As Review 10.23.17 by ASWWU

“By students, for Students.”

Exclusive interview with “screaming art major” Pg. 4 ESC archives reveal history Pgs. 6 -7 Culture is not a costume Pg. 11

Vol. 33 #5 10.23.17

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Cover photo by Hailey Hoffman // AS Review

IN THIS ISSUE 4 Q&A with Bostrom artist 6 ESC History An exclusive interview.

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

10 A guide to what

you shouldn’t do When in doubt, just dress up like Pennywise.

Learn about how the ESC came to be.

11 Spooky Bellingham

Check out all of the eerie events going on in Bellingham meant to scare you silly.

8 #metoo

The hashtag that’s taking social media by storm and the underlying issues it brings with it.

12 Halloween Trivia How well do you know your Halloween origin trivia? Flip to the back to find out!

© 2017. 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.

Correction: In our last issue the article “Neoliberalism 101” lacked a byline. It was written by Julia Berkman. Our apologies to Julia, and to her parents, our most loyal readers.

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

Erasmus Baxter Kira Stussy Hailey Hoffman Josh Hughes Gwen Frost Julia Berkman Hailey Murphy

Adviser Jeff Bates

Industrial Technologies major Andrew Johnson enjoys the last rays of sunshine by throwing a fast-catch boomerang on the Old Main lawn. Photo by Hailey Hoffman // AS Review

10.23.2017 • 3

EVENTS Viking Jam Oct. 25 // 7-9 p.m. // WECU Court at carver Gym // Free Come celebrate the mens and womens basketball team by going to this event. There will be contests, performances by the WWU Cheer and Dances teams, prizes and more. The pre-party starts at 6 p.m.

Wednesday Night Concert Series: Bad Luck with Dawn bombs Oct. 25 // 7-9 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free Bad Luck and Dawn Bombs will be performing at the Underground Coffeehouse. So grab a cup of coffee, kick back and listen to some sweet tunes.

Local Elections: Candidate Forum Oct. 25 // 6-8 p.m. // Academic West 210 // Free The AS REP office is hosting a candidate forum right here on campus to provide the opportunity for students to learn more about who they will be voting for. This is a by students, for students event and the questions the candidates will be asked will be relevant to student issues. For more information, check out the event Facebook page.

Movie Night #1: Stephen King’s 1998 IT Oct. 26 // 6-9 p.m.// Underground Coffeehouse // Free

If you are terrified off clowns, then beware! The comfy couches of the Underground Coffeehouse can only provide with so much solace from the thrills of the original IT movie.

Top Ten Records: Oct. 8-14

Fall Harvest Jubilee Oct. 26// 4-7 p.m.// Outback Farm // Free

A Moment Apart ODESZA

Crack-Up Fleet Foxes

Good Nature Turnover

Antisocialites Alvvays

Brick Body’s Kids Still Daydream Open Mike Eagle

Emerging Adulthood Dan Croll

Saturn Over Sunset Midnight Sister

Michael J. Dumas is Western alumni who is currently an assistant professor at UC Berkley. He will be talking about refusing Antiblackness and this events is open to the public.

Across the Multiverse Dent May

Boo Boo Toro Y Moi

Nightmare on High Street

Join the fun at the Outback Farm. There will be live music, games, food and more!

Sunset Kayaking Oct. 26 // 4:30-8:30 p.m. // Meet at VU 150 // $30 All-levels kayaking trip. Come and enjoy the chill waters of Bellingham Bay. The deadline to sign up is 4 p.m. the day of.

Michael J. Dumas’ “Running Out of Damns to Give”: Justice Speaks Series Oct. 26 // 6 p.m. // Miller Hall 138 // Free

Oct. 27 // 7-11 p.m. // MPR // $3 with Student ID Don’t miss this spooky event. Come by the MPR for games, pumpkin craving, refreshments and more.

Concordia Happy Hollows 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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Q&A with student from viral Bostrom video

BY GWEN FROST

In Spring quarter 2017, an anonymous Western student performed her art piece in the middle of Red Square to the encouragement and dismay of many onlookers. She spent almost three minutes screaming at pro-trump sign holder and current City Council candidate Eric Bostrom, who had yet to announce his campaign at that time. For years Bostrom has stood in Red Square and downtown Bellingham holding signs condemning gay people. She walked back and forth screaming a wordless kind of shriek, and pulling items from her purse. Bostrom recorded part of the piece and posted it to Facebook, titling it “SCREAMING ART MAJOR GOES NUTS (ON PURPOSE) OVER TRUMP BANNER AT W.W.U. BELLINGHAM.” The video soon had thousands of hits, and almost 2,000 comments. Now months later, the AS Review sits down with the protester (she asked to remain anonymous) to get answers to our questions.

sideline and it’d get a handful of views. I didn’t expect wass-his-name…I didn’t expect him to be such an excellent filmographer. And to be honest, I didn’t expect such an invasion of privacy as pursuant to the Washington state statute RCW 42.56.050, but, whatever. Q: How did having it be filmed affect the project itself, in your opinion? A: That’s a good question. I was committed nonetheless, but I guess all of a sudden knowing that the camera was there, becoming aware of a possible series of persons viewing my pain and soul cry, prompted me to commit at an even deeper level. I’ll have to think about that some more. Q: If you could summarize the art piece in 10 words or less, what would you say? A: I would use Dwayne Michael Carter’s words (to be a tad bit funny, yes, but also to be precise), “tell that bitch give me my space like telescope.” Q: What kind of response did you receive online? Q: What prompted you to do this piece? A: Oh horrible, horrible responses. The worst. I was threatened on A: I was struck by the violence of this man’s act, his repeated act, and the numerous occasions. It was said I should be raped or lynched, along with nonchalance in which it was received. His aberrant behavior was normalcalls to action for people to find where I live. Oh yeah, and to find me and ized. I unnormalized it. shoot me, etc. Also, I would say calling it an art piece is a reductive act in and of itself. Q: Were you worried that people might think there was some danger, It was not art. I would call it non-art. or that you were in harm’s way by screaming? Q: How long did you think about it before you did it? Was it impulA: I wasn’t worried. sive? Q: What did the thing you were smashing symbolize to you? A: It was not impulsive. I thought about it, years, cosmic bric-a-brac… A: That was cocoa butter. I was just pulling things out of my purse. I keep Q: What exactly happened, in your account? a small stick of cocoa butter to moisturize my lips and sometimes under A: The best thing in the world. In the words of Schopenhauer: “Talent my eyes. hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see.” Q: Eric Bostrom won 18 percent of the county’s vote in the most The student poses in Red recent city hall election. What do you make of this? Q: I’m sure you’ve seen the video Bostrom posted on his facebook Square, Oct. 19. Photo that ended up having over 335,000 views. Did you expect someone to A: I don’t know, fuck everything. by Hailey Hoffman // AS tape it and to possibly have a viral reaction? Q: If you could say one thing to Bostrom, what would it be? Review A: No. I figured, at best, someone might shoot a little video from the A: Stop following me.

