Vol. 30 # #.#.#
2 • as.wwu.edu/asreview Designed to look like a massive, mobile toaster, a car sits, hot and ready, on Garden street, Jan. 15. A neighbor had no idea where it came from. Hailey Hoffman // 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 © 2018. 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. 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.
Jan. 16-Feb 2 // 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. // MPR // $3 with Student ID Andrew Lee is an Australian artist who works with a variety of mediums. Lee is inspired by several areas including films, music and anime.
Poetry and Lyric Night Jan. 22 // 7-9 p.m. // UGCH // Free Do you enjoy a night of good poetry and lyricism? Then this event is the perfect place for you! Join PALS for a fun night of creativity.
Mixed Identity Student Oraganization Meeting Jan. 22 // 7-8 p.m. // ESC // Free The Mixed Identity Student Organization will be meeting this Monday in the ESC.
Avalanche Awareness Jan. 23 // 4 p.m. // Outdoor Center // Free This is a free clinic put on by the Outdoor center to better inform students about the danger of avalnaches and how to safely hike this time of year.
Open Mic Night Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers
Erasmus Baxter Kira Stussy Hailey Hoffman Josh Hughes Gwen Frost Julia Berkman Hailey Murphy Photographer Jaden Moon Adviser Jeff Bates
Smoke break?
Event Calendar VU Gallery: Andrew Lee
Jan. 23 // 7-9 p.m. // UGCH // Free Come and show off your talents at the Open Mic Night held at the Underground Coffeehouse. Anyone can participate, so get up there and show the world (or the people in the shop at least) what you can do!
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Shimmertraps w/ Master Bedroom Jan. 24 // 7-9 p.m.// UGCH // Free The Wenesday Night Concert Series is back this quarter at the Underground Coffeehouse. This wednesday, bands Shimmertraps and Master Bedroom will be performing and providing good music. So come and enjoy the tunes.
Comedy Open Mic Night Jan. 25 // 7-9 p.m.// UGCH // Free Are you hilarious but nobody will sit and listen to you tell well thought out and scripted jokes? Well, now you have an audience! SUCKS is hosting their weekly Comedy Open Mic Night this week at the Underground Coffeehouse, so now is your chance to fulfill that dream of being a stand-up comedian.
Intro to Snow Carving Jan. 27 // all day // Meet at VU 150 // $65 Join the Outdoor Center on this exciting advcenture up to Mount Baker. You will learn how to make snow caves to camp in and spend the weekend up on the mountain. This popular excursion is a great way to spend your weekend enjoying the outdoors and making some new friends while you’re at it.
EVENTS
AS Board looking for student input on potential smoking ban BY JULIA BERKMAN
Following in the footsteps of Washington State Univer“How it was explained to me from someone who has a sity and Seattle Pacific University, Western’s Associated physical reaction [to smoke], all it takes is a gust of wind,” Students Board is considering taking steps towards a Gordon said. smoke-free campus. However, some students have conGordon and Morrison worked together with the AS cerns about the plan. Board and the Resident Hall Advisory Council to begin The AS Board has moved to start talking about about discussing a ban. There, they met some pushback from making Western’s campus smoke-free. In a meeting in Western students. November, the board spoke of implementation by, possiThe decision to ban cigarettes and vapes altogether was bly, the end of spring quarter. fraught with opinion on both sides from Western stuAccording to AS VP for Student dents. Smokers and non-smokers Life Annie Gordon, the decision alike hold strong views on whether to start talking about a smoke-free the decision to completely ban campus was based in-part upon tobacco is fair and supports the a small survey of students from most students. 2014, as well as recent student “I would like to see campus be concerns. completely smoke-free, but I also “To be super clear, the vote has don’t want to alienate smokers,” not decided anything in terms of Morrison said. whether we support [the initiative] Dee Mooney, AS Disability Outor not. We’re just charged with reach Center coordinator, declined trying to represent what students to comment on the accessibility are asking us to look into,” Gordon implications of the initiative withsaid. out more information. The 2014 survey in question Both senior Vanessa Moreno had a low turnout- only around 7 and junior Sarah Watson smoke, percent of the student body. Only a and both insisted that banning little over half of students were for smoking altogether would not be a smoke-free campus. In another incentive for students to quit. survey put out in 2016 by Preven“School’s pretty stressful and as tion and Wellness Services, about a smoker- I mean, yeah, I should 60 percent of the 4,000 students quit, but also I need [to smoke] to surveyed were in favor of a smoke- Photo illustration by Jaden get through finals,” Watson said. Moon // AS Review. free campus. Moreno agreed. Senior Brendan Morrison ini“If you’re 18, a rule won’t stop tially approached Gordon in Ocyou from doing something,” tober, asking for her help in making campus smoke-free. Moreno said. He was fed up with walking through clouds of smoke on Gordon acknowledged that it would be difficult to his way to class. enforce a ban. Right now, Western’s only rule is that smoking is “I can’t force someone to not smoke on campus- even if prohibited within 25 feet of an entrance to a building. there is a policy, they can still break it,” she said. Morrison, a design student who has a lung condition, Moreno also worried about enforcing a ban. If Unifeels as though students only loosely follow that rule. versity Police were in charge of enforcement, she felt “I looked into it a little more and wondered if there that there was potential they could receive incentives for were other schools that were doing this. I saw that even handing out fines. big schools like WSU and University of Oregon have According to Gordon, the University Police could engone smoke free, so I thought, ‘Why can’t Western do the force a ban only if President Randhawa and the rest of the same?’” he said. board supported the initiative. However, Gordon stressed Morrison is one of many people who suffer from an al- that the initiative is still in its early phase. lergy or condition that makes tobacco smoke intolerable. Gordon also acknowledged that addiction to cigarettes Gordon was sympathetic to those concerns.
