Volume 103 Issue 15

Volume 103, Issue 15

www.TheEasterner.org

February 5, 2020

THE INDEPENDENT, STUDENTRUN NEWSPAPER OF

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

3 News | 4 Arts & Features | 7 Sports

The Secret to a being a good roommate...

...and avoid living with a bad roommate Page 4,5 Illuatration by Keri Kelly for The Easterner

Sports

News

Get active with women’s volleyball club Comedian is coming to EWU to The EWU women’s volleyball club provides a place for fans of promote mental health campaign the sports to compete themselves. Learn about the club and

Comedian Adam Grabowski looks to laugh and inspire at his Feb. 13 performance.

some of its members in the sports section.

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2 - The Easterner Ad Director Jacie Philips advertising@ewu.edu

Multimedia Director/ Co-Managing Editor Malati Powell easterner.multimedia@gmail.com Sports Editor/ Co-Managing Editor Drew Lawson easterner.sports@gmail.com Arts & Features Editor Elizabeth Price easterner.aef@gmail.com Web Editor Keri Kelly easterner.online@gmail.com Social Media Editor Isaiah Gessner easterner.social@gmail.com

V103 I15 - 2.5.20

Letter to the Editor GLORIA D. BRAVO Senior - International Affairs

a certificate after attending at least four events. At these events, students explore different forms of activism and learn more about immigration through the use of stories, films, panels, group discussions and workshops. Events will be guided by a theme, such as coalition building, how to use data and research for their causes, how to lobby to shape public policy, how we can create lasting change and more.

I am thrilled that Lili Navarette is the 2020 Activist in Residence. Lili, a fellow immigrant and EWU alum, has a long list of accolades: Director of Public Affairs & Raíz at our regional Planned Parenthood, VP of the Hispanic Business/Professional Association, and most recently she was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee as Washington’s Commissioner on Hispanic Affairs. Here is an inspirational Latinx woman who has used her passion, voice and over twenty years of experience in social justice to relentlessly fight for the protection of immigrant rights, women’s reproductive rights, and the rights of other marginalized groups. The AiR program, led by Lili, will help students develop the leadership skills needed to become effective advocates and/or allies of these communities. As a student that has been part of the AIR program before, I can say that it is not only highly educational, but vigorously empowering. I do hope students and community members alike take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to learn directly from a knowledgeable activist and warrior.•

Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Easterner, its staff or Eastern Washington University. This letter has not been edited except for AP style.

With the 2020 presidential election a mere 10 months away, you and I know that the debate over immigration will be everywhere from classroom discussions, to news outlets, to social media and more. Unfortunately, in an age with so much misinformation, it may be hard for our students, staff and community members to consistently differentiate between facts and rhetoric. But for many of us on campus, immigration is more than a policy debate; it is a factor the weighs on our daily lives and those of our families. For these reasons, I would like to strongly encourage all to participate in this year’s Activist in Residence (AiR) program, which will be focusing on the issue of immigration. The program is sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies Education Center. You will not only receive factual, non-partisan information, but also gain a deeper understanding of these communities and their struggles. The AiR program will consist of six events starting Wednesday, Jan 29 from 3:30 p.m.- 5:00 p.m., located in Monroe Hall 207. The events will continue each Wednesday afternoon until March 11. Students are awarded

Photographer Mckenzie Ford Reporters Randle Kinswa Director of Student Newspaper Jeff Bunch jbunch@ewu.edu

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MISSION We, as independent student journalists at the Easterner, inform our EWU audience of the governance, activities amd views of our community. We provide a learning environment for students to engage, connect and make informed decisions.

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CORRECTIONS The Easterner never knowingly publishes inaccuracies. If any error is found, The Easterner is obligated to correct the error as soon as possiblem regardless of the source of the error. The Easterner does not remove any editorial content from TheEasterner.org.

However if there is a factual inaccuracy in a story, the editors will run a correction or an update as needed.

CORRECTIONS 1. In Issue 14’s article titled “Apartment Hunting,” The Easterner incorrectly stated that The Benjamin Lofts Apartments are on-campus apartments. They are being built off-campus.

