AS Review - May 16, 2011

05.16.11 V.26 #28

FINAL ELECTION RESULTS P.4 TAKE ACTION! • HIG FOM • EVENTS • QUEER EXPERIENCE

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TAKE ACTION! from page 5

FUNDS from page 4

Senior Janelle Cutuli met Parton through theater classes and doing makeup for “Pirates of Penzance” last quarter. Cutuli, who was sexually assaulted in 5th grade, will also be participating in the event by wearing a matching T-shirt in support. While others expressed their concern about wearing it, Cutuli said she had no hesitations.

“If it’s happened to you, people might assume you don’t want to talk about it. But it is something that I think needs to be discussed,” she said. “It’s such a big part of your life and it’s influenced such a big majority of your life, after it happens, it’s kind of weird when it feels like you can’t go talk to people because it’ll make them uncomfortable.”

Cutuli, an education major, has been as resident adviser for the past two years. As part of the annual required training, advisers write personalized poems with the title “I am From” to share personal anecdotes about themselves to their co-workers.

“I think it’s very interesting because sometimes we expect the resident advisers to be more open and stuff like that, and a lot of them are,” Cutuli said.

“But we’re only human, and we don’t know how to deal with all these subjects and sometimes there’s some heavy stuff out there.”

Parton said she hopes, if anything, the march brings recognition to the thousands of voices that have been silenced because of sexual violence.

“Not only did I want the whole thing to make a statement, but I wanted it to be an in-your-face statement. It should be. People should be allowed to be a little bit angry that there is this huge, huge issue,” she said. “And why aren’t we?” ■

“In the elections, money does play a pretty significant role in running a good campaign,” Levin said. “In the past, lots of candidates and students just couldn’t afford to drop $100 in running for office.”

Levin said that voter turnout in the elections was the highest it had been in 18 years, and that the high turnout could be partially attributed to the new policy. He said that many candidates used public funds to make nicer posters, banners and other campaign materials, resulting in more professional campaigns that attracted more voters.

“This policy in general I think helps all campaigns, even those who can afford to spend the money, to be more professionalized and to run a better campaign,” Levin said. “Something we saw this year was a lot more [high quality] posters, not just handmade ones.”

“I think there’s a cumulative effect and it increases the engagement of the candidates in the election process and consequently the engagement of the student body in the elections,” he added.

Iris Maute-Gibson, the vice president-elect for governmental affairs, said that her success was a direct result of the availability of public financing.

Maute-Gibson used the entirety of the $100 available to her.

“It definitely leveled the playing field,” she said.

“Though I still would have run had I not had funding, I definitely attribute my success in the elections to public financing because I wouldn’t have spent that money at all.”

She said that any program that makes leadership positions more accessible to a wide range of students is something that the AS should “wholeheartedly support.”

CAT FROM HUE from page 6 instruments into a lush, synchronized soundscape.

This quality really comes to life in their live shows.

The band lists Modest Mouse as one of their influences, something a lot of bands in the Northwest tend to do, regardless of sound or genre.

But in this case, you can really hear the similarities.

The combination of Van Wyck’s elegantly buzzing vocals and Ihler’s constantly shifting drum patterns certainly sound like a Modest Mouse throwback.

It doesn’t take much to warm up to The Cat From Hue. Their music is easily accessible, without being tired or dry, and the nature of their songwriting keeps you on your toes, whether you’re enjoying them in-person or in the comfort of your own room. ■

HIG FOM from page 8 AS Productions Pop Music coordinator since September 2010.

“I think that the coordinators of HIG FOM have done a great job of organizing and booking bands in a professional manner,” he said. “I’m looking forward to sharing our music to the campus.”

Each year, a new crew is appointed to organize the festival due to the constantly changing populations of the residence halls. This not only keeps the festival fresh, but also gives students opportunities they might not receive elsewhere.

“I like that they bring a lot of local up-and-coming

For Travis Peters, the vice president-elect for business and operations, publicly financed funds played a significant role in his campaign as well. He said that without the $100 given to him through public funding, it would have been very difficult for him to run the same quality of campaign that he did.

“I fear that had this program not been in existence, I wouldn’t have been able to put myself out there and people might not have seen that I cared about being helpful in this way to the school,” he said.

However, Peters said that because the $2,500 pool is collected from the quarterly fee that students pay to fund the AS, some students might not want their dollars supporting the program.

