The Pacific Sentinel is a monthly student-run magazine at PSU. We seek to uplift student voices and advocate on behalf of the underrepresented. We analyze culture, politics, and daily life to continually take the dialogue further.
We offer a space for writers and artists of all skill levels to hone their craft, gain professional experience, and express themselves. We are inspired by publications such as The New Yorker and The Atlantic. We advocate for the underrepresented and the marginalized.
We are always looking for new students to join our contributor team as we can’t do it without your help. If you’re interested in working with us, visit our website at pacsentinel.com or contact our Executive Editor at editor@pacsentinel.com
photo courtesy of freestocks via unsplash
FEATURED THIS ISSUE
ariana protsman is a graduate student in the book publishing program at portland state university. she is a lover of books, emo music, and hikes involving waterfalls.
becca moss enjoys spending time at her apartment with the fire going and talking rin out of adopting a fourth cat. she graduates this june from portland state university book publishing program and does not know where she will end up and is very much freaking out about it. she is a proud dog mom and will never stop talking about her german shepard.
rin kane is obsessed with her three cats and frequently has to be talked out of getting a fourth. she is also a graduate student in the book publishing program at psu and can be found at shows, stocking up on books about small-space gardening, talking endlessly about getting a criterion channel account without actually doing it, and thrifting throw pillows.
kaitlyne bozzone is a new grad student in the book publishing program at psu. she loves discovering new music in her niche genres of choice, sharing pics of her pets, and anything lavender flavored. you can often find her exploring bookstores around portland or rambling excitedly about the various tv shows she’s watching.
kara herrera enjoys anime, PC games, jigsaw puzzles, zoology, D&D, and books. She’s a second-year book publishing student, and has surprisingly really liked learning about book data management and operations. She loves to write about gender crit and yap about post-colonialism, and in general just always has something to say about the media she’s consuming
aj adler likes sleeping (lol), endlessly watching youtube and anime, and her cat (except when he tries to climb her legs /cry). she’s in her final year of graduate school in the book publishing program. she likes writing about art and culture. her comparative literature undergrad degree has to be useful for something, after all.
kris andrade is a student in the art + design program at portland state. when not doing graphic design or drawing hes reading comics and listening to music.
DEAR READERS
Welcome to the first edition of The Pacific Sentinel in 2025. I’m happy to present our February issue, even in the midst of the winter term slump.
This issue is very much geared towards the Valentines Day spirit. From romance stories to romance recommendations, this issue is for the lover in us all.
Each piece is very special, and so are the voices featured. There are many new writers in this issue, as well as returning ones. Rebecca Moss, our new associate editor, shows us her love for books as she takes us through Portland’s new romance book store, Grand Gesture. Kara Herrera, a new contributor, takes time to guide us through a new romcom anime, “How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer.” AJ Adler, our resident show reviewer, provides a unique opinion piece on Wonder Woman and Batman. I included a piece about a new, locally published title “Supersymmetry”, and the special launch party for it.
Lastly, we have a piece from all of us down in the subbasement. This special collection of cinematic love stories are all great recommendations from us behind student media.
Regarding the design and layout of this issue, I want to take some time to thank Kaitlyne Bozzone, the new production editor. This issue has come out beautifully thanks to her. And let’s just take another look at our cover, designed by the excellent Kris Andrade.
I’d also like to thank Rin Kane, our multimedia editor, for bringing this all together with her excellent editing skills.
As we move forward into March and the end of winter term, take this time to take care of yourself and spend time with what you love. We will see you soon in our next issue!
Onwards and upwards,
Ariana Protsman
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Platonic Love and a Grand Gesture
BY REBECCA MOSS
On February 7, 2025, Grand Gesture Books held a matchmaking event as one of their many gatherings this month. Katherine Morgan, the owner, put together a long list of events for this month in particular, in anticipation of the romantic vibes of February. The store itself is an ode to the romance genre as a whole, covering all categories of books such as young adult, adult, non-fiction, and even a specific section for Pacific Northwest authors—of which I purchased a book from during the event because I can not help myself. To Katherine, Grand Gesture Books is a store “geared towards celebrating you in every relationship aspect that you have whether you are single, married, just ended something, or just want to celebrate your friendships.”
