Inside this Issue
AS Board of Directors Inauguration Ceremony, PAGE 4 Oh Sheep! It’s a Petting Zoo?! PAGE 7 Welcome to the Tea Party, PAGES 8-9
Vol. 31 #30 05.23.16
Vol. 30 # #.#.#
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The Western Hmong Student Association’s Mad Hatter Tea Party was held on Tuesday, 5/17. For more photos turn to page 8. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review
© 2015. 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.
The Western Hmong Student Association threw an elaborate tea party to raise money for their club. For more photos, turn to page ˆ8. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review
We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork or anything else physically printable. Email submissions to as.review@wwu.edu. We welcome letters to the editor. Please limit your letter to 300 words, include your name, phone number and year in school, if you’re a student. Send them to as.review@wwu.edu. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar.
Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers
Marina Price Alexandra Bartick Trevor Grimm Ian Sanquist Becky Campbell Morgan Annable Chris Beswetherick Will McCoy
Adviser Jeff Bates
Danza Azteca performed at Culture Shock. To see more photos of the event turn to the back page. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review
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EVENTS Salsa and Bachata Dance Club weekly meeting Monday 5/23 // 8 - 10 p.m. // VU MPR // Free Every Monday join the Salsa and Bachata Dance club for some dancing and fun. There will be an hour lesson in either L.A. Salsa or in Bachata, followed by an hour long social.
NAMI on Campus meeting Monday, 5/23 // 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. // AW 205 // Free Weekly meeting for NAMI on Campus.
Outdoor movie night: Space Jam Tuesday, 5/24 // 8 - 11:45 p.m. // Communications Lawn // Free Join ASP for their summer outdoor film showing. Activities start at 8 p.m. and the movie starts at 9:30 p.m.
AS Board Inauguration Tuesday, 5/24 // 7 - 8 p.m. // VU MPR // Free This event will celebrate the achievements of the current AS Board of Directors while welcoming in the new AS Board of Directors. Get to know your incoming president and vice president with fun games. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Open Mic Night Tuesday, 5/24 // 7 - 9 p.m. //
Underground Coffeehouse // Free Sign ups for a 5 minute slot start at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
Oh Sheep! A Petting Zoo?!
Top Ten: May 16- 22 1
Junk M83
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Clay EP Manatee Commune
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99cents Santigold
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Are You Serious Andrew Bird
AS Clubs Awards Ceremony
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Please Plush
Wednesday, 5/25 // 4 - 6 p.m. // Old Main Lawn // Free
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Iii Miike Snow
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The Heartland Rabbit Wilde
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Secrets Deep Sea Diver
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Many Moons Martin Courtney
Wednesday, 5/25 // 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. // Communications Lawn // Free The Petting Zoo returns to campus. Stop by the Communications Lawn all day (except for when the animals take a break from 1 - 2 p.m.).
Join the Club Hub for a celebration of the end of the year and club accomplishments. There will be end of the year club photos, presentation of club awards, and a winner of the first AS Club Cup. There will also be light refreshments and a social. Formal clothing is highly encouraged.
Comedy Open Mic Night Thursday, 5/26 // 7 - 9 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free Sign ups start at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.
