Volume 103 Issue 19

Volume 103, Issue 19

www.TheEasterner.org

March 4, 2020

THE INDEPENDENT, STUDENTRUN NEWSPAPER OF

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

2 Opinion | 3 News | 6 Arts & Features | 11 Sports

See insert to fill out your 2020 Big Sky Championship bracket

Malati Powell for The Easterner

Features

Tips for landing an internship

A handy guide for students looking to find internship opportunities.

News

President Cullinan’s statement concerning COVID-19

EWU President Mary Cullinan issued a statement through email about the coronavirus.

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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 News Editor Randle Kinswa easterner.news@gmail.com Copy Editors Rose Hammack Lauren Reichenbach Web Editor Keri Kelly easterner.online@gmail.com Social Media Editor Isaiah Gessner easterner.social@gmail.com Photographer Mckenzie Ford Reporters Ben Blakney Star Dragon Aaron Hutchinson Karlee Van De Venter Director of Student Newspaper Jeff Bunch jbunch@ewu.edu Faculty Adviser Jamie Neely jneely@ewu.edu

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Opinion

Show review: “Chernobyl” KARLEE VAN DE VENTER Arts and Features Reporter

Karlee Van De Venter is The Easterner’s arts and features reporter. Her opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Easterner, its staff or Eastern Washington University.

The HBO Miniseries, “Chernobyl,” highlights many of the negative things Soviet Russia is notorious for, like lying, pride and the KGB. Released May 2019, the series is now available to stream on HBOGo. It highlights the disaster of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.

When the power plant prepares for a safety test, something within the reactor fails. The scientists working there that night think there’s a simple fix. By the time they realize the severity of the situation, several lives have already been lost. As time goes on, politicians, scientists, first responders and citizens all become involved in the aftermath.

The first episode highlights the preparation for the test, and the hours immediately following the failure. Families are affected, firefighters r e a l i z e i t’s n o t a normal fire, scientists try to understand what happened and politicians desperately scramble to find a solution.

In the second episode, scientists from outside the plant start to figure out what’s going on. This is showcased through the character Ulana Khomyuk, who is meant to represent the entire community of scientists that worked towards a solution.

The third episode shows Ulana digging to discover what really happened the night of the failed test. This episode also follows Lyudmilla Ignatenko while she cares for her sick husband, Vasily. He was a firefighter called to put out the fire at the power plant before anyone realized how dangerous it was.

The fourth episode is by far the hardest to watch, as government officials finally realize the severity of the situation, and take matters into their own hands. At that time, it’s clear the government prioritized their image over their constituents.

While everyone else is working to resolve the aftermath that affects them most, the government hires soldiers to clear the area. Some soldiers get worse jobs than others, and have to do really inhumane tasks.

The fifth episode shows how the situation inevitably went to trial, and how hard it was to testify. It also shows what happened to each character in real life.

“Chernobyl” is only five episodes long, but each episode is over an hour in length. This show is not for casual viewing. It’s difficult to understand if you’re not paying attention. That said, the storyline is done in a very impressive way, and following along is easy to do once you’re invested.

Because “Chernobyl” is about a nuclear power plant, there is a lot of scientific jargon and references that most people won’t necessarily understand. But the show doesn’t leave you confused. Some of the characters need to be levelled with as well. Because of this, everything gets explained in layman’s terms.

The most confusing part of the show for me was keeping track of the character names, especially with the plot’s quick pace. Usually you can tell who is being referred to by the context, but sometimes it takes a minute to realize what’s going on.

The c i n e m a t o g r a p hy i s really well done in this show. It showcases the catastrophe in such an astonishing way.

The show makes you feel like its events happened yesterday.

You’ll feel connected to the disaster. Even with so few episodes, you really feel for the characters. “Chernobyl” is one of those shows that gets you thinking about what else you might not know. What other secrets are being kept from regular citizens?

Overall, I rate “Chernobyl” a 9/10. The acting was phenomenal. The actors really make you think they were part of the disaster. There was a wide variety of emotions present in the show.

The storyline was very well done, putting a lot of information and plot points in only a few episodes. The visual effects seemed very accurate and were definitely believable. There were no unnecessary romances, like many shows add in when telling a true story. Everything seemed accurate and relevant to what was being told.

I highly recommend this miniseries next time you can’t decide what to watch. “Chernobyl” makes you think, pulls you in, puts you through a roller coaster of emotions and is an amazing viewer experience. •

About The Easterner

MISSION We, as independent student journalists at the Easterner, inform our EWU audience of the governance, activities and 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 possible 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.

News

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Statement from Cullinan regarding COVID-19 EWU President Mary Cullinan sends mass email enlighting students about the coronavirus RANDLE KINSWA News Editor In a campus-wide email that was sent March 2 to everyone who is involved with the day-to-day operations with EWU, University President Mary Cullinan addressed safety measures regarding the coronavirus.

Dear EWU Students, The situation concerning the worldwide coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is rapidly evolving. Governor Inslee has declared a state of emergency for our state as a number of cases have been identified.

Many Eastern students as well as faculty and staff are feeling fearful and uncertain. Please know that our university is working collaboratively and aggressively to safeguard the campus. As

always, my primary focus is the safety and wellbeing of our campus community.

We’re closely monitoring the situation. We have an emergency plan and are following established emergency management procedures. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our EWU campuses or with any of our students, faculty or staff.

