Posts by Mike Briggs

May 1

What price freedom?

It’s a normal day on campus. The sun is out (always a welcome thing), the birds are singing, and the normal crowd is milling around between Cramer and Smith Union. ‘All normal.

I took a seat outside Cramer Hall facing Smith. I was tired. I had just gotten out of a history class, Greek 300, and I wanted to catch some fresh air before I crammed down a sandwich in the Smith cafeteria and trudged on to my next class, French 101.

It was then I noticed him. At first glance all seemed normal. A 20 -something male student, jeans, old Chuck Taylor All Stars, black-grey hoodie…but with the hood up. He had a cardboard box with him. He looked kind of pensive. Maybe he was waiting for someone? Read more

Apr 16

Speaking French

I presently speak no French. Or I should say, the French I did attempt to use with on a recent trip to France had the natives there staring at me and then turning to my wife, who does speak French asking her (translated here), “Madam, is this man your husband? What is he trying to say?”

When my wife, Janet, and I were discussing marriage six years ago, there was one caveat she placed before me that I had to agree to if we were going to marry. (At this point all kinds of things were racing through my mind–prenuptial agreements, mother-in-laws wanting to live with us, religious rites involving hoods, pet snakes, etc…) And then she said in all seriousness, “It has been my life long dream to move to France when I retire. If we marry you have to agree to move there with me. Do you?” Instantly a wave of relief washed over me. I put a big grin on and said, “Yes, but I don’t speak French.” She replied, “Yes. I’ve heard you try.”

So years later now and our France move is getting closer. I am busy working to finish my BA degree in Liberal Arts here at PSU. I know I need six terms of a foreign language to complete for this degree. I start French 101 next fall term.

Bon chance moi.

Au Revoir ~

Mar 6

1 Comment

Have Pen Will Travel

Are there any budding writers out there? Students who really feels they have something to say or simply like to give their opinions–maybe a restaurant, a favorite punk band, or perhaps a book or author?

There is a class being taught at PSU that may be right for you. WR 458, Magazine Writing, taught by Prof. Paul Collins. I am taking this class right now and I find it very interesting and useful…for if you follow the class closely, listen to an expert on the subject, you could in time have your own magazine articles published…AND be paid to do so. Read more

Feb 19

1 Comment

What would you do?

I am a student here at PSU just like you and I would like to know what you would have done?

Yesterday Feb. 13, I took MAX into PSU and returned from PSU, just like I do 2x per week. But this trip, I encountered a very uncomfortable situation on MAX that could have ended up with violence, or at the least, a very tense moment which would have left me and some other passengers in varying states of trauma.

On my trip into PSU, around 3:45, Max stopped at the 82^nd street depot and picked up some people. Three of these were youths- probably 16-19 years of age, male. But these three were very loud…I mean they were shouting well above the normal din of a busy MAX commute. One chose to run up and down the car, jump up and grasp the stainless poles and swing around. His friends would cheer him on. At first I just ignored this rowdy behavior. But…it did not stop. When, like me, most people were ignoring this rude behavior the youth escalated his behavior. This signaled a change to me. This young man, encouraged on by his two peers, began to try and provoke a response from the rest of us. He began to make “charges” at some people, as if he was going to purposely make contact with people. I looked around and some of the passengers were now worried…you could see it in their faces. I was sitting next to a window and had a young lady sitting beside me. She was becoming upset. I decided to do something. I made an effort and caught the eye of one of the young people who was cheering on his physical friend. He was maybe five feet away. Our eyes met. I was not smiling. At first he looked seriously at me and then he did something I did not expect. He laughed. He laughed right at me. I felt the blood rush to my face. I felt my fingers curl into tight fists. I began to feel my legs move…but then I stopped. Was this action I was about to take going to solve anything? Instead of helping, protecting the others around me, could I actually be escalating this (now) dangerous situation? Luckily I did not have to contemplate those questions very long for we were pulling into the Lloyd Center depot and the youths made their departure.

When those three young men left the MAX car you could almost feel the sense of relief that blew through our section of MAX. Whew! But I was shaking. Really physically shaking. Not from fear but from anger and adrenaline. The young lady who sat beside me softly put her hand upon mine and just smiled up at me. And I felt better.

Jan 31

PSU’s Mandatory Student Health Insurance or “The Agony and the Ecstasy”

Q: “I didn’t know we had to have health insurance and why is it mandatory?”

