Portland is known around the country, and maybe even around the world, for the huge number of food carts that decorate the city. It is estimated that there are over…
Letter to the Editor: Tenure for teaching part II
Provost Sona Andrews made a statement in faculty senate in December regarding tenure at Portland State. “We can not be a research university without tenured faculty,” she began. “And I…
Research suggests “Explanatory style” changes the way we react to stress
Psychologist Timothy Wilson wrote in his book, Redirect, that positive thinking can only get you so far. He pointed out that homelessness, for example, cannot be cured by simply changing…
Questioning the use of the “quenelle”
For French soccer player Thierry Henry, the most surprising observation he had about watching sports in the United States wasn’t the amount of activity at most games, but the lack…
Weighing the benefits of massive open online courses (MOOCs)
The arrival of a new year brings all sorts of changes, along with a few old bad habits. The most prominent of these are New Year’s resolutions. Most people make…
Instagrief: Advice for millenials on the pitfalls of Facebook and personal branding
Michael Cobb visited Portland State this past fall and read a paper about—among other things—self-presentation on social networks. Though Bill Maher called out the millennial kids for not losing it…
Why being a hard worker is better than being smart
If you’ve never watched 1980s sitcom Family Ties—all seven seasons are on Netflix streaming—I promise you won’t regret it. While the show is a wonderful depiction of the decade, showing…
Golden Illusion
As sure as Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time, I am a fiend for award season. Despite all of my interest in artistic relativism, award season…
A Crooked Shooter
News sometimes tells us things we already know. A recent example of this phenomenon occurred when Phil Robertson—star and patriarch of the Robertson family made famous by the A&E reality…
Just Say No to Starbucks
Whether it’s dripping coffee or rain, Portland really epitomizes the name Drip City this time of the year. As winter truly sets in around the metro area, Portlanders will be…
New Year, New Goals
The passing of a new year signifies something special. It marks the shift from old to new; embodying hope, faith and belief. The month of January reminds us that if…