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BSU Heritage Dinner,
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What to do with your W-2, pg. 7 2.6.12 Vol. 27 #17
Score deals with Campus Pinch, pg. 9
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SMITH STEPS DOWN
FREE TO SPEAK TRUTH Iranian political prisoner to speak at Western on Feb. 8
Dean of Huxley leaving after nearly two decades
Nick Markman • AS Review For the past 18 of 41 years since the creation of Huxley College of the Environment, a crucial Western institution that has helped pave the way in the field of environmental science and studies, Bradley Smith has served as dean. This past month, Smith announced his retirement from the position in order to pursue other facets of environmental work both on campus and in his leisure time. Smith said he has always been interested in the environment. Long before environmentalism became a part of his career, Smith was an active outdoorsman who went hunting and fishing with his father. “A goal is to always try and have your avocation and your vocation link up,” Smith said. “That’s an old saying but it’s true. People don’t go into the environmental world if they don’t like nature or the environment. It’s like people don’t become social workers if they dislike people.” Smith said that while he is stepping down as dean, he will not completely retire from the university until July 31, 2013. Between now and then, Smith will continue to help Huxley in a less administrative way, working with external relations, fund-raising and continuing to help out with environmental programs at Western such as the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy Program. “Brad gave the Office of Sustainability its first home in Huxley College and he has been a key in helping our campus progress to both set and meet its sustainability goals,” Campus Sustainability Manager Seth Vidana said.
see SMITH on page 11 Brad Smith, dean of Huxley College of the Environment for the past 18 years. Photo courtesy of Western.
Anna Atkinson• AS Review
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afar Yaghoobi was a political prisoner in Iran from 1984 to 1989 after joining an opposition group to help fight off the authoritarian government that had recently taken over the country. He watched as other political prisoners were executed and tortured. His book, “Let Us Water the Flowers,” is a memoir of his experience during imprisonment. Yaghoobi will speak at 7 p.m. in Old Main Theatre on Feb. 8, discussing his book and experiences. The free event is hosted by the Associated Students Social Issues Resource Center. Copies of his memoir will also be available for sale. Yaghoobi wrote about his experiences as a political prisoner partly because he wanted to tell the story of the mass killings of other prisoners the witnessed during his imprisonment, he said via email. “I promised myself then that if by any luck I survived the terrible ordeal, I would someday write about the brutal tortures and killings and let the world know what happened to generations of Iranian freedom fighters in the hands of their captors,” he said. Even more than 20 years after the killings, people both in Iran and around the world know very little about the crimes against humanity committed by the Iranian government, he said.
“More than four thousand political prisoners, who were serving their sentences handed down to them by the regime’s own tribunals, were hanged during the summer of 1988 and were buried in unknown mass graves,” Yaghoobi said. He said he felt his experiences were worth writing and sharing with others. “Not too many people will in their lifetime, and I certainly do not wish them to, experience blindfold, interrogation, torture, solitary, etc. of a prison system like what I experienced,” he said. “People are fascinated by other people’s experiences and that is why memoirs are so popular.” He hopes to talk about the post-revolution Iran of the 1980s and his experience resisting oppression, as well as the current political climate in Iran, he said. “I am hoping to bring attention to continued human rights violations in Iran, which have taken a back seat relative to other issues in many periods in the past 30 years,” he said. “I hope that people will come out of my talks with a better understanding of the common wishes and dreams of the peoples of Iran and the U.S., and that they will be stronger in their belief to support the historical struggle of the Iranian people for democracy, freedom and justice.” the
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VALENTINE ADVENTURES Upcoming Valentine’s Day events
Eriver Eugenio • AS Review Couples, families and even just good friends can get their Valentine’s Day fix before the holiday arrives with various fun-and-loving events all throughout Bellingham during the preceding weekend. Cupid’s Folly: A Family Valentine Party Couples looking to have fun with their children or couples with a child-like spirit can enjoy a day of games, crafts and treats at “Cupid’s Folly: A Family Valentine Party” from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Bloedel Donovan Park Community Building. The event, which is hosted by Bellingham Parks and Recreation, is $2 per person and free for children 3 years old or younger, Parks and Rec Event Coordinator Amanda Grove said. Both couples and children will be able to enjoy being with the ones they love by creating cards, enjoying treats and playing several games, Grove said. “We are providing a fun forum for families particularly with elementary-age children,” Grove said. “I
would prefer not to spoil the element of surprise, but can share that there will be numerous interactive stations for parents and kids to create and play.” This is the second year “Cupid’s Folly” has been held and people of all ages are welcome to come and have more fun than folly, Grove said.