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You Know Who You Are Nada Suft 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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Welcome in the new AS Board of Directors at the second annual AS Board of Directors Inauguration Ceremony BY WILL MCCOY The second annual AS Board of Directors inauguration will be held on May 24, and all students and community members are welcome to this event. Attendees will be given the chance to watch the crossing over as well as get to know the new board members. “Each board member represents a different aspect of our university, Kelly Mason, AS Communication Director, said. “And to have students in those positions with those responsibilities is important because they act as a bridge between the student body and our administration.” This event will be split in two parts, the first being the formal inauguration, and the second filled with fun, food and a chance to get to know the new board members. The first half of the event is when the actual inauguration of the new board will take place. After a quick introduction of the inauguration, a speaker from the university admissions will speak about the importance of shared governance on campus and the importance of student leadership. The previous board of directors will then be given the stage in order to speak and give thanks. Most of the board will offer their gratitude to certain members of university administration or other faculty members that have helped them within the past year. Once the past board members have expressed their thanks toward those who aided them through the year, it will finally be time for the new board of directors to be inaugurated. After all seven members repeat their oaths, each will receive a title-specific plaque to commemorate this moment. The second half of the event is less formal. It will start off with a game in order for everyone to get to know the new board directors. The game will be the classic “two truths and a lie”, where participants have to guess which fact is not true
AS Publicity Center
about each member. Participants in this game will be entered into a raffle, where four $50 Amazon gift cards will be awarded randomly. After the game and raffle, attendees will have a chance to meet the new members of the board and talk to them more personally. It is important for each board member to meet as many students as possible so they understand the common needs of the student body. “The board of directors is here for students, and if they do not have a connection with the people they represent, how are they going to do their jobs?” Mason said. “They are on the side of the student body, and their main role is to advocate for everyone attending Western.” Transparency has been a common theme through each of the new board members platforms. This is a big concept for each member to discuss, Mason said. It allows the students to trust the plans each director has in store for the next year. Mason thinks that the past board of directors has grown a lot since last year due to all the complex situations, and she is excited to watch the new board of directors do the same. “I am sure that the new board will be able to take on the old responsibilities of the past board,” Mason said. “But I know that each member has their own ideas and fresh perspective that they are excited to try and implement.” The idea to have an official ceremony came about before the previous board of directors were officially sworn in. Prior to the first inauguration event, there was nothing to signify the official crossing over of the new board of directors. “We wanted to celebrate the achievements and hard work of the past board, but also officially swear in the new board,” Mason said. Now on its second year, the board of directors inaugural event will be held annually as an official ceremony for the board of directors.
Staying active with Morgan Annable:
Hiking the Lake Whatcom Trail
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or a nearby hike that is accessible to hikers of all abilities, look no further than the Lake Whatcom Trail. The trailhead is located on Northshore Road, which is a beautiful drive that borders the lake along the way. There is no bus route that goes out to the north side of the lake, so for those Western students who do not have a car, try to find a friend with whom to carpool, or take an invigorating bike ride out to the trailhead as a warmup for your hike. Also, bikes are permitted on the trail itself. For a heartier workout, try jogging the trail. The trail is wide and paved with gravel, making it more accessible than many hiking trails in the area. It is a total of 6.2 miles roundtrip, but it is not a loop, and users of the trail can turn back whenever they please. Since the trail is shared by hikers, bikers, and runners, as well as children and dogs, there are often many people on the trail at once, especially on weekends. However, the wideness of the trail prevents it from feeling too crowded. Along the trail there are many spots to stop and skip rocks, have a picnic on the shore, or even take a swim. Within the first half-mile of the hike there is an interpretive kiosk with information about the lake, which serves both as a recreational area and Bellingham’s watershed. Another half-mile in there is a waterfall, which is the subject of many hikers’ photos. This time of year, hikers may want to bring bug spray with them to ward off the mosquitos and other bugs.
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Western’s opera department to present Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK
Western’s masterful Opera department has adapted Mozart’s work “The Magic Flute” in such a way where director Amber Sudduth Bone, who also directed their Cosi Fan Tutte performance, teamed up with an alumni to rewrite the libretto, or the text of the Opera, in English for their performance. The studio will tour this performance throughout the area at many elementary schools, but will first offer a free preview to Western’s campus on Thursday may 26 in room 016 of the Performing Arts Center. Having recently completed another Mozart Opera, “Cosi Fan Tutte,” the actors and production team have practiced with his style and can confidently re-interpret it. In fact, the department will maintain their credibility in this performance. “The Magic Flute,” which Mozart set in a mythical land directs Prince Tamino through a quest to rescue the lost daughter of the Queen, guided by a magic flute, as well as three spirits. Originally in German, Bone and her alumni partner, Nathaniel Voth translated the opera’s text to suit an English-speaking audience. However, the target audience for this performance is primarily elementary
students. Meaning, it needs to be understood by that age group. For their tour, the studio will perform the opera seven times publicly, each in a different location. At the beginning of their tour, they are offering a free performance to Western’s campus on May 26. After that performance, they will perform at various Whatcom County Libraries, the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth, Village books and the Bellingham Public Libraries in Fairhaven and their central branch. Dispersed throughout their tour, the studio is also showing at five different elementary schools to share with the youth about the studio. This play is also tailored for an elementary audience, so the studio would be remiss to not perform for children. There are many themes involved with growing up, for example the daughter of the Queen, Pamina, played by both Rebecca Fitzgerald and Lauren Zinke, is taken from her family and must cope with being separate from her family -- a valuable lesson to learn before adulthood. For more information, visit https://cfpa. wwu.edu/event/magic-flute
Public Performances • Western Washington University PAC 16: Thursday, June 26, 7 p.m. • Whatcom County Libraries: Saturday, May 28 • Lynden 10:30 a.m. • Deming 2:30 p.m. • Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY): Saturday, May 28, 7 p.m. • Village Books: Thursday, June 2, 2 p.m. • Bellingham Public Libraries: Saturday, June 4 • Bellingham 10:30 a.m. • Fairhaven 1 p.m.
