Get informed, get voting pgs. 4, 6, 9
WIZARD SPORT
Western Quidditch team, pg. 10
FEMINIST RESPONSE
Women’s Center hosts a panel discussion on 50 Shades of Grey, pg. 5
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News // Events // Student Life
Review
ELECTION WEEK
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NORTHWEST QUIDDITCH TOURNAMENT Western hosts a tournament from the wizarding world
Kylie Wade • AS Review
When J.K. Rowling released the first Harry Potter is hit by a bludger, they must run back and tag their own book in 1997, nobody could have predicted the worldgoal post before they can return to play. wide cultural phenomenon the story would become. Six Broomsticks are still required, and although they more books, eight movies and a theme park later, perdon’t lift players into the air, they do add an element haps one of the most interesting legacies of the book is to game play. Players must keep the brooms between only recently beginning to emerge. Inspired by the magi- their legs at all times and if they fall or are knocked off cal game Rowling created in her books, organized Quid- they don’t face a plummet to the ground like Rowling’s ditch teams are emerging on college campuses across characters do, but they do have to drop everything and the United States. Offering a unique mix of fantasy and tag a goal post. athletics, the sport is exploding in popularity. The last player on the team is the seeker, the player At Western, the Quidditch team is led by senior Will tasked with hunting down and capturing the golden Crow. Crow has seen the team grow from just an offsnitch. Here is perhaps the most clever adaption from shoot of Harry Potter club to an independent organizabook to life. Instead of trying to find a ball that can tion. Under Crow’s leadership, the team will see another somehow imitate the snitch’s hovering and evasive huge milestone this year when they host the Northwest tactics, the golden snitch is represented by a person, Quidditch Tournament. dressed in all yellow, who is allowed to go beyond the The tournament will bring together Quidditch teams normal field of play in a desperate dash to stay away from from five schools: Westthe seekers. Capturern, Cornish College of ing the snitch will the Arts, University of earn a team 30 points. British Columbia, UniCurrently, the versity of Victoria and Western team gets University of Idaho. The together every tournament is on SaturSunday at 3:30 p.m. day, Nov. 10 from noon on the lawn in front itchell atfield to 4 p.m. on the Lower of the CommunicaFairhaven Field. Teams will compete in a round-robin tions Facility to play a friendly, informal game. For most style tournament and at the end of the day, a champion of its existence, that has been the team’s only activity. will be crowned. However, this year, the team has big plans to become If your only exposure to Quidditch has been the something much more complex. scenes from Harry Potter books and movies, it can be “This year we’re trying to get everybody sorted a little puzzling to work out exactly how people are into the different houses from Harry Potter, and we’re managing to play a sport that involves flying on broomgoing to try to do a House Tournament that is Western sticks hundreds of feet above the ground, magical balls students against Western students,” Ravenclaw Captain bewitched to knock people off their brooms, and a tiny Mitchell Hatfield explained. golden ball that zooms around trying to evade capture. Hatfield said creating competition within Western Although many of the rules are taken straight from will be a good way to build up and develop the team, as the books, the transition from a fictional sport set in the well as add a dynamism to the games that goes deeper wizarding world to a sport played in real life does require than the informal feel of the traditional Sunday games. some clever tweaking. However, Crow, Hatfield and the rest of the QuidThe field is set up with three goal hoops at both ends ditch team are working diligently to grow not just their made from PVC piping and hula-hoops. Each team has own team, but to develop a group of teams in the Northa keeper who is in charge of guarding these hoops and west that can regularly compete against each other. three chasers who attempt to score on the opposing An important first step towards accomplishing this team’s goals. The chasers and keepers work with a ball vision is the upcoming Northwest Tournament. The called a quaffle, just like in Rowling’s books. The Wiztournament will be played round robin style, giving arding World of Harry Potter, a theme park in Florida, every team an opportunity to face off against each of the even sells a version of the ball made to replicate Rowlother schools in the first round. For that early round, a ing’s design as closely as possible. Each time a team gets win will earn a team two points while a loss means they the quaffle through the opponent’s goal hoops, they are will only get one. Points will determine the top two awarded 10 points. Official games are played until one teams, who will square off against each other for the team reaches 150. championship title and second place. There will also be Rowling’s bludgers, iron balls bewitched to fly on a game played against the third and fourth ranked teams their own and knock players off their brooms are reto determine third and fourth place. placed by dodge balls. Each team has two beaters whose Hatfield is very optimistic about the team’s chances job is to throw the balls at opposing players. If a player of winning.
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We want to show the teams that are traditionally powerhouses over on the East Coast that the West Coast has some powerhouse teams too.
