AS Review - March 12, 2013

Vol. 28 #19 3.12.13

News // Events // Student Life

Review

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Two girls enjoy a laugh on campus in the sunny weather on March 8.

Photo by Cade Schmidt// AS Review

review

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

©2013. 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 board 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.

Staff Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers

Megan Thompson Spencer Pederson Cade Schmidt Nick Markman Lauren Prater Lauren Simmons Kylie Wade Todd Wells

Adviser Jeff Bates Editor’s Note: Though the AS Review usually publishes on Mondays, this quarter our production cycle changed due to a staffing issue at the printers. The AS Review will continue to publish weekly, on Tuesdays for the remainder of winter quarter. We will resume our normal schedule during spring quarter.

NEWS

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RISING TUITION ‘Rally for our Education’ brings awarness to the true cost of college

EVENTS

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EVENTS CALENDAR See what’s happening around Bellingham

STUDENT LIFE

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JOB SEARCH Looking for an on-campus job? We’re here to help out.

FEATURES

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VINYL CRAZE Popularity of vinyls grows among college students

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ARTIST PROFILE Look at Henry JacksonSpieker work

ATHLETE Q&A Arianna Barrio answers questions about softball, school

CONDOM FASHION SHOW: CALL FOR DESIGNERS

By Lauren Prater

Calling all designers! Do you have special design skills or a creative eye? This event is perfect for you!

The Associated Students Sexual Awareness Center is looking for designers to create fabulous outfits for the upcoming Condom Fashion Show. On May 29, condom creations designed by Western students will be featured at the Condom Fashion Show event. This event is mainly to increase sexual positivity and to encourage sexual supplies use, but it’s also as a fun way for students to let their creative juices flow.

The Sexual Awareness Center Assistant Coordinator, Marya Kampmann, explained that last years winner created an entire outfit out of condoms, but that all designs don’t have to be to that caliber. Once designers are registered, they will be supplied with expired condoms to create their clothing or accessory. Students will then have to provide their own model who is willing to show off their design on the runway.

Designers can create anything from a full outfit to a simple article of clothing.

“If someone says they just want to make a hat, than that’s fine,” Kampmann said.

Designs from the 2012 Condom Fashion Show.

Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

The need for designers is an open call to students of all creativity levels and design skills.

If you are interested in learning more about the event, the guidelines, the rules, or simply want to become a condom fashion show designer, contact Taneum Bambrick or Mayra Kampmann in the Sexual Awareness Center at (360) 650-6117, or stop by the SAC office in the VU.

March 12, 2013 • 3

SPRING TIME FOR BELLINGHAM Western students soak up the sun on March 8

Photos by Cade Schimdt // AS Review

HOW TO FIND AN ON-CAMPUS JOB

By Todd Wells For many, finding a job during college can be a difficult struggle. Some jobs don’t fit into an already busy schedule and others just don’t seem interesting. How does one go about determining what job is right for them and figure out where to apply for it?

Western has devoted a number of resources towards making the job hunt easier and more accessible for students. The first resource that every student should use to start his or her job search is the online Student Employment Center.

From the Student Employment Center website, students can select between non-work-study & workstudy jobs, as well as between on-campus and offcampus jobs. After one has made their selection, he will find himself in front of a list of various jobs and their descriptions. Posts vary between off campus positions like that of a ukulele instructor that pays $20 per hour, a City of Bellingham Aquatic Center cashier that pays $10 per hour; or on campus jobs like that of a work study assistant for Huxley College that pays $18 per hour to delivery drivers for the Western Front that pays $9.25 per hour. This is a great resource for students to start out with.

The student employment center can be reached at www.finaid.wwu.edu/studentjobs.

As we are nearing spring hiring for all of the jobs through the Associated Students, over one hundred paid jobs are about to open up to everyone on campus. Positions through the AS vary from Outback Farm Coordi-

nator and Viking Union Gallery Director to Pop Music Coordinator and KUGS Music Director. The majority of such positions are salary jobs that pay between $5,700 and $15,000 per year, but there are also hourly positions that pay between $9.75 and $10.25 an hour.

AS Personnel Director Sara Richards suggests getting started on applications for AS positions as soon as possible.

