AS Review - October 03, 2011

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Vol. 27 #3

10.3.11

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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.

NEWS / FEATURES

In This Issue:

Cover photo by Joe Rudko/AS Review

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WESTERN ON TWO WHEELS

Buchanan Towers to get its very own bike repair shop

BIKING VIKINGS

Transportation photos from around campus VETERANS AT WESTERN Western named a military-friendly school for the second year in a row

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GET OUTSPOKEN

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BRING THE RA RA RIOTERS

An interview with a student activist

Ra Ra Riot and the Globes invade campus

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.

A student relaxes in the sunshine on the Communcations Lawn. Photo by Joe Rudko//AS Review

Editor in Chief

Assistant Editor

Lead Photographer

Assistant Photographer

Adviser

Staff Writers

Kirsten O’Brien

Cade Schmidt Jeff Bates

Adrienne Woods

Joe Rudko

Nick Markman Megan Thompson

October 3, 2011 • 3

EVENTS OCT 3 - OCT 7 monday oct 3

Underground Coffeehouse trivia night

7 p.m., sign ups start at 6:30 p.m., UGCH $1 per person

The coffeehouse is hosting its second trivia night of the year. The top three teams will receive cash prizes.

tuesday oct 4

Diversity Film Festival: “A Class Divided”

4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Wilson 164F Free

“A Class Divided” narrates the reunion of Iowa teacher Jane Elliott and her third-grade class of 1968. The film details the impact that a simple yet powerful experiment in discrimination had on Elliot’s students decades later.

Why “Queer”?

7 to 9 p.m., VU 462B Free

Learn why the meaning of the word “queer” has changed over the years as part of the Queer Resource Center’s Weekly Series. All identities are welcome.

wednesday oct 5

AS KVIK “You Would!”

Auditions

4:30 to 5:45 p.m., Wilson 164F Free

Trail Running with the Outdoor Center

5 p.m., begin at the Outdoor Center, VU 150 $2

Take a jog with the Outdoor Center through the trails of Bellingham and into the Chuckanut Mountains.

Intensive English Program Potluck 6 to 8 p.m., VU 565 Free

IEP students, staff and friends are hosting their quarterly potluck. Bring a dish and enjoy.

thursday oct 6

Rocky Horror Picture Show auditions

7 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre 104 N. Commercial St.

The Mount Baker Theatre is holding open auditions for their live shadow performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the tradition of midnight movie showings worldwide, the theater will be hosting its own showing of the cult classic film. Actors do not need to prepare anything for auditions and no previous acting experience is required.

friday oct 7

Enjoy the weekend, see you on Monday!

You Would! will be holding open auditions for student-produced sketch comedy, and opportunities will also be available to read short-film scripts from Fourth Wall Films and Void-Walker, two other KVIK productions.

No preparation necessary; cold reads only.

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

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NEW BIKE STOP AT BUCHANAN A new bike shop in Buchanan Towers to open in October, giving students more options for bike repair on the south side of campus

Nick Markman • The AS Review

In the summer of 2009, construction began on the residence halls of Buchanan Towers. Since then, any passerby could notice the new additions being made to the south side dorms.

What might be less obvious are the changes being made in the heart of the new BT lobby. A storage room, containing space for more than 100 bikes, is in the process of becoming a fully-operational satellite for the Outdoor Center’s Bike Shop by early October.

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WWU Bike & Skateboard Code Pedestrians have the right of way, always.

Speed limit is 3 mph (walking speed) on all campus paths, within 10 feet of pedestrians.

Fine Arts

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Dismount in Walk Zones 9am - 4pm (Red Square, VU Plaza, ET/Art/Carver corridor) Engineering

Walk Zones for bicycles and skateboards are shown on the map. Walk Zones are in effect from 9am to 4pm on regular class days during the academic year.

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

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Traffic laws prohibit skateboards on city streets. Bike speed limits on campus streets are as posted, the same as for cars.

