Portland State Vanguard

PORTLAND STATE VANGUARD

VOLUME 71 • ISSUE 13 • NOVEMBER 8, 2016

THANK YOU! to our sponsors:

Bishop’s Barbershop Columbia Sportswear Fire On the Mountain Off the Waffle Oregon Historical Society Portland Art Museum for their donations to our 2016 Open Haunted House event.

Launch Your Career with the Peace Corps Career Fair Information Table Portland State University Tuesday November 15 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Lisa Snell and Lauren Hughey will discuss how you can make a difference overseas and return home with the experience and global perspective to stand out in a competitive job market.

Life is calling. How far will you go?

Your prize donations helped make our event successful and fun!

855.855.1961 | www.peacecorps.gov/events

PSU’s Student-Run News Team

WE WANT YOU! We want you so bad, it’s driving us mad.

You have a platform at your disposal. Use it.

Leaders, come forth!

Hiring for: Online Editor, Creative Director and International Editor for Winter term

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK

Who we always need: Writers, designers, photographers, videographers Join PSU’s student-run news team!

NEWS INTERNATIONAL FEATURE ARTS & CULTURE OPINION ADVICE EVENT LISTINGS

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COVER PHOTO BY: ROOSEVELT SOWKA COVER TEXT BY: SHANNON KIDD SHANE DITTRICH, 52, MOVED TO PORTLAND LAST YEAR AND WANTS TO WORK AS AN EXTRA IN MOVIES AND ON TELEVISION. DITTRICH IS HOMELESS AND ADDICTED TO HEROIN. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

MISSION STATEMENT: The 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 a quality, hands-on journalism education and a number of skills that are highly valued in today’s job market.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Colleen Leary editor@psuvanguard.com

TURN TO P. 8 FOR THIS WEEK’S FEATURE STORY ON HOMELESSNESS, ADDICTION AND HOW PSU’S CAMPUS INTERTWINES WITH THE CITY-WIDE EPIDEMIC. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/ PSU VANGUARD

MANAGING EDITOR Molly Ozier managingeditor@psuvanguard.com

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Jessica Gaudette-Reed international@psuvanguard.com

NEWS EDITOR Jon Raby news@psuvanguard.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Arlen Cornejo production@psuvanguard.com

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Alanna Madden associatenews@psuvanguard.com

PHOTO EDITOR Silvia Cardullo photo@psuvanguard.com

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Daniel Finnegan arts@psuvanguard.com

ONLINE EDITOR Tim Sullivan online@psuvanguard.com

OPINION EDITOR Jennee Martinez opinion@psuvanguard.com

COPY CHIEF Thomas Spoelhof copy@psuvanguard.com

COPY EDITORS Bridget Carrick Emily HagenBurger Jacoba Lawson MULTIMEDIA MANAGER Andy Ngo multimedia@psuvanguard ADVERTISING MANAGER Madelaine Eivers psustudentmediaadmanager@ gmail.com DESIGNERS Lauren Chapluk Terra Dehart Shannon Kidd Aaron Osborn Lydia Wojack-West

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sam Hicks CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Andrews Delaney Bigelow Joan Brown Marie Conner Catherine Johnson Chris May John Pinney Molly Simas PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Andrews Stella Crabtree Roosevelt Sowka ADVERTISING SALES Michael Hardy Ilyse Espino

ADVISER Reaz Mahmood reaz@pdx.edu ADVERTISING ADVISER Ann Roman The Vanguard 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 those of the PSU student body, faculty, staff or administration.

NEWS

PSU CELEBRATES OPENING OF PAN-AFRICAN COMMONS AND PIAAA CULTURAL CENTERS CHRIS MAY

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Cultural Resource Centers held their Grand Opening Celebration for both the new Pan-African Commons and the Pacific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center.

Students, faculty, staff, administrators and community leaders gathered for a celebration that included speeches and performances from those whose diversity reflects the broad coalition that made the creation of these centers possible.

Among the speakers at the event was Melika Belhaj, one of the student organizers for last year’s “Students of Color Speak Out,” an event which has been credited as the catalyst for the urgency behind the creation of the two new Cultural Resource Centers. Belhaj—a student of color working and studying full-time to earn her degree— offered advice for students who may be struggling to find time to take advantage of the campus resources, including these new centers.

“Even though I worked full time, and I was going to school full time, I made the time to go to those events because they fed me, they lifted me up,” Belhaj said. “My advice would be to really be cognizant about, as individual students, how do we feel, how am I feeling on a day-to-day basis as I move through school? Does this provide me with some serenity?

Does it provide me with some strength? Because that’s what it provided me with, and that’s how I was able to move through the rest of my education.”

Many of the speakers lauded the new centers as physical manifestations of the administration’s commitment to diversity and

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reiterated the importance of having safe spaces where students could come and simply be themselves. They also emphasized the fact that while these victories are important, there is always further work to be done.

CRC Executive Director Cynthia Gomez discussed the importance of having students involved in this work.

“Regardless of who you are, regardless of how you want to get involved, these centers are a great place to go because they’re student-centered organizations,” Gomez said. “We have professional CRC staff to plug students in and help them be successful at whatever it is they want to do.”

Gomez also stressed that these centers are open to everyone and encouraged any student who doesn’t necessarily identify with or represent a particular group but wants to be an ally or to simply better understand their fellow students to visit these centers and be part of the environment and dialogues that take place.

The CRC’s five-year plan also includes a student center for Middle Eastern and Arab students.

Last year, the CRC hosted more than 375 events and had over 64,000 staff, students, faculty and community members visit the centers. Prior to the opening of the two new centers, the CRC included the Multicultural Student Center, the Native American Student and Community Center, and La Casa Latina Student center.

The creation of the PanAfrican Commons and PIAAA center was announced

by President Wim Wiewel late last year, in response to

increasing concerns voiced by students about discrimination and the lack of cultural spaces.

Anyone interested in learning more is encouraged to sign up for the CRC’s weekly newsletter, which shares information about upcoming events, as well as available leadership opportunities and ways to get involved in the ongoing process of shaping the missions of these new cultural centers.

Sign up is available on the Cultural Resource Centers web page or in person at any of the CRC student centers.

The Pan-African Commons and PIAAA center are located in Smith Memorial Student Union 236 and 235.

