asreview
9.19.11 Vol. 27, #1
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Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu Online: as.wwu.edu/asreview @theasreview facebook.com/theasreview
©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 Borard 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.
Editor in Chief
Lead Photographer
Assistant Editor
Adviser
Kirsten O’Brien
Adrienne Woods
Cade Schmidt Jeff Bates
In This Issue:
Cover image by Ben Ford/AS Publicity Center
NEWS / FEATURES
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AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR OFFICES Submissions from offices in the Associated Students
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THE LIVELIEST PARROTS Western’s award winning improv team
EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY
Environmentalism at Western
NAVIGATING IDENTITY
Labyrinth editor encourages submissions for 2011 - 2012 edition
A BRAND NEW SEASON
Goodbye summer, hello fall!
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear readers, Welcome to the AS Review. Since 1980, the campus community has relied on the Review to provide accurate, informative and objective coverage of Associated Students’ events, programs and opportunities. Over time, we have evolved to bring students’ stories from the greater Western and Bellingham community. As a weekly newspaper, our staff continually works to cover a range of topics – from student lobbying efforts for higher education in Olympia, to providing preview coverage of AS office events, to reviewing the newest restaurant on Railroad Avenue downtown. We are a publication that is paid for by student dollars, and we strive to serve as a forum for student dialogue. We not only welcome, but highly
encourage, student submissions. Whether it is a cause you are passionate about, a club that has inspired you, or a great photo from your weekend spent hiking the Oyster Dome, there is a place for it in the AS Review. Our goal is to become a way for students to increase dialogue with other students, with their university and the organizations and programs that serve them. Each and every Monday, we hope that you look forward to reading the Review, and we look forward to covering the people, places and events that make Western the vibrant campus community that it is. Enjoy this issue, Kirsten O’Brien, Editor in Chief Adrienne Woods, Assistant Editor
September 19, 2011 • 3
EVENTS SEPT 19 - SEPT 23 monday sept 19 Red Square Info Fair
11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Red Square Sept. 19 - 20
The AS Red Square Fall Information Fair is an invitational event organized every fall for the benefit of the student body. The event introduces incoming and returning students to the resources, programs and activities available to them on campus and in the local community. Activities include a rock wall, dunk tank and a stage for performances.
AS Productions Poster Sale 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., VU Gallery Sept. 19 - 30
Fill your room with everything from all the classic college posters to rare, glossy prints and everything in between. Stop by VU 507 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to decorate your dorm room, house, or anything else
tuesday sept 20 Outdoor movie: Super 8
8:30 p.m., Communications Lawn Free
Gather your friends, bring some snacks and park yourself on the Communications Lawn for a screening of the Steven Spielberg produced film, Super 8. Set in the summer of 1979, the film focuses on a group of teens who start notcing strange things happening in their small town after witnessing a train crash.
wednesday sept 21 First day of classes Have a great year!
Late night and Sunday bus service will return
Ethnic Student Center Grand Re-Opening 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., VU 420 Sept. 21 - 23
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the ESC will be hosting live entertainment and food to welcome students into its remodeled space. Free pizza and refreshments will be provided every two hours.
thursday sept 22
Ra Ra Riot with the Globes 7 p.m., Communications Lawn Free
Indie rockers Ra Ra Riot will be bringing their sound to Western for a free show presented by Associated Students Productions Pop Music. Hailing from Syracuse, N.Y., the five-member band has been growing in popularity since the release of their debut album, The Rhumb Line, in 2008. Their sound has been described as sweeping, melodic chamber pop, and features lead singer Wes Miles’ falsetto voice. Come early for The Globes, a Spokane-based melodic rock band.
