issue 22, Vol. 64

Eastern Washington University

Est. 1916

Volume 64, Issue 22

April 10, 2013

EasternerOnline.com

Students teach new robots new tricks

Photo by Dylan Paulus Fans cheer for the team winning the round, Part Sciborg. The event was held at EWU for over three days.

Photo by Dylan Paulus Luke Laxton from Lewis and Clark High School's Titanium Tigers controls their disc-throwing robot.

Partnership between competition and EWU brings budding brainiacs together to battle with the bots

By Sasha Vogele

staff reporter easterner.news@gmail.com

The blue alliance team of high school students from Des Moines, Wash.; Umatilla, Ore.; and Camas, Wash., beat the red alliance team 138-95 in the final match of the regional First Robotics Competition on April 6 and will be heading to the championship in St. Louis.

Ultimate Ascent, the competition’s event this year held at Reese Court, is played by two competing alliances consisting of three robots on a flat field that is 27 by 54 feet. The three teams on each alliance try to score as many discs into their goals as they can during a 2 minute and 15 second game, according to the First Robotics Competition brochure.

Each match ended with the robots attempting to climb up pyramids located on the playing field. There were three levels on the pyramid and the higher the robot could climb, the more points the team could get.

After two days of qualification matches, the top eight teams with the most points were able to personally select two additional teams to form their alliances. These eight alliances then competed in the final elimination matches for the chance to go to the international championship in St. Louis.

The winning blue alliance was recognized with the Regional Winner Awards after winning the final match by 43 points, which qualifies them to compete at the championship.

In addition to the Regional Winner Awards, 20 more awards were given to other teams and volunteers to recognize their accomplishments and contributions.

Three of the additional 20 awards that were given qualified teams who did not win the final match to also attend and compete in the championship.

The team from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, who scored the most points during the qualification matches and was ranked as the number one team out of the 41 total

teams was given the championship-qualifying award of Engineering Inspiration.

The two other teams who also received championshipqualifying awards were the Auburn, Wash., team, who received the Regional Chairman’s Award, and the Rathdrum, Idaho, team who was given the Rookie All-Star Award.

The local Medical Lake robotics team, known as The Cards, competed in the event for the first time this year and ranked as 19th out of 41. The team also was recognized with the Highest Rookie Seed Award for being the rookie team who scored the most points.

Medical Lake’s team mentor Ken Guidry said, “We’re at the bottom of the high-scoring group, ... and that’s really not bad for a rookie team.

"My goal was not to build a robot; it was to build a team that builds a robot and we succeeded. But, it also feels good to also win an award for being the highest scoring rookie team.”

This is the second consecutive year that the First

Robotics Competition has been hosted by Eastern Washington University.

Christian Hansen, the competition’s regional chair and EWU’s associate dean of computing and engineering sciences, said, “It’s definitely something that works out being a win-win for both Eastern and First [Robotics Competition.]

We like it because we are trying to draw students to the [science, technology, engineering and math] fields.

“It’s great publicity for Eastern, and overall it’s a great event for the community and we’re proud to host it and continue doing it,” said Hansen.

The event is mostly a volunteer-driven effort, according to Hansen. “We’ve got about 125 volunteers on this. We had a successful event last year, and it looks like everything is working out this year also,” said Hansen.

The six qualifying teams will be heading to the championship scheduled to take place in St. Louis on April 24 to 27.

Photo by Sasha Vogele Teams assess damage to their robots after a match.

Photo by Sasha Vogele Medical Lake's robot hangs from the first pyramid bar at the end of a round. The weight of the robot was 66.7 pounds.

MFA student wins national award

By Lorna Hartman

staff writer lorna.hartman@ucaa.org

Karen Maner, a senior in the Master of Fine Arts degree program, won first place in the creative nonfiction category in a national writing competition.

The Intro Journals Project contest is held annually by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. It also awards prizes for poetry, fiction and other categories.

The Association of Writers and Writing Programs website said, “The Intro Journals Project is a literary competition for the discovery and publication of the best new Expect to find The Easterner on news stands on Thursdays spring quarter.

Stay ahead of distribution by visiting 'Current Issue' on EasternerOnline.com as early as Tuesday nights.

ASEWU candidate filing closes April 12. For more information, visit PUB 303.

works by students currently enrolled in AWP member programs.”

Maner’s nonfiction story, “Hugo,” focused on her late pet fish of the same name as a literary Maner device to explore the sometimes fine line between kindness and cruelty.

“It’s also about whether or not we can ever really have a responsible relationship with animals where ownership is involved,” Maner said.

Maner’s winning story will be published in the Col-

orado Review, which is carried by university and public libraries in the U.S. It receives more than 9,000 manuscript submissions each academic year. Maner is in rare company at the Colorado Review, which has published work by writers such as Langston Hughes and e.e. cummings.

Maner’s thesis adviser, Assistant Professor Rachel Toor, said, “This is such big news for Karen and for us. She basically won the biggest national award for creative writing for graduate students.”

Maner said, “I heard about an incident in Gainesville, Ohio, with an animal hoarder who had exotic animals who let them go. They ran through

the community and the police ended up killing most of them. It got me thinking about our relationships with our pets, because that’s what these animals were to these people.”

The piece evolved over time, according to Maner.

The end piece was not so much about what happened in Gainesville as it was about a couple of years Maner spent working at a pet store and how her feelings about owning a pet changed over the course of that time.

“The piece is supposed to be — parts of it are supposed to be funny, too. It sounds like a downer, but it’s not. I try not to be too serious or depressing,” Maner said.

Maner’s first draft was written during her first quarter at Eastern in a workshop taught by Associate English Professor Natalie Kusz. Maner rewrote it that summer and then brought the new version to another workshop with Kusz.

“I also worked on it with my thesis adviser, Rachel Toor,” said Maner. “We had private meetings and talked about some possible directions I could take it in.”

Maner is currently working on this piece as part of her master’s thesis. “Rachel [Toor] wants me to submit it the first week of May,” she said.

Toor said that Maner is one of the most professional,

Visit the JFK Curriculum Center on April 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to discover how iPad apps can make life easier at iPads: Touch and Try.

The non-traditional student awareness team is looking for volunteers that need portfolio or résumé experience as they tackle a resource website for nontraditional students. For more information about this project please contact Sherie Lynn Betances-Vela at sherielynn@eagles.ewu.edu.

Love poetry and performance art? Eagle Entertainment will be hosting a spoken poetry event with Spoken Poet artists Katie Wirsing and Chas on April 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the PUB MPR. Admission is free.

The EWU Happiness Committee is holding The Pursuit of Happiness Week April 13 to 20, which will include various events and competitions. For more information like the EWU Happiness Facebook page.

Speak Up: Being a Partner in Diversity will be held on April 24 in the JFK Curriculum center from 3 to 4 p.m.

strong-minded and interesting thinkers the English department has seen.

“She does stuff that’s unexpected and extraordinary and also technically beautiful,” Toor said. “She writes about weird, quirky things.

It’s never just provocative; it’s always getting at some bigger issue. She uses something little to talk about something big.”

After graduating in June, Maner wants to continue traveling internationally as she has done in the past and to integrate her writing talent with social causes she is passionate about. maner-page 4

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NEWS

page 3 april 10, 2013

Entrepreneurship celebration honors Rod Schneidmiller Local pest control founder honored by EWU and guides future Eastern Washington leaders

Aasc0t Holt

staff writer aascot.holt@gmail.com

The annual “Celebration of Entrepreneurship” on April 4 allowed regional students to compete against their peers’ business plans and gain insight from local Sterling International, Inc. founder Rod Schneidmiller.

The event invites students from regional high schools, community colleges and universities to compare business plans and receive feedback from professionals. After the celebration is held, the students make a final presentation to a committee who makes the final decision. This business plan competition is the largest of its kind in the

Inland Northwest. Entrants compete in four categories and winners receive a total of more than $25,000 in prize money.

Charmaine Nicole, a student competitor, said, “It really helps you clarify your ideas and gets you one step closer to your goal in life. If your goal is to own a small business and be an entrepreneur, this is the competition to get involved in.

[Whether you win or not], it’s about the experience.”

Kate Catlin, a Gonzaga student and competitor, won in 2011 for her business plan to increase sanitation and women’s rights in Indonesia through a series of composting latrines. She said, “Never mind the revenue, which allows you to pursue your dreams. ... It’s a hard market out there to get any type of funding, so this is at least a stamp of approval from someone if you win and might just be the seed funding to start your own business and make things happen for yourself.”

Photo by Nic Olson Jacob Larson (left) pitches Bridge Builders Club, an organization dedicated to helping high school students with special needs make connections within their own school.

Schneidmiller’s presentation chose to focus on guiding the student competitors’ future decision-making skills.

He said that his company started with his own savings, a loan from his father and a loan from a neighboring farm family.

“You [have to] save, save, save. Just because you [have] a dollar, doesn’t mean you

have to spend it. It’s not that you didn’t have the freedom to spend it, but when you did, you were really wise. ... Capital is needed. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.

But, at times, you know, instead of something new and shiny, you get something used. ... Everybody wants the latest and greatest, but [the latest and greatest] isn’t

Washington State Dream Act flounders at Senate

By Libby Campbell

senior reporter libbyrcampbell@gmail.com

A House bill that would increase the likelihood of a college education for many undocumented Washington state students has hit a roadblock at the Senate Higher Education committee.

House Bill 1817, also known as the Washington State Dream Act, would give eligible undocumented students access to state-based financial aid.

EWU’s branch of Mecha, which stands for Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, hosted an open forum April 4 to raise awareness and hear student input regarding the legislation.

“It is a piece of legislation in the state of Washington that, if passed, would enable all undocumented students in the state to have access to state grants, college-bound scholarships and other types of financial aid in the state of Washington only. This wouldn’t tap into Fafsa resources or anything like that,” said Francisco Navarro, cochair of Mecha and an EWU junior who is undocumented.

Like many of his peers, Navarro is able to attend college because of House Bill 1079. “[House Bill] 1079 was legislation passed in 2003 that allows undocumented students who have gone to high school, paid taxes, who are essentially citizens of the state of Washington — all except the legal paperwork — to go to in-state schools and receive in-state tuition,” said E.B. Vodde, legislative liaison for EWU. Washington is one of 12 states to offer in-state tuition costs to undocumented students, but even that is not enough to cover the costs of a college education.

“In order for us to go to college, we have to pay with scholarships or just out of pocket. There is nothing else that we can do,” Navarro said.

For these students, the passing of House Bill 1817 would allow them access to state need grants that are currently only available to citizens. Many students lobbied and gave testimony to show support for the bill, which passed with a twothirds majority in Washing-

ton’s House of Representatives, but did not make it past the Senate Higher Education committee.

Sen. Barbara Bailey, chair of the Higher Education committee, canceled the last public hearing regarding House Bill 1817 and did not schedule a vote.

“Even though there’s public testimony given on House Bill 1817, and it had a chance to get through the Senate, it never had a chance to move up the ladder, which is sad,” Vodde said.

In an opinion piece written for the Washington Focus, Bailey argued that the state need grant is already underfunded and that extending state financial aid to undocumented students would add 800 eligible students, an expense that cannot be funded.

“State government has a bad habit of promising many things, but delivering few,” Bailey wrote. “It would be disingenuous for us to make an unfunded promise that can’t be kept.”

Jackie Vaughn, an EWU student and co-chair of MEChA, said, “A lot of times we hear the argument, why [should] they get money?

We’re the taxpayers, we’re the ones investing in Washington state’s economy. The actual fact is that undocumented workers add a lot to our state.”

Washington state is the number one contributor for many agricultural crops, including apples, red raspberries and hops.

“We produce 80 percent of the hops in the nation.

Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of the people that pick the hops so that you can drink your beer [are undocumented]?” Navarro said.

