AS Review - Nov 14, 2016

In this issue: Two protests take place on campus PAGE 4, PAGE 8 Queer Resource Center hosts Trans Week of Remembrance events, PAGE 6 Game design club invites all to upcoming quarterly game-making jamboree, PAGE 7

VOL. 32 #9 11.14.16

VOL. 30 # #.#.#

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Raindrops on window with a backdrop of greenery.

Cover photo by Ricky Rath // 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 Students Protest

4 DAPL in Red Square

Western students gathered to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline and urge the governor to take action.

Wednesday Night 5 Concert Series Local Bellingham artists The Katie Gray and Cat Valley will jam out at the Underground.

6 Trans Week of Remembrance Special events on November 14, 15 and 18 will honor members of the LGBTQ community.

7 Computer Science Professor merges subjects One faculty member is using computational methods to study biology and chemistry.

7

WWU Game Jam Western’s game design club hosts quarterly Game Jam. It’s free and open to everyone, regardless of experience.

8 Students gather

at Trump Protest Red Square was filled with students rallying against the presidentelect on November 9.

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 Josh Hughes Chris Beswetherick Adviser Jeff Bates

Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers

ABOVE: A group of students rally in Red Square protesting Donald Trump’s election.

Photo by Alexandria Baker // AS Review

11.14.2016 • 3

EVENTS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Munro Seminar for Civic Education Nov 14-16 // Various times // Various locations // See page 4 for more information The 2016 seminar series will discuss the way the presidential election has been covered by various media outlets. With multiple small lectures, there are many opportunities to learn about a variety of related topics.

“Smoke Signals” Nov 15 // 6 p.m. // Bond Hall 105 // Free Western Reads presents a showing of the film “Smoke Signals,” based on the book by Sherman Alexie. The film explores cultural identity and individual expression.

Poetry and Lyric with the ESC Nov 15 // 6 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free The Ethnic Student Center presents a night of student compositions, open mic style.

NowHearThis!

Nov 16 // 7:30 p.m. // PAC 16 // Free Western’s contemporary music ensemble presents brand new music in a casual format. Join them for an evening of musical innovation.

“Food Chains” Nov 16 // 6 p.m. // AW 204 // Free Join Students for Sustainable Food in viewing this film about a group of tomato pickers who fought against the global supermarket industry to improve labor conditions.

Top Ten: Nov 14-27 1

Skiptracing Mild High Club

2

Big Mess Grouplove

3

Devil on the Balcony Coastgaard

4

Tween Wye Oak

5

Wildflower Avalanches

6

Manatee Commune Manatee Commune

7

Down in Heaven Twin Peaks

This simple play explores themes of obsession, jealousy, and lifestyle changes in relationships.

8

A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead

Game Jam

9

Sunlit Youth Local Natives

10

Freetown Sound Blood Orange

The Walk of Hope Nov 17 // 7 -10 p.m. // VU MPR // Free Break down stigmas with speakers, a candlelight walk and plenty of resources at this suicide awareness event hosted by Western’s chapter of To Write Love On Her Arms.

The Shape of Things Nov 18-20 // 7 p.m. // Old Main Theater // $5 at the PAC Box Office

Nov 19-20 // Kickoff: 10 a.m.

Nov 19; Presentations 9 p.m.

Nov 20 // CF 105 // Free No experience is required for this game design event. Come join a team and put your unique skillset to work.

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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LEFT: A crowd of students and community members stand together with signs proclaiming “water is life” in a protest in Red Square on November 3.

RIGHT: During the rally, some protesters delivered impassioned speeches imploring Washington Governor Jay Inslee and others to stand in solidarity with the people of Standing Rock, North Dakota. Photos by Ricky Rath // AS Review

Locals get involved in Standing Rock protests, call Governor Inslee to indict DAPL

BY JOSH HUGHES

O

n November 3, a large group of protesters stood outside Miller Hall in Red Square to show solidarity with Standing Rock, opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline. Signs reading “#NoDAPL” and “Water is life” popped up everywhere, and two members of the Lummi Nation broke into a traditional song as students and civilians alike stood united.

The Dakota Access Pipeline, which has gained attention over the last few months, is a proposed 1,200 mile, $3.8 billion oil pipeline that would transport crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Owned by Energy Transfer Partners, a Dallas based company, the pipeline poses many threats and concerns to multiple groups, predominantly the Standing Rock Sioux tribe found both in North and South Dakota.

