AS Review - September 26, 2011

Photos from woot p. 4 and 5 Confused about the choice card?

see p. 7

asreview Vol. 27 #2

9.26.11

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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.

NEWS / FEATURES

In This Issue:

Cover photo courtesy of Jasper Gibson.

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GET OUTSIDE WITH THE OUTDOOR CENTER

AND

Photos from the Western Outdoor Orientation Trip

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BRAN MUFFINS AND SOCIAL ISSUES

A word from the SIRC and the assessment associate director

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SO MANY OPTIONS, SO LITTLE TIME

New WWU Choice Card gives students another option for refunds

Fair t Infogallery aview/

re to pho .edu/as u

w as.w

a bird’s eye

Editor in Chief

Assistant Editor

Advisor

Lead Photogrpher

Kirsten O’Brien

Jeff Bates

Photographer Joe Rudko

Adrienne Woods Cade Schmidt

Staff Writer Michelle Elise

View of the Red Square info fair from the roof of bond hall photo by cade schmidt/the as review

USING YOUR BIKE ON CAMPUS? Remember these rules for safe travel on campus walk-ways

Information contributed by Sara Richards, Vice President of student life For those who ride their bikes on campus, there are a few things to keep in mind while trying to navigate through a sea of 15,000 other students. Some tips to keep in mind: Pedestrians always have the right of way in walk zones as well as on shared paths within campus.

The speed limit is 3 mph (walking speed) on all campus paths, within 10 ft. of pedestrians. Safe dismount zones for cyclists include Red Square, VU Plaza and the Engineering Technology/Fine Art/Carver corridor, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. during the academic year.

Use a bell or voice to give pedestrians warning before you pass.

A bike is a very quiet mode of transportation, and

pedestrians are not always aware that a cyclist is approaching. Keep in mind that being overtaken (especially at speeds greater than 3 mph) can be startling as well as very dangerous for a pedestrian.

In addition, without the awareness of a cyclist approaching, a pedestrian might change their direction of travel without notice. A collision can result, with the possibility of injury to all involved.

A Western bicycling guide and campus map, showing routes and walk zones, is available online at www. wwu.edu/transportation/campusbikemap.shtml. the

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September 26, 2011 • 3

EVENTS

SEPT 26 - OCT 1 monday sept 26 AS Productions Poster Sale 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., VU Gallery Sept. 19 - Sept. 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 27

The Revolt against Capitalism and the Socialist Alternative with guest speaker Linda Fischer

6:30 p.m., Communications facility room 120 Free

Linda Fischer is a leading socialist activist from Hamburg, Germany and an organizer with the Committee for a Workers’ International, uniting socialists in more than 40 countries around the world. As spokesperson for the youth organization of the Left Party (Germany’s third largest party) in Hamburg, Fischer has led student strikes, anti-cuts movements and anti-nuclear campaigns.

She is on the National Committee of Sozialistische Alternative, the German affiliate of Socialist Alternative.

wednesday sept 28 The QRC Ice Cream Social

6 to 8 p.m., VU Multipurpose Room Free

Come enjoy ice cream with fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students and allies.

Mingle with queer club leaders on campus as well as the coordinators of the offices of the Resource and Outreach Programs. Speed friending, button making and a queer hike sign-up sheet will all be provided for building community and making new friends. New students are encouraged to attend and find ways to get involved.

World Issues Forum: Execution’s Doorstep - A Death Row Exoneree Shares his Story 12 p.m. to 1:20 p.m., Fairhaven Auditorium Free

The Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies is hosting speaker Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon, who was exonerated following 17 years on Florida’s death row, as part of the World Issues Forum.

Melendez-Colon will share his story which highlights the struggles he faced within the death penalty system.

Open Mic Night

thursday sept 29 College of Business and Economics Club Fair

11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Parks Hall Free

Students who are interested in learning more about the clubs at Western’s College of Business and Economics are invited to attend the second annual CBE Student Club Fair. The fair will offer students the chance to meet with club officers in an informal setting. In addition to learning about professional development, networking and leadership opportunities available within student clubs, information about business and economics concentrations at Western will be available. The event is being organized by the College of Business and Economics and is open to all Western students. Snacks and small giveaway items will be available in addition to a drawing for a raffle prize.

friday sept 30 Black Student Union Kickoff Dance

9 p.m. to 1 a.m., VU 565 Free

The Black Student Union is welcoming all new students and returning students to a kickoff dance.

Music will be provided by DJ Royel. Water will be for sale for $1 and chips for 50 cents. For more information, search “WWUBSU” on Facebook.

saturday oct 1

7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Underground Coffee House, VU 350 Free

Chinese Students Association Western Night Market

Come enjoy a cup of coffee and some live music at the weekly Underground Coffee House open mic night. Everything from stand-up comedy to live musical acts to spoken word can be seen at open mic. Come early to grab a front-row seat!