To best protect ourselves and our campus community, I encourage you to follow the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC): Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as cellphones,

tablets and laptops, using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; if soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Stay home if you are sick; you will not need to provide a doctor’s note or permission from the Dean of Students to receive an excused absence Depending on the severity of any outbreak in our region, we may need to make changes to our normal operations, such as cancelling or rescheduling events, providing greater flexibility for students to complete coursework, or using technological solutions, such as Zoom meetings, to reduce the need for large groups to gather.

We have launched a website with

information, resources, and FAQs about COVID-19: https://inside.ewu.edu/news/ featured/ewu-monitoring-coronavirus/.

This site will help you and your families better understand the steps EWU is taking for your wellbeing and the resources available to assist you if and when you are not feeling well. I encourage you to share this site with your families.

I also strongly encourage you to subscribe to EWU’s emergency alert system, EWU Alerts, which sends emergency updates directly to you via text messaging and e-mail. Subscribe to EWU Alerts at ewu.edu/alerts.

Please know that, as we make these decisions, we do so with your safety as our top priority. As with any other challenge, we will be more successful as we work together. I will make sure you are informed as we go forward. •

40K challenge presents an opportunity to bring business ideas to life KARLEE VAN DE VENTER Arts and Features Reporter If you’ve ever had an idea for an invention or business, you’re not alone.

There are at least 60 EWU students with startup ideas.

The Center for Entrepreneurship is giving those students an opportunity to grow their ideas. The $40,000 Startup Challenge is only halfway done, and already full of fierce competition.

There are four stages to the Challenge, two of which have already passed. Stage Three will take place April 9 in the Showalter Hall Auditorium. Students outside of the Challenge can attend as audience members, with a chance to win prizes for attending.

Stage One was organized in a speeddating format, with a vast variety of judges. Each student or group of students would pitch their idea to a judge with a simple elevator pitch. There was time for questions, and then they would move on. There were 52 judges from varied professions. Judges were lawyers, a business owners, marketing specialists or something completely different.

Bruce Teague, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, spoke with The Easterner about the Startup Challenge.

Teague said he tried to set up the challenge so students wouldn’t be getting people from the same background every time. That way, their feedback came from many different perspectives.

The top 20 from Stage one moved on to the next.

One of the participants, senior Samual Hatfield, had a startup idea for biotechnology.

His idea has advanced all the way to preparing for Stage Three.

“The Stage One process really highlighted to me that I knew the product I was trying to sell, but really hadn’t explored the business aspects as thoroughly as I should have,” Hatfield said.

In Stage One, Hatfiield said he spent a lot of time explaining his idea in ways he hadn’t thought of before because the variety of judges.

Between stages, students were supposed to refine their ideas. They were given access to the 3D printer on campus and privileges at the EWU Maker Space, but not all participants took advantage of that.

Having visual aids and more concrete ideas would help students succeed in Stage Two. Stage Two was a trade show format, with every team getting a booth for the display they choose. The idea was to demonstrate their idea so the judges would pay attention. The judges walked through and saw every booth, but the amount of time they spend with each team depends on how well they pitch.

The top 10 from this stage moved on to Stage Three.

“It was similar to Stage One in that

you had to give the same pitch over and over, with a lot of the same questions,” Hatfield said. “But it was different in that a new judge could walk up in the middle of talking to someone else, and you had to be able to grab their attention.”

Stage Two introduced the challenge of selling yourself as an entrepreneur.

But particpants still get to dress up and talk about something they’re passionate about, which Hatfield loved.

The top 10 from Stage Two were awarded a total of $18,000 to continue their businesses.

Currently, these top 10 participants could be getting patents, creating prototypes or any number of things to make them stand out. Hatfield is using his share for product development, “to gain a proof-of-concept model to show that it actually works.”

He’s also working on the marketing content, hoping to hear back from the public about what they want.

Stage Three is like Shark Tank, except instead of Sharks in the Shark Tank, there will be Eagles in the Eagles’ Nest.

These “Eagles” then decide who deserves to be recognized and awarded the most, among them the prize money will be divided.

“Right now, we have at least $11,000 on the line just that night alone, and I think that might go up,” Teague said.

There is also $1,000 at stake for the winner of the “People’s Choice Award” that the audience members choose based on their favorite pitch.

Stage Three will be hosted by an improv comic from Spokane. It’s meant to be a very theatrical event.

There is also a lot of incentive for students to go as audience members.

There are prizes for the first few students who come in, and tickets are distributed to every audience member that may lead to them winning “Mystery Envelopes,” with up to $100 in them.

Teague plans to make the Challenge an annual competition. In the past, it was the Eagles Nest Pitch Competition, with significantly less money at stake.

As the Center for Entrepreneurship grows, so does their funding for events like the Challenge. Teague wants students to know that any student can participate in the 40K Challenge, as well as other events hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship.

Students don’t have to be in the business field to participate. This year, at least four of the five EWU colleges were represented. Teague wants that to continue in the coming years.

“We want everyone to get involved if they can,” Teague said. “Everything that we’re doing is based around the idea that every student at Eastern Washington University has an idea that can be great, that can change the world in some way.”•

“Right now, we have at least $11,000 on the line just that night alone, and I think that might go up.”