“The way we do it is via online applications. The applications are open between March 9 and April 11,” Richards said.

Richards spends much of her time during the spring going through job applications, and she expressed concern over how many resumes and cover letters were off topic.

“I have to review every single application that comes in before I pass it off,” Richards said. “One thing I’ve noticed through that is how often times people’s resumes don’t match up to what they are applying for.”

Richards encourages students who are applying for positions in the AS to construct their resume as a skillsbased resume.

“You don’t necessarily have to have done all these jobs before, and we don’t expect that. What we do want to see is that the points on your resume are correlated to the job description. Also your cover letter needs to address all of the required and preferred qualifications in the job description,” she said.

To learn more about various positions offered

through the Associated Students visit the AS website at www.as.wwu.edu.

For those who are unfamiliar with the process of developing a resume or drafting a cover letter, the Writing Center in Wilson Library and the Career Services Center are great resources.

Kergie Garcia, Assistant Director at Career Services, expressed that her department is designed to support all students in whatever way possible.

“For students that are looking to work on their resume or cover letter, all we ask is that they come in with something down on paper. Come prepared with a resume that you’ve started, or ideas that you want to include and we’ll help you develop it,” Garcia said.

“If students don’t know how to put together a resume at all, we show them Optimal Resume, which is a resume building tool on our website. We loaded over a hundred resumes that are tailored for students with various interests and skills. We have a pretty comprehensive cover letter guide too,” she shared.

To schedule an appointment with the career services center, call 360-650-3420 or visit the department in person at Old Main in room 280.

In addition to these resources the Western Associated Students and Career Services Center will be offering a workshop on tips regarding resumes, cover letters and interviews on March 12 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. and on March 13 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. at VU 462 in rooms A&B.

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March 12, 2013 • 5

VINYL SURGES IN POPULARITY AMONG TWENTY-SOMETHINGS

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Everybody, when they’re in college, wants a copy of that Cat Stevens album. It’s made for you to listen to when you’re in college.

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Spencer Willows, assistant manager of Avalon Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

By Lauren Simmons As a college town, Bellingham offers its temporary residents a multitude of activities and experiences that expose people to a new way of doing things. Buying a record player and start a vinyl collection is a growing pastime in Bellingham, giving the twenty-somethings a new obsession.

“We sell a lot of vinyl, day in and day out,” said Spencer Willows, assistant manager at Avalon Discs and Tapes in downtown Bellingham.

Avalon Discs and Tapes has been around since 1986, and its products have evolved with the music industry.

They went from selling cassette tapes and vinyl, to CDs, and now, more vinyl, Willows said. Vinyl is on a visible rise in popularity.

“When I started here four or five years ago, there was maybe 400 or 500 vinyl out there, and we’re at about 2,000-3,000 now, so we kind of expand and contract different sections as they go.”

Vinyl sales have been up 20 to 30 percent every year for the past four years, while CDs are down about 8 percent and downloads are up 3 to 5 percent. Vinyl is burying the other forms of music, Willows said. One of Avalon’s main distributers told him that the big vinyl factories, like the ones Sony, Warner Bros. and Universal use to press their vinyl, are running 20 hours a day, seven days a week. They get four hours a day to cool down so the machines don’t burn up, he recalled.

Avalon’s wide vinyl collection attracts a wide range of people and demographics, but college students and collectors are the typical shoppers, Willows said.

College students looking to expand their vinyl collection want a lot of bang for their buck when sifting through records, so the 99 cent, $2.99, $3.99 and $4.99 records are what they typically look for. Staple albums

by Boston, Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” album or Cat Stevens’ “Tea for the Tillerman” album are those that are well suited for college students, no matter the era, Willows explained.

“Everybody, when they’re in college, wants a copy of that Cat Stevens album,” Willows said. “It’s made for you to listen to when you’re in college.”

Those looking for more collectable vinyl come in to Avalon with a more specific agenda. These shoppers are looking for more vintage, rare pressings, test pressings and French pressings, for example. In regards to newly released vinyl for collectors, there are a lot of re-issued albums and box sets with elaborate packaging, Willows said.

“I think that collectors have always preferred vinyl,” said Andrea Tjoelker, manager at Everyday Music.

