asreview 4.16.12 Vol. 27 #26
AS Productions Pop Music & the Environmental Center Present...
Earth Week Music Festival Featuring:
HEY MARSEILLES with CAMPFIRE OK
Poster by Ryan GallagherBurkholder//AS Productions
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Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu Online: as.wwu.edu/asreview @theasreview facebook.com/theasreview
©2012. 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.
In This Issue:
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EARTH WEEK A run down of Earth Day celebrations TULIP TOWN A photo recap from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
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PEOPLE’S CHOIR Bringing people together to celebrate music SIMPLY DELICIOUS This week: easy breadsticks
GO GREEK Greek life at Western: it exists!
Find the AS Review on Facebook, Twitter and at as.wwu.edu/asreview
SPRINGTIME, AND THE LIVINS’ EASY
Calendar/Ads: We don’t sell ad space. Sorry. Email as.review@ wwu.edu to have an event listed in the calendar.
Editor in Chief
Assistant Editor
Lead Photographer
Staff Writers
Kirsten O’Brien
Cade Schmidt
Adviser
Jeff Bates
Adrienne Woods
Anna Atkinson Eriver Eugenio Nick Markman Lauren Simmons Megan Thompson
Students enjoy a sunny afternoon in Red Square on April 11. Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review
April 16, 2012• 3
EVENTS
WHAT THE POP?
APRIL 16 - APRIL 21 Monday April 16
Intersections: Interpretations and Reflections of Queer Artists Viking Union Gallery April 16 through May 3 Free
The newest Viking Union Gallery exhibit will be based on the idea of shared differences among queer artists. It emphasizes that “queerness” is difficult to define, and its goal is to represent a group of complex artists who are interpreting, challenging, and living unique lives.
Tuesday April 17 Spring Blood Drive
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Red Square or VU 565 Free
The Puget Sound Blood Center will return to Western to conduct a blood drive. Volunteer donors can aid as many as three patients with only one pint of blood, and it takes 900 donors a day to fill the needed supply in the Puget Sound region alone. The success of the campus Quarterly Blood Drive ranks Western as one of the largest donor groups in the Puget Sound region. Donors must be at least 18 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds to give blood.
Wednesday April 18
Underground Coffeehouse Weekly Series: Beth Whitney 8 p.m., UGCH, third floor of the VU Free
Visit the Underground Coffeehouse for some coffee or tea, and enjoy the music of Beth Whitney, a folk-pop singer/songwriter from the Pacific Northwest.
R.I.P. Dubstep…?
Brett Flora • Dubstreamer
Thursday April 19 Jennifer Hahn
7 p.m., Academic West 204 Free
The Associated Students Outdoor Center is hosting a speaking engagement with Jennifer Hahn. Hahn is the author of “Pacific Feast: a cooks guide to West Coast foraging and Cuisine.” She will be talking about her solo kayak trip down the Northwest Passage.
Friday April 20
Breaking the Silence: National Day of Silence 4 to 5:50 p.m., VU 460 Free
The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students take a stand against all forms of bullying and homophobia. There will be a discussion about the importance of the day and a small celebration. This event is to bring awareness to the silencing effect bullying and homophobia have on the queer community.
Saturday April 21 Earth Day concert with Hey Marseilles 8 p.m., VU Multipurpose Room $5 for students with ID
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Fro m cov er
Celebrate the end of the AS Environmental Center’s Earth Week with a concert featuring Seattle-based band Hey Marseilles. Local band Campfire OK will open.