Vaughn added, “If people want to believe the argument that these undocumented people are not adding to our state’s economy, you just have to look at the numbers to see how much we do depend on them. If they are putting so much into our state’s economy, why aren’t we allowing them to have access to some funds that will help them go to college?”

Vaughn and Navarro encouraged students to contact their representatives if they are unhappy with the outcome of House Bill 1817, which can be done at www.leg.wa.gov.

New Economy Summit Encourages Cooperative Business Creation

By Aascot Holt

staff writer aascot.holt@gmail.com

Cooperatives could be the future of Spokane County’s economy.

Held on April 5 and 6 at Gonzaga University, the Inland Northwest New Economy Summit welcomed filmmakers, academics and professionals from across the country involved in the “new economy.”

The new economy, as defined by founder and Executive Director of The Democracy Collaborative at the University of Maryland Ted Howard, is, “An economy that is increasingly ‘green’ and socially responsible with a participatory community-building and community-based foundation. The idea of ‘place matters’ is really important.” “[New economy businesses] have, not a profit motive, but a community contributing motive,” said Howard.

To better understand where Spokane County presently stands economically, past EWU professor of economics and present Chief Economist for Avista Grant Forsyth, presented his most recent calculations and findings.

“Right now, purchasing power in Spokane [County], for the typical household, is the same as it was in the late 1990s. This is also a national phenomenon,” said Forsyth.

Later, Howard said that the top 400 individuals in America are wealthier than

Spokane Economy Facts •

Median income in Spokane County: $34,470

•

38 percent of Spokane County households earn between $19,000 and $28,000 per year

•

The median household income in Spokane County has fallen by 11 percent since 2005

•

The top 20 percent in Spokane County earn 46 percent of the wealth

•

One in every five dollars earned in Spokane County is through social security checks

the bottom 185 million Americans by about 50 billion dollars. He said, “This concentration of wealth is very similar to the concentration of wealth in feudal Europe in the 14th century. … About two weeks ago, [his colleague] got an email from an economist and historian in England. …

He said, ‘I’ve gone through this period in England, I’ve gone through wealth ownership—it’s actually worse in the United States than it was in the 14th century.”

Howard focused on promoting small

businesses, starting co-ops and the importance of each individual’s contribution to their local economy. He said everyone can contribute to the new economy by joining credit unions rather than national banks, buying directly from farmers and voting through your purchases by patronizing local businesses rather than national chains.

He emphasized the need to build community wealth rather than focusing on dry, GDP-like statistics. To illustrate the antiquated practice of determining economic development success by simply analyzing financial statistics, Howard said, “Oil spills are great for GDP.” New economy strategies include: community-based business ownership, community ownership through morals, needs assessments and cultural preservation action, social enterprise, community land trusts, local enterprisefocused public municipal contracting practices and attaining institutions and businesses that will remain in the area On April 6, workshops and breakout lectures were offered to attendees. Topics included the role of community economics in achieving sustainable communities, visioning the new economy in Spokane and scaling sustainable food. A business idea pitch contest was also held between students and community members in the afternoon, complete with up to $1,000 in prize money for the taking.

necessarily the smartest,” said Schneidmiller.

Schneidmiller said, “My tuition [at WSU] was $250 a semester, and my room and board was $135 bucks. I worked on the farm. I paid my way through school. I had no debt. And you know what?

This is a travesty for young people today. Look at the debt we’re saddling on these people and then they want to start something. How do they start?

I haven’t got that one figured out yet.”

Upon presenting the award to Schneidmiller, Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration Martine Duchatelet said, “You forgot to mention one crucial ingredient in starting a business and making it successful: a big sense of humor.”

Schneidmiller agreed.

Senior Lecturer of Accounting and organizer of the event Dave Gorton said, “We give students tools to think about doing new things. Some [student com-

petitors] are going to have small businesses.”

Schneidmiller has been honored before, and his efforts were even honored during a national Congressional session in 2007. Gorton said that the committee chose Schneidmiller due to many factors.

To select the winner, the committee researches the company overall, measures the company’s success, inquires about the potential honoree’s willingness to guide students, researches the scope of the company’s market, researches the company’s local roots, researches the uniqueness of product and measures the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual honoree.

Any leaders honored without a direct connection with Eastern Washington have historically been EWU alumni who have found their success out of the region.

“I could [honor] 50 [local entrepreneurs],” said Gorton.

Staying out of trouble in Cheney

By Linsey Garrison

staff writer garrisonlinsey@gmail.com

As the temperature increases in Cheney so does the number of parties and crimes.

“This spring quarter is probably going to be our busiest because of the weather. When it gets warm out more people come out,” said Officer Chris Oakes of the Cheney Police Department.

Spring quarter’s “First Thursday” turned out to be a rather slow and uneventful evening for police. As a result of the rainy weather, there was only a handful of calls to report problems with alcohol or noise.

According to Officer Nick Briggs of the Cheney Police Department, having a clear understanding of state laws can help students stay out of trouble with law enforcement.

“You can have an open container in your front or back yard, as long as you’re 21 of course. If you’re under 21 and … in your own yard, that doesn’t mean you’re off limits. If we have reason to believe someone is underage and we see them holding a beer, … we can contact them,” said Briggs.

Another common college town problem is noise complaints. Briggs said that about a year ago the noise ordinance was rewritten, making what was once a civil infraction into a criminal citation.

This means instead of an on-the-spot ticket, the violator gets a court date.

Then it is up to a judge to decide if there will be a fee or even possibly jail time.

“There are a lot of factors that go into a noise [violation]. For starters, we are not required to give a warning. Our overall goal on noise complaints is to fix the problem, which, in that case, is the noise disturbing people in the neighborhood,” said Briggs. “If we can fix that by just talking and getting them to comply with the ordinance, then they are much more likely to receive a warning.”

“I’m not going to tell you to get everyone out of your house, but I can tell you … if I have to come back, here’s what will happen. The fact

is, people who are intoxicated are loud, and if you’ve got a bunch of them at your house, it’s going to be hard to keep them quiet,” said Briggs.

“In my experience, the easiest way to make sure we don’t get called back for a noise complaint is to get everyone out of your house. Realistically, it is not going to be possible to keep a whole bunch of intoxicated people quiet.

We can’t just keep giving out warnings.”

Officers do not carry decibel meters to measure noise, but follow Cheney municipal code 9A.10.010 that states music that can be heard 50 feet from the source at any time of the day is a violation. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. the same rule applies to voices.

Planning how to get home safely from the bar is also something students should habitually consider in order to stay out of trouble with law enforcement.

Sleeping in a car is not only potentially unsafe, but it can also lead to a DUI. RCW 46.61.504 states that being in “physical control” of the vehicle is what counts for the purposes of receiving a DUI. “If people are going to sleep in their car, they need to do a couple things. First, don’t be in the driver’s seat. Don’t have the keys in the ignition. Don’t do anything that makes it look like you were or are going to operate the vehicle,” said Briggs.

It is also possible to get a DUI while riding a bicycle. RCW 46.61.755 states that a person riding a bicycle must follow the rules of the road just like a vehicle.

“I’ve never heard of anyone getting a DUI on a bike and I’ve certainly never given one, but it is possible,” said Briggs. “I would recommend not riding your bike if you’re drunk. It’s a safety issue for yourself and other citizens because it allows you to go much faster than walking. It’s a poor safety strategy. If you’re drunk, just walk or have a designated driver.”

“Kind of an old adage in police work is that we spend 90 percent of our time dealing with 10 percent of the population, and that’s true in Cheney,” said Briggs.

NEWS

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ASEWU and administration approve policy changes Eastern updates ASEWU policies to more precisely represent practices, faculty roles and relationship policy

By Lorna Hartman

staff writer lorna.hartman@ucaa.org

The ASEWU will soon be operating under a new policy updated to spell out the role of the faculty liaison and clarify that ASEWU does not itself provide services.

According to Trent Lutey, EWU policy administrator, the old policy was out of date, and a new policy was needed to better comply with state law and to reflect current campus operations.

“We were trying to abbreviate and provide background [in section 1]. This is what the ASEWU does,” Lutey said.

ASEWU President Becca Harrell said, “[Lutey] is the person I hear from when-

ever there’s policy changes. … So they’re really good at [that]. When it’s something that will affect students in any way, they come to us and make sure we look over it.”

Section 2 is titled “Authority.” This section spells out the authority that ASEWU has to carry out its functions.

The administration wanted to give ASEWU as much autonomy as possible, according to Lutey.

Some of the language needed to be changed to reflect actual practices on campus, however.

In section 2, Lutey noted that, contrary to the old policy, the board of trustees does not delegate to ASEWU the authority to provide services because the ASEWU does not actu-

“The idea here is you get better policies if you get more people who are constructively involved.”

Trent Lutey

ally provide services itself.

While services are funded and promoted through the ASEWU, clubs and organizations provide actual services using ASEWU funding. The word “facilities” was deleted from that same section for the same reason.

The ASEWU does not actually provide facilities, but provides funding to use them for events.

Section 5, called “Liaison with the ASEWU,”

brought up the most discussion of any of the sections. Lutey, Harrell and ASEWU members shared input on the exact role of the vice president of student affairs as the liaison between the ASEWU and the administration.

Harrell said, “The only concern we had was that … we wanted to make sure that the ASEWU view has a strong connection with the board of trustees. We have a great VP of student affairs.

Losing Flex card can result in a form of identity theft

Easterner Graphics

By Jake Kershinar staff writer jgkersh@gmail.com

Students know the value of their ID cards.

They can be used for bus transportation, meal plans and getting into certain buildings around campus.

These same ID cards can also become problems for certain students.

Every day it seems these cards are lost, stolen or mishandled. And for some, it can just be a programming issue.

According to Assistant Director of Dining Services Kirsten Bettcher, a student losing their ID card is a recurring theme. “At least two an hour on average,” said Bettcher, when answering how many she sees daily needing replacements.

Replacement cards are available to students but there is a price to pay for giving out a second student ID. “The only free card is the first card that they are issued, and they are told that at the point and time they receive their first card,” said Bettcher. “Thereafter, if it is lost or damaged it is $25 for a replacement.”

Senior Kelsey Baycroft has had to pay a fee twice.

“I have left [my card] on campus,” said Baycroft. “I realized I had lost it a few hours earlier and it never got returned.”

Baycroft said that both times she was asked to pay a fee to replace her card, but that the employees at Tawanka hall were very helpful.

She is now a lot more careful when it comes to keeping track of her ID card.

“I never cancelled my card,” Baycroft said. “I just went down to the office and got a new one each time.

Now I carry [my card] on my lanyard.”

Bettcher said that she encourages students to put a hold or freeze on their card if they report a missing card the same day it was lost.

“More likely than not people will turn in lost cards.” Bettcher said. “As of this morning we have had probably about eight people come in looking for lost cards and were successful in card returns because of some kind soul who found it in the parking lot or on the sidewalk.”

Bettcher went on to say that if a student needs to can-

cel their card, they can do so by calling the student ID center office at Tawanka hall.

“Soon through the EWU Portal students will be able to activate and deactivate cards themselves,” Bettcher said. “And also look up how much is on their accounts.”

When a card is replaced, the student’s ID number stays intact along with other information.

“When we replace a card, we are updating the issue number,” Bettcher said. “We are securing the account from its original state and you cannot go back in issue numbers.”

Students do not always lose their card but rather have technical issues with it instead.

Junior Julio Bautista always kept his card in his wallet, but the picture on it actually ended up fading away.

“The picture faded to the point that you couldn’t see that it was me,” Bautista said.

“There were times when I would go to the gym and the employees were iffy about it because it didn’t have my picture on it.”

Bautista was never denied entrance to anywhere, but was encouraged by school employees to fix the issue.

“I took it over to Tawanka and had to convince them that it wasn’t my fault,” Bautista said. “But they printed out a new one for me.”

Bautista said he was not charged to get a new card.

Bettcher confirmed that the office did get a few students a day saying that there were technical issues when trying to use their ID cards.