Everyday Music sells anything from VHSs and cassettes, to vinyl, CDs, record players, accessories, shirts, posters and more. Their demographics are similar to Avalon’s, but Tjoelker notices that the younger crowd is typically in search of the more recent, new releases on vinyl. On the other hand, the collectors are looking for a lot of classic rock and used vinyl. These customers have been buying vinyl their whole life, Tjoelker said.

Avalon sells a lot of world-beat, funk and hip-hop records, and a decent amount of jazz and blues, Willows said. But in regards to collectables, the prices can jump to around $100 to $200; Led Zeppelin box sets and Sonic Youth reissues are among these expensive finds. They just sold a Beatles vinyl box set for $340, Willows said.

For the average new release vinyl, the prices range is between $15 and $30. Taking into account price adjustments, records are sold for about the same price that they were back in the day.

“I think it would level out if you included the values of the download code,” Willows said. “Most new vinyl comes with a download code. If you call that a $10 value, which I think is pretty fair, then yeah, newer records are $8.99 to $14.99.”

The download code typically provides listeners with a better quality sound than an iTunes download, Willows added.

There is one primary difference that separates the vinyl users of today from the vinyl users of the 1960s and 1970s.

“It used to be, if you wanted to hear Led Zeppelin sing ‘Dazed and Cofused,’ you had to buy the record,” Willows explained. “There’s no other way you would hear that unless your friend owned the record, or it happened to come on a jukebox. There was no way to hear that song.”

Of course, having a vinyl collection means nothing without a record player. Avalon sells records players with built-in speakers for about $69, while ones that hook up into stereo components for a better sound range from $100-$200. At the same time, if lucky, people can find a used one that plays just as well.

Buy a $69 record player and a few 99-cent records in excellent condition, and a collection can be started for under $100.

“Can you get an iPod for less than $100?” Willows asked.

Since music is so easily accessible now with the internet and downloads, the decision to actually invest in a tangible music collection should result in buying something of the highest quality. While CDs are more portable, they are not as aesthetically pleasing as holding a record, Willows said. Many records come with gate folds that open up into a larger landscape picture. Along with that, most records come with liner notes and glossy pictures.

“It makes listening to music an activity,” Willows said.

“Whereas if you’ve got headphones plugged into your phone and listening to music, that’s great [or] you got something in the background on your computer while you’re typing away, that’s great, that’s music happening.

But to pull out a record, put it on, listen to it, flip the side and put it back in the sleeve is its own activity. Listening to music [on vinyl] becomes its own activity.”

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VINYL SURGES IN POPULARITY AMONG TWENTY-SOMETHINGS

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Everybody, when they’re in college, wants a copy of that Cat Stevens album. It’s made for you to listen to when you’re in college.

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Spencer Willows, assistant manager of Avalon Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

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ARTIST PROFILE: HENRY JACKSON-SPIEKER

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Photos by Todd Wells // AS Review

By Todd Wells For Henry Jackson-Spieker, a senior in Western’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, producing artwork has always been an important aspect of life. From participating in hands-on art classes as a kid to taking a fifth year of college to develop a portfolio of his best work, JacksonSkieker’s commitment to his art is extraordinary. He’s now developed an individualistic and stand-out style of sculpting that would attract any passer-by. The AS Review had a chance to sit down with Jackson-Spieker and ask him a few personal questions. Here’s what we learned.

AS Review: When did you discover an interest for art?

Jackson-Spieker: I grew up in Seattle, and I was in a youth group calledCoyote Central that has a whole bunch of different classes available for kids. You could do a cooking class, a soapbox derby car class, a welding class and a glass glowing class among others. I started off doing a welding class through them when I was 11, and I just really enjoyed that. When I was 13 I saw glass blowing and decided I really wanted to try that and took their two classes. I just got hooked. I never really pictured myself doing art; I just enjoyed the process more than anything. It wasn’t until high school when I was applying for colleges and got into Western trying to figure out what I wanted to do that I realized ‘Oh, I’m actually doing art, I kind of want to go in that direction.’

Review: What mediums do you work with?

