ARTS & CULTURE
Go to 5th Avenue Cinema this Fall
The 2025 Portland Marathon on Camera
OPINION
Keeping Pace in Portland
Dear God, is “Hamilton” Actually Good?
Vanguard on Vinyl: “Money Jungle”
STAFF
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Noah Carandanis
MANAGING EDITOR
Olivia Hendry
NEWS EDITOR
Sage Lamott
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Adyan Hussein
OPINION EDITOR
Nick Gatlin
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Nash Bennett
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Liam Schmitt
COPY CHIEF
Vacant
ONLINE EDITOR
Quinn Willett
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Vacant
PRODUCTION & DESIGN
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Haley Hsu
ADVISING & ACCOUNTING
COORDINATOR OF STUDENT MEDIA
Reaz Mahmood
SALP ACCOUNTANT
Maria Dominguez
STUDENT MEDIA TECH ADVISOR
Rae Fickle
STUDENT MEDIA TECH DEVELOPER
Kaylee Hynes
WEB DESIGNER
Owen Cook
6-7
8-9
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.
Keeping Pace in Portland
How running the Portland Marathon helped me appreciate my city
Four months of training all led to Oct. 5. Four months of training pushing myself to my very limits. Four months of training almost flushed down the toilet bowl in my apartment at University Pointe.
This was how my morning began on the day of the 52nd annual Portland Marathon.
My Editor in Chief, Noah Carandanis, was waiting in the lobby of my building with Vanguard Multimedia Editor, Nash Bennett, and Creative Director, Haley Hsu, expecting a healthy, marathon ready Liam Schmitt. Instead, I was shaking in the bathroom trying to hold down my rice cakes and bananas, and not let a spell of sickness ruin this day that I had done so much to prepare for. I knew I had to put one foot in front of the other and be ready to join the thousands of Portlanders just a few blocks away getting ready to experience the City of Roses in a completely different light.
Getting to the starting line and seeing almost 12,000 runners lining up for what will most certainly be a grueling day of hours upon hours of running, the energy was unlike anything I had ever seen. All the streets were packed, more than just with runners, there were countless people out with signs to support their loved ones and strangers. It was such a welcoming and distracting energy that my sickness almost began to fade.
It was an unexpected surprise to me that running a marathon would help me see the city I have known for so long in a new way.
By the time the race started, I had completely forgotten that I was holding back vomit less than an hour before. After the first mile I hardly was thinking about running, I was more focused on seeing the city. Running through closed streets, over the Broadway, Burnside and Sellwood bridges, and seeing the streets of Chinatown
filled with nothing but runners created an otherworldly quality to the scene. Everyone was collectively sharing a moment of pure passion, grit and joy and it was exhilarating.
The sidewalks were packed with spectators cheering runners on, and many of us were even cheering back. Every time I felt tired I would pump my fists and cheer at spectators, which was always met with cheers and applause that made all the fatigue seem to fade away.
My countless hours of preparation paid off, and fatigue didn’t start to really set in until mile 17. From there it was a battle, I was running off pure adrenaline and running gels, getting electrolytes from the kind volunteers at aid stations when I was able to.
While miles 17 to 20 were a battle, everything after mile 20 was a war. Every step was pain and every mile felt like an hour. My stomach was starting to act up again, mostly from
only ingesting electrolytes and energy gels, as well as from the four hours of running I had just done. Once I was only a few hundred yards away from the finish line it felt like an impossible challenge to finish that mile. Even though I had just ran 26 miles, another few hundred yards felt like an insurmountable task. That was until I began to hear the roar of the crowd at the end. Only with the support of fellow Portlanders was I able to finish the rest of the marathon and cross that finish line. And it was all worth it to be met with flowers and a sign from my Editor in Chief. It was a perfect culmination of everything I love about the city. Powering through sickness to make a video showcasing our amazing city will always be worth it. If you ever have the chance to go and run a marathon through Portland, blaze your own trail and make every mile count.
LIAM SCHMITT
NASH BENNETT
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
Dear God, Is “Hamilton” Actually Good?
NICK GATLIN
A reappraisal of an American cultural artifact
Reader, I have a confession to make. I — god(s) smite me for saying it — enjoy the musical “Hamilton.” You could even say I (heaven forbid) like it.
