Issue 19 Volume 66 by Easterner Online

EasternerOnline.com

March 4, 2015

Est. 1916

Volume 66, Issue 19

Women’s History Month evokes change

llustration by Lauren Campbell

From Carter’s term to a month of women’s history, top female leaders prove worth By Ariel Kimbleton staff writer March is Women’s History Month in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. In the U.S., it began as a tribute to International Women’s Day, which started on March 8, 1911. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter made a proclamation to start a Women’s History Week, and in 1988, it was changed to Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month was seen widely by feminist scholars as a necessary addition to peoples’ lives that allows them to recognize the historical achievements of women,

that are not typically recognized throughout the rest of the year. EWU women’s and gender studies professor Jessica Willis said, “It would be nice to be in a time when [Women’s History Month] wasn’t necessary. When people could name as many female historical role models as they can male.” Willis said this month creates a heightened awareness that she believes people tend to forget throughout the year. “I believe [Women’s History Month] is so important because we [as women] have come so far, but we aren’t necessarily there yet. There is so much history to look back to as an exam-

ple of the progress we have made and can still make,” said Christine Burns, an EWU freshman. Burns said she believes this is a month where people of all genders can submerge themselves in the idea of equality. “[Women’s History Month] is an attempt to upset the dominant cultural discourse. By forming a diverse community, we contribute to society as a whole,” said Willis. “This is a time for celebration, awareness, networking and reimagining. It’s a great time for cultural conversations and connections to be made. It reminds me of talking about and hearing stories of prominent women we don’t often hear about.”

There are many events being held throughout the month of March for Women’s History in the Spokane area. One event that is co-sponsored by the EWU Women’s Studies Center and the Spokane Feminist Forum is a film screening of “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry” followed by a community discussion. According to the Facebook event page, the film “resurrects the buried history of the outrageous, often brilliant women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966 to 1971.” The event is being held on March 15 at 7 p.m. at the Magic Lantern, with $8 tickets sold at the door.

PUB remodel moves forward for consideration By Jasmine Ari Kemp news editor

Graphic by William Hayden

INSIDE:

In a second attempt to remodel the Pence Union Building, ASEWU held a special election on Feb. 24. Out of 2,053 votes cast, 1,052 people voted for the remodel, 983 people voted against the remodel and 18 people abstained. The 2,053 people who voted and abstained represent 14 percent of the total, eligible voting population. Kelsey Lavelle, ASEWU’s director of elections, said 10 percent of the university population needed to vote so the results could be valid. The 10 percent requirement is written in ASEWU’s bylaws. Lavelle said she is aware of the concerns about low voter turnout. She said that it is common in the 18-24 age group to not vote. “I would have liked to have a more realistic turnout,” said Lavelle. She added that the 2 percent jump in participation from last year was pleasing. Changes in voting methods were slightly different this year than last. Lavelle said she consoli-

dated the usual two voting stations in the PUB to add another voting station in the URC near the gym. The ASEWU also added a voting station at Pearce Hall and tried to add one at Dressler Hall, but the Internet was failing to connect. Isaiah Irish, a junior, voted at the station near the URC gym. “I was at the gym; it was right there. It took no time.” Irish said he voted for the remodel because he thought the PUB was getting old as it was and the bus area is not aesthetically pleasing. Irish will not be at EWU when the remodeling process starts happening, but he said it will benefit future students. Benefitting future students and the future of EWU was the overarching argument ASEWU presented voters. Its website acknowledges the need for safety enhancements as well as improved parking and more room for bus traffic. Yet, not all students at EWU regularly use the PUB.

PUB VOTE-PAGE 6

News: Levy Tax, page 2 • Eagle Life: Tim Wise on Racial Injustice, page 3 • Sports: Women’s Basketball, page 7

Upcoming Events: March Mar. 4-8: “A Man of No Importance” A rare gem in the canon of musical theater, one which combines the depth and drama of a play with the lyricism and comedy of a musical. Performances are March 4, 6, and 7 at 7:30 p.m., March 5 at 5 p.m. and March 8 at 2 p.m.

Mar. 5: Public Speaking Anxiety 12-1 p.m. in the PUB room 261. Learn about the factors that affect public speaking anxiety and how to begin overcoming your fears. Mar. 5: Jazz Residency concert 7:30 p.m. at the Music Building Recital Hall. Admission: $5 General Admission, $3 Seniors/Non-EWU Students. Mar. 9: Trumpet Solo Night 7:30 p.m. at the Music Building Recital

Hall. Admission is Free. Mar. 10: Wind Ensemble & Spokane Area Wind Ensemble Concert 7:30 p.m. at the Showalter Auditorium. $5 General Admission, $3 Seniors/NonEWU Students Mar. 11: EWU Symphony Orchestra Concert 7:30 p.m. at the EWU Music Building and Recital Hall. $5 General Admission, $3 Seniors/Non-EWU Students.

Eagle Life: Tim Wise “The danger in commemoration is not looking forward at what still needs to be addressed.” page 3 For the most up-to-date events in Cheney and Spokane, follow us: @EasternerOnline

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NEWS

2 @EasternerNews

March 4, 2015

Are you in favor or against the levy tax?• Send us your responses on Twitter.