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Rec Center

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A bike headlight and reflector are required by law after dusk.

A helmet protects your brain and your life.

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A Map of bike routes through western’s campus, courtesy of the western sustainable transportation office. For the latest updates on the bt bike shop, or to take advantage of the Outdoor Center’s rental equipment or excursion opportunities, visit Viking Union 150 or call 360-650-3112.

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The renovations to BT were constructed with an emphasis on sustainability and resource conservation. The OC’s focus on sustainable and environmentally-friendly transportation made a perfect match for the 20-by-20 foot space in the new BT lobby.

“I am excited that we are going to have that available for students and [they] can tap into that resource locally and in a convenient location,” said Derek Murakami, resident director for BT. The new shop will have all the features of the current location in the Viking Union. Students will still be able to gain the instructions, tools and parts needed to fix their bike with the $2 tool-fee charge. Toolkits, which include tools a bicyclist might need in case of an emergency, are also available for $20.

Weekend and evening hours will be implemented for the BT shop, making it more available for students. “[The hours] are not exactly set in stone,” said Skylar Hinkley, OC equipment shop manager. “We’re working with the resident director find what time works best for students who live in Buchanan Towers and the adjacent residence halls.”

Hinkley, who will be overseeing most of the operations at the BT shop, has much in store for the new location. Hinkley said there will be weekly bike trips up to Mount Galbraith every Thursday at 4 p.m., as well as workshops and clinics geared toward instructing students on bike safety and maintenance.

“It’s a really small space, but we’re trying to get as much out of it as possible,” Hinkley said. “That’s why we’re trying to do clinics and encourage not only people from Buchanan Towers, but Fairhaven and anybody who can access the south side.”

Currently, the OC is waiting for approval from BT to install a workbench in the new area. The workbench would be used as storage for parts, a place for students to work on their bikes and, what the OC emphasizes most, a center for instruction.

“That’s really what we’re about is teaching people how to fix their own bikes,” said Fred Collins, OC recreational director. “There is a misnomer that we fix bikes, but we don’t fix bikes. We want people to learn how to fix their own bikes.”

As of now, the OC plans to keep the BT shop fairly restricted to biking activities and instruction. Individuals seeking to rent kayaks, hiking gear or any other of the OC’s many services still need to visit the ground-floor VU location.

Hinkley does not know what the future holds for the shop nestled in the BT lobby, and said it is sort of a “pilot project.”

“We’re going to see how things go and how well received it is, and if we get more space we’ll be able to start renting equipment,” Hinkley said. “I think that’s something that we’d definitely like to see in the future.”

As for Collins, the shop in BT is one step toward achieving an ultimate goal.

“This is all part of my crazed master plan to take over the south side,” he said. the

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Downtown (1.6 mile)

BIKE ROUTE BIKE PARKING BIKE LOCKER Fairhaven

(call 650-7960 for more info)

October 3, 2011 • 5

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

BIKING VIKINGS

Students can expect to see changes when it comes to using a bike on campus, from a crackdown on biking rules to a new Photo by Joe Rudko//AS Review

place to better your bike.

TOP LEFT: Bikes are parked outside the entrance of Wilson Library. TOP RIGHT: The entries to Red Square are marked by signs displaying the Walk Zone rules. According to a university press release, a bicyclist will be fined $15 for the first offense, $20 for the second and $60 for every violation thereafter. BOTTOM LEFT: Bikes hang on a rack in the mostly empy space that will soon become the Buchanan Towers bike shop. BOTTOM RIGHT: Bike Technician Nick Coyle fits a new bike tire in the Associated Students Outdoor Center’s Bike Shop, located in VU 150.

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WESTERN SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE US

For the second year in a row, Western is accredited as being one of 1,500 schools nationwide deemed “military friendly” Megan Thompson • The AS Review For the second consecutive year, the GI Jobs website accredited Western as being a military-friendly school, making the university one of about 1,500 schools nationwide that offers the best value, education and services for veterans.

