The Easterner: Volume 102, Issue 26

Volume 102, Issue 26

www.TheEasterner.org

May 8, 2019

THE INDEPENDENT, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER OF

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

3 News | 7 Arts | 8 Features | 12 Opinion | 13 Sports

Baker's got the keys ... Finally

Key Baker (left), the unofficial ASEWU president-elect, looks on at Reilly Responte (right), who filed a grievance after losing by 11 votes. Responte cited Bylaw 2017-18/206A section 4-D as his main argument. | Richard N. Clark IV for The Easterner

After losing to Key Baker in the polls two weeks ago, Reilly Responte filed a grievance. The ASEWU election board unanimously ruled in favor of Baker. Responte has two days to decide if he wants to appeal the decision to the ASEWU Superior Court.

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Sports

Features

EWU Bloomsday runners share stories

Celebrating spring for the community

The tradition of Bloomsday is widely known in the area but the motivation behind each individual and group is not. Learn about the accomplishments of these Eagles and the driving force behind each.

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Welcome spring with the 7th Annual Cheney MayFest. Have fun and help promote business, tourism, and economic development in Cheney.

Featuring live music, art in the alley, a classic cars show and more!

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may fest 2019 Page 8

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2 - The Easterner Editor in Chief Michael Brock 509.359.6737 easterner.editor@ewu.edu Managing Editor Jeremy Burnham easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu Multimedia Director Richard N. Clark IV easterner.multimedia@gmail.com Chief Copy Editor Amanda Haworth easternercopy@gmail.com News Editor Dylan Harris easterner.news@gmail.com Sports Editor Taylor Newquist easterner.sports@gmail.com Arts & Features Editor Erik Rotness easterner.aef@gmail.com Web Editor Colleen Ford Social Media Editor Matthew Pennell

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Editorial

Changing the conversation Ending the stigmas surrounding mental health THE EASTERNER Editorial Board It permeates every aspect of our culture, yet we don’t talk about it. One in five Americans suffer from this, yet we don’t talk about it. It costs the U.S. approximately $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year, yet we don’t talk about it. What’s worse is that it takes the lives of over 44,000 Americans every year and is the second leading cause of death for 1524 year olds, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

We’re talking about mental illness. Or rather, mental health and well-being.

If the number of people being affected by mental illness is so high and costs so much, why don’t we care? Why don’t we do more to raise awareness, educate the public about what mental health really looks like and how to offer help to those in need?

Brief history The study of psychology dates back to ancient Greece but did not become a recognized science until the late 19th century.

Since then, there have been many myths, stereotypes and stigmas built around those who suffer from mental illness. Stigmas are a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person and often leads to discrimination.

In order to educate the public, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, originally organized by the Mental Health America organization in 1949 (formerly known as the National Association for Mental Health).

Every year in May, organizations across the country fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.

It became officially recognized by President Barack Obama in 2013.

“As a Nation, it is up to all of us to know the signs of mental health issues and lend a hand to those who are struggling. Shame and stigma too often leave people feeling like there is no place to turn,” Obama said. “We need to make sure they know that asking for help is not a sign of weakness—it is a sign of strength.”

Did you know?

• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., and the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-34.

• Each day an estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide.

• Approximately one in five adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.

• Approximately one in five youth aged 13-18 (21.4%) experiences a sever mental disorder at some point during their life. *Statistics from NAMI

Editorial continues on pg. 5

Copy Editor Sam Jackson Reporters Drew Lawson Malati Powell Marco Vargas Karolyn Wambold Photographers Mckenzie Ford Bailey Monteith Director of Student Newspaper Carleigh Hill Faculty Adviser Jamie Neely

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 http://www.TheEasterner. org.

The Easterner is distributed throughout the Cheney campus and business district as well as Riverpoint and various Spokane businesses. If you would like the Easterner to be distributed at your business call The Easterner office at 509-359-6737.

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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.

Corrections: 1. In Issue 25's cover article titled "Baker wins...

Barely," The Easterner incorrectly relayed information regarding Gaige Baisch, former ASEWU president. Baisch was not in Greek life during his campaign to become ASEWU president in 2017.

News

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Richard N. Clark IV for The Easterner

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Grievance denied JEREMY BURNHAM Managing Editor The ASEWU elections were almost two weeks ago, but the battle to become president continued Tuesday. Reilly Responte, having lost in the polls to Key Baker by 11 votes, took his fight to the courts, asking the ASEWU election board to overturn the vote of the student body.

In a statement obtained by The Easterner and confirmed by both candidates, the board unanimously ruled in favor of Baker.

The hearing was a result of a grievance Responte filed the day after the election closed. In the complaint, he alleged that Baker violated an ASEWU bylaw barring campaigning in the classroom.

Responte cited Bylaw 2017-18/206A section 4-D, which reads, “Campaign paraphernalia shall not be posted on classroom surfaces (e.g. walls, doors, glass, windows, and bulletin boards). Campaigning shall not be allowed in a classroom, nor shall a candidate request from an instructor the opportunity to address formally students during class periods.”

Responte argued that a message an EWU staff member sent out on the Africana Studies’ Canvas page encouraging program students to vote for Baker constitutes campaigning in the classroom.

Much of Responte’s time was spent painting the image of Canvas being an academic app.

“Canvas is used to extend the classroom by assisting and teaching and learning for students,” Responte said. “By using Canvas, a platform based entirely on academics and classroom interaction, Ms. Baker used the classroom to promote her own agenda.”

It is unclear what class Responte accuses Baker of campaigning in because the Canvas

page in question is not a page for any class. It is a page for the Africana Studies program.

The message was sent by Christina Lonning, the programming coordinator for the Africana Studies program, and contained a link to the voting website with a reminder to vote for Baker.

As evidence that this was in-classroom campaigning, Responte stated that Lonning was a professor. However, Baker stated, and The Easterner has confirmed, that Lonning is not a professor and does not currently teach any classes on campus. She did, however, teach African American Culture and Expressions as recently as fall 2018.

While Responte argued that Canvas is an extension of the classroom, Baker spent an equal amount of time saying it wasn’t.

Continuously referring to the page as a “virtual lounge,” Baker stressed that the page wasn’t connected to a class, and was used to socialize and coordinate events.

Baker’s main argument was that she did not send—or authorize—the message.

Lonning testified for Baker, saying she sent the message on her own accord.

Responte seemed to argue that Lonning was part of Baker’s campaign, citing Section 4-B of Bylaw 2017-18/206A, which reads, “A candidate is ultimately responsible for their campaign and the activities and conduct of those who assist the candidate in that campaign.”

“This does not mean that a candidate is responsible for anything anybody does,” Baker told the board.

