The Easterner: Volume 101, Issue 14

asterner The_Easterner

The Easterner

@EasternerOnline

Eastern Washington University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

www.EasternerOnline.com

Volume 101, Issue 14

Bene’s: Breakfast Boss

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Diversity Dialogues

Mckenzie Ford for the Easterner

Page 4 Mckenzie Ford for the Easterner

2 | The Easterner Editor in Chief

Brandon Cline 509.359.7010 easterner.editor@ewu.edu

Managing Editor

Logan Stanley easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu

Volume 101, Issue | January 31, 2018 Volume 101, Issue 1414 | January 31, 2018 3 News | 6 Entertainment | 7 Police Beat | 8 A&E | 11 Events | 12 Sports

Easterner Asks:

Chief Copy Editor

Amanda Haworth easternercopy@gmail.com

News Editor

Josh Fletcher easterner.news@gmail.com

Sports Editor

Michael Brock easterner.sports@gmail.com

Cole Sherwood, Junior

Arts & Entertainment and Features Editor Dayana Morales easterner.aef@gmail.com

Multimedia Editor

Audrey Seda easterner.social@gmail.com

Art Director

Andrew Watson easterner.photo@gmail.com

Social Media Director

Richard Clark IV easterner.online@gmail.com

Jacy Thomas, Sophomore

“I have no idea.

Considering I have no idea, they could probably do a little better but I don’t even live on campus, so that might have something to do with it.”

“Yes, they are active on campus and they’re not just telling us about what’s going on, they are interacting and talking with us about it.”

Do you think that ASEWU is effective at keeping the student body informed & updated with what they are doing?

“I think sometimes, I just learned that there is a special ASEWU election going on today and I feel like that’s kind of important and that I should have Christian Williams, known beforehand.

Senior For the most part, they do fine.”

Sidney Morris, Senior

“Considering this is the first time hearing of them, no. I’m not sure where they are sending any of their publications but to be honest I probably wouldn’t read them anyway.”

Zoie Patch, Sophomore

“I think so, but only if the student’s are following their Facebook page and other social media.

I think they could do something more though, a YouTube channel would be pretty cool.”

“Yes, they post online about everything that’s going on and have flyers around campus.”

Angela Muchiri, Junior

Student Photo Corner

Copy Editor Taylor Waring

Reporters

Sam Jackson Jeremy Burnham Katherine Senechal

Graphic Designer Gail Powers

Photographers

Bad road trip gone good A&E Editor Dayana Morales submitted this photo.

“My family and I took a road trip last summer to Mount Rainier National Park. The ride itself there was a horrible, it included a Suburban full of screaming kids and a lot of wrong turns. But once we finally arrived and took in that breath of fresh air we were all glad we pulled through.”

Mckenzie Ford Bailey Monteith

Faculty Adviser Carleigh Hill chill26@ewu.edu

Our Mission The mission of The Easterner is to inform the students, faculty, staff and nearby residents of Eastern Washington University of the governance, activities and views of the campus while providing a learning environment for students interested in journalism and related fields. Our main goal is to publish high-quality news content to the community of Eastern Washington University.

Circulation The Easterner publishes a weekly print version as well as web content during the week at http://www.easterneronline. com. 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 Advertising Department at 509-359-7010.

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 Easterener does not remove any editorial content from easterneronline.com.

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

Submission Guidelines

To submit photos to The Easterner, attach the largest filesize in an email to the Art Director at easterner.photo@ gmail.com, accompanied by your first and last name, photo name and no more than 50 words describing your photograph.

The picture does not have to correlate with any content being printed the week of.

All submissions must be received by Monday night the week you would like it to be published. Photos must be appropriate and not include obscenities.

The Easterner | 3

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

News Activist brings decade of experience to EWU students Josh Fletcher News Editor “Changing people’s minds isn’t easy,” Jace Bylenga said.

If anybody would know how to affect change it would be Bylenga, who is EWU’s newest Activist in Residence.

Bylenga is the first male to hold the position when he was hired earlier this month, and brings a career in activism with him.

“The moment when I kind of understood what activism is and that you can really affect change on a decision maker, was when we [the Sierra Club] visited then-Representative Jay Inslee in his office,” said Bylenga. “That moment it just felt like, ‘oh my gosh’ we can make a difference just by showing up.”

Bylenga has worked for organizations such as: the Sierra Club, Fuse, Power Past Coal Coalition, Waterkeeper Alliance and Jay Inslee for Washington.

The main focus of Bylenga’s activism has been on the environment. Whether it is educating neighbors about the dangers of oil trains going through their town, or fighting for clean water. Bylenga is committed to nature.

One memory Bylenga remembers vividly of his childhood were the frogs in his neighborhood.

The sound of chirping frogs were normal, and when they were no longer prevalent at Bylengas house, he began to question why. It wasn’t until Bylenga went to school and Photo courtesy Sherri Urann learned about environmental biology, that he could finally Jace Bylenga has been hired as EWU’s Activist in Residence. Before piece together what happened to the frogs outside his house. working for EWU, Bylenga worked to stop the use of oil trains in the The reason, he finally learned, was from all the years state of Washington. his dad emptied the heavily chlorinated pool and it

drained into the frog swamp.

It was moments like this that pushed Bylenga towards a life of activism and education.

“Maybe they just need to understand more,” Bylenga said, when he recalled that memory.

He said his dad had no idea what he was doing was the wrong thing, he was just doing what the people at the pool place told him he had to do.

After going to school and learning about various types of sciences, Bylenga thought he could use his knowledge and degree in a different way to help people.

“I’d rather talk to people about science than sit in a lab and meticulously put things in tiny beakers,” said Bylenga.

“I never really was seeking out activism, it really found me.”

Bylenga will hold workshops Wednesdays in Monroe Hall 207 to teach students how to get involved with activism, but also skills they can use in any work environment.