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Did You Know? WESTERN
Interesting facts about WWU
BY WILL MCCOY
What aspect of Western do you think students are most desensitized to? Could it be the all the rain storms we have throughout most of fall and winter quarter, or all the black squirrels and deer we see each week? The answer in my opinion is all the bricks we have on campus, and the constant removal and replacement of them. If you haven’t noticed yet, most of Western’s campus walkways are paved with bricks. Have you ever wondered why? The answer is pretty simple; it is because of the foundation that our campus was built on. In the late 1800’s, local entrepreneurs were looking for a place to build the new Whatcom Normal School, currently Westerns Old Main building. They thought that the top of Sehome Hill would be a perfect spot, and started building Old Main by 1895. Unbeknownst to the entrepreneurs, the spot they chose to build their new school was a peat bog. A peat bog is a type of wetland where plant material decomposes due to the water at ground surface being acidic. These types of bogs are filled with uncondensed dead plant life that will cause the ground level to rise and lower randomly. Bricks were used all over campus to counteract the random movements of the peat bog. These bricks act almost as a net, contouring to the concaves of the peat bog. Due to the constant change in brick levels, constant repair and replacement is needed, and this is why there is always one section of bricks under construction throughout the year. Next time you walk through campus, take a look at all the bricks and you will notice that there are very few area that are level.
Reel World Film Series presents: Sweet Dreams Documentary follows Rwandan women’s drumming troupe BY BECKY CAMPBELL On Wednesday, May 25, the Institute for Global Engagement at Western will be hosting their last film in the 20152016 Reel World Film Series with the 2012 documentary film, Sweet Dreams about the Rwandan women's drumming troupe Ingoma Nshya which was founded with women from both sides of 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Hosted in the Viking Union, Room 552 at 5:30 p.m., this film will be shown to any one in the community and at Western that would like to attend. Other films shown this quarter were Live from UB and Vessel. This documentary was co-directed by siblings Rob Fruchtman and Lisa Fruchtman (who has been involved in such films as My Best Friend's Wedding, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now) after learning about the drumming troupe in 2009. Any documentary that involves genocide and the abuse of women and children is always a hard thing to swallow and many people avoid the darker subjects of these films because of the
violent nature of the factual content. That being said, this documentary gives hope to those affected by the war crimes and death in the form of music and ice cream, something one of the founders Odile Gakrie Katese (known as Kiki) approached Jennie and Alexis, founders of the ice cream company Inzozi Naziza (“Sweet Dreams”) and explained that while economic and conventional development was vital to Rwanda's physical continuation, that there needed to be something involved to boost the spirit of the Rwandan people. The start of the film starts out with joyous singing and drumming by Rwandan women showing that they are the ones who can bring about this change and joy back to their country and their people. After the success of the all-female drumming troupe, the idea of Rwanda's first ever local ice cream shop was founded with the help of Blue Marble Dreams, a non-profit venture of Blue Marble Ice Cream company, whose motto is to use ice cream to promote happiness and economic growth.
The documentary is inspiring and lends hope to the hopeless and those that think nothing can be done to save or change countries torn apart by genocide. It is in the same vein as countries that have now started to quantify their nations happiness (as noted by Eric Weiner in his book 'The Geography of Bliss'). These women are working to show that connection and empathy change each other. The Inzozi Nziza ice cream shop is located on the main road in Butare, Rwanda, south of the town center and near the National University, gathering customers and fans from all walks of life. Even with this hope and happiness, it is hard to ignore the glaring facts from the genocide that they present. Nearly one million people died in the Rwandan genocide as the Hutus turned against the Tutsis. This sobering fact will make this documentary stay with you far beyond any ice cream treat or simple movie and I would recommend it to anyone trying to understand the world about them in more positive light.
