Summer 2016

Pulse Summer 2016

special summer issue!

why we need to help keep our beaches clean pg. 30 find the perfect shades for your face shape

*sasquatch ** photospread pg. 40

pg. 33

get to know our new ascwu president pg. 18

pulse team

celebrate summer

editor’s note First things first, thank you. If you’re reading this, it means you took the time out of your summer adventures to browse through Pulse Magazine. And big news, this is the FIRST Summer issue, EVER. We did something really special with this one. This issue was created with no incentives attached—no class credits, money or fame. We did it just because we love Pulse and couldn’t stand an entire summer without it.

I want to give a special shout out to our new Art Director Vanessa Cruz. She listens to all of my terrible plans and says “they’re not shitty ideas, we just get each other.” It’s so refreshing to not have to apologize for my out-of-the-box ideas and to be met with enthusiasm. This world would be colorless and boring without her (and so would Pulse, so NEVER leave).

Speaking of boring, my summer has been sleep, work, eat, repeat. I’m not alone though, on page 8, students share their experiences doing fulltime during their “time-off.” One of our writers is living it up in Florida, (JEALOUS), and shared the importance of being a responsible beach bum on page 34. And although it hasn’t been too sunny in Ellensburg, UV rays are still harmful for your eyes, find out the perfect shades for your face shape on page 38.

I won’t take up too much of your time because I know you want to get started reading this beautiful zine.

My last piece of advice is: be mindful. Mindfulness is defined as being conscious or aware of something. Be receptive of how this world is making you feel and don’t let it bring you down. If you need tips to living a healthy and happy life, Brielle’s got your back, head to page 27.

Stay Groovy, Bailey Williams

in this issue our town

8

d o i n g f u l l t i m e //

10

no more suffering

spotlight

12

drawing inspiration

18

i am my brother’s keeper

22

wynwood walls

life hacks

28

the ultimate hair and beard guide

mind & body

27

7 ways to a healthy life

34

seas the debris

38

the perfect shades

music

* o n t h e c o v e r // s a s q u a t c h 4 0 48

pulse8 features ryme

our first ever summer issue online exclusive, mini zine

, . k o o l w e n . l e e f w e n come see for yourself.

cwupulse.com exclusive content // previous issues videos // cool cats // pulse radio student highlights // interactive features

pulse summer issue staff editors editor-in-chief assistant editor

Bailey Williams Nicole Trejo-Valli

designers art director graphic designer graphic designer

Vanessa Cruz Maddie Bush Elizabeth Mason

contributors Simone Corbett, Xander Deccio, Jack Lambert, Tim Mitchell, Matt Morse, Tayler Shaindalin, Brielle Rutledge, Bailee Wicks

faculty adviser Jennifer Green (509) 963-1046 // Jgreen@cwu.edu

business manager Tara Long (509) 963-1026 // Taral@cwu.edu

Summer 2016

Doing Full Time Story By Bailee Wicks Design By Elizabeth Mason

O

nce the heat kicks up and wearing pants is no longer bearable, students start wishing it was summer. The tropical vacations only reached by a plane ride, the outdoor music festivals, and oh yeah, the harsh reality of a summer job.

These three college students come from different places, backgrounds, and even attend different schools but they all have one thing in common—working full-time during their “time off.”

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name: Katie Hebdon occupation: Online ordering at the Wildcat Shop Central Junior, Katie Hebdon is planning to study Human Resources or Leadership Management.

Hebdon has been working at the Wildcat Shop for a little over a year now and was recently promoted to the online ordering in the shipping and receiving department. Her plans for this summer are to work and save up for the coming year. “My goal is to try and not live paycheck to paycheck,” she says.

Even though she is working full-time, she feels like it is beneficial and great practice for life after college. She says people who don’t work full-time are missing out on some quality connections. “The people I work with are awesome. I have made some great friends working here.”

Summer doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Hebdon spends her weekends to hanging out with friends and going to the lake.

Our Town

name: Kylianne Morton occupation: Sales at Buckle Kylianne Morton, a sophomore at University of Washington-Tacoma has big plans for her summer job. Morton has been working at Buckle, a clothing store in the Tacoma Mall, since November of 2015. She says that working gives her a reason to get out of bed, network with new people and prepare her for her future career.

Morton is a Marketing major with an Economics minor. Working at Buckle has “helped me learn things necessary for my degree such as sales tactics, customer service, and product knowledge.”

Her true goal is to be able to move out of her house and get a place of her own before the start of this school year. “I wish I had more time to enjoy the nice weather and my friends that are back from college, but considering I really wants to move out, by working I can achieve a bigger goal rather than just having summer fun,” she says.

Morton says she will be going on cheap road trips, working out, and finding time for her friends before the busy school year starts once again.

name: Stacey Sibayan occupation: Sales at Garage Clothing Company Stacey Sibayan is a sophomore at Tacoma Community College working towards her major in Business. Sibayan works at Garage Clothing Company, a retail store in Tacoma, Washington. Not only does she enjoy everyone on staff, but her favorite part is a tie between the consumer science behind retail and being able to meet people from all over the West Coast with different backgrounds who offer a unique view of what fashion means to them.