Bruce Teague Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship

www.TheEasterner.org

4 - The Easterner

News

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March calendar for local and international events 1[Sunday]

2 [Monday]

3 [Tuesday]

4 [Wednesday]

5 [Thursday]

6 [Friday]

7 [Saturday]

- National Pig Day - Spring quarter registration (60-89 credits) - URM food expo-Candy Show (Spokane Convention Center) - World Teen Mental Wellness day - International Badge DayPanhellenic

- Spring quarter registration (30-59 credits) - Tinlow Camp and retreat center recruiting - Super Tuesday

- Spring quarter registration (0-29 credits) - Wordpress Web Wednesday - EWU Symphony Orchestra Concert

- Spring quarter general registration begins - Study Abroad in Salamnaca, Spain information meeting

- Summer quarter registration begins - EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent Sky -Prince Royce: The Alter Ego Tour (Fox Theatre) - National Dress Day

- EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent Sky - Dancefest & SCC Spring Craft Fair (Spokane Community College)

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- EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent in the Sky - International Women’s Day

- Big Sky Championship starts (Women’s) - Tool in concert (Spokane Arena)

- EWU Charcoal concert: “Something Borrowed: 100 Years of Women’s Sufferage” - National Sack your lunch Day

- Spokane Airport Recruiting - EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent Sky - EWU Wind Ensemble concert - Thirsty Thursday

- EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent Sky - National Earmuff Day

- EWU Theatre’s Production of Silent Sky - Inland NW Motorcycle Show & Sale - Pi Day

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- Big Sky Championship starts (Men’s) - Wordpress Web Wednesday - Riverfront movies; Free Spring fitness series (Riverfront Park) 18

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- Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix - Selection Sunday (NCAA Basketball)

- Last day of instruction -Tech Capstone Expo Winter 2020 - National Panda Day

- Finals - St. Patrick’s Day - Bing Crosby House Museum -NCAA Tournament First Four

- Finals - Fox Presents: The Allman Betts Band - NCAA Tournament First Four - National Sloppy Joe Day

- Finals - Washington State Parks Free Day - NCAA Tournament Round One begins

- Finals -Last day of winter quarter - International Day of Happiness - National Ravioli Day

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- Hillyard Spring Craft Fair (Spokane) - Movies and Music 3: Star Wars- A New Hope in Concert -NCAA Tournament Round Two begins 28

- Pompeii- The Immortal City (Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture)

- Spring Break - NW Rural Health Conference (Spokane Riverfront Mall)

- Spring Break - Spa Ssakwa’q’n March Spa Special (Cour d’Alene Casino)

- Spring Break - National Manatee Appreciation Day

- Spring Break - Spring Break - NCAA - NCAA - National Scribble Tournament Elite Tournament Sweet Day Eight begins 16 begins

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- Dubai World Cup Race Day

- First day of Spring Quarter - Black Diamond Camps Recruitment Tabling

- National Crayon Day

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News

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EWU Union Market prices cause concern among students EWU students with a gold meal plan will spend about $5,200 in one year. EWU Dining Services makes 58% of their income through meal plans.

The per capita income in 2018 for Spokane County was $29,982 according to the United States census. The census also shows that the overall United States per capita income is about $33,000. This means that Spokane County was below the national average.

If a student in Spokane County is in a oneparent household and has a gold meal plan, this would be about 17% of their parent’s annual average income, on average.

EWU has many food options and locations across campus including: Union Market, The Roost, Panda Express, Main Street Dining, Global Cuisine, Freshens, Elm St. Espresso, Einstein Bros. Bagels and the EWU Eagle Store Cafe. While the pricing at all of these locations is different, students have had complaints about the pricing of food in general at EWU. EWU student Chris Po was asked what he thought about the pricing of food at EWU. “Well I think it’s ridiculous,” said Po. “My first quarter here was at Tawanka and directly after that was the PUB which was interesting because the first quarter I actually had more than enough money to get myself through on a bronze plan. But on a bronze plan in winter quarter directly after that when the PUB opened, I was gouged. I didn’t have anything.”

“I think that they should have a better selection of fruits and veggies and have them not be extremely expensive,” said Jaiden Haley, referring to the Union Market.

“My opinion is everything is overpriced and has gone up when the quality is just going down,” said Alexander Brooks.

“When I lived on campus I shopped there (Union Market) because of convenience and because I didn’t want to walk to Safeway,”

Drew Lawson for The Easterner

Star Dragon News Reporter

Picure of the EWU Union Market.

Ayla Jessop said.

Even with all of these complaints, EWU Dining and Catering Services still makes 24.5% of their revenue from retail sales, according to EWU Dining and Catering Services.

Dave McKay, Dining Services director, said labor expense is 46% of Dining Services expenses and food cost is 37%. He said about six years ago, these percentages were almost completely flipped.

“We were able to spend more on our food, which meant food cost was a little lower to people but as labor has come up that 40-41% increase to minimum wage over the last five years is why our food cost keep going up,”McKay said. “We’re (Dining Services) one of the few places you can control your cost a little bit and it’s also one of the few places that you see what it costs every time you do it.”

“I think that the biggest illusion is that we are a separate entity on campus,” McKay said. “Our only purpose is really to just take care of students the best we can. I really can’t apologize that food costs money because it does.”

Below are seven randomly selected

items at the Union Market, with a price comparison to Safeway. (Safeway was chosen due to students saying they shop there frequently when interviewed.) If a student finds that they do not like a meal plan they can change it. About 13% of students with meal plans change their plan each quarter according to dining and catering services.

