AS Review - March 18, 2013

Review

News // Events // Student Life

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Vol

10 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

Q&A WITH ARIANNA BARRIO

Freshman from the Western Softball Team talks about sports, student life

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

PUBLICATIONS ON CAMPUS

By Lauren Simmons

Occam’s Razor

March 18, 2013 • 11

This week: Occam’s Razor, The Planet and The Western Front

“Occam’s Razor is a student-run academic journal where we publish student work - not creative writing, not periodicals, not like The Western Front, Klipsun or Jeopardy,” said Glen Tokola, editor-in-chief and vice president of Occam’s Razor.

This publication, which is also an Associated Students club at Western, comes out once a year around May, said Tokola, an English literature major.

The academic journal was created to fill a gap within the student publications on campus, Tokola said. What sets Occam’s Razor apart from Western’s other publications is that their submissions are academic works written by students in their departments and/or classes.

Most of the time, people write amazing essays and research papers during their time at Western, yet only professors get to read them, Tokola said.

Occam’s Razor receives submissions from students who feel their work is optimal, or from professors who feel their students’ work should be shared with the university’s campus, Tokola explained. Tokola and the academic journal’s other editor will be taking submissions until Friday, March 22. Those wishing to be published in Occam’s Razor can send their submissions to occam. wwu@gmail.com “We pick and choose among those submissions and essays that can be shared with the university’s campus,” Tokola said. “Those whose content is very strong or original, who exemplify the prestige of being a student at Western Washington University.”

In the past, Occam’s Razor has received papers from many different departments like environmental studies, communications and humanities. The publication does not discriminate between essays and research papers though, Tokola said. It is important to note that papers or essays from the more jargon-intensive departments like chemistry and biology are a bit harder to publish, as they do not always translate in a universal manner.

This year, Tokola implemented word-count restrictions so the journal can make room for more essays.

Submissions must have a minimum of 1000 words and a maximum of 4000 words. Individuals submitting must be currently enrolled at Western and the submissions must have been written within a university department. Proefessor nominations are also encouraged. Occam’s Razor’s editors made a point to officially introduce the journal to Western’s faculty senate earlier Winter quarter, expresseing a desire for the departments to become more active in giving and publicizing submissions, Tokola said. “[We want to] let them know that we do exist and that we’re here to show the scholastic work of the university and share work for students, by students,” Tokola said.

This year, the third edition of Occam’s Razor will be published.

In the previous years, the publication was a , lot smaller seeing as we were still finding their feet, Tokola said. There are hopes for the publication to become

recognized by the student Publicity Center, the university and to get an office in the near future, Tokola said.

Tokola said that hopes to see Occam’s Razor become a quarterly publication.

The Planet

The Planet is an environmental and science magazine published once a quarter, said James Rogers, editor-inchief of The Planet Beginning in 1979, The Planet was started by students and began as a newsletter-type publication out of Huxley College. It has now become a course for journalism and Huxley students said Rebekah Green, advisor for The Planet.

The writers of this publication are typically two groups of students: journalism students and Huxley students. The prerequisite for journalism students is to have taken Journalism 207: Newswriting, while the prerequisite for environment science and studies students at Huxley is to be a declared Huxley major, Green said.

The contrast of these two groups of students proves to be beneficial for the staff as a whole. The Planet writes about the environment, so it is a wonderful mix of students who have a strong passion and strong background in environmental issues, Green said.

“I often say that the journalism students come knowing how to spell the environment, and the Huxley students come not having a clue about AP Style,” Green said. “Everybody’s got a strength and everybody’s got something to learn, such that the students start teaching each other.”

The class is not just for journalism and Huxley students, but individuals interested in taking the class must have the prerequisites of one of those groups.

The writers are assigned one story for the quarter, Rogers said. With only one story assignment, the stories are expected to be perfect.

The Planet’s stories deal with subject matter that requires the writers to conduct several interviews with topical experts, policy makers and scientists, Green explained. This can prove to be somewhat terrifying for students because talking to an expert requires them to know how to judge whether or not they are telling the whole story or if they are getting the right information.