A: In short, it is the law of the land. Per the health care reform act recently passed by Congress and taking effect January 2014, all citizens will have some form of health insurance coverage. Portland State University must comply with this law for any domestic student taking at least five credit hours. But as Christi Zielger, PSU Student Insurance Coordinator states, “PSU does not have mandatory insurance because of the law…we’ve always had mandatory insurance, but this is the first time we have had such a robust plan and are allowing students to waive out if they have something else.” Like it or not our government wants its citizens (and students) to be healthy and to have the ability to pay for such services to remain so.

(PSU’s plan is in effect now) http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insurance-information

Q: “But I already have insurance (I think) through my parents or my employer. Can I use my same doctor”?

A: As long as you have existing insurance coverage, provide the applicable documentation, and submit a waiver to the school prior to the beginning of class, you will not be automatically charged for PSU’s health insurance. And yes, you can stay with your same doctor or with your own insurance carrier. You will have to see if your current doctor is in-service with Aetna, PSU’s insurance provider, or is considered out-of-service with Aetna. Either way you are covered. http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insurancewaiver. And if you wish a link for providers: https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/

Q: “If I do not already have health insurance coverage, how much will this cost me? Is this a good price?

A: The cost of PSU’s health insurance plan is $560/term ($140/month annualized). This bill will be automatically applied to your account when you register for class (unless you file a waiver). Look at these monthly cost comparisons*:

PSU- $140
Reed- $133
Lewis & Clark- $225
U of P- $178
Willamette- $211

(*For comparison, this writer has health insurance through his wife’s employer. While it is good coverage—the price is $460/mo. for the two of us).

Q: “Is there a clinic on campus I can go to if I can’t get to my normal doctor”?

A: Yes there is. SHAC, Student Health and Counseling, and it is located at Univ. Center Bldg, Ste. 300, 1880 SW 6^th. http://www.pdx.edu/shac/ They are professionally staffed for:

Medical
Dental
Mental Health
Testing

PLAN HIGHLIGHTS (not inclusive)

No Deductible
$20/$30/$40 Co pays
Inpatient/surgical/hospital coverage @ 80%
Outpatient care @ 80%-100%
Annual out of pocket max @ $3500
Annual max payout coverage @ $100,000
Prescriptions @ 100% (generic)
Free generic birth control prescriptions
Outpatient Mental Health/Alcoholism/Drug Treatment @ 100%
Women’s Health Care @ 100%
Preventive Health Care @ 100%
Diabetic Testing Supplies @ 80%
Elective Abortion Expense @ 80%
No Dental
No Vision
No Hearing

For more detailed and complete information please contact:

Christy Ziegler Student Insurance Coordinator

Christi Ziegler, PSU Student Insurance Coordinator, 503-725-2467, christi.ziegler@pdx.edu, campus @ SHAC bldg. Or http://www.pdx.edu/shac/insuranceplan

Jan 11

7 Comments

Guns on Campus

We’ve all seen on TV the horrific scenes from Newton Connecticut, the shopping mall in nearby Clackamas, a Regal movie theatre in Colorado…and sadly so many more incidents of guns taking lives in senseless murders. I am a student just like you. I know when I walk the dark walkways of PSU I now think of this deadly scenario. I worry that this might occur here too. I cringe at the thought and hurry along my way.

I know that I could probably obtain a concealed weapons permit from the county where I reside that is good for all of the state. I know then I might “legally” carry this gun, this piece of hardware that is created with one real purpose, to kill. But then I also ask myself, “Is this what I really want to do or do I feel threatened and worried, that my own life may be in danger and that is what is prompting me to think about actually carrying a gun?” And when I get past this question I also ask myself, “Is this who I am? Do I let fear run my life? Do I really want to kill someone?”

“Is this you?”

For me, I am not that kind of person. I have always believed in “live and let live”. I don’t want to be the kind of person that would kill another human being because I believe my own life is in danger. I believe we are an intelligent and resourceful people. I believe there are other alternatives for me, such as fleeing, calling 911 for help, not placing myself in vulnerable situations if I can, and believing that the school I attend, PSU, has taken all the precautions it can to protect me and my fellow students in our goal of receiving an education and becoming a valuable and contributing members of society.