“Regardless of who you are, regardless of how you want to get involved, these centers are a great place to go because they’re studentcentered organizations” -CYNTHIA GOMEZ

ON WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, THE CULTURAL RESOURCE CENTERS HELD THEIR GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FOR BOTH THE NEW PAN-AFRICAN COMMONS AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDER, ASIAN & ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT CENTER. STELLA CRABTREE/PSU VANGUARD.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

NEWS

PRESIDENT’S MEDAL AWARDED TO MARK ROSENBAUM PHILANTHROPIST AND BUSINESSMAN ROSENBAUM DESCRIBED AS INCREDIBLY INVOLVED JOAN BROWN Philanthropist and dedicated volunteer to Portland State, Mark Rosenbaum has been awarded the President’s Medal. This prestigious honor, which President Wim Wiewel has awarded only four times, was announced at a recent PSU Foundation and University Trustees’ dinner.

“Mark is a visionary whose passion for [PSU] is infectious and inspiring,” Wiewel said.

“His legacy of giving continues to have a profound impact on the lives of our students and vibrancy of our community and for that we are truly grateful.”

PSU’s President’s Medal was first created in 1976.

“The general objective might have changed over time, but at the end of the day the goal has always been to [acknowledge] those key individuals who have provided volunteer service and philanthropic service to really move PSU forward,” said Sara Case, director of Stewardship and Communications at the PSU Foundation.

During Rosenbaum’s tenure with the PSU Foundation, Case said he “was incredibly involved.” She explained that he was integral in moving the fundraising arm of the university under the foundation’s umbrella.

“He has done huge amounts over the last two years as board chair in building those relationships with the university and really helping as we’ve grown on our philanthropic side,” Case said.

Mark Rosenbaum, president of Rosenbaum Financial and immediate past board chair of the PSU Foundation,

works at his business an average of 40 hours a week, plus he gives an average of 20 hours a week in volunteer and philanthropic work.

“My family has been involved in community service since they immigrated to Portland from Berlin and Vienna in the late 1930s,” Rosenbaum said. “I grew up watching my father and mother deeply involved in the community. I began doing the same thing ever since college.

It becomes part of your approach to the world that part and parcel of being engaged and employed is giving back to the community.”

First involved in the PSU Foundation in 2009, Rosenbaum increased the foundation’s fund raising “from about $12 million annually to $42 million in 2014,” Case said. “Those are donors making gifts to the university through the foundation.”

Prior to serving on the PSU Foundation board Rosenbaum served as chair of the Portland Development Commission. When asked by Ken Thrasher and Tom Fink if he’d consider coming to the PSU board, Rosenbaum didn’t hesitate.

“My time at PDC reinforced the fact that PSU is, in my mind, one of three critical factors to our region’s growth and to our city’s success,” Rosenbaum said. It’s an under acknowledged asset that we have, and the one that I think can do the most good.

We all know that a college degree can catapult you into economic security if you’re coming from a background of need. It’s a terrific way to

combat inter-generational poverty and create success for families for generations to come.”

Now that he’s a past board chair of the PSU Foundation, Rosenbaum will help with the transition of the current chair, Kim Cooper. “[Rosenbaum] is currently on the College Affordability and Success Coalition, which was a product of the business community coming together with PSU after PSU decided not to pursue a ballot measure,” Case added.

At the recent PSU Foundation and University Trustees’ dinner Rosenbaum was the only one who received Wiewel’s President’s Medal. But, Rosenbaum is avid in his praise of others.

“My service is not exceptional when it comes to board service at PSU,” Rosenbaum said. “If you look at the bios of this year’s Simon Benson honorees: Tom Fink and Karen Brown Wilson or you look at our current and past trustees for the foundation or the university you will be so impressed with the breadth of their community involvement and commitment to PSU. There are a large number of foundation and university board members who care passionately, and many of them have not been PSU students.”

Rosenbaum has been awarded many honors and accolades through his business, Rosenbaum Financial, Inc., including the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ 2015 Senior Agent of the Year Award. He is a Life and Qualifying Member of the

PSU AWARDS PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL TO COMMUNITY LEADER MARK ROSENBAUM. COURTESY OF SARA CASE Million Dollar Round Table— and a member of the prestigious Top of the Table, a forum of the world’s best life insurance and financial service professionals.

“You get more back by being involved than you give,

consistently,” Rosenbaum said. “This idea of service is something that each of our students should keep in the back of their mind. Getting engaged is making a difference and understanding how much of a difference

you can have is so impacting.

It transfers into your business life, your family life.

I think we are immensely blessed to live and work in Portland because you can get involved and have some kind of an impact.”

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ELECTIONS AROUND THE WORLD JESSICA GAUDETTE-REED

The United States is not the only country electing a new leader this year. Here is a rundown of other countries also engaging in presidential politics: Bulgaria, Nov. 6. Voting in the presidential elections is compulsory. Secondround voting will occur on Nov. 13 if no candidate wins 50+1 percent of the Nov. 6 vote, in which 21 candidates are running. The main candidates are parliament speaker Tsetska Tsacheva and former air force general Rumen Radev.

Moldova, Nov. 13.

Second-round voting from the Nov. 1 election, this is the first presidential election Moldovans have participated in for over 20 years. Two candidates made

it to the second round: the pro-Russian socialist Igor Dodon and anti-corruption and pro-European candidate Maia Sandu.

Haiti, Nov. 20. Delayed from October due to Hurricane Matthew, the Haiti election features 27 candidates, and campaigning begins on Nov. 7.

Democratic Republic of the Cong o, Nov. 27.

Postponed until further notice due to “logistical and budgetary constraints,” according to current President Joseph Kabila. The electoral commission said in August that Congo’s voter registry will not be completed until July 2017.

The Gambia, Dec. 1. Date not confirmed. Incumbent President Yaya Jammeh

has ceased campaigning, believing that Gambians love him so much they will vote for him without being canvassed. Human Rights Watch has criticized the Gambian election process due to arrests, violence, and intimidation directed at opposition activists and leaders.

Austria, Dec. 4. After a delay caused by faulty envelope glue, Austria’s leading candidates are Norbert Hoffer and Alexander Van der Bellen, who won the earlier runoff election that was annulled due to the defective envelopes.