Music events begin at Eastern

County disputes ordinance on levy tax

Senior citizens in Spokane County will soon be affected by potential local property tax By Katie Dunn staff writer

Spokane City Council and other city officials are working toward keeping the promise made in regards to the 2014 street levy. The street levy is a 20-year plan that increases the city’s regular property tax by 57 cents for every $1,000 of property appraisement, according to the levy resolution. City council believed low-income seniors and disabled individuals with a household income of $35,000 or less would be exempted from the tax, but the state and county said it was a levy lid lift instead of an excess levy, making the exemptions void, according to an article in The SpokesmanReview, entitled “Street levy surprises city, some residents with higher tax bills.” That was the first part of the discussion with the county. Then the city chose instead to enact an emergency budget ordinance C-35231, which authorizes a senior citizen local property tax exemption for levies following the Revised Code of Washington law 84.55.050. The city council’s ordinance is for a local property tax that does not pursue any type of challenge to the state’s definitions of levy lift and excess levy, according to Laura McAloon, a partner in the Spokane and Seattle international law firm K and L Gates. Jon Snyder, city council member of District 2, said utilities director Rick Romero brought the idea of the ordinance to council, which members voted unanimously to pass. “We passed the ordinance giving a tax break to senior citizens and disabled veterans and the county refused to comply with it,” said Snyder. The county requested advice from the Department of Revenue in regards to the new ordinance, which Spokane’s lawyers never saw, according to McAloon. They did receive a letter from the department making it appear like the county was asking if the city could extend a state tax exemption, which the city is not trying to do. “We think there is some confusion on the part of the county for what the city did and the county’s role in implementing a local tax exemption,” said McAloon. The exemption is for a local property tax and is only enabled on a local level, which does not expand into the state law. Snyder said the department’s letter questioned the ordinance and the council’s ability

By Katie Dunn staff writer

Levy tax facts Increases property tax by 57 cents for every $1,000 of property appraisement.

9.6% 91.4%

Music drifted through the first floor of Eastern’s Music Building as the EWU Jazz and Symphonic bands warmed up for their concert on March 2. The performance started with the jazz band playing “Lost in the Shuffle,” composed by Les Hooper and ended with the symphonic band playing Donald Hunsberger’s “The Loyal Legion.” There are two main types of music classes, theory and ensemble. Theory classes go into the technical side of music and ensemble classes are where everyone learns to play together, according to Ky Curry, a senior in the symphonic band. The concerts are the finals for the ensemble classes and as long as students show up and play they pass. Curry said everyone prepares for a concert differently, some people are at ease until the moment they get on stage and others calm down the moment the performance begins. “I always like getting on stage and performing,” said Curry. Curry said he has participated in nearly 20 concerts where he mainly plays the French horn. He can also play the trumpet, baritone and tuba. Corey Oglesbee, a senior who played a trumpet in both bands, said he tries to relax and have a small warm up a few hours before a concert.

9.6 percent of Spokane’s seniors 65 and older live in poverty.

Seniors above poverty level

The tax for the levy can land anywhere from $13 to $25.

Seniors below poverty level

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau

“

Graphic by Kayla Lee

That’s another thing that was kind of frustrating, they could have waited a little bit to start handing them out but they decided to go full speed ahead.

Jon Snyder

City council member (District #2)

to follow through with it. “I have no idea why the county turned this down,” said Snyder. “The county is not 100 percent beholden to the Department of Revenue, and next year they can decide to turn it down again if we don’t get some kind of resolution out of this.” According to Snyder, the city council modeled the ordinance after a state law on exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans. “We thought we were on solid ground,” said Snyder. “In my mind, when a city passes an ordinance that’s city law unless a court or judge, some higher authority, says that’s not the case.” McAloon said this is an issue where only the courts can decide the outcome. So far, no court date has been decided. “The county’s attorney just got on board

the case within the last couple of days,” said McAloon. “We’re giving him some time to get up to speed.” Tax bills without the exemption were already sent out by the county. “That’s another thing that was kind of frustrating,” said Snyder. “They could have waited a little bit to start handing them out but they decided to go full speed ahead.” According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, 9.6 percent of Spokane’s seniors 65 and older live in poverty. The tax for the levy can land anywhere from $13 to $25. “The tax can be small, as low as $25, but for a lot of these folks who are seniors on fixed income or are disabled veterans, they need every $25 they can get,” said Snyder.

MUSIC-PAGE 6

Start out on top.

start in the lead.

Start moving up.

start commanding attention.

Start learning more.

start taking charge. Start getting ahead of the game.

start strong. sm

There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. By enrolling in Army ROTC at Eastern Washington University you will develop leadership skills and earn an Army Officer’s commission after graduation—two things that will help ensure you succeed in life. Army ROTC also offers full-tuition, merit-based scholarships to help you pay for your college degree. With a start like that, there is no limit to what you can achieve. To get started, visit www.goarmy.com/rotc/ar49

Army ROTC is a platform to build the confidence needed to thrive in uncertainty. To learn more about leadership and management training, please call Rob Riedel at (509) 359-2386 or rotc@ewu.edu ©2008. Paid for by the United states army. all rights reserved.

EAGLE LIFE

March 4, 2015 @EasternerNews

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Will you be attending “A Man of No Importance?” Send us your responses on Twitter.

Tim Wise addresses issues of racial injustice in US By Ariel Kimbleton staff writer Showalter Auditorium was filled with students, faculty, staff and community members who came to hear Tim Wise, antiracism educator and writer, discuss combating racism and how people of color are faced with discrimination and injustice in the U.S. today. The event on Feb. 24 had attendees resorting to sitting on the floor because the venue was so full. The discussion lasted longer than the hour originally allotted, which allowed people to ask questions of Wise. EWU Dining Services provided a banquet following the event. Wise graduated from Tulane University in 1990 with a B.A. in political science with a Latin American studies minor. He has spent the past 20 years speaking at over 1,000 colleges and high schools in all 50 states about issues of white supremacy and racial injustices. The author of six books on the topic, Wise is a frequent correspondent on CNN and MSNBC to discuss race issues. During his lecture, Wise incorporated a bit of humor, at one point exclaiming, “We didn’t break away from the British last Wednesday,” to shed light on specific race

Photo by Laura Lango Tim Wise raises awareness in combating racism.

issues currently occurring in the U.S. One of the first things he remarked upon was the irony of a white man taking the stage to talk about an issue that does not directly affect

himself. Wise argued that racial equality is not going to be achieved until a black or brown person can stand on the same stage and give the same talk that he did.

