Inside this issue: Queer Writer’s Club shares stories at live reading, PAGE 4 Students protest Whole Foods at the Red Square Info Fair, PAGE 9 Find out how President Sabah Randhawa found his way to Western, PAGE 5
Vol. 32 #2 09.26.16
Vol. 31 #32 #.#.#
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New students enjoy a fireworks show at convocation. 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 Hear historically 4 marginalized voices at Queer Writer’s Club live reading
The Queer Writer’s Club is hosting an open mic event where students can share their experiences.
Sabah Randhawa: a profile of the 5 president Learn about our new president’s past experiences, and what ultimately led him to Western.
Become a friend 8 to an international student with AUAP
“Say Her Name: No
10 More Silence” to bring awareness to a history of violence toward non-male people of color
Find out about the Asia University in America Program, and the benefits of hosting international students at Western.
Join the march on October 1, and speak out against injustice.
Impromtu student
9 protest joins Red Square Info Fair
Protesters of Whole Foods picketed the Info Fair, trying to raise awareness of their unfair labor practices.
12
Music, coffee, and fun at the Underground
Check out the great shows and events hosted every week in the Underground Coffeehouse.
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.
Morgan Annable Alexandria Baker Ricky Rath Erasmus Baxter Julia Berkman Josh Hughes Alexandria Baker Morgan Annable Adviser Jeff Bates
Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers
Visit the Underground Coffeehouse on the third floor of the Viking Union for coffee, food, entertainment, and a stunning view of Bellingham. Photo by Morgan Annable // AS Review
09. 26. 2016 • 3
Viking Union Poster Sale All week // 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. // VU Gallery // Free
EVENTS
A View from the Bridge Sept 28 // 6:30 p.m. // Pickford Film Center // $10
Stop by to browse through a vast variety of poster designs sure to spruce up any room.
Watch a live broadcast of London’s West End theater in their production of Arthur Miller’s tragic masterpiece.
Open Mic Night
“Tight Loose” Ski/ Snowboard Film
Every Tuesday // 7 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free Stop by, grab some caffeine, and support your fellow students as they perform song, dance, spoken word, and comedy. Or sign up for a slot and dazzle the audience yourself!
Dead Parrots Society Comedy Open Mic
Sept 29 // 7 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free Not enough comedy for you at the weekly Tuesday open mic? Come back to the Underground Coffeehouse for a night of student comedy hosted by our favorite improv-ers.
Squacktoberfest
Weekends in October // 7 p.m. // Old Main Theater // Free Still can’t get enough comedy? Dead Parrots Society will perform every Friday and Saturday night in October, starting Sept 30. For more information, see page 12.
EVENTS
Sept 28 // 6:30 p.m. // Mount Baker Theater // see Mount Baker Theater for ticket prices Teton Gravity Research is turning 21! Celebrate with the premiere of their feature-length film and prize giveaways.
Love, Loss, and What I Wore Sept 29 // 7:30 p.m. // WCC Heiner Theater // Call (360) 733-1811 for ticket prices
Based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, this show uses clothing as a jumping off point for stories both humorous and touching. Proceeds from this show benefit Bellingham YWCA programs.
Sea Kayak to Viqueen Lodge
Oct 1 - 2 // Overnight // $145 Explore the San Juan Islands with the Outdoor Center! The OC provides all of the equipment, so head down to VU 150 to sign up for this trip.
