Volume 103 Issue 7 by Easterner Online

Volume 103, Issue 7

www.TheEasterner.org

November 6, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

3 Opinion | 4 News | 6 Arts & Features | 10 Sports

Renovating Roos Field

A look at the potential benefits and impacts of the $25 million football stadium renovation DREW LAWSON Sports Editor EWU announced its intentions to move forward with a $25 million renovation of Roos Field on Sept. 6. The fundraising project is well under way, with EWU hoping to have all the money raised in the next two years. The question is, will this project be an asset to the athletic department and campus as a whole? EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey said she thinks the Roos Field renovation will boost campus morale and improve the game day experience for EWU fans. Hickey brought up the University of

Montana’s Washington-Grizzly Stadium and said that with the renovation, EWU fans will have a similar environment. “The (improved) quality of our seats will be so dramatic,” Hickey said. “When we went to Montana last week, and you drive up to that stadium, you’re thinking, ‘this is a real college football stadium.’ We’re going to have that.” Several other schools in the region have completed or are in the process of completing football stadium renovations of their own. The University of Washington completed a $280 million renovation of Husky Stadium in 2013. Since then, UW’s football team has averaged over nine wins

per season and enrollment at UW has risen from 43,762 total students to 47,571 in fall 2019. Chip Lydum, Associate Director of Athletics, Capital Projects and Operations at UW, said the response to the renovation has been extremely positive. “The stadium is symbolic and functionally important to the university and the community,” Lydum said. Washington State University completed the $61 million Cougar Football Project in 2014. Enrollment at the WSU Pullman campus has only risen slightly since then, from 19,756 students to 20,976 students. However, WSU’s football team has averaged eight wins per

season since then, compared to just three in the previous five seasons. Stadium renovations aren’t the only factor for more wins, but they usually contribute. UW and WSU aren’t the only schools that have completed renovations in the past ten years. Montana State University invested $10 million in an upgrade of Bobcat Stadium in 2011, and since then, enrollment rates have gone from 14,153 to 16,766. MSU is one of the fastest growing schools in the region.

Renovations, Continued on pg. 11

Keri Kelly for The Easterner

News

Features

Preparing for winter quarter registration

PNW artists push the boundaries of drawing

A breakdown of all you need to know about registering for winter quarter classes. The Easterner provides important dates and deallines no matter what year in school you are. EWU priority class registration begins today and will run through Nov. 19.

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@The Easterner

The Contemporary Drawings of the Pacific Northwest exhibit will be a collection of artwork that displays many forms of mixed media. The purpose of the gallery is to challenge the idea of contemporary drawings through various forms of media. The opening day of the exhibit will be at 12 p.m. in the EWU Art Gallery on Nov. 6 and will continue through Dec. 6.

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2 - The Easterner Editor in Chief Richard N. Clark IV easterner.editor@ewu.edu Managing Editor Dylan Harris easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu Ad Director Jacie Philips advertising@ewu.edu Multimedia Director Malati Powell easterner.multimedia@gmail.com

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Copy Editor easternercopy@gmail.com

THE EASTERNER Editorial Board

News Editor Mitchell Roland easterner.news@gmail.com

It’s that time of the year again. Registration for winter quarter is fast approaching, and so are deadlines for graduation applications. This week’s issue of The Easterner includes two informative stories meant to help students navigate their way through the upcoming deadlines, as well as educate them on some new processes that EWU has implemented. Also included in this issue is a preview of the upcoming Contemporary Drawings

Sports Editor Drew Lawson easterner.sports@gmail.com Arts & Features Editor Hamine Mendez easterner.aef@gmail.com Web Editor Keri Kelly easterner.online@gmail.com Social Media Editor Isaiah Gessner easterner.social@gmail.com Reporters Randle Kinswa Elizabeth Price Photographers Mckenzie Ford Director of Student Newspaper Jeff Bunch jbunch@ewu.edu Faculty Adviser Jamie Neely jneely@ewu.edu

in the Pacific Northwest art exhibit. Nine artists from the PNW area are showing their work at EWU from Nov. 6 to Dec. 6. Using a variety of mediums and mixed media, the exhibit offers the artists the opportunity to show just what is possible in contemporary drawing. Keep reading to find out more about the exhibit and hear from a few of this year’s attending artists. In the sports section this week, The Easterner dives into some of the impacts and potential impacts of the $25 million football stadium renovation. EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey discusses some of

the reasons behind the renovation, as well as some of the possible impacts it will have. This issue also covers the impacts, some of which are already being felt, the budget gap is having on EWU’s recreation programs like intramural sports and EPIC Adventures. With budget cuts affecting university programs across the board, some of these recreation programs are having to adjust how they operate. We cover all of this and more in this week’s issue, so keep reading to find out more! •

Upcoming

THE EASTERNER Editorial Board Next week’s issue will include a preview of the theatre department’s upcoming production of “Urinetown,” the threetime Tony Award winning satirical musical that pokes fun at capitalism, the legal system, social irresponsibility, politics and much more. Performance dates for the musical begin on Nov. 15.

We will also be covering Veterans Day and some of the events and people at EWU associated with it. As a way to honor veterans, there will be a Veterans Day display set up in the JFK Library. In the sports section, we will be taking an in-depth look at the life of a redshirt athlete. Many student-athletes at EWU, especially on the football team, are given the redshirt designation in their first year with the team. This story will focus

on redshirt football players and will explore what it means and what it’s like to be a redshirt player. Grab a copy of next week’s issue on Nov. 13 so you don’t miss out on any of our coverage. Print issues can be found on campus and at various locations throughout Cheney and Spokane. Thanks for reading! •

Think our paper is out of this world? Check us out online!

www.TheEasterner.org 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 voice and a learning environment for students to engage, connect and make informed decisions.