“I think that the Western team is going to do very well. I’m not trying to brag, but just from looking at the scrimmages we’ve been having, we have a pretty stacked team,” he said. “We have a lot of quick people, we have a lot of tactic-minded people, we have good aim, our scoring is wonderful.” Crow said the team has even been developing plays to use in tournament games. One play, called the Fwoosh and Pass mimics a basketball play, while the other, named the Western Front, will be tactical move that requires the Western players to group together and move in a pack down the field, allowing the beaters to protect the group as a whole while they charge towards the opposing goals. If the tournament goes well, Hatfield hopes it will be a stepping-stone to organizing more tournaments throughout the year. Ideally, it will serve as the beginning of the Northwest league that the team is so desperately trying to establish. Quidditch is popular in the U.S., especially on college campuses, but the majority of the teams are based either in California or out on the East Coast. The International Quidditch Association (IQA) has hundreds of registered teams and holds regional and national tournaments every year. Crow wants to see his team become a paying member of the IQA, which will allow them to participate in these tournaments. Hatfield and Crow want to push for a large number of schools in the region to join so they can host their own Northwest Regional tournament and send a team from the northwest to the national competition every year. “That’s my vision, I want to see a Northwest champion in the next couple years,” Hatfield said. “We want to show the teams that are traditionally powerhouses over on the East Coast that the West Coast has some powerhouse teams too.” These are lofty goals, and they begin with developing the Western team. For now, Crow and Hatfield urge anyone interesting in participating in Quidditch to come to one of the Sunday games and try it out. “It’s the easiest way to get involved,” Hatfield said. “Come, play, we just break up into teams and play scrimmage matches. It’s a fun atmosphere.” Hatfield stressed that absolutely anyone is welcome, students, professors, staff, even people just visiting Western for the weekend. While Crow and Hatfield have big dreams for their team, they also want it to retain an aspect of fun, informality, and above all, community. “We all get to know each other really well, it’s often that we have dinner afterward and sometimes game or movie nights,” Crow said. Anyone interested in getting involved in the Quidditch community in any way can find the team on Facebook or OrgSync, or on Sunday out on the Comm Lawn. “Quidditch has been an awesome experience of my college career,” Crow said. “I hope it can be that for other people as well.”
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EVENTS CALENDAR Wednesday, Nov. 7
Monday, Nov. 5
Friday, Nov. 9
A Fiminist Response to 50 Shades of Grey When: 7-9 p.m. Where: Academic West 204p. 10p. 5 Price: Free
Diversity Week Event When: 1-2 p.m. Where: Wilson Library Price: Free
Tuesday, Nov. 6
5th Last Comic Standing p. 2 When: 7 p.m. Where: VU Multi-Purpose Room Price: $3
Saturday, Nov. 10
Thursday, Nov. 8
Movie: The Dark Knight Rises Where: PAC Concert Hall When: 9 p.m. Price: Free
Friends with Benefits Event Where: VU 565 When: 6:30-8 p.m. Price: Free
NW Quidditch Tournament When: 12-4 p.m. Where: Lower Fairhaven Field Price: Free
Sunday, Nov. 11
Theatre: An Experiment with an Air Pump When: 2 p.m. Where: PAC Mainstage Theater Price: $10-12
For more events and info. go to as.wwu.edu/events
L!ve
Music
Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review Illustration by Spencer Pederson
Monday Nov. 5
Tuesday Nov. 6
Wednesday Nov. 7
Cabin Tavern Underground Coffeehouse Wild Buffalo
p. 8
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Karaoke w/ Amy G
Melvoy
The Januariez
Beat Connection, Teen Daze, Odesza
EOTO, Jansten $15-20
Audios Amigos, Tacos!, The Pork Torta, The Bugs
The Pack A.D., Hobosexual, Thegn
Nov. 8
Nov. 9
Nov. 10
Sunday Nov. 11
Open Mic Night
DJs No Pressure, Election Day Party Cuff Lynx Free Free
Blessed Coast $3
$6-8
Dangezone Party ft. Wishbone
Free
Glow Election Day Extravaganza w/ Boris Budd
The Shakedown
Free
Turquoise Jeep w/ Special Guests
$12
$6
$7
Boundary Bay Brewery Green Frog
Chivalry Timbers
Soul Night w/ DJ Yogoman
Petunia and The Vipers
The Pine Hearts
Joy Kills Sorrow, Fish and Bird
Open Mic Night
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WEEKEND ADVENTURES
Photo by Todd Wells // AS Review
Western students ascend Mount Baker for fresh tracks
From left to right: Patrick Longley, Andrew Ackles, Tim Black and local ski-legend "Woods."
Tim Black and Patrick Longley survey the slope. Photos by Jasper Gibson
Tim Black trudges up a steep edge.