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Speak Easy 6: Love Uncensored a For mature adult couples looking to experience the c art of poetry, “Speak Easy 6: Love Uncensored” can provide just that at 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Amadeus Project at 1209 Cornwall Ave. The poetry reading, which will consist of more than 15 couples reciting poetry about their love for one another and their relationships, is free, with donations to the Amadeus Project being highly appreciated. Luther Allen, poet and coordinator of “Speak Easy 6,”
see VALENTINE’S on page 11
Students stand in solidarity against the cutting of ethnic studies programs in Arizona with a read-in at Red Square on Feb. 1. Western students sat in a circle reading books that were banned in the Tuscon Unified School District. The books focus on racial oppression and histories of people of color. Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review
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Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu Online: as.wwu.edu/asreview @theasreview facebook.com/theasreview
©2011. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University. We are a student-produced, alternative campus weekly covering news and events that are of interest to the Western community. We support all programs, offices and clubs affiliated with the AS. We have a direct connection to the AS Borard of Directors, and although we report on board actions objectively, our relationship should be made clear. Submissions: We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork or anything else physically printable. Email submissions, or send them to the mailing address above. They will be returned as long as you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Letters: We also welcome letters to the editor. Please limit your letter to 300 words and include your name and phone number. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar, if necessary. Calendar/Ads: We don’t sell ad space. Sorry. Email as.review@ wwu.edu to have an event listed in the calendar.
Editor in Chief
Assistant Editor
Lead Photographer
Copy Editor
Kirsten O’Brien
Cade Schmidt
Assistant Photographer Joe Rudko
Adviser
Jeff Bates
In This Issue:
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9
4
SPEAK OUT
5
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
6
IT’S NOT GARBAGE!
11
7
WHAT TO DO ABOUT W-2
12
8
INTERACTIVE ART
AS offices lead a discussion on abortion Honoring African-American history at heritage dinner A closer look at the AS Recycle Center
A guide to filling yours out
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PENNY PINCHING
Campuspinch.com connects students with deals
SMITH STEPS DOWN Huxley Dean retires
JUMPIN’, JUMPIN’
Finish the story you started!
SIMPLY DELICIOUS This week: cheesy bread
A Q & A with a Western Gallery artist
Playing with fire
Adrienne Woods
Evan Marczynski
Staff Writers
Anna Atkinson Eriver Eugenio Nick Markman Lauren Simmons Megan Thompson
Rain doesn’t stop a performer at a Jewish Upshernish Celebration from playing with fire outside the Viking Union on Jan. 29. Upsernish celebrates a Jewish boy’s first haircut. Cade Schmidt//AS Review
February 6, 2012• 3
EVENTS FEB 6 - FEB 11 Monday Feb 6 The Buried Life
7:30 p.m., Performing Arts Center $12 with student ID, $16 without
Associated Students Productions Special Events will be bringing the cast of MTV’s “The Buried Life” to Western. “The Buried Life” originated in 2006 when four friends set out in an old RV to complete a list of things they wanted to do before they die and help out strangers accomplish something their own lists.
Tuesday Feb 7
YACHT with Fit for Hounds and Jeffrey Jerusalem 7:30 p.m., Viking Union MPR $8 with student ID, $12 without
YACHT is kicking off their 2012 Shangri-La tour at Western. YACHT is composed of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans.
Wednesday Feb 8
Memoirs of Jafar Yaghoobi: an expolitical prisoner from Iran 7 to 9 p.m., Old Main Theatre Free
See t on he sto pg. r 10 y
Speaker Jafar Yaghoobi will discuss his experiences held as a political prisoner in Iran. Yaghoobi has written a memoir on his experiences called “Let us Water the Flowers,” that will be sold after the event. This event will offer a close intimate, environment to explore his experiences.