I realize my choice is not for everyone. But having served in the military, having been in real life and death situations, I know sometime in your life you must find out who you really are? Do we give in to the TV and media hysteria? Do we allow ourselves to be manipulated into doing something we do not believe in? Do we really have to kill to live? Is that what our society, our culture, is really about?

I do not think it is.

“Or…is this you?”
You really are the one to decide.

Note: The following is the current PSU policy on carrying a gun at our school and was adopted by the Oregon Board of Higher Education on March 2, 2012.

“…forbids students, employees, individuals with a business interest with the campus (such as vendors and contractors), event attendees, those who rent or lease University property, and campus visitors from carrying a firearm on University owned or controlled property…The prohibition is effective whether or not an individual holds a concealed handgun license.”

Nov 15

Gutenberg vs Microsoft

No matter where you may look on campus you will see people reading. No surprise there, correct? But it is what they are reading, or more to the point, how they are reading that surprises some of us. You are just as apt to see people gazing into the screen of an electronic device, perhaps a lap top computer,

Does a computer screen inspire you to dream… or just think?

as rustling through the pages of a paper newspaper.

Is this “old fashioned”…

Older students, like myself, who have only known paper books in the past, may find this new way of reading… difficult or perhaps challenging. But for anyone who grew up with computers, laptops, and now electronic tablets as nearly all of today’s students have the choice is becoming obvious–they’d rather go digital.

But what will the digital books of the future look like? Will they be as they are now, stripped down to only words in most cases, and thrust upon a screen or will they be more interactive? Will they become an entirely new way to gain information?

When this happens will we lose all of those wonderful things called books, with paper pages, torn, dog-eared, and with covers worn from many readings? Will they only be found in museums to turn to dust? This writer hopes they are not lost to future generations… not to lose that feel of a wonder in your hands, to touch, to feel, to learn, but most of all I think, to dream.

Oct 22

4 Comments

Your classroom…does it work for you?

Students assembling for another lecture in a busy classroom.

We all know what it’s like to enter a classroom for the first time and realize…it’s old, outdated, and it’s going to be jammed. But you also realize you need this class and so you scurry to find the best seat possible.

In truth all classrooms do not look like this at PSU but if you find yourself in one of the older halls, like this one in Cramer Hall, Rm. 171–this is what you will find. When classrooms like this one were constructed this was the norm. This was modern education at that time. But, have classrooms changed since then? In my view, rows of small wooden slide-in seats with non-adjustable mini-desk tops and seats are something from another era. Don’t students now deserve modern and comfortable seating suitable for all types of students, big, short, or disabled? I think that large flat and adjustable height surfaces are best for study in classrooms. I also think it prudent to have an area to hang up a coat or to store a backpack or book carrier. Many students now utilize laptop computers, Kindles, or electronic tablets that require close-by electrical connections. I do not see many classrooms fitted with these. I think this is a fast growing deficit for many students. In addition, many classes now utilize online texts for use in the course for your homework. This will require that you, the student, have access to the use of a suitable computer while not at school. But do you find these same required online texts available via classroom computers to use and follow lectures during class? No, you do not. I think this is wrong. Do these types of considerations affect your choice of where you acquire your education?

For the cost of an education these days I do think it only fair that the institution keep up with modern facilities and do not try to offer a 2012 education with 1960 equipment.

Do old ideas come from old seats?

When will PSU modernize the entire campus and get up-to-date with the life of today?

Oct 2

8 Comments

What is the real importance of Education?

I began my college education at PSU way back in 1975. I had just been released from the Navy and I wanted to begin my education as soon as possible. I felt as though I was now four years behind my contemporaries– as if achieving an education was some kind of race. But as fate would have it, I also got married as soon as I was discharged. Two wonderful children later, a house mortgage, going to school at night, and working a full-time for the U.S. Veterans Administration, left me exhausted. I left PSU in spring of 1980 as a junior.

Twenty-seven years later, retiring early, both children adults (more or less) and having moved out of the house, I decide to take another look at that degree I had begun so long ago. I had always regretted not finishing that General Business degree but now things were different. I no longer needed that degree…I wanted that degree. Tamping down my fears of inadequacy and wondering how I would look to the younger generation, I met with my PSU advisor, Robert Mercer, and together we forged a path for me to follow. But as my needs have changed since 1980 so have my priorities. No longer am I after that General Business degree. Now I am finally figuring out just who I really am…and it is not a businessman, it is a writer.

My worth is not measured for me in what I have accomplished in life so much as what I attempt in life.