Ghana, Dec. 7. Four candidates are campaigning for election on Dec. 7, with John Dramani Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo leading

OCT. 31

NOV. 2

NOV. 3

Oct. 31–Nov. 7

NOV. 3

Jessica Gaudette-Reed

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PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

the polls.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN CHAPLUK

VENEZUELA

Nov. 11 has been set as the official date for a “national dialogue” to begin between the Venezuelan government and opposition parties. The agenda for the November meeting was set during the first face-to-face meeting between the government and opposition parties this year. Opposition parties have been trying to oust President Nicolas Maduro through a recall referendum. Allegations of fraud caused the suspension of a signature drive to demand a recall referendum.

The opposition has criticized President Maduro for his handling of oil export revenues, which make up 95 percent of Venezuela’s export income. Tensions between the Venezuelan government and opposition parties is in part a product of the current state of the economy. The International Monetary Fund expects the inflation rate in Venezuela to rise 1,660 percent next year.

CHINA

A mine blast occurred at Jinshangou mine in China’s Chongqing region. Two miners survived and were rescued early on Monday. The 33 miners trapped in the gas explosion all perished and their bodies were recovered. Gas explosions are often caused when a flame or spark ignites gas leaking from a coal seam where there is inadequate ventilation.

China’s mining industry has been criticized as being one of the world’s deadliest. In the aftermath of the blast, the State Administration for Work Safety ordered and investigation, and officials in the region temporarily ordered all smaller mines to be shut down. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of coal, but in an effort to curb overproduction has announced plans to close over 1,000 outdated mines.

UNITED KINGDOM

Judges in London ruled that the UK government must consult Parliament before exiting the European Union. Formal exit negotiations could only take place after triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. UK Prime Minister Theresa May stated that success of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, or Brexit as it is more commonly known, means that members of Parliament do not need to vote on EU exit proceedings. The government is appealing the court’s decision, saying that the referendum was held only after a successful vote in the House of Commons to give the decision to the British people. Another hearing is scheduled for December.

MOROCCO/FRANCE

Leïla Slimani was awarded the Goncourt literary prize for Chanson Douce (Sweet Song), a thriller that follows the story of a nanny who murders the two children in her care. Moroccan-born Slimani is the 12th woman to win the Goncourt in its 100-year history. The Goncourt is a top literary award in the Francophone world. The honor does not come with a sizeable monetary prize. Slimani will only receive 10 euros ($11), but the title comes with a tacit assurance of the book making it onto the year’s best-sellers list. The tale is loosely based on the circumstances surrounding a Dominican nanny accused of killing two children in New York in 2012.

NEWS

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO VOTE! Haven’t voted yet? Don’t worry, procrastinator, it’s not too late to cast your vote.

You have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8 to drop off your ballots for this year’s election. Here’s a list of ballot drop-off sites on and around campus:

OFFICIAL DROP-OFF SITES Pioneer Courthouse Square 700 block of SW Broadway Next to Starbucks and across from Nordstrom Closes at 8 p.m.

Central Library 801 SW 10th Ave Closes at 8 p.m.

UNOFFICIAL CAMPUS DROP-OFF SITES ASPSU office First floor of Smith Memorial Student Union, behind the info desk 1825 SW Broadway Closes at 5 p.m.

Lobby of Neuberger Hall 724 SW Harrison St Closes at 5 p.m.

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL EVENTS JESSICA GAUDETTE-REED

H O L O C A U S T H I S T O R I A N

CHRISTOPHER BROWNING SPEAKS ON FRENCH JEWISH

REFUGEES

The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and the Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project at Portland State University has organized a talk with Holocaust historian, Christopher Browning, titled “From Humanitarian Relief to Holocaust Rescue: Tracy Strong Jr. and the Fate of Jewish Refugees in Southern France.” This talk ties into the theme for the 2016–17 HGS and OJMCHE partnership on global migrations and refugees historically and in the present day.

Browning’s talk is free and open to the public. Further information is available here: www.ojmche.org What: Christopher Browning talk on the fate of Jewish refugees in southern France during the Holocaust.

When: 7 p.m., Nov. 10 Where: Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom Cost: Free

CAN CHINESE

CONSUMERS RESCUE CHINA

AND THE WORLD? The Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University will host a lecture by Karl Gerth, the Hwei-Chih and Julia Hsiu Chair in Chinese Studies and professor of history at the University of California, San Diego. “Can Chinese Consumerism Rescue China and the World?” explores the social, environmental and economic trade-offs of China’s growth as a consumer-led world power.

Dr. Gerth’s International Education Week lecture is free and open to the public. Further information is available here: tiny.cc/pdxasianstudies What: “Can Chinese Consumerism Rescue China and the World?”

When: Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 238 Cost: Free

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION FEATURE COVER

ADDICTION AND HOMELESSNESS HIT CLOSE TO HOME

HOW A CITY-WIDE EPIDEMIC INTERSECTS WITH PSU’S URBAN CAMPUS JOAN BROWN

Even though he seemed embarrassed by the question, Joe, who is toothpick thin, admitted he is addicted to heroin and has been for some time. “People are dying all the time from heroin in Portland,” he said.

Joe is homeless, as are approximately 3,800 other people in Portland according to the City of Portland.

“Portland has a reputation for being a heroin hotspot,” said Phillip Zerzan, chief of Campus Public Safety.

The Drug Enforcement Agency’s April 2015 National Heroin Threat Assessment Summary states, “The threat posed by heroin in the United States is serious and has increased since 2007. Heroin is available in large quantities, used by a large number of people, and is causing an increasing number of overdose deaths.”

Of the four homeless individuals interviewed for this article, each of them was within two blocks of the Portland State campus, three were addicted to heroin and one was alcohol-dependent. Heroin is extremely addictive. Some experts believe that a person becomes addicted after only four consecutive doses.

“Unfortunately heroin and meth, are very, very common amongst the homeless people. At least the people we deal with,” said Dave Troppe, PSU police officer. “Some of them really want to get off of it, and they’re trying hard to kick the habit, but there are a lot of them who enjoy the lifestyle. They’ll tell you they’re happy with what they’re doing.”

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ANDREANNA “NANA” ZICK, 35, ADDICTED TO ALCOHOL. WANTS TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR FORESTRY. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD

JOE, 50, ADDICTED TO HEROIN. WANTS TO GO BACK TO WORK AS A CHEF. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

Peter Stuart Ward, PSU police officer, could—off the top of his head—recall only one homeless person he has met who was not drug or alcohol addicted.

“We meet a lot of people who have been on the street for a long time. By that time, I think they have little resources available or any hope of the long term,” Ward said.