Lonning denied any connection to Baker’s campaign. After the hearing, she told The Easterner that she was just trying to support a student in the program she worked for. She admitted she didn’t know anything about Responte.

Richard N. Clark IV for The Easterner

Key Baker defending her victory to the ASEWU election board following a grievance filed by her opponent Reilly Responte. Baker won the general election by 11 votes.

Reilly Responte making his case to the ASEWU election board. Responte filed a grievance alleging that Key Baker violated an ASEWU bylaw.

“Because (Baker) is a part of our program and I had seen her in the lounge a few times, I put ‘vote for Key’,” Lonning said. “I didn’t know the other person (Responte) at all. I knew nothing about him. I believe in supporting the students in the Africana Studies program.”

While acknowledging that she supported an ASEWU candidate from her position as an EWU staff member, Lonning stressed that she didn’t do anything wrong.

“Number one, it didn’t violate any bylaws,” Lonning said. “Now I realize there are people out there who are willing to twist bylaws to fit their own agenda. So as far as (supporting another candidate in the future), I would probably think twice about it. Just for that reason, not because I did anything wrong.”

Another witness for Baker said she saw Responte campaigning in front of a polling place. Responte said he was in front of the PUB to watch preacher Keith Darrell.

Responte had a list of six witnesses to speak

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on his behalf, but he said that two backed out.

He also said the remaining four chose only to write statements on his behalf, and to not appear in person. His witnesses said that they had received an invite to join the Africana Studies page, and then received the message from Lonning.

After the results were sent to the candidates, Responte and Baker both spoke to The Easterner in phone interviews.

“I’m disappointed,” Responte said. “A staff member got involved in the ASEWU student election. That’s what really upsets me … (Lonning) doesn’t pay tuition. She’s not a student. She’s a paid staff member and she endorsed a candidate in student elections.”

“I’m ecstatic, I’m so happy,” Baker said. “I feel like I can finally celebrate my victory.”

Responte said he has two days to decide if he wants to appeal the decision to the ASEWU Superior Court. He told The Easterner that he does not plan on doing so at this time. •

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EWU teams dominate Bloomsday Corporate Cup

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Bloomsday is a staple of Spokane. It has been an ongoing tradition for 43 years. This year, EWU’s red team (top men’s team) won its 23rd consecutive Corporate Cup title. The top EWU women’s team came in second overall, placing higher than any women’s Corporate Cup team in Bloomsday history.

The Corporate Cup is a competition between businesses and organizations with over 325 teams. The cup started back in the 1980s and is organized by divisions.

“The Corporate Cup is a team competition and each team has five members from organizations … Eastern has eight or nine teams,” history professor John Collins said.

The divisions of the Corporate

Cup are based on gender and age.

Collins has been participating in the Corporate Cup for the last three years.

“A couple of colleagues three years ago—because I was interested in running—were like ‘you should do Corporate Cup for Eastern,’” Collins said. “So I ran it in 2017 and I got a good enough time where the next year they invited me to be on the red team.

So 2018 was my first year on the red team.”

Collins described the atmosphere of Bloomsday as great.

“It was 60 degrees and sunny.

Perfect conditions,” Collins said. “There were bands playing along the course and you get sprayed with water and yeah just everything felt great! I got a personal best—44 minutes—so it was a great day.”

EWU IT Support Carl Combs has

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

AMANDA HAWORTH Chief Copy Editor

Clothes thrown into the trees at the beginning of the course. All of the clothes are collected and donated to local charities.

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

EWU's top men's team wins its 23rd consecutive overall Corporate Cup title; women's team makes Bloomsday history

Bloomsday participant Lois Musser taking off from the starting line for the 12K race. This was Spokane's 43rd annual Bloomsday run. been affiliated with the university since 1983. He runs competitively.

According to Collins, Combs is one of the fastest 50-year-olds in the country. He made his debut on the red team in 1997.

“Then there is the overall,” Combs said. “That’s where Eastern comes in with not only an overall win since ‘97, so that’s 23 years in a row, but also the ladies have won the women’s division multiple years and this year they have set that mark at the highest finish ever for a women’s team.

Ever. That is huge. Second overall right behind us only by four points. Four points from a perfect score.”

A perfect score in the Corporate Cup is 3,000 points and they scored 2,996. President Mary Cullinan got a perfect score scoring 1,000 points, according to Combs.

“The Corporate Cup is designed to have any kind of corporation or any kind of enterprise get involved in Bloomsday,” professor of English and humanities coordinator at EWU Dr. Grant Smith said. “To get involved in the festive spirit of the community. It’s a celebration of wellness. Of course, we have

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some elite runners come in. But the Corporate Cup is a way to get corporations or any employer to encourage their employees to stay fit, to be a part of this celebration of wellness as I often refer to it.”

According to Smith, over half the participants are actually walkers.

“To encourage employees to participate there is this Corporate Cup division," Smith said. "Any corporation can have a team …

The competition is with age and gender categories. Each team member is scored as to how well he or she does in that category.”

The Corporate Cup has been part of Bloomsday since the 1980s. “(The idea for the Corporate Cup) got started in 1982 when the Washington Water Power contributed a trophy and they had their teams organized and they won the first Corporate Cup division,” Smith said. “I and a few other guys from Eastern were standing around watching this award ceremony and we knew that we had individually beaten the runners who were the winners of the first Corporate Cup … Nobody had even heard of the Corporate Cup.”

EWU has kept its success going despite some tough competition over the years.

“Eastern Washington University has been preeminently successful," Smith said.

"Corporations from virtually all over the country have come in and competed. It has drawn interest from outside of Spokane.

Boeing has sent teams over, the University of Washington. WSU used to be a key competitor in the Corporate Cup division. Eastern has been notably successful.”

Smith emphasized the element of community the Corporate Cup and EWU demonstrate.

“I think it goes along with the general purpose of Bloomsday as a celebration of wellness and as a way of encouraging wellness among our employees,” Smith said. “And participation with the community, identify with the community, just be a part of that …

It’s wonderful that our university is supportive of this. They see it as a good thing. Both in terms of identifying with the community at large and the community that we serve and be supportive of the community.” •

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Professor earns volunteer award AMANDA HAWORTH Chief Copy Editor

One of EWU’s professors was recently awarded the Clacey McNary Volunteer of the Year Award for the Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter “in recognition of outstanding service.” Jane Pimentel is a professor in the department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

“It was, of course, a surprise and is … named after somebody who had done so much for the Alzheimer's Association in the past,” Pimentel said.

Being that the Alzheimer’s Association is national, Pimentel winning this award among others within Washington state is a huge accomplishment. She received the award in Seattle at the Discovery Conference this past fall.

