Molly gains popularity as party drug page 4.
Vol. 28 #26 5.20.13
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UNIQUE SUMMER CLASSES
While class selection is limited during summer session, odd classes, such as advance fly fishing and cyborg anthroplogy, are only taught during this time. By Lauren Simmons
ART HISTORY 397I, 491I JAPANESE FILM
Even though 4,700 miles seperate Bellingham and Tokyo, Western professor Jeff Purdue offers a course during summer quarter that puts Japanese life on screen every class period. Art History 397I and Art History 491I are a courses that focuses on Japanese film; the classes combine to form a single course that meets together. They will look into different stylistic features of different films, and compare them to each other. Summer 2013 will be the second summer the class is offered, Purdue said. “Last year, the class had a tighter focus on films about contemporary life in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s, but this year, we’re going to focus on both contemporary life, as well as period films, starting in the late ‘20s to almost current day,” Purdue said. A self-described film buff with a huge interest in Japanese film, Purdue was invited by the art history section of Western’s Art Department to teach the class because of a Japanese film series he hosts at the Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema in downtown Bellingham. Now in its fourth year, the series features one classic Japanese film per month, Purdue said. The professor works with Pickford to choose these films, and Purdue finds people from campus and surrounding areas to introduce the films. One of the individuals Purdue invited to introduce a film at the Limelight was Julia Sapin, an art history professor at Western. After said opportunity, Sapin invited Purdue to teach the course, Purdue said. Since summer class periods are longer, Purdue shows a film in every class. During the three hours and 20 minutes, the typical class will discuss assigned readings, discuss the last film they watched and relate it to other works they studied. Then they watch another film. All the films are subtitled, Purdue added. “I really like for people just to watch a film as a film… just to kind of enjoy the film,” Purdue said. “Then we’ll talk about analyzing it later.” The difference in registering for one or another that with the 497I option is a writing proficiency credit, thus will incorporate more writing-oriented assignments. ENVS 437M Env Peace and Sustainability Fair 270 - Audio Recording I IBUS 370 - Intro to Internation Business JOUR 397E - The Media in Popular Culture MKTG 380 - Principles of Marketing COMM 416 - Topics in Communication
Not only does Purdue enjoy the company of others while watching some of his favorite films, he tends to learn a lot from the students during the quarter. Students last summer were able to pick up on a lot of the concepts in the films, and, in turn, expanded his knowledge in different areas, Purdue said. Anyone who loves film should take the course, Purdue said. When it was first offered, primarily art students who took the class, and he enjoyed the expertise each student brought to the course, in either art or photography, he said. The course does not have any prerequisites, but Purdue encourages anyone loves film and likes to dig deeper into film to take the class. The work is challenging, but the papers he received last summer were not only strong, but also fun, Purdue said. Currently, Purdue is exploring another component for the class where, in addition to writing, students will use video clips to do some analysis on the films they cover. The class is only offered during summer quarter, but Purdue would love to teach it more often “It’s a chance to share something I really really enjoy with people,” Purdue said. “Part of the fun thing about the class is I get to show films in the class that I could never show at the Pickford, because its not that easy necessarily to get the rights to show a film publicly, so we’re somewhat limited at Pickford in what we can show. Because it’s a classroom situation, I can show all kinds of films, and I’ve got a very extensive collection of films that I’m able to share.”
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 316 ADVANCED FLY FISHING
On June 10, 1999, a pipeline ruptured near Whatcom Creek, resulting in a fire that killed Sehome High School senior Liam Wood and two other boys. After Wood’s death, his parents wanted to give back to the community and recognize what their son’s passions were. Fast-forward to 2004 when the fly fishing course was originally started at Western. Leo Bodensteiner, Huxley College of the Environment professor and instructor of Environmental Science 316: Advanced Fly Fishing, explained the story of the
More Summer Classes
Whatcom Creek Fire, and how the tragedy led to a unique course being offered at Western. David Duncan, an author from Missoula, Mont., saw the news coverage coming from Bellingham, and one news story said that Wood, who was to graduate from Sehome High School the week of the accident, had one of Duncan’s books bookmarked by his bed. The book by Woods’ bed was about fly fishing. Duncan then contacted Woods’ parent and mentioned a fly-fishing honors course at a Utah university, and suggested they start something like that in honor of Woods, Bodensteiner said. Woods’ parents contacted Bodensteiner at Western about the idea. At the time the Western professor had a graduate student who was an avid fly-fisher, so the two of them put together a curriculum, and put it into action in 2004. The fly fishing course at Western, both a beginning and advanced course, are possible today with a lot of help from the community, Bodensteiner said. All equipment and transportation is covered for the course. “When we designed the course back in ’03 and ’04, we wanted to make it affordable as best we could,” Bodensteiner said. “We were able to get donations [from places like] Fred Meyer [and] Patagonia.” However, students do need to purchase their own fishing license. “I think we list casually in the prerequisites: knowledge and interest in the environment – you have to have a desire,” Bodensteiner said. The advanced fly fishing course is two credits. The prerequisite for the course is the introduction to fly fishing course or instructor permission. Bodensteiner likes to get a mix of students in the class as well as community members. Over the years, the course had community members, retired people, gang members from Skagit County who are involved with programs to turn their lives around, as well almost every major, Bodensteiner said. “What I like about the class is you can take this activity, and you can integrate so many things around it,” Bodensteiner said. “You can talk about reading and writing and literature, and you can talk about conservation and ethics, and you can pursue the actual pastime itself, ANTH 353 - Sex and Gender in Culture PSY 119 - Psychology of Gender WMNS 314 - Global Women DNC 232 - Movement and Culture ART 397A - Intro to Glass Blowing DSGN 248 - Graphic Design Concepts
EVENTS OF THE WEEK
Monday May 20 Jazz Jam Sessions
7 p.m. in the Underground Coffee House Free
Students and community members will be meeting in the Underground Coffee House to play live jazz music. Bring your instruments and join in, or just show up to enjoy the show.