Joe, who is 50 years old, was sitting on the sidewalk leaning against a church. In 1979 Joe was a professional chef working and living in

Chicago. Then his house burned down, so he returned here to live with his friends, stare at Mt. Hood and learn to fish. He wanted to go back to work, but no one would hire him. Recently Joe was in Good Samaritan hospital for seven days for pneumonia and septic shock.

HEROIN USE ON THE RISE

A DEA chart within the assessment summary shows that in 2007 the heroin death rate was about 2,300; in 2010 it was 3,000; and by 2013 it

FEATURE OPINION

EVANS HOYT, 37 ADDICTED TO HEROIN. WANTS TO WORK AS A FINISH CARPENTER. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD was 8,000. The DEA summary does not give details by state, but Oregon is included in a region of five states where 33.4 percent of participating law enforcement agencies reported heroin as the greatest drug threat.

Standing in front of a park bench, Evans Hoyt, 37, unpacked a backpack and spread his belongings, including a large knife in a sheath, across the bench and on the ground. A full, reusable shopping sack with a bag of cookies tucked in it sat on the ground. Behind the park bench was propped a black bike, for which someone had offered him $200, but he believed he could get more.

Hoyt grew up in Portland and has been homeless for the past seven years. He currently spends much of his time in the park blocks. Hoyt was married with a child back in 2009 while working for the local shipyards. However, Hoyt was laid off shortly after and became severely depressed. His wife eventually left and took their son with her. Despite being placed on antidepressants, Hoyt turned to heroin instead.

On campus there have been only a few heroin-related deaths. “We found someone a couple weeks ago who had crawled behind a dumpster, who was close to being dead, but because medical was so close they were able to revive him. Narcan really turns it around, and CPR,” Troppe said. “We’ve had several incidents like that. But,

if that’s not performed they are going to die.”

“We have had people on campus, in the parking garage, that were victims of heroin overdose, or who have experimented with narcotic medications like variations of Fentanyl, and that’s caused suppression of breathing and loss of consciousness,” said Mark Bajorek, M.D., director of Health Services at PSU Student Health and Counseling.

Bajorek explained that typically a person overdosing does not have the wherewithal to make it over to SHAC. However, SHAC is prepared for events such as these through the possession of Narcan. Narcan, aka Naloxone, rapidly blocks the effects of opioid overdose.

Originally, Narcan had to be drawn into a syringe and then injected into a person.

But now it’s in a dispenser similar to an inhaler. “Put it up the nose and push the plunger,” Bajorek said.

In September 2016 the Oregon Board of Pharmacy passed a rule allowing pharmacists to prescribe Narcan to anyone who walks into a pharmacy and completes an OHA training course, which is reputed to take about fifteen minutes.

Currently, SHAC and CPSO are working on a program where officers may be trained to administer Narcan.

In October a man was found dead in the Lovejoy fountain area. Ward and Troppe believe his death was alcohol related.

Andreanna Zick was squatting on the sidewalk, and next to her were a backpack and other items. Lifting up a hat to uncover a can of beer she took a drink and said, “Alcohol is my only vice.”

Zick is 35 and has been in Portland for about a year, but was also here in 2009. A train hopper since 2002, she’s lost half of her thumb and almost lost the lower half of her right leg—with the scar to prove it. Holding up her shirt she showed a foot-wide band wrapped around her stomach and said she had four hernias.

That night Zick planned to hop a train out of Portland to Spokane, Washington then Rathdrum, Idaho then on to Montana and all the way to her hometown in Wisconsin, which she hasn’t been back to since 1999. She left because of an alcoholic mother.

At the time of the interview she was flipping through a raggedy booklet, which she explained was something not many people know about—a train-hoppers’ guide telling which camps are good to stay at and which are likely to get a person seriously injured or killed.

UNTAPPED RESOURCES

Portland has a lot of resources for the homeless.

“We always ask if they want any kind of assistance,” said Ward, “but often they don’t.”

“At the shelters they get stuff stolen, or they get beat up,” Troppe said, “Or they have to be clean to go in, and they want to use their drugs so they’d rather be on the street.

I can’t even think of someone

who has accepted resources before, except for detox.”

Hoyt has been through five detox programs in the past.

He said he is currently enrolled in a program and also currently using heroin.

“Most of the street people are heroin addicts, and they all steal to get more heroin,” Hoyt said. He went on to explain that many people get beaten up on the street, and that many people die, mostly from drug overdose, but some from violence.

Shane Dittrich is 52, originally from Fontana, California, and has been in Portland about a year. His mission is to be an extra in movies and on television. One problem though—he doesn’t have a big enough wardrobe to go for auditions. Sitting calmly on a park bench, the afternoon sun pleasantly shining, he looked out of eyes with pupils the size of pinholes. When asked, he said that yes, he was under the influence of heroin.

Dittrich described himself as a liar and a cheat.

“It’s easy,” he said. “And I’m good at it.” Sometimes he goes to train stations and inserts himself into a crowd of about 20 or more people. “I tell them I’m traveling with my sister, and that we’re on our way home to see our parents, but her purse was stolen and most of our money was in her purse. Won’t someone please help? All we need is fourteen dollars and twenty-one cents.

Please help us. Please!”

PSU has a lot of theft, “But that’s not usually the homeless,” Ward said. “That’s crim-

inals who know this is a rich environment in relation to students with expensive laptops that they leave lying around while they go use the restroom or get a coffee.”

STUDENT RESPONSE

In an effort to gain an understanding of how the PSU community feels about the homeless problem, three students were randomly asked for their opinions.

“They’re people and we are a public institution. But, first and foremost, they are people,” said Tim, a biology major.

“I have absolutely no concerns about [homeless people] being here on campus.

This is a public space. Also, how can you define homelessness?” said Jan, a graduate student working on a Ph.D. in urban studies.

“Overall most of them are generally good people,” Troppe said. “Some of them have mental health issues and some of them have drug issues, but that doesn’t make them violent or dangerous to students. There may be a very small percentage who could be dangerous, but we don’t see that very often.”

“It’s OK actually, they don’t have anyplace else to go. They don’t actually disturb us,” said Jean, an accounting major.

“When we deal with most homeless people, I would say they are positive contacts that end well,” said Troppe.