Yes, I said it. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 magnum opus — the 1oth anniversary of which fell on January 20 this year (a symbolic date if I’ve ever heard one) — is a good musical. Great, even. God. I can’t believe I’m writing this. This article was meant to be a hit piece. A takedown. A coup de grâce to a musical whose star had seemed to progressively dim as the various traumas and disappointments of the Epoch of Trump accumulated in the public mind. “Gone is the Obama-era optimism for the triumph of liberalism and multiculturalism that propelled ‘Hamilton’ to megastardom, yadda yadda,” I’d write. You know, a “critique from the left,” something like that.
But I can’t. It’s just so damn catchy. To get it out of the way: yeah, the history in “Hamilton” is bad, and its handling of the issue of slavery is questionable at best. It’s not exactly a hagiography, but it takes a remarkably lenient tone toward the Founders, especially their actions regarding slavery (and the enslaved people they owned). “Hamilton” is, to put it bluntly, a liberal fantasy retelling of the American War of Independence — I refuse to call it a “revolution” — more concerned with making the audience feel good about the United States and its history than it is with any real reckoning of said history (And also to tell you how cute and smart Alexander Hamilton was).
More experienced critics than I have questioned the musical’s portrayal of American history, including the impossible-to-ignore reality of slavery and the Founders’ complicity in the
institution. Historian Annette Gordon-Reed stated to The Harvard Gazette in 2016, “In the sense of the Ellis Island immigrant narrative, [Hamilton] was not an immigrant. He was not pro-immigrant, either. He was not an abolitionist. He bought and sold slaves for his in-laws, and opposing slavery was never at the forefront of his agenda. He was not a champion of the little guy, like the show portrays. He was elitist. He was in favor of having a president for life.”
Historian Lyra Monteiro specifically criticized the musical’s depiction of Hamilton as an abolitionist, stating to Slate, “He worked on a slave ship. I mean, chances are probably pretty high that he was in favor of it; that was his livelihood. So few white people were opposed to slavery, especially white people in the Caribbean. It’s kind of bonkers to suggest that he was somehow suffering and feeling like slavery was an injustice at that time.”
So too has “Hamilton”’s portrayal of women — or lack thereof — been critiqued, with James McMaster writing for Howlround Theater Commons, “The female characters simply do not get enough stage time and, when they do appear onstage, their desires, fears, hopes, plans, and narratives exist only in relation to Alexander, the man at the center of Miranda’s musical. I’m not even sure “Hamilton” passes the Bechdel test, the bare minimum for feminine representation in popular culture. It’s arguable.” It’s also worth noting that Sally Hemings is talked about, but never heard from.
You see my dilemma, I hope. How could I, radical leftist-Marxist-anarchist agitator that I am, praise a musical so mired in Great Man history, so reeking with the pungent smell of 2015 liber-
alism, so — to put it in a single word — cringe?
Trust me, I know. In my research this week (i.e. listening to the original cast album on the bus) I discovered, to my shock and dismay, that the music in “Hamilton” is really quite good.
“Re-discovered,” I should say.
Yes, reader, if you can believe it, I too was a “Hamilton” fanatic in high school. (Oh, boy. Memory time.) I had the chance to see the show live in San Francisco in 2016, a performance which, to this day, I can only describe as lifechanging. It is — if I may be so bold — the platonic ideal of a piece of musical theater.
In preparation for this article, I tasked myself to re-listen to the “Hamilton” soundtrack — an experience that shook me to my core. Am I… a liberal? (Owing to my principled stand against Disney+ I don’t have access to the 2020 film release, but the musical’s sung-through nature means you don’t miss much listening to the cast album.)
My research also led me to a Zoom chat with visiting Portland State University scholar Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, who teaches Theater History and English in the College of the Arts and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. PollackPelzner recently released a book which he describes as a “coming-of-age story” about the author of “Hamilton,” “Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist” (the connection that convinced my editors to let me write this article). Regrettably, due to a… technological malfunction, I cannot print a transcript of our conversation here, but I can recount the broad strokes.
Wearing a New York Yankees cap and an Oregon Shakespeare Festival hoodie, PollackPelzner virtually welcomed me into his of -
fice, his background strewn with books and other academic-looking materials. As we got to talking, he told me that he sees Lin-Manuel Miranda as a kind of modern-day Shakespeare, popularizing the history of the American War of Independence in a similar way to the Bard’s “Henry V.”
