News briefs

Help democracy work
Project Vote Smart, a political research group, is inviting Portland State students to participate in a 10-week summer internship to help with a national campaign that hopes to increase young voter turnout. Students involved will help prepare a voter defense system that will allow all citizens to check candidate backgrounds and the credibility of their claims. Students must commit to a 10-week internship, which can be served anytime during the summer or fall of 2002. Students will receive scholarship support in exchange for participation. The internships take place at the Rocky Mountain Retreat Research Center at the Great Divide Ranch in Montana. Additional information and applications are available on the Vote Smart Web site, www.vote-smart.org or by calling 1-888-868-3762.

Ace the MCAT
Students interested in Medical school and those who plan on taking the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, can learn tips and strategies from Albert Chen, an industry professional on the MCAT, on Tuesday, May 28. Chen will share tips and strategies on the pre-medical school exam and will be available for questions and answers. The seminar will take place on Tuesday, May 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar is free and open to the public but students can reserve a seat by calling 1-800-KAP-TEST. Interested parties should also call to find out the exact room number for the seminar on the Portland State campus.

Lecture series ends
The Lesbian and Gay Writer’s lecture series ends Wednesday, May 29 with a lecture by award-winning Oregon author Amy Schutzer. Schutzer lives in Estacada and is the author of “Undertow” and a recipient of the Astraea National Lesbian Action Foundation Fiction Fellowship and the Barbara Deming Fellowship. The lecture and reading will take place on Wednesday, May 29 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Smith Multicultural Center. This is the final installment of the lecture series sponsored by Wendy Cutler’s “Lesbian and Gay Fiction” course, the women’s studies department, the English department, Queers and Allies, the Women’s Resource Center and the Oregon Council for the Humanities. The two previous events featured author Rodger Larson and artist/activist Kristan Aspen. Wednesday’s event is free and open to the public. For more information call the women’s studies department at 503-725-3516.