Skrillex won three Grammys. He should have won four Grammys. But, Best New Artist mistakenly went to some lame indie chillwaver, Ivory Bones, right? Dubstep achieving mainstream success does not mean death for the genre. The death of dubstep has been greatly exaggerated, and in fact the genre isn’t dead at all. Despite all the controversy, Skrillex is blowing up. His shows draw thousands. “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites” has found itself on iPod playlists along with all the modern pop music. Dubstep is becoming mainstream. Thus, the pop-ification of dubstep won’t be too far off. In fact, it’s already happening. Pop artists Britney Spears and Flo Rida have even used dubstep elements in their dance and rap music. So then, this is the end of Electronic Dance Music and dubstep? Will pop music have its way and relegate dubstep to annuls of history? Is dubstep going to be pop music’s wham bam thank you ma’am of the month? I say no frickin’ way. Dubstep grew out of innovation and continues to innovate. New sub-genres such as Moombahton, Luvstep, Brostep, etc., have grown out of dubstep. It’s like that three-headed monster from Hercules. He slices off one head only to have three more grow back in its place. The main difference is dubstep (and EDM at large) are not horrible monsters of ancient Greece mythology hell-bent on destruction. Quite the opposite, dubstep is the Hercules of delicious beats and a good time on the dance floor. Pop music is the three-headed monster (oh no! have I betrayed my bias?) In the underground music scene (where dubstep lives), the mentality is that once pop music absorbs an underground genre, that genre dies (or is ruined). This is mostly true. I say “mostly” true because it depends on the strength of the underground genre. Do boy bands still rock the charts in the United States? Is Limp Biscuit still even alive? Nope. So, along the same thinking, dubstep would disappear after pop music uses it. Modern pop music is already absorbing EDM (the genre that dubstep is under); look at Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, et al. Their songs all feature a prominent dance beat. I mean, look at Usher. He’s a great example of pop music absorbing underground genres and changing. His first big single (1998), “Nice & Slow,” was very much in line with R&B. His next big single (2004), “Yeah!,” fit with hip-hop/rap, heck, it featured Lil’ John. And that brings us to today, Usher’s big single of last year or so was “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love,” which proudly boasts its EDM/dance nature. Pop music may use dubstep, but dubstep ain’t goin’ nowhere. You can take that to the bank. the
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A CELEBRATION OF PLANETARY PROPORTIONS The Environmental Center hosts a week to appreciate Mother Earth Anna Atkinson • AS Review elebrating and appreciating the planet only one day out of the year is definitely not enough. The Associated Students Environmental Center is taking matters into their own hands by hosting Earth Week, the one-week countdown to the
main event. On Thursday, April 19, members from Appalachian Voices, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting natural resources, will talk about mountaintop removal coal mining, which is coal mining that results in destroying the land on the mountain it is being mined from, and its detrimental consequences. This event will be held at 6 p.m in Miller Hall 152. On Friday, April 20, a screening of Carbon Nation, a documentary about finding climate slutions, will be held at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Director and producer Peter Byck will be present and will respond to questions after the screening.
Saturday, April 21 will be booming with activity. The Earth Day Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room. This festival is an annual tradition, said Hilary McGowan, AS Environmental Center coordinator. She said there will be live music, booths set up by community members and organizations, a scavenger hunt, a tie-dye workshop and a chance to win a free hybrid mountain bike. The Earth Day Concert will follow the festival. This is a collaborative event with AS Productions Pop Music, McGowan said. This show will feature Seattle-based band, Hey Marseilles. Opening for the band will be local talent, Campfire OK. The performance is at 7:30 p.m in the PAC. Tickets are $10 for general audience members and $5 for students when purchased ahead of time. At-the-door ticket sales will be increased by $2. The main event on Sunday, which is actual Earth Day, will be a multitude of educational and service op-
portunities. The ECPwill partner with the Outback to oster by Sean Dutton// AS Publicity Center give tours of the Outback Farm and host a work party for students who want to volunteer, McGowan said. There will be free food and an open forum at the outdoor stage, she said. “The open discussion will ask questions about how we feel about the Earth, how has Earth Day is Earth Day impacted us, and whatever else people may want April 22 to discuss,” she said. “The stage will be an open space if people want to speak, discuss [or] perform.” Attendees will also receive a native plant, a gift from the Environmental Center and the Outback, she said. Later, Keith McHenry, co-founder of Food Not Bombs, a movement that seeks to feed people who are hungry, will give a presentation and speak about his experience at 2 p.m. in Academic West 210. the
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Earth Day: A history
Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, founded Earth Day in 1970. After witnessing the effects a massive oil spill in 1969 in Santa Barbara, Calif., the Senator tried to harness the power and spirit of activism within the student anti-Vietnam war movement to push environmental consciousness into the public agenda. Today, 42 years later, the spirit of Earth Day still persists. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. Information from earthday.org
20th
Speaking Tour: Mountaintop Removal
5:30-7:30pm // MH152 // Free
Presented by the Alliance for Appalachia.
