Inside this issue:
Western history professor debuts his new book “Unfreedom,” PAGE 4
Vol. 32 #6 10.24.16
Find out how local thrift stores stack up with one another, PAGE 12 Creepy clowns terrorize the nation. Should you be worried? PAGE 10
Vol. 30 # #.#.#
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The Herald Building is one of many supposedly haunted buildings in Bellingham. See page 8 for more spooky photos. Cover photo by Jonathan Pendleton // AS Review
Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu as.wwu.edu/asreview @TheASReview facebook.com/theasreview
© 2016. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University. The AS Review is an alternative weekly that provides coverage of student interests such as the AS government, activities and student life. The Review seeks to enhance the student experience by shedding light on underrepresented issues, inclusive coverage, informing readers and promoting dialogue.
IN THIS ISSUE History professor 4 Jared Hardesty debuts book, “Unfreedom” This new book from a Western professor focuses on colonial slavery in the Boston area.
5 Outdoor Center
plans plethora of adventures
The OC has a variety of outdoor excursions planned for the rest of the quarter.
6 Susan Point Past Present: Cultural Visions in New Media
The Western Gallery is hosting this exhibit of Coast Salish revival art.
The Nightmare
7 Before Christmas: A Review
One of our writers reviews this multi-holiday cult classic in preparation for a screening on Oct 26.
9
QRC Hosts Costume Ball
This inclusive Halloween-themed costume dance is meant for folks of all identities.
10 Meme or Menace? Should you be worried about the creepy clowns appearing nationwide? What you need to know.
We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork, letters to the editor or anything else physically printable. Please limit letters to 300 words, include your name, phone number and year in school. Send all submissions to as.review@wwu. edu. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar. The AS Review is distributed via electric bicycle, the purchase of which was made possible by the Sustainable Action Fund Grant Program.
Morgan Annable Alexandria Baker Ricky Rath Erasmus Baxter Julia Berkman Josh Hughes Chris Beswetherick Photographers Jonathan Pendleton Jaden Moon Janna Bodnar Adviser Jeff Bates
Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers
A touch of rain can’t keep resilient Western students inside! Photo by Ricky Rath // AS Review
10.24.2016 • 3
EVENTS
CALENDAR OF EVENTS “Carrie” at the Underground Coffeehouse
Oct 24-25 // 10 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free
Horror fans, grab a coffee and settle in for a showing of the 1976 classic film based on the Stephen King novel.
“Nightmare Before Christmas”
Oct 26 // 6 p.m. // VU 552 // Free
Join ASP and Quidditch Club for the fantastical misadventures of the Pumpkin King as he attempts to celebrate the wrong holiday.
“Family Game Night” a new a capella musical
Oct 26-29 // 7:30 p.m. Wed-Sat, 2 p.m. Sat // DUG Theater (PAC 199) // $9 for students
This unique musical takes on challenging themes and staging for a brand new theatrical experience.
Churros and Change
Oct 27 // 7 p.m. // MPR // Free
AS Representation and Engagement Programs invite you to eat free churros while learning about how you can make a difference locally and at a statewide level.
TESOL Info Session
Oct 27 // 5-6 p.m. // VU Gallery // Free
Western’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program pre-
pares students for work in teaching, conservation, and community service on an international level. Learn more about the program at this information session.
QRC Masquerade Ball
Top Ten: October 17-23 1
Manatee Commune Manatee Commune
2
A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead
3
22, A Million Bon Iver
4
Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not Dinosaur Jr.
5
Bring on the fishnets! The Mount Baker Theater is ready for this audience participation-packed Halloween tradition.
The Magic Deerhoof
6
Heads Up Warpaint
Black Light Dyno Comp
7
Down in Heaven Twin Peaks
8
Skiptracing Mild High Club
9
Freetown Sound Blood Orange
Oct 28 // 7 p.m. // MPR // Free
Don a costume and a mask and dance the night away with the Queer Resource Center. There will be a costume contest for those in competitive spirits. No appropriative or inappropriate costumes will be tolerated.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Oct 28-31 // 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. // Mt. Baker Theater // $15
Oct 28 // 7 p.m. // Vital Climbing Gym // $15 A costumed climbing extravaganza?! Visit vitalclimbinggym.com for more information.
Halloween Panic Room
Oct 31 // 6:30 p.m. // Ferndale Public Library // $3
Suicide Prevention Feat of Whatcom County is hosting this mental health awareness event to teach community members what it is like to live with anxiety. Proceeds go to local suicide prevention efforts.
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IV BadBadNotGood KUGS is the Associated Students’ student-run radio station. Listen online at kugs.org. If you’re interested in getting on the waves, pick up a volunteer application in the station’s office on the seventh floor of the VU.