“A Man of No Importance” presents a refreshing musical By Alla Drokina staff writer “A Man of No Importance,” directed by EWU alumnus Jadd Davis of the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre, explores themes of self-acceptance, identity, shame, sin and most importantly, love. The audience is transported to 1940s Ireland where the cast is clad in retro costumes. The women can be seen in bright, polka dot patterns or plaid with kneelength skirts and cardigans, while the men sport trousers, suspenders and often a cap. The Irish dialect adopted by the cast points to a low-income crowd in Dublin, Ireland. This is a time where progressive thinking is not at the forefront. The city people still adhere to traditional norms and convention reigns supreme. The audience receives an informal introduction to many of the townspeople in the beginning. Among them, is the butcher, Mr. Carney, played by EWU theatre major David Logghe, whose shop is decorated on stage with sausages and other types of meat. Mr. Carney harbors a deep affection for acting and theater, particularly the kind of acting where he gets to play the lead. Alfie Byrne, the protagonist and middle-aged bus conductor, wants to direct Oscar Wilde’s “Tragedy of Salome” in the small town, yet the townspeople do not like the themes of the play being portrayed. Lily, played by theatre student Alyssa Day, is Alfie’s cantankerous sister, who seems to always have a roast in the oven and constantly berates her brother “out of love,” often steals the stage with her pout and sour attitude.

Oscar Wilde, played by Logghe, serves as a mentor and adviser in Alfie’s imagination even appearing in his dreams at times and encouraging him with sentiments such as, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.” Wilde is Alfie’s favorite writer. The characters almost rotate in a conveyer belt fashion, popping in and out of Alfie’s life during certain scenes then reconvening in the background to sing songs. The rotating stage helps the scenes transition from different settings, such as a local Irish pub or a cozy kitchen. “The show is a lot more flashy and unexpected from a production standpoint than previous shows,” said Elizabeth Lewis, junior, an EWU theatre and film major, as well as the light board operator for the musical. Alfie is the black sheep in his town, poetic instead of pragmatic. A dreamer instead of a realist, he remains purehearted and innocent. Chris Hansen, a theatre major, plays Alfie with his soft eyes and contemplative look. Hansen does an excellent job of conveying a deep, unfulfilled longing in Alfie’s face. The action begins to unfold when Adele, played by student Haliey Gilbert, a young, beautiful woman, steps onto Alfie’s bus. Instantly mesmerized by her, he decides she is the perfect one to play the Princess of Judea in the play, “Tragedy of Salome” by Oscar Wilde, which Alfie desires to direct and bring to life in his town, despite Father Kenny’s objections and the controversy it raises.

IMPORTANCE-PAGE 6

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Wise mentioned Black History Month and the danger that comes along with commemoration of progress. He said, “[While it is] important to acknowledge the victories,

the danger in commemoration is not looking forward at what still needs to be addressed.” Wise said that what happened with Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mis-

souri, issues with border patrol, voting discrimination and the use of religion to excuse intolerance represent racial issues in the U.S. that need to be addressed.

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OPINION

March 4, 2015

Do you feel the ALEKS math programs at Eastern are beneficial for students who struggle with math? • Tweet us @EasternerOnline.

ALEKS lowers pressure on struggling students By Aaron Bocook contributing writer I am bad at math. At least, I spent most of my life thinking I was, until I found something that works for me. Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces, or ALEKS, is a web-based assessment and learning program that EWU has used since 2012 for students, like me, who have had bad luck in lecture-style math classes. Bocook At age 32, I still add and subtract on my fingers. My jaw drops down as my eyes roll upward when I do math in my head. And when there are any decimals at all, I have to bust out the calculator or iPhone. I decided to go back to college when I was 26, knowing I would struggle with math. I tested low and had to pass a few basic classes before I could progress to the college classes. I tried a lecture class at Spokane Falls Community College and dropped it after three days. I could not handle the pace. Just like middle school and high school, by the time I fully understood a concept, I was already days behind the rest of the class, leaving me feeling discouraged and stupid.

Feeling stupid is not beneficial to my learning. So, I transferred to the SFCC math center, which was the best method I had found at that point. It was self-paced, with exams scheduled by progress points, not by specific dates. I hit a wall in my learning though, and at the same time, reached my maximum number of credits for the institution. I transferred to EWU without my AA degree, which is still only missing a check mark in a box labeled “algebra proficiency.” Most degrees require at least one math class beyond algebra proficiency, a requirement that I fulfilled with Introduction to Logic, a class that uses enough quantitative reasoning to be considered “mathy.” But, I still needed to fulfill the algebra efficiency requirement. Due to my fear of failing and losing the oh-so-crucial funding that allows me to work bare minimum hours at my other occupation, delivering Chinese food (I use my iPhone calculator a lot for this. Customers expect to get accurate change back.), I put math off until the very end of college. Finally, it is my second to last quarter , I finally enrolled in Math 104, the last class in the series meant to prepare students for college-level math. For the first few weeks, I did well in the lecture class. I understood most of the material and kept up on my homework. Then the first exam came: 50 minutes, 15 questions. I did not need to be a

