In the lead-up to the COVID-19 crisis, it was a common refrain from housing activists that tenant protections have always been lacking and needed some beefing up. Landlords and large…
Campus safety starts to change
From spring to fall term, in the turbulent year 2020, change has been inevitable, as Portland State constantly adapts to current events. No change has been harder fought for, however,…
Toxic productivity
Here we go, adding yet another hashmark to the number of days we’ve been isolating at home. I’m beginning to realize the accumulating anxiety I’ve felt since that first fateful…
Privacy, antitrust and government, oh my!
The world of technology has been a feverous, gladiatorial effort of epic proportions over the past few decades as billionaire companies are pitted against each other, ferociously fighting over the…
Hanging out when school’s out
The catastrophic “now” that this moment inhabits has created a dynamic within the student body that is terrifying and isolating, a new normal that has taken students away from their…
The politics of apoliticism in video games
A lot has changed in the 13 years since Irrational Games’s BioShock released. BioShock was seen by many to be a huge leap forward in narrative-driven games in the…
Abolish the kids’ table
As the dumpster fire that is the year 2020 blazes on, and the pandemic, politics and protests assert themselves as reigning topics of conversation, it’s becoming more apparent that things…
Quarantine Cuisine
Due to quarantine, most of us no longer have lengthy morning commutes or early morning classes, and have the luxury—curse?—of sleeping in long after we normally would. One unexpected benefit…
A novel financial aid process for a novel virus
Portland State’s Financial Aid Office sent an email to students on July 10 alerting them of an upcoming appeals process regarding awards for the 2020–21 school year. Designed to help…
Find someone better
I can appreciate the fact that former Portland Mayor Terry Schrunk’s descendants remember him fondly. But that doesn’t mean we should honor him and his legacy. I am no monster;…
Students need relief: beyond the CARES Act
Oregon must decide whether students are important by considering the major financial hurdles that COVID-19 presents. With the current pandemic suggesting no abatement in the offing, it is extremely likely…