For more information about the Institute for Global Engagement on Western's campus visit their website at http://international.wwu.edu/. This event is completely free of charge and will be one of the last official events this quarter for the Institute along with their World Issues Forum on Wednesday, June 1 entitled, “Beyond Borders, Walls and Marginalities: Solidarity Forever” being shown in the Fine Art Auditorium from Noon to 1:20 p.m.
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Oh Sheep! It’s a Petting Zoo?!
BY MORGAN ANNABLE PHOTOS BY TREVOR GRIMM
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SP Special Events is bringing a petting zoo to campus on May 25 from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 - 4:30 p.m. At Oh Sheep! A Petting Zoo!? students will have a chance to mingle with sheep, pygmy goats and other animals on the Communications Lawn. Animal Encounters, who brought animals for the petting zoo last year, will again provide animals for Western’s one-day zoo. For their “Zoo for You” events, Animal Encounters brings a portable pen featuring farm animals as well as more exotic species. Many of their animals are
rescue animals that have come from owners who kept them in less than optimal conditions. A crowd favorite last year were the wallabies. In addition to wallabies, Animal Encounters has two kinds of goats, hedgehogs, three kinds of sheep, sugar gliders, cavies, chinchillas, rabbits and various other mammals, reptiles, birds and arthropods. They reserve the right to decide which animals they will bring on the day of the event. In the case that an animal does not seem up for the travel and the socialization necessary, they will decide to leave that animal at home.
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Welcome to the Tea Party BY BECKY CAMPBELL PHOTOS BY TREVOR GRIMM
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uring a typical Tuesday on campus, the Western Hmong Student Association (WHSA) excitedly held their quarter fundraiser, the Mad Hatter Tea Party on May 18 in the Viking Union. Starting out on the sixth floor with posters of the white rabbit from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, curious students
and invitees made their way down to room 464 where the WHSA had decorated the room to delight any attendee. The association had filled the room with bright decorations from fresh flower centerpieces to wait staff ready to take any participants order to delightful trays of decadent deserts. The event was by cash donation only and was open to all public,
including the staff, faculty and students on Western’s campus from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Club Historian Michaela Vue said that this was an idea floated by the club president after most of the members thought that a regular bake sale was not something they wanted to do this quarter. After a vote, the club decided that a themed tea party would be the best way to raise money for the club
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that has been with the Ethnic Student Center for over two years. “It is a fun way to hang out with your friends during the day and try something new,” she said, “all donations go to benefit the club.” Some of the items on the menu including red velvet cake, caramel apples, crab cakes, rice Krispies and tea in either hot or iced form. Attendees even got the chance to be silly in the photo booth provided by the club with different props in the theme of Alice in Wonderland. The Western Hmong Student Association (WHSA) was founded in 2013 by Hmong students enrolled at Western. The purpose of the club is to bridge both WWU and WHSA together to create a feeling of closeness by spreading awareness and educating the community about Hmong culture, as well as promoting and supporting higher education in the Hmong community. For more information about the club, you can contact them at westernhsa@gmail.com. Other events of the WHSA in the past have included Easter egg hunts, bowling nights and educational lecture nights that feature Hmong culture. For more information about the Western Hmong Student Association, visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/wwuwhsa.
