AS Review - November 26, 2012

Review

News // Events // Student Life

Vol. 2 8 #9 11 .26 .12

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FISHING ALL DAY

Locals fish downstream in Whatcom Creek near Maritime Park

Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

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November 26, 2012 • 11

EVENTS CALENDAR Monday, Nov. 26

Wednesday, Nov. 28

Tuesday, Nov. 27

Thursday, Nov. 29

Vagina Memoirs Casting Call When: Nov. 26-28 Where: Miller Hall 138 More info.: as.wc.memoirs@wwu.edu

Music

The Middle Women Project When: 7 p.m.

Where: VU Multi-purpose room Price: Free

AS Social Resource Center Kick-off Event When: p.m.

Where: Viking Union 462 Price: Free

Presentation: Sex Ed You Wish You Had When: 7 p.m.

Where: Arntzen 100 Price: Free

L!ve

Friday, Nov. 30

Saturday, Dec. 1

Fall Into Dance Performance When: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: PA 282 Price: $

The Case for Revenue (State Budget Discussion) Where: VU 462B When: 4-6 p.m.

Price: Free

Sunday, Dec. 2

Outdoor Center: Backcountry Skiing When: All day Where: Mount Baker Area Price: $35

For more events and info. go to as.wwu.edu/events

Monday Nov. 26

Tuesday Nov. 27

Wednesday Nov. 28

Thursday Nov. 29

Friday Nov. 30

Glitterbang w/ VR Tainers

AS Productions

Sunday Dec. 2

A’capella Club Fall Concert

Free

Cara Alboucq w/ Friends

Free

Comedy Night

The Blessed Coast

Free

$3

Free

Blue Scholars, Brothers from Another, Don’t Talk to the Cops

$17

DJ Little

Glow The Shakedown

Dec. 1

Great Pacific, Tom Caverns, Jordan Nash

Cabin Tavern

Wild Buffalo

Saturday

Free Tom Waits monday’s

$3

Eagle Teeth, The West, Noise Toy

Leatherhorn, A God Or An Other

$5

$3

3 Inches of Blood, Hookers, Last Bastion

SpaceBand, Square dancing DJ Clint Westwood

$12

$5-7

DJ Triple Crown

The Boombox Kid

The Staxx Bros., My Dad Bruce, Cutlass Supreme

$5

Dick Dale, Black Beast Revival $20

w/ Lucas Hicks

Shit Machine, Pictures of you, Sunshine

$5

Boundary Bay Brewery Green Frog

Chivalry Timbers

Soul Night w/ DJ Yogoman

Medicine Brothers

Robert Sarazin Blake w/ The Heligoats

Yogoman Burning Band, Laurne O’Connell, Otis Heat

Bobby Bare Jr., The Maldives

Open Mic Night

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THE RISKS OF ALCOHOL + ENERGY DRINKS Lauren Simmons • AS Review

Panic attacks, a racing heart beat, shaking, vomiting, paranoia and hyperirritability are not what is supposed to happen on a Saturday night at a college party. These adverse effects, along with the overconsumption of alcohol, can be avoided by not mixing energy drinks with alcohol.

Drinks like Four Locko, Joose and Sparks are all alcohol-infused energy drinks, popular among college students and have recently been targeted as the cause of numerous deaths.

In late 2010, nine Central Washington University students were hospitalized after consuming Four Lockos, according to a Huffington Post article. On Oct. 27, 2012, Washington State University student Kenny Hummel died from acute alcohol poisoning combining “5-hour Energy” beverages with alcohol; his blood-alcohol level exceeded 0.4 percent, according to a Seattle Times article.

“One of the biggest risks of energy drinks and alcohol is that it gives the body the illusion of a lot more energy and focus, and it masks the effects that the alcohol is having,” said Elva Giddings, director of the Western Washington University Prevention and Wellness Services. “[It’s] very difficult for someone to be aware of how intoxicated they’re getting, so it’s real easy to over drink.”

