The Pacific Sentinel - June 2023

NEWS

The Pacific Sentinel is a studentrun magazine that seeks to uplift the diverse cast of voices here at Portland State.

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

OPINION SCIENCE & TECH

ARTS & CULTURE FEATURED EXTRAS

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.

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ANDROID FLOWERS OF THE FUTURE

by Ben Norman

GARY NUMAN TOURS NORTH AMERICA

by Becky Phillips

EMILY KING, THE QUEEN OF THE CUTIES

by Dylan O’Harra

WHO PROTECTS US?

by Sarah Samms & Jeremiah Hayden

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THE LANDING TO CLOSE ITS DOORS

by Dylan O’Harra

THE FIRST (& FORGOTTEN) ‘R’

by Isa Swain

CELEBRATE THE LEGACY, IGNORE THE HISTORY?

by Shea Dancey

DONUTS & DAO’S

by Lillian Kennedy

ABOUT TOWN Featuring Po’Shines, Bowrey Bagels, & More!

WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING & Graduate Send-Off

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

Welcome to another edition of The Pacific Sentinel.

I began working with the Sentinel in the Summer of 2021 as the News Editor. We were still in the grips of the pandemic and campus had only just started to reopen. Despite that, and like many others, I was desperate to get out of my apartment and into new endeavors. When I discovered that we had an office on campus, I was ecstatic. No more working from home and I got to be a part of something real. Something tangible. But things back then weren’t what they are now. I spent most of that school year working in the Sentinel office, deep down in the sub basement of the Smith Memorial building, and during that time I rarely saw anyone walking these halls. In fact, the only person that was ever around (aside from Reaz, our fantastic Student Media Advisor), was the previous Executive Editor—and I could feel her burnout. In fact, I was already feeling it myself. With so little collective interest in Student Media at the time, I wasn’t surprised that I met the other staff members only once or twice over the course of that year.

The office back then was nothing more than a storage unit. Boxes of old magazines lined the walls. Magazine dispensers that were never delivered took up much of the space. There was no indication that this was, in fact, the office of a University-funded magazine nearing 10 years of existence. The few times that friends or colleagues stopped in to see me, one of the only people on that floor of the building, I’m sure that they left with concerns for my mental well being. During that first year, I could count on my hands how many student contributors I worked with (even less for those that actually visited the office).

Come the Summer of 2022, following a tumultuous leadership turnover period, I applied for the Executive Editor position on the basis that I didn’t want to see such a potentially powerful publication go under due to lack of interest. And despite my honesty about this to the board of interviewers, I was elected to run the magazine from 2022-23. And let me tell you, I was skeptical. All I had seen so far was lack of interest (from both contributors and staff), a ghost town in the Student Media halls, dead social media, uninspired content, and a magazine that only printed two issues that entire year. I spent that first week of Fall ‘22 cleaning out the office. To my regret, I filled an entire curbside recycling bin with undelivered magazines. I rearranged, swept, and brought in another desk. Although these groups often function under the recycled surplus of the institution, I did my best to make it a place that my staff and I could be comfortable in, if not proud of. I tried to pinpoint what it was that was pushing students away from putting their best efforts into

With graduation just around the corner, we’re looking for creative and driven induviduals to join our team! If you’re interested in writing or video/audio positions, please contact Dan at editor@pacsentinel.com. If you’re interested in an art & design position, please contact Edwin at production@pacsentinel.com.

our magazine. I could see the potential of this project, as both a publication of arts and an opportunity for professional development, and I was asking myself why it was that so few wanted to put their energy back into it.

But with a new year came new energy. New faces. New ideas. Some of my staff was returning, some were new, and some joined our team halfway through the year. Each was invaluable and brought an energy to this magazine that not only kept it afloat, but helped it to flourish in a way that hadn’t been seen since pre-pandemic. We went from only 2 issues last year to a staggering 7 this year (still down from the 9-a-year goal). The love and passion for this project from so many students (including our amazing contributors) moved and motivated me beyond words. With each new issue, we stepped up our game. We wanted to push the limit of what this magazine could be and do. We pored through old issues, looking for what worked and what didn’t. We were often critical of our own work, intent on bringing the Sentinel up to the quality that we believed it deserved. We pushed ourselves to be a part of the community, rather than simply a reflection of it. And I’m immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished in so little time. Each of us is doing this work while taking on full-time credits, working weekend jobs, and trying (often in vain) to balance our social and personal lives. I’ve often seen students push themselves beyond their limits, working long hours in order to meet deadlines, to continue the constant cycle of a monthly magazine.

I’d like to offer gratitude here for everyone who made this possible. Thank you Sarah Samms, for all of your passion and empathy. You’ve been here about as long as I have, and this magazine wouldn’t be what it is without your tireless work and dedication. Dylan O’Harra, I’m ever grateful for your approaching me about

the position after our writing workshop. Thank you for your time and all the thoughtful insight put into your editorial work. Ed Paquette, you brought so much energy and drive into the Production team that stepped up this project beyond words. Thank you for making so much happen. I look forward to seeing where all your hard work takes you in the future. And Jeremiah Hayden, who spent countless hours brainstorming ideas in the office with me, laughing at my bad jokes, and bringing me free coffee beans, thank you for all of the invaluable support. Each of you were a pillar to bringing this magazine back to life, quality friends and people, and I hope that we all stay in touch as the years go on.

And for those beyond our staff, I’m also eternally grateful for all of your hard work. Reaz Mahmood, for his guidance and insight; Rae Fickle for their invaluable tech skills and kindness; and every student contributor who wrote articles, drew illustrations, snapped photographs, and filled the magazine from cover to cover with a flow of colorful and lively ideas; thank you all for making this year such a success.

We hope that this final issue leaves you looking forward to more content to come with the new editorial team. We’ve once again pushed our limits here, adding new ideas and content, an events poster to keep you up to date on Portland’s summer life, and more. I hope that it resonates with you.

As always, thank you all for the support over the last year. We each are meeting the end of the year with both relief and excitement.

Until next time, Dan

Chilton

FEATURED THIS ISSUE

camden benesh is a creative from Scottsdale Arizona. He is pursuing creative writing at Portland State University. When he’s not in school, he’s thinking of new places to travel to and biking around town.

dan chilton was born and raised in Portland, Oregon where he now studies English and Creative Writing at Portland State University. He’s a poet, essayist, and fiction writer.

jeremiah hayden is an activistwriter and drummer living in Portland, Oregon. He typically writes about art, politics, social justice and climate change.

courtney jeffs is from Coos Bay Oregon and moved to Portland to finish her bachelor’s degree in business advertising at Portland State University. She enjoys illustrating, story writing, and design.

lillian kennedy (she/her) is a prelaw social science major who writes about the people, tech, philosophy, global ecosystems, politics, and facts of blockchain related issues.

ben norman was born in Oregon a while ago. He studies Arts and Letters at Portland State University, and hopes to write novels.

dylan o’harra is a writer, musician and actor originally from Anchorage, Alaska. He is pursuing Creative Writing and Classic Studies at Portland State University.

edwin lh paquette grew up bouncing between the states with their military dad, and rural Denmark with their mother. A senior in the PSUGD program, he enjoys studying page layout and visual narriative.

becky phillips is originally from Rochester, NY but has lived in Portland, OR for seven years. She studies nonfiction creative writing and is currently pursuing a career in music journalism.

jaden quayle was born and raised in Klamath Falls, Oregon, she now lives in Portland Oregon where she now studies sustainability at Portland state university. She is an environmental photographer.

sarah samms, our Arts & Culture Editor, has returned to school in pursuit of proliferating her creative writing career after many years of traveling, playing music, and hiking mountains all over the world. When Sarah’s not writing or at school, she’s foraging medicinal herbs, painting, playing music, or hanging out with her pet kids. Check out her other works at sarahsamms.com and her online magazine at travelinwithbones.com.

eva sheehan is a writer that specializes in arts & culture, opinion, and news. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Portland to study book publishing. She loves poetry and exploring new coffee shops around the city.

isa swain grew up in Salem, Oregon, and is now studying Civil Engineering at Portland State University. She’s passionate about sustainability and urban design. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, bouldering, and riding her bike around the city.

peyten woodruff grew up in Meridian, Idaho. She is currently a freshman majoring in Graphic Design. When she is not drawing, she enjoys running for the PSU track/cross country team, reading and watching horror movies.

executive editor dan chilton

associate editor jeremiah hayden

arts & culture editor sarah samms

opinions editor dylan o’harra

production editor edwin lh paquette

WANT TO WORK IN LEADERSHIP?

