On Monday, May 21, the Associated Students of Portland State University elections board moved to dismiss presidential candidate Diamond Zerework due to campaign infractions, consequently delaying public release of election results. The results for the elections were originally scheduled to be released on May 22.
Walking down the street, we’ve all heard it at some point: the crash of symbols, the thump of a bass drum, the staccato rhythm of an intricate guitar solo.
While everyday objects such as cell phones and iPods may seem relatively innocuous, there may be some hidden dangers behind them. Freelance environmental journalist and award-winning author Elizabeth Grossman has researched and studied these risks and will be presenting her findings in a lecture at Portland State today.
The Tsugaru shamisen band Abeya will enliven the Portland State campus with a flood of intricate and exciting Japanese music this Thursday in the Lincoln Recital Hall. Abeya will perform on shamisen instruments accompanied by flutes, drums, singing and dancing.
While many students might spend their summer soaking up the sun and relaxing, a group of Portland State students will spend part of their summer in humanitarian efforts. The Global Brigades, a nonprofit organization headquartered in the United States, focuses on helping to create viable and sustainable community services, including basic infrastructure. The Brigades will be sending PSU students and community members to Panama this July in order to provide essential services to those in need.
A recent study shows that the majority of crimes committed on the Portland State campus aren’t perpetrated by members of the PSU community—a problem endemic to PSU because of its non-traditional urban setting. One of the downfalls to being at the heart of Portland is the fact that PSU is easily accessible to the public, resulting in crimes not usually associated with college settings. And many of those crimes involve heroin or other drugs.
In January 2012, the Center for Student Health and Counseling launched its Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, a program which bridged the gap in campus resources for students seeking medical treatment for sexual assault. The program follows several recent indicents of sexual assault on campus.
The Portland State Center for Japanese Studies will host a series of events in February and March to honor the Japanese American victims and survivors who were forcibly detained during World War II.
Last week, Portland State, in collaboration with the Red Cross, held its first week-long blood drive. Organizers aimed to collect 741 units of blood from all blood types (a unit of blood is roughly one pint). Housed in the third-floor ballroom of Smith Memorial Student Union, the week-long event saw a steady stream of donors. By the end of the drive, the initial goal of 741 units had been far surpassed and organizers projected a final donation total of 813 units—nearly 110 percent of the goal.
The Student Fee Committee—the branch of the Associated Students of Portland State University in charge of the approximately $13 million in incidental fees collected from all PSU students—has come under scrutiny after its Jan. 15 meeting, a part of the annual deliberations phase of their budget process.
At a meeting of the State Board of Higher Education on Jan. 6, 2012, a near 9 percent increase in tuition for the full 2012–13 academic year was approved for Portland State. Included in this hike is a 9 percent increase in tuition for the upcoming 2012 summer session as well.
Summer enrollment across the entire OUS has been increasing significantly in recent years, with many students seeking to take advantage of the traditionally lower costs compared to the regular academic terms. That alternative to soaring overall tuition fees has apparently run its course.