Although her summer has been filled with hard work, she doesn’t feel as if she is missing out on anything. “I push through her tiredness for the sake of making memories.

Memories with quality people are a lot more important to me than sleep.”

“I make it a point to try something new at least once every week. Like a new mountain to hike or a restaurant I haven’t tried yet to keep my brain refreshed and not get wrapped up in the day to day monotony.”

You can find Sibayan, among many other music lovers at Bumbershoot in Seattle, enjoying her time off.

Summer 2016

e r o No M ing: r e f f Su to com e d i u g a

llergi a r e m sum bating

Your skin is itchy, you have a headache, you can’t stop sneezing and your nose feels like Niagara Falls.

You’re not alone. It’s allergy season and many other residents of the county are suffering too. According to Flonase.com, “During summer, grasses, such as Timothy, Johnson and Rye, release allergy-causing pollen.”

Pulse did some research and found some of the most recommended over-the-counter medicines and remedies to help make the summer months more bearable.

Nasal sprays are a great way to combat allergies and Consumer Reports says Flonase, Nasacort and Nasonex are the top brands. Recently, Flonase and Nasacort became available without having to need a prescription. These are steroid sprays that really know how to pack a punch. But, like all medicine—there are downsides.

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es

Story by Matt Morse Design by Maddie Bush

According to Consumer Reports, the nasal sprays can take several hours or even a few days to work, but once you start using them consistently then it start to work in high gear.

Other recommendations if you are looking for an immediate relief can be found through your doctor. Cetirizine, Fexofenadine and Loratadine all rank high on allergy medication reports based on dosing convenience, cost, effectiveness and safety.

Prescription medicines can be pricey especially if you suffer from allergy symptoms year-round. Consumer Reports says that inexpensive generics are the best option and give you a better bang for your buck.

But, maybe you don’t like the pharmaceutical medicine approach, no worries, there are many natural remedies as well.

Our Town

Honey from your local farmer’s market will help fight pollen-related allergy symptoms. Bees collect local pollen when they buzz around town and take it back to the hive and small amounts are found in their honey.

By taking a tablespoon of honey daily you are adding some of these local pollens into your immune system and this helps your body combat some of those allergies. Plus this is a super tasty way to help fight off those allergies.

Another folk remedy suggests using apple cider vinegar. According to LiveStrong.com, “Apple cider vinegar is especially rich in acetic, and it also contains malic, citric and ascorbic acids.”

Mix a teaspoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar with water three times a day and this will help relieve your allergy suffering.

According to Wellnessmama.com, the mixture helps reduce mucous production and cleanse the lymphatic system.

But make sure the vinegar you use has “The Mother,” which is a colony of beneficial bacteria in most organic and unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar brands.

Wait, that’s not all! Apple cider vinegar also helps with digestion and weight loss, so it’s a triple whammy!

We hope this guide of allergy medicines helps you get the relief you need.

Now get out there and enjoy some fresh air—

without the runny nose.

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Story by Brielle Rutledge Design by Maddie Bush Photos by Rachel Kirk, Jason Kirk, and provided by rachelhallkirk.com

I’m on the verge of dropping my first drawing class because I feel like I have no natural talent.

The only reason I don’t is because the supplies are so expensive -- and the bookstore return policies at this university are outrageous enough to throw a fit about.

Our first assignment of the quarter is to draw a still-life of boxes stacked on top of one another.

The boxes are intentionally arranged in the middle of the room, with students’ easels circled around them. After grinding my eraser down to a nub and cursing god for my talentless existence, the professor, Rachel Kirk, walks over to me.

I make eye contact with her. Her eyes are playful and kind and her clothes are cheerily colorful.

She’s a petite woman, just a couple inches over 5 feet, maybe, with short, reddish brown hair that reaches her chin.

“Lookin’ good!,” she says with a smile so genuine, I feel like she might be mocking my awkward, uneven lines. They don’t look good; they look so stupid, and I feel embarrassed.

“You’re really close!,” she says, trying again to reassure me. “You just have to make sure your lines are parallel to one another.” She stands there with me for about five minutes helping me analyze each box’s angle and get the proportions right. Miraculously, my lines transform into a sketch with depth and dimension. It surprises me and gives me confidence to move forward.

I thank Rachel and she walks on to the next student.

As the quarter progresses, so do my skills, but not without the help of Rachel. Some days I spend hours in the studio and stay after class to work on my drawings. Sometimes Rachel stays outside her office hours to guide me in the right direction. She appreciates my effort. I appreciate her time and encouragement.

A year later, Rachel’s dedication to teaching and beautiful art are still with me, and now I have the chance to share her story.

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Spotlight

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the south, and that’s she’s from Nashville.

“But it wasn’t cool when I was growing up,” she laughs. “Just within the last 10 years it’s become a hip place.”

I meet with her in her office in the art building. I poke my head from behind the door, and she looks up from her computer and waves me in. I pull up a chair and look around the room at all the art hanging up. I see one of her drawings that’s always caught my eye hanging to the right of me: a hyperrealistic drawing of a bee. I love how she’s made a common insect look so stunning with its fine detail.