“We see the same people everyday. We say ‘hello’ to them. There’s a mutual respect. I think when they see us coming—if they’re

doing something such as illegal drugs or charging their phones where they know they’re not supposed to, they’ll cover that up. We even have several homeless people that clean up the park blocks, they’ll pick up other people’s trash.”

Most of the time Joe keeps a dose of Narcan handy. This year alone he’s administered it to friends seven times.

Shaking his head he muttered, “Fentanyl.” Some days he spends in the park blocks and some by the river where he fishes. Nights he stays by the river. Shuddering, he said, “Man the sound of them rats.”

Additional charts in the DEA’s April 2015 report show that the price of pure heroin dropped dramatically from 1981 to 2004 but through 2012 was fairly steady; conversely, the “retail-level average purity” was at 10 percent in 1981, climbed to a peak of 42 percent around 1994, dropped to 23 percent in about 2010, then started a sharp increase.

The reason heroin users come here, according to Joe, is that even though the price of heroin is pretty much the same—Chicago, Seattle, Portland, it’s a lot stronger in Portland.

Editor’s note: An ongoing discussion exists about whether to use the term houseless vs. homeless. After consulting advocates and members of the community, we’ve chosen to use the term homeless as this is most commonly how the community chooses to describe itself.

SHANE DITTRICH, 52, ADDICTED TO HEROIN. WANTS TO WORK AS AN EXTRA IN MOVIES AND ON TELEVISION. ROOSEVELT SOWKA/PSU VANGUARD

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ARTS & CULTURE

A LEG UP AND A HELPING HAND STRATEGIES FOR HELPING THOSE IN CRISIS SITUATIONS COMMENTARY BY MOLLY SIMAS

I found myself on a Yellow Line MAX train, trying to calm the distressed woman beside me. Normally, if I saw a person who appeared to be homeless on the MAX, rocking back and forth and talking to themselves, I’d quietly mind my own business. But on this day, I was involved.

It was getting dark and starting to rain. Where would she end up? What happened to people like her, people disoriented and frightened and homeless and vulnerable? My interaction with this woman couldn’t be the first (or last) time a student has encountered a non-student experiencing a crisis.

When I’d approached the MAX station after my class, my professor was buying a ticket for the woman who stood behind him, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Her lip and eyebrow were cut and bleeding, her eyes bloodshot and looking in all directions. She was wringing her hands and whimpering.

Someone had beaten her up; she was scared, homeless, and didn’t know where to go.

As the three of us waited for the train, her eyes were wide and searching. She answered our questions with disjointed phrases or not at all.

Later, as I sat with her on the MAX, her whimpers grew louder. Her agitation continued to mount as the train filled, and after a few stops she jumped up and fled.

I hesitated, unsure of what to do as the doors closed. At the next stop, I got off the MAX and walked quickly back to where I’d last seen her through the window of the train. I circled for blocks in either direction. I couldn’t

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find her. She was gone; but her face stayed with me, along with the wish that I’d been able to help her.

I called the Portland Rescue Mission. I wanted to figure out what, if anything, could be done for people in crisis when these circumstances repeat themselves, for myself or any other student.

“If you’re dealing with someone who’s not there mentally, there’s not a ton you can really do,” said a voice over the phone.

The volunteer who answered my phone call said the Rescue Mission, located on the west side of the Burnside Bridge, is a good place to take people for a few nights of safety, where they can “get their head back on.”

If you’re unsure of how to approach someone who is visibly unstable, he said, it’s always a good idea to just ask them if you can talk to them or call anyone for them.

“Always let them feel like they’re in control of the situation,” he said. But he reiterated: if someone isn’t cognizant, sometimes you just can’t help them.

Kathy Pape is Central City Concern’s senior director of public affairs, a Portland nonprofit assisting those affected by homelessness, poverty, and addiction. When I explained my query to her, she said the best option is the non-emergency police.

“They have a mental health response team. They’re a great resource and they know how to deal with people,” Pape said.

The CCC has a pickup service for people who are disoriented due to drugs or alcohol—those “aggressively drunk or passed out,” Pape said. It’s called the CHIERS

van. It roves the city and is staffed by EMTs trained to deal with substance abusers and the mentally ill.

However, Pape told me they only pick up intoxicated people. In terms of the experience I had, they may not have been able to help the woman—clearly in distress but not from drugs or alcohol.

Finally, I went to the Women’s Resource Center.

A staffer there reiterated advice I’d already heard. Ask the individual if they want to talk, if you can call anyone for them. This staffer was wary of calling the police; you never know, she said, who will be triggered by people in uniform, and by virtue of their presence, police introduce the potential of lethal force into any situation. Even PSU Campus Dispatch officers responding to an emergency call may be armed, she said.

My quest for answers didn’t yield a magic-bullet solution. There was no conclusive course of action for what to do for those in crisis. But I’ve learned that if you feel the urge to help, just be a human being and treat the distressed as such. Ask the person if you can talk to them. Ask if they can articulate what they need. And if you don’t know what to do for them, here are some numbers to call: CHIERS van: 503-238-8132 Portland Rescue Mission, Burnside: 503-906-7690 Campus Public Safety Office, non-emergency: 503 -725-4407 Non-emergency police: 503 -823-3333

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANNON KIDD

ARTS & CULTURE

43RD NORTHWEST FILMMAKERS’ FESTIVAL SHOWCASES REGIONAL TALENT CATHERINE JOHNSON

The NW Film Center will commence its 43rd Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival on Nov. 10, featuring 17 films from talented independent filmmakers across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and British Columbia.

“I am excited about a lot of things,” said Ben Popp, the festival manager.

This year the festival kicks off with a Filmmakers’ Summit at the Portland Art Museum, featuring a day of panels and guest speakers discussing the latest technologies and trends in filmmaking.

“I am excited for the festival to begin in this manner as this festival, being a regional one, is about a dialog in general of filmmaking, festivals and what it means to be a filmmaker,” Popp said.

“Does one have to live in New York or Los Angeles? Or can they be in Portland or Seattle or Bozeman and still make quality film and get support?”

In addition to a full program of films, there will be a NW Episodic Showcase on Sunday, Nov. 13. The event is designed for emerging and growing community filmmakers who are considering streaming platforms for their work. Discussions will also revolve around how to tell a story through smaller episodes instead of one two-hour time block.

“This is our mission, to support these filmmakers and showcase what work is coming from the region,” Popp said. “So I think having this event be our kick off is a pretty great example of community dialogue.”