Jordan Linayao, the veteran core navigator for the Veteran’s Service Office on campus, said about 150 veterans are currently enrolled at Western.

Support systems for veterans returning to school are particularly important because veterans sometimes have difficulty transitioning from a war-time environment to civilian life, said Paul Nicholls, Associated Students Veterans Outreach Center coordinator.

“Veterans return and sometimes feel like they have no one to talk to,” Nicholls said. “We have services to fill that gap. It’s a lot easier for us [veterans] to talk to each other than to someone who may not have had military experience.”

Western currently offers three support systems for student veterans including the Veterans Club, an Associated Students club; the Veterans Outreach Center; and the Veterans Service Office.

“We have a strong support from the staff,” Linayao said. “From the president all the way down.”

Western in particular offers several other services that contributed to its accreditation, including the ability to

transfer military credits, the acceptance of the GI Bill and discounted tuition, Nicholls said.

Since the 1940s, the GI Bill was available to veterans to pay for higher education. More recently, veterans are also able to use the GI Bill to pay for job-training programs.

Other veteran-friendly factors include the existence of veteran clubs on campus, a full-time veteran counselor on staff, an advisor to assist with career placement, and the availability for military students to be called to active duty without penalty from the university, according to the GI Jobs website.

The Veteran’s Service Office, located in Old Main 365, offers similar opportunities for veterans. The office administers funds from the Department of Federal Affairs’ educational benefits to veterans.

“It serves the purpose as a place for vets to come together, network and take a load off between classes,” Linayao said.

Strong campus support helps soldiers acclimate to civilian life, but there are also services available within the great Bellingham community. Since 2003, The Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, has offered services to help vets, said Janet Marino, executive director of the WPJC. “We’ve worked hard to cultivate a great relationship

with student alliances, interns and the WWU Veterans Outreach Center,” said Marino. “The WPJC will always have an open door policy for those returning soldiers and students who wish to explore alternatives to violence as a philosphy or who have stories to share.

Throughout the year, the WPJC also sponsors speakers from the comUPCOMING VO C EVENT: munity through its partThe VOC is pa rtn er ing with the nership with religious Disabilities Ou treach Center organizations and other to put on a vetera community members n’s costume ba ll interested in speaking on Oct. 28. about peace and social justice.

“We’re grateful to the WWU community for offering a safe place for rich dialogue and critical thinking for both peace activists and the returning soldiers we support,” Marino said.

Linayao said he is grateful for the support veterans have on campus.

“The fact that our school has the VOC set up shows their commitment,” Linayao said. “I would hope that more universities contribute to their vets as much as Western does.” the

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JOBS 101: TIPS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED New Career Services Center website matches students with job opportunities

In today’s job market, it can be difficult for a college student to find employment. Luckily for Western students, the Career Services Center (CSC) and the Student Employment Center (SEC) website have resources that can make the process of finding employment less stressful.

On Sept. 21, the CSC relaunched its online job and internship-posting system, formerly known as Symplicity, to Viking CareerLink.

“We decided to rebrand it to make it more localized,” said Aaron Ignac, assistant director of operations for the CSC. “We branded it in the Western-type of marketing niche and made it a little more intuitive for students.”

The site hosts more than 1,100 employers that regularly post job opportunities for students. Many ra o f 7 of these jobs are fully searchable age sume p e se of re t tips on the site, allowing students to t lis vmen ro select certain industries, compaimp nies and positions they might be interested in applying for.

Nick Markman • The AS Review Two main changes to the site are the new name, CareerLink, and a component called “on-campus recruiting.”

“That’s when an employer will post a job they actually want to come to Western to do the interviews for,” Ignac said.

This new feature will allow employers to review the applications and select which students to follow through with. Afterward, the selected students can go back to CareerLink and select an interview time on campus.

