The Beacon THE STUDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND SINCE 1935 March 19, 2015 • Volume 117 • Issue 20 • upbeacon.com
HOUSINGSQUEEZE
Residence Life reshuffles housing to make room for students left without rooms
By Maggie Hannon THE BEACON The University is suffering growing pains as Residence Life struggles to provide on-campus housing to students who want it. Approximately 159 current students are on a waiting list for housing next year. But Residence Life insists it will make room for those students. In the first round of housing selection late last month, dozens of students, mostly
current freshmen, became worried about their housing status when they did not get assigned housing for next year. “I was honestly pretty scared and freaked out,” freshman Courtney Otani said. “I thought I was going to have fairly an okay chance at a good standing because I’m a sophomore by credit, so just a little bit scared mostly. I really want to stay in Kenna (Hall) because I love the community and its general location as
Illustration by Rebekah Markillie & Nathan DeVaughn • THE BEACON
well.” Freshman Brent Knutzen also did not get a housing assignment in the first round and thinks the resulting stress affected his academics. “It was really bad timing with all this, because it was the week before spring break, so we’re taking midterms and they dropped this bomb on us,” Knutzen said. “I would say it definitely had an affect on my ability to completely focus on school because I had to focus
on this other issue.” Over spring break, Residence Life came up with a new plan that would provide housing for all students on the housing waitlist: While on-campus housing will still be guaranteed for incoming freshmen, some of them will be required to live three to a room. Residence Life may also convert some study rooms to living spaces for as many as six students. But current students will not
be in triples or converted study rooms unless they request them. From Friday, March 25 to March 31, hall directors will run a second round of room selection for students on the waitlist. “We definitely want people who want to be here, to be here,” Associate Director of Housing Sarah Meiser said. “We want them to be a part of our community. They’re
See Housing page 3
Community mourns loss of Michael Eberitzsch By Jacob Fuhrer THE BEACON
David DiLoreto • THE BEACON
Fr. Mark DeMott holds a picture of Michael Eberitzsch II during a memorial in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher on Tuesday.
NEWS • 2 Drones for science Drones aren’t just for the military anymore. A few professors have been using drones for environmental science research.
On Tuesday, the UP community mourned the death and celebrated the life of Michael Eberitzsch II, a junior finance major from Bend, Oregon, who was killed in a car crash March 6. Eberitzsch’s family was surrounded by students, faculty and staff during a memorial Mass in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. “This isn’t right, this isn’t fair, and this isn’t God’s will,” Fr. Mark DeMott said in his
homily to the 125 people who gathered in the chapel. According to Oregon State Police, Eberitzsch, 22, was killed when his 2014 Hyundai left its lane on Highway 26 near Sandy and collided headon with a logging truck shortly before 3:30 a.m. A wheel from the logging truck came off, striking another semi-truck. The drivers of both trucks reported no injuries, police said. “We will never know exactly what happened in the middle of the night on
SPORTS • 16 Korey Thieleke’s journey to success After a tough upbringing, the senior has excelled to become a two-sport athlete at UP.
Highway 26,” DeMott said. “It may have been an accident. It may have been intended. It was most certainly a great loss and a moment of darkness.” Holding up a photo of Eberitzsch smiling, Demott said, “Darkness doesn’t have the last word. Love, friendship, smiles and the mystery of the Cross … are stronger than death.” DeMott, once a hall director in Shipstad where Eberitzsch also lived at the time, recalled
See Michael page 3
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
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Profs fly to new research heights with drones By Nastacia Voisin THE BEACON Fueled by their portrayal in the media as sinister, free-floating weapons and surveillance tools, drones are a conversational hotspot in a global discussion on technology ethics. They make headlines as killers in the Middle East, and raise concerns about how unseen eyes above can undermine our privacy. But they are also promoted as pioneering research tools by academics like environmental science professor Fr. Ronald Wasowski. “There are some amazing research opportunities,” Wasowski said. “We’ve been able to get very good both scientific and documentary still photos and videos.” Tucked into Buckley Center 211 is a trio of the ubiquitous flying machines, a small fleet of drones the environmental science department has been accumulating since 2010. Five years ago Wasowski, environmental science professor Steve Kolmes and chemistry professor David Alexander (who passed away in 2013) won a grant to purchase two Draganflyer X6s drones. At the time, these sixpropeller drones were virtually prototypes that came with three interchangeable imaging systems: a still camera, a digital video camera and a thermal infrared camera. Wasowski, Kolmes and Alexander wasted no time in hauling these expensive machines (each in the $20,000 range) to the western slopes of Mt. Hood. They used the drones to measure water temperature in four streams as part of their research on salmon spawning habitat quality. As the alternative way of capturing those aerial shots was leaning out of a helicopter door with a camera, Wasowski said they were excited to try out the drones. Unfortunately, the camera on the Draganflyer X6 was unable to capture the data they needed. But last March, UP bought a third drone – a Phantom 2 Vision – which is a smaller, lighter and a more technologically advanced model. Last summer, Wasowski and retired theology professor Fr. Richard Rutherford used the Phantom during a threeweek expedition on the Spanish island of Mallorca. They successfully used it to visually document aerial views of early Christian archeological sites. The advantage of having mechanical eyes above, Wasowski said, is that they collect data that would be invisible from the ground.
“We’re convinced that there are archeological features hidden just below the surface,” he said. One way of finding these hard-to-spot sites is by looking for vegetation irregularities, caused when water pools or drains around buried artifacts, which stunts plant growth. The drone can also use an infrared camera to find hidden burial sites, as it will detect heat differences between the island’s bedrock and sandy graves once the sun sets.
“
We have very high hopes. To have these cameras miniaturized to the point we can fly them on a drone is really exciting.
Fr. Ronald Wasowski Professor
Using the Phantom’s camera system, Wasowski and Rutherford plan to try both of these tactics when they return to Mallorca this July. “We have very high hopes,” Wasowski said. “To have these cameras miniaturized to the point that we can fly them on a drone is really exciting.” In part to introduce students to the research advantages of drones, last fall Wasowski taught a one-credit lab for building and flying remotecontrolled aircrafts. Along with constructing two fixed-winged planes and learning the basics of aerodynamics, the five students who enrolled had a shot at navigating UP’s drones. According to senior Joshua Bates, once you get the hang of it, flying a drone is sheer fun. He described the delight of watching the Phantom 2 Vision drone – a compact machine roughly the size of laptop – fly under his command. As his fingers danced between the manual cyclic controls, rudder control and throttle, the drone whirred through Howard Hall’s upper gym, avoiding clipping basketball players or the ceiling before Bates grounded it. “I loved it,” said Bates, a mechanical engineering major. “I’ve done similar things in the past as a kid, flying anything that could fly, so it was really fun to learn all over again.” Along with the handson practice with drones, Wasowski brought ethical and legal discussions to his lab course. “A huge issue is not safety, but privacy,” he said. The sophisticated imaging tools drones can carry could potentially be used to track or spy on people. In part because of these fears, the regulation of drones in U.S. airspace is still patchwork, with push and pull between innovators
and regulators. For several years the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been hammering out specific laws and policies. One of the problems with this stalling is that while drones differ in size, capacity and purpose, they get bundled into similar categories. For instance, the tiny Phantom drone is legally categorized with predator drones – which weigh thousands of pounds and can fire air-to-ground missiles. “It’s uber-control,” Wasowski said. “And there are all kinds of ambiguities and gray areas.” On Feb. 15, the FAA released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for small, unmanned aircrafts, opening the door for public comment on future rulemaking. But the road to reasonable regulation, Wasowski said, might take some time. For sophomore Quentin Ward, who took the class last fall, those conversations helped shape his perspective on the principles behind drones. “Drones are a touchy subject,” Ward said. “So we talked about it extensively. The media kind of portrays them negatively, but once you understand them, I believe that some of that fear will subside.” Ward added that even if a few people abuse the advantages a flying machine could give them, most people – himself included – just want to explore the technology. In fact, he enjoyed flying drones during class so much that he bought his own over spring break. “I definitely fell in love,” Ward said. “I just want to keep flying.”