Alcoholic energy drinks, containing caffeine as a stimulant, create dangerous activity inside the drinker’s body. The combination of a stimulant – caffeine – combined with a sedative – alcohol – to the pri[Energy drinks] gives the contributes mary risks, said Emily body the illusion of a lot Gibson, director of the more energy and focus, Western Washington Student and it masks the effects University Health Center. When that the alcohol is having. combined, there is a delay in the body’s lva iddings response to the alcohol; when consuming alcohol alone, the body becomes increasingly drowsy to the point of the drinker being unable to consume anymore alcohol.

When alcohol and energy drinks are combined, Redbull and vodka for example, a delay in this effect occurs because of the alcohol combining with the stimulant, Gibson said. The drinker continues to consume alcohol because the caffeine in the energy drink counteracts the sedation that results from normal alcohol consumption, raising their body’s alcohol levels. Then significant memory impairment ensues, causing the drinker to black out.

“This results in a potentially lethal situation of toxic levels of alcohol being reached as the shorter-acting stimulant wears off, resulting in uncontrolled vomiting, and impaired respiration,” Gibson said.

Students tend to not understand their vulnerability to the lethal effects of high blood levels of alcohol, Gibson said. The common practice of competitive drinking and overdrinking can stimulate the adverse effects of the overconsumption of alcohol with energy drinks; making the drinker continue to feel awake and able to keep drinking, raising their alcohol intake to toxic levels. Impaired judgment and memory, uncontrolled vomiting and respiratory depression can all be caused by combining alcohol and energy drinks, Gibson said. Developing a higher tolerance for increased amounts of alcohol is a trait that can lead to alcohol dependency issues.

“Don’t mix alcohol with energy drinks, with other beverages, with medications, with other drugs…there’s too many alcohol-drug interactions that are possible that can go wrong,” Giddings said.

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Photo Illustration by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

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The last of the autumn leaves.

Photo by Cade Schmidt// 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.

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NEWS

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HURRICANE SANDY Western relief fund closed for Hurricane Sandy on Nov. 23

EVENTS

5

BODY TALK Popular show put on by Western professors and students returns

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SAVING LIVES Students donate plasma

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STUDENT LIFE

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PLASMA DONATIONS Students make a quick buck by donating their blood plasma

FEATURES

6

CONCERT SERIES Underground Coffeehouse’s Wednesday concert series is reviewed

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EVENTS CALENDAR See what’s happening around Bellingham this week

DINING OPTIONS Food options on campus lack for those with food allergies

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COMICAL Look at comedians battling it out at Last Comic Standing on Nov. 9

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ENERGIZING A look at the dangers of mixing alcohol with energy drinks

THE NEW BOY Western Alumnus writes a novel featuring murder, mystery, and the rugby team

Well Wishers at the Underground Coffeehouse, Pg. 6

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

LAST COMIC STANDING

November 26, 2012 • 3

Vicki Lo gives a monologue about her fat cat. all photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

Students particpated in the annual Associated Students Productions Last Comic Standing on Nov. 9.

Emcees and members of Dead Parrots Society Jake Barrow and Zach Wymore.

Bryan Hall opens the show with a monologue about stoners.

Ron Chang strips to leather pants while talking about 80s metal.

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STUDENTS GET PAID TO SAVE LIVES BioLife offers big bucks for plasma donations

Nick Markman • AS Review

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ontinuing increases in college expenses have left many students strapped for cash. Even those with jobs may seek out sources of quick and easy income.

BioLife Plasma Services, located at 465 W. Stuart Road, will compensate individuals who donate their plasma – the liquid portion of blood. By donating the maximum of two times per week, students can earn a fairly modest supplementary income, but are there any potential health drawbacks to consistently donating plasma?

Jennifer Gremmels, the Corporate Communications Representative for BioLife, said that donating plasma is a low risk medical procedure with minimal or no side effects.