Writing workshop with Inga Muscio 4 to 6 p.m., Academic West 204 Free
The AS Queer Resource Center and the AS Women’s Center are hosting a writing workshop led by feminist and author Inga Muscio, who is the author of multiple books, including “Cunt: A Declaration of Independence” and “Rose: Love in Violent Times.”
Thursday Feb 9 Abortion Speak Out
7 p.m., Academic Instruction Center 304 Free
The AS Sexual Awareness Center and AS Social Issues Resource Center are co-hosting their first Abortion Speak Out event. SAC and SIRC employees will read stories about women who have had abortions and how they have affected their lives. This event focuses on stories centered around abortion, and is not intended to promote an opinion on the issue.
Friday Feb 10
20th Western Benefit Drag Show
7 to 10 p.m., Performing Arts Center $12, but students can get up to $2 off with canned food donation
The QRC is hosting the 20th annual Western Benefit Drag Show, which features amateur drag performances, a drag auction, raffle prizes and a drag competition. All genders and gender identities are welcome to attend.
Saturday Feb 11
Black History Month Heritage Dinner 5:30 to 9 p.m., VU MPR $13 with student ID, $16 without
The Black Student Union is hosting its 20th annual heritage dinner in honor of Black History Month. There will be performance, food and a silent auction that will benefit the Billy Ray Shirley III Foundation, which focuses on providing activites and community spaces for youth.
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SPEAK OUT AS offices provide safe space to talk about abortion
Eriver Eugenio • AS Review
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o spread awareness on the topic of abortion, the Associated Students Sexual Awareness Center and the AS Social Issues Resource Center will host the first “Abortion Speak Out” event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, in Academic Instruction Center 203. Staff from both offices will read submitted stories, as well as stories from books and magazines involving women who have chosen to have abortions. “All the stories are from women who have had abortions and their experiences and emotions,” SAC Coordinator Morgan Jade said. “We are really trying to get a variety of different experiences so we don’t portray just one side [of the issue].” While abortion is often a highly debated topic, Jade said the event is merely to educate and create awareness of the issue. It is not intended to promote any particular opinion, she said. “We are not taking a stance on this issue,” she said. Jade said they want people to hear about several experiences with the topic. Few people have learned about abortion from the perspective of a woman who had one, she said. Since the focus of the event is sharing stories, there will be no question-and-answer period nor will there be time for open discussion. The event’s purpose is to simply have everyone in attendance come away with better knowledge on the topic, she said. Jade hopes those attending the event will listen respectfully and with open minds in order to allow a safe learning and sharing environment. Staff from the SAC and the SIRC are excited to give attendees an opportunity to listen to stories they may not often hear, she said. “We want to reduce the stigma of [abortion],” Jade said.
We are really trying to get a variety of different experiences so we don’t portray just one side [of the issue]. Poster by Brett Flora//AS Publicity Center
- Morgan Jade, AS Sexual Awareness Center coordinator
February 6, 2012• 5
CELEBRATE PAST & FUTURE
Black Student Union to host annual heritage dinner on Feb. 11 Nick Markman • AS Review For the 20th year in a row, the Black Student Union will host its annual Black History Month Heritage Dinner. This year’s theme is “celebrate the past, welcome what the future holds.” Do not let the name fool you, this event is far more than a simple meal. With dance performances, guest speakers, a band, charitable donations and a separate after party, this year’s Heritage Dinner will satisfy more than just your appetite. The BSU Black History Month Heritage Dinner is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room. Tickets are $13 with student ID and $16 for general admission. The BSU’s PaYOW after-party begins at 10:30 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m. in the MPR. Tickets for the after-party are separate from the dinner and are $3 for students and $5 general admission. BSU President L’Shray Jones said the BSU hosts this
dinner each year as a way to celebrate black history, heritage and culture. “We aim to increase the awareness of Black History Month to all and not just the African American community at WWU,” Jones said. “Our struggle, success and history are worth more than one month of celebration and acknowledgment. February is just the month that was ‘assigned’ for our struggles and success to be recognized nationally.” At the core of the event is the food. This year’s menu will consist of baked onion breaded chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, medley veggies, salads, dinner rolls and peach cobbler for dessert. The BSU is bringing many performances to this year’s dinner. PG Boyz, a dance team from Tacoma, will perform, as well as Seattle band Triple Treat and the BSU’s own Swagga Stepp Team. There will also be a praise dance and other unannounced performers.