Environmental science professor Fr. Ron Wasowski flies a drone equipped with several cameras. Wasowski and several other professors have used this and other drones to do environmental science research and archaeological surveys.
Contact Copy Editor Nastacia Voisin at nastacia.voisin@gamil.com. Twitter: @nastaciavoisin
Follow @UPBeacon on Twitter for the news updates on campus
THE FORECAST:
CORRECTIONS In the March 5 story “Students, speakers share different perspectives, International Club was incorrectly called the International Cultures Club.
Parker Shoaff • THE BEACON
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The Beacon wants story ideas from its readers. If you see something that should be covered, email News Editor Philip Ellefson at upbeacon@gmail.com
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
NEWS
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The Beacon takes home top student media award By Philip Ellefson THE BEACON The Beacon won the Apple Award for Best Newspaper from the College Media Association (CMA) last week at the annual CMA convention in New York. The Beacon won first place among all colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students. Other newspapers that won Apple Awards were The Eagle of American University and the University of Miami’s Hurricane. Several Beacon editors, reporters and photographers attended the CMA conference, including Editor-in-Chief Katie Dunn, who said winning
the award was a thrilling experience. “My heart started beating really fast,” Dunn said. “It was really cool to hear them say ‘The Beacon’ in front of this room of 1,000 people.” The Beacon has already won four other national awards and honors this year: A third place Pinnacle Award for Best Weekly College Newspaper and three Gold Circle awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Dunn attributes the Beacon’s successes to teamwork. “Everyone wants The Beacon to be as great as it can be, and they take pride not just in their own story, but in the
paper,” Dunn said. “Reporters like seeing their own story next to another great story.” Nancy Copic, assistant director of student media, said it’s great to see the students’ hard work rewarded. “Ever since I attended my first College Media convention five years ago, I’ve aspired for The Beacon to win the Apple Award,” Copic said. “When it actually happened, I was thrilled and a little surprised. But these students deserve it, and UP should be proud of them.” Photo courtesy of Nancy Copic
Contact News Editor Philip Ellefson at ellefson15@up.edu. Twitter: @PhilipEllefson
Michael: Students remember a passionate friend
Continued from page 1 Eberitzsch as a loyal and funloving free spirit who enjoyed having conversations about serious topics like love, school and addiction. Haylie Gisi, a junior marketing major, sat with Eberitzsch’s family at the Mass. She first met Eberitzsch in 2013 during her sophomore year. After befriending each other, the two began to date. According to Gisi, Eberitzsch had an analytical mind, which was part of the reason he was a math major for a short while. “He was a very passionate person,” Gisi said. “Anything important to the people around him was important to him.” Despite the heartbreaking news, Gisi appreciated the response from those around her. “It was really nice to see people from the UP community,” she said, referring to the way members of Campus Ministry, Residence Life and the Health Center worked to provide support to those close to Eberitzsch. Paul Myers, director of the Health Center, says anger, guilt and depression are just a few of the emotions grieving friends and family may feel. He says
it’s normal for different people to react differently to death. “It is common for people to not be in the same emotional space at the same time and this can sometimes cause conflict or make people uncomfortable,” Myers said in an email. Grief counseling is also available during the week from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Health Center, and pastoral counseling is available through Campus Ministry and pastoral residents by email, phone or in
“
He was a very passionate person. Anything important to the people around him was important to him.
Haylie Gisi Junior
person. Myers suggests that students also consider discussing their grief with family and friends as a way to sort through their emotions. Junior Tamim Almousa got to know Eberitzsch during his freshman year, and recalled a tall, outgoing guy. The two would occasionally walk down near the Willamette River and make a fire. Almousa recalled a time when Eberitzsch offered him a ride to the airport and the two made friendly conversation. “(Eberitzsch was) one of the types of people who have just
got mountains of small talk, so you never feel awkward,” Almousa said. “He was really friendly and he was up for anything.” In a testament to Eberitzsch’s impact on those around him, Tuesday’s memorial service was one of three memorials in his honor. An informal service was held the day he died, and a second service at Grace First Lutheran Church in Bend on March 15 for family and friends. “Michael carried his burdens bravely. He carried them up until the day he died,” DeMott said at Tuesday’s Mass. “Those of us who knew him best observed that sometimes life itself proved to be a burden for Michael, that he even questioned whether life is worth living. But this walk was easier because Michael had us to walk with him.” At the end of the Mass, University President Fr. Mark Poorman, who presided, announced the University would posthumously award Eberitzsch his bachelor’s degree in May 2016, and invited his family to attend the graduation ceremony. Contact Staff Writer Jacob Fuhrer at fuhrer17@up.edu. Twitter: @jacobfuhrer
Members of the Beacon staff hold their Apple Award at the College Media Association convention in New York. The Beacon was awarded the top honor among small college news organizations at the convention.
Housing: Large class causes space issue Continued from page 1
important to us.” The space problem came to a head this year because UP welcomed its largest ever freshmen class of 1,090 students. In contrast, Residence Life reserved 851 beds for the incoming freshman class this fall. “We haven’t had (a wait list) before” Meiser said. “Logistically, it’s complicated because we have to find a way to make room for everybody.” Students on the waitlist are not only concerned about potentially being shut out of on-campus housing, but also fear their living options are limited off campus this late in the process. Bob Kessi, who owns 50 off-campus houses and is a landlord to many students, says most students reserve housing in September for the following year. Sophomore Cristiana Matteucci applied to live in Tyson Hall, Haggerty Hall, or a University-owned house off campus. But because she did not get a lottery number and was denied these options, she is now planning to live in a Bob Kessi-owned house. Because Matteucci and her roommates had such a difficult time getting University housing and from what she heard from other students in Mehling Hall, she believes the housing process needs to be more organized. “I think they could’ve
CRIME LOG
Mar. 15, 12:39 a.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint on the 4700 block of N. Amherst. The residents were not members of the University, and the reporting party was advised to contact the Portland Police Bureau if the noise disturbance persisted.
FOR THE FULL REPORT upbeacon.com > News > UP Crime & Fire Log
Contact Staff Writer Maggie Hannon at hannon15@up.edu. Twitter: @maggie_hannon
ON CAMPUS Black Lives Matter Panel
Mar. 14, 9:39 p.m. Officers responded to a noise complaint on the 7200 block of N. Fiske. Noise ordinance had yet to go into effect, however officers spoke with tenants and asked them to be conscientious of the noise they were creating. No further
planned better with knowing that there were so many freshmen this year,” Matteucci said. “I kind of feel like they should just build another dorm because if we’re going to have so many more freshmen coming each year… then they should find something to do that can help.” Associate Director of Community Standards Alex Hermanny said it is inevitable in the long term that the University will build more oncampus housing. “There have definitely been discussions about a new residence hall, and I think it’s more of a matter of when, not if,” Hermanny said. In the more immediate future, however, Meiser hopes that Residence Life and upper administration can better predict how many students will want to stay on campus in order to avoid a similar situation. “Looking back on this process, we would’ve had less worried students in our returner population if we had been able to open up all the bed spaces that we’re able to open up now, before the first selection,” Meiser said. ”It’s always a balancing act of meeting the needs of the returning students and the incoming class.”
Thursday, March 19 from 6-8 p.m. in the St. Mary’s Lounge. This panel will focus on police violence on communities of color. Panelists include UP professors, guests from the Portland Police Bureau and the Mayor’s office. This is a unique opportunity for UP students and the outside community to communicate their concerns about police violence.
“I’ll Push You” - El Camino Pilgrimage Event Friday, March 20 at 7:15 p.m. in the Boardroom in the Bauccio Commons. Justin Skeesuck is a motivational speaker who encourages and inspires others with physical disabilities to travel. Listen to his inspiring story and watch parts of his documentary.
Pilots After Dark Karaoke Night Friday, March 20 from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Pilot House in The Cove. Come sing from a list of thousands of songs by yourself or with a group of friends.
Rock the Bluff Release Party Saturday, March 21 from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Pilot House in The Cove. Play games, win prizes in a door prize drawing, and eat free ice cream from Ruby Jewel while you wait for the midnight release of the artists’ names.