"It’s always kind of a surprise and humbling because you feel like ‘I’m not

Editorial continued from pg. 2 Many of the stigmas associated with mental health can be removed by changing the way we discuss the topic. For starters, the brain is an organ like any other in the human body and can become chemically unbalanced and inefficient, leading to what we consider mental illness.

So why don’t we treat it like any other illness? Why don’t we go to the doctors and seek help?

Campaigns Sometimes all we need is to learn how to rewire our thought process, other times we actually need to take medication to better balance the chemicals responsible for stress, fear, anxiety and happiness.

Here are a few organizations and programs dedicated to educating the public, raising awareness, breaking stigmas and changing the conversation surrounding mental health.

The #WhyCare campaign, launched by the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, emphasizes the power of caring. It is an opportunity to share the importance of mental health treatment, support and services.

It also serves as a challenge to address broken systems and attitudes that present barriers to treatment and recovery.

News

Dr. Jane Pimentel doing that much, you know,’ but I do three things for the Alzheimer's Association,” Pimentel said.

Besides teaching at EWU, Pimentel dedicates a lot of her time to the cause.

“For one, I am what they like to call a community educator. But I basically volunteer to present information to the community,” Pimentel said. “I will present at senior centers, at the libraries, at churches, on very specific topics of dementia. I will do a presentation just called, ‘The Basics of Dementia.’”

Pimentel’s dedication shows in her actions through volunteering and educating.

“The other thing I participate in is as a facilitator of a support group for people with early stage dementia,” Pimentel said. "The Alzheimer’s Association's major fundraising effort happens every fall all over the place and it’s their walk … They have a big walk here in Spokane every October and it’s in

“NAMI believes that providing education and support—and advocating for better care and treatment—is critical to getting people on a path of recovery,” said Angela Kimball, acting CEO of NAMI. “This year, during Mental Health Month in May, we’re asking you to tell us why you care using the hashtags #WhyCare and #NAMICares to join the conversation with examples of what you are doing personally or in your community.”

According to NAMI’s website, care has the power to make a life-changing impact on those affected by mental health conditions. Through our own words and actions, we can shift the social and systemic barriers that prevent people from building better lives.

The #4Mind4Body campaign, which was created by the MHA last year, focuses on the relationship between your physical and mental health.

According to their website, this year they are expanding this theme to explore the topics of animal companionship, spirituality, humor, work-life balance, recreation and social connections as ways to boost mental health and general wellness.

Every day this month, MHA is challenging you to make small change— both physically and mentally—to create positive gains for your overall health and wellbeing. From #MindfulMonday to #SleepWellSunday, there is something for

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Riverfront Park. I support it financially but from a volunteer side, I work to get Eastern students involved in the walk and then the Eastern students volunteer in so many different ways to help with the walk, help to disseminate information, help answer questions."

Pimentel really likes seeing EWU students stepping up and supporting the walk if not financially, then with their time.

According to Pimentel, passion plays a huge role in earning an award like this.

“I don’t know if it is qualifications as much as participation. A true desire to make a difference in the community regarding the knowledge of what is dementia and how people and families can still live well with dementia well into the course of disease,” Pimentel said. “There’s such a stigma associated with having Alzheimer’s or a different type of dementia that is really hard and a lot of people might become socially isolated because it’s so awkward. You go out into the public and you have a memory problem. How do you communicate, how do you navigate?”

Pimentel gave a better understanding of what exactly leads to Alzheimer’s.

“Think of dementia as an umbrella term.

So dementia is a general term referring to progressive cognitive decline that interferes with daily life,” Pimentel said. “The diseases that can cause that dementia are many.

Alzheimer’s is the most common disease.

It’s the most common so we know the most about Alzheimer’s.”

Awards like these single out those who have gone above and beyond, like Pimentel, who demonstrates her passion for educating and volunteering. •

everyone, even those who do not suffer from a mental illness.

Treatment When seeking care it is important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” treatment for mental health. There are many different methods that can assist on the road to recovery including medication, counseling, social support and education.

According to NAMI’s website, when people are directly involved in designing their own treatment plan, including the creation of recovery and wellness goals, choosing services that support them and evaluating treatment decisions and progress, the experience of care and outcomes are improved.

With the help of a treatment team, you can develop a recovery plan that works for you.

Whether you know someone, or are struggling with your own mental wellbeing, The Easterner encourages you to take the month of May to be mindful of how you think and talk about mental illness. Together, we can #EndTheStigma surrounding mental health and create a new dialogue that allows people to seek help, offer support and find a path to recovery. •

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Measles immunization required fall quarter 2019 MARCO VARGAS Reporter Five of the four-year public universities in Washington already have a measles immunization requirement. EWU will soon make it six.

The EWU board of trustees has passed a requirement for all students to receive an immunization that can protect them from measles and other related diseases, according to EWU Senior Director of Wellness and Recreation programs Tricia Hughes.

“Eastern was the only four-year public university that didn’t have an immunization requirement,” Hughes said.

“This requirement helps to provide public health perspective around measles, mumps and rubella if an outbreak were to occur.”

According to Hughes, health organizations are hoping to provide herd immunity when the immunization policy is in effect.

“What that means is that they hope that any given community or about 90% of the population has immunity to measles, mumps or rubella,” Hughes said. “(The immunization) is just meant to protect our community from an outbreak. Over the last three or four years, there have been several outbreaks in Spokane county, and then the measles outbreak over at the Vancouver, Washington area just ended recently.”

To make the policy official, Hughes said that vaccines called MMR will be packaged and brought to EWU for student treatment.

One minimum shot will be given.

“Our only great concern is measles because in a population, measles is 90% contagious for those who are unvaccinated,” Hughes said. “With measles, getting one vaccination is 93% effective, and getting two vaccinations is 97% effective. The vast majority of cases that we see are people who don’t have immunizations.”

Students will receive an email from the EWU health and wellness department that talks about the requirement. The department will also post on social media and put out posters to inform students about the policy and have them be cautious about the outbreaks.

“Because it’s a new policy, we don’t want people to be surprised by it,” Hughes said. “If they’re not able to show proof of vaccination prior to winter quarter registration, they will have a registration hold put onto their accounts and not register.”

The new immunization policy at EWU is set to activate in the fall quarter of 2019. Students must receive at least one vaccination to qualify for winter quarter registration. For more information about the policy, visit EWU Health, Wellness & Prevention Services at URC 201. •

News

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Bailey Monteith for The Easterner

6 - The Easterner

The Spokane County Gophers team after receiving their medals on the podium. Qualifiers from this competition will compete in the State Games later this month.

Special Olympics held at Roos Field KAROLYN WAMBOLD Reporter EWU hosted the Special Olympics Washington East Region Spring Games on Saturday, May 4. The games were held at Roos Field and included track and field, powerlifting and swimming.