2.5.20 - V103 I15

News

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Adam Grabowski’s #SAYITANYWAY campaign

Combining comedy with a serious talk about mental health ELIZABETH PRICE Arts & Features Editor Adding comedy to the tough topics of life is one way to uplift the spirits of people who need it most.

Comedian Adam Grabowski will be sharing his mental health campaign #SAYITANYWAY with students at EWU on Feb. 13 in the PUB NCR at 7 p.m. He will be performing a comedy show that includes humor and real talk about depression and anxiety.

In a phone interview with The Easterner, Grabowski said the purpose of his campaign #SAYITANYWAY is to help eliminate the power of shame and destignitize conversations around personal experience and personal mental health.

“I just kinda want people to not be ashamed or harmful to themselves psychologically otherwise for the things they don’t choose,” said Grabowski.

Things like age, race and sexuality are things people can’t pick for themselves. Sometimes they can influence shame early on in our lives that we don’t deserve, according to Grabowski.

“There’s so many different ways to look at things and not feel good enough,” said Grabowski.

Talking about his own depression and anxiety on stage not only helps Grabowski share his story, but also raises a platform for others to feel the same to do so.

Grabowski said he wanted to make use of his publicity by saying something genuine and real. After creating the campaign, It has helped him to gain a sense of “actually mattering” as well.

“Before this it was like, ya know, oh if I’m

booked or people like me or I have a social media following or if people say that I’m good, then I matter, right?” said Grabowski.

Grabowski said people compete 24/7 in all aspects of their lives. There used to be a time when people would compete against their neighbors, classmates or friends, but wouldn’t consistently see those people at their hottest, he said.

“It’s great that people have this outlet to share this stuff, but it’s also like ‘here’s a million ways to think i’m not good enough,’” said Grabowski. “This whole society that makes us think we have to be a certain way or do a certain thing is all made up.”

Grabowski said he doesn’t know why inner-monologue, self-dialogue and self-care isn’t talked about in schools.

“Addressing emotional intelligence and communication skills are like the biggest things that we need,” said Grabowski.

Grabowski’s campaign has led students to feel encouraged to reach out to therapists and “say it anyway.” He said he still receives updates from students who have dealt with self-harm, abuse, anxiety and depression.

“I’ve heard good things about people feeling like, oh okay, i can talk now,” said Grabowski.

Grabowski said students that attend his performance will laugh, learn and take a break from everyday life.

“If you are studying or working on something, having your brain switch gears to something completely different is beneficial towards your attention,” said Grabowski. “I’ll make sure it’s enjoyable because I would have too much anxiety if people didn’t enjoy it.”•

Adam Grabowski. Photo from adamgrabowski.com

“This whole society that makes us

think we have to be a certain way or do a certain thing is all made up.”

Adam Grabowski Comedian

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Features

V103 I15 - 2.5.20

Maximizing the roommate experience

Elizabeth Price for The Easterner

4 - The Easterner

A double room in snyamncut.

Students share tips for getting along KERI KELLY Web Editor

During the winter quarter many students are changing dorms, rooms and most notably, roommates. Some people are seeking a change in dorm life while living at EWU. Here are some ways that one can maximize their experience with a new roommate presented by students across campus.

Get to know your roommate.

Aidan Nett, a junior, said he and his roommate didn’t speak for the first six months of the school year.

“It did not work well,” said Nett. “Once we got to know each other, the relationship got better.”

Getting to know each other will make both students comfortable in the room when they are together. It also promotes healthy conversation between the two parties, resulting in improved relationships, Nett said.

Communication is key.

Often when situations in dorms occur, students are faced with the challenge of confronting their roommates. If the problem is not fixed between the parties, it results in unsatisfied residents and tense relations. It is highly suggested by most students that one should confront their roommate if there is a problem.

“If you don’t bring something up to somebody, then they won’t know and they’ll keep doing it,” said Elizabeth Karras, a sophomore and resident in Pearce Hall.

Many students invented fun ways to contact their roommates when asking them to do little things, such as taking out the garbage. Emonni Clemmons, a sophomore, said that she left notes for her roommate.

“I put hearts around it to make sure it wasn’t threatening,” said Clemmons.

