The Easterner: Volume 101, Issue 29

asterner The_Easterner

The Easterner

@EasternerOnline

Eastern Washington University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

www.EasternerOnline.com

Volume 101, Issue 29

EWU opera students take the stage

Page 8 teit Bailey Mon

Diversity as art

h for The E

asterner

Bogs preps for NBA Draft Page 3

Mckenzie Ford for The Easterner

Page 13

Easterner Archives

2 | The Easterner Editor in Chief

Brandon Cline 509.359.6737 easterner.editor@ewu.edu

Managing Editor

Logan Stanley easterner.mngeditor@ewu.edu

Volume 101, Issue | May 2018 Volume 101, Issue 2929 | May 30,30, 2018 3 News | 6 Entertainment | 7 Police Beat | 8 A&E | 13 Sports

Easterner Asks:

Chief Copy Editor

Amanda Haworth easternercopy@gmail.com

News Editor

Josh Fletcher easterner.news@gmail.com

Sports Editor

John Collett, Grad student

Michael Brock easterner.sports@gmail.com

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

Multimedia Editor

Audrey Seda easterner.social@gmail.com

Art Director

McKenzie Small, Junior

Andrew Watson easterner.photo@gmail.com

Social Media Director

Richard Clark IV easterner.online@gmail.com

Copy Editor

Jeremy Burnham

Reporters

Sam Jackson Katherine Senechal Kaitlyn Engen Taylor Newquist

“Overall, we need to be accountable for our actions on social media or in real life or not online, wherever they are, social media is just an extension of ourselves and the world we live in now.”

“I think words matter, I think it’s important to show that words do have an impact on people and on society, and if we continue to condone talk like this, saying racially insensitive things like that, we perpetuate stereotypes.”

Walking

Kenzie Briggs, Freshman

Rachel Ballard, Junior

What are your thoughts on ABC’s decision to cancel ‘Roseanne’ following Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets?

“I don’t know, I don’t think anyone should get offended.

Like, you know what I mean? I don’t know, I don’t really think there is a problem, like she apologized.”

“I do think it was the right thing to do, because otherwise we are just continuing to condone it. With everything that’s going on today, it’s not a good thing to condone it.”

Kaley DeWeese, Freshman

Colton Kautz, Freshman

“Well I think since her intentions were ‘oh I was trying to be funny’ I think that if you’re dogging on someone else, attacking someone else in any sort of way, I don’t think that it can be really considered funny, no matter what the context is.”

“It doesn’t make sense that it would lead to that. I don’t see how those two things connected are racist. I don’t think something like that should cancel an entire T.V. show, just because it hurts someone’s feelings.”

Student Photo Corner

Junior Erik Rötness offered this photo for this week’s Student Photo Corner.

“This photo was taken underneath a highway in Richland, WA. I used to take long walks after work to clear my head. I’d end up someplace I’d never seen before and snap a photo. It was relaxing.”

Graphic Designer Gail Powers

Photographers Mckenzie Ford Bailey Monteith

Faculty Adviser Carleigh Hill chill26@ewu.edu

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

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

Corrections The Easterner never knowingly publishes inaccuracies. If any error is found, The Easterner is obligated to correct the error as soon as possible, regardless of the source of the error.

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

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

Submission Guidelines

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

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

All submissions must be received

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

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May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

News

McKenzie Ford for The Easterner Remijo C. Mendoza delivers his story “Tiefling” to the crowd in Hargreaves Hall Friday. A story slam is similar to a poetry slam where writers recount events from their lives that impacted who they are today.

Story slam gets snaps of approval Erica Bullock Contributor EWU’s multicultural center hosted the first ever story slam in Hargreaves Hall last Friday, surrounding the theme of identity.

A story slam is similar to a poetry slam, but instead of poems, volunteers perform short, original, true stories. Storytellers are judged on how well the story is told and the relevance of the theme. The top three winners won gift cards to the campus bookstore.

Sarahi L. Gutierrez won third place for her performance of “Accents are Sexy.” The story was based on her younger self coming to appreciate her bilingual upbringing.

Gutierrez said she used to make fun of her relatives who had a difficult time pronouncing English words clearly. She spoke of the heavy Spanish accents in her family and how they demonstrated the

struggles of assimilating to a new culture.

“Accents add a little spice, flavor, oomph,” Gutierrez said to the crowd.

Second place winner Remijo C. Mendoza performed “Tiefling” in black dress pants, a red dress shirt and vest with a matching set of horns protruding from his head. In the Dungeons and Dragons game, a Tiefling is a human with demonic ancestry.

Mendoza said that he told his story “for people who exist in the in-between space, people who don’t belong.”

He described how people feared spending any time with him because they worried that being around him would turn them into gay, devil worshippers. Mendoza also said that the pride center was not as accepting of him and his wiccan beliefs because of the ban on Ouija boards.

“She Woke,” told by first place winner Bianca M. Mejia, was a story about three

childhood friends who ended up falling apart because of race. As second graders, Mejia’s white friend Madison told her, “I can’t play or talk to black people,” referencing their mutual biracial friend China.

“I couldn’t understand what her being black had to do with us playing princesses,” Mejia said.

Madison then looked at Mejia and said, “Because you’re brown, and you play with her, I can’t play with you either,” Mejia said.

“Once she said that, it hit me hard, really hard, because this girl and her mother judged and assumed, me and China, based off of our physical appearances and not our actual character,” Mejia said.

The audience snapped their fingers in approval.

Mejia concluded her story with the realization that racism would affect the rest of her life.

