Page 10, Portland Observer, October 29, 1986
Increased Profile For Black Studies at PSU
Recent developm ent* in our curriculum place us on the leading edge
di b lin k studies in American institutions of higher learning," noted Dr
Darrell M illner. head of the Department o l Black Studies at Portland State
U niversity during a recent review of his departm ent's accomplishm ents
A dm itting that black studies has not been a very available option for
students in the p a st," Dr Millner stressed that black studies is now an inte
gial perl of the University s general education requirements In the early
years of black studies PSU students have had to make a formal appeal in
order to have such courses count tow ard the requirements But now . Ihey
,i'i» being accepter! as "p a rt of the m ainstream ," he said
f urtber Millner added, his academic department is now the only one at
PSU whose courses can be used to satisfy general education requirements
hi tw o specific academic areas
Social Science as well as Arts and Letters
I Ins constitutes a significant breakthrough in both the academic and
popular ar ceptance o f black studies courses here on our campus as well
■ is on im puses across the c o u n try ," Millner said
Looking ahead. Dr M illner anticipated that PSU will soon give formal
.ipproval to a new academic minor in black studies in early 1987 "W hile
siune students w ould not consider black studies as their academic major,
many w ould consider it as an academic m in o r," he explained, predicting
ttiat th«' new minor w ill greatly increase the number of students enrolling
in PSU black studies courses
By taking these courses, more students will be taking advantage of
learning about a new perspective on blacks in American life and in Amen
i an history w inch they o ffe r," he commented
M eanwhile, PSU's Department o f Black Studies has worked diligently to
increase cooperation w ith other academic departments at the University
An example can be seen this fall in a new course offered by PSU's Depart
merit of History, < ailed W orld H isto ry," w hich will be offered in winter
a n d spring terms as well
Instead of the usual "W estern Civilization
class. PSU students may now take this instruction from a team of teachers
w ho come from different academic backgrounds, including an assistant
professor of black studies who is one of the permanent teachers in this
r purse Ib is is the result of developing "very extensive relationships” over
the |iast few years w ith member» of PSU s English, A nthropology, History
and Sociology Departments in particular (all are part of the University s
College of l iberal Arts and Scioncesl, Millner noted, adding that such
cooperation helps make the black studies discipline availabe to a much
larger audience of PSU students
fu rth e r. Dr Millner noted than as African Studies com ponent has be
about to be realized .”
PSU'» Departm ent o f Black Studies also has stressed active involvement
in the larger com m unity w hich surrounds the University and is in the pro
cess of serving it in several ways involving "b rid g in g activities between
ethnic and w hite com m unities:
— Its faculty members are providing expertise to help bring a Smithsonian
Institution exhibit know n as "P o rtra its in Black to Portland, to be
hosted by the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, Portland.
Its faculty are w orking w ith the History Departm ent at Oregon State
University and other com m unity groups to develop educational pro
grams w hich meet the needs of black inmates.
Its faculty are w orking to help develop a black cultural center at one of
the M ultnom ah County Library branches located in the black com m u
Dr. D arrell M illn er
come a part of Portland S tate's recently established International Studies
program
Elsewhere. PSU Black Studies staff members have stayed involved
during the past year in an ad hoc "C om m ittee on M inority Student Affairs
according to Dr Millner The com m ittee is charged w ith investigating and
making recommendations to Dr Natale Sicuro, University president, con
corning the identification of problem areas and issues w hich have to do
w ith attracting and keeping ethnic students so they can achieve success
at PSU
This com m ittee has examined a wide range of issues including how
student governm ent monies are spent, as well as the need for increased
affirm ative action when teachers are hired
We feel that our participation
tias been significant," M illner comm ented, "and that the potential for im
provement in the attractiveness of PSU to ethnic student populations is
suicide among teens occurs at 19
years o f ago The suicide rate for
teenagers is lower than the rate
among adults; males 65 and over
and females 45 54 are most apt to
kill themselves One of every 1,100
of today's fifteen year old boys and
one of every 4,300 fifteen year
old girls w ill com m it suicide before
reaching 20 years of age
Copies o f the report "Teenage
Suicide in O regon" are available
from the Center for Health Statistics
(229 58971
Halloween Safety
Tips Available
S e v e n in ten teenagers who Com
nutted suicide did so at home, and
six h i ten used a gun, most com
monly a handgun.
In the last
tw enty five years tfie rate of suicide
by shooting among teenagers has
ii te a s e d 2,1 percent compared to
i 149 pen ent increase for all other
methods Hanging was the second
most com m only chosen method,
follow ed by poisoning w ith auto
exhaust
Other less com m on me
thuds included poisoning w ith an
overdose of drugs, jumping from a
bridge or overpass, lumping in front
il i tu n F
A free booklet on Halloween safe
ty tips for children land adults) is
available at any one of 9 Children’s
W orld child care centers in the Port
land Vancouver area
The booklet has ideas on safe
costumes, wtiere and how to "T rick
or T reat," and how to inspect treats
before consuming
There are also
safety suggestions for adults on
Halloween
The booklet may be obtained by
sending a self addressed, stamped
envelope to Children s W orld, 100
Second Ave , S . Edmonds, W A
98020, or by stopping at any o f the
follow ing Children s W orld loca
tions Beaverton 18425 N E Wal
ker Road, or 4845 S W
Murray
Blvd or 12360 S W Pioneer Lane;
Gresham 3200 N W Hogan, Hills
boro 177, S E Minter Bridge Rd ;
Rockwood 840 N E 181st. Sunny
side ,0501 S E Sunnyside; Van
couver 622 S E ,17th Ave , or
1002, N E Hazel Dell Ave
W hat's in a name? A lot if you
happen to have forgotten it
To save face, here are a tew sim
pie rules.