Be vulnerable.

People don’t normally talk about what will happen if their roommate is having company over for the night, or if their roommate walks in on them changing. Matt Watkins said to understand that you’re going to be very vulnerable with them. You have to get comfortable talking about things that are awkward.

Living together entails being together consistently every day. There will be conversations that are uncomfortable for both parties, and that is normal in a dorm setting, Watkins said.

Set boundaries.

Many students split their rooms down the middle, with one side for their roommate and the other for themselves. However, the expectation when it comes to sharing items varies widely. Lincoln Hakala said that he and his roommate do not share their things, but Clemmons said she and her roommate shared almost everything. Different people have different expectations so it is best for roommates to talk to each other to figure out what works best for them. Cassie Ahrendt, a freshman, put it simply: “Set ground rules first-thing.”

Have fun.

According to Makayla Mathews, a freshman, having fun together is what makes having a roommate enjoyable. If roommates don’t have fun together, they may not enjoy sharing a room.

“Make sure you always include them,” said Mathews. It also helps if roommates have something in common with each other. Jacklyn Gazewood, a resident in snyamncut, said “we bond over our love for popcorn and coffee.” She said when roommates hangout, it can make it easier to see them as a person and make the time spent together worth while. •

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Features

2.5.20 - V103 I15

The process of creating a play

L AU N C H YO U R C A R E E R

RYAN HATTEN Contributer

Photo by Ryan Hatten

For a production that airs for little over a week, EWU’s theater department is hard at work constructing the play months in advance.

Every quarter, the theater department presents a play (two in spring quarter, when considering the senior capstone). Although the play only airs four to six times at the end of the quarter, that is just a fragment of the overall time and effort that is put into the presentation. By the first week of the academic quarter, students and faculty alike work to develop the production piece by piece.

This quarter, EWU is presenting Silent Sky, which follows Henrietta Leavitt, a female astronomer from the turn of the century who received no scientific credit for her discoveries.

While the actors are preparing to step on stage, carpenters, tailors, and electricians prepare the stage, lighting, sound, and wardrobe.

“This is a big show so it’s a big process,” said Shana Joslyn, a senior lecturer and technical director for the theater department. “I don’t want to give away too many details yet, but there’s a unique structure that is challenging for this production.”

“I think it’s neat to see women in science pushing back,” Joslyn continued.

“Especially for younger generations. Even in my job, I’m in a male dominated field, so it’s nice seeing a show where women are being represented in fields that we don’t usually see many women in.”

When Joslyn is busy teaching or managing other aspects of the theater, Greg Scheiber, the Shop Foreman and a graduate student in EWU’s MFA program, supervises student employees and volunteers.

“I’m like an extension of Shana,” Scheiber said. “She teaches skills in her three tech classes, which are all fundamental skills to different areas of theater tech and then I’m that supplement. What students are taught in class can be put to use here and learn other skills to build on top of those fundamental ones.”

Elizabeth Corrigan, a work-study carpenter and junior majoring in psychology, was inspired to join the theater after seeing EWU’s presentation of The Tempest.

“I couldn’t tell you anything about [the play] but they had an arc on stage and it was the coolest thing I saw,” said Corrigan. “Immediately after the play, I started looking into how to join the set production. Not long after that I had an interview for a carpentry position here.”

“The set we’re building right now is quite fascinating,” Corrigan continued.

“I really like how we are implementing things coming onto stage from the sky and from the back. It’s just fascinating to see all the work that goes into something that in the end only last for a couple of hours.”

“I’ve luckily gotten a good view of the base of what [the play] is and what we are building towards,” said Nathan Cardenas, a senior theater major who works as a theater technician and sound designer for Silent Sky. “What I want the audience to know is that this is a wonderful story. It highlights the need to talk about people in history who have been ignored, people who do these amazing things but don’t get credit because of their gender or their race. I want [the audience] to know what it’s like to dream and to take those dreams and discover, and to not be afraid to fight for what you want to be doing.”

Performance dates of A Silent Sky are as follows: March 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 7:30 p.m.; March 8 at 2 p.m.; and March 12 at 5 p.m. All performances are presented in EWU’s theater building and are free to students. •

The early stages of a Silent Sky. Silent Sky is coming to EWU in March.

