AS Review - April 18, 2011

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CO-OP from page 7 stakeholders, such as Sodexo, has always been a major obstacle. He said that there may someday be a possibility of SSF working out a deal with Sodexo, but it would take much more work and planning.

“There is a potential synergy between the student drive to have a student-centered local and organic food-focused space and the management and the procurement capabilities of dining services,” Vidaña said. “But that’s got to be worked out.”

The only area on campus that Sodexo doesn’t have complete control over is Vendors Row outside the VU. Enwall said that one of the club’s goals for spring quarter is to use that location to hold a fundraiser for the co-op.

Enwall has allies on her side. She and other members of SSF are working with Co-Fed, a nonprofit from Berkeley, Calif. whose sole purpose is to work with universities across the nation to set up their own co-ops. Enwall plans on attending the organization’s summer training program, where she will learn to manage, organize and plan a successful co-op.

“I really feel like my education is really being enriched,” Enwall said. “We’re learning as we go, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s really fun too.” ■ For more information about getting involved with the effort to create a student-run food co-op, email wwufoodcoop@gmail.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page by searching “Western Student Food Co-op.”

AWARENESS from page 8 possible to the world of communication disabilities.

“A lot of people are nervous talking to people with disabilities or about disabilities, so it will be really nice to educate people when it’s okay to ask something or maybe when it’s not okay to ask something,” Ball said.

According to Eitel, all events during Disability Awareness Week have been designed to be inclusive of all populations on campus, as well as enlightening and enjoyable for all who attend.

“I see disability as something that is still kind of invisible on our campus, it’s not necessarily talked about as much as other identities,” said Anna Talvi-Blick, a counselor from Western’s disAbility Resources for Students. “I think the great thing about DAW is that it brings the conversation of disability to the forefront. It really makes it more visible.” ■

EVENT

B-HAMFF organizers seek film submissions Start of first outdoor-themed film festival slated for mid-May Matt Crowley/ The AS Review

If anyone told you they came to

Western Washington University for the weather, they’d be lying. But for many of us, Western’s attraction is not just its excellent programs and resources, but the natural beauty and recreational opportunities that surround it, from Bellingham Bay to Mount Baker. Now, the Associated Students Outdoor Center and KVIK Television are giving Western and Whatcom students alike a chance to capture their outdoor adventures for the first B-HAMFF, a film festival centered on outdoor activities and recreation.

The festival, organized by primarily by Hillary Landers, the marketing resources coordinator for the OC, along with KVIK Coordinator Royce Andrews, will consist of outdoor-centric films with few guidelines: While the organizers recommend a film length of 20 minutes or less, films of any length will be considered. The guidelines state that all films “must feature or in some way be affiliated with outdoor recreation or activities,” be devoid of any nudity or violence and must be submitted in the .avi or .mpg video formats. Landers said the ambiguity of the guidelines means students can choose to tackle social and political issues in their films, as long as they are somehow affiliated with outdoor recreation.

Landers was inspired by the recent B-HAMFF competition that took place at the Mount Baker Theatre last fall.

“I was thinking it would be a great opportunity for the Western and Whatcom [Community College] communities to showcase their work and show creativity and innovativeness in outdoor sports or anything that has to do with the environment,” said Landers. “It’s something the Outdoor Center has never done before … I think the idea of integrating art with outdoor recreation is something that maybe would attract a different crowd of people.”

Landers added that the festival provides unique

Design by Austin Jansen/ AS Publicity Center

chances both for participants and for the OC. “It’s a fun opportunity for other students to see their work, as well as an opportunity to give out prizes and get the word out about the Outdoor Center and what we’re about,” she said.

In order to be considered, contestants must submit their film, along with a submission pack (located on the OC website) and a backup DVD to the OC’s front desk by Friday, May 6 at 4:30

Please see B-HAMFF on page 12

April 18, 2011 • 11

Top 5 artists/albums 1) Decemberists/ The King Is Dead 2) Daft Punk/ TRON: Legacy (RECONFIG.) 3) Arcade Fire/ The Suburbs 4) Iron & Wine/ Kiss Each Other Clean 5) Cage The Elephant/ Thank You Happy B’day Charts from April 8-15.

