Author: Erica DeCouteau

A record-high 91,580 students are enrolled in the Oregon University System, OUS Chancellor George Pernsteiner announced Nov. 10. Those numbers reflect a 5.8 percent increase in students since last year.

The Portland State Japanese Student Society, together with the Multicultural Center and Takamichi Okabe, Japan’s consul general in Portland, hosted its third-annual Japan Night for a packed house last night in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom.

Portland State’s Community Garden members will host their final harvest party of the season at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22. There, the members will finish laying down the plots for the winter.

The Programming Board, one of Portland State’s newest campus organizations, is a student-run group that will work to build student pride and a stronger sense of community on campus through the planning of social, cultural and educational events.

Scott Burns, geology professor, and the Center for Academic Excellence jointly held a Carnegie Conversation called “A Decade of Student Perspectives on Outstanding Teaching in CLAS” on campus yesterday afternoon.

Marvin Kaiser will continue to hold his position as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Portland State. Until this week, he had been one of four candidates vying for the provost and senior vice president position at Kansas State University.

Portland State’s Student Veterans Association will host a Veterans Day celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in the Park Blocks from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature free food from Slabtown Ribs and barbecue, music and guest speakers.

Portland State graduate student Kyle Curtis released his 2009 ASPSU election analysis last month. The report largely focuses on data provided by students who responded to five optional survey questions attached to the online ballot.

A new on-campus housing building is in the works. The building, to be named College Station, will likely be located at Southwest Sixth Avenue and College Street and house approximately 950 students.

Heather Spalding first became involved with campus sustainability when she joined the Environmental Club as a Portland State undergraduate. Now, just months after her June graduation, she works as the sustainability leadership and outreach coordinator for the Sustainability Leadership Center, with five student employees on her team.

Portland State students, numbering around 4,500, turned out for Party in the Park 2009 in hopes of getting students involved with various student groups and campus activities.