mathematician to figure out that I would have barely over 3 minutes to solve each question. After staring at the first question for over 5 minutes, I moved on, answering the problems and moving on. After 50 minutes, I had barely finished half the test. My instructor told me he “saw my eyes spinning.” That old stupid feeling washed over me again A couple weeks earlier, he told us about ALEKS and said that after the first exam, if we were struggling, it may be a good option. I had a meeting with him about it, dropped the class and made the switch. I could not be happier. ALEKS has made my math experience so much better. I don’t feel the pressure of time constraints. The program gives me as many times as I need to grasp a concept, and if I get a question wrong, it doesn’t count against me. Its pie chart function takes away or adds topics to the chart as you are assessed at routine increments. Best of all, as long as you meet all of the attendance and weekly hour requirements, students can take more than one quarter to complete each class. Wade Neislon, a math lecturer at EWU, said there are two main reasons he likes ALEKS. First, it honors what students already know. Once you have taken an initial assessment, ALEKS starts you at wherever you tested in. For example, if you test into Math 104 at 22 percent like I did, that means you are already 22 percent complete with the class.

“You already know it, and you don’t need to be doing that again,” said Neilson. “You need to focus on what you need to learn to be able to meet the objectives for the course. I really like that.” Second, the ALEKS lab allows instructors like Neilson to give students the one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Neilson said it can be intimidating for a student who is struggling in a lecture class to raise their hand and ask a question. The system hasn’t only helped me; the numbers show a dramatic increase in student success over previous methods. According to Neilson, the lecture classes at EWU from 2008 to 2009 had about a 40 percent pass rate. The system used in the 2010 to 2012 school years, where Math 103 and 104 were broken into A and B sections in one quarter, had even lower pass rates. With ALEKS, the pass rates have increased to over 60 percent, which includes students who have taken over one quarter to pass. This means pass rates are actually higher than the numbers show, but the lowest pass rates with ALEKS is still over 60 percent. For me, the reason it works is simple: It gives me the time to fully understand a topic before I continue. For the first time in my life, I feel like I know what I am doing with math. I am going to pass math, and I am going to graduate.

letters to the editor The URC Center Just Doesn’t Fit Us All

End the Parking Struggle and Ride the Shuttle The location of the free parking lot is just too far away. Many of us have had the struggle of trying to find parking on and around campus. We are sometimes late to class and it can be detrimental to our learning, as well as disruptive. There’s a simple solution to make the parking at Eastern more efficient. Any student or faculty will tell you that parking on campus is not always a pleasant experience. With expensive rates for parking passes, the only two other options for parking is to try and join the rat race of parking on the streets or parking in the free lot and trekking it to class. One way to make the parking experience more enjoyable and time efficient would be to have shuttles run from the free parking lot to campus. This would be an easy, feasible amenity that would greatly help

students and faculty. There’s already a shuttle that runs from the free lot to the entrance of the football stadium during games, so why not have one during the school day? Administrators think it’s not a “feasible solution.” This is because they aren’t making any profit off of it, even though it would be a great improvement to our beautiful campus. With the support of our students and faculty, we could easily make room in the budget toward solving our parking predicament on campus. A benefit to having these shuttles would be less traffic and congestion in the streets around campus. This will open our streets, reduce the number of distracted drivers looking for spots and keep the campus safe.

By Zoë Mariotti, Ben Kutina, Montserrat Franco EWU Students

The new layout of the recreational center does not accommodate to the 13,000 plus students attending Eastern Washington University. All students pay for the rec center within the tuition each quarter, yet I have experience over and over that the rec is too small and isn’t fitting to have fair workouts for all students. The problem is many students not attempting to go to the gym or people having to stand around in the gym. The amount of equipment is inadequate for the current amount of students. The main cause is the rec center being too small

for the amount of students that would like to use the facilities. The hockey rink is nice, but the money that hockey brings in and other events in the ice space, in my opinion, do not outweigh the lack of room in the actual workout area. When the rec was constructed, the designers didn't leave enough space for the workout equipment. Lastly, there are over 2,000 Fast Fitness students who need 40 visits per class so almost 80,000 gym visits for just Fast Fitness students. The best way to resolve this issue would be a redesign of the interior. Working out should be apart of

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all college students, but the size of the rec discourages some students from using it. Each year, EWU student population is rising, and being accommodating to the rising students could include an interior redesign. Now, I understand that it is easier said than done. The main negative is the cost to do the redesign and a temporary gym while it would be worked on. The positive would be more students working out, better health and a better social spot for people to hangout and be able to live a more healthy lifestyle.

letters to the editor

MY MEATS

Zoë Colburn Opinion Editor easterner.opinion@gmail.com

ATE

REAL VEGGIES

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

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We encourage the EWU 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.

OPINION

March 4, 2015

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What are your thoughts on the 2015 Oscar’s show? • Tweet us @EasternerOnline.

Arquette’s Oscars misstep part of bigger picture By Zoë Colburn opinion editor Celebrities picking up pet causes is hardly a new phenomenon — just this fall Emma Watson gave a speech to the U.N. advocating for feminism and Angelina Jolie is wellknown for her advocacy of children’s welfare. Occasionally, celebrities can stumble a bit when trying to bring awareness to their chosen cause, the most recent example being Patricia Colburn Arquette’s misstep at the 2015 Oscars. Although Arquette’s call to arms during her acceptance speech was well-intentioned, if bland, it was her backstage comments after her Oscar wi, saying “It’s time for all … the gay people and people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now,” that struck a raw nerve. “It treated them [women of color and LGBTQ women] as separate categories from women, which is problematic,” said Elizabeth Kissling, Ph.D., women’s and gender studies and communications professor. “And then to say that we fought for them was way more problematic because white feminists have historically done a bad job of that and are still atoning for that and still really working hard to do more intersectional feminism.” It’s certainly easy to be quick to judge celebrities when they aren’t perfect, but occasionally we also need to cut them a little slack — no one would look good if