“I might have personal mixed feelings about how it is that they allocate that fund. Maybe students don’t want to see contributing money from the fees that they pay to go toward funding something like this,” he said. “If the board sees that it’s necessary for us to raise these funds, then maybe the AS offices or the board should look into doing some sort of fundraiser that doesn’t involve student spending.”

The total campaign-spending limit for any candidate was capped at $150, including any portion from public funds a candidate may receive. Levin said that in the past, there were candidates who could afford to spend $150 out of their own pocket, while those who couldn’t afford it may not have spent anything.

“Now, there’s at least access to a large majority of those funds for most candidates,” Levin said. “So the financial gap between candidates from wealthier backgrounds and candidates from less wealthy backgrounds has narrowed significantly.” ■

bands and I really think it’s a great learning tool for future event programmers because they’re able to look at how to come across funding, how to do staging, how to contact and book bands, and I think they’re just a great place for people to come and interact,” said Eisen-Meyers.

And like many other local festivals, it’s good for the bands too, who get a chance to bring their music, in some cases, to a whole new audience.

“I’m excited for the community, Western, to hear these new bands and new artists and watch them grow in their musical career. I think that’s what is really exciting,” said Johnson. ■

May 16, 2011 • 11

ROWING from page 8

Daniel Berman/ The AS Review

Western junior Christina Zecha (left), and sophomores Blake Morton and Samantha Gunderson hold candles during a vigil for higher education Monday, May 9, in the Flag Plaza.

Daniel Berman/ The AS Review

The bricks of Red Square were covered with various chalk drawings Wednesday, May 4.

has been on the varsity team since her sophomore year. “There’s always going to be one person at practice who is motivating you, and just the fact that these people are showing up and giving their time motivates you even more.”

This will be Oberholzer’s last season on the team before she graduates, and she said a motivation for her to train hard was a loss the team suffered last year to Mercyhurst College of Erie, Pa., during the NCAA Division II Championships in Sacramento.

Although the team still had enough points to take the NCAA title, she said the loss was painful for the team.

“During that race, they were just a little bit faster, so now we have something to prove and this season that’s kind of been a driving force for us,” she said.

“Anytime that I’m tired or not really feeling practice, or not engaged and focused, I think of how the other teams cheered for the team that beat us. And I don’t want to feel that ever again.”

Oberholzer said it takes an average of six minutes and 45 seconds for the team to row a standard 2000-meter course. She said that weather and water conditions can greatly affect the team’s speed in a race. As the coxswain, it is Oberholzer’s job to guide the team and tell them exactly what they need to do and how to row during certain parts of the course. “[The race is] really intense. I listen to my recordings, and they just sound scary. I sound like I might be possessed or something because it’s just so intense,” she said. “But if you’re doing intense cardio for six or seven minutes, having someone speak calmly isn’t going to help you win.”

For Carlson, race day is also about serious concentration.

“During the race, I don’t really think; I’m just on.

I’m not thinking about anything except for what Sam is telling me,” Carlson said. “It seems like it goes by really fast, but races that seem like they’re taking a long time, those will be bad races.”

Rowing may be a sport of intensity and dedication, but for Oberholzer, Carlson and Fuchs, that is part of its allure.

“Rowing is a beautiful sport and when it’s done well, it looks really amazing.

The amount of dedication and commitment that any rower has to the sport is so incredible,” Oberholzer said. “You can’t be a part of the team and not give something.” ■

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COLUMN

The Om(nom)nivore’s Dilemma

College Budget Cooking

Lindsay Kucera/ The AS Review

Baked button doughnuts

O

kay, I admit it. These aren’t shaped like doughnuts. They’re also too big to be doughnut holes, primarily because I really just wanted a snack, and didn’t want to wait while I punched out all the traditional doughnuts, so I made these small button doughnuts. I originally tried these for an early-morning staff meeting, and the fact that they’re baked is an extra bonus—there’s still a good deal of sugar, but not a lot of grease. And you’re not risking your life fishing those doughnuts out of the deep fryer! I call that a win. This recipe takes a little longer, and is a little more labor intensive, but as soon as you sink your teeth into one, you’ll know it was worth it.