On top of that, The Planet’s readership is typically passionate about the environment and are very aware of the issues and science behind the various subject matter, so any mistake will be pointed out, Green explained.

Something that makes The Planet’s staff unique and more credible is the science editor. They are responsible for making sure the publication does not misrepresent any issue or print something that is wrong because science is always changing at a rapid rate, Rogers added.

“Western is known as a flagship university for issues like sustainability and the environment, so [The Planet] is an important outlet for educating the campus and the community about environmental issues,” Green said.

“All publications have strengths, and this is an avenue for students to write in-depth stories on policy and science, and [learn] how to jump in and learn a topic very well.”

The Western Front

The Western Front is a student-run twice-weekly newspaper that publishes all year long while school is in session on Tuesdays and Fridays, said Jack Keith, advisor for The Western Front. Although he is the advisor for the paper’s staff and class, Keith said that there is a lot of authority vested in the students.

“For instance, if there’s a story the newspaper is going to run [and] I particularly don’t like it, I can discuss my reasons with the student editors, but if they decide to go ahead and run it, they can do that,” Keith explained.

“We’re different in that [way from] other universities and certainly high schools, where the teacher or advisor gets the final say – I do not. I can only advise them.”

In order to write for The Western Front, students must take Journalism 207: Newswriting. The paper is primarily a class for journalism students and people interested in writing for a publication, said Samantha Wohlfeil, editor-in-chief of The Western Front. Though most writers are journalism students, the staff also takes submissions, letters to the editor and other articles.

What many people do not realize about The Western Front is that the paper turns over every ten weeks, said Josh Holloway, managing editor for the publication. The paper’s staff is completely different every quarter and for the earlier issues, there are sometimes mistakes because of such. The staff gets into their role and it takes everyone a little bit to figure out exactly what their role is, making it a rough beginning, Holloway said.

“I think Sam and I set a bar pretty high,” Holloway said. “Our editors know where it is, they relay it to the reporters and we try to make the best publication we can twice a week.”

Western recognizes that The Western Front is indeed a class with an advisor there for guidance. In the charter for the publication, it specifically says that The Western Front is the university’s newspaper of record and that the university understands that it is a learning environment for the paper’s staff, Keith said.

“A lot of people haven’t written more than two or three articles before they start the class,” Wohlfeil said.

The Western Front’s goal is to provide pertinent news to the campus’s students, staff and faculty and also to strive to make sure they are aware of other news that happens in the community, state and around the world that may effect higher education or their lives in general, Wohlfeil said.

“Studies certainly show that although people out in the ‘big world’ are reading fewer print publications, they have not slowed down,” Keith said. “In fact, they’ve increased their appetite for news, they’re just getting it more on the web, than they are elsewhere, so that’s on of the things The Front is doing.”

12 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

ARTIST PROFILE: HENRY JACKSON-SPIEKER

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, Jackson-Skieker’s commitment to his art is extraordinary. He’s now developed an individualistic and standout style of sculpting that would attract any passer-by.

The AS Review had a chance to sit down with JacksonSpieker 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.

2 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

Willey helped students calm down during dead week in the library on March 15.

NEWS

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Photo by Cade Schmidt

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 Designer Writers

Megan Thompson Spencer Pederson Cade Schmidt Bradley O’Neal 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 reamineder of winter quarter. We will resume our normal schedule during spring quarter.

HIGHER ED FUNDING Look at tuition increases in higher education and cuts from the state

EVENTS

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ARTIST PROFILE Local artist Henry Jackson-Spieker shares his art. Spieker’s gallery exhibit will be on May 28

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STUDENT LIFE

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LOOKING BACK Photos from winter quarter’s most popular events

FEATURES

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VINYL’S POPULARITY Vinyl sales grow amongst college students in Bellingham

INTERNET’S IMPACT As more and more young people rely on the internet, is it shaping the way we think and interact?

