Author: Peter Browning

Nationally, the Occupy movement is growing, both in number of followers and in donation dollars. As unions throw their support behind the protesters it becomes increasingly more likely that the protests will continue through the winter.

Occupy Wall Street raised some eyebrows this week after reporting they have received nearly half a million dollars—$435,000—in donations, which they expect to use on supplies that will help occupiers outlast the winter weather.

Twelve days ago, protesters from all backgrounds joined in a march from Waterfront Park to Occupy Portland’s long-term home, the Park Blocks of Chapman Square. Many of the activists are students who balance full schedules, often choosing to sleep in the Park Blocks and shower at PSU’s Recreation Center.

The College Board Advocacy and Policy Center recently published the College Completion Agenda 2011 Progress Report, a troubling showcase of poor minority graduation and retention rates and the center’s comprehensive plan to improve the statistics.

There are a multitude of avenues for student and community start-ups at Portland State, but resources are spread across the campus, and knowledge of events and programs is limited to students and faculty in specific programs. In an effort to make one cohesive conglomerate of resources, PSU is creating the Entrepreneurial Center.

Portland State is known as a bellwether of the sustainability movement. Hoping to further that reputation, President Wim Wiewel has established a task force addressing the sustainability movement that colleges and universities across the country have joined: eliminating plastic water bottles.

It has been a little over a year since the Portland State radio station lost its AM signal and was forced to accept alternative methods of broadcasting. Since then, KPSU has shifted its focus toward online streaming and found its voice in the students who continue to push the group forward.

Portland State sociology professor Amy Lubitow co-wrote an article this summer that brought the concept of “pinkwashing” to the
nation’s attention.

The business practice of using the color pink and pink ribbons to indicate solidarity with breast-cancer survivors and alignment with the search for a cure regardless of a company’s true status as a supporter or trafficker of cancer-promoting chemicals, has been a reality since the ‘90s.

Oregon will soon join a growing number of states—including Florida, Kentucky and Texas—that offer full tuition waivers to foster kids entering higher education. The idea began as a grass roots caampaign by the very children that the bill is sponsoring.

The bipartisan SB 242 was recently approved by the State Senate, giving the Oregon University System greater autonomy. The bill will designate OUS as a public entity rather than a state agency.