“Whatever profession you are in you might need to stand up to more powerful people than you,” said Bylenga. “It’s kind of an essential skill to have as a member of society, but I dont think it’s shared enough.”

Whether it is trying to get a raise or fighting for something you believe in at your work, the skills taught in activism can help you convey your message.

Getting involved, no matter how big or small, is the starting point to affecting change on any level Bylenga says.

But motivating people to change can be hard and it is not typically done by showing them a spreadsheet.

“What motivates people to change and act is not numbers,” said Bylenga. “They remember emotions, your personal story.” •

Journal advertising on sale now!

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4 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

News

Diversity Dialogue getting people to talk

Andrew Watson for The Easterner Dr. Nick Franco hosts the Diversity Dialogue talk on Jan. 29. Franco asked the panel questions on what they think the proper responses to sexual harrasment might be.

Katherine Senechal Reporter EWU president Mary Cullinan held a President’s Dialogue on Diversity on Jan. 29 on the Complexity of Addressing Sexual Misconduct.

The aim of these dialogues is to get students and faculty talking, to discuss these hard or uncomfortable topics so individuals can move to improve them.

“The purpose of the President’s Dialogues on Diversity are to bring awareness to current issues onto our campus and to provide education and to highlight issues that are relevant to all of us, all of our lives,” said Dr. Nick Franco, facilitator and Pride Center manager.

“I think we all know someone, whether we know it or not, we know someone who has been impacted by this issue,” said Franco.

Franco opened the dialogue by introducing the topics and giving background for the “#metoo” movement and topics like the Harvey Weinstein scandal and other high profile men being

“You’re supposed to be sexy but not actually want to have sex, it lowers your credibility. It’s really complicated.”

Dr. Elizabeth Kissling

accused of sexual harassment.

After Franco talked about the topics and introduced the panel, Franco asked them questions to engage in this discussion.

The panel consisted of Dr. Elizabeth

Kissling, a professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Communication Studies; Brent Borg, an officer of the WA State Department of Corrections; Lindsey Fulton, Health Education Coordinator; and Ashley Jenniges, representing the Associated Students of EWU. Franco felt they put a lot of thought in their panel and wanted to make sure that they could see more than one side of this topic. Not only with their positions but to have both females and males on the panel.

One of the topics discussed was why it is hard for woman to come out about sexual assault or harassment.

They discussed how when someone does come forward, peoples’ first question is often what the victim might have done to encourage it. What the victim is wearing, if they were dating their assailant, and whether they were sober or not are what is focused on

instead of the actual sexual assault/ harassment.

“You’re supposed to be sexy but not actually want to have sex, it lowers your credibility. It’s really complicated,” said Dr. Kissling.

The goal of these dialogues is to talk about issues like sexual harassment and the to kneel or not to kneel debate, to open up the conversations about topics that may be uncomfortable or deep. If students and faculty feel they can talk about these topics in these dialogues, it has the potential to open the door for personal conversations outside of these events.

For more information on the Diversity and Inclusion office and their events, go to their “about” page on the EWU website. •

The Easterner | 5

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

News

EWU goes on hiring spree for administrative positions Katherine Senechal Reporter EWU has been in the process of hiring for multiple administrative positions. The majority of these positions work with technology and EWU’s online programs, affecting students and how they get information and programs online.

This potentially improves how much help and/or information students and faculty can get online.

One position that EWU is hiring for is senior director of Eastern Online and Academic Instruction.

Ashley Settler, the state authorization coordinator in the Office of Outreach &

Engagement, is in charge of coordinating the events and meetings for the job candidates and acts as a point of contact for them. The person hired for this job will oversee Eastern Online and Instructional Technology.

To find someone suitable for this job and to make sure they are the right match to help EWU students, they are looking for someone with experience managing a team.

This person should have knowledge of online instruction systems and instructional design components. They will work with faculty and staff to provide quality courses and programs to EWU students through online learning.

“This person will help to bring more courses and programs online, giving our

students easier access to the courses they need,” said Settler.

Another position that is open is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) who is responsible for all technological services on campus.

The CIO will report to Mary Voves, the Vice President for Business and Finance.

The candidates currently in the running for the position all have significant experience leading complex technological organizations.

“The position is important to students because technology effects their experiences at EWU from registering for classes, to distributing financial aid, to WiFi and internet access and classroom technology,” Voves said.

These two positions are just a portion of

open positions for administrative positions.

These positions, and how qualified these applicants are, are important to student life as they directly affect how well EWU students can get different programs and classes online.

They also have the potential to make students’ online curricula more effective.

Online affairs and EWU technology can affect students and professors and how well they communicate, which can improve learning and the success of students.

For information on open positions on campus, visit the EWU Handshake website. •

Students feel both positive and negative effects of minimum wage hike Kaitlyn Engen Contributor Washington state residents are either celebrating or panicking as the new year brings on another minimum wage increase.

Along with 17 other states, Washington is inching its way toward a $15.00 per hour standard.

CNN reports that Washington’s minimum wage will bump up to $11.50 per hour, a 50 cent increase from last year.

This has brought on mixed reactions from Washingtonians, from business owners to minimum wage earners.

One side of the debate argues against the minimum wage increase. One might think that those in opposition to the increase comprise of only people who are not minimum wage earners, such as employers. Maddy Mahaffey, an EWU student employee in Tawanka, said this is not the case.

“Our hours got cut, so we’re making less money than we did before the minimum wage went up,” Mahaffey said.

Because of the wage increase, Mahaffey said, Tawanka experienced a 7 percent budget decrease, which had a substantial effect on Mahaffey’s weekly hours, dropping from 19 and a half to as low as 10 hours.

Calculated to this year’s wage, this cut equals a subtraction of $109.25 off of her weekly paycheck.

EWU lifeguard Khyler Howland, however, is a proponent of the increase. Howland said he has benefitted, especially since rent prices at Eagle Point Apartments have actually gone down since last year, when the minimum wage was lower.

