AS Review - March 10, 2104

Dallas Buyers Club, p. 5 Roommate horror stories, p. 6 The destructive nature of cyberbullying, p. 8

Vol. 29 #20 3.10.2014

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Students learn to perform a successful kayak roll at the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center on March 6. Trevor Grimm // 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 5 Juniper Stills Formerly known as Wyatt Parks and the Mute Choir, this oldtime, bluegrass group had the Underground Coffeehouse stomping

STUDENT LIFE 6 Dorm Horrors A look at different kinds of bad roommates and how to deal with them

11 Wanderlusting?

Tips and tricks to make planning your travels a little easier

FEATURES 8 Cyberbullying Western psychology professor to present findings on the destructive nature and effects of cyberbullying

10 Oscar worthy?

Andrew Wise critiques the Oscar-winning film Dallas Buyers Club

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 C Hayley Halstead Dominic D’Angelo Designer Kristina Huynh Adviser Jeff Bates

Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Photographer Copy Editor Writers

Samantha Goldblatt lectures on rental rights in Mathes Hall on Mar. 6, at the final installment of the Renters Rights Clinic. This was a program created by the WWU Associated Students Legal Information Center and was presented in multiple dorms around campus. Photo by Isaac Martin // AS Review

March 10, 2014 • 3

EVENTS Tranquil Recess March 11 // All day // VU MPR // Free Come take a study break to relax throughout the day. There will be free food and games to help students forget about their dead week woes.

Ethnic Student Center Alive Week March 11 - 13 // 4 - 8 p.m. // ESC // Free If you need a place to study and prepare for finals, come to the AS Ethnic Student Center for a fun study session in a safe place. In addition to snacks, there will be a math tutor present to help you get ready for your finals.

Dead Parrots Society Improv Club Showcase March 11 // 8 p.m. // Fraser 4 // Free For a night of laughs, check out DPS Improv Club’s winter quarter showcase.

The event is a chance for club members to demonstrate what they’ve been learning all quarter.

ASP Presents: A Night With Sasheer Zamata March 12 // 7:30 p.m. // PAC // Adv. tickets $10 w/ WWU ID, $15 GA AS Productions Special Events presents A Night With Sasheer Zamata. Zamata is Saturday Night Live’s newest cast member and the first African-American female cast member in the last six

years. Opening for Zamata will be this year’s Last Comic Standing winner Isaac Sommers. Doors open at 7 p.m.

4-Wall Handball Workshop March 12 // 2 - 4 p.m. // CV 116 // Free Try something extreme like 4-Wall handball in this free workshop provided

by Western’s fitness classes. Play with any ball, on any wall. Only 20 spots available.

Cyberbullying: What Parents and Teachers Should Know March 12 // 7 p.m. // Bellingham City Council Chambers // Free

Night of a Thousand Comics March 13 // 7:30 - 8:45 p.m. // FR 2 // Free This event features tons of up-andcoming student comedians in short sets hosted by Last Comic Standing winner Isaac Sommers. Come support your fellow students and expect to laugh.

Dance Faculty Concert March 13 - 15 // 7:30 p.m. & 2 p.m. on March 15 // PAC Mainstage // $8-12

Come see this stunning collaboration featuring student performers exploring dance through choreography by WWU’s dance faculty.

As a part of the Dean’s Lecture Series: “Cyberbullying: What Parents and Teachers Should Know,” features Western psychology professor David Sattler’s presentation on cyberbullying. To learn more about this event and cyberbullying, check out pg. 8.

Disability Awareness Film Forum

WWU Acapella Club’s Winter Concert

Western Athletics: Softball

March 13 // 7 p.m. // AH 100 // Free For a relaxing, fun, musical night, attend WWU Acapella Club’s Winter Concert.

The night will feature performances from Western’s co-ed group, All Aboard, Western’s all female group, Major Treble and Western’s all male group, Undefined.

The event is free but will be accepting donations with 25 percent of the profits going to Relay For Life fundraising.

March 14 // 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. // VU 552 // Free Human Services is hosting a film showing and a discussion forum.

March 15 // 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. // Viking Field Come support the Vikings as they take on Saint Martin’s in back-to-back games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Western Athletics: Softball March 16 // 12 p.m. & 2 p.m. // Viking Field Catch the softball team take on Western Oregon in two consecutive games at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.