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History professor Jared Hardesty debuts book, “Unfreedom” BY ERASMUS BAXTER
When most people envision American slavery they differently race was conceived in 18th century Boston. 80 percent of people were bound in some way.” imagine Southern plantations. Few think of New En“For a lot of enslaved people, in, say Boston, a lot He points to indentured servitude, and the degland as being a hot spot for slavery. However, in the of the oppression they experienced was more classpendent position of most women as examples of this middle decades of the 1700s, as the colonies moved based oppression,” Hardesty said. “They were very bondage. towards independence, around 15 percent of Boston’s much envisioned as part of a social hierarchy. Their “What I found is [that enslaved people] behave a lot population consisted of enslaved peoples. race does matter; their race puts them at the bottom more like other early modern peoples,” Hardesty said. Jared Hardesty, an assistant professor of history of that hierarchy, but that’s very different from being “The types of protests and things they have are very at Western, is providing one of the first looks at that defined as biologically inferior. Which is what’s going similar to other peoples’ protests in the sense that it’s world in his book “Unfreedom: Slavery and Depento happen by the end of the 18th century.” about addressing grievances, it’s about restoring rights dence in Eighteenth-Century Boston.” Capturing this different mindset was one of the they believe have been taken away from them. It’s not “There’s a fairly rich literature of slavery in New goals of the book. about abstract notions of freedom, it’s about finding England, but no one’s looked at Boston, which was “It’s a world where people don’t believe in universal autonomy.” kind of exceptional,” Hardesty said. “Boston’s the larghuman equality,” Hardesty said. “It’s a world where By focusing on court documents Hardesty is able est city in New England. It was the largest city in the they accept the norm that a large portion of the popto bring out the voices of the enslaved people through American Colonies before the revolution. And it has, ulation is going to be legally bound or dependent in testimonies and depositions. He hopes that their by the numbers, the largest slave population in New some way.” voices and stories can be used to help better stand the England.” Hardesty thinks that historians in the past often history of slavery in New England. Hardesty based his research on a collection of court overlooked or ignored that acceptance that some en“It is a story of recovery,” he said. “That’s how I records located in Boston, where he attended graduslaved people had of the existing social structure. really envision both the book, but also everything ate school. To access these records, called the Suffolk “[Historians missed] this idea of a world structhat’s going on right now in New England, this kind of Papers, he had to go to the Massachusetts Archives, a tured by dependence and bondage and deference to public reckoning. It’s about finally recovering the lives 100,000 square foot, bunker-like building that he com- social superiors,” he said. “How that influences the of these enslaved people and those who owned them pared to a time machine because of its lack of Wi-Fi or lives of enslaved peoples. And essentially I argue, they and the institutions that supported it. Both legally, cell service and dependence on hand-cranked microembraced this unfree world they live in. And why the institution of slavery, but churches and merchant phones and card catalogs. Much of the micro-film he wouldn’t they? Everyone else does.” houses and how they supported slavery as well.” used had to be re-spooled since it hadn’t been used This inspired the name of the book: “Unfreedom.” Hardesty has been able to deliver several talks on with newer micro-film machines. “It’s a categorization of a grouping of all these his book in New England, including one at the Old “I really felt like I was uncovering something that forms of dependence that might have existed,” Hardes- North Church that famously signaled Paul Revere, nobody has looked at before,” Hardesty said. ty said. “When you look at what Boston’s social landand a seminar at the Royal House enslaved quarters The records were extensive, with over 150,000 cases scape would look like in the 18th century, a solid 75 to in Bedford, Massachusetts, the only freestanding slave spanning from 1628 to 1799. Hardesty quarters north of the Mason-Dixon line. estimated that the collection of was over He says that New England is moving to 1 million pages long. understand its legacy of slavery, and he “If you want to take kind of a stehopes the stories in his book will be part reotypical view of the New England of the conversation. puritans, stodgy and all that, they’re also “Institutions that operate on shoeincredibly litigious and self-reflective,” string budgets, and are driven by tourhe said. “There’s a massive collection of ism dollars and small donations, slavery legal records that historians had never could turn those visitors off,” he said. used to really do anything with, let alone Hardesty said that specific anecdotes study slavery and enslaved people.” are important in conjunction with staHardesty was able to make sense of tistics and general statements. the collection using an index that was “[Individual stories are] a tool to added at a later date. use,” he said. “You can make a personal “Whoever did it was incredibly connection. You have to tie these indiracist, because they made sure whenever vidual stories to the numbers.” the case involved an indigenous person Jared Hardesty will be speaking or an African American they would about his book and signing copies on note ‘Negro” or ‘Indian,’” he said. “It was October 26 at 7 p.m. at Village Books very helpful for me, because it made in Fairhaven. His book is currently $40 this collection navigable in a way that it new, but there as an eBook available and otherwise wouldn’t haven’t been.” a paperback edition coming out next Assistant professor of history, Jared Hardesty, shows off his new He says this indexation reflects how year. book, “Unfreedom.” Photo by Erasmus Baxter // AS Review
Outdoor Center plans plethora of adventures BY JOSH HUGHES
The AS Outdoor Center (OC) offers a wide array of excursions for students every quarter, ranging from local hikes to ice climbing trips in Canada. While the trips do cost, they’re an accessible way for students to explore some of the wilderness right outside our doorstep. Though some of the trips have already taken place, over half of them will be later on this quarter, and students can register for them up until the day before the pre-trip meeting. Here are some of the upcoming excursions that are open to students of all experience levels.
Women’s Wednesday Mountain Biking $26, October 26 at 3 p.m.
“This trip is meant for women who have wanted to get into mountain biking, but haven’t due to its high barrier to accessibility,” Assistant Excursions Coordinator Tatsu Ota said. “Both in terms of gear and local trail knowledge, we provide both, included in the trip cost. Included are bike rentals and helmets. Participants are expected to bring water and lots of energy! If you want to squeeze in some adventure during your week, this is the trip!”
Halloween Rock Climbing in Vantage $102, October 29-30
This annual event is great for students who can think of no better way to celebrate Halloween than by costumed climbing in the desert of Eastern Washington. The OC provides experienced leaders and all of the gear necessary, while the participant must just bring their own shoes, sleeping bag and sense of adventure. Participants on this trip will learn some technical rock climbing skills on some of the best columnar basalt in the state. The pretrip meeting takes place on October 26 at 6 p.m.