While the NW Film Center seeks to nurture local talent, acceptance into the film festival is competitive. Of the 370 films submitted for consideration, only 17 were selected.

“It is always just a big challenge going through so many

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART films and having to tell wonderful filmmakers that we cannot take their film this year, that is always the hardest challenge,” Popp said.

“We would love to see filmmakers and the community continue to grow and create exciting new work.”

One film that is receiving significant attention is the documentary Beware the Slenderman, which explores the 2014 incident of two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin who attempted

to murder their friend by stabbing her to death at the behest of the mysterious internet presence, Slenderman.

Slenderman is likened to a modern day boogeyman.

He takes the form of a hazy, faceless male figure dressed in a black suit. He especially appeals to young people who feel ostracized or marginalized. By believing in him, they often find acceptance and belonging in a larger, webbased community.

What was fascinating to Irene Taylor Brodsky, the film’s director, was how the case was simultaneously very clear, but also lacked a smoking gun. The facts of what happened aren’t disputed.

The crime was linear, and the girls were arrested immediately; what is perplexing is how Slenderman carried so much influence that he was capable of driving these girls to violence.

Telling this story was a responsibility that Brodsky

took seriously. “As a storyteller, we really wanted to be thoughtful; we really wanted to pose questions,” Brodsky said. And the film does exactly that.

Brodsky was eager to take on a project that examined children’s brains and the internet without the customary finger-wagging that the subject often provokes. This story was the perfect vehicle.

“I certainly think the film Beware the Slenderman, playing on Monday, Nov. 14 is

really an interesting film and looks at how the internet has changed the landscape of scary stories and imaginations in the minds of younger folks,” Popp said. “It is really quite an interesting and sad film.”

The 43rd Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival is free for all Portland State University students. If you don’t catch Beware the Slenderman at the festival, it debuts on HBO in January 2017.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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ARTS & CULTURE OPINION

NOON CONCERT SERIES REVIEW: JOE MANIS QUARTET MATTHEW ANDREWS

Multimedia at psuvanguard.com

Joe Manis, a tenor saxophonist, bandleader, and educator based in Eugene, gave an unusual concert Thursday, Nov. 3 in Portland State’s Lincoln Recital Hall room 75. The room was crowded but not completely packed— music majors are required to attend a certain number of these noon concerts, which take place every Thursday and are open to all Portland State students.

Manis, who also teaches at PSU, normally performs and records in a trio setting, of-

ten with fellow PSU instructor George Colligan on organ.

Recently, though, Manis has been experimenting with a two-drummer lineup, taking inspiration from jazz legends such as John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, both of whom sometimes recorded and toured with two drummers (most notably on Coltrane’s Meditations and Coleman’s Free Jazz).

For this concert, Manis was joined by Charlie Doggett, who plays locally with the illustrious Pacific Northwest THE JOE MANIS QUARTET PERFORMS IN LINCOLN HALL. MATTHEW ANDREWS/PSU VANGUARD

bassist and bandleader David Friesen, and Alan Jones, who teaches at PSU and runs his own music academy. Portland legend Dave Captein rounded out the quartet on upright bass.

The Vanguard caught up with Manis before the show, and he spoke of his relationship with drums and drummers. He is an amateur drummer himself, which helps him both with writing parts and with teaching student drummers. Manis has recently been playing frequently with Doggett and praised Jones as “someone I’ve been listening to since I was a high schooler.”

The quartet burned through five songs in their brief hour at Lincoln Hall: two Manis originals, two Coltrane classics, and one tune by Colligan. Everyone seemed to be having a terrific time, although the drummers were unquestionably the stars of the show. Doggett and Jones each have their own unique approach to playing the kind

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of hard bop free jazz that Manis favors, and they complemented each other well.

Careful listening combined with assertive playing is the essence of good jazz; most drummers excel at one or the other, but these drummers were wonderful listeners as well as bold players. I must say, though, that there were a few moments when the drummers took over. Manis frequently stepped off the stage altogether to watch his chimerical creation run away with the music, while Captein laid down steady grooves around which the drummers could weave their dense polymetric magic.

Sax and bass did get their turn, though. Manis played beautifully throughout, and delivered particularly blistering solos on Coltrane’s “India” and his own odd-metered “Paw-Paw,” named for his son Ellery’s nickname for Manis’s father. Captein, meanwhile, reminded me of Coleman’s revolutionary bass player Charlie Haden.

During his complex and exciting solos, Doggett and Jones brought the fire down low while Captein stretched his large hands over harmonically dense and insanely difficult double and triple-stops, complicated percussive arpeggios, and expressive melodic forays up the fingerboard far into the instrument’s highest register. It’s not just any bass player who can hold his own against a pair of loud bop drummers, and I thought Captein handled himself quite well.

The hour passed too quickly, and sadly the quartet didn’t have time to play one of their rock covers; I overheard them working on the classic Led Zeppelin tune “The Ocean” before the show, and I was sorry no one else got to hear it. Maybe next time.

Catch more of PSU’s Noon Concert Series. Artists performing this term include jazz vocalist Jeff Baker (Nov. 3), The Devine Femme (Nov. 10), and the Northwest Piano Trio (Nov. 17).

OPINION

THE MILLENNIAL PROBLEM She Said

by Delaney Bigelow

Lazy. Entitled. Self-centered. This is all I hear when anyone talks about my generation, the millennials, and I’m tired of hearing complaints about how we are failing in life.

I don’t see these negative characteristics in my generation at all. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1999, are picked on by baby boomers and members of Generation X, and I’m sick of being labeled a narcissistic bum simply because of the year I was born.

STEREOTYPE ONE: MILLENNIALS ARE LAZY.

I hear over and over from baby boomers and Generation Xers how lazy millennials are because we don’t get jobs quickly, we don’t move out of our parents’ basements until we are in our 30s, and we use technology instead of putting in hard work. However, studies actually show that millennials are working harder than previous generations. High schoolers in 2009 took more credits and a higher percentage of difficult classes than students two decades before.

Many millennials have trouble gaining employment not because of laziness, but because many of us graduated in the middle of the Great Recession (which is not our fault, by the way) that left very few job opportunities for younger workers because many more-experienced baby boomers had to re-enter the workforce or hold their jobs past retirement expectations.

