appreciate and learn about the intersection of Asian culture and queer communities.
Irina Jan is a Taiwanese student at PSU and the president of HKSA. Inspired by the Queer Resource Center’s events, such as Drag Queen Bingo and their annual drag show during Viking Days, Jan wanted to combine drag with the HKSA’s annual endof-year dim sum gathering.
“It’s kind of like drag brunch and bingo, but with a Hong Kong twist to it,” said Jan.
Audience participation plays a central role in this event, creating an immersive experience for everyone attending.
“I’m pretty excited for these performances. There should be tons of audience interaction. We’ve spaced the tables so that the performers can walk between the tables really easily, and we have lots of super cool bingo practices lined up,” said Jan.
Dim sum is a traditional Chinese brunch meal. It consists of an assortment of small plates and steamed baskets of dumplings, meat and vegetables shared and enjoyed among families. HKSA holds a dim sum event at the end of every year to bring its community together and appreciate its members.
“A lot of Asian cultures are very conservative, and sometimes, if you are not heterosexual, you may feel a little bit out of place. I think that being very inviting and accepting of everything is what we’re trying to do above and beyond what we normally do for our last dim sum,” said Jan.
This event places a strong emphasis on showcasing Asian culture because it spotlights Asian drag artists. Portland has a small Asian drag community, so providing a platform for performers address the underrepresentation of Asian communities in not just drag, but across the broader entertainment scene.
Jan notes that this collaboration opens the event to multiple communities at PSU, especially groups that wouldn’t typically engage with HKSA events. These cross-community interactions and cultural exchanges help build connections beyond the classroom, which can be a gateway to opportunities for many students.
“Getting involved in this student org is one of the best things you can do at PSU; to find community and have a purpose other
than school… I hope this gets more attention, because we’re bringing the drag performers in to encourage people to look into themselves and into the organizations,” said Jan.
Hao Nguyen-Diamond, known as Nikki NiHao in drag, has been a drag queen, entertainer and performer in the Portland metro area since Halloween of 2021. As a PSU alumn, they earned their bachelor’s degree in theater arts and first became interested in drag during the COVID-19 lockdown, eventually performing as a ‘Halloween queen’.
NiHao also hopes this event inspires more students to partake in cultural and artistic events in Portland.
“I hope this jump-starts more regular community involvement with not just HKSA, but also all student groups. We have so many different forms of art and expression in our city. Portland is such a diverse, beautiful and weird artistic community,” said NiHao. Drag has shaped NiHao’s creative life and has helped her discover who she is. It has encouraged their personal growth by providing an outlet to explore their personality and self-expression.
“It’s important to have the distinction of my drag persona, but it is very much a part of my artistic identity and my human identity. It has certainly allowed me to explore different facets of my personality, parts that I felt like I always had to hide or I felt embarrassed about,” said NiHao.
This event also falls during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) month, allowing performers to celebrate their culture and highlight the Asian drag community in Portland. The overlap of queer and Asian celebration is important to NiHao because Asian performers are often underrepresented in mainstream media and competitions.
“You don’t see a lot of Asian drag queens nowadays, even [while] looking at drag competitions [on] reality TV. Not just in Ru Paul’s Drag Race, but also in Dragula and Camp Wannakiki. You don’t see a lot of Asian representation, and I think that’s a big thing to keep in mind,” said NiHao.
Portland’s local drag community includes people who have spent years breaking the barriers for Asian drag art. Drag queen socialite Kimberly Michelle Westwood was the first elected Asian Empress of Portland and was Miss Gay Pride in 2022.
“I feel the Asian drag communities are pretty small in Portland, so when we have these opportunities to showcase Asian excellence and Asian talent, I think it’s a really honorable and exciting thing to do,” said Westwood.
Rather than existing only in specific circles, this event allows a diverse audience to experience the celebration of different cultures. By bringing together intersecting communities, the event encourages connection between people who might not otherwise interact.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity for everyone to come
together. You don’t have to be Asian to come and support, and it gives people that are growing up queer and Asian something to look forward to or see themselves in,” said Westwood.
Drag Dim Sum will be hosted by drag queen BinKyee Bellflower, who has had a unique experience with the drag community. Being an immigrant of Malaysian Chinese descent and growing up in Malaysia with a Christian upbringing, Bellflower, known as Robin Kok outside of drag, resided within multiple intersections.
“I came to America in 2017 and I started learning more about self-expression and gender identity and being a gay man myself,” said Bellflower. “I learned more about the spectrum and the expression of drag from TV, from just being here in Portland, which is just such a wonderful space to land on as my first place to live in America.”
The exposure to the drag scene became a turning point for Bellflower. Living in Portland let her grow familiar with the art form as well as their role within the community, ultimately inspiring the path that she took.
“There was this itch in me that wanted to perform more and do more stage performances, or just bring joy to the world through performance… and so I thought, why don’t I be a drag queen?” said Bellflower.
Bellflower’s desire to perform developed into a career under the influence of Bolivia Carmichael, another drag persona in Portland. She taught Bellflower how to do makeup and gave her her first show in 2022, which snowballed into working as a cast member at Darcelle. That same year, she won the La Femme Magnifique International Pageant.
Bellflower’s goal for their stage presence is not only self-expression; she hopes it can serve as inspiration. Audience responses added another dimension to her drag career.
“I didn’t realize that a Malaysian drag queen exists. I didn’t realize that there is someone who looks like me, who can express themselves that way,” said Bellflower. “So I think along the way, I’ve encouraged a lot of people to find themselves too, and that was the magic of drag, that was what kept me going.”
Students and community members have found a new way to celebrate and connect across cultures: combining drag and Dim Sum into one collaborative event. The unlikely pairing brings together performance, food and fun for a unique experience that commemorates queer representation in the Asian community.
