Another academic year is coming to a close. Maybe you’ve been too wrapped up with your nose in your textbooks to pay attention to what’s been happening around campus. Don’t worry, we gotchu!
Maybe now that finals are over, you’ll have time to catch up on what you missed. Here’s a look at some of the major events from the 2015–16 school year at Portland State.
MAY 6 Portland Business Tax campaign suspended after Portland Business Alliance agrees to seek $25 million in funding: Months of debate and negotiation resulted in the formation of a College Affordability and Success Coalition, in lieu of a tax measure to fund PSU-specific scholarships.
APRIL 26 Associated Students of PSU elections results: Another year of low student voter turnout. Leila Forbes and Kaitlyn Verret of the Unite PSU slate win presidency and vice presidency by a four-vote margin.
APRIL 26 Vikings celebrate pavilion groundbreaking ahead of spring game: The long-awaited Viking Pavilion achieved funding for renovations with the help of the Oregon Health and Science University.
APRIL 14 Vikings offensive lineman Kyle Smith dies suddenly: The second Viking death in a year, Smith passed away in his apartment. His death was under investigation as a possible drug overdose.
APRIL 4 The quiet takedown of Physical Education: PSU cut and moved PE-designated classes starting fall 2016, resulting in multiple instructor layoffs. The administration cited declining enrollment as a central factor.
APRIL 4 Despite protest and interruption, Board of Trustees approves tuition and fee increase: The PSU Student Union disrupts the spring board meeting to combat tuition increases and protest the arming of campus security.
FEBRUARY 29 Graduate Employees Union hopes unionization will help wounds scab over: Graduate employees form a union in an effort to address hours and pay.
FEBRUARY 23 Environmental science alum takes on PSU drinking water policy to reduce heavy metals beneath EPA standards: A PSU graduate proposes to deploy student fees after discovering lead in several water sources in Cramer Hall.
FEBRUARY 4 Student government tensions exposed amid OSA scrap: The ASPSU senate clashed after the Student Fee Committee recommended defunding the Oregon Student Association, at a $147,000 price tag for PSU students.
JANUARY 19 Vikings community mourns the passing of AJ Schlatter: Vikings linebacker AJ Schlatter passed away of complications in tonsil surgery.
JANUARY 12 Communities respond to anti-Muslim attitudes: The Portland City Club hosted a panel to discuss the uptick in instances of Islamophobia, both in Portland and throughout the nation.
JANUARY 5 Hell Niño? Against predictions, PDX braves a cold, wet winter: A look back at the flooding and other effects of El Niño.
DECEMBER 1 ASPSU president’s email calls for mass student movement: ASPSU President Dana Ghazi utilized the PSU email list to issue a blanket call for a mass student movement on social justice issues.
NOVEMBER 17 New spirit of athletics: Head Coach Bruce Barnum leads a turnaround of the Vikings football team, taking PSU to the FCS championships.
OCTOBER 27 Disarm PSU rallies in Park Blocks: PSUSU and other organizations led an assembly of roughly 50 students to interrupt President Wim Wiewel as he met with students on various issues.
OCTOBER 13 New School of Business celebrates groundbreaking: The process of renovating the SBA building on Broadway began, closing off much of the building for the coming years.
OCTOBER 6 Officers among us: A look at both sides of the ongoing debate concerning armed campus police, in the wake of the recent addition of four sworn officers.