Millennials have trouble moving out of their parents’ homes due to lack of affordable housing and increasing rent prices. Wages have stayed the same the past few decades while the cost of a bachelor’s degree, which is necessary for many jobs, has skyrocketed. This is one reason why Bernie Sanders became so popular among millennials: He wanted to make education and health care free and accessible.

Yes, millennials use a lot of technology, but having a world of easily accessible information means we’re going to take the quickest and easiest route. This doesn’t mean we’re lazy, it highlights the fact that we’re efficient. After all, as the saying goes: work smarter, not harder.

STEREOTYPE TWO: MILLENNIALS ARE ENTITLED.

Studies show that millennials are entitled for various reasons, such as fixed salaries that actually reward bad work behavior, or our obsession with social media, likes, and retweets. However, I don’t believe this entitlement is all bad.

Millennials use “entitlement” as an idea that we deserve equality to enact change and receive what we rightfully deserve. Millennials have advocated for social changes such as marriage equality, and our generation has participated heavily in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Millennials are entitled, but this entitlement shouldn’t be viewed as a negative.

STEREOTYPE THREE: MILLENNIALS ARE SELF-CENTERED.

Millennials are the first generation to come of age with the internet. In a world of Twitter and Instagram, this generation is used to getting likes and praise for whatever its members do, even if it’s simply ordering a cup of coffee. However, for a generation deemed self-centered and narcissistic, millennials have

ILLUSTRATION BY AARON OSBORN done a lot in terms of social justice, health, and positive change.

We smoke and drink less than our parents. We are more accepting than any other generation of LGBTQIA rights. We are more sex-positive. We are smarter and safer regarding sex than previous generations, and we are overall more open-minded.

A recent study found that millennials, though deemed narcissistic, actually believe the negative stereotypes assigned to their generation. Fifty-nine percent of millennials participating in the study described their own generation as “self-absorbed,” 49 percent used the term “wasteful” and 43 percent said they were “greedy.” The study also said millennials “stand out in their willingness to ascribe negative stereotypes to their own

generation.” That sure doesn’t sound self-centered and narcissistic to me.

I say it’s time to stop being so hard on millennials: We don’t have it as easy as older generations think. We aren’t the lazy, entitled, and self-centered young adults that everyone makes us out to be. Millennials can be self-absorbed on social media while also thinking about other people. We may enjoy technology, but we also work hard for what we want: Our generation is willing to fight for equal rights because we know we deserve them.

Millennials are definitely unique, but we’re just as good as the rest of you.

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

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OPINION ETCETERA OPINION

GOOD FOOD SHOULD MATTER ON CAMPUS TalkFest

by Marie Conner

McDonald’s, home of the iconic golden arches, which was once situated across from the Academic and Student Recreation Center and Bike Hub, had long been a staple for many Portland State students.

In light of the recent closure of the Southwest 6th Avenue anchor, I have been pondering the dining choices offered by PSU that lead students to frequenting dozens of food establishments on and around campus on a daily basis.

I realize that fast food is a mainstay of the college freshman. I get it. You’re away from home with the freedom to do whatever you want for the first time. Grabbing fries and burgers with a group of friends won’t break the bank. Perfect!

But with no parents around to whip up comforting home cooking, nourishing and healthy options for dorm dwelling students tend to be limited. While it’s true that a good amount of PSU students don’t live on campus and have the opportunity to cook healthy meals at home, what are the actual food options when it comes to eating in the dining hall?

College students attending four-year universities aren’t generally rich. However, many living in student housing eat out daily, despite their purchased meal plans that would pay for most of their sustenance. Portland is a veritable wonderland of eclectic culinary establishments: Anyone lucky enough to attend school here should appreciate the bounty this city has to offer. However, shouldn’t the food you (or your parents) pay for in meal plans feature the best options?

PSU’s food service provider, Aramark, is contracted to supply food for all dining halls and catering events on campus— unless the event can prove to be culturally significant enough to warrant specialized catering. They are a huge conglomerate that historically stocks ingredients from Sysco, another huge conglomerate. Neither of these companies have business practices that are aligned with the the sustainable nature of PSU or Portland as a whole.

This results in a smaller percentage of local and organic ingredients than we should be using. In 2014, 39 percent of food purchases for PSU were local and 4 percent were organic.

There are very few alternatives to high-starch, high-sugar diets, and limited diversity in the way these ingredients are prepared.

Last year, a new amendment was developed by the Campus Sustainability Office to increase the total local and third-party certified food expenditures by 5 percent annually based on

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ILLUSTRATION BY LYDIA WOJACK-WEST

purchases made in 2014, which I suppose is something rather than nothing. Besides the salad bar in Viking Court, I have difficulty finding food offered by the university that I actually want to and should be eating.

The University of Oregon is a perfect example of how campus dining can be exceptional: They have partnered with over 25 local farms to provide much of the seasonal produce in

PSU Vanguard • NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • psuvanguard.com

their dining venues and for university catering. They mainly use local and organic ingredients to prepare recipes from scratch. PSU could easily follow this lead instead of offering generic Chinese food and greasy burgers.

I guess I should be glad we have so many other eating options and especially glad that I don’t live in a dorm.

Don’t worry freshman, you won’t be an undergrad forever.

ETCETERA

STUFFED HOUSES AND DISTURBED OFFICES SUBPAR ADVICE FROM THE SUB-BASEMENT JOHN PINNEY Mrs. Stuff writes: When my grandfather-in-law passed away last year, I inherited his house. My husband and I moved in before summer and started digging through the massive amount of stuff he'd accrued over the years. Many of his cherished mementos are reserved for the family, but they're not coming to pick them up. Half of my boxes are still packed up in the garage and we had to dig out a closet of broken board games.

We've been stuck like this for months now, and it wouldn't be so bad if people would make time to come get their stuff. But if we even mention remodeling certain areas of the house, they start breaking down in tears because the wallpaper will be gone.

Is an ultimatum in order, followed by a trip to Goodwill?

Heya, Mrs. Stuff.

Grief is a funny thing. It moves on its own special time line, as the weeping over the wallpaper shows. Unfortunately, there's also no way to predict how otherwise sensible people will react to the idea that their grandfather's house is no longer grandfather's house. Repainting, new furniture, knocking down walls to create a more open floor plan—it's a grand scale of what is going to freak out your close family the most. And you are helpless.

I wish I could say that it will magically get easier and that everyone's gonna come around for the stuff, but that hasn't happened and now you feel like a prisoner. It's not grandpa's stuff that's boxed up, it's yours. His board games are in the closet. His cars are still out on the metaphorical lawn and everyone around you is just busy living their own lives while you go through private hell.