Todd Wells • AS Review Howling winds, cold air and heavy rains in Bellingham is a sure sign of winter’s approach. Some students trade in their tennis shoes for boots and others begin to crank up thweir thermostats. However, for some these changes indicate nothing more than a need to head to the mountains and explore a true winter wonderland: the North Cascades. For Western students Jasper Gibson, Andrew Eckels and Patrick Longley, the first sign of snow on Mount Baker was their calling. Without hesitation they dug up their winter gear from months ago, tuned their skis and then drove west to the Mount Baker. “We left Bellingham at 6:15 a.m. and drove as close as we could to Hadley Glacier,” Gibson said. In route, the crew joined up with Bellingham local Tim Black, and Mount Baker ski-bum legend, “Woods.” Now complete, the group drove up the Mount Baker Highway. Turning off towards Hadley Glacier, they rallied uphill over the snow-covered road for as long as
they could manage. Once they could drive no further, the team geared up for the adventure ahead. “We hiked for about four miles into the glacier with all of our gear on our backs. From there, two of the guys I was with skinned up the face and three of us boot packed our way up,” Gibson said. Once at the top of the glacier, they each stepped into their bindings and let gravity take over. “We got in two laps. We didn’t even touch the glacier at all; it was all fresh powder. It was a sick first day of skiing,” Gibson said with a smile on his face. For Gibson, this was only his second time on a backcountry skiing trip. With his new skiing set up he knew he had to take advantage of this opportunity. “I knew Eckels and Patrick did some gnarly backcountry stuff. I just wanted to go out with them, get my toes wet,” Gibson said. “They were a little bit better in shape, but I kept up with them okay.” For Gibson who grew up in Northern Idaho, being
outside and in the mountains is what he knows best. “I do a bunch of backpacking and biking and I just started getting into fly fishing this summer. Hopefully I’ll start kayaking here soon as well,” he said. “Just being outdoors grounds me, I guess. It keeps me centered, makes all my problems go away,” he said. Anyone who has ever skied with Woods before knows they won’t go home without a new story and fresh outlook on life. “Woods was a pretty influential character,” Gibson said. “He had a lot of good philosophies about life.” “Woods has been living in Glacier, Wash. for a long time. I’ve been lucky enough to ski with him a few times,” Eckels said. “He was telling us about how back in the day he decided that if he was going to be a ski-bum he was going to be the best damn ski-bum out there. He told us how he lived for a few years with only 53 cents in his pocket, but still managed to ski 200 plus days each season.”
DID YOU HAVE YOUR OWN WEEKEND ADVENTURE?
Share it with us! Email Todd Wells at toddwells92@gmail.com with a brief description of what you did.
2 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Viking Uncle Sam encourages Western students to vote on the state iniatives. Illustration by Bradley O’Neal // AS Review
review
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
©2012. 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.
Staff Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Designer Writers
Megan Thompson Spencer Pederson Cade Schmidt Bradley O’Neal Nick Markman Lauren Prater Lauren Simmons Kylie Wade Todd Wells
Adviser Jeff Bates
NEWS
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‘TIS THE SEASON Election Rundown covers gun control, education and immigration
EVENTS
5
50 SHADES AS Women’s Center to host Feminist Response to “50 Shades of Grey”
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STUDENT LIFE
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ADVENTURE TIME Three Western students brave the first snow at Mount Baker
FEATURES
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INIATIVES Educate yourself on state iniatives 1240, 1185 and 502
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EROTIC POETRY Photos from the event on Nov. 1 at the Underground Coffeehouse
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STATE ELECTIONS Senate, attorney general and governor’s race heat up
EVENTS CALENDAR See what’s happening around Bellingham this week
ONLINE LEARNING Classes on the internet offer a way to brush-up on difficult concepts
QUIDDITCH Western Quidditch team to particpate in a regional competition
LETTER TO THE EDITOR For years, my support for marriage equality was that of an objective ally believing in equal rights, and the undeniable truth that love is an emotion shared across the globe. As I explored and my queer sexuality throughout my time at Western, my political views remained objectively motivated. My first relationship with a woman started like any other, spending hours in front of the mirror before dates, a great deal of awkward voicemails and nervous interactions with parents. We followed our hearts and she turned my shy exterior into a vivid transparency. Like many instances of young love, it ended rather abruptly. Not to over-emphasize the significance of a 22-yearold heart break, but having my world turned upside down and dealing with a litany raw emotions helped me better understand my identity. I subjected myself to the traditional breakup stages; demolishing gifts, watching
chick flicks, and eating too much ice cream. Had my feelings been stifled by the sense that my heartbreak meant less than that of my straight peers, I may not have found this deeply personal foundation to my beliefs and genuine pride in my identity. Growing up is a complex journey, which we cannot make harder with discriminatory restrictions on genuine emotions. Whether it is the excitement of flirtatious glances across the room, an epic first kiss, heartbreak, or joining hands in marriage, these are experiences no person should be excluded from. I'm grateful to have spent my college career and found my identity at WWU and hope students will Approve Referendum 74, giving us all the freedom to better understand ourselves. Iris Maute-Gibson Western Alumna
November 1 2012 • 3
EROTIC POETRY NIGHT
Ari Yarwood and Jack Kostylo received several "aww's" from the crowd during their dance performance. Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
Student spoken-word artist Daniel EspinozaGonzalez performs one of his pieces.