“For 10 years, I taught as an adjunct — which is part time,” she points out. “There just weren’t any full-time positions.”

During those years, she didn’t have medical insurance or financial stability because adjuncts don’t reap the same benefits as tenures. From semester to semester, she and her husband never knew if they could pay their mortgage. “Sometimes you were the lowest person on the totem pole and your classes would get pulled last minute,” she says.

10 YEARS AS AN ADJUNCT

If Rachel hadn’t landed a job as an art professor at CWU a year and a half ago, she’d probably be walking a different path right now.

She later would tell me it was one of her last realistic drawings she would make before she began her journey creating abstract art.

It’s all she’s been making recently.

“I’ve taught at six different schools at university level [in Tennessee], and they all have their pros and cons, but I’m really comfortable here,” Rachel tells me with a nod and a smile, and I can tell she means it. She says she moved to Washington from

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While piecing together work at three different schools, she sometimes drove three hours a day from one place to the other just to make ends meet. She says even after doing national job searches nothing panned out, although she’d been a finalist a few times. “It was too much. I just couldn’t handle it physically anymore,” she says slightly offering her palms up.

ONE LAST GO-AROUND

Rachel told her husband that she would do one last national job search and applied for 37 different positions around the country.

If she couldn’t find a full-time position somewhere, she would have to choose a new career path. “The latest statistic I heard a few years ago was in painting and drawing there are about 300 qualified applicants for every [one] full-time tenuretrack job,” she explains, and my eyes bug.

“It’s this ridiculously hard thing to break into.”

But with a little luck, Rachel landed a job teaching at CWU, which she says was her first choice because it’s close to Seattle, a big city. “I bet that was such a good feeling to finally have the job you’ve always wanted,” I say. “Yes!,” she exclaims.

“Stability!” She’s beaming. It’s obvious this job makes her happy.

She says she likes the attitude about art in the northwest. It’s different than the south because people are able to express themselves more freely out here. “You know religion is huge in the south, so if you do anything that questions that or deals with racial diversity,” she shrugs, “there are a lot of buttons to push that people sort of avoid.”

As for Rachel’s husband, he’s a freelance writer. I am amazed when she tells me that

he’s been writing for the poker industry, specifically, for the last decade or so. “For a while, he would travel to live poker tournaments around the country and do live write-ups, live blogging, he would do interviews with the players — that kind of thing,” Rachel says.

“The last few years he’s been doing just online stuff, so he hasn’t been traveling.

But in the summer,” she explains, “he used to go stay in Vegas for the entire month of the World Series of Poker and just work, doing articles on that. It’s a very niche thing; he kinda just fell into it.”

When I ask her about how she and her husband met, she looks down at her hands and smiles, getting shy. They met in college. “I remember the first time I saw him on campus, I thought was attractive.

I saw him talking to a former boyfriend of mine, and then he set us up,” Rachel says.

First, they went on a group date with some friends, and then later just the two of them.

She admits that although she appreciated his friendship at first, she didn’t see him as boyfriend material, only a really good friend. And it stayed that way for a few years — until he got a girlfriend, that is, and Rachel recalls feeling a bit jealous.

Now, the rest is history.

ARTISTIC STYLE 16

Rachel explains that she’s a mixed media drawer, but if she had to choose just one medium it would be ink because it’s extremely versatile. I consider this. “I like colored ink; not just black,” she says. “I like to use a bamboo pen, which is the same format as a quill pen. Specifically, I like the reaction of ink on paper.”

She says she uses personal photographs of visually stimulating things in her environment for inspiration, but currently isn’t working on anything “deeply conceptual.” One night while she was cooking lamb burgers, she didn’t wash the dishes until the next day and the fat had congealed into what she explains as “this really interesting layering pattern that almost looked like lily pads, so [I] took a bunch of photographs of that.”

She turns to her computer and clicks until the photo pops up on the screen, and then spins the computer around to me. She’s right. It actually is quite beautiful.

“I’m not a photorealist,” Rachel continues.

“I like to look at something and then make my own decisions altering it.” She shows me another photo of a cactus that she only partially used and turned on its side. I remark how much it looks like a poisonous caterpillar and she agrees, giggling.

STUDENT OPINIONS

Spotlight

In Rachel’s early morning drawing class the following week, I watch as the class sketches still-life drawings of random objects artistically placed on a long table in the middle of the room. There are pitchers, rope, bones, baskets and more. I wonder how long it took to set it all up, and I wander around the room looking at everyone’s drawings.

Some low-tempo music is playing, but I can’t figure out what is it.

I stop and chat with a couple of students. I take photos and ask them what they’ve liked about the class so far and how they feel about Rachel’s teaching style. “She really lets you do your own thing, but still gives you the criticism you need to make your final piece look really good. I really like Rachel,” sophomore journalism major Elizabeth Weddle says to me.

An undeclared freshman named Eddie Marx agrees, saying he has “zero experience with art,” but because of Rachel, he’s now looking at being an art major. “She makes it less intimidating trying to make realistic drawings. She gives me confidence to try new things I’ve never done before,” he explains.