“Before a donor is accepted into the BioLife Plasma Services donor program, he or she must pass a medical examination and a survey of his or her medical history is performed by a member of BioLife’s professional medical staff,” Gremmels said.

Several medical aspects are examined during the pre-screening process. Plasma donation labs check an individual’s blood protein levels, weight, blood pressure and hematocrit levels – a measure of the percentage of red blood cells in an individual’s blood – before being

approved for donation.

Laura Olbu, clinical supervisor for Plasma Lab International in Everett, said that any reputable plasma center will recheck hematocrit and blood protein levels every week to make sure they are in an acceptable range.

“They have a weekly tracking of what those levels are, and if those levels start to drop, that individual should be deferred,” Olbu said. “Once they get below that level, you cannot donate until those levels are brought back up to normal.”

While donating plasma is a highly regulated process, Olbu said that there could be potential side effects after donating such as dizziness, vomiting or passing out brought on immediately after donating. She said that if a donator has had little sleep and is poorly nourished, they might experience dizziness or fatigue throughout the rest of the day.

Junior Demetre Phinizy donated plasma for the first time in Oct. and said that he barely felt any side effects at all.

“I donated in the morning and was surprised when I felt fine immediately afterward,” Phinizy said. “Throughout the day though, I started feeling more tired than

usual.”

Olbu said that anyone planning on consistently donating plasma should make sure they maintain a healthy, low-fat diet and evenly space out throughout the week the days they plan to donate. She said that females should avoid donating while menstruating and that sick individuals should not donate because donating plasma can temporarily hamper the immune system.

Plasma Lab International only accepts donations from individuals with severe food allergies and certain autoimmune deficiencies. They compensate donators with $100 per donation and are currently paying $300 for a first time donation for individuals with egg or milk allergies. BioLife Plasma Services will compensate donators with $50 for the first two donations if they are within a week and $35 per donation afterward.

Director of Medical Services of the Student Health Center Emily Gibson said that donating plasma has other benefits to society besides compensation.

“Plasma is a valuable commodity to chronically ill patients, so it is an important service to donate plasma,” Gibson said. “I don’t see any concerning long-term problems as long as it is done at reasonable intervals.”

WESTERN GIVES TO HURRICANE SANDY VICTIMS 10 charities will receive funding for relief efforts

Todd Wells • AS Review

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urricane Sandy has devastated families up and down the East Coast. As of November 12th over 16,000 families in just New York City were still without power. Based off an estimated $50 billion dollars in damages in the State of New York, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo plans on requesting $30 billion of federal disaster aid to help rebuild the state. Still New York is just one of the 19 states that have been drastically affected by the hurricane.

Here at Western, students, faculty and staff have come together in their own effort to help aid in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Via the Washington State Combined Fund Drive, a campaign has been initiated to help send funds to charities on the ground at sites affected by the disastrous storm. “[The] Combined Fund Drive is the only state sanctioned employee workplace giving program. It’s been around for 26-27 years,” said Sara Wilson, Western’s campaign leader for the Combined Fund Drive. “This is a way in which employees can direct their donation dollars as state agencies. Once a year, every fall, we will launch that campaign and invite members of our campus community to participate and donate to the charities of their choice. There are over 3,500 charities that have

been registered with the secretary of state’s office.”

But the Hurricane Sandy relief effort is different. For this campaign the Combined Fund Drive has been structured so that the scope of contributors can be broadened. Instead of only allowing state employees to donate via payroll deduction, as is the norm, for Hurricane Sandy anyone with a credit or debit card can donate.

This will allow students and other community members to donate as well.

The 10 selected charities that will be receiving the money raised via the Washington State Combined Fund Drive are the American Red Cross General Fund, the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Catholic Charities U.S.A., the Children’s Hunger Fund, Convoy of Hope, Feed the Children, The Humane Society of the United States, Samaritans Purse and World Vision. Each of these charities are on the ground right now working in relief efforts. They will all be receiving equal compensation from the fundraiser.