For the month of February, the store set up a table for a “Blind Date With a Book”, filled with wrapped books placed in brown paper bags stuffed with socks and candy. This particular batch was their last.
When asked about what the intention of the night was, Katherine said, “It’s hard to make friends as an adult, so I wanted to create a space where you could make new friends and if something romantic does develop, great! But the main thing was to get people out there and try something new.” Focusing on friendships, Katherine wanted to put a spotlight on platonic love, and celebrating the friendships that can also be the love of your life.
The event started right at 6:30 p.m. with snacks and non-alcoholic beverages in the corner next to the
photos courtesy of rebecca moss
non-fiction titles. The music playing from the bluetooth speaker behind the checkout stand set the vibe for a fun and playful time, with songs playing from every genre. As people walked in, Katherine asked them to fill out a name tag with their first name, preferred pronouns, and a fun fact about themselves. Katherine’s fun fact happened to be that they saw Beyonce five times, while mine was that I saw the Eras tour twice. Some had fun facts about their pets, their jobs, a League of Legends talent scale, and one in particular stood out claiming that they indeed kissed Katy Perry. As soon as the attendees hit the floor, there was nothing stopping them from talking to each other. The store became loud as I wandered around listening to conversations and putting down every book I wanted to buy, telling myself no.
I spoke with a couple of people who were there asking what brought them out here, and the common answer was that they wanted to make friends because it is hard to do so as an adult. Getting out of their bubble is tough, and getting to be in a space specifically created to make connections seemed fun and easy. They also highlighted the importance of coming out and supporting a local, black-owned bookstore in the city of Portland.
Once the individual groups had all met each other, a circle began to form in the middle of the floor. Each person went around and read off their name tag to introduce themselves, some hearing fun facts that fit well with theirs. To finish off the evening, a group of actors set up some scenes from—in my personal opinion—one of the greatest rom-coms ever made, “You’ve Got Mail.” They had a narrator to set the scenes, two people to play the in-person versions of Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly, and two to play the anonymous chat versions of them. To tie it all together, a print hangs in the corner of the book shop with the quote, “Don’t cry, shopgirl.”
All in all, the evening was a wonderful, safe, and loving environment for anyone who went. Located by the Multnomah library and easily accessible by the streetcar or Max, the store is a great place to pop into and browse. Look for the sign above the tote bags, it does not lie. A supportive space is hard to come by, but Katherine nails it with the inclusivity of Grand Gesture Books.
Recommendations from the Subbasement
Cinematic Love Story Recommendations from the Student Media
BY STUDENT MEDIA
February is the month of love, and whatever you love, we have the perfect list of movies for you to enjoy. Whether you’re snuggled up with your partner, or your latest jellycat addition, we have the perfect list of romantic comedies for the occasion. Gathered by the student media staff in the subbasement, here are some top picks:
“Once” (2007) – KPSU - Portland’s College Radio
Two musicians fall in love, experiencing the ups and downs as their beautiful music takes you through their emotional journey together.
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” (2003) –Ariana Protsman
While Andie is determined to get Ben to break up with her, Ben is determined to get Andie to fall in love with him. What follows is a series of dates and spats that lead to one of my all-time favorite rom-coms. Not to mention, Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson’s chemistry is absolutely amazing.
“Music and Lyrics” (2007) – Rin Kane
Hugh Grant playing a washed up 80s pop star? Drew Barrymore being Drew Barrymore? A truly banging sound track? This movie has it all.
“You’ve Got Mail” (1998) – Rebecca Moss
A modern remake of the original movie titled “The Shop Around The Corner”, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are secretly, and anonymously, chatting over email after meeting in an online group, and eventually fall in love with each other. This is the ultimate enemies to lovers storyline and it gets better every time I watch it. Reciting the last lines of the movie “Don’t cry, shop girl” and “I wanted it to be you so bad” get me every time.