At first, I found the comparison a little ridiculous — comparing Miranda to the father of modern English literature? I’m not so sure. But, as Pollack-Pelzner later added, Shakespeare wasn’t “Shakespeare” until a century later. Pollack-Pelzner told me he’d seen little kids who know all the lyrics to “Guns and Ships” — that kind of cultural ubiquity isn’t easily acquired. Who knows? Maybe he’s on to something.
“Hamilton” was inspired in part by musicals like “Rent,” Pollack-Pelzner said — Miranda believed that musicals should sound like what ordinary people are listening to. “Hamilton” certainly does, drawing on many strands of American popular music like hip hop, pop, R&B and soul. With respect to both its musical influences and its casting, “Hamilton” is, in the words of its creator, a “story of America then told by America now.”
After our conversation, I sat and thought for a while: regardless of any historico-political objections I may have to the work, do I actually like “Hamilton”?
How could I? Isn’t it cringe? To that, I would respond: find me a musical that isn’t cringe. It’s inherent to the form.
And to the first question: yes, I do. “Hamilton” is, at the end of the day, a very good musical, and I’m not afraid to say it — even if I cringe a little when I do.
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
Go to 5th this Fall
Located on 510 SW Hall St. Portland, 5th Avenue Cinema has released their list of weekly films for the term
ADYAN HUSSEIN
Have you ever fully gotten into the fall spirit without first making a list of goosebumps-inducing films to get through? Me neither.
5th Avenue Cinema is Portland State University’s nonprofit and completely student-run cinema on campus. They screen a variety of films encapsulating genres such as campy flicks, cult classics and independent cinema. As seen on their website, they have released their full weekly lineup with trailers and content warnings for the following;
WEEK 1: “SPACKED OUT” (2000)
Directed by Lawerence Ah Mon, “Spacked Out” takes place in Hong Kong and follows four troubled teenage girls – Cookie, Sissy, Banana and Bean-Curd. They struggle with issues such as drug use, suicide and betrayal while balancing school, family and friendship. This film is a crime drama and covers various sensitive topics.
Times:
Friday, Oct. 3 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 2: “THE SEALED SOIL” (1977) AND “CHESS OF THE WIND” (1976)
“The Sealed Soil” is directed by Marva Nabili, and “Chess of the Wind” is by Mohammad Reza Aslani. These films both take place pre-Iranian revolution and were only recently rediscovered and restored. “The Sealed Soil” is a feminist film about a woman fighting patriarchal structures in her village, whereas “Chess of the Wind” is a gothic story of institutional corruption and classism in a noble family.
Times:
Friday, Oct. 10 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 12 at 3:00 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.
Auditorium #1 at 5th Avenue Cinema.
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
WEEK 3: “A QUESTION OF SILENCE” (1982)
Directed by Marleen Gorris, this film follows the female criminal psychologist Janine who is appointed to a case by the court to psychoanalyze the three women who brutally murdered a man together at a boutique. Janine listens to each woman’s story to figure out if they’re sane or not, and what their motive was.
Times:
Friday, Oct. 17 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 18 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 4: “ARREBATO” (1979)
Directed by Iván Zulueta, this film is a Spanish cult horror and follows an obsessive filmmaker’s journey through heroin addiction and cinematography.
Times:
Friday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 25 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 5: “KNIFE+HEART” (2018)
Directed by Yann Gonzalez, this psycho-sexual horror thriller takes place in Paris and follows the filmmaker, Anne. While trying to produce one of her best films to win back her partner, her actors are brutally murdered one after the other.
Times:
Friday, Oct. 31 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 6: “BLACK MOTHER” (2018)
Directed by Khalik Allah, this documentary gives an interesting perspective while walking viewers through the visual, spiritual and social aspects of living in Jamaica.
Times:
Friday, Nov. 7 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 7: “THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VÉRONIQUE” (1991)
Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, this mystery follows a parallel story about two identical women who don’t know each other. One lives in France and the other lives in Poland, and we are taken through the ups and downs of this nuanced story.
Times:
Friday, Nov. 14 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 8: “LANDSCAPE FILM, ROBERTO BURLE MARX” (2018)
Directed by João Vargas Penna, this film walks us through the life, travels, and gardens of the Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx.