Cost: Approximately $10.00 Makes: 24 buttons For the dough: 1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 F (divided) One packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup sugar 2 eggs 5 cups all-purpose flour One teaspoon vanilla One teaspoon fine grain sea salt For the topping: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon -ORFor a glaze: One cup powdered sugar 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2-3 tablespoons milk

Lindsay Kucera/ The AS Review

Directions: Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in a mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast and set aside for three to five minutes. Make sure the milk isn’t scalded, or you will kill the yeast and your doughnuts. Stir in the butter and sugar and the remaining cup of milk into the yeast mixture. With a fork, gently stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg and salt until the flour is incorporated. If your dough is sticky, add flour a few tablespoons at a time. If it’s too crumbly and dry, add a little bit more milk. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter, knead a few times and shape into a ball. The dough shouldn’t be sticky or shaggy.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover, put in a warm place and let the dough rise until it nearly doubles in size. This dough can be slow, so I have let it rise overnight before.

Push down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick. Now, to make the buttons, you can do one of three things: You can tear pieces of the dough and roll them into balls about 1 1/2 inches wide; you can use a small cookie cutter or you can use a doughnut

cutter and make full doughnuts. If you happen to have a doughnut cutter, be sure you cut the big circles first, move the dough to the baking sheet and then cut out the smaller hole, otherwise it will be all warped and mangled.

Bake at 375 F until the bottoms are golden brown, about eight minutes, but check them before because they’re so small. The dough will rise more in the oven. While the doughnuts are baking, place the melted butter in a medium bowl for the topping.

Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and toss quickly in the sugar bowl to coat them. You can also coat them with powdered sugar, melted chocolate or the sugar glaze I included above. Be sure to share! (I know it’s hard!) ■ This recipe was adapted from Heidi Swanson’s “101 Cookbooks.”

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MONDAY may 16 Volume 26 Number 28 • May 16, 2011

NEWS

4 NOW WE KNOW

At long last, final election results.

CAMPAIGN PUBLIC FINANCING

Most candidates requested public money.

FEATURES

8 ROWING DOWN A DREAM

Western’s unstoppable women’s rowing team.

Monologues about queer identity.

EVENTS

5 TAKE ACTION! MARCH

Advocating sexual assault awareness.

7 CAMPUS-WIDE CLOTHING X-CHANGE

Out with the old and in with the new.

8 HIG FOM

Next weekend: Higginson Festival of Music.

COLUMNS/REVIEWS

6 BATTLE OF THE BANDS WINNER

The Cat From Hue.

12 AND THE OMNOMINEE IS...

Bake butt on don’t nuts.

COVER

May 16 to June 3 Open weekdays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., VU Gallery Reception on June 2 from 6-8 p.m., VU Gallery Free Beyond Borders is an annual international juried undergraduate fine art competition hosted by the Viking Union Gallery. The exhibit will feature artwork from students across the Northwest, including video art, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, printmaking and mixed media.

More information is available at www.gallery. as.wwu.edu.

QPOC: A Latino Perspective

9 QUEER EXPERIENCE

Beyond Borders 2011

Looking up at the ceiling in Wilson Library.

Photo by Daniel Berman/ The AS Review.

Making your life better, one page at a time.

5:30 p.m., Communications Facility 225 Free Presented by the Associated Students club Queer People of Color as part of Latino Week, this event will discuss issues faced by queer people of color, with a particular focus on Latinos.

TUESDAY may 17 The Future of Fuel

6 p.m., Academic West 210 Free This panel focuses on different ideas, programs and technologies to wean ourselves off of oil and on to renewable energy. Panel members include Mary Beth Lang, the bio-energy coordinator for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, who will talk about bio-energy and the legislative side of this change; Jim Jensen, from the Washington State University Extension Energy Program, who is working on a guidebook on electric vehicles and will give insight on their future; Atul Deshmane, a biodiesel producer in Anacortes, Wash., who will share information on bio-energy; and a representative from Western’s Vehicle Research Institute who will talk about the VRI’s bio-gas program in Lynden, their 100-mpg car, hybrid bus and other efficient technologies they are developing.

Migrant Youth Film & Forum 6-8 p.m., AIC 403 Free

As part of Latino Week, the Student Coalition for Immigration Rights will present a film and forum on migrant youth.

Intersex Info Session 7-9 p.m., VU 462 B Free

Jane Goto from the Intersex Society of North America will explain various aspects of what intersex means, and how intersex fits into the queer umbrella. This event is part of Pride Week.

WEDNESDAY may 18 CEED: Courageous Conversations 101 7-9 p.m., Miller Hall 5 Free

The Center for Education, Equality and Diversity’s workshop on creating critical conversations with a focus on the ethnic studies controversy in Arizona.

This event is part of Latino Week.