Sept 26 - Oct 2 1
A Moon Shaped Pool
Radiohead
2 Wildflower The Avalanches Life 3 Still Young Magic The Mountain Will Fall
4 DJ Shadow
American Hippo
5 Bob Fossil My Woman
6 Angel Olsen Tween
7 Wye Oak A Weird Exits
8 Thee Oh Sees Full of It
9 Summer Cannibals Selfish
10 Stella 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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Hear historically marginalized voices at Queer Writers Club live reading BY JOSH HUGHES
The Queer Writers Club at Western is putting on an evening of live readings on Friday, October 7 from 8 - 9:15 p.m. in VU 552. The club itself functions as a safe space for queer and gender nonconforming students to share their writing. This marks their first event of the school year. The event will feature students in the club reading some of their work. “It’s an open mic for queer individuals to express their writing, and that includes bi, pan, and other individuals that people think are in a straight relationship, when by their own sexuality, their writing is queer,” club leader Joel Martirossian said. The club meets in Miller Hall 135 every Friday at 6 p.m., and it also gives students an entry point to learning about queer and gender nonconforming writers throughout all genres. Martirossian also says that the club provides a great environment for writers to better themselves and their work by hearing and reading work written by other students. The open mic will serve as a perfect introduction to what the club does as well as give writers a chance to perform for a larger audience. In addition to the Queer Writers Club, Western also has a Queer Club, which is another safe space for LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual) students. It is a resource for students to talk about and deal with issues, as well as a place where LGBTQIA students and allies can learn about current events and history related to the community. While the Queer Writers Club is putting on the live reading, Queer Club hosts WWU Pride Week and WWU Pride Con, both of which will occur later this year. Talking about the club, Treasurer Matthew Paige says that Queer Club plans to be more active on campus this year than ever before. Previously they’ve hosted bake sales as fundraisers for
LGBTQIA awareness. They plan to continue providing a space where students can discuss contemporary and historical issues dealing with sexuality and gender, as well as a resource where students can confidentially talk about their sexuality and gender. The Queer Club and the Queer Writers Club are only some of the resources available for students on campus that deal with inclusivity towards sexuality, gender, and awareness of both. The Queer Resource Center and the LGBT Advocacy Council are also on-campus organizations that provide non-judgmental and unbiased programs for students. Want to get involved? Visit one of the club meetings or go online to Western’s website to learn more about the programs, clubs, and resources available. Or, make your way to the Queer Writers Live Reading on October 7! The Queer Writers Club at Western is putting on an evening of live readings on Friday, October 7 from 8 - 9:15 p.m. in VU 552. The club itself functions as a safe space for queer and gender nonconforming students to share their writing. This marks their first event of the school year. The event will feature students in the club reading some of their work. “It’s an open mic for queer individuals to express their writing, and that includes bi, pan, and other individuals that people think are in a straight relationship, when by their own sexuality, their writing is queer,” club leader Joel Martirossian said. The club meets in Miller Hall 135 every Friday at 6 p.m., and it also gives students an entry point to learning about queer and gender nonconforming writers throughout all genres. Martirossian also says that the club provides a great environment for writers to better themselves and their work
by hearing and reading work written by other students. The open mic will serve as a perfect introduction to what the club does as well as give writers a chance to perform for a larger audience. In addition to the Queer Writers Club, Western also has a Queer Club, which is another safe space for LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual) students. It is a resource for students to talk about and deal with issues, as well as a place where LGBTQIA students and allies can learn about current events and history related to the community. While the Queer Writers Club is putting on the live reading, Queer Club hosts WWU Pride Week and WWU Pride Con, both of which will occur later this year. Talking about the club, Treasurer Matthew Paige says that Queer Club plans to be more active on campus this year than ever before. Previously they’ve hosted bake sales as fundraisers for LGBTQIA awareness. They plan to continue providing a space where students can discuss contemporary and historical issues dealing with sexuality and gender, as well as a resource where students can confidentially talk about their sexuality and gender. The Queer Club and the Queer Writers Club are only some of the resources available for students on campus that deal with inclusivity towards sexuality, gender, and awareness of both. The Queer Resource Center and the LGBT Advocacy Council are also on-campus organizations that provide non-judgmental and unbiased programs for students. Want to get involved? Visit one of the club meetings or go online to Western’s website to learn more about the programs, clubs, and resources available. Or, make your way to the Queer Writers Live Reading on October 7!
