INDEX
Looking back at a shining season
A NEWER, MORE HEALTHY U
Women's volleyball completes another top-notch season
PSU knows your resolutions are shakey
SPORTS: PAGE 15
ARTS: PAGE 9
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The Vanguard is published twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays.
ESTABLISHED 1946
FRIDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2011
VOL. 65 NO. 27
PSUVANGUARD.COM
Lindsay Desrochers to change roles PSU leader and VP of Finance and Administration announces plan to return as faculty member Alison Barnwell Vanguard staff
On Monday, Dr. Lindsay Desrochers shared her decision to step down from her position as Portland State’s vice president of Finance and Administration so that she can assume a faculty position in the College of Urban and Public Affairs next winter. During her career at PSU, Desrochers helped to create the University District and Urban Plaza and to link PSU to public transportation by bringing the Portland streetcar and the MAX train to campus. In addition, she staged the construction of the Academic and Student Recreation Center and College Station, while overseeing renovation of Lincoln Hall and Science Building 2, among other accomplishments. “If any individual can be said to be the architect of PSU’s tremendous physical growth over the past two decades, Lindsey would be that individual,” said PSU President Wim Wiewel this week in a campus-wide e-mail. Desrochers also worked alongside Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Roy Koch on the President’s Executive Committee, which manages the university’s $420 million operating budget.
“She’s been a great asset to the institution…and she leaves a lot of impressive accomplishments behind her,” Koch said. Though she’ll finish her administrative role at the end of the year, Desrochers plans to stay at PSU for the long run as a faculty member. “There’s a love affair between me and PSU,” she said. “My entire career has been focused on working with government and budgeting, and I want to share that with students.” Desrochers has been thinking about embracing a faculty role at PSU for a few years, she said. Last spring, she taught a public budgeting class at the College of Urban and Public Affairs. “Her enthusiasm and passion for budgeting are unparalleled,” said Assistant Director of New Programs Michelle Schwartz, who was a student in Desrochers’ spring course. “She’s both an educator and a practitioner.” Referring to her decision to retire from her administrative role, Desrochers said the timing is right. Wiewel’s success at settling into his presidency, a position that he accepted during her tenure as vice president, assures her that the PSU administration is in good hands. “[Wiewel] has transitioned beautifully, and it’s time for me to take care of personal needs and [return] to the faculty,” she said. Commenting on her capacities as a faculty member, Koch said that Desrochers will bring a “wealth of experience” to the curriculum in the College of Urban and Public Affairs. DESROCHERS ON PAGE 7
Board will oversee spring elections, but lack of student interest poses an obstacle Jesse Hansen Vanguard staff
As classes resumed this week for the start of winter term, so did Student Senate meetings. And one of the most pressing issues currently facing ASPSU is the assembly of an Elections Board to oversee the next student government election. This committee must be comprised of both students and senators, according to ASPSU President Katie Markey. In accordance with specifications outlined in the ASPSU ELECTIONS BOARD ON PAGE 3
Studying female military suicides Young female vets more likely to commit suicide than civilian women, PSU professor finds Erick Bengel Vanguard staff
ADAM WICKHAM/VANGUARD STAFF
Looking forward: PSU leader Lindsay Desrochers plans to step down in order to pursue a faculty position.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer comes to PSU
Young female veterans of the U.S. military are nearly three times more likely to commit suicide than civilian women, according to a recent study co-authored by Portland State’s professor of community health Dr. Mark Kaplan, research associate Nathalie Huguet, Ph.D. and Oregon Health and Science University’s Dr. Brentson McFarland, a professor of psychiatry. “Suicide among female veterans has received scant attention,” Huguet said. The study, titled “Self-Inflicted Deaths Among Women with Military Service: A Hidden RESEARCH ON PAGE 7
Chiron studies course lets students see the “metaphors behind the monsters”
Dean Marvin Kaiser steps down
Katrina Petrovich Vanguard staff
Portland State’s Chiron Studies program— where students can propose, plan and lead courses—has introduced a new class this term: “Exploring Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Led by PSU film major Allison Higginbotham, the course will examine the themes, metaphors and production of the popular television show. First airing in 1997, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” chronicled the lives and adventures of a teenage vampire hunter and her friends. The show ran for seven seasons and garnered a wide teenage audience. In 2006, the Journal of Popular Culture even named Buffy a “cult classic.” Higginbotham, the PSU student who proposed the new course after re-watching old episodes of Buffy, said the class will focus on aspects of the show’s production and influence on pop culture. “The class is definitely for Buffy fans, [but
ASPSU assembles this year’s Elections Board
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean retires after 17 years of service Ryan Deming Vanguard Staff
show relates to feminism, reading articles that both confirm and refute the claim that Buffy is a feminist program.
After serving for 17 years, Marvin Kaiser, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, notified the university of his retirement. He has asked Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Roy Koch to begin the search for his successor. “It’s time,” Kaiser said. “I’ve had a good run. Seventeen years is a long time to be a dean.” While Kaiser is stepping down from the dean position, PSU won’t be losing him altogether. Though nothing is definite, Kaiser said that he will continue exploring various career opportunities at PSU.
BUFFY ON PAGE 3
KAISER ON PAGE 3
ADAM WICKHAM/VANGUARD STAFF
Buffy culture: Because it is part of Chiron Studies, student Allison Higginbotham will lead the "Buffy" course.
also] for people interested in television studies,” she said. Students will also analyze themes and metaphors presented in specific episodes. For instance, the class will be studying how the