5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Performing Arts Center Plaza Free

Find the AS Review on Facebook, Twitter and at as.wwu.edu/asreview/

Modeled after popular Asian night markets, students can shop at item booths and play carnival games for prizes. Food will be provided by Aramark Catering Services and local Bellingham restaurants.

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WOOT GIVES FRESHMEN A DIFFERENT KIND OF ORIENTATION A look at the second annual Western Outdoor Orientation Trip

W

hile many incoming students were busy preparing for their first day of college — whether it be purchasing dorm room décor, saying last goodbyes to high-school friends or making trips to Costco to stock up on last minute food items — a group of 26 freshmen did something a little different: They spent some time getting up close and personal with the wild side of Bellingham.

Through the Associated Students Outdoor Center, the Western Outdoor Orientation Trip, or WOOT, offered incoming freshmen the chance to go on five to six-day kayaking, backpacking or climbing trips. As of now, the program is only available to freshmen at the start of fall quarter.

The goal of the program was for students to

not only form a group of friends before heading to college, but to also experience the many outdoor activities Bellingham has to offer, said Eric Messerschmidt, Outdoor Center excursions coordinator.

“It’s amazing that in just five days, it really does feel like a long time, especially for those who have maybe never spent time in the woods or out in the water or climbing,” said Katy Howell, Outdoor Center excursions assistant coordinator.

“Often the feedback we get is that it flies by and students feel like they’ve formed really long-lasting, deep friendships.”

The program is in its second year at Western, and Howell and Messerschmidt hope to see the program expand by offering more trips each year.

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Page 4, Top: The kayaking group hiked up to Eagle Bluff, a 700 foot escarpment with views of the entire eastern San Juan Islands and the mainland. “Participants learn about the academic programs at Western, the ecological communities and indigenous people around the Salish Sea and the geography of the area,” said trip leader Max Wilbert. Photo by Max Wilbert. // Bottom: The group hikes the Interurban Trail on the way to the Oyster Dome. Photo by Jasper Gibson. // Right: Rikki Dunn led a climbing group to Mount Erie in Anacortes and Mount Baker. Here, the group sets up camp just below Mount Baker’s peak. Photo by Rikki Dunn.

Page 5, Top left: The backpacking group looks out on Bellingham Bay at the boardwalk in Fairhaven. Photo by Jasper Gibson. // Top right: A group of student kayak in open waters. Photo by Max Wilbert. // Bottom right: Climbers head toward basecamp above the Heliotrope Ridge trail. Photo by Rikki Dunn. // Bottom center: Wilbert, who has been a trip leader at the OC for three years, lead a group of nine students along with two other trip leaders on a kayaking trip ending at the Western-owned Visqueen Lodge on Sinclair Island. “I wish this program had been around when I was a freshman,” Wilbert said. “Many of the participants in WOOT will be friends for the rest of their lives.” // Bottom left: Gibson, OC employee and WOOT trip leader, led 10 campers along with two other guides on a backpacking trip through the Chuckanut Mountains from Sept. 12 to Sept. 16. “We played a lot of fun games, told our life stories, learned about ourselves and our surroundings and made 12 awesome friends,” Gibson said.

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“TAP”ing into the fun side of assessment The new assessment associate director discusses his role in the AS John von Volkli • AS assesment associate director I’m not going to lie. Assessment can be a dull business. Generally (even among my own co-workers), the “A” word brings to mind spreadsheets, budget cuts and belly aches. I empathize with this view. Ill circumstances permitting, office assessment can be a difficult and unclear process.

Between you and me, I’m sure when a guy with large glasses and a penchant for bran muffins got the new assessment associate-director job, an air of trepidation probably came across some in the Associated Students.

I can’t say that I blame them, as mine are especially large frames.

This year, as in years past, the AS is taking steps to assure that the process is engaging and beneficial for all involved, from office programmers to students on the AS Structure and Program Advisory Committee, the group that assesses AS offices.

The creation of the new AS assessment office will make this process an everyday facet of the organization;

alongside the new communications office, we now have a veritable feedback loop.

So what exactly do I do, you ask? I am the first ever AS assessment associate director — a privilege that isn’t lost on me.

This position provides me with a unique opportunity to help offices review their past successes and struggles, and guide them as an equal partner is shaping the office for the next four years.

I will also serve the chairperson of the aforementioned Structure and Program Advisory Committee (or “SPAC,” in AS acronym-speak).

On the face of it, my job isn’t the most desirable in the organization.

Many would prefer to hold jobs on the other end of the assessment process — those that allow people to put on concerts, protect our environment, keep students healthy, or a bevy of other things.

But the assessment job allows me and SPAC to learn about all kinds of

photo by

John von Volkli sits in his new office in the Viking Union on Sept. 23.

offices, and help make sure that student input is a factor in the planning of AS programming and operations.

Call me crazy, but I find that to be pretty interesting stuff.