Environmentalists have also continually spoken out against the pipeline, though it has become an issue that transcends the damaging effects of oil and has begun to show the intersectionality of environmental and social issues.

After a long, slow-burning series of small protests and halted construction work, the pipeline story is at an all time high in terms of media coverage and protesting; it is currently one of the most relevant cultural and environmental issues in the country. Even with a lack of recogni-

tion from presidential candidates Clinton and Trump, the #NoDAPL movement has struck a chord in the #NativeLivesMatter movement and is now getting coverage from major news outlets and receiving national attention. While the fight is far from over, the widespread recognition is furthering the cause and bringing forth larger picture issues that need to be addressed in regards to culture and basic human rights.

The issues with the pipeline largely come from two major forces: the environment and the physical location. Activists, environmentalists and Standing Rock peoples unite in the fight for clean water; the proposed pipeline would go under the Missouri River, which is the major source of water for the Standing Rock reservation. Additionally, some protesters are more generally fighting against manmade climate change that comes from such pipelines and fossil fuels, as well as the overarching oil industry. But mainly, Standing Rock and other indigenous tribes are working to protect their rights as citizens and fight for the sacred land that would be uprooted by the project.

Though the area that would be infringed upon by Energy Transfer Partners does not fall on reservation land, tribal leaders believe that the tribe was not properly consulted or involved in the process

of determining the pipeline route. The allegations state that Army Corps Engineers, who permitted the project, breached the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) by allowing desecration of burial sites and sacred spaces. At its core, the NHPA protects Native lands by considering the cultural significance of federal sites, even when not geographically on Native American land. The Standing Rock Tribe has sued the Army Corps Engineers for their disregard of the NHPA, and the litigation is ongoing.

Protests started in early spring, and records show that by September, over 300 tribes (including Lummi) and 3,000-4,000 pipeline resistors had made their way to Standing Rock to stand in solidarity and peacefully protest. They have set up tipis and tents within the Energy Transfer Partners property, and certain activists intend to camp out into the coldest months of winter. Celebrities including Shailene Woodley and Mark Ruffalo as well as Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and defeated presidential nominee Bernie Sanders have also all spoken out against or gone to North Dakota to join in with Standing Rock. While major media coverage has been absent until recently, the constantly growing movement and controversy has picked up continuous steam from

the national support it’s received thanks to social media, various tribes and college campuses like Western across the country.

In addition to indigenous rights issues that have been brought up, those at Standing Rock have also experienced issues with police militarization and brutality. Part of the reason that the story has recently received more national coverage, is that instances and videos of protesters getting maced and attacked by dogs have added to the outrage over DAPL. North Dakota Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Amy Goodman, a journalist for Democracy Now! after she filmed a video in support of the resistors, claiming she criminally trespassed the area. Subsequently, charges against her have been dropped, but her case serves as a warning of violations of the freedom of the press that have haunted the story of Standing Rock.

Rallies and protests like the one at Western help keep momentum for the cause going, but students and anyone else looking to further help the movement can easily find petitions to sign online through websites such as http://standwithstandingrock.net/. Currently the project and controversy shows no chance of disappearing soon, so expect to see plenty of updates as the Dakota Access Pipeline continues to unfold in the next coming months.

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Wednesday Night Concert Series: The Katie Gray w/ Cat Valley

BY JOSH HUGHES

Enjoy the quirky musical stylings of these local artists

Like cats and minimal folk music? Ever thought about the possibilities in combining the two? If so, the upcoming Underground Coffeehouse performance with The Katie Gray and Cat Valley could be your ideal cup of tea.

This upcoming Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Coffeehouse, both artists will be performing acoustic sets for a mellow and intimate night of short singer/songwriter songs. Hailing from Bellingham, both The Katie Gray and Cat Valley write simple-on-paper guitar songs with quirky, self-aware lyricism that spans from losing a cat named Otis to raising hell at a cat caller. Cats truly do seem to be everywhere.

The Katie Gray, not to be confused with other PNW folk artist Katie Gray (no the), currently has a four person lineup, and is performing material from the recent album Songs About Stuff. Most of the songs on that record blissfully drift into Sunday afternoon territory with their quiet sensibilities and subdued instrumentation. All the same, her full band, which includes bass, guitar, and drums, will add some more dimension to the tracks when performed live. The negative space between Gray’s voice and her guitar ABOVE and BELOW: The Katie Gray performs at playing leaves perfect room for a full on Photos by Conor O’Keefe band to work with the arrangements.