She also offered a simple solution for that problem.

... But you want the policy to cover everything.

“Things are golden now, and I’m sure hopefully they’ll be golden forever. We just want to cover it for the future. … This policy hasn’t been changed for 30 years.

So for 30 years down the road, if we have a, God forbid, a terrible VP of student affairs, we would be able to look back and say, ‘No, you can’t just communicate for us on your own. We have the right to communicate.’”

Harrell said the fix was quick and easy and was made to ensure that ASEWU and students in general get to have communication as open as possible with the board of trustees.

“The idea here is you get better policies if you get more people who are

constructively involved,” said Lutey.

EWU has an online policy and procedure center where anyone can view drafts of pending policies and comment on them.

Not many students utilize this, according to Lutey, but the current draft of a new “Fraternization and Consensual Relationships” policy has already garnered a number of comments because it deals with romantic relationships and potential relationships between faculty and students and between faculty members.

Another current policy open for comments is the updated policy on accommodating persons with disabilities.

Comments on the updated ASEWU policy are open until April 27.

Trio Day highlights student achievements Service learning, volunteering and academic research will be presented

By Libby Campbell

senior reporter libbyrcampbell@gmail.com

On April 10, the Walter and Myrtle Powers Reading Room in Hargreaves Hall will be filled with Trio students sharing their recent service learning projects, research projects and other projects with notable community involvement.

“Trio Day is a national celebration,” said Aimee Cervenka, retention specialist at the Academic Success Center. “The purpose of Trio Day itself is to raise awareness of Trio, the purpose that it serves and how it is effective at helping students.”

Trio is made up of several different programs, including the McNair Program and Student Support Services, which are the two Trio programs offered at Eastern. More than 300 EWU students are involved with these programs.

Cervenka works specifically with Student Support Services. “[It] focuses on serving undergraduate students who are identified typically as at-risk populations,” she said.

“Those are students with low income, first generation students — so neither of their parents earned a bachelor’s degree — or students with a registered disability.”

Qualified students can

“Before coming to Eastern, I was contacted by one of the advisers inviting me to be a part of the program, and as an incoming freshman I saw [Trio] as a great opportunity.”

Erika Enciso

benefit from one-on-one advising, classes aimed at the development of learning skills to succeed in college, workshops and other academic assistance.

The McNair program assists first-generation college students and those generally underrepresented in graduate studies who are in pursuit of post-baccalaureate degrees.

“They look at helping track undergraduate students into Ph.D. programs. They identify students in their sophomore or junior year who are interested in getting a Ph.D., then they provide that support to help them get there,” Cervenka said.

Trio students from both programs will present various projects and activities they have recently been involved with at the student expo.

“We’re just trying to get a nice overview of what our students are doing, and trying to focus more on what they’re doing rather than this is what Trio is and what it does,” Cervenka said.

“We’re trying to put more faces to the program.”

Erika Enciso is a junior studying secondary education who has been involved with Trio since she came to Eastern.

“Before coming to Eastern, I was contacted by one of the advisers inviting me to be a part of the program, and as an incoming freshman I saw it as a great opportunity,” she said. “So when I came to Eastern I went to the office, and two years later I am still involved with them.”

Enciso will be part of a group sharing their experience as ambassadors of Leap, the Latino Educational Achievement Program.

“We will have a table with different type of information about Leap, and we will be sharing our experiences as ambassadors and answer any questions that students might have,” she said.

The expo will also feature student speakers and Trio alumni speakers, as well as an opening word from EWU President Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo.

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Maner:

Family Weekend

continued from front

Cas Haley, a performer on "America's Got Talent", entertained at The Roost on April 6, as a part of Eastern's Spring Family Weekend.

Haley opened up his set with his song, "Here I Come."

Family Weekend began on April 5 with a welcome from Vice President for Student Affairs Stacey Morgan Foster in the Showalter Auditorium.

The weekend's events included a wide variety of activities, presentations and workshops.

A brunch in Tawanka brought the weekend's activities to a close at 10:00 a.m., April 7.

Photo by Dylan Paulus

“I’m really interested in writing social action pieces to raise consciousness, to write about things that people don’t always think about,” said Maner. “I think this time, instead of going overseas to teach, I’d get involved with some sort of nonprofit humanitarian organization.”

Toor said that Maner’s win put Eastern’s MFA program on

the national scene. “Many of our graduate students become successful writers,” Toor said.

“She’s one of the people I’m really expecting to see a book from in the next few years.”

But until then, Maner will continue to hone her story and her craft at Riverpoint, beating the stress by playing Tomb Raider and eating chicken pho from Vien Dong downtown. “Right now, I’m pretty locked into thesis,” she said.

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april 10, 2013

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Across

2. The ___ is an economy that is increasingly "green" and socially responsible with a participatory community-building and community-based foundation (2 Words).

4. This contest is held annually by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (3 Words).

6. This is the ___ consecutive year that the First Robotics Competition has been hosted by EWU. 8. Rachel Toor has had publications in Glamour, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Journal of the American Medical Associate and ___ (2 Words).

9. The McNair program assists ___ college students and those generally underrepresented in graduate studies who are in pursuit of post-baccalaureate degrees (2 Words).

13. House Bill 1817, also known as the Washington State ___, would give eligible undocumented students access to statebased financial aid (2 Words).

14. Men’s ___ heads to the NCRC Championship Game on April 13 against Western Washington University, who has dominated the conference and handed Eastern a 44-12 loss on March 16.

15. A project the dean of students and the student advocacy and support manager are planning is the ___ project (2 Words).

Down

1. This event invites students from high schools, community colleges and universities to compare business plans and receive feedback from professionals. On Apr 4, students competed against their peers’ business plans (3 Words) 3. This senior in the Master of Fine Arts degree program won first place in the creative nonfiction category in a national writing competition (2 Words) 5. The ___ was rewritten a year ago, making what was once a civil infraction into a criminal citation, meaning instead of an on-the-spot ticket, the violator gets a court date (2 Words).

7. Professional runner and Eagle Alum ___ ranked 26th in the 8 kilometer race for the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Poland (2 Words).

10. On defense, Eastern gets back two All-Americans in linebacker ___ and cornerback T.J. Lee III (2 Words).

11. In 2009, ___ won the WIAA 4A State Championships with a time of 14.23 seconds (2 Words) 12. The ASEWU will soon be operating under a new policy updated to spell out the role of the ___ (2 Words).

Answer key can be found at easterneronline.com

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EAGLE LIFE

page 6 april 10, 2013

Easterner Graphics For students who find themselves lost while they are on their way to class, there are several shortcuts around campus that can save them time.

From one end of campus to the other

Students find routes around Eastern

By Paul Sell and Cori Olson

for the easterner easterner.eaglelife@gmail.com

In the middle of a harsh winter quarter, Madeline Seacore faced a challenge that all EWU students dread: getting from Kingston Hall to her next class in the Music Building in less than 10 minutes.

Seacore did not have many choices available to her, other than to run like the wind or risk being late to her class.

“If I was able to make time, I would let the teacher know ahead of time that I was going to be late,” said

Seacore. “That way, I could sometimes leave early.”

Seacore is just one of many EWU students who faces the problem of having to travel long distances across campus in a short amount of time. This is harder for newer students like Samantha Strollen, who spent more than five minutes running around the university trying to find Martin Hall.

“If you’re not familiar with the campus, [Eastern] could probably use some more signs,” said Strollen.

The solution to this dilemma seems rather simple: Run like the gingerbread man being chased by an angry mob of bakers. However, what if the student runs the

fastest route they know, yet they still do not make it?

Eastern student Cody Carrington believes that one of the best solutions is to cut through campus buildings that stand in the way, rather than take the designated walkways.

Carrington also recommends using bikes or scooters to get around faster, especially as the weather improves.

“I prefer to use my bike when the weather is nice,” said Carrington. “The problem is that two-thirds of the school year, the campus is covered in snow and ice, so I don’t want to bring [my bike] out.”

Many students such as Rolando Garza suggest getting familiar with the routes around campus before the

EASTERN'S GOT TALENT

beginning of classes, whether through maps or by touring the facilities.

“Just know ahead of time if you have the time to do anything,” said Garza. “That way, when school starts, you have in your mind an idea of where you have to go.”

Once a route and routine have been established, that 10 minute break suddenly feels much bigger and not nearly as daunting, especially since Eastern’s campus comes together like a web at the campus mall, linking nearly the entire university.

“I like the fact that [Eastern] is really laid back,” said Garza.

“It just seems like it’s easy to get around, because everything is so close together.”

contributing writer easterner.eaglelife@gmail.com

Meet Pearce Hall's T.T.A. Go to http://bit.ly/14aaPEE to watch a performance from the group.

• If there is little time to spare, let the teachers know. Some teachers might be forgiving of students who have to walk long distances to their next class.

• When possible, cut through buildings.

• Carry a map of campus.

• If you get lost or need advice, do not be afraid to ask others for help.

• Find out where your classes are a day in advance.

• Take a tour of the campus with friends and enjoy Eastern’s campus.

• The weather is getting better, so ride a bike or a skateboard, scooter, even those old shoes with the wheels in the heel. That way you are getting around campus and looking stylish.

Helmerick brings experience to management position

By Frank McNeilly

Photo by Al Stover Out of 12 acts that performed, Andrew Algard and his band, The Symphonic Crisis, placed first in Eastern’s Got Talent competition, April 5. The competition kicked off EWU's annual Spring Family Weekend, which took place April 5 to 7.

Tips for getting around campus

Students have the opportunity to seek support, thanks to the New Student Advocacy and Support Manager Michelle Hemerick in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

Helmerick transitioned from administrative assistant for the dean of students to the manager in January 2013.

She had previously been the administrative assistant for the Student Activities and Leadership office, beginning in 2005.

Helmerick said that when she was administrative assistant, she would refer students to places they could go to seek assistance, whether it was the dean or another organization on campus.

“Compared to now, I still connect students to resources, but I am managing the whole case,” Helmerick said.

“I meet the student, stay in contact with them, … and I make sure everything is being tended to.”

The student advocacy and support manager either takes on students’ cases or refers students to other campus resources, like a violence prevention advocate.

Amy Johnson, dean of students, is a trained violence prevention advocate.

She sees students in crisis situations with Helmerick when there are more than two parties involved, usually a victim and a perpetrator.

“The position allowed us to develop a case manager approach to working with student cases in which Michelle [Helmerick] … and I take cases, particularly for students in crisis situations or requiring student advocacy,” Johnson said.

The student support and advocacy manager and the

dean of students can handle cases that involve multiple parties.

“There is no conflict Hemerick of interest,” Helmerick said. “We are providing advocacy for both students.”

Cases that Helmerick and Johnson assist with include conflicts between students and their parents, medical situations or crisis situations.

An example of a case that Helmerick and Johnson would take on is a sexual assault case with a victim and an offender.

Both parties would be represented with two different student advocates handling the case.

Johnson said that Helmerick’s position entails more than just meeting with students in crisis situations; Helmerick manages projects that offer opportunities for student involvement.

A student project that the dean of students and the student advocacy and support manager are planning is a service learning project for either spring break or summer break. The project would give EWU students the opportunity to take on a service learning project while they are on their break.

“One of the things that I think is important for those who work on a lot of crisis and advocacy cases is to make sure that is not the only thing that we do,” Johnson said. “Having an opportunity to work with students in different facets of their higher education experience ... is tremendously rewarding.”

Johnson said that the student projects are still being planned out, but will be well-advertised once everything is in order.

Stacey Reece, the director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, said that students have come into the office asking for help because of hunger.

Emergency backpacks are given out to help students who are in need of basic food items, according to Reece.

The backpacks are only given out as a necessity for basic survival.

Reece sees students who are accused of breaking the student code of conduct.

Reece said that Helmerick’s new position is an additional enhancement to the Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity and will allow Helmerick to assist in cases that involve more than one person.

