Author: Sarah Hutchins

“Same Friendly Attitude, Way More Muscle.” J.P.Morgan Chase’s slogan is boldly plastered across the homepage of Washington Mutual’s Web site. But what does it really mean? Basically, Chase’s marketers recognize that banking customers are scared. Larger banks often gobble small banks up, but when the government seizes financial giants like WaMu, people begin to panic about their money. They begin to picture the last few rounds of the Monopoly board game where the last few players must fork over their fortunes to one triumphant winner.

Vegan goddess Sarah Kramer has returned with her fourth compendium of earth friendly treats, Vegan A Go-Go. The book is intended for vegans on the road, but it’s a great fit for students’ busy schedules. With restaurant prices continuously increasing, eating at home or bringing sack lunches to campus might be a healthier, more economical choice.

Portland State graduate student Leslie Gould’s fourth book, Circle of Grace, is easily putting her one step closer to an inevitable bestseller. Her career to this point has been varied, but the author is currently working on carving a niche for herself in the literary world. In the meantime, Gould was able to take a few minutes to share insights via email on her current projects, her previous novels and her goals at PSU.

Few people are able to keep their personal lives separate from their professional lives. Photos of friends and family line our desks, or are stored in our digital cameras so they can be shared with co-workers. Cell phones are kept close as a lifeline to family and friends.

“I love Portland. All the characters in my book love Portland. Even the serial killers love Portland,” said author Chelsea Cain at a recent reading.

College comes with a daunting financial responsibility: rent, tuition, textbooks, groceries and all the other expenses of daily life. With recent spikes in housing and food costs it’s even more difficult to afford the student lifestyle. When grants, scholarships and the Stafford loans aren’t enough, students usually turn to credit cards out of desperation, yet they should be wary of what exactly they are getting into.

The fourth installment of Stephenie Meyer’s epic vampire saga has arrived, ending months of palpable anticipation from a reading public hoping that Meyer will reward their patience with the biggest fantasy novel since Harry Potter. Her novel, Breaking Dawn, delivers on its hype, giving fans a cavalcade of moments they’ve been waiting for with clenched knuckles, beginning with the wedding of protagonists Edward and Bella.

When evil, villainous calories lurk unknown in glazed doughnuts, burgers and other mouthwatering dishes, the city wonders what to do. Recently, the Oregon Nutrition Policy Alliance has come to rescue the helpless consumer from making a poor decision. On July 27, The Oregonian ran a story about a proposal for Portland and Multnomah County to require some chain restaurants to list the number of calories and fat, sodium and carbohydrate content of each menu item. If this were to take off, other restaurants could be facing the same requirements.

Had Cinderella never happened upon her Prince Charming, the young debutante’s life might have wound up something like that of 1950s burlesque queen Candy Barr. In Candy Barr: The Small-Town Texas Runaway Who Became a Darling of the Mob and the Queen of Las Vegas Burlesque, biographers Ted Schwarz and Mardi Rustam relate an intimate account of the life of Juanita Dale Slusher, more famously known as burlesque dancer Candy Barr.

Like most students, when I schedule classes I consider what I need to take and what I have time to take in order to graduate. When trying to cram science or English in between work and having a life, students don’t need the added stress of potential teacher strikes looming overhead. Teacher strikes lead to cancelled classes. Financial aid goes awry. Graduation is pushed back. Things relying on diplomas, such as graduate school or potential career offers, are delayed.

At first glance, paying the Student Senate, Elections Board, Judicial Board and two executive branch positions seems like it would cost a lot of money. With 25 voting members and three nonvoting members in the Senate, each being paid about $200 a month, several thousand dollars would be paid to the senators every month. Yet, it’s only fair that the Senate is compensated for its work within student government. Compared to the millions of dollars that students pay in student fees each year, the stipend is a small drop in the bucket, especially if it pays for itself by producing a more efficient and effective student government.