Cont. page 5
Top Ten Records: Oct. 8-14 1
Polygondwanaland King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
2
A Moment Apart Odesza
3
First Landing Moon Boots
4
Harmony of Difference Kamasi Washington
5
Offering Cults
6
Sleep Well Beast The National
7
In Colour Jamie XX
8
Brick Body Kids Still Daydream St. Vincent
9
Communicating Hundred Waters
10
Stay A While The Cactus Channel 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.
4 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
WTF is happening with the Viking Union? BY HAILEY MURPHY
Starting next month, the Viking Union will be undergoing construction to build the new Multicultural Center. The project seeks to create more space for the Ethnic Student Center, a new resource library and increased office space for three Resource and Outreach programs, according to Western’s FAQ page about the renovations. To achieve this, there will be renovations to both the VU and the AS Bookstore. An additional level will be added to the Bookstore. Then a skybridge will be built between this new level and KUGS on the seventh floor of the VU. The project will create five times more space for ESC, as well as new offices for the Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, the Queer Resource Center and the Disability Outreach Center, as stated on the FAQ page. “It is hoped that by the services provided and the visibility and accessibility of the Center, diverse and underrepresented students will feel that this is a place they are truly welcomed and will be supported,” states the FAQ page. “The primary goal for the Multicultural Center is to support student needs, providing the types of spaces and resources – study, social, club workspaces, advising, etc. - that will support diverse student identities and their success. It will be a welcoming place to call home – a place of inclusion.” The project’s official start date is February 19, according to project manager Forest Payne. At that time, a construction fence will be built around the Bookstore and demolition will begin. While the building is under construction, the Bookstore will
move into the Viking Union Multipurpose Room, where it’ll stay until the project’s completion in June 2019. The transition into the MPR begins the week of January 22, which could
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Smoking cont.
are really unsure about where our future club meetings and events will be held,” Co-President Bryndis Crider said. “Most other places on campus can’t accommodate us or cost a lot of money to use per hour… It’s actually been fairly difficult to find a secure and guaranteed place to meet.” Another change caused by the Multicultural Center construction will be the relocation of Vendor’s Row. In late February, Vendor’s Row will be moving to the east side of the MPR (along High Street), Payne said. All services inside the VU will remain open during construction. However, a few offices will have to relocate. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator, the Men’s Resiliency Specialist, and Prevention and Wellness Services will relocate to the first floor of the Eden’s Hall Administrative building, according to Western’s webpage. Other offices that will require relocation are the VU gallery and the Office of Student Life, but no official decisions have been made on where they’ll go. The Office of Student Life will likely temporarily reside within the administrative area of the VU on the 5th floor, Michael Sledge, Assistant Dean of Students, said. Lastly, students can expect restricted access to the VU. Both the High Street and Performing Arts Center entrances of the VU will remain open during the first phase of construction. After spring break, however, the plaza between the Bookstore and the MPR will be closed, leaving only the southern entrance.
isn’t a problem that can be solved by a ban on tobacco the most equitable solution. products, and certainly not overnight. “I think if we were more thoughtful about placing desigIn order to save money, Watson frequently chain-smokes nated areas, it could be enough,“ he said. “It keeps smokers instead of buying food on campus that is too expensive for happy as well as creating a healthier environment for those her, she said. of us who don’t smoke.” According to a study performed by the Campaign for Gordon spoke of a policy enacted at the University of Tobacco-Free Kids, more than a quarter of people below Oregon over a two-year period. She told me that they the poverty line smoke cigarettes, whereas that number is reduced the amount of spaces to use cigarettes over time, in the low teens for middle-class people. eventually ending up with none. Many of those low-income individuals were identified as Watson believes moving smoking poles farther away “food insecure,” meaning they could not afford basic meals from highly concentrated areas is a good compromise, unon a regular basis. less the school is willing to implement a structure referred “If they’re trying to [ban smoking], maybe they should to as a “smoking box.” also make food cost less. A lot of people smoke to curb Smoking boxes, an enclosed structure that blocks the their appetite,” she said. wind from carrying smoke, have been implemented on Gordon struggled with being equitable to everyone other college campuses that limit smoking. An architectural rendering of the new when she decided to look into implementing the ban. Watson and Moreno both found the boxes to be an eqViking Union lobby. The start date is “So far we’ve been looking at it as an accessibility issue. uitable solution to keep smoke away from those sensitive to scheduled for Feb. 19. I certainly have been wrestling with the stance we take on it, even though they both felt the amount of second-hand nicotine and acknowledging that it isn’t easy to wake up smoke would be “gross.” cause temporary closure of the Bookstore. and quit,” she said. Moreno, Watson, and Morrison all agreed that a new “The Bookstore is working to keep closure of operations to a Moreno raised concerns about where students could go survey should be conducted to ask current students how minimum,” Payne said, “And it hasn’t been determined yet if a to smoke. they feel about a smoking ban. All three thought that using closure will be necessary.” “If you straight-up ban [cigarettes] from campus, everydata from a four-year-old survey wasn’t representative of Yet, due to the Bookstore taking over the MPR, clubs such one’s just going to go to the arb, where they go to do all the the opinions of the current student