With cases of violation with the student code of conduct, Helmerick would advocate for the victim and give him or her support through that process.

“There is a lot of team work that goes on,” Helmerick said. “It gives us the leeway not to have that conflict of interest because we are here to advocate for all students, and sometimes that can be difficult when [there are] two students on the opposite sides of an issue.”

Helmerick’s office is in 320 Pence Union Building.

She moved to a different office near Reece and Johnson.

Helmerick said that she misses greeting and interacting with people who enter the suite, but the new-found privacy is ideal for handling student cases.

“I think it has made a big impact already because I feel like I have … been able to better manage a couple of really difficult student situations that we’ve had since the first of the year,” Helmerick said. “I am able to drop everything and focus on [advocacy].”

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EAGLE LIFE

page 7 april 10, 2013

When it rains, wear cowboy boots

Fashion tips for a cold season

By Haley Lewis

staff writer haleybug818@gmail.com

Blue skies and sunny days have hit Cheney and along with it are the fun trends of spring: bright colors, light airy fabrics, florals, prints, wedges, sandals and dresses, but students might want to face the reality of sporadic weather patterns in the Inland Northwest.

Two students have already taken notice of this reality.

“Spring is difficult to dress for because the weather here is so fluctuating,” said David Gelhaus, senior creative writing major. “I just take it day by day.”

“Spring is not my most favorite season,” said Margo Pecha, also a senior creative writing major. “It’s this

weird in-between stage. You never know here in Cheney what the weather will look like. I make sure what I’m wearing is easy to alter because the weather is pretty unpredictable. You have to be prepared.”

Of course it’s easy to dress when it is beautiful out, but what about days when it’s rainy, windy and cold?

Jenny Stabile, owner of Carousel, a vintage boutique in downtown Spokane, said a medium-weight coat such as burlap or canvas with an inside lining or lighter wool is a smart choice for a colder spring. An option she recommended was in the style of a lighter double-breasted peacoat with a belt or a trench style, the classic rainy day coat. Most trenches are coated with water repellent, which is beneficial, especially if it rains.

“A coat is what you see the most in the winter and

spring,” said Stabile. “Just because you have to stay warm, it doesn’t mean that the coat can’t be the star of the outfit.

A coat can be fashionable and still express your style.”

Stabile recommended students getting a coat in a colorful hue to add some punch to their wardrobe.

Grace Johnson, owner of resale store Fringe and Fray, also in downtown Spokane, said cowboy boots can be fun for the spring, especially if it is rainy, because they will keep students' feet warm and protected from getting wet. If students are not into cowboy boots, a classic pair of leather riding boots in any color may do the trick.

Johnson sprays all of her boots with water proofer, so that they are ready for any kind of weather.

On colder days, Johnson wears her boots with wool socks for added warmth.

“I [also] double layer tights, so I wear a thinner

pair under a thicker pair to stay warmer or I put a thicker pair under a sheer one with a pattern, so the color shows through.”

Pecha said rain boots do a lot to liven up an outfit.

They are available in many different colors and patterns.

Johnson recommended a really cute umbrella in place of the rain boots.

Gelhaus said layers are still a good idea in spring, just make sure they are lighter fabrics and lighter or brighter colors. Layers work well because they can be removed as it gets warmer.

If it is a little chilly out, Stabile recommended wearing an ankle-tapered pant, in jean or legging material, with a vintage sweater, turtle neck, cardigan or blazer for added warmth. She said to add flats to the ensemble to get the “Audrey Hepburn” look.

Fashion-page 9

Photo illustration by Haley Lewis Fringe and Fray owner Grace Johnson recommends cowboy boots for when it is rainy out. She sprays all her boots with waterproofer to protect them from the weather.

Creative writing professor becomes a 'Toor de force' Toor brings attitude to her class and her pen

By Kate Daniel

staff writer katedaniel89@gmail.com

Rachel Toor’s athletic frame and outspoken attitude are mirrored by the powerful way she chooses words, both when addressing her students and in her own writing.

Toor has had many professions including marathon runner, published author of three books, magazine columnist for publications including Glamour, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Journal of the American Medical Association and Running Times, assistant professor of creative writing at EWU and, most recently, author of an upcoming young adult fiction novel to be published by Farrar Straus and Giroux.

During a nonfiction writing workshop at EWU’s Riverpoint Campus, Toor discussed that which she knows best with a diverse group of 10 aspiring writers.

“Be greedy when you’re reading," Toor said. "It’s all about you."

The class has read Vivian Gornick’s “The Situation and the Story,” and the evening’s discussion revolved around the personal narrative.

Photo illustration by Anna Mills Rachel Toor, assistant professor in creative writing, reads while her dog, Helen, people watches.

Megan Hodges, a student in Toor’s nonfiction workshop, said she was scared the first time she met Toor until she learned they both shared an interest in running.

According to Hodges, Toor is

competitive and confident, bold, but not egotistical. While Toor speaks her mind, she does not hurt feelings because she has a soft heart, Hodges said.

Asa Bradley, a physics professor

at Spokane Falls Community College and a writer, was a graduate student under Toor’s advisement.

Bradley said Toor’s teaching style is “enthusiastic, and straightforward and honest,” and that she appre-

opinion

Ace your interview by playing a straight

By Davis Hill

staff reporter dhill.easterner@gmail.com

Spring is here. For many of us, that means graduation, celebration and the terror of confronting the real Hill world. Yes: unfortunately, it’s time to get prepared for those job and internship interviews.

The main difference between a job and an internship is that in a job the employer will pay you as little as is required by law, by which I mean minimum wage, whereas in an internship the employer will pay you as little as is required by law, by which I mean nothing.

Every employer is different, but there are general rules that will help you no matter the situation. Follow these tips and you’ll be OK: Don’t say that you need a job.

If you let slip that you “need” or “want” the job, you’ve given away valuable leverage. The employ-

m/TheEasterner

er should want you, rather than the other way around.

Always be willing to walk away if the offer isn’t good enough.

Of course, in the case of an internship, this doesn’t apply, since it’s already obvious that you’re desperate. You are going through a bunch of trouble in order to convince someone that they should allow you to work for them for free. You should offer to do anything the employer asks, including selling them your car.

Get the Cheetos and Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer stains out of your dress clothes before your interview.

Stories of your life as a slobby, poor student are funny and charming: actual, lapel-based proof is not.

Turn off embarrassing ringtones.

You will lose major points if your interviewer has to suffer, even for only a few seconds, the 8-bit funk version of ACDC’s “Back in Black” that serves as your ringtone. If you have the “Legend of Zelda” “puzzle-solved” ringtone, or anything relating to any “Super Mario” or “Sonic the Hedgehog” game, the

interviewer will probably just call security.

Don’t bring up “Game of Thrones.”

You’ll end up making fun of the wrong house – you never know where your employer’s sympathies lie. Of course, if they can’t take a joke about House Lannister, you probably don’t want to work for them anyway.

Use the word “meta” whenever possible.

There’s been a lot of research into the value of socalled power words, words that are so powerful and mysterious they just exude a mysterious sense of power.

“Meta” is the ultimate power word, because no matter what you think the word means, you’re always right.

Why list skills in a résumé when you could list metaskills in a meta-résumé for your meta-interview?

Have a professional online presence.

Be in control of your Facebook, Twitter and blogs; make sure employers can’t see what you don’t want them to see. Avoid off-color jokes and foul language.

Also, delete those rowdy bar photos. Rowdy lounge photos are much more in vogue.

Save your résumé and cover letter until the last minute.

Employers are looking for people who can work under pressure, and what pressure is more intense than the grim knowledge that, come June, you’re $30,000 in the hole, and your B.A. in psychology won’t be any help? If you wait until the last minute to do your application materials, employers will know, and they will be appreciative.

Your other option is to scorn our corporate, profitdriven society and just try to live as a part-time sandal maker who contributes to community magazines and plays guitar for $10 a night every weekend. That’s fine – just don’t sell yourself short.

You should be getting at least $12 a night, especially if you can sing and play at the same time.

If you do this, I have only two things to say to you: First, you’re probably a lazy, no-good, bleeding-heart artist-type who is soft on crime and wants to skate by without contributing to society; and second, call me, because I want in.

Views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of The Easterner.

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ciated the frank way Toor advised students.

“OK, this is crap. This is good.

This has to change,” Bradley said Toor said. “She’s very encouraging but never placates you. She doesn’t take crap from you, but at the same time makes you believe in yourself, makes you try for things that you wouldn’t have done on your own.”

This mixture of humor and honesty is equally exhibited in Toor’s writing. In an October 2009 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Toor contributed an article entitled “Fashion Lessons for Graduate Students” in which she outlines the similarities between the television reality series “Project Runway” and graduate school, particularly graduate advising and admissions.

Having worked in admissions for Duke University, Toor has already published one book on the subject, “Admissions Confidential: An Insider's Account of the Elite College Selection Process.”

In the article, Toor makes a detailed comparison between the two sprinkled with personal observations about the nature of the contestants, some of whom Toor describes as “insecure little freak[s].”

In her classes, Toor likes to use the catch phrase made famous by the Toor-page 9

FRESH.

FAST. TASTY.

FREAKY FAST

DELIVERY! ©2011 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

OPINION

page 8 april 10, 2013

Idaho legislature wants control of your television Lawmakers attempt to enforce their morals on the rest of us

By Kyle Harding

opinion editor easterner.opinion@gmail.com

If the content of a television show is offensive, should you turn the show off or turn to the federal government?

Idaho lawmakers seem to think the latter. On March 19, the state House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution, introduced by republican Darrell Bolz, to call on the Federal Harding Communication Commission “to resume enforcement of traditional American standards of decency.” Of course, enforcing traditional standards of decency means protecting us from “the implied portrayal or discussion of sexual intercourse on television when it pertains to unmarried persons. ...

Including jocular references to premarital sex, characters lying in bed together and characters disrobing or undressing.”

The offended parties are left with a few options. They can install v-chips on their TVs to make sure their kids don’t learn about the horrors of premarital sex. They can fill up their DVRs with old sitcoms from the TV Land network and yearn for the innocence of 1950s America when couples slept in separate beds on TV and all we had to fear was nuclear war. Or they can use their office to try to get a federal agency to exercise greater control over what Americans are watching.

Do they think the FCC is not power-mad enough as it is? This is an agency that levied over a half million dollars in fines because Justin Timberlake showed us less than a second’s worth of Janet Jackson’s nipple during the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII. This is an agency that, unhappy with having control over the airwaves, is attempting to seize control of the Internet. And Bolz wants to cede more authority to them because he takes offense to the content on television.

Why would a republican from one of the reddest of red states want to grant more power to a federal agency? Oh, right, religion.

It is not enough for some evangelical Christians to live by their religion. Every aspect of public life must actively promote their belief system. That is why they get angry when Google doesn’t do a doodle for their holidays. That is why they see laws against proselytizing in public schools as a persecution of their faith.

That is why they claim that marriage equality is nothing short of an attack on the American family. And that is why they cannot simply not watch a show they find offensive.

It is always cloaked in language heavy on words like traditional, values, children, family and decency, but it is really just a lowgrade temper tantrum directed at the notion that others do not share their moral code.

Bolz speaks of the importance of standing up for his morals. I agree. My morals include not trying to run other people’s lives.

Letter to the Editor

Distracted driving puts lives in danger I am writing to urge all of you fellow drivers to please be responsible and do not text or talk on the phone while you are driving. It is as dangerous and deadly as drinking and driving.

Last Tuesday, March 12, at around 7:45 a.m., I was driving with my 13-year-old daughter on highway 904 between Cheney and Four Lakes going north towards the freeway, when a car from the opposite direction swerved across the centerline and into my lane. In the split second my choices were to go head-on for a combined 90-plus miles of speed impact or drive off the road. With no room to maneuver, my instinct was to drive off the road to avoid the oncoming car. I drove off the road and my car rolled over a couple of times, totally destroyed.