Wilson explained, “Personally, I am from the East Coast so [The Hurricane Sandy Relief Campaign] is a near and dear one to me. None of us knows when the next natural disaster or anything of major impact isn’t

going to be in our own community. We could easily have our lives changed in a half hour. I need to give in the same way that I would hope others give back if it was my community that was being affected. It’s just a responsibility that we have as people.”

“It will take years to grow back from [Hurricane Sandy], and they need to know that the support is there for them as a country; that we are all one nation when it comes to things like this. I do think that out of hardships like this we do test ourselves, we do become stronger from those circumstances,” shared Wilson.

On November 2nd Western President Bruce Shepard sent out a mass email to Western colleagues, alumni and friends about the Hurricane Sandy Relief Campaign.

The campaign was closed on November 23rd, so that funds would make their way to the selected charities in a timely manner. As of November 13th the overall Hurricane Sandy Relief Campaign had gained $24,396 from Washington State contributors. If you were not able to donate to the Hurricane Sandy Relief Campaign via WWU consider visiting FEMA.gov, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for others ways that you can contribute. *Numbers in this story are accurate up to Nov. 20

‘BODY TALK’ BACK FOR ROUND TWO

Western professors, students contribute to local show

Fairhaven College Professor Marie Eaton during a performance at ‘Body Talk.’

Photo courtesey of Maria McLeod

Maria McLeod • Guest Submission “Body Talk: Sexual Triumphs, Trials, and Revelations” – a performance of true stories about sex, birth, mothering, menopause, mammograms, wax jobs, and what it means to be a woman – is back by popular demand after two previous sold-out Bellingham performances in September. “Body Talk” returns for three performances: 7:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 30 followed by two more showings: one at 5 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 1 at the Firehouse Performing Arts Center in Bellingham, Wash.

Five women, including three Western instructors, will perform dramatic readings of monologues created by Maria McLeod, based on in-depth interviews she conducted with women across the United States.

McLeod, who works as a freelance writer and documentarian, also is an assistant professor of journalism.

“This is a rich collection of female voices, women who don’t hold back on detail – hilarious, raw and uplifting,” said McLeod. “Ever since our premiere run in September people have been asking us to return for an encore performance, and we couldn’t be happier to oblige.”

“Body Talk” consists of dramatic monologues resulting from interviews with 10 different women: a mammography technician, nun, an esthetician, new mother, transgendered woman, Buddhist feminist, and more.

Their stories, told with sincerity, comedy, and conviction, are about events that shape women’s lives.

Monologues will be performed by: Western Senior Instructor in Theatre/Dance Pam Kuntz, artistic director of Kuntz and Company; television and stage actress Sheila Larken Goodwin; Fairhaven College Professor Marie Eaton; Western Theatre Arts student Hannah Leigh Reclam; Western Journalism Instructor Sarah Eden Wallace. “Body Talk” is directed by Karee Wardrop. Musicians, playing as part of the performance, include Janet Peterson on Cello and Alexa Peters, also a Western student, on piano. Lighting by Angela Kiser.

“Body Talk” is produced by How Loud Media.

Admission is $15. Tickets available at BrownPaperTickets.com, Village Books, and at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Womencare Shelter. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/BodyTalkPerformance.

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SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND Kevin Long and the Well Wishers played at the Underground Coffeehouse on Nov. 14

Todd Wells • AS Review Seattle singer-songwriter Kevin Long warms up for his Underground Coffeehouse performance on Nov. 14.

Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

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he venue was packed. No chairs, stools or couches were left vacant. The carpet in front of the stage was lined with rows of students, their knees pulled tightly to their chests so that more and more spectators could squeeze in amongst them. Those who still couldn’t find somewhere to sit found refuge in any nook or corner that remained available. The show was about to start.