THURSDAY may 19 B-HAMFF Outdoor Film Festival 7 p.m., Arntzen Hall 100 Free

This AS Outdoor Center film festival has a grand prize of $300 for the top film, and the runnerup will win a free OC excursion. Winners will be chosen by audience votes. More information is available at www.outdoor.as.wwu.edu.

Spring Outdoor Movie: TRON

7 p.m., movie starts at 9 :30 p.m.

Lawn outside the Communications Facility Free There will be activities, a photo shoot and prize giveaways, including films and an iPod. Vendors will include Mallard, Kettle Korn and Alpha Kappa Psi, which will be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

May 16, 2011 • 3

Sex and Culture: An Interactive & Educational Experience 7-9 p.m., Academic West 304 Free

Come discuss the roles that sex and culture play in our lives and participate in interactive projects.

Everyone is invited to talk and listen.

Latino Professional Network Night 7-9 p.m., AIC 4th floor skybridge Free

A night to network and meet with Latino professionals, faculty and alumni.

FRIDAY may 20 KVIK Electric Shadow Shorts Premier 7 p.m., VU 552 Cost

Electric Shadow Shorts is a filmmaker collaborative that gathers weekly to brainstorm, learn about and create film projects. Contact Nick Nielsen at nick.robert.nielsen@gmail.com for more information.

Noche Cultural

7-9 p.m., Fraser Hall 4 Free The Center for Education, Equality and Diversity and the Latino Student Union celebrate the grand finale of Latino Week with various performances.

taoofjournalism.com

SATURDAY may 21 Third Annual Viking Strongman Competition 11 a.m., Turf field next to the Rec Center Free Western’s Viking Strongman Club presents the third annual Viking Strongman Competition. There are three different weight classes and five different events. If you are interested in competing, there is a sign-up sheet in the weight room at the Rec Center.

Spring Style Swap

1 p.m., lawn outside the Communications Facility Free Clothing swap sponsored by the DIY Ethics and Arts Alliance, an AS club.

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

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.

Brian Ralphs/ AS Publicity Center

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CORRECTION In our May 2 issue (“The AS on TAP”), Associated Students Vice President for Diversity Bernard Ikegwuoha’s name was misspelled.

We apologize for this error.

NEWS

Use of new public funds widespread

21 out of 26 candidates requested student money for 2011 campaigns Kirsten O’Brien/ The AS Review

With 26 candidates running in this year’s

Associated Students Board of Directors election, the race was as close as ever. While each candidate brought their own unique strengths to the table, they were all equal on one level: campaign funding.

For this year’s election, a new policy in the election code made it possible for candidates to receive up to $100 in funding from a pool of money set aside by the AS. According to the new policy, the total amount of money available to all candidates and campaigns is $2,500. If more than 25 candidates request funding, then the $2,500 will be divided equally among those who request funding.

Remy Levin, the AS elections coordinator, said that 21 out of 26 candidates requested public financing. A total of $1,952 was distributed to candidates.

Levin said that the majority of candidates used the public financing funds for posters, banners, tape, T-shirts and flyers. He said that candidates were not allowed to use the funds for food or hiring people to help them with their campaigns. Levin said that some campaign expenses - for example, requests from candidates for public funds to pay for candy to hand out to students along with campaign materials - were not approved for public financing.

Levin explained that implementing a public financing policy was something that other elections coordinators had tried in the past, but had never been able to do. Now that the policy has been written into the election code, Levin said that it has encouraged people who may not have run for elected office due to monetary issues to enter the election.

FUNDS continues on page 10

NEWS

RUN-OFF ELECTION RESULTS

After close contest, we finally have our next board of directors Evan Marczynski/ The AS Review

Anna Ellermeier has been elected as the next

Associated Students president. Ellermeier defeated current AS Vice President for Governmental Affairs Byron Starkey in the run-off after neither candidate was able to gain enough of the vote-share in the general election to win. Ellermeier won with 58 percent of the votes cast by students.

“I’m honored to be elected, and I’m looking forward to getting straight to work so I can dive right in when my term starts in the summer,” Ellermeier said after the results were announced last week. “I want to get right to work with the things that we talked about in the campaign.”

Sara Richards won the run-off with Victor Celis for the vice president for student life position.

Richards won 56 percent of the vote.

In addition, Mario Orallo-Molinaro won the runoff for vice president for activities, defeating his opponent, Ben Neyman, with 53 percent of the vote.