VOLUNTEER from page 9

what the center does and how many children they meet with any given month. I was glad I got to help out even if it was as little as stuffing envelopes.”

Anschell and a dozen or so other students worked for four hours stuffing envelopes for hundreds of Brigid Collin’s donors. Browne said while the work may not have been overly strenuous, it was work that directly contributes to their overall mission.

“Just hearing the stories and knowing that we are changing the lives of helping these families, it’s very rewarding,” she said. “But we are built off of fundraisers; it takes money to do things. So even just those mailings we did on Saturday, those are helping families.” ■ Locations for more volunteer information: Center for Service-Learning, Wilson Library 481 Student Employment Center, Old Main 285 Whatcom Volunteer Center, 725 N. State St.

streets, the lavender-colored building is the headquarters to a private, nonprofit organization that works to break the cycle of child abuse. The organization serves as a safe space for individual child consultations, intensive parent coaching and support groups.

Event Coordinator Dana Browne has worked at Brigid Collins for over five years and grew up in the Bellingham area. She said she has a personal tie in giving back to her hometown, but she finds it even more rewarding to see college students connect with their community.

“I’m thrilled to see our younger generation really taking an interest in their community,” Browne said. “A lot of them don’t even live here and will not after they graduate, but they are taking an interest in giving back and that just warms my heart.”

Browne said she is regularly contacted by people interested in volunteering, many of whom are Western students working through the Center for ServiceLearning.

Freshman Nicole Anschell was part of the AS group who worked at Brigid Collins. Anschell, who works in the AS Reycling Center, said she was surprised at how much she really got out of the volunteering experience.

“Initially I thought it was kind of unfortunate that I had to get up so early Photo by Daniel Berman/ The AS Review on a Saturday, but it sounded like a A wheelbarrow is filled with mulch at Franklin Park during the productive way to spend the morning,” AS Day of Service. she said. “It was really cool seeing all of

SLEEP from page 9 A sleep center can be one dark room lined with cots. An attendant could check Western IDs and sign students in at a reception desk. A cot number could be assigned, and the student would write down a time they would want to be woken up. There would be no cellphones or alarms allowed, and strict silence would be observed. At the specified time, the attendant would gently wake the student, who would then come out healthier, happier, more productive and statistically less likely to commit a crime, get in an accident or fail a test.

We owe it to ourselves to get plenty of quality sleep, and we owe it to each other to have a place to do just that, whether just for a quick nap or a few peaceful hours.

The expense of operating a sleep center is minimal. The maintenance of cots and an attendant is more than justified by the results. The quality of life at Western would be significantly and positively impacted by such a plan, and students would be afforded peace of mind knowing that their futures do not necessarily hinge on whether their neighbors are planning a rave for Thursday night before a big test. In fact, the only challenge to implementing the sleep center idea is finding room for it, which would not be hard to do.

When I was in the army, there were innumerable times that I would have paid good money for a quiet place to sleep. Now that I am paying to go to Western, I see the possibility that students can organize their own sleep center through the Associated Students. We owe it to ourselves to get plenty of quality sleep, and we owe it to each other to have a place to do just that, whether just for a quick nap or for a few peaceful hours. ■ Evan Knappenberger is a junior at Western and an Iraq war veteran with PTSD. He is buying a house across town mostly just for the tranquility and quiet.

He can be reached at knappee@students.wwu.edu.

We accept submissions of all sorts including news articles, opinions and literary pieces. You can email them to as.review@wwu.edu. Please include your name and phone number. The AS Review serves as a forum for student voices, and the opinions in submissions are not always shared by our staff.

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COLUMN

The Om(nom)nivore’s Dilemma

G

College Budget Cooking

Lindsay Kucera/ The AS Review

uess what? April is Grilled Cheese Month!

That’s right: a whole month dedicated to the sandwich everyone (except the lactoseintolerant) grew up on! I miss most food holidays, except Pi Day, so I was pretty lucky that I had 30 days to get my act together and use this as an excuse to make something extra easy. For those of you rolling your eyes, don’t worry: These aren’t your ordinary, humdrum grilled cheese sandwiches.