Times:
Friday, Nov. 21 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 9: “TRUST” (1990)
Directed by Hal Hartley, this romantic dark comedy follows a pregnant high school dropout Maria, who meets the very educated moody repairman Matthew which kickstarts their peculiar romance.
Times:
Saturday, Nov. 29 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 30 at 3:00 p.m.
WEEK 10: “PERFUMED NIGHTMARE” (1977)
Directed by Kidlat Tahimik, we follow Kidlat the Filipino taxi driver who has high expectations of westerner society and the American space programme. These expectations slowly begin to break once he moves to Paris.
Times:
Friday, Dec. 5 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 6 at 6:00 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3:00 p.m.
NICK GATLIN
“Money Jungle,” a 1963 collaboration between Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach, is like no Ellington you’ve heard before. It’s raw, discordant, at times explosive and oh so stanky. The opening title track starts with Mingus’ bass playing solo before Roach comes in on drums and Ellington follows with a crash of a cluster chord on the piano (as far as I can tell, Mingus is playing in A and Ellington’s in F — sick shit).
“Money Jungle” is considered “post-bop,” which is basically as close as you can get to free jazz without actually being free jazz. The tight trio instrumentation gives the album a freshness and experimentalness (experimentativity?) that makes you stop and ask, “Wait, that’s Duke Ellington? The big band guy?” Take the trio’s rendition of “Caravan,” the intro of which sounds a little more like a German Expressionist concerto than a jazz tune. Or listen to “Fleurette Africaine,” beginning with Mingus snaking his way up and down the bass while Roach taps out very quiet tom hits and Ellington plays a gentle ballad on keys.
The sound quality of the recording is a little iffy, but in this case it actually gives it a nice lo-fi atmosphere, as you can hear the audio levels peaking when Ellington hits a particularly dissonant (and loud) chord or when Mingus slaps the strings a little too hard.
“Switch Blade” — one of the many blues on the album, and one of the bonus tracks included on the 1986 rerelease — really lets Mingus shine, both in the intro and his solo (imagine that — a bass solo you actually want to listen to). Roach gets his own feature on “A Little Max (Parfait),” a short tune with some of the best drumming on the album, followed by “REM Blues,” another blues with yet another supremely listenable bass solo (!) and some of Ellington’s solidest blues work since the Newport concert.
If you’re at all a fan of Ellington, bop or simply losing your fucking mind over a Max Roach drum solo, this album is a must-listen. I give “Money Jungle” 10 out of 10 Minguses.
Auditorium #1 at 5th Avenue Cinema.
5th Ave’s projection booth.
NASH BENNETT
The Portland Marathon
In the wee hours of the morning, approximately 12,000 runners gathered in downtown Portland to embark on the city’s annual marathon. The sidewalks flooded with supporters and organizers, cheering on participants as they embarked on their 26 mile journey. The route provided runners with an on-foot survey of the city, leading the herd up both sides of the river from South to North then back again.
NASH BENNET AND HALEY HSU
As the sun starts to rise, runners patiently wait for the marathon to begin.
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
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HALEY HSU
After crossing the finishing line, each participant is rewarded with a banana.
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
NASH BENNETT
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
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HALEY HSU
HALEY HSU
Club Spotlight
Discover clubs on campus!
Plant Science Club
We bring together people who are interested in plant science, highlight on-campus plant science resources, expose students to related professions, and grow plants together. We meet every Tuesday from 12-2 pm, starting on October 7th, in SRTC 340. This will be our Seed Starting Social, with pizza and snacks.
Las Mujeres PSU
Las Mujeres PSU (The Women of PSU) is a Chicana/Chicane, Latina/Latine, women's empowerment organization that focuses on personal, professional, and communal betterment, creating a space of positive support, garnering allies, and giving back to our communities. We strive to promote strength and unity for all women and allies.
Sub-Basement Studios
SBS is a student-run production organization that fosters a community of independent filmmakers and artists, providing opportunities to experiment with the technical and writing aspects of filmmaking. Our Viking Film Festival, held at a movie theatre every spring, showcases a wide range of film projects.
Supply & Logistics Management Association
Career prep doesn’t have to be boring. We’re talking site tours, socials, and workshops where you make friends AND line up real job opportunities. Come hang!
Portland State World Antiquities Guild
This is a place for those fascinated by all aspects of ancient culture, languages and ideas! Our mission is to widen the community of global ancient scholars, increase access to foundational material and have fun.