The Special Olympics started off as a summer camp for people with intellectual disabilities. Eunice Kennedy Shriver formed this camp in 1968 to give those with intellectual disabilities the chance to compete and the opportunity to grow. The very first Special Olympics was in 1968 in

Chicago and had 1,000 competitors.

The Special Olympics has come a long way since 1968, with programs in over 170 countries.

“It’s huge now. There is somewhere close to 5 million people in the whole world that have intellectual disabilities that participate at the Special Olympics,” Special Olympics volunteer Earl Overly said. “Competitions range between track and field, swimming, basketball, cycling.”

According to the Special Olympics website, it all began in the 1950s and 1960s when the creator, Shriver, saw how unjust and unfairly people with intellectual

disabilities were being treated. She saw that many children with intellectual disabilities didn’t have a place to play, so she took action in making Camp Shriver.

“Here (at EWU) we have competitions that eventually lead to a state competition each year in late May, which is in Fort Lewis, Washington, and then from there is a national Special Olympics competition,” Overly said.

There were teams from all over the east side of Washington. The competitions at EWU act as qualifiers for the State Games.

Those who won gold in any track and field events move on to the state competition

and those who won gold and silver at the swimming, powerlifting and soccer also go to the state competition.

According to Overly, the regional Special Olympics used to be at the Spokane Community College campus, but once there were more teams, EWU ended up becoming the home of the regional tournament on the east side of Washington state.

Fans and competitors cheered everyone on throughout the event, and many of the athletes left with medals in hand. Those who qualified will move on to the State Games in Fort Lewis, Washington. •

Black hole photo's significance explained MARCO VARGAS Reporter Since its release on April 10, an exciting picture has been so nationally popular for citizens that one professor decided to teach some history.

EWU physics professor David Syphers held a presentation at the JFK auditorium and taught the audience some facts and history about black holes in a slideshow presentation to honor the first ever black hole picture that the Event Horizon Telescope released. Syphers said that the purpose of doing his presentation was public interest but also to have people understand what black holes are about.

“Sometimes there are things in the news that I think the general public is interested in but doesn’t have a real appreciation or

understanding of what’s going on,” Syphers said. “I think you need some background understanding of why the picture is so cool.

A lot of people saw the picture and they’re like, ‘Wow, I’ve seen better pictures than that in movies.’ So, why are (professors and I) so excited about this fuzzy picture of a black hole? We just wanted to give people a background and help them understand the discovery.”

One of the things shown in the slideshow presentation was a short animated movie of the Earth rotating a black hole where it looked like the planet was getting sucked in but then comes back out during the rotation.

“It’s a really cool effect,” Syphers said.

“When the Earth is behind a black hole, the light from the Earth is trying to get out. And the light gets bent by the black hole.”

Syphers said that inertia and gravity combined could also be a reason for the Earth not getting completely sucked into a black hole.

“The inertia is why the Earth doesn’t get sucked into the sun,” Syphers said. “The sun is pulling on the Earth really hard. But the Earth doesn’t fall into the sun because it’s moving really fast.”

Another thing that Syphers favored was how the scientists used the telescope to zoom into the black hole and make the adjustments to capture the image.

“I never really thought about seeing a black hole because they’re so small and far away and dark with not much light,” Syphers said. “So the fact that they were able to zoom in enough to actually see that little bit of glow in the black hole, that’s what really blew my mind.”

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Syphers said that he appreciated the audience when they showed interest and asked questions after the presentation concluded.

“They had a lot of good questions,” Syphers said. “It’s great when an audience asks questions like that because they’re engaged, they’re thinking about it, they’re curious about the subject. Every teacher or scientist wants to deal with people who are curious and engaged. There were a lot of really interesting questions. It gave me a chance to expand on some other interesting aspects of black holes.”

Syphers said that he is considering releasing the slideshow onto the internet for the public to search and examine. It is currently unknown when it will be available online. •

Arts

Easterner Asks

Where do you want to move after college?

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Looking Back

Staging a walkout

“I want to move to my hometown in Royal City, Washington. I would like to help out the hispanic community down there. I want to be a police officer there."

- Alejandra BandaContreras, Freshman “I definitely want to go back to Hawaii because that is where I am from.

It is paradise. I want to teach students so they can have better opportunities and go to college."

- Minoaka Kuamo’omoli, Junior

“Back home to Albuquerque, New Mexico. I enjoy the culture there. There is so much to do. There are things that I like. I want to do some forensic analysis down there.”

- Adam Kaiser, Sophomore “I want to move to Spokane. If I can get internship there, I think that’s a good place to live.

It's close, and why not?

I’m from the west side, Seattle area, but I like the east side a lot more."

- Everett Belk, Junior

“I want to move somewhere warm because it is cold here in Washington. I want to go to San Diego. I used to live there, so I like it there. I want to be a high school teacher.”

- Kenzie McMartin, Freshman "I am trying to go California just because I know that area. It is a different culture from Washington. It's more laid-back, and I kind of like that."

- Juanita Walker, Junior

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The Easterner, Vol. 61, No. 16, February 10, 2010

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Students protest in response to the proposal to cut financial aid funding in the state of Washington in 2010. The proposal did not pass.

ALINA SHAMIN Easterner Archives This story was originally published in The Easterner, Vol. 61, No. 16, February 10, 2010 and has not been changed except for AP style.

“We need to have our governor and our state legislators understand what is at stake here … We are the future of this state,” said Raphael Guillory, faculty organization president.

Eight hundred students filled the campus mall to raise awareness of the proposal to annihilate the state financial aid program. All work study jobs will be postponed and many scholarship programs will be diminished if the proposal passes. President Rodolfo Arévalo was one of the key speakers at the event, urging students to register to vote and contact the state legislators.

The walkout was organized by the Student Legislative Action Coalition (SLAC).

With 73% of the students staying and working in Washington after graduation, “to invest in us right now is to invest in the future of our state’s economy,” Marc Ebel, a member of the SLAC, said.

About 83% of the students attending EWU right now rely on some sort of financial aid.

“They’re putting the burden on universities to provide (financial aid),” Arévalo said. “The cost of tuition right now is just enough to operate the university, so in order to provide financial aid for students in need, tuition will need to be raised, continuing an endless cycle for students.”

“I’m hoping that a good number of students will take initiative to write to their legislators and let them know

how cutting our funding will negatively affect students,” Arévalo said. “The students need to let legislators know that ‘we’re not just a number; we’re people.’”

In order to ensure the legislators get the message, five-minute video testimonies were recorded where students could speak to legislators through the camera.

Students like junior Rachel Ladines had a chance to speak out and make it known that higher education is in jeopardy.

“If they take away school funding, then I won’t be able to finish my degrees,” said Ladines, who plans to use her education degree to open a halfway house for young mothers. She has everything set up, including the house, and is only waiting on her degree.