Rock School at Vantage $145, November 11-13
This is a moderate trip for aspiring rock climbers who want to learn more about knots, grips, and everything possible to do with climbing. The trip leaders will educate climbers on gear, safety skills, and also some specific climbing skills and tactics. Out in Eastern Washington, the two day trip is a perfect opportunity to meet people with a similar passion for climbing and a great way to build your skills with experienced trip leaders. The OC will provide all rock safety equipment, overnight accommodations, transportation and dinner for both nights. All that participants need to bring is rock shoes, personal overnight gear and a learning
mind. Perfect for anyone looking to become a self-sufficient rock climber. The pre-trip meetings will be on November 8 and 10 at 6 p.m. in VU 150.
Full Moon Night Hike $25, November 14 at 6 p.m.
As the most laid-back of the OC excursions, the Full Moon Night Hike is for people looking forward to getting outside and exploring in the spooky nighttime. This is mainly a trip for anyone who wants to hike at night but doesn’t really know where to start, and the OC is providing transportation and route planning. Participants are expected to BYOB (bring your own backpack), and water is always a good idea, but just be sure to expect a beautiful hike lit by the moon and stars.
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Western Community Outreach provides help to those in need
Find out how to get involved with WCO projects and help heal the community BY JULIA BERKMAN
The Western Community Outreach (WCO) club is back at it again this year, facilitating outreach to people in need in Whatcom county. The club boasts many successful outreach events and programs in the last year, with their number one activity being the quarterly Be Our Guest event, wherein Western students use their meal plans to swipe in members of the homeless or street-involved. The activity has been met thus far with great success. The goal of the Western Community Outreach is to raise funds, break down stereotypes, and assist those in need. The homeless population benefits from the items people give them in times of need. Many homeless women in America struggle the most with having their Eagles and Whitewater Rafting period on the street with no way of concealing it. Many people don’t like to think $60, November 19 about such a thing, but sometimes the most valuable thing you can give a home“This is for people who want to go rafting and less person aren’t the things you expect. Homeless and street-involved people also visit the homes of majestic birds of prey,” Ota said need condoms. When supplying people, many organizations and charities tend to of this excursion. “Not only will you have cold forget these basic human needs. water in your face letting you know you are alive, The Be Our Guest activity has been a success each time it has been facilitated there will be wildlife left and right, soaring above by the WCO. If you have a meal plan and extra guest passes as the end of the you, creating an amazing experience. This trip is quarter nears, consider donating your time and guest passes to this great cause. also a great one to go on with your group of friends If not, the WCO also carries out distributions of clothes, food, basic toiletries, and learn to see rivers with different eyes. The OC and other essentials during the year as well. They’re collecting for an upcoming will provide all the rafting gear and participants distribution and could always use more supplies. are expected to bring food, water, and some dry Participating in events with the WCO is easy. What isn’t always as easy is conclothes for the car ride.” The pre-trip meeting will fronting your own discomfort in order to help others, but overcoming your own take place on November 16 at 6 p.m. in VU 150. discomfort is an integral part of the college experience wherever you are. Why not help others on your path toward personal growth?
Finals Week De-Stress Hike $35, December 3
Escape the library or your textbook-cluttered room for a day at Oyster Dome in the Chuckanut Mountains. This trip is for anyone really feeling the anxiety of finals coming on, and it’s a perfect atmosphere to go explore one of the most beautiful spots close to campus. Transportation will be provided, and as per usual participants are just expected to bring whatever daypack they’ll need. The pre-trip meeting will take place on November 30 at 5 p.m. in VU 150. In addition to the events listed above, the OC is also hosting a Backcountry Ski Day and a Canadian Ice Adventure in Banff at the end of the quarter. More information on any of the excursions can be found at the Outdoor Center main office located in VU 150, or on their website through the AS. Go outdoors and start exploring through the resources WCO hosts a bake sale in Vendor’s Row to support their outreach work. the OC provides! Photo courtesy of WCO
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Susan Point Past Present: Cultural Visions in New Media BY JOSH HUGHES
If you visit the Western Gallery any time from now until December 3, you’ll see an array of Northwest Native American art in a beautiful array of mediums and styles. Yet the stereotyped “traditional” arts of basketry, textile making, and archaic sculpture are nowhere to be found. Instead, the space is filled with geometric prints, meticulous glass circles, and vibrant bursts of color. Motifs and themes of Indigenous Northwest culture are scattered throughout, but are altered, magnified, or distorted in ways that boldly branch out of the stuff of history museums and Pike Place postcards. The pieces on display are those of Susan Point, a Musqueam artist who is a renowned driving force in the revival of Coast Salish art. Her work combines deeply embedded Coast Salish culture with a contemporary outlook, resulting in pieces that simultaneously pay respect to her heritage and draw from the past as well as rejuvenate the art form and look ahead towards where Coast Salish art can go in the future.