Circulation

The Easterner publishes a weekly print version as well as web content during the week at theeasterner.org. The Easterner is distributed throughout the Cheney campus and business district as well as the Riverpoint campus and various Spokane businesses. If you would like The Easterner to be distributed at your business call the Advertising Department at 509-359-7010.

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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.

Opinion

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An ode to furry friends Thanks for the ride, Barabbas ERIC SCHWARTZ Guest Columnist

Eric Schwartz is a former editor at The Easterner. Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Easterner, its staff members or Eastern Washington University. This column was only edited for AP style.

Courtesy of Eric Schwartz

As I pedaled across the icy streets of Cheney, a warm nose prodded my fingers from the pocket of my winter coat. It was February 2006 and, as a largely irresponsible college student, I was living up to sophomoric expectations. A close friend’s dog had produced a litter of puppies, an unheavenly canine cocktail created by an intelligent Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix named Polly Pocket and an affable Chihuahua-miniature Pinscher named Eddie. Since the night of conception, which of course happened during a massive Beer Pong tournament, I had reserved one of the male offspring. As decisions go, the one that led me to my journey across the frosted landscape of an Eastern Washington college town was typically foolish. The dog, which I chose to name Barabbas Barabbas pokes his head out from a stack of old newspapers in The Easterner newsroom. after the Bible-era criminal released by the Romans in the place of Jesus, would take up against one another, he soon became a His brown muzzle turned white with time. gaze on his younger counterpart or sleeping residence inside a dumpy apartment building fixture. His energy was reduced, but he’d always seem just outside his bedroom door. known somewhat ironically as the Reno That remained the case as I completed to perk up for a game of fetch, summoning To say I was a different man when I first Nugget. newspaper internships, first at The Chronicle strength and electric movements that would brought Barabbas home would be inaccurate. He became the fourth roommate to a trio and then at The Tri-City Herald in Kennewick. often result in impromptu figure-eights I wasn’t a man at all. From the age of 20 to of Eastern Washington University students During one such summer, he lived for around the yard or living room. my mid-30s, he joined me on a journey from who were leading lives common for new months out of my car, as my seasonal rental Naps grew more common and longer in adolescence to adulthood that would have felt adults basking in their first real dose of familial agreement didn’t allow for pets. Lunch length. empty without him. freedom. Days were filled with studying and breaks led to discoveries of chewed up wires As the decade went by, he seemed to evolve All of that came to an end on Wednesday. working. Nights were rife beneath the steering wheel with me, growing from a wild-eyed juvenile Time had taken its toll on Barabbas. He with parties and revelry. or suspiciously damp with a lack of discipline and a penchant for a stopped eating. His muscle and fat evaporated, The struggles of sections of carpet. good time to a wiser and mature adult who leaving behind only a husk of the canine I had puppyhood were felt from At night, our routine simply carried out his daily business without come to adore and rely on over the last decade the start; smelly deposits was comprised of long much excitement. and a half. His breathing became labored, his on the living room carpet; walks on the Centralia Interestingly, I was quickly becoming his movements slow and painful. When he could no late-night barking and College campus. Then, second-favorite person. longer keep food down, I made the decision that bathroom breaks; playful as other members of the We didn’t know what to expect when we it was time to let him go. bites that drew blood from household fell asleep, brought a son into the world in November 2014. As I held him in my arms when he took his passing ankles. I’d sneak Barabbas in We were all but certain, though, that Barabbas final breath, my mind shot back to that winter I was less than fully through a bedroom would not be keen on the new addition. day in 2006. responsible for him. window. As he did And he wasn’t at first. Carrying Barabbas in my coat pocket across My roommates, Brad every night, he’d find a Eventually, though, he warmed up to the Cheney, I of course never imagined what life and James, would often nook between my legs diaper-clad invader of his personal space. had in store for us. I never did, but he was tend to him while I was tied — always beneath the Over the last few years, the two could often always with me regardless. up with work or class, with blankets — and sleep be found snuggled up on the same section of He became the dog that defined nearly half or without my requests to until sunrise when I couch or dog bed. Bauer, my son, developed of my life. After every disappointment, every Eric Schwartz and his dog Barrabas. would drop him out the a sensitivity we didn't expect, always softly breakup, every shortfall, I could count on his do so. Over time, he grew from a window onto the lawn stroking Barrabas’s fur while casting a smile ridiculous face meeting me at the front door of rodent-sized puppy to a cat-sized dog, all the and then move briskly through the house to and engaged eyes on his much older brother. whatever home — or vehicle — I lived in. while existing as just another member of our pick him up for a morning walk. Barabbas would sneak into the bathroom His passing brought an embarrassing college crew. Such clandestine pet ownership would be when Bauer was in the tub. He’d peek over the number of tears to my eyes. Every memory At The Easterner, the college newspaper required again and again through the years edge, eliciting giggles and chuckles from our from the last 14 years plays out with him in my where I’d eventually become editor, he’d as he joined me on many adventures — and toddler, who would occasionally attempt to peripheral vision. sprint manically around the newsroom. misadventures — that took us to jobs and splash him with bathwater. Life will of course go on. Dogs die. The Whether he was digging through a pile pursuits throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you wanted to find Barabbas, it was easier journey continues. of old newspapers or chasing the foosball He outlasted every relationship I had in my to just look for Bauer, because the old dog For now, though, the ride feels colder across the table as staffers competed 20s, right up until I met my wife in 2012. would always be nearby, casting a protective without him.•

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4 - The Easterner

News

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9/28 - Police seek help in case

EWU police are looking for a driver who caused property damage after a recent snow storm. The driver made a U-turn on the road that leads to parking lot 12 near Roos field, and during the turn went down a grass embankment, which damaged a fence at the bottom. A bystander walking by helped get the vehicle off of the embankment, and the driver drove off on the sidewalk, eventually driving behind the press box at Roos Field. Through surveillance video, EWU police were able to determine that the vehicle is a sedan. If you have any information about this incident, you are asked to contact EWU police.