As of Sept. 18, the Western Student Shuttle began its 2011-2012 academic year service. The Western Student Shuttle operates during evenings and Sundays. Late night service is offered Monday through Saturday from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. On Western’s campus, students can catch the shuttle at the Haggard Hall or Viking Union stops. On Sundays, the last WTA bus leaves the Bellingham Station on Railroad Avenue at 9:25 p.m., after which students will need to use a taxi or provide their own transportation to campus. In addition, there will be no student shuttle service from the Amtrak/Greyhound station in Fairhaven. Bus passes will be encoded onto students’ Western Cards through Friday, Sept. 23 in Wilson Library 165 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. After Sept. 23, students must visit the permanent Western Card office in Edens Hall suite 108 to get their passes encoded. The bus pass is active for the entire academic year for students taking six or more credits each quarter. WTA bus passes only need to be re-encoded at the beginning of each academic year and summer quarter. For more information about bus passes or the Western Student Shuttle, visit the Western Student Transportation booth at the AS Red Square Info Fair or go to www.wwu.edu/transportation. the
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friday sept 23 VU Late Night: Fantasy Factory 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., VU Free
Viking Union Latenight is an annual event held in the Viking Union, MPR and PAC Plaza designed to welcome incoming students to our community, as well as welcome back returning students. This year’s theme, “Fantasy Factory”, is loosely based off the MTV show of the same name, and will incorporate attractions such as a Velcro wall, Human Bowling and an inflatable batting cage. Other attractions include a hypnotist, a performance by WWU improv team Dead Parrots Society and a “silent DJ” dance party. Raffle prizes include DVDs, iPad 2, Kindle and a 19” flat screen TV.
PHOTO courtesy of Western Student Transportation
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A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITY
The offices and programs within the Associated Students are comitted to serving the students of Western. The following submissions were written by AS student staff to give readers an idea of what to expect from offices and programs this year.
“RUN”ing the Ethnic Student Center Daniel Espinoza-Gonzalez • ESC program support coordinator Robel Paguio • ESC public relations coordinator Since 1991, the Ethnic Student Center has served as the home away from home for historically underrepresented students. Founded by student activism in the late ‘80s, the ESC began with five core clubs. In the past 20 years, the organization has grown to include 20 unique clubs, 13 of which are currently active. The ESC is based on three core values — affirming identity, building community and cultivating leadership. Priding itself on these values, the ESC has taken major strides in providing a safe, welcoming community and environment for any student who walks through the door. The ESC would not exist without student engagement, which is the basis of the ESC’s theme this year, “aRe yoU eNgaged?” (RUN ESC). By participating in ESC clubs, students take active roles on campus. Many
students take on leadership positions within the clubs, serve on various committees and coordinate events for the Western and the greaterBellingham community. Giving students opportunities to become leaders at Western has been an ongoing goal for the organization since its opening. Having reached its 20th anniversary, the ESC is reopening its main location on the fourth floor of the Viking Union in room 420. The past summer has been spent restructuring its main lounge and offices to accommodate students looking for a place to do homework, hang out between classes and find virtually everything a student would need from a “student center.” With this repurposed space, the ESC is shooting high with its goals for the year. Its staff will be focusing
A home away from home at the Ethnic Student Center
photo by Cade Schmidt/The AS Review ESC’s Public Relations Coordinator Robel Paguio shares a laugh in his new office with AS employees Saraswati Noel and Geri Massengale.
on providing a safe community and environment and staying true to the core values. In addition, we want to focus on creative event programming, collaborating with other AS departments and re-establishing an identity
on campus as a “home away from home” for everyone. The ESC is passionate about celebrating diversity and encourages anyone and everyone to come by and become a part of the family.