Tuesday May 21 Queer and Kink
7 - 9 p.m. in Miller Hall 131 Free
A forum by Allena Gabosch, executive director of the Center and Foundation for Sex Positive Culture in Seattle, to talk about problems and benefits of queer individuals within the kink community.
Wednesday May 22
Specters w/ A Breakthrough in Field Studies 8 p.m. in the Underground Coffee House Free The Spring Wednesday Concert Series continues with a double-header: Specters and A Breakthrough in Field Studies.
May 20, 2013 • 11
Friday May 24 Game Night
6 - 11 p.m. in AW 410 Free
The Brasswork Sorrows Student Liason Club is hosting a game night for club members, Western students and community members.
Thursday May 23
Saturday May 25
The Black Student Union will perform several poems, songs and demonstrations to celebrate hairstyles in Black culture.
The 93rd annual Ski to Sea Grand Parade will have floats and people marching through downtown Bellingham to celebrate the Ski to Sea festivities. The parade route goes from Cornwall Avenue and Alabama Street to York and State Street.
ANTROPOLOGY 440 CYBORG ANTHROPOLOGY
rial, then bring questions, concerns, critiques and other points of view to class with them. Such a set up for the course leaves Saunders surprised and pleased with what discussions, topics and revelations arise from each course, she said. Prerequisites are Anthropology 301 and, or a theory social science course. With that said, any student who speaks with Saunders and has taken some GURs can most likely get in the course, Saunders said. She encourages any curious student to try and take the course. Saunders said she wants a student from every department to take the course. Because the course is interdisciplinary and broad, the wider the distribution of specialties of the students involved, the better the class is, Saunders said. “I love it when I have physics students or computer science students or engineering students, mixed up with anthropology students, mixed with the literature and art people – it just makes it pop,” Saunders said. After teaching the class for so many years, Saunders’ favorite part about cyborg anthropology is seeing students have fresh realizations about their own lives while learning throughout the course. The thrill of discovery is just marvelous, Saunders said. Each week, students are to reflect on what they learned each week on a discussion board, allowing Saunders to see what is going through everyone’s minds during the short quarter. The interactive process encourages students to post and share videos, links, music and music videos, she said. “I have students tell me all the time – okay, so I’ll brag a little – they tell me that it changes their lives,” Saunders said, laughing. “They tell me that one quarter isn’t enough, it ought to be an all-year series because it is a huge topic to address in 10 weeks. So you get a taste of this, and a taste of that.”
Ski to Sea Grand Parade 4-6:30 p.m. in the Underground Coffee house 6 - 9 p.m. in downtown Bellingham Free Free BSU Hair Night
Continued from page 10 going out and fishing, you can talk about the mechanics, the physics of actually fly fishing…that seems to be what attracts many people.” The course meets on campus three evenings out of the six-week quarter to give any additional information about the course, refresh the students, give a schedule for the course and assign the readings. The advanced fly-fishing course is a much more casual course, with more interaction between instructor and students. Bodensteiner favors this part about teaching the class in the summer. The course culminates in a fly-fishing trip to a river in Idaho that’s fly fishing only, in the woods, about 75 miles away from the nearest town, Bodensteiner said. During “Week in the woods,” the course focuses on fly fishing, etymology (collecting bugs and identifying them) and the class has discussions on the readings around the campfire. The advanced fly fishing students are tested on the mechanics of fly fishing, identification of what they catch, concepts around conservation and habitat, as well as a book report. The students are not tested on how well they can cast or how many fish they can catch, Bodensteiner said. Of the 100 students who took the courses over the years, all have caught at least one fish. “I think our premise for the class is that if you want people to care about the environment, you have to make them comfortable in it,” Bodensteiner said. “You have to take them outdoors and show them places, and different people have different reasons for doing that.” Bodensteiner said the individuals take the course because of the artistry involved with tying flies or casting, or for the pursuit if the fish. For other students, the activity of fly fishing is a relief from the day-to-day struggle.