body. as The Swing Kids will have to find a different location to host other drugs,” she said. Gordon also doesn’t believe the old survey data is events. The Sehome Arboretum is not governed by the same enough to justify implementation. She is looking for more “Right now, [The Swing Kids} are booked for VU 565, but rules as most of Western’s campus, which means a ban students to voice their agreement- or disagreement- for the would not necessarily be enforced- but there would also be idea. nowhere to throw away butts. “It’s going to be impossible to implement something that BY GWEN FROST “I would rather smoke on campus, and I’m sorry to isn’t backed by student support,” she said. whoever it affects, but there should not be tobacco butts in Morrison feels similarly. Special snowflakes have been given the option to choose among penalties for Zimmersure what the plan is moving forward,” and that “we missed the appeal date because it was the trees and bushes and the earth. At least here, we have “There’s definitely ways to please everyone, so that’s my man Free-speech protest on December 1. Junior Ignacio Perez, Senior Emma Bigongiari and during break.” poles to put our butts in,” Watson said. goal. I want to hear out what other students think and try Western student Lizzy all initially received emails asking them to attend a meeting to discuss Essentially, Western is not outright denying student activists the right to demonstrate, but Where students would be smoking was a big concern and take everyone’s opinion into account,” Morrison said. disciplinary actions. Following their purposeful lack of attendance, the three students received instead clarifying that these demonstrations must be done in a “time, place, and manner” that when Gordon and Morrison spoke with the RHA. Gordon Right now, Gordon is in talks with the rest of the AS another round of emails about how to proceed from there. Western deems appropriate. Most governments function in regulating protests the same way. said RAs were worried about the safety of residents leaving Board to think of ways to implement a smoking ban or The email sent to students on December 18 stated that based off of the available information For instance, you may protest the U.S. government, as long as you are doing it by the rules of campus at night alone to smoke. partial ban. She says that they won’t continue without first from the Western front Article Free Speech Advocate Lecture Draws Student Protest and the and in accordance with the U.S. government (i.e. you can protest me if you do it the way I tell It is not decided whether campus would be 100 percent getting feedback from students- it’s just difficult to find out statement the students submitted to the Office of Student Life, the students have been found you to). smoke free or if smoking poles will be moved to less trafhow the students really feel. responsible for a violation of the Student Conduct Code, specifically “Disruptive behavior” “Time, place, and manner” dictate standards for the “when, where, and how” of the kinds ficked areas. If you want to share your opinion on making Western’s [WAC 516-21-070]. Complaints were revealed to have been filed first on December 2 by John of protests Western permits. But, we must ask, as well, who. Who is allowed to protest at our Morrison noted that although he would prefer campus campus smoke free, Annie Gordon is awaiting your email Krieg, faculty member of the Economics department, supplemented by a similar complaint institutions, and who is penalized? be entirely smoke free, he understands that that may not be at asvp.studentlife@wwu.edu from an undisclosed student later on. Eric Bostrom retained and exercised the right to demonstrate on Western’s campus for As a result of their violation of Disruptive Behavior, the students have been offered three years, but despite affecting the emotional health of passer-bys, attracting crowds of screaming disciplinary scenarios. First, the students are invited to take a “passive sanction of conditional students and distracting from a learning environment, was never sanctioned by the school. says. status for the remainder of the academic year.” Alternatively, they may take a passive sanction In questioning whether school-enforced sanctions may deter students from engaging in acThe students were asked to respond with a choice of punishment by January 15, or the sanctions will default to conof a Warning, as well as completing either of these tasks: 1) Scheduling and engaging in a tivism in the future, one only has too look as far as who is punished, and what is considered to ditional status. If a sanction reaches conditional status, it is essentially gives the student probationary status, and for a conversation with Casey Hayden in Student Activities regarding time, place and manner of be “Disruptive behavior.” Bigongiari says she is “privileged enough to be able to take risks and designated amount of time, the student “must demonstrate conduct that conforms to university standards” (pg. 16, Student expression and assembly on campus, or 2) Produce a 500 word research paper about the “time, be bold in my activism with little fear that the school will cause me any real harm; however, Conduct Code). Additionally, the University may restrict the student's privileges or eligibility for activities. place, and manner of expression and assembly on campus.” other students (in particular women of color as well as disabled students) often face harsher Said Bigongiari “I want the admin at WWU to know that students are watching and that we will not give in to intimidaBefore Jan 3, 2018 at 5 pm, students had the opportunity to appeal. None of them did. consequences for their activism and organizing.” tion tactics which aim to divide us and keep us from speaking up against bigotry.” The “snowflakes” are now standing in the face of no further opportunity to appeal, and “I feel that our campus climate is becoming increasingly hostile to marginalized voices,” she AS Review Editor-in-Chief Erasmus Baxter did not edit this story due to a personal relationship with one of the students accepting disciplinary consequences as the only available course of action. Perez said he is “not facing disciplinary action. Cont. page 5
Zimmerman protesters receive penalties
Snowflakes cont.
The Doom Comes For All
An Interview with the @WWUgothic twitter account BY JULIA BERKMAN
Editor’s note: On the day this story was due Julia disappeared. All that remained was her phone, from which we took these messages, and a pile of dust. God help us.