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Arts

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Easterner Asks

If you could change one thing about EWU what would it be?

“Not a lot of negatives honestly, but it would be nice if there was a cozy room for people that can’t drive back.”

- Belen Pineda, Sophomore “One thing that always bugs me is how they always cancel one side of the stairs for winter (...) should be an easy fix.”

- Cole Honold, Senior “I wish we had more food places, you kinda get tired of eating the same thing."

- Marina Conner, Freshman "Not anything major, but more club events here on campus would be nicer."

- Nick Aemmer, Senior

“I would focus on having all the programs on one campus in just Cheney instead of having some downtown mostly.”

- Omar Lopez, Senior "More funding for the arts (...) you see the STEM buildings being worked on, and it would be nice to see the same thing for the arts.”

- Sean O’Holleron, Senior

Looking Back The Easterner Archives This story was originally published in The Easterner, Vol. 35, No. 25, May 3, 1984 and has not been changed except for AP style.

Marianne Hall, director of residential life, would like you to think the current dorm changes are designed to make the residence hall system more flexible this fall.

The truth, though, is that the changes were made to accommodate all the roommates I drove crazy this year.

It’s not that I’m such a hard guy to get along with.

The problem is that in six years of college I hadn’t Jived in a dorm until this past year. I just wasn’t quite sure what I needed to do to ensure I would get along with a roommate.

But I tried my best to fit into the residence hall system. The result – I only had to change roommates twice in the fall quarter. Interestingly, they both requested to be moved to single rooms.

Still, two roommates for my first dorm quarter wasn’t too bad, and I approached winter quarter with the hope I might make the entire ten weeks with just one roomie.

A strange series of events, however, caused me to drive three roommates nuts and made it necessary for residential life to revamp the housing system.

The problems began when I met my first roommate in January. I tried to make the introduction brief, because I had a six-pack of rapidly cooling beer that needed to be disposed of.

But my roomie, Splinter S. Bats, had another idea.

“Howdy, partner,” he said, enclosing my hand in a fist made to palm a medicine ball.

And then he smiled at me.

“If you don’t give me a beer,” he said, “I’ll break every bone in your hand.’’

Awestruck, I gave him a bottle, then sat on my bed and began to drink. Splinter looked at it a moment, then bared his fangs and bit the top of the bottle off. His teeth made hideous cracking noises as he chewed the glass for five minutes. I still had beer left in my last bottle when finally he spat out some beer, swallowed, and grimaced.

“I don’t like the taste of beer,” he said.

“How about if you start drinking Coke, the 16 ounce size.”

I knew we were in for a long quarter.

Now, standard procedure if you aren’t satisfied with a roommate is to fill out a green card before the second week of the quarter and request to be moved. But I’ve never been fond of paperwork, so I devised a different way to sever my ties with Mr. Bats.

Splinter, it turned out, was at Eastern only to play softball. One day he returned to the room to see me drinking beer out of an aluminum can.

“I thought I said only glass,” he snarled, raising a meaty fist.

Then he saw the thread on the floor.

Living in a roommate hell He gazed at the strands of unraveled softball as they wound around the room.

The greater glob of string rested inside Splinter’s favorite bat, which had been mysteriously hollowed out.

Enraged, he stomped into his cleats to stomp on me, only to discover the rubber bot­toms had been ironed flat.

The last I saw Splinter, he was sobbing in the arms of Spike Slider, his coach on Eastern’s intramural team, the Mighty Mauling Molesters.

Uncle Al looked at me across his desk the next day.

“Now Bob,” he said, “it’s important that you realize the need to get along in the residence halls. Students have more rights and responsibilities than ·ever before, and they shouldn’t be abused.”

“But here’s the bottom line,’’ he said with a wink. “Any more trouble and you’ll be washing the president’s car the rest of the year.’’

When I got back to the dorm I found a new roomie. He was busy, working away at his computer keyboard, so I slipped into bed for a little nap. After a while, J slipped a big toe from beneath the covers to check the temperature.