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
NEWS
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ASUP ELECTIONS GUIDE President & VP
Mariah Wildgen & Chelsea Richards We hope to build fruitful relationships with administrators and faculty across campus in order to fulfill my campaign promises. I intend to help support a healthy community on campus by pushing for more funding to the health center, better support for sexual assault prevention, more mental health awareness programming and more field time for intramural and club sports.
Khalid Osman & Grace Holmes
Brooke Murphy & London Ballard
We are primarily concerned about three issues: First - the disconnect between ASUP and students. We are dedicated to developing a stronger relationship between students and senators by promoting events that are requested by students. Second - the rising cost of college. We are dedicated to ensuring that student’s voices are heard in regards to the ever-rising tuition bill, and expressing to the Board of Regents and the Administration that this is a concern of many students at the University of Portland, and across the nation. Third - creating a student center on campus so that the Library remains a study space and the community atmosphere on campus can be further bolstered. We plan on achieving this goal by meeting with administration to determine the requirements for proposing changes in infrastructure.
As ASUP executive board members, our goals include building and maintaining an approachable environment that has the ability to effectively gather the needs and wants of the student body whilst assuring that those requests are resolved and/or answered. In listening to recent student concerns, it has become evident that a gap in communication has begun to space out the student voice and ASUP student government. My goal as an executive board member is to maintain a cohesive working atmosphere for ASUP that will help energize and accomplish the goals of the associated students of the University of Portland.
Secretary
Joseph Rojo
Jennifer Chipman
My goal as an ASUP Executive Board Member is to help reshape ASUP to better serve the student body. I plan on doing this by changing the way the secretary role functions. I plan on reaching out to students in new and exciting ways that would really allow us, student government representatives, to better serve our constituents. I also plan on reaching out to different groups of student leaders in order to better reach a larger body of students. Additionally, I plan on focusing a lot of my energy on getting ASUP a strong social media presence and a more positive, fun and exciting image.
As Secretary of the ASUP Executive Board, my goals would be to see the ASUP Exec Board updated to fit the current times and challenges on campus, as well as having the Secretary’s role changed and have more responsibilities and leadership. I would strive to improve our roles as leaders on this campus and help our students create a bigger impact through not only projects but also making sure that the students ideas are well communicated to both the administration and other representatives on campus. I would accomplish these goals through teamwork with the other executive board members and dedication to seeing things improve.
CPB Director
Photos courtesy of Matthew Baer
Samantha van den Berg
My goals as CPB Director on the ASUP executive board include working to continue CPB’s history of exciting and successful events, while also helping foster as seamless a relationship between CPB, ASUP and the student body as possible. I think I’m in a unique position having been heavily involved in both CPB and ASUP, so I know the perspectives of both sides and will use that experience to better integrate their mission and express that to the student body. In CPB, we like to say that the students speak and we listen, so constantly evaluating ourselves and trying to plan best for the student body and always add to our events is really important to me. I really want to make sure our organization is connected with the community and helping contribute to it.
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
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Treasurer
David Zabinski
Brian Chipman
Triton Pitassi
I would like to make ASUP more relevant in the lives of students at the University of Portland. I want to have clubs spend 100% of their budget by the end of Spring Semester. I will use my position on the ASUP Executive Board to encourage student involvement on campus, particularly attendance to sporting events. I will ensure that the administration will be held accountable on their promises to students, and I will provide an outlet for students to voice their concerns and opinions to the University administration.
We hope to build fruitful with administrators and faculty across campus in order to fulfill my campaign promises. I intend to help support a healthy community on campus by pushing for more funding to the health center, better support for sexual assault prevention, more mental health awareness programming and more field time for intramural and club sports.
My main goal is to obtain more money for clubs. We can do that through activities such as fundraising events and contacting donors. Not only that but I want clubs to have the funds to put on more events in order to increase the diversity of events available to students on campus. Not only that, I’m going to strongly encourage students to found new clubs and keep increasing diversity on campus.
ALSO IN THE ELECTION:
Resolution 14-03 aims to establish student nondiscrimation policy By Karen Garcia THE BEACON On March 24-25, students will vote on Resolution 1403 in addition to voting for ASUP executive board candidates. The constitutional amendment proposes the addition of a student body nondiscrimination policy to the current ASUP constitution. Sophomore Joseph Rojo, an ASUP senator, spearheaded the resolution. Rojo said its purpose is to officially recognize the often-ignored identities of students in order to foster the student community’s commitment to inclusiveness. Rojo was inspired to draft the resolution after reading other universities’ student constitutions and realizing that many of them included nondiscrimination clauses that ASUP’s constitution lacks. Rojo said Resolution 14-03 aims to reinvigorate the student support of antidiscrimination demonstrated so vibrantly in the “Redefine Purple Pride” campaign of 2013, which fought to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy. Although the campaign succeeded in that the University included sexual orientation to the policy, Rojo noted that other categories, such as gender identity, are still officially unrecognized. He said Resolution 14-03 is meaningful because it represents a student pledge to acceptance of identities where
the administration falls short. As a Mexican-American student, Rojo said he’s felt sidelined at times—but that although his ethnic background isn’t always celebrated, it’s not trivialized in the way other minority identities are. “Nobody’s going to say that I’m not really Mexican, that it’s just a phase I’m going through,” Rojo said. “Meanwhile, identities such as gender identity are still very much disregarded on a societal level.” In addition to gender identity and expression, the resolution’s nondiscrimination clause includes genetic information, veteran status, gender expression, religion, socioeconomic status and documentation status. ASUP senator freshman Justin Low, one of the three sponsors of Resolution 1403, was initially attracted to supporting it because of his own status as a racial minority on campus, and from hearing reports of students who felt disenfranchised. After seeing how other student constitutions contributed attitudes of nondiscrimination toward varying student identities, Low said he realized how complex the idea of diversity was. “Identities other than race or gender were never something I’d really thought of before when thinking about diversity,” Low said. “It made me see how important more inclusive language is.” Although some may view
Resolution 14-03 as mostly symbolic, Rojo said the act of students recognizing the reality of other students on an official document helps create a space where people feel safe and welcome. “Now, if (recognition of a wider range of identities) is something the current University administration doesn’t want to do right now, so be it,” Rojo said. “But let’s start a dialogue again and restart Redefine Purple Pride to continue its goal and mission.” Contact Staff Writer Karen Garcia at garciaka17@up.edu.
Resolution 15-01 may eliminate MPF Students will have the opportunity to give their input into the future of the Major Project Fund (MPF) during ASUP elections March 2425. If students vote to pass Resolution 15-01, the MPF will be struck down in favor of a new fund, the Campus Traditions Fund (CTF). The CTF would be more geared towards events and student activities than the MPF, which can be used both for events and for capital improvements to campus. ASUP began to reconsider the MPF last semester after administrators asked ASUP Senate to consider using money from the student fee for events and projects that students
would see during the year they paid the fee. According to ASUP Senator Samantha van den Berg, the CTF would likely be used for events like Riverboat at the beginning of the year and Anchors Away at the end of the year. Van den Berg said it would also provide more flexibility than the MPF. A yes vote for Resolution 15-01 would eliminate the MPF and create the CTF, while a no vote would keep the fund as it is. -Philip Ellefson
Pilots Soccer to Host Portland Thorns & Timbers 2!! University of Portland
vs.
Portland Thorns / Timbers 2
WSoc Saturday ● 7:00 PM
MSoc Sunday ● 7:00 PM
Free Admission For All Students!
Living
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MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM Cassie Sheridan Living Editor sheridan15@up.edu
Check out our website and app for more dates, articles and multimedia page.