Also: this week, I’m not going to give prices since I made multiple sandwiches, but all of them were under $10 to make at least two sandwiches. To give you a general idea of the cost, I made you this ohso-original code: $ = You’re broke and too busy to cook “real” food. $$ = You had a bad day and need a special treat. $$$ = You’ve got something to prove.

Directions: I can’t believe I’m breaking down the grilled cheese process, but here you go: When all your ingredients are prepared, layer them on the bread. Start by putting any sauces or spreads on each slice of bread, put on a layer of cheese, then any vegetables or meat and then another layer of cheese. Butter the outside of both slices of bread. Fry in a pan on medium heat until bread is golden brown and then flip the sandwich with a spatula. The sandwich is done when the cheese is melted. If the sandwich is on fire, give up your dreams of a cooking career right now.

Destroy all the evidence that you ever tried.

B-HAMFF from page 11 p.m. Prizes include $300 for first place, a free OC excursion for second place and a prize basket with assorted OC merchandise for third. Winners will be

Ham & Swiss— $ Sliced deli ham with layer of Swiss cheese. (I make mine with spicy mustard.)

Tom & Jacks—$ Thinly sliced tomato paired with pepper jack cheese.

Grilled PB& J—$ Your favorite childhood lunch paired with your other favorite childhood lunch! Okay, there’s not cheese in it, but it’s still delicious. This is also great as peanut butter and Nutella.

Or you know, just Nutella.

Raspberry and Cream Cheese—$ Grilled cheeses aren’t always for dinner! Make this one with raspberry or blackberry jam and cream cheese, and then dip in chocolate for a yummy dessert.

Grilled Pesto—$$ Slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato and basil pesto. This is a sandwich you can make over and over.

Tuna Melt—$$ Essentially a tuna melt: tuna, mayo, tomato, onion and the cheese of your choice. Go vegetarian and make this with sliced avocado instead. opportunities for her and KVIK. “I feel like in the past KVIK hasn’t done a lot of collaborations with other offices, but I worked in the [Sexual Awareness Center] last year so I’m really

“The whole Western community is very involved in the outdoors, so why not bring a camera along and get some footage?”

Royce Andrews/ KVIK Television determined by an audience ballot at the festival after all films have been screened.

Andrews said the chance to work with other departments around the school presents unique

used to working with other offices,” she said. “So it’s been really awesome working with [AS Productions] and the OC, branching out to fresh audiences and getting more people involved.”

Photo by Lindsay Kucera/ The AS Review

TBA—$$$ Here it is: turkey, melted Brie cheese and apple slices. It’s very rich.

Goat Cheese with Caramelized Veggies—$$$ This one might be my new favorite. Tangy goat cheese teams up with caramelized onions, garlic, zucchini and mushrooms to make something magical. ■ Andrews added that the idea for such a festival seemed obvious considering the level of activity that goes on in Bellingham anyway.

“I feel like students are already doing all this awesome stuff outside, like rock climbing and going kayaking,” said Andrews. “The whole Western community is very involved in the outdoors, so why not bring a camera along and get some footage?” ■ For more information regarding the festival, including a complete list of guidelines and details, visit the Outdoor Center website at outdoor.as.wwu.edu. For questions about the festival, contact Hillary Landers at (360) 650-3241, or for video and technology inquiries, call Royce Andrews at (360) 650-2343.

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Volume 26 Number 24 • April 18, 2011

NEWS

4 NEWS BRIEFS 5 TALLEST MAN SELLS OUT

ASP Pop Music show April 23.

FEATURES

MONDAY April 18

WEDNESDAY April 20

Seed Sovereignty Workshop 4-6 p.m., Viking Union 462 A/B Free A way to food security, cultural preservation and environmental stewardship

Japan Relief Festival 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Multipurpose Room Free Featuring: BBQ, Japanese food, baked goods, and more! Art, Origami, Calligraphy! Performance by the Bellingham Circus Guild! Music featuring the Endorfins (at 12:30pm) and other local talent! All proceeds will be donated to relief efforts in Japan through Peace Winds America.