“Before we could develop our identities as young girls, our identity was slapped on us like a package sticker. It was then I realized that life was never going to be the same and that sticker was never coming off.”

After the winners were announced, Mejia said, “It was nice to be able to finally share that, because I actually haven’t told a lot of people.”

Mejia has been trying to participate in activities that force her to overcome her shyness. “Why not?” she said. “It’s the first time that they’re doing this, why not show support and use this platform to get out of my comfort zone?”

The next story slam is not yet scheduled.

Having the courage to share her story is an experience Mejia said she won’t regret. “Being able to have the space created to where I’d feel open enough to tell it, it’s really nice. I’m happy,” Mejia said. •

4 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

News

ESL teacher to teach in Jordan over the summer Dr. Gina Petrie was selected by the State Department to analyze the English department at a Jordanian college Katherine Senechal Reporter Dr. Gina Petrie, EWU associate professor of English as a Second Language, has been chosen by a team at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan to teach over the summer in the country.

Petrie will be teaching and working in Jordan for a little less than two weeks with only two rest days, which she hopes to spend reconnecting with a group of Iraqi professors of English that was hosted at EWU in the summer of 2012 and to see Petra, an archaeological site in southern Jordan.

Petrie has been a lecturer for 13 years, since 1996, but took a four-year break to pursue a PhD. She strives to teach in a way that is specific to the students’ need instead of a generic lesson that is the same for every English learner.

A team at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, including the U.S. State Department’s Regional Officer and others from the

university participating in the project, conducted the interview for Petrie on April 24, 2017. She was informed that she was selected for the position on April 28 this year.

“I expected to be nervous during the interview but instead I thoroughly enjoyed talking about the project with the team and hated for the interview to end” Petrie said. “I was chosen for this assignment based on my experiences in and research on the teaching of English for Specific Purposes (ESP),” Though they based the selection on her experience with ESP, Petrie says most of her experience came from her global service and research in Nicaragua. Many people there learn English for a specific occupation, so the classes can’t be taught the same way a regular English class is structured.

The Amman Technical College has an English department that contains two ESP programs: English for Tourism and English for Hospitality.

“The assignment I was selected for will call for me to carry out a needs analysis of the programs and then respond with a report and any needed products like suggestions for curricular change, supplemental materials, mentoring for the instructors, etc.,” said Petrie. “So, my work in Nicaragua has prepared me for this assignment.”

Petrie gave a presentation on the teaching of English for Specific Purposes to English teachers at the national Nicaraguan TESOL conference in December 2014. The Regional English Language Officer for Central America attended the presentation and asked to meet with her afterwards.

She encouraged Petrie to apply for the specialist position and Petrie applied over winter break.

The program includes workshops, observations of classes and times for interviewing. Petrie will write a report upon her return and submit it to improve programs with the suggestions she

makes. This report is to be submitted within a month of her return.

“I love to see how an idea that works in one place with one group needs to change or be adapted in another context to be successful,” Petrie said of her impending trip and how she can improve teaching and English programs at EWU. The chance to grow and learn is an exciting factor for Petrie. She said the part she is most looking forward to in this trip is the chance to use her past experience and expand on it. •

Former EWU professor charged with welfare fraud Kaitlyn Engen Reporter Former EWU professor Rachel Dolezal, now Nkechi Amare Diallo after changing her name in 2016, was charged on May 22 with 1st degree theft by welfare fraud, perjury to the 2nd degree and false verification for public assistance, according to Spokane Superior Court documents.

Diallo’s criminal activity started soon after her dismissal from EWU. Diallo was a part-time EWU Africana Studies professor from 2010 to 2015.

She was also the president of the NAACP Spokane chapter from 2014 to 2015, and served on Spokane’s volunteer police-ombudsman commission.

Diallo lost all of her held positions in 2015 when she became nationally

exposed by her parents for her false identification as a black woman. Due to the widespread backlash and controversy she received, along with harassment and misconduct allegations, she voluntarily resigned from the NAACP, was voted off the police-ombudsman commission and was fired from EWU. Diallo continued to identify as black post-exposure. The New York Times followed up with her story in 2017, reporting her struggle to make a living and raise her two sons, ages fifteen and one.

Spokane County Superior Court records show that Diallo had first applied for welfare in July 2013, two years before her exposure. After losing her benefits from failing to submit paperwork, she reapplied in August 2015.

In March 2017, information was

reported to OFA Criminal Investigator Brad Borden that Diallo had published her book, “In Full Color,” to which she had received contract payments of up to $20,000. It was later revealed by investigator Jennie Stephens that Diallo held a business license and was selling art, soaps and handmade dolls.

None of Diallo’s self-employment was reported, stating her monthly income was $300 a month from friends and family.

Amid the suspicion, Diallo reported to the Department of Social and Health Services a “change of circumstance” saying she did a one-time job in October of 2017 worth $20,000.

As a result of her inaccurate reports, Diallo had allegedly received $8,847 in overpayment from Food and Childcare Assistance as recorded by her bank statements.

Spokane court documents stated that Diallo had been warned numerous times that her continuous false reporting could result in criminal prosecution.

Diallo is scheduled for an arraignment hearing at the Spokane County Superior Court on June 6. She is facing up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. •

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May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

News

Examining EWU’s smallest ethnic group on campus Erica Halbert Contributor In the rainy, dreary days of spring in Cheney, it’s hard to imagine a place more different than the warm, sandy beaches of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Yet 34 Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students call Cheney, and EWU, home.