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PUBLICATIONS ON CAMPUS Second edition of the different publications on campus and what their niche is

SOFTBALL Q&A Arianna Barrio sits down with the AS Review and talks about athletics and life as a student Two women display their viking swag outside the Viking Union on March 18.

by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

March 18, 2013 • 3

A TASTE OF SPRING

Western students soak up the sun on March 8

Photos by Cade Schimdt // AS Review

By Todd Wells

JOB HUNTING:

Campus resources can help students find work

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 Coordinator 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.

4 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

VINYL SURGES IN POPULARITY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

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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

March 18, 2013 • 5

By Lauren Simmons

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s 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.”

6 • as.wwu.edu/asreview Students partake in a candle-light vigil walk across campus for the WWU chapter of To Write Love on Her Arms’ event “Walk of Hope,” to raise awareness about suicide and self-injury on Feb. 14 All photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

Western Alumnus Ben Gibbard serenades a sold-out crowd on March 3 in the PAC Concert Hall.

March 18, 2013 • 7 Anye Turner goes for a rebound against Saint martin’s University’s Ray Jensen.

WWU won the game, 76-60, continuing their impressive winning streak.

Michigan native Jesse Marrow performs in the Underground Coffeehouse on Jan. 24.

Vikings get pumped as the girls’ basketball starting five are announced on their Jan. 31 game against University of Alaska Fairbanks. The lady viks won the game 77-48.

Winter Quarter photos Polly Woodbury and brandi Ball share a hug during the last performance of the AS Women’s Center’s Vagina Memoirs in the PAC Concert Hall on Feb. 23.

Kathleen Austad, Mackenzie Lynch and Brianna Marrow of Women’s Empowerment and Violence Education have fun with the bras collected for the nonprofit organization “Free the Girls.” The bras collected between Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 were given to women rescued from sex trafficing in Mozabique

The man behind Ron Swanson on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” actor and comedian Nick Offerman responds to audience questions following his performance on “American Ham: Ten Tips for Prosperous Life.”

8 • as.wwu.edu/asreview

RALLY FOR OUR EDUCATION Students fight to stop further educational budget cuts

By Nick Markman

Washington State is currently fighting a losing battle. complete withdrawal from academe.

In terms of higher education funding through students “We’re advising more students and we’re less availpaying tuition and contributions from the state, Washable to bring students in on research projects. A lot of ington ranks 50th out of 50 – dead last. us are not doing as much research as we used to because In order to spread awareness of higher education we’re doing so much more service and teaching work,” funding issues and to promote advocacy, Western Votes! Stout said. “We’re so much more rushed and we’re hosted the Rally For Our Education. The rally took place spread so thin that we’re really not able to have as much on Thursday, March 14th in the Performing Arts Center time to devote to students as we’d like.”

Plaza.

On the student side, tuition increases have forced Washington State is currently faced with a $2.3 bilmany to take another job, go further into student loan lion deficit that needs to be settled at some point this debt, and spend less of their time engaged in extracuryear. State funding to four-year universities, which has ricular activities that may be beneficial down the road, been cut by over $1 billion since 2009, according to the Stout said.

