6 Posts by

Author: Stella Williams

Structure and purpose

Occupy movements should consider the switch to incorporated nonprofit status

Occupy Portland is having a difficult time transitioning from a movement to an organization with an ever-growing need for donation funds, like the other Occupy movements.

There was a brief panic two weeks ago when two of Occupy Portland’s financial committee members moved somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 of donation money without consulting the financial committee. Originally in a PayPal account, the money was moved to a bank account for a new nonprofit corporation they set up: Occupy Portland Incorporated.

The allure of contests

ASPSU Student Pantry contest an example of effective advertising

Like a proverbial carrot on a stick, certain incentives can make a person try something they have never thought of doing before. The reward from a contest can be one such carrot.

ASPSU is currently holding a contest called the Student Pantry Extravaganza Contest in which design submissions are accepted for a mural in the Student Pantry. The top designs will be voted on by students in late November.

The contest is open to all students, but print advertising was distributed throughout the art building before other parts of the school.

The trials of a club-turned-business

Weightlifting club success story shows the ups and downs of on-campus clubs

Some students join clubs; others start clubs. Others take their clubs to a completely different level, even off campus.

Nicholas Horton, a graduate student studying game theory, turned the on-campus weightlifting club he started into his own business when he took it off campus three years ago. Horton now runs PDX Weightlifting, a club based on membership (and associated) fees located in SE Portland.

Remembering a tech legend

Possible movie may be the most appropriate way to honor Steve Jobs

The iconic figure of Apple legend Steve Jobs in his black turtleneck and jeans has been immortalized for the moment by magazine covers, temporary memorials, online posts and a new biography. How Jobs will continue to be remembered, though, is still in the works.

Steve Jobs’ authorized biography, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, was released Monday, almost a month before the original Nov. 21 date, after Jobs’ untimely death. Even with the book released, another tribute is possibly being developed by Sony, which bought the movie rights to the biography just days after Jobs passed away.

Facebook vs. face-to-face

Student group networking should satisfy both Facebook and non-Facebook users on campus

Networking isn’t just of shaking hands anymore. It’s moving toward online “friending” in many ways. Facebook has become a powerhouse for finding community connections online.

The Virtual Viking weekly email, which offers Portland State organizations space to advertise their events, encapsulates how important Facebook has become for these groups to reach out to the rest of campus. Out of the 16 links in the “Upcoming Events” section of last week’s Virtual Viking, nine lead to Facebook pages, six of which are viewable only by people with a Facebook account.

The greener side of government spending

Lincoln Hall solar panels a good use of stimulus funds

The government is putting energy and focus into boosting our economy, and some of that energy is noticeably green.

Using $31 million in funds from the state of Oregon with help from the government stimulus and community donors, the renovation of Lincoln Hall included 234 solar panels installed in September.

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