Ditch the newspaper, download a news app Research funded by the NACS Foundation recently discovered that only 39 percent of college students read newspapers. As young adults, we care about the world around us and want to be informed, but we just don’t have the time to leisurely flip through an issue of the New York Times or turn on CNN. Many college students in the past have gotten their news from shows like “The Colbert Report” or “The
Daily Show.” Now that these shows have essentially come to an end, some students may be struggling to get the news in an efficient and entertaining way. From scrolling through your Twitter feed to checking your email, here are a few easy options for getting informed about local, national and international news. Rachel Rippetoe • THE BEACON
Twitter Accounts For the Social Media Maniacs Apps For the Smartphone Fanatics The Beacon Mobile app has an NPR tile - Check out the far left corner of our Beacon app, you can find a link to the NPR News mobile site. AP Mobile - This popular news app, created by the Associated Press, brings together thousands of news sources from around the world to provide easy access to all the most important national and world news. It’s easy to scroll through the headlines and press releases addressing topics from sports and entertainment to world politics. It even has a link to AP Radio! NowThis News - This news outlet devoted solely to mobile devices makes it easy to get news highlights. The app consists of short video clips that bring attention to major topics in national and world news. The app takes very little brain power because each video highlight has a minimal amount of information. Although this can be appealing, it’s important to supplement this with other news sources to have a more in-depth understanding of world issues.
Email Subscriptions For the Email Enthusiasts
@
The Skimm (theskimm.com) - This fun little newsletter will email you daily with the most interesting tidbits of the most popular articles of the day. It’s a good way to get informed without having to use too much brain power or reading time. New York Times Free Newsletters (nytimes.com/newsletters)- The best part about these NY Times Newsletters is the options they provide. You don’t simply sign up for a broad overview of the last New York Times article, you pick between specialized newsletters from theater to breaking news to opinion articles. BBC Free Newsletters (pages.email.bbc.com/subscribe)- These newsletters are essentially just a summary of the BBC’s best feature articles of the week, but how cool and cultured would you feel getting your news from the UK?
Websites For the Laptop Lovers
.com
Vox (vox.com)- Vox Media is a straightforward news outlet that gives readers the jist of the most important news topics of the week. One of its best features is something called “Card Stacks” in which it presents you with notecards of information on specific topics. For instance, there is a card stack called “Everything you need to know about vaccines” with 18 short digital notecards with the most important and relevant facts about vaccines.
The Oregonian (@Oregonian)- This is an easy way to get regional news ranging from the final score in a Trail Blazers game to local events, weather, and even crime reports. The account generally posts at least one story an hour, often more. The account shares articles about world and national news as well. Willamette Week (@wweek) - If you’d rather your feed not get cluttered with 20 to 30 local news articles a day, Willamette Week, posting articles from one of Portland’s most popular weekly newspapers, is a good account to follow. The account generally posts three to four articles a day about politics, events, and everyday life in Portland. The New York Times (@nytimes) - The famous publication’s twitter posts links to breaking news and special reports. Expect five to ten posts an hour including updates on world news, entertainment news, political campaigns and sports. Hollywood Reporter (@THR) - Those interested in film and entertainment news will enjoy following The Hollywood Reporter. They get breaking entertainment news out quickly and tweet interesting feature articles on upcoming film and television projects along with profiles of popular actors. Reuters Top News (@Reuters)- This account brings you top and breaking news, pictures and videos from around the world. It posts a few articles every couple of hours covering the basics of world news. CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk)- This account is a good replacement for CNN’s regular Twitter account which often gets clogged with promos for television shows or events that the television network hosts. This way, you only get the important national and world news events. The account offers links to CNN breaking news articles and generally tweets every hour or so. If you are just interested in CNN reports of World News, try following CNN correspondent, Ivan Watson (@IvanCNN).
Text Alerts For the Emoji Experts NBC SMS Alerts (secure.nbcnews.com/_tps/_accounts/msnbc/smsinfo)- If you text NEWS to 622639, NBC will text you the breaking news of the day (generally about one alert a day). This way news is coming directly to you. KOIN 6 Text Alerts (koin.com/text-alerts)- If you want local breaking news and weather alerts, KOIN is your best bet. You’ll be the first to know about snow days! Public Alerts (publicalerts.org/signup)- These alerts are less about news and more about safety. You will receive text alerts about suspicious people in your area, upcoming severe storms and even upcoming earthquake warnings.
Fusion (fusion.net)- Fusion News is indeed a fusion of satirical humor and real news. It has a really fun format with lots of relevant stories told in a fresh and hip new way. Its articles focus on world and national news and justice along with lighter topics like music and pop culture.
Follow @UPBeacon on Twitter and Instagram
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
LIVING
Fighting post-spring break depression By Emily Neelon THE BEACON Like a bad romance, spring break came into our lives and then left us without an explanation. Leaving us upset, unmotivated and unable to assimilate back into life at UP. In the aftermath of our breakup with break, we shed quiet tears in The Library over our textbooks and force-feed burnt pizza into our mouths in The Commons, trying to find a way- any way- to relive those glorious ten days. Are you experiencing PSBD (Post Spring Break Depression)? From one sufferer to another, here are some tips for getting back into the swing of things: -Coming back from spring break in Cabo or Southern California? Grab a smoothie from The Anchor and spread a towel out on the grass next to the beach volleyball court in University Village. If you get too warm, go for a swim in the pool in Howard Hall...with lifeguard supervision of course. With sand, shirtless boys and sunshine, you’re basically still at the beach right? -Did you spend the last week camping in the woods and backpacking in the Gorge
by yourself? Ease the transition back into human interaction by taking in the view of the Willamette River and downtown Portland from The Bluff. Feeling adventurous? String up a hammock and swing between the trees. Whatever you do, do not check your email. Or your Snapchat. Or your texts. -Go to a music festival? Relive the memories you can’t quite remember by hosting a dance party in your room. Extra points if you bring a strobe light. -Participate in an immersion trip or complete community service? Stop by the Moreau Center and look into future volunteer opportunities. Take a nap on the couches in St. Mary’s on your way out. We get it, building houses in Mexico can be pretty exhausting. -Have a laidback break at home or stay on campus? Build a fort in your dorm room and binge watch your 13th episode of Gilmore Girls. Actively avoid vacation photos posted on Facebook or Instagram. Contact Faith & Fellowship Editor Emily Neelon at neelon17@up.edu. Twitter: @neelonsays
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Calling it: TV review
Alina Rosenkranz• THE BEACON When Charlie, Dennis, Dee, Mac and Frank mess up again, after following their newest crazy idea and end up drunk in their own bar (Paddy’s Pub), I happily realize that my own life is only half as strange as I tend to believe. “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” follows the main characters through their daily lives and weird trips, but in contrast to many other TV series, their lives are slowly but steadily going downhill. Whether Dennis and Dee are using methamphetamine to get on welfare, Charlie and Frank are sniffing glue and eating cat food in order to fall asleep, or Mac is supervising a beer drinking contest on an airplane, this series includes every scenario you couldn’t think of. Since it first aired in 2005, the cast for “the gang” hasn’t
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’
changed much - only Frank joined after the first season. Currently FXX is streaming the tenth season. In basically every episode “the gang” fights over a controversial issue. Their extreme beliefs’ and unconventional lifestyles are a result of their messed-up childhoods and selfishness. As a result “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” knows no taboos. It touches on every topic, starting from gender and racial issues, to gun laws and incest. Every viewer might have a different favorite character from the series, but I personally sympathize with the illiterate Charlie Kelly whose job it is to do “Charlie work.” “Charlie work” is basically any dirty work the others don’t want to do, like freeing the pub from rats. Charlie is obsessed with a
woman who is known as “the waitress” and is creeped out by him. If he is not following her around or doing “Charlie work,” he eats cheese or sleeps in the bed he shares with his assumed dad, Frank. Everyone is an important part of “the gang”. Dennis is “the looks”, Mac is “the brains”, Charlie is “the wildcard”, Dee is “the useless chick” and Frank is “the muscle”. For example, when Charlie screams “Wildcard!” he has done something insane and dangerous again, like manipulating the breaks of Frank’s van, causing it to crash and burst into flames. It’s hard to believe “the gang” survived the first ten seasons - for my part, I can’t wait for the next ten!
In 140 characters or less:
It’s Always Sunny is the perfect show to binge watch ten seasons straight.
Download The Beacon App today CAMPUS NEWS • KDUP • SOCIAL MEDIA
Saturday March 21 10pm-1am in The Cove. Sweet Snacks, Giveaways, and the Announcement of the Artists Playing RTB15. If you have any questions or ADA concerns, please contact Tyler Zimmerman at zimmerma@up.edu.