The run-off was necessary this year in three of the seven races for the AS Board of Directors, due to the fact that none of the candidates in any of those races managed to gain enough votes to win outright.

Election rules require candidates to win at least onethird of all votes cast to be elected. If no candidates gain reach that threshold, a run-off is held between the two candidates with the most votes.

Now that the elections for each position in the 2011-2012 board of directors have been decided, the current board must ratify the results before they are official.

Ellermeier said she is excited to work with current AS President Colin Watrin and the rest of the current board members during the upcoming transition process. She added that she is also looking forward to working with the other student leaders who won their races in this year’s election.

“Students have elected an outstanding group of vice presidents,” Ellermeier said. “I am excited to begin working together as a team.”

Voter turnout for the general election from April 25-29 was at the highest level in 18 years. Around 29 percent of Westen students cast ballots. ■

Daniel Berman/ The AS Review

Your next AS president: Anna Ellermeier.

“I’m honored to be elected, and I’m looking forward to getting straight to work so I can dive right in when my term starts in the summer. I want to get right to work with the things that we talked about in the campaign.” -Anna Ellermeier

May 16, 2011 • 5

EVENT

Taking action for sexual assault awareness Sexual assault survivors to march through campus, share personal experiences

Chelsea Asplund/ The AS Review

What started out as a class assignment has turned into a

life-changing experience for Western junior Brittany Parton.

The assignment is titled “Take Action,” for which Parton and her classmates in their Intro to Women’s Studies class must come up with a subject they are passionate about, then take that subject and develop an interactive component to engage people outside of class in an educational or informative way.

“One of the major principles [of the class] is that it’s not just about book learning,” Parton said. “You have to take action about the whole thing.”

On Tuesday, May 17 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Parton will present the “Take Action! March: This is What a Sexual Assault Survivor Looks Like.” Beginning outside the Wade King Student Recreation Center, Parton will give a very personal public speech regarding her rape and subsequent legal experiences and the social injustice she has experienced associated with them.

After the speech, she will begin her march to Red Square hand-in-hand with volunteers and friends, wearing a shirt stating, “This is what a sexual assault survivor looks like.”

“It’s like taking the worst skeleton out of your closet and wearing it for everyone to see,” Parton said.

Those walking will wear armbands of different colors, each representing their connection. Red will represent allies; black for sexual assault survivors and purple is for Women’s Empowerment and Violence Education or Western’s Men Against Violence volunteers. Participants are also encouraged to carry signs and posters, all bearing their own personal statements.

Once at Red Square, there will be a five-minute silent vigil around the fountain. Parton will be hosting an informational booth with other coordinators, with resources from campus centers, until 3 p.m. She said she is also willing to answer any questions about a topic she said has been silenced for too long.

“I think it will be - well I want it to be - a really emotional and personal thing for me,” Parton said. “I want it to stretch my comfort limits because I think there are too many silences not to do it.”

In the fall of last year, Parton was raped multiple times by the same attacker, and sustained a severe concussion and other injuries that required hospitalization. After going through the Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services

Take Action! March: This is What a Sexual Assault Survivor Looks Like. Starts at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 outside the Rec Center. process and other campus resources, Parton found herself suddenly having to return to a normal life, not feeling normal.

“The biggest thing that got to me was that I felt like I couldn’t relate to anyone on campus,” she said. “I felt like everyone was privileged and they could interact with

she was getting from her rapist. The following morning, running on three hours of sleep, she was late to her 8 a.m. class. Her professor did not accept any excuse or cooperate with CASAS, and the situation led Parton to drop the course altogether.

On the advice of her father, Parton signed up for Intro to Women’s Studies, which is eventually what

“Not only did I want the whole thing to make a statement, but I wanted it to be an in-your-face statement. It should be. People should be allowed to be a little bit angry that there is this huge, huge issue. And why aren’t we?” -Brittany Parton boys regularly and didn’t have to deal with anything I had going on.”

Months later, Parton was reminded of her ordeal when she received a phone call from a prosecutor: her rapist had been arrested.

She was now expected to miss classes to do interviews and testify in court, reopening wounds she had worked so hard to heal.

And on top of that, Parton had to share her story with strangers who would determine the strength of her case.

Parton spent one night in the campus police office documenting text messages

brought her to her project. She was inspired to share her story with her class, fueling her desire to share it publicly.

Parton said nearly one out of four women will have a non-consensual sexual experience in their lifetime, and the majority of them occurring while they are in college.