Sophomore Kasey Williams noted that class sizes keep growing, but the number of classes stay the same, which will only continue to get worse if legislators keep cutting funding.

She said some classes are so full that a number of students have to sit on the floor and yet they keep coming.

“I’m really depending on my (financial aid),” said Williams.

She also said that without it she “might not be able to continue my education.”

Not all students were in agreement with what was said in speeches and were tired of hearing the same things over and over again. Scott Traver, sophomore, thinks the university should be held accountable.

“This shouldn’t be put on us (students),” Traver said. “If people want to make a difference, then the students on financial aid shouldn’t register for classes next quarter until this gets resolved.”

www.TheEasterner.org

Since such a large portion of the student body at EWU is on financial aid, abstaining from registering would “put the pressure back on the university,” according to Traver.

Among EWU students who showed up to support the case was a Cheney High School student. Worrying about his future, Alex Gustafson, 17, said, “I’m skipping class to be here.”

Sophomore Luke Baugh said, “There’s nobody at this school that does anything ... there’s nothing that changes,” referring to EWU not having anyone in the student body who has much say in matters like these. “The students need to stick together.”

Like Baugh, junior Swen Burgman believes that “everyone should be able to go to school.”

As for the turn out, Kris Byrum, ASEWU Legislative Affairs representative, said, “I was really impressed: a lot of energy—a lot of improvement from last year.” Byrum said the speeches were organized to be three to five minutes, just long enough to “rally the troops, get them excited about the legislative process and politics, get them to write the legislators.”

Stacey Butler, ASEWU executive vice president, was also impressed with the number of students who showed up to the rally. “It was amazing to see so much student support,” she said.

Lauren Rettig, a running start student, said, “I work at my parents’ laundromat basically for free ... so I’m broke.”

All of the people involved in the walkout are hopeful and are waiting to see what is going to be done with a pressing matter like financial aid.

“When you have 80 % of the students relying on financial aid, it has to be a priority,” Arévalo said.•

Feat

8 - The Easterner

Cheney celebrates MayFest MALATI POWELL Reporter Cheney is celebrating spring downtown at the seventh annual Cheney MayFest. Events begin Friday, May 10 and continue Saturday, May 11.

The outdoor festival hosts a variety of vendors and entertainment options, including multiple free family activities.

This event is organized by Cheney community members as well as local business owners.

Organizers include Douglas LaBar, owner of the Mason Jar; Debbie Anderson, owner of the Holiday Inn Express and Catherine Lowry, the supervisor of the downtown library.

MayFest is a product of Cheney May Festers: a nonprofit organization with the purpose of providing inexpensive or free community activities that benefit the community.

There will also be plenty of food and drinks at this year's MayFest, which features a variety of local restaurants and bars. This year, MayFest will add a selection of food trucks to the menu.

“MayFest is about bringing all aspects of our community together across all generations and demographics; EWU students to farms and to young families,” LaBar, said in an email to The Easterner. “We try to bring and create an atmosphere of fun and festivity to the heart of Cheney. It really gives our community a sense of

pride, enriching sense of place and bonding.”

Some of the vendors include Happy Camper Photo Booth, SpokAnimal, Club Sports Federation, Northwest Inflatables, the Game Truck and 2nd Chance Petting Zoo. A street dance featuring the Kelly Hughes Band will begin MayFest on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. The EWU Hawai'i Club will perform around 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 11, there will be a variety of vendors and entertainment options. For a complete schedule, visit the MayFest website at cheneymayfest.org.• Illustrations by Malati Powell, reporter.

Erik Rotness contributed to this report.

Because MayFest is on Mother’s Day weekend, Pistol Packin’ Posies will offer flower bundles for various budgets by the info booth and the main stage.

The Kids Zone offers games and activities for children of all ages all day on Saturday, May 11.

This year’s Kids Zone will include a giant sand box.

The Happy Camper is a Shasta camping trailer/photo booth for free, family and friend photo ops, on wheels.

Sparkles Face Painting will offer its services for free to make your MayFest shine.

*Event information gathered from the Cheney MayFest website.

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SpokAnimal SpokAnimal will offer a pet adoption to find homes for pets in need on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Brewster Hall parking lot.

Partnering with EWU’s Club Sports Federation, MayFest will host a variety of games for viewing in the parking lot across from Brewster Hall all day on Saturday, May 11.

The schedule is below. You can stay up to date on the Cheney MayFest website.

10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Women’s Soccer BCIHL Hockey Fastpitch Men’s Basketball 1:30-5:00 p.m.

Wheelchair Basketball Baseball Tennis

MayFest will host a classic car show on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Participation in the show costs $10, or five cans of food. Registration begins at 9 a.m. in front of the Cheney Community Library, and participants have the chance to win cash prizes.

2nd Chance Ranch Mobile Petting Zoo will bring a variety of its rescue animals for you to meet in the parking lot of the Cheney Owl Pharmacy during MayFest. The petting zoo will also offer horse and pony rides.

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Features

10 - The Easterner

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Goodbye downtown gallery EWU Downtown Student Art Gallery closes after losing funding from student fees SAM JACKSON Copy Editor The EWU Downtown Student Art Gallery will be closed indefinitely by June 14.

The gallery, located in Brewster Hall, was opened in May 2015 as a nonprofit managed by EWU Student Affairs.

The gallery was previously supported by student activities fees but lost its funding in 2018.

According to Angela Jones, vice president of student affairs, the student activities committee “decided that supporting the gallery with student activities and fee dollars was not the best use of funds” because students weren’t visiting the space as much as Cheney community members. The information attributed by Jones was provided in an email to The Easterner by the executive assistant to the vice president of student affairs Elizabeth Baker.

“Closing the gallery was a difficult decision to make because the arts are an important part of our culture,” said Jones.

“However, when making decisions like this, we have to look at where our funding is best spent, and right now utilizing our funding to support our students as they transition from freshman to college senior is our priority.”

Baker, also the manager of the gallery, added that she is experiencing sadness and disappointment over the loss of the space.

“During the time we were open, the gallery hosted some amazing exhibitions and I had the opportunity to work with wonderful artists, students, staff and faculty,” Baker said. “I’m going to miss having those opportunities.”

Jones said that, while the gallery was an important part of campus, the students and Cheney community can take advantage of the EWU Art Gallery, located in the center of the Art Building.

The EWU Art Gallery hosts exhibits including student, faculty and other artists’ work.

Brooke Nicholson, former program assistant at the downtown art gallery and current secretary of Africana Studies, told The Easterner in an email that the gallery provided opportunities for many different artists “to connect with an audience and create potential sales.”

“Losing the gallery will impact the Cheney community and the artists who had their work shown more than EWU will realize,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson also said that it is unfortunate EWU will no longer have this outlet for Cheney residents to feel a connection to the university and that students are losing an opportunity to gain more real world experiences in the art industry.