Attendees of the event can have their pictures taken at a photo booth that will be set up in the MPR. A silent auction will be held during the dinner with all the proceeds benefiting the Billy Ray Shirley III Foundation. Shirley was an active adolescent volunteer member who sought to improve facilities and living in his hometown of Tacoma. He was tragically killed in a shooting this past August, and the foundation serves to continue in the spirit of selfless, community-driven activism and volunteerism. Also receiving charity at the event is Treehouse, a Seattle-based organization that provides help and necessities to foster kids in King County. There will be seven Treehouse kids at the dinner. “We will present the clothes that BSU collected during the clothes drive we put together, the clothes will
see BSU on page 11
Our struggle, success and history are worth more than one month of celebration and acknowledgment. February is just the month that was ‘assigned’ for our struggles and success to be recognized nationally. - L’Shray Jones, BSU president
Poster by Brett Flora//AS Publicity Center
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RECYCLE IS THEIR NAME, SORTING IS THEIR GAME Student employees at the AS Recycle Center do the dirty work on campus
Lauren Simmons • AS Review In the age of “going green,” Western has its own recycling army that takes care of all the recycling on campus—the Associated Students Recycle Center. The Recycle Center, located off campus near 25th Street and Taylor Avenue, has had its own facility since the late ‘90s. The center has a main yard filled with blue barrels from campus, a large pile of furniture, large bins called hoppers and small forklifts. Emma Butterworth, Recycle Center staff manager, is in her second year at center and said she enjoys working there. “It’s outside, it’s physical—not just sitting at a desk,” Butterworth said. A typical day for Butterworth begins with getting to the facility around 9 or 10 a.m. She starts dumping paper and plastic into bins for sorting, and then goes out into the yard to tear down and sort furniture. She next begins collecting composted materials from around campus; part of a pilot project the center began in fall 2011, Butterworth said. The Recycle Center is trying to compost all the used paper towels in Haggard Hall, she said. There are also general compost bins behind the Environmental Science building, Miller Hall, Parks Hall and Academic
Instructional West. Recycle Center employees do daily runs in teams of two or three people. Whoever gets to the center first backs the truck and loads it with about 20 to 25 empty barrels, Butterworth said. Once the entire staff is together, they take service roads and head to whichever part of campus they are covering at that time. They park and exchange the full barrels with empty ones in their designated areas. Each person typically has his or her own building to cover, Butterworth said. With bigger buildings, such as Old Main, everyone helps, Butterworth said. After retrieving the full barrels, they load up the truck, typically with the paper-filled bins in the back of the truck and the AGP (aluminum, glass and plastic) filled bins in the front. Once they get back to the center, they grab all the retrieved cardboard and put it into the cardboard truck, take the AGP off and dump them into hoppers. Finally, they back up the truck and begin to sort out the paper, which typically takes the longest, Butterworth said. Sorting out the paper includes getting rid of any con-
taminants such as trash, AGP or compost. The Recycle Center takes all of their sorted materials to Northwest Recycle, which has two locations in Bellingham. One primarily takes cardboard, while the other takes the glass, plastic and occasionally cardboard, Butterworth said. The center is phasing out the collection of newspaper, a material not as common or profitable as others. “When we dump [materials], we actually get paid to dump,” Butterworth said. “Right now, newspapers are not really used anymore, so they pay us less to dump newspapers than they would for us to dump mixed papers. So, we’re just putting [newspapers] in the mixed papers.” Working at the Recycle Center is hard on the body, Butterworth said, but is beneficial in many ways. “It’s easy to get your anger out on the job,” she said. “You’re just ripping things apart all day.” The things the center’s staff comes across can be pretty interesting. Giant bongs, broken pipe pieces, sex toys and sex-toy packaging, as well as porn DVD packaging have all been
see RECYCLE on page 11
Giant bongs, broken pipe pieces, sex toys and sex-toy packaging, as well as porn DVD packaging, have all been found in the recycling barrels around campus and the dorms.