10/27 - Domestic incident in dorm

At 3:45 p.m. in Morrison Hall, officers responded to a domestic violence incident between roommates. A resident said that she and her roommate have had difficulties since the beginning of the school year, and that her roommate had threatened her. The resident also reported that her roommate had hit her with a spatula, and had thrown various items at her. The case was referred to Student Affairs, and the roommate was referred to Cheney Municipal Court on charges of fourth degree assault and domestic violence harassment.

10/29 - Tresspasser found on campus

At 7:25 a.m., officers responded to a call of a trespasser in the theatre building. When officers arrived, they found a male and female inside. The male has previously been cited for trespassing at EWU, and banned from campus. EWU police would like to remind people that if they see something out of place, say something.

10/29 - Marijuana found in the dorms

At 8:36 p.m. in Pearce Hall, a CA called to report the smell of marijuana coming from one of the dorms. When officers arrived, the resident stated she had marijuana in her purse, and gave permission to search the room. The officer also found a marijuana cigar (better known as a blunt). The underage resident was given a citation and referred to student affairs.

10/31 - Lulu leggings larceny

At 4:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of Dressler Hall, a resident called to report that multiple pairs of leggings were stolen from the laundry room. The Lululemon leggings were valued at up to $150 a pair, and whoever took them also took a laundry basket. This was the second incident in as many weeks that leggings were stolen out of a laundry room in Dressler Hall.

10/31 - Driver cited for DUI

At 11:30 p.m., an officer noticed a vehicle on First Street that accelerated quickly from a stop light and was traveling at a high rate of speed, and eventually crossed the centerline. The officer pulled the car over, and noticed an open beer bottle in a cup holder in the center console. The driver is not an EWU student, and admitted he had been drinking. The driver blew over twice the legal limit, and was booked under suspicion of DUI.

11/1 - Underage driver cited for DUI

At 11:49 p.m. at the corner of Second Street and “A” Street, officers ran the license plate of a vehicle and discovered the tabs expired in 2016. Upon making contact with the driver, the officer observed his bloodshot and glossed over eyes. The 19 year old driver is not a student at EWU, and was given a citation for DUI.

11/3 -Marijuana found in Dressler Hall

At 9:11 p.m. on the eighth floor of Dressler Hall, officers responded to a call from a CA who reported the smell of marijuana. A cousin of the resident answered the door, and said that their clothes must have smelled like marijuana. The resident gave officers permission to search the room, and the officer discovered a vape pen and a brownie that both contained THC. The resident was given a citation, and referred to student affairs.

11/3 - Marijuana found in car

At 10:30 p.m., officers noticed a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed on Washington Street. Once the officer pulled the car over, he noticed a passenger in the vehicle spraying a large amount of perfume. One of the passengers in the vehicle admitted to their being marijuana in the car, but the driver did not give permission to search the car. The two passengers in the car were cited for marijuana possession. None of the occupants of the vehicle are students at EWU.

Graduation is closer than it appears JAZMINE REED Contributor

“A lot of applications used to be turned in late because students would wait until the end of the quarter and then couldn’t Everyday is a day closer to graduation, get ahold of the right people to sign off and a day closer for seniors to meet on those graduation applications,” said application deadlines. graduation evaluator Allison Swenson. This year, graduation applications It allows students to be able to apply are completely online. Not only are they to graduate without it being based on online, but they are a lot more simple. whether or not they can get ahold of “The information to fill out is just people from a certain department. what you want printed on your diploma, "It was very easy. It was a great thing what term you are to have it online expected to graduate since students, and what your major especially studentis,” said Assistant athletes, have such Vice President of busy schedules,” Academic Planning said Senior Maddie Heather Veeder. Ardueser. The application Another way itself can be found to get informed on EagleNet and about the students can go necessary steps there, and then to graduation is answer a couple of a class provided questions and get - ALLISON SWENSON, on canvas set up to graduate. called “Steps To Graduation Evaluator “I do believe it Graduation.” is a good step and “The class keeping up with the times of technology,” explains how to read student SOAR audits, said Junior Devante Hall. “It makes the differences between commencement college students lives easier and will and graduation and how to apply, which is be a big stress reliever in a time of something that is new that is coming with maintaining good grades and handling this new online graduation application,” other responsibilities.” said Veeder. Before this, the paper version required the Students get automatically enrolled in students to list all of the classes they’ve taken this class as soon as they hit 120 credits for their major and then get the paperwork without extra charge. • signed by the director of the department.

“A lot of applications used to be turned in late because students would wait until the end of the quarter.