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
LIVING
8
Where UPo Cassie Sheridan• THE BEACON
Pilots were scattered across the globe this spring brea Whether you spent your break laying on the couch wat parents’ fridge or trudging along the U.S./Mexican bor everyone had an incredible week off and ease
To see an interactive version of thi
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Vancouver remains an extremely popular spring break travel destination for students and this year was no exception. The Beacon received nine submissions talking about traveling to this fun road trip city. Students walked the suspension bridge and enjoyed being out of the country, if only barely.
Crater Lake and Oregon Coast adven
Tucson, Arizona
Students who participated in the border immersion with the Moreau Center traveled to Tucson, Arizona to talk about immigration and border politics.
Hawaii
Many students visited the sunny Hawaiian Islands over break. Surfing, hiking and beach lounging pictures filled the news feed of those of us building bed forts and taping our eyes open to finish that last House of Cards episode. You will recognize these students on campus by their new tan and subtle sunshine glow.
If students weren’t at home, or out of they seemed to be road tripping all ov A popular hiking destination was Cra Instagram feeds were jammed with ph Beaver State.
Greece/Italy
Students in th spent their sp history and ar Greece and It
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
LIVING
ortland was Rebekah Markillie• THE BEACON
ak, from beach bums in Cabo to e-scholars in Cambodia. tching “House of Cards” and eating everything in your rder with the border immersion team, The Beacon hopes es back into school-work (mostly) seamlessly.
is map visit upbeacon.com
ntures
f the country, ver Oregon. ater Lake and hotos of the
Phnom Pen, Cambodia and Bangkok, Thailand
E-scholars traveled to both Cambodia and Thailand for meetings with international businesses while getting a small sampling of a business culture sometimes drastically different than our own.
he Salzburg study abroad program pring break on a massive tour of art, rchitecture through the countries of taly.
Australia
Students studying abroad in Australia spent their spring breaks adventuring all over coastal and interior Australia. They enjoyed the beach and the nightlife that Aussie has to offer.
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Faith & Fellowship
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MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM Emily Neelon Faith & Fellowship Editor neelon17@up.edu
By Nastacia Voisin THE BEACON
A community of hope
On Sunday mornings senior Matthew Baer slides out of bed at 6:30 a.m. and bikes through the cold pre-dawn to an old building tucked away in St. Johns. He brings his coat, a book and a willingness to work. His task? Laboring for an hour and a half to set up and then tear down a shower trailer. He does this so the four homeless single mothers staying with the Community of Hope program can get a chance to wash. “I see it as meditative,” Baer said. “It gets me out of bed in the morning. And these women might not have showered since Friday night, and they’ve been working or looking hard for work. So why not give them a Sunday to shower?” Baer is one of three UP students volunteering at Community of Hope, a collaborative effort of North Portland churches to provide shelter, services, training and community to homeless women and their children. The transitional housing program welcomed its first family last February, and has since aided several women through a four to six month stay. According to Linda Jo Devlaeminck, the program’s director, the goal of
Community of Hope is to offer one solution to homelessness within the context of Christian community. “If we are trying to evangelize people by telling them to come to our church,” Devlaeminck said, “that’s not going to work. We need to go to where people are, and love them there.” During their time in the program the women are assisted in finding and holding jobs, managing finances, learning parenting skills and overcoming trauma. “When they come in, they come with a lot of gifts and strengths, but also they’re wounded,” Devlaeminck said. “They’re all in the same boat, and that gives them the opportunity to form a supportive community.” The program currently has the capacity to support four families, and operates out of the Red Sea Church basement and a church-owned building named the HUB. The program will transition into a 24/7 shelter as permits to add showers and laundry facilities and upgrade the building are approved. Once the HUB is renovated, the program will be able to support eight families at a time. While that may be a tiny fraction of North Portland’s homeless population, Devlaeminck said
Nastacia Voisin• THE BEACON
Community of Hope works to solve homelessness within a Christian context. The organization will be transitioning all of its operations to the HUB. Community of Hope doesn’t have the capacity or funding to aid everyone. Instead, they designed an intensive, longterm impact program that welcomes specific women. “People have a picture of what it’s like to be homeless – a drug addict who’s just out to get a buck,” Devlaeminck said. “That is not true for these women. They may have made some wrong turns, but they are warm, friendly, generous, strong women that are doing their best to turn their lives around.” Meanwhile, Devlaeminck
is working hard to establish Community of Hope as a sustainable resource. There is fundraising to do, city and county officials to connect with, training, supervising, mediation and teaching to handle. That’s where volunteers like Baer, sophomore Grace Mannen and senior Katherine Maus come in. They help the fledgling program by setting up the shower trailer, supervising at the HUB dinners and helping with community outreach. “We couldn’t do it without
volunteers,” Devlaeminck said. And as much of a blessing as the volunteers are to Community of Hope, Devlaeminck said she’s also seen the students impacted by their work with the program. “Part of what happens when you come here is you meet some fantastic people,” Devlaeminck said. “And you expand your boundaries of acceptance past your prejudices. That is such a huge gift.” Contact Copy Editor Nastacia Voisin at nastacia.voisin@gmail.com. Twitter: @nastaciavoisin
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Opinion
MARCH. 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
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Lydia Laythe Opinion Editor layth16@up.edu
Ditch the handle
FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Forced to choose
Take responsibility for online comments I made my first Myspace page back in 2007. I remember it clearly: My best friend sitting at Jacob Fuhrer the dinner Sophomore table across from my parents, who were reluctant at the idea of having my name online for anyone to
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Nathan Devaughn • THE BEACON
While the end of the semester may feel impossibly far away for most underclassmen, for seniors the end of their undergraduate career is approaching faster than they’d like to admit. In less than a week, seniors will begin ordering graduation tickets. This year’s seniors are only given four tickets per student, compared to last year’s seniors who received five. By the time this year’s larger-than-ever freshman class graduates, will it be a parents-only commencement? With this trajectory, eventually commencement will will only be able to accommodate one guest per student. Last year, the ticket shortage quickly spiraled into a shouting match within the Class of 2014 Facebook group. Some seniors advertised
free tickets for the first person to respond, while others auctioned theirs off. Those who gave away tickets criticized the auctioneers, while those selling tickets responded by explaining the merits of a supply-and-demand economy. The whole situation would have been comical if it didn’t involve people desperately hoping their siblings would get to watch them pass a crucial milestone in their lives. And frankly, this debate shouldn’t be happening. Every one of UP’s peer institutions has a way around this chaotic mess of graduation tickets. Gonzaga University and Whitworth University both hold their commencement ceremonies in the Spokane Arena, which has more than enough room for graduating seniors to bring as many guests
as they want. Likewise, Seattle University
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The whole situation would have been comical if it didn’t involve so many people desperately hoping their siblings would get to watch them pass a crucial milestone in their lives.
and Seattle Pacific University hold their commencements in KeyArena. Willamette University avoids ticket shortages - and a tedious ceremony - by dividing its commencement by school. According to Michael Betts, booking and event business development manager for Rose Quarter venues, renting out the Veterans Memorial Coliseum for one day costs $8,000. Stagehands, EMTs, and other services would add another few thousand dollars,
leaving the total expense at around $12,000. That might sound expensive, but keep in mind that $12,000 is just over half of one semester of tuition for one student. Surely the University can spare that pocket change if it means getting a venue that holds 12,000 people and allows graduates to invite their whole families. This year’s graduation is already set for the Chiles Center, so seniors of the Class of 2015 will just have to decide which grandparents get to watch them walk and which have to be content to meet them for dinner afterward. But please, don’t force next year’s class to make that decision. Rent an off-campus venue.
SUBMISSION POLICY Letters and commentaries from readers are encouraged. All contributions must include the writer’s address and phone number for verification purposes. The Beacon does not accept submissions written by a group, although pieces written by an individual on behalf of a group are acceptable. Letters to the editor must not exceed 250 words. Those with longer opinions are encouraged to submit guest columns. The Beacon reserves the right to edit any contributions for length and style, and/or reject them without notification. University students must include their major and year in school. Non-students must include their affiliation to the University of Portland, if any.
