Whether you have attended or are attending Portland State University, you know it is a school with a unique atmosphere that we've become accustomed to. Our differentiations became our norms and we experience an outcast-type university every day; and that is just the way we like it.
Here are 12 things any PSU student or alumni can relate to.
1. Jaywalking.
If you aren't jaywalking at PSU's campus then you're most likely a freshman, a tourist or an elder. It's almost strange if you don't jaywalk. The closer you are to getting hit by a car, the cooler you become.
2. The crows.
We all know that Hitchcock feeling the Park Blocks give in the winter. There are literally thousands of crows above us all the time, and it is frightening.
3. The Segway tours.
Comes with sandals and socks.
4. The Par Block shenanigans.
The Park Blocks are never a dull time when it comes to people-watching. Whether it's street musicians, canvassers, protesters or that guy who rolls around in an office chair, the blocks give entertainment on a daily level.
5. Secondhand smoke.
Why buy cigarettes when you can just get your nicotine fix by walking through PSU? The campus called itself "smoke free" this year, but whether it is tobacco or a joint, the clouds keep coming.
6. Street preachers.
You haven't been to PSU long enough if you haven't been told you are going to hell. Street preachers of all kinds like to come to our campus and tell us all about the "good word."
7. Parking Hell.
Three hundred seventy-nine dollars per quarter, $12 to $15 for day passes, and rarely is there parking anywhere unless you go so high up the parking garages your nose starts to bleed.
8. The seasons.
One of the greatest and most fascinating things to see is the changing of seasons at Portland State. The trees represent all four seasons in the year and give us complete eye candy.
9. The rent.
We (or our parents) all know the struggle of paying insanely high rent. It may not be San Francisco prices, but we Oregonians are not used to this.
10. Public transit.
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"Doors on my right." "Doors are closing." "Please hold on." "Train is departing."
You know the drill.
11. Brochures and signatures.
"Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact..."
"Hi would you like the sign for the 'Saving of the Geckos Project?'"
"...Sure."
12. The vibe.
With all this said, Portland State is truly a special place filled with diversity, culture, and a certain vibe that is hard to beat. The students have an "all in this together" type of attitude. We're underrated and we don't care, because we don't need someone else's approval to be rad.