Out of 11,473 students at EWU, 42 percent identify as a non-Caucasian ethnicity. By far, the smallest ethnic group on campus is the Hawaiian and Pacific Islander group, with only 34 total students as of 2017.

Grace Hendricks, one of the few Hawaiian students on campus, provided some insight as to why there are so few Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders on campus.

“There may be so little because, no offense, but Cheney is kinda country if you know what I mean,” Hendricks said.

“I think that a big reason for people in Hawaii or other Pacific Islanders leaving their home is because they want to experience something new. A packed city like Seattle would seem like it would attract people because it’s so different.”

Hendricks, a computer science major, began attending EWU in 2016. She came to Cheney from her hometown of Kaulia on the island of Oahu because she’d heard that Washington was very similar

to Hawaii in many ways, something she soon discovered wasn’t entirely true.

While Hendricks cites the weather and the food as being very different, the biggest difference she discovered was the lack of community.

“Because everyone lives in such close proximity with each other [on Oahu], you are kind of forced to get along despite your differences,” said Hendricks. “It kind of feels like a giant community, whereas here [at EWU] there are a lot of really nice people but everyone kinda has their own lives. People sometimes feel cold and not as willing to accept people who are different.”

Hendricks plans on returning to Hawaii to finish school after this year is finished.

“I came up here last year and had a really difficult time,” said Hendricks.

“I missed my family and kinda felt like an outsider because of how different everything is here. I guess it was a completely different culture and lifestyle that I wasn’t accustomed to.”

One significant problem Hendricks acknowledged on campus for Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students is a lack of information.

Pui-Yan Lam, a professor of sociology and associate dean at EWU, is doing her best to change that.

“I feel like there’s a lack of awareness

about the experiences of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders on campus and in the USA,” Lam said.

Both Lam and Hendricks acknowledged the need for better education about Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians on campus.

“It’s kinda crazy to me how little mainlanders know about our heritage and culture,” said Hendricks. “Especially as someone who has been asked silly questions about Hawaii that I honestly don’t mind answering, but because Hawaii is a part of the United States it should be known as more than just the place where Pearl Harbor happened. I even had my roommate last year tell me that if I didn’t like it in America then I should just go home to Hawaii, which was hilarious but also kinda horrifying.”

Currently, EWU hosts a handful of cultural and diversity classes. Students are required to take at least one to graduate.

These classes include African-American, Chicano, Latino, Indian, and AsianAmerican studies, but nothing exists for Hawaiian or Pacific Islander histories.

EWU even offers minors in cultural programs, such as African Studies.

“These [Hawaiian and Pacific Islander] students are here, but unfortunately we don’t have those programs for them,” Lam said.

In 2016, Lam organized EWU’s first Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a nationally recognized heritage month taking place in May. Many people are aware of Black History Month, both in America and on campus, Lam said, but not many people know about AAPI month.

“We hope that we might be able to bring Asian American and Pacific Islander students together,” said Lam, on why she organized AAPI month on campus. “Hopefully we’ll be able to reach out to new students.”

This year’s activities included a Luau at the beginning of the month, and a special Asian American and Pacific Islander graduation ceremony at the end of the month. •

Westside Church of Christ A Place for New Beginnings 13520 W 6th Ave Airway Heights Sunday Bible Class - 9:30 am Worship Service - 10:30 am College Age Class

Contacts: Jonathan Carpenter Youth Minister (EWU Grad) jonathan.carpenter93@gmail.com

Enrollment data courtesy of Eastern Washington University. Graphic created by Erica Halbert

Patrick Newbill Minister

psnewbill@yahoo.com 509-951-9316

6 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

EDITORS’ PICKS

Loose Change & Filler Text

Dear White People: The stories of students finding their identities Emily Bonsant Contributor Dear White People, the Netflix TV show, is brought to you by the same writer of the 2014 film and includes much of the previous cast.

This series focuses on black students at a predominantly white Ivy League school. It all starts when one of the school’s satire magazine tries to throw a black face party.

The Black Students Union and many other African American student organizations band together to make the student body aware of the racial issues on campus.

The anger that the students face is justified, but like most inexperienced youths, the retaliation that the students give is either too far or misdirected.

The Black student organizations try to go against racism on the campus in very different ways. Troy Fairbanks [Brandon P. Bell] sees the racism as the key to raise his platform for Student Body President.

Sam White [Logan Browning] has her “Dear White People” radio show. She comes on and rants about anything that has bothered her that day. It is empowering for other black students on campus that face similar microaggressions, but it doesn’t bring the campus together.

She wants to educate the white population on campus, but uses too much shock and awe. Sometimes her radio show divides the campus more.

Throughout the season Sam struggles with her own racial identity of being bi-racial. Reggie Green [Marque Richardson] is angry and feels like he is the only student pushing for equality.

He views himself as a freedom fighter of old and he desires more students to join him in the revolution.

Each episode is told by a different student’s point of view.

This allows the viewer to connect with each character as they navigate university and discovered their own identities.

Rated MA

Book: Trust Me, I’m Lying

by Ryan Holiday Holiday writes about the ways he manipulated the media to bolster his and his clients brands with the help of today’s media. The 24/7 cycle of journalism has made writers more susceptible to publish fake of misleading news since they are in a constant struggle to produce new, buzzworthy stories. Reading this gave me a new outlook on news and makes me question what the motives are behind stories. Are they to inform you relevant news, or inform or sell you something? Sometimes the reporters don’t even know.