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Digital job-hunting: Building your network on the web

By Dominic D’Angelo In a world that is increasingly being posted, reposted and commented on by social networking, today’s citizens and organizations are becoming highly dependent on their ability to show themselves off in the digital realm. In the past this form of connection was dictated by large all-encompassing social media websites such as Facebook or Myspace. However, as we move into this new digital renaissance, social media has become more and more specialized. One of these specialized websites is LinkedIn, a network used purely for making and maintaining professional contacts.

Although a vast majority of LinkedIn users are professionals, LinkedIn has a special importance to students of the current generation who are on the cliff between academia and professional living. On the smallest scale LinkedIn is a means to stay connected to professors and other important contacts for future contingencies. On the grandest, LinkedIn can be the difference between hunting for jobs in the traditional sense and having jobs offered to you on social media.

“I’ve had a lot of job offers through LinkedIn,” said second-year senior Shannon Gnagey.

Like all social media however, LinkedIn requires a basic knowledge of etiquette. Below are two lists of relevant information compiled by Senior Misha Litchev and Gnagey, who were co-speakers for a seminar teaching people the basics of LinkedIn.

Tips & Tactics 1. Post. Post in groups. Post in discussions. Post your own articles and thoughts. Post on your connection’s posts.

This is the quickest and easiest way to advertise your skills and profile.

2. Share articles that have already been posted.

3. Keep in touch with your contacts. Figure out who is most important and send them emails regularly in order to touch base, but not in a way that is pestering.

4. Organize your profile in a way that displays your strengths nearest to the top where others can see them.

LinkedIn Etiquette 1. Avoid sending the stock email to those who you are trying to connect with. Not only does this seem unprofessional and amateur, it also implies that you don’t particularly care if your target person is in or outside of your network.

2. Always be formal in your personal communications. Always be sure to end on a formal note.

3. Keep all communication short and to the point. Don’t waste people’s time with pointless or unnecessary details.

4. If you see something interesting pop up on your feed, don’t just like it, be more personal and add a comment as well.

5. With all things on LinkedIn, keep it professional. There are other avenues of social media for you to post you and your friends having fun, or to talk about your life. LinkedIn is a professional social network - always act like you are trying to impress someone to get a job.

6. Keep it honest. In many forms of social networking we tend to lie or overemphasize our life achievements. LinkedIn however is a different creature which demands a certain amount of honesty to remain credible.

7. Understand the culture of endorsements. Don’t like every endorsement you get. Conversely, if you get an endorsement, consider endorsing the person who endorsed you. That being said, endorse only what you know you can credibly endorse.

8. Don’t connect with random people. Make sure you actually know your connections in the real world before you connect with them on LinkedIn.

March 10, 2014 • 5

Wednesday Night Concert Series: Juniper Stills at the Underground Coffeehouse Top Ten: March 4-11 1

Morning Phase Beck

2

NVM Tacocat

3

The Green EP Bibio

4

I Never Meant It To Be Like This Cumulus

5

Golondrina [EP] Dom La Nena

6

Mozes and the Firstborn Mozes and the Firstborn

7

Drowners Drowners

8

Wish Hotel [EP] Ducktail

9

Blue Film Lo-Fang

10

Juniper Stills strums out jams at the Underground Coffeehouse on Wednesday, March. 5, at the last concert of the Wednesday Night Concert Series for the quarter. The Underground Coffeehouse provides free concerts, trivia nights, karaoke and many other special events. Photos by Isaac Martin // AS Review

After the Disco Broken Bells

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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AMERICAN HORROR S

By Kelly Mason Photo Illustrations by Isaac Martin & Trevor Grimm

Remember freshman year when you were so nervous about having to find a roommate but then it turned out that everything was fine, and you became besties with your roommate and lived happily ever after?

No? Oh yeah, that’s because it rarely happens. Some lucky ones get their fairy tale roommate story, but for the most part having a roommate is like starring in a poorly written horror story - and every horror story has a monster.

Well, perhaps, monster is too harsh a word to describe your roommate, no matter how accurate it may feel sometimes. Sharing a living space with someone is a lot harder than it seems. Everyone has a perfectly valid living style, the problem is that not everyone’s styles mesh.