6 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Hidden in plain sight BY JOSH HUGHES
Have you ever walked to Parks Hall and seen that neglected strip of metal on the ground? Maybe you’ve sat West of the PAC for lunch and wondered why the benches look so out of the ordinary? Sat in one of the two granite chairs at the entrance to the Biology building and questioned their peculiar placement? Congratulations! You’ve accidentally been engaging with the WWU Sculpture Garden, one of the top ten acclaimed university collections in the whole country, without realizing it at all. As day-to-day Western students, it feels easy to drown out some of the seemingly commonplace objects around us. You’ve most likely taken a class at Western that included a tour of some of the well known sculptures on campus— I know I’ve been in at least three. Even if not, it’s difficult to ignore most of the boldfaced pieces that exist in various pockets of Western’s campus. Richard Serra’s
blissfully intrusive “Wright’s Triangle” probably takes the cake for most recognized sculpture on campus, severely narrowing the walkway between north and south campus by the Engineering Building. Similarly, Bruce Nauman’s “Stadium Piece” (aka “Stairs to Nowhere”) firmly grounds seemingly every single campus tour. It seems that someone tries to climb Mark Di Suvero’s “For Handel” (red mosquito piece looking out at the bay) at least once a day. Yet while these excellently big pieces certainly make up a bulk of the art on campus, there’s more than a few works that require a little investigating to even see, yet alone appreciate. Instead of leaving you to run amuck on your own, scavenging for the more obscure pieces on campus, here’s a rundown of some artworks that might’ve passed you by:
David Ireland — Bigger Big Chair (2004-2007) Tucked just behind Buchanan Towers, somewhat visible from the road leading to Fairhaven, lies Ireland’s “Bigger Big Chair”. Probably the biggest sculpture on this list, it’s a piece that sadly goes unnoticed by the average passerby because of its placement. The work originally was to be placed out front of Wilson Library, but because of its heavy weight and size, the installation didn’t go as planned. As it exists today, students walking the path to Buchanan can see the dazzling metal chair, somewhat ridiculous in its proportions and bombast. Yet viewed from certain angles the piece loses any resemblance to a chair it once had, placing it alongside Western’s love for abstracted minimalism.
John Keppelman — Garapata (1978) Hidden behind the trees that line the path between Academic West and Fairhaven there’s a white aluminum sculpture that resembles a work of origami. The piece is Keppelman’s “Garapata”, another minimalist work that gets lost amidst the other, bigger sculptures outside of AW. Named after a river and canyon intersection in California, Keppelman named the piece for its elegant implied motion. Once a professor at Western, Keppelman often added an air of whimsy to his work, something that comes across in the paperlike forms of “Garapata”.
Scott Burton — Two-Part Chairs, Right Angle Version (1987) Burton’s work, unlike some of the others in this list, is intentionally obscure and easy to miss. Located just outside and inside the Biology building (there are four chairs in total), the granite chairs blend in with the building so the point they look like normal sitting objects. Yet, something’s not quite right with them, and they don’t appear to complement the architecture of the building as much as they playfully disrupt it. Burton created a work of subtle oppositions, where the naturally flowing granite is confined to the brutal geometry of right angles. Where students can functionally use the piece as a place to sit, though it’s not exactly the most comfortable piece of furniture in the world. Once the viewer begins to realize this slight discrepancy in the building, a close inspection of Burton’s work reveals its true power as a sculpture. The artwork effectively toys with our conception of what sculpture is, and how we perceive the “ordinary” objects around us. Eric Nelsen — Ancient Life Symbols (1975) Inspired by Japanese pottery and sculpture, Nelsen is a Vashon island based artist who creates ornamental tile work. His pieces on campus, located in various spots of the Environmental Building, symbolize aspects of nature and the environment around us. Their place of residence, then, makes total sense. The textured, brightly colored works burst with overlapping triangles, beetle-like forms and splintered geometry. In each tile there’s a relationship to the natural world, showcasing a powerful connection that math and nature and art all share.
Norman Warsinske — Wall Relief (1962) Located on the West side of the Humanities building, Warsinske’s “Wall Relief ” was installed to add a sense of vibrancy to the otherwise drab architecture that adorns the building. Inspired by African hex signs yet self described as a “growth form”, the bronze sculpture almost looks like a painting on the wall. However, the shallow relief gives a delicate sense of depth to a largely flat work of art. Though most hex symbols serve the purpose of warding off malevolent spirits, Warsinske wanted the piece to signal something lighter and more hopeful. It does indeed add a flash of vibrancy to one of the most plain buildings on campus, but its size and placement give it the power to blend in a little too much. In other words, it’s easy to miss when you’re frantically running to class.
Mia Westerlund Roosen — Flank II (1978) One of the most ardently minimalist pieces on campus, Roosen’s “Flank II” blends in so well with the surroundings that many students don’t even recognize it as a work of art. The piece now rests alongside the walkway by Parks Hall across from the Comm Lawn, where its hardline geometry clashes with the low grass. Made out of copper and concrete stucco, the triangular shape invites the viewer to create their own meaning. Instead of subjecting itself to political or cultural analysis, the work asks the passerby “What does this make you feel? And why?” It’s a tried and true piece of minimalism that feels like an accomplishment to first locate and then think about.