ASP Films presents: Space Jam BY WILL MCCOY
One of the biggest seasonal events that the AS hosts is happening this week. The Outdoor movie is a popular event amongst students, and the AS has a couple of surprises that are getting people excited. “The outdoor movie event is one of the only events that bring all of campus together,” Kelly Mason, AS Communications Director, said. “Usually a department or club hosts an event and that event only interest certain groups, but with a giant movie screening you can get the whole campus involved.” It was not hard for Nate Sawtell, AS Film Director, to choose a film for this year’s outdoor movie event. When he brought up the title Space Jam, every director in AS Productions backed his decision. “I chose Space Jam because it’s a completely nostalgic film for our generation,” Sawtell said. Whenever I bring it up, people become excited and start singing one of the songs. I also think that the cast is amazing, from all of the 90’s basketball player cameos to Bill Murray and Wayne Knight.” Mason agrees with Sawtell, saying that Space Jam was a great choice for this year’s movie. “I was pleasantly surprised that the movie this year was Space Jam. Typically in the past, the AS chooses a big blockbuster movie from the past year. To choose a throwback movie was a great idea because a lot of current students grew up with Space Jam, it brings back the nostalgia of the 90’s.” Prior to the film being shown, students can pick up some food from several different vendors that will also be attending the event. Gusto’s Fire Pizza and Kettle Korn will have food available, plus other vendors as well. This is not the first time food vendors have been at the outdoor movie event. Last year was the first year,
and AS had some trouble getting them to show up on time. This year, the AS scheduled the vendors well in advance so nothing will go wrong, Sawtell said. A variety of clubs and local businesses will have tables set up for students to walk around and talk to, learning more about the specific organization. The AS will also provide different types of games for students to stay entertained with. The AS will be providing something special for students this year: VIP seating. This year is the first time that the AS is providing VIP seating for students attending the outdoor movie. VIP seating includes a red couch for you and three friends, a cooler full of refreshments and snacks as well as a space blanket for all four of you to stay warm with. “This was a really smart idea,” Mason said. “The AS was able to promote two really awesome on- campus events, as well as give back to the student body in a creative way.” Students entered to win the VIP seating by saying they were attending Something Wonderful, an acrobatics and circus show that was a part of Back 2 Bellingham, via their Facebook page. If you bought tickets to Something Wonderful, your name was entered a second time into the VIP seating contest. The winner was chosen and announced May 12, via the outdoor movie Facebook page. The AS has suggested students bring warm clothes, blankets and chairs or something to sit on during the event. The night can get cold and sitting on grass for a couple hours can get uncomfortable, Sawtell said. Last fall, the outdoor movie event had almost 2,500 people in attendance. There might be less students attending this event because everyone has more school work, but Sawtell thinks that it will be well attended.
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KAPOW winners to install 3.8 mile hopscotch downtown
BY BECKY CAMPBELL
In the seventh annual KAPOW competition, winners were announced in several different categories including Superhero Award, Mayor’s Choice and People’s Choice sponsored by the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, Sustainable Connections and the city of Bellingham. Every year since 2009, this downtown Bellingham sustainability competition have been launched to further improve the cities downtown locations. This years People Choice awards was held at Mt. Baker Theatre on Thursday, April 26 from 6 - 9 p.m., and included eight different creative projects that would attract people to downtown. Some of these ideas included impromptu dance parties, art installations, and a 3.8-mile hopscotch course. The KAPOW competition was created to generate “tactical urbanism” ideas for the future development of downtown Bellingham and are supposed to reflect the cities unique community identity, promote people’s health, happiness and well-being, as well as activating inactive space and proving amenities to citizens and visitors alike. Partners included the City of Bellingham, Allied Arts, Whatcom County Association of Realtors, Downtown Bellingham Partnership
and the Northwest American Institute of Architects. Following the presentation style of PechaKucha, 20 slides were shown for 20 seconds each keeping each presentation concise, fast-paced and allowing multiple speakers and presenters to showcase their proposals. This was the second annual event which started out with last years Commercial Street Night Market that was one of 2015’s winning ideas. This year, eight groups made up of 25 different applicants were entered. Each year, the contest will focus on a different area of downtown Bellingham to help improve. This year focused on State Street. The winner of this years mayor’s award was presented by Jessica Mucha and Ben Belcher and is intended to be a one-day 3.8-mile hopscotch fundraiser that would start on State Street and pass through downtown. This is estimated to cost about $15,000, and funded by the city of Bellingham according the Mayor Kelli Linville. Volunteers for the Bellinghamhopscotch 3.8 would mark the course with duct tape a week in advance of the event and these markers would then stay on the ground for months afters in order to promote family-friendly activities in downtown Bellingham. Inter-
ested sponsors for participants would donate a certain dollar amount per square or mile that would then in turn be invested in a local charity. Winners of the people’s choice award came to Uuntzbrella project managers, Izzy Czerveniak and Devon Moore for their community dance-floor proposal. With Uuntzbrella, users would be allowed to plug in their own music into a coin-operated stereo system on a dance floor beneath a giant oversized umbrella. The cost for this project is estimated to be about $21,000. The last award selection of the evening went to the State of the Solar System by Deborah Todd and students from Whatcom Middle School, winning the nights superhero award. This proposal consistent of a distance-scaled model of the solar system along state street that would intersect with Wharf and North Forest streets and Boulevard. Local artists will be commissioned to create plaques for each planet installation and is estimated to cost around $4,000 in total. Other projects proposed included Allery District Bike Tower, Artquake, El-Luminate — Dreams & Fairy Dust, Kapower of Play, and the State Street Spigot.