Before heading out, I snap some more photos and admire another student’s work on the other side of the room. He’s a junior ceramics major named Manuel Stevens. He tells me that Rachel is “very patient with her students. Some of us have never even drawn, so she brings out strong drawing points we didn’t know we had.”

I realize after visiting her class that morning, that I’m not the only one who’s taken a lot away from Rachel. Not only is she kind, smart and interesting, she’s also truly inspiring to many of her students.

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I am my

Brother’s Keeper Story by Tim Mitchell with contributions by Bailey WIlliams Photos by Tayler Shaindalin Design by Elizabaeth Mason

Spotlight

When Central’s Brother 2 Brother chapter began last year, Armando Ortiz was the first to take initiative on leading the group of diligent young men. “I am here, and I have no problem being my brother’s keeper.”

The club’s teachings have prepared him to represent the university as the ASCWU president this fall. A student, poet, and passionate demonstrator, Ortiz has a vision for Central of representing student voice and expanding resources for underrepresented people and communities on campus.

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE

Dr. James Gaudino at a LEAP (Latino Educational Achievement Project) conference two years before.

Dr. Guadino was so impressed by Ortiz and his story that he offered him the scholarship on-the-spot.

Now a Wildcat, Ortiz says he has found his community and feels welcomed by the values of diversity that define our campus.

He has been heavily involved with the MEChA club, which represents the Chicano, Chicana, and Chicanex populations at Central, the African-American brotherhood Brother 2 Brother, and the Black Student Union.

A Yakima native of ten years, in 2004 Ortiz moved to West Seattle and fell into the fierce world of gang violence, where he was “proving himself for a color or piece of concrete that wasn’t mine, that’ll never be mine.” The turbulence in the gang community affected him deeply. He struggled to be a student and since he’s the oldest grandchild he was looked at as the leader of the family.

Back in 2015, tensions arose across the nation after students at the University of Missouri lead protests regarding racism on campus, workplace benefits and the lack of leadership on their campus. Ortiz and fellow students organized a protest in the Student Union and Recreation Center (SURC) to stand in solidarity with the students and to raise awareness to the problems affecting Central’s campus.

Amidst pressure to drop out of school and learning to find an identity, Ortiz had a major turning point. A good friend of his passed away, leaving the 12-year-old Ortiz with the final words “you’re capable of being better than what you are now.” Ortiz says he looked up to him, and, being the oldest child, he didn’t have many other people to turn towards.

Those words still stick with him today.

“The goal was to get the university’s ear open to the underrepresented groups on campus. Like YO! You should really listen to us,” says Ortiz.

A CLEARER VISION IN COLLEGE

Years later, in 2013, Ortiz set his sights on higher education and earned a full-ride scholarship to Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he played football and studied in a small student community of about 2,700 people. Being one of the few students of color in the selective private school, Ortiz felt like the outcast minority on campus. He says he was “tokenized” by professors who would ask for his opinion on historical events that marginalized a group of people, to which he would respond, “I only know about my own people and my own family.” It was clear that Ortiz needed a more vibrant and diverse community to support him.

BECOMING A WILDCAT

After he tore his meniscus in a football accident, Ortiz dropped out of Lewis & Clark and then took up a scholarship to Central offered by President

He says that he was not met with any backlash on a university level, although some students felt they didn’t do it the “right” way. “There were a lot of comments from students saying we went about it wrong.

But we tried other ways and they didn’t hear us. For lack of a better term, they were being haters.”

Aside from academics and volunteering for various clubs and organizations, Ortiz is an avid poet and musician. He’s curating a book of slam poetry and spoken word with Central’s visiting writer and English professor Xavier Cavazos.

A PRESIDENT IN THE MAKING

Dr. Keith Champagne, associate dean for student development, sees much of his own history in Ortiz. He grew up in the drug-riddled projects of News Orleans and survived inner-city violence to pursue a college education himself. Dr. Champagne admires Ortiz for his commitment to social justice for all students and anticipates he will do great work in office.

He has watched Ortiz take initiative of as the Brother 2 Brother President and excel in that position.

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Through being in the Brotherhood, he has thrived as a leader and a student in the classroom, where his GPA has risen from a 1.9 his first quarter to nearly making the Dean’s list this past winter.

Last year, the club attended the national SAAB conference (Student African American Brotherhood) in Detroit, where Ortiz was one of nine selected speakers out of 350 students in attendance to deliver a keynote speech. His speech, “Transforming the Narrative,” opened with words of welcome in multiple languages, including one of a local Native American tribe whose land was taken in construction of the city, and then closed with a powerful spoken word about being a man of color and surviving gang violence.

“There are men out there who need guidance and leadership,” says Ortiz, “and I want to do that work.”

Using the phrase, “giving it my 100 percent,” Ortiz describes late night phone calls spent counseling his fellow brothers, offering his couch to those needing a place to sleep, and giving his spare packets of Top Ramen to hungry friends.