According to the Recycle Center website, employees collect 4,000 pounds of recycled material every day from the blue barrels on campus. Plastic containers, mixed paper, aluminum and tin and glass are all recycled at the center, but they have begun to accept nonrecycable items such as furniture. Photos by Cade Schmidt//AS Review
February 6, 2012• 7
WHAT THE W-2?
A guide to filling out your W-2 tax return Text and illustration by Megan Thompson• AS Review
The ominous tax season is here, but how do you know if you need to file, and how do you fill out the forms? The W-2 forms were sent out before Jan. 31. If you haven’t filed your tax forms yet or don’t even know what a W-2 is, the AS Review is here to help.
Make sure your Social Security number is correct. If not, contact human resources and show them your Social Security card. This box will contain a number given to your W-2 from payroll.
This is the amount of wages earned and subject to Social Security. Boxes 1 and 3 should show the same amount. The amount here cannot exceed $106,800. If it does, contact your employer.
Since the 1990s, the IRS allows you to file your W-2 online. It is available under “filable forms” on its website.
From the wages subject to Social Security, this is the wages taken out. The maximum is $4,485.60.
If you did not report your tips, this is where you put the amount. You also must manually calculate what percentage goes toward social programs.
The Basics
According to Dailyfinace.com, not all students need to file a tax return. If you made less than $5,000 in annual income, then you do not need to file. According to the IRS website, the W-2 form is for employers to report the hours worked by employees. Employees should file their W-2 and attach a copy to their income tax report.
Compensation and benefits are reported in boxes 12a-d. Different codes apply to different benefits.
How to obtain a W-2
Employers should send a W-2 to every employee in January, because they are due on the 31st. If your employer hasn’t given you a W-2, ask them to.
The Forms
Copy A: For the Social Security Adminstration. Your employer will submit it to them. Copy B: This is your copy and should be attatched to your income tax return. Copy C: Save and keep this copy on file for at least four years. Copy D: Your employer will keep this copy for their records. Copy 1: Mailed by your employer for state and local government taxes. Copy 2: When filing your state and local tax returns, attach this copy to it.
There are six copies of the W-2, A, B, C, D, 1 and 2. Each copy has a different purpose, but Copy B is what you file with the IRS and with your income tax return.
Box 20 shows the taxes being paid to your city, local and state governments. The description can include the name of your city and specific taxes going to the state and local governments.
Boxes 18 and 19 function This box will be checked the same way as 16 for you if any apply. Do not and 17, but instead these check them yourself. wages are under the jurisdiction of your local city and government. Boxes 16 and 17 show your Information compiled from: taxes.about.com/od/formw2/a/ earnings in the state, and then www.irs.gov/efile/ IRSFormW2_5.htm taxes.about.com/od/formw2/a/ www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/ the income tax held from those IRSFormW2.htm news/20040130a1.asp earnings. If you work in multiple taxes.about.com/od/formw2/a/ www.dailyfinance.com/2010/03/22/ IRSFormW2_2.htm college-students-may-need-to-file-a-taxstates, there will be information taxes.about.com/od/formw2/a/ return/ IRSFormW2_4.htm for each.
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RECORDING THE PRESENT MOMENT Artist draws what she sees around her
Megan Thompson• AS Review
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s you enter the Western Gallery, an arrangement of musical notes catches your ear. The music comes from an isolated viewing space to the left where “The Train Trip” and “Mt. Baker,” two animated films with sound drawings, play on a loop. To the right, the enormous “Skin of the Wall” drawing instillation stretches 55 feet across and 14 feet high. The exhibit, by artist Gosia Wlodarczak, is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. It ends March 3. The gallery is located in the Fine Arts building. Wlodarczak’s work is intriguing and unconventional, Western Gallery Director Sarah Clark-Langager said. The artist inhabited the gallery for two weeks. She created “Dust Cover Campus Furniture,” where part of the art department’s chair collection was covered with canvas for her to work on, Clark-Langager said. While living in her space, Wlodarczak only draws what she sees happening. Clark-Langager recalled talking to her in the gallery. Her attention was on the drawing but she still made eye contact and drew Clark-Langager’s arm as a portrait, Clark-Langager said. The AS Review sat down with Wlodarczak to learn a little bit more about her interactive art.