Green Fee Reception 6-8 p.m., Viking Union 462 A/B Free Celebrating the first year of Green Fee and Energy Fee projects. Eat some Bandito Burritos while students share their visions for change.

6 STUDENT FOOD CO-OP

Students for Sustainable Food seeks support.

9 MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Volunteering in Bellingham.

EVENTS

8 DISABILITY AWARENESS WEEK

DOC hosts weeklong event series.

10 B-HAMFF NEEDS YOUR FILMS

OC’s outdoor-themed film festival.

TUESDAY April 19 Disability Resource Fair 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Viking Union Multipurpose Room Free Sixteen organizations will be joining us. The Disability Outreach Center invites you to come learn more about the resources available on campus and in the community.

COLUMNS

12 NOM!! NOM!! NOM!! NOM!!

We haz cheeez. Cheeeeez.

SUBMISSIONS

10 CAMPUS NEEDS A SLEEP CENTER

Reader submission.

COVER

“Tapped” movie showing and discussion 4-6 p.m., AIC 204 Free Come learn about wasteful plastic and water use, then discuss how we can “Take Back the Tap”!

Recyclable Craft Night 6-9 p.m., AIC Skybridge Free Is your trash destined for the landfill or the Louvre? You decide.

Adapted from Earth Days poster design

by Kayla Soper/ AS Publicity Center.

Making your life better, one page at a time.

Construction of Heterosexuality 7-9 p.m., VU 462B Free Where do homo- and heterosexuality come from?

What forms our perceptions on these words and identities? Why does the gender/sex of the person we’re attracted to matter? These are just a few of the questions we’ll be looking at as we take apart the construction of heterosexuality.

Intersections workshop 4-6 p.m., Viking Union 464 Free The AS Social Issues Resource Center will be hosting this amazing workshop. Join Laura as she guides through a deeper look at the intersections of identity including disability.

“Economics and Happiness” movie and panel discussion with Fred Burman 4-6 p.m., AIC 204 Free Does money equal happiness? Does a dollar a day keep the doctor away? Come find out.

Tour of Hybrid Bus 4-5: 30 p.m., meet in VU lobby Free A collaborative effort from BTC, Western and the Port of Bellingham’s very own Magic (hybrid) Bus. Summit 6-9 p.m., AIC 204 Free Come have your voices and visions heard at the Spring Quarter summit! Local snacks and great conversations guaranteed.

Keaton Collective with Excuse me please 8 p.m., Underground Coffeehouse Free

To submit an event for the calendar, email as.pr@wwu.edu. You can also check the AS online calendar at as.wwu.edu/events.

April 18, 2011 • 3

THURSDAY April 21

Green Burial Practices with Brian Flowers 12-1 p.m., Viking Union 567 Free Push up daisies in an environmentally conscious manner.

taoofjournalism.com

Tree Grafting Workshop 4-6 p.m., Outback Farm Free Learn the art of grafting trees.

“Back to the Garden” movie showing and discussion with director and actors 5-7 p.m., Fairhaven Auditorium Free Admission Snacks for donation to Peace Winds America Film follows the stories of a group of people living an alternative lifestyle and how that lifestyle has changed over time.

Out of the Ashes 6 p.m., Underground Coffeehouse Free Feature performance of Disability Awareness Week, hosted by the Disability Outreach Center.

FRIDAY April 22 Earth Day Festival 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., PAC Plaza Free Eco Tour of North Campus Eco Olympics Noon-2 p.m., Performing Arts Center Plaza Free Don’t miss the Eco Olympics with Mayor Pike, Steve Swan and AS President Colin Watrin competing and win prizes. Music from KUGS and food from Peace, Love, Pizza.

Communications Panel 5:30-7:30 p.m., Environmental Sciences 313 Free Come to learn more about the world of communication disabilities.

Design by Kyle Marmesh/ AS Publicity Center

SATURDAY April 23

Earth Days Festival: Day 2 Trash Fashion Show 7 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.

9:30 p.m., doors open at 9 p.m.