Assocaited Students Women’s Center, Sexual Awarness Center, AS Productions Underground Coffeehouse and WWU VOX - Voices for Planned Parenthood partnered to put on Erotic Poetry Night on Nov. 1. The popular event had 150 attendees, which filled the Underground Coffeehouse to capacity. The Viking Union third floor hallway was filled with people trying to get in, as well as the stairs outside. The circut was overpowered, causing none of the outlets to work in the venue. By time the show was supposed to start at 7 p.m., the venue was 20 people over capacity and AS Productions employees left so performers could be let in. By 7:30 p.m., University Police hit the circut, which lit up the venue and allowed the show to continue. Annie Jansen and Iris Maute-Gibson return for a sequal to their hilarious list of "things that are not erotic."
The crowd swelled past capacity while the venue's circuit was over-powered, delaying the show by 30 minutes. Despite the wait, the energy stayed strong through the night.
4 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
ELECTION RUNDOWN
This week: Gun Control, Education, Immigration Lauren Simmons • AS Review The Second Amendment of the US Constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Through the years, America has fostered a debate between those for gun-rights – supporting the Second Amendment – and those who favor changing the Constitution, feeling that the right to own firearms makes Americans less safe. There are states in the US, like New York and Washington, D.C., where it is illegal to have a hand gun, said Evan Fowler, president of Western’s American Campaign Transperency. There are laws that restrict where and when fire arms can be held by individuals, but all in all, guns are easily obtain, distributed and used in the United States. “[When Obama got elected], a lot believed that the Federal government was going to turn Communist and take all of [their] guns away so they couldn’t rebel if the [government] started doing horrible things, and that [hasn’t] happened,” Fowler said. Gun regulation in this country is a problem because there is a mass amount of weapons. There are three times as many guns as there are people, Fowler said. There are also hundreds of millions of guns that are not registered meaning that there is no way of tracking them or knowing where they are; this issue contributes to the amount of hand guns that criminals have access to, Fowler said. “The pragmatic, realistic way of looking at things is ‘well, since we have so many guns everywhere, it’s kind of ridiculous to prevent law-abiding citizens from legally purchasing guns,” Fowler said. But in regards to the changing of the Second Amendment, Democrats and Republicans – more specifically, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney – are more or less opposite. President Obama and the Democrats feel that assault rifles are a little too much and should be regulated differently, Fowler said. With that said, the president does not advocate for more gun control or plan on increasing gun control, said Jered McCardle, associate director for the Associated Students’ Representation and Engagement Programs. Such ideals are more prevalent amongst liberals and democrats, though. “[President Obama] says that regulation that is already in place should be more enforced, but more regulations are not necessary.” The Republican Party, heavily supported by the National Rifle Association, and Romney support the Second Amendment and do not plan on changing it. “[They feel that] it’s our God-given right to have an as-
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sault rifle, and a bazooka, too,” Fowler said. “It’s the right to bear arms, it’s in the Constitution.”
Education
“Education is a lot like health care in this country,” Fowler explained. “If you can afford it, we have the best education in the world, bar none; there’s not a country that comes near us in education, if you can afford it.” For the most part, education is put under the control of individual states, said McCardle. Every two years, projections are made to determine how much money will be made by the state, and schools are not allowed to spend more than they are allowed, based on those projections. Only a handful of states allow such, which is called deficit spending, McCardle said. Because of the current recession, taxes coming into states have decreased and because Washington is not one of the states that allow deficit spending, money has to be taken out of other services like education. With that said, 94 percent of K-12’s money is protected by the state, while higher education’s money is not, McCardle said. “Although education is seen as a constitutional obligation of the state, higher education is not included,” McCardle explained. van owler While most of the country’s K-12 education system is disproportionate, higher education is more consistent in its quality, Fowler said. But while private universities continue to be successful, public universities are getting torn apart for the past 10 to 20 years. Specifically, Western used to receive between 60 and 70 percent of its funding from the state, but now the university only receives between 30 and 40 percent. As a result, tuition goes up, students have to pay more and the students that can pay will be in better positions, Fowler said. In regards to the K-12 education system and the quality of education children are receiving, there is an extreme difference between public schools and privates schools, Fowler said. There is a huge gap between schools in inner-city, low-income areas and schools in suburban, middle-to-upper class areas. What contributes to these low-performing schools is the resources available to them. A seasoned teacher, for example, has a choice of where they wants to teach. If the teacher was to choose between a school with an ample amount of violence in its surrounding neighborhoods and a school with access to healthy living environment, they will most likely choose the latter. On the flip side, all of the young, inexperienced teachers do not have much of a choice, and are forced into a situation they may not want to be in, and that translates into their teaching, Fowler said.
Education is a lot like health care in this country: if you can afford it, we have the best education in the world.