AS Review: Could you describe the process of your art? Gosia Wlodarczak: My intention is to record the present time-continuous moment. This is the way in which I try to translate living energy into the drawn line. The line is processed via the biological phenomenon of being, as detected by my sense of sight and communicated through my body. I draw my environment as I see it in real time, tracing and re-tracing the visible. The line absorbs heightened awareness of being in the everyday areas of human thought, behavior and experience. ASR: What interactions with viewers do you enjoy most? GW: All conversations with visitors to the exhibition and all interactions with students during my residency performance project, “Dust Cover Campus Furniture,” were very good. All classes were fantastic, [including a] greatly memorable, visually stunning dance performance by students of [dance professor] Penny Hutchinson. I very much enjoyed listening to [fine art professor] Tanis S’eiltin’s students when they introduced to me their
see ART on page 11
RIGHT: Gosia Wlodarczak stands in front of “Skin of the Wall,” her large drawing installation consisting of 676 panels covering the entirety of the largest wall in the gallery. BELOW: Gosia draws “Dust Cover: Between Wander & Settlement,” a site-specific drawing on furniture based on what she can see around her in the gallery. Photos by Joe Rudko//AS Review. Images courtesy of the artist, Western Gallery, Western and Fehily Contemporary Melbourne.
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WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
February 6, 2012• 9
Campus Pinch partners with local businesses to give students the best bargains Anna Atkinson • AS Review
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any college students are on a tight budget and most can appreciate a good deal when they see one. Campus Pinch, a website that connects students with local businesses, seeks to help college students find deals on a daily basis. Western alumnus Brendan Pape, co-owner of Campus Pinch, said the website helps local businesses target a college-aged demographic. Since Jan. 16, the site has targeted students through Facebook and word-of-mouth and has more than 300 members and more than 20 businesses involved, he said. Starting in February, the website will post deals ahead of time so students can plan better. This change is based on feedback from users since the website launched in January. Pape said there would be a calendar on the site, so students can see what deals will be offered for the month. He wants to partner with Western to help get more businesses involved. Eventually, he hopes the website will branch out to other universities.
Co-owner and Western senior Casey McEnry said they plan to expand to Whatcom Community College as
“We want to make sure we do it right here before we go anywhere else,” McEnry said. The goal of Campus Pinch is to create easy, accessible deals for students from local businesses on a daily basis, he said. McEnry said they only do deals that are at least 50 percent off. “We want it to be a website people religiously use and can benefit from,” Pape said. Another important goal of Campus Pinch is to connect students with local businesses that they wouldn’t otherwise hear about, McEnry said. McEnry said the original business plan came from Western graduate student Kyle Maltz, who was working with The Big Idea Lab, a Bellingham-based small-business incubator that connects entrepreneurs with experienced mentors. After creating the business plan, Maltz enrolled in Western’s MBA program and McEnry and Pape took over the business. Maltz is still a partial owner of the business, but has not been involved in the day-to-day running of Campus Pinch since its launch in January.
Businesses that have partnered with Campus Pinch in the past:
Brandywine Kitchen Moirai Hair Studio Katie’s Cupcakes Mi Shoes well as schools in Seattle. He said they also have connections with schools out of state. However, the main goal right now is to perfect the business model at Western, he said.