To my disbelief, the car that caused the accident drove off without stopping. It is believed that the driver was either texting or talking on the

phone while driving.

I hope his or her conscience will help save his or her soul for the distress and burden that were added onto my families. It is criminal to run after causing such an accident. We are thankful for God's grace in giving us a second chance in life. My message to you all who sit behind the driving wheel is to please be responsible for your actions.

Think of your own parents, your siblings, your own children and your extended families who live around you.

Please pass this message on to all the EWU students and people you know who live or work in Cheney. Do not wait until it happens to you. Ask yourself; do you really need to reply to that text message or cell phone when you are driving?

Please drive safely.

Thank you!

Yabing Fisher

Through the Eagle’s Eye Do you ever find content you see on TV offensive? What do you consider to be an appropriate response?

Interviews by Kyle Harding. Photos by Aaron Malmoe.

“Things on television don't really offend me too much. ... People have the freedom to say what they want.”

“I'm not easily offended. ...

I'm really open-minded.”

Chris O'Bryant

Brian Andrews

“I guess I just don't watch that channel. ... I don't really get very offended. ”

“I don't really watch television that much.

Generally, what it is that I find offensive is finding bias everywhere.”

Desiree Steed

Aryk Anderson

Are you ever offended by content on TV? What do you do about it?

Let us know on Twitter @easterneronline

Greek life beyond the stereotypes Members are held to high standards and contribute to the community

By Katie Simpson

contributing writer katiemariesimpson@gmail.com

Most often when Greek life is mentioned, people rush to the conclusion that everyone associated is involved with the activities of a few.

The images representing the Greek community on television and in movies paint most situations in a negative light that holds a very different reality to the normal activities of collegiate Greeks.

The EWU Sorority and Fraternity life web page states, “Sorority and fraternity organizations are dedicated to building our future leaders. [They] are self-governing organizations that provide a wealth of leadership opportunities for their members.”

Each member of a Greek organization is exposed to a professional atmosphere with business connections through

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alumni, leadership opportunities through positions and various experiences in planning and executing events. An executive committee takes the role of running each chapter and students are the ones in charge of each committee and subcommittees.

Every chapter dedicates time and resources to supporting a philanthropic organization. The EWU Panhellenic sororities’ philanthropies include Autism Speaks, Arthritis Research and Education, Cardiac Care, Campfire USA and individual national organization foundations that support members.

According to the EWU Sorority and fraternity life page, “We believe, through involving ourselves in selfless service and placing emphasis on scholarship through academic excellence, men and women will be made better by being a part of our community.”

It is true that each chapter holds their members to a high standard of academics. Most have study hours and probations as a consequence if grades are not reached to the level required. Members are expected to maintain a specific GPA to remain an active member.

I have learned more from my experiences and goals made within my chapter organization than through my courses in regular university life. It is the level of expectation asked from each member that creates a higher standard separate from other non-Greek students.

There is nothing like a bond between siblings and sorority sisters or fraternity brothers. They become your family away from home. Of course when a large group of people are put together, it is easy for conflict to occasionally arise, but at the end of the day you remember your

rituals and how your sisters will always be there for you because that is the bond shared.

More lifelong friends have been made through my four years in the Greek system than I could have imagined. After never finding a place to belong, it was my chapter that helped me to realize my potential and supported me in my dreams.

It is hurtful when stereotypes are negatively directed at the people and values that mean so much to this community because of something a small handful of people took part in or an image from the media. Before judgment is placed, the judge should take the time to get to know members of the community and what they stand for.

College should teach us to experience new things and meet new people. You might just find the place where you belong.

THE EASTERNER

Serving the community since 1916 LETTERS Kyle Harding

opinion editor easterner.opinion@gmail.com

Requirements: -Letters should be 300 words or less, and typed or handwritten legibly.

-Include your full name, signature, telephone number and email address for verification.

-We reserve the right not to publish letters; furthermore, all letters are subject to editing.

-Letters must be received no later than Monday at 10 a.m. in order to be considered for publication the following Wednesday.

-If your letter is in response to a specific article, please list the title and date of the article.

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITORIAL POLICY

Kyle Harding, opinion editor Amy Meyer, editor-in-chief Christopher Stuck, managing editor Kurt Olson, chief copy editor Jaime Williams, online editor

We encourage the campus community to submit letters and opinion pieces that conform to the requirements listed above. Opinion articles and letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Easterner, its staff members or Eastern Washington University.

COMMUNITY

page 9 april 10, 2013

Police Beat

By Linsey Garrison

6:15 p.m.

Theft A student left his backpack in the PUB computer lab and when he returned the backpack was gone.

The bag was later recovered from a trash can with an iPad missing.

staff writer garrisonlinsey@gmail.com

March 25

Suspicious circumstances Evidence of trespassing was found in an underground custodial tunnel.

Chairs, foil and charcoal were found. There are no suspects at this time.

April 2

March 27

Vandalism The letters "W" and "A" were broken off of an Eastern Washington University sign near the corner of Elm Street and C Street.

The damage is estimated to be about $300.

March 28

3:05 a.m.

Agency assist EWU police assisted the Cheney Police Department with a report of people on the roof at Cheney Trading Company. Five people, two of them students, were removed from the roof. No arrests were made.

March 30

Agency assist EWU police assisted with a murder, suicide investigation at an apartment near

Illustration by Jasmine Kemp April 2 - Voyeurism 10 a.m.

A female student reported that while she was showering, she heard a noise outside the stall.

When she looked out, she discovered an unknown male attempting to spy on her. The male student was identified by his shoes and by a statement made by another student. He was arrested for voyeurism.

Mitchell’s grocery store.

An EWU officer held the scene until the Cheney Police Department arrived.

April 1

9:49 a.m.

Accident Two vehicles collided in lot

3. A student was about to enter an intersection but slammed on the breaks because he saw a police car coming the other direction.

The university vehicle behind him was not able to stop in time and damaged the other car’s bumper.

Aries Mar 21-Apr 19: Keep your opinions to yourself this week. They might get you into trouble with new classmates that you will later need for homework advice.

Taurus Apr 20-May 20: You’re too angry for peace.

Consider doing yoga on your own time to turn that frown upside down.

Gemini May 21-Jun 20: Just because Cheney had a few days of sunshine does not mean it is time to break out those Daisy Dukes. Less is not always more, especially in this case. Try actual pants.

Cancer Jun 21-Jul 22: You’re still feeling First Thursday and you can’t figure out why. Try putting down the bottle for a while and you might start to feel better.

Leo Jul 23-Aug 22: Spend more time with your dog. Animals are going to be more loyal than humans this week. You’d best believe it.

Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21: If you’re not worried about those little bumps on your body by now, reconsider getting that checked out.

Virgo Aug 23-Sep 22: You have a secret admirer in one of your classes and it's not the cute classmate you've been eyeing. Consider taking a self defense course or just carry a brick in the bottom of your bag for awhile. No one will question that.

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19: Reconsider your relationship status. Things have not been the usual sunshine and rainbows. It might be time to move onto that cute person in your morning class.

Libra Sep 23-Oct 22: If you insist on leaving your things in the URC lockers, lock it up. If you don’t, then you deserve to have your things stolen. Stupid.

Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21: It’s spring now and you’re beginning to regret not going through with your new year’s resolution of losing weight. There’s no better time like the present.

April 3

Theft A student reported that his or her bike seat had been stolen and had the brakes cut.

10 p.m.

False report A female reported that she

April 5

7:56 a.m.

Theft A student reported that his red and black genesis mountain bike had been stolen.

The chain lock had been cut when the bike was stolen from LA Hall. The bike is estimated to be worth $240.

8 p.m.

Vandalism Tagging was found on the back of the EWU surplus store. The marks were not gang related. There are no suspects at this time.

April 6

Possession The strong odor of marijuana was reported on the sixth floor of Morrison Hall.

Two male students were contacted and one was cited for possession of marijuana under 40 grams.

Tip of the Week: Double-check that personal belongings in the URC lockers are locked.

Toor:

Easterner Horoscopes

By Kristie Hsin and Linsey Garrison

12:50 p.m.

Theft A student left her purse and backpack in an unlocked locker at the URC. When she returned an hour later her wallet was missing. There are no suspects at this time.

10 a.m.

Voyeurism A female student in Dressler Hall reported that while she had been showering the previous night, she heard a noise outside the stall. When she looked out she discovered an unknown male attempting to spy on her as well as steal some of her clothing and towel. The male student was identified by the shoes he was wearing as well as a statement made by another student, and was arrested for voyeurism.

had been assaulted with a weapon in lot 12. Upon further investigation police found that she had made a false report.

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18: Stop leaving stove burners on.

Ain't nobody got time for that.

Pisces Feb 19-Mar 20: Unless you want to go through that frustrating moment when you’re looking over a homework assignment and wish you were paying more attention in class, start paying more attention in class.

Easterner horoscopes are for entertainment purposes only.

continued from page 7

adviser of the series, Tim Gunn: “Make it work.”

Within the last year, Toor has taken on what she calls an “exhilarating” new project: writing fiction. Toor said she was approached by editor Wes Adams at Farrar Straus and Giroux in the fall, and asked if she would consider writing a young adult fiction novel about a teenage girl who decides to begin running.

“I said ‘No,’ that, ‘I didn't write fiction and couldn't.’ He said, ‘Ridiculous.’ In February, I got a book deal and have now completed a draft of the novel. It's a big turning point in my career,” Toor said. “This books combines a lot of what I've explored in my three previous books: it's about college admissions, about loving pets -- one of the main characters is a rat named Walter -and about running. It's an obvious and natural next step, but it would never have occurred to me to do it. Wes [Adams] did what the best editors do. He gave me a vision of myself.”

“This is possibly the most exciting thing that has ever happened in the history of the world,” Toor said.

Photo by Anna Mills Rachel Toor walks her dog, Helen, around campus.

Flex: continued from page 4

Photos by Haley Lewis Colored necklaces and other colorful accessories can add a punch to any outfit during the spring season.

Fashion: continued from page 7

Johnson recommended wearing skirts, dresses with long-sleeves or dresses worn with a cardigan and lay-

5 NORTH

ered with tights. She said a leather or tweed jacket is also suited for rainy weather.

“After seeing so much black, brown and grey in the winter, spring is a great time to add color again,” said Johnson.

In addition to color, Johnson said a fun way to freshen up your wardrobe is to mix prints. Her tips on how to do this effectively are to make sure the prints are in the same color combination and to keep one print larger than the other so that they do not clash.

JULKA LAWRENCE

“Sometimes [students] put their ID cards too close to an electronic device,” Bettcher said.

“That will deactivate the encoding that is on the card and we just have to re-encode it. That will make the card be able to retain the privileges and be active.”

Bettcher also mentioned that sometimes the issue is that a student is not registered for the current quarter and that student’s card immediately stops working once a new quarter has begun.

Stolen cards or cards being lent out to friends are also common issues.

Bettcher said that cashiers are the ones who are mainly responsible for stopping the usage of others’ cards in case of stolen or improper usage of cards.

“Cashiers are asked to keep the card and turn it back into the business office,” Bettcher said. “Then we can go back and give good information back to the cardholder. It’s basically identity theft. If we learn that somebody is using someone else’s card, we will keep it and return it to the owner.”

Classifieds: The Easterner: Videographer •Educational emphasis in media arts, video production, mass communications or related field is preferred.

•Skills in creative development, scripting, lighting and shooting quality, editing and post production skills.

•Candidate should have previous experience in video production and be a good communicator, possess time management skills and possess relational skills that promote collaboration and teamwork.

Please submit a résumé in PDF format and attach a link to portfolio/work samples to easterner.online@ gmail.com by April 16.

Office of Global Initiatives Wednesday, April 10 from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m in the Pence Union Building MPR, the Office of Global Initiatives invites EWU faculty, staff and students to attend the annual Study Abroad Fair.