”

Graduation Application Deadlines: Spring - November 29, 2019 Summer - February 7, 2020 Fall - May 8, 2020

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News

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Deadlines for winter quarter registration approaching fast

Students must act quickly to avoid any holds on their accounts so they can register SANDRA REYES Contributor

Fall quarter is almost over, which means winter registration is just around the corner. EWU priority class registration begins today and run through Nov. 19. Academic advisors urge students to mark their calendars and get rid of any holds they might have on their accounts NOW! The most common reason students go into the center for academic advising and retention the week of registration is because of holds they did not know were placed on their accounts. "We are trying to be very proactive this quarter by sending out emails and text messages informing students about their holds, but it is "crucial for students to go online and check on their own as well,” said Maria Reyna, associate director of retention initiatives. CAAR professionals also shared some tips on how students can have an easy and successful registration. They emphasize the importance of knowing how many credits students have earned because that will determine what day students are to register on. “It is specifically important for new students to know this because a lot of our freshmen come to EWU with transfer credit, so they may not necessarily be registering the same day as their friends,” said Heather Page, executive director of academic advising. Other ways students can have an easy registration is by planning out their schedule ahead of time. Students are able to generate their own schedule on EagleNET and transfer it into their registration

Date

Students who can register

11/6

Graduate Students, Post Bac, Special Population

11/7

180 & above graded credits

11/8

150–179 graded credits

11/12

120–149 graded credits

11/13

90–119 graded credits

11/14

60–89 graded credits

11/15

30–59 graded credits

11/18

0–29 graded credits

11/19

General Registration Begins

cart so the morning of registration it is ready for them. “Registering for classes can be frustrating, but being placed on a course waitlist or not getting into the classes you need can be even more frustrating," said senior student, Jennifer Mata. "My advice to other students would be to take ownership of their own education by planning their classes and setting a time to meet with their advisor to address any questions. These two steps will increase their chances of getting into the classes they want to take.” Like every other year, CAAR will also be having walk-ins in Monroe 305 for

students who have any questions or concerns. Walk-in dates will be held Nov. 13 for students who are at 90 credits, Nov. 15 for students who have earned 30-59 credits, Nov. 18 for true freshmen and also on Nov. 19. However, advisers have expressed wanting to see more students by appointments rather than by walk ins. “It is the walk ins that I worry about because if they come for a walk in, I do not have the time to really get to know them and make sure that they do want the career or major they are pursuing,” Reyna said. Advisers want students to know that they are not only there for registration

“Registering for classes can be

frustrating, but being put on a waitlist or not getting into the classes you need can be even more frustrating .”

- JENIIFER MATA, EWU Senior

www.TheEasterner.org

purposes, but for student success. “We hope that students find that their advisers are really there to help them, not just with classes but also with information on where to go for career services, volunteer and internship opportunities,” Reyna said. With that being said, every EWU student should have a course schedule before heading home for the holidays. Plan ahead by meeting with your advisor to avoid making registration harder on yourself. Students who need assistance with classes or further career opportunities are able to schedule an appointment with CAAR online or by calling its office, at 509.359.2345. For more information on class registration visit https://inside.ewu.edu/advising/ •

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Features

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Investigating What is Possible in Contemporary Drawing Contemporary Drawings in the Pacific Northwest exhibit will explore the possibilities of art through various forms of media

A collection of artwork from the Contemporary Drawings in the Pacific Northwest exibit. Photos By Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

ELIZABETH PRICE Reporter

Another artist participating is J. Gordon from Seattle. Gordon believes his artwork is unique because of its intentional spontaneousness. “The people might not grasp that the art looks very spontaneous, but are very carefully worked.” Gordon will have three pieces of work on display at the exhibit. One piece is created on clayboard and the other two on plastic paper. Throughout Gordon’s artistic journey, he started to focus on animal species. Gordon explained that he likes to learn about the species as he creates drawings and paintings of the animal. It can be difficult to maintain interest in a subject if there is no learning experience, Gordon said. Gordon explained that by letting the experimentation happen, it allows people to recognize different forms within the painting. Art is always about learning something new Gordon said. Gordon explains that being an artist is something he’s always done. His grandmother, who was a self-taught painter, was a huge influence to Gordon. “Some of my first lessons were me and her in her little farmhouse working along with Bob Ross,” said Gordon. If students are interested in learning more about the gallery of art, the opening day of the Contemporary Drawing in the Pacific Northwest exhibit will be at 12 p.m. in the EWU Art Gallery on Nov. 6 and will continue through Dec. 6. •

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

Pho-

In hopes of pushing the boundaries of contemporary drawings, nine artists from the Pacific Northwest area will be showing how their artwork is more than drawings. The Contemporary Drawings in the Pacific Northwest exhibit will be a collection of artwork that displays many forms of mixed media. The creator of the event and gallery director, Nancy Hathaway, has put the instructor of arts and 3-D lab technician, Roger Ralston, in charge of organizing the exhibit. Ralston explains how the artwork shown will investigate what’s possible in contemporary drawing. The exhibit will consist of drawings created with watercolor, paint, pen, pencil, graphite, charcoal and oils. Some media will also be presented on glass, ledger paper and handmade paper. The participating artists will demonstrate the different aspects of drawing through the use of vibrant colors, meaningful content and harmonious textures. Artist Cheryl Hahn of Yakima explains how it is an inadequate notion to limit the possibilities of drawing. Hahn said she always knew she wanted to be an artist as a young girl. One aspect that

sets Hahn’s artwork apart from others is the use of color and boldness of imagery. Her "Palm Springs" pieces are full of vibrant color and capture the essence of the Palm Springs area. “Nature is definitely my inspirational vessel,” said Hahn. The emphasis on different aspects of nature creates a harmonious yet conflicting movement, explains Hahn. Hahn has created organic artwork for over 50 years that reflects her inspiration. Hahn said she is very pleased to show her artwork in the exhibit and believes it will be a very strong show. An artist from Gig Harbor, Nicole Lenzi, said that her artwork pushes the boundaries because it is an exploration of possibilities. Lenzi will be presenting four works of art from her “Progressions” series. “The Progressions series explores work that grows off of each other,” said Lenzi. Lenzi explains that it is about exploring musical chords over time and how harmonies are produced. The drawings displayed at the exhibit are inspired by photographs that display shadows and light, according to Lenzi. “My drawing explores what actually a drawing is and where it comes from,” said Lenzi. She said is excited to see how other artists have pushed the boundaries in their own ways. “It helps you appreciate their work and then it helps you evolve your own work,” said Lenzi.