Her work challenges the limitations imposed on her both from within and outside the culture. While she progresses and expands upon the traditional design elements of Coast Salish art, she also forces the viewer to look at her art as something distinctly contemporary, questioning what Coast Salish art would look like today had their culture never been colonized and nearly wiped out. While this makes Point’s art subversive, it still functions effectively under many different contexts. Seeing majestic glass spindle whorls with delicately placed designs doesn’t require that the viewer has a knowledge of the culture to appreciate its power as artwork. This makes Susan Point’s work even more powerful and singular in the way that she bridges the unspoken gap between western, European “art” and Native American “craft”. It makes her art culturally charged no matter how a viewer perceives her work. Her work in the Western Gallery consciously embraces contemporary mediums, giving it the power to
reach people from within her own community as well as in the general public. While the Northern formline style has dominated much of contemporary Native American art from this region, Point revels in Coast Salish design, something that hardly anyone else has done until the 1980’s. Her work actively rejects the idea that her culture’s art is dying and instead proposes that it is thriving more than ever with its acceptance of contemporary media and openness to evolution. While Point herself is not speaking at the gallery, the exhibit has created a platform for other Coast Salish artists and figureheads to speak at. Glass artist Raya Friday, master weaver Ed Carriere, archaeologist Dale Croes, and artist Debra Sparrow have already given demonstrations and talks at the gallery, but there will continue to be events throughout the quarter. On Thursday, October 27 at 5 p.m., master carver Jewell Praying Wolf James of Lummi Indian Nation will be giving a lecture talking about his work and the way it has complemented his environmental activism throughout the years. On Thursday, November 17 at 5 p.m., master weaver Susan sa’hLa mitSa Pavel will also be giving a lecture about her working relationship with master weaver Bruce Miller and the importance of traditional apprenticeship. Susan Point’s exhibit comes to Western at a crucial time when Native Peoples’ rights and culture are constantly being threatened and encroached upon. With issues like the Dakota Access Pipeline coming to national attention, her work strengthens the importance and significance of similar and disparate Native American cultures across the country. Her images and designs convey ideas centered around culture, identity, perseverance, adaptation, and much more in ways that words cannot do justice. Check out her work at the Western Gallery in the Fine Arts Building before it closes on December 3.
Susan Point’s artwork uses bold colors and high-contrast geometric patterns. Photos by Ricky Rath // AS Review
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Celebrate two holidays for the price of one this season with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” BY JULIA BERKMAN Tim Burton’s stop motion masterpiece “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is hitting the smaller Bellingham screens this week for a special screening. In case you can’t get in on the action, this comprehensive play-by-play of the movie should serve to whet your Halloween movie palate. Warning: Spoilers ahead. The movie opens on the grim and gray city of Halloween Town. The whole community has come together for their annual Halloween celebration. Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king, is brought out, lit on fire, and dumped in toxic waste--a normal event in Halloween Town. This scene is a great opening to cast light on the main characters. Poor, defenseless ragdoll Sally just wants to go see the celebration, but Finklestein, her evil creator, is determined to keep her inside. The moment where Sally rips off her own arm to save herself may seem gory to us humans, but the loss of limbs in Halloween Town is pretty run-of-the-mill. It does, however, give a new look to body autonomy. Jack, despite the festivities, is bored with the rudimentary task of being the king of the pumpkins. Halloween has become routine to him, which he expresses in the iconic song “Jack’s Lament,” sung in the local cemetery. Little does he know, Sally is watching him from behind the tombstones. Lugubrious Jack and his faithful pet, a ghost-dog named Zero, wander into the outskirts of Halloween Town, jaded to all the horror their hometown has to offer. That’s when everything changes in a pivotal plot twist.
An artfully carved pumpkin represents the grinning face of the pumpkin king, Jack Skellington. Photo by Randy Robertson // flickr
Jack discovers doors carved into some gnarled pine trees. They turn out to be portals to another world. It is only logical that, given the existence of Halloweentown, there would be a Christmas Town, Valentine Town, Chanukkah Town and perhaps even a President’s Day Town. Jack falls down the tree-shaped tree door into Christmas Town. What follows is a pure yet unsettling combination of characters. The king of Halloween has been transplanted into the pure snowy world of Christmas. Christmas Town is awash with festivities, from garland hanging and tree decorating to sledding. This joyful celebration is something that Jack could never fathom. The holiday cheer kicks off the opening notes of the most popular song of the film, “What’s This?” Christmas Town is just the spark Jack needs to reanimate Halloweentown and pull himself out of his funk. He comes back to town with a whole new idea of what Christmas should be. At the same time, Sally is falling deeply in love with Jack and growing wistful for the outside world. She poisons her creator and captor in order to escape the castle again and see Jack, who is trying to convince the members of Halloween Town to give Christmas a try. Unable to win over his comrades, Jack stretches the truth about the feeling of Christmas: Santa becomes Sandy Claws, and reindeer are his flesh-eating servants. Halloweentownspeople convinced, Jack sets about kidnapping the elusive Sandy Claws for a truly eerie parody of Christmas. Sally is assigned to sew a red suit, while the evil Dr. Finklestein is set to generating some hellish reindeer mockup. Three faithful yet mischievous trick-or-treaters, Lock, Shock and Barrel, step up to the task of capturing Santa. Though at first they accidentally capture the Easter Bunny, they try again and succeed, bringing a frightened Santa back to Jack in his own bag. Although dismayed at his lack of claws, Jack interrogates Santa on how to make the best Christmas possible in Halloween Town. After a few weeks of hard work, everyone in town has realized how terribly Christmas and Halloween go together. Sally tries to sabotage Jack’s final unveiling of his yuletide showcase with thick fog. Thankfully for Jack--yet sadly for everyone else--his dog lights the way with his glowing jack-o-
This decorative pumpkin depicts Jack and Sally. Photo by amyr_81 // flickr
lantern nose in parody of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Jack and his reindeer-abominations fly into the real world, ready to spread cheer to all. Unfortunately for both Jack and the poor families he visits, his idea of a Christmas present is a shrunken head or a toothy rubber duck. The military is called upon to take down Jack’s sleigh, and with it his dreams of spreading Christmas cheer. Meanwhile, Sally sneaks into the lair of Oogie Boogie, a gambling man in possession of Santa thanks to the trick-or-treaters. Sally thinks that only Santa can convince Jack that his attempts at Christmas are sorely misguided. Unfortunately, Sally is also captured by the Boogieman. Jack shows up, determined to save the man he idolized and the ragdoll woman he loves. The showdown between Oogie and Jack ends in an unraveling of Oogie’s burlap skin, and a victorious escape from his lair. Santa, thoroughly traumatized by the whole event, chastises Jack for attempting to mix holidays. He takes to the skies in his sleigh and fixes Christmas for the world. He also leaves Halloweentown one final parting gift: a snowfall. Amidst the snowflakes, Sally and Jack find that the true meaning of Christmas is love. This film can warm a cold heart, and should be played from October first to December 24. You can watch it coming up on October 26 in VU 552 at 6 p.m.