Dr. Champagne says these are examples of Ortiz’s sense of teamwork: being considerate of “how we get there as a group, as Americans living in this country together.” Being academically successful, especially in higher education, isn’t a “cool” way to live in marginalized communities. Dr. Champagne says Ortiz is breaking that stereotype through involvement with Brother 2 Brother and the Male Success Initiative.

“As men, we are always told we can’t show emotion or need a leader. We’re breaking those stigmas,” says Ortiz.

ASCWU & THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL

Current president Ryan Anderson is an active member of Brother 2 Brother and witnessed Ortiz’s leadership abilities months before the election. Anderson describes Ortiz as “approachable, down-to20

earth, and focused on making Central a welcoming atmosphere,” adding that he’s a “no-nonsense” type of leader.

The ASCWU president is the glue that binds all the offices together, being the chair at public meetings and overseeing the programs and budgeting of student funds. This person is the “face” of CWU in representing the university to the faculty and administration.

“It’s our money and our campus. If a student has a problem, we will work to solve it,” Ortiz says about his future leadership of ASCWU. Besides being a representative of students at CWU, Ortiz has two major projects planned for his time as ASCWU President: 1) A Campus-wide Mentorship Program – Modeled after the College of Business and Alumni Association programs, this would be a resource for students in all academic departments to alumni and current students for information on post-graduate degrees, job opportunities, and class options at CWU. 2) A Resource Center for Underrepresented Communities – Ortiz is inspired by the University of Washington’s Resource Center, the SORC. He’s been talking with Dr. Champagne and Dean of Student Success Sarah Swagger about visiting other college’s resource centers and drafting the vision for what CWU’s resource center would look like.

OPEN TO FEEDBACK

“If anybody has anything to say to me or about me, let them know that they can come to me,” Ortiz says.

“Any community organization can attest that I’ll give my 100 percent to the group.” Receiving encouragement and support from mentors like Dr. Champagne and Dr. Gaudino and peers like Anderson, Ortiz is confident to take the step into the ASCWU presidential office for the 2016-2017 school year.

PTSD A POEM BY ARMANDO ORTIZ Post-traumatic stress disorder Most people think war veterans are the only ones who have this That when they RETURN from battle they aren't the same Not the same as they were when they LEFT That something OVER THERE changed them But what if you have no choice to leave What if you aren't sent away and your war is just outside your door That escape is inevitable Only by a body bag or handcuffs Can't look like a bitch so you're always told to man up Your friends chalk outline is like a genie telling your future Will it be a peer or a police officer that shoots ya You in the wrong place now you just another victim of murda Do you wanna see a dead body (Kendrick type voice) Before I turned 18 I seen more dead bodies I could ever count on my hands and feet I still see their blood on the stains of my shoes It's like the strawberry topping you put on your banana split Chunks of their bodies on the pavement Their blood ran through the drains like water through your hands You try and ask them to come back but don't know if they can It's probably too late But you try CPR anyway The sirens get closer Your friends runaway but no child left behind, Remember But these are not children, they're forced matured men Who have to man up or bite the end of bullets

Coming at them like UV rays Execution style, stabbed to death Drive by shootings But it's not like you get to pick Dead before 21 guess I'm barely making it Cause when I go back it's the same shit just a different day Or should I say a different body How do I cope when I still remember their eyes When I can still hear their cries When I can still feel the pain in my chest when I tried to take my last breath That's probably why I can't sleep at night Because I'm still consumed by the darkness I try to shine light on my situation but the shadow grows darker Fireworks are gun shots Engine revs my body stops Barrios, war zones, hoods, ghettos, they're all the same Soldiers & lieutenants, where I'm from we got different names But the concept the same Give your life for the concrete Means give your life for your country I keep being told I don't have a problem To pick myself up by the boot straps How can I do that when boots I can't afford How when I'm down here shining yours That there's nothing wrong with me I needa be stoic Call me when you can't sleep When their eyes are your dreams No matter how many times you wash them, there's blood on your hands Daily thoughts of suicide, yeah, that's normal for him I'm just tryna figure out where normal begins

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Summer 2016

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Spotlight

wynwood

WALLS Story by Nicole Trejo-Valli Photos by Nicole Trejo-Valli and Gisele Morales Design by Vanessa Cruz

The Wynwood Walls are located in Miami, Florida and have seen over 50 renowned graffiti and street artists representing 16 countries. The walls of the warehouse are used as blank canvases for artists to release their creativity for the world to see. Tony Goldman, a real estate developer and arts visionary, created this concept in 2009 to transform the warehouse and bring attention to an area that was once under appreciated. It has become a must see international destination.

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Summer 2016

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Spotlight

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Summer 2016

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Spotlight

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Summer 2016

The Ultimate Hair and Beard Guide Story by Jack Lambert Design by Elizabeth Mason

Men have little coverage regarding fashion tips and how to be the best self you can be. I have taken pride in keeping up my style so, I hopefully can guide you through a few tips to help make your hair and beard (if you are lucky enough to grow one) look superb.

With your beard and hair looking sharp it’s the boost of confidence you need to take on the day.