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Sexist, racist and homophobic language permeates the Internet at every corner with almost culpability... We should hold ourselves to a higher standard: If you wouldn’t say it fact-to-face, don’t say it online.
Jacob Fuhrer Sophomore
see. My friend passionately explained to them that he had his own MySpace profile and that all the cool kids were doing it. Clearly I needed to get on board to fit in. After some debate, my parents caved. It was a big deal, because for the first time my full name would be out there for all to see. My 12-year-old self was just a Google search away from anyone with a computer and access to the Internet.
See ONLINE page 12
THE BEACON Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Katie Dunn
Design Editor Rebekah Markillie
News Editor Philip Ellefson
Faith & Fellowship Editor Emily Neelon
Living Editor Cassie Sheridan
Asst. Design Editor Nina Chamlou
Opinion Editor Lydia Laythe
Copy Editor Nastacia Voisin
Sports Editor Malika Andrews
Photo Editor David DiLoreto
Staff Writers
Jacob Fuhrer, Maggie Hannon, Christine Menges, Molly McSweyn, Emily Neelon, Alina Rosenkranz, Karen Garcia, Molly Vincent, Luke Loranger, Rachel Rippetoe, Nastacia Voisin, Jimmy Sheldrup
Photographers Hannah Baade, Kristen Garcia, Parker Shoaff, Thomas Dempsey
Staff Members
Business & Ad Manager Web Content Manager Social Media Manager Cartoonist Circulation Director
UP Staff Members
Adviser Nancy Copic upbeacon.com • upbeacon@gmail.com • 5000 N. Willamette Blvd. Portland OR
Kim Kadomoto Carl Lulay Christine Menges Nathan DeVaughn Allison Zimmerman Publisher Fr. Mark Poorman
OPINION
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
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Online: Names humanize the Internet Continued from page 11 This was in 2007, when Facebook was just beginning to break out of its college-only shell and the idea of putting your real name and information online was in its infancy. Now, most people regard the Internet as a trusted space. We bank on it, we work on it and we play on it. In some cases, it has become a place for real intellectual debate, a place where anyone and everyone has a voice and is free to share what they want. This leads to the question: Why be anonymous? Like I did with my first social media profile in 2007, many opt to hide behind a fake name, a screen name. In doing so, the level of responsibility for what we say is diminished. We’re no longer held to a moral standard that comes alongside what we say in public. Sexist, racist and homophobic language permeates the Internet at every corner with almost no culpability. Hateful language and comments are allowed to run wild because the people behind the keyboards aren’t accountable for their thoughts. In this environment, no one even bothers to respond to these “trolls” because it’s seen as a futile endeavor.
Steve Ansul
A person who may simply be poorly educated will continue in their ignorance because no one bothers taking the time to respond to a random screen name. Adding a name humanizes those on the Internet and would lead to better and more
insightful comments. That’s not to say there aren’t times when online anonymity is a great thing. Whistleblowers and revolutionaries around the globe are able to speak their minds to the world and produce meaningful change
THE SECOND ANNUAL
KATE REGAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL MARCH 26, 5-7pm Bauccio Commons Executive Boardroom
as a result. In these situations, anonymity provides safety for those in dire situations. But for everyday online interactions, it isn’t necessary. We should throw weight behind our online ideas by attaching our names to what we say.
We should hold ourselves to a higher standard: If you wouldn’t say it face-to-face, don’t say it online.
Jacob Fuhrer is a sophomore communication studies major and can be reached at fuhrer17@up.edu.
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
OPINION
Letter to the Editor: Infestation Anxieties By Larry Simmons ENGINEERING PROFESSOR
To those responsible for S.L.U.G. and the other garden on Warren Street: Look up tansy ragwort. It is a bad invasive plant. You are infested and you are spreading it to the neighbors.
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We are ASUP’s biggest challenge
For ASUP, it is difficult to convey their message to the University, let alone get students to listen. ASUP tends Tyler Hunt Junior to get this reputation as this hidden, Illuminati organization that doesn’t really do anything at the University, but somehow simultaneously runs the whole place. After attending the sparselyattended Election Speech Night, I got the sense that the community really doesn’t care a lot about or understand ASUP, which, ASUP in turn is trying to fix. Each presidential/ vice presidential ticket reiterated the fact that they want to bridge the relationship between students, ASUP and administration, and each also claimed that they are there to back the students’ needs first and foremost, even above the administration’s needs. So why is it that the ASUP elect, from Senators to the Executive Board, are so misunderstood? One question posed to the candidates at the Election Speech Night was: What is the biggest challenge facing ASUP? I think that the answer to the problem actually falls more on the student body’s shoulders. As Grace Holmes put it (I’m paraphrasing): It’s like that guy, Atlas, with the world on his shoulders. We can’t just delegate an issue solely to one person. This was in response to the ongoing question: Who is responsible for diversity? But I think it is as good an allusion for the weight of change and betterment - we can’t expect ASUP to carry that alone. The challenge is more for students to care, to pay attention and to understand how greatly ASUP actually affects student lives. I heard a lot of great things from the candidates during Speech Night regarding bettering student wellness, from financial issues to mental
health, to promoting diversity. If students paid close enough attention, they would realize that ASUP’s power goes far beyond making Wi-Fi better or planning big events. One way in which ASUP/ CPB seems to gain a lot of attention is through events like Dance of the Decades and Rock the Bluff. Students love these events, but when it takes an event that nearly a thousand students attend for ASUP to hear student opinions, how do we expect them to hear about smaller events without telling them?
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I can admit that I don’t think about other students’ wellness usually until it becomes a prevalent issue addressed by The Beacon or another organization... but for ASUP, this is not the case. They constantly want to make life better for each of us and we have to give them the chance...
Tyler Hunt Junior
I think the biggest challenge for ASUP is that these few headstrong individuals care so much about the entire student body, but the student body does not feel that they can be the cause of change within themselves; or worse, they don’t care to be. I can admit that I don’t think about other students’ wellness usually until it becomes a prevalent issue addressed by The Beacon or another organization, like Redefine Purple Pride. But for ASUP, this is not the case. They constantly want to make life better for each of us, and we have to give them that chance by becoming involved and showing pride in the University family surrounding and engulfing us. I encourage students in the future to follow through on ASUP’s promises. As Octavia Butler said, “All that you change, changes you.”
Tyler Hunt is a junior communication studies major and can be reached at huntt16@up.edu.
FACES ON THE BLUFF Hannah Baade • THE BEACON
What did you do over spring break?
Ria Hofmann Freshman Business Major
Haley Finely Freshman Nursing Major
Nathan Corbett Sophomore Computer Science Major
Luis Valdes Sophomore Business Major
Sage Guttes Freshman Mechanical Engineering Major
“I went to my cabin with a bunch of friends.”
“I visited my friend at USD and went cliff-jumping.”
“I watched ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Game of Thrones’.”
“I went off-roading and shooting.”
“I swam with the dolphins in Hawaii.”
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
SPORTS
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Korey: Grateful for grandparents Continued from page 16 him out of the gym for months. In contrast to his buzzerbeating game winners of high school, Korey came off the bench for the Pilots. His sophomore year, the Pilots won only three conference games. Korey understood why he couldn’t play as a freshman, but as a sophomore his patience was wearing thin. He remembers thinking, “Well damn, we ain’t winnin’, why can’t I play?” Coaches at UP even encouraged Korey to transfer schools because he would not get the playing time they thought he deserved. Frustrated and angry, Korey nearly gave up. But advice from his high school coaches brought him back to reality. He remembers the phone call well. “They told me ‘Whatever you go through up there, can never be as hard as what you go through down here,’” Korey said. And it was true, he had survived worse. Korey realized that even if UP coaches thought he would be better off somewhere else, he needed to stay and play.
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My boys is here, they’re my family. I ain’t just gonna leave. There is no point.