(Josh Fletcher)

Television show: 13 Reasons Why 13 Reasons Why is a series based on the 2007 novel “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. Brian Yorkey adapted it for Netflix.

The series revolves around a high school student, Clay Jensen and his friend Hannah Baker. Hannah Baker takes her own life after suffering a series of demoralizing circumstances brought on by select individuals at her school. Two weeks later Jensen finds a mysterious box on Courtesy of IMDb his porch. The box contains cassette tapes recorded by Hannah before her suicide detailing the 13 reasons why she ended her life. If Jensen decides to listen to the recordings he will find out if and how he made the list. This tale is told through Jensen’s and Baker’s dual narratives.

Andrew Watson for The Easterner

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The Easterner | 7

May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

Police Beat

Illustration by Gail Powers for The Easterner

Josh Fletcher News Editor

Possession with the Intent to Deliver May 18 Around 9 p.m. at Morrison Hall, EWU PD received a call of a noise complaint.

They said the people were always loud and always smoking marijuana in the dorms. Police responded to the call and went to search the room. After getting a search warrant, they found marijuana, cocaine, scales and dab oil. Police arrested the person and their friend, whom was with them, for being minors in possession.

Assault May 22

Malicious Mischief May 22

Theft May 28

A female student was the victim of someone’s road rage near the Holiday Inn on Betz Road. The student told police the SUV cut her off around the hotel, so she backed away. After pulling into Lot 12 she noticed the car followed her in and started coming towards her. The SUV drove so close to her she said that it grazed her leg. The car then drove back toward the girl, stopped to yell at her, and grabbed the hat off of her head before driving away. The girl then chased after the car to try to take a picture of the license plate, which was a temporary plate. The SUV continued to drive in reverse towards her while she was trying to take the photo, causing her to miss a shot of the plate.

Police ask that if you know anything to contact them since this investigation is still ongoing.

A fight between three girls ended with a broken computer last Tuesday. The fight happened around Cedar Street and North 10th Avenue between the three girls. Witness accounts could not explain what the actual cause of the fight was. After the fight one of the females went into Morrison Hall with a bloody face. When a student asked if they were ok, the female responded with rage and threw their computer on the ground. No arrests were made by police.

A female student contacted police after she discovered her purse was stolen. She forgot that she left her window rolled down when she left her car near Morrison Hall, and when she returned her purse was gone.

8 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

A&E

Opera students flourish in the One Acts Opera Tania Núñez Contributor The stage was set with colorful lighting, a grand piano and a multitude of student performers for the first annual evening of the Opera One Acts that took place in the Recital Hall Friday, May 25.

The evening, which included an interpretation of Aesop’s Fables

by Ned Rorem, an entr’acte of songs by Ben Moore parodying opera singers and audiences, and Neil Weisensel’s “Gisela in Her Bathtub,” was a great opportunity for students in the opera department at EWU to partake in a more challenging performance.

“The first one is really difficult musically, so they’ve done a great job of rising to that challenge,” Dr. Abbigail Coté, the director of the opera program, said. “We’re trying to build and give as many students

the opportunity to perform as we possibly can.”

Unlike other past performances, the One Acts were much more modern and included a projector screen that displayed scenes the students had filmed beforehand as well as outrageous costumes.

Jillian McCord, a second-year masters student, emphasized the quirkiness of “Gisela in Her Bathtub,” in which Gisela is reading a romance novel in her bathtub while it is being played out onstage.

“It’s really funny and it’s even more comedic in our performance because […] Everything we have is either from the dollar store or donated,” McCord said. “So we have these plastic Viking hats, but […] it just works because it’s so funny.”

This is the first year that Coté is serving as the director of the opera program and she’s brought a fresh change for students in the department.

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner EWU’s opera department partakes in “Gisela in Her Bathtub.” All the props used in this performance were either from the dollar store or donated. “[Opera] is the kind of music that I’d like to perform when I’m older,” Junior Braden House said. “I also really enjoy it because of Coté and the […] varying style of music that we do.”

Freshman Ben Fischer cited Coté as a reason for his decision to join the opera program.

“I wasn’t in the opera program fall quarter,” Fischer said. “I saw their production and that, paired with how much I really appreciate Dr. Coté, I was just like I

want to be in there and I want to do things like that.”

In past years, the opera department only put on one production per year, but now students perform three opera acts every year. This gives students an opportunity to grow as performers.

“We [want to] make sure, […] especially with our performance majors, that they have work on their resumé, so they can go out and audition or go to grad school,” Coté said.

While students in the opera department continue flourishing, performances like the One Acts give the community a chance to witness that growth.

“I would encourage people to come watch what we’re doing because it’s going to get better every single time,” said McCord. “Dr. Coté has a lot of great ideas and […] we would appreciate the support.” •

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Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Second-year masters student Jilian McCord performing at the One Acts. The One Acts included a projector with scenes students filmed beforehand.

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The Easterner | 9

May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

A&E

Anybody can be a princess

EWU junior spreads message of confidence to disabled young girls through pageantry Kaitlyn Engen Reporter EWU junior Sami Schubert leads a double life. In one, she is an everyday college student.

In the other, she is a pageant princess. Through her program, Miss Exceptional Pageant, she seeks to help make other girls princesses too.

The Miss Exceptional Pageant is a nonprofit pageant created to give disabled girls the opportunity to engage in the lifestyle Schubert leads as a pageant princess herself.

Schubert currently holds the title of Miss Eastside. In June, she will be competing against other local title holders for the Miss Washington crown. She points to early inspirations that led her into pageantry and creating the Miss Exceptional Pageant, one of them being her disabled brother.