In 2018, The Easterner addressed a topic not so often talked about: food insecurity.

The article, titled, “EWU addresses food insecurity with new pantries showed that in 2016, “71 percent of EWU students know someone who does not have enough food and 33 percent of EWU students have run out of food at some point.”

To combat food insecurity EWU has a central food pantry and seven food cabinets across campus. The food pantry is located in Tawanka at 129E and has fresh produce, dairy, meat, eggs, non-perishable food items and hygiene products. The seven cabinets are located in Showalter Hall, Sutton Hall, JFK Library, P.E. Building, the PUB, the URC and Isle Hall. The cabinets contain non-perishable food items and hygiene products. •

Comparison of EWU Union Market and Safeway prices Food Item

EWU Market

Safeway

Jif Peanut Butter Creamy -16 oz

$ 3.79

$ 4.59

Nissin Cup of Noodles Ramen Noodle Soup - 2.25 oz Kellogg’s Pop Tarts Frosted 13.5 oz Bang Energy Drink - 16 Fl oz

$ 1.09

$ 0.79

$ 4.09

$ 3.49

$ 2.49

$ 2.89

Starbucks Frappuccino Vanilla Almond Milk - 13.7 Fl oz Corn Pops Cereal Sweetened Corn - 10 oz Advil Liquid Pain Reliever - 200 mg/20 count

$ 3.49

$ 3.13

$ 5.59

$ 4.99

$ 6.49

$ 6.89

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2/23 Two students cited for double MIP Two EWU students were cited and released at Isle Hall on the charge of a double MIP. Students possessed both marijuana and alcohol. Police were called for the smell of marijuana by a professor.

Officers on site smelled alcohol coming from a specific room.

Officers were given consent to search and were restricted.

Officers executed a warrant.

Students were released and referred to Student Affairs.

2/28 Football player charged for intimidating a witness

An EWU freshman football player was booked into county jail for four counts of intimidating a witness.

Comments were made over social media against victims and witnesses on a case being worked. The original investigation is still pending.

2/29 College students being college students Three underage students violated alcohol violation in Streeter Hall. A CA called and reported laughter and loud noise from the dorm room. The students were charged with an MIP and were referred to Student Affairs.

3/1 Female student with kinds of drugs

all

A drug and alcohol arrest was made at Pearce Hall involving one underage EWU female student who was cited and released for possession of alcohol and for drug violation (marijuana).

Student was also charged with possession of a legend drug (not a controlled substance) without a prescription.

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- The Easterner

Features

drag nig LAUREN REICHENBACH Copy Editor & STAR DRAGON News Reporter

Glitter sparkled in the neon lights as the 22nd annual Drag Show took place in the EWU URC Friday.

The queens shook things up with a Burlesque theme this year, rather than the usual “Greek mythology” or “under the sea” themes.

Overdramatizing simple actions and more serious works, they prompted lots of laughter from the audience with their ensemble. The queens displayed multiple outfit changes with feathers, pearls, diamonds, fishnets and other classic Burlesque attire.

Many of the queens chose to perform to classic show tunes such as “Roxanne” from Chicago, “I am a good girl” from Burlesque and “Cabaret” from Cabaret.

They included iconic dance moves such as the “death drop,” where a person falls flat on their back with one leg bent as if they were dead, which is widely known in the drag community.

The queens interacted with the audience in many ways. They made their way offstage and danced through the crowd, as well as asking audience members questions like, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”

“I loved all of it. I liked how they were in the crowd and interacted with us,” said student Alexann Tureman.

The queens weren’t the only ones onstage

www.TheEasterner.org

Friday. The show named Victor as throughout the underwear at th making the crow The crowd of alm with cheers and they danced.

Alexandria Ta community ou Eagle Entertainm volunteering is w run as smoothly “I have been p since November,” need about 40 stu event. They help lines and stuff lik Tallis said she w theme to the sh event would get “[The turnout] r said Tallis. “Som Some years it’s pr steer away from G why I chose to go The new theme f r o m b u t Ta l l i s the show a l m o s t in tips, which Entertainment is glad for.

While ticke funds go back in Eagle Entertain revenue to host m on campus, any at the show go to

Features

ght at ewu

w introduced a drag king well. Victor stripped down show and ended up in his he end of the performance, wd go wild. most 500 was enthusiastic gave cash to the queens as

allis, the diversity and utreach coordinator for ment, said a lot of student what made the Drag Show as it did. planning this whole thing ” said Tallis. “Every year, we udent volunteers to run the p with tickets, decorations, ke that.” wanted to introduce a new how this year in hopes the a better turn out. really depends on the year,” me years it’s really good. retty mediocre. I wanted to Greek mythology, so that’s o with Burlesque.” e didn’t exceed attendance p a s t y e a r s , s a i d raised $ 8 0 0 Eagle

a local Spokane organization that helps atrisk youth.

All the drag queens are local performers from the surrounding Spokane area. EWU used to bring in queens from all over the nation, but hiring some became too pricey.

“That’s why we really started supporting local drag queens,” said Tallis. “Some of them we’ve had for over eight years, and this year we are bringing in some new performers too.”