My hope for this brand-spankingnew office is to create an assessment atmosphere based on cooperation, collaboration and a clear vision for the future of an organization designed to

Cade Schmidt/The AS Review

serve the student body.

I’d like as many committed, hardworking and energetic students as possible in SPAC this year to help me realize this.

I’m looking forward to working with some of you reading this, and I know we’re going to have a good time.

Heck, I’ll even let you try on my glasses.

Passions come full circle at the SIRC Inspiring change through raising awareness about local, national and global issues Saraswati Noel, Heather Siddiqui, Cara Skillingstead• SIRC coordinators

The Social Issues Resource Center is located in the Associated Students Resource and Outreach Program offices

on the fifth floor of the Viking Union.

Our office’s mission is to provide students with programs and resources that raise awareness about local, regional, national and global social issues, and inspire students to be more active and engaged citizens.

The SIRC creates an environment, both in our office and at our events, that is non-judgmental, unbiased and safe for members of the Western community to explore social issues.

We also offer a library of books, DVDs, pamphlets and zines related to various social issues and a fun, inclusive environment just to hang out and chat.

The collective goal for SIRC staff this year is to promote activism among

students through art and community outreach.

Our office acts as a catalyst of awareness and activism in a wide array of social issues by empowering students with knowledge, skills and resources to effectively organize around issues of importance to them and connect with other students, clubs and community organizations.

Our office will be holding at least six events per quarter, each focused around a different social issue.

There will also be several ongoing, interactive art projects to gather information about the types of social issues that students on campus would like to see represented by our office.

We encourage all students to stop by the office and say hello.

Come discover what your passion is at the SIRC.

Watch out for the SIRC kick-off event coming in October Contact Saraswati at: as.sirc@wwu.edu for more information

MAKING THE CHOICE Michelle Elise• The AS Review

If you received a green envelope in your mail, you have just received the key to your financial aid, whether you know it or not.

According to Student Financial Offices, Western’s new method of reimbursing students for financial aid will be exclusively handled by Higher One, a service provided by The Bancorp Bank headquartered in Wilmington, Del. Signing up for a OneAccount is optional. Students will be allowed to have their refunds deposited into the financial institution of their choice by visiting WWUChoiceCard.com.

After logging in and creating a password, students are asked for the 16-digit number on the debit card he or she received. Students will need this card to direct financial aid and manage direct deposit accounts for the remainder of their academic careers with Western.

Bob Putich, supervisor of Student Financial Services, said Western made the switch to Higher One to encourage more students receive refunds through direct deposit.

“To cut down on transaction costs and save the students and school money, we wanted to do a 100 percent direct-deposit program,” Putich said.

Higher One’s services are utilized by more than 770 public and private higher education institutions across the country, and the accounts are FDIC insured and require no minimum balance for the first nine months, according to the company’s website.

At Western, the process of selecting a refund option had students flooding Financial Services offices and phone lines during the last few weeks before classes started, Putich said “We’ve discovered that select-

photo illustration by

Cade Schmidt/The AS Review

Introduction of WWU Choice Card: a success for some, hassle for others ing a refund option is absolutely clunky at best,” Putich said. “That was not our intention.”

To make the process go more smoothly, Putich said significant changes are being planned.

“We’ve asked the company to personalize the emails they send to our students,” Putich said. “They are currently handling the accounts of over 700 schools, but that doesn’t mean we should settle for generic emails.”

To ease students into using Higher One, a task force is being spearheaded by both Putich and Associated Students President Anna Ellermeier.

“I recognize that students have concerns,” Ellermeier said. “We are working very hard to create a task force to address those concerns and provide students a forum where they can directly address the task force.”

For those who have chosen to use the OneAccount, Putich said students have been pleased with their choice. Forty percent of those who have chosen a refund preference chose to open a OneAccount. “[The first week of school] students [were] quite pleased with the refund process,” Putich

said. “Students who chose the OneAccount had money in their account at 9 a.m. on [the first day of school].”

For those who destroyed or lost their Choice Card, Putich said there has been a successful card reordering effort.

“These were minor concerns we had before using Higher One services and now they have turned out to be of no concern at all,” Putich said.

For some students, such as junior Matt Dallum, choosing a refund preference was challenging.

“I went online and declined,” he said. “After that, they asked my routing number, tracking number, then I had to print off a form and mail/fax it to the Higher One offices,” Dallum said. “The whole process is just completely inconvenient and really unclear.”

Ellermeier and Putich said they are paying attention to threads on the VikingVillage, Western’s campus-wide online forum, and emails voicing concerns regarding issues related to using the Higher One system of direct deposit.

Ellermeier said the task force will be organized within the next few weeks. the

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ARTS LIFE EVENTS NEWS OPINIONS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT

NOW HIRING STAFF WRITERS APPLY ONLINE: AS.WWU.EDU/ PERSONNEL

PHOTO: Jake Duzsik of the band HEALTH at the 2010 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle.

Daniel Berman/ The AS Review.