Earth Day
20th
21st
11am-3pm // MPR // Free
8pm // Doors at 7:30 // MPR // $5
Get hyped for Earth Day! There will be live music, food, tie dye, a scavenger hunt and prizes, including a mountain/city hybrid bike!
AS Pop Presents Hey Marseilles with Campfire OK! Tickets available at the PAC Box Office and at the door.
Join director Peter Byck for a screening of his film Carbon Nation, followed by a Q&A about what we can do to stop the climate crisis.
Earth Day Festival
2012
22nd Poster by Susan Good//AS Publicity Center
Film Screening: Carbon Nation
6pm // PAC // Free
Earth Day Concert
Outback Earth Day Celebration
Food, Not Bombs
10am-2pm // The Outback // Free
2-3:30pm // AW 210 // Free
A presentation by co-founder Keith McHenry. Come celebrate Earth Day at the Outback! Take a tour of the Outback Farm, then eat delicious food and join our work party. Attendees get a free native plant.
TIP TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS
April 16, 2012• 5
Photos from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Photos by Anna Atkinson • AS Review
Every year, thousands of visitors flock to Roozengaarde Farm in Mount vernon, Wash. The farm boasts three acres full of tulips, dafOn April 1, the farm celebrated the beginning of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which runs throughout April. Admission into the farm is $5 per person, and free for children younger than 10. The farm is located at 15867 Beaver Marsh Rd., about 40 minutes south of Bellingham. fodils, lilies and irises.
disAbility please call (360) 650-6129. Theft of this banner is a violation of University policy and will result in notifying University Police and the Dean of Students Office.
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GOING GREEK
Believe it or not, Western has a greek system, and we’re not talking about the Ridge Lauren Simmons • AS Review
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ate dashes, Rush Week and the Greek alphabet are not a part of the social scene at Western, but few students know that the campus does harbor its own Greek system of sorts. Western’s Greek system taps into different facets of fraternity life than those often portrayed on in movies and the media. Alpha Kappa Psi was founded at New York University in 1904, and women were admitted beginning in 1958. This fraternity, which became co-ed in 1958, is a professional business fraternity. Their vision statement is: Alpha Kappa Psi is recognized as a premier developer of principal business leaders. Lamba Lamda Lamda was founded in 2006 at University of Connecticut, where students wanted to reinvision what a fraternity could be. The organization’s founders felt a little put off by the Greek system when they were students, Lamda Lamda Lamda Delta Chapter President Scott Bushey said. They found that academic achievement and community service was secondary, and that the sororities and fraternities were more centered around partying and living a negative lifestyle. They wanted to do something about it, and they started their own fraternity – Lamda Lamda Lamda. Alpha Kappa Psi “What sets us apart from any other club on campus is that we are a fraternal organization, but we are professional,” said Monica Marchak, president of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity at Western. AKPsi conducts themselves as a business fraternity, and its members describe it as running a business, Marchak said. Western, along with University of Washington, Washington State University and Central Washington University, all have AKPsi chapters that are a part of the Northwest region. “I’m getting the best management experience I could ask for,” Marchak said. “[I’m] basically leading a group of 45 students that have no payment incentive, but we have to put on events and get things done that the organization asks for.” AKPsi puts on a certain amount of professional, community service and brotherhood events during the year with current members and alumni, Marchak said. Relay for Life is one of the annual events they partake in; “Team AKPsi” always has a tent there, Marchak said. Recently, AKPsi started an alumni event to help keep
current members and alumni from all chapters stay connected. “When you graduate from Western and you’re a member of AKPsi, you stay connected,” Marchak said. “You become a part of the huge alumni base, and we love to stay connected with our alumni.” The event, which took place in Seattle this year, included dinner, games and plenty of networking opportunities. AKPsi is often confused with being a social fraternity and that joining would be similar to the “frat life” portrayed in the media and movies, but AKPsi could not
The Lamda Lamda Lamda crest. Image courtesy of Western’s Lamda Lamda Lamda chapter.