Guests will have the opportunity to interact with the past Study Abroad program participants and listen to their stories. At the fair, participants can learn about program options, including destinations overseas, international internships, study abroad scholarships and much more! This Global Spotlight event is brought to you by the Office of Global Initiatives. Persons with special needs may make arrangements for accommodations by calling Elena Axton at 509-359-6275.

SPORTS

page 10 april 10, 2013 Sports in brief: Redshirt junior Tevin McDonald, a former free safety from UCLA, is tranferring to Eastern.

McDonald started all 13 games for the Bruins and was third on the team with 79 tackles. In 2011, MacDonald tied the school record for interceptions in a game with three against Cal. According to Eagles head football coach Beau Baldwin, McDonald could be in Cheney as early as April 11 to practice with the team. McDonald was dismissed from the UCLA football team for violating team policy

Martinez

No. 1 doubles player and No. 2 singles player Eduardo Martinez will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated knee. Martinez suffered the injury during the No. 1 doubles match against Sacramento State, and the team was forced to forfiet the match.

"I felt like we really had some momentum and were playing tough, but that changed the match," head coach Darren Haworth said. Senior Kyle Koetje took over in the vacant No. 2 spot. Eastern lost the match, 5-2. No. 1 singles player Joseph Cohen continued his commanding play, winning his match, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6). Cohen is 11-3 for the season, including a perfect 6-0 in the Big Sky. The Eastern track and field team snagged four conference qualifying marks at the All-Idaho Cup on April 5 and 6. Jon Buchanan, Brad Wall and Cody Humphrey each hit qualifying marks in their second event.

Buchanan qualified in the shot put, Wall in the 200-meter and Humphrey in the discus. Morena Mannucci also hit a qualifying mark of 37-9 1/4 in the triple jump.

The 4x400 relay team, consisting of Wall, Kramer Green, Collin Green and Brad Michael won their event with a blistering time of 3:12.44, ranking fourth all-time at Eastern.

Upcoming: The men's tennis team is hosting Montana on April 12 at noon, followed by Portland State on April 13 at 2 p.m.

Both matches will be in the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse.

The women's tennis team hosts Montana State on April 12 at 5 p.m., followed by Seattle at 9 a.m. Both matches will be in the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse.

The track and field team will compete in the WAOR VI in Spokane on April 13.

Photo by Josh Friesen Winger Tanner Hoskins sprints down the sideline with Huskies in tow. His jaunt set up the Eagles' final score to give them the lead and ultimately the victory.

Rugby advances to championship

Eagles complete comeback against Huskies to earn trip to Seattle

By Josh Friesen

sports editor easterner.sports@gmail.com

The dismal weather was analogous to the hopes the Eagles had at prevailing during the closing minutes of their semifinal game against the Washington Huskies.

Then the sun came out, and Cameron Bowers scored a try, giving the men’s rugby club the lead. With the 19-15 win, the Eagles advanced to the Northwest Collegiate Rugby Conference Championship Game in Seattle.

The match started well for the Eagles as Justin Dreyer scored first to give his team a 5-0 edge. Forwards captain Eric Populous scored shortly after. Populous’ conversion attempt was good, which gave the Eagles a 12-0 advantage.

That was when Washington took the momentum as well as the lead.

After scoring themselves to make

the score 12-5, the Huskies mounted a strong goal-line stand to keep the Eagles from scoring a try to end the first half.

In the second half, the Eagles’ offense remained stagnant as the driving wind, rain and occasional hail made it difficult to move the ball efficiently.

“We couldn’t kick it, because if we kicked it’s going to go backwards,” first year head coach David Ratcliff said. “We had to run it out, and they knew that. So it was very hard for us to get out of our own zone.”

With about five minutes to go in the match, winger Tanner Hoskins caught a pitch from Populous and tore down the sideline, giving the Eagles one last shot at punching the ball in to score. After a scrum, Bowers delivered. “[Bowers] made a great play, and he scored right on the post,” Ratcliff said. “Then he got crushed by everyone on top of him.”

According to Populous, the team did not waver after Washington scored three consecutive times. After the Huskies’ third score, the Eagles huddled around each other.

“I just kind of let everyone know, ‘Look, we’ve practiced this every single day for practice. We’ve practiced goal line stands, we’ve practiced rucking for 45 minutes every practice,” Populous said. “I made a great break. ... Justin Dreyer was on my tail, came and made the break and scored.”

Washington rallied back to get close to scoring, but time expired.

“You kind of want to give in when they’re riding your line,” Ratcliff said. “You think, ‘Well they’re bound to score eventually.’ These guys never think that. They always think that they can keep fighting and they did.”

Ratcliff joked that letting Washington hold the lead so late in the game was part of the Eagles’ strategy.

“We planned to give them a lead and give them a full sense of security, and then we would come back and beat them right at the end,” Ratcliff said. “We’ve been planning it for a week.”

Next for the Eagles is the NCRC Championship Game on April 13 against Western Washington University, who has dominated the conference and handed Eastern a 44-12 loss on March 16. WWU is coming off a semifinal blowout win against Oregon, 58-10.

The victor of the championship game will go on to compete in the Sweet 16 of Nationals in Texas.

According to Populous, the team had not had much rugby knowledge before Ratcliff took over.

“We have a lot of athletes. We have a lot of heart. We don’t have a lot of rugby skill,” Populous said.

“He just hammered us into great rugby players.”

Padron yearns for chance in NFL QB invited to work out for Cowboys

By Peter Sowards

senior reporter packerfan4life@gmail.com

All Kyle Padron wants is an opportunity to prove himself — a chance to show he can play at the next level.

His opportunity will come sooner than expected after declaring himself eligible for the 2013 NFL draft, a surprise move to some who thought Padron would stay at EWU for his senior season in an attempt to improve his draft stock after an up-and-down junior season.

After transferring from Southern Methodist University, Padron was named the Eagles’ starting quarterback entering the 2012-2013 season and split time with redshirt freshman Vernon Adams. He tied an Eastern playoff record with six passing touchdowns in a dominant 5135 victory over Illinois State in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals, but was pulled near the end of the first half in a disappointing loss to Sam Houston State the next round.

Even though his junior season did not go exactly as planned, Padron feels the timing is right.

“I feel like if I just get a shot I can make a team,” he said. “That’s all I can ask for is to get that shot. I feel like now is the best time.”

The decision to turn pro was not made solely by Padron. After returning home to Texas for Christmas break, Kyle Padron sat down with his parents, Larry and Cindy Padron, and told them of his intentions.

Larry Padron, a financial planner and branch manager at Stifel Nicolaus in Dallas, said the decision hinged on Kyle Padron focusing on academics Photo by Aaron Malmoe if football did not work out. “He’s The 2012 NFL Draft is April 25 to 27 in New York City. Padron is hoping he is very close to graduating,” Larry Papicked by one of the 32 NFL teams. dron said.

“The bottom line is not everybody gets an opportunity [to play professional football] and if he does not succeed and get invited [to an NFL training camp] or drafted or what have you, then it’s time to go back to school and get his degree. That’s kind of the agreement we came to.”

Kyle Padron said his relationship with his mom and dad is based on honesty and not hearing what he wants to hear. “They’re going to shoot me straight whether they think I should stay or whether they think I should leave,” he said. “We went back and forth and really tried to figure out what would ultimately be best for me in the long run. We made a group effort to really try and make the right decision. I think we did.

“I’m very excited about what’s to come, whether I’m given a shot or not."

Kyle Padron trained at Athletes Performance, Inc., in Frisco, Texas — 30 minutes from his parents’ home and host of the FCS championship.

“We were supposed to be [there],” said Kyle Padron.

Luke Anderson, a teammate of Kyle Padron’s at Southlake Carroll High School and former defensive back at the University of Wyoming, commuted with Kyle Padron to and from the facilities six days per week and spoke highly of the quarterback’s talents and character.

“He’s a sleeper and teams don’t need to sleep on him — he’s a player.

I completely believe in him, and he’s been working his butt off every day.

He’s got intangibles that you can’t coach,” Anderson said.

At Eastern’s pro day on March 6, Kyle Padron worked out in front of scouts from 18 NFL teams, showing off his athleticism with a 4.78 second 40-yard dash.

Padron-Page 11

SPORTS

page 11 april 10, 2013

Women's tennis thrives on hope, drama

By Peter Sowards

senior reporter packerfan4life@gmail.com

A look at the results from the 2012-13 EWU women’s tennis season might lead one to believe that it has been a disappointing year, given the team’s 6-13 overall record.

For women’s interim head coach Dustin Hinson, however, there is reason for optimism. “It’d be one thing if I feel like they weren’t giving their effort all the time, or if we had attitude problems or something like that,” Hinson said. “They’ve been giving it their all the whole time, and that’s all I can ask for as a coach: working hard and giving their best.”

The Eagles have already surpassed their win total of four from last year, with three matches remaining.

Still having a chance to make the postseason tournament, Hinson enjoys the melodrama that a close finish brings. “If we can just play the way we’ve been playing, I think we’ll have a great chance against Montana State and Portland State,” he said. “And then we’ll just see what happens as far as making [the] conference [tournament]. I don’t know if that’ll quite be good enough. We might have to have a couple things go our way as far

Photo by Dylan Paulus Chrissy Uriarte has split time between the No. 2 and No. 3 positions for the team. Her record is 4-7 at No. 2 and 3-5 at No. 3.

as other teams, but we’ll do what we can to get ourselves there.

“It’s exciting to have it come down to a couple matches.”

After dropping its match 6-1 versus Montana on April 2, the team has 10 days off to regroup before taking on the Montana State on April 12.

Sophomore Chrissy Uriarte appreciates the time off after the rigors of tightly-

bunched matches. “I feel like my body’s going to fall apart, so it’s nice to have a good break,” she said.

Hinson made the decision to bring up Uriarte to No. 1 doubles on March 10, pairing her with fellow sophomore and No. 1 singles player Moira Hedberg. Uriarte and Hedberg have rewarded Hinson’s decision with wins in four of their last six matches. “I knew they’d

be a strong team, and we really wanted to be strong at No. 1 doubles,” Hinson said. “They’ve been great.

They’ve been getting a lot of wins. It’s been pretty seamless for sure. We practice a lot of different lineups during practice to kind of see what might work, and that’s definitely our strongest No. 1 [pairing].”

The duo played together for the majority of the 2011-12 season and feel

they work well together.

“As a partner I think we level each other out because I’m more calm, and she gets really pumped up,” Uriarte said. “It’s a good balance because she pumps me up too.”

“We balance each other out,” Hedberg said. “It’s a good mix because we don’t get each other too rattled when we play. If she seems too mellow, I’ll try to fire her up, and if I’m too fired

up, she’ll mellow me out.

We really play well together.”

Hinson views Hedberg as a pleasure to coach because of her intensity and will to win. “She’s got amazing abilities, but she’s one of those [players] that will just fight until the very end,” he said. “That’s what I like about her on the court: She just knows what she has to do, goes out there and she just fights.”

Alumna places 26th in world championship

By Kelly Manalo

staff writer manalo.kelly@gmail.com

Professional runner and Eagle alumna Mattie Suver ranked 26th in the 8 kilometer race for the 2013 World Cross Country Championships in Poland.

Suver represented Team USA in Poland, qualifying because she is among the top six in the nation in the 10K. “It’s surreal. You look down and see your red, white and blue jersey. I never really thought I would be there, looking back at high school. It was definitely an honor wearing the USA jersey,” said Suver.

The cross country courses in Europe are more rugged than in the US, according to Suver. “Over there, anything goes, through the mud, up giant hills, streams, snow, anything and everything, over barriers. It’s comical. It’s just a mess, but it was a lot of fun.”

Padron: continued from page 10

However, inclement weather did not allow him to throw to receivers as originally planned, and he was invited to his former school’s pro day in University Park, Texas, on March 27.

