Daily Vanguard

A memorial for all time

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Debbie Murdock kept a watchful and caring eye over Portland State University, many say, for more than 14 years.

On Sunday, May 4, a clock tower in the Urban Plaza was dedicated to the life of Murdock, the former assistant to the president for Strategic Planning, Public Policy, and Government Relations. Sunday would have been her 53rd birthday.

Campaign trail blazes Oregon

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Both Democratic presidential candidates campaigned a few miles from each other in the Portland-area on Friday as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton looked to garner voter support in hopes of solidifying an Oregon primary victory on May 20.

The nominees held rallies throughout the state at the end of last week. Oregon's support has become an important part of the ongoing battle for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton, Obama return to court votes from Portlanders this weekend

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Oregon shifts to the center of the hotly contested race for the Democratic presidential nomination this weekend, as both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are slated to visit the Beaver State Friday and Saturday.

With the May 20 Oregon primary quickly approaching, both campaigns are gearing up in the Pacific Northwest in hopes of earning the state's all-important 65 delegates.

Nader gives pep talk

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader spoke in front of nearly 200 people last night at Benson Polytechnic High School about his plans for the future of the United States, what freedom truly means and that said citizens must demand change from the current administration.

Teetering for a cause

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

They move up and down. Again and again, for hours and hours.

Wednesday afternoon, members representing two Portland State University fraternities are riding on a giant homemade teeter-totter in the South Park Blocks as passerby's watch and wish them luck.

But this is not merely for fun. It is for a cause.

The Phi Delta Theta and Kappa Sigma fraternities have teamed up for the second consecutive year to put on their 48-hour Teeter-Totter-a-Thon.

Can Veganism fight global warming? VegFest says yes

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Last weekend, vegans, vegetarians and omnivores descended upon Benson High School, where they made their way through the events that made up this year's VegFest, an educational event designed to highlight veganism and vegetarianism.

Samples of food were available, while guest speakers and chef demonstrations helped give insight into how a reduction in meat consumption could help bring about what Northwest Veg, the nonprofit that presented the event, calls a healthy, sustainable and compassionate world.

Construction on rec center focuses on sustainability

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Scheduled to open in winter of 2010, the new student recreation center will be built, maintained and operated with green practices constantly in mind, according to project architects and Campus Recreation staff.

Library closed after bomb threat

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Portland State evacuated the Branford P. Millar Library yesterday at about 11:15 a.m. because of a threat claiming that a bomb would go off in the library at noon.

At noon, after Campus Public Safety had taped off the area around the library and PSU sent warning messages to the campus community through the new PSU Alert system, nothing happened. The building was reopened at 4 p.m. after Public Safety searched the library and found nothing.

Like fathers, like son

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Greg Macpherson grew up around politics. His father was a state senator, and his grandfather served as a state legislator.

Because of this upbringing, the attorney general candidate thinks he has the insight to serve the needs of all Oregonians.

MESA Day gives young scientists chances to succeed

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

This Friday, inside the Peter W. Stott Center, hundreds of middle and high school students will display their math and engineering skills while learning about various science career paths--all while having fun.

Six faculty land awards for research

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Columbia-Willamette Chapter of Sigma Xi honored numerous Portland State professors last week for their contributions to scientific research in the Portland area.
Six PSU professors and one OHSU professor were awarded the Outstanding Scientific Research Awards, which are given to local scientists each year by the local chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society that is housed at Portland State.

Activist examines impact of meat

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Noted animal and environmental activist Mia MacDonald will speak on campus today about the negative global effects of the animal production industry.

The lecture, entitled "Your Burger or Your Car?" will take place in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 229, at 1:30 p.m.

Clinton wins big in West Virginia

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hillary Rodham Clinton coasted to a large but largely symbolic victory in working-class West Virginia on Tuesday, handing Barack Obama one of the worst defeats of the campaign, yet scarcely slowing his march toward the Democratic presidential nomination. "The White House is won in the swing states.

From struggles come inspiration

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Before he came to college, Kyle Cady never thought he would become involved with student government or the world of politics.

Now his life is consumed by student politics, and he would have it no other way.

In Short

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

International Night in Smith Ballroom Friday Friday evening the Organization of International Students will host International Night, the annual celebration of international cultures, in the Smith Memorial Student Union. The festivities for the evening are slated to include a fashion show, artistic performances such as dancing, cuisine sampling from across the globe, and cultural booths designed to demonstrate the diversity of cultures that converge daily on campus.

Rising food costs have little effect on campus meals

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The cost of the dining plan at Portland State is set to rise by $59 next fall comparative plan, and PSU Dining plans to figure out whether prices will increase elsewhere after setting contracts with food providers this summer.