AS Board of Directors meeting: Thursday Oct. 12, 2017 BY HAILEY MURPHY

Queer Experience Targeted Event Proposal The Queer Resource Center (QRC) requested permission for their event auditions be exclusively for queer and trans identifying students. All Associated Students events that are targeted towards a specific group must be approved by the AS Board. Queer Experience is an annual event put on by the QRC. Each year, the QRC casts about 10 performers. They spend a month attending workshops with the rest of the cast. Then, they perform through a variety of mediums, drawing on their experiences from that month. To help students claim their intersectional identities, the QRC believes the performers need to be queer. That way, they’ll create a space for intersectional identities not currently accessible AS President Simrun Chabra’s on campus. gavel at the AS Board of Directors Additionally, QRC is making a change to the event. As meeting last Tuesday. Photo by opposed to a single culminating performance, there will be an exhibition held in the fine art building’s gallery. The gallery will Hailey Hoffman // AS Review feature paintings and drawings, as well as a varieties of performance art. The last piece of the proposal was the casting call, requested to be on Nov. 30, 2017, with the experience taking place over winter quarter.

AS Consultant for Governmental Affairs Position Description On Aug. 17, 2017, the AS Board of Directors passed a motion with majority to appoint Ana Ramirez as AS Consultant for Governmental Affairs, an unpaid position. They also passed a motion to create a subcommittee. The AS President would decide who to put on the committee and outline the committee positions. Ramirez was elected as the ASVP for Governmental Affairs but has been prevented from assuming her position due to a lack of work authorization. The Oct. 12 motion was a vote to approve the position description for AS Consultant for Governmental Affairs, so that Ramirez may begin consulting with the AS Board. The position description outlines that there’s no monetary compensation, and that only the seven members of the AS Board of Directors can vote. Therefore, the Consultant for Governmental Affairs does not have the power to vote. The motion was put forth by Alex LaVallee, ASVP for Business & Operations. It passed with a majority vote, officially creating the new position.

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“Students of color need a place to go”

Revisiting how the ESC came to be, over 25 years later

BY HAILEY MURPHY

ast summer, the Ethnic Student Center underwent a cleaning project– and in the process, dug up relics from ESC’s past. In the storage closet were boxes full of archives, including event portfolios, posters and club founding documents. For a moment, ESC members took a glimpse into the past, and got a grasp on the lives of those who made ESC what it is today. amilla Meija, ESC Culture Education Coordinator, was involved in the cleaning project. Along with ESC Program Coordinator Maria Perez de Henderson and other ESC students she organized the records for the Uni-

versity Archives and Records Center. During this process, Meija came across lots of neat items. She saw how the Oceanic Student Association went through a shift in identity, formerly being known as Hui’ O Hawai’i. She saw Black Students Union’s founding document from 1969, which was the only means of organization for students of color at the time. A personal favorite of hers was a packet full of meeting agendas. These agendas detailed conversations about how the Ethnic Student Center would be implemented, where the funding would come from and who would lead ESC. “It was really relatable. We’re here. Students of color– we’re still here on this campus and we’re still doing events,” said Camilla. “A lot of the events that students and ESC clubs put on are a continuation of old events.” he ESC held it’s grand opening on May 21, 1991. Viking Union 109 was filled with students across various ethnic organizations. The ESC had ordered enough coffee and cookies for 60 people. It wasn’t nearly enough for the turnout that night. This grand opening was a statement. It showed the need for students of diverse backgrounds to have a common place to come together. It showed that MEChA president Salvador Martin began a support would be availsit-in in President Mortimer’s office was to get a able for these students. space for the ESC. This photo ran with a 1991 Most of all, it showed The Western Front article about issues with an that the Ethnic Student Center had arrived, and AS VP for Activities. ESC Archives

it was here to stay. efore that night, the only common meeting place for students of color was the Multicultural Center, and it wasn’t even an official space. It was meant to be an office where students could go for support or resources. It was only when students encountered one another at the Multicultural Center that it became a hangout spot for minority students. At the time, Western’s student body was almost completely white. So when students of color found each other, it was only natural that they started gathering at the Multicultural Center. These were the people who could most relate to their campus experiences. The Multicultural Center accommodated as best they could. They got a couch and installed a refrigerator. Yet there were space limitations, so students had to squeeze into their lounge. “The Multicultural Center was more of a drop-in advising kind of place,” said Michelle Vendiola, president of the Native American Student Union (NASU) when ESC was founded. “It’s in a location where the Scholarship Center is now… It’s super small. There’s only room for two offices, and although we were few on campus, that’s where we migrated to. We found each other there. So we ended up starting to hang out there and crowding in. “What was good about it is that there were files stored there that used to be stored in the VU– records of past club activities from the 70’s,” Vendiola continued. These files were from four former clubs: Black Student Union, American Indian Student Union, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) and Asian American Student Union. They operated on the fourth floor of the VU throughout the 70’s. That is, until the clubs were no longer a priority for the university and they lost their office space.

