Author: Josh Kelety

Most undergraduate students who balance work, school and a family quickly learn that the traditional class schedule simply doesn’t work for them.

Portland city commissioner candidates Amanda Fritz and Mary Nolan came to Portland State Monday night for a verbal wrestling match.

About 50 people gathered in the Cascade Room in the Smith Memorial Student Union to listen as the candidates sparred over the city’s Education Urban Renewal Area plan, fluoride and each other’s political records.

Portland State students living on the city’s east side now have another way to get to campus: the Portland Streetcar.

Inspired by the recent student protests in Quebec, Canada, a small group of Portland State University activists has set out to mobilize students and their potential as a prominent political force.

New Viking Vets center opens
They’ve put down their flack jackets and night vision goggles, their helmets and M16 rifles. Now, they’re in classrooms studying and reading, being students.

This year, more veterans than ever are attending Portland State.

The Oregon University System Board of Higher Education recently added new members to its ranks by filling newly created seats and replacing members vacating their seats. The board, which governs all seven state-funded higher education institutions, including Portland State, has seen fit to create three new positions in addition to the 12 pre-existing seats, coming out to a grand total of 15. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber already filled one of the new seats by appointing Orcilia Zúñiga Forbes. James Middleton will be replacing Preston Pulims, current president of Portland Community College, who has served a full four-year term on the board.

On April 29, the Associated Students of Portland State University met to discuss the final revisions to its governing Constitution and, ultimately, the entire structure of student government. The new Constitution was supposed to be finalized at the previous meeting on April 24, but because the session carried past 10 p.m. and the building had officially closed, the meeting was no longer considered public and had to be adjourned. The vision and reform committee consequently agreed to wrap up the final bits and pieces on Sunday, just a day before the April 30 deadline.

Continuing with its platform of utilizing student voting power, the Associated Students of Portland State University is pressing onward in its efforts to get students registered to vote. ASPSU representatives can be seen throughout the PSU campus handing out voter registration cards or giving presentations to class audiences.

Many Portland State student-parents take advantage of campus child care services, including the Children’s Center, located on the first floor of Smith Memorial Student Union. Funded by the Associated Students of Portland State University’s Student Fee Committee, the frequently used center is a valuable resource for student-parents, enabling them to leave their children in safe hands during class hours. However the center’s plans for the summer are unclear. Though still up the air, it was rumored that the PSU Helen Gordon Child Development Center would be using the center’s space for a summer program. Despite these rumors, there has been recent and strong indication that the Children’s Center will have its own summer program.

Student government elections are just around the corner, and candidates for president and vice president of the Associated Students of Portland State University are beginning to organize their campaigns. Voting is scheduled to start on May 7 and will close on May 21, with candidate debates in-between. Election results will be announced on May 22.