For Jones, the thought of the gallery closing is “heartbreaking.” She said that

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difficult decisions must be made in challenging times.

“Instead of focusing on the negative, we should focus on the positive, and look at the opportunities it provided,” Jones said. “Appreciate that the gallery hosted artists from different cultures and backgrounds: Nicolas Sironka who painted about his African culture and shared with us the history of his people; Jake Prendez who presented works on Chicanx culture and continues to work to defeat stereotypes through his paintings; and Ric Gendron who shared his vibrant and powerful images that expressed broad ranges of emotions and reflections of his heritage.”

The last art display showcased at the gallery will be the Visual Communication Design BFA exhibit, titled “Fractured,” on May 21 to June 14.• Full disclosure: Nicholson is the former program director for The Easterner.

Kaisa Siipola contributed to this report.

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Features

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11

Weekends off

An inside look into EPIC weekend trips ERIK ROTNESS A&F Editor

e n g f o

n d

“I was expecting more of just like,

walking through a cave, but we were climbing and dropping down to reach the ladder ... it was really cool.”

- SYDNEY LEACH -Freshman

It’s senior year for me. The assignments are piling, motivation is dropping, my diet is mostly Taco Bell and cereal, and to top it off, I’m supposed to be planning a wedding with a fiance that lives over 4,000 miles away.

I needed to escape, if only for a weekend.

I needed to get away from the constantly buzzing cellphone notifying me that there’s been a problem with some story for the week’s paper, I have an assignment due in Canvas and that there are 50 new discussion board posts I can view in my online class.

Searching for next week’s story ideas, I had a stroke of genius. I could write about an EPIC weekend trip and get away for the weekend. I gingerly pitched said idea. The staff thought it was great.

Suckers.

I signed up for a weekend spelunking trip at the Cody Caves in British Columbia that finished with a visit to a local hot spring.

“This trip is the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure,” the advertisement said. It was $100 for a two-day, two-night trip with almost all of the food included.

Suckers.

There was a pre-trip meeting where the EPIC employees explained our agenda, asked us not to sue them if we died, then handed out a packing list full of various accoutrements.

There were over 27 items that were mandatory, though EPIC provided free rentals for some of the main ones, including a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles, backpack, puffy jacket and others.

On the day of the trip, we met around 3 p.m. outside the URC, double checked our gear and headed off to Canada. Our first 10 feet of the journey were interrupted by the unsecured back door to the van flying open.

Freshman Sydney Leach told me she wanted to go on the trip because it was a great way to meet new people. Though, including myself and the guides, there were only seven of us in total, meaning plenty of room to stretch out on the 14-seater bus and trailer we took.

We made a couple stops along the way to use the bathroom and pick up groceries for the trip, decided as a group to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Nelson, British Columbia before heading to our campsite where, in the time it took me to organize my 27 plus packed items, the EPIC guides had

Gear we couldn't rent from EPIC for the Cody Caves trip

already set up my tent.

I woke up to an already cooked breakfast, ate, then our group drove off to meet our cave guide.

After meeting our guide and outfitting ourselves with mud suits, gloves, a helmet and a headlamp, we ferried an extended Australian family of four who were taking the tour with us to the start of our snowed over trail.

A few miles of hiking in the snow and one entertaining story of how our guide Stephen lied to a guy about having visited Cody Caves, then accepted a job as a guide without being offered later, we were ready to enter the caves.

The first room of the caves was filled with light from the surface and hundreds of hairy, brown spiders.

As we descended, our group was met with an empty blackness, illuminated solely by our sturdy headlamps. The air was cold; it was even colder than our hike outside in the snow. And everything was wet, either with a constant stream, or a slow drip from the ceiling. Most of the cave was slippery, and as we walked, climbed, crawled and squeezed our way around, the group saw a number of hard landings.

Throughout the tour we learned about the history of the cave, discovered by miner Henry Cody in the 1890s, and saw our fair share of stalactites, stalagmites and calcite covered rocks.

Over five hours later we emerged dirty, bruised and ready for the hot springs. We took our sweet time and enjoyed the hot water.

We eventually made our way back to camp where one of our guides learned how to cook noodles and made us pasta.

The last morning was simple. We had breakfast. I selfishly let the guides pack everything into the trailer, and we made our way back to EWU. And even though I was heading right back into all of the stress and expectations of senior year, I appreciated the fact that, for the entire trip, I hadn’t thought about my homework, my reporters, or the mess I forgot I left in the kitchen for my roommate Bri. I’m sorry Bri.• To v i e w a v i d e o d o c u m e n t i n g t h e t r i p , v i s i t t h e e a s t e r n e r. o r g.

To s i g n u p f o r a we e ke n d t r i p w i t h E P IC , v i s i t h t t p s : //s i t e s . e w u . e d u / c a m p u s r e c r e a t i o n /e p i c /t r i p s / Liner Socks (x2) Wool Socks (x2) Hiking Boots Long Underwear Top Long Underwear Bottom Hiking Pants Warm Gloves Stocking Hat Swimsuit Water Bottle (x2) Bowl Plate Eating Utensils Towels

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Opinion

V102 I26- 5.8.19

Vending machines

lack healthy options “... there isn't a single time I've ERIK ROTNESS A&F Editor Erik Rotness is the A&F Editor for The Easterner. The opinion expressed in this article is his own, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Easterner's editorial board.

I’m a transfer student here at EWU. I missed out on the glorious first two years of being an Eagle in favor of community college prices and free housing with mom and dad. And while I’m sure there are plenty of unique EWU experiences that I missed out on during those two years, one experience I undoubtedly have in common with students across campus and throughout the years is subjecting myself to the salty, fatty, sugary food we have in our vending machines.

Doritos? Love ‘em. Nutty Buddy?

Reminds me of childhood. Grandma’s brand

eaten something from a vending machine on campus and thought, 'You know what body? You're welcome for that nutritional contribution I just made.'”

- ERIK ROTNESS A&F Editor cookies? It’s like grandma made them herself, but there isn’t a single time I’ve eaten something from a vending machine on campus and thought, “You know what body? You’re welcome for that nutritional

contribution I just made.”

A study published in the Journal of Food and Nutrition Research found that, after interviewing 620 students, more than half of them used vending machines occasionally.

The study references other journal articles showing that vending machines commonly consist of high energy, low nutrient foods.

Based off that study, and my much more than occasional contribution to the vending machine coffers, shouldn’t the idea that a large number of students eat unhealthy vending machine food inspire a better option than Muddy Buddies? Over 42% of students in the study responded that they’d like to see fruit offered in the machines.