However, when students found these files from over a decade earlier, they saw a new opportunity. The clubs were renewed, and the Multicultural Center became their office. Yet the problem remained; these students needed more space. This led to the creation of the Ethnic Student Alliance, comprised of the five ethnic club presidents: Salvadore Martin from MEChA, Cinque Finnie from the Black Student Union, Iaonnis from International Club, Michelle Vendiola (then Michelle George) from NASU

Martin stayed put, understanding that he had a right to occupy the public space. “Then the next day we all joined him in the office, and asked allies to join in, and asked as many people to crowd into the office as possible...That’s when we first got the attention of the president,” said Vendiola. This was a pivotal moment in the creation of the ESC, when students started gaining momentum. The alliance then heard about upcoming VU renovations, and knew this was

passed of intense negotiation and budget hurdles before the center was finally complete. he ESC’s presence would helpmake a difference in the following years. Between the fall of 1990 and 1991, only nine new students of color enrolled at Western; between the fall of 1992 and 1993, 142 new students of color enrolled. Attendance of the annual ESC Conference rose from 55 in 1991 to 130 in 1994 More clubs joined the ESC, including the Khmer Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, Mixed Identity Student Organization and more. In 1995, the ASVP for Diversity was created as a link between ESC and the AS Board of Directors. In 1998, Initiative 200 was passed, ending affirmative action for Washington students. However, in 2009, Western reinstated an affirmative action policy to help students who may have difficulty accessing higher education. hen the ESC began operating, less than 9 percent of students at Western were of color. Today, it’s over 25 percent. The ESC surely contributed to this increase, in one way or another. These numbers can attest to progress they’ve An AS Review article about the ESC helped initiate. What it can’t measure, from the opening. ESC Archives however, are the lives impacted by the ESC. “Many of the students– most all “There’s a high population of ESC of them who graduate– say they just alumni that have gone into education, wouldn’t have been able to make it whether it’s K-12 or higher ed; rethrough Western if they hadn’t been cruitment, student affairs, teachers... involved in the ESC,”said Vendiola. “I [They’re] really service oriented stuthink that’s probably the most redents and community leaders,” Michael warding thing I’ve ever heard as far as Vendiola, an ESC founding student and getting this done.” former coordinator said. The ESC has done so much more ow, 26 years after its founding, than diversify campus. Its affirmed the the ESC has come full circle. identity of students. It’s taught students As a result of student demands, the how to lead their community. It’s inVU will be undergoing a renovation. spired students to pay it forward. This project will create a new space for

A photograph of the original 1991 ESC members that ran with an AS Review 15 year retrospective. ESC Archives and Jessica Lee from the Asian-American/Pacific Islander Student Union. The Alliance gained the support of faculty and students. Meetings were held. Yet no progress was made. ne day, Salvadore Martin decided to make a change. He went to President Mortimer’s office, with a pile of books and a sign that read: students of color need a place to go. There he sat for the rest of the day, studying with his sign beside him. When told to leave,

the perfect chance to claim their own space. They approached the AS Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees asking that funds be allocated to create an Ethnic Student Center. Students attended budget hearings, held marches and drafted an official proposal. After one year of work, students of color finally received funding for the creation of the center. By January of 1989 a committee was created to assist with the planning. Another two years

opening from 1991 with a photo

students of color to come together. Just like in 1991, students have demanded that their voices be heard– and again, they have won the victory they deserve. For anyone interested in seeing the history of the Ethnic Student Center, you can visit the Goltz-Murray Archive Building across the street from Buchanan Towers. To make an appointment, email University.Archives@wwu. edu

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Take action with WSA! What is the Washington Statewide Day of Action for Voting Rights? BY GWEN FROST A historical timeline of voting rights history was displayed throughout the Miller hall collaborative space on Oct. 17. Western was among many Universities across Washington state that participated in the Statewide Day of Action for Voting Rights. Organized by the Washington Student Association (WSA), this statewide event had goals to both increase WSA visibility and base on campus, as well as building momentum for Get Out The Vote (according to WSA’s website). The AS offices co-hosting the event held it from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., inviting students to browse a timeline of the history of voting rights, with content warning of references to “slavery, racism, sexism, ableism, colonization, xenophobia, & state violence.” Zines were provided to offer digestible facts in pocket-sized form. Literacy tests provided to The timeline was organized by large posters set around attempt. Photo by Hailey the space on table and floor throughout the room. The Hoffman // AS Review timeline began in 1800, the year the first voter registration law was passed in the U.S. (in Massachusetts). The timeline stated on this year “voter registration began as an explicit method of disenfranchisement (i.e. to be intentionally deprived the rights of citizenship) which was used to stop immigrants from voting.” Literacy tests were provided, with a sign daring passer-bys to see if they could pass a literacy test. The Alabama Literacy tests are from 1963, a year before the “Freedom

Summer” where thousands of civil rights activists converged in the south to defend the right to vote uninhibited for black folks. The Freedom Summer participants advocated to end the racially biased and disproportionately distributed literacy test, but were met with violence by both the state and white citizens. UC San Diego professor Nathan Fletcher administered a Louisiana literacy test to his students in 2017, and not one student was able to pass it, while 85 percent weren’t even able to complete the test in the standard 10-minute time limit (according to the San Diego Union Tribune). The timeline included the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, as well the 1985 U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the constitutionality of felony disenfranchisement. In 2017, 6.1 million people in America cannot vote due to a felony conviction, according to the timeline. While disenfranchisement still occurs, measures like the 1993 the National Voter Registration Act exist, which resulted in 9 million new registered voters due to increased accessibility of registration. Washington state had a 78.76 percent voter turnout in the 2016 primary according to the WA Secretary of State, compared to the lower 58 percent of general U.S. turnout. Though Washington is doing fairly well in voter turnout comparatively, Western’s own turnout in school election voting has been staggeringly low. “With ‘civic engagement’- a lot of students are intimidated by that phrase,” said organizer Emma Bigongiari. But civic engagement is really an umbrella term, I learned. There are a lot of forms of civic engagement, like creating art, protesting, calling representatives, etc. Said Bigongiari: civic engagement “is anything you’re trying to do to make your community more equitable.” The event also had a hand-made photo booth to snap a pic with at the end of the timeline.