THE SEVEN ABSOLUTE WORS 1

THE SLOB:

There’s messy and then there’s MESSY. The slob thrives on mess. Clothes, trash and dirty dishes everywhere, an odorous cloud floating around that never seems to go away - these are signs that you are living with a slob. Do they even have a bed? Maybe that’s what’s under the mountain of clothes in the corner. The slob prefers to live in filth, which can be an issue if your ideal living situation includes actually being able to see the floor.

2

THE NEATFREAK: The

slob’s natural enemy, the neat-freak, believes that everything has a place and cannot function until everything is in its place. Their room is spotless and they wish everywhere else could be the same. Don’t even bother trying to clean up, because they’ll probably find fault in your work and want to do it again themselves.

3

THE SEXILER:

If you are constantly being sexiled from your room [meaning you have to leave because your roommate is doing the nasty], then you are living with a sexiler. The sexiler is especially difficult to live with in the dorms. You might feel like you have two rooms because you’re forced to spend so much time in the lounges.

4

THE AGG GHO

ghost is rarely aro know they have a you via the passiv notes they leave l Occasionally, you’ items in a new plac explanation. When they will claim e fine, but it’s not a that out when you sticky note.

March 10, 2014 • 7

STORY: ROOMMATES HOW TO MAKE DIFFERENT LIVING STYLES WORK TOGETHER: Former Mathes Resident Advisor Emma impede on the other’s comfort.

Burgeson sheds some light on how to deal with common roommate issues: Party Animal vs. Non-partier?

Discussing how you want to spend What advice would you give someone your nights and how often you want who lives with a roommate who has a to have people over is something that different living style? is best covered before deciding to Differences in lifestyle can move in together, but if, for example, potentially be a difficult thing to you’re paired with a random person, overcome, but open communication compromise is key. is the best way to go. In general, roommate conflicts are best solved Slob vs. Neat-freak? when faced head on.

Living with a roommate who’s a lot Sometimes it can be scary to messier than you can be a source of confront the person you live with, but stress, but it’s generally an easy fix. as long as you do it without attacking Talking to them about why messes them, the issues can typically be make you uncomfortable is the first resolved. Both people are entitled step, but some simple solutions can to choose the way they’d like to include creating chore charts and live their lives, as long as it doesn’t setting aside time just for cleaning!

ST KINDS OF ROOMMATE:

E PASSIVEGRESSIVE OST: The

ound, but you an issue with ve-aggressive lying around. ’ll find your ce without any n confronted everything is and you’ll find find the next

5

THE HERMIT:

The hermit’s habitat is its room. It’s where they feel most safe, it’s where they belong. They’ve designed their room specifically so that they rarely have to leave it. The hermit entertains themselves with video games, reading or binge-watching TV shows or Netflix. Their other friends are probably hermits too.

6

THE PARTY ANIMAL: The

party animal is just as its name describes: an animal. If they are not in their constant state of partying, they are most definitely talking about it. The party animal travels in herds, so chances are if you live with one, there’ll be more hanging around.

7

THE WORST OF THEM ALL:

The worst of all these monsters is the person who does not communicate.

In order to have a living situation in which you and your roommates are all able to live happily, you have to have open communication about the issues that you all have or nothing is going to get better.

Cleaning together makes it more fair and is a better motivator than a piece of paper that constantly stares at you.

Introvert vs. Extrovert?

If your roommate doesn’t leave the room much, the first step is to ask why. Introverted people need to spend time alone to recharge and it sometimes comes off as being anti-social when it’s really just an energy saver. If it’s a problem of not knowing how to meet people, encourage them to join a club that interests them or invite them with you. Remember though that while it’s not your responsibility to make friends for your roommate, it can be nice to show them that you care.

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THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN Destructive consequences of cyberbullying

Ninety-five percent of teens active on social media sites say they have witnessed cyberbullying and 90 percent said they’d ignored such harassment, according to a report from Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project in 2011. The study conducted research in seven focus groups and also found that 21 percent of these social media-using teenagers joined in on the bullying over the Internet. Photo Illustration by Trevor Grimm // AS Review

By C Hayley Halstead In November, a fifteen-year-old Florida girl was arrested, for sending several hundred hostile text messages to three of her peers.