Songs like “Welcome To The InterBellingham,” and that alone dewebs” are quite tongue in cheek, delivered with a scribes Cat Valley more aptly than borderline musical theater performance. The aforeany article ever could. mentioned “An Ode To Otis” feels more musically The EP starts with a self-titled and vocally restrained, putting the focus on her song that includes a verse of sung lyrics instead. Guest vocalists, which include Daniel “meows,” followed by a highlight Lombard and bassist Troy Bohman only add to the of the record “I Will Mace You” charisma, adding a lower register to Gray’s peppy that gives a gut punch rebuttal to voice. However, she’s certainly commanding on all misogynistic, creepy guys. Later her songs, coming across with a strong musical peron, “Consent” talks about just sonality and wittiness that’s refreshing and unique to what you’d expect, and the release hear. closes with an eloquent minute Also coming from Bellingham, Cat Valley take and a half ballad called “Littersimilar cues from The Katie Gray in their quirky box.” brand of folk music. A duo consisting of Abby Hegge Hegge and Finn have good and Whitney Finn, their Litterbox EP delivers exactchemistry as a songwriting duo, and the delicate arly what you’d expect: a series of vaguely cat-related rangements border on Modest Mouse levels of spacsongs. The tags on their Bandcamp page reads as ey guitar sections in certain spots. Another entirely follows: “folk babes cats feminism folk rock guitars acoustic record, expect a mellow vibe from their set

a harvest festival in Everson earlier this fall.

at the Underground.

With the quarter steaming along, there’s only so many more Coffeehouse performances, so be sure to check out The Katie Gray and Cat Valley this coming Wednesday.

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Trans Week of Remembrance honors and celebrates trans folks

BY JOSH HUGHES This coming week, the Queer Resource Center (QRC) will host three events for Trans Week of Remembrance on campus.

These events, held on November 14, 15 and 18, are meant to provide inclusive spaces for LGBTQ individuals, with a particular focus on transgender (trans) issues and individuals. Hosts and attendees of the events will have a space and time to honor and celebrate trans folks.

Starting off on Monday at 6 p.m. in VU 462 A and B are Trans and Cis Spaces. For cisgender identifying individuals, there will be a discussion in room A on advocacy and how to support the trans community as an ally without being overwhelming or inadvertently harmful.

In room B, for those who identify as transgender, there will be arts and crafts in a space that is meant to be comforting and supportive towards one another.

QRC Coordinator Josephene Butcher said that no one will be policing people and controlling which space they choose at the event. Instead, everyone will be encouraged to find the space which is most appropriate for their identity.

“They are preferred spaces,” Butcher said. “Whatever space an individual feels most comfortable in, that individual will be welcome in that space. One must be aware however, about the other people in that space and whether or not this will be an intrusion on their space.”

On Tuesday, there will be a night to celebrate trans womxn of color (WOC) in VU 465 at 6 p.m. This event is intended to be an evening of respect and remembrance towards those in the community who have passed away. With the Womxn’s Center taking lead on this event, there will be pictures of trans WOC and candles that students can light and pay respect. In addition, there will be counseling available if students feel the need to talk to anyone. It is to be a night of celebration as well as a time to recognize the misunderstanding and oppression that has long existed against trans WOC. Finally, on Friday at 6 p.m. in VU 462, the week of events culminates in an event called Remember The Dead, Celebrate The Living, which serves as a fitting conclusion to the week preceding it.

“Throughout Trans Week of Remembrance, we (will be) discussing differences and remembering those who have met an early end because of their identity,” says Butcher. “We cannot forget however, that there is so much to celebrate in the beauty that is gender identity.”

This event will start with a moment of silence for individuals to pay respect to those who have lost their lives and for every trans person experiencing struggle and trauma everyday. It will conclude with nothing less than music and pizza, inviting us all to remember and appreciate the beauty of identity and the love and power of community.

George Washington University professor Danny Hayes addresses election media coverage at civic education seminar

BY ERASMUS BAXTER

T

he role that the media has played in the 2016 presidential election has been something for the history books. Many have said that media, particularly cable television, is responsible for everything from political polarization to the rise of Donald Trump.

This is one of the pressing issues that will be discussed in a series of lectures and panels November 14 - 16 at the 2016 Ralph Munroe Seminar for Civic Education.