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TOP: Bigger Big Chair (2004-2007) by David Ireland BOTTOM LEFT: Wall Relief (1962) by Norman Warsinke BOTTOM RIGHT: Flank II (1978) by Mia Westerlund Roosen Josh Hughes // AS Review
George Trakas — Bay View Station (1987) Last on this list is the best place to sit and take in the Bellingham Bay throughout all of Western’s campus. Trakas’ “Bay View Station”, located on the West side of the PAC and below the main square connecting the PAC and VU, is a permanent urban work that revolves entirely around its interaction with people. A series of walkways and benches that bleed into each other, the sculpture brings a playful twist on the social environment of an outdoor, public space. The placement of wooden benches that also function as walkways intends to make people run into each other and interact. The metal ramp below the main section of the station was installed because Trakas saw it as a “natural walkway” that was being eroded by human traffic. In his work, sculpture and interaction go hand in hand, where architecture can mimic the environment and create an inclusive space for social events. It’s a masterfully quiet piece for taking up such a grand amount of space. As with everything else on this list, it can be easy to overlook, especially in an environment we’re already so used to. If nothing more, this selection of sculptures invites you to go look at the space, architecture, and sculpture around you and question your relationship to it. It’s oftentimes the most mundane things around us that can provide the most insight into our lives.
TOP LEFT: Garapata (1978) by John Keppelman MIDDLE LEFT: Two-Part Chairs, Right Angle Version (1987) by Scott Burton MIDDLE RIGHT: Ancient Life Symbols (1975) by Eric Nelsen. BOTTOM: Bay View Station (1987) by George Trakas Josh Hughes // AS Review
8 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Prof-ile BY GWEN FROST Name: Alejandro Acevedo-Gutierrez Position: Professor in the Department of Biology Education background: Postgraduate Researcher, University of California Santa Cruz 19982001. Ph.D., Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University 1997. Biól. Mar., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Mexico. (B.Sc. Mar. Biol.) 1989 Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico Claim to fame: Oscar Nomination, which led to the Key to the City of Tampa, because of being the 2001 Hispanic Scientist of the Year. Even now, reached out to by casting agency for a marine biology film. QUESTIONS: 1. What did you want to be when you grew up (as a kid)? A scientist. Well even as a kid, I wanted to study animals. 2. What would you sing at a karaoke night? Luna Tucumana. A song from Argentina which I really love, it’s just about the moon. 3. What are you reading right now/most recently? What’s it about? I like detective novels, so the one from the movie the Snowman. That book, it’s a Norwegian writer. It was okay, I mean I love detective novels, but the endings sometimes they bug me. I love the ones from other places because it’s just good to learn a little bit about other places. 4. Aside from necessities, what are three things you could not go a day without? You know, I lived in a tropical island in Costa Rica for my PhD without anything, and there I learned that you know, I can be without a lot of crap that I used to think I needed. So, if I did that again now, what would really be hard is just them, my family. 5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love? I’ve done a lot of stupid things, sometimes in the name of love sometimes in the name of something else… uh, one thing I proposed to my wife in the uh this is kind of embarrassing… in the hallway outside the bathroom in our house, just because I couldn’t contain myself and wait until the restaurant I was just so excited. So that was probably one of the super crazy things but at least it’s memorable, that’s for sure. We definitely walk by that place where I proposed every day. 6. What advice would you have given your college-undergrad-self? Don’t study Orcas in La Paz. That is practice-specific advice. Because otherwise you are going to spend a year doing nothing. But, don’t be too intellectually arrogant or defensive with professors (which I was) and don’t be too annoying with classmates (which I was). 7. What is your favorite restaurant-prepared breakfast dish? I just had it for my birthday and my wife made it. Harris street makes a good one, the benedict eggs with smoked salmon.
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Sex and the mid-size university A special report from “The Sex Ed You Wish You Had” BY GWEN FROST
“Hi! I’m Cy, I use they/them pronouns, and I’m here to talk about fucking,” starts our speaker, breaking the bubble of tension in a room full of adults not ready to make eye contact with the butt-plugs in front of them. This Thursday January 18 at 6 p.m., Cy, from Seattle-based Babeland sex toy store, led a workshop about sex, intimacy and sexual health! Titled “The Sex Ed You Wish You Had,” the event was put on by the Womxn’s Identity Resource Center, and co-sponsored by the AS Disability Outreach Center and the AS Queer Resource Center. Babeland was queer founded in 1993 and has been queer run out of Capitol Hill in Seattle for over 25 years. The sex toy industry is a purely unregulated industry, said Cy, deemed “novelty only.” As a pleasure-based sex educator, Cy emphasized the importance about keeping yourself safe in an unregulated industry, and how to tell if a toy is safe for bodies. When Cy opened up the question of what sex is, one audience member clarified it as “more than just penis-in-vagina intercourse.” Another said “it’s up to you to decide what sex is. It’s like Art.” Sex may be different for all of us, but healthy, consensual sex (or not having sex) can make us all individually feel empowered. But “what empowering feels like to you at 16, versus 25, versus 45, versus 65 are very different things,” clarified Cy. They explained how there should be no “shoulds” with sex; no one should be having sex, no one should do something differently, no one should be heterosexual. The notion that “‘you’re not a good feminist if you don’t like sex’ is false,” said Cy. Sex positivity doesn’t necessarily correlate to sexual activity. If you’re having polyamorous, everywhere, or everyday sex, that’s amazing. But it doesn’t make you more sex positive than someone who also has a healthy relationship with sex but chooses to focus on different kinds of expressing that for themselves. “We’re fucking in the 21st century and it’s a beautiful time to be fucking,” Cy said. 28 percent of the internet is porn, and porn can be a good visual aid for figuring out what we like and don’t like. As for ethically consuming porn, Cy said “sex work is real work. Paying for porn is one way to do reinforce that.” Others tools include erotica (Literotica.com), and masturbating. But what about when we add another party into the picture? “There’s a cultural pressure we put on ourselves once we’re in the bedroom,” Cy said. One way to alleviate this pressure with a partner is having a talk with whoever you’re intimate with, and