Cultural anthropologist gives talk on “Climate and Cultural Memory in Tierra del Fuego” in first of fall 2016 World Issues Forum lecture series BY MORGAN ANNABLE
T
he World Issues Forum kicks off this quarter on September 28 at Both of these indigenous groups have grown to thrive in difficult environ12 p.m. in the Fairhaven College Auditorium with a talk about cul- ments, both physical and political. tural ecology, the histories of the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego, In addition to history and ecology, Dr. Prieto will address current work and the intersection of these topics. The speaker, Dr. Alfredo Prieto, is regarding the cultural memory of the peoples of Tierra del Fuego. traveling to Western from the Universidad de Magallanes in Chile, where he works as a cultural anthropologist and archaeologist. In this talk, Dr. Prieto will focus on the Selknam and Haush people.
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Sabah Randhawa: a profile of the president
New university president is committed to listening to students and promoting necessary change BY ERASMUS BAXTER When Dr. Sabah Randhawa became Western’s fourteenth president August 1 it was the culmination of a journey that started over 40 years and 6,700 miles away. That was when, in 1976, Randhawa earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan. After earning his degree, he went to work as chemical company engineer at a salt mine, according to an article in the Oregon Stater. Two years later Randhawa moved across the pacific from Lahore, one of the 30 biggest cities in the world, to Corvallis, Oregon, a city that in 1990 had a population of slightly less than 45,000 people. It’s doubtful that when he arrived in Corvallis to pursue his Master’s degree at Oregon State University that Randhawa realized that one day he would serve as provost and executive vice president of OSU, responsible for much of the college’s day-to-day operations. For one, neither of Randhawa’s parents had attended college. “As a first-generation student, I owe my career to education. One of the commitments I made when I switched careers into education from working in industry was to provide those same opportunities for others across the globe,” Randhawa said, according to his bio on the Western president’s website. And secondly, he was scared of public speaking. “It’s not something that comes to me as easily, even today, as it does to some,” Randhawa told the Stater. After receiving his master’s in Industrial Engineering from OSU in 1980, Randhawa went on to pursue a doctorate in industrial engineering from Arizona State University. Eventually, fate intervened when one of Randhawa’s professors at ASU asked him to teach a class. “For two years this went on,” Rand-
hawa said. “He would ask, and I always had excuses as to why I couldn’t teach, until one night he called me and told me he was having emergency surgery and I would have to take over his courses.” “I would prepare a lecture in the afternoon and I would go at night when there was no one there and I would teach it — presenting all my materials — to an empty classroom. At the end of it all I discovered that I liked teaching.” This experience eventually led to his job as provost of Oregon State University. “One lesson from that experience was to not say no until I try something out. So, fast-forwarding, when a department chair position came up when I was teaching here in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, I agreed to do it on an interim basis and see how it played out. That’s how I became an administrator. One thing led to another.” Eventually Randhawa worked his way up to the second highest position in the university. As provost and executive vice president Randhawa served as the university president’s right hand man. This position was not without challenges. A 2011 Oregon Stater article described Randhawa as: ”an expert in mathematical optimization, [who] spends a fair amount of time trying to gain acceptance for changes in a university community that can sometimes abhor change.“ In the 2013 -2014 school year when the Dean of OSU’s college of engineering fired the popular head of the school of electrical engineering and computer science, igniting protests from the department and private industry Randhawa removed both of them from their positions in an effort to stabilize a department he saw as “paralyzed and, at worst, dysfunctional,” according
to The Barometer, the OSU student newspaper. Not all saw it the same way. “It’s very disruptive,“ a professor in the department, told Randhawa during a public meeting, the Barometer reported. “You’ve provided a solution that most likely does not solve the problem.” Randhawa acknowledges changes comes with difficulty.
Dr. Sabah Randhawa. Photo by Oregon State University // flickr
“I don’t know that I have a magic recipe. One thing I’ve learned to do is to sit and listen to people, and to be optimistic but honest with them. I might need to tell them what they’re asking for isn’t going to happen overnight, or that it’s never going to happen, but I can still hear them out,” he told the Stater. At OSU Randhawa had plenty of chances to experience change first hand. During his term there the University saw a surge in enrollment and the expansion of number of programs, funded in part by a fundraising campaign that brought in over a billion dollars in donations.