every comment they ever made was recorded and shown to millions of people. However, the difference with Arquette lies in her response to the backlash. Rather than accepting that she had offended people, she refused to acknowledge the concerns that were brought to her, taking to Twitter and seemingly claiming her childhood in poverty as a lifetime of privilege-free existence. “I don’t want to be too hard on her,” said Kissling. “It’s unfortunate that she doesn’t seem to, at least at this point, want to say, ‘Oh, yeah, maybe I’m not showing as much understanding,’ but I also am imagining that she’s feeling pretty barraged by criticism of something that she meant to be a good act. But our intentions aren’t always enough.” And while it is important to remember celebrities are people who are prone to mistakes just as much as the rest of us, it’s almost more important to remember they have more influence than most and should be held to a slightly higher standard. The fact of the matter is that we afford celebrities a platform from which to speak and spread their ideals, and we should hold them accountable for their mistakes just as we should hold each other accountable for our mistakes. But celebrities have a special form of ethos that allows them very large platforms to speak from. Emma Watson, for example, gave her speech to the U.N. in the fall — a fairly lofty accomplishment for someone who is otherwise uninvolved in politics. “What is Emma Watson’s ethos?” said Patricia Chantrill, Ph.D., chair of the communications department. “Well, she’s a young actress who’s probably fairly

Photo contributed by The Oscars ®

wealthy. What else is a part of her ethos that allows her to stand up in front of the U.N.? It’s her celebrity platform.” However, while Arquette does have a celebrity ethos, she lacks any further ethos to allow her the kind of slack we might afford other celebrities who misstep in a similar way. “So that’s again that kind of issue is that there was no organization behind her that she had agreed to be the spokesperson for,” said Maggie Crabtree, EWU English lecturer for the public relations series. “Those two gentlemen who spoke on the Selma score, somehow their legitimacy seemed more authentic to me.”

Although Common and John Legend, who won an award for their original song for the movie Selma, did not have an organization backing them either, they did come across as better-versed in their discussion, likely at least in part because they avoided stepping on the toes of anyone else. Had Arquette simply left her speech on stage and not made the backstage comments, she would not have come under fire. “What she probably should have done was just not say anything more about it because she shouldn’t have been putting this on people, but own[ing] it herself,” said Chantrill.

letters to the editor On-Campus Vendors Should Accept Meal Plan and Flex Money We believe all external business vendors operating on Eastern Washington University campus should accept both student meal plan and Flex money. Students living on campus have limited options when it comes spending their meal plan and Flex money and deserve to have more options available, considering the money they’re spending to attend school and build the new PUB. For example, Thomas Hammer doesn’t accept either option, even though they previously have in 2003. A representative disclosed that the cost of accepting Flex money, the slow transfer of funds and the large amount of

paperwork required made it too complex to continue with the program. Freshmen are now required to live on campus, meaning that more students have Flex money and meal plan options. For the tuition and attendance costs, students shouldn't have to use their own, outof-pocket cash to purchase from on-campus vendors. The problem lies in the technology for the transfer of the funds and the decisions made by the Eastern administration to prevent non-Eastern businesses from coming to campus. An employee of Thomas Hammer stated that they would be “totally open” to bringing back Flex but have had

no contact from Eastern to see if there may be new interest in participating in the program. This leads us to believe that Eastern hasn't sought to work with on-campus vendors to ensure that they universally accept Flex and meal plan money. It's imperative that all vendors participate in order to allow students more variety. The issue could be as simple as setting up the necessary technology for the transfer of funds and striking deals with businesses on campus. Eastern needs to seek to solve this problem as it would benefit all students and the campus.

By Zack J. Speiker, Madelynn G. Newman, Brennen J. Maguire EWU Students

Students Do Not Use What They Pay For Every quarter, each full-time undergraduate at Eastern pays $65 toward a recreation fee. In return, students gain “free” access to the campus gym and recreation center. Along with this $65 fee comes a great frustration. The recreation fee is automatically accounted for in all students’ fees and tuition; however, not all students use the facility that they are paying for. Some students may a have membership at another gym, some exercise outdoors or at home and others may not exercise at all. The assumption that all students want, are able or will choose to use the recreation center on campus is

false, and students who do not choose to use the facility should not be forced to pay for it. Let’s put this in perspective: When we shop, we are not forced to pay for groceries that we don’t buy. It is understood that Eastern is a money-making institution and therefore must find ways to fund programs and student services; however, the way the university goes about gaining monetary resources could use revision. An obvious solution to this controversy would be to have students choose if they would like to gain access to the recreation center for the quarter and then charge accordingly.

As far as a process change, one possibility would be to have students select if they would like to use the facility during the quarterly registration process. No change comes without ripples. It is very possible that once a smaller percentage of students are paying for use of the facility that the cost of doing so will go up. Still, on a more important note, it is very likely that there would be great responses of gratitude and appreciation from students who are tired of being charged for amenities that they don’t need or want.