“I would look around and I’m thinking, ‘This happened to me and there is such a high percentage of others who this could have happened to,’ I look around and wonder, ‘Did that happen to her?’” she said.

TAKE ACTION! continues on page 10

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REVIEW

The Cat From Hue wins band battle in Underground What to expect from this Camano Island-based group at May 25 ASP Pop Music show

I

Matt Crowley/ The AS Review

t wasn’t a usual Wednesday night at the Underground Coffeehouse last week, as some of the best bands Bellingham has to offer converged in one place to compete for a special prize: $150 and a spot with the band Wheedle’s Groove in an opening show before the free AS Productions Pop Music concert featuring The Head and The Heart on May 25 in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.

After sifting through dozens of entries, Underground Coffeehouse Coordinator Megan Housekeeper and others whittled the list down to six bands: The Cat From Hue, The Royal Sea, The Bad Tenants, Learning Team, Lamppost Revival and The Prime Time Band. All six bands were given 15 minutes to play, with 15 minutes in between sets to set-up.

Even before the 7 p.m. start time, the coffeehouse was near capacity. Finding a couch to sit on was out of the question, let alone a chair. Most of the crowd was relegated to the floor in front of the

stage, a common sight at some of the Underground’s popular shows. Not long after opening contestant The Cat From Hue left the stage, people were lining up outside the outer door in the pouring rain, waiting for someone to leave to open up a spot in the crowd.

In the end though, two favorites won out. First place went to The Cat From Hue, and Lamppost Revival took runner-up. Both bands will play the May 25 opening show in the PAC plaza. The winner was decided by a panel of judges, including figures such as What’s Up! magazine’s Brent Cole and Wild Buffalo House of Music owner Craig Jewell, as well as an overall audience vote.

The Cat From Hue and Lamppost Revival were clear favorites heading into the competition due to their established positions in the Bellingham music scene, but they weren’t about to run away with the grand prize without a fight. From the sun-kissed surf-rock of The Royal Sea to the Beastie Boys-esque rapid-fire quickness of hip-hop group The Bad

Joe Rudko/ The AS Review

Tenants, each band brought something different.

In the case of Learning Team, it meant bringing a group of exuberant fans, who goaded everyone into getting up off the floor and grooving to the group’s folk-rock repertoire.

The decision came as little surprise. The Cat From Hue’s polished sound has earned numerous appearances at shows inside and outside of Bellingham since the band formed a couple years ago. Now, band members Nikko Van Wyck (guitar, lead vocals), Wes Williams (lead guitar, vocals), Jase Ihler (drums, vocals), Matt Olsen (keys, vocals) and Evan Downey (bass, vocals) show no sign of stopping. Even in the relaxed surroundings of the Underground, the Camano Island-based group’s strengths still show through.

As 2009’s “The Forgetter EP” demonstrated, The Cat From Hue has mastered the art of turning the chaos that can only be created by five different

CAT FROM HUE continues on page 10

Joe Rudko/ The AS Review

(Left) The Bad Tenants get the crowd into the show; Lamppost Revival, who took second place and will join The Cat From Hue in an May 25 show with Wheedle’s Groove before the ASP Pop Music show featuring The Head and The Heart in the PAC Concert Hall, onstage during the battle of the bands.

May 16, 2011 • 7

EVENT

Clothing, Shoes and Accesories Exchange Noon to 4 p.m., May 21 Fairhaven Commons Ridgeway Commons Red Square Free

Joe Rudko/ The AS Review

Cleaning out and building up Campus-wide clothing exchange to unite folks through fashion

G

Jordyn Kehle/ The AS Review

rowing up with a rather penny-pinching mother, Rebecca Rivero has lived her entire life on hand-me-downs.

“My mom is one of the best frugal people; she can make $12 last you a week and a half,” Rivero said.

“I’ve learned so much from her.”

With a lifetime of lessons from Mom under

“I like the idea because it’s sustainable and practical to have clothes available for free, practically next door,” Rivero said.

On April 30, Rivero and a committee of volunteers placed several donation boxes in locations both on and off campus, including all residence hall laundry rooms and lounges, the New York Apartments and

“This gives someone the opportunity to be part of a bigger-picture, community endeavor without that much work.” -Rebecca Rivero her belt, Rivero has organized the Campus-wide Clothing, Shoes and Accessories Exchange that will take place on Saturday, May 21 from noon to 4 p.m.