Every year, Eagle Entertainment hosts the History of Drag event a few days before the actual Drag Show. This event helps educate students on how drag shows got started and what one can expect when attending a show. Tallis s t r o n g ly e n c o u r a g e s first-time students to attend the History of Drag event before going to the actual Drag Show next year.

“It’s really interesting for students to attend and learn about drag and how to properly address the queens,” said Tallis. “For some queens it’s not necessarily a lifestyle; it’s just a character they kind of put on.”•

t nto nment’s more events tips donated o Odyssey Youth,

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V103 I19 - 3.4.20 -

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Arts

8 - The Easterner Easterner Asks

V103 I19 - 3.4.20

Looking Back

What is your Women to host UW tomorrow night favorite movie, and why?

THE EASTERNER ARCHIVES

“My favorite movie is the “Breakfast Club.” I really like classic movies and I feel like that’s one of them.”

- Ashlyn Mccly, Sophomore ““Star Trek: Wrath of Khan.” It combines the genius of sci-fi and space strategy and the writing on it is super intriguing.

It’s one that I watch often!”

- Dash Estes, Junior “Probably my favorite movie would have to be the first “Lord of the Rings.” It’s the best adaptation from a book that I’ve ever seen, and it reminds me the most of growing up.”

- Erik Ness, Junior “My favorite movie is “10 Things I Hate About You.” It has been my favorite movie my whole life and it makes me very happy when I watch it.”

The Eastern Washington Uni­ versity women’s basketball team will open its Northwest Women’s Basketball League season this weekend, hosting the University of Washington Friday night at 5:30.

EWU, the defending champion in the Mountain Division of the NWBL, will be trying to snap a three-game losing streak which has dropped their season record to 5-8.

Washington has a 5-2 record in non-league, competition was rough last week.

The Eastern women will also be home on Sunday afternoon, facing Seattle University at 2 p.m.

Chilly shooting by the Eagles and a surge in the final seven minutes by Idaho carried the Vandals to an 8162 victory last Sunday, in Eastern’s most recent contest.

After junior Maria Loos shot EWU to a five-point advantage, Idaho reeled off 22 of the next 32 points.

For the game, Eastern connected only 26 times in 78 attempts from the floor and hit only 10 of 22 free

Comics

Dave Sampson for The Easterner

This story was originally published in Easterner, Vol. 22, No. 10, December 1, 1971 and has not been changed except for AP style.

Jean Ness looks for a little help from her friends in Sunday’s game with Idaho. The Eagles lost this one, 81-62. throw shots.

Although she sank only three of 14 shots against Idaho, Jean Ness of Spokane continues to lead EWU in scoring with a 13.5 average.

Sophomore forward Teresa Willard is scoring at a 12.5 clip and Loos, after a slow start, has raised her average to 11.3. She is also averaging 11 rebounds per game.

Loos has moved to forward now that Neil Ann Massie has returned to action following four months of recuperation from a back injury suffered in a Sept. 7 auto accident.

Massie has scored 17 points and grabbed 24 rebounds since she came back. •

Plucking Feathers

Plucking Feathers is The Easterner's comic section illustrated by web editor, Keri Kelly. The purpose of these comics is to poke fun at the EWU community.

- Macee Vadney, Freshman

“The Notebook would be mine. Not only does it have Ryan Gosling, the whole concept of the movie is super romantic, but the time era is really awesome. I could watch a million times and still love it.”

- Rachael Arthur, Senior “My favorite movie is “Pay it Forward.” It just is a tear-jerker but a very happy one at that. It’s one of the first movies I saw where people go through adverse situations and overcome it. I find it very inspirational.”

- Reilly Responte, Senior

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Features

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Artwork by Keri Kelly for The Easterner

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How to find an internship ROSE HAMMACK Copy Editor

Twenty percent of EWU students complete an internship every year, gaining invaluable experience in their future careers; but students often have trouble finding the right company or don’t know where to start looking. That’s where the Career Services office and EWU Internship Coordinator Romeal Watson come in.

Watson oversees about 36 academic programs on campus. He trains students on how to find internships, including coaching them on reaching out to internships and employment opportunities and teaching students about the overall process.

“There’s a lot of reflective things on the student’s part if they know what kind of industry they want to go into, and that’s a work in progress because they don’t always know up front,” said Watson. “That’s a part of the support we offer in our office is ‘what can I major in’ … Maybe an internship can help me figure out what my industry interests might be, but that’s sort of how the two worlds come together.”

When possible, Watson suggests students complete two internships. The first internship should be between freshman and sophomore year for career exploration, and the second between junior and senior year to narrow focus and gain practical experience.

“For the students who know they want to work in a hospital setting with children, pediatrics of some sort, but they aren’t quite sure what capacity,” said Watson. “They can attempt an internship in that area and explore other options and capacities of that same work. Also true of students that just aren’t sure and so they are just going through different industries.”

While students can’t explore every career through internship, Watson says exploring a couple is manageable: “Think about what interests they have and narrow it down to

three or four academic interests and from there decide what internship might work best.”

For students struggling to narrow a career focus, Watson recommends resources like CareerExplorer that allow students to find their career emphasis based on their passions and interests, and can help them figure out what type of work environment their personality might be well suited for.

“For students who are declared, it gives them a chance to narrow down their focus a little more intensely,” said Watson.

“So, if they are an electrical engineer and they want to go into power or do other things like that, they can be in the industry and figure out specifically what that’s like. [It’s] a chance to amp up what their focus is already in.”