You might lose a lot of good graces with family, but the only way to reclaim your life is to get proactive. Set a deadline and make sure everyone clearly understands what that is. The car is going to be gone on this day. The blankets and board games are going to Goodwill this day.

Didn't come and get them? Sorry. The emotional manipulation stops here. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 smackers.

If people really want the stuff, they'll come for it. If they were just keeping it around because it's nice to have the memory, then you're just being taken advantage of. Grief is real and intangible and right now everyone is held hostage to it. And you might have to become a real nasty woman in order to move past.

But as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler say, "B*tches get shit done."

ILLUSTRATION BY LYDIA WOJACK-WEST Do Not Disturb writes: My colleagues just don't seem to get that I don't want to be interrupted at work! Quite often, I don't mind being interrupted. I like to be approachable, but I do have deadlines I need to meet on occasion and on those occasions I like to lock my door and get down to business.

However, when I try to get down to business, I get people knocking at my door vehemently until I answer and they just want to chat. Do not disturb signs on my door have become an office joke. It's really starting to affect my concentration but I don't want to be seen as the office bitch since only my boss and I are female.

How do I get the cave boys to back off ?

Heya, Do Not Disturb.

Another case of emotional manipulation! I have to say, your office environment sounds kind of like a nightmare to me. Does anyone ever get anything done or does everyone just spend the day wandering cubicle to cubicle living vicarious lives through each other? Your water cooler must be like an episode of Monsters Inside Me

Sorry to break the news to you, Your Advice Guru

And you must be one hell of a boss's assistant in order to get a door to your office. You are counted on and expected to keep to the communal double standard. I reiterate that your office sounds like an utter nightmare of never-ending ringing phones. It's like the parts of Mad Men where people just walk around and flirt and look good and that works for everybody but you, minxy Peggy.

So how to fix this without becoming the office b*tch?

There's no way to do it.

Men have once again painted you into a corner. You assert yourself and suddenly you're not fun. But not fun people? They're the ones that get the work done. It's life. Unless you want to spend the rest of your office career coming in on Sunday to do your actual work and spend the rest of the week visiting, you'll have to stop making concessions to the boys and start raising your tone.

You'll probably start getting compared to Hillary Clinton. But if they didn't want that in the first place, they would've respected your Do Not Disturb sign.

ILLUSTRATION BY ILLUSTRATION BY LYDIA WOJACK-WEST

Hearts and Stars, Your Advice Guru

ILLUSTRATION BY TERRA DEHART

EVENT LISTINGS FOR NOV. 9–13

John Pinney

FEATURED EVENT 2016 EDUCATION ABROAD PHOTO CONTEST

Did you attend a Portland State-sponsored study abroad program in the 2015–16 academic year?

Celebrate International Education Week by entering a campus-wide photo contest. Contest categories are: Home away from Home (what inspired your sense of belonging?) or Crossing the Cultural Divide (learning and activities pursued).

Submit your photos by 5 p.m. on Nov. 11 to bocci2@pdx.edu. Submit as a JPEG attachment with “Education Abroad Photo Contest” as the subject line. Up to three submissions per student accepted.

Formatted emails include your name, PSU ID, where and when you were abroad, picture description, and which category it best fits. Voting takes place on Facebook during International Education Week, Nov. 14–18.

The winner will be determined by the number of likes.

So where have you been? And how did it help you get where you’re going?

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 STRONG INTEREST INVENTORY UNIVERSITY SERVICES BUILDING ROOM 402 2–4 P.M. FEE: $20 (FOR ALL SESSIONS)

Session one of two, helping you choose your major, career path, or just giving you a better idea of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Hosted by the Advising & Career Services office.

DAVID SEDARIS WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 ARLENE SCHNITZER CONCERT HALL 7:30 P.M. FEE: $33+

Witty, subversive, and with a very queer sensibility, David Sedaris writes humor unmatched by most and will talk about recent books and essays, such as Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls.

THURSDAY, NOV. 10 SHORTS 1 WHITSELL AUDITORIUM 7 P.M. FEE: $9

Part of the Northwest Film Fest, this series of shorts includes a night of viewpoints on the known and the unknown (or unknowable) experienced in everyday and fantastical life. The Northwest Film Festival takes place at several locations.

LAURYN HILL PRESENTS KELLER AUDITORIUM 8 P.M. FEE: $57+

Hosted by Lauryn Hill, this cavaran of voices from the African Diaspora is a serious treat of guest performances. Come and see the “many facts of cultural and artistic beauty,” as Hill says.

FRIDAY, NOV. 11 PSU CHOIR FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, PORTLAND 7:30 P.M. FEE: $12 (GENERAL), $7 (STUDENTS)

The PSU Choir opens its concert season with compositions by female-identified faculty members combined with femaleidentified composers and voices. Sunday matinee also available.

HOLIDAY JUNK FEST OREGON CONVENTION CENTER, HALL E 10 A.M.–4 P.M. FEE: $12

If vintage, antique, or flea market finds are your thing, this nationally renowned holiday festival may help you find just that holiday gift you’ve been looking for. Brought to you by the Plucky Maidens.

SATURDAY, NOV. 12 ANNUAL HOLIDAY FOOD AND GIFT FEST OREGON CONVENTION CENTER, HALL C 10 A.M.–6 P.M. FEE: $10

Looking for wares that are more upper class or jewelry oriented? Will your friends only be satiated by unique and gourmet foods this winter? This event right next door to Junk Fest might be just what your bougie friends need.

HANDWOVEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS MULTNOMAH ARTS CENTER 5–9 P.M.

This fall show and sale is for those looking for handmade scarves, shawls, rugs and the like for your loved ones this holiday season. Purchasing instead of making does not make a gift less valuable.

SUNDAY, NOV. 13 GODSPELL JR. ALDER CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL (MILWAUKIE, OR) 7–9 P.M. FEE: $14 (PRE-SALE)

Godspell, the story of Jesus as told through parable with many a catchy tune, is presented by middle schoolers as the roving band of disciples that both love and learn from Jesus Christ.

BRASS CONCERT THE OLD CHURCH FREE (DONATIONS WELCOME)

This concert, brought to you by Steven Mead, follows a $15 workshop on Saturday to help support local Salvation Army youth brass programs.