She was charged with three counts of aggravated stalking and tampering with a witness charge after she disobeyed officers by speaking to the victims she’d been bullying after police warned her not to.

Thirteen-year-old Katelyn Roman, also of Florida, was cleared of felony charges in November that she drove her 12-year-old classmate to commit suicide by sending aggressive texts and Facebook comments.

Roman and her 14-year-old peer Guadalupe Shaw were charged in Rebecca Sedwick’s death after she jumped from an abandoned concrete plant in early September. Shaw reportedly told Sedwick “to drink bleach and die,” according to Florida’s Polk County Sheriff.

After Sedwick’s death, Shaw posted the following on her Facebook: “Yes IK I bullied REBECCA nd she killed her self but IDGAF.” Unfortunately, cases like this aren’t uncommon when it comes to cyberbullying.

According to the Harford County Examiner, approximately half of all American teens have been victims of cyberbullying.

David Sattler a professor in Western’s Department of Psychology has been studying cyberbullying and will be leading a presentation on his findings as part of the Dean’s Lecture Series on Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. at the Bellingham City Council Chambers.

“One of the concerns [regarding cyberbullying] is whether children understand the consequences of what they post - as well as college students. So we’ve been looking at the information social [networking] sites present,” Sattler said.

March 10, 2014 • 9

Sattler found that when people sign up for sites, they run into photographs to be rated by over 31 million Instagram users. Users terms of use, which they don’t necessarily understand. who don’t receive high-ratings have either a giant red “X” or “ugly” “If they are allowing 13-year-olds as the minimal age to use the across their face. site, do they understand what they’re agreeing to? That’s a big quesABC Action News sat down with a group of girls in Philadelphia tion. So let’s find out. I did an analysis of what [common social net- with ages ranging from nine to 11 who all were users of Instagram. working] websites have in their rules and I ran it through a variety One of girls was submitted into an Instagram beauty pageant withof programs to tell you what reading level it’s at,” Sattler said. out consent.

Based on the analysis, Sattler found that users need to be at least “It’s a sensitive period of development to expose yourself to that,” 19 or 20 years old to understand Instagram’s terms of agreement. Sattler said.

Facebook’s comprehension level for its legal terms and statements is Cyberbullying and in-person bullying have similar effects, some a grade level of 13 (18-19 years old). of them including depression, sadness, headaches, stress and lower Sattler’s purpose of research questions whether or not people academic performance. can be reminded of their In terms of cyberbullyagreements and the variing awareness, Sattler emous social norms with “You’re not talking to a piece of hardware… Someone phasizes that cyber is real posting comments and life also. on the other side is a human being just like me.” media online.

“You’re not talking “We’ve been using varto a piece of hardware… ious social psychology and Someone on the other side norms to say, ‘this is not okay,’ and to try to influence kind state- is a human being just like me,” he said. ments versus statements that would be considered cyberbullying, Young internet users may reduce their risk of being involved in harassment or defaming,” Sattler said. cyberbullying by having smaller electronic footprints, not sharing Sattler references a study published last year which indicates that too much personal information or utilizing the websites and appliplaying violent video games may increase moral disengagement. cations as much.

As opposed to cyber bullying, those bullied in-person are often Another portion of prevention includes ensuring people clearly able to escape from the harassment after leaving the scene. However, understand user agreements prior to registration. with cyberbullying, the bullying is still apparent and even more peoAll 50 states have cyberbullying laws. ple are able to witness with the massive accessibility of the web.

The Washington State 2010 Legislature implemented Substitute When people witness bullying in any form, they are a bystander. House Bill 2801, to crack down on harassment in schools. The bill “The person doing the action can interpret bystanders as sup- defines harassment, intimidation or bullying as something that porting them,” Sattler said. A bystander can comment online to “physically harms a student or damages the student’s property; has show disapproval or even report the harassment if it’s a serious cause the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education; is for concern. so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or One of Sattler’s studies presented Western students with bashing threatening educational environment or has the effect of substanYouTube comments and asked students to post comments to see if tially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.” they would also add to the negativity. What Sattler found surprising As of August 2011, every Washington school district is now was a vast majority of the students supported the person who was required to report bullying and adapt to anti-bullying policy. being bullied.