Of the 36 majors Watson works with, only six currently require internships; they can still be taken for course credit as an elective in other majors.

Alondra De La Cruz, a senior studying criminal justice and sociology, recently worked with Watson to land her a spot in the Washington State Legislative Intern Program in Olympia.

De La Cruz was selected among 70 other Washington students. This internship application process required a resume, cover letter, personal essay, letters of recommendation, transcript and interview.

“I went to so many people for help … I stopped by Romeal’s office a total of three times to talk and prepare for my interview, and I also had a chance to talk to a former intern Angelica Garcia; (current student at EWU and part of ASEWU) for help,” said De La Cruz. “I am very thankful for Romeal & Angelica for helping me throughout the process and encouraging me to take this opportunity.”

De La Cruz said that as a legislative intern, she has learned to take up space: “As a woman and especially a woman of color (WOC) I had to be able to step out and speak up.”

“The Legislature is still a predominately white institution where there are many issues within that differ from one another,” De La Cruz said. “But you have to be willing to speak

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out on things that you are passionate about or things that you know are wrong.”

For students currently applying on campus, De La Cruz offered some advice.

“Take advantage of the services on campus such as going to career services, the writing center, or talk to past interns, and put in the work.”

“Sometimes when applying to internships they can be scary, but do take that chance on yourself and apply to as many as you can.,” De La Cruz said. “The more you apply to the more chances you have.”

For many students, this is their first time dipping their toe into the professional world. Navigating the terms and understanding what their internships actually entail may seem intimidating. The number one question Watson gets is how to find an internship, but the question students often don’t know to ask is what an internship really is.

“They have an idea based off of things that they’ve heard and they know the internship is doing some sort of worktype thing at a company,” said Watson. “They don’t know that there’s a whole academic piece to it.”

Watson explained that just because an employer hasn’t listed an opportunity, doesn’t mean one isn’t available or that one can’t be created.

“There’s really no boundaries when deciding where you want to do your internship,” Watson said. “It’s just a matter of figuring out what organization might be a good fit based off their principles or mission statement or whatever they are doing in terms of projects and just calling them and asking them.”

Given the current career climate and the ambitious nature of job seekers, Watson said, students are not the first call they have gotten, so they shouldn’t be afraid to reach out.

See internships, pg. 10

Features

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Drew Lawson for The Easterner

10 - The Easterner

The Career Center is a resource that can help students find internships. It’s located on the 3rd floor of the PUB next to the Multicultural Center.

Internships, cont. from pg. 9

Networking can be crucial for finding employment and internship opportunities. About 60-80% of people find their jobs by going to events and meeting people in person, according to Watson. He encourages students to take advantage of any events bringing together employers and professionals in their field to find interning opportunities.

“What I find is that it’s actually easier because they see that you’re a student and that you’re taking initiative,” said Watson. “Networking is a scary word, but for those who work through the process, while working with us and get those jitters out, it’s one of the most effective ways of finding both jobs and internships.”

There are internship opportunities everywhere, even right here at EWU. Health and Wellness, Community Engagement, SAIL, Exercise Science and Psychology have all offered opportunities to students.

There are other opportunities for students looking for experience or a clearer outlook on their careers that are also less time-consuming than interning.

Through observation hours or job shadowing, students can shadow a company for a couple days, ask questions of a trained professional, talk to various people at that worksite and figure out what they do and what that role entails.

“If you do that enough times, you can get a feel for what they’re doing and if it’s something that you’re interested in,” Watson said. “A lot of times, that’s as easy as calling the company and finding out who would be the best person to talk to if you were interested in doing a job shadow.”

Another option is informational interviews, where students interview different professionals working in their future field to see if that is the way they want to use their skill set.

“I’ve had students do a lot of those if they weren’t ready to intern just yet because they weren’t quite sure of where they should go,” Watson explained. “They didn’t want to hop into an internship if they weren’t sure it was the right fit. From there, they can make an educated guess about where to intern or where to take the next step.”

According to Watson, students should give themselves plenty of time and start exploring options early. Deadlines for internships vary greatly, requiring

prep work and early applications.

“If you’re just curious and starting looking, start at the beginning of the year to get a full scope of the different kinds of internships and their deadlines,” said Watson.

“That’s something that happens a lot; an internship will come up and it’s perfect, but the deadline is tomorrow.”

In the search process, Watson warns students to not be focused on big names. Interning has more to do with your relationship to the company and the projects they assign to you.

“A lot of times people go for big names to help their resume, and it might attract another employer for recruitment purposes, but when you have to explain what you actually did, if it ain’t that much, that kind of hurts you as well,” said Watson. “It’s better to work with a company that is aligned with what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Internships are learning opportunities and will be placed on resumes, so making the most of them is as important as choosing the right organization or company.

Watson described working with Anthony Suggs, a business major and film minor, who wanted to go into the film industry.

“We spent like one year submitting resumes to some of the big movie studios; he got a couple of callbacks, but nothing panned out, so we started looking local and found ‘Z Nation,’” explained Watson. “It was a chance for him to still get the behind-the-scenes experience without having to travel to LA and he could still use that as a platform for where he applies next year.”

Suggs was recently selected for a three-day conference on industry and will be applying to the major studios this year.