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Gun Control
Both presidential candidates proclaim they are for education reform, but they approach the situation in different ways, McCardle said. President Obama plans to support students in higher education programs with various types of financial aid, like more grants and work study opportunities being made available. He believes in a direct investment in education, McCardle said. With Romney, he wants to provide tax breaks for companies and encourage more private enterprise, which will in turn create more benefits for private universities, Fowler said. In regards to the rising costs of higher education, Romney tends to focus more on the importance of getting a job after graduating; more specifically, his plans for job creation will benefit higher education.
Immigration
Ever since the financial crisis, immigration has become less of a prevalent issue on the political stage, Fowler said. “During the Bush Administration, when our economy was roaring and we were a really interesting place to be, [immigration] was a huge issue for a lot of people,’ Fowler said. The financial crisis and the drug war in Mexico are two reasons why immigration has not been discussed during this election season as much as it previously has been. With the recession, the US looked a lot less lucrative and a lot less like an enjoyable destination for people to move to, Fowler explained. The drug war in Mexico, which has over 60,000 causalities, has been going on for almost six years, and it continues to make the US, Mexico border extremely dangerous, Fowler said. There are three primary sides to the issue of immigration. The conservative ideal is that if someone is in the US illegally, they should be kicked out, no question. On the other hand, the liberal perspective holds mixed opinions, Fowler said. There is the one group who operates with a “we’re all people, let’s hold hands” mentality, insinuating no pressing issue with undocumented immigrants. The other groups feel that individuals should not be here if they came here illegally, but if their children were born here, there is nothing we can do about it, Fowler said. President Obama supports the DREAM Act, enacted on June 15, 2012, is an act designed to give children born in the US to undocumented immigrants a chance at an education. In contrast, no other president in US history has deported as many people as President Obama, Fowler said. The Obama administration has been very tough on immigration. The issue is not just a red-and-blue, liberal versus conservative issue, Fowler said. Immigration was not covered in the 2012 presidential debates because the liberal feelings on the situation go directly with the interests of conservatives. This being an election year is not the time to show how the Democratic Party and the Republican Party relate, Fowler said.
November 1 2012 • 5
Poster by Lacey Allyn // AS Publicity Center
FIFTY SHADES OF FEMINISM
Women’s Center hosts a feminist response to popular book series Lauren Simmons • AS Review Some call it mommy porn and others call it the ultimate guilty pleasure, but regardless, E.L. James’ “50 Shades of Grey” trilogy has made its mark on pop culture. Released in June of 2011, the novels have sold 40 million copies worldwide and the book rights have been sold in 37 countries. But the Associated Students’ Women’s Center wants to take a step back and analyze the hype behind this trilogy that is being read around the world. “A Feminist Response to 50 Shades of Grey,” is an event that will explore the different aspects and interpretations of James’ trilogy, said Kristy Hathaway, coordinator for the AS Women’s Center. The event takes place from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 in Academic West 204. The event will consist of a panel of five speakers who have specialized perspectives on the subject matter, Hathaway said. The panel includes Jen Lois, a professor from Western’s Sociology department, who researches romance novels; a representative from Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services who will talk about
sexual violence; Allena Gabosch from the Center for Sex Positive Culture in Seattle who will discuss the book from the perspective of kink culture; and coordinators from the AS Sexual Awareness Center. The idea for the event came to Hathaway while she was in South Africa this summer. Many of the people she was travelling with were reading “50 Shades of Grey,” and since she did not have a book with her, she decided to read it too. Upon reading the novel, Hathaway found certain aspects of the book to be triggering for people who have experienced partner abuse or sexual violence. “I thought that, since I’m working in the Women’s Center, something should be done about [the subject matter of the books],” Hathaway explained. “I thought that if I went to the other side of the world, I wouldn’t see ’50 Shades of Grey,’ but it was everywhere…everyone was talking about it in Africa.” The series’ main protagonist is Anastasia, who is a 21-year-old college student at the beginning of the books, who has to interview a young and successful en-
trepreneur, 27-year-old Christian Grey, Hathaway said. The series is centered around them developing their relationship and about how he likes to be dominant, sexually, and likes her to be submissive. Anastasia is not into that at first, so the story surrounds them trying to make it work. The event is not just about presenting a single opinion, it is more about opening the floor for discussion, said Anna Ulmer, assistant coordinator for creative planning at the AS Women’s Center. Media is a prevalent way to view a society and what people are exploring in society, she said. “When I was a freshman and a sophomore, I loved going to the feminist-response events because even if you don’t consider yourself a feminist, [it’s] pop culture,” Hathaway said. “Everyone’s heard about the book, it’s an interesting thing to discuss, and I think it’s important to take a critical look at what we read, what we watch and what we listen to.” This is the first panel in the three-part feminist response discussion panel.