“What is Cyborg anthropology?” That is the most frequent question Western professor Kathy Saunders gets about her class taught during the summer. Cyborg anthropology, or Anthropology 440, takes a look at all the ways in which the science and technology we produce change us, Saunders said. Science and technology have changed the way we arrange our social lives, our institutions and even down to the fundamental task of making babies. The course is taught during the year, but it has become so popular that Saunders teaches a course during the summer quarter. She began teaching cyborg anthropology when she began at Western in 2000. “When I first got here, I had to sell it hard to administration,” Saunders said. “I think they were afraid we were going to sit around and watch “Star Trek” or something.” Science fiction is utilized in the cyborg anthropology course as a look into utopic visions, dark hard times as a result of what people create, as well as imaginary peoples and societies. It is fun to take a look at science fiction and see what is going on in the imaginary realm, Saunders said. Saunders became interested in cyborg anthropology after attending graduate school later than most students, she said. While in college, she was witnessing the beginning of the computer revolution. She had a career with Apple Inc., working in education and the rules of technology and communication. She later developed a social-science attitude to the evolution of technology and computers. The course is organized as a seminar, a big discussion class, Saunders said. Students first read the mate-
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Le'Ana Freeman applies basic correc-
tional makeup in the studio under the PAC Mainstage. Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
PERFECTING THE ART OF MAKEUP
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By Lauren Simmons n the depths of Western’s Performing Arts Center, a class of students sits at individual vanities framed with bright, white light bulbs. With scores of colors and brushes sprawled across the counters, each student creates a work of art on their face; their assignment is to mix, match and blend their faces into an abstract animal. Theater 215, stage makeup, has been taught at Western as long as the university has had a theater department, said Monica Hart, instructor of the course. The class covers the basic foundations of stage makeup and takes place in the dressing room below the PAC’s main stage. “It’s all about learning how to put cream-based makeup on your face and change your face’s appearance, or cover up blemishes, just using that one-dimensional aspect,” Hart said. At the beginning of the quarter, the class teaches the application of basic foundation to the face, covering up basic blemishes or unevenness. Following projects build on that foundation, Hart said. By the end of the course, the students will know how to put makeup on another person in various styles. “I love makeup; my world revolves around makeup,” said Haley Douglas, first-year Western student and hopeful design major. Douglas, who worked on a giraffe for her abstract animal, enjoys how hands-on and interactive the class is. There is not a lot of reading involved and plenty of time to let one’s creativity flow, she said. The abstract animal prompt translates to taking the elements of an animal and abstracting them; this technique requires the students to take a less-realistic
approach, and focus more on a “tribalistic,” stylized design, Hart said. “That just teaches them a little bit about color and shape and how to use and interpret those elements that they’re seeing on a realistic picture, making them into an abstract picture,” Hart said. Western senior Brittany Splinter was in Western’s production of “Seussical” last summer. The show’s cast had elaborate makeup and was interested in doing that again, thus, she took the course. While painting one’s face throughout the quarter is a part of the course, Splinter does not like what all the makeup and face washing does to her face. “I have sensitive skin, so washing my face as often as I have to is really taking a toll on it,” Splinter said. “This stuff is oily, and my skin does not like it.” All theater students are required to take the course, but it is open to any Western student. The course is one credit, so most of the work is done in class, Hart said. “Even if you’re not wanting to be a theater major, or you don’t really have a lot of interest in doing makeup, it’s a good way to learn new motor skills,” Douglas said. Douglas said the class is a close environment where a student can make friends and relax. Hart, who has a master’s degree in costume design, has done makeup and costume design for around 20 years, with some film and television experience. Away from the students painting their faces, there is a table scattered with clay molds. Hart grabbed one of the molds and took the two pieces apart; they turned out to be clay prosthetics built by students last quarter in Theater 397F, advanced makeup. “Over the past two years that I’ve been teaching
[stage makeup], there have been probably six or seven students that excel at sculpting and drawing, so we wanted to give them the opportunity to have this as an additional foundation piece,” Hart said. “[A lot] of them wanted to go on to makeup schools in Hollywood, like Joe Blasco and things like that, so they can really have a jumpstart on that.” Theater 397F was held last quarter for the first time. There were enough students in the theater department who were successful in taking the first-level class, so Hart created a secondary class. In this course, students would use materials to cast their faces and build prosthetics out of clay. Then they would cast those clay prosthetics in plaster, and the two elements fit together like a puzzle piece, Hart said. The process is similar to the one on the SyFi channel reality show “FaceOff.” The primary difference between the process shown on the show and the process done in the course is the way the prosthetics are solidified. Since the course does not have access to ovens or kilns, like on the show, Western’s products can be cured with room temperature and time instead of heat, Hart said. Although the class is not currently being offered, Hart is working on being able to offer the class again, with one quarter for creating the prosthetics and one quarter for applying it. “This [course] is really hands on, and it’s a little more intimate,” Hart said. “You get to figure out what people’s fears are. They may seem really tough on the outside, but when you have to cover their face in something and cast their face, all of the sudden, you really know who that person is and how strong they are. It requires a lot of strength just to sit there for 20 to 30 minutes while that
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An attendee of VikingCon dressed up as a bounty hunter from the “Star Wars” film series.