Vernon Johnson is the director of the Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education and a political science professor at Western. He says that for the first time the seminar will feature a keynote speaker as well as panel discussions.

“We thought we’d try and take another step up this year,” he said.

George Washington University Associate Professor Danny Hayes will be the keynote speaker. He will talk about the role of the media in this year’s presidential election campaign. Hayes is a leading authority on media and politics, according to Johnson.

“Some of his work is co-authored with women scholars and has to do with how the media portrays women in politics,” Johnson said. “With Clinton on the ticket I’m hoping he’ll have some interesting things to say about that after the election.”

Hayes will speak at 7 p.m. at the Mount Baker Theatre’s Harold and Ilene Walton Theatre for around 45 minutes and will take questions afterwards.

Choosing the Mount Baker Theatre for the talk was an intentional move to try and get more community engagement, according to Johnson.

“Part of the institute’s mission of civic education starts with engaging students in a way that encourages them

to be active citizens when they leave the university,” he said. “[It is] also to provide programing that informs the larger community, civic or civil society.”

While the keynote is at the Mount Baker Theatre, all the panels will be on campus in the Old Main Theatre.

“Hopefully, with the keynote being Monday night and the panels the next two days, it’ll be a bit of a teaser to get people up on the campus,” he said.

On November 15, there will be a panel entitled “Money in Politics and Campaign Finance” from 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and one called “Media, Elections and Public Perception” from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

On November 16, there will be one on the homelessness crisis from 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and another on mass incarceration from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

“We will have policy makers and journalists, many of the panels will have a Western professor or two,” Johnson said.

The panel on the homelessness crisis will focus on Bellingham and will include a member of the Opportunity Council, a local nonprofit that combats homelessness.

The mass incarceration panel features someone who some may not expect to speak out on the topic, a republican state senator. Their inclusion demonstrates how mass incarceration is becoming a bipartisan issue due to the massive costs involved, Johnson said.

This will be the fourth year the institute has put on the seminar. The institute is also starting a week-long summer program to educate K-12 teachers about the history of civil rights struggles in the area. It will be available to Western students as a 400-level summer quarter class.

11.14.2016 • 7

Computer science professor merges technology, biology and humanity

BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK

A

fter not having used a computer until 1995, Dr. Filip Jagodzinski, an associate professor in the Computer Science department, has proudly provided students with an abundance of facets for learning. Having conceived numerous research proposals, and having such an academic background, this professor has involved many students in collaborations for high-level learning experiences.

At the very least a triglot, Dr. Jagodzinski was born in Poland and grew up in a Polish-speaking household. After living in Poland for a few years, his family transitioned to Germany where he learned to speak German. Finally, he immigrated to the United States in the second grade.

Jagodzinski spent his adolescence here in the U.S. and he became an avid runner.

He participated in track and competed up to the university level. Jagodzinski attended Columbia College in New York City for his undergraduate degree in biomedical

engineering imaging. His degree mixes biochemistry and computer science and these studies have been his focus since graduating. Originally, Jagodzinski pursued medical school.

“I took every physics course, every biology course, every chemistry course,” he said. “I went through a course of fortuitous things.”

After studying all of these subjects, finally he was required to fulfill the computer science component. Studying computer science marked a change in his course path, and it led him to combine all of these fields. Through computer science, Jagodzinski merged the disciplines with which he was already familiar. He believes computer science is a very cross-disciplinary topic. His collegiate studies have continued into his work as a professor.

“My focus and research is trying to understand the mutation of proteins,” he said. “[I was] trying to come up with

computational methods of measuring the effect of a protein mutation.”

In one of his most recent publications, “Assessing How Multiple Mutations Affect Protein Stability Using Rigid Cluster Size Distributions,” the majority of the contributors were students; he takes pride in this fact.

Professors at the university are hired for multiple purposes aside from teaching. They are expected to become part of the university community, improve scholarship, perform administrative tasks and conduct research. Fulfilling his role, Jagodzinski is communicating across departments in order to conduct research.

He has started work with two chemistry professors to carry out his work.

“You need to want to do it, because it’s hard work,” Jagodzinski said. “There is a high failure rate.”

Jagodzinski makes this software for anyone. His teaching style is like his

sharing of programs: open. It’s obvious that Jagodzinski cares for his classes and students.

Jagodzinski also conducted tech-resume workshops for computer science students to receive advice.