Vanguard takes home 21 awards at collegiate contest

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Vanguard won 21 awards at the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association collegiate newspaper contest on Friday, including six first place awards and a second place award in the top category, General Excellence.

A challenge to bikers

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

How often can you ride your bike to campus this month?

That is what Portland State's Transportation and Parking Services and the Bicycle Cooperative want to know, and they are challenging students to bike to and from school as much as possible in May for the Bike to PSU Challenge.

Award-winning author to read from his book

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Sandy Tolan, an award-winning author, journalist and documentary producer, will read from his book The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 238 at 7 p.m. tonight.

Oregon middle school teacher dubbed National Teacher of the Year

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Prineville Middle School science teacher Michael Geisen was recognized Thursday afternoon in the Smith Memorial Student Union for his educational achievements by being named the 2008 National Teacher of the Year.

Answered! Irrelevant information that you need to know

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Some poor sap from Hood River may soon miss their big shot at an Oregon lottery jackpot this month.

Crime Blotter

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Parkway Building was vandalized with a spray-painted green ghost on the wall.

In short

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

MAX and bus ridership has reached a record high this month with more than two million individual trips taken each week during April-marking the first time TriMet has reached that weekly ridership number in its history.

In short

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The documentary The Price of Sugar will be screened tonight in Smith Memorial Student Union, room 327/328, at 6 p.m.

A new start for the Kart

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Mario Kart is back, and it's rocking even more tripped-out tracks, shell-lobbing good times and highly dangerous motorized vehicles than it ever has before.

If by chance you have somehow missed out on playing a Mario Kart game before, you need not worry. The sixth incarnation of Mario Kart (new to the Wii) has been carefully designed by its developers, inviting new players to give it a try, but not forgetting the longtime fans of the series.

Save me, Indy!

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Unless you've spent the last 25 years living under a rock, it's a safe bet that you grew up as a fan of Indiana Jones.

It's hard not to love the films, given their sharp sense of pulp adventure and the famed archaeologist's signature everyman charm. Now, with the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just over the horizon, what can a good Dr. Jones fan do to satiate the wait?

The forecast: Blue Skies For Black Hearts

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hey hey, we're the � Blue Skies For Black Hearts?
Somehow that doesn't have the same flow as The Monkees' infamous tune. However, this Portland band does have a sound that shares the allure of its classic hooks.
In a recent interview, lead singer and songwriter Pat Kearns revealed several interesting parallels between his band and The Monkees (don't worry, Blue Skies For Black Hearts actually play their own instruments).
The influence of classic pop acts such as The Monkees, The Beatles and The Kinks comes through stronger than ever on the group's fourth release, Serenades and Hand Grenades, due out on May 20.

The good book of Church

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Despite changes of the past couple years, Portlanders still seem to prefer their indie rock as "big" as possible. With local folk orchestras stretching their memberships to the breaking point, and Craigslist ads appearing daily to inquire about the availability of a competent oboist, it seems that texture has grown into a paramount concern for emerging artists.

Your inner criminal, now surfing the Internet

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

If you've never rattled off a machine-gun blast into a crowd of people, you've never really lived. But that's why God (OK, Rockstar Games) invented Grand Theft Auto.

The newest installment of the video game, Grand Theft Auto IV, returns to Liberty City, where you play as the generically Eastern European Niko Bellic. After a cinematic opening, you are greeted at the docks by your drunk cousin Roman, who naturally makes you, the dude who just arrived two minutes ago, drive his taxi back to his inner-city hovel.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

You've seen Dazed and Confused a few-too-many times? Say Anything is, like, your favorite movie? Being part of the Breakfast Club was a longtime dream of yours? If that's true, or you went to high school, you'll find something to like about Larry Doyle's recent book I Love You, Beth Cooper.

Iron Man

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Summer is here!

This is obvious for two reasons. First, I'm sweaty. Second, the first summer blockbuster, Iron Man, just made a shit-ton of money ($98.6 million in the opening weekend, to be exact). Whoopee. Now we can look forward to months of insipid sequels and formulaic cash cows with big dazzling effects.

Press Play

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Doom metal is not usually a thing of beauty-in fact, the genre generally hinges on ugliness and despair, using down-tuned guitar dirges to pummel the psyche and depress the mind.

The market in full bloom

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Organic food is expensive. And there's no point in lying about it.

But it definitely has its benefits. (Who wants pesticides and all that crap in their food anyway?)

Twisted games of Desire

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Desire is a very powerful force. For the prospect of sex or love, otherwise sane and stable people have been known to engage in the most ridiculous drama and petty games.

No wonder psychologists say brain scans of people in love are nearly identical to those with mental illness.

Welcome to the jungle

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It was a simple idea--let animals be animals.

And with that straightforward, yet brilliant concept, an old cable standard-often forgotten in the world of MTV sluts and truTV meth heads--finally came into its own.