The Washington HIB [Harassment, intimidation and bullying] “They stood up for the person, said it was wrong and that was Prevention and Intervention Toolkit provides information and tacheart-warming,” he said. tics for education personnel and includes cyberbullying.

However, Western isn’t immune to cyberbullying. Last year, two A study conducted by “A Thin Line” and MTV found that cyberfreshmen launched the Facebook page Western Confessions, which bullying is often more harmful than face-to-face bullying because of allowed students to anonymously post their dirty little secrets. While its permanence on the Internet, massive audience size and the speed the page was widely popular after its inception, negative comments in which information and harmful messages can spread through sparked campus discussion about its potential harm to a relatively large audiences. small student population of 15,000.

“That’s part of the insidious nature of cyberbullying is the anoOne of the newer phenomenon’s Sattler has analyzed is beauty nymity. People do things they wouldn’t do otherwise when they bepageants on Instagram. Children and teens are able to submit their lieve they are anonymous,” Sattler said.

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Tips & tricks for your summer travels

By Dominic D’Angelo

3. BE AWARE OF ADVANCE VISAS.

6. LEARN THE LANGUAGE.

4. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

7. KNOW YOUR RESOURCES.

The summer travel season is approaching and before you plan your dream trip, you While most countries around the world At least attempt to learn the language that should have as much information as possible will give you a visa upon landis spoken in the land you are at your disposal. From a traveler’s perspecplanning to travel to. In tive, here are ten tips that could come in handy ing in country for free or for a small fee, certain many countries this is when planning your next adventure. countries require viewed positively, that you fill out paeven if you only perwork for an enknow a few com1. PLAN EARLY. trance visa in admon phrases. On vance.

Specifically, the other hand, just Spontaneous trips are wonderful and they expecting people to can easily awe your friends. However if you some countries that speak English in forreally want to make it worth your dollar and require this include: China, India, Vietnam, eign, non-English speakhave a fulfilling trip, planning many weeks beNorth Korea, Russia, Belarus, ing countries, is definitely not forehand is your best bet.

Azerbaijan, Australia, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, the best tactic for harboring international Paraguay, Saudi Arabia and Suriname. goodwill.

2. TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

Timing matters, especially when it comes to buying flights. For domestic flights, 54 days prior to the flight is statistically the cheapest day for any flights. For trips to Europe, flights are generally cheapest eight to ten months out.

When flying to South America, look about six months out, if you’re going to Asia, try nine to ten months, and the Caribbean, four to six.

[According to statistics gathered from Kayak.]

Look into the activities you plan to do. This might seem like a no-brainer, but thorough research cannot be overemphasized. [Doing your research will not only bring order to your trip and help you use your time effectively. It can also help you avoid certain activities that might be detrimental to people or animals that are being exploited.]

5. WATCH YOUR APPENDAGES. Some common non-verbal signals in America have drastically different meanings in other countries. Never give a “thumbs up” in India. Never raise your index and your pinkie in South America or the Mediterranean.

In general, it’s always a good idea to try to learn what is appropriate for your desired travel location so you don’t accidentally do something offensive.

For example, if you’re planning a classic American road trip, take a look at www.roadtrippers.com.

The website not only helps you plan your trip, but will also sync landmarks, your itinerary and your directions to your smartphone.

Similar resources exist for other types of travelling - take the time to discover them.

8. LOOK INTO TRAVEL MEDICINE. When going to many parts of the third world where medical care is not readily available, it might be worth it to go see a travel doctor to assess your physical condition, warn you of potential dangers and prescribe you specific travel-related medications like anti-malarial pills, altitude sickness medication or various continued on next page

March 10, 2014 • 11

continued from previous page vaccinations. One local doctor is Dr. Frank James of Travel Medicine Northwest. He is located at 809 West Orchard Drive Suite no. 4, Bellingham, Wash. For more local options, check out www.travelmedicinenw.com.

9. CHECK TRAVEL WARNINGS. Be sure to check travel warnings and recommendations on the United States State Department Website, www.travel.state.gov.

