Author: Vinh Tran

On July 1, the new federal interest rates for student loans went into effect. Under the new reduced rates, students should find some relief for their student loan debt amid rising tuition costs and economic stagnation.

Portland State is looking to save $25 million from its budget this upcoming school year, according to a preliminary plan recently issued by President Wim Wiewel.

Portlanders choose to live in the city for various reasons: to be closer to work, school, cultural attractions and, increasingly, to become part of the sustainable lifestyle.

The latter reason is being pushed for by Gerding Edlen Development, a company known for its sustainable buildings in Portland and along the West Coast.

Portland State’s campuses are getting a major face-lift this summer, and many students are noticing. Walking in the Park Blocks from Lincoln Hall to Shattuck Hall, one encounters three separate construction projects going on, with several entrances and exits blocked off from pedestrians.

Some Portland State students who have been around since 2005 or earlier may remember a time when the Millar Library was open 24 hours a day.

Those days are long gone, however. In 2006, budget cuts and other efficiency concerns forced the library to close its doors at 11 p.m. on weekdays during the regular school year.

Stumptown, Urban Grind and Boyds. These are a few of the most well known, locally owned coffee shops in Portland, which have collected a strong base of customers over the years.

Tommy Huynh, a PSU senior majoring in business administration finance and marketing, wants to add Purest Café to the growing list of Portland’s local coffee shops.

Portland State students attending school full time and taking at least 12 credits in the fall will have to pay $1,419 per term instead of the $1,308 of the previous year, an increase of 8.5 percent in tuition cost. The numbers were revealed on Friday, July 10, at the State Board of Higher Education meeting held at PSU’s Smith Memorial Student Union.

The Oregon Legislature appropriated $807.5 million for higher education for the year 2009–11 on June 29. The amount is a 13 percent reduction, totaling $118 million, from the $925.3 million determined as essential to maintain services and programs by the Oregon University System.

Now that Portland State’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science has named Renjeng Su as its new dean, the work of interim Dean Richard Knight is almost complete.

On June 23, Portland State University and Intel Corporation welcomed 28 new international students from five universities in Vietnam in a ceremony at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Last night, the Portland State School of Fine and Performing Arts, along with the College of Fine Arts and College of Design at the University of Ulsan in South Korea, kick-started its biennial art exhibition featuring works from faculty and students from both universities.