“There is definitely a line to it,” said Howland. “[One must] take into effect the cost of living in the area.”

Jared Keffler, another EWU lifeguard who supports the minimum wage increase, said “Older people are having to resort to entry level jobs, which is causing a lot of people to rely on a living wage, which is minimum, and it’s just not possible.”

The New York Times reported

that the average age of minimum wage workers in the US is 35, with 88 percent of minimum wage workers at least 20 years old and 50 percent at least 30 years old, not just young college students.

Some opinions lie in between, such as David Early, EWU Director of Recreation and Athletic Facilities, who was able to give an employer’s perspective.

“As a state employer, it certainly has a different effect on us than it would, say, a private or commercial employer,” Early said.

Given that much of the budget that a private employer would pay for (such as building costs) are funded by the state in a university setting, Early was optimistic about the fact that a higher minimum wage might make campus employment more attractive to college students.

“We might find ourselves with more student employees within a given pool to select from,” Early said.

For now, college students and The Easterner Archives faculty of EWU continue to ask the Minimum wage has increased to $11.50 an hour in Washington. question, as put by Mahaffey, “Are Some student employees are making more money, while others are we really making more money?” • having their hours being cut, resulting in less money per paycheck.

6 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

Entertainment

Andrew Watson for The Easterner

Loose Change & Filler Text

EDITORS’ PICKS TV Show: “Grey’s Anatomy B-Team” Grey’s Anatomy launched a spinoff series at the beginning of the month focusing on the six new interns that joined in on season 14. The six episodes will give viewers a closer look at the interns’ first days as surgeons. This show allows dedicated viewers to reminisce on the good old days when Meredith and her friends were scrambling around as interns. Will the surgeons survive the pressure? Watch for yourself on ABC. com. (Dayana Morales)

EWU Sustainability Club

Join in environmental prosperity, economic security and social justice on campus!

Meet Tuesdays at 3pm in JFK Library L20! ewu.sustainability.club@gmail.com

Courtesy of ABC

Movie: “North by Nothwest” This 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film is a classic and a true testament to the thriller and suspense genres. New York City ad executive Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) is mistaken for a government agent and taken on a wild goose chase through the countryside by the spy, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason). Hitchcock uses clever camera angles and an intense soundtrack to build suspense in a way that is no longer present in most films. This is a must watch for all film fanatics. (Richard Clark IV)

App: “Slack“

Courtesy of Slack Courtesy of MGM

Slack is an application that allows users to interact digitally with each other. The app promotes communication and collaboration within a team, and is available via smartphone and as a website. Once added to a workspace, users are able to message each other directly as well or create subsequent channels of interaction. Whether you’re running a small group or a large enterprise, Slack will improve the communication of your team.

(Michael Brock)

8 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

A&E Airway Heights tattoo shop adds their own personal touch to work No Surrender Tattoo shop set to celebrtate five years of business in February Sam Jackson Reporter No Surrender Tattoo is a shop dedicated to educating their clientele and producing longlasting tattoos.

As the only tattoo shop in Airway Heights, No Surrender is celebrating their five year anniversary on Feb 1. Originally the shop owner, Matt Quale, picked this location by taking into consideration the Air Force Base and tattooing military personnel as the driving force, but after opening the shop it was a surprise as to how much more local clientele there was.

With four tattoo artists in the shop they are able to do every kind of style including Japanese, Black and Grey, American Traditional, but really they specialize in bold tattoos. The shop is also known for doing all kinds of coverups, varying from name coverups to bad tattoo cover-ups.

“Tattooing has gone a route of a style that we believe will not hold up and something we are really true to is doing tattoos and educating people, rather than just slapping whatever the customer wants on them and sending them out,” said Quale. “A lot of times that’s going to wind up with the customer having a really bad tattoo. Customers don’t always like to hear that but we try to persuade them to do it the right way, not our way necessarily, just the right way so you get a tattoo that holds up forever.”

Like many tattoo shops, No Surrender is surrounded with flash, a sheet of paper that has multiple designs on it, covering every inch of wall space. Flash can help customers to pick out designs they would want tattooed.

“The cool thing about the flash we have here in the shop is it’s not the national flash that you can get from every supplier,” said Quale. “Everything you see on our walls is all from people we know personally, if it’s not by us it’s from people we know literally on a personal level. You’re seeing stuff that you won’t see in every single tattoo shop you go to. So if you’re getting something here just because it’s flash on the wall, it doesn’t mean you’re ever going to see it on somebody else.”

The shop is set up so they can accommodate to walk-ins and therefore the waitlist for an appointment is usually short. Walk-ins are on a first come, first serve basis.

Sam Jackson for The Easterner The walls of No Surrender are covered in flash, sheets of paper that have multiple designs on it. No Surrender is celebrating their five-year anniversary on Feb. 1.

“We’re an old school street shop, so we will take walk-ins. If we can draw it on the spot, we will if we have time ...” Qaule said.

Quale described the other tattoo artists at his shop as trustworthy artists who turn in quality work and are all very friendly. He says they are close and it feels a lot like a family.

Andrew Eldin, one of the tattoo artists, has been with the shop since the beginning and actually learned to tattoo from Quale.

“The thing I like most about tattooing in general is I’ve always had to work hard and I like having something where I can continue to work hard and continue to progress,” said Eldin. “I’ve had a lot of jobs where I work hard and I just do the same thing everyday and then nothing changes. Now it like directly reflects so that’s always been my favorite thing about it … I’ve been to a lot of shops where everything is set up really medical or everyone is separated, but here we’re all in this big open room and I like that, it’s kind of like a family and community.”