AS Board of Directors meeting: Thursday Oct. 19, 2017 The Oct. 19 AS Board meeting began at 8:14 am, offering a public forum in the morning where comments from the public section are given the floor. There were none this day from the public. There was an approved a document for the AS Project Manager, as well as “A Resolution in Support of DACAmented Students.” This resolution listed an effort towards committing to offer more services to undocumented workers on campus, as well as declaring support for undocumented students currently enrolled at Western. A proposal was discussed for a possible AS Board blog or a Facebook page to get the rest of campus to get to know the board, as well as a revamping of the AS website. The Suicide Awareness Committee received funding from the counseling center to bring someone out to train facilitators to do suicide prevention on campus. The alternate transportation committee is continuing to look for ways to provide transport. Ridership has dropped since the implementation of late-night shuttles, said Annie Gordon, VP for Student Life. When it’s late

at night, it makes sense that people don’t want to utilize buses when it’s cold, solitary and possibly unsafe because of the time. Now, there is an effort to install GPS on all late-night shuttles so students can download an app to locate the bus and see when (and where) it comes. Gordon said it was projected to be low-cost, and that they have possible funds in reserves for the project. In discussing issuing a stance on Western’s gun policy (which is that guns are prohibited on campus except for law enforcement), the board decided to not issue a statement due to notions that either supporting gun policy, or supporting gun control and reform, could be a politicized and possibly partisan statement (the AS is a non-partisan organization but the AS Board can take political stances, if they are on behalf of students). The policy was not in question, but whether or not to pass a resolution reflecting a viewpoint. Tobacco and nicotine products were discussed as a topic of contention, due to some students being at a

BY GWEN FROST

health-risk due to the consistency and location of smoking spots on campus. However, as AS President Simrun Chhabra pointed out, having a smoke-free campus would mean needing to take surrounding areas into consideration (like the arboretum as a place of risk of litter or fire). When considering students who don’t feel comfortable coming to campus due to legitimate health concerns, “what are we doing to stand with them?” asked Gordon. There is already the statewide 25-foot distance law, enforced on all buildings that aren’t privately owned. In the 2014 general election, 56 percent of students voted for a smoke-free campus, and 44 percent voted against one. Only 8.8 percents of students voted (roughly 1,000 students). Also discussed, was the possibility of organizing a task-force of different opinions that could represent different interests on the subject. “We’re just getting started,” said Gordon.

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#MeToo

The hashtag that’s taking social media by storm...and the BY JULIA BERKMAN issues that come with it

Content warning: This article includes references to, and discussion of, the impact of sexual violence, assault and trauma, including words that may be triggering. Without getting too biblical, women’s pain is the foundation civilization was built on. If the #MeToo movement has you down, you’re either not a survivor, or you are and would rather not discuss it. One is understandable, the other should be a wake-up call. #MeToo was started by actress Alyssa Milano after sexual assault allegations were being stacked against Harvey Weinstein like shitty Jenga. Milano wanted other members of Hollywood elite to step up and say that they, too, had been harassed or assaulted in their lifetime. Like most hashtags, Me Too blew up. However, and probably because femmes are drowning in injustices, a movement extremely similar to #MeToo also began ten years ago. This movement, also called Me Too, was started by sexual assault counselor Tarana Burke. Burke was attempting to start a conversation between survivors rather than show men their impact, but no matter the underlying reason, #MeToo has certainly given people a lot to think about. Maja Malou Lyse, a sex-positive instagrammer, made a post late Tuesday evening discussing #MeToo and the impact it had on survivors. “Will we ever stop asking women and survivors to fix rape culture??? #MeToo does not sit right with me. It is not our responsibility to rip open our wounds and expose and publicly relive our trauma to prove the pervasiveness of our experiences, just so society finally can acknowledge there is a problem with rape culture. Bullshit,” Lyse said, “We have been screaming into a void for centuries already. For once, can we to shift the focus, pressure and emotional labor off women & survivors backs?” Other people took to Facebook to air their grievances with the hashtag. Wagatwe Sara Wanjuki, a survivor and activist, made a post that has since gone viral. “I won’t say ‘Me, too.’ Partially because most of you know that already. But mostly because we shouldn’t have to ‘out’ ourselves as survivors. Because men have always seen the gendered violence happening around them (and/or being perpetrated by them)—they just haven’t done anything about it.” The consensus is clear: men should know that we, too have been assaulted and harassed. As of Oct. 18, #MeToo has been posted 825,000 times on Twitter and 4.7 million people have been a part of the conversation across the web. Believe me, at this point if

someone didn’t know that women and femmes everywhere are constantly in a low-grade level of danger, they’re either fairly oblivious or in a fucking coma. Usually articles like this take a predictable turn where I tell you what you can do to help. Shit’s wack and everyone who reads about it wants an easy fix. Newsflash, there isn’t one. There’s no t-shirt you can buy, no book you can read, no hashtag you can post that will destroy the sexual violence in our world. There’s only you, a man, putting yourself up as a shield for women and femmes. There’s you, a man, reflecting on your own actions and how they affect the people around you. There’s taking the amount of space you fill up and spreading out less. Women are already spread too thin. Here’s some hot takes from Maja Malou Lyse, if you need some guidance: “Avoid using language that objectifies or degrades women and femmes. Do the work of calling out your bros/people: never be silent or tolerate sexually violent language, jokes or behaviour. If someone says they have been assaulted, take them seriously and be supportive. Think critically about media and pop-culture’s messages about women, men, sexual agency and violence. Be respectful of others’ physical space even in casual situations. Let survivors know that it is not

their fault. “Know that women are not the only people who experience sexual violence. Hold all abusers accountable for their actions: do not let them make excuses. Always communicate with sexual partners and NEVER assume consent. Create new ground for a progressive masculinity rather than outdated and dangerous stereotypes about what constitutes “manliness”. Stop defining manhood as dominant and sexually aggressive and womanhood as submissive and sexually passive. And above all, never forcing your body on someone else’s body without their explicit consent. You’re welcome.”