Jackson-Skieker: Right now my main two mediums are glass blowing and bronze casting. I really enjoy the Venetian style of glass blowing, so there is a lot of cane work involved, a lot of really intricate patterns. One technique I like is the red jello technique, where there’s a net grid pattern that you trap the air bubbles in. I’m trying to go a little bit away form the vessel forms right now for the BFA program and go more sculptural with more organic shapes. As far as bronze casting, I really like the neat and meticulous designs, sort of like an architectural design, again playing into that intricate pattern idea.

Review: Do you have any specific messages or stories that you’re trying to articulate with your art?

Jackson-Spieker: You ask me that, and I feel that a lot of times in our school people want to have an idea or some sort of conceptual story through your art that you tell. I really tend to shy away from that. I personally don’t like to have some sort of deep meaning to my work; I’d much rather have people have some sort of personal connection with it through the aesthetics of it only. Now I’m slowly going down the path of sort of having a little bit more of a idea behind where I’m going with my art, but I still don’t really like to have some sort of concept behind it.

Review: Have there been any turning points for you that have helped inspire your interest in what you do?

Jackson-Spieker: Not that I can really think of. I think it’s more of just the environment that I’m in right now. I’m around a good group of people that are all really super focused on art and we just feed off each other.

We usually all just come in randomly one day and we’ll ask someone to take a look at our work and give a few pointers and bounce ideas off of each other.

Review: Do you have any future aspirations for your art?

Jackson-Spieker: I feel like a lot of people say it would be great to be able to live off your art, and live comfortably, not day-by-day. So that would be great if that could happen, if I could be well known for this. The goal for me really is just to be able to travel around the world and experience different things through my art.

That would be the best, I think.

On May 28 from 4-9 p.m., Jackson-Spieker will be presenting a solo show at the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Fairhaven. This show will be a culmination of the work that he has produced throughout his final year in the BFA program. The show is open to the public and Jackson-Spieker encourages anyone and everyone to stop by.

To learn more about the work of Henry JacksonSpieker visit his personal website at hjsculpture.com.

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EVENTS Tuesday March 12

Thursday March 14

Saturday March 16

7-9 p.m. in VU 714 Free

PAC Plaza Free

8 a.m. to 6 a.m. in the VU 605

Queer Experience Casting Calls People will participate in icebreakers and free writes and then a relaxed interview with the facilitators.

Rally for Our Education!

A student rally to tell Jay Inslee, Rodney Tom, and the legislature to stop tuition increases and fund education.

Wednesday March 13

Friday March 15

4-5 p.m. in the Biology Building 234 Free

VU Gallery 518

Biology Seminar

“New strategies for uncovering how chromosomes are segregated during mitosis.” Charles (Chip) Asbury, Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington

Condom Fashion Show: Call for Designers The Sexual Awareness Center’s fourth annual Condom Fashion Show is seeking designers to create condom outfits! If you are interested in designing an outfit, contact the SAC by March 15th to receive free expired condoms at as.sac@wwu.edu.

Wash. Thespians Festival

A night of arts and entertainment by the state Washington Thespians Festival. Participants will peform short plays, monologues and short films will be showed.

Sunday March 17

Last day to study for finals week Good luck studying in the coming week!

RALLY FOR OUR EDUCATION

As funding for universities face being cut more, students stand up

By Nick Markman Washington State is currently in a losing race. In terms of higher education funding through students paying tuition and contributions from the state, Washington ranks 50th out of 50 – dead last.

In order to spread awareness of higher education funding issues and to promote advocacy, Western Votes! will host the Rally For Our Education. The rally will take place on Thursday, March 14th from noon to 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Plaza.

The State of Washington is currently faced with a $2.3 billion deficit that needs to be settled some point this year. State funding to four-year universities, which has been cut by over $1 billion since 2009 according to the Western Four-Year political Action Committee, may be on the chopping block again this year as the state deals with the deficit.

Patrick Stickney, Associated Students vice president for governmental affairs, said that the main purpose of the rally is to provide an outlet where students can contact their legislators and tell them to keep higher education safe from any further cuts.

“We’re saying no, higher ed can’t be on the chopping block,” Stickney said “This shows the legislature that students care, they are listening and they are going to hold the legislature accountable if they decide to make it even harder for us to go to college or make it harder to use the programs that we need in order to be successful.”