making a list for you and your partner(s) to write down sexual activities that you would “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” try. This is a useful tool for starting dialogue about boundaries, opportunities, and bringing new things into the bedroom. Bad at dirty talk? Practice makes… less-bad! One tool they suggested was practicing your dirty lines with household chores. Dishes, vacuums, mops… Commanding or gentle, your style of dirty-talk can be developed through erotica, practice, self-application, and more. Also, dirty talk can have a really beautiful union with asking for consent, because it aids in communication. Saying what you want to do to someone before you do it, and then asking them if they want you to do it, and then asking them if they’re sure… there is some overlap here. Though I won’t say advocate for the notion that “consent is sexy” as a reason you should ask for consent, incorporating consent into the way you behave sexually doesn’t mean you have to break the tension. It might even help build it. “Our earlobes actually get engorged with blood when we get turned on,” Cy said. This led to topics of the lack of engorgement that can occur, commonly with alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and a blood-thinner, sometimes eliciting in penis-having people what some call “whiskey dick.” However, vulvas also experience alcohol inhibition, which is less culturally known. Vulvas have difficult attaining and sustaining wetness due to a lack of blood flow to the vulva, which, normally, functionally triggers wetting of the vagina during arousal. Both can be circumvented by gentle massage, and applying and relieving pressure. Further on our anatomy exploration, Cy told us that the clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings, and is the only organ in the entire human body purposed purely for pleasure. Vibrators were passed round, “come-hither” motions demonstrated, and pegging was demonstrated with anal dildos. “The G-spot is always shallower than you think it is,” said Cy. And for people with prostates, you’ll know when you find the prostate because “you’ll be like ‘what is this walnut doing here?’” “What is a good way to clean out the anus before anal?” asked one audience member. Cy offered douching, which involves taking a turkey-baster filled with one-quarter to one-half cups of lukewarm water, then pushing the water up the anus two times. Then, wait 45 minutes, and do it one more time (this waiting is important).
Cont. page 11
ESC celebrates MLK with the art of resistance BY JULIA BERKMAN
Freshman Michaela Budde (right) and freshman Megan Raventos (left) paint at the ESC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Resistance Through Art event, Tuesday, Jan. 16. Hailey Hoffman // AS Review The Ethnic Student Center isn’t always a serious, heavy space. Many students of color who visit see it as a place to relax- but that doesn’t make it any less radical. Senior Maria José Palacios Figueroa believes that the act of relaxation, in itself, is revolutionary for people of color. That’s why she found herself at the ESC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Resistance Through Art event. The ESC provided the paint and canvases, but the five attendees provided a mix of conversation that flowed from rapper Cardi B’s college career to activist Maru Mora Villalpando’s notice to appear in immigration court. As the Spotify playlist Café con Leche played in the background, Palacios Figueroa told me that she felt that the act of making art is both self-care and resistance. On a day to remember and celebrate MLK, she felt that any form of resistance could be tied back to the work of Dr. King. “MLK and resistance are impossible to separate… MLK was definitely a believer of the body as political, and the voice as political- and understanding that there is no exit from that, you can’t stand apart from opinions and politics,” Palacios Figueroa said. “I think all art is political, whether that is a conscious intention or not,” she continued. Freshman Michaela Budde was also there to relax and resist. Her painting depicted the Statue of Liberty, a Muslim woman and a Mexican girl holding a sign that read, “No Borders No Walls.”
“I think one of the things we can do to remember MLK and what he did are the photos that show the beginning of this resistance that goes on today,” she said. Palacios Figueroa believes that self-care and relaxation are privileges not often afforded to people of color in the United States. “Relaxing is a luxury, and the way the United States is structured, it’s so that POC (people of color) can’t thrive. Relaxing is a sign of thriving,” she said. I asked her if she was thriving. “I don’t know if today. I think I’m fluctuating near there. If you ask me near the end of the quarter, I don’t know if I’m going to be quite as close,” she said with a laugh. Palacios Figueroa, Budde and the rest of the participants painted in the ESC for more than an hour. Their paintings depicted images of hope, like a butterfly or a woman with natural hair. Their conversation filled the ESC’s space- a space that was not handed to them. “If you look at the history of the ESC, it wasn’t something that was given, it was something students had to fight for. Students are still fighting for it currently with the creation of the new Multicultural Center,” Palacios Figueroa said. She continued, “We carved out this space for ourselves where we can come in and create community, and its powerful to say ‘Actually, this isn’t enough. We want more’ and to fight for a new space.”