Once (2007)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
Music and Lyrics (2007)
“Lisa Frankenstein” (2024) – Kaitlyne Bozzone
It may be new, but “Lisa Frankenstein” was an instant classic for me last Valentine’s Day. This horror rom-com tells the story of a strange teenage girl who develops a murderous romance with the revived corpse of a Victorian pianist as they attempt to re-build his body. It’s a gory, campy 80s romp, perfect for weird girls everywhere. Also, really fun queer coding.
“When Marnie Was There” (2014) – Rae
“When Marnie Was There” is an animated film which tells the story of Anna, a young girl struggling with her sense of belonging after losing her parents. During a summer stay in the countryside, she encounters Marnie, a mysterious girl who lives in a seemingly abandoned mansion nearby. The unique friendship that unfolds between the two girls becomes the catalyst for Anna’s own healing, self-discovery, and a chance to make peace with her past.
I love this film because it showcases the power of enduring connections—romantic, platonic, and familial—in shaping our sense of belonging and self. You’ve
Lisa Frankenstein (2024)
When Marnie Was There (2014)
design courtesy of kris andrade
by S.R. Schulz
Ooligan Press’s Supersymmetry Book Launch
BY REBECCA MOSS
a novel by S.R. Schulz
On February 18, Ooligan Press, Portland’s resident small publishing press, held a book launch for their new book, “Supersymmetry”, written by SR Schulz at Up Up Books in the Buckman neighborhood. The novel follows Lisa, a woman who became pregnant at 19 and was immediately hit with postpartum depression, her childhood trauma haunting her, and her son having increased violent outbursts. Lisa decides to start fresh and move to Croatia, carrying guilt and uncertainty with her. During her stay she meets a man named Luka, a handsome man with a complex past. He helps Lisa navigate her past and the relationships she left behind in Oregon, begging the question: Can anyone truly start over?
It was a packed house at Up Up Books, late arrivals were forced into standing room only as the author began his rapport with the moderator, Ági Bori Mottern, a literary translator and a past alum from Ooligan Press. Ági read a small description of the book before asking their first question;
photos courtesy of rebecca moss
How did you come up with the title?
Shultz went into detail about how the first title was a bit of a mouthful, and there was a request to change it. However, once the book was complete, he found the name from an Arcade Fire song “Supersymmetry”. He described that while thinking more about the contents and themes of his book, they revolve around a symmetry of life, basically moving on from one moment, just to come back to it years later.
An interesting question that was asked was about Ernest Hemingway, and how his writing style could have potentially influenced Schulz’s novel. Schulz talked about how “The Sun Also Rises” has a lot of characters that live their life and enjoy it, but still have that undertone of trauma within those characters. Exploring the back story and sadness of the trauma while still letting the characters live their lives was a big inspiration to Schulz.
This novel follows a woman as the main character, running from her past while dealing with the effects of postpartum. This novel is also written by a man. Naturally, the most important question of the night was, “Was it easy for you to write from the woman’s perspective?” Schulz answered with a confident ‘Yes’. He spoke about being in the character’s head and understanding their background, saying that everything you have created becomes real to you so it’s easy to stay in that mindset. He mentioned that he read female authors and
characters, and being able to take other peoples stories and being able to understand their story from his current occupation as a doctor. Schulz ends his answer with, “I tried really hard”.
Both Ági and Schulz read a few more excerpts from the book and talk more about the inspiration and how this book had possibly changed him. After an hour of their rapport, there is no time for audience questions and the event goes straight into an author signing and mingling. Patrons were able to purchase “Supersymmetry” from the counter and walk a few steps over to meet and greet Schulz. A few of the Ooligan Press members were in attendance, along with alums and an author of a future book to be published at the press was also there.
Speaking with the owner of Up Up Books, they were delighted to host, as they had worked with the press before. Up Up Books carries local authors in many genres, as well as a tiny kids section in the corner. They also host writing groups and book clubs in their back room space. Promptly at 8:30 PM, we were being asked to wrap up as soon as possible so that they could prepare for another event happening that night.