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Arts

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Plucking Feathers

Comics

Plucking Feathers is The Easterners' comic section illustrated by Web Editor, Keri Kelly. The purpose of these comics is to poke fun at the EWU community.

Today we're learning about history, art, teaching, filming, writing, nursing, physics, music...

Eastern’s operating funds insufficient

THE EASTERNER ARCHIVES This story was originally published in The Easterner, Vol. 21, No. 29, July 7, 1971 and has not been changed except for AP style. Students are not the only ones having a difficult time making “ends meet” as far as budgeting goes these days. A recent report issued by the Business Affairs Council indicated that the administration is going to have to come up with an estimated $92,132 to balance their operating budget for the 1971-73 biennium. The 1971-73 Operating Appropriations Bill passed by the State Legislature provides Eastern with $18,520,069 from the State General Fund and accepts the assumptions in the Governor’s Budget that the college will have a local fund revenue from enrollment fees and other sources of $5,151,414, giving Eastern a total of $23,671,483 for the biennium. The effect of the overly optimistic enrollment fee revenue estimates, coupled with the Legislature’s waiver of fee increases for Vietnam veterans is that the college expects a revenue of only $5,060,930, which is $90,484 less than the amount estimated in the Governor’s Budget.

In addition, the Legislature has directed that a portion of the payments to the Public Employees Retirement System for Civil Service staff be made although no funds were provided for this purpose. This brings the shortage total up to $92,132—a sum that must be diverted from other areas to be met. Finally, the Governor’s Budget treatment of Local Fund revenue by programs resulted in an unfunded Lyceum budget for the next two years. The program, currently operating on a yearly budget of $40,000, will either have to be eliminated or funded through the diversion of funds from other programs. A proposal by President Shuck’s Budget Advisory Group (BAG) would attempt to bring the budget into balance by committing the present reserve balance in the General Local Fund, estimating at $50,000, to budgeted expenditures for the next biennium. This would off-set all but $40,000 of the $90,000 estimated shortage in revenue from enrollment fees. It would also result in an estimated balance of zero in the fund and the end of the biennium. The BAG also recommends that the contributions to the Public Employees Retirement System for Civil Service

staff be absorbed by the departmental budgets where Civil Service staff are employed. Approximately $40,000 of the $92,000 unfunded costs would be covered in the Physical Plant program. The other departments that would be particularly hard hit by this measure are Fiscal Operations, Registrar, and Data Processing. Finally, BAG would have the Lyceum budget reduced by 50 percent to $20,000 per year. Although this would be a more drastic cut than would occur in most other college programs, the Lyceum budget consists almost entirely of funds for contracting lecturers and performers. In short, Eastern will have about half as many convocations and performances, under this proposal. With all of these recommendations enacted, there would still be approximately $80,000 still to be reduced from program expenditure levels, as proposed in the Governor’s Budget and amended by the Legislature. The BAG proposes to do this by prorating the $80,000 among programs on the basis of the number of dollars proposed for each program in the Governor’s Budget.

www.TheEasterner.org

The Easterner, Vol. 21, No. 29, July 7, 1971

Looking Back

A common but unwelcomed problem on campus lies in the condition of the streets, particularly the 10th and 11th streets running by Morrison and Streeter halls. Promises to pave the dirt road still remain to be kept by the City of Cheney. Officials began promising to pave the roads last fall. Winter and bad weather caused postponement until spring. Then spring came, and heavy rains caused another delay. Now that fair skies and warm weather are abundant, it seems that the real problem lies in the lack of funds needed to pave the roads.The college has already promised the City of Cheney money to pay for most of the paving—now it is up to the other property owners along the streets to contribute their portion of the funds.

Saving student services

A look into how EWU academic success programs are dealing with the recent $3.6 million budget gap HAMINE MENDEZ Arts & Features Editor

Due to a $3.6 million budget gap, EWU officials from Academic Advising, Pathways to success, PLUS, and C.A.M.P are creating new ways to help protect resources offered to students. Advising is a department that offers students access to faculty members who are able to help guide them through the university. Pathways to success is a service offered to help students gain skill sets they may lack in order to succeed here at EWU. C.A.M.P is a program designed to support students from migrant and seasonal farm worker backgrounds for their first year at EWU. Heather Page, executive director for Academic Advising, said that she is foreseeing a change in the services offered through collaborations. If a department is no longer able to offer services, they will have to strengthen relationships with other departments that can grant resources that are similar to the needs of students, said Page. Pathways was a pilot program offered for the last few years which did not receive funding for the current

Features

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Hamine Mendez for The Easterner

V103 I7 - 11.6.19

EWU students studying in the PLUS center. This is the area where all EWU PLUS students meet. school year. Due to this cut, they could not rehire the Pathways director, who would oversee all Pathways peer mentors. Helping combat this is PLUS, a tutoring program on campus. They are taking in the students who would have been eligible for Pathways, and putting them into a new program called Pathways to Success. This is saving the resources offered to students in previous years. “We did lose a position out of our office, and that was the pathways program coordinator, and losing that position, well it was super hard when it happened,” Page said. “It led to us creating some collaborations with other units that made the program better.” The largest change is the use of academic coaches instead of peer mentors. Before, peer mentors were students who helped other students in Pathways adjust to college and gave them all of the resources necessary to succeed. Academic coaches find the specifics of what students need to work on, and help them gain the skills to succeed. With the new coaches, it has become more specialized, said Page. Martín Meráz García, Associate Professor, and the new Interim Director for C.A.M.P., said they applied for a C.A.M.P.