A common problem facing EWU students is unpaid internships, which may force students to miss out on an opportunity. Students participating at internships at a non-profit or governmental agency can apply to the Krumble Foundation Internship Stipend Program, which offers a one-time stipend of $3,000 to juniors or seniors with a 2.5 GPA or better.

“That’s just one of the ways we are trying to make it easier for students to pursue internships that are not financially able to,” said Watson. “They have jobs and they don’t want to quit their job to do an unpaid internship.”

The application can be found on the Career Services website.

Students can also search for internships on job boards like Handshake and Wayup, filtering for paid options.

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Resources for students seeking internships Career Center office- PUB 332 ewu.edu/careercenter ewu.joinhandshake.com wayup.com internships.com simplyhired.com careerexplorer.com Watson stressed that when students are searching, don’t just do one thing-try job boards, Google and if a company looks interesting, contact them.

Of the 20% of the student population that complete internships every year, only 30%-40% of them utilize the resources offered by Watson and the Career Services office.

Students don’t have to make an appointment, but anyone looking to intern can connect with Career Services at any point in the process-a phone call, email or looking at the online instructions for how to set up an internship can all be helpful.

“My door is always open,” said Watson. “Phone calls work too, but I prefer one-on-ones to really dive in and show them some online resources.” •

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Intramural Scoreboard Scores from Feb. 23-27 Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

Coed volleyball (League play)

EWU senior Keshun McGee won the triple jump at this year’s Big Sky Indoor Championships.

Four Eagles get top-three finishes at Big Sky Indoor Championships BEN BLAKNEY Sports Reporter

EWU track and field athletes put their best feet forward last weekend as they traveled to compete in the Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships in Pocatello, Idaho. The environment of the indoor track fieldhouse was thick with friendly competition and nerves, as many athletes realized the stakes of what they were about to do.

EWU’s high-ranking athletes, like seniors Keshun McGee and Parker Bowden, had great performances at the indoor championships.

McGee finished first place in the triple jump, with a performance of 51’3”, and Bowden set a school record in the 60m hurdles at 7.94 seconds, finishing third.

In women’s pole vault, freshman Savannah Shultz and senior Samantha Raines finished second and third respectively with a vault of 12’10 ¾”. The men’s team scored 58 points and the women’s team scored 39 points.

EWU head coach Stan Kerr put EWU’s main goal plainly, saying the desire to succeed was the team’s fuel.

“That’s obviously the driving force, to do as well as we can as a team,” Kerr said.

Women’s head coach Marcia Mecklenburg was in agreement.

“This is the meet where it’s a team thing,” Mecklenburg said.

To many EWU seniors, the Big Sky championships are the pinnacle of their career as an athlete. This event is the culmination of years of hard work, and both coaches noted their desires for their seniors to perform at peak condition.

“To me it’s important to compete against the other athletes,” Mecklenburg said. “Not to the point where they are forcing it too much, but the key is to try to beat the other athletes.”

Kerr’s sentiments rang similarly true.

“Seniors (are expected) to have the best meet they possibly can,” Kerr said.

These senior Eagles also leave behind a great legacy for many generations to come, becoming inspirations for many athletes below their grade,.

“Underclassmen get a phenomenal experience, the kind of experience that will pay dividends a year from now,” Kerr said.

McGee and Bowden create a culture of competition and friendship as they give it their all, in championships like these.

“Those kinds of legacies that those guys are generating (and have generated) just with their performances … it just fills everyone with pride,” Kerr said.

Kerr went on to explain that these seniors will have the opportunity to maintain their legacies, but in a different way. After graduation, the seniors are invited back to become members of team leadership or to provide experienced coaching.

When asked about some expectations to be had at the indoor championships before leaving for Pocatello, both Kerr and Mecklenburg, who have 25 years of combined head coaching experience at EWU, responded with confidence.

“Expectations for me, usually, are trying to go in and finish higher than we went in with,” Mecklenburg said.

“Across the board. If we can do that in all the event areas, that’ll set up the team to do that with the team score,” Kerr said.

Kerr had other obstacles in mind, mainly the boarded track. EWU athletes are used to a rubber track that is flat all the way around. Pocatello does things differently: their track is solid wood, including raised, banked corners. “(My) expectations are to adapt as quickly as possible,” Kerr said optimistically prior to leaving for the event. “They require a special spike that we don’t typically use. It’s a pin spike versus a pyramid spike … It’d be like taking a circular saw and buzzing through the track.”

EWU now turns its focus to the outdoor season which begins March 19 with the Sam Adams Classic in Spokane. •

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Feb. 24 Psyched 2, EWU ROTC 0 Sweep the Leg 2, Suck my Dig 0 Will Work for Sets 2, Scrappers 0 Sweep the Leg 2, Will Work for Sets 0 Coed volleyball (Playoffs) Feb. 27 Blockbusters 2, Poop Heads 0 My Hits Don’t Lie 2, Blockbusters 1 Kiss My Ace 2, A for Effort 1 My Hits Don’t Lie 2, Kiss My Ace 0 Indoor soccer (Playoffs) Feb. 23 Thoracic World 10, Thoracic Park 6 Feb. 26 Stupid Idiot Face 12, Miles and his Friends 6 I.M. All-Stars 7, Probation FC 6 I.M. All-Stars 9, Stupid Idiot Face 6 Backnet Ballers 9, Scotts Tots 5 Coed basketball (League play) Feb. 24 Jordan Wannabes 83, Matadors 58 Coed basketball (Playoffs) Feb. 27 Dubs Only 60, Straight off the Couch 56 Straight off the Couch 68, Hoopers 62 Daddy’s Lil Athletes 54, D6 Bound 47 The Screwups 65, Daddy’s Lil Athletes 59 Men’s basketball (Playoffs) Feb. 25 Team Buckets 85, Lil Cuties 59 Alley Hoopers 51, Team Sunnyvale 46 Big Ballers 55, JR’s Henney 44 Big Truss 75, EBDBBnB 46 Feb. 23 Circle Triangle Circle 52, Hot Shots 37 Five Finger Ball Slingers 64, Dub Club 56 Big Buckets 46, Circle Triangle Circle 28 Big Buckets 45, Five Finger Ball Slingers 41