“I hope that this continues to encourage everyone within the network that you all have to want to stand your ground and to want to continue to lean into this space and play together and hold strong with each other,” said Bellflower. “My wish is for this to just be one of the chapters and be a continued expansion and extension of the territory that the HKSA has in PSU.”
NASH BENNETT
Local Drag Queen, Kimberly Westwood, takes the stage in the Smith Ballroom.
The Enrollment Crisis At PSU
Low Enrollment Impacts PSUs’ Budget Crisis, Programs and Tuition Costs
Portland State University (PSU) is facing an enrollment crisis. Since 2019, enrollment at PSU has declined by 25%. Reports have shown that enrollment began to decline steadily in 2010; however, concerns rose in 2019 when the PSU Office of Institutional Research and Planning released a report analyzing the decline. The Analysis of Ten Years of Data on Summer Term, with Recommendations for Addressing Declining Enrollment and Enhancing Student Success report addressed the 10-year decline in enrollment and proposed strategies to attract students and increase enrollment.
PSU President Ann Cudd has pointed towards the decline in enrollment as one of the main factors contributing to the $35 million budget deficit. PSU has emphasized the crisis in its Building A Resilient Future For Students statement, explaining that “Costs are up. Enrollment is down.”
They claim that with declining enrollment, there aren’t enough funds to cover costs.
“Despite having fewer students, we have higher operating costs, more programs and more employees than we did a decade ago,” PSU 2026 Institutional Reductions states.
At the Winter Term Press Conference with Vanguard, Cudd stated that, to address the decline in enrollment, the university would need to change its outreach strategies. The strategy would begin with improving marketing to appeal to high schools. In the interview, Cudd mentioned working with Modesta Minthorn, the Executive Director of Tribal Relations, on visiting tribes in Oregon to connect and bring in Indigenous students to PSU.
Cudd notes that improving retention and graduation rates, which were reported at 53% for a 6-year graduation rate, would attract students and increase enrollment.
“Our graduation rate is not where we would like it to be,” said Cudd. Cudd explains that improving the university graduation rate would not only help students stay on track to complete their degrees but also attract newcomers who are confident they can complete their college careers at PSU. “It’s a huge opportunity, and it’s the right thing to do,” said Cudd.
According to the Fall 2025 Oregon Public Institution Enrollment report, public universities and community colleges in Oregon are also experiencing declines. Universities like Oregon State University and the University of Oregon have kept pace with steady increases, but PSU continues to fall behind. Current enrollment trends in kindergarten through 12th grade will only continue to impact numbers.
K-12 schools in Oregon are facing decreases in enrollment.
According to the Student Enrollment Reports from the Oregon Department of Education, the state is teaching about 5,450 fewer students than in the 2024-2025 school year. Budget cuts in districts across Oregon have resulted from declining enrollment. Reynolds High School says its declining enrollment has led to its $20 million budget cut.
“Over the past decade, our enrollment has dropped by approximately 2300 students, or 21%. This is part of a regional and statewide trend,” said Frank Caropleo, the Superintendent for the Reynolds School District.
Tom Thake, a junior at PSU, is the Chair of the Student Fee Committee and the President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. As part of the committee, Thake spends time with various organizations and centers across campus during the budget season to allocate the fees included in students’ tuition bills. The fee then goes to programs that provide funding for them. Thake explains the negative impact of enrollment on the committee.
“It’s huge. It’s one of the biggest pieces that becomes quite a difficult thing because if you have less students paying fees, you have less money to then fund student organizations, resource centers and service centers,” said Thake.
Thake mentions that the current enrollment crisis has already impacted PSU programs and tuition costs. Fees such as PSU’s recreational center and the student health fee have increased. The PSU Board of Trustees also approved a 5% tuition increase to combat the budget deficit. As enrollment continues to decline, the university’s financial crisis worsens.
Southern Oregon University is facing a severe financial crisis, with a budget deficit of over $12 million that is projected to reach $17 million by 2030. Oregon lawmakers have needed to step in to create HB 5204, which provides the university with $15 million in emergency funds to help stabilize it. With Southern Oregon University accepting the funds, they are required to create a financial stability plan that excludes the use of state funds. The university is also required to maintain only programs that benefit the institution or the state, which is leading to the reduction of 20 majors and minors. Without state financial aid, Southern Oregon University would still be at risk of closure. Thake warns that if no action is taken, PSU could develop more serious issues.
“I hope we don’t end up like Southern Oregon, I don’t think we will, but I think it is a really clear indicator of where we are going,” said Thake.
GRACE PETERSON
“Rock Steady” is one of the most cohesive albums from the early 2000s, with one of the most unique sounds. No Doubt, a California-founded band, traveled to London and Jamaica to create a fresh sound that quickly became a favorite. The album blends electropop, dancehall and reggae, and it was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
The album is full of incredible artist features, including Lady Saw on the genrebending song “Underneath It All” and Bounty Killer for “Hey Baby,” an energetic dancehall-pop track. Prince co-wrote and co-produced “Waiting Room.” “Rock Steady” is a blend of genres, beats and international influences, creating a sound that couldn’t be replicated by any other artist.
The album is probably best known for its single, “Hella Good.” The song was a cultural collaboration, written by Gwen Stefani and the Neptunes, with the funk sound inspired by Queen and The Commodores. It’s a high-energy, celebratory dance song that perfectly encapsulates the different artists’ backgrounds.
The instruments used in this album were different from what No Doubt usually used. The songs contained less guitar and bass, instead using electronic keyboard sounds and a metal garbage can echo chamber. The songs have a unique 1980s retro feel, and this album stands as the most unique No Doubt album.
These songs feel like a foreign frenzy of genres, instruments and snazzy lyrics, perfect for warm weather and dancing.