According to an OSU press release, some of Randhawa’s proudest accomplishments were increasing overall enrollment, especially among high-achieving, underrepresented minorities. However, his journey was not yet complete. In 2015 and 2016 Randhawa was a finalist for jobs as a chancellor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Southern Illinois University, the Associated Press reported in the Oregonian. In March of 2016 Randhawa was selected from a pool of 75 candidates as the preferred candidate to be Western’s next president. An OSU press release said that Randhawa “impressed the trustees with his commitment to diversity and inclusion, shared governance, strengthening the student academic experience and closing the achievement gap.” The Chair of Western’s Board of Trustees, Karen Lee, called Randhawa an exceptional person. “He’s highly regarded for his commitment to students, to social justice and to the academy of higher education,” Lee said, according to Randhawa’s bio. Randhawa echoed these themes in his address at the Faculty and Staff Opening Convocation for the 2016 -2017 school year on September 16. “As educators and leaders, we have the responsibility to listen more openly, respond more sensitively and support more intentionally efforts towards a just, inclusive and equitable campus community,” Randhawa said. “I am impressed with a shared, passionate commitment to Western and for advancing the institution. This has made me all the more excited about working with you to chart the next phase of excellence for this wonderful institution.” Randhawa’s journey and Western’s journey are now on the same track.
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ABOVE: The Dead Parrots Society connects with the crowd with their iconic parrot mascot. See page 12 for more information about upcoming performances.
Western kicks off school year with annual Info Fair
ABOVE: Members from four different student-led clubs picket at Info Fair on September 20. See page 8 for the full story.
Photo by Erasmus Baxter // AS Review
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Clubs, teams, and other organizations gathered in the Multipurpose Room on September 19 and Red Square on September 20 to raise awareness of events and activities on campus. For more info about clubs, visit orgsync.com or download the OrgSync app. Photos by Ricky Rath // AS Review
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Become a friend to an international student with AUAP STORY BY JULIA BERKMAN, Photos by Laura Carney // AUAP Faculty The Asia University in America Program (AUAP) has started its second term. If you see these students around, make sure to welcome them to campus with a smile or a wave. AUAP is an international exchange, where sophomores at Asia University in Tokyo come to several schools in Washington and Oregon. Western hosts around 150 students a year, separated into two cycles. The students take four classes a day, all revolving around English comprehension, functional use, and career planning. Sachie Ogino, a former AUAP student, participated in the previous cycle of this program. She said that AUAP is fantastic, not only for the students, but also for the Americans who volunteer. “You can get to know Japanese culture, and if you are learning Japanese, we can help,” Ogino said. Most, if not all of the students, look forward to meeting American people. After all, that’s half the reason they have come so far from home. Many people have seen the international students out and about on campus. It can be a bit intimidating to see a huge group of them. Still, these students have flown thousands of miles just to learn English, and international friend-
ships play a crucial role when learning a new language. A close relationship with an international student will not only lead to lifelong friendship, but also an improvement in the student’s English endeavors. There are several AUAP teachers, who rotate the groups they teach per class. Most of them have lived in Japan at some point, or have participated in the AUAP program on campus during their college years. “I love ESL teaching - it is a constant learning experience and I get to meet such a wide variety of people that it is never dull,” says Judith Zink, one of upwards of six teachers for the program. Each day she teaches four classes to various groups of students. To get involved, visit the AUAP website and sign up to volunteer in their daily ESL classes. That may seem intimidating, but being a part of the lesson is vital for the students and the teachers. Besides making friends, you participate in a cross-cultural exchange that benefits both you and the students. Most of the day-to-day lessons consist of a lecture followed by small group discussion. “Every single vastly different student volunteer that I have met has one com-
mon connector - they feel that spending 50 minutes out of their day to hang out with some international students to be a good way to spend 50 minutes,” Zink said. Once you start volunteering in the classes, it feels like you’ve been adopted into a very large family. If volunteering in classes feels like a lot of pressure, you can also sign up to be a Campus Friend. Campus Friends hang out with their assigned student once a week. That’s it. It’s a casual and unstructured way to make a new friend. Just being involved in the program opens you up to so many new opportunities. Each year, AUAP hosts or participates in many events. They recently had their
Welcome Ceremony, where the new students are inducted into the school. The event introduces each group of students, after which there is a reception where students are invited to mingle with the volunteers. Another event thrown by AUAP is the Campus Friends meetup. All those who signed up to be a campus friend are invited, where they meet their student match and then play games and get to know each other. There’s usually pizza, which makes it my favorite event. The AUAP school year has just started on campus, so there’s still plenty of time to sign up if you want to volunteer. All the information can be found on their website. On September 30, they’ll host their annual fall picnic. All are invited!