Yellow= League Championship

Sports

V103 I19 3.4.20

Drew Lawson for The Easterner

12 - The Easterner

Dr. David Syphers, author of the recent ad hoc faculty report concerning athletics, presents his findings at the Feb. 27 board of trustees meeting.

Board decides against independent review AARON HUTCHINSON Reporter

EWU’s board of trustees decided against an independent review of Athletic Department funding Feb. 28, despite a faculty committee report highly critical of the amount of money the university spends on athletics.

Dr. David Syphers chaired the faculty committee and presented their report about Athletic Department funding to a standing room only crowd at the board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27. The room included coaches, faculty, administrators and students, many of whom came only to see the presentation.

When done, Syphers received a large round of applause from his supporters. The board and EWU President Mary Cullinan did not ask any questions and sought to move on quickly to the next topic, an action delayed by the applause.

“I heard from a number of students and faculty after the presentation that they thought I had made a compelling case,” said Syphers. “I was disappointed that the board of trustees asked no questions. It indicated that they were not engaged in the issue …

That was very disappointing.”

Syphers’s report, titled, “Eastern and Athletics,” was composed by himself and faculty members Dr. Anthony Flinn (English), Dr. David Bunting (Economics) and Dr. Robert Dean (History) on their own initiative. It focuses on the ballooning cost of athletics at EWU while the university is facing a $3.6 million budget shortfall, which has caused reorganization and layoffs. The report explores alternatives for athletics, including moving to a lower division or even dropping NCAA athletics.

These are moves the committee believes would save the university anywhere between $2-$14 million annually. The report urged the Board to approve an unbiased external review of athletic spending.

The only comment Feb. 27 from the board concerning the report came before the presentation

when Chair Vicki Wilson told the assembled crowd that the board had not commissioned the report and were only giving Syphers this time out of respect for the faculty, a comment that co-author Flinn later voiced his objection to. He also characterized the board’s attitude as “defiant.”

“I very much appreciated that the board invited us to present on our athletics report,” said Syphers, who was more cautious in his interpretation of Wilson’s comment. “I can only conjecture that Chair Wilson felt she needed to clarify the provenance of the report for those who were unfamiliar with its background.”

While the board did not discuss the presentation or report further on Thursday, the issue took the majority of the time during the public comments session of Friday’s meeting. Students, faculty, and community members all voiced opinions.

Community member and Cheney City Administrator Mark Schuller spoke in defense of athletics and the positive impact that EWU athletics has on the community.

“A city like Cheney has a hard time with revenue,” said Schuller, who is married to EWU women’s basketball coach Wendy Schuller, expounding on his comments after the meeting. “We don’t have the big box stores and car dealerships where people make large purchases that drive sales tax revenue.

We really rely on EWU events, like football games, to bring people into the town, people who spend money here and provide the funding needed for public safety services. Those are some of the hidden benefits that I think people needed to know about.”

Another commenter questioned whether the faculty committee was diverse or knowledgable enough to author such a report. Many of the comments from students and faculty, however, expressed concerns about the faculty report and the cuts that their departments might have to endure due to Athletic Department funding.

In the end, none of the feedback, positive or negative, was considered by the board or Cullinan.

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“As always, all of us are committed to asking questions and hearing feedback from all areas and groups to understand and guide our university’s future,” Vice Chair Kim Pearman-Gillman read from a prepared statement immediately after she closed the public comments. “At this time, President Cullinan and the board of trustees will not be moving forward with an independent review of athletics.”

The board did not completely close the topic, however, promising in the statement to continue reviewing the athletics budget as they are obligated to do by law and to listen to “the President’s newly established Student Success Academic Committee, and all new and innovative ideas that the faculty have.”

Dr. Syphers, though disappointed that the board didn’t want to grant an external review, is happy the report has started something.

“The report is certainly spurring a conversation among faculty and among students,” he said. “After the BOT meeting, Faculty Organization President Kelly Evans, Faculty Organization Legislative Liaison Sam Ligon, and I all went to talk to the ASEWU. They and the audience present were interested in setting up open forums where we could present our findings directly to students and others in the campus community and we could get feedback.”

However, Syphers warns that ignoring athletic funding and pushing it to the future won’t make the problem go away and isn’t doing EWU any good.

“This issue is not going away,” he said. “Cuts continue to academic programs and have occurred elsewhere around the university. Every area of the university, from advising to academic programs, is routinely under critical examination about how much money we spend on it, and what return we’re getting from that ... As long as athletics remains exempt from this critical analysis, the faculty and hopefully the students will vociferously argue that this isn’t right, and it should be examined.” •