AS Review - November 9, 2015 by ASWWU

Vol. 31 #9 11.9.15

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Leaves of the red Japanese maple tree on north campus. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review

Viking Union 411 516 High St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone: 360.650.6126 Fax: 360.650.6507 Email: as.review@wwu.edu as.wwu.edu/asreview @TheASReview facebook.com/theasreview © 2015. Published most Mondays during the school year by the Associated Students of Western Washington University. The AS Review is an alternative weekly that provides coverage of student interests such as the AS government, activities and student life. The Review seeks to enhance the student experience by shedding light on underrepresented issues, inclusive coverage, informing readers and promoting dialogue.

IN THIS ISSUE

Western sends a 4 student delegation to the OSCC Western is sending a delegation of students to the Oregon Students of Color Conference at Portland State University on Nov 13.

On the “Magic

7 Skagit” with the Outdoor Center

Find out how you can raft the Skagit River with the Outdoor Center this weekend.

Club Spotlight of

5 the Week

Find out how the Western Homeless Outreach club provides meals, hosts clothing drives, spreads awareness and more.

The Presidential 9 search continues Find out about the progress that has been made so far in searching for a new Western President.

Films this

6 November Find out about the films that AS Productions and the Outdoor Center are showing this month, and why you should attend.

Earthquake preparedness 10 for the Western student Find out what you need to know about being prepared as a resident of Bellingham.

We welcome reader submissions, including news articles, literary pieces, photography, artwork or anything else physically printable. Email submissions to as.review@wwu.edu. We welcome letters to the editor. Please limit your letter to 300 words, include your name, phone number and year in school, if you’re a student. Send them to as.review@wwu.edu. Published letters may have minor edits made to their length or grammar.

Marina Price Alexandra Bartick Trevor Grimm Ian Sanquist Kate Welch Morgan Annable Sarah Sharp Alexandra Bartick Designer Zach Becker Adviser Jeff Bates

Editor in Chief Assistant Editor Lead Photographer Writers

The Katie Gray performing at last week’s Wednesday Night Concert Series at the Underground Coffeehouse. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review

11.9 2015 • 3

EVENTS Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 9 // 11 a.m. // VU MPR // Free Come see a lecture given by Western professor Jay Teachman titled “The Lives of Veterans After Military Service: A Portrait of the Last 75 Years” at this year’s Veterans Day Ceremony.

Sustainable Action Fund Idea Lab Nov. 9 // 4-5 p.m. // VU 460 // Free

myths, smashing stigma and talking about toys! Hosted by the Disability Outreach Center and the Sexual Awareness Center.

Salsa and Bachata Dance Club Meetings Nov. 9 // 8-10 p.m. // VU MPR // Free Free weekly lessons available from 8-9 pm and a great social 9-10 pm.

The SAF Grant Program provides funding Leadership to innovative, student-driven projects focused on promoting experiential learning Development Series: opportunities and sustainable practices Situational Leadership at Western. This lab is an opportunity for Nov. 10 // 4-5 p.m. // VU 552 // students to talk about their ideas and learn Free more about the grant. Every leader is different. Depending on the situation, the leader may Leadership Development not be the same person. In some situations, one leader may excel Series: Fundraising more than another. Come learn what Nov. 9 // 4-5 p.m. // VU 552 // Free your leadership style is and where This workshop, hosted by the Club your leadership preferences lie. Activities Office “Club Hub” will show Hosted by the Club Hub. attendees fundraising techniques and ways to help your club make more money.

The Great Beauty

Jazz Jams Nov. 9 // 7-9 p.m. // Underground Coffeehouse // Free Bi-weekly jam session for all student jazz musicians. Bring your own gear and join.

Disability 101: Disability & Sex Nov. 12 // 6-8 p.m. // VU 567 // Free An educational event surrounding issues of disability & sex. We will be busting

Nov. 12 // 8:30-10:30 p.m. // Fraser 102 // Free November is a time for thanksgiving and friendship and cold weather and movie nights every Thursday! What’s better on a rainy night than good company, free popcorn, and watching a film about the party king of Rome searching for life’s meaning? Hosted by AS Productions.