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a O R p i
t s D t b s a m
The Bellingham Herald building is said to be haunted by a former elevator operator who was allegedly murdered on the site. Other local haunts include Old Town Cafe, Bayview Cemetery, the Spark Museum and Mount Baker Theater. Photos by Jonathan Pendleton // AS Review
p i s p l p n s t n L v t
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College of Fine and Performing Arts production of “Family Game Night” twists audiences
BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK
The College of Fine and Performing Arts opened their abstract a capella play “Family Game Night” on Thursday, October 20 at the DUG Theatre in the most colorful way. Remaining performances will be on October 26-29 at 7:30 p.m. and October 29 at 2 p.m. in the DUG Theater, located in Performing Arts Center 199. The audience, seated in an arrangement that totally circles the stage, was greeted with a pitch black introduction. The show begins with a child, Lily Mitchell, played by Oceana Dunsire, laughing and running through the stage. She cues the entrance of the rest of the cast with the playing of vibrating bells. As more and more characters fill the stage, the show becomes totally chaotic. Every character is sprinting around the stage, singing only sounds like “hah, he, ah” in a musically beautiful way. Without pause, the show transitions into showing a couple en route to the boyfriend’s family’s home and the scene is tense. The dynamic between Connie Marshal, played by senior Jacki Campbell, and her boyfriend Luke Mitchell, portrayed by Luke Dooley, immediately appears unstable, like there are levels of power in the relationship. Campbell portrays a rebel daughter, dating a misfit 19-year-old in need of a job. Their intention for visiting Luke’s family was solely for money, creating themes of greed and lies. Nevertheless, Connie’s character is much more respectable and non-violent, making her a subordinate in their relationship. Luke refers to her with slurs, takes too much control and very often speaks as if in sexual control of her. While all of this is apparent to the audience, Connie loves Luke, making
Photo by Ricky Rath // AS Review
his treatment challenging for her to overcome while somehow worthwhile to endure. Kayla Mitchell, portrayed by Eryn McVay, helps Connie realize the position she is in. McVay’s character is schizophrenic, which is a reason for much of the family drama. Due to her multiple personalities, the family considers her to be untrustworthy and irresponsible, which Luke then utilizes to his advantage. As in many great works of drama, there is a family secret; only Kayla, Connie and Michael (Kayla’s imaginary boyfriend) know about Luke’s abuse toward Kayla. There is so much dramatic irony occurring, it really does complicate and ultimately stimulate the show. There are even some moments during the performance in which it is nearly impossible to focus on what’s happening because of the overload of movement and song and beats and lines happening all at once. This havoc was managed well by the cast, and made noticeable via the tech cues. The lighting of the show contributed heavily toward who should be focused on, and what the audience and characters feel emotionally. Without such specific cues, like their cycling of lights through the stage, the show would be unintentionally confusing. Instead, the cast and crew controlled chaos and used that to drive their show. Behind all of the play, though, was the most peculiar character: Michael, portrayed by Robert Frederickson. He is a huge influence on how Kayla thinks, like the way a spinner in a game dictates the players’ actions. The stage itself
was an enormous twister spinning board, with the icons constructed as real furniture placed in every corner. This stage essentially creates the idea of randomness, and the feeling of not being in control. The spinner dictates where all the characters should move, and that has applications to the reality of the play. Michael could be considered as the one in control of Kayla, as many of the lines she speaks are voiced simultaneously by Michael, like he is the one saying them. The symbolism of the stage offers so much for the audience to absorb, and seeing the lighting and movements and sounds of the characters creates a sensory experience for the audience to learn from and enjoy. The most notable element of the play was the mother, Trixie Mitchell, played by Western voice instructor Heather Dudenbostel. Her portrayal of Trixie made the character appear distressed. Her lines all came out with twinges on very specific words. Ultimately, she is a mother, and to the cast, she truly emulated their struggling parent. Overall, the College of Fine and Performing Arts’ production of “Family Game Night” contemplates the ideas of love, pain and disability. The play seems more so a chance for students to be taught and entertained, than solely enjoyed. Nevertheless, the cast and crew created a piece of art not to be missed.