“I have over 4,000 volunteer hours, and I have raised over $20,000 for local nonprofits, and a lot of that stems from my brother,” Schubert said. “He has autism and a form of muscular dystrophy known as CharcotMarie-Tooth-Disease.”

On a family trip to seek out physical therapy for her brother when she was seven years old, Schubert recalled, a receptionist for a children’s therapy unit asked her if she wanted to meet princesses.

“We went to a back room, and it was actually a bunch of Miss Washington title holders,” Schubert said. “They completely inspired me to get into volunteerism and pageantry […] and I’ve been mentored by those girls even today.”

Schubert’s experiences with her brother led her to pursue a degree in Children’s Studies, supplementing her passion for disabled children.

Photo courtesy of Samantha Schubert EWU junior Sami Schubert gives confidence to disabled young girls through her Miss Exceptional Pageant. Miss Exceptional Pageant was founded by Schubert and made its debut in 2015.

She said she would love to work at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma post-graduation.

Schubert took her passions further. In 2015, she sought out the Exceptional Families Network, a nonprofit organization for children with special needs located in Lakewood. With the organization’s help, she was able to create the Miss Exceptional Pageant.

“I realized that girls who are disabled usually lack confidence, and I wanted to help girls gain that confidence,” Schubert said.

For three consecutive years,

the Miss Exceptional Pageant has been a chance for young girls to express themselves in ways their disabilities might have suggested they could not accomplish.

The current Miss Exceptional Junior Queen is one who broke the barrier of self-esteem caused by her disability. A girl with downsyndrome showed up on stage at her third year competing in the Miss Exceptional Pageant with an essay-long introduction for her large audience, when girls usually only share a sentence or two, according to Schubert.

“She’s done this pageant every single year, and the first year she didn’t even talk in the microphone,” said Schubert. “And this third year, she competed, and she won, and was able to talk in front of a huge audience. That’s a story I particularly love because I saw her grow, and how much confidence she gained from only doing it three years.”

The next Miss Exceptional Pageant will be held on Sept.

22 in Tacoma. Schubert hopes to expand the Miss Exceptional program by eventually bringing it

to every state in the country.

Until then, local girls between the ages of five and 21 are being impacted by messages of innerworth and self-expression that Schubert brings.

“I live by confidence and being myself,” said Schubert. “Miss Exceptional is all about being confident, and with this program, I am able to live what I preach, and tell these girls it’s ok to be disabled, it’s ok to feel different, because you are, but that’s not a bad thing.” •

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Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

A&E

Planned Parenthood Club seeks better access to sexual health products Sam Jackson Reporter The Planned Parenthood Generation Action club and its coalition partners worked hard throughout the school year to pursue its mission of reproductive justice on campus.

One way they have achieved that goal is by getting administration to agree to a vending machine in the PUB next year that provides emergency contraceptives and other sexual health products.

As soon as members in the club established this campaign, they decided to conduct field work by going to drugstores around Cheney and checking the prices of emergency contraceptives. What they found was that prices were higher than what emergency contraceptives are sold for online, at about $15. According to McKenzie Small and Jordan Stevenson, copresidents of the club, they found

that Safeway sold Plan B for about $55, Bi-Mart for $35 and OWL Pharmacy in between those amounts. They also found that all of the stores sold emergency contraceptives from behind the counter, which is a standard practice in Washington state.

Legally, however, contraceptives do not have to be sold from behind the counter because it’s not a prescription medication.

“In these stores in Cheney these things are kept behind the counter, so limiting access, and not all of these drug stores were open hours of a normal college student,” Small said. “Often times the reason you need Plan B is because you wake up the next morning and you are not sure protection-wise [...] and we were just finding that Cheney wasn’t conducive to that. So, we saw this issue and we decided ‘hey, this might be our campaign for the year.’ So the idea behind getting these emergency

contraceptives on campus was to get a vending machine.”

EWU will be the first campus in Washington state to have a vending machine that offers emergency contraceptives.

Initially, Washington State Pharmacy Association policy stated that you could not dispense emergency contraceptive products in vending machines.

“We worked with campus partners, and I think the Health and Wellness department really took it on as something to look for and to work on, and they actually helped us to get the rule changed,” Stevenson said.

“So, the Washington State Pharmacy Association changed the rule. It really began with us collecting signatures, so that administration knew that this was something really important to us.”

Details including where in the PUB the vending machine will be located and what other products

that will be offered in the vending machine are still being decided.

One of the other campaigns that the club is working on is about sexual health reproductive products. The vending machine that was ordered has room for five products, though certainly including emergency contraceptives.

To include anyone’s opinion on what else should be offered in the vending machine, a survey is available at bit.ly/EWUsex or on the Generation Action: EWU facebook page.

“If there is demand for things, they should become available at the end of the day,” Stevenson said.

The Planned Parenthood Generation Action club is a chapter of a national organization of clubs in campuses all over the country that do political activist work as well as outreach and engagement. The club is essentially a project of the Planned Parenthood Federation

of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

“One of the things that Planned Parenthood Generation Action campus chapters do all over the country is not just awareness or condom tabling,” said Stevenson.

“It’s also just really activating young people and getting them to understand their political power, and understand they can utilize all of these different tactics and strategies to organize to create change in their communities.”

The club currently consists of four members and they invite students to get integrated and involved.