The shop is located on 12924 W Sunset Highway. They are open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. They offer 10 percent off for military and students, with ID verification. •

The Easterner | 9

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

A&E

EWU film professor oversees 20th year of Spokane film festival Dayana Morales Arts and Entertainment Editor This year, EWU is the Presenting Sponsor for the 20th annual Spokane International Film Festival (SpIFF), taking place from Feb. 2 to 9.

The festival offers a small selection of world-class films, comprised of the best international features and shorts. The three types of films in the festival will be: shorts, which are up to 25 minutes; 25 minutes and pass, which is a mid-length that can go up to 50 minutes; and 50 minutes and pass, which is a feature.

The festival exists to promote smaller films.

Here, films that didn’t get commercially released for wide distributions get the chance to be seen in a more intimate setting. The filmmakers also get to engage with their audience.

“The filmmakers are our special guests,” said SpIFF Director Chase Ogden. “I think it is a big advantage to the festival that you get to meet the people that make the movies you watch. We do get a lot of filmmakers that are either established in the indie circuit or up-and-comers.”

Ogden is a filmmaker himself and an EWU professor in the film department.

Ogden was on the SpIFF board prior to becoming director for five years. For the last four years he was a programmer.

For shorts, they use programs called Filmfreeway and Withoutabox. Both work as festival portals. This is where filmmakers upload their films, along with all of the information about it. After that, they find the festival they want to submit to and pay the fee.

“Then our programmers watch all of those films, at least two people on every film, we

usually try for three of four,” said Ogden. “The ones that get the most likes, we try to find a way to pair them into packages based on region.

The Best of the Northwest is all shorts from the Pacific Northwest, and then we have U.S. and Canada, which are all English language shorts. Then we have world shorts, which are from everywhere that is not U.S. and Canada.

We also have an animation showcase, which is also world shorts. We do take mid-lengths as well. They are harder to program than shorts are but this year we actually are playing two mid-lengths, one with Best of the Northwest and one leading up to a feature that’s shorter.”

Although features are submitted, fewer of them are seen than shorts.

“The rest of our feature holes we actually approach filmmakers or distributors based on work we’ve seen or heard about at other festivals,” Ogden said.

Ogden gathers a pool of potential films, which the senior programmers review.

Then they narrow it down to eight films that they enjoyed.

Each day of the festival has its own schedule, with a different showing. Everything besides the Best of the Northwest will screen three times at the Magic Lantern Theater. The Magic Lantern Theater is a smaller setting and that is why they will have the encore screenings here. The Best of the Northwest films will be playing at The Bing Crosby Theater.

Opening and closing parties will be available to all ticket holders. There will be free food and a cash bar if you are 21.

“They’re a really valuable part of a festival because it’s about mingling with other film lovers and audience that you know are of a like mind,” Ogden said. •

Artists collab on book-themed art exhibit Vanessa Rodriguez Contributor On Wednesday, Jan. 24, an art installation was made public in the EWU Gallery of Art. On that day the artists, Nicole Pietrantoni and Devon Wootten, also held a bookmaking workshop in the art building.

The bookmaking workshop included 12 student participants who learned how to make two kinds of books: accordion style and pants style. The accordion style is the style that is used in the exhibit itself where the paper is folded like an accordion. Pants style is where the paper is cut in the shape of pants and then folded into a book, hence the name.

The students learned the two styles of books as well as how to make covers for the books.

“Everyone had a good time and learned a lot. By the end of the class everyone had a book they had made to take with them,” said Nancy Hathaway, Gallery Director.

Pietrantoni, a visual artist, and Wootten, a poet, both collaborated on the exhibit titled “What You Saw is Not the Sea.” The installation itself is comprised of accordion books of images of the sea hanging on the wall with quotes from Wooten’s project called “Best American You.” The project “Best American You” is an online, ongoing project in which Wooten is gathering every line from the Best American Poetry Series in which the word “you” is used.

The online project is interactive. Wootten and Pietrantoni often work together combining fragmented images of nature with text, as well as being collaborative artists. Both Pietrantoni and Wootten work at Whitman College as instructors.

Pietrantoni and Wootten have collaborated on many other works which are described in Pietrantoni’s artist statement: “Rather than a fixed site or single image, the fragmented columns, pages and text engage nature as an accumulation of processes, perceptions, and narratives – a dynamic and shifting site open for perpetual interpretation.

Many of the accordion books contain text by Wootten, text which uses appropriation and recontextualization to encourage a more compassionate engagement with the world.”

The exhibit itself was a great example of what Pietrantoni and Wootten do together.

When you walk into the gallery, you’ll see the accordion books stretched across the walls with the fragmented images of the sea.

Alongside the images are quotes in a large font surrounded by a jumbled assortment of random letters. As you gain proximity to the accordion books, the blur of blues, greens, yellows and blacks will become more prominent as images of the sea, and the quotes, taken from “Best American You,” will also be able to be seen.

You can visit the exhibit now, through March 1 in the Art Building. •

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Nicole Pietrantoni and Devon Wootten held a workshop on how to make accordion and pants style books.

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10 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

A&E

Bene’s brings benedicts to another level Erica Halbert Contributor Cheney’s newest restaurant, Bene’s, puts their own twist on traditional breakfasts and lunches.

The main star of Bene’s, which opened in September 2017, is the eggs Benedict on the breakfast menu. Bene’s doesn’t just offer a traditional eggs Benedict, they serve 11 different variations of the dish.

They offer items such as the California Benedict, an Eggs Benedict with turkey, avocado, and tomatoes, with a sun-dried tomato variant on a hollandaise sauce. Or the Fireman’s Benedict, an eggs Benedict with spicy sausage, roasted peppers, jalapenos, and a sriracha hollandaise sauce.

Bene’s other breakfast items include mix-and-match flavored Belgian waffles and breakfast burritos with more traditional breakfast plates.

The restaurant also offers a lunch service consisting of soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers.

Married owners Derek and Alexx Baziotis purchased the building that formerly housed Top of the Line Seafood and Burgers in August and opened Bene’s one month later.