Resources Confidential Support CASAS 360.650.3700 Old Main 585B and Viking Union 432 DVSAS 24 Hour helpline 1.360.715.1563

Reporting Options Westerns Title IX Coordinator at the EOO OM 345 360.650.3307 Campus Police 360.650.3911 (Emergency) 360.650.3555 (Reporting) Bellingham Police 911

10.23.2017 • 9

Recitals we bet you didn’t know about

BY JOSH HUGHES

There’s so much that happens on campus any given week of the year that it’s easy to get lost in the oversaturation of event posters and banners hanging high from the VU and collaged on every corner of Red Square. It’s times like these, when it feels like too much is happening, that it can actually be calming to find some less advertised, quieter events going on around Western. For instance, ever seen a poster for a student or faculty recital on campus? Unless you spend your time running through the halls of PAC, the answer is probably a no. Yet events from the College of Performing Arts occur around the clock with little recognition outside of students in the program, even though all events are open to the public, often times for free. Just last week faculty members Lisa McCarthy, Pat Nelson and Jill Whitman performed as a trio of flute, bassoon and harp in one of the numerous concert halls hidden inside the PAC. Performing pieces by Rota, Blank, Jolivet and Albert with an emphasis on improvisation between the flute and the bassoon, the trio of distinguished professors quietly enacted one of the first recitals of the year. Though performing arts students and faculty attended the show, a sad Facebook event page read “0 went, 0 interested”, exemplifying the lack of exposure that the college gets in regards to its advertisement of performances. Though you may have missed out on hearing one of the most unique ensembles of the quarter, there’s still plenty going on in the department throughout the quarter, ranging from student recitals to an Afro-Brazilian sextet. In place of Facebook event pages and posters on the bulletins in Miller Hall, here’s a representative list of exciting, free events going on throughout the College of Performing Arts this quarter:

Oct. 24: Octavia Schultz Voice Recital in, 8 p.m. Oct. 28: Bassoon Halloween Concert in, 7 p.m. Nov. 5: Global Spice Presents Projeto Arcomusical, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8: Gran Wilson Operatic Singing Master Class in PAC 282, 2 p.m. Nov. 9: Gran Wilson Recital w/ Rachael Roulet on Piano, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15: NowHearThis: Contemporary Pieces by Boulez, Eastman, and Lang, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17: WWU Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18: Matthew Gudakov Violin Recital, 4 p.m. Nov. 19: University Choir, 3 p.m. Nov. 27: Composers of Western (Student Compositions), 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30: Wind Symphony, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2: Cori Holquinn Cello Junior Recital, 4 p.m. Dec. 3: Dylan Cisneros Voice Recital, 8 p.m. Dec. 5: Chamber I, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6: WWU Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7: Chamber II, 7:30 p.m. *All performances are in PAC 155 unless noted otherwise

The Dawn Bombs and Bad Luck: A preview BY JOSH HUGHES This Wednesday, Oct. 25, the Underground will continue their Wednesday Night Concert Series with a performance by Bellingham veterans The Dawn Bombs and Seattle avant-garde jazz duo Bad Luck at 7 p.m. A curious combo, the bands will play for free for a two hour set of jangly guitar pop and saxophone experimentation, respectively. Dawn Bombs Made up of singer and guitarist Ben Waight, bassist Ruben Gomez, and drummer Will Luckensmeyer, The Dawn Bombs have been around since their early days at Western in 2015. After having played last year’s BAMF! festival, Western’s “battle of the bands” competition for Lawnstock and numerous shows at the Underground, the trio have created a wide audience in their two years as a unique act in the Bellingham scene. “If you took three jazz musicians steeped in Vampire Weekend’s off kilter psych pop along with Local Natives alternative indie rock, you might get close to Bellingham’s The Dawn Bombs,” reads the band’s own excellently designed website, https://www.thedawnbombs. com/#home-section. While they may wear their influences on their sleeve, it’d be a difficult endeavor to find a more fitting description of the band’s sound. There’s some doowop in there, and even a bit of ska and reggae that seeps in at the corners of their sound, but ultimately, The Dawn

Bombs write catchy pop music that feels timeless. While they only have one EP to their name as of now, Greetings From… does an excellent job of defining the band’s precise, groovy dynamic. “Monde Rose” shuffles through a ballroom march while Waight’s voice fluctuates between the lows of his range and that sweet spot that Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer hits regularly. “Acetylene” threatens to burst apart at the seams at any given moment, but always smooths back out into its mathematical guitar lick. Waight delicately hums “find me crooning in my corner of the world,” an appropriate sentiment for such a beloved Bellingham band. Bad Luck On the other side of the spectrum, Bad Luck, are quite a longshot from clever indie rock. The duo, comprised of saxophonist Neil Welch and drummer Chris Icasiano, have been writing and improvising gritty jazz in the corners of Seattle, Anacortes and Bellingham for the last ten years. After three albums and an EP to their name, Bad Luck have a formula down that still sounds like utterly nothing else in contemporary music. Colin Stetson, The Kandinsky Effect and The Bad Plus seem like the closest reference points, but the duo craft a musical niche that no one else really occupies. Since their sound revolves around nothing but saxophone and drums (and the occasional electronics),