Top Ten: November 2-9 1

Depression Cherry Beach House

Currents Tame Impala

Another One Mac Demarco

Beach Music Alex G

Big Grams EP Big Grams

Weirdo Shrine La Luz

The Beyond/ Where the Giants Roam Thundercat

Product 3 Beat Connection

No No No Beirut

Every Eye Open Chvrches KUGS is the Associated Students’ student-run radio station. Listen online at kugs.org. If you’re interested in getting on the waves, pick up a volunteer application in the station’s office on the seventh floor of the VU.

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Western sends a delegation to the Oregon Students of Color Conference BY SARAH SHARP It was a busy day for the Washington state legislature as 200 phone calls poured were lesbian, he became violent. The women acted in self-defense by puncturing in, each voice on the other end of the line decrying the same absence: funding for the man with a knife, according to Out in the Night’s website. undocumented students. Hill spent 8 years in prison on a charge of second-degree gang assault, despite a Abby Ramos, Associated Students Vice President for Diversity, was one of those non-guilty plea. voices at the Oregon Students of Color Conference several years ago. One of Ramos’ most significant takeaways from the Oregon Students of Color Now, she is planning Western’s delegation to the 2015 conference with the purConference was learning how to be an ally, she said. pose of helping students of color connect with people who share common identiWestern’s AS Queer Resource Center defines an ally as “a person who is a memties and struggles. ber of the ‘dominant’ or ‘maThis year, three students jority’ group who works to from the Ethnic Student end oppression in his or her Center, two Associated personal and professional Student employees and two life through support of and students at large will repadvocacy for the oppressed resent Western at the 15th population.” annual Oregon Students of “You can’t really self-idenColor Conference at Porttify as an ally, but you can land State University on show it in your experiences,” Nov. 13 -15. Ramos said. “The best way you can She hopes the delegates will explore your identity is by come back from the confermeeting other students who ence, willing to share their hold the same identity as knowledge with change-makyou,” Ramos said. “It helps ing leaders at Western. to understand how your “I’m hoping they will tell identity as a marginalized the Board of Directors ‘this student works on a univeris a necessary conference sity level.” and I want other students to The delegates will have be able to go,’ so we have albeen chosen by the publilocated funding every year,” cation of this article. To see Ramos said. a full list, you can visit the All of the student deleEthnic Student Center Facegates will be attending the book page. conference on the AS’ dime. The conference’s theme However, Ramos had to pull will focus on the struggle from three different sources, for justice and equality for including the ESC steering people living on the marThe delegation who attended the OSCC in 2013, held in Eugene, Oregon. Photo courtesy committee, AS Personnel gins of margins, according and Legislative Affairs Counof AS Vice President for Diversity, Abby Ramos (pictured third from left) to the Oregon Student sel, to secure funding. It was a Association website. long, uncertain process, with some of the money coming in at the last minute. Student delegates will attend workshops of their choice centered on different “It wasn’t easy,” Ramos said. intersecting identities throughout the conference. They will also hear from two Students attend the conference in Oregon because Washington doesn’t host a keynote speakers, Monique Teal and Renata Hill, on Saturday. conference of a comparable scale, she said. Teal is a writer for the Daily Kos, a liberal politics blog, and describes herself as Ramos hopes in the coming years, the Washington Student Association will an “unapologetic black feminist” on Twitter. take on a conference of the same size, and in the meantime Western will be able Last year, Hill was featured in the LGBT documentary “Out in the Night,” in to sustain funding for delegates to be able to attend the Oregon Students of Color which Hill and her friends recount the evening they were attacked by a man in Conference. New York. He demanded Hill “get me some of that” and when the group said they