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November 1 2012 • 7
MAKING HISTORY
Washington voters hold future policy in hand Nick Markman • AS Review This year’s election could be one of the most historical in Washington State History. From our states tax structure to our public education system to the de-prohibition of marijuana, voters will make history with the lines they draw on this year’s ballot. On Tuesday, Oct. 30, the Associated Students Representation and Engagement Programs hosted Weed, Taxes and Democracy, an event to discuss the three initiatives on this year’s ballot: I-1240, I-1185 and I-502 in Artzen Hall 100. Each initiative was presented and then debated on by a representative from both the pro and con side.
INITIATIVE 1240 CHARTER SCHOOLS
Illustration by Bradley O’Neal
Photo by Cade Schmidt
Ballot Text: “This measure would authorize up to forty publicly-funded charter schools open to all students, operated through approved, nonreligious, nonprofit organizations, with government oversight; and modify certain laws applicable to them as public schools” Washington is one of the few states in the nation without a charter school system. These proposed schools would be established by charter and governed by a charter school board. The initiative proposes the establishment of no more than eight charter schools a year in Washington and would limit the number of charter schools allowed to 40 in five years. Washington State Director for Democrats for Education Reform Lisa McFarlane presented the pro I-1240 stance at the event. She said that the biggest reason to establish charter schools would be to provide a better alternative for low income and at-risk students as opposed to the current public education system. 500 charter schools were established last year in the United States. McFarlane said this is because they work as educational institutions. She said that the charter school system allows for more flexibility in establishing curriculums, hiring and firing staff and determining the length of the school day and year. “We are losing kids to the streets, we are losing them to the penal system, and we are losing them to the ground,” McFarlane said. “I think it’s time to provide more options for struggling kids. Bill Lyne, councilmember of the Whatcom County Democrats, opposes I-1240. His main argument is that I-1240 implies that poorer teachers and schools have failed struggling students when, in reality, more elements of society are to blame. Lyne also said that the charter school system will drain money from the already strained public education budget and that a greater investment in public education as opposed to the expensive establishment of a charter school system would benefit at-risk and low income children better. He stated that Washington is 50th in the nation in the way we fund our public education and that
establishing charter schools will not help alleviate that.
INITIATIVE 1185 TAXES
Ballot Text: “This measure would restate existing statutory requirements that legislative actions raising taxes must be approved by two-thirds legislative majorities or receive voter approval, and that new or increased fees require majority legislative approval” Initiative 1185 is an attempt to restate the current laws regarding the legislative process of raising taxes that was set forth 20 years ago requiring that a supermajority (two-thirds vote) be present in both the senate and house of legislators in order to raise taxes. For 20 years, a supermajority vote by the Legislature has been required in order to raise taxes. Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen presented in support of I-1185. He said that a vote in favor of I-1185 was a vote in favor of the sustainable creation of jobs in Washington. He said that making it easier to raise taxes, although it could increase state revenues, would also lead to high layoffs and higher unemployment in the state. Patrick Stickney of the Northwest Progressive Institute opposes I-1185. While Stickney is also the AS Vice President for Governmental Affairs, his opinions on I-1185 presented at Weed, Taxes and Democracy were not tied in any way to his position within the AS nor does it represent the opinion of the AS as a whole. Stickney said that by lowering the requirements to raise taxes, the legislature could do a better job at raising revenue for the state. He said that if I-1185 passes, it will directly affect students. “The $1.4 billion that has been cut from higher education since 2009 has been because the legislature has not been able to raise revenue,” Stickney said. “Because of that, we’re seeing those effects.” Stickney said the state has a dated, inefficient tax structure that is struggling to fit with our changing economy. He also said that the sponsors of this initiative represent the interests of large corporations and industries like Big Oil, and that these corporations simply want to avoid being taxed at a higher rate. Ericksen rebutted this comment, saying that oil companies in Washington are already taxed per barrel of oil three times more than in California. “We tax very well, but we don’t prioritize very well,” Ericksen said.
INITIATIVE 502 LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
Ballot Text: “This measure would license and regulate marijuana produc-
tion, distribution, and possession for persons over 21; remove statelaw criminal and civil penalties for activities that it authorizes; tax marijuana sales; and earmark marijuana-related revenues.” If Initiative 502 passes this year, Washington will be the first state in history to legalize marijuana. It would establish a system of licensed marijuana producers, processors and retailers that would be able to provide marijuana to anyone 21 years of age or older. It would also implement a per se DUI for driving under the influence of drugs in which any individual who appears to be driving under the influence can be pulled over and have their blood tested for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Campaign Director for New Approach Washington Alison Holcomb paneled the event in favor of I-502. She said that this new approach to marijuana would reduce the costs of marijuana arrests and convictions. In 2011, there were 10,000 arrests involving marijuana, which led to 3,000 convictions. Holcomb said that these arrests disproportionally affect low-income individuals and minority members. “A black person in Washington is half as likely as a white person to use marijuana, but is three times more likely to be arrested for it,” Holcomb said. Holcomb said that by legalizing marijuana, the state would be taking the drug out of the control of dangerous gangs and into the hands of the government, where it can be taxed to raise estimated revenues of over half a billion dollars each year for the next five years. Opponents to this initiative, such as Steve Sarich, medical marijuana entrepreneur and director of Cannacare – a company devoted to providing legal information to medical marijuana patients – consider 502 to not be legalization at all. Sarich said 502 is a “Trojan horse,” as he ripped the event program containing excerpts of the initiative in half on stage. He said that since marijuana is still illegal on the Federal level, nothing will prevent the DEA from coming in and shutting down Washington’s marijuana system but leaving the DUI provisions intact, creating a worse legal environment for marijuana than ever in the state. The biggest opponents of I-502 come from the medical marijuana community. Many members of this community, including Sarich, say that the legal limit of five nanograms for THC is too low and that patients who regularly use marijuana would almost never be legally capable to drive. Sarich also said that the financial estimates provided by the Office of Financial Management are not accurate because they assume that the state will be able to take over 100 percent of the marijuana. He said that if the Federal government shut down the marijuana market in Washington after I-502, it would be a huge financial loss. “We can and should legalize marijuana in this state, this law just doesn’t do that,” Sarich said.