The Resource and Outreach Programs: Seven offices striving for excellence Chris Chatburn• Resource and Outreach Programs director Welcome to the new school year! The Resource and Outreach Programs (ROP) is a group of seven offices that strive to provide information, entertainment, advocacy, activities and peer education to Western’s many students; we do this by offering nearly 125 events that you cannot find anywhere else on campus. The ROP is staffed by a dedicated team of Associated Students employees who come into work every day with the drive and passion to make
your experience at Western better in whatever way possible. Aside from planning amazing, free events throughout the year, every one of our offices is open regularly throughout the school year to provide you with a safe space to seek out the services our offices provide. Some services that we provide include legal help, information on sexually transmitted diseases and safe sex, veteran’s benefits, disability accommodation information, women’s,
sexual minority, gender minority and ethnic minority empowerment, community, and thoughtful discussion. Each office is also equipped with an extensive resource library (books, magazines, DVDs) that is linked to the Western Library system. If you are interested in, have a question about, or are intrigued about any of the seven ROP offices, stop by — we would love to chat with you. We hope that at some point we get the chance to meet you in person.
Last year, more than 11,000 students attended our events, so there is a great chance that at least one of us will get to talk to you before school ends. Have a fantastic, safe year. Study hard, but remember that a significant part of college takes place outside of the classroom in events put on by the AS and the ROP, so enjoy it while you’re here.
September 19, 2011 • 5
THE LIVELIEST OF DEAD PARROTS Western’s own national award winning Dead Parrots Society performed at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival Labor Day weekend.
The AS Review Four performers sat down around a dining room table. There was never a script, and there were never any rehearsals. All the actors know is they are “family,” sitting around the table discussing the day’s events over dinner. The performers are given free rein to develop their characters and play off each other under the constant, watchful eyes of a live audience. For some, this kind of spontaneous, freeform acting may seem like a nightmare. But for Western’s improv comedy troupe, the Dead Parrots Society, it often results in comedic gold. The parrots have been gaining national notoriety since taking first place at the National College Improv Tournament in Chicago on Feb. 26. The competition was put on by the Chicago Improv Festival, which is one of the largest and longest running improv festivals in the nation. The parrots performed closer to home in September at Bumbershoot, a three-day music and arts festival held in the Seattle Center. Miguel Vila, a fifth-year parrot member and artistic director for the group, said they performed the family dinner act, which has appropriately become the “bread and butter” of troupe’s performances. Vila said more than 235 people came to watch the parrot’s hour-long set, and another 20
were turned away at the door. Since 1998, the Dead Parrots Society has encouraged students to participate in improvisational theater, which involves actors performing spontaneously. Improv can be poignant, dramatic or funny, and can take many forms including stand-up comedy, one-person improv, unrelated scenes with different gimmicks built into each, or an improvised play or one-act with the goal of producing a coherent story line. Vila said the 10member troupe has begun to specialize in longform improv in particular. “To be a member of Dead Parrots Society, I think what that has meant has changed over time and over the past few years,” Vila said. “In the past we did some touring around, and that died out a couple years ago, and now that is coming back. Now it means to incorporate people in the community, to try to reach out to people throughout the state, to travel different schools, to work with different local businesses, to travel to competitions. It means a lot of different things.” For sophomore member Greg Phelps, who began performing with the parrots in May 2011, the pressure is on as the parrots gain more and more recognition. “I find it enthralling and it’s really encouraging.
When I joined, it was right after they had won nationals... and when they got back, it was officially like, ‘Wow, I’m playing with some of the top dogs here,’ ” Phelps said. “It keeps me on my toes. We’re expected to continue to improve and put on great shows.” Vila said the group has big things planned for the upcoming year. He said they would like to once again win the regional and national improv tournaments, and ultimately perform at the Chicago Improv Festival. He said they also plan to submit themselves as a professional improv troupe to perform at the Del Close Marathon in New York. This year’s marathon took place Aug. 12 – 14, and packed 150 shows into one weekend. Improv troupes from all over the country came to perform. To fund the group’s ambitious plans, Vila said they would need to raise about $15,000. “We’re going to be doing a lot of fundraising, and beefing up what we do at WWU,” Vila said. The group has a particular interest in reaching out to the freshman class, and has performed at Summerstart and plans to host shows in the dorms. The parrots’ next performance will be during Viking Union Late Night on Friday, Sept. 23 in the VU Multi-Purpose Room. the
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Improv allows you to create new worlds and create completely unique situations on the spot that make people laugh. It’s kind of like lucid dreaming because we’re creating new worlds and when we’re doing it in front of an audience, they believe it and they’re in there with you. -Greg Phelps, Dead Parrots Society member
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Front row, from left to right: Zach Wymore, Jake Barrow, Mario Orrallo-Molinaro, Miguel Vila. Second row: Austin Bridges, Noel Wamsley, Tobias Childs. Third Row: Greg Phelps, Ali Sarshar Kahn. Back Row: Elizabeth Andrews. Holding Parrot: James McGrath. PHOTO Courtesy of: Dead Parrots Society
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Sophomore Alexandra Doumas and community member Traesti Gudmundson build a habitat for a snail they found while gardening in the Outback Farm Sept. 16.