• Be sure to hear th e n a m e
Never be afraid to ask a person to
repeat his or her name A name is
a person's most prized possession.
• A sk h o w th e na m e is spel
led
This forces you to pay atten
tion.
• M a k e a re m a rk a b o u t th e
n a m e any re m a rk For example,
"Oh, I just met a person w ith the
same name "
VOTE:
• Use th e n a m e w h e re a p ro
pos d u rin g y o u r in itia l c o n v e r
s a tio n
• Use th e n a m e a g ain w h e n
yo u say g o o d b y e
• V isu a lize a n a m e by c re a tin g
p ic tu re s in y o u r m in d Names like
Flag. Carpenter and Rivers are easy
But how about Petrocelli? Try thin
king of a pet rolling in jelly
Bar
tosevitch? Think of bought a sa
vage
• M a ke a p e rs o n 's fa ce te ll
yo u his n a m e
If Petrocelli has
a big nose, picture a glob of jolly
on the nose and a pet rolling in it
Of course, if you do know some
one w ith the name Petrocelli, try no,
to run into him after you have jus,
eaten.
7.35%
YLD
FSLIC INSURED
ONE YEAR CD
CALL FOR OTHER RATES Et TERMS
W. WILSON FINANCIAL
«21 SW Slh
Nov. 4th for this very critical
position.
Gladys
m il se lf im m o la tio n
“I
I
d t i u j n t d to
McCoy
id f-c o n fid t-n c t, b u i l d i d l ~ t i t t tn ì u n d
fa c ilita te fio iitiu e chaneje in the Liuei
Multnomah County Chair
230 N. K illingsw orth
o f ivo tuen o u e i ¿/O.
283 6000
FOR PROVEN LEADERSHIP
and. ¿jjunincj
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lidd
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i
THIS COUPON
GOOD FOR
a fi fiotti. cT¿
2 eré i c v 2 z
f iznb
1 Slab o' Ribs
or
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W e a lso offer
Potato Salad
Pig's Feet
Potato Pie
Banana Pie
Peach Cobbler
Good TO 30 thru 11/6
You've Toed The Rest
Now Try Tfie Best
Six years as County Commissioner (1978-84)
Eight years on’ Portland School Board (1970-78)
Three years as Oregon Ombudsman (1975-77)
FOR WORKABLE SOLUTIONS
An Effective Criminal Justice Plan
Improved Health & Mental Health Programs
Addressing Needs of Youth/Homeless
Doing More For Our Older Citizens
Jobs Through Economic Development
$1.00 o ff on
•
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227 314«
VOTE
Of the 8b teen suicides, 17 wore
females and 63 were males Eleven
I tfie s e young people were bet
ween 11) and 14 years old, including
three eleven year olds, the youngest
ei i id« !
I h e sharpest increase in
Franklin's
Ready Ribs
departments in the n a tio n ,” concluded Dr Millner, "and we aspire to be
one of the b e st."
Comments and inquiries about the departm ent's w ork may be directed
to Dr Millner in care o f Portland State University, P 0 Box 751, Portland,
OR 97207 Telephone (503) 229 3472
How to Remember Names and Faces
Teen Suicides in Oregon
Teenagers are taking their own
lives at an alarming rate in Oregon
Hie Oregon State Health Division
has reported that 80 teenagers com
n u tte d s u ic id e ill Oregon during the
three year period from 1983 to 1985
I h e s u ic id e rate among ,5 19 year
o ld s has quadrupled in the last quar
ter i erituty, w ith suicide now the
second leading cause of death
among teenagers
The 1983 85
irinual suicide rate for ,5 19 year
olds was 1’ .3 suicides per 100,000
population in this age group per
»oar compared to 2 8 during 1959
Photo by Richard J Brown
nity
Its faculty members are lending expertise to help develop a m ulti
cultural project at the Children's Museum in Portland;
The department has arranged to bring to Portland an exhibit involving
a history o f ethnic depictions in comm ercial advertising
The Balch
Institute for Ethnic Studies exhibit w ill be hosted by the Portland
Advertising Museum from June 1
July 15, 1987.
The department is providing its expertise to the W orld Affairs Council
in Portland as the council w orks to select qualified speakers for its
"Leaders in the Third W o rld " lecture series;
Its faculty members are scheduled to consult w ith and to help train
Portland A rt Museum employees as the museum acquires new hoi
dings for its A frican collections;
The department w ill co sponsor for the second year a February 1987
African Film Festival at Northwest Film Study Center Portland, to
include tw o visiting guest lecturers;
and the departm ent will w ork w ith Oregon Public Broadcasting and
W estern Oregon State College to offer a college credit telecourse
based on the show entitled "T h e A fricans " The department also is
co sponsoring a visit by the show 's producer, All A Mazrui, to the
Portland area.
"W e started at PSU in 1969, and we are one of the oldest Black Studies
I
I
I
Gee Gee Root, M.S., is an experienced counselor who has worked in
the field of Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling and Career Counsel
ing for 10 years Her work focuses on the concerns of the older
woman, who. in transition, may experience depression, loneliness and
feelings of alienation In her on-going weekly women's group, she
offers understanding and intelligent support to women who want posi
tive change and renewal in their lives
For Registration or Further Information Call 227-3943
WE NEED GLADYS McCOY WORKING FOR US!
Gladys McCoy has earned our trust!
Paid for by Friend« of Olady« M cC oy 710 S W 2nd Portland
Oeorge Brow er Traaeurer