8 • as.wwu.edu/asreview
Viking Union and Associated Students staff participated in the VU Pumpkin Carving Contest. Students of the AS Child Development Center selected their favorite pumpkin for the win, which was carved by Viking Union Administration Support Staff. Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review
ONLINE STUDENT RESOURCES Educational tools, classes avaliable online for students
Nick Markman • AS Review In the current midst of midterms and with finals not too far away, students are buckling down to study and attempting to get their heads around challenging concepts. If a full-time student has a job or a busy schedule, fitting in office hours or making a trip down to the Tutoring Center may be difficult. Luckily, for those students and others who want a refresher on their subjects of choice there are an abundance of free, educational resources available online. The Tutoring Center, located in Wilson Library, is a host to many resources, offered both in person and online. Aside from drop-in tutoring, the Tutoring Center’s website offers students printable handouts that summarize concepts and rules such as basic introductory math and science classes. Students can also find organizational tools such as weekly calendars and tips on how to study on the website under “Online Resources.” “We feel that these are really good, supplementary materials for coming in for drop-in tutoring or study groups or working with your professor during office hours,” Tutoring Center Coordinator Michelle Wallace said.
Wallace said that the Tutoring Center’s online resources mostly pertain to math and science because those are areas in which students typically need additional help in outside of class. “I think where these resources can really help is in bridging that gap between lecture from math and science classes to how you can actually apply in when you’re working through getting ready for a test or working through an assignment,” Wallace said. There are many online resources aside from those offered through Western that can aid students in their studies. Some of these resources, such as khanacademy. org, Apple’s “ITunes U,” and coursera.org offer such a wide variety of educational context ranging from intro level courses to complicated, upper division classes that they are considered to be a form of “online university.” Associate Professor of Journalism Peggy Watt said that while the courses available through online universities are free, Western has no system in which students can receive credit for completing them. “They strike me as an excellent way to brush up on a subject, perhaps in advance of enrolling in a class for
credit,” Watt said. Junior Mike Register said that he has used khanacademy.org in the past to prepare from exams and touch up on particularly complicated ideas and concepts learned in class. “Khan Academy’s videos are concise and very helpful,” Register said. “For classes like math and science, I find it easier to learn from their videos than by going over notes I took in class or re-reading the book.” Online educational resources often allow students to interact with their course material in new ways, be it auditory or visually, Wallace said. While the face-to-face component of instructor led classes or in-person tutoring provides the solid backbone of a learning experience, these secondary online resources provide great supplements to students hoping to master their course material come test day. “It’s really good to know where all those resources are and to be able to draw on them to supplement what you have learned in class,” Wallace said. “I feel strongly that when students are trying to use those multiple avenues, they all work together toward a cohesive whole.”
November 1 2012 • 9
STATE ELECTION SHOWDOWN Who will win? You be the judge
Kylie Wade • AS Review With the glamour of a national election, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the races at the state level. However, this year, Washington voters will weigh in on state measures with widespread impacts. Voters will also settle two extremely close races for governor and attorney general, as well as decide if Senator Maria Cantwell has earned another term in her race against upstart Republican politician Michael Baumgartner. State Offices: U.S. Senate: Maria Cantwell (D) vs. Michael Baumgartner (R) Maria Cantwell, the incumbent, has held this office since 2001 and has led this race from the start. Cantwell still maintains a dominating lead. In the August primaries, Cantwell earned 55.66 percent of the vote while Baumgartner garnered 30.07 percent. An October 14 Rasmussen poll showed Cantwell up 15 points, but some polls have her leading by as much as 23 points. Baumgartner is passionate about foreign policy, particularly ending the war in Afghanistan. Cantwell is focused on job creation in Washington State. Baumgartner burst onto the Washington political scene in 2010 when he entered a state senate race against Chris Marr, a democrat who had represented Spokane since 2006. After a campaign that became the most expensive legislative campaign in state history, Baumgartner won the election. Cantwell served in the Washington State Legislature from 1987-1993, the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993-1995 and has represented Washington in the U.S. Senate since 2001. Governor: Jay Inslee (D) vs. Rob McKenna (R) This is a hotly contested race and has been all election season. Inslee narrowly edged out McKenna in the August primaries, capturing 47.13 percent of the vote compared to McKenna’s 42.9 percent. A Rasmussen poll from October 14 showed Inslee still held a narrow, twopoint lead. The candidates have similar views on taxes, transportation plans, collective bargaining policies and the need to balance Washington’s budget by streamlining government. Where the candidates differ sharply is their views on Referendum 74, Initiative 1240 and federal healthcare. Inslee is in support of Referendum 74, and states that he believes same-sex couples should have equal rights.