INTRODUCING EVA SHEEHAN!

We’d like to take the space to introduce the newly elected Executive Editor of The Pacific Sentinel for the upcoming academic year (2023-24). We’re all very excited to see the new heights that she’ll take the magazine in, and all the wonderful things her team will do in the coming year. Here’s a bit about her!

Eva Sheehan will be the incoming executive editor for The Pacific Sentinel. She is extremely excited to be a part of such a creative and beautifully designed magazine.

She grew up mainly in a small town north of Atlanta, Georgia and studied creative writing in her undergrad. She moved to Portland, Oregon to study Master’s of Book Publishing. She is interested in pursuing book design and production, but writing will always be her first passion. In her free time, Eva enjoys thrifting, poetry, hanging with her cat, and finding new spots around the city.

Portland has become a creative platform for her and has found that the city is a prompt generator–full of new content to write about. She hopes to bring creativity, diversity, and community to the magazine.

With graduation just around the corner, we’re looking for creative and driven induviduals to join our team! If you’re interested in writing or video/audio positions, please contact Dan at editor@pacsentinel.com. If you’re interested in an art & design position, please contact Edwin at production@pacsentinel.com.

Android Flowers of the Future

Hito Steyerl’s Vision of AI

BY BEN NORMAN

When I arrive at the Portland Art Museum there are at least five school buses. The museum is loud with high schoolers, puzzling over rubix cubes and striding purposefully through the halls. Their shoes and voices bounce from the marble floor and columns, making it feel like they are more numerous than they really are. The sun is out; the park blocks hum with the activity of a wednesday-afternoon farmer’s market; I have just eaten Polish food for the first time.

The exhibit is oppressively dark. Its entrance, around the corner on the second floor, on the mezzanine, is reminiscent of a nightclub—a mouth opening down a black spartan hallway, rear wall emblazoned with a logo: “This is the Future” in faux-calligraphy 3-D printed script. Vaguely European dance music emanates from the depths. The first piece I encounter after entering the dark mouth of the exhibit, the titular work, is a psychedelic— botanist’s nightmare—fashion show—anti-capitalist— pro-environmental-terror experience. Experience is the best word to describe it. Distorted images, which I later find out have been created using machine learning, remind me of a music visualizer on a classroom computer running Windows XP. Distorted images crawl over a screen and infiltrate the brain, massaging the occipital lobe. The video-images are of amorphous plants and landscapes, distorted stonehenge, city streets that flicker and shift—Shibuya? Times Square? Berlin?

Around the corner, more screens, these not cast from a projector as the last was, but made of tiny fake LEDs, to give the impression of an outdoor marquee or a scrolling stock-price updater or a programmable billboard. This second piece is called “Power Plants,” a pun I will not get until I say the words out loud. The same android flowers of the future repeat their sped-up evolutions on their own individual screens. On smaller, narrower displays, mottos are repeated: “poison your local autocrat” and “if you get cancelled, drink the tea and give no fucks.” From the other side of the wall, where I’ve just come from, soft echoes of the presentation can be heard, like an announcement is being made over the PA system at an airport, but I can’t hear them clearly from this private VIP lounge. The mottos

arts & culture

continue to scroll by like advertisements: “Whoever has a sick brain from social media addiction, pulverize this plant and expel corporate confusion.” The space has the feel of a pop-up marketing booth at an expo, or a twisted Disneyland. It is very clean here.

The high schoolers are filtering out; school must be over. I am left alone with the uncanny flowers and the text, now on this screen reading: “Transform freeports into free plots.” I am experiencing a strange excitement. It’s as if one of those great clubs from a film—the kind that are always more perfect than

This is the Future, Hito Steyerl. Photo by Ben Norman.

anything real life could ever muster—has presented itself to me, has appeared in this place, inside an art museum. The exhibit is only two rooms but I am transported. The outside world does not exist and I am standing in a cybernetic city, the hostile architecture and mercurial landscaping has me surrounded. It seems to be raining. An escape room, the tunnel before a roller coaster. Soothing disembodied voices call out in unrecognized languages. “It is a statistical fact that all humans will die. Entering the future is a massive health hazard,” says the presentation from the other room. The reverse image is projected on the opposite wall. The room makes me think of a place in which to take pictures for social media, then immediately makes me feel guilty for even considering the notion.

The artist’s statement describes a science fiction world of the near future, where plants have been evolved by “a neural network, a method of AI that trains computers to process data in ways similar to the ways neurons work in the human brain.” AI is used for good rather than in malicious ways, in a vision the artist, Hito Steyerl, calls “a vision of nature that is

more optimistic than the present really allows.” There is a story, though it is one that is told in images and snatches of vague phrases rather than a coherent whole. The artist’s statement will tell you all about it, but if you are now convinced to see the exhibit for yourself, I recommend not reading it until after you have already gone on the ride. Part of the fun of a rollercoaster is not knowing what comes next.

This is the Future runs through June Eighteenth at the Portland Art Museum.

This is the Future, Hito Steyerl. Photo by Ben Norman.

This is the Future, Hito Steyerl. Photo by Ben Norman.

GARY NUMAN TOURS NORTH AMERICA AFTER

1,000TH SHOW

CONCERT REVIEW

BY BECKY PHILLIPS

On Tuesday, May 16th, Gary Numan and A Place To Bury Strangers played a show at Revolution Hall that energized the room. To celebrate his thousandth show, the electronic rock pioneer played three shows at the Electric Ballroom in London on April 13th, 14th, and 15th. According to Numan, this was a huge milestone for him. He continued with a North American tour with many sold out concerts. Gary Numan is best known for his 1979 hit, Cars, off of his first solo album The Pleasure Principle. He has inspired so many of the electronic rock bands that have been formed throughout the years.

As I walked up to the second floor of the building and into the concert hall at about 7:30 PM, the stage lights were glowing blue and red, ready for the musicians to take over at 8:00 PM. People were slowly making their way in with beers in their hands. The majority of the crowd were older generations. My guess is that they were most likely original fans of Gary Numan from early on in his career, which took place in the late 70s.

The lights went down as an indication that the first band, A Place To Bury Strangers, was about to start. I had never heard this band before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Fog filled the stage through blue lights as the three piece walked out. They began to play and I was immediately enamored. I could feel the intense energy they were about to bring. The music was strong and driving. The vocals had heavy reverb and delay effects which added a dreamy psychedelic element. Within the first three songs, the guitarist smashed their guitar on the stage floor, then lifted it up in the air as something to be worshiped as the crowd roared. He continued to do this throughout most of the set. At one point, he crouched down at the edge of the stage and held out the guitar to the audience so they could touch it, like a gift was being given to them. Toward the middle of the set leading into the finale, strobe lights flooded the stage capturing snippets of the band’s movements. The guitarist lifted the floor strobe and swung it around by its wire. The drummer stood up and began to whale on only the floor toms with a thunderous tribal beat that I could

COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

feel in my chest. As they ended and the lights turned on, people left the room, most likely for a beer refill. I stood there feeling like I just experienced something heavy and spiritual. I knew this newly discovered band was definitely going on my playlist.