Kyle Padron said he threw “about 30 passes” to wide receivers and running backs, and he also received an invitation to “Dallas Day,” an invite-only workout for local prospective NFL draftees in front of Dallas Cowboys coaches and scouts, held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on April 10.

Kyle Padron’s collegiate career started off with enormous promise — he took over as SMU’s starting quarterback eight games into his freshman campaign and led the Mustangs to a 5-1 record and their first bowl game appearance in 25 years. He passed for a school-record 460 yards in a 45-10 win over Colin Kaepernick’s Nevada Wolfpack in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and was named the game’s most valuable player.

In 2010, Kyle Padron started all 14 games for SMU and broke five single-season school records, including total yards and touchdowns.

He was named All-Conference USA honorable mention and led the team to their second consecutive bowl game appearance, a 16-14 loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Suver came to Eastern as a freshman walk-on in 2005 and left as a national contender, according to distance coach Christopher Zeller.

Suver admits that in high school she was not a stand out at all. “Hard work pays off. You can do anything, really,” said Suver.

Suver only ran cross country her senior year of high school and the only Division I school that offered her a position was Eastern, according to Suver.

Each week Suver runs 85 to 90 miles.

“98 per week is my highest, I still haven’t gotten over 100 a week. I believe in quality over quantity,” said Suver.

At 1,500 meters, Suver’s personal best is 4 minutes, 25.04 seconds, 3,000 meter 9:17.49, 5,000 meter 16:02.48, 15,000 meter 50:30 and for the half marathon 73:14, according to the American Distance Project roster.

Suver is an incredibly hard worker and pays attention to all the little things,

After totaling 709 passing attempts in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Kyle Padron threw just four passes — with two interceptions — his junior year before being sent to the bench

by Mustangs’ head coach June Jones. Two games later, Kyle Padron suffered a season-ending injury during mop-up duty and didn’t see the field again at SMU. “It sucks, but it’s part of the game,” Kyle Padron said of his 2011 benching.

“I made a few mistakes and I understand that. It’s just frustrating more than anything. It’s frustrating going from playing every snap to not playing at all. It was a frustrating year but it happens in life, too. You’re going to have ups and downs and you just have to respond to them.”

Kyle Padron’s seasonending injury and the short shelf-life of quarterbacks factored into him and his family’s decision for Kyle Padron to turn pro. “We felt maybe the timing would be a good time for him to go now rather than risk further injury because in 2011 he did get hurt,” Larry Padron said.

In spite of mixed results with extreme highs, bottomless lows and not much in between, Kyle Padron just wants one team to take a gamble on him. “There’s 32 teams in the NFL, and if I’m blessed and fortunate enough to sign with one of them, then that’s all I can ask for — to be given a chance.”

according to Zeller. “Putting in a ton of mileage, eating the right foods, getting enough sleep, all of it,” said Zeller.

“I remember being at a meet at the Oregon relays and there were a handful of Olympians in the elite section of the 5,000 meters we were watching. [Suver ] and her teammate looked at me and said, ‘We want to look like that.’ And it was the next year and she was in the same race as those girls. It was cool to have her know where she wanted to be and see her get there.”

Spring 2008, Suver placed 13th at the NCAA Championships as a redshirt sophomore.

After graduating from Eastern in 2008, Suver was still eligible to continue running collegiately with the University of Oregon, while getting her master’s in exercise physiology.

“This is my first year doing crosscountry since college. It’s a different ex-

perience. This spring I’ll get on the track, focus on the 10K and hopefully get some good half marathons in,” said Suver.

The main events Suver trains for are the 10K to half marathon. As an Adidas sponsored athlete, Suver wears all Adidas gear and wears their jersey at all races. She is also sponsored by Boulder Running Company.

After placing third at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country meet in Scotland in January, Suver made it her goal to make the world team.

“My goal is to keep improving my own [personal records]. And having fun along the way, as long as I’m enjoying it.” Suver’s ultimate dream is to go to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Currently, Suver runs full time for the American Distance Project and is coached

by Scott Simmons. “I decided to focus on running and give that my all and see where I can go with that.”

Photo by Aaron Malmoe The 2012 NFL Draft is April 25 to 27 in New York City, NY. Padron is hoping he is picked by one of the 32 NFL teams.

SPORTS

page 12 april 10, 2013

Opinion

It's a good thing Kevin Ware had a health plan

By Melissa Williams

contributing writer easterner.sports@gmail.com

Photo by Dylan Paulus (Left to right ) Carl Combs, Dave Millet, Jeff Rahn, Jeff Corkill and Grant Smith prepare for their running club for Bloomsday.

EWU chases another Corporate Cup Eastern employees seek 16th straight Bloomsday honor despite rule change

By Amye Ellsworth

senior reporter amyeellsworth@gmail.com

Eastern employees have won the Bloomsday Corporate Cup for the past 15 years, but new rule changes this year could give them a run for their money.

Bloomsday, a 7.46 mile race around downtown Spokane, is held on the first Sunday in May. It was first held in 1977. English professor Grant Smith participated in the inaugural Bloomsday, and he has raced in each one since then.

Smith also started the first Corporate Cup team from Eastern in 1983. The first Bloomsday Corporate Cup race was held in 1982.

“If we had been entering, we could have gotten a lot more points [than the winners], but no one knew about the corporate cup competition,” Smith said. “I said I would fill out the paperwork next year, and we would run as a team. We smashed all the records in [1983].”

Smith and chemistry professor Jeff Corkill are two of

the members of that original scoring system just so they team. can stop us from winning, I “[Corkill] is our best runner think,” Corkill said. by far. Although he’s missed This year, runners will be a couple of Bloomsdays and scored only with the other he’s collapsed of heat stroke Corporate Cup competitwice, so I’ve scored the most tors, rather than with all of points,” Smith the Bloomssaid. day runners.

Part of the reason I Points are This could earned based give younger think we’ve done well upon a runcompetitors ner’s place in an advantage their respecis that you’re only because few tive age group. runners parFirst place running against the ticipate in the earns 1000 20 year old points.

Only people in your own age range at the top three the Corporate fastest runners age group.

Cup level, but on a team are many enter Jeff Corkill scored. EWU the race as a scored a perwhole. fect 3000 points One of the in 2004, setting most difficult a Corporate Cup record. They parts for the team so far has also set a record for lowest to- been securing a spot in the tal time in 1997, clocking in at competition. Only a limited 2 hours, 3 minutes and 14 sec- number of teams can particionds. pate in the Corporate Cup, so “Part of the reason I think EWU had to scramble to enwe’ve done well is that you’re sure their place. only running against the peo“In the past, it has filled ple in your own age group. up in a few days. Last year This year they’ve changed the it took 16 hours. Within

43 minutes, it closed [this year],” said IT specialist Carl Coombs.

Two years ago both Coombs and Corkill won their divisions. Coombs ran the course in exactly 41 minutes, and Corkill finished in 50 minutes and 59 seconds.

Although Coombs enjoys racing, his favorite part of Bloomsday is the Corporate Cup tent.

“The thing I like most is the Corporate Cup tent. After the race, Corporate Cup finishers can go and get free coffee, free drinks and free massages,” he said. “They take your gear at the start of the race and pack it in these big trucks, so they have your number and your bag at the end. You feel like you’re important.”

Smith views Bloomsday as a celebration of wellness and encourages everyone at any level to sign up and compete. The cost to participate is $17 before April 21 and $35 after. Interested participants can go to www.bloomsdayrun.org to sign up and get more information.

When you first become a Division I college athlete, before you get to open the box of new shoes, try on your XXL jersey that hangs to your knees or walk onto your new court in front of screaming fans, there is a very long process you go through. I call it signing your life away.

Essentially, you sign contract after contract, saying, “No, I will not do drugs. No, I will not gamble. No, I will not participate in underage drinking. No, I will not accept any bribes or extra benefits due to my athletic stance.” And finally, “I hereby acknowledge that if I get hurt playing the sport that I was brought here to participate in, I will not sue the school for putting me in a position to get hurt.”

If you want to play NCAA ball, you have to accept that things are going to happen. They do happen, commonly, not just to mediocre players, but to big time players. Unfortunately, these things also happen not just in games, but in practice, in the weight room and possibly just playing a pickup game.

If you saw the Louisville versus Duke game on March 31, you know where this is headed.

Kevin Ware, a Louisville player, flew at his opponent with the intention of blocking a 3-point shot. Ware vastly overshot the jump, and landed far behind his player, falling out of bounds. As he came down, landing with all his weight on his right foot, the lower half of his leg seemed to fold on itself. After a couple of seconds of confusion, the game was finally paused when Rick Pitino, Louisville’s head coach, as well as Ware’s teammates on the bench and on the court, stared in horror at the six inches of bone sticking out of Kevin’s shin.

Eastern Washington University athletic trainer Kacey Hoob added her two cents on Kevin Ware’s injury.

She has taken care of my torn MCL, plantar fasciitus and drop finger. Hoob mentioned something to me that I need to remind myself once in a while.

“Well, you have to think about how much you guys actually play,” Kacey said.“Every practice, every shoot around, every game, … think about all the times you play and you don’t get hurt. It’s humbling as an athletic trainer to watch all you do. Of course we expect you to get hurt, that’s what keeps me in business.”

Unfortunately, and hilariously at the same time, I have seen injuries from falling off a weights platform to rolling an ankle running lines. Said players will remain nameless, as it is already a little embarrassing to tell your trainer you need your ankle taped because you tripped over the line.

Kevin Ware’s horrific injury during his Elite Eight game just goes to show that these things do happen, and once an athlete signs that sacred oath to be a Division I player, acceptance of injury becomes part of the job.

Ware seems extremely positive about his recovery, and said, “Everything happens for a reason.”

I mentioned earlier the waivers you have to sign in order to compete in NCAA athletics. What I didn’t mention is that within these contracts it is made sure that the student athlete has medical insurance, and if not, he or she may be offered insurance through the school. Therefore, if an injury should occur, athletes are first covered by their personal medical insurance, and the school picks up the remainder of the bill.

Thank goodness for this little policy, otherwise I would have had to pay for one MRI and three X-rays in the last two years.

However when competing in the highest level, the NCAA tournament, athletes are covered even more.

The NCAA covers medical expenses up to $90,000, and up to $2,000,000 for vast disfigurement.

Ware was rushed to the hospital via ambulance and underwent surgery that placed a metal rod in his leg that can cost upwards of at least $5,000. He will not be expected to pay a thing.

When you really look at it, we athletes are grateful for these contracts, even if it seems like we are signing our lives away for four or five years. We are, in fact, signing up for an upgrade. Yes, practices are rough and can last up to three or four hours. Yes, the season is long, going from October to March, even April sometimes.

Yes, weights at six in the morning kick your butt. But the available rehab, the covered travel costs and the free food and cozy bed on the road are to die for.

Ware will not pay a dime for his extensive injury sustained while playing college basketball, and that’s the way it should be. Good thing he signed his paperwork.

Eagle golf getting into the spring swing of things

By Josh Friesen and Luke Jordan

for the easterner easterner.sports@gmail.com

Do not tell Eagles golf coach Brenda Howe she deserves all the praise for her team’s spring season turnaround; after all, she says, the players are the ones firing the low scores.

“I wish I could take credit,” Howe said.

“Golf is golf. There aren’t really X’s and O’s.

Basically, they just work their butts off in the winter and continue to swing the club.”

The team has flexed their muscles lately, placing eighth out of 21 schools on March 2 and 3 in The Lumberjack at Ocotillo. In the Jackrabbit Invitational on March 11 and 12, they placed second out of 13 schools, shooting a 306 in the second round, their best score this year. Their total score of 932 is the fourth-best 54-hole score in the Big Sky so far this spring.

These scores are in stark contrast to the numbers the Eagles were putting up in the

fall where their best outing was 10th out of 13 teams. They placed next to last in one other tournament and last in the other two. The Eagle women are beginning to click at just the right time.