McKenna opposes R-74 due to religious reasons, but has said he will support whatever the public decides in regards to same-sex marriage. Inslee is opposed to I-1240, which would allow charter schools in Washington, while McKenna supports it. When it comes to federal healthcare, the candidates emphatically disagree. As a congressmen, Inslee proudly voted for the Affordable Care Act in 2010, while McKenna, serving as Washington’s Attorney General at the time, joined other U.S. attorney generals in an attempt to overturn the law. Inslee’s experience includes four years serving in the Washington State House of Representatives, as well as serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993-1994 and 1999-2012. He has been endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers Washington, Governor Christine Gregoire, Environment Washington, Equal Rights Washington, the Human Rights Campaign, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and the Sierra Club. McKenna has served as King County Council and Washington State Attorney General. His endorsements include the Association of Washington Businesses, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, The Seattle Times, The Tacoma News Tribune, The Spokane Spokesman-Review, and Washington REALTORS. Attorney General: Reagan Dunn (R) vs. Bob Ferguson (D) This race is tightening as Election Day gets closer, becoming one of the closest races in the state. Ferguson had the early lead in the primaries with 51.68 percent of the vote compared to Dunn’s 38.2 percent. However, the latest Elway poll showed Ferguson’s lead is down to just two percentage points, with 25% of voters still undecided between the two candidates. Ferguson and Dunn have served together as King County councilmembers since 2005. According to the Seattle Times, while serving on the council together, they have faced 3,878 full-council votes and only disagreed on 43 of them, or 1% of the total votes. These areas in which they have disagreed have mainly been on issues in which the candidates stuck sharply to party lines. Ferguson voted to support Obama’s healthcare plan, while Dunn voted against it. Dunn tends to reject motions that would lead to increased government regulation, such as a votes about whether to ban smoking in county parks, require vending machines to provide
healthier snacks, or force swimmers and boaters to wear life jackets. Ferguson voted for all of those motions. Dunn is a former federal prosecutor and has experience with the Assistant United State Attorney’s office and the Department of Justice. He has also served as the National Coordinator for Project Safe Neighborhoods. Ferguson has experience in several different courts as a law clerk as well as a litigation attorney. He was also the director of the Emergency Services Office in Portland in 1990.
Governor
Attorney General
US Senate
Maria Cantwell (D)
55.3%
vs.
Michael Baumgartner (R)
36.7%
RCP Average Poll from realclearpolitics.com 9/28-10/31
Jay Inslee (D)
46.8%
vs.
Rob McKenna (R)
46.0%
RCP Average Poll from realclearpolitics.com 10/14-10/31
State Measures Referendum Measure No. 74: Marriage Equality Referendum 74 would allow same-sex couples to marry, but would also give religious organizations the freedom to refuse to perform or recognize any marriage ceremony they don’t agree with. Those opposed to the bill primarily argue that traditional marriage is what is best for children and that God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman. They also argue the bill doesn’t grant same-sex couples any significant legal right that was denied to them under Washington’s existing domestic partnership laws. Supporters of the bill essentially argue that separate but equal is not truly equal, so allowing same-sex couples the same benefits as marriage but calling it a domestic partnership is unjust. They believe that being able to use the word “marriage” matters. They also point out that the American Academy of Pediatrics ruled that same-sex marriage actually promotes healthy children and families. Four different states will vote on issues related to same-sex marriage this November, with Washington, Maryland and Maine voting on whether to allow it and Minnesota voting on whether to adopt a state constitutional amendment banning it. In the six states that allow same-sex marriage (New York, Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut) the decision was made either by court ruling or a legislative measure. Since 1988, 32 different measures pertaining to same-sex marriage have been put on state ballots, and voters have ruled against same-sex marriage every time. In Washington State, the most recent polls show voters in support of the bill slightly outnumber voters against it, but the lead is not significant enough to break the 50 percent mark.
Bob Ferguson (D)
38%
vs.
25%
undecided
Reagan Dunn (R)
36%
Elway Poll conducted Oct. 18-21