After about thirty minutes, the lights went down again and voices from the crowd became louder and louder as each band member playing with Gary Numan entered the stage one by one; five members total. Gary came out last with three slash marks of red paint on his face, emulating his look on the cover of his latest album Intruder. The whole band had a goth vibe which presented itself through their dark and intricate clothing. This was much different than Gary’s original look when he first started his career, where he was considered having a new wave “android persona.” The guitar and bass player moved their bodies around theatrically, to showcase a dramatic performance that matched the music. The room was filled with a heavy fuzz guitar, electronic sound effects and arpeggiators. Green, red, and blue lights flashed around the stage as white streaks of light oscillated through the fog filled concert hall. I was getting a strong Nine Inch Nails vibe from the entire performance. I could see people in the audience dancing and singing as they held up their index and pinky fingers in the air to salute the rock stars on the stage. The majority of their set were newer songs from the past decade or so with some of the old classics dispersed such as, Metal, and of course, Cars. As the show ended and they left the stage, the crowd hollered as they knew there would be an encore. Sure enough, the band returned to the stage and finished the night with three more songs.

As a long time fan, and first time seeing Gary Numan live, it was more than what I expected. The whole performance was moving. It was pure entertainment. At 65 years old, Gary Numan still moved around the stage effortlessly and gave an incredible performance that wasn’t just musical, but visual as well, leaving me with stars in my eyes.

PHOTOS

KING: EMILY

THE GREATEST R&B STAR FLYING UNDER YOUR RADAR

BY DYLAN O’HARRA

I recommend King’s music to almost everyone. Oh, you like neo-soul? Big fan of Prince? You need to hear her. You love songs with the perfect blend of sass and class? She’s incredible. You need music to reach into your heartbreak and transmute it into a two-step soul-ballad? No one does it better.

THE QUEEN OF THE CUTIES

Special Occasion, King’s fifth studio album, was released on May 5th. The eleven original songs are sonically smooth, danceable, and the album is an instant classic, expanding King’s already impressive catalog. Her distinct vocals—a full register including breathy blues runs, husky whispers, and powerful belting—are the gem at the center of gorgeous arrangements. The album prominently features clean acoustic guitar, spacious synths and a rhythm section that buoys each song with alternating ease and power. The lyrics are intimate, empowering and authentic. The compositions deftly handle key changes and inventive bridges and every song is addictively singable. Standout tracks on Special Occasion include the single “This Year”; the bluesy, building two-step “Waterfalls”; introspective and soulful “False Start”’ and the ethereal Western duet with Lukas Nelson, “Bad Memory.”

Nine times out of ten when I tell someone that King is handsdown my favorite living singer I am met with an inquisitive look. In the age of streaming, it’s understandable she’s still not a household name—she has been independent of major labels since 2010. But she deserves to be heard and celebrated, and at the rate she keeps releasing legendary albums, it’s only a matter of time before the secret’s out. (Her extraordinary talent has been recognized by the music community already; King has received three Grammy nominations over 13 years and in 2012 was awarded “The Holly Prize” by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which honors “all-in” songwriters whose work, like its namesake Buddy Holly, is “true, great and original.”)

On May 17th, (after an incendiary opening set by up-andcoming Texas artist Joseph Solomon) Emily King and her phenomenal four-piece brought the heat to Portland’s Revolution Hall. I was fortunate to be in attendance with twenty of my closest friends. Emily, who affectionately refers to fans as “cuties,” delivered a powerhouse of a show with choice selections spanning her career. The passion and joy blurred the line between performers and audience, as bodies danced in the aisles and between chairs. King is an artist beloved by singers; the entire auditorium was filled with harmonies from open to close. 11/10 concert – I highly recommend you catch her next time. In the meantime, if you haven’t heard her, do yourself a huge favor and turn up your speakers.

Photo credit Katie Perry

Photo courtesy of Emily King

“Intimate, empowering & authentic.”

Who Protects Us?

PSU disarmed and rearmed campus security. What happened, and what’s next?

BY SARAH SAMMS and JEREMIAH HAYDEN

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, a diverse group of students and faculty stood quietly by, at first, as a small group of anti-trans activists held cameras and provocative signs in PSU’s Urban Plaza. One provocateur, a tall, slender man with a bicced head and a cleanly shaven face, had a billboard strapped over his pink shirt and gray blazer jacket that read “Children Cannot Consent to Puberty Blockers.” The man, an internet personality with a modest following, shares a similar ideology to other disingenuous right wing grifters—his Twitter header is a screenshot of himself as a guest on a former Fox News show.

The anti-trans group attempted to goad students into a discussion by making controversial statements, and a few responded by yelling and throwing water into the scrum. One at a time, some onlookers engaged their argument in an effort to reason with the group, while others made noise, shook tambourines, laughed, led chants, and walked slowly into the group to push them out of the square.

A palpable tension hung in the air as the group’s two personal security guards stood nearby. They moved with the crowd and kept a close eye on the periphery, as if some unexpected thing could happen at a given moment. Standing back from the crowd, three PSU Campus Public Safety officers (CPSO) flanked the east and northwest corners of the square, guns holstered on their hips.

The scene illustrates some of the dynamics at play as PSU tries to thread a needle with regard to campus safety. On the one hand, a diverse student body should be protected from those who want to turn joy into a negative spectacle. On the other hand, many queer people, people in poverty, people of color, with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction struggles, and those trying to survive a difficult world in the shadow of a global pandemic don’t find safety in the presence of yet another gun.

How did we get to where we are today? How can we imagine a future in which everyone, including those most impacted by paternalistic security practices, feels safe as we move about our city?

The process to create an armed and deputized police force—now known as Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO)—began in 2008 with a report by the office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and the PSU Board of Trustees voted it through on December 11, 2014. Since then, student activists have raised the alarm over fears that a heavy police presence on campus does not make people safer, and could in fact endanger the very people they are sworn to protect.

“We occupied! Every board meeting! Last year! We begged, we pleaded, we told the administration, Black Lives Matter,” PSU Student Union activists chanted as

they disrupted the President’s speech at Vikings Day in Fall 2015. That same year, they organized sit-ins at two Board of Trustees meetings.

In 2016, PSU Student Union and Disarm PSU member Olivia Pace argued at a forum that dissenting voices had been ignored during the process to arm CPSO. “That is not a safe campus, when those being kept safe aren’t included in those decisions,” Pace said.

On May 10, 2016, Disarm PSU organized a walkout of 500 students, and a confrontation and racist chant by Trump supporters at the rally highlighted what is at stake for the PSU community.

“We occupied! Every board meeting! Last year! We begged, we pleaded, we told the administration, Black Lives Matter.”

“That is not a safe campus, when those being kept safe aren’t included in those decisions,”

Photography by Jeremiah Hayden

Article Design & Infographic by Courtney Jeffs

Officers fired seventeen rounds in fifteen seconds... He was pronounced dead at the scene.

On June 29, 2018, activist’s fears became a reality. Jason Washington, a 45-year-old postal worker, Black veteran, registered and licensed gun owner, was outside of the Cheerful Tortoise, just a few blocks from the campus square. According to reporting from The Oregonian at the time, Washington was carrying a gun for his friend, Jeremy Wilkinson, to “prevent him from making a ‘poor decision.’” A fight broke out outside of the bar, and Washington jumped in to de-escalate the situation. Two CPSO officers, James Dewey and Shawn Mckenzie responded to a call regarding the fight. When they arrived, Washington was retrieving the weapon that had fallen onto the ground. According to the body cam footage reviewed by OPB, the two white officers yelled “drop your gun” at Washington, just one second before opening fire. Officers fired seventeen rounds in fifteen seconds. Washington was struck nine times in his back, in his side, and in his leg, with one bullet grazing his cheek. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He left behind a wife, three daughters, and a granddaughter.

The community was outraged, and responded by occupying the outside quarters of the CPSO building on the PSU campus for ten consecutive days in September of 2018.

Despite Washington’s death, and the concerted efforts of the community, the students, and the newly-formed coalition Disarm PSU, CPSO was not effectively disarmed until after the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and the uprising that proliferated in response to the long history of systemic racism and white supremacy embedded in that egregious act.