On Wednesday night, the crowd in the Associated Students Productions Underground Coffeehouse waited anxiously in anticipation for the Well Wishers and Kevin Long to fill the room with music.

The Well Wishers is a five-person indie and folk style Bellingham-based band that has been together for no more than a year. They are composed of Western students Nate Marley, Gary Wiley, Mika Zeta, Carly Roberts and Marshal Powell. As the opening act and they couldn’t have done a better job of setting the stage than they did that night. As soon as the first chord was strung, the crowd was mesmerized.

Even the most studious members of the audience turned an ear towards the stage. Some put away their game of cards; others closed their books or shut their laptops.

Even if it was just for a quick moment, everyone had to know where the glorious harmony was coming from.

The Well Wishers’ style of music is very unique with all five members contributing their beautiful and diverse voices in various songs. With every member of the band switching between different instruments throughout the The Well Wishers open for Kevin Long in the Underground Coffeehouse on Nov. 14.

night, it was hard to tell who exactly played what. Some songs were held together by nothing more than a bass and a guitar, while others incorporated flutes, ukuleles, mandolins and even trashcans for percussion.

“We’ve been together since February,” Marley said.

“We all actually lived in Nash, all the original members.

We met just jamming with a bunch of people.”

For one of the final songs of their set, Powell, a guitarist and singer asked members of the crowd by their own names one by one to stand up dance. Before long everyone was on their feet singing and dancing along. It was impressive how much direct encouragement the Well Wishers had from their close nit group of friends and supporters.

“I’m actually more comfortable to play with our friends. It’s not too much different than just jamming around,” Marley said.

When the Well Wishers’ set came to the end, the headliner, Kevin Long took to the stage. Long, who traveled all the way up from Seattle to perform at the Underground came to the stage impressed by the previous set.

“The Well Wishers were great. I hadn’t met any of them before, but they certainly set a tough act to follow,” Long said.

Long finished off the night with a series of his own songs. His musical talent was flawless, and the emotion in his music was deep and genuine.

Both were impressive, but judging by the crowd’s excitement, the Well Wishers’ won the night.

November 26, 2012 • 7

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BOOK REVIEW: THE NEW BOY

Alumnus Harley Tat writes murder mystery about Western’s campus Lauren Simmons • AS Review Murder, mystery, Western’s campus and rugby intertwined may seem like a strange dream conjured up by freshman with a head injury, but in actuality, those themes are all a part of Western alumnus Harley Tat’s novel, “The New Boy.” This novel takes place in the early 1980s and follows Andy Martin, a freshman at Western with a troubled past who finds himself on the university’s rugby team, the Warthogs. As the story progresses, Andy’s past begins to plague him more than usual as a series of homicides arise in the Bellingham area.

Upon finishing the first 149 out of 249 pages of the novel, I can confidentally say that I am eager to keep going and finish up the story and solve the many mysteries and questions posed throughout.

What makes “The New Boy” so exciting to read for myself, as a Western student getting ready to graduate in June, is that all the places I have grown to love and all the nuances that come with said places are mentioned constantly; with Bellingham being the primary setting of the novel, the author kept me excited about what was hap“The New Boy,” is avaliable in the Western Associated Students Bookstore Photo by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

pening because I could say to myself “I went there yesterday,” or “Wow, KUGS was around back then.” The main character also alludes to places like the Horseshoe Café, Teddy Bear Cove and the Kappa dorms on The Ridge.

Although the novel takes places in the early 80s, there are many themes, quirks and references that can be applied to today’s society. In one of the early chapters, a high-school student having a VHS sex tape made of her is quite reminiscent of the recent surge of “sexting” and the like of today. Another quirk to the novel is the strange concept of no cell phones. A major hurdle that scary movies ran into in the early 2000s was the prominence of cell phones, creating a sure-fire way for characters to outsmart and outrun the movie’s villain. In “The New Boy,” certain situations and instances surrounding the murder and mystery of the novel seem so foreign to me, with my iPhone sitting on my lap as I read that Andy has to run to the nearest pay phone to call the police.