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NEW GEAR FOR AUDIOPHILES
Fairhaven Recording Studio seeks tech fee grant for updated equipment Anna Atkinson • AS Review
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he Fairhaven Recording Studio aids students through audio recording and ProTools classes, as well as independent study projects. It prepares students for the professional recording world, said Russ Fish, adjunct faculty at Fairhaven College. One of the 17 current Student Technology Fee proposals is requesting about $73,000 for new and updated equipment in the studio. The Student Technology Fee is used each year to meet the technological needs of a wide variety of academic disciplines and niches. This year, there is $245,000 allotted for new technology projects. The money comes from the $25 fee that individual students pay each quarter. The proposals range from equipment for the Fairhaven Recording Studio to iPads for German and Spanish classes to use in classrooms. All other state universities in Washington have similar fees, ranging from $25-$41 per quarter. Fish teaches three classes that use the recording studio and hopes to create an additional audio-mastering
course if the technology fees will pay for the necessary equipment. He said the studio’s current audio equipment is not reflective of professional studio technology, which students need to master if they are to be successful in the audio-engineering industry. “Students need access to professional audio [equipment] used in studios around the world,” he said. Fish says he gets students from a variety of majors in his classes. More than 50 percent are non-Fairhaven students. “They are not Fairhaven-exclusive classes,” he said. Fish said his classes seek to give students preparation for the professional music-recording industry. The equipment they currently have is just not enough to keep students up to date, he said. In addition to the classes that use the equipment, many students use the studio for independent study projects, he said. About 12-15 independent projects
see STUDIO on page 11
Stu den Stu ts p den ay q u Tec art t Tec $25 t e o h wil hnolo r. The Fee the l g pro decid y Fee Stud per pos e w Com ent als h rec ich o mitte f th eiv on e e Apr s fu e 17 il 2 ndi . ng
February 6, 2012• 11
STORIES IN THE PAPER ARE JUMPIN’, JUMPIN’ BSU from page 5
be donated to the Treehouse Warehouse for the youth, and at the dinner we have also put together a video letting the youth know they have inspired us and thanking them for letting BSU be a part of their lives,” Jones said. The real party will start after the dinner event at the BSU’s PaYOW afterparty. DJ Royel will be spinning club hits for a solid four hours. BSU Public Relations Officer Danela Butler said that while Western has a small black population, that small group represents a great deal of culture, a culture that is imperative to be shared and educated on for all people,
ART from page 8
projects. I liked conversations with Barbara Miller’s art history students, and curiosity and in-depth questions by journalism students. ASR: What is important to know about your work? GW: People always interpret what they see in their own way, but I try to inform my audiences that I never draw from imagination. What I do is a direct response to what I see, what I see around me while I draw, and the importance of chance in development of my work. ASR: Overall, how was your experience at Western? GW: The experience was very good. Priceless help from the gallery staff, a really fantastic gallery space with very good equipment, which made the installa-
SMITH from page 10 regardless of race. Jones said there are difficulties being a Black Student Union at a predominately white school, just as it is being an African American in the United States of America. “There will always be a struggle everywhere we go, but as history shows we will continue to overcome every obstacle put before us,” Jones said. “Our strength to overcome the odds is the reason why the Black Student Union continues to stand strong on Western Washington University’s campus 44 years later.” the
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tion process so smooth and effective, very interesting and interested students. It was a pleasure to set up my exhibition and to conduct and perform the residency project. I would like to thank the Western Gallery and the university for an amazing opportunity to exhibit my work and to make the performative part of the exhibition possible, and such a great experience. ASR: What do you believe is interesting about your work? GW: I think that my work, which concerns with fundamental issues of human existence on the behavioral level, may interest everyone and especially people who naturally are in an environment of learning and asking questions. the
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RECYCLE from page 6
found in the recycling barrels around campus and the dorms, Butterworth said. Among all the paper they go through, odd roommate notes are also common. “We’ll find funny notes to and from roommates like, ‘Do your laundry’,” Butterworth said. Recently, the center has found a Visible Horse replica, a lifelike and anatomically accurate equine skeleton, complete with all the pieces and an Electrostorm Ball, which only worked for 30 seconds, Butterworth said. Those two items are sitting in the center’s office. Western students can always recycle more, Butterworth said. That is why the center is trying to be more accommodating to Western’s campus. “[We’re] trying to help that by taking furniture, taking anything and everything,” Butterworth said. “People call and are like, “Oh hey, we have a ton of this in this
