AS Review - February 24, 2014

A tour inside Mathes Hall’s treehouse dorm, p. 4 The Queer Music Experience, p. 6 Miley Cyrus does the PNW - on a flying hotdog, p. 8

Vol. 29 #19 2.24.2014

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We thought this illustration of Miley Cyrus on a flying hotdog might cheer up your midwinter quarter. See p.

8. Design by Kristina Huynh // AS Review

MAKING YOUR LIFE BETTER, ONE PAGE AT A TIME 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 © 2014. 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 under-represented issues, inclusive coverage, informing readers and promoting dialogue.

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS 6 SASA Dinner South Asian Student Association prepares for annual heritage dinner

STUDENT LIFE 4 Treehouse Dorm A tour of a Mathes dorm room converted into a “treehouse”

FUNNIES 8 Night with Miley Kelly Mason recounts her wild night in Tacoma for Miley Cyrus’s “Bangerz” tour

7 Queer

Experiences The Queer Resource Center to host Queer Music Experience & Queer Experience auditions

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.

THE AS

REVIEW Cade Schmidt Kylie Wade Isaac Martin Trevor Grimm Kelly Mason Andrew Wise Annika Wolters C Hayley Halstead Dominic D’Angelo Designer Kristina Huynh Adviser Jeff Bates

Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Photographer Copy Editor Writers

Forward Jeffrey Parker dunks against Northwest Nazarene University on Feb. 20. The Viks won 84-72. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review

Feb. 24, 2014 • 3

EVENTS Labyrinth Feb. 24 - March 14 // Weekdays 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. // VU Gallery // Free The AS Women’s Center presents the visual art pieces from Labyrinth’s latest edition, “Communities (Un)bound.” The exhibit runs until March 14, with a closing ceremony on March 12.

Vagina Memoirs Feb. 26 - March 1 // 7 - 9 p.m. // VU MPR & PAC // Free The Vagina Memoirs is an annual event put on by the AS Women’s Center that gives people with marginalized gender identities a chance to share their personal

stories and experiences. The event will run for four nights in a row.

Wednesday Night Concert Series: Bellamaine w/ Ruby Parasols Feb. 26 // 8 p.m. // UGCH // Free Catch Bellamaine, an indie-rock band from Anacortes at the UGCH.

Environmental Club Summit 2014 Feb. 27 // 6 - 8 p.m. // MH // Free This Thursday in the Miller Hall Collaborative Space, stop by to check

in with all of the environmental clubs on campus. The event will feature discussions, activities and free food.

SASA Heritage Dinner March 1 // 5:30 - 11:30 p.m. // VU MPR // $10 for students, $12 GA This weekend, the South Asian Student Association is hosting a heritage dinner to celebrate South Asian culture with performances, food and cultural presentations. The theme of this year’s dinner is peacock, representing peace, unity, prosperity and strength. For more information on this event, check out our story on pg. 6.

Four nights of truths & empowerment: Vagina Memoirs

By C Hayley Halstead As February comes to an end, so does the process leading up to one of the most popular events at Western. For the past three months, a group of students and community members have been working together in preparation for four nights of truth telling at the AS Women’s Center’s eleventh annual Vagina Memoirs.

The free event that last year welcomed hundreds of attendees will take place at 7 p.m. from Feb. 26 – March 1. The first two performances will be held in the Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room, with the final nights in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.

“Anyone who is of a marginalized gender identity can be part of it and participate in it,” said Women’s Center Vagina Memoirs Coordinator Laura del Villar. “As for what they talk about though, it can be any sort of description of an experience they have had, any sort of truth they have had or any educational component they want their audience to know about.”

While cast members will be sharing their stories in front of a live audience for the four nights, the performance itself isn’t the only distinguishing factor from other events. Cast members of the memoirs auditioned in early November and have been working on their mono-

logues during weekly meetings ever since. At these meetings, cast members partake in discussions, writing prompts and building community in a non-intimidating, safe environment.

Heather Sheldon was a cast member in 2009, the year before the show was nationally recognized by the Association of College Unions International with its Student-Driven Program of the Year Award.

“It was a powerful experience that began my journey to finding my voice,” Sheldon said in an email. “When I had the chance to become a member of the memoirs, I knew that my life was going to change.”

Through the memoirs, Sheldon realized the power of community, as well as the healing that can emerge from a group supporting each other and creating a safe space, which in turn, fostered creative and emotional freedom.