grant. However, it did not receive the funding, which was a large factor in why C.A.M.P. saw some changes this year. Rather than the budget cuts changing the program, it was the current political climate at the institutional level. This was also due to feedback from EWU and other C.A.M.P.’s in Washington state. The institution is picking up some of the cost, even though they can't fund it anymore. “We are running a university funded program that is smaller, and more streamline,” Meráz García said. They used to serve 45 students, now they are serving 30 because of the expenses for providing the services. “The institution is doing its best to try to put forth the resources that are needed to to continue to serve at least a smaller portion of the C.A.M.P. program” Meráz García Said. Meráz García said he is still waiting for approval for funds for a peer mentoring program. Junior Livi Stratton, an office aid for PLUS and current EWU student shared how PLUS has personally helped her become less stressed. “It definitely helped me pass classes I struggled with.” Stratton Said. Through these partnerships, EWU hopes to continue to offer help to students in need.•

“The institution is doing its best to try to

put forth the resources that are needed to to continue to serve at least a smaller portion of the C.A.M.P. program.

”

- MARTÍN MERÁZ GARCÍA Associate Professor www.TheEasterner.org

Sports

10 - The Easterner

V103 I7 - 11.6.19

Budgets and recreation Some EWU recreational programs face budget cuts and decreased student participation

“We have bigger problems than the money. ... My bigger concern is the participation rates.”

- MIKE CAMPITELLI Director of Campus Recreation Programs

RANDLE KINSWA Sports Reporter

EWU is currently facing a $3.6 million budget gap that has triggered a funding cut in many programs throughout campus. Four of these programs, Campus Recreation, Club Sports Federation, EPIC Adventures and Intramural Sports, allow students to participate in sports and outdoor activities. These four organizations received a combined budget cut of $39,532. Despite the cuts, money is not the biggest concern for Director of Campus Recreation Programs Mike Campitelli. Campitelli said I.M. Sports' biggest concern is the lack of student participation. “We have still managed to put out the same number of activities and even more options,” Campitelli said. “Our biggest issue is not money. … It’s students engaging in the programs.” I.M. Sports had just 43 teams for fall 2019 after 65 teams played in fall 2018. Campitelli said most of the budget cut impacted student wages. “Cutting programs is the first thing that people think of when their budget is cut,” Campitelli said. “That is not what I want to do. … Not having as many student employees is the number one impact on our budget. … 70-75% of that budget is student wages.” Campitelli said the number of employees in a normal year is around 60. This year it is around 40. Campitelli

didn’t have to fire anyone though. He saw the budget cut coming last spring, and chose to not rehire positions that were vacated by students that had recently graduated. Campitelli has no ill will toward the budget being cut, and is confident that all of campus recreation will be fine. “I am not going to sit here and complain about the dollar amounts that were given,” Campitelli said. “It was a little higher than I was anticipating, … the people here at campus recreation are pretty good at managing budgets … and making things work on less.” The budget decrease isn’t I.M. Sports' biggest issue, according to Campitelli. Decreased student participation raises larger concerns. “We have bigger problems than the money,” Campitelli said. “My bigger concern is the participation rates … it’s not just at Eastern, … it’s kind of a national trend, … students are doing less of these activities.” I.M. Sports is charging a fee to play intramurals for the first time this year. Campitelli does not like having this fee. “This is the first quarter in my 27 years of doing this that we have charged students to play intramurals,” Campitelli said. “Which I totally have a problem with. … As a student, this program is funded through your fees through the (Services and Activities Committee). ... I think it’s bullshit that students have to pay twice … to play in a program that they have already paid for.”

The fee was originally $11 a quarter. However, Campitelli is changing the fee from a quarter-by-quarter fee to an annual fee of $11 as of Nov. 4. Students who have already paid this fall quarter will not be expected to pay for the winter and spring quarters. Junior Sierra Alvarado, student athletic director for I.M. Sports, said she has seen a lack of student participation this year in intramurals. “There were just not nearly as many teams this year as there has been in the past,” Alvarado said. “It is getting to the point where (Campitelli) has to make a team full of I.M. employees.” Cory Bergh, a junior and a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, participated in both intramural volleyball and flag football this quarter and said the fee made some people second guess whether to play. “There is no one in specific that I knew in ATO that didn’t play because of the fee,” Bergh said. “But, it was one of those things that people were considering, 'is it even worth it to play?' … It was just one of those added fees … that we didn’t know why it was necessary.” Chris Hoppe, associate director for Campus Recreation and Outdoor Programs, said he’s going to do as much as possible with what was given to the organization this year. “Our approach doesn’t change,” Hoppe said. “We are going to do the best with what we got.” Hoppe said there are some policy

Allocation of recreational funds Program

Funds allocated in 2018-19

Funds allocated in 2019-20

Campus Recreation

$376,032

$390,000

Club Sports Federation Intramural Sports

$95,000

$148,500

$120,000

EPIC Adventures

$275,000

$250,000

www.TheEasterner.org

changes that have made this year a little more challenging. On top of the budget cut, EPIC Adventures has also lost its ability to generate revenue. EPIC used to rent their equipment out to the community, but as of this year have not been allowed to continue that practice. Hoppe said this change in policy will cost EPIC the ability to generate around $10,000 in revenue. Hoppe also said that staff, faculty and community members can not go on trips with EPIC Adventures anymore. Hoppe said that he is trying to revisit that and understand the policy that is restricting that operation and how they can work within that policy and still grow their program wherever possible. Hoppe said that is an additional $10,000 a year that the program will not see, unless that policy is revisited. “Those two things put together,” Hoppe said. “(Is) about $20,000 dollars a year that we are going to be short, … compared to the last two years where we were able to generate revenue.” Hoppe said he knows the Services and Activities Committee doesn’t have any easy decisions. “The (Services and Activities Committee) have a tough job,” Hoppe said. “They have got to look at everybody and see where the best value that they can put their money towards. … We don’t take it as a slight to our program, … they just have to make really tough decisions.” Hoppe said that the budget reduction mainly affected the staff. “We have cut back on the amount of staff that we have on our team,” Hoppe said. “We have brought on more work-studies students that we can give work opportunity too. … The endgame result is that we have less staff to maintain our equipment, … get equipment staged and do all of our operations here in our office.” Hoppe, like Campitelli, simply didn’t fill the positions from employees that graduated last year.