NEWS
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Photo by Cade Schmidt
review
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©2013. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University. We are a student-produced, alternative campus weekly covering news and events that are of interest to the Western community. We support all programs, offices and clubs affiliated with the AS. We have a direct connection to the AS board of directors, and although we report on board actions objectively, our relationship should be made clear. Submissions: We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork or anything else physically printable. Email submissions, or send them to the mailing address above. They will be returned as long as you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Letters: We also welcome letters to the editor. Please limit your letter to 300 words and include your name and phone number. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar, if necessary. Calendar/Ads: We don’t sell ad space. Sorry. Email as.review@ wwu.edu to have an event listed in the calendar.
SUSPENSION AS board suspends VP for Diversity
EVENTS
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HAIR NIGHT Black Student Union hosts annual night to celebrate hair and the culture it represents
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STUDENT LIFE
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STUDENT-RUN Western students start their own businesses, achieve success
FEATURES
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SYNTHETIC DRUG AS Review investigates Molly, a popular drug used by college-aged adults
Staff
Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Copy Editor Contributing Designer Writers
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Megan Thompson Spencer Pederson Cade Schmidt Serena Imani Korn Bradley O’Neal C Hayley Halstead Isabelle Hoonan Nick Markman Lauren Prater Lauren Simmons Kylie Wade
Adviser Jeff Bates Evanna Lynch poses for a photo with fans following her speech on self-empowerment in the Performing Arts Center on May 15. Read the full story on page 6. Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
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SUMMER CLASSES Unique classes offered for summer session
EVANNA LYNCH Harry Potter actress visted Western on May 15 to give a selfempowerment speech FOUL PLAY CLUB Members of this AS club join together to solve murder mysteries
MAKEUP Theater class designed to introduce students to stage makeup styling
May 20, 2013 • 3
Disidual's Christian Harkson and Brendan Pape (pictured) showed us around their
studio space in their garage on south campus in Fall of 2011 for a story on student-run clothing businesses. Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
STUDENTS DEVELOP STARTUP BUSINESSES
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By C Hayley Halstead ut pride in your work, and believe in what you do,” said Jordan Stead, one of the two Western alumni who founded The Emerald Collective, a visual media company specializing in photography and video production. Through planning, time management and attention to detail, this visual production team has had many opportunities and success stories. However, not all startup businesses are able to be successful. In fact, it is more likely than not that a startup business will fail. Despite this fact, the Western community is increasingly more supportive of students starting up their own businesses. Last year, the introduction of a lean startup and entrepreneurship methods class, Management 497, provided students and community members with the chance to go in depth about the necessary steps regarding developing a business. Dan Purdy, the professor for Management 497, explained the class allows those involved to create small versions of their business model before actually building a business. Business ideas that are thought of by the students are treated as though they are real startups. “It gives students experiences in a safe place,” Purdy said. Each week, students are responsible for creating and
developing their business model canvas, which evokes critical thinking. Throughout the entirety of the class, students develop their hypothesis, test it, collect data and synthesize the data. Though the process may seem tedious, impatience can be one of the leading factors for business failure. In Stead’s case, building up his network, credibility, friends and a portfolio was important to setting himself up for success. Purdy said some of the keys to a successful business entail product development, market research and interpreting the findings. Western students started many successful businesses such as software, clothing, kayak and food companies. “Don’t build something without a hypothesis,” Purdy said. Students in his class conduct field research to understand the demands of their target market, behavior and other aspects of developing a product or service. Part of the business includes what Stead refers to as “backend, not glamorous, but you have to do it.” This includes the organizational aspects of a successful business, such as spreadsheets, keeping receipts and developing a system. He said his business is only 5 percent creative and 95 percent business work. In the beginning
stages of the Emerald Collective, Mark Malijan, the other Western graduate and their digital producer Kyle Seago spent eight-hour days working out of an apartment. Some of the reasons startup businesses fail include poor reasons for starting the company in the first place. Another way startups fail is from not having enough funding. A remedy to this conflict is to use a crowdfunding method, like Kickstarter, in which people do not invest in a company, but rather place an advanced order. However, acquiring adequate funds does not always go as planned. Local clothing company Disidual, which was started by Western alumni, attempted to run a crowd-funding campaign. They were only able to raise about half of their goal. One of the reasons for this unsuccessful attempt to gain capital was because there was not enough outreach. Today, Stead believes networking without the expectation of getting business is crucial. For example, past networking opportunities allowed Emerald Collective to get in contact with a design company who now sends business their way. “Everyone started at a kitchen table,” said Stead. “Work hard, know your stuff and do what you do.”