Welch and Icasiano play off of each other so closely and tightly that it can be easy to forget that much of their music is improvised. Formed at University of Washington during late night drum and sax sessions indebted to John Coltrane, Bad Luck took jazz standards as a starting point to their now meticulous performative art. In 2012, the New York Jazz Review named their record Two album of the year, and the duo are heralded throughout the modern jazz scene in the country, even though they still remain outsiders. Their tracks meander in and out of raw, angular bursts of energy and lulling ambience that pulls the listener into a trance. When they break a groove they’ve been sculpting over an eight minute piece, whatever they next shift into remains just as compelling. Jarring transitions become moments of transcendence, and there’s always a sense that the band members themselves are experiencing equally as new of a feeling as the listener. While they’ll certainly pull songs from their previous releases at the Underground, expect an aural burst of improvisation and intricate musicianship. The Wednesday Night concert series runs throughout the entire quarter, continuing next week with Porch Cat and Black Radish.

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Prof-ile

BY GWEN FROST

Name: Sean Dwyer Position: Senior instructor of Spanish Hometown: Gary, Indiana Classes you are teaching this quarter: spanish 101, and two sections of 104 which is accelerated first year Claim to fame (Article published anywhere cool? Is your cousin brad pitt?): I gave a paper on some spanish films in the spring, I also just had a short story published in a major anthology with twenty one other writers and I’ve had some short stories published here and there QUESTIONS: Photo by Hailey What did you want to be when you Hoffman // AS Review grew up (as a kid)? I wanted to be either a doctor or a baseball player. They didn’t happen. By the time I got to ninth grade, and might have started working toward pre-med, I realized that I love languages, so I went that direction instead Which celebrity would you want to play you in a movie? What kind of movie is it? I think the movie would be something along the lines of Angela’s Ashes. When my hair is down, it looks like the picture of Johnny Depp on The Dark Half DVD, but I don’t want to be presumptuous and say Johnny Depp. Probably a new actor who’s just trying to get a start because I wouldn’t want any star to have to be associated with my story too much. What are you reading right now/most recently? What’s it about? Most recently would be almost three years ago because of my car accident. I have not been able to read any fiction since then, because of the injury. But I do have a plan to read all of Hemingway, and a lot of my friends are authors and some of them have really good books so I’d want to devour those as soon as my brain lets me.

AS Productions is looking for sp00ky volunteers to scare people and help out with arts and crafts at Nightmare on High Street, Friday, Oct. 27 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Shifts are 90 minutes and get you food and free admission. Email Courtney Manz at AS.SpecialEvents@wwu.edu for more info!

What not to do this Halloween

BY HAILEY MURPHY

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s time to pick a costume. So what are your options? You could pull out the old kitty costume. You could hit the local thrift store and buy a Hillary Clinton mask. You could be Pennywise, along with basically everyone else. But during Halloween season, there’s quite a lot that you shouldn’t wear. That is, if a costume imitates a culture that you do not belong to, do not wear it. Besides being completely unoriginal, it’s offensive, degrading, and it qualifies as cultural appropriation. It’s usually at this point that people start to protest: I’m not trying to mock anyone. I love this culture, and I’m dressing this way because I admire them. I’m not racist. Except that, when it comes to imitation, the effect is not always flattery, and intention doesn’t always matter. If you pretend to be of a different race or ethnicity, you will offend the people who truly belong in those groups. For one, this very act perpetuates stereotypes; to make a costume out of a culture is to generalize everyone within the culture. This is the very definition of stereotyping, and these stereotypes harm minority populations every day. They’re ill-founded and inherently offensive. So wearing these stereotypes for entertainment isn’t exactly funny. Really, it just reinforces these misconceptions, and thus it reinforces systems of oppression in this country. But stereotyping isn’t the only issue with cultural appropriation. Often, these costumes trivialize clothing that is sacred to the culture. For example, a Native American headdress is worn only by men in positions of power within a tribe. The eagle feathers on the headdress are a token of honor and respect. One has to earn these feathers. However, when someone outside the culture wears a headdress, they did not earn the eagle feathers, and they are not a respected tribal figure. Instead, they are wearing the piece for show, hitting up Halloween parties with complete disregard for what that headdress is supposed to represent. It’s disrespectful to Native American culture. “Wearing these costumes makes a mockery out of the Native American culture for various reasons,” said Native American Student Union member Kali Chargualaf. “One being that we were colonized and stripped of our culture. We were told we can’t speak our language, wear our traditional clothing, sing our songs, or practice our ways. This caused trauma to our people which is something that we are still dealing with [to] this day. So what makes people think that it’s okay to wear parts of our culture when we were told we can’t? And even in such a sexualized way? Culture is not a costume!”

What’s even worse is that such costumes are often sexualized, reducing an entire ethnicity into a provocative costume. One common example is a geisha, a traditional Japanese performer. Geishas are highly trained in performing arts, tea ceremonies and guest entertainment. It’s a profession requiring great skill. Yet geisha costumes are often hypersexualized. They reinforce the stereotype that geishas are prostitutes while disregarding their skill and cultural practices. This moves past disrespect and into fetish. The worst part about cultural appropriation, however, is that people often borrow from ethnic groups who are historically persecuted in this nation. Americans elected a man who wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, but they’ll paint sugar skulls on their face as if they’re celebrating Dia de los Muertos. Muslims are kicked off of planes, but people will wear a keffiyeh and say they’re dressed as a terrorist. Systematic racism limits opportunities for black people in America, and yet people will paint their faces brown. Native Americans were labeled as savages, stripped of their land and killed by the millions. But people still dress in their regalia, just for one night, and claim that they’re honoring the culture. Cultural appropriation at Halloween time highlights the inequality of ethnic groups in America. It shows who holds the power in this country, and who does not. Because people who appropriate culture in a costume have the luxury to do so. They can dress this way safely, because they are not actually of the ethnicity. They are still white, and even in costume, they are still benefiting from their privilege. They are only pretending to be a minority. Meanwhile, people who are actually of these cultures are oppressed everyday. Their cultural garb, when worn in public, can put them in danger. Stereotyping places them in a box and causes people to have preconceived notions. Imagine being discriminated against for honoring your own culture, then seeing someone of privilege “honoring” that culture in a costume. Some of you may be thinking that this is all too politically correct, that people should take a joke and move on. But this is not a joke to those having their cultures mocked. This is not a joke to people who were or are oppressed because of their culture. It’s only a joke to those who don’t understand what it’s like to be marginalized. Still unsure what’s offensive and what’s not? Ask yourself this: does it belong to my culture? If not, then you probably shouldn’t wear it. Especially if you can’t explain the history behind the costume. It’s one thing to wear a culture as a costume. It’s another thing to be completely ignorant of it’s significance. When in doubt, go as Pennywise.