This is a teacher who thinks about his students. He pointed to a well-used whiteboard in his office and began talking about a student’s contributions and ideas about their shared research with respect.

He has seemingly programmed positivity and empathy into his personality. He knows the difference between humans and computers and he made a remark that anyone can make mistakes.

Currently Dr. Filip Jagodzinski teachers two sections of Computer Science (CSCI) 141 and multiple sections of a research experience course. Next quarter he will teach CSCI 322, Principles of Concurrent Programming, as well as more sections of research.

Got game? Western Game Design Club hosts event

BY ERASMUS BAXTER You have 36 hours to create a video game from scratch. Quick, what do you come up with? That is the premise of the Game Jam held by Western’s Game Design Club.

This quarter’s Jam will take place from November 19 at 10 a.m. to November 20 at 10 p.m. This will be the fourth Jam the club has held. Last year they held one Game Jam each quarter and plan to do so again this year.

In past years, working on teams of one to four people, students have made games that ranged from puzzle platformers to three-way western stand-off simulators. Each team is assigned a theme from five that the club decides upon ahead of time.

Game Design Club Vice President Wyatt Chapman said that one of the best parts of the whole event is seeing what themes people decide on.

“It means the themes we’re using are picked by the people using them,” he said. “At least one or two are the ones you voted for in the first place.”

In past years, the themes have included “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature,” and “Holy Shoot! It’s real flippin’ huge and it’s coming straight for us.”

One game that won a past jam was based on the theme “sightless,” Chapman said.

“All you can see is a bunch of lines,” he said.

“When an enemy would make a step the waves would undulate. You’re seeing sound waves.”

The event is free and open to all people, including non-students. While it is helpful to have experience with game design and computer programming, it is not necessary. Teams also need people to make music and create art.

“Games require a little bit from everyone,” Chapman said.

One of things that makes game design so inclusive and accessible is that it builds on participants’ unique strengths. At a past Jam, one team had a creative writing major so they made a game that was technologically simple but had great story and art. Technically, the games don’t even have to be computerized, a person could make a board game if they wanted to.

The club has worked with Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS) to get game creation software installed on the computers they use so

anybody can use it.

A team of freshmen who had never made a game before taught themselves how to use a game engine over the course of a weekend. Chapman said that learning is part of the experience. To foster this, there is no prize for the makers of the winning game. The real prize is what you create.

“I want people to help each other,” Chapman said. “If I create a competitive edge I don’t want it to stress people out and have them not help each other.”

They spend the last hour of the Jam showing off their different games. The glitches can be the best part of the game, Chapman said.

“Not everyone made a complete thing, but everybody made something,” he said.

Chapman estimates that around 25 people will attend this Jam. “Every time, they draw a nice crowd, so we’re gonna keep doing them.”

Check out previous Game Jam projects and even download the games at https://itch.io/jam/wwugame-jam-s16.

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Students protest in Red Square after election results Story and photos by Alexandria Baker // AS Review On November 8, 2016, the country elected the next president of the United States of America--Republican candidate Donald Trump.

It was a contentious campaign from both sides, with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton facing off against Trump at every opportunity. Both candidates fought hard, and this may have been the closest election in living memory.

In an unexpected turn of events, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College, leaving Donald Trump as the President-elect. In 2000, the same thing happened when Al Gore won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College to George W. Bush.

For many people, this was a

hard thing to accept. Washington state is a known Democratic stronghold, and there seem to be few Bellingham residents who were satisfied with the outcome.

To underscore this, on November 9, the day after the election, students gathered in Western’s Red Square to protest Trump’s victory.

The protesters held signs reading “Not my president” and “I will not go quietly back to the 1950s” among others.

The protesters offered pens and paper to anyone who wished to write down their thoughts and participate in the protest.

The group struck a chord with the student population, as the rally lasted for several hours, and only grew as time went on. The protest remained non-violent, giving students a safe way to express their dissent.

One participant held a sign simply offering “Free Hugs” to anyone who felt the need.

According to a King 5 article, a rally of several thousand people moved through Seattle to protest the election results on Wednesday night.

The article also said that there were protests nationwide, including Portland, Oregon, Oakland, California and Austin, Texas.

The protests do make one thing clear; they indicate that people want to take charge of politics, and they give a sense that people everywhere are invested fighting for what they believe is right.

Read the full King 5 article on the Seattle rally at www.king5.com/ news/politics.