Club spotlight of the week: Western Homeless Outreach BY SARAH SHARP Happy chatter and the smell of chef Tyree Johnson’s dinner special waft through the Viking Commons, greeting more than 100 unfamiliar faces. While students invite homeless members of the community to sit down at a table and share a meal in the dining hall, junior Maddie McKercher looks on. It’s her favorite part of the quarter. As president of the Western Homeless Outreach, McKercher enjoys coordinating “Be Our Guest,” a quarterly event in which students can use one or more of their guest meals to give someone else a free dinner. Often, homeless people will approach her after dinner, give her a hug and tell her how much they appreciate the meal, she said. “I’m always on a high of happiness afterward,” McKercher said. “It totally puts you on cloud nine.” The next Be Our Guest event will be on Friday, Dec. 4. It’s the club’s largest outreach, but they also plan small-scale events throughout the year, McKercher said. Currently, the club is preparing for a winter clothing drive. They will disperse boxes around campus for students to donate thick socks, scarves, hats and gloves to the homeless from Nov. 10 - 24. When all of the clothing items are collected, club members will head downtown to hand them out to people passing along the streets, donning signs that read, “I have food and toiletries. Do I have what you need?” All of the funds the Western Homeless Outreach used for purchasing food, toiletries and clothing either come from students’ or club members’ donations. In addition to serving, the club aims to eliminate misconceptions about downtown’s homeless population. Club officers will speak at a homelessness forum hosted by Dr. Tara Perry and her students to discuss these misconceptions on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. “I think a lot of people have stereotypes about people who are transient or homeless as being lazy or being addicts or not being able to get it together,” McKercher said. “But everyone is human.” The club meets every Monday at 6 p.m. in Bond Hall room 114. Students interested in joining can sign up for club emails or visit the Western Homeless Outreach Facebook page for updates on upcoming meetings and events.

NOV. 10 - 24

DEC. 4

WHO will place boxes around campus for their winter clothing drive. Students can donate socks, scarves, hates and gloves which will be distributed to people who are homeless downtown.

Students with dinning hall guest meals can guest in people who are homeless to enjoy a dinner at the Viking Commons. This event happens at the end of each quarter.

NOV. 12 On Nov. 12 from 6 - 7: 30 p.m. Dr. Tara Perry from the Communications department will give a talk discussing the misconceptions many people have about homelessness.

MONDAYS Western Homeless Outreach meets every Monday at 6 p.m. in Bond Hall 114. Visit facebook.com/ WesternHomelessOutreach/ for more information.

11.9 2015 • 5

A call for submissions from KVIK FROM BRIAN GLINSKI AS KVIK coordinator

KVIK is looking for open submissions for our Short Film Festival premiering on Nov. 18. These submissions can be skits, documentaries, short narrative films, or music videos—as long as they are under 15 minutes in length. You can create a film within a two week period from the 5th to the 13th and use KVIK equipment, resources and volunteers and then compete against other teams for prizes and receive feedback from a panel of judges consisting of film members in the community. Alternatively, you can submit any film that you’ve already created! If you are a student at WWU and have any film or video that you’ve made, you can submit to the festival and have it shown at the premiere. These submissions will be eligible for participation prizes and audience choice awards. The goal is to highlight and showcase the diverse group of Western filmmakers and encourage new or upcoming student filmmakers to compete and work alongside their peers. All experience levels are welcomed and encouraged.

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Films this November

BY IAN SANQUIST This November, the Associated Students will bring a variety of exciting film screenings to Western’s campus. Every Thursday this month, AS Productions Films will host screenings in Fraser Hall 102. The films will start at 8:30 p.m., and doors will open at 8 p.m. On Thursday November 12, the AS Outdoor Center will host Reel Rock 10, the tenth installment in an annual tour of climbing and adventure films, in Arntzen 100. This screening will start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. ASP Films’ November Film Series is already underway. Last week, “Wendy and Lucy,” a 2008 film about a woman and her dog, was shown. ASP Films Coordinator Nate Sawtell said he selected “Wendy and Lucy” because he felt it touched on important issues pertaining to the current state of the American economy. “The woman is trying to get up to Alaska because she’s pretty broke and she wants a job in a cannery,” Sawtell said. “It really touches on…how much of a struggle it is to gain traction and find your own financial stability.” If you missed “Wendy and Lucy”, there are two remaining films in the series. On Thursday November 12, “The Great Beauty,” an Italian film that won the

Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2014, will be screened. “[The Great Beauty] is about a writer who got really famous off one book, and then he basically just partied it up in Rome, and this film is about him trying to figure out what his life is actually about instead of just partying all the time,” Sawtell said. “I chose [it] because it’s a really beautiful film…and it asks a lot of important questions.” On Thursday November 19, “Tangerine,” a 2015 comedy-drama about a hooker out to get revenge on the pimp that betrayed her, will be screened. “[Tangerine] features a couple of transgender actresses and it was shot all on an iPhone,” Sawtell said. “Usually in Hollywood when there is a transgender person on the screen it’s acted by somebody like Jared Leto who is a white straight male, but I think it’s cool that they actually got transgender actresses in order to play the part. It looks intriguing.” These films are not as well-known as some of the films that ASP Films has screened in the past. Sawtell said he hopes that by bringing lesser known movies to campus, students will become more curious about film in gener-

al. All screenings hosted by ASP Films are free. Sawtell added, “There’s going to be free popcorn.” Reel Rock 10, which will be hosted on Thursday November 12 in Arntzen 100 by the AS Outdoor Center, is a collection of films about rock climbing and extreme adventuring. AS Outdoor Center Marketing Resources Coordinator Mitchell Lee said the screening will feature a number of different stories, including a tribute to Dean Potter, a BASE jumper who died earlier this year while attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park. “The big story is ‘A Line Across the Sky’. It has Alex Honnold in it and it’s basically this traverse of this peak in South America that they did that has not been done before,” Lee said. “The movies are inspiring no matter what outdoor activity you do. For me personally I don’t rock climb, so I’m not getting inspired to go rock climbing, but more just to go out and adventure, to seek something new.” Tickets for Reel Rock 10 are available at the Western Box Office in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for general admission, and $7 with student ID. Tickets will also be available at the door, if any remain.

11.9 2015 • 7

Rafting the “Magic Skagit” with the Outdoor Center BY MORGAN ANNABLE The Outdoor Center will host a river rafting trip on the Skagit River on Nov. 14. The trip costs $45 and there are still plenty of spots available. Leading the trip is AS Outdoor Center Excursions Assistant Coordinator, Liam Elio. He has been guiding rafting trips for years and said that he feels lucky to get to share his knowledge of local rivers with other Western students. “The Skagit is a pretty intro river,” Elio said. “It’s got a Class III rapid on it, but for the most part it’s Class II.” Class II, or novice rapids, are wide channels in which no scouting is required and it is easy to maneuver around rocks and waves. Class III rapids, also known as intermediate, feature irregular waves and strong eddies which may be difficult to avoid. The Class III rapids on the Skagit River are known as the S Bends. “It’s a fun series of waves with a series of moves that need to be made,” Elio said. Before the trip begins, guides will outfit the participants with a wetsuit, booties, and a life jacket. “You don’t need to know how to swim, you don’t need to know anything about the river,” Elio said. “That’s what our guides are for. They give you the safety talk and explain what you can expect, and you even get a little education on worst case scenarios.”

Whereas most rivers in the area are influenced by glacial melt and therefore have short, fluctuating seasons, the Skagit River is dam controlled. “That gives us a little more flexibility throughout the year,” Elio said. The Outdoor Center excursions staff recently set the Winter quarter excursions calendar, which features two eagle-watching float trips on the same whitewater section of the Skagit River. “It’s a beautiful place for salmon to come, and then eventually eagles as well,” Elio said. “Depending on the time of year there’s some natural wonders that happen on the Skagit. The ‘Magic Skagit’, some will even call it.” Elio said that the November 14 trip is too early in the year to see an abundance of salmon and eagles, but that it is common to see eagles there throughout the year. This rafting trip is an opportunity for students to gain knowledge of river rafting and to meet other people who are also excited to learn about the sport and the local area. To sign up, visit the Outdoor Center in Viking Union 150. For more information email as.oc.excursions.coord@wwu.edu or call (360) 650-7677.