“We figure if we have more people that are close with one another, working together regularly, then that’s a great way to continue the club,” said Small. “Not everything has to be about a campaign. It can be about getting people together that are like-minded or getting behind similar views and just hanging out.” •

Turn the Volume up and rock out at Spokane’s annual music festival Kelsey Magnuson Contributor With 80 local and touring bands participating in The Inlander’s growing Volume Music Festival, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this weekend in Spokane.

Volume began in 2010 as a one-night event at the Knitting Factory featuring The Inlander’s favorite local bands. Since then it’s grown into a two-night festival that takes place at venues all over downtown Spokane.

The Inlander makes it easy for everyone to enjoy the Pacific Northwest’s music scene by selling weekend passes for just $25 in advance and providing a free party bus to shuttle attendees to the nine participating venues.

“Volume is a labor of love, an enterprise that isn’t designed to make a ton of money but something

we think is incredibly valuable to the community—to musicians, artists, creative types and those who want to see downtown Spokane as a vibrant, welcoming, creative cultural destination,” Inlander editor Jacob Fries said in an interview with The Easterner. “It was a gap we saw at The Inlander and thought we had to be the ones to fill in, to help a variety of business, music talent buyers and venues collaborate in a once-a-year festival in the heart of the city.”

Local band Donna Donna dropped their first album this year and will be participating in the festival.

“I think that Volume helps the local music scene by giving new local bands an opportunity to feel what a festival is all about, and also giving them that resume piece, so that they might be able to apply for other festivals around town and beyond,” Cherri Woith, drummer of the duo that makes up the rock band, said.

Donna Donna will play at the Red Room Lounge at 9:15 p.m.

Friday night.

“It’s my favorite live music room in Spokane and I get to share the stage with some of my favorite local bands,” said Woith. “It’s just gonna be a big party! I’m so excited and honored to be part of that lineup.”

Karli Ingersoll, owner of the allages venue The Bartlett and a local musician and print design artist, has been involved with Volume since its early beginnings.

“It’s been one of those events since it started that has increased excitement for local bands,” Ingersoll said. “I’ve been able to be involved every year and it’s really about community. It’s really fun downtown. It has great energy.”

Ingersoll saw the need to incorporate visual art into this year’s festival, and took action, asking local artists to design band

posters for Volume.

“It was a thing I had an idea for and asked if we could implement it.

There’s about 43 designers and 45 poster designs.”

The art show will be up for the month of June at The Bartlett, and proceeds from sales of the posters will benefit the Songs for Kids Foundation which brings live music into Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

Ingersoll offered some advice for attendees.

“Check out the schedule and see what kind of music you’re drawn to and at least check out a couple venues,” said Ingersoll. “Be open to seeing something new and different. It’s not really an age-specific thing. There’s really something for everyone.”

Local musician Garrett Zanol of two-piece fuzz rock band Indian Goat said, “it’s rad to see Spokane

getting together for music. I’m looking forward to the vast array of music all in two days.”

Indian Goat will play at the Red Room Lounge Friday at 11 p.m.

The festival begins Friday at 5 p.m. at the Washington Cracker building and goes through Saturday night.

Day passes are $20 at the festival, while weekend passes are $25 in advance and $35 at the festival.

Many of the venues are all ages, and sets will last 30-45 minutes.

“If you haven’t experienced Volume, you don’t know how cool Spokane can be,” said Fries. “Don’t worry if you’re a more casual music fan. Volume is for you, too. The principle of discovery, of exploring new music, new genres, new corners of downtown is at the heart of the festival.” •

The Easterner | 11

May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

A&E

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner An exhibit at the Cheney Historical Museum. The museum highlights Cheney and the surrounding areas including Marshall, Tyler, Amber and Four Lakes.

Museum seeks to preserve Cheney’s historical values Sam Jackson Reporter The Cheney Historical Museum is continuing to evolve as the town of Cheney becomes more transient while maintaining its historical values.

The museum was started by the Tilicum club, a social and service organization formed by a group of women established in 1903. The organization would host pioneer teas once a year with the original pioneers, while another group of women called the Civil War Veteran Organization gave some of their items to hold onto as Civil War veterans were dying out.

The Tilicum club would take the combined artifacts and show them to schools. Over time, the collection grew into the museum that resides in downtown Cheney today.

Over the years the museum has been in a number of different locations around Cheney. Joan Mamanakis, co-director of the museum, is a Cheney local who has been volunteering with the museum for about 13 years.

Mamanakis believes the current location of the museum is “the best location it’s ever been in.” Before this location, the museum was in the Wren Pierson building until a natural disaster forced the museum to relocate.

“The building at Wren Pierson [...] looked a little different than it does now, but we had a really big snow year in 2008 and the roof collapsed,” Mamanakis said.

“All of that coming down caused some fractures in the building and they thought the building might collapse. They evacuated everyone out the building and we went into

storage. We said, ‘oh this would be terrible for all of the old artifacts to be in a unheated storage unit’ so we desperately were looking around.”

The museum highlights Cheney and the surrounding areas including Marshall, Tyler, Amber and Four Lakes. These were all fully functioning towns before the evolution of transportation, with their own schools, hotels and businesses. During that time Cheney was essentially the hub.

All of the artifacts within the museum are donated by the families who have lived in Cheney.

For a long time the museum served as place for people who knew the history or who had family members in the town. Since Cheney has changed, the museum had to change with it and adapt to a community that isn’t as familiar with the history of the town.