In August 2020, PSU announced its decision to “reimagine campus safety,” saying they would be “disarming CPSO.”

Within the institution, multiple committees function to create university safety policy. University Public Safety Oversight Committee (UPSOC) is composed of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members who are appointed by the PSU Board of Trustees to provide oversight, counsel, and advice on campus safety. Reimagining Campus Safety Committee (RCSC) was started during President Stephen Percy’s tenure, and according to their website, that committee of similar stakeholders “functioned in a time-limited manner to develop a set of recommendations to improve campus safety.”

sworn officers to be unarmed. So those are minor deviations. It’s my fault. I take credit for that. I did not communicate those changes.”

President Percy acknowledges that communication needs to improve, as it has further entrenched mistrust between activists for disarmament and the university.

“We always felt we were consistent with the policy. But the practice within that policy was changing enough that I said at that time that I wanted to consult with UPSOC. We need to do a better job of communicating to people, and that’s something I am committed to.”

In their report, RCSC made 36 recommendations to his office, and Percy says PSU is moving forward on all of them.

“I think we have transformed the culture in our CPSO team,” he says. “Job done? No. Making progress? I hope so. Others can judge for me.”

In the RCSC final report submitted to President Percy in Fall 2021, the fine print stated that “CPSO should prioritize unarmed responses and create alternative responses to low threat level calls on campus.” But despite the August announcement that CPSO would be disarmed, they never entirely did so—the policy itself never fully committed them to unarmed patrols, and the communication surrounding armed and unarmed patrols has been scattershot.

“There’s provisions in that policy that says upon the chief’s discretion, that I can, for operational purposes, have officers patrol unarmed,” CPSO Chief Willie Halliburton says. “Within policy, you have to have two

Campus Police Chief Willie Halliburton says he had never touched a gun until he became a police officer 34 years ago. Hired by Portland Police Bureau (PPB) in 1990, he worked in various patrol and assignment roles before joining PSU in 2016. Halliburton speaks softly and earnestly when he talks with students about his vision of public safety, and he seems to believe deeply in America’s police as a force for good, despite what he calls “a few bad apples in a noble profession.” He gets emotional when he talks about his officers. “They’re my heroes,” he says.

“I think we have transformed the culture in our CPSO team,” he says. “Job done? No. Making progress? I hope so. Others can judge for me.”

“Now that I got your trust, I don’t want to break it. Trust is easily broken, believe me. I don’t want that to happen.”

WHO PROTECTS US?

The week after PSU President Stephen Percy notified students that CPSO would resume armed patrols on campus, some 40 people packed into Smith Memorial Student Union for Coffee with the Chief. Halliburton sees the town hall style meetings with students and faculty as an opportunity to engage and rebuild trust between campus police and the academic community. With CPSO resuming armed patrols nearly two months before he and Percy told students, rebuilding trust is a tall task.

“Back in 2020, I said I needed to earn your trust,” he says. “Now that I got your trust, I don’t want to break it. Trust is easily broken, believe me. I don’t want that to happen.”

Halliburton remembers when he and Percy announced the discontinuation of armed patrols in 2020, as racial justice protests helped amplify demands for new approaches to community safety. After years of work from the PSU community, Halliburton remembers it as a moment in which PSU was ready for change.

“We were hurting as a community,” he says. “The United States of America was hurting. I made the announcement that we’re gonna be the first police department in this country to do our job without weapons.”

Halliburton says he wanted to create a “new police officer” at that time, who didn’t need a weapon to “be who we are,” or to be “bold,” or “macho.” He wanted police officers who can relate to people. “It was a mindset that killed George Floyd,” Chief Halliburton says. “No weapon was involved. We have to have a different mindset.”

Halliburton is not shy in sharing anecdotes about life on the job to justify rearming CPSO. He tells short stories of people with hatchets and guns, car break-ins, drugs, houselessness, and a suicidal kid barricaded in a room when he was a sergeant at PPB in 2010. He says the city has changed—“homicides are climbing,” and “people are trying to survive, but unfortunately some of them are trying to survive in a negative way”—and he blames 2020 protests and riots for PPB staff shortages that they say make it harder to respond when CPSO calls for backup.

“We’re gonna be the first police department in this country to do our job without weapons.”

“I’m really tired of white America telling me that guns always fix the problems,” a disgruntled PSU student in a Disarm PSU Coalition meeting said. Guns are on everyone’s minds here in the U.S. They’re displayed across the media everyday, whether we’re forced to see another mass shooting by a person armed with an assault rifle or someone else murdered by a police officer. So far this year, there have been more mass shootings in the US than there are days. Are guns the problem?

Like Minneapolis, Denver, Milwaukie, and other cities across America, local students at Portland Public Schools (PPS) joined a nationwide movement calling for the removal of School Resource Officers (SRO) from schools because of biases and abuse toward children of color. In one case, with a concerted student effort, Students Against Oppression (S.A.O.) forced Gresham High School to get rid of their SROs altogether, freeing the students from fear of abuse by officers.

Do SROs keep schools safe?

And do guns keep schools safe?

Or are they the problem in the first place?

This leads to the question: do SROs keep schools safe? And do guns keep schools safe? Or are they the problem in the first place? Jason Washington was trying to de-escalate a bad situation outside the Cheerful Tortoise that night in 2018, but the gun—in his hand and at the hands of those charged with protecting PSU—is what got him killed.

It goes to show that this is a multi-dimensional issue that takes more than one action to resolve. It takes more than just disarming CPSO, it takes proper training in de-escalation, mediation, and understanding subconscious biases so they can operate safely and fairly in a complex world.

Chief Halliburton gave CPSO officers permission to resume armed patrols on February 14, and made the decision permanent on March 9. It wasn’t until April 11 that President Percy sent an email to students to alert them of the change, stating “our officers are encountering an increasing number of weapons on and near campus and they are receiving limited assistance from the Portland Police Bureau due to increased demands for officers across the city.”

While PPB communications assert that calls are increasing, the statistics show that dispatched calls in Portland on the whole are down to 18,659 in March 2023 from their August 2017 peak of 24,342. (“Crime” is a malleable category of its own in police statistics, sitting beside Disorder, Traffic, Alarm, Civil, Assist, Other, and Community Policing statistics.) According to The Oregonian, PPB’s authorized police force fluctuated between 950 and 1,000 officers between 2011 and 2020. PSU research showed that the officer-to-resident ratio dropped by 22.3% in that same time period, in part due to the influx of people moving to Portland.

“Some of those calls for service that the police hear may not be crime,” Percy told The Pacific Sentinel. “But I know that there have been times when (CPSO) had been told (PPB) would come but there wouldn’t be a very timely response.”

A 2022 KPTV article amplified an unverified message from a PPB spokesperson saying there are “simply not enough police officers to serve the volume of calls.” The spokesperson is quoted saying, “we have to prioritize what we can do based on our resources. These days, we are not able to offer the kind of service people expect or that we wish we could provide.”

WHO PROTECTS US?

The Pacific Sentinel asked President Percy what specific data set he and Chief Halliburton referenced before communicating anecdotal information to the PSU mailing list.

“Their calls for service are definitely up,” he said. “I have not seen crime data specifically. I’ve read the newspapers, but I’m no expert on it.” Asked the same question, Chief Halliburton told The Pacific Sentinel that Percy wanted him to get that information as well—“that is one of the things on my list.”

This discrepancy in statistics and verifiable information creates confusion between students and those making campus safety decisions. According to their most recent staffing report, PPB currently has 805 sworn officers. Percy says, at PSU “the number of incidents in the previous two or three years involving weapons of any kind was less than five” and that “in the last year, it’s been three or four times that.” A PSU communications director told OPB that the increase was 180%. Chief Halliburton told Disarm PSU that the number of weapons was 12.