Another study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion in 2018 showed that, after increasing the proportion of healthier vending machine options from 20% to 80%, there was a significant reduction in the amount of fat, sodium, sugar and calories vended without negatively impacting the profit.

Sometimes you’re not in the mood for a healthy snack. I get it. If I even think about the cinematic treasure that is “E.T.” my mouth starts watering for some Reese’s Pieces.

Students aren’t victims of malicious vending machine practices either. A little self-control and some Kind bars in your backpack go a long way. But students are going to buy those snacks, and if I’m in Isle Hall and I start patting myself on the back because the baked Lays tout 65% less fat, I know we can push for a few better options.•

Erik Rotness for The Easterner

www.TheEasterner.org

5.08.19 - V102 I26

What do you do with an old prom dress?

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13

Women's rugby breaks out new uniforms for its annual alumnae game

Top: Alumna Kendall Beardsley carries graduate student Maria Petsch for a pose on the rugby field. This is the first year the two have played as alumnae since completing their undergraduate degrees last June. Bottom: Senior Emma Oaks kicks off to start the alumnae motely on May 4. Oaks is president of the rugby club and came up with the idea of wearing prom dresses for the alumnae game. | Colleen Ford for The Easterner

Scholarships, Continued from pg. 16 As mentioned previously, 242 EWU student-athletes received some amount of scholarship aid in 2017-18, while 93 did not. The athletic department doled out 152.71 scholarship equivalents that year, equating to a cost of $4,166,339. Meanwhile, 182.29 scholarship equivalents were paid by student-athletes; revenue was estimated to be $4,650,484.

More simply put, EWU turned a $484,145 profit after considering the amount of student-athlete scholarships given out and the amount of tuition that partial or nonscholarship earners paid.

“At a time when our campus is trying to increase enrollment, because enrollment’s down, then I think that one significant value that we can show is the number of students that we attract here because of athletics,”

Hickey said. “Even though there are costs to get them here, that we more than pay that back.”

Athletic scholarships at EWU are funded in two ways: university support and the Eagle Athletic Fund. The EAF, which is used for operations and scholarships, relies on donations from fans and alumni.

Moving forward, Hickey said the athletic department has a two-fold goal with the EAF: to raise the actual numbers of donors and “pretty much quadruple” the amount of money raised.

“A goal that we have, is we want to generate about $2 million a year every year to help with our scholarship bill,” Hickey said.

“That would alleviate a share of the burden that we have right now with the university.

That's what we're working toward.”

To aid in this, football season ticket prices were increased for next season. Another level, “the founder’s circle” was also added

to the EAF and will begin this summer.

According to Hickey, fans in that tier agree to contribute either $5,000 a year for five years, or $10,000 a year for five years.

So far this year, fundraising has been effective according to Hickey. In addition to raising a record $130,000 at the 38th Annual Orland Killin Scholarship Dinner on April 27, the athletic department has had “real success” with people coming forward to contribute in the last two months, including to “the founder’s circle.”

Growing the EAF is even more important now as Roos Field renovations are potentially on the horizon, Hickey said. Vice President of Business and Finance Mary Voves and Hickey will present a proposal for stadium renovations at the May 10 board of trustees meeting. Since it is against state law for the university to contribute money for construction, funding will come solely from donations.

www.TheEasterner.org

If renovations are approved, the athletic department will “have to do two different kinds of fundraising at the same time,” Hickey said. “We can't drop the EAF and forget scholarships but we've got to fundraise for the stadium.”

Last year, the EAF had about 1200 donors.

“For us to be successful, we need 4000,” Hickey said.

Hickey acknowledges that expanding to a $2 million yearly contribution and 4000 donors from the EAF won’t happen “overnight.”

However, she is ready for the challenge.

“It's gonna be a great opportunity, let me put it that way, to prove ourselves,” Hickey said. “But we know what the message is, we know what our responsibility is and we're ready to go after it. We're doing well now. We're doing much better and we will continue to get better and better.” •

“

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Sports

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”

I think so many times high schoolers don’t get an opportunity to step out of their world.

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

- LIANA MILLS Young Life Leader

Top left to bottom right: Macoy Gronseth, Emma Zenonian, Livia Christen, Gabe Lindquist, Christine Stephens, Liana Mills, Christina Miller and Kaley Alness. Members of Young Life Spokane from EWU, Gonzaga and Whitworth pose during their Bloomsday run to sponsor children's trips to summer camp.

Young run

College students enter Bloomsday to sponsor youth's camp expenses DREW LAWSON Reporter While many people ran Sunday’s Bloomsday race to set personal record times or have a good time with friends and family, EWU junior Macoy Gronseth participated with a purpose.

Gronseth and several other Young Life leaders ran to raise money for local kids to go to summer camp.

Young Life is a nationwide Christianbased nonprofit that works with youth. The fundraiser was dubbed “Keep Young Life Running,” and according to its website, the objective was to “run for kids in Spokane so they can have the best week of their lives at a summer camp.” The campaign raised $2,388 after setting out with a goal of $10,000.

Gronseth estimated that 30 to 40 Young Life leaders ran this year.

“It’s kind of a tradition,” Gronseth said.

“I think they’ve been doing it for about 10 years. We all run together. Leaders sign up to run and ask their families and friends for support (so) kids can go to Young Life camp in the summer.”

Gronseth, an education major, ran Bloomsday for the first time this year and was the only leader from EWU. He raised $73, which he said was more than he expected to get. His proceeds went to support students at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane.

“I think there will be a lot of walking involved,” Gronseth said before the run.

After the run, Gronseth said the team finished the 12K in just under two hours.

“I feel pretty good,” Gronseth said. “Did a little bit of walking, a little bit of running …

I’m not really (sore) right now, but I might feel it tomorrow.”

Other college students from the area who are Young Life leaders ran with Gronseth,

including Liana Mills, a junior majoring in nursing at Gonzaga. She had done Relay for Life runs in the past, but Sunday was her first time running Bloomsday. Mills said the money raised either goes to Young Life itself or to a leader or student attending camp. She said that she felt the race was an opportunity to show her support for Young Life.

“I want to represent my school, and it’s good publicity,” Mills said before the run. “It’s just a cool way to represent the organization.”

Gronseth said that he leads for Young Life because he likes being a positive influence for high schoolers. He grew up doing Young Life himself before becoming a leader. He said that running allows some people who can't afford the camp to be able to go.

“They get a fun week,” Gronseth said.

“We’re taking a lot of kids whose parents will write an $800 check no problem, but

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we also get to take a lot of kids where this is gonna be probably the highlight of their life.

Definitely the highlight of their summer.”

Mills added that camp is a unique experience for many high schoolers.

“I think so many times high schoolers don’t get an opportunity to step out of their world,” Mills said. “They get to experience something fun and be constantly loved on and surprised, (which) is what Young Life camp does. (We) also walk through the basics of the Gospel.”