MOLLY BECOMING FAVORED PARTY DRUG
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By Isabelle Hoonan
he AS Review recently began investigating the party drug Molly which is gaining popularity in the Western community and in other parts of the country. We were able to speak with a self-proclaimed Molly dealer who has requested to remain anonymous to avoid legal prosecution. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to this dealer as “Alex.” “I think Molly is really popular because it takes away all your judgments and just enables you to get close to people in a way that a lot of people normally can’t because of society’s expectations that are put on us,” Alex said. “When you’re on Molly, all the things that make you afraid of other people, like being judged, fade away. People are free to be themselves.” Molly is the street name for MDMA, a chemical that is known to induce euphoria, a sense of intimacy and diminished anxiety. The chemical is also one of the driving forces in the psychedelic amphetamine Ecstasy. Generally snorted, parachuted, or swallowed, Molly is seen as being a “purer” form of MDMA than Ecstasy, which can be cut with anything from methamphetamine to heroin. It has become one of the most favored party drugs for its stimulating effects. “Most of the people taking Molly like to casually go to raves, or just like to party with their friends. Generally, they’ve done other types of drugs before Molly, but I do have a few first-timers who come to me, which is always really fun because I’m able to give them the low-down on what to expect and how to take the proper dosing,” Alex said. Depending on the dose, the effects of Molly most often last from three to five hours. “There’s a bitter taste at first but then you forget about it when an all-encompassing feeling of well-being hits,” Alex said. “Touch becomes extremely sensational and you’re not afraid of anyone; it’s euphoric.” According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Fact Sheet on Ecstasy or MDMA, MDMA is both a stimulant and a psychedelic that induces a euphoric high. Users’ brains are rushed with the neurotransmitter serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, which cause the “euphoric” feeling.The come-down from Molly can lead to slight or severe depression, depending on the dose and the person’s chemical makeup, from the depletion of serotonin caused by Molly. Molly’s popularity has evolved from the early days of underground raves in the 1990s, when partygoers would consume MDMA through pills of Ecstasy. When people
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began to question the mixed ingredients in Ecstasy, Molly became the go-to drug, Alex said. “There are copycat drugs like Bath Salts, Ephedrine. All in all, they can’t live up to the standard that molly has set,” Alex said. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, precise numbers of Molly users and their ages are unclear, as they only account for Ecstasy in their studies. According to a Drug Abuse Warning Network study from 2004 to 2009, there was a 123 percent increase in emergency room visits involving MDMA. Because Molly is not always pure MDMA, the effects can include increased heart rate and distorted thought processes, which make users unaware of their rising body temperatures and depleting energy levels. Pairing MDMA with alcohol or other drugs can lead to serious side effects with the different chemical reactions happening in the brain, cocaine is often a favored pairing because of the ultra stimulating effects when taken with Molly. “I always test my Molly with a testing kit in order to ascertain that it is what it really is,” Alex said. “And after I test it, my next step is to give it to people and see how they respond. It’s very important to me that people are getting the chemical that they paid for, that they’re well informed about the dangers of the chemical that they’re taking, and that they take a dose that’s appropriate for the high they’re hoping to achieve. I’ve had to cut people off before for taking too much Molly. I’ve had to be like, ‘Dude, you’re taking a gram of Molly every weekend, I can’t sell to you until you get your shit together.” While Molly may produce an attractive high, some students would rather stay away from risking a bad reaction to the drug. “It’s just not the high I want in public,” said a Western student. “I can be sensual and loving without it.” As more people are beginning to experiment with the drug, dealers are working hard to meet supply and demand, and profits are sky-rocketing. “I probably get a couple of orders a week. They vary in size from just a few capsules, which are $10 dollars each, to hundreds of ounces, which can be many hundreds of thousands of dollars an order,” said Alex. “I charge $10 dollars for 100 milligrams or one point. I charge $90 for a gram. I charge about $1,500 for an ounce and the prices drop according to how much people are getting. People will generally place an ounce or two-ounce orders at a time. I usually make $3,000 in a month.”