Viking Union Multipurpose Room $11 student with WWU ID; $15 general admission; $25 VIP and gift bag NASU Annual Spring Pow Wow 12 p.m., Wade King Rec Center MAC Gym Free The Pow Wow will feature traditional dancing and singing. Traditional fry bread and Indian tacos will also be available for sample.

Remembering Our Culture, Embracing Our Generation 6-9 p.m., Sehome High School $5 with WWU ID, $8 general admission The Vietnamese Student Association’s heritage dinner.

Rock Climbing at Vantage (April 22-24) Sign up at the Outdoor Center $140 students, faculty and staff; $65 guests

Editor in Chief Evan Marczynski

Assistant Editor Lindsay Kucera

Events Editor Olena Rypich

Lead Photographer Daniel Berman

Staff Writers Chelsea Asplund Matt Crowley Jordyn Kehle Kirsten O’Brien

Photographer Joe Rudko Accuracy Aide Alex Bacon Adviser Jeff Bates

The AS Review: Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, Wash. 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu Online: asreview.as.wwu.edu @theasreview facebook.com/theasreview ©2011. 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 the Events Editor at as.pr@wwu.edu to have an event listed in the calendar.

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NEWS

Gogol Bordello show canceled Gogol Bordello, a seven-member gypsy punk

band from New York, was set to play Friday, April 22 in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room.

According to an announcement made on the “Gogol Bordello at WWU” Facebook page by Craig Gorder, AS Productions marketing coordinator of music & entertainment, the show was canceled due to a death in the family of one of the band members.

The band canceled the Western show in addition to four other West Coast tour dates. At this point, the show will not be rescheduled, and those who have already purchased tickets may have them refunded

by the Western Box Office located in the Performing Arts Center. The office can be reached by phone at 360-650-6103. More information can also be obtained by searching “Canceled: Gogol Bordello at WWU” on Facebook. ■

AS board votes in favor of ending ASP Civil Controversy program The Associated Students Board of Directors voted April 13 to end the ASP Civil Controversy program at the end of the year.

Civil Controversy was created in 2004 to help foster effective dialogue skills within the Western community. The program held events to spark civil

discourse over controversial topics. This year, Civil Controversy program coordinators held numerous such events, including the “Let’s Talk About It” winter quarter discussion series and a Nov. 18 event titled “Faith and College: Do they Mix?” Civil Controversy was assessed this year by the AS Structure and Program Advisory Committee, which found that the program has been unsuccessful at attracting interest from students and strong attendance at events. According to AS survey data, Western students are less aware of Civil Controversy than they are of any other AS program.

The dissolution of Civil Controversy will officially take effect June 11. The program is a part of AS Productions. ■

Design by Kayla Soper/ AS Publicity Center

April 18, 2011 • 5

NEWS • EVENT

Kristian Matsson is The Tallest Man on Earth ASP Pop Music sells out concert with popular Bob Dylan-esque songwriter

Kirsten O’Brien/ The AS Review

The aspiring, so-called “King of Spain,” Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian Matsson, more aptly known as The Tallest Man on Earth, will be bringing his talents to Western on Saturday, April 23 during a sold-out show in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.

Matsson has released three albums since 2006 under the Tallest Man moniker.

The “King of Spain” reference comes from a track off of his 2010 album, “The Wild Hunt.” The song also excellently captures Matsson as a musician: earnest lyrics, some serious banjo playing and a rustic, gravelly voice that has drawn comparisons to Bob Dylan.

Matsson envisions a world without buildings, roads and bridges; his music transports the listener to simpler times. ... When your music is ranked higher than that of the songwriting legend you’ve been compared to, you know you have something going for you. The Tallest Man on Earth will not disappoint.

Matsson’s music has an almost dreamy quality to it. Many of his tracks, particularly those from his 2008 “Shallow Grave” album, focus on scenery, nature and general escape from a busy and modernized world. On the song “I Won’t be Found,” Matsson sings poetically, “Well if I ever see the morning/ Just like a lizard in the spring/I’m going to run out in the meadow/To catch the silence when it sings/I’m going to force the Serengeti/To disappear into my eyes.” His lyrics seem to conjure up some kind of untouched world far away from our own, where people have both the time and the desire to “catch the silence,” as Matsson says. Matsson envisions a world without buildings, roads and bridges; his music transports the listener to simpler times.

