Opinion
The race for Associated Students of Portland State University president and vice president offers a choice between current ASPSU Sen. Harris Foster and running mate Yesenia Silva-Hernandez and current ASPSU Sen. and student fee committee member James Au and his running mate Jason Phung.
The proposed constitution is such a defective initiative that it’s hard to believe it is actually the work of Ethan Allen Smith—the same Ethan Allen Smith whom the Vanguard endorsed for student body president last year. To say it is fatally flawed seems almost euphemistic; it is just plain fatal, as adopting it would essentially spell the death of effective student government at PSU.
Choosing the right student senators can be daunting when you consider the diverse needs of the student body. Which candidates will work well together? Who has the best interests of students at heart?
Amendment 4 Has one member of the student fee committee appointed by the senate. One of the most frustrating facts of politics is the campaigning: So-and-so is this, has done that, knows this; so-and-so is better, more prepared, more aware. Taking someone at his/her word is the risk we accept when electing anyone to office.
You know how overused the saying “there’s an app for everything” is? Well, it will remain so, because it’s true. Take for instance the one I recently learned about in my Zumba class that allows you to donate the calories you burn toward world hunger. Don’t ask me how, but now your fat-burning could save a life. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to skip a sit-up.
TriMet has decided to use street-clothed officers to better patrol fare dodgers and disruptive or abusive people. This is completely unacceptable. The first issue I have with it is that, uniform or no uniform, the outcome is the same: People who plan on skipping the fare will see the officer and get off, and a disruptive individual will most likely cease being so in the presence of an officer.
Brad Paisley wanted to start a national discussion on race with his song “Accidental Racist.” He definitely got people talking. The song, recorded with rapper and actor LL Cool J, incited a flurry of reactions, but more for how poorly it handled the subject of race than for its ability to provoke discussion.
Within the past month or so a string of tragic events have hit this country (not to mention the rest of the world), but mainstream media haven’t been reporting on it broadly because of the events in Boston. What is truly surprising, however, is the lack of empathy people have toward tragedies and events of this nature.
Beer is totally awesome. There is no contrary position. Aside from providing much-needed refreshment and readily digestible carbohydrates, there ain’t nothing better to go with your Humboldt Fog cheese course and moules-frites entree. We needn’t mention the sweet elixir’s well-attested power to reduce anxiety, promote feelings of contentment and well-being and make your person more attractive to the opposite sex.Or the same sex, if you prefer. Beer is a famously inclusive and egalitarian adult beverage.
It’s difficult to construct a singular picture of any person just by picking and choosing their life events for an obituary. People like Hugo Chavez and Margaret Thatcher may always be known for polarizing the nations that they led, and therefore the story lines that are chosen to narrate their lives will always reflect that polarity.
Students should vote no on the proposed constitution. It revives outmoded advocacy mechanisms, denies representation and advocacy for under-served and marginalized communities, and will be practically impossible to amend in the future.