Photos from last year’s excursion on the Skagit River. Photos courtesy of the AS Outdoor Center

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Earthquake preparedness for the Western student BY MORGAN ANNABLE Many students, especially those who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, have heard about “The Big One” for years. For those who haven’t been huddling under desks for earthquake drills since elementary school, this ominous saying refers to a large earthquake/ tsunami combo that is due to hit the west coast in the next 50 years, according to scientists at the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. In the event of a large earthquake and tsunami, it may take two weeks for a trained emergency response team to arrive in Bellingham, geology instructor Julie Filer said. The Resilience Institute, part of Huxley College of the Environment, promotes education on reducing vulnerability to natural disasters. The Institute suggests being prepared for two weeks without food or water. In addition to having an emergency kit, it is also crucial to have a disaster plan. Filer said that includes

a meeting place and out-of-state communication plan. “It is worth sitting down and entertaining a couple of different scenarios,” Filer said. “What will you do if the earthquake happens at midnight? What if you’re on the way to work or school? What if you’re at work or school? What if you’re at home?” On-campus residents are among the vulnerable populations in case of such an emergency. Filer said that students living on campus should be sure to have a plan to meet up with a group of trusted friends such as roommates or suitemates in a certain place. Everyone should also have a communication plan. Students with families in the affected area should make a plan with their family members to contact a non-local friend or family member. “My fiancé and I plan to call his parents in South Carolina,” Filer said. “If local communication is screwy, we might be able to both call out to a different state and use them as a relay.” Bellingham is located on a plate boundary known

as a convergent margin. Convergent margins occur where two pieces of the earth’s crust, or tectonic plates, are moving toward one another. “In some places, when you have two pieces of plate running into each other, they can crumple together and form this big collision,” Filer said. “When we get that, we end up with really high mountains, like the Himalayas.” The specific type of convergent margin we live on is called a subduction zone, meaning that we live on the line between an oceanic plate and a continental plate. The Cascadia subduction zone stretches 700 miles from Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, Calif ornia. The continental plate is buoyant and the oceanic plate is thin but dense. As the two plates converge, the oceanic plate is shoved beneath the continental plate. Each time it slips, it causes an earthquake. Sometimes when this slippage occurs, the edge of the continental plate is bent down slightly. When it springs back up, it displaces the water on top of

The Red Cross recommends having enough food and water stored for three days. Photo illustrations by Trevor Grimm // AS Review

11.9 2015 • 9

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES LIST WATER > One gallon per person per day RECCOMENDED SUPPLIES > Camping gear > Flashlight and batteries > Toiletries MEDICAL > Whistle, to alert SUPPLIES rescuers to your > Medications location > Adhesive > Work gloves bandages > Copies of im> Antiseptic wipes portant documents > Blanket such as personal > Aspirin identification, insur> Gauze pads ance information, > Scissors and emergency contact phone numbers, stored FOOD > Dry foods > Canned foods > Can opener

it. This causes the tsunamis that often accompany earthquakes. The Red Cross is always looking for more people to take first aid and CPR courses to be ready for any emergency. Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, is another way to gain skills that will be crucial in the case of a natural disaster. The Bellingham chapter of the American Red Cross is located at 2111 King Street and can be reached at (360) 733-3290. The Red Cross has upcoming First Aid/CPR/AED trainings on December 12, December 19, and January 2. Sign up online at redcross.org. For more information about CERT or to register for a CERT training class, email ghope@ co.whatcom.wa.us. Filer also recommends Geology 101 for anyone who wants more information about earthquakes and how they are formed. The class also counts as a GUR lab science. She is currently working on restructuring the labs to include more links between geology and disaster preparedness to teach students how to make informed decisions about housing based on local geology and to understand the necessity of certain building codes.