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Impromptu student protest joins Red Square Info Fair BY ERASMUS BAXTER
Students hoping to join activism and social justice-oriented clubs at Western didn’t have far to look at Western’s annual Red Square Info Fair on Tuesday, September 20. For around 30 minutes chants decrying Whole Foods Market could be heard among the hubbub of the fair. A group of eight students representing four different clubs assembled next to Whole Food’s booth holding hand painted signs reading “Whole Foods Kills Co-Ops” and “Whole Foods = Gentrification.” Western student Trisha Patterson spoke on behalf of the protesters. “We’re out here protesting because Whole Foods takes advantage of communities across the world,” Patterson said. “[Whole Foods] takes advantage of our community by selling us the commodified package of … quote-unquote “natural” food,” Patterson said. “It does not support local farmworkers. It takes money away from our local co-op. It also plays a major
part in gentrification which is an issue in cities up and down the west coast.” Among the clubs represented at the protest were Students for Farmworker Justice (SFJ). SFJ has been participating in a campaign to pressure Whole Foods and other grocery stores to recognize a boycott of Driscoll’s brand berries called by berry pickers in Washington and Mexico. Last spring, SFJ participated in a protest that disrupted the Whole Foods opening ceremony as well as several other pickets at the local Whole Foods. Olivia Yates, who does marketing for the Bellingham Whole Foods, was staffing the booth while the protesters were present. “At Whole Foods, we’re pretty used to the protesters,” Yates said. She said she was undisturbed by the protests as she had been at the store opening which attracted protesters, and attributed the protests to the fact
that Whole Foods was a large corporation. “There’s never been a community foods co-op that’s gone out of business because Whole Foods has come in,” Yates said. Patterson said that the goal of the protest is to inform students and it came about organically. “We’ve been organizing this protest for a total of 28 minutes as of 1:08 [p.m.],” Patterson said. As quickly as it began, the protest ended. Viking Union security told the students that Red Square was reserved, and their protest violated the rules of Info Fair. SFJ President Greta Merkel said that she felt this was unfair. “I feel like I should have a right to demonstrate on my campus as a student, and as someone who stands for social change,” Merkel said. However, the students complied and after 20 minutes business continued as usual.
LEFT: Student protesters stand near the Whole Foods tend at Info Fair on Tuesday, September 20.
ABOVE: Protesters and Viking Union security staff worked together to de-escalate the situation.