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Haircuts/ lengths Haircuts are a great thing, however the cut of your hair can make you look like a criminal (according to my mom) or professionally dapper. When the whole process takes all of 30 minutes, be sure to completely express to your barber what you want your hair to look like. Be honest and tell them if you like it or don’t, after all you are paying for the haircut you want. My biggest tip and part of knowledge I can impart to you is that you can always cut it shorter, but there’s no turning back, so start with small increments. You don’t have to start with a skin fade, I suggest going with a two clipper length fade.

your desired length it looks great. This cut has multiple looks, the flowing locks, man-tails (a man with a ponytail) and the god-forsaken man bun (if you do grow out your hair, please grow it out long enough where you can include the hair from the sides of your head into the ponytail, don’t shave your sides—it doesn’t look good). These flowing locks look good virtually on anybody, you just have to rock them.

These are two of my highly recommended cuts, that are popular today and if you want to stand out—get yourself a rat tail or a bizhawk, don’t know what it is?

Just google it. (PLEASE DON’T, I was just joking).

Styling of hair

Hair styles in men vary greatly, and what haircut suits Macklemore or Riff Raff doesn’t suit all men, often to my dismay. One of the more timeless male cuts, that I like to rock is longer hair on the top and shorter sides. The top is usually anywhere between two-three inches and the sides are commonly faded with the shortest clipper length being around a one. This cut always looks sharp and is easy to keep clean. This cut works for well people that have straight or slightly curly hair. If you have do not want to keep up this cut (visiting the barbers often is often needed to keep this haircut looking sharp).

Spending ten minutes in the mornings on styling your hair can make a huge difference. The short sides and longer top cut can be styled many ways, from having a pompadour (the hair on the top is combed back with pomade and pushed frontwards, think Elvis Presley) to a messy side comb, my favorite, not too much upkeep but it does a good job accentuating the length of the top. With this cut it is recommended to use some sort of hair product. For thicker hair types I recommend a heavy hold pomade, my favorite brand of this I have tried so far is Lockharts Goon Grease, it holds your desired look all day without making your hair look greasy.

Another one of the other contemporary options takes some patience to grow out, but when you get to

If you sport thinner hair I would recommend a medium to low hold wax or clay hair product, it will let

“What haircut suits Macklemore or Riff-Raff doesn’t suit all men.”

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you build volume you could not get with heavy pomade and it also keeps the natural look of your hair.

Getting to the technical aspects there are a few habits that you can start to get the most out of your chosen look. The first is being conscious about the direction in which your hair grows. The next time you go to a barber ask which direction your hair grows in, educating yourself on this will solve many problems in styling your hair later.

The second tip I have is optional but helpful if you are looking for volume or a specific style your hair does not conform to. This is to blowdry your hair roughly into the shape you want it. The third and most important thing to do when styling your hair is to know how to much product to use and how to apply it. On a typical day take about a nickel-sized dollop of the product of your choice and place that in the palm of your hand and taking the hand you used rub your hands together till warm, then start working in the product into quite dry hair from the back to the front starting with the roots then getting to the tips of your hair.

Beard Care Growing a beard is a true feat, it involves shaving with an axe and using whiskey as an aftershave, it’s the only way (I’m Kidding). When growing and maintaining a beard there is a lot you can do to make it look it’s best. Similar to hair, what looks good de30

pends a lot on what you have going for you. I have had a beard for almost a year and a half now and it is part of me. The first and most important part of beard care is cleaning. Beards, like hair catch lots of dirt and grime, but unlike hair they are the closest thing to your mouth, a bad combination. I prefer to use a bar of soap to lather up my beard, then I gently scrub it with my hands to remove dandruff, food and hidden treasures, then rinse (especially focus on the chin area, it likes to collect the most).

The second tip of beard care is to trim it regularly. I prefer to use a hair clippers as they last a long time and have a wide array of lengths that you can cut your beard to, I personally cut my beard at a three length guard, it keeps it long enough to look substantial and also looks clean. Upkeep of a good beard also means you should be shaving your neck beard, contrary to popular belief no one likes them, it takes all of 2 minutes to do this, and this step makes your beard pop even more. Speaking of shaving I also like to keep the top line of my beard even, eliminating any straggler hairs that contribute to a unkempt look. After trimming I am sure to use a comb to align all the hairs making it look neat. The third tip I have for you is to use beard oil, it keeps the beard cleaner, and makes it shine, plus it smells fantastic.

These tips are just the start of the discussion of beard care, styles and length, look on cwupulse.com for more pointed style tips and inquiries into the world of men’s fashion.

Life Hacks

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Red and Blue Cactal Fissure Collision Rachel Kirk

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Summer 2016

Happiness starts with a good attitude. And a good attitude starts with a choice. It’s something that you work at every day; you can’t simply stop practicing happy behaviors and expect to be a positive person in the same way you can’t stop working out and expect to maintain a six-pack. It just doesn’t work that way—sorry.

WAYS TO M A I N TA I N A H E A LT H Y LIFE Story by Brielle Rutledge Design by Vanessa Cruz

I wanted to share seven things I practice every day to maintain a positive mindset. As I start my new life as a college graduate, I can say first-hand it’s not always easy.