Mills said that camp is important because it helps Young Life leaders be able to form and build relationships with the campers.

“We go to camp, then we come home and have … a small group,” Mills said. “Where we get to build a community that does life together. That’s the purpose of camp, to come home and be like, ‘hey, we get to bring this here.’ It’s pretty lonely and hard to be a teenager, and that makes it a lot easier.” •

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Bloomsday is one of the vanguards of Spokane’s culture.

Over the past 43 years the 12K road run has become one of the largest in the world, with over 40,000 yearly participants since 1986.

The number of participants dipped under 40,000 this year. Still, many Spokane County natives take part, including members of the EWU track and field team.

Men’s head coach Stan Kerr, a graduate of EWU, said he has done Bloomsday roughly 25 times. He didn’t run this year due to prior family commitments, but said he loves participating in the event. He and his wife used to run even when their two sons were young.

“We’d initially take our kids when they were under five (years) old,” Kerr said. “We’d watch the elite athletes come through. If the weather’s good it’s just a tremendous event.”

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

DREW LAWSON Reporter

Thousands of people make their way through downtown Spokane as part of the 43rd annual Bloomsday road race. An estimated 38,451 people ran in 2019's event, the lowest since 1985.

Kerr said that when his son was still young, he and his wife ran Bloomsday while pushing their son in a three-wheeled stroller.

d e e o g a

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

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EWU track and field members are no stranger to Spokane's famous road race

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Senior distance runner Gracie Ledwith competes at the Whitworth University Scoring Buc on March 16. Ledwith has ran Bloomsday four times, in addition to the Butte to Butte—a 5K road race in Eugene, Oregon.

“That was very unusual … because the carriages (start) at the back of the pack,” Kerr said. “You look up and there’s 50,000 people starting in front of you.”

While his time in the race increases every year, Kerr said that participating is what matters to him. Most years, he ran for enjoyment and to spend time with family. But in 2016, he ran in memory of his friend Richard Runyon.

Runyon was killed when piloting a plane that crashed into the Spokane River near Felts Field in 2015. Kerr said he and his wife ran to support Runyon's wife, Karen Runyon.

“It was more of an awareness for (her),” Kerr said. “I still have the shirt that she made up for all of us that wanted to go with her in that run. It was a very positive event, very uplifting.”

Many current EWU distance runners have run Bloomsday, with some having run multiple times. Freshman Jacob Stirpe, a Ferris High School graduate, ran Bloomsday with his mom in fourth grade. A picture of them was published in The SpokesmanReview on April 30, 2009, as Stirpe’s mother, Jody, had been interviewed about the newly

www.TheEasterner.org

debuted Bloomsday Facebook page.

Jacob Stirpe has run Bloomsday a total of seven times. He preferred to run alone, but was willing to run with others “if they were setting a good pace.” Stirpe said that his best time is 43 minutes, coming in his sophomore year of high school.

“I love all the little things people are doing as you run,” Stirpe said.

“The bands, (people) handing out water and lemonade. There’s a lot of things you get to see when you run ... It’s the one time where a lot of people come together for a big race. It’s cool, not a lot of places do that.”

Sophomore and Spokane Valley High School alumnus Jack Sloan ran Bloomsday for the first time last year. He said that since he was in shape, he figured he should run the event since he lives in Spokane and had never done Bloomsday before. He estimates his time was around 44 minutes. Sloan said he appreciates that the race is open to anyone.

“People walk it, people jog it, people crawl it,” Sloan said. “People do everything.”

Senior Gracie Ledwith, a Lewis and Clark High School graduate, has run Bloomsday

four times. Her personal best was 50 minutes. Ledwith has ran another city’s road race, the Butte to Butte, a 5K competitive in Eugene, Oregon.

“I just ran for fun, because I love running,” Ledwith said.

Ledwith said that the layout of Bloomsday contributes to its popularity within the Spokane community.

“Running such a fun course makes it really fun,” Ledwith said.

“It’s a challenging course for sure … it brings the running community together.”

Sophomore Jacob Christner, a North Central High School graduate, estimates he’s ran Bloomsday seven or eight times.

His fastest completion of 48 minutes was in eighth grade, while running with his middle school track team, which was the last time he participated.

Christner said running has become a staple of Spokane, which heavily contributes to Bloomsday’s popularity.

“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year,” Christner said.

“Because of that, they’re able to bring elite runners in. That really hypes me up and gets me excited to run Bloomsday. I’m sure it does the same for other people.” •

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Taylor Newquist for The Easterner

16 - The Easterner

The majority of EWU's student-athletes do not have full ride scholarships, including the entirety of the football team. Out of 335 athletes from 2017-2018, 242 were on some sort of scholarship aid, while 93 received no form of scholarship aid according to the athletic department's grant-in-aid breakdown.

Along for the ride

Majority of EWU's student-athletes do not receive 'full ride' scholarships MICHAEL BROCK Editor in Chief It’s no secret that most NCAA athletes, including those at EWU, receive athletic scholarships to attend school and participate in their respective sport.

However, the process and methodology in which this money is allocated isn’t as well known.

In 2017-18, EWU had 335 total studentathletes; 242 were on some form of scholarship aid, while 93 received none,

according to documents received from the athletic department.

For each sport, the NCAA sets limits on the amount of scholarships that public universities can dole out each year.

Some sports are considered “headcount,” meaning all the scholarship earners in those sports receive a full scholarship automatically. The only headcount sports at EWU are men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and women’s tennis.

All of the other sports are considered “equivalencies,” meaning scholarships can

range from partial to full. “(With) an equivalency sport, you have so many scholarships (to offer),” EWU Athletic Director Lynn Hickey told The Easterner.

“Then you can split those up any way you want to as long as you stay under that total number.

And there's a formula to figure all that out.”

Despite having the option, very few of the equivalency sports at EWU give full scholarships to their athletes. According to the athletic department, there are only a handful of full-ride scholarships this year, including a couple soccer players. Notably,

none of the student-athletes on the football team have one.

Chad Karthauser, associate athletic director for business and finance, told The Easterner that the amount given is at the discretion of the head coach. Hickey said it’s also driven by the importance of the given athlete’s position.

“You might be recruiting a kid and offering them a half (scholarship) and the school you're recruiting against is offering them three quarters,” Hickey said. “So it's a game.”

See Scholarships, pg. 13

Athletic scholarship equivalents 2017-2018

EWU used 152.71 of an NCAA maximum 166.10 scholarship equivalents from 20172018, for a total cost of $4,166,339. Student-atheletes paid 182.29 equivalents of tuition for a revenue of $4,650,484. EWU netted $484,145 for student-athelete tuition.

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