“That’s been one of the evolutions for me is kind of recognizing that with a population turnover, that I am speaking to a different audience,” Mamanakis said. “I mean there’s still people that come to visit and their families were here or are still living here, and there are certain things in the museum that we don’t switch out because the families come out and they want to see those objects again.”

The museum runs completely on volunteer power and Mamanakis describes the current state of volunteership as “a little scary” because sometimes there aren’t enough for them to be sure whether they have enough volunteer power to keep the doors open or not. The ideal amount of volunteers the museum could use is about 30 to 35 people, so that volunteers would only have to participate about once a month.

“You don’t need to know a whole lot about history,” Mamanakis said.

“It’s mostly saying hello to people and talking to them, and if kids come in then showing them how the phonograph works. Also, you’ve got a whole museum to learn about history if you are interested.”

The museum is open from May through September on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. From October through April, it is open on just Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If anyone would like to request to see the museum during off times, they are welcome to call and schedule a showing. The museum operates entirely through donations, and donations can be made on the Cheney Historical Museum website or at the museum.

•

12 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

Events

AAPI Graduation Ceremony

Photo courtesy of IMDb

What is it:. All undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander and are graduating during spring or summer 2018 are invited to attend the first AAPI Graduation Ceremony hosted by EWU. When: Thurday, May 31 Time: 6 - 8 p.m.

Where: Monroe Hall 205 Cost: Free.

Photo courtesy of Eagle Entertainment

Incredibles Draw-Off

Photo courtesy of IMDb

What is it: The final draw-off of the year. Basic art supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. Best drawing will win an incredible prize.

When: Thursday, May 31 Time: 5 - 7 p.m.

Where: Cheney Hall 206 Cost: Free.

Photo courtesy of IMDb

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

The Blitz

Late Night Movie

Swoopalooza

What is it: 100 foot waterslide will be on Roos Field.

When: Wednesday, May 30 Time: 3 - 5 p.m.

Where: Roos Field Cost: Free.

What is it: Black Panther movie showing.

When: Thursday, May 31 Time: 9 p.m.

Where: Martin Hall 158 Cost: Free.

What is it: Music festival featuring performances

by Frank Ray, Icarus Account and Night Argent.

When: Friday, June 1 Time: noon - 4 p.m.

Where: Roos Field Cost: Free with EWU ID. $6.50 for an all-access food pass.

The Easterner | 13

May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

Sports

Bliznyuk continues NBA Draft preparation Michael Brock Sports Editor After capping off a recordbreaking EWU career by being named the 2018 Big Sky Conference MVP, senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk has been working tirelessly to fulfill his dream of playing professional basketball.

Bliznyuk took another step forward in that quest on May 24, when he took part in a pre-NBA Draft workout session for the Detroit Pistons.

“It’s a great opportunity for him,” EWU head coach Shantay Legans told The Easterner in a phone interview. “I’m really excited for him. He deserves it, because he’s worked his butt off to get to this point.”

The Pistons, who had five other players in to train on the same day, currently have the 42nd pick. The draft takes place on June 21 in Brooklyn.

Bliznyuk is currently with his agency in Los Angeles working on his game and preparing for more pre-draft sessions. Legans isn’t certain of the total amount, but said that his star player will have “a lot more [workouts] coming up” in the next few weeks.

“He’s just going to be getting ready,” said Legans. “Going to be working out with NBA players, and working out for professional teams.”

Bliznyuk is trying to follow in the footsteps of former Eagle Jacob Wiley, who went undrafted last summer but signed a two-way contract with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Wiley played for the Nets in Summer League, before playing in five games for the Nets and 16 for their G League affiliate.

Bliznyuk is hoping to take part in Summer League either for a team that drafts him or

Photo courtesy of EWU Athletics Senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk sizes up the Northern Arizona defense on March 3. Bliznyuk, who was named the 2018 Big Sky Conference MVP, recently conducted a pre-draft workout for the Detroit Pistons. one that picks up his rights.

Summer League takes place from July 6-17 in Las Vegas.

Prior to working out for the Pistons, Bliznyuk became the first EWU men’s basketball player to be selected to the Reese’s College All-Star game.

The contest, which was played on March 30 at the Final Four in San Antonio, features the best seniors in NCAA Division I. Bliznyuk had 11 points, three rebounds and two steals as his West team won 98–94.

The Big Sky Conference’s all-time leading scorer was also selected to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (from

April 11-14 in Virginia), where he averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field.

“He’s got all the talent in the world,” said Legans. “I’m just looking forward to him getting out there and showing exactly what he can do. Because he’s good enough to play in the NBA.” •

14 | The Easterner

Volume 101, Issue 29 | May 30, 2018

Sports

Photo courtesy of EWU Athletics Senior Paula Gil-Echevarria competes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Big Sky Championships on May 10. On May 25, Gil-Echevarria placed 27th in the event at the NCAA West Preliminaries.

Eags’ outdoor campaign ends in Sacramento Taylor Newquist Reporter The EWU outdoor track and field season concluded last weekend at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, after all seven competing Eagles placed outside of the top 12 that was required to qualify for the NCAA Championships on June 6-9.

Senior Jeremy VanAssche placed 18th in the preliminary round at 10.37 seconds on May 24, which qualified him for the quarterfinals of the men’s 100-meter dash.

VanAssche went on to place No. 22 overall the following day, finishing in 10.58 seconds.

“Jeremy was part of an amazing display of speed today,” men’s head coach Stan Kerr said. “His performance is the result of hard work and an effort from start to finish that shows why he is an elite sprinter.”