According to research sent to The Pacific Sentinel from Skye Bailey of the PSU Sociology Club, CPSO has responded to seven incidents of assault between January to March of this year. This is roughly the same when compared to that same time period in the previous three years: 2022 (5), 2021 (1), and 2020 (6). In total, 2022

Those numbers are drastically lower when looking at aggravated assault—meaning a weapon, including hammers and other non-firearms, was present. National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data shows six instances in the past three years in which CPSO responded to aggravated assault, half of them in 2020. Detailed arrest records show a disparity in who is policed as well. While Black or African-American students make up 4.30% of the population at PSU, they make up 21.9% of all CPSO arrests in the past three years.

Recently, there has been an increase in communications from PSU to students after incidents occur on campus—a change from the previous operating procedure of only sharing if there’s an ongoing threat to the campus community. Does the desire to know justify the fear created by the alerts?

saw the highest number of CPSO responses to assault (20), compared with 11 in each of the two prior years.

“‘While Black or AfricanAmerican students make up 4.30% of the population at PSU, they make up 21.9% of all CPSO arrests in the past three years.’”

After the long and enlightening year of 2020, reformists and abolitionists have learned many things, one of them being that not everyone will agree on the right course of direct action toward police accountability. Many young people are taking their future into their own hands, equipping themselves with skills that prepare them for unexpected crises and encounters with the police.

Reverend Osagyefo Sekou, a pastor of theology & arts, offers programming to train students on “safe practices for non-violent civil disobedience.” In collaboration with the Dores Worker Solidarity Network in Nashville, Tennessee. Sekou recently trained student protestors in safe, non-violent civil disobedience practices in response to gun reform activism around the Vanderbilt campus. The training entails how activists should hold their ground during a protest, what to do if they get tear gassed, and how to protect oneself from a police baton strike.

On a DIY scale, grassroots organizations host sliding scale workshops to teach students how to safely deescalate, mediate, intervene in a crisis; about mental health first aid, and how to physically defend yourself. Younger generations are preparing themselves for the future, rather than relying on older safety models like a police force or campus security.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the very classic statistic that pizza delivery drivers are more likely to be killed than cops,” a PSU student told Chief Halliburton at Coffee with the Chief. “All of us are really going about this world prepared for anything that’s going to happen. We are all marching through this world with the understanding that we don’t know what’s next, and we’re doing our best in it.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard the very classic statistic that pizza delivery drivers are more likely to be killed than cops,”

The Landing to Close its Doors

Lack of Support from Multnomah County to Shutter PSU’s Own Temporary Housing Facility

BY DYLAN O’HARRA

It’s been less than two years since The Landing first opened its doors to Portland State University students experiencing housing insecurity. Operating twelve hours a day on the campus of First United Methodist Church in Goose Hollow, The Landing provides a safe place to sleep, eat, do homework and access basic needs. PSU students who make contact through the university’s CARE Program are often able to access The Landing in less than twenty-four hours. The program also helps students navigate long-term strategies for securing affordable housing; there is not a limit to the number of nights a student may use the service. The Landing is an incredibly valuable resource for those within our community who are in need of a “landing spot” between dorm rooms or apartments—a very understandable need in our city, which has seen average rent prices skyrocket within the past decade.

“Certainly, for the residents, the impact is paramount and life-changing,” said Scott Robison, Associate Director of Digital Learning and Design in PSU’s Office of Academic Innovation. Robison, also a member of the congregation at First United Methodist Church, serves in a volunteer role as a key connector between the facility and the PSU community.

But there’s a problem. The Landing is in need of funding. Having been recently denied a grant from Multnomah County to cover operating costs for the next year, The Landing is scheduled to shutter its services on June 23 –about a week after Final Exams for spring term. What will this mean for the students currently utilizing the services?

The Landing can accommodate up to twelve students at a time. Students have a dedicated “pod” set up for them with a cot and bedding. They have access to store personal items in large bins, which are safely locked up during the day. Available for use by residents (at no cost) are showers, bathrooms, wi-fi, computers, a printer, study space, laundry room, snacks and a full kitchen for cooking. The Landing is operated nightly by volunteers—many of them former residents or Portland State University students. Since opening in 2021, Robison said, “I think we’ve shown pretty clearly—two-thirds of the students, if not more, go on to long-term, reduced-rent subsidized housing, or they graduate with a degree.”

That’s twenty-five PSU students who were able to continue their education while experiencing housing insecurity. But The Landing’s impact is not limited to residents. Robinson estimates over 200 PSU students have had meaningful interactions with the program— through volunteering and academic connections, such as coordinating service opportunities with University Studies’ senior capstones.

In May 2020, Multnomah County voters approved the Metro Supportive Housing Services Measure 26-210. As a result of that measure, in 2022 the County announced an increase in budget for The Joint Office of Homeless Services to $255.5 million. In late 2022, JOHS opened applications to community organizations to apply for grant funding. The Landing applied for $50,000 to continue operations for the 2023-2024 school year.

They were denied.

“The amazing thing is you have this facility (First United Methodist Church) who is donating the space. It’s a relatively low lift compared to building new facilities or renovating buildings,” Robison said. The Landing’s proposed budget request would cover basic supplies and funding for a staff volunteer-coordinator. Until now, the funding for The Landing has come from generous donations, including from St. James Lutheran Church, the FUMC congregation, and individual supporters. That funding has kept The Landing open since 2021– but it is running out.

“At the end of the day, either someone values this resource, or they don’t,” Robison said. “Without considerable and consistent county or state funding, there’s no way to keep operating.”

Clearly, voters in Multnomah County do value funding resources to address issues of houselessness—Measure 26-210 passed with 57% of the vote. The question is how is that earmarked money, (collected as a 1% incometax increase for individuals making over $125,000 or households making $200,000 a year) being spent? Who decides, on behalf of Multnomah County voters, which services are worth funding? The Landing’s requested amount of $50,000 could go on to provide safe and clean housing services for another dozen PSU students. Compared to the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ $255.5 million budget, the issue is a clear win-win, requiring less than a tenth of a percent of the total sum.

To conceptualize the breadth of Portland’s housing crisis is daunting. Tuition is increasing, rent is at an all-time

high, and the cost of basic necessities like food has increased in double-digit percentages over the last year due to inflation. If there are any details worth examining closely—any small piece of the puzzle we, as the PSU community, can champion and care for—it’s The Landing. Housing is a human right, and students should not have to risk financial hardship or houselessness while under our institution’s roofs.

The Pacific Sentinel staff reached out for comment to Multnomah County’s JOHS, but as of the time of this writing, a response has not been received.

Students have a dedicated “pod” set up for them with a cot and bedding.

Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Church.

“Without considerable and consistent county or state funding, there’s no way to keep operating.”

- Scott Robison, volunteer staff at The Landing

The program helps students navigate long-term strategies for securing affordable housing. There is not a limit to the number of nights a student may use the service.

Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Church.

The First (and Forgotten) ‘R’

Food Waste at Victor’s Dining Center

BY ISA SWAIN

How often have you heard the phrase “Reduce, reuse, recycle”? Since the 70’s, the three Rs have been circulated around the country, bringing attention to our unsustainable habits of overconsumption. Most of the attention is usually focused on the last R, “recycle”. It’s easy to forget about “reduce” and “reuse” when trying to implement sustainable systems of managing trash and food waste, especially within public institutions such as Portland State University. While it is important to place recycling cans and food scrap bins alongside trash cans in public spaces, it’s not enough to end there. The order of the three R’s were meant to guide us when thinking about how to have the biggest effect on the environment; the most important is to reduce, then to reuse, and finally to recycle. If Portland State University wants to work towards a more sustainable future, our community still has a ways to go.

It’s not

uncommon to see people throw away plates half-full with food.

As someone who cares deeply about the environment, I know that constantly buying things in single-use packages or throwing food scraps into a trash can has a negative impact on the environment, and it’s hard not to feel guilty. I’m currently living in the dorms at PSU, which means I am on a dining plan. Every day, I swipe my ID card at various locations around campus, which include Smith’s Kitchen and Victor’s Dining Center. And every day, I throw away things like plastic containers, plastic silverware, paper plates, and paper cups. Sure, at Smith there are bins that separate recyclable materials and food scraps from other trash, but takeout containers are discouraged from being recycled.