Even though the novel has so many familiar elements and intriguing plot twists and turns, the flaw I have found with the first half of the novel is that the author tends

to tangent and linger. Whether he is taking the reader back in time to describe how something came to be or give background on a new character, Tat falls into the habit of completely displacing the reader from the current situation involving Andy to explain what his father did a decade ago. Though it is appreciated that the author is thorough and descriptive – his love for adjectives and knack for visually enticing the reader show through the pages clearly – he occasionally organizes the situations in a strange way, over-describes what, half way through the book, seems to be unimportant information.

The novel’s main character Andy carries the story along very well; he is extremely complex and relatable, especially when it comes to the woes that arise during most freshman students’ first few months at Western.

Even though only 149 pages, I have established a slight connection with him making me worry about what he is going through since it appears he does not have many people doing so.

With many questions and unfinished business lingering around the center of the novel, I am excited to finish.

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Photos by Cade Schmidt // AS Review

DINING HALL ACCOMMODATIONS

Students with food allergies eat around dining hall options Lauren Prater • AS Review

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or some, walking into the dining hall is like walking into a world of endless possibilities, whereas for others the choices aren’t so easy. For vegans, vegetarians and students with gluten, nut or dairy allergies, finding food in the dining hall can be more of a challenge.

All three dining halls, Ridgeway Commons, Viking Commons and the Fairhaven Commons, offer a ‘worryfree zone’ that is all food without meat, gluten, dairy or nuts, said Sarah Richey, the Western dietician for Campus Recreation Services and Student Dining. In addition, she said the dining halls usually have gluten free pizza, pasta, quinoa, rice and plain grilled meet madeto-order when students request it.

Richey’s position is to counsel and help accommodate students’ dietary needs. She meets with students on an individual basis to address nutritional concerns.

“The chefs and dining managers want students to feel comfortable approaching them with any questions

and concerns,” Richey said. “Communication between the student with an allergy and the dining team is key; once we know your needs, we accommodate almost any dietary challenge.”

The size of the ‘worry-free zone’ varies with each dining hall, with Fairhaven Commons having the largest.

Still, for freshman Cat Lasswell, maintaining her vegetarian diet has its ups and downs. Lasswell lives in the Ridgeway Complex and mainly eats at the Ridgeway Commons dining hall.

According to Lasswell, the Ridgeway Commons does not offer many dishes for vegetarian students other than the salad bar, cheese or vegetable pizza and an occasional meatless pasta dish.

With the limited options, it is even more difficult to maintain a healthy diet, she said.

Another vegetarian, Eleanor Clarke, also feels that the dining halls are limited in selection.

“I feel like [they] thinks that the only way to make

something vegetarian is to add cheese to it,” vegetarian Eleanor Clarke said. “[Vegetarians] don’t want to eat cheese all the time.”

Students with gluten allergies cannot eat anything containing wheat, rye or barley. Many foods include these ingredients, such as pasta, bread and cereal.

Freshman Julie Wied maintains a gluten-free diet.

“Finding food here on campus is a real challenge for me,” Wied said. “I basically have to stick to eating the same foods every day.”

Wied said there are always pasta, burgers, pizza and other bread based foods, but hardly any dishes that are gluten or wheat free. The dining halls always have rice, salad, and vegetables which are some of the few things that students with this allergy can consume, she said.

“If you are a student with a food allergy and you are struggling to find options in the dining hall, communicate with your dining staff – we’d love to hear from you,” Richey said.

CONTACT THE DINING HALL FOR ANY NUTRITION CONCERNS

Go to ‘Campus Dish’ on the Western website to contact Sarah Richey at sarah.richey@wwu.edu or 360.650.3766