10.23.2017 •11

Spooky Bellingham: Halloween events you won’t want to miss

Ask Gwen BY GWEN FROST

BY JOSH HUGHES It’s Oct. 23 and Halloween is an eerily 8 days away. Soggy cobwebs line N Garden St., there’s candy wrappers in every trashcan, season two of Stranger Things comes out on Friday and midterms are approaching at an uncomfortable pace. Sounds like a pleasant October in Bellingham, a town with a mysterious and unnerving history that dates back as far as the old Victorian houses lining the York district. Whether you’re planning on dressing up with friends and spending a night on the town or snuggling up at home giving candy to kids dressed as minions for the fourth year in a row, Bellingham has quite a bit to offer for the Halloween enthusiast. Exploring both the spooky history behind the town, as well as annual events, here’s a rundown of everything creepy you need to know to have a thrilling Halloweekend. The Good Time Girls, a tour guide group out of Fairhaven, provide yearly walks that shed light on some of Bellingham’s darkest secrets and mysteries. The Gore & Lore Tour, which will run on Oct. 27 and 28 this year, takes people on a theatrical tour that addresses, among other topics, the longstanding prevalence of black cats in the town, Old Town Cafe’s previous existence as a funeral parlor and “Dead Man’s Corner” in Fairhaven— an early twentieth century storefront that showcased dead bodies that had washed up in the bay in hopes of identification. The Good Time Girls will host the tour on Oct. 27 in Fairhaven at 6 p.m. starting outside the statue of Dirty Dan Harris, and on Oct. 28 in downtown also at 6 p.m. meeting outside SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention. Tickets can be purchased online at https://goodtimegirlstours.com/. If that didn’t quite whet your appetite for a good fright, look no further than the Waterfront Tavern on Holly St., a longstanding bar that multiple serial killers, including Ted Bundy, used to frequent. Or, on a more lighthearted note, check out the front of Wardner’s Castle on 1103 15th St., located in the South Hill neighborhood, to find the old mansion of James F. Wardner, a wealthy investor who created a hoax by joking about raising a community of black cats on Eliza Island. One needn’t look much beyond the old willow trees and renovated student houses with unearthed attics and creaking floorboards to understand that Bellingham has a rich past of ghost tales and spooky lore. Whether you take any of it to heart or not, it certainly provides a stellar backdrop for autumnal activities and everything Halloween. Whether it’s a costume and music show at The Mind Palace or a Haunted House inside the Viking Union itself, there’s something for

I have been having dependency issues in my otherly great relationship lately. I every crowd this weekend. want to learn how to distance myself from the relationship a bit and have more This Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the VU focus on my friends and social life outside of my boyfriend, but am finding it a MPR, the AS will be hosting “Nightmare on High bit hard to transition out of spending all my time with him. Any advice on not Street”, a Haunted House with free food and assorted making your partner your whole life? How do you know when codependency is activities that costs $3 for students with a valid I.D. (so becoming too unhealthy? not exactly free food per say). If you’re wanting to get -Not Enough Time away from Western on the weekend however, Boundary Bay will also be hosting a Haunted House, running Dear Not Enough Time, on Oct. 27, 28 and 31 that costs $5 and is all-ages until This is a difficult problem, because when you really love being around 9 p.m. somebody, it may seem counter-intuitive to hold back on spending time with Other events this weekend include the them. However, investing all your time into one person isn’t necessarily a good Pickford Film Center’s annual “Bleedingham”, a festival idea for two reasons: 1. Codependency is a specific kind of emotional depenof horror short films. The main screening (and award dency that causes your own moods and feelings be inextricably linked to your ceremony for WA films) will take place on Saturday, significant others (SO), and vice versa. This can involve an overload of emoOct. 28 from 9 p.m. to midnight, but events for the tional labor for both of you, and it will inhibit both of your independence by festival run the entire weekend. feeling responsible for the others feelings. 2. Putting your friends on hold while Bellingham Circus Guild will host their first you maintain a relationship with your SO isn’t really fair to them, especially annual Halloween show, featuring “hideous and hilarconsidering that if the two of you break up, you will probably fall back on your ious tricksters, crazy feats of balance, juggling, aerials friends and expect them to prioritize you now that you have time for them. and acrobats to spook and amaze you,” this weekend My advice on not making your partner your whole life would be to on Oct. 28 for all ages and Oct. 31 for 21+. start with thinking about how you distribute your time. If you hang out with The Alternative Library will host an Anime Night your partner and their friends on Friday, make it a goal to prioritize seeing your and Costume Contest in conjunction with Mo’s parlor friends on Saturday. Or if you feel that you both often default to hanging out on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., and on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. the First with each other, try instead to spend quality one-on- time for one night instead Congregational Church of Bellingham will host their of hanging out in groups both nights; this way you can have meaningful time annual “Trunk or Treat”, an event filled with decorated that will keep you feeling connected to your relationship. You both probably car trunks, games, cider and candy. Fairhaven’s Fourth have other people in your life that you want to spend time with, so I wouldn’t Friday Art Walk will feature local artist Vikki Jackson worry about them not understanding your desire to equalize your social schedguiding people through her crow themed art on Oct. ule- they probably feel similarly. 27, 5 p.m., at A Lot Of Flowers To know if codependency is becoming unhealthy, it’s always good On Halloween itself, The Mind Palace will be to check in with outside perspectives outside of your relationship. Try to get hosting a show for $5 featuring Bob Fossil, Onion the feedback from your roommates, friends, or family as to if they think your relaMan and Acovado, and a group of dressed up zombies tionship is taking over your life, or compare the amount of time or energy your will dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” at Maritime relationship takes with other healthy relationship models that you have in your Heritage Park at 8 p.m., followed by a dance party. life. The only person who can make your partner “not your whole life” is you. If that’s not enough to rattle your brains and So communicate and set those boundaries that allow you to put energy into overload you on spooky content, check out The Hub other relationships. If you mutually agree to both do so, it won’t feel like you’re Community Bike Shop’s “BIke!O!Ween!” on Oct. 28 at growing apart whenever you’re not spending time together. 5 p.m. for a costumed ride and a post-bike dance party, or the Shakedown’s “Monster Mash” free Halloween party the same night. Lastly, there’s always the option of staying home and enjoying a night of scary movies or doing absolutely whatever else you please. First and foremost, be sure to have a safe Halloweekend, and remember that Western’s services such as the Late Night Shuttle and Green Coats escorts will be available the whole weekend and on Halloween, as with every night of the school year. Here’s to another Halloween solidifying Bellingham’s status as a town of Love lock bridge. Photo by true spook and splendor.