When you’re on Molly, all the things that make you afraid of other people, like being judged, fade away. People are free to be themselves
ALEX
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May 20, 2013 • 5
Lulu is an app intended for women
to rate men they know and gather information about potential partners. Information from anonymous reviews are converted into hashtags such as #HotCar and #NothingBadAboutHim
Photo illustration by Cade Schmidt // AS Review By Isabelle Hoonan
WESTERN’S MURDER MYSTERY CLUB
By C Hayley Halstead A few students who love murder-mystery games tried to “cheat the system” and receive $50 through the Associated Students by starting a pseudo-club. This turned into a legitimate club with over 60 official members, known as Western’s Foul Play Club. Either using club funds to purchase games or having members write them, Foul Play Club produces intricate games involving typically 25-30 characters, all with missions of their own. The themes of games include, but are not limited to, Mafia, White House, pirates, King Henry and the future underground New York. Murder-mystery players are assigned their character a few weeks prior to the game date and are encouraged to dress up to accurately represent their character. The club receives donations for a costume box including items like corsets, high heels, hats, wigs, long-sleeve gloves, handcuffs and dresses. “Foul Play Club gives me the opportunity to look at the world and situations from different points of views by putting me into a character,” said Ashley Duncan, Foul Play vice president. “I really like the learning aspect; it makes me more tolerant of what I don’t have information on.” Foul Play Club relies on the AS online organizational system OrgSync to register all members. Registrants
may request their top three choices for characters, and the coordinating team works toward having everyone’s request fulfilled. A character list is published three weeks before the game, and characters are assigned the following week. Participants receive character books, which include a detailed character background and minor goals before the murder happens. The murder-mystery games are hosted in a room in the Viking Union and typically last about three hours. After the first 10 to 15 minutes of game play, the lights turn off and the sound of a popping balloon echoes through the room; a character is dead. At this time, new character books are allocated to the players with goals and secrets. While there is an investigator character, everyone has the overall goal of attempting to solve the mystery. During the game, characters will have the opportunity to receive a weapon card, which are randomly drawn, but not all cards have weapons on them. People then have the opportunity to use their weapon cards to kill off other characters. In the event a character is killed off, a new character is assigned to the participant. Players use play currency during the event, which is frequently used for bribing purposes.
At the conclusion of the game, they take pictures and give awards for best actors, costumes, wealthiest players and those who were able to solve the mystery. Everyone will also sit in a circle and reveal their secrets. The wrapup process lasts for about an hour. When describing the importance of Foul Play Club, club treasurer Jason Mueller said, “I’m a math and computer science major, and this lets me interact with people in a way I’m not used to; It’s a social release.” Meetings are every Tuesday in Bond Hall Room 106 at 7 p.m. Meagan Malone, current Foul Play Club president, said the club was “super inviting and never judgmental; everyone feels at home.” During meetings, the members gather to discuss events and logistics and will sometimes play small murder mystery games or board games. While Foul Play Club is categorized as a gaming club, members organize non-murder-mystery events and embrace their friendship. They sign up for events like Relay for Life, trips to the Seattle Center, VikingCon and they have a camping trip planned for Memorial Day weekend. “It’s a really fun club. Lots of individuals are entertaining to hang out with. It’s a really great environment, and I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Gavin Dunn-Marble, club secretary.
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LIVE YOUR LIFE LIKE LUNA LOVEGOOD.
By Megan Thompson ctress Evanna Lynch, known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, spoke about self-empowerment and her issues with an eating disorder to a sold-out crowd in Western’s Performing Art Center Concert Hall Wednesday, May 15. Growing up, Lynch was an awkward, shy, devout Harry Potter fan living in Ireland. She had one dream for her life: to become a cat. The dream of morphing into a feline stemmed from her fear and anxiety of everyday life, especially the fear of being judged. “What I envy about cats isn’t their furry selves,” Lynch said. “It is their lack of responsibility and their care-free lifestyle.” She believes two fundamental fears guide our decisions in daily life: the fears of failing and not being loved. “A fear of heights is useful because it keeps us from jumping off the edge of a building,” Lynch said. “[The fears of failure and not being loved] have no useful application to our daily lives.” Lynch turned these two fears into a childhood fantasy of being a lovable fluffy creature, and later into an eating disorder in her teenage years. She feels her eating disorder started from her odd nature, her insecurities within herself and the fear of her peers not accepting her oddness. She often received compliments and acceptance for being thin, so she took it to an extreme. She began eating less and attempting to lose weight to stay small. “Before I knew it, I had an eating disorder,” Lynch said. She used the Harry Potter novels as an escape from her fears and eating disorder. It was the only outlet that allowed her to stop counting calories and fixating on losing weight, she said. The “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” novel, released in 2003, introduced the Luna Lovegood character. Lynch immediately fell in love with the character. She admired Lovegood’s uniqueness and how she loved being herself. “I saw Luna’s oddness as perfect,” Lynch said. “If she was so perfect, why couldn’t I be?” Instead of living life like a cat, Lynch encouraged the audience to live life like Luna Lovegood, her favorite Harry Potter character. After pulling herself out of her eating disorder, Lynch auditioned for the Luna Lovegood film role in London and received the part. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it’s real,” Lynch said. Lynch said she was able to muster up the courage to audition for the role because of her new-found confidence inspired by Luna Lovegood. She adopted Lovegood’s self-confidence and self-love to be happy with herself. She admits living like Lovegood is difficult—Lovegood is often called “Looney Lovegood,” by her peers and it does not shake her confidence. She does not give into her fears of not being loved or of failing, and she continues to be herself no matter what. Lynch ditched her dream of becoming a cat and now dreams of being a writer. She tries to put her fears of failing aside and believes in herself like Luna Lovegood would.