“Supersymmetry” is available in paperback on the
Ooligan Press website and local Portland bookstores.
“The contents and themes of [the] book, they revolve around a symmetry of life, basically moving on from one moment, just to come back to it years later.”
photos courtesy of rebecca moss
Analysis: “All Guy’s Mixer”
BY KARA HERRERA
When I first saw the trailer for the anime “How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer” (hereafter referred to as “All-Guy’s Mixer”) back in March, 2024, my interest was immediately piqued. Drag kings? Mspec representation? A misunderstanding-filled slowburn romcom? I am so ready; sign me up.
If you haven’t heard of “All-Guy’s Mixer” before, let me provide a quick synopsis:
University student Tokiwa gets invited to a mixer/goukon by one of his female classmates, Suo. Excited to attend, he invites his two friends, Hagi and Asagi to join him for the group date. However, the three are shocked when they arrive to find not three femme attendees like they expected—but three men! Or, so they think. It’s quickly revealed that Suo, Kohaku, and Fuji—the three women in attendance—work at a drag king café, and they just happened to decide to come to the mixer still in uniform. What follows is a misunderstanding-filled, sexuality-crisis-aplenty, slowburn romantic comedy between each of the pairs, Tokiwa x Suo, Hagi x Kohaku, and Asagi x Fuji.
When I say I was on the edge of my seat waiting to watch this show, that’s an understatement. I talked about it to every friend I knew who watched anime, not necessarily because I thought that they might want to watch it, but just because I was that excited about it. I ended up watching it with my two roommates as it was airing (October–December 2024) and we all had a blast.
But let me back up and confess something; I don’t typically like romance-themed media. Now, before you denigrate me, I want to say that it’s not for a lack of trying, AND, there are exceptions. For example, I really liked reading Lex Croucher’s young adult romance last year, “Gwen and Art Are Not in Love,” and I still really like watching “The Sound of Music” (1965) and “Pride and Prejudice” (2005).
What I don’t tend to like is a strict gender binary, an imbalanced power dynamic, or controlling men... especially not controlling men. I’ll keep it a hundred y’all; whenever a guy in a movie, show, or book says something like,
“You’re mine,” in relation to his partner, my blood pressure starts to rise.
I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum—everyone has a right to consume whatever media they want and not be judged for it. Media, however, is a reflection of society, and I think a lot of us can agree that the media we grew up consuming was not exactly welcoming to any kind of queer or non-normative romance.
This reluctance to challenge any gender norms goes beyond American television and the big screen; I’ll be one of the first to say that many Asian countries have even stricter ideas of gender roles, Japan being one. Now full disclosure: I’m Asian, but not Japanese, and there’s a lot of nuance regarding the difference in culture between Japan and America that I’m skipping over. Japan does not have the same strong historical ties with Western Protestantism and Christianity that America has, so there’s a lot that can be said about the expansion of Western powers being part of the cause of the staunch gender conservatism we see in Japan today (to say nothing of other parts of Asia).
“This isn’t a show that needs to outright state identities in order to act as representation; I don’t believe that that is the goal.”
The point I’m getting at is that Japan is still a very conservative society, generally speaking. And anime reflects that same conservatism—generally speaking. Look hard enough, and there are a surprising amount of anime series that question and challenge that binary. Some examples include “Revolutionary Girl Utena” (1997), “Wandering Son” (2011), and the recent “Senpai is an Otokonoko” (2024). The above examples are very overt and not subtle in the least about the characters not conforming to societal standards of gender roles. As we know, the dominant culture will often say one thing and those who protest it will utilize art as a means to do so.
“All-Guy’s Mixer” is not an anime whose characters outright claim any sort of queer or gender non-conforming identity. None of the characters ever state that they’re bi, pan, trans, non-binary, or queer.
(There is an instance where one of the male characters wonders if he’s bisexual—no clear answer was mentioned.) However, I wish to posit that this isn’t a show that needs to outright state identities in order to act as representation; I don’t believe that that is the goal.