be more different, Marchak said. The business fraternity focuses on professionalism. “We don’t focus on drinking; we focus on gaining a group of best friends with similar career objectives and similar professional objectives,” Marchak said. “When you join, we tell our pledges, ‘You’re gonna gain 45 new best friends.’” The admittance process to AKPsi is called “pledging,” which can be compared to the interview process
for a job. The business fraternity encourages students of all majors to pledge, not just those from the College of Business and Economics, Marchak said. Leadership is emphasized in AKPsi, and, any student who wants to put leadership on their resume would benefit from being a member, Marchak said. Being able to try things and fail in an environment where peers can help and promote learning and growth in a safe place is a great element of AKPsi, Marchak said. Lamda Lamda Lamda, Delta Chapter Lamda Lamda Lamda is currently working with the Associated Students to become Western’s first social fraternity. During the process of obtaining this recognition, Bushey has found a resounding message coming from many of Western’s students. “We’ve found the prevailing sentiments of this campus to be overwhelmingly anti-Greek [system], which is quite a shame,” Bushey said. “Unbeknownst to most people, we do have a Greek system at Western, and have had for some time. This, however, is mostly relegated to honor societies and a business fraternity, with more concerns of networking than social events.” Though the members of Lamda Lamda Lamda have nothing against the already established Greek organizations at Western, it’s high time a social fraternity is established at Western, Bushey said. Lamda Lamda Lamda intends to be Western’s first social fraternity founded by Bushey and four others; they are the “Father Class,” meaning the first people to be inducted. The national organization has five chapters primarily in the North Atlantic region, and the Western chapter is the first on the West Coast, Bushey said. “We don’t like the word ‘frat,’” Bushey said. “We feel like it has some very negative connotations, and we try to down play the image that ‘frat’ happens to conjure up.” During the Enlightenment Period in the 18th century, the social fraternity began as an organization that was dedicated to classical learning and rigorous devotion to studying, Bushey said. That is the image Lamda Lamda Lamba is trying to project. Greek life at Western breaks out of the stereotypical norm that many people associate fraternities and sororities with. Lamba Lamda Lamda and AKPsi strive to differentiate themselves from such preconceived notions.
We don’t focus on drinking; we focus on gaining a group of best friends with similar career objectives and similar professional objectives. When you join, we tell our pledges, ‘You’re going to gain 45 new best friends.’ -Monica Marchak, AKPsi president
April 16, 2012• 7
LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK
KEEPING THE ARTS ALIVE
Local band gives community members the chance to be on an upcoming track
Seattle artist donates money to improve campus galleries
Eriver Eugenio • AS Review
Eriver Eugenio • AS Review
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he band Eclecticity and Young Contributors tion,” said Davis-Cohen. He said submissions to the of Read the Dirt, an Associated Students competition are not due until May 20, but those who anclub, hope to bring together the Western swer the question at the People’s Choir event will have community by providing them with an open their responses recorded and may have them published forum to share their thoughts and ideas through the art as honorable mentions on ReadtheDirt.org, the organiof music. Attendees can also participate in a live record- zation’s website. ing for an upcoming Eclecticity album. “The People’s Eisen-Meyers said the question is a good way to get Choir” event, will be held on Wednesday, April 26 at 8 dialogue and discussion started at the People’s Choir p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. The event. recording will be part of “Soul Chord,” an upcoming “We hope this will get the energy flowing and get in track on Eclecticity’s yet-to-be-named album coming the right mindset and mood to share their thoughts,” out this summer. Eisen-Meyers said. Eclecticity guitarThe event will culminate ist and vocalist Samuel with the recording for the Eisen-Meyers said the track, Eisen-Meyers said. event will contain various “Hopefully this chorus, this parts. chant, will unite everyone The first will be an and really show everyone the open forum where Eisenpower that music has,” EisenMeyers said he urges Meyers said. participants to share what Besides the various opporis on their minds and tunities to allow the crowd reflect on the things to to voice their thoughts and come. Eisen-Meyers said opinions, there will also be he hopes students will –Sam Eisen-Meyers, Eclecticity a moment of silence, Eisendiscuss their reasons for Meyers said. This is to offer a band member being at the event, their time of reflection and peace goals, inspirations and where attendants can clear dreams. their mind or hash out their The forum is closely ideas, he said. tied to the Young A video production team Contributors of Read will also be present at the the Dirt writing comevent for participants to petition. Read the Dirt be able to see and share is an online publicawhat they said and review tion started by Western the event as a whole, Eisen student Simon DavisMeyers said. Cohen that focuses on Above all else, Eisenobjective, unbiased Meyers said he believes this information on environevent is a perfect outlet to mental topics. As part of unite the community and the forum, students will allow them to share the be prompted with the empowerment that music question, “What would can bring. you like to see humans “This is a chance for create/design/achieve people to have their voice before you die?” Eisenheard,” Eisen-Meyers said. Meyers said. “This is a platform for “We’re basically people, to not try and solve sponsoring the event the world’s problems, but to and encouraging people show a creative time with a to have an oral version bunch of younger thinkers of the writing competiunder the terms of music.”