Photos by Erasmus Baxter // AS Review
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“Say Her Name: No More Silence” march to bring awareness to a history of violence toward non-male people of color BY JULIA BERKMAN
Of the 85,000 people in Bellingham, 84 percent are white. As a part of the sixteen percent, I can tell you just how much being a POC (person of color) in Bellingham affects your everyday life. Exquisite Erika can also tell you. That’s why she, along with the Racial Justice Coalition (RJC), have organized a march against violence towards womxn of color. “Say Her Name: No More Silence” refers to the thousands of womxn killed every year in this country by police, men, and lack of government aid. This march will “allow womxn of color to safely present themselves to the Bellingham community” while empowering themselves at the same time. The march is being held on October 1 at Civic Field. All womxn-identifying people are encouraged to attend and speak out against injustice towards womxn of color. After the march, a meeting of the RJC will meet and talk about future events on October 4. While the stories of violence against men of color are typically in the news for a short spell after an injustice is committed, the violence perpetrated against womxn of color is hidden in the shadows. The list of trans womxn of color killed in this country is staggering. More trans womxn were killed in 2015 than in any other year. “In light of the 2016 police shootings of unarmed Black men, the police shootings of unarmed Black womxn have not been allowed the same publicity or media coverage,“ Erika states. This is true. Black womxn are caught in a terrible paradox. They suffer from both misogyny and racism, a concept known as misogynoir. For an example of misogynoir, you need look no further than the recent scandal involving “Ghost-
busters” star Leslie Jones. The racist comments and actions enacted against her after a hacker leaked private information and photos is exactly the kind of injustice to which the march aims to call attention. This isn’t the first march the Racial Justice Coalition has organized. Last January, the RJC marched down Meridian street on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in protest of the unfair profiling of black men. Carrying signs that read “predictive policing (does not equal) community policing” and “stop racial profiling,” they interrupted another coalition’s speech in order to protest police profiling and unjustified killings. Their reason for protesting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day was to call for white-led events to stop perpetrating the sanitized, white-friendly version of MLK that is touted each year. There are many events the Racial Justice Coalition is organizing in the next few months. Each Friday, they are the local peace vigil’s #BlackLivesMatter presence in downtown Bellingham at the corner of Magnolia and Cornwall 4 p.m. every Friday. Everyone is invited to come with signs and speak out against racism and violence. A Note from the Editor: The term “womxn” includes trans and gender nonbinary folks in discussions of misogyny. It reframes the word, taking out the “-man” or “-men.” Womyn Creating Consciousness Collectively, a group at Michigan State University, wrote that the alternative spelling indicates that people who identify as non-male are not a subcategory of men, but are individuals of their own right.
Get involved and give Western students a voice! AS and university committees include nearly 200 positions for students BY MORGAN ANNABLE
O
ver the last few weeks campus has been flooded with people carrying clipboards and donning bright green Western Votes shirts. While election-related outreach is an important part of the Representation and Engagement Programs department, it is not the only thing they do. Just ask Octavia Schultz. She is the AS Committee Coordinator and just like Uncle Sam, she wants YOU! (To join a committee.)
There are over 60 committees with student seats available. These committees make decisions regarding sustainability, safety, club activities, budgets, legislative affairs, academics, and a plethora of other topics. If you can think of it, there is probably a committee for it. Students who serve on committees get opportunities to work closely with university faculty and administrators. Not only is
Wilson Library // Photo courtesy of Western’s Office of Communication
this great networking and resume-building experience, it is also a way to create real change that affects the whole school. For more information about committees, contact Octavia Schultz at as.committees@ wwu.edu, go to as.wwu.edu/committees to check out the full list of committees, or visit the Representation and Engagement Programs in person in VU 435.
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Poster sale continues in VU Gallery Iconic Bellingham Herald sign BY ALEXANDRIA BAKER turns blue in honor of Western Photos by Morgan Annable // AS Review BY MORGAN ANNABLE
Western students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrators gathered downtown for Paint B’Ham Blue for WWU. Participants at the event enjoyed a special ceremony and festival at the Depot Market Square on Wednesday, September 21, the first day of classes for the 2016-17 school year. Students signed their names on a banner proclaiming “Home of the Vikings.” The banner will hang on the side of the Herald building for the remainder of the year. Chris Roselli is the director of young alumni and student programs at the Western Alumni Association. He told the Bellingham Herald that he hopes to make this event an annual tradition. While there was no actual paint involved in Paint B’ham Blue, there was plenty of blue: lights wrapped around trees, banners on light poles, and most notably, the new blue light in the giant Herald sign.