1. Focus on the positives.

Can’t drive to work because your car is broken?

Look on the bright side. Now you can get the exercise you wouldn’t have if you had a car. Now you can dive into that new book that’s been collecting dust on your shelf while you ride the bus. And hey, at least your car’s engine didn’t blow and you need a new car. It just needs a repair. You don’t even have to believe your happy thoughts, just practicing them is enough at first.

2. Check yo’ self.

Stop complaining. I know this one sounds simple, and that’s because it is. When you bitch about things, it doesn’t make them better. In fact, it only triggers the negative thoughts you’re having even more and you stay upset for longer. Of course, everyone is entitled to vent about the weight of the world, or an unforeseeable event every now and then. But do it,

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Mind & Body

and then move on. Ask yourself, will this matter tomorrow? A week from now? Six months from now?

Some things are just not worth the words.

3. Get up early.

When you get up early, you are subconsciously telling yourself that your day already has purpose. (Even if you don’t have anything to do.) Shit, spend more time walking your dog. Call your grams; you know that woman is up at 5 a.m. anyway watching Seinfeld reruns. Getting up early allows you to take your time and gain more awareness before each day. It gives you time to reflect on what’s to come.

4. Go out of your way to be kind to others.

Have some extra cash? Pay it forward to the man standing in front of you at the coffee shop. See a random stranger who has amazing eyebrows? Tell them.

Being kind is also being vulnerable in a lot of ways, but that’s why it’s so meaningful. And when you make someone else feel good, it should make you feel good. And it will make you happier. It’s the little things people smile about as they’re laying in bed at night. It means more than you might ever know.

5. Smile at yourself in the mirror.

I know it seems kind of silly, but seriously. Next time you’re in the bathroom and you’re done brushing your teeth, flash yourself a genuine smile and hold your gaze for a few moments. Look at how incredible you are! Appreciate yourself! Smiling makes you

feel good inside and out, and I’m pretty sure I heard somewhere it releases endorphins in your brain.

6. Spend time with people who are going places.

Do you have a friend who is a bag of sloppy shit, but you feel obligated to stay friends with them because you’ve known them since kindergarten? Drop those friends. I’m serious. It’s hard, but you will be glad you did. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that the extent of time you’ve been friends with someone is irrelevant if they’re toxic to your life. Gravitate toward people who are driven, people who will uplift you and support your endeavors. Those are the people you want in your life. They are the ones who will help you get that job promotion, the ones who bring you two bottles of wine and a gallon of ice cream during a break up. They are the ones who will always cheer you on from the sidelines.

7. Be nice to yourself.

I think this last one is the biggest one of all. No matter how much you feel like you messed up, telling yourself what a failure and terrible person you are will only instill negative thoughts. One thing I always try to ask to myself is, would I treat my best friend the same way I am treating myself right now?

Being nice to yourself is so important, and it’s easy to forget that since we’re our own biggest critic. As you do mindless tasks, think of all the things you love about yourself and list them in your head. It won’t do anything except make you feel good.

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Summer 2016

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Mind & Body

Story & photos by Nicole Trejo-Valli Design by Maddie Bush

As the summer days start to lessen and come to a halt we end up cherishing the memories as our own personal souvenirs. We reflect upon summer as that one time of the year where we allow our mind to liquefy into that deep serene ocean water – where all of our worries and stress get washed away as the waves crash along the shore.

But the ocean holds onto something far worse. The plastic and trash left behind coat the sandy beaches and water causing a bigger problem than we even seem to realize.

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Summer 2016

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Mind & Body

We go on vacation to spend our days consumed at the beach. The sultry sun is calling our name and we’re enticed by the ever pacifying wave of the water drifting back and forth. But what we seem to forget are the ones that call it home.

According to Ocean Crusaders on average over 100,000 marine animals die per year by entanglement and one million seabirds die from consuming plastic. It’s believed that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris lies in the ocean and of that, 269,000 tons float on the surface.

Sea turtles, seagulls and all the other sea creatures are suffering from our own recklessness. As a result of the plastic many marine species such as sea turtles, seals and sea lions, are deeply threatened and are dying in rapid rates.

Since the start of the new year more than 30 sperm whales have beached themselves on the shores of the U.K., Netherlands, France, Denmark and Germany. In March, National Geographic said that after a necropsy of the whales in Germany researchers found startling

consumptions of fishing gear, plastic car engine covers and remains of plastic buckets in their stomach.

Plastic is detrimental and we know it—taking anywhere between 20-1,000 years for a bag to break down. Even then it releases polymers and toxic chemicals into the enviroment. And with only five percent being recycled it’s not enough to get rid of this problem.

It’s too late to reverse the threats but it’s not too late to make a difference. The One Green Planet advised that we must be diligent in minimizing our own individual consumption.

Cleaning up after ourselves and participating in beach cleanups are easy ways to help the environment and meet others who want to reduce their plastic footprint. And lastly make sure you are recycling to stop the cycle of plastic making it’s way into our oceans.