Kong Student Association
Looking for good food, new friends, and a taste of Hong Kong culture? HKSA hosts fun events all year where you can eat, hang out, and learn more about the lifestyle and traditions of Hong Kong. No matter your background, come through— everyone’s welcome!
We welcome all students to learn ballroom dance with professional coaches. No partner or experience needed—just curiosity and joy! Join us for lessons and socials, with optional opportunities to compete and perform. Come dance with us!
The PSU Running Club is a student run organization that has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Join us outside Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and sometimes Saturday! Follow @psurunningclub on Instagram or email us at psurunclub@gmail.com for more details!
Breath is the first act of life. All our life we breathe but rarely are we conscious of our breathing. If we learn how to tap into the breath, we can reduce stress, anxiety and boost our focus and energy levels. Our special Masterclass with a global expert on Oct 20th – http://tiny.cc/jw-form
PSU Marketing Collective
Our mission is to empower students with opportunities to network, improve their marketing skills, and build a community with other marketers that will serve them in their current and future careers with valuable resources and tools available to all.
5th Avenue Cinema, Portland State University's student-run cinema since 1989, screens camp, cult, classic, and contemporary films every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. As Oregon's only student-run, non-profit cinema, we aim to educate and bring unique films to the big screen!
We in Computer Science
Our mission is to celebrate diversity by providing networking and support to communities historically underrepresented in CS. We run a mentorship program and weekly Code with WiCS meetings.
Hong
PSU Ballroom
PSU Running Club
SKY Breathwork and Meditation
5th Avenue Cinema
Littman & White Galleries
The Littman & White Galleries are student-run galleries at PSU...that’s our formal way of saying that it’s just four of us student employees planning, organizing, promoting, and running 2 gallery spaces complete with a variety of programming related to our different shows! Pull up and say hi!
PSU Cuba Solidarity
We seek to end the 6-decade long US embargo against Cuba. We also educate about Cuba’s reality and place in the world. We meet every Friday in Smith M114. You can contact us at cubasolidarity@pdx.edu or text us at (626)-524-8935.
Philosophy Club
We hope to provide an outlet for discussing and engaging with other people interested in philosophy on campus. We meet weekly, so come join us in the Philosophy Department in Cramer Hall: every Thursday at 3:30pm!
Women's Collaboration for Pre-Health Students
WCPH is a supportive space for women and those who support women pursuing healthcare careers. Our mission is to cultivate an environment where we empower, inspire, and uplift in our pre-health journey. We offer community-building events, mentoring, and health resources.
Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Association
We provide a platform for students to learn more about neuroscience through discussing research, keeping track of the latest advances in the field, and sharing relevant work, internships, and job opportunities. All are welcome to attend our events!
K-pop Dance Club
We teach K-Pop Dance classes every Monday and Thursday from 7:30 to 8:30 pm! Anyone is welcome to join and drop in on any sessions that interest them, no commitment required! Find announcements @pdxkpopdance on insta :)
PSU German Club
We are a community focused on German language and culture. We offer free film screenings, special lectures by German professors, watercolor parties, hikes, and other weekly events. All are welcome! Our officers are Kooper Wilson, Nova Leonard, and Heinrich Carey.
PSU Ultimate Frisbee
If you haven't heard of Ultimate Frisbee, this club is for you! If you've played ultimate frisbee, this club is for you! We are an all levels club geared towards community and team building. We practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4:30-6:30 at Scott Community Field. Come play and make awesome friends.
PSU Society of Women Engineers empowers and supports women in engineering and technology through professional development, outreach, and community building. The section connects members with industry leaders, mentors, and opportunities while fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. Society of Women Engineers
Contemporary Dance Club
We are an all-levels dance club that provides members a space to explore movement, music and get in tune with your body.
Pre-Medicine Student Association
Pre-MSA is open to all students and is dedicated to providing support to fellow pre-med students and creating new friendships. We provide opportunities to network with physicians, students, professionals, etc. We encourage everyone to join the Pre-Medicine Student Association!
The GIS Club is open to all PSU community members who are interested in Geographic Information Science. Whether you're a Geography student, taking a GIS class, or just like maps, we welcome you! If you’re interested to get involved, shoot us an email at GISClub@pdx.edu. GIS Club
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