Korey Thieleke Senior
This was the game versus Richmond all over again - his coaches told him no, and Korey showed up to play anyway. This time, the Chiles Center was the battlefield. Korey knew, if he left, there would be nowhere to go. Going back to Bakersfield would hand him a one-way ticket to jail, or worse. He had finally found a place he felt he belonged. “My boys is here, they’re my family,” Korey said. “I ain’t just gonna leave. There is no point.” So he fought. He built up his strength and weight. And then he played. Junior and senior years were full of flashy dunks, and big wins against BYU and Gonzaga. On senior night, his worlds collided as he stood beside his father and accepted flowers and praise from Reveno. It was the first time he had spoken to his dad in months, and the first time he had seen him in years. “My original plan was to have my grandparents come up,” Korey said. “But they couldn’t afford it. I was gonna be the only person with no one up there, so coaches recommended my daddy come.” Still, Korey smiled, and his father was there to see the life his son chose instead of gangs. “When we recruited him, we saw he was a kid with the potential to be special,” Reveno said. “Boy, were we right.”
A Second chance
When basketball season was over, Korey found himself at
a familiar crossroads. He felt the same way he had four years ago. He did not know what to do. Going back to Bakersfield was not an option. Scared and lost, he waited for graduation to come, making no plans, but knowing Bakersfield was a graveyard for his dreams. Weeks before his college graduation, head cross country coach Rob Conner approached Korey with a proposal to stay a fifth year and run for UP. Korey had been a track star in high school, graduating as one of the top six sprinters in California. With a fifth year at UP, in a shiny new pair of cleats, a long way from ratty tennis shoes and the dusty track of West High, things started to come together.
‘What’s the latest and the greatest?’
Few of Korey’s teeth are real. His top two teeth cracked when he was pushed into a basketball pole during a pickup game in middle school. His bottom teeth were ripped out of place when he was jumped for crossing the imaginary line that divides gang territories. Still, Korey sports his infectious grin as he approaches friends, asking the same question he picked up from E-40’s rap lyric: “What’s the latest and the greatest?” Every time, this same phrase. An attitude of justfind-some-way-to-be-happy that has has helped him survive. When Bakersfield beat him down, basketball and his grandparents held up the corners of his smile. “[Basketball] kept me busy,” Korey said. “Even though I was not liked in basketball, it still kept me out of jail and all the gang trouble that people was getting into.” When his mother’s drug
Despite having most of his teeth knocked out after being jumped as a child, Korey is still smiling. addiction prevented her from being able to care for her children, Korey’s grandparents took him and two of his siblings in. His grandfather, Johnny Hobson, made sure Korey walked the line, making sure he stayed out of the gang life he lost his son, Korey’s father, to. He told him repeatedly that making millions was not the goal, but an education was necessary. College was necessary. And basketball was his ticket to that education. “I used to get on him about doubting himself,” Hobson said. “You can do a lot of things other kids can’t do. You are blessed. Look what gangs got your daddy into. Look what drugs got your mother into. School isn’t for play, go and learn. Just needed one (grandchild) that wanted to do it straight. It was amazing, he was the one to do it.” Korey’s grandpa fought the battle for him when he didn’t believe he was strong enough
to fight it himself. In a city that knows no love, Hobson believes that is the ingredient that most kids are missing. “These kids were just lookin’ for someone to love,” Hobson said.
No fear of the streets
There are few people Korey allows to see into his past. He doesn’t want it to define him. In four years Korey has set foot in his grandparents home in Bakersfield three times. He came back to UP early his sophomore year after he saw a man killed, was shot at and narrowly escaped being jumped. Makayla Lindburg, Korey’s girlfriend and a UP volleyball player, has been to Bakersfield and sat in the sweltering heat of the grandparents’ living room. She describes Bakersfield as the opposite of her small hometown of Prineville, Oregon. The city is anything but welcoming. People are cautious and untrusting of the world outside their screen doors. But Korey, she says, is strong. “He has no fear of the streets. He doesn’t fear the things that most people are afraid of,” Lindburg said. “I’ve never met someone like him that can endure so much and be both outgoing and so humble and caring at the same time.”
Parkrose: A different West High
Courtesy of Korey Thieleke
Korey stands next to his grandfather, Johnny Hobson, during Korey’s recruiting visit to UP in 2010. Hobson and his wife April took Korey in at four months old and later adopted him.
Cali Bred. These words are tattooed in bold on Korey’s right and left forearms. Family is tattooed on the back side of his right arm. They are tattooed badges of honor. Korey is not ashamed of where he came from. He’s grateful for his grandparents, how they did the best they could with what they had. In addition to track and a full class load, Korey got a job working 13 hours a week as an AVID tutor for Parkrose High School, a public school in Northeast Portland. The Advancement Via Individual Determination
(AVID) program, aims to “close the gap between the educational performances of student groups, especially groups defined by economic status, ethnicity and gender.” Korey helps kids who are earning low grades but want to go to college. “Parkrose is just a different West High,” Korey said. “The kids is just like West, they don’t want to listen to nobody. If they don’t go to school, they gonna end up on the streets.” 68 percent of the students at Parkrose are economically disadvantaged. Korey went through a similar program when he was in high school to help maintain grades eligible for college. Recently, Korey became an assistant coach for Parkrose’s track team.
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Yes, we ate sugar sandwiches and didn’t have no clothes, got my teeth knocked out, got shot at…but I’m here. I’m still standing.
Korey Thieleke Senior
“I can relate to them more than anybody I work with,” Korey said. “Because even when they give me crap I’m like, ‘Dude, come on now, everything you do is a rerun. I done seen it all, I done it all.’” With only two months left at UP, time is squeezing Korey to make decisions about his future. There are whispers of Olympic track training, but for now he has his eyes set on continuing his work with AVID and helping kids to fight the battle he feels he has won. Today, Korey is 864.5 miles from the city that could have destroyed him. Any tribulation he faces now, cannot compare to where he came from and what he survived. “Yes, we ate sugar sandwiches and didn’t have no clothes, got my teeth knocked out, got shot at…but I’m here. I’m still standing.”
Contact Sports Editor Malika Andrews at andrewsm17@up.edu. Twitter: @malika_andrews
THE BEACON • MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
SPORTS
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Pilot in the spotlight Marina Reimers • Tennis • Junior Interview by Luke Lorenger
When did you first start playing tennis? I started really late, actually. I started playing when I was 14, and (I) only played for 4 years before coming to college. I first started playing in eighth grade, and I liked it because I was in control, and got the ball every time, as opposed to working on a team. What drew you to the sport? This sounds kind of bad, but when you are playing singles, when you mess up it’s all on you regardless if you win or lose. I really like that it’s all on me. If I mess up, I lost, (and) it’s not on anyone else. I really like the individual nature of the sport. How does this affect how you play? I still have a gameplan, but it’s just little things, like when this ball moves I do as well. You still have a game plan and execution just like any other sport. However, you are not relying on somebody else hitting the ball, and in doubles you rely on your partner. I like doubles, and I think they are both fun, but what drew me into the sport
originally was singles. What do you play currently? Right now I have not been playing in the lineup, and last year I played a lot of doubles. What made you choose UP? My brother went here, and he loved it and played on the golf team when the school used to have one. That made me really want to look at the school, and I really liked the schools coaches and the Portland area. It was my number one school, and I just wanted to come here. The tennis coaches were definitely a draw for me. How does the UP program compare to other tennis programs you have been on? I find tennis at University of Portland to be a lot more intense than high school tennis. In high school, they were people that just picked up a racket and came out for the season, and everyone here plays all year around and has been playing a long time. We are all very dedicated, and work hard.
What do you do outside of tennis? Although most of my time is spent playing tennis and doing schoolwork, I do like to do yoga lot. On our off days, I like to go out to Core Power, which I find to be good stretching and strengthening. It allows me to do something, even on my off days. At Core Power I do hot yoga, where the room is 95 degrees, and it is relaxing, but not easy. What are your plans for after college? I plan to do tennis, but at a fun league like level. I don’t plan to go professional, and try and focus and get a job. Do you have big goals for the season? We have a big game against USF, and we all hope to pull off the win. This year the team is strong and we have the potential to do well. Right now we have only lost to ranked teams, and hopefully we can pull it off tomorrow against USF even though they are ranked 39. Our team this year is the strongest it has ever been, and we have great girls from all over the world.
