12 Posts by

Author: Ainslie Evans

Art ordelinquency?

Portland’s graffiti abatement program’sattack on murals

Portland is cracking down on graffiti. The only problem is that it’s also cracking down on murals.

These iconic pieces of the city are disappearing. Murals must go through a costly permit process in order to be considered “art,” regardless of whether there is permission by the owner of the building it is painted on.

In other words, people cannot paint their own buildings without violating the Portland City Code or graffiti-related offenses laws.

Rallying around the food pantry

PSU students coming to the aid of their own

Portland State students are rallying around a common cause: to help one another.

The PSU food pantry is working on awareness and commitment. One of the most important things the university can do is to meet the needs of students; ASPSU’s food pantry does that.

But no matter how much potential it has as a resource, it’s poorly utilized, seldom available and cheapened by incentives for donations.

Yes, no, maybe?

States can’t make up their minds over mandating the HPV vaccine

Even after longstanding debate over whether an HPV vaccine should be mandatory, states still can’t make up their minds.

What began with Texas’ mandate to have an HPV vaccine required for sixth-grade girls attending public school (with some exceptions) has become an argument about the morality of requiring vaccinations for children for an STD and infringing on the rights of personal choice.

The verdict will be based on whether the benefits to the public’s health outweigh the costs. Other considerations include the practical implications of where the resources to afford vaccination come from, the safety of the vaccines and whether it is an infringement on one’s rights to have the decision whether to vaccinate or not taken away from them.

Buying into objectification

Breaking free of the media’s portrayal of men and women

When people buy products that set an idealized standard for men and women, they not only support objectification but also internalize it.

We’ve all seen the advertisements. The perfect pair of jeans. The perfect bra. The perfect cologne. They portray idealized people in iconic situations in order to convince us to buy their products. This not only reinforces impossible standards for men and women to uphold but also creates an endless cycle of consumerism in order to fulfill an unobtainable goal.

Advertisers spend billions of dollars every year trying to manipulate people into buying things. The problem is that they’re not just selling products, they’re selling ideas.

Crafting for a cause: Tamara Vazquez (left) and Madeline Browning (right) get their craft on at the WRC.

Reclaiming women’s work

From “Stitch ‘n’ Bitch” to “Crafternoons”

Lori Patterson, former student and volunteer for the Women’s Resource Center, wants to change the world.

Through knitting.

Formerly “Stitch ‘n’ Bitch,” Crafternoons is a place where people can go to knit, crochet, sew and gripe about the world. The WRC hosts the event every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the WRC lounge.

Riding the sushi train

For sushi on the go, you can’t go wrong with Sushi Ichiban

If you’re looking for a charming restaurant and reasonably priced food on the run, Sushi Ichiban is the place to go.

The first time I entered, I couldn’t help but delight in the quaint atmosphere. There’s a barrage of colorful, almost nautical, decor, from Asian and European to the American Southwest. And with the music ranging from droll elevator tunes to classic rock and electronica, this off-kilter restaurant rather resembles a quirky dive bar.

Tracking the footprint: Smith Memorial Student Union’s new green screen illuminates resource usage.

A dollars and cents guide

Green screen in Smith Memorial Student Union may reduce carbon footprint

After a year and a half of collaboration between the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and Facilities and Planning, the Smith Memorial Student Union has become the first building to be retrofitted to accommodate what is called a “green screen.” With sustainability in mind, the new green screen TV display outside the cafeteria tracks resource use throughout a building.

No more sitting in the aisles of Hoffmann Hall

New life sciences building to be completed in 2013

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Life Sciences Building on Oct. 12 marked a new direction for the science department in terms of collaboration with other universities as well as a shift in Oregon’s research economy.

Set to open in August 2013, the new Life Sciences Building will be shared between Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University and Oregon State University. Located on the South Waterfront, the new facility will house state-of-the-art laboratories and one of the largest lecture halls in the state. This transformation puts PSU in a position to collaborate with other universities and acts as a means to establish Portland as a research economy.

When no one is looking

Honest Tea’s “social experiment” ranks PSU among most honest universities

Honest Tea set up shop at PSU, but they didn’t leave anyone to guard the cash box. With no one to hold them accountable for paying, PSU students overwhelmingly chose to pay for their tea.

Originally a social experiment to test how honest Americans are, the Honest Tea corporation has branched into testing how honest universities are. Their “tea shop,” located in the South Park Blocks, consisted of tea advertised at $1 and a cash box where students could decide whether to pay or not.

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