“Zap!” a laser beam arced across the room, striking the toe and sending spasms of agony through my body.

“Intruder alert! Intruder alert!” droned the computer. Another laser beam shot out, bare­ly missing an ear. “Hi,” my new roommate said.

“Hello to you,” I gasped, dodging another laser blast.

“No, no, no,’’ he said with a chuckle. “Hi my name. Hi lcue.” Another laser shot from the computer. “Intruder alert! Intruder alert!” it shrieked.

“You’ll have to excuse my friend Spock here,” said lcue. “He likes to play Star Trek.”

I knew we were in for what was left of a long quarter.

Since it was past green card day, I had to figure out another way to split from my new roommate. It was easier than I thought.

Hi, it turned out, was at Eastern only to sell weather reports to the new K-89, Eastern’s own radio station. One day while he was out I turned the teakettle on and began smoking an Al Vogel vet’s special cigar. A cloud of smoke and steam hovered over the computer as it made its automatic call to the radio station.

K-89 manager Ron Breitstein knocked on the door that evening.

“Hi,’’ he said, “your computer forecasted Cheney’s first smog and hurricane alert ever. The FCC lifted our license. You’re history.”

Icue deactivated Spok’s security system, and a tear dribbled from his eye, landing on an exposed microchip. Spock began to smoke. “You’ve failed me!” sobbed Hi. He picked up the computer and ran down the hall weeping, a Radio-Shack trade-in coupon flapping in his back pocket.

Marianne Hall looked at me across her desk the next day.

“Now Bob,’’ she said, “our main goal is to make the dorms as flexible as possible.”

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Then she grinned and flexed her fingers.

“Along those lines, how would you like to be flexed into the shape of a pretzel?”

A half hour later I slinked from her office, determined to never again be the cause of so many slings and arrows of, as they say, unfortunate outrage.

Until I met my new roommate, Bumpo Wasemyer.

What is there to say about Bumpo?

Easterner sportswriter, stringer for the Seat­tle Times, ex-Mariner, journalistic phenom, aspiring Pac-lO baseball coach-he had it all, and I was jealous. .

Still, Wasemyer wasn’t so hard to get along with. I budded green with envy once, when he told me of a story he’s sold about the Saltese golf course in the Spokane Valley. But we tolerated each other-until he began crowing about his new position as a Spokesman­Review columnist.

I knew we were in for what was still more of a more than too-long quarter.

Though I might suffer, I knew I had to rid myself of Bumpo.

It was easy.

Wasemyer, it seemed, hadn’t yet been convinced that his latest rejection letter from the Los Angeles Dodgers meant they didn’t want him on their ballclub. He harbored his hopes on a special bat-never swung in an actual game.

Late one night I swiped it from his closet, then mailed it Federal Express to Kansas Ci­ty. The next day he frantically searched the room for it. Finally the phone rang. After a brief conversation I hung up and turned to him, a sneer curling my lips.

“That was a friend of mine, a groupie at the Kingdome. George Brett has your bat,’’ I said. “What’s more, he has so much pine tar on it that the first ball he hit against the Mariners stuck to the roof.”

Bumpo hurled himself from the second floor window, landing in the bushes below.

He lay there moaning for several hours, mur­muring over and over, “he’s an Eagle of a dif­ferent breed, he’s an Eagle of a different breed.’’ I finally poured some stale beer on him.

They didn’t even bother to send me to the president’s office. The next day I returned to the dorm to find my possessions piled in the street. My RA and the dorm’s head resident stood behind a mirror, holding crucifixes.

“Don’t try to come back in, Bob,” they said. “You’re no longer welcome here.”

As I look back at all the trouble I caused in the housing system, and the changes they were forced to make because of it, I can only shake my head in amazement. I’m really not such a bad guy.

But I’ve put that behind me now. I share an apartment with the sports editor, a girl, and another guy-sort of a Three’s Company plus one.

We get along OK, although they were all raised in Alaska, keep the thermostat set at 50 degrees, and insist I turn out the lights before I turn them on.

But that’s all right. I’ve got a warm sweater, plenty of batteries for my flashlight, and an idea or two in case I should need to move again. •