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I saw Luna’s oddness as perfect. If she was so perfect, why couldn’t I be?
Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, signs a fan’s book during the meet-and-greet session after Lynch’s speech on May 15. Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
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EVANNA LYNCH
EVENTS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:
May 20, 2013 • 7
VikingCon, Design Days and Mary Lambert
Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review An impersonator of the ginger-haired heroine, Merida, in Disney Pixar's "Brave" takes the stage with an Scottish accent as the
Participants in the costume competition at VikingCon look on as competitors are announced.
costume contest participants are announced at VikingCon.
Perennial Packing by Analese Webster. Featured in Design Days.
From Design Days From VikingCon
Mary Lambert performs in the Underground Coffehouse on May 15
8 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
A CELEBRATION OF HAIR, CULTURE
Annual Black Student Union’s Hair Night on May 23 Photos from the 2009 Hair Night. Photos by Eric Simkins
By Isabelle Hoonan African-American culture,” Bain said. While growing up, Bain and his sister would attract attention because of their curly hair, and people would ask how the two styled it to be so curly. “People are intrigued by AfricanAmerican hair, and we want people to talk about their reactions and their relationship to hair in general at the event,” Bain said. Performances have the potential to gain humorous footing with expression about AfricanAmerican hair motifs, such as verses on the weave or hair relaxers. “Within the black community, if you have good hair, you’re prettier or better than. The lighter, the brighter—
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the better,” said Nia Long, an actress interviewed in Chris Rock’s 2009 film “Good Hair,” which investigates the fascination with African-American hair. Performances can also be deeply personal revelations on racial identity and the history of the multi-billion dollar hair industry that African-American women have cultivated communities in. Burying beneath the façade of hair being “just hair,” as Bain said, the quest to look a certain way cuts into deeper discussions. “There is a huge history with black women and the straight iron,” Bain said. “Straight used to be better and still somewhat is, but natural hair is bigger now.”
Hair is a huge part of people’s religious and cultural identity
ALEX BAIN
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estern’s Black Student Union and AfricanCaribbean Club will hold their annual “Hair Night” event on May 23 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Associated Students Underground Coffeehouse, located on the third floor of the Viking Union. The event will feature students performing spoken word about hair identity, particularly in African-American culture. Anyone is welcome to perform their work at the event, not just BSU members. “Hair is a huge part of people’s religious and cultural identity,” said Alex Bain, BSU historian. Whether straight, long, curly, dyed, dreaded or shaved, hair communicates individual stories beyond its visual value. “The hair is symbolic of a culture, especially in
May 20, 2013 • 9
VICE PRESIDENT OF DIVERSITY SUSPENDED
By Kylie Wade and Cade Schmidt The following is a summary of public information from the AS Employment Policy and AS Board of Directors meeting minutes from May 9. No personnel involved in this motion were interviewed for this story. The Associated Students board of directors approved a motion to suspend AS Vice President for Diversity Deng de Duot without pay with a 4-3 vote, including no abstaining votes. The board decided on the motion in a public session, following a confidential executive session where they discussed the details contributing to the suspension. The specifics behind Duot’s suspension have not been released, under federal employment laws that state personnel issues remain confidential. Duot missed two board of directors meetings since July of 2012 and was late for one, according to meeting minutes published online. Attendance is taken at every board of directors meeting and listed in the minutes. The motion is in accordance with an AS Employment Policy, which refers to “AS Board performance improvement, discipline and recall procedures.” The
policy is applied to AS board members who are elected into office by the student body, like Duot. There are different employment policies that apply to AS employees hired by a hiring committee. The policy states that if a complaint is brought to the board chairperson or personnel director regarding a board member’s conduct, the situation will be investigated by the personnel director and chairperson. If they find unsatisfactory conduct, the chairperson is to provide the written and verbal information to the board and an executive session is held. During this session, a solution should be discussed and a written performance contract may or may not be made. A written performance contract was not made for Duot, which is within the authority of the board. The suspension motion states: “Suspend the VP for Diversity without pay for a period of two weeks effective May 16-31 with the proviso that if the VP for Diversity meets with the AS President after one week and can demonstrate progress, they will be reinstated.”