“The experience of being in the memoirs was sacred, scary, enlightening, empowering, special and put me in connection with a part of myself that I had wanted to push away because of fear,” Sheldon said.

In Sheldon’s cast, they faced their fears together and were able to end their experiences with soulful friendships. Even though Vagina Memoirs can be a healing process for its cast members, it also can be therapeutic and refreshing for audience members.

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Room 601 & 701: A look inside Mathes Hall’s treehouse

By Dominic D’Angelo Nestled in the corner of both the sixth and seventh floors of Mathes Hall is a secret room capable of evoking envy on proportions equal to or greater than those expressed in the story of Cain and Abel.

Room 601. Room 701. Otherwise known as: the Treehouse.

The Treehouse is a two-story suite housing four roommates, all sophomores at Western. Instead of being connected by a hallway or a bathroom, the rooms in this suite are joined by a spiral staircase. The room is traditionally split with two beds in each of the rooms, but

Feb. 24, 2014 • 5

from the dorm ceiling lights, Hino said.

Lining the walls are items and posters of eccentric proportions. Everything from running flags to Irish flags to old glory itself, the American flag, hangs upon the wall. Music posters and inspirational quotes also find their

“Lining the walls are items and posters of eccentric proportions. Everything from running flags to Irish flags to old glory itself, the American flag, hangs upon the wall.”

place and in one corner hangs the [fake] skin of a wolf.

With such a sweet set-up, the first thing you wonder when you take in the sprawling, two-story suite is what you have to do to live Above: The spiral staircase leading to the upper room of the Mathes “Treehouse.” in a room so glorious.

Right: Jacob Hino, sophomore, enjoys a two-person hammock to himself in the “To get this room you pretty much have to luxurious Mathes 601. Photos by Trevor Grimm // AS Review live in Mathes before in order to get the priority registration,” Hino said. “Marcus and Alex roommates Jacob Hino, Alex Landes, Marcus, Towers suite, including a bathroom, a small lived in Mathes last year and so at the end of Michelles, and Mitchell Bohart have ingenukitchen area and two walk-in closets. Hino the year Marcus signed up for 601, while Alex ously split the floors into an upper level sleep- admits that although they have easy walkingsigned up for 701. And they requested me and ing loft containing their beds and a lower level distance access to both the sixth and seventh Mitchell as roommates.” living room-man cave. floor public restrooms, they rarely venture out Hino went on to explain that the process “We call the sleeping area ‘the cube,’” Hino to use them. for getting the room involved them formulatsaid, pointing at the square-like arrangeThe living room is also decked out with ing their interest months in advance, signing ment of two Xboxes, up at the first moment and waiting anxiously his rooma TV, a couch for their request to be received.

“We call the sleeping area ‘the cube.’ It’s mate’s beds with a fold“We were literally refreshing the page and study out bed and cramped but it’s a pretty social area, every every single minute to see if we got the room,” areas. “It’s a hammock Hino said. “We knew it would be pretty night we have our little pillow-talks.” cramped that is strate- sought after.” but it’s a gically placed For all those that couldn’t get the room, it’s pretty soto overlook a a popular social area. cial area, every night we have our little pillow stunning view of Bellingham Bay. “In the beginning, we had like fifteen talks.”

Christmas lights crisscross the ceiling, to twenty people a night. Now it’s calmed The room also contains all of the amenities providing a soft glow that’s intended to create down a bit, but there are still plenty of visithat one would normally see in a Buchannan light that isn’t as bland as the kind that comes tors,” Hino said.

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A night of cultural celebration, community and cuisine South Asian Student Association Heritage Dinner

By C Hayley Halstead Founded in the early 1990s, the South Asian Student Association has since been proud to celebrate their culture together as an Ethnic Student Center club.

Each year ESC clubs host annual heritage dinners, and this year SASA has quite the agenda lined up for its dinner on March 1 in the Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room. Only $10 for students and $12 for non-students will give attendees admission to a three-course meal, fashion show, live performances and a dance.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with the first performance beginning at 6 p.m. Three performances will showcase two University of Washington dance groups - Bahani Bollywood and Ghandia and a South Asian acapella group. These performances compliment several of SASA’ s own presentations, including the fashion show.

“It’s fun because we get to celebrate our own culture,” said Nardeep Kaur, SASA’ s steering committee representative.

The fashion show will showcase various regions in South Asia, A dance group performs at 2012’s South Asian Student Association such as Afghanistan, North India, South India, Nepal, Calcutta Heritage Dinner in the Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room. Photo by and Pakistan with attire worn by men and women.