Western’s search for a new president continues BY KATE WELCH Fifteen people can now look forward to the privilege of saying they directly helped choose the next president of Western. Last week, the final selections for the Presidential Search Committee were made by the board of Trustees, who are selected by the state government and the student senate. The committee is comprised on one undergraduate student, two graduate students, six faculty and staff members, four members of the Board of Trustees, one Alumnus and the President of Whatcom Community College, Kathi Hiyane-Brown. Students had the opportunity to apply, said AS Communications Director Kelly Mason, “Students could apply, 18 or so students applied, with those applications Current Western President Bruce Shepard pictured with they went through the board, and they former Student Trustee and AS President, Carly Roberts approved about eight students who Photos by Issac Martin // AS Review needed to be selected by the Board of Trustees.” With a committee selected, students are able to fill out a survey to voice their opinions about what they want to see in the next president. The brief survey asks directly about the qualities the participant would like to see in the president, what challenges they see being present in the University’s future and what they think Western’s strengths are. “On the [presidential search] website, there’s a survey, and it asks what students would like to see in the next president. Students can also go to the open forums they’re having to discuss this.” The forums, although held on November 2, 3 and 4, were an opportunity for students to actively speak about the search process and their ideas of what the ideal candidates would look like. Students, faculty, alumni, staff and community members can also submit comments to the search committee and those facilitating the search. Although these online channels provide a way for students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members to give feedback, the Associated Students is especially interested in keeping students informed, said Mason. “The AS right now is the link to students in the presidential search. We aren’t involved in deciding who the next president will be,” Mason said, “We are in charge of providing information to students and making sure that the search process is transparent and students know what’s going and how they can get involved.” Western has also employed an outside company that specializes in finding candidates for similar positions. The company, Greenwood/Asher & Associates, is a firm owned by women that states on their website that they actively pursue candidates for academic positions that are diverse, and they appoint a woman or person of color 55 percent of the time. The same company facilitated the presidential search that married the partnership of the Western community and Bruce Shepard’s tenacious commitment to diversity in 2008. The company will be involved in the capacity of screening potential candidates and being involved in their interviews. “I think it’s really important for students to be involved in the process and to voice their concerns about who next president should be and what qualifications they have and what we are looking for in a president, and we want the person to reflect the ideals and the needs of our school, so it’s important for our voices to be heard,” said Mason.

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FEAR OF BY IAN SANQUIST There’s a word for the fear of Friday the 13th, and I don’t know if I can pronounce it. The word is paraskevidekatriaphobia, which sounds kind of like a skin condition, or a crippling fear of a skin condition. Earlier this year I was sitting in the co-op. I guess it was Thursday the 12th, although I hadn’t registered the date. A man with a white beard that he wore in a small knot, like a snowball at the end of his chin, was seated at a table next to mine. “Excuse me,” he said. “Is it Thursday?” I had to think about it. “Thursday the 12th?” “Yeah,” I said. “I guess it is.” His eyes bulged and he turned his head in every direction. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. He looked straight at me. “Are you superstitious?”

earful superstitions surrounding Friday date back to the 14th century. According to www.snopes.com (a website run by journalists that looks at urban legends and folklore), one of the earliest references to the misfortune that a Friday can bring can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” “And on a Friday fell all this mischance,” the noteworthy passage goes. But it was in the 19th century that cautionary anecdotes began to proliferate. A few examples, taken from Snopes: “A child born on a Friday is doomed to misfortune.” “If you have been ill, don’t get up for the first time on a Friday.” “If you hear anything new on a Friday, it gives you another wrinkle on your face, and adds a year to your age.” As to that last one, I hope you’re not reading this on a Friday, or that if you are, you’ve heard all this before. But why Friday? Theories abound, and most revolve around catastrophic biblical events that supposedly occurred on a Friday. The crucifixion, for instance, could have taken place on a Friday, or on Friday, Eve could have offered Adam a bite from the apple, leading to the fall of man, or maybe Friday was the first day that it rained for forty days and forty nights, or maybe it was on a Friday that Cain slew Abel. Or maybe somebody once just stubbed his toe really bad on a Friday and cursed the day and it kind of caught on. It’s hard to really say for sure how anything picks up enough steam to become ingrained in the public consciousness, unless there’s an unambiguous marketing campaign, which, in fact, there was, over the “Friday the 13th” franchise of movies. But the “Friday the 13th” movies were made and marketed long after the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th was well established, and they would not have been made, or would not have been made with that exact title, had there