In my opinion, a lot of anime and manga that seem to show queer representation fall into—or dangerously close to—queerbaiting territory; some examples include “Free!” and “K,” shows that are clearly meant to pander to heterosexual women, without furthering any queer relationships on-screen. Moreover, even when an anime/manga does not participate in any queerbaiting, the queer characters in question are written in a way more akin to stereotypes or caricatures, rather than real people (look up the okama archetype). Finally, even when the above two cases do not apply, there is a tendency to only show stories of violence, persecution, and discrimination against queer, trans, and non-binary people. All these critiques are not anything new, and I could level the same comments against American media with just as much poignance.
“All-Guy’s Mixer” is not about persecution, and the characters are not stereotypes nor cardboard cutouts. (In fact, one of the guy characters goes through a very realistic sexuality crisis.) It is a slowburn romcom though, so it takes a long time for any of the couples to start to make progress—at the time of this writing, none of them have gotten together yet.
There is still a huge need for anime characters (and characters in American media!!!) to claim queer labels. Make no doubt about it; the more these labels become normalized, the less persecution will be accepted. In such an environment, however, I still believe that there is room for characters that don’t claim obvious labels—to be blatantly queer does not always equate to choosing a label.
So as the season of romance books and romance movies comes to a close, I hope that some of you give this show a watch. “All-Guy’s Mixer” is a fresh take on the standard romcom anime, and I think it has appeal for all my queer girlies. As for me— someone who doesn’t always go for a romcom, but also loves “Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun” (if you know you know)—this is exactly the kind of representation that resonates with me. Here’s to hoping that a few of y’all see what I see.
If you don’t watch anime . . . well what can I say? You’re missing out, dude.
Upcoming in Portland
BY ARIANA PROTSMAN
With March fast approaching, here is a hand-picked list of events coming up. Prices vary from free entry to discounted student tickets. See our online version at pacsentinel.com for more information.
PSU Choirs: Kaleidoscope
February 28, 2025 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Portland’s First United Methodist Church 1838 SW Jefferson St. Portland, OR 97201
Reggie’s Manga Shop Grand Opening
Reggie’s Manga Shop 7015 N Greeley Ave Portland, OR 97217
Oregon Zoo Winter Discount Days
March 1 - 7, 2025 Oregon Zoo 4001 SW Canyon Rd Portland, OR 97221
Portland Mardi Gras Parade
March 4, 2025
Mississippi Avenue
Portland Lit Mic
Second Friday of Every Month
Rose City Book Pub 1329 NE Fremont St Portland, OR 97212
Shamrock Run
March 16, 2025 Tom McCall Waterfront Park 98 SW Naito Pkwy Portland, OR 97204
Sit Down, Shut Up, and Write Every Wednesday, 5:30–5:45 p.m.
Bold Coffee & Books 1755 SW Jefferson St Portland, OR 97205
Monet’s Floating Worlds at Giverny: Portland’s Waterlilies Resurfaces
Mar 1, 2025–Aug 10, 2025
Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave Portland, OR 97205
photo courtesy of ariana protsman
BATMAN x WONDER WOMAN The Coverup
WRITTEN BY AJ ADLER
“Justice League Unlimited”. “Batman and Wonder Woman”. A complicated relationship built up over several seasons as Wonder Woman tries to own up that she and Batman are closer than coworkers and could be something even more. It’s an ongoing subplot in the show that gives depth to both characters as you see who they are outside of being heroes. It is also a relationship built on censorship. In this article, I will attempt to convince you that Batman and Wonder Woman’s relationship started because the writers needed a beard for Wonder Woman. To do so, we’re going to travel back before “Justice League Unlimited” to its predecessor, “Justice League”. Specifically the episode, “Maid of Honor”.