department, can you take it? And we’ll be like, ‘We’ll try!’” Butterworth encourages people to ask the Recycle Center and its employees any questions. Recycle Center laborer Sydney Wagner said she’s recently noticed students placing more bags of trash and other non-recyclable items in recycle bins. Those bags need to be thrown away because they are not recyclable, and staff will just throw them away rather than go through them, Wagner said. Butterworth said the Recycle Center is a hands-on operation that works toward keeping Western on top of recycling. “Most people don’t know that we do all the sorting by hand. We don’t use machines,” Butterworth said. “We are the machines.” the
“He has been a great supporter of our efforts and other people’s efforts and he has been the co-chair of our Sustainability Committee and done a great job there. We’re lucky that he wants to stick around [to help].” Smith said that the continuity and shared environmental passion of Huxley’s faculty helps make the college strong and stable. Smith said he would like to see every student graduate with a strong international perspective. “I’ve enjoyed helping expose our students more and more to life beyond Washington state,” Smith said. “A lot of students have never been out of Washington, so to get them thinking about other cultures, other countries and to provide some opportunities for them to travel, I think that’s critical in this shrinking world.” While Smith has enjoyed many aspects of the job, he said that the economic situation of the past few years within the higher education community has tired him. He said that instead of building upon the program, he spends a majority of his time dismantling parts of it with budget cuts. “In budget cuts, it has always been the view of some people, who I think are the less-enlightened, to cut the small colleges,” Smith said. “I would hope that rather than hear the word ‘cutting’ small colleges, I would like to see the phrase ‘investing more’ in small colleges. It’s what makes Western unique and strong and different and the metrics prove across the board that that investment has great return.” the
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STUDIO from page 9 per school year are created in the studio, according to the project proposal. If the proposal is accepted, Fish said replaced equipment from the Fairhaven studio could be installed in the Performing Arts Center recording studio, which records every music-department performance that takes place in the PAC. The PAC studio uses outdated equipment that is in dire need of replacement, Fish said. the
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VALENTINE’S from page 10 said the event is only for mature adult audiences because he allowed absolute freedom to all the couples reading poetry or performing spoken word. “I’ve put no qualifications on what people read,” Allen said. “We’re not putting any restrictions on language or sex. It’s probably not appropriate here for kids.”
Serenade Your Sweetheart Those looking to hit those high notes and sing sweet melodies to their loved ones can learn to do so at Serenade Your Sweetheart at noon on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Amadeus Project. The group class is $15, and registration information can be found at the Bellingham Sings’ website. the
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12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
SIMPLY DELICIOUS Cheesy garlic Parmesan breadsticks
Megan Thompson • AS Review
Nothing tastes better than homemade bread.
Growing up, my mom made bread every week with our bread machine. The aroma of freshly baked warm bread filled our home, and mouths drooled at the smell. Better than the smell of homemade bread is the taste. Bread is soft, moist and full of delicious bready flavor. If it wasn’t obvious before, my favorite food in the world is bread. Making bread might seem ambitious, but it isn’t. The dough rises for about 2 hours, which is the only part of naking bread that is time consuming. Sitting at home watching a movie? Make some bread. Studying? It’s bread time. Thirty minutes until your two-hour class? Perfect time for the dough to rise. I swear to you, dear readers, making bread is not hard, and you won’t stop making this bread. Does a moist bread with Photos by Cade Schmidt//AS Review
alternating layers of bread and Parmesan cheese loaded with garlic and parsley sound good? Yeah, I know it does. Cook time: 30 minutes Prep time: About 2 hours
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 ⅓ cups warm water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons salt 3 ½ to 4 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 stick (½ cup) salted butter 2-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon dried parsley 5 oz. tub of grated parmesan cheese In a large mixing bowl, mix the yeast and water, then add olive oil, salt and 3 ½ cups of the flour. Depending on how sticky your dough is, add more flour to the dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until elastic. (To check, poke the dough. If it returns to original
shape, then it is ready). Slosh some olive oil in a clean bowl to cover the bottom, put the dough in and cover with a clean towel. Wait an hour and a half to two hours until the dough doubles in size. After the dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a bread pan. In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Add garlic and parsley to the butter. Divide dough into small balls (about an inch in diameter), dip them into the butter mixture, and place them in the pan. Leave little room between the dough. After one layer of dough is complete, cover it with a layer of parmesan cheese, about half of the tub. Repeat until the dough runs out. Usually there are two layers. Place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the parmesan cheese is golden brown. The dough will be a bit gooey with the cheese, which is the most delicious way to eat this bread. Pull off balls of the bread (which now form a loaf ) and enjoy this pull-apart food wonder dipped in marinara sauce. the
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