Queer Resource Center hosts inclusive costume ball BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK
On October 28, the AS Queer Resource Center will host a costume party and dance at the Viking Union for the beginning of Halloween weekend. Everyone is encouraged to dress up, although the QRC stresses everyone who comes remains respectful of the community. The organization asks all attendees to be mature for the sake of all identities and the comfort level of the dance. They ask all attendees to wear clothing that does not appropriate other cultures. They also define that “clothing does not mean consent,” therefore, do not break physical or emotional boundaries of anyone at the dance. The QRC expects their peers to assume an appropriate level of maturity. The idea of a safe space has grown over time, and many campuses across the country are establishing these spaces. Western’s QRC is one of the best examples of the movement toward gender and sexual identity inclusivity. The center has previously held ice cream socials, and they continue to do so, but under new leadership they are growing. Last year, the center hosted Queer Prom, a re-visit to typical proms. The center framed the dance around holding the prom many students wanted in high school. At Queer Prom, the environment was made to be inclusive, and the QRC plans to maintain that at their dance. “It’s going to be a ball,” Kieran Flowers, QRC Assistant Coordinator for Educational Programming said.
Since this takes place during Halloween weekend, the theme will incorporate tokens from the holiday. There will be traditional Halloween candy, punch, music and a costume contest. The judges will be the people attending the dance, so it is truly a group event. Interestingly, the whole office is not working together on this project. Instead, everyone in the center has their own responsibilities to complete. Flowers, who works with educational programming, schedules speakers and workshops for the campus. On the other side of the center, QRC Assistant Coordinator for Community Programming Katie Wallis plans events like the QDance. This is Wallis’ event, therefore she decides upon all creative and business elements involved. While the other employees of the center are involved mostly in their work, they are all supporting the event as well. Inclusivity both within, and outside of The QRC epitomizes the work ethic of the group. Not only will the QRC be present at the event, but they invited other clubs from campus to table. They will have games and activities at the dance, too - Wallis promoted a total collaboration of clubs to make the dance a memorable festival of campus culture. The QRC forms a considerable amount of special events on campus, as having a primarily queer-inclusive space is difficult to establish. Here, everyone can just be who they are.
10 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Need some hands-on learning experience? Join Career Services Center for internship and volunteer fair BY JOSH HUGHES
On October 27 from 12 - 4 p.m., there will be a Community Volunteer & Internship Fair in the VU Multipurpose Room. Tailored to all types of students, the fair is a place for anyone looking to build up their resume, get involved in networking or make a difference within the community on many different levels. Over 60 representatives from over 50 organizations will be present to talk to students about career and volunteer opportunities in the Bellingham community. Karen Powell, the Career Services Center’s Coordinator of Job Search Services, stresses the importance of interning in college. She cited Western’s 2015 Employment Survey, which showed that students who interned in college eased their way into jobs more so than those without the experience. With that in mind, the Community Volunteer & Internship Fair looks to serve as an entryway for students who have been curious about interning or volunteering, but don’t necessarily know where to start. Powell says she often stresses the fair as being largely for freshmen and sophomores “because it’s a great way for them to get experience—whether volunteer or an actual internship—that they can document on their resume and use to decide about major, career direction and skills they possess.” There are also some professional internship opportunities with entities such as the Washington State Attorney General’s office, so students of all backgrounds and ages are welcome to the event. The fair puts equal importance on volunteer and internship work, so there will be a variety of non-profit and governmental organizations that often have positions in the Bellingham community. While a few of the organizations will be offering employment positions (Ameson Education & Cultural Exchange Foundation, Space Needle), it is important to note that most of opportunities are unpaid positions. Instead of a resource for part time jobs, the fair is for students looking to further their hands-on experience with the fields they’re passionate about or want to learn more about. Students are expected to bring copies of their resume and will likely want to prepare introductions about themselves and the skills they plan to bring to the organization. Many of the booths will also have sign-up lists so the organizations can get in touch with students after the fair. The Washington State Council of Presidents defines an internship as “a form of experiential learning that takes place in a professional environment… In contrast to jobs, internships often focus on defined projects, rather than routine unit operations.” In contrast, volunteer work focuses on non-profit organizations with opportunities for students to work alongside other volunteers of different backgrounds. Both are types of experiential learning that give students a glimpse into professional environments, and they both allow for students to get further in touch with the topics and fields that they’re passionate about. At the fair, students can expect to see over fifty organizations including Compass 2 Campus, Space Needle LLC, The Restore, and Pickford Film Center. The full list can be found on their website at wwu.edu/careers/ comminternfair_students2016.shtml. “The list is so long that I can’t pick out one organization that is more special than another,” says Powell, further stressing the breadth of organizations and opportunities at the fair. “I see possibilities for students from every college and interest area!”
Meme or Menace?