The stipulation allows Duot to meet with AS President Ethan Glemaker one week into his suspension. If Duot shows improvement in his performance and conduct, Glemaker may end his suspension. During the suspension, it is within Duot’s rights by the AS Election Code to attend the AS board meetings and vote, as he is still an elected board member and has not been recalled. If progress is not found following the stipulated time, or two week suspension, the chairperson may propose that the board “take further action, but not limited to, suspension of pay or motion to recall,” according to the policy. Glemaker proposed the motion to suspend Duot and Victor Celis, AS vice president for academics seconded the motion. The Washington State Open Public Meetings Act requires the board to come out of executive session, vote in public session and allow for a public comment period. Nine students spoke during the public session to defend Duot. The session’s minutes are currently available to the public on the board of director’s page on the AS website.
SKI TO SEA RETURNS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
By Nick Markman Every year over Memorial Day weekend, the city of Bellingham fails to live up to its nickname – the city of subdued excitement. This is because for the past 41 years, Ski to Sea has brought thousands of people from all over the world to Whatcom County to spectate and participate in the United State’s largest and first-ever multi-sport relay. From 1911 to 1913, the Mount Baker Club held the annual Mt. Baker Marathon, a foot race from Bellingham Bay to the top of Mount Baker. The marathon closed in 1913 due to a racer’s nearly fatal accident during the race. In 1973, the marathon was recreated and renamed Ski to Sea. Although the marathon has always pitted teams against one another, the structure of the race has changed over time. “We’ll continue to evolve and it will always be that way,” said Pete Coy, race director and president of Whatcom. “If a sport loses popularity, we’ll drop it and if something new comes along, we’ll evaluate it and probably insert it.” Ski to Sea is a 93.5 mile, seven-leg marathon consisting of 500, eight-racer teams from around the world. Each racer passes off their team’s chip to the next racer at the end of their leg. The marathon begins on Mount Baker with a 4.5-mile, up and downhill cross-country ski course. The next leg consists of a combination of downhill skiing and an 1,800-foot uphill hike. The skier then passes the chip on to the runner. “I did the running the most years and it’s probably my least favorite because of the 1,800 feet of vertical drop,” Coy said. “You’re braking all the time you’re coming down the highway, so your quads and your legs take a beating and your knees take a beating. You can’t do any
running for about two weeks afterward” The runners exchange chips with road bikers, who bike 42 miles through country roads until they end up in the city of Everson, where they pass the chip off to two canoeists who have to run down to the Nooksack River, launch and paddle 18.5 miles down until they end up at Hovander Park in Ferndale. From there, mountain bikers take the chip on a 13-mile course from Ferndale to Squallicum Harbor where the last group of racers, the kayakers, paddle through a 5-mile, zigzag course on Bellingham Bay, ultimately ringing the bell at the finish line at Marine Park in Fairhaven. Coy said this year’s Ski to Sea is special because it is the first year where the event will make an effort to recognize Memorial Day and pay tribute to the troops. Coy is flying a team of eight amputee veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that are currently at a hospital in Washington D.C. to participate in the marathon. Before the award ceremony after the race, 16 to 18 pilots are going to do a fly-by during the presentation of the colors and a singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. “I think we’re going to start a new tradition here and we’re going to try to recognize those people who have served their country and have paid the high price to do so,” Coy said. After the bombings at this year’s Boston Marathon, Ski to Sea increased its safety measures and hired more security personnel, law enforcement officers and bombsniffing dogs to secure the busy exchanges sites. “We’re taking some extra precautions, but that’s all we can do,” Coy said. “We’re asking people to be very vigilant and if they see something strange, report it to us or to our law enforcement.”
Some Ski to Sea team, such as the WWU College of Business and Economics team, Diminishing Returns, have competed in the race for many years. Since 1992, Diminishing Returns has represented CBE students and faculty at Ski to Sea. Farrokh Safavi, professor of marketing, has organized the team since 1995. “We are not positioning ourselves among the top competitors because we know that no matter what we do, we will not be able to win the race,” Safavi said. “We are positioning ourselves as a team who is going to enjoy the race for the fun of it.” Every year, Diminishing Returns uses the canoe, paddles and lifejackets of the team’s creator – the late professor David Merrifield – during the race. “We always carry out this race in the honor of David Merrifield,” Safavi said. “He was a very popular scholar and every year after his passing, the Ski to Sea team carries out this race in his memory.” Western senior Curtis Anson participated in the marathon as a cross-country skier for the first time last year. He said it was the highlight of his year and that he fell in love with the event. “It’s very much a community thing and it’s something that I think Whatcom County and Bellingham especially have come to own,” Anson said. “It really is a very community-oriented organization Every year, Ski to Sea and the week full of events that surround it bring thousands of people to Whatcom country – racers and onlookers alike. Coy said that despite numerous marathons that have tried to copy Ski to Sea over the years, Ski to Sea remains the largest and most-popular because of the variety and accessibility of outdoor recreation in Whatcom County.