Cade Schmidt // AS Review “Previous years we have focused on mainstream Indian culture, but this year we are trying to branch out to different regions this non-profit. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the silent of South Asia,” said SASA events coordinator Bahara Naimzadeth.

In addition to the fashion show and presentations professor in auction will benefit the Afghan Child Project.

Naimzadeth encourages those interested in South Asian culture to the Department of Biology, Anu Singh-Cundy, will deliver a keyattend the event, regardless of whether or not they are from South Asia. note address.

“We love diversity in our club,” she said.

While the entertainment at the heritage dinner is exciting and perSASA has been working on planning this event since the beginning haps even something that attendees may have never witnessed before, of the academic school year. there is also the meal that consists of an array of South Asian cuisine.

“We’ve put a lot of effort in it, so it will be nice to see it come to SASA is working with Aramark’s University Catering on the menu.

An Afghan appetizer, known as Bolani, will start out the dinner. Bolani light,” Kaur said.

Club President Anu Heera emphasized that while the dinner is a is fried bread, potatoes, green onions and spices and will be served with night of entertainment and fun, it is also an educational experience for green chutney.

The main entrée will be a mix of chicken jalfrezi - which is an Indian the community.

“All of us are working hard to make this not only fun to go to, but we and Pakistani dish - along with Shahiadi - a creamy tomato-based dish with Indian cheese paneed. They will also have Shahi paneer with rice really want people to take away a piece of South Asia, understand our and naan, a South Asian bread. Ending the dinner is golab jamun, deep- culture, roots and where we come from,” Heera said.

It’s encouraged to dress in cultural clothes or semi-formal. Tickets fried balls of dough with syrup.

In addition to the performances, dance and food, a silent auction can be purchased at Western’s box office and last year sold out with a will take place to fundraise for the Afghan Child Project. The organiza- 250 person capacity.

“I think it is definitely one of the highlights of our year,” tion provides shelter, clothes, schools and medical care for children in Afghanistan. It’s been part of SASA’ s mission to focus on working with Naimzadeth said.

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Queer Resource Center looks for performers gave me a whole different kind of passion for injustices that happen to people within my own community,” he said.

March 3 and 4 will be two of the biggest days of the year for the One night was particularly memorable for Kvistad-Renaissance.

Queer Resource Center.

“It was a heavy night emotionally and we went out into the PAC On March 3, the first ever Queer Music Showcase will be held at 7 plaza as the sun was setting and one of the facilitators had us just p.m. in the Underground Coffee House, and the very next night, the start screaming,” he said. “There were 15 or 16 of us just screaming Queer Experience auditions begin at 6 p.m. in Viking Union 464. in the PAC plaza. People were walking by like, ‘What’s happening?’

Needless to say, QRC Assistant Coordinator Clinton Kvistad- That’s a really powerful memory.”

Renaissance is excited. He was a member of the Queer Experience cast In terms of auditions, Kvistad-Renaissance said that he and the othtwo years ago and created the Queer Music Showcase this year. er coordinators are “looking to represent a wide range of experiences “Queer students don’t necessarily have a platform to talk about their and ideas. We want to find people who represent many different points marginalization,” Kvistad-Renaissance said. “There’s Vagina Memoirs of opinion and experience along the infinite range of this community.” which talks about gender and The Naked Truth on Stereotypes, which For the music showcase, performers that want to be featured need didn’t happen this year, but that talks more about racial stereotyping.” to submit their lyrics and poetry to the QRC by Feb. 27.

Both events are “targeted programs,” which per an AS Board of Directors resolution from “There’s a need for that more private space where you’re with January 28, which means that auditions for both events are limited to queer, trans-gender and genpeople who are marginalized similarly to you throughout the der non-conforming individuals. This was done process because it can be really challenging and emotional, so “to keep the nature of the event itself, to have an all queer cast speaking about what it means to be it’s really important to have that commonality between the cast. queer, gender non-conforming, gender queer or You can learn a lot about yourself and about other people.” trans,” according to Kvistad-Renaissance.

“We felt that it was really important to uphold because there’s a need for that more private The Queer Experience was created five years ago to provide that space where you’re with people who are marginalized similarly to you platform. throughout the process because it can be really challenging and emo“It came out of that need to have a space for queer and trans folk to tional, so it’s really important to have that commonality between the have a community and a platform to speak to students about their life cast,” he said. “You can learn a lot about yourself and about other peoexperiences and their reflections on their world,” Kvistad-Renaissance ple, and find a tight-knit group. If you feel like you haven’t been able to said. “It originally started out just with coming out stories and has speak to what you’ve lived, it’s a great place to talk about that.” evolved into a personal experience memoir.”