10. CONSIDER A WWU TRIP. Consider going on one of the many study abroad trips led through Western. There are many different options to chose from, including faculty-led trips, the semester at sea program and internships that span the globe. All of these options and more are readily available for students at the university.

And if you’re worried about cost, many of the study abroad options are actually cheaper than a quarter at Western if you’re paying outof-state tuition.

AT A GLANCE TOP TRAVEL RESOURCES: - kayak.com - roadtrippers.com - travelmedicinenew.com - travel.state.gov - studyabroad.wwu.edu Graphics on previous page: Bottom left designed by Kristina Huynh, top right designed by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

Dallas Buyers Club impresses, deserving of Oscar wins

By Andrew Wise So, no, Mathew McConaughey doesn’t play the RomCom game anymore. The goofy, muscly, tanned sexiest-man-alive contender from such films as Fool’s Gold and Failure to Launch has vanished and in his place stands a skeletal, sinewy, pale husk of a man, but finally, a true actor. McConaghey literally transformed himself to play Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyer’s Club”, losing fifty pounds for the role.

The film [which had a showing in Fraser Hall on March 6 thanks to AS Productions Films] is based on the life of Woodroof, an electrician and bull rider diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. Woodroof was given thirty days to live and virtually zero options for treatment.

But rather than succumb to the disease, he sought out alternative treatments. When they worked, he teamed up with a transgender woman who was also battled AIDS named Rayon [played by Jared Leto] and starts smuggling and distributing a cocktail of remedies to others suffering from AIDS. The film is a window into a terrifying moment in American history. AIDS was a death sentence and a conservative, highly homophobic populace in the United States marginalized the people suffering from it. Woodroof himself displays plenty of anti-gay sentiment from the first minutes of the film. Obviously, AIDS is not a disease exclusive to the queer population [Woodroof contracts it from sleeping with a heroin user], but the film does focuses on its impact within that world and Woodroof ’s sudden connection to that struggle.

His diagnosis sparks a transformation that is carefully and honestly portrayed by McConaghey. The dialogue between Woodroof and Rayon is dynamic, and the progress of their friendship is stumbling but steady. At every turn, small victories in the struggle to survive offer moments of hope, but they are quickly snatched away. The pace of the film is quick, scenes cut extremely fast and there’s the constant feeling that precious time has slipped from the grasp of the heroes. Woodroof becomes a shrewd and aggressive businessman, battling to save the lives of a community that he had mocked and feared, along with his own.

The great villain is the Food and Drug Adminstration, who are charged by the film with favoring the massive handouts from big pharmaceutical corporations over-expediting the process to find and approve new, better drugs to treat HIV and AIDS. It was truly a case of the government ignoring an epidemic out of indifference toward the population being affected.

However, the film doesn’t play all that aggressively on the issues of discrimination, instead it definitely feels like one man’s struggle for life.

Therein lies the complicated questions raised by Dallas Buyer’s Club. Some have argued that this is an effort to tell a story that is palatable for a largely straight, cisgender, heterosexist and somewhat homophobic audience; that it maintains a certain master narrative involving the straight, cisgender white guy saving the threatened marginalized community.

I think this is a stretch. It is, perhaps, a valid discussion to have in a sociology seminar somewhere down the line, but to fail to recognize the work that Leto and McConaghey did to humanize the true nature of the epidemic would be a tragedy.

The strength of the film lies in its honesty. There is not a hint of sap or sentimentality. It’s not a film that leaves you feeling especially good. None of the characters are perfect. They are real people full of fear, false hope and bad habits.

But, above all, full of the will to live. That fight is one that we all share, and it’s one that by definition we can’t win. But we sure as hell fight.

12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

A rain-drenched week on campus

Right: Reflecting on puddles in Red Square on March 6. Left: The visual pieces in the Women’s Center’s annual literary zine, Labyrinth -Communities (Un)bound- are currently on display in the Viking Union Gallery until March 14. Photos by Isaac Martin // AS Review

Right: BellaMaine performs a live in-studio session for KUGS 89.3 on Feb. 26. Photo by Isaac Martin // AS Review Left: Junior Jasper Gibson watches Drew Swisher complete a kayak roll during an AS Outdoor Center kayak session at the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center on March 6. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review