In this episode, Wonder Woman forms a close relationship to the Kaznian princess, Audrey. They spend most of the first episode of the arc hanging out and getting
to know each other. Despite that, the audience doesn’t actually see much of them being together. There are strange cuts between them planning to do something, to them already having done it. Batman is in a confusing position in this arc. He ends up playing a supporting role to Wonder Woman, but doesn’t give any information that affects the plot, and is completely left out of crucial moments in the first episode of the arc. Put together, I believe that Batman wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place, and was only added in later when the episode was censored for its lesbian undertone.
Let’s start with the parts of the episode that have nothing to do with Batman. There are two moments in the episode where Wonder Woman and Audrey mention that they are planning to do something, then we don’t see them do it. First, Audrey says she’s going to take Wonder Woman shopping, then it cuts to when they’ve
finished. This leads into another scene where Wonder Woman and Audrey are about to go to a series of parties. They get all the way to the first location, get swarmed by other people, leave, then suddenly there’s a cut to the morning after where they are on top of the Eiffel tower. Not only that, but in both instances the women reference moments that the viewer never saw. Audrey mentions Wonder Woman said she looks good in scarlet, and has “feet of clay,” neither of which make sense based on what the viewer had previously seen. Notably, these scenes reference moments in which both characters seem very close to each other. Just look at the dialogue between the two women:
Audrey: “I hate to admit it, but you’re right.”
Wonder Woman: “You’re
going to help me find out why those men tried to kidnap you?”
Audrey: “I meant about the dress. You
can get away with scarlet.”
Audrey: “My last night as a free woman.”
Wonder Woman: “Disappointed?”
Audrey: “No. I rather enjoyed corrupting you.”
Wonder Woman: “I’d appreciate it if we kept some of the more embarrassing stories to ourselves.”
Audrey: “Don’t worry... I won’t tell anyone that their great hero has feet of clay.”
Notably, in the second example, both women are standing very close together, and Audrey brushes Wonder Woman’s hair back. While there’s no definitive proof that the scenes were cut for censorship reasons, I think it is a fair supposition, especially when considering the Batman of it all.
Batman’s presence in this episode doesn’t make a lot of sense. He is in three scenes, never talks to or even meets Audrey, and doesn’t give Wonder Woman any information she couldn’t have found out herself. Not only does his presence dilute the narrative and add plot holes, how he acts is extremely out of character because his entire character is driven by a need to be in charge paired with incredible detective skills. Three examples highlight clearly how Batman’s role in the story does not make sense.
In the first scene, Bruce Wayne rescues Wonder Woman from some nosy reporters and they share a dance. Immediately afterwards fighters attempt to kidnap Audrey. Wonder Woman goes off to save her, alone. Batman never shows up, and Bruce Wayne isn’t seen in the aftermath. Despite everything that happened, the only thing he did in that scene was dance with Wonder Woman.
Ostensibly, the reason Batman is in this episode is because he was researching thefts that link back to the Kaznian government. In all of his presumably extensive research, he never once saw a photograph of the fiancé of the princess of the country, who we learn is in charge of a large space project the government is funding, and therefore might be the most likely candidate for the thefts. How do I know he never saw a picture? Because the fiancé also happens to be Vandal-freaking-Savage, a recurring massive big bad Wonder Woman recognized on sight and had a very strong reaction to. Either he knew and didn’t say anything, or in all his research he didn’t find out. Both instances seem extremely unlikely to me.
After a conversation between Wonder Woman and Batman that essentially went:
Wonder
Woman:
“I don’t trust Savage, but I can’t find anything concrete.”
Batman: “I can’t either, but I support you.”
Batman looks to the left of his desk, where a full TV stand sits, and turns on the news. After the segment is finished, he then goes back to Wonder Woman on the phone and asks if she caught that. This is how Wonder Woman, the main character in this arc, learns about the King of Kaznia having a stroke. This series of events is an incredibly convoluted way for a main character to learn necessary information from a TV news segment
while she was in her own room, which presumably has a TV set. To put it in plainer terms, The Dark Knight’s main purpose in this scene was as a middleman between Wonder Woman and a TV.