The situation at Victor’s Dining Center is similar; although several attempts have been made to pass out reusable takeout containers to students and to use reusable dishes and silverware, none of the strategies have been successful for more than a few weeks. When I go to the Dining Center for dinner, I fill up a paper plate with food and grab a plastic fork. I fill up a paper or plastic cup with my choice of drink. Sometimes I might grab an extra paper tray for a salad or dessert; sometimes the desserts come in small plastic cups. After I’m done eating, I bring my small heap of plastic, paper, and food scraps to the only bins in the room; three large, plastic-lined garbage cans, usually already filled with heaps of mixed trash.

Single-use packaging and plastic aren’t the only things that need to be reduced at Portland State University. PSU Reuses, a

Photo courtesy of @psu.reuses

materials reuse program at PSU, recently conducted a food waste audit during dinner at Victor’s Dining Center. They ended up collecting over twenty pounds of food throughout the evening, and most of that food wasn’t just food scraps like banana peels and apple cores - it was wasted food, food that could have been eaten but wasn’t. If you aren’t too squeamish, you can find photos of the food waste on the PSU Reuses instagram page (@psu.resues), where the caption reads “Let this be a reminder to not let your eyes be larger than your stomach.” These photos show the amount of food waste on a typical night at the dining hall; it’s not uncommon to see people throw away plates half-full with food. I myself have thrown away my fair share of food. By swiping my card at the door and then essentially walking into an all-you-can-eat buffet, I don’t feel the same obligation to only take what I need as I would if I purchased all the food individually.

In order to reduce both single-use packaging and food waste, we need to find a balance between focusing on systemic changes and individual behavior at PSU. At the dining hall, we need to adopt an alternative mindset when making choices about what we put on our plate. We need to acknowledge the resources, energy, and labor that led to the food on our plates and recognize the impact that throwing away uneaten food has on the environment. PSU’s various food locations need to brainstorm and implement new ways to reduce single-use packaging and disposable dishes without burdening food or custodial staff. Reducing takes time; there will be trial and error, and we won’t get it perfect. But I believe that if we come together as a school, we can make a difference in our community.

Illustration by Eva Sheehan

Logo courtesy of @psu.reuses Give them a follow!

In order to reduce both single use packaging and food waste, we need to find a balance between focusing on systemic changes and individual behavior at PSU.

Celebrate the Legacy, Ignore the History?

Reflections on the 2023 Met Gala

BY SHEA DANCEY

Considered by many to be the most important night for fashion of the year, the Met Gala is an annual themed fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute where the biggest celebrities come together and show off their most creative fashion looks. However, along with the glamor of the Met Gala often comes some kind of controversy. In 2018, the theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” was slammed by Catholics for being sacrilegious. The 2013 theme “Punk: Chaos to Couture” was also criticized by people within the subculture who argued that the Gala contradicts everything that the punk movement stands for.

So when it was revealed on September 30 of last year that the theme of the 2023 Gala would be “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, it was immediately met with backlash. Karl Lagerfeld, who died on February 19, 2019 at the age of 85, was a controversial figure within the fashion industry. While he was a legendary designer and creative director for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Fendi, and Chanel, he was also known for his anti-semitism, islamophobia, fatphobia, and criticisms of the #MeToo movement. Following the announcement, defenders of the theme claimed that despite Lagerfeld’s history, he was still a fashion icon whose legacy deserves to be celebrated.

On the other side of the debate were those who believed that the theme put Lagerfeld on a pedestal and glorified a very flawed person. On April 17, the High Fashion Twitter Met Gala (an online fashion community separate from the Met Costume Institute) announced that they were skipping out on the Gala this year because “our values don’t align with the selection of Karl Lagerfeld as the theme.” The day before the event, members of an advocacy group called the Model Alliance protested outside of the museum over Lagerfeld’s dismissal of sexual assault within the modeling industry. In 2018, Lagerfeld remarked, “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a

arts & culture

model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent.” The choice to dedicate the event to Karl Lagerfeld brings up the question of how we should honor problematic figures and draws attention to the larger issue that people have with the Met Gala.

The Met Gala took place on Monday, May 1 and the attendees were overall very respectful of Lagerfeld’s legacy. Some internet users have suggested that a few people threw subtle jabs at him. For example, celebrities like Ashley Graham, Viola Davis, and Quannah Chasinghorse wore pink, which was Lagerfeld’s least favorite color. However, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, who were two of Lagerfeld’s countless muses, also wore pink despite their good relationships with the designer. Lizzo fans speculated that Lizzo coming to the gala as a fat woman (and later posting a photo of herself eating fries in her Chanel dress) was a response to Lagerfeld’s offensive statements about plus size women, referring to them as “fat mummies” and saying that “no one wants to see curvy women.”

Many criticized these celebrities for showing up at all and called them hypocrites for claiming to be progressive and then participating in an event paying tribute to Karl Lagerfeld. On the other hand, one can make the argument that they were honoring Lagerfeld’s impact as a designer and not Lagerfeld as a person.

While there is value in separating the art from the artist, it runs the risk of mythologizing a person who left behind a very questionable legacy. During his lifetime, Lagerfeld was fascinated with the idea of transforming himself into an icon. He once said, “I am no longer human. I am an abstraction.” The Costume Institute’s curator Andrew Bolton expressed that this was not his intention for the exhibit. He explained that “We didn’t want to emphasize Karl the man, who has long been the subject of breathless mythologizing, largely the result of his own self-invention.” Instead, Bolton

just wanted to focus on appreciating Lagerfeld’s body of work. At the same time, Bolton made other statements that arguably contradicted this. He also claimed, “I don’t believe you can separate the man from the work, but who was that man?” Bolton’s goals for the Gala were a confusing mix of wanting to honor Lagerfeld’s designs and impact but not his personal life, while also trying to learn more about Lagerfeld as a person through his fashion and work ethic. It seems to demonstrate the impossibility of paying respect to a cultural figure in this way without glorifying them as a person.

Anna Wintour, who is the editor-and-chief of Vogue and a friend of Lagerfeld, supported Bolton’s decision in a CBS interview by saying that the exhibit was “not a biography. There are documentaries and books that cover all sides of Karl’s life. We’re really focusing on his work.” The issue with this argument is that most people are not willing to go through these biographies. The average individual’s understanding of Lagerfeld is limited to his image (his sunglasses, black and white outfits, and his beloved cat Choupette, who is to inherit a large percentage of his multi-million dollar fortune) and the way that he is represented in popular culture. Thus, the Met Gala was about celebrating Karl Lagerfeld as an idea rather than as a human. In the process, this both immortalizes a problematic individual and gives an incomplete idea of who he was as a person.

Choosing to dedicate the night to Karl Lagerfeld also contributes to the bigger problem that people have with the Met Gala. The event has never just been about expressing creativity through fashion or raising money for the Met Costume Institute. It’s also an opportunity for the rich and powerful to celebrate excess and status. Earning a spot on the exclusive guest list, which is approved by Anna Wintour herself, means that someone has been given access to the upper echelon of celebrities, rubbing elbows with the likes of the Kardashian-Jenners, Rihanna, and Naomi Campbell. Tickets reportedly sold for $50,000 this year while reserving a table cost $300,000. In a time when people are struggling to cope with political and economic uncertainty, this comes across as extremely distasteful and tone-deaf.

On the night of the Gala, a group of protesters shouting “tax the rich” congregated outside and temporarily blocked Paris Hilton’s car. Instagram posts made by the New York Times Fashion and Style account were filled with comments like “Who cares?” and “What a wasteful amount of resources.” The issue of elitism at the Met Gala becomes even harder to overlook when it’s honoring someone like Karl Lagerfeld, who upheld some of the most harmful aspects of the

fashion industry—its classism, cultural appropriation, unattainable beauty standards, and exploitation.