Tallest Man songs are both therapeutic and brimming with energy. For some, his nasally voice may be hard to swallow, but for others, it simply adds to his charm. Matsson’s “The Wild Hunt” album was ranked 16th out of the top 100 albums of 2010, as chosen by listeners of National Public Radio’s “All Songs Considered.”

His album even ranked higher than Bob Dylan’s latest album, which was ranked 52nd. When your music is ranked higher than that of the songwriting legend you’ve been compared to, you know you have something going for you.

The Tallest Man on Earth will not disappoint. ■ The Tallest Man on Earth is brought to you by ASP Pop Music, which is part of AS Productions. The ASP office is located in Viking Union 422. More information can be found at asp.as.wwu.edu. To learn more about Tallest Man, you can visit www.thetallestmanonearth.com or check him out on MySpace at myspace.com/ thetallestmanonearth.

SOLD OUT

Design by Kyle Marmesh/ AS Publicity Center

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Sustainable, affordable and local

FEATURE

AS club wants to create student-run food co-op

Kirsten O’Brien/ The AS Review

From seed to fork and from a garden to your

plate, the members of the Associated Students club Students for Sustainable Food are trying to shorten the distance between you and your meals. The club is in the process of making sustainable, affordable and locally sourced food available on campus through the formation of a student-run food cooperative. For those involved, it’s not solely about food either. The co-op would be an environmentally friendly food source, relying on local food growers and helping foster a sense of community, in addition to teaching students how to cook their own delicious meals.

“We really feel that this is going to be a movement.

It’s not just about food,” said Chelsea Enwall, a member of SSF who has been at the forefront of the

effort to organize the formation of a student-run co-op. “It’s a way to look at environmental issues through the eyes of food.”

Enwall said that she thinks a student-run co-op could provide food options that Sodexo, the company that currently operates Western’s dining services, simply cannot. She said that having a co-op would give students the option of having food free of genetic engineering. It would also restore the connection between the community and the land. She said that the co-op would have a sustainable business model as well, which would

give back whatever it received.

“We want something that will support us in the long run and we want it to be a place of giving and receiving,” Enwall said. “It’s a different way of looking at business that is not just from a purely financial side.”

Enwall added that she envisioned the co-op as being a place of self-expression, which is especially important if the university has to eliminate programs or services due to budget cuts.

“I personally feel like the budget cuts are taking away programs and we say, if you’re taking away our education, then why don’t we take the initiative and create something just for us?” she asked.

Enwall came to Western in Fall 2010 after two years of traveling and then working with

PHOTOS Heads vs. Feds, presented by ASP Civil Controversy. Daniel Berman/ The AS Review.

Former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Robert Stutman (above, left) debated High Times magazine editor Steve Hager over the issue of pot legalization on Wednesday, April 13 in the Performing Arts Center.

April 18, 2011 • 7

Greenpeace. She was surprised to see that there wasn’t already a student-run food co-op on campus.

There had been a huge push for a co-op in the past, but the most recent effort fizzled out in 2009, Enwall said. After participating in a food security workshop with students from the University of Washington and Washington State University, Enwall began reviving the effort to form a co-op using the business plan written by the original student group as a jumping-off point. The effort has been gaining momentum ever since. She said there are about eight people who attend Students for Sustainable Food meetings regularly. The group meets every Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Viking Union 464.

“We have a really awesome core team. We have a lot of energy and a lot of ideas, and right now we’re trying to get student support,” Enwall said. “You can do pretty much anything with student support.”

Caley DeVries, president of SSF, has worked toward starting a co-op at Western for the past two years. DeVries said that a co-op would not only provide students with locally sourced food, but it could also be used as a place to teach students about cooking and educate them about food in other cultures. She said that partnerships with the AS Ethnic Student Center and other campus organizations would be particularly important.

“A lot of students do not know how to cook and do not have cooking skills.