Alexx runs the front of the house, while her husband, Derek, runs the back of the house.

Alexx started in the restaurant business over a decade ago, but Derek said he was practically raised in restaurants.

“My parents owned a breakfast and lunch restaurant in Spokane,” said Derek. “They met at a restaurant and married, so we were basically raised in a restaurant.”

The idea of Bene’s is something Derek had been working on for years.

“I was in the Navy for four years, and when I got out I ran Kalico Kitchen for eight years.

When I was working there I thought of the concept and started working on a business plan,” Derek said.

Kalico Kitchen is a popular Spokane breakfast and lunch restaurant, close to Gonzaga University and is owned by Derek’s family.

“At that point, it was basically location, that’s all we needed,” said Derek. “Once we found a good location, we were off.”

“It kind of fell into place,” Alexx said.

The Baziotis had previously passed up on the 1st Street building before.

“I actually came in and looked at this place

when it was Perry Street Cafe,” said Derek. “It was pretty bad in here, so I passed on it.”

Last year, while browsing Craigslist, Derek once again saw the building for sale.

“The last people here did a lot of work. It made our decision to look into it,” Alexx said, referencing the large-scale remodel that the

menu came from Derek’s time working at Kalico Kitchen.

“I was working at Kalico in the back of the house and it seemed like every ticket had an eggs Benedict on it. Every single one,” said Derek. “People were ordering this thing left and right, how cool would it be to

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Bene’s famous California Benedict and fries. It consists of two poached eggs, thin-sliced turkey, avacado, tomato, sun-dried tomato and hollandaise sauce over an english muffin. previous owners had done.

“I came in and looked at it and was like, ‘This is perfect.’ Perfect size, perfect everything,” Derek said.

Ultimately, the Baziotis decided to keep the restaurant to breakfast and lunch service only, omitting dinner.

Derek said that dinners are just too difficult to succeed in. His main reasoning is that there’s just too much competition. When places like Outback Steakhouse can sell a steak for $5 and profit, it’s hard for smaller businesses to compete.

Derek’s personal philosophy is ‘Do what you’re good at. Don’t overextend. Don’t do anything stupid.’ It’s this philosophy that inspired the simplicity of Bene’s.

“The concept, it’s eggs Benedict, so that’s what we want to focus on and stay consistent with,” Derek said.

The idea for Bene’s Benedict-focused

completely mash them up, make a bunch of different ones?”

Derek spent the next five years coming up with his recipes, for Benedicts and other items.

“There was a lot more we wanted to do but with the size of our kitchen I had to trim the menu almost in half,” said Derek. “We had pancakes and omelettes and all that and we kind of went back to the kitchen and I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Not with one grill and the size of it.’”

All of the sauces used for the Benedicts are made in-house, as well as the waffles and the soups.

The Baziotis try to work with local businesses as much as they can. They use Craven’s Coffee, a local Spokane roaster, and Spiceology, a spice company located in Spokane. The Baziotis said they looked into farm-fresh eggs, but found that they couldn’t supply as many eggs as the restaurant went through in a day. The couple estimated that

they use 200 eggs in a single day.

According to the Baziotis, the Benedicts are easily the restaurant’s most popular items.

But neither could agree on exactly which benedict sold the best.

“Probably the California, or the Country,” Alexx said.

“We also sell a lot of the Chorizo, and the Fireman,” Derek said.

Alexx said her favorite item was the Chorizo Benedict, while Derek said his favorite was the breakfast burrito.

“Without eggs,” said Derek, “because I’m allergic.”

Ironically, Derek discovered he had an egg intolerance only a few years ago, but continued on with the eggs Benedict theme for Bene’s.

“Everyone else loves eggs,” Alexx said.

Currently, Bene’s offers a handful of selections for vegetarians, but no vegan or gluten-free options yet. The Baziotis said that they’re working on coming up with a gluten-free menu, but for now, they’re more than willing to work around customers’ dietary needs.

Bene’s has received massive amounts of acclaim, with over 100 positive reviews on Google and Facebook, and even an article in the Spokesman Review.

Derek said while he knew the restaurant would be successful, he didn’t anticipate how quickly it would take off.

“In the back of my mind, I thought, this was going to be a hit, everything was going to run smoothly, it’s going to be perfect, and we’re going to have a line out the door, said Derek. “I knew there was a void to be filled and that we could come in and do it with our food and our service, I had no doubt about that.”

Long term, Derek wants to see Bene’s become a chain of restaurants.

“Our goal is to have multiple locations in and around college towns,” Derek Baziotis said. “I love this, I think it’s easy to manage, and I think the people are awesome. But I’m never leaving this location.”

Bene’s is located at 24 W 1st St, and is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. They offer an early bird menu with special discounted pricing for several items from 6 to 8 a.m. •

The Easterner | 11

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

Events

Courtesy of Preacher Lawson

Preacher Lawson What is it: America’s Got Talent comedian.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 31 Time: 7 p.m.

Where: Showalter Auditorium Cost: No cost.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Courtesy of Pixabay

Diversity round table with local therapist of color

What is it: Discussion with a local therapist about the importance of role models, mentorship and culturally responsive practices in the professional and personal developement.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 31 Time: 2 - 3 p.m.

Where: Monroe Hall 205 Cost: No cost

Courtesy of Pixabay

Courtesy of Pixabay

Majors meetup

Making mental health essential health

Still reaching for the dream

What is it: Learn about the fields of Recreation and Tourism Management and Outdoor Recreation.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 31 Time: 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Where: snyamncut lounge Cost: No cost.

What is it: Free community health forum.

Behavior health and substance abuse will be discussed.

When: Wednesday, Jan. 31 Time: 5 - 8 p.m.

Where: Spokane Convention Center Cost: No cost.

What is it: Annual Black History Month celebration.

When: Thursday, Feb. 1 Time: Noon - 2:30 p.m.