The CSC has a wide range of employers using the site, from corporations including Microsoft and Boeing, to small nonprofit organizations.

Last year, the SEC site matched more than 1,800 students with jobs. The SEC screens all employers, eliminating possible scams students may encounter when conducting other online job searches on sites such as Craigslist.

“We do try and keep them dynamic and updated to the best of our knowledge,” said Caryn Regimbal, financial aid manager of the SEC. “Everything that we have

posted, those positions are still open even if they are two or three weeks old.”

Some students may be hard on money, but may not be able to or do not want to gain steady employment.

For those individuals, the SEC’s online job-posting website can be a place to find odd jobs. The SEC site has a wide range of part-time work and non-employed jobs that do not require any recurring sacrifices to a student’s schedule.

“If a student needs some quick cash, they can go do some weeding or help somebody tear up carpet over the weekend, earn some money, and not have to make more of a long-term commitment,” Regimbal said.

Ignac said the overall goal of the new site is aimed to be a comprehensive source for both employees and students.

“The hope is that we are creating enough volume and enough diversity of the opportunities that any student can find something in the realm of what they are looking for.” the

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October 3, 2011 • 7

Megan Thompson • The AS Review

A leader, an inspiration, the head honcho: these bullying and harassment of queer-identified students. words, picked by friends and coworkers, describe stu“I wanted a Day of Silence so I organized my school’s dent activist Ben Crowther. first two Day of Silences, starting my junior year,” His most recent form of activism caught the attention Crowther said. of the media. He petitioned asking Apple Inc. to disassoParticipants take a day-long vow of silence to represent ciate with the organization the Christian Values Network the silencing and oppression faced by queer students and (CVN). their allies.

CVN partners with “My coming out was tied to hundreds of corporations the Day of Silence. The word such as Fandango, Six ‘bisexual’ was on a poster Flags, Kmart, Target and for it. It started to make me formerly Macy’s, Microsoft question [my sexuality] and uland Apple. Through CVN, timately helped me come out,” consumers can donate 2.5 Crowther said. percent of the commission Throughout high school, made to a religious charity Crowther faced oppression of their choice. from his boyfriend’s family.

Crowther said that while They did not accept the relathis sounds like a good tionship, so Crowther joined cause, CVN supports antia local chapter of Parents, queer organizations such Friends, Lesbians and Gays in as the Family Research Bellevue for support.

Council and Focus on the Crowther became more Family, he said. involved in queer issues and “They claim the word joined numerous groups ‘family’ to mean ‘homophothat supported equality. He bic,’” Crowther said. joined getEQUAL, the Pride Stuart Wilber, an activFoundation and Equal Rights ist and friend Crowther’s, Washington. He also helped created a petition to urge create Seattle OUTprotest Microsoft to cut ties with to protest Westboro Baptist CVN. Crowther later used Church’s decision to come to the same petition to urge Seattle in 2009.

Apple to do the same.

Throughout his years of After only 520 signaactivism, Crowther said he has tures, Microsoft severed encountered obstacles. He has ties with CVN. Conversely, worked to start conversations Crowther’s petition gained with legislatures who have 22,712 before being labeled mainly anti-queer views, and Ben Crowther, activist and western student. a “victory” on Change.org. educates them to give them photo by cade schmidt//as review The amount of signatures a new perspective on queer the petition collected soon issues. caught media attention, Wilber said.

“There’s a lot of hate out there but not as much as Crowther was interviewed by various blogs, people think,” Crowther said. “They just have fundamenNewsweek and even The New York Times. tally different ideas. We need to know what they are and Through the efforts of Wilber, Crowther and other talk to them.” petitioners of Change.org, CVN’s affiliations diminished With this perspective on the opposition, Crowther from about 700 companies to 500 after the petitions, contacted Jay Rodne, a republican legislator who has Crowther said. served as representative in the Washington House of Crowther said his passion for activism started in high Representatives since 2004, to talk about queer issues school. Crowther attended Skyline High School in and marriage equality.