Hailey Hoffman // AS Review

12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

Creep it real with these fang-tastic trivia questions 1) If you went “souling” in medieval England, what type of food would you be getting? a. cake b. candy c. apples d. caramels 2) Halloween developed from which ancient pagan festival? a. Yule b. Ostara c. Samhain d. Beltane 3) Witchcraft lore originated from which country? a. France b. Germany c. Ireland d. Switzerland

Artist profile: Oddlin BY JOSH HUGHES

Ethan Donovan, junior at Western, writes and produces music under the moniker Oddlin and plays shows around downtown at venues like The Wild Buffalo. Talking about his music, he describes his sound to be influenced by hip hop, and multiPhoto courtesy of Ethan ple electronic sub Donovan genres. His versatility as a largely ‘EDM’ artist; he’s produced an alt R&B EP for Bellingham crooner Danny’s Dead and has done collaborations with Angger Dimas and Smookie Illson. Oddlin marks this year’s first spotlighted artist through the AS Review. What would you describe your sound as? “In general electronic but in regards to subgenres, pretty much all over the place. People have told me I have a certain sound especially with mixing/sound design. I really like atmospheric sounds, and I like to try incorporating tons of elements in my songs. I try to hit the point where even when there’s a lot going on, the listener doesn’t necessarily notice how many layers there are in a given track. Since I produce a wide range of genres, I try to really capture the feeling of what the song will give the listener, if

4) Why is it believed the ancient Celts wore costumes? a. To ward off and respect the spirits b. Because they liked pretending to be someone else c. It represented being a new you for the next year d. To scare their friends and family 5) What is the estimated spending for Halloween this year? a. 12.3 million b. 40 million c. 9.1 billlion d. 15 billion

Check out next week’s issue for the answers!

A weekly column highlighting local bands and musicians in Bellingham that makes sense. I also try to capture the way I’m feeling when producing something, but I feel like that just happens naturally.” What is your normal process for writing a track? “It’s usually pretty random with how I start out, It can be anything from programing drums to making a cool sound then I’ll have an idea pop in my head. Usually if I’m really intently focusing on making something good, I’ll be able to get the main idea down in a few hours or so. After I get the main idea down I usually give myself a break from hearing it then go back a few days later and either write, mix and edit to tell it’s finished or if I decide to trash it. Lately I’ve been making sounds and finding samples I like separate from composing, and then when I’m feeling inspired I can dive right in. I also like taking breaks from something I’ve composed and then coming back to it a few months later and flipping it, it keeps it fresh that way for me.” Do you have any long term plans for your music in roughly the next year and if so, what? “Since I’m kinda all over the place with genres right now I’m debating about making another musical project altogether, like having the alias be more curated towards a certain style. In general, though, this month I’m starting to release monthly ‘tapes’ with a mix of beats, remixes, originals-- stuff I write but don’t know what to do with. I’ve got some upcoming collabs with Bzkt, a lo-fi producer and rapper, and my friends Ceilla and Pacifix. I’m trying to get some releases on different EDM labels if possible, sell beats if that works out, and make it down to Seattle to play some shows. Lastly I’m really excited to release

a house EP sometime soon with more remixes and originals.” How do you see yourself fitting in within the Bellingham music community? “Fitting in specifically I’m not really sure, I guess the electronic scene that’s here right now. That being said though, since moving here the music scene has definitely shaped and broadened my taste in music along with what I produce. I really enjoying working, seeing, and learning from other artist around here too. There seriously are some very talented people in this area!” Considering you maintain a pretty good Soundcloud following and seem to get a lot of your music out with a strong social media presence- how do you think artists and musicians should be getting their music out in the Internet age? “My recommendation would be don’t worry about it, focus on making good music first. Then focus on labels… For my project “Oddlin” a lot of those followers came from all over the place which is because the majority of my releases are on labels who push it out. On the flip slide of this though, there’s a song I worked on with Danny’s Dead, a project that has 60k + plays even though we didn’t lift a finger to promote it-- it just spread through word of mouth, which is insane to me. Ultimately I’d say just don’t be pushy with your music, make as many real connections as you can and be yourself!” Oddlin will be opening for CRNK at the Wild Buffalo on Oct. 27, and also performing at Rock The Vote at Western on Nov. 4.