Western’s College of Fine and Performing Arts will now permanently display its collection of art after receiving a gift of $250,000 from Seattle art patron Virgina Wright. Daniel Guyette, dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts, said the donation will be used to improve display areas and allow the Western community to observe several pieces of art. “It’s a marvelous donation,” Guyette said. “It helps us transform some spaces and lobbies and two wonderful galleries that we will put to work and allow us to bring out our art instead of keeping them in storage.” The three areas that will be focused on are the primary gallery in the north concert hall, the lobby of the main stage theater and the southern lobby of the concert hall inside of the Performing Arts Center, Guyette said. Guyette said these new showcase areas will provide more of a doorway to the community. Last year, more than 58,000 visitors came through Western’s Performing Art Center and Guyette believes that number may increase due to the permanent art that will be on display, he said. “It allows not only students and faculty, but the community to see these galleries as they pass through the halls and lobby areas,” Guyette said. Guyette said the hope is to have the areas fully installed by the end of spring quarter. Guyette said Western Gallery director Sarah Clark-Langager has been working to finalize the details of the display areas and is also a major factor in the college receiving this donation. Western Campaign Communications Manager Brian Sibley said Virginia Wright has been involved in bringing art to Western since the 1970s and is sure to continue to do so. “Many of the pieces in the outdoor sculpture collection were made possible by her generosity, and this gift is another step in a long journey of her love for art and love for Western,” Sibley said.
Hopefully this chorus, this chant, will unite everyone and really show everyone the power that music has.
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Poster by Sam Eisen-Meyers
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$250,000
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Amount donated by Virginia Wright to Western’s College of Fine and Performing Arts. The money will be used to improve art display areas on campus.
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SIMPLY DELICIOUS This week: breadsticks
Megan Thompson • AS Review
emember when we made bread together? It was garlic Parmesan pull apart bread; a delectable bread. So, if you remember that lovely baking session, you’ll recall how much I love bread. It’s my favorite food in the world. So, this week’s column? Easy breadsticks. If I could live off bread and not gain weight, I would. Something wonderful happens when I eat bread: I’m happy, I’m full of energy (from the carbohydrates) and all I want is more. That’s the only problem with bread. Once you have a taste of it, it’s an addiction that never goes away. I’m notorious in my family for eating massive amounts of rolls at Thanksgiving. It’s undoubtedly sad that I’ve only made one other column dedicated to bread. That bread required a bit more skill to make than this one, and if it intimidated you then this bread will be a relief. Although it still takes two hours to rise, remember what you can do with those two hours. Warning: When I made these last, I ate all but three. The only reason I didn’t eat those three is because someone else did. How sad.
Easy Breadsticks Prep time: 20 minutes Rise time: 2 hours Cook time: 5 minutes
1½ packages of dry active yeast 1 teaspoon sugar ¾ cup warm water 3½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt Place yeast in small bowl. Add sugar and half the water. Stir until dissolved, and set aside for 15 minutes. Mix flour and salt into a larger bowl and add yeast mixture. Add enough remaining water to acquire firm dough. Knead dough for 10 minutes and then place in a clean bowl, cover it with a cloth and let it rise for an hour, or until it doubles in size. After an hour, knead dough again for 2 minutes and divide into portions the size of an egg. Shape into a breadstick (about the thickness of your little finger). Transfer to oiled baking sheet (about half an inch apart), sprinkle with flour, and cover. Set aside for an hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place breadsticks in oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until they are dark golden brown.] Let the bread cool slightly before enjoying! the
Photos by Cade Schmidt//AS PublicityCenter
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