There are many more examples I could list, but these three give the gist of how Batman acts, and is used, as a character within these episodes. He is, as far as I can tell, there simply to be there. Given how his initial scene was to dance and flirt with Wonder Woman, and the way that Wonder Woman and Audrey act together in the rest of the arc, I genuinely believe that he was a last-minute addition due to censorship regulations that was intended solely to act as a beard for Wonder Woman. No scene highlights this more than the wedding scene in the second episode of the arc. The frames cut between Wonder Woman fighting her way to Audrey’s wedding and Audrey walking down the aisle as the “Wedding March” plays in the background. In the middle of the scene, Batman’s just there, laying down some fire and then exits the scene by parachuting away as Wonder Woman continues her quest. Wonder Woman and Audrey are having their moment, then Batman swoops in vaguely helping Wonder Woman so that the writers can say, “No, actually, he’s the love interest.”
This episode also happens to be the first moment the writers hinted at something going on between Wonder Woman and Batman, which means that the whole relationship that was built up over two different shows was based on someone not letting the writers make Wonder Woman queer. Life’s funny sometimes, isn’t it.
photo courtesy of peter bucks via unsplash
photo courtesy of kaitlyne bozzone
from sudoku.com
FOOD, COFFEE, SHOPS RECOMMENDATIONS
Parallel Worlds Bookshop
sci-fi & fantasy bookstore
2639 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
Laurelhurst Theater
movie theater & pub (21+)
2735 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
La Casita Mexican Grill
food cart on campus w/ vegetarian options
1881 SW 5th Ave, Portland, OR 97201
secondhand art, craft, & office supplies
1736 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97205
The Dragonfly Coffee House
cozy vibes & pastries w/ plush seating
2387 NW Thurman St, Portland, OR 97210
Fifty Licks
non-traditional ice cream flavors w/ vegan options 2021 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
& cds
3899 SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97005
classic deli sandwiches, coffee, & sweet treats
2045 SE Washington St, Milwaukie, OR 97222
WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING
ariana espinoza
I’m enjoying Lord Huron and the upcoming album. I just purchased tickets to his concert and am mentally preparing for that. I used “The Night We Met” in my wedding; so this is going to be extra special!
becca moss
I’m enjoying cooking and learning more family recipes when I have the time, as well as spending time with my friends more.
rin kane
I’m enjoying diving back into Kendrick Lamar’s discography, gearing up to have my first garden box this spring, and going line dancing at Doc Marie’s as often as possible.
kaitlyne bozzone
The new season of “Yellowjackets”, one of my favorite shows. There’s not many episodes yet, but it’s shaping up to be a nasty season. And I mean that as a total compliment.
photo courtesy of rolling stone
image courtesy of dish network
image courtesy of wnyc
photo courtesy of gaelle marcel via unsplash
WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING
kara herrera
Currently really enjoying the “Epic: The Musical” album now that it’s complete. Musical brain really go brrrrr sometimes. If anyone is into the Hamilton musical, check that one out. Been really jamming to Psychic Fever’s “What’s Happenin” as well as “Punk Tactics” by Joey Valence & Brae. And just to be really basic, shoutout to Doechii’s “Alligator Bites Never Heal” album.
aj adler
Currently reading Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherworlds. It’s very fun; Emily is insane in the best way, and the way of writing is really clever. I’ve started making a playlist of anime themes I like. It only has three songs on it rn: “database,” “Otonoke,” and “Paper Bouquet.” I recommend the songs, though the anime for the third one is not my fav.
kris andrade
I’m currently enjoying 2hollis’s third album “boy”. It’s really reflecting with me as it’s his artistic expression of coming of age. The music is a mix of many EDM genres such as electronic dance, rap, electroclash, etc. It scratches a part of my brain and cures a craving I didn’t even know I had for this kind of genre of music. 2hollis can convey harsh emotions though his vocals causing instant vocal pitches that just makes your brain go crazy. My favorite song on the album is “Crush” and an honorable mention is “light”. The songs are addicting and leave you wanting more. Similar artists I would recommend checking out for these genres would be Tonser and Nate Sib. Overall this album is a 9/10 for me.