Photo by Julia Berkman // AS Review
Located in the VU Gallery, this annual poster sale runs from Sept. 18-30. The sale is a must-see for incoming
freshmen, and any returning students looking to revamp their living space. The sale features hundreds of posters, as the name would suggest, but what the name doesn’t convey is the sheer scale of all that is available. Everything from prints of famous works of art, movie posters, pop culture references and album covers are available at the sale. Additionally, this is not a one-sizefits-all endeavor. The posters range in size from massive centerpieces built to cover as much real estate as possible, to skinny posters that can fit perfectly in that awkward blank spot on your wall. Finally, there are also smaller, almost-postcard sized prints available that sit nicely between larger posters, or can be used in a variety of other places like desks, notebooks or wherever inspires you. So whatever your living situation, stop by the poster sale and find something you love!
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Music, coffee, and fun abound at the Underground BY JOSH HUGHES
As campus begins to settle in to the new school year, it’s always a good time to find a new, relaxing study spot. The Underground Coffeehouse, located on the third floor of the Viking Union, offers a combination of live performances, great coffee and food, and plenty of seating that looks out at the Bellingham Bay; a perfect place to relax, work on homework, or listen to local music. While students rather quickly catch on to the good atmosphere of the Underground, it’s easy to overlook all the events that take place there throughout the year. You can show up at almost any given evening and find something interesting happening at the Coffeehouse. Whether it’s a full concert from a local band, an open mic event, or a club meeting, it’s an easy place to get involved on campus and find a community of artists. For starters, every Wednes-
day night of the quarter, unless otherwise noted, the Underground hosts free concerts at 8 p.m. that tend to fill up all the seats in the house. Back in its earlier days, Death Cab For Cutie got their start playing small shows at the Underground, and Bellingham is still home to an abundance of talented young musicians. Ranging from bluegrass to hiphop to psych rock, the Underground always manages to get exciting, interesting shows each quarter. On Tuesdays, the Underground always hosts open mic events, where anyone can come in at 6:30 p.m. and sign up for the 7 p.m. show. If you plan to perform, get in line early to sign up. The slots fill up fast. Acts at open mic range from stand up comedy to full band performances with everything in between. A typical open mic night brings eclectic styles together and gives students
an easy way to perform for an audience. In addition to the regularly scheduled open mic shows, the Underground leaves room for special events on Monday nights, which often entail poetry open mic events, as well as one-off events such as jam sessions or trivia nights. Similarly, on Thursdays, they put on AS Club Nights, where any club can host an event in the space for the evening. On some Thursdays, there are specifically comedy-tailored open mic shows. If anyone has any booking inquiries for the venue, they can email AS.coffeehouse@ wwu.edu for more information. It’s September now, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved with the Underground this quarter, whether that means drinking coffee at a cozy place between classes or performing your new folktronica song live.
Rosi performed at the Underground Coffeehouse on April 13, 2016. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review
Dead Parrots Society hosts a month of improv comedy
BY ALEXANDRIA BAKER
Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review
The Dead Parrots Society will take flight this fall with their annual Squacktoberfest run of shows. The troupe will be performing for free every Friday and Saturday this month, starting September 30 in the Old Main Theater. It is hard to explain to students exactly what they can hope to experience at the shows, given that the Dead Parrots Society is a purely improvisational group. Because of this, every show is unique, and this makes it easy for audiences to attend multiple times throughout the month. However, the troupe does have some standard tricks up their collective sleeve. Following a similar format to the famous “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” the group will often take suggestions from audience members, as a way to keep the actors on their toes and encourage active participation from the crowd. The suggestions they ask for can range from a simple time and place, to an object, to occasionally having the audience suggest actions for the actors to take. Additionally, the Dead Parrots Society is well-known for their prowess in longform improvisation. The actors are able to construct the show as they are acting in it, a balancing act that few can follow. The Dead Parrots Society has been a staple club on campus since they were founded in 1988, according to their website. Just last year the troupe won the College Improv Tournament’s Pacific Northwest Regionals—a competition the group performs in every year. For some, simply watching the hilarity onstage is enough, but the Dead Parrots Society is a club just like so many others on campus. For those brave souls wanting to join the troupe, there is an open rehearsal every Tuesday in Humanities 110 from 8 - 10 p.m. Don’t be nervous—all experience levels are welcomed at these rehearsals. Just remember to think fast if you find yourself among the Parrots. After all, you never know what they’ll do next.