Opinion Articles
A wee bit o' Irish in us all
Who isn't Irish on St. Patrick's Day
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Anyone who has experienced the painful hangover that follows a joyously celebrated St. Patrick's Day has asked, "What did I do last night and why did I do it?" There is usually no clear answer to that question, but by the time the next St. Patrick's Day comes, we're out there again, making that same mistake.
Deciding what's symbolic
Banning supposed gang symbols in schools will do what to prevent gang violence?
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Take note, Catholics, rosaries are considered gang symbols now. And public school systems are cracking down.
In a kerfuffle earlier this month that briefly put Albany in the national spotlight, The Oregonian reported that Jaime Salazar, 14, and Marco Castro, 16, were suspended from South Albany High School for refusing to remove their crucifix necklaces on the grounds that they were rosaries and gang-related. Castro did not comment to the press beyond confirming the story, but Salazar spoke out, saying he is "not a gangster and does not dress like one."
Why Harry Potter fans can't compete
J.K. Rowling, stop suing your fans! You are still queen of the world
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World bestselling author J.K. Rowling and Time Warner go to trial March 13 against Steven Vander Ark's unauthorized encyclopedia, the Harry Potter Lexicon. The court's decision may crack down on how much creative freedom fans have over any work.
Shirts made by bruised hands
Slavery by Americans didn't end with the Civil War
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Growing up in America, we've been told the great and prideful story of how we as a nation abolished slavery--how we fought and how we triumphed, reining in a new age of our nation's enlightenment. This is a nice, comforting American thought declaring an anthem of freedom and liberty.
Editorial: Renewing the love
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It's easy to ignore sports at Portland State. The Vikings teams, the events and the fans have long been, and continue to be, an undercurrent at this school.
Editorial: An exhibit to think about
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There is conflicting information everywhere regarding the Iraq Body Count Exhibit currently on display at Portland State. What's true is that the exhibit displays over 100,000 total flags representing the deaths of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis during the last five years of war, using red and white flags, respectively.
University Studies "extinguishes" faculty through flawed process
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In response to the March 5 Vanguard article, "Fixed-term jobs for tenure spots," I feel I must add some clarity to the events as reported and a refocus to the heart of the issue here which affects all faculty in this university. I should note that I have taught on this program almost from its inception and I have loved the kind of interaction with my students that the pedagogy promotes.
Letters
Comment and correction on political advertising, and congratulations to Nathan Hellman on a nicely written piece on the growing importance of the Internet in U.S. politics and elections ["New era of marketing politics," March 7]. The Web, far more than corporate-controlled television and radio, is attracting young people into political debate and participation in ever-increasing numbers. I would only correct in Hellman's piece one item for which I was cited. Political advertising is not one-third of the television industry's income but rather the third-largest source of its revenues (behind retail trade and automobile advertising) during the presidential campaign season.