We think that’s a shame. We have potlucks pretty much every weekend, and we all know how to cook. It’s in our blood,” DeVries said. In the future, she envisions an on-campus kitchen space where groups could come and host cooking classes and teach others about food.

“For example, if the ESC wanted to put on a cooking class about traditional Mexican foods, there would be a place to go. Students could participate and learn about their traditions and Photo by Joe Rudko/ The AS Review basically their heritage,” she said. “That Students for Sustainable Food member Chelsea Enwall collectis so lacking in this campus community, ing signatures from students in support of starting a co-op on and I think it’s an important thing to campus. promote.”

There are still many hoops to jump through before use their kitchens, their shipping and receiving. a co-op becomes a reality at Western, however.

Anything you need to run a co-op would have to be Enwall said that finding a space for the co-op is through Sodexo,” she said. the main issue. Sodexo has an exclusive contract Seth Vidaña, campus sustainability coordinator, with the university, which gives the company total said that organizing a fully autonomous studentcontrol over all the kitchens, dining halls and cafés run co-op that is in agreement with other university on campus.

Please see CO-OP on page 10 “If we were to do a café, we would have to

PHOTOS Viking Union Gallery ’s Drawing Jam. Joe Rudko/ The AS Review.

The Viking Union Gallery’s Drawing Jam exhibition allows students and other visitors to cover the walls of the gallery with their own drawings. Drawing Jam is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays in VU 507. The final day of the exhibit is Friday, April 22.

8 • asreview.as.wwu.edu

EVENT

Weeklong event series to raise disability awareness

Guest speakers, a workshop and a concert among events during Disability Awareness Week Jordyn Kehle/ The AS Review

The Associated Students Disability Outreach

Center is hosting Western’s fourth annual Disability Awareness Week from April 18 to 22 in the hope of creating more awareness of all disabilities.

According to DOC Coordinator Natalie Eitel, a disability is anything that limits an individual’s active participation in their environment.

Disabilities are not only physical; they are commonly connected to mental health, how we process emotions or the ways we learn. However, according to Eitel, having a physical or mental condition does not necessarily mean that a disability also exists.

Throughout the week, the DOC will host five major events, which will be open to the public and free of charge. Each event will focus on a different aspect of disability to encourage faculty, student and staff awareness on campus and in the community.

“We really want students to take away a better understanding of disability and how it affects us as social creatures every day,” Eitel said.

In the past, themes have been chosen to suggest an overall goal or concept for the weeklong event series. This year’s theme is “Peeling Back the Layers.”

“We came to this theme because it describes what we want each event to do: peel back the social walls we put up every day and get to the meat and potatoes of who we really are,” Eitel said.

The first event to kick-off the week will be a Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room.

Sixteen organizations, including Western’s disAbility Resources for Students, Lummi Vocational Services, and United Blind of Whatcom County will be joining the DOC to offer information about available resources and support on campus and in the community for people with disabilities. The event will also have free food.

Public speaker and author Kathie Snow will also be speaking on April 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fairhaven Auditorium. Since her son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy 22 years ago, Snow has been writing, consulting and speaking publicly about disability. Her presentation will explore disability as a natural characteristic of being human, and the potential of speaking to people’s strengths and abilities rather than their disabilities.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20

in VU 464, the AS Social Issues Resource Center will be hosting the “Intersections of Disability Workshop.” The workshop will guide through a deeper look at the intersections of identity, including disability.

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 in the Underground Coffeehouse, musical therapy group Out of the Ashes will be performing. Founded by Western alumnus Jon Dalgran, the group hosts local performances as a form of musical therapy. Musical therapy can serve as a creative outlet or a healing tool for those who enjoy listening to and making music.

“Most people aren’t aware that musical therapy even exists, let alone that it can become a band,” said DOC Assistant Coordinator Brandi Ball. “I’m definitely most excited about that concert.”