Where: Hargreaves Hall 201 Cost: No cost.

12 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

Sports

Track and field travels to Seattle for UW Invitational, McGee soars again

Quick Hits • Interim Athletic Director to be named On Jan. 26, EWU President Mary Cullinan announced Lynn Hickey as EWU’s interim athletic director. Hickey, who will begin Feb. 12, served for 18 years as Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics at the University of Texas, San Antonio. A permanent replacement for Bill Chaves is set to be selected in June.

• EWU football adds three-star recruit On Jan. 28, Tre Weed, a top 15 Washington recruit, took to Twitter to confirm his decision to attend EWU. Weed had 27 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns in his senior season. He also registered eight receptions at safety for Sumner High School.

• Signing Day Breakfast to be held Feb. 7 EWU’s 2018 National Signing Day Breakfast and Broadcast will be held from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 7 at Northern Quest Resort and Casino. The live broadcast will air on WatchBigSky. com and will feature football coach Aaron Best and soccer coach Chad Bodnar. Registration for the breakfast is $35. Fans can register on GoEags.com under the Fan Zone tab by Friday, Feb. 2.

Photo courtesy Brad Wall Then-freshman Keshun McGee at the 2017 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships. McGee’s triple jump of 51-4 1/2 feet at the UW Invitational last weekend was a personal best, and ranks as the second-best triple jump in EWU history.

Taylor Newquist Contributor The EWU track and field team traveled to Seattle to compete in the University of Washington Invitational last weekend. The Eagles’ top finishers were led by sophomore Keshun McGee who scored second place finishes in both the long jump and triple jump.

McGee set a personal best in the triple jump with a mark of 51–4 1/2 feet. The jump put him into second place on EWU’s all-time list, just over two feet shy of Kurt Kraemer’s 53-5 1/2 foot jump in 2001.

“It felt good being able to go out at compete with such a high level of competition,” said Mcgee. “I plan on getting that record pretty soon.”

McGee’s triple jump also lifted him to No. 18 in the nation, and maintained his lead in the Big Sky Conference.

“Keshun stole the show again with his powerful performances in the triple and long jumps,” said EWU men’s head coach Stan Kerr.

The men’s distance medley team took seventh place, posting their season-best time of 10:10.10.

“Our men’s distance medley relay put together a great race, which we thought they were ready to do,” said Kerr.

“It was great to see them deliver a race like this against very talented opponents.”

The women’s team was led by freshman sprinter Alexis Rolan, who finished seventh in the 60-meter dash at a time

of 7.66. Rolan also finished sixth in the long jump with a distance of 18-7 3/4 feet.

“Alexis Rolan was impressive for a freshman at her first UW meet,” women’s head coach Marcia Mecklenburg said.

Rolan was used to tough competition from her experience with her high school club team.

“It wasn’t anything different,” said Rolan. “It was just me thinking, ‘Oh I’m competing at an actual D-1 level now. I’m not on a club team anymore in high school.’ I try to stay calm, and have nothing in my head, so I can get out really fast as soon as I hear the gun. That’s what I’m trying to work on, reaction time and coming out of the box hard and powerful.”

Rolan is currently first in the Big Sky for the 60-meter dash.

“For indoor [season] I want to win conference, that’s my goal,” said Rolan. “Outdoor [season] I want to go far, as a freshman I have a lot of goals.”

The women’s team also featured Samantha Raines taking seventh in the pole vault, clearing a height of 12-4 3/4 feet.

“Little Samantha Raines is vaulting big and leading the vault crew,” said Mecklenburg. “After having to sit out last year with an ankle injury, she has stepped it up and is vaulting with renewed confidence this year.”

The Eagles will compete next in the University of Idaho D1 Duals on Friday, Feb. 2. •

• Basketball alum Jacob Wiley cut from Nets On Jan. 15, Wiley, who played for the Eagles as a graduate transfer last season, was waived by the Brooklyn Nets while dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Wiley was on a two-way contract with the Nets, playing in five games with Brooklyn and 16 with the team’s G League affiliate. Wiley was in Cheney over the weekend to watch the Eagles. The Easterner will have a profile on the versatile forward’s rookie campaign in the coming weeks.

The Easterner Archives EWU basketball alum Jacob Wiley was waived by the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 15 as he deals with a nagging ankle injury.

The Easterner | 13

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

Sports

Women’s basketball drops two on the road she was uncharacteristically quiet in other aspects of the game. She only had two rebounds, and no blocked The EWU women’s basketball team’s shots or steals. four-game win streak came to an end on “This is a tough loss, but I am Jan. 25, as the Eagles dropped a game really proud of our team for battling 81–79 to North Dakota, before losing back the way we did after a slow start,” 68–62 to Northern Colorado on Jan. 27.

EWU head coach Wendy Schuller said Against UND, the Eagles led 2–0, and following the game. “There were a then 4–2. They did not lead again after lot of factors against us tonight that that. The Fighting Hawks used a 14–2 I think particularly showed up on the run to jump out to a 16–7 advantage. defensive end. North Dakota is a very They finished the first quarter up good basketball team and it’s a tough 26–15. The Eagles then started a very environment to play in, so it’s tough to slow comeback. UND’s lead was down come up short right at the end, but in to seven at halftime, and cut to six going the last three minutes they made some into the fourth quarter. big shots and got some big rebounds.”

With 4:58 remaining in the final The Eagles then headed to Northern frame, the Eagles tied the game at 68. Colorado. UNC entered the weekend They never went ahead, however, and tied with EWU for first place in the UND would hang on for a 81-79 victory. Big Sky Conference. However they also Junior guard Kapri Morrow had 28 lost on Jan. 25. points, senior forward Delaney Hodgins The game was back-and-forth from scored 25 and sophomore guard Symone the start, and no team ever lead by Starks chipped in 13. Thirteen of more than seven points. Hodgins was Hodgins 25 points came from the free contained for the first three quarters of Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner throw line as she finished the game only the game, entering the fourth quarter Junior guard Violet Kapri Morrow shoots a free throw against Southern Utah on Jan. 20. Morrow 29 points behind her older sister Hayley with eight points. She would finish is averaging 21.4 points per game over the team’s last seven contests. as the team’s all-time leading scorer. with 15 points and five rebounds.

Though Hodgins had 25 points, UNC has been led all season by redshirt junior guard Savannah Smith, forward to getting home, regrouping and senior guard Savannah Scott and junior really trying to get our team healthy.” center Courtney Smith. All three average The back-to-back losses dropped over 10 points per game for the Bears. EWU from a first place tie, to seventh A few days before the game against place in the Big Sky. EWU, Courtney Smith quit the team for The Eagles return home Feb. 1, personal reasons. when they take on Sacramento State Then, five minutes into the game, at 6:05 p.m. Hodgins is just 15 points Scott and Savannah Smith collided with away from breaking her sister’s record. each other, and both were injured. They If she doesn’t surpass it against Sac returned for the second quarter, but the State, she’ll have another chance at Eagles were able to turn a four-point deficit home against Portland State on Feb. 3. into a five-point lead in their absence.

Admission to both games are free for all The game resumed its back-and- EWU students. • forth nature in the second quarter, and retained it until the end.

Smith had 24 points in the win for UNC. Scott had 14.

Morrow led the Eagles with 25 points.

She has now scored at least 25 in three of her last four games. Starks added 13 points.

“Northern Colorado is a very good basketball team,” said Schuller. “You’ve got to be your best when you play here Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner in Greeley. I thought we played hard, but Freshman guard Brittany Klaman winds up for a three against Southern Utah on Jan. 20. The it wasn’t our best day. I’m just looking Eagles are 10–11 overall and 5–4 in Big Sky Conference play.

Jeremy Burnham Reporter

14 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

Sports

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Senior guard Sir Washington passes to a teammate against North Dakota. The Eagles improved to 6–3 in Big Sky and 11–11 overall with two victories over the weekend.

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk drives into the key against North Dakota on Jan. 25. Bliznyuk is averaging 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists on the season.

Men’s basketball sweeps weekend as Bliznyuk sets scoring record Michael Brock Sports Editor EWU men’s basketball history was made at Reese Court on Thursday, Jan. 25, as senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk became the school’s all-time leading scorer.

A little over a minute into the 95–71 victory over North Dakota, Blizyuk passed to junior guard Cody Benzel on the left wing and cut through to the right corner.

Benzel swung it to junior guard Ty Gibson, who quickly passed to freshman guard Jack Perry, who hit a waiting Bliznyuk in the corner for three.

The triple gave the senior forward 1,805 career points at EWU, besting former teammate Venky Jois for tops on the program’s scoring list. When Bliznyuk hit the three, head coach Shantay Legans called timeout to celebrate the achievement.

“It was very special,” Bliznyuk said following the victory. “It’s a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

The Eagles rode the milestone momentum to a 25–5 lead, opening up the

game 12-of-15 from the field. They led by as many as 22 in the half, and held a 50–36 advantage at the break. Bliznyuk had 14 points, five assists and four rebounds in the opening frame, as EWU registered its most points in any half on the season.

After halftime, UND hit back-to-back threes to cut the Eagles’ lead to 50–42, the closest it had been since the opening minutes. The Fighting Hawks narrowed the deficit to eight on three separate occasions, including 55–47 with 17 minutes to go. That’s when EWU went on a 14–0 spurt to go up 69–47 and put the game away for good.

On his record-setting night, Bliznyuk ended up with 28 points (12-of-15 shooting), eight rebounds and seven assists.

Benzel had 15 points on 5-of-9 from three.

Sophomore forward contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard Sir Washington also had 11 points.

“I’m glad we have Bogdan,” Legans said after the game. “He played great tonight […] Before the game he got a chance to talk to the guys and got them really fired up […]

For us to come out and play that way was really exciting for us.”

Both teams shot the ball well, with UND knocking down 45.1 percent of their tries, compared to 52.8 percent for the Eagles. The difference was EWU made 15 threes compared to eight for the Fighting Hawks.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, the Eagles faced off against Northern Colorado. Both teams entered the game 5–3 in the Big Sky, with UNC already beating EWU 88–75 in the first contest of league play on Dec. 29. This time around, the Eagles got their revenge, coming away with the 67–65 victory over the Bears.

The game was back-and-forth throughout, with 11 ties and six lead changes. Neither team led by more than seven at any point.

Midway through the first half, with his team leading 17–13, Bliznyuk made more history. With 12 points up to that point, the senior forward moved into No. 10 on the Big Sky all-time scoring list.

The Eagles led by a small margin for

the majority of the rest of the half. That was until UNC senior guard Andre Spight completed a four-point play in the final seconds to give his team a 37–36 lead headed into the break. Bliznyuk had 19 points in the opening frame and Peatling had eight, as the Eagles shot 54 percent.

The Bears opened the second half on a 6–2 spurt, and led for the next few minutes. EWU took the lead briefly with 12:32 remaining, but a three-pointer by UNC flipped the advantage again.

With the Bears hold a 51–48 advantage, EWU went on a 10–0 run, including seven points from Bliznyuk. UNC tied the score back up at 58 with 6:38 to go on a 7–0 spurt of their own.

Peatling scored the next four points of the game, and the Eagles led until Spight’s three-pointer tied it up at 65 with two minutes to go. Following a miss by EWU, Peatling made perhaps the biggest play in the win—drawing a charge and giving his team back the ball.

Both teams traded empty possessions, then with 7.5 seconds remaining, Sir

The Easterner | 15

January 31, 2018

January 31, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 14

Sports APPLY FOR

INTERNSHIPS ON

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Washington was fouled. He made both free throws to put his team up 67–65. After a timeout, Spight raced the length of the court and narrowly missed a running threepointer that would’ve won the game.

Bliznyuk ended up with 26 points and five rebounds in the win, while Peatling had 17 points and 15 rebounds for his third straight double-double.

Coming in, UNC junior guard Jordan Davis was averaging 15.9 points per game, while Spight was notching 19.9 points per game. The Eagles held Davis to 10 points (5-of-15 shooting) and Spight to 14 points (3-of-16 shooting).

“We did well against (Spight),” said Legans. “He’s really good and that’s a really

good, well-coached team. You have to give them a lot of credit for battling back every time. That last shot looked like it was in.”

With the win, EWU (6–3 Big Sky, 11-11 overall) is now tied with Idaho for third in the league standings, with Montana leading the way at 9–0 and Weber State second at 6–2. Montana State and UNC are 5–4, while Idaho State is 4–4.

“Every game is important, and every single game we play is going to be like this. It comes down to certain possessions, offensive rebounds and blocking out. Every game we’ll feel that way the rest of the way.”

The Eagles will travel to Sacramento State (Feb. 1) and Portland State (Feb. 3) this weekend. •

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Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Sophomore forward Mason Peatling takes a jumper against North Dakota. Peatling registered his third straight double-double (17 points, 15 rebounds) on Jan. 27 against Northern Colorado.

16 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 14 | January 31, 2018

Sports

Cementing himself in the record books Michael Brock Sports Editor The accolades just keep piling up for Bogdan Bliznyuk.

The latest for the senior forward— becoming EWU’s all-time leading scorer. On Jan. 25, a little over a minute into the 95–71 victory over North Dakota, Bliznyuk knocked down a triple from the right corner, giving him 1,805 career points, two more than former teammate Venky Jois.

As a freshman in 2014-15, Bliznyuk won Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, averaging 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game. The Eagles were the regular season and tournament conference champions, and made the NCAA Tournament.

In 2015-16, he recorded the first tripledouble in school history, in a win over Northern Arizona. With Drew Brandon and Parker Kelly graduated, and Tyler Harvey getting drafted by the NBA’s Orlando Magic, Bliznyuk minutes increased to 33.2 per game as a sophomore. He put up 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists as the team made the College Basketball Invitational and won their first postseason game as a Division I member.

Bliznyuk’s role increased once again as a junior with Jois graduated and Austin McBroom gone after a single graduate season. Bliznyuk put up 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 2016-17, earning second team All-Big Sky honors as the Eagles again made the CBI. So when Bliznyuk hit the three against UND, head coach Shantay Legans called a timeout to let his star player not only celebrate the new record, but his career as a whole.

“It was very special,” Bliznyuk said following the game. “It’s a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Bliznyuk received an honorary plaque and the game ball. After posing for pictures, the 6’6” forward walked back towards the bench, clapping his hands above his head. As he got closer to his teammates, Bliznyuk pointed to the two words on the front of his jersey, Eastern Washington, as if to signify their importance.

“I’m glad that we as a team played really well so it’s not a lone bright spot,” said Bliznyuk.

“There’s a lot to be happy about tonight.”

Bliznyuk said a few of his teammates have recently tried to get him to talk about the record, but he keeps shooting them down.

He’d rather focus on wins.

After all, for Bliznyuk, team success is always

more important than what he does individually.

Earlier in the season, versus Sacramento State, Bliznyuk set the all-time free throw record at EWU. When Legans acknowledged his star player’s achievement, Bliznyuk responded: “We won the game, that’s all that matters.”

“He’s not big about records,” said Legans. “But he does just about everything for our team.”

This year, Bliznyuk is putting up 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, and is the only player in the Big Sky’s top 10 for all three categories on the season.

His physical, below-the-rim skill set—equipped with spin moves and shifty crossovers—has proved effective at EWU. “He comes out and works hard every day,” said Legans. “He’s had some great mentors along the way and he’s taken things from Bailey Monteith for The Easterner everybody, and now he’s giving back to all his Senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk shoots a free throw against North Dakota on Jan. 25. Bliznyuk teammates.” became EWU’s all-time leading scorer in the win over North Dakota.

“I give a lot of credit to my coaches and teammates,” said Bliznyuk. “From the day I got here, Eastern was really big about player development and made sure to get the best THE IVY and out of me every single day.”

Speaking of mentors, Wiley, who played EAGLES EDGE APARTMENTS with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets this season on Across the street from EWU campus a two-way contract, was in Cheney to see his former teammate’s record-setting moment.

Wiley said that Bliznyuk is the best player Options: Completely furnished with: he played with in college, though the stoic • Private suites with private bathrooms • Flat panel TV's in private Bliznyuk would never admit it. in shared apartments suites and living rooms; “He never talks about himself,” said Wiley.

• Studios and one bedrooms available • Lamps, dishes, pots & pans “I was telling him he’s a true professional • Individual leases for 10 months to two years • Coffee maker and other because in my opinion, a professional is kitchen essentials someone who shows up every day, regardless • Leases that include all utilities, of what’s going on [...] He never got too high, wifi and basic cable never got too low, never got rattled. And when we needed him, he was there for us.”

Bliznyuk said he hasn’t had a chance to Come and see what everyone is talking about... "the nicest put his four years at EWU in perspective. place for EWU students to live!"

“I think it’ll come more at the end of the season,” said Bliznyuk. “Be able to really sit back and reflect on my career. Probably www.premierstudentliving.com ◆ (509) 235-1928 start missing playing basketball here already.

Sometimes I think about it, but at the same time we still have a lot of our season left.”

EWU is 6–3 in conference play, and are tied with Idaho for third place. With Montana currently at 9–0 and Weber State 6–2, the Eagles face a tough battle in the Big Sky. Still, Bliznyuk is focused on closing his career the way it began—with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. •