See Recreation, pg. 12

School University of Washington Washington State University Montana State University University of Montana

The Easterner -

Year of Renovation Enrollment Enrollment renovation cost at time of now renovation

Football wins per season before renovation (with equivalent time span)

Football wins per season since renovation

2013

$280 million

43,762

47,571

9.3

2014

$61 million

19,756

20,976

3.2

2011

$10 million

11,727

14,510

7.1

7.3

2017

$14 million

11,865

9,979

6.5

Drew Lawson for The Easterner

Sports

11.6.19 - V103 I7

A look at other schools in the region that have in some way changed their football stadium in the past ten years and how the schools' statistics have changed since.

EWU seeks to provide campus asset with stadium renovations Stadium renovations don’t necessarily equate to increased enrollment. The University of Montana spent $14 million in privately raised funds to open its Champions Center on the south end of Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Champions Center was opened in 2017, but UM’s enrollment has dropped every year for the past eight years and is at its lowest rate in the past 25 years, per 2018 and 2019 reports from The Missoulian. EWU is hoping its stadium renovation will follow the path of increased enrollment. Hickey said the improved stadium will attract people to the school who otherwise wouldn’t necessarily be interested in EWU. “I think that’s going to be exciting for our fans (and) for our campus,” Hickey said. As stated above, the money for the stadium is being funded entirely by fundraising and private donations. EWU won’t be using state money or university funds to aide in the project (taking state money for such an endeavor is illegal). EWU also won’t be drawing from its own athletic fund to pay for any components of the renovation. According to Hickey, the athletic department is taking a 3% cut across the board this year, so taking money that’s already tight to fund the stadium upheaval wouldn’t make fiscal sense. Hickey told The Easterner that EWU is far behind rival schools on updating its athletic facilities, which is less than desirable when Roos Field holds the largest regular gathering of people that EWU hosts. “Nothing’s been done in that stadium for well over 20 years,” Hickey said. “When you’re getting 9,000 or 10,000 people together and you’re not accommodating the fans, that’s not positive.”

Hickey added that EWU needs this upgrade if it wants to stay competitive with its rivals. “We have a great opportunity … to every year be in the run for a Big Sky championship and to get into the NCAA playoffs,” Hickey said. “If we want to do that, we’ve got to make an investment in our facilities. All our peer schools—Montana, Montana State, Idaho, UC Davis, Weber State — everybody has added things to their stadiums and we haven’t touched ours.” EWU also views the project as a return on investment. Hickey said the athletic department has hit a wall and needs to find a way to generate revenue. EWU hopes the stadium renovation will do that. EWU’s investment is into a group of student-athletes that bring revenue to a cash-strapped university. According to data provided to The Easterner by Chad Karthauser, EWU Associate Athletic Director for Business and Finance, the university gave out an estimated $4,268,980 in scholarship money to its student-athletes in 2018-19. EWU’s 14 athletic teams then generated an estimated $5,142,886 of revenue … a profit of $873,906. Football generated the most revenue at just over $1.3 million, but cost just over $1.5 million in scholarship money. Men’s and women’s track and field, the two other teams directly affected by the renovation, received a combined $421,555 in scholarship money and generated just over $2 million in combined revenue. Football and men’s track were the only EWU sports to generate over $1 million in 2018-19 according to EWU’s grant-in-aid breakdown drafts. Hickey hopes that the revenue generated from the stadium will benefit not just the athletic department, but bring capital, or opportunities for revenue, to

the university as a whole. Hickey has history on her side. Before becoming the athletic director at EWU, Hickey was the AD at the University of Texas-San Antonio. In 2009, the athletic department at UTSA ran a similar campaign to start a football team from scratch at the same time as a university-wide capital campaign. The university was trying to raise $120 million in revenue to support various school needs. The capital campaign raised $180 million by 2015, and UTSA had a football team take the field for the first time in 2011. “The two efforts did not hurt each other,” Hickey said. “We were able to utilize both initiatives to help build UTSA to the next level.” The Roos Field renovation got a major boost on Sept. 19 when Jack Gillingham, a Cheney resident who owns several businesses in Spokane County, made a $5 million pledge to the project. Gillingham’s donation is spread out over a five-year period, but he will provide more money up front so that EWU can replace the red turf prior to the 2020 season (yes, the new turf will still be red). EWU estimates the

cost to replace the turf will be $1.3 million. The next step in the renovation will be removing the track so that the seats can be moved closer to the football field. EWU is undecided on where to move the track, but is looking at either putting it around the soccer field or moving it to an area by the intramural fields. EWU plans to move some of the portable seating at Roos Field to the soccer field and new track area. Lydum said raising funds for a stadium renovation isn’t easy, but the end results are is worth it. “Good luck to Eastern,” Lydum said. “It was a very tough road to get the stadium completed … but we’re really glad we stuck with it because the university benefits greatly from it and there’s a lot of community pride that comes with something like this.” It has yet to be seen whether EWU’s Roos Field overhaul will benefit the school financially, but it won’t take money away from the school. Hickey said the athletic department seeks to benefit EWU, not to hinder it. “We are not here to disrupt the mission of the campus,” Hickey said. “We are here to be an asset, and to help.” •