By Kassandra J. Clark, Faith J. Mehal, Jake D. York EWU Students

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COMMUNITY

March 4, 2015

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MUSIC:

during concerts. On March 2, he lead the symphonic band in the song “Dusk,” by Steven Bryant. “I chose it mostly because it’s very warm and lyrical, which fits in with the other pieces,” said Blaydon. Blaydon said the entire repertoire for the concert was chosen at the beginning of the quarter, which the bands worked on in class. He said he will be participating in six other concerts during the next two weeks as part of finals. “I think the greatest part of this program is that it’s small,” said Blaydon. “You get to know your professors.” According to Blaydon, some students

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 “I enjoy having the opportunity to play for people,” said Oglesbee. Concerts are not only the students’ time to shine but the graduate teaching assistants get a chance to show what they have learned. Timothy Blaydon is a graduate teaching assistant from the University of Portland who came to Eastern because it offered him a full-ride scholarship. Blaydon said his job in the music department is to lead rehearsals, provide constructive feedback and conduct songs

PUB VOTE:

CONTINUED FROM FRONT Lavelle said ASEWU heard concerns from Riverpoint students. There were different levels of arguments for and against the remodel from them. They range from simple aesthetics to the dichotomy of going to a campus 16 miles away from the main hub of the university. “They go to school in Spokane, and they live and work out there. … [Some of them] have no

reason to come out to Cheney,” she said. Riverpoint students will still have to pay the fee regardless if they ever come to the Cheney campus. The proposal from ASEWU regarding payment from students does not make a distinction about students who do and do not use the Cheney campus facilities. There are also commuter students, like EWU freshman Brandi Jones, who only stay on campus for as long as they need and

IMPORTANCE:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Much to Lily’s dismay, Alfie’s feelings toward Adele are merely platonic. Although there is a particular warmth in the way Alfie interacts with the people, one wonders whether the warmth will continue to be reciprocated when they find out about his sexuality.

go home right after class. Jones said she did not vote on the remodel. She likes the way the PUB is now. “I’m not focused on the political side of Eastern. … I’m more involved with my family. I have a boyfriend. I’m more concerned about myself,” said Jones. The vote will be certified at the ASEWU council meeting on March 3. After that, the vote will either be denied or approved by the board of trustees at its next meeting on March 20.

will participate in several bands, so they can get pretty busy. “I rather do enjoy the program but at some points it’s chaotic running from program to program, symphonic to symphonic,” said Curry. “I enjoy the program, just not the organization of it.” Most of the songs during the concert were conducted by Don Goodwin, the

director of the symphonic and marching bands at EWU. “I was thrilled with the students’ performance last night,” said Goodwin. “I really felt that each piece was played at the highest level yet for our ensemble, which is all that any conductor can ask for.”

Photo by Katie Dunn Rebecca Savinski plays with the rest of the brass section in the symphonic band.

Lily, whose primary goal is to marry Alfie off so she can get on with her own life, is distraught and feels disconnected from her brother. She is unaware of Alfie’s long-kept secret, but in this musical, Alfie is not the only one concealing a secret. With a vibrant cast and equally vibrant music score, “A Man of No Importance” is a heart-felt delight for the audience. Photo by Katie Dunn Timothy Blaydon came from the University of Portland to help conduct.

Corrections: Last week in the Police Beat, Preliminary Breath Test was incorrectly acronymed as PVT.

Police Beat Serving the EWU community since 1916

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Feb. 23

A theft was reported that occured in the Townhouse Apartments. There are no leads or suspects.

Jasmine Kemp easterner.news@gmail.com Jaclyn Archer easterner.eaglelife@gmail.com

A student in synamncut Hall complained that his mail had been tampered with. There was a small, straight cut on the bottom of the envelope and pieces of candy had been removed. His girlfriend had received a letter from the same person, and hers was tampered with in the same way.

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A student who lives on the fifth floor of Pearce Hall came back from a weekend trip to find that various items had been stolen from his room. The total amount stolen was valued at $58 and included spare change, a wireless mouse and Apple headphones. There are no leads or suspects.

Feb. 24 12 p.m. Fraud A student cashed her financial aid check electronically, but before she could dispose of it, her backpack was stolen on Feb. 12 at the bookstore. The thief attempted to cash the check again and the university was notified. The investigation is still pending.

12:20 p.m. Marijuana The smell of marijuana outside a student’s room alerted a CA in Streeter

Hall. The student had less than half a gram, but because she was underaged. A citation for illegal possession was issued.

9:05 p.m. Tresspassing An intoxicated nonstudent was found sleeping on a couch in the foyer of Pearce Hall. He was supposed to be staying at a friend’s house located off-campus, so he was escorted out of the building.

Feb. 27 9:36 p.m. Marijuana An underaged student in Dressler Hall was cited and released for possession of marijuana.

March 1 12:14 a.m. Marijuana In Pearce Hall, a student was cited and released for possession of marijuana. The individual was under the age of 21.

1:10 a.m. Alcohol Officers came across two students attempting to carry another in the third-floor stairwell of Pearce Hall. She was highly intoxicated with slurred speech, difficulty standing and a PBT of .14 BAC. The three students were referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

1:19 a.m. Alcohol One student was referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities after being found intoxicated in Dressler Hall.

SPORTS

March 4, 2015

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Eagles fly to Arizona to compete for golf

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#GoEags See the latest sports updates on Twitter

Eastern battles Montana State and Montana on the road

Junior Marissa Borja finished tied for 15th overall By Elohino Theodore senior reporter The EWU golf team finished with a final score of 631 (+55) in 17th place out of 20 overall at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Arizona, on Feb. 27 and 28. The Eagles placed 5th out of the 6 Big Sky teams there. “The weather was breezy and a little cold, but nothing we shouldn’t be able to handle,” said head coach Brenda Howe. “We struggled overall, we need to get rid of the rounds in the 80s in order to be competitive.” Five out of nine players on the team competed in Arizona last weekend. Junior Marissa Borja finished tied for 15th place overall. Borja shot a total of 151 (+7) for the two days of the competition. Senior Taylor Crandall had a total of 158 (+14) to finish in 67th place. Freshman Annie Leete had an overall score of 174 (+30), while freshman Kimberlie Miyamoto shot an overall score of 160 (+16). Senior Caitilin Rice had a total score of 164 (+20) for both days of the competition. “Unlike previous years, we were fortunate to have a mild winter,” said Rice. “We were able to get out on the course earlier than normal, which provided us with the opportunity to get some on-the-course practice.” Rice said the team did not perform at the level it wanted. “Last year, we had our low round at the Red Rocks Invitational, and we were hoping to beat that score,” said Rice. “In light of that, we definitely shook off some cobwebs and are looking forward to our next tournament in St. George, Utah. Marissa Borja shot 73 on the first day and finished T15th as an individual.”