Creepy clowns continue to cause collateral chaos BY JULIA BERKMAN
F
antastical and outlandish stories have always been a part of childhood. Before social media, hoaxes such as the Cottingley fairies stirred the paranormal britches of even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With the invention of social media, however, the stoABOVE: Cartoonist Josh Hara tweeted this comical rery of a single incident can bloom into a sponse to the clown epidemic that is sweeping the nation. national panic. Bandwagoners can now own clown videos. The best ones fooled many news jump on board with a simple tweet, and outlets and naive followers, inciting further hysteria. that seems to be exactly what happened recently. The social media steamroller kept on moving, and But what is the origin of the inherent human fear of clowns? As criminologist Scott Bonn spoke with Time reports of people in clown costumes being assaulted broke within a few weeks of the first incident. As with magazine about the topic. other mass hysteria events, people will try anything “The fascination with clowns is really the fact that to be part of the narrative. Whether or not there was they’re not real,” Bonn told Time. “We don’t know some wild clown pedophile to begin with matters little what’s beneath that makeup. It could be anyone or to the direction this story took. Anyone with an ugly anything. They’re actually very frightening.” wig and baggy pants could now go on a dirt road and The entertainment industry has capitalized on the scare passersby. In the rite of self-fulfilling prophecy, natural uneasiness that clowns induce with a plethora those foolish enough to suit up would be beaten by of creepy crawly clowny camp. Stephen King’s novel anyone who had used the internet in the past week. “It” tells the tale of a shape-shifting clown that hunts These clown-beating altercations led to the creation children. The fourth season of “American Horror of the hashtag #ClownLivesMatter, an attempt at peaceStory” featured Twisty the Clown, a jawless beast of making by clown enthusiast Nikki Sinn. Sinn said that a man disguised as a decrepit clown. Twisty’s murder spree throughout the season was enough to keep many she was “just trying to make it a little bit light so [the watchers awake at night. Buzzfeed even recently posted idea of clowns] isn’t scary for anyone.” Unfortunately, her tongue-in-cheek title did nothing but downplay the a listicle of “the 19 creepiest clowns of all time.” Needseriousness of the #BlackLivesless to say, clowns have always Matter (BLM) movement, which been the stuff of nightmares to calls attention to black murders most Americans. and the lack of justice surroundIt’s not so surprising then ing them. The BLM movement that the clown-sighting epidemic found the parody a bit too close picked up so much momentum. to the answering #AllLivesMatter Starting in South Carolina in late movement, which was created in August, schoolchildren reported reaction to BLM. The insensitivity sightings of mysterious clowns of taking on a serious movement trying to lure them into the woods. didn’t sit well with many members Whether these sightings were of the community. The rally was confirmed or not is, at this point, canceled due to multiple death irrelevant to the overall hype they threats against the organizers and created. Twitter users, creators of participants. viral memes such as #Harambe So what now? Do we take and Ken Bone, took the clown these clown-related 911 calls serisightings to a more widespread ously? Without more information, level. Any person with cell there’s really no correct answer. reception could now be validated Maybe the real clowns were the by a few hundred retweets if only memes made along the way. they were to film a clown on their morning run. Never one to let a good thing die quickly, Twitter ABOVE: An actor performs in a clown costume, circa 1870. users parodied and created their Photo from Weir Collection // National Library of Scotland
10.24.2016 • 11
LEFT: The Churros and Change event hosted by the Representation and Engagement Programs, the Ethnic Student Center and the Resource and Outreach Programs will be an excellent opportunity for students to get involved with important issues on campus. The event will focus on how to create social change on campus and in the larger Bellingham community. Still not convinced? There will be free churros! The event will be on Oct 27 at 7 p.m. in the MPR. Photo by Ricky Rath // AS Review
Update on REP voter registration efforts
In issue 5 of the AS Review, which was published on October 17, we reported that the Representation and Engagement Programs (REP) registered and updated 3,059 voters this year, breaking last year’s record of 2,996. The Associated Students is happy to announce that the final count is now 3,360 new and updated voter registrations. Thank you to Western Votes and all of the volunteers who held clipboards or sat at tables. The work paid off. Remember to go out and vote on November 8!
How does Western measure up to the Real Food Challenge? BY ERASMUS BAXTER
T
he first meeting the university’s Food Systems Working Group revealed both the hopes and the tensions underlying the university’s efforts to implement its commitment to sustainable foods. Last April former president Bruce Shepard signed the Real Food Challenge (RFC), committing to spend 25 percent of the dollars spent on acquiring food for Western’s dining halls on “real food” by 2020. The Food Systems Working Group will create a plan to reach that benchmark. “[The goal is] not just to getter a higher percentage, or a better metric,” Rosa Rice-Pelepko, co-chair of the working group and a member of Students for Sustainable food, said. “ We really want to be leaders in sustainability.” However, representatives of Aramark, the company that contracts with Western to provide dining services, expressed concerns about the details of the plan. “It’s all really basic at a 30,000 foot view,” Patrick Durgan, Aramark’s executive chef on campus, said. “It gets really complicated at the nitty gritty.” “Real food” is a classification created by the RFC, a nationwide organization working to create a better food system. To qualify as “real food,” food must be local and community-based, fair, ecologically sound and/or humanely produced. Part of the working groups job will be to apply these standards and definitions within the context of Western’s food systems. Emma Bigongiari is co-president of Students for Sustainable Food and a member of the working group. She points to the differences between the national RFC commitment and the Western specific commitment that Shepard also signed. “There’s some different standards potentially of what counts as ‘real food’,” Bigongiari said. One issue the working group will have to deal with relates to the dining hall’s current dairy provider, Edaleen