Western Four-Year political Action Committee, may be “Our students are balancing much more than they on the chopping block again as the state deals with the ever had and that means they have less time for class deficit. work and less time to experience college and have that Patrick Stickney, Associated Students vice president time to reflect and become a critical thinker,” Stout said. for governmental affairs, said that the main purpose of If the $2.3 billion state deficit should not be settled the rally was to provide an outlet where students could through cuts to higher education, then how should it be contact their legislators and tell them to keep our educa- dealt with? Stickney said that Senate Bill 5738 might be tion safe from any further cuts. the answer. This bill proposes a state capital gains tax “We’re saying no, higher ed can’t be on the chopping that would tax profits from sales of stocks, bonds, vacablock,” Stickney said “This shows the legislature that tion homes, art, and other capital gains earned by the students care, they are listening and they are going to wealthiest 2 percent of Washingtonians. Washington is hold the legislature accountable if they decide to make currently the only state without a capital gains tax. it even harder for us to go to college or make it harder to “We feel that those forms of raising revenues are use the programs that we need in order to be successful.” the best and that regressive taxes like sales taxes affects Western Votes! students as well as other President Katie individuals,” If we want industry, if we want a success- low-income Barnard said that Stickney said. “The people ful economy in this state, we have to put contacting state that are able to pay more legislators is the money into higher education and we have should pay to make sure N easiest way to make that the state as a whole is P to invest in education for our children. the legislature successful.” f Karen Stout, Faculty Senate President aware of student Stout said that a good w opinions. goal for higher education e “I think that the students should consider getting funding is the 50/50 by 2020 goal. This means that by n actively involved because that’s really the only way that the years 2020, 50 percent of higher education funding e we can make a difference is by making our voice heard would come from the students in the form of tuition, and letting our legislators know that we are not okay and the other 50 percent would be provided by the state.i with deductions in higher education.”

“Currently, the state of Washington pays about 29 s The rally also hosted several speakers, including percent of your education costs and your tuition pays ford Faculty Senate President Karen Stout, who advocated about 71 percent,” Stout said. “It was the exact reverse for increases to higher education funding. of that four years ago.” n “If we want industry, if we want a successful econStout said that those who were unable to attend the t omy in this state, we have to put money into higher rally but are passionate about higher education funding g education and we have to invest in education for our should find out who their state legislator is and contact i children,” Stout said. them. r Stout said that students are not the only one’s af“If 5 or 6 people call, that legislator knows that there fected by cuts to higher education. Since 2009 and up are thousands that feel the same way that didn’t call,” fi until last year, Western was in a hiring freeze. The uniStout said. “It really doesn’t take very long and it’s really a versity lost a number of its faculty - to death, retirement, worth your time because higher education should be a t relocation to other higher-paying universities, or even voting issue.” c

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GENERATION Y:

March 18, 2013 • 9

Are we shaping the internet, or is the internet shaping us?

By Lauren Prater What is the internet doing to teens? More importantly, what are teens doing to the internet? These are the two most important questions that were asked at the event put on by the Psychology Department called, “What is the Internet Doing to Teens?.” The event was held on March 7 at the Brandywine Kitchen where Adriana Manago Ph. D, an Assistant Professor here at Western, spoke about the affects of new-media on teens and adolescents.

Media has made a transformation from the “old media” archetype of books and magazines, to “new media” like technology and the internet. For instance, Facebook is the second most visited site by adolescents on the internet, according to a study done in 2012 (PEW.) Did you know that the average 8-18 year old spends about 7.5 hours on the internet each day? That’s an hour and a half increase from the national average in 2005.

Manago touched on the fact that there are three main types of reasons that adolescents use the internet, and they can be defined as “the three A’s.”

1. Accessibility: Now more than ever, adolescents and students have easier access to the internet and social networking websites. Cell phones, laptops, kindles and other electronic reading devices have access to the internet, meaning students have immediate access to

their peers at their fingertips at all times. Not only do they have access to them, but they have access on a large scale, even though Dunbars explained that human beings can only cognitively handle 150 close friends before starting to reach an overload.

2. A-synchronicity: The idea of a-synchronicity means that teens have a delay-time and a chance to craft exactly what they want to say, and how they want to say it when communicating online. This is one of the main differences between cyber interactions and face to face interactions. In the same way, students can craft their profiles. Teens can make themselves out to be someone completely different, because of the lack of synchronization between the real world and the cyber world.

3. Anonymity: The internet can be a completely anonymous space. Students and teens can say anything they want, be anyone they want and do anything they want on the internet without anyone else knowing who they are. Students can act on impulse and publish their immediate reactions or feelings about something directly without having to admit their identity.