All six Eagles competing in a single event surpassed or matched their premeet seeding. Junior Parker Bowden finished No. 28 in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.34 seconds. He missed the top 24 and final heat by .09 seconds, after he entered the meet ranked No. 46.

“Parker and Jeremy have given us a year to remember,” said Kerr. “Their work ethic in the weight room, at practice and in competition is a great testimony to their

character. While this season draws to a close, it’s a thrill knowing all three of our regional guys return to next year’s squad.”

Junior Madison Doepker came in ranked No. 48 in the javelin — a late add due other athletes not being able to compete. Doepker finished in 28th place with a throw of 143-5 feet.

“As a last-minute NCAA add, Madison Doepker made the most of her first regional championship meet,” women’s head coach Marcia Mecklenburg said. “It was a good end to her season.”

Three seniors on the women’s team ended their Eagle careers on a high note. Kari Hamilton ran a personal record in the 10,000

meters at 32:09.85 minutes, and finished No. 27 – the same as her pre-meet seeding.

“Kari ran an amazing final race of her collegiate career,” said Mecklenburg.

“She ran a 13-second personal record in one of the fastest ever West Regional 10,000 races. She did EWU proud and I couldn’t be more happy for her.”

Senior Erin Clark earned the highest finish of any Eagle, taking 21st in the pole vault at 12-10 3/4 feet. Clark bounced back in her final meet, after she failed to complete a vault at the Big Sky Championships on May 11.

“Erin Clark gave it her best and came up one vault short of making it to the

The Easterner | 15

May 30, 2018 | Volume 101, Issue 29

Sports

Photo courtesy of EWU Athletics Junior Madison Doepker competes in the javelin at the Pelluer Invitational on April 14. On May 24, Doepker placed 28th in the event at the NCAA West Preliminaries in Sacramento.

championships,” said Mecklenburg. “She had an amazing career at Eastern starting as a walk-on and developing into a national class vaulter. Her final collegiate competition was a good one but a bit bittersweet because we will miss her.”

Senior Paula Gil-Echevarria ran a PR in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at 10:16.73 seconds. She finished 27th, moving up from her No. 37 seeding, and moved up to No. 3 on EWU’s all-time list.

“Paula’s race was a great way to put a lid on the EWU women’s season,” said Mecklenburg.

“For half of the second to last lap, all the announcer could talk about was what a great race Paula Gil-Echevarria was having.”

Sophomore Keshun McGee was the only Eagle to compete in multiple events at the NCAA West Preliminaries. He competed on the first and last day of the

meet, taking 35th place in the long jump at 23-6 1/4 feet and 33rd in the triple jump at 49-2 1/4 feet.

“I feel this season had its ups and downs for sure,” McGee said. “But overall it was a good season. I believe next indoor and outdoor season will be my break out season where I will become better in my crafts.”

McGee said that things didn’t truly start to click for him until later in the season, but that he is still getting better.

He added that his progress this season is highlighted by his first regionals qualification in not one, but two events.

“Keshun had a brilliant year,” said Kerr.

“We’re certain he’ll be a NCAA finalist in the years ahead. He was still the last man standing in our 2017-2018 season and is likely to be the first man standing as we open up our 2018-2019.” •

Photo courtesy of EWU Athletics Sophomore Keshun McGee at the Big Sky Championships earlier this month. At the NCAA West Preliminaries last weekend, McGee took 35th in the long jump and 33rd in the triple jump.

16 | The Easterner

May 30, 2018

Sports Quick Hits

EWU

SAIL

• 2018 women’s golf records

The EWU women’s golf team, which placed fifth overall at the Big Sky Conference Championships in April, set a couple of individual records as well as a team mark this season. As a team, the Eagles notched a single-season scoring record of 304.76 strokes.

Individually, sophomore Madalyn Ardueser posted the lowest single-season per-round average in school history (75.38 strokes). Freshman Alexa Clark had the second lowest single-season per-round average in EWU history (75.79 strokes).

• Big Sky Conference basketball schedule upped to 20 games

The Big Sky Conference will increase from 18 to 20 league games for both men’s and women’s basketball beginning next season, the conference announced on May 29. The BSC’s athletic administrators and President’s Council made the decision after discussing the change in March. A complete conference schedule will be released at a later date.

Join us for the 3 rd Annual

• Women’s basketball and women’s tennis post perfect academic score

Eastern Washington University women’s basketball and women’s tennis teams posted perfect multi-year scores of 1,000 in the Academic Progress Rate figures released by the NCAA on May 23. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams.

“We are very proud of the academic commitment that both of these programs have achieved,” EWU Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey said. “We congratulate both teams and their coaches for their dedication and efforts to being the best they can be in the classroom and for setting a high standard for their peers.”

• 2018 soccer schedule finalized

The EWU women’s soccer team’s schedule was announced on May 22. The 18-game schedule, which consists of nine conference games and nine non-conference games, opens at home on August 17 against California State University Bakersfield. The game will be the first of five consecutive home matchups for the Eagle to start the season. The defending back-to-back Big Sky Conference champions will open conference play at home Sep. 21 against Sacramento State.

Thursday, June 7, 2018 | 4 P.M. Showalter Front Steps Photobooth | BBQ | EWU Swag

Bailey Monteith for The Easterner Junior forward Saige Lyons dribbles the ball against Central Washington on April 28. Lyons is one of main returners for the Eagles, who lost 10 players to graduation.

Student Activities Involvement & Leadership (SAIL) 110 Sutton Hall sail@ewu.edu | 509.359.2514