GOLF-PAGE 8

Photo contributed by goeags.com

No. 13 Lexie Nelson of EWU Eagles dribbles the basketball at game against Northern Arizona.

EWU Women’s basketball loses both Montana away games in February By Elohino Theodore senior reporter The EWU women’s basketball team dropped its final two road games of the season to Montana State University and the University of Montana. On Feb. 26, Eastern fell to Montana State in Bozeman, Montana, 63-53, despite a tough run in the second half. “It certainly felt good to see the team show some resiliency despite the deficit,” head coach Wendy Schuller told goeags.com. “It’s hard to win when you shoot 33 percent. We had some open looks, however, and just missed some shots that we typically knock down.” Sophomore guard Jade Redmon gave her views on the loss. “We had a bad shooting night,” said Redmon. “And our defense

could have been tougher in the first half.” In the first half, Montana State led throughout the first 20 minutes. The Bobcats had their largest lead at the 6:16 mark in the first half, 2310. EWU senior forward Melissa Williams scored 12 points to help the Eagles cut Montana State’s lead to nine points at halftime, 32-23. Montana State opened the second half on a quick 8-0 run. Eastern soon found themselves in an 18-point hole as Montana State led 49-31 at the 9:18 mark. Redshirt junior Hayley Hodgins started to warm up offensively to get Eastern back into the game. Hodgins scored two 3-pointers to cut the Bobcats’ lead to 7 points, 5346. The Eagles continued to try to create a comeback. Hodgins drained a jump shot with 1:27 remaining in the game. However, Eastern would not score

again as Montana State built a 10-point lead to secure their victory. Eastern shot a field goal percentage of 33.3 and shot only 16.7 percent behind the 3-point line. Williams finished with 16 points and a career high of 17 rebounds. Hodgins had 22 points and nine rebounds. On Feb. 28, the Eagles fell to the Montana Grizzlies, 69-59. “I thought our effort and energy were really good, especially to start the game,” said Schuller. “We dug ourselves a tiny hole and you can’t do that against a team like Montana. Every time we hit a basket to cut into their lead, they would make a big shot.” Eastern had a good start in the first half and led by as many as 9 points. However, Montana got their offense going by tying the game three times until the Grizzlies managed to get the lead at halftime

by going on a 6-0 run, 33-29. Despite Eastern hitting its first jump shot to start the second half, Montana went on a 6-0 run in the opening minutes. Montana led throughout the second half by as many as 10 points. At one point the Eagles cut Montana’s lead to seven points at the 4:28 mark in the second half. As the Eagles tried to make a run, Montana answered back in the closing minutes of the game to win by 10. The Eagles shot a low field goal percentage for their second straight game at 34.4 percent while shooting 20 percent behind the 3-point line. Freshman guard Delaney Hodgins scored a season high of 19 points while Hayley Hodgins scored 14 points for the game. Eastern will be back home on March 5 to face Idaho State University.

EWU’s track and field teams finish with three titles By Brandon Cline staff writer The Big Sky Indoor Championships for track and field marked an end to the indoor season and saw three EWU athletes claim conference titles, while the women’s team finished fourth overall and the men’s team finished seventh. Twenty-three women and 13 men traveled to Flagstaff, Arizona, for the Eagles to compete at the championships at Northern Arizona University, where EWU finished with 10 all-conference performances, highlighted by titles from senior Jordan Arakawa in the men’s weight throw, sophomore Trenton Osborn in the men’s long jump and freshman Tierra White in the women’s high jump. Arakawa won his second consecutive Big Sky title on Feb. 28, throwing a personal record of 66-1 1/2 feet, which also ranks second in EWU school history. “[Arakawa] repeating as a conference champion in the weight throw was a giant highlight for our team and program today. I feel repeating as a conference champion speaks to [Arakawa’s] talent as an athlete and to his character,” said

men’s head coach Stan Kerr. The men’s team’s first Big Sky title of the weekend came on Feb. 27 when Trenton Osborn won the long jump with a jump of 7.41 meters. Osborn finished comfortably ahead of the rest of the field in both the preliminaries and the finals and was consistently the top men’s long jump performer during the indoor season. “Winning this title means a whole lot because it shows how hard my coaches, my captains and myself have been working, and it’s nice to see it all come together and pay off,” said Osborn. “We’ve put a lot of work in leading up to this meet, so it would have been disappointing to come up short.” Osborn finished second in the long jump as a freshman and was selected to the Big Sky winter all-academic team last year as well. “We’re thrilled to cap day one with [Osborn] taking on an army of five Sacramento State long jumpers and winning his first title. His hard work and patience paid huge dividends as this performance was the best of his collegiate career,” said Kerr.

TRACK-PAGE 8

Photo contributed by goeags.com EWU long jumper Trenton Osborn makes the clear for a score.