Western Votes! President Katie Barnard said that contacting state legislators is the easiest way to make the legislature aware of student opinions.

“I think that the students should consider getting actively involved because that’s really the only way that we

can make a difference is by making our voice heard and letting our legislators know that we are not okay with deductions in higher education.”

The rally will also host several speakers, including Faculty Senate President Karen Stout, who will advocate for increases to higher education funding.

“If we want industry, if we want a successful economy in this state, we have to put money into higher education and we have to invest in education for our children,” Stout said.

Stout said that students are not the only one’s affected by cuts to higher education. Since 2009 and up until last year, Western was in a hiring freeze. The university lost a number of its faculty - to death, retirement, relocation to other higher-paying universities, or even complete withdrawal from academe.

“We’re advising more students and we’re less available to bring students in on research projects. A lot of us are not doing as much research as we used to because we’re doing so much more service and teaching work,” Stout said. “We’re so much more rushed and we’re spread so thin that we’re really not able to have as much time to devote to students as we’d like.”

On the student side, tuition increases have forced many to take another job, go further into student loan debt, and spend less of their time engaged in extracurricular activities that may be beneficial down the road, Stout said.

“Our students are balancing much more than they ever had and that means they have less time for class work and less time to experience college and have that time to reflect and become a critical thinker,” Stout said.

If the $2.3 billion state deficit should not be settled through cuts to higher education, then how should it be dealt with? Stickney said that Senate Bill 5738 might be the answer. This bill proposes a state capital gains tax that would tax profits from sales of stocks, bonds, vacation homes, art, and other capital gains earned by the wealthiest 2 percent of Washingtonians. Washington is currently the only state without a capital gains tax.

“We feel that those forms of raising revenues are the best and that regressive taxes like sales taxes affects students as well as other low-income individuals,” Stickney said. “The people that are able to pay more should pay to make sure that the state as a whole is successful.”

Stout said that a good goal for higher education funding is the 50/50 by 2020 goal. This means that by the years 2020, 50 percent of higher education funding would come from the students in the form of tuition, and the other 50 percent would be provided by the state.

“Currently, the state of Washington pays about 29 percent of your education costs and your tuition pays for about 71 percent,” Stout said. “It was the exact reverse of that four years ago.”

Stout said that those who are unable to attend the rally but are passionate about higher education funding should find out who their state legislator is and contact them.

“If 5 or 6 people call, that legislator knows that there are thousands that feel the same way that didn’t call,” Stout said. “It really doesn’t take very long and it’s really worth your time because higher education should be a voting issue.”

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Q&A WITH ARIANNA BARRIO The Western Softball player something something something

Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

By Lauren Simmons reshman Arianna Barrio, of Western’s Softball team, started playing softball over 14 years ago. The AS Review sat down with Barrio to get to know her as a student and as an athlete

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Full Name: Arianna Maria Barrio Nicknames: ‘A’ and ‘A Bar’ “It’s just easier because it’s hard to yell ‘Arianna’ as fast as you can,” she said.

Age: 18 Year at Western: Freshman Major: Thinking about Business Position on the Softball Team: Outfield and shortstop When did she start playing softball: About 14 years, played since four years old Favorite thing about being on the softball team: The competition, and knowing that you and your team are all in this together What do you do when not playing softball: Hangout with friends and family Hometown: Stanwood, Washington High School: Lakewood High School

Person/people you look up to: My parents Favorite Movie: A League of Their Own Favorite TV show: Ridiculousness Favorite Pre-game Snack: Bananas and Fruit Roll-Ups Favorite Colors: Pink and purple Favorite thing about Western: The friends that I’ve made Spring break plans: No plans besides playing softball; Spring break is a time where the team travels a lot, she said Ready for finals?: “Yes! I’m gonna kick all my finals’ booties!”

Favorite thing about being a Western athlete: “I love the team and the coaches,” she said. “The school is great and it’s close enough so my parents can watch games, yet far enough to be independent.”

Why should Western students come to the softball games: “Because they’re fun and we have so much energy…and we win!” she said.

As of Wednesday, March 6, the WWU Softball team is 1-0 in its conference.

Also as of Wednesday, they are first in the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference, and leading in home runs because they had eight in one game