So, take the time to do the right thing and save the animals before it’s too late. Every right move can lead us into the right direction of making our waters clean again.

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The Perfect Shades Story By Simone Corbett Design By Elizabeth Mason

From Ray Bans to aviators to oversized lenses, the process of choosing a style of sunglasses can get quite overwhelming. Throw in some trendy reflective lenses, then the selection process gets even more difficult. But, do you ever wonder what the proper frames for your particular face shape are?

The most common face shapes are:

round, heart, square and oval. The right pair of sunnies can not only complete your #OOTD, but also compliment your face.

Pulse spoke with Kellon Hayben, assistant sales manager at Sunglasses Hut in Auburn, WA, for a mini lesson on wearing the right sunglasses to complete the perfect look.

Pro-tip: When shopping for new shades it’s easy to get distracted by the trendy frames and fun colors. Hayben reminds us that functionality should be just as important as fashion. “If you’re working, get sunglasses that are flexible. If you’re getting them for the look, you still want good quality.”

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Mind & Body

Round

Heart

Bigger is better! Hayben says his team recommends “over-the-top,” geometric frames to off-set such regular face shapes– usually those with an equal height and width. Larger geometric shaped-frames help bring elegance to the face.

Hayben recommends square-style frames.

“The heart shape is usually a smaller face so we don’t want to overwhelm it, we want to play to its features.” Frames with more exaggerated bottoms also help elongate the face.

Square

Oval

It’s best to off-set square face shapes with more circular frames, or shades with round edges. This brings a balance to the face to avoid a “blocky” appearance, says Hayben.

Congratulations- just about any pair of sunglasses will sit beautifully on your face! According to Hayben, those with an oval-shaped face typically have proportional curves that can handle just about any style of sunglasses.

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Summer 2016

pulse8 features

ryme Story by Bailey Williams Design by Vanessa Cruz

Seattle hip hop artist Ryme has been perfecting his craft for years.

He says it stems from the variety of music he grew up on. His parents listened to Motown, classical, rock, jazz, rap and just about everything. (Full Disclosure: He is the writer's cousin) In the video for Introduce off of his first EP Smoker's Section, with a joint burning and smoke in the air he raps, "yes I listen to my own shit." A line which he says a few people didn't quite understand. "A lot of people sound offended like you listen to your own music, how conceited are you? Of course I do. I'm an artist. I grow when I listen to my music, I study it," he says.

Antonio Williams, also known as Ryme, shares how his music has evolved and tells us his ultimate goal—to be happy and successful.

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Music

Who are some of your musical influences?

I listen to a lot of difference types of music but most of the artist I draw influence from would be from the late 90s, early 2000s. There was just something about that “golden era” of hip hop that still drives me today.

Artists like Pac, Eminem, and DMX are people who I considered nasty on the mic. So with my music, like them I try convey a story to the listeners even if it’s a song about last nights turn up.

How would you describe your style?

Whenever I get asked this question its always hard for me to classify. I’d describe it as a good combination of lyricism mixed with dope production and story telling. A combination of the Westcoast laid back vibe, sprinkled with that scumbag grunge Seattle has raised me on.

W h at m i s ta k e d i d y o u l e a r n f r o m ?

Through the years, the two main things I’ve realized are: I typically work better as a solo artist and the industry has far too many sharks messing up the game.

When businesses begin to taint the art, it definitely interferes with the creative process.

H o w h a s y o u r m u s i c a l s t y l e e v o lv e d s i n c e y o u s ta r t e d ?

The evolution of Ryme has been a long road but I am more comfortable than ever on the mic. My best friend Reason and I started recording in middle school on a 4 track tape recording system lol. Back in the day I was never comfortable with my voice until I started to learn how to write for my voice and treat it as if it were its own instrument. Before I was just

rapping words off the paper, now I dissect each syllable and play with pronunciations to literally treat my voice as an instrument.

W h at a r e y o u m o s t p r o u d o f ?

My biggest accomplishment to date music wise has honestly just been the start of my journey. The past year or two I’ve met, worked with, and been around some dope individuals. I’ve managed to incorporate my music into my lifestyle and truly live my music.

To me that is an accomplishment considering the current state of hip hop.

D o y o u h av e a n y h o b b i e s o u t s i d e of music?

First off, I’d have to say music isn’t a hobby ha to me a hobby is something you do for fun like baseball, going camping, or some ish like that. Haha but naw when I’m not working or working on music I love to travel, watch cartoons, and I’m an avid cannabis connoisseur.

W h at g o a l a r e y o u c u r r e n t ly working towards?

Goal wise I’m just trying to make it happen. I want to be happy and successful. I’m dropping my next EP this fall titled Voices, so that’s what I’m working on right now and just want it to have the best release for it I can.

Any last words?

I'd just like to say to be sure and check out "Smoker's Section" and be on the look out for "Voices." I have a dope film team, so we go hard when it comes to music videos, so check those out too. Lastly, add me on social media @rymeonline my Instagram be lit! Lol

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u o u y o y e e e ss e h e t h i inn ! l l l a a ff