Senior Jayme Carbon, who tied for seventh in the Jackrabbit Invitational, said that the progress the team has made can be contributed to the amount of practice being put in.

“We’ve done more short game this spring season for our practices,” Carbon said. “Everyone seems to be just peaking at the right time.”

According to Howe, the early spring-like weather has enabled the Eagles to practice outside on real courses rather than inside on putting greens and driving ranges.

“It’s kind of something new this year to travel early and shorten that winter to get us onto green grass,” Howe said.

This is Carbon’s fourth and final year at Eastern. Howe said that Carbon’s game has vastly improved since her time as a freshman.

“She was pretty new to the game as far as level of competitions or tournaments she’s played in,” Howe said. “Kudos to Jayme [Carbon] because she’s come a long way in four years, and so that’s been fun to watch.”

With the way freshman Marissa Borja has been playing so far this spring, it seems as though her freshman jitters have gone away.

In her first college tournament, the Oregon State Invitational on Sep. 17 and 18, Borja tied for 74th place with scores of 79, 83 and 81 in her three rounds.

In Borja’s most recent tournament, she shot a 75, 71 and 77, good for second place. “[Borja] had one of our lowest scoring averages [in the fall], but definitely didn’t play to her potential,” Howe said. [Now], she’s a little more relaxed. She knows how to manage herself around a course rather than just going out and hitting and taking what she can get.”

“I feel like I’ve found my groove,” Borja said. “Now I feel like I’m confident with everything.”

According to Borja, she has narrowed down on specific aspects of her game in order to make herself a more consistent golfer.

“I think I’ve been really practicing and focusing on improving my short game [because] that’s where I feel is the most important when I play,” she said.

Borja said that the team’s goal is to do well in the Big Sky Tournament, which takes place April 21 to 23 at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz. Fortunately, it is a course the women have seen twice already.

“Each time we play there it gives us another opportunity to prepare us for the conference [tournament],” Borja said.

Howe is excited for the opportunity to see the course again before the conference tournament. She thinks Borja and Carbon are on the verge of something special.

“The two of them I think if they can play to their potential the next few weeks, I think we could stand to do really well,” she said.

SPORTS Warner hurdles the competition

page 13 april 10, 2013

The track star has been lighting up arenas and stadiums since before he was an Eagle

By Elohino Theodore Photo Illustration by Aaron Malmoe staff writer theodoreelohino@gmail.com

Since high school, Steven Warner has had a tremendous work ethic; this work ethic has contributed to his success A proud alumnus of Kentwood High School, Warner juggled both football and track as a high school student. “I basically started running track seriously [during] my freshman [and] sophomore year[s] in high school,” Warner said.

“Before that, I was more [into] football. I was playing football since I was [around] seven,” Warner said.

Warner leaned more toward track and field because of the feeling of independence. “I’d leave one practice and go home and my dad was giving me more stuff to do for football. [For] track, I kind of was like venturing off on my own and getting to learn everything,” Warner said.

Warner has a passion for hurdling; he has stuck with it throughout high school and college. “I love hurdling, so that’s kind of the other thing too. I wake up and that’s one of the things I’m thinking about is how I can get my body right for practice,” Warner said.

In 2009, Warner won the WIAA 4A State Championships with a time of 14.23 seconds. He also reached state in the 300 meter hurdles during his sophomore and junior years of high school. As a freshman in college, Warner placed fifth in the 55 meter hurdles at the Big Sky Indoor Championships with a time of 7.65. He

also placed fifth in the 110 meter hurdles at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships with a season-best time of 14.60.

Warner ended up being selected for the winter and spring Big Sky All-Academic teams as a freshman. During his second year in college, Warner hit his best time of 8.40 twice at the UW Invitational and the Bronco Open for the 60 meter hurdles. He also placed fourth in the 60 meter hurdles at the Big Sky Indoor Championships with a time of 8.35.

After suffering a hamstring injury during most of his junior season, Warner won the 60 meter hurdles at the Big Sky Indoor Championships with a school record time of 8.07. He placed third in the Big Sky Outdoor Championships for the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.37.

He was selected to the spring Big Sky All-Academic team.

Now currently in his fourth year, Warner is still achieving success. On March 30 at the Al Manuel Invitational, he ran a time of 14.04, earning himself second place. This is now is the sixth fastest time in 110 hurdles in school history. “His

strength, his technique, his drive, his competitiveness will lend to probably breaking the school record,” head men’s track coach Stan Kerr said.

The school record that Warner is trying to break was a record set by Michael Dwyer 1998. Dwyer ran a time of 14.28 in the 110 meter hurdles. Warner is currently second in school history for the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.29 for the Outdoor Championships.

According to Kerr, Warner is hardworking and aware of his diet. Kerr’s view of success for a track athlete requires the ability to have good time management and to be aware of getting the right amounts of sleep and nutrition. The ultimate goal for

Kerr is to get Warner to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Championship.

Sprints and hurdle captain Brad Wall sees Warner as a motivated athlete ready to take on any challenge.

“He’s a competitive guy. He’s always one of those guys that want to be up there at the top of the conference,” Wall said.

According to Warner, the key to success is to focus on the fundamentals of hurdling and staying healthy. Being an exercise science major, Warner gets useful information that helps him become a better athlete.

Warner’s passion for track is very strong and there is no doubt that he enjoys being out there competing.

“It’s an individual sport with a team component. I love my teammates. I love being around other people who are performing at a high level,” Warner said.

To Warner, track is a lot like life and very crucial things happen. “[.1] of a second can be the difference between your season being over and you succeeding at the highest level.”

Eastern pole vaulters sail in the water

Eagles practice in the pool

By Amye Ellsworth

senior reporter amyeellsworth@gmail.com

The pole vaulters at Eastern practice indoors, outdoors and in the swimming pool.

The vaulters practice this way using a long pole that extends into the bottom of the pool. One teammate will sit on the diving board and hold the pole while the other dives into the water and simulates the process of pole vaulting.

Freshman Anandae Clark and senior Amber Troyer have conflicting opinions on the usefulness of using the pool for training. Clark likes the process because it allows her to slow down her movements and focus on her form. Troyer is less convinced, although she does think pole vaulting underwater is helpful for building muscle memory.

“It is helpful because you can think it through. But when you’re in the air, it’s not that slow, so I don’t know how well it transfers over.” Troyer said.

Both Troyer and Clark had difficult paths to becoming pole vaulters. Troyer remembers first wanting to pole vault while watching the Olympics with her family.

“I told my grandma that I was going to pole vault someday, and she told me that girls are not allowed to pole vault,” Troyer said. “Then I was really determined that I would try it.”

Troyer started pole vaulting her freshman year of high school, and she was determined to compete at a college level.

She contacted pole vault coach Eric Allison when she graduated high school, asking for a spot on the team. Allison told her she needed to improve on her heights, so Troyer went to the community college level

to compete. After bringing up her statistics, Allison offered Troyer a place on the team.

Troyer currently has the seventh best indoor and eighth best outdoor vaults at Eastern from her heights last season.

“I got in a car accident right before winter season, so I’ve been trying to get back into things. I’m feeling really good, so hopefully I’ll start improving.” Troyer said.

In contrast to Troyer, Clark was more reluctant to start pole vaulting.

“I did gymnastics all my life and I never really considered doing track at all,” she said.

It was her high school math teacher and pole vaulting coach that finally convinced her to try. She started her freshman year of high school and won state that year, but she said she initially did not like pole vaulting.

“I didn’t really like it. I was more into gymnastics, but I stuck with it into my sophomore year,” she said.

Between her sophomore and junior years, Clark got injured in gymnastics and had to take a break. When she went back to do some of her moves again, she realized she was being tentative because she did not want to her hurt herself before track season. Clark said that was the moment she decided to switch to pole vaulting.

Although it is only her freshman year, Clark has already proven her ability to compete at the college level by winning the Dusty Lane Invitational on March 16.

Clark and Troyer will next vault at the regional qualifiers in Las Vegas on April 12 through the 13.

“I try and bear in mind that I’m a freshman, but regionals is my ultimate goal.” Clark said.

Photos by Anna Mills Nick Stearns (top) lifts off. Robin Taylor (left) and Anandae Clark (right) ready themselves at the runway.

SPORTS

page 14 april 10, 2013

Football back in action for spring practice Playoff loss motivates team

By Peter Sowards

senior reporter packerfan4life@gmail.com

One image lingered in the mind of redshirt sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams during the offseason after a disappointing playoff loss.

“That game, Sam Houston State, 45-42. We just have unfinished business.”

That was the prevailing thought on the minds of coaches and players at EWU’s first spring football practice on April 4 at Roos Field. “We’re ready to finish some business from last year,” Adams said.

Coach Beau Baldwin said players are using the bitter taste left in their mouths as motivation for the season.

“There’s guys with that newspaper headline in their locker.

They remember it. It’s going to naturally drive competitive people,” Baldwin said.

Adams enters the spring as a clear-cut favorite for the quarterback job but does not view himself as having earned anything. “I don’t even look at it like that,” Adams said. “We still have two other quarterbacks [redshirt senior Anthony Vitto and redshirt freshman Jordan West]. I’m just coming out here to compete and try to win the job. I don’t want to come in here and have everybody say, ‘Oh, this is your job.’

I don’t think like that.”

Baldwin saw Adams grow immensely throughout the 2012 season. He flashed a sheepish grin when asked about the influx of running quarterbacks in the NFL and if it spurred his creative juices. “[Adams] is definitely someone that is just going to present problems,” Baldwin said. “No matter what you do, he’ll pres-

Photo by Aaron Malmoe Freshman quarterback Jordan West does some front and backwards stepping drills at spring practice while quarterbacks Anthony Vitto and Vernon Adams look on.

ent problems, even if it’s just a broken play.”

The wide receiver corps to which Adams will be throwing in practice underwent a makeover in the offseason with Brandon Kaufman declaring for the upcoming NFL draft and the departing of seniors Greg Herd and Nicholas Edwards. Replacing the “Big Three” are seniors Ashton Clark and Daniel Johnson, juniors Cory Mitchell, Nick Lenoue and Larren Wright Jr., sophomore Shaquille Hill and freshmen Cooper Kupp and Keylin Huddleston. Clark fin-

ished third on the 2012 roster with 49 catches for 650 yards, and Hill earned All-Big Sky Conference honorable mention for his return abilities.

“Whenever you have a position that you lose some guys that were substantial, it takes other positions to always kind of pick that group up,” Baldwin said.

The running back position looks to pick up some of the slack left by the vacating wide receivers, returning all of its seven backs. Senior Demetrius Bronson and juniors Mario Brown, Quincy Forte and Jor-

dan Talley have each started at least five games in their EWU careers and have combined for 2,473 rushing yards and 27 total touchdowns.

Defensively, Eastern gets back two All-Americans in linebacker Ronnie Hamlin and cornerback T.J. Lee, III, as well as Jordan Tonani, who earned freshman All-American honors. Tonani, a graduate of Ferris High School in Spokane, said he added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason in preparation of the spring practices. “We’re all just bigger, stronger [and] faster and ready

to get out here and play some spring football,” he said.

Tonani looks forward to a familiarity with the defense and being more comfortable in his safety position. “Coming in last year in the spring as a freshman, you really don’t know too much going on, especially when you redshirt,” Tonani said. “You don’t know too much about the defense — at least I didn’t. This is where you really pave it out and learn. Coming in already knowing what we’re doing is obviously a pretty big bonus.”

The Eagles have a total of

15 spring practices spread out over five weeks, including the Red-White spring game on April 27 sandwiched between scrimmages on April 20 and May 4.

EWU will play a 12game regular-season schedule for the first time in school history, but Baldwin believes that is of little importance. “Our expectation is we’re going to play more than 11 every year anyway, and that’s our thought process,” he said.

“We played 14 last year and 15 a couple years ago.”

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