10 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Western MLK Day speaker asks “Why aren’t there more black people in Oregon?” The short answer is racism BY JOSH HUGHES
On January 16 at 7 p.m., educator, writer, public scholar and spoken word artist Walidah Imarisha gave a talk at Western. Entitled “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History,” her hour and a half long lecture touched on the darker side of the PNW’s racial history. Bringing in discussion about gentrification, ingrained racism, and “long memory”, as she called it, Imarisha explained why it’s not only important, but necessary to talk about race in contemporary culture. Associate English Professor Allison Giffen opened up the evening by addressing President Trump’s most recent racist remarks, this time directed at Haiti. She intended not to single out Trump as an outlier to American presidency, but to establish a lineage of racism that has persisted since the formation of the country. “I’d like to offer some more racist remarks from Thomas Jefferson,” said Giffen. She then recited a disturbing statement in which the third President of the United States described African Americans as “inferior in faculties of reason”. She then went on to quote equally hateful excerpts from the likes of Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge. The message was loud and clear: white supremacy has been deeply ingrained in the American government and Presidency since its inception. Giffen also talked about how faculty need to listen to the student body to be able to change racial issues that exist at Western. She concluded her introduction to Imarisha’s lecture by calling for action and change in a culture that oftentimes merely voices opinions and beliefs about racial injustice over social media. After a performance by WWU Student A Capella Club, Imarisha took the stage to roaring applause. She introduced her lecture by explaining that we can’t begin to understand the places that we live in without original context. As a specialist in the history of race, identity and power relations in Oregon, Imarisha showed a statistic that in 2015, black babies in Oregon were 35 percent more likely to die as infants than white babies. She also pulled up an article from The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) stating that racism can cause PTSD similar to that of soldiers after war. She prefaced with these tragic realities of the contemporary world to explain the significance of accepting the ugly parts of our history. She talked about how, to truly eradicate injustice, as a culture we need to address this “long memory” and its implications for race relations today. “Racism is an American condition. Even though it looks different in different places, the brutal mechanisms of control are often the same,” Imarisha said. This forwarded a historical analysis of Oregon territory as a racist, white utopian state. While Oregon never adopted slavery, Imarisha pointed out that its origin is just as hateful as anywhere in the South. Government acts such as the Black Exclusion Laws, Peter Burnett’s Lash Law and the advent of “Sundown Towns” position the inception of Oregon as inherently and malevolently racist. “We tell so many simplistic racial myths in history,” she said, talking about the important distinction between anti-slavery and anti-black. While Oregon territory was certainly the former, didn’t mean it was the latter. In fact, when Oregon became a state in 1859, it was the only state in the union with a black exclusion law in its constitution. Imarisha pointed out that it wasn’t until 2001 that the racist language of the constitution was amended (though the law had obviously changed much earlier).
Western takes Olympia
1.22. 2018 •11
BY HAILEY MURPHY
Annual lobby day forces legislators to listen
While many of us were enjoying our three day weekend and honoring Martin Luther King Jr., a group of 80 students traveled to Olympia for Western Lobby Day. Lobby Day is a yearly event in which students meet with legislators to lobby on a number of important issues. These This blunt, ugly history of Oregon territory (the PNW) served as a backdrop for issues are chosen by the Legislative Affairs Council, a comImarisha to talk about the current state of racism in the Northwest. She talked about mittee that works all fall quarter long to draft the legislative the dreaded g-word (gentrification) by suggesting that it is an inevitable component of a agenda. capitalist system. ““We brainstorm within the committee, and then we She also talked about the longstanding absence of people of color living in Oregon, write proposals, which are a couple of pages long and are which can be traced back to the black exclusion laws. These multi-generations-old laws pretty in-depth,” said Ana Ramirez, ASVP for Governmenprovided a basis for gentrification in Portland, suggesting that gentrification is not an tal Affairs and chair of the LAC. “[Then] we take our proisolated system that has occurred in the last few decades. posals and vote on them as a committee on what we would “Over-policing and gentrification go hand in hand,” said Imarisha, explaining that citlike to see, if we would like to approve those proposals so ies attempt to “clean up” areas undergoing gentrification by taking people off the streets. they can turn into agenda items. Once those proposals She talked about how Portland is talked about as both a “model for urban planning, are finished, we write the little paragraphs and the bullet and a model for gentrification in the country.” She suggested that it’s only in Portland’s points on the paper copy of the agenda that we hand out to second wave of gentrification, where middle class white people are pushed out by upper legislators.” class white people, that the topic gets taken seriously. This year’s agenda items included increasing civic Imarisha ended her lecture by saying that we mustn’t give up hope in ending racial ineducation in K-12, offering support for survivors of sexual justice, but that we must be educated of the unglorified past to make a difference going assault, granting more financial support for undocumented onward. It’s the centuries-old iterations of racism that allow for institutional racism to students, taking away barriers that prevent people from take place today, so we must look to the past to find ways to sustain a better future. voting, improving sexual education in K-12, increasing the “I think it’s important to talk about black history, especially up here because we often revenue that goes towards higher education and allowing hear about the South or the East, but not from the aspect of the Northwest,” said Westunionization for undergraduate employees. ern student Shaneen Walter-Edwards, responding to the lecture. Lobby Day attendees were trained on each inTo Imarisha, it’s necessary to uncover nationwide racism and its various mechanisms dividual agenda item a day prior to the meetings, as well of control that have created such an atmosphere for people of color in America today. as given packets of information to help them succeed, according to LAC member Jevne Meyers. After the initial training, students got into groups of three to four to prepare their presentations. “This year I was asked to be a group leader, which was both fun and a wonderful learning experience,” said Meyers. “I mostly encouraged my group to organize their presentations thoughtfully and take note of the items they had a personal interest in. Lobbying is effective when a person is genuine about the topic at hand.” On Lobby Day itself, students attended about four meetings with legislators, according to Ramirez. These meetings lasted from fifteen to thirty minutes, and it was during those meetings that students urged lawmakers to incite change in the state. Students lobbied for a tuition freeze, for an increase in the estate tax, for more specialized personnel to deal