Courtesy of EWU

Renovations, cont. from pg. 1

EWU's estimated costs in scholarship money and estimated revenue generated by athletics in the 2018-19 school year.

www.TheEasterner.org

Sports

12 - The Easterner

V103 I7- 11.6.19

Hoppe said EPIC will also not be able to purchase new gear, which he said is the backbone of the program’s ability to do unique trips, if there are continued reductions. Hoppe does not have any actual numbers in terms of student participation, but he feels as if the turnout this quarter is pretty stagnant compared to the last two years in the program’s planned trips. Hoppe said the program has seen some growth through partnerships with academic programs. “Where we have actually seen some expansion is that we are actually partnering with academic programs,” Hoppe said. “FYE, geology departments, the recreation program … so we are putting together custom trips specifically for those academic programs.” Hoppe said EPIC has wanted to do this for the past few years, but between the budget cuts and policy changes, the program doubled-down their effort to make this happen. Campus recreation actually received an additional $13,968 in funding while club sports remained stagnant. Intramurals and EPIC Adventures weren’t so lucky. Intramurals lost $28,500 in funding while EPIC suffered a cut of $25,000. These programs are funded by a service and activities fee charged to each student every quarter. This year it was $235.33 per student per quarter. In 2018-19 the fee was $227, and in 2017-18 it was $221.67. The Service and Activities Committee gets its money from the fees students pay. Washington State citizens voted on Initiative 1433 in 2016, which would gradually raise the state’s minimum wage until 2020 when the state minimum wage would be $13.50. The conflict is that enrollment is not growing at the pace to outweigh the rise of minimum wage and the cost of living in Washington State, which causes staff to be paid more in accordance with the rise of minimum wage and inflation. Also, according to Washington State law, the Services and Activities Committee cannot raise this fee higher than 4% a year. Because of this law, the Services and Activities Committee can not raise the fee high enough to avoid budget cuts to certain programs. The committee is made up of a combination of students and faculty. The committee decides on EWU's budget for allocation of fees the spring before the next school year, and brings this proposal to the Board of Trustees, who ultimately get the final say. Students who want to learn more about the Services and Activities Committee can visit its website, which contains the budgets allocated year-by-year and each meeting’s minutes. The website is https://inside. ewu.edu/saas/services-and-activities-feecommittee/. •

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

Recreation, cont. from pg. 10

EWU senior forward Brooke Dunbar (middle, No. 27) pursues the ball on Oct. 20 against Northern Arizona. Dunbar had four goals and two assists in the regular season.

Soccer looks to carry regular season success into postseason RANDLE KINSWA Sports Reporter The EWU soccer team (6-2-1, 9-72) finished third overall in the Big Sky Conference in the 2019 regular season. Its only two conference losses were to Sacramento State and Montana, which came in the last two games of the regular season. The loss against UM was for the Big Sky regular season title. Senior forward Brooke Dunbar said the team’s mood was low after the loss to UM, but EWU is now looking ahead to their win-or-go-home tournament game against Portland State University. "We know what’s at stake," Dunbar said. "We have been here before.” EWU head coach Chad Bodnar talked about the lessons that were learned after the loss against UM. “Anytime you play for a championship, especially at home, you expect to win,” Bodnar said. “I think we are all disappointed. … It wasn’t (because of) a lack of effort, I thought our kids played really hard. … At the end of the day it comes down to defending and attacking set pieces.” Bodnar said EWU faced challenges early in the season. “We had to integrate a lot of new faces into the program,” Bodnar said. “I think our nonconference schedule was tough … it was tougher than (previous seasons).

Junior forward Taylor Matheny also said the team faced obstacles early on. “Like (Bodnar) said, I thought preseason we started off a bit rocky,” Matheny said. “As the season continued on we got to know how each other play, … we started to connect and play a lot better.” Bodnar said the team got better over the course of the season. “I think the group kind of jelled when we got going and kind of hit a hot spot during conference,” Bodnar said. “We did really well during conference … (but) unfortunately we didn’t get those last two.” Bodnar said EWU can improve in corner kick situations. In the regular season finale against UM, the Griz scored their only goal on a corner kick. UM had 14 corner kicks to just two for EWU. Bodnar said this team is more tight-knit than other EWU teams he has coached. “I think they work together,” Bodnar said. “They care about each other … not only on the field but off the field.” Matheny said the team's mindset is centered around progressing one game at a time and is focused on the opponent at hand. EWU’s chemistry improved throughout the season, according to Dunbar. “We kind of just grew a lot during the season,” Dunbar said. “I think it just kind of came with understanding how the freshmen played and the seniors

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played … working together, … I think we finally got that mesh well.” Dunbar said there were some individuals who grew quickly this year among all position groups but the growth of the midfielders stood out to her. “We had a lot of people who left last year (who played midfield),” Dunbar said. “We have a deep bench, so we had people who could come in and take that role and step up and be able to connect.” Sophomore midfielder/defender Colby Wilson and freshman midfielder Madison Kem both played meaningful roles in the midfielder position. Kem scored two goals, while Wilson started in 14 of the 17 games she played in. EWU had several players receive regular season awards. Matheny was named the BSC Defensive Player of the Year, while Kem won BSC Newcomer of the Year. Matheny, Kem and junior forward Sariah Keister were named All-BSC First Team. Keister led EWU in total points with 13 and goals with six. Sophomore defenseman Mya ElderHammond and junior forward McKaley Goffard were All-BSC second team. Dunbar was named BSC Honorable Mention. Bodnar was named BSC Coach of the Year to round out the regular season honors. No. 3 EWU will take on No. 6 PSU in the Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. in Greeley, Colorado. •