There are many risks that are associated with teens spending so much time on the internet. There is the risk of the teens not learning how to form social connections because of the emotional disconnect that can’t be trans-

lated through online social networking. Many students feel as if all of their relationships reside online, and that is why they don’t attempt to form social connections outside of their online friends. This concept itself leads right into cyber-bullying.

The concepts behind “the three A’s” are the perfect recipe for cyber-bullying. Who is at risk for cyber bullying? In many cases, it’s offline victims. More times than not, the students and adolescents that are being bullied are those who cannot see what is being said, therefore the bullying spreads on and outside of networking sites.

If teens are having problems with cyber-bullying, there are many ways for them to get help. One of those ways is visiting the website thatsnotcool.com. On the website, they list ways students can get help with cyberbullying and what to do in a cyber-bullying situation.

Technology and social networking have become a staple to how today’s youth communicates. The time students spend on the internet is on the rise. Teens and adults alike need to know more about social networking websites and what they may be doing to us psychologically, and how they can affect us into the future.

So, as you log into your Facebook or Twitter, keep in mind the affects that they are associated with, and how they can affect the outcome of future generations.

STINGING NETTLES:

By Todd Wells

A local cure-all to spring-time allergies

Urtica dioica, more commonly known as Stinging Nettles is a popular plant for herbalists throughout the Pacific Northwest. The plant is most commonly known for its stinging sensation that is bound to shock anyone who comes into contact with the tiny stinging hairs covering the plant. As spring is upon us, the application of nettles as a tonic, mineral supplement and food becomes even more relevant.

Michelle Sanger, a local herbalist and owner of Liv.ing Earth Herbs, recommends that people susceptible to springtime allergies try incorporating nettles into their rdaily diet.

“Nettles come up at the perfect time for when we need them most. They’re known as a spring tonic and they help to strengthen our systems against spring allergies. I make sure that my husband gets nettles everyday in his tea because he gets springtime allergies, and they really help to reduce his symptoms,” Sanger said.

Jacci Balovich, a senior at Fairhaven College who just finished teaching a class on botany medicine, became aware of the value of using nettles as soon as she moved to Bellingham. She finds the herb to be not just beneficial as a tonic, but enjoyable for its taste.

“I love making nettle pesto. I blanch my nettles before I use them, which means putting them in boiling water for about fifteen seconds [to get rid of the stinging properties] then I just add them to garlic, pine nuts and olive oil. It’s a really simple, easy recipe,” Balovich shared.

Arielle Spayd, a student in Balovich’s botany medicine class and Junior at Fairhaven College studying environmental education, sustainable food systems and botanical medicine, is yet another fan of nettles. Like Balovich, Spayd started using nettles as soon as she moved to the Pacific Northwest. Though she appreciates its value as a tonic and a food, Spayd primarily uses nettles as a general mineral intake.

“Nettles are high in iron and other essential minerals, and I use them in a tea almost every day. One way to extract the medicine from the plant is through cold infusion instead of using hot water. This can be done by putting the dried tea into a glass of water and then in the refrigerator over night. It takes longer, but when you take it out you’ll find a very dark liquid, rich in the minerals and nutrients of the plant. Nettles are also a diuretic and help to tone the uterus, so they can be useful for women

with premenstrual water retention,” Spayd said.

Using an herb like nettles, which have a powerful stinging property, can be intimidating to the first time user. Though some herbalists argue that you can’t use gloves when you’re harvesting the plant and that you must experience the stinging sensation, there are a number of other more mild approaches. Balovich recommends using gloves when you harvest the plant or just purchasing it pre-dried from a local herb store.

“Harvest time is really different from region to region and it’s really different at varying elevations. I would say a good time to start harvesting the plant is 4-6 weeks after it starts growing. Once it goes into flower is a good time to stop, because once that happens the chemistry of the leaves change,” Sanger said.

If you’re interested in learning more about nettles or other local herbs, visit a local herb store like Living Earth Herbs in Bellingham’s Public Market. Additionally, there are numerous additional resources available in books and on the Web. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest by Michael Moore is a great book to reference, and herbsociety.org is another useful online resource.