All photos by Cade Schmidt/The AS Review
WESTERN’S GREEN THUMBS Three Associated Students offices with a passion for sustainability Getting up front with the Outback Steve Harvey • Outback assistant coordinator When heading south beyond the Fairhaven stacks or going north through the meadow and plum orchard lays a 5-acre gem called the Outback Farm. The Outback was founded in 1972 after being an equipment storage site for Fairhaven construction; it was originally named “The Outback Pig Farm,” a place where students could live and learn the ways of sustainable growing and land use. At one point there was even a fire-fueled hot tub. Volunteers ran the Outback until 2006 when the AS officially sponsored the program. Today, there is a crew of work-study students and a budget funded by Fairhaven. There is even a quarterly publication called “What’s the Dirt,” with updates and spotlight articles such as ways to cook with garlic and forest garden activities. If you want to learn how to grow organic food, the Outback is the place to be. Full of gardeners of different backgrounds and knowledge, there is always a friendly face to chat with, or to give a tip that the corn needs more nitrogen. Beyond the kale beds, pumpkin patch and chickens lays the forest garden with an herb garden, amphitheater and scattered fruit trees with countless ripe surprises waiting for students to find. Getting dirty and working with the land is a beneficial experience, and from this, the Outback continues to grow.
So, if you want to find something new or just eat a carrot, wander into the Outback and see what’s going on.
Environmental Center looks toward a future of potential Hilary McGowan • Environmental Center coordinator Deep within the bowels of the Viking Union lays an office that has existed in some form for nearly 40 years. The Environmental Center is a hub for students interested in issues surrounding the environment and the way humans interact with it. Much has changed in the 41 years since the first Earth Day. Climate change has been catapulted into the forefront of international relations. But with this increased interest and support comes an increased awareness of just how dire our situation is. We live in time of possibilities. We can imagine a future of damaged ecosystems that become hostile to human life or we can envision a future of potential – one that includes renewable energy and resource conservation. On the behalf of the AS, we challenge all of Western to create the future they want to live in. The opportunities offered by the Environmental Center range from a diverse array of events, to what green jobs are available, to how to apply for funds from the university for renewable-energy projects. Our goals for the coming year include seeking student input for program-
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ming, increasing accessibility and becoming a resource for all students on campus. We invite you to participate in this conversation and take advantage of our open door policy.
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Sorting it out with the Recycle Center Dulcinea Rattet • Recycle Center educator Here at the Recycle Center, our main goal is to reduce Western’s waste stream through our effective and primarily student-run recycling system. We have proudly been handling all of Western’s recycling since the ‘70s, and are looking forward to another year of productivity at the center. Our laborers go around campus in large trucks to pick up all of the full recycling barrels from residential dorms, academic buildings and dining halls, and bring them back to the Recycle Center to sort all of the materials by hand. Then, we bring our sorted recyclables to Northwest Recycling to continue the process. We collect roughly 4,000 pounds of recyclable materials a day that we sort through by hand, and during finals week of spring quarter, that amount quadruples to 16,000 pounds a day on average. This year, we would really enjoy possibly giving more tours of the center to those who would like to know more about what we do and how we do it. Not only does the Recycle Center give students an opportunity to work toward a cause they are passionate about, it allows them to make a difference in the world they live in.
