Portland State Vanguard 11-06-12

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Men’s basketball opens season Vikings take down Concordia with clutch play sports page 14

NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ARTS & culture............ 6 OPINION........................ 10 ETC................................ 13 SPORTS........................ .. 14

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Portland University Portland StateState University Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 | vol. 67 no. 20

Wiewel’s message to SFC: no new fees

Students forage for food

SFC distributes $14 million in student fees Shanna Cranston Vanguard Staff

On Friday, Portland State President Wim Wiewel delivered a message to the Associated Students of Portland State University’s student fee committee in person: Do not raise student fees, no matter how tempting or necessary it may seem. Wiewel met with the SFC as the committee begins to consider the 2013–14 budget requests of hundreds of fee-funded student organizations, which have begun to put together their own budget wish lists. The SFC is in charge of the roughly $14 million in incidental fees that are collected from students along with tuition each term. The committee approves or denies budget requests for these funds and prepares an overall budget. The committee submits the budget to the student senate, and it is then passed along to the university president for approval. This fall, about 30,300 students enrolled in the university, up from about 29,000 in fall 2011. While PSU is definitely not lacking in students, the modest increase in enrollment means there won’t be significantly more money next year to put into student programs. “That’s why I like having modest growth to student enrollment,” See SFC on page 5

Karl Kuchs/VANGUARD STAFf

Marisha Auerbach, an expert on edible wildlife, explains uses for plants found on campus to student Scott Clapson. Some of the food items grow right outside classroom halls.

Campus offers edible delights Gwen Shaw Vanguard Staff

In the midst of candy highs, crazy costumes and haunted houses, 10 Portland State students toured campus to learn about the array of free, nutritious food literally within reach. On Wednesday, Marisha Auerbach, a community member and expert on edible wildlife, led the group through the Park Blocks and to the Native American Student and Community Center’s rooftop and backyard gardens to point out the abundance of edible plants available. The event was organized by PSU’s

Food Action Collective in line with FAC’s mission statement, said Ashley Hibler, a social science junior and a cochair of FAC. “The [FAC] is about educating and inspiring people to learn about their food systems—what’s around them and where it comes from,” she said. In each of the areas, Auerbach pointed out native and beneficial plants students can eat and shared their uses.

Outside of Cramer Hall in the Park Blocks Wild ginger can be found in deep shade near the building, often under shrubs, and can be used in tea or for nibbling. Ginger is easy to

identify by its smell, Auerbach said. Nettles, also found near the building, can be used in a number of ways. They can be lightly steamed and enjoyed like kale or chard and are also good in tea, as they help allergies and strengthen the immune system, she said. Auerbach pointed out that nettles can only be eaten before they reach knee height. Once the plant gets that tall, it will contain compounds that can be harmful to humans. Hawthorn is also common. Auerbach said its leaves and berries can go into tea and are great for the heart. To identify hawthorn, look for spiky thorns and leaves that alternate on the stems. Living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s likely that PSU students have come

across huckleberries. Evergreen huckleberries can be found right outside of Cramer Hall, with tasty berries that turn black when they are ready to eat. Auerbach said that if someone were to go up to the mountains and forage for huckleberries, they could easily find enough to make a pie or even to sell to a local restaurant and possibly make a little cash. Willow trees are another common sight, and most people are unaware of their benefits. Auerbach described it as natural aspirin, not only for people, but for other plants as well. When planting a garden, making a tea out of willow leaves and pouring it on the soil where plants are to go can help with growth.

 See Edibles on page 2

Students pitch in for afternoon of service Matthew Ellis Vanguard staff

Matthew Ellis/VANGUARD STAFf

Music education major Linse Sullivan helps organize donated materials with student Victoria Grami at Scrap on Friday.

Portland State’s Student Leaders for Service kicked off its new “First Friday” program last week with a trip to Scrap, a local nonprofit organization that encourages arts and sustainability through what they call “creative reuse.” By accepting donated arts materials, Scrap hopes to both decrease waste and reinject the Portland community with arts projects and programs for children and local artists. Scrap hosts workshops and community events and chooses a local school to sponsor each year with the goods they receive.

In addition to used paintbrushes and rolls of fabric, Scrap often gets boxes full of highly unorganized, dirty and unmanageable goods. “We get weird, random boxes filled with stuff like half-broken fencing equipment, or one time, the entire inside of a grand piano,” Scrap Store Manager Stephanie Weber said. Because of this, and because of the fact that most of Scrap’s staff are volunteers, the organizational process can be overwhelming. Nine PSU students met with Weber on Friday to help sanitize and organize Scrap’s donations room. Upon arrival, they found tables overflowing with

yarn, clothing and scraps of fabric. Ailene Farkac, a social work major, helped sort a box filled with hundreds of greeting cards. “Not only am I a new student, but this is my first trip with [SLS]—I had been searching for student groups to get involved with as soon as I got to campus, and SLS does exactly what I want to do,” she said. Friday’s SLS event at Scrap was partly coordinated by Katie Hoyt, a community development major, SLS member and part-time Scrap employee. See SCRAP on page 5


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