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SPORTS

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March 4, 2015

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Men’s basketball dominates Montana State, loses close to Montana

TRACK:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Jeremy VanAssche finished fifth in the 60-meter dash, while Chase Davis finished fifth as well in the pole vault. The men’s 4x400 meter relay team — Brad Michael, Austin Upmeyer, Nick Anthony and Blair Bomber — posted a top four finish at the championships, with a time of 3:15.54 that also ranks 10th in school history. One of the biggest surprises of the entire tournament were the results of the women’s high jump finals. Freshman Tierra White had been ranked fifth coming into the finals, where her best jump had been 1.67 meters. She crushed that with a jump of 1.72 meters to win the title. “I worked back-to-back workouts to get stronger mentally and physically. Telling myself that I can benefitted me from last weekend’s meet because I had to prove that it doesn’t matter your age or where you’ve come from, you can reach the top if you believe,” said White. “My teammates supported me a ton during the meet, and they were amazed to see me so driven and not letting go of my dream.” White grew up in Spokane and attended John R. Rogers High School before

coming to EWU without a track scholarship. “I have high hopes to be on scholarship this next quarter. Losing my father last year made me so much stronger to set higher dreams, and I have bigger confidence in myself, too. I proved to myself that dreams can come true if I keep believing,” said White. Emma Murillo and Kaytlyn Coleman were allconference performers in the women’s weight throw as Murillo finished second and Coleman finished third. It was not the only event where the EWU women had multiple all-conference performers, as Anandae Clark and Courtney Bray finished second and third, respectively, in the pole vault. “With [Murillo] and [Clark’s] personal best marks in the weight throw and pole vault, combined with [Coleman] and [Bray’s] marks, we had a lot of depth. We knew coming into this meet that those two events were solid for us, and the athletes didn’t disappoint,” said Mecklenburg. The women’s other allconference performance came in the distance medley relay, where the team of Paula Gil-Echevarria, Janessa Day, Katie Lynch and Katie Mahoney finished third with a time of 12:09.93, which ranks second in school history.

Photo by Anna Mills Venky Jois dunking over Montana State University players at Reese Court.

By Brandon Cline staff writer With 7.6 seconds left in the game, Parker Kelly received a baseline inbounds pass and put up a mid-range jump shot to give EWU’s men’s basketball team a final signature win at Reese Court, as well as finishing 4-0 against the University of Montana and Montana State University in conference play. It fell short. The Eagles headed into Saturday’s matchup against the University of Montana with a 12-3 record in Big Sky play, with a win putting them in a prime position to win the regular season championship as well as hosting the conference tournament in Cheney. EWU trailed 39-42 at halftime and without the effort of Drew Brandon, the Eagles would not have been down to the Grizzlies by just one possession. In what will likely be his final game at Reese Court, Brandon accumulated 15 points in the first half, shooting 6-10 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range. Brandon also grabbed six rebounds and dished out a pair of assists. But Brandon was held scoreless in the second half and attempted only two shots in the final 20 minutes. There were five ties and eight lead changes during the final 20 minutes and no lead by either team was

greater than 6 points, but Montana took a 71-69 lead with 5:31 remaining and never relinquished the lead, en route to a 77-76 road win. The win put Montana’s conference record at 13-4, while EWU’s fell to 12-4 with games at Idaho State and Weber State remaining in regular season play. Tyler Harvey was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Harvey shot 7-8 from inside the three-point line, but just 2-8 from beyond the arc. Venky Jois notched a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Jois also recorded five assists, five blocks and two steals but turned the ball over five times and shot 2-5 from the free-throw line. As a team, the Eagles were only 12-20 from the charity stripe, while Montana was a perfect 12-12. “You have to give them credit — they came on the road and were perfect from the free-throw line while we missed eight chances. It’s a different game there at the end if we make more free throws,” said head coach Jim Hayford. Martin Breunig, the 6-foot-8inch transfer from the University of Washington, was virtually unstoppable for much of the game. He finished with 24 points on just 11 shot attempts, while also dishing out six assists from the post. Two days before on Feb. 26, the Eagles routed Montana State Univer-

sity, 92-68, in a game that got out of hand in the second half. EWU led 37-28 at halftime but went on a 24-6 run early in the second half to put the game away early. “The team said at halftime, ‘This doesn’t have to be a close game — let’s go put the pedal to the metal.’ I thought the team came out of the locker room at halftime as fired up as I have ever seen them,” said Hayford. Jois grabbed another doubledouble and was also the game’s high scorer, finishing with 27 points on 12-17 shooting, including a few highlight dunks. Ognjen Miljkovic did not miss a shot on the day, scoring 15 points on 6-6 shooting and 3-3 from long range. In the postgame press conference, both Hayford and Miljkovic highlighted the energy that they’re seeing the team play with in games and in practice. “At this point of the season, we can’t have anybody not bringing great energy, and if we see one guy doing that, all of us as a team are trying to pull him back,” said Miljkovic. Montana State was held to just 38.7 percent (24-62) shooting from the field, including just 25 percent (728) from 3-point range. “This was a fantastic win. Montana State had been playing really good and we really played solid. It looked a lot like the team I saw in early December and early January when we were clicking,” said Hayford.

Photo contributed by goeags.com Hannah Kim preparing to hit the golf ball.

GOLF:

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Howe told goeags.com the team did not have the finish it was hoping for and that it lost some ground. “I’ve seen some really good scores from these ladies in the last four weeks,

so we’ll work on creating some different pressure situations and add some qualifying rounds at practice to get them used to competing day in and day out again,” she said. Eastern will head to St. George to compete at the Lady Thunderbird Invitational on March 12-13.

The Easterner is now hiring non work-study positions The Easterner is the student-led, student-run organization at Eastern Washington University. We print a weekly publication and continuously update our website (easterneronline.com). 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. We are currently hiring the following position(s): Art Director Copy Editor Staff Writer Apply for a position through EagleAXIS today! For questions and more information, contact easterner.me@gmail.com Enroll in JRNM 100 - Easterner Staff course today! This 3-credit course requires student to engage in reporting and editorial assignments on the staff of The Easterner.