The exchange will allow students to add some new pieces to their wardrobe while cleaning out their old ones.

the Viking Union sixth-floor lobby. For the past two weeks, the clothes, shoes and accessories in each donation box were collected daily and stored away.

The donation collection will continue until Wednesday, May 18, when volunteers will begin sorting them for the exchange.

“I’m so surprised at some of the items donated so far, like nice suit jackets, sweaters, T-shirts and jeans,” Rivero said. “We have almost 300 items in Buchanan Towers so far, which is amazing.”

On the day of the exchange, all of the donations will be organized on tables and racks located in the Fairhaven Commons, the Ridgeway Commons and Red Square.

“For as much as there is going on at Western, there aren’t a lot of things that are campus-wide, so the exchange on May 21 will give people the chance to go to different places on campus,” said Emma Burges, a volunteer representing Ridgeway. “It’s a cool community builder to be able to see what other people have to donate.”

Donations on the day of the event are also welcome at any of the three locations. To keep the donations anonymous, volunteers will sort through items donated during the exchange.

“We take your clothes when you come in, look through them, sort them and put them on the tables for you,” Rivero said. “I want to keep that anonymity.”

Anyone is welcome to come sort through and take as many pieces as they would like, completely free of charge. The exchange works on a first-come, firstserve basis, and it is not necessary to donate items in order to take anything home. All unclaimed items at the end of the event will be donated to local clothing banks.

“A lot of people say that they want to get more involved and that they want to do more community service, but they’re really busy,” Rivero said. “This gives someone the opportunity to be part of a bigger-picture, community endeavor without that much work.” ■

8 • asreview.as.wwu.edu

FEATURE

Rowing to the win Women’s rowing team seeks seventh consecutive NCAA title

EVENT

The Higginson Festival of Music EndFair was only the beginning

Kirsten O’Brien/ The AS Review

Matt Crowley/ The AS Review

In fact, the petite senior always envisioned herself as a gymnast. But after suffering a badly broken ankle after 13 years of gymnastics, she needed a change.

After some encouragement, she decided to take an introductory rowing class in high school. Her life hasn’t been the same since.

Oberholzer has been a coxswain, the person in charge of navigating and steering the boat, on the Western women’s varsity rowing team for the past four years. Like Oberholzer, many of the girls on the rowing team did not have much, if any, prior rowing experience. That hasn’t stopped the team from gaining national attention, and the women’s rowing team has won six consecutive NCAA II National Titles since 2005. They will be seeking a seventh this upcoming Memorial Day weekend at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif.

“Basically, there’s only a very small number of girls who have rowed before, and this year we raced Gonzaga’s varsity boat and University of Washington’s [junior varsity] boat, and they’re both [NCAA] Division I and we were able to make it a good race,” said Oberholzer. “For a program to have six national titles with girls who have mostly no rowing experience, it really says a lot about the coaching and our team.”

John Fuchs, the head coach, has been coaching rowing at Western since 1998. While he was a student at Western, he began rowing for the university and hasn’t looked back since.

Fuchs said that a typical week of fall and winter training for the rowing team includes workouts at Lake Samish from 5 to 7 a.m. Monday through Thursday and on Saturday mornings. There are also afternoon cross-fit workouts Monday through Thursday, making training between 15 and 18 hours per week.

“It’s not every morning that I’m like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this!’ so what gets you through is everyone else’s optimism,” said Siri Carlson, a senior rower who

your brain to pudding? The Higginson Festival of Music, an annual event held by the Edens and Higginson residence halls, will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 21 in Red Square, giving students a welcome respite before finals take hold. The event, along with last weekend’s EndFair, comprises a year-end series of festivals celebrating local and national music and another great year at Western.

The free festival, also known as HIG FOM, will feature Lamppost Revival, Jesse Morrow, This Ambition, Noah Gundersen, The Pacific Madrone, Know Mercy, E-Clec-Ti-City and Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Coordinators Sarah Johnson and Samantha O’Brochta were chosen at the beginning of the school year through the Edens-Higginson Hall Council. Given a small budget, the pair had to find a way to bring great music to campus without breaking the bank.

“I’ve done this before, not HIG FOM but just concerts in the area,” said Johnson. “We didn’t have a budget at all, we started with nothing, so I was like, ‘Well, instead of getting big-name bands and spending a lot of money, let’s just do more local bands.’ It’s going to be great festival with all the new music.”

“I’m most excited for Noah Gundersen, because I did see him play earlier this year and he was really good and I like his style,” said O’Brochta.