Despite the many criticisms of this year’s theme and the purpose of the Met Gala as a whole, the event continues to go strong. It’s still beloved by many as the night when fashion is at its most creative and for being the Met Costume Institute’s main source of funding. At the very least, even though the Met Gala didn’t acknowledge Karl Lagerfeld’s controversies, the public was still made aware of them through the backlash that the event received. It represents a positive direction for the future where people are beginning to question the cult of celebrity and discern when a person deserves to be recognized but not celebrated.

Donuts & Dao’s

Utterance: The story and some of the science here is fiction but blockchain tech is real and moving into your life rapidly.When parts of the story have been based on reality, a link for your deep-diving pleasure is included in the references. This story attempts to begin your deep dive which starts with the “WHY” you must care about crypto right now...and when you do, where you should be focused,

If you are a freedom-loving intellectual being.

Your name is Jack. The year is 2025.

You are buying a donut to ease into the first day of summer class.

“18,532 sats, please” an adorable creature requests, looking you in the eyes with a carefree flirt. You blush and swipe your finger on the bio reader, subtracting the funds from your digital wallet. The attractive cashier blushes back as they hand you the luscious blessing of sugarcane-based bliss.

Your watch flash displays a receipt as you grab your sweet morsel. You turn and look down at your watch to see if you have time to make it to class if you turn around and appease the pitter-patter in your chest with a little creature-tocreature conversation. But it’s 9:50 already. You leave the cafe, but look back and capture a mental picture at the warmth-inducing profile of the lovely human who brightened your day. Minutes later, almost to class, you realize you’ve been so distracted you have almost forgotten to move the transaction from your history so your fitness goals don’t record it and minimize any chance at not meeting the physical requirements for your career position track. In a quickened pace, you try to get the best seat in the classroom by the window while you hold your watch close to your mouth.

“mv /home/jack/transaction Jun 23 9:48

[to] /home/jack/junk~”

BY LILLIAN KENNEDY

(Translation: “Move the transaction for 18,532 sats on June 23 @ 9:48pm into file title ‘junk~’ )

That should do it, you think. Tonight after class you can obfuscate the transaction further. It’s just a small price to pay for a huge morsel of yum. As your arm moves away from your face to open the classroom door, and your eyes confirm your window seat is claimed. You find the second best seat, sit down, and pull out the donut. Your silent notifications on your watch are only about the DAO’s you are a member of...nothing about the transaction...which tells you the commands you gave were executed because there are no error messages. The blinking, everwelcoming cursor maintains your cortisol like a hydrogen nuclei lying dormant at the center of existence awaiting a force acting upon it.

You stare at the cursor on your linux watch while slowly savoring the yummy donut and trying not to let the low hum of human movement settling into their seats mesmerize you in the minor blood sugar crash.

Class begins. “Welcome to DAO policy. I’m Dr. Kelly. What makes one DAO better than the other? “ [1]

(scene freezes as narrator shares...)

What part of this story is fiction and what part is not?

While you, Jack, are fiction, as well as the linux watch,(so far), so is the muting of your transaction, in regards to how blockchain works, which is append-only.) As dismal as this sounds there is a lot of hope...and a lot of questions. DAO’s are protocol specific and, according to Vitalik Buterin, leaky [2]. They provide each protocol community with a framework to make decentralized governance work, however. Will DAO’s be able to protect decentralized networks, nodes and protocols? THAT IS UP TO GOOD INTELLECTUAL INVOLVEMENT.

The need for Jack to obfuscate, however, is where the current moment stands at the crux of our data governance question. With last month’s MICA[3] passing the EU [4], we see the beginning of centralized and decentralized solutions being released and adopted in tandem. (Check out: Project Helvetia and Kilt Protocol, for example)

What we do know is that decentralized developers have been trying[5] to write software that accepts the future of the nature of the blockchain being append-only while in addition attempting to regain what we lost with the privacy exploitation of our data in web 2 (the internet soon to be replaced by a privacy-protected one).

[Append-only is a property of computer data storage such that new data can be appended to the storage, but where existing data is immutable.][6]

(scene UNfreezes...)

Dr. Kelly continues, “...you can use the size of their treasury as a metric, but it’s also important that an autonomous organization is also decentralized, something one may crudely measure by determining the number of token holders.”[7]

You start to jot down some notes, and then, your watch flashes in your lap, “The vote passed with unanimous support.” Your DAO just voted to give its developers $15M in retroactive pay for their work.[8]

“Yes!” you silently celebrate.

(scene to be continued...)

Good luck, Jack.

Coming next in “Donuts and Crypto”...

Jack learns he and the cashier both have crypto investing, DAO’s and NFT interests in common; they find some differing views, try to come to consensus, and the author defines more deep diving.

About the writer and series:

Lillian Kennedy (she/they) is a pre-law social science major doing research in comparative technology governance.

RE: fiction/creative nonfiction fusion WITH DEEP DIVE LINKS

Sugar and Crypto is an indefinite ‘tech review’ series disguised as creative nonfiction covering the gamut of crypto behind the scenes. (regulation implications, decentralization philosophy, DAO’s/politics/governance, development progress, ecosystems, etc. Any future discussion of nft’s and tokens more legal/tech/finance focused.

Disclaimer:

Nothing in this article series should be misconstrued as financial or legal advice. The author is not liable for any perceived or misperceived claims.

References:

1. decrypt.co/124551/all-centralizedfirms-are-alike-every-dao-decentralizedown-way

2. Proof of Stake, The Making of Ethereum and the Philosophy of Blockchains, By Vitalik Buterin · 2022

3. decrypt.co/138713/what-is-mica-eucrypto-regulation-explained

4. decrypt.co/125943/mica-what-europenew-crypto-rules-mean-industry

5. gavwood.com/paper.pdf

6. Append-only, https://en.wikipedia. org/w/index.php?title=Appendonly&oldid=1135822439

7./8. from one of many DAO analysis links : thedefiant.io/aave-v3compensation

Po’Shines Grits

BY DAN CHILTON

Grits are a staple of Southern-style cooking. They’re simple, delicious, filling, and (perhaps most importantly to you) cheap. They can be paired with a plethora of different proteins, including fish, bacon, sausage, and shrimp (of which we’ve outlined below, should you wish to expand on the basics). This recipe, a collaborative project with Po’Shines Cafe De La Soul, is distinctly Southern in all of its savoriness. This recipe calls for instant-grits in consideration of your budget and time constraints.

INGREDIENTS

1 oz. Instant grits

1/2 C Water

1/2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

Vegetable oil (for frying veggies)

Salt

Pepper

Granulated Garlic

Onion (diced)

Bell Pepper (diced)

Shredded Cheese

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

Bacon

Sausage

Catfish

Blackened Shrimp

extras

1. Collect shrimp, blackened spice. and unsalted butter or veggie broth. Shrimp can be fresh, frozen, with or without shell, or substituted with prawns.

2. Heat the butter or veggie broth over a pan on medium-high heat.

3. In a small bowl, fill with enough blackened spice to coat the shrimp.

4. Cook the shrimp in your pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. The shrimp will be ready when they’re slightly pink.

5. Serve on top of grits with any other toppings.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring your water to a boil.

2. Add the grits to your water, stirring regularly until grits begin to thicken. Add more grits gradually as needed (they’ll be ready when most of the water is absorbed and the grits are al dente).

3. Lower heat to low temperature and add your salt, garlic, pepper, and butter. Continue to stir occasionally. Cover the pan and let rest.

4. While your grits finish, heat oil in a sauce pan on medium-high.

5. Dice your onion and pepper into small pieces and place them in your frying pan. Keep them moving in order to avoid burning. They’ll be done when fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent (about 2-3 minutes).