Hannah Baade • THE BEACON
MARCH MADNESS COMMENTARY
The most beautiful time of the year Sunday, March 15 marked the birth of the 2015 NCAA tournament. March Madness has officially begun. Jimmy Sheldrup Freshman 68 teams have been chosen, but only one will be crowned champion. This is a playoff system unlike any other in America, bringing in top talent into one tournament in a win-or-gohome format. Despite the 68-team field, there are always a few notable snubs. Colorado State and Murray State are talented, but neither team ended up earning bids to the tournament. The favorite to win this year’s tournament are the Kentucky Wildcats. They are the No.1 overall seed in the tournament following an undefeated regular season. Led by numerous NBA-bound players featuring Karl Towns and the Harrison twins, Kentucky has been nothing short of dominant this season, and should make a run to the final four. The University of Arizona could prove to be Kentucky’s downfall. Unlike the rest of the field, Arizona can match up to Kentucky. Freshmen Stanley
Johnson and sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson lead a balanced offense. Arizona has the sixth most efficient offense in the nation, and will be a tall order for any team. Every year there are a couple teams that, despite their unattractive ranking, will storm the bracket and shock the nation. These so-called “Cinderella teams” are in abundance this year, featuring numerous potential teams capable of pulling off an upset or two. Eastern Washington and Wichita State are both dark horses threatening to unseat some of the top dogs in this year’s tournament. Eastern Washington has the nation’s
leading scorer, Tyler Harvey. They face Georgetown in the first round, whom are notorious for being upset. Wichita State is a seasoned team, making a final four run two years ago, and last year losing to an exceptional Kentucky team. Both of these teams are poised to make some noise this year. At the end of the day, nobody knows how the tournament will unfold. But then again, that’s the beauty of it all. Contact Sports Writer Jimmy Sheldrup at sheldrup18@up.edu. Twitter: @CJSheldrup
Pilots eliminated in first round of CIT
By Malika Andrews THE BEACON The Pilots overcame a 13-point second half deficit to tie the game, but Sacramento State came away with a 73-66 win over the Pilots in the first round of the CollegeInsider. com Postseason Tournament (CIT) in the Chiles Center last night. This is the first postseason game the Pilots have hosted in program history. Senior Volodmyr Gerun led the Pilots with 15 points off the bench. Freshman Jason Todd snatched up a season high 13 rebounds. Junior Bryce Pressley was 4-8 from behind the arc, scoring 12 points for the Pilots. Senior Kevin Bailey added 11 points and Alec Wintering finished with 10. Despite double digit scoring
SCOREBOARD
THIS WEEK IN SPORTS Baseball at St. Mary’s
Men’s Tennis vs. Loyola Marymount
The Pilots continue to search for their first win in conference as they take on Saint Mary’s in a three game series beginning on Friday, March 20 at 3 p.m. in Moraga Calif.
The men’s tennis team takes on the LMU lions at home on Friday, March 20 and Pepperdine at 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.
Women’s Soccer vs Portland Thorns
Women’s and Women’s Track and Field Rose City Preview
The Pilots take on Portland Thorns FC in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. on Merlo Field on Saturday, March 21.
The men and women’s track team travel to Gresham, Ore. for the Rose City Preview on Saturday, March 21. Time TBA.
Thomas Dempsey • THE BEACON
from several Pilots, they were unable to keep their momentum after closing the second half scoring gap. This led them to fall behind in the final minute of the game. Head coach Eric Reveno feels for the seniors and thanked them for their effort this year. “They helped build the program to where it is,” Reveno said. “The foundation is good to build on, you know young guys are going on and I’m excited about where we are headed. We would’ve liked it to be a better outcome for the seniors.” Thomas van der Mars concludes his career as the as the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots, blocking 121 shots as a Pilot. Kevin Bailey finishes as No. 8 in all-time scoring.
Baseball
The Pilots suffered a 4-3 loss to San Diego on Sunday, March 15 concluding a 0-3 series in California.
Men’s Basketball
The Pilots fell to Sacramento 73-66 in the CIT tournament yesterday. This concludes their season.
Women’s Tennis
Portland defeated No. 51 San Francisco 4-3 on Tuesday, March 17 in Portland. The women advance to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Sports HIS WAY OUT MARCH 19, 2015 • UPBEACON.COM
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Malika Andrews Sports Editor andrewsm17@up.edu
From Bakersfield to The Bluff, Korey Thieleke makes the most of a second chance
After four years of playing basketball for the University of Portland, Korey Thieleke now runs for UP. Korey has overcome gang violence and poverty to become a two-sport athlete, student and AVID tutor at Parkrose High School.
By Malika Andrews THE BEACON
T
hey threatened to kill him if he showed up at the game. His coach warned him not to go. But Korey Thieleke did show up, ready to play basketball. His dad carried a pistol. Just in case. Although Korey was not involved in gangs, his father’s reputation as a gangster clung to him. Marching shoulder-toshoulder between his dad and a friend, Korey made his way to the locker room with a chorus of boos and threats following him. As he set foot onto the court, he felt his phone vibrate and reached into his pocket to see a text from his mother: Is homeboy that threatened you wearing a navy blue Yankee hat? Korey glanced up to the bleachers, his eyes met his mother’s and he nodded. Korey’s mother, accompanied by members of the Bloods, sat down behind the Yankee hat. Yet there was no time for Korey to focus on the threats, no time to focus on the boy in the Yankee hat. It was game time. The hostility followed him out to the high school parking lot after the game.Threats of kicking
in his grandmother’s teeth echoed in his ears as his father pushed him into the backseat of the car and drew his gun. No shots were fired. But Korey knew he was hated in basketball because of where he came from. It didn’t matter - sports would be his way out. Something else about that night: Korey hit the gamewinning shot. At the buzzer. Now, Korey tells this story casually. As if it were no big deal. Five years later, after coming to The Bluff without so much as a pillow, Korey has shown he can not only survive outside of Bakersfield, California, he can thrive. He has become a successful student, a two-sport athlete and a mentor for high school students. But going from gunfire in Bakersfield to graduation on The Bluff wasn’t without struggle, one that makes success even sweeter than the sugar sandwiches he ate in his youth.
Bakersfield boy on The Bluff
Under layers of smog and between gunshots fired, lies Bakersfield, 143.6 square miles of hell.
Portland, OR
Bakersfield, CA
©CC B-SA
Korey has traveled 864.5 miles from Bakersfield, CA to Portland, OR.
Video interview: check out upbeacon.com
“Growing up in Bakersfield was pretty rough,” Korey said. Through 16 social workers and 18 years of foster care, Korey battled the odds. There were times he didn’t have a bed to sleep in. Nights he curled up on the cold cement floors of garages all over the city. His own great-grandmother, who was white, forced him to sleep in the backyard when he visited because of the color of his skin. Money was tight. With an allowance of only $5 a month, Korey learned to steal to survive. His grandparents used foster checks to pay the bills. Still, Korey battled on. His determination was recognized by men’s basketball coach Eric Reveno on a recruiting visit to West High School Korey’s senior year. Reveno wiped away tears when he thought about the path that led Korey to the University of Portland. He remembers sitting with the guidance counselor at West High and discovering Korey had unimpressive grades, but a determined spirit. The counselor, Reveno remembers, insisted Korey deserved a chance. She looked at Reveno and said, “It’ll be interesting to see what the
Hannah Baade • THE BEACON
Bakersfield boy does out of Bakersfield.” “I’ll never forget (that),” Reveno said. “And I didn’t really know what that meant in terms of what a Bakersfield boy was. But now I know. She meant, with the neighborhood he was from, and that environment, she had seen lots of kids like him that hadn’t gotten out of Bakersfield, that hadn’t gotten the opportunity.” Reveno saw a kid that deserved a chance. Korey ran with that chance and became not only the first member of his family to graduate from high school, but the first to attend college. The first to free himself from the restraints of Bakersfield. The battleground moved from the streets of Bakersfield to Portland’s bluff. When Korey arrived, he brought only what he could afford with $125 savings: house slippers, two pairs of Converse sneakers, a pair of jeans, sweatshirts and a few T-shirts. “People called me homeless,” Korey recalled. Just weeks after coming to The Bluff, a staph infection from an infected tattoo put Korey in the hospital for a week and kept
See Korey page 14