Fairhaven Festival and Ski to Sea finale on May 29 BY MORGAN ANNABLE
The 43rd annual Ski to Sea race is on May 29 this year. The race concludes at Marine Park with the kayaking leg of the race, and the finish of the race is celebrated with music, food and merriment at the Fairhaven Green. The Fairhaven Festival begins at 10 a.m. on May 29. In addition to the finish line of Ski to Sea, there will be two stages, each featuring hours of free live music. The stage at 11th Street and McKenzie Avenue will have a flag-raising ceremony and playing of the national anthem at 11:30 a.m. The ceremony will be followed by Tom Sandbloom at noon, SpaceBand at 2:15 p.m., and Blind Fate at 4:30 p.m. All three groups are comprised of local Bellingham musicians. Tom Sandblom plays danceable, energetic songs, including original songs and covers ranging from Maroon 5 to the Grateful Dead. SpaceBand performs hits from the 90s as well as today’s chart-toppers. They mostly focus on R&B and hip hop, includ-
ing hits from Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, have performed as the opening act on the Justin Timberlake and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Green Stage for the past three years at the Blindfate will take the audience back in Fairhaven Festival. time after SpaceBand, performing covers of 80s rock hits. They play upbeat tunes that are prime for dancing, featuring artists such as Journey, AC/DC, Queen and the Rolling Stones. The Green Stage, located on the Village Green at 10th Street and Mill Avenue, will Last year’s Fairhaven Festival parade. Photo by Trevor feature the Bellingham Silk Road Grimm // AS Review Dancers at noon and more live entertainment throughout In addition to the live entertainment on the day, to be decided. The Silk Road the two stages, the Fairhaven Festival will Dancers, led by Professor Jianna Zhang, offer face painting, pony rides and more
than one hundred food and craft vendors. Admission to the event is free, but remember to bring cash for the various vendors. For the 21 and older crowd, there will be a historic beer garden with beer, wine and cider. The beer garden will be adjacent to the Green Stage and will have no cover charge. Around 2 p.m., the racers will be nearing the finish line. Spectators can congregate at Marine Park to watch the kayakers paddle across the bay from Squalicum Harbor and then disembark and run to the finish line bell. The Historic Fairhaven Association has partnered with Whatcom Transit Authority to offer additional bus service so that festival goers do not have to worry about parking. The 14 bus route will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. and can be boarded at the C-Lot on campus every 15 to 30 minutes. The 401 route, which begins at the downtown bus station, will run from 7:40 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. every 30 minutes.
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EndFair 2016 showcased 12 AS campus climate talk faciliates hours of local music strong community dialogue BY WILL MCCOY
Fairhavens end of the year music festival, EndFair, provided students with 12 hours of music and performances from local acts on May 12, and was able to rise over $600 for a local charity. EndFair is held in Fairhaven’s courtyard, where students were entertained by music and the Dead Parrots Society, as well as a variety of activities. “I think EndFair is a really important tradition within Fairhaven,” Megan Stephens, EndFair coordinator, said. “It brings a lot of the community together, even students outside of Fairhaven, and is a great way to relax, have fun, and celebrate the year we’ve had. It’s also a great to raise money to support a great cause. I hope to see this tradition continue for many years to come.” Other activities offered at EndFair this year were art displays in the Fairhaven lounge, a photo booth, craft tables and several different raffles. One of the most popular raffles this year was “pie your RA”, where students could place donations into different buckets with all of the Fairhaven RA’s faces on them. The $600 collected by EndFair attendees went to Days for Girls, a nonprofit which provides sexual education and feminine hygiene products to girls and women in areas that lack the access, Stephens said. “EndFair is a great opportunity for local artists to show the world their music or act,” Dan Harmen, Western alumni of 2005, said. “It has the same spirit as Western; it likes to promote the creativity of people in the community.” This year, all the bands that performed on stage were from Bellingham or Seattle, Stephens said. The Coordinators of EndFair did not need much time to decide which bands to choose to perform due to the large amount of suggestions from the community. “I was very happy about the amount of money we raised, and the charity we chose to support. Also, all of the acts were spectacular,” Stephens said. “Every coordinator is involved with the local music scene, so it was rewarding having the chance to promote some of Bellingham’s local acts.” The arts and crafts tables were also well coordinated, Stephens said. Tie dying, face painting and record painting were popular activities all day. Although this was Stephen’s first experiences as a coordinator for EndFair, she felt as if it went well regardless of the difficulties. The biggest problem the coordinators faced was money constraints. They had to do an efficient job of budgeting so that they could host this year’s EndFair, as well as ensure next year’s event. This was EndFair’s 21st anniversary. The festival changes each year, Stephens said. There are always different activities and art installations, and the EndFair coordinators always try and pick a diverse group of acts to perform on stage. “I always try to come back to EndFair and see what has changed from the past year,” Harmen said. “There is always something different and that is exciting.” Harmen first attended EndFair in 2010, during his first visit to Back 2 Bellingham. He followed the music toward the Fairhaven courtyard. Harmen has been attending EndFair every time he visits for Back 2 Bellingham.