September 19, 2011 • 7
GOING BEYOND THE BODY t Gues n issio m b u s
TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ What’s new on Western’s campus this fall Shrinking budget causes paper cuts After significant budget cuts, students will be allowed 25 free prints per quarter for the 20112012 school year. Black and white prints will cost 5 cents, and color prints will cost 25 cents after students use their allotted number of prints. Students can purchase additional prints at three designated print stations; two located in Haggard Hall and one in Academic Instructional Center West. Free printing will be eliminated after the 2011-2012 school year.
New digs for dining services
Taneum Bambrick• The AS Review
photo by
Cade Schmidt/The AS Review
Taneum Bambrick • Labyrinth editor Since the late 1970s, many radicals within the Western community have utilized the feminist journal, Labyrinth, as an outlet for their personal expression. Recently adopted by the Associated Students Women’s Center, an office within the Resource and Outreach Programs, Labyrinth has flourished into a powerful mechanism through which strength can be achieved and shared. With encouraging and inclusive themes such as 2011’s, “The Grey Areas of Identity” and 2010’s, “Intersections of Identity,” previous editors and artists have brought their multi-faceted experiences into the public eye. By giving the community access to their stories and images, these artists create an atmosphere of healthy sharing of real issues that need to be addressed. This year, Labyrinth will continue to be a safe, wide-ranging vessel for empowerment with a feminist focus. In the realm of feminist issues, the body continues to be both symbolically and literally the site of discrimination, abuse and oppression. A single individual could be victimized by sexual assault, racism, issues of gender identity, sexism, physical or mental disabilities and many
other aspects of their body. Because feminism works toward helping individuals transcend these and other issues concerning the physical form of being that is so often exploited, the theme for 2012 is “Beyond the Body.” All students, faculty and staff within the Western community are strongly encouraged to share their relevant experiences, no matter their gender identity. Any medium of art that can be printed such as poetry, photography, painting or graphic design is acceptable. If an individual wishes to express themselves through song or dance – this is also something that can be accommodated at the Labyrinth Viking Union Gallery showing. If this opportunity speaks to you or anyone that you know, please utilize it — your words can and will make a difference. If you wish to submit to Labyrinth, or have any questions to ask regarding the journal, do so by emailing me at ASLabyrinth@wwu.edu. Submissions will be due before winter break. An exact deadline will be set within the next few weeks.
Since Western’s 10-year contract started with Aramark dining services on Sept. 1, campus eateries have been under construction, including the catering and retail cafes, markets and dining halls. Renovation to the Viking Union Market will include two additions: Burger Studio and Subway. They will replace Chick-Fil-A and Mediterranean Grill. The Atrium will also be seeing changes. A full-service Starbucks restaurant, Topio’s pizzeria and Engrained Café will be additions to the eatery this fall. The Atrium is expected to double in size after construction is complete. The Ridgeway Commons will be the first main dining commons to be remodeled. The renovation will include exhibition stations where students will be able to watch chefs prepare the food. All construction should be completed by the first week of fall quarter.
Bellingham bagged it The Bellingham City Council voted unanimously to ban plastic shopping bags in all retail outlets. Retailers will be required to charge customers 5 cents per plastic bag they wish to use. The money collected will go to the retailers, not the city, and will help cover the extra cost of providing paper bags. The ordinance will not go into full effect until next July, one year after the ordinance was passed, which will give retailers time to use up their remaining plastic bag supply. the
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A LOOK AT WESTERN Transitioning from summer to fall All photos by Cade Schmidt/The AS Review
Clockwise, from top left: The Bellingham sunset can be seen off North Garden Street // A student relaxes on Old Main lawn while giving away free apples // A brick near the Department of Art building asks a thoughtful question // On the corner of West Holly and Bay Streets, Rocket Donuts is marked by its glistening spaceship // The color of changing Japanese Maple leaves can be seen as sign that fall is on its way. the
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