Sammamish, Wash., where a Gay Straight Alliance had “I’m not going to get him on my side by saying [marnot existed at the time. The school also did not particiriage equality] is a social issue,” Crowther said. “Instead I gpate in the Day of Silence, a day of protest against the use his own points to support my side. I challenged him

See CROWTHER on page 8

Compiled From the Career Services Center online Resource Center

Western student talks about his outspoken approach to fighting for queer issues

RESUMÉ TIPS

ACTIVISM AT WORK

1. Proofread and revise A resumé should be proofread multiple times to work out any kinks in the writing or formatting. Revisions to a resumé should be made whenever new skills or experiences are acquired.

2. Ordering and organizing When writing a resumé, the most recent work experience should be stated first, followed by all other work experiences in a chronological order.

3. Know which skills are valued List experiences that represent leadership skills, ability to overcome difficulties and experiences that represent adaptations to change.

4. No formal experience? Make a skills resume A skills resumé highlights experience gained through schooling, volunteer work or some limited paid work. It is extremely useful for those individuals seeking employment who may have the appropriate skills for the job, but lack the previous employment experience that other competing applicants may have.

5. Use professional language Never write in first person on a resumé and be sure to use aggressive action verbs such as “administrated” and “instituted” instead of weaker verbs such as “made” or “did.”

6. Pay attention to appearance Make sure the resumé has at least 1 inch margins, 11 or 12 point font, consistent headings and formatting.

7. Tweak the resumé to match employers’ expectations It’s always a good idea to research any potential employers of interest. Spending some time on an employer’s website will give one a better understanding of what that employer is looking for in a potential applicant.

8. Resume building wizards can work magic The Career Services Center offers a free program called Optimal Resumé Builder on its website.

Spending some quality time working with programs like these can provide help.

9. Include “highlights” Sometimes an individual may have qualifications for a potential job they did not learn from previous work. These should be included as highlights in the resumé and could cover anything from fluency in other languages to familiarity with specific technologies.

10. Don’t forget the cover letter Although it’s not technically part of the resumé, having a well-written personalized cover letter for every job a person is applying for will increase the chances of finding employment. The Career Services Center has many resources, both in person and online, for creating an appropriate cover letter. the

Nick Markman • The AS Review

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WESTERN RA RA RIOTS

Ra Ra Riot and Spokane based Globes rocked out at Western on Sept. 22 for a packed house in the Viking Union Multi-Purpose Room.

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

Photo by joe ruidko//AS Review Photo by joe ruidko//AS Review

Photo by Cade Schmidt//AS Review

Photo by joe ruidko//AS Review

CROWTHER from page 7 with his own thinking and vocabulary.”

After their meeting, Rodne gave Crowther his personal phone number and told him to call anytime, said Crowther.

Josh Foley, a friend and former coworker at the Associated Students Queer Resource Center, described Crowther as a take-charge leader.

“He came up with ideas for social events, educational events, or just a conversation,” Foley said. “He is really good at creating conversation and taking that conversation.”

Crowther sees himself as a “call to action” person and not necessarily a leader.

“In some ways I’m really uncomfortable about leadership. I look around and ask ‘Is

anyone doing this?’ And they’re not,” Crowther said. “No one is stepping up to the plate. I’m not going to give the call to action, but I’m going to get it done.”

Foley predicted that Crowther will be a lifelong activist.

“I can see him creating his own group and taking it nationally,” Foley said. “I think he will be a leader for this country.”

Crowther has made activism part of his identity, and incorporates it into almost every aspect of his life.

“My name on Facebook is Ben Outspoken Crowther and I really identify with it.

I see a lot of people that have great ideas and opinions but they just sit on them,” Crowther said. “My philosophy is to be outspoken.” the

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