with sexual violence and for the right of undocumented students to work on college campuses regardless of their DACA status. For K-12 education, lobbyists advocated for comprehensive sexual education that’s less heteronormative and civics education that encourages engagement from younger generations. “I do have a special spot in my heart for civics education, because in my senior year of high school, I took a civics class– because it was required– and that’s where I found out that you only have to be a U.S. citizen for 7 years to be a congressperson,” said Ramirez. “And when I found that out, I decided that’s what I [wanted] to do.” Legislators seemed to be rather responsive to these issues. “The legislators and their staff who I met with seemed very interested in civics education and Voter Rights & Access, which kind of go hand in hand. They all agreed it’s important for younger demographics to be educated on government & hopefully want to become more politically engaged later on,” said Meyers. In fact, legislators have been rather responsive to Western’s Lobby Day in the past. According to Ramirez, their lobbying for a fully-funded state need grant, despite not being implemented, resulted in almost seven hundred more Washington students receiving the grant. Additionally, Western received a million dollars for initiatives that’ll improve student success, such as expanding the counseling center, the tutoring center, academic advising and more. But even when legislators aren’t responsive, not all is lost. Meyers says that every meeting is a step forward. “Even legislators who are very skeptical of certain agenda items turn out to be great learning experiences,” said Meyers. “They enjoy letting you know why they take the stance they do, which better informs us for how to adjust our agenda or even how to move forward with promoting that item. I guess overall, lobbying is all about knowing your audience and also having a tuned perception of the meeting’s tone as you go along.” While the future of current agenda items is uncertain, what’s certain is that Western Lobby Day has and will continue to make changes for students. In fact, according to Ramirez, Western has the biggest day of all the universities. “[Western’s] continuous involvement in Olympia and the way students represent our school stands out,” said Meyers.
Sex cont. Walidah Imarisha spoke in the PAC on Tuesday, Jan. 16 as part of western’s MLK Day celebration. Hailey Hoffman // AS Review.
Also for anal, the topic of lube slid in. “Lube is like wine, some people care a lot, some people care a little,” Cy said. Water, silicone and oil based lubes are the three types. . Babeland doesn’t even
carry oil-based lubes however, for a myriad of reasons, including that oil can be hard to ‘clear out’ for people with vulvas, which leads to increasing likelihood of yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis. Sil-
icone lube was recommended for easing shower sex, and water-based for sex toys. Get safe, get talking, get educated, and god, get fucking.
Back to the sandbox: art and radical pedagogy BY JOSH HUGHES
A new exhibit features in the Western Gallery this quarter: “Back To The Sandbox — Art and Radical Pedagogy.” Focusing on the theme of education in our current society, the artists in the exhibit use a variety of mediums to express ideas about freedom and discipline in the academic system. “The aim is not only to draw attention to the vital role of education and to the challenges of reform, but also to introduce new perspectives on learning and creativity with potential new educational models in mind.” reads the exhibit description. Curated by previous artistic director of the DOX Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, Jaroslav Anděl, the exhibition will run through March 17 with an array of related events and receptions throughout the coming months. On Saturday, January 27, 2018, artist Luis Camnitzer will lead an International Summit on Art and Radical Pedagogy in the PAC Concert Hall. Related specifically to the exhibit, Camnitzer and a group of panelists will address different approaches they use in education based art projects. Starting at 9 a.m. and going until 5 p.m., the full day event is open to all with no cost. Those who plan to attend, however, must RSVP online at https://cfpa.wwu.edu/event/art-and-radical-pedagogy-international-summit. Additionally, an opening breakfast reception and bagged lunch from the VU will be provided to all attendees. Other people involved with the event include exhibit curator Anděl, Lummi language teacher William John, Fairhaven Assistant Professor of Performance Art Andrew Brown and artist Eva Bakkeslett, among many others. Secondly, the Western Gallery will host a reception for the exhibit on January 24 at 5 p.m. inside the gallery. Attendance is free, and refreshments will be provided. The Western Gallery, Fine Arts 124, is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
AS Review Lecture Class Bingo Only men talk
Showing off tangential knowledge
Hot dude turns out to be business major and “just taking this for university requirements” Person who shouts out in class and everybody laughed the first time, so they do it all the time now
“I don’t support expensive textbooks” (Requires $80 book)
Professor halts class for 10 minutes to Google something
Shitting your pants
Youtube auto-plays next video without professor realizing
Professor reminds everyone that studies show handwritten notes increase memory
Finding out you didn’t really need to buy the book after you already have
Free Space (Mansplaining)
“I’m not sure if this is what you’re talking about...” and then talks for 5 minutes
Professor brings up weed
Student in back row Someone name drops tries to argue with the a relative professor
“Just to play devil’s advocate”
Student brings up weed
Texting in the front row
“Well, actually”
On Facebook
Student takes a long time telling a story just to express an unoriginal thought.
“Will this be on the exam?”
Someone with hand raised while people talk unprompted
Someone plays video with sound on their phone
“I just think it’s interesting that”
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