BY CHRIS BESWETHERICK The Associated Students (AS) invited the campus to reevaluate the climate of the campus in a large group dialogue on Thursday May 19. It was an intermix of students, staff and administrators in order to raise awareness of the multilevel controversies permeating throughout the university. Students all across campus have asked for a dialogue like this to check the imbalances and inequities of the university. Originally, this community dialogue was started by the Faculty Senate Executive, but later grew to include faculty and eventually students. Now, it is more inclusive of the campus, giving every group better representation. The Vice President for Academic Affairs, Student Life and Diversity, noticed a disconnection and lack of communication between these sects of campus, specifically between the student body, faculty and administration. To combat the disconnected campus, the Vice Presidents, along with the Faculty Senate Social Justice and Equity Committee and finally the President’s Task Force on Equity, Inclusion and Diversity organized this dialogue to place these sects in one place and centered discussion about their attitudes toward campus. Facilitated by students on campus, as well as teachers from around the country, the room broke into groups of around 10 where the sole purpose was to discuss. The facilitators began with a simple icebreaker about each individual’s given, chosen and core attributes making it so those in the group could learn more about each member and have a better grip on their approach to campus’ climate. Once the group felt comfortable, the discussion began. Facilitators wanted to learn about the authenticity of campus relationships on various levels despite the differences of everyone and so, the facilitators asked the group about their relationships either student-to-student, teacher-to-student, teacher-teacher, administrator-administrator and so on. In a circle, members talked about their experiences with disrespectful
roommates, comforting teachers and discussions with alternatively opinionated people. These responses taught the facilitators how a large portion of the campus feels in regards to their questions. Each facilitator recorded the responses from the group, and later revisited the ideas with the entirety of the participants. Another portion of the strive for authenticity focused on maintaining these relationships between people. Ideas that would strengthen relationships were talked about in order to further the authenticity of relationships. In a small group discussion which lasted for over an hour, so many perspectives were introduced and talked about. The most important part of this was the authenticity of the listeners; no one would talk over each other and most importantly, everyone there had a reason to participate and it showed. Each faculty member listened to administrators, and administrators listened to students and everyone simply listened to each other. Dispersed all throughout the discussion was the idea of asking questions. In every group, facilitators encouraged the members to ask clarifying questions as much as possible to create the clearest response for everyone to understand. In fact, these questions furthered the points of every member to be more specific, honest and valuable. In a discussion regarding a bad roommate experience, the group continuously asked follow-up questions in order to find both sides of the story and make a sound judgement. Also, by asking these questions, it created a stronger dialogue between each member. The asked questions actually transformed the discussion into a never-ending pool of information, creating an authentic relationship between everyone sitting together, repairing the state of the campus. This event gave the campus the opportunity to express their ideas in an appropriate way and in a place where people will be sensitive and responsive to their peers ideas.
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Culture Shock showcases an array of multicultural creativity
TOP LEFT: Danza Azteca TOP RIGHT: Kalia Castro BOTTOM LEFT: Katherin Limpin BOTTOM RIGHT: Vietasticz Girls. Photos by Trevor Grimm // AS Review