The events will wrap up on Friday, April 22, with a Communication Panel from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Environmental Studies Building 313. A variety of speakers including Dr. Tara Perry and others will be present to bring as much information and insight as

Please see AWARENESS on page 10

Design by Kayla Soper/ AS Publicity Center

April 18, 2011 • 9

FEATURE

Volunteering is valuable Campus organizations support service learning

SUBMISSION

Why Western needs a sleep center

Chelsea Asplund/ The AS Review

Editor’s note: Since we are part of the Associated Students, the staff of The AS Review took part in the AS Day of Service, which is a subject of this story.

When Beth Parker was in college

at Oregon State University, she did volunteer work, but never as part of a service-learning project — not even once.

“I never really thought of it as something as part of my college experience, because I was focusing really heavy on academics,” she said.

For anyone who knows Parker, this may come as a bit surprise since she Photo by Daniel Berman/ The AS Review currently works as the VISTA project A volunteer team at Franklin Park during the AS Day of Service coordinator at Western’s Center for April 9.

Service-Learning.

The center is an on-campus resource for students mentor program for girls. Years later, she is now looking for short-term and long-term volunteer helping facilitate an on-campus resource center that opportunities in Whatcom County. It provides she never had in college. monthly events off campus, and it also helps “I feel like Western is so incredible in that respect connect volunteers to events put on by community because students, even if they don’t necessarily come organizations. Parker said the center’s staff works as to this office, get involved,” Parker said. “Western is advisers to help assist students match their interests really great at placing an emphasis on community or major to organizations through an online involvement and presenting lots and lots of avenues database developed by the Whatcom Volunteer for students to get involved in.”

Center.

On April 9, over 100 Associated Student Parker said the center was originally designed to employees took part in the first ever AS Day of help professors who offer service-learning projects Service, a Saturday morning event devoted to in their classes, but it has since expanded into a building community awareness and team-building volunteer headquarters. through volunteering for local organizations.

On Thursday afternoons, a representative from Staff members volunteered at several the Whatcom Volunteer Center works inside the organizations, such as the American Museum of office advising students as part of a new partnership Radio and Electricity, Bellingham Boys and Girls started just this year, Parker said.

Club, Franklin Park and Maritime Heritage Park.

Parker said that assisting students who are Many of those organizations have been connected to volunteering in their communities is one rewarding Western in the past through the Center for Servicepart of her job. While she was at Oregon State, the Learning. university had no service-learning program.

One in particular is Brigid Collins.

After graduating with a degree in English, Parker Sitting on the corner of Holly and North Garden joined the Peace Corps and traveled to West Africa Please see VOLUNTEER on page 11 where she taught English and ran an after-school

S

Submitted by Evan Knappenberger

leep is arguably one of the most important parts of life. The higher up the evolutionary ladder we go, the more essential sleep becomes to the survival of an organism. Human beings require relatively long periods of sleep in order to thrive, and studies show that quality and quantity of sleep are closely correlated to physical, emotional and mental well-being.

When I was in the army, my drill sergeants told me to “sleep when you’re dead,” and I routinely worked 36-hour shifts with maybe a few hours of fleeting rest in between. More than once, through a groggy haze, I bitterly swore that I would never work the night shift again and rued the day that I enlisted. Tough as I was, I learned the hard way that sleep is essential. Several friends of mine from the army died driving while sleep deprived or suffered from other forms of chronic drowsiness. Sleep research corroborates the theory that years of sleep deprivation made me dumber, and data indicates a plethora of other negative effects associated with a lack of “Z’s.”

Like many universities, Western suffers from a systemic sleep problem rooted in the fast pace of modern culture, a lack of sufficient quiet on and around campus and too much artificial light.

Much of the attention given to the problem blames students participating in a culture which encourages heightened productivity at the expense of health and well-being. Yes, students sometimes pull all-nighters or abuse substances in their zeal to perform, and yes they also sometimes do it for fun. But less attention is given to the fact that student housing on and off campus is woefully non-conducive to healthy sleep patterns. Even less attention is given to the fact that bad roommates can ruin the college experience by playing videogames or having sex late into the night. These kinds of social problems are inevitable in crowded conditions and cannot be solved with a pair of ear plugs and a blindfold. This is why Western needs a sleep center.

Please see SLEEP on page 11