Auditions are conducted by the three facilitators, which this year For more information on auditioning for the Queer will be Kvistad-Renaissance, QRC Coordinator Derick Reinhardt and a third person, all of whom were on the same Queer Experience cast Experience, send an email to as.qrc.asst@wwu.edu. Auditions two years ago. Once they choose their cast, which averages around 15 will be held March 4 at 6 p.m. in VU 464. or 16 people, the group has eight weeks to write and rehearse their own personal experience memoir, which they have the option to perform at the closing performance in mid-May. Submissions, including lyrics or poetry, for the Queer Kvistad-Renaissance made it clear that performing was not mandaMusic Showcase should be sent to as.qrc.asst@wwu.edu by tory, that it is much more about the personal growth achieved during February 27. There is a limit of three pieces per performer. the six to eight week writing and bonding period.

“I learned a lot and grew so much as a person through that and it

By Andrew Wise

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Pacific Northwest welcomes Miley & her onesies

By Kelly Mason // Design By Kristina Huynh Let me just start off by saying, I am a fan of Miley Cyrus.

Despite every fiber of my musical soul, there is a piece of me who can’t-stop, won’t-stop singing “Wrecking Ball” or “Party in the USA” when it comes on - see what I did there.

Hidden somewhere deep in my iTunes library are quite a few Miley Cyrus songs, even some Hannah Montana ones, and I am only somewhat ashamed to admit that.

I’m sure you all have formed your opinions on the pop singer, especially since her infamous Video Music Awards performance. If your negative opinion stems from the way she dresses, acts or her lifestyle choices: stop reading now. I refuse to bash the way someone chooses to dress or live their life, so there will be none of that here.

However, I do have one issue with Miley. It’s not how she acts or presents herself, but how she tends to exploit certain types of people, using them as props rather than performers. While I do not support all of Miley’s performance choices, I must say she gives one heck of a show.

I went to the second installment of her Bangerz tour at the Tacoma Dome on Feb. 16. It was crazy from start to finish, and I loved every second of it.

Before I get to Miley, imagine an entire concert venue filled with girls ages eight to 25 accompanied by the occasional parent and a few male fans.

To give you an even better idea of the crowd, I heard a girl squeal “Beer Selfie” before taking a picture of herself with a drink. No judgement, but I shudder to think of the number of Snapchats I was in the background of.

Icona Pop, consisting of two Swedish girls, opened and completely blew me away. The vocals were on point and the bass was loud, it was a per-

fect way to kick off the night.

Now one more thing before I get into the good part. A trend I’ve noticed - especially with female artists - is that their performances are becoming less about the music and more about the “wow-factor” of a show. Take a look at Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, even Queen Bey. It’s like a

“It’s like a rat race for these ladies of who can get away with the craziest crap. After seeing her concert, I definitely feel like Miley is winning.” rat race for these ladies of who can get away with the craziest crap. After seeing her concert, I definitely feel like Miley is winning.

Her outfits, her props, dancers and other ridiculous shenanigans, had me WTF-ing, with a smile on face the whole time. Without going into too much detail, I will give you the highlights, or rather the craziest events of the evening.

In one of the wildest openings ever, a giant Miley head opened its mouth to reveal a tongue slide with her sliding down to greet the audience. It only got weirder from there. The show also included a giant dog, a weed-patterned unitard, a little person dressed as a joint and twerking. Oh so much, twerking. In an exit to match the wild opening, Miley left the stage on an over-sized flying hotdog. To say you had to be there is an understatement.

My only complaints were, as I said before, the use of certain people as props, in addition to the lack of older songs and no surprise appearance

by Billy Ray Cyrus to perform his new “Achy Breaky Heart” remix. I couldn’t have been the only one who wished for at least one Hannah Montana song. However, despite my dismay, the show reinforced Miley’s wish to disassociate herself with the “Disney days” and I guess we’ve just got to learn to accept that.

In all her wild shenanigans, Miley was able to take past criticisms and incorporate them throughout her performance to prove that she really doesn’t give a crap about what you think of her.

I have seen a lot of concerts in my time, but Miley is definitely in my top five. Not only because she puts on a wild show, but because I was able to belt out some of my favorite songs like only my car and bedroom have seen me do. Yes, I am definitely a fan of Miley Cyrus.