It's the rebirth of the 12-year-old Animal Planet.

Eat brains, suck blood

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Do you have a deep love for both zombies and vampires? Do you long for the rise of the undead? Do you insides churn when you see 15-year-olds on Facebook debating pirates versus ninjas?

Graves of the Misfits

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Michale Graves doesn't know how lucky he is.

The lead singer for the reincarnated horror-punk band the Misfits from 1995-2000, Graves essentially went from a virtual unknown to being the leader of one of the most successful and influential franchises in punk history.

Invoking the past (and future) of T'ai Chi

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

On the first Saturday in May, a group of concerned citizens was gathered in the Southwest Waterfront Artist in Residence (AiR) studio, asking questions and looking worried about the implications of what they were about to do.

Working their own way

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Last year, the guys of Vontundra could be seen looking dusty outside the garage or on the balcony of their apartment in a residential complex on North Albina Street.

The debris from making wood furniture can do that.

Fly high with Atmosphere

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The year is 2003. The hip-hop scene is in shambles, still trying to recover from nearly a decade of Jay-Z and Puff Daddy clones doing everything in their power to make rap music as uninspiring as possible.

Herzog continues

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A Quest for the Sublime: The Films of Werner Herzog continues for another three weeks at the Northwest Film Center. The German filmmaker's filmography is as interesting as it is long, so don't miss out on your chance to see some classics on the big screen. Here is a guide to just a few of Herzog's films you can see over the next two weeks.

The QB Snap: Buzz from Portland State's Queen Bee Ryan W. Klute

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

I do not have a problem--at least not a normal one. My problem has to do with sleeping, and it eventually made fire rain down upon my head, burning the air around me.

Let me explain.

Pictures (with words)

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

A game of assessment, not inches

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For the Portland State players who have endured the grind of spring practice over the past couple of weeks, a final opportunity to impress the coaches has finally arrived, as the Vikings suit up for the annual Portland State Spring Game at 1 p.m. Saturday at PGE Park.

Memories until the end

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Mandy Hill owns most of the important pitching and hitting records in school history, so there was little left to prove when she stepped into the pitcher's circle for the final time in her Portland State career Tuesday evening.

However, Hill left Vikings fans with one more lasting memory: a two-hit shutout in a game against Oregon State in which she also drove in the sole run.

Surprise season comes to an end

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Playing in their fourth NCAA Regional Tournament this decade, the Portland State women's golf team finished 20th out of 21 teams at the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, Calif., this past weekend.

Forecast: fuzzy

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Even after Portland State's 80-play Spring Game Saturday, the Vikings outlook for the regular season is still fuzzy.

To start, it is not entirely clear who will lead the Vikings' attack at quarterback. It is still up in air which wide receivers the starting signal caller will target as key weapons. It is unknown whether young secondary players will pan out. And the Portland State offensive line appears to be a work in progress.

Talking shop with the 'Man in Black'

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

The Vikings will fasten their chinstraps for the last time until fall practice commences when they hit the newly laid turf at PGE Park for the annual Spring Game at 1 p.m. Saturday. While most were sleeping over the past month, the players have been refining their skills with two-hour workouts starting at 7 a.

Punting perception

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

For years kickers and punters have been stereotyped as the most un-athletic members of a football team, but one Portland State player is trying to change that longstanding perception.

His name is Danny Urrego.

Academic woes result in penalties

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Portland State sports teams felt the strong arm of the law earlier this week when the NCAA released its Academic Progress Reports Tuesday for the four-year period of academic years from 2003-04 through 2006-07.

Schematic Breakdown

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Spotlight Athlete of the week

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Twice named to the All-Big Sky Conference Second Team, Kayla Morinaga became the first Portland State golfer to win a tournament in three years, when she reigned victorious at the Colorado Memorial earlier this season.

Rock on, kids

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

When I was a bit younger, after being released from my high school classes, I commonly wandered the streets of Olympia, Wash. Back then I could enter any number of all-ages venues of my choosing. Olympia has always been great for that.

Vote Hillary '08

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Hillary Clinton should be the first woman president of the United States. Another Clinton woman, her daughter Chelsea, spoke at Portland State on her mother's behalf last month, clearly illuminating why Hillary is the best candidate this election year.

Obama can change American

Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It seems that for every election I can remember, it has always been claimed that, "this election is the most important election you will ever vote in." As Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton ask Oregon Democrats for their support this May, many may not understand what their vote may truly decide.

Wal-Mart may as well be on the ballot

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT

It's voting time! By now registered voters should have received the thick, gray pamphlet outlining issues ranging from the hot topic of presidential candidates to Measure 52. What you should know is that the results of the mayoral election may impact everything from state funding to your next summer job.

2008 Vanguard Oregon primary picks

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT