The Easterner: Volume 101, Issue 18 by Easterner Online

asterner The Easterner

The_Easterner

@EasternerOnline

Eastern Washington Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independent Student Newspaper

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

www.EasternerOnline.com

Daring Displays of Drag

Eagles soar to home sweep

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Volume 101, Issue 18

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Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

Cheney High Student Walkout

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Andrew Watson for The Easterner

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

Student Photo Corner

Chief Copy Editor

Amanda Haworth easternercopy@gmail.com

News Editor

Josh Fletcher easterner.news@gmail.com

Sports Editor

Michael Brock easterner.sports@gmail.com

Arts & Entertainment and Features Editor

Old London Town Art DIrector Andrew Watson submitted this photo. “I was on the London/Paris Study Abroad trip last Winter Quarter and snapped this picture while walking along the bridge across the River Thames towards Westminster Abbey and the Parliament. The study abroad program was an amazing opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and see new things, and I encourage others to take the opportunity next year.”

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

Copy Editor Taylor Waring

Times Are Changing Senior Dezarae Wilson submitted this photo. “I took the photo at a time of major change in my life. The colors of the leaves were beautiful and helped me realize there is beauty through all change.”

Reporters

Sam Jackson Jeremy Burnham Katherine Senechal Kaitlyn Engen

Graphic Designer Gail Powers

Photographers Mckenzie Ford Bailey Monteith

Faculty Adviser Carleigh Hill chill26@ewu.edu

Correction: On Feb. 14, The Easterner incorrectly reported that EWU was considering lifting the live-on requirement for first-year students for the 2018-19 school year. According to Josh Ashcroft, Senior Director of Housing and Residential Life, EWU has no plans to lift the first-year live-on requirement next school year. 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.

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News

School walkouts strike locally Josh Fletcher News Editor Near the end of the school day on Feb. 14, an expelled student returned to his old school to kill 17 students and faculty. This is the seventh shooting to take place at a school during school hours, five of which resulted in the death of a student, according to the factchecking website Snopes. The students who survived the shooting in Parkland, Florida have seen enough of the gun violence in this country and are urging the president to take action. “If the President wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy and how it should never have happened and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I’m going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rif le Association,” said Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez in a speech on Feb. 17. Since the shooting, students across Photo courtesy of the Spokesman-Review the country have started to take a Students at Cheney High School hold a rally outside by the front doors. They, along with students all over the country, have staged walkouts stand against guns and gun violence, protesting gun violence and school shootings. including students at Cheney High School last Wednesday. old,” Rob Knight commented on the on Facebook in response to the Cheney School shooting and is taking place in “Everywhere in the world they have Facebook video. students protest. Washington D.C. and other cities around changed their laws to make it safer,” President Donald Trump has suggested Changing gun laws in this country is the country. Cheney High School sophomore Maura teachers be armed with guns themselves always a hot-button issue immediately The National School Walkout will take Duffy said. in order to protect students should a after a shooting, especially school place on April 20, the 19th anniversary Students staged a walkout which gunman attack. shootings. Many have tried before, after of the school shooting at Columbine gathered local media attention after it “If you had a teacher who was adept attacks like the one in 2012 at Sandy Hook High School in Colorado that killed 12 was live-streamed on Facebook by KHQ , with the firearm, they could end the attack Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., students and one teacher. Times and which generated almost 1,000 real-time very quickly,” Trump said. The president where 20 kids and six adults were killed. details for the walkout are still being comments from viewers. suggested arming about 20 percent of But tangible change remains elusive. finalized. • “I was excited for high school, but all the teachers, about 700,000 nationwide. As of now there are at least three school shootings have ruined that for me,” one Those comments and suggestions were walkouts and rallies scheduled around the of the students at the walkout said. “We viewed unfavorably by teachers around country, the first taking place on March 14. need to say something because when we the country. The walkout, organized by the Women’s are silent, that is when shootings happen.” “None of us entered this line of work to March’s Youth EMPOWER group, encourages Of the near 1,000 comments, many train for an unthinkable day when we’d be students, teachers and administrators to were critical of the students’ efforts to expected to shoot and kill one of our own walk out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. in protest and enact change. students,” said Jamie Neely, the chair of every time zone for 17 minutes, one minute “Guns are not the problem it’s the kids the EWU journalism department, in an for each person killed in Parkland. we allow them to do too much and say opinion piece in the Spokesman-Review. The second event, the “March for too much and be heard too much they “Students need to feel safe at school. Our Lives” rally scheduled for March need to shut up big kids and freaking As adults we need to provide that safe 24, is being organized by survivors of quit trying to be grown ups at 10 years environment!” Anita Kane-Heath wrote the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High

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News

EWU students help engineering professionals win national award Three EWU students were honored at a dinner in Spokane by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Colleen Ford Contributor Three EWU students and two Gonzaga students were honored at a dinner hosted by the Spokane Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Feb. 22. The students’ contributions were an integral part of why Spokane’s IEEE section received the award for ‘best organized and most active section in the Western U.S.’ in early February. The event was hosted by IEEE at Luigi’s in downtown Spokane and attended by both EWU and Gonzaga students and faculty. It celebrated the students’ involvement in the Rising Stars conference, success in establishing new clubs, and starting an engineering honors group on EWU’s campus. Seniors Jordan Holubasch, James Ruiz and Iziah Nixon presented a summary of their experience at the Rising Stars conference, an event self-described on its website as a place “where students and young professionals come to connect and be inspired.”

Colleen Ford for The Easterner Five of the six students who attended the Rising Stars Conference (from left): Iziah Nixon, James Ruiz, Arthur Lane and Erik Ratchford (junior and freshman from Gonzaga), and Jordan Holubasch.

Participants had the opportunity to network with professionals in top technology fields such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, NASA and Linkedin. “Talking to these people helped me out a lot,” Nixon said, who is also the vice president of the IEEE club on campus. “It made me come back to school a lot more enthusiastic.” Nixon’s biggest encouragement to engineering students is to look up from the immediate work in college and think about the future as well. “Think about what’s going to happen after you graduate,” Nixon said. “I know you want to get done with school, but you need to start thinking about what comes next.” Jordan Holubasch, a senior studying electrical engineering, was another one of the students honored at the event. Holubasch has been a member of the Spokane IEEE for four years, two of which have been as a member of the EWU IEEE club where she is currently a public relations officer. Holubasch is also the founder of the Women in Engineering club on campus.

The conference gave Holubasch an opportunity to network with professionals in her own fields of interest. To Holubasch, the connections were the biggest value of the event. “It makes the difference between leaving college with a degree and leaving college with a job offer,” Holubasch said. Holubasch credits IEEE with getting her involved in ways that build her experience outside of class. James Ruiz is double majoring in electrical engineering and physics at EWU and is secretary of the IEEE club. Ruiz’s takeaway from the conference was a noticeable improvement in confidence, networking skills, and technical knowledge. Dr. Steve Simmons is a professor of computer science at EWU, as well as the vice chair and computer chair of the Spokane Section of IEEE. Simmons eagerly expresses the gravity of the award received by his section of IEEE. The Spokane Section is in the largest region of IEEE worldwide and is growing at a rapid rate. According to Simmons,

the fact that EWU students contributed to the elite award is an extremely impressive feat. “I’ve been in three IEEE sections,” electrical engineering professor Dr. Uri Rogers who attended the presentation said, “and this is by far the best one.” The overwhelming consensus of those involved in IEEE is a resounding appreciation for the unique opportunities offered through participation. The experience of working with professionals and creating connections to potential jobs after graduation is invaluable. “You get reminded why you wanted to do these things,” said Holubasch. “I am so excited to be a student and I am so excited to be an engineer” For more information on how to get involved in EWU’s IEEE club, their page can be accessed through OrgSync and on Facebook at IEEEEWU. •

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News

Suicide Awareness & Prevention Panel seeks to break down stigmas Katherine Senechal Reporter Last Friday, EWU held a Suicide Awareness and Prevention panel for students to attend and learn about warning signs and resources available to them. The event was the put on by Edith Claro, an EWU student who works for the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) on campus. The panel’s goal was to get students to start talking about this difficult topic and to make sure they know that there is always help out there. Representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Student Wellness Center and the EWU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) attended the event. Jon Weber, a psychological counselor on the Spokane campus, sat on the panel to represent CAPS and talked about their office, warning signs of suicide and how to help someone going through thoughts about it. The panel discussed how you also don’t have to be at any certain point before going to counseling, you can go and talk about anything and everything. “You don’t have to hit rock bottom, especially in the counseling centers… anyone can come to counseling and we’re happy to talk about anything,” Weber said. According to Laura Grant, another professional on the panel, these talks are about breaking down stigmas, making sure that people and the EWU students specifically know that therapy is not just for the severely depressed. Anyone can get help; no issue is too small to be talked about. Though this may be a very hard conversation to have, it has a large impact on the U.S. and college

populations. On average, there are 123 suicides per day with suicide being the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). In the EWU campus specifically, a survey showed that 10%, or about 1,300 EWU students, have seriously considered committing suicide. Another point covered in this panel was brought up by Eagle Volunteers! leader Kelsey White. People sometimes don’t know how to seek out help or just feel like they can’t, whether it is a feeling of shame or embarrassment that they are dealing with this. “They feel like there’s nobody else dealing with this… there are resources out there to help you,” White said. “There are people out there that care about you… I think sometimes our pride gets the best of us and we don’t admit that maybe we do need help.” With the panel being an overall educational and helpful tool for the students that did attend, there were pieces of information that the people involved wanted the students, staff, and faculty to take home. The panel members and coordinators had an objective to educate on how to prevent suicide and to get people talking about such an intense and difficult topic. “It’s OK to speak out and seek help. There’s help out there, even just talking to a friend, that can be impactful,” Claro said. If you or anyone you know is seeking out the help mentioned in this article, CAPS is available online or by phone to EWU students. •

Obituary Robert Eugene “Bob” Bossard (61), of Spokane, WA, was called home to be with the Lord on Nov. 9, 2017. He is survived by his wife Karen, of 37 years, and two children. He was born on July 5, 1956 in Los Angeles County, to his mother Mary Murdoff and father Wellington Bossard. He graduated from Selah High School and had an accomplished career as a skilled tradesman in asbestos abatement work. He was a proud brother of Insulators Union Local 82 of Washington. He married his truest companion in this life, Karen Kane (Bossard) of Butte, MT, in 1980. Bob and Karen later settled in the Tri-Cities where they made many lifelong friends. They welcomed a son, Matthew, in 1982 and a daughter, Mandy, in 1984. It was also in 1984 that Bob converted to Catholicism and was baptized.

In 1988 they relocated their family to Spokane, WA when Bob accepted a position at Eastern Washington University where he worked for nearly 30 years. Bob was a devoted husband of limitless measure and the proudest of fathers. He practiced an unconditional love for his family rarely seen in this life. He was an avid outdoorsman and had a fondness for good food, a cold beer and lengthy storytelling. He was a dog lover, and a vocal Democrat. His favorite pastime was undoubtedly fishing, and he never met a stranger that stayed that way for long. Those close to him will always remember him as a hard working man, a 3 a.m. friend, and damn nice guy. A funeral mass followed by reception is scheduled for 11 a.m. on March 10, 2018 at St. Thomas More Church in Spokane, WA. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Bob’s life. In lieu of flowers please toast Bob at your next celebration, take a young person fishing, or make a donation in Bob’s honor to a charity of your choice.

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

Looking to Adopt We are a family of two looking to expand our family through adoption. Thank you! Please contact us at: laurenandphillipadoption@gmail.com or at 253.677.0308 OR contact our adoption attorney, Mark Demaray at: 425.771.6453

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Volume 101, Issue 18 | Feb 28, 2018

Loose Change & Filler Text

Entertainment

EDITORS’ PICKS Tech: “HomePod” Apple finally released their smart speaker and it is like most Apple products-awesome. Many people thought that this “over priced” ($349) smart speaker with the laughable Siri was not going to be bought by a lot of people because of its limitations. Well the tech website Mac Rumors reported Feb. 26 the speaker was the most pre-ordered smart speaker ever behind Courtesy of Getty Images the hockey puck Alexa Dot which costs a seventh of the price. It is pretty cool to walk around your room and say “Hey Siri, what’s going on in the news?” and having my speaker reply with an NPR report of the morning news. Next I will ask Siri if she can write my articles for me, reports coming soon. (Josh Fletcher)

Andrew Watson for The Easterner

Movie: “Maze Runner: The Death Cure”

Courtesy of Temple Hill Entertainment

Maze Runner main character Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their most dangerous mission yet. Thomas embarks on a mission to find the cure for the deadly disease known as the “flare.” To save the rest of their friends they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled maze, that may turn out to be the deadliest one of them all. Anyone and everyone that makes it out alive will get the answer to all of the questions they have been asking themselves since they first arrived. This third movie is an epic finale to the Maze Runner saga. (Dayana Morales)

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Police Beat Josh Fletcher News Editor

Argument Feb. 14 A university employee called police after a male student threatened to fight him for providing help while the student was driving. The employee was nearing the end of his shift at 10 a.m., where he was working on deicing the roads on 11th and Cedar. He tried to warn the student that his big truck was going to have problems getting up the icy hill but the student just yelled back “you’re not a cop,” and continued on his way. Moments later, his truck slid down the hill and crashed into a curb. The male student jumped out and started yelling at the employee again and proposed a fist fight. The employee said he was going to call police and the student fled without being able to be identified.

Verbal Domestic Violence Feb. 15 Two female roomates got into a verbal altercation in Dressler Hall after one of the roomates found a photo of her roommate on social media holding her teddy bear. The argument turned from talking to yelling and swearing, but the only victim of physical assault was the teddy bear which was thrown across the room. No arrests were made during the police report. The bear may be looking for a new home.

Domestic Violence/ Harassment Feb. 15 Campus police made an arrest after a female assaulted her roomate in LA Hall. The victim of the assault said her roommate was always getting upset with her because she had a habit of locking the door when she left her dorm room. One day when the roommate came home to the door being locked and the roomate inside, she exploded with a flurry of punches to the victim. The victim told police her roommate was “a ticking time bomb,” after she made multiple threats toward her for locking the door. The roommate was moved to another location and is awaiting a court date.

Illustration by Gail Powers for The Easterner

Minor in Possession Feb. 17 While a CA was doing their rounds of Morrison Hall, they found a male passed out in the fifth floor bathroom. The fire department came by to inspect the student and make sure he did not need medical attention, but cleared him to stay with his sober roommate. When police did a breathalyzer test, they found him to be at a .193, more than twice the legal limit. Since he was underage he was charged with being a minor in possession.

Assault/Domestic Violence Feb. 18 Police were called to the Anna Maria apartments after reports of a loud and physical argument. The male, who is a student at EWU, was drinking heavily and started an argument with the woman who lived with him. After arguing they started to “grapple” in the living room. The female had multiple marks on her face from the altercation. This was enough evidence to charge the student with assault in the fourth degree. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail.

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A&E

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Nikita Romanoff, the Black Widow, started her drag career as a dresser, stage manager and DJ for Le Gurlz. Romanoff is the creator of “The Haus of VooDoo.”

Drag queens sparkle and shine at 20th annual drag show Kaitlyn Engen Reporter Words cannot capture the sparkle and shine that the Queens of the 2018 “Sugar and Spice” EWU drag show presented both onstage and off. Organized by the EWU Pride Center, Drag Queens La Saveona Hunt and Freedom Rights, the two hosts for the event, filled the room with spunk, laughter, and excitement as other Queens danced their way into raising money— toward the Odyssey Youth Movement—a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing security and support programs to LGBTQ+ youth in the Spokane community. There was a lot to see during the threehour show. However, many audience members would leave that evening never getting to know the real people behind the makeup. Freedom Rights’ drag career began 12 years ago when her sister shaved off half her facial hair while she was sleeping and forced her to enter the Drag Russian Roulette, which Freedom won. “Back then I was known for falling off of

poles, high energy and just smiling a lot,” said Freedom Rights. Before the show last Friday, Freedom Rights showed much anticipation coming back to EWU after a year-long break from performing. “My very first real performance was at Eastern,” said Freedom Rights. “No matter where I’m at in life, I always try to come back. I will always love to come back. [EWU] is the first place I really felt loved, and the energy is what made me stay.” La Saveona Hunt has been doing drag for nine years now and was also looking forward to performing at EWU. “Coming to college shows you get all different walks of life: people who have never seen drag, people who have seen drag, people who don’t know what it is,” said La Saveona Hunt. “They don’t know what they’re gonna get. Seeing people’s reactions for the first time seeing us is hilarious.” Uncertainty for what the show would bring was common for a lot of first-time drag show attendees in the audience. It is safe to assume that many entered through the doors with preconceived notions of

what drag is all about and what being a drag queen even means. The two hosts plus Arianna D. Spanic, a trans woman drag performer who brought a girly Ariana Grande spirit to the stage, hoped to clear up a few misconceptions about drag queens. “We are not cross-dressers. We are performers and entertainers,” said Arianna D. Spanic, “We are very professional, and we’re actually the most friendly people you will ever meet.” Freedom Rights wanted to address the gender-identity confusion that the audience might experience at a drag show. “The biggest misconception is just because we are drag queens means we [all] identify as transgender, misconstrued that we live our lives as women,” said Freedom Rights, “I do not identify as being transgender. I’m just a man in a dress and a wig!” La Saveona Hunt likes to emphasize to her audiences what drag queens are and what they come to perform for. “I tell people that drag queens are three things,” said La Saveona Hunt, “One, we’re

overpaid strippers. Tip us! Two, we are your therapist. Just as we use the audience as therapy, the audience should use us as therapy. Three, we are clowns. Laugh at us!” Freedom Rights and La Saveona Hunt’s extended careers have allowed them to see all sides of drag: The Queens, the audience, the supporters and the haters. “Being a drag queen is a triple threat,” said La Saveona Hunt. “You’re putting yourself out there to be judged and ridiculed and disrespected. I’ve never met a queen who has never been told that they’re not pretty or they’re not talented. There’s always something negative that comes your way when you do drag.” As they both have realized, though, learning to brush off negativity can be just as important for a drag queen as the performance itself. “Not only do you have to check the energy that you have to give out to the world, but you also have to check other people’s energy […] If you allow negativity to consume you, and yourself to be around negative people, [it] will rub off on you and it will take your positive

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A&E energy from you,” Freedom Rights said. The three Queens, who all currently hold royalty crowns, are actively taking their positive energies to their communities. La Saveona Hunt, aka Miss Utopia, reigns with “a legacy of love and acceptance,” advocating not only for LGBTQ+ rights but also rights of African-Americans, homeless youth and HIV/AIDS survivors. Along with fundraising for the Spokane AIDS Network and Odyssey Youth Center, Miss Nubian Pride winner Freedom Rights is very passionate about working with the transgender community in Spokane. Spanic also represents the transgender community in her title as Miss Gay Pride. She works with the Imperial Sovereign Court of Spokane to raise awareness and funds towards LGBTQ+ issues. While they all serve as active celebrities in the LGBTQ+ community, their identities as drag queens might go unnoticed by some given the nature of their “typical” daily lives. Freedom Rights is one example. She spends most of her daytime hours working at

nYne Bar and Bistro, the Spokane Airport and MAC Cosmetics. La Saveona Hunt, on the other hand, works as a coach for high school track-andfield and volleyball and keeps her drag queen identity more discrete. “I lead two lives and it’s not because I’m ashamed of it,” said La Saveona Hunt. “I just think some kids can handle it and some kids can’t. Some parents also can and can’t [handle it.]” Whether known or not by their audiences, the Queens brought their best faces and performances to the EWU URC last Friday night. “You should only be worried about having a good time. When you walk away, it’s like a movie that you just watched and can’t get out of your head,” said Saveona Hunt. •

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Belle du Soleil made her fourth apperance at the EWU Annual Drag Show.

ASEWU

Services and Activities (S&A) Fee Committee

Open Meetings • • • •

Friday, February 9th, 2018 – 12pm-1:30pm Friday, February 16th, 2018 – 12pm-1:30pm Friday, March 2nd, 2018 – 12pm-1:30pm Friday, March 9th, 2018 – 12pm-1:30pm

Patterson 204 See how your student dollars get put to work! For more information or to review funding requests: bit.ly/ewu-sa-fees Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Lelani Kaine’s drag inspiration is Naomi Campbell. Kaine makes life her stage.

To request disability accommodations for this event, please call 509.359.7852 three days prior to the event.

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Volume 101, Issue 18 | Feb 28, 2018

A&E

Eating our ‘roots’ brings cultures together Sam Jackson Reporter Eating our “Roots” was an event held last Thursday Feb. 22 that shared knowledge about food ways and what the interconnections are among different cultural groups. The event highlighted African culinary influences in Latinx food practices. In a collaborative effort between the Africana studies program and food studies taught by Norma Cardenas, interim director of the Chicana and Chicano Studies program, a presentation explained how food is integrated between all cultures including African and Hispanic cultures. “I think there should be more of this, especially with such topics like food because it’s so accessible, you know, everybody eats and everybody thinks that they have an informed opinion about food,” Cardenas said. “Food is a social glue, it just brings folks together.”

Cardenas describes food as a heuristic device because food can be used as a conversation for many topics including economics, immigration, health and policies. “So it really does lend itself to blend, to bring all of these issues and talk about those issues in a very comprehensive and interdisciplinary way,” Cardenas said. The event was located in the Women and Gender Studies lounge, which was completely full of students and faculty for the presentation. Cardenas was pleased with the turnout. “I could not have been more delighted to see people here who are interested in food,” said Cardenas. “I’ve given multiple presentations about food in this space for the contemporary feminists research issues that the women’s studies program organizes, so they’ve always been around food. It’s a very appealing topic that draws people in and it’s something that should concern us all. It’s about how we nourish ourselves and sustain

our lives so it makes sense to have these be more regular.” As an example of food that is rooted from cultural identity, Cardenas’ food studies class chose to use camotes, a Mexican sweet potato dish, as the anchor for the presentation. Junior Marina Guerrero suggested it because it reminded her of home. “I told her, you know, my father he makes this back home and I’m from Wenatchee so I needed something homey to make me feel good and that food really makes a connection with my culture and with my dad,” Guerrero said. Guerrero actually prepared the camotes that was used to feed everyone who attended the presentation and said it was her first time making it. “It’s sweet potatoes and then there’s something called piloncillo, [...], they look like hard rock candies and they are brown,” said Guerrero. “They dissolve in the water

and everything gets vaporized together and boiled together. There’s a little water added, less than half of what’s contained inside of it, piloncillo and sweet potatoes and that’s it. You can also add milk to it.” Cardenas mentioned that food is a major component of culture and it is how we maintain and show who we are in terms of our identity. “I think it’s important to raise awareness that there are all kinds of food from all kinds of places and everything,” said Guerrero. “It’s important to get to know each other’s roots and cultures and it starts with our food that we eat everyday. Yeah, something might look a little different but it will still be good if you try it. I like that there were all kinds of people here and that food brought us together.” •

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Events

Courtesy of Pixabay

Clubs and Orgs Meeting

What is it: A meeting to provide EWU student leaders with an opportunity to come together, share important club related news and learn about upcoming events. When: Wednesday, Feb. 28 Time: 4 - 6 p.m. Where: Martin Hall 158 Cost: No cost.

Courtesy of Pixabay

“On Mascots” Common Read Panel Discussion What is it: A pannel discussion that will explore the imagery that Sherman Alexie presented in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” being the only indigeous player on a high school team with the mascot “Indians.” When: Thursday, March 1 Time: 1 - 3 p.m. Where: Patterson Hall 126 Cost: No cost.

No Man’s Land Film Tour

Courtesy of Pixabay

What is it: An all-female adventure film tour based out of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado that meets a need and desire to highlight and connect women in pursuit of the radical. When: Wednesday, Feb. 28 Time: 7 - 9 p.m. Where: Martin Hall 158 Cost: No cost.

Courtesy of Pixabay

FUSE Career Fair

CAMP Migrant Week Display

What is it: More than 100 companies from around the region will attend this fair to offer a diverse range of internships and full-time professional jobs. When: Thursday, March 1 Time: 2 - 6 p.m. Where: Spokane Convention Center Cost: No cost.

What is it: The College Assistance Migrant Program will be presenting C ohort 4’s artwork. When: Monday, March 5 Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: JFK Library Lobby Cost: No cost.

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Volume 101, Issue 18 | Feb 28, 2018

Sports

Photos by Richard Clark IV for The Easterner (Left) Head coach Shantay Legans addresses his team during a win over Montana on Feb. 15. (Right) Senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk shoots a layup over a Grizzlies defender in the same game.

Eagles stay red hot as regular season winds down EWU wins fourth straight; Bliznyuk becomes fifth player in Big Sky history with 2,000 points Michael Brock Sports Editor For the first time in two seasons, the EWU men’s basketball team swept a Big Sky Conference weekend on the road. After going no better than 1–1 every conference weekend away from Reese Court last season, the Eagles finally achieved the feat, taking down the Weber State Wildcats 75–70 on Feb. 22 before beating the Idaho State Bengals 74–69 on Feb. 24. With the victories, EWU improves to 11–5 in conference play and remain in fourth place with two games left in the regular season. The top four teams in the BSC will earn a first round bye in the conference tournament, which is held March 5 to 10 in Reno, Nevada. In the win over Weber State, EWU got out to an early 8–0 advantage. The Eagles would lead by as many as 13,

going ahead 19–6 with 11:52 left in the first half on a three-pointer from freshman guard Jack Perry. The Wildcats fought their way back to retake the lead 31–30 near the end of the half as the Eagles battled foul trouble. However, a layup from redshirt freshman guard Jacob Davison with three seconds left gave EWU the 32–31 halftime advantage. After opening the game blistering from the floor, the Eagles closed the half shooting 2-for-10. At halftime, sophomore guard Mason Peatling had 11 points and senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk had eight points. Weber State junior forward Brekkott Chapman scored 10 points in the half, while sophomore guard Jerrick Harding pitched in eight. The Bengals continued their run as the second half began, going up by as many as eight, 46–38 with 14:40 left in the game. That’s when Bliznyuk took

the game into his own hands. The senior forward went on a 9–0 run by himself to re-take the lead for the Eagles midway through the half. Weber State would go up again briefly, but another layup from Bliznyuk a few minutes later gave EWU the lead for good. The Eagles, aided by strong free throw shooting down the stretch, held off the Bengals to complete the upset. “Our guys fought through everything tonight,” head coach Shantay Legans said. “They followed the game plan to a T and we had some exceptional step-ups by our freshmen. But everybody contributed when they got on the floor, and that’s exactly what you need to beat teams like this.” Despite 14 three-pointers from Weber State for the game, EWU’s 65.2 percent shooting in the second half was the difference. Davison had 17 points, while Peatling scored 15 points and pulled down five rebounds.

EWU scored 40 points in the paint to Weber’s 14, while the Eagles also got 26 points off the bench. “It was a huge game for our team and a huge game for our program,” said Legans. “It always comes back to the preseason, and that crazy road schedule we had early. They bought in and believed in it, and it made them tougher for games like this.” Bliznyuk entered Saturday’s game against ISU just four points away from 2,000 in his illustrious career. The senior forward scored his first two baskets of the game to complete the accomplishment as the Eagles went up 9–2 early. The Eagles led for the rest of the opening frame, going up 38–25 at halftime. EWU shot 50 percent in the first half, compared to 40 percent for the Bengals. Bliznyuk had 12 points and five rebounds at the break. Freshman guard Jack Perry had nine points and Davison

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Sports chipped in seven points. ISU junior forward Novak Topalovic had 11 points in the first half, while sophomore guard Brandon Boyd had seven points. The Bengals caught fire after the break, knocking down 69.6 percent of their total shots in the second half, including 8-for-12 from downtown. Still, late execution and hot shooting by the Eagles proved too much. With 2:01 remaining, ISU took their only lead of the game on a three from sophomore guard Balint Mocsan. However, Bliznyuk answered with a three of his own thirty seconds later. After an empty possession from the Bengals, the Eagles closed out the victory with late free throws. “That was another tournament-type of game,” said Legans. “We got up and they battled all the way back in it. We had to make some tough plays at the end of the game to win it, and that’s exactly how you need to play at the Big Sky Tournament. You have to make big plays at the right time.”

Bliznyuk had 17 points and points for the game. Perry scored 16 points on five three-pointers, while junior guard Cody Benzel poured in 12 points after halftime. The Bengals’ Boyd finished with 23 points and Topalovic had 17. EWU had 23 points from its bench. “I keep saying it, but it’s a team effort,” said Legans. “I’m excited about the outcome of this game, the way we are playing and the way our freshmen are stepping up. Our players did a great job and played great under the circumstances of being on the road in an environment where it’s tough to win.” The Eagles close out their regular season with two home games this weekend against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The NAU game will be senior night for Bliznyuk, Sir Washington and Benas Griciunas, who will be honored pregame. •

Quick Hits • EWU men’s basketball to participate in 2K Classic next season

Next season, the EWU men’s basketball team will play in the 24th annual 2K Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. The Eagles host a subregional round in Cheney from Nov. 16-17. They will play two of Green Bay, Morehead State and the University of Missouri - Kansas City. EWU also travels to two of Syracuse, Connecticut, Oregon or Iowa as a part of the tournament. • Symone Starks departs EWU women’s basketball team

On Feb. 27, the EWU Athletic Department informed The Easterner that women’s basketball sophomore guard Symone Starks had stepped away from the team in recent days for personal reasons. Starks, the team’s starting point guard all season, was the Eagles’ third-leading scorer, averaging 8.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds. The Easterner will have more in the coming week. • Big Sky Conference Basketball Championships begin on Monday

The opening round of the 2018 Big Sky Conference men’s and women’s basketball championships begin on March 5. As it currently stands, both the Eagle men and women teams are on track to earn a first-round bye in the tournament. All games except the men’s championship game can be watched at WatchBigSky.com.

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Women’s basketball sweeps final home stand as Hodgins eclipses 2,000 career points Jeremy Burnham Reporter The EWU women’s basketball team took a big step forward in its quest to wrap up a top four seed in the Big Sky Conference championship tournament, which will be held March 5-10 in Reno, Nevada. The Eagles—who entered their final home stand tied for No. 5 in the conference—picked up home victories against the two teams tied for No. 3. On Feb. 22, EWU defeated Weber State 77–68, before downing Idaho State 66-64 on Feb. 24. The two victories put the Eagles in a four-way tie for No. 3 with Weber State, Idaho State and Portland State with two games remaining in the regular season. The top four teams after next week’s games will earn a first round bye in the BSC tournament. As important as the wins are in the standings, EWU head coach Wendy Schuller says that finishing strong is even more important. “The biggest thing is momentum,” Schuller said after the win over ISU. “We are really trying to play good basketball this time of year. Going into Reno, we want to be playing our best basketball. This means a lot in terms of standings and being

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner (left to right) Senior forward Mariah Cunningham, senior team manager Sarah Kroontje and senior forward Delaney Hodgins pose with Swoop before the Eagles beat Idaho State 66–64 on Feb. 24. EWU is in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Sky with two conference games remaining.

in the top four, but the biggest thing is that we took care of Senior Day for our seniors, they wanted to make sure the last game they played on this floor was a W.” Weber State came to Cheney with a 9–5 record in conference play. Junior guard Kapri Morrow got the scoring started with a three-pointer 25 seconds into the game. The Eagles would lead for the remainder of the game. Morrow paced the Eagles with 10 points in the first quarter, and the opening frame ended with the Eagles leading 21-15. Weber State senior guard Kailie Quinn kept her team close, scoring eight points in the quarter. Quinn continued her strong play in the second quarter, going into halftime leading all scorers with 14 points. Still, the Eagles held a 34-33 lead as EWU senior forward Delaney Hodgins finished the first half with 13 points and four rebounds. Hodgins and Morrow would lead the way in the second half. With both providing scoring, it was impossible for Weber State to double-team either player. The Eagles took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter, and expanded that lead to 14 points 20 seconds in. Weber State would not go away. The Wildcats used a 9–1 run to cut the lead to

six, but that is the closest they would get. Hodgins had 10 fourth-quarter points to finish with 30 points and nine rebounds. She also became EWU’s first player to reach 2,000 career points. Morrow finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. Quinn led the Wildcats with 19 points in the loss. The Eagles out-rebounded Weber State 53–35. Sixteen offensive boards helped EWU score 19 second chance points. “Tonight, the biggest thing was rebounding,” said Schuller. “We haven’t had a rebounding margin like this all season. We came up big on the glass and rebounded as a committee. When we all rebound and hit the glass, we’re good, and that was great to see from us.” EWU hosted Idaho State on senior night. It was the final home game for Hodgins and fellow senior forward Mariah Cunningham. While the seniors were being honored, it was freshman guard Brittany Klaman who stole the show. Klaman eclipsed her career-high of 12 points before the first half was over. She had 14 points in the half, and finished with a team high 17. While Klaman was scoring in the first half, EWU’s normal leading scorers struggled. Hodgins finished the half with

four points, and Morrow had zero. ISU took advantage, and closed out the half with a 37–31 lead. The third quarter was rough for the Eagles. ISU’s coverage on Klaman improved, and she was limited to three points. Hodgins and Morrow continued to struggle. EWU had two scoring droughts of over three minutes, and junior guard Brooke Blair helped ISU open up a 17-point lead with 90 seconds remaining in the quarter. Morrow picked up her fourth foul, and went to the bench midway through the quarter still with zero points. The Eagles were able to close the quarter on a 5–0 run to narrow the gap to 56–44. ISU’s lead went right back up to 16 points less than two minutes into the fourth quarter when freshman guard Estefania Ors hit a jumper to put the Bengals up 60–44 with 8:17 remaining in the game. The Bengals would not score again for six minutes and three seconds. The Eagles’ comeback started with 7:37 remaining on a Hodgins layup. Morrow returned to the game, and EWU started using a full-court press. The junior guard scored her first points on a layup with 7:02 left. Morrow would pick up her fifth foul, but not before scoring seven points in three and a half minutes. Morrow’s seventh point

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Sports was a free throw to complete a three-point play to bring the Eagles to within three points with 4:29 remaining. A Hodgins layup brought the Eagles within one, 60–59 and ISU called a timeout. Things didn’t get better for the Bengals following the stop in play. Blair turned the ball over, and junior forward Alissa Sealby hit a jumper with 3:10 remaining to give the Eagles the 61–60 lead. Hodgins made a free throw, capping EWU’s 18–0 run. With 1:34 remaining, ISU finally scored when Grace Kenyon made a free throw, to make the score 62-61 in EWU’s favor. Cunningham had four of the game’s final five points to close out the victory for the Eagles. The win demonstrated how far the Eagles have come since the start of the season. Early on, EWU lived and died with Hodgins. If the senior forward had an off game, the Eagles lost. Morrow established herself as the team’s secondary scorer, and sophomore guard Symone Starks stepped up as well. However, all three of these players

struggled early against ISU. Klaman’s 17 points, Sealby’s 10 and Cunningham’s eight made the victory possible. “[Klaman] was fabulous, especially in the first half knocking down shots,” said Schuller. “That kept us in the game at that point. I was happy to see Alissa step up and knock down shots. She hasn’t shot the ball as well as I know she’s capable of so to see her perform like that was really good.” Schuller also spoke about her seniors after the game. “I got a little bit emotional,” said Schuller. “I care about them so much. I’m going to miss them both basketballwise, but I will miss them from day-today and in practice and on the road and being around them because they are both awesome young women. I am so proud of them and where they are right now as women and basketball players.” The Eagles (10–6 Big Sky) finish the regular season on the road against Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Southern Utah on Feb. 28, and Northern Freshman guard Brittany Klaman drives past an Idaho State defender on Feb. 24. Klaman Arizona on March 2. • scored a career-high 17 points on five three-pointers in the win over the Bengals.

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner Senior teamwork: Mariah Cunningham prepares to screen for Delaney Hodgins against Idaho State on Feb. 24. The duo has won 76 games in their time at EWU thus far.

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Six Eagles medal at Big Sky Indoor Championships Taylor Newquist Contributor The EWU track team returned from the Big Sky Indoor Championships in Flagstaff, Arizona last weekend with three newly crowned, title winning athletes. The women’s team finished the weekend fourth overall with 52 points, while the men’s team came in seventh with 39 points. Six athletes medaled overall for the Eagles. “I feel the teams that placed between fourth and 10th are pretty evenly matched,” women’s head coach Maria Mecklenburg said. “I am so proud of our crew for making it out of that indoor Photo courtesy of EWU Athletics championship in that fourth (left to right) Junior Parker Bowden (2nd, 60m hurdles), senior Rebecca Tarbert (1st, 60m), freshman Alexis Rolan (2nd, 60m; 2nd, 200m), junior Larry Still place spot.” (1st, pole vault), junior Elizabeth Prouty (1st, pole vault) and junior Aaron Pullin (3rd, pole vault) pose with their medals. The men’s and women’s teams improved on their performances from last year, where both teams finished for the Eagles in the pole vault, finishing in eighth place. third with a clearance of 15–8 1/2 feet. THE IVY and “We felt there were points left on the “Going into this meet I said the pole board, but the team’s effort over the past vault was our bread and butter and that EAGLES EDGE APARTMENTS few days was outstanding,” men’s head crew pulled it off again,” said Mecklenburg. Across the street from EWU campus coach Stan Kerr said. “We are excited to “Elizabeth’s win was the third win a row wrap up the indoor season with numerous at the Big Sky Championships in the pole personal records.” vault for our EWU women.” Options: Completely furnished with: Defending long jump champion and Anandae Clark won the pole vault for • Private suites with private bathrooms • Flat panel TV's in private Big Sky triple jump leader Keshun McGee the EWU woman last season. in shared apartments suites and living rooms; missed out on what were expected Senior EWU women’s sprinter Rebecca • Studios and one bedrooms available • Lamps, dishes, pots & pans points for the Eagles with a couple of Tarbert came in first place in the 60 meters • Individual leases for 10 months to two years • Coffee maker and other disappointing results. McGee’s triple with a time of 7.42 seconds, a new school kitchen essentials jump of 46-9 feet was five feet less than record. Freshman Alexis Rolan finished • Leases that include all utilities, his season’s best and good for 12th place. right behind Tarbert in second place wifi and basic cable McGee led the Eagles with 18 points in the at a time of 7.45 seconds. Rolan earned championships last season. herself another second place finish in the EWU’s pole vaulters swept the event, 200 meters with a time of 24.18 seconds. Come and see what everyone is talking about... "the nicest taking first place in both the men’s and “With the vault crew as our bread and place for EWU students to live!" women’s sides. Junior Elizabeth Prouty butter, the meat and potatoes of the team cleared a personal best of 13–3 feet for at this meet were Rebecca Tarbert and Big Sky title and junior Larry Still won his Alexis Rolan,” said Mecklenburg. “They www.premierstudentliving.com ◆ (509) 235-1928 second Big Sky title with a clearance of have done it all year long and they did it 16–8 1/4 feet. again at Big Sky’s.” “Larry Still showed why he is a Rolan was named the Big Sky champion today,” said Kerr. “Him Conference Female Freshman of the Year winning the pole vault was one of those by the league office on Monday. distinguished lifetime performances. The outdoor track and f ield We’re very proud of how Larry season will begin on March 17, at the represented EWU today.” Whitworth University Buc Scoring Junior Aaron Pullin was another medalist Invitational in Spokane. •