A CALENDAR DAY

11.9 2015 • 11

“I was in a terrible accident, I lost fifteen of my teeth!” he said. “My wife died on a Friday the 13th.” He told me that he’d traveled to Rome to meet with a cleric in the Vatican. The instant he’d walked into his office, the cleric uttered something in Italian and held up his cross. He said that in a previous life, he’d practiced very high levels of black magic, and now he was doomed to pay for his transgressions every Friday the 13th. He said he met a woman in the mafia who told him she could sense his demonic presence, and that, had he been Sicilian, they would have taken him in as a killer, who visited misfortune upon the Mafia’s enemies every Friday the 13th. But he isn’t Sicilian, and so he is doomed to be rejected by society for the curse he carries with him, he said. “Terrible things happen to people who know me,” he said. “I make terrible things happen.” He hugged himself and shivered. The building was heated, and he was wearing several layers. “I’m scared,” he said. “I’m scared.” I really wish I were making all of this up, but I’m not. I nodded and told him I had to go. I didn’t really feel like I had any advice for him. Anyway, through all this, I

“

A casual walk through bad luck. Illustration by Hannah Shaffer // AS not already been an established and instantaneous association of Friday the 13th with supernatural bad vibes. As far as the superstition that surrounds the number thirteen, a common supposition is that it’s also biblical in origin, emerging from the Last Supper, at which Judas Iscariot was said to have been the thirteenth guest at the table. So, with fears already established surrounding Friday and the number thirteen, it only follows that Friday the 13th would be an especially inauspicious day. In the co-op, I told the man with the snowball beard that no, I wasn’t particularly superstitious. At that point, he launched into a reeling story of one misfortune after another that had befallen him and people around him on various Friday the 13ths.

And on a Friday fell all this mischance. The Canterbury Tales

thought that maybe he was putting me on. But if this was his idea of a joke, it sure seemed to terrify him. I thought maybe I should shake his hand, but his tale and his manner had left me so uneasy that I thought I’d better not. In the presence of his superstitious performance, I felt more superstitious than I was comfortable with. “Hey,” I said. “Good luck, man.” Later that day, I was crossing the street on my bike and I got hit by a motorcyclist. Needless to say, I was upset by the Publicity Center accident, and moreover, I was upset by my encounter with that man in the co-op. But it was still Thursday the 12th! Even so, I blame him. Even if he didn’t explicitly curse me, he certainly jinxed me. He certainly threw me off my groove. I see him around all the time and I won’t talk to him. The only moral I can draw from this story is that if you don’t want people to think that you carry a curse of terrible luck, there are probably ways to introduce yourself to them that don’t involve telling them in detail about your curse. Then again, maybe honesty is always the best policy, and if you really do carry a curse, it’s better to get it out in the open, because maybe that way you can find someone who accepts you as you are. Friday the 13th is this Friday. Don’t let it bother you.

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Western’s campus in November

Lush greens currently fill the Seahome Hill Arboretum, while the fountain is back on. Photos by Jeff Bates and Trevor Grimm // AS Publicity Center

Western B Gallery- “Second Skin”

Last week B Gallery hosted an exhibit of artwork from an art class of Western students titled “Second Skin.” B Gallery exhibits are rotated out every week. Check their facebook page for more details. Photos by Trevor Grimm // AS Publicity Center