6. Once done, plate your grits in a bowl, topping with your cheese and cooked veggies (and any added proteins).

TIP: It’s important to take your time with grits. If you don’t let them cook for long enough, they’ll come out grainy, and if you cook them for too long, they’ll get hard.

TIP: If you’re adding bacon or sausage, you can cook it at the same time as your veggies. It’s best to keep your ingredients separate, though you can cook them in the same pan if that’s what you have.

ABOUT PO’SHINES

Po’Shines Cafe De La Soul (located on 8139 N Denver Ave, in North Portland), was established in 2003. Founded by the Black community leaders at Celebration Tabernacle (est. 1988), it has served as a staple for both community work and authentic Southern soul food for over 30 years.

Gratitude Spotlight

A Year of Shout-outs!

BY DYLAN O’HARRA

Bowery Bagels

Names (left to right): Jessica Knapp, Joey Amato, & Ava Ponder

Known For: Lively and boisterous bagel slingin’

Favorite Orders:

JESSICA: Avocado Toast aka “The Hustle”

JOEY: The Lents

AVA: The Lovejoy

Most Requested Bagel Sandwich: The Couch

Favorite TV show: The Bear

Favorite Music: Old School hip-hop & underground house

Accepts Cash Tips? Yes!

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A fixture in the Smith Memorial Student Union food court since 2018, Jessica Knapp leads the dedicated and sincere crew of Bagel Artists at Bowery Bagels. Often seen with a line of hungry students wrapping around the corner, you can count on this awesome team for personalized service and academic encouragement. When asked what makes her job so enjoyable (her friendliness is contagious!) Jessica said “A trifecta: my customers, my staff, and my product. You can’t go wrong. I love making people happy through food!”

Bowery Bagels will be closed during the summer session, but Jessica and the gang will be back next year. But you can bet on the bagels during finals week!

As Portland State University’s Class of 2023 prepares to don gowns and flip tassels, I want to take a moment to call out some familiar and friendly faces who have helped keep us students alive and functioning. Graduates may get the glory, and teachers the honor, but here are a few essential workers who deserve our gratitude. While by no means an exhaustive list, consider extending a thank you of your own to your favorite food cart proprietor or PSU faculty member.

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503 Burgers

Name: Ty Williams

Known For: Grilling your lunch at 503 Burgers in Smith Food Court

Also Can Be Found: Victor’s Dining Hall, ground floor of Ondine

Favorite Dish: Buffalo Chicken Strips and Fried Pickle

Most Popular Order: Burger with fry sauce

Musical Tastes: Eclectic; spanning country, opera, jazz and R&B

Favorite Pastime: Painting and Crafting, including a home-made domino set

Accepts Cash Tips: Yes!

If you’ve ever encountered Ty Williams, you already know he’s a dynamic person who cares about the interactions he has with students. He is funny, generous and empathetic. He started working at PSU two years ago making sushi. This year, he’s split his time between 503 Burgers and Ondine. When asked what he enjoys about his role, Ty said, Seeing the different people that come through from all over the country. People bring joy to you, and they make me laugh! Ty also has a rich creative life. He makes drink coasters, wine bottle stoppers and enjoys paint-by-diamond kits.

Ty plans on returning to help keep us nourished with delicious food next year! But there’s still time to visit him for one last burger.

Case Study Coffee

Name: Ethan Cordell

Known For: Caffeinating the Student Body, Remembering Everyone’s Names, & Dad-jokes

Favorite Drink: Café con mil

Most Requested Drink: Salted Caramel Latté

Favorite Music: Ray LaMontagne

Favorite Team: The Thorns

Accepts Cash Tips? Yes!

Ethan has been our own dedicated barista-extraordinaire since the beginning of the academic year. He commutes to campus via “trusty Lime scooters” and provides an integral service to thousands of students: quality espresso. What makes Ethan so valuable isn’t his drinks (which are top-notch) but his fun and welcoming demeanor. “You see enough negative energy already—if you pick up your phone—you might as well be a positive influence,” Ethan said when asked how he manages to maintain his high vibe.

Ethan will be serving Case Study coffee through Finals Week–and hopefully will return to campus next fall!

and thank YOU for reading The Pacific Sentinel!

With all of our staff graduating, this is our last issue before turning it over to Eva and Courtney! From collaborating with them this year, I know they will do incredible work as Executive Editor and Production Editor respectively. It’s been a pleasure working will you all, excited to see where the magazine goes next!

- Edwin

From right to left: Dylan, Jeremiah, Sarah, Edwin, & Dan

WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING

Hunky Dory

Dylan’s Score: *****

I’m calling it now: Summer 2023 is going to be a Bowie Summer. As the heatwave erases the memory of our long cloudy winter, I’m finding deep joy in rolling my car windows down and blasting this classic masterpiece from Bowie’s lyrical rock n’ roll era. It’s folksy Bowie at his most brilliant, belting along with the piano through eleven rollicking numbers. Must listens: “Life on Mars?” “Oh! You Pretty Things,” and “Queen Bitch.”

“Just the Way You Are”

Jeremiah’s Score: *****

As I daydream here on a gorgeous Spring afternoon, I’m enjoying the thought of never hearing this song again. Every. Single. Time I’m inside a grocery store, trying to dodge flying carts and figure out where they’ve hidden the affordable groceries, my ears are assaulted with the vacuous melody and Grade: F kindergarten love poem that is this song. You’d do better if you asked AI to write a song that blends the futility of a leaf blower with the joy of eating a bag of stale candy corn, using only an Excel spreadsheet as an instrument. I’ll give Bruno a quarter-point simply for being right about one thing: you’re amazing, just the way you are.

The Predator

Dan’s Score: *****

Possibly Ice Cube’s magnum opus, this album captures the perfect mixture of Cube’s early radical lyrics (inspired by people like Malcolm X and the Black Panther party) with his rising production values to create a cohesive masterpiece from front to back. As an artifact distinctly of the 90s, rife with deep cultural analysis of Black America, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this album show up in college courses. With hits like “It Was a Good Day”, “Check Yo Self”, and “Now I Gotta Wet ‘Cha”, The Predator is sometimes ironic, oftentimes raw, and always critical.

Bruno Mars (2010)

Ice Cube (1992)

David Bowie (1971)

ENJOYING WHAT WE’RE ENJOYING WHAT WE’RE

Shantaram

Gregory David Roberts (2005)

Sarah’s Score: *****

When my partner gifted me a nine-hundred word novel, I wasn’t excited at the task. But not even a chapter in, I was convinced that it was worth the time. Shantaram is a beautiful literary novel that follows a prison escapee who makes a new life for himself in Bombay, India. Roberts ability to take the bleak and desolate and turn it into pure beauty through exceptional wordsmithing is of a talent I’ve never encountered. I now say, instead of studying creative writing in school, I should’ve just studied Shantaram.

Reaper

This is literally just Dan’s cat..? (2015)

Dan’s Score: *****

When most people meet Reaper, a large black, long-haired half-Maine Coon mix, they’re quite impressed with his social skills, size, confidence, and the fact that he’s trained to sit for a treat. As an avid enjoyer of the outdoors, he’s also notably adorable in his hi-vis vest and leash. For all of these reasons, and in addition to the fact that he sleeps on the end of my bed every night, I wanted to give him a clean 5 out of 5, but I had to knock some points off for occasionally complaining too much and for sometimes harassing his elder roommate and fellow cat, Nibbler.

The Fragile Earth

The New York Times (2020)

Jeremiah’s Score: *****

In 1989, The New Yorker writer Bill McKibben published an essay on carbon-dioxide emissions called “The End of Nature.” The essay helped soften overly scientific language by bringing it into the narrative nonfiction sphere, so those of us more adept in the humanities can try to wrap our brains around the things that most contribute to climate fuckery, scientifically speaking. At 535 pages, it’s not exactly a quick read, but it is important as it features some of the great essayists of our time highlighting what’s at stake as humanity melts our favorite places on Earth.

PHOTO BY BECKY PHILLIPS