“He has awesome dreadlocks.”

The festival was originally supposed to have the theme “upside-down,” but it was scrapped in the planning stages. Besides that and a couple artist cancellations, the organizing has gone smoothly.

“Everyone’s been great and supportive, all the RAs are going to help during HIG FOM the whole day, there’s going to be security,” said Johnson. “We just had a meeting last night and everyone’s excited and pumped up. It’s great.”

Dwayne Taylor, the resident director for EdensHigginson, has provided some assistance, but

Sam Oberholzer never saw herself as a rower.

ROWING continues on page 11

Looking for a bit of fun before dead week turns

Kyle Marmesh/ AS Publicity Center

ultimately it’s up to the students to keep everything on track.

“Our role has been to help them navigate some of the administrative processes and paperwork as well as help students think through budget issues and connect them to other resources on campus,” said Taylor. “From beginning to end, this event is student-driven.”

Sam Eisen-Meyers, guitarist for the band E-Clec-Ti-City, praised the coordinators for their work, which is notable considering EisenMeyers is a coordinator himself, having been the

HIG FOM continues on page 10

May 16, 2011 • 9

FEATURE • EVENT Meghan Pierson smiles after finishing her monologue, titled “100 Percent Me,” at the second annual Queer Experience Thursday, May 12.

Daniel Berman/ The AS Review

Truths of Queer Experience Second annual monologue series on identity Chelsea Asplund/ The AS Review

Editor’s note: Kevin Bennett is a distributor in the AS Publicity Center. As part of his job, he distributes copies of The AS Review around campus.

Meghan Pierson stands tall, wearing a soft,

white dress that stops just above her knees. A white flower rests in her brown hair. She clutches a small bouquet of orange flowers tight against her chest as she takes a deep breath.

“I am waiting for my cue,” she said.

Pierson is not a bride-to-be standing outside a room full of wedding guests. She is a student, standing before a room full of strangers inside the Viking Union.

As part of the second annual Queer Experience, sponsored by the Associated Students Queer Resource Center on May 12, Pierson and nine others shared their truths and experiences about identifying as part of the queer community. The monologues performed were the product of a four to five-week process, where performers built a

community within themselves to explore what they wanted to say, or what they haven’t had a chance to say before.

For Pierson, her truth focused on marriage equality and the struggle for acceptance from her parents. She transported the audience to what would be her wedding day, waiting for her father to walk her down the aisle. But as she reached the altar, Pierson described the person she would choose to spend her life with as male or female, and suddenly, she said that day appeared very different.

“My parents told me I deserve to be loved and cherished, so what if that’s a man or a woman?” she said.

Pierson, who came out to her parents two years ago, said she wanted to focus her truth around the topic of marriage for many reasons. She has been an active member of Equal Rights Washington, a nonprofit advocacy group committed to gay couples and their children, and working towards marriage equality.

Beyond the wedding setting, Pierson reiterated throughout her monologue how parents tell their children when they are young they are limitless, and can set their minds to achieve anything and be anyone they want to be.

“Be yourself, except if you’re gay,” she said.

Queer Resource Center Coordinator Josh Foley said the goal was to find a diverse range of stories and identities.

Foley said he can remember how emotional his experience was last year, as he not only facilitated but performed as well. His monologue followed his coming-out process, from growing up with his family to Western today, all of which he said have impacted his identity.

“Coming out never ends. You are constantly coming out every time you go somewhere new, every time you enter a room,” Foley said. “Every time you do anything, you are coming out.”

All members spoke out about very different experiences—from the “monsters” they tried to hide within themselves, how their identities affected their relationships to how they came to decide their preference of pronouns.

Kevin Bennett transported audience members back in time to his experiences standing in front of the mirror, struggling to say the words “I am gay,” out loud. As he stuttered those three words on stage, Bennett slapped himself across the face several times, an action he used to do but had never shared with anyone before.

“I knew it would be a powerful moment, not only for me, but for the audience as well,” he said.

“Nothing speaks louder than really exposing yourself and being vulnerable to total strangers and that is exactly what I wanted to do.”

Foley said the QRC hopes to continue sponsoring this event for many years to come. And beyond the experience and journey the cast members all go through, he said he hopes the audience can go take something with them as well.

“I hope people walk away with more of an open mind. A lot of the reasons why people do this process is because of the closed-mindedness,” Foley said. “People didn’t feel safe or felt silenced. I hope it fires people up, most of all.” ■