Dairy. Though Edaleen was originally counted as “real food” because its dairy is locally sourced from Lynden, a recent re-examination found that it should not have qualified because it was a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation or, factory farm. Being a factory farm is one of the five characteristics that automatically disqualifies food from being considered “real food.” Stephen Wadsworth, Aramark’s resident district manager, estimates that Edaleen makes up around 7 percent of their purchasing dollars. If it does not qualify as “real food” it would make the benchmark harder to meet. “It was really easy before Edaleen was disqualified,” Durgan said. At the meeting Durgan offered a defense of Edaleen, asking whether it was more important to have dairy that was local, or that met RFC standards. Bigongiari says she’s glad that the issue came up at the meeting. “[This] first meeting, I feel hopeful,” she said. “I feel like a lot has not been made clear yet and it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold.” In 2013 Edaleen was fined $17,000 by the state for violating the state’s Water Pollution Control Act, the Farm Journal reported. Polluted water from the farm entered a creek that was identified as a salmon habitat and human recreation area. In addition, a 2010 report by Western students found that while they thought Edaleen was technically considered “real food,” it should not be considered ecologically sound. “[Edaleen] cause[s] deterioration of soil from their confined feedlots, and their cows are not free range,” the report read. “The cows consume non-organic corn feed, when by nature they are grass-eaters. Feeding them grain makes them sick, so antibiotics become a necessity in order
to keep the cows alive.” Another issue to consider is how the “real food” percentage is calculated. The RFC has created a calculator to determine the percentage of acquisition dollars spent on “real food”. In Western’s commitment, the 2015 calculator was named as the benchmark for measuring Western’s progress towards 25 percent by 2020. Currently the percentage is calculated monthly by an Aramark student intern. Wadsworth says that the decision to calculate the percentage monthly was made out of a commitment to openness. The RFC only requires two audits a year. “You can greenwash it,” Wadsworth said. “We wanted to be completely transparent.” To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest the working group may consider creating a new position outside of Aramark to conduct the calculations. Since 2008, 40 universities have signed the Real Food Campus Commitment, pledging to spend at least 20 percent of their dining sourcing dollars on “real food” sources. The RFC aims to move $1 billion of university purchasing dollars away from industrial farms by 2020. The minimum commitment is 20 percent by 2020, but some universities have gone as high as 40 percent. The signing capped years of student activism around the issue. As well as creating and monitoring the implementation of a multi-year plan, the working group will conduct education efforts about the RFC and ensure that a yearly progress report is available online. Once complete, the working group’s plan and recommendations will be forwarded to Leonard Jones, director of university residences, for final approval. Kurt Willis, associate director of university residences, co-chairs the working group with Rice-Pelepko. “[We have] a great journey ahead,” Willis said.
12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Cultivate your unique style with the help of Bellingham’s eclectic array of thrift stores BY ERASMUS BAXTER
Unique, funky styles seem to abound on Western’s campus and throughout Bellingham. If you’re looking for “mad props” on your outfit without having to travel to the hinterlands of Bellingham, here are a few options within walking distance of campus.
LifeGate Christian Ministries (LCM) Champion St. south of the bus station
Bellingham’s holiest thrift store would have to be LCM. Run out of a small storefront on Champion street, it raises money for LifeGate Christian Ministries to help homeless and needy women. It is staffed entirely by volunteers, and the store is stocked by donations. If the name didn’t give it away, LifeGate is a Christian charity and the store reflects that. Clothing tags say “God Bless You” on the back, and Christian talk radio plays constantly in the background. As an additional bonus, if you recite a ABOVE & BELOW: State Street bible verse while you’re checking out (John 3:16, to Thrift and Vintage boasts a wide be exact) you get a discount. Don’t have it memocollection of clothing, books, and rized? It’s conveniently framed next to the register. household items, such as a handMild proselytization aside, LifeGate provides crank coffee grinder that the AS good deals on a wide variety of donated goods. Review editor-in-chief once found While the most expensive thing I saw was a leather there for $8. Photos by Jaden jacket for $30, I got a funky patterned button up Moon // AS Review for only $5. There is also a $1 bargain rack located out front. As well as clothing, there is an interesting selection of books, dishware and an animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex. All one would need for a wellstocked home or dorm room! The only downside is the limited size of the collection. Relying on donations, and having a small storefront, means there’s only so much for sale. For some reason they do seem to have an astonishing selection of black corduroy pants.
Wise Buys Thrift Store 1224 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
A couple of minutes’ walk from the center of downtown will bring you to Wise Buys. Run by the local non-profit Lydia Place, this shop’s sales support anti-homelessness programs. It has a much larger collection, but the prices are comparable with LCM. As an additional benefit, on Wednesdays anyone wearing blue or carrying a Western ID gets 50 percent off one item. Recorded nature sounds offer a soothing ambiance for perusing the store. In addition to clothes, they sell housewares, cameras and a shocking number of Mariners poster.
Buffalo Exchange 1209 N State St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Let’s be blunt about it. Buffalo Exchange has some really cool clothes. Definitely some of the coolest pieces of any of the thrift stores. And there’s a reason for that. Unlike the charity stores that rely on donations and volunteers, Buffalo Exchange is able to pay for much of their inventory, and thus create a collection curated by staff hired for their sense of style. However, buying clothes and hiring staff costs money. As a result, patrons are going to be paying much more, up to three times as much, as some of the other stores. Since Buffalo Exchange isn’t a non-profit, all that money is going to the company instead of directly to a good cause. Definitely check it out if you’re Mad Hatter Clothing willing to shell out some extras bucks for some 1327 Railroad Ave neat clothes, but maybe also check Wise Buys, Slightly more expensive and a bit larger, a block conveniently located across the street, or State and a half away on Railroad Avenue is Mad Hatter Street Thrift and Vintage, a block south of Clothing. Due to increased rent Mad Hatter is curBuffalo Exchange, first. rently going out of business so most of the store is currently 30 percent off. As an added bonus, if you ever dreamed of owning your own clothing rack or TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM RIGHT: All purchases made at Wise Buys Thrift Store display case, most of them are on sale too. Mad Hatter offers a vast selection of hats and a costume section in the back. The owner benefit Lydia Place, a local nonprofit that serves homeless families. Their slogan is says that the store will stay open through Christmas and will eventually offer discounts of “every family deserves a home.” Photos up to 50 percent. Check it out before it’s all gone! by Jaden Moon // AS Review